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In the wake of climate change and globalisation, non-indigenous mosquito species establish in Europe together with the pathogens they transmit. A project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF is currently investigating mosquito species found in Austria and their role in the transmission of pathogens.

Scholars sampled about 30,000 mosquitoes in order to identify all species found in Austria and screen them for pathogens. Quelle: Carina Zittra

Mosquitoes like warm and humid atmospheres and are attracted by carbon dioxide, the scent of skin and contrasts in light. In the past two years, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna) sampled about 30,000 of these insects which not only annoy humans and animals alike, but may even present a health hazard. Within the context of an international research project and with the financial support of the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the researchers from Vetmeduni Vienna set out to identify all species of mosquitoes found in Austria and screen them for pathogens. Between March and October, mosquitoes were collected at more than 40 sites in eastern Austria and then subjected to morphological and, for the first time, genetic testing. In a second step, the team of principal investigator Hans-Peter Fuhrer is currently using molecular methods to screen the mosquitoes for pathogens (parasites and viruses) such as filarial worms, avian malaria and flaviviruses (West Nile virus, Zika virus or the tropical Chikungunya virus). "Analyses are still in progress", says Fuhrer but notes that avian malaria and filarial worms have been found relatively often so far.

RANGES ARE EXPANDING

At present, 46 species of mosquitoes, four of them non-indigenous, are known in Austria, including the Japanese bush mosquito ("Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus"), which is endemic to Japan and arrived in Europe as a consequence of international cargo shipping. In Austria, the insect finds a climate comparable to its original home. While not yet seen here, the Asian tiger mosquito ("Aedes albopictus"), a known vector for the Dengue virus, is definitely coming closer due to climate change and mild winters and is already established in Italy, France and other European countries. Fuhrer and his team have recently been able to prove that the range of mosquitoes  and, thus, of the pathogens they carry  is widening by screening for two filarial worms which are mainly transmitted to dogs, but can also infect humans: "Dirofilaria immitis" and "Dirofilaria repens". "In the past, most cases were imported", explains Fuhrer. While the parasites had always been known in the Mediterranean region and south-eastern Europe, they are now spreading westwards. "Until 2000, there were hardly any indigenous cases in Hungary. But five years later Budapest was reached and the Austrian border by 2008/2009", specifies the expert from the Institute of Parasitology at Vetmeduni Vienna.

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GENETIC PROFILES HELP DETERMINE SPECIES

The diversity of mosquito species identified has been increasing since 2011, a finding partly attributable to the more intense research in this field, and scientists believe that non-indigenous species may well displace their indigenous counterparts. "In such cases we speak of invasive species", observes Fuhrer. The invaders are generalists, meaning they are highly adaptive and quite undemanding. Determining mosquito species requires a great deal of experience. The Viennese researchers analyse at least three genes in order to obtain positive identification. If uncertainties persist, the scientists have to resort to complex molecular biology analysis. "Many species look similar but have a completely different genetic make-up and vice versa", explains Carina Zittra, a member of the project team. As a matter of fact, even the genetic analysis of the common house mosquito ("Culex pipiens") has furnished new insights. Although it is one species, it comes in two different ecological forms with different requirements. One prefers birds, the other mammals; one likes to live in towns, the other in the countryside. "When dealing with the issue of what disease could be transmitted, such knowledge of the behaviour and variety of species is helpful", notes Zittra. The new insights are published in the journal "Parasites & Vectors".

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION

In the international research project, experts from France, Germany and Austria are collaborating in order to model mosquito populations, their adaptability and the transmission of pathogens regarding current and future ranges of spreading. The project involves both the cataloguing of species and the environmental parameters which affect the spatial and temporal spreading of indigenous and non-indigenous mosquitoes. "We may expect to see the Japanese bush mosquito and the tiger mosquito spreading into eastern Austria in the coming years", predicts Hans-Peter Fuhrer.
A 30-year-old Dalit law student was allegedly raped and murdered in Ernakulam in Kerala on April 28. The woman was found dead inside her home with several stab wounds on her body and even on her private parts. Her intestines were found hanging out of her body after the incident.



Even five days after the brutal murder, no arrests have been made yet. Police claim that two investigation teams have been formed which are working on the leads that have been found.



Police are waiting for chemical analysis to ascertain whether there was rape or an attempt to rape before the murder. They have also claimed that there were no signs of forcible entry into the house.



The mother and the elder daughter were not present at the house when the incident took place.




The face of Progeria in India, 15-year-old Nihal Bitla, died on Monday night in Karim Nagar, Telangana. Nihal was at his native village to attend a family wedding.



He lived with this family in Bhiwandi, on the outskirts of Mumbai.



Members of Team Nihal said the teenager was suffering from arthritis for a long time and also faced dehydration just before he was admitted to a hospital on Monday evening.



Nihal had met his icon and Bollywood star Aamir Khan in December 2015 after his Facebook post about his wish to meet his favourite actor went viral.



Progeria is an extremely rare genetic disorder in which ageing symptoms are seen at a very early age. Those living with this rare condition have a low life expectancy and generally do not survive beyond their early teenage years.



According to the Progeria Research Foundation there are 150 to 200 children worldwide living with the degenerative disease who have not yet been diagnosed or identified. Out of these, 60 children are believed to be from India.



'Find the other 150' is a project to search for and identify the Progeria patients in India and other countries. The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) is funding the participation of children from around the world, who will go to Boston Childrens Hospital in Boston, where they will have access to the only known treatment for Progeria.



Nihal had requested Aamir Khan to help spread the word for the Progeria Research Foundation to identify the other victims from India.


The Parliamentary standing committee on Home Affairs has observed that the Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT) should not have been allowed to visit the Pathankot airbase, which was attacked by terrorists in January 2016.



The panel also pointed that the Pathankot airbase is poorly guarded, questioning how the terrorists managed to scale the walls and enter the attack site despite an alert by the Intelligence Bureau.



It also questioned how Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh and his friends were set free by terrorists.







In a report submitted after going through the details of the attack and the probe following it, the panel further stressed on police modernisation to prevent Pathankot-like attacks. It said that having different police forces in different states was causing hindrance in controlling law and order situation and terrorism.



The committee has recommended huge changes and amount of money for state police.
Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday dismissed the argument that imposition of the total prohibition impinged on fundamental right of citizens and pointed to the directive principle to justify the ban on alcohol in the state.



A few persons in urban areas questioned prohibition, saying how come the state was concerned what a citizen eats or drinks, Kumar said at a function in Saharsa. But, consumption of liquor cannot be the fundamental right of a citizen.



"Article 47 of the Constitution gives direction that the state should protect health and nutrition of its citizen and strive to achieve total prohibition," he said, to justify his government's April 5 decision to put a complete ban on alcohol, country, spiced and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).



"The Supreme Court has said in its order that connection with liquor and intoxicants cannot be fundamental right of anybody," Kumar said. "Liquor does not come under the purview of Article 19 of the Constitution providing fundamental right to citizens," he said.



JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar during his trip to Patna on Saturday and Sunday had touched on the subject saying prohibition across country was not possible because freedom to eat or drink is a fundamental right. Many others have also put forward this argument during tv debates on channels.



Claiming good results in the wake of the decision to stop sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar, Kumar said, the "crime rate has gone down" and so has instances of road accidents.



Addressing a gathering during a function of women's self-help group 'Jeevika', the chief minister exhorted women to destroy liquor manufacturing outlets for which the state government would provide all assistance.



Kumar said prohibition has taken shape of a social revolution and pointed to the voice being raised against consumption of alcohol in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, among other places.



Meanwhile, Kumar on Tuesday wrote a fresh letter to his counterparts in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh Raghubar Das and Akhilesh Yadav respectively seeking their assistance in successful implementation of total prohibition in area of Bihar sharing boundary with their states. It was disclosed by Assistant Commissioner Excise and Prohibition Satyendra Kumar Sinha.
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has claimed that he had rejected the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in the past. The spiritual guru also said that he does not approve of the award given to Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai as "she had done nothing to deserve it".



During a recent press interaction, when a reporter asked Sri Sri if it was wrong to give the Nobel Peace Prize to Malala, he replied in the affirmative, saying she had not done any such work to be honoured with the prize.



Deccan Chronicle quoted Sri Sri as saying that he was offered the Nobel Peace Prize but he rejected it. He said, "I only believe in working and not in being honoured for my work."







He further said, "We should always honour only those who deserve it and I am totally against honouring Malala Yousafzai with the prize and it is of no use."



Sri Sri made the remarks during a visit to drought-hit Latur in Maharashtra.



The Art of Living founder was conferred Padma Vibhushan by the Indian government earlier in 2016.
As well as beating the crowds and bypassing the pitfalls of mass tourism, visitors holidaying in up-and-coming destinations can also enjoy lower prices. Hot on the heels of Croatia -- Europe's "exotic" destination some 15 years ago -- here are five alternative hotspots for holidaying off the beaten track.Like Croatia used to be years ago, Bulgaria is the latest up-and-coming destination in Eastern Europe. Tourists can still enjoy low prices with a bit of savvy planning. A flight to the capital, Sofia, shouldn't break the bank, especially since budget airlines now operate routes from some European cities. Plus, hotel prices are still competitive, which is no doubt why this destination's profile is on the up. With visitor numbers rising year on year, Bulgaria is a once-hidden gem that's well on its way to being discovered. The country offers postcard-perfect landscapes for holidaymakers thanks to Black Sea beaches and a patchwork of typical Balkan villages. It's great for mountain walks and hiking, and offers very pleasant summer temperatures of around 27C. It's sure to be a hit with travelers with a taste for countries like Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. Check out this discreet destination soon as it won't stay secret for much longer.International relations with Iran have warmed since last year's signing of a nuclear deal. Major airlines are reopening routes to Tehran and international hotel groups are returning to the country as tourists head back to Iran to discover its rich culture and history. While visitors can take in modern Iran in the capital, Tehran, Ispahan makes a great stop on any trip to the country, with stunning sights such as the Sheikh Lotfollah mosque and the Ali Qapu palace. Persepolis is a must for anyone with an interest in history, and budding photographers will love the dazzling colored mosaics of the Nasir al-Mulk mosque in Chiraz.The Black Sea is a seriously hot destination in the travel world right now. On its eastern shore, Abkhazia awaits tourists curious to discover this little-known region between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea. Although technically in Georgia, Abkhazia considers itself an independent state. It's a popular summer destination with Russians, especially in the capital, Soukhoumi, where visitors can enjoy beaches and historical visits. Abkhazia will also please travelers with a taste for nature and the great outdoors thanks to its many mountains and caves, including Krubera Cave, the deepest known on Earth.Cuba is a destination on plenty of holidaymakers' lips right now. The recent thaw in US relations and Barack Obama's visit back in March have given Cuba's tourism industry a serious boost. For a long time, travelers were drawn to the island's image as a nostalgic 1950s time warp, but a huge influx of tourists could see the Republic lose its authenticity. Don't wait too long if you hope to catch a glimpse of the famous Cuban cars, take a peaceful dip in the crystal-clear waters of Maria La Gorda, or wander through Havana's picturesque old town without fighting the hordes. Catch a glimpse of the colorful colonial houses of Trinidad de Cuba before the tourists arrive en masse, and make the most of the many salsa and rumba dance classes and traditional "casa particular" homestays before they're overrun.Back in Eastern Europe, Transylvania has made its way onto Lonely Planet's "Best in Travel" list of must-visit destinations for 2016. In fact, this region of Romania is the hottest destination of the year, according to the British guide. Situated in the center-west of Romania, Transylvania is a new alternative destination for nature-lovers thanks to its lush, green surroundings and natural border with the Carpathian mountain range. A popular cultural excursion takes visitors in search of Transylvania's legendary Count Dracula. Although it's an area rich in castles, Transylvania is best known for Bran Castle, the mythical residence of Bram Stoker's fictional vampire. Transylvanian architecture and landscapes give a distinctly "Game of Thrones" slant to the surroundings, scattered with baroque-style villages like Cluj-Napoca.
Katharine Schwarzenegger, daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and award winning journalist Maria Shriver Kennedy insists that there is more to her than the celebrity surname. The 26-year-old, ravishing daughter of Terminator-cum-Governor of California, recently came in news as she appeared on the cover of the Hello magazine.Her resplendent look was perfect to be the face of bridal wear as she modelled for the new Atelier Pronovias 2017 collection. This was her first ever modelling assignment, which made Katherine open up about her life. Though she took up modelling assignment for the first time, Katherines interest largely is towards writing.She is essentially is an author, with two books to her credit. The self help books on personal development were listed in the best seller category by US newspapers.The most important thing that Ive learnt is that the perfect body doesnt exist, she said. Women are under a lot of pressure to look a certain way. Now in the media we are making an effort to show women with different types of physique, said Katherine in an interview to Hello.Unlike Bollywood where star kids have it easy, Hollywood has largely been modelled on meritocracy. Nepotism has rarely been the order as one doesnt find A-list Hollywood celebrities going out of their way to promote their offspring. These children with famous parents have been making a mark in their respective fields irrespective of the fact that they take support of their family or not.Cindy Crawford, the sensational supermodel in the 90s may have decided to take a backseat from the showbiz, but, her 14-year-old daughter Kaia Garber signed a contract for high-end rocker label Chrome Hearts. Previously, she had posed for Vogue, Teen Vogue and CR Fashion Book.Though their star parents have not openly come forward to support their children in cementing their careers, but, the star kids are in the forefront. These star kids may not be entirely dependent on their famous surnames but the gene pool surely has played a big role in their success. If nothing else, they have definitely inherited the talent from their celebrated parents:Heres a list of children of famous parents who have made a mark lately:Daughter of Madonna and her partner Carlos Leon has been following her moms footsteps. The 19-year-old is studying in University of Michigan. She is one of the new faces of Stella McCartneys POP perfume campaign and also helps her moms clothing line.Daughter of Oscar nominated Lindsay Crouse and Oscar nominated screenplay writer David Mamet is the rising star of American TV. She started out by making an appearance in the TV series The Unit and was also seen in The United States of Tara, and will be one of the lead characters in Mad Men.Daughter of John Stewart, stage manager and Jules Mann Stewart, director of prison drama K-11, is famous for her lead role in The Twilight Saga, but, despite born in a film oriented family, she started out by doing uncredited roles in films such as Panic room.Daughter of Sharman MacDonald, known Scottish playwright and screenwriter and Will Knightley, prominent British Stage actor and TV star. Keira came into prominence with Gurinder Chaddhas Bend It Like Beckham, Knightley won an Oscar for The Imitation Game.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliamentary Party's meeting on Tuesday maintained that the promises made to the people have been fulfilled and asked the party leaders to take governments achievement to the masses.



With his government set to complete two years on May 26, Modi also highlighted Mudra scheme, increased LPG coverage (Ujjwala Yojana) and electrification of villages as its major achievements.



The issue of VVIP chopper scam, over which the BJP has targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, was also taken up in the meeting.



After the meeting Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, We will take up the Agusta-Congress debate in the Rajya Sabha on May 4 and in the Lok Sabha on May 6.



"The Prime Minister noted that the government as well as the Lok Sabha members will complete two years of their term. Mudra scheme, ongoing electrification of 18,000 villages, bringing over 3 crore families under the LPG network and distribution of cheap LED lights were cited as major successes. He asked the members to take them to people," he said.



The meeting was attended by senior party leaders and members including its chief Amit Shah and veteran leader L K Advani.



(With inputs from PTI)
A UN court has ruled that India must allow an Italian marine detained in Delhi for more than four years to go home, Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.



India acknowledged the ruling but said Salvatore Girone would remain under the authority of its Supreme Court which might impose various conditions on his release.



Girone is one of two Italian marines were arrested in India in 2012 on suspicion of killing two fishermen while on an anti-piracy mission on an Italian oil tanker. One returned to Italy with health problems, but India has refused to let Girone go.



He is living in the Italian embassy in Delhi.



"This really is a significant step forward which we have worked on with great dedication," Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told reporters. "I'll take advantage of this moment to send a message of friendship to the great people of India."



The case has soured relations between India and Italy, and also overshadowed Delhi's efforts to improve its ties with the European Union as other EU countries backed Rome in the row.



Looking to overcome the legal impasse, the two countries agreed last year to move their dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and abide by its decision.



The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that in an initial ruling, the court had decided that Girone should be allowed home while it continued its deliberations, which might take many months. The court itself declined to comment.



Responding hours later, India said Girone should be free to return home for the duration of the U.N. investigation, but stressed that he would remain on bail and would have to return to India if the Hague court ruled that India could try the case.



The Ministry of External Affairs said the Supreme Court might demand that he surrender his passport to the Italian authorities and not leave Italy without Indian permission.



The U.N. court will continue to review the merits of the case and no date has been set for a definitive ruling.



"The government underlines that today's court decision ... will not influence the progress of the arbitration procedures, which should decide if Italy or India has jurisdiction in the case," Italy's Foreign Ministry said.



Italy has argued that the case should not be heard in India because it said the incident had occurred in international waters. India said it remained confident that the issue of jurisdiction would be decided in its favour.



Marines are viewed by Italy as state officials immune to foreign prosecution. Italy has paid $190,000 in compensation to each victim's family.








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Rome: Italian marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, will return home "in a few weeks", Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said on Tuesday.



Girone "will come back to Italy in a few weeks, there are still bureaucratic procedures to go through," Pinotti was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ANSA.



Girone, along with another Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre on board ship 'Enrica Lexie', is accused by India of killing two of its fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.



He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident.



Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying at the Italian embassy in New Delhi.



Pinotti said a UN tribunal in The Hague allowing Girone back to Italy for the duration of arbitration was "nice news" but the process is long with a verdict not expected before 2018.



"It was nice news we were hoping for and for which we worked silently in close contact with the team of lawyers that handles the international dispute on the two marines," she said.



"The Hague tribunal recognised what we were asking and that is that Girone should return to Italy and live with his family." But the process will still be long, Pinotti said.



"It's not over. We'll have to wait for the outcome of the arbitration, but I'm sure we'll get the right result," she added.
Five years after the raid that killed al Qaeda founder and 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden, US President Barack Obama and key members of his inner circle have spoken out about the mission.



For the first time ever, President Obama sat down with CNN's Peter Bergen in the high security Situation Room, called the John F. Kennedy Conference Room.



It was in this room, on April 28, 2011, that Obama sat to hear for the final time from top members of his cabinet and staff on whether the US should go ahead with the risky operation. The decision was not unanimous, Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Robert Gates had urged caution.



President Obama walked Bergen through the process by which he decided to authorise the raid which ultimately led to Laden being gunned down inside his residence in Pakistan's Abbottabad.



The president explained that multiple risks were involved, from Navy SEALs getting captured to Bin Laden not even being there at the Abbottabad compound. "The odds that Osama was there was probably about 50:50," Obama told Bergen.



On the afternoon of May 1, 2011, the mission began to unfold. On the screen was the then CIA Director Leon Panetta providing updates from his office at headquarters in Langley.



Panetta was watching live video streams and getting updated himself from Afghanistan by Adm. William McRaven, who was running the Special Operations mission.



When President Obama entered the Situation Room to watch the raid, one of the specially equipped Black Hawk helicopters hit the ground.



On this turn of events in the operation, Obama said, "I was thinking that this is not an ideal start."



After the raid ended, the President went to work on his statement to the nation in the Oval Office. When the statement was ready, he walked down the Colonnade - the outdoor walkway between the West Wing where his office is located and the East Wing, which is where the residence is.



Then as a crowd assembled along the north side excitedly chanting "USA", he delivered his statement from the East Room of the White House.



"Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children," he said that night.



CNN shot the interview at four locations in the White House- The Situation Room, The Small Conference Room, The Colonnade and the Cross Hall - each with significance to the bin Laden mission.




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Lynchburg-based nuclear-services firm BWX Technologies on Monday reported a first-quarter profit of $48.9 million.

Earnings per share were 46 cents per share, or 44 cents per share adjusted.

The company said it is reaffirming its guidance that earnings per share will be $1.50 to $1.60 for the full year of 2016.

BWXT is off to a great start to 2016 with impressive EPS (earnings per share) growth due to improved performance in our Nuclear Energy business and continued strong performance in our Nuclear Operations business, BWXT executive chairman John Fees said in a statement.

Revenues year-over-year were up 9 percent, at $364.8 million compared to $335.5 million. BWXTs Nuclear Operations, Technical Services and Nuclear Energy segments all saw revenue increases.

BWXT stock (NYSE: BWXT) closed Tuesday at $33.70 a share, making it up 7 percent year-to-date and outperforming the market as a whole.

BWXT formed in July 2015 after a split with Charlotte-based Babcock & Wilcox Inc., so BWXT could focus on the nuclear power industry while B&W focused on steam power generation and other services.

The company is a major employer in the Lynchburg region, supplying nuclear reactor components, fuel and technical services to the U.S. Navy.

Last month, the firm was awarded a contract with options totaling $3.1 billion to manufacture naval nuclear reactor components and fuel.

Of the $3.1 billion in contracts, about half of the work will be conducted by the 2,200 employees at BWXTs Lynchburg facility. The company employs about 5,000 people total.

About $1.2 billion of the total award has been received in 2016, with the bulk of the rest expected in 2017 and 2018, subject to congressional approval.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early. Mostly clear with gusty winds developing late. Low 49F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
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Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are close to agreeing on a partnership that could break boundaries between Silicon Valley and the auto industry in the race to develop self-driving cars, people familiar with the discussions said on Friday.

Automaker Fiat Chrysler and Google are reportedly inching toward a seemingly unlikely technology partnership unheard of in today's economic environment. If the late stage talks will culminate in an agreement, the collaboration will be a trail blazer as the two companies break the traditional boundaries that separate car manufacturing industry from the Silicon Valley.

For quite some time, Google has been trying to develop self-driving cars using the resources at its disposal. Apparently, the whole venture of creating driverless cars requires deeper expertise and technological understanding in carmaking that only automakers can sufficiently provide.

"Dialogue continues with people who are interested in exploring their relevance in the automotive world and we will continue to help them find their way out," Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne as quoted by Reuters.

Does a Fiat Chrysler-Google partnership make a lot of sense?

Fiat Chrysler's dalliance with a Silicon Valley titan seems like the big break that the automaker has been looking for. After all, being a minnow in the car business requires billions of R&D spending in order to catch up with its rivals that are already leading in terms of next-generation driving technologies. Getting Google on prospective deal may seem like a tempting offer from an investor standpoint.

For years, Fiat Chrysler has been searching creative ways to reinvigorate its struggling business to stay profitable. It talked with both General Motors and Ford Motor for merger but was declined due to the cost. Also the company also courted other notable tech giants like Apple and Tesla for a partnership leading to a breakthrough product it hopes to commercialize one day.

In Google's case, a partnership with an automaker would make it easier for Google to make use of the already established network sales and service locations of major car manufacturer around the world.

"On paper, such a partnership makes sense. Alphabet is diving head first into the automotive business, but lacks the manufacturing capability to roll out vehicles for the masses and has said it has no desire to get into the car making business," wrote analyst Lou Whiteman of The Deal as quoted in The Street report.

"Google has been testing self-driving vehicles on highways for more than five years, and of late have made a series of auto-related hirings and comments that indicate the company believes it is closer than many expected to bringing out a commercial product."

However, some big automakers remain wary of any deal with the tech giant over profit concerns. Meanwhile, Google repeatedly said that it would not go too far as to manufacture cars in direct competition with the more established industry players. The company would rather license its technology to carmakers.

"We want to partner to bring self-driving to all the vehicles in the world," said Alphabet President and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Daily Mail reported.
Frighteningly, climate change might shoot up the temperatures in the Middle East and North Africa so much so that they will no longer be inhabitable, according to scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and The Cyprus Institute in Nicosia. Experts believe that the current goal to bring down global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius might not even be enough to keep the area above the habitable zone.

With the hot summers in the Middle East and North Africa, temperatures are expected to rise two times faster compared to the average pace of global warming. In the south of the Mediterranean, temperatures are believed to touch about 46 degrees Celsius by the middle of the century.

Information reveals that the hot days will strike five times more often than they struck in the beginning of the millennium.

"In future, the climate in large parts of the Middle East and North Africa could change in such a manner that the very existence of its inhabitants is in jeopardy," said Jos Lelieveld, director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, professor at The Cyprus Institute and first author of the study.

Hence, even if the earth's temperature inches up by an average of 2 degrees Celsius in comparison to the pre-industrial times, the temperature in the Middle East and North Africa will increase more than twofold. With temperatures in the night not expected to fall below 30 degrees Celsius in the warmest seasons, they could rise by 46 degrees Celsius in the day. Heat waves, meanwhile, might strike the earth about 10 times more often.

"If mankind continues to release carbon dioxide as it does now, people living in the Middle East and North Africa will have to expect about 200 unusually hot days, according to the model projections," said Panos Hadjinicolaou, an associate professor at The Cyprus Institute and co-author of the study.

Lelieveld and Hadjinicolaou believe that even if we succeed to stall climate change, people living in the Middle East and North Africa will be forced to leave the region, which will become uninhabitable.

The findings were published in the April 23 issue of Climate Change.
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New Delhi:

NASA has released a picture that provides the most detailed look of Pluto that we have ever seen. A full world map of the dwarf planet was created by NASA scientists, who stitched together all the pictures of Pluto that were released over the past few months. The mid part of the map shows the side of Pluto.

It was facing the New Horizons spacecraft when it was to its closest. The middle part of the picture has much higher resolution (about 770 feet per pixel). Talking about the edges, they have lower resolution (about 18 miles per pixel). The New Horizons probe flew past Pluto in July 2015 and sent the most detailed pictures of the planet, drawing global attention. The New Horizons spacecraft is up for its next target, which is a small icy body in the Kuiper Belt. (Also read. Pluto and its moons revealed in NASA papers)

However, the spacecraft is still sending data back to Earth from Pluto, which was seen with strange "halo" craters in April.

More detailed maps will be created by NASA scientists once more data is transmitted. "The team will continue to add photos as the spacecraft transmits the rest of its stored Pluto encounter data," NASA said in a statement. "All encounter imagery is expected on Earth by early fall."

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New Delhi:

Alternative sites are being explored, including Hanle in Indias Ladakh, to install the 1.47-billion dollar Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) International Observatory, which the largest telescope project in the world. The reason for searching alternate sites is the protests in Hawaii, US by the locals who are opposing the installation of the Thirty Metre Telescope up at Mauna Kea.



It was previously reported that the TMT board had short-listed Hanle in Ladakh as a prospective site for the project. The project had been facing major hurdles in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, which is the first choice. The Supreme Court of Hawaii had in December 2015 cancelled the permit issued to TMT to construct the International Observatory after it was claimed that the plot in Mauna Kea was sacred. (Also read. NASA plans next manned mission to ISS including Sunita Williams in Boeings CST-100 Starliner)



India is already contributing to the software of TMT apart from building edge sensors, actuators and system support assemblies. So, chances are Hawaiis loss may now become Ladakhs gain.



The construction was expected to start on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2015. However, it is now stalled due to the recent decision of the Supreme court of Hawaii revoking the construction permit on procedural grounds.

The State of Hawaii agencies are working on the permit process following the prescribed procedure by the court. TMT is pursuing the matter in consultation with the University of Hawaii (land lease holder) and other agencies. It seeks to construct TMT on Mauna Kea which is the preferred choice, said Bacham Eswar Reddy, Programme Director. The alternate sites, both in the northern and southern hemispheres, include Chile, Hanle, Ladakh and others. (Also read. NASA releases coloured images of Pluto)



It is expected that on-site civil work on the project may be delayed by about 18-24 months. However, work on telescope and observatory subsystems continues across the partnership, Reddy added.



The project is expected to improve employment opportunities for the local people besides development of the region. TMT being the largest optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere will strengthen the domestic programme of the country in this field and lead to several discoveries, which will inspire future generations.



The project will also help develop state-of-the-art high end technologies and expertise in the country, an official of Ministry of Science and Technology said.

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New Delhi:

Giving a suggestion to the Centre, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that Harish Rawat, who was displaces as Uttarakhands Chief Minister, should be allowed to take a trust vote. The Centre had put Uttarakhand under Presidents Rule in March, which triggered a political crisis in the state. The Centre has also been accused of misusing its power following its decision.

The Supreme Court today asked the Attorney General to take instruction and apprise it about the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly under its supervision.



The court adjourned till Wednesday the hearing on the Centres appeal against the Uttarakhand High Court verdict revoking Presidents rule in the state.



A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh, which had fixed the hearing on the plea at 2 PM today, took up the matter at 10.30 AM to apprise the parties concerned that it may not take up the case today as Justice Singh would be a part of another bench hearing matters related to medical entrance exams at 2 PM.



During the brief hearing, the bench repeated its suggestion that the Centre should consider holding a floor test in the Assembly under its supervision to ascertain the actual situation.



It asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to take instruction on the issue and apprise it about the same on Wednesday.

Rawat and his party Congress had approached the court challenging the removal of its government in Uttarakhand. Last month, the Uttarakhand High Court had ruled in their favour. Following the Uttarakhand High Court ruling, the Centre had approached the countrys top court.

Rawat was removed just a day before taking the trust vote to prove majority in the Uttarakhand legislature. The Centre alleged a constitutional crisis in the state. Nine partymen allegedly voted against Harish Rawat when he presented the state budget, thus pushing his status under question.

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

A group of Safari park visitors in Thailand were spooked when they tried to feed a giraffe. The group unexpectedly got attacked by a gang of friendly giraffes sticking their heads into bus windows.

The video of the same incident is now going viral on YouTube. As per the account holed Tobias Pjedsted, was filmed from inside a tour bus at the Rescue Safari Zoo in Bangkok and shows tourists attempting to feed a giraffe through a window on the vehicle.

The feeding catches the attention of the giraffes cohorts, who converge on the bus and shove their heads into the windows to get snacks from the amused humans.

The uploader wrote the group was attacked by friendly giraffes.

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New York:

Apple sees a huge market potential for its products in India and the technology giant is really putting energy in the country which will begin rolling out high-speed wireless networks this year, CEO Tim Cook said.

This is another huge one. India will be the most populous country in the world in 2022. India today has about 50 per cent of their population at 25 years of age or younger. Its a very young country. People really want smartphones there, really want smartphones, Cook said in a CNBC interview.

He said in emerging markets like India, LTE (wireless) penetration is currently zero but as LTE begins to roll out this year in the country, the dynamics will change.

And so thats changing. Huge market potential, he said in response to a question about the Indian market for Apple. Cook said the company has got great innovation in the pipeline and new iPhones that will attract people in markets like India.

Cook said in countries like India, Apple penetration has been less since there is no LTE networks. What I see is that countries like India, no LTE, so 0 per cent penetration. They are selling smartphones, and we sell iPhone there. But arguably you cant get the full value from it, he said adding that retailers in markets like India are not huge national kind of retailers.

And the carriers dont sell phones in India. So theres a lot of work to do, he said.

While sales for Apple in China, its second-largest market after the United States, fell 11 per cent in the latest quarter, in India iPhone sales were up 56 per cent from a year ago.

Noting the growth registered by Apple in India, Cook said this is pretty big.

He said Apple is now...really putting energy in India as well as in other markets across the world where I think that people sitting here in this country look at it through just a lens of what's happening in the United States. And but there are a lot of people in the world who don't have the pleasure of owning an iPhone yet.

Apple had last week announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 second quarter ended March 26, 2016.

The company posted quarterly revenue of USD 50.6 billion, down from USD 58 billion in the year-ago quarter. Its quarterly net income stood at USD 10.5 billion, a decline from USD 13.6 billion in the same period last year.

In a conference call following the results, Cook had said network infrastructure and retail remain among Apple's main challenges in India, with the market there today being where China was seven to ten years ago.

Cook had said while India is the third-largest smartphone market in the world, it is dominated by low-end smartphones primarily because of the network and the economics due to which the market potential has not been as great there.
New Delhi:

The Parliamentary panel, which is investigating the Pathankot terrorist attack, has said that the Indian Air Force base there remains highly unsafe. The panel on Tuesday also said that urgent steps are required to be taken for its security. ''Even today, there are very unsafe conditions at the Pathankot airbase,'' the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs led by Congress MP from Rajya Sabha P Bhattacharya said.

The panel stressed that ''Pathankot airbase's security cover was not robust and had a poorly guarded perimeter wall''. It urged the Centre to take appropriate steps in this regard.



The panel also stressed that ''something is seriously wrong with the country's counter-terror security establishment.'' It also said that the Government of India wasnt serious enough and intelligence agencies didnt function properly.

The panel after interacting with the officers at the Indian Air Force Base failed to understand how Pakistan-based terrorists managed to reach the air force base.

''We had a long interaction with officers at the Pathankot airbase. They said that there was no information that the airbase will be attacked, '' Bhattacharya was quoted as saying by ANI.

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Lucknow :

In a shocking incident, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik accused actor-turned politician Govinda of taking underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's help in 2004 Lok Sabha polls to defeat him. In 2004, Govinda had defeated Ram Naik from Mumbai North by 50,000 votes.

However, Govinda has rubbished Ram Naik's claims that the actor had taken help from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim to defeat him during polls. The Bollywood actor even went on to said, Naik is trying to malign his image and also appealed PM Narendra Modi to help him.

"Ram Naikji is a senior leader and whatever he has said doesn't suit his stature. What is he trying to suggest? People of the constituency (north Mumbai) work for underworld? How did he manage to rule for 25 years? I appeal to the PM and other higher authorities to intervene in the matter," Govinda said.

The UP Governor in his Marathi book Chaireveti, has levelled charges against Govinda.

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Sao Paulo:

A Brazilian judge issued an order today blocking the popular WhatsApp smartphone messaging application nationwide, the second such shut-down in six months. Judge Marcel Montalvao in the small northeastern town of Lagarto issued the order because Facebook, the owner of the service, failed to hand over information requested in a criminal investigation, reported news site G1.

The judge has ordered the suspension of WhatsApp from 2:00 pm (1700 GMT) Monday, a court spokeswoman told AFP. WhatsApp was previously shut down in Brazil in December over a similar dispute, before a higher court threw out the two-day suspension after about 12 hours.

On that occasion, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg called it a sad day for Brazil, noting the countrys history of support for an open Internet. WhatsApp is widely used in Brazil, where cell phone fees for texting and calls are among the highest in the world. The free app is installed in nine in 10 smartphones in the country.
Islamabad:

Pakistan has dismissed Republican frontrunner Donald Trumps assertion that it could be pressurized into releasing a jailed doctor who allegedly helped the US track down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, saying that the country is not an American colony.

Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan rejected the demand of Trump to free Shakeel Afridi who allegedly helped CIA locate bin Laden presence in Abbotabad which led to his killing on May 2, 2011 in a covert US raid.

Afridi, in his 50s, was arrested after a news leak in the US that he carried out a fake vaccination campaign to get blood samples of bin Laden and family members.

He was first tried for treason but later convicted for his alleged links with the terror groups in hometown in tribal district of Khyber.

The US authorities have been pushing for his release and repatriation to the US ever since his arrest. Trump, in a recent interview had said he would ensure Afridi is freed from jail within two minutes if he gets elected as US president.

The government of Pakistan and not Donald Trump would take a decision about the fate of Shakeel Afridi, Nisar said. Contrary to Mr Trumps misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America. He should learn to treat sovereign countries with respect, he added.

Trump also seems to be ignorant, historically, of the huge scarifies Pakistan and its people have made while standing with or supporting US policies over the years, Nisar said.

Trump had also said he planned to leverage US aid, because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money to Pakistan.

But the interior minister said the peanuts the US had given in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat Pakistan into following Trumps misguided vision of foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan had withstood the pressure by the US on the issue of release of Afridi.

We have rejected American pressure on Pakistan regarding Afridi, who helped the US trace Osama bin Laden. For the US he is a hero but for Pakistan he is a criminal, he said.

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Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram:

Two persons have been taken into custody in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old dalit woman at Perumbavoor that sparked protest marches by students and rights activists across Kerala today condemning the incident.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described the crime as shocking and said the culprits will be brought to book.

Police said two persons were taken into custody and were being questioned by a police team, headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav. However, it was not yet known whether they are the real culprits. No details of the ongoing investigation have been revealed by police.

According to police, the woman, a law college student, hailing from a poor family was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM on April 28 by her mother when she returned from work.

The crime has been dubbed Keralas Nirbhaya for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries.

Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Tribes registered a suo motu case into the incident and asked police to submit a report on the progress of the probe by May 28 while the Kerala Human Rights Commission ordered that the probe be handed over to the Crime branch.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, state Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.

Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman.

The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to those who involved into the incident, Chandy said.

Condemning the crime as a heinous one, chairman of the state commission for scheduled castes and tribes, Justice P N Vijayakumar said he has sought formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident.

The commission suo-motu registered a case into the incident based on the reports of the vernacular and national dailies. I asked DGP to form a SIT to probe into the case. I also asked police to submit a report of the progress of the case by May 28, Justice Vijayakumar told PTI in Thiruvanathapuram.

The commission also suggested that special mobile squads such as those operating in Wayanad, Palakkad and Kasaragod be formed for the safety of SCs and STs, in all districts of the state for the security of women and children irrespective of caste barriers.

Womens rights activists and political leaders, cutting across party lines, have voiced concern against the murder which they believe was a first of its kind in the state for the sheer brutality of the crime.

Students and rights activists took out protest marches in various parts of the state condemning the incident. Students of Kerala University at Thiruvanathapuram broke pots, considering it as the symbol of cruelty shown by society towards women, to mark their protest. Protests were also held by Law college students at Ernakulam.

State Womens Commission Chairperson K C Rosakutty said she would take all necessary steps to pressure police to nab all those behind the brutal act at the earliest. Terming the incident as devilish, CPI(M) leader and Lok Sabha MP, P K Sreemathi said no other women in the state should be subjected to such a cruelty any more.

It is one of the most brutal attacks against a woman in the state. It is the same as that had happened to the hapless Nirbhaya in Delhi. It is shocking that the public and media came to know about the incident only five days after the incident, she told PTI.

She also alleged that police tried to cover up the incident fearing that it would affect the prospects of the Congress-led UDF government in the run up to the May 16 assembly polls.

Sreemathy wondered why Chandy had failed to visit the Dalit womans house and console her mother, who is bedridden after the death of her daughter.

Mahila Congress State President Bindhu Krishna said, Brutal rapes and murders are being repeated. Men are showing the courage to repeat such offences as the law does not hand over the deserved punishments in such cases, she said.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has left for Perumbavoor from his constituency Harippad in Alappuzha to visit the victims mother.

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Beijing:

China plans to release the last prisoner known to be held in connection with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests after nearly three decades in jail, a US-based human rights group said today.

Miao Deshun, 51, is due to be released in October, the Duihua Foundation said, after serving more than 27 years in prison for his involvement in the mass demonstrations that were brutally put down by Chinas government.

Chinese courts originally gave him a suspended death sentence for arson after he and four coworkers allegedly threw a basket onto a burning tank, it said.

Commuted to life imprisonment, his prison term was subsequently reduced several times, most recently this year, when authorities shortened it by 11 months for good behaviour.

People who served sentences with him in the 1990s remember him as a very thin man who refused to admit wrongdoing and participate in prison labour, the statement said, noting that he had spent time in solitary confinement and been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

In 2013, Duihua said that China had released Jiang Yaqun, then 73 and thought to be the last prisoner convicted of counter-revolutionary offences in relation to the protests.

Chinese troops killed hundreds of unarmed civilians during the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, by some estimates more than 1,000.

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New Delhi :

Telecom companies today told the Supreme Court that entire sector is under huge debt and they have to pay big price for spectrum, therefore zero tolerance on call drops should not be imposed on them.

Refuting the allegations of TRAI that the telecom service providers are making huge gains in the sector, the companies told the apex court that they have been investing hugely on the infrastructure.

They (TRAI) said that we have been making Rs 250 crore a day but what was not specified was that we are under huge debt. We have to pay over Rs 3.8 lakh crores as debt. We are buying spectrum at Rs 45,000 crore, which was earlier Rs 1,658 crore.

We are not gaining anything and our rate of return is less than one percent at the end of a year, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for telecom operators, told a bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman. The bench reserved its verdict on the issue.

Sibal said that TRAI had compared India with China but in that country the spectrum is given for free to the top three telecom companies which are state run.

Sibal said that like TRAI worries for consumers, so do the telecom companies and no one wants the call drop to happen but the factors responsible are beyond their control.

Our tariff is lowest in the world. We are serving over one billion subscribers in India and we are one of the largest contributor to FDI and provide a million of jobs, Sibal said.

He said that although Telecom companies have largest subscriber base in India but have the lowest revenue and also the Industrys revenue is gradually going down.

Sibal refuted the allegations of TRAI that Telecom companies are not investing on technology and towers and said that in past 15 months over two lakh towers have been installed.

We have installed over two lakh towers in past 15 months and every third minute a tower is being installed. What has been done in past fifteen months has not been done in past 20 years, he said.

COAI, a body of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India and 21 telecom operators, including Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and Reliance, have challenged the Delhi High Court order upholding TRAIs decision making it mandatory for them to compensate subscribers for call drops from this January.

The regulatory body had told the court that it has to safeguard 100 crore telecom subscribers and if companies agree to compensate call drops with equal number of free calls to consumers without pre-conditions then it is open to re-consider its direction imposing penalty on them.

It had also told the court that a cartel of 4-5 telecom firms having a billion subscribers are making Rs 250 crore a day but not making investments on their network to improve services to check call drops.

The Delhi High Court had early this year upheld the October 16, 2015 decision of TRAI, making it mandatory for cellular operators to pay consumers one rupee per call drop experienced on their networks, subject to a cap of Rs 3 a day.
New Delhi :

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, is all set to be expelled from the Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari today turning down his resignation on procedural grounds and Ethics Committee rejecting it.

Hamid Ansari, Chairman, Rajya Sabha does not accept the resignation of Vijay Mallya. Secretary General, Rajya Sabha writes to Sh. Mallya that his resignation letter does not conform to prescribed procedures & does not bear signature in original.

As per Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine, Ansaris Officer on Special Duty to Gurdeep Singh Sappal said on Twitter quoting from the Secretary Generals letter.

From his abode in Britain, Mallya had sent a scanned copy of the resignation to Ansari letter in a bid to avoid expulsion saying he did not want his name and reputation to be further dragged in mud.

And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect, Mallya had said a day before the Ethics panel was all set to recommend his explusion.

The Ethics Committee of the Upper House headed by Karan Singh, which met today, also pointed to the wrong procedure while rejecting the resignation, the sources said.

The panel members also expressed dissatisfaction with his reply about his loan default. Panel members were of the view that Mallyas action was unbecoming of a Rajya Sabha MP. The sources said the panel will submit its report before the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.

A motion has to be introduced in the House and approved by it for termination of the membership of any MP.

This is Mallyas second term in Rajya Sabha and it would would have otherwise come to an end on July 1.

After the meeting, panel Chairman Singh, however, declined to divulge the details saying that being the head of the committee it will not be appropriate for him to announce a decision taken in its meeting.

Mallya had yesterday faxed his resignation to Hamid Ansari a day before the Ethics Committee had to take a decision on recommending his expulsion, an issue which was unanimously decided in the panels last meeting on April 25.

Pressed further, Karan Singh, however, said the decision that was taken in the meeting today was also unanimous.

Asked whether the panel has any room left now to take up the matter when Mallya has already resigned, Singh said of course there is room. He is still a member of the House until it (the resignation) is accepted.

Appending a copy of his reply to Karan Singh, Mallya, had, however, asserted,the allegations against me are blatantly false and baseless.

I am shocked that the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has provided factually wrong information to a Parliament committee, he had added.

The committee had sought details of the liabilities on Mallyas airline Kingfisher from 13 banks, which furnished their replies according to which the total liability on Mallyas company is Rs 9431.65 crore. Of this, IDBIs liability alone is Rs 1687.04 crores followed by Punjab National Banks Rs 1223 crore.

The committee decided to crack the whip on the ground that Mallya never declared these liabilities in the last ten years, which a member is supposed to do annually.

Enforcement Directorate had a fortnight back written to 17 banks and a clutch of probe agencies to prepare a water-tight case against Mallya who is being probed for money laundering charges in the IDBI alleged loan fraud case.

In a step closer to initiating his deportation, the government had over a week ago revoked the passport of Mallya who is believed to be in the UK after leaving India on March 2.

According to rules, a Member who intends to resign his seat in the Rajya Sabha has to intimate this in writing under his hand addressed to the Chairman, his intention to resign his seat in the Council.

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New Delhi :

The Congress today virtually dismissed reports that Rahul Gandhi would be projected as the partys CM candidate in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, stating that he is the leader of Congress all over the country.

All discussions with regard to Uttar Pradesh will be done by Congress Working Committee and the leadership. The Congress Vice President, along with the Congress President leads the party all over the country, party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters.

Asking speculators not to make any hasty judgement, he said the strategy for Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly polls are due next year, would be decided soon.

Scindia was reacting to reports of party poll strategist Prashant Kishors suggestion that Rahul Gandhi be made Congress face in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Yesterday, party spokesman Jairam Ramesh had said that Congress expected Rahul to take over as party chief during the current year.

As per party sources, there are likely to be changes in the Uttar Pradesh Congress this month. Nirmal Khatri is the PCC chief while Pradip Mathur is the CLP leader.

Congress has been in political wilderness in Uttar Prdaesh since 1989, which saw the emergence of Mayawati-led BSP and rise of issues like Mandir and Mandal. The party has been reduced to a marginal force in the state where it was in power for a long time after independence.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhis supporters are pitching for his takeover as party chief sooner than later.

He was made the party Vice President at the Jaipur Chintan shivir in January 2013.

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Bee-keeping survivalist gets candid about prepping: Most people would be dead between 30 and 90 days

Jake Cassar lives in Australia and has been preparing for the end of the world since he was a teen. He takes disaffected youth to the bush and shows them edible wild plants, encourages the intake of clean food and the medicinal use of native crops and more. ABC news describes what Jake Cassar told the wide-eyed teens at a recent wilderness outing:

  At one of his weekend camps near Gosford, Jake Cassar is telling some of the boys a story about the time he was homeless in Kings Cross and saw someone slashed up with a razor.

That afternoon, he teaches them how to make rope, a fire, find water in the bush, skin a rabbit, and build a shelter, just for starters.

Blended in with the lessons is information about survivalism and apocalyptic scenarios.

World war three an airborne disease which started wiping out people left right and center I might sound a bit eccentric talking about this kind of thing, but it could happen, [Jake] tells them Jakes friend, Steve is helping out and has a van full of prepper gear, including bee pollen, about five different methods for starting fire, and and a head-to-toe skintight camouflage suit. Why bee pollen? Steve tells me its nutritious as well as being light and easy to carry in a crisis

In a serious survival situation would we have to kill animals? [Jake] asks, and then gives the answer: Yes.'

Cannibalism is a historic fact. Cassar says the vegans would go first

Jake Cassar is not afraid to describe even more dire situations, which are documented by history. Millions died of starvation in the Ukraine in the 1930s and millions more in China in the 1950s. Starvation led to cannibalism in these horrific times. Cassar is aware of these potentials, as ABC news reports:

Some people disagree but as I say, vegans and vegetarians would end up being cannibalised by other people in the first months. He added, I hope it never happens, I hope I never have to utilise my survival techniques that Ive been learning over a lifetime, but I do have a feeling that there will be a time.

I think in in our society today the shit is hitting the fan.

You might call Jake Cassar a celebrity apocalyptic prepper.

Jake Cassar is also a social activist, a naturalist and a park ranger who is not only wide awake to the potential of societal breakdown, hes also a man who has sung professionally for over a decade. He specializes in folk songs and the didjeridoo. His bio reports that Jake recently made the top 50 in the television show X Factor where his voice was described as being unique and sounding like caramel by international recording artist, Ronan Keating.

Not all Aussies believe were facing the end of civilization with the same intensity. Ecologist and futurist Dr. Steve Cork is one, according to ABC.net:

Dr Cork, now based at the Australian National University, spent 25 years working at the CSIRO, researching interactions between humans and the natural environment. He says the collapse of society could come in a few different forms, including climate change, civil unrest because of refugee crises, food shortages, or a pandemic.

He thinks if humans last another few decades, artificial intelligence might ultimately do us in.

By about 2045 [we expect to have] computers that have got more capacity than all human brains put together, he says.

So will man do us in, or the robots man creates? Seems like a little spiritual preparation is in order, too.

Sources:

ABC.net.au

Science.NaturalNews.com

JakeCassar.net

Submit a correction >>
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Carol Kaliff / File photo Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Carol Kaliff / File photo Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Carol Kaliff / File photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5









A former Danbury pet shop owner whos facing animal cruelty charges has shut down his last remaining store in New York, according to the Yorktown News in Westchester County.

Richard Doyle, 56, closed his American Breeders shop in Mohegan Lake, N.Y., last weekend despite having three months remaining on his lease, the report said.
/ Carol Kaliff

DANBURY - Students, educators and community members plan a demonstration of solidarity Thursday at Abbott Technical High School.

The demonstration, part of a nationwide effort in 90 cities to highlight the need for fairly-funded public schools for all children, will feature speeches starting at 7 a.m.
Among the ranks of Connecticut Republicans, theres a casting call to be the next Apprentice of Donald Trump.

Trumps campaign is filling out its roster of 28 Connecticut delegates to the GOPs national convention in Cleveland this summer after his primary sweep last week in the Nutmeg State.

The resumes and bloodlines that in most years would score an invitation to be a delegate are no guarantee with the outsider Trump, however. The slate, which is expected to be made up of Trump surrogates, friends and Republican leaders, will be voted on Monday by the state partys governing body.

If youre into politics, its the Super Bowl of politics and it only comes every four years, said state Rep. John Frey, R-Ridgefield, a Republican National Committee member for Connecticut.

Much more so than in recent conventions  glorified coronations of the partys nominees  delegates could find themselves under a microscope this year. Trump needs 1,237 delegates to clinch the nomination, and had 996 going into Tuesdays primary in Indiana, where he was leading rival Ted Cruz in the polls. If Trump falls short of the magic number, it would likely result in a contested convention, with enormous pressure exerted on delegates by the candidates.

I think the convention is going to be unlike most conventions weve ever experienced, said E. Pendleton James, a longtime Greenwich resident who served as Ronald Reagans assistant for presidential personnel from 1981 through 1983. Were going into the convention with a divided Republican Party that is at odds with each other over which candidate theyre going to support. Its not going to be a pleasant scene for the Republican Party and, indeed, for the nation as a whole.

In talks with state GOP

Trumps campaign started reaching out to prospective delegates shortly after the polls closed April 24 in Connecticut, and has been consulting with state GOP leaders on the list, Hearst Connecticut Media has learned. Despite few party leaders publicly endorsing Trump before the primary, those familiar with the selection process say that there is room for members of the GOP establishment on the roster.

Justin Clark, Trumps state director for Connecticut, declined to comment about the process.

Some roster spots could go to family members of some of Trumps top campaign aides, including Trumps convention manager, Paul Manafort, who is from New Britain, according to those briefed on the matter.

There will be little suspense for Frey and his fellow RNC member Pat Longo ,of Norwalk, who are assured delegate spots because of their leadership posts with the national party. State GOP Chairman J.R. Romano will also be a delegate. It will be the sixth convention as a delegate for Frey, who is required under party rules to cast his ballot for Trump even though he didnt endorse anyone in the primary.

He won Connecticut handily, Frey said.

Being a delegate doesnt come cheap. Frey said he typically budgets $2,500 for airfare, hotels and other convention-related expenses. Republicans will hold their convention in mid-July.

Gold Coast establishment

Jim Campbell, the former Republican Town Committee chairman in Greenwich, the ancestral home of the Bushes, said he is hoping to get the nod. He was one of the first prominent GOP leaders in the state to endorse Trump, doing so before former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush dropped out of the race.

I expect the slate to represent the 58 percent of Connecticut Republicans who voted for Donald Trump across the state, Campbell said.

Trump lost just five of 169 municipalities statewide, two of which, Darien and New Canaan, are regular destinations on the national political fundraising circuit. But dont expect Connecticuts Gold Coast to get snubbed by Trumps campaign, which some say could shift its self-funding strategy to one that relies more on outside money for the general election.

I think lower Fairfield County is an important part of the mix, Campbell said.

Some contenders to be delegates were reluctant to discuss the process because they did not want to do anything that might hurt their chances with the Trump campaign.

The pressure on delegates to honor their commitments could wane the closer that Trump gets to the 1,237 threshold, according to GOP leaders, who say that Indiana, West Virginia and California could put Trump over the top.

If those three go to Trump, I think the likelihood of him getting it on the first ballot is pretty high, Frey said.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
NEW DELHI, INDIA and BRAMPTON/ETOBICOKE, ON, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - Apollo Hospitals and William Osler Health System (Osler) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing a unique partnership between the two organizations that aims to positively impact the health and wellness of the patients they serve.

The agreement signed in Delhi recently by Dr. Anupam Sibal, Senior Consultant and Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals and Dr. Naveed Mohammad, VP Medical Affairs, William Osler Health System and Lead Physician of Osler's Global Health Program, brings together two leading health care organizations in efforts to improve health outcomes across the world. Ms. Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited and Apollo Hospitals Senior Leadership team members across India were present via videoconference as well.

The partnership focuses on two unique areas including research and continuity of patient care.

Through the research collaboration, scientists at the two organizations will begin by identifying areas of cooperation, collaboration and innovation, particularly around the range of diseases like Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer, which are highly prevalent among the population in regions served by both Osler and Apollo. A recent assessment report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that the diabetic population in India is rising constantly and is projected to reach 101.2 million in the next 15 years.

"Every year, nearly 36 million lives are lost to lifestyle diseases and more than 60 per cent of the population in India bear the brunt of chronic diseases. It is estimated that the incidence of chronic disease will cost India $6.2 trillion (USD) by the year 2030, adding to the already-existing financial burden, calling out for a paradigm shift in disease management", said Mr. Rahul Reddy, SVP Strategic Relationships & New Initiatives, Apollo Hospitals Group.

The organizations will also initiate a pilot project to enhance the continuity of care for patients with complex needs traveling between India and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Canada for extended periods of time. As part of the pilot, Apollo and Osler physicians will identify patients and provide them with an option of going to Apollo and Osler hospitals when in the other country for chronic, acute or emergency care. In consultation with identified patients, medical records  including physician notes, laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging tests and medication records  will be securely shared to ensure medical information is available to clinicians delivering care. In addition, consults including virtual grand rounds will be arranged between hospital clinical teams to enhance patient care.

"We share a vision of improving life for the communities we serve and by promoting management of an individual's health and wellness, said Dr. Mohammad. "The two organizations also share a common interest in providing coordinated, high-quality health care for their patients, whether they are residents or visitors. This pilot gives us an unprecedented opportunity to better understand how we can coordinate the continuity of care for these patients and dramatically improve their health outcomes  contributing significantly to their increased health and wellness and making a positive difference to the health system as a whole."

This agreement between Osler and Apollo Hospitals is viewed to be significantly beneficial in view of the rising burden of chronic disease in both countries, and will enable transparent and seamless health care delivery in both countries.

ABOUT WILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM

William Osler Health System is a hospital system 'Accredited with Exemplary Standing' that serves 1.3 million residents of Brampton, Etobicoke, and surrounding communities within the Central West Local Health Integration Network  one of the fastest-growing and most-culturally diverse regions in Canada. Osler's emergency departments are among the busiest in Canada and its labour and delivery program is one of the largest in Ontario. William Osler Health System Foundation builds and fosters relationships in order to raise funds to support William Osler Health System's capital, education and research priorities at Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital and the new Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health & Wellness.

ABOUT APOLLO HOSPITALS

It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap Reddy made a pioneering endeavour by launching India's first corporate hospital - Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. Over the years Apollo Hospitals has established itself as home to the largest cardiac practice in India with over 160,000 cardiac surgeries. Apollo Hospitals is also the world's largest private cancer care provider and runs the world's leading solid organ transplant program having conducted over 1,500 solid organ transplants in 2014-15 alone.

Now, as Asia's largest and most trusted healthcare group, its presence includes 9,215 beds across 64 Hospitals, 2,100 Pharmacies, over 90 Primary Care and Diagnostic Clinics, 110 plus Telemedicine Centres and 80 plus Apollo Munich Insurance branches panning the length and breadth of the Country. As an integrated healthcare service provider with Health Insurance services, Global Projects Consultancy capability, 12 plus medical education centres and a Research Foundation with a focus on global Clinical Trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell & genetic research Apollo Hospitals has been at the forefront of new medical breakthroughs with the most recent investment being that of commissioning the first Proton Therapy Center across Asia, Africa and Australia in Chennai, India. Every four days, the Apollo Hospitals Group touches a million lives, in its mission to bring healthcare of International standards within the reach of every individual.

In a rare honor, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo's contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010. For more than 28 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Our hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.

SOURCE William Osler Health System

Image with caption: "Dr. Anupam Sibal, Senior Consultant and Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals and Dr. Naveed Mohammad, VP Medical Affairs, William Osler Health System and Lead Physician of Osler's Global Health Program sign a Memorandum of Understanding in Delhi on April 27, 2016, formalizing a unique partnership between the two organizations that aims to positively impact the health and wellness of the patients they serve. (CNW Group/William Osler Health System)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160502_C1690_PHOTO_EN_679901.jpg

Image with caption: "William Osler Health System (CNW Group/William Osler Health System)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160502_C1690_PHOTO_EN_679903.jpg

Image with caption: "Apollo Hospitals (CNW Group/William Osler Health System)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160502_C1690_PHOTO_EN_679905.jpg

For further information: For Apollo Hospitals: Dheeptha Mohan, [email protected], +91 9940629562, Romi Rajendran, [email protected], +91 8939616217; For William Osler Health System: Cara Francis, Director, Public Relations, William Osler Health System, P: 905-494-2120 ext. 59467, [email protected]
ADFIAP Award honours BDC's support for B Corps

MONTREAL, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is proud to have won the Outstanding Development Project Award from the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP).

BDC won the award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category for its project entry "Helping Grow an Exciting Entrepreneurial Movement: Certified Beneficial Corporation (B Corps)."

B Corps are a new kind of company designed to solve social and environmental problems. To be certified as a B Corp, a company must pass a bracing evaluation of economic, social and environmental performance developed by B Lab, the non-profit organization that certifies B Corps.

"In fulfilling its purpose to promote entrepreneurship, BDC supports innovative people who create companies designed to solve social and environmental problems via grassroots organizations, capital market mechanisms and a newly-created, nation-wide network of bankers," said Enrique I. Florencio, Head, Knowledge Management and Sustainability Officer, ADFIAP. "With this award, ADFIAP recognizes BDC's consistent and continuing work and advocacy to promote innovative corporate social responsibility."

"We're delighted that our Asia Pacific peers recognize our efforts to support the B Corp movement in Canada," says Craig Ryan, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility at BDC. "B Corp entrepreneurs are extraordinary innovators who create social and environmental value all around the world."

BDC was the first Canadian financial institution to receive B Corp certification in 2013. It was re-certified earlier this year with high marks. There are more than 1,600 B Corp companies in 48 countries.

This is BDC's second award from the ADFIAP. In 2011, it won the ADFIAP's award in the Outstanding Development Project  Trade Development category for a program that provided Canadian entrepreneurs with financing to research new markets and products and expand activities in domestic and foreign markets.

About BDC

BDC is the only bank dedicated exclusively to entrepreneurs. With more than 100 business centres and over 32,000 clients across Canada, it offers loans, investments and advisory services. BDC's purpose is to support Canadian entrepreneurship with a focus on small and medium-sized businesses. To learn more, visit www.bdc.ca.

SOURCE Business Development Bank of Canada

For further information: Maria Constantinescu, BDC, [email protected], 1-844-625-8321
MONTREAL, May 3, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Quebec Medical Association (QMA) supports the legal review filed with the federal court by the FADOQ which aims to force the government of Canada to apply the Canada Health Act, with the goal of ending overbilling in healthcare in Quebec.

The QMA remains opposed to direct billing to patients for services insured in a universal health care system. This practice, contrary to the Law of both Quebec and Canada, was tolerated and now legalized by adoption of Act no 20 by the government of Quebec. Even by 2007, the Chicoine Report, conducted by a group of experts, reported abnormal patient billing and deficiencies in government coverage.

The QMA views it as the responsibility of the government to cover the entire real cost of a required medical service into the ministerial budget and to ensure that this does not become subject to exponential growth. The QMA is convinced that there are sufficient funds invested in health in Quebec. Some services which are presently covered and paid for by the government do not provide added value or benefit to the patient, while others which have direct consequences for the patient are only covered partially or not at all. The QMA believes that the government of Quebec has managed to collect more than $50 million in extra fees in attacking overdiagnosis, overtreatment and overmedication.

"The principle of universal access to health care requires the government to cover the entire cost for any medically necessary service, says Dr. Hugo Viens, vice president of the QMA. We must therefore review the basket of medical services in this regard. The QMA is ready to work with Dr. Barrette on this important issue for patients and the health care system."

The Canada Health Act has previously been applied

The Canada Health Act has been applied in the past and used to sanction provinces which engaged in overbilling, such as Ontario and Alberta. In effect, nearly $255 million was withheld by the federal government from provinces which had not respected the principles of the Act.

"The protection of patients and eliminating inequality in terms of access must be the priority of the federal minister as well as that of the minister in Quebec", concludes Dr. Viens.

About the QMA

The Quebec Medical Association includes 10,000 general practitioners, specialists, residents and medical students. Its mission is to bring together the entire medical profession of Quebec for reflection and action for the benefit of the health of the population.

SOURCE Quebec Medical Association

For further information: Marc-Andre Amyot, Communication officer, Tel: 514 567-1501, Email: [email protected]
OTTAWA, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, spoke today about the importance of encouraging and supporting the ongoing participation of older workers in society at the AgeFriendly Business Initiative Forum, hosted by the International Longevity Centre (ILC) Canada and the University of Ottawa. Minister Duclos recognized the valuable skills and knowledge that older workers bring to the workplace, and he congratulated ILC Canada for bringing together government, the private sector, researchers and stakeholders to work towards creating age-friendly businesses.

The Government of Canada works collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to promote the well-being of older Canadians across the country. Budget 2016 delivers on the Government's agenda to empower all Canadians to build better lives for themselves and to enable them to contribute to, and share in, the prosperity of the country.

While recognizing many Canadians will continue to work past the traditional retirement age, Budget 2016 makes the goal of a comfortable and dignified retirement more attainable for working Canadians, through measures such as restoring the age of eligibility for Old Age Security benefits from 67 to 65. In addition, Budget 2016 proposes to increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement top-up by $947 annually for the most vulnerable single seniors.

Quote

"Our population is agingwe need to dispel myths about older workers and encourage age-friendly businesses that support, attract and retain older workers so they can continue to contribute to our economy and our communities. Our government recognizes the important contributions of older Canadians in our country, and we will continue to work with partners and stakeholders in building a secure future for all Canadians."

 The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Associated Link

Budget 2016

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Backgrounder

Budget 2016 makes the goal of a comfortable and dignified retirement more attainable for seniors and working Canadians through various measures, such as restoring the age of eligibility for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) from 67 to 65. This change will put up to $17,000 into the pockets of the lowest-income Canadians each year, as they become seniors.

Restoring the age of eligibility for the OAS pension and the GIS from 67 to 65 is only one of the many enhancements announced that will help improve the quality of life for seniors.

Additional measures include:

increasing the GIS top-up by $947 annually for the most vulnerable single seniors;

annually for the most vulnerable single seniors; providing higher benefits to senior couples receiving GIS and Allowance benefits and who are living apart for reasons beyond their control;

engaging with provincial and territorial governments to enhance the Canada Pension Plan, with the goal of being able to make a collective decision before the end of 2016;

looking at how a new seniors price index that reflects the cost of living faced by seniors could be developed; and

providing for the construction, repair and adaption of affordable housing to help the many seniors who face challenges in accessing affordable housing.

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For further information: Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
INNISFIL, ON, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Lice Squad.com won two major franchise awards at the 2016 Canadian Franchise Associations (CFA) convention in Ottawa. Lice Squad.com is the recipient of the Grand Prize Bronze Award of Excellence in Franchising in the Category of Non-Traditional Mature/Established and The Franchisees' Choice award for the fifth consecutive year in a row. The awards were presented to Lice Squad.com on April 19, 2016 during a Gala Awards Presentation at the 25th annual CFA National Convention in Ottawa, Ontario.

Considered the pinnacle of franchise achievement in Canada, CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising are given annually to franchise systems that have demonstrated the strongest, most mutually-rewarding relationships with their franchisees, based on the results of a comprehensive survey of franchisors and their franchisees administered by third-party firm Portage Group.

"Receiving recognition like this is very gratifying and motivating. It is a clear indicator that the team at Lice Squad.com's Head Quarters is doing a fantastic job in supporting franchisees and each other. We all work hard building the businesses and the brand throughout the year. System wide, having something to celebrate and aspire to is the encouragement we all need and appreciate. We strive to have fun as a team and this gives us that opportunity." says Dawn Mucci, CEO, Lice Squad.com.

This year, more than 60 CFA member franchise systems participated in the survey and more franchisees completed the survey than ever before. Participating franchise systems were assessed on their performance in key areas, including franchisee relations, leadership, business planning, marketing, training and support, ongoing operations and communications.

"The CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising truly set a benchmark for franchises throughout Canada and we are pleased to recognize Lice Squad.com for their commitment to excellence in franchising," says Lorraine McLachlan, CFA President and CEO. "A solid relationship between franchisor and franchisee is vital to the system's success and Lice Squad.com's results show that they offer outstanding support to their franchisees."

Open exclusively to CFA franchise system members who have been franchising for three years or more, the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising competition includes four categories to enable franchise systems to be rated against their peers. Entries are separated into Traditional Franchises (i.e. those with bricks and mortar locations) and Non-Traditional Franchises (i.e. mobile, home-based, etc.), then grouped based on the length of time they have been operating (three to 10 years and 11+ years).

Systems with the highest scores in each category are recognized with Bronze, Silver and Gold CFA Awards of Excellence. The prestigious CFA Award of Excellence in Franchise Grand Prize is awarded to one of the four Gold category winners. "As a member of the Lice Squad.com Head Office Team, I am thrilled the company won again this year. As a team we work hard to provide the best service for our franchisees, clients and wholesale partners. It is a pleasure to come to work every day when you work with such a talented, passionate and fun loving group," said Brenda Pufek.

Lice Squad Canada has been the "go-to" source for non-toxic head lice removal, screening and education for over fifteen years. The company offers clinic and mobile services in major Canadian communities, as well as a full line of pesticide-free products available nationwide at its LS Clinics, mobile locations, pharmacies, health food stores and other retailers. The organization also offers on-site head lice screening in schools, daycares and camps and educational seminars. Lice Squad now services over 30 communities across Canada with its Franchise Division positioned for growth with expansion plans for more than 50 locations over the next five years.

To learn more about Lice Squad Canada, visit www.licesquad.com.

About the Canadian Franchise Association

The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) is the recognized authority on franchising in Canada. With almost 600 corporate members nation-wide, representing many of Canada's best-known brands, CFA is the indispensable resource for the franchise community and advocates on behalf of franchisors and franchisees in Canada to enhance and protect the franchise business model. CFA promotes excellence in franchising and educates Canadians about franchising, specific franchise opportunities and proper due diligence through its many events, programs, publications, and websites (www.cfa.ca and www.LookforaFranchise.ca).

SOURCE Lice Squad Canada Inc

Image with caption: "Dawn Mucci along with Lice Squad.com Head Quarters team from left Alison, Kristen, Brenda, Paula, Lindy celebrate with franchise colleagues Ryan and Mark of Smokes Poutinerie at the CFA National Convention. (CNW Group/Lice Squad Canada Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C7702_PHOTO_EN_679986.jpg

Image with caption: "Canadian Franchise Association awards dinner Dawn Mucci with from left Paula Nason, Lice Squad.com Ottawa franchisee and Head Quarters staff Lindy Bates, Brenda Pufek, Kristen McIlwee and Alison Stein. (CNW Group/Lice Squad Canada Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C7702_PHOTO_EN_679988.jpg

Image with caption: "Lice Squad Canada Inc (CNW Group/Lice Squad Canada Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C7702_PHOTO_EN_680028.jpg

Image with caption: "2012 - 2016 CFA Franchisees' Choice - 5 Consecutive Years (CNW Group/Lice Squad Canada Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C7702_PHOTO_EN_680030.jpg

Image with caption: "CFA Canadian Franchise Association - 2016 Franchisees' Choice (CNW Group/Lice Squad Canada Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C7702_PHOTO_EN_680032.jpg

For further information: Media Contacts: For Lice Squad.com: Dawn Mucci, Founder & CEO, Lice Squad Canada Inc., Tel: 705-458-4448 ext. 201, E-mail: [email protected]; For CFA: Lisa Raffaele, Client Services Director, PUNCH Canada Inc., Tel: (647) 837-1265, E-mail: mailto:[email protected]
Guests invited to support thousands of local families and their children in need



TORONTO, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - For some families across the country tomorrow is one of the most meaningful days of the year  McHappy Day. It's the day when McDonald's restaurants across Canada inspire guests to unite in support of the 14 Ronald McDonald Houses and other local children's charities dedicated to bringing happiness to the lives of families and children in their communities when they need it most.

Tomorrow, $1 from every Big Mac sandwich, Happy Meal and hot McCafe beverage sold will go towards these charities. As part of these heartfelt celebrations, athletes, media personalities, local dignitaries and celebrities will be working hand-in-hand with McDonald's restaurant teams and franchisees to raise donations. This year guests will also be able to support families through a $1 McHappy Day donation button that will appear on all self-order kiosks in restaurants.

"McHappy Day is a long-standing Canadian tradition and is at the heart of who we are and what we do at McDonald's Canada," said John Betts, President and CEO of McDonald's Canada. "By supporting families and children in need, we remain committed to being a good neighbour in thousands of local communities across the country."

This one-day fundraising event supports local children's charities, as well as the 13 Family Rooms and 14 Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada that together provide comfort and care to more than 20,000 families each year as their children are treated at a nearby hospital.

"Research shows that sick children heal faster when their families are beside them, and this wouldn't be possible without the support of McDonald's and their guests," said Cathy Loblaw, President and CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHC). "We're constantly inspired by how McHappy Day brings Canadians together to help Ronald McDonald Houses support more than 20,000 families with sick children each year. Thank you."

In 1977, McHappy Day was first established in Canada by George Cohon, founder of McDonald's Canada and Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada. It has since become an international fundraising event celebrated by countries throughout the globe. Over the past 22 McHappy Days (it wasn't an annual event at first) McDonald's Canada, its franchisees and generous guests, have contributed nearly $51 million for Ronald McDonald Houses and local Canadian children's charities.

"As we approach our 23rd McHappy Day in Canada, our original vision of connecting communities remains," added Cohon. "McHappy Day is a way for all of us to unite in smiles and support of our fellow families and children."

Follow the story online and share who you're making happy this year with #McHappyDay. Click here to watch a short video about the impact RMHC has on families.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Canada

In 1982, Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada was founded to be the everlasting organization of support for Ronald McDonald Houses and their programs in Canada. The 14 Ronald McDonald Houses provide a home for out-of-town families whose children are being treated at a nearby hospital. Completing our circle of support for Canadian families are 13 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, which provide a caring place for families to rest and recharge right inside the hospital, as well as 2 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles, mobile health units that help to bring medical care to vulnerable communities in Alberta. As RMHC's largest donor, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and its franchisees donate 10 cents from every Happy Meal sold to Ronald McDonald House Charities, and McDonald's guests generously support Ronald McDonald House families by donating at the coinbox in their local McDonald's restaurant. For more information on RMHC Canada, visit www.rmhc.ca.

About McDonald's Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 90,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 85 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada visit www.McDonalds.ca.

SOURCE McDonald's Canada

Video with caption: "Video: Canadians learn about the families they are helping make happy as part of the McHappy Day fundraiser, Wednesday, May 4th, where $1 from every Big Mac, Happy Meal or hot McCafe beverage goes to support the 14 Ronald McDonald Houses and other local childrens charities.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20160503_C5167_VIDEO_EN_682657.mp4&posterurl=http%3a%2f%2fphotos.newswire.ca%2fimages%2f20160503_C5167_PHOTO_EN_682657.jpg&order=1&jdd=20160503&cnum=C5167

Image with caption: "McHappy Day celebrations took place across Canada Wednesday. In Toronto, McDonalds Canada founder George Cohon joined Regional VP Victor Rocca, RMHC Canadas Cathy Loblaw, the Mitchell family (guests at Ronald McDonald House Toronto), and Ronald McDonald to help raise money for thousands of families. (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160503_C5167_PHOTO_EN_682715.jpg

For further information: Jennifer Wasley, Weber Shandwick, [email protected], 416-642-7903; Adam Grachnik, McDonald's Canada, [email protected], 416-446-3354; Or McDonald's Media Relations Line, [email protected], 1-877-786-3342
TORONTO, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Together with the National Gallery of Canada (NGC), University of Toronto Press Journals announced today the launch of the Web version of the National Gallery of Canada Review.

The National Gallery of Canada Review (ngcr.utpjournals.press) marks a new era in the National Gallery of Canada's strong tradition of scholarly activity. Following in the footsteps of the Bulletin, produced from 1963 to 1985, and the original National Gallery of Canada Review, published from 2000 to 2008, the NGCR is a vibrant online, open access resource that features the investigations and scholarly engagements of prominent curators and art historians with the Gallery's world class collections. The content featured in the NGCR is rich and varied, and is designed to include the work of a wide breadth of contributors with many areas of expertise.

The NGCR will be published annually in both French and English.

"In its content, the National Gallery of Canada Review reflects the identity of our institution and its six curatorial departments. We are very proud to re-launch this important publication and to expand its reach through the web, making it available for free. With content devoted to the study of the national collection, it will be useful both to art history researchers and to anyone wishing to discover the Gallery's treasures through the writing of our expert curators," said NGC Chief Curator and Editor-in-Chief of the NGCR, Paul Lang. "And we are very pleased to make this possible thanks to the expertise and online platform of the University of Toronto Press Journals."

"We are excited to partner with the National Gallery of Canada on the launch of the new National Gallery of Canada Review. The Review will be a fresh new addition to the University of Toronto Press's long-standing tradition of scholarly publishing excellence. Readers of the NGCR will be delighted with the rich online experience and extensive functionality this new Web will resource offer."  Antonia Pop, Senior Manager, University of Toronto Press Journals

The online issue (volume 7) of the National Gallery of Canada Review dated May 2016 is now available and features the following articles:

Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens: Paintings in the Collection of the National Gallery of Canada

Christopher Etheridge, Stephen Gritt

Laurent Amiot's Regency Teapot: A Moment of Perfection

Rene Villeneuve

Michael Snow's Authorization: Materials and Preservation

John P. McElhone

Portrait of the Artist as a Reader: The Fritz Brandtner Library in the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives

Jonathan Franklin

To find out more about the National Gallery of Canada Review, read the article In the Spotlight: Rebirth of the National Gallery of Canada Review, on NGCMagazine.ca.

About the National Gallery of Canada

The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art. The Gallery also maintains Canada's premier collection of European Art from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as important works of American, Asian and Indigenous Art and renowned international collections of prints, drawings and photographs. In 2015, the National Gallery of Canada established the Canadian Photography Institute, a global multidisciplinary research centre dedicated to the history, evolution and future of photography. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. Among its principal missions is to increase access to excellent works of art for all Canadians. For more information, visit gallery.ca and follow us on Twitter @gallerydotca.

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

For further information: For more information on the National Gallery of Canada Review please contact : Tamara Hawkins, University of Toronto Press, Journals, [email protected]; Josee-Britanie Mallet, Senior Media and Public Relations Officer, National Gallery of Canada, 613.990.6835 / [email protected] ; UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS JOURNALS, 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T8 Canada, Tel: (416) 667-7810, Fax: (416) 667-7881, email: [email protected], www.utpjournals.com, www.facebook.com/utpjournals, www.twitter.com/utpjournals
Subaru Canada's sales skyrocket to mark its best month ever with 5,087 units retailed in April.

sales skyrocket to mark its best month ever with 5,087 units retailed in April. Early second-quarter sales milestone propels record year-to-date results.

Best April ever for Subaru Crosstrek, Forester and WRX STI models.

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) today celebrates mammoth success with an unprecedented monthly sales record, retailing 5,087 units in April to show an increase of 3.8 percent over April 2015. These best ever year-to-date sales of 14,530 vehicles, up 2.6 percent over the same time last year, blaze the trail towards achieving Subaru's fifth consecutive annual sales record. Best ever regional sales with monthly record highs were enjoyed in Subaru's Ontario and western regions, with increases of 9.5 and 5.3 percent, respectively.

The Subaru Crosstrek proved it's up for it as sales soared with 895 units sold, an increase of 12.3 percent. Subaru's highest volume model and true SUV, the Forester, outsold last April with 1,242 units retailed, up 9.7 percent. Not to be outdone, Subaru's performance sedans, the WRX and WRX STI revelled in new monthly records with an incredible increase of 53.5 percent and 525 units sold, its highest monthly sales ever.

"April sales roared in like a lion, setting an unprecedented new monthly sales record for Subaru Canada and paving the way for a year of growth," says Shiro Ohta, chairman, president and CEO of Subaru Canada, Inc. "I would like to thank our committed dealer network and its focus on the customer. With new product arriving in dealerships throughout the summer and into late fall, Subaru continues to concentrate on our core brand values  safety, performance as well as vehicles that last an incredibly long time and offer a sense of adventure for active lifestyles."





April

5,087 Month's actual 4,901 Previous year (same month) 186 difference 3.8% MTD sales vs. STLY



14,530 2016 YTD 14,157 2015 YTD 373 difference 2.6% YTD sales vs. STLY



5,087 Q2 2016 4,901 Q2 2015 186 difference 3.8% Current quarter sales vs. STLY

About Subaru Canada, Inc.

Subaru Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 92 authorized dealers across Canada. For more information, please visit www.subaru.ca or www.pr.subaru.ca or follow @Subaru Canada on Twitter.

SOURCE Subaru Canada Inc.

For further information: Julie Lychak, (905) 568-4959, [email protected]; Sebastien Lajoie, Media Relations, Quebec Region, (514) 336-0600, [email protected]
OTTAWA, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ - May 2-8, 2016 is Mental Health Week and communities across the country will GET LOUD and raise their voices in support of mental health and well-being for all. Raising our voices this week  and every other week in the year  is crucial to tearing down the stigma and the discrimination that often accompany mental illness.

This year, the group of focus for the week is the fastest growing demographic in Canada, with one in four of them reportedly living with a mental health problem or illness: seniors. Too often, mental health problems or illnesses are considered an inevitable consequence of aging. Furthermore, seniors are doubly stigmatized for both being older and for having a mental health problem. During Mental Health Week, let's all GET LOUD and send the message that treatment for mental health problems and illnesses is critical, regardless of age. It's never too early, or too late, to seek help.

For the first time ever, StatsCan is reporting there are more people in Canada over the age of 65 than there are under age 15. As this trend continues, governments, health leaders and communities will have to reinforce the need for mental health care positioned especially for seniors, more community-based outreach and primary health care, and enhanced mental health knowledge for formal and family caregivers.

The MHCC recently published Guidelines for Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Older Adults in Canada, which presents a model for an integrated mental health service system for older Canadians. The guidelines were created to help policy-makers, service planners and advocacy organizations ensure that all older Canadians, both those living with or at risk of a mental health problem or illness, receive the appropriate range of supports they need. In the coming months, the MHCC will release a seniors' version of its Mental Health First Aid, aimed at improving mental health literacy and educating people to better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, friend or colleague.

I invite you to visit www.mentalhealthcommission.ca for more information about Mental Health Week.

ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA

The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a catalyst for change. We are collaborating with hundreds of partners to change the attitudes of Canadians toward mental health problems and to improve services and support. Our goal is to help people who live with mental health problems and illnesses lead meaningful and productive lives. Together we create change. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is funded by Health Canada.

www.mentalhealthcommission.ca | strategy.mentalhealthcommission.ca

https://www.facebook.com/theMHCC?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/MHCC_

https://instagram.com/themhcc/

https://www.youtube.com/user/1MHCC/videos?view=0

Sign up for the MHCC Newsletter | The views represented herein solely represent the views of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

SOURCE Mental Health Commission of Canada

For further information: Media Contact: Kate Headley, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Telephone: 613-683-3948 Mobile: 613-315-6556, Email: [email protected]
TORONTO, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - The Enactus team from the University of Waterloo partnered with an organization in Tanzania to create an incentivized network of waste collection, which allows locals to exchange their plastic waste for money, generating an income for their families. Prior to the launch of this project, locals in Moshi, Tanzania would burn, bury or inappropriately dispose of their waste, resulting in harmful chemicals being released into groundwater and soil.

These outcomes were rewarded on Monday, May 2 at the 2016 Enactus Canada National Exposition, where the Enactus University of Waterloo team took home the title of 3M Canada Problem Solving Project Partnership Best Project.

"Put simply, 3M is committed to improving our business, our planet and every life," says Liisa Sheldrick, communications and 3Mgives leader, 3M Canada. "We recognize that improving every life is ambitious, and believe it's a worthwhile pursuit. Projects like this reflect our belief in applying science to improve lives, as well as collaboration  with our customers, partners and communities."

The 3M Canada Problem Solving Project Partnership is designed to empower Enactus teams with the resources needed to identify, create and deliver truly innovative projects that address the specific and unique needs and opportunities within Canada.

"Enactus students are problem solvers and, with partners like 3M, are ready to challenge the status quo for the benefit of social good," said Nicole Almond, president of Enactus Canada. "[University of Waterloo] has much to be proud of today and we are pleased to share with Canada the progressive change they have made in their local community."

Enactus University of Waterloo is a group of innovative students, working together towards one goal, to create positive change for villagers in Tanzania.

The 3M Canada Problem Solving Project Partnership was awarded at the 2016 Enactus Canada National Exposition, where more than 1,500 delegates including the country's brightest university and college students, academic professionals and top Canadian CEOs came together to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world.

For news throughout the year and competition results during the event, please visit @Enactus_Canada on Twitter.

ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, this country's largest student leadership development organization, is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,650 entrepreneurial post-secondary students led 288 community empowerment projects and business ventures this past year in communities coast to coast. As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.

SOURCE Enactus

For further information: Media inquiries: Jody Lundrigan, Enactus Canada, [email protected], (416) 346-0131; Meghan Edwards, North Strategic (for Enactus Canada), [email protected], (416) 300-5720; Genna Schnurbach, Hill+Knowlton Strategies (for 3M Canada, [email protected], Dir : +1 416 413 4742, M : +1 416 428 5455
[May 03, 2016] Grubhub Reports Record First Quarter Results

CHICAGO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB), the leading takeout marketplace, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. "We had a strong start to 2016, generating a record $713 million in gross food sales during the quarter, even with significant headwinds from weather," said Matt Maloney, CEO. "Revenue grew 27%, driven by the continued expansion of quality restaurants through Grubhub delivery, improvements in our technology platform and the rollout of our updated Grubhub branding." First Quarter 2016 Highlights The following results reflect the financial performance and key operating metrics of our business for the three months ended March 31, 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015. First Quarter Financial Highlights Revenues: $112.2 million , a 27% year-over-year increase from $88.2 million in the first quarter of 2015.

, a 27% year-over-year increase from in the first quarter of 2015. Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA: $32.4 million , a 15% year-over-year increase from $28.3 million in the first quarter of 2015.

, a 15% year-over-year increase from in the first quarter of 2015. Net Income: $9.9 million , or $0.12 per diluted share, a 6% year-over-year decrease from $10.6 million , or $0.12 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2015.

, or per diluted share, a 6% year-over-year decrease from , or per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2015. Non-GAAP Net Income: $17.2 million , or $0.20 per diluted share, a 15% year-over-year increase from $14.9 million , or $0.18 per diluted share. First Quarter Key Business Metrics Highlights Active Diners were 6.97 million, a 24% year-over-year increase from 5.60 million Active Diners in the first quarter of 2015.

Daily Average Grubs were 267,800, a 14% year-over-year increase from 234,700 Daily Average Grubs in the first quarter of 2015.

Gross Food Sales were $713 million , a 21% year-over-year increase from $590 million in the first quarter of 2015. Delivery The Company has entered into an agreement to acquire LAbite, one of the largest restaurant delivery services in the U.S. In 2015, LAbite diners ordered almost $80 million in gross food sales, with most of the volume coming from the greater Los Angeles area. "We are excited by the acquisition of LAbite as it adds to the tremendous strides we've made in expanding the breadth and depth of our delivery network and boosts our presence in an important market," noted Maloney. "With more than 5,000 restaurants now using Grubhub delivery and our total network comprised of more than 44,000 restaurants, we are making great progress towards fulfilling our goal of being the most comprehensive marketplace for takeout diners and restaurants." Excluding the pending acquisition of LAbite, Grubhub is now delivering annual gross food sales volume of approximately $250 million. This compares to almost no delivery volume at the beginning of 2015. Credit Facility On April 29, 2016, the Company entered into a revolving credit facility. The credit facility will be available to the Company until April 28, 2021 and provides for a commitment of $185 million and the ability to increase the line under certain conditions up to $215 million. Second Quarter and Full Year 2016 Guidance* Based on information available as of May 3rd, 2016, the company is providing the following financial guidance for the second quarter and full year of 2016:









Second Quarter 2016

Full Year 2016

(in millions) Expected revenue range $109 - $111

$450 - $465 Expected Adjusted EBITDA range $29 - $31

$122 - $130

*The above guidance excludes any impact from Grubhub's pending acquisition of LAbite. The Company will update guidance to include LAbite when the acquisition closes. First Quarter 2016 Financial Results Conference Call: Grubhub will webcast a conference call today at 9 a.m. CT to discuss the first quarter 2016 financial results. The webcast can be accessed on the Grubhub Investor Relations website at http://investors.grubhub.com, along with the company's earnings press release and financial tables. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same website until May 17, 2016. About Grubhub Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering company. Dedicated to moving eating forward and connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, the company's platforms and services strive to elevate food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub is proud to work with more than 44,000 restaurant partners in over 1,000 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, AllMenus, MenuPages, Restaurants on the Run, DiningIn and Delivered Dish. Use of Forward Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our management's future expectations, beliefs, intentions, goals, strategies, plans and prospects, including the expected financial performance of Grubhub following its recent acquisitions and investment in delivery. Such statements constitute "forward-looking" statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the matters set forth in the filings that we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including those set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 26, 2016, which are on file with the SEC and are available on the Investor Relations section of our website at http://investors.grubhub.com/. Additional information will be set forth in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that will be filed for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, which should be read in conjunction with these financial results. Please also note that forward-looking statements represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information, becomes available in the future. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders are financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income adjusted to exclude acquisition and restructuring costs, income taxes, depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation expense. Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders exclude acquisition and restructuring costs, amortization of acquired intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense and other nonrecurring items as well as the income tax effects of these non-GAAP adjustments. We use these non-GAAP financial measures as key performance measures because we believe they facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period by excluding potential differences primarily caused by variations in capital structures, tax positions, the impact of acquisitions and restructuring, the impact of depreciation and amortization expense on our fixed assets and the impact of stock-based compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. See "Schedule of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciliation" below for a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders. GRUBHUB INC.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share data)



Three Months Ended March 31,

2016

2015 Revenues $ 112,240

$ 88,249 Costs and expenses:









Sales and marketing

28,833



24,107 Operations and support

34,987



22,701 Technology (exclusive of amortization)

10,192



7,666 General and administrative

13,589



9,101 Depreciation and amortization

7,308



6,249 Total costs and expenses

94,909



69,824 Income before provision for income taxes

17,331



18,425 Provision for income taxes

7,398



7,855 Net income attributable to common stockholders $ 9,933

$ 10,570 Net income per share attributable to common stockholders:









Basic $ 0.12

$ 0.13 Diluted $ 0.12

$ 0.12 Weighted-average shares used to compute net income per share attributable to common stockholders:









Basic

84,710



82,783 Diluted

85,699



85,098 KEY OPERATING METRICS



Three Months Ended March 31,

2016

2015 Active Diners (000s)

6,970



5,604 Daily Average Grubs

267,800



234,700 Gross Food Sales (millions) $ 712.8

$ 589.9

GRUBHUB INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except share data)





































March 31, 2016

December 31, 2015 ASSETS









CURRENT ASSETS:









Cash and cash equivalents $ 203,312

$ 169,293 Short term investments

121,129



141,448 Accounts receivable, less allowances for doubtful accounts

51,414



42,051 Prepaid expenses

3,578



3,482 Total current assets

379,433



356,274 PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT:









Property and equipment, net of depreciation and amortization

24,226



19,082 OTHER ASSETS:









Other assets

3,383



3,105 Goodwill

396,220



396,220 Acquired intangible assets, net of amortization

280,772



285,567 Total other assets

680,375



684,892 TOTAL ASSETS $ 1,084,034

$ 1,060,248 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY









CURRENT LIABILITIES:









Restaurant food liability $ 74,375

$ 64,326 Accounts payable

4,176



8,189 Accrued payroll

3,805



4,841 Taxes payable

423



426 Other accruals

15,699



11,830 Total current liabilities

98,478



89,612 LONG TERM LIABILITIES:









Deferred taxes, non-current

84,262



87,584 Other accruals

5,523



5,456 Total long term liabilities

89,785



93,040 Commitments and contingencies









STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:









Common stock, $0.0001 par value

8



8 Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(826)



(604) Additional paid-in capital

767,756



759,292 Retained earnings

128,833



118,900 Total Stockholders' Equity $ 895,771

$ 877,596 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 1,084,034

$ 1,060,248 GRUBHUB INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands)













Three Months Ended March 31,

2016

2015 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES









Net income $ 9,933

$ 10,570 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities:









Depreciation

1,344



1,215 Provision for doubtful accounts

443



93 Deferred taxes

(3,321)



1,219 Amortization of intangible assets

5,964



5,034 Stock-based compensation

6,901



3,007 Other

26



239 Change in assets and liabilities, net of the effects of business acquisitions:









Accounts receivable

(9,956)



(11,862) Prepaid expenses and other assets

(136)



255 Restaurant food liability

10,081



24,376 Accounts payable

(5,434)



(1,826) Accrued payroll

(1,034)



(3,146) Other accruals

3,855



1,248 Net cash provided by operating activities

18,666



30,422 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES









Purchases of investments

(56,227)



(37,068) Proceeds from maturity of investments

76,615



38,060 Capitalized website and development costs

(2,331)



(1,213) Purchases of property and equipment

(3,259)



(441) Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired





(55,506) Acquisition of other intangible assets

(250)



 Other cash flows from investing activities

(173)



 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

14,375



(56,168) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES









Repurchases of common stock

(9,771)



 Proceeds from exercise of stock options

1,012



5,823 Excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation

10,610



6,492 Taxes paid related to net settlement of stock-based compensation awards

(682)



 Net cash provided by financing activities

1,169



12,315 Net change in cash and cash equivalents

34,210



(13,431) Effect of exchange rates on cash

(191)



(210) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

169,293



201,796 Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period $ 203,312

$ 188,155 SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON CASH ITEMS









Fair value of common stock issued for acquisitions $ 

$ 15,980 NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES RECONCILIATION (in thousands, except per share data)



Three Months Ended March 31,

2016

2015 Net income $ 9,933

$ 10,570 Income taxes

7,398



7,855 Depreciation and amortization

7,308



6,249 EBITDA

24,639



24,674 Acquisition and restructuring costs

831



569 Stock-based compensation

6,901



3,007 Adjusted EBITDA $ 32,371

$ 28,250

Three Months Ended March 31,

2016

2015 Net income $ 9,933

$ 10,570 Stock-based compensation

6,901



3,007 Amortization of acquired intangible assets

5,045



4,115 Acquisition and restructuring costs

831



569 Income tax adjustments

(5,469)



(3,330) Non-GAAP net income $ 17,241

$ 14,931 Weighted-average diluted shares used to compute net income per share attributable to common stockholders

85,699



85,098 Non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders $ 0.20

$ 0.18 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151014/276973LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grubhub-reports-record-first-quarter-results-300261372.html SOURCE GrubHub Inc.

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[May 03, 2016] Notice of BIOX Fiscal 2016 Second Quarter Conference Call

TSX symbol: BX TORONTO, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - BIOX Corporation (BIOX) (TSX: BX), will release its second quarter financial results for fiscal 2016 on Monday, May 9, 2016, after markets close. The Company will subsequently hold a conference call the next morning, Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time hosted by Mr. Alan Rickard, Chief Executive Officer. A question and answer session will follow the corporate update.







CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS DATE: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 TIME: 9:00 AM ET DIAL IN NUMBER: (647) 427-7450 or (888) 231-8191 TAPED REPLAY: (416) 849-0833 or (855) 859-2056 REFERENCE NUMBER: 1765449

About BIOX Corporation

BIOX is a renewable energy company that owns and operates a 67 million litre per year continuous flow biodiesel production facility in Hamilton, Ontario. BIOX has an innovative, proprietary and patented production process that is capable of producing the highest quality, renewable, clean burning and biodegradable biodiesel fuel utilizing a variety of feedstocks - from pure seed oils to animal fats to recovered vegetable oils with no change to the production process. BIOX's high quality biodiesel fuel meets North American (ASTM D-6751) quality standards. SOURCE BIOX Corporation

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[May 03, 2016] CPI ASC Signal Division To Provide 12 Transportable Antennas To Harris

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Harris Corp. Government Communications Division has purchased 12 4.6-meter Trifold antennas from the ASC Signal Division of Communications & Power Industries LLC (CPI) for use in a Department of Defense program. The total value of the contract exceeds $10 million. CPI ASC Signal Division's TriFold antennas are capable of being deployed by one person in less than 30 minutes and are designed for worldwide use in high-density data, voice and communications networks. Like all CPI ASC Signal earth station antennas, they provide high gain and exceptional pattern recognition with a choice of transmit/receive feed assemblies. The antennas purchased by Harris come equipped with CPI ASC Signal Division's Next-Generation Controller (NGC), patented sub-reflector tracking (SRT) system and quad-band feed systems. The NGC gives the operator a single, simplified, central device to control and operate multiple antenna systems. The NGC's advanced features include remote access and tracking capabilities built into the system, an internal spectrum analyzer, redundancy control systems and many other high-performance controller features. The SRT provides the antenna with the ability to track the satellite to within 1/1000th of a degree without moving the main reflector as any part of the tracking, providing not only greater accuracy but reduced operating and maintenance expenses. "CPI ASC Signal Division's Trifold antennas will aid in advanced research that aims to increase the navigation and communication operations available to warfighters in-theater," said Keith Buckley, president of CPI ASC Signal Division. "Their advanced features provide a reliable platform for innovation in military applications." About CPI ASC Signal Division

ASC Signal is a multinational manufacturer of high-performance, highly engineered satellite Earth station, radar and HF antenna systems. In September 2015, ASC Signal was acquired by Communications & Power Industries LLC, becoming CPI ASC Signal Division. Its customers include international broadcasters and Fortune 500 companies, as well as military and government organizations. ASC Signal leads through design innovation that capitalizes on a +40-year heritage of engineering creativity and excellence. The CPI ASC Signal Division line of high-performance antennas  from its compact 2.4-meter ESA and extensive line of HF products up to its largest 14-meter ATC earth stations  cover all widely used commercial and military frequency bands from HF to V-bands. ASC Signal is a member of the World Teleport Association and the Society of Satellite Professionals International. www.cpii.com/ascsignal



About Communications & Power Industries LLC

Communications & Power Industries LLC (CPI), headquartered in Palo Alto, California, is a subsidiary of CPI International Holding Corp. and CPI International, Inc. CPI develops, manufactures and globally distributes components and subsystems used in the generation, amplification, transmission and reception of microwave signals for a wide variety of systems including radar, electronic warfare and communications (satellite and point-to-point) systems for military and commercial applications, specialty products for medical diagnostic imaging and the treatment of cancer, as well as microwave and RF energy generating products for various industrial and scientific pursuits. www.cpii.com Certain statements included above constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations, beliefs or forecasts of future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the results projected, expected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, competition in our end markets; our significant amount of debt; changes or reductions in the U.S. defense budget; currency fluctuations; goodwill impairment considerations; customer cancellations of sales contracts; U.S. Government contracts; export restrictions and other laws and regulations; international laws; changes in technology; the impact of unexpected costs; the impact of a general slowdown in the global economy; the impact of environmental laws and regulations; inability to obtain raw materials and components; and the impact of unexpected results of, or issues in connection with, dispositions and acquisitions. These and other risks are described in more detail in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect us. We undertake no duty or obligation to (i) publicly revise any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events occurring after the date hereof, (ii) to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in our expectations or (iii) to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement if CPI becomes aware that such statement is not likely to be achieved.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278327LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cpi-asc-signal-division-to-provide-12-transportable-antennas-to-harris-300261993.html SOURCE CPI International Holding Corp.; CPI International, Inc.

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According to recent reports, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to receive a 'reworked' version of the 2016 from the National Assem...





According to recent reports, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to receive a 'reworked' version of the 2016 from the National Assembly with the padding considerably slashed.Reliable sources close to the NASS said the lawmakers had realised that it was wrong for them to have usurped the functions of the executive by introducing items not contemplated by the Presidency into the budget and illegally transferring capital votes to such items.The source said that given the furore that had attended the budget, the National Assembly Committee on Appropriation and Finance had opted to drop its tough stance against the Presidency and remove the vexatious issues that made President Buhari to reject the budget.A top source close to the budget document said the lawmakers had agreed to expunge all the illegal projects estimated at about N500 billion, which they inserted into the document for the Presidents assent.
The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has launched a helicopter for aerial surveillance of the activities of herdsmen in the state...

The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has launched a helicopter for aerial surveillance of the activities of herdsmen in the state.The governor, who stated this during the Workers Day celebration in Awka, the state capital, assured the people of the state that his administration had all it would take to prevent any attack by the herders.Obiano said that before the growing menace of the Fulani herdsmen in the country, he had set up a special committee to foster peace between farmers and the cattle grazers in the state.The committee, the governor noted, was made up of the leaders of the Hausa-Fulani community in the state, government officials, security agents and some representatives of agrarian communities across the state.Obiano said, This committee has made the herdsmen to pay compensation to communities whose crops were destroyed by their cattle seven times in the past. And we have also paid compensation to the herdsmen when one community breached the peace against them. That is the nature of our engagement with them in Anambra State.He warned that his administration would deal ruthlessly with the herdsmen should they become needlessly hostile against their host communities.Obiano added, There is routine helicopter surveillance across the borders of the state to ensure that any suspicious gathering of people(herdsmen) or curious movements across the borders are quickly picked up and analysed by security experts.The governor commended Anambra workers for their support to his administration, saying if Willie is working, then the workers are also working.He restated his administrations commitment to workers welfare.Obiano added that the state government would consider a salary increase for workers once there was an increase in the states Internally Generated Revenue.The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Anambra State chapter, Jerry Nnubia, had commended Obiano for putting up an excellent performance since he took over two years ago.Meanwhile, as the various pressure groups in the southern part of the country threaten to move Fulani herdsmen from their communities because of recent killings in Enugu and other southern states, the National Coordinator of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Mr. Garus Gololo, has said such an action may ignite national crisis.Gololo stated, It is only in Oyo that there are up to 2,000 herdsmen; in other parts of the South-West, they are not more than between 200 and 800 while in the North, there are over 30 million southerners.According to him, many of the southerners have big houses in their original homes especially in Igbo land but such houses are empty because a lot of them are staying in the North.He said the National Assembly had intervened in the crisis between farmers and herdsmen, insisting that if the herdsmen have not committed offences that warrant their being forced out of the South, they should not be forced out.
It is easier for two camels to pass through the eye of a needle at the same time than for celebrity marriages to pass the test of time, t...

It is easier for two camels to pass through the eye of a needle at the same time than for celebrity marriages to pass the test of time, thus the recent spate of separations between celebrity couples these days.





As the Baloguns (Tiwa Savage and TeeBillz) have already spread their dirty linens in the open, revelations have begun to unfold as to the real reason behind their marital tragedy. Although the media space is already awash with different stories and antecedents to the separation of the Tiwa Savage and TeeBillz, the real truth behind the separation has been revealed.





According to a reliable source, Tiwa Savage became disconcerted after knowing the truth about TeeBillzs wedlock children he had with different women. Not that Tiwa was particularly ignorant of TeeBillz previous escapades, but the latter deliberately hid from the former the number of heavens gifts he had had with different women.





The cream of the crop was when Tiwa got to know about one of TeeBillzs child he had with a woman, one Dr Vivian who is in her 50s, and an American based plastic surgeon. All along they had been struggling to conceal it. Dr. Vivian is well known and loved in high society circuits. This was revealed to Tiwa Savage few weeks after the opulent wedding that was held in Dubai.





Ever since getting to know about many hidden past of TeeBillz, Tiwa Savage, who wedded at the peak of her womanhood, decided to endure the relationship until she too can boast of a child. According to close associates of the estranged lovers, their marriage had always been patched with pretentious love that was never there and it was evident that there was no iota of nuptial love between them.





As Tiwa got hold of what she wanted  her new baby boy  she became a totally strange woman to her husband as she could not pretend to be in love again with TeeBillz, this is why he became so frustrated by attempting suicide and voicing out his displeasure in the social media.
Atletico Madrid have booked their place in the final of the Champions League despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena this evening.Bayern had levelled their first-leg deficit through Xabi Alonso in the first half, and both teams had penalties saved, but Antoine Griezmann's goal shortly after the break proved decisive as Atletico hung on to win with a 2-2 aggregate score.Pep Guardiola made three changes from Bayern's first-leg defeat in Madrid, bringing in the fit-again Jerome Boateng, Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery, with Thiago, Juan Bernat and Kingsley Coman losing their spots.Atletico's stalwart defence limited scoring chances in the early stages, with Arturo Vidal only trying his luck from distance, while at the other end Manuel Neuer made two comfortable saves from Gabi's long shots.Bayern nearly found a way through in the 20th minute when Muller got on the end of a long pass and laid it off for an on-rushing Robert Lewandowski, but Jan Oblak saved from point-blank range.Minutes later, Oblak spilled a 30-yard shot from Ribery but was able to recover in time to prevent Lewandowski from putting in the rebound.The breakthrough came in the 31st minute after Augusto Fernandez fouled David Alaba just outside the box, and Alonso scored from the free kick, his attempt taking a big deflection off centre-back Jose Gimenez.The Uruguayan defender was in the spotlight again three minutes later when he hauled down Javi Martinez during a corner kick, but Oblak was able to save the resulting penalty from Muller as well as Alonso's follow-up.Tensions were high after those flashpoints and Ribery had to forcefully hold back an irate Diego Simeone from leaving the Atletico bench.But despite creating few chances before the break, the Spanish club retook the lead on aggregate eight minutes into the second half.As Atletico raced out on the counter-attack, Antoine Griezmann headed the ball down to Fernando Torres, who played the Frenchman through to run in free on goal and beat Neuer at his near post.The away goal meant Bayern needed to score twice to go through, and the hosts maintained nearly all of the possession from that point forward.Atletico held out until the 74th minute, when Vidal headed Alaba's cross back across goal for Lewandowski to nod in from close range for this ninth goal of the competition this season.The visitors could have sealed their spot in the final when Martinez conceded a penalty for bringing down Torres in the 83rd minute.There was some question as to whether the foul was outside of the box, but it didn't matter as Neuer saved the former Liverpool man's penalty.Given new life, Bayern pushed for a winner but Oblak and Atletico withstood the pressure to advance to the final in Milan.They will face the winners of Wednesday's second semifinal between Real Madrid and Manchester City, with that tie finely balanced after goalless first leg at the Etihad.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has stated that it will not unilaterally decide on the N56,000 minimum wage proposed by labour unions in...

The Federal Government of Nigeria has stated that it will not unilaterally decide on the N56,000 minimum wage proposed by labour unions in the country.Speaking in an interview on Channels TV, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, acknowledged the receipt of the letter written by labour on the proposed minimum wage. He said the decision on it would be taken by a tripartite committee.We are going to do the needful. I am happy that they even said in their letter that it is going to be a tripartite discussion involving the federal, state, and local governments on one side; the organised private sector and unions represented by the NLC and the TUC.We will review. That is what the law says. The review will bring in holistically all factors that are prevailing now. All variables will be put on the table, Ngige stated.
Today marks Genevieves 37th birthday. But many will confess that the adorable actress looks very sixteen. She has got the enigmatic age ...

Today marks Genevieves 37th birthday. But many will confess that the adorable actress looks very sixteen. She has got the enigmatic age cheating potion she would not reveal to many of her contemporaries.





Genevieve Nnaji was born on the 3rd of May 1979. Since she started her acting career decades ago, she has many awards including the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005. In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian government for her contribution to Nollywood.





Nnaji started her acting career as a child actress in the then popular television soap opera Ripples at the age of. In 1998 at the age of 19 she was introduced into the growing Nigerian film industry with the movie Most Wanted. Her subsequent movies include Last Party, Mark of the Beast and Ijele.





In 2004 she signed a recording contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, and released her debut album One Logologo Line, a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop and Urban music.





In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey.





In 2010 she starred in the award winning film Ije: The Journey. Nnaji has starred in over 80 Nollywood movies. Genevieve Nnaji is considered to be one of the best paid actresses in Nollywood.




The Ogun State Police Command has promised to pay a N5m reward to any informant who can offer useful information that will lead to the re...

The Ogun State Police Command has promised to pay a N5m reward to any informant who can offer useful information that will lead to the rescue of the abducted former Minister of State for Education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo.The state Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, said this on Monday in Abeokuta after a security meeting with some officers of the command and other security chiefs.Security chiefs, who were present at the meeting, included the Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Alamala, Abeokuta, Brig. Gen. S. Danwalis and the Director of the Department of State Services in the state, Mr. Kabir Sanni.Ali appealed to residents of the state and the general public to support the police by giving useful information that could lead to the rescue of Anisulowo.The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said, Anyone with reliable information can get across to the CP on 09020911911 or 08081774631, or the officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Gbenga Megbope, on 08081766937.He added that any informant could reach out to any law enforcement agent in his or her area, assuring that such information would be treated as confidential.Anisulowo, who also represented Ogun West Senatorial District at the Senate between 2003 and 2007, was kidnapped by four gunmen along Sawonjo-Imasayi Road last Wednesday while she was returning from her farm.
Azuka the lady who interviewed Tiwa Savage over the weekend has come out to explain why the interviewed played out in that manner

How did you get to interview Tiwa?

I was supposed to interview her three weeks ago. And she was supposed to get permission to use Jamils picture with the pampers picture.





I had been following up for a while unsuccessfully. i believe she was reluctant because of the issues going on in the marriage.





After Teejays rant in the morning, I was asked to check online and saw TeeJays rant. I called Tiwa and told her what I heard and asked about the interview we were supposed to have. I later called Elohor both lines were busy throughout the day. I was finally able to get Elohor about 10pm and said I need to speak to Tiwa.But she replied that she doesnt think Tiwa will talk. Around 2am my phone rang and I saw Tiwas caller ID. And it was herPA saying shes ready to do the interview and asked If I can come she would be very grateful. So I had to get my younger brother to come with me because of the time. So they came to pick me from home and we went to Tiwas house. It was a bit scary because of that time of the night.





The interview was meant for ThisDay not PulseTV but her management decided to release it to Pulse instead. I was quite upset about that.





What state did you meet her ?

She was in a bad state. Like someone in mourning. Her eyes were swollen. She was in tears. I met her with Elohor in her bedroom. And she gave me her phone to read the exchange between her and her husband and from my conclusion she wanted peace and was asking for them to part ways amicably and be good friends for Jamils sake. I saw her photos from the miscarriage and that brought tears to my eyes.

People said why did she take pictures. But I believe it was because she knew who she married. There were pictures of her in a stretcher.





How well do you know them?

I met Tiwa before she came to Nigeria. We became friends when she relocated and I did an interview with her. And shortly threreafter she introduced me to TJ as her manager then and we got talking. He showed a lot of dedication in making sure Tiwa progressed in her career.

I got along well with TJ even more than Tiwa. I feel very heartbroken this happened. I was involved in their wedding. I was the only journalist who flew to their wedding in Dubai.





Why did you show no emotion during the the interview?

I had done my crying before I went on air. I told myself I had to be hard and it was deliberate. And her management insisted it had to be recorded so that she would not be misquoted. I am not a camera person but I decided to go along with their conditions because I wanted the exclusive. I felt she trusted me enough to give me the exclusive. Im very nervous in front of the camera. It wasnt easy for me because I was talking to a friend. I like TJ. I like Tiwa. It was tough I was trying to remove my emotions.





What would you say to your critics?

I read some of the feedback and insults. I am not a TV journalist. I am a print journalist. I am not trained to be before a camera. I understand the criticism was because of the love for Tiwa so Im not really bothered because I love her too. So believe it was because I didnt show her the love which her fans expected.

After the interview was over we still sat down and talked and consoled her.

There were so many memes about my expression. People read me wrong. I was trying not to cry. I was in shock. But cyber bullying doesnt move me. I have a thick skin. Tiwa knows I like her genuinely so I am ok with what anybody else says, We have mutual respect. She even called me later on to tell me not to let the insults bother me.





Some people even commended me on my ability to detach my emotions.I understand her fans coming after me because they think Im an enemy.





What else would you have asked?

I think I would have loved to speak with TJ. I read him and Tiwas exchange on her phone. Tiwa didnt want war. I would have asked him how he allowed situation to deteriorate so horribly. I remember how he used to be so protective of her, she was like an egg to him. So it is so shocking things have gotten to this stage.





Do you think too much was shared ?

The woman I saw that night was broken. I really dont want to blame her. She was a woman who had tried so much. She was in a terrible state. I had to ask her why she was crying like someone had died. She has covered so much from the public like when she covered his debts for the car,wristwatch etc because she was scared the media would get hold of all the information.

I dont believe she did it to revenge. Tiwa is a soft soul. She is not a bitter person. She probably did it to save her brand. Shes the biggest female brand in Nigeria maybe even Africa.





Do you think this will affect her endorsements?

I dont think so. I hope not. She was paid 2.5m for a show with Remy Martin and the money never got to her because it was with TJ.





Who do you think is at fault ?

I dont really want to support anyone but I know them both. I know Tiwa will not fabricate things that never happened. If have to stand with anyone I will stand with Tiwa.





New allegations have come out about the identity of the 50year old Teebillz had a child with. Can you confirm ?

Its actually shocking because I know Dr Oputa very well. Teebillz mentioned the child in one of his rants on social media. The information was revealed by Capital NG so its possible Lanre knows a close member for the family.

Im trying to reach Lanre, the owner of Capital NG to confirm the story.





Did Bankys Mother really kick TJ out of the house?

Banky is a gentleman and from a good home and his mother is polished. We all know Banky was the bestman at the wedding. I dont think Banky would be that mean. I dont think he would abandon his friend when his friend needs him.

Azuka the lady who interviewed Tiwa Savage over the weekend has come out to explain why the interviewed played out in that manner
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has declared 100 percent support for the anti-graft war of President Muhammadu Buhari.





The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has declared 100 percent support for the anti-graft war of President Muhammadu Buhari.Speaking with journalists after leading 16 bishops to a meeting with the president late Monday, Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, president of the conference, described corruption as a cancer that is impeding the growth of the country.Since 1960, the Catholic bishops have been talking against corruption, telling people to avoid it, he said.It is a cancer, it is dangerous, it is a sickness and it is a social disease. We have assured the president that we are 100 per cent with him in his fight against corruption.With corruption, we cant progress. With corruption, everything goes wrong, immorality takes over, retrogression takes place. So corruption is a huge obstacle that has to be dismantled.Kaigama expressed happiness with the passion Buhari exuded while speaking on strategies for improving the county better and mobilising all Nigerians to selflessly put in their best.
BERGENFIELD - An overnight custodian found dead inside Bergenfield High School Tuesday morning has been identified as David Zatta of Dumont, according to police.

Zatta, 59, was found "unconscious and unresponsive" shortly after 7 a.m. in the school's second-floor leisure room, according to police Capt. Mustafa Rabboh.

Paramedics pronounced Zatta dead at the scene at 7:30 a.m., police said.

The body was taken to the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office.

"At this time, the death is not deemed suspicious in nature," Rabboh said in a statement.

Rabboh said Zatta was employed by the high school and was working the overnight shift.

"Mr. Zatta's family was notified by Bergenfield officers with the assistance of Dumont PD," Rabboh said. "Our deepest condolences go to Mr. Zatta's family, friends, and the Bergenfield High School staff."

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
GLOUCESTER TWP. -- Authorities are trying to locate a missing endangered 64-year-old man from South Jersey who has not been seen since last month.

Phillip Stephen

Phillip Stephen, of the Millbridge area of Gloucester Township, was reported missing April 27.

Stephen, who has not been seen since April 21, is described as 6 foot tall, weighing 170 pounds with gray hair, brown eyes and wearing glasses.

Police say Stephen is known to frequent Waterford Township.

Anyone with information or who has seen Stephen is asked to contact their local police department.

Information can also be sent to the Gloucester Township Police Department at 856-228-4500 or call the anonymous crime tip line at 856-842-5560.

Tips can also be texted via keyword TIP GLOTWPPD to 888777.

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
HADDON TWP. -- Oct. 13, 2015 was a very long day for David "D.J." Creato Jr., who has since been charged with murder in the death of his 3-year-old son, Brendan.

After calling 911 at around 6 a.m. that day to report the boy missing, Haddon Township police and Camden County Prosecutor's Office detectives were still speaking with him at around 8 p.m.

Through it all, the prosecutor's office maintains in its response to a motion to dismiss the case against Creato that he cooperated fully and was aware of his Miranda rights.

"Simply put, the defendant's argument is absurd," the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said in its response to motions filed last month by Creato's attorney, Richard J. Fuschino.

Creato, 22, has been in jail since he was indicted in January.

In a motion to suppress unlawfully obtained evidence, Fuschino argues Creato wasn't read his Miranda rights prior to speaking with investigators.

In a second motion to dismiss his client's indictment, Fuschino -- who did not wish to comment on the filing -- says the grand jury that heard Creato's case received an "unvarnished" cause of death ruling that wasn't cross-examined.

Brendan's lifeless body was found at 8:43 a.m. on Oct. 13 partially submerged in a waterway that feeds into the Cooper River. The prosecutor's office said there was no way the boy, who was afraid of the dark, could have walked the half-mile from Creato's apartment to the scene.

On the 911 call, Creato is heard saying "I don't know if he wandered out or what happened. I don't know where he is. The door was locked. I guess he unlocked it and left."

What's more, as part of the investigation, the day after Brendan's body was found one investigator walked the most logical route in his socks and they later enlisted a 3-year-old girl to attempt the path Brendan could have taken. In its response to last month's motion, the prosecutor's office says investigators had a difficult time finding the remote scene off South Park Drive even in "broad daylight."

According to portions of Creato's interview with investigators the day of his son's death, he appeared cooperative and willing to tell authorities "anything."

"No. I have nothing to hide. I am willing to do anything," Creato said on the evening of Oct. 13 after reading a letter from Fuschino -- who had been retained by Creato's parents -- before taking a lie detector test.

"Rather than explain in plain English that his family had hired a lawyer to assist him, [authorities] equivocated, asking him if he wanted his family to get him a lawyer and and reassuring him it was unnecessary because he was not a suspect," Fuschino's motion reads.

Further, the prosecutor's office states Creato allowed investigators to inspect his iPhone. Thousands of text messages exchanged with his girlfriend -- whom authorities say had a dislike for children and eventually spurred Creato to kill his son so the rocky relationship could continue -- were addressed during the January arraignment on murder charges.

Brendan's death was ruled a homicide that could have been caused by drowning, strangulation or blunt neck trauma. Fuschino argued that the county medical examiner "did not promptly take charge" of Brendan's body nor the scene, per state regulations.

In its response filed Tuesday, the prosecutor's office argues that New Jersey's State Medical Examiner Act was not violated and evidence from the scene was collected properly and immediately.

In response to the "expertized" testimony from Camden County Medical Examiner Gerald Feigin that Fuschino said the grand jury received, the prosecutor's office states Feigin's conclusions were based on "personal observations" and "common sense."

Creato, who has been held on $750,000 bail, is set to appear in court again on May 16.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
WEST LONG BRANCH -- The U.S. Department of Education is investigating how Monmouth University responds to complaints of sexual violence and harassment, according to federal documents.

The department's Office of Civil Rights opened an investigation April 21, placing Monmouth on a list of 181 colleges and universities nationwide under review.

The Office of Civil Rights investigates whether colleges are violating Title IX, the gender-equality law that says schools that receive federal money can be held legally responsible if they ignore sexual harassment or assaults on campus.

Federal officials did not release any details about the Monmouth University investigation, but a senior at the university told NJ Advance Media she filed a complaint after she was allegedly sexually assaulted during the fall 2014 semester by another student she knew.

She said the complaint alleges that Monmouth University subjected the female student, 22, to a "sexually hostile environment" by failing to appropriately respond to the report, according to federal documents the student provided to NJ Advance Media.

NJ Advance Media is withholding the name of the student because she is an alleged victim of sexual assault.

The student, who is graduating this month, said she filed the federal complaint because she wants to make sure that other students are treated fairly when they report allegations of sexual assault to the university.

"I just knew that I could not be the only person at this university having this issue," she said.

In a statement, the university said it prohibits all forms of sexual misconduct and has a rigorous and exhaustive protocol and support process to ensure that reporting, counseling, and physical and mental health concerns are addressed.

"We are confident in our protocols and are fully prepared to cooperate with the investigation," the university said.

The opening of an investigation does not mean the Office of Civil Rights determined the university did something wrong, according to federal documents. It could take several months or years for the investigation to conclude.

The student who filed the federal complaint did not initially tell police or the university about the alleged 2014 assault because she was in shock and denial, she told NJ Advance Media.

She reported the incident to the university during the spring 2015 semester but decided not to notify police because she did not any have physical evidence of an assault, she said.

"I had a lot of faith in the university," she said. "I really had nothing, any kind of thought, that they weren't going to handle this appropriately."

The school informed her that she had Title IX rights but did not go into detail about those rights, she said.

School administrators initially "said pretty much everything right" in meetings with her, she said.

However, she said she thought that the university became dismissive and indifferent toward her after she took several weeks to decide whether she wanted a university hearing to determine whether her alleged attacker violated the school's code of conduct, she said.

Initially, she said she decided she did not want a university hearing after being told that Monmouth couldn't guarantee that text messages exchanged with the accused assailant would be admissible, she said.

She has since been told that the text messages, in which the two discuss the alleged assault, can be used, and she has asked for a hearing in the coming weeks, she said.

She was also frustrated that the university did not keep her apprised of the status of its own Title IX investigation of her report, she said.

The university declined to comment on her specific complaints.

Monmouth University joins three other New Jersey universities on the list of colleges under investigation as the federal government steps up efforts to better address the growing number of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment complaints on college campuses.

The Office of Civil rights opened an investigation at Rider University earlier this month. The probe follows reports of at least two unrelated sexual assaults in Rider dormitories last fall and the arrest of a Hamilton man who allegedly touched two other women as they slept in a Rider dorm in September.

A Title IX investigation began at Seton Hall University last July, though no details have been released.

Princeton University is also under investigation. The university has been investigated several times for how it handles sexual assault complaints, according to federal documents.

In 2014, the federal Office of Civil Rights found Princeton failed to properly respond to sexual assault complaints on campus. The school signed an agreement to improve its sexual assault prevention programs, re-examine all complaints dating back to 2011 and better coordinate with local police.

NJ Advance Media reporter Kelly Heyboer contributed to this report

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart

Stephen Colbert brings his old friend Jon Stewart down to Montclair on Saturday.

(FILE PHOTO)

New Jersey's Jon Stewart spent his career roasting venal politicians and stupid journalists. Now, he's spending his time off taking care of a few much smarter species.



He and his wife, Tracey, have been generous supporters of animal-rights causes, recently making room at their Middletown farm for Farm Sanctuary , a haven for rescued livestock. This week they'll be supporting that effort further when they drop by the Montclair Film Festival on Saturday afternoon to present the film "Unlocking the Cage."

They'll be joined by Stewart's old friend and colleague Stephen Colbert, and his wife, Evelyn, two of the guiding lights behind the five-year-old fest.

Directed by D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, the feature film -- screening 2:30 at the Bellevue -- documents animal-rights lawyer Steven Wise's battle to extend legal protections to animals. Case in point? Two obviously intelligent chimpanzees who, despite their ability to feel and communicate, remain, technically, property.

Seeing animals as nearly human? It's a controversial opinion, to be sure. Although, perhaps, not as controversial as affording the same status to politicians.
The hatchback will go on sale in the first week of June, with prices starting at Rs. 2.5 lakh.

Datsun wants to have a crack at the entry-level segment again, this time with the redi-GO. The hatchback will go on sale in the first week of June, with prices starting at Rs. 2.5 lakh. Pre-launch bookings have already commenced for a token amount of Rs. 5,000. The carmaker is targeting 5 per cent market share by 2020, and will be banking on its smallest offering in India for the same.

Japanese auto giant, Nissan resurrected the Datsun brand for emerging markets, such as ours. The manufacturer launched the Go hatchback and the Go+ seven-seater MPV a couple of years back, kick-starting their innings in India. However, both cars have received a lukewarm response, with buyers sticking to their tried and tested rivals such as the Alto 800 and the Hyundai Eon.

The redi-GO is underpinned by the CMF-A (Common Module Family) platform, just like the Renault Kwid. It also houses the same 800cc motor, developing 54PS of power and 72Nm of torque. Amongst the most fuel-efficient petrol engines in the country, it returns 25.17km/l under the Kwid's skin. We expect mileage figures of the redi-GO to be similar, if not more.

We had a good look at the redi-GO when it made its global debut last month. The top-spec avatar is expected to get features such as an integrated music system and optional daytime running lamps. We love the funky tallboy design, which is a clear departure from the Kwid's SUV-inspired looks. What remains to be seen is if the baby Datsun can replicate Renault's success in the segment.

Source: CarDekho.com
We were drooling all over Barack Obamas ridiculously cool microphone drop during his last presidential address at the 2016 Correspondents Dinner this week, until this happened. Tesla recently tested a new pro-environment automotive technology and it certainly has taken Elon Musks coolness to the Obama Out level; at least in the automobile quarters.

In its latest newsletter, Tesla states that it has successfully tested the HEPA air filtration system and a Bioweapon Defense Mode. The really interesting bit about the system is that it could well be capable of withstanding bioweapon attacks!

The American tech-giant sited the Tesla Model X in a massive bubble where it precisely controlled and carefully monitored atmospheric conditions. The bubble was then contaminated with filthy levels of pollution before shutting the falcon doors and activating the Bioweapon Defense Mode.

The time vs pollution concentration graph showed a dramatic fall not just inside the car, but also in the ambient conditions inside the bubble. In less than two minutes, the HEPA filtration system had scrubbed the air in the Model X, bringing pollution levels from an extremely dangerous 1,000 g/m to levels so low as to be undetectable (below the noise floor) by Teslas instruments.

Not only did the vehicle system completely scrub the cabin air, but in the ensuing minutes, it began to vacuum the air outside the car as well, reducing PM2.5 levels by 40%. According to the newsletter, the testers were even able to remove their gas masks and breathe fresh air while sitting inside the bubble of pollution.

Tesla claims that with its new system in place, your car could serve you in the time of bioweapon attacks like a bunker shields civilians in the times of air strikes.

Earlier, the air filtration system was also put to the test in real-world environments; from California freeways during rush hour, to smelly marshes, landfills, and cow pastures in the central valley of California, to major cities in China.

READ: Modi visits Tesla

The Model X would be the first Tesla car to get this new revolutionary filtration system, followed by the Model S. As India prepares to lay down the red carpet for Teslas entry into the peninsula with its forthcoming Model 3, we hope to see the HEPA air filtration system on this one too. If not more, it would at least help tranquilise the pollution debate in Delhi.

Let us know what you think of Teslas mind-boggling technological development in the comment section below.

Source: CarDekho.com
New Delhi: Telecom companies on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that entire sector is under huge debt and they have to pay big price for spectrum, therefore zero tolerance on call drops should not be imposed on them.

Refuting the allegations of TRAI that the telecom service providers are making huge gains in the sector, the companies told the apex court that they have been investing hugely on the infrastructure.

"They (TRAI) said that we have been making Rs 250 crore a day but what was not specified was that we are under huge debt. We have to pay over Rs 3.8 lakh crores as debt. We are

buying spectrum at Rs 45,000 crore, which was earlier Rs 1,658 crore. "We are not gaining anything and our rate of return is less than one percent at the end of a year," senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for telecom operators, told a bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman.

The bench reserved its verdict on the issue. Sibal said that TRAI had compared India with China but in that country the spectrum is given for free to the top three telecom companies which are state run. Sibal said that like TRAI worries for consumers, so do the telecom companies and no one wants the call drop to happen but the factors responsible are beyond their control.

"Our tariff is lowest in the world. We are serving over one billion subscribers in India and we are one of the largest contributors to FDI and provide a million of jobs," Sibal said.

He said that although Telecom companies have largest subscriber base in India but have the lowest revenue and also the Industry's revenue is gradually going down. Sibal refuted the allegations of TRAI that Telecom companies are not investing on technology and towers and said that in past 15 months over two lakh towers have been installed.

"We have installed over two lakh towers in past 15 months and every third minute a tower is being installed. What has been done in past fifteen months has not been done in past 20 years," he said.

COAI, a body of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India and 21 telecom operators, including Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and Reliance, have challenged the Delhi High Court order upholding TRAI's decision making it mandatory for them to compensate subscribers for call drops from this January.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had earlier told the apex court that it will take action against the Telcos for call drops to protect the interest of consumers as these service providers are not willing to compensate them.

The regulatory body had told the court that it has to safeguard 100 crore telecom subscribers and if companies agree to compensate call drops with equal number of free calls to consumers without pre-conditions then it is open to re-consider its direction imposing penalty on them.

It had also told the court that a "cartel" of 4-5 telecom firms having a billion subscribers are making Rs 250 crore a day but not making investments on their network to improve services to check call drops.

The Delhi High Court had early this year upheld the October 16, 2015 decision of TRAI, making it mandatory for cellular operators to pay consumers one rupee per call drop experienced on their networks, subject to a cap of Rs 3 a day.
New Delhi: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya who is swamped in money laundering charges and whose passport has been revoked by the government, asserted on Tuesday that facts needed to be verified first before he was branded as a 'defaulter'.

"In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter," Mallya tweeted.

However he admitted that Kingfisher Air owes money to banks but added that he was neither a borrower nor a judgement debtor. "Why am I a defaulter inspite of a settlement offer?" he added.

The flamboyant businessman had earlier expressed disappointment over being labelled as a wilful defaulter despite his willingness to settle all financial disputes.

"I have been labeled wilful defaulter which I just cannot understand. We have invested over 600 million pounds into Kingfisher Airlines. We tried everything conceivably possible to save the airline. A combination of macro-economic factors and then government policies, unfortunately could not safe Kingfisher," said Mallya in an interview with Lionel Barber, Editor of the Financial Times.

Earlier, Mallya resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP a week after the Rajya Sabha's ethics committee decided to unanimously expel him from Parliament. Mallya has said that the Indian government will not be able to recover any money from him by taking his passport or arresting him.

The committee had given him a week's time to explain his conduct in the default on bank loans in excess of Rs. 9,000 crore extended to his Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.

The government had revoked the passport of Mallya, who is believed to be in the UK after leaving India on March 2.

Rajya Sabha membership of Mallya as an independent lapses on 30 June 2016.

The businessman is facing legal proceedings for alleged default of loans worth over nine thousand crore rupees from various banks.
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Arrest made in murder of Kenner couple shot next to their baby
New Delhi: The top 50 defaulters of public sector banks had an exposure of Rs 1.21 lakh crore as on December 2015.

Giving this information in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha said the number of wilful defaulters of PSBs rose from 5,554 to 7,686 in three years to December 2015 while the amount involved more than doubled to Rs 66,190 crore from Rs 27,749 crore.

The total exposure of top 50 defaulters of PSBs as on December 2015 was Rs 1,21,832 crore, he said in a written reply in the Upper House. In another reply, Mr Sinha said that there were 1,365 borrower accounts having funded outstanding loans of Rs 500 crore and above at the end of December 2015.

He further said the government has taken specific measures to address issues in sectors such as infrastructure, steel and textiles, where incidence of non-performing assets is high.

In his submission to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) earlier, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had blamed on overall economic downturn for the sudden rise in bad loans at public sector banks.

Dr Rajan listed six primary reasons for spurt in stressed assets such as domestic and global economic slowdown, delays in statutory and other approvals, aggressive lending practices during upturn as evidenced from high corporate leverage, laxity in credit risk appraisal and loan monitoring in banks and lack of appraising skills for certain projects. Besides, he also listed wilful default, loan frauds and corruption in some cases among the key reasons.
Sridevi with her husband and daughters

Mumbai: Bollywoods veteran actress Sridevi is currently in Georgia where she is shooting for her husband Boney Kapoors production film Mom, which will mark Pakistani actress Sajal Alys Bollywood debut.

Apart from Sridevis husband and films crew, her daughters Jhanvi and Khushi also tagged along to Georgia to witness the films on-going shoot.

The timing couldnt have been better as the family's work outing soon turned into a vacation. Surrounded by her two gorgeous daughters and a loving husband, Sridevi is having a wonderful time shooting for her next film.

In between her shoot, the actress makes sure to drop a picture from their international outing on her official Instagram account.

 A photo posted by Sridevi Kapoor (@sridevi.kapoor) on Apr 24, 2016 at 9:18pm PDT

My over adventurous baby  A photo posted by Sridevi Kapoor (@sridevi.kapoor) on Apr 27, 2016 at 9:30am PDT

The film's actress also shared a picture of herself with Sridevi's daughter Jhanvi Kapoor.

#sisterfromanothermother  @janhvikapoor6 A photo posted by Sajal Aly (@sajalaly) on May 1, 2016 at 9:42am PDT

Before flying off to Georgia, Sridevi finished the films first schedule in Delhi. In a week, the on-going schedule will wrap up and actress will fly back to Mumbai where she'll be then joined by other actors.

Mom is a women-centric film which shows Sridevi as a stepmother and her complicated relationship with her 18-year old daughter.
The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
To be a hero, there has to be a villain. Sandalwood, at least in its prime, never faced the dearth of quality villains during the golden era when legendary actors such as matinee idol Dr Rajkumar, Dr Vishnuvardhan, Shankar Nag, and others ruled the roost. The most prominent villains  K D Nagappa, Ranga, Balakrishna, M P Shankar, Vajramuni, Sudarshan, Shakthi Prasad (father of Arjun Sarja), Lokesh, Sundar Krishna Urs, Ambareesh, Tiger Prabhakar, Thoogudeepa Srinivas (father of Challenging Star Darshan), Sudheer, Musuri Krishnamurthy, Dheerendra Gopal, Devaraj, Doddanna, Mukhya Mantri Chandru, Jai Jagadeesh, Avinash, Sobhraj, and many more have been the good baddies. With the change in trend, more villains are being imported for star projects and Bengaluru Chronicle reports on the imported and stylish villains.

While Ravi Shankar is undoubtedly the present star villain with great demand, the new directors are opting for a change while choosing the best from neighbouring industries. One among the first after Amrish Puri, and several veterans who played a rare villain in Kannada films, it was Ashish Vidyrati who has been more regular in Kannada films. Till then, it was only the actresses who were in demand to act alongside the star heroes for huge budget films.



Kabir Duhan Singh:

The latest to join the bandwagon is the model-turned-actor Kabir, who was in news for some time for his Sandalwood debut. The actor who has grown popular with several hits in Telugu and Tamil movies, will be seen in Hebbuli along with two other baddies  Ravi Shankar and Sampath Raj.



Vikram Singh:

Another model-turned-actor, the villain in Tiger Shroff's debut venture Heropanti, made his sandalwood venture opposite power star Puneeth Rajkumar.



Daniel Balaji:

The Tamil actor who made it big playing the antagonist role, made his Kannada debut in Kirataka, an important milestone in Rocking Star Yashs career. Thereafter he has appeared in Shivajinagar and then in Dove.



Makarand Deshpande:

The versatile actor was featured in Dandupalya and played the role of Krishna, the dreaded member of the Dandupalya gang. He later appeared in three more projects.



While there are many more who are in the pipeline including Deepak in Srikanta, sandalwood has its doors open for the best baddies around.
The study is published in Journal of Medicinal Food.

Washington: If metabolic syndrome runs in your family, then you may want to swap that typical dessert with a bowl of fresh black raspberries as a recent study suggests so.

The study showed that black raspberry extract can significantly lower a key measure of arterial stiffness-an indicator of cardiovascular disease. Black raspberry intake was also associated with increased levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which help repair and regenerate damaged arteries.

Han Saem Jeong, Sohyeon Kim, and coauthors from Korea University Anam Hospital (Seoul) and Gochang Black Raspberry Research Institute (Korea), described the results of a randomized controlled trial in which they compared two groups of patients with metabolic syndrome. One group received 750 mg/day of black raspberry extract, and the other received a placebo for 12 weeks.

In the article, the researchers presented the changes recorded in the radial augmentation index (a measure of arterial stiffness), blood pressure, circulating EPCs, and various markers of inflammation for the two groups of patients.

The study is published in Journal of Medicinal Food.
At least 15 per cent of stents implanted in patients are not needed.

Hyderabad: At least 15 per cent of stents implanted in patients are not needed, say doctors in Hyderabad who believe patients are being scared into the procedure.

With more than one lakh stents used in 2014-15, according to the data released by the Cardiology Society of India, experts say it is necessary to decide if a patient requires a stent or by-pass surgery.

With no standardised regulations, misuse or overuse will always happen, senior city doctors said. A senior cardiologist in Gandhi Hospital said, Twenty per cent of our patients have been advised stent implants or bypass procedures though they require only medication.

Dr A. Gopal Kishan of the Old Boys of Osmania Medical College Association said, The problem is that the majority of them are opting for stents and whether it is really required needs to be independently evaluated at the hospital level.

Dr R.V. Kumar, senior cardio thoracic surgeon at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences said, In the US, there is a heart team comprising a cardiologist, cardio thoracic surgeon and other specialists who decide if a stent is required. This is only on paper here. There is also no third party evaluation by insurance firms which makes implanting a stent an easy procedure.

Under the Aarogyasri Healthcare Scheme, prices have been reduced from Rs 80,000 per procedure to Rs 40,000. A senior Aarogyasri officer said, A cost cut was done after we found too many procedures being done under the scheme. At least 40 per cent were not required. Despite a hue and cry raised by cardiologists, the costs have not been increased.
The man had tied his mother to a chair and set her on fire. (Representational Image)

Chennai: A forty-year-old man killed his mother by setting her on fire at their residence in Arumbakkam, a locality in Chennai.

According to a report, D Amarnath Prasad, who is a cab driver, was arrested by the police on Sunday on murder charges and confessed to his crime during the investigation. Prasad told the officials that he murdered his 60-year-old mother because she failed to find a wife for him.

Police said that Prasad was an alcoholic who would often come home late at night from work and squabble with his ailing mother Sasikala. The woman was almost crippled due to a leg injury and could barely hobble around the house and was mostly restricted to her bed.

On late Saturday night, Prasad had a heated argument with his mother for not being able to get him married to a suitable woman. He then tied her to a chair and set her on fire.

It was their neighbours who heard Sasikala desperately crying out for help at 5.30 am on Sunday morning. They rushed to the house and rescued her, but she had already suffered sever burn injuries by then.

The neighbours admitted her to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital in the city. Sasikala had sustained close to 70% burn injuries and succumbed to them on Sunday noon.

However, the police was able to record her statement before her death and she confirmed that it was her son who set her ablaze.

"Sasikala lived with her son Prasad and her younger sister, a spinster," an officer was quoted in the report.

A local court has sent Prasad to jail for his horrifying crime.
Students at Kalady Sanskrit University staged a protest demanding a thorough investigation into the murder. (Representational image)

Kochi: As soon as the autopsy report of law student Jisha of Perumbavurr, who was raped and murdered, came out, the social media rallied behind the victim seeking justice for her. Jisha's murder became a hot topic of discussion on Facebook. Close to 13,000 discussed the issue online and more than 1,000 posted comments about her murder. Several Facebook pages were created seeking justice.

The short letter that is going viral on Facebook

Students at Kalady Sanskrit University staged a protest demanding a thorough investigation into the murder. CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan also took to Facebook seeking justice for Jisha.

Read: Keralas own Nirbhaya

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala announced a detailed probe into the case and expressed anguish over the incident. He announced that Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav would monitor the probe.
Perumbavur: Even four days after a Dalit girl was brutally raped and murdered in her house in Iravichira near Perumbavur, the cops are yet to get any solid lead on the attackers while various social activists and political parties have come out in the open demanding a foolproof probe. Jishamol, 30, was found dead in her two-room house on Thursday night when her mother returned from her daily

wage work around 7.30 pm.

According to reports, her body was found with intestines hanging out. Strangely, none of the neighbours had heard any unusual sound from the house on the banks of Vattolipidi canal.

Read: Kerala rape case: Social media takes up case, rallies for justice

The cops could not get any lead even after four days. We conducted a protest march to the Perumbavur police station on Monday evening with a demand to strengthen the investigation. There is a mystery shrouded all over as neighbours didnt hear any unusual sound or saw anything suspicious on the day. They are in shock and fear, said Siji Saju, ward member, Iringol south.

Crime Branch SP P.K. Madhu on his way to the house. (Photo: DC)

The girl had studied till LLB despite hailing from a poor family. Her house was built in a two-cent purambokku land and her father had abandoned her when she was a child. It now emerges that she was brutally raped and murdered on the lines of the Nirbhaya case. Its the first such incident to be reported in our state. The authorities should not show any laxity. They should take immediate steps to find out the culprits, said Dr T.N. Seema, state president, All-India Democratic Womens Association.

The cops, however, said they had a few suspects and the probe was based on that. The autopsy report points to rape and subsequent murder. The attack must have taken place between 1 pm and 5 pm on Friday. The investigation is progressing in the right direction and were taking the statements of all neighbours, said Anil Kumar, DySP, Perumbavur, who is heading the investigation.

Sources in the police said they suspected the involvement of more than one person in the crime. Right now weve certain suspects though the same cannot be revealed as it might affect the progress of the case. Weve taken a list of people who are missing post the incident. Also were tracking the calls received by the victim on the day, they said.

It is a case of violent murder. Though the post-mortem report suggests chances of sexual assault or rape, we are awaiting a few laboratory results to confirm the same. Weve ruled out theft as motive. Various teams constituted for the probe are fully engaged and we expect a breakthrough soon, said Yathish Chandra, Ernakulam Rural Superintendent of Police.
No flooding anticipated so far, but rain is likely to return this weekend

Despite significant precipitation over the weekend, flooding is not expected across west-central Nebraska in the immediate future, according to the National Weather Service office at North Platte.

The area went from snow to steady rain over the course of the weekend, with temperatures in the 20s Sunday night through Monday morning.

There were reports of snow all across the region, including 12 inches west of Ashby reported on social media, said Jaclyn Gomez, meterologist at the National Weather Service office at Lee Bird Field in North Platte. There was also a rain report of 2 inches in Cody.

The rain, much-needed across the region, was enough to raise the level of area rivers and streams  but not enough to cause flood warnings, except for one warning issued near Atkinson in north-central Nebraska.

For more photos, click here.

Most of the rivers are elevated across the region, but there is nothing but some minor flooding, Gomez said. Projections are dependent upon how fast the snow melts west of us and what the releases will be.

With that snow melt coupled with the chance of rainfall this week, Gomez noted, some flooding could occur.

The forecast for the week calls for increasing sunshine over the next few days with temperatures climbing into the 80s into Friday. There is a strong possibility of rain showers over the weekend, with a 80 percent chance on Saturday and 50 percent on Sunday.
It's a wild race for the Republican nomination for president this year. I found plenty of supporting evidence of that theory last night at the LaPorte Civic Auditorium, where Sen. Ted Cruz was having a campaign rally.

Driving the point home was the mother who said she had to mute the sound during a Republican presidential debate she was watching with her 10-year-old son. You know which debate  the one that discussed body parts.

Yes, this is a historic campaign.

That mom wants her son to share in the historic experience this election year provides, but she now records the debates on her DVR to preview them before she allows her son to watch.

Last night, she was on the gym floor so the two of them could see Cruz well, hanging back from the crowd so her son would have a good sight line.

That's not the boy about that age who heckled Cruz during the debate. This one really wants to see Cruz win.

I also spoke with a couple from Walkerton about their support of Cruz. He's a union member; she's a stay-at-home mom with two kids in college.

They're concerned that their children fell in with the wrong crowd in the small private, Christian college they attend. Their kids, the parents said with dread, are supporting Bernie Sanders.

At the Cruz rally, I tried to gauge the intensity of the fervor for the "values" candidate. Some who attended were huge Cruz supporters, and some were there as much for the history as for the candidate.

I asked attendees what they would do if Donald Trump gets the nomination instead of Cruz.

Two women who support Cruz said they likely wouldn't vote for Trump in the fall. Trump just doesn't share their values.

That's how polarizing this campaign has been so far.

Rob Earnshaw wrote about Cruz's remarks at the rally. I was interested in those, as well as what Glenn Beck had to say. Beck really knows how to get the crowd ready for the keynote speaker.

I live-tweeted the event and curated those tweets today with Storify.

But what the attendees had to say was as interesting as what LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo, Beck and even Cruz had to say. Because in the end, this election isn't about the candidates. It's about the voters.

I put together this video, despite the lousy conditions for lighting and audio, so you could hear from some of the attendees in their own words and see for yourself what's on their minds.

What's on your mind during this election cycle?
She said that her parents in Manipur are not aware of the incident.

Bengaluru: In a shocking incident, a 22-year-old Northeastern girl was abducted, taken to an under construction site by a 24-year-old rowdy on the night of April 23, just metres away from her paying guest accommodation. Even more shocking was the reaction of local residents, who neither came to the rescue of the girl, nor did they alert the police, though she raised an alarm.

The entire incident was captured in a CCTV camera, put up at the PG accommodationat Kathriguppe in C.K. Achchukattu police limits. Kalyani (name change), who hails from Manipur and works at a private beauty clinic, had returned from her work from Kalyan Nagar and was standing near her PG when she was grabbed from behind by the accused while she was on a call with a friend around 9.50 pm.

Caught on CCTV: Woman in Bengaluru dragged and kidnapped in public viewhttps://t.co/9U0AwKUneb  ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016

She told Deccan Chronicle, I finish my work by 9-9.30 pm and reach my PG around 9.45 pm. On the night of April 23 too, after work, my friend dropped me on the main road near Maramma Temple.

We spoke for sometime and then as he left, he called me to make sure that I had entered the PG. I was on a call with him when suddenly this man came from behind and took me to the lane behind my PG. I was screaming for help and he punched me in the face. I fainted and regained my consciousness only after 10 minutes.

She said, The man had covered my mouth with his hand. I bit his palm and he was taken aback. When I again started screaming, he got scared and ran away, abusing me in Kannada.

Kalyani spoke to her PG mates and approached her PG owner, asking him to lodge a police complaint. The owner called the police and the same night a constable on a patrolling bike came and spoke to me about the incident in the presence of my PG owner and one of his relatives, she said.

But when the policeman asked her to file a complaint, the PG owner intervened and stopped her. Asked what took her so long to file the complaint, she said, I could not bear to remain quiet, as it was killing me. After talking to my friends and consulting with my sister in Delhi, I decided to come out and narrate my ordeal. This man could attack another girl like me. He was certainly trying to sexually assault me, as he did not try to steal my valuables.

She said that her parents in Manipur are not aware of the incident. The very next day, I changed my PG as I was scared. The man who molested me had covered his face with a monkey cap and I couldnt see his face.

Home Minister Dr Parameshwar said, I have sought information from the police officials. An internal inquiry has been initiated and action will be taken if any lapses are found on the part of the police. We are taking big measures to make the city safe.

Kalyani, the survivor, came to the city around nine years ago. She studied in a private college in the city and later started working in a private beauty clinic. She was sharing her room with a girl from Haryana at the PG. Fifteen other girls stayed in the PG.

Arrested man a rowdy

City Police Commissioner N.S. Megharikh said that the attacker is a rowdy, Akshay. Our team arrested him based on the CCTV footage and the information provided by the local residents, who had seen him in the area.

He was harassing the local residents regularly. He was arrested around 8 pm on Monday. Akshay was involved in an attempt to murder case in C.K. Achhukatu in 2014. He is also a cab driver.

DCP Lokesh Kumar said that the PG owner Manjunath has explained in his complaint filed on Monday that soon after the incident when the police were alerted, they visited the PG. However, no complaint was lodged as the victim did not want to immediately pursue the matter fearing consequences.

The PG Owner has stated that the girl left the PG to go to a relatives house the very next day but did not return. He said he too saw her on TV only on Monday, he said.

Timeline

9.50 pm, April 23: Vicitm crosses the road to get into the PG after being dropped by her friend.

9.51 pm, April 23: She is talking on her mobile phone when the accused, rowdy Akshay, grabs her and drags her into an under-construction building near her PG accommodation.

Around 10 pm: The victim escapes from the accused as people watch. She reaches the PG accommodation and narrates the ordeal with the manger.

May 2: Police registers a complaint.
EAST CHICAGO  A man was wounded in an election day shooting, one of four police have responded to since Friday, an official said.

The man, who was in his late teens or early 20s, was shot in the lower extremities about 3:40 p.m. Tuesday on the north side of 148th Street between Indianapolis Boulevard and Olcott Avenue, East Chicago police Sgt. Al Taylor said.

The man was taken by ambulance to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment, Taylor said. Police did not believe his wounds were life-threatening.

One block south, political signs lined the front of Greater First Church International as residents cast their votes inside. Several officers gathered on the back porch of a building near the shooting scene and north of the polling place.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Luis Semidei at (219) 391-8318. To remain anonymous, call (219) 391-8500.

In the first of two shootings Sunday, an East Chicago man told police he was walking just before 2 a.m. in the 5000 block of Melville Avenue when a blue truck rolled by and someone started shooting, Taylor said.

The man was shot in the lower extremities and taken to St. Catherine Hospital. The man told officers he didn't know who shot him and declined to provide further details, Taylor said.

Later that morning, police responded about 9 a.m. to the 1200 block of West 149th Street after two brothers argued and one shot the other, Taylor said. The man suffered a graze wound and told police he didn't want to press charges, he said.

Another shooting involving brothers Friday was accidental, Taylor said.

A officer was dispatched about 9:30 p.m. to Community Hospital in Munster for a man who was shot in East Chicago. The man told police he and his brother were looking at a gun when it went off and he was shot in the leg.

The wounded man signed a waiver of prosecution, Taylor said.
GARY  A woman told police she was headed home from a casino Friday morning when a female driver cut her off and a man with a gun robbed her of her gambling winnings, an official said.

Gary police were dispatched about 8 a.m. to take a report from the woman, who told police she was robbed minutes before somewhere on East 25th Avenue, Lt. Dawn Westerfield said.

The Gary woman said she had stopped for a stop sign when a gray, four-door vehicle cut her off and a man got out. The man displayed a handgun, took her purse and got back into the gray vehicle, police said.

The woman told officers her purse contained about $1,400, including about $1,000 she won at a casino boat. A police report didn't specify which casino, Westerfield said.

The woman thought the pair might have followed her from the casino, she said.

The man was described as black, possibly 25 to 30 years old with dark skin and a black jacket. The woman driving the gray car was described as white or possibly Hispanic with long, dark hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (219) 881-1210. To remain anonymous, call (866) CRIME-GP.
HAMMOND  A woman who was under arrest on suspicion of trespassing and public intoxication slipped out of a hospital and then allegedly ran from an officer days later, according to court records.

Kathleen A. Rosolowski-Tatkus, 43, now faces two counts of escape and resisting law enforcement. She was being held Monday in Lake County Jail on $20,000 bond.

Rosolowski-Tatkus was taken on April 26 from Hammond City Jail to Franciscan St. Margaret Health after she complained of ankle pain. She was nowhere to be found an hour after she had been taken to the emergency room, according to the affidavit.

While on the lam, a Hammond officer on patrol Thursday spotted her in the 5200 block of State Line Avenue. She is accused of running away when the officer told her to stop.

The officer used his Taser, but it did not stop her. He eventually caught up to her and tackled her to the ground, according to the affidavit.

Police took her to the hospital after she complained of shortness of breath. According to the affidavit, she tried to run away from the hospital, but she was caught by hospital security officers.
LAPORTE  Police are working to identify a man accused of exposing himself to two women during a Sunday morning church service.

The women, ages 51 and 23, were at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1000 Michigan Ave., sitting behind the man wearing pajamas that had a large hole in the crotch area.

The women told police they were kneeling on the kneeler in their own pew when the man sitting incorrectly in his pew turned toward them and exposed himself through the hole in his pants.

Both women immediately walked out of the church.

Police said none of the church members knew his name because he had only attended the church a few times.

He was described as white and in his 30s, and one woman said he also was kind of scruffy looking and wore flip flops and a red hoodie.

According to police, a major lead has developed that could help in identifying the suspect.
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CROWN POINT  An alleged member of the Latin Counts street gang is scheduled to stand trial in three cases stemming from an ongoing feud between two gangs in Hammond.

Lake County Criminal Judge Diane Boswell set a jury trial for Martin Hurtado, 22, of Hammond, for July 11. He will stand trial on charges of battery by means of a deadly weapon and attempted battery by means of a deadly weapon stemming from a Nov. 15, 2014, shooting in the 900 block of Carroll Street in Hammond.

According to court records, Hurtado drove up to a group and asked if they were Latin King gang members. Though the group said they weren't, Hurtado allegedly shot and wounded two people, according to the affidavit.

Hurtado on Aug. 29 will stand trial on charges accusing him of shooting on June 6, 2013, a Latin King gang member in the 5400 block of Molesberger Place in Hammond. The man was shot in the stomach and groin.

On Sept. 6, Hurtado will stand trial on various charges from an Oct. 30, 2014, shooting. A woman told police Hurtado and another man shot her outside of her home in the 400 block of Waltham Street in Hammond, according to court records.

The woman was considered a mother figure for an alleged member of the Latin Kings. That man, Anton L. James, is facing federal charges related to the Oct. 28, 2014, homicide of Hurtado's father, Martin Hurtado Sr.

According to court records, James allegedly mistook the elder Hurtado for his son during the shooting.

Hurtado was originally scheduled to stand trial next week in the 2013 shooting. Defense attorney Mark Gruenhagen argued Monday for the trial to be delayed or for the state to be prevented from presenting at trial two pieces of evidence.

Gruenhagen said he hasn't had a chance to question an FBI agent who is expected to testify about phone records. He also said it was only until recently that the state provided him with information about a woman who alleges Hurtado confessed to the crimes.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Jatkiewicz said she turned over the information as soon as she received the FBI agent's name, and after she viewed the entire video interview of the woman.

Jatkiewicz asked for all three cases to be set for trial, because Hurtado has declined plea agreement offers from the state.

Gruenhagen asked if Hurtado could be released on an ankle monitor, because the state was late in turning over pieces of evidence. Boswell denied releasing him.
CROWN POINT  An escaped Lake County Jail inmate and his girlfriend were arrested Tuesday night in San Antonio, Texas, police said.

Richard Campos, 22, of East Chicago, and Elysia M. Jeronimo, 20, of Hammond, were taken into custody after he attempted to flee from San Antonio law enforcement officials, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

Lake County Sheriff John Buncich has set a 3 p.m. press conference Wednesday to discuss the fugitives' apprehension, the investigation leading to their capture as well as the internal investigation around the escape.

Campos, an alleged member of the Two Six street gang, and Jeronimo were each charged Monday with felony escape, and three Lake County corrections officers were put on administrative leave pending an investigation of Campos' April 30 escape.

According to an affidavit filed in Lake Criminal Court, Campos was one of six trustees assigned to laundry duty Saturday morning.

The trustees were transported to the laundry facility, across the street from the jail, about 7:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., an officer discovered Campos was missing.

According to the charges, Campos had a face-to-face meeting with Jeronimo in the jail April 28. He also called her three times the next day from the jail.

The meeting and the telephone calls were recorded, officials said.

Campos is accused of asking Jeronimo for her help. She allegedly agreed, and he told her he would be leaving the jail Saturday morning for laundry duty.

"He then specifically describes the area to her and instructs her where she needs to park in the back area near the county health clinic and the coroner's office," the affidavit said.

Jeronimo already had driven through the area so she was familiar with it, according to court records. Campos allegedly told her she needed to be at the designated spot between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

On Monday morning, investigators were told by Jeronimo's stepfather that Jeronimo and Campos had showed up at his residence about 7 p.m. Sunday and told him, "I (expletive) up bad, take care of the kids." The two drove off in a white Chrysler 300M, the affidavit said.

Buncich put the three corrections officers on leave pending review by the Merit Board for termination, sheriff's spokesman Mark Back said.

A sheriff's release late Tuesday said detectives worked nonstop over 72 hours to find Campos and Jeronimo.

Police from several departments searched the River Oaks Center in Calumet City Monday afternoon after receiving a tip that Campos had been spotted. He was not located.

Online Lake County court records show Campos is on probation in a 2014 misdemeanor intimidation case and is facing several new charges, including misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and operating while intoxicated.
HAMMOND  A Lake Station man is facing federal charges alleging he placed 3 kilograms of cocaine into a vehicle Saturday and possessed another kilogram of cocaine and a gun at his residence.

Jose L. Romero, 68, was charged Monday with distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. District Court records show.

Drug Enforcement Administration task force members established surveillance Saturday outside Romero's home in the 2300 block of Cass Street and saw him leave the area in a green Toyota Corolla, according to an affidavit.

Romero later was seen getting into a the passenger side of a silver Mitsubishi in Whiting and traveling back to his Lake Station home, where he moved a package from a blue Pontiac G6 parked in the driveway to the Mitsubishi, court records said.

Romero then got back in the Mitsubishi, which traveled to DeKalb Street and Central Avenue. At that point, Romero got out and began walking south on DeKalb, the affidavit said.

Officers stopped the Mitsubishi and found 3 kilograms of suspected cocaine inside, court records said.

Officers also stopped Romero, who allegedly admitted to giving the driver of the Mitsubishi 3 kilos of cocaine. Romero also gave police permission to search his house, where they found 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine and an Astra 9mm semi-automatic pistol, court records say.

The affidavit did not identify the driver of the Mitsubishi or indicate whether that person is facing charges.
INDIANAPOLIS  The Indiana Department of Education named Susan Gargano 2016 Indiana School Food Service Employee of the Year.

Gargano is the food service manager at Frank OBannon Elementary School in Hammond.

Gargano received a plaque from the Indiana Department of Education and a monetary award of $200 from the Indiana Nutrition Council during a ceremony at the Indiana School Nutrition Associations spring seminar.

For 19 years, the Indiana School Food Service Employee of the Year Award has provided formal recognition to school food service employees who contribute significantly to the health and learning capabilities of students. Nominees must demonstrate high-quality customer service, attitude, professionalism and teamwork.

Gargano's award and the others were given at a workshop hosted by the Indiana School Nutrition Association. Three other Hammond school employees were also honored by the Indiana School Nutrition Association.

The other awardees are:

Cathy Fisher, School Nutrition Coordinator  recipient of the 2016 Indiana School Nutrition Association Office Assistant of the Year Award

Julie Boettger, Director of Food and Nutrition Services  recipient of the 2016 Indiana School Nutrition Association Director of the Year Award

Lynn Strle, Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services  recipient of the 2016 Indiana School Nutrition Association Assistant Director of the Year Award
Students take out a march to IG office to protest against the delay in arrest of those who murdered Jisha in Kochi on Tuesday. (Photo: SUNOJ NINAN MATHEW)

Perumbavur: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Ernakulam Rural Police on Tuesday claimed to have made a breakthrough in the murder case of the Dalit woman from Perumbavur. They said they got reliable information of the main accused and made a sketch of the culprit based on the account of an eyewitness.

The cops, later in the day, took into custody a neighbour of the victim who had gone missing after the brutal rape and murder of 30-year-old law student Jishamol on April 28, from Kannur.

Read: Rape-murder has Kerala on the boil

We have got crucial information about the main accused who was reportedly seen coming out from the victims house on that day by a woman eyewitness. A sketch of him has been made and circulated to all investigation squads formed to probe the case. We cant confirm the role of the one arrested from Kannur. He will be brought here and interrogated, sources said, while almost ruling out involvement of any migrant labourers.

Read: Dalit law student raped in poll-bound Kerala

The man taken into custody in Kannur had joined as an hotel employee two days back. The main suspect is believed to be an old classmate of the victim whom she met recently, they said.

Gangrape ruled out by cops

Three other suspects were also in police custody, including the brother-in-law of the victim. However, their roles are yet to be confirmed. Initially a list of 70 suspects was prepared, but we have eliminated many from it," they said.

Meanwhile, inspector-general of police, Ernakulam Range, Mahipal Yadav who was camping at Perumbavur to oversee the probe, said it was not a case of gang rape. The murder is committed by a single accused. We will nab him in two days," he said.

Read: Kerala rape case: Protests force cops to act

ADGP, South Zone, K. Padmakumar, who visited the two-room house located on a two-cent Poramboke land on the banks of Vattolipidi canal in Iravichira, 4 km from Perumbavur, also ruled out gangrape. "It is committed by a single accused as per the evidence collected from the shanty," he said.

Read: Best team on the job, says TP Senkumar

Jishamol, 30, was found dead in her house on Thursday night when her mother returned from work at around 7.30 pm. According to the autopsy report, which points to the victim being subjected to rape and brutal torture, the attack must have taken place between 1 pm and 5 pm on Thursday.

Read: Kerala rape case: Rights panels step in, register cases

The victim was tortured with a sharp weapon pushed inside her vagina which pierced her uterus and eventually her intestines. Her body bore more than 30 stab wounds, including 13-cm one around her chest that reaches till her liver, pointing to brutal torture. She was suffocated to death using shawl-like cloth and also was beaten with a hard object on the back of her head, according to autopsy and inquest reports.
CROWN POINT  Lake County elections officials are preparing to take up a last-minute complaint in the contentious District 3 State Senate race.

Darren L. Washington is asking the county elections board to stop the distribution of what he calls an illegal slate of candidates issued in the name of the Gary Democratic precinct organization.

Michelle Fajman, county elections director, said she has received Washington's complaint and will ask the elections board members to take up the issue when they gather 6 a.m. Tuesday for their primary election day meeting, which runs throughout the 12-hour polling period.

Ethel Jeanette Williams, Eddie Melton, Washington, and Dave Spott are competing in Tuesday's Democratic primary for the State Senate seat Earline Rogers is leaving. The 3rd District sprawls across most of Gary, Merrillville, Hobart, Lake Station New Chicago and part of Crown Point.

Washington complains about a list of approved candidates to be distributed to voters in 94 Gary precincts. He said the slate endorses Melton and it should be suppressed because he received support from 59 Gary committee members, and Melton had only 20 committee members during a March 19 Gary precinct meeting.

Washington said he isn't attacking the precinct organization, only its chairman, Willie Stewart, who withheld Gary's endorsement from him because he refused to pay more than $12,000 in Gary endorsement fees and donations.

Stewart, who couldn't be reached Monday for comment, said last month Gary isn't the only community to charge candidates endorsement fees, which help pay for election workers to pass out the slate of endorsed candidates and get out the vote on the May 3 primary day.

Washington said he had to wait until Saturday to file the complaint, because he only learned of the slate's contents late last week.
Chesterton High School senior Fred Owens not only will be voting for the first time this year, but working at a polling place today as well.

"I was interested in the inner functions of government, seeing how the sausage gets made," he said.

The 18-year-old is among many high school students across Lake and Porter counties who have excused absences from their usual studies to enter the classroom of democracy.

"I love having the kids," Michelle Fajman, Lake County elections director, said.

"It's about giving them a great experience and civics lesson. I hope it becomes a lifelong commitment for these students to vote or work the polls for the rest of their life."

The state's Election Day LIVE poll worker recruitment program is designed to allow 16- and 17-year-old students the opportunity to experience "democracy in action," according to the Indiana Election Division of the Secretary of State's office.

Valerie Warycha, deputy communications director for the state secretary, said participation is appreciated statewide.

"A lot of counties have trouble finding poll workers and enjoy having high school students who want to participate, especially this year where there is a lot of excitement," she said.

Warycha said students who will be 18 years old by Nov. 8 can vote in both today's primary and the fall general election.

Fajman said at least 100 of the 2,575 poll workers working in Lake County today are teens doing work adults decline. Students in Lake County are paid $120, and "it looks great on their college application, too," Fajman said.

Students must be U.S. residents and residents of the county where they work, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. They also must have written permission from a parent or guardian as well as their school principal or the individual responsible for their education if they are home-schooled.

Chesterton High School government teacher Bryan Nallenweg said he was contacted by the county voter registration office and received a lot of interest from students when he pitched the idea of working the polls on election day.

"I think it's a wonderful opportunity for them to have," he said.

"It's a great way for them to become involved politically. It's a great time to teach government," he said.

Andrew Dunn, an 18-year-old Lake Central High senior, will be working his third election, and Abby Van Prooyen, 17, a Crown Point High senior, is on her fourth at St. Peter and Paul Macedonian Center, where five Crown Point precincts vote.

Dunn said, "It's a long day, but I enjoy it. The previous two I worked weren't presidential elections so there would be hours when we wouldn't see anyone come in. I'm assuming with the presidential (primary), voting will be much more active."

Van Prooyen said, "I like the calmness. I actually get a lot of homework and reading done. We have some nice college talks with some of the older people in my group. They share their wisdom. It's always fun to help people out when it gets bustling in the morning, at lunch and when people get off work."

Van Prooyen said she has enjoyed working as a clerk. People come up, I ask them to remove their license and then I scan it and their information comes up in the system." She then prints out a receipt with a "D" or "R," which is handed to the judge.

Dunn, who has served as judge, said he asks the voter to confirm their party affiliation, walks them to the machine and explains its buttons and steps aside.

Fajman said she finds the teens attentive during training and adept at using the electronic poll books and voting machines.

"When we see a polling place isn't online, we have our high school workers walk the others through the process," she said.

"It's exciting this year to see some kids ask to work for the party of Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump. They've watched the debates and want to get involved."

However, she said most of her high school recruits don't have a political affiliation. Van Prooyen said, "When I tell people I work the polls, they say, oh you're in politics, but I say not really. I keep my opinion to myself."

Dunn agrees: "Whether you serve as a Democrat or Republican doesn't make any difference."
Steady streams of Northwest Indiana voters went to the polls on Tuesday, helping put an end to the hopes of not only presidential aspirant Ted Cruz but many local candidates as well.

Voter turnout was about 40 percent in Porter County and approaching that in Lake County. In LaPorte County, 35 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

In Michigan City, poll workers at two locations reported a steady stream of voters.

Dave Hack, inspector for Precinct 12, said he has been working the polls in that precinct for about 10 years. As of noon, there were about 330 votes. In the first three hours the polls were open, about 250 people voted, he said.

Michigan City Precincts 10-12 vote at Apostolic Lighthouse Church, which Hack said is one of the busiest in the city.

There were a number of first-time voters this time, Hack said.

Lake County election official Pat Gabrione said more than 16 percent of registered voters in his county cast ballots by noon Tuesday. That's about the percentage of Lake County voters who cast ballots in the entire 2015 municipal primary, and seven hours remained before the 2016 polls closed.

Gabrione said all voting equipment was functioning smoothly, and no major problems were reported at any polling locations.

Various Region poll workers and volunteers reported a more brisk than normal voter turnout Tuesday during the first few hours of Indiana primary voting.

At Winfield Town Hall, Lake County election inspector Tammy Travis reported nearly 400 people had voted in the four polling precincts housed there from the 6 a.m. poll openings until about 9:30 a.m.

She said the numbers have been comparable or better than a recent election cycle in which Winfield Town Council members were selected.

As of 10 a.m. at one of several Crown Point voting precincts at the Lake County Fairgrounds, volunteer elections clerk Johnny Supan, 17, a Crown Point High School student, said 108 people out of an estimated 926 voters had cast ballots in the first four hours of voting.

MC Pritchett was like an air traffic controller inside of the lobby of the Portage High School East auditorium Tuesday morning.

An election judge, Pritchett met voters at the door, quickly checked their identifications and directed them to the appropriate precinct.

The high school was home to four Portage precincts Tuesday in what Pritchett said was a steady turn out of voters.

"We had folks lined up at 6 a.m.," he said, adding they'd seen no problems or issues during the morning's vote.

That was pretty much the case throughout the Region Tuesday morning.

At Real Life Community Church on Swanson Road in Portage, inspector Frank Colucci said it had been pretty steady. At times there were lines, then a break and another rush.

Lee Krone was one of the voters in Precinct 23.

Krone said she usually votes, but wanted to make sure she got out Tuesday, describing herself as "anti-Trump."

"He appeals to the lowest part of human nature," said Krone, adding she favored Hillary Clinton on the Democrat ballot.

"I think she can beat Trump," Krone said.

Election Judge Joe Blackwell said the turnout at the Portage Public Library for Precincts 9 and 25 had also been steady with seven or eight people waiting when the doors opened at 6 a.m.
At the request of Hebron officials, representatives from Residents Against the Invasion of Land by Eminent Domain will host an informational meeting Wednesday and provide updates on the proposed 278-mile Great Lakes Basin Transportation rail line that would extend from LaPorte through Illinois to Milton, Wisconsin, and connect with existing Class I railroads.

RAILED spokeswoman Kat Honl said they will discuss how the public can make the most impact with their letters to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, the federal agency that will make the final decision on a proposal from Great Lakes Basin Transportation Inc. to construct the rail line.

The STB recently held several scoping meetings in the Region on the project. Wednesday's meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Hebron High School.

The public can file comments until June 15 by any of the following means:

 Electronically (e-filing): Go to stb.dot.gov/stb/efilings.nsf

If you encounter difficulties with the e-filing process, you can call (202) 245-0350.

 By mail: You can send written comments to Dave Navecky, OEA's project manager for the environmental impact statement, at:

Dave Navecky

Surface Transportation Board

Docket No. FD 35952

395 East St. SW

Washington, D.C. 20423-0001

Note: Please refer to Docket No. FD 35952 in all correspondence, including e-filings, addressed to the board and address all written correspondence to Navecky. When an individual chooses to submit comments his or her personal contact information is considered public information and is shared within and outside of STB without additional authorization.

Source: U.S. Surface Transportation Board
In a telephone interview broadcast by Fox News on Tuesday, Trump cited a National Enquirer story that claimed Rafael Cruz appeared in a 1963 photo in New Orleans with Oswald and others as Oswald distributed pro-Cuba leaflets. The Cruz campaign immediately denounced the claims as "garbage" and Trump offered no proof beyond citing the supermarket tabloid.

"His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot," Trump said. "Nobody even brings it up, I mean they don't even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it."

Trump's mention of the story about Rafael Cruz, a minister and Cuban immigrant who has been an active surrogate for his son's campaign, came as voters in Indiana were voting in the state's crucial presidential primary. Trump has said the Republican Party's nominating contest "would be over" if he wins Indiana.

"It's sad that the media is enabling this nonsense," Cruz's spokeswoman Alice Stewart said Tuesday. "It's a garbage claim  let Donald talk about garbage, Ted will talk about jobs, freedom and security for the American people."

Trump has a history of repeating unproven and unsubstantiated stories, many from the National Enquirer, which has endorsed his candidacy. After the tabloid printed a story without evidence that claimed Cruz was having an extramarital affair, Trump praised the publication for having a "very good" record of accuracy.

On the campaign trial, the celebrity businessman frequently trots out a discredited tale about Gen. John Pershing, whom Trump has repeatedly claimed helped to quell Muslim extremists in the Philippines by shooting them with bullets dipped in pigs' blood.

Trump has also appeared on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' radio show and has repeatedly peddled rumors about Muslims celebrating in New Jersey after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Trump also spent years raising questions about President Barack Obama's country of birth and has allowed false suggestions that Obama is a Muslim, not a Christian, to be raised at his campaign events without correction.

In the Tuesday morning interview, Trump also railed against the elder Cruz for comments he made imploring "every member of the body of Christ to vote according to the word of God" by voting for his son. Trump questioned why Cruz should be allowed to frame the campaign in religious terms.

"I think it's a disgrace that he's allowed to say it," said Trump. "It's disgraceful that his father can go out and do that."

That's a shift in rhetoric for Trump, who while campaigning in Iowa and across the South often talked about how pastors should feel free to engage in political speech and vowed to eliminate restrictions that put churches' tax-exempt status at risk. Indiana has the largest percentage of evangelical voters of any state yet to hold its primary contest.
INDIANAPOLIS  In a stunning triumph for a political outsider, Donald Trump all but clinched the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a resounding victory in Indiana that knocked rival Ted Cruz out of the race and cleared Trump's path to a likely November face-off with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Trump still needs about 200 delegates to formally secure the nomination, but Cruz's decision to end his campaign removed his last major obstacle.

"Ted Cruz  I don't know if he likes me or he doesn't like me  but he is one hell of a competitor," Trump said of his last fierce competitor whom he had dubbed "lyin' Ted." Trump, in a victory speech that was much lower-key than usual, promised victory in November, vowing anew to put "America first."

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Clinton in Indiana, but the outcome will not slow the former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesday's voting, Clinton had 92 percent of the delegates she needs.

"I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Sanders said defiantly in an interview Tuesday night. But Clinton already has turned her attention to the general election.

She and Trump now plunge into a six- month battle for the presidency, with the future of America's immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. While Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long.

Previewing Clinton's general election message, top adviser John Podesta said Trump was "simply too big of a risk" to be president.

For months, Republican leaders considered him a fringe candidate and banked on voters shifting toward more traditional contenders. But Trump tapped into Republicans' deep anger with party leaders and outlasted more than a dozen experienced political rivals.

Party Chairman Reince Priebus declared the race over, saying on Twitter that Trump would be the GOP's presumptive nominee.

"We all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton," he wrote.

Indeed, Trump's first challenge will be uniting a Republican Party that has been roiled by his candidacy. While some GOP leaders have warmed to the real estate mogul, others have promised to never vote for him and see him as a threat to their party's very existence.

Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him in the fall.

One outside group trying to stop Trump suggested it would shift its attention to helping Republicans in other races. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect "Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump and protecting them from a wave election."

Indiana was viewed as the last gasp for Cruz, the fiery Texas conservative. He campaigned aggressively in the state, securing the support of Indiana's governor and announcing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate.

Cruz had clung to the hope that he could keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination and push the race to a rare contested convention.

"I've said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is now the only other Republican left in the race. But Kasich has won just one primary  his home state  and trails Trump by nearly 900 delegates.

Kasich pledged to stay in the race, with his campaign manager saying the governor would continue to "offer the voters a clear choice for our country."

Only about half of Indiana's Republican primary voters said they were excited or optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polls. Still, most said they probably would support whoever won for the GOP.

Clinton, too, needs to win over Sanders' enthusiastic supporters. The Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following, in particular among young people, a group Democrats count on in the general election.

Though Sanders claimed momentum, he has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin.

Exit polls showed about 7 in 10 Indiana Democrats said they'd be excited or at least optimistic about either a Clinton or Sanders presidency. Most said they would support either in November.

The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

With Sanders' narrow victory Tuesday, he picked up at least 43 of Indiana's 83 delegates. Clinton now has 2,202 delegates to Sanders' 1,400. That includes pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, as well as superdelegates.

Trump now has at least 1,047 delegates. Cruz exits the race with 565, while Kasich has 152.

___

Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report from Washington.
OSCEOLA, Ind.  Ted Cruz's conservative crusade for the presidency fought for new life Monday ahead of an Indiana vote that could effectively end the GOP's primary season. The fiery Texas senator hinted at an exit strategy, even as he vowed to compete to the end against surging Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

"I am in for the distance  as long as we have a viable path to victory," Cruz told reporters after campaigning at a popular breakfast stop.

With his supporters fearing Cruz could lose a seventh consecutive state Tuesday, the candidate's formulation hinted at a time when he may give up.

Like Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Cruz is already mathematically eliminated from reaching a delegate majority before the Republican Party's national convention in July. He retreated to Indiana more than a week ago, hoping a win could at least help him deny Trump an outright primary victory and lead to a contested convention.

But a recent poll of likely Indiana voters showed Trump holding a commanding lead.

At a stop in Monday in Marion, Indiana, Trump supporters confronted Cruz.

"Lyin' Ted!" yelled one, using Trump's pet name for his rival.

"What do you like about him?" Cruz asked the man. "Name one thing."

"Everything," the protester replied.

After six straight victories across the Northeast late last month, math and momentum are on Trump's side. The anti-Trump movement's only hope is to deny the billionaire businessman a 1,237-delegate majority by defeating him in Indiana and the handful of contests remaining over the next month. Then, Cruz or another candidate would have to beat him when delegates gather in Cleveland in July.

"Millions of Americans are praying for this state," Cruz said. "The entire country is depending on the state of Indiana to pull us back from this cliff."

Trump's team sensed an Indiana knockout.

"Indiana is Ted Cruz's firewall. It's where he says that it's make-or-break for him," Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said. "And if he loses tomorrow night, he has to once again try and articulate why he is still in this race."

Tuesday features a primary on the Democratic side, too. New signs emerged that front-runner Hillary Clinton's chief rival Bernie Sanders is fading as well.

Clinton announced $26 million in new fundraising in April, narrowly beating Sanders. His total of $25.8 million last month marked a steep decline from $46 million he collected in March.

Sanders also refused to report how much money he had in the bank, raising questions about whether he can sustain his online fundraising dominance as his path to the nomination becomes less likely.

Shrugging off the numbers, Sanders, like Cruz, vowed to "fight hard as hard as we can for every vote."

He called the Democratic primary process "rigged," noting that he has won 45 percent of the pledged delegates awarded after primaries or caucuses, but only about 7 percent of superdelegates, the Democratic officials and party leaders who can support the candidate of their choice.

Still, Sanders showed no signs of letting up on Clinton, pointing to differences with the former secretary of state over fundraising, Goldman Sachs speeches, the Iraq war, fracking and the minimum wage.

Polls show a close vote is likely.

With Sanders struggling for traction, Cruz barnstormed Indiana with five stops on Monday alone in a desperate sprint for support alongside his latest high-profile supporter, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

"We need every single vote," he declared at Bravo Cafe in Osceola, where he predicted a tight finish the next day.

Trump led by 15 points in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll conducted last week. That's even after Cruz took extraordinary steps to boost his chances in the state.

He announced his pick for vice president last week, unveiling former businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate at an Indiana stop that appeared rushed. Days earlier, he declared alliance of sorts with Kasich in which the Ohio governor agreed to pull his advertising from Indiana airwaves.

The strategy seemed to unravel even as it was announced. And it may have backfired. The NBC poll found nearly 6 in 10 Indiana primary voters disapproved of the Cruz-Kasich arrangement.

Trump's advantage comes even as he's getting badly outspent on advertising in the state.

He has spent about $1 million on ads over Indiana airwaves, while Cruz's campaign, pro-Cruz super PACs and anti-Trump groups have combined for about $6.4 million, according to data from Kantar Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group.

On the Democratic side, Clinton's campaign hasn't dropped a dollar on television or radio advertising in Indiana. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has spent $1.8 million.

Trump, for his part, held a pair of rallies in the state Monday. But he was already looking past Cruz and setting his sights on his likely Democratic opponent.

"Indiana is very important, because if I win that's the end of it," Trump said at an unscheduled stop at Shapiro's Delicatessen in Indianapolis.
For all who havent already cast their ballots early, today marks a quintessential responsibility for all Hoosier citizens.

It will take all of our participation to ensure recent embarrassments of low voter turnout arent repeated in Northwest Indiana and throughout the state.

Indiana primary polls open at 6 a.m. today, and its worth rising early ahead of work  or racing to vote after work before the polls close at 6 p.m.  to have an important impact on our future leadership.

In recent elections, the Region and the Hoosier state have seen periods of paltry voter turnout  sometimes with 12 percent or less of registered voters casting ballots.

Early voting totals in Lake and Porter counties as of last week gave us some reason for optimism.

Lake County elections officials noted more than 8,300 people cast early votes as of last week. Thats well over the 6,293 votes cast in the most recent presidential primary of 2012. Its also better than the 5,538 early votes cast in the 2014 spring primary, which was the last time we had countywide candidates on the ballot.

In spring 2008  another presidential election year  more than 51 percent of registered Lake County voters cast ballots. At the time, our nation was in the thick of a Great Recession and seeking leadership going forward.

With the important issues weighing over our nations future in this presidential election year, its important for Northwest Indiana to meet or exceed those voter turnout numbers.

And there are important leadership issues to consider locally as well. Two Lake County commissioners races  to select leaders who essentially serve as mayors of their unincorporated districts  have contested primaries.

Porter County also has a contested commissioners race and five candidates vying for three Porter County Council seats.

A host of other offices, from judge to coroner, require the voters stamp of approval.

Regardless of your politics or preferences, we all need to hit the polls today to vote our conscience and fulfill our responsibility as citizens.
HAVANA (AP)  The first U.S. cruise ship in nearly 40 years crossed the Florida Straits from Miami and docked in Havana on Monday, restarting commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.

Carnival Cruise Line's Adonia became the first U.S. cruise ship in Havana since President Jimmy Carter eliminated virtually all restrictions of U.S. travel to Cuba in the late 1970s.

Travel limits were restored after Carter left office and U.S. cruises to Cuba only become possible again after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared detente on Dec. 17, 2014.

Hundreds of workers and passersby gathered to watch, some cheering, as the gleaming white 704-passenger ship operated by Carnival's Fathom subsidiary pulled into the dock  the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits, long closed to most U.S.-Cuba traffic due to tensions that once brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.

The straits were blocked by the U.S. during the Cuban Missile Crisis and tens of thousands of Cubans have fled across them to Florida on homemade rafts  with untold thousands dying in the process.

The number of Cubans trying to cross the straits is at its highest point in eight years and cruises and merchant ships regularly rescue rafters from the straits.

The Adonia is one of Carnival's smaller ships  roughly half the size of some larger European vessels that already dock in Havana  but U.S. cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars in badly needed foreign hard currency if traffic increases as expected. More than a dozen lines have announced plans to run U.S.-Cuba cruises and if all actually begin operations Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said in a report Monday.

Most of the money goes directly to the Cuban government, council head John Kavulich said. He estimated that the cruise companies pay the government $500,000 per cruise, while passengers spend about $100 person in each city they visit.

Carnival says the Adonia will cruise twice a month from Miami to Havana, where it will start a $1,800 per person seven-day circuit of Cuba with stops in the cities of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. The trips include on-board workshops on Cuban history and culture and tours of the cities that make them qualify as "people-to-people" educational travel, avoiding a ban on pure tourism that remains part of U.S. law.

Optional activities for the Adonia's passengers include a walking tour of Old Havana's colonial plazas and a $219 per person trip to the Tropicana cabaret in a classic car.

Before the 1959 Cuban revolution, cruise ships regularly traveled from the U.S. to Cuba, with elegant Caribbean cruises departing from New York and $42 overnight weekend jaunts leaving twice a week from Miami, said Michael L. Grace, an amateur cruise ship historian.

New York cruises featured dressy dinners, movies, dancing and betting on "horse races" in which steward dragged wooden horses around a ballroom track according to rolls of dice that determined how many feet each could move per turn.

The United Fruit company operated once-a-week cruise service out of New Orleans, too, he said.

"Cuba was a very big destination for Americans, just enormous," he said.

Cruises dwindled in the years leading up to the Cuban Revolution and ended entirely after Castro overthrew the U.S.-backed government.

After Carter dropped limits on Cuba travel, 400 passengers, including musical legend Dizzy Gillespie sailed from New Orleans to Cuba on a 1977 "Jazz Cruise" aboard the MS Daphne. Like the Adonia, it sailed despite dockside protests by Cuban exiles, and continued protests and bomb threats forced Carras Cruises to cancel additional sailings, Grace said.

The following year, however, Daphne made a several cruises from New Orleans to Cuba and other destinations in the Caribbean.

Cuba cut back on all cruise tourism in 2005, ending a joint venture with Italian terminal management company Silares Terminales del Caribe and Fidel Castro blasted cruise ships during a 4  hour speech on state television.

"Floating hotels come, floating restaurants, floating theaters, floating diversions visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents," Castro said.

Today, the Cuban government sees cruises as an easy source of revenue that can bring thousands more American travelers without placing additional demand on the country's maxed-out food supplies and overbooked hotels.

Before detente, Americans made surreptitious yacht trips to Cuba during Caribbean vacations and the number of Americans coming by boat has climbed since 2014, including passengers on cruise ships registered in third countries and sailing from other ports in the Caribbean. Traffic remains low, however, for a major tourist attraction only 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Florida.

Aiming to change that as part of a policy of diplomatic and economic normalization, Obama approved U.S. cruises to Cuba in 2015. The Doral, Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line announced during Obama's historic trip to Cuba in March that it would begin cruises to Cuba starting May 1.

Unexpected trouble arose after Cuban-Americans in Miami began complaining that Cuban rules barred them from traveling to the country of their birth by ship. As Carnival considered delaying the first sailing, Cuba announced April 22 it was changing the rule to allow Cubans and Cuban-Americans to travel on cruise ships, merchant vessels and, sometime in the future, yachts and other private boats.

Norwegian Cruise Line says it is in negotiations with Cuban authorities and hopes to begin cruises from the U.S. to Cuba this year.

Cruise traffic is key to the Cuban government's reengineering of the industrial Port of Havana as a tourist attraction. After decades of treating the more than 500-year-old bay as a receptacle for industrial waste, the government is moving container traffic to the Port of Mariel west of the city, tearing out abandoned buildings and slowly renovating decrepit warehouses as breweries and museums connected by waterfront promenades.

Cruise dockings will be limited by the port's single cruise terminal, which can handle two ships at a time.

____

Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein
New Delhi: Former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi, who is being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, has now been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Enforcement Directorate, which is also likely to summon the former IAF chief's cousins for questioning on May 6, is likely to grill Tyagi as part of its money laundering probe on the chopper deal a day before.

Meanwhile, Tyagi was grilled by the CBI for the second day today in connection with the controversial scam. Tyagi arrived at the CBI headquarters at 11 am, sources said.

Read: VVIP chopper scam: Ex-IAF Chief SP Tyagi grilled for 10 hours

The agency had questioned him on various aspects of the case including his alleged links with middlemen, his alleged trips to Italy, reasons behind changing specifications, and relations with his cousins on Monday the sources said.

Recently, the Milan Court of Appeals in Italy had concluded that bribes were paid to clinch the deal.

CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen. The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which made Agusta Westland helicopters eligible in the race for the deal.

Tyagi has denied all the allegations against him. The agency had already questioned Tyagi in 2013 but this session is the first after the Italian court order.

CBI sources said the agency called Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspect in the case, for questioning on Wednesday while cousins of Tyagi -- Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep -- have been called later this week.

Read: Ex-IAF chief denies wrongdoing, says chopper deal was a collective decision

It is alleged by Italian prosecutors that bribes to clinch the deal were paid through middlemen and routed through a consultancy contract between AgustaWestland and companies owned by middlemen. Khaitan and the Tyagi cousins have strongly refuted the allegations against them.
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Marisol, a Venezuelan-American artist who fused Pop Art imagery and folk art in assemblages and sculptures that, together with her mysterious, Garboesque persona, made her one of the most compelling artists on the New York scene in the 1960s, died on Saturday in Manhattan. She was 85.

The cause was pneumonia, Julia M. Ruthizer, her executor, said.

Maria Sol Escobar, who adopted Marisol as her name when she began exhibiting in New York in the late 1950s, introduced a distinctive new element to the emerging Pop Art lexicon. Influenced equally by pre-Columbian art and the assemblages of Robert Rauschenberg, she began constructing tableaus of carved wooden figures embellished with drawings, fabric and found objects.

The Family, exhibited at the Stable Gallery in 1962, showed a painted-wood family reminiscent of Dorothea Langes photographs of the Dust Bowl: a seated mother holding a baby, her three children standing at her side, all staring stiffly at the viewer. They wore real shoes and sneakers. It was a down-market counterpart to her 1960 work The Kennedy Family, which made the first family look like a set of tribal totems.
OMAHA  Priyanka Bodalia, a 24-year-old from Cincinnati who works in accounting, was roaming the convention center here where Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting was taking place Saturday afternoon. She couldnt have been more excited to hear from Warren E. Buffett, the companys chief executive, and his partner, Charlie Munger, as well as to see the parade of boldface names that made the pilgrimage.

All my friends are jealous that Im here, she said, beaming, as she stood with her father near the Dairy Queen booth. I took a snap of Bill Gates and they were, like, Are you kidding me? Youre in the same room as Bill Gates!

Ms. Bodalia was hardly the exception among the 40,000 shareholders who had traveled here for what has become known as the Woodstock for Capitalists, an unabashed celebration of business, investing, innovation and entrepreneurship.

But she may be, increasingly, an exception among her generation. A poll released last week by the Harvard Institute of Politics found that among 18-to-29-year-olds, only 19 percent identified themselves as capitalists, and only 42 percent said they supported capitalism. The number was slightly higher for those in the next age group, 34 to 49 years old, with 31 percent identifying as capitalists and 50 percent saying they supported capitalism.
Sumner M. Redstone, the ailing chairman emeritus of Viacom and CBS, will be required to give 30 minutes of sworn testimony as part of the court battle over his mental competency, a California judge ruled on Monday.

The session will take place at Mr. Redstones Los Angeles mansion at some point this week and will be videotaped. Lawyers for both Mr. Redstone and Manuela Herzer, his former companion and romantic partner, who brought the lawsuit, will be allowed to take 15 minutes of testimony from Mr. Redstone.

The videotape will not be made public, but a transcript will be made available.

The ruling came in advance of Fridays scheduled start of the trial in a suit that was filed in November by Ms. Herzer. The case is being heard by Judge David J. Cowan of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Pierce ODonnell, a lawyer for Ms. Herzer, said that he planned to begin his case with the video. That is more than enough time to establish what I am going to establish, he said in a phone interview.
Alzheimers not only alters the lives of people with the disease but also the lives of those who care for them. The journey can be just as emotionally and physically demanding for caregivers, but that mental and physical stress is often overlooked because the focus is on the patient.

When Geri Taylor, 72, learned she had Alzheimers, her husband, Jim, became uncommunicative for two weeks, he said. Then they sat together, talked it through and planned out their next steps, they told N. R. Kleinfield of The New York Times in his article Fraying at the Edges. The disease, in an unexpected way, strengthened their marriage, Mr. Taylor said.

The Times asked Dr. Mary Mittelman, a research professor of psychiatry and director of the Alzheimers and Related Dementias Family Support Program at NYU Langone Medical Center, and Cynthia Epstein, a clinical researcher and social worker at the center, to answer a few questions that people might have when caring for someone with Alzheimers, a leading cause of dementia. They collaborated to provide these responses.

Do you have any tips on how to better communicate with a person who has Alzheimers?

Successful communication strategies should be attuned to the stage of dementia. As the illness progresses, verbal communication may become more difficult. Caregivers can communicate through body language, tone of voice, choice of words (concrete rather than symbolic) and appropriate touch. The behavior of the person with dementia is a form of communication that a person learns to understand with familiarity and patience.
Chris Gibson, a Republican congressman from upstate New York who had taken steps toward running for governor in 2018, said on Monday that he had decided to leave politics altogether.

Representative Gibson, a retired Army colonel with 24 years of active-duty experience in the military and six in Congress, was widely seen as the strongest Republican contender to pose a challenge to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat who has battled questions over the last several days about a federal investigation into a former top aide and confidant.

Mr. Gibson had begun raising money for a potential campaign through an exploratory committee he formed in February, Gibson for New York. Traveling the state to raise his profile, he had emerged as a vocal critic of Mr. Cuomos leadership.

But Mr. Gibson said family considerations, as well as a job offer from Williams College, which he will join in February as a visiting lecturer on leadership, had influenced his decision to step away from public life. He and his wife, Mary Jo, have three teenage children whom Mr. Gibson, in a statement announcing the decision, described as being in their last years at home.
Standing in ruin on Monday near Madison Square Park was not only a hub of Serbian life in New York City.

Standing in ruin was a landmark of old New York.

Standing in ruin, too, was a symbol of restless Manhattan; a spiritual home for wealthy Episcopalians, the lost souls of the notorious Tenderloin and generations of Orthodox Christians, who knew it as the Cathedral of St. Sava. Peter II, the last king of Yugoslavia, attended services there.

In this brownstone house of worship at 15 West 25th Street  now scorched and roofless after a fire on Sunday  Edith Newbold Jones was married in April 1885 to Edward Robbins Wharton.

At the time, the building was a chapel of ease, built and run by the parish of Trinity Church on Wall Street to serve the gentry Mrs. Wharton would later write about: well-to-do society families who had deserted Lower Manhattan for the pleasant upper reaches of the city, in the East and West 20s.
New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday asked Rahul Gandhi to not play a "victim" and said it was not targeting him or Congress president Sonia Gandhi but corruption.

BJP said it was the Congress vice president's responsibility to answer questions over "scams" that occurred during his party's rule.

"Our target is corruption not individuals. Congress has been a champion of corruption and it is natural that it will be held accountable. Charges have been framed in many such cases like coal scam and 2G scam and he is himself an accused in the National Herald case. He should not play victim and rather answer questions," party's national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

Sharma said Rahul Gandhi brushed aside a BJP MP's letter to probe agencies that his alleged links with accused in the CWG and VVIP chopper scams be checked, saying "I am always being targeted, happy to be targeted."

The BJP, he said, came to power on the plank of making India corruption-free and is now working to eradicate corruption.

He claimed Congress stood "exposed" in AgustaWestland deal after bribe-givers were convicted by a court in Italy. Sharma said the Congress government was forced to cancel the deal after corruption in it was exposed in 2012 and now the party will have to answer questions about it.
For every Serb, there is a lot of sadness today, said Mr. Zelenovic, who added that, within days of arriving in New York from Serbia in 1972, he began attending Mass at St. Sava.

Image Charred remains of the church. The wooden interior may have fed the flames. Credit... Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

The church had been a spiritual destination for Serbs living in the region, including many from Queens neighborhoods like Glendale, Maspeth and Ridgewood.

It was a journey that required Mirjana Jovanovic, of Glendale, to take three trains and a bus to attend the Easter service, all while carrying the dozen colored eggs she had made.

Ms. Jovanovic said she began attending services there almost immediately after immigrating to New York from Serbia in 1986. She was married in the church in 2002, she said on Monday after talking her way past police lines so she could take snapshots of the building, just to remember.

Besides news reports, word of the fire spread by word of mouth and over the churchs website, which alerted parishioners with a simple headline: Our Church Has Burned Down.

Flames first began appearing out of the top edges of the front double doors, and within minutes, the circular stained-glass window higher up on the facade shattered, and a big tongue of fire came jumping out, said Herman Tulp, a Dutch tourist staying across the street at a hotel.

It was apocalyptic, he said.

Firefighters responded to the blaze around 7 p.m., which grew and required roughly 170 department personnel to curb, a Fire Department spokesman said.
The brief takeover of the Iraqi Parliament building by supporters of the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr over the weekend was rich in symbolism. On Saturday, the demonstrators penetrated the heavily guarded Green Zone, toppling cement walls that have long barricaded the countrys ruling elite from the people it is supposed to serve. They ransacked lawmakers offices, waving Iraqi flags as they demanded that the countrys political patronage networks be replaced by a new administration of technocrats. On Sunday, heeding Mr. Sadrs call, they retreated.

Its impossible to predict what this remarkable show of force will lead to, given the volatility of Iraqi politics. But it made clear that Mr. Sadr  a former militia leader who has refashioned himself as an anti-corruption crusader  remains a force to be reckoned with.

Depending on his next moves, Mr. Sadr could either deepen the countrys political polarization or advance Prime Minister Haider al-Abadis fledgling efforts to form a functional government. The latter possibility, admittedly very slight, is the only one that would give Iraq a fighting chance of recapturing territory from the Islamic State and confronting an economic crisis brought about by the low price of oil.

Its hard not to see Mr. Sadrs return to the forefront of Iraqi politics as a threat. For much of the American occupation of Iraq, Mr. Sadr relied on violence to advance his goals. His militia, the Mahdi Army, fired rockets into the Green Zone to destabilize the American-backed government and killed scores of American troops. His fighters played a leading role in the brutal sectarian war that raged between 2005 and 2006. Mr. Sadr was equally disruptive in the political arena. His bloc in Parliament played a kingmaker role in power struggles  most notably by backing Nuri Kamal al-Malikis bid to remain prime minister in 2010. And the ministries run by his allies exemplified the cronyism he now decries.
The attorney generals office says it told Mr. Abelove that it was reviewing the case  which meant that he was not to take any significant action. He instead moved recklessly ahead, inflicting just the kind of damage the executive order was intended to prevent. According to court documents, he hurriedly took the case to a grand jury only five days after the shooting. The jury then failed to indict the officer.

Last week, New Yorks attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, sued Mr. Abelove, asking the court to remove him from the case. Mr. Schneiderman argues, and rightly so, that the grand jury was invalid because Mr. Abelove lacked legal jurisdiction over the case.

The Albany Times Union has raised questions about the competency of Mr. Abeloves prosecution, reporting that two people who witnessed the episode had not been called to testify. Mr. Thevenins wife, meanwhile, has questioned the polices account of what happened. She says the police initially told her that her husband had died in a traffic accident. The police have said that the officer fired after Mr. Thevenin moved his vehicle, pinning the officer against the bumper of another car.

The governors executive order gives the attorney general the right to intervene where, in his opinion, there is a significant question as to whether the civilian was armed and dangerous at the time of his or her death. The order specifically requires that a district attorney obtain state authorizations before making grand jury presentations in cases where civilians were unarmed or where there is a question about whether the person was armed or dangerous.
At an art fair, there are many visible roles in play: director, exhibitor, client, critic, installer. But an undersung  and increasingly critical  part is the one inhabited by the conservator Gloria Velandia and her team of trained assistants. Almost invisible, except to those in the know, Velandia runs the international circuit as the preferred conservator for major-league fairs (including Frieze New York, which begins this Thursday). Im the doctor on call, Velandia says of her unique position under the fair tent. My role is primarily to help make sure, one, people have an understanding of what they are purchasing, that would be for condition reporting; and two, helping ensure that the artworks are in the best condition for display and sale. Her now-ubiquitous presence at fairs came out of a casual conversation in Paris with the former Art Basel director Sam Keller. Who does something for the exhibitors if something happens? she asked Keller, referring to works being damaged, however slightly, during the bustle of the fair. He said they had no one, and invited me to give it a try. Sixteen years later, Velandia is the go-to for Art Basel, Frieze and the Armory  with a masters degree in chemistry and conservation, shes the person you want on the scene when a vacuum-cleaner hose fondles a floor piece or a painting gets hassled during the V.I.P. bum rush.

Velandia travels the world as a consultant and contemporary art preservation specialist, but the bulk of her business takes place at her studio in New York, where she and her team repair, clean and restore work for museums, auction houses, galleries and collectors. Velandias shop handles sculpture, painting and works on paper, according to protocols she has developed with artists and their estates. Throughout the year, we receive artworks for restoration and conservation; we are also brought to evaluate conditions and give advice on collection management and maintenance, she says. For some clients, we provide protocols on a given collection. We help them create annual maintenance data so they understand how to take preventative steps on conservation and cleaning. If its a Jeff Koons outside, it can be cleaned once a month. If its an Anish Kapoor piece with pigment, dont touch it, no maintenance required. Clients flock to Velandia for her expertise across modern and contemporary works  and her discretion.

The fair atmosphere presents a different set challenge for Velandia and her team: They must perform last-minute touch-ups and evaluations on-site, rather than in the comfort of their well-appointed headquarters. The majority of the work happens during the install process, she says. As you can imagine, the exhibitors want their booths to look beautiful for the moment it opens for the V.I.P.s. If they anticipate a client will request a recent condition report, they want to have those documents ready so they can make the sale. As a third-party consultant, Velandia is hired to act as an informed second opinion on what can be an extremely high-end investment. Despite the meticulous attention to detail her work entails, though, Velandia takes a rather Zen approach to the weathering process thats impossible to avoid when living with art. Everything changes, everything ages; aging doesnt necessarily mean damage, she says. Its about teaching collectors how to live with these ephemeral materials.
The forthcoming Gagosian San Francisco can be found in just about the perfect place: Upstairs are the art printmakers Crown Point Press; San Francisco heavyweight dealer John Berggruen is soon to relocate next door; and just across the street is the most important neighbor of all, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, whose new 235,000-square-foot expansion is the years most-hyped opening. For the art world, the block is nothing short of a juggernaut  and one that was unlikely to escape the attention of the equally larger-than-life dealer Larry Gagosian. The emerging collector base in Silicon Valley and the reopening of SFMOMA made it a perfect time to open in San Francisco, he says.

On May 18, the latest addition to the Gagosian empire opens with Plane.Site, a powerhouse, cross-generational group show curated by the New York gallery director Sam Orlofsky and featuring works by artists including Louise Bourgeois, Joe Bradley and Rachel Whiteread. Its conception, Orlofsky says, began with the artists Mark Grotjahn and Richard Serra, whose monumental Sequence, 2006, faces the gallery through the glass walls of SFMOMAs lobby. What they had in common was making works in both sculpture and works on paper, he says; this kernel of similarity eventually evolved into a dialogue between two- and three-dimensional art.

Each of the artists  a list that grew to include the Bay Areas late Richard Diebenkorn and David Ireland, as well as Picasso, Warhol and Giacometti  is represented by both a sculpture and a drawing, sketch or collage. Tatiana Trouve, for example, draws in copper in two ways: once on paper, in a collage of studies sketched between 2012 and 2015, and again in I tempi doppi, 2014, with continuous loops of copper wire evocative of lines scribbled into space. And Roy Lichtensteins vibrantly colored 1990 sculpture Mobile III pops in a sunny, skylit corner of the gallery  and foregrounds his preliminary colored-pencil sketch for the same work, mounted to the wall nearby. Also on view are previously unseen sculptures by Diebenkorn and Cy Twombly, emphasizing the gallerys close relationships with artist estates. (We play to our strengths, Orlofsky says.)
RIO DE JANEIRO  WhatsApp, a messaging service owned by Facebook, was shut down in Brazil on Monday after a court order from a judge who is seeking user data from the service for a criminal investigation.

Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao ordered telecom companies operating in Brazil to suspend WhatsApp nationwide for 72 hours. As of just after midday Monday, Brazilians said they could not use the popular messaging service.

The shutdown is the latest twist in a case that has embroiled WhatsApp in legal trouble. The case, which is under seal, involves an organized crime and drug trafficking investigation in the court in Lagarto, in the northeastern state of Sergipe. The court has been seeking data from WhatsApp to aid in the investigation. Diego Dzodan, a Facebook executive, was briefly taken into custody in March for refusing to comply with orders to turn over WhatsApp information in the case.

The judge who ordered WhatsApps shutdown on Monday is the same one who ordered Mr. Dzodans arrest. Mr. Dzodan was released after one night when a higher court judge said the arrest was an extreme measure.
Thinking that further treatment was futile, the parents got the boy discharged, and thinking him dead, took him to a crematorium on March 31. (Representational image)

Vadodara: A baby boy, who was thought to have no chance of survival by doctors and was almost cremated by his parents, has survived against all odds and was discharged from the government-run SSG Hospital here today.

The boy was born to Bhagyashri Gordale, who hails from Nanded district of Maharashtra, and her husband Nagojirao, who has been living in Bharuch for some time, on March 28.

As the boy had an acute breathing problem, he was shifted to Sir Sayajirao General Hospital and doctors put on ventilator. After three days, doctors told the couple that the chances of baby's survival were almost nil and he would die within five minutes of taking off the ventilator.

Thinking that further treatment was futile, the parents got the boy discharged, and thinking him dead, took him to a crematorium on March 31. However, at the crematorium, Nagojirao noticed that the baby was still moving, so he took him back to the hospital.

The doctors readmitted the boy and put him back on ventilator. He responded to treatment and was taken off ventilator two weeks ago and started breathing on his own and was discharged today, Dr Rajeev Deveshwar Pandey, superintendent of SSG Hospital said. This was a very rare and unique case, Dr Pandey said.
The land opened to exploration by Mondays rulings is comparatively small. More significant, said experts on both sides of the conflict, is that the rulings shut down future efforts to stop fracking in local jurisdictions.

Officials of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association said the decisions go beyond prohibitions on oil and gas operations, preventing localities from imposing any rules on those operations that conflict with state laws and regulations.

Colorados regulation of oil and gas production is the most stringent in the nation, said Dan Haley, the associations president. This continues to protect citizens and continues to protect the water and air in Colorado, but allows our operators to develop natural resources that have been off-limits for a number of years.

Officials in Fort Collins and Longmont said they were disappointed by the rulings. Environmental groups said the rulings would give new momentum to efforts to force a statewide referendum.

The Supreme Court has approved signature-collecting efforts for three fracking-related ballot initiatives; the two most significant would effectively reinstate local control over fracking and other activities, and outlaw fracking within 2,500 feet of occupied buildings, waterways and public open spaces.
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Texas: Armed Man Who Intervened

In Womans Shooting Is Killed

A gun owner was fatally shot in an Arlington drugstore parking lot on Monday after intervening in a dispute in which a woman was wounded, police said. The unidentified man who was killed was shopping when he saw a female employee who had been shot in the leg near the store entrance, the Arlington police said. The man retrieved a weapon from his vehicle and confronted the gunman, who was trying to flee in a car, Lt. Christopher Cook said. The suspect left his vehicle, shot the man in the head and fled, police said. The suspect, Ricci Bradden, 22, later surrendered and was in custody on a homicide charge, the police said.

(REUTERS)

SOUTH

Tennessee: College Staff and Faculty

Will Be Allowed to Carry Guns

A bill allowing staff members and faculty at Tennessees public colleges and universities to be armed on campus became law on Monday without Gov. Bill Haslams signature. Mr. Haslam, a Republican, said he disagreed with the bill for not allowing campus leaders to make their own decisions regarding security issues on campus. But he acknowledged that the final version of the measure had addressed concerns raised by college administrators, with provisions protecting colleges from liability and a requirement to notify law enforcement about who is armed on campus. The law will keep gun bans in place in some areas, including stadiums or gymnasiums during school-sponsored events and meetings where disciplinary or tenure issues are being discussed. (AP)

Kentucky: Judge Halts Plans

To Remove Confederate Monument

A judge on Monday temporarily barred Louisville from removing a 70-foot-tall Confederate monument near the University of Louisville. Mayor Greg Fischer and James Ramsey, the university president, announced Friday that they would remove the monument, the latest government effort to reconsider displaying Confederate symbols. Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman of Jefferson County granted a restraining order sought by the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Everett Corley, a Republican running for Congress. (AP)

PLAINS

Kansas: Budget Cuts Left to Brownback

Legislators have approved a plan to dump most of the work of balancing the states budget on Gov. Sam Brownback while telling him that he cannot cut aid to public schools. The measure, passed early Monday by Republican supermajorities in both chambers, assumes that the governor, a Republican, follows through on plans to delay major highway projects and cut higher-education spending. It also anticipates his making $92 million in further cuts during the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, that could touch state Medicaid health coverage for the poor and disabled and other social services. The state would delay $96 million in contributions to public employee pensions. Mr. Brownbacks spokeswoman has said the governor believes he can sign the measure. Kansas has struggled to balance its budget since the Republican lawmakers slashed personal income taxes in 2012 and 2013 at Mr. Brownbacks urging. (AP)
WASHINGTON  When patients in South Dakota seek help for serious but manageable disabilities such as severe diabetes, blindness or mental illness, the answer is often the same: With few alternatives available, they end up in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, whether they need such care or not.

In a scathing rebuke of the states health care system, the Justice Department said on Monday that thousands of patients were being held unnecessarily in sterile, highly restrictive group homes. That is discrimination, it said, making South Dakota the latest target of a federal effort to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities and mental illnesses, outlined in a Supreme Court decision 17 years ago.

The Obama administration has opened more than 50 such investigations and reached settlements with eight states. One investigation, into Floridas treatment of children with disabilities, ended in a lawsuit over policies that placed those children in nursing homes. With its report Monday, the Justice Department signaled that it might also sue South Dakota.

While the administration has received widespread attention for investigating police abuses and supporting the rights of gay and transgender people, the Justice Department has also steadily made these cases part of its civil rights agenda. The government says that those efforts have allowed more than 53,000 Americans with disabilities to leave institutions or avoid them altogether. It is a small number compared with the 250,000 working-age people who are estimated to be needlessly living in nursing homes, but advocates say the federal campaign has had significant effects.
The authorities in Texas have granted a child care license to a federal immigration detention center where thousands of mothers with their children have been confined, often for weeks and sometimes months.

The decision to recognize the center, in Karnes City, as a care provider for children drew outrage from immigrant advocates, who said it was little more than a prison. It was a victory for the Department of Homeland Security, which considers the center a holding station where families pass initial health and security checks and the first phases of their asylum screenings.

The Texas license strengthens the hand of the Obama administration as it tries to maneuver around a ruling from a federal judge in California, who ordered the rapid release of all migrant children and their parents and ruled that minors could not be held in secure facilities not licensed specifically for child care.

Officials at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services did not make a statement about the license, which was issued on Friday and posted on the agencys website early on Monday. The initial license is temporary, lasting six months.
MEXICO CITY  The first cruise ship in nearly 40 years to sail across the Florida Straits from Miami to Havana docked in the Cuban capital on Monday, cutting a 90-mile ribbon of water that for years was a symbol of the political gulf between the two countries.

Hundreds of Cubans stood near the dock and on Havanas sea wall, snapping pictures with smartphones and filming the arrival of the ship, Adonia, which arrived in the colonial-era port after crossing overnight from Miami. The 704-passenger ship is operated by Fathom Travel, a unit of Carnival Corporation.

Isabel Buznego, a passenger aboard the sold-out cruise, was born in Cuba but left about 40 years ago, when she was 5. She said she was overcome with emotion when she first spotted the 16th-century fortifications that protect Havanas bay.

That really got to me, Ms. Buznego said.

The ships arrival on Monday caused a stir among the locals, too: So thick was the crowd as the American passengers disembarked that a passing tourist asked, Whos the celebrity?
MEXICO CITY  Four men have been arrested in the murder of a Honduran environmental and indigenous rights activist whose killing two months ago prompted international condemnation, the authorities said on Monday.

The activist, Berta Caceres, led a decade-long fight to block construction of the Agua Zarca Dam along the Gualcarque River, which is sacred to her Lenca people. Despite numerous threats and the killings of other members of her organization, she was undeterred.

She was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize last year, but the international acclaim was not enough to protect her. On March 3, gunmen burst into the house where she was staying in La Esperanza, her hometown, in western Honduras, and fatally shot her.

The suspects were arrested in raids early Monday. Two of them are linked to the Honduran company that is building the dam, Desarrollos Energeticos S.A., or DESA.
KATHMANDU, Nepal  The embryos belonged somewhere, but probably not in this empty fertility clinic in the capital of Nepal.

For months, they had sat suspended in a tank of liquid nitrogen at the fertility center at the Grande City Clinic and Hospital, which until recently operated a robust surrogacy business that attracted would-be parents from around the world. But the embryos are now stuck in limbo after Nepal abruptly banned surrogacy in September.

Weve gotten to the point now where its shut down and we dont know where to go, said Kain Rafferty, a data services officer from Melbourne, Australia, who has embryos stored in the clinic.

Surrogacy may be the only way for some couples to have biological children by implanting an embryo into a woman who carries the child for them. But many cannot afford the process in developed countries like the United States or Canada and have looked for cheaper options in less-regulated countries like Nepal, India and Thailand. Now, one by one, these nations have shut their doors amid concerns over exploitation of the surrogates, oversight and safety, leaving people of less means without many choices.
DAMASCUS, Syria  Adnan Gimaah was perhaps the sourest purveyor of sweets in the old souk of Damascus.

If a customer questioned the quality of his wares, he snorted impatiently. If they haggled too hard, he invited them to leave. His idea of small talk was to grumble about the phone bill his wife incurred in nightly calls to their son, a homesick refugee in Germany.

Costing me a fortune, he said.

Still, it was impossible to miss the humor that undergirded his gruff manner, and the customers seemed to like it. It matched the mood of the city: a fatigued capital with an increasingly threadbare air, trapped in an interminable season of war.

Damascus is shielded from the worst of Syrias turmoil and violence, yet filled with those who have suffered from it  the displaced, the bereaved, those seeking to flee  and so everything, even the candy, is laced with a layer of skepticism.
If the structure of the universe is a result of a pattern of vibration, what causes the vibration? Stephon Alexander asks in his new book, The Jazz of Physics. And does that vibration mean that the universe is behaving like an instrument? In the most engaging chapters of this book  part memoir, part history of science, part physics popularization and part jazz lesson  Dr. Alexander ventures far out onto the cutting edge of modern cosmology, presenting a compelling case for vibration and resonance being at the heart of the physical structure we find around us, from the smallest particle of matter to the largest clusters of galaxies.

A professor of physics at Dartmouth College and a lifelong student of jazz, Dr. Alexander has taken on the challenge to find an isomorphism between jazz and cosmology. Establishing this analogy is a fascinating prospect and a tall order. Though Dr. Alexander doesnt succeed in uncovering a profound connection between jazz and physics, or proving that they share a common shape, his report on the state of research into the structure and history of the universe  his own academic field  makes for compelling reading, as does his life story.

The son of working-class immigrants to New York from Trinidad, he was considered slow as a child. But he steadfastly clung to an inspiration sparked during a school trip to the American Museum of Natural History as an 8-year-old, where he saw a photograph of Albert Einstein posing in front of a wall of equations. Against considerable odds, he went on to get a Ph.D. in physics  he says he was one of only three black doctoral students in physics at the time in the United States  and eventually received tenure at Dartmouth as an associate professor of physics and astronomy. All the while, he pursued his passion for jazz saxophone and improvisation.

Some of Dr. Alexanders analogies to jazz feel natural. In a chapter on quantum physics, he likens the physicist Richard Feynmans conception of the motion of a quantum particle to the way a jazz improviser may aim for a target note during a solo: In both, he says, all possible paths to the destination are considered before one is settled on. Later, at a jazz club, the saxophonist Mark Turner says to Dr. Alexander, When Im in the middle of a solo, whenever I am most certain of the next note I have to play, the more possibilities open up for the notes that follow. This is analogous in Dr. Alexanders eyes to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which states that the more one knows about the position of a quantum particle, the less one can know about where its going.
The parent company of the struggling New York grocery chain Fairway Market filed for bankruptcy on Monday, just three years after taking the company public, after an ambitious expansion plan failed to generate enough sales to pay down the companys debt.

[Fairway Market closing? Speculation abounds over New York institution.]

The grocery store chain has been a destination for gourmands in New York for decades, but it has faced increasing pressure in recent years from fresh-food rivals, like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joes. A leveraged buyout of the chain by a private equity firm led to an aggressive store-opening plan that vacuumed up cash and sent the stock companys stock price plummeting.

In its statement and court filings, Fairway emphasized that it would execute a Chapter 11 restructuring plan without interruption to its business. Landlords, trade creditors and employees will be unaffected, the company said. As part of the plan, Fairways senior lenders will exchange debt for common equity and $84 million of debt in the reorganized company.
New Delhi: Government on Wednesday asserted in Lok Sabha that the UN arbitration tribunal's order allowing a murder-accused Italian marine to return home from India pending its proceedings has "affirmed" the Supreme Court's authority and not questioned it.

Making a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Finance Arun Jaitley said the tribunal has confirmed Italy's obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case India's jurisdiction over him is established.

The tribunal has also left it to the Supreme Court to fix precise conditions of his bail, he said amid unhappiness expressed by Congress over the way the case is being handled by the government.

"We see the tribunal's order not just as a recognition of India's consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India," said Jaitley, speaking on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is unwell.

Read: Italy must return marine if India's jurisdiction is proved: UN

Congress members, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a walkout, expressing unhappiness after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow them to ask questions.

Their protests invited criticism from Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who accused Congress of doing so because of the Assembly polls in Kerala as media would cover it even though the Speaker has expunged their remarks. "It's match-fixing," he said.

The two Italian marines are accused of killing two fishermen of Kerala four years back.

Jaitley said the issue of jurisdiction, which is "at the heart" of the case, is yet to be even argued before the tribunal and the "limited relief" given on humanitarian considerations has been made contingent to the clear cut undertakings provided by Italy that Girone will return to India in case its jurisdiction is established.

"The tribunal noted that while Italy had earlier made a far-reaching request that, if granted, would have removed Sergeant Girone entirely from the reach of India's legal system. This time Italy was only requesting India to relax the bail conditions to enable him to return to Italy.

"In doing so, Italy was prepared to accept that he remained under the jurisdiction of the courts if India. In essence, they proposed to change the physical location of Sergeant Girone's bail without prejudice to the authority of India's courts," he said.

The government, Jaitley asserted, strongly believes that India has jurisdiction in the marines' case and this position has been and will be our unwavering stance.

As a nation that respects international law, India will pursue its case vigorously before the tribunal and fight for the rights of the victims, he told the Lok Sabha.

The tribunal has prescribed that India and Italy will approach the Supreme Court for relaxation of bail conditions of Girone who, while remaining under the court's authority, may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration, he noted.

He assured the House that the government in due course will approach the court for its directions on the matter.

"The tribunal also placed on record undertakings given by Italy in regard to Sergeant Girone's return to India. India is assured unequivocally and with legally-binding effect that he will return to India in case of a tribunal finding that we have jurisdiction over him in case of the incident concerned.

"It noted that Italy's undertakings constitute an obligation binding upon it under international law... The tribunal considers that provisional measures should not alter the situation where the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over Sergeant Girone," Jaitley said.

He noted that the case has been contested in various courts since 2012 and the two Italian marines obtained bail in the same year.

The bail conditions have been relaxed on numerous occasions and India's jurisdiction in the case has been challenged by Italy since the occurrence of the incident, he said.

"Members would recall that we even had a situation where the sovereign undertaking given by Italy to the Supreme Court of India was sought to be repudiated," he said.
LONDON  HSBC said on Tuesday that its profit fell 18 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with a year earlier, as uncertainty in the markets hurt its investment banking and wealth management businesses.

The lender, which is based in Britain but generates more than half of its earnings in Asia, is significantly reshaping its business. It announced plans in June to shed tens of thousands of jobs, to sell underperforming businesses and to shrink its global investment banking business.

The quarterly results included $341 million in restructuring charges, as well as $31 million in charges related to its efforts to shield its British retail banking business from the effects of investment banking and other activities in the event of another financial crisis.

Banks in Britain must separate their retail operations by 2019. Citing increased regulatory costs, HSBC considered moving its headquarters out of Britain last year but opted in February to keep its headquarters in London.
LONDON  Philips, the Dutch electronics giant, said on Tuesday that it planned to list an initial public offering of its lighting business on the Euronext stock exchange in Amsterdam.

Philips first announced plans in 2014 to spin off the lighting business as part of a reshaping of the company to focus on health care and technology. Since then, the company has pursued a dual-track effort to separate the lighting division through either a public offering or a private sale.

Late last month, Philips said it was more likely the company would pursue an I.P.O.

Todays announcement is an historic one for Philips as we aim to separate our company into two market-leading companies focused on capturing opportunities in health technology and connected LED lighting solutions markets, respectively, Frans van Houten, the Philips chief executive, said in a news release.

We believe that the recent performance of both companies demonstrates that the fundamentals are in place for long-term profitable growth and that Philips Lighting is well positioned for success as a stand-alone company, he added.
Mr. Pulte also capped his upside with a call option. Above either $25 or $30 a share, the bank can buy Mr. Pultes shares and pocket the difference.

The net result is that Mr. Pulte has limited his downside and upside exposure to Pulte Homes. It does not matter if the stock goes below the put threshold or above the call price. Mr. Pulte gains or loses money only between those levels.

The loan goes through 2017, when the put and call options expire.

Mr. Pulte probably entered into this type of transaction for tax planning purposes. He can get the money for his shares now while deferring the need to pay capital gains taxes for selling them. But the trade-off is that he also has given up some of the economic interest in his shares.

This was not Mr. Pultes only loan. He used another five million shares, about 1.4 percent of Pulte, as collateral for another loan. The exact terms of this loan were not disclosed, so it is unclear whether Mr. Pulte is personally responsible for the loan or whether the shares are the only collateral.

Still, the arrangements apply to about 75 percent of Mr. Pultes shares. This leaves him with 7.7 million shares that are unencumbered, or 2.2 percent of Pulte, a not insignificant amount but a level that makes him only the ninth-largest shareholder of Pulte.

Mr. Pulte can still vote all his shares, however, and claim ownership.

It is hard to know what to make of this. Despite technically being Pultes largest shareholder, Mr. Pultes economic incentives are not fully aligned with the companys. His upside is limited in some circumstances, as is his downside.

In a note to clients, the Susquehanna Financial Group called Mr. Pultes actions puzzling, but it attributed them to a need to push up the stock price before the hedges and loans expired in 2017. Because Mr. Pulte may use Pulte stock to satisfy the loans when they expire, the higher Pultes stock price by then, the less stock Mr. Pulte has to deliver to satisfy the loan (because the stock is worth more).
They are Wall Streets gatekeepers  the crisis communications firms that work to polish reputations, persuade the press and help announce mergers and acquisitions.

Now one of the most influential New York-based public relations firms is trying to manage a turbulent deal of its own.

Sard Verbinnen & Company is in talks to sell a 40 percent stake for $60 million to Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, according to people briefed on the matter who requested anonymity.

But the deal has been at least temporarily delayed because of a wave of employee resignations from Sard Verbinnen in the last week, the people briefed on the situation said. The employees resigned as a result of negotiations related to the investment, the sources said.
The New York Times Company reported a $14 million net loss for the first quarter of 2016 as it continued to grapple with how to offset falling revenue in print advertising. Digital subscriptions remained a bright spot for the company, showing robust growth.

In its earnings release on Tuesday, the company said it added 67,000 net digital-only subscriptions in the quarter, the most in a quarter since the end of 2012. The Times now has roughly 1.2 million digital-only subscriptions for its news products. Including its crossword product subscriptions, which accounted for about $2 million in revenue in the first quarter, the company counts close to 1.4 million digital-only subscriptions. By the end of the year, it expects to have more than 1.5 million digital-only subscriptions.

This was a very strong quarter for our digital subscription business, Mark Thompson, the companys chief executive, said in an earnings call with investors. The rate at which we are adding subscriptions is continuing to accelerate.

The net loss for the quarter was roughly the same as in the first quarter of 2015. Total revenue fell about 1 percent, to $380 million, from $384 million in the first quarter of 2015.
After sliding into a banquette at Brasserie Cognac, a French restaurant on Broadway, Eric Ripert didnt even give the lunchtime menu a glance.

I want cheese souffle, steak au poivre and tarte Tatin, he told Jolie White, the general manager. He asked for the steak cooked rare. He decided the meal deserved a glass of red wine.

Voila, Ms. White said with a brisk nod of affirmation. Classic.

Mr. Ripert, 51, works a few blocks away as the chef at Le Bernardin, the holy seafood sanctuary that has been viewed for decades as a gold standard of culinary exquisiteness. (Since its debut in 1986, the restaurant has received four stars from The New York Times all five times it has been reviewed. Mr. Ripert landed there in 1991.) When he wants to come home to classic bistro fare, though, he often heads to this far more everyday place.

To me, theres something magical about souffle, he said. To this day, when I see a souffle rising, Im mesmerized. Im just like a kid again.
Way, way back in the pioneer days of the cocktail renaissance  say, 2003 or thereabouts  questing mixologists and curious enthusiasts didnt have many drink manuals to lean on. Out-of-print bartending texts of the 19th century were hard-to-find treasures, and publishing houses like Mud Puddle Books had not yet begun to reprint the old volumes.

The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book was one of the few texts that remained in print and could be found at a local bookstore. First published in 1934, it contained hundreds of recipes from the original hotel on Fifth Avenue, which had been torn down a few years earlier to make way for the Empire State Building.

Image The updated version will be released on May 17. Credit... Sonny Figueroa/The New York Times

The value of the original book was that it was a great snapshot of the cocktails that existed right before Prohibition began in 1920, said Robert Hess, an authority on the recent cocktail movement.
The cinema of seduction doesnt get much more overheated than A Bigger Splash, an Italian come-on that doesnt just want to amuse you, but also to pour you a Negroni before taking you for a midnight spin with the top down. Set on an Italian island slithering with snakes and beautiful people, the movie is something of a reluctant thriller about a rock star, her current lover, her former lover and a pretty young thing. Bad things happen, because, you know, life is pain  in the meantime, though, do enjoy the magnificent digs, the designer threads and the frolicking nude stars.

The last time the director Luca Guadagnino trained his sights on Tilda Swinton, she was suffering under the Milanese sun in I Am Love, playing an unhappy wife fluttering in a gilded cage. This time, Ms. Swinton plays a rock star, Marianne Lane, who shortly after A Bigger Splash opens, is sunbathing au naturel next to a pool, as her lover, Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts), dozes nearby. Theyre a delectable pair of sexy beasts, ensconced on a jaw-slackening compound on Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the strait of Sicily thats within viewing distance of Tunisia. Marianne has recently had career-lengthening throat surgery, a procedure thats rendered her near-speechless.

With her preternatural stillness and sculptured hauteur, Ms. Swinton has always looked ready for her close-up with D. W. Griffith; few contemporary movie actresses can hold you with their gaze as effortlessly as she does. Mariannes radio silence is a storytelling contrivance (for personal reasons, Ms. Swinton agreed to appear in the movie if she didnt speak), but it adds to the characters celebrity aura and deepens the sense of isolation conveyed by the location. And while Marianne whispers when she feels like it, her relative silence works both for Ms. Swinton  it draws you closer to her  and for Mr. Guadagnino, a voluptuary who revels in the surface beauty of the natural and unnatural worlds.
Some movies want to be loved. Others prefer to be admired. And then there are the movies, like those by Jean-Marie Straub and Daniele Huillet, that, indifferent to love or admiration, are monuments to their own integrity.

Its appropriate that this couple, who married in 1959, would have their first complete retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. (Its show covers over 45 titles, those made together as well as those Mr. Straub, still active at 83, directed after Ms. Huillets death in 2006.) Few filmmakers are more uncompromising in their modernism or their devotion to art. Their first short feature, adapted from a novel by Heinrich Boll, was titled Not Reconciled  words that could stand as their motto.

The retrospective, which runs from Friday through June 6, may not be the toughest ticket to attain in New York, but it could be the citys most tough-minded show. Mr. Straub and Ms. Huillet were anything but frivolous.

In her memoir, The New Yorker Theater and Other Scenes From a Life at the Movies, the distributor Toby Talbot described a party in Rome, sometime in the 1970s, where everybody was drinking wine and beer, smoking pot, dancing, having a ball, when the bell rang, announcing Mr. Straub and Ms. Huillets presence. The director Bernardo Bertolucci called on the revelers to flush the drugs and hide the liquor quickly, explaining, The Straubs are here!
Ms. Gelfand intended to sell the works, Ms. McEvoy said, and she displayed some of the unsold art in her home.

When dealers buy art, they customarily submit a resale certificate indicating that they intend to put an item back on the market and therefore do not have to pay taxes. The attorney general took the position that art dealers who display purchased art in their homes owe sales or use taxes, Ms. McEvoy said. While she disagreed, Ms. McEvoy said, Ms. Gelfand wanted to do the right thing, so she settled with the state.

Our understanding is that the A.G. is conducting a broad investigation into the use of resale certificates, Ms. McEvoy said.

In Mr. Rosens case, in addition to Mr. Hirsts Virgin Mother sculpture, the art covered by the settlement includes Jean Michel Basquiats Warrior, for which Mr. Rosen paid $9.1 million in 2012; Andy Warhols Howdy Doody, which cost him $866,500 in 2011; Roy Lichtensteins Sock, which cost him $5.25 million in 2011; and Cy Twomblys Venere Franchetti, which cost $1.8 million in 2011.

From 2002 to 2015, the attorney general said, Mr. Rosen used a company he formed in 2002, 22nd Century Acquisitions, to buy artwork, and a second company, Lever House Artwork, to commission new art. The companies, in turn, claimed an exclusion from sales taxes because the art was for resale.

The settlement relates to an uncertainty as to whether some of Mr. Rosens transactions were done as a private collector or as a dealer based on how artwork can be displayed for sale, Roxanne Donovan, a spokeswoman for Mr. Rosen, said in an email.

Mr. Rosen will continue to act as both an art dealer, buying and selling fine art, and as a private collector, as applicable, she continued.
Parrikar said that the Indian negotiating team is carrying on its meetings with the French side for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the Law Ministry has made certain "observations" which will be "adequately taken into account" while finalising the Inter-Government Agreement for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France.

In two separate written replies in Rajya Sabha, he said negotiations on the terms and conditions of the supply, including total cost, actual delivery timelines and guarantee period have not been concluded.

Parrikar said that the Indian negotiating team is carrying on its meetings with the French side.

"Ministry of Law & Justice has made certain observations and the same will be adequately taken into account while finalising the IGA, which is still under negotiations," he said without elaborating.

Sources said the Law Ministry has cautioned the government that certain clauses in the draft inter- governmental agreement, including the one on material breach, are not in India's interest.

It has advised the Defence Ministry to reconsider certain clauses while finalising the deal.

Sources said one of the issues flagged by the Department of Legal Affairs is that in case of material breach by French companies of their obligations under the supply protocol, the Indian side would first have to take legal recourse against them but cannot involve the French government.

It also suggested that the liability clause should be more stringent and include the French government. The clause would come into force in case of any deficiency in completion of the deal by the companies.

In case of a commercial dispute, the arbitration proceedings should take place in India and not Switzerland as suggested in the draft, the Law Ministry has opined. Sources have said that the differences between the two dies have narrowed down a lot. The final deal could be signed this month itself.
When the body of the man with the tattoo of the Virgin Mary spread across his back was found on the shore in Brooklyn, his face was wrapped in duct tape and his feet were encased in concrete, the police said.

This individual was wrapped in black plastic bags and his arms were tied behind him, Robert K. Boyce, the chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, said at a news conference in Queens on Tuesday. His feet were submerged in poured concrete, obviously a homicide.

The unidentified mans body was found around 10:30 a.m. on Monday by a student at Kingsborough Community College who was walking on the campus shoreline along Sheepshead Bay, the police said. The student notified a nearby Fire Department marine unit, which alerted the police, Chief Boyce said.

The medical examiner will determine how the man died and how long he had been in the water.

Chief Boyce said the police would release a sketch of the man and his tattoo of the Virgin Mary holding a rose.
Sheldon Silver, who rose from the Lower East Side of Manhattan to become one of the states most powerful and feared politicians as speaker of the New York Assembly, was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in prison in a case that came to symbolize Albanys culture of graft.

The conviction of Mr. Silver, 72, served as a capstone to a campaign against public corruption by Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, which has led to more than a dozen state lawmakers being convicted or pleading guilty.

But none had the power, cachet or longevity that Mr. Silver, a Democrat, had enjoyed, and prosecutors sought to make an example of him. They asked that he receive a sentence greater than the terms that had been imposed on other New York State legislators convicted of public corruption offenses.

The longest such sentence cited by the government was 14 years, the term imposed last year in the case of another former Democratic assemblyman, William F. Boyland Jr., who was tried and convicted in federal court in Brooklyn.
At the center of the crisis is the growing role of Hezbollah, the Shiite political party and militia. Beyond its Lebanese strongholds, the group has also become one of Irans main strategic assets in the region: Heavily supported by Hezbollah fighters, the Russian-Iranian surge in Syria has swung the momentum of the war back in favor of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Lebanons own political dynamics have also shifted. Beirut has long been trapped in a Syrian orbit; as the fortunes of the Assad regime have revived, Hezbollahs power in Lebanon has grown. Hezbollah had already angered the Saudis and their Gulf allies by its intervention in Syria and support for Iran. The Shiite group has also stalemated domestic politics by blocking the selection of a new Lebanese president.

In January, the Gulf states were deeply affronted when Lebanon declined to support an otherwise unanimous (including even Iraq) Arab League condemnation of a mob attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran after the execution of a dissident Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia. This snub from Beirut convinced them that thanks to Hezbollahs rise, Lebanon was now in Tehrans pocket. Warnings to the Gulf states Lebanese allies that Hezbollahs influence needed curbing seemed to go unheeded; in practice, though, those factions have little alternative but to deal with Hezbollah as usual.

Worse, from the Saudi perspective, Hezbollah has started operating not just beyond Lebanon but in the kingdoms back yard. The Saudis see Hezbollahs hand, as well as Tehrans, behind the Houthi rebels in Yemen. This caps a history of accusations of Hezbollah subversion in the Gulf.

Yemen was the last straw for Riyadh, which axed $4 billion in support for Lebanons military and intelligence services. The Gulf states also declared Hezbollah a terrorist group and outlawed support for it.
Reservoirs and wells are now running dry. Indias so-called sand mafia, operating in collusion with local officials, has also contributed to the problem by illegally removing sand  important to allow water to percolate into underground aquifers  from riverbeds to supply concrete for Indias construction boom.

India is now entering the hot season, and temperatures have soared to record levels. Thankfully, El Nino is in retreat, and the India Meteorological Department is forecasting an above-average monsoon season later this year, which will provide some relief. But unless there is a way to build infrastructure to quickly capture the rain, much of it will simply run off or evaporate.

Mr. Modis most urgent task is to help those suffering from the drought. He must also place water at the center of his development agenda. A growing population means that Indias water needs will only increase, even as climate change will most likely make water scarcer.
MANCHESTER, England  Who wants Brexit? Not David Cameron, the British prime minister, for he opposes it. Not the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, whose Euroskepticism is subsumed by fear of Little Englander nationalism. And not even Boris Johnson, the mayor of London and unofficial leader of the campaign to leave the European Union, who has spent much of his career arguing that Britain would be better off in a reformed union.

But Mr. Johnson wants to be prime minister, and many of the Conservative Party members who will select their next leader are euroskeptic. And so last month Mr. Johnson came to Manchester to campaign for Brexit in a disused television studio that was ugly, cold and half-filled with an audience that was largely white and middle age.

Its a question of sovereignty. I would like our parliament to be sovereign and make its own decisions, said Michael Powell, a retired doctor. I fear that if we dont leave the E.U. we shall be overwhelmed by people who wish to come here.

I feel that we are being taken over. This open border with all the trouble in the world is so scary, said Susan Fink, another retiree. It seems its only the common man on the street who seems to know that its being used to traffic people and terrorists all over Europe.
To the Editor:

Re On Your Phone at the Wheel? Watch Out for the Textalyzer (front page, April 28):

I strongly support the New York State proposal to scan drivers phones for texting and other hand-held behaviors. As anyone who drives knows well, this issue has become so prevalent that there isnt a drive or a day that goes by without an unsafe lane crossing, a car sitting at a green light or just plan erratic driving.

In addition, there are very few people of almost any age who can honestly say they havent texted, checked email or committed some other unsafe hand-held behavior. Anything to dissuade us all should be encouraged and welcomed by everyone who rides in cars on our roads.

Perhaps a public campaign to acknowledge I see you with a beep of the horn will discourage and reduce this unsafe practice and habit.

JOHN R. STAKER

Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

To the Editor:

Legislation proposed in New York would allow the police to seize drivers phones after accidents and tap into the operating system to check for recent activity.
There is little question that Labours opponents  and internal critics of the partys left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn  have exploited the issue for factional gain. Nor is it hard to see the hypocrisy. Boris Johnson, the current mayor of London and a leading figure in the Conservative Party, said that Labour had been infected by the virus of anti-Semitism. A week earlier, he had exposed his own racial sensitivity, dismissing President Obamas support for Britains membership of the European Union as the animus of a part-Kenyan president with an ancestral dislike of the British Empire.

Yet neither the cynicism nor the hypocrisy should distract us from the problem of anti-Semitism  not just in the Labour Party, but on the political left more generally. It is not that the left is packed with anti-Semites; rather, too many among them have been willing to accommodate bigotry.

This acquiescence is rooted in the changing character of the left in recent years. Anti-Semitism used to be a problem primarily of the right. It wasnt that the left had a totally clean bill of health  there is a history of left-wing anti-Semitism  but its firm foundation of universal values and egalitarian principles established a proud tradition of fighting bigotry against Jews.

In recent decades, however, much of the left has retreated from these commitments. Where before radicals challenging inequality and oppression did so in the name of universal rights, many now stress multiculturalism, celebrating a world divided into distinct cultures, each with its own ideas, beliefs and values. Such identity politics turns on its head the dictum of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that one should judge people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Once identity becomes the primary feature of political life, then people are judged as much by the group to which they belong as by their character or principles.

Identity politics has made it easier to hold all Jews responsible for the actions of the State of Israel and to go after Jews simply for being Jews. As the distinction between criticizing ideas and fingering a group has eroded, there has been a slippage from anti-Zionist activism into outright anti-Semitism. Many who support the Palestinians now seem genuinely unable to distinguish between criticizing the policies of the Israeli government and sowing hatred against a people.
PHILADELPHIA  Seeking to do more than provide basic homes for its residents, this citys public housing agency is taking a new approach to neighborhood revitalization. In its latest project, it is adding commercial and educational development to its main role of home building, aiming to address the underlying causes of urban distress.

In the northern part of the city, the Philadelphia Housing Authority is razing part of the Norman Blumberg Apartments in the Sharswood neighborhood, which has had especially high rates of poverty, crime and urban blight. The agency plans to bring in shops, offices and schools, along with housing, in an ambitious program to breathe new life into a struggling community.

The $500 million project, just two and a half miles from downtown Philadelphia, aims to recreate a middle-class community that never recovered after being ravaged by rioting in the 1960s, agency officials say.

Two high-rise apartment buildings from the late 1960s that had become symbols of urban decay were imploded in mid-March in the most conspicuous stage so far of the project. Other dilapidated housing has also been removed.
It was a good day for Einstein when an international collaboration of physicists announced in February that they detected ripples in space time known as gravitational waves from the collision of two gigantic black holes far far away. Neither gravitational waves nor black holes  both predictions of Einsteins theory of gravity, general relativity  had been seen directly before.

It was also a good day for the researchers, for whom great honors were immediately predicted. Now those predictions are coming true. On Tuesday, Yuri Milner, a Russian Internet entrepreneur and philanthropist, announced that he was giving $3 million to the gravitational-wave discoverers. The award is a special addition to the $3 million Breakthrough Prizes in Fundamental Physics he awards every fall.

The three ringleaders of the gravitational-wave experiment, known as LIGO, Ronald P. Drever and Kip. S. Thorne of the California Institute of Technology, and Rainer Weiss of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will split $1 million. The other $2 million will be split among 1,012 scientists who were authors of the article in Physical Review Letters, or who made major contributions to the study of gravitational waves.
RIO DE JANEIRO  A judge lifted the nationwide suspension of WhatsApp in Brazil on Tuesday, allowing the popular messaging service owned by Facebook to get up and running again.

The ruling, from Judge Ricardo Mucio Santana de Abreu Lima, overturned a lower court order that had led to WhatsApp being blocked on Monday afternoon. The suspension was supposed to last 72 hours.

Judge Mucio is one of 13 judges on the higher court in the northeastern state of Sergipe, where WhatsApp has become embroiled in an organized crime and drug trafficking case. Authorities are seeking information for the case from the messaging service, but WhatsApp has not complied with requests for data, leading to the court order on Monday.

The restoration of service is not a full-blown victory for WhatsApp. Judge Mucios ruling was on process rather than the merits of the original case, a court spokesman said. The court provided no additional information on the reasons for revoking the WhatsApp suspension.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee has said India needs to make efforts to improve its presence in the Asia Pacific region to counterbalance the growing influence of China. "You know nothing happens automatically. We shall have to make efforts," he said when asked about Chinese influence in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and New Zealand.

The President was talking to reporters on board the special Air India flight while returning after a six day trip to PNG and New Zealand, his first state visit to the two countries.

He also said India was ready to work for early conclusion of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand. "I conveyed India's willingness to work towards an early conclusion of an FTA keeping in mind the need to find a satisfactory resolution of our mutual concerns," the President said.

"We are not maintaining silence. Ten rounds of discussions have taken place on FTA. Unfortunately the negotiations began in 2010 and we have not been able to finalise it. There are some problems about some of the agricultural products but I think we have come a long way from the days when our agriculture required total protection because we are the largest producers of the liquid milk. So apart from green revolution, white revolution has also been achieved," he said.

The President said the policy followed by the government in the 1960s and 70s or even 80s may not be relevant in 2015-16. "I understand government is considering this aspect carefully. Of course when you enter into an FTA, it boosts your bilateral trade substantially," he said and cited an example of Sri Lanka with which India's bilateral trade grew 20 times after signing of FTA.

He lauded the Narendra Modi government for having organised two summits of Asia Pacific Island countries. "The third summit is being held at PNG and I do hope Indian delegation will consist of high-level representatives. Therefore, a beginning has been made and it will naturally be taken to its logical conclusion in course of time," he said. Mukherjee said he was satisfied with his visit to the two countries.

"So far PNG is concerned, not even a politician ever visited PNG. On the other hand, you look at their approach, they have voluntarily extended their support to India's legitimate claim to permanent membership of UNSC," he said.

"Therefore, I do feel that this visit was important and I am satisfied with the outcome of this visit....I do feel it is time for us to expand our relationship, both horizontally and vertically in trade, commerce, investment and sharing technical expertise in respective fields," he said.
WASHINGTON  It is an iconic photograph of American patriotism, depicting the heroism of service members raising the flag over Iwo Jima during World War II, which inspired the book and movie Flags of Our Fathers.

But while the image has become a symbol of the sacrifices of American troops, the Marine Corps has also had to defend it for 70 years against accusations that it was staged and that some of the men were misidentified.

Now, the man who wrote the best-selling book, which chronicled how his father and five Marines came together to lift the flag in the famous photograph, has raised new doubts about the image, saying that he now believes his father is not actually in it.

The author, James Bradley, revealed his conclusion in an interview on Tuesday, just days after the Marine Corps said that it had opened an inquiry into whether the identifications in the photograph were correct.
When the Republicans seized control of the House of Representatives in 2010, both parties agreed on this much: Democrats wouldnt get it back anytime soon.

Now with 247 seats, Republicans hold their largest majority since the Great Depression, and because state legislatures draw district lines to benefit incumbents, fewer than 40 seats are now considered truly competitive.

But the political force that is Donald J. Trump has called that shared assumption into question. By alienating huge blocks of general election voters in his drive for the Republican presidential nomination, Mr. Trump has created the possibility of a Democratic breakthrough.

What Trump has done is inject unpredictability into 2016 House races, said David Wasserman, an expert on House races at the Cook Political Report newsletter.
Join us for live updates on the Indiana primaries.

Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton are hoping that Tuesdays primaries in Indiana put to rest any question of whether they will win their parties presidential nominations. For Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and the Stop Trump movement, the state, which had seemed winnable as recently as last week, is most likely the last opportunity to deny Mr. Trump the delegates he needs to avoid a contested convention in July.

But Indiana could also provide some insight into whether Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton will be able to win over the constituencies that have been most resistant to their candidacies.

Here are some of the questions that could be answered by Tuesdays results in the Hoosier State:

Will Indiana put Trump in position to clinch?

After a huge sweep of the Northeast last week that exceeded even the most optimistic projections for his delegate haul, Mr. Trump is not very far from the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the nomination. A win in Indiana would make him the overwhelming favorite to clinch it by June 7, the last day of voting for Republicans.

Mr. Trump already has nearly 1,000 delegates, and even the most pessimistic projections would give him another 120 from West Virginia, New Jersey and three states  Washington, Oregon and New Mexico  that award their delegates proportionally, putting him about 120 delegates away from the nomination. A win in Indiana would cover about half of that number, since the states 57 delegates are awarded on a winner-take-all basis both statewide and by congressional district.
The crash has become a high-profile case in the debate over distracted driving, a growing problem largely attributed to people who cant put down their electronic devices while theyre behind the wheel. Because of the dangers associated with driving while distracted, experts are pushing to treat it  and, in some cases, penalize it  like drunken driving.

Its dangerous, devastating, crippling, and its a killer and still socially acceptable, Candace Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and a founder of Partnership for Distraction-Free Driving, told The Times.

What Does Ms. McGee Say?

Attempts to reach Ms. McGee were unsuccessful. In an interview last week, her grandfather James McGee said that the teenager had also been seriously injured in the crash, and that her family believed Mr. Maynard was responsible for the accident.

He pulled his vehicle out in front of them, Mr. McGee said, not giving them enough time to stop. Now theyre trying to lay the rap on her.

Mr. McGee said that since the accident, Ms. McGee had graduated from high school and wanted to join the Air Force, but her plans had been delayed because of the crash. She is working part time at a home improvement store, he said.

Her grandfather added, Its a big setup for somebody who is young and innocent.

What Does Snapchat Say?

Mr. Maynards lawsuit accuses Snapchat of motivating drivers to use the filter to receive a trophy, one of the apps badges given to users after they complete a task. According to Snapchat, the service has never offered trophies for high-speed driving.
HONG KONG  Chinese regulators have begun an investigation into the Internet giant Baidu after the death of a college student who said he received distorted information on cancer treatment from the companys search engine.

The student, Wei Zexi, 21, from the central province of Shaanxi, died of synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, on April 12. Before his death, he wrote a long post on a Chinese website that detailed his experience seeking treatment.

In a promoted search result on Baidu, he learned of a hospital in Beijing that offered treatment for people with his condition. His family borrowed money to raise the more than 200,000 renminbi, or about $30,000, to pay for a type of immunotherapy from the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps.

Mr. Weis form of cancer is generally treated with surgery and chemotherapy, and he accused Baidu of taking money to promote less proven treatments in its search results. After his death, the search company has been denounced online, with some people calling it by the similar sounding , or 100 poisons.
The chaos and brutality of the Cultural Revolution, unleashed by Mao Zedong 50 years ago, have received little public examination in China. After the fall of the Gang of Four, the Communist Party and much of the Chinese public chose to move on, as market-oriented policy changes took root. In recent years, however, interest in revisiting this time has grown. Some Chinese have perceived echoes of the Cultural Revolution in the red culture campaign in Chongqing under the since-disgraced Bo Xilai or in President Xi Jinpings anticorruption campaign and have argued that history must be confronted more openly to avoid repeating its mistakes.

Roderick MacFarquhar, a scholar of elite Chinese politics at Harvard University, is a leading expert on the Cultural Revolution. He is the author of the trilogy The Origins of the Cultural Revolution and, with Michael Schoenhals, of Maos Last Revolution. In an interview, he discussed the relevance of that era for contemporary China.

Q. How are Chinese leaders dealing with the 50th anniversary of the Cultural Revolution?

A. I dont think the party will be bothered much about the 50th anniversary. If I were Xi Jinping, I would probably say to my colleagues: Just make sure no one celebrates this or marks this.

Q. How has the Cultural Revolution shaped the thinking of Xi and other Chinese leaders who came of age then?
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  Nurul Izzah Anwar, an opposition member of the Malaysian Parliament, flew to the island of Borneo on Monday to participate in a local election campaign. She did not stay long.

Immigration officials in Sarawak, a semiautonomous state with its own border controls, refused to let her enter. Ms. Nurul Izzah took the next plane home.

I am participating in legitimate political activity, she said on Tuesday. But I found myself immediately deported as soon as I arrived.

The Sarawak vote on Saturday is the first test of Prime Minister Najib Razaks popularity  and of his willingness to compete in fair elections  since disclosures that almost $700 million had been mysteriously deposited in his personal bank accounts.
KATHMANDU, Nepal  A Canadian man living in Nepal has two days to leave the country, the Nepalese immigration authorities said on Tuesday, after he was accused of posting a message on Twitter aimed at spreading the social discord.

The man, Robert Penner, was arrested on Monday at his office in the Lalitpur district, south of the capital, Kathmandu, on orders of the Department of Immigration, police and immigration officials said. He was held for a day before the department canceled his work visa and ordered him to leave the country.

The department had received a complaint against Mr. Penner for spreading unnecessary messages about Nepal, said Kedar Neupane, the director general of the Department of Immigration. Mr. Neupane did not say who had initiated the complaint or which of Mr. Penners many social media posts about Nepalese politics were found to be offensive.

His working visa has been canceled after the charges against him were proven true, Mr. Neupane said.
BEIJING  Newly married in San Francisco, two men with matching red ties held hands and smiled broadly as they bounded out of City Hall on a recent sunny day.

Though a common enough scene in the Bay Area, the marriage ceremony for this couple was notable for many Chinese people seeing the news: One of the men was Hanscom Smith, the United States consul general in Shanghai. Photographs of his marriage, posted Tuesday on the official Chinese microblog account of the United States consul general, generated interest in China, which does not allow same-sex marriage.

Mr. Smith married Lu Yingzong, or Eric Lu, who is from Taipei, Taiwan, an island that is independently governed but that the Chinese Communist Party claims it rules.

One Chinese Internet user by the name of Daniel Chen Dandan posted an image of a beating heart on a microblog, writing, Respect any type of love.
Their intentions may be honorable and they may be noble in their own minds, but they are causing serious harm and we are not going to tolerate the situation, Mr. Dutton said.

Australia says that no asylum seeker who tries to reach the country by boat will ever be allowed to settle there, regardless of whether he or she is granted refugee status. Doing so, officials say, would encourage migrants to make the treacherous ocean voyages, often in unseaworthy boats, which have sometimes ended in mass drownings.

Human rights advocates and others have criticized that policy, as well as the conditions at the offshore detention centers where such people are sent, on Nauru and on Manus Island in the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea. That countrys highest court recently declared the center on Manus Island illegal, and officials from Papua New Guinea and Australia were to meet this week to discuss the fate of the more than 800 men held there.

This is a policy in free-fall, said Sarah Hanson-Young, an Australian lawmaker for the opposition Greens party, who said she was pretty disgusted by Mr. Duttons news conference. It is a policy that is hurting people, breaking people. Lets make no mistake about it, that is exactly what it is designed to do.

On Nauru, an impoverished island nation just eight square miles in size, more than 400 men, women and children live in the camp facilities but are free to travel around the island. Hundreds of others have resettled in the community. But asylum seekers there say their plight is dire, with little meaningful work and no hope of moving forward with their lives, and some single women have said they were attacked.
New Delhi: There is no official estimation of amount of black money that has been sent to foreign countries by India persons, government said on Tuesday.

"Determination of black money sent to foreign countries by Indian persons is subject matter of investigation and other follow-up actions by relevant law enforcement agencies, including Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, CBI etc, which is on-going.

"However, details regarding the amount of money involved in such cases are not maintained centrally," Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

Asked whether Indian share in black money stashed in tax havens across the world is at USD 152-181 billion, as per the recent estimate by economists from Bank of Italy, he said there seems to be no empirical evidence to suggest that the figures arrived at on the basis of certain assumptions and presumptions, necessarily represent Indian's share in black money stashed in tax havens.

These economists have reportedly analysed data from IMF and the Bank of International Settlement (BIS) and applied certain assumptions to arrive at the estimation, he added.

The minister pointed out that by applying another set of assumptions, the same economists have reportedly estimated Indian share in black assets at USD 4-5 billion.

"In the context of these estimation, they have reportedly put the caveat that these estimations have to be considered with great care and in no way can represent firm data," Sinha said.
ROME  Stealing food from a supermarket may not be a crime in Italy if you are homeless and hungry, the nations highest appeals court has ruled.

In a case that has drawn comparisons to Les Miserables, the Supreme Court of Cassation threw out the conviction of a homeless man from Ukraine, Roman Ostriakov, who was caught trying to take 4.07 euros  about $4.70  worth of cheese and sausage from a store in Genoa without paying for it. A trial court sentenced him in February 2015 to six months in jail and a fine of 100.

The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the merchandise theft took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of need, and therefore the theft does not constitute a crime, the appellate court wrote in its decision, which was reported on Monday by the Italian news agency ANSA.

The courts decision went far beyond what the appeal in the case had sought. Valeria Fazio, the prosecutor at the Genoa court where the trial was held, said in a telephone interview that her office understood that Mr. Ostriakov had stolen only out of need, and had appealed in hopes that the court might set a more lenient sentence.
MADRID  King Felipe VI of Spain signed a decree on Tuesday to dissolve Parliament and hold a rerun of national elections for the first time since the countrys return to democracy in the late 1970s.



The step followed months of political paralysis and discord over who should form a government after inconclusive elections in December. That election resulted in a fracturing of Spains political landscape with the emergence of insurgent parties that challenged the establishment, marking a sea change in the nations politics.



The repeat election is now scheduled for June 26, but opinion polls suggest that the outcome of a new vote could look much like the first, which split ballots among four main parties, with no single one close to a majority.

Turnout, however, could fall amid growing frustration about the intense but fruitless party squabbling.
BERLIN  One of the leaders of Pegida, the German anti-immigrant movement, was found guilty of incitement on Tuesday for insulting refugees in a social media post two years ago.

Lutz Bachmann, who helped found Pegida, the German acronym for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West, was ordered by the district court in Dresden to pay a fine of 9,600 euros, or $11,000. Prosecutors had sought a jail sentence of up to seven months for the post, in which he called immigrants cattle, brutes and trash.

Mr. Bachmann insisted throughout his trial that someone else had posted the remarks to his Facebook page, according to a local public broadcaster, MDR. It was not clear if Mr. Bachmann, who has previous convictions of theft, drug dealing and failing to provide child support, would seek an appeal.

Tuesday was not the first time that Mr. Bachmann has run into trouble over his presence on social media. Last year, he was briefly forced to step down as the head of Pegida after posting a picture of himself dressed as Hitler to his Facebook account.
JERUSALEM  A court here on Tuesday sentenced an Israeli man convicted of abducting and murdering a Palestinian teenager in 2014 to life in prison and an additional 20 years, sealing a case that has roiled Israelis and Palestinians.

Rejecting an insanity plea that was submitted at the end of the trial, the Jerusalem District Court had ruled last month that Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was fully responsible for his actions when he and two teenage nephews abducted Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, off a street near the boys East Jerusalem home, drove him to a forest on the outskirts of the city, choked him, beat him unconscious and burned him to death in the early hours of July 2, 2014.

One of the teenage defendants was sentenced in February to life in prison, and the other received a 21-year term after the judges determined that he had played a lesser role in the murder. Their names have not been made public because they were 16 at the time of the crime.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  Insurgent shelling hit a maternity hospital in the government-held section of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday, according to state media and footage from the scene, underscoring what rights groups are calling a growing disregard for the rules of war.

It was the sixth assault on a medical facility in the divided city in less than a week and the first to have caused casualties on the government-controlled side. At least three women were reported killed and 17 people wounded, including children.

On Wednesday, warplanes destroyed a pediatric hospital and a clinic on the rebel-held side of the city, leaving dozens of people dead, including medical workers, women and children.

That attack, believed to have been carried out by the Syrian government despite its denials, came as intensifying airstrikes and rebel shelling shattered what remained of a fragile truce that had prevailed for a few months. The violence of the past week has plunged Aleppo back into all-out war, killing scores of people, mainly civilians.
WASHINGTON  Islamic State fighters killed a member of the Navy SEALs on Tuesday after they broke through Kurdish defenses in northern Iraq, in what military officials described as the militant groups biggest offensive in months.

Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona identified the serviceman as Charlie Keating IV, the grandson of the Arizona financier Charles H. Keating Jr., who was imprisoned in the savings-and-loan crisis of the 1980s.

He is the third American service member to die in combat since a United States-led coalition began fighting the Islamic State in Iraq in 2014. The death was also the third such casualty in combat since the American troop withdrawal from Iraq in 2011.

He was two to three miles behind the front lines when he was killed by small-arms fire, United States military officials said. American advisers have been assisting Iraqi security forces and Kurdish pesh merga fighters as they push to reclaim territory from the Islamic State.
Warplanes level a hospital in the rebel-held half of Aleppo, Syria, killing one of the citys last pediatricians. A Saudi-led military coalition bombs a hospital in Yemen. In Afghanistan, American aircraft pummel a hospital mistaken for a Taliban redoubt.

The rules of war, enshrined for decades, require hospitals to be treated as sanctuaries from war  and for health workers to be left alone to do their jobs.

But on todays battlefields, attacks on hospitals and ambulances, surgeons, nurses and midwives have become common, punctuating what aid workers and United Nations officials describe as a new low in the savagery of war.

On Tuesday, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to remind warring parties everywhere of the rules, demanding protection for those who provide health care and accountability for violators. The measure urged member states to conduct independent investigations and prosecute those found responsible for violations in accordance with domestic and international law.
What in the World offers you glimpses of what our journalists are observing around the globe. Let us know what you think: whatintheworld@nytimes.com

Erotic sculpture park? Check. Bumper cars designed like genitalia? Check. Snack bar serving aphrodisiac recipes? Check. Sex on the premises? Uh, better not.

Entrepreneurs in Brazil are seeking to build an adults-only theme park called ErotikaLand near the city of Piracicaba, about two hours drive from Sao Paulo, and they hope to open its doors by 2018. But the project is setting off debate over public displays of sexuality in Brazil, where Carnival celebrations feature scantily clad dancers and thousands of short-stay love motels strive to please an exacting clientele.

We cannot be known as the capital of sex, Matheus Erler, a member of the Christian Socialist Party who leads the Piracicaba City Council, told reporters. He said he was worried that the park would attract debauched individuals.
What in the World offers you glimpses of what our journalists are observing around the globe. Let us know what you think: whatintheworld@nytimes.com

They are banned in France, mandated in Saudi Arabia and a fashion statement in Indonesia. Veils for Muslim women come in all sizes, shapes and colors  and with terminology that can mean different things in different places.

The Quran is oblique in its references to hijab, which is described not as an article of clothing but something akin to a curtain or separation that allows for privacy. Heres a guide to how that looks around the Muslim world.

Abaya: The ubiquitous (and requisite) covering for women in Saudi Arabia is seen throughout the Arabian Peninsula and parts of North Africa. Typically black, the garment is constructed like a loose robe or caftan and covers everything but the face, hands and feet.
Imagine if Apple released a new iPhone, but no one could buy one, no matter how early you lined up. Imagine if Tesla answered the 400,000-plus pre-orders for the new Model 3 by making a few hundred. Imagine if Gordon Ramsay opened a power-lunch restaurant with only two tables.

Now you know what watch lovers are up against trying to get their hands on the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, scheduled to be released this year.

This sleekly contemporary update of one of the most collectible watches of the last 50 years drew audible oohs when it debuted at the Baselworld watch fair in March.

Reviewers declared this next-generation Daytona, with its techie Cerachrom bezel, a triumph, the watch Rolex lovers have been waiting for, in the words of Gear Patrol.
New Delhi: The Delhi University told a court on Tuesday that the documents pertaining to Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani's BA course in 1996, as purportedly mentioned by her in an affidavit filed during 2004 Lok Sabha elections, are yet to be found.

The university's response came in pursuance to court's earlier order summoning documents from its School of Open Learning department on the allegation that in her affidavit for April 2004 polls, Irani had claimed that she completed her BA in 1996.

"1996 documents related to her (Irani) BA are yet to be found," Assistant Registrar of School of Open Learning, Delhi University (DU), O P Tanwar, told Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh.

Tanwar also brought some documents related to Irani's education, including admission form for B.Com (H) of 1993-94 and its result and further her enrolment cum admission form in BA (H) Political Science first year for 2013-14.

He said that Irani's class 12th documents, submitted with the admission form of B.Com (H) course were yet to be found. He, however, added that "verification must have been done before the admission."

The court also asked SDM of north Delhi to bring documents filed by Irani with the affidavit for contesting 2004 polls from Chandni Chowk constituency here and fixed the matter for further hearing on June 6.

The court had earlier directed the Election Commission and DU to bring the documents related to educational qualification of Irani on a complaint filed against her for allegedly giving false information in affidavits to the poll panel.

The court had on November 20 last year allowed the plea of the complainant Ahmer Khan, a freelance writer, seeking a direction to the officials of EC and DU to bring records of Irani's educational qualification after he said he was unable to place them before the court.

During the hearing, Vandita Srivastava, SDM of Gauriganj in Amethi, filed original and certified copies of documents filed by Irani during Lok Sabha elections 2014 and said "as per record, no document for (Irani's) educational qualification was collected with nomination form".

The court also took on record the original and certified copies of documents filed by Irani pertaining to Irani's Rajya Sabha nomination in Gujarat in 2011.

Deputy Secretary of Gujarat Assembly, S M Menon, filed the documents summoned by the court regarding Irani's Rajya Sabha nomination and informed it that "a candidate need not to file supporting documents at the time of filing nomination." "However, if any objection is raised by anyone, candidate can be asked to file such documents," he said.

The court had earlier declined the complainant's prayer seeking direction to the CBSE to bring Irani's class 10th and 12th records.

The complainant had claimed that Irani had deliberately given discrepant information of her educational qualification in affidavits filed before the poll panel and not given any clarification despite concerns being raised on the issue.

Khan had alleged that Irani had knowingly furnished misleading information about her educational qualification in affidavits filed before EC and that a candidate deliberately giving incorrect details can be punished under the provisions of IPC and under section 125A of Representation of the People Act (RPA). Section 125A of RPA deals with penalty for filing false affidavit and entails a jail term of upto six months or fine or both.

The court on June 24 last year had taken cognizance of the complaint which accused Irani of furnishing false information about her academic qualifications in the affidavits filed before the EC in 2004, 2011 and 2014.

The complainant had earlier claimed in court that in her affidavit for April 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Irani had said she completed her BA in 1996 from DU (School of Correspondence), whereas in another affidavit of July 11, 2011 to contest Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat, she had said her highest educational qualification was B.Com Part I from the School of Correspondence, DU.

He had also alleged that in the affidavit filed for nomination of April 16, 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Irani said she had completed Bachelor of Commerce Part-I from School of Open Learning, DU.
When reserving a hotel room, do you book directly with the hotel, or through an online booking site like Expedia or Priceline?

If you answered the latter, hotels are trying to change that. And you may stand to gain.

A few weeks ago Hyatt Hotels began offering discounts to members of its loyalty program who book their rooms through Hyatt instead of a third party such as Travelocity. The announcement came after Marriott International introduced new discounted rates for loyalty program members who book directly with Marriott (which created an unambiguous marketing campaign called It Pays to Book Direct). Both chains announced their discounts in the wake of Hilton Worldwide, which said in February that it was rolling out the largest marketing campaign in its nearly 100-year history to tell its loyalty program members that they would receive discounts on rooms at more than 4,500 hotels around the world if they booked directly.

Hotels have been trying to get travelers to book through their websites and call centers for years, but now major chains are going further than ever to woo travelers away from third-party booking sites, which charge commission fees and have been a barrier to hotels marketing directly to their guests. (Stay tuned: When asked during its most recent earnings call about hotels offering discounts for direct booking, Expedia said that it was considering more flexible ways to work including testing link-offs from our site on to the direct sites of some of our chain partners, said Mark D. Okerstrom, Expedias executive vice president and chief financial officer.) With hotels and booking sites vying to be the point of sale, travelers are in a position to win, not only scoring perks like room upgrades, but lower rates too.

The discounts at Hyatt hotels are for properties in the United States, Canada and Australia and apply to members of its loyalty program, which is free to join at Hyattgoldpassport.com. Members who book directly can now receive up to 10 percent off reservations made through Hyatt.com, its app, call centers and travel agents. The chain also offers a best-rate guarantee. Later this year, guests who book directly will be allowed to make on-demand requests to their hotel through the app. They can also check in online and manage their reservation on their smartphones.
JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar along with other students carried torch parade at JNU campus in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Scores of JNU teachers observed a one-day hunger strike on Tuesday in solidarity with the ongoing strike by students in protest against the punishments given by varsity in connection with the controversial February 9 event.

Meanwhile, members of ABVP claimed that fasting Saurabh Kumar Sharma who was complainant of the Afzal Guru event, was rushed to AIIMS and admitted to the ICU after his glucose level dipped. BJP MP's Tarun Vijay and Manoj Tiwari visited him in the hospital and advised him to break the fast keeping in view the health conditions.

On the 6th day of the strike, the protesting teachers also condemned the ban on sales and distribution of a book by DU authored by noted historian Bipan Chandra as it referred to Bhagat Singh as a revolutionary terrorist.

"70 teachers and 180 students today sat on relay hunger strike in support of the on going hunger strike against the decision of high-level committee of JNU. 20 Prisoners in Ara Jail have also started a two-day hunger strike in jail premises demanding revocation of punishment of JNU students," a statement by the JNU Students Union claimed.

"The struggle is on and will go on till all rustication, out of bond, fines and hostel debar orders are scrapped," it added.

Two groups of students are sitting on indefinite hunger strike since last Thursday in protest against the punishment announced by the university against various students in connection with the controversial event on campus during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the event. They are out on bail now.

While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of "indiscipline and misconduct", Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations.

Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students.

Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students.

Saurabh Sharma has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. "Saurabh has been admitted to ICU in AIIMS. His glucose level has dipped but he is refusing to call of the fast. BJP MP's Tarun Vijay and Manoj Tiwari also visited him in the hospital and advised him to give priority to health," an ABVP statement said.

Meanwhile, the Left-affiliated student groups and teachers organised a public meeting in support of the Bipan Chandra book and condemned the banning of its sales by DU.

"It is being alleged that the book denigrates Bhagat Singh by use of the term revolutionary terrorist. There is no truth to this, Bipan Chandra having clarified that the term is not used in a pejorative sense. Chandra used the words revolutionary nationalist and revolutionary socialist in later writings," Bhagat Singh's nephew Jagmohan Singh said.

"In any case, Bhagat Singh used the word revolutionary terrorist to describe the work of his associates and himself. This had been pointed out, yet the sale of the Hindi edition of the book has been stopped and calls have been made to destroy it and criminal cases filed against the co-authors," he added.

Co-authors of the book Sucheta Mahajan, Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee were also present during the public meeting.
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange on Tuesday presented Opelika High School with an award recognizing the institutions commitment to safety.

Opelika High is one of 10 schools in the state to be selected as a recipient of the 2015 Alabama Safe Schools Award of Excellence, awarded annually as a part of the Attorney General Safe Schools Initiative, for its commitment to maintaining a safe environment through policies, procedures and strong relationships, according to Strange.

I am so glad to be here at Opelika High School. You have such a great community, thanks to your city councilmen and your staff, your resource officers, he said, adding that Opelika Police Department Chief John McEachern and Assistant Chief Bob Holley are some of the best in the country.

Safety is critical to education and I want to say a word to the teachers who are here and the administrators: education is the foundation to the success of our state and to the success of all of our young men and women, Strange said. Ive made school safety a priority in my time as attorney general. It was something that was recognized by our office and just kind of went by the wayside. We reinstated safe school awards.

The awards are the product of a comprehensive competition judged by a panel of law enforcement and education experts who evaluate and determine best practices in regard to safety in schools, he said.

Hundreds of schools, both public and private, enter into the competition each year.

Its a real honor to win this, said Strange. It is special. What well do is well take the things weve learned from you and the things that stood out, mainly instruction in this room, the teamwork between your law enforcement, your parents and administrators and the instructors of these students the key access, the strategizing, planning and getting kids involved.. and well share those things with other schools.

"Youll be making a difference not just to schools here, but to schools all across the state.

Strange explained the selection process and gave examples of how Opelika High set itself apart from competitors.

We have a criteria committee that accepts applications from all over the state from hundreds of schools, from elementary all the way up to private and public, and these experts look at what the schools are doing," he said.

"It doesnt have to be expensive or detailed, but schools that put safety as a priority. Its a tough process and its hard to win. We recognize them and then we share the best practices that we learn, he said.

Opelika High stands out in a lot of ways. First of all, its got a great faculty, staff, great relationships with teachers and school safety officers, which are very important. Opelika P.D. does a fantastic job," he said. "Then they do some mapping of playing out scenarios, which helps kids keep in mind what could they do in an emergency.

"Then they have a system of lockdown, which is really unique, where they lock the school down immediately if they feel the needThose are just some of the things.

Opelika High Assistant Principal Amanda Inabinett, who leads the schools safety initiative, credited faculty and staff for the award.

We work with the most tremendous group of people, from our teachers to our students to our also wonderful administrative team. We have SRO (school resource) officers -- three in the school every day -- which were very fortunate to have, she said.

Inabinett also praised maintenance staffs role in keeping Opelika High safe.

Our custodial staff are tremendous. These are the folks who really know. Theyre the eyes and the ears of our schools.

OHS Principal Farrell Seymore said the school was honored to receive such an award.

This is a special day for Opelika High School, he said. Everything we do starts with the cornerstone of safety, and we build on learning from there.
New Delhi: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal, is ready to come to India and face investigators provided he gets an assurance he will not be arrested, his lawyer Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos said today.

Anjos also said that Michel is living in Dubai and is willing to speak the truth.

He has arrest warrant and that is why he can't go to India. He is not free to go. He would like to go and answer everything and tell the truth but not with arrest warrant, Anjos said from Milan.

She said Michel is available to answer all questions in front of a judge but he must be assured that he is not going to be arrested. Anjos said if her client gets formal invitation from Indian authorities and assurance that he will not be arrested then he will have to go to India and answer all the questions.

However, the Italian middleman has told a news magazine that turning approver was out of question. Michel, denying his lawyers claim, said, I am ready to submit documents and proof related to the case through the Indian embassy, adding that he will be hiring an Indian lawyer very soon and was willing to move Indian courts very soon.

Michel also made it clear that he had never met the Gandhi (Sonia and Rahul) family ever. He said, I have sued Hascke and am willing to give proof.

Meanwhile, former IAF Chief S.P. Tyagi was on Tuesday questioned by CBI for the second consecutive day as part of the probe into the controversial AgustaWestland helicopter deal with the agency claiming he has accepted having met a senior functionary of the firms Italian-based parent company Finme-ccanica.

Tyagi, who has been named in the CBI case registered in March 2013, was summoned to the agency headquarters again on Tuesday during which he was shown some visitor diary entries and other documents. He was questioned for nearly nine hours.

While the CBI was not willing to come on record on Tuesdays questioning, sources in the agency claimed that Tyagi has accepted that he had a meeting with Chief Operating Officer of Finmeccanica Georgio Zapa in Delhi on February 15, 2005 when he was the IAF chief after he was shown various documents including diary entries and visitors register.

The sources claimed that Tyagi was evasive on Monday when asked about his meetings with representatives of Fin-meccanica or Agusta-Westland but after persistent questioning he accepted that a meeting did take place. The sources did not clarify if it was an official meeting but their reference to visitors diary suggested it was in the records.

The deliberations to alter specifications of the VVIP chopper--flying ceiling of 6,000 metres and a cabinet height of 1.8 metres--started from March, 2005 in which senior officials of Indian Air Force, Prime Minister's Office and Defence Ministry had participated, according to Government records.

These deliberations continued till September 2006 and suggestions to reduce the flying ceiling were accepted which brought Finmeccanica's subsidiary Agusta-Westlands helicopter in contention for the deal to sell 12 VVIP choppers to India.

Tyagi, who has been acquitted by an Italian court last year in June, was not immediately available for comments. However, he has always denied any involvement in the case. CBI, which started investigations in 2013, is also claiming that it is still examining travel details of Tyagi and his meetings besides sources of funding for his travels.

The sources claimed that while the agency had come to know about three Noida-based companies owned by the former air chief he has accepted ownership of one more company by him and his wife.
After a frantic manhunt and a rapid extradition from Belgium, Salah Abdeslam was helicoptered Wednesday into solitary confinement at a high-security jail outside the French capital.

But legal experts say families of the victims of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks will now have to wait years before the only surviving suspect goes on trial.

Even in a simple case of armed robbery in a bakery it takes a year to get a verdict, according to Pascal Jakowlew-Poisson, from the law-enforcement trade union Alternative Police CFDT. Given the complexity of this case, five years could elapse before those responsible for the attacks that left 130 dead in Paris are brought to justice, he said.

At least eight terrorists attacked sites in and around the French capital, shooting at diners in cafes and attacking people attending a concert at a theater in central Paris. Seven of the attackers blew themselves up or were killed by the police.

Wire Taps

Exploiting evidence found in phones and working with wire taps as well as tracing back the funding of the attacks is a time-consuming task given the number of suspects and leads to follow, Jakowlew-Poisson said in an interview.

Belgian-born Abdeslam was supposed to blow himself up but changed his mind at the last minute. He was finally captured last month in a bolt-hole in the notorious Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek, days before a terror-cell he was allegedly linked to launched attacks in the city.

His transfer from Belgium paves the way for a trial in France of suspects ranging from members of the terror cell right up to sidekicks such as Jawad Bendaoud, who hosted some of the attackers.

Everything is long and complicated in this case rather than being a source of appeasement, said Aline Le Bail-Kremer, who represents a French association for victims of terrorism. Its tough for the victims families and close ones even though theres a sense that things could be moving on faster than usual.

In an extremely rare move, French prosecutors set up a team of five investigative judges to probe the November attacks.

Bureaucratic Habits

Slowness is part of the DNA of Frances justice system, according to Sophie Obadia, a lawyer in Paris. Bureaucratic habits take over once the police has done its work. It all takes for ever. Suspect are interrogated once, twice, three times and then come the witness confrontations.

The investigative judges will want to draw up an elaborate architecture of the organization  leadership, funding and operational role  to the detriment of speed, according to Obadia. Who needs to know who bought weapon number two or weapon number four?

The end result is that rulings are delivered much too long after the facts, according to Obadia. The answer comes much too late. It makes no sense. Especially in a context where other terror attacks may take place before any ruling.

Jewish School

An earlier terror case in the southern city of Toulouse shows the slow-turning wheels of French justice. Mohamed Merah killed three paratroopers, and three children and a teacher at a Jewish school before being shot by the police in March 2012.

Now that investigators have finalized their four-year long probe, it should take another year before his brother Abdelkader Merah, who was charged with complicity in the murders, goes on trial, according to David Apelbaum, a lawyer in Paris.

In terrorism cases speed is a factor of investigative judges desire to shed as much light as possible on the attacks and the victims call for speedy justice, Apelbaum said. The bottom line is that its common for these extremely complex investigations to last three to four years and you need to wait another year to get a trial date, he said.

Victims of the 1995 bomb attacks in Paris had to wait seven years before convictions were brought in France against members of Algerias outlawed Armed Islamic Group.

On the other side of the English Channel, terror trials have moved much quicker.

Two converts to Islam were found guilty less than a year after murdering an off-duty British soldier on a busy London street, in a crime that transfixed the country.
Setting up a potential clash of Orange County political titans, former county GOP Chairman Scott Baugh is not ruling out a 2018 challenge of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa.

When Baugh began raising money for a bid in January, indications were that he planned to run when Rohrabacher retired. But both men subsequently have made statements raising the prospect of a face-off between the longtime friends.

In a interview last week, Baugh would not dismiss that possibility.

My broad base of community support knows that I am committed to running and serving in Congress, Baugh told the Register. Dana and I have been friends for more than 20 years and this year were focused on doing our part to ensure that no Clinton will ever serve in the White House again.

Baugh declined to comment further on the possibility of challenging Rohrabacher, or whether he had spoken recently to the incumbent. Rohrabacher on Friday declined further comment on the issue as well, and through a spokesman referred to an earlier statement in which he expressed disappointment that Baugh might challenge him in 2018.

Rohrabacher, whose 28 years in the House are the most of any California Republican now in Congress, takes credit for recruiting Baugh in 1995 to run for state Assembly. Baugh won and eventually became Assembly GOP leader. He served 10 years as county party chair after leaving the Assembly.

When Baugh opened his campaign account in January for a House run, he made no public comment. Rohrabacher told the Register at the time that Baugh was simply preparing for when the incumbent stepped down. Rohrabacher said that could conceivably happen if a Republican president took office next year and appointed him to a post in the administration.

But tensions between the two escalated after the Register reported in April that Baugh had raised $500,000 in the first quarter of the year. Baugh and prominent GOP commentator Jon Fleischman both told the paper that Rohrabacher had said he didnt plan to run again after this year, regardless of whether he got a presidential appointment.

Asked in that story if he might challenge Rohrabacher, Baugh said, Im not going to engage in speculation.

That prompted a statement from Rohrabacher that seemed assume a contest between the two.

I am disappointed to hear that Scott Baugh has been raising money for a 2018 campaign against me, read his statement last month. Scott Baugh represented to me and many of my supporters/donors that he would never run against me and was only raising money for when I retire.  I hope that he would return contributions from those who were assured it would never be used in a race against me.

Baugh said Monday that he would continue fundraising efforts and that no donors had asked for money back.

In fact, most have inquired how they could help more, he said.

Baugh anticipates that when Rohrabacher retires hell support a bid by county Supervisor Michelle Steel to fill his seat. Rohrabacher credits Steel and her husband, Shawn Steel, for helping him first get elected to Congress, but said he has not announced any endorsements because he has not made firm plans to retire.

Contact the writer: mwisckol@ocregister.com
IRVINE  The recent death of a 45-year-old musician outside a home apparently unfamiliar to him was a suicidal overdose, officials said Tuesday.

Jonathan Bunch of Long Beach was found dead around 8:45 a.m. Feb. 1 on Leatherwood Way in Irvine when a resident stepped out of the house and found him in the courtyard, said Farrah Emami, spokeswoman for the Irvine Police Department.

Bunch was still in his Trader Joes work uniform with his name tag Jon B. and was employed at a store nearby.

A musician in the local rock scene since the 1980s, Bunch co-founded the band Sense Field in 1991, sang in the punk band Reason to Believe and at one point was a member of Further Seems Forever.

He had a nice voice and sang instead of screamed like most of the bands back then, said Rodney Sellars, who played with him in Sense Field and Reason to Believe.

People got so much from him, he put so much of himself into his lyrics and our band gave people so much because the lyrics were so positive.

Bunchs car was found by Irvine police on Feb. 2 in a church parking lot in the 18000 block of Culver Drive, less than a half-mile from the lawn where he died, Emami said.

Coroner investigators said they found several empty packs of sleeping pills inside the car, along with methamphetamine.

Bunch died from a overdose of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine commonly found in sleeping pills. He also had heart disease, Supervising Deputy Coroner Mitch Segal said.

A memorial concert for Bunch was held March 20 at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana. The marquee read #JONBUNCHFOREVER.

Almost $60,000 was raised through GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses and to set up a college fund for his 12-year-old son, Jack.

Eric Bootow played bass with Bunch in his most recent band, Lucky Scars. He was a fan of Bunch before they were band mates.

I was so lucky to know Jon, not just as the guy on the stage or the lyrics on paper, Bootow said. I was a fan with Sense Field and would always see him in concerts. When he wrote me and said he wanted me to be in his band  I was like, No way, awesome.

Bunchs Lucky Scars band mates was waiting for him on Feb. 1.

We were at band practice and waiting for him and had no clue that he passed, Bootow said. None of this sounds like the Jon I know, so to me it hasnt been real. The facts dont make sense to me.

Bootow said Jack was Bunchs world. Bunch would drive from Long Beach to Irvine to pick up his son from school.

Jack was his whole life besides playing music, Bootow said. Its kind of hard to accept as a father that he killed himself, but I dont know where he was in his mind that night.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.com
There was no Clinton or Sanders, no Trump or Cruz, no donkeys or elephants  but two passionate groups of Chapman students from the universitys Democratic and Republican clubs recently came together to debate some of the hottest issues facing the nation.

A crowd formed around the stage in the back of the Argyros Forum Student Union late last month to see the political throw-down between the Chapman University College Republicans and the Chapman University Young Democrats. This was the second year of the debate, aimed at encouraging political discourse between the two Chapman clubs and offering a chance for the student body to become more politically engaged.

Even as negativity brews in the ongoing presidential election process, the recent Chapman debate was nothing if not civil  no shouting, though a few voices were raised; no attacks, save for some playful jabs on both sides. On a number of issues, there was even outright agreement and bipartisanship. For example, both teams had roughly the same approach to foreign policy and the question of how to handle ISIS.

It wouldnt be much of a debate if both sides agreed on everything, of course. Indeed, there was much to discuss as the teams significantly divided as the questions went on. Questions on 12 topics were asked by moderators, plus a handful of extras from the audience near the tail end of the debate. Student debaters were asked to discuss issues including gun control, immigration, free speech, minimum wage increases and abortion. That last one caused passions to run hot in last years debate, but with a bit of encouragement from moderator Tyler Ferrari, president of the Young Americans for Liberty club at Chapman, things were kept very respectful this time around.

Kyle Koeller, president of the Chapman University College Republicans, said this years debate was a big improvement from last year, and that this years higher attendance will do wonders for political involvement on campus.

Maybe our second time around, were just better at it, but it was very civil, said Koeller. Some students didnt really know that there were Democrat or Republican clubs on campus before things like the debate happened. There are Democrats and Republicans alike that are timid about voicing their opinions on campus. Id say its important to have these kind of debates, because if students dont have access to both sides, theyre not going to be able to learn and formulate opinions for themselves. Its important that both sides get their platforms out, then let the audience decide where they fall.

Chapman University Young Democrats President Justice Crudup also remarked on the common ground the two parties were able to find, and said such discourse ultimately leads to more educated and informed voters come time for elections.

The Chapman Republicans did very well with finding middle ground on some issues we expected to disagree on, said Crudup. Engaging with another person who may not be similar in political ideology is conducive to our generations political subsistence. Political discourse with other ideals, specifically with the opposite political party, gives more clout to educated opinions, which creates an environment filled with political information that everybody can benefit from.

Read on for some highlights of topics that brought out varying opinions in the two teams, along with the opinions offered by members of each group.

Note that the following highlights are the opinions expressed by the students on stage, and are not meant to represent the views of either party or even the whole of the clubs themselves.

Immigration

Democrats: Members of the Young Democrats supported the idea of granting amnesty and full rights, including welfare, to undocumented immigrants, citing a recent report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that stated 11 million undocumented immigrants are paying an estimated yearly $11.64 billion in state and federal taxes. Chapman Democrats argued that if theyre putting that money in, they should receive the benefits of any other taxpayer. They concluded by reminding the room that everyone in this country, short of Native Americans, are immigrants themselves.

Republicans: Chapman Republicans found the Young Democrats eagerness to provide amnesty and full rights to immigrants unpalatable, but at the same time did not adopt a strict position of deportation. Debaters argued that the ideal solution lies somewhere between the two extremes, chiefly due to the fact that tracking down 11 million undocumented immigrants is infeasible. One member likened the situation to a boat with a hole in it  saying that one would be wiser to plug the hole before starting to bail out the water thats already come through. To this end, the Republican position mostly focused on strengthening the border  and not just the Mexican border, saying that border security must be brought to its necessary strength on all fronts of the country.

Drug policy

Democrats: When asked whether the nation should end the War on Drugs started in the days of President Richard Nixon, the Chapman Democrats answered with a decisive yes. Members argued that the current approach to drug-related issues and addicts is a complete failure. In terms of where to go from here, the team suggested that addicts be treated not as criminals, but as people with a disease  pointing to programs in countries like Switzerland as areas where this approach has succeeded with less cost to the government than the United States campaigns.

Republicans: Chapman Republicans felt that calling the current system a complete failure was going too far, and asserted that the War on Drugs isnt a completely lost cause. Though they acquiesced that the system could be better, the Republicans said that simply giving up on trying to stop the spread of drugs isnt going to make things any better. Furthermore, counter to the Democrats point on Switzerland, the Republicans argued that it is misleading to reference a method working in a much smaller country like Switzerland and claim that it would play out the same way in a country like the United States.

Taxes

Democrats: Chapman Democrats held that as things stand now, the wealthy do not contribute sufficiently to the economy, and too often are able to easily sit on their fortunes while those in lower tax brackets suffer greatly by comparison. To alleviate these issues, members proposed adding a slew of higher tax brackets, adding funding for government projects and evening the financial scales. When the issue of tax cuts came up, the Democrats argued that cutting taxes for the rich typically results in them holding on to that money or simply storing it out of the country  concluding that the often discussed trickle-down economics doesnt line up with reality.

Republicans: Chapman Republicans argued that taxes are too high, and that in their current state, fail at both of their functions. As they plotted it out, depending on perspective, taxes are meant to fund the government and redistribute wealth, but fail at both. In response to the Democrats proposal of higher tax brackets, Republicans argued that the situation in Greece serves as an ominous warning of what could arise. Should the wealthy become dissatisfied with high taxes, they may simply take their wealth elsewhere and drain the country of that value.

Minimum wage

Democrats: Quickly distancing themselves from Bernie Sanders view on the matter, Chapmans Young Democrats agreed with their Republican counterparts that a $15 federal minimum wage is too high. They did, however, lean toward $10 as a potential happy spot, saying that the entire issue is a matter of weighing costs versus benefits  those who have money are more likely to spend it, but if the wage is too high it can end up having various negative effects.

Republicans: Weighing the costs versus the benefits was a big part of the Republican view as well, but the consensus for the debaters on the right was that even $10 was likely too high. The Republicans argued that when the minimum wage increases by a federal standard, it applies the cost of living in an expensive place like San Francisco to those living in smaller towns, creating significant dissonance and placing unnecessary hardship on business owners. Team members would be more in favor of increases on a local level, rather than state or federal  with another option being increasing wealth through an increased earned income tax credit.

Contact the writer: jwinslow@ocregister.com
Today, thousands of charter school supporters, parents and kids will rally at the state Capitol in Sacramento to celebrate National Charter Schools Week. The rally follows the recently announced goal of the California Charter Schools Association to expand charter school student enrollment to 1 million students by 2022, accommodating thousands on waiting lists seeking spaces. Since Californias authorization of charter schools two decades ago, they have become one of the most innovative public school choice options for parents and children  mirroring national trends for greater school choice and opportunities.

Yet, this years rally occurs at a time of mounting opposition to charter schools led, largely, by teacher and classified unions which continue to claim that charter schools undermine public education, vowing to defeat school board members supportive of charter schools. Staff employed in charter schools are not mandated to join a union and pay membership dues as a condition of employment, largely driving union opposition to charters.

The Anaheim Union High School Districts trustees  most elected with union support  even passed a resolution demanding a moratorium on new charter schools in California. Not only is their action a desperate long shot intended to stifle parents rights under the law in choosing a public school of their choice, it is unconstitutional.

Even more extreme, the former president of the Anaheim City School District Board  and declared Anaheim city council candidate  Jose Moreno has become a plaintiff representing the Turkish government in legally challenging the right of California parents to enroll their children in Magnolia charter schools. Morenos challenge against Magnolia claims that the school is connected to political opponents of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This is the same Erdogan who came under intense criticism in January for comparing his push for changing Turkeys constitution to create a stronger executive branch with Hitlers rule over Germany. To date, Moreno has failed to satisfactorily explain his fight for Turkeys president rather than the fight of Anaheims parents for quality schools.

Much opposition to charter schools is centered in Anaheim, given that parents there recently became O.C.s first to successfully use the Parent Empowerment Act to trigger change at the chronically underperforming Palm Lane Elementary school, which Moreno had overseen. Rather than honoring the parents victory to restart the school as a charter, the Anaheim trustees sued the parents. To date, the parents have prevailed in court, but the trustees have authorized an estimated million dollars to continue fighting the parents in appellate court.

Their efforts will backfire, shamefully exposing how far status quo interests are willing to go to fight laws written to empower parents.

Increasingly, parents understand that charter schools were precisely given the flexibility to be independent of the many constraints under Californias Education codes, allowing them to be more innovative while simultaneously being held accountable for improved student achievement. Several studies confirm that charter school students do better than their traditional school peers. Stanfords Center for Research on Educational Outcomes found that charter schools do a better job teaching low-income students, minority students and English language learners than traditional schools. The Center for Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college.

Ultimately, parents want the best education possible for their children and to be free to choose a school that best meets the needs of their child. This is the most important message being delivered today in Sacramento. Californians are not only hearing the message, but embracing it.

Staff opinion columnist Gloria Romero is an education reformer and former Democratic state senator from Los Angeles.
New Delhi: The Indian government was on Tuesday severely critical of an official US government report that claimed religious freedom in India was on a negative trajectory in 2015 as religious tolerance had deteriorated and that violations of religious freedom had increased.

The report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also named some top BJP leaders and MPs, including Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj, accusing them of stoking religious tension.

The external affairs ministry ripped into the report, saying it fails to show proper understanding of India, its Constitution and society. It may be recalled that USCIRF members were denied visas by the Indian government earlier this year on the ground that religious freedom is enshrined in the Constitution and any foreign third party has no locus standi to comment on it or investigate it.

The external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said the government does not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens constitutionally protected rights.

US had asked India to pull up officers

In its annual report, USCIRF asked the Indian government to publicly rebuke officials and religious leaders who make derogatory statements about religious communities.

Members of USCIRF were denied visas by Indian government early this year on the argument that religious freedom is enshrined in the constitution and any foreign third party has no locus standi to comment or investigate on it.

Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups, the report alleged. USCIRF alleged that members of the ruling BJP tacitly supported these groups and used religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions.
LAKE FOREST  Councilman Jim Gardner has started an online petition demanding the resignation of two of his council colleagues, who are targets of an ongoing recall effort.

Gardner said if Mayor Andrew Hamilton and Mayor Pro Tem Scott Voigts resign now, they can spare the city a costly special election that could take place contingent on the number of signatures validated by the Orange County Registrar of Voters. Organizers of the recall campaign to oust Hamilton, Voigts and Councilman Dwight Robinson turned in more than 8,100 signatures per official last week.

If 8,000 people sign me to leave, I would have the decency to resign because that means Im no longer representing the people, Gardner said. If we have a special election we are likely to have more turmoil.

Hamilton and Voigts say its Gardner and Councilman Adam Nick who have created turmoil in the city by spreading lies and fueling a recall campaign that would waste taxpayer money. Hosting a recall election, separate from a regular election, would cost the city as much as $200,000.

Its a ridiculous request, Voigts said about Gardners demand for him to resign. Its a joke because I feel Jim Gardner and Adam Nick are clowns.  Its comical and its so sad the turmoil they brought to the city.

Gardners online petition called Do the Right Thing and Resign had 106 signatures as of Saturday, with the goal of 10,000.

The city is still waiting for the Orange County Registrar of Voters to verify there are at least 7,882 valid signatures per official necessary to hold a special election.

Gardner said he isnt demanding Robinsons resignation because Robinson had garnered more votes in the 2012 election than the number of recall signatures to oust him. Also, Robinson is up for re-election in November.

Voigts and Hamilton said they are optimistic recall organizers wont have enough valid signatures to initiate a special election. The California Secretary of State recommends recall petitioners turn in 50 percent more signatures than required to account for invalid signatures that will be eliminated during the review process.

If the recall organizers dont have the required number of valid signatures, the city will have wasted $3.40 verification fee per signature for nothing, Hamilton said.

This is going to have an impact on our city budget, Hamilton said.

The first recall campaign in the citys 25-year history began in October when the response Hamilton, Voigts and Robinson gave to a road project gone awry upset some Portola Hills residents.

Leah Basile, who spearheads the recall campaign, said she learned the three men had received campaign contributions from developers before approving their housing projects, and from other businesses that contract with the city.

Lake Forest has no campaign contribution limits and does not bar officials from taking donations from city contractors. But to Basile and her supporters, the contributions were further evidence that the council members were beholden to other interests, rather than to residents.

Voigts said recall should be used only in extreme circumstances. Voters will have an opportunity to have their voices heard in the November election, he said.

The signature verification by the Registrar of Voters can take up to 30 days, excluding weekends and holidays. The city must then finalize the certification of signatures at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting and hold an election within 88 to 125 days.

Contact the writer: 949-445-6397 or tshimura@ocregister.com
A tough few weeks for Ted Cruz has culminated with a crushing defeat in Indiana and his decision to suspend his campaign.

Just last week, Cruz, in an odd move, threw up a Hail Mary by naming Carly Fiorina as his running mate. This made her just a heartbeat away from never being vice president. She wanted to become the first person to lose twice in the same presidential election. Ted Cruz naming his VP was a bit like the Atlanta Braves announcing where they are going to have their World Series victory parade.

Cruz picked Carly in a hasty manner. It was a three-question vetting process: 1) Are you a woman? 2) How would you be working with Lucifer in the flesh? 3) Are you good at suffering humiliating losses?

Sadly, she and Trump would have been better suited as running mates. Carly is bright and measured, and she would help bridge Trumps gender gap. But it would be uncomfortable; Trump has never voluntarily been so near a woman over 50 in his life.

Cruz would have never considered a man as his running mate. He felt two men running together looked too gay.

All the while, Hillary Clinton is trying to stay above the fray and away from indictment. She has been playing the woman card on Donald Trump. If you have not been paying attention, Hillarys entire campaign platform seems to be that a woman should be our next president. Hillary is a woman, so it should be her.

She has been touring the country, including Kansas, and was encouraged to see campaign signs with her slogan, Ready for Hillary. Unfortunately for her, the signs were in front of the federal prison at Leavenworth.

She has also been working on a more likeable image, appearing with daughter Chelsea and the Clintons new grandbaby. She says she has gotten good at changing diapers, which might mean that she is preparing to name Bernie Sanders as her running mate.

Hillary also looked to soften the perception of her relationship with her husband and political asset, Bill. In another softball CNN interview last week, she was asked to name all the things she loves about Bill  and one thing she doesnt. She said she doesnt like that Bill reads in bed and doesnt turn off the light. If CNN had an ounce of journalistic instincts, the natural follow-up question would have been, Which woman told you that?

Bernie Sanders knows he cannot win. Hillary has the super delegates in her ample pantsuit pockets. Sanders game plan is to stay in the race to build notoriety and to burnish his iconic image in hopes of landing perhaps an MSNBC talk show or paid speaking engagements. He wants to be the first person in America to ever make money off of socialism. He could model himself after socialist multibillionaires who run their countries into the ground with their share-the-wealth populist politics, like Fidel Castro and Vladimir Putin.

Trump has turned this GOP nomination campaign into an episode of The Apprentice. In a last-ditch effort, Cruz and Fiorina cut a deal with John Kasich to combine efforts in order to defeat Trump  exactly what Gary Busey, Omarosa and Meatloaf would do.

For Ted Cruz, the writing was on the wall this past month. Some overweight woman who looks just like Ted Cruz appeared on The Maury Povich Show. She became an instant Internet sensation; last week she was approached about doing a porn film. On the bright side, that moment might finally provide something to curb Americas porn addiction.

TrusTed was Cruzs campaign slogan. But a month ago it was reported that he has had five mistresses. Trust is key in relationships; one must trust that none of these women says anything.

The way the campaign is going, Trump might name Adm. James Stockdale as his running mate.

The hysteria about Trump winning the nomination is starting to subside. The establishment GOP folk are coming around. Party Chairman Reince Priebus congratulated him on being the presumptive nominee. And even those who said they would move to Canada if Trump is elected president have calmed down. Rosie ODonnell and Lena Dunham now say they will only move from HBO to Netflix if Trump is elected.

Ron Hart, a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author, is a frequent guest on CNN. He can be contacted at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied an appeal by an Orange County killer who has spent more than two decades on death row.

The appeal by convicted murderer Richard Boyer argued that keeping someone incarcerated for so long under the threat of execution is a violation of the inmates Constitutional rights.

In dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer noted that a 2008 report by the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice described the states death penalty system as dysfunctional.

The report pointed out that more California death row inmates have committed suicide than have been executed by the state.

More than 900 people have been sentenced to death since 1978, including 64 people from Orange County. Only 13 have actually been executed, none since 2006.

Boyer was convicted of stabbing and bludgeoning to death an elderly Fullerton couple during a December 1982 home robbery.

His 1992 trial ended in conviction and his current death row sentence.

Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com
The California Screamin roller coaster at Disney California Adventure was shut down for about two hours Monday when a passenger pulled out a selfie stick, park officials said.

A Disney employee halted the roller coaster at 5:10 p.m. when a male rider pulled out the expandable stick, said Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown.

Thats just normal procedure, Brown said.

It took about 30 minutes to get all the passengers off the ride, but no one was injured. The ride was reopened shortly after 7 p.m., Brown said.

Selfie sticks were banned from the park last June as a safety precaution, Brown said.

The ban came two days after a someone on the same ride pulled out the stick midway though the ride.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com
Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Googles self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans.

The companies announced the agreement on Tuesday, saying that Chrysler engineers would work with Google to install sensors and software so the vans can drive themselves.

The added vehicles are needed as Google expands real-world testing. Google says it will own the gas-electric hybrid vans, and its not licensing autonomous car technology to Fiat Chrysler or anyone else. Both companies are free to work with others as well.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The added vehicles are needed as Google increases real-world testing in four cities including Mountain View; Austin, Texas; Kirkland, Wash.; and the Phoenix area. Initially the vans will be tested by Google on its private test track in California, but eventually theyll make their way to public roads.

Its the first time Google has worked directly with an auto company on installing self-driving sensors and computers. The 100 newly redesigned minivans would be uniquely built for Googles self-driving technology, FCA said in a statement. Both companies will have engineers at a site near Detroit to work on the vans.

The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer, said John Krafcik, CEO of Googles project.

The agreement could give FCA an inside track to manufacturing vehicles for Google because its engineers would become experienced with what Google needs. But neither company would comment on possible future deals.

Currently Googles 7-year-old autonomous car project, which is now part of the so-called X lab at Alphabet Inc., Googles Mountain View-based parent company, has 21 Lexus SUVs modified to drive autonomously, plus another 33 pod-like small cars.

Fiat Chrysler  which has lagged bigger, richer rivals like Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. in the development of self-driving cars  will welcome the chance to test Googles technology. The Italian-American automaker also has manufacturing expertise and factories that Google lacks.

Google has set a goal of having self-driving cars in the publics hands by 2020.
Davey Havok is content being a misfit. Throughout his life hes been told that he doesnt fit in, but that hasnt stopped him from having a successful career in the music business. Hes fronted rock band AFI for a quarter of a century and has dabbled in several more projects, most recently the straightedge hardcore band XTRMST and electronic duo Blaqk Audio, all of which he works on with his friend and longtime collaborator, Jade Puget.

What began simply as an outlet for Puget, who is AFIs guitarist, and Havok to explore electronic music since the duo are big fans of the genre and acts such as Erasure, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Fischerspooner and even more recent artists like Kaskade, Deadmau5 and Afrojack, has become a full-fledged musical endeavor as it just dropped its third album, Material, on April 15.

We dont really fit the genre exactly and as much has been the case with most things that Ive created over my life, Havok said of Blaqk Audio during a recent phone interview. The duo will kick off a small tour at House of Blues San Diego on Wednesday, which then comes to the Observatory in Santa Ana on Thursday and the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Friday.

Just after our interview last month, Puget and Havok played a few Blaqk Audio songs, including Anointed off of the new record and fan-favorites Stiff Kittens and Cities of Night off its 2007 debut CexCells, live during an intimate performance and discussion, led by MusiCares and Grammy Foundation vice president Scott Goldman at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.

Though there isnt a full band backing them as with AFI, its still a powerful performance with Havoks soaring vocals and theatrical moments bringing the dance music to life as Puget gets to work in the background, pumping out an array of sounds.

We tend to blur the lines through electronic genres, Havok continued in our interview. Jade is creating these styles of music and I listen to them and they put me in one place or another. That was the case with Material and in that regard some of the pieces like Ceremonial (Burst Into Stars) or the title track, they had a more ethereal vibe and felt like music we listened to in the 90s.

The song Im a Mess, which was written after the guys recorded their debut, also got to see the light of day on this record.

Its been one of my favorite Blaqk Audio songs for a while, he said. That really harkens back to the inception of the band and where we were back then, but we both really love the song and didnt want to lose it. It was interesting for me to look back at it lyrically and be somewhat disappointed that what I suspected is true, and thats that Im constantly singing about the same (stuff) over and over and over again.

With any of their projects, whether AFI, Blaqk Audio or XTRMST, Havok said that he and Puget are extremely picky and there are numerous songs that no one will ever hear. The duo are constantly working independently and together to juggle all of their obligations and keep things fresh, which is why straight after the release of this Blaqk Audio record and the tour, new AFI music could be out as soon as early next year.

Yet, Havok and Puget still arent sick of each other.

Theres a lot that goes behind that and history is very important, Havok said of his collaborative relationship with Puget. Weve known each other for so long. We know each others personalities and faces and we know how we write together and separately. We have the same dedication to what were creating and the same passion for it, as well as the same wide array of influences. All of that goes into a really great working relationship, not to mention were both straight edge, neither of us use drugs of any sort. People kind of overlook how much that impacts bands, you know? Destructive personal relationships and destructive substances are mainly the two things that go into deconstructing collaborations and weve never had that aspect infringing on our work.

Though AFI has been heavily spun on rock radio for years, Havok said that it never gets old to hear any of his music played on-air. When KROQ/106.7 FM DJ Ted Stryker debuted Blaqk Audios Anointed just before the album release, Havok was tuned in and celebrated with friends and patrons at a place where he gets his Acai bowls in L.A.

Its really exciting for me because I never, never did expect anything Ive ever made to be played on the radio, he said. That core element of me never goes away, so whenever anything like that happens, its really exciting for me. I cant imagine ever being like Eh, who cares.

Even with his plate overflowing with Blaqk Audio and AFI tours, songwriting and recording, Havok managed to find time to work on a new record with Adrian Young, Tony Kanal and Tom Dumont of Orange Countys own, No Doubt. Despite the rumors that followed the leak that the quartet had been shopping an album, no, Havok is not replacing No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani. Though Havok is a big fan of No Doubt, and the song Dont Speak in particular, this is an entirely separate project.

Were not really in any position to go into too much detail, he said. We have a record written and we should be recording it soon. They approached me a couple of years ago to work on some music and I heard it and I loved it, but I cant really tell you what its like right now, but its great.

Contact the writer: 714-796-3570 or kfadroski@ocregister.com
WASHINGTON  Early in 2011, after a hectic visit to Yemen, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton landed in the tranquil Arab sultanate of Oman. She was there to talk to Sultan Qaboos bin Said about an idea one of his envoys first pitched to the State Department in the spring of 2009: that Oman serve as a conduit for secret nuclear talks between the United States and Iran.

Clinton agreed to explore the proposal but was dubious that it would go anywhere.

Even under the best of circumstances, she wrote later, this was a long shot.

It would be 18 months before she took up the sultan on his offer and dispatched a team of diplomats to Oman to meet with the Iranians.

Clinton, however, was not the only prominent American making discreet trips to Oman in those days. Sen. John F. Kerry, then the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and later her successor as secretary of state, was holding his own meetings with Qaboos and his trusted emissary, a businessman named Salem ben Nasser al-Ismaily.

Kerry came away convinced that Oman could deliver Iranians who spoke for their top leaders, and he urged President Barack Obama and Clinton to open a back channel.

Hillary and company were skeptical, he said in an interview.

The president, on the other hand, was intrigued by the prospect of an Omani channel, twice telephoning the sultan to ask him about it.

He was genuinely curious about trying to find an out-of-the-box approach to change the dynamic, Kerry recalled.

The Iran nuclear deal, signed last year after months of direct negotiations with Iranian officials, is likely to be remembered as Obamas most consequential diplomatic achievement. In Clintons campaign to succeed him, she is claiming her share of the credit for it. The multinational sanctions regime that she cobbled together helped pull Irans government to the bargaining table. The team she eventually sent to Oman, she likes to say, set the table for Kerrys diplomatic banquet.

But the behind-the-scenes story of Clintons role is more complicated than her public account of it. Interviews with more than a dozen current and former administration officials paint a portrait of a highly cautious, ambivalent diplomat, less willing than Obama to take risks to open a dialogue with Iran and increasingly wary of Kerrys freelance diplomacy. Her decision to send her own team, some officials said, was driven as much by her desire to corral Kerry as to engage the Iranians.

Clinton, who declined to comment for this article, worried that he was promising too much to lure the Iranians to the table  a worry shared by people in the White House. The senators aides, meanwhile, suspected that Clinton was content to run out the clock on an opening. At one point, a frustrated Kerry told his chief of staff, David Wade, If this is going to go anywhere, we have to get people in a room talking.

Defenders of Clinton say that her distrust of Iran was warranted, and that her success in lining up the sanctions makes her the best candidate to handle the next phase of the relationship: enforcing the nuclear agreement.

Shes built one coalition that was tremendously effective in imposing sanctions, said Jake Sullivan, Clintons top policy adviser at the State Department, who was a member of the team sent to Oman for the talks. If it comes to it, she can rally the world to both deter and punish Iran.

Leery From the Start

Few would have expected Clinton to be in the vanguard of an overture to Iran. During the 2008 campaign, she ridiculed Obamas pledge to hold talks with Irans leaders without preconditions. She warned Iran that if it ever launched a nuclear strike on Israel, the United States would totally obliterate it.

Yet the secret channels origins go back to her own special adviser on Iran, Dennis B. Ross, who got a visit at the State Department on Memorial Day weekend in 2009 from al-Ismaily. He came bearing a sheet of paper outlining an offer by Iran to negotiate with the Obama administration on a range of issues, including the countrys nuclear program as well as its support for Hezbollah.

As a general rule, Ross said he viewed such proposals not with a grain of salt, but a small ton of salt. But he had gotten to know the Omanis through his work on Middle East peace issues in the 1990s, and he knew their ties to the Iranians were genuine. He said he decided to pass along al-Ismailys proposal, with a caveat-laden cover memo, to Clinton. She told Ross to keep talking to him.

A few weeks later, the Iranian authorities cracked down brutally on anti-government protesters, dashing al-Ismailys hopes to set up a channel and prompting the White House to shift from a strategy of engaging Tehran to one of pressuring it. Clinton lobbied China and other countries in the U.N. Security Council to impose harsh new sanctions on Iran, a step widely seen as a crucial lever against the Iranians.

Around that time, al-Ismaily got another chance to demonstrate his skills as an intermediary. He negotiated the release of three young Americans who had been arrested by Iranian guards while hiking on the border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. Oman paid bail for the three hikers, roughly $500,000 each.

In December 2010, several weeks after the release of the first American, Ross and a senior official on the National Security Council, Puneet Talwar, secretly traveled to Oman to hear from Qaboos himself how he thought a channel could work. They were impressed by what the sultan told them: He had visited the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and was confident of the countrys seriousness in seeking a nuclear deal.

The next January, Clinton stopped in Muscat, the capital of Oman, for her own briefing. She expressed doubts that the Iranians could negotiate in good faith, but she agreed to put it to a test. Obama was more intrigued: He called Qaboos twice over the next few months to ask him about whether he could deliver Iranians who could speak with the authority of the supreme leader. The White House, intent on secrecy, did not disclose the calls.

Leaning Forward, Then Back

Kerry had long nourished the idea of opening lines of communication to Iran, and he saw his chance when he got involved in trying to free the hikers. That put him in contact with the sultan and his emissary. (Al-Ismaily confirmed this account, but declined to speak on the record about his role in the nuclear talks.)

Kerry visited Oman in late 2011 and the first half of 2012, spending hours with the sultan discussing the possibility of secret talks with Iran. He also met with al-Ismaily  sometimes in London and Rome, other times in Washington. Later, in a one-on-one meeting with Obama in the Oval Office, Kerry told him that the only way to test its potential was to meet the Iranians.

The State Department and the National Security Council, however, deliberated for months without making a decision.

In his zeal to jump-start negotiations, Kerry passed several messages to the Iranians through al-Ismaily. The senator was coordinating his talking points with Obamas national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, with whom he had a close relationship. But his aggressive approach alarmed Clinton, as well as people at the White House, several former officials said. They worried that Kerry had promised the Iranians concessions on enriching uranium that the White House was not yet willing to make.

Kerry, these officials said, indicated to the Iranians that the United States would acknowledge, at the outset of the talks, that Iran had a right to enrich uranium for a civil nuclear-energy program. Iran had long demanded that concession, claiming it was guaranteed by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. But the United States had steadfastly refused, and the Obama administration was, at that moment, debating how and when to relax that position.

Kerry denies ever signaling to Iran that it had a right to enrich.

We made it crystal clear to them, he said.

At the same time, he held out to the Iranians the prospect of their having a peaceful nuclear program, and he was dismissive of hard-liners in Israel and the United States who demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear infrastructure.

In the fragile atmosphere of early 2012, officials said, Kerrys forward-leaning style came to be viewed as a liability. Clinton and Obama worried that the Iranians would believe Kerry was speaking for the president.

Sometime that spring, Obama decided that it was time for the executive branch to take over the negotiations. Kerry did not protest, believing that he had taken the process as far as a senator could. Three years later in Vienna, as secretary of state, he would lead weeks of grinding talks that produced a final agreement.

After she left the State Department, Clinton diverged from Obama on a central tactical question: whether to impose harsh new sanctions on the Iranians after they elected Hassan Rouhani, who had run for president seeking better relations with the West to ease Irans economic isolation. Clinton was swayed by many in Congress, as well as by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who argued Iran was so desperate for a deal that tightening the vise would have extracted better terms.

She would have squeezed them again, a person who has worked with her for several years said, and the only debate is what they would have done.
Irvine and Lake Forest are among the fastest-growing cities in California, spurred largely by upswings in new housing that should continue as the economy improves, the states Department of Finance said Monday.

Every Orange County city saw its population grow in 2015  as did California as a whole, which nudged up nearly 1 percent to surpass 39 million residents.

Finance Department officials and demographic experts said the growth is a normal part of an improving economy, with Irvine and Lake Forest doing their part.

Lake Forest increased 3.7 percent from Jan. 1, 2015, to a year later, ranking third among California cities with populations of more than 30,000 people. Irvine ranked ninth with a 2.6 percent boost.

Ive never seen it grow this fast, said Cindi Powalski, a 34-year Lake Forest resident and real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Its so crazy. Every house has multiple offers.

Last year, Lake Forest added about 990 housing units and Irvine roughly 2,000, which explains the population increases, said Deborah Stickley Diep, the director of the Center for Demographic Research at Cal State Fullerton.

When you build housing, the population will increase, she said. Especially in Orange County, the occupancy will happen fast.

Orange County, which saw its population rise 1 percent in a year, adding more than 30,000 residents, has increased steadily every year since the end of the Great Recession in 2009.

It will continue to see its population increase, as will California, as more housing is added and the birth rate continues to outpace the death rate, said Doug Kuczynski, a demographer for the state Finance Department.

Irvine, Diep said, will likely continue to rank near the top of California cities for population increases as its housing boom continues.

Since 2011, the population of Irvine has grown 18 percent.

A lot of permits have been pulled in Irvine, Diep said. Irvine for sure will continue to build.

Lake Forest, too, is booming. In 2015, Lake Forests population grew nearly as much as it had in the previous four years combined, according to Finance Department data.

The city has seen several housing projects come online recently, including the 2,379-home Shea/Baker Ranch community. In January, the City Council approved a 52-house gated community near the Irvine border.

Powalski, the real estate agent, said three-quarters of her clients come from Irvine, especially as people search for lower-priced houses and become aware of the citys new parks and strong school system. Lake Forest is also near Irvine and has close freeway access.

There is something here for everyone, she said. We are the gateway to south Orange County.

Contact the writer: 714-796-6979 or chaire@ocregister.com
SANTA ANA  Veronica Skripetz died of tuberculosis in 1808. Her baby boy, Johannes Orlovits, probably died from dysentery, at just a year old.

Those are the conclusions of researchers who studied two mummies on display at the Bowers Museum through Sept. 5 in the Mummies of the World show. Last month, the bodies of Skripetz and baby Orlovits underwent CT scans at OC Global Medical Center in Santa Ana. CT, or computerized tomography, scanning is one tool researchers use to discover more about mummies without damaging them.

On Monday, Dr. Linda Sutherland and her husband Dr. James Sutherland announced their findings after studying the CT scans. They also included results from a 2010 CT scan of Michael Orlovits, Veronica Skripetzs first husband, who died in 1806 and whose mummy is also part of the Bowers exhibit. When the exhibition came to Los Angeles in 2010, a CT scan was done on Michael Orlovits mummy, and the Sutherlands recently worked with those results alongside the scans of Skripetz and baby Orlovits.

The three mummies are part of a trove of more than 250 found in a secret crypt in the Domincan Church of Vac, Hungary. The people found in the Vac crypt died and were interred in the 1700s and 1800s. At some point the crypt was covered up and forgotten. But in 1994, repair work at the church revealed the bodies inside. Theyd been well preserved by a constant flow of cool, dry air.

When they opened the coffins  to their surprise, the hair, skin and clothing had not decayed, Dr. Linda Sutherland said. Usually when you open up a coffin, you find skeletal remains and that the soft tissue has decayed.

Drs. Sutherland are members of the Horus Mummy Research Group and estimate theyve studied about 300 mummies. For the Vac mummies, much was already known. Church records and writing on the coffins helped determine names, dates of deaths, births, marriages and baptisms and sometimes occupations.

But the CT scans showed things that church records couldnt. After the mummies were discovered, researchers in Hungary analyzed Skripetzs lung tissue and concluded she had tuberculosis.

The CT scan confirmed that, as it showed scarring in Skripetzs lungs. It also showed Skripetz was very slender, suggesting she was ill for some time before she died. She died at 38, just two years after Michael Orlovits and a year after marrying for a second time.

Johannes Orlovits was born in 1800 and died a year later. He was Skripetzs third child, none of whom lived past age 2.

The CT scan revealed that Johannes Orlovits was a well-nourished baby, with rolls of fat and chubby legs, Dr. Linda Sutherland said. He didnt appear to have any chronic disease or broken bones. Therefore, he probably died suddenly.

His bowels were relatively clean, void of the microbacteria normally found in our intestines that help us digest food. Dysentery then was a likely culprit. Without modern treatments like rehydration through intravenous fluids, dysentery could be fatal in that era.

Michael Orlovits died at 40 or 41. His CT scan has raised more questions than provided answers. For one thing, part of his sternum and midsection are missing, said Dr. James Sutherland. One possibility is that its the result of a post-mortem autopsy, he said.

The scan also showed a broken and rehealed left leg, a dislocated shoulder and a wooden peg holding the mummys head to its body. These last two couldve happened long after Orlovits died, perhaps when the body was being moved, Dr. James Sutherland said.

But the broken leg couldve been the result of an injury at work. Orlovits was a miller and occupational hazards wouldve been part of the job. The leg healed crookedly and left Orlovits with his left leg two centimeters shorter than the right.

Contact the writer: aboessenkool@ocregister.com
Front-runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, following resounding wins in New York and several northeastern states over the past two weeks, are creeping ever closer to the magic delegate numbers they need to clinch their parties presidential nominations (1,237 for Republicans, 2,383 for Democrats).

Indiana, whose primary voters go to the polls on Tuesday, is setting up as a must-win for Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Here are five credible predictions on who will win.

PredictWise: Trump and Clinton

The research project led by David Rothschild, an economist at Microsoft Research in New York City, that aggregates betting-market data has successfully predicted the winner in 66 of 77 individual state nominating contests its covered so far this year. As of Sunday PredictWise gave Trump a 90-percent chance of winning in Indiana, up from 69 percent the day before and as low as 31 percent earlier in the month.

Cruz actually led in prediction markets for Indiana until the New York primary on April 19, which Trump won resoundingly. Since then, the Texas senator has attempted to shake up the race by forming a short-lived pact with Ohio Governor John Kasich to divvy up the remaining major primary states (under the plan, Cruz would get Indiana), naming former HP executive Carly Fiorina as his running-mate, and landing an endorsement from Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Despite his efforts, Cruzs Hoosier State chances have fallen from a high of 64 percent on April 7 to 47 percent on April 19, when Trump first took the lead, to 9 percent on Sunday. Kasich, the popular governor of a neighboring state, has never broken into double-digits.

On the Democratic side, Clinton was favored as of Sunday with a 76-percent chance. Sanders was initially favored 67-33 percent on April 7 before ceding the lead to Clinton a few days before the New York primary, and now has a one-in-four chance of pulling out a win.

RealClearPolitics: Trump and Clinton

As of Sunday, the poll aggregating site had Trump ahead in Indiana by 4.1 points, on average, and up by as much as 15 points in one recent poll. Cruz was favored in one of seven polls listed on the site, though, which showed him holding a 16-point lead over Trump. As for the Democrats, Clinton enjoyed a slightly more comfortable 6.2-point lead.

Bing: Trump and Clinton

With a roughly 82-percent accuracy rating so far this cycle, Bing Predicts also looks for a Trump win in Indiana, and estimated hell carry almost 44 percent of the vote, according to the machine-learned predictive model that the Microsoft search engine created. It parses data from polls, prediction markets, search engine queries, and social media posts.

Clinton, meanwhile, was projected to win by a 12-point margin over Sanders.

FiveThirtyEight: Trump and Clinton

FiveThirtyEight, run by former New York Times stats guru Nate Silver, on Sunday gave Trump a 94-percent chance of winning Indiana after looking at recent state polls. His chances there actually dip to 69 percent when national polls and endorsements are factored into the sites so-called polls-plus forecast. That model favored Cruz as recently as Saturday, likely due to the Pence endorsement. Meanwhile, Kasich had a less-than-1-percent chance of winning Indiana under either scenario.

For the Democrats, Clinton had at least an 88-percent chance of winning. The average of FiveThirtyEights simulated results, when factoring in national polls and endorsements, showed Clinton winning by around 11 points.

Ballotcraft: Trump and Clinton

This fantasy politics game, founded by two Stanford grads, has thousands of players who use fake money to buy shares in candidates. It has correctly predicted 66 of the 77 individual state nominating contests it has covered so far. As of Sunday, shares of Trump were worth around $0.57, meaning his chances of winning Indiana were roughly 57 percent and suggestive of a closer race than several of the other predictors. The sites users gave Cruz, who was favored as recently as April 25, a 41.5-percent chance of winning, down from 46 percent on Saturday.

On the Democratic side, the race has been tightening, with Clintons chances of winning falling from nearly 67 percent on April 20 to 54 percent as of Sunday, when Sanders sat at a still-competitive 46 percent.
Lucknow: The All India Hindu Mahasabha and the Sant Sabha, a body of saints, have put up hoardings serving an ultimatum to the Modi government. The hoardings, plastered all over the state capital, say, Agar 2016 mein mandir nirman nahi, to 2017 mein matdaan nahin and Bhool gaye mandir ka vada, phir ho gaye anjaane/ Gau bhakshak (cow killers) ho mantra jiske, usko kya Hindu pehachane.

The hoardings carry the photograph of Swami Chakrapani, the national president of the Hindu Mahasabha. The Chakrapani faction of the Hindu Mahasabha has suddenly become active after Kamlesh Tiwari was jailed under the National Security Act.

Talking to a select group of reporters, Swami Chakrapani said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to ban cow slaughter across the country, bring back black money stashed abroad and clear the way for temple construction.

The state BJP president is saying that Ram temple is not on the partys agenda. Instead of banning cow slaughter, leaders like Kiran Rijiju have been made ministers and there are no signs of the black money being brought back, he said.

Hindu Mahasabha sources said that plans were being made to intensify the campaign for the Ram temple in Ayodhya and put the Modi government in an uncomfortable position.

The BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak, meanwhile, said that the BJP was not running away from any questions and its leaders had already clarified that the Ram temple issue was a matter of faith and not an election issue.

Interestingly, the Hindu Mahasabha hoardings were ripped off within 24 hours and a municipal official said that they had nothing to do with it. Strong winds have been blowing across Lucknow and it is possible that the hoardings may have got torn, he stated.
A 19-year-old demonstrator is charged with throwing an object at a police vehicle and inciting a riot at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Costa Mesa last week, the Orange County District Attorneys Office said Monday.

Luis Fernando Alarcon of Anaheim pleaded not guilty Monday to felony vandalism of $400 in damage or more, and a misdemeanor for inciting a riot. He faces 3 years in jail.

A crowd of 8,000, mostly Trump supporters, packed the Pacific Amphitheatre at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Thursday to see the candidate kick off his California campaign.

As drivers were trying to exit the Orange County Fairgrounds afterward, pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators clashed in the parking lot. Orange County Sheriffs deputies in riot gear separated the two groups, who were shouting profanities at each other and nearly coming to blows.

Prosecutors believe Alarcon blocked traffic and shouted (expletive) the police at authorities. At one point, he threw an object in his pocket at a California Highway Patrol vehicle, the DA said in a statement.

He ran into the crowd and continued to block traffic and yell at police while protesters threw rocks at CHP officers, the statement said. He was arrested soon afterward.

Other demonstrators blocked traffic and jumped on a Costa Mesa police car, breaking its windows and attempting to turn it over.

Calls to CHP were not immediately returned.

Costa Mesa police made 17 arrests Friday on suspicion of failing to disperse. Five police cars were damaged. Those arrests have not been submitted to the DAs office.

Alarcon is being held in Orange County jail in lieu of $20,000 bail. He is expected to appear in court May 9.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com
Re: Trump team to GOP: Front-runners image is evolving [Opinion, April 22]: According to the Trump campaigns new senior aide, Paul Manafort, Trump has two personalities: one in private and one onstage. It used to be an insult to be called two-faced. But poor Mr. Manafort has the unenviable job of attempting to make the appalling Mr. Trump palatable to moral, thinking people.

I am a lifelong Southern Californian, Ive been a Goldwater-Buckley-Reagan conservative and a Republican since I turned 20 in 1964, and an evangelical Christian since age 30. Donald Trump is neither a conservative nor a Republican, and only God knows if hes a Christian. He does not represent me or anything Ive ever believed.

Websters defines integrity in part as a firm adherence to a code of moral values, and further as the quality of being undivided, not as having both a public and a private persona.

Weve been subjected to many months of the narcissistic, racist, misogynistic, rude, crude and lewd bully-coward Trump. I cant wait to hear the more presidential Donald Trump that he promises. But Im not going to hold my breath and stand on one foot waiting.

Kathleen Ireland Davis

Santa Ana

Inciting violence?

Re: Protests sharp as Trump moves north [News, April 30]: So, tell me why a bunch of hooligans vandalizing a police car has anything to do with Trump. These are not people who have any political leanings; they are simply criminals looking for an opportunity to cause havoc.

And, while you are at it, why is it against school policies to send a student home who wears a shirt emblazoned with an American flag because it is inciteful, yet, the principal of Newport Harbor High School allowed several students to wear Dump Trump t-shirts even though the principal had expressly prohibited such apparel earlier due to safety concerns? This is the same school that previously removed I Love Trump and Trump Rules messages scrawled on the pavement.

James H. McGee

Orange

  

Ann Coulter says, after watching Trump protestors, that more than ever she values the First and the Second amendments. Wonder if, after reading that tweet, Trump supporters get violent, could she convince her man to cover her legal fees?

Phil Silverman

Laguna Woods-Majorca
This isnt how Donald Trump imagined closing the biggest deal of his life.

Instead of triumphantly addressing Californias GOP convention this weekend with his enemies silenced and his sights on Hillary Clinton, he is now hunkering down to spend the next several weeks in the Golden State  usually an afterthought in presidential politics  fighting a series of bloody battles with John Kasich and Ted Cruz, congressional district by congressional district.

No one has ever had to do aything like this before in California, said Richard Temple, a veteran Republican strategist who is working on an independent campaign to derail front-runner Trump because he feels the bombastic New York businessman and reality TV star will destroy the party he loves  and almost surely lead the GOP to a crushing defeat in November.

So Temple and other California strategists are mining demographic, marketing and voting trend data, trying to find where Trump is most vulnerable. They will then marshal resources to those enclaves  whether that means hiring people to call voters, knock on their doors or bombard them with mailers.

This is going to be hand-to-hand combat, Temple said. Youre talking about five reams of paper sitting on my desk. Im going to figure out how each one of these districts tick.

Theyll sort the immigration-loving GOP executives in the Silicon Valley from the conservative ranchers along the southern border who feel their land has been invaded by a foreign force. Theyll figure out how to appeal to deeply religious Latinos in East Los Angeles and drought-stricken farmers up and down the Central Valley.

The challenge they face in halting Trumps advance toward the nomination should become clearer after Tuesdays Indiana primary. Trump needs a strong showing in the Hoosier State, where polls show him slightly ahead of Cruz, to avoid needing to effectively run the table in California on June 7, the last day of this crazy primary season.

Either way, Californias Republicans will either put Trump over the 1,237-delegate threshold to claim the GOP nomination outright  or make him fight for it in late July at the partys national convention in Cleveland, where Cruzs organizational muscle gives him an advantage.

But winning big in California is no simple task  and it certainly wont be a cheap one in a huge, diverse state where TV commercials are as pricey as the homes that dot the Pacific Coast from San Diego to the Bay Area.

Look at Californias Republican contest as 53 separate elections fought in each of the states congressional districts. The top vote-getter will receive three delegates no matter if the district is full of Berkeley socialists or tea party activists.

For all the fretting about the state GOP shrinking into oblivion, California is still home to more registered Republicans  4.7 million  than any state besides Texas.

United in their anger

If there is one common thread that ties GOP voters together, its that many of them are angry about how the race has been fought. And theyre increasingly dissatisfied about their options.

In a nutshell, the Republicans are trying to destroy each other and get Hillary elected, said Dave Stanley, a retired Navy veteran from Imperial Beach, a military town wedged between San Diego and the Mexican border. Hes concluded that the only way out is for the party to draft Mitt Romney to run again.

Stanleys frustrations were echoed by June Hannon, an 86-year-old Walnut Creek resident who has decorated her car with a bumper sticker of every Republican presidential nominee dating back to Eisenhower. But she would refuse to stick a Trump bumper sticker on her red convertible  and she might not advertise for Cruz either.

She likes Kasich but isnt keen on voting for someone Republicans across the country have thoroughly rejected. It makes me feel politically lonesome, she said. It really does.

Trump has the most to gain from California, but he also faces the toughest task. Even if he fares well in Tuesdays Indiana primary, projections show him needing to win up to 40 out of Californias 53 congressional districts to claim the nomination outright.

That means Trump not only will have to conquer projected strongholds such as the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego, he also will need to score victories in the Central Valley, an area where Cruzs power is concentrated, and in wealthier sections of the Bay Area and Los Angeles, where Kasich threatens to poach voters in districts where being a moderate Republican isnt considered heresy.

And he may need to show uncharacteristic restraint in the face of withering attacks from former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Cruzs newly named running mate.

For Trump to prevail, analysts say, hell have to do two things hes avoided thus far: open up his checkbook  which he recently committed to doing  and stop relying solely on cable news coverage to deliver his message.

You cant count on crossing your fingers and hoping that people will turn on their televisions, said Bill Whalen, a longtime GOP operative whos now a research fellow at Stanfords Hoover Institution. You have to reach out to people; you have to target them. If he doesnt organize and he doesnt have a game plan for attacking all of the districts, he will underperform.

Tim Clark, a veteran GOP operative who Trump hired two weeks ago to run his California operation, said his boss understands that hell have to treat California differently. Mr. Trump has made a very strong commitment in the state, and I think he will be very active in his campaign here, Clark said.

The campaign recently started polling and expects to soon have several thousand volunteers reaching out to voters in key districts, Clark said.

Its not too late for Trump to build a ground game, analysts say, but its unrealistic to think his operation can rival Cruzs, which began tapping into party networks in every congressional district months ago.

One big question is whether the Texas senators grass-roots operation will counter Trumps omnipresent news coverage, said Dan Schnur, a former GOP operative who now directs the University of Southern Californias Unruh Institute of Politics.

Even the most experienced operatives in California politics have never been asked to run 53 simultaneous district-level campaigns, he said. Its reasonable to believe that a strong grass-roots organization will help in that regard. But no one knows how much it will help.

Cruzs organization may help him compete in overwhelmingly liberal districts where mobilizing a small number of Republicans could prove decisive.

A district that could be more predisposed for Trump or Kasich could still go for Cruz simply because his team has been organizing there for so many months, Schnur said.

Republican operatives generally agree on the regional strains of GOP voters: fiercely anti-establishment in the far northeast; religious and conservative in the Central Valley; and socially moderate along the coasts but more conservative in San Diego and suburban Los Angeles.

But how that translates into who wins each congressional district is still an inexact science.

Its kind of a Wild West, said Sean Walsh, a Bay Area-based Republican strategist. You just dont know what youre going to get out of this thing.

Religious conservatives in the Central Valley could make it a stronghold for Cruz, who opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest. But the region also has a relatively high percentage of poor whites, who have been the backbone of Trumps support.

Polls show Trump leading in Southern California outside Los Angeles, but that is where Cruzs organization appears strongest.

One area of weakness for Trump appears to be Los Angeles County, where several of the strongly Democratic districts have relatively sizable percentages of Latino Republicans. Many of those voters are deeply religious, said Luis Alvarado, a Los Angeles-based GOP strategist, and identify more closely with Cruz.

They dont see Donald Trump aligned with their values, Alvarado said.

Matt Rexroad, who was George W. Bushs California political director in 2000, said he would bring Trump out to California for as many rallies as possible. Hed even bring him to Rep. Barbara Lees district in Oakland and Berkeley, which has the fewest number of registered Republicans in the state.

If youre going to meet 1,000 people, he said, you want to go where that might be 20 percent of the Republican electorate.
Officials say residents of drought-stricken California beat their goal for saving water in March by turning off their sprinklers when the rain fell.

The State Water Board announced Tuesday that cities and businesses conserved water by more than 24 percent compared to the same time in 2013. Thats double the saving from the dry month of February.

March is the first month under relaxed conservation requirements. Californians are now expected to use at least 20 percent less water, a break from the previous order of 25 percent.

Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, called the March results stunning and welcomed news.

Officials say the cooler, wet weather helped, but they also credit Californians with changing their habits for using water.

They warn, however, that California remains in drought.

This month state regulators in Sacramento are busy writing a new method for conservation in the five-year drought that will be implemented in June. They have said requirements could be reduced in some areas and be maintained in others.

Californians had fallen just shy of the 25 percent target while managing to save enough water to serve nearly 6 million people for one year, officials have said.

A nearly average winter of rain and Sierra Nevada snowfall has eased the drought, prompting many local water districts to say they want to set their own conservation targets. Other water districts say the state should completely drop the drought emergency because key reservoirs in Northern California are nearly full.

Max Gomberg, a senior climate scientist for the State Water Resources Control Board, said, however, that it will take years for California to recover from the past four bruising years. The droughts not over just because we got a decent year of rain and snow, he said.
It sounds awfully nice: A yearlong postponement of schoolwork.

The White House announced on Sunday that Malia Obama, the presidents older daughter, would be among the thousands of students to take a gap year between high school and college.

The hiatus from classrooms, textbooks and tests has become an increasingly popular choice. The idea is that university-bound students go on an adventure, do something meaningful and, if all goes to plan, arrive at campus a year later more mature, focused and attuned to their goals.

Still, despite growing acceptance of the gap year, or bridge year, by university administrators  and its ready adoption in other parts of the world  many Americans continue view it with trepidation.

Q: Why are gap years becoming more popular?

A: Some parents worry that their children could veer off track academically and never recover, but higher education experts argue that the opposite appears to be true. Studies have shown that not only do the students go on to perform better than their non-gap-year classmates, they also tend to end up in more satisfying careers. (Although, researchers note that self-selection could play a part as gap-year students tend to be more affluent.)

For some reason theres some concern around  Does it contribute to academic atrophy? What were finding is absolutely not, said Ethan Knight, founder of American Gap Association, an accreditation organization. If anything, it connects the theory that theyve been exposed to over their many years of education to the reality of whats going on in the real world.

A growing number of colleges and universities, including all eight institutions in the Ivy League system, have been signing on to the idea as a constructive choice for incoming freshmen. Harvard University, where Malia plans to start in the fall of 2017, has for decades been urging members of its incoming class to consider it.

And the case has only grown stronger with the rising intensity of competition to get into elite colleges, according to an essay written by William Fitzsimmons, Harvards dean of admissions, and two other school officials.

Faced with the fast pace of growing up today, some students are clearly distressed, engaging in binge drinking and other self-destructive behaviors, the authors wrote.

One remedy, they suggest, is to take time out. For the scores of incoming Harvard students who heed the advice each year, the authors added, The results have been uniformly positive.

Q: Are gap years expensive?

A: In the reaction to Malias decision on social media, some people have pointed out, occasionally with a note of contempt, that the financial barriers to embarking on a gap year can be too much for some families. A yearlong, immersive, international program, for example, can run about $35,000.

But university administrators also note that gap-year plans come in a variety of forms, some of them at no cost. AmeriCorps City Year, for example, pays students stipends to teach. Another popular program, Global Citizen Year, provides financial support  more than $6 million since 2010  for students to pursue experiential learning.

But those programs can be highly competitive. City Year, for example, says it selects only about 1 in 4 applicants.

Its hard to do it if you dont have the resources, said Chris Yager, founder of Where There Be Dragons, which leads international programs.

But, he added, organizations that target gap-year students often tend to be driven by a sense of mission rather than profit, and many programs, including his, offer at least some level of financial assistance. People who are doing the gap-year programming, right now at least, theyre all really principled people, he said.

Then there are those gap-year plans created by students who possess rare initiative. Robert Clagett, the director of college counseling at St. Stephens Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, recalled one who spent the first third of her year tending llamas at a monastery in North Dakota. The next third, she worked for a judge in Oklahoma City, and, finally, she volunteered at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic.

Its not unusual for students to spend maybe half their gap year with a job, Clagett said, maybe living at home, or an internship where they make some money, and then spending the second half of the year traveling or having whatever kinds of experiences theyre hoping for.

Q: Which schools offer gap-year programs?

A: More universities have begun formal gap-year programs that take varying approaches to enrollment and the providing of aid, including Princeton, Tufts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Elon University.

At Princeton and North Carolina, for example, freshman-year enrollment is deferred and at least some financial help is provided, while Elon considers participants enrolled and charges its regular tuition. Another program offered by the New School in New York City also treats students as enrolled and offers up to a full year of academic credit.

Florida State University is among the latest campuses to start offering scholarships to gap-year students. Late last year, the public institution said applicants could get up to $5,000, and sent an email to the entire incoming freshman class urging them to consider deferring their freshman year.

We wanted to spearhead this effort in higher education and to be a leader, and to showcase gap years as an important part of the educational system, said Joe OShea, the universitys director of undergraduate research and academic engagement.

Weve had a really strong response so far, OShea added. Its been really exciting.

Q: OK, but what do students say?

A: There is growing evidence that as more students discover that postponing their freshmen year is an option, many take the opportunity.

The exact number of young people who take gap years is not known, but the American Gap Association said its surveys indicate that it has been on a sharp rise for at least a decade. At the same time, attendance at the national circuit of USA Gap Year Fairs has seen explosive growth in recent years, organizers say.

This is all great news, said Clagett, the St. Stephens administrator, who has worked in admissions for decades and is a longtime proponent of the gap-year movement.

Asked if there is any downside to gap years, he paused. In about 40 years of working in higher education, he said, I have yet to work with a student who has regretted taking a gap year.

In a letter to The New York Times, Aaron Schwartz, a Princeton student, said his gap year in Urubamba, Peru, was the best decision of my life. Returning volunteers are not only enriched academically, he said, but they are imbued with a new sense of civic responsibility.

So my advice? Do something different. Go on an adventure. Learn a new language. You wont regret it.
Even as Orange Countys then-treasurer was making wrong-way investment bets with public money and illegally skimming millions into county accounts, the county got a clean bill of financial health from its auditor.

Even as Bell was paying enormous salaries and giving dubious loans to insiders, the city got a clean bill of financial health from its auditor.

And now, as Placentias No. 2 finance manager stands charged with embezzling $4.3 million from under official noses, city leaders fault their auditor for failing to detect theft.

There have been numerous examples of financial scandals in California local governments, each accompanied by expressions of shock from officials, fingers pointed at auditors and vows to more vigilantly guard taxpayers money.

A raft of financial and auditing reforms was proposed in Sacramento to help accomplish that after Bell officials were accused of looting millions from the small citys treasury in 2010. But of seven bills pushed by then-state Controller John Chiang and others, just two became law.

The state auditor was empowered to start a high-risk local government audit program, and the state controller to appoint certified public accountants to examine agencies that failed to provide audits themselves. But proposals to greatly expand the controllers power to investigate counties, cities, special districts and joint-powers authorities were shot down when agencies protested that theyd get stuck paying for the extra oversight.

Experts say more can be done to protect the public purse, including simple, inexpensive steps that would enhance safeguards and make what allegedly happened in Placentia far harder to pull off.

They include adding the elements of surprise and secrecy, such as keeping top managers in the dark about the focus of financial probes to lessen the potential for interference or cover-ups. Some of the strategies were pioneered locally in Laguna Niguel, later embraced by Mission Viejo, and adapted by Yorba Linda and Pasadena. But theyve failed to catch on statewide, or even countywide.

Public agencies in Orange County spend close to $2 million every year on mandated, outside financial audits. Despite what many officials believe, such audits arent designed to ferret out fraud. They essentially check one set of numbers provided by officials against other sets of numbers also provided by officials, and sample internal controls.

Rich Kikuchi, managing partner with Placentias auditor, Lance, Soll & Lunghard, said his firm did exactly what it was supposed to do. But he believes governments should do more.

Im hoping that, out of all this, the public and city officials will really come to understand the need to have an internal-type audit, a watchdog-type audit, said Kikuchi. To keep people on their toes, it needs to have an element of surprise. When I put myself in the shoes of a mayor or city council member, thats what Id want. That would help me sleep at night. But thats not what a financial audit is.

NO SURPRISE

In fact, experts generally agree, the type of audit required from local agencies is of limited value.

Its primary goal is to determine if financial statements are materially correct  or correct within reason  and comply with generally accepted accounting principles. Thats an important certification demanded by outside financial parties and those who lend cities money.

At the heart of such annual reviews are the financial statements, numbers supplied by the agencies themselves. The reports provide a snapshot of the citys books at years end. To ensure the citys numbers are correct, financial auditors look at documentation, reconcile account balances, ask questions and examine internal controls. But importantly, according to Kikuchi and other government auditors, there are no surprises involved.

Audits happen at the same time every year. Appointments are scheduled months in advance. Managers have plenty of time to prepare and get their books in order.

What many citizens and governing board members think is an audit is most certainly not what financial auditors are engaged to perform, Kikuchi said.

Bell was the ultimate example of that. As Mayer Hoffman McCann  then Bells Irvine-based financial auditor  stressed at the time, its extremely hard to fully vet an agency thats determined to hide questionable or illegal transactions.

Mayer Hoffman McCann conducted at least 17 audit procedures designed to address fraud risk in Bell, said Bill Hancock, the companys president, in a statement after the corruption was finally exposed.

At every step of its probe, city officials misrepresented and gave false audit evidence that concealed the abuses, Hancock said. Such collusion raised broad, profession-wide issues concerning fraud risk in financial statement audits  which we believe the current standards do not completely reconcile.

Ultimately, Mayer Hoffman McCann paid $350,000 in fines and investigative costs to the state Board of Accountancy for failing to detect the abuses. It no longer does municipal audits in California.

There was hope for major reform in Bells wake. The state controller began to collect and publish pay data for thousands of public agencies. The finances of high risk agencies came under greater review. Audit firms provided more training to staffers. And Controller Betty Yee published internal control guidelines to help agencies avoid the problems that befell Bell.

But those guidelines  to assist local agencies in establishing a system of internal control to safeguard assets and prevent and detect financial errors and fraud  are voluntary.

And, as Placentias experience suggests, embezzlement can still continue with relative ease over the course of many months, and perhaps years, without being detected.

SURPRISE!

Laguna Niguel was a leader in adopting key reforms before the Bell scandal erupted.

The seeds of the tighter controls were planted after Orange County Treasurer Bob Citrons risky investments led to the countys $1.64 billion bankruptcy in 1994. The push intensified five years later when the Yorba Linda City Council accused its top manager of doling out $600,000 in unapproved bonuses.

Outside auditors didnt detect that things were amiss in either case.

Laguna Niguel responded by developing extra layers of examination, allowing auditors to work directly with elected council members rather than city management, and incorporating new elements of unpredictability.

Each year, auditors gather personnel files for the city manager, top city brass and other selected employees. They compare payroll records  what the workers were actually paid  to City Council resolutions on what they should have been paid. Auditors check car allowances, bonuses, vacation cashouts and salary adjustments to make sure everything adds up and is authorized.

In addition, each year, the mayor and mayor pro tem pick two areas that will get a deeper review of internal controls. Those might be scrutinizing transfers in and out of the citys bank accounts to be sure theyre legitimate, examining how cash is handled in the Recreation Department or examining investment transactions for irregularities.

The mayor and mayor pro tem communicate with auditors directly, which makes it harder for staffers to cover their tracks, or bury unpleasant findings.

That sort of audit-within-the-audit is very unique, said Rod Foster, Laguna Niguels city manager, who has worked in Colton, Chino, Hesperia and Upland. I dont even know what those are until the report comes out.

The city also changes audit firms every five years to keep the watchdogs and the staff from getting too cozy. This year, Laguna Niguel is asking its new auditor, rather than city employees, to prepare reports required by the state controllers office.

Taken together, the reviews and changes in reporting responsibilities mean more outside eyeballs on the citys books, which enhances accountability, said finance director Stephen Erlandson.

Those type of extras cost more, but not much. The basic financial audit for a city of Laguna Niguels size  total revenue of $46 million, population 65,000  is $39,000. With the extra work, Laguna Niguel expects to pay $45,000, Erlandson said.

The more rigorous system was developed under former finance director Cheryl Dyas, who took the blueprint with her to Mission Viejo, where shes now administrative services director. In the wake of the Placentia embezzlement case, her City Council wants to examine more ways to avoid similar problems.

Ideas include a rotating operational and financial review of individual departments, and will be discussed at the next City Council meeting, she said.

Big agencies, like the County of Orange with its $5.6 billion budget, have an internal auditor to do this kind of work. Over the years, the job has been handled with varying levels of zeal. Current auditor-controller Eric Woolery has ruffled feathers in county management with an aggressive style. He has no apologies.

Detecting fraud is very difficult, almost like finding that needle in a haystack, he said.

There are so many different forms. You can have something like Placentia, where an employee seems to go rogue; you can have more sophisticated scheme where employees set up a dummy vendor and make payments to it, which through the system looks very legit. To anyone auditing from outside, it would look like a normal payment.

One defense is promoting a culture of shared responsibility, in which all staffers are encouraged to report what doesnt seem right. The county received 346 tips on its fraud hotline last year. Other agencies might consider starting one, Woolery said.

The best defense for fraud is the internal control system, he said. Practices and segregation of duties to make fraud more difficult. Elements of surprise in high-risk areas like petty cash  so no one knows its coming.

The biggest frauds are always committed by managers overriding the system.

Contact the writer: tsforza@ocregister.com
Urban Prep Academy, an all-male charter high school in Chicago, has set the bar really high for learning institutions in the US. Despite getting most of its students from the Windy Citys lowest income neighborhoods, it has managed to achieve and maintain a 100 percent graduation rate for nearly a decade. But even more impressive is the fact that every senior in the past seven years has gone on to attended college on a scholarship.

Most recently, the entire class of 2016 celebrated College Signing Day, with each student announcing the college or university he has chosen to attend. The class has collectively received over 1,500 college admissions, with over $15 million in scholarships and grants. Its a great day, said senior Rudolph Long, speaking to CBS Chicago. I feel great. We all made it. We all come from good environments so to see us all going to college is nice.

The all-African-American, all-male charter high schools unprecedented success has been attributed to its unique mission  to elevate the students self esteem while focusing on test scores as well. While most successful schools have stringent admission criteria, Urban Prep makes no distinction between applicants. Any Chicago resident is welcome to apply. A lottery selects 450 students out of approximately 1,500 applications each year, to attend Urban Preps three campuses in Englewood, West, and Bronzeville.

While 85 percent of those admitted come from single-parent families in impoverished areas, the school does not treat its students any differently once they enter the campus. Instead, the all-black teaching staff treats students with respect, even addressing them with the title Mr. followed by their last names. In fact, a parental atmosphere permeates the school, which many of the students miss having at home.

The school also has several initiatives in place to keep students motivated, like the morning assembly, which is more like a pep rally. The students gather each morning in the school gym to blaring music and inspirational messages. As they line up in rows, a five-piece drum band performs African-themed beats. A video is played, featuring the stories of successful people from around the world, and a student later leads the school in the punctuality pledge.

Principal Dion Steele then addresses the students from the bleachers: You are black, proud, beautiful young men. There is battle out there, and the battle is yours to win. He then prompts the kids that its time to show some love, after which they all greet each other with handshakes, hugs and laughs. Then they get back in lines and Principal Steele announces the highest-scoring groups of various classes. The students cheer for each other. At the end of the 30-minute event, the highly motivated students are directed to their 9am-period.

Urban Prep was founded in 2006 by Chicago educational entrepreneur Tim King, along with a group of African-American leaders in business and education. Their goal was to create a space where no student, no matter how troubled, would be denied a real chance at success. We take the opposite view, King said, in an 2012 interview. We devote time and energy to those students so that they understand they can do well and they can have success if they modify their behavior.

Case-in-point is Jessie Mack, a student of the schools first graduating class in 2010, who went on to earn a communications degree from Denison University. He now serves as Kings assistant. My time here as a student made up for what I missed by not having a father growing up, he recalled. And the other students echo this sentiment, although many of them never wanted to attend the school in the first place.

The unbelievable part is watching some of them walk in as [kids] who dont want to be here and years later watching them walk across that stage at commencement as mature young men about to go off to college, said Roosevelt Moneyham III, the schools recruitment chief. Its a powerful thing.

Its not just the students who emerge happy, the schools faculty and management also enjoy the fulfilment of seeing the kids succeed each year. Every year, Im just wowed by these young men by what they are doing, King said. They really make me proud. We started Urban Prep with the goal of moving the needle when it comes to black male achievement and these guys proved to me, the city and the world every year, that we did the right thing when we founded Urban Prep ten years ago.

Urban Prep does receive some criticism, mainly from skeptics who are doubtful of the schools awe-inspiring 100 percent college acceptance claim. The aura of 100 percent is just a cover for what is a fairly typical Chicago public high school where half the kids dont graduate, said Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education. They may say theyre not forcing or encouraging kids to leave, but what is happening? The public has the right to know, especially when they present themselves as a miracle. This is not a miracle.

She and others are alleging that Urban Prep squeezes out students with academic and discipline problems, which then other schools in Chicago have to work with. In 2012, officials from the famous high-school admitted that that years senior class of 85 had numbered twice that when the boys started off as freshmen. At the same time, they dismissed these claims, arguing that instead of encouraging problematic students to leave, they take the time to help them understand that they can be successful if they change their attitude.

Urban Prep students and their families dont seem to agree with the critics. I was always curious about the school because I would see how the guys were dressed, in their jackets and ties, said Malik Johnson, a 16-year-old student. You just didnt see that in my neighborhood. And its turned out to be a great place. We love each other, but are too manly to say it. But were put in the position to pursue success.

The neighborhood doesnt exactly inspire future success, said Nakkia Burn, whose son, Trevon Lucas, 15, attends Urban Prep. He has black male mentors that really care, so the students feel connected to them And they dont just push them to get to college; they emphasize getting their degree.

You cant be successful without attracting some criticism, but there is a lot of evidence to suggest that Urban Preps achievements have to do with more than just getting rid of bad students. For example, in 2012, they spent around $12,000 per student, far more than a typical CPS school. Also, after graduation, the school stays in touch with all the pupils, contacting them at least twice a month by phone, email or on Facebook. Its definitely not the classic approach to education, but so far its working wonders.

Photos: Urban Prep Academy/Facebook

Sources: CBS Chicago, Frost Illustrated, Chicago Tribune
Putting too much ice in iced drinks could potentially cost businesses millions of dollars, as Starbucks is learning the hard way. Chicago resident Stacy Pincus has filed a $5 million class action lawsuit against the coffeehouse chain for filling coffee cups with too much frozen water.

Pincus is alleging that although the company sells beverages in Tall, Grande, Venti, and Trenta sizes, theres so much ice in them that customers are only getting half the amount they actually pay for. In addition, shes accusing the chain of charging more for iced drinks than for hot drinks, which she believes is a huge rip off. The lawsuit mentions that in 2014, iced tea was actually the most profitable product on the Starbucks menu.

In essence, Starbucks is advertising the size of its cold drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive when they purchase a cold drink  and deceiving its customers in the process, the court documents filed by Pincus states. They also mention that while the Venti is supposed to be 24 ounces, the actual amount of the drink served is as little as 14 because large pieces of ice take up more space.

In response to Pincuss accusations, Starbucks has dismissed the lawsuit, stating that customers should expect ice to be an essential component of every iced drink. They also said that if any customer was unhappy with their drink they would be more than happy to remake it.

But Pincus is demanding that the chain make their cups larger in order to accommodate the promised quantity of the beverage, in addition to ice. Shes accusing them of breach of express warranty, breach of implied warrant of merchantability, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment and fraud. She also wants to represent anyone who has purchased a Starbucks iced drink in the past 10 years and is interested in joining the lawsuit.

Photos: Starbucks/Facebook

Sources: TMZ, Courthouse News
Back in the early 2000s, Nissan boldly entered the half-ton truck market for the first time with its Titan. The truck came on the scene powered by a 5.6L V8 engine rated to produce a solid 317 horsepower and an even more impressive 379 lb.-ft. of torque (later updated to 385 lb.-ft.), which at the time, was the most torque of any V-8 half-ton. The Nissan Titan, much like Toyotas Tundra, had the uphill battle of challenging the big three of Chevy, Ford and Ram, but the truck carved out its own niche in the half-ton segment.

After a lengthy nap, Nissan has come out of its slumber making quite a bit of noise in the truck world again. The company teased a Cummins diesel engine (with bumper stickers hailing Cummins Soon) for a couple of years before finally unveiling its Titan XD last year. The XD not only made a bold statement with its V8 Cummins engine rated to produce 310 horsepower and 555 lb.-ft. of torque, but it also marked the first step in overhauling the companys truck and SUV lineup.

The Titan XD, in true Nissan fashion, is an all-new truck that looks to create its own segment by straddling the line between half-ton and 3/4-ton trucks. The heavy half XD aims to offer the driving comfort of a half-ton while exceeding half-ton towing and payload capability (check out our most recent impression here. Nissans next step in the overhaul of its truck lineup is a new V8 gasoline engine that will first be offered on alongside the Cummins in the Titan XD. The company recently invited us to test drive this new Endurance V8 gasoline engine, which will later available on the 2017 Armada SUV and the redesigned 2017 Titan.

Along with driving the new 5.6L Endurance V8 in the Titan XD, Nissan also gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the companys Decherd, Tennessee, engine plant where the Endurance V8 is constructed  and which we learned is the largest engine manufacturing plant in the U.S.

New Endurance V8

The new Endurance V8 will be used in a number of Nissans truck and SUV models in 2017, but the first 2016 model that gets the honors is the Titan XD. The Titan XD can be ordered with that engine as we speak, with trucks making their way to showrooms pretty much any day now.

Although the new V8 is based on the same aluminum alloy block and features the same 5.6-liter displacement as the outgoing engine, thats where the similarities end. Nissan managed to produce considerably more horsepower (390 hp) on the new Endurance V8  73 ponies, to be exact. Nissan also managed to squeeze another 16 lb.-ft. more torque on the new engine to bring its rating up to 401 lb.-ft.

The improvements in performance on the new engine can be directly attributed to advances in technology. Nissans use of Direct Injection Gas (or DIG, as the Nissan folks like to call it) is employed on the new V8 to provide better wide-open throttle performance, improved fuel economy and emissions. The Variable Valve Event and Lift systems (VVEL), first unveiled on Infiniti sedans in the late 2000s, are a significant contributor to the improvement as well. The VVEL systems employ hydraulic-controlled variable valve timing and electronically controlled variable valve lift on the intake and exhaust sides, allowing Nissan to fine-tune timing for ideal airflow to the cylinder to increase the engines responsiveness (see our notes on acceleration performance below).

The new Endurance V8 features a new aluminum alloy head, and new pistons are employed to allow Nissan to run a higher 11.2:1 compression ratio (versus 9.8:1 on the previous generation Titan) to improve efficiency and performance. Nissan also opted for a Multi-Control Valve (MCV) versus a traditional thermostat for improved thermal efficiency. A new exhaust is fitted to the Titan XD as well, and we appreciate the nice grunt it provides.

A new seven-speed trans, borrowed from the Infiniti QX80 but tuned specifically for the XD, will replace the outgoing five-speed previously used on the Titan. Nissan also tells us that Titan XD 4x4 models feature a new transfer case for ideal power distribution regardless of terrain. The gas-powered Titan XD also features a different rear axle ratio of 3.36 compared to 3.91 in the Cummins version.

V8 vs. V8

A look at the performance numbers for the new next-gen Endurance V8 obviously shows a vast improvement compared to the prior generation. The more crucial comparison in our eyes is the difference between the gasoline V8 gasoline and the V8 Cummins turbo-diesel.

When Nissan describes the difference between the two, the Cummins version is hailed as the tow monster, while the gasoline Titan XD is noted for offering more capability thanks to its improved payload. When properly equipped, the gasoline V8-equipped Titan XD has a max payload of 2,594 pounds, which is more than 500 pounds greater than the 2,091 lbs. max payload on Cummins, but it has a lower max tow rating of 11,270 pounds (vs. 12,314 lbs. on the Cummins model). So, 500 pounds more payload but roughly 1,000 less in towing.

In terms of the seat-of-the pants feel, the new Endurance V8 is clearly the more responsive off the line of the two. Certainly the gasoline engine benefits from being 500 pound lighter than the diesel, and it certainly feels a little lighter overall. But the Cummins also suffers from a delay in throttle response, as theres a clear delay before the engine responds after pushing the gas pedal (and were not talking about any sort of turbo lag).

The low-end torque of the Cummins, especially while under load while towing, cannot be denied, which is no shocker considering its 555 lb.-ft. of peak torque is made at 1,600 rpm compared to the 401 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm on the Endurance V8. But the gasoline V8 is the snappier of the two.

While the Endurance V8 takes the cake in terms of quick acceleration, we wondered if the engine had enough power everywhere else. Our worries were laid to rest when we hit the highway, as the Endurance V8 has plenty of power and impressive acceleration on tap for every situation. We thought the seven-speed transmission clicked through the gears smoothly and effortlessly whether driving around town or on the highway.

Final Thoughts

Nissan has another winner on its hands with the Endurance V8 engine. It performed great on the Titan XD, and its lower price tag will certainly make it more appealing. The premium for the Cummins compared to the Endurance V8 is $5,000. A quick example is the XD PRO-4X 4x4, which is priced at $45,970 when equipped with the Endurance V8. With the Cummins, the XD PRO-4X 4x4 has a sticker price of $50,970.

The new Endurance V8 is a great engine overall that offers buyers a slightly more inexpensive path into the light-heavy truck market. While it feels like a winner on the heavier XD, it leads us to believe the Endurance V8 will be even better the Titan.
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A blanket of smog extends over Shimla town as forest fire continued in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states on Tuesday. (Photo PTI)

NEW DELHI: Even as forest fires in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, that destroyed thousands of hectares of land, showed signs of abating on Tuesday, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) here issued showcause notices to both the state governments while expressing shock over casual handling of the issue. The green body also asked the environment ministry about their actions to control the situation.

Authorities in Himachal Pradesh, meanwhile, said that though the condition is completely under control, they were keeping a close eye to ensure the flames do not spread.

There was a brief panic at Lawrence School Sanawar in Kasauli on Monday after fire spread in the vicinity. Officials said that they were also looking into incidents of fire in areas through which railway lines like the 113-year-old Shimla-Kalka toy train corridor pass.

Sporadic showers in Shimla and Solan districts have helped in putting out the fires in some forest areas and the forecast of moderate rainfall is also comforting, they added.

Firefighting operations continued Tuesday in Uttarakhand with three IAF copters pouring water on flaming patches as over 11,000 personnel fought infernos from the ground leading to further decline in the number of active fires. The IAF helicopters made 16 sorties in Nainital and Pauri to pour water on the blazing jungles.

The declining trend continues with the number of active fires reduced from yesterdays 40 to 26. The number was 70 on Sunday when the copters began their operations, said S. Ramaswamy, additional chief secretary.

Earlier in the day, the NGT said that it was shocked that everybody was taking the issue (of forest fires) so casually and issued showcause notices to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. A bench headed by chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) as to what they have done in the matter to control the situation.
New Delhi: As a cross-party panel of MPs targeted the Centre over the Pathankot terror strike, the home ministry on Tuesday put the BSF and Army on high alert on the international border and Line of Control after reports that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and top Pakistan Army officials were camping in border villages for the past two weeks.

The MHAs threat assessment is based on specific intelligence inputs that Hafiz Saeed had visited several villages along the border in a desperate bid to recruit youths to launch terror activities in India.

Sources said Saeed is accompanied by senior Pakistan Army and ISI officers. The most wanted terrorist in India also visited terrorist training camps and launchpads close to the border giving anti-India speeches and instigating his cadre to launch a fresh offensive against India.

The parliamentary standing committee on home launched a scathing attacking on the ministry, questioning its level of preparedness on terror attacks. During its visit to the airbase, the committee found the security cover was not robust and it had a poorly guarded perimeter wall.
After scrapping their first choice for the site of a proposed new chicken plant, developers now are checking out farmland just south of Fremont, say landowners and the citys mayor.

The owner of about 400 acres between Fremont and the Platte River, south of the old U.S. Highway 275, told The World-Herald that he would be a willing seller.

Still, theres a few things that have yet to be negotiated, said Fred Culp of Albuquerque, New Mexico, when contacted by telephone Monday. Culp said he is an Omaha native whose family has owned the property for decades.

He declined to discuss details of the negotiations, including price.

Fremont Mayor Scott Getzschman confirmed that the 400-acre site is one that is under consideration for the poultry plant. He and Cecilia Harry, executive director of the Greater Fremont Development Council, said other sites are under consideration too. Neither would name the other sites.

The newspaper contacted Culp after learning that a landowner next to his property was in discussions to have utilities routed through his land to reach the proposed plants site on Culps property. The World-Herald used Dodge County property records and state business incorporation records to find Culp.

The search is on for a location for the chicken plant after the board of the Village of Nickerson, north of Fremont, in April unanimously declined to approve a zoning change that would have cleared the way for the plant.

The plant, which would butcher chickens for retailer Costco, has drawn heavy opposition from some area landowners, who say it would result in unwanted sights, smells, pollution and an influx of workers, putting pressure on housing and schools. Some locals have said they worry about illegal immigrants. Other opponents denounce poultry farming practices.

Costco and its partner, Georgia company Lincoln Premium Poultry, withdrew their interest in the property near Nickerson. Costco said it didnt want to build where it wasnt wanted.

Deloitte site selection consultant Darin Buelow, who is working with Costco and Lincoln Premium, said, "The project continues to look at options in Nebraska, but we cannot comment on the status of any particular site."

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach both have said they support the plant because they say it would add value to the states economic output. The birds, they say, would gobble up Nebraska corn and raising chickens would give Nebraska farmers another source of income.

Getzschman, Fremonts mayor, said he has received calls from people in other communities who said theyd love to have the plant if Fremont isnt interested. And, he said, hes had calls from Fremont-area landowners offering their property.

Harry said several sites are possibilities.

We arent there with any specific piece of property yet, she said. There are multiple sites in play.

Developers still are doing their due diligence on potential properties, she said, looking at roads, engineering, price and other considerations.

Costco told The World-Herald on April 19 that eastern Nebraska is still its first choice. But Harry said its possible that the company is also considering other places.

She said she hopes Fremont will be able to find a site that works but wont discuss possibilities until the company settles on one and elects to proceed.

We look forward to announcing that and sharing that with the community at that time, she said.

Ron Vlach, the owner of the Victory Marine boat dealership in Fremont, said officials talked to him about the possibility of running water and sewer lines through land he owns to reach the Culp site.

Vlach said he understood that Fremont would annex his property so that it could annex the adjacent land for the plant. He said hes all for it but hasnt signed anything.

Its going to be one of the biggest positive things Fremont has ever done, he said.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1336, barbara.soderlin@owh.com
The regional manufacturing economy is still seeking a spark, with energy producers and makers of goods including food and agriculture equipment continuing to shave jobs in April.

But Creighton University economist Ernie Goss sees signs that tell him things arent as bad as they could be.

In fact, manufacturers are getting better prices for their products than they were a few months ago, Goss said, and some commodities are expected to fetch better-than-expected prices relative to a few months ago.

The U.S. dollar has also lost some of its strength, which makes American-made goods more competitively priced in foreign markets.

That was enough to keep the latest Mid-America Business Conditions Index just above a reading of 50, the point at which the economy is neither shrinking nor expanding, in April.

The most recent reading of 50.1 is down slightly from 50.6 in March, so theres clearly plenty of room for improvement in the manufacturing sector in a nine-state area including Nebraska and Iowa.

Nebraska manufacturers have cut 900 jobs in the past 12 months, Goss said, while manufacturers in Iowa have cut 5,900 jobs. Across the nine-state region, about 26,000 jobs have been cut in the past year, and Gosss outlook calls for continued job losses across the region.

Despite that, Goss said the sector shows signs of stabilizing business conditions.

For example, energy commodities such as oil, coal and natural gas are forecast to recover from recent slides and manufacturers are selling more of their goods overseas, both of which are due at least in part to the relatively weaker dollar.

But lower energy costs also tend to drag down the prices of agricultural commodities. And with a strong harvest already expected to do no favors to already low prices for crops such as corn and soybeans, farmers are likely to face yet another tough year.

In agriculture-dependent states like Nebraska and Iowa, that means any gains made by manufacturers of nonfood products has been thwarted by makers of nondurable goods.

Nebraskas Business Conditions Index last month fell to 50.2 from 53.3 in March. In Iowa, the reading fell to 50.1 from 51.3 the previous month.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1534, cole.epley@owh.com
The panel also noted there were no roads around the perimeter wall of the airbase. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The MHA has warned that the possibility of terrorists, assisted by the Pakistan Rangers, targeting Indian security personnel in border areas, as in the past cutting off their heads, could not be ruled out.

There has been specific information about Saeeds movement in the border region, after which we alerted our security forces. There could be fresh infiltration attempts as summer has started and the mountain passes will be more accessible, senior official said.

The parliamentary standing committee said that despite concrete and credible Intelligence inputs, security agencies were so ill-prepared to anticipate threats in time and counter them swiftly.

Terrorists managed to breach a high-security airbase and could launch an attack despite an advance alert. Something is seriously wrong with the countrys counter-terror security establishment, it said.

While referring to the Pathankot incident the panel said the role of the Punjab police was very questionable and suspicious during the January 2 attack. It said it failed to understand that in spite of terror alert sounded well in advance, how the terrorists managed to breach the high-security airbase and subsequently carried out the strike.

The committee said it was constrained to note that despite concrete and credible intelligence inputs from abducted SP of Pathankot and his friend and through interception of communications between terrorists and their handlers by the terrorists saying they were planning an attack on a defence establishment, the security agencies were so ill-prepared to anticipate threats in time and counter them swiftly and decisively.

The panel also noted there were no roads around the perimeter wall of the airbase and there was growth of long shrubs and trees, that may have helped the terrorists in hiding, making it difficult to flush them out.

The panel said it was clear that the attack was carried out by Pakistani terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, and this was established by interception of calls between terrorists and their handlers.
The Bellevue school district has narrowed its search for a new superintendent to four candidates, the district announced Monday.

One of them was offered a job in another district the same day.

The four men will be interviewed individually during an open session Wednesday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the districts welcome center, 2600 Arboretum Drive.

The candidates are Dan Brigman, Dean Gorrell, Robert A. Moore and Jeff Rippe, the current assistant superintendent.

On Monday, Brigman was offered the job of superintendent for Decatur City Schools in Decatur, Alabama, according to the Decatur Daily newspaper. As of Monday night he had not withdrawn his name from consideration to lead Bellevue Public Schools.

Brigman has been the superintendent of three school districts, in North Carolina and Tennessee, during his 24 years in education. The North Carolina native and Navy veteran has a technical degree from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, a bachelors degree from Mars Hill University in North Carolina, a masters degree from Tennessee Technological University and a doctorate from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.

Gorrell is superintendent of the Verona Area School District in Wisconsin and has been in that role 11 years. The Maquoketa, Iowa, native has a bachelors degree, masters degree and a doctorate from the University of Iowa. In his 29-year career in education, he also has been a teacher and principal.

Moore has been the assistant superintendent of secondary curriculum and instruction for the Rogers Public School District in Arkansas since 2013.

The Arkansas native has a bachelors degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a masters degree from Harding University in Searcy, and he is a doctoral candidate at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. During his 22 years in education, Moore has been a teacher and principal.

Rippe is in his 13th year as the assistant superintendent for Bellevue Public Schools. He began his 24 years in education as a business teacher at Arlington High School before joining the district. He was the dean of students and a principal at Bellevue West High School before moving to the district office in 2001, where he has been the director of secondary education, acting superintendent and assistant superintendent.

Rippe has a bachelors degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University plus a masters degree and doctorate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Current Superintendent Frank Harwood is taking a job with a school district in Kansas.

Correction: The location of Harding University was listed incorrectly in a previous version of this story.
'Bengaluru will be dead in another 5 years, thanks to reckless growth'

Bengaluru

oi-Shubham

Bengaluru, May 3: Reckless urbanisation and real-estate development have put Bengaluru's life expectancy under a serious threat, a study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has revealed recently.

Numbers suggest that while the built-up area in the IT hub has grown by 525 per cent in the last four decades, the vegetation has seen a 78 per cent decline. Besides, the water bodies, too, have been damaged to an equal extent.

Prof T V Ramachandra of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, told the Deccan chronicle that as a result of the unplanned urbanisation, Bengaluru will cease to be a liveable city in the next half-a-decade.

Urban experts feel it is the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) which is responsible for this rapid decline in Bengaluru's health. They feel the BDA has become a felicitator of land dealings for the benefit of corrupt politicians.

Others have blamed the government, saying the latter has failed to see the future implications of the reckless growth. They alleged that land is being exploited on the whims and fancies of politicians.

Oneindia News
Karnataka Question paper leak: CBI arrests accused

Bengaluru

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, May 3: The CID in Karnataka has its task cut out with the arrest of Shivakumar, the alleged kingpin in the II PU question paper leak case.

The colleges that he had supplied the papers to and the board officials from where he managed to source the papers are all under the purview of the investigation being conducted by the CID.

For the CID it was a long chase before they finally caught up to Shivakumar in Hosur. After the scam broke out, he had fled Karnataka and was said to have taken shelter in Kerala. That was the last time they found about his location since he had switched off his cell phone after that.

The big chase:

The police who have arrested Shivakumar in connection with similar cases in the past had not managed to elicit much information from him.

The cases that were booked against him were relating to theft and he easily managed to get bail. However, this time around the CID has contemplated slapping the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act.Getting bail is not easy when this provision is slapped.

For the CID for now they are happy that they have finally arrested Shivakumar. It was a cat and mouse game between him and the CID. He had switched off his cell phone and this made tracking him extremely difficult.

However, it was human intelligence that finally led the CID on to him.Shivakumar has been in the business since 2008 according to the police.

He did not deal with just PU question papers. Trails of him supplying question papers of MBBS, engineering, the KPSC and even Sub Inspector examinations had come to light. Shivakumar according to the police was a teacher in a college.

He took voluntary retirement and has been in the business of allegedly supplying question papers since 2008.

He has come face to face with the law several times and all the police could do was book a case of theft against him.

This because of the lack of stringent laws to prevent such crimes. A theft is an easily bailable offence. Shivkumar's arrest is of extreme importance.

While the police are aware that he is the one who allegedly supplied the papers, it is yet to be known who he purchased them from. He will have to reveal the names of the officials from whom he purchased the paper, the CID officer informed.

We are aware that he would sell each question paper for Rs 20 lakh per college. There are 20 colleges which are under the scanner for having purchased question papers.

The names of more colleges across the state will come up during the probe as we believe that his area of operation could not have been limited to Bengaluru city alone.

OneIndia News
Dhar aka Jihadi John- There is a message in it for India

Feature

oi-Vicky

Indian Intelligence agencies are treading carefully with fresh information that suggests that Indian origin Siddhartha Dhar is the new Jihadi John in the ISIS.

There are several reports that suggest that he is the new Jihadi John. However we are verifying all the information possible to see if this is a real deal or another propaganda by the ISIS.

The ISIS which has attempted establishing a strong network in South Asia has not been entirely successful. In their long term plans, they have India on their radar after they seek control over Afghanistan. The battle in Afghanistan for the ISIS has not been as they would have expected as the number of locals or fighters from South Asia have been less in number.

By bringing in India names and circulating the same around, the ISIS would attempt to convey a message to those in the sub-continent that people from this part of the world too can make it big in their outfit.

Who is Siddhartha Dhar?

Born a Hindu, this 32 year is of Indian origin. Settled in the UK, he changed his name to Abu Rumaysah. He fled from the UK in 2014 along with his wife and four children to Syria.

His journey into the ISIS is not very clear, but investigators in UK who have spoken to his neighbours say that his wife could have put him on to this path. She was more devout than he was. The family members however refuse to believe that he is Jihadi John.

Dhar had earlier been arrested in the UK on terrorism charges, but was granted bail following which he was allowed to travel. He is said to have skipped bail and travelled to Syria along with his family. Dhar has had a rub in with the security agencies in the UK when he had once attempted imposing the Sharia law.

Why India must worry?

The ISIS has attempted to heavily recruit out of India. However those who have joined the outfit have often complained about being treated as second rated citizens in ISIS camps. Every Indian is part of a Hind camp and most of them have been given odd jobs thus busting their myth that all is hunky and dory.

The return of Areeb Majeed the Kalyan youth had in fact given the ISIS some very bad publicity. He had in fact spoken about his ordeal in the ISIS camp and said that he was made to clean toilets. He also spoke about how Indians are looked down upon in these camps.

In painting Dhar as the new Jihadi John, the ISIS is attempting to send across a message to many in the sub-continent that they too can enjoy important positions. The ISIS is a master of propaganda and this could well be one message to possible Indian recruits.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that this information is being verified. There is still no clarity on who the new Jihadi John is. The voice that is being played out by the investigators is being confirmed as Dhar's by many, but many have also denied it, the officer noted.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 11:53 [IST]
Poll-bound states: TN far safer than Kerala for women & children

Feature

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Kerala, the most literate state in India, is witnessing a fast growth of crimes against women, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Assembly Polls 2016 Coverage; Can't polls be held in comfortable seasons?

Tamil Nadu, Kerala's neighbour and also going to the Assembly elections along with latter on May 16, on the other hand, has a much lesser rate of crime against women, says the NCRB. [Click here to see NCRB maps on crime in India - 2014]

In 2014, Kerala's rate of crime against women was 63 per lakh population, which is higher than the national average of 56.3. Tamil Nadu's corresponding figure is just 18.4, less than a third of that of Kerala. [Dalit woman raped, murdered in Kerala]

Crime against kids: Kerala worse than TN

In comparison in rate of crimes against children, too, Kerala registers 25.6 per lakh child population against Tamil Nadu's 11.7.

In both crimes against women and children, Delhi tops the list with a disappointing 169.1 and 166.9 per lakh population, respectively.

Crime against SCs and STs: TN far better than Kerala



In rate of crimes against Scheduled Castes also, Kerala's score is 26.8, which is more than the national average of 23.4 and Tamil Nadu's 10.7.

Tamil Nadu also scores far better in crime rate against Scheduled Tribes. While its score is just 2.3 per lakh population, Kerala's figure is almost 14 times higher at 27.8. The national average is just 11, according to the NCRB.

Arrest rate under IPC: Kerala fares better than TN

In terms of arrest rate under the IPC, Kerala's score is 705 per one lakh people. Tamil Nadu's score is 380.7. The national average is 304.7. The rate of IPC crimes in Kerala is 585.3 per lakh population while it is 280.9 in Tamil Nadu. The national average is 229.2.

Kidnapping & abduction: Kerala does better

In case of kidnapping and abduction, however, it is Tamil Nadu which fares worse. Its rate is 2.5 as against Kerala's 0.6. The national average is 6.2.

In violent crimes, too, Kerala did worse than Tamil Nadu. While it has seen 32.5 violent crimes per lakh population, in Tamil Nadu, it is 18.5. The national average is 26.6.

Crime against property: Kerala does better than TN

Tamil Nadu's record was more disappointing than that of Kerala in the rate of crime against property. While it is 28.2 for the former per lakh population, it is 26 in the case of Kerala. The national average is 48.3.
Why candidate Trump and President Trump will be poles apart?

Feature

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Donald Trump the US Republican hopeful has been having an eventful campaign. His statements have taken almost all by storm and many believe he is the man who will eradicate radical Islamic terrorism.

Some in India also have pinned their hopes on him following his statement at April 28th Indianapolis Town Hall meeting where he said that he would seek India's help to address the 'problem' of a 'semi-unstable' nuclear-armed Pakistan.

Donald Trump says may seek India's help on 'unstable' Pak's nukes

While there are many welcome statements made by Trump during his campaign, the question is can he live up to all that he has been saying if he is elected President of the United States of America.

History has shown that there is always a difference between a candidate and a President. OneIndia spoke with former Research and Analysis Wing officer, V Balachandran to get his views on what one could expect from Donald Trump in case he wins.

Hopes may be illusory

On April 28 at Indianapolis during a town hall meeting of Trump hinted at seeking help from India and other nations to address the 'problem' of a 'semi-unstable' nuclear-armed Pakistan".

Balachandran says that one must not also forget the March 3 debate at Detroit where he had said that the US must keep its troops in Afghanistan to protect Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Trump's outbursts had provoked former CIA Director Michael Hayden to say that the American military would refuse to obey him if he gets elected and orders them to torture prisoners or kill the families of terrorists.

Balachandran says that a campaign rhetoric in any country including America is just barnstorming and is normally forgotten after the elections.

Trump delivers 'America first' foreign policy speech

Bill Clinton did it too

In 1992, Bill Clinton during his campaign assured a group of Pakistani students in USA that he would support "self determination" in Kashmir. This led to the publicity machinery in Pakistan to go on an overdrive and announced that if Clinton is elected he would support Kashmir plebiscite.

Balachandran points out that this however did not happen during his tenure between 1993 and 2001.

In the year 1993 a Khalistan activist had sought an endorsement from the President for a democratic self determination to form Khalistan. The activist received a response with the signature of the President that the US always supported democracy and self determination.

The Khalistan lobby advertised this as a support from the US for a separate Sikh state although there was never any such mention in the letter.

The effects on the war on terror

Michael Kugelman, Senior Associate for South and Southeast Asia Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars had said in an interview earlier that the kneejerk response is that President Trump would be a disaster for the war on terror because his anti-Muslim rhetoric would radicalize many and lead to more terror attacks.

In fact, there are reports that ISIS has already used his speeches in its recruitment pitches. The thing is, however, that we don't know if President Trump would be identical to Candidate Trump. We really don't know what Trump would do.

His views have never been particularly consistent, and he may well dial down some of the nasty rhetoric. He may well try to rebuild bridges around the world that he has already managed to burn.

But we simply don't know. And perhaps the uncertainty of it all makes the whole situation seem all that more scary and troubling.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 9:48 [IST]
Here is how much salary hike you can expect this year

Salaries of Air India employees to be restored in phases from April

New Wage Code 2022: Your in-hand salary, PF to leaves, here's what will come into effect from July 1

Salaries in India likely to increase by 10.4%: Here is why

Seventh Pay Commission: Govt employees to get better pay scales than proposed earlier

India

oi-Mukul

New Delhi, May 3: This news is like icing on the cake for the Central Government employees who are waiting for the salary increment, proposed by the Seventh pay Commission.

7th Pay Commission: All you need to know about recent updates of 'salary increment'

There is confirmed report that Empowered Committee of Secretaries, who were entrusted the responsibility to process the salary recommendations, will submit its report at the end of the June. Not only that, in its report, Committee has pushed for more increment than earlier proposed by the Commission.

As per media reports, secretaries panel have suggested maximum salary to be Rs. 2,70,000, which is twenty thousand more than the prescribed upper limit by the pay commission.

7th Pay Commission: Panel suggests abolition of over time for government employees

Panel wants lowest salary to be fixed at Rs. 21,000, which is three thousand more than the lower prescribed limit. Sources say that Government most likely will accept this new proposal.

Seventh Pay Commission: Revealed! Why govt is taking time to implement 'salary increment'

In Janurary, Government had appointed Empowered Committee of Secretaries under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha to process the recommendations of the Pay Commission.

Seventh Pay panel had suggested overall 23.55% hike in pay and allowances of govt employees. This panel had recommended minimum basic pay for central govt staff at Rs 18,000 while maximum to be at Rs 2.25 lakh per month.

OneIndia News
AgustaWestland case: Delhi firm got funds under pretext of exporting music CDs

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing a company by the name Media Exim which was set up in 2005 to facilitate the transfer of funds in connection with the AgustaWestland case.

The firm set up in Delhi by James Christian Michel, the alleged middleman who was appointed to manage the media had received a sum of Rs 7 crore in two years.

The money was being transferred from a firm called Global Services under the pretext of exporting music CDs. In two years there was a sum of Rs 7 crore that had been transferred.

However, once the probe into this case was launched Rs 6 crore was transferred back to Dubai and the assets of the firm immediately liquidated.

Global trail:

The investigations show show that there was a global money trail. Michel who now resides in the UK was specifically appointed by AgustaWestland to manage the deal and move money around. Michel went about setting up firms in both India and abroad so that the money could be transferred.

[AgustaWestland- Rejected in 2002 on track by 2005]

In Delhi he through his local contacts had set up the Media Exim which was also meant to receive money from his global firms. AgustaWestland is alleged to have entered into a deal with Michel to specifically manage bureaucrats, politicians and the media.

To the Delhi firm set up in 2005 had received Rs 7 crore. The money was being transferred under the pretext of carrying out exports of music CDs the CBI probe has also found.

However, when Michel learnt that an investigation was likely to be launched he immediately ordered the liquidation of the assets. An amount of Rs 6 crore was transferred back.

Bank accounts:

A bank account registered in the name of Global Services a firm that received money from AgustaWestland is also under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate. The bank which is located in the Dubai's Airport Free Zone had received funds from AgustaWestland.

The money was later transferred to various subsidiaries set up in India and other countries by Michel, the ED alleges.

The ED says that it is writing to the UAE to seek out more details from the bank. A huge chunk of the money had landed in this bank before it transferred to various other subsidiaries, the ED alleges.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 15:03 [IST]
AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive

AgustaWestland secret tapes: "Go accompany that beautiful girl"

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 3: Three companies to which there was a flow of money allegedly linked to the AgustaWestland pay offs are currently under the scanner of the Financial Intelligence Unit.

The information relating to the three companies was pointed out to former IAF chief, S P Tyagi who was questioned for over 8 hours by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials.

The Financial Intelligence Unit is currently gathering information about these three companies and is trying to ascertain the flow of funds from abroad into India.

The CBI during the questioning also tried to ascertain whether Giuli was a code name for Tyagi.

AgustaWestland: Former chief, deputy chief of IAF to be brought face to face by CBI

Who is Guili?

Guili which means beautiful girl in Italian was an alleged code name used by the middle men, CBI officials say. The taped conversations which is in the possession of the CBI suggests that a key person was often referred to as Guili.

As per the conversation the middle men are heard saying on March 25, 2012 that they would have to receive Guili at the Milan airport. Further it also states that the middlemen had discussed accompanying Guili in Italy.

The CBI has been trying to find out if Guili was the code word used for Tyagi. While attempting to join the dots, the CBI has learnt that Tyagi was in Milan in the year 2012 and may have met the middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke.

Middleman in AgustaWestland deal visited India 300 times citing pilgrimage

Questions for Tyagi:

During the questioning, the CBI asked Tyagi if he had visited Milan in 2012. Further he was asked about the three companies through which money was routed in.

The CBI further sought to know if there were meetings between him and the two middle men. CBI sources say that he had allegedly met them around 6 times.

A visit to Venice and Milan in the year 2009 two years after his retirement is also under the scanner of the CBI. The CBI asked Tyagi if he had visited these places alone or along with his two cousins or Tyagi brothers who are also accused in this case.

According to the CBI the Tyagi brothers had been in touch with the middlemen since 2004 itself.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 8:30 [IST]
In the name of charity, Rs 50 lakh transferred to personal A/C: ED in chargesheet against Rana Ayyub

Rana Ayyub used money collected for charity for her own use

Journalist falls off 5th floor, police suspect suicide

India

oi-Pallavi

Faridabad, May 3: A journalist is said to have committed suicide by jumping off her 5th floor apartment in Faridabad. Police say that a case of extortion had been registered against her. Pooja Tiwari worked with a national media portal until recently, was accompanied by two people in her flat-Indore-based journalist Amreen and Haryana police inspector Amit Kumar- when the incident happened.

As per the statements of the two eye-witnesses, Pooja started drinking in the evening and continued to drink even after dinner. They further added that Pooja was discussing her case with the duo when she suddenly became angry and jumped off the balcony.

A doctor couple had registered an FIR against her for cheating and extortion.

While the incident is said to have happened at 11:45 pm, the police claims to have received information only at 3 am. When the police rushed to the spot, the body of the woman was already declared brought dead.

Faridabad commissioner of police Hanif Qureshi said, "Prima facie the incident seems to be a suicide but we will go by the statement of the parents who have arrived in Faridabad."

Police also informed that the media company had removed her after news of her extortion came to the fore. She was without a salary.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 11:31 [IST]
According to Union Law Ministry sources the names received from collegium will be processed and appointments will be made within a fortnight.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur has recommended the elevation of Chief Justices of three High Courts of Allahabad, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala and one senior advocate for appointment as judges of the apex court.

The three Chief Justices are: D.Y. Chandrachud (61 of Allahabad High Court); A.M. Khanwilkar (58) of Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur and Ashok Bhushan (60) of Kerala High Court and L.Nageswara Rao, former Additional Solicitor General and senior advocate.

According to Union Law Ministry sources the names received from collegium will be processed and appointments will be made within a fortnight. Justices Chandrachud and Khanwilkar both belonged to Maharashtra and Justice Bhushan belonged to Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Rao hails from Andhra Pradesh.

There are already three judges from Maharashtra, viz Justices S.A. Bobde, Rohinton Nariman and Uday Lalit and with the recommendation of two others, the number of judges from the State will go upto five judges.

The present strength of judges in the apex court is 25 as against the sanctioned strength of 31. With the elevation of three High court chief justices and one senior lawyer the strength will go upto 29.

The last appointment of Justice Amitav Roy to the apex court was made in February 2015. Subsequently no recommendation was made as the Centre enacted the National Judicial Appointments Comm-ission, which was struck down in October 2015.

Subsequently it took a few months for the Centre to come out with the Memorandum of Procedure for appointments of Judges and it paved the way for the collegiums to make fresh appointments to the apex court and to various High Courts.
Pathankot airbase security was not robust: Parliamentary panel

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, May 3: A parliamentary panel has said security at the Pathankot airbase in Punjab was not robust and pointed out shortcomings there ahead of the January 2 terror attack.

The security cover at the airbase was not robust and its perimeter wall was poorly guarded and the base did not have a road around it for patrolling, the parliamentary standing committee for home ministry said.

The report of the committee was tabled in parliament on Tuesday.The committee, which visited the Indian Air Force base, questioned how terrorists from Pakistan managed to reach the airbase.

"The committee is unable to understand how despite a terror alert (having been) sounded well in advance, the terrorists managed to breach the high-security airbase and subsequently attack it," the panel said.

It asked the government to pay attention to effectively sealing the border (with Pakistan) through increased patrolling as well as fencing and floodlighting etc.

Seven Indian security personnel were killed in the January 2 attack at the IAF base by terrorists who had crossed over from Pakistan.

IANS
Golden intelligence rule: When your cover is blown, you are on your own

Pathankot attack: Evidence vanishing in Pak as NIA waits to visit

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, May 3: Even as the National Investigation Agency awaits a formal response to visit Pakistan in connection with the Pathankot probe, it appears that a lot of evidence is being wiped out.

Several operatives have already been shifted out of the country and probably to Afghanistan, an intelligence bureau official informed OneIndia.

Pathankot attack: NIA visit to Pakistan still in limbo

Pakistan has been taking its time in granting a date to the NIA which intends visiting the country to probe the Pathankot attack. The Intelligence Bureau official says that even if Pakistan gives the NIA a date, there may be very little for them to probe as the ISI is known to clear out evidence.

Eradicating evidence

The officer also said that the make shift bases and the operational centre which was used by the Jaish-e-Mohammad to launch and coordinate the Pathankot attack may have already been destroyed. Further the NIA has got a list of names who they would like to probe in connection with this case.

Even during the 26/11 attack, the ISI did all it could to wipe out a trail that would lead up to Ajmal Kasab. In the Pathankot attack too, the ISI has shifted out at least four key operatives out of their bases. Most of them could have been shifted to Afghanistan where the Jaish-e-Mohammad does have a safe house.

The IB also says that a training facility at Bhawalpur has also been relocated at the behest of the ISI. Until the NIA's visit if complete, the ISI has ordered the Jaish-e-Mohammad to lay low.

There would be no training or other activity by the Jaish-e-Mohammad until the NIA completes its visit, the ISI has ordered the outfit.

OneIndia News
With AQI of 259, Delhi's air on day before Diwali least polluted in 7 years

Delhi LG and CM greet people on Diwali, ask people to be mindful of pollution

Pollution crisis: Delhis Aam Aadmi takes the lead to clean the air

India

oi-Oneindia

By Maitreyee Boruah

New Delhi, May 3: India's national capital, New Delhi, truly belongs to the Aam Aadmi, literally. It is not just governed by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but the common man (Aam Aadmi) of the city is also not far behind when it comes to contribute for various civic issues affecting them.

At a time when the national capital is facing an alarming rise in the air pollution level, the citizens of Delhi have come together to start a novel initiative-Delhi Clean Air Forum-on May 2 (Monday).

"The forum is a citizen's campaign that aims to engage and involve different Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) across Delhi on local air quality issues and find solutions for long lasting change through on-ground pilot projects, awareness camps and citizen activism," states a press release of URJA (United Residents Joint Action) of Delhi.

URJA, the apex body of RWA in Delhi, was set up in 2005. The apex body gathers, analyzes, disseminates information and aggregates public opinion to demand efficient delivery of civic amenities, health services, security, clean air and water to residents of Delhi by the government agencies.

"We connect and network with 2,500 RWAs, apart from several NGOs," states the press release.

"The residents of Delhi have a crucial part to play in solving the air quality crisis. I congratulate URJA for starting the Delhi Clean Air Forum. It is indeed an important step in the right direction. This will strengthen our mission towards making Delhi a word class city. We look forward to work closely with URJA on local civic issues," said Satyendra Jain, Delhi's nodal minister of health, PWD and industry, while flagging-off the campaign.

The forum will focus on control of vehicular pollution and better policy guidelines to implement clean auto fuels.

"We will also work towards understanding the reasons behind the failure to protect the rights and safety of pedestrians. We will concentrate on controlling roadside dust and greening of walkways; while encouraging more and more people to walk on roads," states the press release.

The press release adds, "We will work towards energy conservation. We will hold the local municipality and government accountable to further undertake holistic air quality management plans. We also want to encourage initiatives that decongest our roads and demand for better public transport facilities."

The second phase of Delhi's odd-even traffic scheme aimed at battling pollution ended on Saturday (April 30).

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 9:46 [IST]
AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive

Sonia meets party leaders on AgustaWestland issue

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 3: With AgustaWestland chopper issue coming up for debate in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow, Congress President Sonia Gandhi held a strategy meeting with senior leaders this evening.

The consultations were significant in view of the fact that BJP member Subramanian Swamy had dragged her name in the issue in the Upper House last week amid sharp protests from Congress members.

A section of party leaders have been emphasising on a foolproof strategy so as to send home the message that the party was all for debating the issue but at the same time would not countenance muck-raking at the leadership.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the party was all for debate on the issue in both Houses of Parliament to clear the air on the matter.

In the Lok Sabha too, Congress has given notices for a short duration discussion on the issue as also for a calling attention notice. Congress' strategy of attacking Modi government over the Italian marines issue during the debate came to the fore with the party today coming down heavily on the Centre in the matter.

AICC alleged that Modi government "entered into a conspiracy" to "falsely accuse" the party leadership in AugustaWestland chopper case and made a "weak defence" in the Italian marines case as "quid pro quo".

"Recent order of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague confirms the claim that Modi government has entered into a conspiracy to falsely accuse Congress leadership in AugustaWestland case in return for a weak defence in Italian marines case," Scindia told reporters.

In the past one week, the party has raised several questions for the Prime Minister in the matter and declared that it has nothing to hide. Former Defence Minister A K Antony, who was in poll-bound Kerala, returned here today to participate in the discussion.

Besides Antony, Congress' Deputy leader Anand Sharma and party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, who is a senior advocate, are expected to participate.

PTI
Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls: Jayalalithaa hits out at Karunanidhi

India

oi-Pallavi

Coimbatore, May 2: Branding the DMK-Congress tie up for May 16 elections as a corrupt alliance, AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa who alleged that no election promise was fulfilled by DMK unless it benefitted Karunanidhi.

Citing the distribution of free colour televisions worth Rs 2,000 to everyone, she said that he charged Rs 3,000 for cable connections run by its family members, thus earning them a profit of Rs 25,000 crore in five years.

The unfulfilled promises made by DMK included providing solar energy in remote villages, elections in cooperative societies, setting up a food processing export centre and a memorial for late actor Shivaji Ganesan.

She ridiculed both the parties, saying that they were partners in crime and were equally corrupt. Promising to promote tourism and infrastructure, Jayalalithaa said that if the party won, she would promote Munnar. She would also ensure that all the tea estate workers in Devikulam are protected under social security scheme.

The chief minister was addressing a huge rally in Coimbatore, seeking votes for the AIADMK and alliance candidates in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tirupur and Kerala. Turning her sarcasm to the DMK-Congress alliance, she said that how could a party named in scams like spectrum, coal, CWG and Adarsh provide for a corruption-free government.

Emphasizing on her candidature, Jaya said that she would make efforts to construct a flyover in Nadakkavu near Malampuzha.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 3, 2016, 14:02 [IST]
Kantara row: FIR against Kannada actor Chetan Kumar for hurting religious sentiments

Karnataka Governor gives assent to ordinance increasing SC/ST reservation

'Kantara' box office collection: Rishab's flick to join $1-million club in US; check day-wise collection

Cop booked for raping cousin over 5 years

Solar eclipse to be sighted in Bengaluru for 45 minutes: Report

News Flash: Mallya's resignation as member of RS rejected

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Bengaluru, May 3: President Pranab Mukherjee to give away the Film Awards at the 63rd National Film Awards Function today.

Get all the latest news updates of the day:

9.42 pm: Congress Strategy meet to be held at 10 Janpath tomorrow morning.

9.40 pm: Congress Strategy meet to be held at 10 Janpath tomorrow morning.

9.33 pm: Is it connected to the helicopter scam or with the CWG scam? Rahul Gandhi has to come clean on this, says Kirit Somaiya.

9.32 pm: Rahul Gandhi entered into a transaction with no one but Emaar MGF, why this financial accomodation?,says Kirit Somaiya.

9.31 pm: Jaisalmer (Rajasthan): BSF jawans on duty in Thar Desert where temperature soars beyond 50 C.

9.19 pm: Want to thank all parties for their support and positibe suggestions.Have taken note of all suggestions,says P Javadekar.

9.18 pm: With this,forest cover will dramatically increase & it will help us achieve target of 33 % of tree cover, informs P Javadekar.

9.17 pm: Happy that a historical bill of "Compensatory Afforestation & Fund management has been unanimously passed in Lok Sabha, says Prakash Javadekar.

9.03 pm: As per Rule 213 of Rajya Sabha procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine.

9.02 pm: RS Secy Gen writes to Mallya that his resignation letter doesn't conform to prescribed procedures & doesn't bear signature in original.

8.59 pm: Vijay Mallya's resignation as member of RS rejected.

8.10 pm: Jayalalithaa rules the Govt based on lies. No truth in what she says to the people of Tamil Nadu: M. Karunanidhi.

8.09 pm: DMK Chief M. Karunanidhi addressing a rally in Madurai.

7.50 pm: I was not there seeing it as a BJP platform but I was there for my brother Mohit Kamboj: Sanjay Dutt.

7.48 pm: Veteran Actor Manoj Kumar gifts a "Sai Baba" statuette to President Mukherjee after receiving Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

7.47 pm: Veteran Actor Manoj Kumar gifts a "Sai Baba" statuette to President Mukherjee after receiving Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

7.46 pm: Delhi: Veteran actor Manoj Kumar conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

7.30 pm: Amitabh Bachchan receives National Films Award for the Best Actor.

President Mukherjee presents National Films Award for Best Popular Film to Bajrangi Bhaijaan director Kabir Khan pic.twitter.com/LUKw1iX6Ub  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

7.15 pm: President PRanab Mukherjee presents 63rd Nat'l Films Award for Best Feature film to 'Baahubali', Director SS Rajamouli receives award.

7.10 pm: Congress leaders arrive for a meeting at 10 Janpath on AgustaWestland case.

6.59 pm: NHRC takes suo moto cognizance of media reports of rape and murder of a law student in Ernakulam, issues notice to Government of Kerala.

6.55 pm: Directorate of Education issues circular to all heads of schools in Delhi to observe mandatory summer vacation with effect from May 11.

Mandatory summer vacations to be observed in view of the prevailing hot weather & prediction that the temperature is likely to rise further.  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

6.51 pm: Italy must return marines if India's jurisdiction is proved: UN.

6.45 pm: SC gives two-day deadline to Delhi govt for plan on phasing out diesel cabs

6.42 pm: CBI says that SP Tyagi has admitted during questioning that he owns four companies.

6.31 pm: Ashutosh K Singh (DGM of Handicrafts Handloom corp, held in bribery case) was using fake IDs for his fake businesses.

6.15 pm: CBI is looking into SP Tyagi's international trips (route) especially after retirement, says Sources.

6.10 pm: We have asked medical department to issue an advisory, says S Ramaswami, Addlitional Chief Secretaryon Uttarakhand Forest Fire.

6.00 pm: President Pranab Mukherjee to present 63rd National Films Awards and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in Delhi.

5.45 pm: CBI seized Rs 1.37 crore cash, investment papers worth Rs 9 crore during search at DGM Ashutosh Kumar Singh's residence last night.

5.30 pm: Fire in Nainital's forests, efforts to douse the fire underway on Uttarakhand Forest Fire.

5.15 pm: The rejoinder by Karnataka in the J Jayalalithaa DA case will continue tomorrow. B V Acharya SPP has indicated that he would conclude by Thursday,May 3.

5.00 pm: There are sign of brutality on body, there's sign of strangulation & smothering. There are 13 injuries on various parts of her body, says M Yadav.

4.45 pm: We are working on all angles. We will be taking this investigation to the logical end, says Mahipal Yadav, IG.

4.30 pm: Heavy rain brings down temperature in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).

4.15 pm: People involved in this heinous crime will be brought to justice soon, says Ramesh Chennithala on law student rape and murder.

4.00 pm: No, its doesn't upset me, says Kabir Khan on being heckled by protesters at Karachi airport.

3.45 pm: SDPI and AIYF protest against Home Minister outside Perumbavoor Hospital where he came to meet victim of Kerala law student's rape-murder.

3.35 pm: Delhi government seeks 2 more days' time from SC to file detailed roadmap on how to phase out diesel taxis on Diesel taxi ban.

3.31 pm: The Human Rights commission has also registered a suo moto in the Kerala law student's rape and murder case.

3.30 pm: We take no cognizance of their report, says MEA on US Commission report on International Religious Freedom.

3.25 pm: US Commission report on International Religious Freedom once again fails to show proper understanding of India,its constitution and society, says MEA.

3.15 pm: SC reserves it order on telecom companies plea against HC's order over compensation for call drop.

3.05 pm: SC asks MCI to respond to state Governments' plea to hold separate exams this year. MCI to respond till Thursday.

3.00 pm: Students participate in a cross country run organised to spread message of peace and safe environment.

2.50 pm: We have no intentions of targeting Rahul Gandhi, but we are not going to spare corrupt people: says, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

2.40 pm: 19 gold biscuits worth Rs. 60 lakhs hidden in a washing machine motor, seized from a passenger at Mumbai airport.

2.34 pm: Main accused in Second PU question paper leak case, Shivakumar has been arrested by the CID.

2.30 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till 3:15 pm.

2.20 pm: Air connectivity to Tier2 & tier3 cities will be increased, fare won't be more than 2500 for 1hour fly time, says Mahesh Sharma, MoS Civil Aviation.

2.15 pm: Diesel taxis ban matter- Delhi Government to file its recommendation today, Supreme court will examine it tomorrow.

2.05 pm: Singapore detains 8 Bangladeshis for alleged IS-related terror plot.

2.00 pm: Sachin Tendulkar accepts IOA's invitation to become India's goodwill ambassador at Rio 2016.

Sachin Tendulkar accepts IOA invitation to become India's goodwill ambassador at #Rio2016 (In pic-His letter to IOA) pic.twitter.com/3DT0WlYL98  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

1.50 pm: IAF chopper lifts water from Bhimtal as fire fighting operations to douse Uttarakhand Forest Fire continue.

WATCH: IAF chopper lifts water from Bhimtal as fire fighting operations to douse #UttarakhandForestFire continuehttps://t.co/KDI6Em5Et7  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

1.40 pm: It's a matter concerning the security of the country and a dirty scam taken place during the earlier regime, says Venkaiah Naidu.

1.30 pm: Farmers protest demanding amendment in forest conservation act 1980, outside Himachal Secretariat in Chhota Shimla.

1.20 pm: New facts are coming, Govt is very keen to take it to its logical conclusion, says Venkaiah Naidu,Union Minister on AgustaWestland deal.

1.00 pm: HC expressed severe dissatisfaction regarding progress made in investigation, says Govind Pansare's daughter-in-law Megha.

12.47 pm: B V Acharya tells Supreme Court that the arguments advanced by Jayalalithaa cannot be sustained.Facts have clearly revealed that there is a case of disproportionate assets.

12.35 pm: Bombay HC pulls up investigating agencies on slow progress in investigation of Govind Pansare and Dabholkar murder cases, says 'not satisfied'.

12.26 pm: B V Acharya special public prosecutor for Karnataka commences arguments in Supreme Court in Jayalalithaa DA case. Acharya is filing his rejoinder in the case.

12.27 pm: I am happy to be targeted, says Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on AgustaWestland.

12.00 pm: India will pursue case with UN Tribunal,Govt will fight for rights of victims and ensure justice, says Arun Jailtley in LS on Italian marines case.

11.30 am: Women's Rights activists protest outside Kerala Secretariat in Trivandrum over rape & murder of a woman in Ernakulam.

11.24 am: Indian Air Force Jaguars all set to take off during Red Flag 2016 Exercise in Alaska, USA

Indian Air Force Jaguars all set to take off during Red Flag 2016 Exercise in Alaska, USA. pic.twitter.com/DKn9m88bW7  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

10.55 am: Uttarakhand political crisis: Supreme Court has asked Centre to think about floor test.

10.34 am: Delhi-Noida Direct flyway shut as diesel cab drivers protest SC ruling.

10.12 am: Anti Corruption Bureau of Delhi arrests two persons including a sub-registrar on charges of corruption.

9.37 am: BJP gives notice in Parliament over AgustaWestland case.



9.35 am: BJP President Amit Shah arrives in Parliament for the BJP parliamentary party meeting.

9.05 am: Pakistan raps Donald Trump over vow to free doctor who helped track Osama Bin Laden.

8.30 am: United States tells Pakistan to "put forward (their own) national funds" to buy 8 F-16 fighter jets.

8.18 am: Lenapur village, Aurangabad: Children carry water filled pots on their heads amidst acute crisis in Maharashtra

Lenapur village, Aurangabad: Children carry water filled pots on their heads amidst acute crisis in Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/JhG1TM7EOU  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

8.00 am: NDRF teams continue efforts to contain the spread of forest fires in Uttarakhand.

OneIndia News
Barack Obama reflects on raid that killed Osama bin Laden

International

oi-PTI

Washington, May 3: For the first time, President Barack Obama has given an insight into the covert US raid that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan, saying that during the tense operation nobody cheered or high-fived as they were unsure about the outcome.

"One thing about having been through a lot of this previously, and everybody sitting around this table had been through the ups and downs of any wartime situation. It's interesting the degree to which nobody cheered or nobody high- fived, because we couldn't be sure at that point," Obama told CNN about the raid which took place on May 2, 2011.

CIA mocked for 'live tweeting' Osama Bin Laden killing

Obama said he took the decision despite the odds being "probably 50/50." "The kinds of Special Forces and intelligence-gathering that we saw in the bin Laden raid is going to be, more often than not, the tool of choice for a president in dealing with that kind of threat," he said.

In response to a question, Obama acknowledged while bin Laden has been killed, the ideology has not been extinguished. "The world is still dangerous. In many ways, the Middle East is in a more chaotic situation," he said.

According to the special CNN report, Obama and his team said that now, any future terror-fighting formula will have to include working with allies to address the political resentment and economic frustration that give extremist groups such fertile ground.

"It was uniquely complicated because the stakes were so high, and we were operating inside of Pakistan. But these guys had been through a lot of harrowing moments," Obama said recollecting the days that led to bin Laden raid.

Obama said this was the best opportunity the US ever had to kill bin Laden. Remembering the moment when the first US helicopter crashed inside the Abbottabad compound. "It was not an ideal start," he said.

"We came in here at the point where the helicopters were about to actually land. It's here where we observed, for example, that one of the helicopters got damaged in the landing...I was thinking that this is not an ideal start," Obama said.

Everyone was worried, the president said. "The good news was it didn't crash. Our guys were able to extract themselves. The bad news was that the helicopter itself had been damaged," he noted.

"Even though we had the best helicopter operators imaginable, despite the fact that they had practiced these landings repeatedly in a mock up, we couldn't account for temperature, and the fact that helicopters start reacting differently in an enclosed compound where heat may be rising," he said.

PTI
We cannot wait longer now: SC to hear Vijay Mallyas contempt case in January for final disposal

I am neither a borrower nor a judgment debtor, says Vijay Mallya

International

oi-Sandra

London, May 3: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Tuesday took to Twitter and said that Indian media houses should check on facts before calling him a 'defaulter.'

Mallya wrote on his Twitter account: "In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter."

Vijay Mallya says he is in 'forced exile', has no plans to leave UK

In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 2, 2016

Mallya, who resigned as an MP from Rajya Sabha this week, admitted that Kingfisher Airlines owes money to the banks but also said that he was neither a borrower or a judgement debtor. Mallya tweeted: "Agree Kingfisher Air owes money to Banks. I am neither a borrower or a judgement debtor. Why am I a defaulter inspite of a settlement offer ?"

Agree Kingfisher Air owes money to Banks.I am neither a borrower or a judgement debtor.Why am I a defaulter inspite of a settlement offer ?  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 2, 2016

Mallya had earlier in an interview to Financial Times said that he was in a 'forced exile' and that he is more than happy to stay safe in the UK.

He said that he wanted to settle all his dues with the banks. "I definitely would like to return to India. Right now, things are flying at me fast and furious. My passport has been revoked. I don't know what the government is going to do next," he said.

The government had revoked Mallya's passport after he left for the UK on March 2.

OneIndia News
The persecution of Hindus in Pakistan continues with a Hindu girl forcibly converted and married

'India won't listen to anyone': Anurag Thakur gives strong reply to PCB

Pakistan off the FATFs grey List: What this means

Pakistan was aware about Osama bin Laden's hideout, claims Hillary Clinton

International

oi-Jagriti

Washington, May 3: Republican presidential front-runner and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton claimed that the Pakistani establishment was aware about the presence of slain al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in their country.

"We couldn't link top establishment of Pakistan military having connection with Osama, but it wouldn't have been impossible for the Qaeda boss to build such a big house without Pakistani establishment's knowledge," Hillary made this claim in an interview to CNN on Tuesday.

She made this statement in the wake of the fifth anniversary of 'Operation Naptune Spear' that resulted into death of Osama bin Laden.

Osama bin Laden was killed by United States Navy Seal commandos on 2 May 2011 after a raid on his fortified compound in Abbottabad near capital Islamabad.

Osama bin Laden killing: CIA live tweets US military's raids on fifth anniversary

They had flown in from Afghanistan on two Black Hawks and the whole operation lasted a little over three hours.

Bin Laden was the founder of al-Qaeda, the group that claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Legendary US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh recently claimed that Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan's detention for years and was killed after the country struck a deal with the US.

The US and Pakistan then struck a deal that the US would raid his compound but make it look as if Pakistan was unaware. Major US media outlets also rejected his claim as incorrect.

OneIndia News
Pakistan has one month's time to grab US F16 deal

International

oi-PTI

Washington, May 3: Pakistan has time till May end to avail the American offer to procure eight F-16s at an estimated cost of USD 700 million after Obama administration told Islamabad that it should put forward national funds to buy these fighter jets.

On Monday the State Department told reporters that it has told the Pakistani leadership that "they should put forward national funds" for the purchase of F-16s given that key members of the Congress have made clear that they have objections to using foreign military financing  American tax payer's money -- to support.

In the absence of Pakistani taking any tangible action against the Haqqani network, the Senators have said they would not let the Obama Administration use tax payer's money to give F-16s to Pakistan as notified to the Congress on February 11.

Sources here told PTI that the May deadline for Pakistan to respond to the new development from the US is based on "offer validity and (Lockheed's) production process" point of view.

Any delay in the acceptance of the offer, would result in increase in cost of F-16s. However, speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Pakistani official told PTI that Pakistan is unlikely to buy F-16s at its full price as being told by the United States now.

The US offer of eight F-16s, officials said, might still be there in paper, but it might go in for a long pause and price escalation if Pakistan decides against buying it, sources said.

PTI
Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Tuesday urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help migrants from the state, who are allegedly removed from their jobs by a construction company in Saudi Arabia.

"The company has removed nearly 50,000 employees in the last three months," Telangana Industries and NRI Affairs Minister K T Rama Rao said in a letter to Swaraj. The visas of the removed employees are also being cancelled, he said.

"They are now jobless and not having any sources of livelihood and are not in a position to come back to India as well, as they became illegal migrants without visa. They are approaching the said company, but the company authorities are not responding properly," Rama Rao said.

The family members of said Telangana migrants are worried about their safety and security, he said.

"Hence, I humbly request you, to kindly intervene in the situation with regard to Telangana labourers working in the company in Saudi Arabia to settle all the problems which are being faced by them," Rama Rao added.
The persecution of Hindus in Pakistan continues with a Hindu girl forcibly converted and married

Pakistan will buy F-16s from others if US fails to deliver: Sartaj Aziz

International

oi-PTI

Islamabad, May 3: Pakistan today said it will buy F-16 jets from other countries if the US failed to provide agreed funds, amid reports that the State Department expressed inability to fund the USD 700 million deal with American tax payers' money.

Prime Minister's advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the Congressional blockade may force it to turn to other countries.

"Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from US) is not arranged," Aziz said at a seminar.

The two nations had agreed on USD 700 million deal under which Pakistan was to pay USD 270 million from its national funds to purchase eight F-16s while the US was supposed to finance the rest of the amount from its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund.

But Congress has refused to approve the funding, leaving the deal in limbo, as cash-starved Pakistan may not be able to make the entire payment.

Earlier, at a Congressional hearing, US lawmakers made it clear that they would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the deal.

Last Friday, a State Department official said Congress had placed a hold on the deal, forbidding the administration from using US funds for enabling Pakistan to buy the planes. And yesterday, the department confirmed that Pakistan will have to use its own funds if it wants the planes.

Aziz said F-16s was an effective tool to fight militancy and it can be replaced by JF-17 Thunder jets, locally produced.

He expressed concern at the growing military power of India and said if it isn't checked, Pakistan will be "forced to increase its strategic power" too.

"The international community should avoid steps which may disturb the strategic balance in South Asia," he said.

PTI
Bengal election Phase 6: 2011 results in 25 seats going to polls on May 5

Kolkata

oi-Shubham

Kolkata, May 3: Twenty-five constituencies of the West Bengal Assembly will go to the election on May 5 (Thursday), when the final of the seven (technically sixth) phase of this year's election will be held.

Assembly Polls 2016 Coverage; Top contests of 2016 polls

These constituencies are located in three districts---Cooch Behar (eight), Alipurduar (one) and East Midnapore (16). [List of 25 seats going to polls on May 5]

In the 2011 Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won 20 of these seats while the Left Front won four and the Congress one. [Top issues of Bengal polls 2016]

Here are the details of the election results in these 25 seats in 2011:

Cooch Behar (8 seats)

Mekhliganj [SC]: 2011 voters number: 1,70,181; vote percentage: 86.59; winner: Paresh Chandra Adhikari of Forward Bloc [vote share: 48.89%]; difference: 32,632

Mathabhanga [SC]: 2011 voters number: 1,94,088; vote percentage: 86.78; winner: Binay Krishna Barman of TMC [vote share: 46.46%]; difference: 5,324

Cooch Behar North [SC]: 2011 voters number: 2,18,743; vote percentage: 85.96; winner: Nagendranath Roy of Forward Bloc [vote share: 45.11%]; difference:2,197

Cooch Behar South: 2011 voters number: 1,82,901; vote percentage: 83.7; winner: Akshay Thakur of Forward Bloc [vote share: 47.04%]; difference: 2,563

Sitalkuch [SC]: 2011 voters number: 2,16,535; vote percentage: 88.42; winner: Hiten Barman of TMC [vote share 44.22%]; difference: 167

Sitai [SC]: 2011 voters number: 2,09,580; vote percentage: 81.57; winner: Keshab Chandra Roy of Congress [vote share 46.67%]; difference: 1,577

Dinhata: 2011 voters number: 2,22,013; vote percentage: 82.96; winner: Udayan Guha of Forward Bloc [vote share 50.52%]; difference: 30,026

Natabari: 2011 voters number: 1,93,375; vote percentage: 89.10; winner: Rabindranath Ghosh of TMC [vote share 47.56%]; difference: 7,565

Alipurduar (1 seat)

Tufanganj: 2011 voters number: 1,83,248; vote percentage: 89.37; winner: Arghya Roy Pradhan of TMC [vote share 45.02%]; difference: 6,182

East Midnapore (16 seats)

Tamluk: 2011 voters number: 2,09,937; vote percentage: 89.96; winner: Soumen Kumar Mahapatra of TMC [vote share 52.82%]; difference: 20,676

Panskura East: 2011 voters number: 1,86,105; vote percentage: 87.90; winner: Bipab Roy Chowdhury of TMC [vote share 50.71%]; difference: 13,167

Panskura West: 2011 voters number: 2,11,678; vote percentage: 88.25; winner: Sheikh Omar Ali of TMC [vote share 49.97%]; difference: 9,140

Moyna: 2011 voters number: 1,96,999; vote percentage: 90.70; winner: Bhushan Chandra Dolui of TMC [vote share 50.95%]; difference: 9,957

Nandakumar: 2011 voters number: 1,92,201; vote percentage: 91.64; winner: Sukumar Dey of TMC [vote share 50.94%]; difference: 11,867

Mahishadal: 2011 voters number: 1,89,874; vote percentage: 91.11; winner: Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar of TMC [vote share 55.29%]; difference: 28,162

Haldia [SC]: 2011 voters number: 1,88,653; vote percentage: 92.48; winner: Siuli Bera of TMC [vote share 51.34%]; difference: 11,924

Nandigram: 2011 voters number: 1,95,232; vote percentage: 87.93; winner: Firoza Bibi of TMC [vote share 60.17%]; difference: 43,640

Chandipur: 2011 voters number: 1,88,758; vote percentage: 91.78; winner: Amiya Kanti Bhattacharjee of TMC [vote share 50.80%]; difference: 11,709

Patashpur: 2011 voters number: 1,82,774; vote percentage: 92.55; winner: Jyotirmoy Kar of TMC [vote share 49.93%]; difference: 6,650

Contai North: 2011 voters number: 2,02,138; vote percentage: 90.97; winner: Banashri Maiti of TMC [vote share 49.78%]; difference: 7,955

Bhagabanpur: 2011 voters number: 1,98,955; vote percentage: 92.31; winner: Ardhendu Maiti of TMC [vote share 51.15%]; difference: 8,997

Khejuri [SC]: 2011 voters number: 1,77,602; vote percentage: 93.11; winner: Ranjit Mandal of TMC [vote share 53.11%]; difference: 16,160

Contai South: 2011 voters number: 1,75,105; vote percentage: 86.91; winner: Dibyendu Adhikari of TMC [vote share 57.12%]; difference: 28,637

Ramnagar: 2011 voters number: 2,03,723; vote percentage: 87.61; winner: Akhil Giri of TMC [vote share 52.56%]; difference: 16,559

Egra: 2011 voters number: 2,19,399; vote percentage: 87.66; winner: Samaresh Das of TMC [vote share 51.57%]; difference: 15,953

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KOZHIKODE: A man injured in the bomb blast in Kinambrakkunnu, Nadapuram, died in Government Medical College, hospital here on Tuesday. Lineesh K., 34, hailing from Naripatta, was seriously injured in the blast, while making bombs on April 27. Police could not record his statements, as he was critically injured on head and hands. All those injured in the blast were from traditional CPM families, according to police. Many of them were involved in many explosive related cases in the past.

Cops check abandoned houses

Vinodan, brother of one of the injured Vijesh had lost his palm in a bomb blast few years back, allegedly while making bomb. Vivek (27), Payanthong Thaniyullathi, Linesh (26), Vannante Meethal, Jineesh (27), Puthalath Thazhammal, Vanimel and Vijesh (30), Chembottummal, Theruvambarambil were also admitted at the hospital after the blast.

Linesh, who was discharged earlier from hospital was arrested. A DYFi worker Vishnu, Payanthong Poovullathil, who was in the area of blast, was taken into custody. Lineesh is survived by father Kunhikkannan, mother Leela and brother Nijeesh.

In light of the blast, the police intensified checks on abandoned houses and open areas, especially in the Thalassery-Chokli-Nadapuram belt, said Rural SP Prateesh Kumar. A total of 11 steel bombs and bomb-making materials were seized from Theruvanparambu, near Kallachi, Nadapuram. Police confirmed that the blast occurred while making bomb.

They are also checking whether more people are involved in the making of the bombs in the area. The CPM district committee denied any connection with the party and demanded comprehensive probe into the blast. In Mudavanthery, a youngster, Samad, was allegedly injured while making bomb just weeks before the Nadapuram blast. In 2011, five Muslim Youth League workers were killed while making bombs in Narikkatteri.
Dehradun: Noting that Harish Rawat's virtual admission of his presence in the sting CD which purportedly showed him negotiating a money deal to buy support of rebel MLAs amounted to his confession of the "crime", BJP in Uttarakhand asked the ousted chief minister to give an answer to the people of Uttarakhand.

"It is a confession by Rawat. By confirming that the CD features him in conversation with a journalist, Rawat has confessed to the crime of trying to strike a money deal to buy MLAs who had rebelled against him," State BJP spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan said on Monday.

"If this was the fact, why was he trying to mislead the people of Uttarakhand for the last 35 days by calling the CD false, fake and doctored. He must explain to people why he initially said that the face in the CD and the voice in it were not his," he said.

Reminding Rawat of his statement at a press conference soon after the sting CD controversy broke out that the credentials of the journalist who had made the sting video were always under a "cloud of suspicion", the BJP leader said the former chief minister's "confessional remark" that a meeting did take place between him and the scribe proves that his motive was clear he was going to strike a deal to buy support of disgruntled MLAs of his party.

"Circumstantial evidences like the then CM's visit in a government chopper to the VIP lounge of Jollygrant airport's hangar for a meeting with a journalist whose reputation according to his own statement was under a cloud, suggest that Rawat was knowingly going to strike a deal to buy disgruntled MLAs," Chauhan said.

When told that Rawat has expressed his readiness to be jailed if he had committed any wrong, Chauhan said he will be if he is found guilty by the court.

Chauhan also accused Rawat's former advisors and OSDs of beating the advisor, who had arranged his meeting with the journalist, in the presence of the former CM.

He alleged that the advisor was beaten up as he had failed to return the total amount paid to him for arranging the meeting.

"Would the former CM demand or back our demand for a probe into the thrashing of his advisor by an independent agency?" Chauhan asked.

Rawat, who had been terming the sting CD as "fake", yesterday virtually accepted his presence in the video saying meeting a journalist was not a crime.

"Is meeting a journalist a crime? If one of the MLAs who had not been technically disqualified by that time talked to me how does it matter? Do we block any channels in politics?" Rawat told reporters here.

Claiming his innocence, Rawat said if anything in the CD proves that he made an offer in cash or kind in exchange for the support of disgruntled MLAs, he was ready to be hanged in public.

He then offered himself to be jailed, saying he was ready to be subjected to "any atrocity" if that is what Narendra Modi and Amit Shah duo was upto.
bizjournals 14 Jun 2022

Thank you to my city of Houston, Texas, for loving immigrants, for loving immigrants like me, like my family, welcoming us, and..
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The cyclist was airlifted to the Cambridge hospital after the incident in east Suffolk
The Queen B is enraged. The cops have turned! The Election Commission seems to have alienated the affections of her police force  right in the middle of the elections. Now they refuse to bow to Queen Banerjees wishes in spite of five years of rigorous training. This is unforgivable. Especially since she is supposed to be the minister in charge of home affairs  the police, in short. The cops now seem particularly keen on stopping Trinamul Congress workers from dominating the polling process, from guiding voters in their own special way, from keeping the polling booths buzzing with their youthful energy. Unbelievable.

Naturally, Mamata Banerjee would not take this lying down. She promises retribution. She remembers everything, she snarls, and is keeping a record of all this. We are coming back to power, she thunders, and there will be consequences. If anybody tries to take me on, they get demolished, she warns. Please remember! The warning is directed at her own police force, temporarily under the control of the Election Commission. She also calls the police cowards and lowly brokers of Delhi and blames the Opposition parties and the EC for all this.

How dare the EC listen to complaints by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party and transfer her handpicked officers? Apparently, 67 police officers were shunted out in mid-April to make at least the later phases of the West Bengal Assembly elections free and fair. Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, known to be friendly to the chief minister and her party, was replaced too. And the new commissioner, Soumen Mitra, is determined to play boldly by the book. As the police and the paramilitary forces plan and strategise together, poll violence has come down.

And the method is simple. Keep an eye on known goons of all parties. If necessary, pick them up right before polling day and keep them safely away till the voting is over. Slap on a curfew in sensitive areas, prevent people from forming a mob. Temporarily shut down local clubs where party workers plan their moves, often with the aid of bombs and guns. Check out all likely places for arms, ammunition and bombs. And then the regular stuff  keep the streets safe, follow-up on complaints and help voters in a party-neutral way. From the third phase of the polls, the police have ensured proper and peaceful voting in some districts and in parts of Kolkata.

All this has suddenly earned the police what they never got earlier  respect. The ECs order has come like a breath of fresh air  they feel free, they are allowed to be just the police. There is a limit to subservience, a top cop was quoted as saying, we have stooped very low, but cant any more. The police have been known to not only bow and pray to the TMC leaders, they are also known to serve tea and refreshments to the chief minister and her colleagues in public meetings, like they did in January in West Midnapore where SP Bharati Ghosh read paeans to the chief minister and called her the Mother of Jangalmahal.

But the threats of the chief minister have found their target in the lower rungs of the police force. Apparently, shortly after her very dramatic and very public threats, cops looked on as TMC bike gangs went on a rampage, instilling terror in the hearts of voters in some parts of Kolkata. The police headquarters had to step in to control the situation. Ms Banerjees threats have made most cops bristle. From the chief ministers threats it would seem that we are not public servants but employed by a private company, and can be sacked at whim! said an angry cop. Besides, there is a problem with their pay. Apparently their daily allowance has not been coming for a while. Apart from not getting their rightful money, they also have to kowtow to leaders who they believe hoard huge sums illegally. Being free of political masters, even for a short while like now, is liberating.

Only when the police is free of political control can we reclaim our democracy. Violence has been a part of our electoral process for too long. Our democracy stands on wobbly legs of money and muscle. Though the situation is changing slowly, state governments still use the police as their private army. Unless the police are free, we cant be free. The common Indian cannot have the democratic freedoms and rights that she is supposed to have. And justice will remain the privilege of the powerful.

Police reforms have been on the cards for ages. For decades there have been efforts to remould the police from what was crafted by the British  as a tool to control an empire  into something that suits a free democracy. In a landmark judgment in 2006, the Supreme Court ordered detailed instructions for police reforms that would make it more professional and free. These were supposed to be implemented by 2007. Amazingly, after a lot of dilly-dallying, some states have implemented some parts of the Supreme Courts order, but not in totality, and certainly not in spirit.

As the Queen Bs rants in West Bengal reveal, the democratic process is hugely dependant on the police. Unless the common person is safe to exercise his democratic rights, unless our democratic freedoms as guaranteed by the Constitution are protected, we cannot claim to be a true democracy. The less privileged in general get less rights, less freedoms and less justice. The poor, dalits, Muslims, other minorities, women and the underprivileged will never have equal rights or a level-playing field unless we have a neutral police force that can freely enforce the law of the land. We will never have a true democracy unless we free the police from their political masters.

Happily, the process that started years ago, is slowly gaining ground. Election violence has piped down in many states, including in West Bengal this time. But democracy is not only about casting your vote once in five years, it is about the way you live every day, what you are allowed to do, what you are not allowed to do. And we need a free and professional police force to protect our everyday democracy as well.
An 11-year old missing school girl, has been found in Awka, Anambra state.

The victim, a native of Ama-Owelle Amansea, was said to be found dressed in her school uniform.

National Daily gathered she was wandering at the back of a timber market in the area unable to locate her school or residence.

Confirming the incident, the Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed said efforts were ongoing to trace her parents or guardians to be able to reunite her with the family.

ALSO READ:Five years after, 112 Chibok School Girls still missing

He said: On the 10/6/2019 at about 3:30pm, one Obinna Udeogu m of Enugwu ukwu brought to B Division Awka one CHINENYE EJIKE F aged about 11years and dressed in school uniform bearing Christ leaders International School Awka.

Victim was found wandering at the back of Timber market opposite amazing Grace church, Umuokpu Awka.

She is unable to locate either her school or house where she lives with her guardian, one Blessing Orijafor.

She is dark in complexion and speaks English and Igbo languages fluently.

The PPRO enjoined members of the public with useful information that could help locate her parent to report at B division Awka or call Police control room number 07039194332.

Post Views: 71
A final year student of Microbiology of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Aliyu Maidamma, has been reportedly kidnapped by gunmen some days to the first semester examination.

Reporters gathered that the victim was attacked Friday evening on his way back to Sokoto after the Sallah break.

The victims brother, Ibrahim Sanni Maidamma, confirmed the attack on a phone chat with our reporter.

He said: The last time we talked, he (Aliyu) said he was on his way back to school and we were in touch with each other along the way.

But around 3pm his contact could no longer be reached, I thought it was due to poor network until they (the kidnappers) called our elder brother later in the evening that Aliyu has been held captive.

Saddened, Ibrahim relayed that the kidnappers had called and requested a N3million ransom for his release.

First, they requested N3million before they could release him. Another one called shortly after, warning that if we dont pay the money, they would kill him.

We are trying our best to secure his release. Our elder brother has taken charge of the situation, Sanni added in a gloomy tone

However, efforts to reach the elder brother proved futile as he neither responded to call nor texts on his mobile line.

The Students Union President, Comrade Faruk Barade, confirmed the kidnap, adding the union has not yet met with the family to get a full knowledge of the incident.

Yesterday (Monday), we called his family. One of his brothers (Ibrahim) said he has been instructed not to speak on the incident. He also advised that we should wait for their elder brother to arrive before we could get anything from them

He, however, lamented the increasing wave of kidnapping in the country.

ALSO READ:Sokoto residents flee to Republic of Niger

Actually, the high rate of insecurity, especially kidnapping in the country is becoming unbearable.

Imagine, a student? How much does a student have? This is a slap on the face of the government

We pray to Almighty Allah to safeguard and return him unharmed, he stated.

The universitys Dean of Students Affairs, Prof Aminu Mode, denied managements knowledge of the incident.

I am unaware of the incident. Maybe the parents are trying to reach out to the abductors on a personal level. Moreover, no complaint has been made to us so far. May Allah protect him, he added.

Similarly, the Sokoto State Police Command is yet to comment on the incident.

Post Views: 60
The muscular foreign policy that the Narendra Modi government promised when it took over in 2014 is in disarray. The bungled Uighur visa issue had barely faded when the Hurriyat has exploded under this governments watch. Again.

If scrapping not one, but two India-Pakistan bilaterals was short-sighted, with the Modi government citing the Pakistan high commissioners interactions with the Kashmiri separatists as unacceptable, to declare now that the Hurriyat Conference can meet with the Pakistanis as the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, and the separatists as Indian as anyone else, is equally myopic.

Union minister of state for external affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd) has all but admitted that the Narendra Modi government has understood the error of making a diplomatic molehill where none existed. But heres the catch: it gives the largely politically irrelevant Hurriyat what the Vajpayee and Manmohan governments in Delhi, as well as Pakistans Nawaz Sharif and Gen. Pervez Musharraf, have long denied it  legitimacy.

The genesis of the move needs to be explained. Does it come at the behest of their new partners in J&K, the PDP-led Mehbooba Mufti government? Is Ms Mufti being allowed to strengthen her partys position by ensuring that in treating the Hurriyat with kid gloves the PDPs own inherently contradictory position in keeping its line to Delhi open, without cutting ties to the separatists in the Valley, is not jeopardised? Prime Minister Modis predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh, may have been vilified for not getting moving on Pakistan, but the BJPs Pakistan policy is clearly unsustainable. The constraints of region and state politics cannot take precedence over the national imperative.

Its believed this is a move to secure peace in the Valley, amid fears over the ascendancy of the virulently anti-Indian Syed Ali Shah Geelanis possible successor, Masarat Alam. Even so, a softer line on the Hurriyat, Pakistans stooges in the Valley, does not sit well with Mr Modis hitherto tough line on terror.

The fundamental problem in making dramatic policy shifts on issues as challenging as Pakistan, committed to the break-up of the Indian state, is that peace must not be an imposition at the behest of an outside force. However well-meaning the Obama administration is, and even if it offers the ultimate prize  an address to the joint Houses of Congress  Prime Minister Modi must play his Pakistan cards with caution. Washington may preach peace from the pulpit but it is also raining F-16s on the Pakistan military.
The fine print of the order of the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration will shed light on what terms the marine Salvatore Girone will be allowed to go home to Italy. What has been established is the fundamental principle of bail during pendency of the case, so too the primacy of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Girone returning to Italy till the UN tribunal decides who has jurisdiction in the larger case of the killing of two Indian fishermen by two Italian marines on the high seas off the Kerala coast. What remains is the difficult reconciliation of the opposite views of India and Italy.

The passage of four years between the incident and the ruling at The Hague represents an indictment of the Indian judicial system. Notwithstanding that this is a complicated case of international jurisdictions, it is true that nothing of import has been determined till now. Also, so much has changed between 2012 and now with regard to piracy, with the policy of ships arming themselves to cross hazardous waters off the Africa coast having brought dividends in terms of curbing Somali pirates.

Where the incident actually took place has not been definitively established, but what it has done is cloud the usually warm Italy-India ties. It would appear that since reparations are not an issue anymore, this appears to be a case to be settled between the Indian and Italian governments at the highest level. A bit of give-and-take may be called for. A sentence to be served by the marines in an Italian jail would appear to be the best solution. Will India accept that?
Nollywood actress, Bukky Wright, shares cute photos of her son, Eniola as she celebrate his birthday.

We could recall Eniola Wright recently earned a degree from the United States Air Force as he was also celebrated by his mother, Bukky Wright.

She wrote:

Happy birthday to you sweetheart. I wish you long life and prosperity @enichulo . Love you darling.

See Photos Below:

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I recall Day One, October 27, 1947, when we landed at Srinagar airport to rescue the people of Kashmir. The enemy was several-thousand strong at Baramulla, engaged in rapine and plunder. We were only 300-strong in Srinagar on that fateful day. Much water has flown down the Jhelum in the last nearly seven decades, but the Kashmir imbroglio continues to fester and has become worse.

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral and his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, shared a linguistic bond. Mr Sharif told him that he knew India could not give Kashmir to Pakistan nor could Pakistan take Kashmir from India. This continues to be so, with increasing enmity. Of late the hostility of Kashmiri youth towards India has increased considerably. Intolerance and fanaticism have poisoned their outlook. Providing employment and economic development alone will not change this. The poisonous virus has to be drained out.

In 1947, Sufi Islam was dominant in Kashmir. The Holy Quran was taught by Kashmiri Pandits to Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Muslims looked after Hindu shrine. Today Wahhabi Islam is dominant. Maqbool Sherwani was crucified in October 1947 at Baramulla for trying to save Hindus and Sikhs. Three decades later his namesake, Maqbool Bhat, massacred Hindus, leading to the ethnic cleansing of five lakh Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. Pakistan maintains that Kashmir is its jugular vein and that it is incomplete without Kashmir. P in Pakistan stands for Punjab, K for Kashmir, S for Sindh and N for the erstwhile North-West Frontier Province, it says.

When the subcontinent was partitioned on the basis of religion, Pakistan says it cannot be legitimately denied the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir. India claims that from the dawn of history Kashmir has been her soul and an integral part. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 required the ruler of the princely state to choose the dominion to which to accede. Maharaja Hari Singh acceded to India. The United Nations Resolution of August 13, 1948, accepted the legality of Kashmirs accession to India. It asked Pakistan to withdraw all its forces from the state before plebiscite, while India could retain her forces till a plebiscite.

Both Pakistan and India have missed golden opportunities in Kashmir. Had Pakistan started the invasion of Kashmir 10 days later, say November 1, 1947, the story would have been entirely different. The grass airfield at Srinagar would have become unserviceable due to snow and the road from Pathankot over Banihal Pass, at 9,000 feet, blocked with snow. There was no Banihal tunnel then. Pakistan would have consolidated its rule over Kashmir, Gilgit, Baltistan and Ladakh that winter. By November 14, 1947, the Indian Army cleared the Valley and reached Uri, pursuing decisively defeated Pakistani forces in disarray and full retreat. Had the Army not been stopped from going to Muzaffarabad, India could have secured the whole Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan and Ladakh in 1947.

India has not had a roadmap to resolve the Kashmir issue beyond asserting that Kashmir is her integral part. India has been reacting to situations, but has never made any attempt to recover the strategically important Gilgit-Baltistan region. Its mainly Shia population has risen against Sunni oppression and attempts to change the demography of the region by Punjabi and Pathan Sunnis. Their struggle is being crushed by the Pakistan Army. India has never extended even moral support to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan has now virtually outsourced the region to China, making the latter a party to the Kashmir dispute.

Pakistan has exploited its geostrategic location to serve its interests, whether during the Cold War or Taliban operations in Afghanistan. Despite its perfidy over Osama bin Laden, Islamabad continues to get US assistance. It has been the epicentre of terrorism. Terrorists based in Pakistan frequently attacked US troops in Afghanistan, yet US munificence for Pakistan continued. China and Pakistan have a common anti-India agenda. Beijing is developing the Gwadar port and is investing $40 billion on one belt one road to reach the Arabian Sea. It is also poised to exploit the natural resources of Balochistan, particularly its large copper deposits.

Pakistan has violated every single agreement over Kashmir starting with the Standstill Agreement in 1947. Every effort by India to start dialogue with Pakistan has been followed by a cross-border terrorist attack. Atal Behari Vajpayees bus journey to Lahore was followed by Kargil; Manmohan Singh reaching out to Yousaf Raza Gilani by the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and Narendra Modis visit to Lahore by the attack on the Indian Air Forces Pathankot airbase. Conflicting and discordant signals are coming from Pakistan. On the positive side, for the first time Pakistan has not denied its terrorists are attacking India and not blamed India for the terrorist attack on Easter in Lahore Park. Jaish-e-Mohammeds involvement has not been denied, but Masood Azhar is being shielded by China. Kulbhushan Jadhav is being projected as an Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) spy, and so on. Foreign secretary-level talks were held but the logjam continues.

Neither India nor Pakistan can alter the border in Jammu and Kashmir. They have to live with the Line of Control as the border. India must never lower her guard but should continue to take initiatives to improve relations. Pakistan has suffered over 50,000 casualties at the hands of its home-grown terrorists in recent years. The peace lobby within Pakistan is growing. The assassin of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was being hailed as a hero, has at last been hanged. There is growing realisation in Pakistan that the country is imploding and requires course-correction. Numerous articles in Pakistan newspapers confirm this.

The situation in Srinagar Valley has of late worsened. Other stakeholders, spread over 90 per cent of Indian-administered Kashmir and little short of majority, cannot be ignored, particularly after the 2015 Assembly elections. The Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance with diametrically opposed ideologies is in power. Law and order must be ensured. Good administration and economic development are required. But we must also strive towards a change of heart and mind on priority basis. Good relations with Pakistan and promoting better understanding of the Kashmir problem by world powers are necessary for this.

India as a growing world power must play her due role in promoting world peace without jeopardising her national security. She should give full support to the world community in the fight against international terrorism. A multi-pronged internal and international effort by India is necessary. In 1947, the people of the Valley were rescued from a brutal invasion and barbarous massacre. Today our brethren in the Valley have to be rescued from intolerance and fanaticism, to lead a life of dignity as part of a prosperous nation. Their precious heritage of Kashmiriyat must be revived.
According to a report by NewTelegraph, a 3-day-old baby girl, Gift Chukwuebuka, has been reported stolen at Plateau Specialist Hospital Jos, Plateau State by a suspected child trafficker who disguised herself as medical doctor.

The 30-year-old mother of the baby, Mary Chukwuebuka who spoke to Journalists in Jos on Wednesday, said the baby was taken away from her on Friday 31 May 2019, three days after birth by a lady who disguised as medical personnel working in the hospital.

Mrs. Chukwuebuka said the Lady, who dressed in a Lab coat came straight to her bed in the hospital and requested to carry the baby to childrens ward for blood sample.

The mother,at first resisted and said a doctor just left them after cross examination but did not mention that the baby was sick or there was need to run a tast.

The lady insisted that she was directed by the doctor to carry the child to childrens ward for blood sample and she willingly released the baby on an account that she was a medical personnel working in the hospital.

Mrs. Chukwuebuka said she came to the hospital on Monday 28 May and gave birth of Tuesday 27 May at about 4:47 while the baby was stolen on Friday 31 May, 2019.

I came to the hospital on Monday to deliver my baby, I have being coming for antenatal and the day I came, I was due for delivery. The doctor asked me to go to Gyne emergency but I told him that I need to go home first and pick my things because I had nobody at home and he permitted me to go and come back which I did.

When I came back, I was induced for several hours and I gave birth on Tuesday in the morning at about 3:47am after severe bleeding. I was told that I will under go blood transfusion and my husband was not around, and had to called my mother to go and look for money which she didnt get.

Later, we got a donor but his blood group was not the same with my own and he left. A nurse now agree to help and she got some blood packs for us and the transfusion was done on Wednesday, Thursday and finish on Friday morning.

I was hoping that I will be discharged that Friday but the doctor said I will be given another blood and I said I am okay, I dont have money to continue with the blood transfusion.

The doctor came in the evening and said that they will run another test but I told him that I was not given any form in respect to that and he left the ward.

At about 6:19am, another lady came and move straight to my bed and asked where is the baby? and I show her the baby and she said, she will take the baby to childrens ward for blood sample and I refused but she insisted and I gave her the baby on the ground that she is a medical personnel.

After some time I had the cry of the baby and I thought they were taken the blood sample but they couldnt return the baby i asked my mother to go to the childrens ward but the baby was not there, I stood up and started looking for the baby, I inform the management of the hospital and they informed that police, since then I have not seen my baby.

Mrs Chukwuebuka noted that the matter was reported to the Police but she has not received any concrete explanation from the police and the hospital management.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Plateau Specialist Hospital Dr. Philemon Golwa said the management contacted the police immediately they were informed of the incident.

Dr. Golwa added that the hospital cannot disclosed anything at the moment until the Police complete their investigation and promised that every step is being taking to recover the baby.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Matthias Tyopev said the police has commenced investigation into the matter with a view to track the suspect.
There was protest on Wednesday in Benin City, Edo State, over the non-inauguration of the seventh House of Assembly.

The lawmakers-elect, who are all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are waiting for a proclamation letter from Governor Godwin Obaseki.

It was learnt that the unresolved issues over the leadership of the seventh Assembly was responsible for the non-inauguration of the House.

The protesters, led by One Love Foundation, asked Governor Obaseki to settle whatever political differences he had with the APC and proclaim the seventh Assembly.

The Founder, Patrick Eholor, said: We are gathered here today for a peaceful protest to remind the governor that the people deserve better. This is our seventh assembly, and we are hoping that as at now, the governor would have transmitted proclamation letter to the Clerk so that they can carry out the duty and functions in a democracy.

Read Also: Protest in Edo over non-inauguration of new Assembly

So, if members of the Edo APC have issues with themselves, they should come to a round table and settle it because they cannot use the people to settle their issues. We cannot continue to suffer this pain. It is very clear in the 1999 Constitution, section 105, sub-section 3. I am not a lawyer, but I read it very clearly that when election is conducted, and representatives duly elected, the governor has the right to transmit to the clerk of the House of Assembly so that the representatives can be sworn and begin acting for the people. That is why we are here to appeal that they be sworn in immediately. The governor is a technocrat, he is very well read. We are appealing to his conscience that no matter what is going on with him, within the party or other parties; he should do the needful and respect the right of the people.

But Obasekis Special on Media and Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the governor, who was still in Abuja, could not be doing proclamation of the Assembly in Edo.

He said as soon as the Governor is back from Abuja, he would proclaim the Assembly.
Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days. (Representational Image, Photo: Pixabay)

Yaounde, Cameroon: Authorities in northern Cameroon say a local self-defense group used a poisoned arrow to kill a woman with explosives strapped to her body.

Midjiyawa Bakary, the governor of Cameroons Far North region, said Wednesday that the 40-year-old woman had crossed over from neighbouring Nigeria along with a 14-year-old girl.

Residents shot the poisoned arrow at the bomber after she failed to stop as demanded. The girl also died when she detonated her own explosives.

Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days.

The attacks were reported shortly before Cameroons president Paul Biya left for Nigeria to discuss ways of ending Boko Haram violence with his Nigerian counterpart.
More than a third of all pregnancies in the Central American nation are among girls aged 10 to 19. (Photo: AFP)

San Salvador: Rape at the hands of relatives and a lack of sex education are driving pregnancies among girls in El Salvador, which is struggling to stem one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Latin America, according to a top health official.

More than a third of all pregnancies in the Central American nation are among girls aged 10 to 19, and girls as young as 9 have become pregnant, said Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Espinoza.

Rape and incest at the hands of grandfathers, fathers and other relatives is often the cause of pregnancies in girls aged 10 to 14, although there are no official figures, Espinoza told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview.

"With adolescent pregnancies there's always a component of violence through either incest, or violence in the family, or domestic violence," he said.

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death among teenage girls worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Latin America, the risk of maternal death is four times higher among girls under 16 compared to women in their early twenties, WHO says.

While non-governmental organizations and the ministry of education train some teachers about sex education, El Salvador has no formal curriculum on sex education, and schools are not required to provide it.

"Boys and girls come to have their first sexual relationship without having had any professional information. Generally the information they have comes from other children who are just as much as misinformed as they are," Espinoza said.

Initiatives to develop a nationwide curriculum on sex education have been opposed by the Roman Catholic Church and some evangelical groups.

In 2008, the church blocked a manual for teachers, created by the education ministry, from being used to teach sexual health in schools.

Opponents say sex education encourages children to engage in sex.

Sexual health experts, however, say a key way to curb teen pregnancies is to provide girls and boys with access to family planning information and services, including emergency contraception.

A 2015 World Bank study found that Salvadoran teenagers "were not educated enough" about sexual and reproductive health and had limited use of and access to contraceptives.

Espinoza said stepped-up efforts to stem teen pregnancies need to be taken by the ministry of education.

"We don't deal with teenage pregnancies until a teenager becomes pregnant," Espinoza said. "But the issue is before teenagers get pregnant and that's to do with school."

He defended the government's record, however, saying access to health services has been expanded nationwide since 2009, including free contraception.

El Salvador's waves of emigration also has played a role, the minister said.

Around three million Salvadorans live abroad, mainly in the United States, many of whom fled the country's 1980-92 civil war and more recently gang violence.

This has left broken families and untended children, Espinoza said.

"Fathers migrate, leaving mothers to be the sole breadwinner. Mothers find work in the garment factories and work all day so children are free, left alone," he said. "They are completely vulnerable."
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: It's been a rough year for hedge funds and now, even other managers are panning them. "Frankly, Im blown away by the lack of talent," was Point 72 CEO Steven Cohen's assessment of trying to find candidates to hire in the investment business at a panel on the future of hedge funds yesterday afternoon at the Milken Institute Global Conference, currently underway in Beverly Hills, California. Cohen added that while he does most of his hiring and promotion from within, when it comes to finding outside candidates they are able to hire between 2-4 percent of the people who apply. Cohen said one of the biggest problems is that the hedge fund industry has gotten too crowded and in some ways, too transparent as everyone is chasing the same ideas. "We were down 8 percent in February, which is a lot for us," he said. "In a lot of ways my worst fears were realized." His views were echoed by Neil Chriss, CEO of Hutchin Hill Capital. "When the hedge fund industry started we were talking about several billions of dollars, now the industry is over three trillion. That's a fifteen-fold increase. But just because there are fifteen times the assets doesn't mean there are fifteen times as many managers who can run assets well." Cohen and Chriss were on a panel alongside AQR CEO Cliff Asness, who ended up being the most upbeat about the hedge fund industry - a new role for Asness who is usually a critic. He didn't comment on ...................... To view our full article Click here
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Well-documented facts pertaining to the 9/11 wars, all supported by sustainable evidence, have barely made inroads into the collective consciousness of Western media consumers.

The War on Syria is no exception. Despite the presence of five years of sustainable evidence that contradicts the Western narratives, people still believe the "official" lies.

The consensus of ignorance is sustained by what Michel Chossudovsky describes as an "American Inquisition". Beneath the protection of this psychological operation, the engineered enemy is Islam, and the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT) has become a brand to disguise imperial wars of aggression as "humanitarian".

Thus, huge sums of public monies are diverted from worthwhile, domestic projects, such as healthcare, schools, and roads, to support a criminal Project for a New American Century (PNAC) that is globalizing death, poverty, and destruction as the U.S led empire tries to impose a unilateral model of control over the world.

The U.S is said to be "exceptional", and therefore the rightful ruler. Manifest Destiny writ large.

Dissent is suppressed within the framework of corporate media monopolies. Predominant narratives are supported by corrupt "NGOs" -- totally bereft of objectivity -- and intelligence agency "fronts". Real investigative journalism offering historical context and legitimate evidence are relegated to the fringes, far outside the domain of the broad-based "consensus of misunderstanding."

The "Progressive Left" has been co-opted. So-called "progressives" (presumably unwittingly) support Canada's close relationships with Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, Apartheid Israel, and even the foreign mercenaries currently invading Syria (ie ISIS and al Nursra Front/al Qaeda).

The source upon which the pretexts for war are built and perpetrated are taboo topics, despite longstanding evidence that the official narratives explaining the crimes of 9/11-- and the subsequent "Gladio B" operations-- are flawed. The truth is seen as "heresy", and fact-based narratives are derided as "conspiracy theories".

Thus, a firm foundation of lies that serves as a sanctified justification for global war and terror, remains strong.

But the stakes are high, as Western hegemony presses us closer and closer to a real prospect of widespread nuclear war. Already, the use of nuclear weapons is being "normalized" through the introduction of "mini-nukes" into the equation, and the blurring of lines between conventional and nuclear war.

Michel Chossudovsky explains in "Is the Bush Administration Planning a Nuclear Holocaust?|Will the US launch 'Mini-nukes' against Iran in Retaliation for Tehran's 'Non-compliance'?" that

"The Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations outlines the procedures governing the use of nuclear weapons and the nature of the relationship between nuclear and conventional war operations.

The DJNO states that the:

'use of nuclear weapons within a [war] theater requires that nuclear and conventional plans be integrated to the greatest extent possible'

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Reprinted from The Guardian

Let's stop pretending that Trump is anything other than a shape shifter with no core belief system - besides maybe craven opportunism mixed in with a little bit of racism.

Trump has switched positions or lied about his true feelings on virtually every single issue that has come up during this primary campaign. Yet for some reason, he keeps getting credited with having principled beliefs.

The latest example was in Sunday's New York Times, where columnist Maureen Dowd referred to Donald Trump as a foreign policy "dove" -- or at least less hawkish than Hillary Clinton -- because he's made a few comments, most recently last week, about not starting additional wars in the Middle East.

Dowd eventually undermines her own argument, since he is nowhere close to anything of the sort. Three quarters of the way down her column lauding "Donald The Dove," almost as an afterthought, she adds: "He can sound belligerent, of course, saying that he would bomb the expletive-deleted out of Isis and that he would think up new and imaginative ways to torture terrorists and kill their families."



That has to be one of the most ridiculous "to be sure" paragraphs in recorded history: Trump keeps insisting he'll commit a bunch of war crimes, but other than that he's as anti-war as they come!

That's the thing with Donald Trump: every foreign policy position he's ever taken appears to be made up -- just like his famous statement about being "totally against the war in Iraq," which Dowd also uncritically repeated. The only recorded comments from Trump before the Iraq war consist of him supporting it. The same thing goes for the Libya military intervention in 2011, which he also claims he was against, despite publicly stating at the time that he was in favor it.

When he's not outright lying about his past statements, he's totally changing them: Months ago he claimed he'd cut the military budget, but he now keeps saying he'd increase it. He told the New York Times in March that the "biggest problem, to me, in the world, is nuclear, and proliferation." Yet he also said last week that the US should expand its arsenal, he wouldn't rule out using nukes against Isis in Europe, and he recently said South Korea and Japan should get nuclear bombs.

Click Here to Read Whole Article
The US-led anti-ISIS coalition had said earlier that a service member had died but did not specify a nationality. (Representational Image)

Stuttgart: Islamic State fighters killed a member of the US armed forces in northern Iraq on Tuesday, when they pushed through a forward line of Iraqi Kurdish forces, officials said.

He is the third American killed in direct combat since a US-led coalition launched a campaign against the jihadist group in 2014.

It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss. I dont know all the circumstances of it, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters during a trip to Germany,

US military official said the US-led coalition helped the Peshmerga repel an attack by providing air support from F-15 jets and drones.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man was killed by direct fire from Islamic State.

Carters spokesman, Peter Cook, said the incident took place during an Islamic State attack on a Peshmerga position some 3-5 km behind the Iraqi Kurdish fighters forward line.

In mid-April the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq, and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces in the war against Islamic State.

Last month, an Islamic State attack on a US base killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight other Americans providing force protection fire to Iraqi army troops.

The Islamist militants have been broadly retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the Iraqi army took the nearby region of Hit, pushing them further north along the Euphrates valley.

But US officials acknowledge that military gains against Islamic state are not enough.

Iraq is beset by political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shiite Muslim-led governments fitful efforts to reconcile with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support.
USA Today reported that "the House's powerful tax-writing committee approved a bill Thursday that would ban the IRS from collecting the names of donors to tax-exempt groups." In an interview with the paper, "Freedom Partners chairman and Koch Industries executive Mark Holden said Americans have the right to 'anonymous free speech.'" This type of unlimited, unaccountable, political spending is an existential threat to our political institutions.

For a case study in the corrupting influence of unlimited, unaccountable, political spending by special interests like Koch Industries and Freedom Partners, consider the curious case of Kansas. In 2013, Rolling Stone reported:

when the 2012 Republican primary rolled around, Brownback and his supporters recruited an army of right-wing challengers and targeted the moderates [in the state House and Senate] with unprecedented alacrity. Not to mention cash: During the primary, outside spending from groups like Americans for Prosperity (a lobbying group founded by the Koch brothers), the Kansas Chamber of Commerce (run by former Koch employees), the Club for Growth [unknown to Rolling Stone, Club for Growth also received funding from the Koch network in 2012] and Kansans for Life totaled, according to varying estimates, somewhere between $3 million and $8 million.

For a sense of how far $3 million to $8 million goes in local elections, Rolling Stone reported that the entire campaign budget for one of the moderates targeted was $35,000. Koch Industries was richly rewarded for its generosity:

[Former State Senator Dick] Kelsey figures he probably voted with Brownback 98 percent of the time, but he publicly opposed the governor's budget after he realized it would lower his own tax burden to zero. "The bill was designed, frankly, to take care of Koch Industries," Kelsey says. "I could see that it took money from very poor people and benefited me, personally, too significantly. And I'm not poor."

The bill that Kelsey referred to enshrined the Koch LLC Loophole into law. We have reported extensively (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) on the popular opposition to this loophole, the impact of this loophole on the 2016 Kansas budget debate, and Koch-affiliates recent efforts to ensure that it is not repealed. When the issue was debated in 2015, Koch-affiliate NFIB previously flexed its muscle in a show of strength that deterred legislative action. Legislators appear to fear the wrath of Koch Industries more than they fear the wrath of voters; given its impact in past elections, that fear is not irrational.

According to one state legislator, the Koch LLC Loophole allows 2,400 high income (>$500,000) Kansans to shield $3.4 billion a year from state income taxes. Applying the 4.6% state tax rate that applies to income over $15,000 implies that this law costs the state roughly $150 million in annual tax revenue that it would otherwise collect from its 2,400 highest-income taxpayers. While it is unclear how much of this income accrues to the state's wealthiest individual (Charles Koch) and his associates, it is fair to say that Koch Industries, and its associates/affiliates, have likely received a considerable financial return on its Kansas political spending.

In fact, Charles Koch all but admitted as much in his interview with ABC's This Week, when he said:

What have we gotten for it [political involvement]? There have been some good things, particularly at the state and local level.

Justice Stevens' dissent in the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. FEC, which made it possible for a single source of outside money to be more feared by Kansas legislators than the voters themselves, foresaw its effect:

The Court's ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation".when corporations grab up the prime broadcasting slots on the eve of an election, they can flood the market with advocacy that bears "little or no correlation" to the ideas of natural persons or to any broader notion of the public good. The opinions of real people may be marginalized".The Court's blinkered and aphoristic approach to the First Amendment may well promote corporate power at the cost of the individual and collective self-expression the Amendment was meant to serve.

Stevens' dissent also stated:

It is fair to say that "[t]he Framers were obsessed with corruption," which they understood to encompass the dependency of public officeholders on private interests. They discussed corruption "more often in the Constitutional Convention than factions, violence, or instability." When they brought our constitutional order into being, the Framers had their minds trained on a threat to republican self-government that this Court has lost sight of.

While the danger of quid pro quo corruption is clearly understood by most, consider Kansas a case study for what can happen when public officeholders view their positions as more dependent on patronage from private interests than the will of voters.

Note: this article was originally published to our diary on DailyKos.
There shall be no need of continuing monetary charity aid in the 21st century and in the coming generations, not necessarily the total abolition of all other good forms of charity in the world if there will be a significantly durable debt-free money creation solution by the Governments of public banking schemes and the rightful dispensation and distribution of "monetary dividend" (MD) or "supplementary basic income" (SBI) to be guaranteed justly and equally to every citizen (every man, woman and child) by right of citizenship without any condition and discrimination from the cradle to the grave. This is the possible cessation or the progressive and eventual end of monetary charity aid culture and annoying dependency attitude to local and foreign donations, aid, alms and grants either from individual capacity or from agencies with or without calamities and crisis.

The only obstinate hurdle is debt finance and usury of the pestiferous private banking cartels and the non-economic policy of inclusion and distribution of income and resources.

Although charity in its many notions, forms, schemes and doctrinal discourses, that is, "caritas" in the olden Latin terms of Christianity both Catholic and non-Catholic sides, and or "zakat" in Islam or " Tzedakah" (just or righteous giving) in Judaism or in Jewish Laws, is invariably and strongly encouraged by most religions, churches, temples, synagogues, mosques and numerous organizations and agencies all over the world and preached well by the religious leaders based on Jewish Torah, Talmud and even in the teachings of Zohar and Kabbalah, of the Catholic and Christian Bibles, Koran and other prominently religious holy reading materials, however, it is also both causing hidden and conspicuous problems including the abuse and misuse of charity in different forms, particularly monetary, directly and indirectly involving God, His name and commandments, spiritual, moral, ethical, philosophical, legal and economic aspects. Added to these, are the difficulties of the personal capacity of the donors and at the same time the embarrassments to the poor and the needy recipients of help, aid, alms or donations in the process.

Charity by itself is naturally and eternally noble trait out of the love of God and of neighbors and we are all duty-bound to do charity if and when we can according to our personal capacity, but monetary charity is now too complex and is becoming shameful and at times embarrassing to charity aid recipients. This is also terribly causing sufferings to individual donors who are oftentimes approached for help when those individuals are also under financial pressures. Sometimes individual donors or sponsors are in pitiful situations than the charity aid recipients. This, therefore, must come to an end and restore human dignity by way of the provision of monetary justice to everyone.

Under the present economic system, monetary charity is oftentimes personally and morally repugnant and degrading to the poor recipients. Most monetary charity schemes, with few exceptions of course, are with string-attached-policies technically impossible by the givers, grantors or donors to the poor recipients. There are so many typical examples such as monetary grants by government-to-government protocols such as USAID funds through foreign policies on population control programs, not to mention the anti-poor policy conditions of the fiendish IMF and WB on foreign aid loans through their global banking scam-schemes with or without calamities and during imminent financial crisis of their own doing and auto-financial-economic destruction, etc.

Monetary aid charity policies particularly in times of calamity are also complex and embarrassing to the dignity of the recipients -- the poor victims of man-made calamities with so many requirements and reports to submit. The bankers, the money masters, economists, politicians, tycoons, the rich and the powerful few want to adroitly keep the entire populations in the bondage of poverty and crisis so as to structurally maintain the deceptions of monetary charity schemes upon the poor and thus to control the poverty-stricken populations to the very core like stupid goyims and zombies who are also without other choice but are trying to be satisfied with the crumbs they are left to live out their ignorant and hypnotic lives.

Money is basically for everyone, for all, not just through the obsolete job-employment-trade-business- inheritance-incentive-grant-donation-aid-loan-usury-traditional-schemes but effectively, equally, justly and creatively through debt-free-money creation and the distribution of rightful monetary dividend (MD) to every citizen by right of citizenship and by way of financial economic bill of rights as presumably permitted by God since all good things created by Him are for each and everyone of us without exception. It is all the within the power of men, by political and economic will, to do so. Demand it and God will approve it even though God is not a Banker.

Let us continue doing charity naturally and by truths but let there be a cessation of unnecessarily complex schemes of monetary charity against the poor if there will be a debt-free money creation of dividend to every citizen. What we need now is not continued monetary charity but "comprehensive monetary justice" due to everyone without exception. There will be new forms of real and genuine charity among peoples of the earth without hypocrisy.
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Halogen-Free Flame Retardant Market Projected to Reach 5.38 Billion USD by 2021

Halogen-Free Flame Retardant Market

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/halogen-free-flame-retardants-market-32144405.html

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=32144405

http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

The report "Halogen-Free Flame Retardant Market by Type (Aluminum Hydroxide, Organo-Phosphorus and Others), Application (Polyolefins, UPE, ETP, and Others), End-Use Industry (E&E, Construction, Transportation, and Others) and by Region - Global Forecasts to 2021", The market size of halogen-free flame retardants was USD 3.36 Billion in 2015 and is projected to reach USD 5.38 Billion by 2021, registering a CAGR of 8.4% between 2016 and 2021.Browse 86 market data Tables and 48 Figures spread through 139 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Halogen-Free Flame Retardant Market - Global Forecasts to 2021"Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.The market is driven by the increasing government regulations for environment safety and the flourishing electrical & electronics and automotive industries. The rising awareness among consumers regarding toxic emissions released by fire is driving the halogen-free flame retardants market in many developed and emerging economies such as Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. In addition, a shift toward synergist blends as halogen-free flame retardants is reflecting innovation in technology advancement.Aluminum hydroxide to account for the major share of the halogen-free flame retardants market until 2021, in terms of volumeThe halogen-free flame retardants market is segmented by type, namely, aluminum hydroxide, organo-phosphorus chemicals, and others. Aluminum hydroxide is the most preferred type and holds the major market share in global halogen-free flame retardants market. The factors driving the aluminum hydroxide market are its low cost, easy availability, and high use in all the sectors.Growing electrical & electronic industry in the emerging regions to drive the halogen-free flame retardants marketThe electrical & electronic industry is leading the halogen-free flame retardants market. This is due to the rapid growth of the automotive, construction, textiles, and electrical & electronics industries in the Asia-Pacific region. The increasing demand of automobiles can be attributed to the increased government regulations to abide strictly by the norms to attain fire safety in their products. With the innovative approach toward using technology as the key parameter, the market of halogen-free flame retardants is going to rise further.Request for Sample PDF:North America to be the largest market during the forecast periodThe halogen-free flame retardants market is broadly segmented into six regions, namely, Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, North America, the Middle East & Africa, and South America. North America is the largest market for halogen-free flame retardants, followed by Western Europe. Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing market during the forecast period. Growing industrialization has offered enormous opportunity for the various manufacturing industries to use halogen-free flame retardants in the Middle East & Africa. Moreover, the increasing inclination to synergist compounds as flame retardants is gaining momentum.Currently, the global halogen-free flame retardants market is dominated by various market players such as Clariant International Ltd. (Switzerland), Lanxess AG (Germany), Israel Chemicals Ltd. (Israel), Albemarle Corporation (U.S.), Nabaltech AG (Germany), Chemtura Corporation Ltd. (U.S.), and others.The research study is aimed at identifying emerging trends and opportunities in the global halogen-free flame retardants market along with a detailed classification of the market, in terms of value and volume. It provides a comprehensive competitive landscape and identifies the key players in the global market. The research study also includes a detailed segmentation of the global halogen-free flame retardants market based on application, type, and region.About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is the worlds No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.M&Ms flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India.Tel: +1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.comVisit MarketsandMarkets Blog @MarketsandMarkets is the worlds No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals.Markets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India.
U.S. Pregnancy Products Market to Reach US$439.2 mn by 2023; Stretch Mark Minimizers Represented Largest Product Segment in 2014

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/us-pregnancy-products-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=10661

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research Pregnancy Products Market - U.S. Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023, the pregnancy products market in the U.S. was valued at US$266.6 mn in 2014 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2015 to 2023 to reach US$439.2 mn in 2023.Read More:A pregnant woman is usually aware of the fact that whatever she consumes during pregnancy influences the development of the fetus. The same applies for skin care products used during pregnancy. Pregnancy-associated skin conditions are generally of three types: benign skin conditions that occur due to hormonal change, preexisting skin conditions, and pregnancy specific dermatoses. Benign skin conditions include stretch marks, hyperpigmentation, and hair, nail, and vascular changes. During pregnancy, high levels of estrogen and progesterone combined with the antigens of the baby lead to unpleasant changes on the skin of expecting mothers. Stretch mark is a common skin problem that occurs in 90% of pregnant women during the third trimester.These stretch marks are more common in women with larger babies, younger women, and women with higher body mass indices. Several creams and lotions are available in the market to prevent and minimize these stretch marks. Pre-existing skin conditions consist of psoriasis, dermatitis candida, and other fungal infections. Psoriasis or atopic dermatitis may worsen or sometimes improve during pregnancy. Moreover, pregnancy specific dermatoses consist of pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. Skin loses elasticity and results in layers of sluggish skin. This can be treated with body restructuring products or toning/firming lotion.This report on the pregnancy products market in the U.S. analyzes the current and future prospects of the market. The report comprises an elaborate executive summary, including a market snapshot that provides overall information of various segments and sub-segments. This section also provides the overall information and data analysis of the pregnancy products market in the U.S. with respect to the leading market segments based on type of product and region.The market overview section of the report includes qualitative analysis of the pregnancy products market including the factors determining the market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities. In addition, various analyses such as pricing analysis, market share, distribution channel analysis, regulatory framework, and market attractiveness and competitive landscape have been provided. The market attractiveness analysis explains the intensity of competition in the market in different regions of the U.S. The competitive scenario between market players is evaluated through market share analysis. These factors would help market players to take strategic decisions in order to strengthen their positions and expand their share in the pregnancy products market in the U.S.The pregnancy products market has been segmented based on type of product and region. Based on type of product, the market has been categorized into stretch mark minimizer, body-restructuring gel, toning/firming lotion, itching prevention cream, nipple protection cream, breast cream, stressed leg product, and others. Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period between 2013 and 2023 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2015 to 2023 are provided for all the segments, considering 2014 as the base year.Request For Custom Research:Region-wise, the pregnancy products market in the U.S. has been categorized into four regions: Western United States, Southern United States, Northeastern United States, and Central United States. The recommendations section included in the report would assist existing players to expand their market share and new companies to establish their presence in the pregnancy products market. The report also profiles major players in the market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Clarins Group, Expanscience Laboratories, Inc. (Mustela), Mama Mio US Inc. (Mio), Noodle & Boo, Novena Maternity, and Nine Naturals, LLC.The pregnancy products market in the U.S. has been segmented as follows:U.S. Pregnancy Products Market, by ProductStretch Mark MinimizerBody Restructuring GelToning/Firming LotionItching Prevention CreamNipple Protection CreamBreast CreamStressed Leg ProductOthersU.S. Pregnancy Products Market, by RegionWestern United StatesSouthern United StatesNortheastern United StatesCentral United StatesAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact us:Mr. Sudip STransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email:A sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
LF tk4100 mulicolor id tag with PVC expoxy(gyrfidstore)

RFID Disc Tags are widely used for inventory tracking system or Automatic production systems. The RFID Disc Tag can also work on metal surface with anti-metal layer on it, also can be attached to goods surface by adhesive layer. There are abundant size options from 12mm to 50mm. GYRFID presents several types with different material and size to suitable customers application.DIP Series- PVC Disc Tag, PVC Laminated, thickness of 1.0-1.2mmDIT Series- Clear PVC Disc Tag, clear PVC Laminated, thickness of 1.0-1.2mmFOT Series- Foil Tag, Clear PVC Sealed, Thickness of 0.45-0.7mm.STE series  Epoxy PVC Sticker, the surface covered by epoxy, thickness 2.0mmTKA series- ABS Token, ultrasonic welding ABS type, various size options.TKPPS series  PPS Token, ultrasonic welding, mini size 12mm.Features:Model number: FOTMaterial: Clear PVCDimension: 13/ 14/ 15/ 17/ 18/ 20/ 22 / 25/ 30/ 35/ 40/ 50mm;Thickness 0.76mm at chip position, 0.45mm at the antenna position.Color options: WhiteWater Proof: YesNotes: can be with anti-metal layer and 3M layerPersonalization Support: Chip encodingApplication: NFC payments Patrol Guard Systems Logistic management Parcel tracking Inventory Control Automatic production management Asset tracking Device embeddedIC options:125KHz RFID: EM4200, EM4102, EM4100, GK4001; T5577; EM4305; Hitag1, Hitag2, Hitag S256  13.56Mhz ISO14443A: NXP MIFARE Classic 1K, MIFARE Classic 4K, MIFARE Ultralight, MIFARE Ultralight EV1, MIFARE Desfire 2K, MIFARE Desfire 4K, MIFARE Desfire 8K, MIFARE Plus, Fudan FM11RF08; NTAG203, NTAG213, NTAG215, NTAG216; LEGIC MIM256, LEGIC ATC1024, LEGIC ATC2048 13.56Mhz ISO15693: ICODE SLI; ICODE SLI-X; Tag-it 256, Tag-it 2048 840-960Mhz UHF: Alien Higgs, Monza 3, Monza 4D, Monza 4QT; NXP UCODE G2iLAbout GYRFID STOREGYRFID Store is a brand of Go Young International Ltd, which is an online purchase platform of the RFID products.GYRFID Store sells a wide range of Cards and RFID tags embedded with 125KHz, 13.56Mhz, 868Mhz-915Mhz, as well as the personalization to apply in access control and industrial management. We also provide the accessories like lanyard, card holders, badge, ibuttons for office daily usage. We also welcome the personalization like serial number printing, offset printing, encoding service etc.GYRFID Store is located in Shanghai, China mainland. We have customers all around the globe and can ship products all worldwide.GYRFID Store will help you to make the best choices for your RFID system requirements. Shop in GYRFID Store will make your purchase much reliable and flexible.Should any of these items be of interest to you, please let us know. We will be happy to give you a quotation upon receipt of your detailed requirements.ADD:Rm1516, Qiangjin Building, QiXin Rd No.1318 ,Shanghai, 201100, China
Biotech/GM Crops Planted on Two Billion Hectares from 1996 to 2015

ISAAA Brief 51

www.isaaa.org

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) released its annual report detailing the adoption of biotech crops, 20th Anniversary of the Global Commercialization of Biotech Crops (1996-2015) and Biotech Crop Highlights in 2015, showcasing the global increase in biotech hectarage from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 179.7 million hectares in 2015. This 100-fold increase in just 20 years makes biotechnology the fastest adopted crop technology in recent times, reflecting farmer satisfaction with biotech crops.Since 1996, 2 billion hectares of arable land  a massive area more than twice the landmass of China or the United States  have been planted with biotech crops. Additionally, it is estimated that farmers in up to 28 countries have reaped more than US$150 billion in benefits from biotech crops since 1996. This has helped alleviate poverty for up to 16.5 million small farmers and their families annually totaling about 65 million people, who are some of the poorest people in the world.More farmers are planting biotech crops in developing countries precisely because biotech crops are a rigorously-tested option for improving crop yields, said Clive James, founder and emeritus chair of ISAAA, who has authored the ISAAA report for the past two decades. Despite claims from opponents that biotechnology only benefits farmers in industrialized countries, the continued adoption of the technology in developing countries disproves that James added.For the fourth consecutive year, developing countries planted more biotech crops (14.5 million hectares) than industrialized countries. In 2015, Latin American, Asian and African farmers grew biotech crops on 54 percent of global biotech hectarage (97.1 million hectares of 179.7 million biotech hectares) and of the 28 countries that planted biotech crops, 20 were developing nations. Annually, up to 18 million farmers, 90 percent of whom were small, resource-poor growers in developing countries, benefited from planting biotech crops from 1996 to 2015.China is just one example of biotechnologys benefits for farmers in developing countries. Between 1997 and 2014, biotech cotton varieties brought an estimated $17.5 billion worth of benefits to Chinese cotton farmers, and they realized $1.3 billion in 2014 alone, explained ISAAA Global Coordinator, Randy Hautea.Also in 2015, India became the leading cotton producer in the world with much of its growth attributed to biotech Bt cotton. India is the largest biotech cotton country in the world with 11.6 million hectares planted in 2015 by 7.7 million small farmers. In 2014 and 2015, an impressive 95 percent of Indias cotton crop was planted with biotech seed; Chinas adoption in 2015 was 96 percent.Farmers, who are traditionally risk-averse, recognize the value of biotech crops, which offer benefits to farmers and consumers alike, including drought tolerance, insect and disease resistance, herbicide tolerance, and increased nutrition and food quality, Hautea added. Moreover, biotech crops contribute to more sustainable crop production systems that address concerns regarding climate change and global food security.Following a remarkable run of 19 years of consecutive growth from 1996 to 2014, with 12 years of double-digit growth, the global hectarage of biotech crops peaked at 181.5 million hectares in 2014, compared with 179.7 million hectares in 2015, equivalent to a net marginal decrease of 1 percent. This change is principally due to an overall decrease in total crop hectarage, associated with low prices for commodity crops in 2015. ISAAA anticipates that total crop hectarage will increase when crop prices improve. For example, Canada has projected that canola hectarage in 2016 will revert to the higher level of 2014. Other factors affecting biotech hectarage in 2015 include the devastating drought in South Africa, which led to a massive 23 percent decrease of 700,000 hectares in intended plantings in 2015. The drought in eastern and southern Africa in 2015/2016 puts up to 15 to 20 million poor people at risk for food insecurity and compels South Africa, usually a maize exporter, to rely on maize imports.Additional highlights from ISAAAs 2015 report include:New biotech crops were approved and/or commercialized in several countries including the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and Myanmar.The United States saw a number of firsts including the commercialization of new products such as:Innate Generation 1 potatoes, with lower levels of acrylamide, a potential carcinogen, and resistance to bruising. InnateTM Generation 2, approved in 2015, also has late blight resistance. It is noteworthy that the potato is the fourth most important food crop in the world.Arctic Apples that do not brown when sliced.The first non-transgenic genome-edited crop to be commercialized globally, SU Canola, was planted in the United States.The first-time approval of a GM animal food product, GM salmon, for human consumption.Biotech crops with multiple traits, often called stacked traits, were planted on 58.5 million hectares, representing 33 percent of all biotech hectares planted and a 14 percent year-over-year increase.Vietnam planted a stacked-trait biotech Bt and herbicide-tolerant maize as its first biotech crop.Biotech DroughtGard maize, first planted in the United States in 2013, increased 15-fold from 50,000 hectares in 2013 to 810,000 hectares reflecting high farmer acceptance.Sudan increased Bt cotton hectarage by 30 percent to 120,000 hectares, while various factors precluded a higher hectarage in Burkina Faso.Eight African countries field-tested, pro-poor, priority African crops, the penultimate step prior to approval.Looking ahead to the future of biotechnology in agriculture, ISAAA has identified three key opportunities to realize continued growth in adoption of biotech crops, which are as follows:High rates of adoption (90 percent to 100 percent) in current major biotech markets leave little room for expansion. However, there is a significant potential in other new countries for selected products, such as biotech maize, which has a potential of approximately 100 million more hectares globally, 60 million hectares in Asia, of which 35 million is in China alone, plus 35 million hectares in Africa.More than 85 potential new products in the pipeline are now being field-tested; including a biotech drought tolerant maize from the WEMA project (Water Efficient Maize for Africa) expected to be released in Africa in 2017, Golden Rice in Asia, and fortified bananas and pest-resistant cowpea in Africa.CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats) a new powerful genome editing technology has significant comparative advantages over conventional and GM crops in four domains: precision, speed, cost and regulation. When combined with other advances in crop sciences, CRISPR could increase crop productivity in a sustainable intensification mode on the 1.5 billion hectares of global arable land, and make a vital contribution to global food security.For more information or the executive summary of the report, visitISAAA is a not-for-profit international organization that shares the benefits of crop biotechnology to various stakeholders, particularly resource-poor farmers in developing countries, through knowledgesharing initiatives and the transfer and delivery of proprietary biotechnology applications. ISAAA's global knowledge sharing network and partnerships in the research and development continuum, provide a powerful combination of science-based information and appropriate technology to those who need to make informed decisions about their acceptance and use. In addition, an array of support services completes the holistic approach to agricultural development and ensures effective implementation and timely delivery of crop biotechnologies. These services include capacity building for policy makers and scientists; regulatory oversight on such issues as biosafety and food safety; impact assessment, and science communication.Kristine TomeISAAA Global Knowledge Center on Crop BiotechnologyKhush Hall, IRRI, Los Banos, LagunaPhone: +63 2 845-0563/0569/ 0573Fax: +63 49 536-7216;+63 2 845-0606E-mail: knowledgecenter@isaaa.org
Global Turbine Generators Market 2016: Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth and Forecasts to 2021

http://www.intenseresearch.com/market-analysis/global-and-china-turbine-generators-market-industry.html

http://goo.gl/y68ZnM

http://www.intenseresearch.com/

The Report Titled 'Global and Chinese Turbine Generators Market, 2016-2021 Industry Research Report' is a efficient and comprehensive study on the Present state of the global Turbine Generators Market with a focus on the Chinese industry. The report provides key census on the market status of the Turbine Generators Manufacturers and is a valuable source of instruction and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.Visit Complete Report:Firstly, the report provides a basic analysis of the market including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report analyse the international and Chinese major industry players in detail. In this part, the report presents the company profile, product blueprint, scope, production cost, and 2011-2016 market shares for each company. Through the demographic analysis, the report illustrate the global and Chinese total market of Turbine Generators industry including scope, manufacturing, manufacturing cost, value/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country region, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.The report then estimates 2016-2021 industry growth of Turbine Generators industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream requirement, and current market gesture is also carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Turbine Generators Industry before figure out its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2016-2021 global and Chinese Turbine Generators market covering all important parameters.Get Free Sample Report of Turbine Generators Market:Table Of Content Of Turbine Generators Market:Chapter One Introduction of Turbine Generators Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Turbine Generators1.2 Development of Turbine Generators Industry1.3 Status of Turbine Generators IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Turbine Generators2.1 Development of Turbine Generators Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Turbine Generators Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Turbine Generators Manufacturing TechnologyChapter Three Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers3.1 Company A3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Product Information3.1.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.1.4 Contact Information3.2 Company B3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Product Information3.2.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.2.4 Contact Information3.3 Company C3.2.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Product Information3.3.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.3.4 Contact Information3.4 Company D3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Product Information3.4.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.4.4 Contact Information3.5 Company E3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.5.4 Contact Information3.6 Company F3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Product Information3.5.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.6.4 Contact Information3.7 Company G3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Product Information3.7.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.7.4 Contact Information3.8 Company H3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Product Information3.8.3 2011-2016 Production Information3.8.4 Contact InformationIntense Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Intense Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Email: sales@intenseresearch.comWeb:
The woman said her headscarf was forcibly removed after she was arrested on outstanding warrants.

Los Angeles: A Muslim woman filed a lawsuit Monday against police in California alleging that her headscarf was forcibly removed after she was arrested on outstanding warrants.

According to the complaint against the city of Long Beach and its police department, Kirsty Powell and her husband were pulled over by two officers while driving home in May of last year.

She was subsequently arrested on two outstanding warrants -- one linked to her sister allegedly falsely using her identity and one in relation to a 2002 shoplifting incident at a grocery store.

Powell, who is African American, alleges that while being booked at the police station, one of the officers forcibly removed her headscarf in view of other male officers and inmates, telling her she was "not allowed to wear her hijab" and that policemen were "allowed to touch women."

The suit states that Powell "suffered and continues to suffer extreme shame, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress" as a result of her experience.

"The actions taken by the Long Beach police officers were unwarranted and a serious violation of Mrs Powell's bodily integrity," said Yalda Satar, attorney for the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on behalf of Powell.

"The manner in which Mrs Powell was treated by LBPD officers was simply a show of authority over a woman of color who was unable to protect herself, and is another example of the type of discrimination faced by women who wear a hijab," she added.

The Long Beach Police Department and city officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit, which seeks a jury trial and unspecified compensatory damages, comes as police in Los Angeles and San Francisco have come under scrutiny over racist and homophobic text messages and emails.

On Sunday, a senior official at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department stepped down after outrage over emails he sent three to four years ago mocking Muslims and others.

In San Francisco, several police officers have resigned or retired over racist text messages they exchanged among each other.
Medical Tourism to Have a Deep Impact on Dynamics of Overall Dental Equipment Market

http://bit.ly/1WEBq5m

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/global-dental-devices-market.htm

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The growing awareness of dental hygiene and increasing dental complications have led to the growth of the global dental equipment market. Dental equipment is an integral part of dental diagnostics. The speedy technological innovations and numerous treatment technologies have created strong groundwork for the growth of this market. According to research analysts at Transparency Market Research, the global dental equipment market is expected to reach US$7.6 bn by 2018 from US$5.5 bn in 2011, rising at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2012 to 2018.Download Industry Research Sample:The global dental equipment market is segmented on the basis of product type and geography. The types of products in the overall dental equipment market are: Dental radiology equipment, systems and parts, laboratory machines, hygiene maintenance devices, and other equipment. Geographically, this market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World.Systems and Parts to Spearhead Growth of Overall MarketThe research report published by Transparency Market Research suggests that the systems and parts segment has held a leading position in the overall dental equipment market in 2011 due to a wide range of applications and a huge array of products. The dental radiology equipment segment followed the aforementioned segment to stand as the second-largest segment in 2011.Minimally Invasive Procedures Propel Use of Dental LasersThe research report also showed that though the dental lasers segment held a relatively small share in the global dental equipment market in 2011, this segment is expected to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years. According to research analysts, the growing adoption of dental lasers in minimally invasive surgical procedures will propel this segment to grow at an accelerated pace.Baby Boomers Drive Global Dental Equipment MarketFurthermore, the incidence of the periodontal disease has reached an all-time high with 75% of the population in the United States suffering from gum diseases and periodontitis. Of these, the cases that delay medical intervention require implants and other restorative surgeries. Furthermore, Baby Boomers are prone to risks such as loss of teeth due to age and damage over the years. This demographic segment is also the one with relatively larger disposable incomes. With about 76.4 bn Baby Boomers in the United States, the country will remain at the forefront of the global dental equipment market.Medical Tourism to Have a Deep Impact on Dynamics of Overall MarketAs the cost of dental surgeries is exorbitant in the countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, they are expected to witness a decline in the demand for implant surgeries in the foreseeable future. This dynamic has forced several patients to travel to countries where dental surgeries are cheaper yet of high quality. Owing to these reasons, the Asia Pacific region is likely to grow at a stupendous pace. Consequently, the demand for implants and other dental equipment in this region will be propelled by countries such as China, Malaysia, and India.Browse Research Release:Some of the top players operating in the global dental equipment market are CareStream HealthGC Corporation, Henry Schein Inc., Danaher Corporation, Dentsply International Inc., Sirona Dental Systems, Planmeca Oy, Sirona Dental Systems, Biolase Inc., Ivoclar Vivadent AG, and A-dec Inc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Coffee Market Trends & Opportunities (2016-2020): Driven By Industry Demands

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/703135

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Scope of the ReportThe report titled Global Coffee Market: Trends & Opportunities (2016-2020) provides an in-depth analysis of the global coffee market with detailed analysis of market sizing and growth, market share and economic impact of the industry. The report also provides the production and consumption analysis of the market. The report provides detailed market analysis of the global retail coffee market by value and volume along with the segments of the market.The report provides detailed regional analysis of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America Middle East & Africa and Australasia for the coffee market. Regional analysis includes market sizing by value along with the production and consumption analysis. It also provides the retail sales value of each region.The report also includes the country analysis of Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Ethiopia and India. It provides the production and consumption analysis along with the export-import trends in each of the above mentioned countries.To Get The Free Sample Copy Of This Report:Furthermore, the report assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the global retail coffee market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. The competition in global coffee market is stiff and dominated by the big players like Nestle. Further, key players of the coffee market The J.M. Smucker Company, Mondelez International Inc. and Strauss Group Ltd. are also profiled with their financial information and respective business strategies.Regional CoverageWestern EuropeEastern EuropeNorth AmericaAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle East and AfricaAustralasiaCountry CoverageBrazilVietnamIndonesiaEthiopiaIndiaCompany CoverageThe J.M. Smucker CompanyMondelez International Inc.Strauss Group Ltd.Executive SummaryGlobal coffee market increased at a significant CAGR during the span of 5 years i.e. 2011-2015 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next five years i.e. 2016-2020 tremendously. The market can be segmented on the basis of end-users as retail coffee market and food services market, of which global retail coffee market displayed an increase, driving the global coffee market. The increasing consumption of coffee led by the westernization trend in India, China and Latin America drive the market in the positive direction.The growth drivers for the global coffee market are: rise in disposable income, rapid urbanization and increase in the population along with the emergence of caf culture and new consumer base. Despite the market is governed by various growth drivers, there are certain challenges faced by the market such as: aging of coffee trees, lack of government support, negative impact of climate change, price volatility and increase in production cost.Browse More Published Reports By Daedal Research Market Research @Table of Content1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Classification of Coffee2.1.1 Classification of Coffee on the Basis of Types2.1.2 Classification of Coffee on the Basis of End-Product2.2 Coffee around the Word2.2.1 North America & Caribbean2.2.2 Central America2.2.3 South America2.2.4 East Africa2.2.5 West Africa2.2.6 The Arabian Peninsula2.2.7 Asia3. Global Coffee Market: An Analysis3.1 Global Coffee Market Growth by Volume3.2 Global Retail Coffee Market: Sizing and Growth3.2.1 Global Retail Coffee Market by Value: Actual and Forecast3.2.2 Global Retail Coffee Market by Volume: Actual and Forecast3.2.3 Global Retail Coffee Market by Segments3.3 Global Coffee Production Analysis3.3.1 Global Coffee Production by Volume: Actual and Forecast3.3.2 Global Coffee Production by Types3.4 Global Coffee Consumption Analysis3.4.1 Global Coffee Consumption by Volume: Actual and Forecast3.4.2 Global Coffee Consumption as a share of Non-Alcoholic Drinks3.5 Global Coffee Exports by Volume4. Regional Coffee Market: An Analysis4.1 Regional Coffee Market: Sizing and Growth4.1.1 Global Coffee Market by Region4.1.2 Global Coffee Production by Region4.1.3 Global Coffee Consumption by Region4.1.4 Global Coffee Retail Sales by Region4.2 The U.S. and Western Europe Coffee Market: Sizing and Growth4.2.1 The U.S. and Western Europe Coffee Market by Segments4.3 Asia Coffee Market: Sizing and Growth4.3.1 Asia Coffee Market by Countries4.3.2 Asia Coffee Market by SegmentsMarketresearchreports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. Marketresearchreports.biz services are especially designed to save time and money of our clients.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United States
Global Tankless Gas Industry Report 2016

Global QY Research

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The recently published report titled Global Tankless Gas Industry 2016 Market Research Report is an in depth study providing complete analysis of the industry for the period 2016  2021. It provides complete overview of Global Tankless Gas market considering all the major industry trends, market dynamics and competitive scenario.The Global Tankless Gas Industry Report 2016 is an in depth study analyzing the current state of the Global Tankless Gas market. It provides brief overview of the market focusing on definitions, market segmentation, end-use applications and industry chain analysis. The study on Global Tankless Gas market provides analysis of China market covering the industry trends, recent developments in the market and competitive landscape. Competitive analysis includes competitive information of leading players in China market, their company profiles, product portfolio, capacity, production, and company financials. In addition, report also provides upstream raw material analysis and downstream demand analysis along with the key development trends and sales channel analysis. Research study on Global Tankless Gas market also discusses the opportunity areas for investors.View Full Report With Complete TOC, List Of Figure and Table:With153 tables and figures, the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Tankless Gas8.1 Rheem EcoSense8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Type I8.1.2.2 Type II8.1.2.3 Type III8.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.1.4 Contact Information8.2 MAREY8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Type I8.2.2.2 Type II8.2.2.3 Type III8.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.2.4 Contact Information8.3 Eccotemp8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Type I8.3.2.2 Type II8.3.2.3 Type III8.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.3.4 Contact Information8.4 EZ Tankless8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Type I8.4.2.2 Type II8.4.2.3 Type III8.4.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.4.4 Contact Information8.5 Westinghouse8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Type I8.5.2.2 Type II8.5.2.3 Type III8.5.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.5.4 Contact InformationDownload Sample this Report:Global QY Research is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QY Research holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Unit1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London, E182AN, United KingdomEmail: sales@globalqyresearch.com
Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016: Supply, Growth, Size, Share, Opportunities, Competitive Analysis, and Forecast-2021

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Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016-2021 Market Research ReportThe report on the Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016 Industry has grown steadily in the past few years. But what does the future outlook of the Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016 Industry look like? The report on the Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016 Industry has been compiled with the intention of answer critical questions such as this, and more. This professional Industry research report is the result of accurate analysis, intelligent forecasts, and a set of expert recommendations.Complete report With TOC available:Thus, companies can base forays into new Industrys, new product launches, R&D initiatives, financial modeling, divestment or acquisition decisions, and a lot more based on the information that is contained in this in-depth Industry research report. The report takes into consideration both the macro and micro economic factors that are at play in the global Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016 Industry. These factors are important not just for the new entrants, but also for the existing companies that want to further consolidate their standing in the Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016 Industry. By presenting clients with a detailed value chain analysis, the report successfully delves into specific areas within the Industry.Get Sample:On the basis of this information, analysts are able to offer clients with a clear picture of the growth drivers, restraints, Industry opportunities, as well as trends that currently prevail in the Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016 Industry. These specifics are studied from both the supply side and the demand side. Besides, the Industry research report also conducts a trends analysis to tap changes within the Industrys landscape that will have a bearing on the future of the Global and China Wound Plaster Dressing Market 2016 Industry.Browse more reports on Medical and Health at:MRS Research group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442
United States C4ISR Industry 2016

Global QY Research

http://globalqyresearch.com/united-states-c4isr-industry-2016

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The United States C4ISR Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the C4ISR industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The C4ISR market analysis is provided for the United States markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.View Full Report With Complete TOC, List Of Figure and Table:The report focuses on United States major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The C4ISR industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 144 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.7 Analysis of C4ISR Industry Key Manufacturers7.1 Northrop Grumman7.1.1 Company Profile7.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.1.2.1 Type I7.1.2.2 Type II7.1.2.3 Type III7.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.1.4 Contact Information7.2 Lockheed Martin7.2.1 Company Profile7.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.2.2.1 Type I7.2.2.2 Type II7.2.2.3 Type III7.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.2.4 Contact Information7.3 Elbit Systems7.3.1 Company Profile7.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.3.2.1 Type I7.3.2.2 Type II7.3.2.3 Type III7.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.3.4 Contact Information7.4 BAE Systems7.4.1 Company Profile7.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.4.2.1 Type I7.4.2.2 Type II7.4.2.3 Type III7.4.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.4.4 Contact Information7.5 Saab AB7.5.1 Company Profile7.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.5.2.1 Type I7.5.2.2 Type II7.5.2.3 Type III7.5.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.5.4 Contact Information7.6 Thales7.6.1 Company Profile7.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.6.2.1 Type I7.6.2.2 Type II7.6.2.3 Type III7.6.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.6.4 Contact Information7.7 Raytheon7.7.1 Company Profile7.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.7.2.1 Type I7.7.2.2 Type II7.7.2.3 Type III7.7.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.7.4 Contact Information7.8 Rheinmetall Ag7.8.1 Company Profile7.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.8.2.1 Type I7.8.2.2 Type II7.8.2.3 Type III7.8.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.8.4 Contact Information7.9 L-3 Communications7.9.1 Company Profile7.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.9.2.1 Type I7.9.2.2 Type II7.9.2.3 Type III7.9.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.9.4 Contact Information7.10 Rockwell Collins7.10.1 Company Profile7.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.10.2.1 Type I7.10.2.2 Type II7.10.2.3 Type III7.10.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.10.4 Contact Information7.11 Harris7.11.1 Company Profile7.11.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.11.2.1 Type I7.11.2.2 Type II7.11.2.3 Type III7.11.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.11.4 Contact Information7.12 Boeing7.12.1 Company Profile7.12.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.12.2.1 Type I7.12.2.2 Type II7.12.2.3 Type III7.12.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.12.4 Contact Information7.13 General Dynamics7.13.1 Company Profile7.13.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.13.2.1 Type I7.13.2.2 Type II7.13.2.3 Type III7.13.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.13.4 Contact Information7.14 Exelis7.14.1 Company Profile7.14.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.14.2.1 Type I7.14.2.2 Type II7.14.2.3 Type III7.14.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.14.4 Contact Information7.15 Drs Technologies7.15.1 Company Profile7.15.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.15.2.1 Type I7.15.2.2 Type II7.15.2.3 Type III7.15.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.15.4 Contact Information7.16 Booz Allen Hamilton7.16.1 Company Profile7.16.2 Product Picture and Specifications7.16.2.1 Type I7.16.2.2 Type II7.16.2.3 Type III7.16.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue7.16.4 Contact InformationDownload Sample this Report:Global QY Research is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QY Research holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Unit1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London, E182AN, United KingdomEmail: sales@globalqyresearch.com
Andon Sockets Available for New Sony Pregius 5 & 3.2 MP CMOS Sensors with 3.45 m Pixels for Industrial Applications

www.framos.com

Industrial applications require precise image acquisition for fast-moving objects. To address this challenge, Sony has developed the next generation of CMOS image sensors with a global shutter function, available globally from their long-term distribution partner FRAMOS. At just 3.45 m, the new IMX250/IMX252 family of devices provides the smallest pixels in the industry for this spectrum. As a result, they offer greater sensitivity, less noise, improved image quality, higher resolutions and faster imaging than the existing Sony IMX174/249 sensors (5.86 m pixels). In addition, they are more sensitive in the infrared spectrum, without the usual distortion.Axel Krepil, Head of Sensor Division at FRAMOS explains: As a result of the shrinking process, Sony's new Pregius IMX 250/IMX252 sensors set a new benchmark for industrial applications. With more pixels in the same surface area, a higher potential resolution and smaller cameras are possible. As a result of this innovation, camera manufacturers can offer more compact models with smaller lenses. Since both sensors have the same footprint, the same board can be used for a single range of cameras. Only minor adjustments are required to the lens and electronics due to the differing sensor sizes of 2/3" and 1/1.8". This approach minimises development costs.The Pregius IMX250 (5 MP) and IMX252 (3.2 MP) are fitted with many unique functions for industrial end users. With their 1.1 x sensitivity, the smallest pixels in the industry (3.45 m) represent an impressive development when compared with the existing 5.86 m products and can achieve high frame rates in 8, 10 and 12-bit ADC modes, for example 163 fps at 8 bits for the IMX250 and 216 fps at 8 bits for the IMX252. In addition, these new CMOS image sensors feature a range of added functions  such as a variable-speed shutter function, different exposure processes, a maximum of 64 definable regions of interest and external trigger modes. These modes allow users to adjust the memory and readout time to suit their requirements using an external trigger signal. The colour image sensors offer subsampling, horizontally and/or vertically inverted readout and a multiple frame output. The monochrome image sensors also have a pixel addition function in addition to colour image functions.Andon Sockets as an Integral Part of the Image Sensor EquationAs the inventor of numerous high-precision and high-reliability sockets for aerospace, defence and commercial use, Andon Electronics has a long history of helping companies to protect against device yield losses.More and more high-speed/high-resolution camera makers and their contract manufacturers are soldering Andon sockets, not the image sensors, to the PCB  to avoid image sensor damage from exposure to high-temperature solder, ESD and cleaning solutions; the labour and PC board damage associated with desoldering a faulty device; holding up PCB assembly until the devices arrive; and excessive heat and noise. They rely on Andons unique SENSTAC sensor socket contact design, which was developed for military/aerospace high-shock and -vibration 25-year life requirements.Both the Pregius IMX250 and IMX252 work with Andon socket part no. 694-226-TH-491-R27-L14-1 (thru-hole terminal version) and 694-226-SM-500-R27-L14-1 (surface mount terminal version).Full Portfolio of Industrial Image Sensors from the Global Market LeadersFramos supplies a full range of CCD and CMOS sensors and associated Andon sockets, including the latest versions of each. As imaging and sensor specialist with over 35 years of experience, the technical experts find the ideal sensor for your camera, application or imaging challenge. Based on close supplier relationships FRAMOS provides a fast and comprehensive support for all questions and challenges in implementing the sensor. Extensive value-added services include calibration, cover glass removal and custom sensor development are offered with support from the partner network.About FRAMOS:Teaching machines to see is what drives us. For FRAMOS, image processing is not just a technical discipline, but a fascination, the future and our mission all at the same time. Since 1981 FRAMOS is a leading technology provider in industrial, scientific and medical image processing. Headquartered in Munich and with 4 subsidiaries worldwide we enable manufacturers, system integrators and researchers to benefit from imaging technologies. Our team of approximately 85 associates offers a fully comprehensive portfolio of imaging components, technical consulting and support. Thanks to many years of experience in the industry, we offer engineering services for custom camera development as well as complete turn-key-solutions. We are proud of our participation in a revolutionary technology. The spirit of innovation and development of our early days has remained at the heart of our company.FRAMOS GmbHAntonia EbenburgerMehlbeerenstrae 2D-82024 Taufkirchen, Germany
Spectrofluorometer Industry 2016 Global Market Growth, Share, Size and 2020 Analysis Report

http://www.9dresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/spectrofluorometer-market-2016-global-industry-size-trends-growth.html

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2016 Spectrofluorometer report analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc.The report on Global Spectrofluorometer Industry presents an executive-level overview of the Global Spectrofluorometer market. The Global Spectrofluorometer market is expected to demonstrate a positive growth trend in the coming years. The market forces that will shape the growth of this market have been scrutinized in detail in this report.Browse full report with TOC @Comprehensive data related to the market trends has been included in this report. The market drivers that will fuel the growth of the market during the forecast period are mentioned in this report. Furthermore, the regulatory environment in the Global Spectrofluorometer market and its impact on the Global Spectrofluorometer industry performance has been assessed in this report. The restraining factors that will result in decline in popularity of certain product segments have also been covered in this report. The potential opportunities and their impact on the Global Spectrofluorometer market is also evaluated in the report.The key players are expected to tap onto these market opportunities to penetrate the market. Furthermore, the untapped opportunities in emerging economies will provide a considerable impetus to the small, medium, and large companies operating in the Global Spectrofluorometer market. These opportunities in turn are projected to have positive impact on the Global Spectrofluorometer market. Players in the market are focusing on innovation, which has resulted in a lot of mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, and partnerships. The prominent market players are also focusing to offer a broader range of products. Competitors often are competing on the basis of the cost of the products in the Global Spectrofluorometer market.Download sample report @Around the world, industries are focusing on incorporating green practices in their manufacturing processes. Moreover, products that are manufactured using these green practices or include more eco-friendly ingredients are popular among consumers. This consumer preference will help companies operating in the Global Spectrofluorometer market to include greener products and services to their offering.Chem Gadgets is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651
FMI Releases New Report on the Global Vertebroplasty And Kyphoplasty Devices Market

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-963

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-963

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/vertebroplasty-and-kyphoplasty-devices-market

Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Vertebroplasty And Kyphoplasty Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025" report to their offering.Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty are minimally invasive, image guided surgical procedures performed to treat the Vertebral Compression Fracture (VCF). VCFs can lead to back pain, reduced physical activity, depression, loss of independence, decreased lung capacity, and difficulty sleeping. Bone cement is injected into the back bone (vertebra) to provide support to the broken bone. Due to osteoporosis, vascular malformatins or, less commonly, cancer fractures can be caused in the vertebra. Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty help the patient to regain the functional abilities and avoid further vertebral collapse. Kyphoplasty is an advanced version of Vertebroplasty which can stabilize the fracture, restore heights and reduce deformities.Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: Drivers & RestraintsVertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty devices market is growing due to limitations in the traditional techniques for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty are advanced procedure which result in pain relief, stabilization of the fracture and avoid Downward spiral of untreated osteoporosis. Due to increase in ageing population, patients suffering from osteoporosis are also increasing.Additional benefits of the surgery which are the key drivers for this market are:Short surgical time. Patient gets discharged in less than one day.General anaesthesia required. No bracing required.Patients can quickly return to the normal activities of daily living.Complications like bleeding, infection post-surgery and chances of occurrence of another fracture are few restraints for the Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market.Request Free Report Sample@Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: SegmentationVertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market is classified on the basis of Surgery type, product type and geography.Based on surgery type, the global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty market is segmented into the following:VertebroplastyKyphoplastyBased on product type, the global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty market is segmented into the following:Vertebroplasty devicesNeedleCement mixing and delivery devicesX- ray DeviceKyphoplasty DevicesBalloonNeedleX- ray DeviceDownload TOC@Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: OverviewVertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty devices market is growing due to increased incidence of Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCF) occurring due to increase in the ageing population. VCF is a major issue in the western countries driving the market growth. Overall Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty devices market will grow globally, however the growth rate in Asia Pacific region will be more as compared to European and North American market.Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the leading region in Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market due to the high volumes of surgical procedures being performed. Also, the availability of established healthcare infrastructure, high contribution of healthcare to economy, patient compliance are the reasons for the high demand in North America. Europe has the second largest Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market due to vast technological advancement in terms of healthcare sector. Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at a good rate as compared to NA and Europe as there is ample market opportunity in countries like India and China.Browse Full Report@Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market are Depuy Synthes, Stryker Corporation, CareFusion Corporation, Osseon LLC., Alphatec Spine, Inc., TAEYEON MEDICAL Co., Ltd., G-21 s.r.l., BMK Global Medical Company, Medtronic, Inc., Globus Medical, Inc. and SOMATEX to name a few.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018Valley Cottage, NY
Global Biofuel Additives Market 2016 industry trends, review, research and forecast analysis

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http://www.qymarketresearch.com/market-analysis/global-biofuel-additives-market-2016-industry-research-report.html

Market Research Report on Biofuel Additives Market 2016 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Biofuel Additives worldwide. First of all,"Global Biofuel Additives Market 2016" report provides a basic overview of the Biofuel Additives industry including definitions, classifications, applications and Biofuel Additives industry chain structure.The analysis is provided for the Biofuel Additives international market including development history, Biofuel Additives industry competitive landscape analysis.Request For Free Report Sample @After that, Biofuel Additives industry development policies as well as plans are discussed and manufacturing processes as well as cost structures for Biofuel Additives market. This report "Worldwide Biofuel Additives Market 2016" also states import/export, supply and consumption figures and Biofuel Additives market cost, price, revenue and Biofuel Additives market's gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), as well as other regions can be added in Biofuel Additives Market area.Then, the report focuses on worldwide Biofuel Additives market key players with information such as company profiles with product picture as well as specification.Related information to Biofuel Additives market- capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Aslo includes Biofuel Additives industry's - Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Biofuel Additives market development trends and Biofuel Additives industry marketing channels are analyzed.Read More Research with TOC @Finally, "worldwide Biofuel Additives market" Analysis- feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.About UsAt Tech Report Store, we have market research reports from competent publishers. Our Research Specialists have thorough knowledge about offerings from different publishers and different reports on respective industries. They will help you refine search parameters and get desired results at your doorstep.Contact UsJoel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651Website: http://www.techreportstore.com/email: john@techreportstore.comRichel Johnadmin@reportsbuzz.com
Top image quality under intense vibration: Exploiting the benefits of CMOS with Kowa's robust HC-V lenses

www.framos.com

Munich, April 2016  Image processing systems in production systems, quality inspection, logistics and robotics are often subject to intense direct or indirect vibration and rapid movements. With the new vibration-resistant HC-V lens series from Kowa, systems engineers can achieve a high image quality without pixel shift, even if the lenses tilt, rotate or are exposed to extreme vibration.As they are optimised for 1" sensors with up to 4 MP, the HC-V lenses allow the benefits of modern CMOS technology to be exploited wherever high component stability is required in tough environments. This is made possible through the unique mechanical structure with internal glass elements bonded to the housing, a double nut thread for the focussing ring and variable step-up rings for fixed aperture openings. The robust HC-V series, which has an optical output that corresponds to Kowa's HC series, is available with 6 fixed focal lengths between 8 and 50 mm and is supplied by Kowa's distributor, the image processing specialist FRAMOS.Stephanie Zahner, Line Manager for Kowa at FRAMOS, explains: "The exchangeable aperture plates create an exact, reproducible f-stop, which, together with the bonded lenses, guarantees a consistently high image quality and simplifies image processing in the software."Replaceable iris plates to increase the stability of the lenses have taken the place of the conventional system with knurled screws to fix the iris. In addition, reversible nuts are used to lock the focussing ring. This means that the optics are perfectly suited to robotics and to stereo and 3D applications. The manual iris and focus check and the permanently defined apertures have almost eliminated deviations and adjustment errors. In particular in applications where several cameras are viewing an area of interest, exact synchronous adjustments are required and the processing unit combines multiple images, the fixed, constantly stable lens modes allow for precise evaluation without differences or shifts.Where machines continuously shake and rattle, where robot arms, conveyor belts and their cameras are constantly in motion, Kowa HC-V lenses are the ideal solution. They extend the service life of the image processing system, increase productivity as a result of shorter system downtimes and allow for more precise evaluation with improved image quality and stability.About FRAMOS:Teaching machines to see is what drives us. For FRAMOS, image processing is not just a technical discipline, but a fascination, the future and our mission all at the same time. Since 1981 FRAMOS is a leading technology provider in industrial, scientific and medical image processing. Headquartered in Munich and with 4 subsidiaries worldwide we enable manufacturers, system integrators and researchers to benefit from imaging technologies. Our team of approximately 85 associates offers a fully comprehensive portfolio of imaging components, technical consulting and support. Thanks to many years of experience in the industry, we offer engineering services for custom camera development as well as complete turn-key-solutions. We are proud of our participation in a revolutionary technology. The spirit of innovation and development of our early days has remained at the heart of our company.FRAMOS GmbHAntonia EbenburgerMehlbeerenstrae 2D-82024 Taufkirchen, Germany
Washington: The son of the longest-held civilian hostage in US history slammed the Obama administration Monday for abandoning the ex-FBI agent in an Iranian jail.

Ex-CIA contractor and ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson has been missing for nearly a decade. Now 68, he disappeared in mysterious circumstances in March 2007 during a visit to the Iranian island of Kish.

He was reportedly investigating cigarette counterfeiting in the region.

After Iran released some US nationals it was holding following last year's international nuclear deal, his father's fate remains alarming, overlooked by Washington time and again, his son Dan Levinson wrote in an opinion in the New York Post.

"The White House and State Department have avoided acknowledging the basic fact that he is a hostage," he said. "When pressed by a reporter about this, a State Department spokesman spent 3-1/2 excruciating minutes refusing to call him a hostage."

The White House has consistently said Levinson was not working for the US government when he disappeared. In January, it said the United States did not believe he was now in Iran.

However, The Washington Post reported that Levinson was working for the CIA at the time and was supposed to meet with an informer about Iran's nuclear program.

"My father has appeared in a video pleading for help and in pictures wearing chains, clearly being held against his will," Levinson said. "What further evidence is needed?"

In January, Tehran released four Iranian-American dual nationals, some of whom had been held for years, in a prisoner swap, while a fifth American was freed separately.

Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians in exchange and withdrew international arrest notices for 14 Iranians.

The prisoner swap came as the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Iran had put a nuclear bomb beyond its immediate reach and the United States and European Union lifted their most draconian economic sanctions.

US diplomats insisted, to widespread skepticism, that the two breakthroughs were entirely separate.

The younger Levinson argued on Monday that if Washington pressed harder, his father would be headed home.

"I have no doubt that if the administration told Iran there would be no further negotiations on any other issues until my dad is returned, Tehran would move quickly to resolve his case," he wrote.

"But Washington has shown an unwillingness to do that, and we feel helpless... My father... is being abandoned."
Mom Wants Autistic Daughter to Wear GPS Tracker

https://www.letstrak.com/device.html

A California mom wants approval for her autistic daughter to wear a GPS tracking device to school. She says it will prevent her child from wandering, but the school district is fighting that request.The girl's mother, Darcy Cotton, said she does not sleep much."We are always exhausted and constantly living in a state of fear," she said.For the past few years, the mother has been sleeping on the couch, losing sleep, worrying that her 6-year-old autistic daughter, Jaden, will wander.The mother says they have to take precautions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.A study published by the American Academy of Paediatrics shows that roughly half of all autistic children will wander at least once.After searching for anything to prevent the wandering, Cotton finally came across the Letstrak GPS Tracker."To me this is a life-changing device and at one point I believe it will save her life...," she said.The tracking device is attached to her on a belt and cannot be removed without a key.Cotton says she wants Jaden to wear the device to her school, Shirley Lane Elementary, but the school district will not allow her to wear it.Michael Coleman, the superintendent at Fairfax School District, says there are still many questions about the device and the concern that it could be a privacy issue for both students and staff.He also says it is currently not a medical necessity or under her individualized education program."So it really goes into the general population as a parent want," he said, "and as close as we can get into it right now, it would be like allowing students to come with smart devices that are on and used during the day and our policy does not allow that."The superintendent says he plans to meet with Cotton on Friday to discuss the device.He said he wants to work with Cotton to find a solution and to make sure Jaden has a safe environment where she can learn.More info:Letstrak is a real time tracking and instant messaging app for smart phones and GPS tracking devices for Pets, Family, Employers and employees and vehicles tracker and monitoring devices.Phone : 2033754259Email : support@letstrak.comAddress : 44 Broadway London E15 1XH, United Kingdom
Indonesia Upstream Fiscal and Regulatory Report - Low prices Promt Fiscal Changes but Regulation Remains Uncertain

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Indonesia Upstream Fiscal and Regulatory Report - Low prices Promt Fiscal Changes but Regulation Remains Uncertain" to its huge collection of research reports.Indonesia Upstream Fiscal and Regulatory Report - Low prices Promt Fiscal Changes but Regulation Remains Uncertain, presents the essential information relating to the terms which govern investment into Indonesias upstream oil and gas sector. The report sets out in detail the contractual framework under which firms must operate in the industry, clearly defining factors affecting profitability and quantifying the states take from hydrocarbon production. Considering political, economic and industry specific variables, the report also analyses future trends for Indonesias upstream oil and gas investment climate.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope- Overview of current fiscal terms governing upstream oil and gas operations in Indonesia- Assessment of the current fiscal regimes state take and attractiveness to investors- Charts illustrating the regime structure, and legal and institutional frameworks- Detail on legal framework and governing bodies administering the industry- Levels of upfront payments and taxation applicable to oil and gas production- Information on application of fiscal and regulatory terms to specific licenses- Outlook on future of fiscal and regulatory terms in IndonesiaReasons to buy- Understand the complex regulations and contractual requirements applicable to Indonesias upstream oil and gas sector- Evaluate factors determining profit levels in the industry- Identify potential regulatory issues facing investors in the countrys upstream sector- Utilize considered insight on future trends to inform decision-makingBrowse Detail Report With TOC @Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 11.1 List of Tables 21.2 List of Figures 22 Regime Overview 33 Fiscal Take Assessment 54 Key Fiscal Terms 64.1 Bonuses 64.2 First Tranche Petroleum 74.2.1 Conventional PSAs 74.2.2 Unconventional PSAs 74.3 Cost Recovery 74.3.1 Cost Recovery Limit - Conventional 74.3.2 Cost Recovery Limit - Technical Assistance Contracts 74.3.3 Cost Recovery Limit - Unconventional 84.3.4 Recoverable Costs 84.3.5 Marginal Field Uplift (2005 Onwards) 104.3.6 Investment Credit 104.4 Profit-Sharing 114.4.1 Post-2001 Conventional PSAs 114.4.2 Historical Conventional PSAs 114.4.3 Unconventional PSAs 124.4.4 Technical Assistance Contracts 134.5 Direct Taxation 134.5.1 Corporate Tax 134.5.2 Branch Profits Remittances Tax 134.5.3 Deductions and Depreciation 134.6 Indirect Taxation 144.6.1 Value Added Tax (VAT) 144.6.2 Land and Building Tax 144.6.3 Customs Duties 144.7 Domestic Market Obligation 144.7.1 First Generation 144.7.2 Second Generation 144.7.3 Third Generation 144.7.4 Unconventional and Coal Bed Methane 15Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.us
Nigeria Gbaran Ubie Phase 2 Project Panorama Oil and Gas Upstream Market Trend, Growth and Analysis Report

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http://www.researchmoz.us/nigeria-gbaran-ubie-phase-2-project-panorama-oil-and-gas-upstream-analysis-report-report.html

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Nigeria Gbaran Ubie Phase 2 Project Panorama - Oil and Gas Upstream Analysis Report" to its huge collection of research reports.Nigeria Gbaran Ubie Phase 2 Project Panorama, GlobalDatas latest release, presents a comprehensive overview of the asset. This upstream report includes detailed qualitative and quantitative information on the asset, provides a full economic assessment and reflects several parameters including (but not limited to) geological profile, asset development and specific challenges. Based on this analysis, future outlook for the asset is presented with possible trends and related scenarios identifying upside/downside potential.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope- Overview of the asset based on an analysis of the economic indicators- Key financial indicators including Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return- Review of factors affecting the economic outcome of the field including development overview, geology, challenges, reserves and production with qualitative perspective on of the overall assets life with GlobalDatas analysis on the assets future outlook- Detailed production profile for the asset, giving annual output rates for each commodity produced- Cash flow statements from our economic analysis of the asset including capital expenditures, operating expenditures and tax liability- Individual valuations for equity holders- Sensitivity analysis for asset value considering a range of factorsReasons to buy- Understand the economic and non-economic factors that affect production of an asset- Benefit from an asset valuation derived from detailed research and modeling by our analysts- Basic view of various scenarios and its effect on the asset for risk or strategy planning- Utilize the quantitative and qualitative evaluation to ascertain trends within the region to inform decision making- Identify economic trends of an asset to determine investment requirementsBrowse Detail Report With TOC @Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 11.1 List of Tables 21.2 List of Figures 22 Project Panorama 33 Project Update 44 Outlook 55 Asset Summary 66 Development Overview 117 Geology 128 Challenges 139 Reserves and Production 1410 Economic Analysis 1711 Appendix 2111.1 Contact Us 2111.2 Disclaimer 21Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.us
New Study | Norway Maria Project Panorama Market Oil and Gas Upstream Analysis Report

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http://www.researchmoz.us/norway-maria-project-panorama-oil-and-gas-upstream-analysis-report-report.html

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Norway Maria Project Panorama - Oil and Gas Upstream Analysis Report" to its huge collection of research reports.Norway Maria Project Panorama, GlobalDatas latest release, presents a comprehensive overview of the asset. This upstream report includes detailed qualitative and quantitative information on the asset, provides a full economic assessment and reflects several parameters including (but not limited to) geological profile, asset development and specific challenges. Based on this analysis, future outlook for the asset is presented with possible trends and related scenarios identifying upside/downside potential.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope- Overview of the asset based on an analysis of the economic indicators- Key financial indicators including Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return- Review of factors affecting the economic outcome of the field including development overview, geology, challenges, reserves and production with qualitative perspective on of the overall assets life with GlobalDatas analysis on the assets future outlook- Detailed production profile for the asset, giving annual output rates for each commodity produced- Cash flow statements from our economic analysis of the asset including capital expenditures, operating expenditures and tax liability- Individual valuations for equity holders- Sensitivity analysis for asset value considering a range of factorsReasons to buy- Understand the economic and non-economic factors that affect production of an asset- Benefit from an asset valuation derived from detailed research and modeling by our analysts- Basic view of various scenarios and its effect on the asset for risk or strategy planning- Utilize the quantitative and qualitative evaluation to ascertain trends within the region to inform decision making- Identify economic trends of an asset to determine investment requirementsBrowse Detail Report With TOC @Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 11.1 List of Tables 21.2 List of Figures 22 Project Panorama 33 Project Update 44 Outlook 55 Asset Summary 66 Development Overview 117 Geology 138 Challenges 149 Reserves and Production 1510 Economic Analysis 1711 Appendix 2111.1 Contact Us 2111.2 Disclaimer 21Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.us
Azerbaijan Shah Deniz Project Panorama - Oil and Gas Upstream Analysis Report

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=713956

http://www.researchmoz.us/azerbaijan-shah-deniz-project-panorama-oil-and-gas-upstream-analysis-report-report.html

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Azerbaijan Shah Deniz Project Panorama - Oil and Gas Upstream Analysis Report" to its huge collection of research reports.Azerbaijan Shah Deniz Project Panorama, GlobalDatas latest release, presents a comprehensive overview of the asset. This upstream report includes detailed qualitative and quantitative information on the asset, provides a full economic assessment and reflects several parameters including (but not limited to) geological profile, asset development and specific challenges. Based on this analysis, future outlook for the asset is presented with possible trends and related scenarios identifying upside/downside potential.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Scope- Overview of the asset based on an analysis of the economic indicators- Key financial indicators including Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return- Review of factors affecting the economic outcome of the field including development overview, geology, challenges, reserves and production with qualitative perspective on of the overall assets life with GlobalDatas analysis on the assets future outlook- Detailed production profile for the asset, giving annual output rates for each commodity produced- Cash flow statements from our economic analysis of the asset including capital expenditures, operating expenditures and tax liability- Individual valuations for equity holders- Sensitivity analysis for asset value considering a range of factorsReasons to buy- Understand the economic and non-economic factors that affect production of an asset- Benefit from an asset valuation derived from detailed research and modeling by our analysts- Basic view of various scenarios and its effect on the asset for risk or strategy planning- Utilize the quantitative and qualitative evaluation to ascertain trends within the region to inform decision making- Identify economic trends of an asset to determine investment requirementsBrowse Detail Report With TOC @Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 11.1 List of Tables 21.2 List of Figures 22 Project Panorama 33 Project Update 44 Outlook 55 Asset Summary 66 Development Overview 117 Geology 138 Challenges 149 Reserves and Production 1510 Economic Analysis 1811 Appendix 2211.1 Contact Us 2211.2 Disclaimer 22Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.us
Global CRM Market to Witness Rapid Growth thanks to New Product Launches by Leading Market Players

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressrelease/1519

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/590581

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MarketResearchReports.Biz presents this most up-to-date research on " Global Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Market Report: 2016 Edition "MarketResearchReports.biz has recently added a new market research study to its huge database of research reports. The research study, titled Global Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Market Report: 2016 Edition, offers a thorough analysis of the global CRM market, focusing on the major growth drivers, current trends, and challenges. The research study presents an in-depth study of the global CRM market, focusing on the major geographical segments and vendor analysis.Cardiac rhythm management is considered as a well-established division of the overall cardiology devices market. CRM is a segment of cardiology that involves dealing with disorders related to the hearts rhythm. CRM relies on several devices including implantable pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), and other CRM monitoring devices. CRM devices are widely used for the treatment of heart failure and arrhythmias, especially ventricular arrhythmias and superventricular arrhythmias. The demand for CRM devices has been rising as they are very efficient in reducing the number of sudden cardiac deaths.View Press Release Report at :The growing consumption of alcohol and tobacco, growing obese population, increasing healthcare expenditure, and increasing prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias are some of the key factors expected to fuel the growth of the market in the forecast period. In addition, the increase of irrigated RF Ablation Catheter Devices and primary prevention on the rise worldwide are further estimated to drive the global CRM market throughout the forecast period. On the flip side, the environment issues and regulatory concerns are the major challenges for the players operating in the market.For Sample Copy, click here:Some of the prominent developments and trends in the global CRM market are increasing demand for a leadless pacemaker, new product launches, growing adoption of subcutaneous ICD, and the introduction of quadripolar lead devices. These trends are estimated to offer potential opportunities to market players and drive the global CRM market throughout the forecast period.Developing nations are providing remarkable potential for major players to establish an increased number of distribution channels across the globe. Nevertheless, higher costs of living and low reimbursement schemes impose extreme pricing pressure on market entrants. Several technologically advanced devices are unaffordable in developing nations owing to the limited financial resources available. As a result, substantial reductions in cost are anticipated in the next few years as distribution becomes global. There are several players in the global CRM market that are developing value-tier platforms so as to enable and boost the sale of lower-cost devices.Furthermore, the research study talks about the competitive scenario of the global CRM market, including detailed analysis of the major players operating in the market. The financial overview, business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments of the major players have been included in the scope of the report. Some of the leading players mentioned in the research report are Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical, and Medtronic.MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E : sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Coffee Market to be Driven by Rising Demand in Developing Regions

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressrelease/1520

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MarketResearchReports.Biz presents this most up-to-date research on " Global Coffee Market: Trends and Opportunities (2016-2020) "The global coffee market has been analyzed in great detail in a recent market research report added to the portfolio of MarketResearchReports.biz. The report, titled Global Coffee Market: Trends & Opportunities (2016-2020), gives a detailed analysis of key aspects of the global coffee market, such as market sizing and growth, share of key segments in the global market, and the economic impact of the market on the regional and global economies.The report provides data pertaining to production and consumption patterns in the global coffee market as well as a detailed analysis of the current state of the retail coffee market, with quantitative and qualitative data pertaining to volume and value of the various segments of the market as observed over the reports review period.The report also analyzes the major growth opportunities in the market and outlines the various factors that are currently driving the market and will influence its development over the reports forecast period. The report forecasts the growth prospects of the market and its several crucial elements over the period between 2016 and 2020, taking into consideration factors such as current trends, present and past growth patterns, growth drivers, and restraints.The report states that the global coffee market has grown at a significant pace over the reports review period, i.e. 2011-2015, and will expand at a healthy pace over the reports forecast period as well.View Press Release Report at :Some of the major driving factors for the global coffee market are the westernization trend and the consecutive shift in consumption patterns in China, India, and Latin American countries; rising disposable incomes; the emergence of the cafe culture; an expanding base of new consumers. Despite this, the market is being restrained to a certain extent by factors such as aging coffee trees, the lack of government support for coffee manufacturers, negative impact of climate on the growth of coffee trees and the quality of the product, increased production costs, and price volatility.For Sample Copy, click here:The report segments the global coffee market on the basis of end-users into the food services market and retail coffee market. Of these, the segment of retail coffee market demonstrated a stronger impact on the growth of the global coffee market over the reports review period.From a geographical perspective, the report segments the global coffee market into Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Australasia, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. The regional analysis of the coffee market in these regions includes market sizing by value, along with an analysis of consumption and production patterns. The report also includes retail sales values of each of these regions.The report also features a country-specific analysis of the coffee market for countries including India, Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. For the coffee market in these countries, the report furnishes data such as production and consumption patterns and values and import export trends.The report also gives a detailed overview of the competitive landscape of the global coffee market and profiles some of the key vendors in the market, including Strauss Group Ltd., The J.M. Smucker Company, and Mondelez International Inc.MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E : sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Wetherbee Planetarium Educational Event at Thronateeska Heritage Center

Date: May 7, 2016Time: 10:00 am  4:00 pmLocation: Thronateeska Heritage Center100 West Roosevelt AvenueAlbany, GA 31701USAPhone: (229)432-6955The Wetherbee Planetarium is pleased to be viewed as a profitable instructive asset in South Georgia, sharing fulldome instructive movies, as well as creating live presentations on a wide assortment of space science themes.Show plan - 10:30 a.m., Molecularium; 11:30 a.m., Earth, Moon and Sun; 1:00 p.m., Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity; 2:00 p.m., Astronomyths; 3:00 p.m., Oasis in Space.Molecularium: Riding Snowflakes - Molecularium is a supernatural musical enterprise in a universe of iotas and atoms. On board the Molecularium, crowds join a cast of nuclear characters on an immersive and remarkable experience into the nanoscale universe. Investigate billions and trillions of iotas and particles with Oxy, an intelligent oxygen molecule, and Hydro and Hydra, her wacky hydrogen buddies. Ride from the nuclear structure of a snowflake to the furthest reaches of space on board the Molecularium, the most incredible boat in the Universe.Astronomyths: Scripted and created in Greece, Astronomyths offers a perspective of the stars and a portion of the heavenly bodies from Earth, telling the stories from which they were named. A full vault advanced generation, Astronomyths draws you into the past through antiquated Greek mythology, and rockets into the future with investigation of late profound space object revelations. See distinctive star sorts, systems, nebulae, and more as you look into a portion of the farthest achieves people have seen. A keen, fun, and profoundly instructive appear, Astronomyths is appropriate for loved ones of all ages.Earth, Moon and Sun: This planetarium show investigates the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the assistance of Coyote, a diverting character adjusted from Native American oral conventions who has numerous confusions about our home planet and its most recognizable neighbors. His disarray about the universe makes viewers consider how the Earth, Moon and Sun cooperate as a framework. Local American stories are utilized all through the show to recognize myths and science.Dark Holes: the Other Side of Infinity  Narrated by Academy-Award designated on-screen character Liam Neeson, this front line creation highlights high-determination representations of inestimable wonders, working with information produced by PC reproductions, to bring the present investigation of dark openings to the arch screen. Groups of onlookers will be stunned with striking, immersive activitys of the development of the early universe, star birth and demise, the impact of goliath worlds, and a mimicked flight to a super-gigantic dark opening prowling at the focal point of our own Milky Way Galaxy.Desert spring In Space: Embark on a startling and lovely voyage through our universe and world, and go through our Solar System going to the majority of our planets looking for water-a key element for life on Earth.Wetherbee Planetarium at Thronateeska Heritage Center is event of Albany. It is an important resource of education in south Georgia. The education is described in the form of a film based on Astronomyths, Earth, Moon and Sun etc.112 North Front Street | Albany, GA 31701
American Voters Should Cast A Vote That Gives The World Hope - Author Frances Fuller Reminds American Voters Of Their Global Responsibilities

Author Frances Fuller

http://www.inborrowedhouseslebanon.com

Frances Fuller, author of 'In Borrowed Houses' has a unique background that allows for insight into the mindset of the Middle East. She is uniquely qualified, in that she spent thirty years in the Middle East, twenty four of those years as a Christian publisher in Lebanon. Fuller recently posted an article that brings to light a number of issues that American may not have considered, but certainly should.In a blog called What the Lebanese Can Teach Us About Voting for a President, Fuller responds to a piece that appeared in the Beirut Daily Star, written by David Ignatius of The Washington Post. Ignasius article concerns the proposal of John Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat ,(published in the Harvard Journal on Legislation) to fix the dysfunctional American political system. Why, Fuller asks, would comments by an editor and columnist of the Washington Post on a solution to an American problem, be found in the Beirut Daily Star?"A proposal to mend Americas broken political system will be read with great interest in Lebanon," Fuller stated. "The Lebanese know, better than we know, that if our democracy doesnt work, no ones democracy is likely to work. If we love money more than we love the ideals on which our country was established, then money, not people, will rule the world. (They have already believed this about money for quite a long time.) They see the international repercussions of everything America does, while we are thinking of nothing but social issues and the tax rate and the personalities of candidates. Surrounded by enemies and inundated by refugees, one per two citizens, they are wondering where they will get the money to incorporate 450,000 alien children into a public school system of half that many, while leadership of the richest, most powerful country in the world, built by refugees, is in danger of being bought by a billionaire preaching fear of refugees. Feeling powerless, the Lebanese know, better than they know anything else, that whatever we Americans do is going to change their world for better or worse. You can bet they are listening with bated breath to news about the American election. This is the burden we voting Americans lift every time we mark a ballot. We can cast a vote that gives the world hope. Or not."Frances puts a face on the Middle East many Americans have not yet seen. Her award-winning memoir, 'In Borrowed Houses', gives readers a penetrating glimpse of the Middle East from the inside.Told in short episodes, Fullers book reveals the alienation, confusion and courage of civilians in the Lebanese civil war, introducing to the reader a variety of real people with whom the author interacts: editors, salesmen, neighbors, refugees, soldiers, missionaries, lawyers, shepherds, artists, students. With these people she works, studies, plays games, prays, laughs and cries, all to the accompaniment of gunfire. Together these small stories tell what war is like for civilians caught on a battlefield, and they create the impression of the Lebanese as a fun-loving, witty, patient and resilient people. Fuller's stories compose not a political history, but a historical document of a time and a place.Critics have praised In Borrowed Houses. A judge in the 22nd Annual Writers Digest Self-Published Book Awards called 'In Borrowed Houses'  . . a well written book full of compassion . . . a captivating story . . . . Another reviewer described the book as Wise, honest, sensitive, funny, heart-wrenching . . .. Colin Chapman, lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut said,  . . . western Christians and Middle Eastern Christians need to read this storyfull of remarkable perceptiveness and genuine hope.Frances Fuller is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at frances0516@att.net. The full text of her latest article is available at her website. Fuller's book is available at Amazon and other book retailers. A free ebook sample from 'In Borrowed Houses' is available at Payhip. Frances Fuller also blogs on other issues relating to the Middle East on her website.Frances Fuller spent thirty years in the violent Middle East and for twenty-four of those years was the director of a Christian publishing program with offices in Lebanon. While leading the development of spiritual books in the Arabic language, she survived long years of civil war and invasions.PO Box 1613Shallotte, NC 28459
Global Thermal Imaging Market : Industry Size, Growth, Share, Analysis and Forecast 2022  Brisk Insights

http://www.briskinsights.com/report/thermal-imaging-market-forecast-2015-2022

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According to a recently published report, the Global Thermal Imaging Market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 9.2% during 2015-2022 and it estimated to be $11.2 billion by 2022. The Global Thermal Imaging Market is segmented on the basis of application, solution and geography. The report on Global Thermal Imaging Market Forecast 2012-2022 provides detailed overview and predictive analysis of the market.Browse Full Report with Toc :The Global Thermal Imaging Market is expected to grow exponentially due to rise in demand for commercial applications and thermal camera in smartphone industry reported by, Occams Business research. The increasing demand for Global Thermal Imaging Market is increasing due to huge demand created by rising smartphone users.Global Thermal Imaging Market is expected to contribute highest in North America followed by Europe. Rise in adoption of thermal imaging applications such as Surveillance, surveys, radiology, threat detection major drivers for the Global Thermal Imaging Market. FLIR Systems, Danaher Corporation, DRS Technologies, BAE Systems, Sofradir Group, Axis Communications, L-3 Communications, Raytheon and so on. Mergers and acquisition, partnerships are the key winning strategy of the market.Browse here for all category Reports :Scope of the report1. Global Thermal Imaging Market by Application 2015- 2022 ( $ billion)1.1. Global Surveillance Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.2. Global Threat detection Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.3. Global Surveys Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.4. Global Predictive maintenance Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.5. Global Radiology Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.6. Global Intelligent transportation systems Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.7. Global Commercial and residential security Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.8. Global Personal vision Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.9. Global Firefighting Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.10. Global Research and Development Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.11. Global Automotive Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.12. Global Veterinary Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)1.13. Global Others Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)2. Global Thermal Imaging Market by end user 2015-2022 ( $ billion)2.1. Global Military & Defense Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)2.2. Global Commercial Market 2012-2022 ( $ billion)3. Global Thermal Imaging Market regional outlook 2015-2022 ( $ billion)3.1. North America3.2. Europe3.3. Asia Pacific3.4. Middle East & Africa3.5. Central & South America4. Competitive Landscape4.1. FLIR SYSTEMS, INC.4.2. DANAHER CORPORATION4.3. BAE SYSTEMS4.4. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, INC.4.5. DRS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.4.6. AXIS COMMUNICATIONS4.7. RAYTHEON4.8. SOFRADIR GROUP4.9. THERMOTEKNIX SYSTEMS LTD.4.10. TESTO AG4.11. KEISON4.12. TOSHIBA4.13. SONY4.14. INFRAREDIMAGING SERVICES4.15. PHILIPSFor Other Research ReportsContact Us :Jennifer SmithOffice 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottinghamNG1 6DQPhone : +448081890034 (UK)Website :About Us :Brisk Insights is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities optimize strategies.Working in a highly dynamic and multi-dimensional business makes decision making complex. Effective business decisions are a result of the synthesis of market information. Our Research and data analysis is an efficient and cost-effective way of providing robust market analysis and can yield highly valuable intelligence relating to consumers, competitors and markets.Office 1094109 Vernon HouseFriar LaneNottingham
The F-16s official name is Fighting Falcon, but Viper is commonly used by its pilots and crews

Washington: Last week, American lawmakers during a Congressional hearing openly told the Obama administration that they feared Pakistan would be using these F-16 fighter jets against India and not against terrorists. However, both the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Pakistan government insisted that F-16 is an important tool in the fight against terrorism and urged the Congress to remove the hold.

The lawmakers stood their ground and told the Obama administration that it will not remove the hold till Pakistan takes tangible action against the Haqqani network. Now Pakistan has time till May end to avail the American offer to procure F-16s.

Sources told that the May deadline for Pakistan to respond to the new development from the US is based on offer validity and (Lockheeds) production process point of view.Any delay in the acceptance of the offer, would result in increase in cost of F-16s.

However, speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Pakistani official said that Pakistan is unlikely to buy F-16s at its full price as being told by the US now. Earlier, Pakistan was to pay only $270 million for the jets. The US offer of eight F-16s, officials said, might still be there in paper, but it might go in for a long pause and price escalation if Pakistan decides against buying it, sources said.

Pakistans top diplomat Sartaj Aziz on Tuesday said Pakistan required F-16 fighter jets from the United States to combat terrorists. He said though the US had stopped funding for the fighter jets but it is providing annually 265 million dollars to Pakistan. Mr Aziz cautioned US that Pakistan will purchase F-16s from other countries if it does not arrange funding. Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from US) is not arranged, he said.

His statement came hours after US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said Pakistan should pay if it wants F-16 deal to go through. Mr Aziz stressed the importance of F-16 jets in the fight against terrorism and said they were pivotal to the national defence of Pakistan. To a question, the Adviser said the quadrilateral coordination group was in contact with the Qatar office of Taliban for the revival of peace process in Afghanistan. The Obama administration had announced that Washington would not be financing sale of fighter jets to Pakistan.
BroadNet Technologies Launches a New Service Increase app Downloads by SMS Campaign

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It is no wonder today to learn that the users of Smartphone devices in the world is mushrooming at a blinding pace, which makes room for the development of the wide-ranging innovative Smartphone applications. These apps breathe a new life and add great fun into the Smartphone devices, so with that said; users can download a variety of like-minded apps from either Apple Store or Google Play Store. The challenge that most businesspersons typically encounter when offering apps is lower conversion rates as a by-product of jam-packed marketplaces, which offer a diversity of apps with parallel features.We at BroadNet Technologies are well aware of the power of SMS in connecting people smartly and instantly. Plus, SMS is sparking the interest of potential users of a business to discover and install their preferred apps, which contribute to improved conversion rates. SMS is also a great way to enhance mobile users base, which directs to the phenomenon of improved app store placement and user acquisition.Rabih Farah, BroadNet Technologies Founder and CEO held a conference conceiving the personal campaign of Enhance app Downloads by Sending SMS in Dubai recently wherein he recited the benefits of sending SMS in terms of the app download by the potential targeted users and ensure usage engagement. Here is an excerpt from what he said in the conference:We are happy to learn that SMS nowadays is rapidly becoming the tool to enhance the app engagement and app downloads. We are thankful to the growing demand and ubiquities of SMS. Considering the same and with the view to helping our global business clients (dealing in mobile app development industry) expand their business, we launched and run the campaign in KSA, Dubai and other Middle East Countries recently. The results we received were surprisingly terrific- a good number of downloads and the cost per download was lesser than $ 0.75 and $ 1.0, which is relatively far cheaper compared to other App Download Marketing channels prices, which transcend over 1.5$ per download!! We are confident that our campaign based on the theme send SMS and enhance your app download will be a real smasher in other different global countries too.In point of fact, encouraging users to install the app is certainly a challenging step. Although contemporary users are very astute, yet patient and businesses are not having over one chance to grip the attention of their potential targeted customers. Fortunately, at the crossroads, SMS surfaces up as a smart way to furnish the customers with an ease of use and instant way to cater to the need successfully.BroadNet is your long-term Bulk SMS solution provider. We provide a Fully Operational Bulk SMS Platform that can adapt to new Business Environments. This platform would enable you to achieve Highest Quality Service and Effective Support Compliance Handling. We help different businesses communicate easily to their customers and to get New Customers through our Professional Services.ContactMr. RabihBroadNetBusiness Bay, Almanara Tower Dubai , UAE+971 4 456 7768Info@broadneme.comBusiness Bay, Almanara Tower Dubai , UAE
Global Prepaid Card Market with Focus on The United States (2016 - 2020) Published By MarketResearchReports.biz

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MarketResearchReports.Biz announces addition of new report  Global Prepaid Card Market with Focus on The United States (2016 - 2020) to its database.DescriptionThe report titled Global Prepaid Card Market with Focus on The United States (2016 2020), provides an in-depth analysis of the global prepaid card payments with detailed analysis of market size and growth, market share and economic impact of the industry. The report also provides market size of the global card market. The report provides the detailed analysis of the US prepaid card market, which include market by purchase volume, by installed base, by segments and by amount loaded. The US card market analysis is also provided in the report.Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global prepaid card market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The global prepaid card market is fragmented, with large number of prepaid card issuers and processors. The major issuers of the US prepaid card market are MetaBank, Green Dot Corporation, JPMorgan Chase and Comerica Bank, whose company profiling has been done in the report. In this segment of the report, business overview, financial overview and business strategies of the companies are provided.Country CoverageUnited StatesCompany CoverageMetaBankGreen Dot CorporationJPMorgan ChaseComerica BankDownload Sample Copy of This Report at:Executive SummaryA prepaid card is a type of card similar to credit and debit card, but unlike them, a prepaid card does not connect to the bank account of a person and is based on pay as you go model. Until the card is purchased and the funds are loaded into it, the prepaid card does not carry any value. The cost of the prepaid card is deducted from the cards balance. When all the funds loaded on the card are used, then the card is empty and cannot be used further.The prepaid cards can be segmented by the type, into: closed loop cards, open loop cards and general purpose cards. A closed-loop prepaid card can be used only at a particular merchant or merchant chain. An open loop prepaid card is connected with an electronic payment network like MasterCard or Visa and is issued by the banks or financial institutions. General purpose cards are open-loop cards that can be reloaded in-store or online. The prepaid cards can also be segmented by products, into: payroll cards, youth cards, travel cards, gift cards and government benefit cards.The global prepaid card market has increased at a significant annual growth rate in 2015 as compared to the preceding year and projections are made that the market would rise in the next five years i.e. 2016-2020. The major growth drivers for the market are: shift towards plastic money for making payments, increased adoption of prepaid cards by unbanked population, increased usage in the form of holiday gift cards, an increase in retail sales, favorable regulations, etc. Yet there are some challenges, which the market faces, such as lack of awareness, lack of standardization, security concerns, etc.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports.MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients.We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated researchreports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and typesof companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Regulatory Affairs Outsourcing Market to Touch US$5.7 bn by 2023, Spending on Clinical Trial Application and Product Registration to Rise Substantially

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Contract research organization (CRO) is an organization contracted by a sponsor to manage various drug development activities including conducting pre-clinical studies, clinical trial data management, medical writing, regulatory submission and others. In recent years several small and large biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly relying on the CROs and other clinical research service providers with respect to clinical trial and other drug development activities.Biopharmaceutical companies are outsourcing their regulatory affairs in order to access new capabilities of CROs, focusing on core competencies, focused towards variable costs than fixed costs and expand their geographical presence. Reduction of fixed costs and internal resource utilization, risk mitigation, efficient execution of services, and speed up the commercialization of new drugs constitute some of the benefits rendered by regulatory affairs outsourcing activities to the sponsors.Contract research organizations (CROs) provide several regulatory support services to large pharmaceutical companies such as regulatory intelligence, regulatory document submissions, product labeling, liaison with regulatory authorities, setting up of regulatory strategies and others. Currently, majority of the pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing submissions management activities such as content authoring, component coordination and assembly, dispatch and archiving, and internal review among others.Get a Free Sample Report:Stability of CROs, use of technological advances, flexibility, staffing, reputation and location of the CROs represent some of the factors scrutinized by the pharmaceutical companies to select their outsourcing partner. Factors such as increasing importance for the huge documentation mandated during the drug approval process and high costs of research and development and clinical trial activities might favor the market growth. On the other hand, factors such as high risk associated with the data security along with the hidden costs and huge price fluctuations offered by various CROs might hamper the market growth.Regulatory writing and publishing segment accounted for the largest market share followed by clinical trial application and product registration segment. Clinical study protocols, standard operating procedures, ethics submission, regulatory submission, patient informed consent forms, and other pharmacology details represent some of the regulatory writing and publishing services. Regulatory writing and publishing services account for one of the major services outsourced frequently by the pharmaceutical companies as compared to other regulatory services.On the other hand with the increasing use of technological platforms for clinical data management activities along with increasing number of clinical trials worldwide result in anticipated highest growth rate for clinical trial application and product registration segment during the forecast period from 2015 to 2023. Regulatory consulting and legal representation service segment is estimated to record second highest growth rate of more than 12% during the forecast period owing to need for consistent client interactions with the regulatory agencies, increasing demand for consultation with respect to country wise filing strategies and gap analysis. Regulatory submissions service comprise pre-approval submissions and post-approval regulatory activities involved during the product approval process. This segment accounted for the third largest market share of the total regulatory affairs outsourcing market.The regulatory affairs outsourcing market represents a consolidated market where a few companies account for major market share. Several large CROs are looking forward for acquiring small size CROs to scale up their operations and offer diverse specialized regulatory services with high efficiency. Furthermore, increasing multi-year strategic collaboration with several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will further favor the market growth during the forecast period from 2015 to 2023.Quintiles Transnational Corporation, Covance, Inc., (LabCorp), Parexel International Corporation, Pharmaceutical Product Development LLC and ICON plc are some of the key players operating in regulatory affairs outsourcing market. The global regulatory affairs outsourcing market is influenced by the presence of large regional players and predominant in developed economies as compared to other developing economies. However, these companies are focusing on expansion in emerging economies especially in countries like India, China and Australia.The global regulatory affairs outsourcing market is segmented into the following categories:Global Regulatory Affairs Outsourcing Market, by Services-Regulatory Submissions-Clinical Trial Applications and Product Registrations-Regulatory Writing and Publishing-Regulatory Consulting and Legal Representation-Other Regulatory AffairsBrowse Full Research Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Low-maintenance TAS box coolers protect efficiently and environmental-friendly against fouling by marine growth

Innovation Vessel operating with Thermal Antifouling System TAS

Rostock, 03/05/2016. Box coolers made by HEAT Nord GmbH based on the worldwide patented Thermal Antifouling System are more efficient than conventional systems, need less maintenance, decrease operating costs, avoid corrosion and are even environmental-friendly.Antifouling of box coolers is of great importance to ensure cooling of marine diesel engines and thus their performance. Box coolers without proper working fouling protection lose a significant part of cooling capacity due to strong fouling within short time. Thus the increasing charging temperatures cause higher fuel consumption. Fouling often leads to unscheduled time-consuming cleaning by divers or even extra dry-docking burdening the already low budgets of the shipping companies. Pollutant copper anodes and chlorination systems contaminating our seawater with harmful substances are still used against fouling of box coolers. These copper anodes assembled within the box coolers pose a significant risk of corrosion for sea chest made of steel with bad or damaged coating. All these problems are avoided by the Thermal Antifouling System  TAS, produced by HEAT-Nord GmbH based near Rostock/Germany. Thanks to TAS, extra docking for cleaning as well as repairs of box coolers are not longer necessary.Dipl.-Ing. Gunter Hoeffer, idea provider, founder and CEO of HEAT-Nord GmbH applied the first Thermal Antifouling System (TAS) for a patent in the year 2000. Thereby the cooling bundle is protected segmented-like against fouling by short, user defined interval heating. As far as box coolers are concernd, the fast and effective TAS carries out antifouling measures fully automatically in port operation. Due to this operating principle fouling in box coolers is prevented over a much longer period than in other systems. Maintenance effort and service requirements for box coolers are dramatically reduced by the fully electronically monitored thermal antifouling systems.HEAT-Nord developed two different Thermal Antifouling systems also with the support of the national and regional (the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) development program for new technologies. Moreover both world wide patented technologies make the installation of copper anodes as well as the application of chlorine redundant. Therefore they contribute to protect our habitat sea. Besides shipping companies benefit from reduced operating costs while saving previous costs for copper and chemicals.More than 10 years of practical application proves the efficient mode of operation of TAS and numerous ships of well-known shipping companies like Intership, Bockstiegel, Boskalis and DEME were equipped with box coolers and TAS by HEAT- Nord. Since 2002 the Federal office of Navigation and Hydrography (BSH) has already been a satisfied user of the Thermal Antifouling System. Since last year two tugboats of tug boat company Fairplay have been operating in the ports of Northern Europe, from Rotterdam to Gdynia. For cooling of their MTU-engines in combination with a new developed hybrid drive system made by Schottel are 14 box coolers with Thermal Antifouling System (TAS) responsible.At the ISO-certified HEAT-Nord GmbH every TAS is designed and manufactured individually for every single ship. The production site near Rostock (Northern Germany) is able to meet specific needs and can adjust box coolers and the selected TAS to the conditions on board even in retrofitting without any problems.The patented technology is used on more than 40 ships worldwide. It makes the use of copper anodes and chlorine redundant, which contributes to the protection of the marine ecosystem. Extra dockings due to cleaning box coolers from fouling as well as repairs of box coolers belong to the past thanks to TAS.PressepartnerPlusRenko BruhnOhkampring 51, 22339 Hamburg, GermanyPhone: +49 171 8384854Email: info@pressepartnerplus.dePressepartnerPlus,located in Hamburg, Germany, is specialized on technical PR, presswork an press-pictures.
Pick up a handout from Cronus at this year's Multimodal

If you are involved with steel and other metal products you can pick up something for nothing from the Cronus Logistics stand (1455) at Multimodal this year.The most productive and efficient methods for handling, loading, transporting and dispatching steel products are discussed in a new white paper from Cronus Logistics. Called (Steel and Metals Logistics  the hard facts) it is available for free and gives an insight into what both suppliers and receivers are looking for in steel handling logistics in the UK and Ireland.Cronus is using a newly acquired fleet of coil carriers, flat racks and super high cubes to handle dedicated steel and metal products on its innovative door-to-door route between the UK and Ireland using its own ships and with a guarantee of a professional yet personalized service.Handling steel, forestry and building products is a core element of the Cronus Logistics service and the recent engagement with Associated British Ports (ABP) at Cardiff will open new routes and markets to customers in these sectors on both sides of the Irish Sea.This is an ideal time to pop along to the Cronus Logistics stand, pick up a copy of the informative white paper and grab a few minutes with Nicola Walker, Managing Director, and her team who can guide you through the new services they offer.Cronus Logistics is a dedicated logistics specialist offering door to door services on the UK  Ireland gateway. The sustainable cost-effective multimodal solution breaks the mould of traditional LO/LO shipping to deliver a unique logistics alternative for the UK - Irish markets. Cronus Logistics is the Irish Sea Gateway door-to-door logistics service operating through the ports of Bristol, Warrenpoint, Cardiff and Dublin. Running its own vessels, Cronus Logistics is a reliable Full Load supply chain partner with regular departures in each direction making supply chains greener by reducing road miles and breaking the mould of the traditional container shipping lines.Their 4000t vessels are capable of taking up to 80 forty-five foot curtain-sided or box containers, alongside 20ft and 40ft boxes and refrigerated containers. The ships can also easily accommodate out of gauge cargo.Bristol is only 90 miles from Birmingham, around 100 miles from London and with reducing road mileage a big factor for both exporters and importers, cutting their carbon footprint on an operationally effective yet more cost-efficient service starts to make a lot of logistical and financial sense.One of the big attractions of the port at Warrenpoint is its location, situated midway between Dublin and Belfast. It has excellent road links to the major population centres of Ireland and with an ever improving roads network, delivery times to all destinations are constantly being reduced.Image Line Communications8 Skyline Business VillageLondonE14 9TS
TekTone Partners with Western Carolina University Department of Engineering and Technology

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TekTone partnered with students from Western Carolina Universitys (WCUs) Kimmel School as part of their capstone engineering course for the Spring 2016 semester. The capstone course is an opportunity for students to demonstrate that they have achieved the goals for learning established by the university and the engineering department.The students worked closely with TekTones engineering department to develop wireless pendants to use with TekTone nurse call and emergency call systems. The students participated in hands-on development at TekTones facility, and all of their work was reviewed by members of TekTones engineering department.Over the years, WCU students have worked with TekTone on several projects. I have thoroughly enjoyed our continuing partnership with TekTone on WCU engineering capstone, said Pat Gardner, Director of the Center for Rapid Product Realization at WCU. TekTone brings us challenging, open-ended design projects with a focus on risk reduction and prototype development that benefits TekTones product portfolio. [James Ivey, Vice President of Engineering,] is an excellent sponsor representative with a complete understanding of the balance between pushing customer expectations and facilitating student learning.TekTone is honored to be working with the Kimmel School, which touts a triple-accredited engineering program. We are proud to call western North Carolina home and enjoy assisting in the development of local engineers.Founded in 1973, TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. opened its manufacturing facility in Franklin, NC in 1989. TekTone designs and manufactures UL Listed Tek-CARE nurse call, wireless nurse/emergency call, and wander management systems; Tek-SAFE area of rescue assistance systems; and Tek-ALERT integration systems. TekTone products are designed and built in our FDA-registered, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in North Carolina, and sold by a network of distributors and representatives that stretches worldwide.Follow TekTone on Facebook at277 Industrial Park RoadFranklin, NC 28734USA
Culture And Sustainability Are The New Cool In Italy

www.Sustainable.Media

http://www.sustainable.Media

Beyond pasta, pizza, and olive oil, Italians are also proud to honor social sustainability and cultural pioneers in the upcoming 2016 Nicola Zingarelli Awards.Every year, the Nicola Zingarelli award honors the presence of eminent personalities in the world of Italian culture. This year, the special award Non omnia possumus omnes (Not all of us can do it) is honoring actor, author, and social sustainability expert, Michele Lastella.Michele is a pioneer in social sustainability, which simply means that while working on the task of helping sustain our planet, we must sustain the social space around us as well. Just as fracking, animal agriculture, or fossil fuels are affecting the life of our planet, the way we treat each other is affecting our social values, said Lastella, founder of Sustainable.Media. Its time we understand that we are all connected to one another, and we must try to work together as one.The VIII edition of the Nicola Zingarelli award is a great honor for the Italian culture. Mr. Zingarelli is the founder of the original Italian Dictionary, and was born in the city of Cerignola, Italy. Michele was born in the same city and grew up working on Italian farmland, growing grapes for wine, olives, and other produce through biodynamic agriculture. He talks the talk.Through Sustainable.Media, Michele invites everyone to be part of a culture of independent and honest media and funding such as film and publishing, where people can participate and unveil the truth about big corporate interests, geo-political conflicts, big agriculture, and others, and spread the word about sustainable technology, lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and food supply among others.About the Nicola Zingarelli Awards: The VIII edition of the Nicola Zingarelli awards will be held on May 7th, 2016 at the Saverio Mercadante Theater in the city of Cerignola, community of Puglia, Italy, with the participation of writers, journalists, and celebrities from all of Italy.About Michele Lastella and Sustainable.Media: Michele Lastella is an Italian actor and director, and the founder of Sustainable Society, a media organization focused on developing sustainable innovation through ancient knowledge. Michele is the co-author of the upcoming Master Plants Cookbook, a plant-based cuisine chef, and producer of biodynamic wine and olives. He is a Reiki master, film writer and director, and a graduate from the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Italy. VisitRebecca Warnerpr@sustainable.media9041 Sunrise Lakes Blvd. Sunrise FL 33322
Your Childs Life Can Be Saved with a GPS Tracking Device For Children As a parent it is but natural for you to be worried about the safety of your child. Irrespective of the fact that your child is in the park school or at home you will obviously want to keep a track of your kids and only in this way will you be relieved. When you know that 
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The global food coating ingredients market is expected to increase from $2,645.6 million in 2014, and reach $3,698.6 million in 2020 with a CAGR of 5.8%. The up surging bakery and confectionery industries, increasing demand for convenience foods, growing consumer demand for food protection agents are some of the factors, driving the growth of the global food coating ingredients market. The consolidating industry of food coating ingredient is a key trend that can be seen in the global food coating ingredients market. The Asia-Pacific food coating ingredients market is expected to witness fastest growth, with a CAGR of 8.7% during 2015  2020. The higher economic growth and busy lifestyles are also driving the growth of the frozen food market, and consequently driving the upsurge in the global food coating ingredients market within the region. Due to the increasing health awareness, the demand for foods with organic ingredients has been propelling, which is providing growth opportunities for the global food coating ingredients market.Explore Report Description with Detailed TOC on Global Food Coating Ingredients Market at:The growing demand for bakery products and up surging domestic bakery production in North America is intensifying the growth of the food coating ingredients market in the region. Western Europe is the largest food coating market in European region, as of 2015. The main reason for the growth of the food coating ingredients market in Western Europe is the existence of large number of end-user industries in the bakery and confectionery segment.The information and data in the publication Global Food Coating Ingredients Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020  Industry Insights by Types (Cocoa and Chocolates, Fats and Oils, Spices and Seasonings, Flours, Batter and Crumbs, Starches, Hydrocolloids, Sugars and Syrups), by Applications (Bakery, Confectionery, RTE Cereals and Bars, Dairy, Savory Foods, Frozen Foods, Meat and Poultry) represent the research and analysis of data from various primary and secondary sources. A bottom-up approach has been used to calculate market size of products of the global food coating ingredients market. The market numbers for countries are obtained through top-down approach. P&S Market Research analysts and consultants interacted with leading companies of the concerned domain to substantiate every single value of data presented in this report. The company bases its primary research on discussions with prominent professionals and analysts in the industry, which is followed by informed and detailed, online and offline research.Ask for Sample Pages:The chocolate industry is growing at a rapid pace, which is offering considerable growth opportunities for the cocoa and chocolate segment in the Rest of the World market. The rapid industrialization and increasing disposable incomes are propelling the demand for food coating ingredients. With the increasing disposable income, the consumers are willing to pay extra for health enhancing products. The innovative new product development that effectively target the most pertinent consumer needs, such as meeting age-specific nutritional needs, and getting the best value and convenience are up surging the growth of the food coating market. The increasing population, along with growing disposable income is propelling the demand for end user industries, such as bakery and confectionery. The increasingly busy lifestyle and rapid urbanization are expected to drive the demand of products for on-the-go consumption.Browse Related Research at:The major companies operating in the global food coating ingredients market include Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Cargill Inc., E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Ashland Inc., Ingredion Incorporated, Agrana Beteiligungs AG, Kerry Group, Dohler GmbH, PGP International Inc., and Balchem Corporation.FOOD COATING INGREDIENTS MARKET SEGMENTATIONFood Coating Ingredients by Type Cocoa and Chocolates Fats and Oils Spices and Seasonings Flours Batter and Crumbs Starches Hydrocolloids Sugars and Syrups OthersFood Coating Ingredients by Application Bakery Confectionary RTE Cereals and Snack Bars Dairy Savory Snacks Frozen Foods Meat and Poultry OthersGEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTATIONFood Coating Ingredients Market by Region North Americao The U.S.o Canadao Mexicoo Rest of North America Europeo The U.K.o Germanyo France.o Italyo Rest of Europe Asia-Pacifico Chinao Japano Indiao Australiao Rest of Asia-Pacific Rest of the World (ROW)o Brazilo Rest of RoW
Protesters try to pierce balloons during a rally outside the Ming Pao's office building in Hong Kong. (Photo: AP)

Hong Kong: Around 400 people gathered in Hong Kong on Monday to protest a veteran newspaper editor's dismissal that triggered concerns about press freedom in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

The dismissal last month of the Ming Pao newspaper's No. 2 editor, Keung Kwok-yuen, came after the newspaper published a report on the "Panama Papers" document leak revealing offshore business dealings of the rich and powerful. The newspaper said Keung was dismissed to save operating costs.

The South China Morning Post said journalists, activists and politicians attended the rally outside the Ming Pao Industrial Center. Protesters carried signs saying "protect journalists, protect Ming Pao, protect press freedom."

The chairwoman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Shan Yee-lan, read a joint letter from eight journalist groups calling for Keung to be reinstated, the newspaper said. "The recent sudden dismissal of (Keung) is a matter of great concern to the news industry and to society as a whole," she was quoted as saying.

Before Keung's dismissal, Ming Pao carried a front-page report on Hong Kong politicians and businesspeople named in documents leaked from a Panama law firm and published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

There has been growing anxiety in recent years among many Hong Kong journalists and politicians about the influence of Beijing on the territory, which retained its own civil liberties when handed over from Britain in 1997.

Media groups with close business and personal ties to Beijing have been accused of soft-pedaling their coverage of issues that are potentially embarrassing to China and its allies in Hong Kong.
Chinese Police officers attend a news conference at the Italian Interior Ministry headquarters in Rome (Photo: AP)

Rome: Chinese policemen are in Italy to start patrols with Italian officers in Rome and Milan in a two-week experiment.

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Monday that the aim is to make Chinese tourists feel safe and noted that it's the first time China sent police to Europe for such a project.

Starting Tuesday, two Chinese uniformed policemen will patrol with Italian counterparts in Rome, while two others will patrol with Italian police in Milan. For the second week, the Chinese will switch cities.

The Chinese, who speak Italian, received training from Italian officials in Beijing. Three million Chinese tourists visit Italy annually.

Italy has scarcely drawn on its relatively-new immigrant communities for police officers.
Turkey has to meet a list of 72 criteria -- ranging from biometric passports to respect for human rights -- that were set when Brussels and Ankara first talked about 90-day visa-free travel to the Schengen area.

Brussels: The EU will on Tuesday grant conditional approval for Turks to gain visa-free access to the Schengen zone, meeting one of Ankara's key demands to keep a migrant deal alive.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation EU, will say Turkey must still implement further measures in order to access the passportless Schengen area without visas by June, the sources said on Tuesday.

Ankara has demanded visa-free travel in exchange for taking back migrants who land in Greece under a controversial deal signed in March seeking to curb the influx as Europe grapples with its biggest migrant crisis since World War II.

EU member states and the European Parliament must still approve the Turkey visa plan after it clears the Commission, which is by no means a foregone conclusion as many countries have concerns over human rights in Turkey.

"The Commission will put forward a plan to include Turkey in the list of countries exempted from visas," a European source said, adding that "only 64 out of the 72 criteria are fulfilled" and that the offer, therefore, remains conditional.

Turkey has to meet a list of 72 criteria -- ranging from biometric passports to respect for human rights -- that were set when Brussels and Ankara first talked about 90-day visa-free travel to the Schengen area.

Turkey has pressed the EU to respect its promises over what Ankara regards as its big win from the deal which was signed at a summit on March 18.

But Germany and France have proposed an emergency brake -- or "snap back mechanism" -- under which it could halt visa-free travel if large numbers of Turks stay in the EU illegally or if there are a large number of asylum applications by Turks.

The EU struck the deal with Turkey to send back all "irregular" migrants who arrive in Greece after March 20 and are turned down for asylum, in a bid to halt the mass migration which has created enormous strain in Europe.

In exchange, the EU will resettle one Syrian refugee from camps in Turkey for every Syrian that Turkey takes back from the Greek islands, the aim being to discourage people from crossing to Greece in the first place.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
The monitoring group said it did not know if the planes were Russian or belonged to the international coalition led by the United States which is attacking ISIS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq. (Photo: AP)

Beirut: More than 35 air strikes hit ISIS's de facto capital in Syria overnight, killing at least 13 people and wounding many in the city of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The monitoring group said it did not know if the planes were Russian or belonged to the international coalition led by the United States which is attacking ISIS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

At least five members of the terrorist group died in the attacks, the Observatory added.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva was quoted as saying on Friday that Syria's army was planning to attack Raqqa, backed by the Russian Air Force.
A man walks past Bangladeshi police officers sitting outside a special war crimes tribunal ahead of a verdict to be pronounced for Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo: AP)

Dhaka: Bangladesh Supreme Court will pronounce the final verdict on May 5 on the death sentence it handed down to chief of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, Motiur Rahman Nizami, deciding his fate over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

"The decision will be pronounced on May 5," Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha said today, wrapping up the hearing on the 72-year-old death row convict's review petition at the four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

During the over three-hour review hearing, the court heard both attorney general Mahbubey Alam and Nizami's chief counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

In another development, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) in the capital handed down death penalty to four 1971 war criminals and "imprisonment until death" to another for carrying out atrocities in northern Kishorganj during the Liberation War, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Only one of the convicts former members of Razakar Bahini, a Bengali-manned auxiliary force of the Pakistan army in 1971 - faced the trial in person while the rest, including a former Bengali captain of the Pakistani force, were tried in absentia.

Witnesses said the three-member special tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque sentenced one of the fugitives the imprisonment until death.

In the apex court, Nizami's chief counsels appealed to the court to reduce his client's punishment, saying despite being the then chief of the notorious Al-Badr militia force and of Jamaat's student wing, he was not "directly involved" in mass murders, arsons and rapes.

Attorney general Alam opposed the argument, saying Jamaat had sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War and being the chief of the Al-Badr militia force manned by the party activists, Nizami could not avoid the responsibility.

Legal experts said if the apex court upheld its January 6 judgment confirming Nizami's capital punishment, the top leader of Bangladesh's biggest Islamist party would be left with the only option to seek presidential mercy.

President Abdul Hamid, however, has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year.

ICT-BD originally sentenced Nizami to death on October 29, 2014 and after an appeal hearing, the apex court in its January judgment found the punishment appropriate for him.

The prison authorities served Nizami the death warrant on March 16 as the apex court's decision reached them in writing through the ICT-BD following which the Jamaat chief preferred to seek review of the Supreme Court judgment.

Nizami was a minister in the past BNP-led four-party alliance government with Jamaat as its crucial ally.
Islamabad: Chief of Pakistan's banned JuD, Hafiz Saeed, has said his organisation will not allow destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country.

It was Muslims' responsibility to safeguard holy places of their Hindus brethren, he said while addressing a meeting in Matli town of Sindh province yesterday.

"We will not allow destruction of temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country," he warned.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief rejected allegations that his organisation is promoting extremism in Thar area of Sindh, which borders India, by opening seminaries in the poverty- stricken arid region.

Saeed also pledged support for Kashmiri Muslims, according to a Dawn report.

He said the law enforcement agencies were sincerely trying to fight against anti-state actors and RAW agents but the Nawaz Sharif government remained silent over it.
A Midlander was among 153 students to receive top honors at the State Finals competition of Michigan History Day on Saturday at Bay City Central High School.

Charles Parsons, of Midland High School, became a national finalist for his Bypass Odorizer: Stinky Sulfur Smell Saves Lives in the Senior Division Individual Website category. Parsons also won the James Campbell Award for Best Use of Oral History, which is sponsored by the Michigan Oral History Association.
When does a child officially graduate into adulthood?

This is a loaded question with many answers. Is it high school graduation? Is it a certain birthday? Is it ceremonial, such as a religious ceremony or an important milestone? Is it moving out of the parents home?

There is no one good answer in a broad sense, but in a legal sense, it happens at a few different ages in Michigan.

A citizen cannot vote or be drafted until the age of 18. However, at 17, alleged criminals are automatically tried as adults. Michigan is one of nine states to have a threshold of 17.

That could change after a bipartisan push to raise Michigans age for adult offenders from 17 to 18 received a major lift in the Legislature. The Republican-controlled House approved a 20-bill package on Wednesday and Thursday; every bill won support from at least 90 members of the 110-seat chamber.

The legislation would define 17-year-olds as juveniles and make other changes. Those include prohibiting youths under 18 from being detained in adult facilities  even if they are segregated from older offenders  and no longer requiring judges to put extra weight on the seriousness of a crime and a juveniles prior record when considering if the offender should be sentenced as an adult.

This is a needed change.

For serious crimes, the state has always had the opportunity to try juveniles as adults. However, if this passes, it will hopefully allow 17-year-old offenders who commit minor crimes to rehabilitate without the offense following them through adulthood.

Prosecutors already had some recourse to rehab young offenders through the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act. This is a special classification where those 17-24 who are charged with crimes could end their sentencing with a clean record if all terms are completed. We have seen this Act regularly used in Midland County.

Rehabilitation is the key in punishment and we think raising the age to 18 will allow more offenders to prove they can change.
To the editor:

Everybody could use a mentor in their life. I realized while volunteering in the Lunch Buddies Mentoring Program at Central Michigan University that many children grow up without having a positive role model who encourages them to be healthy, confident and successful. For the duration of my first semester in college, I met weekly with my buddy at his elementary school where we would have lunch, talk and play outside during recess. It was simple; all I had to do was show up, listen and be a friend.

It is amazing how much the mentors impacted the children by helping them have more confidence and have better attitudes about school. Surprisingly, children with mentors are 56 percent less likely to skip a day of school, 46 percent less likely to start using illegal drugs, and 27 percent less likely to start drinking alcohol than children without mentors.

If making a difference in childrens lives sounds like something you want to do, there are plenty of mentoring opportunities in the area and plenty of kids who would be grateful to have you! Midland Mentors pairs adults with at-risk teens at the Midland Juvenile Care Center, and has been running for nine years. The H.O.P.E. Mentoring Program in Midland pairs adults with foster kids who have been through abuse and neglect. And finally, the largest volunteer supported mentoring network in the nation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Great Lakes Bay Region, matches adults with children ages 6-12 who face adversity.

MARLO SHARPE

Mount Pleasant
To the editor:

In his March 20 opinion piece, Daily News Editor Jack Telfer complains about the appearance of windmills in Michigans Thumb area, saying he was taken aback by these mechanical monsters. He goes on to cite complaints from some residents as a reason to suggest restricting landowners freedom to partner with utility companies.

Jack cites noise, lights, health issues and appearance as his reasons to oppose windmills. However, the noise levels are restricted to less than 55 dB (outside, out at the property line) by Michigan law. Thats about the level of sound made by a refrigerator. These people dont have a refrigerator? They dont have air conditioners, showers or dishwashers, all of which are louder, and inside (not outside) the house?

Jack says that the blinking red lights in the distance are annoying. Does he propose to ban blinking Christmas lights on all houses, or lights on cars, because someone could see them, too? His mention of health issues is not described further, leaving it as hearsay. Current research has not backed up claims of health issues, though of course they should be addressed if found to be real.

Jack cites a handful of residents who have complained  out of over 100,000 residents of the Thumb. If a few people are unhappy, perhaps the state should buy their property at market value? For most, its a win-win  just googling wind map United States shows that we are sitting on a goldmine of jobs, income and clean energy here in Michigan.

Much of the article is about how Jack personally doesnt like seeing them. Why not? Their sleek, clean lines seem to me to be a beautiful accent to any landscape. My kids love them. They remind me that we, today, care about the families who wont get poisoned (a new 750 MW coal plant drops 1,840 pounds of arsenic, 840 pounds of chromium and 780 pounds of lead on our land every year, while these windmills produce more power with zero pollution). They show that some of us put our love for everyone, especially for our kids and grandkids, into action by reducing climate change and pollution.

These family values and positive morals add to the elegance and grace of these majestic white flowers blessing our landscape. I wonder how different our world (or just Flint) would be if more people showed love for everyone by working to solve problems of pollution, proven health issues and unsustainable energy, instead of hurting us all through dirty coal?

JON CLELAND HOST

Midland
He also said Pakistan has strong credentials to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other multilateral export control regimes, on non-discriminatory basis. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Pakistan would maintain minimum nuclear deterrence for balancing the strategic stability in South Asia, Prime Minister's advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Tuesday, amid mounting international pressure on the country to slow down its atomic programme.

Addressing a seminar titled 'Pakistans Non-proliferation Efforts and Strategic Export Controls' hosted by the Institute of Strategic Studies, he said South Asias strategic stability has been negatively impacted by the policies that override the long established principles and norms and are guided by individual states strategic and commercial considerations.

"A case in point is the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and the subsequent discriminatory waiver granted to India by the NSG. Eight years down the road one wonders what benefit the non-proliferation regime has secured from the deal." he said.

He said recent reports by Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) and assessment by other experts corroborate that the NSG waiver has allowed India to exponentially increase its fissile material stocks with grave implications for the strategic stability of the region.

Aziz said introduction of nuclear submarines, development of anti-ballistic missile system and massive acquisition of conventional weapons, prompt offensive inclinations manifested in doctrines such as the "Cold Start" and "Proactive Operations" pose a serious threat to regional stability.

"As we seek to ensure our security, credible minimum deterrence remains our guiding principle and our conduct will continue to be defined by restraint and responsibility," he said.

"Pakistan is a peace loving country but it was compelled to get nuclear deterrence in the face of growing threat to its security and integrity after Indian nuclear tests," he said.

He also said Pakistan has strong credentials to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other multilateral export control regimes, on non-discriminatory basis.

He said the policy of nuclear mainstreaming of any state should be based on uniform criteria rather than a country specific approach.

The Obama administration has repeatedly expressed concern over Pakistan's continuing deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons and said this increases nuclear risks.

"We have been very concerned about Pakistan's deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons," Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller had told Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a Congressional hearing in March.

Aziz said that after the objective of total nuclear disarmament was found difficult to achieve in the foreseeable future, the world has gradually evolved a new normative approach to non-proliferation.

This new norm is now threatened by the so-called selective approach to "outlier states", without uniform criteria applicable to all non NPT states, he said.

"This threat must be resolutely resisted," he urged. Aziz said Pakistan is facing acute power shortage as it is a fossil fuel deficient country and added that in order to meet its enormously increasing energy needs and to support sustained economic growth and industrial development, reliance on civil nuclear energy is an imperative.

"The energy requirement is expected to grow by at least 7 over the next two decades. Therefore, our national energy strategy includes expansion in the nuclear energy capacity," he said.

He said Pakistan remains committed to the objectives of non-proliferation and disarmament and shares the global concern that proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction poses serious threat to international peace and security.

Aziz claimed that since 1974, when the first nuclear test was conducted by India, Pakistan made several proposals for keeping South Asia free of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems including simultaneous accession to NPT, but none of the proposals met a favourable response.

"Pakistan (also) proposed a 'Strategic Restraint Regime,' with three interlocking and mutually reinforcing elements i.e. conflict resolution, nuclear and missile restraint and conventional balance. This proposal remains on the table," he said.

He said Pakistan is strongly committed to the objective of nuclear security and has been proactively engaged with the international community to promote nuclear safety and security.

"Our nuclear security paradigm, evolved over the years, is effective and responsive against the entire range of possible threats. Nuclear security regime in Pakistan is dynamic and regularly reviewed and updated," he said.
Members and aircraft with the Indian Air Force landed at Eielson Air Force Base in preparation for RED FLAG-Alaska, a two-week exercise that provides U.S. and allied pilots, aircrews and operational support personnel the opportunity to train and improve their air combat skills in preparation for a myriad of worldwide contingencies.
HONG KONG (NNS) -- U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) arrived in Hong Kong for a port visit during its 2016 patrol season, April 29.

The Blue Ridge team, consisting of more than 900 members including embarked 7th Fleet staff, Marines from Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team Pacific (FASTPAC) and the "Golden Falcons" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 are currently on patrol in the Indo-Asia-Pacific strengthening and fostering relationships in the region.

During the visit, Blue Ridge Sailors volunteered in the local community through two community service projects and various band performances.

Blue Ridge last visited Hong Kong March 20, 2015.

"When we go out to conduct these community service events people don't see us as just Sailors, they see us Americans," said Religious Programs Specialist 1st Class Brian Jewell, Blue Ridge community service coordinator. "Going out to do something positive in the community not only reflects well on us, but it also allows the local community to see the United States as a whole in a positive light."

Local families in Hong Kong also hosted Sailors and Marines in their homes or provided personalized tours, showing them around the city through the Meals in the Homes program.

"I am really excited to meet the family that will host us," said Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Saint-Fleur. "This is my first time in Hong Kong and I think it will be a good experience to learn about the culture and people firsthand with a local family."

"I've signed up for one of these events before, and it was great to see them show their appreciation for the jobs that we do as Sailors," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Casey Pruitt, "and we return the favor by exchanging stories and showing our appreciation to for their hospitality."

Blue Ridge's Morale, Welfare and Recreation committee also organized other tours providing Sailors and Marines a chance to experience the history and culture of Hong Kong more intimately.

"These tours offer Sailors a chance to see and discover aspects of the local history that they might not have found on their own," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Anika Miller, Blue Ridge MWR coordinator.

"These engagements from the littlest to the largest are big contributors in strengthening our relationships throughout the region," said Jewell. "These opportunities give Sailors a chance to leave a lasting impression on people who may never have the chance to meet another American."
CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan -- Two Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members approached a table covered in gear, weapons and laptops, grinning from ear to ear. One of them began to speak to the contractor standing at the table. The other pulled out a cell phone and recorded the interaction. The contractor showed the service members how to use his system, which is essentially a tactical game of laser tag. The system tracks the marksmanship of each player through a laptop, which then records the results. A CD is given to the command to discuss their after-action report.

The laser tag simulator was part of Marine Corps Installations Pacifics semi-annual Training Expo here, April 29. The event also included the Supporting Arms Visual Trainer, Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer, Combat Convoy Simulator.

Herbert Gray Sr., the director of the MCIPAC Tactical Training and Simulation Support Center, said this event allowed units to explore the tools available to them for training and improve their unit readiness.

Gray said training expos are held semi-annually because service members on Okinawa are always coming and going, especially Marines with unit deployment program battalions, which rotate every six months.

Gray said that the key part of Marines training is developing muscle memory. He thinks Marines should get to the point where they automatically react, based on repeated rehearsals of realistic combat scenarios. He uses the example of when Captain Chelsey Sully Sullenberg landed the American Airways flight 1549 safely on the Hudson River.

In an interview with CBS, Sullenberg said, One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on (Jan. 15, 2009) the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."

Gray said some of these simulators are multi-million-dollar systems, but added that the overall savings of manpower, fuel, live fire and ranges outweigh the price of the expensive gear.

Its better to drop bombs in a simulated environment than to drop bombs on a range all over the place, said Gray. It saves us a lot of money.

Simulators may soon play an even greater role in training for Marines stationed in Okinawa. Gray said MCIPAC is trying to construct a two-story building on Camp Hansen containing all, or most, of the simulator systems. The two-story building would save space by consolidating all the different stations of simulator systems spread throughout Camp Hansen. The consolidation is part of a larger project that reduces the Marine Corps footprint on Okinawa, returning land to local citizens.
Trump earlier said that, if elected, he would get Pakistan to free Shakil Afridi in two minutes. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Pakistan angrily criticized Donald Trump, frontrunner for the U.S. Republican presidential nomination, for saying he would force the country to free a jailed Pakistani doctor believed to have helped the CIA hunt down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Trump, a 69-year-old billionaire real estate developer, told Fox News on Friday that, if elected, he would get Pakistan to free Shakil Afridi "in two minutes", saying that Islamabad receives a lot of development aid from the United States.

"Contrary to Mr. Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America," Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said in a statement on Monday.

The statement said Afridi's fate would be decided "by the Pakistani courts and the government of Pakistan and not by Donald Trump, even if he becomes the president of the United States".

The statement came on the fifth anniversary of the killing of bin Laden, architect of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. cities during a secret raid in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad that damaged relations between the strategic allies.

Washington views Afridi as a hero but Pakistan sentenced him in 2012 to 33 years in jail on charges of belonging to militant group Lashkar-e-Islam, which he denies. That sentence was overturned and Afridi is now awaiting trial on another charge.

Trump has alarmed U.S. allies with his combative rhetoric and his calls for an "America First" agenda that many see as a threat to retreat from the world.

In his comments about Pakistan and Afridi for Fox News, Trump said: "I would tell them let (him) out and I'm sure they would let (him) out. Because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan."

Afridi has also been accused in Pakistan of running a fake vaccination campaign in which he purportedly collected DNA samples to help the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) track down bin Laden. He has not been charged over those allegations.

After his original conviction was overturned, he was charged in 2013 with murder relating to the death of a patient eight years earlier. He remains in jail.

In the Fox interview Trump also said he supported leaving the roughly 10,000 U.S. troops still based in Afghanistan instead of withdrawing them by the end of 2017.

"I would stay in Afghanistan," he said. "It's probably the one place we should have gone in the Middle East because it's adjacent and right next to Pakistan which has nuclear weapons."

The United States led the military invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 to oust the Taliban for sheltering bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders following the Sept. 11 attacks.
YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea, April 30, 2016  Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks took command of U.S. Forces Korea, Combined Forces Command and United Nations Command in a ceremony held here today.

Brooks took command from Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, who had been in command since October, 2013. The ceremony was co-hosted by South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-Koo and Air Force Gen. Paul. J. Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Brooks most recent assignment was as commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific. He has held command at every level of the Army and served on the joint staff, in addition to serving as the deputy director of operations at U.S. Central Command.

Scaparotti will next serve as the commander of U.S. European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.

In the present day, the challenges continue to rise, but so does the strength of this alliance and the resolve of the United Nations, said Brooks. We must look into the future with clear eyes, confronting the challenges to peace and prosperity, and doing so in a spirit that is becoming of those who served and sacrificed before us.
The U.S. Navy will join allied and partner nation forces for the 11th Pacific Partnership mission, scheduled to begin May 11. This annual maritime operation will help improve disaster response preparedness while enhancing partnerships with participating nations throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. This year's mission will be led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23, embarked on the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), and will include more than 600 military and civilian personnel from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Republic of Korea and Japan.

Indonesia, Timor Leste, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, and Vietnam are all scheduled to host this years Pacific Partnership mission. Japan will also lead a mission to Palau. Medical, dental, civil-engineering, and veterinary teams will partner with each host nation to conduct civic-action projects, community health exchanges, medical symposiums, and humanitarian and disaster relief (HA/DR) drills. Engagements between Pacific Partnership participants and host nations are intended to improve capacity, enhance regional partnerships, and increase multilateral cooperation for HA/DR preparedness.

Through Pacific Partnership we foster persistent presence and enduring relationships with our allies and partners throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific, said Rear Adm. Charles Williams, Commander, Task Force 73, the executive agent for this years Pacific Partnership mission. This dynamic mission is a great example of multilateral and civil-military cooperation and serves as a model for coordination among participating nations, government agencies, and non-government organizations.

Pacific Partnership began in response to one of the worlds most catastrophic natural disasters, the December 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of Southeast Asia. The mission has evolved over the years from primarily a direct care mission to an operation focused on enhancing partnerships through host nation subject matter expert and civil-military exchanges.

Pacific Partnership 2016 will have several other distinctions:

 A multinational command-and-control structure will be used to include a deputy mission commander from the Australian Defense Force and a mission chief of staff from the New Zealand Defense Force.

 The visit by Mercy to Vietnam is in conjunction with the 21st anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam. Along with events such as the recently completed Naval Engagement Activity (NEA) maritime collaboration, Pacific Partnership underscores the deepening relationship between the United States and Vietnam.

 Pacific Partnership will capitalize on the Women Peace and Security program, an international initiative designed not only to empower women, but to demonstrate that they are included in the planning and implementation of disaster preparedness and relief efforts of their respective countries.

 This years mission will return to Timor Leste, where the U.S. continues to strengthen ties and cooperation with one of the worlds newest nations.

Weve done a lot of planning with our host nations and our mission partners over the last six months, said Capt. Tom Williams, commodore of DESRON 23 and Pacific Partnership mission commander. Im very pleased with how weve come together as a team. Were honored to execute this years Pacific Partnership mission.
BLOOMINGTON  The draft of a five-year strategic plan for the McLean County Health Department is incomplete, resembles a plan for a private business and lacks recognition of mental health as a community priority, members of the County Board's health committee said Monday.

"It reads very much like a jargony, wonky internal document," board member Carlo Robustelli told health department Administrator Walt Howe during a committee meeting at which the document was unveiled.

The report that covers nine nationally recognized essential public health services has been in the works for a year and will be submitted to the county Board of Health next month for review. The health board may consider comments from the health committee and staff before final adoption.

Committee member Laurie Wollrab and other members were critical of what they considered the brief references to behavioral health services. The health department, which oversees a tax levy for mental health services, has not fully joined the countywide effort to improve mental health services, said Wollrab.

"I don't feel there's a true ownership of the severe problems we have in this community," said Wollrab, noting that the health department's website includes no general information on mental health. "There's more information about pet health than human mental health and substance abuse issues."

Members also wanted more details on what several new positions referenced in the report  including an epidemiologist and an information technology person cut from the budget last year  would cost the county.

"It's nonsensical to approve a plan that doesn't make sense financially," said County Board member George Wendt.

Howe said he understood that detailed financial information must be included with a budget proposal later this year.

Committee Chairwoman Susan Schafer said the plan to look for new methods to raise money and explore more potential billable services reminded her of a business plan and raised some philosophical questions.

"Are we creating a business here? Are we competing with businesses?" Schafer asked Howe.

The notion that the public health department competes with the private sector also was raised in a question from Wendt, who asked about the health department's move to provide flu shots at State Farm to employees, a service previously provided by a local hospital.

"We let it be known that we provide the service," said Howe, adding that in his opinion everyone should receive their shots at a health department because "we do a better job of immunizations than anyone."
BLOOMINGTON  To hear Curt Hawk tell it, he became director of the McLean County Emergency Management Agency by just being in the right place at the right time.

His colleagues are sure glad he was.

"Whatever we needed, he was there," said Sheriff Jon Sandage. "No matter what the situation was, he would make EMAs assets available to us. ... Hes a true asset to the county."

Hawk, 61, of Bloomington decided to make April 29 his last day in charge of EMA, closing a 33-year career with the county that almost didn't happen.

"The job I had was with the Chevrolet dealership. I left for my Army Reserve annual training, returned from that, asked to get my tools out of lockup... and they said, 'Sure, just bring your truck in and load them. You dont work here anymore. We did two weeks without you; we dont need you,'" he said.

I stopped here (at the McLean County Law and Justice Center) to talk to my brother, Tom, to set me up with sideline work ... and he brought me down to meet the lieutenant (in the sheriff's department). The lieutenant said, 'Sorry, I just got off the phone hiring somebody, but fill out an application.'

"I filled out the application, left here and went home. When I got home, the phone was ringing. It was the lieutenant saying, 'When can you start?' ... That was on a Monday. Tuesday morning, I started here and stayed here the full time. I accidentally made a great career out of it.

Hawk spent 15 years reconstructing crash scenes and maintaining vehicles for the sheriff's department before another chance encounter led him to EMA.

"I didn't really look for the job. I didn't ask for this job. I came in one day and (then-Assistant Director Carol Tyler) was moving things into the hallway. I said, 'Housecleaning?,' and she said, 'I retired,'" Hawk said. "She said, 'You'd be good for this job,' but I said, 'Not interested,' and walked away. ... Jim (Wahls), the director then, met with me and said, 'Put in an application.'"

Hawk worked for Wahls for six years before taking the top post himself in 2004. Over the next dozen years, he helped turn EMA from an organization relying on a weather radio and a wallboard full of phone numbers to one that uses the latest technology to its advantage on scene and in the office.

Hawk said he spent about 60 percent of his time in the field, responding to incidents across the county and beyond. His most memorable included Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when he spent two weeks in Gulfport, Miss., and the Nov. 17, 2013, storm that devastated nearby Washington.

"To look out over the fields of the houses was like looking at someone just dumping lumber everywhere, 4-to 5-foot-tall stacks of lumber everywhere you could see," he said of Washington. "Like everything was picked up and put there, just dropped."

The agency, which began in the 1950s as McLean County Civil Defense, provides personnel, equipment and coordination to track severe weather, aid search-and-rescue efforts and respond to disasters such as hazardous materials spills or tornado strikes.

Hawk said the biggest part of his job has been "to make people play nice." He recalled the aftermath of a 2011 train derailment and explosion in Tiskilwa, about 25 miles west of Peru, when local police and fire couldn't get their strategy straight.

"I started in with, 'There's this presidential declaration' ... neither one knowing if I was telling the truth or not," Hawk said with a laugh. "A director from another county knew I was making the stuff up, so when he called me on the phone ... I said I was on the phone with the federal government, and here's how this is going to happen to solve all of this."

Hawk plans to take his retirement in phases. Until his successor, Bob Clark, hires a new deputy director to fill Clark's old job, Hawk will continue to volunteer at the EMA office, and he plans to serve as a volunteer and mentor after that.

Hawk retired the day his term as president of the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association expired.

When he's not volunteering with EMA or Habitat for Humanity, Hawk plans to restore antiques, including cars and furniture, and he intends to keep writing books. Hawk described his output as "just about every genre," including westerns and secret agent stories.

"I write a lot of stories for the grandkids. That's where I started it. ... They're a tougher audience," he said with a laugh. "They illustrate the stories. ... They bound it together in a book and gave it to me as 'Grandpa's Bedtime Stories.'"

More than anything, Hawk plans to keep helping people  and "my wife asked me to at least spend one day a week at home to clean up and sort," he said.

"That's what I've done all these years. I saw that something needed to be done and did it," he said. "And that's what I'll continue to do."
NORMAL  A busy intersection near Illinois State University is expected to close for high-speed rail upgrades this month  the first of several in Bloomington-Normal to be renovated this year.

"Middle to late May they're going to start the first major intersection project in town (University at Beaufort streets). That intersection will be closed for three weeks and completely renovated with new safety equipment," said City Manager Mark Peterson.

"Starting in late June, they'll be going through the community doing intersections (one at a time). It'll be a traffic disruption, no doubt about it, in the late summer probably going into the fall. ... We'll do our best to get information out to the community so people know where to go."

The upgrades are necessary for trains to travel safely through Bloomington-Normal at up to 110 mph, starting in 2017.

Construction could also start this month on the second rail platform at Uptown Station following Normal City Council action Monday.

"We're expecting they'll mobilize on the site in late May or early June," Peterson said of the contractor, River City Construction. "We'll be meeting with the contractor here in the next 10 days, and they'll lay out their schedule."

Two weeks after awarding a $2.5 million contract for work at the station, the council approved a new agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation, a partner in the project. Federal high-speed rail funding will pay for the upgrades, which are expected to be done this year.

The platform won't be used until the station also receives an at-grade crossing connecting the south-side platform to Uptown Station on the north side of the tracks. Peterson said that project, which could cost up to $1 million, is awaiting approval from IDOT and Union Pacific Railroad.

"We've done everything we can do," he said. "It will probably (start construction) late summer or early fall."

Peterson said the crossing could open as late as spring 2017.

The crossing would be removed after the town builds a permanent solution to get pedestrians from north of the station to the Uptown South district  still expected to be an underpass that could cost up to $11 million.

Town staff is assembling a request for proposals for a two-year feasibility study necessary before an underpass project.
BLOOMINGTON  The earlier that people get help for mental illness, the better it is for everyone.

"Most people don't access mental health services until they're in crisis," said Laura Beavers, behavioral health division manager for the McLean County Health Department. "But behavioral health is essential to overall health. The earlier that people intervene, the better the outcome."

May is Mental Health Month, observed nationally by Mental Health America and locally by the health department and partnering agencies including Center for Human Services, McLean County's mental health agency.

The theme of this year's Mental Health Month is "Life with a Mental Illness," which encourages people to recognize mental illness, get help and speak out.

"Unfortunately, the stigma associated with mental illness is still great," Beavers said Monday.

CHS Executive Director Tom Barr said "One in five people in his or her lifetime will experience a diagnosable mental illness and a functional impairment based on that illness."

"But there is still a lot of misinformation," Barr said. "People with mental illness are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators of crime. Anything we can do to bring a clearer and truer picture of the challenges faced by people with mental illness, the better it is."

To that end, the health department and its partners are sponsoring a Mental Health First Aid for Health Care Providers class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 13 at the health department. The class is intended to share information with nurses and others who deal with people in mental health crisis, said Meghan Moser, CHS crisis program manager and a class trainer.

From 5 to 7 p.m. May 19 at the Normal Public Library, the health department and its partners are sponsoring "Connecting the Dots: No Wrong Door to Community Crisis Services."

This public, panel discussion will include information about the Zero Suicide initiative, crisis stabilization services, mobile crisis services and Mental Health First Aid.

Each Monday during May, the health department will post information on its Facebook page about what it feels like to live with a mental illness and encourages others experiencing that same condition to share their thoughts.

People experiencing mental illness should tell their health care provider, Beavers said.

"Help is available, treatment works and recovery is possible," Beavers said.
SPRINGFIELD  Efforts to keep open a juvenile detention facility in northwestern Illinois may have gotten a boost Tuesday from a legislative panel.

The General Assembly's bipartisan, bicameral Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted against recommending the closure of the Illinois Youth Center at Kewanee. However, the 5-6 vote isn't binding on the Department of Juvenile Justice, which operates the 354-bed, medium-security facility.

Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration is seeking to close the facility as part of an effort to shift to more community-based programs for juvenile offenders.

Supporters argue that Kewanee should be kept open because it's the newest and, at full capacity, most cost-effective of the state's six juvenile detention centers. If the Department of Juvenile Justice doesn't maintain the facility, they would like to see it repurposed as a Department of Corrections facility, possibly one dedicated to caring for older inmates near the end of their lives.

"We need to continue to work with (the Department of Juvenile Justice) and (the Department of Corrections) to make sure we have a solution," said state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, whose district doesn't include the facility but is nearby.

State Sen. Chuck Weaver, R-Peoria, whose district does include Kewanee, is a proponent of shifting the facility to the Department of Corrections. But he said he believes it should be kept open until that transition can be made.

"You have all too often seen facilities that shut down, the energy goes away, and they sit there for years with nothing happening to them," Weaver said. "We think that is the worst possible thing that could be happening in this area."

Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly wrote in an email that the governor's administration "is doing its due diligence to explore the feasibility of alternative uses for the Kewanee facility," including asking Corrections to review whether the facility meets any of its needs.

As for the future of Kewanee, the "exploration is incomplete and any speculation at this time would be premature," Kelly said.

Candice Jones, director of the Department of Juvenile Justice, testified Tuesday that the young people in the department's custody would be better served in facilities closer to their homes and families. The 18 counties surrounding Kewanee on average account for about 10 percent of the department's overall population, which right now is 420.

Closing Kewanee would allow the department to make better use of the money it currently devotes to paying the nearly 240 employees at the facility.

"I cannot unlock those resources because we'd rather pay them in salaries," Jones said. "We should close this prison."

Among those supporting the proposed closure are prison watchdog the John Howard Association of Illinois and advocacy group Voices for Illinois Children.
The man said a bus terminal hawker threw his turban to the ground and then he was manhandled. (Reprsentational Image)

Lahore: Five of the six men booked under the blasphemy law for throwing a Sikh man's turban to the ground during a scuffle at a bus terminal in Pakistan's Punjab Province have been arrested with a court on Tuesday remanding them into police custody.

Police had registered an FIR against six people under blasphemy law on the complaint of Mahinder Paal Singh, a resident of Multan district of Punjab.

Rashid Gujjar, Baqir Ali, Faiz Alam, Shakeel and Snawal were produced before a district court in Chichawatni and police obtained a three-day physical remand.

"The sixth suspect --Haji Riyasat -- is at large and we are carrying out raids at his whereabouts for his arrest," Khaizer Hayat, Chichawatni city police incharge, said.

Police on Sunday had registered an FIR under sections 295 (blasphemy), 506 (hurling threats) and 148 of Pakistan Penal Code against the six suspects under blasphemy law.

Singh told police that he was travelling last week from Faisalabad to Multan by a bus owned by Kohistan-Faisal Movers when it developed a fault near Dijkot.

The driver fixed the fault but the bus' speed was very slow and it took five hours to get to Chichawatni bus terminal.

"The arguments over the issue led to a scuffle between the company's staff and the passengers. During the fight a bus terminal hawker, Rashid Gujjar, threw my turban on the ground and others manhandled me. Turban is considered sacred in the Sikh religious code and throwing it on the ground is tantamount to desecration," Singh had said.
Papierfabrik Scheufelen Sold to Business Consortium

May 2, 2016 - Papierfabrik Scheufelen GmbH (Scheufelen) announced that its parent company, Paper Excellence B.V., has sold the business to a consortium of buyers led by the Schaeff Group located in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany, following a strategic decision to return focus to its pulp activities.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Paper Excellence purchased Scheufelen In May of 2011 from Powerflute for a total consideration of EUR 38.5 million.

In addition to the Schaeff Group, the buyer consortium consists of RADIAL Capital Partners, a Munich-based investment company specialized in corporate spin-offs, as well as Ulrich Scheufelen, the Honorary Chairman and a member of the Scheufelen family.

"I am happy that the Scheufelen paper mill is part of a medium-sized group of companies again. I also would like to show my sincere appreciation to the Paper Excellence Group who has been a very supportive shareholder throughout its ownership of the mill, stated Ulrich Scheufelen who has welcomed the change of ownership.

Scheufelen operates a paper mill in Lenningen, Germany that produces coated woodfree paper and board.

SOURCE: Papierfabrik Scheufelen GmbH
Glatfelter Reports First-Quarter 2016 Earnings May 3, 2016 - Glatfelter (NYSE: GLT) today reported first-quarter 2016 net income of $16.2 million, or $0.37 per diluted share compared with $13.9 million, or $0.32 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2015. Adjusted earnings for the first quarter of 2016 were $16.3 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, a 23 percent increase compared with $13.4 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, for the same period a year ago. Consolidated net sales totaled $402.2 million and $417.5 million in the first quarters of 2016 and 2015, respectively. Currency translation adjustments unfavorably impacted the year-over-year comparison by $5.2 million. Glatfelter is off to a solid start in 2016 as a result of our focus on operational excellence and leadership positions in key markets, said Dante C. Parrini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Our Advanced Airlaid Materials and Specialty Papers businesses reported operating income increases of 25 percent and 58 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2015, with improved operations and increased shipping volumes. The strong performance of these two businesses was partially offset by lower operating income in the Composite Fibers business, which was impacted by softer demand during the quarter for food and beverage products after a strong 2015. Mr. Parrini continued, Glatfelter is fully committed to building upon our market leadership positions across all of our business units. To accelerate our growth as a leading global engineered materials company, we have been making select, strategic investments  including a new, state-of-the-art Advanced Airlaid Materials production facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas, which is expected to be completed in late 2017. "Our airlaid business continues to grow with key customers in the feminine hygiene, adult incontinence and specialty wipes markets. In Specialty Papers, our manufacturing performance is improving, we expect to see the impact of recently announced price increases predominantly during the second half of the year, and we anticipate completing our environmental compliance projects by the end of the year. Although Composite Fibers had a challenging first quarter, this business is core to our growth strategy due to its positions in growing markets and close relationships with a broad, industry-leading, customer base. FIRST-QUARTER BUSINESS UNIT RESULTS Composite Fibers Composite Fibers' net sales declined $11.8 million, or 8.7 percent, due to $3.0 million of lower selling prices, $4.5 million of unfavorable currency translation and lower shipping volumes. Composite Fibers' first-quarter 2016 operating income decreased $3.5 million to $11.2 million compared to the year-ago period. Operating results were adversely impacted by the impact of lower selling prices and $0.6 million from unfavorable mix and shipping volumes partially offset by a $1.3 million benefit from lower raw material and energy prices. Changes in currency exchange rates unfavorably impacted operating income by $1.1 million. Advanced Airlaid Materials Advanced Airlaid Materials' net sales decreased $1.5 million in the year-over-year comparison as $3.8 million of lower selling prices from the pass through of lower raw material costs more than offset higher shipping volumes. Shipping volumes increased 2.0 percent primarily due to higher shipments of adult incontinence and wipes products. First-quarter 2016 operating income totaled $6.6 million, an increase of $1.3 million, or 24.5 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago and the operating margin widened 240 basis points. Operating income includes $3.6 million of lower raw material and energy costs and improved operations offset by lower selling prices reflecting the impact of cost pass through arrangements. Foreign currency translation favorably impacted the comparison by $0.9 million. Specialty Papers Specialty Papers' net sales decreased $2.0 million, or 0.9 percent due to a $4.2 million impact from lower selling prices partially offset by a 3.6 percent increase in shipping volumes. The business unit's shipments were a record for a first quarter and again outperformed the broader uncoated free sheet market which increased 1.7 percent. Operating income totaled $15.0 million, an increase of $5.5 million, or 58.3% in the year-over-year comparison reflecting a $5.7 million benefit from lower raw material and energy prices and $4.8 million from improved operations. The favorable factors were partially offset by the impact of lower selling prices as well as a $1.4 million decrease in energy and related sales. Other Financial Information Pension expense decreased to $1.2 million compared with $2.8 million in the year-earlier quarter reflecting the impact of higher discount rates partially offset by lower assumed returns on plan assets. For 2016, full year pension expense is expected to be $4.6 million. Because the Company's qualified plan remains overfunded, a cash contribution is not expected for the foreseeable future. The Company recorded an income tax provision of $5.1 million resulting in an effective tax rate of 23.9 percent compared with 24.5 percent on adjusted earnings in the same quarter a year ago. Balance Sheet and Other Information Cash and cash equivalents totaled $70.3 million as of March 31, 2016, and net debt was $293.8 million compared with $255.4 million at the end of 2015. Capital expenditures are expected to total between $150 million and $170 million for 2016, including approximately $40 million to $45 million for each of the Airlaid capacity expansion and Specialty Papers' environmental compliance projects. Adjusted free cash flow for the first quarter of 2016 was a use of $8.1 million compared with a use of $18.4 million in the same quarter of 2015. Outlook Composite Fibers' shipping volumes are expected to be approximately 10 percent higher in the second quarter than the first quarter of 2016. Selling prices and raw material and energy prices are expected to be in-line with the first quarter. Advanced Airlaid Materials' shipping volumes, selling prices and average raw material prices in the second quarter of 2016 are expected to be in-line with the first quarter. For Specialty Papers, the Company expects shipping volumes in the second quarter of 2016 to decline by approximately 5 percent compared with the first quarter. Overall selling prices are expected to increase slightly compared with the first quarter of 2016 as the recently announced price increases begin to be realized. Input costs are expected to be in-line with the first quarter. The Company also plans to complete the annual maintenance outages at its U.S. facilities in the second quarter of 2016. The outages are expected to adversely impact operating profit by approximately $25 million to $27 million, pre-tax, compared with $33.4 million in the second quarter of 2015. Corporate costs in the second quarter of 2016 are expected to be approximately $2 million higher than the first quarter of 2016. Headquartered in York, Pennsylvania, Glatfelter is a global manufacturer of specialty papers and fiber-based engineered materials. U.S. operations include facilities in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania and Chillicothe and Fremont, Ohio. International operations include facilities in Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Philippines, a representative office in China and a sales and distribution office in Russia. To learn more, please visit: www.glatfelter.com. SOURCE:
UPM to Sell Schwedt Newsprint Mill to LEIPA for EUR 70 Million

May 3, 2016 - UPM announced on April 26 that it signed an agreement to sell its Schwedt newsprint mill site in Germany and relevant assets to LEIPA Georg Leinfelder GmbH for EUR 70 million.

Currently, the mill has the capacity to produce 280,000 tonnes per year of newsprint, but LEIPA plans to eventually convert the mill's production to 450,000 tonnes per year of linerboard.

As part of the deal, the parties have entered a manufacturing agreement whereby newsprint would be produced by the mill for a transition period that would end no later than the close of 2017.

With this transaction UPM and LEIPA will have an improved opportunity to develop their businesses to meet the market needs. LEIPA is a solid and successful player in the liner business, said Winfried Schaur, Executive Vice President, UPM Paper ENA.

The negotiations with LEIPA have proceeded well and we believe that the transaction will bring benefits to the employees in the form of future employment at a converted site, Schaur added.

The entire personnel of Schwedt mill  about 240 people  will transfer to LEIPA as old employees.

The transaction is subject to customary third party approvals.

UPM continues to produce newsprint at its Chapelle, Kaipola, Hurth, Schongau, Shotton and Steyrermuhl mills.

UPM Paper ENA (Europe & North America) is the world's leading producer of graphic papers, serving customers in Magazine Publishing & Advertising, Merchants, Home & Office, and Newspaper Publishing. To learn more, please visit: www.upm.com

SOURCE: UPM
A dad from the United Kingdom posted a photo that sparked a debate about parenting stereotypes on Reddit. The photo showed himself wearing a t-shirt that says, "Dads don't babysit, it's called parenting."

The Controversial Shirt

The photo of Al Ferguson has since gone viral, even sparking debate on Reddit and other social media platforms when he posted the photo on Wednesday, reported BBC Trending. Al Ferguson is the founder and editor of The Dad Network, a U.K. based website that provides a support system for dads.

Ferguson told Today that he purchased the controversial shirt from the National At-Home Dad Network, which provides the same support but based in the United States. Apparently, Ferguson bought the shirt in the hopes of spreading awareness on "parental equality."

"I bought the shirt, really, because it is appropriate to the message that we as an organization aim to promote, but also to support the At-Home Dad Network," Ferguson said. "I think it's a fun way of communicating a wider issue about parental equality that society is still getting to grips with."

Parenting Sterotypes

After posting on Reddit, a lively discussion ensued, challenging stereotypes as other dads shared their own accounts. Daily Mail UK reports on how other dads expressed their own sentiments of being sidelined most of the time.

Igniteice from Reddit said, "People at work say to me all the time 'So you have to watch your kids lol.' No I don't HAVE to, I GET to be around them." Meanwhile, user IKnowYouAreButAmPie said, "As a stay at home dad myself this stuff can really hurt. I get it the most from my family."

Dads aren't the only one affected by the improper treatment. One of the moms also shared how she was admonished because she left her kids with their dad.

User Aneane said, "Someone was furious at me when I 'left' the baby 'home alone' with his dad. Surely the 40-year-old dad is incapable of looking after his child," she finished off sarcastically.

A Bigger Issue At Hand

The image of Ferguson has resurfaced after the Imgur post, which has been viewed more than 3,900,000 times. While the number of stay-at-home dads is greatly increasing according to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, the rate of men being the primary caregivers is still low at 16 percent.

What are your thoughts about this? Do you agree? Share us your sentiments in the comment box below. Watch some amazing dad moments in the video below:
Researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore suggested that there are certain hairstyles particularly followed by black women that may cause alopecia. Those who like to wear their hair pulled back tightly are in increased risk for hair loss.

Hairstyle And Alopecia (Hair Loss)

African-American face the most risk of alopecia because of their particular hairstyle, reported Washington News Wire. Women who tightly pull their hair back to make braids are faced with heightened risk.

The team of researchers from Johns Hopkins analyzed 19 studies and they found a strong link between scalp-pulling hair styles and traction alopecia. Alopecia is the gradual hair loss caused by the tension from the hair root, damaging the hair follicles.

According to researchers, traction alopecia is a type of hair loss common among black American women, affecting one out of three, UPI reported. While the researchers did not prove that there's a definite cause-and-effect link between alopecia and certain hairstyles.

Hairstyles that have been linked to this type of hair loss include braids, tight ponytails, dreadlocks, weaves and extensions. More so, hair that undergoes chemical treatment is also linked to this type of hair loss.

"While cancer may not be a choice, both style and attitude are."



So inspirational. https://t.co/0lXvjQI21x  Hira. (@HeeriPeeri) April 26, 2016

Treatment For Traction Alopecia

"Hair is a cornerstone of self-esteem and identity for many people, but ironically, some hairstyles meant to improve our self-confidence actually lead to hair and scalp damage," said Dr. Crystal Aguh, an assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University.

The results of the study could give dermatologists more information about the damaging hair styles and can inform patients of the risks and ultimately recommend alternatives. According to researchers, traction alopecia can be prevented through early intervention. They also advise that alternating hair styles may prevent this as well.

Yasmine Young, who owns Diaspora Salon in Charles Village, said that hair alopecia is a common sight every day. Being the only licensed natural hair salon in Baltimore, she doesn't offer relaxers or weaves.

"I wouldn't do anything that would compromise the integrity of someone's hair," she explained with Fox Baltimore. She added that her focus is on hair care, not just style.

The meta-analysis was published online on April 27 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Do you find this article helpful? If so, don't forget to share on Facebook! For alternating hairstyles, check out the video below:
Kate Middleton has been plagued with several nasty rumors ever since she admitted her relationship with Prince William. Now, the Duchess of Cambridge has landed the British Vogue cover and, as per usual, it has been surrounded with a lot of issues.

Kate Middleton graces the cover of British Vogue

While some fans are happy to see Kate Middleton on the cover of British Vogue, there were still a few who were appalled by the Duchess of Cambridge's recent move. Critics of Prince William's wife expressed their frustration for seeing her on the cover of a fashion magazine, which they think is a bit less than royal.

Moreover, critics of Kate Middleton are saying that her recent appearance on the Vogue cover is just another sign that the commoner wants all the benefits of being a royal despite having done nothing at all. It was even reported that Kate Middleton looked very much different when she was still in college, sparking rumors saying she had nose jobs and underwent rampant starvation.

Other than getting under the knife, Kate Middleton's decriers said that she has crafted herself into Prince William's ornament and did nothing but produce heirs - Prince George and Princess Charlotte - and spend the money of the taxpayers. Also, they claimed that the sister of Pippa Middleton is definitely not a woman of substance despite having a life of a princess.

Kate Middleton sets bad example for young women

Several fans were shocked when they learned that Kate Middleton is the newest cover of Vogue as most women being featured in the respected magazine are career women who are working models pursuing a modest and legitimate career. However, critics think Kate Middleton has done nothing despite all her advantages being a part of the British royal family.

Detractors of Kate Middleton even think that she is a bad example for young women around the globe. The influence of the Duchess of Cambridge has affected the way young women see themselves in the future. Instead of dreaming to be a successful women in their field, a president of their own company or social media tycoon, most girls today just wanted to be princess who does nothing but fix her hair and make-up.

Do you think Kate Middleton is a bad example to young women around the world? If you were to advise Kate Middleton, what would you tell her to do in order to make a better example to kids of the new millennium? Share to us your thoughts in the comment section below.
4th Impact recently returned to London after a successful concert in Dubai. While it remains to be seen what else is in store for the former "X Factor" UK contestants, Filipino siblings Irene, Mylene, Celina and Almira recently shared their story on their journey towards success. What are the girls planning to do next?

4th Impact has recently returned from their concert at the Al Nasr Leisureland in Dubai, reports Unreality TV. The girls shared their excitement over their return from their first overseas performance following "The X Factor" and their short vacation in the Philippines.

Several 4th Impact fans shared clips of the girls' performance in Dubai. One fan called their performance as "phenomenal" while others were saying that the girls gave an amazing performance and were hoping to see more from 4th Impact in the future.

Meanwhile, a lot of fans are already awaiting news regarding 4th Impact's record deal. In a recent interview with Gulf News, the girls admitted that they were already receiving offers to release their first album.

"We've received enquiries, but our management is choosing the best option because we are not only targeting Filipino music, we are aiming for international impact," said Almira.

Mylene also shared that she and her siblings are hoping to release their first album with original songs this year. 4th Impact also told the publication that their journey towards success was never a smooth one.

4th Impact recounted that they were once rejected to the Filipino version of "The X Factor" because they did not have star quality. The girls admitted that they almost gave up on their dreams and singing career, but were very thankful when a fan from the UK reached out to them and lent them his UK address.

4th Impact also shared that a certain "fairy godmother" helped them purchase plane tickets in order to audition for "The X Factor UK." These difficulties made the girls realize that they will always be thankful for the things they have now and will continue to stick to helping each other through it all.


Beijing: China on Tuesday called the Dharamsala-based Tibetan government-in-exile unpopular in Tibet and its recent election for the post of Prime Minister a political farce as no country has recognized it in the world.

"The so-called exile government is not popular with people in Tibet," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing while answering a question on allegations of harassment and torture of people in Tibet.

"The so-called government-in-exile is illegal," Hong said when asked to comment on the re-election of Lobsang Sangay as Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

"No country and government acknowledges such organisation. The so-called election is a political farce staged by this organisation," he said.

Sangay, the 47-year-old 'Sikyong' or Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile was recently re-elected, defeating his lone rival Penpa Tsering, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, by a margin of 9,012 votes and receiving about 58 per cent of the 58,740 votes cast.

Tibetan election officials announced the result on April 27 in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the government-in-exile. Sangay had said the election sent a message to China where people are "deprived of exercising their democratic rights" and termed it as a message of hope for Tibetans in Tibet.

The Tibetan government-in-exile was set up by the 14th and current Dalai Lama who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and is shunned by Beijing as a die-hard separatist.
Migrant children, who have succeeded in fleeing from the violence in Central America for a better life in the United States, have been denied enrollment at U.S. schools. An investigation has uncovered that at least 14 states and 35 school districts have either barred or rerouted hundreds of migrant minors into other programs. Advocates for the children are seeking to correct this.

The Associated Press (AP) reports that unaccompanied migrant children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras were not able to enroll at American public schools due to various reasons. Some were asked for transcripts, which the children couldn't provide as these are back home while others were disbarred because they were too old by the time they graduate.

In other schools, the migrant children were asked to enlist in adult programs because formal classes have been shut down due to lack of school funding. The kids are able to attend English classes, but only for a few hours in a week. They remain idle most days or learn English among friends.

Migrant children encounter hurdles in obtaining a U.S. education: https://t.co/I5wTkaD3sa via @denverpost  CSPC (@ColoradoSPC) May 2, 2016

Migrant Education Program For Immigrants

In 2013, both the Education and Justice departments have mandated public schools under the Migrant Education Program to provide free education for migrants, regardless of their status with immigration. Under this provision, schools that have denied the kids will be asked to change their enrollment policies.

But the reality is different for the immigrants who thought they could receive more opportunities in America. Yahoo reports that it is not yet known how many children are affected by the disbarment and to what extent this problem has escalated.

Advocates Want Schools To Make Adjustments For Migrant Children

Migrant children who have been turned down by schools can file complaints with either the Education or Justice departments. However, the legal process could take years before any decision is made and more often than not, the children don't lodge complaints. "You won't see that challenged very often because these kids usually aren't connected to communities that have a lot of resources or access to lawyers," said San Francisco civic rights public attorney John Affeldt said.

Advocates for migrant children want schools to make adjustments. In fact, several other districts have done this even with budget constraints. The Education and Justice department told AP that they have remained vigilant about ascertaining the children immigrants' basic rights and will look into the recent cases.
The gigantic baby health care company Johnson & Johnson will be facing more than 1000 lawsuits following their ovarian cancer case. Johnson & Johnson was asked to pay $55 million to South Dakota native after losing their case.

Johnson & Johnson lost another trial for the second time this year. The first case of ovarian cancer trial mentioned by Parent Herald involved a 62-year-old, Jackie Fox. Johnson & Johnson was tasked to pay her family $72 million as she died due to ovarian cancer which is said to be caused by Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder.

As for their second case, Johnson & Johnson was tasked to pay $55 million for losing yet another lawsuit with the same complaint in South Dakota. The Johnson & Johnson company is swamped with another 1,000 lawsuits related to their talcum powder which his commonly linked to ovarian cancer.

"The more talc verdicts that come down against them adds to the public's growing distrust of their baby powder, which is one of their iconic products," Carl Tobias said, who teaches product-liability law at the University of Richmond in Virginia tells Bloomberg. "There are both economic and reputational issues that may motivate them to start thinking about a global settlement of these cases."

Despite the fact that Johnson & Johnson highly related to ovarian cancer, the company still denies that their talcum powders can be linked to ovarian cancer. In an emailed statement, Carol Goodrich, their spokeswoman stated that the company has been very caution in terms of product safety.

"Unfortunately, the jury's decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the word that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc,'' Goodrich stated. "Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously.''

After the second trial in South Dakota trial, the third Johnson & Johnson trial involves Gloria Ristesund from St. Louis. She was awarded $5 million for compensation and $50 million in punitive damages. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and it was due to her usage of Johnson & Johnson's feminine health care products which contains talc.

"Science has been simple and consistent over the last 40 years: There's an increased risk of ovarian cancer from genital use of talc,'' Allen Smith, Ristesund's lawyer, stated last Friday.
An antiseptic gel to avoid infections in the umbilical cord stump of newborns has earned the nod of the European Medicines Agency last week. The antiseptic gel is called Umbipro.

Umbipro, a three-year effort, was made by GlaxoSmithKline and charity organization Save the Children with developing countries in mind. The New York Times reported that there was a 2012 United Nations commission estimate of Umbipro potentially saving 85,000 babies annually. Meanwhile, The Guardian said that the United Nations estimated that the antiseptic gel would be able to save 422,000 babies over five years.

Fight to Prevent a Newborn Infection Receives a Lift. The new gel contains chlorhexidine https://t.co/91fiyaq4wn pic.twitter.com/8LrzUlVMIO  Howard Farran DDS (@HowardFarran) May 3, 2016

Antiseptic Gel For Countries With High Newborn Mortality Rates

The endorsement by the European Medicines Agency allows GlaxoSmithKline to submit Umbipro to regulators in low-income countries where neonatal mortality rates are high, according to The Telegraph. If these regulators endorse the antiseptic gel, the company will then sell it for an affordable price. It will also engage in knowledge-sharing with local manufacturers with the goal of local production of the gel.

Many newborn deaths are caused by infections of the umbilical cord after it is cut. In Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, unclean materials like dung and ash are typically used on the newborn's umbilical cord.

Antiseptic Gel Was Based From Mouthwash

Umbipro was created by a team of scientists led by Pauline Williams. It was based from GlaxoSmithKline's Corsodyl mouthwash that contained chlorhexidine.

"Back in 2012 I had read some reports of two studies that were done in Pakistan and Bangladesh showing that chlorhexidine at a particular concentration dramatically reduced rates of severe infection and reduced neonatal deaths by a quarter," Williams said via The Telegraph. What followed a United Nations call for manufacturers to try making a product to avoid infection of the umbilical cord.

Williams said that since GlaxoSmithKline already had chlorhexidine in Corsodyl, she thought the company could respond to the call. "The gel had to contain a specific concentration of chlorhexidine and in a format that had enough stability so that it would last and would not degrade over a period of time in high heat and humidity," Williams said.

What do you think of this medical development? Write your comments below.
Cannabis consumption within the boomers is becoming rampant. Research revealed that Americans ages 55 and up are into cannabis usage.

As cannabis legalization continues to expand, marijuana consumption is becoming more acceptable. States that were once against the thought of having access to cannabis (especially for medical consumption) are now open in terms of exploring the possibilities of medical cannabis.

Booming in Boomers

According to CBS News, the boomers (individuals born during the WWII era) are more open in using medical cannabis. Due to its medical properties, the older generation would opt for a more organic product in having their ailments relieved.

Medical cannabis is said to sooth pains and aches caused by aging. Regular cannabis consumption also gives older people regular sleep pattern and gives them a good night's sleep. Aside from the physical benefits of cannabis consumption, it was also mentioned that it makes them feel young and hip, which is good for their mental state.

Testimonies from an Advocate

"Number one is arthritis," Sue Taylor, a 68-year-old cannabis user said. "There are tinctures and rubs that you could actually put on your legs, on your knees, across your back, wherever you're having any arthritic pain. Most seniors use the cannabis for pain and to sleep. It has the consistency of a gummy and I use it for sleep and pain when I need to."

Legalization = Easy Access for Teens?

As cannabis legalization grows most adults were concerned that it might give their teen's easy access. Despite its rapid growth in becoming more acceptable in the society, it does not, however lighten the accessibility of cannabis among teenagers.

According to Science Direct, a study entitled "Legalization of marijuana in Washington had no effect on teens' access to drug," pointed out that legalization does not affect access. New evidence surfaced answering the question that the legalization in 2012 DOES NOT increase a teenager's access to cannabis.

As the growth in cannabis industry continues to expand, should cannabis be legalized in all states? Do let us know your thoughts by sharing them on the comment section below.
College students in Utah have cried foul over their school's utter disregard for their well-being. The students have openly admitted they were raped on campus, but the school has dismissed the students' accusations and instead had them investigated for breaking its honor codes.

Admission Has A Stiff Price

When Madi Barney, 20, mustered the courage to tell the police she had been raped, Brigham Young University also sprang into action. However, instead of coming to the defense of their student, the school was more eager to find out if Barney had violated its honor codes before she was sexually abused.

According to The New York Times, Barney was aware of what her school might do. She was so scared of the repercussions that it took her four days before deciding to seek help from the police.

Students Must Adhere To Strict Honor Codes

It's worth mentioning that BYU is a Mormon college with deep religious beliefs. Students must first sign up to a strict code of conduct before enrolment.

They must promise to not smoke, drink alcohol or take illegal drugs. Wearing of above the knee-length shorts and skirts is not allowed while having a member of the opposite sex in one's room is a grave offense.

"I understand that this is disappointing to you and to Madison," the school's general counsel Stephen Craig told Barney's lawyer. "The university nonetheless enforces its Honor Code. All students, when enrolling in the university, agree to moral standards of conduct, and agree that the standard is a condition for remaining at the university."

Barney was told she could no longer enroll in any future classes while investigation on her honor code violations was still going on. As it turned out, she wasn't the only one. Other female students at BYU admitted the school had treated them the same way after they revealed they had been sexually abused.

BYU Honor Codes Outdated

Teresa Fishman, chief of the International Center for Academic Integrity, shared to BBC that BYU's honor codes aren't at par with mainstream culture. BYU's honor codes uphold ideals in fashion and sexual abstinence while majority of US schools have honor codes that are geared toward honesty and academic fairness.
A professor of neurology, Hongjun Song was surprised with an invention of a high school student, Christopher Hadiono, that contributed to a major advancement of conventional bioreactors. Song witnessed the capability of Hadiono in mastering a computer software in creating machine parts with the use of a 3D printer within just a few weeks.

Mail Online reported that the young high school student made a device that can culture tiny layering brain organoids or mini-brains that look like real brain neurons of a human. The device is like of a small version of a conventional bioreactor where cells can be grown by administering nutrients and controlling ideal temperatures for its growth.

Song was so shocked with this breakthrough done by Hadiono where the professor himself said, "We did not think that even a biotechnology graduate student could make this into a reality." The mini-bioreactor that Hadiono designed is undoubtedly more efficient than of the conventional bioreactors.

Advantage Over Conventional Bioreactors

It has been reportedly said that it can store more than two-folds of mini-brains which is considered its greatest advantage over the conventional bioreactors. Talking about the cost, the mini-bioreactor that they called Spin, roughly costs $400 each while the conventional bioreactors cost $2000 each. Even with its small structure, the Spin can grow mini-brains for about three months and can make the mini-brains last long for about six months which is just about the same as conventional bioreactors.

Another advantage of Spin's increased productivity in producing mini-brains (brain organoids) can greatly help the innovation of pharmaceutical drugs for neurological conditions because they can perform several experiments and testing at once to assess the effects of the drugs to the mini brains.

Application and Patenting

According to Spectrumnews, Song and his team filed a provisional patent for the invention to protect their ideas in developing the device. In the current time, Song and his team are making use of the Spin in his lab at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to study on how the Zika virus affects the developing brain physically.

They revealed on how the virus can cause a microcephaly. The Zika virus attacks the neural stem cells and killing them which results in a thinning brain structure starting in the fourth month of brain development.

After the time that Hadiono spent in Song's lab in developing the Spin, he is now back in New York and enrolled himself at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio to study an engineering course.
Numerous parents are taking money from their children secretly. A new survey in England found that almost half of parents sometimes steal from their kids' piggy banks to pay for meager expenses.

The Nationwide Building Society, a British mutual financial institution, conducted the survey. Around 46 percent of parents of children ages 4 to 16 confessed that they are piggy bank raiders. The average sum dipped from the child's savings is 21.41 ($31.41), the Guardian reported.

The months following Christmas are when it's more common for parents to raid their children's savings. The survey found that mothers are more frequent piggy bank raiders, but fathers tend to take more money from their child's savings.

Where Does The Money Go?

Piggy bank raiders used the money to pay a bill and school lunch money. Some parents used it for school trips, parking fees, haircuts, gas money, window cleaners and bus fares, among others, the Guardian listed.

A whopping 93 percent of the piggy bank raiders said they returned the money they took from their child's savings while only 39 percent of the kids noticed that some of their cash disappeared. One-third of the parents surveyed admitted to their child that they borrowed money from them, and 23 percent surreptitiously returned the cash they owed. Some parents (one in seven) even put interest to the money they took.

Children Urged To Save More Money

Teaching financial responsibility to children at such a young age will help them manage their money in the future. In Savannah, Georgia, a big financial firm set up an event to help children save and gain knowledge about finances.

Last month, Wells Fargo Personal Banker Katherine Roberts paid a visit to students at Jenkins High School to teach them about budgeting, saving and recognizing needs versus wants, WSAV.com reported.

Only 17 U.S. states require high school students to study a course in personal finance. According to the Council for Economic Education, that number didn't change since 2014.

Parents are the first ones to influence their children about money and financial management, Forbes wrote. It's important that kids understand that their parents can't buy them anything they want from a store.

Teaching a child to have a goal, like buying a toy, also helps as long as the item is not expensive so it wouldn't take months before the kids can purchase it. Children tend to get frustrated when they have to wait long before getting their hands on a toy they wish to buy.
In a very rare phenomenon, a baby girl is born after 101 years of male dominance in the Underdahl's family. On April 12, the Idaho couple welcomed eight pounds and three ounces baby Aurelia after a century of a male streak.

Four Generations Of All-Boys

It was in 1914 when the first baby girl, great aunt Bernice, was born. After which, four generations of seven boys dominated the Underdahl's family.

However, on April 12 at 5:48 p.m. the four generations of all boys were broken. Scott and Ashton Underdahl welcomed baby Aurelia Marie Ann, the second girl to be born in the Underdahl family.

I'm a little at a loss as to what to do - I grew up with three brothers and haven't spent much time around girls," Scott, 27, who works at a lumber company in Post Falls, told PEOPLE. "But my daughter has been a lot of fun so far. Everyone is excited to have a little girl in the family."

The couple in Idaho has a 22-month old baby boy named Archer before baby girl Aurelia. Ashton said that baby Aurelia is pretty quiet, very refreshing from the boys in their family. She also added that the baby girl has the nose of their grandfather, Conrad Underdahl, reports Daily Mail UK.

Idaho family welcomes first baby girl in 101 years https://t.co/XmWEdRMZ6k pic.twitter.com/jiKs10nAmC  WZZM 13 On Your Side (@wzzm13) April 26, 2016

Creating Perfection

The grandfather of the Underdahl, Conrad, told CDA Press that he wanted a girl after having his first two boys, Ryan and Scott. Unfortunately, though, twin boys followed, Jason and Joel.

"Maybe it took more than 100 years to create perfection," Conrad told the CDA Press. "We've been spoiling her a bit because it's just different finally holding a baby girl."

However, seeing how Archer takes care of his baby sister Aurelia, the Idaho couple may just have another one. Do you find the story inspiring? Don't forget to share on Facebook! Check out a similar story with the Underdahls in the video below:
Many are still wary about the effects of future artificial intelligence in humanity. But Microsoft cofounder and the world's richest man Bill Gates says AI won't be a threat, instead it will be "extremely helpful" in managing human lives.

The actively evolving field of artificial intelligence has revolutionized the healthcare, business and education sectors around the world. AI also continues to prove its ubiquity by making great advances in technology and robotics but many warn about the existential risks of artificial intelligence.

Bill Gates And Artificial Intelligence

Bill Gates is a big believer of the potential of artificial intelligence and technology. In fact, Gates recently urges educators, investors and tech companies to make more efforts in investing time and money on technology, emphasizing the significance of artificial intelligence-driven educational programs in eliminating the equity gap, as previously reported.

Despite the threats of artificial intelligence, Gates claimed the risks of AI software becoming "super smart" is not at the horizon. He also told "Squawk Box" that artificial intelligence will be very useful in managing human lives in the next decade or two.

In addition, Gates also said the artificial intelligence software dubbed as "alter-ego software" is going to be human' new assistant that will manage emails, texts and all other information flooding in the computers or smartphones. Thus, AI would make humans far more productive, CNBC notes.

"It will look at all the new information and present to you, knowing about your interests, what would be most valuable," Gates predicted. "What we're [also] seeing is, for the first time, computers can see as well as humans. If you combine that with arm-like manipulation, then they could make us far more productive."

Gates also said Microsoft, along with the Google unit Alphabet, Facebook and Apple, are making big developments in artificial intelligence. However, the 60-year-old business magnate acknowledged the job market will need to adjust to more machines doing routine work.

Bill Gates And Education Technology

In addition to artificial intelligence software, Bill Gates is also planning to revolutionize education by developing an artificial intelligence-driven platform called "personalized learning." In fact, Gates has invested more than $240 million to the education technology project through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Verge reveals.

Artificial Intelligence Vs. Emotional Intelligence

According to Yuval Noah Harari, a history professor and author of the international bestseller "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind," the development of artificial intelligence may make humans useless even when it comes to emotional intelligence. Harari explained that future AI may be able to detect humans' emotional needs and could react appropriately to them.

"AI doesn't even come close to human emotion since it has no consciousness or mind and doesn't feel anything," Harari said, as per Korea Herald. "[But] AI today is able to diagnose your personality and emotional state by looking at your face and recognizing tiny muscle movements. It can tell [emotions] even though AI itself doesn't feel [it]. In the future, AI could drive humans out of the job market and make many humans completely useless, from an economic perspective."

Artificial Intelligence Takes Over Job Market

Harari also highlighted humans' two basic abilities - physical and cognitive. He said if artificial intelligence-driven machines replaced humans in physical abilities, they can still look for jobs that require cognitive abilities but when AI becomes better and smarter than humans, it could result in a new group of economically unproductive people.

Do you agree with Bill Gates' claims that artificial intelligence is not a threat to mankind? Sound off below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
The Detroit teachers' mass protest on Monday shut down almost all schools in the district. The public school educators cried foul over news that the district does not have enough funds to pay for their salaries after June 30.

USA Today reports that over 1,500 Detroit teachers have participated in the mass sick-out after it was announced on Saturday that the district's public school system has insufficient funds for the teachers' salaries past June 30. The mass protest has resulted in the closure of 94 out of 97 Detroit public schools on Monday.

The Root Of Detroit Teachers' Mass Protest

On April 30, Judge Steven Rhodes, Detroit's emergency manager, informed Detroit Federation of Teachers that the public school system may not be able to pay its educators if the Michigan Legislature will not allocate more funds to the district. Aside from the insufficient funds for the Detroit teachers' pay, the district will also be canceling its summer school and extended special education services due to the lack of budget.

Rhodes also told the union that the $48.7 million budget allotted by the Michigan Legislature would already cover school year and summer pay. The salaries of Detroit teachers for the school year would also be decreased so that they can continue to receive paychecks after June 30.

The News Angered Detroit Teachers

On Monday morning, hundreds of Detroit teachers protested at the district's headquarters, chanting "Enough is enough" and "No pay, no work," while calling for a guarantee that they would be receiving salaries in the coming months. The Detroit teachers also demanded that the district should be audited.

"Teachers want to be in the classroom giving children a chance to learn and reach their potential," Nikhol Atkins, a staff member at the teachers' union, told CNN. "Unfortunately, by refusing to guarantee that we will be paid for our work, DPS (Detroit Public Schools) is effectively locking our members out of the classrooms."

In response to the Detroit teachers' mass protest, Rhodes said that he understands the frustration and anger of the public school educators. He, however, asserted that he is confident that the Michigan legislature will support the demands of the Detroit teachers.

Are you in favor with the Detroit teachers' demands? Share your thoughts below.
Hong Kong police said the passenger alerted Emirates airline staff early on Monday, who then called the authorities. (Photo: Twitter)

Beijing: A Turkish businessman who flew into Hong Kong from Dubai has lost USD 257,730 in cash and other valuables in an in-flight theft, police said.

Turkish watch merchant Mustasa Saci, 39, was flying aboard an Emirates flight from Dubai to Hong Kong when the money and valuables were stolen from his carry-on luggage stowed in an overhead compartment.

Hong Kong police said the passenger alerted Emirates airline staff early on Monday, who then called the authorities.

It was understood Saci was seated in economy class and came to Hong Kong for business.

Police said the man had lost two watches, a Rolex and a Patek Philippe, and foreign currency.

A spokesperson for Emirates, the airline the man took to Hong Kong, said: "Emirates is working closely with the police department and providing information to assist with their investigation."

Emirates spokesperson told the BBC that the airline would not be providing further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Police were treating the case as theft. So far, no one has been arrested, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported.

There have been increasing reports of mid-air thefts around the world, some of which are said to involve organised gangs, the report said.
Non-profit hospitals have a charitable purpose and are commonly associated with a religious group. A recent study, however, found that non-profit hospitals in the United States earn hundreds of millions compared to their for-profit counterparts.

Seven out of the 10 top-earning hospitals in the U.S. are non-profit institutions that raked in above $150 million in 2013. The study, which was published in the journal Health Affairs, was conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Washington and Lee University.

Hundreds Of Millions Earned

Claiming the highest spot in the top 10 is Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, earning a whopping $302.5 million in 2013, the Washington Post reported. Following close behind is Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, California, with a profit of $271.9 million from patient care services.

Placing at the third and fourth spot are Stanford Hospital and Clinics ($224.7 million) and Norton Hospital ($211.2 million). The University of Pennsylvania Hospital is at the seventh spot with $184.5 million; the Sacred Heart Medical Center, Riverbend at ninth place with $171.2 million; and the Carle Foundation Hospital at the 10th spot with $163.5 million earnings.

Excess Revenue

Ge Bai, the study's co-author, said all hospitals should earn money, but others are raking in over-the-top profits, according to the Washington Post. The study, however, didn't take into account the profits and activities that came from outside of patient care.

Gerard Anderson, the study's lead author, said it's unnecessary for non-profit hospitals to get substantial revenue, the news outlet noted. Nonprofit hospitals enjoy state and federal tax breaks because of their charitable nature that benefits the community.

The University of Pennsylvania Hospital claimed that extra revenue from patient care goes to the funding of the organization's other programs like neonatal intensive care units and trauma center. The excess profit also funds biomedical education, research and training of the university's medical school.

Southwest Airlines' Money Grant to Non-Profit Hospitals

Southwest Airlines, a major U.S. airline, has given a $3.2 million grant to 73 non-profit hospitals, Healthcare Finance reported. The hospitals will divide the money among them.

The Transportation Grant Program will provide free roundtrip transportation to caregivers and patients in need of specialized medical care and clinical trials. The hospitals, including cancer and children centers, will roll out distinctive guidelines for the management of airline tickets.

The Transportation Grant Program began in 2007. Since then, it has provided over $19.6 million in free air travel to institutions in 26 U.S. states.
A 15-year-old student accidentally shot himself inside his school in Dallas on Monday morning. The teenager was immediately taken to the hospital and reportedly has no life-threatening injuries.

Revolver Shot Within Campus

Fox 4 News reported that the young student injured himself using a revolver inside the Kimball High School as per the records of the Dallas police. The 15-year-old male student accidentally fired the gun after his first period.

The incident raised concerns on the security of the school after the teenage boy was able to carry a gun inside the educational facility without getting detected. The Dallas Morning News said the .22 caliber pistol was placed inside the student's pocket when it went off while he was with his classmates.

It was noted that the boy got hit on his leg and hand causing him serious but not life-threatening injuries. Asked how the student was able to get the gun inside the school, Dallas ISD Police Chief Craig Miller said he arrived at an "odd time" in the morning for a parent-teacher conference in the school.

Metal Detectors Fail

"The metal detectors are monitored differently after school starts," Miller said, but was unable to explain why the student had a gun with him. "I really don't know right now. It's part of the ongoing investigation."

According to NBC 5, the student is now facing mandatory expulsion from the school. Authorities said they are still considering what charges will be filed against him and his parents.

Safety Concerns From Parents

Parents of other students also showed up at the school after the incident raising concern about the safety of their kids. They expressed fear that the boy could have harmed his 25 other classmates who were with him when the gun went off.

Parent Lashell Booker told Fox 4 News that there should always be a guard on the metal detectors of the school to avoid incidents like this. "I understand that it was a parent conference. It was after hours, after the kids got into school, but this needs to happen all the time," Booker said.
A picture of Prince Jigme Namgyel of Bhutan was recently released, just ahead of his three-month birth anniversary. His adorable face and gorgeous eyes have captivated the hearts of million across the world, making him one of the most adorable royalty babies of all time.

Dragon Prince of Bhutan

Bhutan's royal palace released a sweet photo of their young Dragon Prince. The new snaps were shared on his parents Facebook pages and their national website according to People.

Bhutan's young Dragon Prince was born at Lingkana Palace on February 5. The prince's birth was celebrated by a sacred Bhutanese tradition with Je Khenpo, the chief abbot and spiritual leader of most Buddhist nations, presiding the religious ceremony.

His royal parents, dubbed as the "William and Kate of the Himalayas", King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema are the rulers of the remote Asian Kingdom, found tucked in the Himalayas between China and India. The heir to the Bhutan throne, the Dragon Prince, could now easily be dubbed as the "Prince George of the Himalayas."

Celebrating The Arrival Of The Dragon Prince

According to Good, the arrival of the Dragon prince was marked with the planting of 108,000 new saplings throughout the land. The new saplings symbolize the coming of a new baby, heir to the King.

Each household in Bhutan, which is roughly around 82,000, planted a tree in honour of the arrival of the Dragon Prince. An additional 26,000 trees were contributed by arborists to reach the significant number of 108, which is the number of earthly desires blocking the path to enlightenment according to Buddhism.

The tree planting is like a cleansing of the spirit to achieve enlightenment with each tree removing the blocks along the path. This practice is similar to Japan's 108 bells sounding off every New Year's Eve. This can also be observed on Buddhist monks as they bow 108 times.

"We are now nurturing the plants as if we are nurturing the little prince," a volunteer told the BBC, reflecting the Himalayan nation's overwhelming commitment to the community and the environment.

Royals Of Bhutan Visited By Royals Of Cambridge

Earlier last month, Prince William and Princess Kate visited the mountains of Bhutan as part of their tour of India. With their visit, the two royal families hope to strengthen the bonds between the two nations.

The royal couples were spotted having fun doing games while on tour around the Bhutanese palace. Later in the evening, they reportedly enjoyed a private dinner together.

Do you think the Dragon Prince is the most adorable royalty baby? Let us know your thoughts by leaving your comments below.
"GTA 6" by Rockstar Games sees a few likelihoods based on reports including a release that coincides with Playstation 5 and Xbox Two. New "GTA 6" updates say that Rockstar Games will pit players with the likes of Osama Bin Laden and bring a flux of world events in the"Grand Theft Auto" chapters.

Although the idea of "GTA 6" in a Tokyo map has been bandied around, The Mirror reports that the new "Grand Theft Auto" will likely stay within the US borders. This rings true with earlier reports by Digital Spy that the "GTA 6" map will be the biggest yet in the hit Rockstar Games franchise.

25% off Combat MG in #GTAOnline

Now through Thurs May 5

Details: https://t.co/1QxPY4kOHO pic.twitter.com/LCJrml7PGu  Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) 2 May 2016

In any case, a "GTA 6" outside of the US will likely take on London given statement by Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser. "At the moment, it feels like GTA's DNA is contemporary-ish, American-ish, English-speaking-ish because that's what it has been, but that doesn't necessarily limit it to those, that's just what we've done so far," Dan Houser stated.

Be that as it may, new updates cited by Grand Theft Auto (GTA 6) suggest that the action-adventure in the new Rockstar Games iteration will take on a political taste. Based on this update recent world events will invade "GTA 6."

In a "Bonus International" mission for "GTA 6," Rockstar Games will have players facing and fighting Osama Bin Laden. Other troublesome terrors in the ilk of Osama Bin Laden reportedly may also surface in "GTA 6."

Watchout dropping soon pic.twitter.com/mr1kFbNUuo  SHATTA WALE (@shattawalegh) May 1, 2016

Tracks-wise, News Ghana says that Shatta Wale is still in the running for making the mark as the first Ghana-born African musician to be featured in Rockstar Games' "GTA." Shatta Wale's "Kakai" is believed to be the new beat of "GTA 6."

In the meantime, the buzz on Rockstar Games adding a female protagonist and a male counterpart in "GTA 6" remains strong. No new name has surfaced to compete with real-life couple Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling if this "GTA 6" plan by Rockstar Games comes to fruition.
A Yazidi teenage girl has recounted the sexual slavery and physical abuse she suffered from ISIS. The girl said she was kidnapped and trafficked by the terrorist group's new Jihadi John, the British jihadist Siddhartha Dhar.

Nihad Barakat said she was just 16 years old when she, along with 27 of her family members, were taken by ISIS fighters two years ago in Sinjar, Iraq, the Independent reported. In March, Barakat recounted the beat-ups and sexual abuses she suffered at the hands of ISIS. She was also forced to marry the infamous Australian and ISIS extremist Abdul Salam Mahmoud.

Barakat escaped the clutches of Mahmoud when he died, but was recaptured by ISIS when she tried to contact her family in Kirkuk, a city in the northern part of Iraq. After her second capture, Barakat became pregnant. This time around, she ended up in the hands of another ISIS militant -- Dhar, who also goes by the nickname Abu Rumaysah and Saiful Islam.

Dhar is believed to be the replacement of Mohammed Emwazi, the Jihadi John who beheaded ISIS' captives in several propaganda videos of the terrorist group. Emwazi was killed in an air strike in 2015.

Dhar was formerly a British Hindu prior to his conversion to Islam, the Independent wrote. He was arrested six times in the United Kingdom, and managed to evade authorities when he traveled to Syria in 2014 with his wife and children to join ISIS.

ISIS Believes Yazidi Captives Deserve Their Cruelty

Barakat is working alongside the AMAR Foundation to urge officials to do more to help her fellow Yazidis from ISIS' clutches. Barakat's second escape was facilitated by CYCI, a Canadian charity, which pays local agents to save Yazidis from ISIS. The terrorist group considers Yazidis as unbelievers, and that they deserve to be enslaved, raped and beaten.

Nadia Murad, one of the survivors of sexual slavery from ISIS militants, said thousands of Yazidi women and young girls were turned into sexual slaves by the terrorist group. Murad said ISIS fighters force their captives to pray before raping them -- sometimes by groups of men, the Sun reported.

ISIS Circumvents Islamic Law For Sexual Abuse

Authorities believe there are still more than 3,000 Yazidi women in ISIS' custody, according to Daily Mail. Islam law dictates that a man can't rape a woman if she is with a child. ISIS militants, however, sidestep this law by forcing their female captives to take contraceptive pills or receive birth control injection. If the women are pregnant, they were forced to undergo painful abortions.
Your favorite all-natural oatmeal in the morning may kill you, according to a New Yorker who filed a $5-million lawsuit against the Quaker Oats Company. The man claimed that the American food conglomerate is using cancer-causing herbicide during production.

Quaker Oats And The Cancer-Causing Herbicide

New York Post reports that Lewis Daly, from Brooklyn, New York, filed a $5-million lawsuit to the federal court, accusing Quaker Oats of using a cancer-causing herbicide called glyphosate in processing its oats. Lewis' court papers say that the Chicago-based company's "100% Natural" oatmeal is "false, deceptive and misleading."

Lewis asserted that Quaker Oats is using the cancer-causing herbicide to grow its oats. He added that glyphosate is also sprayed on the oats to act as a drying agent before harvest time.

Quaker Oats Denied Using Cancer-Causing Herbicide

The Quaker Oats Company, which is owned by PepsiCo, denied Lewis' allegations. New York Times reports that the company released a statement affirming that the oats used in its products are grown in an eco-friendly manner. "Since oats require less herbicide spray than many other grains, there is less risk of pollutants and groundwater contamination," the company explained.

Despite denying that it did not add cancer-causing herbicide during production, the Quaker Oats Company acknowledged that glyphosate may be applied by farmers at some grains before harvest. The company, however, clarified that all of the oats it acquired from farmers underwent a thorough cleansing process.

Possible Effects of Eating Quaker Oats

According to the Daily Mail, the glyphosate, which is allegedly used by Quaker Oats during production, is a well-known agricultural herbicide until the World Health Organization categorized it as "probably carcinogenic to humans" last year. The cancer-causing herbicide has been associated as one of the causes of several cancers such as kidney, thyroid, breast, pancreas, bladder, liver and myeloid leukemia.

Last April, the Alliance for Natural Health-USA conducted a series of tests and found that popular breakfast foods such as eggs, bread, bagels, whole wheat and coffee creamers contained high levels of the cancer-causing herbicide. Over 40 percent of breakfast foods tested had alarming levels of glyphosate.

Do you believe in Quaker Oats Company's explanation? Share your thoughts below.
William Adams, better known by his stage name Will.i.am is gearing up for a new technology that will surely amaze you. The talented musician and entrepreneur wants to create an artificial intelligence (AI) that will help him relax.

Will.i.am Rolling Out An AI Virtual Assistant Called AneedA

According to Willi.i.am, he wants an AI that will tell him what to do, assist him on his appointments and even prepare everything for him. This AI is an all around assistant that will remind him of his health, the food he eats and everything else.

"That's what we aim to do with AneedA," Will.i.am told Wired about this new product. AneedA will be the next big thing that fans can expect on his technology brand i.am+. AneedA will be available in wearables, so you can take it anywhere you go. In fact, it debuted on Will.i.am's tuxedo. At the time, AneedA is available in Dial, a wearable but it's not a typical smartwatch because it is a phone in your wrist. In fact, in includes key features that makes it better than your phone, tablet and computer.

AneedA can provide you news updates, play music, send emails and text, book your flights and order you a takeout. She also remembers your previous question and can handle complex questions.

At the time, AneedA offers unexpected responses like pronouncing Beyonce with a hard "C." However, Chandra Ratharkrishnan, company co-founder and president explained that the virtual assistant's AI would improve as more people use it.

Will.i.am Better After Earlier Failures

Per Vanity Fair, Will.i.am has also his fair share of failure in the tech world. In fact, when i.am+ released its Puls smartwatch in 2014, one user commented that it is "the worst product I've touched all year." Per Wired, the i.am+ team insisted that Puls was a beta product and was not intended for a mass release.

Meanwhile, Rathakrishnan admitted that the last product was not helpful. Puls didn't do anything that the phone can't, which deemed it useless. Per the report, this time, the team is working on something that offers functions that consumers can't get on their phone. AneedA will be a voiced-based operating system, so users need not fiddle on tiny screens.

Will.i.am is very positive in dealing with failures and has some advice to struggling engineers, inventors or businessmen. "If it was about reviews, the Black Eyed Peas would have never been able to sell out stadiums. At some point, you have to have a thick skin."

Are you excited for Will.i.am's AneedA virtual assistant? Will you purchase one when it is available? Share your thoughts below.
Earlier, at a Congressional hearing, US lawmakers made it clear that they would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the deal. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday said it will buy F-16 jets from other countries if the US failed to provide agreed funds, amid reports that the State Department expressed inability to fund the USD 700 million deal with American tax payers' money.

Prime Minister's advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the Congressional blockade may force it to turn to other countries.

"Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from US) is not arranged," Aziz said at a seminar. The two nations had agreed on USD 700 million deal under which Pakistan was to pay USD 270 million from its national funds to purchase eight F-16s while the US was supposed to finance the rest of the amount from its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund.

Read: Use national funds for F-16 fighter jets: US tells Pakistan

But Congress has refused to approve the funding, leaving the deal in limbo, as cash-starved Pakistan may not be able to make the entire payment.

Earlier, at a Congressional hearing, US lawmakers made it clear that they would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the deal.

Last Friday, a State Department official said Congress had placed a hold on the deal, forbidding the administration from using US funds for enabling Pakistan to buy the planes.

Read: Pakistan has one month's time to grab US F16 deal

And yesterday, the department confirmed that Pakistan will have to use its own funds if it wants the planes. Aziz said F-16s was an effective tool to fight militancy and it can be replaced by JF-17 Thunder jets, locally produced.

He expressed concern at the growing military power of India and said if it isn't checked, Pakistan will be "forced to increase its strategic power" too.

"The international community should avoid steps which may disturb the strategic balance in South Asia," he said.
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If Airbnb and a Hawaiian resort had a baby, Wailea Beach Villas would be it. In fact, these villas are going to be available to book through the famed rental website soon. Unlike most Airbnb options, however, you wont have to go through a stranger to get the room. Operated by Destination Hotels, Wailea Beach Villas offers fully furnished apartment-like accommodations for long or short stays with hotel amenities like daily housekeeping and turndown service.

The lush vegetation, helpful staff, multiple pools, location on Wailea Beach, and colorful sunsets are just a few reasons we were happy to call Wailea Beach Villas home during our stay in Maui.

First Impressions

The 20-minute drive from Mauis airport to Wailea Beach Villas along a wide highway might have you fearing those photos of Hawaii were not accurate. Your fears will be quelled, however, as soon as you turn onto the propertys driveway and under a thick canopy of palm-trees toward the lobby.

Besides a statue of a topless hula dancer out front, the main lobby is minimally decorated. And as soon as you leave the sand-colored area, youll understand why. With no bells and whistles to distract, your eyes can focus on the surroundings.

Collect your key and find the tiki-torch-lined path that leads you to your building. The abundance of exotic fauna, from naupaka to heliconia, the free-roaming lizards, and a stream of water that runs throughout the propertys 11 acres are constant reminders that youre in Polynesia. The accommodations off-white and brown color scheme allows it to blend into its jungle-like environment, proving further that the focus here is on the service and experience, not appearance. The fact that its lovely to look at is just an added bonus.

The Room

The Wailea Beach Villas are divided into multiple buildings with peaked roofs covered in copper-colored shingles. They are all only a few stories high and built on a slope, guaranteeing each room has a great view.

There are no single rooms on this property; instead it consists of condo-style villas and penthouses. Each unit has anywhere between 2 and 5 bedrooms, multiple luxurious bathrooms, a laundry room, a full kitchen, a living room and a furnished balcony (the walls of which open completely in some residences, creating a seamless connection between the now wall-less living room and the balcony).

Each unit is privately owned and personally decorated, so theres no telling what yours will look like. However, the beach theme is consistent, and you can expect details like lizards climbing surfboards as lamp-bases, huge photos of Hawaiian sunsets over comfy couches, native clay statuettes manning the entryway, and surfboards above headboards. Some of our favorite touches include a floor-to-ceiling wall display of Hawaiis islands and a bookshelf filled with beach-reads hand-selected by the owners.

What Pops

Wailea Beach Villas is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country, and all of your senses will tell you why. The sand is some of the finest youll ever feel, and the color is a rich clay shade. Once wet, it seems to become a silky clay that molds to your body instead of getting stuck in your crevices. This is the one time youll ask to be buried, as the sand feels soft, not coarse, against your skin. The super salty clear blue water provides gentle waves and a cool but not shocking relief from the heat. This 2.3-mile-beach is free of seagulls, seaweed and cigarette butts; is broken up into multiple enclaves by clusters of dark rock; and glows gold as the sun sets, proving you dont have to leave the country to find one of the most stunning beaches in the world.

The Locale

Wailea Beach Villas has its own access to the shops across the street where youll find restaurants and grocery stores. The property doesnt have any dining options on-site, so that mall and the neighboring resorts will come in handy. Behind you is Haleakal?, Mauis famous crater, and to your right is Mauna Kahalawai, the islands smaller volcano. Both of these are about 30-60 minutes away by car and offer tons of spiritual, educational and outdoor activities.

Address: 3800 Wailea Alanui, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

Website: Wailea Beach Villas

Room Rates: $800-$2150

Maggie Parker is Paste Magazines assistant travel editor.
The reason no one likes liver is because it tastes like liver. It doesnt matter if it came from a chicken or a cow or a pig or a turkey. You cannot mistake liver for anything else.

But I never hated liver because I didnt grow up with liver. We were not a liver family. I remember opening up the refrigerator shortly after Thanksgiving and seeing a quivering brown-red blob in a saucer. The thing was about the size of a babys fist and at first glance I hoped it was chocolate pudding, but a closer look proved me very wrong. Thats the liver from the turkey, Mom told me. I saved it for the dog.

My next liver encounter was more intimate, but equally cloaked. Our family was dining at a Western Sizzlin all-you-can-eat buffet, and I thrilled to see what I took for a pan of stuffing, which I heaped on my plate. But it wasnt stuffing, and immediately after that initial clueless bite I ejected it into a paper napkin. It was fried chicken liver, crispy and golden on the outside and chewy-mealy-dense on the inside. How could anyone be so cruel? Why would anyone want to eat this crap? I went back for a new plate, clean and unmarred by the liver.

Me, as it turns out. Now a flawed and embittered grownup, I want that crap, because its the ultimate grownup food. I yearn for liver at a guttural level and luxuriate in its otherworldliness. It demands a clear presence of mind and cannot be consumed casually. Its intense and scowly but also charming and a tad goofy, the Henry Rollins of offal.

Prometheus stole fire from the gods for the benefit of mankind, and as punishment Zeus had him chained to a rock and subjected him to an eternal cycle of an eagle dining on his liver at sunset; since Prometheus was a Titan and therefore immortal, his liver regenerated and became the eagles kibble for following day, and so on. Not his eyes and not his heart, but his liver. This would all still be going on for poor Prometheus had Hercules not saved him. The eagle, assumingly, is still bummed.

Fire and liver go together very well. A good, crusty surface contrasts its almost creamy interior, and flavor-wise liver can stand up to a smoky char. I have yet to break out liver kabobs at a summery backyard cookout, though. When people get wind of livers presence, they ultimately give you crapespecially if they are children, vegetarians, or just wussesand thats tedious. Insult my liver and you insult me.

I try to be forgiving to the many vociferous liver detractors out there, since I was one not long ago, back when my palate was naive and delicate. Also, I think we Americans are culturally conditioned to reject liver. Recall comely young Mia Farrow, pregnant with the spawn of Satan, eating raw liver in Rosemarys Baby. See, liver isnt just off-putting; its sinister! Raw strip steak just wouldnt have had the same punch.

The meat we eat is often intramuscular; it has a grain, a familiar way of behaving, a familiar chew. But liver defies our expectations of what cooked flesh should be. In its raw form, when plopped on a cutting board, it undulates like a demonic gelatin mold. It even behaves differently on the stove, sputtering and popping no matter how well you first blot it with paper towels. The term a flash in the pan seems custom-devised for liver, because low and slow cooking does it no favors. Oh, youll see recipes for boiled liver if you look hard enough, but dont. A quick glance at the liver recipes in Time Lifes Variety Meats installment of its The Good Cook series reveals a surprising diversity in liver preparations: theres liver masala, Spanish braised liver with almond sauce, liver baked in German white wine, Finnish liver cakes, French truffled liver, Vietnamese curried chicken livers, and an old English liver and oatmeal pudding.

Since medical authorities have found out that liver is rich in Vitamins A, B, and C, this delicacy has jumped in price by leaps and bounds, and todays calfs liver, which formerly used to be given away to feed the cat, now fetches a high price. This according to The Wise Encyclopedia of Cookery, published in 1948. Calfs liver is still higher in price than other livers (save that of force-fed ducks and geese, which is really its own thing), and its my favorite for cooking as an entree. Generally speaking, the larger an animal, the more livery its liver, and to illustrate this point I suggest you cook beef liver and calfs liver side-by-side. Dont cook the beef liver first, though, because its aroma will overtake your house and youll just give up on the whole exercise. Beef liver means business.

Compared to the other organs of an animal, the liver is huge. Usually it weighs about the same or more than the brain (this goes for humans, too). It job is to filter out toxins from blood exiting the digestive tract before it reenters the rest of the body. It also secretes bile, which the gallbladder stores for use in the digestive tract. Toxins, filter, and bile are all frequently cited jibes by those who avoid this nutrient-rich organ. Fair enough, which is why I buy chicken and pork liver from a local farmer. I imagine the livers of his livestock to be more like clean-eating Gwyneth Paltrows and the livers of factory farmed livestock to be more like Hunter S. Thompsons. Gwyneth is a champion of detoxification, so I figure her caliber of liver is good to have on your plate.

The livers of artic animals (polar bears, moose, walruses, seals) contain very high levels of vitamin A, as in high enough that eating those livers can poison you, but if you are eating polar bears, you have bigger problems than vitamin A poisoning. As for other animalsfish, fowl, furredgo for it. Liver is rich in other nutrients, and one serving packs over 150 percent of the recommended daily value of iron.

Liver is a willing canvass for culinary dexterity, because it needs to be paired with highly flavored and similarly aggressive foods in order to sin (see sage, bacon, mustard, fruit, vinegar, curry). The rote equation is creamy sweet crunchy + tart, and in the diner classic of liver and onions, you get the whole shebang. The griddled onions are sweet, a foil for the earthy liver, and if its done properly and the liver is dredged in flour before pan-frying, then the sauce (or gravy, as it were) cooked up immediately afterwards thickens itself from the starchy fond clinging to the base of the skillet.

The bigger the liver, the sharper the knife youll need. Livers of larger animals have an outer membrane that needs to be removedpeeled off, reallyas well as interior tubes running through them that cook up tough and should be trimmed (if the liver is whole, you can simply loosen the outer meat with a knife and pull the tubes out through the end). In smaller animals, fowl in particular, there may be a gall bladder attached, or parts of one. Trim it off and discard it. Youll know its a gall bladder because its the color of a blood clot youll think, that does not look like it belongs here at all.

For those who are neither scavenging wild dogs nor Rosemary, the ideal doneness for liver is brown on the outside, just pink on the inside. Bloody red on the inside is a no, and vomit gray on the inside is also a no. Thus, liver is best thinly slicedhalf an inch thick or less is ideal. You can roast a beef, veal, pork, or lamb liver whole, but youll need a lot of people around to help you eat it, and that could take effort thats better spent making another liver preparation with better keeping quality. I suggest pate.

I turned 40 this month, and instead of having a big celebratory blowout, I decided to parcel it out in a yearlong series of indulgences. The first was to cook liver for dinner on my actual birthday, which fell on a Tuesday. Normally on a weeknight Id make more family-friendly fare, because if theres one thing I feel more strongly about than liver, it is the bitching and whining of my husband and kid. But you only turn 40 once, so I decided, fuck it: Im going to make liver my way, for me, and everyone else can fend for themselves.

I started by rendering lardons of home-cured bacon and caramelizing onions in the fat. Then, in a different pan, I seared chicken livers in batches. The grease sputtered everywhere in a clumsy yet pervasive mist, reminding me why I had so many zits back when I was a line cook. But it was worth it. I deglazed the pan with chicken stock and red wine, then added the bacon, onions, and sauteed livers back to the pan while the sauce reduced and thickened. It was homely, gorgeous. I served it over polenta and rainbow chard and garnished it with toasted pine nuts. My daughter and husband ate hot dogs. The dog? Liver.

We didnt do cake. I wouldnt have been up for it, anyway. In essence, the liver was my cake. I sat at the table, sated, knowing Id soon need to wash a lot of dirty pots and pans, though lots of pots and pan was what it took to get the job done right. Liver cannot be treated carelessly. But if you take the time to love liver, liver will love you back.

Sara Bir is Pastes contributing food editor. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @Sausagetarian.

Raw and cooked liver photos by Javier Lastras CC BY
Its been a little over two years since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH 370) disappeared during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It is the greatest aviation mystery of our time, and we still have no answers about what happened onboard the Boeing 777-200ER carrying 239 people.

Though MH370 is the biggest mystery to date, if we look back over the last century, there exist multiple aviation mysteries that still remain unsolved. For example, in March of 1956, three U.S. Air Force personnel disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea while flying a Boeing B-47 Stratojet long-range bomber. The plane was traveling from the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida en route to the Ben Guerir Air Force Base in Morocco as part of a four-plane flight. While three planes showed up at their aerial refueling point, one went missing and no wreckage was ever found. The scary thing isthe plane was carrying two nuclear weapon cores that seemingly disappeared into the air, along with the plane and three people.

Aviation mysteries are baffling and one cannot help but wonder: how is it possible for an airplane to just disappear? And secondly, why do such tragedies happen? In the case of MH370, there have been many speculations: maybe there was a terrorist attack, or one of the pilots decided to commit suicide, or maybe everyone is alive and the plane was landed on a remote island for some unknown purposeand so the theories are ongoing.

But the first question poses a different set of concerns: how is what happened to MH370 even possible in the 21st century? We live in a world where technology has already removed so many elements of mystery from our lives: before we had caller ID, we never knew who was calling until we answered the phone; before we had GPS in our cars, we used physical roadmaps to drive ourselves around; before we had the Internet, we couldnt just Google any question or idea to find an answer. Yet, why hasnt technology solved these mind-boggling mysteries of huge airplanes just disappearing into the airwaves?

Now, if this were an X-Files episode, Agent Mulder might be the one to assume aliens are abducting planes that appear to vanish out of the air (which, by the way, there are some people who believe a UFO beamed MH370 right out of the sky) but we have to wonder what Agent Scully would think and how shed go about solving the mysterious disappearance of an airplane. So is there a way for technology to solve these aviation mysteries? Moreover, how will we advance our technology so planes can no longer disappear into the airwaves?

The unfortunate truth is that it is possible for an airplane to disappear. The technology does exist but, sadly, its not as easy to implement as we think it is. Why, you ask? The ocean.

The standard practice for monitoring airspace is by using two radar systems: primary and secondary. Primary radar detects and measures an estimate of a planes position using reflected radio signals. Secondary radar relies on targets equipped with a transponder that asks for the planes identity and altitude. All commercial airlines have a transponder, which automatically sends a transmission with a unique four-digit code when it receives a radio signal sent by radar. This is the data sent to air traffic controllers, who monitor the airspace.

Think of it this way: when you are flying across the United States, there is always someone watching because there is radar coverage over land. As a plane makes its way from say, New York City to Los Angeles, pilots check in about every 45 minutes to an hour because they are switched to the next air traffic controller.

When traveling over the ocean, there is no radar coverage when youre about 150 miles away from land because, well, oceans are incredibly vast and thats why we have gaps in radar coverage. When flying overseas, pilots switch to a high frequency (HF) radio for long-range communication.

Overseas, pilots are required to check in at fixed location points through whats called oceanic communications. Or, depending on the airline, a plane might be equipped with a flight management computer (FMC) that will automatically make a transmission report with the planes speed, altitude and position. Pilots connect the autopilot to the route programmed in the FMC and the airplane will follow the programmed course and make check-ins at fixed location points. But you can very easily change the route by hitting the heading select button, meaning, if MH370 was equipped with an FMC, all someone had to do was turn it off and manually turn the plane 90 degrees, changing the route in a different direction.

Though planes are equipped with GPS to track their location, it only lets the plane know where it is, not air traffic controllers, whose network is almost entirely radar-based. If a plane goes off course over the ocean, there isnt a way for air traffic control to know its exact location. Some new, modern and expensive planes can utilize the black box on an aircraft (computerized equipment that records all of the planes data) and send back real time engine data to the company that operates it. Though black boxes are not currently equipped with any form of a GPS location transmitter, the capability is there, but its a very advanced, high-tech system.

The technology is there to track an airplane across the ocean, but its expensive and there wasnt a need until now, says Lon Lowe, captain at Alaska Airlines.

It would cost the aviation industry billions of dollars to implement satellite technology, and Lowe explains part of the issue is deciding who pays for that.

Reports indicate that, over the next decade, the aviation industry is looking to replace radar technology with a new system called ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast) as the primary system for air traffic control. This would use GPS technology to send data to found controllers and other planes for tracking purposes. If youve ever used a flight-tracking website or app, this is information made available to the public and is how youre able to track a flight from your phone. However, this would still not resolve the issue of tracking over water because the systems coverage does not extend that far.

However, the aviation industry is currently working to make sure a plane cannot disappear over the ocean again. Airlines and governments worldwide are coming together to determine how to improve flight tracking. In February 2015, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) met to start negotiating standards that governments will have to require for flight tracking with a goal of determining the rule by next year.

When it comes down to it, aviation accidents occur from multiple issues, but the majority of recent mysteries appear to most likely have been caused by the flight crew, a technological issue, or weather.

Take, for example, the case of Helios Airways Flight 522, often referred to as the ghost plane. In August 2005, during a short route from Athens to Cyprus, the Greek aircraft lost contact with air traffic controllers and held its pattern around the airport for an hour, before fighter jets were scrambled to see what was going on. What they found was a rather grim sight: the pilot was slumped over the controls, oxygen masks were dangling and all 121 passengers appeared to be dead. It reads like an episode of the X-Files: Agent Mulder might have concluded aliens had overtaken the flight, whereas Agent Scully would have to agree with what officials determined as the cause: gradual cabin pressure loss.

Though Helios Airways Flight 522 appears to have been resolved, one has to wonder how such an error, whether caused by a human or technical glitch, could happen. Lowe doesnt think this situation was so much a technology issue as it was a human error.

The crew didnt do a thorough check of the overhead panel. On a 727, engines have whats called a bleed air valve switch for the pressurization system which are usually in the on position so we can tap off the air and take it into the pressurization, explains Lowe. The switches were off and they didnt catch it. If the system is turned off then there is no pressurized air so, as they were climbing up, the cabin did to pressurize and everyone suffered from hypoxia, or oxygen deficiency.

Another rather perplexing aviation mystery occurred in 1968 when Aer Lingus Flight 712 was traveling from Cork, Ireland to London. Not long after taking off, the plane crashed into the sea. Reports indicate the last communication with the plane was a call was made from the aircraft saying, twelve thousand feet descending spinning rapidly which prompted a search over the flight path.

Despite a two-year investigation, authorities were never able to determine a cause for the crash, which killed 61 people. While some witnesses believe a British experimental missile shot down the plane (the British government was operating an experimental missile station in West Wales) but such reports have been denied and the crash remains a mystery.

Sureits still hard to stomach the idea of an airplane disappearing, or even enduring a fatal crash in this day an age. But, the future does hold some positivity as airlines look toward changing policies and investing in the necessary technology to improve taking flights over oceans. So while it is possible for an airliner to disappear, whether due to technical problems, human error, extreme weather or even by pure randomness, the hopeful outcome the aviation industry has learned from MH370 is that we should not see another tragic aviation mystery.
Atlanta moms know a thing or two about food, and chefs have risen to the occasion to court them this Sunday. Check out these 10 spots offering delicious food and stylish dining rooms for the mother whos just a bit more discerning than the rest.



Corso Coffee

Take mom on a (mini) trip to Europe with high tea at Corso Coffee at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. The Italian coffee shop makes their British-style tea service extra special with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne (for a French twist, naturally), served alongside their selection of loose leaf teas, chicken salad on toasted crostini, del Corso sandwich, Italian toast, an assortment of macarons by Atlantas Macaron Queen, and the chefs selection of assorted tea pastries ($95 for two). Just for the occasion, mom will take home a $20 LDV Hospitality gift card to use at Corso or sister restaurant Dolce. Its a fun way to give madre her la dolce vita, if only for a day.



Revival

Former Top Chef Fan Favorite Chef Kevin Gillespie knows Southern food, and his culinary skill and respect for regional dishes will be on full display at his Southern buffet at Revival, his newest restaurant in Decatur. Just like the joyful, family-style meals of his childhood, guests will enjoy fried chicken, skillet cornbread, decadent mac n cheese, lamb, ham and a dessert table to satisfy even the most discriminating sweet tooth. $39 for adults, $12 for children, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations are recommended.



Cypress Street Pint and Plate

If mom knows her brews, then a trip to Midtowns Cypress Street Pint and Plate is in order this Mothers Day. Chef Duane Stykas new menu includes IPA-cured salmon Benedict, fluffy chocolate pecan flapjacks or his signature Cypress frittata. Sidle up to the bar to pair her selection with any one of 14 drafts or 40 bottles or sit outside in Atlantas famously balmy weather to enjoy the day. Purchase one entree during brunch on Mothers Day (from 10 a.m .to 2 p.m.) and receive half off of moms meal.



Tavernpointe

One of Midtowns newest eateries, Tavernpointe, will host Mothers Day Brunch with a buffet of epic proportions from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The offerings will range from sweet (sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, baked blueberry French toast) to savory (poached salmon, sausage and gravy biscuits, fried chicken). For $20 per person, opt for the Build Your Own Mimosa option and youll receive a bottle of champagne and the mixer of your choice to become the master of your own imbibing. Teetotalers (or the under-21 set) can enjoy house-made sodas with fun flavors like lime basil, grapefruit honey and strawberry bell pepper lime. $25 per adult, $15 for children 12 and under.



Livingston Restaurant + Bar

If the mom in your life appreciates a touch of elegance, treat her to a lavish brunch at Livingston Restaurant + Bar, located on the first floor of the historic Georgian Terrace Hotel (the site of the Gone With The Wind movie premiere in 1940). The graciously appointed marble dining room will feature hot and cold buffets, with favorites like slow-roasted NY strip with horseradish cream, braised collard greens, ginger BBQ beef short ribs, and Low Country shrimp and grits, as well pastries, desserts and a special kid-friendly buffet, just for pint-sized guests. Brunch will be served from 11 a.m until 5 p.m. $38 for adults, $15 for children ages 6  12, and children under 5 are complimentary.



Colletta

If you find yourself in the northern suburbs this Moms Day, a visit to Colletta in Alpharettas Avalon shopping mecca is a must. Chef Michael Perez will present his first-ever (and only, as of now) brunch, beginning at 11 a.m., with brunch specials alongside his lunch favorites including burrata with marinated olives, prosciutto with parmesan, honeycomb and peaches, and black pepper tagliatelle carbonara. The airy dining room, with its soaring ceilings, black and white art and blonde wood just might be the break mom needs. After your meal, grab a glass of crisp Italian Vermentino and play a lawn game. After all, they say the family that plays together, stays together.



Le Bilboquet

Say Joyeuse Fete des meres (Happy Mothers Day! for all of you non-Francophiles) in style at Le Bilboquet, in the heart of The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Special three-course menus will be available all day, with choices for each course including salmon carpaccio with citrus salad, foie gras terrine with toasted brioche, grilled lobster with beurre blanc, hearty NY strip with fingerling potatoes and decadent creme brulee. If the sun is shining, request a cafe table outside, pop the cork on a good bottle of rose and watch the fashionable Buckhead set stroll by. Brunch and lunch are $75 per person, and dinner is $85 per person.



Eclipse di Luna

Tell mom how much you appreciate her with tapas at Eclipse di Luna, Buckhead. Starting at noon, the eatery (tucked clandestinely at the end of Miami Circle) will offer brunch specials for the occasion, as well as signature dishes like patatas bravas, smoked bacon-wrapped dates, Spanish-style ribs with aged balsamic, seared octopus and much more. Each mother in attendance will receive a complimentary mimosa or glass of sangria and a rose upon arrival.



South City Kitchen Midtown

Theres a reason South City Kitchen attracts big-name visiting celebrities (Usher, Jennifer Garner, Bethenny Frankel, Charles Barkley, and Cameron Diaz among them)  its kitchen has been turning out solid, delicious Southern food for more than 20 years. This Mothers Day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the restaurant will present a Southern-style prix fixe menu with offerings including fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and red pepper coulis, smoked brisket benedict with creole mustard hollandaise, pickled jalapenos and red mule grits and jumbo lump crab cake hash with tasso ham-artichoke hash, over-easy egg, hollandaise and tomato relish. Get it while you can  the restaurant converts to regular dinner service at 5 p.m. Brunch is $35 per person and $17.50 for children under 12.



Bourbon Bar

Southern Art

Intercontinental Hotel

Leave it to celebrity chef Art Smith (who has four adopted children with his artist husband) to think of everything to make mom feel special. Southern Art at Buckheads Intercontinental Hotel will offer a hands-on floral station for the kiddos, where they can learn how to create a bouquet of seasonal flowers for mom. Then, the whole family can enjoy brunch together, with Southern Arts noteworthy selection of artisanal ham and charcuterie, roasted prime rib with rosemary demi-glace, and smoked salmon quiche with cheese, spinach and Vidalia onions. Little ones will find something to delight their little palates at the Kids Corner with grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken tenders with honey mustard and BBQ sauce, and beef sliders. $75 per adult and $35 per child.
The Good Wife is really petering out in these final episodes.

Sorry. I couldnt resist the pun. But as much as this final run of episodes has focused on Peters court case, I was still somehow surprised that the penultimate episode was all about Peter. I get the symmetry of it all. The show began with Peters legal troubles and is ending with them. The cheating. The corruption. For all his speechifying, Peter hasnt changed. But still this isnt The Not-So-Good Husband. I realized last night that well never see another classic The Good Wife court case. Alicia fought her last legal battle and I didnt even realize it. All the other characters are being pushed aside for Peter, and I dont like it.

This also isnt Dawsons Creek. How has the show been reduced to some sort of love triangle between Peter, Alicia and Jason? That whole speech Lucca gave Jason about going to Alicia and telling her how he feels? No thank you. This is not what the show is about. Choose, yourself, Alicia. Choose yourself!!

Also, since when is Peter so important to Diane that she would ask Kurt to bend the truth for her? Is she concerned that Peter going to jail will tarnish the reputation of the all-female law firm? There were so many things that didnt make sense in Verdict. Why was AUSA Connor Fox going to Alicia with his plea bargain offers and not Diane? Would Peter really trust his future to Lucca? Why wasnt Jackie at the trial? Wouldnt Lucca and Jason think it was a little strange that construction was happening without either one of them knowing a thing about it?

All that said, it was fun to have David Paymer back as Judge Richard Cuesta with his hash marks and general distain for everyone. Its always amusing for David Lee to be his best David Lee. And my favorite moment definitely came with Alicias reaction to the news that Peter had a long standing affair with Geneva Pine. Oh my God. I thought my husband no longer cheated, she faux cries to Louis Canning. But other than that, it was a lackluster episode. While all this is going on, the law firm is quite literally collapsing into itself, which at this point, is definitely a metaphor for the show itself.

The episode ends with Peter agreeing to take the two year deal, and Alicia promising to visit him. But just as he made that decision the jury comes back with their verdict, which sets up the series finale to be all about Peters fate. Blech.

Theres a thing kids do when its time leave something they lovesay preschool or summer camp. Sometimes they start acting out as a way to ease the transition. If the teacher is upset with them, maybe it will be easier to say goodbye. Do you think thats what The Good Wife is doing? This run of subpar episodes is definitely making it easier for me to come to terms with the fact that one of my all-time favorite shows is ending.

Stray observations:

Im not on trial buddy.

I think Matthew Morrison questioning Megan Hilty on the stand is the closest well ever come to a Smash/Glee crossover event. I so wish they had broken out into song. #TeamIvyForever

Im still hoping for Eli to get the revenge he promised in this seasons premiere but it doesnt look like thats going to happen.

We simply cannot leave Cary this unhappy.

I totally think Peter had an affair with Geneva Pine. You?

How is it that Robyn hasnt come back, especially now that Jason says he can no longer investigate for Peter?



Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal , is a Boston-based freelance writer, a member of the Television Critics Association and a regular contributor to Paste. She wasnt allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter or her blog.
Any delay in the acceptance of the offer, would result in increase in cost of F-16s. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday said it will buy F-16 jets from other countries if the US failed to provide agreed funds, amid reports that the State Department expressed inability to fund the $700 million deal with American tax payers money.

Prime Ministers advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the Congressional blockade may force it to turn to other countries. Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from US) is not arranged, Aziz said at a seminar.

The two nations had agreed on $700 million deal under which Pakistan was to pay $270 million from its national funds to purchase eight F-16s while the US was supposed to finance the rest of the amount from its Foreign Military Financing. But Congress has refused to approve the funding, leaving the deal in limbo.

Earlier, US lawmakers made it clear that they would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the deal. A State Department official said Congress had placed a hold on the deal, forbidding the administration from using US funds. Any delay in the acceptance of the offer, would result in increase in cost of F-16s.
It is no secret that a slowdown in China has affected Apple. But CEO Tim Cook said he made an error on the company's conference call by not discussing China's growing middle class. "It was my error for not talking about it. I could not be more optimistic about China. I think the long-term thesis is intact," Cook said.

In an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday, Apple's CEO Tim Cook noted that the expansion of middle class occurring in China is unlike anything that has ever occurred in the history of the world, thus he remains optimistic in that region. At one point in the interview Cook was specific in believing that China's middle class could grow from 50 million people to 500 million people over the next five years.

Apple's CEO also noted that while India is going to be a mass market it could take a little time. LTE wireless service is only coming to India later in 2016 and this is where Apple services and sales can begin to gain some traction. Cook reminded us that India will be the most populous by 2022. And at present, the middle class is only about 22% - so there's a lot of growth in the middle class. It's the middle class that like to own brand names and so as their middle class grows, Apple will do better.

Once Apple is able to open their own branded flagship stores in India they'll be able to develop sales, promotions and services to strenghthen their position in that country.

You find a little more information on the Cramer interview with Apple's CEO here and here. You could find far more in-depth information from Cook in our Saturday report titled "Patently Apple's Transcript of the Opening Statement from Apple's Q2 2016 Conference Call by Tim Cook," as well as our Sunday report titled "Apple's CEO doesn't see Carl Icahn's Dark Cloud Over their business in China, he sees Growth Ahead."

During Apple's financial conference call last Tuesday, one of things that Apple's CEO emphasized was innovation. Cook stated that "I'll summarize by saying that the future of Apple is very bright. Our product pipeline has amazing innovations in store." Cook repeated that position once again during his interview today with Cramer.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments.
The Gap Year, the break from formal education between high school and college which is in the news again because of the announcement that this is what Malia Obama will be doing before attending Harvard, is nothing new.

The working class have been taking gap years long before it became trendy. It was called, earning money for college, and often took the form of joining the army. And it was criticized as a poor decision, because once out of the academic environment, its considered too difficult to settle back into the routine of classes and study, and, after all, the learning loss that everyone frets over when it happens over the summer, is further magnified by more time away. How much pre-calc will you forget over time, when you finally enroll in college-level calculus?

But when the rich do it? Well, then we celebrate it.

And instead of the life-enriching experience of learning how to support yourself and live independently, the Gap Year for the wealthy is just one more year of parental support.

Look at the formal Gap Year programs: Global Citizen Year charges up to $32,500, based on family income. Where There Be Dragons charges $32,850 for a 7-month program in Central America consisting of exploring social justice, Spanish language study, home-stays, learning service, land use, and grassroots organizing.

In the Washington Post yesterday (and syndicated in the Chicago Tribune today), Jeffrey J. Selingo writes,

For the gap year to truly matter, it cant be simply a break, a year spent sleeping in the childhood bedroom and working part time at McDonalds. Students who delay college to work odd jobs while they try to find themselves dont do as well as everyone else when they get to campus. They get lower grades, and theres a greater chance they will drop out. But students whose gap years involve travel  whether to a foreign country or to a different part of the United States  not only end up with higher grades in college, but they also graduate at the same rate as those who dont delay at all.

Is this a real difference? Or is it simply a class difference? Rich kids take a year off to travel, poor kids to work, and rich kids, by being rich, are far more likely to continue with their plans to go to, and graduate from, college afterwards. And does a year off, in a structured program or in the responsibility-free format of extended travel, really mold more responsible young adults?

Selingo continues:

As recently as the 1970s, a teenager had a number of options after graduating from high school: get a good-paying job right away, enlist in the military, find an apprenticeship in a trade or go to college. A teenager today really has only two of those options still available  the military or college. Fewer than 1 percent of Americans serve in the military, so most go to college right after high school.

Which seems to be a fairly narrow view of the world  after all, trade school and other skilled trades programs may be scorned, but they havent vanished.

And he writes,

For a gap year to have a significant impact on success in college, and later in the working world, it needs to be a transformative event, quite distinct from anything a student has experienced before  a meaningful work experience, academic preparation for college or travel that opens up the horizon to the rest of the world. It should also be designed to help students acquire the skills and attributes that colleges and employers are looking for: maturity, confidence, problem-solving, communication skills and independence.

The line about academic preparation for college is a bit concerning, if gap year is just window-dressing for a year of remedial-type classes for kids underprepared from high school. And a meaningful work experience seems all too often to mean the sort of internships that well-connected parents can conjure up for their kids. Beyond that, it seems like a fairly tall order to imagine that a gap year will be transformative for a typical 18 year old.

But the underlying reason for the enthusiasm for Gap Years is also fairly clear  how many kids did you know in college who spent their time partying because they had no real ambitions, who changed their major a dozen times, each time costing them more travel time or dropping down a level in difficulty, and who graduated late as a result, or with no clue about their future career, often going to grad school in large part because they had no idea what else to do? Even kids who are interested in a technical/STEM-type field of study generally arrive at college with no experience in the area other than their high school coursework. But whats needed is likely more opportunities for students to work, rather than being told to focus on their studies. And, for liberal arts students, I had some time ago, floated the idea of a liberal arts GMI, applying the GMI concept of co-ops to a liberal arts credential consisting of a mix of experiences and independent learning.

And, having said this, will I encourage my oldest, now in 10th grade, to do a gap year? You bet  though in our case, itd be a year as an exchange student in Germany.

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AUrban_backpacking.jpg; public domain
Patna: Two and a half weeks since Nepal was struck by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that killed nearly 8,000 people in Nepal and over 100 in adjacent Bihar, the Himalayan nation once again was rocked with a series of tremors, one being7.3 on the Richter Scale, on Tuesday killing at least 60 persons in Nepal and 17 persons in Bihar.

Reports of casualties and injuries continued to pour in from various parts of Bihar, mostly in the northern parts of the state, but also from faraway places like Patna, Gaya, and Bhagalpur.

{gallery}newsimages2015/may/051215{/gallery}Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was at his 7 Circular Road residence when the first tremor was felt, ordered the evacuation of all public and private buildings and instructed the officials to remain vigil of any death or injury caused by falling debris.

Anticipating more shockwaves in the next few days, Kumar ordered the closure of all schools in the state that were to go on summer vacation in three days anyway.

At dusk, the Chief Minister paid a visit to the Gandhi Maidan in Patna where hundreds of thousands of people had taken shelter to avoid injuries from crumbling buildings.

Kumar directed officials to ensure safety of the people and availability of water and electricity in all parks and other open places.

Appealing people to not panic, the Chief Minister sought reports from other parts of the state to assess death and injury toll and damage to crops and properties.

As reported by the state Meteorological Department, the first tremor measuring 7.3 on the Richter Scale was felt in Patna at around 12:35 pm. This was followed by six other aftershocks ranging between 5.3 and 6.2 on the Richter Scale in a span of 50 minutes.

Bihar Health Minister Ramdhani Singh and Lessi Singh, who were attending a seminar on leprosy at Hotel Buddha Heritage in Patna, were seen rushing out of the building to seek shelter in an open space.

At P&M Mall, visitors and shop owners were also seen scrambling to get out of the concrete structure to avoid injuries. Similar scene was witnessed outside A. N. College on Boring Road where students ran for cover in open spaces. Those who could not, hid under desks to avoid injuries.
Patna: A 27-year old man was killed when an air-compressor tank at a tire repair shop blew up on Boring Road in Patna on Monday afternoon.

As reported, Mumtaz Mohammed, the son of Salauddin Mohammed of Phulwarisharif, was trying to repair a punctured tire around 1:30 at his shop near A. N. College on Boring Road. After the repair job was finished, Mumtaz, forgot to turn off the compressor leading to a loud explosion in which the compressor and other materials in the shop blew into pieces.

He was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The victim has been working in his father's shop for the last 15 years, family members said.
Patna: Police in Patna on Monday recovered 160 cartons of country liquor from a pickup truck containing nearly 7,500 bottles of 200 ml each.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said that acting on a tip-off, the police was preparing to conduct a raid at an empty plot in Rajiv Nagar when they saw a pickup truck leaving the area.

When searched, they were shocked to see the entire truck filled with cartons containing country liquor. They were being transported to the diara area from where they were to be taken to the other side of the Ganges for sale in clandestine liquor shops, the SSP said.

It is believed notorious criminal Sohan Rai of Raghopur was behind the entire deal. Authorities are making raids to arrest him, police said.

Punishment for selling, consuming, or transporting alcoholic drink in Bihar which was declared dry on April 1 is stringent.
Patna: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists in Patna on Monday protested outside the Patna University office following the beating up of two students at the Kanhaiya Kumar rally at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna on Tuesday.

Demanding the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar and his cohorts, the students condemned the beating of one Nitish Kumar and Manikant Yadav who were brutally roughed up by the members of the All India Students' Federation, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI).

"Is this how the leftists deal with students with differing opinion? On one hand, Kanhaiya Kumar preaches about freedom of speech but anyone who does not agree with him is beaten up. It shows the hypocrisy of the JNU student leader," said Pappu Verma.

Dubbing it as a Black Day, the protesting students demanded immediate arrest of the erring students and medical compensation for the two students.

ABVP is the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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"We're not used to seeing growth in our check business," said Deluxe's Tracey Engelhardt, who reports a 6% to 7% increase in revenue for check orders from businesses and consumers in each of the last three quarters, driven by various factors originating from the pandemic.
From Frontpage Magazine. May 2, 2016:



OBAMA FREES USS COLE BOMBING TERRORIST



American lives dont matter.



May 2, 2016 Daniel Greenfield



Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam.



On Thursday morning, sailors on board the USS Cole were lining up for an early lunch. Seventeen of them died as an Al Qaeda bomb on board a fishing boat tore through the hull outside the galley. The dead included 15 men and 2 women, one of whom had a young child. For three weeks the crew of the USS Cole struggled to keep their ship from sinking while working waist deep in water with bucket brigades, sleeping on the deck and living surrounded by the terrible aftermath of the terrorist attack.



The survivors, wounded and whole, received the words "Glory is the Reward of Valor" written on the bent steel removed from the site of the explosion that tore through their ship and their lives.



The President of the United States promised that justice would be done. To those who attacked them we say: You will not find a safe harbor. We will find you and justice will prevail.



Despite Clintons words, justice did not prevail.



The father of Home Maintenance Technician Third Class Kenneth Eugene Clodfelter believed that there would be justice, but he was to be disappointed. I just felt, for sure, you know, theyre not going to go ahead and just kiss off the lives of 17 U.S. sailors, he said. In fact, they didnt do anything.



Walid bin Attash, a planner of the USS Cole bombing and who also played a role in the 9/11 attack, is still at Gitmo. His trial continues to drag on while he and his lawyers play games. Rahim Hussein al-Nashiri, another of the planners, is still awaiting trial. But Mashur Abdallah Ahmed al Sabri, one of the members of the USS Cole cell, has already been released by Barack Obama from Guantanamo Bay.



Sabri was rated as a high risk terrorist who is is likely to pose a threat to the US, its interests, and allies, but that was no obstacle for Obama who had already fired one Secretary of Defense for being slow to free dangerous Al Qaeda terrorists and was browbeating his latest appointee over the same issue.



The very paperwork that was used as the basis for the decision to free Sabri describes him as a member of a Yemeni al-Qaida cell directly involved with the USS Cole attack. This cell conducted surveillance on the targeted vessel and prepared explosives for the bombing. Sabri had been arrested in Yemen for his involvement in the attack before he managed to make his way to Afghanistan.



Now he is a free man and has been sent back to the homeland of terrorism, Saudi Arabia.



After praising the beautiful religious tradition of Islam, which the USS Cole terrorists had twisted, President Clinton had promised that, America will not stop standing guard.



But under him, it never even started standing guard.



While Osama bin Laden prepared for US retaliation, evacuating Kandahar and escaping into the desert, President Clinton rejected military action against the terrorists claiming that the evidence against Bin Laden was not strong enough. The State Department warned that attacking Bin Laden would inflame the Islamic world.



Very little has changed since then. Muslim terrorists strike and we are told to close our eyes and appease harder or we risk inflaming the tender sensitivities of the Muslim world.







Most Americans have grown numb to the parade of Islamic terrorists triumphantly exiting Gitmo as free men. No matter their risk rating, the Arabic names, the dark smirks and scowls all come to blend together. But Sabri is not just another Bin Laden bodyguard or operative. His cell has American blood on its hands.



The USS Cole attack was the final step on the road to 9/11. Our governments inaction sent a message that America could be hit hard and we would not retaliate. It told Al Qaeda that American blood was dirt cheap and that the murder of our people came with no price.



These days we are sending that same message all over again.



Obamas release of Sabri is yet another page in that same dark history. It is a betrayal of the dead and the wounded. And of their families. It is a betrayal of the promise made by his Democratic predecessor, vowing, After all they have given us, we must give them their meaning.



In 2009, Obama had met with USS Cole families and promised them swift action. But a year later the families were accusing his administration of inaction and broken promises. His statement on the tenth anniversary of the attack made no mention of bringing the attackers to justice. Instead he stated that, We will honor their legacy of selfless service by advancing the values that they stood for throughout their lives. What were these values and how did they justify releasing one of the Cole cell terrorists?



From Clinton to Obama, there has been a long shameful tradition of substituting vague generic sentiments for justice. Of speaking of honor and healing, of pain and history, of tragedy and courage, while giving the killers behind the attack yet another pass. There is neither honor nor courage in that.



Mashur Abdallah Ahmed al Sabri has left American custody as a free man. It is not inconceivable that Obama will free even the masterminds of the USS Cole attack. As he empties Guantanamo Bay of the monsters squatting in its darkest corners, he slowly works his way toward the worst of the worst with an eye to letting them all go.



After the USS Cole attack, President Clinton contended, If, as it now appears, this was an act of terrorism, it was a despicable and cowardly act. This uncertainty and lack of conviction continues to haunt our War on Terror. Behind every statement about courage and honor, there is an if. Lurking behind every promise of action is yet another if. And these Ifs keep anything from being done.



Clintons fight against Al Qaeda lacked any conviction that we were right and they were wrong. And that is why during the Clinton years, we lost and they won. Obama is not bothered by the hanging If. He knows that we are wrong and if the terrorists are not quite right, they are still more right than we are.



That is why Obama freed Sabri. It is why he freed a legion of other Gitmo inmates. It is why he has made shutting down the prison for Islamic terrorists into one of the major goals of his administration.



The USS Cole attack sent a message to Islamic terrorists that American lives did not matter to our government. Obamas release of Sabri tells ISIS, Al Qaeda and its brethren the same thing once again.



They have given us their deaths, let us give them their meaning, President Clinton declared. After all these years have passed, their deaths remain a debt that this country has yet to repay with meaning. The dead do not ask us for glory. Despite the promises of past governments, they have been forgotten beyond the close circles of their shipmates and their families. But they have a right to justice.



The valorous dead of the USS Cole have been betrayed too many times to count by each administration. Somewhere their restless spirits wait for a safe harbor in a better America that will see justice done.
Female Journalist, Sentenced to Ten Years, Beaten in Iran Prison

05/03/16

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

Mother of Afarin Chitsazs Describes Brutality Aimed at Forcing a Confession



Afarin Chitsaz



The mother of imprisoned newspaper columnist Afarin Chitsaz will make a judicial complaint to protest the beating of her daughter in prison. Maryam Azadpour, who recently broken her silence on Chitsazs case, described her daughters ordeal in an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

They blindfolded my daughter and beat her with a water bottle to get a confession out of her, Azadpour told the Campaign. The abuse was not carried out by the main interrogator, who was very respectful towards her. But in any case, we will pursue this matter with the case judge.

Political prisoners in Iran are often subjected to isolation, threats, and intense psychological and physical pressure, in order to be forced into making false confessions, which are the frequently broadcast by Iranian state TV to defame individuals and used in court as evidence to convict them.

Arrested on November 2, 2015 by the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Organization, Afarin Chitsaz, a columnist who wrote for the official daily newspaper of the Rouhani administration, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for collaboration with foreign governments and assembly and collusion against national security in April 2016.

She was sentenced to prison along with two other journalists, Ehsan Mazandarani and Ehsan (Saman) Safarzaei, as well as marketing manager Davoud Assadi, the brother of the Paris-based dissident journalist, Houshang Assadi.

Were shocked by the sentence. Afarin told me she wished she were dead. My daughter is very sick and depressed. We still dont know why she was arrested, Azadpour told the Campaign. Whats their evidence to accuse her of acting against national security or collaborating with foreigners? Afarin has rejected the sentence.

Azadpour added that her daughter was transferred from solitary confinement in the Revolutionary Guards-controlled Ward 2-A in Evin Prison to the Womens Ward.

For six months Afarin was held in a solitary 2-meter by 1.75-meter cell. She was allowed fresh air only twice a day for half an hour in the wards courtyard surrounded by walls. In the entire six months she wore the same clothes in which she was arrested. They wouldnt allow us to give her fresh clothes. Now shes in a general ward, which is much better than her situation before, but shes suffering from psychological shock, kidney pain and severe heart palpitations. She has gone to the prison infirmary a few times but they only gave her painkillers, said Azadpour.

Azadpour, who did not publicly speak about her daughters case until the sentence was issued, told the Campaign what happened on the day Afarin was arrested.

I had a dental appointment with my daughter in the afternoon but she didnt show up. I contacted her several times but she didnt answer the phone. Then I went to her house with Mohammad Nouri, the editor-in-chief of Iran newspaper [where Afarin Chitsaz was a columnist]. We broke the door and went inside. Thank God, I didnt see what I had feared, but the house had been turned upside down. That is when we thought she had probably been arrested. Mr. Nouri called every official he knew but got no information. By morning I had no choice but to return home to my sick husband, said Azadpour.

At 10 in the morning I got a call from Evin Prisons intelligence and security office informing me that my daughter was desperate to talk to me. They told me we could only talk for two minutes. All I could [get from that phone call was to] hear her voice and after that I heard nothing until a month later when we were able to visit her, continued Azadpour.

We visited her a few times before she was transferred to the public ward. The visits were always in the presence of an interrogator. During these visits I learned that eight agents had raided the house to arrest my young daughter, she added.

Azadpour insisted that her daughter was not a political activist.

Afarin loves Iran. She likes the Islamic Republic and Mr. Rouhani. They have accused her of assembly and collusion against national security, but my question is: Who did Afarin collude with? she said.

They have made the ridiculous charge of collaboration with foreign governments against her and yet she had no need for such activities. Yes, Afarin traveled abroad several times and her family had the means to easily leave Iran if she wanted to. But she loves Iran and wanted to stay. Afarin was a journalist. She painted and sometimes made documentaries. Thats all, explained Azadpour.

The trial of Issa Saharkhiz, a prominent reformist journalist who was arrested at the same time as Chitsaz on November 2, 2015, has been postponed for medical reasons while he receives hospital treatment for high blood pressure as well as kidney and heart diseases.

Less than a month after the four journalists and Davoud Assadi were arrested, Ahmad Khatami, the Friday Prayer leader of Tehran and a hardline member of Irans Assembly of Experts, claimed on November 30, 2015 that their confessions would soon be aired on state TV. So far that has not happened.

Recently some journalists were arrested for collaborating with the U.S. They confessed that some individuals gave them money in return for articles. The articles were revised and then offered to American newspapers, claimed Khatami.
Leader slams "sinful" travel to Turkish resort city

05/03/16 Source: Radio Zamaneh

Iran's Supreme Leader has spoken out against Iranians travelling to destinations such as Antalya in Turkey and called for a ban on the advertisement of such trips. The Javan News Agency reported on Monday May 2 that Ayatollah Khamenei has described Antalya, Turkey as a place of "vice and debauchery" and branded travelling to this city as "sinful".





The Javan News Agency, which is linked to the Revolutionary Guards, goes on to add that the leader of the Islamic Republic has expressed his hopes that trips to "religiously forbidden (haram) locations" are no longer promoted in the country.

The report goes on to speak out against the government's inaction against the four million travellers who visit such destinations in Turkey and Thailand each year from Iran and suggests that the least it could do is to disallow trips to such destinations directly from Iran.





source: shahmattours.com



According to an earlier report by Iranian tourism expert Babak Nematpour, 80,000 Iranians travelled to Antalya in March of last year but the number dropped to 40,000 this year due to the recent turmoil in Turkey.

Antalya remains one of the chief tourist attractions for Iranians travelling abroad.
Iran Nuclear Deal: One-time Event or Breakthrough?

05/03/16

By John Limbert (source: LobeLog)



cartoon by Mohammad Tahani, Iranian daily Arman





Tehran and Washington have apparently hired the same speechwriter to compose their public statements about the state of Iranian nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA). In both capitals the proclaimed view is identical: the nuclear agreement is only a one-off event and has no larger implications for U.S.-Iranian relations; there has been no break in the 35-year cycle of hostility between the two countries; the devil remains the devil, even if we had to make a deal with it; and the other side remains devious, domineering, and untrustworthy and has not abandoned its long-time goal of doing (us) mischief.

There is even competition to outdo the other side in insisting that, because of this hostility, the JCPOA will remain a limited, unique episode. In his recent Iranian New Years message, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denounced American tricks such as President Obamas Persian New Years message to the Iranian people and his setting up a ceremonial Iranian haft-seen (tabletop arrangement of seven symbolic items) at the White House. He continued, I am emphasizing my point about the enemy; I mean the United States. The nuclear deal, he insisted, has not changed that reality.

For its part, the U.S. has taken the same public attitude. President Obamas National Security Advisor Susan Rice recently told The Atlantic reporter Jeff Goldberg:

The Iran deal was never primarily about trying to open a new era of relations between the U.S. and Iran. The aim was simply to make a dangerous country less dangerous. No one had any expectation that Iran would be a more benign actor.

The editorialists at Tehrans conservative newspaper Keyhan could not resist calling Rices statement only a small part of the increasing anti-Iranian rhetoric of the American officials in recent months.

We get the point: both parties agree the U.S. and Iran were not friends, are not friends, and are not going to be friends. In Tehran, America is still the great Satan and world arrogance. In Washington, Iran remains the worlds number-one sponsor of terrorism with hegemonic ambitions to dominate the region. In her comments, Rice barely avoided saying malign, the U.S. militarys favorite adjective for Iranian actions.

Rhetoric vs. Reality

Despite these denials, the reality is different. In both capitals, The lady doth protest too much. Although officials will never admit it, there has been a drastic change in relations, and we are seeing interactions that a few ago were unthinkable. For 34 years, since 1979, the features of U.S.-Iranian relations were as follows:

The two sides barely spoke. Exchanges that did occur consisted of trading insults, accusations, and threats.

Attempts to change the relationship into something more productive foundered on suspicion, mistrust, diplomatic ineptitude, toxic domestic politics, bad timing, and bad luck.

Both sides nursed real and imagined grievances that festered and fed on themselves.

Without communication, small misunderstandings became major incidents. For example, when three young American hikers wandered into Iranian territory near Marivan, in Iranian Kurdistan, the episode, instead of being resolved quietly between consular and legal authorities, became a major political issue that bogged down on both sides for over two years.

The P5 + 1 negotiators over Irans nuclear program were mired in fruitless positional bargaining, statements of maximalist positions, and endless haggling over peripheral issues such as the time and place of a next meeting. The Iranian representative took extreme measures to avoid meeting his American counterpart.

Both sides convinced themselves that it was somehow more important to be tough than to be smart.

Like it or not, the above stalemate is breaking. The changes over the last three years have been profound, even as both sides deny that any change has happened. Washington and Tehran have discovered that saying yes-hard as it is-will not cause the sky to fall. Even those who beat their chests the hardest-such as the infamous Mr. Bigmouth in Tehran and those promoting hysterical Iranophobia in the U.S.-will have to admit, to their dismay, that things have changed.

Beyond the legal and scientific details of the nuclear agreement, negotiating and signing it was a major achievement. Both parties had to set aside beloved maximalist rhetoric if they wanted, in Washingtons case, verifiable limitations on Irans nuclear program and, in Tehrans, relief from international economic and financial sanctions. Most of the arguments against the agreement were not about the strengths and weaknesses of its contents. Instead, opponents criticized the entire process of diplomacy, stressed the evil and deceitful nature of the other side, and demanded a surrender instead of a negotiated agreement. On one side, opponents condemned the deal as worse than Munich, recalling the 1938 agreement with Nazi Germany that has come to symbolize selling out and the futile appeasement of aggression. On the other, opponents called the deal worse than Turkmanchai, recalling the humiliating 1829 treaty between Czarist Russia and Qajar Iran that cost the latter valuable territory and her very sovereignty. The comparisons, if not accurate, were very powerful for both parties by evoking memories of past degradation and defeat.

Evidence of Progress

Whatever people think of the nuclear agreement, the process of negotiation, and the whole subject of engagement, they will have to admit that, despite their denunciations, things are not the same now as they were just a few years ago. The following events, for example, would have been inconceivable.

American Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister M. Javad Zarif are in constant communication and are meeting regularly on issues related and unrelated to the nuclear deal;

American Secretary of Energy Ernest Muniz and his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi are in regular communication to resolve questions about the technical issues of the JCPOA;

The above contacts are described as positive and productive, adjectives not heard in an American-Iranian context for over three decades;

Lower-level officials are also in contact, and exchange email messages directly-something unheard of just a few years ago;

These exchanges have shredded Washingtons dubious no-contact policy that forbade American officials from dealing with their Iranian counterparts;

Iranian officials are able to have contacts with American counterparts-even Zarif and Rouhani with President Obama-with the apparent backing of the supreme leader, who fulminates publicly against any hint of rapprochement with the U.S.

This unprecedented level of contact has prevented the inevitable misunderstandings and setbacks from becoming debacles that could sink the agreement and the whole process of engagement. In January 2016, the new atmosphere led to the quick release of captive American sailors whose boats had gone into Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. While opponents of the deal in the U.S. were screaming hostage crisis (and probably wishing for a repeat of the1979 fiasco that helped end Jimmy Carters presidency), Kerry could call Zarif, and Zarif apparently could get the authorities to move Irans Revolutionary Guard Navy to do the smart thing. A few years before there would have been no one to pick up Kerrys call.

The April 22 meeting between Kerry and Zarif in New York provided another illustration of a new reality. The statements of the two were models of professionalism in a setting where countries have serious differences.

KERRY: As President Obama has said, as Secretary [of the Treasury] Jack Lew has said, and as I have said, and we have said it repeatedly, the United States is not standing in the way and will not stand in the way of business that is permitted with Iran since the JCPOA took effect... But I want to make clear the United States is committed to doing our part as we believe it is in our interest to ensure that the JCPOA...is in fact working for all participants. ZARIF: We will continue to have differences with the United States. Our differences are very serious in a good number of areas. We will - but we have decided together with the P5 + 1 to address this issue and we want to show that P5 + 1 and Iran have been able to resolve a very serious difficult issue through negotiations, and I believe we should take the necessary steps in that regard... KERRY: The foreign minister is correct: there are differences and some of them are obviously serious differences. Those have to be the subject of future discussion. But its important for people to understand that an agreement is an agreement, and we need to separate, even as we are working to resolve those other differences.

As both governments continue to issue statements that the nuclear agreement has changed nothing and the two sides remain sworn enemies, it is clear that much has changed. Now both sides have decided, after 35 years of exchanging empty rhetoric, to take a different path: to acknowledge disagreements and deal with them through contact, discussion, and engagement. Those changes, despite the official denials, are a very big deal.




Iran has over 190 cases ready to sue US: MP

05/03/16

Source: Press TV

A senior Iranian legislator has called on those who have sustained losses as a result of US hostile moves over the past decades to sue Washington in retaliation.



Chairman of Iran's parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Alaeddin Boroujerdi

Chairman of Iran's parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Alaeddin Boroujerdi

The US Supreme Court ruled last month Iran's assets frozen in a bank account to be turned over to the American families of those killed in a 1983 bombing in Beirut and other attacks blamed on Iran.

Iran has denied any role in the attack, and the money confiscated under the US court ruling belongs to the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). The assets have been blocked under US sanctions.

MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Iranians should sue the US over losses during the 1953 coup by the CIA and during the years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution

"We expect all those who have suffered losses during the Mordad 29 coup and years after the Islamic Revolution to file a lawsuit so that we can give a befitting response to the recent US encroachment," he said.

Boroujerdi further noted that Iranian nationals can file more than 190 cases with domestic courts against Washington compared to the 90 cases pending against Iran in US courts by the date.

"In the world of politics, one should possess counter pressure levers. Iran should therefore respond to the American move. We possess the means to take action against the US," he said.





Related book: The Coup: 1953, The CIA, and The Roots of Modern U.S.-Iranian Relations

by Ervand Abrahamian (July 2015)





Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has denounced the seizure of around $2 billion in frozen assets recently authorized by a US court ruling as "highway robbery," vowing that the Islamic Republic will retrieve the sum anyway.

"It is a theft. Huge theft. It is highway robbery. And believe you me, we will get it back," Zarif told The New Yorker magazine in an interview published on April 25.

In August 1953, the British and American intelligence agencies initiated a coup by the Iranian military, setting off a series of events, including riots in Tehran, which led to the overthrow and arrest of Mosaddeq.

His overthrow consolidated a pro-US monarchy's rule for the next 26 years.

After the Islamic Revolution, the US and its allies broadly supported the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in his invasion of Iran in 1980 and eight years of aggression.
The best 2-in-1 laptop 2022: our picks of the best convertible laptops

These are the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now
We now know the tradeoff for free Windows 10: Microsoft wants data about what you do with your device. But you dont have to send everything you do back to Redmond.

You can control the data you send back, and how often, by delving into Windows 10s privacy settings (weve taken you here before) and looking specifically at Feedback frequency and Diagnostic and usage data. The former is typically just an automated survey, but the diagnostic component actually peers into your machine.

These features comprised the Customer Experience Improvement Program, or CEIP, in previous versions of Windowsand they were voluntary. In Windows 10 theyve become mandatory, but you can control some aspects.

Start by going to Settings > Privacy > Feedback & diagnostics in Windows 10.

Set limits on what Microsoft sees with these feedback and diagnostic settings.

Changing the Feedback frequency

Every so often, Microsoft gets curious: Did you like this new version of an app? Would you recommend Windows 10 to a friend? Microsoft typically asks these sorts of questions of Insiders whove signed up to test Microsofts beta software, but regular Windows 10 users may be quizzed as well.

Solicitations for feedback are infrequent. In fact, if you leave the Feedback frequency setting at Automatic, youll rarely see a popup. But you may set Feedback to Never if youre dead-set against ever receiving the prompts.

If you dont want to wait for Microsoft to ask you for your opinion, you can change the Feedback setting to your liking.

If, on the other hands, you cant wait to tell Microsoft what you really think, you can adjust the setting to Once a week, or Once a day, or even Always, so that presumably anything Microsoft has a question about will be flagged for your attention. You can also go to Start > Windows Feedback and use that app to send feedback on a specific issue.

Whats collected for diagnostic and usage data

The diagnostic and usage data that Microsoft wants to collect, however, is much more intrusive. Microsoft wont know who you are by name, but it does track your device using a unique ID.

As you use Windows, we collect diagnostic and usage data that helps us identify and troubleshoot problems, improve our products and services, and provide you with personalized experiences, Microsoft explains in a FAQ. This data is transmitted to Microsoft and stored with one or more unique identifiers that can help us recognize an individual user on an individual device and understand the devices service issues and use patterns.

Heres the bad news: You cant turn off diagnostic data in the Settings menu. By default, its set to Full, which sends pretty much everything; however, you do have two dialed-back choices called Basic and Enhanced.

Part of what Microsoft collects includes the driver information governing your devices.

The Basic data setting collects the configuration data of your device (device name and model, as well as the hardware and software, including third-party apps and drivers); performance data, including how quickly programs respond to input; network data, including details of the networks you connect to and what radios youre using; and details of other hardware thats connected to your device.

Enhanced adds the ability to log how frequently or how long you use certain features or apps, which apps and features you use most often, how often you use Windows Help and Support, and which services you use to sign into apps, according to Microsoft. It will also report the memory state of an app when it crashes, helping Microsoft improve the Windows 10 experience. Microsoft cautions that it may collect parts of a document stored in that memory data.

Finally, the Full setting peers even deeper into your PC, but only in certain cases. When devices experience problems that are difficult to diagnose or replicate with Microsofts internal testing, Microsoft will randomly select a small number of devices set to the Full level that are also exhibiting the problem, and gather all of the data needed to diagnose and fix the problem. (Note that if youre a Windows Insider, your Diagnostic setting is automatically set to Full.)

Microsoft apparently doesnt even anonymize any personal data it collects via its Full diagnostics; it simply wont use that data for any sales purposes. If an error report contains personal data, we wont use that information to identify, contact, or target advertising to you, Microsoft says.

The data may also travel further than youd like. Microsoft says its own employees use it, but the company also shares the data with third-party affiliates and hardware partners where relevant.
A California court has dismissed part of a lawsuit brought by Twitter that challenges U.S. government restrictions on what it can say about surveillance requests on its users.

Twitter sued the government in 2014, alleging that the restrictions, which are common to all Internet service providers, infringe its First Amendment right to free speech.

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice asked the federal district court in Oakland, California, to toss out the lawsuit. It argued that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is a more suitable venue to hear the dispute, and that part of Twitters argument didnt stand because the company isnt disputing document classification decisions made by the government.

On Monday, a judge agreed with the governments latter argument but denied its request to shift the case to FISC.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers noted that the First Amendment does not allow someone subject to secrecy obligations to disclose classified information, so by failing to challenge the original classification, Twitters First Amendment argument didnt stand up.

But she gave Twitter until May 24 to amend its lawsuit and make a case that the surveillance requests are not classified information.

The company, like other Internet service providers, is not allowed to disclose the number of national security letters and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court orders received, even if that number is zero.

A longstanding ban was slightly relaxed in 2014 after the scope of U.S. government surveillance became clear though leaks by Edward Snowden. Companies are now allowed to report requests on a six-month delayed basis, in aggregate bands of 250 requests, but Twitter sued saying that wasnt enough.

The governments attempt to make FISC the venue for the argument failed because Twitter is not disputing an order or decision of the court. Its instead disputing the governments requirement to report the number of requests received in aggregate bands, the judge wrote.
Yet they are clearly properly armed. Even as advisors they work on the front lines and must be able to defend themselves, so they have all that stuff I mentioned. in any case, they are not "armed" improperly.



You are obviously meaning to say they shouldn't be in danger if they're advising and/or there needs to be more American troops in the area to prevent such a situation. Both are not just incorrect, but ridiculous.
Apple CEO Tim Cook still sees great potential in the Chinese market despite a drop in its revenue from the country in the first quarter.

In an interview to Jim Cramer of CNBCs Mad Money program, Cook said Monday that the middle class in China is expected to boom from 50 million people five years ago to almost 500 million in the next five years. This is an unprecedented growth of the middle class, said Cook, adding that he could not be more optimistic about China.

To a question from Cramer, Cook said it was an error by him not to to mention the figures about the burgeoning Chinese middle class during the companys recent earnings call.

Apple reported last month that the number of smartphones it sold worldwide fell by 16 percent to 51.2 million units in its fiscal second quarter ended March 26. The company saw a 26 percent year-on-year decline in revenue from Greater China, its second largest market. The revenue drop in mainland China was less at 11 percent.

The companys overall revenue and profit for the quarter also fell from the same period last year. But Cooks message on CNBC was that Apple was still doing fine, despite some investors and analysts expressing reservations about the outlook for the company.

Apple is facing iPhone fatigue and pressure is mounting for the company to innovate a new wow design beyond its standard rectangle form factor, said Neil Mawston, executive director at research firm Strategy Analytics, for example.

The company is to an extent the victim of its own success in the previous year with the iPhone 6. People are upgrading at a lower rate than they did last year but still higher than the year before, as the company had an abnormally high upgrade rate last year as people bought into the iPhone 6, Cook said. Now we are comparing to that along with the other things going on that many companies are facing with currency rates and macro economics, etc., he added.

Cook said the company is seeing higher rates of people switching from Android phones to iPhones, which was the largest ever in the last six months.

In China, its second largest market by revenue, switchers were up 40 percent from the first half of last year to the first half of this year, Cook said. The new 4-inch iPhone SE is doing well in that market and the company hopes to resolve soon with Chinese government agencies and businesses the issues that forced it to take its books and movie services online.

Services such as books and movies is an area in which the company sees great potential. Revenue from services, including Apple Music and the App Store, grew 20 percent to US$6 billion in the first quarter, and is the second largest revenue segment for the company.

The relationship with Apple doesnt stop when people buy an iPhone, but continues with users buying apps across the App Store, or subscribing to Apple Music, buying songs, renting moves, using Apple Pay and buying additional storage on iCloud, Cook said. All this follows from the number of people using Apple devices and there are currently over a billion in use, he added.

Services may be also an area for Apples merger and acquisitions. The company has said it may do bigger M&As than previously. Could it come in services? Yes, and weve bought some companies to help us in services. But it can also come in a number of other areas, Cook told Cramer.
Microsoft surprised the world last month when it filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, alleging that the frequent practice of attaching gag orders to search warrants for customer data violates the U.S. Constitution.

On Monday, CEO Satya Nadella told a group of tech luminaries why the company did so: Microsoft has a strong view on its privacy promises to users, and the company will fight to prevent government overreach that, in its view, compromises the principles of privacy.

Governments have a compelling need to help preserve public safety, but Microsoft wants to make sure that users privacy is also preserved, Nadella said.

We are hoping that there is a new framework of law that allows, in fact, our government in the United States to get the right balance between privacy and public safety, Nadella said during an interview at the Technology Alliances annual State of Technology luncheon in Seattle, monitored via webcast. The onus is on the United States to get that right, because we are, after all, the beacon that everyone else will look to. If we get it right, every other democracy will look to us as a model.

To that end, he and Microsoft President Brad Smith have called on governments to work together on rules that can cement both privacy protections and governments ability to keep citizens safe.

What remains to be seen is how well that push will work out. Governments around the world are wrestling with how to deal with encrypted systems that prevent anyone, even the companies that created the system in the first place, from getting access to data inside.
Uber Technologies faces more class-action lawsuits from drivers seeking reclassification as employees, even as its settlement in two other suits with drivers in California and Massachusetts has been submitted to a judge for approval.

In the new cases filed in Florida and Illinois, both aiming to be national class-action lawsuits unlike the earlier ones, the drivers have asked the court to address the alleged misclassification by the company of its drivers as independent contractors.

The settlement with drivers in lawsuits in California and Massachusetts provides some monetary and non-monetary benefits to the drivers, with Uber paying up to US$100 million to them. The issue of classification, which was the crux in the cases, was sidestepped.

Recognizing the drivers as employees would require the ride-hailing company to pay them benefits, which would push up the costs for the company. Uber has insisted that its model based around freelance contractors gives drivers flexibility to choose when to work and be their own bosses, among other things.

Based on the alleged misclassification, Uber drivers are required to bear many of the expenses of their employer, including expenses for their vehicles, gas, and other expenses, according to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami division.

Uber claims it is a lead-generation platform for connecting drivers with riders, but drivers are actually employees within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act as they are required to follow detailed requirements imposed by Uber, are rated by riders, and can be terminated based on their failure to meet requirements, according to the complaint.

The second lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois, Chicago division against Uber and CEO Travis Kalanick, also aims to represent Uber drivers across the U.S., other than those in Massachusetts and Illinois.

It asks the court to classify Uber drivers as employees and to help the drivers recover, among other things, unpaid overtime wages and compensation, reimbursement of all expenses incurred in performing their work as Uber drivers, and payment of all gratuities that were allegedly earned but stolen by Uber or were lost due to its communications and policies.

Uber could not be immediately reached for comment on the lawsuits.
Microsoft dove deeper into Internet of Things technology on Tuesday with the acquisition of Solair, an Italian company that operates a cloud-based IoT platform.

According to a Microsoft blog post, Solairs technology will be used to upgrade the companys Azure IoT Suite, a collection of cloud services meant to help companies use the Internet of Things.

Microsoft and Solair didnt disclose the financial terms of their deal.

Solairs technology, which already uses Microsofts Azure cloud services, offers IoT services focused on a variety of markets, including home automation, smart metering, remote maintenance and inventory management.

Microsoft didnt say specifically what it will get out of Solairs technology, but it promised to release more details on the integration of the two companies later.

Microsoft acquired Solair for its technology, not its customer base, MachNation analyst Dima Tokar wrote in a commentary. Sam George, the partner director for Azure IoT, said in a blog post that Microsoft is excited about the technology and talent that will come with the acquisition.

Azure is a key part of Microsofts corporate strategy. The company is betting big on getting more customers to use its cloud offerings, and acquisitions like this one are aimed at getting more companies to buy into the Azure ecosystem, especially for new workloads like those driven by IoT.
Californians kept statewide water savings high in March, saving 35 billion gallons of water despite 90 percent of the state lingering in drought, state water officials announced Tuesday, May 3.

Conservation feats by some Inland water users stood out even as western Riverside and San Bernardino counties continue experiencing extreme drought.

About a dozen Inland water suppliers were able to report saving more water in March than their mandated targets. Six others came close to their targets, according to compliance figures released Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento.

Yet other water suppliers didnt do as well, with at least eight missing their targets by about 9 to 14 percentage points.

The numbers reflect the boards adjustments in April lowering some suppliers savings targets, effective March 1, following significant rains and news that Californians water-saving efforts from June through February were 23.9 percent compared to 2013 water use  nearly meeting Gov. Jerry Browns 25 percent statewide conservation mandate.

While drought monitoring shows 74 percent of the state remains in extreme, severe or exceptional drought, water savings efforts throughout the state in March kept Californias 10-month cumulative savings at 23.9 percent, senior environmental scientist Jelena Hartman told the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento.

This is the most welcome news weve had in a long time, Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus said.

The state saved 24.3 percent in March, compared to March 2013.

The numbers indicate water conservation is now a habit and commitment for many Californians, said Hartman, who works in the states Office of Research, Planning and Performance.

Looking at statewide figures, March was cooler and wetter than in 2013, although much of the precipitation fell in Northern California and much of Southern California got below average rain or snowfall, she added.

Water conservation savings for March show Lake Arrowhead Community Services District, Crestline Village Water District and Lake Hemet Municipal Water District saved nearly 11 to 14 percentage points more than their targets, while the city of Hemet saved four percentage points more.

While most of those are in mountains that get more precipitation, three suppliers also benefited from targets lowered to between 8 to 14 percent. Yet Lake Hemet exceeded a 26 percent target.

East Valley Water District, San Bernardino, Rubidoux Community Services District, Ontario, Big Bear Community Services District, San Gabriel Fontana Water Company, Monte Vista Water District and Apple Valley Ranchos Water Company also saved more than they were asked to.

However, quite a few Inland suppliers missed their targets. Perris fell short of its 24 percent target by 14.3 percentage points. The Yucaipa Valley Water District missed its 34 percent target by 13.6 percentage points and Norco missed its 36 percent target by 12.4 percentage points.

Redlands, Loma Linda, Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District and Hesperia Water District were each about 10 percentage points under.

Public utilities and water districts have been pressing the agency to lower the 25 percent reduction mandate that took effect last June during Californias fourth year of severe drought, or to make individualized adjustments after suppliers were ordered to meet savings of up to 36 percent compared to their 2013 usage.

Water suppliers including some in the Inland region have urged the state to consider climate, growth and suppliers past efforts to save water and expand drinking water supplies.

Staff members have been working on permanent water conservation regulations that are expected to be released late this week or next week, as California enters its highest water use months. The water board may vote on the regulations May 18.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9444 or shurt@pressenterprise.com
Most elections are about the future, but the six candidates for Riverside mayor have focused, at least in public, on city officials past actions, whether they were right or wrong and who deserves credit and blame.

A Tuesday, May 3, forum attended by five of the six candidates covered the citys budget deficit, a proposed streetcar and council members pay. It also continued an ongoing argument between Mayor Rusty Bailey and Councilman Paul Davis about past decisions.

Bailey and challengers Davis, Sally Martinez, Nancy Melendez, Vivian Moreno and Patrick Small  who did not attend  will appear on the June 7 ballot.

Organized by the Raincross Group and moderated by Charter Communications Brad Pomerance, the forum was the last such event before vote-by-mail ballots begin going out next week. The Press-Enterprise and the Pick Group were event partners.

The city faces an estimated $12 million deficit next year. Candidates agreed that, as mayor, they would shrink their offices budget. Several said cuts should be across the board, including public safety.

Davis proposed the city end grants for nonprofit groups for two years and cut two assistant police chiefs because the department is top-heavy.

As for a possible sales tax, which would require voter approval, Moreno said she would oppose it. Melendez said she would vet the idea with residents before she could back it.

Bailey and Davis traded accusations over the citys 2014 investigation of a complaint against Davis and the councilmans later recovery of his legal fees.

A surprise came with Baileys disavowal of his support for Measure A, which would create a city prosecutors office. Bailey signed the ballot argument for the measure, but said it should have been vetted through a citizens charter review committee.

Davis, who opposed the measure, called Baileys reversal a complete cop out and asked why Bailey didnt veto the council vote to place it on the ballot.

Baileys streetcar project, which is being studied, was panned by the rest of the candidates. Martinez said its not a good idea, especially in light of the citys existing financial problems. Bailey defended the streetcar by calling it a long-term idea for public investment and infrastructure.

On council members raises proposed in Measure B, Moreno and Davis said yes; the other three said not now.

Several candidates also got in a skirmish over a recently filed $115 million lawsuit that challenges how the city calculates how much it transfers from the electric utility to the general fund.

Bailey alleged the suit came from Davis political camp. Davis acknowledged the plaintiff is a friend who has worked on his campaign, but said he didnt know about the suit beforehand.

The forum can viewed on the Raincrosss Facebook page.
This isnt how Donald Trump imagined closing the biggest deal of his life.

Instead of triumphantly addressing Californias GOP convention this weekend with his enemies silenced and his sights on Hillary Clinton, he is now hunkering down to spend the next several weeks in the Golden State  usually an afterthought in presidential politics  fighting a series of bloody battles with John Kasich and Ted Cruz, congressional district by congressional district.

No one has ever had to do anything like this before in California, said Richard Temple, a veteran Republican strategist who is working on an independent campaign to derail front-runner Trump because he feels the bombastic New York businessman and reality TV star will destroy the party he loves  and almost surely lead the GOP to a crushing defeat in November.

So Temple and other California strategists are mining demographic, marketing and voting trend data, trying to find where Trump is most vulnerable. They will then marshal resources to those enclaves  whether that means hiring people to call voters, knock on their doors or bombard them with mailers.

This is going to be hand-to-hand combat, Temple said. Youre talking about five reams of paper sitting on my desk. Im going to figure out how each one of these districts tick.

Theyll sort the immigration-loving GOP executives in the Silicon Valley from the conservative ranchers along the southern border who feel their land has been invaded by a foreign force. Theyll figure out how to appeal to deeply religious Latinos in East Los Angeles and drought-stricken farmers up and down the Central Valley.

The challenge they face in halting Trumps advance toward the nomination should become clearer after todays Indiana primary. Trump needs a strong showing in the Hoosier State, where polls show him slightly ahead of Cruz, to avoid needing to effectively run the table in California on June 7, the last day of this crazy primary season.

Either way, Californias Republicans will either put Trump over the 1,237-delegate threshold to claim the GOP nomination outright  or make him fight for it in late July at the partys national convention in Cleveland, where Cruzs organizational muscle gives him an advantage.

But winning big in California is no simple task  and it certainly wont be a cheap one in a huge, diverse state where TV commercials are as pricey as the homes that dot the Pacific Coast from San Diego to the Bay Area.

Look at Californias Republican contest as 53 separate elections fought in each of the states congressional districts. The top vote-getter will receive three delegates no matter if the district is full of Berkeley socialists or Tea Party activists.

For all the fretting about the state GOP shrinking into oblivion, California is still home to more registered Republicans  4.7 million  than any state besides Texas.

If there is one common thread that ties GOP voters together, its that many of them are angry about how the race has been fought. And theyre increasingly dissatisfied about their options.

In a nutshell, the Republicans are trying to destroy each other and get Hillary elected, said Dave Stanley, a retired Navy veteran from Imperial Beach, a military town wedged between San Diego and the border. Hes concluded that the only way out is for the party to draft Mitt Romney to run again.

Trump has the most to gain from California, but he also faces the toughest task. Even if he fares well in todays Indiana primary, projections show him needing to win up to 40 out of Californias 53 congressional districts to claim the nomination outright.

For Trump to prevail, analysts say, hell have to do two things hes avoided thus far: open up his checkbook  which he recently committed to doing  and stop relying solely on cable news coverage to deliver his message.

You cant count on crossing your fingers and hoping that people will turn on their televisions, said Bill Whalen, a longtime GOP operative whos now a research fellow at Stanfords Hoover Institution. You have to reach out to people; you have to target them. If he doesnt organize and he doesnt have a game plan for attacking all of the districts, he will underperform.

The campaign recently started polling and expects to soon have several thousand volunteers reaching out to voters in key districts, veteran GOP operative Tim Clark said.

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Trump and Clinton cruising in California according to poll
A compact car slammed into a telephone pole in Mecca, ejecting and killing the 52-year-old city resident whod been behind the wheel, say California Highway Patrol officers and Riverside County coroners officials.

Maria Patricio-Ozuna died at the scene of the 10:15 p.m. single-car wreck Saturday, April 30, along Avenue 62, 538 feet west of Gene Welmas Road.

She was driving east in a 2002 Toyota Edge that veered across the westbound lane into a dirt shoulder, hit the phone pole and overturned, CHP investigators said in a written statement.

Ozuna was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected, according to the statement. She was found lying on her back in front of the car.
Voters in the 31st Congressional District dont need the presidential race to find Republican candidates attacking each other.

Sean Flynns campaign this week unveiled a TV ad that depicts fellow Republicans Paul Chabot and Joe Baca and Democratic incumbent Pete Aguilar as cardboard dummies.

Congress is full of em: dummy politicians who dont have a clue, an announcer says. Time for an outsider who can fix it, Republican Sean Flynn. Sean Flynns no dummy  but he did write Economics for Dummies.

The Flynn plan? Streamline and balance the budget, replace Obamacare, cut regulations to create more high paying jobs  now thats smart. Republican Sean Flynn  because we cant afford more dummies in D.C.

The Flynn camp sent out a press release about the 30-second ad. Minutes later, Chabot fired back with his own press release accusing Flynn of mud-slinging and donating to Democrat politicians who bankroll President Obama and his liberal policies.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, said Chabot campaign strategist John Thomas. Sean Flynn must think voters are dummies if he expects them to buy what hes selling.

The truth is Flynn has zero experience fighting crime and terrorism. While Sean was sharpening pencils in the safety of an ivory tower classroom, Paul served in Iraq as a counter-terrorism military officer fighting terrorists, and returned home to fight criminals here in our communities.

Baca, Chabot and Flynn are trying to unseat Aguilar, a former Redlands mayor, in the 31st, which includes Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, Loma Linda and Grand Terrace. The top two vote-getters in the June 7 primary, regardless of party, advance to the November general election.

Besides sparring over TV ads, Chabot and Flynn are fighting over endorsements. Flynns supporters include the Inland Empire Taxpayers Association, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel.

Chabot is trumpeting his endorsement of the San Bernardino County GOP, as well as the backing of former UN ambassador John Bolton and Inland Reps. Ken Calvert and Duncan Hunter, among others.

While Flynn has been touting his background in economics, Chabot has been selling himself as a man with a plan to defeat the Islamic State. Chabot has been handing out terrorist hunting permits to supporters.

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Electronic dance shows must go on, just not at the San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore, a San Bernardino County supervisor said Monday, May 2.

We gave it a shot. Its time for these events not to be at this county facility anymore, Supervisor Janice Rutherford said Monday, referring to the controversial Nocturnal Wonderland and Beyond Wonderland events, held annually at the nations largest outdoor music venue since 2013.

While extremely popular with youth culture and profitable to the cities or counties in which they are held, the rave-style music events, historically, have been a nuisance to the settled inhabitants who reside near the venues.

After ongoing complaints from residents and business owners about noise, rampant drug use, loitering and other public safety concerns when the events were held at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, the dance shows moved to Devore in 2013.

And then it started all over again. Dozens, if not hundreds, of residents from Devore to the mountain community of Crestline have complained to county supervisors about noise, drug use, heavy traffic and scantily-clad, loitering concertgoers since the dance shows began in 2013.

A friend of mine was approached on her property by ravegoers asking to use her restroom, said Karan Slobom, a Devore resident of 44 years, on Monday. Theyre all over the place. And you would not believe how they dress. Its indecent exposure.

At last Septembers Nocturnal Wonderland event, attendance hit nearly 85,000 and saw 32 people hospitalized and 300 arrested, more than a third for drug-related offenses, authorities said.

And the events have proven deadly as well.

During last years Beyond Wonderland event, John Hoang Dinh Vo, 22, of San Diego, died from an ecstasy overdose at Loma Linda University Medical Center after suffering a seizure at the venue. A red pill found in Vos possession, shaped like a shield with the letters UPS imprinted on it, tested positive for Ecstasy. A friend of Vos told investigators he observed Vo take Ecstasy and drink at least one beer at the festival, according to a coroners investigation report.

During a telephone conversation Monday, Victor Trevino, vice president of communications for LiveNation, requested questions be sent via e-mail. Those questions were not immediately answered.

During an April 5 Board of Supervisors meeting, several Devore residents attended and again voiced their concerns about the noise and the heavy traffic, blaming the March 19 death of a bicyclist at the northbound 15 Freeway onramp on heavy traffic generated by the Beyond Wonderland event occurring at the time.

According to the California Highway Patrol, 20-year-old Jimmy Fraley was riding his bicycle west on Devore Road, approaching the northbound 15 Freeway onramp, when Pedro Ramirez, 51, of Adelanto, made a left turn onto the freeway onramp from eastbound Devore Road in his pickup, directly in front of Fraley. Fraley struck the pickup and was ejected from his bicycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Supervisor Josie Gonzales noted during the April 5 meeting that Ramirez was not an attendee at Beyond Wonderland.

Still, given the continual and numerous complaints from area residents and the ongoing issues of rampant drug use, deaths and arrests at the events, Rutherford decided it was time to take drastic action. She referred to a clause in the countys contract with LiveNation that said should the venue become a safety hazard or be subject to complaints from the neighboring community, LiveNation would agree to no longer hold the events at the amphitheater.

Id like to know from county counsel what procedure we need to put in place to activate this contract provision and prevent these events from happening at (San Manuel Amphitheater) anymore, Rutherford said during the April 5 meeting, addressing County Counsel Jean-Rene Basle. The impacts on the community have become absolutely intolerable. If you compare the number of attendees and both arrests, hospitalization and deaths, this is off the charts.

Basle said he would coordinate with county CEO Greg Devereaux and the county parks department to investigate the residents claims, then decide what action to take.

County spokesman David Wert said Monday that no recommendation has gone to the Board of Supervisors since the April 5 meeting.

Slobom, who was one of the residents who attended the April 5 Board of Supervisors meeting to voice her concerns, said at least four or five Devore residents, possibly more, plan to attend Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting as well to continue pressing the issue.

Contact the writer: joe.nelson@langnews.com or @sbcountynow
Against deployment of US ground troops overseas



Reportedly, the US department of defense improperly and unwisely suggested deployment of US ground troops in a number of foreign states, the strategy that if adopted will lead to US engagement in many foreign wars, loss of trillions of US dollars and millions of US lives, defeat and disorderly withdrawal of the US armed forces to the territory of the United States of America, bankruptcy of the United States of America and adoption of the constitutional amendments to the US constitution, prohibiting deployment of US armed forces outside the territory of the United States of America in times of peace and establishing that the US constitution and US laws apply exclusively in the territory of the United States of America.



In Afghanistan, a brave American general falsely claims that he needs 5,000 more US troops to defeat Taleban freedom fighters. In fact, presently there are hundreds of thousands of Taleban freedom fighters in Afghanistan, supported by 5/6 of the Afghan population, who do not desire the presence of US and NATO armed forces in Afghanistan. In the territory of Afghanistan no weapon formed against Taleban will prosper, and every tongue that raises in judgment against Taleban, Taleban will condemn, for Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit has loved Taleban with everlasting and unchangeable love: all Taleban freedom fighters are blessed by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all blessings of Leviticus 26:3-13, all Afghan and foreign enemies of Taleban are accursed unto destruction by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all curses of Leviticus 26:14-39, and will be overcome, killed and robbed whoever they are. In the territory of Afghanistan Taleban freedom fighters will overcome, defeat, kill and rob all of Afghan and foreign enemies of Taleban freedom fighters whoever they are. Taleban freedom fighters will fight to Victory or death, to the last man, woman and child, leaving the enemy scorched earth instead of plunder, and will overcome, defeat and kill all US and NATO armed forces in the territory of Afghanistan, drowning them in the rivers of US and NATO blood, for Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will fight in the territory of Afghanistan for Taleban and against all Afghani and foreign enemies of Taleban whoever they are, so that Taleban freedom fighters may live in peace in their own Afghan land, under their tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, autonomy, self-government, the rights and authority of Afghani provinces, districts and tribes, customs and traditions of Pashtun Afghani tribes, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of Afghani citizens and residents.



There is a reasonable settlement in Afghanistan: re-establishment of the legitimate government of Afghanistan, the islamic emirate of Afghanistan, in which Taleban freedom fighters and Pashtun tribes to which they belong will serve as defenders of all Afghani tribes, while non-Pashtun Afghani tribes will be allowed to reside under their tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, autonomy, self-government, the rights and authority of Afghani provinces, districts and tribes, customs and traditions of non-Pashtun Afghani tribes, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of Afghani citizens and residents in non-Pashtun Afghani provinces. The everlasting and unchangeable condition for this reasonable settlement in Afghanistan, as well as for any ceasefire talks or any peace talks in Afghanistan, established by Taleban, is complete withdrawal of all US and NATO armed forces from the territory of Afghanistan. Therefore, if the United States of America desires peace in Afghanistan, the United States of America will swiftly and unconditionally withdraw all US and NATO armed forces from the territory of Afghanistan, and if the United States of America desires war in Afghanistan, all US and NATO armed forces will be overcome, defeated, killed to the last man and woman, and expelled from the territory of Afghanistan, drowned in the rivers of US and NATO blood by victorious Taleban freedom fighters



Reportedly, US and NATO soldiers and officers raped, tortured and killed tens of thousands of Afghani civilians, some of whom for sports. The same will be done unto US and NATO men, women and children, according to the everlasting and unchangeable principle, in force as long as the earth exists: thou shalt give earthly life for earthly life, burning for burning, stripe for stripe, hand for hand, foot for foot, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, wound for wound (Exodus 21:23-25).



It is important for US soldiers and officers not to deploy to Afghanistan, in order not to come back in body bags.



In Iraq, reportedly thousands of US ground forces are improperly and unwisely deployed to fight against the islamic state of Iraq and Syria. Presently, there are millions of Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians, Babylonians and Chaldeans of the islamic state of Itaq and Syria, with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Syrians and islamic volunteers, supported by large majority of Iraqis still faithful to the baath party of Iraq, and tens of millions of Arabs and muslims in Arab and islamic states, nations and peoples of the world. As the result of improper and unwise US bombings in Iraq and deployment of US ground forces in Iraq, convergence between forces of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria and the baath party of Iraq took place, and the holy urban and rural war of national liberation of Iraq is waged by the Iraqi people against US and NATO forces and Iraqi democratic collaborators.



Historically established international law is clear: Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria have blood-based settlement rights, being a part of the indigenous Assyrian people of Iraq and Syria, that traditionally resides in the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah provinces of Syria. In fact, most of the warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, Assyria, are Assyrians and descendants of Assyrians forced to leave their land in the past and presently returning to reside in the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah provinces of Syria under protection of God, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, following the Assyrian tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, customs and traditions of Assyrians and Babylonians, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of citizens and residents of Iraq and Syria. Therefore, international law prohibits expulsion and eradication of Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, a part of the indigenous Assyrian people of Iraq and Syria, that traditionally resides in the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah provinces of Syria.



In his infinite wisdom Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit established the glorious future for Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, making Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria invincible in the territory of the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah Assyrian provinces of Syria.



Of Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit said:



Joel 2:1-10

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain of Sinai: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

A fire devoureth before the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria; and behind the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria.

The appearance of the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria run.

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

Before the face of the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

The Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall run like mighty men; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall climb the wall like men of war; and the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall march every one on his ways, and the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall not break their ranks:

Neither shall one thrust another; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall walk every one in his path: and when the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria fall upon the sword, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall not be wounded.

The Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall run to and fro in the city; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall run upon the wall, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall climb up upon the houses; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

The earth shall quake before the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining



Jeremiah 37:7-10

Behold, the army of any and all states and all nations of earth, which is come forth to help Iraqis, shall return into their own land.

And the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall come again, and fight against the city of Baghdad, and take the city of Baghdad, and burn the city of Baghdad with fire.

Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves, saying, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city of Baghdad with fire.









Revelation 14:8

And there followed another angel saying Babylon [Baghdad] is fallen is fallen that great city of Baghdad because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication



Revelation 16:19

And the great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon [Baghdad] came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness [furiousness] of his wrath



The Word of God is clear: the islamic state of Iraq and Syria will not be defeated and will not be degraded in Iraq and Syria, but will go from strength to greater strength in Iraq and Syria, eventually taking the city of Baghdad (Babylon) and burning it with fire in one hour (Revelation 17-18 ) in awful punishment of God for heinous historical war crimes of Babylonians and Chaldeans against the state of Israel and the city of Jerusalem described in Jeremiah 50-51 and in awful punishment of God for heinous war crimes of US and NATO aggressors and Iraqi democratic collaborators against Iraqi muslims, initiating partition of Iraq into the free, sovereign and independent state of Kurdistan consisting of the autonomous region of Kurdistan and the province of Kirkuk of Iraq, the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq that will reunify with their Assyrian and Syrian brothers in the free Syrian state, the Syrian Arab federative islamic republic (SAFIR) after the fall of the bloody and blasphemous assad regime, and the rest of Iraqi territory (without the autonomous region of Kurdistan, the province of Kirkuk of Iraq, the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq), that will reunify with the islamic republic of Iran, thereby fulfilling the eternal and unchangeable decree of Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, finishing the history of Iraq and the city of Baghdad - mene, mene, tekel, upharsin (Daniel 5:25-28, Jeremiah 50-51, Revelation 14:8, 16:17-21, 17-18 ). And in vain do US and NATO armed forces fight against the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, for Creator God, God, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will never change, as it is written:







Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?



Daniel 4:35

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and God doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?



All Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria are blessed by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all blessings of Leviticus 26:3-13, all Iraqi, Syrian and foreign enemies of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria are accursed unto destruction by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all curses of Leviticus 26:14-39, and will be overcome, killed and robbed whoever they are. Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria in the territory of Iraq and Syria will overcome, defeat, kill and rob all of Iraqi, Syrian and foreign enemies of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria whoever they are. Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria will fight to Victory or death, to the last man, woman and child, leaving the enemy scorched earth instead of plunder, and will overcome, defeat and kill all US and NATO armed forces in the territory of Iraq and Syria, drowning them in the rivers of US and NATO blood, for Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will fight in the territory of Iraq and Syria for the islamic state of Iraq and Syria and against all Iraqi, Syrian and foreign enemies of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria whoever they are, so that Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria may live in peace in their own Syrian and Iraqi land, under the Assyrian tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, customs and traditions of Assyrians and Babylonians, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of citizens and residents of Iraq and Syria.



After the terrorist attack in the United States of America in 2001 an emotional decision was made by boastful lying US and NATO generals to wage an aggressive war against Iraq and Afghanistan, the decision that was proven by subsequent events to be wrong. Against this decision a few reasonable men, including my humble person, spoke out at that time, only to be ignored by boastful lying US and NATO generals deceiving the American people with their false promises of victory in Iraq and Afghanistan and causing the American people thousands of lost precious lives of American soldiers and officers and trillions in wasted US federal government expenditures: in fact the civil war in Iraq and the civil war in Afghanistan is continuing to this day.



Therefore, if the United States of America does not desire to lose in vain the lives of US and NATO soldiers and officers and US federal government expenditure, the United States of America will swiftly and unconditionally withdraw all US and NATO ground forces from the territory of Iraq, and if the United States of America desires war in Iraq, all US and NATO armed forces will be overcome, defeated, killed to the last man and woman and expelled from the territory of Iraq, drowned in the rivers of US and NATO blood, by victorious Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, and victorious forces of the baath party of Iraq.



Reportedly, US and NATO soldiers and officers raped, tortured and killed tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians, some of whom for sports. The same will be done unto US and NATO men, women and children, according to the everlasting and unchangeable principle, in force as long as the earth exists: thou shalt give earthly life for earthly life, burning for burning, stripe for stripe, hand for hand, foot for foot, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, wound for wound (Exodus 21:23-25).



It is important for US soldiers and officers not to deploy to Iraq in order not to come back in body bags.



In Syria, reportedly hundreds of US ground forces are unlawfully and groundlessly deployed to fight against the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, in violation of the sacred and inalienable national sovereignty of Syria.



After the terrorist attack in the United States of America in 2001 an emotional decision war made by boastful lying US and NATO generals to wage aggressive was made against Iraq and Afghanistan, the decision that was proven by subsequent events to be wrong. Against this decision a few reasonable men, including my humble person, spoke out at that time, only to be ignored by boastful lying US and NATO generals deceiving the American people with their false promises of victory in Iraq and Afghanistan and causing the American people thousands of lost precious lives of American soldiers and officers and trillions in wasted US federal government expenditures: in fact the civil war in Iraq and the civil war in Afghanistan are continuing to this day. In fact, the fall of the bloody baathist regime of saddam hussein in Iraq made the Syrian civil war and the fall of the bloody and blasphemous bashar assad regime in Syria inevitable.



Presently, there are millions of Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians, Babylonians and Chaldeans of the islamic state of Itaq and Syria, with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Syrians and islamic volunteers, supported by the majority of Syrian freedom fighters and tens of millions of Arabs and muslims in Arab and islamic states, nations and peoples of the world. As a result of unlawful and groundless US bombings in Syria and deployment of US ground forces in Syria convergence between Syrian freedom fighters and Assyrians, descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria took place, and the holy urban and rural war of national liberation of Syria is waged by the Syrian people against US and NATO invaders, Russian, Iranian and Turkish invaders, and assadites, in which Syrian freedom fighters will overcome, defeat and kill to the last man and woman US and NATO invaders, Russian, Iranian and Turkish invaders, drowning US and NATO invaders, Russian, Iranian and Turkish invaders in the rivers of US, NATO, Russian, Iranian and Turkish blood and expelling US and NATO invaders, Russian, Iranian and Turkish invaders from the territory of Syria.



It is lawful, feasible and reasonable for the United States of America to supply personal weapons and appropriate munitions to all brigades of Syrian freedom fighters, to provide military training to all brigades of Syrian freedom fighters and not to interfere with islamic volunteers who travel to Syria to join all brigades of Syrian freedom fighters. It is feasible and reasonable for Turkey, jointly with Syrian freedom fighters, to establish a no-flight zone in the Syrian province of Aleppo, wherein Syrian refugees can return and settle in refugee camps guarded by Syrian freedom fighters. In contrast, deployment of US and NATO ground troops to Syria will turn the whole Syrian people against US and NATO: all US and NATO armed forces will be overcome, defeated and killed to the last man and woman by victorious Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians, islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, by victorious islamic warriors of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham and islamic warriors of Ahrar Al Sham, by victorious Syrian freedom fighters, for Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will fight in the territory of Syria for the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, for Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, for Syrian freedom fighters, and against US and NATO, against all Syrian and foreign enemies of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, Syrian freedom fighters, whoever they are, so that Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria and Jabhat Fatah Al Sham may live in peace in their own Syrian land, under the Assyrian tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, customs and traditions of Assyrians and Syrians, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of citizens and residents of Syria.



Some still advocate, improperly and unwisely, foreign military intervention and international military intervention in Syria. Indeed, there was time in 2012 when humanitarian international military intervention in Syria by 50,000 Egyptian peacekeepers and 50.000 Turkish peacekeepers, authorized by UN and the League of Arab states, advocated by reasonable men and women, including my humble person, would have removed the bloody and blasphemous assad regime from power in Syria, would have destroyed Syrian chemical weapons of mass destruction, would have saved hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilian lives and would have allowed millions of Syrians not to become refugees, yet the Egyptian army refused to undertake humanitarian international military intervention in Syria and the decision of the Egyptian army shall be respected. Furthermore, foreign military intervention and international military intervention in Syria is prohibited under the agreement with Syria with regard to destruction of chemical weapons of mass destruction.



Others improperly and unwisely disapprove of arming and training brigades of Syrian freedom fighters. The unchangeable principle of international law commands to provide personal weapons to the people against which genocide is committed if such a people desires to take up personal weapons to defend life, freedom from enslavement, dignity from rape and physical assault, movable property, land up to 100 hectares per citizen of the state/family and kin of the citizens of the state and real estate situated upon such land: there are no exceptions whatsoever from this unchangeable principle of international law, confirmed inter alias in the laws of Persians and the Iranians and Persian and Iranian kings, which are unchangeable and in force as long as the Persian and Iranian peoples and the earth exists, and all nations of the world, great and small, including superpowers, and all international organizations, including the UN, must comply with this unchangeable principle of international law.



The selfsame unchangeable principle of international law compels any state, neighboring a state that committed genocide, that is, within last seven years murdered more than 10,000 (wo)men who did not commit the abominable deeds of sexual perversions (homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, incest, ********** (sexual relations with girls below 12 years of age)), abominations (child murders (abortions), change of gender, cannibalism, human cloning), intentional murder, enslavement of men/women or selling of men/women to slavery, is forcefully abolished, and a new state established, respectful of the commandments of God and Lord Jesus Christ, customs and traditions of the state-forming people, and natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights, traditional rights of the citizens and residents of the state (Exodus 17:14,16, I Samuel 15:3), to let pass through its territory volunteers armed with personal weapons: military knives, handguns, semi-automatic and automatic rifles, machine guns, grenades, portable grenade launchers, portable missile launchers, portable anti-aircraft missiles, portable anti-tank missiles, portable naval missiles and appropriate munitions, or unarmed, joining the lawful holy war on behalf of the people against which genocide or an aggressive war is committed. The state that refuses under any pretext whatsoever, including concerns of national sovereignty or national security, any international law and any law of mankind, to let pass through its territory volunteers armed with personal weapons: military knives, handguns, semi-automatic and automatic rifles, machine guns, grenades, portable grenade launchers, portable missile launchers, portable anti-aircraft missiles, portable anti-tank missiles, portable naval missiles and appropriate munitions, or unarmed, joining the lawful holy war on behalf of the people against which genocide or an aggressive war is committed, becomes co-responsible for genocide and an aggressive war committed against another people, thereby bringing destruction and desolation upon the state and the state-forming people that refuses under any pretext whatsoever, including concerns of national sovereignty or national security, to let pass through its territory volunteers armed with personal weapons: military knives, handguns, semi-automatic and automatic rifles, machine guns, grenades, portable grenade launchers, portable missile launchers, portable anti-aircraft missiles, portable anti-tank missiles, portable naval missiles and appropriate munitions, or unarmed, joining the lawful holy war on behalf of the people against which genocide or an aggressive war is committed.



Therefore, those who improperly and unwisely disapprove of arming and training brigades of Syrian freedom fighters must respect the above-mentioned unchangeable principle of international law, whether they like it or whether they dislike it, against their will, and shall address their complaints about words and deeds of any and all brigades of Syrian freedom fighters to the bloody and blasphemous assad regime that forced Alawites to worship bashar assad as a god and instead of God, that committed genocide against the Syrian people, murdering in cold blood tens of thousands of Syrian civilian men, women and children, used chemical weapons of mass destruction repeatedly against Syrian civilian men, women and children, and for more than one year after the beginning of the Syrian civil war refused the repeated proposals of Syrian freedom fighters and Syrian opposition for negotiated settlement.



Historically established international laws is clear: Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria have blood-based settlement rights, being a part of the indigenous Assyrian people of Iraq and Syria, that traditionally resides in the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah provinces of Syria. In fact, most of the warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, Assyria, are Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians forced to leave their land in the past and presently returning to reside in the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah provinces of Syria under protection of God, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, following the Assyrian tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, customs and traditions of Assyrians and Babylonians, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of citizens and residents of Iraq and Syria. Therefore, international law prohibits expulsion and eradication of the Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, a part of the indigenous Assyrian people of Iraq and Syria, that traditionally resides in the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah provinces of Syria.



Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit in his infinite wisdom established the glorious future for Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, making Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria invincible in the territory of the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq and Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah Assyrian provinces of Syria.



Of Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit said:



Joel 2:1-10

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain of Sinai: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

A fire devoureth before the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria; and behind the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria.

The appearance of the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria run.

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

Before the face of the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

The Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall run like mighty men; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall climb the wall like men of war; and the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall march every one on his ways, and the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall not break their ranks:

Neither shall one thrust another; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall walk every one in his path: and when the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria fall upon the sword, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall not be wounded.

The Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall run to and fro in the city; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall run upon the wall, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall climb up upon the houses; the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

The earth shall quake before the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining



Jeremiah 37:7-10

Behold, the army of any and all states and all nations of earth, which is come forth to help Iraqis, shall return into their own land.

And the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall come again, and fight against the city of Baghdad, and take the city of Baghdad, and burn the city of Baghdad with fire.

Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves, saying, the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Assyrians and the descendants of the Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city of Baghdad with fire.



Revelation 14:8

And there followed another angel saying Babylon [Baghdad] is fallen is fallen that great city of Baghdad because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication



Revelation 16:19

And the great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon [Baghdad] came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness [furiousness] of his wrath



The Word of God is clear: the islamic state of Iraq and Syria will not be defeated and will not be degraded in Iraq and Syria, but will go from strength to greater strength in Iraq and Syria, eventually taking the city of Baghdad (Babylon) and burning it with fire in one hour (Revelation 17-18 ) in awful punishment of God for heinous historical war crimes of Babylonians and Chaldeans against the state of Israel and the city of Jerusalem described in Jeremiah 50-51 and in awful punishment of God for heinous war crimes of US and NATO aggressors and Iraqi democratic collaborators against Iraqi muslims, initiating partition of Iraq into the free, sovereign and independent state of Kurdistan consisting of the autonomous region of Kurdistan and the province of Kirkuk of Iraq, the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq, which will reunify with their Assyrian and Syrian brothers in the free Syrian state, the Syrian Arab federative islamic republic (SAFIR) after the fall of the bloody and blasphemous assad regime, and the rest of Iraqi territory (without the autonomous region of Kurdistan, the province of Kirkuk of Iraq, the Assyrian provinces of Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Dulaim (Al-Anbar) of Iraq), which will reunify with the islamic republic of Iran, thereby fulfilling eternal and unchangeable decree of Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, finishing the history of Iraq and the city of Baghdad - mene, mene, tekel, upharsin (Daniel 5:25-28, Jeremiah 50-51, Revelation 14:8, 16:17-21, 17-18 ). And in vain do US and NATO armed forces fight against the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, for Creator God, God, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will never change, as it is written:



Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?



Daniel 4:35

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and God doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?



All Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria are blessed by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all blessings of Leviticus 26:3-13, all Iraqi, Syrian and foreign enemies of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria are accursed unto destruction by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all curses of Leviticus 26:14-39, and will be overcome, killed and robbed whoever they are. Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria in the territory of Iraq and Syria will overcome, defeat, kill and rob all of Iraqi, Syrian and foreign enemies of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, whoever they are. Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria will fight to Victory or death, to the last man, woman and child, leaving the enemy scorched earth instead of plunder, and will overcome, defeat and kill all US and NATO armed forces in the territory of Iraq and Syria, drowning them in the rivers of US and NATO blood, for Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will fight in the territory of Iraq and Syria for the islamic state of Iraq and Syria and against all Iraqi, Syrian and foreign enemies of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria whoever they are, so that Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria may live in peace in their own Syrian and Iraqi land, under the Assyrian tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, customs and traditions of Assyrians and Babylonians, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of citizens and residents of Iraq and Syria.



In fact, in the territory of the Syrian province of Idlib no weapon formed against Jabhat Fatah Al Sham will prosper, and every tongue that raises in judgment against Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, Jabhat Fatah Al Sham will condemn, for Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit has loved Jabhat Fatah Al Sham with everlasting and unchangeable love: all islamic warriors of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham are blessed by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all blessings of Leviticus 26:3-13, all Syrian and foreign enemies of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham are accursed unto destruction by the Holy Name of Lord God Jehovah and Lord Jesus Christ with all curses of Leviticus 26:14-39, and will be overcome, killed and robbed whoever they are. Islamic warriors of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham in the territory of the Syrian province of Idlib will overcome, defeat, kill and rob all of Afghan and foreign enemies of islamic warriors of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham whoever they are. Islamic warriors of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham will fight to Victory or death, to the last man, woman and child, leaving the enemy scorched earth instead of plunder, and will overcome, defeat and kill to the last man and woman all US and NATO armed forces in the territory of Syria, drowning them in the rivers of US and NATO blood, for Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will fight in the territory of Syria for Jabhat Fatah Al Sham and against all Syrian and foreign enemies of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham whoever they are, so that islamic warriors of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham may live in peace in their own Syrian land, under their Syrian tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, customs and traditions of Assyrians and Syrians, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of citizens and residents of Syria.



Some have improperly, unwisely and falsely claimed that the islamic state of Iraq and Syria is a greater problem for the United States of America than the bloody and blasphemous assad regime. In fact, the islamic state of Iraq and Syria is one of hundreds of brigades of Syrian freedom fighters that, despite its boastful Assyrian rhetoric, does not pose any threat to the United States of America or western countries outside Syria and Iraq, and since its establishment in 2011 the islamic state of Iraq and Syria has killed no more than two and a half thousand Syrian and Iraqi civilians without objective reason, while the bloody and blasphemous assad regime has killed in cold blood tens of thousands of Syrian civil men, women and children just since 2011. Therefore, it is the genocide of the Syrian people by the bloody and blasphemous assad regime that led to the establishment and strengthening of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, and those who reject the islamic state of Iraq and Syria should support the struggle of all brigades of Syrian freedom fighters against the bloody and blasphemous assad regime, as the free Syrian state will be able to establish true and lasting peace with the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, allowing Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians and islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria to live in peace in their own Assyrian provinces of Deir Al Zour and Ar-Raqqah, under the Assyrian tradition of islamic faith and sharia law, customs and traditions of Assyrians and Syrians, natural rights, derivative-natural rights, civil rights and traditional rights of citizens and residents of Syria



Creator God, Lord God Jehovah, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit  burning fire - clearly said: there is no peace to the bloody and blasphemous assad regime that committed the genocide of the Syrian people and the abominable deeds of intentional murder and enslavement of Syrian men and women, as there was no, there is no and there will be no peace to the wicked, to those who committed aggressive war (Exodus 17:14,16, I Samuel 15:3), genocide (Exodus 17:14,16, I Samuel 15:3), abominable deeds of the abominable deeds of sexual perversions (homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), lesbianism (Leviticus 20:13), bestiality (Leviticus 20:15), incest (Leviticus 20:11-17), ********** (sexual relations with girls below 12 years of age) (Leviticus 20:2-3, Matthew 18:6)), abominations (child murders (abortions) (Leviticus 20:2-3, Exodus 21:22-25), change of gender (Book of Enoch, section XVII, chapter 86; section II, chapter 10), cannibalism (Book of Enoch, section II, chapter 7,10), human cloning (Book of Enoch, section XVII, chapter 86; section II, chapter 10)), intentional murder (Exodus 21:14), enslavement of men/women (Exodus 21:16) and selling men/women to slavery (Exodus 21:16) (Isaiah 48:22). And despite any statements of any and all states, nations and peoples, including all member-states of the UN Security Council, the whole humanity, Creator God, God, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit will never change, as it is written:



Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?



Daniel 4:35

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and God doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?



Thus, no peace and no ceasefire with the bloody and blasphemous assad regime is possible, and all peace negotiations and all ceasefire negotiations with the assad regime will fall: the future of Syria will be settled in the battlefields of the Syrian civil war.



Therefore, if the United States of America does not desire to lose in vain lives of US and NATO soldiers and officers and US federal government expenditure, the United States of America will swiftly and unconditionally withdraw all US and NATO ground forces from the territory of Syria, and if the United States of America desires war in Syria, all US and NATO armed forces will be overcome, defeated, killed to the last man and woman and expelled from the territory of Syria, drowned in the rivers of US and NATO blood, by victorious Assyrians, the descendants of Assyrians, islamic warriors of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, by victorious islamic warriors of Jabhat Fatah Al Sham and islamic warriors of Ahrar Al Sham, by victorious Syrian freedom fighters.



Reportedly, US and NATO soldiers and officers raped, tortured and killed thousands of Syrian civilians, some of whom for sports. The same will be done unto US and NATO men, women and children, according to the everlasting and unchangeable principle, in force as long as the earth exists: thou shalt give earthly life for earthly life, burning for burning, stripe for stripe, hand for hand, foot for foot, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, wound for wound (Exodus 21:23-25).



It is important for US soldiers and officers not to deploy to Syria, in order not to come back in body bags.
Frontier Communications customers are still grappling with Internet outages and other equipment problems since the company took over Verizons landline-related assets on April 1.

A representative with the California Public Utilities Commission said the agency received 360 complaints between April 1 and April 22 that were related to Frontiers takeover.

Frontiers $10.5 billion acquisition includes Verizons Internet, video, phone and FiOS networks across California, Florida and Texas.

Donna DePledge, 47, of Murrieta, said shes been without Internet service for a week. Attempts to have Frontier address the problem havent panned out.

Honestly, its like a full-time job sitting on the phone with these people trying to get service, she said. They dont really seem to care that much.

DePledge said her experience with Frontier has been horrible.

Im trying to explain the situation (to a Frontier representative), and shes telling me Im wrong, DePledge said. Its just amazing.

William Betts was finally able to get his situation straightened out Monday. But the 70-year-old Redondo Beach resident said hes had enough.

Ive already made the decision to switch to Time Warner, he said.

Betts problems with Frontier began on April 17 following a power outage.

The TV would stop working every few seconds, so I checked our other TVs and they stopped working, too, he said. I tried rebooting the FiOS set-up boxes but that had no effect. My Internet wasnt working, and I also found out that my landline phone wasnt working.

Betts said he called Frontiers support number at 800-921-8101 and was instructed to unplug a battery in his garage. When that didnt work, he called back and spoke with another Frontier representative, who said a support technician would come by at 8 a.m. the following Thursday  four days later.

Thursday came and went, but no one showed up.

I had pretty much given up on them, but I finally got a call from Frontier on Monday and someone came out, Betts said. It was a simple problem with the backup supply for my FiOS. It was a 10-minute job to replace the box.

Van Maldonado, 61, of Rancho Cucamonga, is still dealing with problems.

Were still without Internet, and its been about eight days, he said. My wife was finally able to speak to someone from Frontier after hours of trying to reach them.

Several options were tried, Maldonado said, but none worked.

Theyre telling us that our router isnt configured to Frontiers server, he said. They ran me through some basic hoops, like unplugging the computer, but Im still getting no results. My wife can access the Internet on her phone, but that runs up charges. And I cant get the Internet through my personal computer.

Maldonado said he has to go to Starbucks or another off-site location to get Internet service.

Its frustrating, he said. You go through these meltdowns, and I have a heart condition. We dont want to be dependent on our devices, but we apparently are.

Frontier representative Les Kumagai said the company is working hard to address the problems.

As you can imagine, the conversion of more than 1 million customers is very complex, he said. When you have a transition of this size and geographic scale, there will be issues that need to be addressed  which is what were doing.

Kumagai said Frontiers operational command center for the transition process is monitoring the network 24/7, tracking every customer escalation.

We have nearly 1,000 highly trained and experienced technicians working extended hours in the field responding as quickly as possible to resolve every customer request as we receive them, he said.

Staff writer Michael J. Williams contributed to this report.
For about the past decade, accountant Lawrence Paul Larry Stephens of Riverside did clients taxes, handled their bookkeeping and, in some cases, brought them investment opportunities.

But, authorities say, it was all a facade.

Stephens, as it turned out, didnt have an accounting license, and his Chino Hills-based firm was placed on probation last year.

Then in January, the Riverside County District Attorneys Office began investigating his investment offers, and determined they were scams that resembled a Ponzi scheme.

Stephens, 52, was arrested Saturday, April 30, on suspicion of defrauding six people out of almost $4.5 million. He is charged with five felony counts of grand theft and five felony counts of securities fraud in connection with investment schemes carried out between 2008 and 2011, according to court documents.

UPDATE: Stephens pleads guilty to securities fraud

Stephens filed for bankruptcy in 2012, records show.

The victims were four individuals and a couple, who lost anywhere from $125,000 to just over $2.5 million each. Their cities of residence were not available.

Stephens remained in jail Monday, with bail set at $4.475 million  mirroring what he is alleged to have stolen. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

Stephens built some of the victims trust by working with them at Brylaw Accounting Firm, which was licensed in 2006. In February 2015, however, the California Board of Accountancy found that Stephens was using somebody elses certified public accountant license to operate the firm, records show. Brylaw was placed on probation in September.

The firm remains open. A person who answered the phone Monday afternoon said no one was available to comment on the allegations against Stephens.

The scams were brought to the attention of the Riverside County District Attorneys Office in January by a couple who gave Stephens $200,000 for what they thought was an investment, according to an affidavit written by DAs investigator Paul Edwards asking a judge to issue an arrest warrant.

Stephens contacted the couple in December 2011, asking them to invest in a company that was set to go public in January 2012, the affidavit said. He promised them that there would be no risk involved because, if the company did not go public, the money would be returned to them.

They were traveling in India at the time, but Stephens said he needed the money within three days, so they wired the money to Stephens bank account. They never received share certificates or any documents relating to them buying shares in the company, the affidavit said. And the initial public offering  or IPO  never happened.

They kept asking for their money back and were given excuses, Edwards wrote.

Edwards probed Stephens bank account and found that after he received the couples money, he made out checks to other people and companies.

The payments suggested a Ponzi scheme, Edwards wrote in the declaration.

A Ponzi scheme is a type of fraud in which a scammer promises victims returns on their investment  often making too-good-to-be-true promises  then pays them with money brought in through new victims.

The checks Stephens wrote with the couples money led Edwards to find other victims.

Some had invested in what Stephens called the Black Canyon Project that involved a construction company that he said had a contract to build a toll road from I-15 to the 241, the affidavit said.

The victims reported receiving monthly interest payments that suddenly stopped. Their principal investments  all more than $100,000  were never returned, the affidavit said.

One person who invested $1.5 million in the Black Canyon Project received monthly interest payments until Stephens stopped paying and started giving excuses as to why he couldnt pay, Edwards wrote.

Stephens disappeared and then filed for bankruptcy, Edwards wrote.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9284, atadayon@pressenterprise.com, @PE_alitadayon
Joining a job action that also affects La Mirada, Vista and Phoenix, 92 Teamsters who drive for US Foods in Corona began a strike Sunday.

The companys not talking to us. Well be out here at least through Mothers Day, said Eric Tate, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 848.

Teamsters spokesman Ted Gotsch said in an email the strikers are protesting allegations that the company violated federal law that protects workers rights. In all, about 800 Teamsters have joined the strike.

US Foods respondent through spokesperson Debra Ceffalio: Right now our focus is continuing to provide our customers with the products they need and the service they expect. Were hoping to avoid disruptions, and have plans in place to address any that may occur.

In a phone interview, Tate described the action as an unfair labor practices strike but said an economic strike is pending.

Theres no contract with US Foods, hasnt been since last year.

US Foods is a national company that supplies the food service industry, including restaurants, hospitals, schools and government offices. Its website says it serves 250,000 customers. It has 25,000 employees.

Contact the writer: fbuck@pressenterprise.com
If youve been wondering what former Australian Idol and secret MVP of Channel Vs golden era James Mathison is up to these days, turns out hes bloody well sticking up for what he believes in.

Matho felt the strong arm of Johnny Law last night after the TV personality joined a group of hundreds of demonstrators who gathered at Moore Park to protest the removal of Moreton Bay Fig Trees along Anzac Parade.

The group was so massive that it caused traffic jams along both Anzac Parade and Alison Road, and at least three protesters were arrested after chaining themselves to the trees.

The group  made up of concerned residents  asserts that constructions workers charged with chopping down the trees did not conduct proper wildlife checks on the foliage before commencing work. Fairfax quotes one Coogee resident as stating, all they did was shine a flashlight onto the trees  we heard that some native animals went into the woodchipper at the trees they chopped down on Wansey Road.

Mathison was reportedly lead away by police after scaling one of the trees, which are the subject of a last-ditch attempt to save them from being felled.

Idol TV presenter James Mathieson arrested at protests to the lopping of heritage listed trees Anzac Pde pic.twitter.com/MBNVsnY2II  Andrew Colley (@AndrewColley) May 2, 2016

Oh man LOOK AT HIS CUTE LITTLE PROTESTING FACE, WOULD YOU.

The groups has called on Sydneysiders who want to preserve the trees, which have historical and ecological value.

The trees are being torn down as part of the construction process on the on-going Sydney Light Rail project.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

Photo: Gaye Gerard/Getty.
Before we begin here, we realise that in publishing this story were complicit in the continued and very much unwarranted publicising of this nutbag and his bullshit beliefs. However, the rage isnt misplaced and it is (unfortunately) a viewpoint held by a shocking number of people in the country (some of which are actually in Parliament) and it demands addressing.

So with that said

Remember that bloke who wants to make a movie about the Port Arthur Massacre? You know the one. The guy who believes it was all part of some sort of agenda and that the case is suspect due to a lack of a public trial (a thing you dont need to have when the accused pleads absolutely guilty, by the by).

Paul Modor, the writer-producer for film, appeared on The Project a little while back and was ripped a new one by Waleed Aly. The film project has attracted controversy due to Modor suggesting that the story contains spurious agenda and misinformation regarding Martin Bryants supposed ability to pull off the massacre, as well as families of the victims of Port Arthur expressing their disapproval of the project.

For whatever this is worth, Modors only other credited writing effort was for a low-budget 2003 modern day western entitled A Bullet In The Arse that took out Most Gratuitous Violence at the 2004 Melbourne Underground Film Festival.

In news thats going to shock precisely none of you, Modor has revealed himself as being profoundly pro-gun, to the point of being a signed-up member of the Shooters & Fishers Party.

Modor spoke to Fairfax Media yesterday and confirmed his views on the matter.

[Gun control] is not the primary focus of why Im making this film, but I do feel strongly about the erosion of peoples rights in Australia, particularly in regards to the firearm ownership issue. People who have passed the extensive checks and balances currently in place, have proved themselves worthy and capable of owning any firearm, they should not be penalised because of the actions of people they dont represent.

Which is fine and all if you live on a remote desert island with a population of 1. But we do not. We live in a society that needs group dynamics in order to function and prosper. This IM a responsible owner why are MY RIGHTS being taken away from ME argument is thin bullshit, and is wilfully ignorant of how democratic legislation actually works. Gun control laws apply to all for the same reason that speed limits are enforced. Just because you can prove youre responsible with something dangerous doesnt mean the laws for EVERYONE should be relaxed. Your steady trigger finger is not more important than public safety.

But, quite beautifully, Modor sums up his own criticism in one magnificently, unintentional self-assessment of his whole mindset.

The frustrating thing about Australians, is they let themselves get derailed from real issues.

YA DONT BLOODY WELL SAY, M8.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Ya wanna know why? Because theres a movie coming together that is a giant Broad City gangbang and we are so here for it.



The film Rock That Body has had Scarlett Johansson and Zoe Kravitz on board for a while  its a bachelorette comedy about a group of five friends who head to Miami for a bachelorette party that  you guessed it  gets pretty out of hand.

Definitely not the newest plot-line in the world, but recent news has doubled, tripled, quadrupled our excitement.

KWEEN Ilana Glazer has signed on to the movie, as well as SNL icon and soon-to-be-Ghostbuster Kate McKinnon, and Jillian Bell.

But the writing team behind the movie looks doooooooooope AF too.

The film will be directed by Broad City and Time Traveling Bong director, Lucia Aniello.

Shell also be co-writing the script with Broad City writer and actor Paul W. Downs  you might know him better as Trey, or Kirk Steele: A Man on a Mission, A Cum Mission.

Holy crapola. The talent in this movie is FIRE AS HELL.

It starts production in August, and will apparently be out sometime in 2017.

Source: Indiewire.

Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images & Broad City.
J.K. Rowling knows that despite illuminating our childhoods by creating the Harry Potter series, she also broke our hearts.

For many of us, reading the Harry Potter books was the first time we had ever encountered heartbreak, loss, and death. And Joanne is well aware that she hurt us.

So for the past few years, on the anniversary of The Battle of Hogwarts, shes apologised for hurting us by saying a heartfelt sorry for killing each specific character.

And this year, its Remus Lupin.

Sirius Black and James Potters best friend, he was determined to help Harry til the very end because Sirius and James could not. He was killed during The Battle of Hogwarts, 2nd of May 1998, by Death Eater Antonin Dolohov.

His wife, Nymphadora Tonks, was also killed, leaving his son Edward Teddy Lupin an orphan.

J.K. said this storyline left her devastated:

Once again, its the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts so, as promised, I shall apologise for a death. This year: Remus Lupin.  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016

In the interests of total honesty Id also like to confess that I didnt decide to kill Lupin until I wrote Order if the Phoenix.  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016

Arthur lived, so Lupin had to die. Im sorry. I didnt enjoy doing it. The only time my editor ever saw me cry was over the fate of Teddy. ??  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2016

OH GOD. OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD.

Source: Twitter.

Photo: Warner Bros / Getty.
Prosecutor: Evidence

speaks for 10 'Grim

Sleeper' victims

LOS ANGELES  The victims were all young black women, some were prostitutes and most had been using cocaine before their bodies were discovered in alleys in a rough part of Los Angeles, hidden in trash bins or covered by mattresses or debris.

For decades, the serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper" eluded police, dumping at least 10 bodies and leaving one woman for dead after shooting her in the chest.

After months of testimony, a prosecutor Monday said that the evidence overwhelmingly points to Lonnie Franklin Jr. and speaks for the vulnerable victims he silenced as he spent years hiding in plain sight.

"How do we figure out what happened here? How do we know who committed these crimes?" Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman asked as she closed her case in Los Angeles Superior Court.

"Ten of the victims can't tell you themselves. The defendant took their voices when he brutally murdered them. ... The evidence in this case is the voice of the victims."

Mexico City smog alert

forces 40 percent of cars

to keep off the streets

MEXICO CITY  Mexico City authorities have declared a new pollution alert and will require 40 percent of cars to keep off the streets Tuesday.

Under a rule in effect through June, one-fifth of the city's cars normally must stay at home on a weekday, with the day determined by license plate numbers. But on Monday, smog rose above 1 times acceptable limits, meaning another fifth of cars were ordered off the streets.

The alert marks the second time in less than a month that the alert level has been reached despite the temporary program aimed at improving the capital's dirty air.

Prince's siblings in court

in 1st hearing on estate

CHASKA, Minn.  Five of Prince's six surviving siblings appeared in court Monday for the first hearing to start sorting out an estate certain to be worth millions, a task complicated because the star musician isn't known to have left a will.

In a hearing that lasted a little over 12 minutes, Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide formalized his appointment last week of Bremer Trust to handle matters involving the estate of Prince, who died suddenly last month at age 57.

Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, requested the appointment so that the company can manage Prince's estate until an executor is named. Eide asked the packed courtroom whether anyone knew of a will, and the courtroom was silent. Lawyers for Bremer Trust said they hadn't found one but would keep looking.

"The court is not finding that there is no will, but that no will has yet been found," the judge said.
FKelly Ellard and her father, Lawrence, leave the Vancouver courthouse for dinner, March 30, 2000. Almost two decades since an ostracized 14-year-old was swarmed, viciously beaten and then callously drowned near a Victoria bridge, Reena Virk's most notorious killer is asking for release. Ellard is now 33 years old and if released would live in a halfway house under numerous conditions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Adrian Wyld
For Republican gubernatorial candidate William Bud Pierce, the key issue facing all Oregonians is having a good job.

Not just in cities, but throughout all of Oregon; whether it is with a big multi-national company in Portland or with a mom-and-pop start-up operation in John Day.

In fact, Pierce said having a meaningful job is one of the keys to a healthy lifestyle, not just a healthy economy.

The Salem resident said he decided to seek the GOP nomination for governor in November 2014, and he hasnt looked back.

Its been an exciting learning experience, Pierce said. I enjoy talking to people all around the state, and they have surprised me by how much they know about whats happening in Oregon.

He pointed to a meeting at a barn near Dallas, where people talked to him about land use laws and right to farm issues.

Im a believer in turning people loose and letting them solve problems; I am not a micromanager, Pierce said. Thats in and out of government. Former Gov. Atiyeh had a strong executive department that kept track of government agencies, and in those days, boards of commissioners had oversight over departments. I think there is something good about that.

Pierce said he believes in motivational oversight. Give people proper training and leadership skills and then give them the tools to resolve issues.

But that doesnt mean he would be managing from 30,000 feet.

Im a Marine, and Im in the trenches, he said. I went from being a private to a sergeant, and in private business we started with six people and have grown to four offices with about 75 employees. I believe in leadership by participation.

Pierce said he would support tax incentives for small businesses statewide, and also programs that might guarantee a portion of bank loans for businesses locating in rural areas.

When it comes to improving education, Pierce favors looking at what successful states such as Massachusetts and Minnesota have done, and then adapting their programs to fit Oregon.

We need to find examples of best practices and bring them to Oregon, he said.

Pierce said he is opposed to the proposed Gross Receipts tax on businesses and opposes the minimum wage hikes mandated in the recent short Legislative session.

Instead of raising the minimum wage, why not cut taxes for people who earn less than $10 per hour, he said.

Pierce said he has spoken to several business owners statewide, who say their operations will be greatly affected by the new minimum wages, some to the point of closure.

Pierce said he believes that some people support the $15 minimum wage because they believe the future is bleak and they have been negatively affected by the recession.

They see housing prices and rents going up and they havent had a raise in years, Pierce said. They are fearful.

But Pierce said the real answer to the states economic issue is attracting businesses that pay $20, or $30 or $40 per hour.

Pierce said he was appalled to learn there are 800 or 900 homeless students living in the Salem/Keizer area.

How can that be? he said. How can we have even one?

Pierce said Portlands homeless issues are indicative of a state that needs to develop more mental health programs and jobs for people who are dealing with mental health issues.

The state must also develop adequate shelters for them, he said.

We have a mental health crisis and we need to invest money to fix it, Pierce said. There has been excess money the last two bienniums and that could be put toward solving this crisis. We have to make this a priority.

Pierce said he believes in multiple-use, sustainable harvesting of trees on state and federal forest lands and is against turning a large portion of Linn County into a national monument.

I really support develop of wood-based products, such as laminated timber and plywood in conjunction with our universities, Pierce said. In fact, I would like us to look at the German model that focuses on developing the highest quality products and charging a premium price.

Pierce said he has enjoyed the campaign and isnt anxious about the May 17 primary results.

I have put forth my ideas as a public service, Pierce said. I believe in the common good and a safe society.
East Jordan asks voters for fire equipment millage

East Jordan is asking voters for a 1.5 mills increase for fire equipment in the upcoming November election.
LEBANON  The activity at two Linn-Benton Community College construction sites in Lebanon is about to increase, and anyone interested in monitoring the progress can watch it happen on the college website.

Site prep and foundation work are being completed for the Advanced Transportation Technology Center and the Health Occupations Center buildings. Walls will start to go up soon.

The construction progress is being recorded each day, and the progress is compressed in a brief time-lapse that can be viewed at linnbenton.edu/building-projects by clicking on either the ATTC or HOC link. The site also includes the latest updates on all LBCC building projects.

The $5.7 million*, 37,000-square-foot ATTC project is being constructed by T.S. Gray Construction and Wildish Construction. The project is on budget and expected to be completed by the end of summer 2016.

New construction at the ATTC will include an improved home for the Heavy Equipment Diesel program and the creation of an Innovation Center will provide space to train mechanics to work on alternative fuel vehicles, in addition to providing a space for meetings focused on how to increase community benefit from new propulsion options for commercial and private transportation.

The construction contract for the $16 million, 42,000-square-foot Healthcare Occupations Center was recently awarded to Triplett-Wellman Contractors. Also on budget, the project is expected to be completed by spring of 2017.

The new HOC, located adjacent to COMP-NW medical school on the Samaritan Health Campus in Lebanon, will enable consolidation of all of LBCCs medical programs in a single location and create opportunities for partnerships with nearby medical training and health care providers.

All contracts were awarded based on a competitive bid process.

The projects were made possible by voter approval of a construction bond measure in 2014.

Along with state and federal grants, the construction program funded by those bonds also includes expanding the Benton Center in Corvallis and updating the space at the Albany campus, with a focus on improving facilities for job-related programs.

 *This article has been corrected from the print version, which incorrectly stated the total cost of the project.
Two people escaped a fire that swept from an attached garage through a residence on Somerset Drive in Albany Monday evening.

The residents were cooking at the time of the fire when they noticed smoke and went to investigate, said Battalion Chief Ryan Bond.

"They noticed it was coming from the garage area and opened the door," Bond said. "The entire garage was charged full of smoke, and they could see the fire."

Bond said the two residents safely left the house as the fire swept through the home.

All four Albany stations responded and quickly got the fire under control. The three-bedroom two-bath 1,284-square-foot home was extensively damaged in the blaze, and so was a car.

Siding on the home to the east of the house that burned was scorched by the blaze, Bond said.

The fire crews were briefly hampered by live power lines and had to take up defensive positions in that area of the garage until the power company could pull the meter, Bond said.

Fire units from Corvallis, Lebanon and Tangent covered the Albany stations and assisted with calls throughout the city while the units fought the fire.
Richard Kirk, 94, of Lebanon died Tuesday, May 3. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Monday, May 9, at Sweet Home Evangelical Church. Burial with military honors will follow at Gilliland Cemetery. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements.
SWEET HOME  New Sweet Home District Ranger Nikki Swanson says she has landed her dream job.

This is what Ive wanted since I started with the Forest Service as a summer job while I was in college, Swanson said Monday.

It was her first official day as boss, although shes been acting ranger since January, succeeding Cindy Glick.

Actually, I was acting ranger here in 2007 after Mike Rassbach left, so its not new to me, said Swanson, 46.

She also held a similar post in Lowell in 2012.

Swanson comes to the district after being the Fisheries and Watershed Program Manager for the Willamette National Forest for 14 years.

I am excited that Nikki will be a permanent part and leader of the Sweet Home Ranger District, said Tracy Beck, Willamette National Forest Supervisor. I look forward to her teams contributions to the forest and community of Sweet Home into the future.

A Veneta native, Swanson majored in biology and English at the University of Oregon, receiving her degree in 1992. She earned a masters degree in fisheries from Oregon State in 1994.

This isnt a stepping stone for me, its where I want to be and what I want to do, Swanson said. I feel blessed.

Swanson and her husband, Brian, and two daughters, Erin, 18, and Clare, 16, will continue to live in Eugene until the girls are out of high school.

Then, were moving here because I believe its important for the district ranger to live in the community where they work, Swanson said.

Swanson said she became interested in fish as a child, when she went fishing with her father.

Then, my first summer job in college was working for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Swanson said. Half of my time was in wildlife and half in fisheries. Every time we worked in the wildlife area, we found nothing. But every time I worked in the fisheries area, we got to do things like snorkel or seine for fish and take samples. I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do.

Swanson said she has known about the Sweet Home District for years and called it amazing.

She said the district is known for its collaborative work and partnerships with community groups.

I see great things coming of that, she said. We also have a strong relationship with the South Santiam Watershed Council, and I see many good projects coming out of that.

Swanson said her goals include developing a steady supply of timber sales and increasing stream restoration projects.

I like to work collaboratively, and I like to work toward finding a yes solution to things, but I know thats not always possible, Swanson said. I want to be as transparent as possible, and if anyone has a question about why or how something is getting done, they should feel free to contact me.

Swanson said her long-term goals are to heighten the recreational opportunities for the public and to make sure the interactions between the public and the district staff members is positive.

There are about 30 employees on the district.

Although there many beautiful places on the district, Swanson said her favorite spot so far is Longbow Campground, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps more than 70 years ago.

Swanson pointed to the success of the Districts Heritage Hikes program as unique and strongly supported by the public.

Maintaining roads on the district will continue to be a struggle until Congress appropriates more funding, Swanson said. Until then, Swanson said some roads that do not lead to a trail head or a timber sale may have to be decommissioned to keep fine sediments from getting in aquatic systems.

When she isnt working, Swanson enjoys riding her Appaloosa horse, Moki.

He is an 8-year-old rescue horse Ive had about four years, Swanson said. Hes extremely talented. He can work cows, jump, do dressage and trail ride.

Swanson also enjoys riding bicycles and rollerblading, and she used to compete in triathlons.
Fabian Quoss Beats Ole Schemion To Win 2016 EPT Grand Final 50,000 Super High Roller

May 02, 2016 Christian Zetzsche Contributor

Fabian Quoss has done it, winning the 50,000 Single-Day Super High Roller at the 2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final for 849,059 following a heads-up deal with fellow German star Ole Schemion.

Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Fabian Quoss Germany 849,059* 2 Ole Schemion Germany 857,241* 3 Aidyn Auyezkanov Kazakhstan 463,510 4 Murad Akhundov Azerbaijan 349,760 5 Fedor Holz Germany 271,670 6 Mikita Badziakouski Belarus 210,530 7 Michael Bonzon Switzerland 166,400 8 David Peters United States 129,050 9 Steve O'Dwyer Ireland 98,480

*Denotes a heads-up deal.

After the event ran 17 hours on Sunday, the final two competitors halted the action at 5:30 a.m. local time with plans to finish it out another day. Both were alive in the 5,300 Main Event, but busted well before the end of the day on Monday in that one, allowing them to finish play in this big buy-in affair.

The two couldn't come to an agreement on a deal on Sunday night, but they were able to shake hands on a chop before resuming the action on Monday. Schemion had the lead coming into heads-up play with 8.77 million to Quoss' 5.23 million, and he would take 857,241. Quoss took 799,059, and the duo agreed to leave 50,000 on the table to play for.

The action started slow with limped pots and a few all-in shoves by Quoss, but it was one of those shoves that wound up turning things around in the match. Quoss limped in from the button for 300,000, and Schemion asked for a count. Quoss counted out his stack of 3.56 million, and Schemion pushed all in. Quoss quickly called with the , and Schemion had the . The flop came , followed by the on the turn and the on the river, and Quoss had doubled.

Schemion then open-shoved his last 4.8 million to the middle from the button. Quoss glanced at his cards, and was as sure as he could be he wanted to call. Schemion knew he was behind right away.

Quoss:

Schemion:

The flop came , just about sealing it for Quoss. The on the turn did just that and the two German high rollers shook hands and hugged, as the dealer burned and put the on the river to officially finish things off. All told, the heads-up match lasted just about 25 minutes.

Although finishing runner-up, Ole Schemion actually won more than Quoss due to the deal, but Quoss was the player walking away with the official title. Some might think it seems only fair that Quoss got to hoist this trophy as Schemion won the 100,000 Super High Roller for a whopping 1.6 million two days ago at the EPT Grand Final. Thanks to those two scores, he's now very much in the lead on the German all-time money list. On that same list, Quoss jumped from fifth to fourth with his score.

Also of note in this event was that Steve O'Dwyer overtook Mike McDonald in the EPT Season 12 Player of the Year race thanks to his ninth-place finish in the money. With a handful of events left, McDonald will now have to play catch up to O'Dwyer, but it's still very much anyone's title to win.

That wraps up PokerNews' coverage of this event, but there's still plenty more to be had from Monaco with the 5,300 Main Event continuing on and the 25,750 High Roller starting on May 4. Check out the PokerNews Live Reporting section for more.

Want to stay atop all the latest in the poker world? If so, make sure to get PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

Sharelines Fabian Quoss beats Ole Schemion to win 2016 #EPTGrandFinal 50,000 Super High Roller.
A coalition of lawmakers and civil rights groups has a message for the National Park Service: your uniforms and vehicles are "very threatening" to Latinos, reports the Independent Journal.

Maite Arce of the Hispanic Access Foundation delivered the "really tough" message during a press conference on Thursday:

"It's such a shame that something as simple as the uniform and its similarity to the border patrol's uniform  in the coloring  could be very threatening to certain segments of the Latino population. So a discussion about that is going to be really tough."

The coalition made multiple recommendations to the Park Service, including:

Assess the cultural implications of existing agency uniforms, offices, signage, and other facilities. For example, the Park Service law-enforcement vehicles look like those used by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and uniforms have law enforcement connotations, both of which present a significant impediment to engaging all Americans.

Review names of sites throughout system for cultural bias. Some may require comprehensive name changes to reflect a broader and more inclusive history.

The coalition is asking President Obama to issue an executive order directing the Department of Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to "adopt guiding priorities for a more inclusive approach to National Parks."
Photo: Facebook

Florida Correctional Officer Sgt. Jorge Ramos died Sunday afternoon, two days after participating in a statewide Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) competition at Sumter Correctional Institution, reports WJXT.

Ramos, 30, joined the Florida Department of Corrections in August 2007 and worked at the South Florida Reception Center. As a member of the CERT, he was tasked with responding to security emergencies and ensuring the safety of all staff and inmates within the institution.

The cause of his death was still under investigation.

Ramos is survived by his wife and young daughter.

"Ann and I join all Floridians and the Florida Department of Corrections in mourning the loss of Jorge Ramos," Gov. Rick Scott said. "As a member of the SFRC Correctional Emergency Response Team, Sgt. Ramos routinely went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of Florida is truly grateful for his dedicated service to public safety."
Deputy Jonathan Lyle

A Floyd County, GA, Sheriff's deputy was pronounced dead in his home Thursday, according to a press release from Deputy Carrie Edge.

Jonathan Lyle was found unresponsive and was pronounced dead by Deputy Coroner Gene Proctor, reports the Rome News-Tribune.

Sheriff Tim Burkhalter said in a statement the sheriff's office is deeply saddened by the loss of a good deputy and friend.

"We ask for the entire community to surround the Lyle family and our law enforcement family with their thoughts and prayers," Burkhalter said.

Proctor said late Thursday he would not release any information on the nature of Lyle's death.

Lyle was known for his appearance on the A&E television show "Beyond Scared Straight," which filmed two episodes at the jail with at-risk teens in 2013.
Constitution Day

This year marks the 225th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution of May 3  the first written constitution in modern Europe and the second in the world, after America's.

The Constitution was adopted on 3 May 1791. Its authors are considered to be king Stanisaw II August Poniatowski, Grand Marshal of Lithuania Ignacy Potocki and priest Hugo Koataj, clergyman and philosopher.

The enacted constitution drew inspiration from the European Enlightenment and the American Constitution of 1787. Creators of the Polish Constitution recognised that the government must serve the good of the whole nation. The document consisted of 11 articles. The first one defined the Roman Catholic religion as the dominant, at the same time providing for freedom of religion and practices of the followers of other religions. Article V of the Constitution divided power into legislative, executive and judicial. The bicameral Sejm adopted laws, the executive power remained in the hands of the king and the Guardians of the Laws, and the judicial power was in the hands of independent courts.

The Constitution of May 3 abolished Liberum veto, which allowed ceasing the adoption of a bill by opposition of at least one deputy  since then all decisions were to be taken by a majority of votes. The king had no legislative sanction. In order to become applicable law royal decisions had to be signed by the competent ministers, who in turn were responsible to the Sejm.

A new form of parliament, Ready Sejm, to which deputies were elected for two years and could be called to the session at any moment, was created. The Constitutional Sejm was to convene every 25 years in order to revise the Constitution and introduce changes to it. The national army was created, and the government care of the Constitution included peasants. The privilege of the Law on the Cities, adopted earlier in April 1791, considered to be integral to the Constitution  gave the townspeople the right to own estates, hold officer's positions and positions in the state administration, and the right to acquire nobility.

The Constitution of May 3 was a reflection of the Polish spirit which enabled the Polish people to survive 123 years of partitions, and then long years of communist repression. May 3 was a public holiday until 1939. By the end of World War II and in the times of the Polish People's Republic celebration of the Constitution Day was prohibited, but every year this anniversary became the pretext for mass anticommunist demonstrations. Currently, the Constitution of May 3 is treated by Poles as one of the most crucial events in the history of Poland.

Source: MFA Press Office
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One of the most liberal pieces of Hillary Clintons agenda is making child care more affordable and universal preschool for all children. According to a Gallup poll, 59% of Americans agree with Clinton on preschool and child care.Hillary Clinton has made it her goal to provide affordable quality preschool for every 4-year-old child in the United States. Clinton has also called for a doubling of a budget to Head Start, and she has stated that she wants every American child from age 0 to 3 to have access to quality child care.

It turns out that that Clintons positions are supported by the large majority of Americans.

Gallup found wide support 59%-36%) for Clintons plans:

Americans initial reaction to providing free early childhood education is positive, with the majority agreeing with this proposal. And while support is highest among women (65%), young adults (70%) and those living in lower-income households (69%), the demographic counterparts to these groups are also more likely to agree than disagree with the proposal. The poll does find sharp differences on the basis of party identification: Just 36% of Republicans and independents who lean Republican favor it, compared with 81% of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic. However, even among Republicans and Republican leaners, less than half disagree outright with the proposal.

In contrast, the country was split (47%-45%) on the Bernie Sanders plan of free tuition for all.

Hillary Clintons goals for early childhood education and child care are very liberal. It seems that the only people who oppose them are Republicans because Republicans appear to be opposed to all forms of public education no matter how young the child may be.

Clinton has been in a difficult position throughout the 2016 campaign. Those who oppose her in the Democratic primary do so because they feel that she is not liberal enough while Republicans criticize Hillary Clinton for being left winger that will finish the work of destroying America that President Obama started.

On these issues, Hillary Clinton may not be too liberal or too conservative. Judging by the polling, she has her finger on the pulse of the country.
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While the spectacle of Fox News Channels Jesse Watters exchanging ineffective blows with HuffPos Ryan Grim at The United States Institute of Peace mirrors a scene from Dr. Strangelove, this reality-imitates-art Grudge Match was 7 years in the making. And, true to form, last night both Bill OReilly and Jesse Watters repeated the same lies from 7 years ago that got them in trouble in the first place.

To understand this story one needs to go back to when Jesse Watters was first earning his well-deserved reputation as a stalker with a camera, who operated as Loofah Lads hitman. The Falafel King is notoriously thin-skinned and, 7 years ago, took exception to something written by then-Think Progress writer Amanda Terkel. Heres how Bill OReilly described Think Progress last night:

A crazy-left website called Think Progress tried to jam the fundraiser by saying that I had partially blamed Jennifer Moore for her own murder, a despicable lie.

But, its not a lie and Think Progress wasnt trying to jam the fundraiser. Terkel was trying to jam OReilly for having said:

OREILLY: Jennifer Moore, 18, on her way to college. She was 5-foot-2, 105 pounds, wearing a miniskirt and a halter top with a bare midriff. Now, again, there you go. So every predator in the world is gonna pick that up at two in the morning. Shes walking by herself on the West Side Highway, and she gets picked up by a thug, alright. Now shes out of her mind, drunk. And the thug takes her over to New Jersey in the cab and kills her and rapes her and does all these terrible things to her. And the thug is so stupid, he uses her cell phone, and the cops trace it back to him and they  and they arrest him and charge him with murder. [Transcript from Bill OReilly.]

Everyone who knows how to read, and to think critically, understands how this paragraph is victim-blaming. Both NewsHounds Pricilla and Think Progress Terkel (with a h/t to NewsHounds) wrote about the absurdity that It Happened To Alexa, a reportedly fine organization that helps rape survivors, would host Bill OReilly at a fundraiser after his insensitive victim blaming. Heres the groups mission statement:

The purpose of the It Happened to Alexa Foundation is to help support rape survivors through the trauma of the criminal trial, in the hopes that more survivors will go through with the prosecution in order to put these perpetrators behind bars. Established in 2003, the foundation assists rape victims families with travel expenses during the litigation process.

Bill OReilly didnt take kindly to his hypocrisy being pointed out for all to see. So, he sent Jesse Watters down to confront Amanda Terkel, even though no one at Fox News had bothered to contact her for comment prior to this stalking incident.

Why is this stalking and not just simply an ambush interview? According to a new post by Terkel in yesterdays HuffPo:

[] OReilly sent Watters out to ambush me while I was on vacation in Virginia. On March 22, Watters accosted me on the street and asked why I was causing pain and suffering to rape victims and their families. He never introduced himself and didnt give any context for what he was saying  he simply shouted questions as I tried to switch out of vacation mode and remember the short post I had written weeks earlier. Fox News has never given an explanation for how Watters found me. I didnt tell anyone exactly where I would be that weekend, and in retrospect, I remember a car following me for much of the way. My best guess remains that Watters found my home address, followed me for two hours to Virginia and then harassed me after I walked out of my hotel.

Which  finally!  brings us to the testosterone-fueled Fight of the Century the other night at The United States Institute of Peace following the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Seven years later, some things are clearer now than they were even then. Neither Priscilla, nor Terkel, caused pain and suffering to any rape victims or their families. As NewsHounds says:

In fact, the only person Terkel may have caused pain and suffering to was thin-skinned OReilly. At an MSNBC afterparty, following the White House Correspondents dinner Saturday night, Huffington Posts Washington bureau chief, Ryan Grim, confronted Watters about the ambush and unsuccessfully tried to get him to apologize to Terkel, now Grims Huffington Post colleague. At one point, Watters told Grim, I ambushed her because OReilly told me to get her.



Watters told Grim the ambush happened because Terkel said some really bad sh*t She denigrated some rape victims, so we had to call her out. Its what we do. He also said condescendingly, I love Amanda Terkel, shes a good girl, and Im not gonna apologize, but shes a good girl. In reality Terkel said nothing bad about any rape victims.

First: note the repeated lie? According to Watters she denigrated some rape victims, which is demonstrably untrue. She merely denigrated Bill OReilly which is the only reason OReilly told me to get her. Its what we do.



But, how did this all lead to blows being exchanged?

Whiny little man-boy stalker Watters objected to Grim sticking his phone camera in his face  like he has stuck a camera in the faces of dozens of people over the years. So Watters snatched it away and tossed it across the room. Grim retrieved it  it hadnt stopped recording  and stuck it back in Watters face. Watters The Stalker grabbed the phone again and put it in his pocket.

This is what led to the fight in which Grim tried to get his camera away from the unrepentant child playing keep-away.

However, the phone was eventually retrieved, the video saved, and posted. [Embedding unavailable but its a fun 6 minutes.]

Since this incident blew up the internet on Sunday, I was poised to see how OReilly would deal with it on his Monday show. And, wouldnt you know it? The Culture Warrior didnt disappoint in his lying and deflection. Like the Geiko commercial, its what he does.

First OReilly set the scene by showing video of violent protests. No, really! If youre going for false equivalency, why not go all the way?

Yesterday in Seattle a May Day, anti-capitalism protest turned violent.



A number of police officers were injured, one hit by a Molotov cocktail.



Some protesters were arrested, but nothing will really happen to them.



In California and Indiana, protests included young children.



Now protesting can be a good thing, think Boston Tea Party.



But its how you do it.



Certainly some voting for Donald Trump are protesting, but they are using the ballot.



Some on the far left, however, want to destroy, not protest.



The subversives in Seattle were organized and planned their mayhem.

Then Loofah Lad makes a sharp turn to somehow drag Ryan Grim into his rant:

There comes a point when a political movement becomes destructive, and that point has been reached with the far left.



And we have a very personal example for you tonight.



Jesse Watters was confronted in Washington over the weekend by a far-left zealot who hectored him and provoked a confrontation.

Get the picture? Far-left zealot! Hectored!! Provoked confrontation!!!

Weirdly enough, after accurately describing what he said 7 years ago, with still no recognition he was blaming the victim, OReilly started spinning and lying all over again:

The whole thing was insane. This Grim character had no business bothering Jesse Watters about anything.

OReilly can send Jesse Watters out of state to stalk people with a camera, but this Grim character has no business bothering the precious Jesse Watters. He continued:

But that is what the far left does, they seek to harm people with whom they disagree.

Its like hes talking about himself and the Jesse Watters Stalking Missions. They seek to harm people with whom they disagree. But, Loofah Lad wasnt done yet:

Talking Points has had enough. All far-left kooks who cause trouble and break the law will be held to account here.

The Falafel King tells us every night that hes looking out for you, but hes really just looking out for himself, spewing new lies to  once again  cover-up for his gross insensitivity of 7 years ago. Watch the entire Talking Points Memo where he falsely equates Ryan Grims silly stunt with May Day anarchists:

[EMBED #2: <script type=text/javascript src=http://video.foxnews.com/v/embed.js?id=4875240527001&w=466&h=263></script><noscript>Watch the latest video at <a href=http://video.foxnews.com>video.foxnews.com</a></noscript>]

Watters and OReilly would have been better off letting the lie die. They foolishly resurrected it to falsely claim that Amanda Terkel deserved it. They just cannot stop blaming the victim, like OReilly did Jennifer Moore 7 years ago.

Photo: Twitter

Headly Westerfield wrote under the nom de blog Aunty Em Ericann for NewsHounds when the Terkel incident happened and remembers it vividly. He currently compiles Friday Fox Follies for PoliticusUSA.


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Rachel Maddow took apart Bernie Sanders logic for contesting the Democratic convention and revealed his logic behind contesting the Democratic convention is not based in reality.

Video:

Rachel Maddow pointed out that Clinton actually led the popular vote over Obama, and that Obama only had a 4% lead in delegates, but instead of contesting the convention, Hillary Clinton said that Obama won, ended her campaign and nominated Obama on the convention floor.

What followed was Rachel Maddow blowing the Sanders rationale for contesting the Democratic convention to pieces:

Right now, Hillary Clinton has an 11% lead in pledged delegates. So no. An eleven percent lead in pledged delegates that is not a big enough Democratic landslide that she is on track to clinch the nomination with pledged delegates alone, not counting any superdelegates, but she is way out ahead by every measure. She is way way way further ahead of Senator Sanders than Barack Obama was in 2008, and Senator Sanders promised yesterday that he is never the less going to contest that nomination. Basically saying that he wont concede. He wont drop out of the race. He wont endorse her, and at that convention, he will still be fighting to get that nomination. Flip the superdelegates to him at the Democratic convention in July in Philadelphia. And the Sanders campaign is increasingly insistent on this point now. There had been a little confusion I think among the top tier of the Sanders campaign. We hear different things from different top folks in the Sanders campaign, but now the candidate has made it clear in increasingly insistent terms that what they are going to do is fight to win that nomination at the convention in Philadelphia in July no matter how far ahead Hillary Clinton is, and theyre increasingly insistent about it. But it is honestly, fantastical, which is not the same thing as fantastic. And so ten more states will vote on the Democratic side, including Indiana tomorrow, and well see what happens when the numbers come in, but barring a wholesale shift in the race, like an earth-shattering shift in the race, Sec. Clintons lead, I think by any fair measure should be seen as insurmountable at this point.

The Sanders campaign is hanging on to the hope that they can score a large margin of victory in California, then take their case to the superdelegates at the convention. The problem is that Sanders is losing in almost every poll of California. It is not a coincidence that this the Sanders campaign became more insistent that they are contesting the convention after his fundraising dropped by more than half in the past month.

The troubling element for the Sanders campaign wasnt necessarily the decrease in money, but that the drop in contributions suggested a declining level of support among some of the strongest believers in the campaign.

Sen. Sanders can talk about fighting until the end, but he has no logical grounds outside of hypothetical public opinion polls to appeal to the superdelegates to change their minds.

The reality is that Hillary Clinton has moved on to general election mode. Bernie Sanders and his supporters are the only people who are contesting the nomination. It isnt bias driving this perception. Its math. Rachel Maddow used reality and math to blow up the Sanders logic for a contested Democratic convention.
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In an attempt to seal the deal with Indiana Republican voters, Donald Trump accused Ted Cruzs father of helping to assassinate President John F. Kennedy.

Video:

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

Trump was talking about Rafael Cruz on Fox and Friends and said,  His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswalds being  you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They dont even talk about that. That was reported, and nobody talks about it. I mean, what was he doing  what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting? Its horrible.

The report that Trump was referring to came from The National Enquirer, which is run by one of Donald Trumps best friends.

The Cruz campaign called the tabloid report garbage, This is another garbage story in a tabloid full of garbage. The story is false; that is not Rafael in the picture.

Republican voters are set to nominate a man for president who gets his news from The National Enquirer. Donald Trump will say anything to win. Both Trump and Cruz the ability to lie with conviction.

Rafael Cruz didnt help to kill JFK, but the fact that Trump would give a tabloid credibility by repeating their bogus claims on television reveals so much about Donald Trumps character. Trump has telegraphed that he is going to sling a level of mud against Hillary Clinton that may be historically bad for a presidential campaign. Donald Trump is planning on winning the White House with negativity, and in the process, he hopes that voters will ignore the fact that he is bat crap crazy.
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Scientists from the United States, Germany and Israel have arrived in Vietnam to help identify the reasons behind the mass fish deaths along the central coast.

Minister of Natural Resource and Environment Tran Hong Ha met with the foreign scientists and local experts on oceanography, coastal geology, coastal engineering and sustainable environment on Monday, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website on May 2.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is ready to let foreign scientists help us assess the environment around Vung Ang, Ha said in a meeting with the scientists in Hanoi. The Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh province is where Taiwan's Formosa steel plant and other heavy industrial projects are located.

After being briefed about the situation, the foreign experts said they are willing to help Vietnam find the cause behind the mass fish deaths in the central region. They said authorities in Vietnam need to analyze information gathered by observation systems before, during and after the fish deaths.

We will meet with the Ministry of Science and Technology after the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. If Vietnam agrees, we will send more experts and equipment to help Vietnam investigate the cause of this disaster. If we work together effectively, we believe we and the Vietnamese scientists will establish the reason quickly, said Professor Roberto Mayerle, director of the Research and Technology Center under Germanys University of Kiel.

We will work with the scientists to review our coastal observation stations and identify what needs to be done now and in the future to respond more quickly to sea-related incidents, Minister Ha added.

Since early April, about 70 tons of fish in the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue have washed up dead due to an unknown cause. On April 27, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said there are two possible reasons for the mass fish deaths.

One is toxic chemicals released by human activities. The other is an abnormal natural phenomenon that causes algae in the water to bloom at an accelerated rate, commonly known as a red tide.
Olmsted County District Court felony dispositions for May 2016:

 Predatory offender-violates registration  Derrek Michael Sanchez, 21, of Kasson. Sentenced May 3, 2016, to 18 months in prison; to pay $135.

 First-degree burglary  Tom Phutseevong, 26, of 1929 First St. SW, Rochester. Sentenced May 9, 2016, to 33 months in prison, stayed for 20 years; to 180 days in jail, with credit for 1 day served; to complete 100 hours of community work service; to pay $1,085.

 Possess pistol after conviction for crime of violence  Dyreese Kentrell Brown, 20, of 2508 Fifth Ave. NW, Rochester. Sentenced May 9, 2016, to 36 months in prison, to be served concurrently with a 17-month prison term for fifth-degree drug sale.

 Second-degree assault  Roger Allan Brueske, 53, of 16 Seventh Ave. SW, Rochester. Sentenced May 10, 2016, to 36 months in prison, stayed for seven years; to 78 days in jail, with credit for 78 days served; to complete 100 hours of community work service; to pay $1,085.

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 Possess firearm after conviction for crime of violence  Terry Miller, 53, of 110 18th Ave. SW, Rochester.Sentenced May 12, 2016, to 60 months in prison, stayed for 15 years; to 5 days in jail, with credit for 5 days served; to complete 50 hours of community work service.

 Terroristic threats  Juan Martin Elvira, 27, of 3230 Marion Road SE, Lot 12, Rochester. Sentenced May 16, 2016, to 18 months in prison, stayed for five years; to 23 days in jail, with credit for 23 days served; to complete 90 hours of community work service; to pay $85.

 Fifth-degree drug possession  David Lee Brooks, 53, 127 12th St. NW, Rochester. Sentenced May 16, 2016, to 25 months in prison, stayed for five years; to 200 days in jail, with credit for 200 days served.

 Fifth-degree drug possession  Vada Jean Haxton, 22, of Shakopee. Sentenced May 16, 2016, to 12 months and 1 day in prison.

 Predatory offender registration violation  Rickey Maddox, 57, of Faribault. Sentenced May 18, 2016, to 30 months in prison.

 Fifth-degree assault  Amber Tanicia Wohlers, 26, of 2422 23rd Ave. NW, Rochester. Sentenced May 18, 2016, to 24 months in prison, stayed for five years, to be served concurrently with a 21-month stayed sentence for harassment restraining order violation; to serve 180 days in jail, with credit for 47 days served.

 DUI-test refusal  Bradley Michael McFarlin, 47, of Stewartville. Sentenced May 23, 2016, to 57 months in prison.

 Financial transaction card fraud  Ashley Kathleen Akemann, 31, of 3315 15th Ave. NW, Rochester. Sentenced May 23, 2016, to five years probation; 100 hours of community work service; to pay $3,072.37; sentence is concurrent with conviction for felony check forgery.

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 DWI  Heather Janette Froisland, 34, of 101 Fourth St. SE, Rochester. Sentenced May 23, 2016, to 41 months in prison.

 DWI  Justen Lee Heintzman, 36, of Felts Mills, N.Y. Sentenced May 23, 2016, to 65 months in prison.

 Second-degree controlled substance crime  Ashley Nicole Kangas, 29, of Hayfield. Sentenced May 24, 2016, to 58 months in prison.

 Fourth-degree assault-correctional employee  Abbas Abdiraham Mohamed, 26, of 206 11th St. SE, Rochester. Sentenced May 26, 2016, to 20 months in prison.

 DANCO violation  Robert Hernandez, 25, of Owatonna. Sentenced May 25, 2016, to 27 months in prison.

Felony dispositions are public records and are available at the city/county Government Center in Rochester. For more information, call 328-6800.
A dozen "bladed instruments" were prevented from traveling into courtrooms or corrections areas Monday, the first day of the new safety screening program at the Olmsted County Government Center.

Capt. Scott Behrns of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, which handles the program, said his staff "is being patient" until visitors realize the new measures are in place. The screeners didn't confiscate any of the items, Behrns said, instead allowing owners to return them to their vehicles or deposit them in the second-floor drop box themselves.

Items in the drop box are not returned to their owners.

Staff members X-rayed 519 tubs of items  the machine has a counter, Behrns said  and estimated between 350 and 400 people passed through the metal detector.

Guns are not allowed either, even with a permit to carry, nor have they ever been allowed in the building, Behrns said.

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"We're not anti-gun," he said. "We have to follow the court order," which dates to 2003.

Other items, such as jackets, purses or laptops and cellphones, may be stored for free in lockers just beyond the screening area.

The screening staff is composed of five full-time sheriff's deputies, in addition to courtroom security duty. Behrns had to "borrow from the civil warrant division" to cover the positions.
A 58-year-old woman was injured Monday night when the car she was driving struck a garage.

Rochester police and fire crews were called at 7:52 p.m. to 704 Sixth Ave. SE, where the vehicle had traveled through the gable end of the garage and come to a stop, trapping the woman inside.

According to initial reports, the woman drove into a driveway three houses down, then continued through two neighboring yards before ending up in the garage.

Firefighters were able to crawl through a back door of the car, said Vance Swisher, deputy chief of the Rochester Fire Department, and remove the woman. She was taken by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus; a hospital spokeswoman said this morning the woman had been dismissed.

A blood sample was taken at the hospital to determine if she was under the influence.

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Firefighters had to use a chain saw to free structure debris from around the rear tires of the car so it could be towed, Swisher said.
The French navys amphibious assault ship, the Tonnerre, has arrived at Vietnams Cam Ranh International Port in the coastal central province of Khanh Hoa in a move to strengthen ties between the two navies.

The Tonnerre and Vietnams 4th Naval Zone will conduct a joint military exercise during the five-day visit from Monday, which will include search and rescue operations, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said in a report on Monday.

The 21,500-ton vessel, one of the French navys biggest, is 200 meters in length, 32 meters in width and about 48 meters in height.

Cam Ranh also welcomed the hydrographic research and charting vessel the Marshal Gelovani from Russias Pacific Fleet on May 2 to take on basic supplies for its voyage, the VNA said in another report on Monday.

On April 12, two Japanese destroyers dropped anchor at the new international port that opened in March this year. The new port project is separate from the existing naval base, home to Vietnams submarine fleet and other key naval vessels.

Cam Ranh Bay holds a strategic position in the East Sea due to its proximity to international navigation routes and the Spratly Islands, where China is illegally building bases on reclaimed islands. The naval base had been used by both the U.S. and Russia for military purposes in the past.
If you've ever wanted to be a environmental warrior, Jill Danielsen is looking for a few good men  and women, and teens. Anyone, really, who can recognize invasive plant species and help safely remove them.

Danielsen, volunteer coordinator at Quarry Hill Nature Center, will conduct the first Weed Warrior class on May 14, teaching people how to identify invasive species and help get them removed. Eventually, she said, the goal is to train a cadre of Weed Warriors to be available for projects throughout Olmsted County.

"By having this group of Weed Warriors trained in invasive plant removal, they will be ready to help with large volunteer group efforts and events," Danielsen said.

Weed Warriors, a program that began on the East Coast, has a network of local chapters scattered across the country. Terri Dugan, a Minnesota master naturalist who helps organize Weed Warrior volunteers in Olmsted County, said Danielsen's class will focus on invasive species that are taking over both parks and private property. Dugan said she hopes this will be the first of many Weed Warrior training classes.

"My hope is eventually every invasive species control class conducted by professionals will include contact information and an invitation to join the Weed Warriors," she said.

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Dugan said one of the species that will be a focus of the class is garlic mustard. Listed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as an invasive terrestrial species, garlic mustard came from Europe but can now be found in upland woodlands and forest floodplains in 27 U.S. states and Canada. The rosette flower of the plant blooms in late spring and is easily identifiable, Dugan said, but the flowers transform into pods bearing 100 seeds per plant.

At Danielsen's request, Dugan and her volunteers began working on garlic mustard and later buckthorn at Quarry Hill.

"We will return to those areas every year to assure the seed bank is depleted and new plants are not allowed to grow," she said.

The seeds are easily transported on shoes, paws or hoofs of people or pets walking through infested areas. "Not everyone wants to volunteer to pull weeds, but if they can identity an invasive species and remove it from their yards and/or inform neighbors, that is a very important control step," Dugan said.

Getting volunteers excited to become Weed Warriors is a big goal of the class, Danielsen said.

"By having this group of Weed Warriors trained in invasive plant removal, they will be ready to help with large volunteer group efforts and events," she said. She also hopes those who attend will become more adept at recognizing invasive species and learning how to remove them when it is easiest and most convenient for the volunteers.

"The easier it is for volunteers, the more work they will accomplish," she said.

Eventually, Danielsen said, she hopes volunteers can remove invasive species that choke out native Minnesota flora.

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"Not only does the diversity of plant and tree species disappear, but the disappearance of the animal diversity follows," she said. "Without the food sources these native plants provide, the animal will disappear as well."

Weed Warriors: The program is free to the public, all are welcome. No registration necessary.

Quarry Hill Nature Center, May 14, 9 a.m. to noon
PLAINVIEW  After being lost for two days in the Australian bush, a former Plainview woman was found safe on Sunday.

Alyce Tidball, 65, set off for a walk on Friday from a rural property she was staying at in the Deua River Valley area in the Deua National Park, which is around 25 miles from northwest Moryua, according to several Austrailian news outlets.

Tidball  who was believed to be staying in Australia for a month  called her friends with her cell phone after becoming lost, but she lost contact when the phone battery ran out.

A New South Wales spokeswoman told media outlets that Tidball was found with some minor injuries, but was able to walk.

According to Tidball's LinkedIn profile , she's an international consultant and has worked for variety of organizations involving international relations, such as the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem, and U.S. Embassy Kabul.

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Her daughter, Anna Tidball, resides in California and posted on Facebook her relief that her mother was found safe.

"I couldn't be more grateful for all of you over there in Australia and your community," she wrote. "It means the world to my family and I."
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the provincial government of Ha Tinh to set up a monitoring station to evaluate wastewater discharged from the Formosa steel plant.

The station will automatically take and analyze samples from Formosas discharge pipe and connect to existing stations managed by Ha Tinhs Department of Natural Resources and Environment, according to a government statement released on May 3.

The ministry and Ha Tinh have also been told to compile a report for the prime minister on how Formosa received permission for its wastewater pipeline and the method in which it is monitored. The report must clearly clarify the responsibilities of related agencies and personnel, the statement added.

Phuc asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and municipal governments across the country to carry out environmental inspections, especially on heavy industrial projects, with priority given to coastal areas.It is not permitted to discharge wastewater into the sea without prior monitoring as defined by environmental regulations. Wastewater that may affect the sea must be closely monitored, the government said.

Food tests

Vietnam's Administration for Food Safety and Hygiene Department (AFSH) and the National Institute for Food Control took 12 samples of fish, shrimp, crab, cuttlefish and other seafood taken from the Ky Nam fishing port in Ha Tinhs Ky Anh town on April 28. Analyses have shown that the levels of heavy metals, pesticides and cyanide in the samples are within the permitted limits.

Phan Van Hung, head of the AFSH unit in Ha Tinh, told VnExpress the province has established a working group to analyze samples from fishing ports in the province on a daily basis.

Since early April, about 70 tons of sea fish in the provinces of Ha Tinh , Quang Binh , Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue have died en masse of an unknown cause. On April 27, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said there are two possible reasons for the mass fish deaths.

One is toxic chemicals released by human activities. Another is an abnormal natural phenomenon that causes algae in the water to bloom at an accelerated rate, commonly known as a red tide.
Those traveling on U.S. Highway 52 and U.S. Highway 63 in Rochester will see a series of lane changes, closures and detours starting tonight and through the weekend.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is leading a $4.2 million project to replace the Highway 52 bridge decks over Highway 63 and connect Highway 52 northbound third lane to the bridge.

The project is expected to be completed Nov. 3. Here is the listing of the following changes, according to MnDOT:

Tuesday, May 3

Drivers on Highway 52 in both directions will encounter lane closures near the interchange with Highway 63 while the area is prepared to cross traffic over into opposing lanes.

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Wednesday, May 4

Southbound Highway 52 traffic will be switched over to lanes in the Highway 52 northbound lanes. Traffic will be in a single lane, head-to-head in the northbound lanes, so crews can begin the demolition process of the southbound bridge deck over Highway 52. This will remain in place until after the southbound bridge is ready for traffic this summer.

Thursday, May 5

There will be some short-term detours while MnDOT workers are cutting portions of the southbound Highway 52 bridge deck over Highway 63. The following detours will begin in the morning and last for several hours through early afternoon:

 Southbound Highway 52 to northbound Highway 63 will exit and use southbound Highway 63 to the 40th Street South interchange to then head north on Highway 63 (Broadway Avenue).

 Northbound Highway 52 to Southbound Highway 63 will exit, proceed north to the 28th Street traffic signal and U-turn south. Trucks will head north to Third Avenue SE, then west on 20th Street South to Broadway South.

 Northbound Highway 63 to northbound Highway 52 will exit to southbound Highway 52, exit at Olmsted County Road 1 (11th Avenue SE) and return to Highway 52 northbound at the interchange. This road work is expected to begin around 10 a.m. on Thursday.

Friday, May 6

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After 7 p.m., demolition of the Highway 52 southbound bridge deck will start. Traffic will not be allowed under the bridge, so Highway 63 North traffic will be detoured to southbound Highway 52 to the exit for Olmsted County.

Traffic can then head north on Highway 52. Motorists wanting to proceed north on Highway 63 (Broadway) will exit from Highway 52 and travel north into Rochester.

Saturday, May 7

Around 2 p.m. southbound traffic on Highway 63 will be switched into a single lane, head-to-head traffic with the northbound Highway 63 traffic to pass under the bridge, and then return to Highway 63 southbound lanes after passing the bridge deck under demolition.

Motorists who want to travel onto Highway 52 southbound will use the 40th Street South interchange to cross over and proceed north on Highway 63 and then south onto Highway 52.
About two dozen community members gathered in the City Hall rotunda Monday night to demand expanded inclusion of women and minority members on community advisory boards and commissions.

The demonstrators held signs with messages including "empower everyone" and "we want inclusion" as they awaited members of the Rochester City Council and the Rochester mayor, who were arriving at the council chambers for a regular meeting.

There was little interaction between the demonstrators and the elected officials; most council members and the mayor proceeded directly into the council chambers without engaging the group. However, council member Micheal Wojcik stopped to address the demonstrators and said he would later introduce a resolution to create a new task force to review the city's board and commission appointment process.

Jessica Schmitt told the Post-Bulletin she joined the rally after she and several peers had applied for multiple board positions, without success.

"I had some concerns about the fact that a lot of our boards and commissions are a little bit tipped in terms of gender and age and race," she said.

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"I thought that it's important to put my voice out there and let it be heard. Although it's in a creative way, hopefully it gets the attention of the council and the mayor," Schmitt said.

At the conclusion of the city council meeting, during a time usually reserved for items not included on the meeting agenda, Wojcik introduced a resolution that had been written by the same people who had earlier gathered in the rotunda.

In the ensuing discussion, it became clear the council and mayor were acutely aware of a sense of disenfranchisement brewing in the community. Each council member and the mayor offered their thoughts.

"Certainly, the underlying tone of all of this is troubling, to say the least," Mayor Ardell Brede said.

Still, the mayor did not support the creation of a task force, saying it would add another layer of bureaucracy to the process.

Wojcik said he has been calling for community board membership more reflective of the city's gender and race makeup for three years. Wojcik noted he would be flexible on points of the resolution but he would not wait another three years for decisive action.

Council member Sandra Means criticized the resolution for lacking clear action. She called for clearer goals and a better community understanding of what was needed, rather than the resolution's blanket use of "diversity," a term that was used 15 times in the two-page resolution.

"I think we need to look at this word, diversity, and I think we need to expand it," Means said. "I think we need to desegregate this a little bit more so that we can get to the outcome that we hope we will ultimately achieve."

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Means was also disappointed at having seemingly been excluded from the community action leading up to the resolution appearing at a council meeting, she said.

Other council members were frustrated by the resolution having skirted the normal council process for topics of discussion to appear in meetings.

After the terse discussion, the council agreed to continue the item and take it up for further review at a future meeting.
The city of Rochester is ready for mobile food units. Last-minute changes to the city's food truck ordinance introduced a tiered fee system that reduced proposed start-up costs for operators and also allowed for non-motorized food units, including trailers.

The Rochester City Council's actions on Monday night marked the final touches on an ordinance amendment months in the making. But for those entrepreneurs who will put the new rules to use, this is only the beginning of a pilot program. The city plans to review its amendment again at the end of the summer.

The council took a first reading on the food truck ordinance amendments Monday and it will need to give a second reading before the changes take effect. The second reading is scheduled for June 6, which would give an effective date of June 12, according to Reeves. The council could act sooner by waiving a second reading at its May 16 meeting.

The council on Monday took action on four points of its food truck ordinance:

Lower fees

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City council member Nick Campion introduced a tiered fee system that will see mobile food unit owners pay lower fees in their first two years of business. The council had considered an annual $150 licensing fee and $1,350 franchise fee for food truck owners. The tiered system reduces that cost to the $150 licensing fee and a $750 franchise fee the first year a food truck owner operates.

In the second year an owner operates a mobile food unit, the franchise fee increases to $1,100. In the third year, and years following, the owner would pay a $1,350 franchise fee, which combined with the annual $150 licensing fee brings the owners' fees to $1,500, the council's previously agreed upon total.

"To just make it possible to have a food truck is probably not what we should be doing," Campion said in introducing the tiered fee. "We should be leaning into this to encourage this new business."

Trailers, too

At the council's last meeting, mobile food unit operators pointed out a potential speed bump in the city's ordinance. The ordinance specified "food trucks" and defined them as motorized vehicles. Some of Rochester's existing mobile food businesses operate from nonmotorized trailers, which would not be allowed.

"I'd just ask that you reconsider changing the language to be consistent with the state and the county from 'motorized vehicle' to 'mobile food unit,' which is any motorized or trailer vehicle," said Derrick Chapman in a public comment earlier in the meeting. Chapman owns Twisted Barrel wood fired pizza, a trailer unit.

"I'm afraid that if that's not in the language, there could possibly be zero food trucks until sometime late in the summer," Chapman said.

Council President Randy Staver, who previously had cited safety concerns with nonmotorized food units, said after further discussions with Rochester Police Department staff, he no longer was concerned about trailers as a safety hazard.

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The council agreed to amend the ordinance language to refer to "mobile food units," with a definition that included nonmotorized trailers.

Zone shift

In another last-minute change, City Clerk Aaron Reeves informed the council the proposed late-night zone for mobile food units to operate in the downtown business core was no longer a viable option. The council had identified space on Second Street Southwest, between First and Second avenues for operations from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The city had been informed buses still would be using that site after 9 p.m., Reeves said, and so the late-night zone was shifted one block east, to be situated between First Avenue Southwest and South Broadway Avenue.

More specifically, the new zone allocates about five parking spaces on the south side of Second Street Southwest in the half block nearest First Avenue, Reeves said. The council could, at a later date, consider adding spaces on the north side of the street.

A lunch hour zone and four general zones are also open to mobile food units in the downtown district.

Licenses

After review with an Olmsted County staff member, the council agreed to recognize mobile food unit permits issue by either Olmsted County or the Minnesota Department of Health. Each permit has different permissions for owners, but rather than choose one or the other, council member Mark Hickey recommended the ordinance stay in its current form  to recognize both permitting agencies.
ST. CHARLESExpect to see more bicyclists on Wednesday both before and after school as kids across the country  and Southeast Minnesota  take part in National Bike to School Day.

While the national event, which encourages students to safely join together to bike or walk to school for physical fitness, has a special meaning in St. Charles, where the city recently received grants totaling more than $331,000 as part of the Safe Routes to School program.

Aric Kittleson, a middle school math teacher at St. Charles Junior/Senior High School, said the city currently has some barriers to safe biking.

"Many kids have to cross Highway 74 on our main street (Whitewater Avenue) or Highway 14," he said. "We believe parents are reluctant to have their students walk or bike if they have to cross either of these locations."

To help alleviate those fears, the school has four rally points for Wednesday where students can meet up with a staff member from the school district who will lead the students as a group. The four rally points will be the old Catholic school, the Northern Hill Subdivision sign, St. Charles Public Library and Mike's Food Center. Groups needing to cross either Minnesota Highway 74 or U.S. Highway 14 will be helped by law enforcement. All groups will depart from their meeting places at 7:30 a.m.

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"This is our second full year doing this," said St. Charles Schools Superintendent Mark Roubinek. "Last year, we had about 120 kids total."

That is a huge jump over the 30-40 bicycles that usually make their way to the district's campuses.

Roubinek said the Safe Routes to School grants will help bicyclists in St. Charles, particularly at 11th Street where it crosses Whitewater Avenue. When the voters in St. Charles decided to keep the elementary school in the middle of town, the district began working on ways to make safer walking and biking routes to school.

Kittleson said his hope is the Safe Routes to School grants make biking and walking a safe option for kids in St. Charles.

"As a parent and someone who bikes to school everyday, I feel our current infrastructure is in need of some upgrades even if it's just adding lights or signs to make safer crossings," he said.
AUSTIN  A Kenyon couple unleashed a brand new pet clinic in Austin on Monday.

Mike and Sara Sasse opened up Willow Pet Hospital at 504 12th Ave. NW. The two accepted appointments in late April, and have been greeted with several new clients.

After working at several other pet clinics  Austin Veterinary Clinic and Cascade Medical Center in Rochester  the couple believed that there was a need for additional services for animals.

The two envisioned working together at their own animal clinic for quite some time. The decision to open in Austin was based what appeared to be a higher demand for veterinary services in town. Austin's population is approximately 25,000 people.

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"Austin's a big town," Mike Sass said. "There's so much more to do for pets locally, so that was part our rationale. ... I always wanted to get back to owning my business again."

For Sass, this was an opportunity to live out his dream in working with animals. Previously, he ran his own home building and remodeling business. However, he injured his back and the housing bubble burst.

However, this was a blessing in disguise. When Sass was younger, he had pets and was inspired by a fellow veterinarian to pursue medicine. Sass met his future wife while in school at the University of Minnesota. The two graduated from veterinary medical school in 2013 and married.

"I always said if I had another chance, I'd go back into working with animals," he said. "I loved science and medicine, and there was this business side of things too for a small clinic. Every day was new and challenging. ... it was kind of my flame that started my interest in going back to school as a path for me."

Fast forward to present day. Now, the Sasses opened their new clinic. The 2,500 square-foot clinic features three exam rooms. There's a comfort room set up with a couch that's dedicated for patients and their owners when there's a euthanasia, so that clients can spend time with their beloved pet.

There are also large treatment rooms, a pharmacy, laboratory, digital X-ray room, and dental suite. There's even designated, separate wards for dogs and cats that are staying for surgical procedures.

As of now, Sass works alone at the clinic, but he hopes that Willow Pet Hospital will become a three-doctor practice. His wife currently works in Red Wing, but she could potentially work full time at Willow Pet if demand is high. They live in Kenyon, but also could move into Austin.

Willow Pet Hospital will be working both preventative care and reactive care, such as vaccinations, selling heart worm medications, dentistry, scaling, and cleaning, as well as spay and neuter services. Emergency surgeries are also performed.

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Although the clinic focuses solely on dogs and cats, there's potential for more variety of animals to be treated.

"I think the big thing for Sara and I is that we really see our own pets as family," Mike said. "When dealing with patients, they treat their pets like family, so we treat our patients like family."
A South Korean coast guard training vessel docked in Da Nang on Tuesday at the start of a four-day visit to the largest coastal city in Vietnams central region, the Vietnam Peoples Army Newspaper said in a report on May 3.

The 4,000-ton Badaro is 121 meters in length and 16 meters in width. It arrived with 124 officers and 45 crew members on board, mostly from Korea's Coast Guard Academy.

Officers from the South Korean ship and their Vietnamese counterparts will exchange experience on tackling piracy and environmental pollution, as well as coast management, the report said.

On May 2, the French navys amphibious assault ship the Tonnerre arrived at Vietnams Cam Ranh International Port in the coastal central province of Khanh Hoa for a five-day visit, which will include a military exercise with the Vietnam Navy.

Cam Ranh also welcomed the hydrographic research and charting vessel the Marshal Gelovani from Russias Pacific Fleet on May 2 to take on basic supplies for its voyage, the VNA said in another report on Monday.

On April 12, two Japanese destroyers dropped anchor at the new international port, which opened in March this year. The new port is separate from the existing naval base, home to Vietnams submarine fleet and other key naval vessels.
Daniel and Philip Berrigan on the cover of Time Magazine on Jan. 25, 1971.

Tributes have flowed for Daniel J. Berrigan, a Jesuit priest whose defiance of the Vietnam War landed him in prison drawing both the praise and barbs of many Americans and who died April 30 at the age of 94 in the Bronx, New York.

The poet priest and activist died at Murray-Weigel Hall, the Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University.

His father Thomas was an Irish Catholic trade unionist and his mother Frieda was of German descent.

"The United States was tearing itself apart over civil rights and the war in Southeast Asia when Father Berrigan emerged in the 1960s as an intellectual star of the Roman Catholic "new left," articulating a view that racism and poverty, militarism and capitalist greed were interconnected pieces of the same big problem: an unjust society," Daniel Lewis, wrote in his New York Times obituary.

Berrigan and his younger brother, Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s, reported The Associated Press.

Berrigan's was basically a religious position derived from a rigorous reading of the Scriptures "that some called pure and others radical" writes Lewis.

"But it would have explosive political consequences as Father Berrigan; his brother Philip, a Josephite priest; and their allies took their case to the streets with rising disregard for the law or their personal fortunes."

MAIRHEAD MAGUIRE

Northern Ireland peace activist, Mairead Maguire, a Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of Peace People wrote in America: The National Catholic Review that "Father Dan was a man of great courage, whose life touched millions, not only through his writings but especially by his actions.

"His message was delivered with great clarity and based on his passionate belief in the power of the Gospel of Nonviolence and Jesus's message of no killing and love of enemies."

Maguire said that as a young man, Berrigan knew the cost of war, when his four brothers left home to join the Second World War.

"They returned having witnessed much horror and suffering and it was out of this experience came the Berrigan Brothers conviction of what Father Dan called 'the sin of war' and their lifetime commitment to the abolition of war, nuclear weapons and all forms of violence."

In May 1968, the Berrigan brothers went into a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, in May 1968 with seven other activists, removing records of young men about to be sent to Vietnam, taking them outside, placing them in garbage cans and burning them.

They were dubbed the Catonsville Nine, convicted on federal charges that accused them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967, The Associated Press reported in The Guardian .

They received prison sentences ranging from two to three and a half years.

The brothers made the Jan. 25, 1971 cover of Time magazine under the headline, "Rebel Priests: The Curious Case of the Berrigans."

In 2009 Berrigan was asked by America magazine if he had any regrets about his actions and he replied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

Father Berrigan was released from the Danbury penitentiary in 1972; the Jesuits, alarmed at his failing health, managed to get him out early. He then resumed his travels.

RELEASE FROM JAIL

Lewis writes in the Times that after his release from Danbury penitentiary in 1972 Father Berrigan accused Israel of "militarism" and the "domestic repressions" of Palestinians and his remarks angered many American Jews.

"Let us call this by its right name," wrote Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, himself a contentious figure among religious scholars: "old-fashioned theological anti-Semitism."

However Philip Weiss wrote in Mondoweiss, "Sadly the Times did not quote from the speech in any fair measure."

He adds, "It's a pity that the New York Times doesn't explain that Berrigan's critique of Israel was equally harsh to his criticism of the United States at the time; and more important, that it was prophetic."

However Lewis writes in the Times that Berrigan was also not universally admired by Catholics.

"Many faulted him for not singling out repressive Communist states in his diatribes against the world order, and later for not lending his voice to the outcry over sexual abuse by priests."

Father Daniel's brother Philip, died in 2002, aged 79.

Berrigan continued his life of activism and was arrested a number of times in the 1980s and remained opposed to wars such as American intervention in Central America, the Gulf War in 1991, the Kosovo War, the U.S. foray into Afghanistan, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
In advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd, the U.S. State Department highlighted emblematic cases of journalists around the world who have been targeted because of their profession - journalists who have been imprisoned because they ran afoul of people in power who refuse to allow the truth to be known -- about themselves or their societies or their governments.

This year, the journalists featured in the State Departments #Free the Press Campaign come from places across the globe, including Cuba, Uzbekistan, China, Russia and Iran.

The Iranian journalist is Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand, whos been held in Evin prison since July 2007. He reported on torture in Iranian prisons, womens rights issues, and cases of human rights abuses against Irans ethnic minorities. In July of 2007, Kaboudvand was arrested and charged with acting against national security and engaging in propaganda against the state. A Revolutionary Court ultimately sentenced him to 11 years in prison.

At a press briefing, State Department Spokesperson John Kirby noted that Mr. Kaboudvand has reportedly suffered several heart attacks in custody, as well as serious kidney and intestinal problems, and that he has been refused appropriate medical treatment:

Kaboudvand has now served nearly nine years of his sentence. Irans penal code allows for early release after prisoners have served more than half of a sentence over ten years. He has reportedly been recommended for release by the warden of Evin Prison.

The State Department calls on the Iranian government to release Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand and all other Iranian journalists and citizen journalists who are imprisoned simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

The United States also urges the Iranian government to respects its citizens right to free expression and allow journalists to work in Iran without fear of violence and persecution.
All across Minnesota, our communities are growing  creating new opportunities for our residents and new pressures for our roads and bridges. The broader Rochester area, for example, is one of the fastest-growing areas in the state with more than 212,000 people and 50,000 daily commuters. This growth is only expected to intensify in coming years as Mayo Clinic's Destination Medical Center initiative creates between 35,000 and 45,000 jobs in the region during the next two decades.

Central Minnesota communities similarly have added more than 27,000 residents in just the past five years alone. To keep up with this growth, we need to maintain the roads we have and make strategic expansions that facilitate job creation and quality of life.

The problem is that it's been nearly a decade since Minnesota saw a meaningful increase in transportation funding. As a result, our transportation needs have continued to grow, while the available resources are declining.

Currently, Minnesota counties have more than $1.3 billion in unfunded local road and bridge improvement needs. This total doesn't even include an additional $6 billion in critical state highway and bridge fixes.

As county commissioners, we've tried to pick up the slack. In the past few years, nearly 80 percent of Minnesota counties have increased their local wheelage or sales taxes (or both) to pay for road and bridge improvements. But this approach doesn't provide nearly enough revenue to maintain the roads and bridges we have, much less make necessary expansions to the system.

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We need the Minnesota Legislature to step up like counties have done and fund a long-term, statewide transportation solution.

The toll that aging roads and bridges exact on our families and communities is sobering. Since 2010, 2,318 people have died in crashes on Minnesota roads. We can't wait any longer for improvements that make our roads and bridges safer and that help grow our economy.

We believe an increase in the state's gas tax needs to be a part of the solution. During a 48-hour period last week, the pump price for gas increased 26 cents per gallon. We all paid that increased price and probably didn't severely curtail the miles we drove.

As county commissioners, we are concerned the Minnesota House plan won't be a sustainable long-term solution. This plan relies exclusively on diverting money from the state's general fund, which also supports our schools, hospitals and senior citizens in addition to many other programs. In the event of any change to our economy, legislators almost certainly will prioritize people over pavement  leaving our roads and bridges underfunded.

We further believe the Minnesota Senate needs to be open to other revenue sources in addition to the gas tax. A balanced plan also should include a tab fee increase, the dedication of automobile parts sales taxes and additional bonding to fund transportation improvements.

We can't afford piecemeal funding anymore because the longer we wait to fix our roads and bridges, the more expensive it gets. We need an all-of-the-above solution.

The plan proposed by the governor provides a good starting place for negotiations. It would cost the typical Minnesotan less than $2 a week, while providing enough money to fix 2,000 miles of state highway, 330 state highway bridges and thousands of miles of local roads. It also would invest an additional $1.6 billion in the state's Corridors of Commerce program, which pays for adding new lanes on highways such as Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 14.

The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to meet for less than three more weeks before adjourning until January 2017. We can't afford to wait another year.

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We need action now.

Every delay is a missed opportunity to make transportation improvements. Every delay means the eventual cost of fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges will go up.

Please contact local legislators and urge them to pass a modest gas tax increase this year to pay for critical road and bridge fixes. This truly is a user fee for the privilege to drive and have a safe and accessible transportation system.

Ken Brown, of Rochester, represents the Second District on the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners, and Michael Potter, of Albertville, represents District Four on the Wright County Board of Commissioners.
Every day you read about how green energy, especially solar and wind power, are growing by leaps and bounds. And yet as a share of total electricity generation, green energys share is declining. (See the paired charts below.) One reason for this is that natural gas-fired electricity is growing faster, which somehow the news media forgets to mention. Another reason, though, is that many emission-free nuclear power plants are being retired, some of them before their useful life is over, and the new solar and wind installations cant replace the steady, 24/7 output of nuclear plants.

And who is responsible for this? Environmentalists, of course.

Take this in for a moment:

Nuclear power is one of the chief long-term hopes for conservation  Cheap energy in unlimited quantities is one of the chief factors in allowing a large rapidly growing population to preserve wildlands, open space, and lands of high scenic value  With energy we can afford the luxury of setting aside lands from productive uses.

And who said this? It was David Siri, the executive director of the Sierra Club, in 1966. What happened?

Michael Shellenberger tells the larger story in a terrific article at Environmental Progress Illinois. Here are a few highlights:

Few people realize that up until the early-seventies, environmentalists including the Sierra Club itself was pro-nuclear. Nuclear energy is the only practical alternative that we have to destroying the environment with oil and coal, said famed nature photographer and Sierra Club Director, Ansel Adams. Nuclears environmental benefits are the same today as they were back then. Nuclear produces zero air or water pollution. It uses tiny quantities of natural resources. Solar and wind require three to five times as much steel and concrete as nuclear plants. . . How then did environmentalists come to view nuclear as bad for the environment? Starting in the mid-sixties, a handful of Sierra Club activists feared rising migration into California would destroy the states scenic character. They decided to attack all sources of cheap, reliable power, not just nuclear, in order to slow economic growth. If a doubling of the states population in the next 20 years is to be encouraged by providing the power resources for this growth, wrote David Brower, who was Executive Director of the Sierra Club, the states scenic character will be destroyed. More power plants create more industry, that in turn invites greater population density. A Sierra Club activist named Martin Litton, a pilot and nature photographer for Sunset magazine, led the campaign to oppose Diablo Canyon, a nuclear site Pacific Gas and Electric proposed to build on the central Californian coast in 1965. Sierra Club member Martin Litton hated people, wrote a historian about the how the environmental movement turned against nuclear. He favored a drastic reduction in population to halt encroachment on park land. But anti-nuclear activists had a problem: their anti-growth message was deeply unpopular with the Californian people. And so they quickly changed their strategy. They worked hard instead to scare the public by preying on their ignorance. Doris Sloan, an anti-nuclear activist in northern California said, If youre trying to get people aroused about what is going on  you use the most emotional issue you can find. This included publicizing images of victims of Hiroshima and photos of babies born with birth defects. Millions were convinced a nuclear meltdown was the same as a nuclear bomb. . . The highest priority of the environmental movement was now to phase out nuclear, not fossil fuels. It is above all the sophisticated use of coal, chiefly at modest scale, that needs development, Lovins wrote in 1976. Around the same time Sierra Clubs Executive Director, Michael McCloskey, referred to coal as a bridge fuel away from nuclear and to renewables. Nothing much has changed. In flat contradiction of their stated views that climate change represents an imminent cata- strophic threat, anti-nuclear environmentalists from Germany to Illinois to California bless the burning of fossil fuels if it means they can force the closure of a nuclear power plant.

Michael is one of the environmentalists who have been leading the charge for environmentalists to change their mind on nuclear powersomething I never thought I would see in our lifetime. Theres much more in the whole article, but Ill end with just one more short excerpt:
Seth Leibsohn of the great Patriot Radio KKNT in Arizona graciously hosted me for an entire hour last night to talk further about the wisdom of our teacher Harry Jaffa. Its pretty tricky trying to do deep-dish political philosophy on the radio, but we gave it a shot.

We were pretty hard on Republicans and conservatives not merely for failing to communicate what is wrong these days, but for failing to understand what exactly should be communicated. Maybe we just need someone to embrace Jaffas most famous line, as rendered by Barry Goldwater: Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. . . Moderation in the defense of justice is no virtue. (For more background on that famous phrase, see this article.)

Anyway, heres the sound file:
Late last month someone in the circle of Hollywood [Florida] man James Medina tipped the FBI to him. Working on the informers tip, the FBI conducted an operation to intercept Medina before he fulfilled his dream of blowing up a synagogue in Aventura, Florida. I feel like its my calling, Medina explained as he prepared to do his thing. Whatever happens, its for the glory of Allah.

In federal court on Monday Medina gave the judge two names  one real, the other an alias. My name is James Medina, also known as James Muhammad, Medina announced in court. Enough said, but the FBI informer adds, apparently based on a recorded conversation, that Medina claimed he converted to Islam about four years ago. Its a claim I find highly plausible.

The Sun Sentinel notes that Medina also recorded a number of videos, saying goodbye to his family and making threats. I am a Muslim and I dont like what is going on in this world. Im going to handle business here in America. Aventura, watch your back. ISIS is in the house, agents reported he said in one of the videos. After his arrest, according to investigators, Medina confessed.

The Miami Herald reports the story here, the Orlando Sun Sentinel here. The Herald has posted the criminal complaint and underlying FBI affidavit here.

The stories dont do justice to the concerns raised by the 16-page FBI affidavit. As always in these cases, the affidavit is full of illuminating details, among which are the quotes in the first paragraph above and this little nugget: MEDINA felt the news of this attack conducted in this manner would go nationwide and inspire other Muslims to attack as well.
We dont normally just steal posts from others, but this one deserves it:

Glenn Reynolds writes:

ANALYSIS: TRUE. Every Industry Gets Worse When Government Gets Involved. This is easily provable with Public Choice Theory, and consistently proven in practice.

I would add two points about the chart. First, the increased cost of health care obviously has something to do with the metastasizing administrators. But it also is caused, in part, by an insufficient supply of doctors. Second, I have no doubt that you could create a similar chart for colleges and universities, with professors graphed against administratorsand for the same reason. Colleges and universities, like clinics and hospitals, spend a ridiculous amount of time complying with government regulations.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says sub-Saharan Africa economy faces a possible downturn, with growth expected to drop from 3.4 per cent in 2015 to about 3 per cent in 2016.

The Fund said at the presentation of its latest African Economic Outlook in Johannesburg, South Africa that the growth would likely slow this year to its weakest level in nearly two decades.

It identified three factors that would cause the drop, namely the slump in global commodity prices, the Ebola virus outbreak and drought.

The IMF said Africas major oil exporters, including Angola and Nigeria, were hardest hit by the slump in commodities prices, same as Ghana, South Africa and Zambia.

The decline in oil prices, the Fund said, paved the way for new realities for the continent, like the diversification trend being propagated in Nigeria.

Also, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are gradually recovering from the Ebola epidemic, while several southern and eastern African countries, including Ethiopia, Malawi and Zimbabwe are being devastated by severe drought.

On the upside, the Fund said Cote dIvoire, Kenya and Senegal would see growth of more than 5 per cent, mostly supported by on-going infrastructure investment efforts and strong private consumption.

The Fund said the affected countries needed to contain fiscal deficits as the reduction in revenue from the commodities sector was expected to persist.

While addressing the escalation of the Ebola scourge in West Africa in April 2016, a group of scientists wrote in Science Advances that survivors of the disease could still have the virus living in them even after regaining their health.

This virus, according to them, could be transmitted sexually, which accounts for the reason why the virus keeps popping up in Sierra Leone and Liberia since 2014.

The World Bank in a January 2016 projection reported that global commodity prices and electricity constraints, which were expected to stabilize, have remained low through 2017.

The report said activity is expected to pick up to 4.2 per cent in 2016 and to 4.7 per cent in 2017.

Growth was seen recovering to 4 per cent next year, helped by a slight recovery in commodity prices, the Fund said.

The Director of the African Department at the IMF, Antoinette Sayeh, recently said sub Saharan economies need to reset their policies as a way of addressing prevailing economic challenges.

(Reuters/NAN)
ELKO  County wildlife officials will discuss big game quotas when they meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the courthouse.

The state wildlife commission is preparing to establish regulations for the numbers of tags to be issued for mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, bighorn sheep, black bear, and mountain goats in the upcoming season. The Elko County Wildlife Advisory Board provides recommendations.

Also on the county agenda are the states final draft of the predation management plan, and elk incentive program.

The Nevada Wildlife Commission meets monthly in Reno but will be in Elko on June 24-25.
The Kenya Red Cross said rescuers pulled out a one-year old girl from the rubble of a building on Tuesday morning in Nairobi, more than 72 hours after it collapsed following heavy rain.

Red Cross spokeswoman, Arnolda Shiundu, said the rescued baby was severely dehydrated.

She said the baby was receiving medical attention at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Meanwhile, officials have put the death toll so far at 21.

Aid workers had on Monday said chances of finding more survivors was unlikely after the building fell down on Friday night.

(Reuters/NAN)
The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday arraigned another batch of 91 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) before a Kaduna High Court, seeking death sentence for the accused.

The government had on April 21 arraigned 50 members of the sect on similar charges.

They were among the 266 sect members arrested during the Shiite/Army clash between Dec. 12 and Dec 14, 2015 in Zaria.

The Shia group, Islamic Movement in Nigeria, says over hundreds of its members were killed and secretly buried by soldiers during the clash.

The Kaduna State government said 347 bodies were buried by the army and the state government in the Mando area of Zaria.

NAN reports that 256 of other Shiites arrested by the army are facing charges that attract death sentence, while 10 others are facing other charges in different courts in the state.

They were arraigned on a five-count charge for criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, disturbance of public peace and wrongful restrain.

Dari Bayero, who led the prosecution, told Justice Hajara Gwadah that the accused persons were being charged pursuant to Sections 97, 102, 106, 221 and 256 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State.

My Lord the charge before you is for mention. We humbly apply that the names of the accused persons be called out for identification.

My Lord the 1st, 13th, 34th, 39th, 57th , 66th and 70th accused persons are not in court and are absent.

They were released on bail and are aware of this date particularly the accused person No. 57 who we have proof of service on.

My Lord the 1st accused person was released on bail to one Ibrahim Haruna who is Resident at Zaria.

My Lord we hereby apply for a bench warrant against the 57th accused person.

My Lord same is also applied against all the accused persons that are absent. I also apply for a short date for further arraignment.

On his part, Festus Okoye, who led the defence team, said the prosecution had not served any of the accused persons with the charge since the case was filed on March 22, 2016.

My Lord our first application is that the prosecution should serve the charges on all the accused persons.

My Lord, the application for bench warrant against the accused persons that are not before the court is not proper.

My Lord the 1st accused and his surety were not served with a copy of this charge and hearing notice and thus, are not aware that the matter comes up today.

The 13th accused person was released because he was critically ill. There is also no evidence that he was served with the charge or hearing notice.

The 39th and 70th accused persons were released on bail because they are minors and were not served against today. I dont have information on the 57th accused person.

The defence counsel requested the court to order the prosecution to serve the accused persons that were not in court and their sureties.

After listening to the submissions, the Judge issued a bench warrant against the 57th accused person.

Bench warrant against 57th accused person is hereby granted. Accused persons are to be served personally.

Case adjourned to June 1, 2016 for arraignment, Mr. Gwadah declared.

(NAN)
Nigerian troops on Sunday rescued an 80-year-old man, Ibrahim Matuk, from Boko Harams captivity in Shaltimari village, Borno State.

Mr. Matuk was rescued by soldiers from 29 Task Force Brigade who were on clearance operations to smoke out the remnants of the terrorist group in the North East Nigeria, according to a statement released on Monday by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman.

Mr. Matuk, according the armys statement, said Boko Haram fighters killed all his children while he was in their captivity, and that he suffered untold hardship in the hands of the terrorists.

Troops are currently conducting large-scale operation in the heart of Sambisa forest where Boko Haram used to operate from, the statement said.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed sorrow at the death of the Oba of Benin, Omo nOba Erediauwa II.

In letters of condolence to the governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, and the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom, Mr. Obasanjo described the Oba as a seasoned technocrat and erudite administrator whose reign afforded the people of Edo State notable social and political developments, growth, progress, peace and stability.

In his letter, Mr. Obasanjo said he received the news of Oba Erediauwas passing with deep sense of sorrow, saying his administration benefited immensely from the wise counsel of the royal father.

The former president said Oba Erediauwas death would be suffered by not just the palace but also the people of Edo State.

Mr. Obasanjo also prayed to God to give the Crown Prince the wisdom and courage required to sustain the laudable achievements of his late father.

The late Oba will, no doubt, be greatly missed by family, as well as by his numerous friends and admirers, the former president said.

While urging that you take solace in the worthy life that the late monarch lived, may I take this opportunity to extend my sincere condolence to the Royal family and the entire State, and pray that the Almighty God grant you all the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. And for you, the Crown Prince, in particular, I pray God give you the wisdom and courage you would require to build on the laudable and monumental legacies of your late father.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Tuesday reacted angrily to the call by Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, that governors should sack civil servants to resolve the irregular salaries payment crisis, describing the call as absurd.

In a statement, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said Mr. Okupes argument that the governors should sack their workers because virtually all state governments in the country have over-bloated civil service was jaundiced.

Mr. Okupe had cited the example of Ogun State, which he claimed was receiving N2 billion monthly from the federation account between 2008 and 2009, but was paying out about N1.8 billion as staff salaries, wages and overhead costs to civil servants during the period.

The former presidential spokesperson said a situation where 10 per cent of the population was consuming 90 per cent of the wealth of the state was an obvious socio-economic absurdity and incongruity.

But, Mr. Wabba dismissed Mr. Okupes figures as political statistics that are neither good for his health nor the health of those with whom he seeks to impress.

The NLC president said since he believed in the equitable distribution of the nations wealth, he would not subscribe to an arrangement where 10 per cent corner 90 per cent of a states the resources.

He urged Mr. Okupe to conduct a forensic audit of Ogun states pay to civil servants, contractors and politicians as well as the cost of running government houses.

For the NLC, Mr. Wabba said staff salaries and allowances were not the reason(s) the economy of the states were in shambles, pointing out that the Congress believed serial corruption in the states was responsible.

Apart from the states failure to save for the rainy day, high cost of governance through hiring of aides on high salaries, unlawful and unacceptable severance packages for ex-governors and their deputies, cost of political expediency, failure to invest, were to blame.

He said during difficult economic moments like what Nigeria is facing, what is needed are measures to stimulate the economy, rather than those to deepen the peoples misery and further weaken the economy.

It is not a favour when the state employs its citizenry, Mr. Wabba said. It is merely doing its duty as prescribed by the Constitution.

He said it was in consideration of this point that President Muhammadu Buhari gave bail-out funds to the state governors to help them pay salaries and pensions.

Mr. Wabba expressed shock that rather than call for the sanction of governors who failed to properly utilise their bail-out funds, and creating misery to the people as well as overheated the polity, Mr Okupe would be calling for the blood of hapless civil servants.
The Oke-Odan town located in Yewa South Local Government area of Ogun State has been thrown into pandemonium, as officials of the Nigeria Customs Service allegedly shot dead two children and three others while pursuing smugglers.

A witness said the incident occurred on Sunday evening when Customs officials pursued some suspected smugglers who were driving in two vehicles loaded with rice coming from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic, and heading towards Sango in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The witness added that the Customs officials seized the vehicles and were driving them to Idi-Iroko office before they were ambushed by some suspected smugglers.

According to the witness, a clash erupted whichled to the death of three children, a roadside mechanic, a panel-beater and a secondary school leaver, simply identified as Ade.

However, when contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, and his Customs counterpart, Usman Abubakar, said only two people lost their lives.

The customs spokesman said three of their officers sustained injury during the attack by the smugglers, adding that three of their check points were burnt down.

Two people have been confirmed dead. Our officers were attacked by smugglers on their way to Idi-Iroko office after seizing two vehicles loaded with rice at Ajilete,Abubakar said.

These smugglers carried guns, cutlasses, axe, broken bottles and stoned our officers with a view to recovering their vehicles with the contraband and injured three officers, he added.

We had to call for reinforcement of military and police before we could escape from the smugglers. They burnt down three of our check points.

The customs Public Relations Officer however, offered prayers for those who lost their lives and sustained injury in the clash, warning smugglers against obstructing officers on duty which he said attract two years imprisonment.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, in his own reaction said the command was aware of the clash between armed men and smugglers.

Mr. Adejobi said only two casualties were recorded in the crisis and that the alleged mastermind of the incident identified as Oke Gbenro had been arrested.

He said the police command had taken over the matter saying as at now,we have recorded two people confirmed dead and we have taken the corpses to a public morgue for autopsy and for proper investigation.
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, says states should be allowed to fix their minimum wage according to their financial capabilities.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr. Oyegun said although it was a matter for the executive arm of government, the executive at federal and state levels would have to consider the demand in line with their ability to pay.

The Nigeria Labour Congress recently proposed N56, 000 as minimum wage for the Nigerian worker, just as a faction is also demanding for N90, 000, as against the current N18, 000.

That is always what happens (the demand) but this must be based on the economic realities on the ground, the ability to pay.

Perhaps to even demonstrate that this is not a central but a federal matter, that states should be allowed to make their decisions based on their ability to pay.

The cost of living is not the same in every part of the country, he said.

Speaking on the delay in appointments into various Federal Boards and parastatals, the chairman sued for patience, assuring that the appointments would be made at the most appropriate time.

On the issue of the attack on the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Pius Odubu, in Auchi, the Chairman said what happened was unfortunate.

It is our hope that the police will get to the bottom of it and make sure that the culprits are brought to book, he said.

He promised that the national headquarters of the party would ensure free, fair and transparent primaries.

(NAN)
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has said his government, in consultation with local communities will arrange grazing routes and make same known to herdsmen to help reduce incidents of destruction of farmlands.

According to him, the routes will be in such a way that the herdsmen will feed their cattle in areas where there are no farmlands.

Mr. Umahi backed calls for the disarming of Fulani herdsmen by the police and other security agencies.

He stated this at the end of an enlarged State Security Council meeting in Abakaliki on Tuesday.

The governor, who reaffirmed his administrations resolve to ensure harmonious relationship between Fulani herdsmen and host communities, charged the police to periodically search the herdsmen and recover illegal arms in their possession.

He charged traditional rulers to hold extensive meetings with their communities and warn them against taking laws into their hands as the state government would not hesitate to bring the full weight of the law to bear on anybody who attacks herdsmen in the state.

The governor also condemned the attacks on Uzo Uwani community in Enugu state by suspected Fulani herdsmen, but debunked rumours of impending attacks in the state.

He said a special security committee would be set up at the state, local government and community level to help mediate in security issues in the state.

The committee will have the Attorney General, the Special Adviser on Internal Security and Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolutions and others as members.
A former minister and senator, Iyabo Anisulowo, who has kidnapped Wednesday in Ogun State has regained her freedom.

Police said on Tuesday evening that Mrs. Anisulowo was rescued at Gbegbelawo village, a suburb of Olorunda town, located in Yewa North local government of the state.

The Ogun State Command Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the 65-year-old was rescued at about 7.00pm.

He said two suspected kidnappers were arrested during the rescue operation.

Mrs. Anisulowo was abducted six days ago while returning from her farm in Sawonjo in Yewa South local government area of the state.

Her kidnappers demanded N200million as ransom, while the Nigeria Police offered a N5 million reward for information leading to the former ministers rescue.

Details of how the former minister regained her freedom are yet unclear.

More Details later.
Troops of Joint military force in Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, has killed four suspected pirates killing during a surveillance patrol within the Ogbia  Nembe waterways, the military said.

The shootout occurred at Peregbene along the Ogbia-Nembe waterways in the state, where the troops came under attack in April.

Two soldiers were killed and a Lebanese abducted.

The spokesman of the Joint Force in the Niger Delta, Ado Isa, confirmed the incident, saying four of the hoodlums were struck by the troops bullets and feared dead.

Mr. Isa said the troops were on patrol of the waterways when they saw the hoodlums between Peregbene and Obama area of the state.

The OPS spokesman said the suspected pirates were riding a speedboat with 200 horse power engine which has been banned in the states waterways when they came in contact with the patrol gunboat.

On sighting the gunboat, the gunmen tried to escape. Our troops fired at them while they were trying to run away. As they were escaping, they were firing back at our troops. About four of them were hit by bullets.

They were either dead or sustained serious injuries.

They navigated into a narrow creek, put off the engine of their boat and ran into the creeks. They escaped with their dead.

One of our soldiers was shot in the leg and he was immediately evacuated to a hospital for treatment, Mr. Ado said.

He said the troops were still combing the creeks to locate the whereabouts of the gunmen.

Mr. Ado said the Commander of the Operation Pulo Shield, Alani Okunlola, has ensured constant patrol of the waterways to fish out economic saboteurs and other maritime criminals in the Niger Delta region.
Editor:

Nevada voters should brace against millions of dollars from out-of-state Big Marijuana interests supporting legalization of recreational pot on the November ballot.

These corporate pot promoters will try to repeat what worked for them in legalizing marijuana in Colorado in 2012. There, they financially overwhelmed opponents by 5 to 1, spending $3.4 million (90 percent from outside Colorado) in passing legalization.

The enormous financial advantage for pro-pot advertising in Colorado overcame opposition to legalization from most all public officials -- across the political spectrum from liberal Democrats, like Denver Mayor Hancock and Colorado Governor Hickenlooper, to Republicans, like Attorney General Suthers and Tea Party favorite Congressman Buck.

The two leading newspapers in Colorado, the liberal Denver Post and the conservative Colorado Springs Gazette, both opposed legalization.

Big Marijuana will repeat their Colorado advertising falsehoods in Nevada  that regulation of marijuana means the end of black markets and that marijuana taxes will be used for education. The Colorado Attorney General and the Governors Weed Czar refute both claims as myths.

Jim Hartman

Genoa
The 1997 Constitution should be thoroughly reviewed and evaluated, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on the 225th anniversary of the May 3 Constitution. Andrzej Duda stressed that new solutions were needed as this "was the constitution of a transitional period."

"Today (...) there is again a discussion about the Polish Constitution, the one from 1997, and about what is necessary for Poland. Being the president, I say 'yes': it should be thoroughly reviewed and evaluated, and we need solutions," President Duda said during central observances of the May 3 Constitution Day in the Zamkowy Square in Warsaw on Tuesday.

"These solutions should be prepared not only in offices but also during a debate with the sovereign, namely the Polish people represented by many organisations, trade unions, NGOs, MPs and senators," the president went on.

According to the president, a draft should be discussed in detail "so that the nation could approve the Constitution passed by the National Assembly", with every citizen being sure that they understood it.

Speaking about the May 3 Constitution, the president said that "we, the Poles, managed to pass an act which was both for Europe and the entire world an example of parliamentarism and a pattern of how to build a modern state and how to think about a true situation of the homeland,"

"Only a strong state can survive and secure a good life for its people," the president went on.

"This was the second Constitution in the world, after the American one. This was a constitution which linked tradition with a modern day, it was revolutionary at the time of its adoption as far as the socio-political system was concerned. And it was passed by the representation of the nation, and not imposed by the ruler," the Polish president stressed.

"Let's look at the May 3 Constitution, let's look at its authors, at their courage and their understanding of the importance of state affairs, and of the situation in which Poland has found itself. Let them be for us an example of how to conduct public affairs in an honest way," the president concluded.

The observances were attended by Poland's First Lady, PM Beata Szydlo, government officials, parliamentarians and ordinary citizens.

Earlier in the Royal Palace, President Duda decorated retired sprinter and Olympic medalist Irena Szewinska, film music composer Michal Lorenc, scientist and former president of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) Michal Kleiber, Nazi German Ravensbrueck former inmate, physician and Pope John II's friend Wanda Poltawska, democratic opposition activist Zofia Romaszewska, and democratic opposition activist and journalist Bronislaw Wildstein with the highest state distinction, the Order of the White Eagle.

Handing over the distinctions, the president stressed the importance of the Order of the White Eagle for Poland and its link with Poland's history. He thanked them for "their great lives", both from the point of view of the state and service for the Polish people.

Earlier in the day a mass for the homeland was said at the St. John the Baptist cathedral in the Old Town.

Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz stressed in a homily that the May 3 Constitution was an important testament of the First Republic of Poland and helped Poles survive the 123 years of partitions. "It also was a reference point in strivings for an independent Poland," Nycz said.

The May 3 Constitution, adopted in 1791, was the second in the world after the Constitution of the United States of America passed in 1787.

Celebrations of the May 3 Constitution were also held all over Poland.(PAP)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Gov. Chris Christie says he was shocked by the shooting death of a New Jersey Institute of Technology student killed during a burglary at a fraternity house near the school.

Christie spoke Tuesday about Joseph Micalizzi's death after he toured an innovative learning facility that's being built on the school's campus in Newark.

Noting that his son will soon graduate from Princeton University, the Republican governor said the slaying was an "extraordinary tragedy" not only for the university's community "but also for us as a state and me as a father."

Micalizzi, 23, was killed early Monday at the Tau Kappa Epsilon house. The Freehold man was a member of the fraternity and a mechanical engineering major who was in his second year at NJIT after transferring from Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. He had made the dean's list in the fall, NJIT President Joel Bloom said.

College years are "one of the most optimistic times of life," Christie said. "We never ever think that the conclusion of this experience would be anything other than a cap and gown and a diploma and a job and a career."

No arrests have been made in the shooting.

"The best tribute that we can give to the tragedy is to bring greater focus, greater success and greater happiness to the lives that remain," Christie said. "If we continue to do that, then we will be praising that family and their lost son who came here because he wanted that type of life."
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
A veteran Democratic state senator now running for mayor of North Las Vegas says her 21-year-old adopted son shot and wounded her nephew at her home while she was at a community event. State Sen. Pat Spearman spoke to reporters Friday outside the jail where police said NaOnche Tamar Osborne is being held. He's being held there pending an initial court appearance on felony attempted murder and other charges. Court records didn't immediately say if he has an attorney. Spearman says her nephew was hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds. Police say the shooting happened Thursday evening at a home in the citys northwest. Her campaign chief says she's not giving up the race for mayor.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A northern Utah woman whose husband and 4-year-old daughter were killed when a doghouse fell out of a man's truck and caused a highway pileup has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Alyssa Chambers filed the suit last week seeking $300,000 in damages. She is suing the man who had the doghouse in his truck, a woman who rear-ended their car and the woman's employer since she was driving for her job.

The August 2015 crash started when a large wooden doghouse slid out of Joshua Sinykin's truck during rush hour on Interstate 15 in Weber County, authorities said. Several cars were forced to slow down, including the Chamber's vehicle carrying Alyssa and Ryan Chambers, their two daughters and the family dog inside, the lawsuit said.

A car driven by Uchenna Uzoh smashed the Chamber's vehicle, forcing it to collide with a semitrailer. Ryan Chambers and the couple's young daughter, Evelynn Chambers died. The family dog, Archer, also died.

Alyssa Chambers and their other daughter, Kaya Chambers, were injured but survived.

The lawsuit alleges were negligent in their actions that day, failing to take reasonable care for others on the highway. The lawsuit was first reported by the Standard-Examiner of Ogden.

Weber County prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges related to the deaths, but Sinykin and Uzoh are both charged with driving infractions that day.

Sinykin paid a $310 fine for failure to secure loose cargo. The AP sought comment on the lawsuit from Sinykin, but could not verify whether he had a listed telephone number or an attorney.

Uzoh was charged with speeding and following a vehicle too close. That case has yet to be resolved. Her attorney, Micah White, declined comment on those charges. He said the investigation is ongoing.

Uzoh's employer, Canyon Home Care and Hospice, declined comment through an office manager.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




Spains richest man, Amancio Ortega, founder of the Inditex empire that includes global fashion retailer Zara, celebrated his 80th birthday on March 28. To celebrate the occasion, a surprise party was organized at the headquarters of the company, in Arteixo, close to A Coruna, in Galicia.

Ortegas daughter, Marta Ortega, led her father, who was visibly moved by the surprise, on a tour of the Arteixo plant, where hundreds of workers turned out to applaud the man who created the worlds largest fashion company. A flashmob had also been prepared, along with a dance attended by hundreds of employees from every department, factory and shops from around the world.

Ortega opened his first shop in A Coruna, in the early 1970s, from where he began selling housecoats

Born in the small community of Busdongo de Arbas in the northern region of Leon just months before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Ortega opened his first shop in A Coruna, in the early 1970s, from where he began selling housecoats. Since then, Inditex has grown to be the largest textile company in the world and Ortega one of the planets highest net-worth individuals. The company employs 152,854 people and runs 7,000 stores in 88 countries.

Ortega stood down as CEO in 2012, leaving the day-to-day running of the company in the hands of Pablo Isla, who has been with the company since 2005. Nevertheless, Ortega retains close links to Inditex.

English version by Nick Lyne.
A recording of a violent incident during a bull-running event last week in Mas de Barberans (Tarragona) has been released. The video shows members of the crowd who are in favor of bullfighting assaulting two female activists from an animal rights group. The women are seen being insulted, beaten and having their hair pulled. The video cameras that they were using to tape the event are then thrown to the ground and smashed.

The woman resist, but are quickly approached by more people, who begin to shake them, pull their hair, and finally, grab their video cameras

The rights group in question, AnimaNaturalis, has made the images of the incident public in a bid to spread awareness and to raise support for their cause.

The incident took place last Friday, during one of the events involving bulls that had been organized as part of the fiestas in Mas de Barberans, a small municipality in Tarragona. Shortly after the animal had been released, an individual is seen in the video approaching the activists, and trying to wrest their cameras away from them. The woman resist, but are quickly approached by more people, who begin to shake them, pull their hair, and finally, grab the video cameras and smashing them to the floor.

The victims were Aida Gascon, who is 32 and is the president of AnimaNaturalis in Spain, and her colleague, Yasmina Moreno, 29. The pair have reported the incident to the authorities. The next day, the regional Mossos dEsquadra Catalan police force arrested four people in connection with the incident. The suspects are three men and a woman, aged between 19 and 47 years old, and all members of the same family.

Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here.

The activists explained that they usually travel to such events in the area in order to record the activities involving bulls, with the purpose of ensuring that regulations involving the animals are observed. They were also planning on taping the toro embolado  when balls of flame are attached to the animals horns  that same night.

Several weeks ago AnimaNaturalis denounced the fact that its activists had been the object of persecution and harassment during a bull running in Aldover, a municipality close to Tortosa.

The only way that this season of bull running will be calm is if suspects are given exemplary sentences, said Aida Gascon. We have attended these fiestas for the last five years, with the sole purpose of supervising that taurine regulations are observed, and we had never before suffered this kind of violence ourselves. We hope that this ends here, but we will not stop documenting the correbous.

English version by Simon Hunter.
JC Flowers Owned Bank that was Penalized by FinCEN for Money Laundering

ANDORRA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- J.C. Flowers & Co., the company selected by the Government of Andorra to take over the assets of Banca Privada d'Andorra ("BPA") expropriated from the Ramon and Higini Cierco, has a history with FinCEN. The firm bought a small bank in the United States that was itself penalized by FinCEN for undertaking huge transactions with customers in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Saddle River Valley Bank (SRVB) was a small, two-branch New Jersey bank that was struggling after the financial crisis. J.C. Flowers & Co. was searching for a bank to invest in as part of a strategy to acquire more failed banks from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. SRVB opened up a wire transfer service with Latin American countries, and under J.C. Flower's leadership from 2009-2011, the bank handled $1.5 billion in financial transactions with customers in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, while the bank managed only $120 million in assets domestically. Unlike BPA, Saddle River Valley Bank was a tiny domestic operation whose involvement in Latin American money laundering dwarfed any legitimate business operations.

Saddle River's Latin American transaction business caught the attention of FinCEN, which opened up an investigation into the bank in 2011. J.C. Flowers hurriedly sold its shares soon after, and the bank had to accept a buyout deal with Union Center National Bank, which greatly undervalued SRVB and cost the remaining minority shareholders a great deal of money.

In 2013, SRVB settled with FinCEN and other authorities for $8.2 million over charges that included failures in recording keeping, reporting, and a failure to have an effective anti-money laundering program in place. J.C. Flowers & Co. claims it did not know about SRVB's wiring services, despite spending 9 months looking into SRVB's books and business before deciding to buy in. And how could a controlling shareholder miss the fact that the bank had so few assets and its principal business appeared to be handling transactions with Latin American customers worth nearly fifteen times the assets of the bank?

Six local, minority shareholders who lost money decided to sue SRVB, J.C. Flowers & Co., and J.C. Flowers & Co.'s affiliated SRV Holdings in late 2012 for failing to uphold their promises of revamping SRVB. Court records were sealed by request of all parties, so specific plaintiffs and defendants are unknown besides ex-Mayor Conrad Caruso, who was the initiator of the suit. The case was eventually settled for $1.2 million.

So now we see the hypocrisy of AREB, which claims that J.C. Flowers "achieves every single objective pursued by the Resolution Plan for Banca Privada d'Andorra (BPA)." What objectives are those? Finding a purchaser that owned a bank that was doing massive money laundering and was penalized by FinCEN? Finding a purchaser that claims it could not discover $1.5 billion of tainted transactions in a bank with $120 million in assets? What can AREB expect J.C. Flowers to bring to Andorra, the same care and ethics that it showed in the United States? Or is this just an attempt to sell to anyone to sweep Andorra's massive incompetence and lack of transparency under the carpet?

Timeline:

2006 - Saddle River Valley Bank is formed by Conrad Caruso, who wanted to create an entity that offered investment and lending services to local businessmen.

2007-2008 - SRVB has mediocre performance up until the financial crisis struck. The Bank began struggling to stay afloat.

2009 - For the first nine months of 2009, Saddle River Valley Bank was being courted by JC Flowers & Co. JC Flowers & Co. spent months looking into the Bank's books before coming to a deal for majority ownership.

During this time, the bank starts offering international wire transfers for a fee.

A deal was reached for around $7 million in October 2009 from JC Flowers & Co. and its affiliate, SRV Holdings LLC.

2010 - SRV Holdings officially acquires enough shares to take control of the bank.

2011 - Saddle River Valley Bank gets the attention of regulators, who ordered the lender to stop violating anti-money laundering laws and to set up an effective program to measure account activity.

Saddle River Valley Bank did not comply with the standards, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency opens an investigation.

2012 - The bank is struggling again, and agrees to sell the majority of its assets and deposits to Union Center National Bank for $9 million, a highly undervalued sale.

Six minority shareholders, including original founder Conrad Caruso, sue the Bank, JC Flowers & Co., and the bank's board of directors for leading the bank to ruin.

2013 - Saddle River Valley Bank settles with FinCEN and the OCC for $8.2 million.

Flowers had sold their shares of the bank in 2012, but the investigated actions took place from 2009 to 2011, during the time when JC Flowers & Co. was managing the bank. JC Flowers & Co. denies any knowledge of the events and no official charges were filed.

2014 - The minority shareholders settle for $1.2 million.

SOURCE Ramon and Higini Cierco
Solution leverages new technology and componentized architecture to position global banks for growth

MIAMI, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) today announced the introduction of its Global Post Trade Management (GPTM) solution, a next generation offering that allows investment banks and broker-dealers to transform their operating models to gain operational and cost efficiency. The solution enables transformation by streamlining operations across asset classes, markets and business entities globally, and enhances banks' and brokers' financial and risk management and regulatory compliance capabilities.

The solution, which has already been adopted by a major investment bank, leverages a new componentized technology architecture to provide financial institutions with a consolidated enterprise platform that standardizes post-trade processing, eliminating duplicative operations and information silos and reducing processing and support costs. Through GPTM, global banks and brokers will have greater transparency and real-time visibility on global trades, positions, P&L and a consolidated sub-ledger, enabling greater financial and risk management and regulatory compliance. GPTM leverages Broadridge's existing best-in-class solutions and services that are used by firms of all sizes.

"Financial institutions globally are adjusting to a new market and regulatory landscape that requires more information and increased transparency for regulators, clients and their risk and finance functions," said Arin Ray, analyst, Global Financial Services Securities & Investments Group, Celent. "As a result, standardized and streamlined post-trade processing and management across all capital markets functions is increasingly critical. The GPTM solution is an innovative platform built on Broadridge's proven technology capabilities and decades of expertise and is designed to meet banks' current needs as well as provide a model for future strategic business growth."

Charlie Marchesani, president, Global Technology and Operations at Broadridge, said: "Global investment banks are facing unprecedented regulatory and cost pressures and require solutions that allow them to consolidate duplicative operations, systems and processes to gain business efficiencies and improve profitability. GPTM is built on the foundation of Broadridge's global capital markets expertise, and we view this as a truly transformative platform that helps financial institutions gain a significant operational advantage, removing multiple incumbent systems and complex deployments."

Global Post Trade Management can be deployed as a technology service or a fully outsourced Managed Service, including operations and technology functions from trade capture through matching and confirmation, clearance and settlement, cash management, reconciliations, asset servicing, books and records, accounting and regulatory reporting.

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) is the leading provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions for broker-dealers, banks, mutual funds and corporate issuers globally. Broadridge's investor communications, securities processing and managed services solutions help clients reduce their capital investments in operations infrastructure, allowing them to increase their focus on core business activities. With over 50 years of experience, Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 90% of public companies and mutual funds in North America, and processes on average $5 trillion in equity and fixed income trades per day. Broadridge employs approximately 7,400 full-time associates in 14 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com.

Media Contacts

Kate McGann

Broadridge

Katherine.mcgann@broadridge.com

+1.212.981.1395

Brett Philbin

Edelman

Brett.philbin@edelman.com

+1.212.704.8263

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110920/MM71626LOGO

Related Links

http://www.broadridge.com



SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone") (TSX: CS) today published its 2nd annual Sustainability Report.

"Our 2015 report has been enhanced thanks to feedback from our stakeholders, helping us to continuously improve the depth and transparency of our sustainability reporting," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone. "We were proud to rank in the Corporate Knights 2016 Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders in Canada for mid-size companies this past March, highlighting that transparent disclosure of sustainability performance data is becoming an integral business practice."

In order to minimize environmental waste, the 2015 report was published online in digital format and is available in both English and Spanish on our website at http://capstonemining.com/responsibility/Overview/default.aspx.

About Capstone Mining Corp.

Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our three producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US, the Cozamin copper-silver mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico and the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada. In addition, Capstone has two development projects; the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo project in Region III, Chile, in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, and the 100% owned Kutcho copper-zinc project in British Columbia, Canada, as well as exploration properties in Chile and US. Capstone's strategy is to continue to extend the lives of our current mines with mineral resource and reserve expansions, maintain the optionality on the Santo Domingo development project, prudently progress the exploration portfolio and grow through acquisitions in politically stable, mining-friendly regions. We will pace our growth with our financial capacity, to retain, as a priority, sufficient financial flexibility to meet the requirements of our existing operations and our committed development projects, while maintaining an adequate cushion to deal with market volatility and operating risks inherent in the mining industry. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at www.capstonemining.com.

Cindy Burnett, VP, Investor Relations and Communications, +1-604-637-8157, cburnett@capstonemining.com

Related Links

http://www.capstonemining.com



SOURCE Capstone Mining Corp.
MEXICO CITY, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cobre del Mayo S.A. de C.V., announces that it does not expect to make the interest payment due May 15, 2016, with respect to its 10.75% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2018, in accordance with its policy of conserving cash in order to ensure the stability of its operations, as previously disclosed. Cobre del Mayo would, as always, be willing to respond to individual bondholder inquiries at: ir@cobredelmayo.com.mx.

Related Links

http://cobredelmayo.com



SOURCE Cobre del Mayo, S.A. de C.V.
ABU DHABI, UAE and JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Senior company executives set to highlight the importance of adding cyber security resilience to digital networks

Saudi Arabia remains the largest IT spender in the region

DarkMatter, an international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE, announces its participation as a Summit Partner of the forthcoming IDC CIO Summit 2016 in Saudi Arabia. The event is taking place 4-5 May at the Bay La Sun Hotel & Marina, King Abdullah Economic City, Jeddah.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362805 )



The theme of this year's Summit in Jeddah is 'Transformation in Transitional Times', and DarkMatter has a number of senior representatives who will address attendees, and offer DarkMatter's perspective on the requirement to maintain a resilient cyber security posture even during changeable economic times.

Rabih Dabboussi, DarkMattter's Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development will be present at the Summit, along with Stephen Brennan, Senior Vice President of Cyber Network Defence. They are set to discuss an array of topical issues ranging from 'Tackling the known threat' as identified from a cyber security perspective, through to emphasising the critical importance of securing national infrastructure in highly mechanised modern societies during the 'Citizen Experience: The New Normal for Governments' session.

Saudi Arabia remains one of the most important IT markets in the region with IDC research forecasting that the Kingdom will remain the largest IT spender in 2016, with expenditure expected to top US$14 billion. The research company also found that a key facet of the digital transformation revolution that is taking shape in the region is the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, which DarkMatter believes needs to be protected from cyber threats in order for the full benefit of high-speed connectivity to accrue to nations, businesses and individuals.

Speaking on DarkMatter's forthcoming presence at the Summit, Faisal Al Bannai said, "DarkMatter is looking to place cyber security at the centre of discussions regarding national infrastructure and the growth of modern economies. These conversations will be even more pertinent in Saudi Arabia given the massive infrastructure investments the Kingdom has undertaken over the decades, and how it now needs to balance securing and leveraging this infrastructure with lower global oil prices and a consequent budgetary deficit."

Faisal Al Bannai continued, "Our message at DarkMatter is consistent. There is a requirement to secure digital networks from cyber security threats that are growing in regularity and impact. The cost of digitisation is an increased threat surface, and what nations, businesses, and individuals need to do is look to incorporate cyber security resilience to guard against attacks, and manage them should they occur."

IDC CIO Summit 2016, Saudi Arabia is geared to be an opportunity for CIOs and senior ICT professionals to gain insight from industry experts as well as real-world experience from CIOs on critical business and technology issues. The Summit aims to deliver two days of learning, peer sharing and exploration of the latest IT and business trends, including ways to lead an organisation's digital transformation, creating business value using IoT, and developing synergies to establish smart ecosystems.

Already a trusted partner to governments and critical entities, DarkMatter is staffed by tier-one international cyber experts who develop, manage and deploy the most innovative technologies. Solutions adhere to the company's Cyber Security Life-Cycle, which incorporates a four-stage approach involving planning, detection, protection and recovery.

DarkMatter is leveraging this experience in the wider market as it looks to serve regional and international clients. The company provides a complete portfolio of cyber security solutions and services to organisations that have sophisticated security requirements, from governments and infrastructure operators to large corporations.

About DarkMatter

DarkMatter is a company that is transforming the cyber security landscape by providing a complete range of state-of-the-art services and solutions to government and commercial clients. Its end-to-end expertise extends to:

Governance, Risk and Compliance

We work with public and private entities in all verticals to audit and assess their performance against regulatory standards, helping identify gaps and meet obligations.

Cyber Network Defence

Our elite team of cyber experts, engaged across all competencies and functions, tasked with identifying and responding to the most advanced threats, threat actors, and cyber attacks.

Managed Security Services

We offer a remote monitoring remediation and resolution service that puts the full capabilities and resources of the DarkMatter organisation at the service of our MSS teams. Whether you need a SOC built and operated from scratch or you need assistance in upgrading what you currently have in place, DarkMatter can provide assistance.

Secure Communications

DarkMatter's Secure Communications Suite protects fixed and mobile voice, video, chat, email, file sharing, data communication, as well as device management across various platforms and operating systems.

Infrastructure and System Integration

This area underpins our professional services offering for governments and corporations, providing applications, services and solutions that ensure our clients remain at the forefront of cyber security.

Smart Solutions

We offer a comprehensive security suite of services comprising elements of protection for both homes and businesses: The Connected and Secure Home & Office; Technical Surveillance and Countermeasures; Mobile Peace of Mind; and Trusted Hardware supply.

Staffed by global experts and headquartered in the UAE, DarkMatter provides peace of mind through consulting and project implementations that are scalable to clients of any size and that address any domain of cyber security threat or risk. As a trusted partner to governments and critical infrastructure entities, the firm also works with leading global companies operating in the field of electronic and cyber security.

Agile and innovative, DarkMatter takes a comprehensive approach to helping its clients navigate the complex and ever-evolving world of threat and risk mitigation strategies, tools, policies and systems.

http://www.darkmatter.ae

SOURCE DarkMatter
COLCHESTER, England, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A source of some frustration for Hong Kong residents, and especially Europeans living in Hong Kong, is the logistical difficulties and high costs incurred to ship their products to the country. The Effectual Group have recently announced the launch of their new service that solves this problem, being executed in a strategic partnership with KK Haitao of Hong Kong. The response has been enthusiastically received.

In exciting news, following a successful trial period between UK-based Effectual Sourcing and Hong Kong's KK Haito, a dedicated, trackable freight service will be offered between the UK and Hong Kong. This new service will allow residents in Hong Kong to purchase goods online, direct from UK and European retailers that do not currently offer their delivery services to Hong Kong. Effectual will handle and arrange the receiving, warehousing and dispatch from their facility in Essex and the transportation and distribution of goods in Hong Kong will be handled by the team at KK Haitao. This formula has proven to be a quick and seamless way for Hong Kong residents to enjoy the ease of shopping from the UK with lower parcel shipping rates, regardless of the seller's stance on shipping to Asia.

"We are extremely proud to be able to now offer this service to a completely new customer base." commented David Holder, Director of Effectual Ltd. "We are confident we have one of the most cost effective ways for our clients to send trackable consignments from the UK to Hong Kong. This partnership with KK Haitao allows us to offer our services to an ever increasing demand and opens up consumer channels for British and European retail. Our clients can now take advantage of UK offers, free UK delivery on their goods and a reduced rate for the onward delivery to Hong Kong."

According to the company, the service will also appeal to Hong Kong companies, trading in Europe and looking for a cost effective returns service for their UK and European customer base and also students from Hong Kong, studying in the UK that are looking for a cost effective way of sending consignments back to Hong Kong. Effectual have plans to further partner with other Hong Kong Logistic companies who are looking to establish a presence in the UK and offer direct shipping to Hong Kong to their customer bases.

In addition to the UK to Hong Kong shipping, Effectual offers other diverse services in the UK. Some highlights include: Business storage and fulfilment; Palletised storage; Container unloading; Product sourcing via a designated team based in Shenzhen, China.

The quality of the company's services has been widely praised in all of these areas.

Enquiries for UK retailers looking to open up their supply lines to Hong Kong can be made by calling David Holder at Effectual on +44-(0)1787-269051.

Enquiries from Hong Kong logistic firms looking for further details of the service Effectual provide, costs involved and to express an interest in a business partnership or trial of the service, please contact Yang Tian at our Shenzhen office on (0086)-755-2560-3302 or email baggioyang@effectualgroup.com

For Hong Kong Residents wanting to take advantage of this new service, please visit http://www.kkhaitao.com to sign up.

http://www.effectualstorage.co.uk

http://www.effectualsourcing.co.uk

Contact:

David Holder / dh@effectualgroup.com / +44-(0)1787269051





SOURCE Effectual Ltd
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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

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Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

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The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh

USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens

ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression
SINGAPORE, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Changing the way we Connect

Invengo Technology is proud to announce the launch of its new state-of-the-art XC-RF868 RAIN RFID IoT Reader at the 14th annual RFID Journal LIVE! event in Orlando, Florida, on May 3-5.

Invengo's XC-RF868 (the first member of our new Kangxi product line) is an industry-leading, high-powered RAIN RFID IoT enabled computing device, richly featured to provide a state-of-the-art solution in enterprise level applications. The first RAIN RFID reader utilizing Windows 10 IoT, Quad Core Processor and HDMI video, coupled with blazing read speed, unique antenna connectivity and optional plug and play expansion capabilities, the XC-RF868 offers unprecedented performance to address industry-wide solutions including Retail, Manufacturing and Healthcare. The Invengo XC-RF868 is not simply at the head of its class - it is in a class by itself!

The XC-RF868 is the first in the Kangxi family of devices, named after one of the great emperors in Chinese history, and it ushers in a change that spans all markets. The Kangxi Emperor's reign brought about long-term stability and relative wealth after years of war and chaos. Which is what Invengo hopes to achieve - on a more modest scale - in the RAIN RFID market.

"The release of the XC-RF868 is a giant step forward for the RFID market", notes Scott Medford, CSO of Invengo. "One of the major inhibitors to growth has been a basic issue - how do we integrate RFID into the enterprise? We took a long look at this and we took Einstein's advice to heart. Instead of doing the same thing over and over again with no change in results; we decided to CHANGE THE WAY WE CONNECT, both at the interface and physical levels. First, we transformed the entire concept away from 'another reader' to a PC-class computer which just happened to have RFID capability on board. Using quad core processors and Win10 OS opens up a category of development and ease of support concept to the broader industry. We flipped the equation so that customers don't have to learn our complex reader protocol - we implemented theirs! And while we were at it, we created a world-class RFID computing device that exceeds the performance of any other product in the market with added connectivity and scalability features. Speaking of connectivity, we even changed the connectors themselves, moving to an adjacent industry standard with small, flexible cable and click-on connectors, making it easier to install in those hard to reach places and eliminating a common failure point at the connector point itself."

At the RFID Journal LIVE! Invengo will, next to their complete product line of RAIN RFID tags & inlays, readers, antenna's and handheld devices, also be highlighting two other products: the XC-RF812 (a small commercial RAIN RFID reader) and the full international release of the XC-1003 (a RAIN RFID mobile device).

We look forward to welcoming you at our stand (#522) at the RFID Journal LIVE! in Orlando.

About Invengo

Invengo - the global RFID technology provider - is a leading developer and manufacturer of high quality, intelligent RAIN RFID (UHF), HF and NFC inlays, tags and connectivity solutions utilized in the Internet of Things (IoT). With a focus on RFID innovation, Invengo has created a leading product line in retail, library, pharmaceutical, healthcare, (public) transportation and many other industries. With over 20 years of experience in RFID, Invengo is fully dedicated to enabling efficiency in applications such as ticketing, identity management, supply chain management, authentication, asset management and brand equity.

Invengo Technology Pte. Ltd, located in Singapore (with subsidiaries in the US and Europe), is the international headquarters of Invengo Information Technology Co. Ltd, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE:002161.SZ). Employing over 600 people worldwide, Invengo is one of the largest publicly traded, RFID-oriented companies in the world, with design and manufacturing plants located in both the United States and China and sales offices spanning all major geographies.

Media contact

Invengo Technology

Val Peters

General Manager - Marketing

+31 88 6363 793 (CET)

http://www.invengo.com/press



SOURCE Invengo
The updated ISNetworld mobile app is available for iOS and Android

DALLAS, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ISN is pleased to announce the release of a new mobile app for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets that will provide customers access to the most widely used features of its online contractor management platform, ISNetworld. Available at no extra charge to active ISNetworld subscribers worldwide, the app will offer the same strict level of security as the web-based version of ISNetworld.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362934

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130904/DA73646LOGO-b

The ISNetworld Mobile App is available for iOS and Android.

There are many benefits to using this new app, such as enabling Hiring Clients to search for contractors, view company scorecards and upload evaluation reports on the go, while contractors can view their scorecards and Hiring Client requirements with greater ease. It also allows users to view bulletins and messages in addition to Operator Qualification (OQ) and Training Qualification (TQ) reports.

Enhanced functionality provides Hiring Clients with access to QuickCheck, allowing them to view the qualifications of personnel entering their facilities or heliports. Hiring Clients will be able to scan ISN employee ID cards to ensure that individuals have the required qualifications and certifications prior to being allowed on-site. Further, contractors' employees will be able to access their own ISN employee ID and barcode for scanning prior to entering their clients' job sites.

Brandi Surine, Associate Vice President/Enterprise Architect at ISN, says, "The new app is part of our commitment to providing our customers with technology options that will make their businesses run more smoothly and seamlessly." Joseph Eastin, President & CEO of ISN, continues, "When it comes to workplace safety and communication, we believe that listening to our customers is critical. The updated app was developed in response to customer requests for mobile access to ISNetworld in the field and we will continue to enhance its capabilities based on customer feedback."

Active ISNetworld subscribers can download the mobile app for their mobile devices via the following links: iOS or Android.

To learn more about ISN, visit About ISN.

Contact

Brandi Surine

Associate Vice President/Enterprise Architect

+1 (214) 303-4900

PublicRelations@isn.com

Related Links

http://www.isnetworld.com



SOURCE ISN
Medialets' Stringent Measurement Will Count Only Ads Confirmed Rendered to the Device

NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 6, the Media Rating Council (MRC), Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) updated their Mobile Web Measurement Guidelines and Mobile In-Application Measurement Guidelines. They eliminated "count on decision," a counting methodology based on when a third-party ad server chooses to deliver an ad, as an accepted method of counting served ad impressions on mobile. The updated guidelines for mobile call for "reasonable assurance that the ad was rendered on the device in order to count it as a valid ad impression."

Medialets, the first ad server built for mobile and the first buy-side mobile ad server to receive MRC accreditation, has moved to push the industry forward by adopting a new methodology for ad measurement. This approach to ad counting requires ads to download and render on a device in order to count as an ad served, and Medialets will be the first ad server to count this way in mobile.

"Desktop methodologies don't work on mobile," said Medialets CEO Richy Glassberg. "The updated guidelines reflect the importance of new standards for mobile advertising. We believe that on mobile, ads should only count when they render on a device - not when the ad call is made, the way they're counted by some desktop ad servers. Other ad servers have settled to count on decision on mobile, even though we know that many ads get lost between the decision and actually downloading to a device and rendering. We believe the right move is to count a served ad when it has fully loaded in a browser or app. Advertisers shouldn't pay for an ad that never makes it to a device."

Medialets has been accredited by MRC since February 2014, and is currently accredited for its served impression measurements for display, rich media, and digital video ad formats across both mobile web and mobile app environments. Since it became accredited, Medialets has signed global agreements with all five advertising holding companies and leading independent media agencies.

"Medialets is taking a much-needed step to ensure advertisers get what they pay for," said Glassberg. "Our clients need to have standard metrics and common-sense measurement in order to make more substantial investments in mobile."

"We applaud Medialets for its move to exceed the industry's minimum standards by requiring ads to render to qualify for inclusion in its served impression counts," said George W. Ivie, CEO and Executive Director of MRC. He added, "Counting only upon the ad's rendering on a user's mobile device assures those who rely on the measurements that the served impression counts are not inflated because of latency issues, and serves as the best impression count available short of viewable impression measurement."

About Medialets

Medialets makes mobile count for advertisers. Medialets' Servo platform works across any inventory source, integrates with all data and viewability partners, and goes beyond the last click to give insight into view-through attribution. The company's independent device graph sees across the full landscape of mobile web and mobile apps to identify unique devices. Medialets was the first ad server to receive MRC accreditation for ad formats on both mobile web and mobile in-application placements, and continues to develop industry-leading mobile solutions for advertisers. Acquired by WPP in April 2015, Medialets is headquartered in New York City with offices in London, Chicago and Los Angeles. To learn more, visit https://www.medialets.com/ and follow us on Twitter @medialets.

CONTACT: Dan Feldstein, 917-415-5278, dan.feldstein@medialets.com

Related Links

https://www.medialets.com



SOURCE Medialets
Federal Office of Migration and Refugees works with Oracle to handle twenty-fold increase in asylum applications.

MUNICH and NUREMBERG, Germany, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The increase in applications for asylum in Germany, boosted by the arrival of refugees escaping the humanitarian crisis in Syria, has seen the Bundesamt fur Migration und Fluchtlinge (BAMF), Germany's Federal Office of Migration and Refugees, work with Oracle to create a digital management system to quickly and effectively process crucial proof of arrival and application data.

The system, named ASYL Online, connects to the systems of other federal authorities such as the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Central Register of Foreign Nationals, ensuring consistency and guaranteeing all necessary bodies are working with the same up-to-date records, underpinned by secure biometric data.

ASYL Online was developed in record time with a focus on security, rapid data collection and data processing and seamless integration with existing systems to ensure a smooth and speedy implementation.

Frank-Jurgen Weise, head of the BAMF, said:

"Our old system was designed to process around 50,000 applications for asylum per year. We now need to process more than twenty times as many - more than one million applications. It was clear we needed a new, more efficient system which could be implemented in record time. We are now perfectly equipped. Over the course of the year, we will be able to gain a clear picture of who is in the country as a refugee, ensuring refugees get the rights they are entitled to while showing the public the process is under control and being run in an orderly manner."

Frank Obermeier, vice president and country leader at Oracle Germany, said:

"The challenges in such a mammoth project lay in the complexity of the system, the tight time constraints and the strict demands. For tasks like this you need a very hard-working team and an agile platform. Working with our partners from BAMF, Oracle put everything we possibly could behind this important and very time-sensitive project."

Work on the system began in November 2015 and it launched in January 2016. In just two months Oracle Consulting installed two computer centers in Nuremberg. The system runs on Oracle Exalogic and Exadata hardware. The project was sponsored by Thomas Kurian, Oracle President Product Development.

About Oracle

Oracle offers a comprehensive and fully integrated stack of cloud applications and platform services. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Related Links

http://www.oracle.com



SOURCE Oracle
April 27th marked the deadline for countries to add their names in support of Appendix II listing proposals submitted earlier this year. Those listings would require that all continuing trade in these species be sustainable. Co-sponsors include a wide range of countries in Africa, the host region for this year's CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) meeting, along with the European Union and its 28 member nations, and many other countries from all around the world.

"It's clear that CITES member governments have again put a priority on protecting shark and ray species that continue to be threatened with extinction because of widespread, unsustainable international trade in fins and gills," said Luke Warwick, director of The Pew Charitable Trusts' global shark conservation campaign. "The global support we are witnessing far surpasses that seen for previous Appendix II listings proposals and confirms the key role that CITES now plays in protecting the world's sharks and rays."

CITES is recognized globally as one of the most effective and best-enforced international conservation agreements. It provides protection to more than 30,000 species around the world and has been instrumental in preventing the extinction of many plants and animals. Votes on the proposed listings for thresher and silky sharks and mobula rays will take place at the CITES meeting in Johannesburg in September.

In recent decades, silky and thresher shark populations have declined more than 70 percent, while mobula rays have suffered similar reductions. That qualifies each for listing on CITES Appendix II. The declines have been driven largely by the international demand for fins and gills.

Before the last CITES conference four years ago, the international trade of sharks and shark products was essentially unregulated. That meeting produced landmark Appendix II listings for five species of sharks and all manta rays, meaning that for the first time, countries had to prove that any catch of these species was sustainable before engaging in trade. The 2013 listings have helped protect and better manage these species globally; however, that translates into regulation of only about 10 percent of the global shark fin trade. Many types of sharks and rays are listed as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, though they do not have adequate protection from unsustainable catch and trade.

Recognizing the value and importance of healthy shark and ray populations to their marine ecosystems and national economies, the governments of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Fiji are seeking to build on the momentum created by the 2013 listings. In January, Sri Lanka submitted a proposal to protect three species of thresher sharks, the Maldives submitted one for silky sharks, and Fiji submitted one for all species of mobula ray. The proposals have received strong support from governments around the world.

"With more than 100 million sharks killed every year around the world, and 25 percent of all shark and ray species now assessed by the IUCN as threatened with extinction, we as a global community need to act urgently to help the most vulnerable populations," said Abdulla Naseer, Ph.D., senior policy executive for the Maldives' Ministry of Environment and Energy.

The implementation of the 2013 shark and ray listings has been widely hailed as a success. Dozens of governments all over the world have put domestic measures in place, and many have hosted training workshops for fisheries, customs, and environment officials on how best to create full protections or sustainable export limits, as well as the customs checks needed to prevent illegal trade.

"Numerous capacity development workshops have taken place to provide governments with the necessary information and tools to regulate the global shark fin and mobulid gill plate trade," said Sumith Pilapitiya, Ph.D., director general of Sri Lanka's Department of Wildlife Conservation. "To prepare for the new CITES listings, which will be adopted at CoP17, updated identification and training tools have been made available for countries to use once again."

Eleni Tokaduadua, principal environment officer for Fiji's Environment Ministry, said leaders around the world recognize the need for action. "Key governments from each continent, whether they have established shark sanctuaries or still record large shark and ray landings, have noted population declines,'' Tokaduadua said. "They have chosen to add their support to these proposals to grant global protections and ensure only sustainable trade continues for these species that have been targeted by largely unmanaged fisheries."

Said Warwick, "The rest of the world now has the opportunity to give these species the protections they need and list them on Appendix II of CITES, an act that could make the difference between extinction and recovery."

The full list of countries cosponsoring one or more proposal: Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, The Bahamas, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Learn more at www.pewtrusts.org.

Contact: Barb Cvrkel, 202-540-6535, bcvrkel@pewtrusts.org

Related Links

http://www.pewtrusts.org



SOURCE The Pew Charitable Trusts
LONDON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

- And Other Rising Companies - a Market Report Assessing Developers and Producers of Those Competitor Biologics

- Biosimilar Drug Producers - Your 2016 Guide to Companies' Activities and Prospects



Who are the most important and promising biosimilar drug companies? And what are their sales potentials? Discover, in our updated survey, organisations' outlooks from 2016. There you see results, trends, opportunities and revenue forecasting.

Visiongain's new study analyses 25 leading developers, producers and marketers of biosimilars. That work also covers other firms, including big pharma companies entering that industry. There you assess potentials of established competitors and emerging players.

Our analysis is for everyone interested in the future of biopharma. Biosimilar drug sales expand fast, and that market holds great potential, especially after opening of the US market. See now how you could benefit your plans, decisions and authority.

Forecasts and other data to help you stay ahead in knowledge on those biological drugs

In our updated report you find analytical profiles of 25 leading biosimilar drug companies. There you analyse products, sales results, R&D and prospects. See qualitative analyses, too, for those biologics, also with discussions of many other relevant firms.

Our study gives you 115 tables, 11 charts and three interviews with companies. That survey lets you assess the most lucrative parts of the industry for biosimilar drugs (follow-on biologics or subsequent entry biologics). Explore the future of those therapeutic proteins for human medicine and assess their producers.

So explore changes affecting the biological drugs industry from 2016. The following sections outline what you get in our new investigation, showing how it can help your work.

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

Molecules giving rise to biosimilars - explore where progress occurs

First our report discusses biosimilar competition for these five therapeutic agents - products and research and development:

 Adalimumab

 Infliximab

 Etanercept

 Darbepoetin alpha

 Rituximab.

Large opportunities remain for biosimilars, with our study predicting high, rapid market expansion from 2016 to 2026. See what is possible. And discover where the best prospects exist and which companies are most likely to prosper.

That way you gain data and other knowledge to benefit your reputation for commercial insight. Assess products, technologies, activities and top biosimilar companies' potentials.

Leading biosimilar drug companies - see what they are doing, including their prospects

In particular our survey analyses 25 leading biosimilar specialists worldwide. First of all, Chapter 4 gives profiles of leading biosimilar companies based in the US, Western Europe and Israel:

 Sandoz

 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

 Hospira

 STADA Arzneimittel

 Mylan.

Chapter 5 profiles leading companies in China:

 3SBio

 Qilu Pharmaceutical

 Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group

 Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical Co.

 Beijing ShuangLu Pharmaceutical Co.

Chapter 6 profiles leading companies in India:

 Biocon

 Dr. Reddy's Laboratories

 Wockhardt

 Zydus Cadila

 Ranbaxy

 Reliance Life Sciences

 Intas Biopharmaceuticals.

Chapter 7 profiles leading companies in Latin America:

 Probiomed

 Biosidus

 Amega Biotech.

Chapter 8 profiles leading companies in the rest of the world:

 Celltrion

 LG Life Sciences

 Dong-A

 Bioton

 Biocad.

Our report also reviews 25 other companies rising in importance. See what is possible from 2016, discovering what leading companies do and their commercial outlooks.

With our survey you explore who and what shapes the biosimilars industry, including policies and other forces influencing those companies and their market, affecting its revenues and profits. Discover what the future holds for leading organisations.

Issues affecting developers, producers and sellers of those biopharmaceuticals

Our investigation explains influences and events affecting the biosimilars industry and market from 2016, including these forces:

 Companies' technologies, strategies, collaborations, products, R&D and results

 Emerging national markets and expanding therapeutic needs worldwide

 Big pharma entering that market - a trend shaping that industry.

And you assess these effects, among others:

 Patent expiries and resulting opportunities for follow-on products

 Innovative biologics, including biobetters, and their influence on biosimilar sales

 R&D for that market - assess technologies, clinical trials and opportunities, seeing how leading biosimilars companies adapt and progress.

There you examine political, economic, social and technological questions, assessing commercial outlooks. And you assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats affecting biosimilar drug companies' activities and results.

Developing and developed national markets will prove important for biosimilar drug sales from 2016 to 2026. Discover what the future holds and the expected gains, including overall world revenue forecasting to 2026 for the biosimilars industry.

5 Ways Pharma Leader Series: 25 Top Biosimilar Drug Manufacturers 2016-2026 helps you

Our new study helps your research, plans and analyses in these five main ways:

 Profiles of 25 leading biosimilar companies and other relevant firms - assess products, results, strategies, technologies and outlooks, also gaining company level revenue forecasting for five leading producers' biosimilar drug sales

 R&D for biosimilars - see activities by company, finding what goes on in that industry, investigating its technological and commercial potentials

 Competition and opportunities - explore what affects the biosimilars market, finding what shapes its future, especially prospects for developing business

 Interviews with 3 companies - discover views to help you stay ahead in knowledge on that expanding drugs market

 Revenue forecasting to 2026 for that industry at world level - investigate overall sales potential there, seeing what revenue gains are possible.

Analysis found nowhere else, letting you explore the future of those biologics

Our work - by visiongain's UK-based analysts - gives you independent research and analysis. There you get a review of that industry and data found only in our report. You explore the most promising market segments and assess leading companies' prospects.

With that investigation you are less likely to fall behind in knowledge. See how you could benefit your research, analysis and decisions. Also discover how you could save time and gain in recognition for insight on the biological drugs market, helping your influence.

Predictions for developing, producing and selling biosimilars - see now what is possible

Our updated study shows you data, trends, opportunities and outlooks for producers and sellers of biosimilars and related medicines. That analysis is for everybody interested in the future of biopharmaceuticals. So avoid missing out - instead please get our report here now.

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

To request an exec summary of this report please email Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com or call Tel: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100

Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1627/Pharma-Leader-Series-25-Top-Biosimilar-Drug-Manufacturers-2016-2026

Companies Listed

3SBio

Abbott Laboratories

AbbVie

Ache

Actavis

Adimab

Alvogen

Amega Biotech

Amgen

Apotex

Aragen Bioscience

ASKA Pharmaceuticals

AstraZeneca

Avesthagen

Baxter International

Beijing SL Pharmaceutical

Bio Technology General Corporation

Biocad

Bioceuticals

Biocon

Biogen Idec.

Biolab Sanus Farmaceutica

BioMab

Bionovis

BioPartners

Biosidus

Biotech GmbH

Biocon

Bioton

Biovel Life Sciences

BioXpress Therapeutics

Boehringer Ingelheim

Brazil's National Economic Development Bank (BNDES)

Brazilian Ministry of Health

Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology (MST)

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Catalent Pharma Solutions

Celltrion

China Israel Value Capital

Chongqing Fochon Pharmaceutical Research Co.

Cipla

CITIC Group

Clinigene

Coherus Biosciences

Comision Federal para la Proteccion contra Riesgos Sanitarios (Cofepris)

Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP)

Competitions Commission of India (CCI)

Cristalia

Daiichi Sankyo

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma

Dong-A Pharmaceuticals

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories

Drugs Controller General of India

Egis Pharmaceuticals

Eisai

Eli Lilly

Emcure Pharmaceuticals

EMS

Epirus Pharmaceuticals

Eurofarma

European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Financier of Studies and Projects (FINEP)

Finox Biotech

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Forwell Biopharm

Fosun Pharma

Fuji Pharma

Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics

Gan & Lee Pharmaceutical

Gedeon-Richter

Generex Biotechnology Corporation

GeneScience

Gennova

Genzyme

German Remedies

Germonta Holdings

GlaxoSmithKline

Hanwha Chemical

Haselmeier

Hetero Drugs

Hospira

Hualida Biotech

Human Genome Sciences

Hypermarcas

Impax Laboratories

Indian Clinical Trials Registry (CTRI)

Innovent Biologics

Intas Biopharmaceuticals

Intas Pharmaceuticals

Itero Biopharmaceuticals

Janssen Biotech

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

JCR Pharmaceuticals

Johnson & Johnson

Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA)

Kwizda Pharmaceutical

Kyowa Hakko Kirin

Lallemand-Institut Rosell

LG Life Sciences

Libbs Farmaceutica

Lonza

Lupin

MabPharm

Marvel Life Sciences

Medice Arzneimittel Putter GmbH & Co. KG

MedImmune

Meiji Seika Pharmaceuticals

Merck & Co.

Merck KGaA

Merck Serono

Mindar Holdings

Mitsubishi Tanabe

MJ Biopharm

MJ Bioton Life Sciences

Mochida Pharmaceutical

Momenta Pharmaceuticals

Mylan

National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)

National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT)

Nippon Kayaku

NovaQuest

Novartis

Novo Nordisk

Orygen Biotecnologia

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation

Parexel

Pfenex

Pfizer

Pharmstandard

Pliva

Probiomed

Qilu Pharmaceutical

Ranbaxy

Ratiopharm

Recepta

Retacrit

Reliance Life Sciences

Richter-Helm BioTec GmbH & Co. KG

Rimsa

Roche

Samsung Bioepis

Samsung BioLogics

Sandoz

Sanofi

Savient Pharmaceuticals

SciGen

Selecta Biosciences

Shanghai Celgen Biopharmaceutical

Shanghai CP Guojian

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceuticals

Shanghai Henlius Biotech Co.

Shanghai Lansheng Guojian Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd

Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group

Shantha Biotechnics

Shreya

Shreya Life Sciences

Sicor Biotech

Sidus Pharmaceutical Group

Simcere

Sinopharm

STADA Arzneimittel

State's Employees Social Security and Social Services Institute (ISSSTE)

Sun Pharmaceuticals

Syngene

Synthon

Takeda

Tat BioTech Holdings Limited

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Tonghua Dongbao

Uniao Quimica

US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC)

Wanbang Biopharmaceuticals

Wockhardt

World Health Organization (WHO)

Wyeth

Xiamen Amoytop Biotech

Ypsomed

Zenotech Laboratories

Zhejiang Hisun

Zuventus

Zydus Biovation

Zydus Cadila

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

Media Contact:

Sara Peerun

sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com



SOURCE Visiongain
MARIBOR, Slovenia, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

PODIM is the largest conference on startups, entrepreneurship and innovation in the Alps-Adriatic region. This year, it's happening on 11 and 12 May in Maribor, Slovenia. It's annually visited by more than 600 participants from more than 10 countries as well as more than 50 internationally renowned speakers and corporation representatives. PODIM Challenge, the investment part of the conference that also includes a pitching competition, annually attracts more than 200 innovative startups from Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, as well as more than 50 most respected regional and global investors!

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362834 )

Hidden forces of startups

The central topics of this year's PODIM Conference are Hidden forces of startups and How startups revolutionize a business and its environment. More than 50 speakers from all over the globe will reveal the disruptive forces that change all aspects of life and business, and sometimes entirely turn around the way a society, including industries, functions.

More than 60 presentations

This year, more than 60 presentations will line up on stage - lectures, panel discussions and roundtables, plus workshops for fast and lean development of disruptive, globally successful products. The official PODIM app will ensure effective networking between all conference guests.

50+ investors from all over the world

PODIM organizers are especially proud that they succeeded in attracting stellar speakers and more than 50 renowned investors who travel to Maribor from all over the world, mostly from the US, UK and other European countries. They will attend PODIM Challenge, the investment part of the conference with a pitching competition, as part of which most promising startups from the Alps-Adriatic region will try to get rich rewards and the attention of investors.

Stellar speakers!

Speakers such as Steli Efti, Bart Lorang, Alex Iskold and Gary Whitehill will undoubtedly contribute to an excellent atmosphere and an unforgettable 2-day entrepreneurial and motivational experience.

Meet the biggest hustler in Silicon Valley

Steli Efti is the CEO and Co-Founder of Close.io, alumni of Y Combinator and the biggest hustler in Silicon Valley. Bart Lorang is the Co-Founder and CEO at FullContact and a regular guest of programmes such as CNN Live and FOX News, among other reasons also because he pays 7,500 $ for his employees to completely disconnect on their vacation. Alex Iskold is an investor and the managing director of Techstars New York, one of largest tech accelerators in the US. And Garry Whitehill is a globally renowned startup entrepreneur, mentor and advisor to Fortune 100 companies and government leaders.

Extensive startup catalogue

Organizers also annually prepare an extensive PODIM startup catalogue, where they present most promising startups from the Alps-Adriatic region. With its help, they organize one-on-one matchmaking meetings between PODIM startups, investors, speakers and corporation representatives.

PODIM PRO Package

PODIM organizers dedicated one special conference segment Startup wars - The corporate force awakens and a special PODIM PRO Package for all corporate managers who wish to do disruptive innovations like startups!

Startup of the year award ceremony

At PODIM, organizers annually stage a gala evening event with an award ceremony for the best startup of the year 2016. The event attracts all key members of the regional startup ecosystem with its spectacular programme and reputation.

Contact: Stanislava Vabsek, Head of PR, email: stanislava.vabsek@startup.si +386-31-707-204

SOURCE Start:up Slovenia Initiative
New event to provide insight into global tissue market developments and manufacturing trends.

BOSTON, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TAPPI along with RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, announced an International Tissue Conference, Tissue 2017, to be held in the Fall of 2017. The event will provide a unique experience for attendees by covering market developments, manufacturing innovations and strategic market insights all at one event.

"TAPPI is planning peer-reviewed sessions that cover technical aspects and best practices in manufacturing that help improve mill operations, machine efficiency and converting innovation. We will bring together leaders from both the supply-side as well as the manufacturing side to provide insight in areas such as yankee drying, energy savings, product quality and a wide range of other areas," said Larry N. Montague, President and CEO, TAPPI.

"RISI will bring together industry leaders, executives, financial analysts and other industry experts to provide a holistic market view for attendees. We will cover recent changes and future growth prospects for the global tissue industry, with presentations on regional developments, key players and the driving forces for future demand," said Iain Murray, COO, RISI.

The International Tissue Conference will be an unparalleled event covering all aspects of the industry. Anticipated attendees include senior executives and mill operations management from major tissue manufacturers; financial analysts and investors, as well as leading machine, chemical and process suppliers. RISI economists and industry analysts will also be available to speak with delegates about market trends and developments.

For more information about the conference, visit www.tappi.org/tissue2017

About TAPPI (www.tappi.org)

TAPPI is the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and converting industries and publisher of Paper360, Tissue360 and TAPPI Journal. Through information exchange, events, trusted content and networking opportunities, TAPPI helps members elevate their performance by providing solutions that lead to better, faster and more cost-effective ways of doing business. It has provided management training and networking to the industry's leaders for more than 100 years.

About RISI (www.risi.com)

RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the pulp and paper, packaging, wood products, timber, biomass, tissue and nonwovens industries to help them make better decisions.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, RISI operates additional offices throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia.

For Press Enquiries, please contact:

Erica McArdle

Marketing Manager, Events

O: 781-734-8996

E: emcardle@risi.com

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080521/NEW122LOGO

Related Links

http://www.risiinfo.com



SOURCE RISI
AIRPORT CITY, Israel, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Company's first project in the US: construction, maintenance & operation of toll express lane in the Houston Metropolitan area

Project size: ~$1B; Duration: 3 years construction, 52 year concession

Shikun & Binui Ltd. (TASE: SKBN.TA), a global construction and infrastructure company headquartered in Israel, today announced that it has raised funds for the planning, construction and maintenance of a toll express lane that it plans to build in the metropolitan area of Houston, Texas for $1 billion. This is Shikun & Binui Group's first infrastructure project in the United States.

The partners of the project's concessionaire, known as the Blueridge Transportation Group, include Shikun & Binui (21.62%), as well as an international infrastructure contractor and other financial investors. In addition, 50% of the project's building contractor will be held by SBI, Shikun & Binui's international construction arm, with the remaining 50% held by an international infrastructure company.

This project is a further step in line with Shikun & Binui's strategy to invest in international projects, and it is expected to increase the Company's work backlog.

The concessionaire has committed to build, finance, maintain and operate the portion of the road defined in the contract (primarily the express lane) for 52 years (including the construction period, which is expected to last three years). In return, the Concessionaire will be given the right to collect tolls from users of the Express Lane.

The financial closing for most of the project and the initial drawing of funds is expected take place during the next several weeks, conditional upon the fulfillment of a number of customary terms set out in the financing agreements. These include the receipt of the final approval of the project's bond offerings from the Texas legislature.

In addition, at the time of the signing of the project's financing agreements, the partners in the concessionaire will be required to post security bonds as a guarantee for their commitments, including each partner's proportional share of the project's shareholders' equity.

This project adds to Shikun & Binui Group's roster of mega-infrastructure projects, which already includes a BOT concession project in Colombia to build a toll road around the city of Bogota for $550 million and operate it for 25 years. Financial closing has not yet been achieved for this project.

Commenting on the news, Mr. Moshe Lahmani, Chairman of Shikun & Binui, said, "The completion of this project's financial closing is another key step in our 'go international' strategy, whose goal is to diversify and expand the geographic scope of our operations, and enter the American market. The US is a sophisticated, competitive market, and the choice of Shikun & Binui confirms the excellence of our capabilities and the high level of professional and know-how that we bring to complex infrastructure projects. We intend to further deepen our activities throughout the Americas in general, including the US, Colombia and other Latin American countries."

Mr. Yaron Karisi, Shikun & Binui's CEO, added, "We are proud that the Shikun & Binui Group, which has been building large infrastructure projects throughout the world for decades, has now been chosen to carry out its first high-profile project in the US. While this is an important new project for our Concessions Division, it also benefits SBI, our International Construction arm, which will contribute to the building of the project, thereby bringing it into the US and boosting its backlog by $400 million."

Mr. Ami Landau, CEO of Shikun & Binui Concessions, added, "Shikun & Binui Concessions is going from strength to strength, building on the many years of know-how accumulated over time, across many fields, through our activities in numerous markets. All our previous projects have helped pave the path towards future success, enhancing our ability to continue expanding our scope in the infrastructure market year after year. The success of our fundraising efforts for this project is a clear expression of the confidence that the financial markets and our partners have in our executional capabilities."

About the Shikun & Binui Group

The Shikun & Binui Group is a global construction and infrastructure company that operates in Israel and internationally in seven segments: 1) infrastructure and construction contracting outside of Israel; 2) infrastructure and construction contracting within Israel; 3) real estate development within Israel; 4) real estate development outside of Israel; 5) renewable energy; 6) concessions; and 7) water. The Group's activities focus on large, highly complex projects carried out for entities in private and public sectors with a focus on sustainability.

This summary announcement was prepared solely for the convenience of the reader and does not replace Shikun & Binui Ltd.'s (hereafter - "the Company") full report. The information contained in this announcement is, by its nature, incomplete. All of its contents are provided as a supplement to the Company's report, and are subject to the declarations therein stated. This announcement includes forecasts, assessments, estimates and other information relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, or to other parties or to future events and matters, the extent of whose realization is not certain and is not under the sole control of the Company (forward-looking information, as defined in the Securities Law-1968). The key facts and data serving as the basis for this information are facts and data, among others, related to the current status of the Company and its businesses, facts and data relating to the current status of the operating segments in which the Company engages in its areas of operation, and other macroeconomic facts and data known to the Company on the preparation date of this presentation.

It is understood that forward-looking information does not constitute a fact and is based solely on subjective assessments. Forward-looking information is uncertain and for the most part, is not under the Company's control. The realization or non-realization of the forward-looking information will be influenced, among others, by the risk factors that characterize the Company's operations, as well as developments in the general environment and external factors that impact the Company's operations. The Company's future results and achievements could differ significantly from those presented in this presentation. The Company is not obligated to update or modify the said forecast or assessment, and is not obligated to update this announcement. This announcement does not constitute an offer to purchase the Company's securities or an invitation to receive such offers. An investment in securities in general, and in the Company in particular, carries risk. One must take into account that past data do not necessarily indicate future performance.

IR Contacts:



Company

Inbal Uliansky

+972(3)6301058

inbal_u@shikunbinui.com



External IR

Ehud Helft

GK Investor Relations

+1-617-418-3096

shikunbinuni@gkir.com



SOURCE Shikun & Binui Ltd.
The Arandas-based Tequila CAZADORES distillery's biomass boiler harnesses every bit of green energy it can from the discards made during regular production of the brand's top-shelf spirits. But the "greening" doesn't stop there as the ashes created within the boiler are used for composting, transforming the ashes into a nutrient-rich soil supplement.

About 60% of the biofuel used to produce the world-renowned Tequila CAZADORES, known for using only blue agave, comes from spent agave fibers, which equates to about 11,000 tons a year. The other 40% is made up of about 8,000 tons of carbon-neutral, renewable fuel sources such as clean waste wood, biomass briquettes, sawdust, coconut shell, and tree cuttings. In fact, half of the biomass used comes from what used to be considered waste. Together, the organic materials fill the enormous biomass boiler where they are transformed into the fuel needed to generate the steam power required for the agave sugar extraction process, cooking and distillation of the brand's tequila, using the same original recipe from 1922.

As part of the Bacardi portfolio of premium spirits brands, Tequila CAZADORES is doing its part to advance the Company's corporate responsibility to be "Good Spirited." The Arandas tequila distillery, established in 1973, adeptly reduced greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by more than 80% when it swapped out the two fossil-fuel dependent boilers that used 2,000 tons of heavy fuel oil each year for the new, clean-burning biomass boiler. This GHG reduction is equivalent to 6,500 tons of CO 2 . However, the benefits of the conversion didn't stop therethe new boiler also reduced noise pollution by about 20% compared to the old boilers.

"Global climate changes have the potential to affect Bacardi and the production of our brands. Understanding these realities, we are continuing our focus to minimize environmental impacts companywide," says Eduardo Vallado, vice president of supply chain and manufacturing for Bacardi in the Americas. "Our Good Spirited initiative is part of our legacy, vital to our growth and sustainability, and this biomass boiler changeover in Mexico, one of many to come, represents our steadfast commitment to our customers and consumers to make the best quality spirits in the most responsible ways."

The immense boiler conversion took 18 months to plan, 10 months to execute, and has been in operation for more than one year. The Arandas facility's biomass boiler is the largest among all of the Bacardi facilities worldwide. The Tequila CAZADORES distillery, which employs more than 100 people, was named the Company's in-house 2015 Good Spirited Award Production Facility Sustainability Project Winner. But Tequila CAZADORES has also received accolades from outside as well for its eco-conscious changes including being named a Socially Responsible Company with an ESR award from the Mexican Center for Philanthropy. Moreover, the distillery is received a "Clean Industry" certification from the Mexican government's Environment Council.

During the project, many lessons were learned, which will help other facilities within the Bacardi global infrastructure as they opt for greener technology to reach the Company's long-term sustainability goals. "Tequila CAZADORES strives to be the most sustainable tequila in the world and the Arandas biomass boiler is leading the way. The tequila distillery's measurable economic and environmental achievements make it an exceptional example of the Bacardi environmental stewardship mission," adds Vallado.

Since 2006, when Bacardi began tracking its global impact on the environment, it has improved water use efficiency by 46% and reduced GHG intensity ratio by 46%. Building on current programs and efficiencies that reduce its environmental impacts, the Bacardi Limited "Good Spirited" sustainability program sets specific goals in three areas to help the Company reach its vision of a net zero impact:

Responsible Sourcing: Bacardi strives to obtain all raw materials and packaging from sustainably sourced, renewable or recycled materials while maintaining or enhancing the economic status of growers and suppliers. By 2017, the goal is to obtain 40% of the sugarcane-derived products used to make its rum from certified, sustainable sources  and 100% by 2022. This pledge from Bacardi is an industry first. Global Packaging: Bacardi commits to use eco-design to craft sustainability into its brand packaging and point-of-sale materials. By 2017, Bacardi plans to reduce the weight of its packaging by 10% and achieve 15% by 2022. Operational Efficiencies: Bacardi continues to focus on reducing water use and GHG emissions with a 2017 goal to cut water use by 55% and GHG emissions by 50%. In addition, Bacardi aims to eliminate landfill waste at all of its production sites by 2022.

To learn more about Bacardi Limited and its "Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future" environmental initiative for sourcing, packaging and operational efficiencies across the entire Bacardi family of premium spirits and wine brands, visit http://www.bacardilimited.com/good-spirited.

About Tequila CAZADORES

Tequila CAZADORES is one of the most popular premium tequilas in Mexico and the United States. Tequila CAZADORES is made with 100% blue agave grown, harvested and distilled in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, recognized as the premier agave growing region in the world, resulting in a smoother, more flavorful taste. The Tequila CAZADORES brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. www.cazadores.com

About Bacardi Limited

Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, GREY GOOSE vodka, DEWAR'S Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S Blended Scotch whisky, ERISTOFF vodka, and ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur. Founded 154 years ago in Santiago de Cuba on February 4, 1862, family-owned Bacardi manufactures its brands at 30 facilities and sells in more than 160 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. www.BacardiLimited.com

Media Contact

Amy Federman, +1.441.294.1110, afederman@bacardi.com

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.

 2016 BACARDI

BACARDI, THE BAT DEVICE, CAZADORES AND OTHER MARKS APPEARING ON THE BACARDI GROUP PRODUCTS SHOWN AND/OR QUOTED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED OR OF OTHER SUBSIDIARIES OF BACARDI LIMITED.

Related Links

http://www.BacardiLimited.com



SOURCE Bacardi Limited
LAKE ODESSA, Mich., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Midday on Friday, May 6, Cargill, its customers, community leaders, government officials and employees will dedicate a $27 million expansion of the company's Lake Odessa egg processing facility. The investment provides additional, specialized, egg processing capabilities for an important Cargill customer in support of its branded product business growth needs.

The plant expansion adds approximately 28,000-square-feet of egg processing capabilities and includes specialized equipment for the task. It has also resulted in the creation of 50 new jobs. Prior to the expansion, the Cargill egg processing plant at Lake Odessa employed 187 people. The expansion is increasing the total number of jobs at the plant to 236.

Contractors completed more than 65,000 accident-free work hours during the 15-month construction schedule.

"Our Lake Odessa expansion is a collaborative effort between Cargill and its customer, as well as state and local entities, to develop egg processing for an existing product that required cutting edge equipment technology," explained plant manager Jay Patel. "Both we and our customer have a shared goal for growing our businesses while providing high quality egg protein to U.S. consumers. This investment underscores our commitment to grow our egg business and meet the needs of our customers. It is a wonderful day for Cargill, our customer, Lake Odessa and the state of Michigan, and we are proud of what we have built here."

"These new jobs are good news for Lake Odessa and our state," U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow said. "This expansion is a great testament to Michigan workers and farmers and I applaud Cargill for this important investment."

In 2014, a $10.6 million expansion was completed at the Lake Odessa facility, adding 22,500 square feet of cooler and freezer storage space. The plant was opened in 1989 and acquired by Cargill in 1994.

Editors please note: A ribbon cutting dedication event will take place at the Cargill Lake Odessa egg processing facility at 12 noon local time on Friday, May 6, 2016, 3100 Bonanza Road, Lake Odessa, MI, 48849. News media are welcome.

About Cargill Value Added Protein

Cargill Value Added Protein employs approximately 3,000 people and operates 12 egg, poultry and beef processing plants in the U.S. and Canada, providing retail and foodservice customers with products and services designed to help their businesses thrive.

About Cargill

Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 150,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150701/227604LOGO

SOURCE Cargill

Related Links

http://www.cargill.com


IRVINE, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Communities across the state will be celebrating the achievements of charter public schools during National Charter Schools Week, May 1-7, 2016. Additionally, many students, parents, teachers and leaders will be attending Advocacy Day on May 3, in Sacramento, California, including the Accord team. According to Matt Avsar, the CEO of Accord Education, "we are pleased to work with policymakers and leaders in education reform to ensure parents continue to have exemplary educational choices available to their children." To kick off this week's celebrations, here are a few facts about charter schools in California:

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362482LOGO

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362483LOGO

Charter Schools Are Public Schools. Charter schools are independent, tuition-free public schools open to all students. Charter public schools are given the flexibility to be more innovative while being held accountable for improved student achievement. Charter public schools must adhere to federal and state education standards, as well as federal and state civil rights laws. According to the California Charter Schools Association, as of 2016, California has 1,230 charter schools  the highest number in the country  serving a diverse student body of 581,100 students.

Charter Schools Increase Student Achievement. Since 2010, several independent research studies have found that students in charter schools do better than their traditional school peers. The most recent of those studies, by the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes at Stanford University, found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center for Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood. To illustrate, consider Oakland, California: according to the California Charter School Association, "the average high school graduation rate at traditional district high schools has not budged from about 50% for the last three years," while the "average graduation rate at charter schools in 72%. Further, the dropout rate at charter schools is half that of the traditional schools."

Charter Schools Give Parents Public School Options. Parents want the best education possible for their children. Charter public schools give parents options within the public school system so they can find a school that best meets the needs of their child.

National Charter Schools Week is May 1-7, 2016. For more information on California charter schools, please visit the California Charter Schools Association website at www.ccsa.org. For more information on national charter schools, please visit the National Alliance for Charter Public Schools website at www.publiccharters.org.

About Accord Education  Accord Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to support and advance quality public charter schools. Their dedicated and expert team of educators provides a comprehensive suite of services to public charter schools, to build academic and operational excellence. To learn more, visit the official website at https://www.accordeducation.org

Contact: Holly Kekacs

Telephone: (949) 387-4848

Email

Website: https://www.accordeducation.org

SOURCE Accord Education

Related Links

http://www.accordeducation.org


SEATTLE, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Adaptiva, the market leader in smart scaling systems management, will reveal key Microsoft System Center Configuration (ConfigMgr) automation strategies at this year's Midwest Management Summit (MMS) in Minneapolis, MN. Over the course of two conference sessions, the company will share best practices and real-world use cases that will cover practical skills for speeding software distribution using ConfigMgr. On the opening day of the Summit, Gary Walker, Adaptiva's director of customer experience for North America, will join Jason Sandys and Kent Agerlund, two of the world's foremost Configuration Manager experts, in an in-depth seminar on how to use Configuration Manager in the real world. The session will cover the changes in ConfigMgr Current Branch, how to build and maintain a solid ConfigMgr infrastructure, and how to manage Windows 10 operating system (OS) deployments.

Additionally, Adaptiva will host a CTO Talk with Steven Capper, global CTO of AECOM, who was chosen as CIO of the Year by Computing Magazine and Runner Up in the UK IT Awards CIO of the Year 2015-16. In this discussion, attendees will learn real-world examples of how to speed OS migrations and software deployments across the enterprise. The speakers will demonstrate some of the technologies, processes and scripts companies can use to provide an end-to-end, zero-touch operating system migration. Capper will also discuss the role that ConfigMgr plays in managing and automating AECOM's 100,000+ person, globally distributed IT landscape.

"The key to systems management success lies in an enterprise's ability to identify opportunities to maximize IT efficiencies," said Jim Souders, chief operating officer, Adaptiva. "By employing best practices that streamline operations and increase automation, companies can unburden themselves from complex enterprise-wide system administration tasks, and reap the benefits of both cost and time savings. This is what we, at Adaptiva, enable each of our customers to accomplish."

MMS is a three-day conference aimed at delivering technical training across all Microsoft System Center solutions. Conference attendees have the opportunity to explore current and upcoming releases, discover new features and technology trends, and discuss real-world challenges to success. The event offers training, demos and networking opportunities to a broad range of IT professionals, including Microsoft System Center partners, solutions architects and technical managers. Limited to only 600 attendees, this community-focused conference fosters a unique environment for collaboration around current industry direction.

Adaptiva MMS Session Details

"ConfigMgr Current Branch  Let's Tame the Beast"

When: Monday, May 16, 2016 , 1:00-5:00pm CT

, Presenters: Jason Sandys and Kent Agerlund along with Gary Walker , Adaptiva Director of Customer Experience for North America

"CTO Talk: Tips & Tricks for Automating OS Migration and Software Distribution with AECOM & Adaptiva"

When: Wednesday, May 18, 2016 , 10:00am-11:45am CT

, Presenters: Dan Richings , Adaptiva Director of Customer Experience for Europe , and Steven Capper , AECOM Global CTO

To register, please visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/midwest-management-summit-2016-tickets-19523550465

Attendees can also stop by Adaptiva's booth to learn more about the newest features in OneSite 5.6 or visit www.adaptiva.com/onesite.

About Adaptiva

Adaptiva is a leading, global provider of IT systems management solutions that advance the power of Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Founded in 2004 by the lead architect of Microsoft SMS 2003, Adaptiva enables IT professionals to securely speed enterprise-wide software deployments without adding costly servers or throttling network bandwidth. The company's breakthrough peer-to-peer systems management technology uses intelligence, automation and bandwidth optimization techniques to distribute content faster than any other systems management solution available today. Adaptiva's suite of smart scaling systems management products includes OneSite for rapid content distribution and management, Client Health for endpoint security, troubleshooting and remediation, and Green Planet for energy-efficient power management and patching. The company's software is used by Fortune 500 companies and deployed on millions of devices in over 100 countries. Learn more at www.adaptiva.com.

About Midwest Management Summit

Midwest Management Summit is a three-day conference held by The Minnesota System Center User Group to explore all things Microsoft System Center. With just 600 attendees, this conference provides an intimate session environment to encourage learning and networking. This year, the conference will offer a wide variety of trainings, sessions, product demo's, and networking opportunities.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141028/154729LOGO

SOURCE Adaptiva

Related Links

http://www.adaptiva.com


DENVER, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today AdCellerant and Voice Media Group announce the launch of their programmatic advertising network for businesses in the cannabis industry, an entirely new service that will allow marijuana entrepreneurs to market themselves more effectively on the Internet through programmatic display advertising. AdCellerant will work with Voice Media Group and cannabis businesses in all legal states to promote their products, services and brands -- a revolutionary development given that most digital advertising agencies will not work with marijuana businesses because of federal regulations.

"We are excited to bring to market an advertising solution that has been around for years for small businesses, yet has been out of reach for cannabis clients up until this point," said Scott Tobias, CEO of Voice Media Group. "AdCellerant and Voice Media Group's launch into this space represents our commitment to providing the best digital advertising solutions for small and medium-sized businesses across many different industries."

Added Brock Berry, Co-Founder and CEO of AdCellerant, "Many of our local media partners already work with cannabis businesses on their print advertising strategy. Now our partners will be able to offer their cannabis clients one of the most effective advertising solutions  programmatic display advertising."

AdCellerant and Voice Media Group have tested the marijuana network extensively with Green Solutions, All Greens, Bloom Dispensary and more than thirty similar companies. Results from beta campaigns on AdCellerant's cannabis network show ad engagement levels two-to-three times normal banner campaigns. The advertising network does not allow visual displays of products or the use of the word "marijuana," and all advertisements are targeted to users 21 years of age and older.

About AdCellerant

AdCellerant is an ad technology and digital marketing services company that specializes in executing integrated digital advertising campaigns for businesses on behalf of local media companies. AdCellerant partners with local media companies to help train sales teams, sell creative marketing and execute reports in order to create a dynamic, compounding digital revenue stream.

Contact: Brock Berry, CEO & Founder, [email protected]

About Voice Media Group

Voice Media Group is the owner of V Digital Services, a top digital marketing agency that operates from VMG's publication offices throughout the United States, including LA Weekly, Denver Westword, Phoenix New Times, the Dallas Observer, the Houston Press, Miami New Times and New Times Broward-Palm Beach. V Digital Services delivers multidisciplinary marketing services based on its deep industry knowledge and the longtime status of VMG's websites and weekly newspapers as cultural touchstones in their communities.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE AdCellerant
FORT WORTH, Texas, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

FCA US vehicles take home the most awards of any manufacturer at the annual competition

2017 Chrysler Pacifica wins Family Car of Texas and Best New Interior

Dodge brand wins Full-size Sedan of Texas (2016 Charger R/T Scat Pack), Performance Sedan of Texas (2016 Charger SRT Hellcat) and Super Car of Texas (2016 Viper GTC)

Uconnect Theater in 2017 Chrysler Pacifica wins Best New Feature

The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica was honored as the Family Car of Texas at the Texas Auto Roundup hosted by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA). Dodge also collected the Full-size Sedan of Texas (2016 Charger R/T Scat Pack), Performance Sedan of Texas (2016 Charger SRT Hellcat) and Super Car of Texas (2016 Viper GTC). Viper also received the highest score for exterior styling and performance.

A total of 58 journalists attended the event and drove 53 vehicles from various manufacturers. Journalists voted for their favorite vehicles after two days of demanding driving at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. FCA US won the most awards of any manufacturer at the event.



"FCA US brought an all-star lineup with several cars impressing our journalists. However, the design, functionality and practicality of the new Chrysler Pacifica really stood out from all the Family Car contenders," said Nic Phillips, President of TAWA. "It's truly entertaining to drive with friends and family, offers numerous safety options, and leads the segment in styling, all the while playing to traditional strengths of minivans."

FCA US vehicles receiving awards at the Texas Auto Roundup:

Chrysler Brand

Car of Texas: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

Best New Interior: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

Best New Feature: Uconnect Theater

Dodge Brand

Full-size Sedan of Texas: 2016 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack

Performance Sedan of Texas: 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Supercar of Texas: 2016 Dodge Viper GTC

Dodge Viper also received the highest score for exterior styling and performance

The Texas Auto Roundup gives automotive journalists the opportunity to drive nearly every new car on the market, ranging from subcompact vehicles to supercars (more than 450 horsepower).

About FCA US LLC

FCA US LLC is a North American automaker with a new name and a long history. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. FCA US designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925; and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."

Follow FCA US news and video on:

FCA Content On Demand (COD): www.fcacod.com

Company blog: blog.fcanorthamerica.com

Company website: www.fcanorthamerica.com

FCA360: 360.fcanorthamerica.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChryslerGroup

Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/chryslergroup/

Media website: media.fcanorthamerica.com

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/fcacorporate

Instagram: www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA

Streetfire: www.streetfire.net/uploaded/chryslervideo.htm

Twitter: www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA

Twitter (Spanish): www.twitter.com/fcausespanol

YouTube: www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo

SOURCE FCA US LLC

Related Links

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com


DENVER, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Indian College Fund will create pathways to college for Native American youth to improve access to college, thanks to a $2.4 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The three-year, three-pronged program, called The Native Pathways to College Project, will begin June 1st of this year.

Through the College Admissions Pathways component of the program, the College Fund will work to increase the number of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) junior and senior high school students who consider college as an option, increasing their financial readiness for colleges, guiding them through the admissions process, and easing their transition to college.

The Transfer Pathways component of the program will support the successful transfer of students attending two-year tribal colleges to four-year institutions.

Finally, the Pathways Bridge Programs will increase admissions testing and college readiness of high school students through academic preparedness strategies delivered by the tribal colleges.

The College Fund will work through partnerships with reservation-based high schools and the tribal colleges in designing and implementing the programs for students and their families, while also identifying mainstream colleges and universities that wish to increase the diversity of their student body by increasing AIAN student presence at their institutions.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, "We are so honored at the College Fund to partner with our tribal colleges and with Native high schools to build a college-going climate for our Native students. Our commitment to Native students achieving post-secondary education is strengthened by our focus on responding to students and families were they are at in their educational journey. We deeply appreciate and are pleased that the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation shares our vision of college attainment for Native students."

Armando I. Bengochea, Program Officer at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation said, "The project of improving college-going rates and transfer rates for AIAN students is extremely important to the nation and the best hope we have of growing the number of college graduates. The Mellon Foundation recognizes the unique importance, credibility and capacity of the College Fund to be able to tackle this problem in the most strategic way."

About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Founded in 1969, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation endeavors to strengthen, promote, and, where necessary, defend the contributions of the humanities and the arts to human flourishing and to the well-being of diverse and democratic societies by supporting exemplary institutions of higher education and culture as they renew and provide access to an invaluable heritage of ambitious, path-breaking work. Additional information is available at mellon.org.

About the American Indian College Fund

Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nation's largest charity supporting Native higher education for more than 25 years. The College Fund believes "Education is the answer" and has provided more than 100,000 scholarships since its inception and an average of 6,000 scholarships per year to American Indian students. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit collegefund.org.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Recruitment Intelligence and American Recruiting & Consulting Group (ARC Group), are happy to announce the hiring of Mason Amato, in the position of Brand Manager, as well as Jon Kowalsky, in the position of Executive Recruiter. ARC Group has been consistently ranked in multiple issues of Florida Business Journals' "Top 25 Executive Search and Consulting Firms" for the last 15 years and is poised to continue with this growth due to its unique and valuable product offerings.

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Mason Amato will be bringing valuable experience in public relations and digital marketing where he has been instrumental in driving customer acquisitions. He will oversee all marketing efforts for ARC Group and Recruitment Intelligence focusing on SEO, SEM, content and digital branding.

"We are very excited to bring Mason on board. We have been growing steadily over the years but we believe Mason's efforts and knowledge will be able to take us to that next level," said Gregg Podalsky, President of ARC Group.

Jon Kowalsky is being brought on board as an Executive Recruiter. He will help the company continue to provide outstanding customer service to our clients and candidates by applying his successful sales and service experience to the organization.

"We have had so much success over the years that our reputation has continually grown. As such, we are adding new clients every day, and need to make sure we continually provide the excellent service that our clients and candidates expect from us. Jon brings a level of professionalism and determination that will help us continue to impress," stated Gregg Podalsky.

ARC Group now has 19 offices around the country to handle the staffing and recruiting needs of our clients. With larger companies utilizing our trademarked search solution, Recruitment Intelligence, and small and medium-sized businesses jumping on board as well, "Recruitment Intelligence is not only saving our clients tens of thousands of dollars in recruitment fees, but is also making executive search and staffing solutions available to small and medium-sized businesses that previously couldn't afford them," says Gregg Podalsky. Recruitment Intelligence is the cost-effective alternative to traditional employment agencies, recruiting firms, staffing agencies and executive search firms.

For more information, please visit http://ARCGonline.com/, http://RecruitmentIntelligence.com/

About Recruitment Intelligence

Recruitment Intelligence, a division of ARC Group founded in 1982, handles searches in 19 offices located in Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Antonio, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, West Palm Beach, Austin, Chicago, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Raleigh and Tampa. Clients receive a report compiling qualified vetted candidates, salary and benefits data, and recorded video interviews of qualified candidates. Companies of all sizes benefit from this refreshing alternative to conventional recruitment agencies, temp agencies, staffing agencies and executive search firms. No matter what your hiring needs, Recruitment Intelligence helps secure the talent you would never access through running ads alone.

Contact:

Greg Podalsky

954-342-0550

SOURCE Recruitment Intelligence

Related Links

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Unlike many other teriyaki products, Boar's Head Bold Ichiban Teriyaki Style Chicken Breast is made without the use of soy, gluten and added MSG. And, like all Boar's Head premium meats, cheeses, condiments and hummus, Boar's Head Bold Ichiban Teriyaki Style Chicken Breast contains no gluten, artificial flavors or colors, MSG added, fillers, byproducts or trans-fat*. To experience the exceptional flavor of this product, Boar's Head suggests trying its Ichiban Teriyaki Style Chicken Sandwich with Asian Slaw.

The Boar's Head Bold product line features 14 deli meats, cheeses and condiments inspired by global flavors and cuisines from destinations around the world. Along with Bold Ichiban Teriyaki Style Chicken Breast, Boar's Head is also excited to announce the introduction of two new savory cheeses to the Bold line. Inspired by the lush Tuscan farmland in Central Italy, Boar's Head Bold  Italian Style Herb Coated Mozzarella Cheese is generously coated with an aromatic blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, bell pepper and garlic that is sure to take your senses on a flavor expedition. Boar's Head Bold  Marbleu  Marbled Blue Monterey Jack Cheese is the first deli slicing blue cheese, delivering a creamy yet distinctive bleu flavor that can be sliced without crumbling.

"The global flavor trend continues to dominate the foodscape and Boar's Head is delighted to bring new, interesting and complex flavor profiles to the American deli with our Boar's Head Bold line," said Elizabeth Ward, director of communications for Boar's Head Brand. "Boar's Head first introduced the Bold line in 2012 and we have continued to successfully innovate and grow this line over the past four years. These newest Bold product introductions serve to demonstrate our Brand's commitment to exceptional quality, while satisfying consumer interest for making international tastes accessible and convenient."

Boar's Head Bold Ichiban Teriyaki Style Chicken Breast, Bold Italian Style Herb Coated Mozzarella Cheese and Bold Marbleu Marbled Blue Monterey Jack Cheese are available at select supermarkets, gourmet stores and fine delicatessens nationwide.

For more information about Boar's Head and the Bold product line, please visit www.boarshead.com, like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/boarshead and follow us on Twitter @Boars_Head.

About Boar's Head

Founded in 1905, Boar's Head Brand has upheld a commitment to unwavering standards for quality for over a century, refusing to take shortcuts that compromise the integrity of its products for the sake of convenience or economy. What started with just a few products has grown to over 500, ranging from premium delicatessen meats, cheeses and condiments to an array of Italian and Old World specialties, hummus and foodservice items. All Boar's Head meats, cheeses, hummus and condiments contain no gluten, artificial flavors or colors, MSG added, fillers or byproducts, or trans-fat*.

All Boar's Head meats, cheeses, condiments and spreads are gluten free. * No trans-fat from partially hydrogenated oils.

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COLOGNE, Germany, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Axiogenesis has acquired a major investment from Sino-German High-Tech Fund to further expand product development, strengthen its disease modeling capabilities and increase market presence.

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Sino-German High-Tech Fund (SGHF) is an investment fund jointly supported by Donghai Securities from China and High-Tech Grunderfonds from Germany. Its initiative signing ceremony was chaired by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang in 2015. Up to 300 million Euro are to be invested in German high-tech companies over the next five years through SGHF, which focuses on high-end manufacturing, renewable energy, bio-technology, TMT and healthcare sectors, etc. With its capital and industry resources, SGHF will strongly support German companies' market entry and expansion in China as well as their globalization strategies.

SGHF will gain over 10% of ownership through this capital increase of an undisclosed sum.

Dr. Alex Liu, Managing Director of SGHF: "Axiogenesis is a leading provider of pure, tissue-specific cell types derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Through its innovation, efficiency, scientific excellence and patent position we expect that they will make a large and lasting impact in this already quickly growing field."

The investment will accelerate growth and market presence of Axiogenesis' products and applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and chemical industries. It will allow the company to continue moving towards becoming highly profitable in the stem cell business whilst significantly investing in new product development and disease modeling capabilities.

The current product portfolio of Axiogenesis includes several validated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived cardiac and neural cell types. The investment is aimed at accelerating the cell type portfolio development and to drive the characterization of a whole suite of new products being launched. This year alone smooth muscle cells, beta-islet cells, sensory neurons and several new variants of the successful Cor.4U cardiac product will be launched.

Axiogenesis will also expand its customer facing team with more scientific support staff, application specialists and customer representatives not only in the established markets USA, EU and Japan but also opening new markets in China and Israel.

Axiogenesis can give unbiased expert advice in positioning, setting up, validating and troubleshooting assays. The company is a preferred partner to pharmaceutical companies and CROs in particular.

Utilising Axiogenesis' own patent portfolio and by securing key third party patent licenses, including the Yamanaka iPSC technology and the Geron stem cell patents, Axiogenesis can provide FTO to its customers for the use of iPSC-derived cells in screening applications, disease models (e.g. cardiac hypertrophy, LQT) and tissue models.

Dr. Bernd Fronhoff, CFO of Axiogenesis: "Axiogenesis may very likely be the first biotech company worldwide to become profitable in the iPSC-derived cell business model. We have managed this through a combination of excellent science, stringent focus and high efficiency in product development and production."

Axiogenesis AG

Axiogenesis was founded in 2001 and has been providing first in class stem cell-derived cells since 2007. Axiogenesis' current focus lies on the development and validation of functional assays using neuronal and cardiac cells. The flagship offering is the Cor.4U human cardiomyocyte product family including cardiac fibroblasts. Cor.4U cells are used in applications for single cell analysis to high-throughput screening (HTS) in early cardiac safety and safety assessment as well as in cardiovascular drug development. In the neural field Axiogenesis has launched iPSC-derived neuronal sub-types including dopaminergic neurons (Dopa.4U), peripheral neurons (Peri.4U), CNS neurons (CNS.4U) and Astrocytes (Astro.4U). Applying Axiogenesis' pure cell types into market-driven solutions, Axiogenesis offers licensing of proprietary disease models, e.g. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM, also known as Cardiac Hypertrophy), and tissue models for compound screening as well as value-added fee-for-service assays for in vitro toxicology, safety pharmacology and drug discovery.

Donghai Securities

Donghai was founded in 1993. It is one of the first investment banks to work with a full license in China. Donghai is a leader with asset management exceeding 30 billion Euro in equity investments, as well as in fixed interest, mixed or other innovative banking activities. Through its equity investments and M&A activities, Donghai has built up solid relationships with hundreds of domestic companies, investment banks and other financial institutions. The broad industry coverage is realized with a plentiful flow of resources.

Media contact:

Felix von Haniel, Commercial Director

Axiogenesis AG

Email

+49 2219988180

SOURCE Axiogenesis AG
Leading private investors partner to acquire the insurance industry's largest technology company

BOTHELL, Wash., May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertafore, the leader in modern insurance technology, today announced that funds affiliated with Bain Capital Private Equity and Vista Equity Partners have entered into a definitive agreement to jointly acquire the company from TPG Capital. The sale is expected to close during the third quarter. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"We are thrilled to be working with two great private investors like Bain Capital Private Equity and Vista Equity Partners to fuel the future growth of Vertafore, and are looking forward to a great partnership that will benefit our customers, our employees, and our industry," said Jeff Hawn, Chairman & CEO at Vertafore. "We are also thankful for the strong leadership and support from TPG over the past six years and appreciate all they've done to prepare us for the next phase of our company's growth."

With over 45 years of deep industry expertise, more than 500,000 insurance professionals trust Vertafore technology every day across each point of the insurance value chain, utilizing solutions in the company's product portfolio including leading products such as the AMS360 and Sagitta management systems, ImageRight, and Sircon agency and carrier solutions.

"Vertafore is a market leader with mission critical product offerings for insurance brokers and a compelling business model," said Ian Loring, a Managing Director at Bain Capital Private Equity. "The company has been at the forefront of product innovation and bundling solutions to help make agency management more efficient. We look forward to partnering with Vertafore to drive further growth and customer satisfaction."

"Vista is enthusiastic about Vertafore's software and information solutions, employees, and the vast customer base they serve today," said Brian Sheth, Co-Founder and President of Vista. "We're eager to work with the team to continue to develop best-in-class products and services for the insurance industry, grow the business, and expand market share."

"It's been a privilege to be a part of Vertafore's tremendous growth over the last six years," said Bryan Taylor, Partner at TPG Capital. "Vertafore has become a clear leader in the industry by expanding its product line, strengthening its workforce, and putting increased resources toward R&D. Today's announcement is the result of many years of hard work and the culmination of a great partnership with Jeff and the Vertafore management team."

BofA Merrill Lynch is serving as the exclusive financial advisor and Ropes & Gray LLP as the legal advisor to Vertafore and TPG in connection with the transaction. Credit Suisse is providing the financing commitments and acting as financial advisor to Bain Capital Private Equity and Vista. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as legal counsel and EY LLP is serving as accounting advisor to Bain Capital Private Equity and Vista. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory review.

The acquisition of Vertafore comes just a month after Vertafore expanded its reach and capabilities by acquiring Keal Technology in Canada, and less than a year after the purchase of QQSolutions in Florida, both providers of cloud software to independent insurance agencies. The company delivered over 250 new product releases in 2015, bringing new technology and innovation to the industry's largest customer base, including agencies, carriers, MGAs, MGUs and over half the U.S. state regulatory agencies.

About Vertafore

Vertafore offers the broadest and most adaptable technology solutions to better prepare the insurance industry for digital disruption. The Vertafore product line is built on a platform, empowering customers and other solution providers to adapt and thrive as the market changes. Vertafore's platform features fast innovation, partnerships with the best technology companies, and customizable solutions to help companies remain independent during a time of industry disruption. As the leader in modern insurance technology with the largest customer base in the industry, Vertafore connects every point of the distribution channel, from agencies and carriers to MGAs, MGUs, and state governments. For more information about Vertafore, visit www.vertafore.com, read the company's blog, and follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

About TPG Capital

TPG Capital is a leading global private investment firm founded in 1992 with over $70 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, Fort Worth, Austin, Dallas, Houston, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Singapore, and Tokyo. TPG's investment platforms are across a wide range of asset classes including private equity, growth venture, real estate, credit, and public equity. TPG aims to build dynamic products and options for its investors while also instituting discipline and operational excellence across the investment strategy and performance of its portfolio. For more information, visit www.tpg.com.

About Bain Capital Private Equity

Bain Capital Private Equity has partnered closely with management teams to provide the strategic resources that build great companies and help them thrive since our founding in 1984. Our team of more than 400 investment professionals creates value for our portfolio companies through our global platform and depth of expertise in key vertical industries including consumer/retail, financial and business services, healthcare, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications. In addition to private equity, Bain Capital invests across asset classes including credit, public equity and venture capital, and leverages the firm's shared platform to capture opportunities in strategic areas of focus. For more information visit www.baincapitalprivateequity.com.

About Vista Equity Partners

Vista, a U.S.-based private equity firm with offices in Austin, Chicago and San Francisco, with more than $20 billion in cumulative capital commitments, currently invests in software, data and technology-based organizations led by world-class management teams with long-term perspective. Vista is a value-added investor, contributing professional expertise and multi-level support towards companies realizing their full potential. Vista's investment approach is anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions, and proven management techniques that yield flexibility and opportunity in private equity investing. For more information, please visit www.vistaequitypartners.com.

 2016 Vertafore Inc. All rights reserved. Vertafore, AMS360, Sagitta, ImageRight, Sircon and the Vertafore logo are registered trademarks of Vertafore and its subsidiaries. Any other trademarks are property of their owners.

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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

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The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

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Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

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ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression
LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Belkin, a trusted leader of technology solutions for office, classroom, IT infrastructure, and mobile environments today announced they have teamed with the California State PORTS distance learning program to leverage Belkin technology to enhance student learning experiences with state parks.

The PORTS program (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students) has developed customized online learning solutions to push real-time content into schools across California to expose K-12 students to the unique natural and cultural resources found across 10 state parks. This school year, the program will serve 100 school districts statewide and reach over 45,000 students.

The new relationship will equip indoor studios and State Park Ranger vehicles, like the PORTS EduGator which functions as a mobile studio, with the Belkin Stage Tablet, an adjustable platform that turns any tablet into an interactive presentation tool.

With this enhanced functionality, Park Rangers will be able to use the iPad as a document camera with a 360 flip to better showcase the parks natural, cultural, and historical resources that are part of the PORTS program. Additionally by installing the Stage Tablet in the classroom, teachers will also have the ability to customize the view for their students and park interpreters will be able to see the entire classroom and speak directly with students who can ask questions, engage conversations and annotate their experience with park staff in real-time.

"Belkin education products are designed to add value and provide a superior learning experience," said Jon Roepke, director of product management for Belkin Education. "We can't think of a better way to showcase our magnificent state parks and their unmatched teaching capacity than by deploying our technology so students anywhere, regardless of geography and resources, can share this important experience."

"The PORTS program has been a great success and we're excited to be able to continue to enhance the experiences we provide. Through this relationship with Belkin, we can deliver in real time. The beauty and unique resources of our parks and our people to students with simple yet effective tools we didn't have before," said Brad Krey, California State Parks, PORTS Program Manager.

Castlebay Lane Charter Elementary will demonstrate the enhanced distance learning program in a kindergarten class on May 9 at 8:45am. The new program capacities will be led by a Park Ranger live from Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach, California.

"There's no doubt that our students will benefit from the experience of not only seeing our state parks but talking to the experts directly, as if they were there themselves," said Christine Chun, Assistant Principal of Castlebay Lane Charter Elementary. "It's an exceptional learning opportunity and I am sure our students and teachers will be excited by what they can do with it."

About Belkin Education:

Belkin Education solutions are designed to enrich student and educator experiences with technology in the modern classroom. Belkin provides solutions that address collaboration (Tablet Stage and Belkin Stage app), protection (Air Protect Sleeve) and connectivity. For more on how our technology enables a next-gen learning environment, click here.

About PORTS:

PORTS is a free California State Parks distance learning program that uses the power of interactive videoconferencing to help K-12 schools teach common core state standards in the context of California State Parks. PORTS bridges the socio-economic gap in California's educational system by providing meaningful interactions - regardless of race, economic status or location.

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LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BIOTRONIK, a leader in cardio- and endovascular medical technology, today announced Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Iperia ProMRI HF-T, a cardiac resynchronization defibrillator that provides heart failure patients with access to diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Iperia devices also have remote monitoring with daily automatic transmission and closed loop stimulation (CLS) that adapts the heart rate in response to physiological demands.

Iperia ProMRI HF-T is a cardiac resynchronization defibrillator that provides heart failure patients with access to diagnostic MRI scans. Iperia HF-T was developed with BIOTRONIK's ProMRI, Home Monitoring, and CLS technology, creating an advanced CRT-D designed to support each patient's unique healthcare journey.

More than five million Americans suffer from heart failure (HF). The condition occurs when the heart isn't able to pump enough blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. Patients, often elderly and living with significantly diminished quality of life, are at high risk for comorbidities, including diabetes, cardiac arrhythmias, depression, and falls that can lead to hospitalization.

"Heart failure patients are often struggling with other health conditions that require medical intervention," said Dr. Theofanie Mela, an electrophysiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who participated in the testing of this device. "These patients need effective and efficient treatment. Access to MRI scans is a critical step to ensuring quality patient care extends beyond device implantation. This must become the standard of care."

Iperia HF-T was developed with BIOTRONIK's ProMRI, Home Monitoring, and CLS technology, creating an advanced cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) designed to support each patient's unique healthcare journey. BIOTRONIK's MR conditional tachycardia devices ensure patients have access to 1.5T scans without an exclusion zone. Home Monitoring provides automatic daily transmission of data relating to arrhythmic events and heart failure statistics, which have been shown to reduce all-cause mortality by more than 50 percent. For heart failure patients, early detection of deterioration reduces patient mortality1.

"The FDA approval of Iperia HF-T demonstrates the shift that is happening in cardiovascular patient care," said Marlou Janssen, President, BIOTRONIK, Inc. "BIOTRONIK now offers a comprehensive portfolio of MR conditional ICDs. We're driving the standard of care to new levels by providing physicians and hospitals with innovative, reliable, cardiac devices that ensure patients have access to imaging technology critical to diagnosing and treating future illness and injury. This is technology that is making a difference in patients' lives."

About ProMRI

BIOTRONIK ProMRI technology enables patients with a pacemaker, implantable defibrillator, cardiac monitor, or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) or pacemaker (CRT-P) to undergo an MRI scan. BIOTRONIK has the broadest portfolio of cardiac devices approved for use in the MR environment on the market. For more details, please go to www.biotronik.com/promri.

About BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring

BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring can be programmed by a physician to transmit data automatically and on a daily basis, thereby rapidly detecting deterioration in a patient's clinical status. The occurrence of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias or specific trends in certain clinical parameters can often be the first sign of worsening heart failure leading to hospitalization or death. Early detection of these clinically relevant events, in particular asymptomatic atrial fibrillation, enables the physician to adapt patient therapy at a very early stage. Home Monitoring effectively supports the management of heart failure patients as well as lowering costs and streamlining workflow.

About BIOTRONIK

One of the world's leading manufacturers of cardio- and endovascular medical devices, BIOTRONIK is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and represented in over 100 countries. Several million patients have received BIOTRONIK implants designed to save and improve the quality of their lives, or have been treated with BIOTRONIK coronary and peripheral vascular intervention products. Since its development of the first German pacemaker in 1963, BIOTRONIK has engineered many innovations, including BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring; Pulsar*, the world's first 4 F compatible stent for treating long lesions; Orsiro*, the industry's first hybrid drug-eluting stent; and the world's first implantable cardioverter defibrillators and heart failure therapy devices with ProMRI technology.

References

1 Hindricks G et al. Lancet. 2014, 384 (9943).

* Investigational Device: Limited by U.S. law to investigational use.

For more information, visit: www.biotronikusa.com

Twitter: @biotronik_US

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BiotronikUS/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/biotronik



U.S. Media Contacts:

Lindsey Stephens

Manager, Marketing Communications

(800) 547-0394, Ext. 8210

(503) 451-8210

[email protected]

Stacey Holifield

Levitate

(617) 233-3873

[email protected]

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Company plans to focus on organic growth with this coordinated executive appointment.

ATLANTA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Birch Communications, Inc., ("Birch") a leading provider of communications, network and cloud services to small, mid-sized, enterprise and wholesale businesses across North America, announced today that its Board of Directors named Tony Tomae as the company's next President and CEO, effective May 1. Tomae succeeds Vincent M. Oddo, who will be assuming a new position as President and CEO of Birch's sister company, Birch Equity Partners.

Tomae is a 25-year-plus communications and data industry veteran who comes to Birch from FairPoint Communications where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and was responsible for sales, marketing, and product management functions. He has served in a number of executive positions at Deltacom now EarthLink and WilTel Communications. He has also held positions with AT&T and Broadwing Communications. Tomae holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, N.J.

"As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, 2016 has uniquely served as a year of transition," says Dr. R. Kirby Godsey, Chairman of the Board for Birch. "Tony will be instrumental in shepherding Birch as we continue transitioning to a more organic sales model. As we look toward our next 20 years, we will continue to seek opportunities for growth through acquisition; however, organic growth will remain our top priority. Tony's experience in sales, marketing and product in the voice, data, and access space will prove invaluable as we move forward with our strategy and I am confident that we have found the right person as we continue this growth path."

"I have watched Birch's recent network and product expansions in Metro-Fiber, cloud services and unified communications, and I am honored to lead Birch as we continue on the path to become the technology ally for businesses of all sizes," says Tony Tomae, newly appointed President and CEO, Birch. "In the short term, we will continue to expand our Metro-Fiber footprint, working with our business customers with operations across the U.S.-Canada border to consolidate services to a single provider, and we will deepen our feature set within our Cloud portfolio to supply the enterprise-class features our customers need."

Tomae succeeds Oddo, who assumed leadership and partial ownership of the company in 2003 and led the company through 28 acquisitions, including the purchase of Birch Telecom in 2008, Cbeyond, Inc. in 2014, and most recently the asset purchase of Primus Telecommunications Inc. Over the past 13 years, Oddo grew the company from a UNEP-focused telecommunications company in its original nine-state footprint to an industry-leading technology company with a network owned and operated across North America. Birch is one of only a few companies who can provide service in all 50 U.S. states, 5 Canadian provinces, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

"I am sincerely appreciative for Vinnie's leadership that has brought us to our 20th year in business," says Godsey. "Through his strategic direction, Birch has built a product portfolio that serves both communications-centric and technology-dependent businesses of any size and positions the company perfectly for the next decade of growth."

Tomae will be based at the Atlanta Operations Center, and plans to relocate to the Atlanta area.

About Birch Communications

Birch Communications, Inc. is a leading communications, network, cloud and IT solutions provider celebrating 20 years in business (1996-2016). Recognized for exceptional customer experience, Birch delivers cost-effective solutions that assist small, mid-sized, enterprise and wholesale businesses to increase their productivity. Its industry-leading product portfolio is available across North America and includes Metro-Fiber, Metro-Ethernet, unified communications (UC), hosted phone systems, hosted data centers, and hosted file storage services. For more information, visit birch.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110606/CG14010LOGO

SOURCE Birch Communications, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.birch.com


NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueRock Solar, the solar energy affiliate of BlueRock Energy an award-winning energy solutions company that provides electricity, natural gas and renewable energy products to businesses and residential customers, today announced the launch of BlueRock community solar projects. BlueRock Solar General Manager Michael Francis will spearhead these shared community projects that aim to make solar accessible to all New York State residents and businesses.

An estimated 75 percent of the population does not currently have the ability to invest in and utilize solar power. BlueRock Solar's upcoming projects will give all New York State residents the opportunity to benefit from solar by tapping into off-site solar farms and using net metering  a method which credits solar energy participants for the electricity they add to the grid.i

"Our community shared solar projects will provide a new, innovative way for New Yorkers to access clean solar energy, bringing even more efficient energy services to our customers," says Michael Francis, General Manager of BlueRock Solar. "Customers who typically cannot afford or are unable to participate in solar projects and utilize solar power now have the opportunity to do just that."

President and CEO of BlueRock Energy and BlueRock Solar, Phil Van Horne, is looking forward to offering current and future customers even more choice and savings.

"With the majority of the population unable to invest in solar, whether it be that they are unable to install panels on their rooftop because they rent their space, have a shaded rooftop or unsuitable roof space, or because they simply cannot afford the options that are presently on the market, we are excited to be expanding into the solar market and offering even more savings to the population and our 18,000 plus customers," says Phil Van Horne, President and CEO.

Each BlueRock Solar project will be able to power up to 200 homes per year, limited to 2 megawatts per project, with specific zones being announced in coming weeks. This new solar division also plans to expand similar projects to BlueRock Energy's customers in Pennsylvania and Connecticut in the near future.

About BlueRock Energy

BlueRock Energy is a privately held energy solutions company that provides electricity, natural gas and renewable energy products to more than 18,000 customers across New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The team at BlueRock provides businesses and residential customers with unique energy plans designed to keep it simple while reducing costs.

To learn more about BlueRock Energy, please visit www.bluerockenergy.com.

About Community Distributed Generation

According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) regulations, project developers partner with utility companies, and each project must have a sponsor, who owns or operates the project, organizes the membership and interfaces with the utility. The sponsor may be the project developer, a private company or other entity. Any utility customer may be a member of a project in the same utility and New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) zone. Each project must have at least 10 members, and each member must be allocated at least 1,000 kilowatt-hours per year. ii

To learn more about Community DG, Shared Renewables and Net Metering, please visit http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/







i The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Community Distributed Generation - Overview for Project Developers, 2016, page 1 http://on.ny.gov/21sSsnP



ii The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Community Distributed Generation - Overview for Project Developers, 2016, page 2 http://on.ny.gov/21sSsnP

Media Contact: North 6th Agency, Inc. (For BlueRock Energy)

212-334-9753 x123

[email protected]

SOURCE BlueRock Energy

Related Links

http://www.bluerockenergy.com


ANDORRA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- J.C. Flowers & Co., the company selected by the Government of Andorra to take over the assets of Banca Privada d'Andorra ("BPA") expropriated from the Ramon and Higini Cierco, has a history with FinCEN. The firm bought a small bank in the United States that was itself penalized by FinCEN for undertaking huge transactions with customers in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Saddle River Valley Bank (SRVB) was a small, two-branch New Jersey bank that was struggling after the financial crisis. J.C. Flowers & Co. was searching for a bank to invest in as part of a strategy to acquire more failed banks from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. SRVB opened up a wire transfer service with Latin American countries, and under J.C. Flower's leadership from 2009-2011, the bank handled $1.5 billion in financial transactions with customers in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, while the bank managed only $120 million in assets domestically. Unlike BPA, Saddle River Valley Bank was a tiny domestic operation whose involvement in Latin American money laundering dwarfed any legitimate business operations.

Saddle River's Latin American transaction business caught the attention of FinCEN, which opened up an investigation into the bank in 2011. J.C. Flowers hurriedly sold its shares soon after, and the bank had to accept a buyout deal with Union Center National Bank, which greatly undervalued SRVB and cost the remaining minority shareholders a great deal of money.

In 2013, SRVB settled with FinCEN and other authorities for $8.2 million over charges that included failures in recording keeping, reporting, and a failure to have an effective anti-money laundering program in place. J.C. Flowers & Co. claims it did not know about SRVB's wiring services, despite spending 9 months looking into SRVB's books and business before deciding to buy in. And how could a controlling shareholder miss the fact that the bank had so few assets and its principal business appeared to be handling transactions with Latin American customers worth nearly fifteen times the assets of the bank?

Six local, minority shareholders who lost money decided to sue SRVB, J.C. Flowers & Co., and J.C. Flowers & Co.'s affiliated SRV Holdings in late 2012 for failing to uphold their promises of revamping SRVB. Court records were sealed by request of all parties, so specific plaintiffs and defendants are unknown besides ex-Mayor Conrad Caruso, who was the initiator of the suit. The case was eventually settled for $1.2 million.

So now we see the hypocrisy of AREB, which claims that J.C. Flowers "achieves every single objective pursued by the Resolution Plan for Banca Privada d'Andorra (BPA)." What objectives are those? Finding a purchaser that owned a bank that was doing massive money laundering and was penalized by FinCEN? Finding a purchaser that claims it could not discover $1.5 billion of tainted transactions in a bank with $120 million in assets? What can AREB expect J.C. Flowers to bring to Andorra, the same care and ethics that it showed in the United States? Or is this just an attempt to sell to anyone to sweep Andorra's massive incompetence and lack of transparency under the carpet?

Timeline:

2006 - Saddle River Valley Bank is formed by Conrad Caruso, who wanted to create an entity that offered investment and lending services to local businessmen.

2007-2008 - SRVB has mediocre performance up until the financial crisis struck. The Bank began struggling to stay afloat.

2009 - For the first nine months of 2009, Saddle River Valley Bank was being courted by JC Flowers & Co. JC Flowers & Co. spent months looking into the Bank's books before coming to a deal for majority ownership.

During this time, the bank starts offering international wire transfers for a fee.

A deal was reached for around $7 million in October 2009 from JC Flowers & Co. and its affiliate, SRV Holdings LLC.

2010 - SRV Holdings officially acquires enough shares to take control of the bank.

2011 - Saddle River Valley Bank gets the attention of regulators, who ordered the lender to stop violating anti-money laundering laws and to set up an effective program to measure account activity.

Saddle River Valley Bank did not comply with the standards, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency opens an investigation.

2012 - The bank is struggling again, and agrees to sell the majority of its assets and deposits to Union Center National Bank for $9 million, a highly undervalued sale.

Six minority shareholders, including original founder Conrad Caruso, sue the Bank, JC Flowers & Co., and the bank's board of directors for leading the bank to ruin.

2013 - Saddle River Valley Bank settles with FinCEN and the OCC for $8.2 million.

Flowers had sold their shares of the bank in 2012, but the investigated actions took place from 2009 to 2011, during the time when JC Flowers & Co. was managing the bank. JC Flowers & Co. denies any knowledge of the events and no official charges were filed.

2014 - The minority shareholders settle for $1.2 million.

SOURCE Ramon and Higini Cierco
BOSTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (NYSE: BFAM), a leading provider of high-quality child care, early education and other services designed to help employers and families better address the challenges of work and family life, today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2016 and confirmed certain financial guidance for the full year 2016.

First Quarter 2016 Highlights (compared to first quarter 2015):

Revenue increased 10% to $385 million

GAAP income from operations increased 13% to $49 million

Non-GAAP adjusted income from operations* increased 14% to $49 million

Adjusted EBITDA* increased 10% to $72 million

GAAP net income increased 10% to $25 million and GAAP diluted earnings per common share increased 14% to $0.40 per share

and GAAP diluted earnings per common share increased 14% to per share Non-GAAP adjusted net income* increased 15% to $31 million and diluted adjusted earnings per common share* increased 19% to $0.51

"We are pleased to report a strong start to 2016, as we continue to execute on our growth strategy here in the U.S. and in Europe, and in India," said David Lissy, Chief Executive Officer. "At Bright Horizons, we are proud to celebrate our 30th year of partnering with leading employers to provide working families with the critical supports they need to maximize their productivity."

"For today's workforce, the workplace and its culture are an integral part of both professional and personal satisfaction and well-being," continued Lissy. "In 1986, Bright Horizons was on the forefront of the challenges that employers and their working families faced then as now, and we have continued to evolve our services to meet the myriad ways that employers look to support employees and families in their ability to achieve a healthy integration between work and life."

First Quarter 2016 Results

Revenue increased $34.9 million, or 10%, in the first quarter of 2016 from the first quarter of 2015 on contributions from new and ramping full-service child care centers, average price increases of 3-4%, and expanded sales of back-up dependent care and educational advisory services.

Income from operations was $48.6 million for the first quarter of 2016 compared to $42.8 million in the same 2015 period, an increase of $5.8 million, primarily due to a $9.2 million increase in gross profit, partially offset by increases in recurring selling, general and administrative expenses. The increase in gross profit and income from operations reflects operating leverage from enrollment gains in mature and ramping centers, contributions from new child care centers, back-up dependent care and educational advisory clients that have been added since the first quarter of 2015, and strong cost management, partially offset by the costs incurred during the ramp-up of certain new lease/consortium centers opened during 2015 and 2016 and ongoing investments in systems and personnel to support the delivery of our services. Net income was $24.7 million for the first quarter of 2016 compared to net income of $22.5 million in the same 2015 period, an increase of $2.2 million on the expanded income from operations. Diluted earnings per common share was $0.40 compared to $0.35 in the first quarter of 2015.

In the first quarter of 2016, adjusted EBITDA increased $6.9 million, to $72.4 million, and adjusted income from operations increased $6.0 million, to $48.8 million, from the first quarter of 2015 due primarily to the expanded gross profit. Adjusted net income increased by $4.0 million, or 14.8%, to $31.1 million on the expanded income from operations. Diluted adjusted earnings per common share was $0.51 compared to $0.43 in the first quarter of 2015.

As of March 31, 2016, the Company operated 936 early care and education centers with the capacity to serve 107,400 children and families.

*Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share are non-GAAP measures. Adjusted EBITDA represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, straight line rent expense, stock-based compensation expense, expenses related to secondary offerings, and expenses associated with completed acquisitions. Adjusted income from operations represents income from operations before expenses related to the completion of secondary offerings, and expenses associated with completed acquisitions. Adjusted net income represents net income determined in accordance with GAAP, adjusted for stock-based compensation expense, amortization expense, secondary offering expenses, expenses associated with completed acquisitions and the income tax provision (benefit) thereon. Diluted adjusted earnings per common share is a non-GAAP measure, calculated using adjusted net income. These non-GAAP measures are more fully described and are reconciled from the respective measures determined under GAAP in "Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures" and the attached table "Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Non-GAAP Reconciliations."

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company generated approximately $85.8 million of cash flows from operations compared to $47.3 million for the same period in 2015 and invested $13.6 million in fixed assets and acquisitions compared to $18.0 million in the same 2015 period. Net cash used in financing activities totaled $43.8 million in the three months ended March 31, 2016 compared to $8.0 million provided by financing activities for the same 2015 period. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company's cash and cash equivalents increased $28.6 million to $40.2 million.

2016 Outlook

As described below, the Company is confirming certain financial guidance. For the full year 2016, the Company currently expects:

Overall revenue growth in 2016 in the range of 8-10%

Adjusted EBITDA growth in 2016 in the range of 13-14%

Adjusted net income growth in 2016 in the range of 15-17%

Diluted adjusted earnings per common share growth in the range of 18-20%

Diluted weighted average shares of approximately 61.5 million shares

Conference Call

Bright Horizons Family Solutions will host an investor conference call today at 5:00 pm ET. Interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call by dialing 1-877-407-9039 or, for international callers, 1-201-689-8470, and asking for the Bright Horizons Family Solutions conference call, moderated by Chief Executive Officer David Lissy. Replays of the entire call will be available through May 17, 2016 at 1-877-870-5176 or, for international callers, at 1-858-384-5517, conference ID # 13632730. The webcast of the conference call, including replays, and a copy of this press release are also available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's web site, www.brighthorizons.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that express the Company's opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results and therefore are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements." The Company's actual results may vary significantly from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements, which can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "projects," "approximately," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates," or, in each case, their negatives or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They include statements regarding the Company's intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies, the industries in which we and our partners operate, our service offerings, and our 2016 financial guidance. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. The Company believes that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, changes in the demand for child care and other dependent care services, including variation in enrollment trends and lower than expected demand from employer sponsor clients; the possibility that acquisitions may disrupt our operations and expose us to additional risk; our ability to pass on our increased costs; our indebtedness and the terms of such indebtedness; our ability to withstand seasonal fluctuations in the demand for our services; our ability to implement our growth strategies successfully; and other risks and uncertainties more fully described in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed February 29, 2016, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the time of this release and we do not undertake to publicly update or revise them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures

In addition to the results provided in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") throughout this press release, the Company has provided non-GAAP measurements - adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share - which present operating results on a basis adjusted for certain items. The Company uses these non-GAAP measures as key performance measures for the purpose of evaluating performance internally. We also believe these non-GAAP measures provide investors with useful information with respect to our historical operations. These non-GAAP measures are not intended to replace, and should not be considered superior to, the presentation of our financial results in accordance with GAAP. The use of the terms adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share may differ from similar measures reported by other companies and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures. Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share are reconciled from the respective measures under GAAP in the attached table "Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Non-GAAP Reconciliations."

About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.

Bright Horizons Family Solutions is a leading provider of high-quality child care, early education and other services designed to help employers and families better address the challenges of work and family life. The Company provides center-based full service child care, back-up dependent care and educational advisory services to more than 1,000 clients across the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and India, including more than 150 FORTUNE 500 companies and more than 80 of Working Mother magazine's 2015 "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers." Bright Horizons has been recognized sixteen times as one of FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" and is one of the UK's Best Workplaces as designated by the Great Place to Work Institute. Bright Horizons is headquartered in Watertown, MA. The Company's web site is located at www.brighthorizons.com .

Contacts:













Investors:





Elizabeth Boland





CFO - Bright Horizons





[email protected]





617-673-8125













Kevin Doherty





MD - Solebury Communications Group





[email protected]





203-428-3233













Media:





Ilene Serpa





VP - Communications - Bright Horizons





[email protected]





617-673-8044











BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In thousands, except share data) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended March 31,

2016 %

2015 % Revenue $ 385,322

100.0 %

$ 350,440

100.0 % Cost of services 289,546

75.1 %

263,832

75.3 % Gross profit 95,776

24.9 %

86,608

24.7 % Selling, general and administrative expenses 40,031

10.4 %

36,845

10.5 % Amortization of intangible assets 7,148

1.9 %

6,922

2.0 % Income from operations 48,597

12.6 %

42,841

12.2 % Interest expense, net (10,684)

(2.8) %

(10,031)

(2.9) % Income before income taxes 37,913

9.8 %

32,810

9.3 % Income tax expense (13,186)

(3.4) %

(10,278)

(2.9) % Net income $ 24,727

6.4 %

$ 22,532

6.4 %











Earnings per common share:









Common stockbasic $ 0.41





$ 0.36



Common stockdiluted $ 0.40





$ 0.35



Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:









Common stockbasic 59,832,168





61,682,964



Common stockdiluted 61,300,409





63,189,367





BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) (Unaudited)



March 31,

2016

December 31,

2015 ASSETS





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 40,152



$ 11,539

Accounts receivablenet 84,312



97,295

Other current assets 35,195



43,879

Total current assets 159,659



152,713

Fixed assetsnet 424,986



429,736

Goodwill 1,147,236



1,147,809

Other intangiblesnet 382,111



389,331

Other assets 29,999



30,952

Total assets $ 2,143,991



$ 2,150,541

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current liabilities:





Current portion of long-term debt $ 9,550



$ 9,550

Borrowings on revolving line of credit 



24,000

Accounts payable and accrued expenses 118,677



114,776

Deferred revenue and other current liabilities 173,454



157,017

Total current liabilities 301,681



305,343

Long-term debtnet 903,215



905,661

Deferred income taxes 111,286



113,100

Other long-term liabilities 99,741



98,829

Total liabilities 1,415,923



1,422,933

Total stockholders' equity 728,068



727,608

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 2,143,991



$ 2,150,541



BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Three months ended March 31,

2016

2015 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:





Net income $ 24,727



$ 22,532

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:





Depreciation and amortization 20,525



19,386

Stock-based compensation 2,597



2,300

Deferred income taxes (1,766)



4,395

Other non-cash adjustments, net 1,051



2,034

Changes in assets and liabilities:





Accounts receivable 12,905



8,180

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 8,601



(4,267)

Accounts payable and accrued expenses 5,238



(6,912)

Other, net 11,919



(386)

Net cash provided by operating activities 85,797



47,262

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:





Purchases of fixed assets, net (10,637)



(16,911)

Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired (2,933)



(1,072)

Net cash used in investing activities (13,570)



(17,983)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:





Line of credit, net (24,000)





Principal payments of long-term debt (2,388)



(2,388)

Payments for debt issuance costs (1,002)





Purchase of treasury stock (23,385)



(738)

Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of options 1,682



4,210

Proceeds from issuance of restricted stock 3,351



3,864

Tax benefit from stock-based compensation 1,920



3,072

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (43,822)



8,020

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents 208



(1,524)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 28,613



35,775

Cash and cash equivalentsbeginning of period 11,539



87,886

Cash and cash equivalentsend of period $ 40,152



$ 123,661



BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS INC. SEGMENT INFORMATION (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Full service center-based care

Back-up dependent care

Other educational advisory services

Total Three months ended March 31, 2016













Revenue $ 328,827



$ 45,131



$ 11,364



$ 385,322

Amortization of intangibles 6,823



181



144



7,148

Income from operations 32,891



13,206



2,500



48,597

Adjusted income from operations (1) 33,097



13,206



2,500



48,803

















Three months ended March 31, 2015













Revenue $ 300,334



$ 41,601



$ 8,505



$ 350,440

Amortization of intangibles 6,597



181



144



6,922

Income from operations 28,275



13,761



805



42,841

Adjusted income from operations 28,275



13,761



805



42,841



(1) Adjusted income from operations represents income from operations excluding expenses incurred in connection with the January 2016 amendment to the Credit Agreement and completed acquisitions.

BRIGHT HORIZONS FAMILY SOLUTIONS INC. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (In thousands, except share data) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended

March 31,

2016

2015 Net income $ 24,727



$ 22,532

Interest expense, net 10,684



10,031

Income tax expense 13,186



10,278

Depreciation 13,377



12,464

Amortization of intangible assets (a) 7,148



6,922

EBITDA 69,122



62,227

Additional Adjustments:





Deferred rent (b) 425



967

Stock-based compensation expense (c) 2,597



2,300

Expenses related to the Credit Agreement amendment and completed acquisitions (d) 206





Total adjustments 3,228



3,267

Adjusted EBITDA $ 72,350



$ 65,494









Income from operations $ 48,597



$ 42,841

Expenses related to the Credit Agreement amendment and completed acquisitions (d) 206





Adjusted income from operations $ 48,803



$ 42,841









Net income $ 24,727



$ 22,532

Income tax expense 13,186



10,278

Income before tax 37,913



32,810

Stock-based compensation expense (c) 2,597



2,300

Amortization of intangible assets (a) 7,148



6,922

Expenses related to the Credit Agreement amendment and completed acquisitions (d) 206





Adjusted income before tax 47,864



42,032

Adjusted income tax expense (e) (16,752)



(14,921)

Adjusted net income $ 31,112



$ 27,111









Weighted average number of common sharesdiluted 61,300,409



63,189,367

Diluted adjusted earnings per common share $ 0.51



$ 0.43



(a) Represents amortization of intangible assets, including approximately $4.5 million and $5.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, associated with intangible assets recorded in connection with our going private transaction in May 2008. (b) Represents rent in excess of cash paid for rent, recognized on a straight line basis over the life of the lease in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 840, Leases. (c) Represents non-cash stock-based compensation expense. (d) Represents costs incurred in connection with the January 2016 amendment to the Credit Agreement and completed acquisitions. (e) Represents income tax expense calculated on adjusted income before tax at the effective rate of approximately 35% and 36% in 2016 and 2015, respectively.

SOURCE Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.

Related Links

http://www.brighthorizons.com


TAMPA, Fla., May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- May is National Hamburger Month and Burger 21, an award-winning, "beyond the better burger" fast casual franchise, is paying tribute to one of the greatest staples of American cuisine by rewarding guests who download its "B Loyal" mobile app with a free Cheesy Burger offer*. One lucky fan also will win free Cheesy Burgers for a year on National Hamburger Day, May 28.

Now through May 27, guests are encouraged to download Burger 21's free mobile app and register in order to receive an offer for a free Cheesy Burger and automatically be entered for a chance to win free Cheesy Burgers for a year. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on National Hamburger Day, May 28. The app is available for download at the Apple App Store or Google Play. Guests can earn a $5 reward for every seven visits to a Burger 21 restaurant.

"At Burger 21, we consider ourselves to be the master of the burger and our menu of 10 beef and 10 non-beef options, in addition to a rotating monthly featured burger, speaks for itself," said Mark Johnston, president and founder of Burger 21. "We know that there are many people who feel as passionately as we do about a great burger, so in honor of National Hamburger Month, we want to give one lucky guest a chance to enjoy free Cheesy Burgers for a year."

As part of its unique culture, Burger 21 offers a different chef-inspired burger and hand-crafted shake on the 21st of every month. In addition, the brand donates 10 percent of its restaurants' sales to a local charity or school in the communities it serves on this day.

Recognition for Burger 21 includes being named one of Entrepreneur magazine's Top New Franchises of 2016. Additionally, the company has been ranked on Fast Casual's Top 100 "Movers and Shakers" for the last three consecutive years, while Burger 21 Founder and President Mark Johnston was acknowledged as one of Fast Casual's "Top 25 People" of 2014 for his strategic leadership in the brand's growth and development. Burger 21 also was named one of QSR's "Best Franchise Deals" of 2014.

For more information on Burger 21, please visit burger21.com and follow Burger 21 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For the latest special offers and promotions, join the B21 Club or download Burger 21's "B Loyal" app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

To learn more about ownership opportunities with Burger 21, contact Ashley Sawyer, director of franchise development, at 813-327-7881 or [email protected], or visit www.burger21franchise.com.

*Free cheesy burger redeemable at any of Burger 21's restaurants across the country. Offer expires after 30 days from initial download.

About Burger 21

With 22 locations now open in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Texas, and more than 20 in development in six states, Burger 21 is a "beyond the better burger" fast casual franchise concept founded in 2010. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Burger 21 is a chef-inspired brand with offerings including 21 unique burger creations ranging from hand-crafted, freshly ground Certified Angus Beef to chicken, turkey, vegetarian, shrimp and tuna burgers, fresh salads, all-beef hot dogs, chicken tenders and an extensive shake bar including hand-crafted shakes, floats and sundaes. Since its inception, the company has provided more than $127,000 in contributions as part of its "B Charitable" initiative, in which it donates 10 percent of its restaurants' sales to local schools and charities on the 21st of each month. For more information, visit http://www.burger21.com.

CONTACT: Ellie Mannix

Fish Consulting

(954) 893-9150

[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130214/NY60474LOGO

SOURCE Burger 21

Related Links

http://www.burger21.com


HAVANA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the historic sailing of Carnival Corporation's first cruise to Cuba, a delegation today from Cuba participated in a plaque exchange ceremony on board by Adonia Captain David Box as the company's new Fathom line docked in Havana for day two of the seven-day cruise to three cities in Cuba.

This longtime maritime tradition takes place when a ship arrives at a new port for the first time. Yesterday, Fathom's MV Adonia docked at Port of Havana - marking the first time a U.S. Cruise ship has sailed to Cuba in more than 50 years.
GILBERT, Ariz., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Stage Funding, LLC dba Cascade Financial Services ("Cascade" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with an affiliate of Centerbridge Partners, L.P., a private investment firm ("Centerbridge"), whereby funds advised by Centerbridge will acquire Cascade, a leading lender to buyers of manufactured homes.

Upon closing of the transaction, Cascade expects to expand lending in the manufactured housing sector and introduce a new suite of non-government insured portfolio loan products for buyers of homes placed in communities and on private land. Additional details on the new loan products will be made available upon closing of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the 3rd quarter of 2016, subject to receipt of requisite regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

George Dover, the Chief Executive Officer of Cascade, commented: "Cascade is excited to partner with Centerbridge in the next phase of its growth strategy. Cascade is committed to manufactured housing and will continue to set the standard for financing in the industry. Our partnership with Centerbridge will allow us to continue lending to thousands of families to help them realize their dream of home ownership."

"Cascade provides a level of service to retailers and communities that is unparalleled in the industry. Through our partnership with Centerbridge, we will continue to provide consumers across the country with access to affordable home loans. I look forward to what this transaction will mean for our 180 team members at Cascade who work tirelessly to offer the best possible experience for our consumers," said Cody Pearce, President of Cascade.

Todd Kopstein, Senior Managing Director of Centerbridge, said, "Cascade is well positioned to expand the availability of financing in the manufactured housing industry. We believe that factory built housing provides a compelling option for rural and lower income households. George and Cody have built Cascade into a leading lender in the sector, and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with this talented team."

In connection with the closing of the transaction, Champion Home Builders, Inc. ("Champion"), one of the largest manufactured homebuilders in North America, has agreed to make an investment in the Company alongside Centerbridge. In addition, Keith Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Champion, will join the board of managers of Cascade following the closing of the transaction. Following the closing of the transaction, Cascade and Champion expect to collaborate on a non-exclusive basis to increase the number of financing options available for purchasing a new manufactured home.

About Cascade

Cascade is a leader in financing for manufactured and modular homes with high customer satisfaction ratings and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Cascade is proud to offer a number of modular and manufactured homes financing options including FHA, VA, USDA and conventional home loans. Cascade was named Regional Lender of the Year in 2015 and 2016 by the Manufactured Housing Institute.

About Centerbridge

Centerbridge, headquartered in New York, NY, is a private investment firm with approximately $25 billion in capital under management. The firm focuses on private equity and credit investments and is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors to help companies achieve their operating and financial objectives.

About Champion

Troy, Michigan-based Champion is a leading brand in off-site residential and commercial construction, which, through its operating subsidiaries, manufactures buildings at 30 facilities in North America and the United Kingdom. Champion built homes are sold through a network of approximately 1,000 builders, retailers, and developers located throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Champion Commercial Structures, a division of Champion, specializes in multifamily, commercial and industrial modular construction serving developers, builders and large value institutional clients.

Media Contact

Kekst

Jeremy Fielding / Madisen Obiedo

(212) 521-4858 / 4866

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Cascade Financial Services; Centerbridge Partners, L.P.
Galust Sahakyan congratulated on World Press Freedom Day

Galust Sahakyan's Congratulatory Message on World Press Freedom Day The RA National Assembly Presidents congratulatory message reads: Dear representatives of the media, I congratulate you on World Press Freedom Day. In different corners of the world the certain part of the phenomena and events taking place and containing violence or intolerance are directed against freedom  freedom of living, freedom of thinking, acting and, of course, freedom of speech. Freedom is not completely guaranteed both in hot spots and even in the most democratic and the most civilized perceiving societies, the very first witnesses and recorders are the journalists, sometimes providing the awareness of the society and the right to free speech also at the price of their freedom and, unfortunately, also at the price of their life. Along with the history of state the history of press functioning in it is also written. This year along with the 25th anniversary of Armenia's freedom the quarter century of the history of the freedom of the Armenian press marks, though some media even are older than our independence. All of them are the chroniclers of the modern history of our country, which regardless of sounding assessments, are free in their way of thinking and work style, are free in their choice, and with different comprehensions of freedom have united comprehension about the importance of Motherland and statehood. It was like that during first days and the whole period of Artsakh War, it has been like that since the first day of nowadays war. In terms of democratic state and civil society the free speech has the most important significance both in developing countries and there, where sometimes assessments sound about the level of freedom of speech and democracy in those countries. As an honour to the media being an inseparable part of our society and the process of its development, we can record that the free speech is preferable and appraisable, ringing and instructive among us. Once again congratulating on World Press Freedom Day I wish you, dear representatives of mass media, peace, optimism, welfare and all the best.
LONDON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pesticide is one of the most important methods to intensify production in current global agricultural development. Pesticide production mainly consists of three sectors, namely pesticide intermediates, API synthesis and preparation processing.



In 2006-2014, China's output of pesticide API (converting into active ingredient 100%) grew at a CAGR of 14.2%. The output is expected to reach 3.66 million tons in 2015. China's pesticide API production is mainly concentrated in Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Zhejiang, which contributed nearly 70% to the total output in 2014.



Pesticide preparations include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. In 2006-2014, the proportion of herbicides in Chinese pesticide preparations ascended dramatically, while the share of insecticides kept declining, and the proportion of fungicides remained unchanged. In 2015, China will produce 1.75 million tons of herbicides, 530 kilotons of insecticides and 180 kilotons of fungicides.



China is not only a big pesticide producer and consumer, but also a key exporter. In 2010-2014, China's pesticide export volume grew at a CAGR of 17.3%; the volume is estimated to hit 1.3 million tons in 2015. However, China's pesticide export price is far lower than the import price, mainly because the country imports innovative medicines while exports API and generic drugs in most cases.



Global pesticide players could be divided into two types, namely, R&D oriented and overdue patent oriented. The former mainly covers Syngenta, DOW, BASF, Bayer and Monsanto. Chinese pesticide companies, featured with small scale and weak technology, are mostly overdue patent oriented and engaged in API and generic drugs.



Now, there are over 2,000 pesticide manufacturers in China, indicating extremely low market concentration. The main listed companies embrace Red Sun, Zhejiang Xinan Chemical Industrial Group, Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical, Jiangsu Huifeng Agrochemical, Noposion Agrochemicals and so on. In 2015, numerous Chinese pesticide companies enter the capital market, such as Sichuan Guoguang Agrochemical, Limin Chemical and Guangxin Agrochemical. In addition, a number of pesticide companies represented by Jiangsu Flag Chemical Industry, Suli Chemical and the like intend to go public.



In recent years, some Chinese pesticide manufacturers have begun to explore the "Internet +" mode as the Internet exalts the competitiveness of traditional industries. For example, Noposion Agrochemicals has established Tiantianquan, http://www.njw88.com/ and Nongjinquan to create a complete ecological chain of Internet agricultural services; Jiangsu Huifeng Agrochemical cooperates with China Pesticide Development & Application Association to erect http://www.16899.com/ jointly in order to specialize in agricultural e-business.



The report dwells on following aspects:

Supply, demand, import, export, operation, competitive landscape, etc. of China pesticide industry;

Development environment, trends and prospects, etc. of China pesticide industry;

Operation, pesticide business and development prospects of 16 Chinese pesticide producers.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/76036/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

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LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Cortney Shegerian, of the Los Angeles-based employment discrimination firm Shegerian & Associates, has released comments on the recent settlement of a sexual harassment suit launched by the executive assistant of San Diego mayor Bob Filner. The San Diego City Council has signed off on $667,000 in settlement awards to plaintiff Benelia Santos-Hunter.

"Examining the details of this case reveals a just outcome for a fact pattern that unfortunately occurs all too often in today's workplaces," said Shegerian. "The alleged facts definitely put the City of San Diego in a precarious position, forcing them to acknowledge that the mayor did indeed engage in harassment on an ongoing basis."

"Hearing the plaintiff comment that it was very difficult to speak out, but the right thing to do is no surprise in a case like this one. Many employees suffer under tremendous pressure and anxiety when deciding whether to speak out about unwanted sexual advancement," Shegerian went on to say. "However, as Ms. Santos-Hunter pointed out, speaking out is the right thing to do, especially when previous efforts to hold a deviant employer accountable have failed."

"Here, a former investigation revealed that the San Diego mayor had a history of misconduct and sexual harassment. Despite former sanctions, his harassing behavior remained the same," Shegerian said. "For an executive assistant, working in close contact with a repeat harasser must have been a tremendous struggle. It is good to see that the matter has been resolved in favor of a determined employee brave enough to speak out."

Located in Santa Monica, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specializing in protecting the rights of employees who have been wronged by their employers. Richly experienced in labor and employment law and possessing an unparalleled success record as litigators, Shegerian & Associates is passionately dedicated to serving the needs of its clients. For more information about the firm, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com.

Located in Los Angeles County, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specializing in employment law and personal injury litigation. Shegerian & Associates is dedicated to serving the needs of its clients, and has won over 73 jury trials, including over 31 seven and eight figure verdicts. For more information, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com or www.GotFired.com.

SOURCE Shegerian & Associates, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ShegerianLaw.com


FRANKLIN, Tenn., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (NYSE: CHCT) today announced that on Thursday evening, May 12, 2016, after the market closes, it will report results for the first quarter of 2016.

On May 13, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, Community Healthcare Trust will hold a conference call to discuss earnings results, quarterly activities, general operations of the Company and industry trends. Simultaneously, a webcast of the conference call will be available to interested parties via an Internet link at www.communityhealthcaretrust.com under the Investor Relations section. A webcast replay will be available following the call at the same Internet site address.

Conference Call Details

Domestic Dial-In Number: 1-877-870-4263

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-317-0790

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9657

Replay Conference Call Details

Domestic Dial-In Number: 1-877-344-7529

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-317-0088

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9658

Conference ID: 10085877

Community Healthcare Trust is a real estate investment trust that focuses on owning income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services in non-urban markets throughout the United States. The Company had investments of approximately $183.0 million in 46 real estate properties and mortgages as of March 31, 2016, located in 18 states, totaling over 1.0 million square feet.

In addition to the historical information contained within, the matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks are discussed in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Community Healthcare Trust, including its Form S-11 dated May 22, 2015 under the heading "Risk Factors." Forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

CONTACT W. Page Barnes, 615-771-3052

SOURCE Community Healthcare Trust, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.communityhealthcaretrust.com


PUNE, India, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Compressor Oil Market by Compressor type (Positive Displacement and Dynamic), Base Oil Type (Synthetic, Semi-Synthetic, Mineral and Bio-based), End-Use Industry (Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Power, and Automotive) & by Region - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, The market is projected to reach USD 83.97 Billion by 2021, registering a CAGR of 6.1% between 2016 and 2021.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 139 market data Tables and 74 Figures spread through 222 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Compressor Oil Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/compressor-oil-market-193873333.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The compressor oil market is driven by the rapid growth of end-use industries in the Asia-Pacific region. The increasing demand of automobiles in emerging economies such as China, India, and Japan is fueling the growth of the compressor oil market in the region. Another major factor contributing to the growth of compressor oil market is massive industrial growth in the developing regions, such as Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa.

Synthetic compressor oil to account for the major share of the compressor oil market till 2021

The compressor oil market is segmented by base oil type, namely, synthetic compressor oil, semi-synthetic compressor oil, mineral compressor oil, and bio-based compressor oil. Synthetic compressor oil is the most preferred type of compressor oil and accounts for a major share in the global compressor oil market. Easy availability, high performance, and longer drain out time are the major driving factors of the synthetic compressor oil market.

Manufacturing industry to be the largest industry for the compressor oil market between 2016 and 2021

The manufacturing industry accounted for the largest share in the compressor oil market. This is due to the rising manufacturing industry and improving standard of living in the developing nations, which also lead to development of other industries, driving the compressor oil market. The manufacturing industry is subsegmented into chemical & petrochemical, metal production, construction & mining equipment, food & beverages, and others (including aerospace and agricultural equipment).

Asia-Pacific to be the largest market during the forecast period

The compressor oil market is broadly segmented into five regions, namely, Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia-Pacific is the largest market for compressor oil, followed by North America. The Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing market during the forecast period. Growing industrialization has offered enormous opportunities for various manufacturing industries to use compressor oil in the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, the increasing number of passenger and commercial vehicles in the region is fueling the growth of the compressor oil market.

For More Info Make Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=193873333

Currently, the global Compressor Oil Market is dominated by various market players, such as Royal Dutch Shell plc (Netherlands), Exxon Mobil Corporation (U.S.), Sinopec Limited (China), Total S.A. (France), Lukoil (Russia), BP plc (U.K.), Chevron Corporation (U.S.), Fuchs Petrolub AG (Germany), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), Croda International plc (U.K.), Sasol Limited (South Africa), and others.

The research study aims at identifying emerging trends and opportunities in the global compressor oil market along with a detailed classification of the market, in terms of value and volume. It provides a comprehensive competitive landscape and identifies the key players in the global market. The research study also includes a detailed segmentation of the global compressor oil market on the basis of application, type, and region.

Browse Related Reports:

Synthetic Lubricants Market by Type (PAO, Esters, Group III, PAG), by Application (Engine Oil, Metalworking Fluids, and Industrial) and by Regions (Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World) - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/synthetic-lubricant-market-141429702.html

Lubricants Market by Type (Mineral Oil, Synthetic Lubricants, Bio-Based, and Greases), by Application (Transportation and Industrial Machinery & Equipment), and by Region (APAC, EU, NA, MEA, AND SA) - Global Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/lubricants-market-182046896.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
WABAN, Mass., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, USAA 's banking business and Publix took the top spots in the 2016 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings, which rates how willing consumers are to forgive 294 companies across 20 industries. USAA (credit cards), Amazon.com (for retail and computer & tablets), Food Lion, H-E-B, Wawa Food Markets, and Kroger fill out the top spots.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362188LOGO

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362189LOGO

Comcast (for both TV service and Internet service) earned the lowest Temkin Forgiveness Ratings. Other firms on the bottom of the ratings are Charter Communications (TV service and Internet service), Motel 6, Health Net, Time Warner Cable (TV service and Internet service), Cox Communications and Anthem.

"Every organization makes mistakes, so forgiveness is a critical element of loyalty. USAA, Publix and the other leaders earn consumers' forgiveness by dedicating their efforts to meeting the needs of their customers," states Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group.

Other highlights from the 2016 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings include:

Supermarkets and retailers earned an average rating of "strong," while Internet service providers and TV service providers earned "very weak" ratings.

USAA 's banking and credit card businesses earned ratings that are more than 20 points above their industry averages, and five other firms are 15 or more points above their industry averages: Alabama Power Company (utilities), Amazon.com (computers & tablets), Mercedes-Benz (auto dealers), USAA (insurance), and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (investment).

's banking and credit card businesses earned ratings that are more than 20 points above their industry averages, and five other firms are 15 or more points above their industry averages: (utilities), Amazon.com (computers & tablets), (auto dealers), (insurance), and (investment). Motel 6 's ratings are 28 points below the hotel average, and six other firms have ratings that are 15 or more points below their industry averages: Citibank (banks), Quality Inn (hotels), Super 8 (hotels), Mazda (auto dealers), McAfee (software), and Stop & Shop (supermarkets).

's ratings are 28 points below the hotel average, and six other firms have ratings that are 15 or more points below their industry averages: Citibank (banks), Quality Inn (hotels), (hotels), (auto dealers), (software), and (supermarkets). Con Edison of NY and RadioShack improved by more than 20 points between 2015 and 2016. Seven other firms improved by more than 10 points: 21 st Century, Coventry Health Care, Hyatt, Mercedes-Benz, Nationwide, US Airways , and Holiday Inn Express .

and improved by more than 20 points between 2015 and 2016. Seven other firms improved by more than 10 points: , and . GM dropped 20 points from 2015 and eight other companies dropped by more than 15 points: Home Depot, Mazda, Motel 6, American Family, Sun Trust Bank, TriCare, Scottrade, and Medicaid.

In its sixth year of publication, the 2016 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings examines the likelihood of consumers to forgive companies after they make a mistake. It evaluates 294 companies across 20 industries: airlines, auto dealers, banks, computer and tablet makers, credit card issuers, fast food chains, health plans, hotel chains, insurance carriers, Internet service providers, investment firms, major appliance makers, parcel delivery services, rental car agencies, retailers, software firms, supermarket chains, TV service providers, utilities, and wireless carriers.

The 2016 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings along with other ratings can be accessed at the Temkin Ratings website, www.TemkinRatings.com.

Detailed datasets for the 2016 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings can be downloaded from the Customer Experience Matters blog, at ExperienceMatters.wordpress.com as well as from the Temkin Group website, www.TemkinGroup.com.

About Temkin Group: Temkin Group is widely recognized as a leading customer experience research and consulting firm. Many of the world's largest brands rely on its insights and advice to steer their transformational journeys. Temkin Group combines customer experience thought leadership with a deep understanding of the dynamics of organizations to help accelerate results. Rather than layering on cosmetic changes, Temkin Group helps companies embed practices within their culture by building four critical competencies: Purposeful Leadership, Employee Engagement, Compelling Brand Values, and Customer Connectedness. The firm's ongoing research identifies leading and emerging best practices across a wide range of activities for engaging the hearts and minds of customers, employees, and partners. For more information, contact Bruce Temkin at 617-916-2075 or send an email.

Customer Experience Matters is a registered trademark of Temkin Group.

SOURCE Temkin Group

Related Links

http://www.temkingroup.com


LUXEMBOURG, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ConvaTec today announced that it has finalized three new national agreements with Vizient, Inc. for Stoma Care, Bowel Management and Patient Skin Care. ConvaTec is a leading global medical products and technologies company; Vizient is the largest member-owned health care company in the U.S.

All three agreements will be effective starting July 1, 2016 for a period of three years for Vizient members currently accessing the legacy Novation contract portfolio.

"At ConvaTec, we exist to improve the lives of the people we touch, many of whom rely on us to help them lead a more normal life," said Tim Moran, President, Americas at ConvaTec. "We're proud to continue our long-standing relationship with Vizient. These new agreements demonstrate our commitment to meeting patients' needs with advanced technologies and best-in-class products and services in these three important areas of healthcare."

About ConvaTec

ConvaTec is a global medical products and technologies company with leading market positions in wound therapeutics, ostomy care, continence and critical care, and infusion devices. ConvaTec's products provide a range of clinical and economic benefits, including infection prevention, protection of at-risk skin, improved patient outcomes and reduced total cost of care. The company is owned by Nordic Capital and Avista Capital Partners. More information is available at www.convatec.com.

/ indicates trademarks of ConvaTec Inc.

 2016 ConvaTec Inc.

AP-016407-US

Contact:

Punnie Donohue

ConvaTec

336-297-3087

[email protected]

SOURCE ConvaTec

Related Links

http://www.convatec.com


ATLANTA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Courion, the market leader in in Vulnerability and Access Risk Management solutions, today announced the release of Access Insight 9.0.

User credentials and network access are still the top source of data breaches according the recent Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. Access Insight 9.0 boasts a new analytics engine based on the technology Courion acquired from Bay 31 in 2015. This engine enables companies to analyze complex data at significant scale with incredible speed. Access Insight 9.0 is platform agnostic and works with Courion's identity management solution, as well as, any other identity management solution, or without an identity management system in place.

Businesses in all industries need to manage the exploding universe of identities, devices and data employees require to do their jobs. Access Insight 9.0 improves the efficiency and effectiveness of routine provisioning tasks and provides continuous and comprehensive monitoring so enterprises can automatically identify and remediate improper access that could harm organizations.

"Enterprises are realizing, sometimes through the unfortunate occurrence of a data breach or audit issues that they are at a system disadvantage when it comes to effectively managing access." said Chris Sullivan, General Manager- Intelligence/Analytics at Courion. "They are not fast enough, they can't deal with the complexity of interconnected and nested security models, and they can't consistently measure what they are doing. It is time for this to change."

Access Insight 9.0 identifies the risk associated with misalignment between users and their access within an organization and drives provisioning and governance controls to manage that risk. The solution provides a comprehensive, current and historic view and analysis of the trillions of relationships between identities, access rights, policies, resources and activities across a multitude of enterprise systems and resources. Through this continuous and comprehensive monitoring and intuitive visualizations, companies can make informed decisions from complex access relationships.

See what's new in Access Insight 9.0 by visiting our blog and to see how Courion technology can protect against the threat of access risk, email [email protected] or call 1-866-COURION.

ABOUT COURION CORPORATION

Courion is the market leader in identity and access governance and administration (IGA), from provisioning to governance to identity analytics and intelligence (IAI). In 2015, Courion acquired Core Security to form the only company that can continuously and comprehensively monitor both infrastructure vulnerability and access risk. Core Security provides the industry's first comprehensive attack intelligence platform offering advanced analytics to prioritize, validate and seek to eliminate security threats. Many of the world's largest enterprises and organizations rely on Courion's solutions to confidently provide an access governance process that ensures compliance to thousands of employees while protecting critical company data and assets from unauthorized access. Now with the addition of Core Security's solutions, these same enterprises and security professionals can focus on the most likely threats to their business by modeling, simulating and testing the actions of an actual attacker.

Courion has offices and operations in the USA, South America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. To learn more, contact Courion at 866.Courion or [email protected].

SOURCE Courion

Related Links

http://courion.com


Net revenues increased 18.9% to $43.2 billion

Operating profit increased 2.0% to $2.2 billion , including the effect of acquisition-related integration costs of $61 million ; operating profit increased approximately 5.0% excluding the acquisition-related integration costs

Adjusted EPS increased 4.0% to $1.18 ; GAAP diluted EPS of $1.04

Generated free cash flow of $1.8 billion and cash flow from operations of $2.4 billion

2016 Guidance:

Confirmed full year Adjusted EPS of $5.73 to $5.88

As expected, GAAP diluted EPS is revised, to $5.24 to $5.39 from $5.28 to $5.43 , recognizing the impact in the first quarter of the acquisition-related integration costs and a charge related to a disputed 1999 legal settlement

Provided second quarter Adjusted EPS guidance of $1.28 to $1.31 ; GAAP diluted EPS of $1.17 to $1.20 ; both excluding acquisition-related integration costs

Confirmed full year free cash flow of $5.3 to $5.6 billion ; cash flow from operations of $7.6 to $7.9 billion

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) today announced operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

Revenues

Net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2016 increased 18.9%, or $6.9 billion, to $43.2 billion, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2015. Revenues in the Pharmacy Services Segment increased 20.5%, or $4.9 billion, to $28.8 billion in the three months ended March 31, 2016. The increase was primarily driven by pharmacy network claim volume and growth in specialty pharmacy. Pharmacy network claims processed during the three months ended March 31, 2016 increased 22.6% to 283 million, compared to 231 million in the prior year. The increase in pharmacy network claim volume was primarily due to the growth in net new business. Mail choice claims processed during the three months ended March 31, 2016, increased 6.6%, to 21.7 million, compared to 20.3 million in the prior year. The increase in mail choice claims was primarily driven by the continued adoption of our Maintenance Choice offerings.

Revenues in the Retail/LTC Segment increased 18.6%, or $3.2 billion, to $20.1 billion, in the three months ended March 31, 2016. The increase was primarily driven by the addition of the long-term care ("LTC") operations acquired as part of the acquisition of Omnicare, Inc. ("Omnicare") in August 2015, the addition of the pharmacies and clinics of Target Corporation ("Target") acquired in December 2015 and pharmacy same store sales growth. Same store sales increased 4.2% versus the first quarter of last year. Same store sales were positively affected by approximately 125 basis points due to an additional day in 2016 related to leap year. Pharmacy same store sales rose 5.5% and pharmacy same store prescription volumes rose 5.9% on a 30-day equivalent basis. Pharmacy same store sales were negatively affected by approximately 360 basis points from recent generic drug introductions, and positively affected by approximately 130 basis points from the additional day in 2016 related to leap year. Front store same store sales increased 0.7%. Front store same store sales were negatively affected by softer customer traffic, partially offset by an increase in basket size and the shift of Easter from April in 2015 to March in 2016, which positively affected front store same store sales by approximately 80 basis points. Front store same store sales were also positively affected by approximately 105 basis points from the additional day in 2016 related to leap year.

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, the generic dispensing rate increased approximately 170 basis points to 85.2% in the Pharmacy Services Segment and increased approximately 125 basis points to 85.7% in the Retail/LTC Segment.

Operating Profit

For the three months ended March 31, 2016, consolidated operating profit increased $44 million, or 2.0%. Excluding acquisition-related integration costs of $61 million and a $3 million legal charge related to a disputed 1999 legal settlement, consolidated operating profit increased $108 million, or 5.0%, from $2,132 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 to $2,240 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, operating profit increased by $48 million, or 6.6%, in the Pharmacy Services Segment and by $50 million, or 2.9%, in the Retail/LTC Segment. Excluding acquisition-related integration costs of $61 million, the Retail/LTC Segment operating profit grew $111 million, or 6.4% from $1,727 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 to $1,838 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. Both segments benefited from the Omnicare acquisition and increased generic drugs dispensed. The Pharmacy Services Segment was also positively affected by growth in specialty pharmacy and favorable purchasing economics, partially offset by price compression. The Retail/LTC Segment was also positively affected by increased sales and an improved front store margin rate. These positive factors for the Retail/LTC Segment, along with the benefits from the Omnicare acquisition and generic drugs dispensed, were partially offset by continued reimbursement pressure.

Net Income and Earnings Per Share

Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $1.1 billion, a decrease of $74 million or 6.1%. The decrease is primarily driven by an increase in interest expense of $149 million and $61 million of acquisition-related integration costs, partially offset by an increase in operating profit. The increase in interest expense is primarily due to the issuance of $15 billion of long-term debt in July 2015 that was used to acquire Omnicare and the pharmacies and clinics of Target, as well as the debt assumed through the acquisition of Omnicare in August 2015.

Adjusted earnings per share ("Adjusted EPS") for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, was $1.18 and $1.14, respectively. Adjusted EPS excludes $199 million and $129 million of intangible asset amortization for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Adjusted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2016 also excludes $61 million of acquisition-related integration costs and a $3 million legal charge related to a legacy lawsuit challenging the 1999 settlement by MedPartners of various securities class actions and a related derivative claim. GAAP earnings per diluted share ("GAAP diluted EPS") for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $1.04, compared to $1.07 in the prior year.

President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Merlo stated, "We posted solid results this quarter and are off to a strong start in 2016. Operating profit in the retail business was in line with our expectations while operating profit in the PBM exceeded our expectations, driven by strong prescription volumes. We also generated $1.8 billion of free cash during the quarter and continued to return value to our shareholders through high-return investments in our business as well as dividends and share repurchases."

Mr. Merlo continued, "Our contract wins have grown for the 2016 PBM selling season and our 2017 season is off to a solid start with some early wins. Our distinctive, channel-agnostic solutions are resonating strongly in the market as they continue to control patient and client costs while improving health outcomes. We continue to believe we have the right strategy for success in the evolving health care marketplace."

Guidance

The Company confirmed its previous Adjusted EPS guidance for the full year 2016. The Company expects to deliver Adjusted EPS of $5.73 to $5.88. The Company revised the GAAP diluted EPS to $5.24 to $5.39 from $5.28 to $5.43 to reflect the impact in the first quarter of acquisition-related integration costs and a charge related to a disputed 1999 legal settlement. When the Company reports subsequent quarters, full-year 2016 GAAP diluted EPS is expected to be revised downward to reflect the impact from future acquisition-related integration costs, which are not currently included in guidance. The Company expects to deliver Adjusted EPS of $1.28 to $1.31 and GAAP diluted EPS of $1.17 to $1.20 in the second quarter of 2016. The Company continues to expect to deliver 2016 free cash flow of $5.9 billion to $6.2 billion and 2016 cash flow from operations of $7.6 billion to $7.9 billion.

Real Estate Program

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company opened 24 new retail stores and closed five retail stores. In addition, the Company relocated 14 retail stores. As of March 31, 2016, the Company operated 9,674 retail stores, including pharmacies in Target stores, in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Brazil.

Teleconference and Webcast

The Company will be holding a conference call today for the investment community at 8:30 am (ET) to discuss its quarterly results. An audio webcast of the call will be broadcast simultaneously for all interested parties through the Investor Relations section of the CVS Health website at http://investors.cvshealth.com . This webcast will be archived and available on the website for a one-year period following the conference call.

About the Company

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,600 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 80 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements for a number of reasons as described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section and under the section entitled "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 Tables Follow 

CVS HEALTH CORPORATION Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended March 31, In millions, except per share amounts 2016

2015







Net revenues $ 43,215

$ 36,332 Cost of revenues 36,471

30,168 Gross profit 6,744

6,164 Operating expenses 4,568

4,032 Operating profit 2,176

2,132 Interest expense, net 283

134 Income before income tax provision 1,893

1,998 Income tax provision 746

777 Net income 1,147

1,221 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (1)

 Net income attributable to CVS Health $ 1,146

$ 1,221







Net income per share attributable to CVS Health:





Basic $ 1.04

$ 1.08 Diluted $ 1.04

$ 1.07 Weighted average shares outstanding:





Basic 1,092

1,128 Diluted 1,099

1,136 Dividends declared per share $ 0.425

$ 0.350

CVS HEALTH CORPORATION Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)



March 31,

December 31, In millions, except per share amounts 2016

2015 Assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,779

$ 2,459 Short-term investments 85

88 Accounts receivable, net 13,025

11,888 Inventories 13,912

14,001 Other current assets 612

722 Total current assets 29,413

29,158 Property and equipment, net 9,862

9,855 Goodwill 38,115

38,106 Intangible assets, net 13,750

13,878 Other assets 1,494

1,440 Total assets $ 92,634

$ 92,437







Liabilities:





Accounts payable $ 7,361

$ 7,490 Claims and discounts payable 8,530

7,653 Accrued expenses 7,444

6,829 Current portion of long-term debt 1,202

1,197 Total current liabilities 24,537

23,169 Long-term debt 26,267

26,267 Deferred income taxes 4,232

4,217 Other long-term liabilities 1,567

1,542 Commitments and contingencies 

 Redeemable noncontrolling interest 

39







Shareholders' equity:





CVS Health shareholders' equity:





Preferred stock, par value $0.01: 0.1 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding 

 Common stock, par value $0.01: 3,200 shares authorized; 1,701 shares issued and 1,081





shares outstanding at March 31, 2016 and 1,699 shares issued and 1,101 shares





outstanding at December 31, 2015 17

17 Treasury stock, at cost: 619 shares at March 31, 2016 and 597 shares at December 31,

2015 (31,058)

(28,886) Shares held in trust: 1 share at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (31)

(31) Capital surplus 31,254

30,948 Retained earnings 36,182

35,506 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (339)

(358) Total CVS Health shareholders' equity 36,025

37,196 Noncontrolling interest 6

7 Total shareholders' equity 36,031

37,203 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 92,634

$ 92,437

CVS HEALTH CORPORATION Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended March 31, In millions 2016

2015 Cash flows from operating activities:





Cash receipts from customers $ 41,482

$ 34,570 Cash paid for inventory and prescriptions dispensed by retail network pharmacies (35,575)

(28,276) Cash paid to other suppliers and employees (2,961)

(4,162) Interest received 5

3 Interest paid (378)

(87) Income taxes paid (161)

(64) Net cash provided by operating activities 2,412

1,984







Cash flows from investing activities:





Purchases of property and equipment (598)

(419) Proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions 

25 Proceeds from sale of property and equipment and other assets 2

8 Acquisitions (net of cash acquired) and other investments (51)

(61) Purchase of available-for-sale investments (36)

(113) Sale or maturity of available-for-sale investments 50

16 Net cash used in investing activities (633)

(544)







Cash flows from financing activities:





Decrease in short-term debt 

(185) Purchase of noncontrolling interest in subsidiary (39)

 Dividends paid (470)

(399) Proceeds from exercise of stock options 92

126 Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 27

59 Repurchase of common stock (2,066)

(2,007) Other (4)

 Net cash used in financing activities (2,460)

(2,406) Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents 1

3 Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (680)

(963) Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 2,459

2,481 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period $ 1,779

$ 1,518







Reconciliation of net income to net cash provided by operating activities:





Net income $ 1,147

$ 1,221 Adjustments required to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:





Depreciation and amortization 617

490 Stock-based compensation 57

44 Deferred income taxes and other non-cash items 17

(31) Change in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:





Accounts receivable, net (1,131)

(481) Inventories 89

(313) Other current assets 106

269 Other assets (52)

(52) Accounts payable and claims and discounts payable 798

756 Accrued expenses 741

153 Other long-term liabilities 23

(72) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 2,412

$ 1,984

Adjusted Earnings Per Share (Unaudited)

The Company is providing non-GAAP information that excludes certain items because of the nature of these items and the impact they have on the analysis of underlying business performance and trends. Management believes that providing this information enhances investors' understanding of the Company's performance. This information should be considered in addition to, but not in lieu of, information prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The following is a reconciliation of income before income tax provision to Adjusted EPS:



Three Months Ended March 31, In millions, except per share amounts 2016

2015 Income before income tax provision $ 1,893

$ 1,998 Non-GAAP adjustments:





Amortization of intangible assets 199

129 Acquisition-related integration costs(1) 61

 Charge related to a disputed 1999 legal settlement 3

 Adjusted income before income tax provision 2,156

2,127 Adjusted income tax provision 847

828 Adjusted net income 1,309

1,299 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (1)

 Income allocable to participating securities (7)

(5) Adjusted net income attributable to CVS Health $ 1,301

$ 1,294







Weighted average diluted shares outstanding 1,099

1,136 Adjusted EPS $ 1.18

$ 1.14

(1) Costs associated with the acquisitions of Omnicare and the pharmacies and clinics of Target.

Free Cash Flow (Unaudited)

For internal comparisons, management finds it useful to assess year-over-year cash flow performance using free cash flow.

The Company defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less net additions to properties and equipment (i.e., additions to property and equipment plus proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions).

The following is a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow:





Three Months Ended March 31, In millions

2016

2015









Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 2,412

$ 1,984 Subtract: Additions to property and equipment

(598)

(419) Add: Proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions



25 Free cash flow

$ 1,814

$ 1,590

Supplemental Information (Unaudited)

The Company evaluates its Pharmacy Services Segment and Retail/LTC Segment performance based on net revenue, gross profit and operating profit before the effect of nonrecurring charges and gains and certain intersegment activities. The Company evaluates the performance of its Corporate Segment based on operating expenses before the effect of nonrecurring charges and gains and certain intersegment activities. The following is a reconciliation of the Company's segments to the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements:

In millions Pharmacy Services Segment(1)

Retail/LTC Segment

Corporate Segment

Intersegment Eliminations(2)

Consolidated Totals Three Months Ended

















March 31, 2016:

















Net revenues $ 28,765

$ 20,112

$ 

$ (5,662)

$ 43,215 Gross profit(3) 1,102

5,830



(188)

6,744 Operating profit (loss)(3) 782

1,777

(212)

(171)

2,176 March 31, 2015:

















Net revenues 23,879

16,951



(4,498)

36,332 Gross profit 1,026

5,295



(157)

6,164 Operating profit (loss) 734

1,727

(189)

(140)

2,132



(1) Net revenues of the Pharmacy Services Segment include approximately $3.0 billion and $2.5 billion of retail co-payments for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. (2) Intersegment eliminations relate to intersegment revenue generating activities that occur between the Pharmacy Services Segment and the Retail/LTC Segment. These occur when Pharmacy Services Segment members fill prescriptions at either the Company's retail pharmacies or long-term care facilities. Revenues are recorded in both segments and are eliminated in consolidation. Gross profit and operating profit related to the Company's Maintenance Choice programs are recorded in both segments and are also eliminated in consolidation. (3) The Retail/LTC Segment gross profit and operating profit for the three months ended March 31, 2016 include $4 million and $57 million, respectively, of acquisition-related integration costs related to the acquisitions of Omnicare and the pharmacies and clinics of Target.

Supplemental Information (Unaudited)

Pharmacy Services Segment

The following table summarizes the Pharmacy Services Segment's performance for the respective periods:



Three Months Ended March 31, In millions 2016

2015







Net revenues $ 28,765



$ 23,879

Gross profit 1,102



1,026

Gross profit % of net revenues 3.8 %

4.3 % Operating expenses 320



292

Operating expense % of net revenues 1.1 %

1.2 % Operating profit 782



734

Operating profit % of net revenues 2.7 %

3.1 % Net revenues:





Mail choice(1) $ 10,150



$ 8,750

Pharmacy network(2) 18,536



15,059

Other 79



70

Pharmacy claims processed:





Total 304.8



251.1

Mail choice(1) 21.7



20.3

Pharmacy network(2) 283.1



230.8

Generic dispensing rate:





Total 85.2 %

83.5 % Mail choice(1) 77.3 %

76.1 % Pharmacy network(2) 85.8 %

84.1 % Mail choice penetration rate 17.6 %

19.8 %





(1) Mail choice is defined as claims filled at a Pharmacy Services mail facility, which include specialty mail claims inclusive of Specialty Connect claims filled at retail, as well as prescriptions filled at retail under the Maintenance Choice program. (2) Pharmacy network net revenues, claims processed and generic dispensing rates do not include Maintenance Choice, which are included within the mail choice category. Pharmacy network is defined as claims filled at retail and specialty pharmacies, including our retail drugstores and long-term care pharmacies, but excluding Maintenance Choice activity.

Supplemental Information (Unaudited)

Retail/LTC Segment

The following table summarizes the Retail/LTC Segment's performance for the respective periods:



Three Months Ended March 31, In millions 2016

2015







Net revenues $ 20,112



$ 16,951

Gross profit(1) 5,830



5,295

Gross profit % of net revenues 29.0 %

31.2 % Operating expenses(1) 4,053



3,568

Operating expense % of net revenues 20.1 %

21.0 % Operating profit 1,777



1,727

Operating profit % of net revenues 8.8 %

10.2 % Prescriptions filled (90 Day = 3 Rx)(2) 305.1



241.3

Net revenue increase (decrease):





Total 18.6 %

2.9 % Pharmacy 23.7 %

5.3 % Front store 2.6 %

(3.6) % Total prescription volume (90 Day = 3 Rx)(2) 16.0 %

6.3 % Same store increase (decrease)(3):





Total sales 4.2 %

1.2 % Pharmacy sales 5.5 %

4.2 % Front store sales 0.7 %

(6.1) % Prescription volume (90 Day = 3 Rx)(2) 5.9 %

5.1 % Generic dispensing rate 85.7 %

84.4 % Pharmacy % of total revenues 74.7 %

71.7 %





(1) Gross profit includes $4 million and operating expenses include $57 million of acquisition-related integration costs related to the acquisitions of Omnicare and the pharmacies and clinics of Target for the three months ended March 31, 2016. (2) Includes the adjustment to convert 90-day, non-specialty prescriptions to the equivalent of three 30-day prescriptions. This adjustment reflects the fact that these prescriptions include approximately three times the amount of product days supplied compared to a normal prescription. (3) Same store sales and prescriptions exclude revenues from MinuteClinic, and revenue and prescriptions from stores in Brazil, long-term care operations and from commercialization services.

Adjusted Earnings Per Share Guidance (Unaudited)

The following reconciliation of estimated income before income tax provision to estimated adjusted earnings per share contains forward-looking information. All forward-looking information involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking information for a number of reasons as described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section and under the section entitled "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

In millions, except per share amounts Year Ending December 31, 2016







Income before income tax provision(1) $ 9,330

$ 9,606 Non-GAAP adjustments:





Amortization of intangible assets 800

798 Acquisition-related integration costs(1) 61

61 Charge related to a disputed 1999 legal settlement 3

3 Adjusted income before income tax provision 10,194

10,468 Adjusted income tax provision 3,974

4,082 Adjusted net income 6,220

6,386 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (7)

(7) Income allocable to participating securities (30)

(30) Adjusted net income attributable to CVS Health $ 6,183

$ 6,349







Weighted average diluted shares outstanding 1,080

1,080 Adjusted earnings per share $ 5.73

$ 5.88

In millions, except per share amounts Three Months Ending June 30, 2016







Income before income tax provision(1) $ 2,069

$ 2,138 Non-GAAP adjustments:





Amortization of intangible assets 195

195 Adjusted income before income tax provision 2,264

2,333 Adjusted income tax provision 884

917 Adjusted net income 1,380

1,416 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 

 Income allocable to participating securities (8)

(8) Adjusted net income attributable to CVS Health $ 1,372

$ 1,408







Weighted average diluted shares outstanding 1,075

1,075 Adjusted earnings per share(4) $ 1.28

$ 1.31





(1) Excludes anticipated acquisition-related integration costs for the acquisitions of Omnicare and the pharmacies and clinics of Target for the period from April 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.

Free Cash Flow Guidance (Unaudited)

For internal comparisons, management finds it useful to assess year-over-year cash flow performance using free cash flow. The Company defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less net additions to properties and equipment (i.e., additions to property and equipment plus proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions). The following reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow contains forward-looking information. All forward-looking information involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking information for a number of reasons as described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section and under the section entitled "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

In millions Year Ending December 31, 2016







Net cash provided by operating activities $ 7,575

$ 7,875 Subtract: Additions to property and equipment (2,550)

(2,450) Add: Proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions 275

175 Free cash flow $ 5,300

$ 5,600

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SOURCE CVS Health Corporation

Related Links

https://www.cvshealth.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Emmett, Inc. (NYSE: DEI), a real estate investment trust (REIT), has released its first quarter 2016 financial results by posting its First Quarter 2016 Earnings Results and Operating Information package to the investor relations section of its website at www.douglasemmett.com/investors.

As previously announced, Jordan Kaplan, CEO, Mona Gisler, CFO, Kevin Crummy, CIO, and Stuart McElhinney, Vice President Investor Relations will host a live conference call to discuss Douglas Emmett's financial results at 2:00 pm Eastern Time (11:00 am Pacific Time) on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Interested parties can access the live call via the internet by going to the investor relations section of www.douglasemmett.com at least fifteen minutes prior to the start time of the call in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software. Those without internet access can listen to the call by phone at (888) 349-0488 (U.S.) or (412) 542-4156 (International)  ask to join the Douglas Emmett, Inc. (DEI) call. For those unable to participate on the live call, a rebroadcast will be available for 90 days on Douglas Emmett's website at www.douglasemmett.com/investors.

About Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Douglas Emmett, Inc. (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities. For more information about Douglas Emmett, please visit our website at www.douglasemmett.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the historical facts, the statements in this press release regarding Douglas Emmett's business activities are forward-looking statements based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to us about known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future performance and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on forward-looking statements to anticipate future results or trends. For a discussion of some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Stuart McElhinney, Vice President  Investor Relations

310.255.7751 [email protected]

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SOURCE Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Related Links

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BOGOTA, Colombia, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) will release on May 3, 2016, after markets close, its results for the first quarter of 2016. On May 4, Ecopetrol's senior management will host two conference calls to review the results:

Conference Call

English Spanish 7:30 a.m. Bogota 8:45 a.m. Bogota 8:30 a.m. New York / Toronto (EDT) 9:45 a.m. New York / Toronto (EDT)



US Dial In #: 844 452 6829 US Dial In #: 844 452 6829 International Dial In #: 760 666 3613 International Dial In #: 760 666 3613 Colombia Dial In #: 01800 913 0176 Colombia Dial In #: 01800 913 0176 Passcode: 2072975 Passcode: 1952716

The earnings release, slide presentation and live webcast of the conference calls will be available on Ecopetrol's website: www.ecopetrol.com.co and at the following links:

http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/fub8vyw6 (Spanish)

http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/oisn6wx7 (English)

Please verify in advance proper operation of the webcast in your browser. We recommend the usage of the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

The replay of the calls will be available on Ecopetrol's website (www.ecopetrol.com.co).

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and is an integrated oil & gas company; it is among the top 50 oil companies in the world and among the four top ones in Latin America. Besides Colombia - where it generates over 60% of the national production - it has exploration and production activities in Brazil, Peru & the US (Gulf of Mexico). Ecopetrol owns the largest refinery in Colombia and most of the pipeline and multi-product pipeline network in the country, and is significantly increasing its participation in bio-fuels.

This release contains statements that may be considered forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend, and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Head of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations

Maria Catalina Escobar

Phone: (+571) 234 5190

E-mail: [email protected]

Media Relations (Colombia)

Jorge Mauricio Tellez

Phone: + 571-234-4329

e-mail: [email protected]

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SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.

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MANITOWOC, Wis., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- energybank, a U.S. based manufacturer specializing in high-performance LED lighting and controls, announced the appointment of Scott Esson as Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Esson is a senior financial executive with diverse U.S. and international experience in accounting systems and controls. In his role as CFO, Mr. Esson will further drive stakeholder value by overseeing corporate finance, capital and financing strategies, accounting, and investor relations for the company.

"I am thrilled to play a part in energybank's dedication to strategic growth and its commitment to LED Done Right," commented Mr. Esson. "It is an honor to join a company that is a disruptive force in the LED lighting and controls space. I look forward to working with the energybank team to ensure we are financially well-positioned and yet nimble so that we can continue to innovate and grow our business."

"Scott has an impressive track record and is the ideal candidate to help grow the company," stated founder and CEO Neal Verfuerth. "As part of our People-Products-Process strategy to achieve LED Done Right, we believe in the investment in talent. Scott is an excellent addition to the executive team to support our long-term business objectives."

As CFO, Mr. Esson will be responsible for overseeing the finance operations to continue to drive growth, capitalizing on the increasing demand for energy efficient LED lighting solutions.

"Scott brings with him broad experience and knowledge of what is needed to transform the demand for energybank technology into a financially strong business," stated Verfuerth.

Esson is a respected financial executive with 20+ years of financial management experience. Esson joins energybank from Barry Wehmiller (U.S. capital equipment manufacturer) where he served as Vice President of Finance. He was responsible for the financial management of multiple divisions, leading the transition to lean practices and comprehensive accounting, banking, insurance and procurement.

Esson received his MBA from DePaul University, BS in Accounting from Valparaiso University and CPA certification.

energybank is a Manitowoc, Wisconsin-based company specializing in the advancement of solid state lighting and controls. energybank has unique capabilities in the lighting and controls industry with its proprietary thermal management, optical optimization and application engineering. Numerous patent applications have been submitted to protect its intellectual property. LED Done Right.

Contact: Guy Peterson, VP Marketing & Corporate Communications 920-482-2648 [email protected] www.energybankinc.com

SOURCE energybank

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ATLANTA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Irv Morris has joined the firm's Employee Benefits Consulting team in Atlanta as a Senior Benefits Consultant.

Morris has spent the last 11 years in business development for Mercer's Health & Benefit practice, where he was consistently one of the top 10 new business producers. In addition to his production and client service responsibilities, Morris also developed a signature educational series and co-chaired the Atlanta chapter of a corporate community outreach program.

Prior to Mercer, Morris spent more than 15 years in the technology industry in various business development roles.

As a consultant for EPIC's Employee Benefits practice in the Southeast, Morris will provide client service leadership, including overall strategy, relationship management, in addition to bringing new clients to EPIC. His proven success in these areas is well aligned with EPIC's core values of client service excellence and advocacy.

"Irv's versatility and ingenuity has been invaluable to both his clients and the community he serves," said Steve Needle, Southeast Region Employee Benefits Managing Principal. "He has a collaborative approach to client service and has proven his ability to help middle market employers employ successful benefit strategies that they can build on."

Morris earned his undergraduate degree in Risk Management & Insurance from the University of Georgia. "I am truly excited to be joining an organization that lives its values. We put people first and by doing so, our clients' needs become our highest priority. I was also attracted to EPIC's constant pursuit of innovation; always looking for new ways to add further value to the clients we serve."

Irv Morris can be reached at:

EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants

Office: 678-475-3875

Mobile: 678-977-7743

irv.morris[at]epicbrokers.com

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence. EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, visit http://www.epicbrokers.com/.

*PHOTO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0503-Irv-Morris-300dpi.jpg

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Dave Hock, of EPIC

650-295-4608

[email protected]

Nicole Conley

650-422-3156

[email protected]

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Related Links

http://www.epicbrokers.com


The Pocky tour truck (appropriately wrapped in the same red as Pocky's packaging) is currently touring Los Angeles with its smiling, costumed brand ambassadors giving away free Pocky. Follow Twitter @Pocky for tour locations.

An irresistible snacking staple in Japan and now most of Asia, Pocky culture is about sharing happiness with friends, family, and co-workers - anyone, anytime, anywhere! Pocky is now in over 30 countries and is especially popular with Millennials and Asian culture fans here in the US. Come enjoy this unique Japanese snack and create Pocky Share Happiness memories of your own.

"We are thrilled to celebrate Pocky's 50th Anniversary. Sharing happiness around the globe has been an amazing journey for us," said Mr. Akitoshi Oku, President of Ezaki Glico USA. "We are eager for this year's Share Happiness Tour and excited to attend the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago. Pocky is sharing happiness everywhere, and that makes us happy."

Pocky is sold at Costco, Amazon.com, Asian supermarkets and the Asian food section of most grocery stores, including Target and Walmart.

Visit Pocky's truck and colorful crew: Los Angeles April 20 - May 29 or in Chicago May 11 - June 19.

Pocky attends the Sweets & Snacks Expo www.sweetsandsnacks.com at Chicago's McCormick Place May 24-26.

About Pocky:

In 1922, Japanese company Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. launched its fortified Glico caramel in a distinctive red box. Fifty years ago, in 1966, Glico released a new producta chocolate-coated, pretzel-like cookie stick. Inspired by the Japanese onomatopoeia for the snapping sound from eating these crispy sticks, they named it "Pocky."

At first, each stick was hand-dipped in chocolate, leaving one end of the stick bare. This unique "handle" benefitted the hand-dipping process and eating Pocky without getting chocolate on your hands.

As demand increased, manual dipping was replaced with more efficient processes, but the signature handle remained. Packaging also evolved over the years, but kept its compact portability that makes Pocky perfect as an on-the-go snack. While the popular, creamy chocolate coating has not changed, new flavor varieties have been introduced, including Strawberry, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Banana and Matcha Green Tea.

With plenty of sticks in each package, Pocky lends itself to sharing anytime, anywhere, with anyone, hence its brand theme, "Share Happiness."

Press contact: Dent Agency| Cristina Parker | [email protected] 917-684-0452

For further information visit:

https://twitter.com/pocky

http://www.pocky.com

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160429/361840

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160429/361869LOGO

SOURCE Ezaki Glico USA
SOUTHLAKE, Texas, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of travelers who use one of Fareportal's consumer brands (including CheapOair and OneTravel) will soon benefit from more advanced and intuitive shopping capabilities. Already a long-time Sabre customer, Fareportal has expanded its relationship with Sabre and is now adopting Sabre's advanced air shopping data and intelligence APIs powered by Sabre's Travel Insight Engine.

To further customize the online booking experience, Fareportal has integrated Sabre's Travel Insight Engine into its booking path to enhance customers' booking experience by offering vital travel information such as when to book and what to expect when going to specific destinations during a particular time frame.

"As a next-gen travel concierge, incorporating the Travel Insight Engine into Fareportal's existing technology provides our customers additional travel booking assistance and ease," said Harsh Sood, Chief Technology Officer.

With Sabre's APIs, Fareportal can offer users the ability to start their search with questions such as: "What beach destinations can I fly to for five days within my budget of $500?" Or "I'd like to go to Ottawa for three days in March, what are the cheapest travel dates?" Travelers that know their dates can ask: "I need to fly to New York next week, what's the best day to travel from Toronto?" or "I'm interested in flying to London the week of October 20, is this a busy time to travel and are fares higher or lower compared to what others paid recently?" Once the request is made, travel options and results are provided instantly.

"Shopping for travel continues to evolve and a one-size-fits all approach isn't enough for consumers today," said Wade Jones, senior vice president for Sabre Travel Network. "Every trip is different, every traveler is unique. So their approach to shopping and creating the best itinerary should be tailored to meet their individual needs. That requires powerful, data-driven technology like Sabre's Travel Insight Engine."

The Travel Insight Engine consists of air shopping and booking data that can be used for everything from inspirational searching to theme based shopping. Sabre's APIs leverage big data and rich shopping information captured from the Sabre travel marketplace. This data includes billions of pre-computed flight options and prices. Patent-pending technology continually captures shopping data while intelligently keeping the data refreshed to ensure a high level of reliability.

About Sabre Corporation

Sabre Corporation is the leading technology provider to the global travel industry. Sabre's software, data, mobile and distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading global travel marketplace, which processes more than $120 billion of estimated travel spend annually by connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.

About Fareportal

Fareportal is a high-tech, high-touch technology travel company that powers the consumer brands CheapOair and OneTravel. Utilizing its innovative technology and company owned and operated contact centers, Fareportal has forged strong industry partnerships providing access to over 450 airlines, 150,000 hotels, and 100s of car rental companies that serve millions of customers every year. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands including CheapOair and OneTravel, Fareportal's airline partners can benefit from access to a broad customer base that books high-yield international travel and add-on ancillaries. To learn more, visit www.Fareportal.com

Media Contacts:

Heidi Castle

Sabre

682-605-4290

[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131216/DA33636LOGO-b

SOURCE Sabre Corporation
LAKE MARY, Fla., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- FARO Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: FARO) today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016.

Sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 were $75.7 million, up 8.3% compared with $69.9 million in the first quarter last year. Excluding approximately $0.9 million of unfavorable foreign exchange impacts, first quarter sales would have increased approximately 10% as compared with the first quarter of 2015. The Company's sales growth was driven primarily by higher metrology sales within the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions.

Gross margin for the quarter was 56.3% compared with 56.6% in the prior year period with product and service margins remaining relatively consistent with the prior year period.

Operating income for the quarter was $4.3 million compared with $1.9 million in the prior year period, reflecting increased sales volume partially offset by a modest increase in operating expenses.

Net income and EPS for the quarter was $3.1 million and $0.19, respectively, compared with $0.7 million and $0.04, respectively, in the prior year period.

"The FARO team delivered a strong first quarter, while overcoming economic pressures in certain regions around the globe," stated Dr. Simon Raab, President and Chief Executive Officer. "As announced previously, we are in the process of re-aligning our organization to better serve our customers. I was pleased with the focus and dedication of our employees to drive growth in the quarter, and at the same time take key steps forward with our reorganization initiatives. We remain committed to increasing our products' customer focus and improving our global efficiency in order to retain and enhance our market leadership position."

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as statements about FARO's long-term growth, demand for and customer acceptance of FARO's products, anticipated improvement in the markets in which FARO operates, and FARO's product development and product launches. Statements that are not historical facts or that describe the Company's plans, objectives, projections, expectations, assumptions, strategies, or goals are forward-looking statements. In addition, words such as "is," "are," "expects," "continues," "may," "will," and similar expressions or discussions of FARO's plans or other intentions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performances, or achievements to differ materially from future results, performances, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Consequently, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

the Company's inability to successfully identify and acquire target companies or achieve expected benefits from acquisitions that are consummated;

development by others of new or improved products, processes or technologies that make the Company's products less competitive or obsolete;

the Company's inability to maintain its technological advantage by developing new products and enhancing its existing products ;

declines or other adverse changes, or lack of improvement, in industries that the Company serves or the domestic and international economies in the regions of the world where the Company operates and other general economic, business, and financial conditions;

the impact of fluctuations of foreign exchange rates; and

Other risks detailed in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 .

Forward-looking statements in this release represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, unless otherwise required by law.

About FARO

FARO is the world's most trusted source for 3D measurement technology. The Company develops and markets computer-aided measurement and imaging devices and software. Technology from FARO permits high-precision 3D measurement, imaging and comparison of parts and complex structures within production and quality assurance processes. The devices are used for inspecting components and assemblies, rapid prototyping, documenting large volume spaces or structures in 3D, surveying and construction, as well as for investigation and reconstruction of accident sites or crime scenes.

FARO's global headquarters are located in Lake Mary, Florida. The Company also has a new technology center and manufacturing facility consisting of approximately 90,400 square feet located in Exton, Pennsylvania containing research and development, manufacturing and service operations of our FARO Laser TrackerTM and FARO Cobalt Array 3D Imager product lines. The Company's European regional headquarters is located in Stuttgart, Germany and its Asia Pacific regional headquarters is located in Singapore. FARO has other offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the Netherlands, Switzerland, India, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan.

More information is available at http://www.faro.com

FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)













Three Months Ended



















(in thousands, except share and per share data)

March 31, 2016

March 28, 2015 SALES







Product

$ 59,312

$ 55,044 Service

16,436

14,895 Total sales

75,748

69,939 COST OF SALES







Product

24,008

22,177 Service

9,067

8,151 Total cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization, shown separately below)

33,075

30,328 GROSS PROFIT

42,673

39,611









OPERATING EXPENSES







Selling and marketing

17,625

19,105 General and administrative

10,541

9,801 Depreciation and amortization

3,086

2,493 Research and development

7,091

6,356 Total operating expenses

38,343

37,755 INCOME FROM OPERATIONS

4,330

1,856 OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSE







Interest income

(44)

(19) Other expense, net

751

1,307 INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT)

3,623

568 INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT)

543

(96) NET INCOME

$ 3,080

$ 664 NET INCOME PER SHARE - BASIC

$ 0.19

$ 0.04









NET INCOME PER SHARE - DILUTED

$ 0.19

$ 0.04









Weighted average shares - Basic

16,609,084

17,335,464









Weighted average shares - Diluted

16,638,458

17,511,821











FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS















March 31,







2016

December 31, (in thousands, except share data)

(unaudited)

2015 ASSETS







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 120,278

$ 107,356 Short-term investments

42,952

42,994 Accounts receivable, net

60,122

69,918 Inventories, net

48,614

45,571 Deferred income taxes, net

7,754

7,792 Prepaid expenses and other current assets

19,573

18,527 Total current assets

299,293

292,158 Property and equipment:







Machinery and equipment

55,982

54,124 Furniture and fixtures

6,188

5,945 Leasehold improvements

19,182

18,471 Property and equipment, at cost

81,352

78,540 Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization

(45,714)

(42,594) Property and equipment, net

35,638

35,946 Goodwill

27,365

26,371 Intangible assets, net

16,030

15,985 Service and sales demonstration inventory, net

34,849

33,709 Deferred income taxes, net

4,124

4,050 Other long-term assets

955

967 Total assets

$ 418,254

$ 409,186 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY







Current liabilities:







Accounts payable

$ 10,171

$ 11,345 Accrued liabilities

18,845

22,574 Income taxes payable

576

- Current portion of unearned service revenues

26,471

26,114 Customer deposits

2,368

2,998 Total current liabilities

58,431

63,031 Unearned service revenues - less current portion

16,676

15,025 Deferred income tax liability

887

686 Other long-term liabilities

2,916

2,800 Total liabilities

78,910

81,542



















Shareholders' equity:







Common stock - par value $.001, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 18,141,098 and 18,077,594 issued; 16,651,622 and 16,588,118 outstanding, respectively

18

18 Additional paid-in capital

208,995

206,996 Retained earnings

175,409

172,329 Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(13,240)

(19,861) Common stock in treasury, at cost - 1,489,476 shares

(31,838)

(31,838) Total shareholders' equity

339,344

327,644 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$ 418,254

$ 409,186

FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)













Three Months Ended









(in thousands)

March 31, 2016

March 28, 2015 CASH FLOWS FROM:







OPERATING ACTIVITIES:







Net income

$ 3,080

$ 664 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by







operating activities:







Depreciation and amortization

3,086

2,493 Compensation for stock options and restricted stock units

1,482

1,198 Provision for bad debts

310

319 Loss on disposal of assets

64

- Write-down of inventories

413

1,028 Deferred income tax expense

165

2,272 Income tax benefit from exercise of stock options

(65)

(292) Change in operating assets and liabilities:







Decrease (increase) in:







Accounts receivable

11,109

18,405 Inventories

(1,585)

(14,221) Prepaid expenses and other current assets

(717)

(1,562) (Decrease) increase in:







Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

(5,305)

(9,550) Income taxes payable

641

263 Customer deposits

(635)

(457) Unearned service revenues

1,077

211 Net cash provided by operating activities

13,120

771









INVESTING ACTIVITIES:







Purchases of property and equipment

(2,057)

(2,436) Payments for intangible assets

(322)

(133) Purchase of business acquired

-

(12,011) Net cash used in investing activities

(2,379)

(14,580)









FINANCING ACTIVITIES:







Payments on capital leases

(2)

(2) Income tax benefit from exercise of stock options

65

292 Proceeds from issuance of stock, net

452

2,019 Net cash provided by financing activities

515

2,309









EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

1,666

(1,723)









INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

12,922

(13,223)









CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

107,356

109,289









CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD

$ 120,278

$ 96,066

FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (UNAUDITED)













Three Months Ended (in thousands)

March 31, 2016

March 28, 2015



















Net income

$ 3,080

$ 664 Currency translation adjustments, net of tax

6,621

(6,778) Comprehensive income (loss)

$ 9,701

$ (6,114)

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110415/MM84316LOGO

SOURCE FARO Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.faro.com


PASADENA, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Grant Central USA is scheduled to hold its annual First Responders Grants Conference, May 31 - June 1, 2016 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, we will be bringing together grant writers and some of the best experts in the funding industry for two days of insight into learning how to secure more grant money for government agencies. Registration is currently open; a discount of $100.00 is available for conference attendees who register on or before May 27th.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362443

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362444

At this unique conference for First Responders, attendees will learn, connect and take away vital skills to help police, fire, and EMS agencies gain a competitive edge in receiving more grant money from the government to build safer, healthier and stronger communities.

A few conference topics include:

Federal Grant Reviewer Reveals Secret For Gaining Competitive Edge In Winning Grants

Today's Best Practices In First Responders Grant Applications & Proposals

Speaker Panel: Grant Professional Trade Secrets To Positioning Your Agency For More Grants Fast!

Top Best Practices For First Responders Agencies To Immediately Implement To Properly Maintain Grants Effectively

"We are excited about the impact this conference will have and believe this will be a game-changer for our attendees in getting more grants," says Rodney Walker, president of Grant Central USA.

Presented by one of the industry's most trusted authorities on grant writing, this conference has limited seating. For questions regarding registration, call us at 1.888.293.0284 ext. 5 or by email at [email protected].

About Grant Central USA 

Grant Central USA helps governmental agencies and nonprofits get better results to get funded by teaching today's best practices in grant writing with over 100 nationwide grant writing workshops, seminars and webinars. We train the experts and are the founders of the Grant Writers Association.

For more information, please visit http://www.firstrespondersgrantsconference.com

Contact:

Taylor Markel

888-293-0284

SOURCE Grant Central USA

Related Links

http://www.firstrespondersgrantsconference.com


LONG BEACH, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 28 million small businesses are currently up and running in the United States1. While each business operates differently, it is safe to say there is one common goal that unites them all: maximize efficiency to achieve business goals.

Epson is committed to helping businesses thrive by offering solutions that allow business operations to run more effectively without sacrificing creativity. Epson offers a broad portfolio of business printers, expanding into the Supertank category with the EcoTank line  printers that utilize supersized ink reservoirs instead of ink cartridges, and include up to two years of ink in the box2. How can a small business determine if the Epson EcoTank printer family is the most effective solution to help achieve its business goals?

Here are five reasons a cartridge-free printer can be the right choice for your business:

High-volume Printing: If you print a lot of documents  upwards of hundreds of pages per month  low user intervention is a top priority. Cartridge-free solutions, like the WorkForce ET-4550 EcoTank All-in-One, print up to 11,000 black and 8,500 color pages3 before the ink needs to be replaced, making it ideal for business with a high-volume printing requirements. Convenience: When you're running out of office supplies, it's not always feasible to wait for the next office order. What's even less practical is running out to the local office supply store to pick up ink when you're on a tight deadline. Epson's EcoTank printers are cartridge-free and can print up to two years2 worth of ink before they need to be refilled, eliminating the out-of-ink frustration of having to buy ink at the most inconvenient time. Unrestricted color printing: Typically, printing in color is seen as a large expense. Yet some small businesses require vibrant, high-quality colorful documents to wow customers and set themselves apart from the competition. Whether you print flyers, brochures or photos with a lot of color, Epson's EcoTank cartridge-free printers with oversized ink tanks not only eliminate the fear of running out of ink, but also the barrier of excessive expense. With up to two years2 worth of ink in the box and ultra-low cost refills, small businesses no longer need to curb their color printing. Low TCO: It's always important to invest in solutions that will deliver the best ROI to maximize productivity without breaking the bank. Epson's cartridge-free printers are not only durable, but come with enough ink to print thousands of pages, reducing the frequency of buying replacement ink. When it does come time to purchase new ink, small businesses can save up to 80 percent on ink with low-cost replacement bottles4. Stress-free: Small businesses require office technology solutions that keep their operations streamlined and efficient. Cartridge-free printers like the EcoTank series offer an unbeatable combination of convenience and value, allowing you to focus on achieving business goals without worrying about back-end operations.

About EcoTank Printers

Epson's award-winning EcoTank Supertank printer series features ink replacement technology with super-high-capacity, refillable ink tanks and ultra low-cost replacement inks. These all-in-one printers come with enough ink in the box to print for up to two years2, so users can print thousands of lack and color pages before replacing ink. To learn more, visit www.epson.com/ecotank.

About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables, and robotics.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises nearly 72,000 employees in 93 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

Specifications are subject to change without notice. EPSON, EcoTank and WorkForce are registered trademarks,and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2015 Epson America, Inc.

1 https://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-trends-impact.

2 Based on average monthly print volumes of about 150 pages (ET-2500, ET-2550, ET-4500), 300 pages (ET-4550), and 800 pages (WF-R4640).

3 Yields based on the ISO/IEC 24712 pattern with Epson's methodology. Actual ink yields will vary considerably for reasons including images printed, print settings, temperature and humidity. Yields may be lower when printing infrequently or predominantly with one ink color. All ink colors are used for printing and printer maintenance, and all colors must be available for printing. For more information, visit www.epson.com/cartridgeinfo

4 Savings comparison based on the purchase cost of replacement ink bottles and the cost of enough cartridges to achieve the total page yields of the bottles using the manufacturers' online prices and yields for the highest capacity cartridges for the best-selling consumer inkjet printers priced $499 or less per NPD, June 2015. Actual savings will vary based on print tasks, print volumes and usage conditions.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121130/LA21891LOGO

SOURCE Epson America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.epson.com


DUBLIN, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- FLY Leasing Limited (NYSE: FLY) ("FLY"), a global leader in aircraft leasing, today announced that it will release its first quarter 2016 earnings results before the market opens on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.

FLY's senior management will host a conference call and webcast with slide presentation to discuss these results at 9:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Participants should dial +1 253-237-1145 (International) or 800-535-7056 (North America) and enter confirmation code 84645567. Please call at least five minutes early to allow for connection time.

A live webcast with slide presentation will be available on the Events page in the Investor Relations section of FLY's website at www.flyleasing.com. A webcast replay will be available on the company's website for one year.

About FLY

FLY Leasing is a global aircraft leasing company with a fleet of modern, high-demand and fuel-efficient commercial jet aircraft. FLY acquires and leases its aircraft under multi-year operating lease contracts to a diverse group of airlines throughout the world. FLY is managed and serviced by BBAM LP, a worldwide leader in aircraft lease management and financing. For more information visit www.flyleasing.com.

Contact:

Matt Dallas

FLY Leasing Limited

+1 203-769-5916

[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130709/SF44539LOGO

SOURCE FLY Leasing Limited

Related Links

http://www.flyleasing.com


So suggests Coast Packing Company , the leading supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western U.S., including the popular VIVA brand. "We believe in natural, minimally processed food, and that's why lard is such a staple of Mexican cooking," said Eric R. Gustafson, CEO of the 93-year-old company. "Whatever the dish -- from freshly made tortillas to long-simmering carnitas -- lard brings out authentic flavors like nothing else. Home-based cooks are always wise to avoid industrially-produced partially hydrogenated fats in favor of animal fat shortenings, which have the benefit of being consistently delicious and, in moderation, promoting health."

With appreciation to Epicurious, Allrecipes.com and Chef Rick Bayless, Coast extends warm wishes to all of those celebrating this Cinco de Mayo. The recipes follow:

Homemade Flour Tortillas

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/157642/homemade-flour-tortillas/?internalSource=search%20result&referringContentType=search%20results

"Traditional flour tortillas - homemade and much better than store bought. Do not substitute vegetable oil or shortening for the lard." Recipe by: LaDonna

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 45 minutes

Ready in 1 hour

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons lard

1 cups water

Directions

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Frijoles Chinos O Fritos

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/frijoles-chinos-o-fritos-51123800

From La Cocina Mexicana: Many Cultures, One Cuisine by Marilyn Tausend with Ricardo Munoz Zurita,  2012 University of California Press

Ingredients

1/4 cup freshly rendered pork lard

1/4 cup finely chopped white onion

 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

2  cups drained Frijoles de la Olla , plus 1 cup bean broth

 teaspoon sea salt

For the Optional Topping

 cup crumbled queso fresco

Directions

Heat the lard in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring often, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and beans and begin to smash the beans with a bean or potato masher until they are paste-like but still have some lumps. Stir in the broth and salt and continue to smash and stir occasionally, for about 5 minutes. When the bean mixture begins to spew and sputter, lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bottom of the pan stays clear for a moment when scraped with a spoon, another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot, and, if you want, sprinkle on the cheese.

Enchiladas Verde, from Rick Bayless

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/cooking/article/66391-rick-bayless-s-no-fail-cinco-de-mayo-dish.html

Ingredients

1 pound (about 8 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 or 2 fresh serrano chiles

1 small white onion, sliced  inch thick plus A few slices for garnish (divided use)

2 tablespoons fresh-rendered pork lard

1  cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley OR a large sprig of epazote

2 3/4 cups (12 ounces) cooked, coarsely shredded, boneless chicken, pork or beef (this is a good place for rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted or braised meats); or 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Mexican melting cheese (such as Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar; or 1  cups (12 ounces) goat or dry-ish ricotta cheese

8 corn tortillas, preferably from a local tortilleria

Dollops of Mexican crema, sour cream, creme fraiche or Greek-style yogurt thinned with a little milk OR A few tablespoons grated Mexican queso anejo or other garnishing cheese such as Romano or Parmesan OR a handful of shredded Mexican melting cheese (such as Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar you can sprinkle it over the enchiladas before they go into the oven.

A few tablespoons grated Mexican queso anejo or other garnishing cheese such as Romano or Parmesan a handful of shredded Mexican melting cheese (such as Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar you can sprinkle it over the enchiladas before they go into the oven. A handful of cilantro leaves

Directions

First make a roasted tomatillo base: On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out tomatillos, garlic, serrano, and the small white onion, sliced  inch thick. Slide the baking sheet as close up under a preheated broiler as possible. After 4 or 5 minutes, when everything is blotchy-black and softening, turn the vegetables and roast the other side until everything is cooked through (they should be soft), while taking on an attractive bit of rustic char. Once the vegetables are roasted, they go on the stove top to cool down a little.

When the vegetables have cooled down enough to handle, slip the skins off the garlic and pull the stem off the chiles. In a blender, combine the tomatillos (and any juice on the baking sheet), garlic, chiles, onion and a scant teaspoon salt, and blend everything to a coarse puree. In a large (10-inch) skillet over medium-high heat measure the oil or lard. When it's hot, add the roasted tomatillo sauce base. Let the sauce reduce and concentrate, stirring it frequently, for about 4 minutes. When it's thicker than spaghetti sauce, stir in chicken broth and cilantro or parsley. Season the sauce with salt, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer while you prepare the filling.

Measure out your choice of filling. Turn on the oven to 400 degrees. Spray or brush with oil on one side of the tortillas then stack them up, slip them into a plastic bag, fold it over and microwave them at 100 percent for 1 minute. Let them stand for a minute (to uniformly absorb the heat) while you stir a little sauce into the meat to moisten it (the cheese needs no sauce). Then lay out the tortillas on the counter, top them each with a portion cup of the meat or cheese, roll them up and fit them into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon the hot sauce over them (covering the whole tortilla avoids dry ends), slide them into the oven and bake just until heated through -- about 4 minutes. Longer in the oven means mushy enchiladas. To serve the enchiladas, simply use a spatula to transfer them to dinner plates. Garnish the enchiladas with the topping(s) of your choice, crema, cheese, white onion, and or cilantro leaves.

About Coast Packing Company

Coast Packing Company (www.coastpacking.com), a closely held corporation, is the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings  particularly lard and beef tallow -- in the Western United States. The company sells to major manufacturers, distributors, retailers, smaller food service operations and leading bakeries. The company participates actively in various ethnic markets  from Hispanic retail chains, with its VIVA brand, to various Asian specialty markets. Based in Vernon, Calif., Coast Packing Company is regional, national and, increasingly, global. In some cases, supplier relationships are multigenerational, extending back 50 years and more.

For more information about Coast Packing Company, visit: www.coastpacking.com. Follow us via social media on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coastpackingco, Twitter @coastpackingco and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/coastpackingco.

Media contact:

Ken Greenberg

Edge Communications, Inc.

[email protected]

323/469-3397

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363115

SOURCE Coast Packing Company

Related Links

http://www.coastpacking.com


WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost three-fourths of companies plan to increase their FDI in the next three years, according to the 2016 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index from global strategy and management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. This year's edition of the Index, FDI on the Rebound?, finds that in the face of slowing trade growth and rising macroeconomic uncertaintyparticularly in emerging marketsglobal business executives are increasingly looking to deploy FDI for growth opportunities.

The United States again tops the FDI Confidence Index, holding its first-place position for the fourth year in a row. Global business executives are also more bullish on the U.S. economic outlook than for any other economy. China claims second place in the FDI Confidence Index, also for the fourth consecutive year. However, investor expectations about the Chinese economy turned decidedly more negative this year, and executives say they will reduce their FDI in China if market volatility persists.

"The United States and China have held steady at the top of the Index in the face of significant changes in the global operating environment over the past four years," says Paul Laudicina, founder of the FDI Confidence Index and chairman of A.T. Kearney's Global Business Policy Council. "Executives' sustained interest in investing in the United States and China demonstrates the undeniable and enduring attractiveness of the two largest economies in the world. Over the 18 years of this assessment we have observed consistent investor preference for large markets with robust economic prospects."

The FDI Confidence Index offers an in-depth view of forward-looking global investment sentiment from senior executives. Since its inception in 1998, the study has reliably pointed toward firms' top choices globally for FDI, with the countries ranked in the Index reliably tracking closely with the destinations for actual global FDI inflows.

Global executives are increasingly turning to FDI to ignite growth opportunities, despite the overall trend of slowing globalization. Global FDI flows jumped 36 percent to an estimated $1.7 trillion in 2015the highest level since 2007and the vast majority of executives also believe that FDI will become more important for corporate profitability and competitiveness in the near term. Accordingly, more than 70 percent of firms in the survey plan to increase their level of FDI over the next three years. A likely reason for this is the rise of protectionist sentiments in many countriescreating greater need for a local presence to do business in those markets.

Global business executives are almost evenly split on whether the outlook for the global economy is better than last year. This is the least bullish outlook in several years, which likely accounts for the dominance of developed markets in the FDI Confidence Index. Developed markets capture eight of the top 10 places in this year's Index and 80 percent overall.

"We are seeing a continued flight to safety in the primary destinations for FDI," says Erik Peterson, managing director of the Global Business Policy Council and co-author of the study. "It is not hard to understand why. The profound uncertainty in the economic prospects of many large emerging markets is causing investors to turn their attention to developed markets in North America and Europe."

This year's investor survey finds that political risks in the United States and EU could cause these economies to lose some of their luster as FDI destinations. A significant percentage of business executives say that they would reduce FDI into the United States if Americans elect a populist (far-left or far-right) president in the November election. And while Europe continues to represent a prime investment destination, accounting for 13 of the 25 countries in the 2016 FDI Confidence Index, the looming possibility of a Brexit is clearly weighing on executives' minds. If British voters choose to leave the EU, executives say they would decrease their FDI into both the United Kingdom and the EU more broadly. Given that the United States and EU markets currently dominate the FDI Confidence Index, this raises the question of where firms will shift their investments to if these scenarios occur.

For the second year in a row, global business executives see an increase in geopolitical tensions as the highest risk in the external environment. This is followed by concern over political and economic instability in emerging markets, which is probably behind the weaker performance of emerging markets in the Index. Commodity prices are a true wild card, though, with roughly the same percentage of global executives seeing an increase as a decrease in commodity prices as likely this year.

Regional highlights

Americas: The United States maintains its top ranking for the fourth straight year. Foreign investor interest in the US market is widespread, but Japan, Canada, and China are primary sources of FDI in the United States. Canada gains one spot to rank third place in this year's FDI Confidence Index. Long-awaited reforms under the Investment Canada Act, such as a reduction in the threshold for a required government review of the net benefits of private sector foreign investments, are improving Canada's attractiveness as an FDI destination. Brazil and Mexico are the only two Latin American countries to appear on the 2016 FDI Confidence Index, and both experience a significant drop in the rankings.

Europe: Europe retains overwhelming interest from business executives this year, with 13 countries ranked among the top 25. This is a slight drop from an all-time high of 15 in last year's Index, but demonstrates the ongoing attractiveness of the European market to global business executives. Despite the Volkswagen emissions scandal, continued instability in Ukraine, the refugee crisis, and high-profile terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, the reality is that European economies continue to strengthen. Germany rises one rank to fourth overall, the lead spot for the European region this year, followed by the United Kingdom in fifth place. In eighth place, France is the only other European economy to make the top ten. This year investor interest in European economies is limited to developed markets, with European emerging markets notably absent.

Asia: China ranks second for the fourth year in a row. There remains broad cross-sector interest in investing in China from respondents to the FDI Confidence Index survey. That interest could be broadened further by the State Council's recent announcement of the partial privatization of key industriesincluding telecommunications, electricity, military equipment, oil and gas, and civil aviationwhich will also open them up to foreign investment. Japan continues to rise in the rankings, moving up one spot this year to sixth placeits highest ranking in the history of the FDI Confidence Indexand Australia also gains three places to take seventh position. The largest gain in rank in all of this year's Index is Singapore, which rises five spots. India also rises two positions in the 2016 FDI Confidence Index, entering the top 10 after a one-year absence. In addition, two of the three newcomers to the Index this year are from Asia: Taiwan and Thailand.

The 2016 FDI Confidence Index

Country 2016

Rank 2015

Rank 2014

Rank 2015-2016

Change United States 1 1 1 0 China 2 2 2 0 Canada 3 4 3 +1 Germany 4 5 6 +1 United Kingdom 5 3 4 -2 Japan 6 7 19 +1 Australia 7 10 8 +3 France 8 8 10 0 India 9 11 7 +2 Singapore 10 15 9 +5 Switzerland 11 14 14 +3 Brazil 12 6 5 -6 Spain 13 17 18 +4 Netherlands 14 13 22 -1 Taiwan 15    Italy 16 12 20 -4 South Korea 17 16  -1 Mexico 18 9 12 -9 Belgium 19 19 21 0 Denmark 20 20 23 0 Thailand 21    Sweden 22 18 16 -4 Ireland 23    Austria 24 21  -3 Norway 25 24  1

About A.T. Kearney

A.T. Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors to the world's foremost organizations. A.T. Kearney is a partner-owned firm, committed to helping clients achieve immediate impact and growing advantage on their most mission-critical issues.

To learn more about A.T. Kearney, please visit www.atkearney.com.

About the 2016 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index

The 2016 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index is constructed using primary data from a proprietary survey administered to senior executives of the world's leading corporations. The survey was conducted in January 2016.

Respondents include C-level executives and regional and business leads. All companies participating in the survey have annual revenues of $500 million or more. The participating companies are headquartered in 27 different countries and span all sectors. The selection of countries from which to survey senior executives is based on data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), with the 27 countries represented in the FDI Confidence Index accounting for more than 90 percent of the source of global FDI flows in recent years. Service-sector firms account for 45 percent of respondents, while industrial firms account for about 35 percent and IT firms account for about 15 percent.

The Index is calculated as a weighted average of the number of high, medium, and low responses to the questions on the likelihood of making a direct investment in a market over the next three years. Index values are based on responses only from companies headquartered in foreign markets. For example, the Index value for the United States was calculated without responses from U.S.-headquartered investors. Higher Index values indicate more attractive investment targets.

FDI flow figures are the latest statistics available from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and all 2015 figures are estimates. Other secondary sources include investment promotion agencies, central banks, ministries of finance and trade, and other major data sources.

For past editions of the FDICI, please visit www.atkearney.com/gbpc/foreign-direct-investment-confidence-index.

For more information contact:

Konajilo Luseni Barrasso

Director, External Communications

p. 212.705.1026

e. [email protected]

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SOURCE A.T. Kearney

Related Links

http://www.atkearney.com


The new integration provides for advanced embedded communications capabilities, delivering customers, partners and employees powerful contextual communications tools such as video chat, screen sharing and collaboration that extends SAP's industry-leading commerce suite. Users will no longer be required to leave an application they are working in to make a call, share a presentation or chat with a customer or colleague. With SAP Hybris Real-Time Communicator, customers can now engage and collaborate in real-time from any website or smart device.

The GENBAND platform will also be featured as a gold certified partner application on Hybris Extend, an online integration marketplace offering access to best-of-breed applications, extensions and network services developed by Hybris partners, all of which are optimized to work with SAP Hybris Commerce.

Key Takeaways:

SAP Hybris Real-Time Communicator offers customers, partners and employees personalized engagement and collaboration capabilities that allow them to improve productivity and business results.

SAP Hybris Real-Time Communicator can be tightly integrated into SAP's leading B2B and B2C commerce solutions. This integration supports customer engagement and enables simpler collaboration capabilities for sales, service and business professionals using embedded communications within business applications for presence, screen sharing, instant messaging and voice call/conference.

SAP Hybris Real-Time Communicator delivers a superior communications experience, while driving positive business outcomes and results. For example, real-time online assistance can dramatically improve customer service and reduce online shopping cart abandonment rates.

SAP Hybris Real-Time Communicator already offers native integration with SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer, SAP's next-generation cloud CRM software.

The GENBAND integration will be available as a gold certified partner application on the Hybris Extend marketplace, which offers customers access to best-of-breed partner applications and services.

"SAP Hybris solutions have a reputation as a best-in-class commerce and digital interaction platform, so we are delighted to extend our agreement with a new integration that enables real-time customer engagement and supports omni-channel experiences," said Paul Pluschkell, Executive Vice President, GENBAND and Founder & CEO of Kandy. "Our market-proven platform opens up countless new commerce possibilities by refining the customer experience and dramatically improving contextualized collaboration capabilities. We look forward to continuing to build on the great relationship that we've established with SAP."

The SAP Hybris Real-Time Communicator will be featured at GENBAND's Perspectives16 Customer and Partner Summit in Orlando, May 1-5.

View the SAP Hybris Real-Time Communicator video.

About GENBAND

GENBAND is a global leader in real-time communications software solutions for service providers, enterprises, independent software vendors, systems integrators and developers in over 80 countries. Kandy, its award-winning, disruptive real-time communications software development platform, is built from the company's global telecommunications network and security technologies. The platform enables these companies to easily embed a full suite of voice, video, chat, screen-sharing and collaboration capabilities into their existing business, web and mobile applications. The company's Network Modernization, Unified Communications, Mobility and Embedded Communications solutions enable its customers to quickly capitalize on growing market segments and introduce differentiating products, applications and services. GENBAND's market-leading solutions, which are deployable in the network, on premise or through the cloud, help its customers connect people to each other and address the growing demands of today's consumers and businesses for real-time communications wherever they happen to be. To learn more visit genband.com.

GENBAND, the GENBAND logo and icon and Kandy are trademarks of GENBAND.

*SAP Hybris is a new brand name launched in January 2016 and is used here to mean the offerings, employees, and business of acquired company hybris AG, which continues to be a legal entity until integration with SAP is complete.

SAP, Hybris and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160121/324822LOGO

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160323/347490LOGO



SOURCE GENBAND

Related Links

http://www.genband.com


The Google Self-Driving Car Project and FCA announced today, in a first-of-its-kind collaboration, that they will integrate Google's self-driving technology into all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to expand Google's existing self-driving test program. This marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle.

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be used later this year for Google's self-driving testing, more than doubling Google's current fleet of self-driving test vehicles. Engineering responsibilities will be shared based on each company's respective expertise. FCA will initially design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Google's self-driving technology. Google will integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously.

Both companies will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern Michigan to accelerate the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica.

"FCA has a nimble and experienced engineering team and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Google's self-driving technology," said John Krafcik, Chief Executive Officer, Google Self-Driving Car Project. "The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive."

Self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 33,000 deaths that occur each year on U.S. roads, 94 percent of which are caused by human error. This collaboration will help FCA and Google better understand what it will take to bring self-driving cars into the world.

"Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the world's leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry," said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, FCA. "The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits."

Google's self-driving cars are currently being tested in four U.S. cities. The self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be tested by Google's self-driving car team on its private test track in California prior to operating on public roads.

About the Google Self-Driving Car Project

The Google Self-Driving Car Project is working to develop fully self-driving vehicles that have the potential to make our roads safer and increase mobility for the millions of people who cannot drive. The ultimate goal is to help people get from A to B at the push of a button. In the project's seven year history, the vehicles in the test fleet have self-driven over 1.5 million miles on public roads, and they're currently being tested in Mountain View, CA, Austin, TX, Kirkland, WA, and Phoenix, AZ. The Google Self-Driving Car Project is part of X, a moonshot factory that's part of Google's parent company Alphabet.

About FCA

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. ("FCA"), the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA".

The transaction was executed by FCA's wholly owned subsidiary, FCA US LLC. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, FCA US LLC designs, engineers, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT brands, as well as the SRT performance vehicle designation. The company also distributes the Alfa Romeo 4C model and Mopar products. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler, the innovative American automaker first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat, founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363170

SOURCE FCA US LLC

Related Links

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com


DALLAS, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Niteo Products, LLC, a portfolio company of Highlander Partners LP, announced today the sale of the assets of its retail automotive appearance chemicals brand, Eagle One, to HandStands, a portfolio company of Trivest Partners.

The Eagle One brand has been an automotive appearance pioneer for over 30 years offering a full line of technologically advanced washes, waxes, protectants and accessories designed for better performance, more shine and enduring protection.

Jeff L. Hull, Chairman of Niteo and Managing Partner of Highlander, commented, "The sale of this business is in line with Niteo's overall strategy of growing it's professional detailer business through our other brand, Car Brite, as well as growing our performance fluids brands. Eagle One is a great brand and has a very good presence in retail distribution channels. Our focus is on professional products and we believe that Eagle is a much better fit for HandStands and their current consumer product offering." Terry Morgan, Niteo's CEO added, "We intend to use the proceeds from the sale to acquire additional appearance brands in the professional, car wash and industrial channels."

Chris Anderson, HandStands' CEO, said, "We are thrilled to add this legendary car care brand to HandStands' growing roster of automotive appearance and fragrance products. With a full range of interior and exterior car care solutions, a strong pedigree of innovation, and a well-earned reputation for performance, Eagle One is a perfect fit for HandStands." Russ Wilson, Trivest Partner and HandStands Chairman, added, "The acquisition of Eagle One, a well-respected consumer car care brand, further broadens and diversifies HandStands' presence in the growing automotive appearance category. This transaction furthers HandStands' mission to be a valued retail partner in both the vehicle air freshener and automotive appearance categories."

About Niteo

NITEO is a premier formulator, packager and marketer of automotive appearance and maintenance brands. Brands include Car Brite, Pyroil and Niteo is a licensee of the Valvoline brand for maintenance products. Niteo offers a comprehensive line of waxes, polishes, compounds, dressings, soaps, cleaners, solvents, paints and dyes, as well as fuel additives, parts cleaners, starting fluids, and functional fluids. For more information visit, www.niteoproducts.com.

About Highlander Partners

Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with over $1 billion of assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience, including basic manufacturing, food, chemicals, building materials, consumer products, and others. Highlander Partners uses a "buy and build" investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow organically and through acquisitions. For more information, visit www.highlander-partners.com.

About HandStands

HandStands was founded in 1983, and is headquartered in Draper, Utah; its brands include: Refresh Your Car! , Bahama & Co., DRIVEN and Lexol, which can be found in Mass, Grocery, Hardware and Automotive Parts retailers throughout the world. HandStands holds the #1 spot in U.S. market share, in units sold, for automotive air fresheners with its Refresh Your Car! , Bahama & Co. and DRIVEN branded products. For more information, visit www.handstands.com.

About Trivest

Trivest Partners is a private investment firm that focuses on partnering with founder/family owned businesses in the United States and Canada. Since its founding in 1981, Trivest has completed more than 225 transactions, totaling in excess of $5.5 billion in value. For more information, visit www.trivest.com.

SOURCE HandStands

Related Links

http://www.handstands.com


WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- GE, the global digital industrial company, held its Annual Shareholder Meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 27.

GE, once again, failed to avail of the chance to sign a set of fair employment principles designed for its operation in Israel-Palestine.

The Holy Land Principles is a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Palestine-Israel based on the Mac Bride Principles for Northern Ireland.

The Israeli government's 2015 Report on discrimination documented a 17 percent increase in religious discrimination complaints over the previous year. A poll by that agency in 2013 of Hebrew-speaking employers across the region found that 42 percent preferred not to hire Arab men and 37 percent preferred not to hire Orthodox Jewish Haredi men.

Fr. Sean Mc Manusthe Irish-born President of the Capitol Hill-based Holy Land Principles, Inc. and Irish National Caucus explained: "The Holy Land Principles are pro-Jewish, pro-Palestinian and pro-company. The Principles do not call for quotas, reverse discrimination, divestment, disinvestment or boycotts. The Principles do not take any position on solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The Principles do not try to tell the Palestinians or the Israelis what to do. The Holy Land Principles only call for fair employment by American companies in Palestine-Israel."

Barbara Flaherty, Executive Vice President, Holy Land Principles, Inc. presented the Resolution at the Annual Meeting, saying: "Our Resolution calls on GE to set the standard by signing and implementing the Holy Land Principles, which are based on the very effective Mac Bride Principles for Northern Ireland.

Initially, American companies resisted the Mac Bride Principles, but now 116 companiesincluding GE, to its credit have signed the Mac Bride Principles. So why would GE or any American company refuse to sign the Holy Land Principles?

Last year GE, Corning, and Intel tried to get the SEC to exclude the Holy Land Principles resolutions from their 2015 Proxy Materials. However, the SECstanding for truth, justice, and the American way ruled in favor of the Holy Land Principles. Therefore, you know the Holy Land Principles are intrinsically valid, inherently fair and reasonable, and in the best American tradition."

The Holy Land Principles garnished in support of its Resolution over 186 million votes (186,342,696)  3.6%. This represents in dollars over $5.73 Billion (based on the weekend's closing of $30.77 per share). If one adds the Abstentions as also withholding approval from GE's opposition to the Holy Land Principles, one gets over $16.4 Billion voting for the Holy Land Principles or Abstaining from opposing the Principles. And that's nothing to sneeze at.

Fr. Mc Manus explained: "Next year we will file a new Resolution calling on GE at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary informationto disclose the breakdown of its workforce in Palestine-Israel using the nine job categories which are utilized in the U.S. Department of Labor's EEO -1 Report (Equal Employment Opportunity): 1.Officials and managers; 2. Professionals; 3. Technicians; 4. Sales; 5. Office and clerical; 6. Craft Workers (skilled); 7. Operatives (semiskilled); 8. Laborers (unskilled); 9. Service workers."

Fr. Mc Manus concluded: "Asking for such a breakdown is eminently reasonable, makes total sense and is easily done. It's consistent with the Ruggie Principles and ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) issues. What company could possibly object to this? And who in the SRI (Socially Responsible Investing) or faith-based community could oppose it? The Holy Land Principles is an idea whose time (after inexcusable neglect) has come And nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come."

Fr. Sean Mc Manus

President

Holy Land Principles, Inc.

P.O. BOX 15128

Capitol Hill

Washington, DC 20003-0849

Tel. 202-488-0107

Fax. 202-488-7537

[email protected]

SOURCE Holy Land Principles
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hondros College of Business has added a new satellite location in Mentor, which is northeast of Cleveland. The Mentor location is the eleventh Hondros College of Business location throughout Ohio. The official address is 8200 Norton Parkway, Mentor, OH 44060.

Classes at the Mentor location will officially begin May 16. Students at this location will have the opportunity to take a three-week pre-licensing series that include courses on real estate law, finance and appraisal, among others. The Crammer Course is also included in these programs, which is an intensive exam preparation course taken to assist students with their licensing test. The Mentor location will launch a second real estate pre-licensing series on August 15 and will host a related Career Night on August 16.

Mentor will be hosting a Career Night on May 17 where real estate students will be able to meet with hiring companies, learn about the local market, and speak with brokers about industry happenings. Those interested in becoming a preferred partner and participating in the Hondros Career Nights should contact Sales Manager Ryan Andrew at [email protected] or 614-508-7270.

"Our expansion in the northeastern Ohio region has been off to a great start in 2016," said President Tina Lapp. "We are excited to continue to grow and expand even more."

About Hondros College of Business

Hondros College of Business, based in Columbus, Ohio, educates individuals who want to improve their lives by entering new careers that offer stability, flexibility, independence and financial rewards. Hondros College of Business, with six Ohio campuses and with course offerings in many states nationwide, offers a variety of professional certificates and continuing education programs, as well as an Associate Degree in Business Management. Professional programs include real estate, appraisal, home inspection, mortgage, insurance, securities, personal training, online marketing and oil and gas safety. For more information, visit http://www.hondros.com.

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SOURCE Hondros College of Business

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http://www.hondros.com


GRENOBLE, France, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmunID, the immune companion diagnostics for precision medicine company, today announced certification from the US Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) for its laboratory in Grenoble, France.

Under CMS, the CLIA program regulates laboratories that perform testing on patient specimens from the United States to ensure accurate and reliable test results.

ImmunTraCkeR Dx Logo

The CLIA certification allows ImmunID to begin receiving and testing specimens from the United States with the ImmunTraCkeR Dx assay.

"This is a critical regulatory and commercial milestone for ImmunID" said Dr Bernhard Sixt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ImmunID. "We are proud to be the first French company to receive this lab certification from the US Department of Health and Human Services' CMS and are very excited to start providing American doctors with a medical routine assay to evaluate their patients' immune status", he added.

About ImmunID

ImmunID adds precision to the immuno-oncology revolution by personalizing immunotherapy for cancer patients. With its decade-long experience in immune molecular diagnostics, ImmunID provides doctors with clinically meaningful data on the highly complex immune system to select the right therapy for individual patients and to monitor their response. ImmunID's flagship product, ImmunTraCkeR, evaluates the patient's immune status based on the T lymphocyte diversity, from a simple liquid biopsy. Through its PredictID clinical programs, ImmunID is establishing ImmunTraCkeR as the immune companion diagnostic assay for immune checkpoint inhibitors and other cancer immunotherapies. ImmunID also collaborates with pharma and biotech companies to optimize the development of their next-generation immunotherapies. In addition, through its CLIA services, ImmunID provides its laboratory developed test ImmunTraCkeR Dx to American doctors to evaluate their patient's immune status. ImmunID is ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified and runs a CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory in the MINATEC high-tech campus in Grenoble, France.

www.immunid.com - Follow ImmunID on Twitter and on LinkedIn

About ImmunTraCkeR and ImmunTraCkeR Dx

ImmunTraCkeR is a proprietary immune molecular diagnostics assay, which evaluates a patient's immune status in the blood based on combinatorial T cell diversity. Unlike most companion diagnostics tests, ImmunTraCkeR is patient-specific rather than drug- or disease-specific, as it approaches the disease from the patient's own immune system perspective.

ImmunTraCkeR is currently being validated as immune companion diagnostics for cancer immunotherapy in the PredictID clinical programs. ImmunTraCkeR aims at overcoming the current challenges in immuno-oncology: personalizing cancer immunotherapy to allow patients to receive efficient treatments, while sparing them from side effects and saving unnecessary costs to the healthcare system.

ImmunTraCkeR Dx is a laboratory developed test available to doctors in medical routine through ImmunID's CLIA services. ImmunTraCkeR Dx is CE-marked.

Contact

Dr. Bernhard Sixt

Chairman and CEO

Email

Phone: +33 438 785 770

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SOURCE ImmunID

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LQD approaches the business-lending problem from a completely different angle - looking at the issue from a small business' perspective and acknowledging the different types of financing requirements that exist. A small business can have a variety of needs that require financing, such as: funds to support an increase in inventory or working capital to expand.

"LQD's comprehensive financing solution addresses all of the different financing needs and then lets us use technology to make the process quick, convenient, and more efficient." Souri stated. "LQD creates a flexible loan through a technologically enabled back-end to tweak each loan so that it is customized to the individual business."

Souri subsequently expanded upon LQD's tenacity to make up for the weaknesses of the lending industry as a whole - with proprietary risk management and a loan system that is intended to ensure borrowers are receiving the best quality financing for the lowest possible rates.

"Unlike a marketplace, where the loan is originated then sold off to investors, LQD has its own capital in loans alongside investors so that interests are aligned with the borrower as well as the investor."

Located in Chicago, Illinois, LQD Business Finance is one of the nation's leading small business financing firms, specializing in customizable, structured loans. LQD Business Finance would like to thank Kathy Ireland and all Worldwide Business with kathy ireland staff who helped put the segment together. To find out more about LQD's innovative approach to small business financing, visit www.lqdfinance.com

Contact: Alexandra Moritz

LQD Business Finance

Phone: 312-444-0552

Video - http://youtu.be/lwIJJbXwrC8

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SOURCE LQD Business Finance

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Inexa Control is Insitu's new commercial variant of a ground control software tool suite and will be the backbone of this new three-credit, semester-long course offering at the university. The course will be available this fall and will complement the Unmanned Autonomous Systems Minor the university currently offers within its College of Engineering.

The UAS Flight Coordinator Course will focus on the basics of flight and flight operations from an unmanned perspective. In addition to aerodynamics of air vehicles and flight physics, the course will provide students with an understanding of the unique aspects of unmanned flight operations, such as specific FAA regulations and the unique mission sets that are available using unmanned platforms. Students will use Inexa Control as the basis for UAS simulation and lab practicals.

The collaboration between Insitu as a professional unmanned aviation company and University of Nevada, Reno is furthered by the university's status as an FAA test site agent for the northern region of Nevada.

"Inexa Control is an important new offering for Insitu as we continue to expand into the commercial market. Collaborations like the one we are developing with the university will become increasingly vital to this effort," said Jon Damush, vice president and general manager of Insitu Mission Systems. "Not only are we helping this institution build their curriculum pertaining to UAS, but we are also laying the groundwork for more unmanned aviation professionals in the future."

"UAS is an important industry for northern Nevada, and we are pleased to collaborate with Insitu to provide this opportunity for our students," said Manos Maragakis, dean of the College of Engineering. "This unique course will give our students marketable skills and experience, enabling them to compete for the best jobs in the field of unmanned aerial systems."

About Insitu:

Insitu is an industry-leading provider of information for superior decision making. With offices in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, the company creates and supports unmanned systems and software technology that deliver end-to-end solutions for collecting, processing and delivering superior information. We proudly serve the diverse needs of our global customers in the military, commercial and civil industries. To date, our systems have accumulated more than 880,000 flight hours and 109,000 sorties. Insitu is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company.

For more information, visit insitu.com. Follow us on Vimeo, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contact: Jenny Beloy

Insitu Media Relations

+1 509.637.6196

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362777

SOURCE Insitu, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.insitu.com


NEW YORK, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 23, celebrated Italian designer, Domenico Vacca, will receive the "Fashion Innovator Award" as part of the Rock For Humanity, Seventh Annual Better World Awards held in Monte-Carlo alongside fellow honorees Catherine Deneuve, Jackie Chan, and Senator Florence Ita Giwa at the Salle Des Etoiles.

"The award recognizes Domenico Vacca for being at the forefront of his industry, having evolved into one of the highest quality and most unique lifestyle brands of the decade. With a long standing of being a philanthropic supporter, the Better World Awards Board of Directors consisting of UN members voted Mr. Vacca unanimously as the Fashion Innovator," stated Gina de Franco, Executive Producer of the Better World Awards, "The Domenico Vacca brand emulates our mission of encouraging betterment of the world in all moments of life."

This award comes in the same month that Mr. Vacca celebrates the grand opening of his new flagship destinationa 10-story building off Fifth Avenue that will include men's and women's retail, a bespoke atelier, an Italian espresso bar & cafe, barber shop, beauty salon, rooftop terrace, art gallery, private members-only club, and 30 long-term stay furnished residential units designed by Vacca himself.

"I am honored to be recognized by the Better World Awards in Monte Carlo," says Domenico Vacca of the distinction, "Their work to acknowledge prominent humanitarians and raise funds for their respective charities is a great way to bring awareness to global issues while highlighting individuals who are making the world a better place."

The BWA awards will be held at the SBM's famed Sporting Club, also known as Salle Des Etoiles, in Monte Carlo, the day following the Cannes Film Festival (Monday, May 23rd 2016), with a performance by double platinum British hit maker, Ms. Alex Hepburn. Guests include: Mr. Jean Claude Van Damme, Mr. Boris Becker, and former BWA honorees as presenters. The live auction benefits the Jackie Chan Foundation, the Princess Grace Foundation, and the Children of Bakassi.

The Red Carpet Grand Opening of the new Domenico Vacca Flagship will be held on May 3rd, 2016 in New York City.

For press inquiries, contact [email protected]. For more information, visit www.domenicovacca.com.

SOURCE Domenico Vacca
The activism has brought Ms. Kayrouz many accolades, including being named an "Esteemed Women of Michigan 2015" by the non-profit Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic this past September.

"I know firsthand the challenges that women face every day and how those challenges impact our lives, hold us back and stand in the way of achieving our goals," Ms. Kayrouz said.

"It's one motivation behind the launch of my foundation."

Since 2009, the Dr. Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic has hosted the Esteemed Women of Michigan event, honoring extraordinary women who have "excelled in their professions, risen above unacceptable circumstances, found a way to help others, or have become a beacon of hope for our younger generation."

The Joumana Kayrouz & Daughters Foundation was launched in March 2013 to address the challenges of people in need in Lebanon, where she originates.

"A large number of the people who need our help are women, and they share the same challenges not just in Lebanon, which is close to my heart because my family originates from that beautiful country, but in countries around the world, and also right here in the United States," Ms. Kayrouz said.

Based in Pontiac, Michigan, the Burnstein Clinic has provided healthcare and medical services free-of-charge to the homeless and others in need since 1997. Ms. Kayrouz was recognized for her extensive philanthropic work to help those in need.

Kayrouz has received many honors and distinctions over the years both for her professional legal work and for her philanthropic endeavors. In 2012 she was named "Top Lawyer of the Year" in a survey of more than 1,800 Michigan lawyers. Kayrouz was named by the readers of Detroit Metro Times in the magazine's annual survey as the "Best Female Attorney" for 2016 and was named by Crain's Detroit Business in 2014 as the "American Dreamer."

Ms. Kayrouz was the keynote speaker for the University of Michigan Arab Student Association Gala benefiting St. Jude Children's Hospital, and Guest Lecturer at Wayne State University Law School along with Michigan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kelly

As a thought leader in American politics, Kayrouz has hosted numerous fundraisers at her home for various local, statewide and national candidates including for US Congress. Kayrouz serves on the re-election campaign committees of several judges as well as supporting many judicial candidates.

As a leading champion for Lebanon, Kayrouz has hosted the former Minister of Tourism, Fadi Abboud, as well as the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Gebran Bassil.

For more information on Joumana Kayrouz, visit her website at www.YourRights.com.

CONTACT: Paul Schmidt, 1-248-557-3645, [email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362627

SOURCE The Law Offices of Joumana Kayrouz
Abkhazia, Georgia's energy security at risk

By Izida Chanya, Regina Jegorova-Askerova The prospect of large-scale repair work on the Inguri hydroelectric station, crucial for power supplies to both Georgia and Abkhazia, have raised questions about the neighbouring territories energy security. The plant, which straddles both sides of the de facto border, is the only joint Abkhazian-Georgian project. Relations between the two territories have been extremely sensitive since Abkhazia broke free of Georgian control in the 1990s and declared independence. Russia recognized Abkhazia in 2008, but Georgia still claims sovereignty. Specialists warn that the hydropower plant, called Inguri in Georgia and Ingur in Abkhazia and operational since 1978, is badly in need of repair. This would involve major project that risks putting extra stress on the fragile partnership. At a height of 271.5 metres and 800 metres long, Inguri has one of the worlds largest concrete arch dams. This is located on the Georgian side, as is the water reservoir and part of the diversion tunnel. The power station building, four near-dam installations and the other part of the tunnel are on the Abkhazian side. Both sides manage the installation and share the electricity it generates, forcing them to cooperate and maintain regular contact. Its like Siamese twins, who cannot be separated, said Eric Livny, director of the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University. At the moment, the Inguri hydroelectric power station is one of the few connecting links between Georgia and Abkhazia.  In other areas, cooperation between the parties to the conflict is completely absent, said Livny. I do not see any other future for Georgia and Abkhazia, but to communicate directly and solve problems together. FINDING NEW ENERGY SOURCES Repairs and reconstruction to Inguri will be hugely expensive, and there are also questions on how to eliminate the energy losses and provide for alternative power supplies while any work is ongoing. This in turn creates energy security risks for both sides. In 2014, international donors funded the large-scale rehabilitation of electric and hydro-mechanical equipment as well as the strengthening of the main arch dam. These repairs were done step-by-step, allowing the plant to continue functioning. The main issue now is repairing the 15.5 km long pressure-diversion tunnel, which means putting Inguri out of action for months at a time. Currently, almost half the volume of water passing through the tunnel  10 out of 22 cubic metres of water per second - is lost. But to assess and repair even the most damaged section, which is 300 metres long, the entire power station needs to be shut down. The operation of the hydroelectric power station should be stopped and the tunnel discharged for three to three-and-a-half months to assess the state of the damage and conduct necessary research and construction works, said David Sharikadze, head of the energy department at Georgias ministry of energy. During this time, the most damaged section should be repaired. This means that Abkhazia and Georgia will not only have to pay for repairs but also find the resources to purchase alternative sources of energy for these months. For more extensive repairs, the plant would have to suspend operations for much longer. Supplies have already been disrupted in Abkhazia, where electricity provision was shut down for two hours a day and three hours a night in January and February. The shortfall was a result of the combination of less rain last summer and increased power consumption in Abkhazia. The situation this winter has clearly shown that both sides need to invest in repair, Livny said. It may well be that temporary problems with the electricity supply and awareness of the gravity of the situation will encourage the parties to decide to jointly invest in the repair of the hydroelectric power station. And this will be great. However, he doubted that repairs on such a vast scale would be possible any time soon. The repair of the entire tunnel would take several years. There are no such resources available so far to compensate for the loss of electric power, he concluded. However, the official Georgian position does not rule out comprehensive building work. It is quite possible that we will soon return to the issue of [complete] repair of the joint strategic facility, otherwise there could be power failures, state minister for reconciliation and civic equality Paata Zakareishvili told IWPR. LARGE-SCALE INVESTMENT NEEDED In Abkhazia, the energy situation has reached a critical point. After the war in the 1990s, the Inguri power station became practically the territorys only source of electricity. Dozens of smaller power plants that operated in Soviet times were destroyed during the fighting or looted in the post-war period. Over the last two decades, the two sides have operated under an informal agreement according to which Abkhazia receives 40 per cent and Georgia 60 per cent of the energy Inguri generates. Abkhazias state energy company receives this electricity for free and sells it to consumers at a low price. Although Abkhazias territory is no longer under Georgias jurisdiction, the Georgian government considers it its political responsibility to take care of the regions that were once part of its country. Energy use is rising in Abkhazia, however, which some experts attribute to the minimal tariffs and a low collection rate. According to Gia Khubua, Inguris technical director, Abkhazias consumption of electricity this winter increased by almost ten per cent. During the winter heating season, from the beginning of November until the end of March, Abkhazia consumes around 1 billion kW per hour, but [its] total [share] is no more than 800 million kW per hour, said Khubua. Georgia imported additional electricity from Russia and supplied it to Abkhazia, but this was seen as only a temporary solution. With no alternative sources of electricity and no extra money, Abkhazian politicians are holding negotiations with Moscow, the largest contributor to Abkhazias state budget. Aslan Basaria, head of the Abkhazias state energy company Chernomorenergo, said that large-scale investments were needed. According to our calculations, it will be 30 to 35 billion rubles (450 to 530 million dollars), Basaria said. Near-dam installations [the four hydropower stations on the river Eristskali, known as Ertskar in Abkhazia, which is part of the Inguri complex] require about 10 billion rubles (around 150 million dollars) investment. However, he said that the Russian power company Rosseti had determined that Abkhazias energy sector needed 73 billion rubles (1.1 billion US dollars) of investment. To indicate the scale of the challenge, Abkhazias entire budget for 2016 is 13.5 billion rubles (200 million dollars). TBILISI WEIGHS OPTIONS The state-owned Inguri station provides more than half of Georgias electricity. Smaller private hydropower stations and some thermal power stations produce the remainder. Georgia has even managed to export electricity elsewhere in the region during recent summers when water levels are high. But its overall reliance on hydropower means the country still has to import gas to meet seasonal shortages. In winter, when the level of the water in the reservoir drops massively, a significant part of the countrys electricity has to be imported from Russia and Azerbaijan. Although Georgia is building new power plants, Inguri will still play a significant role in the countrys energy system. Livny said that if the Georgians continued to boost the capacity of their national power supply, they could perhaps supply Abkhazia with electricity from other Georgian power stations while Inguri was being repaired. For example, another large hydroelectric power station is being planned for the Svaneti region in northwestern Georgia. In this case, it is possible that Georgia will have capacity to supply Abkhazia. But for now, I do not know how realistic this is, since electricity consumption in Georgia and in Abkhazia is rising rapidly, he said. However, the implementation of such a project would entail bilateral cooperation. In both societies, this is seen as a betrayal of national interests. Murman Margvelashvili, director of the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development at Georgias Ilia State University, said that the two sides needed to be pragmatic over the economic process of electricity production. Abkhazia and Georgia need to understand that the generated electricity is a common product, Margvelashvili said, which can be sold to any market and from which common benefit can be derived. Izida Chanya is the editor-in-chief of the Abkhazian newspaper Nuzhnaya Gazeta. Regina Jegorova-Askerova is IWPR web-editor in Tbilisi. The article is published by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (27 Apr 16, Georgia, Abkhazia, CRS 812)
LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicholas Kovacevich, CEO of Kush Bottles, Inc. (OTCQB: KSHB), a premier supplier of packaging solutions and accessories for the legal cannabis industry, recently spoke at the New England Cannabis Convention to help prepare entrepreneurs and business owners for the challenges they will face as the industry expands.

Kovacevich spoke at the convention and shared his experience with the legalization process, and discussed methods cannabis entrepreneurs have used to start or improve their businesses. Kovacevich is a leading figure in the cannabis industry and has played a role in every state that has a legalized cannabis program.

"My goal was to provide clarity about compliancy and regulations that will likely come if legalization passes," Kovacevich commented. "Cannabis business owners and regulators were interested in learning about packaging, labeling, and branding; and the lessons that can be learned from legal cannabis programs in other states."

The New England Cannabis Convention is one of the largest and most prestigious industry events on the Eastern Seaboard, featuring lectures by industry leaders, educational seminars, and networking opportunities.

For more information on Kush Bottles, call 888-920-5874, or visit: www.kushbottles.com

About Kush Bottles:

Kush Bottles is a leading packaging and accessories provider, offering certified child-resistant and custom-branded solutions throughout North America. With over 100 million bottles sold, the company is known for premium quality products and exceptional service. Kush Bottles was recently named to the list of 100 Largest Public Companies in Orange County, California , and was one of the only companies in the cannabis industry to join the prestigious list.

Kush Bottles is publicly traded, and one of few cannabis-based businesses with demonstrated revenue growth and profitability, without direct involvement with cannabis plants or extract.

Kush Bottles has been featured in media nationwide, including CNBC, Los Angeles Times, TheStreet.com, and Inc. Magazine.

For more information, visit: www.kushbottles.com or call: (888)-920-5874.

Connect:

Website: www.kushbottles.com

Facebook: facebook.com/kushbottles

Twitter: twitter.com/kushbottles

Blog: blog.kushbottles.com

Media Inquiries:

Innovation Agency

310-571-5592

www.inov8.us

hello(@)inov8.us

Forward Looking Statements:

This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. While these statements represent Company's current judgments, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. Risks and uncertainties include, price volatility, product demand, competition, and other factors. Reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect opinions only as of the date of the release. Company is not obligated to revise forward-looking statements in light of new information.

SOURCE Kush Bottles

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SAN DIEGO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A LaneAxis Virtual Freight Management study of the nation's top 50 Carriers (as ranked by Transport Topics) revealed the 13 biggest public companies outsource an average of 42.29% of their freight shipments. This figure is based on the percentage of total revenue those carriers spent on "Purchased Transportation"  essentially subcontracted freight shipment services.

"Our findings are clear  many Shippers likely aren't getting the visibility they think they are," says Rick Burnett, LaneAxis CEO and Founder. "Large Shippers and Carriers may be able to manage their own fleets effectively, but with so much freight being outsourced to small Carriers with six trucks or less  which is 97% of the trucking industry  that's a problem. There's very little visibility into that network."

LaneAxis researched public filings from the 13 biggest publicly held Carriers in the Transport Topics' 2015 "Top 100" list. The research revealed those companies spent a combined $17.8 billion last year on "Purchased Transportation." When measured against those companies' combined revenue of $42.2 billion, that averages out to 42.29% of those carriers' revenue being spent on freight outsourcing.

Is Your Freight Being Outsourced? Transportation

Companies 2015

Ranking Annual

Revenue Purchased

Transportation Percentage of

Revenue JB Hunt 3 $6,188,000,000 $2,994,992,000 48.40% YRC Freight 5 $4,832,400,000 $561,100,000 11.61% Swift 6 $4,229,322,000 $1,180,403,000 27.91% Hub Group 8 $3,525,595,000 $3,112,900,000 88.29% TransForce Inc. 9 $2,842,937,000 $1,868,196,000 65.71% Landstar System 10 $3,321,091,000 $2,551,343,000 76.82% Old Dominion 11 $2,972,442,000 $116,300 <1% ArcBest Corp. 12 $2,666,905,000 $614,835,000 23.05% XPO Logistics 14 $7,623,200,000 $4,171,400,000 54.72% Werner Enterprises 16 $2,093,529,000 $480,624,000 22.96% Heartland Express 39 $736,345,000 $34,389,000 4.67% Marten Transport 48 $664,994,000 $118,030,000 17.75% USA Truck 50 $507,934,000 $161,370,000 31.77% Total (weighted average)

$42,204,694,000 $17,849,698,300 42.29%

Source: 2015 Annual Reports

The research also revealed that average margin percentage for those carriers (the percent difference between Operating Income and Operating Revenue) is around 8%. So not only are customers likely losing visibility to 42% of their loads, they are likely paying 8% margin for that lost visibility.

Burnett says many Shippers turn to large Carriers, brokers, and third party logistics services (3PLs) to save on costs and hassles, but often the opposite is happening.

"We know small Carriers are the backbone of trucking  and that's a good thing," adds Burnett. "But many of those Carriers lack the inboard tracking units and back-office technology to deliver real-time visibility to Shippers. That often leads to lost loads, inefficiency, and confusion. Virtual Freight Management fixes that."

Cloud-based solutions like LaneAxis Virtual Freight Management can eliminate the need for Shippers to rely on large Carriers, brokers, or 3PLs - all through a centralized platform accessible via mobile and desktop. LaneAxis VFM gives Shippers real-time visibility, data, and predictive analytics  all crucial when dealing with small Carriers. The platform also screens and monitors Carriers for compliance with insurance requirements, federal regulations, and more.

"There's no question Virtual Freight Management is changing the trucking landscape. VFM allows Shippers to create their own 'in-house' network of trusted and pre-screened small Carriers. LaneAxis does all the heavy lifting in terms of compliance, connectivity, and visibility  all the way down to the driver level."

Read our blog story: What is Virtual Freight Management?

ABOUT LANEAXIS

Founded by trucking veterans and transportation experts, LaneAxis Virtual Freight Management began beta testing in 2015 after more than a decade of research and development. The seamless, expandable, one-stop freight management system offers a flexible, affordable per-load pricing model for Shippers, and is free for Carriers. For more information, please visit http://www.LaneAxis.com.

Contact:

Andrew Rivera

[email protected]

626.353.5652

Email

SOURCE LaneAxis

Related Links

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MyndMove is manufactured by MyndTec Inc., a privately held medical technology company located in Mississauga, Ontario.

"MyndMove improves the lives of individuals with paralysis such as stroke and spinal cord injury by stimulating the muscles in the upper extremities. We have selected Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group to help us run our United States clinical trials," said Dr. Milos Popovich. "LBBRG President Richard Widgren sits on the MyndMove board and is helping us here in the United States."

The second demonstrated technology was REX, the standing exercise tool with the ability to ambulate.

Developed in New Zealand, REX is a hands-free robotic mobility device for rehabilitation. Designed for people with limited mobility, REX is completely self-supporting and can adjust quickly to each user. REX lifts patients from a sitting position into a robot-supported standing position, allowing them to take part in a set of supported walking and stretching exercises designed by specialist physiotherapists.

Wheelchair users are at risk of developing numerous medical complications from extended periods of sitting. By enabling them to spend more time standing, walking and receiving therapy, REX may offer significant health benefits.

"The clients at LBBRG in both Rockford and Traverse City will get to test MyndMove for the next nine months and REX for the next 30 days," said Sandy Burns, PT, MSPT and director, LBBRG. "Our goal is to create innovative options for our clients. These technologies will provide hope that individuals with disabilities should have with all opportunities, therefore the highest quality of life."

About Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group

With locations in Rockford and Traverse City, Michigan, Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group is an intensive, non-traditional therapy program that addresses the nervous system below the diagnosed level of injury. The website is http://www.lbbrehab.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Colleen Robar, Robar PR, 313-207-5960, [email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363094

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/363095

SOURCE Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group

Related Links

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Chris Jagers, founder and CEO of Learning Machine, explained, "As project-based learning and computational thinking become increasingly important, the limits of standardized tests are becoming clear. While useful to gauge broad measures, they can't capture the essence of an education. The emerging standards around badges and digital credentials have begun to bring trusted evidence of skill and achievement to enrollment management and other competitive environments like hiring, residencies, and grant management."

"Digital credentials, when paired with examples of real work, jumpstart high bandwidth conversations with the right applicants," said Dan Hughes, Learning Machine's President and COO. "The world's most creative schools are already asking applicants to demonstrate what they can do. Digital credentials are quickly becoming a standard part of the college admissions process and will increasingly be the common currency of a global job market."

"As verified evidence of competencies and skills, digital credentials are an efficient way for individuals to communicate their true capabilities," said Jonathan Finkelstein, founder and CEO of Credly. "The Learning Machine integration brings the value and trust behind digital credentials to scale in the admissions process. It's also the first direct connection of badges to the Common App, and one that empowers students to present the full mosaic of who they are as validated in diverse contexts."

Dan Hughes, President and COO

866.249.7350

[email protected]

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362814

SOURCE Learning Machine
CHESTERFIELD, United Kingdom, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK), a leading global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today reported results for the second quarter of fiscal 2016. Amounts reported reflect presentation of the company's former contrast media and delivery systems (CMDS) business as a discontinued operation. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons of fiscal 2016 second quarter or first half performance are to the comparable periods of fiscal 2015.

Total Mallinckrodt net sales were $918.0 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, up 12.7% on a constant-currency basis. Specialty Brands segment revenue was up 60.0% and the primary component of overall net sales acceleration. Results were led by solid volume growth in H.P. Acthar Gel (repository corticosteroid injection), the inclusion of INOMAX (nitric oxide) gas for inhalation and Therakos immunotherapy platforms, and incremental volume growth for OFIRMEV (acetaminophen) injection. Specialty Brands results were partially offset by decreased net sales within the Specialty Generics and Nuclear Imaging segments.

GAAP net income from continuing operations for the quarter was $120.3 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, compared with $75.2 million, or $0.64 per diluted share. The increase principally reflects higher net sales and profits from recently acquired assets in the Specialty Brands segment and strong net sales and profit contribution from Acthar. In addition, selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs decreased due to ongoing restructuring and 2015 charges that did not recur in fiscal 2016. These factors were partially offset by higher interest expense resulting primarily from the debt associated with the acquisitions of INOMAX and Therakos, and the impairment of in-process research and development intangible assets acquired in our fiscal 2013 CNS Therapeutics, Inc. acquisition.

Adjusted net income for the quarter was $224.8 million, up 12.9% from $199.1 million. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $2.01, up 18.2% from $1.70.

During the quarter, the company repurchased 3.4 million shares under its share repurchase program.

"Mallinckrodt's performance in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was again very strong, driven by exceptional commercial execution across our Specialty Brands portfolio," said Mark Trudeau, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Each of the key branded products contributed volume growth  Acthar, INOMAX, Therakos and, notably, OFIRMEV  expanding patient access so more people may benefit from these drugs. The Specialty Brands segment continues to contribute nearly 60% of our total net sales.

"The strength of our growth strategy is evidenced by these results," Trudeau continued. "We continue to acquire under-resourced assets for underserved patient populations in areas of high unmet medical need. Then we invest in commercial and scientific support for these assets, including generating additional data and sponsoring clinical and health economic studies. By following this strategy and focusing on execution, we are making steady progress and creating near- and long-term value for patients and shareholders."

GAAP gross profit was $479.6 million for the quarter, up 3.6% over $462.9 million. This growth resulted from the addition and performance of both INOMAX and Therakos, and the performance of Acthar and OFIRMEV; partially offset by decreased gross profit from the Specialty Generics segment. Adjusted gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 71.4% versus 71.9%.

GAAP SG&A expenses for the quarter were $231.2 million, compared with $308.4 million. However, adjusted SG&A as a percentage of net sales for the quarter was 25.3%, an improvement of 250 basis points. The decrease in absolute SG&A expenses is primarily due to fiscal 2015 legal, environmental and equity costs  as well as benefits from restructuring  all partially offset by the addition of INOMAX and Therakos marketing and sales teams to the business.

Income tax benefit in the second quarter was $53.6 million, versus a benefit of $34.1 million. The adjusted effective tax rate was 15.7% compared to 20.2%.

Six-Month Fiscal 2016 Results

Net sales were $1.833 billion, up 15.5% compared with $1.587 billion. The increase came primarily through the inclusion and performance of INOMAX and Therakos, and continued net sales performance of Acthar. Specialty Brands results were partially offset by decreased net sales within the Specialty Generics segment.

On a GAAP basis, net income was $329.4 million, compared with $191.5 million. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $2.07 compared with $1.38.

On a non-GAAP basis, adjusted net income was $467.5 million, compared with $407.8 million. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $4.09, compared with $3.49, an increase of 17.2%.

Liquidity

In the first six months of fiscal 2016, Mallinckrodt generated $448.7 million in free cash flow, with $186.3 million in the second quarter. The company used a portion of this strong cash generation and the cash received from the divestiture of CMDS to repurchase $501.6 million of ordinary shares and to acquire the Hemostasis products. Mallinckrodt's cash balance at the end of the quarter was $341.4 million. The company's liquidity position remains quite strong and resilient, and management remains focused primarily on allocating capital to share repurchases, debt reduction and additional business development targets.

BUSINESS SEGMENT RESULTS

Specialty Brands Segment

The segment benefited from strong commercial execution throughout the second quarter with net sales increasing to $535.0 million, compared with $334.3 million, an increase of 60.0%. As noted, the increase in net sales was driven by the inclusion and performance of INOMAX and Therakos, which collectively generated net sales of $165.7 million. Additionally, Acthar net sales were $248.4 million in the quarter, an 8.9% increase over $228.0 million. Mallinckrodt's second largest product, INOMAX, generated net sales of $115.5 million, an increase of 13.8% reported over pro forma net sales of $101.5 million, and up 13.9% on a constant-currency basis. OFIRMEV net sales were $71.1 million compared with $68.1 million, an increase of 4.4%. Net sales of the Therakos immunotherapy product line were $50.2 million, which represents growth of 11.6% reported over pro forma net sales of $45.0 million, and up 13.0% on a constant-currency basis.

Specialty Generics Segment

Net sales for the segment in the second quarter decreased 27.1%, to $264.4 million, compared with $362.8 million, driven principally by net sales declines in various product categories due to increased competition. This quarter's comparison also reflects an exceptionally strong second quarter in fiscal 2015. Management continues to expect difficult year-over-year net sales comparisons in this segment moving forward.

Nuclear Imaging Segment

The company completed the sale of its CMDS business to Guerbet S.A. in November 2015. The financial results of the CMDS business are presented as a discontinued operation in both the current and prior fiscal year. The Global Medical Imaging segment was renamed Nuclear Imaging at the beginning of fiscal 2016.

Net sales for the second quarter fiscal 2016 for the Nuclear Imaging segment were $102.2 million, compared with $109.5 million.

GUIDANCE UPDATE

Management is raising its fiscal 2016 guidance for adjusted diluted earnings per share from the previous $7.85 to $8.30 to a revised range of $8.15 to $8.50.

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST

Mallinckrodt will hold a conference call for investors on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, beginning at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time. This call can be accessed in three ways:

At the Mallinckrodt website: http://www.mallinckrodt.com/investors .

website: . By telephone: For both listen-only participants and those who wish to take part in the question-and-answer portion of the call, the telephone dial-in number in the U.S. is (877) 359-9508. For participants outside the U.S., the dial-in number is (224) 357-2393. Callers will need to provide the Conference ID of 73221217.

Through an audio replay: A replay of the call will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern time on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 , and ending at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 . Dial-in numbers for U.S.-based participants are (855) 859-2056 or (800) 585-8367. Participants outside the U.S. should use the replay dial-in number (404) 537-3406. All callers will be required to provide the Conference ID of 73221217.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes specialty pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products and therapies, as well as nuclear imaging products. Areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology and pulmonology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics and hemostasis products; and central nervous system drugs. The company's core strengths include the acquisition and management of highly regulated raw materials and specialized chemistry, formulation and manufacturing capabilities. The company's Specialty Brands segment includes branded medicines; its Specialty Generics segment includes specialty generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients and external manufacturing; and the Nuclear Imaging segment includes nuclear imaging agents. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com .

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This press release contains financial measures, including adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted gross profit, adjusted SG&A, net sales growth on a constant-currency basis, adjusted effective tax rate, pro forma fiscal 2015 INOMAX net sales, pro forma fiscal 2015 Therakos net sales, and free cash flow, which are considered "non-GAAP" financial measures under applicable SEC rules and regulations.

Adjusted net income, adjusted gross profit and adjusted SG&A represent amounts prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (GAAP) and adjusted for certain items that management believes are not reflective of the operational performance of the business. The adjustments for these items are on a pre-tax basis for adjusted gross profit and adjusted SG&A and on an after-tax basis for adjusted net income. Adjustments to GAAP amounts include, as applicable to each measure, restructuring and related charges, net; amortization and impairment charges; discontinued operations; acquisition-related expenses; changes in fair value of contingent consideration obligations; inventory step-up expenses; significant legal and environmental charges; recurrent cash tax payments to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service associated with internal installment sales transactions; and other items identified by the company. Adjusted diluted earnings per share represent adjusted net income divided by the number of diluted shares.

The adjusted effective tax rate is calculated as the income tax effects on continuing and discontinued operations plus the income tax impact included in Mallinckrodt's reconciliation of net income, divided by income from continuing and discontinued operations plus the pre-tax, non-income, tax-related adjustments included in its reconciliation of adjusted net income (excluding dilutive share impact). The income tax impact item included in its reconciliation of adjusted net income primarily represents the tax impact of adjustments between net income and adjusted net income as well as U.S. tax payments associated with internal installment sale transactions.

Net sales growth on a constant-currency basis measures the change in net sales between current- and prior-year periods using a constant currency, the exchange rate in effect during the applicable prior-year period.

Pro forma second quarter fiscal 2015 INOMAX net sales represent $101.5 million of INOMAX net sales under its prior ownership. Pro forma second quarter fiscal 2015 Therakos net sales represent $45.0 million of its net sales under its prior ownership.

Free cash flow for the first six months of fiscal 2016 represents net cash provided by operating activities of $540.1 million less capital expenditures of $91.4 million, each as prepared in accordance with GAAP. For the second quarter, the company generated $228.7 million in net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures of $42.4 million.

The company has provided these adjusted financial measures because they are used by management, along with financial measures in accordance with GAAP, to evaluate the company's operating performance. In addition, the company believes that they will be used by certain investors to measure Mallinckrodt's operating results. Management believes that presenting these adjusted measures provides useful information about the company's performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by excluding items that the company does not believe are indicative of its core operating performance. These adjusted measures should be considered supplemental to and not a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. The company's definition of these adjusted measures may differ from similarly titled measures used by others.

Because adjusted financial measures exclude the effect of items that will increase or decrease the company's reported results of operations, management strongly encourages investors to review the company's consolidated financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety. A reconciliation of certain of these historical adjusted financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is included in the tables accompanying this release.

Cautionary Statements Related to Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this document that are not strictly historical, including statements regarding future financial condition and operating results, economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Mallinckrodt's businesses and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, may be "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.

There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include risks and uncertainties related to, among other things: general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which Mallinckrodt operates; the commercial success of Mallinckrodt's products; Mallinckrodt's ability to realize anticipated growth, synergies and cost savings from acquisitions; conditions that could necessitate an evaluation of Mallinckrodt's goodwill and/or intangible assets for possible impairment; changes in laws and regulations; Mallinckrodt's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of operations, technology, products and businesses generally and to realize anticipated growth, synergies and cost savings; Mallinckrodt's ability to successfully develop or commercialize new products; Mallinckrodt's ability to protect intellectual property rights; Mallinckrodt's ability to receive procurement and production quotas granted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; customer concentration; Mallinckrodt's reliance on certain individual products that are material to its financial performance; cost containment efforts of customers, purchasing groups, third-party payers and governmental organizations; the reimbursement practices of a small number of public or private insurers; limited clinical trial data for H.P. Acthar Gel; complex reporting and payment obligations under healthcare rebate programs; Mallinckrodt's ability to navigate price fluctuations; Mallinckrodt's ability to achieve expected benefits from restructuring activities; complex manufacturing processes; competition; product liability losses and other litigation liability; ongoing governmental investigations; material health, safety and environmental liabilities; retention of key personnel; conducting business internationally; and the effectiveness of information technology infrastructure.

These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2015. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Coleman N. Lannum, CFA

Senior Vice President, Investor Strategy and IRO

314-654-6649

[email protected]

Media

Rhonda Sciarra

Senior Communications Manager

314-654-8618

[email protected]

Meredith Fischer

Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs

314-654-3318

[email protected]

MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (unaudited, in millions, except per share data)













Three Months Ended

March 25, 2016 Percent of Net sales

March 27, 2015 Percent of Net sales Net sales $ 918.0

100.0 %

$ 819.0

100.0 % Cost of sales 438.4

47.8



356.1

43.5

Gross profit 479.6

52.2



462.9

56.5

Selling, general and administrative expenses 231.2

25.2



308.4

37.7

Research and development expenses 58.6

6.4



58.0

7.1

Restructuring charges, net 8.7

0.9



3.5

0.4

Non-restructuring impairment charges 16.9

1.8







Gains on divestiture and license (0.2)





(0.9)

(0.1)

Operating income 164.4

17.9



93.9

11.5

Interest expense (97.2)

(10.6)



(57.4)

(7.0)

Interest income 0.2





0.4



Other income (loss), net (0.7)

(0.1)



4.2

0.5

Income from continuing operations before income taxes 66.7

7.3



41.1

5.0

Income tax benefit (53.6)

(5.8)



(34.1)

(4.2)

Income from continuing operations 120.3

13.1



75.2

9.2

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes (2.0)

(0.2)



23.6

2.9

Net income $ 118.3

12.9 %

$ 98.8

12.1 %











Basic earnings per share:









Income from continuing operations $ 1.08





$ 0.64



Income (loss) from discontinued operations (0.02)





0.20



Net income 1.06





0.85



Diluted earnings per share:









Income from continuing operations $ 1.07





$ 0.64



Income (loss) from discontinued operations (0.02)





0.20



Net income 1.06





0.84



Weighted-average number of shares outstanding:









Basic 111.1





115.6



Diluted 112.0





117.2





























MALLINCKRODT PLC NON-GAAP MEASURES (unaudited, in millions except per share data)

























Three Months Ended

March 25, 2016

March 27, 2015

Gross profit Selling, general and administrative expenses Net income

Diluted net income per share

Gross profit Selling, general and administrative expenses Net income

Diluted net income per share GAAP $ 479.6

$ 231.2

$ 118.3



$ 1.06



$ 462.9

$ 308.4

$ 98.8



$ 0.84

Adjustments:





















Intangible asset amortization 173.2

(1.8)

175.0



1.56



121.8

(1.1)

122.9



1.05

Restructuring and related charges, net (1) 0.6

(1.1)

10.4



0.09







3.6



0.03

Inventory step-up expense 2.1



2.1



0.02



4.4



4.4



0.04

Incremental equity conversion costs 













(21.6)

21.6



0.18

Loss (income) from discontinued operations 



2.0



0.02







(23.6)



(0.20)

Non-restructuring impairment charges 



16.9



0.15













Change in contingent consideration fair value 

6.3

(6.3)



(0.06)













Acquisition related expenses 

(1.9)

1.9



0.02





(7.1)

7.1



0.06

Significant legal and environmental changes 













(51.3)

51.3



0.44

Income taxes (2) 



(95.5)



(0.85)







(85.2)



(0.73)

Dilutive share impact (3) 















(1.8)



(0.01)

As adjusted $ 655.5

$ 232.7

$ 224.8



$ 2.01



$ 589.1

$ 227.3

$ 199.1



$ 1.70

























Percent of net sales 71.4 % 25.3 % 24.5 %





71.9 % 27.8 % 24.3 %

























































(1) Includes pre-tax accelerated depreciation.



(2) Includes tax effects of above adjustments as well as the elimination of deferred tax benefits related to acquired intangibles. Deferred tax benefits are recognized not only on intangible asset amortization, but also on recurrent cash tax payments to the IRS associated with internal installment sale transactions.



(3) For the three months ended March 27, 2015, the diluted net income per share on a GAAP basis was required to be calculated using the two-class method of calculating net income per share. This method required $0.9 million of net income be allocated to participating securities for the three months ended March 27, 2015. This adjustment reflects this allocation and a similar allocation of the above adjustments. Using the two-class method, the weighted-average number of shares were 117.2 million for the three months ended March 27, 2015. Due to the fiscal 2015 vesting of equity awards that qualified as participating securities, the Company is no longer required to use the two-class method, and therefore applied the treasury stock method for the three months ended March 25, 2016.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SEGMENT NET SALES AND CONSTANT-CURRENCY GROWTH (unaudited, in millions)





















Three Months Ended













March 25, 2016

March 27, 2015

Percent change

Currency impact

Constant-currency growth Specialty Brands $ 535.0



$ 334.3



60.0 %

(0.3) %

60.3 % Specialty Generics 264.4



362.8



(27.1)



(0.6)



(26.5)

Nuclear Imaging 102.2



109.5



(6.7)



(1.3)



(5.4)



901.6



806.6



11.8



(0.6)



12.4

Other(1) 16.4



12.4



32.3







32.3

Net sales $ 918.0



$ 819.0



12.1 %

(0.6) %

12.7 %













































(1) Represents net sales from an ongoing, post-divestiture supply agreement with the acquirer of the CMDS business. Amounts for periods prior to the divestiture represent the reclassification of intercompany sales to third-party sales to conform with the expected presentation of the ongoing supply agreement.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SELECT PRODUCT LINE NET SALES (unaudited, in millions)





















Three Months Ended













March 25, 2016

March 27, 2015

Percent change

Currency impact

Constant-currency

growth Specialty Brands

















Acthar $ 248.4



$ 228.0



8.9 %

 %

8.9 % Inomax 115.5















 % Ofirmev 71.1



68.1



4.4







4.4 % Therakos immunotherapy 50.2















 % Hemostasis 11.4















 % Other 38.4



38.2



0.5



(0.1)



0.6 % Specialty Brands Total $ 535.0



$ 334.3



60.0 %

(0.3)%



60.3 %



















Specialty Generics

















Hydrocodone (API) and hydrocodone-containing tablets $ 40.8



$ 66.6



(38.7)%



 %

(38.7) % Oxycodone (API) and oxycodone-containing tablets 37.9



48.6



(22.0)







(22.0)

Methylphenidate ER 24.6



34.0



(27.6)







(27.6)

Other controlled substances 121.9



145.4



(16.2)







(16.2)

Other 39.2



68.2



(42.5)



(3.0)



(39.5)

Specialty Generics Total $ 264.4



$ 362.8



(27.1) %

(0.6) %

(26.5) %



















Nuclear Imaging Total $ 102.2



$ 109.5



(6.7) %

(1.3) %

(5.4) %

MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (unaudited, in millions, except per share data)













Six Months Ended

March 25, 2016 Percent of Net sales

March 27, 2015 Percent of Net sales Net sales $ 1,832.8

100.0 %

$ 1,587.2

100.0 % Cost of sales 861.5

47.0



719.5

45.3

Gross profit 971.3

53.0



867.7

54.7

Selling, general and administrative expenses 473.7

25.8



532.5

33.5

Research and development expenses 122.2

6.7



110.7

7.0

Restructuring charges, net 15.0

0.8



10.7

0.7

Non-restructuring impairment charges 16.9

0.9







Gains on divestiture and license (0.3)





(1.7)

(0.1)

Operating income 343.8

18.8



215.5

13.6

Interest expense (195.0)

(10.6)



(106.2)

(6.7)

Interest income 0.4





0.5



Other income, net 1.3

0.1



8.4

0.5

Income from continuing operations before income taxes 150.5

8.2



118.2

7.4

Income tax benefit (85.7)

(4.7)



(44.4)

(2.8)

Income from continuing operations 236.2

12.9



162.6

10.2

Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes 93.2

5.1



28.9

1.8

Net income $ 329.4

18.0 %

$ 191.5

12.1 %











Basic earnings per share:









Income from continuing operations $ 2.09





$ 1.40



Income from discontinued operations 0.82





0.25



Net income 2.91





1.65



Diluted earnings per share:









Income from continuing operations $ 2.07





$ 1.38



Income from discontinued operations 0.82





0.25



Net income 2.88





1.62



Weighted-average number of shares outstanding:









Basic 113.2





115.2



Diluted 114.2





116.8





























MALLINCKRODT PLC NON-GAAP MEASURES (unaudited, in millions except per share data)

























Six Months Ended

March 25, 2016

March 27, 2015

Gross profit Selling, general and administrative expenses Net income

Diluted net income per share

Gross profit Selling,

general

and

administrative

expenses Net income





Diluted net income per share GAAP $ 971.3

$ 473.7

$ 329.4



$ 2.88



$ 867.7

$ 532.5

$ 191.5



$ 1.62

Adjustments:





















Intangible asset amortization 344.8

(3.6)

348.4



3.05



245.3

(2.4)

247.7



2.12

Restructuring and related charges, net (1) 0.6

(1.1)

16.8



0.15







10.9



0.09

Inventory step-up expense 18.3



18.3



0.16



35.2



35.2



0.30

Incremental equity conversion costs 













(45.4)

45.4



0.39

Income from discontinued operations 



(93.2)



(0.82)







(28.9)



(0.25)

Non-restructuring impairment charges 



16.9



0.15













Change in contingent consideration fair value 

6.3

(6.3)



(0.06)













Acquisition related expenses 

(3.0)

3.0



0.03





(7.1)

7.1



0.06

Significant legal and environmental changes 

(11.5)

11.5



0.10





(51.3)

51.3



0.44

Income taxes (2) 



(177.3)



(1.55)







(148.3)



(1.27)

Dilutive share impact (3) 















(4.1)



(0.02)

As adjusted $ 1,335.0

$ 460.8

$ 467.5



$ 4.09



$ 1,148.2

$ 426.3

$ 407.8



$ 3.49

























Percent of net sales 72.8 % 25.1 % 25.5 %





72.3 % 26.9 % 25.7 %

























































(1) Includes pre-tax accelerated depreciation.



(2) Includes tax effects of above adjustments as well as the elimination of deferred tax benefits related to acquired intangibles. Deferred tax benefits are recognized not only on intangible asset amortization, but also on recurrent cash tax payments to the IRS associated with internal installment sale transactions.



(3) For the six months ended March 27, 2015, the diluted net income per share on a GAAP basis was required to be calculated using the two-class method of calculating net income per share. This method required $1.9 million of net income be allocated to participating securities for the six months ended March 27, 2015. This adjustment reflects this allocation and a similar allocation of the above adjustments. Using the two-class method, the weighted-average number of shares were 116.8 million for the six months ended March 27, 2015. Due to the fiscal 2015 vesting of equity awards that qualified as participating securities, the Company is no longer required to use the two-class method, and therefore applied the treasury stock method for the six months ended March 27, 2015.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SEGMENT NET SALES AND CONSTANT-CURRENCY GROWTH (unaudited, in millions)





















Six Months Ended













March 25, 2016

March 27, 2015

Percent change

Currency impact

Constant-

currency

growth Specialty Brands $ 1,078.2



$ 707.9



52.3 %

(0.3) %

52.6 % Specialty Generics 522.0



647.0



(19.3)



(0.8)



(18.5)

Nuclear Imaging 205.8



211.4



(2.6)



(2.8)



0.2



1,806.0



1,566.3



15.3



(0.9)



16.2

Other(1) 26.8



20.9



28.2







28.2

Net sales $ 1,832.8



$ 1,587.2



15.5 %

(0.9) %

16.4 %













































(1) Represents net sales from an ongoing, post-divestiture supply agreement with the acquirer of the CMDS business. Amounts for periods prior to the divestiture represent the reclassification of intercompany sales to third-party sales to conform with the expected presentation of the ongoing supply agreement.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SELECT PRODUCT LINE NET SALES (unaudited, in millions)





















Six Months Ended













March 25, 2016

March 27, 2015

Percent change

Currency impact

Constant-currency growth Specialty Brands

















Acthar $ 535.1



$ 494.4



8.2 %

 %

8.2 % Inomax 226.3















 % Ofirmev 138.0



139.5



(1.1)







(1.1)%

Therakos immunotherapy 100.6















 % Hemostasis 11.4















 % Other 66.8



74.0



(9.7)



(0.5)



(9.2)%

Specialty Brands Total $ 1,078.2



$ 707.9



52.3 %

(0.3)%



52.6 %



















Specialty Generics

















Hydrocodone (API) and hydrocodone-containing tablets $ 77.5



$ 100.6



(23.0) %

 %

(23.0) % Oxycodone (API) and oxycodone-containing tablets 66.8



95.6



(30.1)







(30.1)

Methylphenidate ER 55.8



82.6



(32.4)







(32.4)

Other controlled substances 231.6



257.3



(10.0)







(10.0)

Other 90.3



110.9



(18.6)



(4.9)



(13.7)

Specialty Generics Total $ 522.0



$ 647.0



(19.3) %

(0.8) %

(18.5) %



















Nuclear Imaging Total $ 205.8



$ 211.4



(2.6) %

(2.8) %

0.2 %

MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited, in millions)









March 25, 2016

September 25, 2015 Assets





Current Assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 341.4



$ 365.9

Accounts receivable, net 503.5



548.5

Inventories 377.1



281.8

Deferred income taxes 116.3



142.7

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 205.6



207.3

Current assets held for sale 1.0



299.9

Total current assets 1,544.9



1,846.1

Property, plant and equipment, net 999.4



991.3

Goodwill 3,645.3



3,649.4

Intangible assets, net 9,425.3



9,666.3

Other assets 288.7



251.0

Total Assets $ 15,903.6



$ 16,404.1









Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity





Current Liabilities:





Current maturities of long-term debt $ 21.6



$ 22.3

Accounts payable 118.0



133.0

Accrued payroll and payroll-related costs 99.6



103.7

Accrued interest 98.3



80.2

Accrued and other current liabilities 549.5



517.4

Current liabilities held for sale 5.1



72.8

Total current liabilities 892.1



929.4

Long-term debt 6,409.6



6,474.3

Pension and postretirement benefits 132.7



116.7

Environmental liabilities 72.5



73.3

Deferred income taxes 2,872.2



3,132.4

Other income tax liabilities 118.3



121.3

Other liabilities 308.3



245.5

Total Liabilities 10,805.7



11,092.9

Shareholders' Equity:





Preferred shares 





Ordinary shares 23.6



23.5

Ordinary shares held in treasury at cost (611.3)



(109.7)

Additional paid-in capital 5,382.4



5,357.6

Retained earnings 368.3



38.9

Accumulated other comprehensive income (65.1)



0.9

Total Shareholders' Equity 5,097.9



5,311.2

Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 15,903.6



$ 16,404.1



MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (unaudited, in millions)









Six Months Ended

March 25, 2016

March 27, 2015 Cash Flows From Operating Activities:





Net income $ 329.4



$ 191.5

Adjustments to reconcile net cash provided by operating activities:





Depreciation and amortization 417.5



301.2

Share-based compensation 19.8



65.9

Deferred income taxes (224.0)



(124.2)

Non-cash impairment charges 16.9





Gain on disposal of discontinued operations (97.4)





Other non-cash items 9.2



(59.6)

Changes in assets and liabilities, net of the effects of acquisitions:





Accounts receivable, net 50.6



(29.8)

Inventories 1.3



42.3

Accounts payable (16.2)



19.1

Income taxes 71.9



82.3

Other (38.9)



(123.2)

Net cash provided by operating activities 540.1



365.5

Cash Flows From Investing Activities:





Capital expenditures (91.4)



(55.1)

Acquisitions and intangibles, net of cash acquired (170.1)





Proceeds from disposal of discontinued operations, net of cash 269.8





Restricted cash 21.1



0.4

Other 4.6



1.7

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 34.0



(53.0)

Cash Flows From Financing Activities:





Issuance of external debt 78.4



80.0

Repayment of external debt and capital leases (151.5)



(63.5)

Debt financing costs (0.1)



(0.4)

Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation 



20.2

Proceeds from exercise of share options 6.3



20.6

Repurchase of shares (501.6)



(12.3)

Other (30.0)



(4.0)

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (598.5)



40.6

Effect of currency rate changes on cash (0.1)



(7.4)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents (24.5)



345.7

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 365.9



707.8

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 341.4



$ 1,053.5



MALLINCKRODT PLC HISTORICAL PRO FORMA NET SALES (1) (unaudited, in millions)











Three Months Ended (2)

December 26, 2014 March 27, 2015 June 26, 2015 September 25, 2015 Inomax (3) $ 95.7

$ 101.5

$ 98.1

$ 103.7

Therakos immunotherapy 48.2

45.0

46.2

46.1

Hemostasis products (4) 17.9

16.3

15.9

15.4







(1) Mallinckrodt may from time to time reference pro forma net sales in its public communications, which is considered a "non-GAAP" financial measure under applicable SEC rules and regulations. Pro forma net sales is a key financial measure used by management to assess net sales growth, and represents net sales of acquired products or businesses as if the product or business had been owned by Mallinckrodt for the entire period presented. This adjusted measure should be considered supplemental to and not a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. Mallinckrodt's definition of this adjusted measure may differ from similarly titled measures used by others. Unless otherwise noted, amounts in the table represent historical pro forma net sales prior to Mallinckrodt's acquisition and are excluded from Mallinckrodt's historical financial information.



(2) Unless otherwise noted, the periods presented above represents the three calendar months most closely aligned to Mallinckrodt's fiscal periods, as the prior owners utilized calendar month end reporting. As such the periods presented above included 92, 90, 91 and 92 days for the three months ended December 26, 2014, March 27, 2015, June 26, 2015 and September 25, 2015, respectively, instead of 91 days in Mallinckrodt's three months ended for those periods.



(3) Inomax pro forma net sales for the three months ended June 26, 2015, included only 87 days as this represented the period it was acquired by Mallinckrodt and converted from calendar reporting to Mallinckrodt's fiscal periods. The three months ended June 26, 2015 included $16.7 million of net sales prior to the acquisition (April 1, 2015 through April 15, 2015) that are excluded from Mallinckrodt's historical financial information and $81.5 million of post-acquisition net sales (April 16, 2015 through June 26, 2015) that are included within Mallinckrodt's historical financial information. The Inomax net sales for the three months ended September 25, 2015 (June 27, 2015 through September 25, 2015) are fully included within Mallinckrodt's historical financial information.



(4) Represents historical net sales of Recothrom.

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SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc

Related Links

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WEBSTER, Mass., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of MAPFRE S.A. has approved the following appointments, which will take effect on January 1, 2017.

INTERNATIONAL TERRITORIAL AREA

Jaime Tamayo has been promoted to CEO of the INTERNATIONAL Territorial Area of MAPFRE. In his new responsibilities, Mr. Tamayo will oversee three Regions at MAPFRE: the North America Region, the EMEA Region comprising Europe, Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific Region. He will succeed Javier Fernandez-Cid in this position, who will retire at the end of the year. Jaime Tamayo is currently the CEO of MAPFRE USA Corp. and CEO of MAPFRE's North America Region.

Since joining MAPFRE in 1993, Mr. Tamayo has held a number of executive positions in Puerto Rico and the U.S. He has been leading MAPFRE's operations in the United States since 2001 and in January 2014, he assumed additional regional responsibility as CEO of MAPFRE North America (USA, Canada and Puerto Rico), overseeing revenues in excess of $3.1 billion.

As CEO of MAPFRE USA, Mr. Tamayo has been instrumental in the substantial expansion of MAPFRE's business in the U.S. from a nominal presence in early 2008 to achieving revenues exceeding $2.3 billion in 2015. Under his direction, MAPFRE solidified its leadership position in Massachusetts where MAPFRE is the largest Auto, Homeowners and Commercial Auto insurer and the company expanded its presence outside Massachusetts where it now does business in 19 states. MAPFRE USA also launched U.S. Life Insurance operations in 2015. MAPFRE's brand recognition in the United States saw a threefold increase during Mr. Tamayo's tenure. He also spearheaded the distribution transformation of MAPFRE USA, launching new channels including entering the increasingly important digital channel.

NORTH AMERICA REGIONAL AREA

Alfredo Castelo, as CEO of MAPFRE USA Corp. and CEO of the North America Region.

Mr. Tamayo will be succeeded by Alfredo Castelo, who is currently CEO of MAPFRE Global Risks. Mr. Castelo holds a degree in economics and actuarial sciences.

Mr. Castelo joined MAPFRE as a Deputy Manager in the MAPFRE INDUSTRIAL General Management in 2004. During his career at MAPFRE, he has had considerable international experience and has held a number of executive level positions including CEO of MAPFRE CAUCION Y CREDITO as well as senior management positions at MAPFRE EMPRESAS and MAPFRE INTERNACIONAL. In October 2010 he was appointed Third Vice Chairman of the Global Businesses Management Committee. Mr. Castelo also serves as Vice Chairman of Solunion.

All changes will take effect on January 1, 2017.

ABOUT MAPFRE INSURANCE

MAPFRE Insurance, rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company, actively writes property and casualty insurance in 19 states across the United States through a network of more than 4,200 independent agents and brokers. MAPFRE Insurance is the 19th largest provider of personal automobile insurance and the 20th largest personal lines insurer in the United States. MAPFRE Insurance is also the largest private passenger automobile insurer, homeowners' insurer and commercial automobile insurer in Massachusetts. MAPFRE Insurance provides a full range of insurance products, including coverage for automobiles, homes, motorcycles, watercraft and businesses, as well as term life insurance. MAPFRE Insurance is part of the MAPFRE Group, an international insurer with business in 49 countries on five continents. The MAPFRE Group is the leading insurer in Spain. It is also the leading insurer in the non-life market in Latin America and the sixth largest non-life insurer in Europe. The MAPFRE Group has over 36,000 employees and over 23 million customers worldwide. In 2015, the MAPFRE Group had net earnings of over $780 million with revenues of approximately $30 billion.

Website: mapfreinsurance.com | Hashtag: #MAPFREins | Facebook.com/mapfreins |

YouTube: /mapfreins

Contact:

Linda Johnson

Assistant Vice President

MAPFRE Insurance

508.949.4982

[email protected]

SOURCE MAPFRE

Related Links

http://www.mapfreinsurance.com


GREENFIELD, Mass., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield (MAVA), an accredited online public school, has opened enrollment for the 2016-2017 school year. Now starting its sixth year of operation MAVA provides students statewide in grades K-12 with a high-quality online alternative to the traditional brick and mortar school setting. By combining award-winning curriculum, hands-on materials, instruction from state-licensed teachers and the support of a strong school community, MAVA provides an individualized education for each student.

"We meet the needs of diverse learners by encouraging critical thinking, curiosity and an independent learning style," said Carl Tillona, the Executive Director at MAVA. "This approach can be perfect for families that want a 'best-fit' education solution."

MAVA provides a rigorous, engaging curriculum, including courses in language arts/English, math, science, history, world languages, art and music, as well as high school electives and Advanced Placement courses. Students each receive an individualized learning plan designed to enhance academic strengths and address weaknesses.

High school students follow the Massachusetts High School Program of Studies (MassCore), which is intended to fully prepare high school graduates for college or a career. The core academic offering  online college preparatory courses, Advanced Placement courses and electives -- is bolstered by a strong support system that includes subject-specific teachers, grade level advisors and counselors. Students graduate with a high school diploma that is recognized nationally. In 2015, MAVA graduates attended post-secondary options such as Boston University, the University of New England, the University of Vermont, University of Massachusetts-Boston and Northeastern University.

"Our elementary school students are encouraged to develop solid study habits and to express themselves creatively," Tillona said. "In middle school we begin to offer them a bit more autonomy and by high school they are able to work both independently and in small groups, just as they will in college."

MAVA organizes opportunities for families to get together in local groups, including teacher-led excursions and educational or recreational activities throughout the year. Students can join extra-curricular clubs that meet online, as well as take part in the more traditional school experiences, including spelling bee, art competitions and a graduation ceremony.

To help families learn more about the program, MAVA will host information sessions and community events around the state, as well as several online information sessions. For details, visit the school website: http://mava.k12.com/

About Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield

Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield (MAVA) is an accredited, full-time online public school program that serves students in grades K through 12. As part of the Massachusetts public school system, MAVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about MAVA, visit http://mava.k12.com/.

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SOURCE Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield

Related Links

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PALO ALTO, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MetricStream Chief Evangelist, French Caldwell, has been invited to speak at the National Fintech Cyber Security Summit, taking place on May 3, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. The one-day event will examine core challenges in fintech and cyber security, identifying global capability needs and gaps in Australian cyber survivability, and positioning Australia globally as a hub for fintech cyber security innovation.

Mr. Caldwell will join a distinguished lineup of speakers at the event, including Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, Dr. Alan Finkel, Australia's Chief Scientist, and Lynwen Connick, First Assistant Secretary Cyber Policy and Intelligence in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The summit is being hosted by Data61 and Stone & Chalk with partners KPMG and the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce (AICC).

Recently, Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, announced a A$230 million (US $178 million) cyber security campaign to promote a coordinated approach to online data protection. This is good news for the financial services industry, which, perhaps more than any other industry, stands to profit from robust cybersecurity measures, especially in a digital, mobile, and global business landscape. Fintech companies have a remarkable opportunity at this time to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions that solve some of today's most pressing security concerns.

At the summit, Mr. Caldwell will speak on the topic of, "What is the Impact of Disruptive Technologies on Fintech Cybersecurity Innovation." He will also join a panel discussion, featuring Dr. Ben Rubinstein, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne, and moderated by Daniella Traino, Lead  Cyber Security, Business Development & Innovation, Data61.

"I'm delighted to be a part of this esteemed gathering of academic, industry, and government leaders, as we seek to shape the future of fintech cybersecurity innovation," said Mr. Caldwell. He continued, "Across countries, cybersecurity is one of the biggest challenges facing financial services companies. If we are to develop practical and long-lasting solutions, then collaboration and innovation will be key. Australia is taking an important step in that direction through this summit, and I look forward to the discussions and insights ahead."

Mr. Caldwell is widely considered to be one of the foremost leaders in IT who has played a significant role in shaping the GRC market for the last 12 years. Before joining MetricStream, Mr. Caldwell was a Fellow and Vice President at Gartner where he led the company's GRC research, including the influential Gartner Magic Quadrant on GRC, as well as research into disruptive technology.

About MetricStream

MetricStream is the market leader in enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management Solutions. MetricStream solutions are used by leading global corporations in diverse industries such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Energy and Utilities, Food, Retail, CPG, Government, Hi-Tech and Manufacturing to manage their risk management programs, quality management processes, regulatory and industry-mandated compliance and other corporate governance initiatives. MetricStream is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA (www.metricstream.com).

Media Contact:

Molly Palm: Email| (925) 451-1468

SOURCE MetricStream

Related Links

http://www.metricstream.com


LAS VEGAS, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Las Vegas Defense Group, a criminal defense law firm that defends clients against DUI and other criminal charges, announced that Las Vegas criminal defense attorney Michael Becker is the only attorney in the U.S. with a perfect 100 rating on Lawyer.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362361

Lawyer.com is a leading directory service helping consumers find qualified attorneys in a variety of practice areas. The website currently lists 1.7 million attorneys in 138 practice areas.

Becker joined the Las Vegas Defense Group in 2009 and serves as lead criminal defense counsel for the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers (NAPSO). Last year, he was recognized as one of the National Trial Lawyers' "Top 100" Criminal Defense Attorneys, the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys' "10 Best Attorneys for Client Satisfaction," and the National Advocacy for DUI Defense's "Nationally Ranked Superior DUI Attorneys."

Becker received his B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Southern California and his J.D. degree from the University of Miami Law School. He is a member of the bars in Nevada, California, Colorado and Florida and a Life member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

The attorneys at the Las Vegas Defense Group defend people against criminal charges ranging from DUI and criminal traffic charges to murder, assault, sex crimes, domestic violence, drug crimes, fraud, theft and juvenile offenses.

The Las Vegas Defense Group is part of the Shouse Law Group with offices in Nevada and California, including Las Vegas, Reno, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, Riverside, San Diego, Orange County, and the San Francisco Bay area. The Shouse Law Group handles misdemeanor, felony, DUI and juvenile cases throughout Nevada and California.

For more information, visit 702defense.com.

Contact:

David Kohlmeier

Las Vegas Defense Group, L.L.C.

702-400-7474

Email

SOURCE Las Vegas Defense Group
DENVER, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West announced today the promotion of Executive Vice President Mike Wamsganz as Rocky Mountain Division Executive in the bank's Regional Banking Group within the Consumer Banking Division. Reporting to George Stanfield, Head of Retail Banking, in the bank's Consumer Banking Division, Wamsganz will oversee retail banking strategy in the Rocky Mountain region which spans five states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

"Mike brings years of outstanding banking experience to this role," said George Stanfield. "Having worked in our Denver office for eight years, he has extensive knowledge of our products and services and our clients' needs. These attributes combined with his strong leadership capabilities will help our business continue to grow in this region. As a long-time resident of the Denver area, Mike understands the Denver market and is actively involved with several local organizations. He is an asset to the community."

Wamsganz joined Bank of the West in 2008 and most recently worked in the bank's Small-and- Medium Enterprise Division as Group Manager for seven business banking regions, spanning 13 states. He also has broad experience in Treasury Management, and has held leadership positions in commercial and retail banking for other financial services organizations.

Wamsganz holds a bachelor's of science degree in Business Marketing from Southeast Missouri State University and has completed the Pacific Coast Banking School Corporate Finance program.

In 2015, Bank of the West was recognized as one of America's most reputable banks in the Reputation Institute/American Banker Survey, and was named a top retail bank for customer satisfaction in the inaugural Net Advocacy Rating award from the MSR Group.

About Bank of the West

Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $75.7 billion in assets as of December 31, 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees. Follow us on Twitter: @BankoftheWest

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SOURCE Bank of the West

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Turkish lawmaker: Door of Genocide recognition is not open (video)

If you haven't accepted your former mistakes, you cannot speak about progress. This is the reaction of Turkeys Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker Ertugrul Kurkcu every time, when the authorities of his country speak of democracy, defense of human rights and reforms. Saying former mistake, the Turkish lawmaker bears in mind the Armenian Genocide. The representatives of the pro-Kurdish party dont refrain from using the word genocide while speaking about the atrocity of 1915. Though the fact of the Armenian Genocide is discussed in different circles of Turkey, the door of recognition is not open yet. The recognition is far from being official, it is only at the public level, he says. His party is for the settlement of relations with Armenia, and declares that the Armenian-Turkish relations shouldnt depend on the Artsakh issue. By the way, Ertugrul Kurkcu is the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegate, who was reprimanded by Turkeys Prime Minister. In mid-April in Strasbourg Ahmet Davutoglu offered him to ask his question in Turkish and didnt accept the criticism on the use of violence against the Kurds. Ertugrul Kurkcu advises him to remember before boasting that the delegates read the PACE reports on Turkey. Watch the video for more details!
WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The million solar systems now installed in the United States provide enough electricity to power the entire state of Pennsylvania, according to a report issued by the George Washington Solar Institute. The report is timed with the solar community's launch of the #MillionSolarStrong campaign, which celebrates the fact that the industry has raced past a million installations and is rapidly accelerating toward 2 million.

#MillionSolarStrong, which has been more than 40 years in the making, recognizes rooftop and utility-scale projects alike, built in cities and in rural America, in high-income and low-income zip codes, with voters far to the right and far to the left, and everything in between. And in every case solar provides communities with clean energy, jobs, economic activity and tax revenue. This trend will only continue as Americans continue to adopt solar at record rates.

"The idea that we are celebrating a million solar installations in this country is remarkable, given we had just a couple thousand when I started here a dozen years ago," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). "This accomplishment is made all the more stunning with the projections indicating we will hit 2 million installations before the end of 2018. Our meteoric growth is driven by the fact that solar is one of the lowest cost options for electricity and it has been embraced by people who care about the environment and want to choose where their energy is coming from."

In addition to the GW Solar Institute report, the solar community is launching a massive social media push with close to 100 million expected impressions. The social media offerings will feature photos and videos from some of the people behind the #MillionSolarStrong campaign and we expect several high-profile individuals and organizations to chime in from across the ideological spectrum. Stay tuned for other announcements later this week.

Key points from the George Washington Solar Institute report are that:

installation costs for solar have dropped more than 70 percent in the last decade;

solar jobs have grown more than 123 percent in the last five years, making solar one of the bright spots in the economy; and

the million installations have cut enough carbon to equal all of Oregon's emissions.

The 1 million installations generate enough electricity to power more than 5.9 million homes, and continued growth in solar means that by 2020, America will generate enough electricity to power 20 million homes. All told there are 209,000 Americans working in solar jobs, and that number is expected to double to 420,000 by 2021.

About SEIA:

Celebrating its 42nd anniversary in 2016, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to champion the use of clean, affordable solar in America by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

SOURCE Solar Energy Industries Association

Related Links

http://www.seia.org


The first All-Electric CTEC work truck was recently delivered to the City of Santa Ana California, as a part of a California Energy Commission grant that also supplied the first three shuttle buses for the Mountain View Community Shuttle program (partially funded by Google ). The All-Electric work truck is used regularly by the City of Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Department.

"We are excited to be offering all-electric versions of our existing work trucks to customers," said Rick Anderson, President, of California Truck Equipment Company. "The Motiv-powered work truck looks and functions just like its gasoline counterpart, making it simple for our customers to fit them into their existing fleets. The maintenance truck for the City of Santa Ana has proved to be very reliable, and we look forward to building more."





Meanwhile, the first Rockport All-Electric Box Truck will allow fleet operators located in and visiting the San Francisco Bay Area to gain a first-hand experience of what it's like to drive a state-of-the-art all-electric vehicle. Motiv will make the box truck available for test drives through demonstrations and short-term leases to support fleets in making the decision to add electric vehicles.





"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to show fleets that going electric doesn't have to mean a big change in operations. Instead a new, zero-emission vehicle can fit seamlessly within their existing infrastructure," said Jim Castelaz, CEO of Motiv Power Systems. "Commercial fleets rely on consistency within their vehicles and operations, so having familiar OEM vehicle builders like Rockport and CTEC now offering all-electric vehicles is a game changer. It minimizes personnel training and maintenance on these new all-electric vehicles while maximizing fuel savings and reducing air pollution."

Because the City of Santa Ana maintenance work truck and the box truck share the same Ford E450 chassis, they have similar specifications. The vehicles feature 1,200Nm of torque and a top speed of 60 miles per hour. Each has a GVWR of 14,500 pounds, and a payload capacity of 7,890 for the maintenance truck and 7,600 pounds for the box truck. The on-board charger can charge the vehicles up to 50 percent within two hours and a full charge within eight hours, without the need to install costly charging equipment at the fleet depot.

In addition to the Ford E450 chassis, the Motiv All-Electric Powertrain has higher-power upfit packages available for the Ford F59 and Crane Carrier COE2 class 8 chassis. Like the E450 All-Electric Powertrain, these configurations include batteries, electric motors, universal charging compatibility, and electric power for hydraulics, heating and air conditioning units, plus brackets and cables - all of the components needed to transform a chassis from fossil-fuel-powered to zero-emission all-electric drive. The Motiv All-Electric Powertrain is professionally installed to OEM standards at the time of the vehicle's manufacture.

Named one of Popular Science's Best of What's New technologies, the Motiv All-Electric Powertrain has successfully been used in school buses, shuttle buses, delivery trucks, maintenance trucks and North America's only all-electric refuse truck deployed by the City of Chicago.





ABOUT MOTIV POWER SYSTEMS

Founded in 2009 and based in Foster City, CA, Motiv Power Systems designs and builds flexible and scalable All-Electric Powertrains for commercial medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses. Motiv partners with existing truck builders who manufacture electric versions of their traditional fossil-fueled vehicles on their current assembly lines using the Motiv All-Electric Powertrain. Common vehicle types from these builders include work, delivery and refuse trucks, as well as school and shuttle buses. The Motiv All-Electric Powertrain is installed at the time of vehicle manufacture, similar to a natural gas or propane upfit. For more information and career opportunities, please visit www.motivps.com and follow us on Twitter @motivps, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT California Truck Equipment Company (CTEC)

CTEC is a 40 year old family-owned company building high quality custom truck bodies. They build all kinds of service and work trucks, plumbing and electrical vans on several different chassis'. Motiv has partnered with CTEC to build electrified versions of these trucks.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362623

SOURCE Motiv Power Systems

Related Links

http://www.motivps.com


SEATTLE, WA and OTTAWA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Nesta Holding Co. Ltd., a private equity firm targeting the US cannabis industry, today announced its acquisition of Wikileaf, the leading price comparison website for licensed recreational and medicinal marijuana consumers. This first landmark acquisition catapults Nesta into this lucrative US market. It will enable the company to readily identify and catalyze the growth of high potential firms in this industry, and capitalize on the budding legalized cannabis market which could inject up to $44 billion into the US economy by the end of the decade1.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362842LOGO

"Online advertising platforms such as Google and Facebook are constrained from providing digital advertising services to cannabis dispensaries that seek to promote their inventory and pricing," said Chuck Rifici, Chairman and CEO of Nesta. "This inhibits market access, product discovery and customer engagement. Wikileaf solves this problem masterfully with a simple tool that puts customized information directly in the hands of consumers. It is an invaluable resource for cannabis dispensaries and the many clients they serve  and for Nesta's growing portfolio."

Wikileaf was founded in 2014 by Seattle native Daniel Nelson as a way to bring price transparency to the cannabis industry. Since its inception, the organization has created 176 marketplaces across 11 states, with new dispensaries signing up daily. To date, 24 US states have legalized use of the marijuana for medical purposes, creating a wealth of market opportunity for Wikileaf.

"Just as travelers tour price comparison websites to find the cheapest flights and hotels, cannabis consumers use Wikileaf to find the right marijuana strain at the best price, and dispensaries and delivery services within their geographic region," said Dan Nelson, CEO of Wikileaf. "It is the only website of its kind that facilitates rapid and effective access to legalized recreational and medical marijuana."

Leveraging its strong growth trajectory and traction, Wikileaf is already hiring additional mobile developers and community outreach teams that target key states, new marketplaces and untapped opportunity. With Nesta's investment and management support, the Wikileaf platform will continue to improve and expand at an accelerated pace, enabling the company to penetrate new markets and add greater value to cannabis dispensaries and their customers.

About Nesta

Nesta Holding Co. Ltd. is a private equity firm that builds partnerships and brands within the U.S. cannabis space. Nesta was founded in 2015 by Chuck Rifici, co-founder and former CEO of Canopy Growth Corporation (formerly Tweed Marijuana Inc.). Nesta's mission is to acquire, cultivate and monetize consumer cannabis opportunities that could achieve long-term benefit from the changing U.S. regulatory environment. The firm aims to be the premiere partner for companies aspiring to create and shape the budding legalized cannabis industry. For more information, please visit: www.nesta.co.

About Wikileaf

Wikileaf is a price comparison website for recreational and medicinal cannabis users. Wikileaf provides consumers with instant price comparison among dispensaries in their immediate vicinity. For more information, please visit: www.wikileaf.com.

1 https://www.rt.com/business/335683-marijuana-economy-impact-billions/

SOURCE Nesta Holding Co. Ltd.

Related Links

nesta.co


IRVINE, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The analysts at Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today report the estimated average transaction price (ATP) for light vehicles in the United States was $33,865 in April 2016. New-car prices have increased by $620 (up 1.9 percent) from April 2015, while increasing $74 (up 0.2 percent) from last month.

"April 2016 continues to show steady improvement in average transaction prices for nearly all manufacturers, with particularly strong numbers for the Detroit automakers," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "Even though gas prices rose slightly in April, truck segments saw the largest year-over-year increases, with mid-size trucks climbing nearly 7 percent on average. This segment is on the rise, as consumers who don't need a full-size truck are finding they can still get many amenities and plenty of utility from the new mid-size trucks now available."

Among all major automakers, Fiat Chrysler had the largest increase in transaction prices at 4.8 percent year-over-year. The Dodge brand increased 4 percent on its large cars, the Charger (up 5 percent) and Challenger (up 8 percent), while RAM grew 5 percent on a larger mix of the pricier crew cab configuration for its pickup truck.

General Motors' transaction prices rose a healthy 4.6 percent in April 2016, with all brands moving upward except Buick, which was flat. The all-new Chevrolet Camaro had the biggest increase at 10 percent, while the Silverado gained 6 percent on a strong mix of crew cab sales. These helped push the Chevrolet brand up 6 percent at $35,943.

Lastly, Ford Motor Company jumped 2.1 percent, thanks to strong numbers from the Explorer, which was up 5 percent. Ford's biggest seller, the F-Series, was up 1.5 percent. Lincoln also had a good month, as pricing increased 5 percent to $46,901, with the biggest increase coming from the MKX at 9 percent.

Segment April 2016 Transaction Price (Avg.)* March 2016 Transaction Price (Avg.)* April 2015 Transaction Price (Avg.)* Percent Change March 2016 to April 2016* Percent Change April 2015 to April 2016* Compact Car $20,157 $20,297 $20,415 -0.7% -1.3% Compact SUV/Crossover $27,706 $27,558 $27,164 0.5% 2.0% Electric Vehicle $39,203 $38,770 $39,748 1.1% -1.4% Entry-level Luxury Car $40,753 $40,641 $40,922 0.3% -0.4% Full-size Car $34,163 $34,326 $33,448 -0.5% 2.1% Full-size Pickup Truck $46,584 $46,447 $44,807 0.3% 4.0% Full-size SUV/Crossover $59,661 $59,416 $59,059 0.4% 1.0% High Performance Car $92,571 $93,144 $91,836 -0.6% 0.8% High-end Luxury Car $91,606 $92,977 $91,729 -1.5% -0.1% Hybrid/Alternative Energy Car $26,179 $26,506 $25,172 -1.2% 4.0% Luxury Car $56,298 $56,951 $56,151 -1.1% 0.3% Luxury Compact SUV/Crossover $41,184 $41,173 $41,533 0.0% -0.8% Luxury Full-size SUV/Crossover $85,120 $84,358 $84,880 0.9% 0.3% Luxury Mid-size SUV/Crossover $56,550 $55,975 $54,633 1.0% 3.5% Mid-size Car $25,058 $25,073 $25,073 -0.1% -0.1% Mid-size Pickup Truck $31,573 $31,524 $29,586 0.2% 6.7% Mid-size SUV/Crossover $36,872 $36,906 $35,925 -0.1% 2.6% Minivan $32,558 $32,431 $32,322 0.4% 0.7% Sports Car $34,938 $34,689 $33,459 0.7% 4.4% Subcompact Car $15,292 $15,239 $15,497 0.3% -1.3% Subcompact SUV/Crossover $24,970 $24,875 $25,054 0.4% -0.3% Van $32,189 $33,323 $31,883 -3.4% 1.0% Grand Total $33,865 $33,791 $33,245 0.2% 1.9% *Kelley Blue Book Average Transaction Prices do not include applied consumer incentives

To discuss this topic, or any other automotive-related information, with a Kelley Blue Book analyst on-camera via the company's on-site studio, please contact a member of the Public Relations team to book an interview.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb, and get updates on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/+kbb.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity by the 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend study and has been named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year for four consecutive years. Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a Cox Automotive brand.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, vAuto, Xtime and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121108/LA08161LOGO

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book

Related Links

http://www.kbb.com


NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Small Business Week is underway with Small Business Administration (SBA) events scheduled for the week in Georgia, Colorado, Arizona and California and OnDeck (NYSE:ONDK), the leader in online lending for small business, is recognizing the occasion by releasing new data highlighting the nearly $1 billion dollars the company has lent to small businesses in those four states.

From its inception through the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, OnDeck has made nearly 20,000 loans to small business owners in Georgia, Colorado, Arizona and California totaling $913.7 million dollars. Overall, the company has deployed over $4 billion to more than 50,000 customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada and Australia.

"We join the SBA in recognizing the magnificent achievements of small businesses throughout the nation," said James Hobson, chief operating officer, OnDeck. "America's 28 million small businesses are the engine of job creation and economic growth in this country, creating nearly two out of every three new jobs in the United States and employing over half the nation's workforce. As our lending activity in the four states that SBA administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will visit during Small Business Week indicates, we are proud to lead the way in providing small businesses with the capital and credit they need to grow and thrive."

OnDeck's innovative technology-driven platform and OnDeck Score have substantially increased the flow of capital to Main Street year-over-year, expanding growth opportunities for small business. An Analysis Group report published last year analyzed the economic impact from the first $3 billion OnDeck lent to small businesses. The report estimates that those loans powered $11 billion in business activity and created 74,000 jobs nationwide. Specifically, in the four states, OnDeck's lending has generated an estimated $2.5 billion in economic activity and nearly 17,000 jobs.

One California small business that is thriving with OnDeck's support is TransGuardian, a logistics software company based in Los Angeles, California. Jim Moseley is the President and CEO of the firm which develops innovative and customized solutions for the gem and jewelry, fashion, and other specialized vertical markets. Services include small parcel and freight services, transit insurance, credit insurance, security packaging and trade compliance.

"We have some very big brand names among our clients," says Moseley. "OnDeck helped us to acquire their business by providing funds that enabled us to build customized, innovative software, to satisfy needs no one else was addressing. Without such financing solutions, we would never have been able to get their business. Thanks to OnDeck, we're saving these clients 30-50% over the old ways of working, and we increased our bottom line by 15% in 2015."

National Small Business Week is an annual event organized by SBA to recognize the achievements of the top small businesses in the nation. Since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. This year National Small Business Week will be recognized from May 1-7 with national events planned in Washington, D.C., New York, Denver, Phoenix, Oakland and San Jose. Events throughout the week will be live-streamed on SBA's website www.sba.gov. Make sure to check in during the event for live social media engagement, using the hashtag #DreamSmallBiz. For more information on the national events please visit: www.sba.gov/nsbw.

About OnDeck

OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK) is the leader in online small business lending. Since 2007, the company has powered Main Street's growth through advanced lending technology and a constant dedication to customer service. OnDeck's proprietary credit scoring system  the OnDeck Score  leverages advanced analytics, enabling OnDeck to make real-time lending decisions and deliver capital to small businesses in as little as 24 hours. OnDeck offers business owners a complete financing solution, including the online lending industry's widest range of term loans and lines of credit. To date, the company has deployed over $4 billion to more than 50,000 customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada and Australia. OnDeck has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and operates the educational small business financing website www.businessloans.com. For more information, please visit www.ondeck.com.

Media Contact:

Miranda Eifler

917.677.7112

[email protected]

OnDeck, the OnDeck logo, OnDeck Score and OnDeck Marketplace are trademarks of On Deck Capital, Inc.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150812/257781LOGO

SOURCE On Deck Capital, Inc.
CALGARY, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. ("Oncolytics" or the "Company") (TSX: ONC) (OTCQX: ONCYF) (FRA: ONY) announced today that its 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Thursday, May 5th, 2016 at 4:00 pm ET (2:00 pm MT) at the Toronto Region Board of Trade located at First Canadian Place, Suite 350, 77 Adelaide St. West, Toronto, Ontario.

Following the business portion of the meeting, Dr. Brad Thompson, President and CEO of Oncolytics, will discuss recent progress in the development of REOLYSIN as a potential cancer therapeutic.

A live audio webcast of Dr. Thompson's presentation will begin at approximately 4:15 pm ET (2:15 pm MT) and be available at: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1162870&s=1&k=8D8411394AC01E5C5A9CDC57BFA2ED10 or on the company's website at www.oncolyticsbiotech.com. It is recommended that listeners log on 10 minutes in advance of the presentation to register and download any necessary software.

An audio replay will be accessible following the presentation at: http://www.oncolyticsbiotech.com/investor-centre/presentations/.

About Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

Oncolytics is a Calgary-based biotechnology company focused on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. Oncolytics' clinical program includes a variety of later-stage, randomized human trials in various indications using REOLYSIN, its proprietary formulation of the human reovirus. For further information about Oncolytics, please visit: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com.

This press release and the presentation related thereto contain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements, including the Company's belief as to the potential of REOLYSIN as a cancer therapeutic; the Company's expectations as to the success of its research and development programs in 2016 and beyond, the Company's planned operations, the value of the additional patents and intellectual property; the Company's expectations related to the applications of the patented technology; the Company's expectations as to adequacy of its existing capital resources; the design, timing, success of planned clinical trial programs; and other statements related to anticipated developments in the Company's business and technologies involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the efficacy of REOLYSIN as a cancer treatment, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize REOLYSIN, uncertainties related to the research and development of pharmaceuticals, uncertainties related to the regulatory process and general changes to the economic environment. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
JACKSONVILLE, N.C., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive publication, Onslow Memorial Hospital has received an 'A' grade in the Hospital Safety Score from The Leapfrog Group, an independent watchdog organization that advocates for quality, safety and transparency in the U.S. healthcare system. The national hospital ratings for Spring 2016 were released to the public April 25.

Hospitals were rated on five criteria: 1) the use of procedures to prevent errors in treatment and follow-up; 2) the frequency of patients contracting certain infections during hospitalization; 3) the frequency of surgery-related problems; 4) the frequency of patient safety incidents, as well as measures in place to minimize them; and 5) the training of medical staff to maximize safety.

"The 'A' score from Leapfrog once again recognizes the teamwork and dedication by hospital employees, staff and leadership in promoting the highest level of quality and safety in patient care," said Dr. Ishwar Gopichand, FAAP, Chairman, Performance Improvement for the hospital and Chairman of Onslow County Consolidated Human Services Agency Advisory Board.

"This sustained grade 'A' for Spring 2016 demonstrates the extraordinary passion and level of commitment that Onslow Memorial Hospital has to superior quality of care for our patients and our community," added Jo Malfitano, Director of Performance Improvement & Accreditation for the hospital.

To see OMH's full score, visit the Hospital Safety Score or follow The Hospital Safety Score on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Hospital Safety Score mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

About Onslow Memorial Hospital

Nationally accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC), Onslow Memorial is a not-for-profit hospital serving the healthcare needs of Onslow County and the surrounding communities of coastal North Carolina since 1945. With more than 1,200 employees and 225 physicians, Onslow Memorial offers a vast array of healthcare programs and services. Onslow Memorial Hospital is dedicated to expanding healthcare services and implementing the latest medical technologies and treatment innovations, all while striving to maintain a patient- and family-centered environment of quality, compassionate care delivered by a highly skilled medical staff. For more information, please visit the hospital's website at www.onslow.org.

SOURCE Onslow Memorial Hospital

Related Links

http://www.onslow.org


PORTLAND, Ore., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/-- Oregon's Health CO-OP today announced that it has signed a letter of intent to develop a new population health partnership with OHSU, Salem Health, Tuality Health and Adventist Health System. Under the proposed arrangement, the CO-OP will offer an insurance product that features an integrated network of providers across the Portland metro area and Salem to improve outcomes and access. Because the partners would share in the financial performance of the product, it creates aligned incentives for care coordination and shared accountability for costs and care among CO-OP members and providers.

Salem Health, OHSU and Tuality Healthcare are all part of OHSU Partners, created last year to build an aligned, community-based health care approach to sustainable health care transformation in Oregon. "The LOI is one example of how these OHSU Partners are working with others to deliver greater value to Oregonians," said Peter Rapp, Chief Executive Officer for OHSU Partners.

The product will be available on Oregon's health insurance exchange for individuals, and will also be available to individuals and small groups directly from Oregon's Health CO-OP.

"This is a great example of how OHSU continues to work across many aspects of the health care system to deliver improved outcomes, access and value," said Mark Richardson, M.D., M.B.A., M.Sc.B., an OHSU executive vice president who is dean of OHSU's School of Medicine and president of its Faculty Practice Plan.

"Salem Health is pleased to be part of this new agreement," said Cheryl Wolfe, President and CEO of Salem Health. "Broadening Salem Health's successful collaborative partnerships will benefit people in our community."

Oregon's Health CO-OP is a member-governed health plan that has been building provider relationships to better serve the CO-OP membership. Tuality Health Alliance and Adventist Health System have been serving CO-OP members since 2013 as SELECT Network providers.

"The planned partnership will expand the number of delivery system partners with a commitment and shared accountability for improvements in cost, quality and service for our members," said Phil Jackson, CEO at Oregon's Health CO-OP. "Our growth and stability is now enabling us to create innovative programs and meaningful partnerships to serve our growing member community."

The planned partnership will provide Oregon's Health CO-OP members an expansion of its current SELECT Network. Today, the SELECT network provides access to all the providers and services of Adventist Healthcare System and Tuality Healthcare Alliance, with limited use of OHSU for highly specialized care not available through these healthcare systems. Effective Jan. 1, 2017, the Select Network will expand to include unlimited access to OHSU and extend to Marion and Polk county residents through Salem Health and its affiliated provider partners.

Oregon's Health CO-OP members currently enrolled in the SELECT Network will see no changes in 2016. The expanded SELECT Network will be effective Jan. 1, 2017.

About Oregon's Health CO-OP

Oregon's Health CO-OP is a non-profit, member-driven, member-governed Health Insurance Plan whose vision is to create partnerships in our communities to drive positive change and personal choice in the accessibility and affordability of quality healthcare. Oregon's Health CO-OP provides individual and group insurance plans that are flexible in design, with ample alternative care options, and simple payment plans with no deductible or co-insurance. Oregon's Health CO-OP is nationally recognized for transforming health insurance by addressing the needs and requests of our community, and improving health for all. Oregon's Health CO-OP began enrolling members in 2013 and currently serves over 23,000 Oregonians. For more information, visit www.ohcoop.org.

Media Inquiries:

Kelly Stremel or Lisa MacKenzie

MacKenzie Marketing Group

503-225-0725

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE Oregons Health CO-OP

Related Links

http://www.ohcoop.org


SAN DIEGO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the "Every Swipe Benefits Charity" (ESBC) give-back program's inception two years ago, it has generated more than $100,000 in donations to a carefully vetted group of more than 25 local and national charities.

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The ESBC is an innovative give-back program that allows business owners an opportunity to benefit their business, customers and community. Through Pay it Forward Processing (PFProcessing), a national credit card processing company, a portion of every swipe from each business account is donated to a carefully vetted charitable organization, at no cost to the business.

"We are so excited to have raised so much money for our very worthy charities in such a short period of time," said Renee VanHeel, founder and president of PFProcessing.

PFProcessing offers businesses a dedicated account manager with no contracts; they match and in most cases, save a company money on its fees. Funding and deposits are made within 24 hours, including American Express. PFProcessing sends each business a comprehensive monthly report that includes a breakdown of fees and costs for services.

"With all of the demands of life, running your business, taking care of your families, there isn't a lot of time to give back," explains VanHeel. "That is where we come in."

When a business starts to use PFProcessing for their everyday credit card processing needs, a portion of every swipe that is processed is donated to ESBCharity. It doesn't impact the business owner in any way. Once it has been donated, ESBCharity then donates it to any number of the charities that have been through their vetting process.

If the business owner wants their portion to impact a specific cause, they can nominate that charity to be vetted with the possibility to become a direct benefactor. If a non-profit is looking for sustainable income, PFProcessing has a fundraising business plan in place that can help raise some much needed funds through business referrals. This unique giveback program allows merchants and customers to feel good about every swipe, every day.

Auto repair, hotel/motel, retail, veterinary, on-line stores and banking are just some of the business entities PFProcessing works with. PFProcessing provides merchant services, e-commerce and equipment for businesses across the United States. The "Every Swipe Benefits Charity" program supports more than 25 local, regional and national non-profit organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs, American Institute for Cancer Research, Shelter to Solider, and the Arthritis Foundation.

ESBC came to be from the ashes of Witch Creek Fires in San Diego in 2007 during which VanHeel's home was destroyed. Renee formed Fired Up Sisters, along with a number of other fire survivors, raised $5 million in goods, services and money to help fellow fire survivors. "We raised so much money in the face of tragedy, I thought we could do much more in good times and we have," said VanHeel. "We believe there is no better definition of success than truly loving what you do, serving a purpose and filling a need in the world. If this resonates with a business owner, we invite them to join the PFProcessing family."

PFProcessing also helps each of its business partners stay connected to their customers by using their own social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote their business. For more information on PFProcessing visit www.pfprocessing.com or call 858-771-0076 x0. For more information on ESBC visit www.esbcharity.org.

About Pay it Forward Processing

Headquartered in San Diego, Pay it Forward Processing (PFProcessing) is a nationwide merchant service provider that supplies state-of-the-art payment solutions to businesses by providing a full line of products that are Class A certified on their processing platform. PFProcessing custom tailors its services for each business and offers 24/7 live technical and customer service support. For more information on PFProcessing visit www.pfprocessing.com or call 858-771-0076.

Contact: Mary Schmidt-Krebs, APR

Email

760-931-0775

SOURCE Pay it Forward Processing

Related Links

http://www.pfprocessing.com


Pedro Taques will inform his audience that, in little more than a decade, GDP for the state of Mato Grosso went from R$ 12.3 billion (1999) to R$ 80.8 billion (2012), a growth of 554% - while during this same period, Brazil's GDP increased 312%, according to data of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). A great deal of this positive performance came from the countryside. According to data released in March by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, agribusiness was the segment generating the most employment opportunities in the first two months of this year in Mato Grosso.

In his remarks, Marconi Perillo will present the program of tax incentives of the state government of Goias, called Produzir ('Producing'), which directly reflects the state's positive results. In March of this year, Goias registered the best result for exports since April of 2014, and the state's balance of trade achieved a surplus of US$ 432,742,158, well above the US$ 255.919,361 reached in March of last year. Since January 2015, new private investment has totaled R$ 3.5 billion, with the creation of direct and indirect employment estimated at more than 25,200 jobs.

This will be the second edition for this event which, in 2015 featured presentations by Sao Paulo Governor, Geraldo Alckmin, and former President of the Republic, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, bringing together 320 investors, bankers, rating analysts and American and Brazilian entrepreneurs, also in New York.

Caption of Photo 2: Governor Marconi Perillo (GO)  Credit: Gustavo Rampini

Contact:

Rose Rocha

[email protected] / +55 11 3643 2952

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362702

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362705

SOURCE LIDE BUSINESS
DALLAS, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Penrose Senior Care Auditors wins Judges' Choice of the fifth annual AARP Health [email protected]+ LivePitch event held April 27 at Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, CA.

Penrose Wins AARP Health [email protected]+ Best New Start-up Competition. With the Penrose Care-Check, clients immediately receive their report complete with a scorecard, detailed findings, supporting media, and suggestions. "I am thrilled to be associated with Penrose. Their people are passionate about improving the quality of life among seniors and their families. I know, because not only am I their spokesperson, I am also their client. Having an auditor check-in on my mom and let me know how she's doing, and if she's receiving the care she needs, has made a world of difference for both of us." - Carolyn McCormick

"Being selected among hundreds of applicants as a finalist to present to judges from GE Ventures, Cambia Health Solutions, Comcast Ventures, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation, a sold-out crowd of more than 500 investors and AARP members, and those viewing the online streaming was itself a terrific opportunity. Winning the competition is a true blessing," states Rhonda Harper, Founder, CEO and Owner of Penrose. "The awareness and credibility that this win provides is invaluable. Our goal is to raise capital to help us serve more seniors, help more families, and continue to improve senior care." Previous award winners have garnered between $80-$120 million in investment capital.

"We were very impressed with our finalists this year, and how their businesses will improve the lives of caregivers and those they care for," said Jody Holtzman, senior vice president, Enterprise Strategy and Innovation, AARP. "Of a great set of companies, Penrose Senior Care Auditors stood out and was recognized by our industry expert judges."

Penrose Check-In

AARP Judges' Choice Penrose Senior Care Auditors of Dallas, TX provides the first and only nationwide tech/app-enabled senior care auditing solution, called Penrose Check-Ins, to ensure seniors are okay while providing families peace-of-mind. Families have several Penrose Check-In services, starting at $75, from which to select: Penrose Care-Check; Penrose Pre-Check; and coming soon the Penrose Safety-Check, Penrose Inventory-Check, and Penrose Quick-Check.

"Penrose Check-In services seamlessly bring together the power of app-enabled mobile technology combined with the personal interaction and observations from our auditors to allow our clients, generally family members, to check-in on their aging loved-ones," says Ryan Felton, Chief Technology Officer.

Cutting Edge Mobile and Web Technologies

Leveraging the power of cutting edge mobile and web technologies allows clients to rely on a trusted, PenroseCertified auditor to provide regular reports that include an overall scorecard, detailed comments, photos, and even videos without having to take off work or modify their schedule. "Our technology will handle everything for you from finding the perfect auditor, scheduling their visits with your senior, handling automatic payment processing, and instantly delivering our media rich check-in reports," continues Felton.

Leadership and Scalability

"It's easy to get excited about the Penrose opportunity given the size of the market, the quality of the Company's team and technology, and the importance of the cause," touts Rick Lynch, Chief Financial Officer, Penrose. Led by a senior team of entrepreneurs and technologists that have done this before, Penrose is changing the way quality care is verified for families across the country and, eventually, the globe. Serial entrepreneurs, the team also brings Fortune 100 executive experience from companies including Walmart, UPS, IBM, Arthur Anderson, Nabisco, and JWT.

"The Company's business model bridges families and the Company's field auditors, creating a virtual marketplace, and revenue plans are simple  the entire solution is highly scalable," explains Lynch. Add to that the key relationships the Company has built over time, including the AARP and others, and you have a business that is ready to expand rapidly.

About Penrose Senior Care Auditors

Headquartered in Dallas, TX and available nationwide, is the first and only nationwide senior care oversight company that is hired by, and reports to, families. To learn more go to: PenroseCheckIn.com. To become a Penrose Senior Care Auditor, go to PenroseCertified.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us @PenroseCheckIn.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into Real Possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse.

Contact: Julie Warner, 866-894-8488

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SOURCE Penrose Senior Care Auditors
NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the platelet rich plasma market in Asia Pacific considering various macro as well as microeconomic factors such as regulations, applications of platelet rich plasma, and advantages and disadvantages of type of platelet rich plasma, and cost. The report studies the platelet rich plasma market from four perspectives: type of platelet rich plasma, origin of platelet rich plasma, application of platelet rich plasma, and country wise market.

Based on the type of platelet rich plasma, the market in Asia Pacific has been segmented into pure platelet rich plasma, leucocytes and platelet rich plasma, and platelet rich fibrin. Based on origin, the market has been segmented into autologous platelet rich plasma, allogeneic platelet rich plasma, and homologous platelet rich plasma. In terms of the application of platelet rich plasma, the market has been segmented into orthopedic surgery, cosmetic surgery, general surgery, neurosurgery, and other surgeries. In terms of country, the market has been studied for eleven major geographies: Australia, the Philippines, China, India, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Rest of Asia Pacific. Additionally, each segment of the platelet rich plasma market has been further subdivided into national markets.

The market size for each of the segments and sub-segments mentioned above is provided in US$ Mn considering 2013 and 2014 as base years and forecast from 2015 to 2023. The forecast model considers various factors such as number of surgeries, health care expenditure of the country, advantages of the individual segment, penetration of platelet rich plasma therapy in the country, the cost of platelet rich plasma in various countries, and government regulations. The research methodology is a blend of primary as well as secondary market research, where market estimates based on desk research are further refined considering inputs from expert interviews.

This report on the platelet rich plasma market in Asia Pacific also provides qualitative information on major players in the market. It also includes details on current regulatory policies for platelet rich plasma and devices. Major factors driving and restraining the platelet rich plasma market are also discussed in the report, while opportunities from the future perspective are also mentioned. Furthermore, the platelet rich plasma market report provides value chain analysis for comprehensive analysis. Porter's Five Forces Analysis will provide the idea of bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants in platelet rich plasma market, threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry in platelet rich plasma market. Additionally, market share analysis of the platelet rich plasma market in Asia Pacific provides detailed information on current competitive landscape of the market. Market attractiveness analysis provides information on most attractive countries for platelet rich plasma.

Finally, the report profiles major players in the platelet rich plasma market in Asia Pacific including Harvest Technology, Arthrex, Inc., Stryker Corporation, Zimmer Biomet, DePuy Synthes, AdiStem Ltd., Cesca Therapeutics, Inc., Exactech, Inc., and Rmedica Co. Ltd. Each of the companies is profiled for parameters such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. The report on the platelet rich plasma market estimation and forecast comprises 128 slides and 68 graphs.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03661974-summary/view-report.html

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AUSTIN, Texas, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Preston Corp (OTCPK: PSNP) ("Preston Corporation" "PSNP" or the "Company") today is pleased to announce that the Company, through its agent Western Mine Development LLC, ("Western") has executed a preliminary lease agreement on a gold mine in California. The project is a placer mine and historic gold producer located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains north of Sacramento.

Preston will fund a minimum expenditure of $250,000 this season on the project that has permitted status to proceed with commercial production. The Company anticipates a total capital cost of between $4 and $5 million to bring the project into production. The Company will make a production decision by August 31st 2016

Western will act as operator on the project, which is estimated to have produced 4,000 ounces to date on a small scale mining basis. Preston has reviewed the potential of in situ pay gravels and concurs with Western that the project has the potential to contain 100,000 ounces of gold. This preliminary estimate will be verified this season via an evaluation program with the goal of attaining a third party mineral resource by a Qualified Person under N.I. 43-101.

The Company additionally believes the project has the potential to deliver under the royalty agreement a 50% return on investment per annum.

About Preston Corp (OTCPK: PSNP)

Preston Royalty's mission is to develop the Company into a leading financial service provider, specializing in royalty financing for mining operations with the intent to realize large, continuous profits from ongoing economic interest in the production and future production of mining properties. Preston Royalty is gold focused but will create a diversified portfolio of royalties and streams wherever the value can be found regardless of commodity, geography, revenue type or stage of project. Preston Royalty is not an operator and therefore has none of the associated risks or capital requirements of mine operation.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, scope and type of consulting services provided by PSNP, use of proceeds, future acquisitions, success of projects, growth and strategic plans. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with petroleum exploration and development stage exploration companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Preston Corporation

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Andrew Stack

President, C.E.O.



To find out more about Preston Corporation (OTCPK: PSNP), visit our website at http://www. prestonroyalty.com

+1-512-667-6335

[email protected]



SOURCE Preston Corp
MINNEAPOLIS, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Last month, ProLabs, the leading global provider of compatible network infrastructure and connectivity products, announces the appointment of Ward Williams as Chief Executive Officer alongside the introduction of a 10GBASE-T SFP+ transceiver.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362804LOGO )



The transceiver, which will allow data center and network managers the ability to extend the life of their copper cabling infrastructure, is the first in the range of ProLabs' copper products - 2.5/5G Copper SFP transceivers for the data center and G.Fast copper transceivers for the telecom industry, which interface with a standard Ethernet switch, will also be launched later in the year.

Williams, who has been ProLabs' Chief Commercial Officer since 2014, previously worked at TE Connectivity, where he was most recently VP of global sales and marketing for the datacomm business unit. Williams will function between the US and UK and his key responsibilities will include implementing the company strategy and leading ProLabs' senior management team.

Stewart Holness, Chairman of the Board, commented "I am delighted to confirm Ward in the role of CEO. He has extensive industry experience and a track record of strong leadership within ProLabs, particularly demonstrated over the past two years. We are very much looking forward to the next phase in ProLabs' development and growth."

Williams replaces Nick Moglia, who has held the position of CEO at the company since 2013. Moglia, taking on the role of Executive Director, will remain on the company board as a key player in ProLabs' business strategy, whilst taking a step back from the company's day-to-day management.

Williams commented, "We are in the midst of a very exciting time for ProLabs and it is a great honor to be taking over as the company's CEO." He added, "The last two years have been especially successful for the firm and Nick leaves the company in a very strong position for the future."

One such exciting development is the new 10GBASE-T SFP+ transceiver, which pushes the limits of copper based technology, providing 10 gigabits of data transfer over distances of 30 meters or less, and replaces the need for direct attach cables that have limitations up to 10 meters. With platform advancements bringing down the price and power consumption for 10GBASE-T switches, there are a lot of affordable switches entering the market from various manufacturers. This is why ProLabs has launched the first compatible product of its kind, as a leader in the small form pluggable (SFP+) transceiver compatible market.

Giacomo Losio, Head of Technology at ProLabs said, "As 10GBASE-T network equipment becomes increasingly available, data center decision makers will want to take advantage of the convenience and flexibility provided by deploying 10 Gb/s technology, over balanced twisted-pair copper cabling, and leveraging their investment in installed copper infrastructure."

Ward Williams added, "Following the opening of our newly integrated headquarters and test and measurement facility in January of this year, we are thrilled to announce this exciting new addition to our offering. ProLabs' capability to provide compatible 10G copper SPF transceivers proves that we are truly leading the market, ahead of almost all OEMs, making remarkable headway in closing the window between original and compatible innovation."

For its launch, the 10G copper transceiver will be compatible with Cisco, Dell, Brocade, Arista, Juniper, Extreme and IBM. ProLabs products allow the interoperability of over 50 OEM providers without affecting warranties; all ProLabs products are 100% tested, designed to comply with industry standard MSA (Multi-Source Agreements) and come with lifetime warranties.

These announcements follow a period of strong growth and development for ProLabs. Within the last 12 months, ProLabs have also extended their product offering in other directions, including multi-coded products (transceivers programmed to work compatibly with multiple vendors), and 100G products. Its products are distributed globally and are trusted by multinational and independent providers alike in the data center space as well as the telecoms and enterprise industries.

About ProLabs

ProLabs is the leading global independent provider of optical network infrastructure products. The company offers an extensive range of high-quality products including optical and copper transceivers, direct attach cables (DAC), active optical cables (AOC) and cabling and media converters. With an unrelenting commitment to quality, service and support, the company is the only mid-tier provider offering customization and lifetime product warranties. ProLabs' global headquarters are located in South Cerney, UK, with offices in the Netherlands, Asia, Minneapolis, MN USA and San Francisco, CA USA. For more information, visit http://www.prolabs.com.

SOURCE ProLabs
McClarty joins Questar with deep expertise in assessment design and K12 educational research and policy. Her areas of focus include college readiness, standard setting, gifted and talented, competency-based education, computer-based testing, and online and paper/pencil comparability. McClarty will lead Questar's Assessment Design and Psychometrics division and oversee item development, test design and development, psychometrics, and assessment and training support for Questar's staff and clients, while guiding design and development of testing programs.

"In all the things that mattered most to us in our search for a new chief assessment officer  outstanding academic performance, impeccable professional credentials, and an assessment philosophy complementary to our own  Katie immediately stood out as someone who has tirelessly sought out new challenges and consistently pursued excellence in herself and those around her," said Jamie Post Candee, Questar's president and chief executive officer. "I look forward to seeing the impact she will make on Questar Assessment in the years to come."

Before joining Questar, McClarty served as the director for the Center for College & Career Success in Pearson's Research & Innovation Network. Her signature work for the Center included the co-creation of a college-readiness index for middle school students that became a centerpiece for future assessment strategy; the co-design and facilitation of standard-setting meetings for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC); and the leadership of a cross-functional research team to compare the PARCC assessment with other state, national, and international assessments. She was also the chief research scientist for the state of Texas general education assessment programs.

Widely published in the educational assessment academic community, McClarty is lead author of "Evidence based standard setting: Establishing a validity framework for cut scores," published in Educational Researcher, which describes the standard-setting approach adopted for Texas, PARCC, and several other programs. Her research on college and career readiness earned her the 2013 Charles F. Elton Best Paper Award from the Association for Institutional Research. She has also been invited to present at international conferences and symposiums such as the IMS Global's "Architecture for Innovation" Summit, the International Meeting of Educators in Brazil, and the Leading Voices project in Australia.

McClarty earned her Ph.D. in social and personality psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and her Bachelor of Science degree, with distinction, in psychology from Iowa State University.

About Questar Assessment Inc.

Questar Assessment Inc. is a K12 assessment solutions provider focused on building a bridge between learning and accountability. We take a fresh and innovative approach to meaningful assessment design, delivery, scoring, analysis, and reporting. And we are reimagining how assessments can empower educators by giving them the insights they need to improve instruction and fully prepare students for college or career. Our high-quality, reliable assessment products and services are easily scaled and tailored to meet the specific needs of states and districts needs at an unprecedented value. Educators trust our high-performing teams and dependable technology to minimize risks and ensure success for states, districts, schools, and students. Questar is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and can be reached at questarai.com or 952-997-2700.

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SOURCE Questar Assessment Inc.

Related Links

http://www.QuestarAI.com


ATLANTA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Randstad Sourceright, a global talent leader, today announced that it has been recognized as a leader in Everest Group's "Managed Service Provider (MSP)  Service Provider Compendium 2015," highlighting the company's MSP service capability and strategy.

"Changing labor dynamics and new attitudes about how work gets done have led to the continued growth of the contingent workforce. As a result, more businesses are seeking to implement solutions to fill their immediate gaps with qualified freelance talent," said Scott Fraleigh, president, MSP and Payrolling and Independent Contractor Services (PICS), Randstad Sourceright. "Our MSP solutions don't just deliver access to the talent companies need; Randstad Sourceright serves as a trusted advisor, helping our clients map their talent strategy and delivering the best resources when and where they are most needed. We are thrilled that Everest has recognized the depth and breadth of our MSP services and the value we bring to companies striving to leverage the contingent workforce effectively."

Demand for advanced MSP solutions continues to increase, and the market has grown considerably, estimated to be between $88 and $93 billion. As economic and labor market forces drive more companies to work with MSP providers to enhance their contingent talent strategies, Everest Group's "MSP  Service Provider Compendium 2015" provides an overview of the current MSP landscape and the scale, scope, technology and innovation, and delivery footprint of providers in the space.

Randstad Sourceright was designated a leader in MSP based on its best-in-class capabilities and strong market success. The company was highlighted for its extensive leadership across various facets of talent management and for having one of the largest MSP programs, based on revenue and its large pool of temporary workers. Randstad Sourceright was also noted for its experience in a diverse set of industries, managed spend across multiple job families, advanced technology capability, large clientele and global service delivery.

"With the market for MSP poised for rapid and continued growth, our research finds Randstad Sourceright among the top providers in the MSP landscape, based on its vast experience across multiple geographies and significant market share in multi-country MSP deals," said Rajesh Ranjan, partner and head, Business Process Services research, Everest Group. "Coupled with its strong foothold in RPO, Randstad Sourceright demonstrates its leadership in the total talent workforce model."

Additional information about Everest Group's "Managed Service Provider (MSP)  Service Provider Compendium 2015" can be accessed at: https://research.everestgrp.com/Product/EGR-2016-3-R-1726/Managed-Service-Provider-MSP-Service-Provider-Profile-Compendi.

About Randstad Sourceright

Randstad Sourceright is a global talent solutions leader, driving the talent acquisition and human capital management strategies of some of the world's most successful employers. We help these companies discover and develop their Human Intelligence Advantage by quantifying the true impact of their talent strategies. Our subject matter experts and thought leaders around the globe continuously build and evolve our approach and solutions across Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Managed Services Programs (MSP), Integrated Talent Solutions, Payroll and Independent Contractor Services (PICS) and Outplacement. As an operating company of Randstad, a $24.5 billion global provider of HR services, Randstad Sourceright delivers the resources and deep capability companies need to optimize their talent strategy for business growth and transformation. We are consistently recognized for service excellence and innovation by industry organizations such as Everest Group, HRO Today Magazine and Staffing Industry Analysts. To learn more, visit www.randstadsourceright.com.

Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Randstad Sourceright

Related Links

http://www.randstadsourceright.com


DUBLIN, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

BP Plc has been allowed to drop its bid to avoid paying close to USD 1 billion in oil spill damages to seafood producers operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The supermajor oil and gas company spent two years trying to avoid paying the full USD 2.3 billion promised as compensation to the shrimpers, oystermen and fishermen whose livelihoods were damaged by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The catastrophe saw over 4 million barrels of crude oil pumped into the Gulf following a well blowout, blackening the shores of five states in the U.S. The Gulf of Mexico well intervention market is predicted to be worth USD 0.74 billion by 2017, according to a report available from Research and Markets, a figure no doubt influenced by BP's negative impact in the area.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO )



BP has so far paid around USD 1 billion to seafood producers, but became hesitant to pay the remainder after a Texas attorney involved with the case was indicted for allegedly falsifying his 40,000 plus client list. Mikal Watts claimed to represent thousands of Vietnamese American captains and crew members, which bolstered his position in the case against BP, but federal prosecutors are claiming the list is filled with fake names and Social Security numbers. A New Orleans federal judge allowed BP to drop its avoidance bid on Monday, which is part of a larger settlement estimated at around USD 12.9 billion.

The global oil spill management market is expected to reach a value of USD 125.6 billion by 2022, as forecast in a recent report, but it's likely that BP's heavy compensation will result in further investment in this area, spurring on additional growth. It may also spur growth in related oil safety markets, such as the global oil and gas pipeline leak detection market which is projected to cross USD 1.8 billion by 2020.

For further information on this topic, and a full list of all related documentation, please visit the Oilfield Equipment and Services section at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/rm/OIKJ.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-03/bp-drops-fight-over-1-billion-seafood-industry-spill-payments

About Research and Markets

Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.





Contact

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

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SOURCE Eberts Ltd T/A Research and Markets
DUBLIN, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $55 million to a woman who says its talc-based powder products caused ovarian cancer. The Missouri State court awarded Gloria Ristesund $5 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349511LOGO )



This is the second in a string of accusations against the company. In February, the same court awarded $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer. According to reports, Johnson & Johnson is facing a further 1,200 lawsuits related to its products' cancer risks. A spokeswoman for the company said the verdict contradicted 30 years of research and that it had acted properly in developing and marketing its products.

Ristesund said she used Johnson & Johnson's talc-based powder products on her genitals for years. This includes its well-known baby powder. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent a hysterectomy, as well as other related surgeries. A report on the global baby powder market highlighted the health risks associated with talc-based powders as a key problem for the industry and predicted that it would deter growth.

As noted in a report on the global feminine hygiene market, consumer brand loyalty is a major factor for companies like Johnson & Johnson. Vendors know that women are willing to spend more on health and hygiene products, and they try to influence their purchasing decisions by the way they market a product's' benefits. These verdicts have sparked a renewed interest in talc-powder lawsuits and will damage the Johnson & Johnson brand image.

For further information on this topic, and a full list of all related documentation, please visit the Feminine Hygiene Products section at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/rm/OILN.

About Research and Markets

Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-talc-verdict-idUSKCN0XT20L

Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood,Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907



SOURCE Research and Markets
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, lead pastor of New Season Church in California and President/CEO of one of the world's largest Hispanic Evangelical organizations, gives a clarion call for peace and hope amid the current political and social chaos of our world in his newest book, "Be Light: Shining God's Beauty, Truth, and Hope into a Darkened World" (WaterBrook, ISBN: 987-1-60142-816-5).

In "Be Light," Rodriguez acknowledges that today's world is troubled and in many ways dark, from the current discourse and negative rhetoric of the election cycle to fears of terrorist and medical threats such as Zika. Yet, he calls for everyone  especially people of faith  to rise up and shine light with truth, love and grace.

"In these times when religious liberties are being attacked and there is great pressure for political correctness instead of biblical truths, the Church needs to rise up in all of life's arenas and become 'the bright city on a hill,'" writes Rodriguez.

"Be Light" addresses the darkness of hatred, polarization, cultural decadence, religious persecution, disregard for human life and racial tension that currently abound in our nation and presents a timely message in this current political season for people of faith to stand for biblical truth.

"During this presidential campaign we have seen, time and again, vicious personal attacks by political candidates on the character of others, and discussions on issues vital to our nation, such as immigration, religious liberty and the Supreme Court, continue to play out in uncivil and often hatred manners," said Rodriguez. "It is easy to want to throw your hands in the air and give up on America, but at the end of the day, instead of cursing the darkness, instead of whining about the darkness, instead of complaining about the darkness  why not turn on the light? That's my call, let's be light."

Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,000 U.S. churches and another 500,000 congregations spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora. A number of media outlets, such as CNN and Fox News Channel have deemed him as one of America's leading Christian and Latino voices, and Newsmax recently included him in the "Top 100 Christian Leaders in America."

But while Rodriguez represents a Hispanic demographic that both pundits and politicians on both sides of the aisle have determined are key to winning the presidency, "Be Light" shares a message for all Americans.

"We cannot deny we live in dark timessin, immorality, moral relativism, infanticide, racism, false prophets, watered-down preaching, religious extremism, terror, violence intolerance and disbelief," Rodriguez opines. "But, when light stands next to darkness, light always wins."

"Be Light" has been endorsed by a number of leaders including: Dr. Ronnie Floyd, president, Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Cross Church; Robert Morrison, founding senior pastor at Gateway Church; and James Robison, founder and president of LIFE Outreach International. The foreword to the book was written by Roma Downey, producer, celebrated actress and president and chief content officer at LightWorkers Media (a division of MGM Studios).

For more information, visit http://www.BeLightBook.com.

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SOURCE NHCLC

Related Links

https://nhclc.org


MUMBAI, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Rolta has been awarded a new contract by UK Power Networks, a major utility company that delivers electricity to London, the South East and the East of England. This 7-year, multi-million pound contract was established to manage and update their spatially-enabled network asset information.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121023/570667 )



"It's our job to keep the lights on for 8 million customers and in our first five years as a company we have made huge strides in reducing the number and duration of power cuts. Ensuring we have reliable and up-to-date records about our key infrastructure is a key and ongoing part of this work, and we are very pleased to be awarding this contract to Rolta," explained Matt Webb - Head of Asset Information. "Throughout what was a robust and hard fought procurement process, Rolta's technical capabilities shone through, offering innovative tools and techniques, greatly enhancing the control of data quality and providing full transparency of the end-to-end production process. This new partnership represents an important step forward in improving our GIS data management capabilities whilst achieving best value for money."

In response to the award, Mr. K. K. Singh, Chairman and CEO of Rolta Group, explained the importance of UK Power Networks as a customer, and Rolta's commitment to the success of this contract. "Today, Rolta is recognized as one of the top Geospatial companies in the world," he noted. "Rolta is strongly placed to serve organizations like UK Power Networks due to the company's deep domain expertise, its innovative geospatial products and IT expertise, and extensive global projects experience."

As evidence of its GIS expertise, Rolta was recently selected for the Geospatial World Leadership Award in the category of 'Geospatial Solutions Company of the Year 2015.' The award recognizes Rolta's contribution to the global geospatial industry.

About UK Power Networks:

UK Power Networks distributes more than a quarter of the UK's electricity through its networks of substations, underground cables and overhead lines making sure the lights stay on, regardless of who customers pay their energy bills to. A range of other companies deliver power to the rest of the country.

It is the first electricity distributor to be named in the Sunday Times' 25 Best Big Companies to Work For, and also holds the title of Utility of the Year (2015 and 2012). The company's 5,600 employees are dedicated to delivering a safe, secure electricity supply to 8.1 million homes and businesses.

The industry regulator Ofgem sets an allowed revenue to distribution companies so that they can maintain safe and reliable electricity supplies. UK Power Networks invests more than 500 million in its electricity networks every year, offers extra help to vulnerable customers at times of need, and is undertaking trials to ensure that electricity networks support the transition to a low carbon future. It also moves cables and connects new electricity supplies.

About Rolta:

Rolta is a leading provider of innovative solutions for many vertical segments, including Federal and State Governments, defence/HLS, utilities, process, power, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare. Rolta is recognized for its extensive portfolio of indigenous solutions based on field-proven Rolta IP tailored for Indian Defence/HLS. By uniquely combining its expertise in the IT, engineering and geospatial domains, Rolta develops exceptional IP-based cloud-ready solutions to enable its customers globally to readily exploit the power of BI, Big Data Analytics, and IT-OT Fusion. Rolta is a multinational organization headquartered in India. The company operates from over 40 locations worldwide and has executed projects in more than 45 countries. Rolta equity shares are listed on BSE and NSE in India, its GDRs are listed on the Main Board of London Stock Exchange and its 'Senior Notes' are listed on Singapore Stock Exchange.

For additional information please visit www.rolta.com, or contact:



Preetha Pulusani

President - International Operations

Member of the Board

[email protected]

Telephone: +1 (678) 942 5000



Shafik Jiwani

Executive Vice President

GIS / Mapping

[email protected]

Telephone: +971 (4) 391 5212



S. K. Shirguppi

Senior Vice President

Engineering & Geospatial Business

[email protected]

Telephone: +91 (22) 2926 6666



SOURCE Rolta India Ltd.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Time is running out to reserve your GroBox in-home cannabis growing system, hydroponics innovator Cloudponics announced today. The pre-order campaign will close on 5/15 so that Cloudponics can move forward with production and deliver the first units of GroBox in Summer 2016.

Cloudponics GroBox is a fully automated, Internet connected in-home growing system that makes it easy to grow your own cannabis for legal recreational and medicinal use from the convenience of home. The GroBox is completely self-sustaining, and can run by itself for up to 3 weeks without needing a water refill.

Paired with the Cloudponics app for iOS and Android, a digitized personal growing assistant that monitors the entire grow process and automates everything from water to light to nutrition, GroBox is simple yet flexible enough that anyone from a beginner to an experienced grower can grow their own cannabis in about 3 months' time.

In the long term, Cloudponics GroBox can be used to grow a variety of plants and produce, however the system's current setup has been designed specifically for the needs of cannabis users, with special features including odor-removal technology and an automated doorlock, GroBox is designed to ensure the security and discretion of your plants.

Cloudponics has partnered with two of the most trusted, most well-regarded cannabis growing brands in the world to build GroBox. The system's LED growing lights come from LED technology innovator Black Dog LED, while the system's nutrients come from General Hydroponics. "These brands are truly at the top of their fields," says Cloudponics CEO Pepijn van der Krogt. "Customers trust them, and they trust their products, and we're honored to have them as part of the Cloudponics story."

When asked about the timing of GroBox, van der Krogt points to the rapidly expanding acceptance and legalization for recreational and medicinal cannabis use in the United States. At least 24 states and Washington D.C. have introduced some form of marijuana legalization, with four states legalizing recreational use for adults.

"The rapid spread of cannabis legalization has given rise to a really exciting culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the cannabis space," van der Krogt observes. "People are searching for the most efficient, cost-effective and convenient ways to integrate legal cannabis into their lifestyle, and with the GroBox our goal is to be a part of that process."

Cloudponics CPO Nicolas Ruiz points to several advantages that the GroBox system has over other cannabis procurement methods. Growing cannabis at home provides users with complete visibility into what they're consuming and what went into growing it -- a transparency that can sometimes be lacking with third-party growers. Over time, the Cloudponics system also becomes a more affordable alternative to paying for cannabis from dispensaries -- an expense that can add up to over $5,500 per year for regular users. "GroBox pays for itself with the first harvest," Ruiz says.

Growing as much as 8oz.'s worth of cannabis in just 3 months, GroBox has the added benefit of eliminating the hassle of having to leave home to refill your stock - a benefit which, Ruiz points out, may be particularly appealing for medical users. "When you're suffering head-splitting migraines or debilitating nausea, the last thing you want to do is go out and wait in line at the dispensary, only to find out the strain you need is not available," Ruiz points out. "GroBox takes that inconvenience out of the equation."

Cloudponics was founded in Chile by van der Krogt, an industrial engineer who migrated from the famously cannabis-friendly Netherlands and his co-founder Ruiz, a civil engineer and avid cannabis grower from Chile. In 2014, the Cloudponics team was selected for inclusion in Chile's prestigious startup accelerator, Startup Chile -- even though marijuana use is currently illegal in the country. In 2015, the company moved to the United States, setting up shop in one of the nation's most forward-thinking cannabis cities, San Francisco.

Customers can pre-order their Cloudponics GroBox now on cloudponics.com with a downpayment of $190. Customers who preorder now will be able to purchase the system for $1490 - 40% off the system's MSRP of $2490. Units are expected to ship later this summer.

For more information about this story, contact:

Nicolas Ruiz

CPO

[email protected]

1-888-534-7066

SOURCE Cloudponics

Related Links

http://www.cloudponics.com


WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of National Small Business Week, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will attend the 5th Annual Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in San Jose, Calif., where she will deliver the keynote speech in front of a majority of "New American" entrepreneurs.

Contreras-Sweet will share the spotlight with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who will kick off the event. Both dignitaries will discuss business trends and resources to help small businesses start and grow.

Since the majority of attendees will be "New American" entrepreneurs, there will be workshops with simultaneous translation in Spanish and Vietnamese. Event fliers will be printed in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

As part of the event, Contreras-Sweet will present a grant to AnewAmerica, a Women Business Center dedicated to helping "New American" women entrepreneurs start, grow and expand their businesses.

The annual summit brings together Silicon Valley business and city leaders, assistance organizations, and entrepreneurs to encourage business growth in Silicon Valley. Admission is free, but space is limited.

What: 5th Annual Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation  Keynote speech

Who: SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo - will kick off event and deliver welcome remarks

When: Friday, May 6, 8:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m. PT

Where: San Jose City Hall - 200 E. Santa Clara Street. San Jose, CA 95113

How: Media must RSVP to [email protected] by 7 a.m. Friday, May 6.

After attending the Summit, Contreras-Sweet will celebrate the healthy food industry and recognize the winner of the Northern California's Emerging Small Business award, at an event hosted by Revolution Foods, a known company in the healthy food industry, in Oakland.

What: Celebration of Healthy Food Manufacturing Industry

Who: SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Kristin Groos  Revolution Foods, Founder/CEO

Kirsten Saenz Tobey  Revolution Foods, Co-founder/CIO

When: Friday, May 6, 11 a.m.  1 p.m. PT

Where: Masonic Lodge (Hiram Hall)  8383 Capwell Dr. Oakland, CA 94621

How: Media must RSVP to [email protected] by 9 a.m. Friday, May 6.

Lastly, Contreras-Sweet will offer a press conference at the location of the 2016 California Small Business Persons of the Year, which earlier today also won the National Small Business Persons of the Year Award at a National Small Business Week event.

What: Press Conference

Who: SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet

When: Friday, May 6, 2-3 p.m. PT

Where: Equator Coffee and Teas - 986 Market Street, SF, CA 94102

How: Media must RSVP to [email protected] by noon. Friday, May 6.

For more information on National Small Business Week events, please visit www.sba.gov/nsbw .

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. www.sba.gov

Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2016 SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA/SCORE programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact: [email protected]. SCORE is partially funded by SBA Cooperative Agreement No. SBAHQ-14-S-0001.

National Small Business Week 2016 sponsors include: Chase for Business, SCORE, ADP, Colonial Life, Intuit, Sam' s Club, Square, YP, ESET, Facebook, Instagram, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL) and VEDC

Contact: Miguel Ayala (202) 450-0148

Internet Address: www.sba.gov/news

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Blogs

Advisory Number: 16-29

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SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

Related Links

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OREM, Utah, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Many businesses still don't realize how they can become vulnerable to attacks. According to SecurityMetrics' latest forensic data, the average merchant, at the time of data compromise, wasn't compliant with at least 47% of the PCI DSS requirements.

The SecurityMetrics 2016 Guide to PCI DSS Compliance was designed to show forensic predictions for 2016, what businesses are doing wrong in PCI DSS, the latest updates about PCI DSS 3.2, and how businesses can address each PCI requirement and become compliant.

"It's often the small, simple, easy-to-correct things that go unnoticed, which creates the vulnerability leading to data compromise," says VP of Assessments Gary Glover. "Therefore, it's important to create a year-round PCI compliance and security culture."

The guide tackles forensic predictions that spotlight specific threats to businesses. It also addresses the fact that many companies were vulnerable for a long time before they were breached (an average of 1,133 days).

A few predictions of the Forensic Team includes:

Insecure remote access will continue to be a problem

Large scale breaches will decrease, but humans remain high-risk

EMV will change breach methodology

The guide also goes through the 12 PCI requirements, and gives tips on how achieve compliance with each requirement. It even includes comments from QSAs and individual checklists that provide needed information to reach compliance. It also gives details on PCI DSS 3.2 and what business should expect with the updates.

Download the 2016 SecurityMetrics Guide to PCI DSS Compliance: http://info.securitymetrics.com/pci-guide

To learn more about SecurityMetrics or PCI DSS 3.2, contact 801.705.5665, email [email protected], or visit www.securitymetrics.com/pci.

About SecurityMetrics (www.securitymetrics.com)

SecurityMetrics protects electronic commerce and payments leaders, global acquirers, and their retail customers from security breaches and data theft. The company is a leading provider and innovator in merchant data security, and as an Approved Scanning Vendor and Qualified Security Assessor, has tested over 1 million payment systems for data security and compliance. Among other things, SecurityMetrics offers PCI level 4 compliance programs, PCI audits, mobile device vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and forensic analysis. Founded in October 2000, SecurityMetrics is a privately held company headquartered in Orem, Utah, USA.

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SOURCE SecurityMetrics

Related Links

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NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Halyard Health, Inc. ("Halyard" or the "Company") (NYSE: HYH). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 237.

The investigation concerns whether Halyard and certain of its officers and/or directors have violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

On May 1, 2016, 60 Minutes reported that Halyard knowingly provided defective surgical gowns to U.S. workers at the height of the Ebola crisis. A Company insider claimed that Halyard manufactured and sold surgical gowns that were prone to leaks and did not consistently meet the industrial safety standards for the treatment of Ebola.

On this news, Halyard stock fell $1.21, or 4.3%, to close at $26.95 on May 2, 2016.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego and Florida, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 70 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

http://www.pomerantzlaw.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixgill, the enterprise proximity leader with a market-tested PaaS solution has secured an additional $6 million in funding, led by an affiliate of DRW Ventures in Chicago, with additional participation by Mobile Financial Partners in Alexandria, Virginia. Sixgill will use the additional funding to expand its sales and marketing efforts as well as broaden and accelerate product development of its Sense proximity service in the new Los Angeles area office.

"Sixgill addresses a quickly emerging enterprise pain point: how to foster the agility of effortless workforce and asset mobility while mitigating its chaotic consequences," said Phil Ressler, CEO at Sixgill. "We view proximity awareness as the key new data type to enable organizations to take full advantage of the exploding mobility of human and equipment resources."

Escalating mobility of people and assets is the new norm defining a permanent enterprise trend in which the numbers are staggering: 213 million geo-locations indexed by 2020 (Datacomm), 4.8 billion mobile phones in use this year (Forrester) and over 20 billion trackable objects expected in IoT by 2020, up from 4.9 billion today (Gartner).

"Mobile use in the workplace has materially increased, but corporates have only just begun to explore new ways to engage with this network to generate commercial insights and deliver business-critical tools. Sixgill is positioned well to help ensure that mobility is truly optimized," said Don Wilson, lead investor in Sixgill.

The Sense proximity platform lets you track, determine and act on the changing proximity of people, places and things in the enterprise. It's an easy-to-adopt PaaS, flexible to configure, open to existing data and systems, and market-tested at consumer volumes with 1.5 billion proximity measurements, 25 million context sensitive actions and 4 million people assisted thus far. Customers initially benefit from ability to automate messaging or actions based on proximity awareness, but longer term will accumulate migration histories that can be analyzed to understand behaviors of whole populations over time.

CEO Phil Ressler, career enterprise technology executive and market-maker, has long been active in building markets, teams and businesses around data and developer-oriented computing innovations, as an operator and venture professional. He joined Sixgill as CEO in 2015 to bring an open, cross-functional proximity data service to organizations wanting to embrace IoT and foster productivity-enhancing mobility in their workforce, while managing associated risks.

Ressler has assembled an enterprise-savvy management team with pedigrees from Google, Netscape, Oracle, Microsoft, Lotus, Keynote, Gupta, NavTeq, Nokia, RealD and Deloitte in the Santa Monica headquarters, to launch the new brand and the Sense proximity service into the enterprise market. Sixgill Sense and its associated SDK, Sixgill Reach, are available now.

Sixgill is the enterprise redirection of the proximity software and data technology originally developed by Zos Communications for producer and sponsor-to-attendee communications and crowd management projects for large events.

About Sixgill

Sixgill LLC is an enterprise proximity services provider in Santa Monica, CA empowering the market to track key people, places, and things, determine proximity and intent, and act on proximity awareness to drive business value. We provide market-proven proximity services for the full spectrum of enterprise mobility challenges through a single, open, extensible platform.

Contact: Press or visit the Sixgill website for additional information.

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SOURCE Sixgill LLC

Related Links

http://www.sixgill.com


NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixpoint Partners ("Sixpoint"), a leading global investment bank serving the middle market alternatives industry, today announced the promotions of Matthew Thornton and Bobby Farina to Partner. Their promotions are effective immediately.

Each of Messers. Thornton and Farina has demonstrated the highest level of client loyalty, teamwork and thought leadership; key tenets of Sixpoint's partnership and approach to client service.

"Matt and Bobby embody Sixpoint's core values and are a welcome addition to the executive management of the firm. Their commitment to our client-centric ethos and to the firm itself has made their election a natural and obvious progression. As Sixpoint continues to expand its service capabilities and global footprint it is critical that we align our senior leadership accordingly," said Eric Zoller, Founder & Partner of Sixpoint Partners. "We are confident that, as partners, they will continue to make significant contributions to serving our clients, to mentoring our team and to the success of Sixpoint Partners."

"We are pleased to welcome Matt and Bobby to the partnership," added Larry Smith, Partner of Sixpoint Partners. "Their Sales and management acumen are a tremendous asset to the firm and its clients and their level of client service encompasses the best of what we ask of our partners here at the firm. Matt and Bobby are another example of the partnership culture cultivated at Sixpoint over almost nearly a decade of service to the alternatives industry."

New Partner Profiles

Mr. Thornton manages Sixpoint's Chicago office and has overall responsibility for Midwest distribution as well as select accounts in the Northeast. He also manages Sixpoint's distribution practice in North America. Prior to joining Sixpoint, Mr. Thornton was a Director at Barclays Capital in the Institutional Client Group where he managed the middle market equity business for the Midwest region. Mr. Thornton began his career at Lehman Brothers, ultimately serving as a Senior Vice President in the Equities division. Mr. Thornton graduated from Denison University with a BS in economics and received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mr. Farina heads Sixpoint's San Francisco office and has overall responsibility for West Cost distribution and Texas. Prior to joining Sixpoint, Mr. Farina was a Vice President in the M&A advisory group at Evercore Partners. Prior to joining Evercore, he was an Associate in the TMT group at Banc of America Securities. Before Banc of America Securities, Mr. Farina was a Captain in the United States Air Force where he was a computer security specialist for the Defense Intelligence Agency within the U.S. Intelligence Community. He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School, a Master of Science degree in Information Security from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

About Sixpoint Partners

Sixpoint Partners is a leading global investment bank focused on a diversified set of services and solutions for the middle-market private equity industry. The firm's core areas of focus include (i) primary fund placement, (ii) secondaries advisory and (iii) co-investment placement across a wide range of industries, strategies and geographies. Sixpoint Partners is known for its direct, results-driven style and works together with its clients to deliver solutions that prove valuable in the long run. Sixpoint is headquartered in New York with additional offices in Chicago and San Francisco as well as Abu Dhabi and Singapore. For more information, please visit http://www.sixpointpartners.com/.

Sixpoint Partners, LLC, is a registered broker/dealer, member FINRA (http://www.finra.org) and SIPC (http://www.sipc.org).

SOURCE Sixpoint Partners

Related Links

http://www.sixpointpartners.com


PENDLETON, Ore., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SOAR Oregon, a non-profit organization focused on the development of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry in Oregon, is pleased to announce a grant award to the City of Pendleton for the establishment of a FutureFarm project at the Pendleton, Oregon UAS Test Range.

The Oregon UAS FutureFarm is a 'real world' proving ground designed to help Digital Agriculture Pioneers accelerate product development, reduce cycles, and expand market growth.

Once established in June, it will be the only digital agriculture proving ground of its caliber in the United States. Developers of agriculture-focused unmanned robotics and data systems will find the Oregon UAS FutureFarm has a broad spectrum of high value and commodity crops, multiple layers of remote sensing for benchmarking, as well as access to the agricultural knowledge base they need to test, validate and innovate their next generation of interconnected unmanned and automated agricultural systems.

The Oregon UAS FutureFarm features a network of "research friendly" farmers growing a large variety of irrigated and dry-land crops in both traditional and modern farming infrastructures. Strategic partners include: City of Pendleton, Digital Harvest, SOAR Oregon, Blue Mountain Community College, Oregon State University and USDA Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center.

SOAR Oregon Executive Director Chuck Allen said, "We believe that the Oregon UAS FutureFarm fills a clearly defined market niche for UAS platform and payload developers who are working on the next generation of technologies for precision agriculture. We are especially pleased that this project is taking place at one of Oregon's FAA-designated UAS Test Ranges."

Young Kim, CEO of Digital Harvest, said, "We are pleased to be supporting the Oregon UAS FutureFarm as both a partner and user. The fact that the Test Range includes high value tree fruit orchards, premium wine grape vineyards, hundreds of automated irrigated plots, and hundreds of thousands of acres of dry land farms makes it a unique and special zone."

Jeff Lorton, Oregon UAS FutureFarm project manager: "The Oregon UAS FutureFarm is open to UAS developers, sensor makers, robotics companies, universities and any others who are looking for a real world digital agriculture proving ground that is supported by a collaborative innovation focused community."

Pendleton Mayor Phil Houk signed the agreement with John Stevens and Mike Short from SOAR in attendance. Steve Chrisman, Pendleton Director of Economic Development, commented, "The FutureFarm represents what we'd hoped the Pendleton UAS Range could become  not just an environment for the development of technology, but the place where real-world questions could be solved with unmanned aircraft. We are excited about the potential of this project to develop solutions which benefit growers across the Northwest."

For more about the FutureFarm, please visit futurefarm.tech or view the full release and flyer here .

For information about SOAR Oregon and SOAR's grants program, please visit soaroregon.com .

You can also follow SOAR on Twitter at @SOAROregon and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SOAROregon

SOAR Oregon (SOAR), is a 501(c)(6) non-profit established to help make Oregon a leader in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry.

SOURCE SOAR Oregon

Related Links

http://www.soaroregon.com/


MEDELLIN, Colombia, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Comuna 13 walking tour provides travelers with a unique opportunity to explore this vibrant community and witness the miraculous transformation of one of the region's most troubled neighborhoods known as 'barrios' in Colombia.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362729

Social Urbanism in Medellin, Colombia Inspires Walking Tour in Notorious 'Comuna 13' District

The Comuna 13 barrio was considered one of the most violent communities in Medellin's history. The tour was developed to showcase the miraculous transformation of Comuna 13 through innovative and aggressive social and urban planning by the local government and private investors. The success of Comuna 13's ambitious makeover can serve as an inspiration and model for troubled and neglected communities around the world.

Over the last decade, Medellin has seen an increase in foreign travelers, after years of tourists avoiding Colombia altogether while traveling through South America. Only two decades ago, the city was labeled the 'murder capital of the world' under the rule of drug lord Pablo Escobar, one of the most ruthless and wealthiest drug traffickers in history. In an unprecedented move, the Colombian government committed several thousand members of the police, military and elite special forces to stopping Escobar's reign of terror. On December 3, 1993, Escobar was gunned down on a rooftop as he attempted to flee his hideout. As a result, his death ended this violent chapter in Colombia's history. The popular Narcos TV series on Netflix depicting life in Medellin under Pablo Escobar has actually inspired new travelers to visit Medellin. Many are completely surprised by what they discover upon their arrival in Colombia.

Medellin transformed itself from being the murder capital of the world to being awarded the most innovative city in the world in 2012 according to the Urban Land Institute and The Wall Street Journal. Medellin's astonishing accomplishments was the result of hard work and commitment from the local government, city leaders, private investors and the local residents who wanted to prove that change is possible when governments invest and are committed to improving neglected communities.

To take part in the daily walking tour, guests must book reservations 24 hours in advance. The 4-hour walking tour begins at 10am with a ride on the metro to the cable cars in the San Javier district. On the ride up the cable cars, travelers will witness some of the poorest communities throughout the city of Medellin. Following the cable car ride, guests will hike up to the exterior electric escalators, the longest in the world, developed as an alternative form of public transportation for local residents of Comuna 13. Travelers will enjoy stops in local shops, discover exotic fruits and enjoy handmade ice-cream en route to the tour's final destination. At the top of Comuna 13, guests will be exposed to the gorgeous panoramic views of the city from the observation deck. Comuna 13 Tours' focus is to establish a bond between visitors and local residents in a unique, social environment. It is this social activity that was foreign to many of the community's residents, who were surprised to discover that tourists would be interested in exploring their hillside barrio. The revitalization of Comuna 13 provides guests with the opportunity to experience a part of the world not typically considered a tourist destination, particularly to those people who still have a negative image of Colombia.

The walking tour in the Comuna 13 district was developed for foreign tourists traveling through Colombia. The biggest surprise for tour operators was the response they received from many local residents who were curious to learn more about the infamous barrio, which had long been blocked out from the rest of the city. It even encouraged a few residents to sign up for the tour. As the walking tour grows, the tour company and guests on the tour help contribute to the local economy. It's a way of giving back to this thriving community for welcoming foreign travelers interested in exploring another side of Medellin, a side many guests on the tour consider the "real Medellin." The Comuna 13 walking tour was developed to provide guests with a unique cultural experience and many have stated that visiting the community was their best experience while traveling through Colombia.

Comuna 13 Walking Tour in Medellin, Colombia

Website: www.comuna13tours.com

Tour Reservations: [email protected]

Press: [email protected]

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com.

SOURCE Medellin Traveler Group
When completed, the combination of Southern Company and AGL Resources is expected to create the second-largest utility company in the U.S. by customer base, bringing together:

Eleven regulated electric and natural gas distribution companies providing service to approximately 9 million customers;

Operations of nearly 200,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines;

More than 80,000 miles of gas pipelines; and

Approximately 44,000 megawatts of electricity generating capacity.

The companies expect to complete the transaction in the second half of 2016. For more information about the proposed merger, visit www.doingenergybetter.com.

About Southern Company

With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 44,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including nuclear, 21st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a 2014 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company earned the 2014 National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development, and is consistently ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

About AGL Resources

AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS) is an Atlanta-based energy services holding company which owns and operates natural gas utilities, as well as retail energy and services, wholesale services and midstream businesses. AGL Resources serves approximately 4.5 million utility customers through its regulated distribution subsidiaries in seven states. The company also serves more than one million retail customers through its SouthStar Energy Services joint venture and Pivotal Home Solutions, which market natural gas and related home services. Other non-utility businesses include asset management for natural gas wholesale customers through Sequent Energy Management and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. AGL Resources is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 Index. For more information, visit www.aglresources.com.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements, among other things, concerning the expected timing of the completion of the proposed merger and the expected benefits thereof. These forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of words such as "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "believe," "may," "should," "will," "could," "continue" and the negative or plural of these words and other comparable terminology. Although Southern Company and AGL Resources believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, factors and assumptions regarding the items outlined above. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these expectations include, among other things, the following: the failure to receive, on a timely basis or otherwise, the required approvals by government or regulatory agencies (including the terms of such approvals); the possibility that long-term financing for the transaction may not be put in place prior to the closing; the risk that a condition to closing of the merger or the committed financing may not be satisfied; the possibility that the anticipated benefits from the transaction cannot be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the possibility that costs related to the integration of Southern Company and AGL Resources will be greater than expected; the credit ratings of the combined company or its subsidiaries may be different from what the parties expect; the ability to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers or other business partners; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the impact of legislative, regulatory and competitive changes; and other risk factors relating to the energy industry, as detailed from time to time in each of Southern Company's and AGL Resources' reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that the transaction will in fact be consummated.

Additional information about these factors and about the material factors or assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements may be found in the body of this release, as well as under Item 1.A in each of Southern Company's and AGL Resources' Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. Southern Company and AGL Resources caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Southern Company and AGL Resources, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the transaction or other matters attributable to Southern Company or AGL Resources or any other person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements referenced above. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this release. Neither Southern Company nor AGL Resources undertakes any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as may be required by law.

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SOURCE Southern Company

Related Links

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SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Selection Committee of the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics today announced a Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics recognizing scientists and engineers contributing to the momentous detection of gravitational waves  a detection announced on February 11, 2016.

The Special Breakthrough Prize can be conferred at any time in recognition of an extraordinary scientific achievement. The $3 million award will be shared between two groups of laureates: the three founders of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), who will each equally share $1 million; and 1,012 contributors to the experiment, who will each equally share $2 million.

The founders are Ronald W. P. Drever, Caltech, professor of physics, emeritus; Kip S. Thorne, Caltech, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, emeritus; and Rainer Weiss, MIT, professor of physics, emeritus.

The contributors sharing the prize include 1,005 authors of the paper describing the discovery of gravitational waves from the numerous institutions involved in LIGO and its sister experiment, the Virgo Collaboration. Also sharing the prize are seven scientists who made important contributions to the success of LIGO. The names of contributors are linked below.

The laureates will be recognized at the 2017 Breakthrough Prize ceremony in the fall of 2016, where the annual Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (distinct from the special prize) will also be presented, along with the Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences and Mathematics. Nominations for these prizes are open until May 31, 2016 and can be made online at https://breakthroughprize.org.

Stephen Hawking, who won the Special Breakthrough Prize in 2013, said, "This discovery has huge significance: firstly, as evidence for general relativity and its predictions of black hole interactions, and secondly as the beginning of a new astronomy that will reveal the universe through a different medium. The LIGO team richly deserves the Special Breakthrough Prize."

Yuri Milner, one of the founders of the Breakthrough Prizes, said, "The creative powers of a unique genius, many great scientists, and the universe itself, have come together to make a perfect science story."

Edward Witten, the chair of the Selection Committee, commented, "This amazing achievement lets us observe for the first time some of the remarkable workings of Einstein's theory. Theoretical ideas about black holes which were close to being science fiction when I was a student are now reality."

LIGO

LIGO's gravitational wave detectors were conceived and R&D was initiated in the 1960s. LIGO was built between 1994 and 2002 by Caltech and MIT in partnership with the National Science Foundation of the United States, with the aim of observing the gravitational waves predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity. After a major upgrade from 20102015, it almost immediately observed a gravitational wave distorting the structure of spacetime as it passed through the Earth. The detected distortion was less than a billionth of a billionth of a meter in size at LIGO's two 4KM observatories in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana. The wave emanated from two black holes with masses about 30 times that of the sun, spiraling into each other 1.3 billion light years away. The discovery inaugurates a new era of gravitational wave astronomy which will open a window onto some of the most dramatic and violent phenomena in nature as well as the mysteries of the early universe.

Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

A Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics can be awarded by the Selection Committee at any time, in addition to the Breakthrough Prize conferred through the ordinary annual nomination process. Previous winners of the special prize include seven leaders of the Large Hadron Collider teams that discovered the Higgs Boson.

The Selection Committee for the 2016 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics included: Nima Arkani-Hamed, Lyn Evans, Michael B. Green, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Joseph Incandela, Takaaki Kajita, Alexei Kitaev, Maxim Kontsevich, Andrei Linde, Arthur McDonald, Juan Maldacena, Saul Perlmutter, Alexander Polyakov, Adam Riess, John H. Schwarz, Nathan Seiberg, Ashoke Sen, Yifang Wang, and Edward Witten.

Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics recognizes individuals who have made profound contributions to human knowledge. It is open to all physicists  theoretical, mathematical and experimental  working on the deepest mysteries of the Universe. The prize can be shared among any number of scientists.

The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics are funded by a grant from the Milner Global Foundation.

Breakthrough Prize

For the fifth year, the Breakthrough Prizes will recognize the world's top scientists. Each prize is $3 million and presented in the fields of Life Sciences (up to five per year), Fundamental Physics (up to one per year) and Mathematics (up to one per year). In addition, up to three New Horizons in Physics and up to three New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes are given out to junior researchers each year. Laureates attend a televised award ceremony designed to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists. As part of the ceremony schedule, they also engage in a program of lectures and discussions. The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Jack Ma and Cathy Zhang, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates choose the winners.

Information on the Breakthrough Prizes is available at www.breakthroughprize.org.

The 2016 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Citation: For the observation of gravitational waves, opening new horizons in astronomy and physics.

Prize winners (1,015):

Founders of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO):

Ronald W. P. Drever, Caltech

Kip S. Thorne, Caltech

Rainer Weiss, MIT

ontributors (1,012) who made important contributions to the success of LIGO. A full list of names and institutional affiliations of the contributors can be found at https://breakthroughprize.org/News/32.

SOURCE Breakthrough Prize

Related Links

http://www.breakthroughprize.org


WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Some people look at individuals with disabilities and think, 'Oh, we're going to have to help them a lot.' The result is actually the opposite," said Maddie Ashcraft, seven-year summer camp instructor. Ashcraft says her students have taught her more than she has ever taught them.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362262

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"Children facing challenges have a lot to give  they are the teachers," agreed Jack Viorel, Ashcraft's camp mentor and founder of nonprofit Indo Jax Surf Charities. "With each summer camp, special needs students teach us more about the important things  innovation, persistence, courage to overcome obstacles, joy and laughter, patience and compassion."

Kim Kredich, mom to three children, one of whom is on the autism spectrum, describes the summer camps as "so refreshing."

During the weekend of May 25-27, Kredich will bring families from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, for a new and inclusive Indo Jax Surf Charities experience based at Blockade Runner Beach Resort.

"Ten of the 27 children coming have disabilities. The other 17 do not. They will learn to surf right alongside each other," Kredich said.

"When we are inclusive and help each other, we all learn and benefit," said Viorel. "The teachers become the students and the students become the teachers and the world becomes a better place."

Viorel began his teaching career 25 years ago in a classroom with medically fragile, special needs, and at-risk kids. Ten years ago he moved his family to Wilmington, North Carolina and opened a surf school as a means to reach children and open their minds.

The new inclusive camp is the first on a summer-long schedule of charity outreach surf camps that will serve  at no cost to the campers  visually impaired, autistic, and hearing impaired individuals, as well as boys and girls club members, wounded soldiers, cancer survivors, and participants with developmental and intellectual challenges.

"No one is born with a limiting belief. Limiting beliefs are learned and taught," said Viorel. "When we stop putting limiting beliefs on a special needs child, the sky is the limit. Our goal is to help a child shed limiting beliefs and uncover their confidence and self-esteem again."

"To find an experience for your kids where you don't have to battle, where your kids can relax and learn something new, where  as a parent  you don't have to wonder whether they're being taken care of and having a good experience  well, that just doesn't happen very often," said Kredich.

Kredich said the camps are an important example for schools and other institutions when it comes to inclusion. "If a surf camp can manage full inclusion, nobody else has an excuse to leave anyone out," she said.

In addition to the free special needs summer camps, Viorel includes anyone with disabilities into the regular surf camp schedule with no additional fee. "I'd love it if everyone signed up whenever they wanted to come," said Viorel. "Right now, though, those special weeks provide peace of mind for families trying this for the first time."

A "Kickoff to Summer" party to help fund the free charity surf camps will be hosted on June 2nd by long-time supporter Blockade Runner Beach Resort. Festivities will include silent auctions, live music, surf camp footage, and more. Indo Jax Surf Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For event information visit www.indojaxsurfcharities.org.

2016 Charity Surf Camp Schedule

May 25-27: Inclusive Surf Camp

May 31-June 2: Boys and Girls Club

June 14-16: Cancer

June 21-23: Kids from Belarus

July 11-14: Visually Impaired

July 26-28: Hearing Impaired

Aug. 9-11: Waccammaw Home for Boys and Girls

Aug. 24-26: Autism-Aug. 22 is Surfers Healing

Sept. 10: Wounded Military Surf camp

Contact:

Jack Viorel, director

Indo Jax Surf Charities

Email

910-274-3565

Robert B Butler

Communications | PR

www.NCPressRelease.org

www.RBButler.com

SOURCE Indo Jax Surf Charities

Related Links

http://www.indojaxsurfcharities.org


IRVINE, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Joseph Health today announced an investment in and partnership with Clearsense, a Florida-based data analytics firm, to significantly improve the quality of healthcare offered to its communities. By leveraging Clearsense's real-time data analytics, St. Joseph Health clinicians and practitioners can unlock information to provide measureable, value-based care. St. Joseph Health will begin piloting Clearsense Surveillance technology in the fall of 2016, furthering its commitment to building a comprehensive data and analytics strategy that delivers the most cost-effective, accessible and personalized care to people in the communities it serves

In healthcare today, massive amounts of data are generated daily and stored in disparate places, including Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, labs, outpatient charts, and insurance companies and other third parties. It can be challenging for clinicians to identify and gather all this data and for patients to make informed decisions about their care. By pulling together and organizing this data, healthcare organizations have powerful new capabilities, including forecasting adverse patient behavior, improving treatment of diseases and providing preventive care.

However, healthcare organizations often find the process of aggregating data daunting, costly and complex. Realizing information intelligence helps treatand often foreseehealth issues facing members of the community while controlling cost and risk, innovative care facilities leverage easy-to-use analytics platforms that allow them to uniquely offer patients safe, effective, efficient care individualized to their needs.

Tapping into powerful, real-time analytics to provide advanced patient care

The Clearsense Surveillance solution, one of the market's most accessible analytics systems, easily aggregates structured and unstructured data from all sources, maintaining utmost data integrity. Offered as a subscription-based suite, Clearsense analytics applications will allow St. Joseph Health's clinical and financial decision-makers to tap into powerful, real-time streaming analytics without requiring upfront hardware investments or costs. The Clearsense analytics suite offers St. Joseph Health the following benefits:

Advanced, real-time views of patient conditions and condition changes to enable early detection and prevention. For example, streaming data from monitors, ventilators and other biomedical devices can allow clinicians to stay one step ahead of sepsis and other serious conditions. Continuous access to current data that informs immediate and proactive resolution of operational and workflow issues

Monitoring of quality measures for patients under care and in post-care. Collecting data from at-home devices can alert clinicians to health issues, allow intervention earlier and reduce readmissions.

"St. Joseph Health recognizes that our communities' healthcare needs are changing, which prompted us to look at ways to stay ahead of these needs by harnessing the power of data. We see this as one of the most innovative ways to offer our patients the quality of care they deserve while reducing cost and risk," said Bill Russell, Chief Information Officer of St. Joseph Health. "Many analytics technologies are extremely complex, only providing a reflective view, rather than real-time, predictive intelligence. With Clearsense, we can uncover data insights and valuable surveillance analytics that enable swift, proactive decisions.

"Partnering with St. Joseph Health is a significant milestone and proof point for the strength and value of the Clearsense solution, which has just completed its technology incubation phase in real-world clinician sites," said Christopher Rogowski, President of Clearsense. "The client-investor alliance with St. Joseph Health enables us to continue evolving our analytics solutions in relevant environments while validating our vision of providing innovative, high-impact, and affordable analytics solutions."

About Clearsense

Based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Clearsense is inventing a new model of healthcare analytics, one that is truly accessible to even non-data scientists, for meeting and exceeding quality measures and patient wellbeing. No longer will data silos and closed platforms impede progress. No longer will cost and complexity pervade the analytics industry. Clearsense's analytics solutions empower those who heal othersbecause that's how you bring analytics to life. Learn more about us at www.clearsense.com.

About St. Joseph Health

St. Joseph Health (SJH) is a $5.5 billion not-for-profit integrated Catholic health care delivery system sponsored by the St. Joseph Health Ministry. SJH's comprehensive range of services includes 16 acute care hospitals, home health agencies, hospice care, outpatient services, skilled nursing facilities, community clinics and physician organizations throughout California, Texas, and New Mexico. Collectively, the 24,000 dedicated employees and 6,000 outstanding SJH physicians deliver care to more than 137,000 inpatients and 3.6 million outpatients each year. Throughout its comprehensive regions of care, SJH strives to provide perfect care while building the healthiest communities and ensuring every encounter is sacred. These extraordinary efforts have been recognized locally and nationally, including distinctions in US News & World Report and Magnet recognition. Guided by the traditions of its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, SJH is committed to maintaining a continuum of care that matches the diverse needs of its communities. For more information, visit www.stjoe.org.

SOURCE St. Joseph Health

Related Links

http://www.stjhs.org


IRVINE, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Joseph Health today announced an investment in and partnership with Clearsense, a Florida-based data analytics firm, to significantly improve the quality of healthcare offered to its communities. By leveraging Clearsense's real-time data analytics, St. Joseph Health clinicians and practitioners can unlock information to provide measureable, value-based care. St. Joseph Health will begin piloting Clearsense Surveillance technology in the fall of 2016, furthering its commitment to building a comprehensive data and analytics strategy that delivers the most cost-effective, accessible and personalized care to people in the communities it serves.

In healthcare today, massive amounts of data are generated daily and stored in disparate places, including Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, labs, outpatient charts, and insurance companies and other third parties. It can be challenging for clinicians to identify and gather all this data and for patients to make informed decisions about their care. By pulling together and organizing this data, healthcare organizations have powerful new capabilities, including forecasting adverse patient behavior, improving treatment of diseases and providing preventive care.

However, healthcare organizations often find the process of aggregating data daunting, costly and complex. Realizing information intelligence helps treatand often foreseehealth issues facing members of the community while controlling cost and risk, innovative care facilities leverage easy-to-use analytics platforms that allow them to uniquely offer patients safe, effective, efficient care individualized to their needs.

Tapping into powerful, real-time analytics to provide advanced patient care

The Clearsense Surveillance solution, one of the market's most accessible analytics systems, easily aggregates structured and unstructured data from all sources, maintaining utmost data integrity. Offered as a subscription-based suite, Clearsense analytics applications will allow St. Joseph Health's clinical and financial decision-makers to tap into powerful, real-time streaming analytics without requiring upfront hardware investments or costs. The Clearsense analytics suite offers St. Joseph Health the following benefits:

Advanced, real-time views of patient conditions and condition changes to enable early detection and prevention. For example, streaming data from monitors, ventilators and other biomedical devices can allow clinicians to stay one step ahead of sepsis and other serious conditions. Continuous access to current data that informs immediate and proactive resolution of operational and workflow issues.

Monitoring of quality measures for patients under care and in post-care. Collecting data from at-home devices can alert clinicians to health issues, allow intervention earlier and reduce readmissions.

"St. Joseph Health recognizes that our communities' healthcare needs are changing, which prompted us to look at ways to stay ahead of these needs by harnessing the power of data. We see this as one of the most innovative ways to offer our patients the quality of care they deserve while reducing cost and risk," said Bill Russell, Chief Information Officer of St. Joseph Health. "Many analytics technologies are extremely complex, only providing a reflective view, rather than real-time, predictive intelligence. With Clearsense, we can uncover data insights and valuable surveillance analytics that enable swift, proactive decisions.

"Partnering with St. Joseph Health is a significant milestone and proof point for the strength and value of the Clearsense solution, which has just completed its technology incubation phase in real-world clinician sites," said Christopher Rogowski, President of Clearsense. "The client-investor alliance with St. Joseph Health enables us to continue evolving our analytics solutions in relevant environments while validating our vision of providing innovative, high-impact, and affordable analytics solutions."

About Clearsense

Based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Clearsense is inventing a new model of healthcare analytics, one that is truly accessible to even non-data scientists, for meeting and exceeding quality measures and patient wellbeing. No longer will data silos and closed platforms impede progress. No longer will cost and complexity pervade the analytics industry. Clearsense's analytics solutions empower those who heal othersbecause that's how you bring analytics to life. Learn more about us at www.clearsense.com.

About St. Joseph Health

St. Joseph Health (SJH) is a $5.5 billion not-for-profit integrated Catholic health care delivery system sponsored by the St. Joseph Health Ministry. SJH's comprehensive range of services includes 16 acute care hospitals, home health agencies, hospice care, outpatient services, skilled nursing facilities, community clinics and physician organizations throughout California, Texas, and New Mexico. Collectively, the 24,000 dedicated employees and 6,000 outstanding SJH physicians deliver care to more than 137,000 inpatients and 3.6 million outpatients each year. Throughout its comprehensive regions of care, SJH strives to provide perfect care while building the healthiest communities and ensuring every encounter is sacred. These extraordinary efforts have been recognized locally and nationally, including distinctions in US News & World Report and Magnet recognition. Guided by the traditions of its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, SJH is committed to maintaining a continuum of care that matches the diverse needs of its communities. For more information, visit www.stjoe.org.

Media Contacts

Nisha Morris, director, system communication, St. Joseph Health (714) 414-3232

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362758LOGO

SOURCE St. Joseph Health

Related Links

http://www.stjoe.org


PHOENIX, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- One hundred students from inner-city high schools in the Phoenix area will receive full-tuition scholarships this week as part of a groundbreaking Students Inspiring Students pay-it-forward initiative to improve K-12 education.

The initiative is a collaboration between Grand Canyon University, the GCU Scholarship Foundation, schools, and business and philanthropic leaders. But at its core, it's about students helping students and the impact it can have at inner-city schools in Arizona.

The 100 students all received academic assistance while in high school at GCU's Learning Lounge, a free after-school tutoring program designed to improve the skills and confidence of underperforming students as well as those taking advanced-level classes. Those 100 scholarship recipients will pay it forward as college students by providing 100 hours per year of mentoring and academic support at a Learning Lounge site to assist the next group of high school students behind them.

The end result is a grass-roots, self-funded initiative that is both sustainable and scalable in which students are inspiring students.

"We've seen the tremendous impact that a successful college student can have on a high school student with just a few extra hours of instruction per week," said Brian Mueller, president of GCU. "They're getting one-on-one help and mentoring from students who have been in their shoes and know what they're going through."

The Students Inspiring Students initiative is an expansion of GCU's three-year-old Learning Lounge project with nearby Alhambra High School, which has had remarkable results. Alhambra, located in a diverse neighborhood filled with refugees from around the world, is a school where more than 40 languages are spoken and more than 90 percent of students fall below the federal poverty level.

When the Learning Lounge opened three years ago, Alhambra was rated a "D" school by the Arizona Department of Education based on its students' showing on the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS). Most recently, Alhambra was nine points away from being a "B" school. What's more, the number of high school graduates at Alhambra increased from 417 in 2013-14 to 536 in 2014-15; Alhambra seniors earned $2.7 million in college scholarships in 2014-15, up from $1.2 million in 2013-14; and the number of students taking advanced placement exams jumped from 174 to 302.

"Our students now feel like they have the weight of a university behind them," Alhambra principal Claudio Coria said, "and it's making a huge difference."

Mueller said there is a lot of discussion about what needs to be done to improve academic achievement in K-12 schools, but very few projects that are actually doing something about it. "This is a proven project that works," Mueller added, "and it is about to explode and impact thousands of students."

"We believe this will be truly transformational and could become a model that will be emulated nationally."

The Students Inspiring Students full-tuition scholarships are made possible by a fundraising campaign between the Grand Canyon University Scholarship Foundation  which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit -- and local business and philanthropic leaders. At an initial fundraising event in January, $350,000 was pledged to the Foundation's Students Inspiring Students Scholarship Fund. The university matches all Students Inspiring Students donations to the Foundation, bringing the total amount to be awarded thus far to $700,000.

The goal is to raise enough in donations to award 800 full-tuition scholarships (200 per year) to qualified high school seniors and create an education-minded inner-city community with students who are passionate, motivated and capable of succeeding in college and the workplace.

"Public schools in this neighborhood are assets, they're not liabilities. And the kids in those schools are assets, not problems to be solved," Mueller said. "By investing in them, the trajectory of the entire neighborhood will change.

"The good news is that this initiative requires no government help or intervention and no tax increase. It's a way for business and philanthropic leaders to give back to their community and make a significant impact on education in Arizona."

About Grand Canyon University: Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona's premier private Christian university. GCU is regionally accredited and offers more than 160 academic programs for both traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The University's curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu.

About Grand Canyon University Scholarship Foundation: The Grand Canyon University Scholarship Foundation was established in 2006 and is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing scholarships to full-time ground traditional students attending Grand Canyon University. For more information, visit gcuscholarshipfoundation.org.

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SOURCE Grand Canyon University

Related Links

http://www.gcu.edu


In 2008, the National Eye Institute funded a comparison trial of two drugs to treat a form of macular degeneration, called neovascular or "wet" AMD . It is responsible for 90 percent of all AMD-related blindness. The researchers compared two injectable anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs manufactured by Genentech. One was Lucentis (ranibizumab) which was approved in 2006 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating wet AMD. The other was Avastin (bevacizumab), a drug approved for colon cancer, but used off-label to treat AMD. Lucentis costs about $2,000 per dose, versus $50 a dose for Avastin. Before this study, no U.S. clinical trial data existed to verify the more affordable drug's safety and efficacy.

The researchers studied 1,200 patients with wet AMD using either drug. After five years, researchers followed up with 647 of the patients who were still living. They found that 50 percent of eyes had 20/40 vision or better. Researchers also found that treating patients as needed rather than on a monthly basis may possibly yield better outcomes. Overall, the long-term study confirms the fact that Avastin performs just as well as Lucentis for treating wet AMD.

"Some experts had speculated that two years of treatment with ranibizumab might have long-term benefits superior to bevacizumab," said Daniel F. Martin, M.D., study co-author and chair of the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. "However, at five years, there were no differences in visual acuity between the two drugs."

In terms of safety, the original Lucentis patient group had after five years a higher incidence of stroke and heart attack in this study  7.6 percent versus 4.5 percent for Avastin. Researchers cautioned that the safety results may have been affected by the fact that patients could switch drugs or use other treatments after two years.

In the end, about 20 percent of eyes had declined to 20/200 vision or worse, generally considered the threshold for legal blindness. Experts say these results highlight the need for continued research and new treatments.

"Although anti-VEGF treatment has greatly improved the prognosis for patients overall, we still need to find ways to avoid poor vision in these patients and to decrease the burden of ongoing treatment," said Maureen G. Maguire, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a professor of ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

AMD is the leading cause of legal blindness in America and Western Europe.1 It causes central vision loss, which is used for driving, reading and recognizing faces. About 10 million people in the United States have some form of AMD.2,3

"Five-Year Outcomes with Anti-VEGF Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)," Maguire, et al. Ophthalmology, article in press, May 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.03.045. Investigators also presented the findings today at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology conference in Seattle. The research was supported by NEI grants EY017823, EY017825, EY017826 and EY017828. For a full copy of the study, please contact the Academy Public Relations Department at [email protected].

Learn more about macular degeneration at http://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons. A global community of 32,000 medical doctors, we protect sight and empower lives by setting the standards for ophthalmic education and advocating for our patients and the public. We innovate to advance our profession and to ensure the delivery of the highest-quality eye care. Our EyeSmart program provides the public with the most trusted information about eye health. For more information, visit www.aao.org.

About Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology, the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, publishes original, peer-reviewed, clinically-applicable research. Topics include the results of clinical trials, new diagnostic and surgical techniques, treatment methods, technology assessments, translational science reviews and editorials. For more information, visit www.aaojournal.org.

1 Prevalence and causes of vision loss in high-income countries and in Eastern and Central Europe: 19902010, Bourne et al. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 2014.

2 Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the United States, Friedman, et al. Archives of Ophthalmology, 2004

3 https://nei.nih.gov/eyedata/amd

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Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151114/287412LOGO

SOURCE American Academy of Ophthalmology

Related Links

http://www.aao.org


HONOLULU, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) (HEI) today expressed their gratitude to the more than 100 diverse Hawaii-based organizations that have publicly endorsed the Hawaiian Electric-NextEra Energy merger.

Those supporting the proposed merger comprise a diverse statewide coalition including multiple chambers of commerce, labor unions, small and large businesses, Native Hawaiian and non-profit organizations.

"As the regulatory review process comes to a close, we want to express our deep appreciation for all the support we have received from so many across the state," said Eric Gleason, president of NextEra Energy Hawaii. "We are particularly pleased that such a broad and diverse group of organizations, including labor and community groups, small and large businesses, local chambers of commerce and Native Hawaiian organizations, recognize the many benefits the Hawaiian Electric-NextEra Energy merger will bring to Hawaii. As we await a decision by the Public Utilities Commission, NextEra Energy stands ready to be a strong, long-term energy service provider for Hawaiian Electric's customers and partner for its communities."

"We thank everyone for participating in a process that is so important to the future of Hawaii's economy and quality of life and for supporting this merger as the right path forward to realize the energy future we all want for Hawaii," said Alan Oshima, Hawaiian Electric's president and chief executive officer. "NextEra Energy has the resources and experience to not only help us reach our clean energy goals, but also to accelerate the process and deliver long-term cost savings to customers and businesses. As we said from the outset, NextEra Energy is the right partner for Hawaiian Electric and the right partner for Hawaii."

NextEra Energy is a world-class energy company with the expertise, processes and best practices to partner with Hawaiian Electric to enhance service, reliability and performance. The Company has received numerous awards from credible third parties for its overall performance relative to its national and global peers, as well as its leadership in areas such as innovation, ethics and sustainability. NextEra Energy's utility, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), is leading the industry in grid modernization, having deployed more than 4.8 million smart meters and more than 12,000 intelligent devices throughout its Florida service network. FPL's smart grid is recognized as one of the most advanced grids in the nation and one of the most comprehensive, full-scale deployments of its kind, delivering measurable operational savings and strong customer benefits, including improvements in efficiency, reliability and customer service.

NextEra Energy has committed to delivering a total of nearly $1 billion in customer savings and economic benefits and to achieving Hawaii's goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. Together, NextEra Energy and Hawaiian Electric plan to help achieve this objective by leveraging NextEra Energy's strong financial profile to invest in Hawaii's electrical grid modernization and clean energy programs.

NextEra Energy, Inc.

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.5 billion, approximately 46,400 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with noncontrolling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), and approximately 14,300 employees in 27 states and Canada as of year-end 2015. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Fla., NextEra Energy's principal subsidiaries are Florida Power & Light Company, which serves more than 4.8 million customer accounts in Florida and is one of the largest rate-regulated electric utilities in the United States, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. A Fortune 200 company and included in the S&P 100 index, NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2016 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com

Hawaiian Electric Company

Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries, Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light, serve the islands of O'ahu, Maui, Lana'i, Moloka'i and Hawaii, home to 95 percent of the population of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric's parent company is Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE: HE), which has been named one of "America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies 2015" by Forbes.

In a changing world, the Hawaiian Electric Companies are taking the lead in adding renewable energy and developing energy solutions for their customers to achieve a clean energy future for Hawaii. For more information, visit www.hawaiianelectric.com.

NextEra Energy Contacts

Robert L. Gould

Vice President, Chief Communications Officer

Debra Larsson

Manager, Financial and Sustainability Communication

561-694-4442

Hawaiian Electric Company Contact

Lynne Unemori

Vice President, Corporate Relations

808-543-7972

Hawaiian Electric Industries Contact

A.J. Halagao

Manager, Corporate & Community Advancement

808-543-5889

SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.; Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.NextEraEnergy.com


"It is fitting that a company known for innovation and technology would make a home in a state that is known for innovation and technology," said Hisashi Ietsugu, president and CEO, Sysmex Corporation. Ietsugu traveled from corporate headquarters in Kobe, Japan to visit offices in the U.S., including the new Irvine offices and Sysmex America's headquarters in Lincolnshire, Ill.

"The Irvine location is evidence of our growth, as well as our very serious commitment to providing the highest level of customer care, for many years to come," said John Kershaw, president and CEO, Sysmex America, Inc.

About Sysmex America, Inc.

Sysmex America, Inc., distributes and supports a diverse portfolio of best-in-class, in vitro diagnostic hematology and laboratory products in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. It is the U.S. headquarters of Sysmex Corporation, located in Kobe, Japan, a trusted world leader in clinical laboratory systemization and solutions that optimize efficiency, operations and financial performance in the lab. Sysmex is reshaping the healthcare of tomorrow at the clinical laboratory level by transcending the boundaries of diagnostic science and serving as the pulse of reliable, accountable care. For more information about Sysmex America, visit www.sysmex.com/us.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362516

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SOURCE Sysmex America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sysmex.com


NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tapad is sponsoring two of the world's leading Scala conferences: Scala Days, held May 9th - 11th, 2016, at New World Stages in New York and flatMap(Oslo), focused on Scala and Java, May 2nd - 3rd, 2016.

Scala Days brings together developers from all corners of the world to share their experiences and innovations with Scala and related technologies. As a premium sponsor to Scala Days, Tapad will host developers in an exclusive lounge at the conference featuring live coding sessions and giveaways. The Tapad lounge will also feature a VR station taking attendees "inside" the Tapad Device Graph.

Tapad is also a key sponsor at flatMap(Oslo) this week, a developer-focused event in Olso, Norway. flatMap(Oslo) gathers programming enthusiasts, annually attended by 100 passionate developers from Norway and abroad.

"As an early adopter of Scala, Tapad has benefited from the vibrant Scala developer community in New York City for years. Sponsoring Scala Days and flatMap(Oslo) is a great way for us to continue investing in our developers, the Scala community and the technology stack our business depends on," said Dag Liodden, CTO and co-Founder of Tapad.

EVENT DETAILS

Scala Days

When :

May 9th - 11th, 2016

May 9th : 4 - 5 PM

May 10th : 8 AM - 6:45 PM

May 11th : 8 AM - 4:50 PM

: : : : Where :

New World Stages

340 West 50th Street between 8th & 9th Avenues, Map

New York, NY 10019

Join Tapad's Device Graph Experience at the official Scala Days lounge.

: New World Stages 340 West 50th Street between 8th & 9th Avenues, Map 10019 Join Tapad's Device Graph Experience at the official Scala Days lounge. Who & How: Scala user groups and communities from around the world, as well as student and language contributors, will discuss academic research, use-cases and visionary projects. Learn more by visiting: http://event.scaladays.org/scaladays-nyc-2016

flatMap(Oslo)

When : May 2 - 3, 2016

: Where : Teknologihuset (House of Communities), Pilestredet 56, 0167 Oslo, Norway

: Teknologihuset (House of Communities), Pilestredet 56, 0167 Who & How: flatMap( Oslo ) is organised by a group of developers from Arktekk  a small independent consultancy company based in Oslo, Norway . It is a conference tailored for enthusiasts of Scala and functional programming on the Java Virtual Machine.

About Tapad

Tapad Inc. is a marketing technology firm renowned for its breakthrough, unified, cross-device solutions. With 91.2% data accuracy confirmed by Nielsen, the company offers the largest in-market opportunity for marketers and technologies to address the ever-evolving reality of media consumption on smartphones, tablets, home computers and smart TVs. Deployed by agency trading desks, publishers and numerous Fortune 500 brands, Tapad provides an accurate, unified approach to connecting with consumers across screens. In 2015, Tapad began aggressively licensing its identity management solution, the Tapad Device Graph, and swiftly became the gold-standard throughout the ad tech ecosystem. Tapad is based in New York and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Toronto. TechCrunch called the powerhouse Tapad team "a hell of a list of entrepreneurs who created some of the most valuable online advertising companies of the last decade." Among Tapad's numerous awards: EY Entrepreneur of The Year (East Coast) 2014, among Forbes' Most Promising Companies two year's running, Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, Crain's Fast 50, Entrepreneur 360, Digiday Signal Award, iMedia ASPY Award and a MarCom Gold Award.

Contact:

Tiffany Guarnaccia

347.421.2507

[email protected]

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SOURCE Tapad

Related Links

http://www.tapad.com


BOULDER, Colo., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunrise Strategic Partners ("Sunrise"), a Boulder, CO-based accelerator of emerging brands co-founded by Steve Hughes and Trilantic North America, today announced a minority investment in Teton Waters Ranch, a company that produces sausages, frankfurters and chili from 100 percent grass-fed beef.

"Teton Waters Ranch has maintained high standards for raising cattle since day one - 100% grass-fed, no hormones, no antibiotics and no feedlots. We believe this is good for us, better for animals, and good for the land. Recently, we have seen a strong increase in consumer awareness and demand for meat products produced in this manner," said Jeff Russell, Teton Waters Ranch Founder and CEO. "The capital investment from Sunrise will allow us to invest in research to understand our consumers better, develop a strong innovation pipeline and help us tell our story. Beyond this, I am looking forward to leveraging Steve's strategic thinking to continue to develop the Teton Waters Ranch brand."

In 2009, Jeff Russell reclaimed land that had been part of a conventional potato farm in Teton Valley, Idaho. After reintroducing native grasses, he set cattle to graze. The animals naturally rebuilt and enriched the soil, grazing freely and eating the food they were meant to eat. Fast forward to 2016, Teton Waters Ranch has brought true grass-fed beef foods to the mainstream. In order to support increased demand, Teton Waters Ranch has teamed up with a network of ranchers that follow the same land management and animal practices employed on the original ranch - a way of life as old as the land. Humane treatment of animals is emerging as a major focus for consumers looking for products they can trust. Teton Waters Ranch is one of the first companies to offer packaged meats that maintain authentic grass-fed standards centered on the animals and the land.

"Jeff is a remarkable entrepreneur. We are thrilled to work with Jeff and his team to help solidify Teton Waters Ranch as the first mover of a consumer brand based on the highest standards of humane treatment of cattle," Sunrise Strategic Partners CEO Steve Hughes said. "He started this business by converting a ranch back to natural grass and raising cattle on that land. Jeff has now built this company all the way through to retail consumer packaged goods and sells the best tasting hot dogs and dinner sausages on the market."

The investment in Denver-based Teton Waters Ranch marks the third investment for Sunrise, an investment vehicle that provides growth capital and expertise to emerging healthy, active and sustainable living brands to support their development, add strategic value and share guidance on tactical priorities. Sunrise has previously invested in PACT Apparel and Perky Jerky, also Colorado-based companies. As part of the investment, Steve Hughes will join the Teton Waters Ranch Board of Directors.

About Teton Waters Ranch

Teton Waters Ranch produces a line of sausages, frankfurters and chili. All products are made with 100% grass-fed beef. Idaho-born and Denver-based Teton Waters is more than just one lone ranch. It's a way of life as old as the land, used by generations of humane ranchers raising grass-fed beef around the world. It's good for us, better for animals, and good for the land. For more information on Teton Waters Ranch visit www.tetonwatersranch.com.

About Sunrise Strategic Partners

Sunrise Strategic Partners, based in Boulder, Colorado, provides growth capital and expertise to emerging brands in the healthy, active and sustainable living space that resonate with millennials, have a strong proof of concept and have reached approximately $10-$20 million in revenue. The Sunrise team is deeply experienced in scaling brands and supports these investments by adding strategic value and guidance on tactical priorities. Sunrise Strategic Partners was founded by Steve Hughes, founder of Boulder Brands, and Trilantic North America, a leading private equity firm. For more information, visit www.sunrisestrategicpartners.com.

About Trilantic North America

Trilantic Capital Management L.P. ("Trilantic North America") is a private equity firm focused on control and significant minority investments in North America. Trilantic North America's primary investment focus is in the business services, consumer, energy and financial services sectors. Trilantic North America currently manages four private equity funds with aggregate capital commitments of $5.7 billion. For more information, visit www.trilantic.com.



Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160328/348635LOGO

SOURCE Sunrise Strategic Partners

Related Links

http://www.sunrisestrategicpartners.com


VALENCIA, Calif., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bioness, Inc., the leading provider of state-of-the-art, clinically supported rehabilitation and pain management medical devices, announced today its StimRouter Neuromodulation System has been chosen as a 2016 Medical Device Excellence Awards (MDEA) finalist. MDEA is a worldwide competition that recognizes products that are commercially available and approved as a medical device either by the U.S. FDA or other relevant notified body.

The 2016 MDEA competition includes ten different product categories that represent instruments, machines, implants, in vitro reagents, mobile medical applications, or other related products. StimRouter was selected as a finalist in the Implant and Tissue-Replacement Products category.

The StimRouter System is an implantable device designed to deliver safe, effective long-term chronic pain relief, easily controlled by the patient, at home or on-the-go. StimRouter precisely delivers stimulation to the exact nerve causing the pain but without a large implanted pulse generator or battery, so the device minimizes tissue trauma and infection incidence while reducing recovery time.

Entries will be judged in five critical categories: design and engineering innovations, functional (user-related) innovations, benefit to overall healthcare, benefit to patients and market differentiation. Winners will be announced June 14, 2016 during a special ceremony at the Medical Device and Manufacturing (MD&M) East Conference and Exposition in New York City.

About StimRouter Neuromodulation System

The StimRouter Neuromodulation System is intended to provide electrical stimulation via a small implanted lead to a target peripheral nerve, for the management of severe intractable chronic pain of peripheral nerve origin in adults, as an adjunct to other modes of therapy.

StimRouter is a minimally invasive procedure consisting of an implanted lead, external pulse transmitter (EPT) and conductive electrode, controlled by a small, handheld wireless patient programmer. StimRouter is programmed at the direction of the physician to meet unique pain management requirements.

About Bioness, Inc.

Bioness is the leading provider of innovative technologies helping people control pain, regain mobility and improve independence. Bioness solutions include external and implantable functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems, robotic systems and software-based therapy programs providing functional and therapeutic benefits for individuals affected by pain, central nervous system disorders and orthopedic injuries. Individual results vary. Consult with a qualified physician to determine if this product is right for you. Contraindications, adverse reactions and precautions are available online at www.bioness.com

StimRouter and Bioness are trademarks of Bioness, Inc. | www.bioness.com | Rx Only

Additional information about StimRouter can be found at www.stimrouter.com.

Bioness Contact:

Next Step Communications

[email protected]

781.326.1741

SOURCE Bioness, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.bioness.com


Every single baby born at Denver Health goes home with a "Warm Welcome Bag" filled to the brim with everything a baby needs for a great start. In addition to the Warm Welcome Bags, babies and families in serious need can get car seats, strollers, cribs and other baby items to help them out.

The Newborns in Need program of the Denver Health Foundation collects thousands of new baby items from the community during the special Day of Giving: BAEBAE Day held on May 7 this year. Thousands of cash donations are contributed online and items are dropped off throughout the day at Denver Health to fill the welcome bags.

Since 2012, The Boppy Company and its employees have supported the Newborns in Need program through sponsorships, donations and volunteering their time at BAEBAE Day by helping to collect and sort the thousands of items donated throughout the day.

"The BAEBAE event gives our littlest community members an incredibly helpful start with a welcome bag filled with everything they need. The Boppy Company is honored to be supporting such an important local program that closely aligns with our mission of starting newborns and moms off on the right foot. We are deeply moved to see our community come together for this event and experience the overwhelming passion and generosity Denver citizens have to help each other," says Nancy Bartley, CEO of The Boppy Company.

Interested in making a donation or dropping off a baby item? Donations can be made by clicking here. Also, please visit www.boppy.com or contact [email protected] for more information.

About The Boppy Company

Founded in 1989, The Boppy Company is the world leader and expert in creating comfortable, supportive and award-winning products for mom and baby. To date, Boppy Products have won over 50 awards and continue to be named must-have products around the world. Most well known as the maker of the world's original nursing pillow, the iconic Boppy Feeding and Infant Support Pillow, The Boppy Company has expanded into skincare, pregnancy pillows, breastfeeding accessories, baby loungers, baby clothing, plush goods, baby travel products, nursery products and baby seats. For more information, visit www.boppy.com. The Boppy Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Artsana Group, www.artsana.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362274

SOURCE The Boppy Company

Related Links

http://www.boppy.com


PHILADELPHIA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 companies purchasing eggs now are demanding their sources produce cage-free eggs. The idea of chickens roaming about, scratching in the dirt, elicits an idealistic thought that it leads to better animal welfare and better quality eggs. The National Association of Egg Farmers wants consumers to know that this is simply not true.

Not more humane - Removing chickens from cages, where they have been for decades, will lead to issues with more chickens dying. Chickens establish a "pecking order" among those in their group. Imagine a flock of thousands of chickens establishing a pecking order among themselves. Those lower on the pecking order are pecked more often. This is minimized in a cage environment where only a few birds are placed.

Food safety concerns - Cage-free eggs are more likely to be contaminated with bacteria due to prolonged exposure from litter and manure in the nest boxes or on the ground. The most recent Salmonella enteritidis (a foodborne pathogen) outbreak linked to eggs comes from a cage-free farm in Lebanon, Ohio. A recent Food and Drug Administration warning letter was issued to a cage-free egg farmer in Missouri. Yet the narrative that cage-free chickens produce a better quality egg gains traction because few are exposing this false premise.

Farm workers adversely affected - As for the workers in cage-free barns, the amount of dust, which can transmit pathogens, inside the barn represents a health risk to farm workers, and the need for workers to collect floor eggs creates ergonomic challenges, too.

Fewer egg farmers - Farmers want to please their customers and so there will be more cage-free farms built, but the smaller farmer will struggle with the estimated costs of $40 per bird for the labor, building, feeders, waters, and nests in their cage-free barns. The larger egg farmers will build these structures and increase their market share as the smaller farms cannot compete and simply quit the business. The end result will be fewer, but larger farms producing eggs.

Ken Klippen, President, National Association of Egg Farmers (Offices in Philadelphia and Washington, DC) www.eggfarmers.org, 610-415-1055

SOURCE The National Association of Egg Farmers

Related Links

http://www.eggfarmers.org


BOSTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The VELCRO Brand and lifestyle designer Sabrina Soto are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the VELCRO Brand Classroom Makeover contest. In its second year, the program celebrates and honors educators and their profound impact on students by re-designing educational spaces to create well organized, inviting and inspiring places for learning.

"When we developed the Classroom Makeover program in 2015, we didn't fully realize how impactful the program would be until nearly the entire school turned up to cheer for last year's winner," said Julie Barry, Director of Global Brand, Velcro Companies. "The contest became so much more than honoring one teacher  it was about celebrating the impact that school communities have on our lives. As a company, we are deeply committed to fostering education and learning and are thrilled to again host this exciting competition."

In addition to new furniture, supplies, technology (including computers or tablets) and decorations, the makeover will feature a range of VELCRO Brand products  a long-time favorite of educators for nearly endless applications in the classroom. This year, the winning educator's institution will also receive a customized Reading Corner  a beautifully designed space complete with favorite books where students can build a love of reading.

"My students have benefited so much from all that VELCRO Brand provided for us last year," said Desiree Limkeman, 2nd Grade Teacher, College Heights Christian School and 2015 Classroom Makeover winner. "My students are able to work together well in centers by having tables instead of desks. I thank the VELCRO Brand so much for all it provided to help make our environment a better place to learn."

Nominations for PreK  grade 12 educational rooms are open to educators, students, parents and friends. Submissions must be received by May 31, 2016. All classrooms, resource rooms and formal learning areas are eligible for submission. Entrants must submit two (2) photos of the room with a brief reason the educator and the classroom deserve to win through the WooBox Contest Application featured on the VELCRO Brand Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels. Educators are encouraged to nominate their own classrooms.

The winner will be announced on June 20, 2016. Follow VELCRO Brand on Instagram for updates, design photos and updates throughout.

About Velcro Companies

Velcro Companies is a technology-driven, global organization providing fastening solutions that solve problems in simple, elegant and surprising ways for businesses and consumers around the world. We have a heritage of innovation spanning more than 50 years and own over 400 active patents and numerous trademarks, including the VELCRO trademark, which is registered throughout the world. We develop and deliver solutions for customers through an integrated production and service system that includes manufacturing locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, China and Uruguay and sales offices around the world. To buy genuine VELCRO brand products and to find out more about our company, visit www.velcro.com.

Note to Editors: At Velcro Companies, we are proud that VELCRO brand products have become a part of everyday life, but that ubiquity sometimes produces confusion. The VELCRO trademark should be used only when referring to genuine VELCRO brand fasteners. Non-VELCRO brand products should be identified by their functional terms, such as "hook and loop," "self-adhesive straps," and so forth. The VELCRO mark should always be used as an adjective and never as a noun or a verb. The term "Velcro Companies" should be used when referring to our company and its executives.

The proper use of the VELCRO trademark assists us in safeguarding the integrity of the VELCRO brand, and helps to protect consumers from products incorrectly sold as VELCRO brand products. For further information on the proper use of the VELCRO trademark, please see the guidelines on our website.

SOURCE Velcro Companies

Related Links

http://www.velcro.com


LANGLEY, U.K., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelport (NYSE:TVPT), a leading Travel Commerce Platform providing distribution, technology, payment and other solutions for the global travel industry, today announces changes to the Board of Directors of eNett International ("eNett"), its global B2B payments business in which it is the majority shareholder.

The changes are designed to strengthen the eNett business, a rapidly growing element of Travelport's Travel Commerce Platform, and a key component of its Beyond Air capabilities.

Gordon Wilson, President and CEO for Travelport, takes over as Chairman of eNett. Wilson is joined on the board by Elizabeth Buse, an accomplished leader in the global payments industry. Buse has held a number of senior executive roles in high profile payments businesses, including Visa, Inc., as well as mobile payments company, Monitise plc, where she was CEO. Buse is also a Director of Travelport. Also joining the board are Travelport executives, Bernard Bot and Thomas Murphy, who are Travelport's Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel respectively.

Anthony Hynes, the CEO of eNett, and Rob Bishop, a Non-Executive Director representing Optal, eNett's minority shareholder, make up the full eNett board membership. As well as additional expertise in credit cards and payments, Bishop brings extensive financial services experience to the board having held senior executive roles with NAB, Westpac and Citibank.

Gordon Wilson, President and CEO of Travelport, commented:

"eNett plays a key part in Travelport's growth strategy and I am excited about leading its board as it embarks upon its next phase of growth. This business has not only expanded well to date, but also has a great future ahead of it. Adding further depth and breadth of management experience in the payments, travel and distribution industries to its board of directors will support Anthony Hynes and his team in being able to fully realise the potential of the business."

Since its inception in 2009, eNett has sustained impressive year-on-year growth and today employs more than 120 people worldwide. Today, eNett can support customers in over 70 countries and continues to focus on recruiting new talent in all of its major hubs in Australia, the UK and Singapore to further strengthen its operations.

Notes to Editors:

About Travelport (www.travelport.com)

Travelport is a Travel Commerce Platform providing distribution, technology, payment, mobile and other solutions for the global travel and tourism industry. With a presence in approximately 180 countries, over 3,700 employees, and an additional 1,200 employees at IGT Solutions Private Ltd who provide us with application development services, our 2015 net revenue was over $2.2 billion. Travelport is comprised of:

A Travel Commerce Platform through which it facilitates travel commerce by connecting the world's leading travel providers with online and offline travel buyers in a proprietary business-to-business (B2B) travel marketplace. Travelport has a leadership position in airline merchandising, hotel content and rate distribution, mobile travel commerce and a pioneering B2B payment solution that addresses the needs of travel intermediaries to efficiently and securely settle travel transactions.

Technology Services through which it provides critical IT services to airlines, such as shopping, ticketing, departure control and other solutions, enabling them to focus on their core business competencies and reduce costs.

Travelport is headquartered in Langley, U.K. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol "TVPT".

About eNett International

eNett International simplifies the complexities of payments by connecting travel industry specialism with payments expertise.

We pioneer innovative B2B payment solutions that reduce risk and facilitate even more travel content, at a lower cost. Easily integrated into existing travel booking workflows, our payment solutions deliver financial, data and efficiency rewards for travel agents and industry suppliers.

Our secure Virtual Account Numbers (VANs) enable travel agencies of all sizes to automatically generate a unique MasterCard number and pay their suppliers from directly within their booking flow. And our exclusive, long-term partnership with MasterCard provides access to the world's fastest payments processing network and 35.9 million payment locations worldwide, wherever a supplier accepts MasterCard online.

We are majority owned by Travelport, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and our VANs are seamlessly integrated into its Travel Commerce Platform.

Further strengthened by our global banking services partner and shareholder Optal, eNett is building a reputation for trusted and practical B2B payment solutions for the travel industry and beyond.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Travelport: Kate Aldridge, Vice President, Corporate Communications, [email protected]

eNett: Tim Masih, Senior Communications Manager, [email protected]

SOURCE Travelport

Related Links

http://www.travelport.com


CHANGZHOU, China, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL) ("Trina Solar" or the "Company"), a global leader in photovoltaic ("PV") modules, solutions, and services today announced that the Company has been granted a Silver Recognition Level in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance survey conducted by EcoVadis. Recording a solid year-on-year improvement in its overall score, Trina Solar is now ranked in the top 13% of all businesses assessed by EcoVadis globally.

As an independent rating agency, EcoVadis operates the first collaborative platform providing supplier sustainability ratings for global supply chains. Using its unique CSR assessment methodology that covers 150 purchasing categories, 110 countries, and 21 CSR indicators, EcoVadis evaluates and analyses companies' performance over four major categories, i.e. Environment, Labour Practices & Human Rights, Fair Business Practices, and Sustainable Procurement.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Jifan Gao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar, said: "We are proud to have been recognized for our commitment to sustainability. We have taken significant steps over the past year to improve our CSR performance, and this has been reflected in the improvement of our CSR results. Our position within the top 13% of all companies worldwide assessed by EcoVadis demonstrates our prominent global position when it comes to embracing CSR requirements."

In addition to this latest CSR assessment, Trina Solar continues to hold a top position in the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition's (SVTC) Solar Scorecard, along with the Company recently being named as the world's most bankable PV manufacturer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

Mr. Gao concluded:"As a leader in the development and production of renewable energy sources, we believe that our passion for quality and sustainability should be reflected in the way we approach relationships with our employees, the environment and the communities we serve. These are our strongest ever EcoVadis CSR results, and complement our achievements in the SVTC Solar Scorecard and the BNEF report. We will be taking necessary steps to ensure this upward trend continues in the future."

David McClintock, Marketing Director at EcoVadis, added: "We are pleased to see Trina Solar has made a notable score increase since their previous assessment just one year ago, and have done this through improvements in two themes: Environment and Labor practices. This is a good sign of commitment to ongoing improvement of their CSR practices which we hope to see continue across all themes in the coming years."

About Trina Solar Limited

Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL) is a global leader in photovoltaic modules, solutions and services. Founded in 1997 as a PV system integrator, Trina Solar today drives smart energy together with installers, distributors, utilities and developers worldwide. The company's industry-leading position is based on innovation excellence, superior product quality, vertically integrated capabilities and environmental stewardship. For more information, please visit www.trinasolar.com.

About EcoVadis

EcoVadis operates the first collaborative network for managing sustainability performance of suppliers across 150 sectors and 110 countries. EcoVadis ratings and easy to use monitoring tools allow companies to manage risks and drive eco-innovations in their global supply chains.

More than 130 Global Multinational companies have selected the EcoVadis solution, including Fortune 500 such as Axa, Alcatel-Lucent, Bayer, BASF, Coca Cola Enterprises, Deutsche Telekom, Heineken, Orange, Johnson & Johnson, Lafarge, Renault-Nissan, Schneider Electric, and Vodafone.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Company's ability to raise additional capital to finance its activities; the effectiveness, profitability and marketability of its products; the future trading of the securities of the Company; the Company's ability to operate as a public company; the period of time for which the Company's current liquidity will enable the Company to fund its operations; general economic and business conditions; demand in various markets for solar products; the volatility of the Company's operating results and financial condition; the Company's ability to attract or retain qualified senior management personnel and research and development staff; and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry in which the Company operates. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.

Trina Solar Limited Christensen IR Teresa Tan, CFO (Changzhou)

Email: [email protected] Linda Bergkamp

Phone: +1 480 614 3014 (US)

Email: [email protected]

Yvonne Young

Investor Relations Director

Email: [email protected]



SOURCE Trina Solar Limited

Related Links

http://www.trinasolar.com


During the first quarter of this year, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK  posted a 7.64 percent increase in growth when compared to that same time frame in 2015, and locations in South Carolina experienced tremendous growth, boasting a 22.66 percent increase in revenue at the end of March. According to Randy Shacka, president of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK  , the brand opened a new office per week during the first quarter alone. The company saw the opening of three new locations in California, which led to 56 percent growth in the state; two locations open in Virginia; one location in Ohio; and one location in Texas. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK  franchisees also opened secondary offices in Michigan, Florida and California.

"Not many brands can claim this kind of success, and it's a testament to the fact that TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is a brand that embraces our franchisees and employees, empowering them to grow with the company and we are very proud of this," Shacka said. "Quarter after quarter, we have consistently surpassed our goals by focusing on solidifying and investing in our support and infrastructure and on constantly improving our customer service, which will continue to be our focus for the rest of this year and beyond."

According to Shacka, a big factor in the brand's consistent growth is the commitment TWO MEN AND A TRUCK has to all levels of staff. During the company's fourth annual Career Move Month campaign, an initiative dedicated to recruiting new hires to join the rapidly expanding brand, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK hired more than 1,000 new team members during the month of March.

The employee count at Home Office also surpassed 200 in Q1, further adding support for the entire franchise system on a national level. As TWO MEN AND A TRUCK continues to expand, internal adjustments were also made in early 2016 to assist the brand in moving even more customers forward. This year, the brand expanded its customer relationship center  moving to a new building to allow for growth. The customer relationship center expanded in order to better serve customers, especially those looking for moving services after traditional office hours.

With more than 339 U.S. locations, 27 international locations, 265 franchises, 2,094 trucks and 8,000 employees already supporting TWO MEN AND A TRUCK's strong foundation, the brand continues to keep customers at the forefront of everything they do. This is why, year after year, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK's customer service scores remain strong and at a record high across the entire system. This year's first quarter was no exception  from January through March, 21 franchises maintained a 100 percent referral rating.

After an impressive Q1, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK will now continue targeting top markets for growth during the rest of the year  such as California, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey and the Northeast region. By the end of 2016, the brand expects to sign agreements for 30 new locations.

"This was an important quarter for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. In late February, we had the pleasure of welcoming more than 500 franchisees, managers and vendors to our company's annual meeting to discuss best practices for the brand. They left feeling reenergized and more motivated than ever to make the rest of 2016 just as momentous as the first three months of the year," said Jeff Wesley, Chief Executive Officer of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. "Our motivation to build upon this success during the second quarter is high as we look to constantly grow and serve our loyal customers."

ABOUT TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is the largest franchised moving company both in the United States and internationally. Currently there are 330 national locations and 2,534 trucks operating in the U.S.; in total, the company operates more than 350 locations and 2,600 trucks. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK has performed more than 5.5 million moves since its inception in 1985. The company has seen consistent monthly growth dating back to December 2009 and more than 57 consecutive months of record growth. Each location is independently owned and operated. For franchising opportunities, visit franchise.twomenandatruck.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362980

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lauren Kaminski

No Limit Agency

312.526.3996

[email protected]

SOURCE TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

Related Links

http://www.twomenandatruck.com


CHICAGO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 2001, Bill and Viviane Evanoff vowed to stand by each other through everything life threw at them, in richer and poorer, in sickness and in health.

Less than two years later Bill  then 29 years old  was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In the 12 years that followed, he and Viviane have tackled the brain tumor together, battling the ups and downs of five surgeries, rounds of chemotherapy and weeks of radiation. Despite those challenges, they would not allow the diagnosis to define their life path. They pursued careers, traveled to spend time with friends and relatives, and eventually started their own family that now includes Sofia, 10 years old, and Peter, 5 years old. When they talk about Bill's journey and treatment it's always in terms like "we" and "us" even though only Bill is the patient.

"We have seen firsthand the incredible advancements in treatment and care for brain tumor patients at the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute," said Bill Evanoff, a Chicago attorney. "It gives me a lot of hope for the future, and Viviane and I want to do everything we can to help make that future a reality."

Bill and Viviane Evanoff are the co-chairs of the 2016 Minds Matter gala, which will raise funding for the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute (NBTI). This year, the gala will take place during National Brain Tumor Awareness Month on May 20, 2016 at 6 p.m. at the Loews Chicago Hotel, 455 N. Park Drive in Chicago. ABC 7 investigative reporter Jason Knowles will emcee the event that will include a live auction.

"When patients come to the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute, they see a multi-disciplinary team representing the highest level of clinical medicine, translational research and scientific minds," said Bill Evanoff's surgeon and NBTI co-director James P. Chandler, MD, surgical director of neuro-oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Lavin/Fates Professor of neurological surgery at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Support for Minds Matter greatly helps this team who are working hard every day to extend the length and quality of life for brain and spinal tumor patients in the long-term and in the short-term providing resources for families to help meet the daily challenges of living with a tumor."

Since 2009, Minds Matter has raised more than $3.5 million for the research and treatment of brain and spinal cord tumors at the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute. Proceeds will benefit research and programs at NBTI, a nationally recognized leader in the fight against brain and spinal tumors. The NBTI, a collaboration between Northwestern Medicine and the Lurie Cancer Center, is dedicated to advancing brain and spinal cord tumor research and improving treatment, outcomes and quality of life for patients. There are nearly 70,000 new cases of brain and spinal cord tumors diagnosed each year. Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute serves and treats approximately 7,000 patients each year.

"Minds Matter is a celebration of survivorship and of improving the quality of life for patients," said Bill Evanoff's neuro-oncologist and NBTI co-director Jeffrey Raizer, MD, director of medical neuro-oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Lurie Cancer Center, and professor of neurology and hematology/oncology at the Feinberg School of Medicine. "It's a time to honor the strength and courage of our patients and their families, as well as our scientists, physicians, researchers, nurses, and social workers. It's a time to look back on how far we've come and to plan for the groundbreaking research that we are developing."

It's a future Bill and Viviane Evanoff are ready for. Through the years, they have kept meticulous records of Bill's treatments and appointments, filling up notebooks with questions for doctors and the results of Bill's progress. By their count, they have been to well over 100 doctor appointments and Bill has received more than 70 MRI scans.

"When we heard 'brain tumor' we were shell shocked but it didn't take long for Bill and me to decide to continue with our lives and deal with the rough patches together," said Viviane Evanoff. "In a lot of ways, we've been lucky. We have close relationships with the best doctors in the country and we're able to help newly diagnosed patients navigate through the tough first few months."

"A brain tumor diagnosis is initially very frightening and was something I couldn't control," Bill Evanoff added. "What I could control was going to an academic medical center that has a strong, smart and compassionate team who is leading the way in research and is dedicated to one day finding a cure for a disease that has affected so many people."

Individual Minds Matter dinner tickets are $300 per person. To purchase tickets or learn more about the event, visit www.braintumorinstitute.org. Click here for information about Northwestern Medicine.

SOURCE Northwestern Medicine

Related Links

http://news.nm.org


BALTIMORE, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour (NYSE: UA, UA.C) today announced organizational changes to its senior management team. Henry Stafford, Chief Merchandising Officer, has decided to leave Under Armour after six years of service. Mr. Stafford first joined Under Armour in 2010, leading the Company's Apparel team, eventually becoming President of North America, before his appointment to Chief Merchandising Officer in December 2014. He will be leaving Under Armour in July 2016.

"Since joining us in 2010, Henry has been an incredible partner and helped us build our brand and tell our story. First through his leadership in Apparel, then by heading up our North America business, and most recently by driving merchandising of our products throughout the world. I would like to thank Henry for his strong leadership and contributions over the years," said Kevin Plank, Under Armour's Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Kip Fulks will assume the Chief Merchandising Officer responsibilities on an interim basis. In November 2015, the Company announced that Mr. Fulks was assuming a new role at the Company, focusing on key development areas for the business. In that capacity he assumed oversight responsibility for all global marketing efforts across the Company while leading the Company's search efforts for a new Chief Marketing Officer. Mr. Fulks will now expand his responsibilities to include oversight of product, innovation and merchandising.

The Company also announced that Michael Lee, co-founder of MyFitnessPal, will be assuming the responsibilities of Chief Digital Officer as Robin Thurston will be leaving the Company in July 2016. Mr. Thurston first joined Under Armour in December 2013 in connection with the Company's acquisition of MapMyFitness, while Mr. Lee joined Under Armour in March 2015 with the acquisition of MyFitnessPal. Mr. Lee currently serves as Senior Vice President, North America Digital, overseeing digital product strategy for Under Armour Connected Fitness. Mr. Lee has been a critical leader on Under Armour's broader Connected Fitness strategy, and will help the brand continue to push the boundaries changing the way athletes live.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank Robin for his vision and leadership in building the Under Armour Connected Fitness community from the ground up, helping us grow from the original MapMyFitness platform, to what has now become the world's largest digital health and fitness community, with over 160 million unique registered users across multiple platforms," said Plank.

About Under Armour, Inc.

Under Armour (NYSE: UA, UA.C), the originator of performance footwear, apparel and equipment, revolutionized how athletes across the world dress. Designed to make all athletes better, the brand's innovative products are sold worldwide to athletes at all levels. The Under Armour Connected Fitness platform powers the world's largest digital health and fitness community through a suite of applications: UA Record, MapMyFitness, Endomondo and MyFitnessPal. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.uabiz.com.

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SOURCE Under Armour, Inc.

Related Links

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Mr. Newlin, 63, is a deeply accomplished executive with more than 35 years of world-class experience in the chemical industry. He previously served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of PolyOne Corporation from 2006 - 2014, where he led the company's transformation into a leading global polymer producer with $4 billion of annual revenues. Mr. Newlin currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board for PolyOne, a role from which he will be retiring as of May 12, 2016. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Newlin was President, Industrial Sector at Ecolab, Inc. He previously spent 24 years at Nalco Chemical Company in positions of increasing responsibility. He served as President and Director of Nalco from 1998 to 2001, and was President, Chief Operating Officer, and Vice Chairman from 2000 to 2001. Mr. Newlin currently serves on the boards of directors of The Chemours Company and Oshkosh Corporation.

"I am honored to have been selected to lead Univar," said Newlin. "I am excited to continue working with this talented and dedicated team in a new leadership capacity to accelerate profitable growth, further develop our leadership team, and deliver service excellence for our customers, all the while building shareholder value."

Mr. Newlin succeeds Erik Fyrwald, who announced on May 2, 2016, his voluntary resignation as President and Chief Executive Officer, and from the Board of Directors of Univar, effective May 31, 2016, to become Chief Executive Officer of another company. Mr. Newlin will be based at Univar's corporate headquarters in Downers Grove.

"This was a deeply personal decision because of my sincere fondness for Univar and all of its dedicated and capable employees," said Fyrwald. "As I look back over the past 4 years as CEO, I am proud of the significant progress we have made together in positioning Univar to grow by strengthening our commercial capabilities, supply chain operations, and services businesses. But, I also make this decision knowing that Univar is in the best of hands with Steve Newlin. During his remarkable career, Steve has repeatedly demonstrated that he has the leadership and experience required to drive greatness within companies, as he has done with PolyOne, and will make a seamless transition into his new leadership role."

Univar Chairman William S. Stavropoulos added, "Steve is uniquely qualified to lead Univar and has built an impressive record of accomplishment and growth throughout his 37-year career in the chemical and distribution industry. He has also been an effective and highly constructive member of the Board of Directors, demonstrating strategic vision, deep industry insights, and the ability to bring people together. We are grateful to Erik for his strong leadership and many accomplishments while serving as Univar's CEO and wish him equal success with his new endeavour. At the same time, the Board is very pleased that under Steve's leadership we will continue to move our company forward to the next level of profitable growth."

About Univar Inc.

Founded in 1924, Univar is a global distributor of specialty and basic chemicals from more than 8,000 producers worldwide. Univar operates more than 800 distribution facilities throughout North America, Western Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America, supported by a global network of sales and technical professionals. With a broad portfolio of products and value-added services, and deep technical and market expertise, Univar delivers the tailored solutions customers need through one of the most extensive chemical distribution networks in the world. Univar is Chemistry DeliveredSM.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events, and that actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "plan," "seek," "comfortable with," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise.

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SOURCE Univar

Related Links

http://www.univarcorp.com


ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Desai Accelerator, a joint venture between the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and the College of Engineering, today announced the companies selected to participate in its 2016 cohort. More than 80 technology-based startups submitted applications and the most promising six were chosen to move into the Accelerator and take advantage of its services. Of the selected companies, 83 percent are Michigan-based, 33 percent have female founding members and 66 percent have a connection to the University of Michigan.

In its second year, the Desai Accelerator, managed by the Ross School's Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and the College of Engineering's Center for Entrepreneurship, is dedicated to helping Michigan startups succeed. It was specifically founded to help ventures as they reach the critical phase between early-stage development and the point at which they seek external investors. Last year's inaugural cohort included Michigan-based companies DiverseNote, Telemetrio and Companion. Since graduating from the Desai Accelerator, Companion, a person-to-person safety application and winner of the 2015 Michigan Business Challenge, has grown its user base to more than one million.

The 2016 accelerator program will run from May 2-August 19 with an August 4 demo day, and includes a $25,000 investment for each selected company, office space in downtown Ann Arbor, access to resources valued at more than $500,000, including legal services, cloud credits, HR services and extensive mentorship from the ever expanding University of Michigan alumni network. This year, the cohort will also receive assistance from seven University of Michigan students who will complete tasks for each of the companies including logo design, front-end development, market research and various administrative duties.

Since its launch in 2015, funding and support for the Accelerator has been provided by the Desai Sethi (DS) Family Foundation, the Davidson Foundation, the Wadhams family and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

The selected companies include:

Ash & Anvil  affordable, stylish, everyday clothing provider for "shorter guys"; co-founded and led by Venture for America Fellow Steven Mazur and Eric Huang

Clash Audio  a neuroscience-based streaming service that uses human curation, neuroscience research and popular music theory to analyze new music and distill millions of songs into a small, optimized database

Gaudium  creator of anime-style mobile games; runner-up of 2016 Michigan Business Challenge

MySwimPro  social fitness platform for swimmers and triathletes; advised by Peter Vanderkaay , University of Michigan graduate and four-time Olympic swimming medalist

, graduate and four-time Olympic swimming medalist Roomations  online platform and subscription service that provides homeowners easy access to interior design services online, including 3D room designs, shopping lists, style boards and personal design advice, by crowdsourcing freelancer designers

Sultant  a cloud-based SaaS platform that acts as a digital financial "advisor" for small businesses by providing quick and meaningful insights, actionable recommendations and intuitive visualizations

"The companies that participated in last year's inaugural cohort have achieved such great success that we were inundated with high caliber applications to join the 2016 class," said Kelly LaPierre, managing director, Desai Accelerator. "We are looking forward to working with this fantastic group of companies and are thrilled to be able to not only support startups founded by University of Michigan alumni, but also attract national talent to Michigan."

The selected startups will be working out of The Forge by Pillar Technology - a collaborative software studio designed to develop the most innovative software products and provide a "no constraints" high-energy environment. Pillar Technology is a multi-faceted technology company solving complex business problems with innovative software and engineering methods.

About the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies

The Institute and its Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance bring together an impactful combination of deep-seated knowledge, enriching experiences and strategic opportunities from the front lines of entrepreneurship and alternative investment. Students' learning experiences are further enhanced through internships, entrepreneurial clubs, business competitions and campus-wide events that foster valuable networking and engage the business community. The School's four student-led investment funds, with over $7M under management, immerse students in the entrepreneurial business sourcing, assessment and investment process. Founding Zell Lurie advisory board members include Samuel Zell, chairman of Equity Group Investments, and Eugene Applebaum, founder of Arbor Drugs Inc. For more information, visit the Institute's website at www.zli.bus.umich.edu.

About the Center for Entrepreneurship

The Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE), part of the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan, provides academic programs, commercialization training and broad support resources for students, faculty and community members. Among its many initiatives, CFE co-developed and co-teaches the undergraduate Program in Entrepreneurship, the Master of Entrepreneurship and the National Science Foundation I-Corps program for faculty research commercialization. CFE co-manages the TechArb student startup incubator and provides overall support to Michigan's economic development efforts. Its teaching philosophy focuses on experiential learning with an emphasis on the development of an entrepreneurial mindset, with resources such as structured venture incubation programs, global access to both internal and external advisors, mentorship, talent and funding. CFE's mission is to ensure support for entrepreneurs from discovery through venture creation, and to enhance and expand an appreciation for entrepreneurial thinking for its students. For more information, please visit www.cfe.umich.edu/.

About Michigan Ross

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society.

Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.

SOURCE The Zell Lurie Institute

Related Links

http://www.zli.bus.umich.edu


NEWBURY, England, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Faster uploading of listings to commercial real estate portals is the focus of the new 3.3 release of Surga Central - Adept's cloud software for marketing commercial property.

For UK agencies, Surga Central 3.3 implements Rightmove's Real Time Data Feed. Listings appear instantly once successfully submitted and can also be tagged as premium listings directly from Surga Central. UK agencies can also feed listings from Surga Central to Zoopla and Movehut. For Australian agencies, the 3.3 release broadens support of group listings to include Fairfax's commercial portal as well as those from REA Group, CommercialVIEW and Allhomes.

Simultaneously released in the UK and Australia, the new version also gives agents the ability to upload documents such as floor plans and brochures to the leading commercial portals.

"In fast-moving markets, stakeholders expect information to be immediately available," said Gary Clark, UK Director of Adept Business Systems. "Because of this, the shift to real-time feeds is gathering momentum and is likely to become a mandatory requirement for all portals in the future," he added.

Commercial property agencies using Surga Central in the UK include Houston Lawrence, BDG Sparkes Porter and Vokins; in Australia, agencies include Fitzroys, Gross Wadell and CI Australia.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Adept Business Systems UK Ltd
SEATTLE, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools, no matter whether they're pre-K or higher learning, want to accomplish two things: provide the best education possible, and create a safe learning environment for students. That is why so many learning institutions all over the world are taking advantage of WatchGuard Technologies' content filtering and secure wireless solutions. A leader in multi-function integrated security appliances, WatchGuard provides wireless access points and firewalls that have had a significant impact on network safety and performance for Franklin County Board of Education (FCBOE), Chester School District (CSD) and Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS) and their respective communities.

Ensuring Reliable and Safe Internet Access for Franklin County Schools, and Residents

Tucked into the hills of rural Northwest Alabama, Internet access in Franklin County is so rare that only an estimated 20 percent of students have it at home. To best serve their community, the board of education needs to provide access to reliable and secure Wi-Fi for their students to keep up with emerging learning trends. FCBOE turned to WatchGuard for a solution that provides security services tailored specifically for their needs.

"The school board can't afford to hire a huge staff, so it's essential to have a system and appliances that are easily manageable, and that's what WatchGuard does for us," said Tim Burks, network administrator at FCBOE.

With WatchGuard's firewalls, secure wireless access points, and cloud-based logging and reporting tool, Dimension, they can identify key trends across all wired and wireless activity in the district, providing valuable insight into Internet usage to help prevent student exposure to inappropriate sites. The schools' perimeter wireless access points (separate from the internal networks) are so reliable that community members throughout Franklin County park on the school grounds can securely connect to much needed Internet access they cannot get at home.

Read the complete case study here.

Better Visibility Means Heightened Security at Chester School District

It's a story heard in school districts everywhere. In New Jersey's Chester School District, the IT staff needs to provide Wi-Fi access for more than 1,200 students and 400 staff members, and their many devices. The district must be able to maintain control over web applications, block websites with malicious material and inappropriate content, and stay compliant with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

"The ease of access to information and the intuitive platform provided by WatchGuard has freed up valuable time that, in the past, was spent monitoring and maintaining the previous device," said Dean Anderson, technology director, CSD. "Now, more time can be spent where it matterssupporting the staff and students."

Within weeks of deployment, WatchGuard's reporting tools helped to identify when students attempted to access inappropriate websites and allowed the administration to pinpoint exactly who was involved. Now CSD's technology team can respond immediately to any security or policy issues they encounter.

Read the complete case study here.

Breaking down walls with Secure Wi-Fi at Portsmouth Grammar School

At Portsmouth Grammar School, students are surrounded by history. Based in former army barracks, the five foot thick walls of the former Cambridge Barracks stood through a WWII bombing, but were not designed to allow a modern Wi-Fi signal. These rock-solid walls hampered connectivity and made it difficult to provide wireless access to students learning throughout the school's 300 rooms. Keeping students' private data secure and blocking unsafe online content were also major points of concern.

WatchGuard set up a robust wireless network comprised of 136 WatchGuard secure wireless access points spread across the school, with one access point in every third room. This solution ensures a strong Wi-Fi signal across every part of the campus. And because they work in tandem with a WatchGuard firewall, users are authenticated as soon as they reach the school grounds, and administration has control over which websites students can access.

"Having a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout the school now means that tutors, students, and visitors have continual access to key resources and communications wherever they are on campus, helping us to deliver the aims of our curriculum," said James Priory, Headmaster of PGS. "Thanks to WatchGuard, our pupils' devices are securely, consistently, and easily connected to the school network."

Read the complete case study here.

About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. is a global leader of integrated, multi-function business security solutions that intelligently combine industry-standard hardware, best-in-class security features, and policy-based management tools. WatchGuard provides easy-to-use, enterprise-grade protection to hundreds of thousands of businesses worldwide. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com.

For additional information, promotions and updates, follow WatchGuard on Twitter @WatchGuardTech, on Facebook, or on the LinkedIn Company page.

Contact:

Ange McLaughlin

Voxus PR

206.686.9683

[email protected]

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SOURCE WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.watchguard.com


HOUSTON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) ("WES" or the "Partnership") and Western Gas Equity Partners, LP (NYSE: WGP) ("WGP") today announced first-quarter 2016 financial and operating results.

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WESTERN GAS PARTNERS, LP

Net income (loss) available to limited partners for the first quarter of 2016 totaled $47.0 million, or $0.31 per common unit (diluted), with first-quarter 2016 Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $231.1 million and first-quarter 2016 Distributable cash flow(1) of $191.9 million. Financial and operational information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the acquisition of Springfield as if it had occurred at the beginning of the period.

WES previously declared a quarterly distribution of $0.815 per unit for the first quarter of 2016. This distribution represented a 2% increase over the prior quarter's distribution and a 12% increase over the first-quarter 2015 distribution of $0.725 per unit. The first-quarter 2016 Coverage ratio(1) of 1.21 times was based on the quarterly distribution of $0.815 per unit and is calculated by dividing the quarter's Distributable cash flow(1) by quarterly distributions paid to the general partner and common unitholders. Inclusion of $13.0 million(2) of the expected recoveries under WES's business interruption insurance in Distributable cash flow(1) would result in a ratio of 1.29 times.

"Our first quarter was driven by solid operating performance in a challenging environment. Furthermore, we were able to resume partial service at Ramsey III at the beginning of the second quarter and we look forward to bringing Ramsey IV online as scheduled," said Chief Executive Officer, Don Sinclair. "We are leaving our previously issued guidance for 2016 unchanged."

Total throughput attributable to WES for natural gas assets for the first quarter of 2016 averaged 3.8 Bcf/d, which was 4% below the prior quarter and 11% below the first quarter of 2015. The sequential decline in throughput was primarily attributable to the December 2015 incident at the Ramsey complex. The throughput decline from the first quarter of 2015 was also impacted by the Ramsey incident, as well as the sale of the Dew and Pinnacle systems in July 2015. Total throughput for crude/NGL assets for the first quarter of 2016 averaged 184 MBbls/d, which was 2% below the prior quarter and 1% above the first quarter of 2015.

Capital expenditures attributable to WES, including equity investments but excluding acquisitions, totaled $132.3 million on a cash basis and $139.0 million on an accrual basis during the first quarter of 2016, with maintenance capital expenditures on a cash basis of $18.9 million, or 8% of Adjusted EBITDA(1).

WESTERN GAS EQUITY PARTNERS, LP

WGP indirectly owns the entire general partner interest in WES, 100% of the incentive distribution rights in WES and 50,132,046 WES common units. Net income (loss) available to limited partners for the first quarter of 2016 totaled $70.5 million, or $0.32 per common unit (diluted).

WGP previously declared a quarterly distribution of $0.42375 per unit for the first quarter of 2016. This distribution represented a 5% increase over the prior quarter's distribution and a 24% increase over the first-quarter 2015 distribution of $0.34250. WGP received distributions from WES of $93.3 million attributable to the first quarter and will pay $92.8 million in distributions for the same period.

(1) Please see the tables at the end of this release for a reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP measures and calculation of the Coverage ratio. (2) Represents the midpoint of WES's anticipated range of $11 million to $15 million in reimbursable amounts for the quarter.

CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW AT 11 A.M. CDT

WES and WGP will host a joint conference call on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) to discuss first-quarter 2016 results. Individuals who would like to participate should dial 844-836-8745 (Domestic) or 412-317-5439 (International) approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled conference call time. Pre-registration is available through the investor relations page at www.westerngas.com. Pre-registrants will be issued a personal identification number to use when dialing in to the live conference call, which will enable the participant to bypass the operator and gain immediate access to the call. To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, please visit the investor relations section of the Partnership's website at www.westerngas.com. A replay of the conference call will also be available on the website for two weeks following the call.

Western Gas Partners, LP ("WES") is a growth-oriented Delaware master limited partnership formed by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to acquire, own, develop and operate midstream energy assets. With midstream assets located in the Rocky Mountains, the Mid-Continent, North-central Pennsylvania and Texas, WES is engaged in the business of gathering, processing, compressing, treating and transporting natural gas, condensate, natural gas liquids and crude oil for Anadarko, as well as for other producers and customers.

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP ("WGP") is a Delaware master limited partnership formed by Anadarko to own the following types of interests in WES: (i) the general partner interest and all of the incentive distribution rights in WES, both owned through WGP's 100% ownership of WES's general partner, and (ii) a significant limited partner interest in WES.

For more information about Western Gas Partners, LP, Western Gas Equity Partners, LP, and Western Gas Flash Feed updates, please visit www.westerngas.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Western Gas Partners and Western Gas Equity Partners believe that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release. These factors include the ability to meet financial guidance or distribution growth expectations; the ability to safely and efficiently operate WES's assets; the ability to obtain new sources of natural gas supplies; the effect of fluctuations in commodity prices and the demand for natural gas and related products; the ability to meet projected in-service dates for capital growth projects; construction costs or capital expenditures exceeding estimated or budgeted costs or expenditures; and the other factors described in the "Risk Factors" sections of WES's and WGP's most recent Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in their other public filings and press releases. Western Gas Partners and Western Gas Equity Partners undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

WESTERN GAS CONTACT

Benjamin Fink, CFA

SVP, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

832.636.6010

[email protected]

Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

Below are reconciliations of (i) WES's Distributable cash flow (non-GAAP) to net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP (GAAP), (ii) Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP ("Adjusted EBITDA") (non-GAAP) to net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP (GAAP) and to net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP), and (iii) Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP ("Adjusted gross margin") (non-GAAP) to operating income (loss) (GAAP), as required under Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Management believes that WES's Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin, and Coverage ratio are widely accepted financial indicators of WES's financial performance compared to other publicly traded partnerships and are useful in assessing its ability to incur and service debt, fund capital expenditures and make distributions. Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin and Coverage ratio, as defined by WES, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Therefore, WES's Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin and Coverage ratio should be considered in conjunction with net income (loss) and other applicable performance measures, such as operating income (loss) or cash flows from operating activities.

Distributable Cash Flow

WES defines Distributable cash flow as Adjusted EBITDA, plus interest income and the net settlement amounts from the sale and/or purchase of natural gas, condensate and NGLs under WES's commodity price swap agreements to the extent such amounts are not recognized as Adjusted EBITDA, less net cash paid (or to be paid) for interest expense (including amortization of deferred debt issuance costs originally paid in cash, offset by non-cash capitalized interest), maintenance capital expenditures, Series A Preferred unit distributions and income taxes.





Three Months Ended

March 31, thousands except Coverage ratio

2016

2015 (1) Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Distributable cash flow and calculation of the Coverage ratio







Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 116,060



$ (156,493)

Add:







Distributions from equity investees

24,639



21,670

Non-cash equity-based compensation expense

1,303



1,112

Interest expense, net (non-cash settled) (2)

4,537



1,420

Income tax (benefit) expense

6,633



12,270

Depreciation and amortization (3)

64,439



68,327

Impairments

6,518



272,624

Above-market component of swap extensions with Anadarko

6,813





Less:







Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

(632)



(6)

Equity income, net

16,814



18,220

Cash paid for maintenance capital expenditures (3)

18,897



14,113

Capitalized interest

1,849



3,094

Cash paid for (reimbursement of) income taxes

67



(138)

Series A Preferred unit distributions

1,887





Other income (3)

122



69

Distributable cash flow

$ 191,938



$ 185,578

Distributions declared (4)







Limited partners - common units

$ 106,493





General partner

52,412





Total

$ 158,905





Coverage ratio

1.21

x







(1) In March 2016, WES acquired Springfield Pipeline LLC ("Springfield") from Anadarko. Springfield owns a 50.1% interest in an oil gathering system and a gas gathering system, such interest being referred to as the "Springfield system." Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system. (2) Includes accretion expense related to the Deferred purchase price obligation - Anadarko associated with the acquisition of DBJV. (3) Includes WES's 75% share of depreciation and amortization; cash paid for maintenance capital expenditures; and other income attributable to Chipeta. (4) Reflects cash distributions of $0.815 per unit declared for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued

Adjusted EBITDA Attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

WES defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP, plus distributions from equity investees, non-cash equity-based compensation expense, interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, and other expense (including lower of cost or market inventory adjustments recorded in cost of product), less gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net, income from equity investments, interest income, income tax benefit and other income.





Three Months Ended

March 31, thousands

2016

2015 (1) Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP







Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 116,060



$ (156,493)

Add:







Distributions from equity investees

24,639



21,670

Non-cash equity-based compensation expense

1,303



1,112

Interest expense

32,036



22,960

Income tax expense

6,633



12,270

Depreciation and amortization (2)

64,439



68,327

Impairments

6,518



272,624

Less:







Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

(632)



(6)

Equity income, net

16,814



18,220

Interest income  affiliates

4,225



4,225

Other income (2)

122



69

Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 231,099



$ 219,962



Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Net cash provided by operating activities







Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 231,099



$ 219,962

Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interest

3,677



3,872

Interest income (expense), net

(27,811)



(18,735)

Uncontributed cash-based compensation awards

(72)



(77)

Accretion and amortization of long-term obligations, net

5,467



2,112

Current income tax benefit (expense)

(4,781)



(6,461)

Other income (expense), net

124



71

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings

(4,784)



(2,964)

Changes in operating working capital:







Accounts receivable, net

12,558



(14,633)

Accounts and imbalance payables and accrued liabilities, net

17,978



12,796

Other

3,048



(1,110)

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

$ 236,503



$ 194,833

Cash flow information of Western Gas Partners, LP







Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

$ 236,503



$ 194,833

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

$ (842,818)



$ (214,224)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

$ 616,761



$ 10,976







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system. (2) Includes WES's 75% share of depreciation and amortization and other income attributable to Chipeta.

Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued

Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

WES defines Adjusted gross margin as total revenues and other, less cost of product and reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue, plus distributions from equity investees and excluding the noncontrolling interest owner's proportionate share of revenue and cost of product.





Three Months Ended

March 31, thousands

2016

2015 (1) Reconciliation of Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Operating income (loss)







Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets

$ 276,529



$ 271,246

Adjusted gross margin for crude/NGL assets

34,695



31,404

Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

311,224



302,650

Adjusted gross margin attributable to noncontrolling interest

4,421



4,808

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

(632)



(6)

Equity income, net

16,814



18,220

Reimbursed electricity-related charges recorded as revenues

15,668



11,810

Less:







Distributions from equity investees

24,639



21,670

Operation and maintenance

76,213



76,185

General and administrative

11,277



11,081

Property and other taxes

10,350



9,280

Depreciation and amortization

65,095



68,975

Impairments

6,518



272,624

Operating income (loss)

$ 153,403



$ (122,333)







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system.

Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended

March 31, thousands except per-unit amounts

2016

2015 (1) Revenues and other







Gathering, processing and transportation

$ 294,004



$ 270,268

Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales

88,556



165,672

Other

581



1,066

Total revenues and other

383,141



437,006

Equity income, net

16,814



18,220

Operating expenses







Cost of product

76,467



139,408

Operation and maintenance

76,213



76,185

General and administrative

11,277



11,081

Property and other taxes

10,350



9,280

Depreciation and amortization

65,095



68,975

Impairments

6,518



272,624

Total operating expenses

245,920



577,553

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

(632)



(6)

Operating income (loss)

153,403



(122,333)

Interest income  affiliates

4,225



4,225

Interest expense

(32,036)



(22,960)

Other income (expense), net

124



71

Income (loss) before income taxes

125,716



(140,997)

Income tax (benefit) expense

6,633



12,270

Net income (loss)

119,083



(153,267)

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest

3,023



3,226

Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 116,060



$ (156,493)

Limited partners' interest in net income (loss):







Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 116,060



$ (156,493)

Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko

(11,326)



(25,039)

Series A Preferred units interest in net (income) loss

(2,329)





General partner interest in net (income) loss

(55,400)



(37,177)

Common and Class C limited partners' interest in net income (loss)

47,005



(218,709)

Net income (loss) per common unit  basic and diluted

$ 0.31



$ (1.61)

Weighted-average common units outstanding  basic

128,990



127,736

Weighted-average common units outstanding  diluted

143,355



138,674







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system.

Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

thousands except number of units

March 31,

2016

December 31,

2015 (1) Current assets

$ 291,807



$ 299,217

Note receivable  Anadarko

260,000



260,000

Net property, plant and equipment

4,940,219



4,858,779

Other assets

1,868,534



1,883,201

Total assets

$ 7,360,560



$ 7,301,197

Current liabilities

$ 259,467



$ 235,488

Long-term debt

3,021,325



2,690,651

Asset retirement obligations and other

138,032



268,356

Deferred purchase price obligation  Anadarko

193,211



188,674

Total liabilities

$ 3,612,035



$ 3,383,169

Equity and partners' capital







Series A Preferred units (14,030,611 and zero units issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively)

$ 420,582



$ 

Common units (130,666,567 and 128,576,965 units issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively)

2,417,194



2,588,991

Class C units (11,735,446 and 11,411,862 units issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively)

718,334



710,891

General partner units (2,583,068 units issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015)

125,846



120,164

Net investment by Anadarko





430,598

Noncontrolling interest

66,569



67,384

Total liabilities, equity and partners' capital

$ 7,360,560



$ 7,301,197







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system.

Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended

March 31, thousands

2016

2015 (1) Cash flows from operating activities







Net income (loss)

$ 119,083



$ (153,267)

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities and changes in working capital:







Depreciation and amortization

65,095



68,975

Impairments

6,518



272,624

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

632



6

Change in other items, net

45,175



6,495

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

236,503



194,833

Cash flows from investing activities







Capital expenditures

$ (136,987)



$ (211,567)

Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates

2,369





Acquisitions from affiliates

(713,596)



(765)

Investments in equity affiliates

474



(4,878)

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings

4,784



2,964

Proceeds from the sale of assets to third parties

138



22

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

(842,818)



(214,224)

Cash flows from financing activities







Borrowings, net of debt issuance costs

$ 330,000



$ 140,000

Repayments of debt





(30,000)

Increase (decrease) in outstanding checks

(994)



(2,198)

Proceeds from the issuance of common and general partner units, net of offering expenses

25,000



31,075

Proceeds from the issuance of Series A Preferred units, net of offering expenses

440,000





Distributions to unitholders

(152,588)



(126,044)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest owner

(3,838)



(3,150)

Net contributions from (distributions to) Anadarko

(27,632)



1,293

Above-market component of swap extensions with Anadarko

6,813





Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

616,761



10,976

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

10,446



(8,415)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

98,033



67,054

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 108,479



$ 58,639







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system.

Western Gas Partners, LP OPERATING STATISTICS (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended

March 31, MMcf/d except throughput measured in barrels and per-unit amounts

2016

2015 (1) Throughput for natural gas assets (MMcf/d)







Gathering, treating and transportation

1,597



1,964

Processing

2,134



2,260

Equity investment (2)

185



165

Total throughput for natural gas assets

3,916



4,389

Throughput attributable to noncontrolling interest for natural gas assets

135



162

Total throughput attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets

3,781



4,227

Throughput for crude/NGL assets (MBbls/d)







Gathering, treating and transportation

60



75

Equity investment (3)

124



107

Total throughput for crude/NGL assets

184

182 Adjusted gross margin per Mcf attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets (4)

$ 0.80



$ 0.71

Adjusted gross margin per Bbl for crude/NGL assets (5)

$ 2.07



$ 1.91







(1) Throughput and adjusted gross margin have been recast to include results attributable to the Springfield system. (2) Represents WES's 14.81% share of average Fort Union throughput and 22% share of average Rendezvous throughput. (3) Represents equity investment throughput measured in barrels, which consists of WES's 10% share of average of White Cliffs throughput, WES's 25% share of Mont Belvieu JV throughput, WES's 20% share of average TEG and TEP throughput and WES's 33.33% share of average FRP throughput. (4) Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets (total revenues and other for natural gas assets less reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue, and cost of product for natural gas assets plus distributions from WES's equity investments in Fort Union and Rendezvous, and excluding the noncontrolling interest owner's proportionate share of revenue and cost of product) divided by total throughput (MMcf/d) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets. (5) Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin for crude/NGL assets (total revenues and other for crude/NGL assets less reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue, and cost of product for crude/NGL assets plus distributions from WES's equity investments in White Cliffs, the Mont Belvieu JV, TEG, TEP and FRP), divided by total throughput (MBbls/d) for crude/NGL assets.

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CALCULATION OF CASH AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended thousands except per-unit amount and Coverage ratio March 31, 2016 Distributions declared by Western Gas Partners, LP:

General partner interest $ 3,080

Incentive distribution rights 49,331

Common units held by WGP 40,858

Less:

Public company general and administrative expense 1,238

Interest expense $ 103

Cash available for distribution $ 91,928

Declared distribution per common unit $ 0.42375

Distributions declared by Western Gas Equity Partners, LP $ 92,767

Coverage ratio 0.99 x

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended

March 31, thousands except per-unit amounts

2016

2015 (1) Revenues and other







Gathering, processing and transportation

$ 294,004



$ 270,268

Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales

88,556



165,672

Other

581



1,066

Total revenues and other

383,141



437,006

Equity income, net

16,814



18,220

Operating expenses







Cost of product

76,467



139,408

Operation and maintenance

76,213



76,185

General and administrative

12,515



11,916

Property and other taxes

10,350



9,280

Depreciation and amortization

65,095



68,975

Impairments

6,518



272,624

Total operating expenses

247,158



578,388

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

(632)



(6)

Operating income (loss)

152,165



(123,168)

Interest income  affiliates

4,225



4,225

Interest expense

(32,139)



(22,962)

Other income (expense), net

141



80

Income (loss) before income taxes

124,392



(141,825)

Income tax (benefit) expense

6,633



12,270

Net income (loss)

117,759



(154,095)

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

35,943



(137,723)

Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP

$ 81,816



$ (16,372)

Limited partners' interest in net income (loss):







Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP

$ 81,816



$ (16,372)

Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko

(11,326)



(25,039)

Limited partners' interest in net income (loss)

$ 70,490



$ (41,411)

Net income (loss) per common unit  basic and diluted

$ 0.32



$ (0.19)

Weighted-average number of common units outstanding  basic and diluted

218,919



218,910







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system.

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

thousands except number of units

March 31,

2016

December 31,

2015 (1) Current assets

$ 295,121



$ 301,364

Note receivable  Anadarko

260,000



260,000

Net property, plant and equipment

4,940,219



4,858,779

Other assets

1,870,343



1,883,201

Total assets

$ 7,365,683



$ 7,303,344

Current liabilities

$ 260,010



$ 235,565

Long-term debt

3,049,325



2,690,651

Asset retirement obligations and other

138,032



268,356

Deferred purchase price obligation  Anadarko

193,211



188,674

Total liabilities

$ 3,640,578



$ 3,383,246

Equity and partners' capital







Common units (218,919,380 units issued and outstanding at March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively)

$ 876,876



$ 1,060,842

Net investment by Anadarko





430,598

Noncontrolling interests

2,848,229



2,428,658

Total liabilities, equity and partners' capital

$ 7,365,683



$ 7,303,344







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system.

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended

March 31, thousands

2016

2015 (1) Cash flows from operating activities







Net income (loss)

$ 117,759



$ (154,095)

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities and changes in working capital:







Depreciation and amortization

65,095



68,975

Impairments

6,518



272,624

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

632



6

Change in other items, net

45,879



6,742

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

235,883



194,252

Cash flows from investing activities







Capital expenditures

$ (136,987)



$ (211,567)

Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates

2,369





Acquisitions from affiliates

(713,596)



(765)

Investments in equity affiliates

474



(4,878)

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings

4,784



2,964

Proceeds from the sale of assets to third parties

138



22

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

(842,818)



(214,224)

Cash flows from financing activities







Borrowings, net of debt issuance costs

$ 356,162



$ 140,000

Repayments of debt





(31,150)

Increase (decrease) in outstanding checks

(994)



(2,198)

Proceeds from the issuance of WES common units, net of offering expenses





31,075

Proceeds from the issuance of WES Series A Preferred units, net of offering expenses

440,000





Distributions to WGP unitholders

(88,389)



(68,409)

Distributions to Chipeta noncontrolling interest owner

(3,838)



(3,150)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners of WES

(63,425)



(54,879)

Net contributions from (distributions to) Anadarko

(27,632)



1,293

Above-market component of swap extensions with Anadarko

6,813





Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

618,697



12,582

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

11,762



(7,390)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

99,694



67,213

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 111,456



$ 59,823







(1) Financial information has been recast to include the financial position and results attributable to the Springfield system.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150505/213920LOGO

SOURCE Western Gas

Related Links

http://www.westerngas.com


WACO, Texas, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The next generation of elite computer software engineers will meet in Phuket, Thailand on May 19 to compete in the 40th Annual ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals sponsored by IBM (NYSE: IBM) and hosted by Prince of Songkla University. This competition will serve to not only bring together the world's top student developers, but will also give them the opportunity to interact with advanced technologies in cloud, cognitive computing and more.

Headquartered at Baylor University and known as the "Battle of the Brains," the world's oldest, largest, and most prestigious programming contest serves as a proving ground for the elite level of collegiate programmers, challenging them to solve a series of complex real-world problems in just five hours. Huddled around a single computer, the 128 teams of three students will race against the clock in a grueling battle of logic, strategy and mental endurance.

"Now in its fortieth year, the ACM-ICPC began as a competition among the universities of Texas and has transformed into a worldwide phenomenon," said Dr. Bill Poucher, ICPC Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. "We're thrilled to open doors of opportunity for these talented young students as they put their creativity and technical expertise to the test to tackle real world challenges in a competitive environment. We are excited to see this elite level of talent compete in Phuket with IBM as sponsor and a fantastic university, Prince of Songkla University as host."

In addition to competing in the World Finals, students will be exposed to the latest technologies from contest sponsor IBM through speakers and interactive, on-site demos of IBM Bluemix, IBM's cloud platform, and IBM Watson, IBM's platform for cognitive business. The combination of Bluemix and Watson, with their extensive API support, allows developers to rapidly build cognitive business solutions that run in secure hybrid cloud environments. Currently on-boarding more than 20,000 developers each week, Bluemix is rapidly gaining momentum as a platform to quickly access and build with the most advanced set of APIs available  including tools and services in cognitive, unstructured data, IoT, cybersecurity, DevOps and more.

The participants will also have the opportunity to meet with current IBM professionals to learn about industry trends and professional opportunities.

"IBM's goal as lead sponsor is to celebrate the world's best computing students, expose them to key technology trends such as cloud and cognitive intelligence, and get them excited about pursuing a career in programming," said Gerald Lane, ACM-ICPC Sponsorship Executive and Director, IBM Open Technologies & IP. "As more organizations across the globe turn to cloud and other advanced technologies to transform how they operate, they will be looking towards talented developers  such as these contestants  to help them build with new cognitive, IoT and analytics technologies on the cloud."

The 128 World Finalists emerged from local and regional ICPC competitions this past fall. Initially, selection took place from a field of more than 300,000 students in computing disciplines worldwide. A record number of students advanced to the regional level, as 40,266 contestants from 2,736 universities in 102 countries on six continents competed at more than 480 sites, all with the goal of earning one of the coveted invitations to Phuket. Of the 128 teams competing in the World Finals, 23 represent universities in the United States.

"Supporting the ICPC aligns with IBM's focus on fueling the next generation of developers," said Parnsiree Amatayakul, Managing Director, IBM Thailand. "We're in an exciting new era of cognitive intelligence, and the skills needed to succeed at the ICPC - creativity, teamwork and innovative thinking  are right on point with what's happening in our industry. We look forward to engaging with this elite talent."

"We congratulate all of the ICPC finalists and are looking forward to hosting this incredible event," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chusak Limsakul, Prince of Songkla University President. "We thank ACM-ICPC for choosing Phuket and IBM for their support in the organization of this great and unique competition."

The contest will begin at 9:30 a.m. local time in Phuket on May 19. A live broadcast will air on ICPCLive.com and live contest standings will be available on MyICPC.ICPCNews.com.

Media Contact:

Courtney Coolidge, Tierney Communications

+1 (215) 790-4380

[email protected]

SOURCE ICPC

Related Links

https://icpc.baylor.edu


NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 6th, Zeph Farmby will return to The Bishop Gallery in Brooklyn NY, for the second time, in less than a year, with "Colored Me Bad". The new thought provoking exhibit is the highly anticipated sequel, to the socially conscious "Pursuing False Idols". This collection features iconography based on the "Black experience", viewed through Farmby's artistic lens. The exhibit runs through May 30th.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362445

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362446

Whether it's Muhammad Ali protesting the Vietnam War, or child soldiers in Africa, Zeph Farmby consistently manages to create vibrant works, aimed at forging a conversation about the effects of underlying racist imagery, on people's lives. The "Colored Me Bad" exhibition is a compilation of works that transcends trends, myths and societal mental conditioning. This collection fosters dialogue and heightens awareness, in an effort to thwart the mainstream media's brainwashing tactics.

Zeph describes his inspiration for this body of work as, "a desire to awaken the parts of our brain that have not been influenced by filters built to brainwash us, so in turn we may trigger a new way of thinking, which drives omniscience." During this exhibition, Zeph shares his perspective as a visual critique of the imagery projected on us daily by society.

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Zeph is known for his blatantly honest and graphic pieces, which illuminates the thoughts and actions of the disenfranchised youth. During his down time, he stays connected to his community, by mentoring young artists near and abroad.

Zeph's work can be viewed globally, in mixed media including feature films like "Hot Tub Time Machine" and "Barbershop 2"; in national publications such as Antenna, XXL, Slam, The Source, and Complex; and international publications Studio Visit and 400 ML Project Book. His collectors include influential celebrities, athletes and entertainers.

About the Gallery-

The Bishop Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in the heart of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Launched in 2012, we offer an innovative multimedia space, where the work of cutting-edge, emerging artists can fully realized and experienced, while connecting our growing community of art lovers and culture seekers to the ever-expanding world of art.

About the Artist-

Zeph Farmby is a painter, graphic designer and mentor currently settled in Connecticut. His original art work and apparel are for sale in art galleries and boutiques across the United States, Canada and Europe. You can also find his works online at www.zephfarmby.com

Media Contact-

Brandis Snagg

(646) 706-8884

Email

SOURCE The Bishop Gallery

Related Links

http://www.zephfarmby.com


Seoul, May 1 : South Korea's exports slid 11.2 percent in April compared to the same period last year, the government announced on Sunday.

Goods sales overseas were worth $41 billion, according to data supplied by the country's ministry of trade, industry and energy.

South Korean imports, meanwhile, fell 14.9 percent year-on-year to stand at $32.2 billion, bringing the trade surplus of Asia's fourth largest economy to $8.8 billion in April, EFE news reported.

While the country has continually shown a positive trade balance since February 2012, it has registered falling exports and imports for 16 consecutive months now.

The latter is a concern for the President Park Geun-hye-led government as exports make up nearly 50 percent of the country's GDP.

In his report, the trade minister attributed the dip in April, higher than that of March when exports declined 8.2 percent inter annually, mainly to the high number of holidays in South Korea in the last 30 days.

"Considering various factors, such as the cut in the number of working days that led to a drop in overall exports, conditions for South Korean exports cannot be said to have deteriorated in April," said the statement released by the ministry.

The fall in crude oil prices has also affected the country since last year, given petroleum derivatives and petrochemical products are among the main things it manufactures; exports of these two goods decreased 10.8 and 14.5 percent respectively compared to April 2015.

Exports of semiconductors also dropped 11.5 percent, although ship exports and those of mobile phones rose 25.2 and 3.2 percent respectively.

The slowdown in China, South Korea's main trading partner, has also had an impact during the last year, with Seoul's exports to the world's second largest economy having fallen for the tenth month in a row; for April 2016, this figure is 18.4 percent.
New Delhi, May 2 : It was a Monday mayhem for commuters on the national capital's roads, with a section of taxi drivers protesting a Supreme Court decision to ban cabs operating on diesel and petrol.

The protesting drivers took to the roads at many places in the capital, causing hardships for school-going children and office-goers.

The condition was worse on the Delhi-Gurgaon and Delhi-Noida borders and near west Delhi's Rajokri area.

"The taxi drivers blocked both the carraigeways on Rajokri flyover near the old Delhi toll booth on Gurgaon-Dhaula Kuan road," a traffic police official told IANS.

The protests and blockages led to major traffic snarls across the national capital, with vehicles lined up behind one another for up to 1 km, an official said.

"It takes me 20 minutes to reach work, but I am stuck here for the past 30 minutes. Nothing is moving," Preeti Gupta, a PR professional working in Noida Sector 16 told IANS.

Vaibhav Mishra, who works in a Gurgaon tech firm, said it took him two hours to reach his office from the neighbouring Sultanpur area. "It was harrowing. It turned worse as the AC in my car was not working," he said.

Vehicles were also piled up on the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) flyway but were soon cleared with the help of policemen deployed there, an official said.

The apex court on Saturday had refused to give more time to taxi operators to switch to the cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) and banned the diesel and petrol-based taxis in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) from May 1.

The deadline for the change was extended twice earlier.

Various researches and studies put Delhi among the most polluted city in the world.
Colombo, May 2 : A former top ranked man from the Tamil Tiger rebel outfit was arrested by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) in eastern Sri Lanka on Monday, local media reported.

The ex-cadre, known as Krishnapillai Kalainesan alias Praba, was taken into custody in Eravur, Batticaloa, to be interrogated, Xinhua news agency reported.

He is the third high profile former rebel cadre to be arrested by the TID recently.

Reports said that Praba was released in 2013 after being rehabilitated, following the end of the war.

His arrest comes as the government assured that any attempt by the Tamil Tiger rebels to regroup in Sri Lanka will be thwarted.

Government troops defeated the rebels in May 2009, ending a 30-year civil war in the island nation.

The UN estimates that at least 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the final stages of the war.
Shillong, May 2 : The Indian government has no plans to re-enter into a ceasefire agreement with Naga insurgent group NSCN-K, a home ministry official said on Monday.

"There is no official communication on this (re-entering into ceasefire with NSCN-K) from the government of India, and at this moment there are no initiatives from our side," Satyendra Garg, home ministry joint secretary in-charge of northeast affairs, told journalists.

Garg, who reviewed the overall law and order situation in Meghalaya with state Home Minister Roshan Warjri, however, said the counter-insurgency operations against the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang will continue.

"We will continue with our operations against the NSCN-K and I should say that the overall security situation in Nagaland is okay," he said.

Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang had earlier appealed to the Indian government to restart a ceasefire agreement with the NSCN-K to allow peace to prevail in the state.

S.S. Khaplang, a Myanmarese Hemi Naga chieftain who heads the NSCN-K faction, abrogated the ceasefire with the Indian government on March 27, 2015, just a month before the truce was up for renewal. The group had signed a truce in 2001.

After abrogating the ceasefire, Khaplang's rebels went on a killing spree, attacking Indian soldiers in Nagaland and Manipur. The outfit even mounted the deadly ambush on a convoy of the 6 Dogra Regiment in Manipur's Chandel district on June 4, 2015, killing 18 army personnel.
Nairobi, May 3 : Kenya said on Monday it has began a nuclear technology assessment study in order to determine the right technology to use to build nuclear power plant.

Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board (KNEB) acting technical affairs director Winnie Ndubai told Xinhua in Nairobi that the technology selected will have to meet local conditions.

"The size of the power plant to be built, safety and water requirements will determine the technology to be deployed to build a nuclear power plant. At this point Kenya has not selected a nuclear technology," she said.

"We are starting now to assess possible technologies to use in order to meet target of setting up a nuclear power plant when it is needed," Ndubai added.

The East African nation plans to establish a nuclear power plant by end of 2027.

Kenya has also signed a number of MoUs with several nuclear producing countries in order to select the right technology to use.

In 2015, Kenya requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review of its nuclear development programme.

KNEB said that Kenya needs to rely on nuclear power plants because it will exhaust its geothermal, hydro and other sources of power in the next 20 years.

Ndubai noted that nuclear power is also a stable source of electricity that will enable Kenya become a 24-hour economy.
Panaji, May 3 : Five days after a 25-year-old Russian national was allegedly raped by a beach resort owner in the beach village of Morjim, located in the chief minister's constituency of Mandrem, neither has the accused been arrested yet, nor has the Russian consulate been informed about the crime.

"As of current date we have not received either any claims from the mentioned victim or information from the Goan police with the person's name. Consulate General in Mumbai and Honorary Consulate in Goa are ready to provide this Russian national with any assistance within their competence," a spokesperson for the Russian consulate in Mumbai told IANS over email.

According to an FIR, the Russian national who had arrived in Goa on a tourist visa, had claimed that she had been raped by one James, owner of a beach resort in Morjim in the wee hours of Thursday (April 28).

The incident, according to her complaint, occurred in her hotel room. The complaint also states that the resort owner used a master key to gain access to her room and alleged rape her.

While senior police officials have refused to comment on the issue, despite requests from media persons, Russian consular officials, including honorary Russian consul in Goa Victor Albuquerque, claim they have not heard about the case formally from the police department, which is standard practice.

"We have only learnt about it from the media. We have not been informed about the case by the police at all, which is unfortunate," Albuquerque told IANS.

According to police sources the accused James is still at large and a lookout notice is being issued to track him down.

Morjim village in North Goa, located around 30 kms from Panaji is part of Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar's electoral constituency of Mandrem and is a popular haunt for tourists from Russia.

On an average nearly 1.5 lakh Russian tourists visit the coastal state from October to March every year.
Colombo, May 3 : A former high ranking cadre from the Tamil Tiger outfit was arrested by Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), the media reported on Tuesday.

The ex-cadre Krishnapillai Kalainesan alias Praba was taken into custody in Batticaloa city on Monday for interrogation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Praba is the third high profile former rebel cadre to be arrested by the TID recently.

Reports said Praba had been released in 2013 after being rehabilitated, following the end of the war.

His arrest comes as the government assured that any attempt by the Tamil Tiger rebels to regroup in Sri Lanka will be thwarted.

Government troops defeated the rebels in May 2009, ending a 30 year civil war in the island nation.

The UN estimates that at least 40,000 civilians were killed in the final stages of the war.
Moscow, May 3 : Historically, Russia has never taken kindly to invasions, with the French under Napoleon and Hitler's Germany suffering crippling defeats in the great wars - but it's an entirely different matter when it comes to the Chinese.

Over the last few years, President Vladimir Putin's Russia has been reacting pleasantly every summer to a new wave of invaders armed with iPhones, selfie-sticks and floppy caps - Chinese tourists, a million of whom visited Russia in 2015 alone spending a whopping $1 billion in the process, according to official estimates.

Despite the falling rouble and a dip in the arrival of European and American tourists following the prolonged conflict with neighbouring Ukraine, Russia has been laughing all the way to the bank, on the back of Chinese tourists who are landing in Russia with an appetite for both the Russian cold and culture.

Valery Korovkin, head of the International Development division of the Federal Agency for Tourism, was asked how Russia had been able to attract droves of Chinese tourists to cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.

He believes that there is simply no stopping them. "Absolute figures are astonishing, anywhere, everywhere. They put on the international market 120 million tourists last year. They are exporting tourists like hell," Korovkin told this visiting IANS correspondent.

"The Chinese world is an absolutely different world from us. But the Chinese are going everywhere. This is not just Russia's case; it is the case all over the world. You cannot stop them or you have to build an Iron Curtain once again," he quipped.

But it took more than just humour for Russia to gain the confidence of Chinese travellers.

There are two key reasons why Chinese tourists have edged out those from Germany and the UK from the list of top visitors: a relaxed visa regime and the growing success of the China Friendly International Project by Russia's tourism industry stakeholders last year that was engineered to create and facilitate initiatives for healthy and comfortable hospitality for tourists from China.

For example, an electric kettle is now a constant feature in the rooms of most hotels which host chartered tourists from China, because of the Chinese obsession for hot water and brewing tea. The programme also mandates that restaurant menus and signages in hotels should be in Russian and Chinese, that Cantonese-speaking staffers liaise with Chinese tourists and Chinese channels be aired on cable television, among other things.

"There is even a special award for the hotel that takes the best care of Chinese tourists under the programme," Pavel Kretov of Academservice, a leading Moscow-based inbound tour operator, told IANS.

Once the programme was accepted by tourism and hospitality establishments in popular hubs like Moscow and St. Petersburg and the visa regime relaxed - currently a group of more than five Chinese tourists can visit Russia without visas - the Chinese arrivals started booming.

Interestingly, One of the most popular tourism circuits with Chinese tourists are historical sites of Communist significance, which is being promoted as 'Red' tourism in communist China.

"This year we have forecast that Chinese arrivals will increase by 30 percent. On an average there are 10 flights per week from Chinese cities to St. Petersburg and 40 flights per week to Moscow," Rimma Sachunova, deputy chairperson of the St. Petersburg Committee on Tourism Development, told IANS.

Unofficial estimates suggest that an average tourist from China spends about 15,000 yuan (approximately $2,400) during his or her Russia sojourn.

There are some who bicker that catering to Chinese tourists can be tricky for those in the hospitality industry, because of socio-cultural habits, especially when it comes to issues like cleaning up after they check out of hotel rooms, but there are other more obvious traits which tilt the scales in their favour.

"European tourists always ask for discounts, but the Chinese never do. Whatever price is asked for, they pay. They are not demanding," Kretov noted.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar's visit was at the invitation of the Russian Information Centre. He can be contacted at mayabhushan.n@ians.in)
New Delhi, May 3 : Members, including from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Tuesday expressed concern in the Lok Sabha over police personnel committing suicide. The government maintained that steps are being taken to improve the working conditions of the police, especially with regard to their housing.

"It is unfortunate and a matter of deep concern that police personnel who provide security to people often commit suicide," BJP member Satyapal Singh, a former Mumbai police commissioner, said during question hour in the Lok Sabha.

Asking supplementaries, he also suggested that working hours of police personnel be strictly maintained at eight hours unlike 12-14 hours the police personnel most often work.

"There has to be improvement in housing conditions. States have a role to provide houses to police," Singh said and added that the general improvement in working conditions of police personnel can come with active cooperation between the centre and states.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh admitted that the "housing satisfaction level" for police is not up to the expected level and said that steps ought to be taken on this necessary regard at the state level.

"But I can tell that some states have tried to bring about improvement in housing satisfaction level," the home minister said and asserted that the centre is serious about bringing about overall improvement in working conditions for police and also ensuring accommodation for them.

BJP lawmaker Satyapal Singh also asked the centre to direct the states that 100 percent accommodation must be ensured for police personnel.

Congress floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge wanted immediate intervention of the centre to improve the housing conditions of police. "A scheme was sought to be prepared when Mr L.K. Advani was home minister when the centre provided 75 per cent of expenses for police housing," Kharge said.

Another BJP member, R.K Singh, a former union home secretary, said that earlier police housing was also part of overall police modernisation plans but it was discontinued due to technical reasons.

The home minister assured that the government is serious about improving the working conditions of police and added that a cabinet note is being prepared to bring improvement in the existing police modernisation programmes.

Under non-plan expenditure, there is already a sum of Rs.595 crore earmarked for the same, he said.

Minister of State for Home, Harbhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, admitted that often police have to put in extra duty hours due to manpower shortage.

"From a shortage of 22 lakh personnel, the figure has been brought down substantially. But still we have shortage of five lakh across many states," Chaudhary said.
New Delhi, May 3 : Hard Rock Cafe India is paying homage to classic Mexican cuisine and cocktails with a new 'Taste of Mexico' menu.

Foodies will be able to experience the limited-edition menu at Hard Rock Cafe locations across India in Mumbai (Worli and Andheri), Pune, Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Hyderabad between May 2-31.

The menu includes everything from tacos to quesadillas to irresistible mains, all of which incorporate traditional Mexican-inspired spices and flavours. It also features a selection of drinks like the Tequila Slammer, Ice Cold Jose Cuervo Tequila Gold Shots, Troublemaker, Amigo and Diablo among others.

"Hard Rock Cafe is all about creating unique experiences and about having a good time. With the 'Taste of Mexico', we aim to offer our guests a taste of the distinctively flavorful and ethnic cuisine," Jay Singh, co-founder and executive director, JSM Corporation, said in a statement.

"We've ensured the use of traditional spices, ingredients and recipes while designing the food and drinks menu. Our guests are tech savvy and globally conscious and we owe it to them to give them only the best and authentic dining experience," he added.

Special experiences like Sing for your Supper Karaoke Nights will also be curated so as to give it the perfect Mexican twist. There's also a grand fiesta night of fun and salsa on May 28.

Some of the dishes in the menu include the Mexican Street Corn Salad, Samosette of Spicy Corn & Cheddar Cheese, Mexi-Cali Spiced Cottage Cheese BBQ Skewers, Vegeterian Taco, Albuquerque - Vegetarian Buritto, Tex-Mex Spiced-Char Grilled Chicken Skewers, Chicken Tinga Tacos, Bahama Mama - Chicken Burrito, Tijuana Chicken Sub Roll, Fiesta Chicken Quesadillas and Tequila Grilled Shrimp.

The 'Taste of Mexico' menu will be paired with some of Mexico's signature cocktails like Ice Cold Jose Cuervo Especial Repasado Tequila Shots, Tequila Slammer, Shot in the Head, Mexican Bulldog Margarita, Troublermaker, Diablo, Amigo and Cranberry & Lychee Margarita.
United Nations, May 3 : An "overwhelming majority" of UN members want more permanent members added to the Security Council to make its decision-making "more participative and democratic", according to India and the three other aspirants for permanent seats.

Speaking on Monday at the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform, India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said the categories of both permanent and non-permanent members must be expanded to bring about "an equilibrium that reflects the current situation."

He was speaking on behalf of G4, the group made up of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, who are jointly pushing for reforms and mutually support each other for a permanent seat in an expanded council.

The IGN session dealt with categories of membership and regional representation, the most divisive topics of the reform process.

A 13-member group known as Uniting for Consensus (UfC), which included Pakistan and is led by Italy, reiterated its opposition to adding permanent members, the core of its position on the reform process.

Without naming the group or any country, Akbaruddin responded that their position of expanding only the non-permanent category would result in further tilting the balance in the council in favour of the five permanent members, whose special powers are a holdover from 1945 in a world that has dramatically changed with the rise of new powers and the UN itself increasing its membership by nearly three times, from 51 to 193.

When the UN was founded in the rubble of World War II, the five victors -- Britain, China, France, the Soviet Union and the US -- assumed for themselves permanent council memberships and veto powers.

After more than 20 years of stalling, the council reform process gained momentum last year when a negotiating text was adopted at the last session of the General Assembly overcoming sustained opposition to it from a determined small group of countries like Pakistan and Italy.

Akbaruddin referred to the negotiating document which is based on a survey of UN members on council reforms and said: "It is evident from the positions submitted in the text that an overwhelming majority of member states support expansion in both categories."

Of the 122 countries that made written submissions for the survey, 113 -- or more than 90 percent -- supported expanding both categories of council membership, he said.

They include the 54 members of the African Union, 42 from the L.69, which is a group supporting reforms, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members, the G4 and 21 others, in addition to two permanent members, Brtain and France, he said.

Moving on to how the new permanent members would be added, Akbaruddin said the G4 wanted them to be elected by a vote of two thirds of the assembly through a secret ballot, which would be in keeping with the Charter and the assembly's rules of procedure.

Asserting that it was "untenable that whole continents are not represented or under-represented in the permanent category of the Security Council today," he said that G4 supported the "appropriate representation of Africa in the council."

Besides Africa, the theatre for the bulk of the UN peacekeeping operations mandated by the council, Latin America does not have any permanent members.

"The Security Council is also not representative of the geo-political and economic realities 70 years after its inception," Akbaruddin said.

"New major powers have emerged and the voice of all regions needs to be heard in international security policy."

Germany and Japan have risen as major economic powers, while India is now a significant player in international affairs and the global economy.

Speaking for the UfC, Italy's Permanent Representative Sebastiano Cardi said proposals to increase the council's permanent membership was based on a "misguided assumption that this would ensure greater representation and effectiveness in a council".

"A more representative and democratic Security Council means offering equal opportunity to all member states to serve periodically on the council," he added.

Without naming anyone, Akbaruddin responded to this line of opposition saying: "We have heard some oft-repeated arguments that expansion in the permanent category would be 'undemocratic'."

"Assuming that, we all acknowledge the fact that the present structure of the Security Council is not reflective of contemporary realities and not fit for purpose, there is urgent need to reform it," he said.

"The problem lies in the imbalance of influence within the Security Council between the permanent and non-permanent members. Expanding only in the non-permanent category is not going to solve the problem."

He said that such one-sided action would only tilt further the scales in favour of a "dispensation that was valid in the special situation in 1945 but is no longer now."

"This is why a balanced enlargement in both categories is necessarily the only way to ensure an equilibrium that reflects the current situation," he said.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
Toronto, May 3 : As part of its plans to scale training offerings, Google has acquired Synergyse Training, a business technology start-up founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur, the California-based search engine giant announced on Monday.

Toronto-based Synergyse that puts a virtual guide into Google Apps, training you to be productive and stay up to date with changes was founded by Varun Malhotra and his business partners.

"We're happy to announce Synergyse will be joining Google, and we intend to make the product available as an integral part of the Google Apps offering later this year," Peter Scocimara, senior director, Google Apps Operations, said in a blog post.

"In 2013, we launched Synergyse Training, with a mission to teach the world how to use Google Apps. Synergyse Training for Google Apps puts a virtual guide into Google Apps, helping users get the most out of their Google Apps experience and training them to be more productive," Synergyse founders said in an official statement released on Monday.

"We're proud to have served more than 4,000,000 people and 3,000 organisations globally," the statement added.

"By joining the Google Apps team, we can accelerate our mission because we will be working even closer with the teams that build Google Apps," the statement noted.

With the new acquisition Synergyse Training for Google Apps will be free, enabling all Google Apps customers to take advantage of the solution, the company said.

Malhotra specialises in training and strategy and has over 10 years of experience in the enterprise space.

Scocimara said Synergyse will be joining Google, and the company intends to make the product available as an integral part of the Google Apps offering later this year.

"By providing the right help at the right time, Synergyse will help our customers with the critical task of change management in the enterprise, and bolster the training and support programs we already offer today," he said.
Islamabad, May 3 : A top Pakistani foreign affairs advisor on Tuesday expressed deep concern over India's growing military power, media reported.

Adviser to prime minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that if India's growing military power was not checked, Pakistan will be "forced to increase its strategic power" too, Dawn online reported.

"The international community should avoid steps which may disturb the strategic balance in South Asia," Aziz warned.
New Delhi, May 3 : The government's "inability" to implement the Food Security Act among the 'Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups' in India has resulted in a drop in their population, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) head Rameshwar Oraon has said.

The former union minister of state for tribal affairs, who took over as chairperson of NCST in 2013, has also questioned the existence of many such PVGT communities if the government does not consider the seriousness of the issue.

"Food security is not at all available to the tribals. It is a major problem as far as the question of their existence is concerned. The government is not understanding that the PVTGs are very vulnerable community and there is a big question on their existence if the food security programme continues to elude them," Oraon told IANS in an interview.

Recounting that when he was on a recent official visit to Garhwa district of Jharkhand, he was told that community members of Korwas and Parhaiyas were buying rice at Rs.20-30 per kg, a steep price for the poor communities.

"I was shocked to hear that members of PVTG communities were buying their staple food --rice -- at Rs.20-30 per kg. They are supposed to get all this at a very low rate under the Food Security Act. This is too costly for communities who neither have any permanent source of income nor any help from the government for economic empowerment," said Oraon, 69, who belongs to the Congress and was MoS Tribal Affairs during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule.

The Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) (earlier known as Primitive tribal group) is a government of India classification created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the condition of certain communities with particularly low development indices.

The Jharkhand leader, who became a politician after relinquishing a career with the Indian Police Service, also said the NCST will conduct a comprehensive study of the PVTGs across the country to properly check their state of vulnerability and submit the results to the government.

"Looking at the deteriorating situation of the PVTGs, our commission will be making a comprehensive study of their problems and living conditions. We will submit the outcome to the government to comply with its recommendations. The studies available on such communities now are haphazard," said Oraon.

Concerned about the situation, the National Human Rights Commission recently organised a two-day national conference in the national capital to look at the state-wise assessment of the action taken on the National Food Security Act, 2013.

Asked when the NCST would commence its study, the Congress leader said the process has already begun and it is at a preliminary stage.

Emphasising that over the years the tribal population in India has only witnessed "disappointment" at the hands of successive governments, he said: "Over the years only the categorization of the tribal population has changed, but not their population and their conditions. They live in backward areas, forest areas and in inaccessible areas. Education has been a dream."

Oraon said in many ashram schools for ethnic tribals, a mid-day meal was only a dream and many times the teachers would be making the arrangements for the students' meal with their own money.

"The arrangements are not satisfactory. I recently visited some schools and I was told that they are not getting foodgrains. The teachers were managing the foodgrains and were feeding the students. Many students have fled because they are not getting facilities," said Oraon.

He said that tribals have received "only promises" by the government in term of implementing the Food Security Act and that the PVTGs were the worst affected.

(Rupesh Dutta can be contacted at Rupesh.d@ians.in)
Bhubaneswar, May 3 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday cautioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the proposed notification of river conservation zones, calling it "non-implementable".

In a letter to Modi, Patnaik said the notification would also have "severe anti-developmental consequences for Odisha".

"It appears that the proposed notification is non-implementable in its present form and will have severe anti-developmental consequences for Odisha. In view of the above, I request you not to be in haste in implementing the proposed notification," Patnaik said in the letter.

The draft notification seeks to declare river stretches and floodplain zones as river conservation zones (RCZs) and prohibit/regulate a large number of activities in these zones. It identifies three zones along river banks: prohibited activities zone (RCZ-PA), restricted activities zone (RCZ-RAI), and regulated activities zone (RCZ-RAII).

Patnaik said that Odisha has a network of rivers covering about 12,000 kms and about 4.5 to 5 km on both sides of the rivers and floodplains are proposed to be covered under the RCZ.

"Therefore, approximately 108,000 sq km out of the state's total area of 156,000 sq km will be affected by the proposed notification. Such notification will prevent progress of developmental activities in the state," said Patnaik.

In a federal structure, responsibilities and powers of the centre and the state in the Union List and State List have been defined while water resources comes under the state subject, he added.

"This notification of the central government will limit and restrict the powers of the state and will create confusion since any of the aforesaid activities come under the purview of state subjects," said the chief minister in his letter.

"In fitness of things, these activities which are part of the State List should not be included in a notification under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986."

"On the other hand, it is suggested that in order to address the flood problems in the country, a set of guidelines may be issued by the government of India, if required, which could be considered for adoption by the respective state governments based on their local requirements," the chief minister said.

He urged the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to have a detailed discussion with all the states covering all aspects of the proposed notification.
New Delhi, May 3 : Airtel M-Commerce Services has been renamed Airtel Payments Bank after receiving necessary approvals from all concerned authorities. It plans to start rolling out its banking network in the second quarter of 2016-17, a company statement said here on Tuesday.

Airtel M-Commerce Services is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel. It had received a payments bank licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on April 11, 2016. The payment banks will cater to the needs of small savings accounts, remittance services, low income households, small businesses and other unorganised sector entities.

"The new identity reflects our strong focus on the payments bank segment and our commitment to the government's vision of financial inclusion and banking services for every citizen," said Gopal Vittal, MD and chief executive (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel.

"With Airtel's deep distribution network that touches every corner of the country, we believe that Airtel Payments Bank is uniquely placed to deliver quality banking services to customers by leveraging the power of mobile telephony," he added.

Airtel Payments Bank (which began operations in 2011 as Airtel M-Commerce Services) at present provides money transfer services and semi-closed wallet services (Airtel Money). The company has presence in 800 plus towns across India.

It plans to leverage Bharti Airtel's national distribution network that runs deep into rural areas and offers a robust platform to deliver banking services to the last mile.

Kotak Mahindra Bank has acquired 19.90 percent stake in Airtel Payments Bank for around Rs.98.8 crore.
Ghaziabad, May 3 : Members of the Dalit community here on Tuesday urged strict action against unidentified miscreants who burnt the posters of Bhimrao Ambedkar and former chief minister Mayawati in Murad Nagar, near here.

Uttar Pradesh Shoshit Morcha's youth wing leader Rahul Kumar Jatav and his supporters submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate Vimal Kumar Sharma on the matter and accused the police of inaction in the case.

The posters, which Jatav got printed, were burnt by miscrants on April 28.
New Delhi, May 3 : Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the law ministry has made certain observations on the Rafale deal, which will be taken into account by the government while signing the deal.

According to sources, the law ministry has cautioned the government on some of the clauses in the draft inter-governmental agreement, including a clause on material breach.

The law ministry also suggested that the liability clause should be stringent.

"Ministry of Law and Justice have made certain observations and the same will be adequately taken into account while finalising the IGA (inter governmental agreement), which is still under negotiations," Parrikar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

The deal for purchasing 36 Rafale combat jets in fly-away condition was inked during the prime minister's visit to France in April last year.

Both the sides also agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for supply of the aircraft.

A Negotiating Team was then constituted to negotiate the terms and conditions of the procurement and recommend a draft agreement. The meetings of the Indian Negotiations Team with the French side are underway.
Silchar/Agartala, May 3 : Rail services between the rest of India and southern Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram that have been suspended for the past one week following heavy landslides may resume by Friday, officials said on Tuesday.

"Railway workers have cleared most of the debris in many places in southern Assam's North Cachar Hills district. The huge mudslides together with stones covering more than 100 metre of rail track at Fidhing are being cleared," a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said in Silchar.

He said it would take another 3-4 days to clear the debris and make way for trains. "We are expecting to restore rail services in the region by Friday," he said.

Railway officials and engineers are camping at the spot, 300 km south of Assam's main city Guwahati, to supervise the clearance work.

Due to heavy rains, huge landslides occurred in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section in southern Assam on April 27.

NFR chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said four major trains running between Guwahati and Silchar, including the Silchar-Guwahati Kanchanjunga Express, have been cancelled till May 5 due to the mudslides.

The Kanchanjunga Express was introduced between Silchar and Sealdah in Kolkata via Guwahati on February 1, meeting a long-standing demand of the people to link southern Assam with other parts of the country.

The railway line from Guwahati passes through southern Assam connecting land-locked Tripura's capital Agartala and parts of Manipur and Mizoram with the rest of India.

Meanwhile, the Tripura government has asked the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to build a buffer stock of rice and other essential commodities for the state before the monsoon intensifies in the region.

Many passengers, bound for Guwahati and the rest of the country, were stranded in southern Assam's Badarpur, Silchar and Lumding areas after the landslide.

The Guwahati-Silchar railway line is the lifeline for southern Assam comprising four districts, known as Barak Valley, and the mountainous states of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram.

These states are heavily dependent on this railway line for supply of foodgrain, fertilisers, petroleum products, construction materials and other commodities.

Meanwhile, the NFR since Monday is running passenger trains on trial basis from Badarpur to Agartala.

The two pairs of trial trains would run till Thursday in the newly-laid broad gauge line.

The 437-km Lumding-Silchar and Badarpur-Agartala gauge conversion work was sanctioned in 1996. It was declared a national project in 2004, thereby ensuring uninterrupted funding from the central government's general budget. The project was hit by insurgency from 2006 to 2009 and works could only gain speed after that turbulent period.

In the first phase, the 210-km Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project was completed last year.

In the second phase, the 227-km Badarpur-Agartala gauge conversion was scheduled to be completed in March but was completed three months earlier.

With the completion of gauge conversion work right up to Agartala, the Tripura capital was connected with the country's broad gauge railway network through Guwahati at a distance of about 600 km.
Ernakulam, May 3 : Police on Tuesday questioned two friends of a young poor woman brutally murdered apparently after being raped, a crime that has generated widespread anger in Kerala.

The crime is being compared with the rape-cum-murder of Nirbhaya that shook the Indian capital -- and much of the country -- in December 2012.

Jisha, 27, was found murdered on April 28 at her home near a canal in Perumbavoor here by her mother, a labourer. Her body was badly mutilated. There were injuries on her private parts, according to police.

Police are waiting for forensic reports to know if the victim was raped and then murdered.

"It is a matter of time before we will be able to reach a conclusion," said Inspector General of Police Mahipal Yadav, who is heading the probe team.

Yadav told reporters at the scene of the crime that the two people being examined were suspects, not accused.

Additional Director General of Police K. Padmakumar said police believed at this point that the crime was committed by one person.

"We are awaiting the forensic and medical reports. Evidence is being gathered. A lot of people have been questioned," he said.

The two being questioned now were two of Jisha's friends at a private hospital near here where she worked.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the government wanted the probe to be headed by "a very senior official. Nothing will be left to chance to bring the culprits to justice".

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala faced angry Left activists when he reached the hospital where Jisha's mother is admitted and left in a huff after he could not even get out of the car.

"It's most unfortunate the opposition is trying to make political capital out of a murder. It's not fair. I decided to leave the place because I did not want to create a scene," said Chennithala.

Women activists and the Communist Party of India-Marxist have hit out at the way police have handled the case.

"The police are not allowed to do their job and the government is also not doing anything," said CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan.

In the state capital, women journalists took out a march demanding that police act with speed.

"The police appears to be soft and silent in the probe. It is five days since the incident took place and nothing seems to be happening," said lawyer and women's rights activist Ginakumari.

The students' wing of CPI-M took out a march to the police station near here demanding quick action.

The victim's mother moaned: "Our neighbours did not come to our help even after coming to know of the murder. We want the law to come to our aid and arrest those who have done this."

Jisha's sister Deepa said the neighbours were trying to evict them from the place. "They did not come to her rescue even when she was brutally assaulted."

In the state capital, the BJP asked the government to bring the guilty to book at the earliest.

CPI-M leader and former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said he will visit the home of the victim on Wednesday morning.
London, May 3 : A cyber hacker collective linked to Islamic State claims it has a mole in the ministry of defence, who will "slowly and surely" infiltrate Britain.

An offshoot of the Islamic State, the group calls itself the "Islamic State Hacking Division" and made the threats after publishing a hitlist of targets to kill, including details of 75 US Air Force personnel.

According to a Sunday Times report, hackers said they would "disclose secret intelligence" from an alleged source working in the MoD.

"In our next leak, we may even disclose secret intelligence the Islamic State has just received from a source, the brothers in Britain have spent some time acquiring from the Ministry of Defence in London as we slowly and secretly infiltrate England and the USA online and off," the collective wrote.

Although the names from the US hitlist appeared genuine, they were apparently obtained from public sources such as newsletters and articles available on the internet, rather than a hack or leak.

The ministry of defence said it does not comment on leaked documents or personnel security measures, but maintained that it was a priority.

"Our increasing defence budget means that we can stay ahead of our adversaries in cyberspace while also investing in conventional capabilities," a spokesperson said.

The IS "cyber caliphate" was previously led by Junaid Hussain, a British-Pakistani hacker from Birmingham who was killed by a US drone strike in Syria in 2015. His wife and Muslim convert Sally Jones has also called for "lone wolf" attacks in Britain.
New Delhi, May 3 : The Delhi government on Tuesday asked for suggestions from taxi unions before presenting its detailed phase-out plan for diesel cabs before the Supreme Court on Thursday.

"We called a meeting of (representatives of) taxi unions and transporters at 3 p.m. They have been asked to submit their suggestions in writing by 1 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Their issues will also be discussed in the EPCA's (Environment Pollution Control Authority) meeting tomorrow," Delhi's Transport Minister Gopal Rai told reporters here.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi government urged the apex court to relax its ban order as protesting taxi drivers created a gridlock in large parts of the National Capital Region for the second day.

A bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur asked the government to submit a roadmap for phasing out the diesel cabs and switching over to cleaner compressed natural gas.

Rai said that the ban does not apply to cabs with all-India tourist permit.

"We are waiting for a written order from the court regarding the ban on diesel cabs in Delhi and the remaining National Capital Region. Meanwhile, the enforcement agencies have not impounded any diesel cabs in Delhi," the minister said.

The minister accused app-based taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola of illegally running diesel vehicles having all-India tourist permit.

The Supreme Court on April 30 refused extension to diesel cab operators to switch over to CNG, saying it had already given several extensions.

Owners and drivers of diesel taxis blocked several important roads, including the DND Expressway and Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, causing inconvenience to motorists and lakhs of other commuters.
Bengaluru, May 3 : Food processing major MTR Foods Ltd said on Tuesday that it is investing Rs.200 crore, over the next four years, on capacity expansion and to extend its presence to south India to across the country.

"We are investing Rs.200 crore to scale up our manufacturing capacity to 72,000 tonne by 2020 from 45,000 tonnes in 2015 and expand our presence in other regions," chief executive Sanjay Sharma told reporters here.

As a 90-year-old popular brand of Indian spices, mixes, ready-to-eat foods and other culinary products for all occasions, the city-based Rs.700-crore MTR is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the $4-billion Orkla conglomerate in Norway.

After acquiring the privately-held company from Maiyas of the famous Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) in 2007 for an estimated $80 million (Rs.384 crore), the Norwegian food major cumulatively invested Rs.230 crore to treble production capacity from 15,000 tonnes and increase the number of food products to 140 from 90.

Blending authentic Indian flavours in easy-to-use packaged format, the company's diversified portfolio includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks and desserts for all.

"Our culinary secrets are protected and handed over generations as authentic recipes from their region of origin and packaged in convenient formats to retain taste and quality," said Sharma, unveiling the company's new brand identity, with a new contemporary logo and trendy packaging, signifying the transition.

As a part of its growth strategy, the company has forayed into e-commerce with its own online platform for selling all its products and delivering them at home through partners across the country.

"Over the years, consumers have evolved in terms of preferences and consumption patterns. Though Indian food is still the favourite, its cooking is perceived to be cumbersome and time-consuming. Our brand of easy-to-make, nutritious and authentic tasting products make them more accessible," Sharma said.

With 50 percent market share in ready-to-eat segment and 40-45 percent market share in spices and mixes across Karnataka, the company has doubled its market share in the neighbouring southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

"We are expanding our presence beyond south India to north, west and east to be a pan-India brand by 2020, with more products to serve regional consumers and ramp up our turnover to Rs,2,000 crore over the next four years," Sharma added.
Paris, May 3 : A day after Greenpeace leaked TTIP negotiation documents, which the environmental group claimed was really about "a huge transfer of power from people to big business", France opposed the deal "at this stage".

French President Francois Hollande said he was "at this stage" opposed to the free trade accord between the European Union and the US -- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership -- unless rules to protect domestic businesses were respected.

"At this stage of negotiations, France says no to TTIP because we are not for free trade without rules," Hollande said.

"We will never accept questioning the essential principles for our agriculture, reciprocity in access to public markets," he added.

French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said that Washington wants the all-encompassing TTIP trade deal with Europe to go through, but was unwilling to budge on many points, jeopardising the entire talks.

According to Greenpeace, the deal threatens to do away with a whole series of protections, such as those relating to the environment, consumer protection and food produce. The documents reveal some wide rifts between the US and EU in these areas.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership has been discussed behind closed doors since 2013. It will affect a trade zone inhabited by 850 million people, and has received strident criticism from many Europeans who believe it was not in their best interest, RT news reported.

"In view of the United States' state of mind today, that seems to be the most likely option," French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said on Europe 1 radio on Tuesday, when asked if he thought the negotiations were in danger of halting.

"We want reciprocity. Europe offers a lot and gets very little in return. This is not acceptable," Fekl said. "It is an agreement which, as it would be today, would be a bad deal... It cannot be agreed without France and even less against France," he added.

"Trade is not an end in itself, it is a tool," Fekl said, adding: "It would make no sense to have held the COP in December in Paris, this superb deal for the environment, and sign a few months after an agreement that would unravel it."

The American authorities, however, do not seem worried by such exposure.

The US Trade Representative's office has shrugged off the revelations, declining to comment on the "validity of alleged leaks", a spokesperson said, adding that "the interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat-out wrong at worst".

Greenpeace wants the talks to stop. But the TTIP is Obama's last chance as US president to get a deal in before his term ends in January, the report said.

While the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the US and Europe was set to create the world's largest free trade zone, many Europeans worry that the agreement would elevate corporate interest above national interest.

TTIP opponents say that cheaper goods and services would only hurt the EU and help US corporations.

Europeans argue that international corporations would be given power at the expense of small and medium-sized businesses. The secrecy surrounding the negotiations has also come under fierce criticism.

People have been coming out on the streets to voice their protest to the deal, the latest such one being in Germany's Hannover.
New Delhi, May 3 : On the second day of his interrogation in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, the CBI on Tuesday quizzed former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi on the four firms he and his wife set up after he retired.

Tyagi told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that he and his wife Vandana had established four companies -- Vanshi, Anurash, Shavan and Meghanshu -- in 2011 and 2012, informed sources said.

Tyagi, who retired in 2007, was questioned on Monday for 10 hours and for nine hours on Tuesday by the CBI. He will face the interrogators on Wednesday too.

All the companies, reportedly based in Noida, are reportedly classified as non-government companies and registered with the Registrar of Companies in Delhi and Noida, a source with knowledge of the interrogation said.

"The authorised share capital of these companies is estimated to be Rs.2.4 crore. Its paid-up capital is Rs.10 crore. The companies are involved in several activities including legal, accounting, book-keeping and auditing, tax consultancy, market research and public opinion polling, business and management consultancy.

"We aren't sure if the four companies have any link to the AugustaWestland case," the source told IANS.

An official said the CBI was also tying to find out Tyagi's international travel details -- including funding, places, time spent abroad.

His passport and other documents are with the CBI.

Tyagi has told the CBI that he travelled to Florence, Milan and Venice in Italy in 2008 and 2009 after his retirement.

The former Air Chief Marshal is being questioned on the Rs.3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal in which kickbacks were allegedly paid to Indian officials and politicians.

Tyagi accepted meeting Georgio Zapa, chief operating officer (COO) of Agusta's Italy-based parent company Finmeccanica, in India on February 15, 2005.

"The CBI has seized Tyagi's diaries and some documents which confirmed his meeting with Zapa. The meeting is still a mystery for us," the source told IANS.

CBI sources said the agency has also called Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspect companies in the case, for questioning on Wednesday.

Tyagi's cousins -- Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep -- have been called for questioning later this week.

Tyagi has been accused in Italy and India of helping AgustaWestland win the chopper contract by reducing the flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metre to 4,500 metre (15,000 feet).

The CBI has registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen in March 2013.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at Rajnish.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, May 3 : The top 50 defaulters of public sector banks (PSBs) had exposure in excess of Rs 1.21 lakh crore as on December 2015, parliament was told on Tuesday.

"The total exposure of top 50 defaulters of PSBs as on December 2015 was Rs.1,21,832 crore," Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

He said the number of wilful defaulters of PSBs rose in three years from 5,554 to 7,686 by December 2015, while the amount involved more than doubled to Rs.66,190 crore, from Rs.27,749 crore.

In another reply, Sinha said there were 1,365 borrower accounts having outstanding loans of Rs.500 crore and above at the end of December 2015.

Last week, parliament's consultative committee attached to the finance ministry suggested that a list of all defaulters, whose loans have been written off, be made public, and asked for exemplary action against wilful defaulters.

These were among the suggestions made at a meeting of the parliamentary committee here with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior officials of the ministry to discuss the non-performing assets, or bad loans, of public sector banks, a finance ministry statement said.

Meanwhile, a consortium of 13 banks led by the State Bank of India told the Supreme Court last week that from the non-disclosure of assets by beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya, it was not possible to assess his capacity to pay their outstanding dues to the tune of more than Rs.9,000 crore advanced to his now-grounded Kingfisher Airlines.
New Delhi, May 3 : Commuters in Delhi continued to face hardships for the second successive day on Tuesday as taxi drivers blocked three major roads in the morning, causing traffic snarls across several parts of the city. The Delhi government urged the Supreme Court to relax its order banning diesel and petrol cabs.

Dozens of drivers protesting against a Supreme Court ban on diesel- and petrol-driven cabs parked their taxis on the Mahipalpur flyover leading to the Indira Gandhi International Airport causing major snarls. The road linking Delhi with Noida in Uttar Pradesh and another in south Delhi linked to Gurgaon in Haryana was blocked.

In no time, hundreds of vehicles were caught up on both sides of the roads -- like on Monday.

Police reached all three spots and engaged the drivers in discussion from about 9 a.m.

"We tried to reason with them that their protest was causing hardships to people and this wasn't fair. We told them that if they had issues with any judicial ruling, they must talk to the government," Joint Commissioner of Police Sharad Aggarwal told IANS.

He said that some of the drivers who accepted the reasoning took away their taxis. Those who refused to were taken to a police station and their taxis were impounded.

"The entire process took 45 minutes to an hour. By then, there were jams everywhere," he said.

He said the traffic eased after about three hours and there was no traffic jams later in the day.

According to the Delhi government, there are over 60,000 diesel cabs registered in the city of which about 29,000 cars have an all-India permit while the rest have city permits.

As the city government on Tuesday urged the apex court to relax its order banning cabs on operating on diesel and petrol, a headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur asked it to give a roadmap for phasing out diesel cabs and switching over to cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel and listed the matter for Wednesday.

The court also said that its order to ban diesel and petrol taxis was not to cause any inconvenience to the people but to curb rising pollution levels in the capital city, considered to be one of the worst-polluted in the world.

The Delhi government said it was "fully committed for tackling pollution. However, a problem has arisen for the citizens".

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai also held a meeting with the taxi drivers, owners and taxi unions seeking their suggestion to present their side to the apex court.

After the meeting, Krishan Yadav, president of the Indian Tourist Transporters Association told IANS: "We are happy that the government has called to seek our suggestions on the apex court ruling."

In a statement, app-based taxi service provider Ola cabs meanwhile said that there is no technology to convert diesel to CNG so the salvage value of these cars are negligible, and welcomed the Delhi government's decision to move the apex court, for the sake of the livelihoods of tens of thousands of drivers.

"We thank the government for having taken cognisance of the plight of these drivers, by moving the Supreme Court on this issue," an Ola spokesperson said in the statement.

"Livelihoods of tens of thousands of drivers who have taken a loan and bought a new diesel cab in the last two years are at stake with substantial EMIs pending," he said.

After extending the deadline for the change twice, the apex court had on Saturday refused to give more time to taxi operators to switch to CNG and banned diesel and petrol-based taxis in Delhi and NCR from May 1.
New Delhi, May 3 : Actress Kalki Koechlin, who has been conferred with a Special Jury Award at the 63rd National Film Awards for her performance in "Margarita, With A Straw", says this will make people stop questioning her "desiness".

"It's a really big deal for me... I think this is the most prestigious award you can get as an actor in this country. It makes me feel more 'desi'. I feel like people will stop questioning my 'desiness'," Kalki, who was here to receive the award, told IANS to a query on how important the award was for her.

Talking about the film in which she plays the role of a girl with cerebral palsy, she shared that the film was important for her as she got to learn a lot as an actor and a human being.

"It ('Margarita, With A Straw') was an important film for me. I learnt a lot as an actor and a human being. The amount of practice I had to do for that film was incredible. It just shows that how much more work we can put into every film," said Kalki, who was dressed in an off-white sari with green border.

Kalki will next be seen sharing screen space with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah in "Waiting".

She has called the 66-year-old actor a "fantastic person".
Hyderabad, May 3 : India's largest national flag on the tallest flag-post will be hoisted on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday directed the officials to make arrangements for installing a 301 feet tall pole at Batukamma Ghat on the banks of the lake.

He asked Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma to take steps for installing the tallest pole and preparing largest flag in the country.

Presently, the largest tri-colour is in Ranchi. It is 66 feet in height, 99 feet in width and stands on a 293 feet tall pole at Ranchi's popular Pahari Mandir, or 'Fansi Dungri'.

KCR said the move will help promote sense of patriotism among citizens.

The chief minister also decided to construct Telangana martyrs' memorial on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake, which divides twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

A pillar and a park will be developed on 12 acres of land to highlight the movement for separate Telangana state and the sacrifices made by the martyrs and leaders. The memorial will also showcase Telangana's history, culture, literature, arts and personalities.

KCR will lay foundation stone for the memorial on June 2, the second anniversary of formation of Telangana state. He reviewed the arrangements for the celebrations.

The chief minister directed officials to organise special events in the state capital, district headquarters and also at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi.

Last month, the chief minister had announced that 125-feet statue of B. R. Ambedkar will be installed near the lake. This will be the tallest statue of the architect of the Indian constitution.
New Delhi, May 3 : The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is a well-deserved honour for veteran actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar, who became the 47th recipient of India's topmost cinematic laurel on Tuesday, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said.

In his address at the 63rd National Film Awards ceremony, Jaitley said: "We've just honoured Mr. Manoj Kumar for almost a generation of having acted and directed in some of the best cinema ever produced in this country. He branded the very idea of patriotism. He blended it with talent, legendary music, acting, scripts.

"I think its an extremely well deserved honour, which has be conferred on him. We wish the very best and a long life. Very healthy life for the years to come."

Jaitley also said that Manoj Kumar made audiences remember issues like "freedom struggle, post China war, problems of the farmers and also the lives of the revolutionaries" through his films.

The minister also noted that at the award ceremony, different generations have been honoured as megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actress Kangana Ranaut received the Best Actor and Best Actress honours.

"We have honoured different generations today. In fact the two best actors belong to entirely two different generations..." he said.

Lauding Indian cinema's popularity across the globe, he said: "It's (Indian cinema) an industry which has become international because many of our best endeavours are finding audiences elsewhere in the world."

The minister also stressed that in the Indian cinema industry, the country's diversity is also displayed.

"India's diversities, its different cultures and languages are all displayed in this industry, country which is multilingual and has over the years come of age..." he added.
House prices in Auckland, New Zealand, look set to continue rising throughout this year after a buys month of March, and rents are also up, the latest index figures show.

The average sale price for the month was $866,782, and the median price was $798,000, according to the latest data monthly report from real estate agents Barfoot & Thompson.

The March average sales price was the third highest on record, within $10,000 of the all-time high in November last year, and 5.4% higher than last month while the median price at $798,000 is the second highest on record, within $2000 of the all-time high in December last year, and up 8.1% on Februarys median price.

March is always one of the busiest sales months of the year, and a good indicator of where prices are tracking for the remainder of the year, said Peter Thompson, managing director of Barfoot & Thompson.

When prices are this strong in March the trend is for prices to hold steady through the year.

As it has been for the past two years, lack of supply remains the main price driver. New listings in the month at 1,874 were solid, but by month end, the number of available listings at 3,093 was a decline of 6.8% on the number the month previously, he pointed out.

There has been a definite increase in the number of properties being sold under the hammer at auction, indicating keen buyer competition for available properties. Although a record number of building permits are being issued, and new homes are springing up everywhere, Auckland is simply not building homes fast enough to keep up with the growing population, he added.

He also pointed out that Statistics New Zealand reported that in February alone the population of Auckland increased by about 3,000 people. Based on the Auckland average occupancy for houses, of three people to a property, theoretically 1,000 additional properties would have had to become available in the month to house such growth.

The data also shows that in March the firm sold 474 properties for in excess of $1 million, the highest number ever in one month and it represented more than a third of all properties sold.

At the other end of the scale, 146 properties, or 10.9%, sold for under $500,000.

Data from the firm also shows that the average weekly rent for one bedroom properties has risen by 4.8% from $316 to $331 year on year, while for two bedrooms rents are up 6.3% from $398 to $423.

Rents for three bedrooms are up by 5.6% from $486 to $510 compared with March 2015, four bedroom rents increased by 5.1% from $614 to $644 and for five or more bedroom rents were up by 5.8% from $755 to $791.

Thompson explained that Auckland's usual rise in rent didn't occur in March and over the last 12 months, Auckland saw an increase of $28 or 5.8% for all property types. However in the past month, the increase was only by $1.

Rodney and Franklin/Manukau continue to show the fastest growth in rental prices, with an 8.4% increase in Franklin/Manukau and 7.8% increase in Rodney in the past 12 months.

Even with the marked increase in rent each month, Franklin/Manukau remains the cheapest area for rentals across all property sizes.

Over the past few months, there has been a marked increase in the rental prices achieved in Auckland's outlying areas, such as Franklin, Manukau and Rodney, the data shows and Franklin, Manukau and Rodney have been outperforming the rest of Auckland when it comes to rental increases.

In the past two years, Auckland's rents have increased by 9.24%, whereas in Franklin/Manukau, they have increased by 11.26% and in Rodney, by 11.39%.

Thompson said that Franklin/Manukau is typically the cheapest area to rent in, but with rental increases now significantly above the average, Franklin/Manukau prices are getting closer to the averages seen in South Auckland.

The rental increases in these outlying areas suggest that Aucklanders are struggling to find suitable properties in closer suburbs, or are happy to travel further afield to find the right home, he added.
In 2009, Hannah Altman, age 8, founded Hannah's Cool World, an online store for cool toys that appealed to kids such as collectible squishy pencil toppers and Japanese puzzle erasers. Little did she or her parents know at the time, that this would turn into a six figure business.

By the time she was 10 years old, this young CEO was coined the Business Whiz Kid by AOL Business. Over the years Hannah has continued the success of her company by adding new products that appealed to a variety of kids and teens worldwide. As the business grew, so did her knowledge and interest in entrepreneurship.

Now a high school student, she has made the decision to merge Hannah's Cool World into the family business of http://www.CoolZips.com, an online toy and gift business that began in 2007. With this merger, Hannah has become the Creative Director of CoolZips and is heavily involved in new product development. One new product in particular, My Doggy's Growth Chart (http://www.MyDoggysGrowthChart.com), is a fun pet product with a novel spin on the standard kids growth chart, but this is for your pup!

"I am so excited for this new opportunity," says Hannah. "I loved running my toy business, but now that I am older my interests are more in product development and design. Joining forces with our family business allows me to be more focused on that."

Like many high school kids at age 15, Hannah Altman loves time with friends, listening to endless hours of music, and watching reality television. However, with her CEO experience, she loves business and sharing her success as a young entrepreneur and wants to continue the journey she started at age 8.

Hannah has a sharp eye for products as well, she immediately saw the potential in the popular Rainbow Loom when the product was still in it's infancy stage. The creators of Rainbow Loom live near Hannah, which led to a relationship for CoolZips to form a licensing deal with the company to manufacture charms and Rainbow Loom tote bags.

Hannah's parents are thrilled to have her as part of the company. Hannah's mom, Lauren Altman, shares "Hannah brings us her keen eye and creative outlook. We have a few new products in development and we need her creative guidance and youthful view".

ABOUT CoolZips: CoolZips is an online toy company based in West Bloomfield Michigan, selling throughout the universe. CoolZips.com sells an ever expanding array of toys for kids of all ages including the very popular Japanese Puzzle Erasers and Kawaii Squishies. They are also the creators of the successful http://www.TheSquishyBox.com, a monthly subscription box of Kawaii Squishies and have just launched a new pet product, a growth chart for dogs on http://www.MyDoggysGrowthChart.com. CoolZips is a family business and wants your family to have fun too!
The site was born out of a need to educate homeowners with facts they need to make informed energy choices.

Maine Energy Facts has just launched a new, comprehensive website that provides homeowners in Maine with a trustworthy resource for local home heating information. Visitors are able to learn about different types of heating systems, energy saving tips and other important and timely data regarding home heating in Maine.

Content is specially created to be both easy to understand and visually appealing to both homeowners and property managers. Terminology is explained, information is presented with matter-of-fact graphs and numbers, and educational videos make learning simple and engaging.

The best thing a consumer can do to cut heating costs is properly insulate their home, and our site has tips on how to easily do that. The next best thing is upgrading to a high efficiency furnace or boiler, says Staci Best, the project manager of Maine Energy Facts. The site was born out of a need to educate homeowners with facts they need to make informed energy choices.

All residents in Maine are encouraged to visit the website and to subscribe to the monthly newsletter for upcoming updates and news notifications. To access the website, please visit: http://www.maineenergyfacts.com/. To follow Maine Energy Facts on Facebook, visit https://www.facebook.com/MaineEnergyFacts/.
Pharmaceutical services provider TrialCard introduced its Every Day Matters campaign this week to highlight the companys orphan disease patient lead generation programs. Understanding the unique challenges faced by marketers working on orphan drugs prompted TrialCard to develop a specific model to support orphan products, delivered by its outbound virtual detailing group. In doing the detective work to locate physicians treating patients with extremely rare diseases, educate them on the benefits of a product, and connect the patient with an avenue to therapy, TrialCard is offering a breakthrough solution to orphan drug manufacturers long challenged by a lack of resources to locate patients among such a disparate population.

Developing this capability and executing on behalf of orphan drug manufacturers has truly been a rewarding effort for everyone involved, said TrialCard President and CEO Mark Bouck. Its incredibly humbling to know that the efforts of our team are literally saving the lives of patients who are afflicted with these rare conditions by introducing them to treatment options.

Programs are carried out by both clinical representatives, who boast a strong outbound detailing backgrounds, and clinical specialists, who are experienced and accomplished pharmaceutical sales representatives. In one recent program TrialCard was able to deliver over 90 qualified leads in the first five months, a figure more than six times greater than anticipated by the manufacturer. Additionally, TrialCard representatives and specialists successfully made contact with a nurse or physician on as many as 50% of calls made.

The impact of this really is remarkable, continued Bouck. For the longest time manufacturers were literally searching for a needle in a haystack; now they have a partner that has designed the right formula to do it efficiently and effectively.

About TrialCard Incorporated

TrialCard Incorporated provides product access, medication adherence, and patient support services on behalf of pharmaceutical manufacturers. Founded in 2000, TrialCard has become the largest provider of patient access programs in the industry, processing over $1 billion in reimbursement benefits per year. TrialCard holds nine US patents related to the processing and marketing of patient access programs. The company is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina. For more information about TrialCard, please visit http://www.trialcard.com.
Declare your school.

To kick off the exciting time of year for high school seniors to declare the university they plan to attend in the fall, Top of the World has partnered with Lids to help one winning student with tuition.

High school seniors who share Top of the Worlds Declaration Days graphic on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, declaring their school of choice, will be entered to win $5,000 towards tuition. Students can visit declarationdays.com to access their schools graphic. Students entering must also include the hashtag #DeclarationDays and tag @towcaps AND @lids (Faceook/Twitter) or @lids4hats (Instagram) to be entered. Students can also visit any participating Lids or Lids Locker Room store with their college acceptance letter to receive $5 off a regularly-priced Top of the World hat. The program will kick off April 26 and conclude May 16.

Top of the World initiated the program to show its support for students and support their pursuit for higher education. This fall the company celebrates 30 years of business, specializing in collegiate branded headwear. Since its inception the company has made the school their primary focus, recognizing the dedication students, parents and fans have to their university.

About Top of the World: Top of the World is the nations leading collegiate headwear supplier based in Norman, Okla. Founded in 1986, Top of the World is now licensed with over 550 colleges and universities all across the country and is currently ranked as the fifth largest apparel licensee by the Collegiate Licensing Company. Top of the World employs more than 150 people and was recently named by The Oklahoman in its Top Workplaces 2015 list for the third consecutive year.
Friends of Manual, the non-profit group that supports for Manual High School, will host its ninth annual breakfast for school supporters, community members, and alumni to celebrate the achievements of students, faculty, and administration during the 2015-2016 school year and to preview whats to come in the next year. The breakfast, which is complimentary and open to all, will take place on Friday, May 20, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the Manual High School Thunderdome.

Principal Nick Dawkins will highlight these and other major changes that have taken place at Manual High School this past year include:



The introduction of Med School at Manual, created in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, which provides specialized courses of study for students interested in the medical profession. Students gain hands-on experience as well as academic study, mentorships, and coaching; they also have the opportunity to take extra study to obtain professional certifications and associates degrees.

Our efforts to bolster enrollment, college and career readiness and ensure a great teacher in every classroom at Manual.

The availability of a Chromebook tablet for every Manual High School student, along with a unique license to drive training program and our innovative enhancements to Manual classrooms.

The breakfast program will also include performances by the Manual Performance Choir; musical numbers from Dreamgirls, the schools musical production which runs from May 19 - May 21; and an address from Tay Anderson, president of Manual High Schools student body. The Friends of Manual will also award seven student scholarships. Carl Pigford (class of 53) and Julia Pigford (class of 55) are honorary co-chairs of the breakfast.

Early sponsors of the event include The McCracken Fund, which donated $5,000, and The Doyle Group, which donated $2,500.

This has been an incredibly rewarding year for Manual High School, said Dawkins. Weve made great academic strides while fostering a culture that emphasizes rigor, opportunity, and achievement. This breakfast is a chance to come together to celebrate the accomplishments of students and teachers and thank community members and alumni for their tremendous support.

The complimentary breakfast is Friends of Manuals signature annual fundraising event. Last years event, attended by approximately 400 people, raised a record $40,000, which went toward funding new Chromebooks for students, interactive classroom technology, the partial refurbishment and rededication of Manual High Schools historic auditorium, and other school needs.

WHO: Friends of Manual

WHAT: 9th Annual Friends of Manual Breakfast

WHEN: May 20, 2015, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

WHERE: Manual High School Thunderdome, 1700 East 28th Avenue, Denver, CO 80205

RSVP: Register online at http://www.FriendsofManual.org; or call 720-336-9387 or email fom(at)friendsofmanual(dot)org.

About Manual High School

Located in the heart of Denvers Whittier neighborhood, Manual High Schools highly trained teachers are committed to challenging, nurturing, and supporting all students. The schools achievement-focused culture cultivates goal setting, resiliency, and critical thinking.

Manual High School was one of the first schools in Denver to educate women and African Americans. Noteworthy graduates include Mayor Michael Hancock, Mayor Wellington Webb, and activist and poet Rodolfo Corky Gonzales.

Today, Manual is at the forefront of career and technical education with the launch of MedConnect, one of the districts first biomedical pathways for high school students. As one of the first schools in the district to be granted Innovation status, Manuals classrooms are equipped with modern tools and technology. Just as importantly, each Manual student has the use of a dedicated tablet during the school day to ensure the development of the technology skills needed for todays workplace.

To find out more about enrolling at Manual High School, visit http://www.manualhs.org or http://schoolchoice.dpsk12.org/.
Altium Designer 16.1 continues our focus of providing the most efficient and unified design environment available that allows engineers to transform ideas into reality without their design tool acting as a barrier to their creativity.

Altium has announced the release of an update to their flagship PCB design platform, Altium Designer 16.1. This update continues the companys core focus on providing engineers with the most efficient PCB design platform with several new features that enhance design documentation and high-speed design workflows. Altium Designer 16.1 is available now as a free upgrade for all existing Altium Subscription customers, and can be accessed via the Altium Products Download page.

Electronic designs are shaping the future of human connectivity and enable us to create innovative solutions to the worlds most pressing problems, said Matthew Schwaiger, VP Global Customer Success at Altium. Altium Designer 16.1 continues our focus of providing the most efficient and unified design environment available that allows engineers to transform ideas into reality without their design tool acting as a barrier to their creativity.

Connecting Design and Documentation Workflows

While documentation is a critical element of every post-design process, engineers typically find themselves struggling with limited, 3rd-party documentation tools that lack a connection to their original design data. With Draftsman in Altium Designer 16.1, PCB designers can easily create and update documentation without ever leaving their design workspace. Draftsman enables PCB designers to:



Stay at their most efficient by creating and updating assembly documentation without ever having to learn another tool or workflow.

Easily communicate with manufacturing with easy-to-use markup and drawing object tools, all available in the same familiar design interface.

Provide data-rich details on board layouts with detailed perspectives, flexible board layout views, and expressive call-outs.

Documentation has always been one of those tedious yet necessary tasks in every engineers post-design process, said Alexey Sabunin, Altium Designer Product Manager. With Draftsman, weve gone beyond the basic limitations of the traditional documentation process with intelligently linked design and documentation data, allowing engineers to focus on communicating their design details right the first time.

New Productivity-Focused Features in Altium Designer 16.1

In addition to Draftsman, Altium Designer 16.1 also includes several new productivity-focused features that allows a PCB designer to easily complete their high-speed designs and mechanical enclosure verifications with:

Precise 3D Measurements - Engineers can precisely measure board layouts in Native 3D and ensure a precise fit with existing mechanical enclosures.

USB 3.0 Support - Engineers can easily design accurate and high-speed board layouts with technology-aware configurations for USB 3.0.

Performance enhancements - Engineers can confidently complete their designs with several platform stability and user interface enhancements.

Availability Details

Altium Designer 16.1 is available now as a free upgrade to all Altium Subscription customers and can be downloaded from the Altium Products Download page. Start your free 15 day trial of Altium Designer today and experience all of the new features available in this release.

For more info about all Altium Designer releases, please visit the Altium Designer Whats New page.
With the exciting, new DCS Indoor Kitchen Line, consumers can expect new levels of cooking power and product performance that together make up the total kitchen solution, explains Roger Bridge, GM Marketing.

DCS Appliances, the pioneer of professional kitchen equipment, is pleased to announce the brand new DCS Indoor Kitchen Family which includes: ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers.

Designed as serious kitchen equipment for people who love to cook, this line of DCS Indoor Kitchen Appliances reflects the power, performance, and resilient design that DCS is known for. Additionally, with these indoor appliances, DCS is proud to set an all new benchmark for professional appliances designed for North American home kitchens.

With the exciting, new DCS Indoor Kitchen Line, consumers can expect new levels of cooking power and product performance that together make up the total kitchen solution, explains Roger Bridge, GM Marketing. This line elevates and pushes boundaries within the current marketplace, and builds upon DCSs commitment to provide outstanding kitchen solutions for peoples indoor and outdoor living areas.

The DCS Indoor Kitchen Line has the following product additions and enhancements:

More Range Models: With the addition of an eight burner 48 model and a four burner 30 model, DCS offers a diverse selection of range sizes to provide design flexibility for customers. These additional models are available in both gas and dual fuel ranges.

For customers interested in these models, they can expect the cooktop on both the DCS Dual Fuel and Gas range to deliver a delicate full surface simmer right up to 158,000 BTU of total cooktop power. The Dual Fuel Ranges provide 12% more usable oven space than models with exposed bake elements. While the DCS gas ranges provide a powerful infrared broiler that delivers up to 19,000 BTU for intense cooking heat.

Professional Cooktop Configuration Options: Consumers can now choose between eight burners or six burners with the DCS Professional Cooktop, and can add a griddle or grill as well. DCS Professional Cooktops have Dual Flow Burners and deliver power of up to 23,500 BTU for a seriously fast boil, or a gentle 140F simmer.

New Drop-In Cooktops: The Drop-In Cooktops feature a functional 21" deep design that comes in both 30" and 36" widths. With Sealed Dual Flow Burners, the Drop-In Cooktops deliver up to 20,000 BTU for fast boiling and gentle simmering. In addition to the heat options, this cooktop offers a full surface simmer across all burners with precise temperature reduction to a gentle 140F which allows consumers total control of the temperature they desire.

Wall Oven Redesign: Built with the same power and functionality as previous models, the new DCS Wall Ovens have been given a complete makeover. The ovens boasts higher quality touch points with metal dials and buttons, and can be installed to be flush or proud.

LED Halo Control Dials: The LED halo control dials use color indicators to provide consumers information at a glance. When the LED halo controller is white, this indicates the burner is heating up. Orange means the intended temperature has been reached, and red means the appliance is in the self-cleaning mode. This feature is available on the DCS Dual Fuel and Gas Ranges, as well as the Professional Cooktops, Wall Ovens, and select Drop-In Cooktops.

DCS Kitchen Family Match: Consumers can choose between two handle profiles, round or square, to provide the perfect fit for any style of kitchen; so that the overarching aesthetic of the products match

To make up the complete kitchen solution, the DCS Indoor Line also offers Integrated Refrigerators with ActiveSmart that provide exceptional food care at an incredibly competitive price. Additionally, the product line would not be complete without DishDrawer dishwashers, which are now part of the DCS Kitchen Family Match to create seamless integration with the rest of the product line.

For more information on the 2016 DCS Indoor Product Line please visit: http://dcsappliances.com/indoor-kitchen-family/

About Fisher & Paykel

Since 1934, the Fisher & Paykel design heritage has been founded on a pioneering spirit and culture of curiosity that challenges conventional appliance design to consistently deliver products tailored for human needs. Incorporating outstanding performance, and user-focused innovation; Fisher & Paykel and DCS by Fisher & Paykel appliance brands inspire people through indoor/outdoor kitchen and laundry products, designed with real life in mind. The brands incorporate innovative technologies driven from a passion to produce the most technically advanced, efficient, and contemporary styled appliances. As pioneers of the worlds first drawer dishwasher, DishDrawer; Fisher & Paykel continues to pave the way for appliance innovation. Since the 1980s, DCS has defined cooking appliance innovation for the commercial food industry, and designs commercial quality appliances for the home. Fisher & Paykel Appliances is a global company operating in 50 countries, manufacturing in the United States, Mexico, Italy, Thailand and New Zealand. For more information, please visit: http://www.fisherpaykel.com.
4th Source Partners with ServiceNow We can implement or enhance aspects of ITSM according to the specific needs of customers, reducing a lot of duplication of effort. - Susan Britt, ServiceNow Tech Lead at 4th Source.

4th Source, a market-leading nearshore IT services organization, is now a registered partner of ServiceNow. The partnership enables 4th Source to deliver IT service management (ITSM) automation processes and enhancements on the industry-leading ServiceNow platform. Leveraging a nearshore model, 4th Source helps customers accelerate to scale at lower costs.

4th Sources ServiceNow consulting program, 4SITE includes jump-start preconfigurations, providing faster out-of-box deployment for customers in healthcare and retail. The company has declared that its ServiceNow capabilities are part of a more robust managed services offering that includes service desk and remote applications management (RAM). This comes shortly after the company unveiled its new headquarters in Tampa, FL last month.

ServiceNow has reduced email, phone calls and IM interruptions, along with all the spreadsheets and checklists floating around, making us a more efficient company, said Susan Britt, ServiceNow tech lead at 4th Source. "We can implement or enhance aspects of ITSM according to the specific needs of customers, reducing a lot of duplication of effort."

ServiceNow is a cloud-based IT services platform that manages and automates work flows, driving operational efficiencies and scalability across departments. 4th Source representatives will attend the ServiceNow Knowledge16 conference, May 15-20 in Las Vegas, NV, to provide consultations for new customers.

For more information, please visit our website:



About 4th Source: 4th Source, headquartered in Tampa, FL, is an IT services organization leveraging a nearshore model. As a five-time Inc. 5000 list member employing over 510 people in the U.S. and Mexico, 4th Source helps businesses establish leading market positions with IT services, business process services, and application development. Nearshore offers convenient proximity, similar time zones, efficiency gains, and significant cost savings. To find out more, visit http://www.4thsource.com.
The expansion allows Empyrean to provide services across multiple delivery centers and access talent to support the increasing demand for Empyreans technology and capabilities to manage health and benefits programs..."

Empyrean Benefit Solutions, Inc., the Hi-Touch Benefits Administration company, today announced that it is launching a new client service center in La Vergne, Tennessee, near Nashville. The new center will complement Empyreans existing center in Houston, Texas, and will provide the full range of Empyrean client services.

Our Nashville-area center allows us to achieve several goals, said Richard Wolfe, Empyreans co-founder and CEO. The expansion allows Empyrean to provide services across multiple delivery centers and access talent to support the increasing demand for Empyreans technology and capabilities to manage health and benefits programs and the compliance requirements associated with ACA (Affordable Care Act) for employers, brokers, consultants and carriers.

Empyrean is unique among leading benefit administration providers in assigning dedicated service teams to its clients, with all primary services staffed 100% in the United States. The dedicated service model, which provides continuity from day one of the client relationship throughout its lifetime, fosters a close and enduring partnership, and builds deep understanding of each clients business objectives, plan design, and operational processes.

Our goal is to place the client at the center of all we do, Wolfe continued. We take pride in delivering truly responsive service, enabled by our client-adaptive technology. We dispel the compromises that previously accompanied outsourced benefits administration, and our rapid growth demonstrates that the market is responding.

Empyrean selected the Nashville area for its expansion because of its world class infrastructure and communications, strength in medicine and education, and attractive culture and lifestyle. These factors combine to attract the highly-skilled professionals Empyrean seeks to hire and retain. Empyrean has designed the Nashville-area center in La Vergne to accommodate an initial staff of 120, with potential for additional long-term growth.

TVA and Middle Tennessee EMC congratulate Empyrean Benefit Solutions on its decision to locate in Rutherford County, said TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development, John Bradley. Attracting quality jobs and investments in our region is a fundamental part of TVAs mission of service. We are proud to partner with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, Rutherford County, and the City of La Vergne to further that mission and help facilitate Empyrean Benefit Solutions new location decision.

About Empyrean

Empyrean Benefit Solutions is one of the fastest-growing providers of technology and services for managing employee health benefits programs. Empyrean provides enrollment, eligibility management, ACA reporting and other plan administration services to employers, insurance brokers, and healthcare exchanges. Unlike other providers, Empyrean combines the industrys most client-adaptive and configurable benefits technology platform with expert, responsive service to deliver Hi-Touch benefits administration. Visit http://www.GoEmpyrean.com for more information.
symplr, a leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) based healthcare compliance and credentialing solutions, today announced their upcoming webcast Violence in the Workplace: Dealing with Security in the 21st Century. Part of the symplr Education Series focused on Credentialing and Privileging Management, the webcast will air on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET. To register, visit http://www.symplr.com/community/events/webcasts-credentialing-upcoming

How prepared would your staff be if an active shooter was at your facility? Do you have plans in place in the event of a violent disaster? In this webcast, Frank Rodriguez, head of security for Rady Children's Hospital, will discuss how the security landscape has changed in recent years and how healthcare facilities can best prepare. He will cover the impact of violence prevention plans on facility training requirements, current thinking in response and training for hospital staff, the importance of participation in community based groups for mutual aid and assistance, and visitor management.

Its an unfortunate reality, but workplace violence and active shooters are situations healthcare facilities need to plan and train for, said Rick Pleczko, President and CEO of symplr. Frank Rodriquezs 28-year-career in healthcare and security have prepared him to help other facilities train and respond to violent situations. This webcast will help attendees understand the current security landscape and how to best prepare their staff in case of workplace violence.

To view archives of past webcasts in the symplr education webcast series, visit http://www.symplr.com/resources/webcasts.

About Frank Rodriguez, Security Manager, Rady Childrens Hospital

Frank Rodriguez has worked in the healthcare industry for 28 years. He began working at hospitals in 1988 as Medical Service Specialist in the U.S. Air Force. He then obtained Licensed Vocational Nurse License in 1992 and began working at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower (Los Angeles) in the E.R. for 7 years. Also working as Occupational Health Nurse at Sharp Memorial Hospital (San Diego) 1999 - 2001. He started working at Rady Childrens Hospital San Diego in the Occupational Health & Safety Department on 9/11/2001. He earned an A.S. Degree in Network Engineering from Maric College in 2003 and became System Analyst for the Safety Department in 2004 and in May 2007 he became the Security Manager. He is an active member of the San Diego Healthcare Disaster Coalition, San Diego Chapter of International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS), Terrorism Liaison Officer for SD-LECC. Instructor certified in CPI & Pro-Act Crisis Management.

About symplr

Founded in 2006, symplr is an industry leader in compliance and credentialing Software as a Service solutions that help healthcare organizations mitigate risk and ensure compliance. symplr has a single mission: to make healthcare compliance and credentialing simpler for all constituents of the healthcare community. For more information or to contact symplr, visit http://www.symplr.com/ or (866) 373-9725.
Node-H Shortlisted for commercial deployment award

Node-H GmbH, the leading supplier of small cells software technology, has been shortlisted for the Excellence in commercial deployment (Residential) award by the Small Cell Forum in the annual Small Cell Industry Awards. The decision to shortlist Node-H recognizes Node-Hs contribution to the deployment of small cells. Node-H's flagship deployment is with Iliad's Free Mobile network in France, with what is believed to be the largest small cell deployment of residential femtocells live today. Node-H adapted its standards based small cell technology to integrate seamlessly with the Freebox home gateway to radically reduce the incremental cost of the built-in femtocell technology.

The award winners will be announced at the Small Cells World Summit in London on the 11th of May. Node-H is a Sliver Sponsor of the Summit, and will be hosting a workshop on Self-Organizing Networks (SON).

SON technology is becoming increasingly important for cellular networks as cell sizes reduce, and the number of cells increases. Small cells are dramatically cheaper than legacy macro cells, but the cost saving is lost if each cell requires expensive manual configuration. SON is a collection of tools and techniques whereby a small cell measures and co-ordinates with neighboring cells to configure itself dynamically, based on the environment and the current usage of the cell. A set of SON deployment policies allows a wide scale enterprise or residential small cell deployment without any manual configuration of individual cells.

At the conference Node-H will be emphasizing its UMTS/LTE dual-mode enterprise solution which is based on the Broadcom BCM61765 dual-mode small cell SoC. Operators are beginning to migrate voice calls from the UMTS network to VoLTE on the LTE network. However, due to the cost and complexity of deploying VoLTE infrastructure and the requirement to qualify the VoLTE implementation for each handset model, this transition will take place over several years. During this phase a UMTS/LTE dual-mode small cell is the best way to guarantee an excellent voice experience for high-value business customers in the enterprise.

Together with our OEM partners, Node-H can offer low-cost UMTS/LTE dual-mode small cells to provide quality service to the operators best customers, connecting with any infrastructure, says Mike Cronin, CEO of Node-H. Enterprise customers generate the highest ARPU for the operator, so they deserve a high quality of experience, both now and in the future.

Node-Hs small cell turnkey software includes a broad portfolio of technologies covering enterprise and residential, LTE-FDD, LTE-TDD and UMTS, as well as dual-mode LTE/UMTS. Other products that Node-H will announce at the Small Cell World Summit are dual-cell LTE and LTE with Carrier-Aggregation. An LTE small cell supporting carrier aggregation allows category 6 phones to reach data rates of up to 300Mbps.

Node-H software is deployed in millions of small cells worldwide. Demonstrations of Node-H small cell features can be viewed at the Node-H website http://www.node-h.com/showcase.html.

About Node-H

Node-H GmbH is a pure-play small cells software company covering UMTS, LTE and dual-mode small cells technologies for residential, enterprise and public small cells. The companys portable software runs to the maximum platform capability on the leading chipset platforms. The high-performance fully integrated software was designed for cost-optimized SoC small cells platforms to help device manufacturers achieve fast time-to-market with a high-quality solution. Node-H is a member of the Small Cells Forum. Node-H is privately funded and based in Munich, Germany. For more information about Node-H, please visit http://www.node-h.com.
Summit Container HQ - Monument, CO Summit Containers acquisitions of Berkeley Contract Packaging and Quality Associates are strategic and major steps in our transformation to be the most admired company in our industry with a laser focus on protecting our customers brands,

Summit Container Corporation (Summit), a protective packaging manufacturer offering contract packaging, distribution, as well as packaging equipment and supplies distribution, headquartered in Monument, CO, announced two strategic acquisitions to significantly expand and diversify its national capabilities.

Summit announced the successful acquisition of Berkeley Contract Packaging. Employing a staff of 150, Berkeley, strategically located in Kenilworth, NJ, has an 80,000 square feet FDA registered facility providing contract packaging services to major cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical, and medical devices manufacturers. Summit announced immediate plans to move the operation to a 160,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility in Monroe Township, NJ. In addition to doubling capacity, the new facility will be designed to accommodate a world-class Warehouse Management System(WMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP), a DEA registration, and expand into display fulfillment and gift set kitting.

Summit also announced that it has successfully acquired the operations of Quality Associates in Shippensburg, PA, Atlanta, GA, and the corporate management team in Cincinnati, OH. By way of this acquisition, Summit will perform contract packaging of promotional and point-of-purchase displays for Procter & Gamble at two locations. The operations consume approximately 600,000 sq. ft. and employ a staff 250.

The acquisitions of Berkeley and Quality Associates enable Summit to grow its footprint to over 1 million square feet of dedicated contract packaging operations in North America and significantly diversify the companys capabilities to existing specialties in protective packaging and packaging supplies.

Summit Containers acquisitions of Berkeley Contract Packaging and Quality Associates are strategic and major steps in our transformation to be the most admired company in our industry with a laser focus on protecting our customers brands, said Adam Walker, CEO of Summit Container. We look forward to working with the customers and employees of Berkeley Contract Packaging and Quality Associates as we successfully integrate our businesses and create an even stronger company with substantial benefits for our customers, employees and shareholders."

About Summit Container Corporation

Founded in 1984, Summit Container Corporation, an award-winning design and manufacturing company, specializes in Corrugate Protective Packaging, Secondary Contract Packaging and Packaging Supplies. With a vision, to be the most admired global supply chain solutions partner, Summit Container provides its customers with the highest quality and the most innovative products. The company is ISO 9001:2008 certified for Design and Manufacture of Custom Corrugated and ESD Corrugated Packaging. Summit is a member of the Forestry Stewardship Council and a Corporate Plus Member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council.
Airing on Lifetime Television, Military Makeover will renovate the home of one of our nations defenders to transform his life and honor the sacrifices he and his family have made. The show is hosted by retired United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant R. Lee Ermey.

Presented by Navy Mutual, the three-part series will show the day-to-day changes as a team of experts, from decorators to landscapers, renovates the Kyle familys home in Pinellas Park, FL. Lance Corporal Devin Kyle was injured while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan in 2013. He was working alongside the Afghan National Army and the Afghan Uniformed Police when he was shot by an enemy sniper, causing severe injuries. Devin says his wife Joanna and 3-year-old daughter Raelynn are his daily motivation.

Navy Mutuals mission is to support active and retired military members and their families by improving their financial security with high quality, low cost insurance and annuity products.

This nation does a great job of providing for our people in uniform as they serve, " said Navy Mutuals COO Stephen Pietropaoli, "but what happens when they retire or transition from the service? At that time, a lot of those benefits, like servicemans life insurance and the survivor benefit plan, go away. By sponsoring Military Makeover, Navy Mutual hopes to bring awareness to the importance of supplemental and post-enlistment insurance.

Military Makeover airs at 7:00 a.m. (ET/PT) on May 12, May 26 and June 9. All episodes will be also soon be available at http://www.militarymakeover.tv.

About Navy Mutual:

Since 1879, Navy Mutual has faithfully fulfilled its duty to support military families by providing excellent life insurance and annuity products. We are proud to serve as steadfast advocates for our Members to ensure they receive the benefits and financial security they deserve. At Navy Mutual, our guiding principle is to serve our Members the same way they serve our country  with integrity, passion, and commitment.
Master Your Card (MYC), a community empowerment program sponsored by MasterCard, today announced the formation of a new advisory panel that will help small businesses grow and thrive through the acceptance and effective use of electronic payment technology. The panels work will support a new MYC campaign, Electrifying Business Growth.

Launched in conjunction with National Small Business Week, the MYC Small Business Panel is comprised of entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the United States. Members will provide input to help MYC better understand the unique needs of small businesses with the goal of developing customized strategies, education and technology solutions.

The ability to accept credit, debit and prepaid cards is essential for merchants to grow and compete in todays digital economy, said Antonella Pianalto, president and CEO of the Association of Womens Business Centers, and MYC Small Business Panel member. Far too many small businesses continue to only accept cash in an environment where consumers increasingly prefer electronic payment options. By adopting the latest technology, small business owners have an opportunity to expand their market and gain customers.

Electronic payments are an important contributor to the U.S. economy. The increased use of electronic payment technology over the previous 10 years was responsible for generating nearly 5.7 million permanent American jobs and nearly $433 billion in gross domestic product in 2014, according to a study by The Perryman Group.

Electronic payments help small businesses better compete with larger retailers, and offer immediate and accurate accounting, said Pat Moran, CEO of BlackLine Payments Advisors LLC and MYC Small Business Panel member. Our panel is working to arm small business owners with the resources and information they need to accept electronic payments and build revenue by giving customers the power of payment choice.

Members of the MYC Small Business Panel include:



Tray Abney, director of government relations, The Chamber of Reno, Sparks, and Northern Nevada

Donnel Baird, founder and CEO, BlocPower

Bill Connors, president and CEO, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce

Allen Gutierrez, national executive director, The Latino Coalition

Ray McCarty, president and CEO, Associated Industries of Missouri

Pat Moran, CEO, BlackLine Payments Advisors LLC

Harold Oliver, managing principal, TX Capitol Consulting Group LLC

Antonella Pianalto, president and CEO, Association of Womens Business Centers

Jerry and Rosemary Sullivan, owners, Precision Camera

Terri Thomson, president, Thomson Strategies LLC

RaTonya Willis-Friedman, owner, Sweet Ts

We are honored to have this impressive group of small business leaders serve on the Master Your Card Small Business Panel, said Ravi Aurora, MasterCard advisor to the Master Your Card program. Through their committed support and powerful insight, together, we will help small merchants across the U.S. better leverage electronic payment technology to grow their business.

For more information about MYC, please visit http://www.masteryourcardusa.org.

###

About Master Your Card

Master Your Card is a community empowerment program by MasterCard to help consumer advocacy groups, small business groups and governments appreciate the value of credit, prepaid and debit cards as access points to an economically empowering electronic payments network. Learn more at http://www.masteryourcardusa.org.
The money we raise is important, because there is not enough funding for services to meet the needs of children in our area.

On Sunday, June 5, teams will zip through the treetops of Asheville to support local individuals and families affected by autism. The 5th annual Zipping for Autism, which was the first event of its kind in the country, will support the Autism Society of North Carolina.

Jeff and Sheena Greiner, owners of Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures, wanted to give back to the organization that has served their son over the years. All proceeds raised by individuals and teams will go to the Autism Society of North Carolina to offer respite, increase advocacy and services, and assist families in the region.

The money we raise is important, because there is not enough funding for services to meet the needs of children in our area. There is an increase in prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in our state; 1 in 58 children born in NC has ASD, said Sheena Greiner.

Teams of up to 10 people will raise at least $800 to fly through tree-lined corridors and enjoy spectacular views of the Asheville skyline on this urban canopy tour. Zipline canopy rangers will assist all participants with ground school training and safety gear for their two-hour zipline experience, which will be scheduled for specific time slots throughout the day beginning at 8 a.m. Teams raising $1,100 or more will also climb, zip, walk, jump, swing, and rappel over towering trees in the wooded Adventure Park.

Teams can register online at http://www.zippingforautism.com until June 1. The website allows teams to generate donations and track progress, provides sponsorship opportunity details, and offers volunteer registration for those who want to help behind the scenes. After June 1, please contact Sheena Greiner at 828-713-3476.

Asheville restaurants are also giving back through Spirit Nights. Participants can earn money for their team by eating at each restaurant during the specific nights:



Juicy Lucy Burger Bar and Grill - May 18

Wild Wing Cafe - May 31

Iannucci's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant - May 11

We applaud the Greiners, the other parents of children with ASD, and the volunteers who have come together to create this unique fundraiser, and we appreciate the teams of individuals and businesses who will join this exciting community event, said Greta Byrd, Western Regional Services Director for ASNC.

For more information or to register, go to http://www.zippingforautism.com.

For an interview or quote about Zipping for Autism team or sponsorship experience, contact Ashville Zipline Canopy Adventure owner Jeff Greiner at 828-713-3475 or wjgreiner(at)aol(dot)com.

Background:


Realync, a real time video platform that connects real estate professionals with prospective renters or buyers to tour spaces, has turned its attention to the multifamily space due to the nature of the short and aggressive sales cycles at communities. In the last 3 months alone, LivCor, Fairfield, Waterton, Milhaus, Pan American Properties, JC Hart and several others have rolled Realync out to over 60 communities. These multifamily players alone account for over 2,300 communities across the United States providing lots of continued growth with Realync in the coming years.

Realync bridges the gap between still photos online and physically being at a property in person by providing leasing teams the ability to instantly connect with prospective tenants via an immersive real time experience. These leasing teams at communities across the United States are increasing their conversion rates and decreasing the time it takes to close a deal by utilizing this instantaneous connection with prospects to show them exactly what units are available and exactly what they, the potential tenant, want to see.

Were absolutely thrilled to add these incredible companies to our customer portfolio, said Ani Rangarajan, COO and Co-founder, Realync. Its an honor to work alongside these national players to help them make their leasing teams more efficient and keep their communities leased. Our focus is multifamily because of the needs identified and almost instantaneous results that were collecting. There are over 20 million multifamily units in the United States alone with hundreds of thousands added each year; so the opportunity couldnt be greater.

At LivCor we are constantly seeking innovative solutions in the ever-evolving multifamily marketplace, said Samantha Skrobot, Marketing Manager at LivCor. Partnering with a creative digital provider like Realync enables us to actively participate in shaping the future of residential real estate.

Our closing percentage is 75% when using Realync with prospects, said Matt Mehon, Leasing Manager at Waterton. Yes, 75%. Having the option to tour virtually and send pre-recorded videos is great and has completely changed the way we interact with our prospects to experience our community.

Since its public launch in March of 2015, Realync has accumulated users across the United States, in over 47 states, and around the world, in over 30 countries.

About Realync:

Realync is a real time video platform that enables live, interactive virtual tours and open houses as well as HD pre-recorded videos, using nothing more than a mobile device. The web/mobile platform helps real estate teams maximize their efficiency by exponentially increasing their marketing reach and lead generation while helping to close more deals faster. Realync also saves everyone involved precious time and money by empowering prospects to connect with agents in personalized, immersive ways to make more informed decisions from the comfort of anywhere. Learn more at http://www.realync.com.
Auto ETDRS in Clinical Trial Suite ...Eliminates technician bias, user error and provides raw data for analysis.

M&S Technologies, the first name in computerized vision testing systems, has added a fully-automated ETDRS protocol to the new Clinical Trial Suite.

Automated ETDRS can quickly and accurately measure visual acuity while eliminating technician bias and erroneous results. The randomization of the letters (choose from 10 Sloan or 12 British Standard Institution letters) eliminates any possibility of memorization.

The background luminance is carefully calibrated to ANSI and ISO standards but can be adjusted based on each trials specifications. Test results are consistent and repeatable and can be exported to any media file in any format for statistical analysis.

We are very excited about our automated ETDRS program. A significant aspect of the system is that it eliminates technician bias, user error and provides raw data for analysis. Manual recording or mis-translation of data need no longer effect the integrity of the results. - Joe Marino, President & CEO

The Clinical Trial Suite will be available to demo at both the 2016 ARVO Meeting and the 2016 ASCRS/ASOA Meeting.

About M&S Technologies:

Founded in 1990, M&S Technologies is a software company specializing in visual testing systems and dedicated to developing the very best products for eye-care professionals, optometry schools and universities, and products used in clinical trials. To date, over 26,000 systems are in use across 39 countries with a growing network that includes 25 distributors and several strategic industry alliances. Superior service, industry-leading technology and products that define the cutting edge have been the hallmarks of M&S for over 25 years.

For more information, please contact:

Carolyn Crabb

Marketing Coordinator

M&S Technologies, Inc.

847-763-0500

ccrabb(at)mstech-eyes(dot)com

#####
STEM Professional Development Courses Available The program will equip teachers with the tools to thrive in an ever more STEM-focused world, said Dr. Kim Gorgens, Executive Director of the Center for Professional Development, University of Denver.

The University of Denvers Center for Professional Development and Silicon STEM Academy (SSA), have partnered to provide STEM for Grown-Ups, a new curriculum of interactive STEM-Intensive CEU courses and pathways for teachers and other professionals. The Continuing Education programs cover a range of tech curriculum and coursework including computer programming, mobile application development, robotics, Arduino software, digital media and a craft-technology course.

Youre never too old to learn something new. STEM for Grown-Ups offers everyone the opportunity to come back to school and learn the latest in the STEM sciences. This curriculum builds critical thinking better than anything out there, said Dr. Kim Gorgens, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, and Executive Director of the Center for Professional Development at the University of Denver. The program will equip professionals with the tools to thrive in an ever more STEM-focused world.

Professionals interested in sampling STEM for Grown-Ups can choose from a selection of six courses in Photoshop, coding, robotics, app development and more during an introductory 5-hour immersive course on June 18. Attendees will get a taste of the STEM offerings in an environment that is collaborative and welcoming to anyone new to STEM.

STEM, an acronym representing the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, has emerged within the education sector with a renewed urgency because of the demand for middle-skill jobs. Middle-skill jobs, which require education beyond high school but not necessarily a four-year degree, make up the largest part of Colorados labor market and half of all STEM related jobs. By 2020, 74% of Colorado jobs will require some postsecondary education. Currently, less than one quarter of Colorados students receive that level of training.

This collaboration will present opportunities for teachers and professionals to acquire the knowledge and resources they need to integrate 21st Century subject matter and critical thinking skills into their disciplines. For educators in particular, the University of Denver and SSA will motivate and inspire them with the newest technology to keep their skills sharp and ready to share with their students.

This type of educational partnership will help bridge the gap between education and industry, and represents a perfect response to Colorados workforce demands by developing more teachers sooner and faster, and bringing more STEM education into the classroom at an earlier age, said John Scarborough, co-founder of Silicon STEM Academy. The new curriculum provides students and teachers with the hands-on skills required to be successful in a STEM-powered workplace.

Register for STEM for Grown-ups:

For the introductory course on June 18, learn more at http://www.du.edu/professional/calendar/stem-for-grownups.html.

For even more Immersive STEM education for professionals, including our certificate and CEU programming, learn more at http://siliconstemacademy.com/stem-professional-development-university-of-denver.

About University of Denvers Center for Professional Development

The University of Denvers Center for Professional Development (CPD) delivers the gold standard in interprofessional education to teachers, mental health and other applied professionals by providing trusted content from world-class experts across disciplines. CPD is a new collaboration between the Graduate School of Professional Psychology, Morgridge College of Education, Graduate School of Social Work, and University College. CPD always features the latest in behavioral health, neuroscience, education, STEM, trauma, forensics, and much more. Check out our course calendar at http://www.du.edu/professional.

About Silicon STEM Academy

Silicon STEM Academy offers tech training programs geared toward students of all ages interested in learning technology. Its tech programs and STEM courses include computer programming, robotics, electronics & circuitry, and digital media. Designed to meet the needs of tech students where schools struggle to keep up with industry standards, it provides real-world technology skills in a fun, hands-on and collaborative workspace. Headquartered in Denver, Colo., Silicon STEM Academy was co-founded by successful technology executives and educators who saw the need for a technology-skilled workforce. Course times and curriculum are available at http://www.siliconSTEMacademy.com .
Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science Founder Sharon Kleyne

The human imprint can be found just about everywhere on the planet and the balance of nature rarely stays the same for very long. Because of this, attempts to preserve a given ecosystem in its pristine natural state, often present a frustrating and difficult task with a low probability of success. British environmental journalist Fred Pearce, in a recent interview on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio show, took the anti-preservation argument a step further. Pearce contends that as the global climate changes and species are forced to adapt or go extinct, the large scale relocation of species could become the salvation of life on the planet.

Many of us are bothered by the idea of invasive species transplanted from Europe or Asia and now running wild and crowding out native species. Invasive species in the U.S. include bachelor buttons, St. Johns wort, Scotch broom, Norway pine, kudzu, Norway rats and European house mice. According to Peace, in a rapidly changing environment, these aggressively invasive species have a rare ability to survive and thrive long after many native species go extinct.

Sharon Kleyne and Fred Pearce discussed climate change, invasive species and ecological adaptation on her Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio show of April 25, 2016. The globally syndicated, education oriented show is heard weekly on VoiceAmerica (Health and Wellness, and Variety Channels) and Apple iTunes. For podcasts of past shows, go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2207/the-sharon-kleyne-hour

Fred Pearce is an award winning environmental journalist based in London, UK. His latest book is The New Wild: Why Invasive Species Will Be Natures Salvation, (Beacon Press, 2015).

Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science, founded by Kleyne and specializing in fresh water, the atmosphere, body surface evaporation, dehydration and education. The Research Centers signature consumer product is Natures Tears EyeMist for dry eye.

The presence of invasive, non-native species is virtually inescapable, says Pearce, especially in North America. In the Americas, native plant and animal species lack the genetic diversity found in Asia and Europe and therefore are more susceptible to imported diseases such as chestnut blight or white pine blister rust to which European plants long ago developed a resistance.

There is a theory, Kleyne notes that the immense bison herds encountered by white explorers on the North American Great Plains was a direct result of the introduction of smallpox on the East Coast by a few European visitors 200 years earlier which killed an estimated 90 percent of the native human population. Since the natives kept the bison population in check, their disappearance resulted in the huge 19th century population explosion.

Even more interesting, Kleyne adds, are earthworms. There are an estimated 6,000 species of earthworm and vegetation in large portions of the world are adapted to the local species and the particular soil alterations they make. However, most of North America now contains a high percentage of European and Asian earthworm species, to which American plants have been forced to adapt.

The point is, according to Pearce that humans have an ability to move plants around like nothing else in nature. An introduced species that cant adapt to the new environment will quickly die out. Those with a competitive advantage over native species will quickly dominate.

Consider kudzu, a type of morning glory native to Japan. When transplanted to the Southeastern U.S., Kleyne explains, kudzu went wild, overgrowing and suffocating millions of acres of land and killing all competing vegetation including large trees. Kudzu in Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia can grow 2 to 3 feet a day. It is impervious to most pesticides and if you chop it down, it immediately grows back (much like Himalayan blackberry  also invasive  but worse).

Now consider a scenario, Kleyne concludes, where human activities have created a hostile environment for most plant species. What if one of the only plant species to survive, and provide food and oxygen to the remnant animal life, is the much maligned kudzu? In such a scenario, people in the Southeast U.S. would consider themselves fortunate to be blessed with this wonderful species.

2016 Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science. All rights reserved.

Source:

Mann, CC, 1491: New revelations of the Americas before Columbus, Vintage Books, 2006
Leading CEOs from biotech, pharmaceutical, and healthcare investing communities will gather at Boston CEO 2016 on May 31st and June 1st at The Four Seasons Hotel Boston.

The Boston CEO Conference is an off-the-record networking forum for leading executives in the life sciences, offering exclusive access to key decision makers who influence deal making and investment. Attendees gain insight from presentations and panels featuring CEOs from several of the worlds leading biopharmaceutical companies. Healthcare and finance investors also attend this world-class meeting.

Governor Charlie Baker and Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III will each give a keynote speech moderated by Christoph Westphal (Longwood Fund). Panel topics include understanding and managing growth, ensuring diversity, oncology trends and predictions, how sustainable is the rare disease business model?, innovation via M&A and partnerships, advances in personalized medicine and many more.

Henri Termeer, former CEO of Genzyme says, "Every year I look forward to Boston CEO, the elite meeting for leaders in biotech. This top notch meeting features unrivaled networking and candid discussions on the most pressing topics facing the industry.

I always look forward to the Boston CEO Conference because it brings so many of the industrys best minds together to exchange views on key challenges facing our industry, adds David Barrow, Managing Director and Head of the Biopharma, Life Sciences and MedTech practice for the Americas at L.E.K. Consulting. Clients often tell me they come away reinvigorated with fresh ideas that can have a practical impact on their business.

The 2016 Boston CEO Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented by last years winner, John Maraganore (Alnylam) on Tuesday, June 1st at 4:50 pm.

Boston CEO is sponsored by Alexandria, L.E.K. Consulting, H.C. Wainwright & Co., Fenwick & West LLP, Silicon Valley Bank, Russell Reynolds Associates, RSM International, ICON plc, Perspective Group, and BioPharma Executive Council.

For more information or to register for the conference, visit: http://bit.ly/21qqzwD

ABOUT BOSTON BIOTECH CONFERENCES

The Boston Biotech Conferences (BBC)s mission is to build a vibrant community of biopharma leaders, which will help to drive innovation in biotech by convening leaders across industry and academia.

The conferences are exclusive, thought-leader forums for senior biopharma executives. Each conference is highly interactive and co-hosted by healthcare industry leaders to foster discussions and facilitate information-sharing, networking and corporate development within the biopharma community. These off-the-record forums bring together the past, present and future leaders in the healthcare community to network, exchange ideas and share insights into the industry's challenges and opportunities.
Companies like TransCard continue to pave the way for innovations in the payments and banking space, and we look forward to hearing more about their technology. - Eric Mattson, Finovate CEO

TransCard, a fintech company that specializes in providing innovative, cloud-based payment solutions to financial institutions and corporations throughout the U.S., today announced that it has been selected to present at the Finovate Spring 2016 conference in San Jose, California. TransCard will take to the demo stage on May 11, during the conferences sixth session.

TransCard will demo its funds disbursement and management platform, Paynuver, which takes the regulatory, time and cost burdens off payers while providing payees secure, self-service options for receiving their money. Launched in February of this year, Paynuver is gaining traction in the market and recently acquired 7,000 payroll customers for award-winning transportation company U.S. Xpress.

We are honored to have the opportunity to showcase our technology at such a premier fintech event, said TransCard President Greg Bloh. Since we have recently transitioned into our innovative SaaS payment solution, we are eager to shine a light on how our platform is revolutionizing the payments space, creating significant benefits for payers and payees alike.

For the past nine years, Finovate conferences have showcased the worlds most innovative banking and financial services technology solutions

We enjoy bringing the greatest minds in fintech together under one roof during our Finovate conferences, said Finovate CEO Eric Mattson. Companies like TransCard continue to pave the way for innovations in the payments and banking space, and we look forward to hearing more about their technology.

For more information on TransCard, its Paynuver platform and entire suite of payments solutions, visit http://www.transcard.com.

###

About TransCard

TransCard is a fintech company that specializes in providing innovative cloud-based payment solutions to financial institutions and corporations throughout the U.S. Its funds disbursement and management platform takes the regulatory, time and cost burdens off payers while providing payees secure, self-service options for receiving their money. Founded in 2005 to initially serve fuel payment networks with prepaid card options, the company has now transitioned into an innovative SaaS solution that meets the robust needs of customers in a breadth of industries including financial, hospitality, payroll, insurance and corporate disbursements.

About Finovate

Finovate is the only conference series focused exclusively on showcasing the best and most innovative new financial and banking technologies. Since 2007, Finovate conferences have showcased cutting-edge banking and financial technology in a unique demo-only format that has attracted more than 700 fintech companies to their New York City, London and San Francisco stages.

Media Contact

Michelle Yandre

Leverage PR

michelle(at)leverage-pr(dot)com

512-502-5833
Honorees Dr. Sammy Rodriquez, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, Rev. Jentezen Franklin, Pastor John Jenkins America is facing the deepest divisions of the century. Our nation's only hope is for Christians to unify in Christ and become bridges to peace.

In a time when racial issues lead many newscasts, on April 9, 2016, an important benchmark in racial healing occurred at same location where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the famous I Have a Dream speech. Thousands of pastors and Christian leaders gathered at the Lincoln Monument during United Cry DC16 to pray for America's healing and honor nine spiritual leaders who are Defenders of the Dream birthed by Dr. King. The King Family Legacy Foundation and Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., of The Reconciled Church Initiative, co-sponsored the ceremonies which honored leaders who exemplify racial healing and reconciliation.

During the last two years we have seen violence and racial intolerance erupt in unexpected places. America seems to be facing the deepest divisions of this century. Our nations only hope is for Christians to unify in Christ and become bridges to peace, says Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., Senior Pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland. We are reminding people of Dr. Martin Luther Kings true dream which inspired hope and courage while exhorting all men to stand on the true rock of brotherhood."

Remembering Dr. Kings True Dream

The reconciliation segment of the day began with Jackson's speech explaining that Dr. Kings dream was rooted in the belief that America would rise up and live out the creed: all men are created equal. Jackson contends that the complete vision articulated by Dr. King has not been fully embraced. This movement which began with justice (equality, opportunity, and jobs) was to emphasize Christian love and biblical righteousness, which might be defined as national spiritual revival, Jackson explained. The success of Dr. Kings dream must be strategically based upon the linking of three areas, community mobilization, political influence and spiritual values. Unfortunately, too many have focused on the political action or community organization without challenging Christians to live out biblical principles of love and mercy.

Foot washing of the Kings

To express remorse for forsaking the dream and recognize of the sacrifices carried by Kings Family and other racial leaders, a prayer of repentance/forgiveness and ceremonial foot washing was conducted. Foot washing is symbolic of love, humility and commitment to servant leadership, and was demonstrated by Jesus Christ the night before his death.

The moving ceremony included members of King Family, daughter Rev. Bernice King and niece Dr. Alveda King; Bill Haley the grandson of Alex Haley (historical author of Roots); and Lynn Jackson, the great granddaughter of Dred Scott. Four white pastors prayed and washed their feet, including Rev. Mike Berry of Annapolis and Bobby Schuller (grandson of the late Robert Schuller).

During the Civil Rights Movement, three immediate family members were assassinated including Martin Luther King Jr., his younger brother A.D. King and their mother, Alberta Christine Williams King. All of us recognize the magnitude of Dr. Martin Luther Kings enormous impact upon our nation. Unfortunately, before April 9, 2016, very few of us realized the magnitude of the sacrifice that his family, friends, and closest supporters paid, Jackson stated.

Highlighting Defenders of the Dream

The racial reconciliation segment of United Cry DC16 concluded with the conferring of the first Defenders of the Dream award in recognition of the important work being done by Christian leaders and ministries. The Reconciled Church Initiative and The King Legacy Family Foundation created this honor to focus national attention on those who are building bridges to peace in America.

These courageous leaders have taken action to be peacemakers and healers within their constituencies. They are leading many of the most influential churches, denominations, or spiritual movements of our generation. Our nation must follow their collective lead and amazing examples, Jackson said.

In this Jubilee year, we are seeing a new emergence of servant leaders and racial reconcilers. From across the denominations, Gods champions are uniting and raising a new standard in our neighborhoods, states Dr. Alveda King.

The honorees included Bishop Charles Blake, Presiding Bishop Church of God in Christ; Dr. Creflo Dollar, Founder, World Changers Church International, College Park, GA; Dr. Ronnie Floyd, President, Southern Baptist Convention; Dr. Jentezen Franklin, Senior Pastor, Free Chapel, Gainesville, GA; Dr. Jim Garlow, Senior Pastor, Skyline Church, San Diego, CA; Pastor John Jenkins, First Baptist Church, Glenarden, MD; Dr. Sammy Rodriquez, President National Hispanic Christian Leadership; Dr. Darryl Winston, Greater Works Ministry, Marietta, GA; Rev. George Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God (represented by Dr. James Bradford, General Secretary AOG).

A special Prayer Stole or mantle was created for the event. Recipients of the Defender of the Dream were exhorted to stay true to Dr. Kings dream of spiritual and political renewal for communities, continue to expand the work of racial healing through multi-cultural collaboration and pass the mantle to the next generation. We, the church, are better together! And through our unified engagement our nation will have enough spiritual salt to preserve it, stated Jackson. Our nation has never been perfect, but it can get dramatically better as the Defenders of the Dream take their rightful place in their local communities and world! Jesus, the Prince of Peace, can heal the church and empower us to create a nation with the world's greatest atmosphere of righteousness and justice.

View the United Cry DC16 racial reconciliation ceremony.

For information visit: The Reconciled Church

For media interviews contact Lynn Scarborough, 469 951-7051 Lynn4Media(at)gmail(dot)com

The Reconciled Church Initiative was created to heal racial division in America by encouraging unified Church leadership to take strategic steps that address the root problems of Americas ghettos and suburban communities. This collaborative approach utilizes the seven bridges of reconciliation to restore purpose, justice and opportunity to urban areas. The hope of this multi-denominational engagement is to stimulate community transformation and spiritual renewal.

United Cry is a nationwide movement of pastors, Christian leaders, churches and believers joining to pray for future and healing of America through spiritual awakening and engagement of pastors in the culture.
Several first responders and their K9 partners will receive donated vehicles this week during Arson Awareness Week. Lack of reliable transportation can be challenging, whether you are a first responder investigating a possible crime scene or an individual struggling daily to take care of your family.

With wildfire season approaching, collision repairers in several states are teaming up through the National Auto Body Councils Recycled Rides and the State Farm Arson Dog Program to provide critical and reliable transportation for first responders and their K9 partners as part of 2016 Arson Awareness Week, May 1-7.

Vehicle donations and Arson Dog demo events will be held this week at:



Raleigh, NC  on the Capitol grounds Wednesday, May 4, at 2:30 pm

Fresno, CA  at Caliber Collision, 125 E. Auto Center Drive Friday, May 6 at 11:00 am

Accelerant detection canines  known as arson dogs  are trained to sniff out minute traces of accelerates (gasoline, lighter fluid, etc.) that may have been used to start a fire. With limited resources, most fire departments, especially those in rural areas, do not have a dedicated vehicle for the arson dog team that would allow them to more effectively and efficiently respond to the scene of a fire.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 86% of the 10 million acres of wildfires last year were caused by people, whether intentional or as a result of human negligence. To raise awareness about the impact of arson and to improve the ability of police and fire departments to investigate fires, State Farm and National Auto Body Council members have already or will be donating Recycled Rides vehicles to the following fire departments:

New Bern Fire and Rescue in North Carolina for use by Fire Marshal Danny Hill and K9 Darby. Vehicle repairs and modifications were made by Caliber Collision in Raleigh, NC.

Eastern Sierra Arson Task Force for use by Fire Investigator Jeff Schwing and K9 Remington throughout southeast California. Vehicle repairs and modifications were made by Caliber Collision in Fresno, CA.

Ocala Fire Department in Florida for use by Roseanne Moreland and K9 Gracie. Vehicle repairs and modifications were made by Jenkins Collision Center in Ocala, FL.

Maine Specialty Dogs for use by trainer Nicole Dyer to transport arson dogs to training. Vehicle repairs and modifications were made by Gerber Collision & Glass in Elkhart, IN.

Beaver Falls Fire Department in Pennsylvania will receive a vehicle later this summer for use by Fire Investigator David Seidl and K9 Patty. Vehicle repairs and modifications are being made by Scotsmans Collision in Mt. Sinai, NY.

The vehicles were donated by State Farm and repaired and modified by technicians at the participating collision repair centers who volunteered their personal time as a community service. Parts, materials and services to refurbish the vehicles were donated by numerous other collision industry businesses. Since the inception of Recycled Rides in 2007, the collision industry has collaborated to donate over 1,000 vehicles valued at more than $12 million to individuals and service organizations in need.

Lack of reliable transportation can be challenging, whether you are a first responder investigating a possible crime scene or an individual struggling daily to take care of your family, said Chuck Sulkala, Executive Director of the National Auto Body Council. We are proud to team up with State Farm, Caliber Collision, Gerber Collision, Jenkins Collision and Scotsmans Collision through Recycled Rides to help make a difference in local communities and to showcase the professionalism and integrity of the collision industry.

Each year billions of dollars in property and hundreds of lives are lost as a result of intentionally set fires, according to Heather Paul, Public Affairs Specialist for State Farm Safety & Innovation.

State Farm is committed to helping to provide the necessary resources to combat the severity and impact of arson on businesses and public safety, said Paul.

# # #

About the National Auto Body Council:

The National Auto Body Council (NABC) develops, implements and promotes community-based initiatives that exemplify the professionalism and integrity of the collision repair industry. Members of the National Auto Body Council are recognized and acknowledged as responsible businesses that give back to the communities they serve. NABC community service programs include its signature Recycled Rides, First Responder Emergency Extrication (FREE) and the Distracted Driving Initiative.

For more information, contact the National Auto Body Council at 1-888-667-7433 or at http://www.NationalAutoBodyCouncil.org. Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalAutoBodyCouncil. The NABCs Twitter feed is @AutoBodyCouncil.

About State Farm

The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto, home and individual life insurance in the United States. Its 18,000 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve more than 82 million policies and accounts  nearly 80 million auto, home, life, health and commercial policies, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 41 on the 2015 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
GROW Entrepreneurship Program Closing Ceremony

Continental National Bank, Miamis premier community provider of financial services for small businesses and entrepreneurs, proudly announces the launch of a third session of its GROW Entrepreneurship Program, a business education initiative introduced as part of a community effort to help local professionals sustainably grow their businesses. Following the recruitment success of two prior terms, a third session has been scheduled and is now open for enrollment. Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply by May 10th.

Developed in conjunction with Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida International University (FIU), the GROW Entrepreneurship Program seeks to inspire and engage the next generation of Miami business leaders. To date, the program has granted access to key educational and networking resources to over two dozen local businesses.

GROWs third session will be held from May 24th through June 29th. Qualifying applicants will have the opportunity to train alongside experienced SBDC mentors on various topics related to marketing and brand strategizing. The programs curriculum will primarily focus on instilling participants with an advanced understanding of trend analysis, goal benchmarking, and technology concepts crucial to gaining a competitive advantage in todays marketplace. They will also be able to engage in seminar discussions with peers representing other local companies.

GROW Entrepreneurship Program training sessions are held on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Continental National Banks Little Havana branch. To review eligibility criteria, and to learn more about how interested small business owners can apply, please visit https://www.continentalbank.com/grow.

About Continental National Bank

Continental National Bank is a full-service community bank established in 1974 in Miami as the first Cuban-American-chartered national bank in the United States, serving its customers for 43 years. With six branches conveniently located throughout Miami-Dade County, and with more than $440 million in assets, Continental National Bank was awarded the five-star superior rating by Bauer Financial and also has been rated Outstanding in their Community Reinvestment Act evaluation by their regulatory agency. The Bank offers a full range of financial products and services for retail, business and institutional clients. To learn more, please visit http://www.continentalbank.com, and follow us via http://www.facebook.com/continentalnationalbank, and http://www.twitter.com/cnbmia.
In Celebration of National Hospital Week, New eBook Provides Employee Engagement Tips for Healthcare Organizations

In celebration of National Hospital Week this May 8-14, Michael C. Fina Recognition, a leader in the healthcare recognition space and recognition provider to some of the largest hospitals and health networks in the country, has published a new eBook, "Meeting Human Capital Challenges in Healthcare with Recognition."

The eBook provides strategies for improving hospital culture, employee performance, and retention through recognition; including industry best practices and informative case studies from healthcare clients.

"Healthcare employees work in a very stressful environment and are often overworked and underappreciated," said Cord Himelstein, vice president of marketing and communications of Michael C. Fina Recognition. "Recognition programs are the antidote, and can become a cornerstone of a hospital's culture-building strategy."

According to the eBook, employee recognition helps improve employee engagement, which is crucial for meeting human capital-related healthcare challenges. It outlines three key elements of a successful healthcare recognition initiative:

1) Define critical success factors so they can measure recognition programs and their impact on employee engagement and retention.

2) Secure support from senior leaders and execute the employee recognition strategy from the top down,

3) Leverage modern recognition systems that are adaptable to employee lifestyles and the fast-paced healthcare culture.

"National Hospital Week is a great opportunity to show appreciation for physicians, nurses, administrators and support staff," added Himelstein. "We thought it was a fitting time to give managers and HR departments some extra guidance in their daily recognition efforts, and to show them how recognition is perfectly aligned to really bring out the best in healthcare performance."

For more information, download "Meeting Human Capital Challenges in Healthcare with Recognition," at http://www.mcfrecognition.com/resources/meeting-human-capital-challenges-in-healthcare-with-recognition.

About Michael C. Fina Recognition

In today's technology-driven multigenerational workforce, meaningful employee recognition is more crucial than ever in building employee engagement and driving business success. Michael C. Fina Recognition helps companies worldwide deliver recognition, rewards, and incentive programs built from a passion and enthusiasm for serving our clients and a nearly 50-year history of service. We deliver scalable solutions that are based on each client's needs, built on personal relationships, and driven by a deep understanding of each company's unique culture. Every day, Michael C. Fina Recognition helps organizations increase employee loyalty and deliver positive business outcomes -- one memorable experience at a time.

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The members joining us on the expanded board are bringing fresh perspectives that will help us open up new connections to fulfill the needs of a movement that advances environmental literacy" - Pepe Marcos-Iga, NAAEE Board Chair

The first-ever chief diversity officer and vice president for Walgreens, a former Sierra Club president, a former mayor who consults nationally on governance strategies for cities and public service utilities, a leading Duke University educator in campus sustainability and a science-tech entrepreneur and CEO will join a newly expanded governing board for The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).

The expanded board, along with a newly constituted advisory council comprising distinguished professionals in the field of environmental education and the incorporation of sustainability principles, civic engagement strategies, STEM, and community resiliency in programming, is part of NAAEEs revised governance framework that enhances the organizations ever-expanding network of partners for the next-generation of work in the profession, according to Judy Braus, executive director.

Were honored to have the new group of five leaders join an already distinguished and dedicated group of board members, Braus says. Our revised framework reflects the most critical interests and objectives in our organization today. We are broadening our expertise so we will be able to ensure strong commitments to organizational excellence, as well as continuing to advance our commitment to financial sustainability and overall support for our mission to create a stronger and more inclusive movement.

With 53 state, provincial and regional affiliates in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, NAAEE has expanded its partnerships with corporations, foundations, NGOs, universities, and governmental agencies and institutions. Some of the most recent work has involved the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Agrium, CalWater, the National Environmental Education Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, just to name a few.

We are in a very exciting and impressive time for NAAEE, says Pepe Marcos-Iga, chief operating officer for the Western National Parks Association and current NAAEE board chair. The members joining us on the expanded board are bringing fresh perspectives that will help us open up new connections to fulfill the needs of a movement that advances environmental literacy but also its focus on social justice and making the movement more inclusive. We also are focused on broadening the access to high-quality resources, information, and networking opportunities in North America and throughout the world.

The five will join the current board, comprising Braus, Marcos-Iga, Lizabeth Fogel, at large board member, director of education, The Walt Disney Company; Mary Ford, treasurer, senior manager for outdoor engagement, National Geographic Society; Susan McGuire, secretary, consultant, McGuire Consulting, and Flisa Stevenson, at large board member, public affairs officer, CMRIS International, Inc.

The new board members include:

Clark Byrum, Jr., Biologics Modular, co-founder, president and CEO  A passionate entrepreneur, Byrums portfolio of experience in corporate management and financial services includes being the founder of Biologics Modular, a firm that designs, manufactures and sells modular facilities to serve as bio-manufacturing suites, clinical patient care, and analytical labs to health science service providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Headquartered just outside of Indianapolis, the company has gained a foothold in science and technology for its pre-constructed, modular cleanroom and bio-manufacturing suites, which can be set up efficiently and cost effectively without long lead times or significant capital outlays.

He previously worked as an investment banker for Ross Sinclaire and Associates, American State Bank and Prudential Securities. A graduate of Indiana Universitys Kelley School of Business, he holds several patents, is an avid skier and enjoys spending time with his four children and wife Kara.

Allison Chin, Sierra Club Foundation, director  A long-time member, director, president and board chair with the Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation, Chin also is a director of Womens Voice for the Earth, a Missoula, Montana organization highlighting womens voices in efforts to eliminate the toxic chemicals that harm our health and communities. She is one of the four major co-founders and one of three co-chairs of the Washington, D.C.-based Green Leadership Trust, representing a network of people of color and indigenous citizens who serve on environmental boards in order to ensure the best practices of equity, diversity and inclusion for developing leaders in the environmental movement.

At Sierra Club, Chin has held various roles, including two terms as president and three terms as director (the current term expiring in 2018). She is the co-lead on the organizations diversity steering committee, which created the Sierra Clubs first formal plan for diversity, equity and inclusion. Chin also has been an outings leader, organizing more than 200 trips connecting youth to nature and the environment over the last two decades.

Charlotte Clark, assistant professor of the practice in sustainability education and director of undergraduate programs, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University  She is a professor and researcher whose work focuses on the intersection of collective learning and action and how environmental education can encourage individuals to maximize and share limited and scarce resources. Similarly, her work focuses on the impact of informal learning processes for motivating behavior change for individuals and communities around environmental issues.

Clarks research has been the focus of her direct practical work in campus sustainability programs at Duke, where she leads the Education Subcommittee of the universitys campus sustainability committee. She also worked for five years as the director of the Center for Environmental Education in the Nicholas School, and for 12 years facilitating air pollution regulatory work under contract for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Steve Pemberton, vice president, diversity and inclusion, for Walgreens Boots Alliance  The first person in Walgreens 114-year history to hold the title first as chief diversity officer and currently as vice president in an expanded division, Pemberton has guided the companys exemplary record of performance on nearly every measure of diversity and inclusion from representation to supplier diversity spending. Previously, he held similar posts at Monster.com, the leading global online careers property, where he had end-to-end management responsibilities for the diversity and inclusion business unit, which focused on helping employers diversify their workforce. At Monster, Pemberton gave substance to the now-prominent term Next Practices, which reflects strengthening the alignment between diversity and inclusion and how those efforts increase shareholder value.

Serving as the companys public ambassador on matters of employing people with disabilities, he has frequently represented Walgreens employment model at the White House and on Capitol Hill. In 2015, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez appointed him to serve on an advisory committee for the Competitive Integrated Employment of People with Disabilities. Pemberton is the author of a 2012 best-selling memoir, A Chance in the World (Thomas Nelson), which chronicled his childhood experiences as a ward of the state.

Jeff Tarbert, president and CEO of The Tarbert Group  Tarberts consulting group provides a comprehensive suite of consulting, instruction research and facilitating services on models for governance excellence and operations strategy for local governments and public power electric (and multi-service) utility governing boards and executives. A long-time senior vice president for the American Public Power Association (APPA), he also developed and served as board chair of Hometown Connections, Inc., APPAs for-profit subsidiary incorporated to provide public power utilities a competitive advantage by negotiating discounts on electric utility products and strategic services.

A current member of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authoritys board of directors, Tarbert is a volunteer trail ranger for the U.S. National Park Service at Marylands C&O Canal Historic Park. A former mayor and city council member for Falls Church, he recently published a book on public power governance through the APPA.

About NAAEE

The North American Association for Environmental Education is a pioneering membership organization dedicated to accelerating environmental literacy and civic engagement through the power of education. NAAEE supports a network of more than 20,000 educators, researchers, and organizational members working in environmental education in more than 30 countries through direct membership and 53 regional affiliate organizations. Through community networks, publications, signature programs, and eeNEWS and eeJOBS, NAAEE provides programming and resources for professionals working in all areas of the field. NAAEEs tentpole annual conference, now entering its 45th year, convenes leaders from private and public sectors to advance the field of environmental education. For more information, visit http://www.naaee.org and naaee.org/eePRO.
Youth Digital, the leading technology education organization for kids ages 8 to 14, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the New Product or Service of the Year - Education - Game-based Curriculum Solution category for its Server Design 1 course in the 14th Annual American Business Awards.

Server Design 1 is an interactive online course that teaches kids Java programming as they design and develop their own Minecraft world. Through engaging videos, challenging assignments, interactive quizzes and access to a professional Java development tool, kids are able to create their own customized Minecraft server from scratch.

More than 3,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Live Event of the Year, and App of the Year, among others.

Server Design 1 is one of our most popular courses and were thrilled to receive the Gold Stevie Award in recognition of its success to help turn kids into creators, not just consumers, of technology, said Justin Richards, CEO of Youth Digital. Congratulations to all of this years winners!

More than 250 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this years Stevie Award winners.

The judges were extremely impressed with the quality of entries we received this year. The competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud, said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2016 Stevie winners are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About Youth Digital

Youth Digital offers a compelling mix of online courses that teach kids the critical technology concepts and skills that they will need to be successful in todays digital world. With courses designed to be fun, interactive, and rewarding, kids ages 8 to 14 become digital creators through their breakthrough learning platform and cutting-edge curriculum. Students watch video tutorials, respond to questions, earn badges, complete interactive quizzes, and attempt challenging assignments as they step toward mastering key technology skills and professional-level software.

Founded in 2010 and based in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Youth Digital is committed to making technology education accessible to kids globally. Since its inception, the company has reached more than 60,000 students through its popular summer camp programs and expanding portfolio of introductory and advanced online courses. Today, students from more than 100 countries are enrolled in Youth Digital's online courses in Java programming, game development, mobile app design, 3D printing, 3D animation, and more.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.
Get Fit, Don't Sit Research shows that sitting for long periods of time increases the risk for many health problems, so its important that we get up and move during the day.

The average American sits more than seven hours a day. Thats why companies throughout Los Angeles are joining with the American Diabetes Association to celebrate National Get Fit Dont Sit Day on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. On this Wellness Day, the Association encourages everyone to limit the amount of time they spend sitting by making sure they get up and move at least once every 90 minutes throughout the work day.

On average, people spend five hours and 41 minutes of their day sitting at work, which does not include time spent sitting away from the workplace, said Cassie Shafer, region vice president of the Southern California Region. Research shows that sitting for long periods of time increases the risk for many health problems, so its important that we get up and move during the day. National Get Fit Dont Sit Day is the perfect way for employers to encourage employees to get moving for better health.

Sitting too much for long periods of time can be harmful to health. Just getting up once every 90 minutes to stretch or walk around the office is better than sitting for hours on end in a chair. Employees should take every opportunity get up and move while at work.

8 Ways To Be More Active During The Work Day

1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator at the office and in the parking garage.

2. Get up once an hour and take a quick walk around your office.

3. Stand up and stretch at your desk.

4. If you go out for lunch, walk to the restaurant.

5. If you take public transportation to work, get off one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way to your office.

6. Use a speaker or mobile phone so you can pace around your office during conference calls.

7. Try some chair exercises while at your desk.

8. Fidget (when appropriate!)tap or wiggle your foot during meetings or while working at your desk.

Since our founding more than 75 years ago, the Association has promoted the importance of healthy lifestyle choices as a way to manage all types of diabetes and to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes, said Shafer. Through National Get Fit Dont Sit Day, we call on everyone, including people with diabetes, to get up from their work chair. Whether you bike to work or take a quick walk up or down the office stairs, its time to get active!

National Get Fit Dont Sit Day is part of Wellness Lives Here, an initiative by the Association designed to inspire and fuel the nations healthful habits at work and beyond. To learn more, visit http://www.wellnessliveshere.org. For information on programs in the Los Angeles area, contact the American Diabetes Association at 323.966.2890 or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). http://www.Diabetes.org

About The American Diabetes Association

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit http://www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
Third Annual BlumShapiro/JA Career Walk The JA Career Walk has become an invaluable opportunity for high school students to explore successful businesses at a key point in their lives, said Joseph A. Kask, Chief Executive Officer of BlumShapiro

Thirty students from West Hartfords Hall High School, Conard High School and Kingswood-Oxford will get an inside look at the range of businesses and career opportunities in West Harford Center in the 3rd Annual JA Career Walk on May 11.

Hosted by BlumShapiro and Junior Achievement of Southwest New England in 2014, JA Career Walk seeks to prepare students for choosing a potential career by gaining a better understanding of job opportunities in their community.

The JA Career Walk has become an invaluable opportunity for high school students to explore successful businesses at a key point in their lives, said Joseph A. Kask, Chief Executive Officer of BlumShapiro. As they begin to think about colleges and courses of study, the JA Career Walk opens up their minds about the skills necessary to reach their career goals. I want to thank our neighboring businesses in West Hartford Center for making JA Career Walk such a positive experience for these students.

Participants from the three schools will visit a variety of West Hartford establishments  accounting, banking, finance, marketing, retail, food and beverage and others beginning at 8:30 a.m. The program begins and ends at BlumShapiro, located at 29 South Main Street.

At the start of the JA Career Walk at BlumShapiro, students receive an orientation using the JA Job Shadow curriculum. The curriculum gives students an overview of the world of work and the skills needed to succeed on the job. The orientation will be hosted by Tom DeVitto, Chief Marketing Officer of BlumShapiro and one of the founders of the JA Career Walk.

In addition to BlumShapiro, other businesses welcoming the students include Charles Schwab, Farmington Bank, Fathom, Lux Bond & Green, PBI Financial, REI and SIGHT Eye Health.

Each business will provide an overview and tour, and discuss the type of occupations they employ and qualities they look for when hiring people. Each visit will last 40 minutes. The program ends at 12:30 p.m.

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BlumShapiro is the largest regional business advisory firm based in New England, with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The firm, with over 400 professionals and staff, offers a diversity of services which includes auditing, accounting, tax and business advisory services. In addition, BlumShapiro provides a variety of specialized consulting services such as succession and estate planning, business technology services, employee benefit plan audits and litigation support and valuation. The firm serves a wide range of privately held companies, government and non-profit organizations and provides non-audit services for publicly traded companies.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. I can think of no lawmaker more involved in issues of paramount importance to the security industry today.

The Security Industry Association (SIA) today announced Sen. Jeff Sessions, R.-Ala., as the featured keynote speaker for the 2016 SIA Government Summit.

The 2016 SIA Government Summit will focus on public policy debates of paramount importance to security industry leaders today with topics ranging from identity management, drones, body-worn cameras, transportations security, and more. The 2016 SIA Government Summit is scheduled for June 15-17, 2016, at The Westin (Washington, D.C. City Center), 1400 M St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Registration for the SIA Government Summit is open online at http://www.securityindustry.org/summit.

The Security Industry Association is pleased to welcome Senator Jeff Sessions as our featured keynote speaker for the 2016 Summit, said SIA CEO Don Erickson. I can think of no lawmaker more involved in issues of paramount importance to the security industry today, and I anticipate the senator will have thought-provoking insights to share with conferees at the SIA Government Summit.

Sen. Sessions was born in Selma, Ala., on Dec. 24, 1946. Sessions worked his way through Huntingdon College in Montgomery, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. He received a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Alabama in 1973. Sessions served in the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to1986, ultimately attaining the rank of Captain.

Following a two-year stint as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1975-1977), Sessions was nominated by President Reagan in 1981 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Attorney for Alabamas Southern District, a position he held for 12 years. Sessions was elected Alabama Attorney General in 1995, serving as the states chief legal officer until 1997, when he entered the U.S. Senate.

A former Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Sessions now serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, where he has been a tireless advocate for border security and commonsense improvements to our nations immigration system.

The 2016 SIA Government Summit brings together public and private sector technology leaders rising to meet our nations emerging security challenges. Its scheduled panel discussions will explore issues ranging from identity verification to surface transportation security to the Internet of Things.

Special rates also are available at the Westin through May 23. Qualified government end users and members of the press can register for free. For more information, visit http://www.securityindustry.org/summit.

Qualified reporters are invited to attend the 2016 SIA Government Summit free of charge. Reporters and editors, contact Mickey McCarter, SIA manager of communications, at 301-804-4704 or mmccarter(at)securityindustry(dot)org to attend.

About the Security Industry Association

The Security Industry Association (SIA) (http://www.securityindustry.org) is the leading trade association for electronic and physical security solution providers, with roughly 650 innovative member companies representing more than 400,000 security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members' interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels; creating open industry standards that enable integration; advancing industry professionalism through education and training; opening global market opportunities; and collaboration with other like-minded organizations. As a proud sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, and owner of the Securing New Ground conference, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities.
Award-winning actress Kerry Cahill Cahill said, I am deeply honored that I have been selected for such a challenging role and I am looking forward to working with the director, Larissa Lury.

Actress Kerry Cahill (Daddys Home, Terminator Genisys, Hours) has been selected to play in the one-woman show Grounded that will run November 2-20, 2016 at Loyola University-Lower Depths Theatre. Award-winning playwright, George Brandt, has been given worldwide recognition for his work. Cahill said, I am deeply honored that I have been selected for such a challenging role and I am looking forward to working with the director, Larissa Lury.

Cahill is not the first celebrity to play this part. Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway garnered plenty of praise when she played this role last year in New York at the Public Theater. Although the play has been successful in other cities, Cahill will be launching the regional premiere of Grounded at the Lower Depths Theatre. I feel a little bit nostalgic, says Cahill, I am Loyola University alumna and for the first time, I am performing professionally on the same stage that I learned on as a freshman in college. It feels surreal to say the least.

Grounded is a full-length drama about a fighter pilot who is sidelined due to an unexpected pregnancy. She is then reassigned to operate military drones from a trailer outside of Las Vegas. She pursues terrorists during the day and then rejoins her family at night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the dessert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.

Prior to the launch of Grounded, Cahill will be acting along side Matthew McConaughey in the Free State of Jones coming out in theaters June 24th. Kerry Cahill is an award-winning actress grew up in a military family in rural towns of Montana, Oregon and Texas. She studied drama at Loyola University in New Orleans, the British American Drama Academy Oxford and Queens University Belfast. Cahills film break came under the director Werner Herzog in Bad Lieutenant. Today, she has been cast in blockbusters such as Free State of Jones, Daddy's Home, NCIS: New Orleans, and Terminator Genisys. For more information about Cahill or her upcoming performances contact her publicist Tracie Hovey.

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Carrie Ann Lucas and her daughters Asiza and Adrianne, in front of the ROAD TO FREEDOM BUS celebrating ADA25 last year. DisBeat seeks to elevate national awareness that will shine a light on the policy barriers, negative attitudes, diminished expectations, and home lives that American parents with disabilities (and their children) face every day.

As the nation prepares to celebrate Mothers Day and Fathers Day over the next two months, DisBeat announces a call to action to honor parents with disabilities as well. Building on the awareness generated by the National Council on Disabilitys report, Rocking The Cradle: Ensuring The Rights Of Parents With Disabilities And Their Children, DisBeat seeks to elevate national awareness that will shine a light on the policy barriers, negative attitudes, diminished expectations, and home lives that American parents with disabilities (and their children) face every day.

DisBeat is proud to align with the following events and initiatives. These events are exciting opportunities for our nation to celebrate, engage and share the experience of parenting with disabilities, and bring forth concepts of reform and assistance for American families.

Tuesday May 3:

Disabled Parenting Project (DPP) Celebrates Mother's With Disabilities. A live Twitter chat Tuesday, May 3rd at 2:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM PDT @disparenting

DPP will host a similar Fathers Day Twitter (DDP Facebook page for more details)

Rooted in Rights will release its newest video, entitled: A Mother's Day Message from Emily and Ellen Ladau. YouTube

Tuesday with Liz Interview with Robyn Powell on Parenting with a Disability

Thursday, May 5:

White House Forum on Civil Rights of Parents with Disabilities

Parenting with a Disability: Know Your Rights Toolkit. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Monday, June 20:

Supporting Parents With Disabilities Through the Looking Glass

For more event details, please visit: http://www.adalegacy.com/disbeat/disbeat-honors-millions-parents-disabilities

About DisBeat: DisBeat is a national communications initiative designed to coordinate and promote proactive messaging on disability rights issues throughout the country. DisBeat uses a variety of communication tools, including social media, to bring attention to disability issues from an authentic disability perspective. DisBeat also maintains a database of subject-matter experts, fact sheets and talking points on a variety of critical issues facing 56.7 million Americans with Disabilities. DisBeat is a project of The ADA Legacy Projects. Initial Partners include ADAPT of Montana, Center for Disability Rights, Disability Rights Center, Disability Visibility Project, EIN SOF Communications, Nothing Without Us Media, and Shepherd Center (http://www.adalegacy.com/disbeat).

About The ADA Legacy Project: The mission of The ADA Legacy Project is to honor the contributions of people with disabilities and their allies by preserving the history of the disability rights movement, by celebrating its milestones, and by educating the public, media and future generations of advocates.

(http://www.adalegacy.com/)
Our experience with HCAP Partners has been exceptional. They really made an effort to understand our business and several on their team provided important guidance throughout our partnership.

HCAP Partners (formerly Huntington Capital), a California-based mezzanine debt and private equity firm, is pleased to announce the successful exit of its mezzanine loan funding to EPIS, Inc., a power market forecasting software company. The financing was used to help the current shareholders diversify their holdings and recapitalize the stock in support of new employee ownership.

EPIS is a pioneer in software development for the wholesale-electric power industry. The companys software provides a unique combination of analytical power, versatility, and speed, making it an indispensable risk analysis tool. The software enables customers to accurately measure value at risk and examine uncertainties around demand, fuel prices, transmission constraints, hydro conditions and other variables.

HCAP Partners invested $4.5 million into EPIS via a mezzanine loan as part of a recapitalization of shareholder stock in 2014 and 2015. The investment helped support new employee ownership while providing diversification to the original founders of the firm. HCAP Partners mezzanine debt was repaid earlier this year. Frank Mora, Principal, and Nicolas Lopez, Senior Associate, led the deal for the firm.

Frank Mora, Principal, commented, We enjoyed working closely with the management team at EPIS over the past couple of years and we are pleased with the success of the investment. EPIS is poised to continue to capitalize on its positioning in the power industry and we look forward to watching the company grow.

Our experience with HCAP Partners has been exceptional, said Ben Thompson, CEO of EPIS. They really made an effort to understand our business and several on their team provided important guidance throughout our partnership. We are very happy to have had the opportunity to work with them.

About EPIS

EPIS, Inc. is the developer of the AURORAxmp Electric Market Model, the proven leading-edge software package with ready-to-use data for all the reliability regions in North America to forecast wholesale electricity market prices. Leading energy providers, power-marketing companies, energy consultants, and utilities use AURORAxmp to model wholesale electricity prices and perform short, medium, and long-term studies. Since its introduction in 1997, AURORAxmp has become the industrys premier model for reliable electric-market price forecasting, resource valuation and market-risk analysis. For more information, please visit the company website at http://www.epis.com.

About HCAP Partners

HCAP Partners (formerly Huntington Capital) was founded in 2000 and is a provider of mezzanine debt and private equity for underserved, lower-middle market companies throughout California and the Western United States. HCAP Partners invests $2 million to $9 million in established businesses in the healthcare, technology, services, and manufacturing industries generating between $10 million and $75 million in revenues. The firm has invested in over 50 companies since it was founded and proactively works with its portfolio companies to achieve favorable financial outcomes and measurable impact value creation. Partners Tim Bubnack, Morgan Miller, Frank Mora, and Hope Mago lead HCAP Partners management team. For more information, please visit http://www.hcapllc.com or call (858) 259-7654.
Skyjet was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award Winner in the Travel App category. The award recognizes our app, which offers a faster, safer and more efficient experience than traditional charter booking.

Skyjet, a leading provider of on-demand private jet charters, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the Travel App category as part of The 14th Annual American Business Awards. The Skyjet app, the first of its kind in the private jet charter industry to integrate with Apple Pay, allows travelers to book a private jet with the touch of a finger.

"We are honored to be selected for this prestigious Stevie Award," said Skyjet President Greg Richman. The award recognizes our app, which offers a faster, safer and more efficient experience than traditional charter booking.

The Skyjet app leverages native iPhone features including Apple Pay, GPS and push notifications to produce a seamless booking experience. Within seconds of entering their desired itinerary, the app empowers users to select the exact type of jet they need from the custom fleet, see the price and book their flight instantly by using Apple Pay, the easy and more secure way to pay.

The American Business Awards are the nations premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations  public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning crowned, the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Monday, June 20.

Skyjets mobile app is available on the App Store at http://apple.co/1WnGsCP

About Skyjet

Founded in 1997, Skyjet revolutionized private jet charter after pioneering the industrys first on-demand online booking for private jets. Headquartered in New York, Skyjet is a leading provider of on-demand private jet charters, providing clients with the industrys most efficient means of accessing private jet travel. Skyjet provides a superior solution for travelers seeking a simple, on-demand private jet charter option and a seamless booking experience. Clients have instant access to a custom fleet consisting of the Nextant 400XT, Learjet 40XR and Cessna Citation X as well as a fully certified jet collection through an extensive network of Skyjet approved operators. A team of dedicated aviation experts focused on exceptional service play a critical role in every Skyjet-approved trip. Skyjets sole focus is on the private jet charter customer, and it offers them convenience, security and overall peace of mind  in short, expertise on demand. Skyjet is part of one of the worlds largest aviation portfolios, Directional Aviation.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Media Contact

The Hubbell Group, Inc.

Nicholas Parmelee, 781-878-8882

nparmelee(at)hubbellgroup(dot)com

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In today's increasingly competitive digital landscape, digital marketers need to leverage new multi-channel marketing techniques to lead them down the path to lease. Steven Ozbun, President

LeaseLabs is proud to announce the launch of a new website, with a newly imagined user-experience that incorporates cutting-edge design and new technologies that help better illustrate the suite of apartment marketing solutions. The new website comes on the back of a tremendous year in which the company refreshed its leadership, introduced new services, and continues to grow.

The days of sitting on a list waiting for prospects to find your apartment community are over, said Steven Ozbun, President of LeaseLabs. In today's increasingly competitive digital landscape, digital marketers need to leverage new multi-channel marketing techniques to not only capture the attention of prospects, but to successfully lead them down the path to lease.

The site leverages a single-page application framework that is not only an intuitive, scroll-based design, it also looks and feels better on a mobile device. Pushing from screen to screen allows users to navigate through a full menu of marketing solutions without having to click through a cumbersome navigation.

Mobile and desktop browsers have become powerful enough to go beyond a normal scroll and click website, said Stephen Waits, Associate Vice President of Technology at LeaseLabs. Today, we are able to build complete applications which elevate the user experience to new levels. These applications leverage modern front-end development technologies like Angular to not only create a unique visual experience, but also provide the end-user with advanced functionality.

In addition to a better, more intuitive user experience, the site reimagines the apartment marketing funnel to offer solutions for every stage from discovery to resident retention. Centered around the concept of full-stack marketing, the website presents marketing solutions in a way where all products center around the most important platform: The website. The mobile-first, single-page application gives apartment communities and property managers a platform on which to build a full stack of marketing solutions ranging from search engine optimization (SEO), social media optimization (SMO), custom geo-targeted advertising, print collateral, and search engine marketing (SEM).

Were really thrilled about the new technology that were bringing to our customers, and even more excited to see it executed on our own site, said LeaseLabs founder and CEO Dana Zeff. We are committed to being leaders in our field, and hope that the new user experience helps illustrate our goal of continually raising the bar and setting new standards for multifamily marketing.

The site launch comes on the eve of some of the industrys biggest events. LeaseLabs will be at the Apartment Internet Marketing (AIM) conference in Huntington Beach on May 1-4 where Ozbun will be a speaker, addressing the need for creating personal and emotional connections in branding. Ozbun will be on a panel to discuss how brands need to make distinctive choices to communicate brand value propositions. Following AIM, LeaseLabs will attend the National Apartment Associations Education Conference and Expo on June 15-18 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, CA.

For more information on LeaseLabs, visit the new http://www.leaselabs.com.

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LeaseLabs, specializes in digital marketing solutions for the apartment industry, including custom websites, SEO, social media optimization, in app mobile advertising, email marketing, and web to print services. For more information on LeaseLabs, please visit http://www.leaselabs.com.
Queen & David Bowie "Under Pressure" (Traveler Remix) - artwork Whereas the original recording speaks to serious socio-political themes of love and tolerance, the Traveler Remix entirely lifts the mood to dazzling highs and turns the song into a hands-in-the-air party.

Music can provide hope in the darkness. Music can bring light and joy. As iconic recordings go, Queen & David Bowies Under Pressure (EMI) is one of the most brilliant songs ever recorded. Paying homage to the original, Southern California-based Traveler have updated the song for a new generation of house music lovers. The Traveler Remix of Queen & David Bowies Under Pressure is out now.

The original recording of Under Pressure is perfect. Traveler manages to do the impossible with a melodic, house music interpretation that kicks-off with the give love refrain from the outset, and rather than that verse cutting with poignancy and sung in glorious desperation, Traveler tweaks it into a percussive pattern that becomes a call-for-celebration when married with a heavy 4/4 house beat. The Traveler Remix goes immediately to the chorus and the tight construction of their edit propels the song to modern-day pop radio sensibilities. Delicate synth progressions tinkle like melodic rain, lending an effervescent quality to the Traveler Remix that nonetheless maintains the integrity of the original. Whereas the original recording speaks to serious socio-political themes of love and tolerance, the Traveler Remix entirely lifts the mood to dazzling highs and turns the song into a hands-in-the-air party. The warm, booming 4/4 beat throughout helps listeners fall breathlessly in love with the song all over again and reminds us how stunning and spectacular music can be.

Traveler is a live-electronic duo who play guitar, drums and keys in their live shows which consists of entirely original music. Travelers shows take listeners on a journey of emotion through sound and cutting-edge visuals. Established in 2011, Traveler has opened for major headlining acts such as The Chemical Brothers, Flume, Seven Lions, Odesza, Autograf, Emancipator and others. What sets Traveler apart is that they straddle the worlds of live music and clubland with their unique performance setup. The duo uses a combination of DJing, keyboards, guitar, drums, and keys to create a unique soundscape at every event. Their music has a distinct pop sensibility thats highly danceable. Traveler has performed at key festivals including Beyond Wonderland in San Bernardino; Lucidity Festival in Santa Barbara; and Envision Festival in Costa Rica, as well as at nightclubs including Avalon in Los Angeles.

Said Traveler of the decision to remix Under Pressure, Music has been a part of my psyche since as long as I can remember. Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie is just one of those all-time great songs that make you thankful youre alive. That song has impacted just about anyone whos ever heard it! We actually decided to do this remix before Bowie died, simply because we loved the song, and its even more special now. We hope listeners will realize that its meant as a tribute to those two truly remarkable artists and human beings. Its tough to box Travelers sound into one confining category and their live sets can veer from house music to pop, from classic funk to disco, from chillout to soul and R&B, and from dubstep to glitch with a touch of psychedelic disco in between. One things for certain at Travelers shows: bodies move.

Listen to Queen & David Bowie, "Under Pressure" (Traveler Remix), here: https://soundcloud.com/travelerofficial/queen-david-bowie-under-pressure-traveler-remix

For more information on Traveler, Andrew Rayel, Thomas Gold, MaRLo, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Sylvia Tosun, Lil Nate Dogg, Armada Music (select releases), Underground Sol and artists like Armin van Buuren contact EMILY TAN Media Relations (U.S.), +1(917) 318-3758, EmilyEmilyTan(at)aol(dot)com. Follow EMILY TAN Media Relations on Twitter @EmilyEmilyTan and LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-tan/4/342/70b.

# # #
Park Cities Pet Sitter Is Hiring Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers "Hiring has always been a challenge for the pet sitting industry in general, since we are not a traditional job with set work hours and days off." Joette White, President of Park Cities Pet Sitter

Park Cities Pet Sitter has openings for both full-time and part-time pet sitters that live in or adjacent to the 75204, 75205, 75206, 75209, 75219, 75220, 75225, 75229, 75230, 75231 and 75235 zip codes. These zip codes are for Oak Lawn/Uptown, Greenway Parks, Bluffview, Midway Hollow, North Dallas, Plano, Preston Hollow and Park Cities areas of the Metroplex. Candidates must love animals, have attention to detail, and enjoy providing outstanding customer service. Those that qualify have the opportunity to make between $12-$18/hour, while working a flexible schedule.

Finding qualified candidates that meet the job criteria has increasingly been a challenge for Park Cities Pet Sitters President, Joette White. This is not surprising considering that the DFW area has the highest job growth of any of the top 12 large cities in the U.S., according to information released last week by the Department of Labor. In the last twelve months ending in March, the Dallas-Fort Worth area grew its total number of non-farm jobs by 3.9 percent. That is nearly double the national average of 2 percent job growth, and equates to 129,900 jobs added in the DFW Metroplex during the last year.

While such job growth points to a healthy economy in the DFW area, it also presents a challenge for businesses like Whites that are seeing fewer and fewer qualified candidates apply for the open positions available at Park Cities Pet Sitter. Hiring has always been a challenge for the pet sitting industry in general, since we are not a traditional job with set work hours and days off, says White. But I have definitely noticed a difference in the number of quality candidates applying over the last year. We have had a harder and harder time finding people that live in or near our service areas that are willing to try out the more flexible work style of being a pet sitter and dog walker. My existing staff knows what a fantastic and rewarding job it can be, but it sure has been a challenge to find more great candidates recently. I am not surprised at all that Dallas is the number one large city in the country for job growth---we are adding a lot of jobs as a city, which means there are more employment options for the few people that are out looking for a job.

White has chosen to offer hiring incentives to both her existing clients and staff to encourage the referral of new pet sitting and dog walking employees to Park Cities Pet Sitter. Currently, any client that refers a new employee to the company will receive a $200 credit to their account, while employees will receive $200 in cash as a thank you. To learn more about Park Cities Pet Sitters open positions, visit http://www.pcpsi.com/join-our-team-dog-walkers-pet-sitters/.

About Park Cities Pet Sitter: PCPSI has served the Dallas area 7 days a week, 365 days a year since 1992. Pet sitting, daily dog walks, pet taxis, overnight sitting, pet supply shopping, litter box cleaning and dog training are all part of the services PCPSI offers. Park Cities Pet Sitter is bonded and insured, and all sitters are employees--not independent contractors. A manager is on-call 24 hours a day to handle any emergencies. Additional information about Park Cities Pet Sitter can be found on their website at http://www.pcpsi.com.
Dayton has been an incredibly supportive community and were excited to expand here, said Dr. Eric Schertel, president of MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets.

MedVet Associates, LLC, a leading specialty healthcare center for pets, has announced its expansion of the Dayton, Ohio hospital. The companys commitment of $3.6 million will be used to build a new 19,000 square foot state-of-the-art veterinary hospital on their existing site at 2714 Springboro West Road, Moraine, OH. The investment will change many existing part-time jobs to full-time positions and add 15 new full-time jobs to the Dayton Area.

Dayton has been an incredibly supportive community and were excited to expand here, said Dr. Eric Schertel, president of MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets. The additional space will allow for future growth of jobs and services. We expect to break ground this fall and move into the new hospital in April 2017.

MedVet, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, expanded its central Ohio presence to Dayton in 2012 in response to a growing demand for veterinary emergency and referral services in that region. They have outgrown their current 7,200 square foot facility.

MedVet hospitals work very much like a human hospital. We offer state-of-the-art emergency and specialty care to cats and dogs in partnership with referring general practices. The emergency room is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to serve clients and patients when their family veterinarian is not available, says Schertel.

In addition to emergency services, MedVet Dayton offers specialty services in anesthesia and pain management, cardiology, dermatology, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, radiology, and surgery.

About MedVet:

MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets, with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, is a widely recognized and growing group of emergency and specialty referral veterinary hospitals for companion animals. MedVet, whose mission is leading specialty healthcare for pets, is employee owned and veterinary led. MedVet provides specialty referral services for in-depth patient care, as well as emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. More than 100,000 dogs and cats are treated annually at MedVets expanding network of medical centers across the country. MedVet hospitals were named the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accredited Referral Practice of the Year in 2014 and 2016, the only group of practices to receive this award twice. For more information on MedVets network of medical centers, visit http://www.medvetforpets.com.

About MedVet Dayton:

MedVet Dayton is conveniently located less than a mile off of I-75. MedVet Daytons board-certified specialists provide exceptional healthcare for pets supported by emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

MedVet Dayton

2714 Springboro West Road

Moraine, OH 45439

(937) 293-2714 Main

(937) 293-2787 Fax

Dayton Facebook

Media Inquiries:

For photos, tours and/or interviews, please contact Heidi Hill at MedVet Dayton at (937) 293-2714 Main, (937) 293-2787 Fax, or Heidi.Hill(at)medvetforpets(dot)com.
Branches South Miami students and staff stop and smile for the camera. We are honored to continue to work with Macys towards making an incredible impact in the lives of children and youth in our South Miami community, said Brent McLaughlin, Executive Director of Branches, Inc.

Branches, Inc. is proud to have been selected as a Macys grant recipient to support both its Grow & Climb children and youth programs in South Miami. Macys is a wonderful community partner and has helped to support Branches student programs for several years.

The Grow Program provides afterschool tutoring, mentoring, enrichment and academic support to elementary students 5 days a week. Summer Shade, a 7 week long day camp provides fun and enriching activities during the summer break and also helps prevent summer learning loss. The Climb Program provides social/life skills, academic support, college readiness, service learning and other enrichment to middle and high school students to help them become better students and better people. These programs serve over 50 students at Branches South Miami, located at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in the Marshall Williamson neighborhood.

Branches is a non-profit organization based in Miami and primarily focuses on student services and financial stability. Its Grow Program serves elementary students, preparing them for lifelong success through enrichment of their minds, bodies and hearts. The Climb Program serves middle and high school students, focusing on the development of their individual assets. Branches Achieve Programs target the well-being of the entire community through services fostering financial stability and long term success. Services include the ASSETS small business development program, free VITA tax preparation, and hunger relief. Branches is also proud to house and operate the United Way Center for Financial Stability (UWCFS).

We are honored to continue to work with Macys towards making an incredible impact in our community, said Brent McLaughlin, Executive Director of Branches, Inc. We are excited to continue to bring innovative programming and services to the children and youth in the South Miami neighborhoods and to help them succeed in the long-term.

About Branches

For over 40 years, Branches has made a positive impact in the community by delivering on its mission to serve, educate and inspire people through student, family and financial stability services. Branches provides long-term, holistic services for motivated individuals and families. We help people grow deeper and climb higher in life by building a foundation through education so they can achieve their goals and fulfill their potential. For additional information about Branches, please call 305.442.8306 or visit http://www.branchesfl.org.
The 4th Annual Latin America Ethics Summits serves as a platform for companies and their executives to share insights and expertise to help improve company performance and value. -Ethisphere, CEO

The Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices will host the 4th Annual 2016 Latin America Ethics Summit June 8-9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Summit, an event uncommon in this market, will bring together c-suite executives, General Counsels and compliance leadership engaging in an open forum of topical conversations and insights on topics ranging from company culture, elevating ethics and good governance, third party due diligence and more.

Featured speakers for the Summit include:



Flavio Cotini, President and CEO of Walmart Brazil;

Fabio Maceira, CEO for Jones Lang LaSalle Brazil;

Ricardo Amaral, Regional Vice President, Latin America and Managing Director, Brasil, Royal Caribbean Cruises;

Roberta Salvador, Legal and Compliance Director, Natura Cosmeticos;

Luis Fernando Radulov Queiroz, General Counsel and Integrity Officer, South America, ABB Ltda.;

Reyna Torrecillas, Chief Compliance Officer, Latin America, General Electric; and many more.

Latin America is a critically important jurisdiction for the world economy, but one that is facing many challenges. At Ethisphere, we are convinced leading global and local companies will be the catalyst for change and ultimate rebound leading to sustained and responsible performance, said Ethisphere CEO Tim Erblich. The 4th Annual Latin America Ethics Summits serves as a platform for companies and their executives to share insights and expertise to help improve company performance and value. Additionally, thought leaders from some of the most respected firms in the world will join the conversation with the shared mission of operating with integrity.

The Summit will assemble at the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo where over 200 participants are expected to attend for in-depth discussion and valuable networking opportunities. The 2015 Latin America Ethics Summit in Rio de Janeiro brought together over 20 different industries and diverse country-specific representatives from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Spain, the United States and more. The Best Practices and Key Takeaways from the 2015 Latin America Ethics Summit offers a robust look into the event itself.

Year over year, the engagement we see from company leaders across Latin America is really inspiring and shows a strong commitment to ethics and governance practices across the region, said Ethisphere Chief Content Officer, Stefan Linssen. This is a community with unique levels of concern in the global business environment, but that is taking aggressive steps to improve upon business reputation. Through a willingness to share best practices in ethical performance, Latin America leaders are swiftly taking action, and coming to the table to not only share their concerns, but also support one another through ethical business performance. The Summit is one of those rare opportunities to connect leaders who deeply care about these issues and in a unique position to help their organizations overcome ethical hurdles.

For the latest information, faculty additions, and topical highlight at the 2016 Latin America Ethics Summit, visit the website at https://latinamericaethicssummit.com/.

About the Ethisphere Institute

The Ethisphere Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its Worlds Most Ethical Companies recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with the publication of Ethisphere magazine. More information about Ethisphere can be found at: http://ethisphere.com.

Media Contacts

Clea Nabozny

480.397.2658

Clea.Nabozny(at)ethisphere(dot)com
AireSpring's focus remains on providing our Channel Partners with the highest quality service and solutions at competitive prices. Being distinguished for our execution in the fulfillment of that promise is especially rewarding.

AireSpring, a provider of cloud communications and managed connectivity solutions, announced today at Interop 2016 (@Interop) that it has been honored with ChannelVisions Visionary Spotlight Award in the category of UC & VoIP  Best Channel Deployment for their AirePBX Cloud Business Phone System.

The annual Visionary Spotlight Awards recognize excellence in outstanding products, services and deployments across a broad range of communications technology categories, including voice, data networking, hosting, cloud services and managed services. The winners of the 2016 Visionary Spotlight Awards showcase the best of the communications industry's overall innovation efforts, highlighting future-thinking execution and creativity.

AireSpring's AirePBX is a fully-featured, enterprise-grade cloud phone system that provides true unified communications capabilities that was recognized for its unique, one of a kind delivery, installation, and service model. AireSpring offers the ultimate in fully-managed and supported business VoIP solutions that exceeds other vendors' "best-effort internet" service and delivery model.

AireSpring provides:



Onsite delivery, installation and testing of Cisco switches, Adtran routers and IP phones by qualified technicians

A fully managed circuit over AireSprings nationwide advanced IP Network with end-to-end QoS

Personalized service with a dedicated project coordinator both pre and post turn up

Free IP phones with contract

AirePBX is unique because AireSpring fully manages the entire circuit, from the customer's VLAN to their WAN network. Unlike service provided over the unmanaged public Internet, AireSprings fully managed, nationwide network retains full control over inbound and outbound voice and data. Owning and operating the network helps ensure users receive consistent voice quality and true end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS).

AireSpring not only revolutionized the technical delivery of the service, but fundamentally changed the customer care model for a cloud hosted PBX. AireSprings true "white glove service" is further complemented by full technical support and AireCare, an advanced online portal to administer and manage customer accounts. In the unlikely event that an issue still arises that cannot be resolved with AireSprings dedicated project coordinator or customer service team, every customer receives an escalation list that includes all the names and phone numbers of key operations team members and even includes the CEO's phone number.

AireSpring is honored to add this prestigious industry award to our accolades. Our focus remains on providing our Channel Partners with the highest quality service and solutions at competitive prices and being distinguished for our execution in the fulfillment of that promise is especially rewarding, stated Daniel Lonstein, AireSprings COO.

The winners of the 2016 Visionary Spotlight Awards showcase the best of the communications industrys overall innovation efforts, highlighting future-thinking execution and creativity.

We congratulate and thank AireSpring for its outstanding achievement in innovation in the communications industry, and for its dedication to channel partners and the indirect ecosystem, said Berge Kaprelian, group publisher at Beka Business Media. We have created the Visionary Spotlight Awards program to highlight the rapid pace of evolution within the communications industry, and to give innovators and industry visionaries the opportunity to gain the exposure and recognition that they deserve. AireSpring embodies these goals.

About AireSpring

Headquartered in Los Angeles, AireSpring is an award-winning provider of cloud communications and connectivity solutions serving thousands of businesses nationwide. AireSpring provides fully managed and connected end-to-end, next-generation solutions for multi-location enterprise customers, including Cloud Contact Center, Unified Communications, Business VoIP Phone Systems, SIP Trunking, MPLS, Business Continuity, and Internet. AireSprings solutions are offered through a diversified network of channel partners that includes distributors, master agents, managed service providers, and value added resellers. AireSprings services are delivered over its revolutionary nationwide MPLS Mesh network, providing customers a fully integrated, end to end solution from a single vendor.

AireSpring has received numerous industry awards for "Product of the Year," "Best Telecom Deal," "Best in Show," and "Top Channel Program". AireSpring is privately held, diversified, debt-free, and renowned in the industry for delivering a broad range of innovative cloud communications and connectivity solutions at competitive rates. To find product information or to become an AireSpring partner or agent, please visit AireSpring at Interop in booth # 1045 or refer to http://www.airespring.com, or contact us at 888-389-2899.

About Beka Business Media

Beka Business Media, Inc. is a full-service publishing company that produces trade magazines, provides web and email services to its clients and presents the CVx tradeshow in conjunction with ITEXPO. Their publications include ChannelVision Magazine (http://www.channelvisionmag.com), a bi-monthly publication with a circulation of more than 29,100, focusing on wholesale and indirect sales channels in the communications and IT space.

Working with ITEXPO, Beka produces the CVx tradeshow for communications and IT channel partners. This event occurs once a year in Florida. Find out more at http://www.CVxExpo.com.
Concluding a college journey that began in 1990, interRel CEO and cofounder Edward Roske earned his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from Shimer College on April 30, 2016. Roske left Shimer more than two decades ago to pursue his entrepreneurial vision and cofounded interRel in 1997. Roske has spent 25 years building a company with a distinct reputation for excellence and education in the Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) and Business Intelligence (BI) industry. Edward himself is an Oracle ACE Director, award winning speaker, and co-author of the Look Smarter Than You Are book series.

Roske began his college education at Simons Rock of Bard College when he was just 16 years old. He soon transferred to Shimer College, because it offered an education based on Great Books instead of textbooks, Roske explains. Shimers Great Books curriculum provides that students read primary source books written by masters like Aristotle, Einstein, Freud, Marx, and Tolstoy rather than text books, which are then discussed in classrooms of 12 or fewer students. Edward chose a college that, he says, Taught me how to think, not what to think.

Before attending Shimer College, I was a shy introvert who couldnt speak up in a meeting or defend an argument. After Shimer, I was a shy introvert who wasnt afraid to speak up for what I believe in and I could convince an entire room of people to follow my lead, said Edward Roske. Shimer helped put me down the path of becoming a CEO and I could not be more proud to have graduated from Shimer.

As CEO of interRel, Roske has created a company culture passionate about education. Edward personally charges each employee with the directive to learn something and pass it on. The company provides opportunities for all employees to speak publicly, teach, write blogs, contribute to books, and create videos for the companys free-access video education platform, Play It Forward. Through these channels, interRel educates technology users, business administrators, executive decision makers, and even competitors.

Roske decided to complete his degree about two years ago when he was inducted into Shimers Board of Trustees and appointed as Head of the Admissions Committee. That same year, Shimer was named the Worst Place to Study in America, according to a ranking by the Washington Monthly. After the standings were released, Jon Ronson of The Guardian determined that while Shimer may be the worst traditional college in America, it may also be the future of education. Inspired by his reconnection to his alma mater and the public debate about its education philosophy, Edward embarked on a plan to graduate. In addition to taking courses in subjects like game theory, Roske wrote his senior thesis on Eddie and the Consultants: A System 9 Musical, a 2007 musical in which Roske wrote and costarred.

Achieving his degree at this stage in his career is a testament to Roskes long-term commitment to education. Even though it took me 26 years, I wanted to complete my degree not because anyone ever asks to see my diploma, but because its important to finish what youve started. Sometimes you have to do something not because its easy, but because its hard, Edward explains, paraphrasing JFK.

About Shimer College

Shimer College is a small, private, liberal arts college located a few miles from downtown Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1853 by Frances Wood Shimer and Cinderella Gregory. Shimer has no more than 12 students per class in order to focus on discussion, not lecturing. Shimer believes in reading original works instead of textbook summaries of the great ideas from classical literature.

About interRel Consulting

Founded in 1997, interRel Consulting is the longest-standing Hyperion partner dedicated solely to implementing Oracle EPM/BI solutions for Fortune 500 and mid-size companies, and is the only three-time winner of Oracles Specialized Partner of the Year for BI and EPM. The company is an eight-time Inc. 5000 honoree committed to education with a platform that includes 10+ books in its best-selling technical reference series, Look Smarter Than You Are with Hyperion, free,twice-weekly webcasts, the free-access video education platform, Play it Forward, on YouTube, and multi-track Oracle EPM/BI Solutions Conferences across the U.S. and Canada. Home to three Oracle ACE Directors and three Oracle ACE Associates, interRel frequently participates in Oracle Technology Network international tours in developing markets. To learn more about interRel Consulting, please visit http://www.interRel.com.

Contact

Rachel Holle, Communications Coordinator

(972) 735-8716

rholle(at)interrel(dot)com
6.9mm VJ Advance articulating video borescope RF System Lab borescope expert Zack Wessels will be exhibiting at booth #806 and is providing free demos of the VJ-ADV.

NBAAs Maintenance Management Conference takes place May 3-5 at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri. This past years Maintenance Management Conference was a huge success with record breaking attendance of business aviations directors of maintenance, flight department managers, maintenance technicians, aircraft owners/operators, and chief pilots.

RF System Lab will be among the 1,000 plus exhibitors, presenting their impressive line of VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) joystick-controlled, four-way articulating video borescopes. The VJ-ADV, with insertion tube diameters of 2.8mm, 3.9mm, and 6.9mm, is the ideal tool for remote visual inspection in the aviation industry. Whether aviation professionals specialize in inspecting turbines, recips, airframes or avionics, a high-quality, portable video borescope like the VJ-ADV is an excellent investment.

RF System Lab borescope expert Zack Wessels will be exhibiting at booth #806 and is providing free demos of the VJ-ADV. A borescope expert will be available to answer questions about how the battery-operated, 23oz VJ-ADV video borescope is a crucial addition to any aviation professionals toolkit.

RF System Lab is a worldwide leader in remote visual inspection and video borescope technology. RF manufactures the fully-articulating (360 degree) VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope; available in 2.8mm, 3.9mm, or 6.9mm insertion tube diameters. The VJ-ADV delivers the ideal features sought after by industry professionals. RF System Lab offers an industry-first, no obligation demo program to allow companies to test drive the VJ-Advance by doing real-world inspections at their own facility for free.

For more information regarding the NBAA Maintenance Management Conference, download the MMC2016 mobile app, follow the event on Twitter with #NBAA16 or visit the NBAA website at https://www.nbaa.org/events/mmc/2016/

RF System Lab offers the industrys only no-cost, no-obligation borescope trial. The company will send the VJ-Advance video borescope so that you can use it while completing inspections at your own facility in order to be sure that it suits all of your requirements. Visit RF System Lab at booth #806 or contact them today at (855) 787-6966, to arrange to receive your demonstration unit.
Calvary Hospital recently hosted a reception to mark a new music program to benefit patients at The Dawn Greene Hospice (DGH), a 10-bed unit located at Mary

Manning Walsh Home (MMW) in Manhattan.

During the school year, a student from Manhattan School of Music (MSM) performs at DGH for half an hour, once a week. The music brings a lot of joy to the patients, family members and staff, according to hospital officials. The program was made possible through the generosity of Dr. Joan Taub Ades, whose husband, Alan, received Calvarys hospice care. Ades loved opera and classical music.

Calvary Hospital is a voluntary, not-for-profit hospital that operates in connection with the Archdiocese of New York. It constantly strives to meet the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of both its patients and their families. Programs include inpatient care, case management, hospice, home care, and support programs for the families and friends of patients. Calvary Hospitals home care and hospice are available to residents of Nassau, Rockland, and Westchester counties as well as the five boroughs. All of Calvary Hospitals care programs are open to everyone, regardless of faith or ethnicity. For more information, call 718-518-2000, or 718-518-2108 for Spanish speakers.

About the Company:

For more than a century, Calvary Hospital has been the nations only fully-accredited, acute care specialty hospital devoted exclusively to providing palliative care to adult patients with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. More than 5,800 patients are cared for annually by Calvarys inpatient, outpatient, home care, hospice, and wound care services. Inpatient care is offered at our 200-bed facility in the Bronx and our 25-bed Brooklyn Satellite at Lutheran Medical Center. Calvary Hospice provides short-term inpatient care at The Dawn Greene Hospice, located at Mary Manning Walsh Home in Manhattan. To learn more or sign up for the e-newsletter, Calvary Life, please go to http://www.calvaryhospital.org.
BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy (BioPlus), one of the nations leading innovative specialty pharmacies, will be represented at the 2016 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit held May 2-6, 2016 at the Wynn & Encore in Las Vegas. The Asembia Summit is the largest U.S. health care conference for the specialty pharmacy industry, with thousands of pharmacy providers, pharma/biotech manufacturers, payers, drug wholesalers, and other specialty pharmacy stakeholders attending this 12th annual event.

At last years summit we introduced our IRIS Insights dashboard which gives real-time data access to prescribers and payers; this technology helps optimize patient outcomes at the most efficient cost. This year at the summit, were introducing our new BioPlus Health website and mobile app to empower both patients and prescribers by putting health care in their own hands, says Elvin Montanez, Pharm.D., BioPlus Chief Operations Officer. Dr. Montanez will also be participating in a panel during the summit on the topic Oncology Pipeline: Who Will Pay for It? discussing health care economics as it relates to oncology medication development.

We know how important it is for patients to get the medications they are prescribed quickly and easily. This is why BioPlus ensures a quick turnaround for referrals with our 2-Hour Patient Acceptance Guarantee, along with our 'Same Day PA' promise for prior authorizations, says Sharon Ferrer, VP of Pharmaceutical Relations for BioPlus. In addition, our expertise and extensive relationships with limited distribution manufacturers means that prescribers can get the medications to their patients that they deem best for each patient, she adds.

About BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy is the first specialty pharmacy to introduce a two-hour turnaround from referral to patient acceptance. BioPlus... Where healing begins in 2 hours. Our company celebrates 27 years of innovative excellence in specialty pharmacy, working closely with payers and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as with prescribers to get prompt treatment for patients, and directly supporting our patients nationwide to achieve optimal health outcomes. Our proprietary web tool Tap App connects prescribers to the pharmacy by bringing the pharmacy chart into the doctors office with real-time specialty pharmacy information and treatment monitoring.

BioPlus provides a complete range of specialty services, including for hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, cancer, bleeding disorders, and other complex, chronic conditions. BioPlus, a privately-held, pharmacist-owned company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is accredited by URAC, VIPPS, and the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC).

For information: http://www.bioplusrx.com or

Contact: info(at)bioplusrx(dot)com

Phone: 1-888-292-0744

###
Logo "CasePoint has become the sought-after solution for Fortune 500 and AmLaw 150."

@Legal Discovery, LLC, a full service eDiscovery technology provider, announced today the hiring of veteran project managers within their Client Services Division. These professionals are based in the Atlanta and San Diego markets, continuing the expansion of @Legals support and service in the southern and western markets.

@Legal is experiencing significant growth in our corporate and law firm client bases. Our commitment to our clients in support and service continues to be the top priority. These professionals offer our clients exceptional experience and consultative skills for every eDiscovery and review project, said Vipul Rajpara, Executive Vice President. CasePoint has become the sought-after solution for the Fortune 500 and AmLaw 150. With this growth, we needed to strategically increase our footprint in growing markets to assure the white-glove service we are known for and will continue to provide every client.

@Legal Discovery provides attorneys, litigation support and other legal professionals with advanced software and services that span the entire Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM). CasePoint, @Legals SaaS platform, allows users to manage large amounts of eDiscovery data from ingestion through production. eDiscovery 3.0 revolutionizes the technology, service and price structure of every eDiscovery project. The companys services include data collection, early case assessment, processing, hosting, production and consulting, delivered by seasoned eDiscovery experts, including attorneys, technologists, litigation support professionals and consultants.

Media Contact:

David Carns

571.297.6960

dcarns(at)legaldiscoveryllc.com
ACI Information Group The ACI Scholarly Blog Index is the only product that enables researchers, students, scholars, and professionals to discover scholarly content that would be difficult to find through traditional research channels.

ACI Information Group, LLC has been named a finalist in the Software & Information Industry (SIIA) annual CODiE Awards in the category of Best Scholarly Research Information Solution for its research database, the ACI Scholarly Blog Index. The CODiE Awards have recognized the information industrys leaders in software, content, and business technology for 30 years and are the industrys only peer-reviewed awards program.

Were honored to be among the finalists in the 2016 CODiE Awards, said ACI Information Group President Larry Schwartz. The ACI Scholarly Blog Index is the only product that enables researchers, students, scholars, and professionals to discover scholarly content that would be difficult to find through traditional research channels. All scholarly content within the database has been editorially selected and includes authors credentials and social media footprints to bolster academic discussion. By being named a 2016 CODiE Awards finalist, the ACI Scholarly Blog Index has earned prestigious industry recognition that were very proud of.

The 2016 CODiE Awards finalists are competing in 91 categories separated by education technology and business technology. The ACI Scholarly Blog Index is one of 215 finalists being honored in 62 business technology categories. Finalists were chosen by software and business technology executives with vast information industry experience including analysts, media, bloggers, bankers, investors, and members of the information industry.

I am amazed by the level of innovation and creativity of the products that have been selected as this years CODiE Award finalists, said Ken Wasch, President of SIIA. Were happy to recognize them for their great contributions and impact they are making on the software, content, and business technology industries.

SIIA members will vote on the finalists products, and those scores will be combined with the industry expert judges scores to determine the 2016 CODiE Award winners. A virtual awards ceremony will be held on May 18, 2016 and winners will be announced at that time.

The full list of 2016 CODiE Award finalists and details about each can be viewed on the SIIA website at http://www.siia.net/codie/Finalists.

About ACI Information Group

ACI Information Group (http://www.aci.info) is the worlds leading aggregator of editorially selected and curated social media and blog publications. With over 10,000 news and commentary blogs and more than one million scholarly blog posts in its Indices, ACI is revolutionizing the way people conduct research by enabling them to find the content theyve been missing. Professionals, researchers, scholars, and students use the highly authoritative insights and analysis provided through ACIs editorially selected collection of social media publications to find information that is unavailable in traditional media and journals. Publishers choose to include their content in the ACI Index to reach new audiences and bolster real-time scholarly communications and post-publication discourse.

About the SIIA CODiE Awards

The SIIA CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to showcase business and education technologys finest products and services. Since 1986, thousands of products, services, and solutions have been recognized for achieving excellence. For more information, visit siia.net/CODiE.
Prostate Cancer Surgery vs. Prostate Cancer Radiation - Dr. David Samadi While the internet contains many valuable resources, advertisements are often cloaked as educational tools, and patients should be cautious

According to world renowned prostate cancer surgeon, Dr. David B. Samadi of Lenox Hill Hospital, for definitive prostate cancer treatment, patients traditionally had two main treatment options: surgery or radiation. Based on a patients goals, disease state, and health, an appropriate treatment plan would be made.

New technology has enabled doctors to administer higher doses of radiation to prostate cancer patients with fewer side effects, making radiation a viable choice for many. But a new study shows that increasing the dose may not actually help a patient in the long term. Results from a study published online in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology, say that at least for patients with localized prostate cancer.

In the past, it has been the thought that the highest dose radiation is most effective at killing cancer but the results of this study show that this may not be the case, especially with lower-risk prostate cancer patients, says Dr. Samadi.

This study analyzed data from 12 randomized trials of external beam radiation treatment for men with non-metastatic prostate cancer. Researchers looked at long term outcomes such as the development of metastatic cancer and death from cancer, not just PSA levels. What they found was, while PSA levels decreased as patients received higher doses of radiation, the overall survival and incidence of metastases, among other measures, did not improve.

Over the past decade the marketplace has become flooded with new technologies for cancer treatment. Furthermore, patients are relying less on their physician to make the decision for them and are taking an active role. As newer therapies are introduced, patients are not always equipped to differentiate marketing from medical facts.

Dr. Samadi says, Robotic surgery continues to prove a better treatment for cancer over radiation. Following diagnosis, patients are presented with a lot of information, in order to make sense of the different treatment options. This can make even the most educated patient uncertain. While the internet contains many valuable resources, advertisements are often cloaked as educational tools, and patients should be cautious. While it is important to be educated regarding your disease, going to a search engine is not always the best first step. Talking with your physician and asking for recommended resources is a safer way to start your education.

Patients who are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer can contact world renowned prostate cancer surgeon and urologic oncologist, Dr. David Samadi, for a phone consultation. Call 212.365.5000 to set up your consultation with Dr. Samadi.
Higher Logic Wins Fantastic 50 Award Our consistent growth keeps us in good company with impressive, local companies.

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce has named Higher Logic, an industry leader in cloud-based community platforms, as one of Virginias Fantastic 50 companies for 2016. The award is part of the only statewide competition program to recognize Virginias fastest growing companies. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce has recognized local, successful companies for 21 years.

Higher Logics COO Ben Goodkind accepted the award during the Fantastic 50 Networking Reception and Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 28. As a Fantastic 50 winner, Higher Logic will be recognized in a dedicated section of the May issue of Virginia Business magazine.

Key factors in the selection of Higher Logic for this award include an impressive 98 percent year over year growth for three consecutive years, coupled with the addition of nearly 50 jobs to its rapidly growing employee base. For the last four years, the company has also been included in the Inc. 5000 List. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Va.

We are honored to be included in the rankings as one of the fastest growing companies in the vibrant Virginia economy, says Rob Wenger, CEO of Higher Logic. Our consistent growth keeps us in good company with impressive, local companies, but it also proves Higher Logic is consistently exceeding expectations. The Fantastic 50 recognition serves as a reminder and a motivation for us to continue innovating for online communities, engagement platforms and the community management field.

To learn more about the awards, visit the Virginia Chamber of Commerce website.

About Higher Logic

Higher Logic is an industry leader in cloud-based community platforms, with over 25 million engaged members in more than 200,000 communities. Organizations worldwide use Higher Logic to bring like-minded people all together, by giving their community a home where they can meet, share ideas, answer questions and stay connected.
We want to create bath and kitchen cabinets that can be used for years to come without bringing harm to future generations. - Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops spokesperson

For the eighth year in a row, Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops has upheld the distinction of being the only cabinetmaker in the state of Massachusetts certified by the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP). This annual distinction is awarded by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, a non-profit trade association that represents both cabinet manufacturers and suppliers across North America.

ESP Certification

Launched in 2005, ESP certification is awarded to bath and kitchen cabinets manufacturers based on compliance in five key categories. This includes sustainable product and process resource management, as well as attentiveness to air quality, environmental stewardship, and community relations. Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops works diligently to achieve commendations in each and every category. They feel strongly about creating beautiful kitchen cabinets that are designed using low formaldehyde-emitting wood products sourced through sustainable forestry practices.

The ESP seal is used on a variety of certified products, and the program itself has earned the approval of the American Standards Institute as an accredited certification organization. In conjunction with certification, the program also places a strong focus on education. Annual recertification is necessary to ensure that the producers of kitchen cabinets continue their efforts and do not bypass environmental stewardship practices as a way to cut corners on manufacturing costs.

We are in the business of creating cabinetry for families, said a Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops spokesperson. Because of our family focus, a keen eye toward the environment is a natural extension. We want to create bath and kitchen cabinets that can be used for years to come without bringing harm to future generations.

The Metropolitan Cabinets Difference

The skilled workers at Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops focus on the details. Built-in bath and kitchen cabinets are made with dovetail joints, white glued dowel joinery, and soft close drawers. This hands-on craftsmanship is combined with state-of-the-art technology to create the perfect gathering spaces and family storage solutions.

Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops also stocks and installs countertops with a variety of style and materials to meet a wide range of needs. From marble and granite to engineered stone and Corian, the sales staff are product experts and can help homeowners, architects, and builders with the right layout, custom materials, and cabinets for each job.

For more information about the certifications held by Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops, visit http://metcabinet.com/ or call (800) 698-8999. Their showrooms are located in Norwood, Watertown, Natick, and Wakefield. To see a showroom in person, visit 505 University Avenue, Norwood, MA 02062.

With more than 30 years of experience in the Northeast region, the team at Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops has an eye on the big picture with sustainable practices and long-term effects for consumers. With a cabinet mill and stone fabrication shop for custom cabinetry and stone decor, Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops is a local manufacturer that emphasizes environmental sustainability.
My Elder Advocate Franchise I have been on a similar mission for years and knowing that My Elder Advocate provides objective and personalized advice, aligns perfectly with my passion. Past News Releases RSS

Bella Kirschner has signed a franchise agreement with My Elder Advocate to open an office in Nassau County, NY in April of 2016. Bella brings years of experience in the senior care market and has a long history addressing the needs of elders. I love this industry and helping families navigate the system. I am so excited about working with My Elder Advocate and contributing to the success that they have had in the past decade in helping so many people in difficult situations. Said Kirschner. I have been on a similar mission for years and knowing that My Elder Advocate provides objective and personalized advice that is focused at advocating for the best interests of elders is aligned perfectly with my passion.

My Elder Advocate provides families with services that span the entire elder care continuum including: advance care planning, home health care guidance and nursing home crisis intervention, to name a few. I had the pleasure of working with Bella on a number of my cases during the past few years and I am personally very excited about having someone with so much talent and experience join our My Elder Advocate family. Said Jack Halpern, President and CEO of My Elder Advocate. Bella will help us further our mission is to help families confidently navigate the complex, fragmented and sometimes dangerous elder care system. She will now join Mark Brownstein in Westchester County to give us strong coverage in the NYC area.

After 30+ years in the senior care industry, the companys founders decided that they would have the greatest impact on elders by supporting advocates in communities across the US by providing other advocates the opportunity to own and operate a My Elder Advocate franchise in their community. Jack and I are so fortunate to have Bella join us. Her experience in the industry will provide elders a comfort in knowing they have another strong advocate who will look out for their well-being. Said Claudine Halpern, Chief Operating Officer of My Elder Advocate Franchising.

It is estimated that 10,000 people will turn 65 every day for the next 20 years and that by 2030; there will be over 72 million people over the age of 65. As the population continues to age, the need for effective elder care navigation services will continue to escalate. We know that there will be a significant increate in providing senior services across the aging continuum and My Elder Advocate franchisees will be at the center of the growth," according to Ms. Halpern.

About My Elder Advocate

My Elder Advocate is headquartered in New York, NY, and operates a corporately owned operation in Manhattan and began offering a franchise opportunity in 2015. Founded by Jack & Claudine Halpern, My Elder Advocate is the only independent elder advocacy organization in the North America focused exclusively on the needs of elders. There are currently two franchises in the system. For information on the My Elder Advocate Franchise Opportunity, contact their Franchise Sales Director, John Armatas at 855-844-8377 or visit our franchise website at http://www.myedleradvocatefranchise.com
A student studies online at the University of the People The objective of the UoPeople Health Studies program is to make high quality health care education accessible at a cost affordable to students all over the world. Past News Releases RSS University of the People (UoPeople)...

University of the People, the worlds first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited American online university, has announced today the launch of its Associates and Bachelor's degrees in Health Studies. Leading figures are heading the programs Taskforce: Nobel Laureate and President Emeritus of The Rockefeller University, Dr. Torsten N. Wiesel; Chairman and CEO of Fortune 500 company Henry Schein, Stanley M. Bergman; Princeton University Professor Dr. Dalton Conley; and Columbia University Professor Dr. Darcy Brisbane Kelley.

UoPeople President, Shai Reshef: We realize that in most countries, the demand for health-care workers is huge. The critical shortage of skilled health-care workers, which manifested previously with SARS corona virus, Ebola, and now with the Zika virus, has brought alarming attention to the fact that governments are unable to effectively handle global health crises partially due to insufficient, quality programs to address the shortfall. UoPeoples Health Studies program will prepare health workers for the workforce as well as prepare students for advanced studies within the medical field. We believe that in developed as well as developing countries, this is a priority that must be addressed. This Health Studies degree is one more step in accomplishing the universitys mission of addressing global needs as well as opening the gates to higher education for qualified students around the world and helping them overcome the financial, geographic, political, and personal constraints which preclude millions from accessing higher education.

The launch of UoPeoples Health Studies program follows the universitys announcement last month that it added an MBA degree to its offerings of Associates and Bachelors programs in Business Administration and Computer Science. The new Health Studies program will offer courses providing a broad understanding of community and public health theories and models and their application to real-world situations.

Dr. Torsten N. Wiesel, who sits on UoPeoples Presidents Council, said, The contributions of Health Science toward the safety and wellbeing of people cannot be underestimated, and the objective of the UoPeople Health Studies program is to make high quality health care education accessible at a cost affordable to students all over the world. Creating a safe and high-quality health care environment begins with quality education.

The university will be accepting applicants to commence their studies in September 2016. Although there are no tuition or textbook fees, there is a $100 end of course assessment fee and students can expect to pay a total of just $2,000 for an Associates degree, and $4,000 for a Bachelors degree. For those who cannot afford these modest fees, the university aims to offer a range of scholarships.

This is exciting news both for the Health Industry as well as for potentially millions of future health-care workers, said Stanley M. Bergman of Henry Schein, the worlds largest provider of healthcare products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. All the companies in the health industry today are dealing with a distinct shortage of health employees and yet, at the same time, the scope of jobs in this field is expanding. Demand for health workers will grow at a higher rate than the overall average for all occupations. UoPeople is paving the way to bring relevant, quality higher education to the people and places where it is needed most.

Earlier this month, UoPeople announced its partnership with UC Berkeley, wherein UoPeople's top Associate degree graduates will be considered for transfer admission to UC Berkeleys Bachelor degree programs. The University of the People has over 3,000 enrolled students from 180 countries. It is expected that this number will double in the next year and coming years. The universitys ability to provide tuition-free education depends on its use of open-source technology, Open Educational Resources and the assistance of volunteers. Its Presidents Council, chaired by NYU President Emeritus John Sexton, includes Oxford Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Sir Colin Lucas and U.S. Former Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, among others.

###

About University of the People:

University of the People (UoPeople) is the worlds first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited online university dedicated to opening access to higher education globally. UoPeople is designed to provide access to university studies for qualified high school graduates, despite financial, geographic, societal or personal constraints. Founded in 2009, UoPeople has partnered with Yale ISP Law School for research; New York University (NYU) and University of California, Berkeley, to accept students; Microsoft for scholarships, access to its certificate programs, mentoring, internships and employment opportunities; and Hewlett-Packard, for general support, scholarships for women and internships. The University has enrolled students from 180 different countries and is supported by a network of over 4,000 dedicated volunteers.

The institution has gained the widespread support of leading academics from leading universities around the world. UoPeople is supported by The Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Hewlett Foundation, Foundation Hoffmann and companies such as HP, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Western Union, Estee Lauder and many more.
Yacht Haven, Spanish Wells

Bullseye Bonefishing announces their three options for all-inclusive Bonefishing travel package options at the Brand New Spanish Wells Yacht Haven Resort and Marina Spanish Wells Eleuthera, Bahamas.

Spanish Wells Yacht Haven & Resort is nestled harbor side on the quaint settlement of Spanish Wells, Eleuthera. Here you will find a little piece of heaven far away from all the hustle and bustle of a big town. The Spanish Wells Yacht Haven & Resort is Bullseye Bonefishing s preferred and only hotel accommodation provider in Spanish Wells Eleuthera. The property offers a 30 slip marina for yachts up to 184 feet that you will see while sipping cocktails at the bar after a long day of Bonefishing. Spanish Wells Yacht Haven has six hotel rooms each with two queen beds, ensuite bathrooms, a wet bar, desk and cable T.V. There is also one master cottage that has a large bedroom, two bathrooms, a living and dining area and a full size kitchen. All rooms have a veranda overlooking the pool and marina. Other amenities include a pool, laundry room, shower facilities for marina guests, internet and the Wreckers dockside restaurant and bar. Wreckers restaurant and bar sits on the water and overlooks the Harbor. Wreckers has quickly become an island favorite and is the spot to unwind after a long day of Bonefishing.

You walk out of your hotel room at the Spanish Wells Yacht Haven Resort and Marina and Bullseye Bonefishing will be waiting at the dock right outside your hotel room in our brand new Bossman Flats boat, said Guide Shaw Underwood. Bullseye Bonefishing guests staying at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven & Resort will literally be Bonefishing within 4 minutes of being picked up at the Yacht Haven dock.

Bullseye Bonefishing luxury Bonefishing travel packages include daily lunch on the flats boat, round trip airport transfers and premium accommodations options for:



Three nights, two days private boat charter

Four nights, Three days private boat charter

Five nights, four days private boat charter

Call one of Bullseye Bonefishing s customer service specialists today at 317-800-5820 for pricing information or to purchase one of the Bullseye Bonefishing Travel Packages, or visit the Bullseye Bonefishing website. Guide Shaw Underwood can be reached at 242-359-7067

About Bullseye Bonefishing and Shaw Underwood

Born and raised in Spanish Wells Bahamas, 47 years old, Shaw has been diving and fishing since he was 6 years old in these waters in Spanish Wells. Shaw knows these waters as well as he knows the back of his hand. Shaw still lives in Spanish Wells Eleuthera (and loves it) where the waters are clear and beautiful and great for Fishing. I have been told by clients that I have an incredible ability to sight bonefish in the turtle grass, this proves very beneficial when I take you fishing for the day.

Spanish Wells has been Known as the Fishing community for lobster of all the Bahamas for decades, and now it is getting known for Game Fishing too. By the pictures on the website you can see the Bone Fishing is GREAT and so is the other game fish.

With waters clear and pristine, beautiful beaches and the incredible flats you will LOVE the fishing (Bonefishing) and in relatively unfished waters.

To learn more, visit BullseyeBonefishing.com.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Anyone needing Indiana agricultural statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture can now get them on a free mobile app created by Purdue University.

The app, a project of Agricultural Research at Purdue in cooperation with the Indiana field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service's Great Lakes Region, provides quick access to information in the Indiana Agricultural Statistics 2014-2015 publication. That publication, produced by NASS, is offered in print and online.

"We wanted to produce this app to satisfy the growing need for easy access to this information," said Karen Plaut, senior associate dean for research and faculty affairs in Purdue's College of Agriculture. "The accurate, reliable and unbiased facts in the publication are used by decision-makers who determine the future of Indiana's agricultural industry and also help the public better understand the size and scope of Indiana agriculture."

The information available through the app contains the same information as the print edition but is presented in a mobile user-friendly format, noted Greg Matli, NASS state statistician for Indiana.

"For many in the industry and farmers who have been to the trade shows already, they have the bound book," he said. "But the app gives them access to the information formatted for mobile devices."

Other members of the public also will find the app handy should they need to look up Indiana agricultural statistics quickly in the moment.

The publication includes statewide and county-specific information on farm income by crop and livestock, per-acre yields and total production of crops, production expenses and government payments, including many other relevant data. The information is collected from Indiana farmers, agricultural businesses, USDA Farm Service Agency county staff, Purdue Extension staff and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture enumerators, among others.

The app is available for Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as well as Android users. It can be obtained through iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. Links to those sites where the app can be downloaded are in Purdue Extension's The Education Store.

Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu

Sources: Karen Plaut, 765-494-8362, kplaut@purdue.edu

Greg Matli, 765-494-8371, greg.matli@nass.usda.gov

Agricultural Communications: (765) 494-2722;

Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
We were a bit surprised by how little attention was paid to news that the Independent Maps Amendment had more than twice the signatures needed to be put to November voters.

Given that this is the single most effective means available to take back our state, reformers ought to be shouting from the rooftops today. Consider what a feat it is that a coalition manned mostly by an army of volunteers collected more than 580,000 signatures seeking to create an independent legislative map-drawing commission.

Many of the petition passers were our own friends and neighbors. Please, take a moment to thank them, and every other foot soldier who is enlisted in the long war to wrest control of Illinois elections from party leaders and put it where it belongs: in the hands of the voters.

Those who helped gather more than twice the mandated minimum of 290,216 signatures include people like Eleanor Zimmerlein. She collected 1,000 signatures in the La Moille area. According to Farm Week, that makes the 90-year-old member of the Illinois Farm Bureau a superstar among volunteers in an Independent Map Amendment movement which has a constellation of them. All deserve a moment to shine.

But the more we thought about it, the more we decided a subdued celebration is best. After all, those signatures dont guarantee it will get on the ballot, especially if legislative leaders have anything to say about it. They will attack with a vengeance and with all the weapons in their not inconsiderable arsenal the boxes of petitions currently being cataloged and organized for submission. Then, if it makes to the November ballot, voters will have to be convinced.

Its imperative, then, to keep our eyes on the Independent Maps prize: When legislators have to compete for votes, voters win.

The next battle will no doubt be waged on two fronts:

-- Signatures will have to be defended before the Illinois State Board of Elections, and

-- The amendment proposal itself will once again be the subject of a court challenge.

Opponents did that last time around and it led to an amendment being pulled from consideration four years ago. This time, the coalition prepared by collecting both a huge cushion in signature and using the previous court ruling to craft a new amendment the coalition believes will survive another court fight.

Its a winning strategy, but these battles remain expensive. While generous and deep-pocketed contributors have stepped forward, much more is needed if Illinois voters are to at last be able to choose their lawmakers rather than the other way around.

Take, for example, Allstate Insurance. Independent Maps spokesman Jim Bray said the Northbrook-based company with deep roots in Illinois was so impressed by the impact of a similar reform effort in California, it issued a $1 million challenge grant to supporters of Illinois Independent Map Amendment.

Every dollar contributed is being matched by Allstate, he said. The Illinois campaign is halfway there. You can help it get the rest of the way by making a donation by credit card at MapAmendment.org. Just click on the DONATE button. Mail your check payable to Independent Maps to 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 902, Chicago, IL 60611.

We welcome contributions of any size -- $5, $25 and on up, Mr. Bray said. You dont have to be a millionaire to make a difference. As youve seen in some national campaigns, small contributions can add up to big bucks, and we should take full advantage of this opportunity to maximize contributions with matching funds from Allstate.

Consider it a modest investment with the potential for a stunning, once-in-a-lifetime return:

A better Illinois.
Lindsay L. Johnson of Monee made a brief court appearance Tuesday in Urbana. The 20-year-old faces first-degree murder, among other charges. Authorities say police found her near the campus Music Building on March 13 wearing a backpack with the deceased newborn inside.

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that Judge Tom Difanis asked prosecutors to send him documents from UI's McKinley Health Center so he could determine if they're relevant. Johnson's defense attorney indicated he would likely object to admitting the records.

A June 2 hearing is scheduled. Johnson is free on $75,000 bond that her parents posted last month.
Press release submitted by EBE Technologies, Inc.

EBE Technologies User Conference, Connect 2016, to Define How to Improve Efficiency Across the Enterprise

Registration Opens June 1 for two-day forum in Chicago Suburb

East Moline, IL - EBE Technologies, the leading provider of enterprise automated decision support (ADS) applications for the transportation and logistics industry, announces its User Conference, Connect 2016, will be held Oct. 17-19, at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook Ill. This two-day forum offers insight, learning and networking opportunities to help transportation and logistics providers identify and implement processes and applications to improve efficiency across their enterprise.

We are excited about bringing our clients together again for this forum. EBEs growth in recent years has led to a very diverse group of carriers and transportation providers, each bringing their unique perspective to the industry. Of course we like to showcase our solutions, but we look forward to our users sharing their successes with their peers. Thats what this conference is all about, stated Larry Kerr, President of EBE.

Connect 2016 will feature case studies by industry leaders, keynotes by transportation experts, featured product overviews and networking opportunities. Carriers will present best practices and successes utilizing EBEs suite of SHIPS Solutions including Pre-Dispatch, Financials, Carrier Qualification and On-Boarding, Recruiting and HR, Safety and Driver Performance, Learning Management, Vehicle Maintenance and Mobile Capture.

Rob Abbot, the American Trucking Associations Vice-President of Safety Policy, will deliver the keynote address with a discussion about the current safety issues facing the industry. A Sponsors Showcase will be available with EBEs integration partners featuring their newest products and services.

Registration for the event will open on June 1 at ebe-inc.com/connectthedots2016/register. To learn more about Connect 2016, visit ebe-inc.com/connectthedots2016.

About EBE Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 1973, EBE has evolved as the leading provider of automated decision support (ADS) applications designed specifically for the transportation and logistics industries. EBEs expertise in imaging and transportation specific workflow applications led to the development of its enterprise solution, SHIPS. Utilizing a unique intelligent database and eWorkforce technology, SHIPS automates labor intensive operational tasks to deliver improved operational efficiencies, reduced labor costs, unparalleled customer service and increased profitability.

SHIPS applications include back-office financials, recruiting, driver performance, CSA, safety and compliance, logistics and mobile capture. With its integration capabilities, SHIPS accesses information from company dispatch, accounting, mobile communication, log scanning and other transportation related applications. EBEs blue-chip customer list includes more than 530 leading transportation companies in North America including many of the top 100 Carriers in North America. Headquartered in East Moline, IL, EBE Technologies is a privately held company and has experienced consistent growth and profitability allowing it to reinvest in its people, products and integration partners. For additional information, visit www.ebeships.com or call 1-800-447-0612.
We are hopeful, but we are not yet there yet, he told reporters after meeting Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and U.N. Syria peace mediator Staffan de Mistura.

Kerry held the Syrian Army responsible for attacks on hospitals and civilians amid the escalating violence in Aleppo city but made clear that both sides  the opposition and the regime  have contributed to this chaos.

Russia and Iran, which support Syrias armed forces, must now make sure that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad honors the truce, while the United States and other countries that back moderate rebels must do the same on the other side, Kerry said.

Were trying to press this as fast as is possible, he said, expressing hope that the extent of progress would become clearer on Tuesday.

The U.S. chief diplomat later spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by phone Monday, Russian news agency Tass reported.

Both ministers continued discussing the prospects for settlement and urged the parties to the conflict to observe cease-fire, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said, according to the report.

De Mistura said he would hold talks Tuesday in Russia.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was profoundly concerned about the renewed fighting, calling on all sides to recommit immediately to the cease-fire and protect civilians, Stephane Dujarric, Bans spokesman, said in New York.

The collapse of the cessation of hostilities will only bring more violence, death and destruction, while further weakening efforts to find a negotiated solution to this brutal war, Dujarric said.

The recent surge in Syrias violence has scuttled a cease-fire that was brokered by Washington and Moscow and that went into effect in most parts of the country in late February.

De Mistura ended his latest round of peace consultations last week in Geneva, after opposition delegates halted their participation to protest the increased fighting and the regimes blocking of humanitarian aid.

Kerry said several plans for reviving the truce are on the table, but some details have yet to be agreed and the proposals still need to be signed off by some people.

Saudi Arabias al-Jubeir declared that the world would not stand by as Assad and his foreign allies massacre civilians in Aleppo.

The world is not going to allow them to get away with this, al-Jubeir said. Bashar al-Assads days are numbered.

Al-Jubeir warned that the Syrian president would have to resign or face a violent ouster.

Saudi Arabia has been one of the most important backers of the Syrian opposition, including armed groups, and hosts the main opposition bloc that has taken part in the Geneva peace talks.

The Syria government said Sunday it was extending a cease-fire in and around Damascus, while activists reported heavy fighting between the regime and rebels in Aleppo.

The temporary cease-fire excludes Aleppo, where rebels fired shells Sunday on regime-held areas and unidentified helicopters dropped barrel bombs on rebel-controlled areas.
The default was the largest in a series of missed payments by the struggling U.S. territory since last year and Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla warned it was unlikely to be the last.

Puerto Rico has payments totaling nearly $2 billion coming due on July 1, including about $700 million in general obligation bonds that are supposed to be guaranteed under the island's constitution. In an ominous warning directed at Congress and creditors that include U.S. hedge funds, Garcia said the outlook for the next payment is bleak.

"We don't anticipate having the money," he told a news conference in the capital, San Juan.

The remedy, Garcia warned, is either a restructuring arrangement with creditors or legislation from Congress. U.S. lawmakers left for recess last week while a bill that would restore Puerto Rico's legal authority to restructure as states are able to do and set up a fiscal control board was stalled in committee.

Garcia, who inherited the crisis when he took office in January 2013, blamed lobbying by "vulture" hedge funds and what he called "racist" attitudes toward Puerto Rico.

"Our worst enemy at the moment is politics," he said.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday's default should be another red flag for Republicans in Congress. "This situation requires an urgent response and Republicans in Congress have been dragging their feet for too long," Earnest said.

The White House has put forward a plan that would allow Puerto Rico's government to restructure its debt and impose new oversight on finances, among other measures. Earnest said the oversight measures distinguish the proposal from a bailout  a charge Republicans have lodged against the plan. But, Earnest warned, continued delay in Congress "only makes a bailout more likely."

Following Monday's default, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew released a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan in which he urged him to work quickly to resolve the "few outstanding issues" on the legislation to help Puerto Rico. "Going forward, Puerto Rico's $70 billion of debt is unsustainable by any measure. It simply cannot afford to pay its debt," Lew said.

Garcia has been warning since last year that the island's overall public debt of more than $70 billion is unpayable. On Sunday, he announced the suspension of a payment on debt issued by the island's Government Development Bank, a day before a scheduled $422 million was due on the GDB's $3.8 billion in debt.

Puerto Rico managed to reach a restructuring deal with island credit unions that shaved off about $30 million from the total due Monday, and paid $22 million in interest. But that still left it short nearly $370 million, and in default.

Garcia said he had no choice but to suspend the debt payment to avoid cutting essential public services such as schools and medical care.

The default was expected to trigger investor lawsuits, though Treasury Secretary Juan Zaragoza and Justice Secretary Cesar Miranda told The Associated Press before the news conference that none had been filed so far. It did not cause upheaval in U.S. financial markets, likely because the island's economic troubles have been known for years.

Puerto Rican citizens have struggled through a decade of recession, cuts to public services, rising taxes and much higher unemployment than on the U.S. mainland, and it now stands at nearly 12 percent. Many on the island are anxious about the default, but agree there was little choice.

"If they pay the debt, they are going to cut health care and that's what worries everybody," said 83-year-old Jose Ugarte as he sat with friends discussing the implications in a plaza in Old San Juan. "This is a debt that isn't ours. It belongs to (former governors) Luis Fortuno and Pedro Rossello. Let them pay it."

But 24-year-old Vilmarie Galarza says she isn't so sure. "To me, it's bad because you have to pay," she said as she paused while taking photos in the plaza.

Puerto Rico has been suffering through more than a decade of economic decline since Congress phased out tax cuts that had made the island a center for pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing. Garcia's predecessors, with the acquiescence of the island legislature, borrowed heavily to cover over budget deficits.

The total debt of the island of some 3.5 million people is greater than any U.S. state except much more heavily populated California and New York.

During the 2009-2013 term of Garcia's predecessor, former Gov. Luis Fortuno, some 30,000 public sector workers were laid off in an unsuccessful effort to get the budget under control. Asked if he was considering anything similar, Garcia said that would hurt families and would just ripple across the private sector as it has in the past. He said he would only cut the public payroll if ordered by a court.

"It's a very complicated situation. We are navigating waters that no one has ever navigated," he said. "There's no map."
Meng Brings NASA Astronaut To Queens On October 17, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) brought NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to Queens where he met and spoke with students at Francis...

Celebrating Columbus The Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens (FIAO) held their annual Columbus Day parade in Astoria, on Saturday, October 8, during Italian Heritage Month. The...

Russo-Elling Mourned More than 300 first responders lined up on Thursday night to honor FDNY EMT Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, as her body was placed into a waiting...
For any aspiring entrepreneurs, Basson said to make sure you have a product or idea that retailers want to sell and consumers want to buy.

1 hour ago
The launch of procurement follows last week's budget announcement by the state government that it would fully fund and deliver the project. Preliminary works will begin next year with the major construction through the PPP package scheduled to start in 2018.

The government says it would welcome a partnership with any future federal government, but insists the project simply cannot wait any longer. With the federal budget due to be announced on May 3, early media reports indicate that there will be a limited federal contribution to the project.

The closing date for the EOI process is Thursday June 9.
Following the Railway Age/Railway Track & Structures Light Rail Conference held April 27-28 in Philadelphia, about 30 delegates toured portions of the SEPTA streetcar and light rail networks.

The tour included streetcar Line 13, the Norristown High Speed Line (former Philadelphia & Western) and the shop where SEPTA maintains the PCC2 cars used on the Girard Avenue (15) Line. These cars were restored and modernized by Brookville Equipment Corp.

A video of the tour can be accessed from the link below.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) on May 2, 2016 publicly unveiled the prototype four-car driverless trainset for the new Honolulu Metro, which is schedule to open in about two years.

Train # 1 was unveiled at the Rail Operations & Control Center. Ansaldo Honolulu Joint Venture (AHJV), a consortium of Hitachi Group Companies Ansaldo STS (ASTS) and Hitachi Rail Italy (HRI), presented the trainset to the city of Honolulu and HART. HRI is responsible for the design, manufacturing and testing of 20 trains for the system, described as the first driverless rail transit system in the U.S. The Honolulu Metro is a DBOM (design-build-operate-maintain) project.

Ansaldo STS is responsible for the design, manufacturing, installation and testing of signaling, traction electrification, communications, platform screen doors and other systems, including maintenance and recovery vehicles. Ansaldo STS is also responsible for the first 12 years of operations and maintenance.

Train # 1 was delivered on time, according to Hitachi Rail Italy CEO Maurizio Manfellotto. The successful achievement of meeting this deadline represents another important step forward in the consolidation of Ansaldo STS and Hitachi Rail Italy in the U.S., he said.

The initial section of the Honolulu Metro, from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium, is slated to open in 2018. The entire system, from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center, is set to be fully operational in late 2021.

In 2015, Hitachi signed a binding agreement with Finmeccanica for Hitachis acquisition of Finmeccanicas AnsaldoBreda business, excluding some residual contracts, and of Finmeccanicas entire stake in Ansaldo STS, including Ansaldo STS USA, the former Union Switch & Signal.
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The March 22 bombing of Brussels Airport was another reminder that the threat to aviation has not waned. Public areas where there are large quantities of unchecked luggage around lots of people have proven to be vulnerable targets of terrorism. When many people gather, or stand in line, they become an attractive target for a terrorist attack. Airports as a result have repeatedly fallen within the sights of terrorists targeting.

In a 2004 study, RAND presented near-term options for improving security at Los Angeles International Airport based upon one fact that consistently emerged from the analysis: it is not the size of the bomb that matters most; it is where it is detonated. All of the most dangerous terrorist attacks involve placement of a bomb in close proximity to a vulnerable crowd of people. The authors proposed two valid ways to reduce this vulnerability: Move the possible bomb detonation away from the people or move the people away from the possible bomb detonation. The study also identified an easy way to make people a less attractive target  improve ticketing and security operations so that crowds of people aren't waiting in line.

This is not easy to assess. Annual passenger enplanements change (PDF) regularly against a constant TSA screening workforce. And GAO has reported that policy for collecting wait time data has changed (PDF), and collection measures are not consistent across airports. Nonetheless, TSA and air carriers have made efforts to address longer lines. Air carriers have installed self-service kiosks to enable passengers to print their boarding passes, tag their checked bags and collect baggage claim receipts  before requiring contact with an individual. The TSA Pre-Check system has provided a means to expedite passenger throughput at more than 160 domestic airports.

Reducing the size of the lines and speeding people into the secure area of the airport helps security officials separate cleared travelers from uncleared travelers. By quickly decluttering crowded areas, security can more easily detect suspicious activity.

The threat of terrorism at airports is persistent and ever-evolving. Bombers have continued to identify different targets of opportunity within the airport environment as seen most recently in Brussels, but also in Karachi, Beijing, Moscow and Madrid over the past decade. Thus, security measures must also adapt in step to protect the aviation system and reduce the likelihood of a high-consequence event.

For example, two emerging technologies  smart vehicles and smart infrastructure  may offer innovative solutions to introduce some useful unpredictability that would improve security by moving high volumes of people and traffic out of line.

A common challenge at the airport has long been knowing when and where to pick up an arriving passenger. Ride-sharing services like Uber, Lyft, Juno and Chariot for Women offer platforms that bridge contact between smart vehicles and smart travelers prior to a curbside introduction. These new applications can take pressure off the transaction by mapping a real-time touchpoint that offer possibilities to eliminate queues and wait times.

Innovative infrastructure, communications and vehicle technologies have also offered opportunities to smooth the flow of vehicles, which could be improved at many airports. Vehicle congestion is a frequent problem due to the numerous commercial shuttle buses that circle airport grounds and seek airport employees, long-term parking patrons, as well as hotel and rental car customers. Navigation applications like Waze may be able to offer drivers efficiency and and greater security by informing them of crowded traffic lanes to avoid, wait times and consumer demand, in real-time. Smart infrastructure can detect when congestion is occurring. Connected vehicles can use this information to help reroute traffic around congested areas or streamline the flow through congestion. In the future, these innovations may lessen the hassle of getting to and leaving airports.

Each of these technologies can be used to help reduce consequences by ensuring there is less standing around at the airport. A moving target is hard to hit  and such action presents the opportunity to improve aviation security, and move people out of traditional lines and away from a possible detonation location.

In the continued cat-and-mouse game of terrorism security, officials are challenged to stay one step ahead of terrorists. Fortunately, new technologies may present opportunities to get travelers out of line at airports and keep them safe.

Henry Willis is director of the Homeland Security and Defense Center at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He is the author of dozens of publications, book chapters and op-ed pieces and has testified before Congress as an expert on applying risk analysis to homeland security policy. Michael A. Brown is the Department of Homeland Security Fellow at RAND. He has master's degrees in security studies from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School and in public administration from Rutgers University-Newark.

This commentary originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report on May 2, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
The US report on intellectual property and piracy includes three Latin American countries on its priority watch list, but Ecuadors position has improved since last year.





The Special 301 Report released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on the global state of intellectual property rights protection includes Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine and Algeria in the priority list as giving the most significant concerns regarding insufficient rights protection. These countries will be the subject of particularly intense bilateral engagement during the coming year.Last year, Ecuador was also included in this piracy blacklist , but it has now been placed in the second priority group, along with Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru.Ecuador reinstated criminal procedures and penalties for commercial scale counterfeiting and piracy which was the basis for downgrading Ecuador to the Priority Watch List in 2015, explains the report The USTR also announced it will conduct an out-of-cycle review (OCR) of Colombia, Spain, Tajikistan and Pakistan, to encourage progress on IPR issues of concern.
Vessel Marshal Gelovani enters Cam Ranh port on May 2nd (Photo: tienphong.vn)

The ships stop in Vietnam, which is to take on basic supplies for its voyage, is permitted by the countrys Ministry of National Defence.

The 63 crew members, captained by Dobrenko Vladimir Mikhailovich, will also take this opportunity to visit Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa province.

The vessel is scheduled to leave Cam Ranh port on May 5th./.
The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN) is bringing celebrity chef and entrepreneur Lidia Bastianich to US Hispanic audiences.





La Italia de Lidia en America (Lidia's Italy in America) is the Spanish-language version of a programme designed to educate and entertain food-loving audiences. Bastianich takes viewers by the hand on a culinary journey through different American cities.In each episode of La Italia de Lidia en America, the chef offers up the ingredients of the cultural fusion between Italy and the United States. Everywhere she visits gives a window how the influence of the rich Italian culture is reflected in various aspects of the culture of the American people, in cuisine, music and artistic expression.I am so pleased to be joining the HITN family, offering viewers my series, Lidias Italy and Lidias Italy in America, she said. I know how important family and cooking is to me, and I know it will resonate with this wonderful Spanish-speaking community in America. Its an honour to be sharing my tradition of food, wine, culture and my cuisine with the Hispanic community.La Italia de Lidia en America is a stellar show hosted by acclaimed chef Lidia Bastianich, who is given to the task of showing our viewers, in a lively and light-hearted way, various facets of Italian culture, while highlighting the great influence that Italian cuisine has had on American cuisine over the years, said HITN GM Eric Turpin.The network also recently partnered with Natcom to include health and lifestyle segments as part of its regular programming.The programming moves are part of the networks mission to air educational content that meets the needs of the US Hispanic population.
Leading over-the-top (OTT) service Hulu is reportedly developing a subscription service that would stream feeds of popular US broadcast and cable TV channels.





Until now, Hulu co-owned by Disney, Comcast and FOX, has offered on-demand programming from major networks, similar to Netflix. Yet The Wall Street Journal has reported that the company is in talks with all of the major broadcasters to supply content.The move would make the company a competitor to traditional pay-TV providers and other new digital entrants, especially Sling TV, which recently added FOX fare to its streaming line-up, and which already had ABC on board.Hulu is said to be hoping to launch the new online service in the first quarter of 2017 and if so it could be more bad news for pay-TV. The Diffusion Group (TDG) recently found that among those moderately or highly likely to downgrade their pay-TV service in the next six months, 29% of their TV time is spent watching streaming sources. Thats significantly more than those neutral or unlikely to downgrade.
As we see a surge in inflation globally, it is now critical that everyone is aware of the implications this will have along every step of the insurance and reinsurance value chain.
Aside from President Obama, none of the main players in Syria has an interest in rushing toward Raqqa, so they will likely focus on exploiting the various campaigns around Aleppo instead.

Despite the ongoing peace negotiations in Geneva, each camp in the Syria war is preparing for a general resumption of hostilities in the Aleppo area. In addition to the strategically important city itself, the Islamic State-occupied territory between Aleppo and the Euphrates is increasingly becoming a focal point, shifting attention away from the group's stronghold to the east and likely further delaying the Obama administration's goal of pushing IS out of its "capital" in Raqqa.

CONTINUED ENCIRCLEMENT

On February 27, a ceasefire temporarily halted the Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian army campaign to encircle the rebel-held portions of Aleppo city. By that point, the army had already cut the road to the border town of Azaz with the cooperation of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, or PYD (see PolicyWatch 2554, "The Battle of Aleppo Is the Center of the Syrian Chessboard"). That resulted in a hostile reaction from Turkey, which fired on the Kurdish militia to prevent it from taking Azaz city and the nearby Bab al-Salam crossing point. The Syrian army had also advanced against the al-Qaeda-affiliated rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra Front to the south of Aleppo and against Islamic State (IS) forces to the east, widening the perimeter around Kuweires military airport.

Meanwhile, on the northeastern side of the IS enclave, the PYD seized Tishrin Dam and crossed the Euphrates in December but did not take the opportunity to press further and seize Manbij city. The group's main partner against IS, the United States, opposed any such offensive because it would anger Turkey, which had repeatedly warned the Kurds not to advance west of the river (see PolicyWatch 2542, "The Die Is Cast: The Kurds Cross the Euphrates").

Today, the Assad regime strategy in Aleppo is apparently focused on creating a double belt around the city in order to isolate the eastern neighborhoods held by Arab and Kurdish rebels, which are connected to the opposition stronghold in Idlib province and the western supply line from Turkey via the Castello road. To form the innermost part of this belt, army forces north of the city advanced to less than a kilometer from the Kurdish-held district of Sheikh Maqsoud by seizing Mallah on April 14, and they are preparing to push further south soon. As for the outer belt, recent troop movements indicate that a broader offensive is brewing west of the city, between Zahra and Khan al-Asal, which should complete the encirclement of all rebel forces in the Aleppo area. Eventually, in the absence of a political agreement, the army will likely try to isolate the entire Idlib province in a similar manner.

The regime's recent moves are in line with its broader counterinsurgency strategy, which involves cutting the opposition's supply lines from neighboring countries and separating rebels from civilians by forcing the latter to flee. This is why Bashar al-Assad has brazenly continued deplorable tactics in the middle of a supposed ceasefire and peace negotiation, from dropping dynamite barrels on eastern Aleppo to bombing markets in Maarat al-Numan and Kafr Nabl. Assad has been using the Geneva process simply to buy time, and he would abandon the talks with Russia's tacit consent the moment they threaten his hold on power. In any event, he will not substantially change his military strategy in the meantime.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE MANBIJ-AZAZ CORRIDOR?

Thus far, the Syrian portion of the U.S.-led campaign against IS has relied almost entirely on the Kurds, but this approach is not militarily sufficient to defeat the group. It is also politically problematic because the PYD wants to take Manbij before supporting any southern offensive against Raqqa. Manbij is an essential step toward connecting the two Kurdish enclaves on the border with Turkey, and the Kurds have already proven that they will turn to other patrons if Washington does not support them in this goal. In January-February, Russian air support helped the PYD seize several villages held by Arab rebels, and this close coordination could be repeated on a larger scale between Manbij and the Afrin enclave to the west, against rebels and IS alike.

Yet Turkey has proven equally determined to prevent this scenario. As mentioned previously, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan deployed artillery to shell PYD positions two months ago in order to protect Azaz. According to private conversations with officials and other individuals in Washington and Damascus, Ankara also permitted thousands of rebel fighters, including Jabhat al-Nusra elements, to cross Turkish territory from Idlib province to Azaz, preventing the rebel corridor from collapsing completely. These fighters were then used against IS forces east of Azaz -- Erdogan's way of taking the field before the PYD and Syrian army begin their own offensives in earnest, with the goal of showing Washington that Turkish-supported rebels can defeat the Islamic State without further PYD advances.

This strategy has had mixed results, however. The transferred rebel units made few territorial gains, and half of them were quickly retaken by IS, pushing 30,000 more refugees toward the Turkish border. Apart from its general interest in preventing enemy advances, the Islamic State is particularly keen on protecting the town of Dabiq near the western front. In radical jihadist eschatology, Dabiq is the location where Islamic and anti-Islamic forces will fight on Judgment Day, so the group is willing to engage in costly fighting there.

Indeed, the divorce between Turkey and IS now seems final -- in the past, Erdogan looked the other way when the group was receiving support through Turkish territory given its efforts against the Assad regime, but recent IS terrorist attacks in Turkish cities have ended any remaining tolerance. Erdogan also likely understands that it is better to support U.S. efforts against IS if he wants to influence President Obama's stance on the Kurdish question in Syria. According to a private conversation with a well-informed Turkey expert, Obama asked Erdogan not to oppose U.S.-Kurdish efforts to take Manbij during their March 31 meeting in Washington. The Turkish leader apparently rejected that request, demanding that the Arab tribes currently fighting alongside the PYD break off from the group and take Manbij on their own. Yet these Arab tribes do not have the military capability to do so. Moreover, unlike Raqqa, Manbij is home to a large Kurdish minority, so it makes tactical sense to involve some Kurdish forces in its conquest. From a political standpoint, though, that would represent a further step toward the creation of a Kurdish state in northern Syria.

BROKEN CEASEFIRE MEANS A RAQQA REPRIEVE?
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HOME > The Amazing Race > The Amazing Race 28 Exclusive: 'The Amazing Race' eliminees Brodie Smith and Kurt Gibson talk (Part 1)

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/02/2016



eliminated "Best Friends" Brodie Smith and Kurt Gibson during Friday night's broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 28th season.



ADVERTISEMENT Brodie and Kurt became the seventh team



Brodie and Kurt got U-Turned, meaning they had to complete both sides of the Detour task, and therefore seemed to have little chance of making up lost time.



During an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Monday, Brodie and Kurt talked about their experience. Below is the first half. Check back with us soon for the concluding portion.



Reality TV World: How long after Sheri LaBrant and Cole LaBrant did you finally arrive at the Pit Stop?



Kurt Gibson: Well, that is the question that is unknown!



Brodie Smith: A lot of different rumors are spreading around, not rumors, but I guess people saying how long we were. I think when we got there, [host



Kurt Gibson: I think it was like 15-20 minutes.



Brodie Smith: Yeah, Phil said, he was like, "Man, you guys actually made it really close." And obviously the editing too makes it look like we were kind of close as well, like we were coming right up [behind Sheri and Cole].



Kurt Gibson: It just felt like we weren't close because I remember Jodie, one of the production people, saying we were, like, 45 minutes behind.



Brodie Smith: Yeah, because in our heads, [Dana Borriello and Matt Steffanina] and Sheri and Cole were probably not that far behind us on the Detour just because that Detour took pretty much every team the same amount of time to do.



And then the seaweed Detour was at least 45 minutes to an hour of total time, and then I'm pretty sure everyone did the Roadblock [in] the same [time] -- unless Cole just sat up there for an hour, which I'd highly doubt. It did seem like he was kind of iffy on it. My guess is he probably spent 10 more seconds longer waiting up there. So yeah, I don't think we were that close.



Reality TV World: It seemed like you got through the seaweed Detour task as fast as possible. So would you say with almost 100% certainty you would have survived this leg had another team gotten U-Turned?

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Brodie Smith: Oh, if we could've U-Turned somebody behind us, we would've definitely beaten that team. (Laughs) I mean, I know that's confident, but I have great confidence that me and Kurt -- if it was a head to head match-up at that seaweed challenge, at that Roadblock, and then at that sprint to Phil, we would've beaten whatever team we U-Turned behind us.



Kurt Gibson: We did not get through that seaweed [fast] though.



Brodie Smith: No, that seaweed was hard!



Kurt Gibson: It took us almost an hour. Roughly an hour. But I'm sure it would've taken the same amount of time for another team. But if we were able to U-Turn somebody else, I don't think we would've lost our lead at that challenge.



Brodie Smith: No.



Kurt Gibson: So I think we would've been fine. And that Roadblock was just kind of a...



Brodie Smith: Do it!



Kurt Gibson: Climb up and jump off, and then take a short cab ride to the Pit Stop. So, I think, you know, if we had gotten to U-Turn somebody else, we would still be in the Race. But that's just not the way it worked out.



ADVERTISEMENT Reality TV World: You guys seemed to handle your elimination pretty well, but I'm sure it was still devastating. Do you think it's harder to leaving the Race when it's out of your control rather than if you had made a big mistake or something?



Brodie Smith: Yes! One-hundred percent. Me and Kurt said all along that if we were going to get eliminated and not win, we would like it to be our [mistake] -- because of something we did wrong.



And yeah, that leg was definitely tough because there was nothing we could do differently. We started last, we passed two teams, and we were doing well in that leg. We probably would have passed another team and finished second, but you know, there was just nothing we could do.



Reality TV World: Knowing you guys won so many legs and got eliminated all because of a U-Turn, how do you feel about the fact Sheri and Cole are still in it when they got saved twice on non-elimination legs? Is that sort of a tough pill to swallow?



Kurt Gibson: No, I don't think so. I mean, social media might disagree with me, but you know, those things are written before the Race even starts, right? So the fact they had finished in the back during those two legs was just kind of a matter of chance



Brodie Smith: Yeah.



Kurt Gibson: And you know what? It's just kind of the way the cookie crumbles there. And to their credit, they've gotten better each and every leg of the Race.



Brodie Smith: Yeah, and I think the show wouldn't be that interesting and do as well as it has over the years if it was just whoever the best team is, is going to win. It wouldn't be that fun to watch. There is a lot of chance; There is a lot of luck. There's a lot of things that play into the Race.



And, you know, they got lucky that the two times that they finished last, they didn't get eliminated. So, there's nothing to really say about it. It's not like they did something that hurt me and Kurt's chances of winning. It was just that they got lucky they didn't get eliminated in two legs.



Kurt Gibson: We were hoping there would've been a non-elimination in the Bali leg for us, (laughs) but we unfortunately did not get lucky on that.



Reality TV World: You probably understood why Tyler Oakley and Korey Kuhl U-Turned you, because at the end of the day, it was a compliment to how good you guys were as a team. But did you leave the Race with any hard feelings toward Burnie Burns and Ashley Jenkins? They obviously sealed your fate by making sure you were the only team U-Turned.



Brodie Smith: Well, for me, we had a lot of talks that weren't shown on the Race with Tyler and Korey and Burnie and Ashley, and even Dana and Matt. We were talking about how fun it's been competing against one another and how we wanted to have, you know, the best teams at the end.



And so, I was a little thrown off seeing how Tyler and Korey U-Turned us just because, in my mind, I thought that they wanted us to be there with them at the end, to you know, have that one big final competition leg. But obviously, they had a strategy and they went for the win. And that's completely fine.



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To see what Tyler and Korey and Burnie and Ashley did at the time, we were definitely shocked, but looking back on it, they were in the Race, they had finished second to us multiple times and they had a chance to eliminate us, and they took it.



Reality TV World: I think it was interesting how Kurt did mostly all of the Roadblocks up front, leaving Brodie to do the second half of them. Why did you two decide on that strategy? Do you think it would've made more sense to alternate so you'd each get a chance to rest and then in the case there's a puzzle or something down the road, Kurt could still do it?



Brodie Smith: Well, they didn't really show it on the Race, but I had a torn ACL and actually had a torn meniscus a couple of months before the Race. And so, that was an issue for us. There was a lot of -- I wouldn't say fear -- but there was a lot of concern that some Roadblocks I would either do really poorly on or potentially not even be able to do.



So the dancing one, for example, there's no way with my knee I would've been able to do that dance. And so, we would've gotten eliminated had I done that Roadblock. So unfortunately for us, there were a lot of times where, if the Roadblock wasn't something I knew exactly what it was -- and I knew I could do it -- Kurt had to do it.



And just the way it turned out, a lot of the clues they gave you for the Roadblock and where we were, it just seemed like something that was going to be physical and something that Kurt would be better at doing vs. my knee. And so, we went that way.



Kurt Gibson: I think our thought process was with a lot of the Roadblocks, we arrived there first or very close to it. And the ones that we did arrive to first, it was kind of a disadvantage, especially with Brodie's knee, because we couldn't see what they were doing. And a good example is, in Armenia, the oil change. The cluebox was at a weird desk with all the old antique furniture.



Brodie Smith: There were a bunch of jars and stuff.



Kurt Gibson: Yeah the jars. And I remember Brodie saying, "This looks like a memory challenge. You should probably do this one." And I was like, "Okay, fine," you know? So I do it and, of course, it's an oil change.



Brodie Smith: Which I could have done.



Kurt Gibson: It would've been a good thing for Brodie to do because it doesn't involve any, like, physical activity that would hurt his knee. So at that point, because we were winning, it was kind of a disadvantage because of Brodie's knee.



Brodie Smith: That was definitely a struggle for us -- being in the front and not being able to see what other teams were doing. Especially for the teams behind us, if you get to a Roadblock and you see every guy doing the Roadblock, you're probably going to have a guy do the Roadblock if you have a guy on your team.



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Check back with Reality TV World soon for the concluding portion of Brodie and Kurt's exclusive interview.





About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON GOOGLE NEWS eliminated "Best Friends" Brodie Smith and Kurt Gibson during Friday night's broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 28th season.Brodie and Kurt became the seventh team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's tenth Pit Stop at the Bajra Sandhi monument in Bali, Indonesia in last place.Brodie and Kurt got U-Turned, meaning they had to complete both sides of the Detour task, and therefore seemed to have little chance of making up lost time.During an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Monday, Brodie and Kurt talked about their experience. Below is the first half. Check back with us soon for the concluding portion.Well, that is the question that is unknown!A lot of different rumors are spreading around, not rumors, but I guess people saying how long we were. I think when we got there, [host Phil Keoghan ] told us, like, 10 minutes.I think it was like 15-20 minutes.Yeah, Phil said, he was like, "Man, you guys actually made it really close." And obviously the editing too makes it look like we were kind of close as well, like we were coming right up [behind Sheri and Cole].It just felt like we weren't close because I remember Jodie, one of the production people, saying we were, like, 45 minutes behind.Yeah, because in our heads, [Dana Borriello and Matt Steffanina] and Sheri and Cole were probably not that far behind us on the Detour just because that Detour took pretty much every team the same amount of time to do.And then the seaweed Detour was at least 45 minutes to an hour of total time, and then I'm pretty sure everyone did the Roadblock [in] the same [time] -- unless Cole just sat up there for an hour, which I'd highly doubt. It did seem like he was kind of iffy on it. My guess is he probably spent 10 more seconds longer waiting up there. So yeah, I don't think we were that close.Oh, if we could've U-Turned somebody behind us, we would've definitely beaten that team. (Laughs) I mean, I know that's confident, but I have great confidence that me and Kurt -- if it was a head to head match-up at that seaweed challenge, at that Roadblock, and then at that sprint to Phil, we would've beaten whatever team we U-Turned behind us.We did not get through that seaweed [fast] though.No, that seaweed was hard!It took us almost an hour. Roughly an hour. But I'm sure it would've taken the same amount of time for another team. But if we were able to U-Turn somebody else, I don't think we would've lost our lead at that challenge.No.So I think we would've been fine. And that Roadblock was just kind of a...Do it!Climb up and jump off, and then take a short cab ride to the Pit Stop. So, I think, you know, if we had gotten to U-Turn somebody else, we would still be in the Race. But that's just not the way it worked out.Yes! One-hundred percent. Me and Kurt said all along that if we were going to get eliminated and not win, we would like it to be our [mistake] -- because of something we did wrong.And yeah, that leg was definitely tough because there was nothing we could do differently. We started last, we passed two teams, and we were doing well in that leg. We probably would have passed another team and finished second, but you know, there was just nothing we could do.No, I don't think so. I mean, social media might disagree with me, but you know, those things are written before the Race even starts, right? So the fact they had finished in the back during those two legs was just kind of a matter of chanceYeah.And you know what? It's just kind of the way the cookie crumbles there. And to their credit, they've gotten better each and every leg of the Race.Yeah, and I think the show wouldn't be that interesting and do as well as it has over the years if it was just whoever the best team is, is going to win. It wouldn't be that fun to watch. There is a lot of chance; There is a lot of luck. There's a lot of things that play into the Race.And, you know, they got lucky that the two times that they finished last, they didn't get eliminated. So, there's nothing to really say about it. It's not like they did something that hurt me and Kurt's chances of winning. It was just that they got lucky they didn't get eliminated in two legs.We were hoping there would've been a non-elimination in the Bali leg for us, (laughs) but we unfortunately did not get lucky on that.Well, for me, we had a lot of talks that weren't shown on the Race with Tyler and Korey and Burnie and Ashley, and even Dana and Matt. We were talking about how fun it's been competing against one another and how we wanted to have, you know, the best teams at the end.And so, I was a little thrown off seeing how Tyler and Korey U-Turned us just because, in my mind, I thought that they wanted us to be there with them at the end, to you know, have that one big final competition leg. But obviously, they had a strategy and they went for the win. And that's completely fine.And same thing with Burnie and Ashley. We had worked with Burnie and Ashley a lot in , leading up to that point. And so, it was definitely at the moment, one of those things where we couldn't really -- we were shocked, I would say.To see what Tyler and Korey and Burnie and Ashley did at the time, we were definitely shocked, but looking back on it, they were in the Race, they had finished second to us multiple times and they had a chance to eliminate us, and they took it.Well, they didn't really show it on the Race, but I had a torn ACL and actually had a torn meniscus a couple of months before the Race. And so, that was an issue for us. There was a lot of -- I wouldn't say fear -- but there was a lot of concern that some Roadblocks I would either do really poorly on or potentially not even be able to do.So the dancing one, for example, there's no way with my knee I would've been able to do that dance. And so, we would've gotten eliminated had I done that Roadblock. So unfortunately for us, there were a lot of times where, if the Roadblock wasn't something I knew exactly what it was -- and I knew I could do it -- Kurt had to do it.And just the way it turned out, a lot of the clues they gave you for the Roadblock and where we were, it just seemed like something that was going to be physical and something that Kurt would be better at doing vs. my knee. And so, we went that way.I think our thought process was with a lot of the Roadblocks, we arrived there first or very close to it. And the ones that we did arrive to first, it was kind of a disadvantage, especially with Brodie's knee, because we couldn't see what they were doing. And a good example is, in Armenia, the oil change. The cluebox was at a weird desk with all the old antique furniture.There were a bunch of jars and stuff.Yeah the jars. And I remember Brodie saying, "This looks like a memory challenge. You should probably do this one." And I was like, "Okay, fine," you know? So I do it and, of course, it's an oil change.Which I could have done.It would've been a good thing for Brodie to do because it doesn't involve any, like, physical activity that would hurt his knee. So at that point, because we were winning, it was kind of a disadvantage because of Brodie's knee.That was definitely a struggle for us -- being in the front and not being able to see what other teams were doing. Especially for the teams behind us, if you get to a Roadblock and you see every guy doing the Roadblock, you're probably going to have a guy do the Roadblock if you have a guy on your team.Just because it would probably be something physical. So, there's definitely an advantage to not being in first. And so, for us, unfortunately my knee and not being able to do some stuff, that was definitely a problem, for sure.Check back with Reality TV World soon for the concluding portion of Brodie and Kurt's exclusive interview. THE AMAZING RACE 28 MORE THE AMAZING RACE 28 NEWS << PRIOR STORY

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About 15 tonnes of bananas exported by the Huy Long An company are sold at over 10 Don Quijote stores in Japan. (Photo: VNA)

Nguyen Trung Dung, a representative of the Vietnamese Embassys Trade Office in Japan, said about 15 tonnes of bananas exported by the Huy Long An company are sold at over 10 Don Quijote stores in Tokyo and nearby Saitama and Chiba prefectures.

Japan is expected to double its banana imports from Vietnam and sell them at more places in the near future, he noted.

The Northeast Asian country consumes approximately 1 million tonnes of bananas per year. Up to 85 percent of its imported bananas currently hail from the Philippines.

However, many Japanese companies say they want to seek more suppliers.

Vietnams bananas were first shipped to Japan in 2013 as a step to survey the local market, and they were not present at big retail chains like Don Quijote.

Hidekatsu Ishikawa, President of Vient Co. Ltd, said Japanese importers highly regard the quality of Vietnamese bananas as their sweetness suits Japanese peoples taste, and they are sold at competitive prices.

Aside from Don Quijote, some local supermarket chains such as Chalenger in Niigata prefecture are also offering the product, he added.

The Vietnamese Trade Office said it will work with businesses to step up marketing the bananas at trade promotion events in Japan in the time ahead./.
San Francisco's real estate market is largely affected by the tech industry that proliferates in the city. As earlier covered here on Realty Today, reports said that the tech sector is in the early stages of corrections in terms of job growth and consequently the real estate market is going to experience a slowdown. Most recently, Boston Properties has warned that the SF commercial real estate is heading for a downturn.

According to Business Insider, big tech companies in San Francisco have slowed down in taking in commercial properties, although strong growth remains in the city. The publication quoted Boston Properties President Doug Linde saying that "I think the big difference between the market then i.e. in 2014 and 2015 and today is really the lack of large growth requirements, and by that I mean big tenants over 300,000 square feet."

"In 2013, 2014 and 2015, you had unprecedented large growth from Google, and Dropbox, and Salesforce.com, and Uber, and Stripe, and Slack, and LinkedIn, and they're just not there today," Linde added.

Nonetheless, Linde said that while overall there is a slowdown in office space tenancy, there is still a strong demand as the technology market remains expanding.

Meanwhile, Consumer Affairs reported that San Francisco has become an unaffordable place to live for many in the past half a decade as home prices skyrockets. The high prices of houses in the city is driven by the imbalance between supply and demand, particularly after the recession where about half a million jobs were created but house building activities were not able to catch up. With many buyers looking for a place to live in SF but not much to choose from, the report citing the data from Home Value Forecast said that an average home in the market costs $1.2 million.
Death threats are allegedly just part of the harassment suffered by NOVA Armory, owner Dennis R. Pratte II and his 16 year old daughter. In its lawsuit the company Broadstone Security, which does business as NOVA Armory, names 7 state legislators, an Arlington County Board member, a School Board member and multiple Lyon Park area residents, claiming they conspired to destroy the business. The complaint alleges that in addition a mailed death threat the family-owned business had to deal with attacks via social media, harassing e-mails and phone calls. The lawsuit was filed in Richmond Circuit Court.

A petition opposing the proposed gun store location was circulated after it became known that Pratte had applied for a certificate of ocupancy. Over 3,500 people signed the petiton and letters of protest were sent to the landlord from state legislators on official General Assembly stationary. Virginia law, however, does not allow local governments to prohibit or regulate firearms merchants so long as that business complies with zoning restrictions. NOVA Armory has only been open a few weeks and is located roughly between I 66 and Highway 50, not too far west of Arlington National Cemetary.

One of the legislators named in the suit, Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria) decried the lawsuit as anti-American, calling it a very, very dangerous attack on the First Amendment, an absolute attack on people's right to speak out. He went on to say, Protests are as American as apple pie, as civil rights protests, as boycotts of grapes. If this lawsuit succeeds, the Montgomery (AL) bus company ought to sue Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement for that boycott because they wanted to shut down that business.

A number of anti-gun organizations have rallied to the defense of the people in the lawsuit.

Levine has been against the gun store from the beginning, posting his opposition on social media, calling firearms weapons of mass destruction and sharing comedienne Amy Schumer's recent video wherein she grossly misrepresents the laws that regulate online firearm sales.

Said Levine,

NoVA Armory, we don't want you selling your weapons of mass destruction near schools in Arlington! We shouldn't have to wait until people are shot dead with your military-grade semiautomatic weaponry to protest this store. Thousands of your neighbors want you gone. Last weekend, a Woodbridge man who was arrested for pulling a gun on someone in a parking lot murdered his wife and a police officer and shot two others. How did he get his guns? Are you ready to pay for all thefunerals of all the people that your guns murder? And provide reimbursement for all wrongful deaths you cause? If not, then please, we beg you, leave Arlington.

Pratte's attorney, Daniel Hawes, a member of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, describes opponents of the store as having a morbid, neurotic fascination or obsession with guns and says customers have been followed when leaving the store.

You can read more here on The Washingtonian website or here at the Washington Post.

You can find NOVA Armory on Facebook here and online here  you know, if you want buy something and support 'em (or just go by and visit). Unfortunately for the perennially disaffected and eternally outraged, you'll still have to go through an FFL if you purchase a firearm online  which means despite what Schumer and other idiots would have people believe, felons can't just get a gun off the internet

You can get this sign on Amazon if you want though.

Cover photo by Bill O'Leary, Washington Post.
After protests and lobbying from both sides, celebrities and politicians fighting for and against it, and student groups advocating for their views on campus, Georgia House Bill 859, better known as the Campus Carry bill, died May 3 with a veto from Gov. Nathan Deal.
The Georgia State Patrol's Department of Public Safety released an update Monday morning explaining that the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is still investigating the fatal crash on Highway 15 that killed four University of Georgia students and leaves one still in critical condition at Athens Regional Medical Center.
The Mayors office of Athens-Clarke County has submitted a $120.7 million budget proposal for the fiscal year 2017, which runs from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017, for review by the public and the commission. The proposed budget is nearly $5 million more than the 2016 fiscal year budget.
In this March 30, 2016 photo, a large-format collage from "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by children's book author and illustrator Eric Carle greets visitors to an exhibition of Carle's work at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. The exhibition, "I See a Story: The Art of Eric Carle," opens Saturday, April 2 and runs thru Jan. 8. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback)

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By KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP)  Atlanta's High Museum of Art is inviting visitors into a colorful world populated by playful animals and imaginative children.

"I See a Story: The Art of Eric Carle" opens Saturday and features more than 80 collages from 16 books by the author of children's favorites like "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "The Grouchy Ladybug." Carle's bright images explore themes including childhood, nature and journeys.

Adults can revel in the nostalgia of books they read as children or read to their own children, while kids are treated to an exhibition arranged with them in mind. The collages are hung just a few feet off the ground, and a scavenger hunt provides an opportunity to engage more fully with the art.

A close look at the collages helps visitors understand how Carle works. He uses acrylic paint on white tissue paper to create bright sheets that he stores grouped by color in his studio. When he's creating a collage he selects a sheet from his collection and cuts it using a razor or tears it by hand before layering the pieces into colorful scenes.

The works in the exhibition span five decades and are drawn from the collection of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. The High is the only venue where the exhibition will be shown.

Once the exhibition is over, the highly light-sensitive works will be removed from their frames and matting to be returned to the Carle Museum's vault for 10 years, High director of education Virginia Shearer said.

"I feel like everybody who lives here should realize what a gift it is and should come down and see it," she said of the exhibition.

Carle, who is 86, is formally retired and spends much of his time in the Florida Keys, but he still enjoys working in his studio space in Northampton, Massachusetts, near the Carle Museum. He was born to German parents in Syracuse, New York. His family returned to Germany when he was 6. He moved to New York City in 1952 and worked as a graphic designer in The New York Times' promotion department. He later worked as art director for an advertising agency.

He turned to children's books in 1967 when author Bill Martin Jr. asked him to illustrate a story that became "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" The first book he wrote and illustrated himself was "1, 2, 3 to the Zoo" in 1968, followed by "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" in 1969.

Carle draws on his own life experiences for inspiration, said Ellen Keiter, chief curator of the Carle Museum. Insects and animals are drawn from his memories of childhood walks with his father. "Walter the Baker" is an homage to an uncle who encouraged his creativity. "Friends" is based on his experience of leaving his best friend when his family moved to Germany. And "Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me" was prompted by a request from his daughter.

Dummy books show how some of his most famous books evolved from idea to finished product. They reveal original alternate titles, like "The Ill-Tempered Ladybug" and "The Mean Old Ladybug."

"They really let you see the hand of the artist and how he's thinking," Keiter said of the preliminary mock-ups.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition are five works from the 1987 edition of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," the original eight-page collage of the blue whale from "The Grouchy Ladybug" and original 1967 collages of characters from "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"

___

If You Go...

I SEE A STORY: THE ART OF ERIC CARLE: April 2-Jan. 8, High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta; http://www.high.org, 404-733-5000. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Fridays until 9 p.m.; Sundays, noon-5 p.m. Adults, $19.50; students with ID and seniors 65 and over, $16.50; children 6-17, $12; children 5 and under, free.
FILE-In this June 13, 2015, file photo, Michael Hurley, a South Carolina author who lost his storm-battered sailboat on a failed Atlantic crossing, left, poses for a photo with Maine Maritime Academy junior Gabrielle Wells on the stern of the training vessel State of Maine, in Portland, Maine. Hurley used some experiences from his rescue last summer by a Maine Maritime Academy training ship for his new book, "The Passage." The book goes on sale June 1. (AP Photo/David Sharp, File)

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By DAVID SHARP, Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  A novelist who was twice rescued from storm-battered sailboats hopes his next adventure lacks in such drama.

South Carolina author Michael Hurley plans to sail around the world after using the experience of scuttling his sailboat on a failed trans-Atlantic crossing for his new book, "The Passage."

"I love the freedom of sailing on the ocean. There's no limit. The horizon extends. There's nothing to stop you from going wherever you want to go," he said from England.

The former corporate lawyer captured international attention last summer when his 30-foot sailboat began taking on water as he sailed solo from Charleston, South Carolina, to Ireland.

He credits a decision he and his wife made to renew their vows days before his rescue for saving his life. Absent that, he said, he may have tried to continue sailing  with fatal consequences  after his vessel began sinking with more storms looming ahead.

He was rescued south of Newfoundland by students on the Maine Maritime Academy's training vessel, State of Maine.

Elements of the adventure are rolled into "The Passage," the tale of a spiritual journey by a broken stockbroker who encounters a stowaway who changes his life while sailing to Ireland.

The book, which goes on sale June 1, features an attempted trans-Atlantic crossing, a harrowing rescue and a Robert Burns poem, character and details drawn from his experiences aboard the State of Maine. After his rescue, Hurley made a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain for a time of reflection and that, too, found its way into his book.

In the end, he and his wife never renewed their vows, and their marriage didn't survive. Part of that may have to do with Hurley's wanderlust.

Hurley, 58, is an experienced mariner who has no intention of remaining on terra firma  despite his spate of bad luck.

He was rescued by the Coast Guard in 2012 and had to scuttle his storm-damaged "Gypsy Moon" between Haiti and Cuba. The boat had lost its headsail in a storm, and then a rogue wave sheared the engine off its mounts, leaving the sailboat helpless.

After his latest rescue, he worked on his book in Wales before decamping for London and purchasing a British-made 1967 Camper & Nicholson, a yacht that bears the name Nevermore.

The 32-foot fiberglass boat is heavy and strong, and suitable for his goal of traveling and living in the boat, he said.

But Jonathan Beale, from Burnham Yacht Harbour, an England boatyard that has worked on Hurley's new sailboat, had some reservations about Hurley's plan to sail the old boat around the world.

He doesn't share Hurley's opinion that the 49-year-old sailboat is an oldie but goodie. "It's an oldie. That's all I'm saying," he said.

And Susan Ryan Hurley said she fears the man she's divorcing won't survive his latest effort to sail the world's oceans. "The whole sailing thing is in his blood. Sometimes I think he's planning his own death," she said from South Carolina.

Now living temporarily in France, Hurley is ready to take advantage of a narrow weather window this month to sail to the Canary Islands. After riding out the hurricane season there, he'll head to the Caribbean. Then, he plans to sail the world  a little bit at a time.

"It's a gypsy lifestyle but it's a simple and beautiful way to live. It's the freedom of sailing that's always attracted me. The wind is free. The ocean is free. If you have the chance to enjoy both in a sailboat, then you're free," he said.

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Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight James Benno, right, is shown in Shasta County Superior Court on Monday with his sons, left to right, Jacob and Logan.

SHARE Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight James Benno speaks with two supporters after a news conference outside the Shasta County Courthouse in Redding on Monday. Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight Attorney Matthew Pappas discusses a federal lawsuit filed on Monday on behalf of James Benno and others during a news conference Monday in Redding. Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight Signs critical of Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko and others rest against a wall during a news conference outlining a federal lawsuit filed against Shasta County and its sheriff's office outside the Shasta County Courthouse on Monday.

By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight

With their long-delayed trial set to start next month in their marijuana cultivation and weapons case, a Redding man and his two sons fired their defense attorneys Monday in Shasta County Superior Court.

But they and 11 other plaintiffs also sued Shasta County, including the Board of Supervisors and Sheriff Tom Bosenko and his department, for alleged retaliatory and excessive force against medical marijuana patients.

"Shasta County has engaged in multiple raids of medical marijuana cultivation sites without warrants, using excessive force and targeting people who have advocated for patient rights in a retaliatory manner," said Matthew Pappas, a disability rights attorney from Long Beach helping represent the plaintiffs in the federal civil action.

Pappas was in Redding on Monday for a news conference held in a tree-shaded area next to the Shasta County Courthouse. He said the county has an obligation to protect the rights of its citizens, not run rampant over those rights.

Since the November 2014 passage of a county ordinance banning outdoor marijuana cultivation, Pappas alleged the Shasta County Sheriff's Office has conducted a series of illegal and strong-armed raids at medical marijuana sites.

But months before Measure A passed, sheriff's deputies raided Benno's Happy Valley property in May 2014, destroyed his pot plants and took a truckload of dirt that had been used by Benno to grow them.

Bosenko, who said he and other county officials have not yet seen the lawsuit, disputed its claims, saying he and his deputies operate within the law. He said the suit will be vigorously fought in court.

The amount of compensation being sought by the plaintiffs was not provided.

Meanwhile, Joe Grumbine, the founder of The Human Solution International, a civil rights organization, said lives are being lost and destroyed due to cannabis laws and regulations here in Shasta County and across the nation.

"We're talking about a plant here," he said.

He also said his organization is planning to create an online self-help legal clinic for those medical marijuana patients who find themselves in trouble with the law.

Monday morning, the 50-year-old Benno and his sons, Jacob, 24, and Logan, 21, were in Superior Court for a status conference on their upcoming trial.

But they had their defense attorneys dismissed because they have long wanted to be represented by a Martinez-based law firm specializing in marijuana-related cases.

The law firm  Tully & Weiss  has successfully represented a number of individuals in Shasta County charged with pot-related crimes.

"Mr. Tully is the best," Benno said outside court.

While their trial has been put off a half-dozen times since father and sons were arrested after the May 2014 raid, it's not yet known whether the June 21 trial will go ahead as planned.

Benno and his sons are out of custody on bail and are charged with possessing marijuana for sale, cultivating marijuana, manufacturing a controlled substance, maintaining a place for sales of controlled substance and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony.

Benno, a well-known medical marijuana activist who has maintained he grew medicinal marijuana to share among 11 patients, faces about 17 years in prison if convicted of all the counts against him.

His sons face a maximum of 12 years in prison if convicted on all the counts that remain.
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A staff member at Corning High School was arrested Monday morning after police say he had an inappropriate relationship with an underage female student.

Corning High School Teacher's Assistant Fernando Barrera, 30, was arrested Monday off campus on suspicion of annoying/molesting a child under 18 as well as possessing and sending obscene material to the girl, 14, said officer Jeremy White of the Corning Police Department

The relationship began over social media, White said. Barrera also allegedly sent lewd photos of himself and obscene photos and video. The pair had been conversing in the days leading up to Barrera's arrest.

They had been in contact during school hours, White said. But officers have found no evidence that any criminal activity took place at the high school, he said.

Barrera was arrested at the Corning Police Department and taken to the Tehama County Jail, White said.

The investigation is ongoing, White said.
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Redding police said they arrested a 44-year-old man at Caldwell Park on Tuesday on suspicion of indecent exposure and failing to register as a sex offender.

A city of Redding parks employee who was near the boat ramps parking lot and restrooms reported at 8:17 a.m. that a man, identified as David Earl Windle, was exposing himself to a number of pedestrians and the occupants inside of a vehicle.

Windle has a history of sex crimes and was wanted on a parole warrant, police said.

Windles prior arrests include indecent exposure, sexual battery, failing to register as a sex offender and parole violations, police said. Windle is on parole with the California Department of Corrections for failing to register as a sex offender.

According to Redding police, Windle was not complying with conditions of his parole and sex registration requirements. He was wearing a parole-issued GPS ankle monitor that was not charged and his whereabouts had been undetermined until Tuesday morning.

Windle is being held without bail in Shasta County Jail.

Redding police are asking anyone who saw Windle near the Sacramento River trail restrooms or boat ramp to call 225-4200.
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Red Bluff to vote on budget

The Red Bluff city council will consider passing its 2016-2017 budget at a meeting Tuesday.

The budget as proposed will rely on the $1.6 million general fund for around $377,000 to cover a shortfall caused by a 1.5 percent increase in wages for city employees and increases in insurance and benefits costs.

It would also set aside $90,000 for a new roof for City Hall, including the police and fire departments. It also cuts the Greater Red Bluff Chamber of Commerce's allotment in half to $35,000.

City staff estimates the general fund would end up at about $1.26 million  about $200,000 lower than the city's goal for its reserves.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, 555 Washington St. in Red Bluff.

Honey oil lab blows up house

An explosion and fire in Anderson on Saturday night was caused by a honey oil lab, according to law enforcement.

The Shasta Interagency Narcotic Task Force located evidence of a honey oil lab after reports of a possible explosion and fire in the 4900 block of Happy Valley Road in Anderson, according to Sgt. Les James.

Witnesses saw an unknown man and woman leave the scene of the fire in a vehicle.

Evidence of the extraction of concentrated cannabis from marijuana plants was located inside a residence and a detached garage located north of the main home, said James.

The residence was damaged as a result of the explosion and fire.

The butane honey oil lab was ignited by an undetermined ignition source, according to law enforcement.

SINTF agents located 600 to 800 pounds of marijuana shake, and a large amount of concentrated cannabis, James said.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Happy valley Fire Protection District also responded to the fire.

Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to call SINTF at (530) 722-9161.

Vehicle crashes into building

A vehicle sheared off a light pole and knocked over several trees before crashing into a building in downtown Redding on Monday.

The vehicle hit a building on Placer Street, the former Wilda's Grill restaurant, which stopped the vehicle after it hit several other objects on the street.

The driver was trapped inside the vehicle when emergency workers arrived, according to Battalion Chief Rob Pitt with the Redding Fire Department.

The woman was taken to Mercy Medical Center by ambulance, and traffic signals at the intersection of Placer and Court streets were interrupted.

The cause of the collision was not immediately clear to Redding Police Officers on the scene, who were investigating the incident.

Crash closes I-5 in one direction

Northbound lanes of Interstate 5 were closed for more than 5 hours Monday after a big rig rear-ended an SUV, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A crash caused the closure of both northbound lanes of I-5 and briefly one southbound lane in Red Bluff, according to the CHP. Traffic was diverted off the freeway onto Flores and Gyle avenues, CHP officers said.

A big rig rear ended a 1990 Chevrolet SUV on the freeway, sending five people to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff with minor to moderate injuries.

However, everyone escaped the vehicles before they caught on fire, destroying the SUV, the semi and its trailer, which contained electronic tools, officers said.

The northbound lanes of the freeway were reopened just after 5 p.m.

One hospitalized in Shingletown crash

One person suffered major injuries in a single-vehicle collision at Ponderosa Way and Aldridge Road in the Inwood area near Shingletown Monday night, the California Highway Patrol said.

Dispatchers called crews to the scene just before 7:30 p.m.

The injured person was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, according to the CHP Traffic Incident website. The helicopter picked up the person at the Whitmore Fire Station on Boggs Lane. The vehicle sustained major front-end damage.
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By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight

Editor's note: The Record Searchlight will provide live coverage of the meeting, beginning at 10 a.m. Follow below the article.

The Tehama County Sheriff's Office and Health Services Agency are asking for the authority to make inmates take medications for severe mental problems if they've been declared incompetent in court.

On Tuesday both agencies will ask the Board of Supervisors to declare the jail a mental health treatment facility. That would allow it to administer psychiatric medications to improve an inmate's mental state so their criminal case can move along without a court order, said sheriff's Lt. Yvette Borden.

"It's not going to be someone who's arrested for DUI and held over the weekend," she said. "This is for the person who's awaiting trial, deemed unfit and needs to go to a (psychiatric) facility."

Under the proposal, Tehama County jail staff would still have to have a doctor and a psychiatrist approve treatment, but a court order wouldn't be necessary for someone who was declared incompetent to stand trial, Borden said.

Doing so brings up questions of due process, though someone who is incompetent to stand trial likely also isn't able to make medical decisions, said James Preis, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Mental Health Advocacy Services, which provides legal services for people with mental health needs.

Instead, the problem is one that Los Angeles and many other communities also are encountering: Too many inmates need scarce intense mental health services.

Many jails, he said, have become de-facto psychiatric hospitals, even if they're not equipped for that purpose.

"This is not a new phenomenon. I think that for many, many years, law enforcement has been the backup for a failed social service system," he said.

Psychiatric hospitals offer a "robust array of services" beyond medication, said Anne Hadreas, supervising attorney with Disability Rights California's mental health group.

"The idea of just doing medication is insufficient to bring about real restoration," she said. Those with mental health needs make up a far larger share of those in custody than the general population, she said.

How many people in the Tehama County Jail have a mental illness isn't clear, Borden said. However, currently the Tehama County Sheriff's Office has 17 individuals somewhere in the process of being declared incompetent and being stabilized by a psychiatric hospital. Only three of them, however, have been admitted to such a facility.

"Each day they go without treatment, their mental health is going downhill," she said. "... Sometimes placement in some place like Napa (State Hospital) takes months, and here they're languishing without treatment."

The Tehama County Jail does contract with Health Services for mental health treatment and includes an around-the-clock phone line for inmates to the county's mental health crisis center, though that facility cannot dispense medications and is not secured.

A secure mental health hospital, Restpadd, has been proposed in Red Bluff to take those experiencing a mental health crisis for a 72-hour hold. Borden said she thinks the facility is needed.

Addressing the mental health issues of inmates should include a range of options, such as short-term facilities with intermediate-level security and a full offering of psychiatric treatments, Hadreas said. Those options also are typically less expensive, she said.

"What we've found is it becomes very black-and-white for a lot of people: If we can't get a bed at a state hospital, (the inmate) has to stay at the jail," she said. "We do have to do something about making treatment more humane."

Jails' environments also aren't conducive to recovery from a severe mental health crisis like those hospitals are, Preis said. Los Angeles is piloting a program to provide housing and either inpatient or intense outpatient treatment for some of its jail inmates. Already around 100 low-level offenders have passed through the system, he said. Felons are not eligible, he said.

That support before and after release is the key to success, Preis said.

"Medications... can take care of the symptoms but can't help you move toward recovery," he said. "That requires working with services  you have to be working on that recovery angle and engagement."
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The United States made a slight improvement on Reporters Without Borders' annual World Press Freedom Index, but the outlook for press freedom is rather bleak for much of the world. The results are "indicative of a climate of fear and tension combined with increasing control over newsrooms by governments and private-sector interests," the Paris-based organization, known as Reporters Sans Frontieres in its native French, concluded.

Finland topped the list for the sixth straight year, followed by the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand. Eritrea ranked last, and was joined at the bottom of the list of 180 nations by North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria and China.

The United States ranked in the second tier, coming in at 41st. That is up eight spots from last year, aided by the Justice Department ending its harassment of New York Times reporter James Risen, who for seven years had refused to reveal his sources for material about a botched CIA operation in Iran reported in his book "State of War."

"The main cause of concern for RSF continues to be the current administration's obsessive control of information, which manifests itself through the war on whistleblowers and journalists' sources, as well as the lack of government transparency, which reporters have continually criticized," RSF avowed. "The Obama administration has prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all previous administrations combined."

As RSF's analysis attests, President Barack Obama's now infamous boast in February 2013 that "This is the most transparent administration in history" has proven to be a farce.

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost," Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1786. We ignore these prescient words and tolerate government encroachments of our privacy and our freedom of speech at our peril. If we cannot express unpopular views, pose uncomfortable questions and, especially, criticize our own government and political leaders without intimidation or fear of reprisal, what hope do we have of keeping government honest and preserving our individual liberties?The Orange County Register
Cinco de Mayo isn't a sprint. No, the holiday (which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, when the Mexican army defeated the French in 1862, in case that history lesson is a bit fuzzy) is a marathon. To help celebrate, Chicago bars and restaurants have pulled out the stops on unique freebies, drink deals and tequila-fueled shenanigans. We created a suggested schedule to get you through the dayfrom free tacos for breakfast to lunch at Rick Bayless' new joint to an evening bar crawl with live music. You might want to take Friday off, Chicago.

As a friendly reminder, please don't drink and drive on Cinco de Mayo. Or any day of the week, for that matter. To help get you to and fro on Thursday, we've offered the best public transit routes to keep your holiday safe and easy.

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Big Star breakfast tacos

9 a.m. || Free breakfast tacos at Big Star

1531 N. Damen Ave. 773-235-4039

Get there: Blue Line or 50, 72 and 56 buses

Wicker Park neighbors Big Star and Dove's Luncheonette are kicking off the holiday in style by launching three breakfast tacos at the taqueria's to-go window. Anddrumroll pleasehungry commuters can try them for free Thursday morning while supplies last. Choices include the Migas Taco, with tortilla chips, salsa, egg, pickled red onion and queso fresco; the Huevos con Carne Taco, with grilled steak, peppers, onion, eggs and salsa; or the Chorizo Verde Taco, with crispy potatoes, green chorizo and eggs. Dark Matter coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice will also be available for purchase. Don't stress if a morning taco break isn't in the cards today. Big Star will be offering the specialty tacos ($3-$4) from 9-11 a.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 9-11 a.m.

Pineapple habanero margaritas at Beatrix (Anjali M. PInto )

Noon || Lunch with half-price margaritas at Beatrix

519 N. Clark St. 312-284-1377 and 671 N. St. Clair 312-642-0001

Get there: Both locations are located near Red Line stops

Cinco de Mayo calls for a little afternoon delight, and both Beatrix locations are offering 50 percent off pineapple-habanero margs ($5.50, normally $11) made with tequila, hellfire bitters, pineapple and lime juices and simple syrup. Stop in for a midday sipper or super-early happy hour. We won't tell your boss. 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

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4 p.m. || Opening day snack at Cruz Blanca

904 W. Randolph St. 312-733-1975

Get there: Green and Pink Lines or 20 bus

The latest addition to the Rick Bayless outfit, the West Loop brewery and taqueria opens its doors just in time for the holiday with six brews on tap ($3-$7), from Smokey Alley dry-hopped smoke wheat ale inspired by Oaxaca's taco district to Winnow chocolate porter made with cocoa beans from Xoco. Chow down on taco plates ($12-$14), including beef tasajo cured flank steak and garlic-agave-portobello mushroom, and snacks and sides ($3-$5), such as avocado salsa and Oaxacan peanuts. 4-11 p.m.

6 p.m. || BYOT at El Carrito

6019 N. Lincoln Ave. 872-208-3260

Get there: 11 and 84 buses

Round up the troops and head to the 1-year-old Mexican restaurant in West Rogers Park for half-price tacos and a unique BYOB deal. Guests who spend more than $25 on dine-in orders (not hard with mole fries and churro bites on the menu) will be rewarded with a complimentary bottle of margarita mix. And with Foremost Liquors located just down the street, it's easy to bring your own tequila for tableside mixing. Carryout diners and Netflix bingers, you can still take advantage of the half-price deal on tacos if you'd rather celebrate at home. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

8 p.m. || $8 margaritas at Mezcaleria Las Flores

3149 W. Logan Blvd. 773-278-2215

Get there: Blue Line or 56 and 76 buses

What's one more margarita? Logan Square's new mezcal bar is serving $8 classic margs made with tequila, fresh lime juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup and a salt garnish. Or go with the namesake spirit and try one of the tasty mezcal cocktails or sipping mezcals served in 1-ounce copitas. Owner Jay Schroeder will be on hand to chat about the Mexican spirit. Pro tip: Ask him about the clay pots and gourds he uses for glassware. 5 p.m.-2 a.m. No cover.

10 p.m. || Dos Equis Trolley Crawl at Lotties Pub

1925 W. Cortland Ave. 773-489-0738

Get there: Blue Line or 50 and 73 buses

Hop on and off a free trolley between three Pioneer Tavern Group bars on this annual crawl with $3.50 Dos Equis and $5 pours of Don Julio tequila at each stop. Lotties Pub, which serves as the headquarters, also offers tequila sampling and $3 tacos. At Frontier (1072 N. Milwaukee Ave.), take advantage of $3 pulled boar tacos and $8 speciality cocktails. Catch live music from MP3 Amigos at The Pony Inn (1638 W. Belmont Ave.) while sipping $5 margaritas and chowing down on $2 walking tacos and $3 specialty tacos. The trolley runs every 30 minutes between all three locations. 7 p.m.midnight. No cover. RSVP to freetrolley@pioneertaverngroup.com.
'The single biggest theme we are looking at is earnings visibility where you will see least amount of earnings downgrades.'

Premium valuations and lack of big triggers will weigh on Indian equity markets in the near term, believes Mahesh Nandurkar, bottom, left, India Strategist, CLSA. In a conversation with Sheetal Agarwal, he talks about the earnings, foreign institutional investor inflows and overall market outlook. Excerpts:

Do you believe the recent rally in markets is sustainable?

We dont think so. We believe that there have been a few triggers for the markets over the past two to three months, such as a reasonably good Budget, decent monsoon forecast and the US Federal Reserves dovish statement in February.

So, the market has had a decent run. But, going forward, I dont see any big positive triggers for the market. In fact, I think there could be a few sentiment dampeners.

Of late, there has been some excitement around the high frequency indicators, which have improved quite a bit. As we go into May or June, many of these will soften as the base effect normalises.

Also, the earnings expectations are still high and we will still see some earnings downgrades. We believe the Sensex could give five to seven per cent returns over the next 12 months.

Are the Indian markets over-priced?

By consensus estimates, the Nifty trades at 16.1 times earnings on a one-year forward basis. This is an 11-12 per cent premium to past 10 years' average of about 14.5 times on unrealistically high growth expectations.

As against 23 per cent earnings growth expectations, if you look at a more realistic picture of 14-15 per cent, then 16.1 becomes 17.5 times, which is a higher premium and does not look sustainable to me.

The fair valuation should be 15-15.5 times, which is average valuation plus some premium on account of corporate profitability bouncing back from its lows. But, it is still a de-rating from current levels.

Are we at the bottom of the earnings downgrade cycle?

Downgrades this year will be lower than last year. The market seems to be expecting 23 per cent earnings growth from Sensex companies in FY17 and reality will be closer to 15 per cent. So, it is still a downgrade.

Which sectors will drive earnings?

The effect of a low base in earnings will play out in FY17. Earnings growth will look up for companies that reported very badly last year. Corporate banks, for instance, because last year in the December and March quarters, they took big write-offs, driven by the Reserve Bank's asset quality review.

That is not going to happen again next year. Non-performing asset ratios will still rise in FY17 over FY16 but the pace will be much lower. Similarly, health care companies had to do acquisitions-related write-offs in FY16 and will benefit in FY17, due to a very low base.

The numbers will be good to some extent from cement companies as well. A lot of this, though, is base effect-driven and appears unsustainable.

What are the key investment themes in this market?

The single biggest theme we are looking at is earnings visibility where you will see least amount of earnings downgrades. Apart from that, disruption is a big theme and is not restricted to e-commerce.

For e.g, a Patanjali trying to disrupt the consumer goods space space or Amazon web services having some negative impact on information technology companies. If there is a new entrant on the telecom side, then existing players will get impacted.

You will see a lot of this disruption. We need to see to what extent these companies will get disrupted. Where you will see the least amount of disruption would be relatively safer bets.

How does India stack up vis-a-vis other emerging markets?

In 2016 so far, India has under-performed all other EMs, except China. With some rebound in commodities, the commodity-driven markets benefit more than us. But, on a structural basis, my talks with most investors suggest India remains a more attractive bet for the longer run as compared to Brazil, Russia.

Indian markets have seen healthy FII inflows in 2016 so far. Is this sustainable?

While India has seen inflows, the other markets have seen larger inflows. Its a global risk-on and India has had its own share in that.

At the international level, at some point the markets will start questioning the efficacy of central banking actions. We did see the impact of that earlier, when the Bank of Japan cut rates deeper into negative territory but local Japanese markets actually collapsed. Something similar happened in the case of the European Central Bank.

This tendency will increase, which is a global risk for emerging equity markets, including India. In this context, I believe the possibility of these flows sustaining is low.
The change may give secure creditors the first right to auction an asset in order to recover the dues.

Image: The government is setting up a central registry for lodging records of multiple loans given to same parties. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

In a bid to expedite non-performing assets (NPAs) recovery, the government is trying to make debt recovery tribunals online and enable non-institutional investors to buy asset reconstruction companies security receipts.

The government will introduce two Bills to amend The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (Sarfaesi) Act, 2002, and the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions (DRT) Act, 1993, in the current session of Parliament.

The amendment to the DRT Act will strengthen these tribunals and focus on improving the existing infrastructure, including the computerised processing of court cases to support reduction in the number of hearings and faster disposal of cases.

The DRT will become the countrys first online court, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said in March, at the second edition of Gyan Sangam. Changes in the Sarfaesi law will enable non-institutional investors to invest in security receipts issued by asset reconstruction companies (ARCs,) which buy bad loans from banks at a discount.

In case of corporate bond defaults, the changes will allow bond and debenture trustees to use provisions of Sarfesi Act as well.



So far only banks and financial institutions can use these rules in bond default cases.

The change may give secure creditors the first right to auction an asset in order to recover the dues.



This may take precedence over state laws. The amendment would also aim at reducing the number of adjournments so that litigation time is reduced.



Besides, the government is setting up a central registry for lodging records of multiple loans given to same parties.



We have got inter-ministerial approval for amendment of Sarfesi Act and DRT laws. It will help make recoveries faster for banks, said a finance ministry official.
Labour unions, with a history of hostility towards management, are pushing back on Coal India's plans, fearing modernization and outsourcing will hit jobs.

Image: State-run Coal India Ltd, the world's biggest coal miner, has already doubled output growth since Modi came to power two years ago. Photograph: Reuters

Plans by India's coal monopoly to buy billions of dollars of new machinery and outsource work are facing resistance from powerful unions worried about job losses, in a potential blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to bring electricity to all.

State-run Coal India Ltd, the world's biggest coal miner, has already doubled output growth since Modi came to power two years ago, owing to the removal of hurdles to production like environmental clearances and land acquisition.

The increase turned coal shortages at India's power plants to oversupply, making it one of the administration's biggest successes.

The next phase of restructuring the notoriously inefficient behemoth is likely to be harder, however, and is crucial to the government's ambition to sell 10 percent of the $27 billion company to raise funds for further growth and investment.

New Delhi also wants to double annual output to 1 billion tonnes by 2019/20 to meet future demand, and to do that it must radically increase productivity.

Coal India's output-per-man shift is estimated at one-eighth of Peabody Energy Corp, the world's largest private coal producer that recently filed for bankruptcy protection.

Already, labour unions, with a history of hostility towards management, are pushing back on Coal India's plans, fearing modernization and outsourcing will hit jobs, said leaders of two unions that cover a majority of the company's 371,000 employees.

Strikes, sometimes every few months, have disrupted output, although under Modi the unions have been more cooperative.

"High-tech mining will mean fewer job opportunities for labourers and no job guarantee for existing employees," said Baij Nath Rai, president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which says it represents 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors.

"We strongly protest this, and have already taken up the issue with the government. They will not dare do anything if there is a strong protest."

The BMS's view is likely to carry extra weight, as it is loosely affiliated with the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the ideological parent of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Coal India unit says outsourcing works

Rai said Piyush Goyal, minister for power, coal and renewable energy, had been trying to convince unions to play along with the reforms.

Early last year, the unions planned a strike to protest against moves to open up the coal sector to private firms and sell a 10 percent stake.

But they called off a five-day stoppage on its second day after Goyal formed a committee to look into their concerns so that they "do not have to go on strike again".

Coal India officials also say they constantly talk to workers on various issues, but union leaders, including BMS's Rai, said they would resist any move deemed "anti-labourer".

"The government is doing this slowly, so that there is not much protest all of a sudden," said D.D. Ramanandan of the All India Coal Workers Federation, which says it represents more than 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors.

"We have consistently opposed this policy and will sit together with all the unions to decide the future course of action," Ramanandan said.

Federal Coal Secretary Anil Swarup and several senior Coal India officials said the company planned to push ahead.

It wants to spend billions of dollars over the next few years, including around $1.3 billion this year, to buy equipment and expand mines, where workers often use shovels and picks to dig for coal underground, one of the officials said.

The company also plans to stop filling most vacancies arising from retirements over the next three years, and outsource more mining to private companies, the officials added.

"Outsourcing helps in more ways than one," Swarup told Reuters.

"If they bring in efficient technology, because they are paid for that, it will make the people in Coal India understand they too can become more efficient."

The government's production and productivity plans have drawn support from the London-based World Coal Association, a trade group of coal producers and mining equipment makers.

Coal India's equipment orders, some already placed, are a bright spot for machinery makers such as U.S. firm Caterpillar, Japan's Komatsu and India's Larsen & Toubro, at a time when most miners are scaling back production amid a global supply glut.

Coal India unit Mahanadi Coalfields pioneered outsourcing of mining work a few years ago and is now the company's biggest producer and fastest growing unit.

Deepak Srivastava, Mahanadi's chief vigilance officer, said around 90 percent of the unit's mining work is done by contractors who have performed better than in-house miners.

The ratio is much lower for other Coal India units but will increase, he added.

Swarup, who has overseen an overhaul of Coal India's anti-theft and monitoring systems this year, said he hoped the push for efficiency and extensive use of machines would help attract investors if the government were to sell a stake.

"We keep doing our job in terms of increasing production and productivity and improving quality," Swarup said.

"Our assumption is that once you do that shareholders would be interested."
India continues to rank as the third top source of overall malicious activity including spam, malware, phishing hosts and bots

Even as Indian enterprises are increasingly going online, there has been a notable uptick in the number of attacks, especially targeting the small and medium businesses as most of them are not well protected.

According to a recent report by security software firm Symantec, November 2015 was most vulnerable month for India Inc when, on an average, 2.5 targeted attacks took place every day.

There has been a steady rise in attacks targeting businesses with less than 250 employees, in the past five years. In 2015, one in two attacks (52 per cent) were aimed at small businesses in India, proving that companies of all sizes are at risk. Attackers motivated purely by profit can be just as technically sophisticated and well-organised as any nation state-sponsored attacker.

India also continues be one of the top sources of cyber attacks. In 2015, the country ranked 18th as a source of spam, an improvement considering that it ranked sixth in 2014. It, however, continues to rank as the third top source of overall malicious activity including spam, malware, phishing hosts and bots.

Some of the factors that are propelling this include large young population, millions of mobile connections and rapid adoption of cloud and integration of information and communications technology in critical infrastructure.

The report reveals how lucrative India is for cyber criminals, said Tarun Kaura, director (solution product management) for Asia-Pacific and Japan at Symantec.

In fact, India is the second most favoured destination for ransomware in Asia with the average number of attacks increasing 114 per cent to 15 per hour. Almost 10 per cent of these attacks were crypto-ransomware, posing a threat to consumers and enterprises alike.

The government is also looking to increase cyber security in the country to protect people and enterprises from cyber terrorism. It is in the process of recruiting, on contractual basis, cyber security experts and partner with top international cyber security firms.

In December 2014, an expert group constituted by the home ministry submitted its report on Roadmap for Effectively Tackling Cyber Crimes in the Country after examining the global best practices.

As a result of all this, cyber security is also fast becoming a major growth area for Indian industry. According to industry body Nasscom, it would be a major revenue and job creator for the country going forward. By 2020, it has projected the cyber security sector to fetch revenues of $35 billion apart from creating a million new jobs.

We estimate cyber security is $2.5-3 billion or about two per cent of the $150-billion Indian information technology (IT) sector. With the IT sector on track to reaching $350 billion by 2025, we estimate 10 per cent of this to come from cyber security, Rajendra Pawar, chair, Nasscom Cyber Security Task Force, said recently.

Cyber threat

India 3rd biggest source of malicious activity online

In 2015, a large business attacked once was likely to be attacked again; risk of attack for a small business was six times more

India records 15 ransomware attacks per hour

Every 6th social media scam impacts an Indian

Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters
Prashant Kishor, the brain behind Narendra Modi's triumph in 2014 and Nitish Kumar's win in 2015, has been signed up by the Congress to ensure victory in next year's UP assembly election.

Amulya Ganguli believes the UP results will not bode well for the political wizard.

Prashant Kishor's successful run as a whiz kid of the election scene may be coming to an end.

While his ability to ensure Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar cross the finishing line with aplomb in 2014 and 2015 may have endowed him with an aura of invincibility hindsight suggests that those successes were waiting to happen.

In the first case, Modi was the sole player in an empty field in 2014 since -- as is now apparent -- his main opponent, the scam-tainted and policy paralysed Congress had given up the ghost even before the ballots were counted.

However, by the time Prashant Kishor crossed the field to join the Nitish Kumar camp, Modi had already started losing his sheen, so much so that the Bihar chief minister had little difficulty in getting the better of the prime minister.

By attributing these two successes to Prashant Kishor and choosing him as its friend, philosopher and guide for next year's UP elections, the Congress has only revealed its dearth of political instincts.

Mesmerised by his own achievements, the electoral 'genius' too has taken on what may well prove to be a veritable 'mission impossible.'

For no matter how carefully charts and graphs are prepared and caste calculations are tallied it will be extremely difficult to sell a tired, jaded, outfit led by an unintelligent feudal family to the voters.

The Congress' best performance in recent years in UP was in 2009 when it won 20 of the 80 parliamentary seats.

The party gained in that year from what can be called the Manmohan Singh wave since, as the Modi government's chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian recently pointed out the country saw the fastest-ever decline in the rate of poverty between 2005-2006 and 2011-2012.

The Congress jump from 145 seats in 2004 to 206 in 2009 was the result of the buoyant economic scene. Little wonder then that the effect was felt in UP as it did all over the country.

Now the scene is different.

There is no evidence that the economic decline which began towards the end of Manmohan Singh's tenure, thanks to Sonia Gandhi's profligate populist initiatives, which hampered the growth rate, has been effectively reversed.

The Congress is still seen as anti-growth, stalling the Goods and Services Tax Bill and amendments to the land law.

Moreover, while Sonia is apparently not in the best of health, Rahul Gandhi has clearly not lived up even to the expectations of the sycophants in the party.

That is why his anointment as party president has been repeatedly put off.

He has also given no inkling of where he stands in matters relating to the economy or foreign policy.

Evidently, he is still a dilettante, clueless about the affairs of the nation and the world.

As a follower of his mother's and grandmother Indira Gandhi's faux socialism, Rahul is seen as anti-industry, against those who wear suits and boots.

Hence, the Congress' renewed susceptibility to introducing quotas in the private sector, which will spell doom for the economic scene.

For Prashant Kishor to turn around this lumbering juggernaut which wants to take the country back to the pre-1991 period will be a miracle if only because large sections of the middle class still have faith in Modi's pro-development policies.

There is little doubt that if Modi can rein in the Hindutva brigade, the Bharatiya Janata Party will forge ahead with greater speed.

In UP, the scene will be complicated by the entry of Nitish Kumar's new band of warriors, comprising his own Janata Dal-United, Laloo Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal and Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.

The Congress too is expected to be a part of this khichdi (hotchpotch) as the 131-year-old party clamours to retain its relevance.

For Prashant Kishor, enabling the Congress somehow to stay afloat in the turbulent political waters cannot be a success story.

All that he can hope for is that the confusion created by the presence of so many parties -- the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the BJP and Nitish Kumar's group -- will hide his failures vis-a-vis the Congress.

For the latter, it is the last throw of the dice.

The Congress' hopes and prayers will be that the anti-incumbency factors affecting Modi on one hand and the Samajwadi Party on the other will enable it to win a few seats.

It is clear, however, that Prashant Kishor will be nowhere near repeating his earlier massive wins.

Nonetheless, he deserves at least two cheers for having the guts to take on such a challenging task.

Amulya Ganguli is a Delhi-based political commentator.
IMAGE: Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar with his Pakistan counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.

Pakistan's holy trinity -- its government, military establishment and the ISI -- differ on domestic and foreign policy issues.

So when India talks to the Pakistani political leadership it can't be sure that the promises can be delivered, says Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).

India hosted the The Heart of Asia Senior Officials Meeting in New Delhi on April 26 and the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan get another opportunity to restart the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue between the countries, which has been stalled for sometime.

On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stopped over at Lahore on his way back from Kabul to wish Nawaz Sharif, his Pakistani counterpart, a happy birthday. Apparently an impromptu decision, it was also historic to say the least against the backdrop of the sub-continent's geopolitics.

The initiative was bold on the part of both leaders, and an absolute bolt from the blue for anyone who follows the repeated attempts to hold a meaningful dialogue between the two nations.

The opportunity that the two leaders had created received a huge blow from the terror attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot on January 2. The Indian side concluded that the attacks were masterminded from Pakistani territory and conducted by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists led by Masood Azhar.

Although seemingly derailed, the hopes of the talks being resumed received a shot in the arm when Pakistan declared emphatically that it would cooperate in the Pathankot investigation. A Pakistani investigating team visited India, only for the Pakistani media to announce immediately on its return that the team had concluded that the attacks were orchestrated by the Indians themselves.

At the very best, such a conclusion could be labelled as woefully presumptuous. With the evidence being primarily provided by the Indians, surely they would not have provided self-incriminating material.

Notwithstanding the Pakistani team's observations, there was still some hope of the talks going ahead. After all, this was not the first time that India had blamed the powers that be in Pakistan for a terrorist attack on its soil.

A few days later the Pakistani high commissioner to India stated that the peace talks were 'suspended.' All hopes of the talks progressing were shelved.

It would be relevant to digress at this point and recall the circumstances for the cancellation of similar talks in New Delhi in August 2015. The Pakistan high commissioner had invited separatist leaders from Jammu and Kashmir for consultations just prior to the talks in spite of being firmly told to desist from such actions. The Pakistani envoy did not budge. The Indian government responded by cancelling the talks.

Globally, such parallels of one country allowing its separatist leaders to meet the ambassador of another country that provides moral and material support to a decades-long insurgency are rare if not non-existent.

To get back to the Pakistan high commissioner's statement that the foreign secretary-level talks were suspended, his statement was contradicted by the Pakistani foreign ministry almost immediately. The impression that the Pakistani foreign office spokesperson conveyed was that the modalities for the talks were being worked out by both countries.

The dichotomy leads to the question was the Pakistan high commissioner in effect informing all and sundry of the Pakistani military headquarters' message that Nawaz Sharif had gone beyond his brief by hosting the Indian prime minister on his birthday. Also stating in the bargain that General Raheel Sharif, the Pakistan army chief, was the man to decide such matters and not his namesake.

That is the problem India faces when it is time for talks with Pakistan. A syndrome best understood when the trinity of powers that rule Pakistan -- its government, military establishment and the Inter-Services Intelligence -- are kept in focus.

The constituents of the trinity have contesting interests and differ in their approach to Pakistan's posture on both domestic and foreign policy issues. So while Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit spoke the language of the Pakistani military establishment, the foreign ministry spokesperson expressed Nawaz Sharif's stance.

The tug of war between the three power centres only draws Pakistan into a more murky state with insurgencies and terror attacks in Pakistan not just confined to its North West Frontier Provinces or Baluchistan, but Karachi, Lahore and Muzaffarabad.

The problem of talking to Pakistan's political leadership without the assurance that what the team sitting across the table promises forming the basis of the Pakistani approach to issues is not one faced by the Indians alone. The Americans surely experience the same scepticism.

Though Nawaz Sharif can assure the American leadership on the course Pakistan will adopt, the deliverables may not be within the Pakistan prime minister's powers to ensure.

The trinity in Pakistan may soon witness an increase in its membership. With the jihadi establishment's writ running in large areas of Pakistan it is possible that this establishment will also find a place at the high table of decision making, by virtue of its grip on the State complemented by the fact that both the Pakistan army and the ISI consider the jihadists a strategic partner.

At the vortex of such a churn lie the nuclear weapons that Pakistan has accumulated. The best organised jihadi groups like Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Tayiba and even Islamic State now have firm roots in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Can they, having crept up to take their place at the high table of decision making, have their sway and extend their reach to pluck a few from the nuclear pile? With the reports of radicalisation within Pakistan's armed forces, shouldn't that be an option India needs to take into account?

We have a cocktail that has the potential to deliver more than the dirty bomb the world has been trying hard to keep away from the jihadis.

Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd) is the Editor-in-Chief, BharatShakti.in
'They plan to purchase votes.'

'We will not purchase people, but win the elections.'

'In our manifesto there are no free gifts. It says what we will do for the people.'

The People's Welfare Front was the first alliance formed in Tamil Nadu for the May 16 assembly election. It initially comprised four parties: The Marumalarchi Dravida Munetra Kazhagam led by Vaiko, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi led by Thol Thirumavalavan and the two Communist parties.

Vijaykanth's Desiya Murpoku Dravida Kazhagam joined the PWF later after which G K Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress came on board. The front has announced that Vijaykanth will be its chief ministerial candidate.

Thol Thirumavalavan, a Chennai lawyer and former MP, took a break from campaigning to speak to A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com

This is the first time a third front has come up against the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. How successful do you think you will be?

The PWF came together on three important points -- abolish corruption, total prohibition and a coalition government in Tamil Nadu.

It will be a successful alliance and we will win. In 1967, history was made by C N Annadurai. He won the elections and threw out the Congress. After 48 years we will make history in this election.

Don't you think that it would have been better if you had also aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Pattali Makkal Katchi?

We had decided that we will have no electoral alliance with the national parties like the Congress and the BJP.

We have to oppose the Congress as there are corruption charges against it and we have to oppose the BJP as it is a communal party.

The PMK is a caste-based party. They have an aversion to Dalits. They take an anti-Dalit stand to polarise voters.

If you win the elections, what would be your priority?

We will enact the Lok Ayukta bill. We will declare total prohibition. Our main agenda can be implemented by a coalition government. We have shared seats to form a coalition government.

Can prohibition be implemented in Tamil Nadu?

Definitely. Nitish Kumar is doing it well in Bihar, so why not in Tamil Nadu? We will find other sources of income for the government.

How are you going to fight the money power of the bigger parties?

That is the main problem of our alliance. We don't have money like them. They are spending lots of money. We are struggling.

They plan to purchase votes. We are working hard. We are going from door to door. We will not purchase people, but win the elections.

Your party is contesting 25 seats, how many do you think you will win?

We are working for a 100 per cent win record. People need change. The younger generation will vote for us.

Are you confident that supporters of the individual parties will vote for the candidates of other parties in your alliance? Will votes be transferred??

We have very good coordination. The cadres of all the six parties are working hard. They have the influence to win the elections.

We have to capture power. All cadres will work hard to achieve this.

What do you think of the free gifts that have been offered to the people of Tamil Nadu by the last two governments?

In our manifesto there are no free gifts. It says what we will do for the people.

We will have a committee with members from all the six parties. This committee will watch, monitor and give guidance to the government.

There will be public audit of all government action. All student and farmer loans will be paid by the government.

How will you prevent caste riots in Tamil Nadu?

We will bring an act against 'honour killing.' We will implement the SC/ST act. There are no convictions under this act in the past few years. We will not encourage any casteist forces.

IMAGE: Thol Thirumavalavan, left, with Captain Vijaykanth. Kind courtesy: ShaNavasChennai/Wikipedia Commons
A Christian family in Bangladesh was on Tuesday attacked by unidentified miscreants who hurled crude bombs at their house, injuring at least two persons, amid growing incidents of deadly assaults on minorities in the country.

The attackers stormed the house in Girjapara of Baghadanga under Damurhuda upazila around midnight while Alam Mondol, head of the family and a cattle trader, was sleeping in the veranda, said Liakat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Damurhuda police station.

The attackers also hurled a crude bomb targeting Alam which left him injured, Prothom Alo newspaper reported.

Hearing the sound of the explosion, locals rushed to spot but by that time, the miscreants exploded three more bombs and escaped. Some reports said that the blasts injured another person also.

Later, the police visited the spot and the injured was admitted to a hospital.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months, especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last Saturday, a liberal professor at Rajshahi University was hacked to death by Islamic State militants. Two days later, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

Image used for representation purpose only
The Bombay high court, while ordering demolition of the multi-storeyed Adarsh housing society in Mumbai, has squarely blamed its members for conspiring with politicians and bureaucrats to grab a plot "which was not in existence" in the development plan as a residential area.

It was "carved out" by eating into a road, it said.

Members of the society happened to be close relatives of highly-placed bureaucrats and or related to politicians or ministers, said a division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Rajesh Ketkar in the 223 page-judgement which became available on Monday.

On April 29, delivering the operating part, the HC had sought criminal proceedings against politicians and bureaucrats for "misuse" of powers, holding that the society, originally meant for Kargil war heroes and war widows, was constructed illegally.

"We are more than satisfied that the allotment was not made in a transparent manner and it clearly smacks of favouritism and/or nepotism," the judgement said.

"It cannot be disputed that bureaucrats and ministers are the custodians of government property....People repose confidence in them that the government property is safe in the hands of bureaucrats and ministers.

"Prima facie, they have dishonestly disposed of the property in violation of law," the bench observed.

"...the bureaucrats and the ministers are guilty of various offences in acquiring the plot as also misuse and/or abuse of powers. We hereby direct the state government to consider initiating appropriate civil/criminal proceedings against the concerned bureaucrats, ministers and politicians," the judges further said.

The lower courts will, however, decide the cases as per the merit and evidence, uninfluenced by HC's observations, it added.

The judges also directed the state government and the Centre to consider departmental inquiry against the officials.

It also directed the ministry of defence to hold an in-depth inquiry to find out the lapses or reasons on the part of its officers for not filing a writ petition in the matter at the earliest.

The court asked the defence ministry to hold an inquiry to find out whether the General Officers Commanding between 1999 and July 13, 2010, namely, Maj General A R Kumar, Maj General V S Yadav, Maj General T K Kaul, Maj General Tejinder Singh and Maj General R K Hooda compromised the security of Colaba military station in return for allotment of flats in Adarsh.

The bench drew on the report of Justice J A Patil Commission, appointed by the state government to probe the role of senior bureaucrats and politicians including former Chief Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan, in the judgement.

On whether clearance from ministry of environment and forests was required, the HC said that considering the object of Environment Protection Act and the Coastal Regulation Zone notifications of 12.11.1997, the clearance of the MoEF or authorities at state level was needed.

"On April 10, 2002, the state government reduced the width of Captain Prakash Pethe Marg from 60.97 metres to 18.40 metres. The area so deleted was included partly in residential among others (for Adarsh society)," the judgement said.

"Without obtaining prior approval of Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, the state government could not have changed the reservation from road to residential."

The high court refused to accept the society's contention that a letter sent by the MoEF to the state urban development department on March 11, 2003, can be held as a clearance for construction from the union ministry.

The letter dated March 15, 2003, written by P V Deshmukh, then deputy secretary of state UDD, to Adarsh society stating that the MoEF had given clearance for construction was "totally uncalled for" and this letter was issued a few days before Deshmukh himself applied for membership in the society, the court noted.

The adjoining BEST plot and the land on which the Adarsh building was constructed were two separate plots, hence the society cannot use the floor space index from the BEST plot, the HC said.

"Petitioners have not obtained environmental clearance either from the MoEF or from state-level agency and we have held that the recommendations of MCZMA are mandatory and environmental clearance is also necessary," the HC said.

"We have come across cases where people by using money or muscle power as also political influence try to secure allotment of land. This case goes one step further," the court observed.

Regarding reduction of the width of Prakash Pethe Marg, the bench referred to Patil Commission's finding that it was not at all in public interest and was meant only to serve the interests of the private society.

Considerations of traffic congestion and security operations of army during emergency were totally ignored, the HC said citing the report.

"Ultimately, the commission findings said that the reduction of the proposed width and change of reservation from road to residential in respect of Capt Prakash Pethe Marg was not in accordance with the provisions of Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act and it was illegal and mala fide," the judges said.

"...no notice was given (as per the act) to the minister of defence which is an affected party by the said modification (in development plan) pertaining to reduction in the width," the HC noted.
Italy will have to return its marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, in case the court finds Indian jurisdiction over the case, the United Nations tribunal said on Tuesday.

Italy and India shall cooperate, including in proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, to achieve a relaxation of the bail conditions of Sergeant Girone so as to give effect to the concept of considerations of humanity, so that Sergeant Girone, while remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, may return to Italy during the present arbitration, the order said.

Girone, along with another Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre, is facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast. Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy in The Hague. The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN court.

The Arbitral Tribunal confirms Italys obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case the Arbitral Tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him in respect of the Enrica Lexie incident, the order said.

It further said that the Arbitral Tribunal has decided that Italy and India each shall report to it on compliance with these provisional measures and authorises the President to seek information from the parties if no such report is submitted within three months from the date of this order and thereafter as he may consider appropriate.

On Monday, Italian Foreign Ministry said that the UN tribunal has ruled in favour of Girone by allowing him to leave for Italy while India maintained that the tribunal left it to the Supreme Court to fix the precise conditions of Girones bail and noted that while the marine may return to Italy during the present arbitration, he would remain under the authority of India's apex court.
The Centre asserted in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the United Nations arbitration tribunals order allowing a murder-accused Italian marine to return home from India pending its proceedings has affirmed the Supreme Courts authority, and not questioned it.

Making a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Finance Arun Jaitley said the tribunal has confirmed Italys obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case Indias jurisdiction over him is established.

The tribunal has also left it to the Supreme Court to fix precise conditions of his bail, he said amid unhappiness expressed by the Congress over the way the case is being handled by the government.

We see the tribunals order not just as a recognition of Indias consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India, said Jaitley, speaking on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is unwell.

Congress members, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a walkout, expressing unhappiness after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow them to ask questions.

Their protests invited criticism from Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who accused Congress of doing so because of the assembly polls in Kerala as media would cover it even though the speaker has expunged their remarks. Its match-fixing, he said.

The two Italian marines are accused of killing two fishermen of Kerala four years ago.

Jaitley said the issue of jurisdiction, which is at the heart of the case, is yet to be even argued before the tribunal and the limited relief given on humanitarian considerations has been made contingent to the clear cut undertakings provided by Italy that Girone will return to India in case its jurisdiction is established.

The tribunal noted that while Italy had earlier made a far-reaching request that, if granted, it would have removed Sergeant Girone entirely from the reach of Indias legal system. This time Italy was only requesting India to relax the bail conditions to enable him to return to Italy.

In doing so, Italy was prepared to accept that he remained under the jurisdiction of the courts if India. In essence, they proposed to change the physical location of Sergeant Girones bail without prejudice to the authority of Indias courts, he said.

The government, Jaitley asserted, strongly believes that India has jurisdiction in the marines case and this position has been and will be our unwavering stance.

As a nation that respects international law, India will pursue its case vigorously before the tribunal and fight for the rights of the victims, he told the Lok Sabha.

The tribunal has prescribed that India and Italy will approach the Supreme Court for relaxation of bail conditions of Girone who, while remaining under the courts authority, may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration, he noted.

He assured the House that the government in due course will approach the court for its directions on the matter.

The tribunal also placed on record undertakings given by Italy in regard to Sergeant Girones return to India. India is assured unequivocally and with legally-binding effect that he will return to India in case of a tribunal finding that we have jurisdiction over him in case of the incident concerned.

It noted that Italys undertakings constitute an obligation binding upon it under international law... The tribunal considers that provisional measures should not alter the situation where the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over Sergeant Girone, Jaitley said.

He noted that the case has been contested in various courts since 2012 and the two Italian marines obtained bail in the same year.

The bail conditions have been relaxed on numerous occasions and India's jurisdiction in the case has been challenged by Italy since the occurrence of the incident, he said.

Members would recall that we even had a situation where the sovereign undertaking given by Italy to the Supreme Court of India was sought to be repudiated, he said.
Voicing concern over the forest fires raging in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday it was shocked that everybody was taking the issue so casually and issued show cause notices to both the states.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the ministry of environment and forests as to what they have done in the matter to control the situation.

What have you (MoEF) done regarding the fire? It shocks us. Everybody is taking it so casually, the bench said.

Responding to the query, the counsel appearing for MoEF said that the entire team of officials concerned was working on the issues and choppers of Indian Air Force have also been deployed in the ongoing firefighting operations.

To this, the bench asked Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh state governments, What is your preparedness to prevent such incidents?

The bench, however, asked the advocates for these states to take instructions on this issue.

Issue notices to the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to show cause about the forest fires that have occurred in both the states, the bench said, adding that the concerned secretaries would file their affidavits in this regard on the next date of hearing on May 10.

The green panel also directed them to inform it about the preventive steps taken by them prior to the fire incident and also about the forest management plans.

We want to know the cause of fire, the bench said.

The observations came while the NGT was hearing arguments on the petition filed by an NGO against alleged unregulated operation of rafting camps in Rishikesh and other areas on the banks of river Ganga.

Massive forest fires have engulfed a large part of areas in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

In Uttarakhand, two IAF choppers and over 10,000 personnel have been deployed in the firefighting operations. The Centre has claimed that situation in the state was under control.

Forest area of over 3,000 hectares have been blighted in Uttarakhand due to the fire.
Pakistan on Tuesday said it will buy F-16 jets from other countries if the United States failed to provide agreed funds, amid reports that the State Department expressed inability to fund the $700 million (Rs 465 crore) deal with American taxpayers money.

The prime ministers advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said that the Congressional blockade may force it to turn to other countries.

Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from the US) is not arranged, Aziz said at a seminar.

The two nations had agreed on $700 million deal under which Pakistan was to pay $270 million (Rs 179 crore) from its national funds to purchase eight F-16s while the US was supposed to finance the rest of the amount from its Foreign Military Financing fund.

But Congress has refused to approve the funding, leaving the deal in limbo, as cash-starved Pakistan may not be able to make the entire payment.

Earlier, at a Congressional hearing, US lawmakers made it clear that they would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the deal.

Last Friday, a State Department official said Congress had placed a hold on the deal, forbidding the administration from using US funds for enabling Pakistan to buy the planes.

And on Monday, the department confirmed that Pakistan will have to use its own funds if it wants the planes.

Aziz said F-16s was an effective tool to fight militancy and it can be replaced by JF-17 Thunder jets, locally produced.

He expressed concern at the growing military power of India and said if it isn't checked, Pakistan will be forced to increase its strategic power too.

The international community should avoid steps which may disturb the strategic balance in South Asia, he said.
Senior Pakistani leadership knew that Osama bin Laden was hiding at a compound in Abbottabad but the United States has not been able to get any proof of it so far, Hillary Clinton, the then secretary of state, has said.

Clinton, was the top adviser to President Barack Obama on the decision to kill al-Qaeda leader and world's most dreaded terrorist bin Laden on May 2, 2011.

In an interview broadcast on Monday on CNN, the 68-year-old Democratic presidential frontrunner said it was "just too much of a coincidence... that unusual-looking house would be built in that community near the military academy, surrounded by retired military professionals even though we could not prove it.

"There was never any evidence that we could uncover, that led directly to the top of the Pakistani military and intelligence service. I believe Pakistanis knew," she said.

CNN said Clinton will have to evaluate what is needed to continue the fight against al-Qaeda should she take the White House.

But Obama's aides stressed that the next commander-in- chief will for sure need a blend of the fine-grained intelligence work and surgical force that defined the lethal 2011 strike against al-Qaeda's mastermind, it said.

The US Navy Seals' raid killed bin Laden in 2011 at his compound in Abbottabad town near Pakistan army's elite training school.

Bin Laden was the founder of al-Qaeda, the group that claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Image: Policemen and residents stand near while demolition work is carried out on the building where bin Laden was killed by US special forces in Abbottabad. Photograph: Sultan Dogar/Reuters
The National Audubon Society has announced the winners of its 2016 photography awards. The society which has dedicated itself to the appreciation of birds, received nearly 7,000 images, to which more than 1,700 participants contributed, competing in five different categories.

Have a look at the best bird photos of the 2016 Audubon Photography Awards.

Category: Professional, Grand Prize Winner

Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron

This striking image by Bonnie Block was chosen as the grand prize winner. It shows a swooping bald eagle and great blue herons feasting on fish in Seabeck, Washington. Photograph: Bonnie Block/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Fine Art

Green Violetear

Barbara Driscoll won for fine art with this photo of a green violetear hummingbird in Costa Rica. The bird was trying to dry out after rain. Photograph: Barbara Driscoll/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Amateur, Honourable Mention

Black-winged Stilt

Artur Stankiewicz's photo of a black-winged stilt shot near Skala Kallonis on Lesbos Island, Greece was named the Amateur honourable mention. Photograph: Artur Stankiewicz/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Youth Winner

Great Frigatebird

Carolina Anne Fraser won the youth category for this dramatic image of great frigatebirds in the Galapagos. "The rocking boat, as well as the heat and brilliant Galapagos sun were a challenge, but I braced myself, checked my settings, and focused on the birds behavior," she writes. Photograph: Carolina Anne Fraser/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Amateur, Honourable Mention

Common Raven

Colleen Gara's shot of two common ravens in Alberta, Canada was another Amateur honourable mention. Photograph: Colleen Gara/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Professional Winner

Osprey

Dick Dickinson's photograph of an Osprey's wing taken in Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida, was the Professional winner. Photograph: Dick Dickinson/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Amateur Winner

Eared Grebe

Steve Torna won the amateur category for this image of migrating eared grebes in Yellowstone Lake. "I was drawn to their bright-red eyes, their golden 'ears,' and the way the flock created a colorful natural pattern," writes Torna. Photograph: Steve Torna/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Amateur , Honourable Mention

Piping Plover

Martin V Sneary won honourable mention, amateur, for this photo of piping plovers on a Massachussetts beach. Photograph: Martin V Sneary/Audubon Photography Awards

Category: Fine Art, Honourable Mention

Turkey Vulture

Blake Shaw's shot of a turkey vulture near San Felipe in Baja California, Mexico, was a Fine Art honourable mention choice. Photograph: Blake Shaw/Audubon Photography Awards
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, is all set to be expelled from the Rajya Sabha as Chairman Hamid Ansari on Tuesday turned down his resignation on procedural grounds.

"Hamid Ansari, Chairman, Rajya Sabha does not accept the resignation of Vijay Mallya. Secretary General, Rajya Sabha writes to Sh. Mallya that his resignation letter does not conform to prescribed procedures and does not bear signature in original.

"As per Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine," Ansari's officer on special duty to Gurdeep Singh Sappal said on Twitter quoting from the secretary general's letter.

From his abode in Britain, Mallya had sent a scanned copy of the resignation to Ansari letter in a bid to avoid expulsion saying he did not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in mud".

"And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya had said a day before the Ethics panel was all set to recommend his expulsion.

Sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat said that Mallya's signature was scanned and did not satisfy the rules.

The ethics committee of the Upper House headed by Karan Singh, which met on Tuesday, also pointed to the "wrong procedure" while rejecting the resignation, the sources said.

The panel members also expressed dissatisfaction with his reply about his loan default.

Panel members were of the view that Mallya's action was "unbecoming" of a Rajya Sabha MP.

The sources said the panel will submit its report before the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

A motion has to be introduced in the House and approved by it for termination of the membership of any MP.

This is Mallya's second term in Rajya Sabha and it would have otherwise come to an end on July 1.

After the meeting, panel Chairman Singh, however, declined to divulge the details saying that being the head of the committee it will not be appropriate for him to announce a decision taken in its meeting.

Mallya had on Monday faxed his resignation to Hamid Ansari a day before the ethics committee had to take a decision on recommending his expulsion, an issue which was unanimously decided in the panel's last meeting on April 25.

Pressed further, Karan Singh, however, said the decision that was taken in the meeting today was also unanimous.

Asked whether the panel has any room left now to take up the matter when Mallya has already resigned, Singh said "of course there is room. He is still a member of the House until it (the resignation) is accepted."

In his resignation letter, Mallya had said that he received a letter by panel Chairman Karan Singh regarding "purported default" by Mallya in the "repayment of bank loans", which have "not been reflected" in his declaration of assets and liabilities.

Appending a copy of his reply to Karan Singh, Mallya, had, however, asserted,"the allegations against me are blatantly false and baseless".

"I am shocked that the department of financial services, ministry of finance, government of India has provided factually wrong information to a Parliament committee," he had added.

The committee had sought details of the liabilities on Mallya's airline Kingfisher from 13 banks, which furnished their replies according to which the total liability on Mallya's company is Rs 9431.65 crore. Of this, IDBI's liability alone is Rs 1687.04 crores followed by Punjab National Bank's Rs 1223 crore.

The committee decided to crack the whip on the ground that Mallya never declared these liabilities in the last ten years, which a member is supposed to do annually.

The Enforcement Directorate had a fortnight back written to 17 banks and a clutch of probe agencies to prepare a water-tight case against Mallya who is being probed for money laundering charges in the IDBI alleged loan fraud case.

In a step closer to initiating his deportation, the government had over a week ago revoked the passport of Mallya who is believed to be in the United Kingdom after leaving India on March 2.

According to rules, a member who intends to resign his seat in the Rajya Sabha has to intimate this in writing under his hand addressed to the chairman, his intention to resign his seat in the council.

If a member hands over the letter of resignation to the chairman personally and informs him that the resignation is voluntary and genuine and the chairman has no information or knowledge to the contrary, the chairman may accept the resignation immediately.

If the chairman receives the letter of resignation either by post or through some other person, the chairman may make such an inquiry as he thinks fit to satisfy himself that the resignation is voluntary and genuine.

If the chairman, after making a summary inquiry either himself or through the agency of the Rajya Sabha secretariat or through such other agency as he may deem fit, is satisfied that the resignation is not voluntary or genuine, he shall not accept the resignation.

A member may withdraw his letter of resignation at any time before it is accepted by the chairman.
The forest fires in Uttarakhand, which have devastated acres of green cover in the hills, may have a lasting impact on the Himalayan glaciers and cause them to melt faster, say experts.

In a report published by the Times of India, experts say black carbon from the smog and ash is covering the glaciers, making them more prone to melting.

Water in the rivers is also likely to get very polluted from the effects of this black carbon.

These fires have also raised average temperatures across northern India by 0.2 degree Celsius, which is bound to have a bad effect on monsoons in India.

The glaciers most likely to be affected by this are the ones situated at low altitudes, like Gangotri, Milam, Sundardunga, Newla and Cheepa. To study the effects of this, a team of scientists from Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development will soon undertake a trip to these glaciers.

The raging fires have caused untold damage and killed five people till date. A police constable who was part of a fire-fighting team was killed on Monday after being hit by a boulder hurtling down the hill.

People in the Uttarakhand and Himachal are also worried about the impact on tourism, which is heaviest in peak summer. Both Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are known for popular hill getaways where there is a real fear of heavy air pollution.
Three people were taken into custody by police for questioning in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman in Ernakulam district that sparked protest marches on Tuesdayu by students and rights activists across Kerala.

The police said the woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28.

No formal arrest has been made yet in the crime that shocked the state and triggering intense politicking ahead of the May 16 assembly polls.

Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav said there were signs of strangulation, smothering and 13 injuries on the woman's neck, chest and at several other places of the body. Some reports said there were around 20 injuries and that the victim's intestines were spilled out.

The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries.

The police said two persons were initially taken into custody and were being questioned by a police team, headed by Yadav. However, it was not yet known whether they are the real culprits.

One more person was taken into custody from Kannur in north Kerala and was being brought to Perumbavoor for questioning, the police said.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described the crime as "shocking" and said the culprits will be brought to book.

"As per our information and as per our investigation, the accused is only one person. Some people have seen one person coming out of the house (of the woman)," Yadav said.

No details of the ongoing investigation have been revealed by the police. The postmortem report is also being awaited.

According to the police, the woman hailing from a poor family was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 pm on the same day by her mother when she returned from work.

Kerala state commission for scheduled caste and tribes registered a suo motu case into the incident and asked the police to submit a report on the progress of the probe by May 28 while the Kerala human rights commission ordered that the probe be handed over to the crime branch.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, state human rights commission chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.

"Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to those who involved into the incident," Chandy said.

Condemning the crime as a 'heinous one', chairman of the state commission for scheduled castes and tribes, Justice P N Vijayakumar told PTI that he has sought formation of a special investigation team to probe the incident.

Women's rights activists and political leaders, cutting across party lines expressed their shock at the murder which they believe was a first of its kind in the state for the sheer brutality of the crime.
The Obama administration has asked Pakistan to put forward its national funds to buy the eight F-16 fighter jets as some top American senators have put a hold on use of the US tax payers money for this purpose.

While Congress has approved the sale, key members have made clear that they object to using foreign military financing to support it. Given Congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose, US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday.

Kirby, however, did not say when this decision was taken and when was it communicated to Pakistan.

On February 11, the State Department had informed the Congress about its determination for selling eight the fighter jets to Pakistan at an estimated cost of $700 million (Rs 4,642 crore). The move was opposed by the Indian government as it summoned the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, to lodge its protest.

Here in the US, top American lawmakers led by Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, put a hold on the sale arguing that it would not let the Obama administration use tax payers money for sale of the fighter jets to Pakistan given that Islamabad was not taking enough action against terrorist organisations, in particular the Haqqani network, and there was continued existence of terrorist safe havens inside its territory.

Several Indian American organisations reached out to lawmakers expressing their concern over such a sale, which they argued is nothing but rewarding a bad actor.

Last week, top American lawmakers during a Congressional hearing openly told the Obama administration that they feared Pakistan would be using these F-16 fighter jets against India and not against terrorists.

However, both the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Pakistan government insisted that the F-16 is an important tool in the fight against terrorism and urged the Congress to remove the hold. The lawmakers stood their ground and told the Obama administration that it will not till the time Pakistan takes tangible action against the Haqqani network.

On the occasion of fifth anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda leader at a safe hideout in Abbottabad on the outskirts of a Pakistan Army garrison town, by American commandos, the US publicly announced that it has asked Pakistan to use its national resources to buy F-16.

In saying so, the US expressed its disappointment over the Congressional hold. Effective engagement with Pakistan, we believe, is critical to promoting the consolidation of democratic institutions and economic stability in supporting the governments counterterrorism activities and capabilities, Kirby said.

As a matter of long-standing principle, the Department of State opposes conditions to the release of appropriated foreign assistance funds. We believe that such conditions limit the president and the secretarys ability to conduct foreign policy in the best interest of the United States, Kirby said.
Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, on Monday, said the fire which destroyed around 2,000 hectares of forest land in Uttarakhand would be put out in the next two days.

Several incidents of forest fire have been reported in the state in the last few weeks. Thousands of firemen have been battling for days to douse the fire.

Teams of National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Air Force have also been deployed to assist the firemen. Javadekar said that the federal and state government was working together to solve the problem.

In the Uttarakhand calamity, the Prime Ministers office and the interior minister worked in tandem and we got help from the defence ministry, the NDRF and our officials from the forest department, who were over 6000, have been battling there. All their combined efforts have resulted in controlling 90 per cent of the fire as of now and in two days the danger will be over, Javadekar said.

Extreme dry weather with no humidity was the reason behind the massive fire, he said.

Meanwhile, the fire which broke out in the forest areas of Bathuni and Gambr in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday was brought under control.

I have talked to the sub-divisional magistrate and they have informed me that our teams are working on the fire which broke out last night. It was a ground fire and we have gained control over it. I have requested them to increase their surveillance teams, said District Magistrate Ravinder Kumar.

Northern India is reeling under severe heat with temperatures rising up to 48 degree Celsius in many parts.

Rising temperatures and prolonged dry spells make forests more vulnerable to catching fire. Forest fire was also reported from Shimla in Himachal Pradesh where flames and thick smoke was seen billowing from dry leaves and grass on fire.

Image: NDRF personnel work around the clock to put out the flames in the Uttarakhand forests. Photograph: PTI
Mayank Mishra reports on how the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has been extending patronage to the ruling party cadre.

"Why should I be afraid of anyone? Gunmen move around with me all the time. Besides, I am the secretary of a local club and I run some schools here," says a Trinamool Congress leader in Bolpur, the home to the prestigious Visva-Bharati University, describing the levers of power he controls, making him an influential leader in the area.

And controlling a 'club', hitherto known to be a place for recreational activities, is one of them.

The nature of clubs has changed in many parts of West Bengal and so has membership in them.

It is not uncommon to find four people playing carrom under a shade even in posh localities of Kolkata, claiming to belong to a club.

The change has come about following the state government's announcement of giving a grant in excess of Rs 100 crore to 7,000-odd clubs last year.

Registered clubs with their audited accounts are eligible to get an annual grant of Rs 2 lakh in the first year and Rs 1 lakh subsequently.

The stated objective, while announcing grant for clubs, was to build 'infrastructure for sporting facilities'. But political observers say it is nothing more than extending patronage to ruling party cadre.

"You will suddenly realise that the number of clubs has suddenly increased. Most of the members of such clubs are TMC workers.

The club is a vehicle for them to spread their influence locally," says a Delhi-based commentator, who has closely tracked West Bengal politics for decades.

Assuming each club has at least 10 members; grant to 7,000 clubs means directly reaching out to nearly 70,000 people. Since many of them are party workers, this group has been extensively used during elections, say political observers.

No wonder that in a recent rally in Kolkata, TMC leader and state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee specially took names of local clubs and wished everyone on Durga Puja six months in advance.

Another recent addition to everyday life in West Bengal has been the introduction of a group of, what is pejoratively described as 'half police'.

Whether it is the sleepy town of Nalhati, historically important Behrampur or metropolitan city of Kolkata, members of civil police volunteer force are omnipresent. In most places, they are entrusted with the task of regulating vehicular traffic.

They brave people's ridicule as they are neither full cops with authority to enforce rules and regulations, nor do they have any authority to issue challans.

"There is a saying that you pay for full pants, not half pants. Half police is like half pant you can ignore and be happy," says Vishwanath Mukherjee, a resident of Paripat village near India-Bangladesh border in North 24 Parganas district.

"We are just supposed to take note of violation of any kind and inform the police station about it. Other than that, we have no power," says Mihil Mal of Nalhati town in Birbhum district. He and his associate Gulam Hasnat were busy regulating traffic on the busy stretch of Nalhati town.

Mal joined the civic police volunteer force in 2013 along with many others. A state Cabinet decision the same year mandated the recruitment of 130,000 personnel as part of civic police volunteer force.

Nearly 120,000 people were recruited in 2013 and their basic job was to assist the police force in holding elections, organising festivals and in disaster management. They get a salary of Rs 5,500.

"We have been promised a salary hike soon. We have also been assured of continuation of job till we attain the age of 60," Gulam Hasnat tells us even as he was getting ready to wind up his work for the day after six hours of duty.

The duty hour has been reduced recently to help them cope with the intense summer heat.

The idea of civic police was mooted towards the fag end of the Left Front rule and some volunteers were recruited as "green police".

However, once the TMC got the power in 2011, it went into an overdrive, recruiting several thousands of volunteers.

Political observers say most of the volunteers are ruling party workers.

"The state government had vacancy of 200,000 permanent positions in 2015. Instead of filling those posts, the government has been hiring contract workers. Suitably placing party workers is easy through the contract route as the recruitment procedure in such cases is lax. But, it creates layers in government organisation impacting its functioning," says the Delhi-based commentator cited above.

Those who have studied till Class VIII and are in the age bracket of 20-30 are eligible to be recruited as civic police volunteers. The selection is done on the basis of interview and selected ones are required to undergo a training of 10 days.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that he will quit if corruption worth a single penny is proved against him amid growing demands by the opposition parties to probe the premier's family first in the

Panama Papers leak.

Panama Papers, a massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents that reportedly exposed the secret offshore dealings of around 140 political figures globally, named three of Sharif's four children -- Maryam, Hasan and Hussain -- listing them as owners of offshore companies.

Sharif had formed a high-level judicial commission which will be led by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the leak.

Sharif has vowed to quit if proved guilty of graft or misappropriation.

"If corruption worth a single penny is proved against me, I will not wait for a moment to quit," he said while addressing a public gathering in Bannu town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, major opposition parties met in Islamabad to decide how to launch the probe, after Sharif last month asked the chief justice of the Supreme Court to set up a commission to probe allegation of corruption against those mentioned in the leaked documents.

Pakistan People's Party senior leader Aitzaz Ahsan said after the meeting that opposition parties had prepared the terms of reference for the commission.

"The process of accountability needs to be initiated, and the prime minister and his family should be the first to be probed by the inquiry commission set-up to probe Panama Papers," said Ahsan.

He also said that all opposition parties already rejected the ToRs presented earlier by the government.

However, in a relief to Sharif, the opposition parties could not agree on the issue of demanding resignation of Sharif.

"There are just allegations against the prime minister and why we should ask him to resign unless he is proven guilty," said Asadullah Bhutto of Jamaat-i-Islami.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar is underwriting the revival of a vintage Dakota as a gift to the Indian Air Force.

Veenu Sandhu reports on this challenging personal project to preserve a significant piece of military history.

Coventry Airfield in the United Kingdom is several thousand miles away from the Indian Air Force base of Mohanbari in Assam. Not for Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

For the past few years, this Midlands air base, which was once a storied fighter station during World War II, has been host to a genially eccentric project by the Rajya Sabha MP to revive a vintage Douglas DC3 aircraft, better known as the Dakota, the workhorse that first saw action in the 1930s.

Chandrasekhar bought the aircraft from Ireland in 2010 with the intention of making it airworthy and gifting it to the IAF -- "free of cost, no strings attached" -- for its fleet of vintage aircraft.

For him, the Coventry airfield revives memories of his father M K Chandrasekhar who commanded a Dakota squadron. He remembers often standing on the periphery of the Mohanbari runway, watching his father climb into a Dakota in his overalls and take off.

Even today, he says, that childhood image makes him nostalgic and brings a sense of pride that he finds lacking in our own culture of preserving military history.

When the aircraft arrived at the Coventry Airfield, Chandrasekhar realised the magnitude of the challenge that lay ahead. "It wasn't something that would make you jump up and down with joy. It was in pretty bad shape," he recalls.

Today, the same Dakota also stands with a sense of pride, painted in old colours of the IAF. Both its engines, which were beyond salvation, have been refabricated and fired up a few times. Chandrasekhar was present at the Coventry Airfield to witness the feat the first time the engines roared to life.

It might not be long now before the iconic military transport aircraft, one of the hardiest airplanes ever manufactured, flies out of the English village and makes its way to India.

The defence ministry has agreed to Chandrasekhar's request to gift the Dakota, with the rider that the aircraft be formally handed over in India. It is for Chandrasekhar to ferry the plane from England to here.

Then defence minister A K Antony had turned down the proposal saying that there was no precedent of accepting a vintage aircraft for the IAF as a gift.

IAF's vintage squad currently has only one Tiger Moth, a World War I plane, and a Harvard capable of flying. All others are used just for display on the ground.

Chandrasekhar's quest for the Dakota started about seven years ago when, he says, a "shocking fact" became obvious to him. "There was not one airworthy aircraft from the 60, 65 years of post-Independence history of the IAF or indeed the 100 years of the history of the Royal Indian Air Force," he says.

When he started looking around for Dakotas in India that could be restored, he was presented with another horrifying fact: The last of the Dakotas, which was parked at the air force station in Sulur near Coimbatore, had been sold as scrap.

"The air force did not have the budget to maintain it and the political leadership did not have the sense of history to salvage it," he says.

So he broadened his search, to Europe and the US. A chance meeting with a British Airways pilot with a fascination for old aircraft and India's military aviation history led him to an aviation hobbyist in Ireland who had a handful of Dakotas for sale.

"This one was among the cheapest, but also required most restoration. It was grounded but the people I consulted believed that it could be made airworthy," says Chandrasekhar.

For the engineers of Reflight Airworks, who are restoring the aircraft, this has been a daunting task, but not an impossible one. "This current DC3 has been completely gutted inside giving a blank canvas form with which to start," says Alex Woodeson, engineering head of Reflight Airworks.

To restore the interior, engineers will put in place a new seating arrangement in the rear fuselage (the aircraft's main body that holds crew and passengers or cargo). A new paint scheme has also been completed.

The biggest challenge in the restoration of a vintage aircraft, however, is finding its original spare parts. The DC3 had stopped production back in 1942. So going back to the company was not an option.

"But there is a vast network of aviation enthusiasts spread across Europe and the US. And these hobbyists openly exchange information and spare parts, sometimes as barter and at other times for a price," says Chandrasekhar.

For example, one guy might have the wheels, another might have the undercarriage and yet another might have some parts needed in the cockpit. This is the ecosystem Chandrasekhar says they plugged into.

One Dakota restorer, for example, has put out his wishlist -- co-pilot's junction box, hydraulic fluid reservoir, standby compass bungee set and so on -- on his website in the hope that another restorer who has these parts to spare will reach out to him.

In the event that a particular part is not available, the engineers fabricate it from the original drawings. If they don't have the drawing on them, some other hobbyist or the company (Douglas Aircraft is now part of Boeing) might, just like they might have the spare parts. That is how Woodeson and his team rebuilt the engines of this particular Dakota from scratch.

The ground up restoration of the aircraft to its original flying conditions using original engine, power and flying characteristics also requires extensive refurbishment and equalisation checks, explains Woodeson. "This is a very time-consuming job as every system and component must be satisfactory."

Besides, all DC3 aircraft are different in terms of their layouts and upgrades, he adds. You are never exactly sure what you are going to find once you start stripping all the components and airframe apart for inspection, says the engineer. "Some parts will have been on the aircraft since 1940 and not have been overhauled or inspected to this level of detail."

Besides the interior, parts of the aircraft's navigation system are also being upgraded and a parachute door is being introduced for use in India. In its days of glory, the Dakota was routinely used for air-dropping supplies and paratroopers to areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Woodeson expects that the Dakota would have taken over two years to restore before it arrives in India. But before it is allowed to truly take to the skies, "every component of it will have to be certified by European authorities for airworthiness," says Sharad Yeshwant Savur, who retired as air marshal and extensively flew the Dakota during his career.

"The time it takes for the engine to start, the way it taxis on the runway, the brake functioning, the way the nose of the aircraft goes up -- all of it will have to meet the characteristics of the original aircraft for certification," says Air Marshal Savur.

It is a painstaking process that calls for both passion and patience. Chandrasekhar won't reveal the cost of restoring the aircraft though.

And while he has a commercial pilot's licence, he has not flown in the Dakota he is getting restored. "The UK is very clear about certification of a hobby aircraft," he says. "Only the captain and co-pilot can use it for hobby flying. They cannot ferry passengers in it," he says.

Fali Homi Major, who retired as chief of the air staff, is delighted that an airworthy Dakota will finally make its way to the IAF vintage fleet. "It was the finest aircraft ever designed and the most rugged. It has operated from every airfield," he says. "You could fly it in the day, at night or in hostile mountainous areas. You could land it on short runways as well as on grass or dirt airstrips."

When he was asked to list the weapons that most helped end World War II, this is what wartime general and later US president Dwight D Eisenhower had replied: The bazooka, the Jeep, the atomic bomb and the Dakota.

If the Dakota played a critical role in the victory against Adolf Hitler, it did so again during the Kashmir operations of 1947-1948, audaciously flying in troops and flying out the wounded against heavy shelling by the infiltrators who had come prepared to pluck Kashmir away from India.

"The Dakota is the reason why Poonch is still with us," says Pushpindar Singh, military historian and author of Aircraft of the Indian Air Force: 1933-73.

Veteran fliers speak of the iconic aircraft with unmistakable wistfulness. "Given a chance, I would fly the Dakota again," says Air Marshal Savur. He calls it "the most forgiving aircraft in the world."

'With its 500,000 rivets, the DC3 might be thought to be over-engineered, but it had the reputation of being virtually indestructible,' wrote The Economist in the obituary of aeronautical engineer Arthur Raymond who led the team that designed the Dakota.

Pilots would laughingly describe it as 'a collection of parts flying in loose formation' but they would also say that 'the only replacement for a DC3 is another DC3.'

The predecessor of the DC3 was the DC2, not as hardy or as successful. Singh recounts a World War II incident when a Dakota landed in a jungle.

"A quarter of one of its wings got shorn off. It obviously could not take off," he says. "So the pilot and the crew decided to cut off a quarter of the other wing as well." And, lo and behold, the plane flew home -- "they named it the DC2-and-a-half," chuckles Singh.

The aircraft was also used extensively for commercial flying. Biju Patnaik's Kalinga Airlines operated a dozen Dakotas. Jamair, a Kolkata-based privately owned non-scheduled charter airline that was financially backed by the Nawanagar Maharajah Jam Singh had a fleet of five Douglas DC3s and three DC4s.

In fact, by 1939, the DC3, which is credited with making air travel popular, accounted for 90 per cent of world airline trade.

Once restored, the Dakota at the Coventry Airfield, meanwhile, has another journey ahead of it: From England to India. Chandrasekhar would like the plane to be dismantled, put in a carton, flown to India and reassembled here.

"It is an old aircraft and several countries have issues about an old aircraft flying over their airspace," he says. "Besides, flying it all the way from the UK, especially over conflict zones in West Asia, would not be safe."

Woodeson, however, says this aircraft will have to be flown all the way due to its vast size.

Clearly, another challenge awaits the Dakota.

IMAGE: A DC-3 aircraft. Photograph: Kind courtesy Jud McCranie/Creative Commons
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Halloween is nearly here. Find out when Trick-or-Treat is happening in Martinsville.

The leaves are changing, the evenings are getting cooler and excitement is building as Halloween draws closer.
Halloween events, fall festivals pack October in Abilene, Big Country

From family-friendly to frightful, there are plenty of opportunities to don the costumes and scare up some treats.
TUESDAY

Lib-Con

The third annual Lib-Con, celebrating sci-fi, fantasy, anime, comics, games and more, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at all three Abilene Public Library Locations. Events will include Super Storytime: Angry Birds from 10:45-11:45 a.m. at the Main Library, 202 Cedar St; Minecraft Mania Night from 6-7 p.m. at the South Branch Library, 1401 S. Danville Drive; and a Star Trek craft and movie from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. For a full list of events, go to www.abilenetx.com/apl/LibCon.

Business workshop

Texas Tech Small Business Development Center Abilene will conduct a workshop in which Abilene city staff will answer questions about small business from 6-8 p.m. in the Texas Tech Training Center, 749 Gateway St., Suite 301. To make a reservation, call 325-670-0300.

Square dance workshop

TYE  The Wagon Wheel Squares will conduct a square dancing workshop at 6:30 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel.

Other ...

Veterans benefit meeting, 10 a.m. to noon, Disabled American Veterans, 2555 Grape St. 325-793-9699 or 325-480-6175.

Mission on the Move Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southwest Drive Community United Methodist Church, 3025 Southwest Dr.

Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St.

High Noon Al-Anon, noon, Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road (south end; follow the yellow signs).

Blood drive, 1-4 p.m., Lauren Engineering, 901 S. First St.

Stroke/Aphasia Recovery Program support group, 1:30-2:30 p.m. West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3535.

Betty Hardwick Center Board of Trustees, 5:15 p.m., Betty Hardwick Center, 2616 S. Clack St., Suite 150.

Dystonia Support Group, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Not Without Us, 3301 N. First St. Suite 117.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), 5:30 p.m., Brook Hollow Christian Church, 2310 S. Willis St. 325-232-7444.

Legacies Al-Anon Family Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-280-7584.

Dining For Women  Abilene Chapter, 6 p.m., First Christian Church, 1420 N. Third St.

Family (of Mental Health Consumers) Support Group, 6-7 p.m., Mental Health Association in Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

MHAA Bipolar/Depression Peer Support Group, 6-8 p.m., Ministry of Counseling & Enrichment, 1502 N. First St. 325-673-2300.

Free certified nurturing parent class (pregnancy to toddler), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398.

Abilene Star Chorus, 6:15 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1333 N. Third St. 325-829-1470.

Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, 1933 S. 27th St.

Al-Anon Parents Group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. Use Church Street entrance.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Doug Meinzer Activity Center, Knox City. 940-658-3926.

Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 7-8:30 p.m., 2043 N. Second St.

Parents, Family, Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of the Big Country, 7-9 p.m., Unity Church, 2842 Barrow St. 325-232-4726, www.pflagbc.weebly.com.

Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St.

WEDNESDAY

Lib-Con

The third annual Lib-Con, celebrating sci-fi, fantasy, anime, comics, games and more, will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at all three Abilene Public Library Locations. Events will include Super Storytime: May the 4th Be With You at 10:45 a.m. at the Main Library, 202 Cedar St.; and May the 4th Be With You Gaming from 4-5:30 p.m. a the Mockingbird Branch Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. An after-hours fan fiction workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Library. For a full list of events, go to www.abilenetx.com/apl/LibCon.

Other ...

Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St.

Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St.

Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815.

Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd.

Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570.

Blood drive, noon to 6 p.m., Sweetwater Lions Club, 1201 Lamar St., Sweetwater.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818.

Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995.

Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007.

DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200.

THURSDAY

Lib-Con

The third annual Lib-Con, celebrating sci-fi, fantasy, anime, comics, games and more, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at all three Abilene Public Library Locations. Events will include Super Storytime: Superheroes at 10:45 a.m. at the Mockingbird Branch Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane; and a special effects makeup challenge from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Main Library, 202 Cedar St. For a full list of events, go to www.abilenetx.com/apl/LibCon.

Interfaith service

The Abilene Interfaith Council will conduct its 12th annual "Service of Prayer and Peace" at noon at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. Several different faiths will be represented.

Prayer ceremony

ANSON  The Anson Ministerial Alliance will conduct a ceremony observing National Day of Prayer at noon at the Anson Opera House. Members from several congregations will lead prayers.

Mother's Day crafts

"DIY: Mommy & Me Workshop," featuring Mother's Day crafts, will be 4-6 p.m. at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Projects range from $5 to $10.

Scholarship and honors recital

The Tri-Collegiate Scholarship and Honors recital will begin at 7 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. Music students from Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University and McMurry University will perform. Admission is free.

Dance

A dance featuring Joe Nelson and the Double Luck Band will begin at 7 p.m. at the Rose Park Senior Activity Center, 2625 S. Seventh St. Admission is $5.

Other ...

Veterans Association Club, 10 a.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center (in Rose Park, South Seventh and Barrow streets).

Chronic Pain and Depression Group, 11 a.m. to noon, Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St., 325-673-2300.

Abilene Founder Lions Club, 11:30 a.m., Al's Mesquite Grill, 4801 Buffalo Gap Road.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. 325-695-0092.

Blood drive, noon to 5 p.m., Eastland Memorial Hospital.

Retired Military Wives Club business meeting, 1 p.m., Rose Park Senior Activity Center, 2625 South Seventh St. 325-677-9656 or 325-793-1490.

Mental Illness Open Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

Abilene 42 Club, 6 p.m., Rose Park Senior Center.

Teen Recovery Group, 6-7 p.m., Mission Abilene, 3001 N. Third St.

Free certified nurturing parent class (all ages), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 6:30 p.m. Brook Hollow Christian Church. Weigh-in begins at 5:30 p.m. 325-665-5052.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 6:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Gambler's Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., Unity Spiritual Living Center, 2842 Barrow St. 325-338-2575.

Key City Coin Club, 6:30 p.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center, Room B. 325-675-0266.

Round Dancing, 7 p.m., Wagon Wheel. 325-829-1517.

Old Town Abilene Neighborhood Association, 7 p.m., Shining Star Baptist Church, 302 Palm St. 325-676-4068.

Big Country Audubon Society, 7 p.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center.

American Legion Post and Auxiliary 661 meeting, 7 p.m., Lueders Legion Hall, Highway 6, Lueders.

South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave.

Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St.

FRIDAY

Lib-Con

The third annual Lib-Con, celebrating sci-fi, fantasy, anime, comics, games and more, will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at all three Abilene Public Library Locations. Events will include Beyond Candyland, featuring nontraditional board games, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Main Library, 202 Cedar St., followed by a Steampunk Blaster Workshop from 5:30-6:30 p.m. For a full list of events, go to www.abilenetx.com/apl/LibCon.

Caregiver seminar

The Alzheimer's Association  North Central Texas will conduct its annual Abilene Caregiver Seminar, "Tips and Strategies for Healthy Caregiving," from 1-5 p.m. at Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road. Registration will begin at noon, and is free for family caregivers. Admission for professionals is $35 including continuing education credit or $20 for those not needing credit. To register, call 325-672-2907 or 800-272-3900.

Movie

SNYDER  A showing of "Grand Champion," which was filmed in Snyder, will begin at 7 p.m. at the Ritz Theatre. Admission will be by donation. Proceeds will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Scurry County.

Other ...

Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112.

Abilene Chinese Corner, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Abilene Christian University library. lld09a@acu.edu.

Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304.
Ray King, the driving force behind Goodwill Industries' start in Abilene three decades ago, will be honored at a luncheon Wednesday at the Hunter Welcome Center on the Abilene Christian University campus.

Today, the original Goodwill Abilene has grown into Goodwill-West Texas, covering 35 counties, with more than 300 employees and 13 retail stores.

One of the motivating factors for King and his wife Martha to bring Goodwill to the Big Country was their son Brian, according to a news release from Goodwill. Brian was born with Down syndrome, so King latched onto the idea of starting Goodwill in Abilene to aid people who face obstacles to employment. Because of King's vision, Brian has now been working for Goodwill in Abilene 28 years.

King served as chairman of a steering committee in 1982 to study bringing Goodwill to Abilene. A representative of Goodwill Industries of America came to Abilene to assist the committee, and it was determined that a minimum of $150,000 would be needed to start the organization.

Local foundations, businesses, civic clubs and individuals were contacted and the goal was met. On May 24, 1983, Abilene Goodwill Industries earned nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service, and the first retail store opened in August 1983.

Over the years, the mission of Goodwill hasn't changed. It is to provide opportunities for people with barriers to employment, including a disadvantaged background, a developmental or physical disability, former incarceration, or limited education. Money earned at retail stores helps fund job training and employment for people with those obstacles.

The luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. For seating availability, call Sadie Smith at Goodwill-West Texas, 676-7925.
As concerns over the Zika virus continue, Abilene officials reiterate that personal responsibility is vital in helping stave off potential infection.

Dr. Peter Norton, medical authority for the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District, said that removal of mosquito breeding areas and personal protection are the only actions available against the virus.

"No current larvicide is effective," he said in an email.

Zika virus disease is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

People usually don't get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika, according to the CDC.

But Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe fetal brain defects.

Texas has had 31 confirmed cases of Zika virus disease, with 30 of those cases in travelers who were infected abroad and diagnosed after they returned home, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

No cases have been seen in Taylor County.

Aaron Vannoy, animals services manager, said the Aedes mosquito is a daytime bitter, and needs containers, even small things like pop bottles and flower pot rings, to breed.

"Personal diligence" in draining water out of containers on one's property is vital in potentially controlling the mosquitoes that might carry the virus, he said.

Collaborating with neighbors to encourage them to drain water sources is also important.

"Citizens need to educate themselves where, why, and how the Zika virus can be transmitted, as well as, how to protect yourself and loved ones while outdoors," he said  something needed no matter where one might find oneself, and "not just in our city."

Caution is needed "when the grandkids come over, when the backyard barbecue starts and ends, and any activity during the day," Vannoy said.

"Basically each person needs to take on the responsibility to do their part to fight the bite of mosquitoes," he said.

Steps to take to protect oneself from mosquitoes include wearing EPA-registered insect repellents, covering up with long-sleeved shirts and long pants, keeping mosquitoes out with air conditioning or intact window screens, and limiting outdoor activities during peak mosquito times.
Linda Goolsbee, Abilene

I am writing in support of Dason Williams for the Abilene City Council, Place 6.

He will bring a larger vision for the future of Abilene because of his experience in the national business world. After five years in sales with the Dallas Mavericks, he returned to Abilene as executive vice president of his family's business, Clavel Corp. Dason moved it from a small local company to a national one, selling to Walmart, Sam's Club, and CVS, with continuing growth ahead.

He also has a forward-looking vision for Abilene's future. He is involved with the Chamber of Commerce and the Abilene Business Council, attending Wake Up Wednesdays each month, where new and emerging small businesses are showcased and encouraged. Dason also follows the traditional Abilene ethic of supporting the business community, while providing for those who are less fortunate.

He is on the board of Day Nursery of Abilene, whose mission is providing safe, affordable child care for Abilene's working families.

We know Abilene's future growth depends on how well our leaders plan for the long-term issues. I urge your vote for Dason Williams on May 7. His national experience and strong pro-business vision will move Abilene forward.
When you see violence, greed and narrow-mindedness in the fullness of its power, walk straight into the heart of it, remaining open to the sky and in touch with the earth. These words, taken from the Shambala Warrior Mind Training verses, were in my mind at 3.30am one day last July as I and 12 others cut through Heathrow airports perimeter fence in west London and walked straight into the heart of the airport  onto the runway, where we built a pipework fortress and locked ourselves to it to prevent planes from taking off. They circled in my mind as I lay on the runway, in touch with the earth, and gazed up at the open sky as the sun rose over London.



This was a peaceful, nonviolent action in the face of the violence of climate change, which kills 300,000 people a year. These are predominantly women, people living in poverty and communities of colour in the Global South. They have been suffering various forms of violence for centuries; climate change is a continuation of this.



It was the most impactful thing I could do with the resources I have. We prevented 4,500 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere, equivalent to the annual output of 900 households.



The state responded by threatening us with yet more violence: prison. Thankfully, the judges threat of sentencing us to jail came to nothing, after much outcry in the media, public and even parliament denouncing such a harsh sentence.



The corporatestate complex maintains structures of violence through laws, policing, prisons, trade deals and a lack of any meaningful agreement on climate change. The law maintains the right for corporations to profit at the expense of life, and the police dutifully implement these laws. Increasingly we are seeing police protecting businesses undertaking destructive work from people trying to prevent it  such as the lines of riot police walking trucks into a fracking site at Balcombe.



Activism is an important part of my Buddhist practice, and an expression of my principles of nonviolence. For me, structural violence is as important as individual/behavioural violence, and its just as important to challenge it in nonviolent ways. Structural violence refers to the systematic ways in which social structures harm or disadvantage individuals and certain groups, communities or classes of people. Its the suffering caused by policies, processes and social norms created by the structures of our society, including governments, organisations, institutions, the economy and financial system, and the wider socio-political system  theyre embedded in the organisation of our world.



I hold the principle of nonviolence in the context of the Buddhist ethical principle of abstaining from taking life or doing harm and instead acting with loving kindness. I express this on an individual level not only by trying to avoid harmful behaviour, by not eating meat and by being kind to people in my daily life, but also by being a pro-life force in the wider world, taking action collectively with others.



For me, a deed of loving kindness is chaining myself to the gates of a fracking site so it cant pump toxic chemicals into the Earth; its blockading a runway to prevent the release of thousands of tonnes of CO2 and highlight unnecessary airport expansion; its supergluing myself to the front door of a PR company to draw attention to its covering up of human-rights abuses by dictatorial regimes.



The flipside of not taking life is the cherishing of life, holding it sacred. Its a fierce solidarity with all of life and living beings, especially those without a voice  standing with them in their struggles, fighting with them for justice. Taking action when profit is being prioritised over life, an all too common occurrence in todays capitalist world. Its about honouring how deeply connected we are with everything and everyone else  my struggle is your struggle, and until we are all free no one is free.



Kindness is a turning towards. Turning towards all beings, in their joy and flourishing and in their pain and suffering, not shying away from the pain and damage being inflicted upon the Earth and our people for profit.



I can practise generosity on this level too. The biggest gift I can give is myself, my life. Giving myself to the world, to liberation, to justice. The peace, liberation and development of ourselves are ultimately bound up with the peace, liberation and development of our communities and society. With this ideal as my bedrock, my life becomes an offering, choosing to live a life of integrity and solidarity rather than one of security and comfort. The gifts I can give are my time, my energy and my love, but also my privacy, security, safety and comfort  even my liberty.



For me, the principle of truthful communication extends beyond being honest in the conversations I have with the people around me. Its about speaking truth to power. Its about speaking up and calling out violence, oppression and injustice, not being willing to allow those things to happen without accountability from those inflicting it.



Truthful communication happens at the level of public discourse as well as interpersonally; we can change that discourse. In 2009, amidst mass protest and public pressure, David Cameron pledged: The third runway at Heathrow is not going ahead. No ifs, no buts. He later reneged on that promise under corporate pressure, and commissioned Sir Howard Davies to investigate which airport to expand (not whether to expand or not), and Davies report recommended Heathrow. The debate centred around Heathrow or Gatwick, with climate change totally sidelined until our action highlighted the option of neither because any new runway anywhere is incompatible with a safe climate. Climate change is now in the debate.



Spiritual paths often focus on individual change, which is an important part of changing our world. But to be fully aware and alive in our times is to understand the destructive power structures that make our society, to not be complicit in them, and to join the struggle to change them. The two are inseparable. The Zen priest Angel Kyodo Williams wrote: Without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.



The Buddha taught that our actions have consequences, and that at the root of our suffering is our sense of a self that is separate from the world. But these principles also operate on a collective, social level. Karma vipaka is the consequences of our actions, our karma. The fruits we reap as a result of our action. What is our collective karma vipaka? Climate change. Resource depletion. Extreme inequality. Economic collapse. Ecological collapse. We can change our collective karma and change our collective karma vipaka by acting collectively.



So, commit rebellious acts of kindness, speak with radical honesty, subvert the status quo with kindness, and open your heart to the struggle, for the struggle is for life. A meaningful life, a life of integrity and connection, life for all. A life-affirming vision of cooperation rather than competition, of solidarity rather than selfishness, of generosity rather than greed. Lets stand together and pour love back into our communities, and join with others to dismantle the structures of oppression and reclaim our right to live as if the world mattered.



Kara Moses is a freelance journalist.
I made some notes for when you came, but, now, where are they...? Michael Horovitz smiles disarmingly as he stares at the piles of papers that tower around him, some spilling over the desktop.



Our teacups perch precariously. All around us, shelves of books and more stacks, boxes and bags of papers, magazines and all manner of printed ephemera tell of the life and interests of an extraordinary man of letters  and a witness to the beginnings of Resurgence.



Horovitz is now in his eighties. He has been writing, editing, performing and, above all, championing poetry since the 1950s. A contemporary and friend of the Beat writers, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti et al., he has continued to encourage and inspire writers and performers from outside the literary mainstream to this day.



Its because of you, and your [1969] anthology Children of Albion , which I read at school, that Im doing what I am today, I once heard a literary academic tell him.



In the Resurgence story, however, Horovitz has several positions of note. He wrote the first poem ever published in Resurgence, was a witness to the magazines gestation, knew the extraordinary group of people who inspired and nurtured it, helped edit one of its first joint issues, and has followed its progress ever since.



The old cliche has it that if you can remember the Sixties, you probably werent there, but the story begins in June 1965. Horovitz, whose family fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, studied at Oxford in the 1950s and by the end of the decade was writing poetry and editing his New Departures publications, inspired above all by the radical poetry and politics of William Blake. Drawn to Londons nascent counter-culture, he performed at (and helped disorganise, he smiles) the extraordinary International Poetry Incarnation that drew more than 8,000 people to pack Londons Royal Albert Hall on 11 June 1965 for a smoke-filled jamboree of underground verse.



Peter Whiteheads grainy black-and-white film of the event, Wholly Communion , shows the young Horovitz performing. Somewhere in the audience, Horovitz thinks, was John Papworth, who was to be the founder editor of Resurgence.



The two met some time afterwards, Papworth enthusing about the Albert Hall event. John invited me to come to a party in Nevern Road [in Earls Court, west London], where he and his French wife Marcelle, who shared Johns libertarian outlook, lived. I immediately knew he was a kindred spirit, Horovitz recalls. My wife Frances and I immediately befriended them.



John nearly always had a big sparkle in his eye, and he was full of openness. His voice would frequently take on a plaintive note  not unhappy, but giving a sense of somebody who cared passionately for a godforsaken world. He loved debate. He was what would be called a contrarian today. Although he was quite a wild protester, he had a lot of knowledge and also a talent for bringing people together and generating enthusiasm.



It was the first of many such evenings. They were great hosts, served delicious foods, [and] knew lots of interesting people coming in and out with stimulating ideas to improve the world and bring about peace. Horovitz smiles at the memory.



The Albert Hall event had helped catalyse the radical side of what would be dubbed (by Time magazine, the following year) Swinging London. Gradually, ideas for a new magazine began to take shape.



My sense of the chronology is not detailed, Horovitz admits, but there were more meetings and parties, and more people and gradually still more big shots such as Fritz Schumacher and Leopold Kohr and Herbert Read who became the core group who formed the main input for the first issues [of Resurgence]  as well as the Rev Michael Scott, who was very concerned about helping people suffering in Africa.



And at one of these gatherings, with lots of lovely food and drink, John made a little speech  he was often given to making speeches  making the concrete resolution that quite soon this magazine was to appear.



For the first issue of Resurgence, in May 1966, Michael Horovitz contributed a poem, For Modern Man (19141964), R.I.P ., which hed read at the Albert Hall. He reads it again for me, a mixture of the personal and the political, a cry for peace from a man whose family and generation had known the horrors of war, and its easy to see why it would have appealed to John Papworth, himself a peace and anti-nuclear activist.



Thereafter, Michael Horovitz was a close observer and sometime collaborator as Resurgence became an established feature of the radical publishing scene. In 1970 there was even a joint issue of Resurgence and New Departures  described unkindly by one commentator as one of those far-out arts avant-garde quarterlies which with any luck come out every four years



It seemed a good idea to me, since it meant wed get another issue of New Departures out, recalls Horovitz with a grin. A mixture of poetry and alternative politics, the joint issue characterises what has become a defining aspect of Resurgence  a desire to bring together ideas of social justice and the arts, environment and equality, the local and the international. For good measure, John Papworth included an open letter to John Lennon and Yoko Ono.



Fifty years on, Horovitz still enjoys reading Resurgence. His own output continues. An OBE in 2002 recognised his services to literature. Horovitzs 2007 work, A New Waste Land: Timeship Earth at Nillennium , was a remarkable political deployment of poetry to denounce attacks on peace and the environment. The playwright Tom Stoppard called it A true scrapbook and songbook of the grave new world. In 2011 Horovitz contributed to an eBook, Emergency Verse: Poetry in Defence of the Welfare State . His engagement continues, and he is still active on the performance circuit, often appearing with his group, the William Blake Klezmatrix, and accompanying his poems with musical blasts on his self-constructed anglosaxophone. Catch him while you can.



Our teacups have, remarkably, survived the threat of paper avalanche, though their contents are cold. But as I rise to leave, Michael Horovitz raises his cup to improvise a toast  in suitably Blakean style  to the magazine he first wrote for half a century ago:

Let Resurgence thrive!

And engender,

evermore,

Mental War

 and Global Peace!

Its a fine note to end on. And continue.

Read the full poem For Modern Man (19141964), R.I.P. in pdf format

Michael Horovitz reads For Modern Man (19141964), R.I.P . in a special filmed interview at www.resurgence.org/horovitz
EMANCIPATION



Jeremy Seabrook



Inequality has reached unparalleled levels. Those who monopolise untold resources for their private enjoyment confront people who lack enough for their sustenance. This reignites ancient questions of the distribution of resources. That inequality can be solved by permanent economic growth is demonstrably false. Indeed, constant growth has been at the root of the problem. (As the rich get much richer the poor may become a little less poor, but the gap between them widens.) Secondly, economic expansion in perpetuity is clearly an unrealisable goal: there is no perpetuity in human time. Yet this model is now the more or less undisputed basis for what is called development. Redefining this will be essential if there is a will to avoid the coming resource-wars: a movement of liberation, whereby what people make, give, offer, invent and provide freely for themselves and each other can be withdrawn from the free market that holds them captive. Human development demands emancipation, not submission.



Jeremy Seabrooks latest book is The Song of the Shirt.

AN URBAN FUTURE?



Herbert Girardet



Most futurists take for granted that large cities will be the primary human habitat. Large modern cities are a remarkable achievement, but we forget that the fossil-fuel-powered urban revolution sweeping the planet is subject to entropy: modern cities continually degrade the resources required for their existence. Thus we face a central contradiction: humanity is building an urban future, yet urbanisation in its current form is threatening the very future of humanity and the natural world.



In developing countries, villagers who become urban dwellers typically quadruple their resource consumption, yet we barely consider how this affects the global environment. We need a global debate on these issues. Could human settlements exist and even thrive with a high degree of regional self-reliance? Could they be designed to continually regenerate the living systems on which they depend? We owe it to future generations to have answers to these existential questions.



Edited extract from Herbert Girardets book Creating Regenerative Cities (Routledge, 2014).

NONVIOLENT ACTIVISM



Bill McKibben



The seeds of the 20th century are starting to flower in huge ways. Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the like experimented with this new technology: call it civil disobedience, nonviolent direct action, passive resistance. Now, in a world linked at the bottom by the internet, were learning how to use it against the great forces of our day: plundering corporations, totalitarian monoliths, and the technofascism that would snuff out the spark of humanity in the name of efficiency.



Game on!



Bill McKibben is a long-time environmental activist.

CONFRONTING GLOBALISATION



Helena Norberg-Hodge



Our challenge for the coming years is to deconstruct the myths that underpin the global economy. The multiple crises we face today  climate chaos, fundamentalism, the dismantling of democracy, etc.  are the product not of human nature but of an economic system that foments greed, competition and rampant consumerism. Our governments support this system by continually handing further power to transnational banks and corporations.



But theres good reason for hope. Around the world, people are building a movement that demonstrates a viable alternative: economic localisation. Countless small initiatives  from farmers markets to decentralised renewable energy to local business alliances  are proving that we can increase real prosperity while reducing our ecological footprint.



By engaging in education as activism we can dispel the myths on which globalisation is based, and make possible the steps needed to localise economies, globally.



Another way is possible, and people are ready for change.



Helena Norberg-Hodge is founder and director of Local Futures/International Society for Ecology and Culture.

ENVIRONMENT



Craig Bennett



This is the century when humanity has to work out how to live fairly within environmental limits.



This would represent one of the greatest steps in the history of progress, right up there with the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, the development of agriculture, language, science and technology.



Over the next 50 years, people need to come together to take on the real enemies of progress: those sections of the political, corporate and media elite keeping us locked into the dirty fossil-fuelled economy of the last century, one characterised by growing inequality, environmental degradation, and unsustainable consumption.



By 2030, the next generation must enjoy an environment thats getting better: a safer climate, flourishing Nature, healthy air, water, food.



The UK led the world with the Industrial Revolution  now we need to wean ourselves from the tyranny of fossil fuels, kick-start a green revolution and build a society fit for the challenges of the 21st century.



Craig Bennett is director of Friends of the Earth UK.
The emotion of wonder is a curious phenomenon: we can recognise it easily enough, but defining it is harder. It has elements of astonishment, and elements of admiration, but it goes deeper than either; it touches on the spiritual, and we might say that wonder is a sentiment that makes us feel that there is something unknowably remarkable about its object, perhaps through what that object lets us sense about the world as a whole, and about our place within it.



Take the great whales: seen in the wild, in the open ocean, they are truly wondrous, and it is hard to encounter them without feeling that the world is a special place; and the same might be said for many of the great beasts, the charismatic megafauna, from tigers to elephants. Birds can similarly be wonder-working, from the hummingbirds and the birds of paradise to a thrush of dull brown plumage: hearing a nightingale duet with silence, in the middle of a midnight wood, is a wonder indeed. Even butterflies can excite wonder, and many will know the celebrated passage in The Malay Archipelago where Alfred Russel Wallace, in capturing his first golden birdwing, scarcely credible in its beauty and its dimensions, comes close to having a heart attack.



But plants. Hmm. Do plants excite wonder? Do they trigger excitement like tigers? It is the aggrieved contention of Richard Mabey that they very much do, but that today we have forgotten how to feel it. Plants in the 21st century, he writes, have been largely reduced to the status of utilitarian and decorative objects They have come to be seen as the furniture of the planet, necessary, useful, attractive, but just there, passively vegetating. And so, in a book of astonishing ambition, he sets out to give the plant kingdom its wonder back.



Britains most lauded Nature writer, expert botanist as he principally is, stands uniquely qualified to attempt such a task, and he succeeds triumphantly. The Cabaret of Plants has the feel of a book that is a magnum opus, the summation of a career, the assembling in a fiery purpose of everything that has been learnt and experienced in a long life closely observing, and loving, flowers and trees; Mabey is determined that, as the books subtitle suggests, botany and the human imagination should together reach the heights once again.



He reunites them with a long parade of essays, or stories  it feels a little like a botanical Canterbury Tales  concerning plants, some famous and some not, but all with marvellous histories, or biologies: I would say, personalities , although Mabey himself is at pains to shy away from the anthropomorphic. These accounts range from the yew and the hazel with their magic, to the baobab and the sequoia with their grandeur; from ginseng, improperly credited with wonders, and samphire, colonist of bare mud, to the moonflower of the rainforest, flowering but one night a year. Victoria amazonica is here, the worlds supreme water lily, as is the titan arum, the stinkiest plant on the planet, and Newtons apple, which in falling prompted the idea of gravity. (The variety, Mabey informs us, was Beauty of Kent.)



Every one of these organisms has attached to it what in old Fleet Street used to be called a cracking tale, but Mabeys reach is broader and more serious than mere anecdote, and it is the wonder not just of individual species but of the very nature of plants themselves that he is seeking to celebrate: he is marvellously illuminating on their two key, astonishing biological processes, photosynthesis and pollination. Yet his ultimate fascination is with the human response they have provoked, and as the book progresses he moves steadily towards the floral beauty that down the centuries has captured peoples hearts.



For example, he offers an invigorating new look at why the daffodils of Gowbarrow Bay had such an effect on Wordsworth; and a riveting account of why the Cretan springtime flowers in the gorge of Samaria have had such an effect on him. Best of all is the longest chapter of the book, on orchids and their mysterious glamour  this alone is worth the cover price. Mabey writes: There seems to be some quality or mana attached uniquely to orchids that underlies their universal appeal. An aura  of voluptuousness, exoticism, perhaps even decadence; a hint of ambiguity  to humans, of flowers designed to lure rampant insects.



From start to finish the prose is luminous and lyrical, backed up by a truly formidable erudition that puts me in mind of Keith Thomass magisterial Man and the Natural World (where plants came a poor second to vertebrate animals) or even Edward Gibbon  that sense of enormous knowledge, lightly worn. Mabey is never pompous; indeed, he is unaffectedly humble: he generously credits all those he has drawn upon, and although he once owned a beech wood in the Chilterns, he refers to himself merely as its custodian.



At 75, Mabey has now written 30-odd books on the natural world since he virtually began modern Nature writing in 1972 with his surprise best-seller, the foraging guide Food for Free . There was the award-winning and very moving biography of Gilbert White, author of The Natural History of Selborne ; there was the groundbreaking Flora Britannica , a volume the size of a doorstep, which sold 100,000 copies and brought the glory of our wild flowers to an audience beyond the botanically committed.



Today Mabey wholly deserves his place as the doyen of our Nature writers: in that world he is the sage, he has attained something of the towering eminence of Dr Johnson, and now he is putting that eminence in the service of his lifelong friends the plants, to restore them to our consideration, to our esteem, to our imagination, which, he feels, they have so unjustly lost. The Cabaret of Plants does indeed give them back their wonder, and lets us see how they make the world a special place. In doing so, it is a wonder itself.



Michael McCarthy, former environment editor of The Independent, is the author of The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy.
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Cambodian opposition party deputy leader Kem Sokha (L) smiles as he walks into the municipal court in Phnom Penh on April 8, 2015.

A court in Phnom Penh issued a summons on Tuesday for deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha to testify in a defamation lawsuit related to leaked recordings of intimate phone conversations he allegedly had with a mistress, an opposition lawmaker said.

Phnom Penh court deputy prosecutor Keo Socheat issued the summons for Kem Sokha, vice president and acting president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), to appear in court on May 11 to testify in a defamation lawsuit filed by Thy Sovantha, said senior CNRP lawmaker Son Chhay.

Thy Sovantha, 20, filed the lawsuit because Kem Sokha, during his conversations with the other woman, allegedly claimed she used her reputation as a CNRP activist to steal money from overseas donors, according to a Khmer Times report.

Also on Tuesday, Phnom Penh court deputy prosecutor Seang Sok issued two summonses for CNRP lawmakers Pin Ratana and To Vanchan to testify on May 16 on prostitution charges against the alleged mistress Khem Chandaraty, said Son Chhay.

This is the first time that the municipal court has called CNRP lawmakers to testify since the filing of a complaint regarding voice recordings of alleged intimate phone conversations between Kem Sokha and 25-year-old hairdresser Khem Chandaraty, he said.

Although the court is squeezing the opposition party, the pressure will not affect the CNRPs popularity or diminish the peoples support for it, Son Chhay said.

I always see it when there is intimidation or persecution of the oppositionthe people will support us even more, and we will win more seats in the National Assembly, he told RFAs Khmer Service.

The CNRP will try to wrest power from Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) when general elections are held in 2017-18.

Political commentator summoned

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court will also summon political commentator Ou Virak to appear on May 12 in relation to a defamation lawsuit filed last week by CPP spokesman Sok Eysan, The Phnom Penh Post reported on Tuesday.

The complaint arose from Ou Viraks recent interview with RFA during which he allegedly claimed that the CPP had orchestrated the sex scandal involving Kem Sokha, the report said.

Ou Virak denies the allegation, the report said.

On Monday, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sent four staffers from the domestic rights group Adhoc to notorious Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of the capital on charges of bribing a witness and acting as accomplices in the sex scandal.

Adhoc had provided financial and legal services to Khem Chandaraty, also known as Srey Mom, who has accused the rights group of urging her to lie to police about the alleged affair.

The court also charged a former Adhoc officer who is now deputy secretary general of Cambodias National Election Committee, and Sally Soen, an employee with the U. N.s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with conspiring to bribe a witness in the case, despite the latters diplomatic immunity, local media reported.

Prosecutors told local media in April that Khem Chandaraty admitted that it was her voice on leaked audio recordings of conversations between herself and Kem Sokha. The recordings were posted on her Facebook page, which she said had been hacked.

Although she previously denied that the voices belonged to her and Kem Sokha, she recanted her story two weeks ago under questioning by police on charges of prostitution and false testimony.



Reported by Sothearin Yeang for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sarada Taing. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Chinese property tycoon and celebrity tweeter Ren Zhiqiang, a critic of President Xi Jinping's campaign to tighten control over state-run media, delivers a speech to university students in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, Dec. 17, 2015.

As the world marks World Press Freedom day, President Xi Jinping has stepped up warnings to members of the ruling Chinese Communist Party to make their loyalties clear in public and not to allow "western" ideas to seep into their thinking.

Xi's ideological campaign, which intensified earlier this year with his tour of the country's leading state media outlets, is sending out a strong message that public debate must be shaped by the Communist Party and not by "hostile foreign forces" peddling values like democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The president warned in a recent speech of "careerists and conspirators," "cabals and cliques" in party ranks who should be eliminated, state media reported on Tuesday.

"There are careerists and conspirators existing in our party and undermining the party's governance," Xi was quoted as saying the state news agency Xinhua.

"We should not bury our heads in the sand and spare these members but must make a resolute response to eliminate the problem and deter further violations," the agency and party mouthpiece the People's Daily quoted Xi as saying in a January speech.

Loose Cannon

The speech was published a day after the party announced disciplinary action against freewheeling "big V" tweeter and property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang for his attacks on party propaganda.

Ren, whose tweets had earned him the nickname "Cannon," had hit out at the use of taxpayers' money to fund party campaigns on his now-deleted social media accounts, which had boasted some 37 million followers.

Xi was quoted in the party publication Qiushi on Tuesday, however, as saying that the huge volume of online content means that the party must exert stronger, not weaker, ideological control.

Echoing his recent warnings to the country's media, Xi said schools training party cadres should also "take the party's surname, or there is no reason for them to exist."

He accused some people of "promoting western capitalist values and world views," and called on party members to be vigilant for "hostile forces both in China and overseas," the magazine said.

Such forces are trying to get the Chinese Communist Party to change its spots, and fly another banner, Xi warned.

Hold that thought

Germany-based journalist Chang Ping said Xi's warnings come as the party continues a nationwide campaign to control all forms of public expression.

"The Chinese Communist Party is stepping up its political controls, and controls on freedom of expression are a very important part of that," Chang told RFA.

"They are using persecution and suppression, both within party ranks and outside the party, as well as every possible excuse to try and sentence rights activists and lawyers, as well as journalists and citizen journalists, just for expressing an opinion in public," he said.

"Either that, or they are subjected to police harassment and house arrest; all of this has become much worse during the past year," he said.

Meanwhile, Hebei-based veteran journalist Zhu Xinxin said Xi appears to be employing similar tactics to late supreme leader Mao Zedong, in rallying party members against "conspirators."

"We really should take a lesson from history now ... and recognize the harm that was done by the Communist Party," Zhu said.

"Those of us who live in China can see the gradual collapse of everything around us, but we have no way of stopping it; the whole system is sick to the core," he said.

U.S.-based rights activist Liu Nianchun agreed, saying that it was such conspiracy theories that prompted Mao to launch a decade of political violence and turmoil on the nation from 1966-1976.

"Xi Jinping's world view was formed in the Mao era," Liu said. "But nobody believes in such utopian ideas as communism anymore."

"It's all an illusion," he said.

Reported by Xin Lin and Yang Jiadai for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
A view of Tiananmen Square from behind a chain at the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, March 3, 2016.

China is planning to release the last, and longest-serving, prisoner jailed in connection with the 1989 pro-democracy protests centered on Tiananmen Square, a US-based rights group reported.

Miao Deshun was handed a suspended death sentence at the age of 25 after he allegedly flung something at a burning tank belonging to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during clashes amid a bloody military crackdown on the weeks-long student-led democracy movement.

A worker from Hebei province, which borders Beijing, Miao was recently granted an 11-month reduction in sentence, and is set to be released from Beijing Yangqing prison on Oct. 15, the Dui Hua Foundation said in a statement on its website.

Miao and four colleagues were found guilty of the charges against him by the Beijing Intermediate People's Court on Aug. 7, 1989, and Miao's suspended death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and further reduced to 20 years in 1998.

Fellow 1989 activist Zhang Yansheng, who was himself released on parole in 2003 after being jailed for life in the wake of the protests, said Miao now has severe mental health problems.

New life on the outside

"He has some severe mental health issues, and I think it could take him a long time to get accustomed to life on the outside," said Zhang, who developed diabetes during his time in prison. "I have a pretty hard time myself right now, but it'll be even worse for him."

"I was lucky enough to find a job with the help of some kind people and good friends, which means that at least I can eat," he said. "I expect he won't have much understanding of today's China, but we will help each other out."

Although has also spent some time in solitary confinement, Miao's sentence has been reduced twice since 2012 for good behavior, Dui Hua Foundation said.

"Miao has had no contact with the outside world for many years," the Dui Hua statement said. "People who served sentences with him in the 1990s remember him as a very thin man who refused to admit wrongdoing and participate in prison labor."

Miao, 51, suffers from hepatitis B and schizophrenia, and was transferred to a ward for sick, elderly, and disabled prisoners in 2003. His family hasn't visited him since Miao asked them to stop 10 years ago. He was one of 1,602 people sentenced to prison in connection with the 1989 protests across China, Dui Hua cited official records as saying.

However, many more were locked up using administrative sentences, which could have included up to three years in the now-abolished "re-education through labor" camps.

Dui Hua said it has worked "tirelessly" on Miaos case, putting his name on 17 prisoner lists submitted to the Chinese government since 2005.

"As of today, Miao Deshun is the only Tiananmen prisoner known to Dui Hua to still be in prison," the group said.

Hong Kong activist Richard Choi, of the Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, said the length of Miao's sentence was a "tragedy."

A long way to go

"I think that once they have released everybody, the most important thing is a political reappraisal of the 1989 pro-democracy movement, and for them to pursue those who were responsible for the massacre, as well as working for a democratic China," Choi said.

"There is still a very long way to go."

Last month, Choi's group said its Hong Kong-based museum commemorating the 1989 student-led democracy movement will be forced to close by the end of this year, amid growing political pressure.

The death of ousted former premier Hu Yaobang of a heart attack in

1989 prompted a massive public outpouring of grief on Tiananmen Square, sparking several weeks of student-led pro-democracy protests and hunger strikes that ended amid a bloody military crackdown by the PLA, which advanced into Beijing on the night of June 3 that year.

The Communist Party currently bans public memorials marking the June 4 massacre, and has continued to ignore growing calls in China and from overseas for a reappraisal of the 1989 student protests, which it once styled a "counterrevolutionary rebellion."

The number of people killed when People's Liberation Army tanks and troops entered Beijing on the night of June 3-4, 1989, remains a mystery.

Beijing authorities once put the death toll at "nearly 300," but the central government has never issued an official toll or list of names, in spite of repeated calls by the Tiananmen Mothers victims' group.

Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by the Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
Local firefighters and Rohingya Muslim residents put out fires at Bawdupa No. 2 displacement camp near Sittwe in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, May 3, 2016.

A fire in an internally displaced persons camp in western Myanmars Rakhine state destroyed more than 400 huts on Tuesday, leaving more than 1,700 ethnic Rohingya homeless, a local police official said.

Initial reports indicate that 14 people have been injured with unconfirmed reports that there may be fatalities, according to a statement issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Fifty-five bamboo longhouses, each containing eight rooms, burned down as the fire got under way after 9 a.m. at the Bawdupa No. 2 camp near the provincial capital Sittwe, said district police Lt.-Col. Win Naung.

It is one of eight camps built for Rohingya Muslims displaced by communal violence in 2012.

Bawdupa No. 2 camp has 150 longhouses in all, containing 1,200 hutsmore than 400 of which burned in the conflagration, Win Naung said.

Local authorities are now scrambling to provide meals and shelter to those affected, he said.

We have opened a help center for the fire victims arranged by the minister of security and border affairs, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. The relevant authorities have been providing them with food and places to stay, and are trying to replace their destroyed homes as soon as possible.

Humanitarian organizations are helping authorities provide medical aid and shelter, and in the coming days will assess humanitarian needs such as food, water and sanitation, OCHAs statement said.

The fire may have been started accidentally by an unattended kitchen stove and spread by the wind to neighboring housing units, local media reported.

Persecution by authorities

About 1.1 million Rohingya live in Rakhine state where authorities have imposed harsh restrictions on their movement, access to jobs and social services such as health care, and their right to vote or run for office.

Some 140,000 were displaced after violence erupted four years ago between the Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists, leaving more than 200 dead and tens of thousands homeless. The Rohingya, who bore the brunt of the attacks, were later forced to live under apartheid-like conditions in the squalid camps.

About 120,000 Rohingya remain in the camps, while thousands of others have fled persecution in the Buddhist-dominated country on rickety boats to other Southeast Asian countries in recent years.

Some government officials and nationalist Buddhists call the Rohingya Bengalis because they consider them to be illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh, even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations.

At least 20 Muslims from the Sin Tet Maw displacement camp in Rakhines Pauktaw township, banned by authorities from traveling by road, drowned last month when their overcrowded boat capsized in rough waters as it sailed to Sittwe.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party came to power last month has come under fire in the past for not speaking up on behalf of the Rohingya.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Reported in English by Roseanne Gerin.
During a rally in downtown Hanoi, Vietnamese demonstrators protest against the Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa which they claim is causing a mass fish kills due to pollution in Vietnam's central coast, May 1, 2016.

Hanoi already knows what caused the massive fish kill that devastated the countrys central coast, but has yet to release the information to the public, a noted Vietnamese oceanographer told RFAs Vietnamese Service.

Everybody agreed, and even the government knows what the root problem is from the waste, and they know where to find the source of waste, Nguyen Tac An, the former director of Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography told RFA. However, to announce the name of the source is the governments decision.

The governments handling of the situation has raised more questions than answers. In late April, government officials said they didnt know the cause of the fish kill, but they blamed it on a red tide or a chemical toxin generated by people on land or sea.

Since then, Hanoi has appeared to back off its statements, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has vowed to investigate any agency, organization or individual that violated the nations environmental laws.

And last week, Vietnams top environment official apologized for the governments confused handling of the disaster that has killed tons of fish across a wide swath of the countrys central coast.

While the Phuc government may be looking for someone to blame, An told RFA that scientists already know what killed the fish.

Scientists have found out how much waste there was, and how toxic it was, he said. They have satellite pictures from April 6 to April 20 to back up what they calculated.

A Fishgate scandal

Not only is the fish kill that originated near the industrial port of Vung Ang an environmental disaster that threatens Vietnams vital seafood industry, it is a developing into a major political scandal for Phuc.

The disaster doesnt just have coastal dwellers up in arms, demonstrations have occurred in the streets of major cities as Vietnamese have rallied around the issue.

While Phuc has promised a thorough investigation into the disaster, he has also promised to deal harshly with those who want to use the scandal to stir up trouble for the government. Two people were arrested this week for allegedly trying to incite Vietnamese to demonstrate over the fish kill.

The disaster didnt have to play out the way it did, An said.

When the incident happened, scientists came up with many proposed methods to look for the causes, he said. But in Vietnam this matter is sensitive, so it is the governments decision to publish the results including satellite pictures.

While the governments handling of the disaster is open to question, An said that the nations scientists are largely in agreement over the cause.

Scientists have found the causes of environmental crisis in Vung Ang, and they already had a prediction of how this would spread and what the ecological consequences would be, he said.

Up to Hanoi

While scientists might know the cause, its up to Hanoi to reveal it, he said.

This is the governments decision, not the scientists decision, he said. Scientifically we are not as developed as other countries like the US, German, Russia or France, but we do have enough knowledge to find the causes and have specific data to back up what we found.

Hanoi asked for help the disaster from nations around the world, but An said he doubted their results will differ from what Vietnamese experts have discovered.

Since the disaster first began to unfold in early April, much of the attention and initial blame for the catastrophe was leveled at the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation, that operates as a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Corporation

Vietnamese divers reportedly observed a huge discharge of reddish liquid on April 4 from rom the mouth of a mile-long waste water pipe leading from Formosas $10.5 billion steel mill and port facility in Vung Ang.

Formosa has stated flatly that all of its activities comply with Vietnamese laws and regulations, and that it had spent $45 million on a state-of-the-art waste management system, including the four-foot wide pipe.

A frustrated people

As information about the disaster has slowly leaked out, Vietnamese are beginning to get frustrated with the government and its apparently cozy relationship with Formosa, said Le Dang Doanh, one of the country's leading economists.

They are frustrated because of the slow response, Doanh told RFA. They want to know why Formosa is allowed to release their wastewater to the sea. Why the environmental agency of Ha Tinh province signed a contract to let Formosa test their own wastewater. And, of course, why that office always says that their wastewater meets the acceptable standards.

Donah, a former advisor to the Ministry of Planning and Investments, said it looks like the government sent the fox to mind the geese in Vung Ang.

That is the reason why Ha Tinh province government cant answer questions about Formosas importation of tons of chemicals to clean their pipeline and release it to the sea; when they did it; and how much was released.

Report by Gia Minh and Nam Nguyen for RFA's Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
A U.S. serviceman has been killed in fighting with Islamic State militants in northern Iraq.

Officials said the U.S. soldier was killed when IS militants overran Kurdish defenses near Mosul early on May 3.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter confirmed the fatality, calling it a very sad loss.

A senior official of the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces said the soldier was killed near Tel Asqof, a town which IS militants overran early on May 3.

A leader of a Christian militia deployed in the area said the town had been attacked by several suicide bombers, some driving vehicles packed with explosives.

A U.S. military official said the U.S.-led coalition help the Peshmerga repel the attack with air support from F-15 jets and drones.

In mid-April, Washington announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq to advise Iraqi forces fighting IS.

IS militants have largely been on the retreat in Iraq since December, when the Iraqi Army recaptured Ramadi, the capital of Anbar Province.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
YEREVAN -- Armenia's Special Investigative Service has launched a probe into the activities of the former chief of the State Bailiffs Service in connection with alleged links to offshore companies.

The service said on May 3 that Major General Migran Pogosian was facing charges of "illegal business activities" and could be jailed for up to two years if convicted.

Pogosian resigned on April 18 after his name was published in media reports about the Panama Papers corruption scandal.

More than 11 million documents known as the Panama Papers have been the basis for dozens of international news articles detailing shady financial transactions involving officials around the world.

The Armenian investigative journalism website Hetq.am has published documents that appear to link Pogosian to three Panama-registered companies -- Sigtem Real Estates, Hopkinten Trading, and Bango Invest.
Jailed Azerbaijani investigative Khadija Ismayilova has been awarded the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

Ismayilova, a freelance journalist and frequent contributor to RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, was arrested in December 2014.

In September 2015, she was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison on tax-evasion and embezzlement charges that have been widely denounced as retaliation for her reporting, which linked members of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's family to allegedly corrupt business practices.

The $25,000 prize, named in honor of a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in 1986, was presented on May 3 during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day.

Ismayilova's mother, Elmira, picked up the award on Khadija's behalf and read out this speech that her daughter had written for the occasion:

Dear ladies and gentlemen, distinguished colleagues,

You have graciously and generously gathered tonight on the occasion of the award of the annual Guillermo Cano award for press freedom. If you dont mind, I will take a minute to pay tribute to Mr. Cano, since the award is very much about him, a person, as much as it is about press freedom, a principle.

Guillermo Cano was killed on December 17, 1986, in front of his paper's office. (Cano was a victim of drug-trafficking mafias, which he fearlessly denounced and about whose harmful effects on Colombian society he cautioned). In all of his work, he refused to compromise and sought justice.

As the recipient of the 2016 prize, I want to take this opportunity tonight, to present you with Mr. Cano's career and accomplishments, not as a cause for celebration, but as a call to action. His legacy remains profoundly incomplete. For all of us here tonight, there is much work that remains to be done.

Let me explain. Have you heard of Elmar Huseynov? He is Azerbaijans Guillermo Cano, and I believe his work and his sacrifice must be honored here tonight. Elmar was the editor of an independent human rights magazine called The Monitor, which was unique in its simple journalistic mission to tell the truth about domestic developments in Azerbaijan.

Elmar was gunned down in front of his apartment on March 2, 2005. His wife and child were home when the shots were fired.

There has been no investigation into his murder, no prosecution, no assignment of blame. Elmar Huseynov's murder was one of the countless crimes against journalists that have met with impunity in Azerbaijan. As we memorialize Guillermo Cano, we must remember Elmar Huseynov, and their shared service to the truth must not be in vain.



And now me. As you know, I speak to you from my prison cell, on the occasion of an award I cannot claim. My crime? Investigative journalism -- exposing corruption linked to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and members of his family. My conviction? Seven and a half years in prison as the result of a trial in which there was no incriminating evidence or a single witness who testified against me. I remain alive to fight for justice, unlike my colleague and dear friend Elmar; but it is a challenge I cannot accomplish on my own.



Which brings me to you.

Humanity suffers when journalists are silenced. This is why some people believe that the killing of journalists constitutes a crime against humanity. As you gather here tonight, I ask you not to laud my work or my courage, but to dedicate yourself to the work each one of you can do on behalf of press freedom and justice.

You now have a relationship to Guillermo Cano, to Elmar Huseynov, and to me. We are all degraded and dehumanized by attacks on our fundamental rights, by contempt for justice, by disdain for fairness and denial of the truth. We, globally, brought together tonight to honor press freedom, must pledge to fight for it.

It is fitting that, UNESCO, the world's protector of human civilization and achievement, has united us in this mission. So what does tonight's call to action involve? For all of us  individuals, organizations, and states, it means:

-- Stand up for the truth, and dare to ask questions and be critically minded;

-- Accept no excuse for political prisoners. Societies cannot develop without scrutiny and public criticism. Dissent is not grounds for jail;

-- Fight corruption and demand integrity and the rule of law from your governments and allies. Corruption is evil and profoundly degenerative. Don't ignore it, or abet it;



-- Expect no security without trust, and no meaningful strategic alliance with partners that hold international standards and commitments in contempt;

-- Don't be afraid. Your sacrifice is worth it.

I accept tonight's award with humility, in view of the work and sacrifice that has preceded me and the work that remains to be done.

Fight with me for freedom, and for truth.
In an apparent effort to protect people from the evils of Pastafarianism, Moscow police broke up the opening of a temple of the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti last week.

In Novosibirsk, police detained performance artist Artyom Loskutov, the organizer of the annual absurdist Monstration -- a parody of political demonstrations in which participants dress in ridiculous costumes and carry signs with nonsensical slogans like "Oatmeal is evil."

Lawmakers this year wanted to ban one of those slogans --  , or "Hell is ours" -- because it might offend people's religious beliefs.

And activist Roman Roslovtsev has been detained seven times in the past six months for the crime of walking in downtown Moscow wearing a Vladimir Putin mask.

Putin's Kremlin, it appears, has absolutely no sense of humor.

It doesn't like to be laughed at.

It doesn't like to be parodied.

It wants to be taken seriously.

And for all its macho bluster, it has the thinnest of skin.

But here's the thing.

When you think about it, the Putin regime itself is pretty absurd.

This is a regime that has, among other things, outlawed blasphemy, banned lace panties, and destroyed illegally imported Western food in public ceremonies.

It has claimed a fascist junta has taken over Ukraine and has banned U.S. President Barack Obama from entering Chechnya.

With its outlandish claims, its ridiculous laws, and its over-the-top stunts, the Putin regime has become something of a parody of itself.

And the more clever people in Russian society are just holding up a mirror to it.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
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PRAGUE -- The European Union's top enlargement official says that Turkey will not get an easier ride than Ukraine, Georgia, and Kosovo in securing a liberalized visa regime with the 28-member bloc.

In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL in Prague, Johannes Hahn, the EU's commissioner for European neighborhood policy and enlargement negotiations, dismissed claims that Turkey would be granted the visa waiver faster than the other three countries as a quid pro quo for Ankara's help in stemming the flow of refugees and migrants into Europe.

"We are, so to say, treating everybody equally," Hahn said. "This means we have applied the same methodology for Ukraine, Georgia, and also for Kosovo. And the same applies for Turkey."

He added, however, that visa liberalization depends on how quickly "our partner countries" will "move forward and comply with our requirements."

"In that respect there is nodiscount for Turkey to get something cheaper than the others, because it is about certain standards which have to be met," Hahn said.

His comments come one day before the European Commission is expected to announce that Turkey has lived up to most of the criteria to enjoy a visa-free regime with the EU, despite not having completely met all of the required benchmarks.

Brussels struck a controversial deal with Ankara in March in which Turkey vowed to step up its efforts to prevent migrants from leaving Turkey for the EU and to take back migrants who have already have crossed the Aegean Sea for Greece.

In exchange, Turkey would receive financial compensation and the possibility for Turkish citizens to enjoy a liberalized visa regime with the EU by the end of June.

WATCH: EU Enlargement Commissioner: 'Europe Is Built On Solidarity'

The swift movement on the visa deal has irked Ukraine and Georgia as they watch Ankara leapfrog them in the visa queue.

The European Commission said in December 2015 that Ukraine and Georgia had met all the conditions for visa-free travel, including stepped-up efforts to fight corruption, and that the two countries would get a positive recommendation in the spring of this year. At the time, Turkey and Kosovo lagged far behind the ex-Soviet nations on the path to visa-free travel to the EU.

Tbilisi and Kyiv did were granted positive recommendations in March and April, respectively, but Turkey now looks like it will be fast-tracked. Kosovo, meanwhile, is set to get its positive recommendation on May 4.

Hahn said he hopes that Georgians, Ukrainians, and Kosovars will be able to travel without visas to the EU in 2016 "because they have done their work."

"Of course, finally there is always a political assessment. But in terms of, so to say, meeting the standards, qualifying themselves, they have done what is necessary," he said.

It will now be up to the European Council and the European Parliament to approve the visa waiver for all four countries.

"I think there should be a joint treatment of at least these three countries, maybe including Turkey," Hahn said.
The head of Tehran's nuclear program, Iranian Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, is set to meet the head of the Czech Republic's nuclear watchdog on May 3.

The meeting comes on the second day of a two-day visit to Prague focusing on possible business deals following the lifting of international sanctions under a nuclear accord with world powers.

On May 2, Salehi met with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek as well as the Czech minister of trade and industry.

Zaoralek said after their meeting that nuclear energy cooperation with Tehran "represents a huge opportunity" for the Czech Republic.

Zaoralek did not provide details.

Salehi said late on May 2 that he was " really astonished and bewildered by the level of the advancement" of Czech nuclear scientists.

The Czech Republic relies heavily on nuclear energy and plans to build more nuclear reactors.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Iran has increased oil exports to South Korea fourfold since January and now hopes to triple its yearly trade with Seoul, Iranian leaders have said.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said Tehran had quadrupled its oil exports to the world's fifth-largest importer of crude, sending Seoul 400,000 barrels a day in April, up from 100,000 barrels before economic sanctions were lifted in January under a nuclear deal with world powers.

His announcement came on a day when the OPEC oil cartel rocked global markets with estimates showing that Iran increased its daily oil production to 3.5 million barrels a day last month, the most since December 2011.

That is not far from Iran's goal of reaching its 4 million-barrel output peak before sanctions were imposed.

Iran announced its ambitious new trade goals and achievements during South Korean President Park Geun-Hye's visit to Tehran, which was the first for any South Korean president since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962.

Park met with Iranian President Hassan Rohani and the two held a joint press conference announcing their major expansion in trade and tourism to $18 billion a year, and reestablishment of direct airline flights between Tehran and Seoul.

Park, accompanied by a delegation of more than 230 Korean business executives and aides, was also received by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei told Park that the United States, Korea's closest ally, should not influence Iranian-South Korean ties.

"Relations between Iran and South Korea should not be dependent on sanctions or influenced by the United States or any grudges the U.S. may hold" against Iran, Khamenei said, according to his website.

"We believe there is a possibility for more understanding, agreement and cooperation with Asian countries, including South Korea," Khamenei said.

On the first day of Park's visit on May 1, the two countries pledged to develop the energy sector.

"We will expand relations in energy projects and infrastructure...and in oil, gas, railways, and ports," Park said at the news conference with Rohani.

The two governments signed 19 cooperation agreements in the presence of the presidents, and further memorandums of understanding were due to be signed by the private sector, Rohani said.

Woori Bank opened an office in Tehran, becoming the first South Korean lender to have one, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.

Park and Rohani also discussed the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula and fears that Pyongyang may conduct a fifth nuclear test.

Rohani urged Seoul to follow Iran's example and establish a nuclear-free zone.

"Our demand is a world free of weapons of mass destruction, especially freeing the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East from destructive weapons," he said.

With reporting by AFP and AP
Iranian factory workers and shopkeepers went on strike on October 22 as nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for "improperly" wearing a head scarf entered a sixth week, activists said.

The death of 22-year-old Amini has fueled the biggest protests seen in the Islamic republic in years.

Young women have led the charge, removing their head scarves, chanting anti-government slogans, and confronting the security forces on the streets, despite a crackdown that rights groups say has killed at least 215 people, including 27 children.

Activists issued a call for fresh demonstrations as the Iranian working week got under way on October 22, but it was difficult to immediately assess the turnout due to curbs on Internet access.

"On Saturday... We will be together for freedom," activist Atena Daemi said in a Twitter post that bore an image of a bare-headed woman with her fist raised in the air.

The 1500tasvir social media channel said that there were "strikes in a couple of cities including Sanandaj, Bukan, and Saqez" but added that it was difficult to see evidence of them online as "the internet connection is too slow."

Saqez, in the western province of Kurdistan, is Amini's home town, where angry protests broke out at her burial last month, sparking the nationwide demonstrations.

The Norway-based Hengaw rights group also said that shopkeepers were on strike in Bukan, Sanandaj, Saqez, and Marivan.



At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, dozens of students were seen in a video tweeted by 1500tasvir clapping and chanting during a protest on October 22.

Dozens of workers were seen gathering outside the Aidin chocolate factory in Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province, in other footage it shared.

The videos have not been independently verified.

People were also gathering abroad for rallies in solidarity with the Iranian protest movement.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Berlin to show support. Iranian activist Hamed Esmaeilion -- whose wife and daughter were killed when a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down near Tehran in 2020 --is expected to be the main speaker in the German capital.



An online petition promoted by Esmaeilion asking the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to expel the Islamic republic's diplomats has so far garnered nearly 657,000 signatures.

In Tokyo, demonstrators held up portraits of Amini and others who have been killed in the crackdown, as well as a banner bearing the protest slogan, "Women, life, freedom."

A teachers' union in Iran has called for a nationwide strike on October 23 and 24.

The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates said the "sit-in" would be in response to "systematic oppression" by the security forces at schools.

The council identified in a statement four teenagers who had been killed in the crackdown -- Nika Shahkarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Abolfazl Adinezadeh, and Asra Panahi -- and said a large number of teachers had been arrested without charge.

"Iran's teachers do not tolerate these atrocities and tyranny and proclaims that we are for the people, and these bullets and pellets you shoot at the people target our lives and souls," it said.

Meanwhile Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, stressed in a speech on October 20 to the protesters that there is a need to form a "pluralist provisional government" for the transition from Iran's Islamic republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accused the United States of supporting the protests in an effort to win concessions in talks aimed at restarting the nuclear 2015 agreement.



"The Americans continue to exchange messages with us, but they are trying to fan the flames of what has been going on inside Iran in recent days," Amir-Abdollahian said during a visit to Armenia.

U.S. officials have dismissed Tehrans accusations that the weeks-long mass protests in Iran have been orchestrated by the United States or Israel

With reporting by AFP and dpa
The mother of imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova has accepted the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on her daughter's behalf.

"Humanity suffers when journalists are silenced. Therefore, some people believe that the killing of journalists constitutes a crime against humanity," Elmira Ismayilova told attendees at the ceremony in Helsinki, reading from a speech written by her daughter that included references to Elmar Huseynov, an independent Azerbaijani journalist and government critic who was shot dead in 2005.

"As you gather here tonight," the elder Ismayilova relayed, "I ask you not to laud my work or my courage, but to dedicate yourself to the work each one of you can do on behalf of press freedom and justice."

Khadija Ismayilova, a freelance journalist and frequent contributor to RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, was arrested in December 2014. In September, she was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison on tax-evasion and embezzlement charges that have been widely denounced as retaliation for her reporting linking members of President Ilham Aliyev's family to allegedly corrupt business practices.

"Today is her 516th day in prison," CNN senior international correspondent and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Christiane Amanpour told a press conference in Helsinki before the award ceremony. "And here, from this stage, I'm personally calling on...the Azerbaijan government to free her."

RFE/RL Editor in Chief Nenad Pejic welcomed the prize, calling it "powerful recognition of Khadija's work and her undeniable right to freedom."

The $25,000 prize is named to honor Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was killed outside his newspaper's offices in Bogota on December 17, 1986. It was established in 1997 to honor a person or individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the defense of press freedom.

Past laureates include Russia's Anna Politkovskaya in 2007, Iran's Ahmad Zeidabadi in 2011, and Azerbaijan's Eynulla Fatullayev in 2012.

The award presentation is held on May 3 to mark World Press Freedom Day.

The UNESCO prize is one of many international awards that Ismayilova, 39, has garnered both before and after her arrest. In 2012, she won the Courage in Journalism Award of the International Women's Media Foundation.

On May 27, a group of nongovernmental organizations plans to hold support rallies in 40 different cities to mark Ismayilova's 40th birthday.
The United Nations' special envoy for Syria travels to Moscow on May 3 to try to further efforts to reestablish a peace process and cease-fire in Syria.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and discuss additional efforts the global community should take to resolve the Syrian conflict, including extending the cease-fire to regions of the country where fighting continues.

Moscow maintains regular contacts both with the Syrian government and representatives of various opposition groups, and thus has opportunities to further the settlement talks.

However, last month's round of talks ended on April 27 with no major results, after which the ground war intensified with a burst of lethal fighting in Aleppo, Syria's largest city.

Lavrov on May 2 spoke with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about the flagging truce, and the pair "agreed on new measures to be taken by Moscow and Washington," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said, without providing details.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS
U.S. and Moldovan military forces have begun joint military exercises that are scheduled to last for more than two weeks.

About 200 U.S. troops in an armored column entered Moldova from Romania at dawn on May 3, a day after Defense Ministry officials in Romania said they would cross the border.

The U.S. troops crossed into central Moldova at the Sculeni checkpoint and passed through the town of Falesti before heading southeast on the M14 highway to the town of Negresti, about 20 kilometers northwest of the capital, Chisinau.

Code-named Dragon Pioneer 2016, the joint exercises are scheduled to continue until May 20.

The Socialist Party of Moldova, a pro-Russian opposition party, had called for demonstrators to block the route.

But fewer than a dozen protesters joined that protest and the U.S. troops advanced to the site of the exercises near Negresti without hindrance.

Opposition parties have called for a protest in Chisinau during the May 9 Victory Day celebrations, when the U.S. troops were scheduled to make an appearance with their armored personnel carriers in the Moldovan capital.

The exhibition of U.S. armored personnel carriers in Chisinau is one of the events in Moldova marking the 71st anniversary of the allied victory against Nazi Germany that brought World War II to an end in Europe.

Socialist Party leader Igor Dodon called the exercises a "military occupation."

Moldovan Defense Minister Anatol Salaru responded to Dodon's criticism by saying that "Dodon's cavalry have forgotten to leave" Moldova since the arrival of Soviet forces there in 1944.

His remarks referred to the continuing presence of Russian troops in Moldova's eastern breakaway region of Transdniester.

Russia has maintained its troop presence of about 1,500 soldiers in Transdniester since a cease-fire deal brought an end to the separatist conflict there in 1992.

About 380 of those Russian soldiers are deployed under an international l peacekeeping mandate.

The remainder are soldiers from Russia's 14th Guards Army.

Moldova joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1994.

With reporting by AP and Moldova.org
Pakistan has accused U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump of being "ignorant" for demanding the release of a doctor who was jailed for helping the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) hunt down Osama bin Laden in 2011.

Trump, a real estate billionaire who is the front-runner in the GOP's race for the presidential nomination, told Fox News last week that if elected, he would get Pakistan to free Shakil Afridi "in two minutes," because Islamabad receives a lot of aid from the United States.

"Contrary to Mr. Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America," Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan said in an angry response on May 2. "He should learn to treat sovereign nations with respect."

Khan added that the "peanuts" that the United States has given Pakistan -- $13 billion in aid since 2001 -- "should not be used to threaten or browbeat" the country "into following Mr. Trumps misguided vision of foreign policy."

Afridi's fate will be decided "by the Pakistani courts and the government of Pakistan and not by Mr. Donald Trump, even if he becomes the president of the United States," Khan said.

"Mr. Trumps statement only serves to show not only his insensitivity, but also his ignorance about Pakistan," Khan said. "Pakistan is a country which has suffered much, and the cost it had to pay in supporting the U.S. over the years has been mind-boggling."

Khan's tongue-lashing for Trump may reflect a widely held view in Pakistan that U.S. voters are highly unlikely to elect him to be the next U.S. president.

Beyond the Bin Laden comments, Trump showed he takes a rather dark view of Pakistan in his interview with Fox News. He said he supported leaving the roughly 10,000 U.S. troops still based in Afghanistan instead of withdrawing them as planned by the end of 2017.

"I would stay in Afghanistan," he said. "It's probably the one place we should have gone in the Middle East because it's adjacent and right next to Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons."

The clash comes on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. killing of bin Laden,architect of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, during a secret raid in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad.

Washington views Afridi as a hero for helping to pinpoint bin Laden's whereabouts. But many in Pakistan view him as a traitor and he was sentenced in 2012 to 33 years in prison on charges of belonging to the militant group Lashkar-e Islam, which he denies.

That sentence was overturned, and he was charged in 2013 with murder relating to the death of a patient eight years earlier. He remains in jail.

Afridi has also been accused in Pakistan of running a fake vaccination campaign in which he purportedly collected DNA samples to help the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency track down bin Laden. He has not been charged over those allegations.

With reporting by The Washington Post and Reuters
As deputy mayor of St. Petersburg in the 1990s, Vladimir Putin spent a lot of time with gangsters.

He collaborated with the infamous Tambov and Malyshev organized crime groups to gain control of St. Petersburg's gambling industry.

He used his office to help launder mafia money and to arrange foreign travel for known mobsters.

And security for the Ozero dacha cooperative he co-founded with some of his former KGB pals was provided by a company run by the Tambov gang, whom Putin also helped secure a monopoly over the city's fuel distribution network.

Putin was, in fact, an important liaison between the local government and the criminal underworld, Karen Dawisha writes in her highly acclaimed book Putin's Kleptocracy.

And when he moved into the Kremlin, Putin put his old mafia contacts to use as key tools of Russian statecraft.

"A significant part of Russian organised crime is organised directly from the offices of the Kremlin," the International Business Times quoted Ben Emmerson, a prominent British attorney who represents the family of slain Russian defector Aleksandr Litvinenko, as saying.

Likewise, Russian organized crime expert Mark Galeotti noted in a recent lecture at the Hudson Institute that Putin's Russia is "not so much a mafia state as a state with a nationalized mafia."

Putin's Kremlin has used organized crime to carry out the tasks it wants to keep its fingerprints off, be it arms smuggling, assassinations, raising funds for black ops, or stirring up trouble in the former Soviet space.

Moscow relied heavily on local organized crime structures in its support for separatist movements in Transdniester, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Crimea, and the Donbas.

In the conflict in eastern Ukraine, organized crime groups served as agents for the Kremlin, fomenting pro-Russia unrest and funneling arms to rebel groups.

Putin's weaponization of the mafia stems from his political education in the gangsters' paradise that was St. Petersburg.

"In genealogical terms, Putin is the product of the KGB. But in sociological terms, he is the product of the new class that emerged in the Darwinian conditions of the 1990s: business-minded, ambitious, nationalistic, and coldly utilitarian about norms and rules," veteran Russia-watcher James Sherr of Chatham House wrote in a recent report.

But now, thanks to Spanish Judge Jose de la Mata, the mask is coming off Putin's mafia statecraft in a big way.

Judge de la Mata has issued international arrest warrants for a dozen reputed Russian gangsters from the Tambov and Malyshev gangs, including current and former Russian government officials.

On the wanted list are Interior Ministry official Nikolai Aulov, Vladislav Reznik, a member of the ruling United Russia party who is deputy head of the State Duma's Finance Committee, and former Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sobolevsky.

Other officials linked to the gangs, but not subject to warrants, include two longtime Putin confidants: former Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and current Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak.

Also named are former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and former Information Technology Minister Leonid Reiman.

The charges -- which include complicity in assassinations, weapons trafficking, extortion, fraud, forgery, bribery, drug smuggling, and money laundering -- are based on a decade-long investigation and stem from a 488-page complaint filed by Spanish prosecutors Juan Carrau and Jose Grinda in May 2015.

In 2010, Grinda briefed U.S. officials in Madrid about the investigation, informing them that the Kremlin used "organised crime groups to do whatever the government of Russia cannot acceptably do as a government."

According to a classified cable from the U.S. embassy that was published by Wikileaks, the prosecutor told the American officials that Putin's Russia was a "virtual mafia" state where it was impossible to distinguish between the government's activities and those of organized crime groups.

In terms of countering the threat Putin's Russia poses to the West, the Spanish investigation is no less important than NATO's moves to rotate four brigades through the alliance's frontline states in Eastern Europe.

The alliance's decision to beef up defenses on its eastern flank should create a credible deterrent to the kinetic threat from Moscow.

But dealing with the more insidious non-kinetic threat, the one stemming from Moscow's weaponization of organized crime, is a job for law-enforcement.

NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect correct and clarify information regarding the arrest warrants.
WASHINGTON -- On World Press Freedom Day, imprisoned Azerbaijani investigative reporter and RFE/RL contributor Khadija Ismayilova was named the 2016 recipient of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, as journalists and activists around the world invoked the days message to call for her release.

The journalists mother, Elmira Ismayilova, traveled from Baku to accept the award at a ceremony in Helsinki, Finland on May 3, reciting a defiant speech written by her daughter from her prison cell.

Humanity suffers when journalists are silenced, wrote Ismayilova, referring to the unsolved 2005 murder of her colleague, Azeri editor Elmar Huseynov, and the assassination in 1986 of Columbian editor Guillermo Cano, the prizes namesake.

She said the award was not a cause for celebration but a call to action, and summoned those gathered at the ceremony not to laud my work, or my courage, but to dedicate yourself to the work each one of you can do on behalf of press freedom and justice.

Presiding over the ceremony, President of Finland Sauli Niinisto declared, I deeply regret that Ms. Ismayilova is not with us today but is imprisoned I hope that our event in Helsinki will be a turning point. I hope that it will bring about a more positive global development for a right to free expression and press freedom

CNNs Christiane Amanpour, who was recently named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, told an audience during the days proceedings that today marked Khadijas 516th day in prison, and personally called on the Azerbaijani government to free her. U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors CEO and Director John Lansing joined in calling for Ismayilovas immediate release in a statement released today.

RFE/RL editor in chief Nenad Pejic welcomed the prize, calling it powerful recognition of Khadijas work and her undeniable right to freedom.

The prize comes amidst a growing global campaign for the journalists release. A bill introduced last December by U.S. Representative Christopher Smith imposing visa and financial sanctions on Azeri officials for human rights abuses recently gained its fourth co-sponsor in Congress. An international coalition of NGOS is planning rallies in 40 cities on May 27, Ismayilovas 40th birthday, to call for her release.

Ismayilovas courage and wrongful imprisonment have been the subject of considerable international attention and tribute, including the PEN American Center's 2015 Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, the National Press Club's 2015 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award, and the 2012 International Women's Media Foundation's Courage in Journalism award.

Ismayilova was detained by Azerbaijani state agents on December 5, 2014, and sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in September 2015 on charges widely viewed as retaliation for her award-winning investigative reporting linking members of President Ilham Aliyevs family to corruption.

The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize honors an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.

Azerbaijan is ranked Not Free (189th out of 199 countries and territories evaluated) in Freedom Houses 2016 Freedom of the Press survey, and Very Bad (163rd out of 180 countries and territories evaluated) in Reporters Without Borders 2016 World Press Freedom Index.

About RFE/RL

RFE/RL is a private, independent international news organization whose programs -- radio, Internet, television, and mobile -- reach influential audiences in 23 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).
Imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova will receive a UN press award on May 3 for "her outstanding contribution to press freedom in difficult circumstances."

Ismayilova, an investigative journalist and RFE/RL contributor, was selected last month to receive the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

"Khadija Ismayilova highly deserves the prize and I am happy to see that her courage and professionalism are recognized," said Ljiljana Zurovac, president of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2016 Jury, on April 8.

The $25,000 prize is named in honor of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogota on December 17, 1986.

Ismayilova is currently in prison on embezzlement and tax-evasion charges that rights groups and Western governments have criticized as political retribution for her reports on corruption involving senior government officials and their relatives.
For years now, the criticism that the West is trying to "revise" the history of World War II has been a steady mantra from supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And many in the West do not fully appreciate the enormous sacrifices of the Soviet people -- who lost an estimated 20 million lives -- to the defeat of Adolf Hitler's Germany.

But on May 1, during a clutch with journalists in the Belarusian city of Brest, it was the turn of Aleksandr Zaldostanov, the leader of the notorious pro-Putin Night Wolves motorcycle club, to indulge in some significant historical revisionism.

A reporter from the independent Belsat asked Zaldostanov to comment on the fact that in the early days of the war, Stalin's Soviet Union and Hitler's Germany were allies.

"The U.S.S.R. sided with Hitler!" Zaldostanov replied in astonishment. "You see how messed up this guy is. Here is a clear example of the mess in some people's heads. The U.S.S.R. sided with Hitler, he's telling me. Either he is insane or he's trolling. What else can I say?"

A few seconds later, he pushed the persistent reporter aside and moved on to the next question.

Ironically, the incident happened in the city of Brest, which in 1939 was in Poland -- and formed part of the border between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany that was agreed as part of the secret protocol to the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the West on September 1, 1939, and the Soviet Union invaded from the east on September 17.

Nazi-Soviet Parade

Just a few days later, Poland was all but finished militarily, and the two invading armies held a joint military parade in Brest on September 22, 1939, in a dark parallel to the more famous meeting toward the end of the war of Soviet and American troops on Germany's Elbe River on April 25, 1945.

The joint parade was just the most visible moment in a long period of military and economic cooperation between Germany and the Soviet Union that stretched back to the 1920s and only ended with the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union on June 21, 1941.

WATCH: Soviet And German Soldiers March Together In Brest

Both countries were aggrieved by the peace settlements that ended World War I and sought to undermine them.

According to British historian John Erickson in his 2001 book The Soviet High Command, Soviet diplomats approached their German counterparts about partitioning Poland several times in the 1920s.

Although Germany was forbidden by the Versailles Treaty from having an air force, the Junkers firm created a factory outside Moscow and Luftwaffe pilots trained near Lipetsk. The Germans practiced the blitzkrieg at a tank school in Kazan and produced banned chemical weapons in Samara Oblast. German submarines hid from Versailles inspectors at a base near Murmansk.

However, Stalin's most fateful involvement in Germany in the 1920s was political. He stubbornly banned the Soviet-controlled Communist Party of Germany from cooperating in any way with the leftist Social-Democratic Party, a policy that helped pave the way for Hitler.

Relations slowed considerably after Hitler's rise to power, mostly because of Hitler's avowed anticommunism and anti-Slavic racism. The 1930s were a difficult time in European international relations, with all countries struggling to boost their security in a growing atmosphere of mutual mistrust. Numerous bids at various collective-security arrangements failed, as did the West's de facto policy of appeasing Hitler.

'Planting Ideas'

In the summer of 1939, Stalin entered into talks with Germany that resulted in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in August of that year. This was accompanied at almost the same time by the German-Soviet Commercial Agreement, under which the Soviet Union agreed to provide massive amounts of raw materials to Hitler's regime.

Under the secret protocols to the nonaggression pact, the two countries agreed to divide up Central Europe, with the Soviet Union taking eastern Poland, the three Baltic states, and the Romanian region of Bessarabia. Until the 1990s, the Soviet (and, later, Russian) government denied the very existence of the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop protocols.

One week after the signing, Hitler invaded Poland. Two weeks later, the Soviet Union followed suit. In late September and early October, the Soviet Union occupied the Baltic states. In October 1940, Germany and the Soviet Union briefly negotiated a draft treaty under which the Soviet Union would join Germany, Japan, and Italy as an Axis power. By that time, however, Hitler had already made up his mind to invade the Soviet Union, so those talks came to nothing.

The biker Zaldostanov's ignorance -- feigned or not -- of the Soviet Union's cooperation with Hitler's Germany and their joint invasion of Poland in 1939 found a more alarming echo last week in a comment by Russian General Aleksandr Kirilin, an aide to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, on Russian radio.

Criticizing the Polish government's policies on Soviet war memorials, Kirilin said "it is not appropriate for a European state that was occupied by Nazi Germany and could not get rid of the Nazi occupation if not for the Soviet Union's help."

"Attempts are being made to plant the idea in our minds that we invaded them," he concluded.
Russian federal investigators say three suspects arrested in connection with the murder of a high-ranking police officer and five of his relatives have confessed to the killings.

The investigators identified the arrested men on May 3 as Roman Fataliyev, Islam Babayev, and Orxan Zahrabov, all natives of Azerbaijan.

On May 2, Russia's Investigative Committee said the suspects were from Central Asia.

Investigators said on May 3 that a fourth suspect, an ethnic Tajik named Mahmadali Ahmadov, was still being sought.

Tajik Interior Ministry spokesman Jaloliddin Sadriddinov told RFE/RL that if Ahmadov was a Tajik citizen currently in Tajikistan, Dushanbe would not be able to extradite him to Russia because Tajik laws do not allow the extradition of the country's own citizens.

The deputy chief of staff of the Samara region's interior department, Andrei Gosht, was found dead at his home in Syzran on April 24 along with five of his relatives.

With reporting by Interfax
MOSCOW -- Every year as Russia gears up to commemorate Victory Day on May 9, flowers are laid outside the Kremlin walls at a memorial to the twelve "Hero Cities" whose inhabitants' outstanding heroism fighting Nazi Germany during World War II earned them honorary Soviet titles.



But bloggers have latched onto an apparent omission this year at the site, part of Moscow's Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier memorial: No basket of flowers has been laid at the monument to Kyiv.



The flower ensembles placed in front of the other Hero Cities looked official, although it was unclear if they had been placed there by Kremlin groundskeepers, city workers, or activists.



Some speculated the omission was a deliberate nod to hostile relations between Moscow and Kyiv, with Russia-backed separatists continuing to fight Kyiv's forces in eastern Ukraine two years after a popular uprising that ousted Ukraine's Moscow-backed president, Viktor Yanukovych.



By contrast, the memorial to the Ukrainian city of Odesa, also a Soviet Hero City, was festooned with flowers.



In addition to the official-looking flower basket, the Odesa monument displayed flowers laid by Russian nationalists on May 2, marking two years since clashes in that city resulted in the deaths of 48 people, most of them pro-Russian activists who got trapped in a burning building. A black ribbon on a funeral wreath carried the message to the Russian martyrs."



On May 2, Facebook user Sergei SV posted a photograph of the flowerless Kyiv memorial with the caption: "All the Hero-Cities have baskets with flowers, while Kyiv seems to have been 'punished.' So many of our grandfathers died in Ukraine I'm off to get flowers. He added a hashtag that translates as #StupidityMustHaveLimits. (#)

On May 3, passersby approached by RFE/RL were mostly guarded and tight-lipped about the flowers. Those who were prepared to comment on the apparent omission variously brushed it off as a "coincidence" or an obvious political decision due to poor relations with Kyiv. One nationalist applauded the omission of the flowers as just desserts for Ukraine's pivot away from Russia toward Europe.



Oleksandr, a middle-aged Ukrainian from Zaporizhzhya Oblast living in Moscow who preferred not to give his full name, said he hoped it was a coincidence. "But who knows. Look at Odesa, he said, gesturing toward that memorial with its many flowers. "It's very sad what is happening. Very sad," he said after posing for a photograph by the Kyiv memorial.



Others, however, like Natalya, 65, insisted it was a coincidence and professed her love for Kyiv. Maybe they just didnt put them out. Anything can happen. Kyiv is Kyiv. Its a Hero City. We love it. Its a good city."



But for nationalists like Aleksandr Sergeyev, 59, who described himself as a "worker," the omission was deliberate and entirely appropriate. He called the new government in Ukraine "fascist" -- a slur often thrown at Kyiv by Russian government officials -- with a leader who "licks the backside of Europe."



The monument honors 12 Hero Cities -- Moscow, St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Sevastopol, Odesa, Kyiv, Kerch, Novorossiisk, Minsk, Tula, Murmansk, and Smolensk -- along with one "Hero Fortress," Brest.



The name of each is displayed in gold on separate blocks of dark-red porphyry containing soil from that city.
A Russian man who spent three years in jail in the United States for creating a vicious computer virus was spared further prison time but ordered to pay $6.9 million to cover losses to bank customers.

A Manhattan federal court sentenced Nikita Kuzmin, 28, for creating the so-called "Gozi" malware that infected millions of computers and stole bank-account information, causing tens of millions of dollars in losses to customers of leading global banks.

Prosecutors described Kuzmin as an innovator in online crime, saying he not only created the virus but rented it out for $500 a week to criminals who used it to steal money from bank accounts.

The malware was disguised as a .pdf file, and was identified in 2007. Kuzmin was arrested in 2010 after he traveled to a conference in the United States. He pleaded guilty in May 2011 in a cooperation agreement with U.S. prosecutors.

In January, a Latvian man who admitted to having written some of the virus's computer code also was sentenced to time served. He had spent 21 months in prison.

Based on reporting by Reuters
A lawyer who defended members of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (HNIT) is going on trial in Dushanbe on charges of forgery and fraud.

Buzurgmehr Yorov was arrested on September 28. He has denied any wrongdoing.

On September 29, Tajikistan's Supreme Court ruled that the HNIT was an "extremist and terrorist organization" and banned it.

Police then arrested 13 leading members of HNIT on suspicion of taking part in a coup led by Deputy Defense Minister Abduhalim Nazarzoda.

Party leader Muhiddin Kabiri, who now lives in exile, has rejected the accusations.

In October, several human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and others called on Dushanbe to release Yorov, saying his arrest and the case against him were politically motivated.
ON MY MIND

NATO is planning on rotating four battalions through front-line states in the east. The European Union has significantly reduced its dependency on Russian energy supplies. Two items from today's Morning Vertical that illustrate ways in which the West is moving to address both the kinetic and nonkinetic threat emanating from Moscow. Two developments that show how the world has changed in the past couple years.Two signs that Vladimir Putin's regime has -- through its actions in Ukraine and elsewhere -- created a hostile environment in its neighborhood. The Putin regime will continue to play brinksmanship games with its military. And it will continue to use the energy weapon to play divide and conquer in Europe. But its ability to do so is steadily diminishing. The tectonic plates of European security are shifting. And they are not shifting in Moscow's favor.

IN THE NEWS

U.S. troops are in in Moldova for joint military exercises.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets the UN's special envoy for Syria in Moscow today.

NATO is considering rotating four battalions in Eastern Europe to deter Russia.

U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti takes over as Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, replacing U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove.

Outgoing NATO commander Breedlove, meanwhile, has called for a sharper focus on Russia.

Vladimir Putin has signed a law giving Russians free plots of land in the Far East.

Two Ukrainian energy firms are turning to the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration to recover losses resulting from Russia's forceful annexation of Crimea.

Estonia hopes to complete a 70 million-euro fence along its border with Russia by 2018.

WHAT I'M READING

Russia's Gas Games

Sijbren de Jong looks at Russia's "empty Gazpromises" in the EUObserver.

"Over the years, Gazprom has perfected a strategy whereby it whets the appetite of Europes political and business elite with potentially lucrative pipeline deals, even though the prospects of realizing these projects are often unclear," de Jong writes.

"How does Gazprom do it? By tempting different countries with promises of turning each of them into a 'gas hub,' which creates confusion and division between those who expect billions in transit fees and those who see contradictions between the pipeline project and the policies agreed at EU level."

Europe's Gas Success

Meanwhile, Tim Boersma and Michael E. O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution explain why Europe's energy policy has been a strategic success story.

"For many years, analysts and policymakers have debated the question of Europe's dependence on natural gas from Russia. Today, this problem is largely solved," Boersma and O'Hanlon write.

"Russia provides only one-third of Europe's gas. Importantly, Europes internal infrastructure for transporting natural gas in all desired directions has improved greatly. So have its available storage options, as well as its possibilities to import alternatives either by pipeline or in the form of liquefied natural gas. As a result, almost all member states are currently well-positioned to withstand even a worst-case scenario."

Putin Owned the Boom, Now He Owns the Bust

Andrew Higgins of The New York Times traveled to the northeastern factory town of Pikalevo, where Vladimir Putin famously chastised oligarch Oleg Deripaska for unpaid wages back in 2009.



"Pikalevo, about three hours east of St. Petersburg, and the rest of Russia are now mired in the country's longest recession since Mr. Putin came to power at the end of 1999, with the World Bank warning last month that the nations poverty rate would increase this year to 14.2 percent of the population, 'undoing nearly a decades worth of gains,'" Higgins writers.

Laughing at the Kremlin

In Newsweek, Marc Bennetts writes that humor is thriving in Russia despite the Kremlin's best efforts to stifle it.

Late Putinism?

In a blog post for RFE/RL's Russian Service, political analyst Andrei Piontkovsky argues that the post-Putin succession struggle has already begun.

"In such situations, the powerful clans shift in a standard away from a struggle for influence on the leader to a struggle for positions of power after he is gone," Piontkovsky writes.

The Crimean Tatars' Plight

Writing on the Atlantic Council's website, Eleanor Knott looks at what the banning of the Mejlis means for the Crimean Tatars.

"Those Crimean Tatars who choose to remain in Crimea -- around 20,000 have officially left since 2014 -- face an increasingly precarious future. Not least because the banning of the Mejlis has substantially limited Crimean Tatars main opportunity for recourse against Crimeas de facto authorities and the Russian regime," Knott writes.
Visiting Washington, D.C., Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of Turkeys pro-Kurdish Unity of Peoples' Party (HDP), felt it difficult to clearly answer the question he was asked when opening the Kurdish Policy Research Center. "Is there a risk of a Turkish-Kurdish [armed] conflict?"

Demirtas passed. "I try to speak very carefully on this issue; making statements and assessments on this subject is very sensitive," he replied.

No "yes," no "no."



Then, in an interview with The Washington Post, Demirtas was a bit more open and even threatening: "Many Turks and Kurds could die and this could trigger a civil war."

Unofficially, the HDP is the main political arm of Turkey's banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has waged a bloody war against the Turkish state and army for the last 32 years. Recent suicide attacks by Kurdish militants have killed hundreds of civilians in major Turkish cities, with the Turkish Army pummeling suspected PKK targets both inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.

Similarly, this has created tension between Turks and Kurds in general, including occasional attacks on shops or gatherings of either community by assailants leaving graffiti behind, blaming "the Turks" or "the Kurds" (in plural).

Recently dozens of shops owned by both Kurds or Turks were set on fire and destroyed in different cities including the central Turkish city of Kirsehir, where both communities have been living peacefully for centuries. Local authorities blamed the attacks on "provocateurs" and both Turkish and Kurdish shop owners blamed "outsiders who infiltrated our city to draw a rift between us."

Many Kurdish activists and columnists accuse past and present Turkish governments of being "racist" and "fascist," while nationalist-leaning Turkish analysts see each and every demand for improvement of ethnic rights as a "hidden attempt" of separatism and "plans for a Greater Kurdistan."

Meanwhile, bias and resentment keep spreading wider with each death on either side, regardless of whether the victim is a soldier, guerrilla, or civilian.

So, still no answer to the clear question whether there will be a civil war, an ethnic confrontation, or an all-out massacre between the Turkish majority and the Kurdish minority of an estimated 20 million people out of a total population of 78 million?

What Happened?

Until a hundred years ago, there was no big distinction between Turks and Kurds in political and social life. In the Ottoman Empire as in other Muslim states like Iran, "nation" was determined on the basis of religion and not ethnicity or language. Inside the empire, there were the nations ("millet") of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism who lived side by side, even under their own religious laws and regulations, though in distinct city districts or villages. They had to pay additional taxes on property and income ("jizye"). But they were widely free, especially compared to, say Jewish communities in France or Spain.

Turks and Kurds, however, were and still are mostly Muslims. Moreover, they were and still are of the same, Sunni, school of Islam.

So, it's not about religion or confession.

And it's not even about ethnicity and race. Yes, history tells us that in the early 11th century Turkic tribes invaded the then-Byzantine Empire and gradually took over the entire empire, including its capital, Constantinople, in 1453 that became Istanbul under Turkish rule. But history also tells us that the Turkish newcomers' numbers were less than that of the locals, who were primarily Greek, Aramaic, Armenian, or Iranian speakers.

To adapt to new rulers and their rule, most of the locals gradually and in the course of centuries changed their religion to Islam, their language to Turkish and even their names. Today, almost all anthropological studies find that more than 90 percent of the ancestors of today's Turkish population are Mediterranean or Southwest Asian like their Greek, Caucasian, Iranian and Middle Eastern neighbors. Only around 5-6 percent of the current Turkish population's genetic code is Central Asian, going back to the migrants of the post-Byzantine period.

To sum up: the vast majority of Turkish and Kurdish speakers in today's Turkey have a very similar set of genes.

Two Different Languages

But yes, sure, the language. Turkish and Kurdish are two different, though very connected languages. Turkish arrived in Anatolia 1,000 years ago with the migration of Turkic tribes. It originates from Central Asia and is a branch of the Altaic language group, like Turkmen, Uzbek, Kazakh, or Mongolian. But well before Turkish, languages of three different groups, Indo-European, an old Anatolian, and Semitic groups were spoken in eastern Anatolia, such as Hittite, Urartian, Greek, Armenian, Median, Pahlavi, as well as Aramaic.

Kurdish is one of the descendants of Western Iranian languages.

Contemporary Turkish and Kurdish/Iranian Persian have heavily influenced each other in the course of the last 10 centuries.

The Last 90 Years

Most probably, something went wrong after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and since the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

Emerging from the ruins of the empire that had lost much of its lands as a result of World War I, Ataturk's young republic tried to define itself as a new, modern, Western-oriented nation-state. Following its heavy defeat in the war, the young republican regime needed a strongly confident nation looking ahead as a member of the Western community.

Doing so, it fell into the trap of the extreme, even occasionally racist, and simply false imagination of the "pure Turkishness" of the new nation -- ethnically, linguistically, and historically. "A Turk equals the whole world" was the early Turkish government's slogan and "Turkish culture and language is the origin of all the world's languages and civilizations."

Not only was learning Kurdish banned, but even reading Kurdish books could be punished, as was identifying yourself as a Kurd with Kurdish as your mother tongue.

Soon, though, that euphoria of the first years left room for a state ideology of a "Turkish identity based on Turkish citizenship only" -- and not race, language, or religion. But many laws and especially practices of the past remained intact. And it was apparently too late. Many members of ethnic, linguistic, or religious minorities rejected identifying themselves as "Turks," even if that was just supposed to mean citizenship.

Add to all that the imbalance between the western, quite developed part of Turkey and the more backward, eastern provinces of the country that were the original geography of Turkey's Kurdish community, bordering Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

And add to that the repressive military coups that came time and again to power in Turkey, interrupting the country's civilian governance and bringing "order" to the occasional "chaos of democracy," using methods such as banning political freedoms, state terror, and torture.

This was the ideal moment for the PKK, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla organization that combined far-left ideology with Kurdish nationalism. Founded in 1984, it started a war against the Turkish state and army, hitting and retreating to northern Iraq and provoking harsh attacks by the Turkish Army.

In the last 10-20 years, some practices were relaxed. You can now buy songs and books in Kurdish and there are newspapers and even a government-owned Kurdish TV channel. But for many Kurdish militias and activists the Turkish government's plans to "solve the Kurdish issue" are not honest and too slow. Some even believe they have achieved these "little steps" only because of actions publicly condemned as "terrorist attacks."

The PKK is branded a "terrorist organization" by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. But that is not the issue, at least not a key to open the door for peace and reconciliation before it's too late.

Call it a "struggle," as does the PKK, or a "war on terror," as does the Turkish government and army. Since the war started 32 years ago, it became a "de facto civil war" that expanded to western regions of the country through attacks on military and civilian targets and killed about 40,000-45,000 people and cost billions of dollars.

Forget about "they started first, we are just responding to them." Forget about "NATO's strongest army" that is fighting PKK, forget about Turkey's majority and minority, and forget about PKK's hope of support from the Kurdish hinterland and militias in northern Iraq and Syria.

The question is whether both parties genuinely believe that they can emerge victorious from this vicious circle of violence, destruction, and national divide. And if they genuinely believe they can reach a solution alone and without the other side of the conflict.
Russian pilots are escalating tensions with the West by buzzing U.S. military targets in the Baltics, the U.S. chief of naval operations has said.

"My hope is that we can stop this sort of activity," Admiral John Richardson told Pentagon reporters on May 2. "It just sort of raises the overall tension in the region, so we look for sort of normalization there."

Richardson said the repeated buzzing increased the chance of a "tactical miscalculation," although "I don't think the Russians are trying to provoke an incident. I think they're trying to send a signal."

The Pentagon said a Russian Su-27 performed a barrel roll on April 29 over a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, while in April a Russian jet flew about 15 meters from the wingtip of a U.S. aircraft and two jets buzzed a U.S. aircraft carrier.

The Pentagon has called the encounters "unsafe and unprofessional."

Russian officials have said the incidents were provoked by U.S. planes and ships moving close to the Russian border.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP


RFE/RLs Moldovan Service Chisinau Bureau Chief Vasile Botnaru has been distinguished with the highest civilian honor bestowed by the president of Romania.

Romanian President Klaus Johannis signed several decrees decorating Moldovan public figures on April 21. Botnaru was conferred with the National Order for Faithful Service with the rank of Commander for his journalistic work. The distinction recognizes Botnarus contributions to strengthening community, language, and social ties across the Romania-Moldova border.

After graduating with a degree in journalism from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Botnaru worked as a photojournalist, editor, and political commentator for a variety of publications in the Soviet Union. When Moldova gained independence in 1992, Botnaru and two colleagues founded BASA-Press, Moldovas first independent news agency. He also worked for the Romanian television channel Pro TV and as a correspondent for the Associated Press. Botnaru joined RFE/RLs Moldovan Service as the Chisinau bureau chief in 2004. He is also the recipient of the 2009 Order of the Republic of Moldova award.

I am delighted that Vasile Botnaru was among the very few Moldovans receiving this high honor from the president of Romania, said Moldovan Service Director Oana Serafim. It shows once more the impact of the Moldovan Service not only in Moldova, but also in the region.

Several other RFE/RL journalists, including Serafim, have been recognized for their work by the Romanian president with this award in previous years.

RFE/RLs Moldovan Service provides news and information in Romanian and Russian via Radio, TV, and web, and is the most popular international radio broadcaster in the country. The service continues to adapt to the changing political realities in the region to meet audience needs, most recently launching at 10-minute TV news program, Clear and Simple, which airs in both Romanian and Russian. In 2014 the service doubled its special programming to the separatist Transdniester region and programing in Russian in response to events in Ukraine.
The Richmond Association of Realtors announced Monday that it has invested $1 million through a loan to Virginia Community Capital to support quality, affordable housing and economic development projects in the commonwealth.

Virginia Community Capital is a nonprofit community development financial institution and state-chartered banking entity with offices in Richmond, Christiansburg and Norfolk.

RAR has a long history of advocacy on behalf of, as well as philanthropic support of, both affordable housing and public education, said Dawn Bradley, 2016 president of the Richmond Association of Realtors and managing broker at the Long & Foster Grove Avenue office.

Given the scale of the challenges, we felt now was the time to deepen our commitment and create an ongoing source of income to support the initiatives we care deeply about.

The interest income paid by Virginia Community Capital on the three-year note will be donated to The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia. It says it is the states largest community foundations, managing more than $678 million in charitable assets and deploying resources to help create a healthy and thriving regional community.

In addition to the annual interest earned on what it calls the LION loan  short for Local Impact Opportunity Note  the association will dedicate 10 percent of the annual distribution from the Central Virginia Multiple Listing Service to The Community Foundation.

The loan is a quality-of-life investment strategy, said Bradley, adding that the association adheres to the principle that people do not buy houses unless they have bought into a communitys quality of life.

Essential elements contributing to a communitys quality of life are a variety of affordable housing options and excellent educational choices, especially K-12, the association, a 4,000 plus-member trade organization, said in a statement.

Without these essential underpinnings, the Richmond region will not be as competitive as it should be in terms of retaining talent, attracting jobs and stimulating new development, according to the statement.

The Richmond Association of Realtors is truly a national leader by creating this innovative solution to enhance the quality of life for the Richmond region, said Jane Henderson, CEO and president of Virginia Community Capital. Bringing together impact investing and philanthropy in this model to tackle affordable housing and education issues in our community is groundbreaking.

Donated funds to The Community Foundation will be used to invest in area nonprofits that work to enhance K-12 educational offerings and outcomes, the association said.

Even as we have much to celebrate, Richmond faces complex issues that call for bold and innovative solutions, said Sherrie Brach Armstrong, CEO of The Community Foundation. A partnership with VCC and RAR means that we can combine our unique strengths to ensure that individuals and families have opportunities to achieve economic stability and personal success.

Laura Lafayette, CEO of the Richmond Association of Realtors, said, The opportunity to invest our resources wisely and reap a solid return, while at the same time investing in our communitys quality of life, was something we just couldnt resist. We hope this will serve as an innovative model for other organizations wanting to make an impact on the quality of life in their communities as well.

Virginia Community Capitals mission is to offer innovative, flexible financial products designed to support housing and community development ventures, increase jobs and encourage sustainable communities. It offers flexible lending in low- to moderate-income communities in underserved geographies and markets.
Chesterfield police are searching for a man and a woman in connection with an armed robbery late Sunday at an Exxon gas station.

According to police, the woman entered the gas station at 2708 Buford Road about 10:20 p.m. and talked to the clerk for a few moments. She then left and got into the drivers side of a dark-colored Hyundai.

A man then entered the gas station, showed a handgun and demanded money from the register. The man took an undisclosed amount of cash and got into the passenger side of Hyundai. The vehicle then left the scene.

The female suspect is described as white, about 5-foot-8 and weighing about 160 pounds. She had brown hair and was wearing glasses. She was wearing a dark-colored shirt, a dark-colored jacket, light-colored pants and pink shoes.

The male suspect is described as black, 22 to 30 years old and about 5-foot-8 with an average build. He had a beard and was wearing a red hat. He was dressed in all black and carrying a backpack.
A man and his dog were rescued from the James River on Monday after becoming stranded during a thunderstorm near the Boulevard Bridge.

Richmond police and firefighters responded about 10:45 p.m. after a woman called 911 from Texas Beach, saying a friend and his dog were trapped on the rocks about 300 yards downriver from the bridge.

Once on the scene, officers saw a light in the river and were able to signal the man. The officers closed the bridge so they could maintain contact with the man until firefighters could reach him, said Richmond police spokesman James Mercante.

However, rescue crews were forced to wait until the storm passed before they could launch their rafts into the river, Mercante said.

Firefighters then brought the man and dog to shore, where the man was checked out by Richmond Ambulance Authority personnel before being released, said Lt. Chris Armstrong of the Richmond Fire Department.
Henrico police are investigating after a carjacking and shooting that sent a man to the hospital Monday.

According to police, officers responded shortly before 10:30 p.m. to the 1500 block of East Laburnum Avenue. There they found a man who had been shot.

The man was taken to a local hospital. His wounds are not considered life-threatening, police said.
According to the D.C. Police Department, a suspect assaulted a driver and stole a MetroBus in Washington today.

The suspect then stuck and killed a pedestrian in a gas station parking lot.

The incident occurred in the 4200 block of Minnesota Avenue. The suspect is in custody the police reported.
CHRISTIANSBURG  A judge in the Nicole Lovell case ruled Tuesday that a defendant will not be allowed to film her own preliminary hearing later this month.

Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Robert Viar entered an order Tuesday denying the motion for the cameras after the judge heard arguments on the matter last month.

Viar offered no explanation in the order beyond his denial.

The decision comes after lawyers for Natalie Keepers  who has been charged in the teens death along with David Eisenhauer  argued traditional court audio recordings wouldnt be good enough.

Video is able to capture the subtleties in the expression and mannerism of each witness in ways audio recordings cannot, according lawyer John Robertsons motion filed in March. Those subtleties, he argued, may be key to Keepers defense by showing a jury how someone changed their testimony at trial somewhere down the line.

But Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt, who is prosecuting the Virginia Tech students accused of plotting to kill Lovell, said her office was unable to find any other criminal case in Virginia that has allowed a defense team to film proceedings. She added that the use of stenographers and audio recording equipment is routine, and she would not object to that.

Media usually requests this kind of video access, but Robertson was arguing for Keepers own cameras to be allowed into the May 20 preliminary hearing, while at the same time saying press cameras should be banned.

According to the Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court clerks office, about eight news agencies have already requested photo access to the Keepers and Eisenhauer cases, including The Roanoke Times, WDBJ (Channel 7) and CBS' 48 Hours.

Viar had not ruled on the press motions as of Tuesday afternoon.

Legal experts largely didnt know what to make of the lawyers' request after it was argued at a hearing last month. Some said theres no reason it should be denied, others  like Radford University criminal justice professor Tod Burke  said there wasnt much precedent to suggest what the judge would do.
When Robert Williams learned a stranger was returning a wallet stolen from him 58 years ago, his first response was: I hope its full of money.

It wasnt, but what it lacked in moola, it made up for in memories.

The Spotsylvania County man opened the brown billfold, now blackened and dry-rotted with age, and saw class pictures of himself and his late wife, Pat.

Hed know her smile anywhere, but he looked at his slicked-back black hair and wondered: Who is that skinny kid?

He saw his Social Security card and draft registration, drivers license and vehicle identification, membership club for the Virginia National Guard and the Idlers, a hot-rod group from school.

Then, the man who graduated from James Monroe High School in 1957 read the letter explaining how the wallet was found.

UNSOLVED MYSTERY

It came from a stranger in North Carolina, a woman named Kelly Smith whose husband found it, stuck against a rafter in the ceiling of their pantry. Then, she did some online investigating to find the rightful owner.

Williams was more than grateful for her diligence, and he sent her a two-page note and gift card to Cracker Barrel as a thank-you.

Still, the 78-year-oldwho doesnt use a computerwas a little unsettled to find so much of his life was available for anyone to see.

I couldnt imagine what to think, he said. This was just a little bit weird for me.

Williams also was befuddled about why the person who stole his wallet didnt just toss it into the trash after taking the money.

That leads to the biggest question of all.

How in the world did a wallet, stolen from a counter in Fredericksburg by a man driving a car with Maryland tags, end up in the rafters of an old house in a North Carolina city?

A GOOD LESSON FOR ME

In 1958, Williams was working at the old Amoco gas station near the Falmouth Bridge, and hed just gotten paid in cash. He put the 50 bucksgood money in those daysinto his wallet and set the billfold on the counter when a customer entered.

Williams went outside to put gas in the tank. (Attendants did that in those days.) The vehicle had Maryland tags, and he assumed it was headed to the nearby Fredericksburg Auto Auction.

When Williams went back into the station, his wallet was gone.

That was a good lesson for me, he said. You dont leave your wallet lying around.

From then on, he kept his wallet in a locker. When he started driving a bread truckwhich he did for 40 yearshe put it in a buttoned pocket.

He later worked part-time at the auto auction and enjoyed meeting new peopleand reconnecting with those he grew up with.

Williams has spent his life in the Fredericksburg area, and his memory hasnt suffered with age. He knows names and places, what used to be in which buildings, and whos no longer among the living.

That leads to a story about nine men who worked at the auto auction and breakfasted together every Saturday.

Now theres three of us, he said.

BOY, WAS I WRONG!

In her letter to Williams, Smith told him that she and her husband moved into an old house, built in 1952 and full of character, three years ago. Its in Reidsville, N.C., about 25 miles north of Greensboro.

Each spring, a couple of rats get caught in the ceiling of the pantry, which is above a bathroom in the basement.

On April 20, the Smiths heard some scurrying. He moved a ceiling tile, stuck his head in the hole and saw two rats in front of him and something stuck in the rafters behind him.

Disappointed that it wasnt a treasure map, he took out the wallet and told his wife theyd look at it after work.

She grabbed it on her way out, thinking it must belong to a former owner.

Boy, was I wrong, she wrote to Williams.

She did a Google search of the address on the cards in his wallet, which led her to Spotsylvania County deeds and a property search. Because she knew where and when Williams was born, she continued looking with a free trial under Ancestry.com.

Smith found the marriage license of the Williamses, who wed in 1960, along with census and voter lists.

When she couldnt find more information, she started searching findagrave.com. She located a photo of Patricia Williams marker as well as her obituary, which had names of their children and grandchildren.

Jackpot! Smith wrote. Finally I had the last piece of the puzzle.

IM GONNA FIND HER

Smith found information about Williams son and daughter-in-law, Robert Jr. and Lee Ann Williams, and turned to Facebook. She figured their children would have profiles there.

When she found one for their daughters, Emily, she checked her friends, saw Lee Ann Williams listed and got a phone number.

She didnt want to risk a call and barking up the wrong tree if she were wrong, so she sent a text.

Lee Ann Williams responded, asked her father-in-law if it was OK for the two of them to talk, and gave Smith her mailing address.

On Sunday, Lee Ann Williams brought the package to New Life in Christ Church in Spotsylvania and gave it to her father-in-law.

She also shared the story at the Stafford campus of Fredericksburg Christian School, where she teaches music. The receptionist said everyone was familiar with the amazing story.

Robert Williams is pretty amazed himself. He got out the Lysol and gave the old wallet a good cleaning. He will hold onto it as a keepsake, and maybe one day visit the woman who returned it to him.

If Im ever down that way, he said, Im gonna find her.
It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search?

Search for: Search
Covenant Presbyterian Preschool celebrated National Limb Awareness on April 21 in honor of Ava Loren.

Ava was born with one of her limbs shorter than the other and without a hand. The medical term for this condition is transverse symbrachydactyly.

We celebrated Ava's uniqueness with a balloon launch to raise awareness for limb conditions, such as Ava's. The children learned about limb differences while playing one handed catch with Ava and through bible verse.

To view photos from National Limb Awareness Day at Covenant Presbyterian Preschool, see the photo gallery or for a different view, click here.

Submitted by Pam Altizer
CHRISTIANSBURG  A judge in the Nicole Lovell case ruled Tuesday that a defendant will not be allowed to film her own preliminary hearing later this month.

Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Robert Viar entered an order Tuesday denying the motion for the cameras after the judge heard arguments on the matter last month.

Viar offered no explanation in the order beyond his denial.

The decision comes after lawyers for Natalie Keepers  who has been charged in the teens death along with David Eisenhauer  argued traditional court audio recordings wouldnt be sufficient.

Video is able to capture the subtleties in the expression and mannerism of each witness in ways audio recordings cannot, according lawyer John Robertsons motion filed in March. Those subtleties, he argued, may be key to Keepers defense by demonstrating to a jury how a witness might have changed their account .

But Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Mary Pettitt, who is prosecuting the Virginia Tech students accused of plotting to kill Lovell, said before Viars decision her office was unable to find any other criminal case in Virginia that has allowed a defense team to film proceedings. She added that the use of stenographers and audio recording equipment is routine, and she would not object to that.

Reporters usually request this kind of video access. But Robertson was arguing for Keepers own cameras to be allowed into the May 20 preliminary hearing, while at the same time saying press cameras should be banned.

According to the Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court clerks office, about eight news agencies have already requested photo access to the Keepers and Eisenhauer cases, including The Roanoke Times, WDBJ (Channel 7) and CBS 48 Hours.

Viar had not ruled on the press motions as of Tuesday afternoon.

Legal experts largely didnt know what to make of the lawyers request after it was argued at a hearing last month. Some said theres no reason it should be denied.

Others  such as Radford University criminal justice professor Tod Burke  said there wasnt much precedent to suggest what the judge would do.

Keepers has been charged with accessory before and after the fact in Lovells slaying and concealing a dead body. Eisenhauer is charged with abduction and first-degree murder.
The publicity for Eye in the Sky has largely, and inevitably, centred around Helen Mirren (pictured), who is ostensibly the star.



Hers may be the biggest name but in truth this is a multi-handed thriller about how life and death decisions can be made at arms length by a committee of characters, each balancing idealism with pragmatism in differing measures.



The Eye in the title is a military drone remotely operated by Aaron Pauls Nevada-based pilot and initially spies on a jihadist cell based in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.



It is expected to literally oversee the terrorists capture by special forces troops, as managed by Mirrens British army officer Col Katherine Powell with guidance by a panel of political figures led by Alan Rickmans sardonic general.



But when the Islamists actions take a more sinister turn, the need for more immediate action comes to the fore, especially when it becomes clear a little girl is selling bread outside the safe house compound.



Eye in the Sky shows how different army ranks and politicians on both sides of the Atlantic (as well as, in this case, Asia), as well as undercover agents on the ground in Africa, have roles to play in deciding when and if to strike.



Switching between on-the-ground scenes of the young bread-seller (Aisha Takow) going innocently about her business and the way forward being thrashed out by by Powell et all, this is a hugely suspenseful, edge-of-the-seat thriller where the drama comes not in action set pieces but in the protracted argument about the moral merits of the proposed strike and the value of one certain-to-be-lost life as weighed against dozens potentially saved.



Mirren, reprising the quiet authority most memorably seen during her Prime Suspect days, is effortlessly watchable, while Rickman - in his final appearance before his death last January - is spot on as the experienced general.



Praise is also due to Aaron Paul as the drone pilot who forms the films moral centre in a performance of moving vulnerability.



Footage of an insect-sized mini-drone flying into and exploring the terrorists hiding place, meanwhile, is superbly realised.



Its refreshing in an age where body counts in thrillers soar without a hint of the assailants harbouring any reservations that the loss of even one innocent life merits such examination.



By the time this truly modern war film reaches its conclusion, its clear there are no simple decisions when it comes to the fight against terrorism, and even from thousands of miles away, no one comes away without blood on their hands.

MORE NEWS



Morrisons wins permission for Catcliffe properties



Travellers Swallownest site plan rejected

Arsonists strike ten times over bank holiday weekend
SOUTH Yorkshire Police is under the command of its third chief constable in just six days.

Police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings has appointed Dave Jones, the chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, to lead the force until a permanent replacement for ex-top cop David Crompton is found.

Mr Jones took up the post at noon today, based at the forces Sheffield HQ.

He will work alongside Deputy Chief Constable Dawn Copley, Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Barber and Acting Assistant Chief Constable Jason Harwin.

A force spokeswoman said the permanent role of South Yorkshire Polices chief constable will be advertised in the coming weeks, with a view to filling the post over the summer.

Once the new top cop is found, Mr Jones will return to his position at North Yorkshire Police.

Mr Jones began his policing career in 1986, with Greater Manchester Police.

In 2008 he was appointed assistant chief constable for Police Service Northern Ireland.

He took up the role of chief constable at North Yorkshire Police in 2013, where he worked on service improvement and modernisation, a spokeswoman said.

Mr Jones is also the National Police Chiefs Council lead on citizens in policing and sits on the national Special Capabilities Board.

During his interim appointment in South Yorkshire, Mr Jones post in North Yorkshire will by filled by the forces deputy chief constable Tim Madgwick.

Dr Alan Billings, Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, said he was confident Mr Jones could begin restoring trust in the force.

He added: The last week has been very turbulent for South Yorkshire Police and I am well aware of the anguish felt by the communities of South Yorkshire and police officers and police staff at the present time.

I will be working closely with the force to establish stability as soon as possible.

I want to give reassurance to all and make it clear that I have been working very hard alongside members of my office and colleagues in the Home Office, the College of Policing and HMIC to resolve these issues as a matter of urgency.

I am also very grateful to the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, Julia Mulligan, who has been extremely supportive and has offered the services of Chief Constable Jones to us during this very difficult period.

Mr Jones said: I joined the police service to make a difference and to keep people safe, and that will be my focus at South Yorkshire Police.

There is no question that this is a very difficult period, both for South Yorkshire Police as an organisation, and for the communities it serves locally and further afield.

Nevertheless, I believe there is a strong desire  both inside and outside the police service  for the force to move forward in a positive direction.

With that in mind, I will work with the new chief officer team over the coming months, to make sure that South Yorkshire Police makes progress until a permanent chief constable is appointed.

He added: First and foremost, I will engage with those communities both inside and outside of South Yorkshire who have been let down by the police service.

I want to understand how their confidence in policing has been affected, and work with them to build it back up and restore pride back into the police service.

It is also important that officers and police staff are supported to get on with the day job, which is to serve the public of South Yorkshire and keep people safe.

In addition, and with the support of the police and crime commissioner, I will be seeking the full support of the College of Policing, NPCC and HMIC to provide a thorough review of South Yorkshire Police.

The full details of this and the terms of reference will be worked out in due course in partnership with South Yorkshire Police and the police and crime commissioner.

This will form the basis of a route-map for the incoming chief constable.

I will also work alongside the police and crime commissioner to seek to ensure that the service has sufficient funding and resources to tackle the issues facing the force.

I am not underestimating the scale of the work ahead, but part of the reason why I have taken on this interim role is that I believe that the policing as a whole has a duty to help the service in South Yorkshire to move forward.

It is vitally important and it is the bedrock of British policing that we have the trust and confidence of the public and if anything puts that at risk the whole of the police service needs to respond accordingly.

MORE NEWS



Morrisons wins permission for Catcliffe properties



Travellers Swallownest site plan rejected

Arsonists strike ten times over bank holiday weekend
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) installed Judy Petry, president and general manager of Farmrail System, as its new chairman. Peter Claussen, Jr., president of the Gulf & Ohio Railways, was selected as the new vice-chairman of the association, filling the role Petry previously held.

Petry, elected for a three-year term, succeeds Ed McKechnie, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Watco Companies. Petry has served on the ASLRRA Board of Directors since 2004 and on the Executive Board as vice president, Central Region and vice-chairman. She is also a past chairman of the CONNECTIONS convention and has served on the Finance and Administration Committee since 2007.

I am truly honored to guide the ASLRRA and grateful to have had such an effective leader, Ed McKechnie, as my predecessor, said Petry. We are a strong, financially sound organization with a great story to tell and I look forward to tackling our many goals together. Together we can accomplish far more than any of us could accomplish on our own.

Petry has identified several goals for the upcoming year including: achieving 45G Tax Credit permanency via passage of the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act; continuing the growth of annual convention and regional meeting attendance by providing meaningful education sessions to shortline railroaders; increasing young railroader participation at all levels, so that they are better prepared to take over the reigns in the future; communicating more often and with greater transparency to the board and membership at large; and continuing to build upon the Short Line Safety Institute.

Claussen has served on the ASLRRA Executive Board as the vice president, Southern Region, since 2015. He also serves on ASLRRAs Legislative Policy Committee.

We are looking forward to working with our new leadership, said Linda Darr, president of the ASLRRA. Already, they have hit the ground running and have been instrumental in guiding our work on issues of importance to the association.

In other developments with the board leadership, JoAnne Miner, director, account management for ShipXpress joined the board and will represent associate members along with John Gravenkemper, regional sales manager for NRE. Gravenkemper became the senior board member representing associates, replacing Jerry McCombs, vice president of sales and marketing for Century Group, whose term expired. Mike Ogborn will be replaced by Ed McKechnie on the board as immediate past chairman.

The Pacific Region board elected Clint Ashmead, vice president of sales and marketing for Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc. to the board. Ashmead will fill a seat vacated by Carla Groleau, assistant vice president government relations, Genesee & Wyoming

Railroad Services.
The Swiss stock market traded in the green for much of Monday's session, but slipped into negative territory briefly in late trade. The market managed to recover and ended the session with a modest gain. Trading activity in Europe was on the light side, with several closed for the May Day holiday.

Eurozone manufacturing growth improved marginally in April, but failed to impress investors. Traders were concerned by U.S. manufacturing data in the afternoon. The ISM said its purchasing managers index dipped to 50.8 in April from 51.8 in March. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 51.5.

The Swiss Market Index increased by 0.21 percent Monday and finished at 7,977.77. The Swiss Leader Index climbed 0.25 percent and the Swiss Performance Index rose 0.28 percent.

Shares of UBS fell 0.4 percent Monday, ahead of its quarterly report tomorrow. Julius Baer dropped 0.7 percent and Credit Suisse lost 0.3 percent.

LafargHolcim ended the session lower by 1.9 percent, but there was no news to drive the stock lower.

Swisscom climbed 0.7 percent, ahead of its financial report Tuesday. Galenica advanced 1.6 percent and Sonova added 1.5 percent.

Among the index heavyweights, Roche and Novartis both gained 0.1 percent each. Shares of Nestle increased by 0.4 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Sony has announced the list of titles that will arrive in May 2016's PlayStation Plus free game lineup.

Each month Sony gives out a handful of free titles for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.

Starting May 3, gamers will be able to access the free titles coming to PlayStation Plus for the month, which includes Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, LocoRoco Cocoreccho!, Switch Galaxy Ultra, Table Top Racing: World Tour and Tropico 5.

To get play these free titles, a user should be a PlayStation Plus member. A one month membership will cost $9.99, a three month membership costs $17.99 and a 12-month membership costs $49.99. New users get a 14-day free trail.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Asia-focused lender HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBC,HSBA.L) reported Tuesday that its first-quarter profit before tax declined to $6.11 billion from last year's $7.06 billion. Earnings per share were $0.20, down from $0.26 a year ago.

Adjusted profit before tax was $5.43 billion, compared to $6.60 billion in the prior year.

Net asset value per ordinary share was $8.86, compared to $8.95 last year.

The company called its earnings results a resilient performance despite challenging market conditions.

Revenues declined to $14.98 billion from last year's $15.89 billion. Adjusted revenue was $13.91 billion, compared to $14.46 billion a year ago.

The company said its costs were broadly unchanged reflecting tight cost control and continued effect of cost saving plans.

HSBC said it expects to deliver $4.5 billion to $5 billion cost savings.

The company further said its dividend growth is dependent on long term profitability and further release of less efficiently deployed capital.

HSBC remains on track to deliver Group RWA reduction target with 50% of target achieved.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Early signals are pointing to a rough open for Bay Street Tuesday morning amid weaker commodities and concerns about the Canadian market overheating.

Stocks rose sharply along with crude oil and metal prices last month, but the rally has lost steam over the past week.

On Monday, the S&P/TSX Composite Index was down 85.82 points, or 0.62 percent, to 13,865.63.

Energy stocks may fall further after losing significant ground in the previous session. Crude oil for June was down 35 cents at $44.41 a barrel this morning, having recently touched a yearly peak above $46.

Encana Corp. (ECA.TO, ECA) reported Tuesday that its first-quarter net loss was $379 million, narrower than last year's loss of $1.71 billion.

The company also said it is company on track to meet or beat 2016 guidance announced in February.

Husky Energy (HSE.TO) is its selling royalty interest in certain oil properties to Freehold Royalties (FRU.TO) for C$165 million.

WestJet (WJA.TO) profit dropped 38 percent on higher costs and sluggish demand for Alberta routes.

Fortis Inc. (FTS.TO) announced earnings for its first quarter that increased 6 percent from last year.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Google Chrome has finally managed to snatch the first position in the browser world by slightly overtaking Internet Explorer (IE), officially ending the long reign of the Microsoft internet search engine.

According to statistics provided by market researcher NetMarketShare, Chrome was the most popular desktop browser last month with 41.7 percent, narrowly topping the 41.4 share for Internet Explorer.

Mozilla's Firefox browser came in the third position with an overall market share of 9.7 percent. Firefox's appeal has been plummeting, and continued in third place since 2014 March.

An April 2016 graph posted online at netmarketshare.com showed a Chrome use trend line rising while a line for IE sloped downward.

Chrome commanded top spot among those who accessed the internet from mobile devices, slightly more than 49 percent of the market, according to NetMarketShare.

The results came as Google faces regulatory scrutiny, particularly in Europe, over its dominant position in Internet lifestyles and as Microsoft was pursuing a shift to and cloud computing services. Microsoft fielded new Edge browser software synchronized to its latest-generation Windows 10 operating system and incorporating its Cortana virtual assistant capabilities to win users.

Microsoft last month had reported a 25 percent plunge in Q2 profits as the company navigated away from its role as a software seller to a services model.

The growth for Chrome is especially impressive as IE comes bundled as the default browser with every version of Windows except for 10. Windows users who want Google Chrome must manually install it and choose it as their default browser.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Several hundred people visited the commemoration events in the center of Odesa on Monday to honor those who died on May 2, 2014 during clashes between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian activists, heroes of the Heavenly Hundreds and those killed in the anti-terrorist operation zone.

The commemoration was held under Ukrainian flags, those present laid out a the trident using grave lights in the Hretska Square and laid flowers at the pictures of the victims, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported.

Two commemoration services for those killed in the events of May 2, 2014, were to be held in Odesa on May 2  one at 14:00 on the Kulykove Pole Square and another at 20:00 on the Hretska Square. The event on the Kulykove Pole Square was not held because of the anonymous reports of a bomb being planted there. Subsequently, the report about the bomb was not confirmed, but three grenades were found in an underground passage in the vicinity of the Kulykove Pole Square.

Large-scale clashes involving pro-Russian activists, the Antimaidan movement, and pro-Ukrainian activists erupted in Odesa on May 2, 2014. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry put the death toll from those events at 48, with most of these people killed in a fire at the Trade Unions House, to which participants of the Antimaidan movement fled for cover after the clashes. However, these were pro-Ukrainian activists who became the first victims of the clashes on the Hretska Square.
Ukrainian servicemen and MP Nadia Savchenko, who has been convicted in Russia, has told her sister Vira that two Ukrainians, who were previously held by militants in Donetsk, were brought to her pre-trial detention center in Novocherkassk, Rostov region, Russia.

"At our meeting, Nadia told me that today (on Wednesday, April 27) two guys previously held in basements in Donetsk region have been brought to pre-trial detention facility No. 3 in Novocherkassk, Russia... Are they our soldiers? In any case, people are being 'engulfed' by the prison of nations - Russia... "Vira Savchenko wrote in her Facebook page on April29.

Savchenko has been held in Russian custody since July 2014 after being kidnapped by Russia-backed separatists and illegally taken across the Ukrainian border.

On March 22, 2016, the Donetsk Court of the Rostov region found Savchenko guilty of killing Russian journalists Igor Kornelyuk, and Anton Voloshin, by a group of people by a previous concert on hatred and enmity motives, and sentenced her to 22 years in a penal colony. The court also found her guilty of attempted murder and illegally crossing the Russian border.

Savchenko is currently held in pre-trial detention facility No. 3 in Novocherkassk.
A Ukrainian soldier was injured in small-arms fire in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone on Monday, spokesman of the Ukrainian presidential administration for the ATO matters Andriy Lysenko has said.

"Over the past day, none of Ukrainian soldiers was killed, one soldier was wounded in the Donetsk area," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.

According to Lysenko, the serviceman was shot in the enemy's small-arms fire aimed against the ATO forces positions in Svitlodarsk Reservoir area.

The presidential administration's spokesman said that on Monday there was some decline in militant activities compared with the previous week, but the enemy still continued to fire at Ukrainian position.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
British investigative journalists group Bellingcat will publish on Tuesday evening a new report on the investigation into the crash of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing MH17 in Donetsk region in the summer of 2014.

"Bellingcat's new #MH17 report will be released at 10pm BST today (midnight, Kyiv time)," the organization wrote on its Twitter page.

The group's expert, Aric Toler, said on the air of the Espreso.TV that their researchers were able to establish the number of the Buk anti-aircraft missile system, which was used to shoot the Boeing 777 in Donbas in 2014, and which was assigned to the 53rd brigade of the air defense troops Russia's armed forces.

The expert said that the anti-aircraft missile system number was Buk-332.

As reported, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, killing all 298 people on board. Most of the victims were Dutch and Malaysian nationals. The casualties also included citizens of Australia, Indonesia, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand.

The Dutch Safety Board published a report on the MH17 crash on October 13, 2015. It says, in particular, that the airliner was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile.

In early January 2016, the Bellingcat group said that a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was downed by a Buk missile launcher on July 2014 which originated from Russia.

" it can be concluded that on July 17, 2014 a Buk missile launcher, originating from the 53rd Brigade near Kursk, Russia, travelled from Donetsk to Snizhne. It was then unloaded and drove under its own power to a field south of Snizhne, where at approximately 4:20 p.m. it launched a surface-to-air missile that hit Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 as it flew over Ukraine. On the morning of July 18, the Buk missile launcher was driven from Luhansk, Ukraine, across the border to Russia," reads the report which summarizes open source investigations into the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) on July 17, 2014 in Ukraine.

According to the report, "alternative scenarios presented by the Russian Ministry of Defense and Almaz-Antey are at best deeply flawed, and at worst show a deliberate attempt to mislead using fabricated evidence."
By SA Commercial Prop News

CNNs international business correspondent Richard Quest will be the master of ceremonies at the SA Property Owners' Association (SAPOA) International Convention & Property Exhibition. Image gallery



This year's SA Property Owners' Association (SAPOA) International Convention & Property Exhibition has announced the latest additions to its already-strong keynote speaker line-up, with hard-hitting topics being tackled by a line-up of global and local experts.

Sponsored by gold partners Liberty Properties, Growthpoint Properties and JHI, this year's convention will celebrate its 45th anniversary with a plenary sessions, workshops and seminars as well as plenty of networking opportunities.



CNNs international business correspondent Richard Quest will be the master of ceremonies at the three-day event.



The keynote speakers alone offer a breadth and depth of insight into land and property issues, across the globe and in SA, from entirely different perspectives.



Here's a taste:



 The Honourable Judge Dikgang Moseneke, deputy chief justice of the Constitutional Court of SA will speak on SA's Constitution that has embraced land reform and property rights.



 Patrick Sumner, head of global indirect property at Henderson Global Investors in London, will speak to international and local trends in listed property investments.



 The question of whether or not the City of Cape Town functions more efficiently than other major cities will be tackled by the Honourable Mayor of Cape Town Patricia de Lille.



 For retail investment trends, Jeremy Kelly, director of global research programmes at Jones Lang LaSalle in the UK will be elaborating on global real estate futures in his keynote address.



Part of this sector-wide focus is the presentation of two much-anticipated awards at the Convention: the annual SAPOA Property Journalism Awards, which recognize excellence in property journalism; and the SAPOA Innovative Excellence Awards, which showcase exceptional property developments. The beach party at the Valley of the Waves provides informal networking with industry colleagues.



The 45th annual SAPOA International Convention and Property Exhibition will take place on 14-16 May 2013 at Sun City.

For more information, please go online at www.sapoaconvention.co.za
By SA Commercial Prop News

Pravin Gordhan: SA's Finance Minister



South Africas economy is improving but is vulnerable to problems in the Eurozone, says Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Economic growth is reasonably stable, Gordhan said at the Foreign Correspondents Association breakfast meeting in Johannesburg on Monday.

Like many other parts of the world, the economy is still subject to the vagaries of the global economy, in particular the European situation. From our point of view, we look forward to a far more clear set of actions coming from European countries that will give markets the certainty they require.

Uncertainty, he said, damaged growth as well as employment prospects.

The ministers comments come ahead of the G20 meeting convening on Thursday and Friday, which is expected to address the European crisis where leaders will find out if they are any closer to a definitive answer on the matter.

It is also expected to look into whether the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has adequate resources and if it requires additional funds.

Globally, the world is moving towards multi-polarity where traditional methods of growth are not operational. We are living in epoch-changing shifts in the economy, they dont happen overnight nor can they be judged over a short period. These are shifts that are reflected in the way in which global growth is being distributed, said Gordhan.

We are now in a multi-polar world of transition. Multi-polarity is where we are heading. It shouldnt be seen as this enforced historical change that we have to live with but rather as a vital necessity to ensure that global growth is restored .

On the decision by rating agencies to place South Africa on a negative watch, Gordhan said comments made by the agencies were unfortunate.

Some of the concerns by agencies seem to be an unfortunate casting of European shadows on the South African scene and there is nothing to suggest in the numbers or policy pronouncement that this government has made to justify the kind of doubts that rating agencies are placing on South Africa.

There were, however, social demands to better deliver resources. Gordhan said this was not driven by demands for more money to be spent but rather for money to be better spent and less subject to corruption, a matter which government was attending to.

We want to build up a 10-year fiscal framework, which will tell us what we can afford and how we need to grow the economy to overcome challenges, said the minister.

South Africa is working to improve growth with its infrastructure programme that was recently announced, as well as with the competitive programme for the industrial sector, support for emerging farmers, investment in science and technology as well as employment expansion - particularly for the youth, for whom processes in this regard [for youth employment] were taking too long.

There are immense opportunities on the continent, said Gordhan.

On the issue of reducing unemployment, Gordhan said this ambition depended on the extent of economic growth, labour absorption as well as greater investment in industries that have a larger capability to employ people, among others.

I admit [we are] not easily going to meet some of the targets we set but Im hopeful that some of the programmes we put in place might begin to change the picture. If we can get the global economy to settle down and get back to a growth path, we might see a different picture in about five years.

South Africa aims to create five million jobs by 2020. Gordhan said more needed to be done, adding that 70 percent of the job creation target must come from the private sector.

The minister stressed that incentives for business to create jobs were available, and that far more urgent discussion was needed in this regard.
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Thirteen Ukrainian doctors have been freed from captivity in Libya, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has said.

"We have good news. 13 Ukrainian medics, who were held captive by ISIS, have been released and taken to the Libyan town of Ra's Lanuf. We are in constant communication with them," he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
New business incubation space in the works for downtown Salina

Saline County is in the approval process for an incubator space for retail and specialty food businesses in downtown Salina.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has reported its first co-financing project in Pakistan, a choice that a financial chief said is not related to close ties between China and Pakistan.

The China-led multilateral development bank has identified a series of co-financing projects with the Asian Development Bank, according to a statement released by both banks on Monday.

The statement came after AIIB President Jin Liqun and ADB President Takehiko Nakao signed a memorandum of understanding in Frankfurt on the sidelines of the ADB's 49th annual board of governors meeting.

The first of these projects is expected to be Pakistan's M4 highway, a 64-kilometer stretch of motorway connecting Shorkot to Khanewal in Punjab province.

The financing level will be $300 million, with the two banks contributing roughly an equal amount, Nakao said.

The statement said: "The agreement sets the stage for jointly financed projects. The AIIB and ADB are already discussing projects for co-financing in the roads and water sectors."

Responding to questions on whether the project in Pakistan had been chosen first as a result of close ties between China and Pakistan, Nakao said this had come about "just by chance".

"The Pakistan project is the most mature one. There is a series of forthcoming projects, which will probably be approved and announced in June."

The AIIB expects to approve about $1.2 billion in financing this year, including 12 projects with the World Bank and the ADB. Meanwhile, China is implementing its $46 billion plan for a China-Pakistan economic corridor.

A Financial Times report said earlier that besides the project in Pakistan, the AIIB is considering a road project in Tajikistan and a ring road in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The report said the ADB led the Pakistani project, while the AIIB participated later. The ADB said it will administer the project on behalf of the other co-financiers and that bidding must be carried out in accordance with the ADB's procurement guidelines and procedures.
This is the undeniable truth. Samoas economy by any estimation is weak compared to that of our bigger neighbours. Without aid, remittances and tourism, it would have floundered long ago.

Today we are living in a very challenging time. The sight before us is not a good one. Its worrying indeed.

The signs are manifesting in many different forms. Whereas beggars and street vendors on the streets are multiplying quicker than we can count, the social ills we see every day tells us that something is just not right.

Take interschool brawls for example. When it comes to interschool violence in Samoa, everyone has had enough. Were tired of talking, we are sick of resolutions and reconciliation meetings that dont amount to anything.

Something has to be done and now.

You see, when Police in riot gear replace students at a compound on a school day, that is enough to alarm us that not all is well. There is something seriously sickening about the developments of today.

Indeed, were talking about the need to deal with the escalating violence among students on the streets of Apia.

We agree that the issue is not new. Its been around for years.

But there is a real sense of urgency thats needed now to address this longstanding problem before someone is killed. Folks, we believe it is only a matter of time before innocent lives are taken causing unimaginable pain, if nothing is done to address it.

The story titled Threat shuts school published in yesterdays Samoa Observer sent chills up the spine. The story talked about how Police officers in full riot gear took over the compound of Maluafou College on a school day.

As a result, students were promptly sent home and the school was shut yesterday. The decision followed a threat made on Facebook with a post by someone identified as Vadoz Lokoz calling on students to bring knifes, petrol bombs and rocks for the attack.

Beat all the boys and girls of the school, no one is to be spared including the teachers, the post reads. The note instructs year 9 students to bring small knives, year 12 students to bring bottles and year 13 students are asked to bring petrol.

Make sure you beat up the girls of Maluafou as if you are beating up a boy and stab them with the knives.

Seriously? What is going on in Samoa? Who does this?

The last time there was a problem within schools, Police identified that one of the biggest problems is old students who have nothing to do but cause trouble.

At that time, the Police said these students  who have fallen through the cracks in the education system - incite the fights and they are using mobile phones to promote their violent rhetoric.

And thats where we believe the biggest problem lies for Samoa. We have far too many unemployed young people roaming the streets doing nothing but thinking of trouble.

Its wonderful that a certain percentage of students gain opportunities to pursue tertiary education and eventually find jobs.

But not all of them do. The majority of students end up dropping out after college and these are the students we have been worried about for so long now. Unless they find a purpose in life, they will enter a world of petty crime just to get by.

So if we really want a permanent solution, a good start is identifying the root cause of the problem. Weve had enough of the band aid solutions that dont work. The problem is not the schools, it is not the teachers and it is definitely not Facebook and technology.

The real problem are young people who have nothing better to do but dream up these ridiculous schemes to make a name for themselves. The question is, will they have time for any of this silly stuff if they had better things to occupy their minds? Like jobs? Or other productive ways to satisfy their needs?

Which brings us back to the point weve been making for a long time now. The government needs to be creative in their thinking. With so much fertile land available in Samoa, we need an agriculturally-oriented project which could cater for young people, providing them employment and money.

Think of many huge plantations of all sorts of fruits such as pineapples, oranges, mangoes, vi and whatnot, around both Upolu and Savaii.

They employ young people living there so that the exodus to Apia stops, and poverty and hardship are addressed.

When the crops are harvested they are exported to China and elsewhere; unemployment drops; more employed people contribute with taxes and they are now more likely to become law-abiding citizens.

Young people will have better ways to use their social media skills, to promote the work they do instead of inciting violence as we have seen.

The point is that were tired of these superficial solutions and feel good talk just to appease tensions for a moment.

If we want whats happening today to end, we need to be conceptual, objective and think outside box.

We need innovation, new ideas.

What do you think? Have a wonderful Wednesday Samoa, God bless!
The National University of Samoa (N.U.S) was the venue of a very special event on Monday night.

It was where 122 delegates of the 39th Annual Meeting of the Association of Development Financing Institutions for Asia and the Pacific (A.D.F.I.A.P) were welcomed the Samoan way, enjoying traditional performances and a taste of Samoan cuisine.

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, welcomed the delegates and congratulated the hosts for bringing such an important meeting here. The fact that the meeting is being hosted by three organisations that are led by women is just amazing, he said.

It showcases that our country is taking a huge step forward in promoting gender equalities and equal opportunities for both gender.

The event was extra special for all the members of A.D.F.I.A.P were recognised for the work theyve been doing for the past year.

Awards were given out to different members who have done well and achieved a lot since the last annual meeting. And Samoa was also one of the few countries who received awards on that night. The three organisations hosting the meeting all won three Merits Awards.

They are Samoa Housing Corporation (S.H.C), Development Bank of Samoa (D.B.S) and the Samoa National Provident Fund (S.N.P.F).

The Development Bank of Samoa won the merit award in the area of Small Business Enterprise on their Development Partnership with Small Business Enterprise Center (S.B.E.C).

In receiving the award, the Chief Executive Officer of D.B.S, Susana Laulu thanked A.D.F.I.A.P for recognising their work. She extended her gratitude to S.B.E.C for assisting them with their projects. Lastly, she thanked her hardworking staff for their efforts.

The Samoa National Provident Fund won the merit Award in the area of Financial Inclusion.

Sau Taupisi Faamau received the Award on behalf of the C.E.O and staff of S.N.P.F.

And the Samoa Housing Corporation won the Merit Award in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility. The C.E.O of the Samoa Housing Corporation, Matautia Rula Levi and Tuilaepa Eti Faolotoi, Chairman of S.H.C received the Award.
Avele College and Maluafou College yesterday reconciled, after Fridays brawl which left members of the public nearby shaken and led to the closure of the school yesterday.

The reconciliation took place during a meeting at Maluafou.

Principal of Avele College, Matafeo Reupena Matafeo, blamed social media for the escalating problem of interschool violence. The main course is social media, said Matafeo.

He said they dont teach these kinds of things in schools because there are no subjects that involve fighting and violence.

In addressing the students, Matafeo reminded them that the government and church does not intend for them to fight. Instead, they want them to obtain an education so they can help their families.

We want to see you make it to N.U.S and pass S.S.L.C but we dont want to see you carrying loads for those Chinese deliveries, said Matafeo. He said they are looking at meeting up with the cell phones company to find a way to put an end to these pages created by students.

Maluafou Principal, Lasi Tavae, supported Matafeo. Its a sickness and we are trying to find a cure to it, she said.

Avele Head boy, Mervyn Teueli, told Samoa the Observer that there will be no more fights.

This ends today, said Teueli.

Falaniko Milovale of Maluafou College during the ava ceremony apologized to the Director of E.F.K.S education, the school principals, and all the teachers.

Today is the end of this violence, Avele we are one, we are children of God, said Milovale.

As for the violence on Friday, Matafeo said they have left it to the police.
Excitement, anticipation and anxiety quietly turned to anger and frustration for organisers of the 20th Samoa International Game Fishing Tournament yesterday.

It happened when it dawned on them that a ferry bringing in 12 boats from New Zealand for the tournament might not make it in time. It was scheduled to arrive last night but this could not be confirmed at press time.

One of the boats on the ship is Greenies Waka 2.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, angler David Green, said they have invested money in bringing the boat to Samoa but with the tournament already delayed due to the ships late arrival, they are losing patience.

The shipping company really should have done more to get the boats here in time, he said. Theyve got a lot of people waiting here and they know very well about it.

I am indeed not happy about that because Im one of the guys that paid thousands of dollars to be here. But also, the shipping companys behaviour is certainly not family friendly.

For instance, here are people which are away from their children for nearly a week now, and if the boats are still not coming, these people will do the most understandable thing and just head home.

The ship in question is Imua II vessel.

Marty Maessen, a member of the organising committee, said the ship was to arrive right on time for the opening. But the original ships arrival in Apia was delayed due to technical problems, which occurred during the voyage from New Zealand.

It had to go back to the harbour in New Zealand and there was a rope around the propeller, so that had to be fixed to ensure the continuation of the journey, Mr. Maessen explained.

But there was also another problem that appeared. At the end, they swapped all of our boats and the containers on to another vessel, so instead of coming from New Zealand directly to Samoa, it went via Fiji.

It took an extra amount of two days for the time there, dropping off cargo and taking on new cargo to finally make its way to Samoa on Sunday. As of yesterday afternoon, there was no sight of the vessel.

S.I.G.F.A.s President, Vui Kevin Kohlhase, said it was scheduled to arrive last night.

As for now, were expecting the vessels arrival soon and after the unloading, the boats will be at the harbour at around six oclock or even later, he said.

The ship dilemma has already disrupted the tournaments schedule. The first day of fishing was on Monday with the womens tournament and there was no fishing yesterday.

The only consolation was that on Monday, the women kicked off the tournament on a high note, landing some great fishes including a whopping marlin.




Confucius Institutes in Latin America provide not only Mandarin courses but also cultural events for locals, serving as an important bridge between the region and China, a Chilean education director told Xinhua during an interview.

More than 70,000 young Latin Americans are currently studying Mandarin at 45 Confucius Institutes in the region, and many other Latin Americans take part in Chinese cultural events organized by the institutes, said Roberto Lafontaine, director of the Santiago-based Regional Center of Confucius Institutes in Latin America.

Chile was the first country in the region to host a Confucius Institute eight years ago, Lafontaine said, adding that his center now has branches in Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, as well as in the English-speaking Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and Jamaica.

"More than a million people (in Latin America) participate in cultural activities organized by the Confucius Institutes," said Lafontaine.

Among these events in Chile was the presentation of a play about the life of famed Chinese admiral and explorer Zheng He in the 15th century, following presentations in Brazil and Argentina.

For Latin Americans, China used to be an exotic and mysterious land, yet "today there is a growing interest in its development", Lafontaine told Xinhua.

People want to know more about China's fashion trend, architecture, literature, film, among others, and the Confucius Institutes offer them an opportunity to know more about the Chinese culture, he said.

Different from many Confucius Institutes operating within universities, some institutes choose to reach out to local communities and streets, Lafontaine added.

"We want students in public or private primary or middle schools to have access to the Chinese language and culture, as well as the elderly, which allows us to expand knowledge about China to a much greater degree," he said.

Lafontaine said his regional center is opening Confucius Institutes in all Chilean cities, which is expected to reach 14 by the end of the year.
A baby has been born with a total of 31 fingers and toes to shocked parents who say there were no indications of his deformities on pre-natal scans.

The three-month-old boy, nicknamed Honghong, has 15 fingers and 16 toes. Incredibly, he also has two palms on each hand, with no thumbs.

His parents are now desperate to find medical treatment for him as doctors at their local hospital in Hunan, central China, tells them surgery will be extremely difficult.

Honghong has an extreme case of polydactyly.

The medical condition, where children are born with extra fingers or toes, appears in approximately one in 1,000 cases. But to have so many extra digits is extremely rare.

Honghong's mother also suffers from polydactyly and has extra digits on both her hands and feet.

She was worried about passing it on to her child so she had multiple examinations at hospitals in Shenzhen, south China.

When she was half way through her pregnancy, she even visited Futian District Maternity Hospital in Shenzhen to get a four-dimensional ulltrasound.

She was again told that the baby had no deformities.

But the couple, who live in rural Hunan, were horrified to find that their son's polydactyly is even more severe than that of his mother.

Both of Honghong's feet have eight toes while one of his hands has eight fingers and the other, seven.

Liu Hong, a professor at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital for Pediatric Orthopedics, told Honghong's father Zou Chenglin that surgery will be extremely difficult.

The boy is currently too young for anaesthetics but he will need to undergo surgery between six months and a year before the bones set.

Unfortunately for the impoverished family, the surgeries are likely to cost in the to cost hundreds of thousands of Yuan (tens of thousands of pounds) - too much for them to bear.

Now, the three-month-old boy's parents are desperately trying to find money to fund the treatment for their son.
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 3 -- Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer is meeting with leaders from various sectors to prepare himself for a possible takeover from President Dilma Rousseff, who is facing impeachment.

Temer on Monday met former Central Bank President Henrique Meirelles to mull economic policy of his possible administration, Agencia Brasil news agency reported.

Former Civil Aviation Minister Eliseu Padilha said the meeting between Temer and Meirelles aimed at finding out what might be the direction of an eventual Temer administration.

"If the Senate confirms the suspension (of Rousseff's office), there will be no time to think afterwards," Padilha said.

Temer has been meeting with several leaderships in recent weeks, in preparation for the aftermath of a possible suspension of Rousseff's role as president.

Rousseff is going through an impeachment process and her case is being analyzed by a Senate commission.

Should the Senate decide to begin an impeachment trial, Rousseff will have to step aside for 180 days for the trial to proceed, with the vice president taking over as acting president.
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On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed the first congressional resolution and presidential proclamation calling upon all citizens to display the national flag in honor of American mothers on the second Sunday in May. But the credit for Mothers Days popularity belongs to Anna Jarvis, who organized the first official Mothers Day services on the morning of May 10, 1908, in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia, and later in the afternoon in her adopted hometown of Philadelphia. Thanks to Jarvis  who wrote annually to every state governor as well as to any local or national figure she believed could advance her holiday movement, from former President Theodore Roosevelt to the humorist Mark Twain  most states already hosted a Mothers Day observance well before Wilson gave the holiday federal recognition.

The holiday may have had an easy birth, but not an easy transition to maturity.

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Anna Jarvis designed the Mothers Day celebration in honor of her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. As a young girl, Anna was inspired by a prayer she once overhead her mother give. I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mothers day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life, Jarvis remembered her mother saying. She is entitled to it.

Jarvis chose the second Sunday in May to mark the anniversary of her mothers death and selected Mrs. Jarvis favorite flower, the white carnation, as the holidays official emblem. Jarvis request for children to visit or write letters home on Mothers Day reflected the significance she placed on her own correspondence with her mother.

As a single woman in her 40s, Anna Jarvis viewed motherhood simply through the eyes of a daughter. Thus she constructed a child-centered celebration of motherhood for Mothers Day: a thank-offering from sons and daughters and the nation for the blessing of good homes.

This is not a celebration of maudlin sentiment. It is one of practical benefit and patriotism, emphasizing the home as the highest inspiration of our individual and national lives.

Commercial industries quickly recognized the marketability in Jarvis sentimental celebration of motherhood. Her themes became central to Mothers Day advertising campaigns. The call to write tribute letters fueled the greeting card industry. The designation of the white carnation emblem energized the floral industry. Moreover, Jarvis own story as a daughter dedicated to fulfilling her departed mothers greatest wish was better than anything a copywriter could invent.

But despite her calls to the nation to adopt her holiday, Jarvis considered it her intellectual and legal property and not part of the public domain. She wished for Mothers Day to remain a holy day, to remind us of our neglect of the mother of quiet grace who put the needs of her children before her own. She never intended for the observance to become the burdensome, wasteful, expensive gift-day that other holidays had become by the early 20th century.

Jarvis attacks on the commercialization of Mothers Day became legendary. Media sources chronicled her frequent public condemnations of those she denounced as copyright infringers, trade vandals, and blatant profiteers. In 1922, Jarvis endorsed an open boycott against the florists who raised the price of white carnations every May. The following year, she crashed a retail confectioner convention to protest the industrys economic gouging of the day. In 1925, she interrupted a national convention of the American War Mothers in Philadelphia because she believed the majority of the money raised by the organizations white carnation sales went into the pockets of professional organizers rather than going to aid World War I veterans.

Jarvis identified several diverse threats to her holiday movement throughout her career. But the biggest was another holiday: a more inclusive Parents Day. In 1923, New York City philanthropist Robert Spero attempted to organize a large Mothers Day celebration, complete with a parade of marching bands and singing troops of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Jarvis, however, would not permit it.

Jarvis had battled with Spero before, over his role in the profitable marketing of artificial white carnations. Now she accused him of falsely claiming affiliation with her incorporated Mothers Day International Association for sheer self-promotion. She threatened a lawsuit, and New York Governor Alfred Smith, who had originally supported the idea, successfully pressured Spero to cancel his entire holiday plan.

In 1924, Spero sponsored his first Parents Day celebration on the second Sunday in May. His rallies earned more holiday converts and media attention as the decade progressed. We want fathers to feel they are more than breadwinners, that when they go off to work they have some responsibility for what goes on in the home, Spero told The New York Times in 1926. That same year, a crowd of 4,000 attended the Parents Day rally in the Bronx. The holiday movement gained momentum with the 1929 official endorsement of Parents magazine publisher George Hecht. And in 1930, New York Assemblyman Julius Berg introduced a bill in Albany to legally replace Mothers Day with Parents Day on the state calendar. He was confident that New York State mothers would have no complaints about sharing their day with fathers.

But Jarvis complained, vehemently. Not only did she consider the bill a personal attack on her legal copyright protection; she saw it as a patent insult to the states mothers. Of all the freak and amazing attacks on the home and respected womanhood of New York State, surely this anti-mother bill sponsored by a little clique of anti-mother sons is a humiliating one, she protested. For Jarvis, a threat to Mothers Day was an affront to motherhood and, in turn, to family harmony. Although often criticized by her more feminist contemporaries, as well as modern scholars, for her failure to acknowledge mothers who were active in the eras social and political reform movements, Jarvis never faltered from her defense of a mothers preeminent role within the family.

Jarvis was not alone in her criticism of the Parents Day movement and its perceived attack on the veneration of motherhood. The state and national success that Spero predicted for his holiday never materialized. His annual rallies were never as well attended as predicted. Bergs bill failed repeatedly in Albany. And even Hecht abandoned the holiday movement in 1941 to chair the newly incorporated National Committee on the Observance of Mothers Day.

The holiday rivalry, at its heart, was a societal dispute over the shifting roles of fathers and mothers within the early 20th-century American family. Childcare advice and popular culture encouraged fathers to play an active role in the daily lives of their children by the 1930s, calling fatherhood the most important occupation a man could hold. Yet despite the new views on fatherhood, Spero still failed to kick the mother out of Mothers Day. Perhaps the holidays lack of broad appeal mirrored the larger cultural recognition of the unequal division of childcare  that when contemporary childcare experts or social pundits addressed parents, they were still really addressing mothers.

Although many Americans certainly believed that fathers deserved regard beyond that of breadwinner, most hesitated to equate the maternal and paternal roles. Like Jarvis, they may have viewed a mothers influence as irreplaceable and thus incomparable to a fathers role in design or status. Ultimately, Americans opted to honor fathers in a way that did not threaten the status of mothers or marginalize their role as childrens primary caretakers. As the Parents Day movement faded in the 1940s, the celebration of Fathers Day grew in popularity.

On a national calendar already crowded with tributes to American fathers  from Presidents Day to our pilgrim fathers on Thanksgiving  Mothers Day is the only culturally, commercially popular holiday that explicitly celebrates women. And that explains Jarvis protectiveness: When a son or daughter cannot endure the name mother for a single day of the year, it would seem there is something wrong, she implored. One day out of all the ages, and one day out of all the year to bear the name mother is surely not too much for her. Based on the cultural longevity of Mothers Day, Americans agree.


Deerfield Beach, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- Flow cytometry is a laser based, biophysical technology that is utilized in the analysis of several physical parameters cells when suspended in a heterogeneous fluid mixture. The flow cytometry technology possesses more precision and accuracy, and lesser time consumption as compared to traditional methods such as ELISA. The flow cytometry technology is utilized across various verticals such as diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, HIV and hematological malignancies, clinical research and academic research activities.



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The Austria flow cytometry market generated a revenue of $14.0 million in 2014 and expected to garner $27.7 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 12.3% during the forecast period. Flow cytometry has emerged as one of the leading technologies due to various technological advancements, extensive usage in the research and its widespread use in the diagnosis and monitoring of various diseases such as cancer, HIV and hematological malignancies. In addition, increasing scope of applications in the fields of drug discovery, microbiology marine biology, and environmental sciences would further drive the market growth. In addition, increasing investments in research and development activities would drive the market growth. The growth of the market is restrained mainly due to high costs and the limited availability of technical expertise. However, further research and development in the fields of drug discovery and diagnostics provide numerous opportunities for the growth of this market.



The report analyzes the Austria flow cytometry market on the basis of components, technology, application and end user. Based on components, the market is segmented into instruments, reagents, software and services. On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into bead-based and cell-based technologies. Based on applications, the market is segmented into research application, clinical applications and industrial applications. Based on end users, the market is segmented into commercial organizations, medical schools and clinical testing laboratories, hospitals, academic institutions and others.



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The report provides a comprehensive overview of the leading companies operating in the Austria market. The key companies profiled in the report include Danaher Corporation, Becton, Dickinson and Co., Merck Millipore, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., and Agilent Technologies, Inc.



KEY MARKET BENEFITS:



The study provides an in-depth analysis of the Austria flow cytometry market with current and future trends to elucidate the imminent investment pockets in the market.

The report provides a quantitative analysis of the current market estimations during the period of 20142020 to enable the stakeholders to capitalize on prevailing market opportunities.

Extensive analysis of the Austria flow cytometry market based on component helps in understanding the components used in the flow cytometry that are currently used along with the variants that would gain prominence in future.

Competitive intelligence of the market highlights the business practices followed by leading market players.

Comprehensive analysis of factors that drive and restrict the growth of the Austria flow cytometry market has been provided.

SWOT analysis of the market players facilitates the study of the internal environment of the leading companies for strategy formulation.



KEY MARKET SEGMENTS:



The Austria flow cytometry market is segmented as:



Market  By Component



Instruments

Cytometry platforms

Sorters

Analyzers

Replaceable components

Filter

Laser

Detectors

Others

Accessories

Reagents and consumables

Antibodies

Dyes

Beads

Solutions

Buffers

Others

Software

Services



Market  By Technology



Bead based flow cytometry

Cell based flow cytometry



Market  By Application



Academic and clinical research applications

Cell cycle analysis and cell proliferation

Apoptosis

Sorting and screening

Transfection and cell viability

Others

Diagnosis applications

Organ transplantation

Haematological malignancies

Cancer and solid tumours

Immunodeficiency diseases- HIV infection

Others



Market  By End users



Commercial organizations

Medical schools and clinical labs

Hospitals

Academics

Others



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Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- The report "Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC) Telemedicine Market Delivery Mode (Web-Based, Cloud-based, On-premise), Application (Teleconsultation, Teleradiology, Teledermatology, Telepathology), Component (Services (Store-and-forward), Software (Integrated), Hardware (Monitors)) - Forecast to 2020", The BRIC telemedicine market is expected to reach USD 1.20 Billion by 2020 from USD 498.7 Million in 2015, growing at a CAGR of 19.2% during the forecast period (20152020).



Browse more than 45 market data tables with 38 figures spread through 107 pages and in-depth TOC on "Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC) Telemedicine Market"

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The need for better healthcare in rural areas, tremendous growth in telecommunication, rising prevalence of chronic diseases in BRIC nations, and low cost of telemedicine are the major drivers for the BRIC telemedicine market. However, high infrastructural costs and lack of skilled resources may restrain the market growth to a certain extent.



On the other hand, favorable government initiatives present a huge growth potential for telemedicine in the BRIC nations. Lack of telemedicine standards in the BRIC countries may however pose a challenge to the growth of this market.



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In this report, the BRIC telemedicine market is broadly segmented by component, application, delivery mode, and country. On the basis of component, the BRIC telemedicine market is divided into services, software, and hardware. The services segment accounted for the largest share of the BRIC telemedicine market in 2015. Factors such as rising adoption of remote monitoring solutions and technological advancements in telecommunications are contributing to the growth of this segment.



On the basis of deployment mode, the BRIC telemedicine system market is categorized into three segments, namely, on-premise, web-based, and cloud-based. The web-based segment accounted for the largest share of the BRIC telemedicine delivery mode market in 2015. Factors such as huge customer base and remote data accessibility are driving the growth of this segment.



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On the basis of application, the BRIC telemedicine market is segmented into teleconsultation, teleradiology, telecardiology, telepathology, teledermatology, and other applications. The teleconsultation segment accounted for the largest share in 2015.



China accounted for more than half of the share of the BRIC telemedicine market in 2015. It is a major market for telemedicine due to factors such as widespread awareness and acceptance of telemedicine, rising incidences of chronic and lifestyle diseases, and growing healthcare expenditure. In addition, major local companies have easy access to this market, which makes it the largest and most significant market for suppliers. Brazil, on the other hand, is expected to grow at the highest CAGR over the next five years. Growth in the Brazilian telemedicine market is mainly driven by the increased purchasing power, emerging mindset towards wellness, and rising healthcare expenditure in the country.



Major players in this market include Apollo Hospitals (India), AMD Telemedicine Technologies (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.K.), Neosoft (China), and SnapMD (U.S.).



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El Cajon, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- The premier insurance provider to California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Texas area contractors announced that that they now offer contractor license bonds to their California and other clients. DJM Insurance Services' founder, Darrin Mroz, explained what the coverage entails.



According to Mroz, it is required in most states that contractors possess license bonds if they plan to operate their businesses legally. "They act as a way of ensuring consumer protection against financial misconduct or a lack of adherence to regulations by contractors," Mroz said, further indicating that a bond for $12,500 is standard in a lot of places, but the minimum numbers vary from state to state.



Whereas contractor liability insurance protects a contractor from lawsuits, property damage and medical bills in the event of mishaps, contractor bonds protect obligeesor those who seek the services of the said contractorsif builders engage in misconduct on their properties.



The bonds act as credit rather than insurance, and exist to protect consumers. Much like with typical credit-based purchases, contractors who seek the bonds must apply, and can qualify by proving they run stable businesses that are capable of paying bills. Credit checks are standard to the application process, generally.



"The cost of obtaining a bond varies on a case by case basis," said Mroz, who continued to explain that "the price depends on the size of the contractor's business, his or her company's credit score and other factors." Mroz finally noted that anyone interested in applying for a contractor's bond in California or another state that DJM handles can do so by calling 866-961-4570. Further information can be obtained via DJM's website, as well.



About DJM Insurance Services

DJM Insurance Services is a rapidly expanding California-based contractor insurance provider that specializes in a plethora of services. The family owned and operated business, which 40 years of combined experience, is known for their remarkable customer service. DJM Insurance currently operates in California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Texas, with plans to offer their services to contractors in other states in the near future.



To learn more about DJM Insurance Services, please visit their website at http://www.djminsuranceservices.com/.
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- Associates from the remarkable provider of medical scrub uniforms to New York City healthcare workers, ImageFIRST New York volunteered at the Children's Specialized Hospital last month. The company emphasizes community giving, and its associates are always eager to help out in any way possible. Every quarter, the members of ImageFIRST New York collectively volunteer some of their free time for the benefit of organizations in need.



Children's Specialized Hospital is one of the country's leading providers of inpatient and outpatient care to young individuals. From its 13 locations, the hospital helps children ranging in age from neonatal to 21 who face specialized health challenges. The range of those challenges includes anything from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities, to autism and mental health.



ImageFIRST New York's initiative to help a busy hospital did not go without thanks. "Thank you for organizing a group to come in and volunteer with us at CSH. It means so much to us that organizations like ImageFIRST care about our kids and help make a difference in their lives," said a Children's Specialized Hospital representative in a thank-you letter.



As well as giving their time, ImageFIRST New York associates contributed a monetary donation to the hospital. When they are not providing healthcare uniforms in Manhattan or any of the five boroughs, the associates at ImageFIRST New York are thinking about how they can help others, both within and outside of the healthcare industry. Those interested in learning more about what ImageFIRST New York has to offer can visit the company's website.



About ImageFIRST

Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST is the largest and fastest growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the outpatient medical market. ImageFIRST's 36 locations nationwide serve over 5,500 medical offices every week, providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs and much more while partnering with facilities to better manage linen inventory. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality linens and remarkable service: their Comfort Care gowns product line increases patients' favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%.



For more information about ImageFIRST New York, the cost-effective solution for greater patient satisfaction, please visit http://newyork.imagefirst.com.
Indianapolis, IN -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- Bob Trebilcock, Modern Materials Handling magazine's Executive Editor recently spoke with Greg Conner, Bastian Solutions' Indiana Regional Director. Last month, Modern Materials Handling featured MHI's Young Professional Network (YPN) and Conner was the winner of the 2015 Outstanding Young Professional Award.



Conner spoke about what attracted him to the industry. "It was a complete coincidence, and I think that is one of the biggest challenges we have when it comes to getting new folks involved in our industry. There really isn't an awareness. For instance, you really don't get much exposure to materials handling in college unless you happen to take the right class or get an internship. My introduction was through the job interview process. I went to college in Indiana at Purdue, and when I was looking for a job, I found this company that was doing things with automation and robots. I'm not sure I knew that they were doing it in warehouses, but what they were doing sounded cool, so I interviewed with them. And when I learned more at the job interview, it was cool. But back then, in 2005, if you went to a company's Website, you didn't see videos and case studies. That's the void that YPN can fill. It provides a lot of information about the industry to young professionals who might not know about the industry," noted Connor.



To read the entire article, go to: http://bit.ly/1SgHCPp



Bastian Solutions will exhibit at booth #307 at the Warehouse Education and Research Council (WERC). The conference will be at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI from May 15-18.



About Bastian Solutions

Bastian Solutions (http://ow.ly/LaOTe), a global material handling systems integrator and expert in e-commerce fulfillment automation is an innovator in the fields of material handling automation, goods-to-person systems, wearable AR technology, supply chain software, and robotics.



Bastian Solutions is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, with an additional 16 domestic offices and 7 international offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, and Qatar. Uniquely positioned, Bastian Solutions offers customers complete and innovative turnkey material handling systems, from design and simulation, all the way through installation and operations. Modern Materials Handling named Bastian Solutions 2015 Top 20 Systems Suppliers Worldwide.



Bastian Solutions provides integrated material handling systems reducing the total cost of order fulfillment and delivery cycle times for its customers; tremendous productivity gains and a quick return on investment are ensured. Automating supply chain logistics with harmony between material flow, information flow, and operational processes, yields a unique and important competitive advantage. Follow Bastian Solutions on Twitter @BastianSolution.
Recently, Warren Buffett, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, mentioned at the 2016 stockholders' general meeting that he believes George Soross concern about Chinese debt is unfounded. Soros, a billionaire investor, stated that Chinas current economy resembles that of the U.S. going into the financial crisis in 2008.

Buffett is just the latest voice to express doubt about Soross observation. Various economic experts have pointed out that China is completely capable of dealing with any problems that stem from structural transformation. In fact, most of the people projecting a Chinese economic crisis are not basing their predictions in fact. The head of the China Economy and Finance Research Institute in South Korea, Jeon Byeong-seo, introduced four prerequisites for economic crisis: negative growth of the economy; negative balance of companies; a real estate bubble causing sequential bankruptcy in financial institutions; and a great outflow of capital leading to the sharp decline of foreign exchange reserves. Significantly, the current Chinese economy does not meet any of these criteria.

It is undeniable that Chinas debt issuance and major enterprise debt have put some pressure on the Chinese economy, but the pressure is far from being serious enough to cause a financial crisis, said Zhao Xijun, Deputy Dean of the School of Finance at Renmin University. According to Zhao, China has the resources and capability to deal with its current debt issuance.

Buffett was right, and he brought up some facts that have been previously ignored, Zhao said. One such fact is that China has maintained its fast growth despite a global economic downturn. Most of the doomsday statements are therefore nothing more than grandstanding; China should continue developing its economy at its own pace, based on its own situation.

Chinas sustainable economic development has won recognition from international organizations like the IMF. The UBS has raised its economic growth expectation for China from 6.2 percent to 6.6 percent; at the same time, the president of Asian Development Bank, Takehiko Nakao, agreed that the Chinese economy is not headed for a crash landing any time soon.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- Radiology Information System is a software which manages the data for physicians, hospital's radiology department and clinics in an electronic form. Data could be in any form like billing, scheduling and medical imaging. Radiology information system is very useful to track radiology imaging orders and to track reports of patients. Patient's entire radiology history, from admission to discharge could be track. Statistical reports for a patient or for a group of patients can be generated. The radiology information system also allows the staff to make appointments for outpatient and inpatients. Radiology Information system also provides the detailed financial recording, electronic payments and automated claims.



Recently, Singapore based healthcare groups called SingHealth and Eastern Health Alliance (EH alliance) and Singapore Health Ministry's IT arm, IHis purchased Carestream's Vue Radiology (Radiology Information System) and Vue PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) for better result, access and management of radiology results and patient imaging data. Almost 4 million patients visits every year in SingHealth Group. Carestream's Vue RIS+PACS are in few other hospitals too in Singapore like Singapore General Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore and SingHealth Polyclinics. By this software, one can access data from any location and create one unified imaging of patient file.



Radiology Information System Market: Drivers & Restraints



Technological advancement, rising ageing population, consolidation of healthcare providers, innovation, improved efficiency and better results, increasing demand for better healthcare systems, cost-effectiveness, increase usage of cloud computing and web based solutions, increase number of chronic diseases, are the most important driving factors in radiology information system market. Since radiology information system maintains the data for physicians and hospitals to get access form anywhere, the demand for radiology information system has increased.



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With so many advantages and splendid features of radiology information system, it has few disadvantages too. Lack of inexperienced professionals and interoperability issues are acting as a barrier for radiology information system market.



Radiology Information System Market: Segmentation



Radiology Information System Market is broadly classified on the basis of the following segments 



By Deployment:

Web based RIS

Cloud based RIS

On-premise RIS

By Product:

Integrated RIS

Standalone RIS

By End-User:

Hospitals

Emergency Healthcare Service Providers

Office Based Physicians



Radiology Information System Market: Overview



The radiology information system has grown substantially at a healthy CAGR due to increasing need of integrated healthcare system and rise in demand of diagnostic industry. With rapid technological advancement and innovation, radiology information system market is expected to grow globally. North America and Europe region will be dominating radiology information market in the forecast period.



Download TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-825



Radiology Information System Market: Region-wise Outlook



The radiology information system market is expected to register a double-digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, radiology information system market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America has the largest market for radiology information system and is contributing the most as compare to other regions. This is due to the increase demand of diagnostic industry go get better, fast and effective results.



Radiology Information System Market: Key Players



Some of the key market players in radiology information system market are Cerner Corporation, Siemens Healthcare, Carestream Health, Mckesson Corporation, GE Healthcare, Merge Healthcare, Allscripts and Epic Systems.
Washington, DC -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- Pennsylvania 6 DC, one of the top restaurants in the U.S. capital, is pleased to announce their 2016 Mother's Day Brunch. Starting 11:00 AM on Sunday, May 8, and until 4:00 PM, guests can choose any brunch entree coupled with their grand buffet option for $60 or upgrade to their Celebration of Flavors entrees also coupled with the grand buffet for $75. All mothers who visit that day will also receive a flower and complimentary glass of champagne.



Pennsylvania 6 DC's buffet selection on Mother's Day will include the following: croissants, bagels, and assorted breads station, smoked fish station, salad station, raw bar station, assorted tea sandwiches and canopies station, and much more. Fresh juice, coffee, and tea will also be served. Last, but not least, those who attend with their mother will be pleased to know that they will have a house photographer that day and live jazz. To make reservations for their 2016 Mother's Day Brunch, please dial 202-796-1600, or email info@pennsylvania6dc.com.



In addition to announcing their Mother's Day Brunch, Pennsylvania 6 DC would also like to remind everyone that they are continuing to host their Bubbly Brunch event every Saturday and Sunday, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM featuring an Unlimited Champagne & Bloody Mary Bar for $18. Individuals who visit them for brunch will not only be able to enjoy one of their savory brunch dishes, but they can also get their hands on $5 oyster shooters and $1 raw Chesapeake Bay oysters.



When looking for a restaurant that offers one of the best brunches in DC, can play host to a private party or event, and much more, look no further than Pennsylvania 6 DC, located at 1350 Eye Street NW, in Washington, DC. To learn more about the restaurant, their upcoming events, or view their menus online, please visit them on the web at http://www.pennsylvania6dc.com.



About Pennsylvania 6 DC

Pennsylvania 6 DC is across from Franklin Square at 1350 I (Eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005. The establishment is a contemporary American restaurant that offers a large craft beer & wine list, along with a raw bar. Those who visit Pennsylvania 6 DC for brunch, lunch, or dinner will certainly find themselves returning time and time again.



For more information, please visit http://www.pennsylvania6dc.com/.
Philadelphia, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/03/2016 -- There is no denying that with the assistance of a personal injury attorney, individuals who have recently been the victim of another's negligence can acquire compensation that is rightly and justly deserved. In fact, those who are searching for a personal injury attorney in Bucks County, PA, can turn to The Law Offices of Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman & Nash as the law firm has just announced that they are taking new representation for personal injury cases and more, this May. Individuals who would like to schedule a free consultation with the law firm as soon as possible can dial 215-259-5958, or fill out a contact form on their website, http://www.dial-law.com/.



The firm has a full staff of attorneys and paralegals, as well as access to many investigators and other experts. Therefore, when an individual chooses The Law Offices of Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman & Nash, the person can rest assured that he or she is acquiring the services of a competent law firm. Furthermore, clients should also expect to be guided along the way, and to have all questions or concerns answered promptly.



The attorneys at The Law Offices of Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman & Nash are intensely familiar with both Pennsylvania and New Jersey laws, and urge victims who live in either state to reach out to them for legal counsel immediately. Inevitably, the longer an individual delays the start of his or her case, the harder it will be to recover the just and proper compensation.



Anyone who is in need of a personal injury, workers compensation, medical malpractice, social security, criminal defense, or custody attorney in Bucks County, or another surrounding area, can certainly feel free to reach out the law firm at any time. To learn more about The Law Offices of Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman & Nash and the various areas of law that the serve, please visit their website today, http://www.dial-law.com.



About the Law Offices of Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman & Nash

When a person is injured, The Law Offices of Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman & Nash are ready to help. For over 40 years, the Rovner Law Firm has been accomplishing its motto of getting results for many thousands of grateful and satisfied clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. The firm is headed and founded by former Pennsylvania State Senator and Assistant District Attorney, Robert Rovner. The firm is made up of over 15 lawyers, plus paralegals, and investigators which puts The Law Offices of Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman & Nash at the top of the Philadelphia area legal profession.



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The lack of US funding to tackle neglected diseases is leaving the world ill-prepared to deal with future and ongoing epidemics such as Zika, a report warns.

In the report, the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), a US non-profit that seeks to boost health funding, says US spending on non-emergency research and development (R&D) into neglected diseases fell in 2014. In 2014, the US provided 13 per cent, or US$221 million, less for this compared with its 2009 peak  excluding Ebola funding, the report found.

The United States accounted for 67 per cent of global R&D funding for neglected diseases in 2013, the GHTC points out.

The study comes as the US Congress, which approves health research spending, is mired in partisan gridlock over the US presidential elections. As a result, lawmakers have yet to act on President Barack Obamas February request for US$1.8 billion in emergency funding to fight Zika.

Without the right coordination, without the right policies in place, even the most promising innovative technologies will fall flat. David Shoultz, PATH

The GHTC launched its report on 18 April in Washington DC, United States. At the event Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in the United States, said that research money approved in response to epidemics is often temporary and dries up quickly.

Having longer funding would be a game-changer for ensuring [staff] retention and to embark on new projects for diseases that come along, Hotez said, referring to his experience at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, which he leads.

In the report, the GHTC calls for US agencies to set aside a fixed percentage of their global health budgets for R&D and to coordinate spending. The coalition also urged Congress to not just approve more R&D funding for epidemics, but to also make such funding a long-term financial commitment.

This is in the interests of the US government as well as developing countries, said Hotez, as neglected tropical diseases now affect 12 million people in the United States.

With growing international travel, infectious diseases are much more likely to spread globally, making it important to provide care quickly and widely, the report says.

David Shoultz of PATH, a non-profit organisation focused on global health innovation that houses the GHTCs secretariat, said research and innovation will be unable to provide all the answers if policymaking does not keep up with emerging epidemics.

Without the right coordination, without the right policies in place, even the most promising innovative technologies will fall flat, he said at the event.

Shoultz said the UN Sustainable Development Goals  namely Goal 3, which calls for an end to neglected disease epidemics  could provide an organising mechanism to guide policy and spending.
Take any crisis that makes the headlines  the flow of refugees in the Middle East, Europe and the Horn of Africa; outbreaks of deadly or devastating viruses such as Ebola or Zika; drought emergencies in Ethiopia and Malawi. Does journalism help to explain them? Or solve them?



These questions were asked at the Polis conference of the London School of Economics on 21 April. The day focused on the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East. And the title, Journalism and Crisis, was meant to reflect both the humanitarian crisis and the crisis in reporting brought about by the digital age  the leaps in technical capability, new finance structures and explosion of social media power that Columbia School of Journalism director Emily Bell powerfully charts.



This double meaning reverberated throughout the days discussions. And looking at how the refugee crisis is reported was revealing of the state of journalism. But this is not merely about journalistic self-reflection or navel-gazing. Its about the difference journalism makes to how societies deal with crises.



Information and inaction



Or does it make a difference?



In a keynote speech, distinguished British journalist Jon Snow kicked off the event by questioning the link between information and action. There are so many sources of information, people know the facts about the refugee crisis, but politicians do nothing about it  and, crucially, the UK public no longer bothers to write to them, he said.



Its a gloomy observation. People are better informed and more prepared to question than ever before. The problem is we [citizens] are so busy at our [computer] stations that we don't bother to communicate with each other, he said. Weve been subdued by the digital age.



Its not enough to tweet, blog or use Facebook, Snow told a packed auditorium of journalists and LSE students  for the majority of whom, I suspect, social media is the bread and butter of their work. You may vent your views and feel good about doing so, but its not the path to real change.



Snow raised the question of how to harness whats done in the digital age to change political and social realities.



The rest of the day left the question hanging in the air, looking instead at the nitty-gritty of how to report on crises. But the observations it was peppered with sketched out developments in the media landscape that might lead to new pathways to change.



Telling human stories



The panel that followed Snows keynote shed some light on what reporters have to grapple with when covering the refugee crisis. One point that kept coming up was that journalists strive to keep the story alive and fresh, which is challenging with situations that are politically sensitive and go on for years.



One-in-four people in Lebanon are refugees and their stories involve chronic trauma, said the Guardians Kareem Shaheen  half of teenage refugees there have contemplated suicide. So we cant give up; we have to look for fresh ways to tell their stories.



The power of the human story to move the public came up often. Milene Larsson, a journalist with Vice magazine, said she regularly receives emails from people asking how they can help after theyve seen a report. And when you work with individuals affected by the crisis, she said, you build a relationship, you offer helpful information and you stay in touch through Facebook.



So while social media clicktivism culture may be diverting focus away from traditional routes to action, there is also a silver lining. Journalists use social media to reach more of their audience more directly than ever before, and keep track of the afterlife of their story. Citizens use them to educate each other and build movements. As well as writing to their local politician, they can now tweet at their representatives.



The wider picture



In reality, of course, the path to change isnt simple. People have vastly different reactions to the same story, and the refugee crisis is a good example of that.



On this point, journalist Anna Masera, from Italian newspaper La Stampa, gave a compelling reason to go beyond the human angle. Publishing moving human stories without explaining or giving data and context, she said, fuels the polarised reactions we often see around refugees, either fostering compassion or racism.



This means that the political why and how of the crisis is also important. CNNs Clarissa Ward said you cant tell the story of people washing up on the Greek island of Lesvos without examining how the crisis began.



Neutral journalism pays dividends over time by building trust and contributing to a better informed public, who are then more likely to take an active and enlightened stand on social issues. Anita Makri

That context goes beyond the conflict and political narratives that gave rise to the crisis: its also about the issues facing communities hosting refugees and how refugees deal with hostility to them. And its important to do that without fuelling tensions and xenophobia.



Context and balance  giving both sides of the story  might not change minds or move people to action. The idea that journalism should spur action is open to question  if journalists have overt agendas, this can undermine objectivity. But neutral journalism pays dividends over time by building trust and contributing to a better informed public, who are then more likely to take an active and enlightened stand on social issues.



Ultimately, Ward said, good storytelling is what matters  just find the story and get creative telling it. There is a hunger for good, neutral, nuanced reporting that goes the extra mile to be creative. And the digital world offers plenty of opportunities for novel ways of telling stories.



Spanner in the works



Significant as this is, calls for nuanced journalism are age-old. What is new are imaginative digital platforms and citizen journalism. Together with social media, these trends throw a spanner in the works for professional communicators and threaten the viability of online publications.



I keep seeing stories shared by volunteers involved in helping refugees; they are rich in compassion and powerful first-hand experiences. They help raise awareness and encourage others to act. But they often lack the distance and critical stance of professional reporters.



A similar trade-off holds for 'advocacy journalism': stories by corporations, governments or organisations pushing their own agendas.



Medecins Sans Frontieress Polly Markandya summed it up with a remark that social media is changing the landscape of journalism fundamentally: front-line volunteers working with refugees in Europe have challenged traditional aid agencies and media organisations in the way they are flexible and responsive, and in the way they fundraise.



They also challenge us to think differently about journalism practice and pathways to change. Who is now a journalist? How far should stories go past informing? What will change minds, get politicians to ask questions, fight xenophobia or protect human rights?



Stories by volunteers tend to directly appeal to sentiment or advocate support, and professional journalists shouldnt abandon fundamental principles of balance and objectivity to follow that. But media organisations could take a step beyond the story by adding resources to each article where readers can learn more about the issues and organisations involved.



As the lines between professional and citizen journalism continue to blur, the need will only grow for digital platforms to be transparent about who speaks to the public through their pages, and for the public to be aware of the need to dig deeper to find where their news comes from.



Anita Makri is opinion and special features editor at SciDev.Net. @anita_makri
[ACCRA] Scientists using drones to assess a project for preventing coastal erosion in Ghana have identified a need for investing in monitoring to ensure such projects effectiveness and sustainability.



Scientists from Germany and Ghana who are studying the US$90 million Keta Sea Defence project (KSDP)  completed in 2004  in the Volta delta in Ghana say that deltas are economic hotspots that are vulnerable to climate change.

What is important is that we need to be consistent in monitoring it in a continuous process and look at the impact of the project. Winfred Nelson, National Development Planning Commission, Ghana

According to the scientists, traditional methods of monitoring coastal erosion are costly, requiring much training unlike the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, also called drones. A drone, for example, costs less than US$1,000, and a research assistants needs only a day to train to fly it.



The scientists took photographs of KSDP in May and July 2015 using drones and analysed them. They found coastal erosion of an average of three metres around the facility.



A lot of the sediments are trapped by the facility and virtually few go to the coast, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, head of marine and fisheries sciences at the University of Ghana, told SciDev.Net in an interview last month (15 April).



The study is part of the deltas vulnerability and climate change: migration and adaptation (DECCMA) project, which analyse the impacts of climate change and other environmental drivers across deltas in Bangladesh, Ghana and India.



The five-year DECCMA project which began in 2014 is funded by Canadas International Development Research Centre and the UKs Department for International Development at a cost of 13.5 million Canadian dollars (about US$10.8 million).



Kwasi Appeaning Addo, the deputy principal investigator for the DECCMA project in Ghana, says there is no monitoring mechanism that looks at the effectiveness of the Keta Sea Defense project, therefore the study looks at how the project is preventing coastal erosion.



In the future the team will find out whether the changes will be seasonal, permanent or cyclic in the nature, because when we have very high tides, a lot of erosion occurs and when we have low tides probably some accretion [accumulation of sediments] occurs, Appeaning Addo explains.



Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah, a doctoral student at the University of Ghana working on the DECCMA project, says the monitoring will provide information on defense structure usefulness when new sea defense projects are being undertaken in the country.



Jayson-Quashigah calls on the government to invest more resources in monitoring the structure to ensure it is working well.

The team also found that a lot of people were engaged in sand mining to build structures, he tells SciDev.Net, thus reducing the amount of sediments along the coast.Winfred Nelson, a deputy director at the National Development Planning Commission in Ghana, says there is always the assumption that once a sea defense project is completed it solves all problems.What is important is that we need to be consistent in monitoring it in a continuous process and look at the impact of the project, Nelson adds.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Google is looking at a future where people would not even notice their own gadgets. This is what the company's CEO Sundar Pichai shared in their annual shareholder letter, emphasizing the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Google's annual shareholder letter this year was the first since Alphabet was announced in August 2015 as the company's parent company. According to reports, Google Search is what got the company started, and also considered as its future. However, search has become different than it was when Google launched it in 1998, and is also expected to be greatly different that it is now, eWeek reported.

The Google vision of machine learning and artificial intelligence is expected to support and work for the users in many imaginable ways. It is said to include how the GPU-based system of Nvidia trains the driverless cars through watching how the humans drive, collecting large amounts of data, and making the rules. The mechanics is a recent view at machine learning.

Recently, devices are what people initially turn to, with majority of people using smartphones, while some turn to tablets. While the devices and computers will not completely go away, the people will not be as aware of them anymore, Android Central reported.

According to Pichai, the next giant step is for the idea of the device to fade away. According to reports, Google is joined by virtually each major player in preparing for the shift from device-centrism to artificial intelligence in a computer business. Microsoft has renewed its focus on AI, the smart assistant "M" of Facebook and the home hub manager of Amazon called Alexa are among those mentioned in a recent report.

Google vows to provide support, as there are large issues expected to be encountered due to the transition. Pichai said that this is another significant step towards producing artificial intelligence. In the years to come, it will be able to provide help from completing the daily tasks and travels, to later confronting bigger challenges such as the cancer diagnosis and climate change.
Zika virus, which is quickly spreading throughout the Latin America region, has already reached Mexico and the spread has been sending alarms to Americans in the United States. While the mosquito-transmitted disease has mild symptoms besides resulting in birth defects in infected pregnant women, the rate at which it is spreading, including the continued growth of the mosquito population shows that it has the potential to reach outside the Mexican border.

No Zika-related cases, however, had been reported to have arisen in the US right now, although the first American who died from the virus was already confirmed in Puerto Rico on Friday. The 70-year old man residing near San Juan was infected with the virus and has been treated for less than a week. The man died due to internal bleeding caused by an uncommon immune reaction to the Zika virus in February, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The news about the American's death was not released immediately due to the need for the CDC to verify if Zika was indeed the cause of the man's death.

The infection has led to other three deaths in Columbia, although reports indicated that death from this infection is not usual among adults. According to The World Health Organization, the Zika infection is now a global health emergency following the findings that the large spike in microcephaly, a birth defect where the newborn's heads are smaller compared to the average size, was related to the outbreak.

With 683 cases of Zika infections reported in Puerto Rico, it appears that the small island has the most favorable conditions for mosquitoes. Reports from CNBC even showed that there have been 426 Zika infections found among people getting the virus elsewhere and through sexual contact from someone who had been infected in other countries.

Zika virus is expected to become a larger concern for the Latin America, and most likely in the US when summer hits ofr it is a period when mosquito season is in full swing. According to Medscape, one in five Puerto Ricans is likely to be infected by Zika, hence, increasing the possibility of an outbreak because of the constant travel between the small island and the US.
Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen has been making heads turn with her mind-blowingly out of their time haute couture creation. During the Paris Fashion Week in March, models walked in a gravity-defying ensemble on the runway dotted with strategically placed optical screens that reflected and distorted. Ven Herpen was among the first to experiment with 3-D printing in fashion, she considers most wearable tech to be "too gimmicky".

The 31-year-old has been pegged as a "wearable tech" designer, a title she's not entirely comfortable with. Van Herpen's studio in Amsterdan would pass as a laboratory where she has enlisted scientists, architects, and computer programmers as co-conspirators. According to nymag.com's The Cut, van Herpen said that her co-conspirators bring so much knowledge of material and fabric construction that is not really known in fashion.

She and product designer Jolan van der Wiel used iron fillings as the base for the dresses they create then shape them using magnets. She also created over a thousand pieces of silicone to create a raised pattern for a fall 2013 couture dress. The Smithsonian said that Iris has been praised by the New York Times for how different her way of thinking is. The NY Times described her as a high-concept designer who merges her interest in fashion, art, and architecture with modern technologies and fields of science like particle physics, robotics and microbiology. "Iris van Herpen's astonishing designs don't look like 'clothes,'" the Washington Post wrote last year. "They look like the future."

Van Herpen has also said that a lot of her work is inspired by the future, People really have particular ideas about the future," she says. "Sci-fi-looking' is an idea that people still have from movies from the '80s." Even though her results might look more futuristic than Chanel's Lesage embroideries, van Herpen still sees herself as fairly in the handcrafted tradition of couture. "Technology, for me, is just a tool," she says. "The laser cutter or the 3-D printer - to me it's equal to my hands or the hands of my team." And even though she has designed several pieces that were printed by robots, the collection was still based on classical lacemaking techiniques. Van Herpen also admitted that the robots are not very interesting to her.

In fact, many of her handmade pieces were mistaken for being 3-D printed and vice versa, only proving that even experts can barely tell the difference between the two. Several of van Herpen's pieces will appear alongside Hussein Chalayan's "Kaikoku" floating dress and Chanel's 3-D-printed suit in the Costume Institute's upcoming exhibit "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," opening May 5.
File photo of the Beijing-based paramilitary hospital. [Photo: weibo.com]

An investigation is underway into the Beijing-based paramilitary hospital that was blamed for the death of college student Wei Zexi.

The country's top health administration says it has joined hands with authorities from the military and the armed police to conduct the probe into the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps.

The latest probe comes after the state cyberspace watchdog sent a taskforce to search giant Baidu amid debate over the roles Baidu and the hospital played in the student's death.

We Zexi was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in 2014 and had been undergoing a controversial treatment, which was advertised on Baidu by the hospital.
There are a number of diseases that tend to steal the spotlight for differences in health. It has been said that heart disease is the number one killer of men and women, but it mostly affect an especially large number of women and people of color. A new study reveals that the female hormone, estrogen may be able to protect the kidneys.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Judith Lechner of the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria, told Medical Daily that female mice and rats were found to less likey have renal or kidney damage compared to males. She also said that when researchers surgically removed the animals' ovaries, the female rats lost that advantage. This led researchers to conclude that the key to the advantage is the estrogen. And although the hormone can also be found in men, the amount is not as pronounced as it is in women.

"Since such literature reports argued for a role of female sex hormones in kidney disease, we thought that actions of the hormones on normal renal tissue might provide protective effects, making kidneys less susceptible to damage," Lechner said.

According to the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, to put this theory to test, Lechner and her colleagues analyzed if hormonal changes due to a woman's menstrual cycle will affect the health of kidney cells. For the study, they signed up 11 healthy, unmedicated, and naturally ovulating women between the ages 25 and 44. They also signed up six menopausal women age 57 to 64 and eight men aged 24 to 73 to act as their controls.

The participants of the study submitted daily urine samples so the authors could measure for enzymes that are excreted when kidney cells are damaged. Findings showed an increase in enzymes during ovulation and menstruation, while these are lowered in women after menopause and in men.

"This result suggests that cyclical changes of female hormones might affect renal cell homeostasis, potentially providing women with an increased resistance against kidney damages," Lechner said. She also said that homeostasis helps regulate temperature and balance the levels of alkalinity and acidity. The continuing changes of sex hormone levels brought by the natural menstrual cycle may also be involved in the periodic tissue remodeling, not only in the reproductive organs but to a certain extent in the kidneys as well.

Lechner hypothesizes that estrogen might help to replace damaged cells. During cycle phases of high estrogen exposure, kidney cells might be induced to grow, she explained, "while at time points of decreasing estrogen levels damaged or simply older cells might be discarded into the urine."

However, the study is not saying that estrogen is the sole reason fewer women develop kidney disease and failure. Their enzyme levels match men's once they go through menopause, which definitely argues for the importance of the female hormones - but this could also be a matter of age.
FLORENCE, S.C. -- Florence-Darlington Technical College will help expand apprenticeships in South Carolina thanks to a $5 million grant the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded to the SC Technical College System.

Part of the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI), the grant will support the increase of apprenticeships in three business sectors: manufacturing, professional services and information technology.

Were excited about bringing this opportunity to businesses and industry in our service area, and the potential to help develop skilled workers, said Associate Vice President of Corporate and Workforce Development, Lauren Holland. We look forward to expanding apprenticeships in the Pee Dee region.

Companies who apply for and receive grant funds may utilize up to $12,500 per location to pay for education provided by their local technical college. The grant amount allowed per apprentice is $2,500.

The new grant initiative will provide additional support with funds to help train the local workforce, Holland said. The additional funding means that companies within the targeted industry sectors can now offset training costs for their employees even more, when the grant funds are combined with the $1,000 state tax credit offered for registered apprenticeships.

Training eligible for the grant may be either a curriculum course offered towards a degree, or short-term continuing education courses offered through the Division of Corporate and Workforce Development. As a result, there will be even more highly trained employees available to help strengthen the workforce in the Pee Dee region.

In addition, companies may also take advantage of the $1,000 per apprentice SC Tax Credit offered through the states registered apprenticeship initiative, further offsetting training costs.

Participating companies awarded funds from the new grant initiative must register their apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor, utilize their local technical college for instruction and participate in an ROI (Return on Investment) study at the completion of the grant.

Interested companies in the Florence-Darlington Technical College service area should contact Lauren Holland, Associate Vice President of Corporate and Workforce Development at 843-413-2739 or Lauren.Holland@fdtc.edu, or Shawn Reed, Program Director and Instructor for Machine Tool Technology, at 843-413-2746 or Shawn.Reed@fdtc.edu.
I am seeking support from the citizens of the Pee Dee for the Veterans Resource Center of Florence on Big Give Day, which is today. It's a one-day, online donation event run by the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation.

I am a Francis Marion University professor and a board member of the VRCF, and I assist them in their great work. In particular I have the honor and privilege to work with the executive director of the VRCF, Corbett C.B. Anderson, who is a tireless supporter of veterans in the Pee Dee area and South Carolina in general. C.B. is a unique individual, and the creation of the VRCF has been a fulfillment of a dream for him. C.B. is a veteran but also simply a citizen, born and raised here, who has long devoted himself to supporting veterans in this area. Because of his work, C.B. has been the go-to guy in this area for assisting homeless veterans and any veteran in need, even before the creation of the VRCF. The VA has even called him for help with their veteran patients! Now retired, he works full time at the VRCF, and he does not receive any personal pay or remuneration for his work.

The VRCF is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization and relies entirely on grants and donations to carry on its important work. C.B. provides financial help to veterans and their families in times of crisis, and he collaborates with local, state and federal agencies to help veterans with financial problems, housing, employment, mental health assistance and guidance with benefits and compensation claims. He is particularly tenacious when helping veterans whom the VA has failed but to whom the VA owes services.

The VRCF has also provided furniture when helping place homeless veterans, and we plan on developing a program of housing repairs for vets in need. In addition to direct service and referral work, C.B. and VRCF are involved in general advocacy activities, including being active members of the Pee Dee Area Veterans Advisory Council.

I ask you to donate today to the VRCF and also to encourage others to do so, particularly those in your social media networks. Our goal is to reach $5,000 in donations. The minimum donation is only $25 and is tax-deductible. On Big Give day, you can go to this link to donate to the VRCF: biggivepeedee.org/npo/veterans-resource-center-of-florence. For more information about the VRCF you can visit our Facebook page, facebook.com/VRCF201/.

RONALD T. MURPHY

Florence
Chinese police Pang Bo (4th L), Shu Jian (1st L), Li Xiang (1st R) and Sa Yiming (2nd R), together with four Italian police, pose for a photo outside the Arch of Constantine in Rome, Italy, May 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Jin Yu)

ROME, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Police officers from China are to collaborate with police officers from Italy in two joint patrols in Rome and Milan in a program based on a Sino-Italian agreement launched here on Monday.

According to the program, police who patrol touristic areas of Rome in central Italy and the business city Milan in northern Italy will include two Chinese officers each, who can speak Italian and English besides Mandarin, for two weeks starting from Monday.

"Today it is an important day because we are strengthening collaboration with China in a very special field," Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told a press conference in Rome in the presence of the two countries' authorities.

Alfano said Chinese uniformed police would work together with Italian uniformed police in Rome and Milan to reinforce the sense of safety for the many Chinese tourists visiting Italy.

The interior minister said he hoped the bilateral collaboration would then be deepened with further agreements, and also extended to other Italian cities, because "China has a fundamental role in the world's destiny."

"Through this initiative, we are telling Italian citizens that their state is joining hands with a great country, in a team work to ensure the safety of everybody, including Italian citizens and Chinese tourists in Italy," Alfano also told Xinhua.

Liao Jinrong, director-general of the international cooperation department at China's ministry of public security, and deputy head of Interpol's national central bureau in Beijing, praised the initiative as "the result of a very positive collaboration between Chinese and Italian police forces."

Liao stressed that the initiative, also a question of good faith between the two countries, was the first one of its kind carried out by Chinese police in Europe. The program, he explained, stemmed from a bilateral agreement reached in 2014.

Liao said that in recent years, the business and cultural exchanges between China and Italy had become very frequent, and smooth communication with police forces was a fundamental ingredient to ensure safety.

Thanks to the joint patrols, the two countries would also be able to further deepen knowledge of their legal systems, Liao said, expressing hope the program would set an example for more initiatives with other European countries.

Gennaro Capoluongo, head of the international police cooperation service in Italy, told Xinhua Italian police had already carried out similar initiatives with other countries including the United Statesand Spain, especially during peak tourism periods. "We feel proud to be the first one in Europe to undergo such an important collaboration program with China," he said.
After 11 years, a woman's Beijing household registration, or hukou, was nullified because authorities said she had used fake documents to obtain it.

The public security bureau of the capital's Dongcheng district canceled the Beijing hukou of Cheng Yuanyuan, saying she had used the university certificate of someone else, along with fake documents, to obtain her hukou in January 2005.

Liu Hongli, a teacher whose residence is in Xiangcheng, Henan province, said she found her hukou was void when she applied for a bank loan in September. She found that it had been moved to Beijing in the name of Cheng.

The two did not know each other, but Liu said that in 2004 a colleague had borrowed her university certificate to apply for a job for Cheng, the colleague's relative.

Beijing police said they looked into the matter and found that Cheng had used Liu Hongli's personal information and fabricated the household registration. An investigation is continuing.

Liu said the police in Xiangcheng issued her a new hukou and assured her they will do their best to solve any problems related to the matter.

A draft regulation of a points system was issued by the Beijing municipal government in December to allow migrants to get a household registration in the capital. Applicants must be under 45 years of age, have a Beijing temporary residence permit and have paid social security premiums in Beijing for at least seven consecutive years. No violation of the family-planning policy and a clean criminal record are also required.

Applicants who meet the basic requirements can accrue points based on their educational background, employment and property. The number of points needed will be determined on a yearly basis according to changes in the city's population.

Every Chinese citizen has a hukou, or household registration, which is also referred to as a residence registration account. It determines a person's access to education and other social welfare services in the place where their hukou is registered. A person cannot obtain certain social welfare benefits outside the registered locality.

Typically, for those who live and work in Beijing without a local hukou, their children can attend public schools if they pay a fee. But the children will not qualify to take the college entrance examination in Beijing when the time comes. They are required to return to the place of their hukou registration to take the test, where a higher score may be required based on different criteria and competition.
A solar halo, one type of optical phenomenon in which a ring appears to circle the sun, was observed by tourists on Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province on Monday.

Solar halos usually appear in spring and summer. They signal a change in the weather.

As the highest mountain in Zhangjiajie, Tianmen Mountain can always be counted on to host meteorological wonders such as sea of clouds and mirage.
On May 1, International Labor Day, a Yangzhou seafood restaurant owner, Jiang Jun, gave a tantalizing seafood feast for 160 local sanitation workers. The offering was Jiangs way of paying respect to these urban environmental workers.

In order to offer the best possible service, Jiangs restaurant opened exclusively for the sanitation workers on the day. Jiang set 16 tables and prepared 20 dishes plus 10 desserts for each table.

For most of the sanitation workers, eating seafood is a luxury. In fact, it was the first time some of them had ever tried seafood. A 60-year-old environmental worker, She Guixiang, told journalists that she had received her invitation three days before, and it was her first time tasting most of the exquisite dishes. She was happy and touched to be shown such respect as a sanitation worker in Yangzhou.

To make sure the sanitation workers had a satisfactory meal, Jiang provided each table with cuisine worth 2,500 yuan. I see these urban environmental workers working long hours to make our city a better place. I wanted to invite them for a delicious meal as my way of saying thank you, Jiang explained.
Ending months of speculation, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung was quoted as saying that the decision was made to take into account risks to existing infrastructure. The government had originally planned to build a deep sea port at Cilamaya, but it has since been determined that the development might put the existing gas network nearby at risk.

"The construction is expected to kick off in 2017 and the first phase of the construction will be completed in 2019," Pramono said.

The Transportation Ministry conducted feasibility studies assessing six locations in the north coast of West Java and concluded that the Patimbang area was the best possible alternative location.

Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan said that the planned Patimbang Port, with a planned full operating capacity of 7.5m teu and space for 250,000 vehicles, would need an investment of IDR40trn ($3.2bn). The initial phase however will have a capacity of 1.5m teu.

Meanwhile President Joko Widodo revealed that the government would also build a large port somewhere in Java to ease the burden of old and overcrowded ports, such as Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, Tanjung Mas in Semarang, Central Java and Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, East Java in addition to the development of new seaports in the eastern part of the country.

"We need a large port in the north coast area of Java to boost transportation efficiency and smoothen logistics. We expect to develop a port with a capacity of approximately 7.5m teu by 2037," Jokowi said.
Box volumes for the first three months of 2016 came up to 579,495 teu, a rise of 7.6% from 538,509 teu in the same period of 2015.

Incheon ports container traffic with China grew by 8.1% to 340,062 teu, taking up more than half of the total throughput in the first quarter, figures from IPA showed.

The growth in volumes with China was due to an increase in imports from from China and an increase in handled cargoes through the process of relocating empty containers at Incheon port.

The trade volume with Vietnam, which is emerging as a new production base in Southeast Asia, reported 48,733 teu, a 12.7% increase from a year ago due to the result of Korean manufacturers investment in Vietnam.

In 2015, Incheon port moved a total throughput of 2.37m teu. This year, the port is targeting to handle 2.47m teu.
(File photo)

Recently, a number of Chinese tourists were overcharged in Japanese duty-free shops. The customers paid high prices for health care products and were then unable to return the items.

Based on recommendations from tour guides and sales assistants, many Chinese tourists bought products such as natto extract, enzymes and deep sea fish oil. The price for one box of these products was about 20,000 yen (1,200 yuan), and tourists were required to buy at least four boxes. None of the products were refundable.

How could the enzyme, which is sold for just several thousand yen per box in drugstores, jump so extremely in price in duty-free shops? Why were refunds not allowed in these shops?

It seems that the duty-free shops and tour guides were collaborating to cheat Chinese tourists. Such traps often target group tours. The tour guides exaggerate the effect of the products, and sales assistants claim that the products are monopolized commodities.

Poor supervision by relevant authorities in Japan also helps the tourist trap to thrive. The consular section of the Chinese embassy in Japan has negotiated with the consumer affairs and tourism departments of Japan many times on this matter; however, the answer is always the same: "There is nothing we can do."

In 2015, 4.99 million Chinese tourists visited Japan, spending a total of 1.42 trillion yen (86.3 billion yuan) for a per capita consumption of 284,000 yen (17,000 yuan). Chinese tourists spend the most out of any group of foreign tourists. Meanwhile, many of the deceived Chinese tourists said they would never visit Japan again.
Evidence of "anti-demonic" funerary practices, with sickles placed around the throats of the deceased possibly to ward off demons, has been found in a 400-year-old cemetery in Poland.

Researchers examined more than 250 human skeletons which were excavated since 2008 from a post Medieval cemetery in Drawsko, a rural settlement site in northwestern Poland.

Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, the remains represented individuals of all ages and both sexes and included five unique interments with sickles.

Photos: Intricate Treasures From Stonehenge Burial

"In four of these burials the sickles were placed on the bodies of the dead with the cutting edge tightly against the throat, while the fifth was located on the pelvis," Marek Polcyn, a visiting scholar at Lakehead University in Canada, and Elzbieta Gajda, of the Muzeum Ziemi Czarnkowskiej, wrote in the current issue of the journal Antiquity.

The skeletons with the sickles around the throat were those of an adult male who died between 3544 years of age, two adult females who died around 3039 years of age, and an adolescent female who at around 1419 years old.

There was also an adult female aged 5060 years interred with a large, arch-curved sickle placed across her hips. A stone was placed directly on top of the throat, while a coin was found in her toothless mouth.

Ice Age Infant Skeletons Hint at Burial Rites

Previously, it was suggested these people were buried as "vampires." In this view, the sickle placed across the throat was intended to remove the head, should the vampire attempt to rise from the grave.

But Polcyn and Gajda argue these burials should be rather interpreted as "anti-demonic." They noted the sickle burials have none of the characteristics of so-called anti-vampiric practices.

They were interred in sacred ground following conventional Christian burial patterns, with the head placed towards the west, and their graves did not appear to have been desecrated.

Ancient Priest's Tomb Painting Discovered Near Great Pyramid

"Confining the deceased in the grave by means of a sickle may have been a measure to prevent the demonized soul threatening the living, or could have been a reference to biblical symbolism in an attempt to prevent the soul from becoming demonized," Polcyn and Gajda wrote.

Vampires were not the only mythical creatures feared in Poland in the 17th century. As wars, hunger, pestilence, and poverty devastated the country, Slavic pagan faiths resurrected.

"The development of the Counter-Reformation was a significant turning point as it brought cultural and intellectual regression, religious fanaticism and a growing climate of terror, deliberately stoked by Catholic clergy spreading fear of the devil and witchcraft," the researchers wrote.
Press Release

May 3, 2016 Cayetano warmly welcomed in Cabanatuan and San Fernando, presses with campaign vs. crime and drugs With six days to go before the elections, vice presidential candidate and Senate Majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano went to Nueva Ecija and Pampanga today to make a final push for his campaign. Despite the series of allegations hurled against his running mate, leading presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte, Cayetano was warmly welcomed by supporters as his campaign made its way through the said areas. Speaking before transport workers in San Fernando as part of his "Ronda Serye" listening tour, the vice presidential contender said that only through political will and strong leadership can the country suppress the problems of crime and illegal drug trafficking. Cayetano reiterated their tandem's vow to declare a 24/7 war against crime and illegal drugs. He said that he and Duterte plan to do this by mobilizing the military to help the police force and exercise the extraordinary powers of the Executive to drastically bring down the country's national crime rate. Cayetano also pledged to fire and jail all corrupt elements in the police force and increase the salaries and benefits of all honest police personnel. The senator also said that their tandem will push for measures to modernize the crime-fighting and solving capabilities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) such as: 1) A modern crime response center similar to Davao City's Integrated Emergency Response System 911 that works and brings help within minutes, 2) More CCTVs (with facial recognition software) in strategic locations and thoroughfares, 3) Body-worn cameras for police personnel to record their interactions with the public and gather video evidence at crime scenes, and 4) Modern crime laboratory services to make match ballistics information and crime reconstruction to solve crimes more efficiently. Since the start of the national campaign in February, the mammoth number of supporters the Duterte-Cayetano tandem draws to their rallies, motorcades and listening tours keeps growing. The duo's campaign team said that more and more people are coalescing around the choice of Duterte-Cayetano, the only tandem they said could end the disorder in the country and bring real change.
Press Release

May 3, 2016 NEXT PRESIDENT AND VP SHOULD HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP - BONGBONG MARCOS Vice Presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. today said the next President and Vice President should have a good working relationship to be able to move the country towards progress. In a television interview over at Net25, Marcos said whoever will be elected President and Vice President in the coming elections should develop a partnership in order to bring about programs that will improve the lives of the people especially those who are in most need of help from the government. "There should be partnership between the next President and the Vice President even if they don't come from the same party. There should be a good working relationship between them in order to implement programs that will be felt by everyone," he said. Marcos said he could work with any of the Presidential candidates and will give his all-out support to the next administration. "I don't see any problem working with any of the Presidentiables because all of them are my friends and I have worked with some of them in the past," he said. In earlier interviews, Marcos explained why he can work with any of those vying for the Presidency. "If I get elected, I can work with any of the Presidential candidates. Of course there is Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, she is my President and I don't see any problem working with her. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and I have been good friends for a long time, magkasundo kami. Secretary Mar Roxas is the cousin of my wife. Vice President Jejomar Binay and I are from the North so we are natural allies and Senator Grace Poe is my sister... in government. We have worked together and we are good friends," Marcos had said. But he pointed out that he would also speak his mind if he does not feel right about a certain program or policy. "Of course, I will express my disagreement when necessary. Hindi naman kailangan magkasundo sa lahat but at least we will try to have a middle ground on all issues," Marcos stressed. The Senator added that he will not allow himself to be a mere spare tire saying a Vice President has a separate mandate to serve the people. "Ang Vice President ay may sariling mandato na galing sa taong bayan kung kaya dapat din siyang magsilbi at hindi lang maghintay ng heart attack ng Pangulo," he said. In the event that he is not given a government position by the next President, Marcos said, he will still make himself useful. "Maari pa rin naman akong gumawa ng mga bagay na makakatulong sa ating kababayan sa pamamagitan ng aking opisina at iyon ang gagawin ko kung tayo ay palarin ngayong halalan." Marcos also expressed hope that the next Administration would be more about public service than politics. "Kami ay inihalal upang magsilbi at hindi para mamulitika kaya dapat pagka-upo pa lang ay serbisyo na dapat ang asikasuhin upang mas mabilis na maramdaman ng ating kababayan ang pagbabago," Marcos concluded.
Press Release

May 3, 2016 POE SAYS POOR WILL SUFFER IN CULTURE OF VIOLENCE Pressing on with her campaign for "Gobyernong may Puso," Sen. Grace Poe warned voters against electing a government that will promote violence because the poor will suffer under such leadership. Speaking in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, the independent presidential candidate said that while she dreams of quick solutions to long-time problems, as do many Filipinos, she does not believe that killing will bring the peace and order people want. "Merong isa kasing kandidato na ang sinasabi tatapusin niya ng tatlo hanggang anim na buwan ang droga. Kahit naman ako, pangarap ko rin 'yon. Walang masama doon kung talagang magagawa. Kaya lamang ito: Ang pamamaraan ay mali," Poe said in a campaign rally Monday night. She said it was not right to give any group blanket power to just kill or kidnap suspected criminals without going through due process. Under this culture of impunity, the poor are at a disadvantaged position, she said. "Ang problema ang palaging napapagkamalan ay mahihirap. Pansinin ninyo, meron bang pinatay na mayaman doon sa lugar nila na nasuspetsahan ng droga, smuggling, o anupaman?" Poe said. "Kaya kahit gusto natin ng mabilis na solusyon, gagawin ko pa ring mabilis ang solusyon pero naaayon sa proseso." Philippine Statistics Authority records showed that in 2010, 44 of 100 prisoners in the Philippines were either illiterate or have not finished elementary school--a clear indication of poverty. If she wins in the May 9 elections, Poe said she would push for the creation of drug court to try only drug-related cases. This will declog the country's criminal courts, which are saddled with thousands of unresolved cases. The senator also said she would strengthen the Public Attorney's Office so that the poor can have access to free and competent legal services. "Bibigyan ko ang mga mahihirap ng magagaling na abogado. Magtatalaga ako ng magaling na pulis sa bawat rehiyon. At 'pag hindi bumaba ang datos ng krimen at droga, hindi ako maghihintay ng dalawang araw; ako mismo tatanggalin ko 'yung provincial police para mapalitan ng gumagawa ng trabaho," Poe said, drawing applause from the crowd. She said the appointment local police chiefs must not be politicized to ensure that the Philippine National Police (PNP) force across the country will be impartial. "Hindi pwedeng political ang appointment ng pulis. Kailangan ang pulis ay nagtatrabaho para sa inyo dahil naniniwala ako na ang tao ay hindi dapat matakot sa gobyerno. Ang gobyerno ang dapat matakot sa inyo 'pag hindi namin ginagawa ang aming trabaho," Poe said. According to Republic Act 6975, the mayor has the authority to choose the chief of police from a list of five eligible recommendations by the provincial police director. Mayors may also recommend the transfer, reassignment or detail of PNP members to their areas. Poe spent Monday presenting her platform of government to voters in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac, where she received the backing of 16 of the province's 18 mayors. She is in Cavite and Rizal today as she wraps up the last leg of her campaign.
Press Release

May 3, 2016 Relief sought for 13,740 water-less, 7,403 electricity-less schools

'Schools lack WISE - water, internet, sanitation, electricity' While gains have been made in greatly reducing teacher and classroom lack in public education, focus should now shift in addressing the shortfall of WISE -- water, internet, sanitation, electricity -- resources in many schools, Sen. Ralph Recto said. Recto said the next administration should build on the success of present Department of Education (DepEd) officials led by Secretary Armin Luistro in erasing backlogs in other facilities which are equally important. Recto cited the case of "water-less" schools which numbered 5,082, out of 46,847 nationwide, in the last count done in 2013. In addition, 8,658 schools rely on rainwater catchment, "which renders them basically water-less," Recto said. This brings up the real total of water-less schools to 13,740. Only 18,171 schools have piped-in water. The next biggest source are deep wells, on which 14,644 schools depend for their water needs, Recto said. "Let's say one in every four schools lacks reliable, clean piped-in water, and you apply this ratio to the public enrolment of about 21 million, then easily about 5 million students go to school without water," he said. With lack of water comes the problem of sanitation facilities, Recto said. "There is a toilet shortage in all schools and you don't need statistics to back that claim." While the government had launched a program to construct more toilets, and classrooms with one, Recto said compared to the 493,669 classrooms nationwide, the toilet-to-room ratio "is very, very small." Recto said the availability of water impacts not just on the health of students--one survey said 60 percent of gradeschoolers have intestinal worms--but also on school-based nutrition programs. "Paano ka magluluto kung wala kang tubig?" As to electricity, 5,911 schools have none, while 1,492 make do with solar panels or generator sets, resulting in 7,403 schools not connected to any power grid, Recto said. "Ito yung schools na araw-araw mistulang Earth Hour," he said, referring to the yearly global event when homes and officers switch off electricity for one hour. "The bright spot in this data is that 1,492 schools have solar panels installed," Recto said. The senator has advocated the mandatory installation of solar panels in all of 46,847 schools, "and using these to power up science laboratories so that students can have an actual example of a science lesson." Recto said the next government should ramp up the computerization of schools. "The I in 'WISE' is not just internet but also stands for ICT or Information and Communications Technology." While he lauded the P6.8 billion allocation in this year's DepEd budget for 7,368 "ICT packages", "this is just, however, the first phase of a good program." "Eventually, we have to make all schools free Wi-Fi hotspots, install computers in libraries, and provide teachers with tablets. This should be our fighting target," Recto said. "We also need to construct rooms to house computer banks because in 2013, 34,758 elementary schools had no dedicated computer room, and 2,406 high schools also reported having none," he said. Recto said the ideal of "one tablet per teacher" is an affordable proposition. "Magkano na lang ba ang tablet today? Sabi nila, P10,000 each kung bulk-buy, and multiply that with 500,000 teachers with teaching load, the bill would come up to P5 billion, less than two percent of DepEd's budget." As to Wi-Fi availability, Recto is optimistic that the Free WiFi Program will cover most schools soon. Recto has successfully sponsored the P3.05 billion funding for the "Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project," which aims to provide free broadband Internet access to 1,462 Class 1-6 municipalities, and 44 key cities nationwide. This, plus the enactment of the law creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) "will spark the ICT revolution in schools," he said. Among the mandates of the DICT is to formulate and implement national policies, plans, and programs which will promote the development and use of ICT in the education sector, Recto, who is the principal sponsor of the Congress-approved measure, explained.
336th FS leaves for Combat Hammer

(Right to left) Airman 1st Class Bailey ODell, Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Bodell and Airman 1st Class Christian Garibay, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew members, arm an F-15E Strike Eagle with an Aim 9 Sidewinder missile, April 27, 2016, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. F-15Es were loaded with missiles and bombs before flying to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to participate in exercise Combat Hammer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ashley Williamson/Released)
The political views of the young people who make up the Bay Areas new tech workforce defy traditional categories, especially when it comes to Californias upcoming presidential primary.

Many in the demographic that is redefining the look and feel of the Bay Area embrace the regions progressive social mores, a benefit for Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The two Democratic contenders are raising far more money from the tech sector than Republican candidates.

However, on bread-and-butter economic issues, from labor to taxes to market regulation, younger tech workers opinions veer across party lines, and many are turned off by the traditional Democratic-Republican confines.

Since Millennials, those Americans in their early 20s to mid-30s who now make up nearly 40 percent of registered voters, consider themselves politically independent, they are fair game for either political party and any candidate to pursue.

But independence can lead to frustration when candidates positions dont match up with those of voters forming their opinions free of party loyalty.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

Im just disheartened with the whole process, said Kent Wills, a 30-year-old software developer at Yelp, as he waited in line for lunch at Senor Sisig, a San Francisco food-truck favorite.

The beliefs of the recent Maryland transplant and Army veteran dont square neatly with any of the candidates or with their parties. Wills is open to Republican-style tax cuts, for example, but firmly behind the Democrats pro-choice stance on abortion.

Ive ended up separating myself from the process, which I know isnt what I should be doing, he said.

Put off by Trump

Wills voted for President Obama in 2012, and says he considered candidates from both parties this go-round  at least until Republican Donald Trump, with what Wills considers his divisive views on women and minorities, emerged as the GOP front-runner. Now hes thinking Clinton, maybe Sanders.

Wills isnt alone in his political identify crisis. On social issues and environmental matters, the demographic leans Democratic. On fiscal matters, its not so clear cut. The generation lived through the recession that began in 2008 and is saddled with college debt, making job creation and market stability top priorities. Economic ideas from both parties win support, polls show.

When it comes to candidates in the presidential race, the Democrats are winning out. A poll from Harvard Universitys Institute of Politics last week showed Sanders with a 54 percent favorability rating among 18- to 29-year-olds, compared with Clintons 37 percent rating. GOP Sen. Ted Cruzs favorability was 23 percent among the segment, and Trumps was 17 percent.

The same poll showed that 61 percent of younger voters preferred that a Democrat win the White House, while 33 percent favored a Republican.

Noah Lichtenstein, a 33-year-old partner at Palo Alto venture capital firm Cowboy Ventures, has already made up his mind to vote for Clinton.

Outside South of Markets popular Sightglass Coffee, the tech investor acknowledged that his candidate and her party dont always suit his professional agenda. He says he supports privacy protection, sensible business regulation and policies that attract skilled foreign workers, for example.

Still, he said Clinton has a proven understanding of the economy, where his concerns are rooted, as well as a social consciousness he sees as vital.

Her policy experience aligns with a vision for where I think our country should go, Lichtenstein said. Personally, voting Republican or Libertarian would probably be financially more beneficial for me. But I believe that government should play a role in leveling the playing field and helping those of us in society who are less fortunate.

Some who have reaped the benefits of the current economy warm to traditional Republican positions  for example, opposing market intervention and high taxes. Many entrepreneurs share this sentiment.

Matthew Del Carlo, statewide chairman of the California Young Republican Federation, has been trying to use free-market values to convince tech leaders that the GOP is best for innovation.

Theyre bucking against the same old same old, whether its the cab or the hotel industry, he said. Hillary is the same old same old.

GOP a tough sell

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Del Carlo, though, acknowledged that he has struggled to win the sympathies of the tech community this year, especially with Trump and Cruz not lining up with the libertarian strand of the party.

The culture that theyre living in right now oozes Democrat, said the native San Franciscan. Its intimidating to come out as a Republican.

Nationwide campaign finance reports show Cruz and Trump far behind in contributions from the tech industry. Sanders leads with $4.6 million in donations, next to Clintons $2.6 million, according to nonpartisan political research group Crowdpac. Cruz has raised $471,000 from tech, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich has raised $110,000 and Trump $19,000.

Sanders has done a really great job of thinking big, said Mike Ceraso, state director of the senators campaign in California, noting the candidates willingness to stake out new positions on college affordability and access to health care. I think thats important, especially to young people.

But younger people dont go to the polls as much as older people, which could limit the influence of the regions tech sector. Just half of those under 30 voted in the 2012 presidential election, compared with 72 percent of those older than 65.

Phillip Ventura, 27, a software developer for a San Francisco finance company, isnt going to miss his opportunity to vote in the June 7 primary. While taking a break from the office on a recent afternoon, he said he plans to vote for Sanders.

The first-generation American was raised in New York by his single mother, from Colombia, before moving to Oakland three years ago. He credits the nations social-welfare system, which he expects Sanders to strengthen, for his success.

Ive seen the value in paying taxes, as long as they go to the right programs, Ventura said. If you dont take care of your people, your country is doomed.
Its not just the Republican Party thats struggling to navigate its relationship with real estate mogul and presidential candidate Donald Trump. Google is, too.

On Thursday, a representative of the Silicon Valley giant quietly accepted an online petition signed by more than 400,000 people asking the company not to have any role in the GOP convention in Cleveland. Petitioners dont want Trump to have a national stage for his divisive politics.

To ramp up pressure on Google, the activists hired a plane to fly a banner across Bay Area skies, reading, Google: Dont be evil #DumpTrump.

Representatives for Google  which is planning to live-stream the convention  did not respond to the request, according to the small group that hand-delivered the appeal at the companys Mountain View campus. Google also declined to respond to phone calls or emails from The Chronicle on the subject Thursday.

But the company and a handful of others petitioned by the civil rights group ColorOfChange appear to be weighing their involvement.

The protesters have done at least one thing: Theyre creating fear and making corporations think twice, said Subodh Bhat, a professor of marketing at San Francisco State University who specializes in controversial advertising and branding.

However, Bhat said, the companies examination of the issue doesnt necessarily mean they should or will change course.

I dont think companies can boycott something as important as the convention of one of the two big parties in the U.S, Bhat said. Most people will be seeing this as supporting the Republican convention, not Trump.

ColorOfChange, which has been joined by several activist groups representing women and minorities, has since February been pressuring such corporations as Google, Microsoft, Walmart and Coca-Cola to refrain from sponsoring the convention.

Companies have participated in the nominating events, both Republican and Democratic, for decades. Some businesses provide technological assistance, while others pay to publicize their brand. Google live-streamed both the Republican and Democratic conventions in 2012.

But Trumps status as the Republican front-runner this year has upset activists.

We think its really important that major brands like Google dont align with Trumps racism, xenophobia and misogyny, said Heidi Hess of the group CREDO Action, who helped deliver the petition Thursday.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Microsoft and Walmart, like Google, did not respond Thursday to inquiries about the convention. Coca-Cola said in an emailed statement, Our support helps the host committees run these large events and contributes to local economic development but does not represent an endorsement of any specific party or candidate.

According to ColorOfChange organizer Arisha Hatch, Coca-Cola capped its funding this year after hearing from the group  though the company did not attribute its action to the group. Coca-Cola has given $75,000 to the 2016 convention, much less than it gave in 2012.

We believe that Coke will not be the last to cut spending, Hatch said.

Thursdays actions were timed with the state GOP convention, which begins Friday in Burlingame. Trump is expected to deliver a speech at noon at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport. Candidates Ted Cruz and John Kasich are also scheduled to speak over the weekend.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
A group of activists who are 12 days into a hunger strike to demand that Police Chief Greg Suhr be fired or resign refused to meet with Mayor Ed Lee on Monday after he unexpectedly dropped by the Mission Police Station, where they are camping.

They said the mayor should instead meet with them at 2 p.m. Tuesday, when they plan to arrive at his office after a march from the police station to City Hall.

Obviously, he knew that, and thats why he came early to try and shortstop the meeting or whatnot, said Ilyich Sato, one of the five hunger strikers. We need him to understand how many people are behind us and support this movement thats been going on.

Representatives from the mayors office countered that the protestors were insincere and only seeking media attention, as they had demanded to meet with Lee but then refused to meet with him.

The point was, youve asked to meet with me. Here we are, mayoral spokeswoman Christine Falvey said. She added that the mayor wanted to check in on the protesters and also talk to them about the enormous effort under way to reform the Police Department.

Accompanying Lee on his visit to the police station were Paul Henderson, his deputy chief of staff for public safety, and longtime Police Commissioner Joe Marshall. The mayors office described the visit as impromptu and didnt notify the news media. Lee waited at the police station for about 30 minutes.

The five hunger protestors, dubbed the Frisco 5, are Sato, 42; his mother, Maria Gutierrez, 66; Sellassie Blackwell, 39; Ike Pinkston, 42; and Edwin Lindo, 29, who is also a candidate for District Nine supervisor.

As Lee left the police station, he walked over to Gutierrez, who was sitting inside the station, to ask her how she was holding up, Henderson said. Gutierrez responded by holding her hands in the air and saying Lee had to fire the police chief.

Activists have been calling for Suhrs job since the fatal police shooting of Mario Woods on Dec. 2 in the Bayview neighborhood. That shooting was captured on video.

They also point to the fatal police shootings of Luis Gongora in the Mission District on April 7, Amilcar Perez-Lopez last year in the Mission, and Alex Nieto in 2014 on Bernal Hill as evidence that the department needs new leadership.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Suhr is considering meeting with the hunger strikers at some point but hasnt decided yet.

Suhr and Lee have said they are committed to seeking reforms that reduce police use of force and build police-community relations.

Tuesdays march to City Hall is expected to spill into the Board of Supervisors 2 p.m. meeting.

 Emily Green

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider, @emilytgreen
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Critics of the San Francisco Police Department, including the hunger strikers sitting in front of Mission Station, have an unusual problem.

They cant seem to accept victory.

In the aftermath of two fatal police shootings and a scandal involving racist and homophobic text messages, the advocates demanded action. And, remarkably, it has happened.

I would say sweeping changes in less than one years time, said Supervisor Malia Cohen. Honestly, it has been more like a matter of months. And we will continue to keep making these changes.

Among other things, a review of police use-of-force policies has begun. There are independent investigations into the police killings of Mario Woods and Luis Gongora, and when Cohen proposed a ballot initiative requiring that the Office of Citizen Complaints investigate all police shootings, there was no pushback from either Chief Greg Suhr or the rank and file.

The OCC in my opinion should be investigating every officer-involved shooting, said Martin Halloran, head of the Police Officers Association. I dont always agree with the supervisor, nor do I always agree with the OCC, but this one I do agree on.

As for the text messages, theres been no waffling or foot-dragging.

When those initial text messages came up, said Police Commission President Suzy Loftus, the chief immediately said, I want them gone. We didnt say, We dont have a problem here. We moved immediately.

Loftus even went to visit the hunger strikers Sunday with a message.

You guys banged on the door, she says she told them. You are part of this change. Were all trying to get to a better place. Continue to be part of these changes. But they have the position that it has to be the chief.

Chief open to change

The hunger strikers targeted Suhr right away and havent budged. If they can get him fired, it will show that the activists who have been calling for the chiefs hide for months are a powerful and influential voice.

The problem is, Suhr isnt making it easy for them. He keeps taking action that makes officers more accountable.

In December, Suhr declared that simply drawing a firearm, not just firing one, is a reportable use of force and thus subject to investigation. The POA was not happy about that one.

Suhr also had the Police Department add options training  alternatives to firing a gun  to its standard firearms instruction. Last week, in reaction to the text-message scandal, he announced that all officers must undergo antiharassment training by the end of May.

The bottom line is, I dont think you would find any other chief in the country so open to change, said Police Commission member Tom Mazzucco. Hes implementing things much quicker than this organization is used to.

Its not enough for the most militant. At a recent Mission District town hall meeting, one of the speakers began his remarks by saying, Chief Suhr, if the legal system in this country worked, you would be in prison.

Im going to go out on a limb and predict that no one is going to convince that guy that progress is being made. But others are seeing it.

If we had a chief that is obstructing our progress, that would be something else, Loftus said. It is important to realize that the chief and the commission saw an issue and moved to deal with it.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Now, lets dont go all Pollyanna on this. Loftus says candidly that the video of the Woods shooting rocked the trust in the department. And Cohen says, The relationship between communities of color and the police has long since eroded.

And the protests have clearly forced the city to make changes. But the protesters wont accept the gains.

On Monday, Mayor Ed Lee made a trip to Mission Station to see the hunger strikers and talk police reform and listen, without conditions, said a spokeswoman. He and others waited half an hour, but the protesters refused to meet with him.

Political theater

Seriously? Now that youve got the citys attention, and the mayor, police commissioners and police chief are all concentrating on your issues and asking for input, you refuse to come to the table?

Loftus says she told the hunger strikers Sunday that she wanted to move beyond the usual political theater.

Instead of a commission meeting where you yell at us, she said, and we say, Thank you, and go on with our agenda, our goal is to include everybody and evaluate how good these reforms are.

Instead, theyd rather chant, Fire Chief Suhr.

C.W. Nevius is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His columns appear Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Email: cwnevius@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @cwnevius
The murky beginnings of bitcoin  a virtual currency pitched as a potential replacement for traditional cash  only became more controversial Monday with yet another claim that its mysterious founder had been unmasked.

Early Monday morning, reports surfaced that an Australian entrepreneur previously fingered as bitcoins creator had proved himself to be Satoshi Nakamoto. Thats the pseudonym used by the person or people who introduced the currency in 2009.

My name is Craig Wright, and Im about to demonstrate a signing of a message with the public key that is associated with the first transaction ever done on bitcoin, Wright told the BBC, one of several news organizations to which he granted interviews. I was the main part of it. Other people helped me.

GQ Magazine, the Economist and the London Review of Books also carried Wrights claim.

Initially, the story seemed plausible. In December, both Wired and Gizmodo alleged that Wright was the long-hidden creator of the currency.

Both publications concluded  and then soon backed away from  the assertion that Wright might be sitting on a cache of 1.1 million bitcoins, currently worth roughly $488 million.

If all those bitcoins were converted to hard cash at the same time, they would cause the already volatile digital currency to crash. Thats the main reason, beyond curiosity, that unveiling the true Nakamoto became an obsession within the tech world.

Gavin Andresen, a prominent bitcoin developer, said in a blog post that he met with Wright in London and was convinced.

I was flown to London to meet Dr. Wright a couple of weeks ago, he wrote. After spending time with him I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt: Craig Wright is Satoshi.

Jon Matonis, the former director of the Bitcoin Foundation, said in a separate post that he was similarly convinced.

But in light of all the drama, there was still widespread disbelief Monday among cryptographers and bitcoin community members. Some said the public proof Wright provided on his website  which was different from the proof he provided privately to Andresen, Matonis and reporters  convinced them that he couldnt be telling the truth.

Its not just unconvincing, said security researcher Dan Kaminsky, referencing a verifiable refutation on Hacker News. It is anti-convincing. ... It is clearly a lie.

Wright wrote a long blog post laden with photos of code, attempting to convince readers he is who he says he is.

Matthew Green, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Universitys Department of Computer Science, said Wright copied some stuff off the bitcoin blockchain, the public, cryptographic accounting ledger that keeps track of transactions. So its obvious there is nothing there, Green said.

Its like if I came to you and I said, Im a rich person, here is my checkbook to prove it, and then the checkbook to prove it is open to anyone to copy, Green said. That doesnt prove anything.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Green said either Matonis and Andresen were conned, or Wright is just being publicly very strange about it.

Andresen is not a scam artist, Green said. Hes a good guy, and thats the only fly in the ointment.

The best way Wright could prove that he is indeed Satoshi Nakamoto would be to move some of Nakamotos original stash of bitcoin, Green said. Wright has yet to prove he can do that.

At the end of the day, there are a lot of ways to fool somebody, but there is only one really good way to prove youre Satoshi beyond a shadow of a doubt, Green said.

Sean Sposito is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ssposito@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @seansposito
Driving down Golden Gate Avenue between Leavenworth and Hyde a few mornings ago, I was struck by a block of buildings painted in bright contrasting colors. Theyre low-rise buildings with tall arched windows, but theyd always looked drab, neglected. Now they were spiffed up; the Tenderloins Painted Ladies, I was told later in the day when I walked over to check them out.

I got there just after 2:30 p.m., and the sidewalk was dotted with folks wielding brooms, cleaning up the street. They were staffers at Unite Here/Local 2, the union that represents restaurant and hotel workers, which owns the whole row of buildings. The colors had been applied a few months ago, said the unions Kim Jackson.

As to the broom wielding, its a daily ritual, under the auspices of the Golden Gate Block Safety Group. Its supported by Local 2, a host of nonprofits (St. Anthonys, Larkin Street, Boys & Girls Clubs, Curry Senior Center and more), the De Marillac Academy on the next block, Tidewater Capital, which runs the Hall on Market Street, the Tenderloin Police Station, George and Lenny Coffee Shop, and Dataway, and it aims to alter the perception of safety on the street. The first Friday of every month  on May 6, for example  they host 4Corner Fridays, 3 to 4:30 p.m. happenings for kids and adults at Golden Gate and Leavenworth.

To improve the environment for kids coming and going from the academy, which is in the 100 block of Golden Gate, members of the safety group asked individual homeless people to refrain from lying on the sidewalk between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. At 5:45 every morning, Gubbio Project workers approach anyone lying on the sidewalk and ask them to move inside St. Boniface Church, which is on the block, too. After 6 p.m. and before 6 a.m., police have agreed to tolerate the presence of the sleepers.

Having snapped photos of the buildings and the Local 2 staffers, I walked back to work along Golden Gate Avenue. On the 100 block, there were signs asking people not to loiter. And there was full compliance; not a person on the sidewalk until I crossed Jones to walk the last block to Market.

(Euphoric) state of the city: At a cocktail party hosted by John and Gretchen Berggruen on Saturday, April 30, curators and collectors stood side by side on the balcony overlooking the urban landscape, celebrating the arrival of the newborn San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Frish Brandt of Fraenkel Gallery relished the moment, and in particular this visit to the West Coast by people who left San Francisco and came back for the opening. They thought when they left that the art world would go to sleep. ... Then look what happened. Look what is going on here.

Larry Luhring, whose Luhring Augustine Gallery is in New York, recalled that in the late 80s, when the gallery was in Los Angeles, its best clients were San Francisco collectors: the Fishers, the Stones and the Boweses. They would come down and bail us out, and buy art in Los Angeles, said Luhring. No one else in L.A. did.

Luhring gave credit for the new SFMOMA and the new mood to Neal Benezra, an amazing director ... whos mended a lot of fences, said Luhring. He mentioned a lunch a few days before that was attended by formerly disaffected board members. Neals done extraordinary things here.

P.S. At SFMOMA on Friday night, I ran into Larry Rinder, director of the Berkeley Art Museum. He was celebrating not only this new museum, but his own, which opened a few months ago. Planners had expected twice the attendance theyd had in the previous location. They wound up with six times the visitors.

Attention all vacation planners: Researching a trip to Rome, Stephen Hochheiser found the notice on the website of Leonardo da Vinci Airport: Forty-eight toilets have been modernized in accordance with an avant-garde concept. Hochheiser says he doesnt know what that means, but it does concern me a bit.

P.S. In the gentlemens facilities at the State Room brew pub in San Rafael, Matt Regan says that excerpts of the writings of John Muir were heard over the speakers. The excerpt he would have liked to hear: The mountains are calling and I must go.

Open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

Hipsters dont need directions. They have an internal homing device for craft beer and reclaimed wood.

Man to woman, overheard in San Diego by Richard Kurylo
This front page has it all, and then some.

The Chronicles cover from May 3, 1946, reports on an Alcatraz gunbattle that left one guard dead and many more wounded.

Rioting desperadoes on Alcatraz Island yesterday turned the federal penitentiary there into an inferno of gunfire in one of the bloodiest prison uprisings in California history, the story by Edward V. McQuade on The Chronicles front page read. One guard was killed and at least nine guards and an undetermined number of convicts wounded in a pitched battle that still was raging early this morning, more than 10 hours after the rebellion broke out.

If the news werent enough reason to pore over this tremendous front page, perhaps the photo illustration in the centerpiece position will impress you. This kind of treatment was no easy feat 70 years ago, and the caption writing accompanying it is inspired:

You are watching the battle of Alcatraz from a boat only 100 yards off the island in San Francisco Bay. The three men in the circles are penitentiary guards who have just fired long-range through the barred cell block windows to smash the glass, the photo caption read. Now the guards along the catwalk, halfway up the wall, are crouching for momentary safety, then reaching on tiptoe to fire bullets and tear gas bombs through the jagged windows. The guard in circle No. 1 is in the act of firing back with everything theyve got, including tommy guns and rifles. The desperadoes are in command of the center tier of the three-tier block from the northern end of the building to the seventh window, as shown by the dotted line (No. 2). The guards advance is in wartime fire-and-cover style.

You can envision scene despite the poor quality of the microfilm copy of the page. Its impressive The Chronicles editors, photographers and typesetters pulled this off.

But thats not all.

Stanton Delaplane won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting. More importantly, hes credited with introducing Irish coffee to San Francisco, and, thus, the country. On this page, he writes a beat-by-beat report on the uprising, and his prose sings like a 1930s detective novel.

This was how it happened on Alcatraz:

About 3 oclock, one of the toughest cons ever sent to the Big House overpowered a guard in the gun gallery catwalk and took his gun away from him.

This man is believed to be a Kentucky bank robber, doing 26 years the hard way. He was too tough for Atlanta Penitentiary. So they sent him to the Rock.

In the toughest stir, this man went crafty and tractable. That may have given him access to the catwalk where an armed guard, behind screen and locked doors can survey the whole cell block.

At gunpoint he drove the guard down to the guards room, where he stuck up 20 or more guards getting ready to go on duty.

He gathered up all the guns he could carry. Then, driving the guards before him, he went back to the cell block, where he threw a master switch opening the cells.

Come on boys. Lets go, he said.

Sixteen cons joined him and armed themselves.

More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond.

At 3:30, motorists on the Golden Gate Bridge heard firing from the island. By 4 oclock, patrol boats circled the island, guards outsode opened fire and Alcatraz cell block D was under siege.

See more front pages: Go to SFChronicle.com/covers to search a database of hundreds of Chronicle Covers articles that showcase the newspaper's history.

Chronicle Covers is a project that highlights one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken, art director Danielle Mollette-Parks, producer Michelle Devera and editorial assistant Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke

(Click to enlarge)




Assemblywoman Catharine Baker proved to be precisely the type of legislator we anticipated when we endorsed her in 2014: independent, pragmatic, serious and focused on issues that matter to an East Bay district that stretches from Lamorinda to the Tri-Valley.

The Republican attorney from Dublin has pushed the issues she ran on  education reform, infrastructure, fiscal prudence  and played a key role in bridging differences on some other very difficult ones in Sacramento.

A prime example was last years End of Life Option Act, which will allow physicians to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients in narrowly defined circumstances.

Bakers successful addition of safeguarding amendments  including felony provisions for anyone who coerces or fools a patient into taking such drugs  helped assure its passage.

I sleep very well at night on that one, Baker said of the final bill.

The Democrats are determined to win back that seat, but their candidate, retired teacher Cheryl Cook-Kallio, demonstrated little sign of being ready for Sacramento. She pledged to devote more money to education, but she was decidedly fuzzy about where that funding might come from.

Asked to identify votes in which she differed from Baker, Cook-Kallio kept going to the refrain, Her record speaks for itself.

Indeed it does. Baker came to our editorial board meeting with a three-page summary of Democratic bills she supported on substantive matters: environment, tobacco control, womens reproductive health, vaccines and firearms among them. For example, she was the only Republican co-author of SB1006, which sanctioned state research into gun violence. Research doesnt violate your Second Amendment rights, she said.

Sacramento would be far better off with more legislators like Baker, fixed on results instead of party labels and special-interest benefactors. She has earned a second term.
The prospect of a President Trump is rattling Silicon Valley  even if his fellow Republicans cant find any trace of his campaign there.

The nations tech hub is waking up to the reality that billionaire developer Donald Trump is on track to win the Republican nomination. A Trump Effect is moving through the valley, freezing the check-writing hands of conservative donors as they wait to see how the primary campaign drama plays out.

For Democrats, Trumps history of misogynistic and anti-immigrant statements has been a boon, a jolt to fundraising for Hillary Clinton since Trump took hold of the GOP race by steamrolling through the Nevada caucuses.

No kind words

Perhaps it isnt surprising that some tech world conservatives fear Trump  theyre still wondering what he meant when he proposed closing areas of the Internet to combat terrorism.

Most of my friends think hes a f idiot, said libertarian-leaning venture capitalist Michael Kim, when asked about Trump when he was a panelist at a recent Palo Alto event on venture funding and tech policy. But as they watch Trump march toward the nomination, theyre kind of in the resignation stage.

Sitting next to Kim on the panel and offering a slightly more diplomatic take was Ted Ullyot, a Republican and former general counsel of Facebook who is now working on tech policy for venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz. Ive never heard anybody say anything good about Trump, he said.

Hewlett-Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman  who was a top fundraiser for also-ran candidate Chris Christie  urged the New Jersey governors donors not to support Trump even though Christie had endorsed him.

Donald Trump is unfit to be president, said Whitman, a candidate for California governor in 2010. He is a dishonest demagogue who plays to our worst fears. Trump would take America on a dangerous journey.

Democrats delighted

Valley Democrats, on the other hand, are thrilled at Trumps lead, particularly those supporting Clinton, who dominates tech donations among all candidates. For them, Trump is giving more people a reason to give  to a Democrat.

The phones are ringing a lot more in the past few days, said tech executive Amy Rao, who has raised more than $1 million for Clinton going back to her first White House run in 2008. And theyre people I know who vote Republican, and theyre asking what they can do to help Hillary.

Wade Randlett, a longtime valley fundraiser for Democratic candidates, quipped, Does manure help to grow roses?

Trump doesnt smell much better to valley conservatives. His policy proposals  thinly sketched as they are  are anathema to its Republicans, many of whom tend to be socially progressive and fiscally conservative.

Trump is a trade protectionist and his call for a 35 to 45 percent tariff on imports from China doesnt go over well in a region that relies on trade with Asia. He also opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which many top technology firms support.

Uber is spending $1 billion competing in China, while Trump wants to raise tariffs and is selling a protectionist agenda, said Matt Mahan, CEO of Brigade, a San Francisco startup working to increase participation in civic discussion. The last thing you want is a trade war.

Immigration stance

To others, Trumps hard-line position on immigration is a deal-breaker. Not only has he called for building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, but he also has vowed to end the H-1B visa program, which many tech companies rely on to hire highly skilled workers from abroad. Trump has called it a cheap labor program that is neither high skilled nor immigration: These are temporary foreign workers, imported from abroad, for the explicit purpose of substituting for American workers at lower pay, according to his website.

Thats a little bit scary in terms of decision-making if thats how youre going to run a country, said Christine Hughes, chairwoman of the San Francisco Republican Party, who has hosted fundraisers for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who dropped out of the race Friday.

Cultural mismatch

Trumps anti-immigration rhetoric  like his proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S.  doesnt go over well in a region where 44 percent of tech startups were founded by an immigrant between 2006 and 2012, according to the Kauffman Foundation.

Trump also lost points in the valley when he called for a boycott of Apple for refusing the FBIs request that it unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino gunman.

Culturally, hes a mismatch. He is a scion who made his money through real estate  that gets shrugged off in the nations innovation capital. His positions opposing same-sex marriage and abortion rights are out of step in the valley.

Its complete disbelief (in the valley), and its disorienting, said Garrett Johnson, co-founder of libertarian-leaning Lincoln Initiatives, which tries to bring together Washington policymakers and valley technologists. Nobody knows how things will play out.

The effect is that donors are frozen, said Rob Stutzman a longtime GOP operative who is raising money for Rubio after supporting former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who also left the race. There are still a lot of people on the sidelines. Theyre wondering, Do I get behind Trump and rationalize moving behind him, or wait?

No response

It is even hard for people who want to support Trump to get involved.

I have gotten calls from people asking me, Can you hook me up with the Trump campaign? Hughes said. She emailed the campaign and got an automated response that someone would get in touch. And that was three weeks ago.

Jan Soule, who is president of the Silicon Valley Association of Republican Women, recently tried to find the Santa Clara County chair for the Trump campaign. She couldnt. Nevertheless, Trump won a recent straw poll among the associations members.

Among the people I talk to, people either say, Ooooh, I like Trump, or theyre just plain afraid of him, Soule said. They say, Oh, my God, he cant be elected.

There is no equivocation among Democrats. The Trump Effect is a growing positive for them.

Im suddenly getting much more outreach from my community  theres been a spike in interest in the last couple of weeks. said Stacy Mason, a Palo Alto fundraiser for Clinton and co-founder of WomenCount, a crowdfunding site for female Democratic office seekers.

There is a deeper and deeper concern that he could actually be elected president, said Chris Kelly, an early top executive at Facebook who hosted a fundraiser at his home for Clinton in August. I think that could drive a lot of energy our way.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicle senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
If San Francisco requires developers to sell or rent at least 25 percent of units in new projects at below-market prices, will that improve or worsen the citys housing crisis?

Thats the question at the heart of Proposition C, an initiative on the June 7 ballot that would take the current 12 percent affordable housing requirement out of the City Charter and give the Board of Supervisors the power to adjust the percentage.

In the interim, the measure would require developers to sell or rent 25 percent of units in new projects at below-market prices. The obligation rises to 33 percent if the units are built at a different location.

While the idea of making developers sell or rent a portion of their units at below-market prices is gaining traction nationwide, no city approaches a 25 percent requirement.

Our goal is to push the development community to do as much as is maximumly feasible without diminishing new housing starts, said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who wrote the legislation with Supervisor Jane Kim.

Opponents, including some developers and construction trade groups, believe the measure would do just the opposite and curtail the development of housing by making it financially infeasible to build.

To me it is well-intentioned legislation that is not grounded in economic reality, said developer Oz Erickson of the Emerald Fund. I cant make the numbers work to build housing with that requirement using union labor.

To date, no development in San Francisco has met the requirements that Prop. C would impose without up-zoning  making a project bigger or denser  or a city subsidy. Some high-profile projects that boast 40 percent affordability, like the Giants 8-acre development along Mission Creek, are building on city-owned land or are exempted from certain fees.

Kim said that just because the Prop. C requirements havent been met previously doesnt mean they wont be.

San Francisco has always been on the forefront, she said.

Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle

Prop. C very cutting edge

By contrast, Boston requires 13 percent of units in new developments to be sold or rented at below-market prices. San Jose requires 15 percent. New York requires 20 percent of units  in exchange for which the developers get to make the building 33 percent larger than otherwise permitted. Los Angeles doesnt require anything.

Prop. C is very cutting edge, said Rich Gross of Enterprise Community Partners, a Maryland nonprofit that invests in affordable housing around the country. There isnt another city that comes close to 25 percent.

And, he said, it would be the first time developers would have to set aside units for middle-income earners. For example, in a 100-unit rental building, 15 units would be priced for people making up to 55 percent of the area median income  $56,050 for a family of four. An additional 10 units would be priced for middle-class workers earning up to 100 percent of the area median income, or $101,900 for a family of four.

If the units are for sale, the income brackets raise slightly. Fifteen units would go to people making up to 80 percent of the area median income, or $81,500 for a family of four. Ten would go to people earning up to 120 percent of the area median income, or $122,300 for a family of four.

Prop. C was placed on the ballot with the unanimous support of all 11 supervisors and has the support of Mayor Ed Lee. That, however, belies the controversy surrounding it.

Developers visited City Hall in droves to oppose the measure as it was being hashed out. They criticized the 25 percent requirement as an arbitrary number selected with no analysis to determine whether it was feasible. Lees office warned it could kill the creation of 2,100 units. The construction trades said their members would suffer steep job losses.

In the end, Kim and Peskin had the votes to put the measure on the ballot, and even those supervisors who disliked the 25 percent requirement went along with it.

Lee has said he hopes the Board of Supervisors will amend the requirement based on a feasibility analysis to be completed by the city controller by July 31. That analysis is supposed to determine the optimal affordable-housing requirement without jeopardizing development  a number most believe will be lower than 25 percent.

Exempting current projects

Developers, meanwhile, switched strategies after Prop. C got on the ballot: Their primary goal became to make sure their current projects were not impacted.

After weeks of negotiations, Kim and Peskin introduced additional legislation that exempts projects that were in the pipeline before Jan. 12 from the 25 percent requirement.

Instead, developments proposed in 2013 would be required to add 1 percent more affordable units, 2014 projects would add 1.5 percent and 2015 projects would add 2.5 percent. Those figures are on top of the 12 percent the developers are already required to include.

Still, it was a relief for developers, and in return most agreed not to mount an opposition to Prop. C. There is an implicit understanding they wont campaign against it, Peskin said.

That irks Sonja Trauss, founder of the pro-development San Francisco Bay Area Renters Federation, who believes Prop. C will result in less market-rate and affordable housing.

The developers have been bought off, Trauss said. The grandfathering is buying their silence. As for Kim and Peskin, she said, they know Prop. C is going to kill projects, and they just dont care.

Kim and Peskin, unsurprisingly, dispute that. The very last thing either of us would want is to halt development in San Francisco, Kim said.

Peskin added that even if the measure is not perfect, the reality is here we are doing something.

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen
In the gallery above, check out these rare photos to follow the "road of a thousand wonders" along the California coast on the Southern Pacific Railroad.

The above images from 1907 start in Los Angeles, and work their way up to Oregon. There are over a hundred stops along the way, including Ojai, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and many of California's missions, including San Juan Bautista. The trip also includes Carmel-by-the-Sea, Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco, including images of the city's resurrection from the 1906 earthquake.
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In a milestone victory for the cannabis industry, the federal government agreed to drop its four-year bid to shut down Oaklands Harborside Health Center, the biggest medical marijuana dispensary in the country with more than 100,000 patients, city leaders said Tuesday.

The Department of Justice did not immediately comment on the deal, which Harborside said still needed to be finalized, with all of the parties in the legal fight signing off.

But Oakland officials joined the pot dispensary in an exultant news conference at City Hall, heralding a move they saw as symbolic of a federal withdrawal in the battle against an industry that is steadily marching toward acceptance  and is viewed in Oakland not as a scourge but an economic engine.

We celebrate the release from federal prosecution, said Mayor Libby Schaaf. We believe in compassion, we believe in health.

More for you Oakland looks to bring pot industry out of shadows, raise revenue

Legal experts said the reported deal was momentous. It underscores the countrys shift to a new model for dealing with marijuana, whether medicinal or recreational, said Robert MacCoun, a law professor and drug policy expert at Stanford University.

The framework is moving from the war on drugs to tricky issues of regulation, taxation and who is going to be in control of this major new industry, he said.

New city laws in works

The Harborside announcement came just hours before the Oakland City Council voted unanimously early Wednesday morning to implement broad laws regulating and taxing its multimillion-dollar medical marijuana industry. Debate over the permit application process, potential odor complaints, and other concerns started late Tuesday night and spilled into Wednesday morning, ending shortly before 1 a.m. Council members approved the laws with added clarification on expanding permit access to marginalized groups, including those with past marijuana convictions.

Harborside, on the Oakland Estuary, has faced potential closure since 2012, when the U.S. attorneys office cracked down on the industry across California and attempted to seize the buildings that housed the businesses. Federal officials called centers like Harborside marijuana superstores.

While Harborside, which also operates in San Jose, stood its ground against the federal civil case, hundreds of other dispensaries across California, facing similar federal threats, shut down operations.

In Marin County, former U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag threatened to seize the property of the Marin Alliance dispensary in 2011 and prosecute the landlord for drug dealing and providing medical marijuana within 1,000 feet of a Little League field, a crime punishable by up to 40 years in prison. The dispensary closed.

As of today, Harborside Health Center is in the clear and will no longer have to worry about a looming raid, said Oakland Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan. Supporters are pleased to hear that the case has been dropped so that patients suffering from chronic pain can have peace of mind that they will be able to get their medicine through safe dispensaries.

By taking this stance in Oakland, Kaplan said, we have shown the rest of the country whats possible.

Change of direction

Steve DeAngelo, Harborsides executive director, said the resolution of the lawsuit signals the beginning of the end of federal prohibition.

Marijuana remains a controlled substance, but federal policy now prevents action that interferes with state laws regarding marijuana. California is among two dozen states where voters have authorized medical marijuana use, while four states and the District of Columbia have authorized recreational use as well.

A coalition pushing an initiative to legalize recreational use in California, known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, said it will gather Wednesday in San Francisco to celebrate getting enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom was expected to join in the kickoff of a campaign that could dramatically reshape the states cannabis industry, again.

In the nearly four years since the federal government filed its forfeiture action, there has been a major evolution in public opinion and a shift in the landscape of national politics on this issue, said Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker. The American people are recognizing that cannabis is not only a legitimate medicine, but that federal laws outlawing marijuana have been wasteful and harmful, especially to communities of color, where people are more likely to be incarcerated for possession of cannabis.

Pretty significant shift

MacCoun said there were two possible interpretations of the governments decision to back off Harborside. Either prosecutors cant make the case or they no longer want to make the case.

In either interpretation, its a pretty significant shift, MacCoun said. But he cautioned that the move does not mean the weed wars are won, explaining that it reflects the thinking of only President Obamas administration.

There is some uncertainty about what the new administration is going to do, he said.

Oakland backed Harborside during the legal battle, suing the federal government to stop the property seizure. The city argued it would lose millions of dollars in taxes, and that the close of Harborside would increase crime by forcing many of the dispensarys patients to turn to street dealers.

While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in March that the city could not intervene, Harborside has been able to remain open during appeals.

Oakland leaders said Tuesday there was still work to do to ensure medical cannabis businesses can thrive. Most banks and credit card companies, citing federal law, refuse to do business with marijuana enterprises, leaving those businesses with mounds of cash and nowhere to deposit the money.

I am pleased by todays victory, said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland. But we must keep fighting until the federal government stops erecting barriers between patients and their medicine.

The Oakland City Council knocked down some barriers with its medical marijuana ordinance.

While Oakland was the first city in California to regulate a handful of dispensaries, just eight now operate as sanctioned businesses, subject to sales tax, public health and safety regulations, environmental and employment rules, and other city laws. Gov. Jerry Brown, though, signed a set of bills in October creating a regulatory structure for medical pot, one that allows cities to set policies related to all aspects of the industry.

The ordinance in Oakland will increase the number of cannabis-related businesses permitted in the city from its current eight, possibly growing to about 100. The city has plans to implement a program that assures a portion of permits are issued to Oakland residents, including those with past marijuana convictions.

Councilwoman Desley Brooks spearheaded the debate, arguing those most affected by the war on drugs deserved a fair cut in the towns emerging cannabis industry.

There has to be real equity, not just words, and that's what I seek to do doing this, Brooks said.

Millions in revenue

David McPherson of HdL Companies, which offers guidance on handling the explosion of medical marijuana to cities and counties, said permitting 30 growers in Oakland could bring in about $9 million in annual revenue, while doubling the number of dispensaries could mean $3 million more or so in sales and business taxes.

Oaklands proposed ordinance would also limit the industry in some ways  with a 600-foot buffer required between dispensaries and schools or youth centers. In addition, the proposed regulations would ensure many of the jobs within the industry go to Oakland residents, including those with a criminal past.

Jill Tucker and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker @pfimrite
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Five hunger strikers in wheelchairs and hundreds of their supporters crossed San Francisco on Tuesday, from the Mission Police Station to City Hall, to reiterate their demand that Mayor Ed Lee fire Police Chief Greg Suhr or resign.

About 60 protesters made their way into City Hall and to the mayors office about 3 p.m. Tuesday and were told by a representative of the mayor that he was in the Bayview.

One protester answered that the Bayview was only 10 minutes away and that the mayor should come talk to them. Coincidentally, the mayor sent a tweet at the same time the protesters were demanding his attention reading: Met w merchants on 3rd St in the Bayview to discuss how City can support small business #DreamSmallBiz.

After it became clear that the mayor wasnt coming, the protesters entered the Board of Supervisors chambers during its weekly meeting and chanted, Fire Chief Suhr. The protesters demanded an emergency resolution to fire Suhr immediately.

You have to take a stand for whats right. ... You have done nothing, hunger striker Maria Gutierrez said.

In what dissolved into a shouting match, the protesters accused the supervisors of being sellouts, with the supervisors defending themselves.

I dont need anybody to tell me what its like to be a subject of police brutality or racism. I lived that, Supervisor David Campos said. The idea that you fire Chief Suhr and that solves things, Im sorry, thats not what I believe.

Defending board

Board President London Breed told the protesters that no Board of Supervisors had done more to address problems in the Police Department than the current one.

We have done a lot of work on this board to try and push for transparency. Its not an overnight problem, so I know it wont be an overnight solution, she said.

In their 13th day without solid food, the hunger strikers were trying to increase pressure on the mayor and police chief, who are facing revelations of racist text messages sent among officers in addition to the fallout from the fatal police shootings of four Latino and African American men since 2014.

The strikers  Gutierrez, 66; her son Ilyich Sato, 42; Sellassie Blackwell, 39; Ike Pinkston, 42; and Edwin Lindo, 29, a candidate for District Nine supervisor  have been camping in front of the Mission Police Station for almost two weeks. They have become known as the Frisco 5.

Whether its today or tomorrow or three days from now or next week, we are going to win, Pinkston declared Tuesday before the protest. Pinkston said he had lost about 13 pounds since the start of the hunger strike.

Police officers cleared the streets for the protesters as they made their way to City Hall. Throughout, the crowd chanted, How do you spell murder? SFPD and SFPD. Shut it down, shut it down.

Snub of mayor criticized

The hunger strikers have repeatedly demanded to meet with Lee and Suhr. But on Monday, they refused to meet with the mayor when he went to the Mission Police Station. Instead, they accused the mayor of trying to head off the next days protest and insisted the mayor wait to meet with them at his office Tuesday.

That decision was criticized by even some of the strikers usual political allies.

Supervisor John Avalos, who has described what he calls a culture of racism in the Police Department, said that he visited the strikers Friday and that they told him they wanted the mayor to meet them on their turf  at the Mission Police Station.

I just think if the mayor comes to visit, then why not? What do you got to lose by talking? Avalos said Tuesday.

He said the mayor could appease the protesters by initiating immediate reforms on use-of-force policies and supporting a memorial for Alex Nieto, who was fatally shot by police officers on Bernal Hill in 2014. Officers fired 59 shots at Nieto, who was carrying a stun gun .

Those are all things the mayor can give that I think will go very far to help de-escalate things with the community, Avalos said. But the community has got to do their part as well, and so far Im concerned that they havent had a strong strategy to hold themselves to as they go through this process.

Health assessments

Nurses from the city Department of Public Health, sometimes joined by doctors, have been assessing the hunger strikers health every day for the past week. None has showed signs of poor health, health officials said. The regimen they set up for themselves allows for coconut water, chicken broth and vitamins. UCSF medical students pushed the hunger strikers in their wheelchairs to City Hall on Tuesday.

The group began its hunger strike after a series of recent officer-involved shootings. The shooting deaths of Luis Gongora last month and Mario Woods in December, which were captured on video, resulted in a wave of anger. Both men were allegedly holding knives prior to the shootings.

Woods cousin, Jeff Stewart, 28, was among those at Tuesdays march. I hope they dont deny the community like they always have and let these people die, he said.

Kimberly Veklerov and Emily Green are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com, egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov @emilytgreen
A group of activists who are 12 days into a hunger strike to demand that Police Chief Greg Suhr be fired or resign refused to meet with Mayor Ed Lee on Monday after he unexpectedly dropped by the Mission Police Station, where they are camping.

They said the mayor should instead meet with them at 2 p.m. Tuesday, when they plan to arrive at his office after a march from the police station to City Hall.

Obviously, he knew that, and thats why he came early to try and shortstop the meeting or whatnot, said Ilyich Sato, one of the five hunger strikers. We need him to understand how many people are behind us and support this movement thats been going on.

Representatives from the mayors office countered that the protestors were insincere and only seeking media attention, as they had demanded to meet with Lee but then refused to meet with him.

The point was, youve asked to meet with me. Here we are, mayoral spokeswoman Christine Falvey said. She added that the mayor wanted to check in on the protesters and also talk to them about the enormous effort under way to reform the Police Department.

Accompanying Lee on his visit to the police station were Paul Henderson, his deputy chief of staff for public safety, and longtime Police Commissioner Joe Marshall. The mayors office described the visit as impromptu and didnt notify the news media. Lee waited at the police station for about 30 minutes.

The five hunger protestors, dubbed the Frisco 5, are Sato, 42; his mother, Maria Gutierrez, 66; Sellassie Blackwell, 39; Ike Pinkston, 42; and Edwin Lindo, 29, who is also a candidate for District Nine supervisor.

As Lee left the police station, he walked over to Gutierrez, who was sitting inside the station, to ask her how she was holding up, Henderson said. Gutierrez responded by holding her hands in the air and saying Lee had to fire the police chief.

Activists have been calling for Suhrs job since the fatal police shooting of Mario Woods on Dec. 2 in the Bayview neighborhood. That shooting was captured on video.

They also point to the fatal police shootings of Luis Gongora in the Mission District on April 7, Amilcar Perez-Lopez last year in the Mission, and Alex Nieto in 2014 on Bernal Hill as evidence that the department needs new leadership.

Suhr is considering meeting with the hunger strikers at some point but hasnt decided yet.

Suhr and Lee have said they are committed to seeking reforms that reduce police use of force and build police-community relations.

Tuesdays march to City Hall is expected to spill into the Board of Supervisors 2 p.m. meeting.

 Emily Green

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider, @emilytgreen
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BART riders arent the only transit passengers who will soon get to enjoy that new railcar smell for a while. By the end of the year, Muni expects the first of its $1.2 billion fleet of new Metro cars to start rolling into the city.

After testing, the light-rail cars, being assembled at a plant in Sacramento, will probably be pressed into service by summer 2017. The new cars are part of a plan to grow and modernize the Muni Metro fleet, which is overwhelmed by high ridership and the unreliability of the existing Breda railcars, purchased in 1996.

With a larger fleet, Muni will be able to run longer trains  three or four cars long  and introduce express trains that would skip certain stations. To make ridership more efficient, Muni also plans to turn some trains around before the end of its lines to increase the frequency of service to congested areas.

We will be entering into a new era in 2017 as far as providing service, said John Haley, the Municipal Transportation Agencys transit director. With more cars, we can start having some fun, trying some new things.

The MTA board has ordered 260 new railcars to replace the 151 cars it now runs on the six Metro lines that travel through the Market Street subway. The first pair of new cars is expected to arrive this fall. They will undergo about 600 tests, and drivers will be trained, before the vehicles are pressed into service.

In preparation, Muni is completing some infrastructure improvements that will allow the cars to run more smoothly. The agency is building a training simulator, creating training procedures and stocking up on parts to maintain the new cars.

Meanwhile, in Sacramento, workers at the Siemens plant are putting together the frame and exterior of the first new Metro car. Siemens is a German corporation. There are no U.S.-owned rail manufacturers, but Buy America rules require that the railcars be assembled in the United States.

By 2018, Muni will have 24 new cars in time for the scheduled opening in 2019 of the Central Subway. Another 40 will be ready to roll by 2020. Muni plans to hold onto its existing Metro cars until 64 of the new vehicles are on hand, then will begin retiring them. The new cars are intended to handle ridership growth through 2040.

We took a long view, Haley said. Were not just replacing the fleet we have; were looking toward the future.

The interior, including the seating configuration, is still being designed, but Muni riders can expect better air conditioning and ventilation systems, wider aisles, brighter lighting and doors that dont break down nearly as often.

It will be a quantum leap forward in terms of reliability, Haley said.

Malcolm Heinicke, an MTA director, said the changes, especially longer trains, will make a big difference for commuters stuck on overcrowded trains that are sometimes so packed they bypass stations because theres no room for more passengers.

This is exciting stuff, and stuff that can change how the system interacts with passengers on a daily basis, he said.

Muni Metro riders, waiting for a one-car train at Civic Center Station Tuesday evening, welcomed the thought of longer trains.

That sounds good. It should help, said Natalie Herry, 26, a student who lives in the Tenderloin.

Another change that will help Muni Metro is coming sooner.

On Monday, Muni started testing double stopping, a process that allows trains serving Civic Center, Powell and Montgomery stations to stop and let passengers get off the train before moving forward to pick up passengers. So far, the tests are working, said Ed Reiskin, MTAs transportation director, adding that Muni Metro is likely to continue double stops  at least for inbound trains in the morning commute.

Yevgeni Kedrun, a salesman who immigrated to San Francisco from Belarus eight months ago, likes Muni but said hes glad to see the agency experimenting with ways to improve service.

You always have to change, he said. Without trying something new, you never improve.
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Oaklands medical marijuana industry may be big and proud and pioneering, but much of it still operates in the shadows  with growers, manufacturers, delivery drivers and unsanctioned dispensaries operating outside the bounds of city oversight, inspections and taxation.

But the City Council is expected to change that Tuesday night, passing laws to regulate the multimillion-dollar pot business from seed to smoke. The expected vote follows a unique, months-long process in the East Bay city to both rein in and exploit a growing sector of the economy, one based on a controlled substance.

While Oakland was the first city in California to regulate a handful of dispensaries, just eight now operate as fully sanctioned businesses, subject to sales tax, public health and safety regulations, environmental and employment rules, and other city laws.

Obviously the cannabis and cannabis products dont magically appear there, said Greg Minor, assistant to the city administrator.

Opportunity for oversight

Thriving businesses grow the plants, while others make the pot products and sell the stuff in stores or make deliveries. But there has been little to no official oversight. Gov. Jerry Brown, though, signed a set of bills in October creating a regulatory structure for medical marijuana, one that allows cities to set policies related to all aspects of the industry.

The new laws in Oakland would increase the number of cannabis-related businesses permitted in the city from eight to nearly 100. Officials expect to permit eight new dispensaries, 30 cultivators, 12 delivery services, five distributors, five transporters, two testing entities and 28 manufacturers.

Oakland is among a growing number of cities seeking to sanction and control an industry frequently operating off the grid, creating a range of safety and environmental issues but not contributing a share of profits to local coffers.

Legitimizing medical cannabis isnt seen as radical anymore, and cities are starting to line up behind the state in supporting and regulating it.

This has taken off like gangbusters, said David McPherson of HdL Companies, which offers guidance on handling the explosion of medical marijuana to cities and counties. This is a land use and public safety concern; the money is just a second benefit of it.

Even so, there is a lot of money to be had. Permitting 30 growers could bring in about $9 million in annual revenue to Oakland, McPherson said. Doubling the number of dispensaries? Thats $3 million more or so in sales and business taxes, he said. Add in manufacturing, delivery and testing, and new revenue only goes up.

The proposed regulations seek to ensure that city services required to oversee the industry are covered by the new money. The ordinance would also limit the industry in some ways  with a 600-foot buffer required between dispensaries and schools or youth centers.

In addition, the proposed regulations would ensure many of the jobs within the industry go to Oakland residents, including those with a criminal past.

They would require dispensaries to maintain a staff made up of at least 50 percent Oakland residents, with one-quarter coming from areas of the city with high unemployment rates. The companies would, as well, be financially rewarded for employing formerly incarcerated residents.

Legalized drug dealers

The City Council will also consider whether to give priority to would-be dispensary owners who live in crime-plagued neighborhoods. The idea behind the employment rules, Minor said, is to offset the disparate impact of the war on drugs on poor communities and people of color.

Critics called such proposals ill-conceived.

That is just absolutely ridiculous, said Bishop Ron Allen of the International Faith Based Coalition in Rancho Cordova (Sacramento County), a drug-prevention group.

We do not need the city of Oakland to make drug dealers out of our youth and young adults, he said. These individuals working in these industries are legalized drug dealers.

For the most part, Oaklands existing medical pot community supports the effort to regulate and legitimize the industry.

Steve DeAngelo, executive director of Harborside Health Center, one of the largest dispensaries in the country, is thrilled with the regulations, saying they would create a welcoming environment for new businesses  and a renaissance for the city.

My vision is that we have companies, we have entrepreneurs, we have investors from all over the state and all over the world creating new businesses, bringing new money into the city, DeAngelo said. I think they will lock in Oaklands destiny as the leading commercial center for cannabis in the United States of America.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com

Where can you buy medicinal marijuana?

City Permitted dispensaries Dispensary to population ratio Oakland 8 1:51,722 San Francisco 28 1:30,445 Berkeley 4 1:29,713 San Jose 16 1:63,487 Sacramento 30 1:15,990 Los Angeles 100 1:39,289
A Sonoma County man and a Las Vegas man died in a plane crash in southern Nevada during a lesson on aerobatic stunts, officials said Monday.

Steve Anthony Peterson, 32, of Rohnert Park, and Benjamin Anderson Soyars III, 37, both died from blunt force trauma sustained in the Saturday afternoon plane crash, according to officials with the Clark County Coroners Office.

The men were flying in an an Extra 300 aircraft registered to Vegas Extreme Adventures LLC at the time of the crash, said Megan Fazio, a spokeswoman for the company.

The plane left Henderson Executive airport around 4 p.m. but never returned. Vegas Extreme Adventures contacted air traffic control when the plane didnt come back at the scheduled time, launching a search and rescue operation.

The crash site was discovered around 4:45 p.m. near Jean Dry Lakebed. It appears there were no reports of distress calls beforehand, Fazio said. One of the passengers was a student and the other was an instructor pilot, but it was not clear who was flying at the time of the accident.

On behalf of all Vegas Extreme Adventures employees and staff, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and have been affected by this unfortunate accident, the company said in a statement. Vegas Extreme Adventures is working closely and cooperating with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause of the accident.

The company has offered instructional aerobatic airplane rides to the public since 2011.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
Fremont tech firm Bitmicro Networks Inc. has agreed to pay about $161,268 in back wages to engineers from the Philippines after illegally paying them below the minimum wage.

The agreement, detailed in a document filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was the result of a federal Department of Labor investigation that found Bitmicro had been paying some workers $1.66 an hour. The legal federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. (Californias minimum wage is higher.)

The 18 affected workers came from Bitmicros subsidiary in the Philippines. They were brought to Fremont from July 21, 2012 to July 20, 2015 under B-1 visas, typically used to bring international workers for training or conferences.

But while those workers were in the United States, they were paid in Philippine pesos instead of dollars, and their pay was not adjusted to U.S. wages. Some workers did not receive overtime, even though they worked an average of 57 hours a week, the Department of Labor said. While the workers were in the United States, Bitmicro put them up in a hotel, said Michael Eastwood, an assistant district director at the Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division.

Bitmicro, which manufactures flash storage systems, also illegally shipped goods created by these workers while they were not earning minimum wage in the U.S., according to the Labor Department. The company did not respond to the Chronicles request for comment Tuesday.

Bitmicro claimed that the wage issue was an oversight, Eastwood said. But he added that the department has seen other cases like this, where international workers at tech firms arent being paid fairly.

We have reason to believe this is unfortunately widespread, with tech companies taking advantage of the system and vulnerability, with overseas workers not likely to complain about the situation, Eastwood said.

Some companies that have failed to pay workers adequately in recent years include Fremonts Electronics for Imaging and Bloom Energy Corp. in Sunnyvale. Both firms were ordered to pay back wages to the workers. Electronics for Imaging in 2013 paid some technicians from India as low as $1.21 an hour in rupees, while Bloom Energy was ordered to pay back wages to 14 Mexican workers who had earned $2.66 an hour in Mexican pesos.

In addition to back pay, Bitmicro will also pay penalties of $7,920.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee
State regulators on Tuesday fined health insurer Anthem Blue Cross $415,000 for failing to identify, process and resolve consumers complaints in a timely manner.

Officials from the state Department of Managed Health Care said Anthems failure to provide complete and timely information to the regulator during the investigation was also included in the fine.

The department identified 40 cases involving 83 violations where officials said Anthem deprived members of their grievance and appeal rights. The insurer has 90 days to outline the steps it plans to take to correct the violations.

Anthem Inc., which sells Blue Cross policies in California, is trying to buy Cigna Corp. in a $54 billion deal that would create the countrys largest health insurer.

Retail

Sports chain

to liquidate

Sports Authority will sell some or all of its assets rather than trying to reorganize under bankruptcy protection.

Initially, the sporting goods chain, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March, said it would close or sell about a third of its 463 stores but stay open as a streamlined company.

But in court filings last week, the companys lawyers said it would instead try to sell its assets.

The decline of the retailer is the latest evidence that people are looking online rather than the mall for sportswear.

Ride services

Uber, Alipay

work together

Uber and the payment service of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group are expanding a partnership to allow Chinese travelers to summon and pay for a car in any country where Uber operates.

The agreement announced Tuesday adds to expanding links between U.S. and Chinese companies in the growing global market for app-based transportation services.

Uber and Alibabas Ant Financial said Chinese travelers will be able to use either companys app to summon a car in 400 cities in 69 countries where Uber operates. They can pay for it in Chinese currency using the Alipay app.

Didi Kuaidi of China and Lyft have already linked their apps.

Autonomous cars

Fiat Chrysler,

Google team up

Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Googles self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans.

The companies said Tuesday that Chrysler engineers would work with Google on sensors and software to make the vans autonomous.

Google says it will own the gas-electric hybrid vans, and its not licensing autonomous car technology to Fiat Chrysler or anyone else.

Chronicle Staff

and News Services
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A former San Francisco police officer and a former lieutenant who worked at Taraval Station and were implicated in the departments latest racist texting scandal pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a pair of separate criminal cases.

Officer Jason Lai did not appear in San Francisco Superior Court, but his attorney entered pleas on his behalf to misdemeanor counts of misusing police databases. The accusation emerged after a woman came forward in August, alleging that Lai had raped her while they were on a date, but Lai was not charged with sexual assault.

It was the investigation into the rape allegations that brought former Lt. Curtis Liu to court on Tuesday, where he was arraigned on one felony count of making a false statement in a police report regarding the investigation and two misdemeanor counts of delaying or obstructing a peace officer. He stood quietly while his attorney entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.

According to court documents, a woman seeking medical treatment at San Francisco General Hospital said Lai had sex with her after they both drank a great deal of alcohol, and after she kept telling him no.

Liu learned of the allegations the same day the woman received medical treatment, and alerted Lai that a woman had named him as a suspect in a rape. Lius attorney, Tony Brass, said his client thought the emergence of the name Jason Lai was just a coincidence and had called the officer as a joke.

Suspect unknown

However, prosecutors said Liu went on to lie about contacting Lai and allowed a police report to be filed with the suspect listed as unknown, even though he knew Lai had been identified.

Though investigators could not find sufficient evidence to support the rape charge, they discovered evidence of the records violations during the investigation, police said. Lai was charged in March with two counts of unlawful possession of criminal history information and four counts of misuse of confidential Department of Motor Vehicles information.

It was during the investigation into both Lai and Liu that a new set of racist and homophobic text messages emerged. In texts sent from Lais phone, first released by Public Defender Jeff Adachi, Lai uses racial slurs in reference to African American and Latino people.

Theyre like a pack if (sic) wild animals on the loose, Lai texted in reference to black people in April 2015.

He is very ashamed

Lais attorney, Don Nobles, declined to comment after Tuesdays arraignment. But Brass, Lius attorney, said outside court that the public should not conflate the criminal case against his client with the bigoted text messages.

He is very ashamed of why he is here, but this is the type of misconduct that is sorted out in administrative hearings within the Police Department, Brass said.

Brass blamed the surfacing of the text messages for bringing the case to criminal court, though he said his client was a passive participant in the texting.

Transcripts released by police officials last week did not identify which officers made certain comments, and Brass said Liu only received offensive texts. He said the transcripts show Liu sent a message to another former officer, Keith Ybarreta, telling him to stop making bigoted comments.

Very serious issue

The texting is a serious issue  you cant have police officers talking, joking or thinking like that, Brass said. Its a very serious issue, but it brought a case that didnt have to be a criminal case into criminal court. This criminal case is not about racist texting.

Chief Greg Suhr suspended Lai, Liu, Ybarreta and a fourth unidentified officer in October for their alleged roles in the texting. Liu retired soon after, while Lai and Ybarreta resigned. The fourth officer is awaiting a disciplinary hearing before the Police Commission.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
NEW YORK  The megahit musical Hamilton has grabbed a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations, the biggest haul in Broadway history and another step in the shows march into theatrical history.

On Tuesday, May 3, Lin-Manuel Mirandas hip-hop-flavored biography about the first U.S. Treasury secretary broke the 15-nominations record, held by The Producers and Billy Elliot. Hamilton was nominated in virtually every category it could compete in, from acting to scenic design.

Next month, Hamilton will fight for Broadways biggest crown  best new musical  with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Julian Fellowes School of Rock, Bright Star, Shuffle Along and Waitress.

Its a funny season, this one, isnt it? said Lloyd Webber from London. As you know, its the Hamil-Tonys. Weve gotten everything we could have hoped for, and thats all well get.

The best play category is composed of Eclipsed, The Father, The Humans and King Charles III.

After Hamilton, the most other nominations went to the new musical Shuffle Along, a show that explores a groundbreaking 95-year-old musical starring, written and directed by African Americans, which got 10 nominations, and the revival of She Loves Me, which earned eight.

Audra McDonald, who was eligible as a lead actress for Shuffle Along, was not nominated and will not be able to win her seventh Tony.

Hamilton earned seven acting nominations  Miranda, the Bay Areas Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson and Renee Elise Goldsberry. It also earned nominations for scenic design, costumes, lighting design, direction, choreography, orchestrations, best book and best original score.

It has already won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, a Grammy, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History and a MacArthur Fellowship.

The awards will be handed out June 12, with James Corden playing host from the Beacon Theatre. The show will be tape-delayed on the West Coast on CBS.
My daughter recently informed me that she'd like to travel for a year before going to college. I was a little taken aback.

When I started talking about college in high school, my parents made me a very clear offer: Go to college after high school and we'll pay for four years, no more, and when you graduate, you must get a job and fully support yourself.

This seemed like such an incredibly generous offer that I never thought to push my luck and postpone my studies to explore the world and find myself. Asking them to fork over extra cash for backpacking around Europe or building latrines in Africa would have been absolutely terrifying.

And so my immediate response to my daughter was, "And who's paying for this?"

My daughter shot me one of those indignant teenage looks that reeks of confidence, disgust and clearly says, "Well, I can do anything I want! You're not stopping me!"

And then news broke yesterday that Malia Obama, the president's older daughter, will be taking a gap year before attending Harvard. Suddenly, my know-it-all 13-year-old and her grand idea had some clout.

That gorgeous and studious Obama girl who is breezing through her teenage years in the White House spotlight with admirable grace and strength is going to take a break from the classroom to do something meaninful before attending what many consider the best university in the country.

I'll admit, Malia's decision and her parents' endorsement led me to think more deeply about my conversation with my own daughter a few weeks ago. It also spurred me to do research on the gap year, which is loosely defined as a one-year hiatus from the structure of a classroom between high school and college to expand your horizons.

Abby Falik, the founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year, an Oakland-based nonprofit that gives students the opportunity to live and volunteer in a developing country, describes it with more beautiful language. "A breath between two stages of life where everything is possible," she said.

Falik said less than 1 percent of American students take a gap year, while in Scandinavia and some other European countries that number is as high as 50 percent, and she thinks 99 percent of American children are missing out on something special.

"We're starting to recognize that we're missing something transitionally by blowing by this period when kids need a moment to breathe, a transition, time to explore and understand themselves.

"The short of it is that our education system is increasingly moving our kids along a conveyor belt without giving kids opportunities to explore and test their curiosity. We're seeing a third of college freshman don't come back for a second year. Many are overwhelmed by anxiety, depression.

"We can't afford to not break up this treadmill-like process in a way that allows students to get off the track, to figure out who they are, figure out who they want to become, to see more clearly that there is a bigger world, that they have agency to figure out how to use their education to further their potential and then get to college not burned out and with questions they're looking to answer."

All of this sounded pretty convincing, and here's more evidence that I found in support of the gap year:

The majority of today's students start college uncertain of their career path and this helps explain why 68 percent of students do not graduate in four years, and 44 percent fail to graduate in six years (Bookings Institute).

Students who take a gap year return to school more focused on their academic goals and ultimately, are more satisfied in their careers (Karl Haigler & Rae Nelson, The Gap Year Advantage, independent study of 280 Gap Year students between 1997  2006).

As a result of this focus, students who take a gap year are more likely to graduate in four years or even less, Falik said.

Ninety-seven percent of college presidents will say their students are ready for the work force while only 11 percent of companies hiring these students agree. Falik believes students who take a gap year are better prepared when they graduate because they have a clear idea of what they want in life.

I was beginning to be convinced, but how do you ever pay for it? My husband and I have both chosen career paths that are more about doing meaningful work than making money and we're raising three children and would like to at least help pay for them all to go to college. (With the crazy expense of college these days, I'm uncertain whether I'll be able to make my children the same offer my parents made me.)

In an NPR Marketplace segment yesterday, it was noted that the average gap year program started at $19,000 for eight months. The tuition for Global Citizen Year is about $32,000 though Falik said 80 percent of her fellows receive some financial aid and one-third are fully funded.

Of course, your child doesn't have to enroll with an organized program with tuition. Personal finance expert and reporter Erica Sandberg suggests students work for a year.

"Obviously Malia is in a privileged position, since she can use the time off to gain new experiences and relax," Sandberg said. "I can't imagine she'll be hurting for cash, as a good portion of the general population will.

"However, less advantaged high school graduates can enjoy many of the same gap year benefits. Live with parents or a large group of friends to minimize costs, then dive in, get some jobs, and work hard. Spend almost nothing and save like mad. Use some cash for fun and the rest for upcoming tuition."

She added: "Twelve dollars net per hour (here in San Francisco my friend was just quoted  and paid  $25 per hour for housekeeping), working full time equals nearly $2,000 a month. If you can set aside $1,000 per month for a year, thats a clean $12,000 to distribute as you wish."

"I shake my head when people say it's not possible. It absolutely can be done. Any young, healthy, unencumbered teenager who is motivated can do it. It's an opportunity to understand your strengths and learn to be humble."

And so after all this, my attitude toward my daughter's desire for a gap year has changed slightly, and here's my new response: "Great idea. In fact, I think you should do it. But you'll need to pay for it and I'm here to help you figure that out."
Felicia Lowe/Lowedown Productions

Bay Area filmmaker Felicia Lowe grew up in Oaklands Chinatown, but her journey to understand her mother would extend far beyond the walls of their home and to the far reaches of the globe.

Chinese Couplets is not only that poignant story, but also that of Lowes grandmother and her daughter, and how four generations of women were shaped in part by the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese from immigrating to the United States for more than 60 years.
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Captain America: Civil War: Whose side will you take? Chris Evans reprises the title character and goes up against Robert Downey Jr.s Ironman in the latest Marvel installment.

Dragon Inn: This is a restoration of a 1967 film from Taiwan set during the Ming Dynasty.
BOSTON  After months of testing, many of the nations big-city police forces are planning to expand their use of body cameras by the summer, but the number of officers with such gear will still be relatively small, an Associated Press review found.

The 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and other deaths at the hands of police around the U.S. have led to demands that officers be issued wearable cameras to deter misconduct and document shootings and other clashes. But because of cost concerns, union resistance and other factors, the rollout has been slower than some cities envisioned.

An AP look at the nations 20 largest local departments found that Chicago has begun issuing the devices to over 2,000 officers, or less than 17 percent of its roughly 12,000-member force, though it says it will eventually offer them across the department. Philadelphia has begun equipping about 5 percent of its force and Houston nearly 6 percent.

New York, the nations largest city police force, says it plans to purchase 1,000 cameras by the summer, or enough to outfit less than 3 percent of its 34,000-plus officers. But the department said Tuesday there is no date for when those will be put to use, and no plan as yet to equip more officers.

For some cities, the expansion comes in anticipation of the summer, when crime typically rises. For others, the availability of federal money to help pay for the technology is a driving factor.

Some suggest that in many cities, the number of devices in use is far smaller than what politicians and law enforcement leaders had been promising over the past year and a half.

I would suspect were woefully short, said James Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police. They make these lofty pronouncements and then they dont put their money where their mouth is.

Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, said cities are moving fairly swiftly, considering the complex questions at stake.

I am not necessarily troubled by the pace, he said. This is a major technological investment. It is reasonable for police to go slow.

In Los Angeles, the City Council balked at an ambitious plan to outfit about 7,000 officers with body cameras by the end of this year, amid concerns over its projected $58 million cost over five years. The department, which rolled out 860 cameras last year, now hopes to meet its goal by the fall of 2017, at the earliest.

San Franciscos police force, which has no cameras in use, says it will deploy 800 by July, covering about 37 percent of its over 2,100 members. The department expects to have 1,800 officers equipped by the end of the year.
It's not the leave you take, but what you take when you leave that matters most.

More and more, companies are offering sweetened leave policies. Put aside parental leave, which has its own set of rules and has evolved already from corporate perk to de rigeur offering. Also, let's not think of programs like a "paw-ternity" leave, where you get time off for getting a new pet.

Think instead of the recent trend of companies encouraging employees to do someting to recharge their batteries. Most executives encourage the occassional mental-health day, but more corporations are offering a full-blown sabbatical. Genentech, for instance, gives you a six-week sabbatical after six years of service, while Adobe gives you a month after 10 years.

The idea behind a sabbatical or paid leave of absence is that, once loosed of the shackles of worklife, you will return a happier, more creative and more productive worker when you return to your cubicle.

But is that true? There has been very little academic research about productivity effectiveness in relation to sabbaticals in the corporate world. Academia, which made sabbaticals mainstream, has pumped out a ton of research on why they're the best thing ever, but one wonders about confirmation bias. Professors who get to take a year off every few years think taking a year off every few years is a wonderful idea.

Instead, most of the positive benefits for companies are more anecdotal. That's not surprising, because improving the productivity and creative juices of the affected employees isn't the only endpoint. Just offering a program like this is seen as the kind of employee benefit every company needs nowadays to attract and retain the best talent. There's little downside for a startup to offer it, particularly since most won't survive long enough to make good on the promise. But small business and large corporations are competing in the same talent pool, and flexibility in the way you allow people to work is a key benefit.

If I had to take this as a bet to Gulfstream Park, I'd wager that most companies will be increasing sabbatical programs in the coming year, or at least get more generous with smaller-scale leaves. (Millennials and Gen-Xers alike expect them, apparently.) But, my hope is that there's more thoughtfulness about these leaves so that companies can get a more measurable benefit from letting employees wander off from time to time.

Related: How You Can Recharge Your Entrepreneurial Batteries With a Working Sabbatical

To that end, there should be two "takes" for every leave:

Employees have to take an action plan with their leave.

Constraints are great for creativity, but one of the big question marks with most sabbaticals and leaves is the open-ended nature of them. Like a boomerang, many companies send folks on their way, with the only expectation being they return at the end of the trip. Why not set a higher bar by setting expectations for what you expect from the employee when she returns?

It doesn't have to be homework. In fact, it shouldn't be. But companies should take advantage of the temporary separation by having the creative juices the break is supposed to elicit start paying off right away. For instance, if a company has a pain point, why not task an employee to spend some time thinking through the solution? A month with new scenery, fewer work-related distractions and a decreased stress level could spark the kind of innovation to get around a particularly problem faster and more effectively than a bunch of folks brainstorming in a conference room.

Related: How to Turn an Underperformer Into an Ideal Employee

Employers have to take an opportunity to test the rest of the team.

When Intel launched its own sabbatical program, believed to be the first of its kind in corporate America, back in 1981, it did so not just for employee rejuvenation, but also for employee evaluation. Because other people will have to take up the work of the employee on leave, it's a great opportunity to see how other employees respond.

That evaluation can happen in two ways. First, you can check attitude. Are people resentful that a colleague is off for that long, even if he was entitled to the time? Are people complaining about additional workload that's not normally in their scope? Those are pretty good red flags for employee assessment.

But you can also expose team members to new challenges and see how they respond. If someone in sales takes a month off, it might be worth taking a promising person from the back office, who never had a client-facing position, and seeing how she responds.

Related: How to Vacation Like a Boss

Or, you can use it in your internal succession planning. Rarely do you get an opportunity to see how deep your bench really is, but the sabbatical of an executive gives a great laboratory to see how certain people respond when they rise up the ladder.

One way or another, there has to be an intention inherent in the employee taking the time off and an intention in the employer allowing it to happen, beyond anecdotal evidence that the leave period will somehow help the company. Whatever you do, just don't leave a leave alone.

Related:

Leave Policies Are Leaving Out Some Key Opportunities

Richard Branson Now Offers Employees a Full Year of Parental Leave

These Are the Countries -- and Companies -- With the Best Paternity Leave Policies

Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com
Hundreds of protesters have gathered in front of San Francisco City Hall this afternoon in support of hunger strikers who are calling for Mayor Ed Lee to fire the city's police chief.



Five people dubbed the #Frisco5 have refrained from eating for 13 days in protest of recent police killings in San Francisco and are calling for the mayor to fire police Chief Greg Suhr.



Hundreds of their supporters marched from the Mission Police Station to City Hall this afternoon, pushing the five hunger strikers in wheelchairs, and then gathered in Civic Center Plaza at about 2:30 p.m. while chanting "Fire Chief Suhr!"



The protesters hoped to meet with the mayor following recent fatal shootings by police officers in San Francisco, including of Mario Woods by several officers in the Bayview District in December. Bystanders captured that shooting on video and it circulated widely on social media.



"Technology is taking over and we're tired of seeing it on video," said Felia Sala, a Vallejo resident attending today's protest.



Jose Hernandez, a Daly City resident also at the protest, questioned why police didn't use crisis negotiators in cases like Woods' before opening fire and said the shootings are an example of injustice in the city.



"San Francisco is the most beautiful city aesthetically, but not in a social or economic way," Hernandez said.



The march from the Mission District to City Hall blocked traffic on many major thoroughfares in the city this afternoon, including Mission Street, Market Street and Van Ness Avenue.



Police accompanied the protesters as they marched and were monitoring the rally in Civic Center Plaza this afternoon.




















Cable news pundits often warn that Republicans have to respect the righteous anger of Donald Trump supporters. They forget the other angry Republican voters  the many folks I saw at Californias Republican convention in Burlingame over the weekend who have been loyal GOP votes. Theyve gone to the lunches and supported candidates for down-ticket races. They care about conservative values; they know how it is important to win general elections. And theyre furious that their party is being hijacked by a rump of unreliable voters who think that just because they showed up at a rally, they are entitled to special treatment.

It kills me. This could have been the year when Republicans took back the White House. Instead, it may be the year GOP primary voters handed the election to Hillary Clinton, a dishonest, self-serving political animal and the second least-liked person in the race.

Trump fans think that because Trump trounced the competition in most GOP primaries, he can win in November. They dont care if Gallup reports 70 percent of women dont like Trump. His net favorable/unfavorable rating among women is minus-47 percent. They know women who like Trump. They point to Hillary Clintons minus-3 percent net negative rating among women. Thats the statistic they trust.

On June 7, California will offer the last stand to stop Trump from winning the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nod. Since Californias system awards all but 13 of its 172 delegates to each winner in the states 53 congressional districts, the Stop Trump movement is telling state Republicans to vote for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz or Ohio Gov. John Kasich  whichever candidate looks more likely to win ones particular district. (How can you tell? Watch for which GOP rival generates the most campaign mail.)

On Friday night, Kasich gave the standout speech at the convention. Its too bad he wasnt addressing a full house, as I saw a candidate who understands economic insecurity and the fear that haunts working-class families with no political connections or clout. I saw the Republican who fares best against the Democratic nominee.

Former Gov. Pete Wilson endorsed Cruz Saturday. Wilson doesnt trust Trump with Supreme Court nominations, but he believes Cruz would pick solid conservative justices and be a strong commander in chief. Wilson told me, If he can actually win the nomination, I think Cruz can win it.

GOP pros have been watching Trump stomp all over the slim chances of a party on life support. In the first three months of 2016, California registered 850,000 new voters  twice as many voters as registered in the same period in 2012. Yes, GOP registration is up. But political data guru Paul Mitchell wrote in Capitol Weekly that the state has seen a doubling of registration growth among Latinos, and a more than 150 percent increase for some young voters, and a near-tripling for Democrats. Thats why many GOP political pros will not vote for Trump in June  or November.

Others argue that Trump is inevitable. And if he could confound naysayers by garnering the most GOP votes, perhaps he also could beat the odds in November. OK, there is a possibility that Trump could win and perhaps even could be a good president. But is it likely?

Debra J. Saunders is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DebraJSaunders
Brenger Zyla

The creatures that frolic in an imaginative childs brain come to life in Robert Dekkers whimsical The Carnival of the Imagination, which Diablo Ballet premieres on its Celebrated Masters program this weekend at the Del Valle Theatre in Walnut Creek.

Choreographed to Camille Saint-Saens delightful The Carnival of the Animals, Dekkers creation is replete with dragons, unicorns, pixies and panda bears for a glimpse back into a time when childish fantasies felt real.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  A new report released on Tuesday by an anticorruption watchdog shows that on average, almost a third of the people in nine countries surveyed in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service.

The poll by Transparency International also found that courts have the worst bribery rate out of six services that were surveyed.

The watchdog interviewed nearly 11,000 people  or about 1,200 people in each of the nine countries  and found that bribery was especially rampant in Yemen.

In the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, 77 percent of respondents said they had to pay a bribe to access public services. The interviews in Yemen were carried out before the start of March 2015 Saudi-led air strikes targeting Yemens Shiite rebels, after which the countrys crisis descended into war.

Around 50 percent of people surveyed in Egypt, Sudan and Morocco said they paid bribes for public services.

Transparency International also surveyed people in Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. The poll was carried out in direct interviews at various times in 2014 and 2015, and gave a 3 percent margin of error.

Public anger over corruption among government officials, social inequality and the lack of justice and transparency were catalysts of the 2011 Arab Spring movements that ousted longtime leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya.

Transparency Internationals chief Jose Ugaz said that failing to stop bribery also affects peoples human rights.

Its as if the Arab Spring never happened, he said. .

The poll results show that on average, almost one in three people surveyed paid bribes in dealings with courts, while one in four paid bribes to police  and around half or more of those who paid bribes to the courts and police had to pay multiple times.

About one in five people surveyed said they had to pay a bribe for public medical services. In Morocco, that figure was 38 percent.

Around 30 percent of people polled in Lebanon said they paid a bribe for public services, while a staggering 92 percent said they thought corruption had increased.
STUTTGART, Germany  The combat death Tuesday of a U.S. Navy SEAL who was advising Kurdish forces in Iraq coincides with a gradually deepening American role in fighting a resilient Islamic State, even as the Iraqis struggle to muster the military and political strength to defeat the militants.

The SEAL was identified as Charlie Keating IV of Phoenix, according to Arizona Gov. Doug Duceys state Web page. Keating was identified by the San Diego Union Tribune as the grandson of the late Arizona financier Charles H. Keating Jr., who was involved in a savings and loan scandal that cost the government billions and tarnished the reputation of conservative lawmakers, including Arizonas John McCain.

Keating is the third American serviceman to die in combat in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition opened its campaign against the Islamic State in the summer of 2014. Seven months ago, a special operations soldier, 39-year-old Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler, was killed during a Kurdish-led raid on an Islamic State prison in northern Iraq.

In March, a Marine artilleryman, Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin, 27, was killed when the militants launched a rocket attack on a newly established U.S. fire base outside Mosul.

Over the course of the campaign, the Pentagon has slowly expanded the American military role. The strategy, criticized by some as incremental and inadequate, is designed to ensure that the Iraqis do the ground combat, supported by U.S. air power, special operations advisers and others.

As the Iraqis have gained competence and confidence and prepared an assault in hopes of retaking Mosul, the Pentagon has announced plans to put more U.S. troops in Iraq and place them closer to the front lines.

In Defense Secretary Ash Carters view, that means a greater chance for success. It also means more risk to U.S. troops, as he acknowledged Tuesday in announcing the latest death.

It shows you its a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq, Carter said.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Obama had been briefed on the incident and extended condolences to the family of the service member killed in northern Iraq. Earnest said the incident was a vivid reminder of the dangers facing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.

They are taking grave risks to protect our country. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude, Earnest said.

Tuesdays U.S. death coincides with diverging trends in Iraq. On one hand, Iraqi forces trained and advised by Americans have scored significant battlefield gains in recent months, including the recapture of Ramadi and other advances against Islamic State-held towns in Anbar province. On the other hand, political conflict in Baghdad fed by sectarian rivalry is threatening to derail the entire effort.

Carter said on Monday that as the Iraqis gain battlefield momentum the Pentagon will pursue additional ways to support them. Recently that has meant adding more U.S. advisers.
1 Refugee crisis: Germany and some other European Union countries are planning to ask the EU Commission for an extension of border controls within the Schengen passport-free travel zone for another six months because they fear a new wave of migrants. Interior Minister Thomas de Maizere has expressed concern that an increasing number of migrants will try to reach Europe this summer by crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy, then travel north to Austria and Germany. Germany registered nearly 1.1 million new arrivals last year and is trying to bring the numbers down in 2016.

2 Drug trafficker: Colombian police say they have captured an alleged drug lord described as Perus most-wanted criminal. Gerson Galvez, 34, alias Caracol, was arrested Saturday at a Medellin shopping center and expelled to Peru less than 24 hours later, authorities said. Peruvian officials said Galvez was first spotted in March in Ecuador and his movements had been tracked since then in Panama and Colombia. Dubbed by Peruvian media as the new El Chapo, in reference to Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, Galvez is wanted in connection with 101 slayings in Peru.
BEIRUT  A maternity hospital in a government-held section of Aleppo was struck by rocket fire Tuesday as battles killed 20 people and dragged the contested city in northern Syria deeper into chaos for a 12th straight day.

The new bloodshed came as the diplomatic focus moved to Moscow, where the U.N. envoy for Syria raced to restore a partial cease-fire in the civil war that would include Aleppo.

The envoy, Staffan de Mistura, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, one day after meeting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva.

We need to make sure the cessation of hostilities is brought back on track, de Mistura said.

Aleppo has been at the center of the conflict for the past two weeks, shattering a limited cease-fire that began in late February. Tuesdays attack on the Dubeet hospital in the government-held central Muhafaza neighborhood that killed four people echoed an air strike on a hospital on the rebel-held side of the city that killed about 50 civilians nearly a week ago.

About 280 civilians have died in the city in the last 12 days, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group of local activists.

Rebel shelling of the government side of the city killed 20 people and injured 100, according to Mohammad Hazzouri, the head of the citys Health Directorate. The Observatory said 19 had died.

The shelling sent panicked residents fleeing from the streets. Many shuttered their businesses and hurried either to pick up children from schools or return home.

A priest at the Arab Evangelical Church offered a bitter appraisal of the reality.

Aleppo is being slaughtered from vein to vein, the Rev. Ibrahim Nseir said by telephone from the government-held part of Aleppo. To all those who consider themselves in favor of human rights, I say that there are no more rights, and no more humans.

Activists reported government bombardment killed two civilians and wounded several others on the rebel side.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi warned rebels they would face harsh retaliation for shelling civilian areas, saying the governments patience is running out, and if they dont stop targeting civilians in the coming hours ... they will pay a high price.

Direct clashes between government and rebel forces on Aleppos outskirts accompanied the shelling inside, foreshadowing a full-scale conflict unless a cease-fire is negotiated.

An opposition media activist outside Aleppo said rebels were waging a counteroffensive against pro-government forces on the western side of the city.

Also in northern Syria, warplanes carried out intense air strikes on the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the extremist Islamic State group, early Tuesday.
Fair Pay Lawsuits

Gov. Susana Martinez administration officials still think they're

which requires women to be paid the same as men. The New Mexican's Andrew Oxford has the details on their arguments and the latest on two corrections department employees who are suing for equal compensation.

Bishops Criticize Anti-Child-Abuse Ad Campaign

The Associated Press reports, New Mexico Catholic leaders are

about a new 'Pull Together' state campaign aimed at tackling child abuse.

Jury Service Improvements Planned

New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Daniels says state courts are implementing a new statewide computer system to

for New Mexicans.

The best part of the new system:

Plan to Boost Voter Turnout Proposed

Common Cause New Mexico wants to

. Viki Harrision, the groups executive director, is advocating for open primaries and same-day registration. If those proposals are adopted, Harrison contends, voter turnout should increase.

Preventing Addiction

Hundreds of doctors are headed to Santa Fe this weekend to learn more about alternative pain therapies,

and tools to help prevent prescription opioid abuse, such as the states Prescription Monitoring Program.

Open Government Victory

Public officials

, according to a New Mexico judge who determined the City of Alamogordo violated the law when it declined to provide access to then-Mayor Susie Galeas Facebook posts.

Small Artificial Lung Invented in New Mexico

New Mexico scientists have created a small artificial lung to test what people are breathing in,

Primary Day Coverage

It seems like the presidential campaign has been going on forever already. Now, both partys leading candidates could move another step closer to locking up their nomination with wins in Indiana.

Santa Fe Reporter
Tegel Group Holdings, the poultry group taken public by private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners, rose 9 percent in its NZX debut as investors welcomed a business with market dominance and potential to lift earnings at home and in export markets.

The shares first traded at $1.69, from its initial public offering price of $1.55, and were recently at $1.67, valuing the company at $594 million. That ranks it ahead of Heartland New Zealand in terms of value, although vendor Affinity's remaining 45 percent holding would be deemed a strategic holding and excluded from the free-float calculation for inclusion in the S&P/NZX 50 Index.

New Zealand's biggest poultry business is being taken public by its second private equity owner, Affinity Equity Partners, which acquired Tegel in a leveraged buyout from Pacific Equity Partners and ANZ Capital in early 2011. PEP had, in turn, bought Tegel from HJ Heinz in 2005. Tegel's disclosure documents forecast 23 percent growth in pretax earnings this year and 12 percent in 2017 while its projections show export sales rising to 25 percent of total revenue over the next five years, from 18 percent this year.

"It's a great initial debut - the market has recognised Tegel's cash-flow growth potential," said Shane Solly, a portfolio manager at Harbour Asset Management, which owns Tegel stock. "The market has good appetite for well-structured and well-priced stocks."

Affinity has reduced its stake from 87 percent through the offer, with at least half to be held in escrow until the company's 2017 results. It could sell up to 50 percent of its holding after the first-half results, provided Tegel's shares spend 10 consecutive trading days at least 20 percent higher than the offer price.

Affinity "wanted this to list and list well," Tegel chairman James Ogden told BusinessDesk. "They left some money on the table," he said in reference to the sale.

Investors have said export growth is a key to its performance and its ability to develop and expand offshore markets would be watched closely by the market. It will target the Philippines, the Middle East, Japan, Singapore, Korea and Taiwan, adding to existing markets in Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Pacific Island states and Hong Kong, according to its IPO document.

Ogden says Tegel has been well received in Australia, its biggest export market, especially in bidding for contracts in the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector. It already counts McDonald's, Subway, KFC, Burger Fuel and Hell Pizza as New Zealand customers.

The IPO managers Deutsche Craigs, Goldman Sachs and First NZ Capital had to drum up appetite for Tegel shares in a stock market that Bloomberg News reported this month was Asia's most expensive. Added to that was the negative factor of Tegel's private equity ownership in a market where the Dick Smith retail chain has suffered a very public demise after being taken public by Anchorage Capital Partners in 2013.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Dairy product prices slipped as a gain in whole milk powder prices, reflecting lower local supplies at the auction, was offset by a decline in other products including skim milk powder amid an unabated international glut.

The GDT price index fell 1.4 percent to US$2,203, down from US$2,263 at the previous auction two weeks ago. Some 20,615 tonnes of product was sold, down from 21,206 tonnes at the previous auction two weeks ago.

Whole milk powder rose 0.7 percent to US$2,176 a tonne.

The lift in whole milk powder prices on GDT was supported by the lower volumes on offer as we near the end of New Zealands milk production season, AgriHQ dairy analyst Susan Kilsby said in a note.

The weakness in the other dairy commodities is not surprising given these commodities are influenced to a much greater degree by supply from the Northern Hemisphere, Kilsby said. Milk production in both Europe and the United States remains very strong.

There was just 7,500 tonnes of whole milk powder available at the GDT event, compared with 20,700 tonnes a year ago, according to Kilsby.

The AgriHQ 2015-16 Farmgate Milk Price rose a couple of cents to $4.11 per kilogram milk solids.

A lift in the price of futures contracts trading on the NZX Dairy Derivatives market provided some support to this price, Kilsby said.

The AgriHQ 2016-17 Farmgate Milk Price advanced to $4.76/kgMS. This price assumes whole milk powder prices will continue to rise in the coming months and reach US$2,500 by the end of the calendar year, Kilsby said.

In the GDT auction, butter milk powder dropped 5.5 percent to US$1,366 a tonne, while butter declined 5.5 percent to US$2,601 a tonne.

Skim milk powder fell 3.6 percent to US$1,676 a tonne, while lactose decreased 2.7 percent to US$693 a tonne, and anhydrous milk fat slipped 1.6 percent to US$3,195 a tonne.

Meanwhile, cheddar rose 1.8 percent to US$2,727 a tonne, while rennet casein rose 3.5 percent to US$5,024 a tonne.

The New Zealand dollar last traded at 69.25 US cents at about 12.55pm in New York, compared with 70.20 US cents at 5pm in Wellington the previous day.

There were 118 winning bidders out of 147 participating bidders at the 12-round auction. The number of qualified bidders rose to 620, from 617 at the previous auction.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Australian media reports suggesting New Zealand's third-placed mobile operator, Two Degrees, will seek to raise between $100 million and $150 million in a float on the ASX in the next few months have the implicit support of the company.

While no decisions have been made, a 2degrees spokesman said in response to questions about the report in The Australian newspaper that "the background for us is it's a growth business and our board is always looking at ways to accelerate the business with new capital."

"We have the funding we need, but there are things we're thinking about that would take us to another level," said Mat Bolland, the Auckland-based operator's director of corporate affairs, who referenced 2degrees' purchase last March of the Christchurch internet service provider, Snap, to allow it to offer broadband and fixed-line telephony over the internet. No purchase price was disclosed for that transaction.

"We can't detail those (initiatives) or how we might fund them, whether by IPO or something else," said Bolland.

The company is expected to release its annual earnings result for calendar 2015 around the end of this month. Its annual losses have been narrowing in line with its plan. It posted a 2014 loss of $33.6 million, from a $35.9 million loss in 2013, as revenue grew 29 percent to just under $400 million.

The Australian reported that banks pitched for a lead manager role three weeks ago, with Deutsche Craigs, UBS, Macquarie Capital and First NZ Capital in the mix. The current shareholders of 2degrees are US-based venture capital firm Trilogy International Partners with 58 percent, 27.1 percent in the hands of London-based Venture Communication Partners, 10.2 percent with New Zealand Maori investor Te Huarihi Tika Trust, and the remainder with KLR Hong Kong.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Former NZX chief executive Mark Weldon regarded the Clear Grain Exchange as an 'Agri-Bloomberg' and was uninterested in previous owner Ralec's view of its prospects, Ralec's counsel told the Wellington High Court in opening submissions.

Facing claims from NZX counsel that Ralec had produced "wildly inaccurate" forecasts of future performance, Ralec's QC, Tim North, said the Australian grain exchange's former owners had not made false representations to NZX's board, which acquired the business in 2009.

Rather, Weldon had valued the potential of the grain exchange, which he described as an 'Agri-Bloomberg', at $750 million to $1 billion, a figure derived from 1 percent of financial software and data provider Bloomberg's value.

That perception was the driver for the acquisition, North said. Weldon, who now heads the embattled MediaWorks business, has already been in the news this week amid speculation, quashed by his chairman, that his job there is in jeopardy after an outflow of high-profile staff and a series of public relations disasters.

Records of the financial status of the Ralec assets were provided before acquisition showing Clear Interactive had made a loss of $4.2 million in 2009 while Clear Commodities had made a profit of $88,000, North said.

"NZX, in particular the management team, knew this business could not continue without the benefit of additional financing and resourcing," North said.

Weldon had been eager to acquire the platform, North said, and the board hadn't considered projections made by Clear in its decision-making.

"Weldon was 100 percent committed in relation to the acquisition on June 2, 2009, before any representations to the board," North said. "There was a difference between what the board was informed about and what Weldon and his team knew. The representations were never things the board relied upon because they weren't told about them," the court heard.

Weldon is due to give evidence in the third week of the trial.

Ralec is facing stock market operator NZX in what's expected to be a nine-week trial over NZX's purchase of Clear Grain Exchange in October 2009. NZX is suing for between A$20.7 million and A$37.6 million, and Ralec has countered with a suit totalling A$14 million plus bonuses.

NZX claims Clears former owners, Grant Thomas and Dominic Pym, and their companies Ralec Commodities and Ralec Interactive misled NZX when it bought the commodities trading platform with what it says were wildly inaccurate forecasts. Ralec subsequently filed a counterclaim against NZX, later adding the market operator's former chief executive Mark Weldon to the list of defendants. It claims NZX, which bought the platform for A$7 million with the potential for further earnouts, failed to fund the exchange sufficiently. The case pre-dates much of NZX's existing management, having first hit the courts in 2011.

The grain exchange was set up to take advantage of the break-up of the Australian Wheat Board monopoly and was looking to capture a slice of the A$100 million to A$150 million growers spent annually on commissions to sell their products.

NZX wanted to use the exchange to expand its agricultural products offering and use it as the basis for an agri-portal for spot market and commodity data, though that hasn't eventuated due to Clear's muted trading volumes.

Both sides have requested the proceedings be live streamed to clients and lawyers who aren't in the courtroom, which Justice Robert Dobson is considering.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Hirepool Group, the equipment rental firm majority owned by Tenby Powell and Sharon Hunter, may be headed for a trade sale after plans for an initial public offering two years ago failed to get enough support, according to report by the Australian newspaper.

Australian private equity firm Next Capital in June 2014 abandoned plans to sell shares in Hirepool as part of a $262 million initial public offering after concern from institutional investors that on market support for shares of the unprofitable equipment rental company wouldn't be strong enough. It also shelved plans for a listing of its Australian-based On Site Rental Group.

However the firm is understood to be "dusting off" its plans to sell the equipment hire businesses, with speculation Hirepool could be subject to a trade sale, the newspaper reported, without detailing its sources.

At the time of the planned IPO, Hirepool was projecting profits from 2015, after years of losses, having squeezed out costs since buying major rival Hirequip out of receivership the previous year and using its initial public offering to pay down debt, according to its prospectus. It had forecast a net profit of $25 million for the year to June 30, 2015, from a pro forma loss of $17.8 million in 2014, according to the companys prospectus at the time.

Following the merger, Hirepool became the nations only generalist hire equipment company, although it has only about 19.6 percent of the market based on its previous application to the Commerce Commission to buy Hirequip. Those figures included an estimate that the building hire industry generated $780 million of equipment hire revenue in 2013, while Hirequips revenue was $153 million.

Auckland-based Hirepool Group is 61 percent owned by Hunter Powell Investments, with 6 percent held by Next Capital, 1.9 percent by Australian investor Perpetual and 0.2 percent owned by Macquarie Investment Management, according to Companies Office records.

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My Food Bag Holdings, New Zealand's biggest home delivery meal kit service, is seeking new investment to expand its business.

The Auckland-based company said it's seeking expressions of interest from equity investors and has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers to manage approaches.

My Food Bag was founded in 2013 by Cecilia Robinson, who is the company's chief executive alongside her husband James Robinson, and is fronted by celebrity chef Nadia Lim and backed by former Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung and Saatchi & Saatchi chairman Kevin Roberts. The company, which is benefiting from demand for food convenience and healthy living, plans to launch new products over the next two years to extend the size and reach of the business, according to a flyer for investors released today.

"We are open to a range of equity options and possible outcomes. We are really open minded. We just want to accelerate our growth at this stage," Cecilia Robinson told BusinessDesk. "The business has a got a lot of things on its agenda in the next period and for us. We think we can be one of the largest players in the market in New Zealand for retail, for food retail in particular, so that's really what we are looking to shape."

Expansion into non-food products is also flagged as a possibility.

My Food Bag estimates it is New Zealand's third-largest food retailer behind the country's two dominant supermarket chains, Foodstuffs and Countdown. It expects its revenue to rise to more than $135 million in the year ending March 31, 2017, and accelerate to more than $200 million in 2018 as it benefits from a new product which will expand and diversify its target market, and extends a "hugely popular product" targeting new customers. It didn't provide further details.

The service has more than 35,000 active customers across New Zealand and Australia. It makes 14,000 weekly deliveries, with a 120 percent annual growth rate. The company doesn't split out its New Zealand figures but Robinson says penetration lags behind her home country Sweden where one in four households have tried this type of delivery service. New Zealand has about 1.7 million households, according to Statistics New Zealand.

The company has had a number of unsolicited approaches from trade parties and venture capital investors since they launched. Robinson said they don't have a preconceived idea of how much equity they would like, or how much of a stake initial investors would want to retain, and wouldn't rule out publicly listing.

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Requesting permission to land: fly-in invites civilian pilots to Shaw

More than 75 civilian aircraft touched down on the flightline here, on the morning of April 29.



It was the first General Aviation Fly In event held at Shaw since 1977.



Its an opportunity for civilian pilots to land on a U.S. military installation and to learn about how the 20th Fighter Wing and Shaw Air Force Base operate, said Lt. Col. Joe Rodriguez, 495th Fighter Group deputy commander, and to have a cooperative relationship with the air traffic controllers who control the air space above Shaw and the Midlands of South Carolina.



After a mass briefing from 20th Fighter Wing leaders, safety office and other agencies, the visiting pilots split into several groups and were taken around base for an up-close look at an F-16CM Fighting Falcon, a tour of Radar Approach Control, and the chance to try an F-16 simulator.



The visitors, however, werent the only ones benefiting from the experience; the event also provided a chance for Team Shaw to practice handling increased aircraft traffic for the rapidly approaching Shaw Air Expo and open house, Thunder Over the Midlands on May 21-22.



Visitors ranged from civilian to retiree, veteran, or those who came from military families. One such visitor was Ira Coward, whose father, William Coward, was a pilot who trained at Shaw Field in 1942 on the BT-13 Valiant.



As soon as he heard about the fly-in event at Shaw, Ira said, he had to bring the Piper J-3 Cub that he and his father bought together in 1970, along with the log book his father kept during his flying years.



William would later go on to fly P-40s, but was shot down over Anzio, Italy, during his 79th combat mission in January 1944.



Many stories such as Iras were shared over the course of the day as visitors reminisced with service members and one another.



As the event drew to a close and the planes lined up again on the taxiway and prepared for takeoff, those that organized and led the feat were finally able to relax and reflect on a job well done.



It wasnt just one person that was running this event, it was a team effort, said Rodriguez. It was Team Shaw coming together to make this happen.



Team Shaw and the 20th FW look forward to hosting more events like this, in the spirit of building friendships and sharing knowledge within the aviation community.
BENGALURU: There is a new buzzword in town  FinTech. FinTech or Financial Technology is an economic industry that constitutes constitutes of companies that use technology to efficiently provide financial services.

Since the fairly recent past , the sector seems to be attracting loads of talented individuals and not without a reason. Fintech covers technology-based companies specializing in insurance, payment, and asset management. It is transforming banking business, challenging the big banks.

Being relatively new, the FinTech segment is already generating a lot of jobs, with most of them centered on mobile, user experience and financial analysis.

In recent weeks companies such as Paytm and Flipkart have gone out and hired renowned personalities for high profile jobs, with the former bringing in PwCs Shinjini Kumar to be the CEO of its to be launched payment banks alongside Krishna Hegde of Barclays and former DGM of RBI, Vipin Sharma.

"Finance technology is a booming segment in India with the opening of numerous mobile wallet companies, non-banking financing companies and now payments banks - all running on robust digital platforms ," says AG Rao, Managing director, ManpowerGroup.

Fintech covers technology-based companies operating in insurance, payment, and asset management, etc. It is already transforming banking business, challenging mammoth banks.

FinTech focuses on low-cost, high-tech models that deal with low-value, high-volume financial customers, assisting companies like Mobikwik and Citrus Pay in raising more than $150 million in India alone.

"Considering this is a newly evolved industry, it will see at least a 20% increase in hiring due to new e-wallets and payments banks. It will be due to large scale of business (ecommerce) and financials going online," Ajay Shah, assistant vice president at Teamlease Services, told ET.

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BENGALURU: The Indo-U.S. bilateral ties have scaled to new heights with the U.S. India Business Councils (USIBC) first annual West Coast Summit, entitled as U.S.-India Technology Partnership: Using Scale and Speed to Bridge the Divide. The summit was organized at Menlo Park, CA.



The congregation witnessed the likes of John Chambers, chairman of USIBC; Amitabh Kant, CEO of the National Institution of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog; and the President of USIBC Dr. Mukesh Aghi.



The enormous opportunities present in this technological partnership were viewed with great optimism by Chambers. In his discussion on the future of the two nations, the former CEO of Cisco has also applauded Amitabh Kant for his ideas which will ensure the success of Digital India, Skill India, Make in India, and many such government initiatives. Chambers, who admires Prime Minister Narendra Modi, believes that the Digital India initiative is set to change the lives of many across India. He also propagated the idea of business and government working together to propel the economic growth. Chambers is also of the opinion that India will soon be the model nation for the rest of the world.



Kant informed that India was a difficult place to do business earlier but with the coming of Modi all that changed. He is of the opinion that India is at the forefront of economic growth. In a chat with Chambers later in the day, Kant also noted that women should increase their role in the growth of GDP of the country.



Following the much celebrated visits of Obama and Modi to each others country, the ties between the two nations was rejuvenated. This summit was in line with taking the idea forward.

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BENGALURU: Prime Minister launches the much-anticipated LPG scheme in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. While inaugurating the scheme PM said that until 2019, more than five crore poor families will be benefitted from this cooking gas scheme. The government is intending to provide free LPG connections to the families living in below poverty line within next three years.

According to the PM, the gas connections provided by this scheme will help in reducing the living cost of each family along with lead to better health for women. One more plus point of the scheme is that the subsidies provided by the government will directly transfer in the Jan Dhan account of the familys head woman.

The central government claims that with the help of this scheme they are focused on providing LPG connections to BPL families and it will ensure the countrys universal coverage of the cooking gas. It will empower women along with protecting them for medical instabilities. It will decrease labor and cooking time. This scheme will engage rural youth in cooking gas supply chain that will provide them employment.

According to government measures, this scheme will provide a financial aid of Rs 1,600 to every LPG connection connected to the BPL families. The BPL families will be identified by consulting with Union Territories and state governments. Mr. Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister, announced the Rs 2000 crore provision in Budget 2016 during the FY 2016-17 for providing deposit free LPG connections to more than 1.5 crore BPL families.

The Rs 8,000 crore scheme will be partly funded by leveraging the money saved from Give It Up initiative by PM, in which about 1.13 crore users voluntarily gave up LPG subsidies. This campaign saved more than Rs 5,000 crore and it will be used in providing gas connections to poor families. Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are the states that sum about half peoples giving up LPG subsidy.

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WASHINGTON: An Indian-American journalist was felicitated on sunday by US President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle as she and her colleagues were presented with a prestigious award during the annual White House Correspondents Dinner here.



Neela Banerjee and three of her colleagues from Inside Climate News  John Cushman Jr, David Hasemyer and Lisa Song  were presented with the prestigious Edgar A Poe award. The annual award by the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) honours journalistic work of national or regional significance.



A Washington DC-based journalist Banerjee, before joining Inside Climate News, was energy and environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau. She covered global energy, the Iraq War and other issues with The New York Times. A graduate of Yale University, she also served as a Moscow correspondent with The Wall Street Journal.



The award was shared by Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post, who explored the issue of lead poisoning among poor black children in Baltimore after Freddie Gray died in custody in a high-profile case of alleged police abuse.



As early as 1977, scientists at energy and oil giant Exxon Corporation told top executives that fossil fuel emissions were warming the planet. Over time, however, Exxon became a leader in denying climate change and argued that the science was inclusive, the judges wrote. Reporters Neela Banerjee, John Cushman, Jr David Hasemyer and Lisa Song of Inside Climate News, used documents, interviews and the public record from four decades to reveal a deeply disturbing trail from climate change discovery to denial, it said.



The story prompted the New York Attorney General to issue a subpoena to force Exxon to disclose records in order to determine if it committed fraud under state law, the judges said. Misha Euceph, a Pakistani radio journalist from Rawalpindi was among the 18 budding journalists selected for WHCA annual scholarship. She was also felicitated by the US President and the First Lady.



Euceph, is the recipient of a $5,000 grant through the WHCA to help finance a post-graduate degree for a student in the Government and Public Affairs reporting track.



Among the judges for journalism awards included Indian American Indira Somani, an Assistant Professor of Journalism at the School of Communications, Howard University in Washington, DC where she teaches broadcast journalism courses

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Gene Hanson, 75, is a retired farmer who always liked the song "Purple Rain." He hopped on his tractor Friday and plowed the late musician's symbol into his corn field. He says he found an image of the symbol on the Internet. He put it on his tractor's dash and followed the pattern. When done, he got on his airplane to check it out. He couldn't believe that it had turned out so well.
Cartoonists and illustrators were inspired. Mathias Pedersen's Poor Pluto portrayal of a now orphaned Pluto shunned by the real planets is a masterpiece of that genre. No doubt Tuesday's young woman's T-shirt too was inspired by feelings of supportive love for a broken-hearted Pluto.

Of course what we all know about Pluto, even when we know nothing else, is that it was once thought of as a planet but then in 2006 was relegated to being just a dwarf planet. Sentimental humans projected anthropomorphic feelings on to Pluto and imagined its feelings must have been very badly hurt (like a Tony Abbott being relegated from the prime ministership) by this decision of the International Astronomical Union.

We were there in a lecture theatre to hear Dr Andrew Cole speak on Clear skies and new horizons: What we know about Pluto and what's left to find out.

"Like my T-shirt?" a cheerful young woman asked her neighbours just before Tuesday's public lecture at the ANU. She stood up to display her "I LOVE PLUTO" shirt. As well as that declaration of affection the shirt bore a picture of that loveable dwarf planet.

Dr Cole (a scholarly American physicist he is presently at the University of Tasmania) is not very interested in populist ideas about Pluto. But he did explain in passing, before going on to bigger Plutonic matters, that Pluto got relegated because it was considered it wasn't a planet but one example of "icy kinds of objects out in the solar system, ranging from Pluto's size to just a metre across".

And yet, he continued, there were all sorts of great scientific reasons for sending an equipment-packed probe to zoom past Pluto. And in 2006 NASA's New Horizons probe ("just the size of a grand piano," Dr Cole told us, evocatively) was dispatched. Dear, lovable little Pluto (someone has called it a "celestial snowball") is far, far away and so it was not until July 2015 that the piano-sized probe skimmed past Pluto, getting as close as 12,500 kilometres.

Dr Cole says that this "fly-by" of Pluto has told us a lot about its atmosphere. And so we find for sure, confirming earthly speculations, that "the atmosphere is dominated by nitrogen, there's a strong component of methane, and there are a number of other hydrocarbons". He told us that one of the many surprises (New Horizons' findings contradicting scientific guesses made from earth) is that the celestial snowball's "upper atmosphere is much colder than expected".

Dr Cole (his shoulder-length hair and dark beard made him look, from my distant vantage at the back of the theatre, like the Christ of the Renaissance old masters) is a very, very serious scientist. Readers, compare your nondescript job descriptions with his. He is a senior lecturer in physics and astronomy and the ANU advises: "He uses optical and near-infrared telescopes to study the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies in the nearby universe, and to search for exoplanets using the technique of gravitational microlensing."

And, seriously scholarly, he put into his lecture some populist elements of the subject you could tell his cerebral heart wasn't really into discussing. So, for example, late in the lecture he showed some pictures of Pluto taken by New Horizons and said a little dismissively he'd come in his talk "to the nature documentary part, to the pretty pictures session".
Air New Zealand has stopped equity accounting for its stake in Virgin Australia after placing all or part of its 25.9 per cent holding in the Australian carrier up for sale in a process that has attracted the attention of Chinese airlines.

In an investor presentation on Tuesday, Air New Zealand said the stake would be recognised in its accounts as a quoted equity instrument from March 30 rather than included in its bottom line results.

Air New Zealand is looking to sell all or part of its 25.9 per cent stake in Virgin Australia. Credit:Bloomberg

On March 30, Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon quit the Virgin board and the Kiwi carrier said it had retained First NZ Capital and Credit Suisse to advise it on options.

Air New Zealand's accounts will now report the difference between the market value and the carrying value of the Virgin stake in the profit and loss statement.
United Airlines, which flies from Sydney to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and from Melbourne to Los Angeles, is the only carrier on the previous panel that is not on the new list.

China Eastern, Finnair, South America's LATAM Airlines and British Airways have also made the cut for the next five years, alongside members of the prior panel such as Qantas, Virgin Australia, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Thai Airways.

The list of airlines that will be flown by public servants and politicians has been expanded to include carriers such as Royal Brunei, Air Niugini, Garuda Indonesia and Fiji Airways as part of the new whole of Australian government air travel services panel.

United did not respond to questions over whether it had participated in the tender. Its absence from the new panel will benefit Qantas and Virgin, which also fly from Australia to the US.

Singapore Airlines will launch Canberra's first regular international flights to Singapore and Wellington  routes it hopes will be well supported by government travellers  in September.

For domestic trips, public servants and politicians will remain on Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Regional Express. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Australia is once again not a member of the panel. It is understood Tigerair didn't apply because it doesn't have the same distribution system as full-service carriers and almost all of its routes are flown by Virgin.

The government is the largest air travel user in Australia, ahead of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and the big banks. It has unique requirements, including the transport of prisoners, asylum seekers, witnesses and dangerous goods such as firearms, handcuffs and chemicals.

The Australian government spent $420 million on domestic and international air travel in 2014-15, up 11.4 per cent from the $377 million spent a year earlier. In 2013-14, 64 per cent of spending was in the domestic market, covering 150 agencies and 100,000 travellers.
The latest company to emerge in the online business lending space has warned of a lack of regulation in the sector, leading to overcrowding.

Alistair Lamond, director of invoice financing company Skippr, said the lack of regulation around short-term lending to business was one of the main reasons the sector has exploded in recent years.

Moula CEO Aris Allegos has spoken out about the lack of transparency in the sector. Credit:Christopher Pearce

"The growth of short-term lending space has been a catalyst of a huge funding gap forged by a limited appetite from the banks and the lack of regulation in the space," he said.

"If and when the economy slows, growth rates abate, it will be interesting to see where default rates go."
An Ugg boot company that sold footwear sourced from China has been fined $10,800 for claiming the products were manufactured in the ACT.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chair Dr Michael Schaper said Kingdom Groups International, which sold Ugg boots, sheepskin car-seat covers and other products, had used the "Australian Made" logo on its "Aries Sheepskin" website.

Korina Sharpe tries on a pair of legitimate Ugg boots at the Ugg boot store in Sydney. Credit:James Alcock

"The Australian Made logo is well recognised and relied on by consumers. The ACCC is concerned that it had been used to give consumers the impression that a product was made in Australia when it was not," he said.

In addition to using the logo, the website said the footwear, branded UGG Aries Sheepskin Australia, was "truly Australian made" and made in "Junee, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory".
Canberra business leaders have welcomed the federal budget's focus on small business and tax concessions, but have warned more needs to be done to improve confidence.

Treasurer Scott Morrison has used his maiden budget to deliver tax concessions to small businesses and a four-year plan to boost youth employment through paid internships.

Treasurer Scott Morrison has used his maiden budget to deliver tax concessions to small businesses. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

From July 1, the government will reduce the small business tax rate to 27.5 per cent and extend the threshold from businesses earning $2 million to $10 million.
The budget offers to cut spending as a share of GDP from 25.8 per cent to 25.2 over three years, a real, yet modest, improvement of 0.6 of a percentage point, if delivered. But Hippocrates wanted doctors to "first, do no harm" to their patients. Dr Turnbull and his consulting specialist Dr Morrison have passed this test. In the process, they have earned the right to call themselves responsible. "Sober is the word that comes to mind," says budget specialist Stephen Anthony of Australian Super. Asked about the winners and losers from the budget, Morrison revelled in the opportunity to reject budget orthodoxy. "The Australian people have moved on from all that," he said in his budget press conference. "They want a plan for growth."

He delivered this in the guise of immediate tax cuts for small and medium-sized businesses, and the prospect of later tax cuts for big business. And they've tried hard to recover from the Coalition's curse under the previous management  damned for being unfair. The budget attempts a pretty thoroughgoing Tony Abbott detox. It restores some money for hospitals, restores some money for schools, and defers big changes to higher education. This comes at a cost. Taken together, these measures to exorcise the ghost of Abbott add a total of $4 billion to spending over the next three years. And instead of seeking to punish young unemployed people as the first Abbott budget did, the first Turnbull budget sets out a new program to help them, at a cost of $249 million over five years.

The common element politically, for a government heading to an election in eight weeks, is that these are all defensive measures. The Coalition is seeking to deflect or defeat Labor attacks that it is "ripping money out of hospitals and schools", "forcing young people into $100,000 degrees" and punishing young, unemployed people. The budget goes further to resist the label of "unfair" by engaging in a little old-fashioned redistribution. The wealthiest 4 per cent of superannuants are losing tax concessions worth $6 billion over four years. Half of their loss is to be redistributed  Morrison prefers the word "recycled"  as a gain for the 25 per cent who are the least well off, mostly women workers with small super balances.

The other half is booked as a saving. And the 4 per cent who lose? They won't be happy but there is minimal political risk. They are the wealthiest Australians, likely Liberal voters who would not consider voting Labor in any circumstance. Another defensive measure is the decision to spare about half a million taxpayers the dubious privilege of graduating from the 32.5 per cent tax bracket into the 37 per cent range when they reach the average full-time wage of $80,000. The budget moves the threshold to $87,000 instead. This is defensive because it protects middle and upper income earners from having to pay more tax. The government doesn't attempt to win over people earning less than $80,000 through the income tax system, however. It implicitly admits political defeat on these people, more likely Labor constituents,
Very high income earners will be hit by changes to superannuation tax concessions, but the Treasurer claimed in his budget speech that 96 per cent of individuals with superannuation will not be adversely affected. At the other end of the scale the new Low Income Superannuation Tax offset will give a modest boost to some nest eggs. The Treasurer claims it will assist around 2 million low income women to build their superannuation savings.

But there is one group that loses a lot from the budget: smokers.

Illustration: Ron Tandberg.

The government will match a policy already announced by Labor and extend an annual 12.5 per cent increase in tobacco excise for four years from mid 2017. That is in addition to a pre-existing indexation increase pegged to wages growth. Analysis of Labor's policy shows the changes mean a pack of 25 cigarettes that now costs around $25 rose to nearly $41 by 2020. By the end of the decade 75 per cent of the cost of cigarettes in Australia would made up by tax.

The change to tobacco excise is expected to raise the Commonwealth $4.7 billion over the next four years. But the states will benefit too - the budget papers estimate the price hike will raise an extra $445 million that will be paid to states and territories.
The fee for commercial television licensees that earn $100 million or more will fall from 4.5 per cent of revenue to 3.375 per cent. The fee for radio licensees who earn $11.5 million or more will fall from 3.25 per cent to 2.44 per cent.

The industry will welcome the news but had hoped the cuts would be deeper.

Ten Network chief executive Paul Anderson recently told a Senate inquiry that the abolition of the licence fee was the "single most important issue for his business".

Nine Network, where former Treasurer Peter Costello is now chairman, has warned that failing to cut the fee could jeopardise quality content.

Mr Fifield also signalled that more cuts may follow, saying the government would consider further reductions later this year as "part of a broader package of reforms that will include consideration of the price of the broadcasting spectrum".
Xanadu Mines chief executive Andrew Stewart used to need 15 hours to drive to his flagship Kharmagtai exploration site in Mongolia's South Gobi desert.

These days it takes the Australian geologist just five hours, thanks to the paved road that now exists to service Rio Tinto's nearby Oyu Tolgoi copper project.

Xanadu chief executive Andrew Stewart can see light at the end of the tunnel in Mongolia. Credit:Simon Schluter

Such are the benefits of exploring for copper and gold in the shadow of a multibillion-dollar mining operation.

That shadow could grow larger in coming days, amid growing speculation that Rio will shortly confirm plans to spend close to $US5 billion ($6.45 billion) expanding Oyu Tolgoi.
Wesfarmers' struggling resources business is set to lose its longstanding managing director Stewart Butel, who will retire in July after a decade in the role.

Mr Butel has been with Wesfarmers since 2000 and has led the conglomerate's resources business since 2006.

Wesfarmers Industrials MD Rob Scott says market conditions "continue to be challenging". Credit:Natalie Boog

It is another big name departure for Wesfarmers after the exit of former Target boss Stuart Machin in April before an investigation into whether Target bolstered earnings through deals with suppliers.

Wesfarmers managing director Richard Goyder said in a statement Mr Butel had made a "huge contribution" to the growth of the resources business, including through a focus on cost control and productivity improvements as conditions in the coal sector deteriorated in recent years.
Mirvac and Goodman Group are on track to reach their end-of-financial-year earnings forecasts as they benefit from strong demand for residential and industrial assets.

Reporting for the March quarter the two real estate investment trusts said conditions were positive with consumer spending up for online goods, which creates demand for warehouses and distribution centres.

Rising high: Mirvac and AMP development 200 George Street.

Mirvac, the largest developer of apartments in NSW, said residential contracts on hand remain at $2.6 billion.

Mirvac chief executive Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz said the stronger office sector and development had led the group to revise its distribution guidance by 5 per cent to 9.9 for the full year, compared with the previous 9.7 per security.
In 2014, Israeli-owned company SodaStream announced it was closing its West Bank factory after pressure from those boycotting Israeli settlements. While supporters claimed a victory, nearly 500 Palestinians who had worked in harmony alongside Israeli Jews and enjoyed wages four or five times higher than the average in the West Bank were left jobless. Simply because the factory was located in an Israeli settlement. There is no question that Israel's settlements in the West Bank are one of the key unresolved issues in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Jewish settlement in the territory of ancient Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) is often presented as a recent phenomenon but Jewish presence has existed there for thousands of years. Many settlements are located where previous Jewish communities were forcibly ousted by Arab armies or militia, or slaughtered, like the Jewish community of Hebron in 1929.

Divided: An Israeli soldier near the Israel-Gaza border. Credit:Getty Images

The Mandate for Palestine, a historical document of international law adopted by the League of Nations in 1922, laid down the Jewish legal right to settle anywhere in western Palestine. The West Bank is an unallocated part of the British Mandate, so its terms still apply and settlement can continue until a new state is created or annexation takes place.

Israel is often said to be breaching the fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits the transfer of segments of the population of a state to the territory of another state which it has occupied. First, at no point in history were Jerusalem and the West Bank subject to Palestinian Arab sovereignty thus it cannot be "occupied territory". Second, the settlements have been built up voluntarily, often by citizens looking to return to their previous homes, or to the land once inhabited by their ancestors.
This claim that the ABC is "too Anglo" is a bit much. The whole point of establishing the SBS was to provide the requisite ethnic balance. I would claim that, in combination, Australia has the best public broadcasting balance  in both ethnicity and gender equality  in the world. Stewart Fist Lindfield I welcome the new ABC chief's promise of more diversity, in content as well as presentation. I look forward to the return of thought-provoking documentaries and inspiring arts programs and to the prompt retirement of such relics as The Bill and Murder She Wrote. She could see off, without loss, creaky whodunits like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. What the ABC needs, as well as a fewer white faces, is less white-bread programming. Garth Clarke North Sydney I sometimes wonder whether those who run the ABC watch their own broadcasts. If Michelle Guthrie wants to create diversity on the ABC she has a foundation with newsreaders and journalists such as Jeremy Fernandez, Kumi Taguchi and Karina Carvalho.

However, she also needs to remember that the "Anglo" journalists mentioned are valued chiefly for the many years of experience they bring to their roles. This is not something that can easily be fast-tracked. Does this suggest that Lee Lee Chin, Waleed Aly and Stan Grant should expect a phone call from Guthrie? Philip Cooney Wentworth Falls Newly appointed managing director Michelle Guthrie is making the right noises but I will withhold my judgment until I see if her well-meaning intention is translated into reality. We have heard this before many times but nothing seems to change. Mukul Desai Hunters Hill New ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie has it wrong requiring more "difficult" accents be aired on the ABC. What would be the point of ABC radio sounding like the Tower of Babel? Who would want to listen? Above all else, radio must be "peopled" by voices that are easy to understand, not difficult.

By all means, do not exclude people on the grounds they have a light accent that is easy to understand, but do not foist on us the unintelligible just because you can. Irene Buckler Glenwood Morally bereft politicians turn backs on detainees How many more self-immolations and other forms of suicide and abuse are the government and Labor prepared to ignore ("Second refugee sets herself on fire", smh.com.au, May 3)? Do they see these deaths as a convenient way of reducing the number of prisoners in their mental health destruction factories? While maintaining such pride in this appalling policy, is either party fit to govern in this 21st century? Are we no better than this? Elizabeth Chandler Napoleon Reef

OK, Peter Dutton, you claim you are stopping them from drowning. Can you now stop them from burning? Andy Busuttil Hazelbrook Is there any bag limit on the number of messengers Peter Dutton is allowed to shoot? John Walsh Watsonia In the good old days, a farmer would hang a dead dingo on a barbed wire fence as a deterrent to other dingos crossing his boundary. Our political masters are using the same method of deterrence by hanging men, women and children on the razor wire of our offshore detention centres.

The farmer had the decency to shoot the dingo first. Our morally bankrupt politicians put their own pathetic political survival above human compassion and decency, and allow these innocent, suffering refugees to swing for years in the poisonous breeze of secrecy and lies. Come on Australia, we are better than this. George Liddle McMahons Point Don't let the Eels slip the noose of justice If Parramatta encouraged players to leave their clubs by using improper incentives to join the Eels, surely the club deprived of that player should now be specifically recompensed ("Parramatta Eels docked 12 NRL points, fined $1 million over salary cap breach", smh.com.au, May 3). Maybe the clubs which lost players to Parramatta should put together a class action to gain compensation for their talent loss and subsequent costs in replacing players.

Mark Berg Caringbah South So the Parramatta Eels are caught out channelling funds to players via a third party "laundering" entity. Maybe they've just been following the example of the Liberal Party and the Free Enterprise Foundation. Perhaps a reasonable penalty for the Liberals could also be a $1 million fine and a loss of 12 seats at the next election. Leo Sullivan Haberfield Definitely, not to be

No, Lachlan Philpott, we don't need a break from Shakespeare ("Shakespeare's hour upon the stage is up", May 3). We need to keep his genius before us to encourage others to attempt to achieve something approaching his brilliance. Banning the Bard's works from our stages would merely be an invitation to mediocrity. Although I have very limited knowledge of the subject, I can confidently predict that many theatrical offerings of today (possibly yours included) will soon be forgotten, while Shakespeare's plays will survive because his works are timeless. Let us continue to celebrate his rich resources as an example from which others might learn and seek to emulate. Derrick Mason Boorowa Vale, John Kaye No matter where you sit on the political spectrum it is difficult to deny that John Kaye was an articulate and passionate advocate for public education, social justice and the protection of the environment ("Greens MP John Kaye dead at the age of 60", smh.com.au, May 3). His dignified and dedicated approach to his role as a member of the Legislative Council should be an exemplar to all of those who seek to make a better world without the need to engage in political point scoring. Farewell to a fine man.

Clare Raffan Campsie Breath of fresh rare May I suggest a few additions to the Australian air-bottling entrepreneurs' global offerings so they reflect the true essence of Sydney ("Take our breath away  for a price that is", May 3). M5 East Breeze will delight as its smoky aromas tunnel slowly, oh so slowly, through your lungs. The sulphurous, sometimes dioxinous notes of Homebush Bay Heaven will bring to mind warm, still summer evenings courtesy of long-gone Union Carbide and other industrial benefactors. Then there's Macquarie Street Mists, our premium and premier product, so full of political promise that it warms the pits of truly ursine beings - the pandas will love it!

Russ Couch Woonona Aid does reach target James Ritchie (Letters, May 3), the percentage of Australian aid that gets misappropriated is estimated to be less than 0.026 per cent. That's 99.974 per cent of Australian Aid that goes to where it is meant to go. A healthy aid budget is an absolute necessity to fight epidemics, save lives and help the 50 per cent of the world's population that live on $10 or less a day. I am incredibly proud of what Australian aid has accomplished, and I am sure that, with a greater knowledge of the facts, you would be too. Lindsey Little Ranelagh (Tas) Teachers overwhelmed

Sheryl Cootes (Letters, May 3) is right to point out the absurdity of the government's plan to extend the standardised testing of recent years to year 1, but there is a more worrying aspect to its educational "package". Putting teachers' salary progression in the hands of yet another of the smug, unaccountable advisory bodies bestowed upon us by Kevin Rudd will ensure the paperwork burden on teachers nationally will quadruple. And you thought the Liberal Party believed in curbing the reach of government and eliminating red tape? Think again. Michael Salter Baulkham Hills Supply and the ALP

Peter Hartcher rightly recalls there is a convention not to block supply in Australia ("Trump is a symptom of a wider US decline", May 3). But does anyone seriously think that if Labor were opposed to an early election this year it would not attempt to block supply and stop a double dissolution? The ALP has tried to on 170 occasions since WWII, the Coalition once. On this occasion Labor believes it will at least improve its position. David Flint Bondi Beach Some bets are well and truly off Circumcision of Crown Casino, Vicky Marquis (Letters, May 3)? Is it really time for a razor gang when it's never been a more exciting time to be an Australian? Trust the big end of town to develop sustainable erections. Les Shearman Darlington

TAFE to remain public Let me make it absolutely clear  there is no agenda to privatise TAFE, which has been the public provider of vocational education and training for the last 130 years and it will continue to be (Letters, May 3). But it needs to change to meet industry needs and that's the transformation we're undergoing now, one that is going to make it a provider that's strong, efficient, innovative and ready to meet the demands of training young students for the jobs of tomorrow. John Barilaro, Minister For Skills, Small Business and Regional Development, Sydney HMAS Google goes down well Here's a suggestion for the Treasurer if he is finding it difficult to extract a fair amount of tax from Google and its ilk: offer them the option of sponsoring a new submarine to the tune of a few billion dollars ("'Google tax' Mk II to raise billions", May 3).

Peter Rylands Braidwood Surely the Chinese will supply the personnel to make up for the shortage of submariners to crew our new underwater toys (Letters, May 3); and if asked nicely will run them out of their own port in Darwin. David Warburton Maclean No laughing matter I do like the new title of Darlingpointonions given to the residents of Darling Point, but I wonder why that humble vegetable was chosen (Letters, May 3). Is it perhaps because their activism has brought tears to the eyes of the developers?

Sue Glass Bellevue Hill Leaf from his book I guess those sites where many big trees used to grow in Sydney will in future be known as Baird patches ("Rally an ode for the fallen ... fig trees", May 2). Michael Copeman Northbridge Too late
I have never written before about Australia's "Pacific Solution". Most people I know deplore it, on moral grounds. Innumerable commentators  most notably in these pages, the redoubtable Waleed Aly  have exposed the myths and secrets and lies we allow to shield us from the brutal reality of Nauru and Manus Island; what Aly calls "factories of mental illness".

When you've got the likes of Aly on the case, you don't need Jonathan Holmes. And besides, I have a problem. Though I agree with almost everything he and other refugee advocates have to say about the practical evils and the moral bankruptcy of "off-shore processing", I don't believe one should pontificate about a policy unless one has some vaguely practical alternative to propose.

I have never had one.

Perhaps that's not surprising. After all, a succession of Australian governments, backed by the policy brainpower of one of the world's finest public services, has been gnawing fruitlessly on this bone for nigh on 25 years. The Pacific solution was John Howard's desperate resort in the wake of the Tampa incident. Kevin Rudd shared the moral abhorrence of those who opposed it, but reality defeated him. The boats started landing again. A trickle soon turned into a flood. The East Timor solution, the Malaysian solution, came and went. It was the Pacific Solution that stopped the boats the second time, as it had the first.
BORDERS, BARRIERS, WALLS

Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA)

Monash University, 900 Dandenong Road, until July 2



As soon as you enter Borders, Barriers, Walls at MUMA, you confront an imposing dark partition. It contains a paragraph of unusual weight and menace by Yanis Varoufakis, explaining how walls that divide people from one another have proliferated across the globe since the collapse of the Iron Curtain, with its symbolic dismantling of the Berlin Wall.

Tony Schwensen's Border Protection Assistance Proposed Monument for the Torres Strait (Am I ever going to see your face again?) 2002. Credit:Courtesy of the artist and Sarah Cottier Gallery, Sydney

On the other side of this monument of austere words is the work of Varoufakis' collaborator, Danae Stratou, who projects images of such walls from Cyprus, to Kosovo, Ireland, Ethiopia, Palestine, India and the US. They have an uncanny resemblance, each performing a similar function, often made from the same fabric and patrolled with the same pitiless severity.

From the outset, you are fenced in by global realities: division among people is literally tangible. Curated by Francis E. Parker, the exhibition erects barricades everywhere, frustrating the normal flow of the MUMA galleries and acting out the oppressive imprisonment that so many walls maintain.
Star Wars needs gay characters, and three of the biggest studios are failing badly in the sexuality department, according to a new report on Hollywood diversity.

In its annual report released today, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation report card on how gay and transgender people fare on screen said Hollywood was falling behind other media in its portrayal of diversity, and it cited the Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard as particularly offensive.

Coming on the heels of recent fiery controversies around the representation of women and people of colour in Hollywood, the report calls on the Star Wars franchise to show more diversity. The report found that Disney and Paramount in particular did not have one gay character in their films last year

"Hollywood's films lag far behind any other form of media when it comes to portrayals of LGBT characters," GLAAD's president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told The Hollywood Reporter. "Too often, the few LGBT characters that make it to the big screen are the target of a punchline or token characters. The film industry must embrace new and inclusive stories if it wants to remain competitive and relevant."
White Island, so named by Captain Cook in 1769 for its endless clouds of steam, is where Neil Oliver had one of his most daredevil adventures while filming across New Zealand.

"We had to land by helicopter and it's a great steaming, sulphurous live volcano," says the Scottish TV presenter and author. "There was a constant sound of roaring, it's in the process of making, of being a volcano and it felt a faintly terrifying place to be because it could, of course, go big. We had gas masks around our necks so we could quickly put them on if the thing decided to do something.

Coast New Zealand presenter Neil Oliver is lucky to see more of this fascinating country than many of its inhabitants. Credit:History

"So that was a terrific thing to see. It had the look of a chemistry experiment gone wrong."

Oliver, who has been a familiar face on British television since 2002, has been exploring much new territory in recent years under Coast, the magazine-style program featuring experts from different fields in an appealing and accessible mix of travelogue and social-history documentary.
The previous record to this point of the year was 1.16 degrees in 2005, Blair Trewin, senior bureau climatologist, told Fairfax Media. El Nino shifts to La Nina? A crow drinks water from a tap on a hot day in Ahmadabad, India, last week. Credit:Ajit Solanki The spurt in global temperatures is being driven in part by the unwinding of the giant El Nino in the Pacific. For the past year, large regions of the central and eastern Pacific have been hotter than usual because of a stalling or reversal of trade winds - a phenomenon that has exacerbated the background warming from climate change, scientists say.

That climate pattern may now tilt the other way, towards a La Nina event, which could trigger alternative extreme weather, and break the sequence of record heat. Odds are about even in favour of a La Nina this year. For instance, Australia had a record quiet season for tropical cyclones but may see a shift to a more active than usual storm season for the 2016-17 summer should a La Nina event bring stronger westward-blowing winds. The unwinding of the current El Nino, though, could have a way to go as far as boosting temperatures in Australia and globally, Dr Trewin said. "The El Nino warming influence on Australian temperatures is typically strongest in the first six months of the year - a little earlier than the global signal, which typically runs until August-September," he said. Reef watch

To the worry of marine ecologists and tour operators, there's also little sign of an early let up for the Great Barrier Reef in terms of temperatures returning to normal. The excessive heat over the past half year and longer has been blamed for widespread bleaching of corals, with as little as 7 per cent unaffected, according to scientists. Bureau of Meteorology charts show that coastal regions of north Queensland will continue to be more than one degree above normal: Hot spots

Leading climate scientists such as NASA's Gavin Schmidt have already predicted that 2016 is extremely likely to be the hottest year on record, making it three years in a row the mark has been lifted. Among the areas of particular warmth has been the Indian Ocean, which continues to track at record heat levels, according to Ryan Maue, a scientist based in Atlanta, Georgia: The sub-continent is bearing the brunt of that heat over land, with daily temperatures reaching 47 degrees or warmer, and severe water restrictions in place affecting hundreds of millions of people. Forest fires are also raging in parts of Nepal and northern India, killing dozens of people and devastating hundreds of thousands of hectares, Reuters reported on Monday.

"This year we have experienced a longer spell of dry weather and the temperatures have risen significantly, contributing to the disaster," Nepal's Forest Ministry official Krishna Prasad Acharya told Reuters. North melts The largest departures from the norm, though, have been occurring at the poles, especially in the north. Parts of Greenland were 8 degrees warmer than average in April, sparking early-season melting of the giant ice sheets so rapid it prompted scientists to check their instruments weren't broken. Unusual heat over the northern winter meant the Arctic Sea ice extent began at a record low level.
CSIRO should halt the implementation of deep job cuts including to climate science programs until a "thorough review" of the process, a Senate committee investigating the agency found.

The scientific research agency announced in early February that it would slash 350 jobs - before re-hiring a similar number over the next two years - to shift CSIRO's focus to growth areas.

Criticism from home and abroad prompted CSIRO to trim the scale of the cuts to 275 out of about 5000 staff. Last month, it also announced plans for a special climate science centre of 40 researchers, and halved the planned cuts of climate scientists from up to 96 to about 45.

The inquiry's report, tabled late on Tuesday just prior to the release of the budget, found "powerful evidence" that the proposed cuts to climate scientists would have "far-reaching consequences" for Australia because of CSIRO's decreased climate measurement capability.
Rhiannon Tracey. Credit:Facebook "I remember being fully conscious from the moment my head hit to the moment I was told I'd broken my neck and back." Scans at the hospital in Denpasar confirmed not only did the young veterinary nurse break her neck and back, fragments of broken bone were piercing into her spinal cord. Rhiannon with Mark. Credit:Facebook She was told in no uncertain terms she would never walk again.

In hospital at Melbourne's Royal Talbot three months later, after suffering collapsed lungs, blood clots and an anaphylactic reaction to antibiotics, Rhiannon moved her big toe. Elated, she told the doctors who cautioned that it was probably a spasm (up to 80 per cent of spinal cord injury patients experience spasms). She was undeterred. "My big toe was the furthest from my brain so I figured I just needed to fill in the gaps." A family friend who is a physical therapist helped to fuel her fight to improve. "She said 'Cut the crap. You need to do this. Of course you're going to be pissed off and upset - use it to start that fire in your belly. Focus on moving your middle finger so that when they say you can't do something, just show them your middle finger'."

After six months in hospital, Rhiannon, her mother and step-father raised money for her to travel to the controversial Project Walk, an American-based rehabilitation clinic that offers intense, activity-based programs with the goal of retraining the nervous system. In 2011, two years after her accident and at the end of three separate stays at Project Walk, Rhiannon she took the biggest step of her recovery; she walked out of the rehabilitation centre. "I thought 'I'm a quadriplegic, I shouldn't be doing this'  and here I am doing this," says Rhiannon, who has been awarded two Australia Day Awards for Access & Inclusion in her community as well the Young Australian of the Year in 2012. The steps have not only been physical. "I fell into a deep, dark depression," she says of the time following her injury. "I felt like I had nothing to live for  I got quite sick. All I cared about was walking again  I forgot there were other things in life to enjoy."

She started a non-for-profit, The Next Step which offers therapy, long term physical and psychological support for those with spinal cord injuries. "We don't treat clients as disabled," Rhiannon says, acknowledging that not all those with spinal cord injuries will walk again, "we treat them as injured." She also took up horse riding, got five "fur kids", focused on gaining some independence. "We can't always take responsibility for things that happen in our lives," says Rhiannon, who can now walk with crutches but uses a wheelchair "for endurance purposes". "I decided to have a recovery and a life after the injury," says the 27-year-old, referring to her emotional rehabilitation.

A life that includes plans with her high school love, Mark, who she began dating again in 2014. "Mark is my prince charming  he is my happy ending," says Rhiannon, who plans to take part in the spinal cord injury awareness and fundraising event Walk for Life on Sunday. She has come a long way, she admits, but now has a new goal. "My overarching goal is to walk down the aisle." Spinal cord injury According to the World Health Organisation, every year, around the world, between 250 000 and 500 000 people suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI) (about 300 to 400 in Australia). The majority of spinal cord injuries are due to preventable causes such as road traffic crashes, falls or violence.
Sally Faulkner has been prevented from having contact with her young children in Lebanon, a family source says.

The Brisbane mother at the centre of the 60 Minutes child-snatch drama has been blocked from contacting five-year-old Lahela and three-year-old Noah by her estranged husband Ali Elamine in Lebanon, the source said.

"No Skype, no photos, blocked on WhatsApp and (Mr Elamine) is not answering phone calls from her," they said.

Ms Faulkner gave up custody of her two children in a deal reportedly secured by the Nine Network paying a large sum to Mr Elamine following the botched attempt to recover them.
While Hatcher accepted that persuasive policy arguments might permit limits on the free speech of public servants  "the public expression of political views by public servants in their private time might compromise" the capacity of departmental secretaries, policy advisers and ministerial staff to perform their duties  this had to be a limited exception. The code of conduct was not, he held, "apt to be construed as requiring that all APS employees be apolitical at all times outside of working hours". For these reasons and others, Starr's dismissal was harsh and reinstatement ordered.

It might firstly be observed that the department's suggestion that "criticising the government" constitutes a code of conduct breach is deeply troubling. Modern liberal democracies are built on open and forthright political discussion  criticism of the government should be protected, not punished.

Yet the department's decision to appeal suggests the government is unwilling to submit to Hatcher's restraints on its actions. Notwithstanding the department's attempt, via a media statement, to refocus the case on Starr's "spastics and junkies" comment, which Starr had conceded before the commission was a valid reason for dismissal, the appeal's outcome could have important free speech consequences.

Writing in 2015, as the Scott McIntyre Anzac Day tweeting controversy raged in the industrial relations system, I worried that "a judicial pronouncement on the extent of the government's ability to restrain its employees from making public comment does not appear imminent". With the benefit of hindsight, this statement was overly pessimistic. Less than a year later, the government has suffered two considerable blows in this arena: Starr's unfair dismissal success and the Federal Court case of army reservist Bernard Gaynor (although not an employment relationship per se, the termination of his commission was invalidated on free speech grounds). With both on appeal, further consideration of these thorny issues can be expected.

Indeed, the Department of Human Services may ultimately come to rue appealing against Starr's reinstatement. Hatcher read down the relevant sections despite clear and unambiguous legislative language: the direction that public servants must behave in a way that upholds APS values and APS employment principles is purportedly applicable "at all times". In my opinion (contrary to that of Hatcher), it is hard to read this unequivocal phrase as permitting anything less.
Another point of confusion is whether corruption refers to actions that are contrary to law or simply to actions that are seen as exploiting the public good for private gain without explicitly violating any law or code of conduct. For example, when people talk of politics or politicians as corrupt they are usually referring to behaviour that is morally reprehensible while perfectly legal. Such behaviour includes: failure to tell the truth, breaking election promises, soliciting party donations from wealthy special interests in return for favourable treatment, granting privileged access to well-heeled lobbyists as well as former colleagues and cronies, and post-retirement enrichment through exploiting contacts and inside knowledge attained while in public office. All such activities are within the law. Much of the public anger at alleged government corruption, one suspects, reflects disgust at these realities of modern democratic government. But unless the laws themselves are changed, politicians will not be liable to prosecution or to investigation by an anti-corruption agency.

A federal ICAC would need to look for illegal acts of corruption in government. These are more likely to involve individual politicians or public servants in the improper exercise of legal powers in particular cases; for example, in the awarding of contracts or licences, the making of appointments or interference in due process. Recent concerns over corruption have had little to do with these more mundane, though still important, types of corruption.

Does the extent of such corruption warrant the creation of a federal ICAC? Beyond two flagrant cases of overseas corruption (the Australian Wheat Board over Iraq sanction-busting and the Reserve Bank over its subsidiaries involved in banknote production), federal ICAC advocates have had trouble identifying evidence of any major corruption in the federal government. Instead, the case relies more on plausible supposition. Corruption at the federal level, it is argued, naturally goes unnoticed without a functioning ICAC to detect it. Policy areas such as defence contracting, immigration decisions and environment assessments involve individual decisions worth millions to particular individuals and companies. In the states, anti-corruption bodies have unearthed significant corruption and there is no reason to believe that federal politicians or public servants are more ethical than their state counterparts.

Some contrary arguments can be made in favour of federal exceptionalism. The intensity of minder and media scrutiny is greater in Canberra's goldfish bowl than in state capitals. Again, at the federal level, there are many more opportunities for legal enrichment after retirement, for politicians and senior public servants alike. The greedy can afford to bide their time until they are safely out of office. Official defences of the status quo, such as that recently given to the Senate inquiry, place their faith in the existing network of federal integrity agencies. Institutions such as the Australian Federal Police and the Australian National Audit Office, they say, are adequate to the task.

However, government complacency sounds increasingly hollow. According to many independent observers, cuts to existing integrity agencies have not only reduced their capacity but also generally intimidated them. The ANAO, for example, under its new leadership, appears reluctant to rattle the government's cage on matters of procedural compliance while it concentrates on the safer ground of effectiveness audits. The Commonwealth Ombudsman's profile could hardly be lower. The AFP is notoriously reluctant to involve itself in law-breaking by senior government officials unless under executive direction. The very intimacy of the Canberra community provides fertile ground for conflicts of interest, especially nepotism and cronyism. In this respect, the ACT government system, which is flagrantly incestuous and conflicted, may point to similar problems in the federal government.
His first appointment as secretary was in 1979 to Aboriginal Affairs, where Chaney and later Peter Baume were ministers. Ayers moved to the Department of Social Security in 1981, working with Chaney again and then Don Grimes and Brian Howe under the Hawke government. He moved to the Department of Community Services in 1987, after a brief secondment to help run the efficiency scrutiny unit with David Block. He headed the mega Department of Community Services and Health after the 1987 restructure, working with Neil Blewett. Ayers joined the Defence Department in 1988 when Kim Beasley was minister and then worked very closely with Robert Ray and later Ian McLachlan under the Howard government. Among his junior defence ministers were John Faulkner, Gary Punch and Bronwyn Bishop (Ayers would have enjoyed Gourley's description of these three as "the good, the bad and the ugly"!). He retired in 1998. McLachlan praised him at the time as a "consummate career administrator and adviser. Bluff good humour, determined professionalism and all-round judgment are the hallmarks of this longest-serving departmental head." I was fortunate to work with Ayers in three departments: PM&C, Social Security and Defence. It was not all clear sailing; we were different personalities with different strengths and weaknesses. But he never held a grudge and I owe him a great deal. For public servants, Ayers' nurturing of the public service stands as his greatest contribution. He was never head of PM&C, the Public Service Board or the Public Service Commission, yet all his peers called him "the doyen of the service" and he retained that standing until his retirement. Indeed, secretaries themselves turned to Ayers first for advice when they had difficulties, and he enjoyed being known as their "shop steward" when it came to arguments with government about pay, conditions and tenure.

His style was unique. He famously intervened when two secretaries were having a bunfight, inviting them to lunch with him. As they sat, he plonked a bottle of wine on the table, and told them to drink it and sort themselves out. Then he just walked off. Admirals, generals and air marshalls would be offered a cup of tea or coffee on arrival, then invited to join Ayers in his kitchen out the back to make it themselves. He was a great exponent of succession management. "Imagine the result," he would say, "if we were all responsible for developing two or three people each of whom was better at doing our jobs than we are." His firm view was that every secretary should do this, with an eye to having deputies who could also do other secretaries' jobs. I left Ayers and Social Security in 1982. Eight years later, he rang me out of the blue: "Podge, I want to talk to you about your future career. Come and have lunch at my club." (His club was, of course, the Emperor's Court Chinese restaurant in Yarralumla; he would never, ever have joined the Commonwealth Club.) He told me if I stayed in the Finance Department I would eventually be promoted to deputy and forever cast as a Finance person. He went on to tell me that my supposed management prowess was based entirely on my knowing all my staff and every issue they and their line departments dealt with. "What you need to learn is how to manage when you cannot know all the people and you cannot know all the issues," he said. "Come and join me in Defence as deputy secretary acquisition and logistics so you can be better positioned for later." Acquisition and logistics had far more responsibility than the whole of the Defence Materiel Organisation today, and I knew nothing about it. I learned a hell of a lot about management in that job; in particular, the key is the appointment, development and oversight of people. "Good people recruit good people; bums recruit bums"  a favourite Ayers line, often followed with: "Who did you last recruit and who last recruited you?"

Ayers was far more than a good recruiter. He knew how to get the most out of people. He delegated authority way down the chain. Not only did we deputies have a lot of room to get on with our jobs, we were expected to give similar room to our staff. People learn from their mistakes, and good people rise to the opportunities they are given. I was an EL2 equivalent in PM&C with Ayers as my division head. I wrote all the briefing notes to prime minister Malcolm Fraser, and signed them, on social security and related policy issues. Noel Tanzer added his initials but I can't recall Ayers ever changing a minute I wrote. He would sometimes see or ring the prime minister to add to my advice, usually about the practical and political implications involved. Of course, Ayers also insisted that those to whom he delegated authority got on with the job. Otherwise they would "get his size-12 Julius Marlowes up the clackers". He also taught me that culture, trust and teamwork start at the top. He made the Defence diarchy work. His respect for Defence Force chiefs Peter Gration, Alan Beaumont and John Baker was clear to all of us. He was totally open and honest with them, and expected the same in our relations with the military. Visitors to his office quickly learned of his disdain for any trappings. Admirals, generals and air marshalls would be offered a cup of tea or coffee on arrival, then invited to join Ayers in his kitchen out the back to make it themselves. At the end of the meeting, he would have them traipse back out to the kitchen to wash and dry the cups and saucers and put them away.

Financial pain was always to be shared for the common good. Everyone was pressured to "tap the mat" so that priority could be given to the sharp end  the capability of the Defence Force or, in other departments, on-the-ground community services. Structures also mattered but more important was how to make them work. He streamlined Defence committees, clarifying which ones should be chaired by the military or civilians and ensuring they made the decisions that mattered and did not waste time: action had to be taken before any meeting to agree facts, settle minor differences and clarify the substantial issues for consideration. Formal committees were complemented by two much less formal gatherings: Monday morning "prayers", where key issues for the week were identified, and Monday afternoon executive meetings over drinks, where we would canvass some senior staffing issues but mostly chew the fat, reinforcing camaraderie and shared commitment (and noting another loss by Collingwood and win by the Raiders). Public servants may remember Ayers mainly for his contribution to the service, but ministers equally appreciated how he served them  and we learned from that as well. As Chaney found, Ayers was blunt. Other ministers also valued this highly. They discovered he had enormous respect for them and would deliver what they wanted (subject, of course, to the law) even if he had advised strongly against their wishes. Let no one underestimate Ayers' contribution to the public. Whitlam chose him to head his Children's Commission to shift priority towards childcare as well as preschool education. Fraser got him to manage the famous prices and wages freeze, where he became known as "Dr No on the telephone".

Fraser also appointed him to head Aboriginal Affairs, where he showed how to work with Indigenous communities and the Indigenous leadership. How many other public servants had the courage and skill to defend and support Charlie Perkins, recognising his leadership and contribution to his people? His association with Indigenous leaders continued throughout his career and beyond. In Social Security, Ayers made clear that the priority of all staff was to improve service delivery and outcomes for clients. He required all senior executives to work at the counter in a DSS office, invested in regional and state managers, and kept them informed with weekly, personally written circulars. Bob Hawke appointed him to the efficiency scrutiny unit, which delivered significant savings and improvements to government administration. In Defence, Ayers made a remarkable contribution to microeconomic reform, reducing civilian numbers by more than 30 per cent over and above the savings achieved from commercialising ADI and the aircraft factories. He also helped to reduce non-operational ADF staffing through the commercial support program, market-testing all support activities. All this allowed resources to be redirected to the sharp end, and was achieved without staff industrial action. Finally, a few more "Ayersisms".
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It was more than three years ago that Anglican priest and leading psychologist Father Max-Augustine Eggert and his wife, Jane Robinson, made the decision to pack up from Bondi for a tree-change.

They quickly became part of the fabric of Putty, the tiny village nestled in NSW's Wollemi National Park between Windsor and Singleton, joining community groups and creating a branch of a church Father Max had first helped set up in Sydney.

But their little piece of paradise has now also become the scene of heartbreaking tragedy, after the 72-year-old was killed by a charging bull on Monday afternoon, a bull he had reared from a calf.

The village's volunteer-run critical response team was first at the scene and said Father Max "never stood a chance" after the bull became territorial and aggressive.
Greens MP John Kaye was preparing to introduce a private member's bill to the NSW Parliament to legalise cannabis for medicinal use in the weeks before he died of cancer, having used it for pain relief.

But his plans were thwarted when his health began to rapidly decline 10 days ago, and he died on Monday night, aged 60.

"His belief in the need for the laws had been strengthened by his own personal experience and the benefit he received from cannabis as pain relief," fellow Greens MP David Shoebridge told Fairfax Media.
An innocent mother who was injured during a fatal shooting at a Bankstown shopping centre last week says her two children are helping her "forget everything happening".

Hoda Darwiche, 32, was shot in the leg when a masked gunman opened fire on Sydney crime figure Walid "Wally" Ahmad, who was seated at the same at a cafe as Ms Darwiche at Bankstown Central Shopping Centre just before midday on Friday.

Ahmad, 41, died at the shopping centre, while Ms Darwiche and another man, identified as Nael Halid, an associate of Ahmad, was also wounded. The shooter then fled in a white Mercedes that was later discovered burnt out in nearby Greenacre.

Ms Darwiche had stopped at the cafe for a coffee before a planned visit to the gym when the gunman opened fire, according to News Corp Australia. She remains in Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.
Police will have the power to detain and question terrorism suspects as young as 14 for up to two weeks without charge under new "investigative detention" laws to be unveiled by NSW Premier Mike Baird.

Under a bill due to be introduced to Parliament on Wednesday, police may detain and question a person for up to four days if there are "reasonable grounds" to suspect they have committed a terrorist act in the past 28 days or is "involved in planning one that could occur in the next 14 days."

NSW Premier Mike Baird flagged new detention powers at last month's COAG meeting. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The detention must be reviewed by a senior officer every 12 hours.

The detention period may be extended by a Supreme Court judge in seven-day increments up to the maximum 14 days if it is determined doing so would help respond to or prevent a terrorist attack.
Commuters in Sydney's south east have been warned to expect major disruptions to their daily travel into and out of the CBD as construction ramps up on the $2.1 billion light rail project.

Work will start on Saturday on a stretch of Anzac Parade  a key arterial route  between Todman Avenue and High Street, near the University of NSW.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the disruption from construction would make "life very difficult" for people in Sydney's south east for the next two years.

"We are sending a very clear message to those residents throughout the south east  please plan your trips," he said.
Two people were sent flying over a stone wall after a car veered onto a footpath in Pyrmont just before 5pm on Tuesday.

The two men were flung five metres into the air by the car's impact, witnesses said.

Both victims were treated by paramedics and taken to hospital. One of the men, believed to be in his 20s, was taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a critical condition, police said.

The other man, whose age is unknown, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a serious condition, police said.
Two male pedestrians who were struck by an out-of-control car that mounted a footpath in Pyrmont on Tuesday afternoon remain in hospital, as police appeal for witnesses to the peak-hour crash to come forward.

One of the men, aged 29 and from Gordon on Sydney's Upper North Shore, is in a critical condition in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital after undergoing surgery for head and internal injuries and multiple fractures he suffered in the crash.

The second man, also aged 29, remains in St Vincent's Hospital where he is being treated for serious leg injuries, police said.

The crash occurred on Murray Street in Pyrmont, next to the Australian National Maritime Museum and The Star casino, in an area packed with pedestrians just before 5pm.
About $200,000 worth of drugs have been seized in a raid on alleged bikie associates north of Brisbane, police say.

Anti-bikie police raided an address in Oceanview, west of Caboolture, last Thursday, allegedly finding about 3000 pills believed to be ecstasy or methamphetamines, two litres of fantasy, 350 grams of cocaine and unspecified amounts of LSD, steroids and cannabis.

Police said the operation, targeting Bandidos drug production and distribution, also found glassware, ammunition, fireworks and about $1000 in cash.

A 23-year-old Oceanview man appeared in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on April 29, charged with drug trafficking and other drug-related offences.
The Quirk administration has rejected a move by Labor councillors for an opposition member to sit on an oversight committee amid farcical scenes in the Brisbane City Council chamber.

It came after the Liberal National Party nominated two councillors  finance chairman Krista Adams and Ryan Murphy  to sit on the council's Oversight of Consultancies Special Committee.

Councillor Shayne Sutton described the Oversight of Consultancies Special Committee as a "ghost committee" because its deliberations were not reported to council. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Labor councillor Shayne Sutton (Morningside) described the OCSC as a "ghost committee" because its deliberations were not reported to council.

Cr Sutton said, for the interests of accountability, there needed to be a non-administration member on the committee so it would not become "just a rubber stamp" for the administration.
Parents have contacted The Age to raise concerns about the charge, which they say deters poorer families from applying.

Clifton Hill Primary has been requesting the fee from parents living outside its zone to confirm enrolments up to a year in advance.

One of Victoria's most affluent state schools is asking some parents to pay $1000 to secure a coveted spot for their child.

"It is well known that families pay their way into this school," one parent, who did not want to be named, said.

They said some families were asked to pay an extra $1000 to $2000 on top of this, "particularly if they have a Dr in front of their name".

But co-principal Megan Smith said the payment was the school's normal fees, and not an extra charge.

She said the school had asked families living outside its area to pre-pay school fees to ensure they would attend. This practice was stopped in late 2015 following advice from the Education Department and a review of the school fee schedule, she said.

"The suggestion that Clifton Hill Primary School has accepted enrolments based on offers of payments in excess of scheduled fees is outrageous and untrue," she said.
At each antenatal visit, Kristy McKellar hoped her private horror would finally be revealed.

That a midwife or doctor would roll up her sleeve for a pregnancy blood pressure check and see the purple bruises mottling her arms.

Or take her aside to make sure everything was okay at home, if she felt safe.

They never did. So instead Ms McKellar sat, numb, through dozens of appointments under the watchful eye of her abusive husband, who was always at her side.
Many years ago, a psychiatrist diagnosed Alan Chung with an "extremely unusual sense of fair play".

In the early 1980s, Mr Chung - better known as "Ugly" - exposed illegal accommodation for 50 fruit pickers in Shepparton by arranging a fire inspection.

'Ugly', a resident of the Richmond Commission Flats, celebrates his successful battle for security doors. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

More than three decades later the 77-year-old, a resident of the Elizabeth Street/Cooke Court housing estate in North Richmond, won't be silenced.

When he and his neighbours moved into the new buildings in 2013, their apartments did not have security doors, even though the tenants regularly confronted drug users, violent intruders and thieves.
Police have arrested another three teenagers as part of their investigation into gang-related burglaries and car thefts in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs.

Detectives from the Southern Metropolitan Regional Crime Team - formally known as Taskforce Tense - have charged two of the teens with theft of a motor vehicle, while another was charged with a range of offences including assault with a weapon.

The taskforce was set up in November of last year following a string of violent home invasions, aggravated burglaries and carjackings.

Since then, investigators have arrested 70 people, some of whom police believe have links to the Apex gang.

Last week, police said there had been a spike in car-related crime as criminals were targeting luxury vehicles in Melbourne's affluent suburbs.
You'd think the staffers working for one of Australia's most prominent politicians would have known by now, that asking a journalist to censor content - and then allowing them to report this - will almost certainly trigger immediate intrigue.

But it seems we're learning something new every day.

Fairfax Media's political reporter Stephanie Peatling tweeted a photo of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton at a press conference on Tuesday.

He called the press conference after a 21-year-old Somali refugee Hodan Yasin set herself on fire (an incident that should be blamed on refugee advocates, rather than government's policies, according to Mr Dutton).
Dramatic CCTV footage of attacks at two Perth barber shops have been released by WA Police to ascertain whether they are related.

Vision from February 4 shows an offender smashing the front glass door of a barber shop on Cecil Avenue in Cannington. A short time later the shop was alight, causing a damage bill of around $500,000.

On January 21, the same shop was attacked between 9pm and 7.45am the following day when a four-wheel-drive rammed the front shutter door and window before taking off.

Meanwhile, on April 12, police attended a another suspicious fire at a barber shop on Cambridge Street in Wembley.
An Italian freelance massage therapist will remain behind bars until at least 2018 before facing deportation after he sexually assaulted six women in Perth over five months.

Marcello Scariati, 30, has been in custody at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Northam since July.

Marcello Scariati faces deportation following sexual assaults around Perth.

His victims were assaulted between February and June last year while he was working as a massage therapist at businesses in Scarborough and Hillarys, and he also indecently exposed himself to a woman at North Beach.

He was sentenced in the West Australian District Court on Tuesday to four-and-a-half years in jail and must serve at least two-and-a-half years.
Police and paramedics were called to the scene on the corner of Nicholson and Thomas roads just after 6am.

An update on the man's condition is not yet available. Credit:Georgia Matts

Department of Fire and Emergency Services staff were also called to deal with a fuel spill.

A St John Ambulance spokesman said the man was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with potential internal injuries, and injuries to his arms and legs.
A shark policy expert has tempered excitement with 'healthy skepticism' about new cable technology promising to head off great white sharks from Perth beaches.

The South African government's Sharks Board has declared its trial of a 100-metre electronic 'pulsing' cable running offshore, parallel to a Cape Town beach, a success.

The new state government will not deploy drum lines to catch sharks. Credit:Morne Hardenberg/Atlantic Edge

Project manager Paul von Blerk told The West Australian the government would produce a commercial version of the $1 million cable, harmless to sharks and humans, for use by governments including Perth for about $200,000.

Christopher Neff, who has studied West Australian policy for years and did the world's first doctorate on global government policies reacting to shark bites, said the board had led electrical shark deterrent technology for 20 years but the technology had been 'hit and miss' because of geographical variations in salinity and water density and movement.
Rome: Chinese police are joining Italian officers on the streets of Rome and Milan in an experiment aimed at helping tourists from China feel safe, Italy's interior ministry said on Monday.

The experiment is the first of its kind in Europe, China's ambassador to Italy, Li Ruiyu, said at a meeting to announce the project, according to a statement from the ministry.

Chinese Police officers attend a news conference at the Italian Interior Ministry headquarters in Rome on Monday. Credit:AP

The four Chinese officers, who were trained by Italians in Beijing, will wear the same uniforms they wear at home so their compatriots can recognise them easily.

More than 3 million Chinese tourists visit Italy every year, according to Liao Jinrong, the director general of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau.
Pepperdata Named to CRN Big Data 100

CUPERTINO, CA  (Marketwired)  05/02/16  , the worlds experts in the performance of distributed systems, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Pepperdata to its 2016 Big Data 100 list. This annual list recognizes the ingenuity of tech suppliers bringing to market innovative solutions for harnessing the increasing volumes of data generated in todays digital world, raising the bar for data management and challenging established IT practices.

Businesses are constantly grappling with the exploding volume, speed, and variety of information they produce and utilize on a daily basis in order to remain competitive. Solution providers are on a never-ending quest to tame big data with innovative tools, technologies, and services that can convert it into meaningful, usable statistics.

In response to this challenge, the CRN editorial team has identified the IT vendors at the forefront of data management, business analytics and infrastructure technologies and services. The resulting Big Data 100 list is a valuable guide for solution providers seeking out key big data technology suppliers.

Pepperdata was among those recognized for its innovative solution. Pepperdata develops software that governs and guarantees consistent performance of Hadoop clusters to deliver Quality of Service (QoS). Its Adaptive Performance Core captures and processes second-by-second performance data to reshape each applications hardware usage without user intervention. Job performance is enforced based on user-defined priorities and current cluster conditions, eliminating critical contention for hardware and the need for workload isolation. By guaranteeing stable and reliable cluster performance, Pepperdata allows enterprises to realize untapped value from existing distributed infrastructures.

To effectively harness data is critical for any business. Organizations are faced with managing information streams of unprecedented volume and complexity, and are always in need of more powerful and efficient tools for capturing, storing, organizing, securing, and analyzing data to gain business insights, said Robert Faletra, CEO, The Channel Company. We are pleased to present the Big Data 100, a list of vendors whose ingenuity and creative problem-solving are creating effective new ways to help solution providers tackle this mammoth task, challenging the status quo and keeping pace with the rapidly evolving demands of the data management field.

Big data use cases are rapidly outpacing the capabilities of existing tools as IT Operations teams are required to support front line production Hadoop applications. Solutions that can provide predictable cluster performance and QoS for Hadoop are now requirements for continued big data innovation, said Ed Colonna, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Pepperdata. At Pepperdata, we are deeply committed to delivering the only adaptive performance solution to deliver transparency and control over distributed systems and eliminate blind spots in Hadoop environments. We are proud to be featured in CRNs Big Data 100 and look forward to working with partners to help organizations push the boundaries of big data and Hadoop.

The 2016 Big Data 100 list is available online at .

Tweet This: .@TheChannelCo names @Pepperdata to @CRN 2016 Big Data 100 #bigdata2016

Pepperdata develops software that governs and guarantees consistent, peak performance of Hadoop clusters from hundreds to thousands of nodes. Enterprises, from Fortune 500 companies to SMBs, trust Pepperdata to deliver transparency and control over distributed systems and eliminate blind spots in Hadoop environments. Pepperdata provides the only solution that can anticipate and avert cluster performance issues at both the user and job level to create order out of the chaos inherent in distributed computing. Its Adaptive Performance Core captures and processes second-by-second performance data to reshape application usage of CPU, RAM, network, and disk without user intervention, to ensure jobs complete on time. Pepperdata software dynamically prevents bottlenecks in multi-tenant, multi-workload clusters so that numerous users and jobs can run reliably on a single cluster at maximum utilization, increasing throughput by 30 to 50 percent. Job performance is enforced based on user-defined priorities and current cluster conditions, eliminating fatal contention for hardware resources and the need for workload isolation. The software also precisely pinpoints where problems are occurring so that IT teams can quickly identify and fix troublesome jobs. By capturing global knowledge of each cluster and controlling processes in real time to deliver Quality of Service, the software reclaims control over unpredictable cluster environments so that enterprises can realize untapped value from existing distributed infrastructures. The software installs in under an hour, runs on existing clusters, and is compatible with all major Hadoop distributions. With Pepperdata, enterprises can realize untapped value from existing distributed infrastructures and finally apply big data to more use cases to meet business objectives.

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace.

CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. The Channel Company logo is a trademark of The Channel Company, LLC (registration pending). All rights reserved.

Deborah Mullan

Bhava Communications

510.984.6122

The Channel Company Contact:

Melanie Turpin

The Channel Company

(508) 416-1195
Life Clips Signs Binding LOI to Purchase Israeli Battery Maker, Batteryfly Energy, LTD

CHARLOTTE, NC  (Marketwired)  05/03/16  Life Clips, Inc. (OTC PINK: LCLP), an innovative brand of products revolutionizing the way people capture, manage, enjoy, and share lifes moments, announced today that it has entered into a binding agreement to purchase Batteryfly Energy, LTD in a transaction valued at approximately $6 million. The transaction consideration will be a combination of cash, stock, and capped royalties.

Batteryflys flagship battery is a patented battery product called Mobeego. Mobeego is a non-tethered disposable battery, referred to as an energy drink for mobile phones such as Samsung () or Apple () or for action cameras. Simply put, the Mobeego disposable battery is a one-time charger for instant mobile use. Mobeego eliminates the need to find the closest outlet to charge your phone, and you no longer need to stop using your phone to save the battery. Mobeego batteries have a 10 year shelf-life and do not require a charging cord. Mobeego batteries can be purchased as single or double use, as a six pack, or for action cameras, such as Life Clips, GoPro, and Xiaomi. Mobeegos products can be viewed at .

Mobeego launched its battery products in late November 2015 and its products are now distributed in 14 countries including the U.K., Canada, Russia, Malaysia, Israel, and France. The Mobeego battery will allow users who are out or low on power to give an energy shot to their phone or action camera. The battery will provide about 2 hours of talk time or about 4 hours of use time. Pricing for a single battery is anticipated to be $3.99 or $9.99 for a battery and reusable plug.

The product use concepts can be seen in this commercial:

This product is extremely complementary to our goal to build a digital media and support company. Our initial feedback from big box U.S. retailers has been positive and we look forward to continuing our discussions. We believe a product like this should be stocked at check-out counters at convenience stores, airports, office supply stores, grocery stores, and pretty much everywhere people shop, said Robert Gruder, Chief Executive Officer of Life Clips, Inc. How many times have you been at a sporting event, a concert, airport or simply at work and your phone was about to go dead? Now a quick, affordable solution is available.

The founders of Mobeego stated, We believe Life Clips will introduce Mobeego products into the right channels, so our market penetration will expand at an even faster rate. We have been incredibly pleased by the consumer demand from our initial roll out and now believe that this product could be sold at tens of thousands of retail outlets. Our goal is to solve a worldwide problem. The Mobeego battery can help solve this problem.

In addition to statements of current and historical fact, this Press Release contains forward-looking statements. The words forecast, will, intend, anticipate, project, intend, expect, should, believe and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this Press Release, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by Life Clips and its projections of the future, about which it cannot be certain. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including those discussed in Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Life Clips annual report on Form 10-Q and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), as well as matters discussed in Life Clips financial statements and related notes and other filings with the SEC, which may cause its actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, all forward-looking statements should be evaluated with an understanding of their inherent uncertainty. Except as required by law, Life Clips assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

While Life Clips and Mobeego have signed a binding letter of intent, neither company can give assurances that the parties will be successful in negotiating a binding, definitive acquisition agreement or that the transaction will close. Business, legal and financial due diligence will be required before any binding, definitive acquisition agreement is executed. Additionally, once executed, the completion of the acquisition will be subject to customary closing conditions, a number of which may not be within either companys control and which may prevent, delay or otherwise materially adversely affect the completion of the transaction. We cannot predict with certainty whether and when any of the required closing conditions will be satisfied or if another uncertainty may arise. If the acquisition does not receive, or timely receive, any required regulatory approvals and clearances, or if another event occurs delaying or preventing the acquisition, such delay or failure to complete the transaction may cause uncertainty or other negative consequences that may materially and adversely affect either or both companys sales, financial performance and operating results, and the price per share of Life Clips common stock and perceived acquisition value.

Samsung, iPhone, GoPro, Xiaomi, are respective trademarks of Samsung, Apple, GoPro and Xiaomi. All rights reserved.

Robert Gruder

Chief Executive Officer

Investor Relations

David Kugelman

Atlanta Capital Partners, LLC

(404) 856-9157

(866) 692-6847 Toll Free  U.S. And Canada
Hedvig Wins Top Recognition from 2016 American Business Awards(SM)

SANTA CLARA, CA  (Marketwired)  05/03/16  , the company modernizing storage and accelerating enterprise adoption of private and hybrid clouds, today announced it has been named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the Software  Cloud Storage & Backup Solution category in .

Were proud to be at the forefront of a new, software-defined movement to provide modern storage solutions for todays data center, said Avinash Lakshman, CEO and Founder of Hedvig. This award is a testament of our teams focus and dedication to meeting our goal of continued innovation in enterprise storage technology. Were honored to be a recipient of the Gold Stevie Award.

Supporting both hyperscale and hyperconverged deployments across public and private clouds, the Hedvig Distributed Storage Platform is the most versatile software-defined storage solution for modern data centers. With Hedvig, IT departments can cut storage costs by 60% or more while also investing in a platform that accommodates ever-changing business requirements. Hedvig is the only software-only platform that provides a full suite of data services along with support for traditional applications with protocols like iSCSI and NFS while also supporting new applications using object storage interfaces like S3 and Swift. Hedvig also supports a wide variety of compute environments, including OpenStack, Docker, VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and Xen.

The judges were extremely impressed with the quality of entries we received this year. The competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud, said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

More than 3,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Live Event of the Year, and App of the Year, among others. Hedvig was nominated in the New Software Product of the Year category for Cloud Storage & Backup Solutions.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2016 Stevie winners are available at .

Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at.

Hedvig reduces enterprise storage costs by 60 percent while accelerating migration to cloud. The Hedvig Distributed Storage Platform combines block, file, and object storage for bare metal, hypervisor and container environments. The only software-defined solution built on a true distributed system, Hedvig is built to keep pace with scale-out applications and the velocity of change in todays business climate. The Hedvig platform gets better and smarter as the system scales, transforming commodity hardware into the most advanced storage solution available today. Customers such as DGC, LKAB, Mazzetti and Van Dijk use the Hedvig platform to transform their storage from a box where data resides to a fundamental business enabler.

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Mi-Corporation Hosts Successful Annual Mobility Summit

DURHAM, NC  (Marketwired)  05/03/16  , the award-winning mobile information company, welcomed leaders from the mobile technology industry to the Durham Convention Center April 13-14 for the companys annual Mobility Summit. Mobility Summit is an educational forum which provides organizations an opportunity to learn about the latest trends in mobile and related technologies as well as share how mobility solutions are transforming the way companies do business.

The event provided vendor exhibits, informative educational opportunities, hands-on workshops and vibrant networking for attendees to share best practices. Key sessions included how to use mobile software and hardware to reduce human error, comply with government regulations, streamline logistics, and increase productivity and efficiency.

Mobile devices are the preferred platform for collecting, analyzing, and sharing data within an enterprise environment, said Greg Clary, Mi-Corporation CEO and Founder, adding, User demand for secure, real-time and error-free data is leading to a constant evolution of and technology. Bringing organizations together to discuss best practices and share experiences has proven greatly beneficial for the companies that attend the .

Highlights of the event included examinations of successful mobility use cases; an interactive paper prototyping workshop; a mobility expert panel; presentations on enterprise mobility security; and a luncheon keynote speech by Eric Ellis, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, State of North Carolina. Ellis presentation spoke to his vision for mobile and related technologies and how the State could enhance many of their current processes and provide exciting interactive opportunities for its constituents. North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources holds a special place in Mr. Ellis heart, and he shared exciting potential uses of mobile technology for North Carolina parks and museums.

In addition to Mr. Ellis, Mobility Summit 2016 speakers included:

Conor Maguire, Mobile Programme Manager, Transport for London

Winnie Webber, JIS Director, 19th Judicial Court of Lake County

Bryan Lesko, Enterprise Mobility Specialist, Microsoft

Paul Russo, Director of Global Deployment Services, Xplore Technologies

Josh Robertson, Director of Business Development, Smashing Boxes

Derek Brameyer, VP of Operations, WillowTree

Steve Myerow, President, Texcel Systems, Inc.

Alex Bratt, Client Engagement Manager, EnergySavvy

Julie Scrivner, Client Engagement Professional, EnergySavvy

Phillip Morris, CEO, Mariner

Greg Manson, Senior Solutions Architect, Carolinas IT

Mi-Corporation doled out several awards during the Summit, including the User of the Year Award, given to the organization that has rolled out its mobile solutions in the most scalable way. This year the award went to , which manages Londons buses and Tube network, and which has recently deployed Mi-Corporations Mi-Forms to thousands of users.

received Mi-Corporations Process Improvement Organization of the Year award for successfully transforming their paper process to a mobile process for their clinical trial data collection. of Australia received the Mi-Corporation Partner of the Year award, and received the Mi-Corporation Innovator of the Year award for their use of Mi-Corporation mobile solutions for their informed consent and patient engagement instruments.

included Microsoft, Intel, Xplore Technologies, Texcel Systems Inc., and Concrete Data. Those that missed the summit are invited to review our  blog post.

continuously shares its mobile data expertise gained in serving clients over the past 16 years  as well as its intellectual leadership garnered through the development of 10 issued U.S. patents  via participation in national industry events; webinars; and the companys Mobility Summit.

, the award-winning mobile information company, provides flexible, scalable, and secure enterprise-class solutions for mission-critical data sharing needs. The 16-year-old industry leader operates out of the technology-rich Research Triangle region of North Carolina, with a talented team of experienced professionals supporting products operating on Tablets, Smartphones and other mobile devices. Mi-Corporation has a history of helping clients mitigate risks, transform business processes, drive productivity, and increase revenue across diverse industries. Organizations including the NC Department of Agriculture, the United Nations, the US Dept. of Transportation, Transport for London and many others use Mi-Corporation , , and products. For more information visit .

(919) 485-4819 x 1600
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For city money, South Bend apartments allot 40% of rooms to poor tenants

The need for reasonably priced one- and two-bedroom units is dire in the city. Many renters are older and disabled residents who live alone.
Marquette springs upset, Slinger survives in football playoffs

The nine Milwaukee-area top-seeded football teams all won Friday night. The results across Level 1 set up some interesting games for the week ahead.
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Makemake is a dwarf planet in the outer solar system. It was the fourth body identified as a dwarf planet, and was one of the bodies that caused Pluto to lose its status as a planet.

Makemake is large enough and bright enough to be studied by a high-end amateur telescope. Astronomers took advantage of the dwarf planet's recent passage in front of a star  called an occultation  to determine that Makemake has no atmosphere.

It has a moon, though. In 2015, astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a tiny object orbiting Makemake.

Discovery and naming

Makemake (pronounced mah-kee-mah-kee) was first observed in March 2005 by a team of astronomers at the Palomar Observatory. Officially known as 2005 FY9, the tiny planetoid was nicknamed Easterbunny by the group. The team was also responsible for the discovery of dwarf planet Eris and involved in the controversial discovery of the dwarf planet Haumea.

Makemake is named for the god of fertility in Rapa Nui mythology. The Rapa Nui live on Easter Island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Makemake was the chief god, the creator of humanity, and the god of fertility.

Orbit, size and characteristics

Makemake is the second brightest known object in the outer solar system, just slightly dimmer than Pluto. At 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) wide, it is about two-thirds the size of the more well-known dwarf planet. It orbits beyond the range of Pluto, but closer to the sun than Eris, taking approximately 310 Earth-years to circle the sun.

Makemake is reddish-brown in color, leading scientists to conclude that it contained a layer of methane at its surface, possibly in pellets one-centimeter across. Signs of frozen ethane and frozen nitrogen have also been determined. [Gallery: Dwarf Planet Makemake: Icy Wonder]

Astronomers took advantage of the dwarf planet's passage in front of a star to determine that it lacks a significant atmosphere, a surprise given its similarities to Pluto, which has a thin one. The scientists also took advantage of their study to calculate how much light the planet reflected, a rate comparable to dirty snow. The planet is dimmer than Pluto but brighter than Eris.

Like all of the known dwarf planets but Ceres, Makemake travels through the Kuiper Belt, the region of ice and rock at the outer edges of the solar system. It can travel as far out as 53 times the distance between the Earth and sun, and come as close as 38 times over the course of its orbit.

Makemake spins on its axis once every 22.5 hours, with a day just shorter than Earth's.

Tiny companion

Makemake's moon, designated S/2015 (136472) 1 but nicknamed MK 2, is about 100 miles (160 km) in diameter. It was seen about 13,000 miles (20,900 km) from the surface of Makemake.

The Hubble discovery images suggest that MK 2 is as dark as charcoal, which seems surprising given that Makemake is so bright. One possible explanation is that the moon's gravity is too weak to hold onto reflective ices, which sublimate off MK 2's surface into space, researchers said.

MK 2 was spotted in observations made by Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 in April 2015, after several previous Makemake observation campaigns had failed to turn up any satellites.

"Our preliminary estimates show that the moon's orbit seems to be edge-on, and that means that often when you look at the system you are going to miss the moon because it gets lost in the bright glare of Makemake," Alex Parker of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, who led the image analysis for the Hubble observations, said in a statement.

Additional observations should also reveal the shape of MK 2's orbit around Makemake. If the orbit is tightly circular, the moon was probably created by a long-ago giant impact, just like the five satellites in the Pluto system were, researchers said. A looping, elliptical orbit, on the other hand, would suggest that MK 2 was once a free-flying Kuiper Belt object that Makemake captured.

Changing the definition of a planet

Makemake, along with Eris and Haumea, were responsible for Pluto's drop in status from planet to dwarf planet. Though Makemake and Haumea are just smaller than Pluto, Eris is more massive; the dwarf planet Ceres, found in the asteroid belt, is the smallest of the bunch. Haumea and Pluto have satellites, but the rest don't.

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union created a new category of bodies known as "dwarf planets," and reclassified the definition of a planet. According to the IAU, a planet circles the sun but isn't orbiting something else, is large enough to be rounded by its own gravity, and has cleared its neighborhood of orbiting bodies. Pluto failed to make the cut because it didn't clear the debris in its orbital path.

Additional reporting by Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer.
The gravity of a distant galaxy known as SDP.81 (the blue object in the center, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope) distorts the light traveling past it into an Einstein ring (red arc) in this composite image. The small, white dot is the location of a dark dwarf galaxy hovering around the edge of the central object.

Sometimes, a flaw in your magnifying glass can be a good thing; in the case of some new research, it can even reveal invisible dark matter galaxies.

Astronomers probing the sky used the gravity of a massive galaxy as a natural magnifying glass, and they found a strange distortion on its edge. That distortion proved to be a smaller, invisible galaxy composed of dark matter. The discovery, explained in a new video, could pave the way to finding more of these unusual objects, providing a better understanding of the mysterious material that makes up most of the matter in the universe.

"We can find these invisible objects in the same way that you can see rain droplets on a window," lead author Yashar Hezaveh said in a statement. Like raindrops, the massive clumps of matter warp objects seen through them. Hezaveh, an astronomer at Stanford University in California, worked with a team of scientists that used a massive radio telescope, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, to find a clump of missing matter in the outer rim of a larger galaxy that. [8 Baffling Astronomy Mysteries]

"You know they are there because they distort the image of the background objects," Hezaveh said.

The gravity of a distant galaxy known as SDP.81 (the blue object in the center, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope) distorts the light traveling past it into an Einstein ring (red arc) in this composite image. The small, white dot is the location of a dark dwarf galaxy hovering around the edge of the central object. (Image credit: Y. Hezaveh, Stanford Univ.; ALMA (NRAO/ESO/NAOJ); NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope)

Solving the crisis

Observing objects in the distant universe can challenge the limits of current technology. As a shortcut, astronomers can rely on a much older tool: massive galaxies large enough to distort space-time. As predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, the enormous collections of stars serve as magnifying glasses by causing light to bend as it passes by. The distant light curves around the nearer galaxy, creating a so-called "Einstein ring." This reveals faraway objects behind the nearby galaxy.

Scientists take advantage of the gravitational lensing phenomenon to study incredibly distant galaxies, many of which formed only a few billion years after the universe's Big Bang.

The team of astronomers noticed that the newly updated ALMA's image of an Einstein ring known as SDP.81 contained a strange distortion, unveiled only after thousands of computers working together searched for subtle anomalies. The unprecedented detail of the star-free region around the closer lensing galaxy, known as the halo, revealed a distinctive clump of matter less than one-thousandth the mass of the Milky Way. This clump's location and mass, and the fact that no object could be spotted in the region suggested that the cluster could be an extremely faint dwarf galaxy of dark matter lying nearly 4 billion light-years from Earth.

Dark matter makes up more than three-fourths of the matter in the universe, but cannot be seen via visible light or electromagnetic radiation. Instead, scientists must use distortions produced by dark matter's gravity to detect the material.

In the case of galaxies, smaller dark-matter clusters could help astronomers solve a long-standing puzzle. Theory predicts that most galaxies should host dwarf galaxies in their halos, but few of these smaller galaxies have been spotted. Only about 40 of the predicted thousands of such galaxies have been seen orbiting the Milky Way.

"This discrepancy between observed satellites and predicted abundances has been a major problem in cosmology for nearly two decades, even called a 'crisis' by some researchers," said team member Neal Dalal, of the University of Illinois.

"If these dwarf objects are dominated by dark matter, this could explain the discrepancy while offering new insights into the true nature of dark matter," he said.

According to the researchers, ALMA may bring more of these dark matter satellites to light. With its incredible sensitivity, the enormous array of instruments could pinpoint other invisible dwarf galaxies hovering around the edges of natural magnifying glasses throughout the universe.

"This is an amazing demonstration of the power of ALMA," said team member Gilbert Holder, of McGill University in Canada. "We are now confident that ALMA can efficiently discover these dwarf galaxies.

"Our next step is to look for more of them."

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebookor Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Europe and Russia are delaying launch of their ExoMars life-scouting rover mission to Mars from 2018 to 2020, the next time Earth and Mars are best aligned for interplanetary flight.

"Russian and European experts made their best efforts to meet the 2018 launch schedule for the mission," the European Space Agency said in a statement Monday.

ANALYSIS: Landing Spot Selected for ExoMars Mission

But a panel investigating options for overcoming delays, concluded that rescheduling for July 2020 "would be the best solution."

Program managers agreed and have asked project teams to coordinate with industry contractors and develop new schedules.

"Additional measures will also be taken to maintain close control over the activities on both sides up to launch," the statement said.

Photos: Watching the Sunsets of Mars Through Robot Eyes

The delay means that the ExoMars mission, which will search for present-day or past life on Mars, will be launching during the same period as NASA's Mars2020, a follow-on mission to the ongoing Curiosity rover. In addition to assessing Mars' habitability, the NASA mission will gather samples for an eventual return to Mars.

In December, problems with a French-built science instrument for InSight, another NASA Mars mission, forced the probe to miss its March 2016 launch opportunity. That flight has now been retargeted for 2018.

Originally published on Discovery News.
Concept art showing the SpaceX Dragon on its way to Mars.

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, never one to rest on his laurels, recently laid out the opening move in his long-term quest to land people (himself included) on Mars.

The plan begins with a Dragon capsule, similar to one of the cargo ships now parked at the International Space Station, blasting off for Mars aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as early as 2018.

The Falcon Heavy, which will have 27 first-stage engines, compared to the nine aboard SpaceX's current Falcon rocket, is scheduled for its first flight before the end of this year. Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful U.S. rocket to fly since NASA's Saturn 5 moon rockets of the 1970s.

SpaceX Targets 2018 for First Mars Mission

NASA, which was an early supporter and primary customer of Musk's Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, was quick to respond to his Mars announcement with a statement of support and the disclosure of an agreement offering technical support.

NASA, after all, has successfully landed spacecraft on Mars seven times.

SpaceX, which has multibillion-dollar contracts with NASA to fly cargo and crew to the space station, won't be getting financial support from NASA for its debut Mars mission, known as Red Dragon.

The prospect of SpaceX's self-financed journey to Mars, one which Musk clearly intends to develop to the point of landing people, casts new light on NASA's own Mars program. The project costs NASA about $4 billion per year and does not yet include development of a habitat for deep-space travel or a vehicle to land and then take off again from the surface.

PHOTOS: Lesson of SpaceX Rocket Landing: Try, Try, Try Again

For now, the agency is focused on developing the multipurpose deep-space Orion capsule and a heavy-lift rocket, known as the Space Launch System. The capsule and launcher will be tested together for the first time during an unmanned flight around the moon in November 2018. A follow-up test flight with astronauts aboard is targeted for 2023, setting the stage for a human mission to Mars in the mid-2030s.

Which begs the question: Will SpaceX be there first?

"I hope that Space X and NASA  perhaps in a role more  as advisor instead of NASA as operator  will work together in global harmony to jointly land humans on Mars," astronaut Buzz Aldrin wrote in an email to Discovery News.

Aldrin, one of 12 Americans to walk on the moon, has developed a plan to colonize Mars.

Musk: SpaceX Making 'Progress' Toward Mars Colony

Bob Zubrin, another long-term advocate for Mars settlement, said he thinks its possible SpaceX may land people before NASA and "probable" that U.S. astronauts will ride as passengers to Mars on SpaceX vehicles.

SpaceX intends to use a new landing technology called supersonic retro-propulsion, which has never been demonstrated on Mars.

"I wouldn't bet against SpaceX eventually landing a Dragon on Mars, but it is 300 miles to send the Dragon to the space station. Mars is 150 million miles away and has a thin atmosphere to deal with. (The) degree of difficulty is way, way higher," Scott Hubbard, a consulting professor at Stanford University and former director of NASA's Ames Research Center in California, wrote in an email to Discovery News.

Hubbard, who also served as NASA's first Mars program director, said several critical technologies must be matured before anyone steps foot on Mars, including high-power solar electric propulsion for cargo and resupply ships and a deep-space habitat and life support systems for crews during the rides to and from Mars, which take between six and nine months each way.

"Humans to Mars is such a complex and difficult undertaking that I expect an successful mission to be collaborative  maybe public private partnership, maybe multinational, maybe all of the above," Hubbard said.

More details of Musk's Mars plan are expected to be unveiled at the International Astronautical Congress in September.

Originally published on Discovery News.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

Trend:

British channel BBC's journalists visited frontline areas of Azerbaijan damaged by Armenian troops.

The channel in its report noted that the visit was organized by the Azerbaijani government.

As part of a "well planned by the government", according to the journalist of TV channel, trip around Azerbaijan's regions near the conflict zone a group of reporters visited several villages damaged as a result of the Armenian aggression, where they got acquainted with the destroyed and burnt by shelling houses.

The journalists also visited hospitals, where they saw wounded people, and also met with relatives of the victims.

Starting from April 27 evening until 04:00 (GMT + 4) April 28, the Armenian armed forces were firing at the Azerbaijani settlements and the Azerbaijani army positions in the Terter and Aghdam districts of Azerbaijan.

Two people were killed and many more wounded as a result of the Aghdam shelling. At least 84 houses in the district were heavily damaged, some of them completely destroyed.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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Algiers, May 03, 2016 (SPS) - Algeria's "constant" position on Western Sahara issue is that of the international community, reaffirmed Monday in Algiers Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel.

"Algeria's position is constant and it is that of the international community since it was included in the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories in 1963," Messahel told the national Radio.

"The solution lies in the holding of a referendum to allow Sahrawi people decide freely the future of their territory. It is not up to Algeria, or Morocco, or the United States, or France, or the Security Council to decide. It is an inalienable right of a people to a territory called Western Sahara, which is a non-self-governing territory," explained Messahel.

The minister underlined the need to promote "political talks" between the parties to the conflict (Morocco and Polisario Front).

"Negotiations are key element for the resolution of the conflict. Only the political solution would allow the Sahrawi people to express freely their choices," he said adding that UN practice in such conflict is clear."

As regards the adoption by the UN Security Council of the resolution 2285 (2016) on the extension of the mandate of the UN Mission for Referendum on Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2017, Messahel said that through this resolution, five fundamental principles of the UN have been underlined.

"We consider that this resolution is an important decision, based on five fundamental principles of the UN: first this issue is a question of decolonization of a territory listed as a non-self-governing territory, second, it is a decolonization process not achieved by the UN, and the decolonization of the territory is incumbent on the UN," explained the minister.SPS

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Bir Lahlou (liberated territories) May 03, 2016 (SPS) - Sahrawi Human Rights Commission (CONASADH) has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating health of the Sahrawi human rights activist and political prisoner, Abdulkhalek Markhi, who is on an unlimited hunger strike since 1 April in the prison of Tiznit, in Morocco.

In a statement a copy of which obtained by the Sahrawi news agency (SPS), CONASADH underlined that the "health of the Sahrawi prisoner has seriously deteriorated due to the complications of his hunger strike," adding that "he suffers frequent fainting and has difficulties walking or moving."

The Commission blamed the Moroccan authorities for this situation and reaffirmed its "solidarity with him and his legitimate demands."

CONASADH called on "all international human rights and humanitarian organizations to exert pressure on Morocco to save the life of the Sahrawi political prisoner."

The Sahrawi Commission also condemned the "unjust" charges by Moroccan judicial authorities against the Sahrawi activist and Sahrawi prisoners claiming the right of Sahrawi people to self-determination and independence.

CONASADH urged the United Nations to set up an independent mechanism to monitor human rights situation and take actions against Moroccans found guilty of grave violations against Sahrawi civilians.

The Sahrawi activist Abdulkhalek Markhi was arrested by Moroccan authorities, following his participation in peaceful protests claiming Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and independence, and supporting victims of Morocco's human rights violations. SPS

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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

Trend:

Azerbaijani serviceman Amrah Yuzbekov was killed May 3 as a result of shootout on the line of contact between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia, said the message of the Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry.

The ministry has extended condolences to the family and friends of the killed soldier.

"Armenia's criminal military and political leadership bears the responsibility for the incidents on the line of contact," added the ministry.
NORWALK  Mac It, which bills itself as The Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese Experience, opened three years ago at 8 Main St. Yet some residents still dont know its there.

"We hear a lot of people say, I didnt know you were here. I live around the corner," owner Teresa Dozier told a representative of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Monday. " I live down the street. I live across the street and I didnt know you were here," Dozier said. "Those are some of our challenges."

On Monday, Dozier and two other Main Street businesses were visited by elected officials and Frank Alvarado, senior area manager/veterans affairs officer for the SBA Connecticut District Office in Bridgeport, as part of National Small Business Week (May 1 through May 7).

While Dozier has a website and uses social media, more help is available from SCORE, a nonprofit association that helps small businesses, as well as from the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, a partnership between the SBA, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the University of Connecticut, Alvarado said.

"There are business advisers that would come here and meet with (Dozier)," Alvarado said. "We would set her up with the adviser that is assigned to this town to make sure that she gets the help she needs."

He said such help is free of charge and handed Dozier a copy of the Connecticut edition of the SBAs 2016 Resource Guide for Small Business.

Alvarado, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Norwalk Mayor Harry W. Rilling also toured Muros Original New York Bakery & Deli at 52 Main.

"Were here to support small businesses because theyre the lifeblood of our economy," Blumenthal said.

Rilling thanked the business owners for their long-time commitment to Norwalk.

He said parking remains the complaint he most commonly hears from Wall Street neighborhood businesses. He attributes that to ongoing redevelopment.

"Other than that, I really dont hear many challenges from our small businesses," Rilling said. "We give them plenty of support. We meet with them whenever they need to meet. We have the small business seminars."

The Muro family has run the bakery for much of the last half century. Co-owner Ken Muro said competition  from other bakeries and grocery stores  is his biggest challenge.

"Theres not too many of the mom-and-pop bakeries around," Muro said. "The supermarkets kind of put a little bit of a hit on us, but the people that want fresh-baked, homemade stuff, they know where to come."

Muro and Philip Kydes, owner of Steves Market at 69 Main St., both welcomed new residential development in the Wall and Main Street neighborhoods as a boon to their businesses while acknowledging theyve also changed over the years.

New York Bakery continues to hand bake its products on site but added a deli to the premises.

Steves Market stopped selling fresh lamb but still offers what Kydes describes as the largest selection of imported Greek products in Connecticut as well as non-Greek items.

"Its become homogenized. Theyve blended, which is what we want anyway in America  this is a melting pot," Kydes said. "So they eat Greek food, they eat American food, they eat Italian food. Thats why we also had to expand which is what we did and thats how we survived."

Elizabeth L. Stocker, Norwalks director of economic development, and Brian Griffin, vice president of The Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, also participated in the tour.
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As Norwalk continues to develop, a select group is working to preserve the natural landscape.

The Norwalk Land Trust properties make up almost 100 acres of open space in Norwalk, preserving nesting and foraging habitats for at least 10 endangered species of wildlife that claim the city as home, according to the latest listing from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection in Hartford.

Land Trust president John Moeling said the presence of these species, which range from birds to bats to frogs, has been recorded on three Land Trust properties including the Farm Creek Nature Preserve in Rowayton, the White Barn Preserve in the Cranbury District and Hoyt Island off Village Creek in South Norwalk.

We provide almost 100 acres of habitats so these species arent interrupted, Moeling said. We put in a lot of work to make sure the wildlife can survive here.

At the White Barn Preserve, for example, area development and construction is cause for concern when it comes to keeping the stream  a lone tributary of the Saugatuck River  clean and safe for the wildlife that calls it home.

DEEP reports there are 24 endangered species, 15 threatened and three special concern species in Connecticut.

In Norwalk, the endangered little brown bat has found refuge at the White Barn Preserve, as have two threatened species, the great and snowy egrets. Special concern species at the preserve include the spotted and Eastern box turtles.

On Hoyt Island, four threatened birds have moved in including the bald eagle, great and snowy egrets and the American Oystercatcher.

Moeling said there are likely more than 10 species in Norwalk, and the Land Trust is working hard to identify and protect them.

The Land Trust is a volunteer organization, with more than 400 regular paying member donors who help fund the preservation of the NLT properties as well as the NLT schools program.

Even with the presence of these species, Molting said the Land Trust has had to compete with developers to keep the land and surrounding areas as clean as possible.

Norwalk is really intensely built up and we have very little open space and we have to fight like tigers to keep it, Moeling said.
If you are a member of LinkedIn, its possible that you have seen in your activity stream many back-and-forths and a fairly significant uproar over the founder of a certain bikini company and her postings.

Related: 8 Types of Photos You Should Never Use on Your LinkedIn Profile

While I am not connected to said founder (who I am not naming purposefully to not grant extra publicity for her stunts), my timeline just about every day has one or more people who I am connected with who have reacted to a variety of pictures posted by the CEO of the company.

Said pictures are of women scantily clad in the CEOs companys swim wear, as well as her post -- later taken down by LinkedIn after racking up tens of thousands of views -- entitled Is This Appropriate to Post on LinkedIn? The post, as you may have guessed, was accompanied by the backside of a beauty pageant contestant in one of her swimwear pieces.

As one who likes to push the envelope, I give this CEO lots of props for the public relations effort. It has been talked about ad nauseum and featured in many media outlets for the outrage it has created. And as a women who has witnessed the problem with many women, including myself, being taken credibly due to objectification, I also understand the outrage.

But the actual problem with the bikinis on LinkedIn goes to the root of using social media. You want to be not just where your customers are, but where they are having the relevant conversations about your business.

Related: LinkedIn Flexes Its Star Power With Addition of Gwen Stefani

Now, you may argue that bikinis are this companys business. And thats fine -- if the CEO wants to tout that her bikinis have been featured on a beauty pageant contestant as a way to get professional kudos, I can understand that. But, that clearly wasnt the intent here.

LinkedIn is a professional outlet, where people are having business conversations, not making consumer purchases. While many users likely have an interest in swimwear for themselves or their significant others, those conversations arent happening on LinkedIn the way that they are in Pinterest and Facebook.

Thats what makes it inappropriate as much so as wheeling the girls in the bikinis into the middle of a church service. Many swimwear buyers are in the pews, but in that moment, they are there to pray, not purchase a bikini.

I can take my own business as an example. I have a lot of potential clients on Facebook, but they are having more personal conversations there. Twitter is a better outlet for my client-related postings as well as business punditry about things like the Federal Reserve, because thats where my audience is comfortable having those conversations. And, at the end of the day, your business is about your customers -- so you should be meeting them where they want to have the relevant conversation about your product.

Related: The 12 Types of People You Hate On LinkedIn

So, to the CEO of the bikini company (and anyone else who may follow suit, no pun intended) no, your bikini adverts are not appropriate for LinkedIn, although not for the reasons that many think they arent.

Related:



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev accepted the credentials of newly-appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia Husnan Bey Fananie May 3.

Husnan Bey Fananie handed his credentials to the president, and President Ilham Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador.

Noting that the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia are developing successfully, the president hailed good cooperation between the two countries within international organizations, including the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The president expressed his gratitude to Indonesia for supporting Azerbaijan.

Pointing to the partnership relations between the two countries, President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is interested in establishing closer ties with Indonesia.

Highlighting the cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, educational, cultural, investment making and other fields, President Aliyev expressed his hope that these relations would continue to develop successfully.

Stressing the importance of the activity of embassies in both countries, the president wished Husnan Bey Fananie success in his activities.

The ambassador conveyed the greetings of President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo to President Aliyev.

Pointing to the fact that both countries' peoples share the same religion and similar cultural values, the Indonesian ambassador expressed his hope that the bilateral relations would continue to develop in a variety of fields.

The Indonesian ambassador said he would spare no efforts to contribute to the expansion of ties between the two countries during his diplomatic tenure.

Husnan Bey Fananie stressed the significance of the Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Azerbaijan in 2017.

President Aliyev thanked for the greetings of President Widodo, and asked the ambassador to extend his greetings to the Indonesian president.
A Brazilian judge has blocked access to Facebooks hugely popular WhatsApp messaging service for 72 hours.

More than 100 million people use WhatsApp in Brazil, about half the population, and this is the second time in five months that judges have moved against the app.

The decision was taken by a judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe and is thought to be to do with secrecy surrounding an ongoing case in Sergipes state court.

In December WhatsApp was the subject of a blocking order that lasted 48 hours, although the suspension was interrupted by another court soon after.

WhatsApp has recently started encrypting all text messages sent by its users in Brazil and has refused to hand over data to the authorities.

The judge behind the latest blocking order sent a Facebook executive to prison last year, for failing to comply with a previous blocking order. The executive was subsequently freed.

In a statement, WhatsApp said the company was disappointed at the decision which punishes more than 100 million users who depend upon us to communicate themselves, run their business and more, just to force us hand over information that we dont have.
T oday, the Evening Standard launches its first Business Awards, celebrating the very best in business in the capital.

Our team of specialist business writers has selected a longlist of candidates for 12 categories, recognising the importance of the diverse range of industries that make this the best city in the world and the powerhouse of the UK economy.

From the financial engine rooms of the City and Canary Wharf to retail and consumer businesses and from infrastructure to technology, we will be applauding companies that have been better than the rest over the past year.

In keeping with the Evening Standards success in raising millions to help less fortunate Londoners, weve also created an award to celebrate the work done by companies and their employees to help the disadvantaged.

Today we reveal the longlist of companies and individuals we have chosen for consideration. This will be whittled down to a shortlist, and then an esteemed group of independent judges will determine the winners.

The awards event takes place at Tobacco Dock in the City on June 30, and the CBIs new director general Carolyn Fairbairn will be the keynote speaker.

So, here is the longlist for the inaugural Evening Standard Business Awards for 2016:

Consumer Business of the Year

London boasts more retail, leisure and consumer brands than any other city in the world. Here we celebrate the consumer business that has made the greatest strides in beating rivals, growing its business and serving the public.

Aldi

Lidl

Uber

JD Sports

Whitbread

JD Wetherspoon

Travelodge

John Lewis

SME Business of The Year in partnership with LDC

This award, made in partnership with private equity firm LDC, will be given to the small or medium-sized business that has taken the greatest strides in innovation, growth and market savvy.

Smarkets

Silent Pool Distillers

Square Pie

finnCap

Fever-Tree

Nature Delivered (Graze.com)

Infrastructure and Transport Project of the Year

Londons spectacular growth has left its infrastructure creaking at the seams. But now a host of huge infrastructure projects are under way. From the super sewer to transport links and the Olympics legacy projects, this award celebrates the boldest, most effective projects being delivered.

Cycle Superhighway

Crossrail

IAG

West Hams move to the Olympic

Stadium

Thames Tideway (super sewer)

Property Developer of the Year

Housing and office space is in more demand than ever before as people and businesses flock to London for its exciting jobs and dynamism. Here we recognise the residential or commercial developer whose new projects will best serve our fastgrowing population.

Taylor Wimpey

Ballymore

Almacantar

Land Securities

Berkeley Homes

Crown Estate

Lend Lease

Financial Services Business of the Year

While the Citys trading floors have had a tough year, the financial community has still proved itself the best in the world when it comes to expertise in corporate takeovers and fund-raising. Its retail banks have also been through hard times but some are turning their businesses around. Meanwhile, the Citys insurers still dominate the world. This award recognises the company that has achieved the most in often difficult times.

Goldman Sachs

JPMorgan

Robey Warshaw

Santander

Virgin Money

Lloyds Banking Group

Legal & General

Entrepreneur of the Year

London is the most entrepreneurial city in the UK  nine of the top 10 UK local authorities for start-ups in the past two years have been in the capital. Here we celebrate and recognise the entrepreneur who has had the most success and creative drive.

Peter Cruddas (CMC Markets)

Amber Atherton (My Flash Trash)

Peter Kelly (Softcat)

Jo Malone (Jo Loves)

Jasper Cuppaidge (Camden Town

Brewery)

Kieran ONeill (Thread)

Peter Roberts (Pure Gym)

Tech Company of the Year

From the start-ups of Tech City to established companies whose shares trade on the London Stock Exchange, the UKs tech sector is advancing at breakneck pace. This award will recognise the company that has achieved special progress this year.

Paysafe

BT

Deliveroo

ARM

Shazam

Ocado

CrowdCube

London Centre for Nanotechnology

Corporate Citizen of the Year

The capitals business community is a generous donor to good causes. But companies and their staff also give enormously of their time and expertise to projects to improve the lives of those less fortunate than them. This award will honour the institution whose employees have made most difference during the year.

Morgan Stanleys deprived children campaign and Great Ormond Street Hospital Project

Bank of America Merrill Lynchs Womens Empowerment Programme

Citis support of the Evening Standards The Estate Were In campaign

Allen & Overys Smart Start programme

Deal of the Year

It has been a year of mega-takeovers in corporate Britain, all dreamed up, negotiated and completed in London. This award recognises the teams that secured the best terms during a takeover negotiation or the companies that spotted an opportunity and went for it.

BT/EE

Shell/BG

IAG/Aer Lingus

SABMiller/AB InBev

Tullett/Icap

LSE/Deutsche Borse

Sainsburys/HRG

Business of the Year

The award will celebrate the business that has outperformed all others during the year in the judges view.

Personality of the Year

This award recognises the man or woman whose leadership and character have most impressed the judges during the past year.

Gavin Patterson, BT

Peter Cowgill, JD Sports

Dame Carolyn McCall, easyJet

Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP

Simon Robey, Robey Warshaw

John McFarlane, Barclays

Business Progress Award

The Business Progress Award will be given to an individual or organisation that has made a significant contribution to the development of London as a leading business and financial centre.

OUR SPONSOR LINE-UP

Private Equity firm LDC will sponsor the SME business of the year award. Uber is official transportation partner for the event and the ceremonys 400 guests will be able to get a free Uber ride home up to 25. Property group Ballymore has signed a deal to sponsor the awards champagne reception.
M ayoral hopefuls Sadiq Khan and Zac Goldsmith are facing their biggest test on Londons looming business rates crisis as soaring bills threaten the capitals 600 high streets, industry experts have warned.

Fears are mounting that the capital will pay far more than its fair share of business rates, an annual levy on companies property, following next years revaluation of their premises.

The Evening Standard is calling for a reform of the business rates system.

Last year, London filled the Treasury coffers with nearly a third of the 24 billion in rates levied, despite being home to just 16% of the businesses eligible. Chancellor George Osborne devolved business rates so they could be set at a local level in last years Autumn Statement.

The rates were set in 2010, based on rents from April 2008. But from 2017, rates will be based on rents as of April 1 last year, meaning central London firms will pay the price for the imbalance in Britains economic recovery towards the South-east as rental bills soar.

Sean McKee, public affairs director at the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said both candidates would be judged on how effectively they handled the looming blow for the capitals business.

We have been issuing warnings about this for months and it is the biggest test facing the new mayor. Thousands of small businesses could go to the wall. They have mentioned it but I dont know if it has sunk into them. They are going to find all the business groups banging the table and saying what are you going to do about this?

McKee warned firms would not invest as much in their business and staff when soaring revaluation bills land on the mat in October. Some businesses will be getting out of London, or some will be relocating to zone 6.

Zac Goldsmith mayoral policies explained

Khan has pledged to make sure the rise doesnt whack London, adding: Small businesses are the lifeblood of Londons economy and it is the Mayor who is best placed to make the decisions that can help them prosper.

It is vital that control of business rates is devolved, but devolved in such a way that it doesnt simply result in more cuts for London.

Goldsmith has made using small business rates relief to help build up the citys small businesses part of his campaign manifesto, saying firms need an extra cost like a hole in the head.

London Mayor Election 2016: Sadiq Khan

There is a serious risk that London is one of the few places in the country who will lose out from next years re-evaluation. I will work with the Government to secure more support to ensure Londons businesses can thrive.

Sue Terpilowski, the Federation of Small Businesses London policy chairman, added: The average rateable value of a property in the capital exceeds the next closest region, the South-east, by around 23,000 and so it is critical that fiscal devolution of business rates meets the needs of Londons small businesses.
Vienna, Austria, May 3

By Ilaha Khalilova, Anakhanum Idayatova

It is obvious that the way the UN Security Council is working now is not optimal, it needs to be reformed, Michael Moller, director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

Moller was answering a question on Armenia's non-fulfillment of four UN resolutions on the withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

"We are trying to reform the UN for the last 25 years but we are not going very far," he said. "All countries and partners must deal with this issue."

"Azerbaijan has to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict locally," he added. "It is not good to say that someone has to come and resolve this problem."

"A dialogue and a diplomatic solution are required while resolving such conflicts," he said. "This problem has no military solution."

Moller also stressed Azerbaijan's important role in the creation of an intercultural dialogue.

Moller added that Azerbaijan is actively working in the field of creating a dialogue among cultures and religions, which is an essential element in today's world.

"I can only applaud Azerbaijan's efforts in this direction."

He said that a dialogue among civilizations is an essential element in the promotion of peace and security.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
M ore than half the countrys bank branches have closed in the past 25 years, leaving 10,000 fewer than at the start of the Nineties. That has often left people with no access to basic banking services, which can be a crucial problem for the vulnerable.

The problem has been less severe in London as the big banks have tended to shut unprofitable rural and semi-rural branches. But On the Money readers have reported a fresh wave of closures this year in places such as such as in Southfields in south-west London, where the local HSBC has been replaced by yet another estate agent.

Some believe that the future is online in any event, and today sees the launch of the latest digital bank. Known simply as B, the app-based service is backed by the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks.

Helen Page is the banks customer experience director. While many report unhappy times at their bank, Page is keen to target the millennial generation with language straight out of the marketing textbook.

B is about much more than banking, she says. Its a lifestyle app that gives you the power to control your money rather than your finances controlling you.

It does that by analysing your spending to spot if you have cash languishing in your current account that would do better in a linked savings account, which pays 1%. It will also tell you if it reckons your finances might be getting tight.

If you want convenience and simple money management, it could be tempting. But Hannah Maundell of money.co.uk warns: If you do go for it, watch out for the cheeky 2 a month fee that kicks in after a year.

Charity Age UK has warned the move to online and continuing branch closures are hitting older people. Thats because many remain digitally excluded, put off by the cost of getting online, lack of digital skills or concerns about security.

While a minority of older people use internet banking, most like to visit a branch, preferring the chance to talk to bank staff and the security of seeing their transaction take place and getting a paper record to prove it.

As well as not leaving people without a nearby branch, the charity wants banks to adopt practices that are friendly to older people, such as good customer service. That includes listening carefully, speaking clearly, better call-handling systems and the ability to be sensitive to customer vulnerability.

The increasing reliance on online is difficult for many older people and bank branch closures can leave them feeling high and dry, says Caroline Abrahams, Age UKs charity director at Age UK. Putting age-friendliness at the heart of their propositions is not only good for older people, it can make great business sense as well.
S ainsbury's is doubling the number of its "drive-thru" Click & Collect sites over the next year in response to the shifting habits of supermarket shoppers.

The supermarket said click & Collect, which launched in March last year in 100 store car parks and takes on average three minutes from start to finish, has "proved very popular" and will soon be expanded to another 100 stores.

Grocers have so far found it tricky to master the service due to the significant costs involved and the risk of cannibalising store sales, but Sainsbury's said its version has attracted new customers, while many also go into the store to quickly buy a few additional items, or use in-store services.

It did not provide details on the investment involved as it remains in a closed period ahead of its full-year results on Wednesday, but noted its groceries online business now comprises 14,500 staff.

"We know that time is precious and people are increasingly looking for easier, more convenient ways to shop. This rollout forms part of our strategy to offer our customers more options to shop whenever and wherever they want," said Robbie Feather, Sainsburys Director of Online.

Supermarkets are trying various strategies to adapt to the growing popularity of online shopping. Tesco has lauched same-day click & collect, while Morrisons has struck a deal with Amazon to provide fresh food for the e-commerce giant.

Others have teamed up with delivery services to provide collection points for goods ordered from other retailers to generate revenue from excess store space. Sainsbury's has also agreed a 1.4 billion takeover of Argos, which runs a same-day delivery service.

The shift comes amid the rise of top-up shopping versus a large, weekly shop and continued pressure from discounters Aldi and Lidl, which have forced the big four - Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrisons and Asda - into a price war.

Sainsbury's is thought to have been among the best at coping with those challenges and is expected to report a 2.4% rise in pretax profits on Wednesday, according to Thomson Reuters data. Sales are predicted to rise 0.4% to 23.5 billion.
S ir David Attenborough will be 90 next week, though given his indomitable activity its hard to believe it. Over the course of his career he has done more than any other British broadcaster to bring the wonder and beauty of the natural world to our attention, including many of parts of it that are familiar to me. His enthusiasm is infectious, his diction familiar to us all, as is his love of living creatures and their environment.

One part of the world that Sir David has done a great deal to educate us about is one that I have come to know well over the years: the polar regions, where he has investigated the life and habits of the great creatures of the region, such as the Emperor Penguins, polar bears and the fabulous albatross. So I should like to propose a really fitting birthday tribute to him: that we should name the UKs new polar exploration vessel in his honour.

The Natural Environment Research Councils (NERC) vessel will be the UKs largest and most advanced research ship. She has come to public attention already, when the council invited the public to help name the ship, and there was a good deal of publicity about the mischievous online bid to call her Boaty McBoatface.

It was a good joke, but given the serious work she will be undertaking we need something more fitting and inspirational  and what could be better than HMS David Attenborough?

The vessel will work in the polar regions and will allow scientists to carry out research safely and efficiently, even through the harsh and inhospitable conditions there, which I know all too well.

She will be operated by that great organisation, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and the ship will be available to the many relevant UK researchers. She will have greater endurance and range than most of our other suitable vessels, to enable longer voyages, and the helicopters on board will give her enormous physical range.

This will open up exciting new locations for scientists to explore and will emphasise the continuing British presence in Antarctica and the South Atlantic and our commitment to these regions.

A so-called moon pool on board, a vertical shaft through the centre of the vessel, will enable scientific equipment to be lowered and raised in deep water, which will be safer than putting them over the side in rough seas or when the ship is surrounded by sea ice.

The polar exploration vessel, then, will enable us to engage more closely with this, one of the most fascinating parts of the world, and to document the potential damage caused to it by environmental change. We will learn about the threats to these remote regions and perhaps how to combat them.

Sir David already has several species of plants, insects and birds named after him in the course of his long career; his name will live on.

But it would be a really fitting tribute to our greatest living witness to the wonders of wildlife in remote lands to name this wonderful new vessel after him.

We, as a nation, would do well to show our pride that he is one of us by honouring him in this way.
Y our front-page story [Toxic air kills 1,000 in four months, April 28] highlights that whoever is elected as Mayor on Thursday must try to solve Londons air pollution crisis immediately.

First, it is important that the Mayor appoints a clean-air czar. They would report directly to the Mayor and take the best ideas from all of the candidates and pledge to implement them and more by May 2020. Second, and most essential, the Mayor must pledge to consult within four months on a bigger and smarter Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to be implemented by May 2018.

Additionally, the next Mayor should go about scrapping the exemption from the congestion charge for private-hire vehicles. This would reduce congestion and raise 365 million a year to fund transport improvements, including the phasing out of diesel engines. They should also make a point of telling David Cameron and British farmers to stop blocking European-wide action to reduce air pollution at its source through the new National Emissions Ceilings Directive.

These steps will go a long way to helping solve air pollution. Once elected, the next Mayor must make it their first priority. This is an issue that simply cannot wait any longer.

Simon Birkett, founder and director, Clean Air in London

City Hall claims Londons quality of air problem comes down to pollution blowing in from other countries [April 28]. This would relate to the pollution reaching us on the prevailing westerly wind that blows across our choked M25, Heathrow airport and the M4, before depositing a cargo of hydrocarbon toxins and particulates into Londoners lungs.

Blaming other countries is simply disingenuous spin. The pollution issue is Londons problem to fix  our politicians need to stop fobbing us off and ban diesel engines.

Mark Hucke

I was very concerned to read your article on toxic air killing 1,000 people in four months. It was also surprising to read that Zac Goldsmith is proposing to introduce free parking on Londons high streets. The effect of this policy will be to encourage even more cars into towns  thereby considerably worsening the level of pollution.

Martin Truksa

As I make my way around London, I am amazed by the amount of congestion I see just through badly phased traffic lights and poor traffic management.

A good example is the new layout along the Embankment, which prohibits left turns onto Westminster Bridge.

I now have to turn right and go through Parliament Square, navigating six sets of traffic lights to get to my home near the London Eye. Surely this is neither good for congestion nor pollution?

Professor Martin Green

Labour in a fix over anti-Semitic furore

Im a Labour Party donor and lifelong supporter. I am also Jewish and I subscribe to the partys internationalism, multi-culturalism and diversity.

Unfortunately, any party with several hundred thousand members will experience some of their representatives making unacceptable remarks but this does not make the party institutionally racist. I do hope that some perspective will be restored  both by columnists and members of the Jewish community.

Philip Kolvin QC

I share most of Jeremy Corbyns principles but he has taken too long to act over Naz Shahs comments on Israel [April 27] and has still not been decisive enough. There can be no contributory reasons for what she did. Her apologies dont make them any less abhorrent.

Craig Alexander

Ken Livingstones suspension from the Labour Party is meaningless. Being suspended means being temporarily prevented from continuing in their role. Once the press moves on, he will be back.

John Rimmer

Bus vouchers for food-bank users

Tackling poverty and hunger in London will be a pressing challenge for whoever becomes mayor.

The latest figures published by The Trussell Trust show a five per cent rise in food bank use in the capital, with 110,000 three-day emergency food supplies given to people in crisis in the past year. Increasingly, food banks are providing extra services that help people break out of crisis and reduce the need for repeat referrals.

Trussell Trust food banks already provide three days nutritionally balanced food but we want to make sure the people referred  especially those who are sick or have a disability  can get food and other help they need without a journey they cant afford. That is why we are asking mayoral candidates to support a scheme to provide three free bus vouchers so they can get home with their bags of food. We believe this initiative will ensure people who need help from food banks are in a better place to get themselves and their families out of crisis, and hope it is embraced by all the candidates.

Andrew Boff, GLA Conservatives assembly member, Tulip Siddiq, Hampstead and Kilburn MP, and Daphine Aikens, CEO Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank

Help us to stop gambling suicides

The recent suicide of a young gambling addict [April 27] highlights the need for society to take this problem seriously. Compulsive gambling is a mental disorder affecting more than 450,000 adults in Britain, and while sad stories such as the one you reported are thankfully rare, those with such problems tell us about the debilitating effects on their lives.

Some will find themselves deep in debt, overwhelmed by depression and anxiety, as well as being marginalised from their family, friends and work. Gamblers tend to isolate themselves from their loved ones due to their guilt and shame.

At the National Problem Gambling Clinic we successfully treat patients for their problem, generally using psychological support, but theres no quick fix. We are not used by the NHS but with greater funding we could help more people and save lives. It is high time our politicians acted to prevent further suicides.

Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, consultant psychiatrist and director, National Problem Gambling Clinic
T he courthouse cells where the Kray twins were once held have been converted into VIP booths in the bar of a new 40 million Shoreditch boutique hotel.

Five of the Grade II-listed buildings cramped cells have been preserved at the former magistrates court where the notorious East End gangsters appeared at their first criminal hearing in 1965.

The 128-room justice-themed Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch opened this week, with one of its former courts converted into a restaurant dining room and the other a bar for a private members club.

The cramped 5ft x 15ft cells have been incorporated into the bar area. They retain their heavy metal reinforced doors and one even has the original hard bench and commode that were prisoners only facilities. Three have been named after local felons, the Krays and highwayman Dick Turpin, while a fourth is dedicated to street artist Banksy.

They can be hired for the evening and the hotels owner Girish Sanger said he expected them to be popular. He said: How often do you get the chance to spend time in a cell? The bar will serve cocktails with a range of crime-oriented names including slammer, clink and nick. The theme continues in the rooms, which start from about 159 during an initial launch period before rising to 179 for weekends in the summer. The range of toiletries in the bathrooms is called guilty while Innocent smoothies will be served on the breakfast trays. Plates in the dining room will be handcuffed together and dishes on the menu might include Death sentence by chocolate.

The Krays first appeared before magistrates in the oak-panelled Number One courtroom charged with demanding money with menaces. They returned in 1968 for a preliminary hearing over murder charges that ultimately led to sentences of life imprisonment at the Old Bailey.

Clinking glasses: the holding cells where the Krays awaited trial are now open for a more civilised gathering / Alex Lentati

Other high-profile appearances were made by writer Joe Orton and his partner and mentor Kenneth Halliwell, who were accused of causing malicious damage to Islington library books in 1962.

The Edwardian courthouse closed in the late Nineties, although the next-door police station stayed open until 2008. In 2011, the building was squatted by Occupy London, which held mock trials in the courtroom.

It is the Sanger familys second courtroom hotel in London following the original Courthouse Hotel in Sohos former Marlborough Street magistrates court.

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Review at a glance









I n the presence of Irish president Michael Higgins, this concert mirrored one that took place in Dublin to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising against British rule. Almost 500 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the fighting. The British executed 15 so-called ringleaders and hastened the calls for independence.

There were powerful songs about the events, but the overall tone was a celebration of Irish musicality, featuring leading musicians from Britain and Ireland. There was Cait ORiordan of The Pogues, Kevin Rowland and Sean Read of Dexys Midnight Runners, Martin Carthy, the father of English folk, and pianist Barry Douglas, who opened the show quietly with skilful variations on two Irish folksongs.

The problem was that it was careering between genres, trying to please too many people, despite an impressive seven-piece band including two sons of Ewan MacColl on guitars. An Irish Londoner friend of mine felt it touched his heart too rarely.

It was the stripped down moments that were the most memorable: Paul Brady singing Shamrock Shore, about emigration after the Act of Union; Andy Irvine singing about James Connolly, one of the executed leaders; and a stunning instrumental set by fiddler Martin Hayes and guitarist Dennis Cahill. McAlpines Fusiliers, celebrating the Irish who came to build the roads in Britain was a rousing and appropriate finish  even more so in London than in Dublin.

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Review at a glance









F or a weekend, Sadlers Wells modernist lines are covered in graffiti. Breakin Convention, the annual hip-hop dance festival curated by MC Jonzi D, draws a refreshingly young audience. Theres a mosh-pit in front of the stage; freelance dance jams in the foyer.

But Jonzi also likes to push the envelope  alongside UK emerging talent, there are acts from Soweto to Spain  to show how the dance-theatre medium has developed since the festival began in 2004. Technique is king here. You gasp as bodies pop and flip. But its also fascinating how hip-hop has embraced elements of high art (film, visual art, theatre). Several spoken word pieces could easily have been staged at the Bush or Young Vic.

Saturday night opened with a purple-tinged tribute to Prince, then The Locksmiths (modern-day Bash Street Kids) showed off their funky locking moves. Stand-out sets included the apocalyptic Red, by Kloe Deans Myself UK Dance Company, billed as a celebration of female solidarity; and Pro-Motion, a veritable super-group of poppers.

But as Jonzi reminded us, hip-hop needs more narrative, theme-based work  so voices rarely heard by the media get an airing. Protocols I Cant Breathe was a raw but brave take on modern race relations.

At heart Breakin Convention is a variety show. For the finale, Britains Got Talent finalists Flawless stormed the stage with their firecracker pyrotechnics.

But the best work moves and challenges  from Soweto Skeleton Movers gasp-out-loud contortions to the joyous, freestyle jazz of Canadas BBoyizm crew.

If you havent been to Breakin Convention before, sign up for 2017 now.

The Breakin Convention 16 tour runs until June 1; breakinconvention.com

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A teenage boy has been stabbed on a bus reportedly "packed with schoolchildren" in south London.

The teenager was found on the top deck of a bus in Norwood Road, West Norwood, suffering from a stab wound to his stomach, a Met Police spokesman said.

Police, paramedics and London's Air Ambulance, which landed outside St Luke's Church in Norwood High Street, were called to the scene shortly after 3.30pm on Tuesday.

A Metropolitan Police Service spokesman said the teenage boy, whose age is currently uknown, suffered non-life threatening injuries.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman told the Standard: "We were called at 3.33pm to reports of a stabbing incident on Norwood Road, West Norwood.

"We sent a single responder by car, an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic and London's Air Ambulance.

"We treated a patient for stab wounds at the scene and took him as a priority to a major trauma centre."

One witness posted on Twitter: "Just another manic Tuesday, West Norwood - a stabbing on a bus filled with schoolkids then an air ambulance follows."

Another said: "A helicopter has just landed in the middle of West Norwood high street outside St Luke's Church.

"A stabbing on a bus apparently. Norwood Road completely closed at West Norwood."

Anyone with information should call Lambeth CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
T he manager of Londons historic Billingsgate Fish Market who stole nearly 95,000 from traders rent to feed his gambling addiction has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Roshan Persad, 48, stole the money from the markets landlord over an 18-month period.

He tried to shuffle funds around the markets accounts to hide the missing sums, logging thousands of pounds of credit notes from traders to make it seem as though they were in arrears. Persad even suggested G4S guards had lost the cash while transporting it to the bank.

Persad, from Hornchurch in Essex, denied the charges but a jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of six counts of theft, seven of false accounting and one of fraud by abuse of position.

Recorder Karim Khalil QC, sentencing, said: You used the money to fund your gambling habit, which was far worse than you were prepared to admit.

As the losses mounted, you were left with few options: pay back the money from other sources, confess to your employers and seek support, or cover up the losses and hope no one would identify you as the thief  you chose the latter course.

Persad, who was employed by the City of London Corporation, started dipping into the accounts in March 2011. Prosecutor Louis French told the trial Persad was responsible for taking in about 700,000 in rent from stall holders.

By March 2013 a large shortfall was spotted by a Corporation of London accountant.

The court heard Persad, who used to be a police officer in his native Trinidad and has recently been employed as a hospital maintenance worker, has put his family home up for sale in a bid to pay back the stolen money.
A shame-faced City recruitment consultant has been slapped with a 250 fine for drunkenly grabbing a female police officer's bottom when she tried to arrest him.

Max Gattlin, 24, had been drinking heavily at a work's party when police were called to the One New Change shopping centre near to St Paul's Cathedral.

When a female officer went to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly, Gattlin reached out and grabbed her bottom.

The recruitment consultant for City tech firm ConSol Partners later admitted to police he had no memory of the incident because of the amount he had drunk.

ConSol Partners is one of the world's leading technology recruitment brands, with offices in Liverpool Street in the City as well as Los Angeles and Boston in the USA.

Gattlin, who earns 1,800-a-month and still lives at home with his parents in Aylesbury, Bucks, initially faced a charge of sexual assault over the incident on November 12 last year outside the Hugo Boss store.

He denied that allegation, and prosecutors dropped the charge this morning at the Old Bailey as Gattlin pleaded guilty to a lesser count of common assault.

"Police were called because of reports the defendant was acting in a disorderly fashion", said prosecutor John Coates.

"He was spoken to by security officers - seen on CCTV - and there was some pushing and shoving as he engaged with the PC and her colleague.

"One can't hear what is being said on the footage, but it appears he walks away at one stage but then he returns.

"At that stage he is warned he will be arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

"What the defendant does again as he is about to walk off is put his left hand on the PC's right buttock."

The incident happened at around 6pm, but when he sobered up later in a police cell Gattlin confessed he had total memory loss.

Trevor Siddle, defending, said Gattlin has kept his job at ConSol despite the incident, and was supported by a reference from the company's associate director handed to the judge today.

"He is very regretful for his actions that evening, they were deplorable", he said.

"He shouldn't have got as drunk as he did and he shouldn't have behaved the way he did."

Mr Siddle added that Gattlin has respect for people in public service as his mother and brother work for the NHS and his father is a retired RAF officer.

Judge Charles Wide QC ordered the business graduate from Bournemouth University to pay a 250 fine and 150 in court costs.

"This was disgraceful, upsetting behaviour", he said.

"It's very upsetting as a common assault, your behaviour fell a very long way below the standards you and your family would wish you would set for yourself."
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3



By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend:



The official opening ceremony of the "Ganja European Youth Capital 2016" project will be held on May 4, in Azerbaijan's Ganja city.



The "European Youth Capital" is a title awarded to a European city for the period of one year, during which it is given the chance to showcase, through a multi-faceted program, its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development.



The European Youth Capital title has been officially passed from the 2015 holder (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) to Ganja, Azerbaijan.



Executive Director of the Network of the European Youth Capital (EYC) Andras Farkas, the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, vice-mayor of Portugal's Braga city, governor of Turkey's Eskisehir province, project manager of "Thessaloniki - European Youth Capital in 2014", representative of the "Ganja European Youth Capital 2016" project, Mayor of Ganja city Elmar Valiyev, representatives of Azerbaijan's Presidential Administration and the central executive authorities will take part in the event.



The opening ceremony of the House of Youth in the city of Ganja, office of Public Association "Ganja European Youth Capital 2016" will also be held on May 4.



Afterwards, the presentation of women programs will be held within the event on May 5 in Ganja.



Chairwoman of Azerbaijan's State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs Hijran Huseynova, board member of the European Youth Forum Lora Lyubenova, Azerbaijani MP Parvin Karimzade, international experts of the member organizations of the European Youth Forum will attend the event.
A convicted sex offender has admitted grooming and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl after her brave friend flagged up incriminating messages when she asked for a job.

Gary Cawthorne, 53, of Greenhithe, Kent, used an alias of Lee Mason to make contact with the vulnerable London teenager and promised her a job.

They met up on several occasions and he sexually assaulted her.

Cawthorne admitted two counts of sexual assault on a child under 16, grooming and breaching a sexual offences prevention order at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday.

He was brought to justice after the victims friend showed her parents messages in which he requested photographs of her body.

The friend found messages on the girls phone under the name of Lee and used another name to ask him for a job.

Lee then asked her for a photo to which she sent a facial shot but he then sent further requests for more pictures, including some of her body.

The friend told her parents who contacted the school which then notified police on Monday, February 29.

Detectives investigated and identified Lee Mason as Cawthorne through the phone number he used to contact both girls.

He was arrested three days later and then charged.

At court it was revealed Cawthorne was convicted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in October 2012.

Detective Constable Tony Foran from the Met's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command said: "Cawthorne is a known sex offender and is a danger to children and has totally disregarded the provisions of his SOPO.

"He pursued the 14-year-old girl by phone and in person. Then he sexually assaulted her.

"The victim's friend became suspicious of his contact and thanks to her brave actions she was able to flag up his activities to her parents who then alerted the authorities."

Cawthorne will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, May 31.
T his is the face of a man linked to at least 25 thefts at gym lockers in the City of London last year.

Detectives today released CCTV footage of the suspect using a stolen credit card to purchase a 8,950 Rolex watch in central London.

The footage shows the man, described as slim build and aged between 20 and 35, entering Watches of Switzerland on Regent Street in September posing as a legitimate customer to buy a Rolex Oyster watch.

City of London police have linked the incident to thefts at gym lockers in the City between January and September 2015.

Detective Constable Trish Fleming from the City of London Police said We are hoping that someone recognises the man from the footage and calls us. Any information may help us identify him.

In the meantime we would remind gym users not to leave expensive or personal items in their lockers and consider leaving them at home or at work

Anyone with information should call 101 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A moped rider today told how he was beaten with a hammer and thrown from his bike as he drove along a busy London A-road.

David Babbs, 48, suffered a shattered kneecap at the hands of thugs who then stole his bike when they struck on the A12 in east London.

Mr Babbs, an aspiring taxi driver who is studying for the Knowledge, was riding his Piaggio Beverly 350cc out of London towards his home in Danbury, Essex, when he noticed two other bikes on his tail.

He decided to turn off in Harold Wood after spotting the mopeds  one of which had two men on and the other just a single rider  started to get too close for comfort.

However, the bikers pursued him and launched a savage attack, shattering his kneecap with a hammer before stealing his bike.

Targeted twice: David Babbs before he was attacked

And the attack was the second that Mr Babbs has endured in less than a year, after knife-wielding teens threatened him in central nine months ago, and made off with a moped of the same make and model.

Mr Babbs, 48, who used to work in the City, told the Standard: From around Newbury Park they had been riding alongside me  two bikes, two on one and one on another.

They were eastern European teenagers, in their teens or early twenties.

I knew something was amiss, they got too clingy and I tried to get away a little bit. I turned away but they caught up with me near to the clinic in Harold Hill.

I do recall seeing one of them with a hammer in the pocket of his cargo bottoms, I saw him transfer it from one side to the other.

Damage: David Babbs suffered a serous injury to his knee

They came up on my outside and the next thing I knew the left side of my body completely gave way and I came off  theyd smashed my left knee with a hammer but it took me four days to remember that, at first I thought theyd shoved me off.

Mr Babbs was found by some men working on a nearby house and taken to a clinic just minutes away.

He was then rushed to hospital in Romford for treatment to a smashed tibial plateau following the attack, on the afternoon of April 14.

He had to undergo surgery to have a plate and screws fitted across his knee to repair the damage caused during the brutal attack.

He told the Standard: My whole left side was completely numb, I came off [the bike] and smashed into the kerb.

My tibial plateau was smashed to smithereens, consistent with a hammer blow.

Its a very, very nasty fracture, they doctors had never seen anything like it.

Mr Babbs, who had never had an operation in his life before, will now be forced to recover at home for at least eight weeks.

Mr Babbs, who now has trouble sleeping, said he has spoken out to warn others of the attacks, having been targeted twice in just nine months.

Im traumatised, I cant sleep a wink, he said.

I wake up with a jump every 15 minutes, my subconscious doesnt let me sleep.

The knife incident also hit me really hard about four days later.

For this to happen again is just unbelievable  youre not safe anywhere."

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Police were called at 13:54hrs on Thursday, April 14 following reports of a robbery in St. Clements Avenue, Romford.

"The victim, a 48-year-old man, was riding his moped home when he stopped at a set of traffic lights. He noticed two mopeds pull up beside him and three males jump off.

"The males approached the victim and pushed him off his moped. Once the victim was on the floor, one of the males jumped on his moped and all three rode off from the scene.

"The victim suffered a knee injury during the incident. Detectives in Havering Borough are investigating.

"There have been no arrests and enquiries continue."

Any witnesses or anyone with any information can call police in Havering Borough via 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
A Tube passenger was racially abused by a man who allegedly tried to steal his bag.

The victim was walking through Neasden London Underground station to board a Jubilee line train when he was approached by a man who asked if he had any money.

After replying that he did not, the man tried to grab the victims bag while shouting a volley of hostile and racial abuse at him, British Transport Police said.

The man then allegedly threw a punch towards the victims head before fleeing without the bag.

Appeal: Detectives today released CCTV images / British Transport Police

Detectives have today released CCTV images of a man they want to speak to in connection with the attempted theft at 10.45pm on March.

PC Stuart Morishita-Dubois, from British Transport Police, said: This was a brazen and aggressive attempted mugging and whilst nothing was stolen, its important we trace the person responsible.

Thankfully the victim received no injuries and had the courage to fend off the thief, nevertheless Id still encourage anyone who recognises the man pictured to get in touch with us.

Anyone with information should call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 quoting reference 240 of 29/04/2016. Information can also passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
L ondon's first all-through bilingual school, where pupils are taught in a different language depending on the subject, has been officially opened.

Children can start in the nursery of LEcole Internationale Franco-Anglaise (EIFA) at the age of 18 months and stay at the school till they are 18 years old.

A new senior school in Duchess Street, Marylebone, has now opened three years after its junior counterpart was launched in nearby Portland Place.

The expansion comes amid growing demand for French-speaking school places by wealthy expats in London. Pupils at the junior school are taught in French in the morning and English in the afternoon. At senior school every subject is taught entirely in either English or French  except humanities, with lessons in both languages.

The school, which charges 15,900 to 19,500 a year, is set to be the UKs first to teach the International Baccalaureate diploma programme subjects half in French and half in English.

Founders Sabine Dehon, of Belgium, and Isabelle Faulkner, from Canada, call it a dream come true. The school has 165 pupils of more than 30 nationalities. A spokeswoman said: There are children from English families as well as Polish, Italian and Danish.

We welcome pupils in the primary school who have never spoken either French or English at home.

Every family has a different history. Some see the French curriculum as their preferred choice. They like the idea of raising their children bilingually  and French is a powerful language.

A lot of French people come to London for an international experience. When they are offered the opportunity to work in London they think its fantastic to raise their children bilingually. This is why some parents choose EIFA and not other French schools, because they insist on the opportunity to become bilingual.

Some Marylebone residents opposed plans for the school to open in Duchess Street, with concerns including traffic and kitchen smells, but the new building officially opened last week.

More than 120,000 French people are registered as living in London but the true figure is felt to be much higher.

Many wealthy French nationals have moved here in recent years to escape a 75 per cent tax on high-earners, which has now been dropped.
C hildren from more than 30 London primary schools went on strike today in protest against Sats tests.

Headteachers were urged to turn a blind eye to parents who took their children out of school to join a national day of protest. Events were organised in museums and parks across the capital for primary pupils who did not attend school.

Parents from Ivydale school in Nunhead took their children to the Horniman Museum, while others from Islington met at Freightliners Farm and Paradise Park. Children from Clapton took the train to Chingford and played in Epping Forest.

The national strike was organised by Let Our Kids Be Kids, five anonymous parents who claim that Sats for six- and seven-year-olds put them under too much pressure and drive out creativity and joy.

PA

Children kept off school risk receiving unexplained absence marks on their records and parents can be fined up to 120 for taking a child out of school without authorisation.

However, it is up to headteachers to decide how to record absences and whether to tell local authorities  most are expected to record unauthorised absences but not report them to the education authority.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: Tests help teachers identify and provide the support pupils need, as well as giving parents a picture of how their child is doing.
A n American Airlines flight was forced to fly back to Heathrow after a mid-air emergency scare.

Flight AA57 to Miami took off from Heathrow at 9.45am on Tuesday but had to return airport shortly after 11am.

The airline later tweeted: The flight is heading back to LHR because of maintenance issues and we're looking at leaving now at 1pm.

The Boeing 777 landed safely at 11.37am before being cleared to take off again for Miami at 1.24pm.

A spokesman for the airline said: American Airlines Flight AA57, a Boeing 777-300ER from London Heathrow (LHR) to Miami (MIA), returned to London Heathrow this morning due a mechanical issue and declared an emergency due to an overweight landing.

The aircraft landed at 1135 local time to be inspected by our maintenance teams.

We apologize for the inconvenience to our passengers for the disruption to their travel plans.

The plane had left Heathrow and headed south, before turning over north-western France to return to Heathrow.
Y oung London entrepreneurs determined be my own boss are behind soaring numbers of start-up companies driving the economy forward, broadcaster Katie Derham said today as she was named as the host of the first Evening Standard Business Awards.

The former financial journalist, who started her broadcast career as a researcher on Radio 4s Money Box, said she had been astonished by the change in attitudes.

She said: Twenty years ago, there was really only Richard Branson as a role model.

"He was the only entrepreneur that anyone had heard of. Now there are fantastic entrepreneurial role models right, left and centre. There has been a major sea change, a much stronger start-up culture.

People are very well informed now, there are so many young Londoners, 16- and 17-year-olds, who want to run their own businesses.

Factors included government encouragement of enterprise through policies such as lower corporation tax rates, business outreach programmes in schools and the 2008 financial crisis, which made youngsters more sceptical about careers in conventional big business, particularly in financial services, she added.

Ms Derham, 45, a Cambridge economics graduate, said London was a particularly inspiring environment for young entrepreneurs because it was such an open city, so welcoming to people who have get up and go and natural verve.

"There is something energising about the place that is engaging for people who want to make their own way. It is a great place to be in business because you have this amazing confluence of government, finance and great educational establishments.

The Evening Standard Business Awards takes place on June 30

Ms Derham, a mother of two, who came fourth in last years Strictly Come Dancing, said she kept in close touch with the business world despite her career moving into mainstream news and, more recently, music presenting.

She is married to restaurateur John Vincent, who set up natural fast food chain Leon with Henry Dimbleby in 2004, and said she was endless fascinated by observing the ups and downs of getting a business off the ground.

Ms Derham will present the Evening Standard Business Awards ceremony at Tobacco Dock on June 30, with London companies and entrepreneurs competing in 12 categories.
T ributes were paid today to an exceptionally talented student RAF pilot from London who was killed alongside his co-pilot when their aircraft crashed in a remote field.

Ajvir Singh Sandhu, 25, from Ilford, and Cameron Forster, 21, from Sussex, both died instantly when the single-engine Slingsby T67 came down.

The two were both stationed at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, an elite Top Gun-style academy 15 miles from the crash scene where promising young pilots learn to fly fast jets.

They chartered the plane from the Full Sutton Flying Centre, where a worker claimed they had been planning to do a spot of aerobatics.

The craft crash-landed around 200 yards from the nearest homes in fields between Castle Howard and the A64 at 10.40am on Saturday.

Co-pilot Cameron Forster, 21, was also killed / Facebook

Mr Sandhu, who graduated with a first class degree and masters in Geoscience from Durham University, was selected from 3,000 cadets to accompany the Lord Lieutenant of London on royal duties throughout 2010.

While at Durham he was a member of the Northumbria Universities Air Squadron, an RAF Volunteer Reserve unit, and was named best all-round cadet during officer training at RAF College Cranwell.

He started his training to be a RAF pilot in the summer of 2014. He had grown up in Ilford with his father Amrik, mother Narinderjit and younger sister Sabinder, who also studied at Durham.

Friends today said that it had been the former Ilford County High School pupils dream since childhood to fly for the RAF, and he had made his father, a senior City executive, incredibly proud.

Grant Slater, 48, his pastoral tutor at the college of St Hild and St Bede at Durham, said: He was a lovely young man. It was a privilege to know him, and we are extremely proud of him.

"I meet a lot of young people and he was something special. You will hear the same thing from anyone who knew him, he was a brilliant young man.

We knew he was going to be something special, to see him go like this is just completely heartbreaking. Its a tragedy for him, his family and everyone who loved him.

Crash: The pair were flying in a Slingsby Firefly (file photo) / REX/Shutterstock

He told me during freshers week he wanted to be a pilot in the RAF and he had gone on to fulfill that dream.

He was incredibly committed to what he wanted to do and worked incredibly hard for it. For him to die so young and so early in his career is hard to take.

He had a very close group of friends and was incredibly loyal to them and its going to be a difficult time for everyone who knew him.

I met his family, they were so incredibly proud of him, and they will be devastated.

Friend Lee Toomey wrote on Facebook: Ajvir, you were inspirational. You were one of the most compassionate, determined and focused human beings that I ever had the pleasure to share time with.

Mr Sandhu and Mr Forster were the only people on board the aircraft, which crashed off Mains Lane, in Ryedale, on Saturday. Paramedics declared them dead at the scene.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has launched an inquiry.

RAF Linton-on-Ouse station commander Group Captain Ian Laing said the base had been saddened to learn of the mens deaths.

They were both exceptionally talented young men in the prime of their lives, he said.

The thoughts of everyone at RAF Linton-on-Ouse are with their family and friends at this difficult time.

Roads in the area were closed and members of the public were advised to keep away from the area as police cordoned it off to preserve the scene for the AAIB.

Up to 20 firefighters attended the scene and set up a foam blanket around the aircraft in case it caught fire.
A giant sinkhole which opened up underneath homes in south-east London sparked a mass evacuation of residents.

Emergency services were called to the sinkhole, believed to be 60ft deep, outside a plot of new development houses in south-east London yesterday at 3pm.

As a precaution, a hazard zone of 25 metres was put in place around the sinkhole and nearby homes were evacuated.

Around 48 residents of Brickfield Cottages are staying with family or in hotels as the area remains cordoned off to members of the public.

A spokeswoman for development company Hexagon said: We are trying to get information from the utilities about when we can restore services to the homes.

Residents are currently staying with family or friends or have been put up in hotels. We are trying to contact all our residents today to provide support.

It is not yet known what caused the sinkhole, which is believed to sit on top of an old chalk mine.

60ft sinkhole in Plumstead / London Fire Brigade

A Greenwich Council spokesman commended the rapid response of emergency services.

He added: "Structural engineers are working to secure the site as a matter of urgency and residents will be allowed to return as soon as it is safe to do so.

"We are now working very closely with structural engineers and Hexagon Housing to ascertain what led to this incident."

This page is being updated
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

Trend:

Euronews, a European, multilingual news television channel, has broadcasted a video highlighting the rich culture of Azerbaijan's Sheki district.

Sheki in northern Azerbaijan lies on the ancient Silk Route. The city has been named 'cultural capital of the Turkic world' in 2016, and is playing host to a number of events aimed at highlighting the Turkic culture - an area that encompasses central, eastern, northern, and western Asia as well as parts of eastern Europe.

Hundreds of craftsmen have travelled to Sheki to show off their skills, including Ayaz Mecidov, who makes musical instruments.

Maarif Aliyev is a seventh-generation coppersmith. In his family, it's a skill that's handed down from father to son. He explains that his work is very time consuming.

"It depends on the size of the item. It takes one day just to produce a cup and two more days to decorate it. And to make a plate (he shows us an ornate copper plate), I need at least four to five months."

Traditionally, the women's task is to cook. One of the traditional Azerbaijani dishes they make is "kutab", a kind of stuffed pancake fried without oil. The dough is made of flour and water and is filled with greens, meat or pumpkin.

Another group of women is busy with needlework.

"We wash, dry and then sort the sheep shearings," explains Zahide Aliyeva. "I comb the wool and put aside what I don't need. Then we spin the fibre which we use to knit socks, for example."

The Sheki region is famous for its impressive stained-glass artwork. It's made without using nails or glue.

"These wooden frames slot into each other. Then I set the glass inside. If I miscalculate by just 1 millimetre, it won't fit," explains stained glass craftsman, Tofig Resulov.

Sheki's traditional stained-glass artwork can be admired in the city's 18th century Khan palace. Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture and Tourism is hoping the site will soon be granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

"I think that it's normal to have such kind of historical pearl to be inscribed in the heritage list of all mankind. And let us all enjoy it and at the same time protect it," says Abulfas Garayev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture and Tourism.

The city of Sheki in Azerbaijan will be singing and dancing to the sounds of ancient Turkic culture for the rest of 2016.
S tephen Fry has urged Londoners to protect their local libraries from closure, stating they save lives.

The actor and writer has spoken out as part of a campaign against the rapid decline in library numbers, with at least 64 closing in the capital in the past 18 months.

He is appearing with other figures from literature and film, including Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh and Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright, in a documentary about the rise and fall of public libraries in Britain.

Fry said: We need to understand libraries as places of education and nourishment for everyone  there is a terrible sense that libraries are just an add-on to a council building, but they save lives.

Since 2009 more than a third of public libraries in Britain have closed, and more than half of mobile libraries have been lost in the past five years. It is estimated that a further 111 libraries will close nationwide this year.

The Carnegie and Minet libraries in Lambeth were closed on the same day last month. Later this year, libraries in Waterloo, North Kensington and Upper Norwood are set to close and move to new premises.

Fry said: A library is one of the few places, in a town or even a large village, where you can go in and immerse yourself in that world. To actually have access to a real collection of books, of literature and reference works from across the ages is really important.

My parents had a lot of books, but for some reason they didnt have Oscar Wildes plays and being deep in the country, we had a magnificent institution which rescued many people.

That was a mobile library  it was there where I was first introduced to The Importance of Being Earnest.

Fry was speaking in the new documentary, The Safe House: A Decline of Ideas, by film-maker Greta Bellamacina, 26, from Hampstead, who is also a poet and model.

She said: I grew up going to a local comprehensive and I used the library to get through my A-levels.

It was a quiet space to study, one I couldnt get anywhere else but now that space has gone.

Its really depressing that the role of the library is being taken away because so many of the people we interviewed said that libraries saved their lives.

Libraries in London under threat incl Tate South Lambeth and South Woodford turned into gym

In the film, author Welsh said his library helped him escape trouble in his youth. When you find a book or a librarian gets you a book there is something about sitting there in the library, you have a whole different relationship with that material, he said.

The Safe House: A Decline of Ideas, co-written and directed by Greta Bellamacina and journalist Davina Catt, has its premiere at The Gate cinema in Notting Hill on May 23 and will appear at a selection of independent cinemas.
A man has been rushed to hospital after falling from Westminster Bridge while reportedly taking a photo.

The man, who is in his 40s, suffered serious head injuries after falling about 15 feet and landing on concrete steps known as the Speaker's Stairs.

An air ambulance landed in nearby Parliament Square as medics rushed to his aid before he was taken to a major trauma centre.

A woman who works in Parliament told the Standard: I saw the RNLI boat and police boat there. I was told by a doorman at Parliament that they had fallen and it was while they were taking a photo.

London Air Ambulance takes off from Parliament Square after man seriously injured

The woman added: "I don't know if he was taking the picture or featuring in the picture."

Paramedics and police were called just after midday.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said: Police were called to reports of a man having fallen from Westminster Bridge onto concrete steps close to Speaker's Green.

The Air Ambulance takes off after landing near Big Ben / Stefan Rousseau/PA

The man was taken by ambulance to a central London hospital with a head injury. The incident is not being treated as suspicious.

A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said: We were called at 12.03pm to an incident at Westminster Bridge involving a man falling approximately 15 feet onto concrete near the Houses of Parliament.

We sent a number of resources including an ambulance crew, our hazardous area response team, an advanced paramedic in a car and Londons Air Ambulance.

We treated the man at the scene for a serious head injury and took him by road ambulance to a major trauma centre."
S adiq Khan today savaged Jeremy Corbyn over his handling of Labours anti-Semitism crisis and insisted he would be a mayor for all London if he won the race for City Hall.

As the battle to be mayor entered its final few days, Labours candidate urged his leader to get a grip over the row engulfing the party amid fears it could damage his campaign.

He said he was disappointed that Mr Corbyn had failed to act swiftly and decisively to draw a line under the controversy.

In a bid to reach out to Jewish voters, he said it was wrong that they could feel they did not belong in the Labour Party.

It came as the frontrunner made his final speech of an increasingly bitter campaign in which Tory rival Zac Goldsmith has been accused of fomenting division.

Mr Khan set out his choice for Londoners ahead of polling day between hope and fear, unity and division.

In an interview with the Standard, he said: Ill be a mayor for all Londoners, hell be a mayor for some Londoners.

He called on voters not to treat the election as a referendum on Mr Corbyn as he renewed attempts to distance himself from party chiefs.

The Labour leadership has got to get a grip. Ive been so unhappy because the impression has been given that they dont understand how appalling anti-Semitism is, that theres a hierarchy when it comes to racism, he said.

Jeremy Corbyn: "The anti-semitic issue is being dealt with"

The sort of events of last week - which was very serious, Im not belittling it - are a huge drain of energy and resources that should be spent talking to Londoners. Thats why Im disappointed that the leadership didnt act swiftly and decisively, so that we could get on with the important stuff.

TODO: define component type apester

Mr Khan said low turn-out was the biggest remaining hurdle to overcome. But he claimed to have blinkers on when it came to elections elsewhere in the country and brushed aside claims a victory in London could save Mr Corbyns skin.

After reports that a coup against the Labour leader is on the cards, he denied suggestions one could be mounted from City Hall should he win.

Absolutely not. Anybody who thinks City Hall is a platform for national Labour party politics should think again, he said.

The Tooting MP claimed he had no ambitions to lead his party as he viewed the mayoralty as a destination job - and said City Hall would instead be a beacon for what a good Labour administration could do.

He pledged not to appoint political cronies into senior roles as that sort of patronage put people off politics. Boris Johnson was wrong, he said, to claim he would give a role to Ken Livingstone, who was suspended from Labour last week over his remarks about Hitler.

Earlier in the contest rumours circled that the former mayor, who endorsed Mr Khan, was in line for a big job overseeing transport. But he said: Ive been quite clear, theres no place for Ken Livingstone if Im the mayor.

The Tooting MP threw his weight behind colleagues, including former leadership contender Liz Kendall and London MP Wes Streeting, who have been scolded by union bosses for speaking out against Mr Corbyns handling of the furore. Youve got to call out wrong when you see wrong, he said.

Labours mayoral hopeful claimed the Conservative campaign had been the most negative he had witnessed in more than two decades in politics. Ive never seen such a divisive campaign, he said. Mr Goldsmith should have rejected bad advice from his team, he added.

The Tories claim Mr Khans supporters have used the race card to avoid answering questions about extremist links which reflected badly on his judgement.

Mr Khan said it was legitimate for opponents to question why he shared platforms at numerous events but claimed Mr Goldsmith had over-stepped the mark.

The former human rights lawyer and chairman of campaign group Liberty backed away from branding the Tory campaign dog-whistle or racist himself.

But he said he had regrets that some Londoners would now think he held extremist views and admitted that he and wife Saadiya worried that their teenage daughters could be bullied at school.

Whatever the outcome of the race, he said there would be wounds to heal in London.

The obvious question is which of the two candidates is best placed to heal this city and to bring people together. After the conduct of the Zac Goldsmith campaign over the last few months clearly hes not best placed to do that, he said.

The Labour hopeful revealed he would make City Halls offices in Brussels and Westminster more muscular if he wins to make sure London gets the most it can out of Government and the EU.

But it was housing he put at the heart of this mornings speech at the South Bank. I want the London of 2020 to be a city of opportunity and hope, where young people feel like they have a future, with thousands of new affordable homes  to rent and buy  springing up across our city, he said.

If [Goldsmith] wins on Thursday there will be no change for the better. Just more of the same  which means things getting worse.

The pair have also clashed on transport, with Mr Khan pledging a four-year freeze but Mr Goldsmith saying it would take 1.9 billion away from crucial investment in infrastructure, and on the mayors share of council tax, which the Tory said he would freeze while Mr Khan refused to rule out an increase.

They are on opposing sides of the EU debate, with Mr Khan wanting the UK to remain, while they have debated which would be best placed to deal with the Government.
Z ac Goldsmith pledged to protect Londons night-time economy today as he kicked off a 24-hour tour of the capital with a rally headlined by Tory heavyweights David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

The Tory mayoral hopeful will campaign through the night as he visits some of the 150,000 Londoners who regularly work night shifts in pubs, supermarkets and on the transport network.

As the election campaign enters its final days, the Conservatives biggest guns called a truce in their European Union referendum battle to make the case for their man, who is trailing Labours Sadiq Khan in the polls.

Both the Prime Minister and the Mayor put securing the Tory legacy in London at the heart of their argument, suggested Mr Goldsmith was the only one who could harness the capitals success.

Mr Cameron was expected to say: Only Zac can secure the success weve seen under Boris over the last eight years.

"His action plan will deliver for all Londoners - the houses you want, the transport you need, the safer streets and greener environment we all want.

"Hell protect family finances by freezing mayoral council tax. This election really matters - its a clear choice and its in your hands. If Zac wins, London wins.

TODO: define component type apester

Mr Johnson will add: In 2008 London was going off a cliff. Eight years on our city is unrecognisable. To secure Londons future we need a mayor can take on the challenge of harnessing its bursting success and potential.

"That mayor is Zac Goldsmith... because running London is simply too big a challenge to hand to Khan and Corbyn.

On his 24-hour tour, Mr Goldsmith will visit early morning food markets, a supermarket delivery hub, a railway depot as well as pubs, businesses and community centres.

Night shift workers also include police, cleaners. nurses, delivery drivers and taxi drivers. The night-time economy is worth 66 billion across the UK a year.

The Tory MP has pledged to finally deliver the Night Tube and to extend it to Metropolitan, District, Circle and Hammersmith & City line services. He would use planning powers to protect late-night venues and have more police officers to combat alcohol-created crime.

He said: Hundreds of thousands of people work tirelessly to make our city great, and thats exactly what Ill do as Mayor. My action plan for Greater London will keep the economy strong, keep London moving, ensure our streets are kept safe and make London the greenest and cleanest city in the world.

Ill help out Londoners by freezing mayoral council tax, and Ill get the tube working through the night so its easier to move around. This campaign is the fight of my life, and it will go right down to the wire on Thursday.
S adiq Khan was out on the campaign trail in Greenwich when suddenly, from 40 yards away, a man dressed in his Sunday best began sprinting towards him. Sadiq! he shouted. I want to shake your hand.

Ayo Fagbemi, 44, a housing safety consultant said: He has my vote because he is a proper man of the people.

Minutes earlier I had watched worshippers piling out of the New Wine Pentecostal Church and greeting the Labour mayoral candidate like a long-lost family member, despite having never met him.

I was born in the same hospital as you, Khan told one youngster, recalling his start in life at St Georges Hospital in Tooting.

A few days earlier, bounding through Ridley Road market in Dalston, it had been the same story of selfie central as he was mobbed by shoppers who wanted to shake his hand, wish him luck and take a photo.

The dark clouds that have gathered since Ken Livingstones Hitler was a Zionist intervention engulfed the Labour Party in an anti-Semitism storm do not appear to be raining on Khans parade.

Of the hundreds of people who approached him during walkabouts witnessed by the Standard on Friday and Sunday, only a few berated him. Nooraini Mydin yelled: The way you criticised Ken, I can no longer vote for you.

Another woman took the opposite tack, jabbing her finger at him, and yelling: What are you going to do about that vile Livingstone? Khan shrugged them off. He seemed energised, excited, almost ebullient.

Overall the most striking element is how much Khans message  that he will be a Mayor for all of London  appeared to resonate. The bookies think that Khan can, with William Hill quoting short odds of 1/12 versus 6/1 for Zac Goldsmith, but the bus drivers son who grew up on a council estate in Wandsworth believes that the polls are unreliable.

When Damola Aribisalu, 51, pointed at Khan and told his 11-year-old son, thats the new Mayor, Khan railed: No, its neck and neck, we cant be complacent, you have to get out and vote.

He was at pains to reassure Jewish voters, pointing to his recent attendance at a communal Seder for Passover and the visits he has made to synagogues and Jewish shopkeepers as evidence that he is in touch with the issues.

The Jewish communitys concerns are my concerns, he said. There has been a 60 per cent rise in anti-Semitic hate crime in London in the last year. There are schools that require around the clock protection simply because they are Jewish faith schools. If you are the Mayor of London, youve got to feel appalled by that. I am the guy saying that tackling hate crimes is going to be a top police priority and that we are going to fight extremism with a new vigour.

Had Livingstone or Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn been in touch to express any regret for potentially derailing his prospects? I have not spoken to Livingstone since I became the mayoral candidate last year and Ive not seen Jeremy recently either, he said pointedly. Thats one of the reasons I can be a good Mayor. I am not in anyones pocket. I am my own man.

As a liberal Muslim, has he felt offended by the Zac attack that tries to paint him as an apologist for extremists? I am somebody from a young age who has learnt to handle himself, so I am resilient, but I have felt acutely disappointed by the way Zac has fought this contest, he said. The Zac I knew before the campaign was charming, personable, independent-minded and I was looking forward to a campaign where we were both fizzing with ideas, competing for our vision of London. Instead hes been so divisive, so negative and increasingly desperate.

Back in Ridley Road market, to the metronomic chants of salt fish for a fiver and the aroma of fresh strawberries, affordable housing was uppermost on peoples minds. Dont forget where you come from, one resident implored him. I will be the council estate boy who fixes the housing crisis, he replied.

But not all the market traders were won over. I am told you have the best juice in all of London, he told Sonya Portelli, 44, as she whisked him a fruit cocktail. She blushed, but after he left, she admitted: I have always voted Tory and I will do so again on Thursday.

Did Khan think that housing was still the biggest issue on the doorstep? By a country mile, he said. If we were speaking four years ago, I would tell you that nurses, cleaners, bus drivers cant afford to live in London. Now its chief executives, start-up entrepreneurs, junior doctors. The helping hand that I had growing up isnt there any more. I want to be that helping hand.

VOTERS' VIEW

Housing: Sahil Dean

Sahil Dean, 28, owner of Printing World Digital in Hanwell, lives in Ruislip

Housing is the biggest issue for me. I want the new Mayor to help with Londons housing crisis by building more homes that are actually affordable or making rents affordable.

I live at home with my parents and the only reason Im still there is because the rents are so high. I think the definition of affordable needs to be looked at  a house at 400,000 is not affordable.

Faiza Khalid, 37, freelance interpreter from Acton

The number one issue is the cost of everything in London. They have introduced the Living Wage but its the equivalent of what youd pay for your groceries. Either the London Living Wage needs to be increased or the cost of living needs to go down. The new Mayor should make travel cheaper. I drive  thats not cheap and neither are trains or buses. If I go out for the day it could cost 10 in travel which is a ridiculous amount.

Housing costs: Luke West

Luke West, 18, student at Drayton Manor College, from Hanwell

I am a first-time voter and I think if you grow up in London you should be able to live here. But once you go away to university or whatever, its almost impossible to move back because of the costs.

We need housing people can actually afford. There are a lot of luxury flats being built that people dont need. There should be more support for young people who want to become first-time buyers.
I t is one of the oddities of this mayoral campaign that the candidate closest to the Labour leadership is not actually the Labour one.

Much has been made of Sadiq Khan nominating Jeremy Corbyn and riding on his coat-tails to his eventual selection.

But it is Left-wing firebrand George Galloway who has more in common with the leadership, many of whom he counts as close friends.

The former Labour and Respect MPs attacks against Mr Khan for smallness  I dont mean physically  lack of principle and propensity to betray have been a central plank of his campaign.

Team Khan remains unflustered and Mr Galloway is trailing in the polls on 2 per cent. The controversial former MP, who was expelled by Labour in 2003 over remarks about the Iraq war, would like to come back into the party but only if his record was wiped. He even raises the prospect of running in a Tooting by-election if Mr Khan wins City Hall, after he lost his seat for Respect in Bradford West last May when he was beaten by Naz Shah, whose comments about Israel prompted the current anti-Semitism row.

London Mayoral Election: Candidates' campaigns in three words

It is the ambassadorial side of the mayoralty that most appeals to Mr Galloway. He thinks his rivals are dancing on the end of a local pin.

He says: Its the big politics people want to talk about, not how many square yards of Oxford Street are going to be pedestrianised. Its a big myth that people think local when theyre choosing a mayor. Thats obviously good for me, because I do big politics, not small.

So could he ever be interested in local issues such as Tube operating hours or neighbourhood policing? Youre right to be doubtful about that, he admits. But, somewhat to my surprise, I have become passionately interested in roadworks.
S adiq Khan has strengthened his lead over Zac Goldsmith in the battle for Mayor of London, an exclusive Opinium poll for the Evening Standard reveals today.

Labours candidate has a nine-point lead with just two days until the polling stations open.

But a politics expert said the race wasnt over among fears of a low turnout and, speaking on LBC, Mr Goldsmith said: Im hoping to do a bit of a Leicester City, zoom in from behind and win.

Mr Khan is on 35 per cent of first preference votes, which is unchanged since the last Opinium survey in early April. Mr Goldsmith is down a point to 26 per cent.

Loading....

After second preferences are reallocated, Mr Khan leads by 57 per cent to 43. None of the other candidates gets more than four per cent.

Loading....

Tony Travers, a professor of politics at the London School of Economics, cautioned that a low turnout would make the actual result much closer.

You cannot say it is all over, he said. Turnout is likely to be 35 per cent or even 32 per cent. The big question is whose supporters will fail to turn out on the night  and most people think that the lower it goes, the better it is likely to be for Zac Goldsmith.

Todays poll found that Mr Khan had a clear lead of 32-18 on being trusted on housing, the issue most important to Londoners.

Loading....

On crime, the rivals were closer at 24-21, while on public transport fares, Mr Khan was more trusted by 32-18. There was just a point between the pair on the environment and air quality, with a 23-22 split.

Zac Goldsmith mayoral policies explained

Mr Goldsmith was ahead 31-21 for attracting business and investment to London and on airport expansion by 22-19.

London Mayor Election 2016: Sadiq Khan

Adam Drummond, of Opinium, said: We should be careful about focusing too much on second preferences since they have favoured both candidates at different points, but Sadiq Khan has been consistently ahead on first preferences and Zac Goldsmith will have to work very hard if he is to overturn this lead in the last few days.
A London woman has been killed in a bank holiday motorcycle tragedy in Portsmouth.

The woman in her 40s died after losing control of the motorbike in the Widley area of the city at about 2.50pm on Monday.

She was travelling northbound on London Road when she came off the Suzuki Bandit bike near to the George Inn pub.

Despite receiving treatment from paramedics, the south London woman died at the scene.

Detectives are now appealing for witnesses in an attempt to piece together her last movements.

Acting Inspector David Sanderson, said: I am appealing for anyone who witnessed this incident to come and speak to us.

"I would also like to speak to anyone who may have seen the Suzuki Bandit motorcycle prior to the collision.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Serious Collisions Investigation Unit on 101, quoting Operation Infinite, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
T his was the dramatic scene after a 200,000 McLaren supercar crashed into a tree.

The front end of the 650S Spider was crushed by the force of the head-on collision on a residential Essex street.

There was also heavy damage to the rear of the vehicle after the back end hit a sign post.

Essex Police confirmed no one was injured in the crash in Hutton, Essex, last Wednesday, and are appealing for anyone with more information.

A police spokeswoman added a man had been reported for careless driving.

Officers are seeking a female witness who approached the vehicle immediately after to help them with enquiries.

A new McLaren 650s Spider costs around 215,000 and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in three seconds.
A n 11-year-old boy who shot an alleged burglar in the leg later mocked him for "crying like a baby" because of the pain.

American Chris Gaither opened fire on an intruder with a 9mm handgun as he was allegedly leaving the family residence with a bag of stolen property.

Home-schooled Chris boasted to Alabama local news broadcaster WVTM that one of the bullets went straight through the mans leg.

I shot through the hamper he was carrying. It was a full metal jacket bullet," he said.

It went straight through the back of his leg. He started crying like a little baby.

Chris was home alone upstairs Talladega, Alabama, on Wednesday morning when he heard the noise of an intruder downstairs.

He then grabbed a 9mm handgun and apparently found the man leaving the house with a hamper full of stolen property.

Chris added: I told him I was going to kill him and all that with a gun if he didnt get out of my house.

He was coming down the stairs, and he told me he was going to kill me and f*** you and all that.

I guess when I pulled the gun out on him, I guess he didnt think it was a real gun, because he didnt worry about it. He just kept on walking.

The boy, who was taught to shoot by his step-father, fired 12 bullets at the man, hitting him with his last shot.

Talladega Police confirmed that a man, who has not been identified, suffered non-life threatening injuries in the incident and was taken to hospital.

Due to Alabamas stand your ground law which allows for the use of deadly force against burglars, Chris cannot be prosecuted.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

The opening ceremony of the Baku 2015 First European Games received Emmy award, Samaya Mammadova, spokesperson of the Azerbaijani ministry of youth and sports, told Trend on May 3.

On March 24, 2016 in New York, the National Academy of Television Arts & Science (NATAS) announced the nominees for the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

"We are pleased to confirm that the opening ceremony of the Baku 2015 First European Games received 6 Daytime Emmy Nominations," the statement says.

The Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Ceremony was held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California on Friday, April 29, 2016.

"We are pleased to announce that the Baku 2015 Opening Ceremony was successful in two Categories - Outstanding Lighting Direction and Outstanding Live and Direct to Tape Sound Mixing," the statement says.

The First European Games kicked off in Baku June 12 and wrapped up June 28. Baku 2015 First European Games hosted 20 sports, including 16 Olympic sports. Over 6,000 athletes represented the European countries at Baku 2015.
C onservationists and political leaders congratulated Kenya as it confirmed it has burned almost all of its stockpile of 105 tonnes of ivory.

As he set the haul ablaze in Nairobi, Kenyas president, Uhuru Kenyatta, told the crowd: No one, and I repeat no one, has any business trading in ivory for this trade means death  the death of our elephants and the death of our natural heritage.

The huge pyres were lit at the weekend at the culmination of the inaugural summit of The Giants Club  the elephant protection initiative supported by the Evening Standard.

African leaders gathered with local and international politicians, scientists, businesses and charities to discuss ways to save the threatened species, fight the poachers and end the illegal wildife trade.

The site of the burning is under 24-hour armed guard and monitored by observers from UK-based charity Stop Ivory. Effectively all ivory has now been destroyed, with only 12 tusks left, Alex Rhodes of Stop Ivory said today.

Pyres: Kenyas stockpile of ivory goes up in flames in Nairobi / Reuters

The message is sent. It is now for those few outlying countries to step forward and join the rest of the world in closing all ivory markets.

The future of elephants across Africa is dependent on the ability of humans to overcome their differences and work together.

What we have seen is the start of an African conservation revolution, said Max Graham, chief of Space for Giants, the implementation charity of the Giants Club. Its been an amazing few days none present will ever forget.

Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev, patron of The Giants Club, said the summit and burning sent a powerful signal that the illegal wildlife trade must be stopped: We need to remember an elephant is being killed every 20 minutes. If we let that carry on, this magnificent animal could be extinct.

At the gathering, Mr Kenyatta was joined by Presidents Ali Bongo of Gabon and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. US deputy secretary of state Heather Higginbottom brought a message from Barack Obama, and delegations came from countries including Botswana, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Russia.

Financiers pledged over $5 million (3.4 million) in immediate funding for new Kenyan, Gabonese, Botswanan, and Ugandan initiatives.

UK-based group Elephant Family pledged $500,000 (340,000); the UN Office on Drugs and Crime $300,000 (203,500); and the ICCF Group, an international conservation organisation, $200,000 (135,500).

American philanthropist Jody Allen, co-founder of the Paul G Allen Family Foundation, gave backing for a special operations unit and strengthened legal capacity for Botswana.

Kim Tan, chief executive of SpringHill Management, also made commitments of support. Sir Elton John, Sir Richard Branson, Lupita Nyongo, and Bear Grylls all sent messages of support.

It is an amazing thing that so many important people are coming to-gether to discuss a subject that affects all humanity, Sir Elton said.

Liu Xianfa, Chinas ambassador to Kenya, read a letter from President Xi Jinping describing the great importance he placed on the summit, and promising Chinas future support. Kenyan pop group Sauti Sol perform at a gala dinner. Among the initiatives announced at the event:

Gabon will double its National Parks Agency staff from 750 to 1,500;

Uganda intends to construct an electrified fence around Murchison Falls National Park to reduce incidents of human-elephant conflict;

Botswana plans an intelligence-led special operations unit to support wildlife rangers;

Kenya will launch a National Conservation Endowment Fund, whose profits will finance wildlife pro- tection.
A helicopter crash in Norway which killed all 13 people on board was caused by technical failure, investigators have said.

The Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) said its probe and visual evidence, including a video of the helicopter's rotor propelling into the sea moments before it crashed, indicated sudden mechanical failure.

The AIBN did not elaborate on the technical fault, saying a full investigation would take time.

The agency's head of aviation, Kare Halvorsen, said the accident happened "very, very quickly", according to Norwegian news agency NTB.

Crash: Emergency workers at the crash near Bergen in Norway / AP

He said the aircraft had not made a mayday call or indicated in any way that it was in trouble.

The Airbus EC-225LP helicopter was flying from an offshore oil rig in the North Sea with 11 Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian on board when it crashed on Friday by the island of Turoey near the western city of Bergen.

Halvorsen acknowledged that some parts of the helicopter were missing after its wrecked fuselage was retrieved from the sea on Saturday, but said it was not clear whether they were critical for the investigation.

The quality of the data from the flight and cockpit recorders that were sent to Britain for analysis was good, investigators said.

Police said they had identified the victims, who are all aged between 32 and 60 years old, but have not released all the names in accordance with the wishes of some of the families.

Victim: Iain Stuart / Police Scotland/PA

Iain Stuart, from Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire, was among the victims flying from the North Sea Gullfaks B oil field, about 74 miles off the Norwegian coast, when it crashed.

After the accident, Norway's aviation agency banned all Airbus EC-225LP helicopters from flying in Norway or near Norwegian offshore facilities and the UK's Civil Aviation Authority grounded all commercial passenger flights using such helicopters except for search-and-rescue operations.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Takehiko Nakao, Asian Development Bank (ADB) president and Liqun Jin, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) president signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of ADB's 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, ADB said.

The agreement sets the stage for jointly financing projects. ADB and AIIB are already discussing projects for cofinancing in the road and water sectors. The first of these projects is expected to be Pakistan's M4 highway project, a 64-kilometer stretch of motorway connecting Shorkot to Khanewal in Punjab Province.

ADB and AIIB agreed to strengthen cooperation, including cofinancing, at the strategic and technical levels on the basis of complementarity, value added, institutional strengths and comparative advantages, and mutual benefit.

Through cofinancing, knowledge work, and joint policy dialogue with member countries, the two institutions will work together in the areas including energy, transportation, telecommunications, rural and agriculture development, water, urban development, and environmental protection.

The two institutions will undertake regular high-level consultations and joint data collection to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the COP21 climate agreement.

Established in 1966, the Asian Development Bank has 67 members. Azerbaijan became an ADB member on Dec. 22, 1999. The country's share in the bank's capital is 0.5 percent.

ADB has been assisting Azerbaijan since 1999 with approved loan and grant projects totaling about $2.6 billion, including private sector transactions worth about $738 million, as of end 2015.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

Japan and the US (31.2 percent of the total capital), India and China (12.8 percent), Australia, South Korea and Canada (16 percent) are ADB's main shareholders.

The Azerbaijani government officially expressed interest in becoming one of the AIIB founders March 31, 2015. In April, Azerbaijan was confirmed as one of the countries that joined AIIB.

The objectives of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are to promote the economic development and cooperation in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors.

AIIB's authorized capital is $100 billion. The share of regional members of the bank will hit 75 percent. China will be the largest shareholder of the bank. Its share is 29.78 percent of the voting shares. Azerbaijan's share in the bank's capital will hit 0.25 percent. Some $254.1 million will be invested in their purchase.
Tehran, Iran, May. 3

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Emil Ilgar - Trend:

Iran and Germany signed several cooperation documents on May 2, during the visit of 150 German officials and businessmen to Tehran.

The German-Iranian Business Forum was held in Tehran and German delegation, headed by Uwe Beckmeyer, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, started a new round of negotiations with Iranian companies.

The signed documents cover several fields including steel industry and medical.
Tehran, Iran, May. 3

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Emil Ilgar - Trend:

Iran's cooperation with Germany's Hermes Insurance Company is estimated to surpass 7 billion, Mohammad Khazaee, head of Iranian Investment Organization, said May 3.

"The talks have been held to remove the financial obstacles and in the near future Iran-Hermes relations will be normalized," Khazaee said during the German-Iranian Business Forum in Tehran, Trend's correspondent reported.

Iranian and German companies planned to sign several cooperation documents on May 3. Currently, 150 German officials and businessmen are in Tehran.

Before, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel's visit to Tehran was scheduled, but was later postponed due to the official's health issues.

Uwe Beckmeyer, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy who heads German delegation, and Khazaei will sign a 40-page overview of future economic cooperation between two countries.
Economic development and keeping products moving cross country were among the discussions during a hearing in Scottsbluff Monday.

A U.S. Senate field hearing, Keeping Goods Moving in Americas Heartland, was held by the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security Subcommittee in Scottsbluff Wednesday to discuss the FAST Act, a five-year federal highway bill approved by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 4, 2015.

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and committee chairman heard from stakeholders about the impact the act has on rural Nebraska. The FAST Act includes provisions to improve the nations infrastructure and establish a national freight policy. The hearing focused on the economic impact of freight transportation in rural areas, how the act will be implemented and ways in which transportation networks can be strengthened.

Fischer said without a robust transportation system the U.S. cannot offer products domestically or around the world. One of her goals in the Senate was to pass a long-term highway bill.

For nearly a decade, Congress passed 36 short-term extension, Fischer said. Im proud to see this achieved.

The FAST Act provides more career opportunities for veterans, allows younger people with a Commercial Drivers license (CDL) to operate commercial freight across state lines and creates work opportunities for veterans.

Kyle Schneweis, director Nebraska Department of Roads, said most concerns are impacted by rural challenges.

The emphasis on access and connectivity stresses our understanding of our rural landscape and commitment to growth through partnerships and economic opportunity, Schneweis said.

Deb Cottier, executive director, Northwest Nebraska Development Corporation, said freight movement and roads are critical. She said the Heartland Expressway is the missing link in the highway network.

Western Nebraska is isolated from major highways. The only way to get there is on two-lane roads, Cottier said. The prosperity of Americas heartland depends on four lanes.

Without the Build Nebraska Act, Cottier said she didnt think the Nebraska Department of Roads would complete it, despite the economic benefits.

For every dollar invested in road improvements, we see two dollars return in economics, Cottier said.

The expressway from Kimball to Scottbluff is currently four lanes. The other parts include east on Highway 26, 92, 385 and Alliance through Chadron to the South Dakota state line.

Right at the Nebraska/South Dakota state line, it drops to two lanes.

Its a visual we can all see, Cottier said. It creates this bottleneck and traffic hazard.

Don Overman, chairman, Western Nebraska Regional Airport Authority Board, said FAST is critical for rural airports across the country. Overman said the airport is important in serving airlines as well as businesses, such as FedEx and UPS, who also use the states roads to travel 120-150 miles nearly every day.

Good roads are essential for the economic development of our entire area, Overman said.

Overman said from an economic standpoint, the airport is needed otherwise large businesses will not consider coming to the area. Overman also said FedEx and UPS deliver the items people want or need.

Were an overnight society now, Overman said. People order from companies all over the United States and want it tomorrow.

Its never there soon enough, said Brent Holliday, chief executive officer, Nebraska Transport Company. Holliday said businesses dont warehouse or stock merchandise like they used to, leading to a more urgent need.

They need to have freight that can get from Chicago to Denver in two days, they rely heavily on that, Holliday said. Their inventory is so low, if a customer needs something, they may not have it in stock.

Holliday was also concerned about the 48,000 truck driver shortage nationwide because trucks represent the first and last mile in a worldwide freight train.

In Nebraska, there are 13,500 carriers. The majority are small carriers, Holliday said. For an effective network, you have to have an ample supply of carriers large and small.

FAST attempts to make sure drivers are competent. Drivers are required to have 30 hours of instruction and most companies, Hollidays included, have eight hours of additional mandated classroom instruction.

Holliday said FAST was a good start and hopes it leads to different industries interacting more, but wants enforcement to be more consistent from state to state.

Regulation is not a bad thing, Holliday said. Its made the industry safe and drivers physically and mentally fit to share highways with our families.

David Freeman, senior vice president of transportation, BNSF Railway, said the act has provided BNSF with some positives in relation to railroad crossings. BNSF has 24,000 crossings, which dont include pedestrian crossings, overpasses or underpasses. Freeman said BNSF wanted to do whatever is helpful for the overall system of business,

The other side for us is the ability to generate modes of transportation having a consistent timely process, Freeman said. We want to do stuff that is helpful for the overall system of business, but realize there is an effective environmental and economic process and we want to be a part of that.

Schneweis said accommodations take eight to ten years to deliver, especially when discussing roads expanding from two to four lanes.

We understand the economic impacts, Schneweis said. Its the Build Nebraska Act, not the Build Eastern Nebraska Act.
LINCOLN  Former Husker public-address announcer Patrick Combs was following the advice of professionals and complying with the wishes of an elderly woman, not swindling her of her money, as authorities have alleged, his attorney said Monday.

Lincoln attorney Bob Creager said Combs, 50, was involved in no criminal activity. He described Combs as an adopted son to the 88-year-old woman and her husband.

The couple paid for Combs college tuition, his wedding and gifts and gave him cash gifts, Creager said. Before they died, he said, the couple indicated they wanted Combs to inherit the majority of their money and distribute some of it. They had no children.

Everybody knew Pat Combs was the only son she had, Creager said.

Opening arguments and testimony began Monday in a criminal case against Combs. Authorities accuse him of stealing more than $360,000 from an elderly woman.

Hes charged with one count each of theft by unlawful taking, attempted theft, abuse of a vulnerable adult and unauthorized use of a financial transaction device. All are felonies.

The jury trial before Lancaster County District Judge Robert Otte is expected to last all week.

A second case in which Combs is charged with one count of theft by unlawful taking is set to go to trial in June. That case also involves an elderly woman.

In the case now at trial, prosecutors allege that Combs exploited the woman, who was a resident of an Alzheimers care unit from April 2014 until her June 2015 death, by persuading her to give him power of attorney, allowing him to take hundreds of thousands of dollars from her.

Combs is a two-time Democratic congressional candidate who worked as the game-day voice at Memorial Stadium for more than a decade. His contract with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln expired in August, five days before he was arrested.

The investigation began in February 2015 when Adult Protective Services contacted the Lincoln Police Department, said Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Morgan Smith.

Investigators found that Combs had tried to transfer $1.75 million of the womans money into his bank account in December 2014. The money didnt go through because the transfer was deemed suspicious and a freeze was put on the account.

Combs did, however, write checks using her account, Smith said. They included more than $18,100 for a loan to buy a Lexus, $3,300 for a snowplow and $2,400 for a Volkswagen Beetle for his daughter. He also used the womans money to pay his credit card bill, and gave a gift of $100,000 to one person and $150,000 to another, Smith said.

He used (the woman) for his own needs, Smith said. He noted that during an April 2015 examination, a doctor found the womans decision-making to be impaired and found she had been lacking capacity for at least a year.

On the other hand, Creager argued that the couple lived a self-sufficient life in their own home until 2013. He said they turned to Combs, who promised he would take care of them.

Investigators found three versions of her will. One willed her estate to nine beneficiaries, including Combs. Another left it to three people, including Combs.

In the final will, signed in November 2014, her entire estate was left to Combs. He obtained power of attorney in November 2014. Documents also contained a gift clause, allowing Combs to give himself and other people money.

Creager argued that Combs gave the gifts of $100,000 and $150,000 to people whom the woman wanted to receive part of her inheritance, as detailed in an earlier will. And, he said, Combs tried to transfer the $1.75 million from the womans account after financial professionals suggested he do so. Both were in an effort to avoid paying the 18 percent inheritance tax for nonrelatives, Creager said.

When Combs realized the actions wouldnt result in a tax savings, he stopped the $1.75 million transfer and stopped spending money, Creager said.

In a taped interview with investigators in April 2015, the woman called Combs a very close friend and questioned why an investigation into her financial affairs was being conducted. Monday, Combs cried in court as the video played.

Creager said his side doesnt dispute 95 percent of the case, including the allegations about how Combs used the money. But he urged the jury to consider why he did it.

This is the last thing (the woman involved in the case) wouldve wanted, Creager said of the court proceedings.

Contact the writer: 402-473-9581, emily.nohr@owh.com
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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $5.6 million to seven banks through an auction held by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), said SOFAZ in a message May 3.

Meanwhile, CBA itself acquired $40 million at the auction.

SOFAZ was offering $50 million for sale through the auction.

SOFAZ will continue selling foreign currency through auctions in 2016.

The foreign currency is sold as part of SOFAZ's transfers to the Azerbaijani state budget, which are envisaged to stand at 7.615 billion Azerbaijani manats in 2016.
Tuesday, 03 May 2016 10:35:37 (GMT+3) | Shanghai

Chongqing-based Chinese steel producer Chongqing Iron & Steel Co. (Chongqing Steel) has announced in its quarterly report that it has recorded an operating revenue of RMB 1.408 billion ($0.22 billion) for the first quarter of the current year, down 38.06 percent year on year, with a net loss of RMB 992 million ($153.32 million) compared to the net loss of RMB 829 million recorded in the same period of 2015.

Chongqing Steel stated that in the first quarter of the current year its average finished steel product sales price stood at RMB 1,802/mt ($278.52/mt), down 33.58 percent year on year, causing it incur an increased loss in the given period.
Monday, 02 May 2016 00:07:02 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo

Brazil s port authority, SEP, has authorized local steelmaker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) to renew in advance the exploration contract it has for its bulk minerals port terminal in the city of Itaguai, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.





According to the port authority, CSN is expected to invest BRL 2.5 billion in the port terminal, out of which BRL 1 billion will be destined for new investments and the remaining BRL 1.5 billion for keeping the operational conditions of the facility.





As a result of the deal, CSN is expected to expand the ports loading capacity from 30 million mt/year to 60 million mt/year by December 2017.





SEP said CSN will build a new coal courtyard at the same time it will adequate another existing space, also destined to coal, to stock iron ore.


Monday, 02 May 2016 14:03:51 (GMT+3) | San Diego

Evraz North America will lay off nearly 200 workers at its operations in Regina, Canada this week; about 65 to 70 workers at its steel mill and about 130 at its pipe facilities.





Effective May 7, therell be around the 120-130 mark (workers laid off), said Mike Day, president of USAW Local 5890, to local media.





Thats on the pipe side. Theyve already (issued) layoff notices for the steel side (effective May 1)  they had about 60 or 65 people off there. So were looking at close to 200 people thatll be laid off.





Day attributed the layoffs to the slowdown in the oil industry, specifically the absence of major energy pipeline projects in Canada and the U.S.





Day said there would be more layoffs later this month, with a maintenance shutdown at the 24-inch pipe mill for a couple of weeks. The large-diameter spiral pipe mill is still running with a full workforce.


Tuesday, 03 May 2016 17:05:52 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

In the first quarter this year, finished steel output in Turkey increased by 5.3 percent year on year to 9.1 million mt, while Turkish crude steel production recorded a year-on-year rise of 1.9 percent to 7.67 million mt, according to the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD).

As stated in the report, in the first three months of this year Turkey 's long product output totaled 6.5 million mt, up 5.4 percent, and its flat product output grew by five percent to 2.5 million mt, both on year-on-year basis.

Finished steel consumption in Turkey in the first quarter of this year rose by 9.3 percent year on year to 8.5 million mt.
Tuesday, 03 May 2016 23:34:12 (GMT+3) | San Diego

New Colombia Resources, Inc. a US -based company with high quality metallurgical Blue Gem coal mining titles, medical marijuana, and industrial hemp operations in Colombia , announced today that they received notification from the Agencia Nacional de Mineria (ANM) to accept new terms for Contract Application # OG2-10451 for another approved Concession Contract for high quality premium metallurgical coal.





On July 2, 2013, New Colombia Resources filed a Form 8K with the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing that Erasmo Almanza, Director of New Colombia Resources, INC., applied for an additional coal and other grantable minerals concession contract totaling 183.3 HA (452 Acres) contiguous to their current Concession Contract # ILE-09551 in Guaduas, Colombia





The new concession contract application number is OG2-10451. On April 15, 2016 the ANM posted a notice for Almanza to accept new terms for the concession contract within 30 days and adjust the Exploration Program Format A.





Although the original application is for 183 HA, the Company believes the area may be reduced since it's considered a strategic reserve for the country. Blue Gem coal is only found on the KY-TN border and central Colombia and is used to produce specialty metals such as silicone to make solar panels, electric car batteries, and many more next generation products. New Colombia Resources has concession contracts and applications totaling 5000 HA of high quality metallurgical coal that will always be needed to produce steel and other specialty metallurgy products.





According to the company release, metallurgical coal miners in Kentucky have shut down operations due to over-regulation and poor market conditions, which has generated a glut of late model mining equipment being made available to New Colombia Resources. Company President John Campo will travel to Kentucky this week to acquire mining equipment to begin met coal production, also meeting with potential investors, customers, and partners with state of the art underground mining equipment and experience in extracting metallurgical coal. This equipment can easily be shipped to their property via the Mississippi and Magdalena Rivers.





"I'm sad to see the devastation caused by mine closures in small town America, but I'm happy be able to offer veteran mine operators a mutually beneficial opportunity to continue what they know best while providing a much needed product for solar panel production which ironically is in the mix to replace thermal coal power plants, Campo said in a statement. One continuous miner can produce 1000 tons per shift which generates cash flow of at least US $ 1,500,000 per month at today's depressed prices.





New Colombia Resources' Work Permit for underground metallurgical coal mining was approved on December 23, 2013. The company applied for an environmental license in 2014 but decided to halt the process in order to add building material production to the same license. Earlier this year the company submitted a Work Plan adding building materials to their approved metallurgical coal Work Permit.




In April this year, Ukrainian steelmaker Zaporizhstal 's finished steel product output increased by 9.7 percent year on year to 272,900 mt, its pig iron production moved up by 3.7 percent to 269,000 mt, while its crude steel production rose by 2.86 percent year on year to 301,700 mt, according to the company's preliminary results.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijan's Financial Market Supervisory Body doesn't currently consider the possibility of revoking licenses or appointing administrators in the country's banks, except for Bank Standard, said Rufat Aslanli, chairman of the Supervisory Body's Board of Directors.

"Today, we are supervising all the 37 banks in the country in a preventive mode," said Aslanli at a press conference May 3. "Our control is not limited to only responding to the developments the banks face. We also carry out a variety of stress tests, analyze the situation, and so on."

He also said the Supervisory Body is ready for any problem that the banks may experience, both in institutional and financial terms.

"The government has the necessary financial and administrative resources to resolve such issues in a preventive mode," added Aslanli.

On May 3, a temporary administrator was appointed at the Bank Standard under a decision of the Supervisory Body's Board of Directors.

Currently, 37 banks have licenses to carry out banking activity in Azerbaijan.

Since early 2016, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan has revoked the licenses of six banks - AtraBank, Caucasus Development Bank, Texnika Bank, Gandja Bank, Bank of Azerbaijan and the United Credit Bank.
By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com During last Thursdays county commission meeting, the topic of tourism came up. First District Commissioner Karen Stuppy reported on the Tourism Advisory Council and Tourism Tax Commissions joint meeting earlier that week, at which a task force was formed. She said that the tourism department has an $89,548 budget, with $45,000-50,000
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) exported 239,500 tons of oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline in January-April of 2016, as compared to 508,490 tons in the same period in 2015, said SOCAR's website.

SOCAR exported around 159,600 tons of oil from Novorossiysk in April of 2016.

The company exported 1.27 million tons of oil via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline in 2015, as compared to 932,160 tons in 2014.

SOCAR exports the oil produced at its own fields, as well as the oil of joint ventures and operation companies working at Azerbaijan's onshore fields, through Russia's Novorossiysk port.

Oil is delivered to the port via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline operated by SOCAR.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Azerbaijan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) discussed the possibility of financing the Southern Gas Corridor project by the ADB, said the message issued May 3 by Azerbaijan's Finance Ministry.

The discussions were held during the meeting of Azerbaijan's Finance Minister Samir Sharifov with the ADB President Takehiko Nakao, vice presidents Wencai Zhang and Diwakar Gupta and other official representatives of the bank within the 49th annual meeting of the ADB Board of Directors.

The 49th annual meeting of the ADB Board of Directors will last until May 5 in Frankfurt, Germany.

The sides also emphasized the importance of the jointly implemented projects, discussed the implementation of projects to improve energy supply in Azerbaijan's territory, restoration of water supply systems in the country's regions.

Meanwhile, the development of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field's second phase was also discussed during the meeting.

Today the Southern Gas Corridor is among the European Union's priority energy projects, which aims at the diversification of the EU gas supply sources and routes. The project envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea region to Europe through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

Edited by SI
ST. LOUIS  The parents of a south St. Louis County man killed when he crashed his motorcycle into an abandoned SUV on Interstate 270 have settled a lawsuit against the driver of the SUV, a chronic DWI offender now in prison for at least his 10th drunken driving conviction.

St. Louis Associate Circuit Judge Barbara T. Peebles approved the $1.5 million settlement Tuesday against Mark T. McKay, 41, of the 4200 block of Veranda Drive in south St. Louis County.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said McKay had hit the median wall of I-270 south of Gravois Road with his 2003 GMC Envoy on the night of Aug 12.

After the crash, about 11:10 p.m., McKay left the SUV in the southbound lanes of the interstate, authorities said.

A few minutes later, Marko Knezevic hit McKays abandoned SUV with his 2009 Yamaha sportbike, the patrol said. Knezevic, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle and died at the crash scene.

Under the agreement approved Tuesday, McKays familys insurance company will pay the settlement to Knezevics parents, Robert and Ljuba Knezevic, also of south St. Louis County.

McKay was arrested near the crash scene on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and drug possession.

Prosecutors in January charged McKay with felony possession of methamphetamine after state troopers said they found a black zip-up bag of methamphetamine on the drivers side floorboard of the Envoy.

But Ed Magee, a spokesman for the St. Louis County prosecutors office, said McKay was not charged in Knezevics death because of a lack of evidence of impairment. McKay refused a troopers request for a breath test, and a blood sample was never taken.

McKays criminal defense lawyer, Travis Noble, said McKay was wearing an alcohol monitoring anklet at the time of the crash, which would show McKay had no alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.

Noble said he had seen no evidence that the methamphetamine found in the SUV belonged to McKay. McKays civil attorney declined to comment Tuesday.

Witnesses to the crash reported Knezevic, on the motorcycle, had been speeding, weaving and driving recklessly himself just prior to the accident, Magee said.

In February, McKay was sentenced to eight years in prison for driving on a revoked or suspended license and at least his 10th DWI in Missouri. That amounts to a felony chronic offender charge, according to authorities. In that case, McKay was stopped Oct. 13, 2012, by city police after running a red light at South Ninth and Arsenal streets, court records say.

Officer David Martin said he smelled a strong odor of alcohol emanating from his vehicle and observed McKay with slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. McKay refused to blow into a Breathalyzer but failed sobriety tests.

McKay had pleaded guilty in that case in 2014 but tried to withdraw his plea two months before the crash involving Knezevic. After the latest crash, St. Louis Circuit Judge Edward Sweeney denied McKays motion to withdraw the plea and sentenced him to prison.

McKay is appealing the case.

According to court records, McKays other DWI convictions include 2009 convictions in Camden and Iron counties, two 2006 convictions in Jefferson County, one in Clayton from 2000 and another in Jefferson County in 1999.

Knezevic, 23, was a valet at a Clayton condominium and was driving home when he crashed, his parents and their lawyer said.

He was single and had graduated from Mehlville High School and then Brown Mackie College with a degree in criminal justice. He dreamed of becoming a police officer, his parents said.

He wanted so bad to become a police officer, his mother said. I told him its dangerous work. And he said, Mom, everything is dangerous.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

Trend:

The Shah Deniz consortium today announced the award of a $1.5 billion contract for the transport and installation of the deeper water subsea production systems for Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the BOS Shelf LLC, Saipem Contracting Netherlands B.V. and Star Gulf FZCO consortium.

The scope of work of the contract is for the management and operation of the new-build Subsea Construction Vessel (SCV) Khankendi for the transport and installation of the deeper water subsea production systems and subsea structures at all five flanks of the project.

Frank Wilson, BP's Vice President for the Shah Deniz Stage 2 Marine and Subsea programme commented: "We are pleased to continue cooperation with our strategic offshore installation contractor and its major local consortium partners to progress the execute phase of the giant Shah Deniz Stage 2 project. The new flagship vessel Khankendi, which is currently under construction by Baku Shipyard, will provide essential support for the installation of the Stage 2 subsea structures - the biggest subsea production system ever built in the Caspian. The construction of the Khankendi is making excellent progress with the hull strips and bow block already integrated. This major contract award for the installation of subsea production systems underpins our commitment to deploy new advanced subsea production technology for the first time to the Caspian as part of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 development".

The contract scope is planned to be completed by the middle of 2022, with a five-year option to extend the contract to cover the installation of remaining trees, flying leads and jumpers at the East-South, East-North and West-South subsea flanks between 2022 and 2027. The scope also includes the reactivation of the Pipe-lay Barge Israfil Huseinov and the second pipe-lay installation campaign of the deeper water flow-lines in 2019.

Work on Shah Deniz Stage 2 and South Caucasus Pipeline expansion (SCPX) projects continue to move forward with more than 70% of all first gas work across Azerbaijan and Georgia already complete in terms of engineering, procurement and construction. The project remains on schedule for the first gas in 2018.
URBANA, Ill.  Classes at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus resumed on their normal schedules Monday after a faculty union reached a tentative contract agreement with the school and called off the remainder of its strike.

The Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition Local 6546 authorized a five-day strike when contract talks ended without a settlement Wednesday. The strike began Thursday morning and was scheduled through the last day of classes this Wednesday.

Negotiators met with a federal mediator Friday and Saturday. A five-year agreement between the union and the school was finalized late Saturday night, The (Champaign) News-Gazette reported.

The union voted unanimously Sunday to end the strike. A ratification vote is scheduled for Thursday, according to Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition Local 6546 President Shawn Gilmore.

Gilmore said the negotiating team is elated with the agreement, which includes very good protections for appointments or reappointments and a multiyear contract system for faculty members who have been at the University of Illinois for at least five years.

The union said the contract mainly covers high-priority issues for the union, which was seeking greater job security, academic freedom protections and participation in faculty governance. Gilmore said it also includes compensation steps that address faculty with lower salaries.

We are happy to say that after more than a year and a half of negotiations we reached the goals that were most important to our members, union spokeswoman Dorothee Schneider said.

The Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition Local 6546 was certified in July 2014 and began negotiating its first contract with the University of Illinois in October 2014.

The union was seeking multiyear contracts for members who had been working at least five years, support for professional development and regularized appointment and reappointment procedures. Although administrators said they supported multiyear contracts, they wanted them to be based on performance and be under the control of departments.

Gilmore said the union and university were able to resolve those differences after some fairly open-ended conversations about the underlying issues. The two sides agreed on multiyear contracts based on evaluations.The union represents about 500 of the universitys teaching, research and clinical faculty members who arent on the tenure track.

The union also staged a two-day earlier in April.
WASHINGTON  More and more, the elections that count most in the makeup of your U.S. House of Representatives dont happen in November, they happen in primaries in the months prior to them.

Such is the case in Missouri this year, where all eight of the House incumbents are heavily favored to win re-election, with many facing only nominal, third-party general election challengers, or none at all. Its the result, in part, of gerrymandered districts, the process of crowding like-minded voters into single congressional districts that favor one party or another. Critics also call it incumbent protection insurance.

As a result, the challenges to watch are within the parties themselves, like the one in Missouris District 1, centered in St. Louis.

State Sen. Marie Chappelle-Nadal, a Democrat, is challenging incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, in what may be the most watched congressional race in the state this year. Judging by their public comments so far, the back-and-forth by the summer could get interesting.

Everybody says, where has he been?  Chappelle-Nadal told the Post-Dispatch last summer, before she announced her candidacy. Every constituent that I have encountered, when his name comes up unprovoked, that is what they say. "

Clay last week said he was not ready to talk about the primary with Chappelle-Nadal, but he would in due time. He said last summer he relished a challenge from Chappelle-Nadal, who had a local and national profile during the Ferguson protests after the Michael Brown police shooting death in August of 2014.

Bill Haas is also on that Democratic ballot with Chappelle-Nadal and Clay.

This is not my first rodeo, Clay told the Post-Dispatch, pointing out his record of winning dominantly in every election since he first won a House seat in 2000, replacing his father, Rep. Bill Clay.

A similar intramural challenge arose across the Mississippi River in Illinois, where veteran Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, staved off a Republican primary challenge in March, and now faces a non-competitive November race. Two nearby Republican-held districts, Rodney Daviss in 13 and Mike Bosts in 12, are on national watch lists, and may be the only competitive House races in November within 350 miles of St. Louis. Even in an upside-down, shake-it-up Donald Trump political year.

As in many states, gerrymandering in Missouri is the product of a political process heavily influenced by those already in office. State legislators on a specially appointed commission essentially draw boundaries, the political and legal equivalent of choosing your own field for competition. Illinois incorporates more non-legislators into the process, but its still overlaid with politics.

Some states, like Iowa, have prompted more competitive congressional races by having an independent commission draw the boundaries. There are 22 congressional districts out of the 435 considered to be tossups this year by the non-partisan Cook Political Report. Two of them are in Iowa, which only has four total.

As the good-government group Common Cause reports, court-drawn district lines in New York state have resulted in the most competitive House races of any in the country. New York has eight competitive races, according to Cooks latest ratings, roughly 14 percent of all competitive races in the country.

Pennsylvania is another example of the entrenched incumbency the other direction. Only three of Pennsylvanias 18 congressional races in November are thought to be competitive.

Two Pennsylvania congressional primaries last month  one in the Republican Party and one in the Democrat  were as consequential as anything in the general election in November. Rep. Chakkah Fatah, D-Pa., who this week underwent trial for bribery and fraud involving misuse of a million-dollar loan dating from his campaign for Philadelphia mayor in 2007, lost a primary. Rep. Bill Schuster, R-Pa., chair of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, barely survived a primary after stories emerged that he had had a relationship with a lobbyist with business before the committee.

Schuster is expected to win easily in November.

In Illinois, an effort is underway to have a more independent voter district drawing process referred to the ballot.

Gerrymandering is a 19th century term deriving from Gov. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, who proclaimed one creatively drawn voting district to be in the shape of a salamander. Critics say gerrymandering is bad because it produces representatives who have little to fear from voter retribution as long as they toe a hard ideological line, and it offers little impetus for compromise because ideological voters would punish them if they caved on overwhelmingly held, hardline positions in the districts they represent.

Hence, the challenges from within the parties are getting to be as numerous as those between the parties. (Chuck Raasch)

BY THE NUMBERS:

435  Number of House elections in November

58  Number of House elections considered to be even remotely competitive in November by the Cook Political Report.

On the Web:

HE SAID IT: In America, politicians should not pick their voters; voters should pick their politicians.  President Barack Obama, speaking in February to the Illinois Legislature in Springfield.
BELLEVILLE  The Belleville City Council voted unanimously Monday night to dissolve the citys own township, which gets hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars a year to do little more than provide financial aid to 40 needy people each month.

The city will take over the townships functions starting in May 2017. A task force will oversee the transition.

Now that the township will be dissolved, the city will only employ one part-time city worker to administer the same programs the township did. Belleville City Clerk and Township Clerk Dallas Cook projects the yearly savings to be about $260,000.

Were providing the same services while saving the taxpayers hundreds of hundreds thousands of dollars, Cook said.

The townships trustees unanimously voted in January to dissolve the township because officials think its a waste of taxpayer dollars to pay another government body to do something the city government can easily do.

Townships in Illinois are local government bodies that provide various services, such as road maintenance or senior programs, to residents in a certain area. Theyre particularly useful when they provide services to unincorporated areas that otherwise dont have a government body to provide certain services, said Cook.

But Bellevilles township is a rare case of redundancy in that the area it serves is the same area that the city of Belleville already covers, said Cook, who spearheaded an effort to dissolve the township.

The townships main job is to dole out financial aid  up to $245 a month  mostly in the form of gift cards to residents who are not seniors or children, who have no income and receive no federal or state aid.

But that category of people is so small, the township only ends up giving financial aid to 40 people who qualify for it, in what is called the general assistance program, Cook said.

Other than that, the township gives aid to some community programs like senior services, food banks and summer camps.

The budget for the 2015 fiscal year showed revenue of $548,607 for the township, of which about half went to salaries ($221,358) and expenses ($54,747). The budget showed $83,798 going to general assistance and $89,644 to community projects.

Much of the salary expenses go to two-full time employees, but the township also pays each of its four trustees $2,500 a year. It also pays a township supervisor $20,000 a year and the township clerk $2,000 a year, according to its most recent budget. Other administration expenses include building rent and insurance.

The township supervisor, Dennis Korte, and the townships two employees could not be reached for comment Monday evening.

Illinois has more local government bodies than any state in the country  almost 7,000, according to a state task force on local government consolidation. That includes bodies like counties, municipalities, park districts, road districts, sanitary districts, school districts and townships.

Because there are so many government bodies, Illinois residents on average pay the second-highest effective property tax rate in the country, which is 2.32 percent, according to the Tax Foundation.

Last August, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law a bill authored by State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, that allows cities with redundant townships like Belleville to adopt an ordinance to dissolve them. Before that, a city would have had to garner petition signatures from voters in every township in its county to put that decision to a vote, Hoffman said.

The Belleville township is the second in Illinois to be dissolved, Hoffman and Cook said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

There is a genuine desire from all four countries involved in the TAPI (Turkmenistan- Afghanistan - Pakistan - India) pipeline project for the pipeline to be built, but the facts on the ground make its realization unlikely, Michael Kugelman, Senior Program Associate for South and Southeast Asia in the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington believes.

"I can't imagine, for example, how you can expect to build a major infrastructure project through Afghanistan given the current security situation," he told Trend by email.

"Many parts of Afghanistan have become completely inaccessible, so how can you expect to deploy capital, labor, and machinery for an extended period of time?," Kugelman said.

Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline will make it possible to deliver gas from Turkmenistan, which ranks fourth in the world on biggest gas reserves, to large and promising markets of South and Southeast Asia. The pipeline is to run from Galkynysh - the largest gas field in Turkmenistan - through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, and finally reach the Fazilka settlement located near the India-Pakistan border.

The estimated cost of the project will exceed $10 billion. The annual capacity of the gas pipeline will reach 33 billion cubic meters. It is planned that the total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,814 kilometers. Some 214 kilometers will pass through the territory of Turkmenistan, 774 kilometers - Afghanistan, 826 kilometers - Pakistan.

Turkmenistan started construction of its section of TAPI pipeline in Dec. 2015 and it is expected it will take three years. It is not yet determined when Afghanistan and Pakistan will start construction their sections of the pipeline.

Kugelman noted that for reasons of energy security, Afghanistan and Pakistan have an urgent need and a strong interest in building their portions as soon as possible.

"However, Afghanistan's security situation makes construction unlikely. Pakistan's security situation has improved in recent months, but it will also face access and security issues," the expert noted.

Moreover Kugelman reminded, that Pakistan signed a huge infrastructure deal worth $46 billion with China in April 2015, which among other things, is expected to finance the construction of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.

"So Pakistan doesn't have as strong an incentive to build its portion of TAPI as it did before the Chinese investment deal was signed last year," he said.

Meanwhile, Turkmenistan announced that the construction of its section of the TAPI pipeline is advancing at high rate. At the recent meetings with the representatives of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, president of Turkmenistan invited these countries to take part in the implementation of the TAPI project.

Kugelman believes that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar will unlikely to participate in the TAPI project because they are suffering from the consequences of reduced global oil prices, and will want to be very cautious and strategic about where they direct their investment.

"My sense is that these countries would be interested in deploying their capital to less risky ventures. They can't afford to lose more money. And I really don't think TAPI amounts to a winning bet right now," the expert said.

Edited by SI

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
In 2005, the Missouri Legislature updated the states School Foundation Formula, which is designed to set levels of adequate spending on K-12 education. Even though the state spends $3.1 billion a year on schools, or 36 percent of Missouris general revenue budget, thats $425 million less than what the formula says is adequate.

Now sitting on Gov. Jay Nixons desk is Senate Bill 586, which purports to almost eliminate the gap. It does so not by actually spending more money, but by rejiggering the formula. Its like a homeowner who comes up $250 short of his $1,000 mortgage payment, deciding that $750 is good enough.

The governor should veto this bill. Fortunately theres every sign that he will.

On Monday, Nixon released a statement saying, Im troubled that members of the Legislature would renege on their commitment to the foundation formula, while at the same time working to pass special interest tax breaks for everything from deer urine to yoga.

Hes not making that up. The Legislature is considering bills that would give sales-tax breaks to people who enroll in fitness classes, including yoga, and farmers who purchase deer whose urine is processed into hunting lures.

The Missouri Budget Project, a progressive advocacy group, estimates that larger, if perhaps less exotic, tax breaks handed out by lawmakers over the past two decades have cost the state $1 billion a year in revenue.

All of those tax breaks were sold as ways to stimulate growth. In fact, the only sure-fire, long-term way to promote economic growth is to invest in education, both K-12 and beyond.

The Legislature recognizes that to some extent; this years budget bill contains a $71 million increase for K-12 education and $55 million more for higher education. Theres just no money for more.

Fact: The state needs a revenue increase to cover the education shortfall. Second fact: Just the opposite is going to happen. Next year, a five-year, $620 million income tax cut starts phasing in. The adequacy gap will surely widen.

Because schools are funded by both state and local taxpayers, the adequacy gap is felt hardest in less affluent school districts that depend on the state to help equalize funding with richer districts. So while the Kirkwood and Ladue schools wouldnt be affected if SB 586 becomes law, St. Louis Public Schools would be. Right now the foundation formula says city schools are underfunded by $9.7 million. If SB 586 becomes law, that gap goes away.

SB 586 simply caps growth on schools operating expenditures at 5 percent a year and recalculates adequacy targets. Presto! Problem disappears.

Its simply wrong to play budget games to make disastrous fiscal policy look less disastrous. Its like pretending tax cuts are going to solve budget problems. Voodoo economics dont work.
I think we should focus on the other important issues at stake in the November election: the right of women to have an abortion, election fraud, gun control, high prescription prices, crime, etc.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Aygun Badalova - Trend:

Brent average price will fall further this year amounting $41.1 per barrel in 2016 compared to $53.4 per barrel in 2015, according to the European Commission's Spring report on European economic forecast.

In 2017, European Commission forecasts Brent to average $45.9 per barrel.

After hitting a new cycle low of $28 per barrel in January 2016, Brent oil prices recovered to over $40 per barrel in March-April amid increased volatility, according to the report.

The recovery of Brent spot prices was supported by a slight tightening of supply based on lower OPEC and non-OPEC output, the report said.

Output losses in some OPEC members were only partly offset by rising Iranian production, the European Commission said.

While pumping near record volumes, Russia and Saudi Arabia kept the output stable during February-March as foreseen in their agreement with Qatar and Venezuela to freeze their oil production at January levels, the report said.

The European Commission mentioned that further attempts to reach a global deal on curbing oil production failed at a meeting in Qatar in April, but its negative impact on prices was outweighed by supply outages in Kuwait, Nigeria and Venezuela.

High levels of stocks and concerns over economic growth in emerging markets are likely to keep a cap on price pressures, the Commission believes.

Oil fell on Tuesday, as rising output from the Middle East and North Sea renewed concerns about a global supply overhang, Reuters reported.

Brent crude futures were trading 37 cents lower at $45.46 per barrel, retreating from earlier gains. WTI futures were also down 37 cents at $44.41 per barrel.
LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Pound gains as Sunak looks set to be next UK PM

Monday, October 24, 2022 - 12:27

The prospect of a quick victory by Rishi Sunak in the race to become the next UK prime minister was giving the pound a lift on Monday.

Packed with dollar earners, the FTSE 100 index was being held back at midday as a result, but the more domestic-oriented FTSE 250 was faring better.

Sunak became the far frontrunner to be the country's next prime minister after Johnson ended his comeback bid and rival Penny Mordaunt battled to win sufficient support from Tory members of Parliament. Sunak, a former chancellor, had on Friday hit the threshold of 100 nominations from Conservative colleagues to be the next party leader, well ahead of the deadline of 1400 BST on Monday.

The FTSE 100 index was up 5.08 points, or 0.1%, at 6,974.87. The mid-cap FTSE 250 was up 96.12 points, or 0.6%, at 17,302.67, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.31 points, or 0.2%, at 786.71.

The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 696.87, the Cboe UK 250 up 0.6% at 14,777.27, and the Cboe Small Companies down 0.2% at 12,218.86.

In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris advanced 1.4% and the DAX 40 in Frankfurt was 1.3% higher.

Sterling was quoted at $1.1310 midday Monday, sharply higher than $1.1203 at the London equities close on Friday. Despite the strong gain since Friday, the pound was sliding from an intraday high of $1.1379 earlier this morning.

Mordaunt appears far behind but allies insist they are "confident" she will hit the target, which would see the Commons Leader face off against Sunak in an online ballot of Tory party members.

But if she fails, Sunak will effectively receive a "coronation" from Conservative MPs and quickly succeed Liz Truss as prime minister  seven weeks after he lost out to her in the last contest.

A government source said the new prime minister could be in place as soon as Monday if the Tory leadership contest does not progress further.

"With Sunak seen as the next PM and austerity returning, gilts have rallied, and the 10-year yield is off 17 basis points," commented Bannockburn Global Forex. "While the US dollar recovers from its pre-weekend slide, sterling is the best performer by being little changed."

The new UK leader looks set to face a series of tough economic conditions. New flash estimates released on Monday showed the UK private sector output has fallen for the third straight month, fuelling speculation the UK is headed for a "deep" recession.

John Glen, CIPS chief economist, said: "No great surprise seeing the manufacturing and services sectors backsliding again in October given the jangled nerves amongst cash-strapped businesses facing a faltering economy, political turmoil and historically high input costs."

The S&P Global/CIPS flash UK purchasing managers' index composite output measure fell to a 21-month low of 47.2 points in October from 49.1 in September.

Any reading below 50 points indicates contraction.

The flash services PMI business activity index slumped to 47.5 points in October from 50.0 in September, while the manufacturing PMI slid to 45.8 from 48.4.

In New York on Monday, stocks were set to open mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was called up 0.1% and the S&P 500 flat, but the Nasdaq Composite was seen down 0.2%.

In London, Pearson was the best performer in the FTSE 100 - advancing 7.7%.

It said trading in the nine months to September 30 was "strong", with underlying sales up 7% year-on-year, allowing the company to reaffirm its full-year sales and adjusted profit outlook.

Looking ahead, Pearson said it is on track to deliver at least 100 million of cost efficiencies next year, and it remains on track to deliver group sales and adjusted operating profit in line with consensus expectations for 2022.

Frasers added 1.5%.

It increased its investment in German fashion designer Hugo Boss to just under a third, while also confirming it has bought a 5% stake in UK online clothing retailer Asos.

Frasers said it now owns 4.3% of the shares of Hugo Boss, while it additionally has a 28.5% interest via put options that it has sold. This gives Frasers a 32.8% interest, up from 30.9% previously.

Derbyshire-based department store operator Frasers said its maximum exposure for the Hugo Boss interest is 960 million, up from 900 million in June. Back then, it held a 4.9% stake via shares and a further 26% via options.

Hugo was 1.0% higher in Frankfurt.

Frasers said the holding in Hugo Boss is just "ordinary course of business" for the firm as it continues to seek "opportunities that strengthen Frasers Group's brand proposition".

Meanwhile, Frasers on Wednesday last week bought a 5.1% stake in FTSE 250-listed online-retailer Asos, a filing showed on Monday. That would make Frasers the sixth largest shareholder in Asos, according to data from Morningstar.

Asos added 2.0%.

In London's junior market, video-streaming technology firm Aferian slumped 38% as it expects device revenue for financial year 2022 ending November 30 to be 10% lower than expected in June.

It noted its Amino business experienced delays as customers reduce working capital. However, exit annual recurring revenue and software growth - of 15% and 5% respectively - will be in line with management expectations.

Aferian guided for full-year adjusted operating profit of $7.8 million to $8.8 million, down at least 25% from $11.8 million a year prior.

Heading in the opposite direction, Mosman Oil & Gas was up 26% on AIM.

It said a third-party technical report for its license in Australia, covering the Cinnabar development well, finds "favourable scenarios" for all three essential play elements.

The evaluation identified five "high-graded areas of prospectivity", which includes hydrocarbons, helium and hydrogen, Mosman said.

The euro traded at $0.9822 midday Monday, higher than $0.9802 late Friday. Against the yen, the dollar was quoted at JP149.38, up versus JP148.03.

Gold was quoted at $1,648.10 an ounce midday Monday, higher than $1,643.70 on Friday evening. Brent oil was trading at $90.48 a barrel, lower than $92.84 late Friday.

Still to come Monday, there is composite PMI reading from the US at 1445 BST.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Anakhanum Idayatova - Trend:

Iran's position on freezing of oil production does not play a key role any more as oil prices continued increasing after the failure of oil producers' meeting in Doha, Valentyn Zemlyansky, director of energy programs at the Center of World Economy and International Relations of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, told Trend May 3.

He said that OPEC's next meeting in June will not bring significant results, but the stabilization of oil prices is worth expecting.

"I think it is possible to talk about cautious optimism concerning price stabilization on the global oil market," he said. "It is possible to expect $60 per barrel by late 2016."

The recent meeting of oil producers in Doha ended without reaching an agreement on oil production freezing at the level of January. The reason was the non-participation of Iran and Libya. The OPEC member-states will hold the next meeting in June.

The global oil prices increased on May 3.

The price for the July futures of the North Sea Brent oil mix increased by 0.79 percent to $46.19 per barrel, while the price for the June futures of the WTI oil rose by 0.56 percent to $45.03 per barrel on May 3.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 3

By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:

Turkmenistan will take part in the 15th Trade Fair of Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be held in Riyadh on May 22-26, 2016, said the decree signed by Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Turkmenistan's layout exhibition will be formed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly with the relevant ministries, as well as the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, according to the document.

"The main task of the Turkmen delegation in this event is to popularize Turkmenistan's economic success in the world, ensure the further development of cooperation with foreign partners and increasing the export of local products," said the decree.

The exhibition is a platform for the meeting of businessmen, professional organizations, and economic entities of the OIC member states. The event's purpose is to strengthen the trade and economic cooperation and stimulate the investments within OIC.

OIC has 57 member states. The organization's headquarters in located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
A man who was at the top of an international drug smuggling ring, responsible for importing millions of pounds worth of cannabis into the UK, has been ordered to pay 515,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Terence Conlon, 41, was one of the leaders of an organised crime group, based in Warwickshire, Kent, Scotland and Southern Spain.

The group imported cannabis and cocaine into the UK between 2006 and 2009. The drugs were brought into the Warwickshire area before being re-distributed nationwide.

Conlon, from Snitterfield, is currently serving an eight year custodial sentence after pleading guilty to the industrial importation of cannabis between 2007 and 2009 prior to trial in 2013.

When he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday (April 29, 2016), the court heard the 41 year-old had made 7.2 million through criminality.

He was ordered to pay 515,000 within three months or receive a further 3 1/2 years to his sentence.

Operation Damascus, as the investigation was known, has been one of the longest drug investigations undertaken by Warwickshire Police; lasting nearly eight years. It involved more than 220 officers from eight police forces, supported by the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).

Acting Detective Sergeant Kris Shore, from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit of Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police, said: "Warwickshire Police, West Mercia Police and the Regional Asset Recovery Team have worked tirelessly to disrupt this organised crime group.

"This result should send out a clear message to others involved in illegal activity that not only will they be put before the courts to pay for their crimes, we will also seize any ill-gotten gains in the process.

"We are committed not only to catching and convicting criminals but also to identifying and confiscating their assets."

A total of 10 people were jailed for 54 years as part of this investigation.
German artist Hendrik Beikirch aka ECB is continuing travelling around the world and creating gigantic portraits of people he meets on his travels. After Tracing Morroco series hes been working on the last couple of months, he started working on a new Siberia project.

He recently spent some time in Brunssum in The Netherlands where he painted this 14 story high portrait of a foreign worker, Vladislav. The piece stands for all the foreign workers in the past, present and future, people that travel far to make sure their families eat. The mural was realized with help from HeerlenMurals fundation, and was their present to Parkstad Limburg region for winning the 2016 Tourism for Tomorrow Award.

Check out more photos of the finished work and work in progress by Roger Pierweijer after the jump and check back soon for more incredible public art and murals.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 3

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

A seminar titled "Turkmenistan-China: interrelation and interaction within the revival of the Silk Road" has been held in the Chinese city of Lianyungang, said the Turkmen Foreign Ministry in a message May 3.

The seminar was organized by the Turkmen embassy with the support of the local administration, said the message.

Participants of the seminar highlighted the key issues of transport and logistics development and made a number of proposals and recommendations aimed at the implementation of transit and export-import potential of the railway corridor China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran.

A trilateral meeting of the Turkmen railway transport minister and the heads of JSC "NC" Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan Railways) and Iranian Railways was held in Ashgabat in March 2016. Container traffic from China to Iran through the territories of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan was one of the issues on the agenda.

Turkmenistan, which has a favorable geographical location, has recently strengthened its position of an important transit and transportation hub for regional and continental importance. The commissioning of the new railway Uzen-Gyzylgaya-Bereket-Etrek-Gorgan (Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran) in the early December of 2014 can be noted as the last one of these steps.

The North-South corridor aims to provide transit opportunities to Nordic countries and Russia with the countries of the Persian Gulf basin, the Indian Ocean and Southeastern Asia through Iran. As an alternative to the sea route through the Suez Canal, the International North-South transport corridor (INSTC) claims primarily to container traffic.

This project was implemented on the basis of an agreement signed by Turkmenistan, Iran and Kazakhstan in 2007. Initially, up to 3-5 million tons of cargo per year will be transported via the corridor, and the volume will increase up to 10-12 million tons in the future, according to preliminary estimates.

The project was implemented with financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.

Edited by SI
Piper Jaffray reiterated a Neutral rating on Wolverine World Wide (NYSE: WWW), and raised the price target to $18.00 (from $17.00), following the company's 1Q earnings call. Wolverine indicated that management is was comfortable with the consensus mark for Q2 revenue ($577M) but highlighted that the consensus EPS of $0.25 is higher than its plan. On the call management noted the overall wholesale channel in the U.S. and Europe remained challenged behind higher inventory, changes in consumer spending, and select retail bankruptcies domestically.

Analyst Erinn Murphy commented, "We are reiterating our Neutral rating on shares post the Q1 call. Importantly, the company released segment information as well as gave some guidelines for Q2 guidance. Mgmt indicated it was comfortable with the consensus mark for Q2 revenue ($577M) but highlighted consensus EPS at $0.25 is higher than its plan. We are leaving our $0.23 estimate unchanged. Q1 continued to be plagued by a tough wholesale environment, choppiness in some of the int'l distributor markets and was affected by a transition to a new Canadian warehouse. While inventory was high, mgmt sees inventory levels flat by Q2-end. While current Q2 reorders have started to pick up, the company reinforced their partial lack of visibility with 2H given the macro retail environment. We are raising our PT slightly (from $17 to $18) but need to see more consistent execution and opt to stay on the sidelines."

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Wolverine World Wide click here. For more ratings news on Wolverine World Wide click here.

Shares of Wolverine World Wide closed at $18.93 yesterday.
An offshore oil platform is seen at the Bouri Oil Field off the coast of Libya August 3, 2015. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell for a second day on Tuesday, retreating further from the year's highs hit last week, as rising output renewed worries about the global glut of crude, the U.S. dollar rebounded and equity markets weakened.

Output from the biggest oil producers in the Middle East jumped last month or could surge in the near term, data showed this week, ahead of a U.S. government report on Wednesday likely to cite record high crude stockpiles.

Brent crude futures settled down 86 cents, or 1.9 percent, at $44.97 a barrel.

U.S. crude's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell $1.13, or 2.5 percent, to $43.65.

The two crude benchmarks gave back some losses in post-settlement trade after industry group American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a smaller U.S. crude stockpile build of 1.3 million barrels last week, compared with analysts' forecasts of a 1.7 million-barrel rise. [API/S] [EIA/S]

The U.S. government's Energy Information Administration (EIA) will issue official inventory data on Wednesday.

Brent and WTI both lost about 3 percent each in Monday's trade as production from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries neared all-time peaks and record speculative buying in global benchmark Brent sparked profit-taking on last month's over 21 percent rally to 2016 highs at $48.50.

April's oil rally had also narrowed the discount, or "contango," in WTI's front-month versus second-month to October lows, before the gap widened again on Tuesday.

"There are enough supply stories out there to slow or temper any gains," Energy Aspects analyst Richard Mallinson said.

Iraq said this week its oil shipments from southern fields averaged 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, up from 3.3 million bpd in March.

Production from top exporter Saudi Arabia could soon return to a near-record level of 10.5 million bpd, sources said.

Iran has nearly doubled exports to almost 2 million bpd since the start of the year.

In Tuesday's session, the dollar index rose for the first time since April 22, making dollar-denominated oil less attractive to holders of the euro and other currencies.

Global equities fell, stoked by dismal data on Chinese factory activity, British manufacturing and euro zone growth. [MKTS/GLOB]

In crude volumes, the 606 million barrels transacted by WTI, as per Reuters data, was barely changed from last week's levels, although Brent's was lower. "It's a sign there are enough people who want a correction in this overbought market," said Phil Flynn, analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago.

Technical pressure is also weighing on crude after its retreat from recent highs. Fawad Razaqzada, analyst at London's City Index, says Brent's support could erode to $44.50, then $42.50 and finally $41 before what could be "the end of the current bullish trend".

(Additional reporting by Simon Falush in LONDON; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Chizu Nomiyama)
AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) announced Delaware will remain the headquarters of its North America Commercial business which plays a critical role in delivering AstraZenecas strategy and organizational priorities.

Paul Hudson, President, AstraZeneca US and Executive Vice President, North America said: Delaware provides a great environment for our employees as we continue to deliver innovative biopharmaceuticals that benefit millions of patients. At the same time, our company and culture have evolved since AstraZenecas presence first started in the state over 15 years ago. Creating an even more vibrant work environment that furthers our evolving culture of innovation and collaboration, while staying in the state weve proudly called home, allows us to leverage our legacy and continue building new capabilities for the future.

AstraZeneca is in the process of looking at whether to redesign its current office space or relocate to another nearby location in Delaware. Timing for a decision is expected later this year and is dependent on a thorough review of all options available and conversations with third parties.
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) announced the completion of its acquisition of Recall Holdings Limited as a primarily stock transaction for approximately $2 billion (US). With the acquisition, Iron Mountain acquires the entirety of Recalls global operations, including all facilities, vehicles, employees and customer assets and excluding operations to be divested in accordance with regulatory agreements in the United States, Canada and Australia; the acquisition of the Recall business in the UK remains subject to regulatory review. Additionally, Iron Mountain appointed Recall directors Neil Chatfield and Wendy Murdock to its Board of Directors, who are included among director nominees standing for election at the companys upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 17, 2016.

Increasing regulations, ongoing security threats, and the need to turn data into business value has elevated both the complexity and priority of managing information and assets. From business records to data to valuable items like art, the stakes have never been higher for organizations of all sizes to ensure their most critical assets are protected while able to be accessed immediately. They require a partner located where they are with the right combination of trust and security to protect what matters most, while also providing expertise and product and services designed to get the most out of those assets. And they need to be sure that as their business matures and changes, their partner can scale with them  supporting their growth across geographies and into new industries.

Today marks an important milestone for Iron Mountain, and we welcome our new colleagues from Recall as well as their customers and shareholders into our company, said William L. Meaney, president and CEO of Iron Mountain. This acquisition significantly boosts our vision to serve as the trusted guardians of our customers most important assets, as it expands both our services and footprint for better assisting them with their storage and information management needs. That trust is a cornerstone of our business, whether its securing the strategic value of information and assets or continuing to develop innovative products and services that give customers improved access, control and value from those assets. Were now strongly positioned to deliver on our strategic and financial goals, drawing on the combined capabilities and expertise of both companies to ensure a superior customer experience across the globe.

For more on Iron Mountains acquisition of Recall, please visit www.ironmountain.com/Iron-Mountain-Recall-Acquisition.aspx.
AUSTIN, Texas, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Colleges of Distinction announces the release of its public colleges guidebook today. The Public Colleges of Distinction 2016 guidebook is a unique, thoroughly researched resource for students, counselors and parents who want a personalized approach to the college application and selection process.

New colleges featured in the 2016 guidebook include:

Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA

SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta, NY

The University of Virginia's College at Wise, Wise, VA

University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD

For the complete list of the Public Colleges of Distinction 2016 and additional information, see http://collegesofdistinction.com/badge/public/.

Colleges of Distinction goes beyond the biased assumptions of mainstream numerical rankings and popularity surveys to find the best schools to include in its guidebook. Available online at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E7W07DQ), the guidebook features colleges and universities that consistently provide a remarkable undergraduate experience and produce successful graduates by meeting each student's individual interests, needs and career aspirations.

"The Public Colleges of Distinction 2016 guidebook highlights schools that offer vibrant campus communities, outstanding classroom ratios and overall unique involvement that focus on student engagement, excellence and success after graduation," said Carrie Smith, The University of Montevallo media relations and communications specialist. "This is an ideal resource for high school students and their parents during the college selection process."

Each college is subject to a rigorous research process before it is featured in the guidebook. This includes in-person campus visits, interviews with a cross-section of the campus community, school records research and discussions with admissions directors and staff.

This research produces verifiable results across Four Distinctions  Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Community and Successful Outcomes.

"The schools with profiles in this guidebook emphasize core skills such as critical thinking, writing, research and global perspectives. They must also offer out-of-classroom learning programs," said Executive Editor Tyson Schritter. "Each school provides an excellent undergraduate education as well as valuable life experience."

About Colleges of Distinction

Colleges of Distinction has recognized and honored schools throughout the U.S. for excellence in undergraduate-focused higher education. The member schools in the Colleges of Distinction consortium distinguish themselves through their focus on the undergraduate experience. For more information visit CollegesofDistinction.com

Direct media inquiries to: Tyson Schritter, Executive Editor, [email protected], 512-994-0203 x708

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362776

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/colleges-of-distinction-names-top-public-colleges-in-the-country-300261576.html

SOURCE Colleges of Distinction
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Irish Distillers, an affiliate of Pernod Ricard (Paris: RI), has entered into exclusive negotiations with Sazerac regarding the sale of the Paddy Irish Whiskey brand, the 4th largest Irish whiskey brand in the world. The transaction, if completed, would involve Irish Distillers continuing to produce Paddy Irish Whiskey at its Midleton Distillery. There would be no impact on roles at Irish Distillers; all employees would remain in place under current terms and conditions.

Commenting on the proposed deal, Mark Brown, President and CEO of Sazerac, said: In the global market, Irish whiskey experienced the fastest volume growth in the last five years, outpacing all other spirits categories. Consumers worldwide are seeing it as an alternative to other whiskies. If this deal goes through, we are confident that we will be able to take Paddy to the next level, building on its strong history and roots.

Anna Malmhake, Chairman and CEO of Irish Distillers, stated: At the heart of everything that Irish Distillers does is a desire to see Irish whiskey grow. This deal with Sazerac, if completed, would allow Irish whiskeys reputation and footprint to grow further internationally. The proposed deal would ensure that Paddy would continue to be produced with the same love and care by our team in Midleton, Cork.

The proposed divestment of Paddy Irish Whiskey is in line with the Pernod Ricard strategy to simplify its portfolio for growth and could facilitate, among other things, targeted investment in other key Irish Distillers whiskey brands including Jameson and Powers to support continued growth.

Paddy Irish Whiskey is the 4th largest Irish whiskey brand in the world, selling 200,000 9-litre cases in 28 countries worldwide annually. As the Irish whiskey industry is projecting 100% growth by 2020, an acquisition of the Paddy brand by Sazerac would ensure that the brand is positioned for sizeable investment to support its future growth.

Subject to pending negotiations, Irish Distillers and Sazerac expect to sign and complete the transaction simultaneously in the following weeks. An announcement will be made if and when the transaction is complete.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the worlds n2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of  8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantines, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlua and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier- Jouet champagnes, as well Jacobs Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Graffigna and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 Brand Companies and 85 Market Companies established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricards strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is Irelands leading supplier of spirits and wines and producer of the worlds most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the global renaissance of Irish whiskey. Jameson is the worlds fastest-growing Irish whiskey, experiencing 26 years of consecutive growth and hitting sales of 5m cases in 2015. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets, with over 50 of those experiencing double- or triple-digit growth.Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Powers & Son, John Jameson & Son and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network. In 2015, we completed a 220m investment which doubled our production and bottling capacity to meet global demand for our products.We employ over 600 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Sazerac

Sazerac is one of New Orleans oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Lewiston, Maine; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Montreal Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit http://www.sazerac.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503006366/en/

Pernod Ricard

Julia MASSIES, +33 (0)1 41 00 41 71

Financial Communication - Investor Relations VP

or

Sylvie MACHENAUD, +33 (0)1 41 00 42 74

Director External Communications

or

Emmanuel VOUIN, +33 (0)1 41 00 44 04

Press Relations Manager

Source: Pernod Ricard
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- On the first morning Wendy E. Simmons was in North Korea the news broke: the controversial film, "The Interview," starring James Franco and Seth Rogen had set off an international flurry with North Korea promising "merciless retaliation" against America. She watched the news on the hotel TV and then the screen went black. And then like Lewis Carroll's Alice, Wendy Simmons found herself dropped through to another reality.

MY HOLIDAY IN NORTH KOREA: The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth (RosettaBooks/May 2016/Paperback $19.95/eBook $12.99) by Wendy E. Simmons is a memoir about trying to find the heart of a country through a tour of doublespeak, empty public works and factories, engineered crowds and crashed private events. A first-time author, Wendy E. Simmons is an old hand at travel who has been in over 85 countries. She revels in not only the sights but also the friends she readily makes in every imaginable situation. Travel for her has always been about connection.

ADVANCE PRAISE

"A death-defying adventure, filled with despair and tiny pieces of hope, and beautiful-I wish I was as brave as Wendy." -James Altucher, bestselling author, entrepreneur, podcaster

NoKo, as she came to call the country, was unlike anywhere she had been before. The rules kept her tethered to assigned minders whom she renamed in her book to protect their identity: Older Handler, the experienced one who has mastered the art of indirect responses; Fresh Handler whose youth offers Simmons a way to share whispered conversation; and Driver whose tough chain-smoking demeanor hides a more sensitive side and penchant for the glamorous cat's eye sunglasses Simmons brought along as gifts. She's a stubborn traveler as it turns out-she pressed, she cajoled, she took instamatic photos to share-she wanted in.

Simmons had to learn to navigate around the cognitive dissonance that came to be part of the experience. She was soon suspicious that real life events (a wedding where the bride gave her the stink eye) were staged. She also began to rethink and doublethink every action, no matter how casual (tearing up a phrase book she no longer needed to carry with her) or worries that even a decision to leave a bag bought in a gift shop behind could be misconstrued and land her in jail hoping for a Clinton to negotiate her release.

Every hour was to be accounted for with "sights" visited and ticked off an approved itinerary: a factory that is empty on a workday because the thousands of workers "just left" (though there is only one road leading in and out and her car was the only one in sight); a laboratory where men and women were mysteriously staring at but not into rows of microscopes still covered in their thick plastic covers; the audio/video room of the Grand People's Study House where a local guide demonstrates the center's sophistication by playing a bootleg Madonna cover of "American Pie" on a boom box.

In the end, it is the relationships Simmons forged with Older Handler, Fresh Handler, and Driver that became the key to the seemingly impenetrable facade. She found herself both disturbed and moved in a way she had not before experienced anywhere. Profoundly aware of however much she was frustrated by the tour-speak that hilariously defied all logic, she could only have sidelong glimpses into their lives.

Gifted with a remarkable voice and eye, she combines her remarkable cache of photographs and a natural storyteller's skill to bring this long-secretive world to life. As every week another high-profile news story about the hermit kingdom comes out, Simmons' journey brings new insights into why North Korea confounds so much of the outside world and why we need narratives like hers to illuminate the lives of the men and women who call it home.

For more details or to order your own copy of My Holiday in North Korea, please visit http://www.myholidayinnorthkorea.com

Simmons is also a regular contributor to Huffington Post's Travel blog: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-e-simmons/

About the Author: Wendy E. Simmons grew up amongst diplomatic families in Washington D.C. and got the urge to travel early on when one of her childhood friend invited Wendy to visit her family in Mexico (when she was 12). Since then she has traveled as often as she can, going to places both familiar and ones marked by as many State Department warnings imaginable. Her weekly columns on travel can be found at Huffington Post and her award-winning photographs have been featured in numerous exhibitions and juried shows across the country. Wendy is also president of Vendeloo, a consultancy she founded in 2001 and Chief Brand Officer of a NYC-based global eyewear brand. She's also owned a bar in Manhattan, worked for a lobbying firm on Capitol Hill, and written a Japanese-language phrase book-though her Japanese is now terrible. Wendy practices Muay Thai daily and lives in Brooklyn in a converted 1800s schoolhouse. For more information, visit http://wendysimmons.com.

About RosettaBooks: RosettaBooks is the leading independent digital publisher. Its prominent author collections include 52 works of Winston Churchill, 35 titles by renowned science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, 20 works by Kurt Vonnegut, 12 titles from international bestselling business author Stephen R. Covey and 18 works by Robert Graves, celebrated 20th century English poet, critic, and author of I, Claudius and Claudius, the God. RosettaBooks also publishes eBook lines in collaboration with AARP, Harvard Health Publications and Mayo Clinic. Publisher of ten Kindle Singles, including Ray Bradbury's The Playground, RosettaBooks has launched nine of them to bestseller status. RosettaBooks is an Inc. 500 company, on the exclusive list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. For more information, please visit RosettaBooks.com and follow the publisher on Facebook and Twitter.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/2/11G096265/Images/My-Holiday-in-North-Korea-inner-e58f731ba783a6ed93b4433ebff92ee4.jpg

Source: RosettaBooks
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Fighting erupted east of Damascus on overnight Tuesday despite a temporary truce announced by the Syrian army in that area, a war monitor said, and rebel group Jaish al-Islam said it had lost ground to the government there.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said seven people were killed in heavy rebel shelling of government-held areas of Aleppo, which was not one of areas where temporary truces were announced last week. An air strike south of Aleppo meanwhile killed at least three people, it said.

Local ceasefires were announced late last week in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus and in northern areas of Latakia province. Washington and Moscow said on Monday they were working hard to extend the truce to Aleppo.

An opposition activist in northern Latakia told Reuters the area had been completely calm for three days.

Jaish al-Islam said in a statement overnight that government forces had taken ground around the town of al-Marj in Eastern Ghouta. The rebel group said the loss had been made easier because of in-fighting with rival rebel groups.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he hoped for more clarity in the next day or so on restoring a wider ceasefire, a reference to a Feb. 27 "cessation of hostilities" agreement that has unraveled in recent weeks, particularly in Aleppo.

(Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Tom Perry; Editing by Dominic Evans)
Salvatore Girone (C) and Latorre Massimiliano (3rd R), members of the navy security team of Napoli registered Italian merchant vessel Enrica Lexie, are escorted as they leave a courtroom at Kollam in Kerala March 5, 2012. REUTERS/Sivaram V/Files

By Crispian Balmer

ROME (Reuters) - A U.N. court has ruled that India must allow an Italian marine detained in Delhi for more than four years to go home, Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

India acknowledged the ruling but said Salvatore Girone would remain under the authority of its Supreme Court which might impose various conditions on his release.

Girone is one of two Italian marines were arrested in India in 2012 on suspicion of killing two fishermen while on an anti-piracy mission on an Italian oil tanker. One returned to Italy with health problems, but India has refused to let Girone go.

He is living in the Italian embassy in Delhi.

"This really is a significant step forward which we have worked on with great dedication," Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told reporters. "I'll take advantage of this moment to send a message of friendship to the great people of India."

The case has soured relations between India and Italy, and also overshadowed Delhi's efforts to improve its ties with the European Union as other EU countries backed Rome in the row.

Looking to overcome the legal impasse, the two countries agreed last year to move their dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and abide by its decision.

The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that in an initial ruling, the court had decided that Girone should be allowed home while it continued its deliberations, which might take many months. The court itself declined to comment.

Responding hours later, India said Girone should be free to return home for the duration of the U.N. investigation, but stressed that he would remain on bail and would have to return to India if the Hague court ruled that India could try the case.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the Supreme Court might demand that he surrender his passport to the Italian authorities and not leave Italy without Indian permission.

The U.N. court will continue to review the merits of the case and no date has been set for a definitive ruling.

"The government underlines that today's court decision ... will not influence the progress of the arbitration procedures, which should decide if Italy or India has jurisdiction in the case," Italy's Foreign Ministry said.

Italy has argued that the case should not be heard in India because it said the incident had occurred in international waters. India said it remained confident that the issue of jurisdiction would be decided in its favor.

Marines are viewed by Italy as state officials immune to foreign prosecution. Italy has paid $190,000 in compensation to each victim's family.

(Additional reporting by Douglas Busvine in Delhi and Thomas Escritt in Amsterdam; Editing by Louise Ireland)
By Gina Cherelus

(Reuters) - An unarmed soldier was arrested at a Maryland National Guard armory on Monday after he barricaded himself inside a building that housed a cache of small weapons, authorities said.

The soldier surrendered without a struggle after negotiating with Baltimore County Police for more than two hours at the facility in Parkville, Maryland, according to a post on a department blog.

The man, whom police did not identify by name, never gained access to weapons stored in a vault inside the building, police said, and there were no injuries.

The incident comes at a time of heightened security at U.S. military bases after several violent episodes in recent years, including deadly shootings at two facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee last year.

The blog said the man was being evaluated and that unspecified charges were pending.

The soldier had no authorization to enter the armory, which also houses a shooting range and an obstacle course, said Colonel Charles Kohler, a Maryland National Guard spokesman.

Investigators were trying to determine the man's motives for entering the building and how he was able to get inside. The building requires a security code to enter, a police spokeswoman said.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 3

By Demir Azizov- Trend:

The amendments and additions in the law "On joint-stock companies and protection of shareholders' rights" came into force in Uzbekistan, the country's center for coordination and development of securities market said.

In accordance with these amendments, the increase in authorized capital of JSC from now is made solely through the issuance and placement of additional shares, the center said.

Prior to this, raising the authorized capital was possible through raising the nominal value of shares, as a rule, at the expense of reinvestment of JSC's profit that, in contrast to the issuance of additional shares, is not actually an income for shareholders.

As practice shows, the previous rule misleads the shareholders, especially minority, regarding the real value of their shares because the purchase and sale of shares and redemption of shares upon demand of shareholders are carried out at market value, regardless of their nominal value.

The amendments were adopted by the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (lower house of the parliament) of Uzbekistan and approved by the Senate (the upper house) in late March 2016. The document, signed by the Uzbek president, was published May 2 in the central mass media outlets.
A Greek flag flutters in the wind above tourists visiting the archaeological site of the Acropolis hill in Athens, Greece July 26, 2015. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

ROME (Reuters) - Talks on concluding Greece's bailout review to unlock new funds and debt relief are progressing only slowly and no deal is likely at a special meeting of euro zone finance ministers on May 9, two sources close to the talks said on Monday.

The sources said it would take longer to reach a deal on reforms needed to complete the review of Greece's third international financial rescue and agree on contingency steps that Athens must ready in case it misses its fiscal targets.

"We're making slow progress," one of the sources said. "I wouldn't expect a final agreement at the May 9 meeting. That's too soon. There are some weeks to go after that."

The biggest remaining obstacle is the form and content of the contingency measures, which Greece is resisting, he said.

The source said it would be preferable to wrap up an accord before Britain's June 23 referendum on whether to stay in the European Union to avoid any atmosphere of crisis at that time.

However, he said Greece did not need the next tranche of euro zone funds until mid-July, so there was no sense of overwhelming urgency.

The second source said more time was also needed to bridge the gaps between the International Monetary Fund and European lenders on a debt restructuring for Greece, with Germany - the biggest European creditor - arguing publicly that Athens does not need debt relief.

The chairman of euro zone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, last week called an extraordinary meeting of the Eurogroup for May 9 amid reports that an agreement was close.

European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told reporters then: "We are 99 percent of the way there, we have converged on almost all aspects", referring to the basic reform package. But he added that more work was needed on the contingency steps.

(Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Jan Strupczewski and Gareth Jones)
Flags of China and North Korea are seen outside the closed Ryugyong Korean Restaurant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China, April 12, 2016. REUTERS/Joseph Campbell

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Monday it was on guard for the possibility North Korea may try to snatch its citizens abroad or conduct "terrorist acts" after the North accused it of abducting North Korean workers from a restaurant in China.

"All measures of precaution" were in place for the safety of South Koreans abroad including an order to beef up security at diplomatic missions, said the South's Unification Ministry, which handles issues related to the North.

"We are on alert for the possibility that the North may try to abduct our citizens or conduct terrorist acts abroad," ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee told a briefing.

The two Korea's have been fierce rivals since the 1950-53 Korean War and tension on the peninsula has been high since January when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test. It followed that with a string of missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

South Korea said in April 13 North Korean workers at a restaurant run by the North in China had defected. North Korea accused the South of a "hideous abduction".

North Korea proposed sending family members of the 13 to South Korea for face-to-face meetings but the South rejected the suggestion.

About 29,000 people have left North Korea and arrived in the South since the Korean war, including 1,276 last year, with numbers declining since a 2009 peak. In the first quarter of this year, 342 North Koreans arrived in the South.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel)
By Jan Strupczewski

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - France, Italy and Spain are set to miss European Union budget targets this year and next without urgent government action, European Commission forecasts showed on Tuesday.

Excessive debts and deficits in the three biggest economies of the euro zone's Mediterranean south, at a time when bloc leader Germany's forecasts show rude fiscal health, may fuel further debate on whether the EU executive should impose fines.

Portugal will also likely be in breach of EU budget rules.

Euro zone growth will be slower than expected, with gross domestic product expanding 1.6 percent this year and 1.8 percent next compared to 1.7 percent in 2015, the Commission said -- a limping performance at a time when the European Central Bank's money printing policies are under fire from Berlin.

The 2016-2017 GDP forecasts were down 0.1 point from those in February. The Commission saw slower growth in China and other trade partners, increased global tension and volatile oil prices as well as the uncertainty over whether Britain, the EU's second economy, will vote to quit the bloc in a referendum next month.

The Commission's forecasts, together with medium-term fiscal consolidation plans submitted by governments last month will be the basis for a Commission decision, in the second half of May, on whether to step up the disciplinary procedure against those states which are in breach of the rules.

Under the rules, sharpened at the height of the euro zone sovereign debt crisis, governments that repeatedly fail to meet their deficit or debt reduction obligations can face fines.

FRANCE

The Commission said that even though France had a smaller than required nominal deficit in 2015 and was on track to meet the goal set for it for 2016, it would fail to bring the gap below 3 percent in 2017 as required unless it made new savings.

"The target for 2017 is perfectly feasible, I am not worried by it, but provided that France maintains its limit on public financing and in a serious fashion," European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici said.

But France, which will hold presidential and parliamentary elections next year, would also completely miss the targets set for cutting its structural deficit -- a measure that strips out business cycle effects and one-off revenue and spending.

The structural balance, seen by the EU as the best measure of reforms a government undertakes to improve the economy, is to remain at an unchanged 2.4 percent of GDP in 2016 against last year and rise to 2.7 percent in 2017.

Yet under EU rules, countries must cut the structural gap by 0.5 percent of GDP a year until they reach balance or surplus.

Last year EU ministers set an even more ambitious path for France because the country was given an extra two years, for the third time in a row, to cut its deficit below 3 percent.

EU ministers asked France to cut the structural gap by 0.5 percent of GDP in 2015, 0.8 percent in 2016 and 0.9 percent in 2017. Yet Paris made a cut of only 0.3 percent last year, will not cut it at all this year and the deficit will actually rise by 0.3 percent in 2017, the Commission forecast.

SPAIN

The forecasts showed Spain, which in June will hold a second parliamentary election after six months of party deadlock, was falling short on all measures of public finances improvement.

Madrid was to bring its nominal deficit below 3 percent this year, but instead would have a shortfall of 3.9 percent after badly missing reduction targets last year. The country will not even go below 3 percent next year, unless it takes action, the Commission said.

Spain's structural deficit, rather than fall sharply as demanded by EU finance ministers, would rise to 3.1 percent this year from 2.9 percent in 2015 and then to 3.2 percent in 2017.

Spain's debt, which under EU rules should fall by a twentieth of the difference between its actual level and the EU limit of 60 percent of GDP a year on average over 3 years, is to rise in 2016 to 100.3 percent of GDP from 99.2 percent in 2015.

ITALY

Rome is comfortably below the 3 percent EU ceiling with its nominal deficit, but it is obliged to cut the structural deficit by 0.5 percent of GDP a year. But the Commission forecast that the structural gap will rise from 1.0 percent in 2015 to 1.7 this year and stay at 1.7 percent in 2017.

Italy's debt, the second highest in the EU after Greece's, should be falling, but instead the debt is to stay flat at 132.7 percent of GDP this year, after rising steadily in recent years.

PORTUGAL

Lisbon was supposed to cut its budget deficit to 2.5 percent of GDP already last year, but missed that goal mainly because it had to rescue its Banif bank, which boosted the gap to 4.4 percent. Without that one-off, Portugal's deficit in 2015 would have been 2.8 percent of GDP, the EU statistics office said.

But like France, Portugal was badly missing its structural deficit reduction targets, the Commission forecasts showed.

EU finance ministers had asked Portugal in 2013 to cut the structural shortfall by 0.6 percent of GDP in 2013, 1.4 percent in 2014 and 0.5 percent in 2015.

Portugal cut the gap as required in 2013, fell short by 0.5 percent of the target in 2014 and the deficit actually rose by 0.6 percent of GDP last year, rather than fall by 0.5. The Commision expects it will increase more this year and next.

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * BEAM S CRAIG (Last) (First) (Middle) P.O. BOX 738 138 PUTNAM STREET (Street) MARIETTA OH 45750 (City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

PEOPLES BANCORP INC [ PEBO ]
The board of NZX told chief executive Mark Weldon to commission expert advice ahead of its acquisition of the Clear Grain Exchange in 2009.

Former NZX chief executive Mark Weldon did not tell the board that one of its own agricultural experts believed a grain trading business it was buying was 5 to 10 years from success, The High Court has heard.

On Tuesday lawyers for Ralec, the former owners of the Clear Grain Exchange began their opening submissions in a nine-week trial in which the Melbourne-based company and NZX are suing each other.

Wellington-headquartered NZX is claiming damages from Ralec after the grain trading platform did not deliver the revenues it forecast, while Ralec alleges NZX failed to give the company the necessary resources it needed to succeed.

KENT BLECHYNDEN/FAIRFAX NZ Grant Thomas and Dominic Pym, pictured in 2011, sold their Clear Gain Exchange business to NZX in 2009.

NZX has alleged Ralec misrepresented its prospects and relationships with the industry, but on Tuesday Tim North QC, representing directors of Ralec, said the company did not make misleading representations and NZX's board did not rely on them anyway.

READ MORE: NZX Ralec grain firm battle finally in court

North said that board minutes showed that ahead of the acquisition of Ralec, the NZX board told the company's due diligence team, headed by Weldon, to seek additional expert advice on Ralec.

This included advice from Richard Koch, who headed the Australian agricultural news business ProFarmer which NZX bought in 2008.

North told Justice Robert Dobson that an aspect of Koch's advice was not passed on to the board.

"Mr Koch gave advice that the business that came from the platform called Clear were 5 to 10 years away from being a success," North said.

"Mr Weldon, who produced the [due diligence] reports for the board talked about that there'd been a reference to ProFarmer. He left out the relevant part. That is, that there was material kept from the board which it was not advised of."

North said the paper recognised that Grant Thomas and Dominic Pym, the founders of Ralec, did not have the necessary knowledge of the Australian grain market that was needed to develop the Clear Grain Exchange.

"And they knew it. Hence they had to acquire and utilise the services of Mr Koch."
A woman visiting New Zealand on a working visa has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of a young motorcyclist.

Rhys Middleton, 23, died on February 7 in a crash involving his motorbike and a car on State Highway 5 at Eskdale, north of Napier.

Middleton was travelling with five motorcycle companions who had been part of a group returning home from a gathering of bike enthusiasts in Havelock North the previous day.

SUPPLIED Rhys Middleton was killed in a motorcycle accident on State Highway 5, near Napier, on February 7.

Jieling Xiao, the 27-year-old driver of the Toyota Rav involved in the crash, appeared in Napier District Court on Wednesday and entered a guilty plea.

READ MORE:

* Tourist driver charged over road death of Rhys Middleton in Hawke's Bay

* Family were riding with motorcyclist killed in Hawke's Bay collision with tourist driver

* Motorcyclist killed in SH5 collision

The Chinese national is in New Zealand on a 12-month working visa and currently lives in Hastings. Her visa expires in July and her guilty plea has prompted renewed calls for a tightening of the rules for foreign drivers  a move the Government says is not justified.

State Highway 5 was closed at Eskdale for four hours due to the crash.

Xiao's lawyer, Scott Jefferson, said he would seek a financial penalty when she is sentenced next month.

A police summary of facts said Xiao had been entitled to drive for a 12-month period from the date she arrived in New Zealand, but she had never driven on an open road at speeds of more than 50kmh, "and by her own admission was not a confident driver".

She had bought the car only a week before the crash.

A passenger in the car with her at the time said Xiao had driven them to Waimarama beach the day before. Xiao had not slowed down for corners and was turning sharply, the passenger told police. It wasn't until she told Xiao to slow down that she felt safe.

Shortly before the crash, two occupants of a Toyota Corolla following Xiao noticed the Rav was being driven erratically, at speeds between 70kmh and 100kmh. It was not being driven straight, and on two occasions the left wheels came off the road.



Middleton was on one of five motorbikes that came up behind the Corolla. The first two bikes passed both cars, but as Middleton was passing, Xiao misjudged a right-hand bend, veering out of her lane and off the road.



She drove through the accessway to a fruit and vege shop, before suddenly veering back onto the road and directly into the path of Middleton's bike.

Middleton was thrown across the road, and died at the scene.

Xiao told police: "On the highway the speed is really fast so sometimes when there is a corner I can't control my speed because I haven't been driving long in New Zealand."

RULES FOR FOREIGN DRIVERS

Foreign visitors can drive for up to 12 months on a valid licence from their home country without the requirement to undergo any local tests.

Those staying for more than a year must obtain a New Zealand driving licence after that time.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss said on Wednesday that statistics showed a "relatively constant" number of serious crashes involving overseas licence holders over the past decade, during which time visitor numbers had boomed.

But road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson said too many visitors lacked the skills to drive safely on New Zealand roads and the Government needed to do more.

He has called for the introduction of a computerised "cognisance test" to ensure drivers have the "physiological competence" to be safe, which could be taken when, for example, they hired a rental car.

But Foss said the proposal was not backed by a report released last week.

The Overseas Drivers in Crashes report found overseas licence holders were involved in less than 6 per cent of fatal and injury crashes, a figure that had "stayed relatively constant over the last 10 years when the number of international visitors has increased by about 30 per cent", Foss said.

"The data simply doesn't support some commonly held beliefs about why visitors are crashing, or some of the ideas being floated to prevent those crashes, such as mandatory testing."

Sign up to receive our new evening newsletter Two Minutes of Stuff  the news, but different.
Peter Beck is the new Dean of Taranaki Cathedral and is ready to take charge of seeing the building earthquake strengthened and open again.

Peter Beck has moved to Taranaki from Christchurch to take up the reigns as Dean of the Taranaki Cathedral and oversee the building's earthquake strengthening. Helen Harvey reports.

Peter Beck cried when he heard there were no bodies buried beneath the rubble in Christ Church Cathedral.

When the earthquake hit Christchurch on February 22, 2011, Beck, then Dean of the cathedral, was in his office.

ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ Taranaki Cathedral's new Dean Peter John Beck speaks at his commissioning and installation.

He rushed into the main part of the cathedral to find it full of dust, Beck, 67, says.

"But people were moving out well. There was no panicking. I saw this huge hole where the tower had been. I met a young American women who was pretty hysterical. She had just come out of the tower and said there were people behind her. I thought, some people have died in here."

READ MORE:

* Former Christ Church Cathedral Dean Peter Beck heading north

* Impasse over cathedral a 'tragedy' says former dean Peter Beck

* Taranaki Cathedral gets a new dean before it gets a new church

* Dean quit as bishop made job 'untenable'

Lawrence Smith Peter Beck was the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral when the earthquake hit Christchurch in 2011.

A couple of days later a Maori bishop and some elders lifted the tapu on the building, he said.

"That was the first time I cried. I really did weep then. As he did that it felt as if a whole weight was lifted off the Cathedral. I thought to myself this can't be so, because there are dead people here."

Then the urban search and rescue got ready to start digging through the rubble and he told them the most important thing was their safety, he says.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON Peter Beck was also a Christchurch City Councillor after resigning as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral.

"Then obviously great care and sensitivity, because this is a sacred place and there will be dead people here."

They had no idea how many bodies they would find, but he wanted to be there when they were uncovered, he says.

"So, I was ready. I went home to bed and I had my gear ready to put on."

The call came at 1am. The voice at the other end of the phone asked Beck: "Are you ready for this?"

"I said 'Ralph, tell me'. He said 'there's nobody here.' I broke into tears. It was extraordinary, unbelievable."

Beck resigned as dean in 2011 amid claims his position was made "untenable" by Bishop Victoria Matthews.

"And so I decided in terms of my own integrity, I couldn't work in that situation. That's between her and me really and I've always publicly not wanted to go down that track. And I respect her, she's my bishop."

So, at the end of 2011, after nearly 10 years in the job, he resigned.

"It was interesting, just a few days later a woman I know who was a city councillor said she was resigning from the council."

Beck stood in a bi-election for the Burwood/Pegasus ward, which includes the famous red zone, and was elected to the Christchurch City Council at the beginning of 2012.

That was interesting, difficult, fascinating, frustrating, but well worth doing, he says.

"It's all about people. It's all about relationships. I was brought up in a pub, mixing and mingling with people all the time. The clergy is all about people and relationships. City council is the same."

Beck grew up in the UK and if he hadn't become a priest he might have been a publican like his father, he says.

"I think they are very similar jobs in many ways, they're all about community and people and relationships."

But instead he went to Oxford University to read history. One Christmas, when he was about 19 and his family lived in Bath in Somerset, he went to Wellsford Cathedral for midnight mass.

Beck drove there on his own in a Morris Minor that required gumboots if it was raining. If it went over a bump the windows would fall out, he says.

"It was a beautiful crisp Christmas night in the UK, with snow on the ground and the whole of the west front of Wellsford Cathedral lit up from the outside. It was beautiful, all the pigeon droppings adding colour."

On the drive home he started thinking vicars weren't different from anyone else really, he says.

"They're ordinary men. They were only men in those days, it was the 1960s. And I developed this passion, because it seemed to me they were old, they wore dark suits, they lived in big houses, and they don't talk to anybody very much except from the pulpit - 6 ft above contradiction."

He developed a passion, that he still has, that the Christian faith is about gutsy, ordinary life, he says.

"It's about the real issues that people face and I wanted to try and break through the stereotypes that people have about the church and the clergy and break through the barriers and engage with people where they are."

After working in churches in England, Beck, his Kiwi wife Gay and their three children moved to New Zealand.

"We came in April 1981 and the Springboks came in June. An amazing time to arrive here. I said to Bishop Paul Reeves, 'I'm a foreigner. What do I do in terms of all this stuff happening? And he said, 'I didn't bring you over here to sit on your hands'."

Later, in the 1990s, when Beck was vicar of Auckland's St Matthew-in-the-City, he invited Nelson Mandela to speak.

"He had come over for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. I managed to persuade the government and the South African government that he would come to St Matthew-in-the-City. He used it as a place to say thank you to New Zealand for all the support we had given during that time. So that was one of the most important times in my life - to meet him and for that to happen."

Beck worked in the diocese of Auckland for 20 years, during which time he was on the executive of the National Council of Churches and was a spokesman in support of the Homosexual Reform Bill. And he returned to Auckland while Dean of Christchurch, to help officiate at the state funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary.

Then he took a break from the church and worked in Wellington as a management consultant and a mentor to chief executives.

"Often clergy get kind of dismissed that we don't know much about what business is like. Well, actually we know rather a lot about human relationships and the heart of running a business is about people."

He enjoyed the job, which he did for a couple of years until he went to Christchurch in 2002.

And now he is in Taranaki.

"It's a terrific opportunity and challenge, especially continuing on the life of the community, where Dean Jamie did a terrific job. And to do what we need to do to earthquake strengthen the Cathedral itself and get it opened again and that is the priority."

In the 43 years since he's been ordained, he's been challenged and frustrated by the church, but it is about engaging with the life of people, he said.

"As Dean of Christ Church we had a statement 'Engage with the life of the city and minister to its needs'. And Taranaki Cathedral is just the same."
A cruise ship from the US heads across the strait separating the two countries for the first time in 60 years, in another sign of the renewed ties between the two Cold War enemies.

Greeted with rum drinks and salsa dancers, the first passengers to cruise from the US to Cuba in nearly 40 years streamed into a crowd cheering the rebirth of commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.

It was another first for the two countries since US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced a historic rapprochement in December 2014, and comes weeks after Obama's visit to the Caribbean island.

Carnival Corp's Adonia, a small ship carrying 700 passengers, slipped through the channel into Havana Bay in the morning under picture-perfect skies, then docked alongside the colonial quarter recently visited by Obama.

ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI/REUTERS The Carnival cruise ship Adonia arrives at the Havana bay, carrying 700 passengers.

The visitors fanned out on the city's restored streets for walking tours after an arrival ceremony featuring Salsa and Afro-Cuban music, and lots of rum cocktails.



READ MORE:

* Airbnb Cuba's fastest-growing market

* Cuba ready for change

* Obama wins over Cubans

* Obama spars with Raul Castro on human rights during historic Cuba visit

* US President Barack Obama arrives in Cuba on historic visit

* Fidel Castro gives rare speech saying he'll soon die

According to tour guides, some of the passengers were due to sample Havana's night life later at the world famous Tropicana cabaret.

The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century set sail from Florida, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana.

But for Cuban-born Anna Garcia, the moment was more than just a holiday.

"I'm nervous and excited at the same time, I left Cuba 48 years ago, when I was six years old. So just imagine everything that I'm feeling right now," said Garcia as she stepped off the boat and entered Cuban territory for the first time since childhood.

A Cuban rule prohibiting people born in Cuba from entering or leaving the Communist-ruled country by sea led to protests from exiles and almost delayed the cruise, before Cuba agreed to lift the ban.

REUTERS The US and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations a year ago and have signed agreements on issues of common concern such as the environment, postal services and direct flights.

That unusual flexibility under pressure was itself a signal of change in Cuba, long scarred by memories of the sea-borne, US-supported Bay of Pigs invasion and other acts of aggression from across the Florida Straits.

Arnaldo Perez, a Cuban-American who works as Carnival's general counsel, was the first to step off the ship, to handshakes and hugs from Cuban officials.

"You know this is very special for me because it is the first time that a Cuban-American is allowed to return by sea," he said.

ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI/REUTERS People look at the city of Havana from the deck of US Carnival cruise ship Adonia as it enters at the Havana bay.

Locals, some draped in the Stars and Stripes and the Cuban flag cheered as the ship glided in.

Obama has made the dramatic shift in US policy toward Cuba a part of his legacy.

The two countries re-established diplomatic relations a year ago and have signed agreements on issues of common concern such as the environment, postal services and direct flights.

Talks are ongoing over other issues that have kept the next-door neighbours apart, from the return of fugitives to reparations for embargo damages and the return of the Guantanamo Naval Base.

Obama had urged the Republican-controlled Congress to lift the embargo and travel ban, but to no avail, resorting to his executive powers to punch holes in them instead.

"Regularly scheduled cruises are the third leg of the land, sea and air efforts by the Obama administration to cement its policy changes, the goal is to make the initiatives big and loud so that they are harder to dislodge," said John Kavulich, president of the New York-based US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

Cruises to Cuba could generate US$300 million [NZ$427.8m] in revenues to the companies and US$88 million to Cuba in the 2016/17 season if all the companies that wish to sail are given the required approvals, Kavulich said.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 3

By Demir Azizov- Trend:

Uzbekistan National Airways (Ozbekiston Havo Yollari) carried 535,600 passengers in January-March 2016, said the message posted on the company's website.

Uzbekistan Airways transported 575,000 passengers during the same period of 2015. Thus, the company reduced passenger traffic by 6.8 percent in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period of 2015.

In the first quarter of 2016, the Uzbekistan Airways NAC aircraft executed 5,007 flights against 5,549 flights in the same period of 2015 (decrease by 9.8 percent), according to the company.

Meanwhile, 1,874 flights were implemented to the CIS countries (decrease by 6.2 percent compared to the same period of 2015), to the far abroad countries - 1,354 flights (decrease by 2.9 percent) and 1,779 flights - on domestic routes (decrease by 17.5 percent).

The volume of cargo transportations of the airline amounted to 8,900 tons in 1Q2016 (increase by 4.8 percent). Moreover, 7,700 tons of cargo was transported via Navoi International Airport that is by 35 percent more than in the same period of 2015.

Uzbekistan Airways is the monopoly carrier in Uzbekistan and is wholly owned by the state.

Its fleet currently consists of 29 aircraft of western production, including 11 Boeings (four 767-300, five 757-200 and two 767- 300-ER), 13 Airbuses (three A-310 and 10 - A-320-200), three medium-range RJ-85 planes and two Airbus A300-600F cargo planes.

Uzbekistan Airways conducts flights to 21 cities of Europe, America, Middle East, Asia, and 23 cities of countries of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and 11 destinations on local airlines.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May. 3

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:



Dana Energy Company, an Iranian private energy firm, has launched a project for drilling several off-shore wells in the phases 17 and 18 in the South Pars Gas Field.



Mohammad Iravani, the head of Dana Energy Company, said that the company has finished the project by 92 percent, Fars news agency reported.



Drilling an offshore well in the South Pars Gas Field costs $35-$37 million on average, Iravani added.



Iranian Oil Ministry has earlier announced that the country needs $400-$500 billion in investment to develop its oil industry.



Developing the upstream sector of Iran's oil industry alone requires $200 billion. Therefore, the oil ministry is drawing up plans to lure foreign investors, by introducing a new model of petroleum contracts namely IPC.



The IPC is a framework that lays out the basic structure - and some details - regarding all future petroleum contracts in Iran. It was earlier announced that the country plans to boost oil production to 5.7 million barrels a day and gas output to 1.4 billion cubic meters a day by 2021.



By holding 157.8 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil reserves, Iran possesses the world's fourth largest reserves of crude oil. The Islamic Republic also holds 34 trillion cubic meters of proven gas reserves, sharing 18.2 percent of total global gas reserves.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

South Korea's state-run Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS) and National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on constructing three major gas pipelines in the Islamic Republic.

Azizollah Ramazani, the National Iranian Gas Company's manager for International Affairs, said that Iranian and South Korean gas companies have held negotiations over the past three months to discuss cooperation, SHANA news agency reported.

According to Ramazani the two companies will cooperate in the construction of 9th and 11th cross-country gas pipelines as well as a seabed pipeline for supplying Iran's gas to Oman.

He further added that the two companies will also work on mini LNG, CNG projects, as well as research and development projects.

On May 1, South Korean President Park Geun-hye heading a large business delegation arrived in Tehran on a historic visit. Park Geun-hye is the first South Korean president who visits Iran.

During the three-day official visit, the two countries are expected to sign contracts worth $13 to $17 billion for cooperation in various fields including the construction of hospitals, dams, railways and power plants as well as petrochemical, crude oil, infrastructure and industrial projects.

Iran-South Korea trade turnover stood at $6.1 billion in 2015. The figure was $17.4 in 2011, Before Western countries imposed sanctions against Iran.

South Korea is among the largest importers of Iranian oil.
Tourism Bay of Plenty has announced former 2IC and head of marketing Kristin Dunne as the organisations new CEO.

Assuming the leadership role on Monday, Kristins appointment comes after a rigorous selection process following parting CEO Rhys Arrowsmiths resignation in December.

Kristin is looking forward to building on the good work already done by Tourism Bay of Plenty and to help the organisation achieve its vision of being a billion-dollar industry by 2030.

My time at Tourism Bay of Plenty has given me a great platform of knowledge to take forward, and in-depth understanding of the current situation and what direction to take. We have a great team and good momentum that can continue without delay."

Kristin has been head of marketing at Tourism Bay of Plenty for the past two years and comes from a varied background  from financial services and media to telecommunications and IT.

Prior to joining the Tourism Bay of Plenty in 2014, she was a general manager at Vodafone NZs business division and Chief Operating Officer for Woosh Wireless. She also owned her own company which worked with SME companies to help improve their marketing and increase their profits.

Shes now lived in the Bay for the past seven years with her partner and son and describes the region as her home.

I am passionate about the region and the opportunity for tourism. Increasing visitor spend in our region increases the revenue for our local businesses and residents, so it is meaningful to contribute to our economy by helping to create growth.

Chairman Ian Smith says Kristin was appointed following a rigorous selection process which saw her beat out high calibre candidates from across the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

He says as 2IC Kristin was part of the organisations succession plan but they put her through her paces against stiff competition during a contestable process.

We are delighted that Kristin was the successful candidate. The board and I are wholly confident we have the ideal leader for the next stage of evolution for Tourism Bay of Plenty, says Ian.

I also acknowledge Rhys Arrowsmiths contribution in his four-year tenure at Tourism Bay of Plenty  his dedication to the role saw the formation of a solid foundation for growth.
The Salvation Army will march onto the streets this week, buckets in hand, to raise money in their annual Red Shield appeal week.

The street collections run from May 2-8, throughout New Zealand, with the theme help catch Kiwis falling into danger.

Every day at The Salvation Army we see the desperation and emotional strain endured by the Kiwi families who come through our doors for assistance, says community ministries manager Davina Plummer.

Often all it takes is one unexpected event such as an illness, redundancy or damaged home to push a family into need.

With your support, the Sallies can provide struggling families with longer-term social services such as life skills programmes and budgeting advice, says Davina, as well as emergency help with food and clothing.

Davina says there are a few different way people can donate.

*Phoning 0800 53 00 00 to donate by credit card

*Posting a cheque to The Salvation Army, PO Box 27001 Marion Square, Wellington 6141, New Zealand. *Please specify your donation is for Red Shield Appeal, Tauranga.

*Making a payment via internet banking. The Salvation Army bank account is BNZ 02 0568 0091726 00. Please enter Red Shield under Particulars/Details on your online payment form.

When Kiwis fall into desperate need, your donation will help them get back on their feet, says Davina.

Visit www.salvationarmy.org.nz/RedShieldAppeal to donate online or for more information.
Rotorua businessman and television personality Tamati Coffey has waded into the fight over bottled New Zealand water being sold overseas.

Over the weekend Tamati launched an online petition calling on the Government to pass urgent legislation to enable councils to fairly charge bottling plants for the water they extract.

The response thus far has been overwhelming for Tamati, who says in 24 hours more than 1000 people had signed the petition and the number is continuing to grow steadily.

It is a huge issue that Kiwis really care about and the resoundingly message from people leaving comments is New Zealanders feel its only fair these companies pay their fair share, he says.

Our countrys falling deeper into debt but were not taxing these companies who are profiting from bottling our native taonga and selling it overseas where water is the new gold.

The petition also calls for the potential revenue generated by the legislation to be invested into cleaning up New Zealands waterways.

We should be able to swim in our lakes and rivers. If companies are taking our water out they should be charged appropriately, with some of the revenue directed back into cleaning up our waterways.

Tamati was left dumbfounded to learn the Oravida water bottling plant near Kawerau extracted 146 million litres of water a year, but has only paid $526 in one-off compliance costs and $1503 in consents since 1992.

He says its crazy that companies are only charged a measly $500 to extract freshwater, especially considering how much a bottle of water costs from the dairy.

The profit these companies are making its money for jam, it is a big cash cow that sees the rich get richer while New Zealanders are all the poorer for it.

Along with the online petition, Tamati also created the hashtag #waterfightnz, which he describes as a brand people can rally behind no matter who they are or what their political affiliation is.

Hes hoping the petition will garner 2500 signatures at the minimum and if it gains enough traction he will deliver it to parliament.

Together we can get these corporations to pay their fair share and use that capital to protect our natural resources for future generations. Who doesnt want that?

SunLive has contacted Oravida for a response but the company declined to comment.

For more information or to sign the petition visit change.org
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3



By Fatih Karimov - Trend:



Iran's second major carmaker Saipa and the South Korean SK Networks company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for forming joint venture.



Mehdi Jamali, managing director of the Iranian carmaker expressed hope that the joint venture will be established within one month, IRNA news agency reported May 3.



The implementation of this idea is a good investment opportunity which certainly will benefit both parties, Jamali said. He added that Saipa can allocate a certain part of its share in the car market to the joint venture.



Besides establishing the joint venture, Saipa Group and the Korean company will also cooperate in buying iron sheets as well as finance and investment.



The move came as part of South Korean President Park Geun-hye's ongoing visit to Tehran for the expansion of bilateral ties.



Geun-hye arrived in Tehran with a large business delegation on May 1. Park Geun-hye is the first South Korean president who visits Iran.



During the three-day official visit, the two countries have discussed several deals worth billion dollars for cooperation in various fields.
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Tehran, Iran, May 3

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran and Germany today had their most recent gathering intended to pursue economic cooperation. Tehran hosted the German-Iranian Business Forum, attended by 150 German officials and businesspeople.

Today's event was the continuation of bilateral economic relations established over four centuries ago by an Iranian business delegation which paid a visit to Germany in 1600. The two countries signed their first ever economic document in 1875.

Germany used to be Iran's biggest business partner before economic sanctions against Iran were intensified in recent years. At the pre-sanctions time bilateral trade stood at $2.5 billion, but the number shrunk later.

Last July, a few days after Iran's landmark nuclear deal with world powers was made with the prospect of lifting the sanctions, German Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel was the first top European official to visit Tehran, bringing a message of friendship and a perspective of big time business cooperation.

During today's forum, several companies from the two sides signed cooperation agreements. Before any of these companies, the German delegation leader and Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy Uwe Beckmeyer and Iranian Deputy Minister of Economy Mohammad Khazaei signed a 40-page cooperation overview.

Among the signed memorandums of understanding there is one inked between the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mine and Agriculture and the German strategy consulting firm Roland Berger.

"Through this agreement we want to help investors and businessmen from Iran and Germany to join and start business," Ferial Mostofi, a member of the board of representatives at the Iranian chamber, told Trend May 3.

"Iranians want joint venture, production here, and export to neighboring countries. They demand investment in the form of technology and management. And the German firm is ready to offer consultation, legal affairs and rating services. German companies, on the other hand, demand security of investment, which can be found here in Iran as a safe and sound country," she added.

Trend also had an interview with Iranian Ambassador to Germany Ali Majedi, who expressed happiness that Iran and Germany have entered a new phase of cooperation to develop bilateral trade.

"Iran has the potential to be the spot for the start of regional development. The European Union has only the Middle East to consider doing business with, because East Asia and the Americas are already out of its reach," he said.

"Germans are in particular going to cooperate in educating Iranians, as well as Afghan workforce working in Iran. Their oil and gas companies are also interested in field development in Iran. An example is Wintershall, which has shown interest in working at the oil fields in Iran," added Majedi.

In July 2015, BASF's Wintershall oil and gas exploration subsidiary signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Iranian Oil Company to prepare for possible activities in the region.

Sources in the Iranian Oil Ministry had said the two companies want to study four oil fields in western Iran.

---

Mehdi Sepahvand is Trend Agency's Tehran-based reporter. Follow him on Twitter @mehdisepahvand
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Iranian and South Korean officials may discuss a postponed contract on purchasing a cargo ship during President Park Geun-hye's official visit to Tehran.

An informed source told Fars news agency that Tehran had agreed a contract on purchasing a ship from South Korea in 2011 but Seoul postponed the contract due to the US imposed sanctions.

Although Tehran had made $200 million in initial payment, Seoul turned down the agreement as a result of the US imposed sanctions on Iran, the report added. Since then Seoul neither refunded the payment nor handed over the vessel to Iran, Fars said.

On May 1, South Korean President Park Geun-hye heading a large business delegation arrived in Tehran on a three-day official visit. Iran-South Korea trade turnover stood at $6.1 billion in 2015. The figure was $17.4 billion in 2011.

Nuclear related sanctions on Iran were lifted in January following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Darth Malak was a Human male born on Quelii who took the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith during the Jedi Civil War. Born Alek Squinquargesimus and nicknamed Squint, he wasprior to becoming a Sith Lorda famed Jedi Knight and military commander. Squinquargesimus befriended the Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick and, after taking the name Malak, assisted him in defeating the Jedi Covenant. During the Mandalorian Wars, Malak gained a reputation as a headstrong warrior who would recklessly charge into danger. He eventually drew closer and closer to the dark side, ultimately being seduced by Sith teachings imparted to him by his closest friend and fellow Jedi Knight Revan. After the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars at the Sith planet of Malachor V, the two twisted the allegiance of the Revanchists and the Republic forces under their command, building the foundations of what would eventually become a new Sith Empire.

In his role as Revans chosen apprentice, the newly-christened Darth Malak helped his Master track down the Star Maps, devices that led to the Star Forge, an ancient space station built by the Rakata. A year after Revan and Malak disappeared from known Republic space into the Unknown Regions, they returned and declared war on the Republic, determined to end the tyranny of the Jedi Order. At one point under Darth Revans tutelage, Malaks entire jaw was removed by a lightsaber strike from his own Sith Master, forcing him to wear a large metal prosthesis. After the Jedi dispatched a strike team to capture Revan and Malak, the latter betrayed his Master, ordering the guns of his flagship, Leviathan, to fire on Revans vessel. Convinced that his Master had died, Malak usurped Revans mantle of Dark Lord and ruled the Sith unchallenged, brutally conquering territory after territory. He even took an apprentice of his own, a former Jedi named Darth Bandon.

It would not be long until Malak was proven wrong about his beliefs on Revans death. The next year, Malak intercepted the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan and an amnesiac Revan, whose identity as the Dark Lord had been replaced with loyalty to the Republic by the Jedi Council. After Malak told Revan of his former identity as the Dark Lord, the two fought each other, but Shan allowed herself to be captured by Malak so that Revan and his companions could escape. Malak corrupted Shan, whom he had once considered a threat. She eventually became his apprentice, replacing Darth Bandon, whom Revan and his companions had previously killed. Now assisted by Shans battle meditation, Malak considered his Sith Empire to be invincible. However, when the Republic fleet attacked the Star Forge above Rakata Prime, a redeemed Revan boarded the ancient superweapon and confronted Malak in a lightsaber duel that resulted in the Dark Lords defeat. With that, Malaks reign as the Dark Lord ended, and the Republic emerged victorious from the war.

Early life and Jedi training

Alek was a Human male born on the planet Quelii in a village named Squinquargesimus. After Quelli was devastated by the Mandalorians, the name of Aleks home village was used as his surname on immigration records. Eventually, Squinquargesimus was found to be sensitive to the Force and was trained as a Jedi Padawan at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Nicknamed Squint by his peers, Squinquargesimus closest friend was the Padawan who would eventually be known as Revan. Though Revan was recognized as the stronger of the two, Squinquargesimus desire to broaden his knowledge did not remain unnoticed and he, like Revan, eventually sought out additional training from the Twilek Jedi Master Zhar Lestin on the galactic capital of Coruscant. Some time before 3,963 BBY, both of the young men completed their training and attained the rank of Jedi Knight.

Mandalorian Wars

When the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders launched an assault on the Republic and started the Mandalorian Wars, both Squinquargesimus and Revan were eager to defeat the invading forces. As the war continued, however, the Jedi Council urged the Jedi to be patient and strictly forbade action against the Mandalorians, feeling that the true threat had not yet emerged. Revan would not be dissuaded, and both he and Squinquargesimus believed that the Order operated too slowly and exercised excessive caution in its decisions. Squinquargesimus was the first to join Revans movement, known as the Revanchists, and other Jedi soon followed. In the year 3,964 BBY, Squinquargesimus was among a group of Jedi that chose to take a more proactive role in the ongoing war by participating in a scouting mission along the Outer Rim, just prior to the Mandalorian invasion of the Republic. Led by Revan, whom Squinquargesimus called his honorary Master,] Squinquargesimus and his fellow Jedi investigated the Mandalorian threat along the Republic border against the wishes of the Jedi Council.

The Revanchists stopped briefly on the ecumenopolis of Taris in hopes of recruiting more Jedi from the local Jedi temple. While there, Squinquargesimus met a Jedi named Zayne Carrick, who was Jedi Master Lucien Draays apprentice. Draay was the son of Krynda Draay, the Covenants founder. When Carrick failed to capture the Snivvian black marketeer Marn Hierogryph, whom he had been unable to apprehend seven times previously, Squinquargesimus rescued the Padawan from falling into the cityscape. After this, the two Jedi conferred, and one subject that they discussed was the ongoing war. Not only did the Jedi High Council disapprove of the war, but the teachers on Taris counseled their students that the Jedi were supposed to defend the Republic from the Sith. During their discussion, Squinquargesimus reminded Carrick that the Sith threat had ended decades ago. Squinquargesimus stated that sometimes one had to enter the darkness in order to save the light, and he opined that more Jedi should share his beliefs. Squinquargesimus unsuccessfully tried to recruit Carrick, who refused because the Jedi Masters, including Draay, believed that the Sith, not the Mandalorians, were the Jedis business. Squinquargesimus laughed, saying that the Mandalorians could be in the Masters presence, but to get the Jedis attention, the Mandalorians would have to act like Sith. Though Carrick was a less-than-promising student, Squinquargesimus suspected that he would be a major player during the war.

Sometime before Squinquargesimus and the Revan chists went to Taris, four Sage Masters of the secret Jedi organization known as the Covenantwhich was dedicated to preventing the return of the Sithenvisioned that one of their Padawans would become a Sith Lord and would be responsible for their deaths and the destruction of the Jedi Order. After Squinquargesimus and the Revanchists left Taris, Carricks Jedi Masters killed their apprentices and framed Carrick for the Padawans deaths, subsequently forcing Carrick to hide from the Jedi Order and civil authorities.

The final battles

The entrance of Revan and his Jedi into the war marked the conflicts turning point. Revans military strategies and tactics, coupled with Malaks courage and determination, saw the pair becoming the foremost heroes of the war. Claiming victory time after time, they were propelled through the ranks of the Republic military, and Revan was given direct control over the entire Republic fleet. With his newfound authority, Revan spearheaded the Republic war effort and began to steadily push the Mandalorians back, and though Malak lacked Revans military genius, he exemplified himself as a capable war leader. Malak eventually gained a reputation as a headstrong warrior who would recklessly charge into danger.

Together, Revan and Malak liberated Taris, fought Cassus Fett at Jagas Cluster, and defeated much of the Mandalorian army at Althir. Yet, despite such victories, the Jedi Masters they had left behind believed that Revan, Malak, and the Jedi that had joined them were only offering easy solutions to the galaxys problems, fearing that much woe would result from their recklessness. As the war progressed, concerns were raised over Revan and Malaks behavior. They gradually changed from the idealistic men that had first rebelled against the Jedi Council and began to adopt characteristics similar to their Mandalorian adversaries. To Revan and Malak, ultimate victory became all that mattered, and in order to ensure it, the two Jedi met their enemies brutal, merciless tactics with a ruthlessness of their own. Over the course of the war, Malak and Revan developed a cold, calculating disposition that was uncharacteristic of Jedi and grew to despise weakness and indecisiveness. Moral shortcuts became common practice under their leadership, along with a number of other unsavory acts. Though there were some who frowned upon such actions, the vast majority of the galaxy cared only that Revan and Malak were winning the war and hailed them as heroes.

At some point during the Mandalorian Wars, Revan found a Rakatan Star Map in the old ruins near the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. The Star Map was necessary to uncover the secret location of the Star Forge, a relic of the Rakatan Infinite Empire that had ruled the galaxy approximately 20,000 standard years before. Revan and Malak delved into the ancient ruins, and after successfully passing the trials set for them by the guard droid that had been left behind by the so-called Builders, they were given access to the Star Map. Moments before they crossed the threshold that would lead them to their prize, Malak warned Revan of the consequences, feeling that if they examined the Star Map, the Jedi Order would banish both he and Revan. However, such words did not dissuade Revan from continuing to the Star Map. Though a part of Malak yearned to return to the Order, he remained at his friends side, knowing that once he crossed the threshold, there would be no chance of ever returning to the life he once had.

In the final year of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan found another Star Map on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. Shortly thereafter, Revan traveled to the Sith planet of Malachor V, where he discovered the Trayus Academy and delved deeply into the Sith secrets contained within. Revan introduced Malak to the Sith teachings, causing him to fall to the dark side. The heroic reputation that Revan and Malak had gained during the Mandalorian Wars was finally cemented during the final battle of the war, where Revan forced a final confrontation with the Mandalorians over Malachor V. Revan intended to unleash the Mass Shadow Generatora superweapon recently constructed by the Zabrak engineer Bao-Duron the planet. Trusting the devices activation to a capable Jedi General that would later become known as the Jedi Exile, Revan battled and killed Mandalore the Ultimate himself. The Mass Shadow Generators activation wiped out the majority of the Mandalorian fleet, in addition to the Republic forces and Jedi who were not fervently loyal to Revan. In the end, many Jedi were twisted to the dark side, and the once-proud Mandalorian clans were crippled, just as Revan had intended.

After the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan constructed an assassin droid designated HK-47. When the Exilewho had ordered the Mass Shadow Generators activation and had disconnected herself from the Force during the cataclysmic final battleleft Revan and Malaks fleet to answer for her actions before the Jedi Council, Malak wanted Revan to order HK-47 to kill her. However, Revan, who saw the woman as a Jedi that was already dead, would not allow her assassination. Having defeated the Mandalorians, the two now-legendary Jedi Knights did not return to the Republic. Instead, they led the remainder of their forces into the Unknown Regions, claiming to be hunting down surviving Mandalorians. For a year afterward, nothing was heard from them, and the Republic feared its heroes to be lost. However, the purpose of the two Jedis quest was somewhat different from what the Republic believed. Revan and Malak were committed to uniting the galaxy beneath Revans authority, and in order to ensure this and secure the Republics defeat, the two were determined to locate the Star Forge. After the end of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan and Malak began to search for the Star Forge, using the maps they had found on Dantooine and Kashyyyk. The two fallen Jedi located and uncovered three more Star Maps on the desert world Tatooine, the Selkaths oceanic homeworld Manaan, and the ancient Sith tombworld Korriban.

Sith apprentice

With the information obtained from the Star Maps, Revan and Malak were able to travel to the previously unknown Rakata system. Upon their arrival, the pair crashed on Rakata Prime. Shortly thereafter, they were attacked by the primitive Black Rakata, who attempted to take them prisoner, but after the two fallen Jedi displayed their Force powers, the natives were quickly cowed into submission. Though Revan initially negotiated with The One, the leader of the Black Rakata, it soon became apparent that none among the Black Rakata had relevant information pertaining to the Star Forge. Revan then decided to win the favor of the Elders, a Rakatan tribe that the Black Rakata was at war with. Unlike their violent introduction to the Black Rakata, Revan and Malak approached the Elders in peace, learning much from them about the Rakata, their old empire, and of the disruptor field that had caused Revan and Malaks ship to crash. Increasingly aware of the abhorrence that the Elders held for their species violent past, Revan and Malak styled themselves as servants of the light, searching for a way to destroy the Star Forge. After Revan and Malak gained the Elders trust, the Elders gave the Jedi access to the temple. Thanking the Elders, the two fallen Jedi promised to destroy the Star Forge and return.

Instead, Revan took control of the Star Forge, and he and Malak added the Darth title to their names, declaring themselves the new Dark Lords of the Sith. In 3,959 BBY, the pair founded a new Sith Empire and returned to Korriban, seizing control of the planet and establishing a new Sith Academy there. Revan and Malak then returned to known Republic space at the head of a massive invasion fleet. Openly revealing themselves as Sith Lords, the pair and their followers declared war on the Republic and the Jedi Order. This marked the beginning a twenty-year campaign to end the tyranny of the Jedi Council once and for all, initiating the Jedi Civil War. At one point under Darth Revans tutelage, Malak saw his Master as being soft, causing tension between the two that culminated in a lightsaber duel. Malaks jaw was removed by a lightsaber strike from Revan himself, and Malak was forced to wear a large metal prosthesis cover over where his jaw had once been. A portion of the device allowed Malak to talk, but his voice now reverberated with a gruff electronic tone because his cybernetic jaw could not move.

In the year 3,958 BBY, Revan and his Sith carried out a successful attack on the shipyard world of Foerost, capturing the majority of the Republics fleet. The Republic Admiral Saul Karath, who had served under Revan and Malak in the Mandalorian Wars, declared the Republic unworthy of his loyalty and transferred his services and his flagship Leviathan to Revans service. Karath also gave the Sith codes that enabled them to bypass a Republic Navy docking bays scanners. This allowed the Sith forces to sweep in and destroy over half of the docked ships before they had time to react. Later, Revan promoted Karath as the commander of the entire Sith fleet. As a final test of loyalty to the Sith, Darth Malak ordered Karath to destroy Telos IV, a planet that Revan had originally intended to conquer. Karath complied, killing millions of innocent people and earning the wrath of the surviving Telosians, including the Republic commander Carth Onasi, who once considered Karath his mentor and Malak a hero. Later that year, Darth Malak bombed the Zabrak homeworld of Iridonia, and the Sith also carried out a successful attack on the planet of Rodia. Though a powerful Sith Lord, the ambitious Darth Malak began to chafe under the dominion of Revan as the war progressed. The man who had once been Revans staunchest ally and most loyal friend began to eagerly await an opportunity to replace his Sith Master.

Dark Lord of the Sith

Malaks chance to usurp Revans position came in 3,957 BBY when the Jedi Council sent a strike team to capture the pair of Sith. The team managed to corner Revan on the bridge of his flagship. Malak, who was separated from his Master, ordered the guns of his own flagship, the Leviathan, to fire on Revans vessel in an attempt to slay both his Master and the Jedispecifically the strike teams leader, Bastila Shan, because of her power with Battle Meditation, a Force power that enabled her to strengthen the Republic forces resolve and coordinate their fighting effort while sapping the will of their enemies.

Unbeknownst to Malak, Shan saved Revans life and brought him to the Jedi Council, and Revans mind was then reprogrammed with the identity of a Republic soldier. Though Malak failed in his attempt on Revans life, his Master had been incapacitated during the attack. Believing himself to have been successful, Darth Malak assumed command of the Sith Empire, at last taking the mantle of Dark Lord for himself. A small part of Malak always regretted betraying his Master from afar. Malak knew there would be some who thought and claimed that he had been a coward, that he had acted out of fear, and that would not want to face Revan in personal combat again.

The search for Bastila

Although his stratagems and tactics centered around brute force, Malak was able to win many victories over the battered and outnumbered Republic forces through the sheer size of his armadas. Unlike his former Sith Master, Revan, Malak would destroy worlds rather than capture them, ensuring that neither side of the conflict had vital resources. He fueled the Star Forge, which was modified to produce the ships and assault droids of the Sith fleet, by using the Force powers of captured Jedi Knights to augment the input of Rakata Primes sun. After Revans apparent death, Malak took a former Jedi whose quest for power had set him apart from his fellow students and named him Darth Bandon, taking him as his Shadow Hand and elevating the young Sith to the second-in-command in the Sith Empire. Jedi that were not killed by Malaks Sith forces fell from the light, becoming Dark Jedi and swearing their allegiance to the Dark Lord. While the war against the Republic continued with success, Darth Malak feared that the Jedi Bastila Shans rare gift with battle meditationwhich surpassed even the most powerful Jedi Masterswould make her a grave threat to the Sith war effort. Malak expended tremendous resources in an attempt to locate and capture Shan. He nearly succeeded when his apprentice, Darth Bandon, led an attack on her ship, the Endar Spire, above the planet Taris. Shan, among other Republic soldiers, was forced to evacuate her craft via an escape pod and crashed into the lower levels of Taris. To prevent Shan from escaping the planet, Malak blockaded Taris. However, Malak soon grew impatient with the search for Shan and ordered Admiral Saul Karath aboard his flagship, the Leviathan, to destroy the planet. Nonetheless, Shan was able to return unharmed to Dantooine on the light freighter Ebon Hawk, thanks to the efforts of the Republic commander Carth Onasi; the amnesiac Revan, who was unaware of his former identity as the Dark Lord; and their companions. After Revan was retrained in the Jedi ways in the Enclave on Dantooine, the local Council ordered Revan and his allies to search for the Star Forge. Soon after, a bounty hunter named Calo Nordwho had been defeated on Taris by Revan, Shan, and Onasimanaged to escape Taris destruction. Nord was hired by Malak to track down the group, capture Shan, and kill her companions. Nord and Karath revealed to Malak that one of Shans companions was Revan, whom the Sith Lord had long believed to be dead. Despite Nords galaxy-wide reputation as a bounty hunter, he did not survive his next encounter with Revan. After Nords death, Admiral Karath informed Malak of the bounty hunters failure. Malak told Karath that no bounty hunter could stand against a Jedi, and to avoid making the same mistake twice, the Sith Lord sent his apprentice, Darth Bandon, after Shan. Malak ordered Bandon to find Shan and to bring her to him alive, if at all possible. There were rumors that Bandon would challenge Malak for the right to rule the Sith, but Bandon never had a chance to develop his plans, as he failed to capture Shan and was killed by Revan after the former Sith Lord found a fourth Star Map in his quest to locate the Star Forge. During Revans search for the Rakatan space station, Malak and his Sith forces attacked Dantooine. They destroyed the Jedi Enclave and killed many, Jedi and civilian alike. Malak also captured eight Jedi for later use on the Star Forge. The Sith Lord plundered through the ruins of the Enclave, looking for Jedi artifacts. The Jedi Council had sensed this would happen and tried to evacuate everyone, but it was too late. The local Jedi Council managed to escape, however, and some of the Jedi holocrons and relics were moved to another location. Revelation on the Leviathan

You cannot hide from what you once were, Revan! Recognize that you were once the Dark Lordand know that I have taken your place!

Malak, to his old Master, Revan

While on their search for a fifth Star Map, Revan and the crew of the Ebon Hawk were captured by the Sith and brought on board the Leviathan, Malaks flaship. Before Revan and his crew were taken to the detention area, Revan sent a member of his crew to free the rest of the group from the Leviathans detention area. After taking Revan and his crew into custody, Admiral Saul Karath tortured and interrogated Revan, Shan, and Onasi in an attempt to find out their missions objective. Sometime after Karath departed the detention area, the Ebon Hawk crew member managed to liberate Revan and the others from the detention area. The crew then split in two groups. Shan, Onasi, and Revan headed to the bridge of the Leviathan to lower the ships shields, disable the tractor beam, and unlock the door to the docking bay, while the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo led the rest of the crew to the docking bay.

When Shan, Onasi, and Revan made their way to the bridge, they were confronted by Admiral Karath. The admiral informed the two Jedi and Onasi that Malak was on his way to the bridge and requested their surrender. When the three refused, a fight broke out, during which Karath was struck down. Before the two Jedi and Onasi made it to the docking bay, Malak arrived, hindering their escape. Conferring with his three adversaries, Malak discovered that Revan still had no knowledge of his time as a Dark Lord, which had been wiped out by the Jedi. Amused, Malak revealed to Revan the truth of his former identity. Shocked by the revelation, Revan asked Shan if this was true, and she confirmed both his former identity and her own role as part of the Jedi strike team that had captured him. Malak soon used the Force to create a stasis field around Shan and Onasi and prepared to kill his former Master. Revan proved himself a capable swordsman, however, holding his own against the Dark Lord. Shan intervened so that Revan and Onasi could escape, and Malak defeated and captured her.

After successfully capturing Shan aboard the Leviathan, Malak took the Jedi to the Temple of the Ancients on Rakata Prime. Seeking to make Shan his apprentice to fortify the Sith Empires efforts with her battle meditation, Malak attempted to turn her to the dark side and tortured her with Force lightning. Shan was at first firm and resisted his efforts, but Malak insisted that it was not merely tortureit was a taste of the dark side power that she could possess. Following a week of torture, Malak succeeded in breaking Shans will, finally turning her to the dark side and taking her as his apprentice to replace the fallen Darth Bandon.

Battle of Rakata Prime



The preparations for the Star Forge were nearing completion, and the space station added new ships to the Sith fleet every day. The Star Forge operated at three hundred percent beyond the Siths expectations. The fleet was merely awaiting Malaks instructions, and the Dark Lord was confident that they would be invincible once Shan provided assistance with her battle meditation. Assuming they would be victorious, Malak was already planning to begin the final conquest of the Core Worlds and crush the Republic forever.

After Revan and his crew located the Star Forge, they sent the space stations coordinates to Republic Admiral Forn Dodonna so that he could take the Republic fleet and attack the Sith and their Star Forge. When the Jedi penetrated the Star Forges defenses, Malak was not surprised, ordering one of his Dark Jedi to dispatch the battle droids, which had been constructed by the Star Forge, to deal with them. However, Malak underestimated the Jedi, and the Dark Jedi brought news of the droids failure. Malak was at first surprised that any Jedi could stand against an army of Star Forge droids, but then he was told that Revan was with the Jedi. Though Malak knew that his Sith troops would only slow Revan down, the Dark Lord dispatched his forces and Dark Jedi on the Star Forge to hinder Revans progress and allocate enough time for the Sith Lord himself to fully prepare the Star Forges defenses.

Malak summoned his new apprentice, Bastila Shan, and informed her that Revan was on the Star Forge. Shan feared Revans power, but Malak stated that she would prove herself worthy of being his apprentice if she defeated the former Sith Lord. Shan proclaimed that she would not fail Malak again. After their conversation, the Dark Lord mused that perhaps Shan would be able to defeat Revan, but even if she failed, it would supply the necessary time to prepare the Star Forges defenses. After defeating an attack force of Forge droids, killing nearly all of Malaks Dark Jedi and Sith forces, and convincing Shan to return to the light side, Revan confronted Malak, who was in the midst of using the Force to choke two Jedi prisoners. Upon his former Masters arrival, the Dark Lord threw his lightsaber into one of the Jedi and blasted the other with Force lightning, effectively killing both. Revan offered Malak a chance to surrender, reminding the Dark Lord that the Jedi might show him mercy. However, Malak replied that the wiping of an individuals identity was no act of mercy and stated that he would rather die. The Sith Lord unleashed the unlimited army of Star Forge battle droids against Revan, using the opportunity to escape to the Star Forges observation tower.

Revan managed to stop the droids from attacking him and followed Malak to the observation tower. Malak realized that his former Masters powers had surpassed those that he held during his own reign as the Dark Lord. Malak proclaimed his intention to break Revans will and make his former Master his apprentice, as Revan would be a far greater asset than Shan and her battle meditation. However, Malak feared that Revan was too powerful to be his apprentice, believing that Revan would betray him should the former Sith Lord became the stronger between the two. After Revan retorted that he would not turn to the dark side again, the two began a lightsaber duel, in which the victor, unlike in their previous duels, would decide the fate of the galaxy.

Revan proved himself to be the better lightsaber duelist, almost defeating Malak. However, Malak withdrew from battle, explaining to his former Master that he could not be defeated. Malak then told Revan that he had brought the bodies of eight Jedi from the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine to the Star Forge and explained that rather than letting the deceased Jedi become one with the Force, he used the Star Forge to corrupt what remained of the dead Jedis Force energy. Malak used the Force to drain the life force from one of the Jedi, transferring it to himself. After replenishing his energy, Malak resumed his duel with Revan. However, the former Sith Lord freed as many of the captive Jedi as he could, allowing them to become one with the Force and shortening Malaks supply of energy.

Malak was eventually brought to his knees, mortally wounded. He began to regret turning to the dark side, and Revan apologized to his old friend for starting him down the dark path. Malak was reminded by his former Master that he had chosen to continue to practice the dark side, and Malak told Revan that perhaps there was more truth in the Jedi Code than he had ever believed. The dying Dark Lord realized that he alone had to accept responsibility for his fate. With his dying words, Malak realized that as the darkness took him, he was nothing in the end. Malak died with sorrow and regret over his deeds, but without hatred or malice toward Revan, his one-time closest friend. Malaks corpse was consumed by the flames of the failing Star Forge as the Republic fleet destroyed the ancient space station.

Legacy

One year after Darth Malaks death and the defeat of his Sith Empire, Revan, now in possession of his full memories from his time as the Dark Lord, vanished from known Republic space to search for a mysterious Sith faction known only as the True Sith. Although Malak had died in his duel with Revan, the Dark Lords final confrontation did not mark the last anyone saw of him. Four years after Revans disappearance, the Jedi Exile discovered the lost tomb of the ancient Sith Lord Ludo Kressh while exploring a shyrack cave on Korriban. The Exile encountered visions from her past, the first of which was an apparition of the young Malak before his fall to the dark side. As the Exile looked on, Malak slowly lured several Jedi to his side, including Bastila Shan. When the Exile refused to join him, Malak and the other apparitions attacked. The Exile prevailed and made it through the tomb alive after experiencing several more visions, including one of Malaks former Sith Master, Revan.

Approximately three centuries after Darth Malaks death, it was presumed that Revan never returned from the Unknown Regions. However, the True Sith Empirewhich was led by a mysterious Sith Emperorthat Revan went to battle with launched an attack on the Republic, igniting a war that lasted for decades until the Sith Emperor signed a treaty with the Republic. An image of Malak was featured in a record of the event that was produced by the Kel Dor Jedi Master Gnost-Dural for the Jedi Archives.

The atrocities that Darth Malak committed would overshadow his good deeds as a Jedi Knight in galactic history. Although Revan was rememberedand even admired by some, including Canderous Ordofor his tactical genius and subtleties, the Dark Lord was remembered by others, such as the droid and Exchange crime boss G0-T0, as something of a brute who had left the galaxy in a mess. Many sentients, including the Jedi Mical, thought the situation would have been different if Revan had remained as the Dark Lord. While Revans strategies would have led to a stronger and more unified galaxy, Malaks genocidal reign only caused a greater destabilization of the galaxy and nearly destroyed all of his former Masters original goals. In contrast to his Sith Master, Revan, Malak used brute force rather than strategy to defeat his enemies, as demonstrated when he ordered both the bombing of Telos IV and the destruction of Taris. The destruction that Malak caused would portray Malak as a monster who, despite all his attempts to gain absolute power, was still inferior compared to Revan.

When Darth Revan first introduced Malak to his assassin droid, HK-47, the droid liked Malak. HK-47 expressed this opinion to Revan after his reconditioning by the Jedi, stating that Malak was efficient and brutal. However, HK-47 informed Revan that if he had known that Malak would betray his Sith Master, HK-47 would have gladly removed his entrails when he had first met him. After the Jedi Civil War, HK-47 thought of Malak as an angry club that was given to grandiose displays of brutality and murder that seemed inefficient, and in many cases, unnecessary. However, the Echani Handmaiden Brianna was of the opinion that Malaks destruction of Taris exemplified his heart through the operations execution and intent. Brianna felt that while Taris destruction was brutal and lacked finesse, it showed Malaks commitment to defeat the Jedi.
Whole Foods

Whole Foods is opening stores throughout upstate New York - will Syracuse be next? (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Whole Foods, a popular upscale grocery store chain, is expanding across Upstate New York, but can we expect to see one in the Syracuse area soon?

Syracuse "is certainly a city in discussion, and is on our our radar" for a possible new store, said Michael Sinatra, a spokesman for Whole Foods' Northeast division.

However, there are no formal plans for a Syracuse-area location right now, he said.

"The right opportunity hasn't come up yet, but we're optimistic," Sinatra said. "We just need the right location at the right time."

The Austin,TX-based chain opened a Whole Foods store in 2014 in the Albany area in Colonie Center, a long-time mall in a suburb of Albany.

More Upstate stores are planned. Stores in Rochester (Monroe Avenue, Brighton) and Buffalo (Amherst's Northtown Plaza) are under development, and targeted to open in 2017.



Speculation was high in July 2015 that a Whole Foods store was coming to the Dick's Sporting Goods plaza off Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt. There is empty space in the plaza, and, with Office Max closing and moving out May 14, there is another vacant storefront.

Whole Foods officials said the rumor they were moving into the DeWitt Plaza wasn't true then - and still isn't. However, Syracuse is among the upstate cities the chain is looking into for future stores, Sinatra said.

Whole Foods looks at a variety of demographics when choosing where to open a store - including population, income levels and density of college graduates, he said.

Whole Foods, which started in 1980, has 425 stores in the U.S., 11 in Canada and nine in the United Kingdom.
VIENNA, N.Y. -- A medical examiner has identified the man killed last week after an Oneida County home caught on fire.

Baron Zimmerman, 61, died Thursday morning after becoming trapped in his burning Vienna home, said Chief Deputy Jonathan Owen, of the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. The residence was located at 324 Drive 37 on Oneida Lake.

The Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office used dental records to identify Zimmerman, Owens said.

The fire started near the home's wood stove, Owens said. Investigators believe the fire was accidentally started.

Firefighters rushed to the home on the northern shore of Oneida Lake around 11 a.m. The blaze spread to a nearby residence before firefighters were able to put it out.
2010-11-08-dn-court2.JPG

Judge John Brunetti

(The Post-Standard)

Syracuse, NY -- State Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti has agreed to answer questions from Syracuse.com readers at noon Wednesday about our fundamental rights in criminal proceedings.

It's part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the renowned Miranda V. Arizona decision, which ushered in the famous "you have the right to be silent..." warnings given to many suspects.

Today, Brunetti addressed the history of Miranda during a 15-minute speech at the Marriott Downtown Syracuse in celebration of Law Day.

Miranda rights arose from the fact that custodial interrogations (where the person is not free to leave) are inherently coercive and compel self-incrimination, Brunetti said.

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "Nor shall any person be compelled in a criminal case to be a witness against himself."

The judge, one of four in Onondaga County to hear felony cases, tied the rights from Miranda to the oppression of the 1500s Spanish Inquisition.

There, people were arrested for blasphemy (having a religion different from the king) and seditious libel (speaking against the king), Brunetti said.

Authorities were "compelling people to incriminate themselves," the judge said. "They were held in dungeons and tortured."

One of the earliest torture methods was an early form of waterboarding, Brunetti said.

A hundred years later, England held "incommunicado interrogation" in the Court of the Star Chamber, Brunetti said.

The founders of the United States were well aware of that history, the judge said. The Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, was intended to be a limit on federal government.

That's why it included the right to confront your accuser (Sixth Amendment) and due process (Fifth Amendment), the judge noted.

Among due process rights are the right to remain silent and the right to avoid self incrimination, known as "pleading the Fifth."

Those rights were guaranteed under the federal government. But states weren't required to adopt all of those criminal rights until the 1960s, Brunetti said.

Until then, the U.S. Supreme Court handled each confession case individually under a "voluntariness" standard that considered the totality of the interrogation, the judge said. Abuses by authorities included brutal whippings of murder suspects in Mississippi and a New York man's coerced confession that was lambasted as a "kangaroo court procedure" by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Because it could not hear each case, the Supreme Court decided it needed to set rules, Brunetti said. In fact, the nation's highest court had time to only decide 36 such cases prior to Miranda, the judge said.

Miranda was necessary because state courts -- including in New York -- had upheld "outrageous conduct by police" leading to Supreme Court reversals, Brunetti said.

So the Supreme Court, under the leadership of Justice Earl Warren, used the Miranda case to expand protections for all suspects taken into custody, Brunetti said.

That led to the famous warnings: you have the right to remain silent; anything you say can be used against you; you have the right to an attorney; if you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided to you; if you decide to answer questions you can stop at any time.

Today, Brunetti wondered out loud about one more that's not included: a suspect's silence can also be used against him/her.

Brunetti noted that there is a push to expand protections: videotaping of interrogations (done in Onondaga County in major criminal cases), expert testimony on false confessions (allowed in New York) and Miranda rights tailored for juveniles (in the works).

He concluded his speech by returning to waterboarding. Brunetti noted that the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff has said that waterboarding is "un-American." That's based on how torture was viewed by the country's founders, the judge said.

Brunetti concluded by quoting from the Miranda decision: "...the quality of a nation's civilization can be largely measured by the methods it uses in the enforcement of the criminal law."

Have questions for the judge? Leave them in the comment section below or email ddowty@syracuse.com. The judge will answer the questions during a live Q&A at noon Wednesday.
MADISON COUNTY, N.Y. -- The man accused of strangling and killing a longtime female acquaintance in August pleaded guilty today in Madison County court, according to District Attorney William Gabor.

Kevin Farley, 32, will spend at least 24 years in prison following his guilty plea to a second-degree murder charge. Farley strangled Tiffany Meeks 32, with a computer cord, on Aug. 3 after he entered her home and tried to rape her, prosecutors have said.

Kevin Farley

The pair knew each other since childhood but the nature of their relationship has not been described in detail. Gabor did not provide a possible motive for the murder in a phone interview Monday, though he said Farley was on a "crack binge".

Farley will be sentenced June 9, Gabor said. He could be sentenced to 24 years in prison or be given a life sentence.

Once the mother of two was dead, Farley stole her AmeriCU Credit Union debit card and her car between late Aug. 3 and early Aug. 4, Meeker said.

Farley then drove the car from Madison County to Onondaga County, Meeker said. He eventually ditched the car -- and, according to the Syracuse Police Department, carjacked an SUV from Price Chopper's Erie Boulevard parking lot around 8:31 a.m. Aug. 4.

Farley recently pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery in that case in Onondaga County, Gabor said.
CHENANGO, N.Y. -- A college student is accused of sex abuse against another student while they were traveling in Broome County, the New York State Police said.

Matthew L. Kimball

Matthew L. Kimball, 25, of 14 Kernan Ave., Utica, was charged Monday with first-degree sexual abuse, a felony.

State police said that on March 11 Kimball is accused of having sexual contact with a woman with "forcible compulsion," at a Motel 6 in the town of Chenango. Kimball and the woman had been traveling at the time and knew each other, state police said.

Both are students at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica.

Troopers in Binghamton and from the Campus Sexual Assault Victims Unit in Oneida County investigated with help from the Mohawk Valley Community College Department of Public Safety.

Kimball was arraigned in Chenango Town Court and released.

State police asked anyone with further information to contact 315-366-6106.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Iranian government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht has dismissed the recent speculations regarding the cabinet reshuffle.

He said such kind of anticipations always soar in the country after major developments, like the parliamentary elections, Mehr news agency reported May 3.

Anticipations for a reshuffle in the Iranian cabinet appeared following the run-off parliamentary elections held Apr. 29.

The outcome of the elections gave President Hassan Rouhani's allies a working majority in the Iranian parliament.

Further commenting on the issue, Nobakht asserted that all the cabinet members will continue their work and there is no plan for a reshuffle in the cabinet.


SYLVAN BEACH, N.Y. -- State Police have identified the man in his early 20s who drowned Monday afternoon after retrieving a tackle box that fell into the Erie Canal where he and his mother were fishing.

Aaron Teater, 23, of Verona, drowned around 4:25 p.m., according to New York State Police. His age was incorrectly reported as 22 in earlier reports.

Police arrived at the scene at the Erie Canal just below the State Route 13 bridge in response to the possible missing person call.

Divers from the New York State Police, in addition to other agencies, searched the canal for about two hours. Teater was found in the same area that he was last seen.

The cause of death will be determined via an autopsy by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office.
One of Central New York radio's longest-running voices is gone from the airwaves.

Kathy Rowe is out at Y94FM (WYYY-FM) after more than 30 years with the Syracuse radio station. Listeners noticed her name was removed from the website, y94fm.com, on Tuesday.

Y94FM (WYYY-FM) is owned by iHeartMedia, formerly Clear Channel.

iHeartMedia Syracuse Market President Rick Yacobush confirmed she was "no longer with" Y94FM in a phone interview, but declined to provide further comment.

Rowe had been an on-air personality at Y94FM since 1982, when the station was known as "94 Rock." She became program director of the adult contemporary station in 2001 and was heard on several shifts, including more than a decade as morning show host.

She also appeared at numerous local events, including the annual Syracuse Jazz Fest founded by her husband Frank Malfitano.

Rowe, a Syracuse native and Onondaga Community College alumna, previously worked at WAQX-FM (95X) and the former WOLF-AM (1490 AM) stations.

She celebrated her 30th anniversary at Y94 in 2012 and, last year, told syracuse.com about the first album she ever bought: "Diamond Girl" by Seals & Crofts.

"It was summer of '73 and I loved the harmonies and gentleness of their sound. It was a great summer chill LP and represented the lush, layered and serious sound I still prefer over all others," Rowe said.

syracuse.com has reached out to Rowe for comment on her departure from iHeartMedia.

Yacobush said plans for a new morning show at Y94FM are "under development," but couldn't elaborate on whether it would be another local personality or a syndicated show.
Immod4.jpg

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An increasing number of drug addicts looking to get high or manage withdrawal symptoms are abusing an over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication with sometimes deadly results.

The Upstate New York Poison Control Center at Upstate Medical University saw a seven-fold increase in calls related to abuse or misuse of Immodium and other anti-diarrhea products containing the drug loperamide between 2011 and 2015. The center covers all of upstate north of Rockland County.

People addicted to opioid drugs, including presciption painkillers and heroin, are abusing Immodium because loperamide is an opioid, said William Eggelston, a pharmacist at the poison control center.

When people take loperamide at recommended doses they don't get high because only a small amount of the drug is absorbed in the blood, then broken down in the liver before it gets to the brain, Eggelston said.

People who abuse the drug by taking 100 to 200 tablets a day get high from the toxic levels in their system, he said.

But they run the risk of dying in the process because Immodium overdoses can cause abnormal heart rhythms.

"It's low cost, there is easy access and it's ripe for abuse," Eggelston said.

Eggelston described two loperamide overdose deaths in a paper published last week in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Eggelston declined to say if the deaths occurred in Central New York, but indicated they are representative of what is happening nationwide.

The first case involved a 24-year-old man with a history of drug abuse found unresponsive in his home. Six empty boxes of an anti-diarrhea medication were found at the scene. He had no pulse when emergency personnel arrived. They started CPR and administered naloxone, a drug that helps reverse overdoses, but neither treatment worked. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at an emergency room.

The second case involved a 39-year-old man with a history of opioid addiction who collapsed at home. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the ER. The man's family told medical providers he had been self-treating his addiction with over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication after discontinuing bupreorphine, a drug used to treat addiction.

It is important that doctors and other medical providers recognize this emerging phenomenon and ask patients about loperamide abuse, according to the paper.

Eggelston said pharmacies should be required to regulate the sale of loperamide-containing products in the same way they restrict other abused over-the-counter medications like pseudoephedrine, or Sudafed.

Contact James T. Mulder anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2245
zika.jog.jpg

(Associated Press)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An Oneida County resident was infected with Zika virus while visiting a country where the mosquito-borne disease is prevalent.

Phyllis Ellis, director of the Oneida County Health Department, said the case poses no threat to public health in Oneida.

Ellis declined to provide any information about the infected individual or say what country the person was visiting.

The virus is widespread in Central America, South America and the Caribbean islands.

Pregant women infected with Zika can give birth to babies with microcephaly and other severe brain defects. The virus is spread primarily by mosquitoes and also can be transmitted through sexual contact.

Ellis said any women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should talk to their health providers before traveling to countries where Zika is prevalent.

Zika is spread by the Aedes species mosquito, a type of mosquito not found in upstate New York.
BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. -- A Baldwinsville mother is searching for answers why nearly two months ago her 15-year-old daughter committed suicide.

Carrie Martineau said her daughter didn't leave a note, didn't confide in her friends or leave her family any clues to why she would take her own life.

Paige Bird, a sophomore at C.W. Baker High School in the Baldwinsville school district, died on March 21.

"I spoke to her 15 minutes before," Martineau said. "I was on on my way home. She was happy. We were going to get our ears pierced."

In the 15 minutes it took Martineau to return home, Paige hanged herself.

Martineau said she decided to share her daughter's story because she wants families to talk to their children more. Martineau said she was very close to her daughter, but she had no idea that Paige was struggling. Paige showed no signs of depression, her mother said.

"She could come to me with anything," Martineau said. "She knew that."

The nation's suicide rate has increased to its highest level in 30 years, according to a report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The age-adjusted suicide rate rose 24 percent between 1999 and 2014. The increase in suicide rates for females was greatest for those ages 10 to 14 and for males, ages 45 to 64, according to the report.

In Onondaga County, the age-adjusted suicide rate per 100,000 people rose from 8.1 in 2009 to 11.2 in 2013, a 38 percent increase, according to the state Health Department.

There were 41,149 suicides in 2013 in the United States and suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for all ages in 2013, according to the CDC.

Paige was the third oldest of six children. She had two sisters, Tapaingga and Maddison, and three brothers, David Jr., Logan and Ryley. Her father, David Bird, her siblings and her mother say that the family has lost its light.

"She would light up a room," Paige's mother said. "She was funny all the time."

Martineau said her daughter was comedian to the core. She played jokes and spoke in different voices. She always wanted to make people laugh, her mother said.

"If you were having a bad day or a sad day, she would make you feel that you were the center of the universe," Martineau said. "We feel like our light has been dimmed and disappeared."

Paige was member of the Baker High School color guard and winter guard. She was talented and was a friend to everyone she met, her family said.

"She touched so many lives," her mother said. "She only had to know you for a few hours and she would touch your life."

Martineau said she hopes to understand why her daughter took her own life and she hopes that no other family has to go through the pain that her family is experiencing. Martineau has teamed up with Stand Against Suicide, a non-profit organization that works to bring awareness and prevention for suicide in Central New York.

A candlelight vigil will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Lysander Park, which is at 8439 Smokey Hollow Road in Baldwinsville. The goal of the vigil is to remember and honor Paige and to celebrate her life.

Those in attendance will also learn more about new legislation Paige's family will be proposing on educating students and parents about mental illness and suicide.

"Unfortunately we may never have our answer," Martineau said. But Martineau hopes that bringing more awareness to suicide in the community and can help other families and other children.

"I want people to remember Paige," she said. "Remember her light."

Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315
Tehran, Iran, May 3

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran and Germany joined in Tehran in an economic forum today to discuss the ways and means of boosting ties and sign several cooperation documents, but the event at some point turned into a political repartee between officials from the two sides.

The dispute erupted when Uwe Beckmeyer, parliamentary state secretary at the German

Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, who was leading the German delegation, said Germany's long-term economic cooperation with Iran rests upon the "precondition" that Iran recognizes and acts in a friendly way toward Israel, Trend correspondent reported from the German-Iranian Business Forum held at the Iranian Ministry of Economy headquarters in Tehran's Grand Bazaar May 3.

"The Palestinian right to authority is nonetheless needed to be recognized," Beckmeyer observed, but went on to list a number of topics that he believed Iran needs to take care of if it eyes long cooperation with the European country.

"Human rights, juristic laws, the rights of minorities, and eliminating death sentences are areas in which you need to take serious and effective steps," the German official said.

A few minutes later, Iranian Ambassador to Berlin Ali Majedi speaking from the same podium made strong objection to the statements, calling for attention to a broader scope of affairs.

"If you are worried about human rights, you should pay attention to the many people in this region who are losing their lives because of terrorist acts.... If you are worried about security, the roots of insecurity lie in economic and cultural poverty. The security of many countries is at stake today. One cannot ignore one country and take another's side.... If Europe is looking for a solution to the refugee crisis, development and stability and security are needed. Improving life standards is needed in order to fight terrorism effectively. A regional center for production is needed where big international companies can come to and serve both that country's market as well as the regional market. If you know of any better place than Iran for that, show it to us.... We want development for the entire region," Majedi said.

"I thank Germany for its brilliant cooperation in the past. Germany has almost always been our first or second economic partner. I hope there is not a solely economic view in taking such measures as this, but rather a developmental outlook underlies them," he added.

But things did not happen only during the forum. A day before the event, there already existed in Iran speculations about a relation between Israel and the German delegation's trip to Iran.

The Iranian state-run TV in a news program on Monday raised the question if the reason why Sigmar Gabriel, the minister for economic affairs and energy as well as vice chancellor of Germany, cancelled his trip to Iran due to "Zionist lobbyism" rather than illness.

Initially, the German economic delegation had been scheduled to be headed to Iran by Gabriel, but later it was announced that he had a health issue and could not accompany the team.

Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, the Iranian ambassador expressed great surprise over Beckmeyer's statements, saying the German official had better raised the issue during a private meeting in the afternoon.

Mehdi Sepahvand is Trend Agency's Tehran-based journalist. Follow him on Twitter @mehdisepahvand
Chris Gibson

In this March 23, 2012 photo, Rep. Chris Gibson, R-N.Y., talks with reporters at an event in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. New congressional lines in New York will cut into some incumbentsi advantages as they seek re-election this year. Under the reconfigured districts imposed by a panel of federal judges this week, Congress members trying to keep their jobs will have to campaign in some new neighborhoods and a number of them will see their partisan enrollment edge trimmed a bit. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

(Mike Groll)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson said Monday he will not run for governor of New York in 2018 and he won't seek re-election to Congress later this year.

The three-term congressman from Kinderhook said he has accepted a college teaching position and wants to spend more time with his family.

Gibson, who represents New York's 19th congressional district, had announced Feb. 8 that he had created a campaign committee to explore a potential run for governor. He was considered one of several Republicans who might challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo or other Democrats in a gubernatorial race.

"Mary Jo and I have three teenagers who are in their last years at home. In addition, I was just offered and accepted a position with Williams College as a visiting lecturer on leadership beginning in February 2017, and anticipate accepting other academic positions shortly," Gibson wrote in his announcement. "Ultimately, for our family, the opportunity to spend increased time together balanced with a return to academia was one we could not pass up."

"At the conclusion of my term in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will be leaving politics and starting this new direction with my family," he said.

Gibson said he will close his exploratory committee and refund contributions it received.

In such a blue state as New York, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 2 to 1, any Republican has to be considered a long shot to be elected governor, especially if they're running against an incumbent Democratic governor.

New York has not elected a Republican governor since George Pataki, in 2002. In 2014, Cuomo received 54 percent of the vote to Republican Rob Astorino's 40 percent. In 2010, Cuomo received 63 percent of the vote to Republican Carl Paladino's 33 percent.

Contact Mike McAndrew anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-3016
Ash Carter

In this April 28, 2016 file photo, Defense Secretary Ash Carter testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington.

(Evan Vucci | AP)

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that an American serviceman has been killed near Irbil in Iraq.

"It is a combat death," Carter said at the outset of a news in Stuttgart, Germany where he has been consulting with European allies this week.

The defense secretary provided no other details, other than to tell reporters that the serviceman lost his life "in the neighborhood of Irbil."

"A Coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire," the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. "Further information will be released as appropriate."

The CENTCOM statement noted it is the policy of the military "to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."

A U.S. military official said the American was killed while performing his duty as an adviser to Kurdish Peshmerga troops. He was killed by "direct fire" after Islamic State forces penetrated the Peshmerga's forward line. The American was three to two to three miles behind that front line, the official said

Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad last week to exhort leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat the Islamic State group.

Carter, likewise, visited Baghdad recently. The Obama administration has been pressing the effort against IS, which has been slowed down in its quest to overrun Iraq.

Carter presided earlier at a ceremony installing a new commander of U.S. European Command, Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti.
A Starbucks customer from Chicago has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the coffee chain, accusing it of using too much ice in its cold drinks, CNN reported.

The suit, filed by Stacy Pincus, claims that while Starbucks (SBUX) advertises its cold drinks by fluid ounce, the numbers are only accurate when ice is added to a drink.

"Starbucks is advertising the size of its Cold Drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive when they purchase a Cold Drink -- and deceiving its customers in the process," the suit says.

A Venti cold drink, for example, is advertised as having 24 fluid ounces, but only includes 14 ounces of the actual liquid, the lawsuit claims. The rest is ice.



Jamie Riley, a spokesperson for Starbucks, said the company is aware of Pincus' claim and believes it is without merit.

"Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it," she said.

The suit lists says claims could exceed $5 million.

The action recalls an infamous lawsuit filed by a McDonald's (MCD) customer who was burned by hot coffee purchased at a drive thru in 1992. The suit, which was successful, argued the coffee was unreasonably hot.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

As many as 324 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist group have been eliminated in Turkey during the operations against this terrorist organization since March of 2016, the General Staff of Turkish Armed Forces said May 3.

Throughout this period, 54 employees of the security agencies were killed in Turkey during the anti-PKK operations.

Earlier, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that over 5,359 PKK members have been eliminated as a result of the operations against this terrorist group since July of 2015. The president added that 355 Turkish servicemen were killed during these operations, which will continue until the complete destruction of the PKK.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for over 25 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The UN and the European Union listed the PKK as a terrorist organization.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Representatives for developer Konover South will discuss plans with Indian River County planners at a pre-application conference at 1:30 p.m. Monday for the proposed "Vero Beach Landings" which includes an Aldi store. (FILE PHOTO)

By Kelly Tyko of TCPalm

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY  It's one of the most common questions I'm asked: When is Indian River County getting an Aldi?

It's a little early to start making a shopping list but preliminary plans for a new plaza on State Road 60, which include a 18,539-square-foot Aldi grocery store, have been filed with the county.

The proposed "Vero Beach Landings" is on a 9.5-acre lot between the Applebee's and Sonny's BBQ . The plans also include an unnamed 3,500-square-foot fast food restaurant, a 1,200-square-foot convenience store with 16 gas pumps and 42,000 square feet of other retail space.

Representatives for developer Konover South will discuss the plans with Indian River County planners at 1:30 p.m. Monday at a pre-application conference. The meeting is open to the public and will be at the County Administration Building, 1801 27th St. in Vero Beach.

One of the world's largest grocery chains, Aldi is a no-frills discount grocer owned by the Albrecht family, of Germany.

Aldi stores primarily carry items most commonly purchased at grocery stores and more than 1,300 products are its store brands. The company said it keeps prices low by using a warehouse layout and minimal staffing.

There are two Treasure Coast stores open  770 S.W. St. Lucie West Blvd. in Port St. Lucie and 4300 N.W. U.S. 1 in Jensen Beach.

Construction is underway on a Stuart store, expected to open in late summer and a second Port St. Lucie location is slated to open by the end of the year, said Chris Hewitt, Aldis Royal Palm Beach Division vice president in an email.

Aldi officials have said they want to open stores in Indian River County, too.

In 2014, the German grocer had pursued another location on the south side of State Road 60, between 58th and 66th avenues but plans weren't submitted after the pre-application meeting. A pre-application is the first of many steps in the approval process.

"We still continue to look up there on a regular basis," Jeff Williams, Aldi's director of real estate for South Florida, told me in December when the Jensen Beach store opened. "We have pretty aggressive plans in Florida and Vero Beach will be a part of that."

Because Aldi officials already are working with Konover South on the Stuart store, there's reason to believe formal plans may materialize this time.

Vero Beach resident Julie Clark hopes it happens. When she visits friends in Rockledge, she said she brings a cooler so she can stock up at the Brevard Aldi.

"They have good prices and their generic items are really good," Clark said. "I'm really picky about what I eat and they have foods that are very comparable to high-end name-brand products."

Aldi's low prices have turned me into a regular shopper. For instance, Wednesday through May 10, eggs are 69 cents for a dozen and a two-pound bag of red onions is 99 cents.

Hopefully, Indian River residents soon will get to enjoy the savings without making a long drive.
Bonefish Grill's Wild Orchid Martini is a seasonal cocktail with a tropical flavor. (CONTRIBUTED PROVIDED)

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By Lauren Espitia

My career as a waitress was short lived. It was 1999 and I was pounding the pavement in New York City pursuing Broadway dreams like so many other young actresses.

I realized quickly waiting tables wasn't easy. It's a fast-paced job that puts you at the mercy of other's mistakes. Being naturally clumsy and new to the restaurant industry, I made plenty of my own blunders and I certainly didn't want to be responsible for anyone else's.

There is an art to being a great restaurant employee and the staff at Bonefish Grill in Stuart seems to have the formula down pat. My husband and I visited for a date night recently to check out recent renovations and new menu items.

We were greeted at the door with the opportunity to sample some wine, which is a nice touch for those waiting outside for a table. Inside, the transformation isn't dramatic, but it gives the 10-year-old restaurant a more contemporary face-lift that feels fresh and comfortably elegant. A stunning piece of sculptural undersea art made of steel tiles that seem to move like scales in the light is the new focal point of the dining room.

Our waiter, Spencer, was everything a great server should be: helpful, friendly, prompt and knowledgeable. He asked about our drink preferences, and based on those he recommended one of their new seasonal cocktails, the Wild Orchid Martini. It was sweet and delicious, with a tropical coconut flavor. I was impressed with the wine list and later, he recommended a Corsican white wine by Orin Swift that was a perfectly delicious match for fresh seafood. This guy knows his stuff and delivers a fine dining experience in a casual way.

We ordered several plates to share so we could sample some of the new seasonal menu items. Standouts were the lobster-stuffed shrimp on a bed of creamed spinach and the Kate's wild North Atlantic haddock, a mild fish crusted with garlic bread crumbs and topped with a lemon butter sauce, artichokes and feta. My husband, who is not usually a fan of salmon, loved the smoky maple flavor of the Norwegian cold water salmon with a Jim Beam bacon butter.

Owner Alan Armstrong told me the renovations and new menu items are an opportunity to revive the experience that Bonefish patrons expect, without sacrificing the quality they are used to. "Our new specials represent a return to the best fresh, seasonal seafood. That is what people come to us for."

The food is certainly the focus, but the warm atmosphere, innovative cocktails and impeccable service make the whole experience enjoyable. Reservations are always a good idea and can be made by visitingbonefishgrill.com/locations/fl/stuart or calling 772-288-4388.

Lauren Espitia writes about things to do in Martin County for #TCPalmSocial. Contact her at laurenespitia74@gmail.com or follow @LaurenEspitia on Twitter.
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THIS WEEK

MONDAY

No meetings scheduled.

TUESDAY

St. Lucie County Inmate Medial Task Force: 1:30 p.m. May 3. SLC Administration Complex, 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce.

St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting: 6 p.m. May 3. SLC Administration Complex, 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce.Comcast channel 28; U-Verse channel 99; www.stlucieco.gov/slctv.

WEDNESDAY

Early Learning Coalition Board Meeting: 8:30 a.m. May 4. Early Learning Coalition Office, 4472 Okeechobee Road, Fort Pierce.

St. Lucie County Code Compliance Regular Meeting: 9 a.m. May 4. SLC Administration Complex, 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce. Comcast channel 28; U-Verse channel 99; www.stlucieco.gov/slctv.

The Florida Department of Transportation: Project personnel will be on hand to discuss the project. 4:30-6:30 p.m. May 4. Lakewood Park Branch Library, 7605 Santa Barbara Drive, Fort Pierce. 772-359-5118; kdempsey@corradino.com.

THURSDAY

No meetings scheduled.

FRIDAY

Roundtable of St. Lucie County Meeting: 8:30 a.m. May 6. Board Room, Children's Services Council, 546 N.W. University Blvd., Port St. Lucie.
Indian River County schools are behind in student discipline, elementary reading proficiency and fifth-grade English, according to Superintendent Mark Rendell.



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By Andrew Atterbury of TCPalm

Indian River County  Indian River County schools are behind in student discipline, elementary reading proficiency and fifth-grade English, according to Superintendent Mark Rendell.

While receiving an "A" grade from the Department of Education was great for the district, these areas, among others, must be addressed, Rendell said at a "State of the District" address Monday night in Vero Beach.

"We have the opportunity and the right to celebrate a lot of successes, but we also have some opportunities for improvement," Rendell said.

School officials created a "report card" to delve deeper into the district's performance last year gauging data on attendance, discipline and morale as either meeting, exceeding or falling below standards, Rendell said.

Student discipline, measured by the percent of students who are suspended from school for at least one day, did not meet expectations, Rendell said.

Rendell reported 10.2 percent of students were suspended last year  more than double the max of 5 percent school officials say would meet standards.

The rate has improved to 8.2 percent so far this year, Rendell said. Better, he said, but still not where the district should be.

The district is lagging in its "Moonshot Moment" goal of having 90 percent of third-graders reading at grade level by 2018, Rendell said.

Rendell said 56 percent of third graders were reading proficient last year, and the rate needed to be near 64 percent to meet standards. Next year, the target goal increases to 73 percent and the district risks falling further behind, he said.

Additionally, the district is behind on fifth-grade English proficiency, Rendell said. Only 49 percent of fifth-graders passed the Florida Standards Assessment English test last year, while standards call to meet the state average  52 percent in 2015, he said.

Low proficiency marks in turn lead to lower graduation rates, Rendell said. The district scored favorably on 8th and 10th grade English proficiency, student learning gains and attendance, but must increase proficiency for younger students, he said.

"We're an "A" district, but not all our schools are A's  or B's even," Rendell said. "We want to be able to flip the switch from being a high performing school district to being a school district of high performing schools."

The report card illustrates what must change to get that done, he said.
Al Carter, Deputy Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs, addresses the audience on April 8, 2015, inside the Tradition Town Hall in Port St. Lucie about the history and overview of the site-selection process for the Ardie R. Copas State Veterans' Nursing Home during a preliminary design meeting. Architects from RLF, of Orlando, were explaining the proposed layout of the soon-to-be-built facility while showing renderings.(FILE PHOTO)

SHARE Al Carter, Deputy Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs, addresses the audience on April 8, 2015, inside the Tradition Town Hall in Port St. Lucie about the history and overview of the site-selection process for the Ardie R. Copas State Veterans' Nursing Home during a preliminary design meeting. Architects from RLF, of Orlando, were explaining the proposed layout of the soon-to-be-built facility while showing renderings.(FILE PHOTO) Related Coverage More veterans nursing homes could be in jeopardy

By Nicole Rodriguez of TCPalm

ST. LUCIE COUNTY  The much-anticipated veterans nursing home is in jeopardy.

A strict interpretation of the federal guidelines could spell doom for the 120-bed Ardie R. Copas State Veterans' Nursing Home in Tradition.

State officials say the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is holding them to a more-expensive set of design standards, which differs from a traditional nursing home. It could cost an additional $20 million, according to officials.

Requiring more staffing and more air-conditioning units, for example, would result in higher annual operating costs. .

The total cost of the facility has skyrocketed from approximately $39 million to $58.9 million, leaving its future up in the air, county officials said.

"I don't know that anybody's gotten any guarantees that it will be built here," St. Lucie County Veterans Services Manager Wayne Teegardin said Monday. "There's nothing in writing."

Construction of the facility  on the south side of Southwest Tradition Parkway, across from the Brennity at Tradition retirement community  was to begin in January and be completed by 2018. The funding snafu could delay the project by a year, delay it indefinitely or kill it altogether, Teegardin said.

Another city or state with more funding or a greater need could simply swoop in and take the federal funding, he said.

The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs believed the new standards  released the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shortly after 2011, when it applied for grants for the St. Lucie County nursing home  were just guidelines, not requirements, Teegardin said.

The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs has withdrawn its original grant application and reapplied, reflecting the higher cost, Communications & External Affairs Director Steve Murray said Monday.

The state should know by November whether it will receive federal funding. The state originally pledged to pay for 35 percent of the project. But any increase in state spending needs the OK of the Legislature in the next session next spring, Murray said.

A $20 million overall cost increase could cost Florida another $7 million.

"The ball's in the (U.S.) VA's court right now," Murray said.

Signs of trouble appeared shortly before March. Mike Prendergast, former executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs, on March 3 wrote to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald voicing concerns over the rising costs.

"The (Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs) ... has attempted to meet the ... requirements," Prendergast wrote. "However, our analysis has revealed that the ... standards pose significant human-resource, financial and fiscal challenges for states that have previously submitted grants for nursing homes."

Representatives of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs could not comment Monday.
A pedestrian was seen walking while texting near the federal health ministry in Berlin, Germany. (Photo : Getty Images/ Adam Berry)

Pedestrians in Augsburg, Germany, were so obsessed with their smartphones that the government decided to fix traffic lights on the ground. The move was made to help pedestrians observe traffic flow without the need to look up from their smartphone.



The traffic lights embedded in the concrete ground are designed to help pedestrians and cyclists, BGR reported. The lights were installed near tram stops that flash red when a cable car is coming. However, some Germans believed that the project was a ridiculous idea, and was just a waste of the taxpayers' money. The Augsburg traffic lights followed the release of the New Jersey measure that bans people who are texting while walking.



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"It creates a whole new level of attention," city spokeswoman Stephanie Lermen told the German news station N-TV. She added that extra lamps were fixed on two transitions to protect university students, commuters, and young people.



The traffic lights on the ground was reportedly pushed by the Augsburg government following the death of a 15-year-old pedestrian. Meanwhile, based on a study conducted in Berlin and other European countries, 20 percent of pedestrians were distracted by their smartphones.



The study also revealed that 22 percent of killed pedestrians in the European Union were young people checking their social media accounts. In Germany, the proportion of people, who were killed in traffic accidents within towns and cities is 70 percent.



Augsburg was not the first metro to introduce a safe measure for pedestrians. Utah Valley University, Antwerp in Belgium, and Chongqing City initially designated a painted sidewalk for smartphone users. Hawaii launched a bill that fines $250 for people crossing the street with an electronic device. London, England's capital introduced padded lamp posts for pedestrians.



The Augsburg traffic lights on the ground is just a trial. The city council is still weighing, whether it will help or even eliminate pedestrian accidents. The trial also depends on the Germans' acceptance of the pilot project, despite criticisms from some groups. If accepted by the general public, the traffic lights on the ground will be installed across the country.



Watch the video below about Augsburg traffic lights installed on the ground:






Aerial of the Vero Beach Municipal Power Plant (bottom) and water treatment plant at 17th Street and Indian River Boulevard. (FILE PHOTO)

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By Colleen Wixon of TCPalm

VERO BEACH  The city will reopen talks with the Florida Municipal Power Agency over a potential sale of its electric system to Florida Power & Light Co.

The City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to the recommendation of County Attorney Dylan Reingold, who had discussed the move with FMPA representatives during this year's legislative session.

Reingold said FMPA officials seemed willing to help facilitate the sale.

The council authorized its electric counsel, Robert "Schef" Wright, to contact FMPA, a municipal utility co-op, to arrange a meeting. Invitations would be extended to representatives of Indian River Shores, Orlando Utilities Commission and county representatives, and would be subject to a confidentiality agreement.

But the meeting could be fruitless.

City Manager Jim O'Connor said FMPA always has been open to the city selling its electric system, if Vero Beach had a qualified buyer such as the Orlando Utilities or other municipal-owned utility. However, Florida Power & Light Co., which has indicated it wants to buy the system, is investor-owned.

Councilwoman Pilar Turner said Vero Beach had an opportunity to resume talks of a full sale.

"This is opening the door," she said. "This is a big step."

FMPA general manager and chief executive officer Nicholas Guarriello said Monday in a letter to O'Connor that the organization was willing to meet with city and other officials about a sale of the Vero Beach utility, but attached a list of requirements the city must meet before a sale could be approved. Among them is the city paying withdrawal costs and finding another public utility to assume its contractual obligations with FMPA projects.

"If the city of Vero Beach desires to sell its electric utility, FMPA will do everything it can to facilitate that transaction within the bounds of the law and existing contracts," Guarriello wrote.

Vero Beach purchases most of its power from Orlando Utilities Commission, which had agreed to assume Vero's FMPA shares. The deal  which would have cost the city more than $50 million and required FPL to spend about $30 million to cover the power Orlando Utilities would take from the city  was fraught with legal issues over debt and contract terms. Orlando Utilities eventually backed out on the advice of its lawyers.

FPL has since offered Vero Beach $13 million for the portion of its system within Indian River Shores.

Mayor Jay Kramer questioned the timing of the decision to return to the table, especially after almost two years with little movement on a proposed sale. He wondered whether Vero should be joining in the talks with Indian River Shores and the county, both of which have pending litigation against the city over electric rates and service area boundaries. Vero Beach and Indian River Shores are scheduled for mediation next week.

"We seem to have this idea when we have a fork in the road, we take it," Kramer said. "Which direction are we going? Are we going with the partial sale or are we still going with the full sale? We've got our attorneys here, we're spending money, which direction are we going in? We've got lawsuits out there pending. You typically don't work with people who are suing you."

Discussing the issue with all parties opens the door to possibly circumvent the litigation, said Councilman Harry Howle.

How Vero Beach can leave FMPA

Pay $46.1 million: Vero Beachs estimated exit cost to leave the Florida Municipal Power Agency

Find a buyer: Vero Beach needs to find another public or municipal entity to buy its system and the citys shares in three FMPA projects  the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant and the Stanton I and II coal-generation plants in Orlando.

Address contingent liabilities: Vero Beach needs to find another entity to assume its legal liability to the three FMPA projects.

Source: Florida Municipal Power Agency
Images from a special Fort Pierce City Commission meeting called by Commissioner Reggie Sessions on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, at Fort Pierce City Hall. The meeting was held in light of the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Demarcus Semer by Fort Pierce police over the weekend. (XAVIER MASCARENAS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

By Nicholas Samuel of TCPalm

FORT PIERCE  The Florida State Conference of NAACP and the organization's St. Lucie County chapter is hosting a Town Hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. to discuss the police-involved fatal shooting of Demarcus Semer last week.

The meeting is at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 800 Avenue C, Fort Pierce.

The shooting, in which two officers fired their weapons, happened after police tried to stop Semer's vehicle on North 19th Street about 11:55 p.m. April 23, according to the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office was asked to investigate the shooting by Fort Pierce police.

Sheriff Ken Mascara has said that at some point, Semer, 21, attempted to flee in his car and in doing so, ran over one of the officers, injuring his leg, as a second officer was getting in Semer's car. The second officer couldn't exit the moving car. Semer was shot outside of his vehicle and died.

Tweets by @JournalistNickS

Tweets by @TCPalmWestbury

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U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio speaks to reporters Friday at the South Florida Water Management District headquarters in West Palm Beach. (ISADORA RANGEL/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

Marco Rubio was in West Palm Beach last week to talk water  and to pour a bucket of the cold stuff over environmentalists' hopes.

Rubio visited the headquarters of the South Florida Water Management District to learn about the status of water projects designed to mitigate the affect of the Lake Okeechobee discharges into the Indian River Lagoon and Caloosahatchee River. In a subsequent news conference he said there's no "silver bullet" solution.

But he dismissed one aspect of a broader solution that many believe is key: Purchasing sugar industry-owned land south of the lake so the water can again flow as Mother Nature intended.

Rubio, often disparaged as a wholly owned subsidiary of Big Sugar Inc., isn't a fan of this idea. It's "not realistic," he said. It would take a lot of time, and the money isn't available.

And besides, Rubio said, there's no willing seller.

Of course, once upon a time there was, as the state had an option to buy big chunks of sugar land at then-fair market prices. Then the industry lobbied against the purchase, and the water district and the Legislature backed away from using Amendment 1 money to fund it.

Shockingly, Rubio mentioned none of this.

What's tragic here is Rubio is in a unique position: Here's an outgoing Senator who benefitted immensely from sugar industry largesse, who in his legislative twilight could make a huge difference if he were to turn to that industry and say, "Look, there's a very legitimate case to acquire this land for water storage, why don't we think about a way we can make this work?"

In other words, the politician could be a statesman. I'm not saying bite the hand that feeds him, but rather taking that hand and gently tugging on it, trying to guide it in a more cooperative direction.

I guess that's not how politics works.

But in our rising populist era, with voters angrier and angrier at the entrenched, vested interests and the politicians who carry their water  maybe it should be.

Anyway, Rubio instead wants to focus on projects already it the pipeline, like repairing the Herbert Hoover Dike around the lake and the Central Everglades Planning Project, designed to send some Lake O water to the Everglades by building storage and treatment projects on land already in public hands and removing canals and levees north of Everglades National Park that impede the water's flow south.

Those projects obviously are important, but this has become the mantra for those who, for whatever reason, aren't interested in buying land: Finish what we've already started.

It's a pragmatic argument  Rubio is correct that these existing projects haven't even been fully funded, so how are we going to conjure up even more phantom funding for a land buy?

But you sometimes detect a bit of misdirection in this argument  or maybe it's just wishful thinking.

In March U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy  who is running for Rubio's Senate seat  co-sponsored a bill to expedite $800 million in emergency funding for repairs to the dike. In a news release, Murphy said, "By increasing the water storage capacity within the lake, we can reduce the need for these harmful discharges."

I called John Campbell, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the dam, and asked if repairs to the dike automatically mean the corps will authorize higher lake levels?

The answer  tell me you don't see this coming  was "no."

"The rehabilitation of the dike does not necessarily mean a return to higher lake levels," Campbell said.

The corps would have to discuss it with the public and with stakeholders. No discussions have been scheduled.

And the repairs, even once/if they are funded, will take years. Boosting lake levels  if the corps decides it was prudent  could take even longer.

So here we have an existing project touted as a "solution" that might not actually solve anything.

It should be noted that neither Murphy nor any other member of the region's legislative delegation have signed on to support a bill sponsored by Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Bonita Springs, to earmark $500 million for the U.S. Interior Department to purchase land south of Lake O. In fact, as of this writing, that bill has no co-sponsors at all.

So even Clawson himself is focusing on finding money for dike repairs. The land-buy bill has taken a back seat  where, I predict, it will remain.

The political will to buy land south of the lake, if it ever really existed, seems to be evaporating.

Given the political realities, maybe it was always destined to.
The Frank Zorc I knew  plaid jackets and all  never was going to end up on the cover of GQ Magazine. And I can't fathom the number of hours I spent editing his scores of potentially libelous and grammatically awkward  yet well-meaning  letters we published in this newspaper over four decades.

Frank, who died last week at age 84 while visiting a physician-son in Bethesda, Maryland, was one of a kind.

You could love him or, if you got on his wrong side, hate him.

Frank was the most mild-mannered bulldog I had ever seen. But if he got his teeth into you, he would hold on forever.

On the one hand, he would work diligently to build and sustain one love of his life, St. Francis Manor  a retirement home for low-income seniors. On the other, he would make a statewide name for himself by suing the city he loved, Vero Beach, for violating Florida's open-meetings law.

By the time I met Frank in the late 1980s, he was a successful Realtor and builder. Former customers sang his praises the other day on Facebook. Pat Callahan, former recreation director for Vero Beach and Indian River County, noted how Frank "put the plan to paper and action for the combining of vacant lots to create what is now Charles Park! He loved this community and worked to make it a better place."

When I met Frank, he was trying to stop local power broker Ralph Sexton and Vero Beach City Council from spending millions of local, state and federal tax dollars to pump offshore sand onto city beaches, largely owned by private property owners. Frank put together a coalition of environmentalists and launched a city charter amendment voters approved. It requires a city referendum to vote to spend money on sand pumping.

Much to Frank's chagrin  and like most issues, he never let anyone forget it  Sexton and others bypassed city taxpayers by getting Indian River County to spend tens of millions of dollars to renourish beaches. Frank thought anyone foolish enough to build close to the ocean should suffer the consequences of trying to cheat Mother Nature.

While Frank fought the city, he would buy flags for city workers to install on the 17th Street Bridge at holidays.

He was a generous man, as Linda Willmot Scott, explained on Facebook. Her mother taught all nine of the Zorc children at St. Helen School, she wrote. For years, Frank sent the teacher Christmas cards with a $99 check in each one.

In 1985, Frank leased two parcels for 30 years from the city south of the airport and built storage units and other commercial buildings. By 1994, though, Frank had problems refinancing his construction loan when bankers learned the land might have been contaminated by chemical spills from Piper Aircraft.

Frank tried to work through issues with the city in 1995. The City Council, though, met behind closed doors several times to discuss issues related to the property and Piper's bankruptcy. Frank claimed the council violated the Sunshine Law and pleaded for my help.

I wasn't so sure.

City fathers and their attorney defiantly laid out their case. Frank lost at trial. It wasn't until I checked with state First Amendment experts that I thought he had a great case. Frank and the experts hooked up for the appeal, and he won. The city appealed to the state Supreme Court, which refused to overturn the decision by the 4th District Court of Appeal, making important case law.

In fact, the city ended up spending $250,000 on legal fees on the case  theirs and Frank's.

About the same time, Frank was complaining about Mayor Bill Jordan receiving $32,500  in my opinion reasonable  from the city for land it needed to widen 10th Avenue. Jordan and his wife, Carole Jean (now the county's tax collector), sued Frank for libel and won $1.8 million in compensatory damages and $2.9 million in punitive damages.

The 4th District Court of Appeal overturned that case. Ultimately, the Jordans were directed to pay Frank his $80,000 in legal fees.

In 2000, Frank set his sights on elected office, as he did several times. Frank ran his most successful race, losing by a mere 80 votes out of about 16,500 to two-term County Commissioner Ken Macht.

In recent years Frank's mission was to get state or federal authorities make Piper pay for allegedly dumping toxic chemicals at the South Gifford Road Landfill in the 1970s. That effort might very well die with Frank's passing.

But his quixotic-like efforts have fooled me before.

Frank's work  I couldn't convince him to consistently use a computer  often was done face to face. He would pop into my office without an appointment, and I would meet him when I could.

Most of the time he would leave what we would call Zorc-O-Grams  copies of letters he would write us, the feds, lawyers, whomever  attached with backup. That backup often consisted of letters he had written or articles from the Press Journal, some dating back decades.

I always wondered what Frank's desk  the contents of which should go to historical preservationists  must have looked like. I found out from Vera Copeland the other day on Facebook: "About 25 years ago I applied for a job with him," she wrote, but did not get hired. "His desk was piled high with papers. I'll never forget what he said: 'Show me a clean desk and I'll show you a dead man!' "

Heaven, for Frank, must be a cluttered desk.

And Copeland's words are as good as mine.

"(We) need more people like him," she wrote. "(He was) not afraid to fight for what he believed in."

Frank defined the term "citizen watchdog" in Indian River County, often putting his money where his heart and mouth were.

In Remembrance

Visitation for Frank Zorc will be 2-4 p.m. Friday at Strunk Funeral Home, 917 17th St., Vero Beach, and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday at St. Helen Catholic Church, 2085 Tallahassee Ave., Vero Beach.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 6 p.m. Saturday at St. Helen.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama present the 2012 International Women of Courage Award to Jineth Bedoya Lima of Colombia, on the 101st Anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8, 2012, at the State Department in Washington. Lima, who is an investigative journalist, was kidnapped and gang raped as she arrived to interview a paramilitary member about an arms smuggling network. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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By Paul Janensch

It is dangerous to be a journalist in many parts of the world. Sometimes it is especially dangerous to be a female journalist.

The 2016 edition of "Attacks on the Press," released April 27 by the Committee to Protect Journalists, highlights the threats and attacks experienced by women as they gather or comment on the news.

Women, more than men, face the possibility of sexual violence.

Jineth Bedoya Lima of Colombia was abducted and gang raped 16 years ago by men to punish her for reporting on arms trafficking.

"I still don't know where I found the strength to return to the newsroom, to my notes and to my recorder," she writes in an essay that is part of the book.

"What I do see clearly is what motivated me. I understand now that my love for this profession and for my work as a reporter was greater than the pain of my body and my soul."

The idea for the 2016 report first occurred to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which is based in New York, about five years ago when CBS correspondent Lara Logan was sexually assaulted while covering Arab Spring protests in Egypt.

The focus was broadened to take in harassment and discrimination directed at female, gay and transgender journalists everywhere, including the U.S.

Michelle Ferrier describes the verbal assaults she suffered when she was a columnist for The Daytona Beach News-Journal who often wrote about her life as an African American.

In 2005 she started receiving a series of handwritten letters from an anonymous reader. "All you people do" is whine, the first letter stated.

The letters became more threatening. The police sent patrols past her home but did little more. She started carrying a gun.

In 2009, she left the newspaper, went into college teaching and helped develop TrollBusters, which combats trolling, or the posting of personal insults on Internet message boards.

The Committee to Protect Journalists previously reported that in 2015 a total of 72 journalists worldwide were killed in connection with their work.

Some of them perished in combat or crossfire. But two-thirds of them were deliberately murdered in reprisal for negative reporting or commentary. Most of that group died at the hands of Islamic militant groups, such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

Not surprisingly, Syria was the most dangerous place in the world for journalists. At least 14 were killed there.

France was the second most dangerous, with nine killed, which may be surprising. But you'll recall that eight people working for the satirical publication Charlie Hebdo were murdered in a raid by Islamic extremists.

Other killers included drug traffickers and local government officials tied to organized crime.

In Brazil, Gleydson Carvalho was shot dead by two men during his afternoon radio show, on which he often denounced local police and politicians for corruption.

Of the 72 journalists who were killed, about 10 percent were female.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 199 journalists were behind bars on Dec. 1, 2015. For the second year in a row, China ranked No. 1, holding 49 in prison.

The number of imprisoned journalists worldwide was down a bit from recent years, but up dramatically in Egypt (23) and Turkey (14).

The top 10 countries for locking up journalists are in this order: China, Egypt, Iran, Eritrea, Turkey, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Vietnam.

Most of the journalists were charged with anti-state activity.

For example, Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was held in an Iranian prison for 18 months on charges including espionage. He was released in January.

Of the 199 journalists in prison, about five percent were female.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says it's important to have women covering the news in oppressive societies, despite the risks. Often they can gain access to wives and daughters when male journalists are turned away.

Paul Janensch was a newspaper editor and taught journalism at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. His weekly "Treasure Coast Essay" can be heard on WQCS, 88.9 FM, and wqcs.org. Email: paul.janensch@quinnipiac.edu.
This question kicks off Akalas address at the Cambridge Union, a change to the usual type of event found in the programme of the annual Cambridge Literary Festival. Not since Freshers week, when debates and talks at the Union were free have I seen the Chamber so full. Even the presence of Rev Jesse Jackson Sr. for the 50th anniversary of the Baldwin vs Buckley debate couldnt garner so large a crowd. Admittedly though, this audience was not a student one, but instead contained people ranging in age from 6 to 76.

Before watching his address at the Oxford Union last year, I had never really paid attention to Akala. Growing up I wasnt a huge rap fan but loved a bit of Kanye, Dizzee, and Wretch. But after watching Akala take centre stage in the Chamber at the Oxford Union, I became fascinated by him. Over the course of 76 minutes, he put forward his case for a 'revolutionary, people-centred global teaching of history' by drawing attention to just how cherry-picked and white-washed what were taught in academic institutions really is. If you havent watched the address yet, I would strongly urge that you do.

The content of his Cambridge address however, was more fitting of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death. By focusing on language, Akala highlights just how hard it is to differentiate the lyrics of famous hip-hop songs from lines of Shakespearean plays. True to form, he also schools us on more than just Shakespeare, interspersing titbits of knowledge, like the fact that RZA worked on the Kill Bill soundtrack, and that Mali was home to the first university in the world, into his speech.

So how did he get so interested in Shakespeare? Two words. Baz. Luhrmann. Like many of us, he was enthralled by the Luhrmanns 1996 production of Romeo and Juliet and how a play that was centuries old could be set against the backdrop of 1990s Mexico City but still retain its authenticity. He was also shocked to find words like cometh and spew present in his favourite raps were rife in Shakespearean literature. Unlike most people though, it sparked a passion in him which, with the support of Sir Ian McKellen, saw the formation of The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company, a music theatre production company, in 2009. The Company travel all around the world putting on events, theatre productions and workshops with a twist on the 'traditional' presentation of Shakespeares works. The Company will be going on tour again at the end of the year to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death.

The Shakespearean element of Akalas address ended with a rap he made in 10 minutes when he featured on Radio 1Xtra. It features 27 of Shakespeare plays, from Hamlet to Titus Andronicus, all woven in so well that by the time the rap ends, Id only managed to count four or five at most.
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A Brazilian court on Tuesday overturned a different courts Monday order that blocked WhatsApp, the messaging site owned by Facebook, amid a criminal investigation into drug trafficking in the state of Sergipe.

The earlier judicial demand that WhatsApp provide data considered critical to the investigation came soon after a ramp-up in the level of encryption built into the app. Five major Internet service providers faced hefty fines of about US$142,000 daily if they failed to comply with the order.

The ban resulted in more than 100 million people temporarily losing access to the service.

This is not WhatsApps first brush with Brazilian law. Facebook Vice President Diego Dzodan earlier this year was jailed for a day after WhatsApp failed to comply with a data demand in connection with a prior drug case. WhatsApp said that it could not access messages sought by legal authorities as evidence in that case, and the executive was held briefly in contempt.

WhatsApp last month upgraded its internal security protocols to create full end-to-end encryption, which appears to be a growing trend among Silicon Valley firms to increase their security following a high-profile legal battle between Apple and the FBI. Apple fought government demands that it compromise the encryption built into an iPhone that was a key piece of evidence in the San Bernardino terrorist case.

Thankfully, WhatsApp is now back online, said WhatsApp CEO Jan Kourn after the ban was lifted on Tuesday.

The company was humbled by the support and patience of the Brazilian people, he added.

We have no intention of compromising peoples security and we hope those impacted by the decision join us in making their voices heard in support of an open and secure Internet, Kourn said. The last thing we want to see is WhatsApp blocked again.

Digital Rights Rollback

The decision to block WhatsApp was clumsy and disproportionate, said Katitza Rodriguez, international rights director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Its disturbing to see the court issuing a decision that tramples over users freedom to communicate securely and the role of the Internet as a place for free expression, she told the E-Commerce Times. Brazilian judges continue to reach for censorship and mandatory blocking to enforce local law on a global Internet.

The order surprised activists in Brazil, who considered the move out of step with the spirit of the law, noted Javier Pallero, policy analyst at Access Now.

We did not expect that the Marco Civil, a key piece of legislation for the Internet in Brazil, would be misinterpreted once more to apply a widespread block on an app, he told the E-Commerce Times. Such an extreme measure is not compliant with international freedom of expression standards, such as the American Convention on Human Rights.

A cybercrime report under discussion on Tuesday includes proposals to allow application blocking explicitly, said Pallero, which would increase the number of cases in Brazil.

The block may have impeded journalists ability to perform their jobs, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Journalists in Brazil regularly rely on WhatsApp in their reporting, said Geoffrey King, technology program coordinator at CPJ. Blocking access to such a widely used platform is an overreach that violates the open nature of the Internet and disproportionately damages the free flow of information.

Wider Cybercrackdown

Brazilian lawmakers on Tuesday held hearings to consider a series of laws that could lead to a severe crackdown on open technology and privacy, as part of Brazils Parliamentary Inquiry on Cybercrime.

Officials on Wednesday are expected to vote on seven pieces of legislation that would give police warrantless access to IP addresses, allow judges to block sites used for criminal purposes, and require monitoring of content on sites and apps deemed offensive, according to EFF.

The crackdown is expected to have wide support among conservative legislators. Dilma Rousseff, president of Brazil, who is facing possible impeachment amid a major corruption scandal, is considered too weak politically to halt the measures.
A federal magistrate in Los Angeles ordered the girlfriend of an alleged gang member to open her phone using her fingerprint so prosecutors could look at the data on it for a case they were working on, the Los Angeles Times reported last week.

Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan, 29, of Los Angeles pleaded no contest to identity theft earlier this year. Within 45 minutes after she was taken into custody, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg issued a warrant to force Bkhchadzhyan to press her finger to her iPhone to open it, according to the paper.

What authorities were looking for on the phone was unclear. It reportedly was seized at a residence connected to Sevak Mesrobian, who was identified as Bkhchadzhyans boyfriend and a member of the Armenian Power gang.

No Fifth Amendment Protection

Although the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects citizens from self-incrimination, that protection doesnt extend to opening mobile phones with a fingerprint, according to Paul Rosenzweig, aGeorge Washington University professorial lecturer in law.

None of your physical characteristics are subject to Fifth Amendment protection, he told TechNewsWorld.

You dont have a right to refuse to stand in a lineup, Rosenzweig said. You dont have a right to refuse an order to give your fingerprint to be compared to fingerprints at a crime scene.

The Fifth Amendment protects only things that are testimonial in nature.

There are requirements before the Fifth Amendment can apply, and one of those requirements is that whatever the government is trying to get you to do needs to be testimonial, it needs to convey something about whats going on in your mind, said Jennifer Lynch, a senior staff attorney with theElectronic Frontier Foundation.

Because the fingerprint in this case could be interpreted to be a physical act, the judge thought it was all right to issue the order, she told TechNewsWorld.

Passcodes Protected

However, many courts have found that the Fifth Amendment does protect a passcode or PIN  considered a less secure way to protect access to a phone.

About 85 to 90 percent of the court cases are going in favor of you not being required to give up your PIN, Rosenzweig said. Its an oddity that the law protects the less secure access methodology.

Many people negate that protection by writing down their passwords and PINs. They can force you to give them all pieces of paper on which your PIN is written down, he noted.

Its one of the reasons why I tell people, Dont write down your passwords,' Rosenzweig added.

Evolving Law

One potential outcome of decisions like the one in the Bkhchadzhyan case is that criminals, as well as others who want to protect their privacy, will avoid biometrics.

If Im a criminal and Im storing data my phone, Id stop using biometrics and go back to using a PIN because they can force me to put my fingerprint on my phone, but nobody can force me to tell them the password, said Vishal Gupta, CEO ofSeclore.

So the real effect of this incident is that people will stop using fingerprints and go back to using passwords, he told TechNewsWorld.

Consumers are being forced to choose between security and privacy, the EFFs Lynch said.

Its difficult to remember long passcodes, and a biometric stored on the phone can be a safe way to encrypt information on your phone, she noted.

However, the law in the area of the search and seizure of electronic devices is fluid, pointed out Darren Oved, a partner withOved & Oved.

The law is evolving, and because its becoming so prevalent, in the next 18 to 36 months well have a body of case law thatll be more refined, he told TechNewsWorld.

Of course, there are legislative options.

Nothing in the world prevents a legislature from protecting fingerprints in these cases, Rosenzweig said. Its perfectly appropriate for the Congress of the United States to say fingerprints are protected as if they were PINs on phones.
Naked Wedding (Photo : Facebook/Meziesblog)

Many girls dream of wearing a beautiful white gown for their wedding. In Zhejiang Province, 10 brides and their grooms got married on Sunday, April 24, but they were barely clothed.



The wearing of flowers instead of expensive clothes were the couples way of expressing their true love, reported China Daily. Their symbolic nakedness is a reflection of their pure love for each other not tainted by material greed such as homes and vehicles.



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But of course, on the sacred day, they did not intend to scandalize the community to send their message across, so the couples wore clothes with skin tone and some green items to cover their private parts. The inspiration behind the unique matrimonial ceremony was Naked Wedding, a hit TV series in China about a couple who married with no car, house or a lot of money.



Weddings cost a lot, just the price of a gown and the reception is enough to setback a couple starting their new life together. Rather than be stressed by the urgent need to buy a house, the couple discussed the possibility of holding their own naked wedding after the show aired in June.



In the 1980s, it cost families about 10,000 yuan to pay for a wedding. However, the cost has escalated to 30 times or 300,000 yuan for a grand wedding which aims to meet social expectations.



New families then started with just three things  a washing machine, TV set and refrigerator. Couples then lived with the husbands family, but today, buying a house has become the standard.



A similar naked wedding actually took place a year ago, also in Zhejiang Province at Hangzhou Paradise amusement park, reported The South China Morning Post. But instead of green decor, the couples then wore only flesh-colored underwear and body paint.






SpaceX last week announced plans to launch a mission for Mars in 2018, with help from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The Red Dragon, a variant of the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft, will make the unmanned journey. The Falcon Heavy 9 space launch vehicle will send it on its way.

The mission will gain data for NASA as part of its agreement with SpaceX.

Dragon 2 is designed to be able to land anywhere in the solar system. Red Dragon Mars mission is the first test flight.

 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 27, 2016

Lacking Creature Comforts

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is expected to disclose detailed plans for the Mars Colonial Transporter and associated architecture at the International Astronautical Conference, to be held this summer in Guadalupe, Mexico.

However, he disclosed some preliminary information last week.

Red Dragons will inform overall Mars architecture, Musk tweeted. But wouldnt recommend transporting astronauts beyond Earth-moon region. Wouldnt be fun for longer journeys. Internal volume ~ size of SUV.

The Red Dragons will use eight SuperDraco thrusters on each Dragon 2.

SpaceX recently tested Dragon the SuperDraco propulsive landing system at its McGregor, Texas, facility, Musk noted.

Falcon 9 Heavy

Tests for the Falcon 9 Heavy are next. The first launch of the Falcon Heavy is scheduled for later this year, SpaceX said.

The vehicles launch has been delayed repeatedly. It was initially slated for 2013. SpaceX rescheduled it for the end of 2015, but work on the rocket was deprioritized following the June explosion of a Falcon 9 carrying a Dragon cargo spacecraft, which occurred two minutes after blastoff.

The launch was moved to the April-May 2016 timeframe but then pushed back again. It now is scheduled for no earlier than November. The plan is to launch it from the Kennedy Space Centers Launch Complex 39A, where Apollo 11 was launched in July 1969.

It is possible for SpaceX to be ready to launch by 2018, because the Falcon 9 Heavy simply uses three Falcon first stages strapped together, and the Falcon 9 first stage is very reliable, said Mike Jude, program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

Ideally, they ought to do at least one launch to test the dynamics and total system, but they could literally use the Mars shot as the shakeout of the system, he told TechNewsWorld.

Where NASA Comes In

SpaceX will fund the mission, but NASA will offer some technical support, such as use of the Deep Space Network for communications.

Theres an existing no-funds-exchanged collaboration between the two.

This collaboration could provide valuable entry, descent and landing data to NASA for our journey to Mars, while providing support to American industry, NASA spokesperson Tabatha Thompson told TechNewsWorld.

NASA plans to send humans to Mars in the 2030s.

NASA is probably acing itself out of the manned space business, observed Frosts Jude.

As the private companies develop really impressive manned space capabilities, its still trying to design an Apollo capsule knockoff, he pointed out. By the time they get it flying, Musks private astronauts will be collecting rocks on the surface of Mars.

SpaceX Challenges

The Red Dragon can land on Mars, but it cant lift off again because the delta v requirements are substantial, Jude explained. There needs to be a Mars ascent vehicle.

Manned missions to Mars will require living space and supplies, so the implication is that there will need to be some sort of transfer spaceship that stays in orbit when it gets to Mars, he observed.

Radiation is likely to be a problem, and lightweight radiation shielding will need to be developed, Jude said. There are also other, less critical problems to solve, but in most cases the basic science is known, so solutions can be developed.
Vodafone India offers national roaming pack for its customers in Delhi NCR planning a trip across the country during this holiday season. Our latest roaming offer is designed keeping in mind customer requirements and feedback, with pack rates as low as Rs.32 for Pre-paid with free incoming and local outgoing as low as 80p/min.

The offers take into account the travel requirements and mobile usage patterns of the customers and come with differential validity and talk time options. Vodafone Post-paid customers can choose from offers ranging from as low as Rs 35 to Rs 205 with different validity and talk time offers. Vodafone also offers an additional facility to extend validity of roaming pack, so customers can enjoy extended holidays without worrying about roaming.

Apoorva Mehrotra, Business Head  Delhi & NCR, Vodafone India said, Using mobile phones is a way of life today and these offers are designed keeping in mind customer responses to ensure that they do not need to think twice while using their phone while traveling out of town. We see up to 50 % percent of them travelling out of Delhi NCR to visit hometowns and/or holiday destinations. We are confident that these new offers will provide immense benefits to our customers and ensure that they continue to enjoy the Vodafone SuperNet experience during this holiday season.

These specially designed roaming packs take into account the travel requirements and mobile usage patterns of customers and offer them a choice to select validity and talk time options that best meet their requirement. With Delhi & NCR being key economic and educational hubs, a significant percentage of Delhi citizens hailing from different parts of the country travel back home during this time.

@ Technuter.com News Service
Messaging service WhatsApp has been banned in Brazil for the second time in six months. Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao's order to ban the app for 72 hours started midday yesterday and applies to the five main wireless operators in the country. Any companies failing to comply with the decision will be fined 500,000 reais, or $143,000.

The ruling comes after WhatsApp was told to hand over chat records related to an organized crime and drug trafficking investigation case in the court in Lagarto, Sergipe. The Facebook-owned company says that as the messages are encrypted, it cannot do what the judge is asking.

WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum gave this statement on Facebook:

Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have. Not only do we encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep people's information safe and secure, we also don't keep your chat history on our servers. When you send an end-to-end encrypted message, no one else can read it - not even us. While we are working to get WhatsApp back up and running as soon as possible, we have no intention of compromising the security of our billion users around the world.

The judge is the same one who ordered the arrest of Facebook's regional vice president, Diego Dzodan, in March after the social network failed to provide data related to the case. Dzodan was released after one night by a higher court judge, who called his detention "unlawful coercion."

In a separate case, WhatsApp was banned in Brazil for 48 hours last December for failing to comply with a court order. The decision was overturned by an appeals court after being in effect for only 12 hours.

"After cooperating to the full extent of our ability with the local courts, we are disappointed a judge in Sergipe decided yet again to order the block of WhatsApp in Brazil," a WhatsApp spokesperson told TechCrunch. "This decision punishes more than 100 million Brazilians who rely on our service to communicate, run their businesses, and more, in order to force us to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have."

Many worry that Brazil's Congress is attempting to pass bills aimed at weakening online rights and privacy. It is considering proposals that would make the posting of certain social media content illegal, and allow the government to spy on the country's internet users.
From the moment he appeared on screen, it was established that Ben Affleck's Batman was no newbie to crime fighting. Although Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice did little to showcase the Dark Knight's previous encounters with the biggest and baddest of Gotham City, it was clear that he was already a veteran by the time he came face to face with the son of Krypton and Doomsday.

With the announcement that Affleck himself will star in and possibly also direct a new standalone Batman movie, the buzz is that some of the most iconic villains in DC history will be included in the roster.

According to Birth.Movies.Death., Affleck and producer Geoff Johns want to fill the new movie with as many villains as possible.

They want to tell the ultimate Batman story, and to do so they're going to bring in all the big guns, the report says.

Although no official list of villains has been presented yet, here's a rundown of some of the best villains ever to duel with the Bats who could potentially appear in the new film about the Caped Crusader.

The Joker

We simply cannot talk about Batman villains without giving a nod to his ultimate nemesis: The Joker. And with Jared Leto already making headlines for the extreme length of method acting and pranks he played on his Suicide Squad cast mates to get into character, many are hoping that he'll make enough of a mark on the character to warrant an appearance in another film.

Catwoman

Chris Nolan had his Dark Knight run away and live happily ever after with Anne Hathaway, aka Selena Kyle. Fans had mixed feelings about this outcome, but perhaps Affleck could rectify the situation and give fans back the tension-filled relationship between Batman and Catwoman.

The Riddler and Penguin

If Affleck and Johns decide to go by route of 1966's Batman: The Movie, perhaps all four of the aforementioned villains could team up once again on the big screen to take down the defender of Gotham.

The Suicide Squad

We already know that Affleck's Batman makes a cameo appearance in the upcoming anti-hero film. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see many of the DC universe's best villains also pay a visit on the set of the new Batman movie as well.

Anarky

Anarky has never been portrayed on the big screen yet. But he may just be the fresh face needed to inject into the cinematic world of DC to set apart Affleck's Batman. Similar to Affleck's portrayal of Batman, Anarky wants to purge Gotham of corruption and will go to any lengths to achieve it. Unlike Bruce Wayne's noble motivations to create his alter ego though, Anarky's self-importance is his downfall.

Clayface

This shape-shifting brute has been a mainstay antagonist in Batman comics since the 1940s. Before he went bad, he was one of the Gotham Police's most respected officers and was even Bruce Wayne's best friend. But just like Harley Quinn, he has The Joker to thank for torturing him and exposing him to the Putty that melted off his skin, turning him into Clayface.

Poison Ivy

Wonder Woman undoubtedly stole the show in Dawn of Justice. And Harley Quinn is ruling all the trailers of Suicide Squad thus far. It would probably be in DC's best interests to lay out another one of its best female characters out for a new movie.

Dr. Pamela Isley was a botanist who turned into the eco-terrorist, femme fatale, Poison Ivy. She was a worthy adversary for Batman from the beginning; however, her storyline involving Harley Quinn, steaming up the comic book pages, is what fans are clamoring to see heat up the big screen as well.

Azrael

Jean-Paul Valley took it upon himself to continue Batman's work even when he was out of commission after getting defeated by Bane. But even though the new Batman is arguably the most brutal on-screen Batman we've seen yet, Azrael's psychotic tendencies to kill and eliminate villains without remorse still makes him one that the real Batman must put away.

Dr. Fortune and Aliens

In 1998, a crossover comic between Batman and Aliens was created where Batman drops into the middle of the jungles of Guatemala and comes into contact with the famous face-huggers. In a sequel to the book published in 2003, an army scientist named Dr. Fortune comes across hidden alien specimens and uses them along with DNA taken from inmates at Arkham Asylum to create xenomorph super villains to keep superheroes in check.

This would certainly take the new Batman's trust level for aliens on Earth way back down after making so much progress with Superman in Dawn of Justice.

The Heretic and Damian Wayne

Bruce Wayne's son by Talia al Ghul. Damian has both the blood of Batman and Ra's al Ghul (his grandfather) in his veins. As a young child, he was raised and trained by the League of Assassins, but also fought side by side with his father as the fifth Robin. In the comic books he was killed by an adult clone of himself, The Heretic  which could make for very interesting father-son dynamics in a standalone Batman film.

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Warning: not all first finger food products are great for little ones. In fact, some of them can be dangerous, failing safety standards.

Usually, babies are considered ready for solid food once they can already sit up straight without the need for back support, started teething and began putting objects in their mouth.

First finger food specifically designed for babies should not only meet the needed nutrition, but they should also be safe to eat. It should be soft and dissolve easily in the mouth and should be small enough to prevent choking.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has conducted tests on nine of these finger food products and the results reveal something disturbing. Not all of them passed the safety tests.

The team performed two related tests involving blinded researchers. In the first experiment, 11 people consumed the same food given at random: twice when the food was fresh and twice after it was left alone for about an hour. In the second round, the same procedure was done, except double the number of participants.

In both of these tests, the participants were instructed to consume the food without using their teeth, which meant the food should be allowed to dissolve in their mouths. The time it took for the food to become soft enough to be swallowed was also recorded.

The results of both tests, which will be presented during the annual meeting of pediatricians on May 2 in Baltimore, Maryland, showed that of all the nine finger food products tested, only two met the criteria for safety.

Further, four of the nine products increased the risk of choking because the food were not small enough to be bite-size for a baby. While two took a while to be dissolved after they were left to stand for some time.

This also shows that the products tested varies even if they were all marketed as fit for babies deemed ready for solid food.

"Products marketed as first finger foods vary across texture, ease of swallowing and size," said Dr. Nicol Awadalla, study's lead investigator. "Parents need to be aware that changes in consistency can occur in food products that are left out of the packaging for extended periods of time, resulting in a possible choking hazard."

The researchers had yet to name these products during the meeting presentation, but they had already notified the companies about the test results.

Photo: Monik Markus | Flickr

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Finally, Alex Lowe and David Bridges' families can have closure. The two climbers' bodies have been found 16 years after a deadly avalanche claimed their lives on Tibet's Shishapangma.

According to a statement from the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation, the discovery was relayed to Conrad Anker, who was in the same avalanche as Lowe and Bridges, by David Goettler and Ueli Steck. On April 27, the two called Anker while they were getting ready to ascend Shishapangma's south face, telling him that they had come across two remains encased in blue ice that had been starting to emerge from the glacier.

After hearing the description of the packs and clothing of the climbers in ice, Anker was sure that the two were Lowe and Bridges.

On Oct. 5, 1999, Lowe and Bridges were hiking to check out a potential spot to ski on in Shishapangma, the world's 14th highest mountain. Along with Anker, they were looking to be the first Americans to ski on a peak nearly 5 miles high.

When the avalanche hit, Lowe and Bridges darted downhill and right while Anker ran to the left side of the mountain. Anker had a snapped rib and a gashed head, not to mention partially buried in snow, but he was alive. He looked for Lowe and Bridges with other skiers Mark Holbrook, Andrew McLean, Kristoffer Erickson and Hans Saari to no avail.

When Anker received the call about the discovery of the bodies, he was in Nepal with Jenni Lowe-Anker, Alex's widow. The two married in 2001, falling in love while they shared their grief over losing Lowe and Bridges. At the time, they were in Kathmandu overseeing the ongoing construction of a Khumbu Climbing Center, an Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation project offering technical training for indigenous mountain workers.

Lowe-Anker had previously said she's not looking forward to the day that Lowe's body will melt out of the glacier, but is thankful today for the closure brought by finding the two climbers.

"It is time to put Alex to rest," she said.

The couple will be heading back to Shishapangma with Lowe's children with Jenni during the summer monsoon and are likely to go to the nearest Tibetan town of Nyalam to hold a ceremony.

"The proper thing to do will be to take care of his body according to local practices," said Anker.

Like the last three, this spring had been particularly dry and warm, which is one possible reason why Lowe and Bridge's bodies melted out of the glacier so quickly. Lowe-Anker even thought that the event would not happen in her lifetime.

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A judge in a Los Angeles courtroom ordered a woman to use her fingerprint on an iPhone after authorities obtained a search warrant compelling her to unlock the smartphone.

The woman in question is identified as 29-year-old Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan, whose boyfriend is allegedly an Armenian gang member. The iPhone was seized from a house in Glendale and prosecutors wanted to gain access to the smartphone's data in connection to identity theft case.

FBI arrested Bkhchadzhyan on suspicion of identity theft, a charge that the woman pleaded no contest to and was eventually sentenced for on Feb. 25, the LA times reported.

Search Warrant

Based on jail records and court documents, a search warrant was issued 45 minutes after the woman has been taken into custody. Then an FBI agent made Bkhchadzhyan press her finger on the phone.

While it is true that the police searched the phone under a valid warrant, and that the person in custody can be compelled to provide their fingerprints even without prior permission from a judge, there are legal experts who say that providing a fingerprint in this context could be a form of self-incrimination.

"It isn't about fingerprints and the biometric readers," said Susan Brenner, a law professor at the University of Dayton. "The contents of that phone, much of which will be about her, and a lot of that could be incriminating."

The Glendale case is so far the first case of its kind, wherein a judge has ordered a charged suspect to unlock a device using fingerprint.

For the first time in a federal case, a LA judge ordered a woman to unlock her iPhone with her fingerprint. https://t.co/dUAS006xlF  Christopher Soghoian (@csoghoian) April 30, 2016

Right Against Self-Incrimination

Arguments on the case revolve around the notion on whether pressing one's finger on a device could be a violation of the Fifth Amendment, which protects defendants against self-incrimination.

Brenner added that once a person unlocked the phone, that also shows the person has control over it. She compared the act to going home and pulling out paper documents. In this case, opening the phone is then similar to producing a document.

Others argue that pressing one's finger on a handset is purely a physical activity and is very much different from making the person speak what they think, which is a probing process usually part of enforcing the law.

In short, a judge may not be able to force a person in custody to reveal his iPhone password if a person wants to exercise their right against self-incrimination. However, the situation may not be the same when it comes to using one's finger, which only creates a physical contact and is "beyond the control of the mind," if that's how they put it.

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You've had your iPhone 6 or 6S devices for quite some time now, and like some of us, you are only starting to master features like Touch ID and Live Photos. While some tricks seem obvious at this point for those who have long been loyal Apple customers, such as clicking the volume button to take a photo, chances are, there are plenty of other things your smartphone can do that you have no clue about.

With every OS update, we are all introduced to even more features that our iPhones are capable of doing, like going into Night Shift mode before we go to bed. This means there will continuously be something new to learn about your phone.

It seems like there are an endless amount of hacks that can be done on the iPhone to make using the phone even more easier, not to mention have you feeling like you are an Apple Genius. Here are the 13 iPhone hacks you probably had no idea existed, with a walkthrough on how to use them.

Master Note Taker

If you are anything like us, you use Notes to jot down everything, from that new song you just heard on the radio to download to your food shopping list and things to remember for work. iOS 9 brought with a major update to Notes that allows users to format, make checklists, bullet points and add attachments and sketches.

Start a new note (or open an existing one) and tap on the plus sign to bring up options for these new features. The check icon will allow you to start creating a to-do or shopping list, with the ability to mark items as done. The "Aa" icon brings up formatting like adding a title, writing the body or writing a numbered list. Obviously, the photo icon allows you to add or take a photo to be included in your Note, and finally, that squiggly icon allows you to create a sketch.

Search Like A Pro

This is one of the best hacks to use on your iPhone's keyboard because it makes typing so much faster when going to a website. You can add the last part of any website (the ".com," ".org," etc.) just by tapping on the period next to the space bar when in Safari. Typing the full site can be a pain, but this trick makes it a little less painful.

Group Notifications By Apps

You might be too busy at work to attend to every notification your iPhone alerts you about, leaving you with a long list of them by the end of the day. Some apps, like Facebook or Instagram, can hog up your notifications tab, as you just ignore them all and tap on the "x" until there is nothing left to see.

You can actually group like notifications together when they come from the same app. Do this by going to Settings > Notifications > Group by App, and toggle it on. Now, your notifications will all be organized.

Save Attachments

We all compose, send and read email on our devices, so learning how to master some basics is a must to increase productivity. This includes easily saving attachments when reading your mail. When in the Mail app, press and hold on the attachment to bring up options. You will see the ability to save the attachment with just one tap or even preview it by selecting "quick look" instead.

Charge Faster

You may or may not know this hack, but it's important for anyone who uses their iPhone all throughout the day to know. Your smartphone will charge significantly faster if you turn on airplane mode when charging. Swipe up and tap on the airplane icon to turn on this mode.

Swipe For Shortcuts

When you swipe up, you will also see various icons that allow you to turn the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and off, adjust the screen brightness and control your music. You will also notice icons all the way to the bottom, which is a great way to quickly access the flashlight, timer, Night Shift mode and calculator. Got to love shortcuts.

Customize Keyboard Shortcuts

Speaking of shortcuts, did you know that you can customize your keyboard to automatically bring up specific phrases when you are typing? If you type a shortcut like "OMW," your iPhone will expand into the word or phrase that you enter. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, and tap on the plus sign to add a new phrase and shortcut.

Create Your Own Light-Up Case

If you have a clear case on your iPhone, it will light up each time you get a notification using this trick. All you have to do it turn on the LED flash when you get a notification. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility, and toggle on "LED Flash for Alerts." Warning, though, this flash is super bright, so you might want to think twice if you are at the movies, class or work.

An In-depth Look At Your Calendar

You would forget every appointment, meeting, workout and important date if you didn't put them all in your calendar. However, you can see even more information when you open the app by just turning your iPhone sideways.

Automatically Turn Off Music Before Bed

If you enjoy listening to soothing music to help you fall asleep, or want to catch up on the latest episode of your favorite podcast before you drift off, you can actually use your phone's timer to automatically turn the media off. Open the timer (swipe up to quickly access the icon), set your timer, and tap on "When Time Ends." Scroll all the way down and tap on "Stop Playing." The music will then turn off after those 15 or however many minutes.

Teach Siri How To Speak

Siri can sometimes get pretty cheeky with you, depending on what you try to ask the digital assistant, but besides her distinct humor, she is usually spot-on when it comes to bringing up your answers and searches. However, sometimes, Siri can't pronounce certain words correctly. You can teach her how by telling her, "That's not how you pronounce" and whatever word she misspoke. Siri will then bring up options that you can play to make sure she is pronouncing the word right.

Shake Away The Mistakes

If you make a mistake, all you have to do is shake your iPhone. Seriously, this really is a hack. Say you made an error typing or when editing your selfie. Simply shake your phone side to side and a window will pop up asking if you want to undo the action.

Hide Your Private Photos

Our family members or coworkers may ask to see photos from a major life event, and when you open the Photos app, you suddenly feel really exposed. Avoid anyone else accidentally looking at your private photos by using this hack for iOS 9 to hide them. Open the Photos app, tap on "Select" and check the photos you want to remain on your device but away from strangers' eyes. Once you have them chosen, tap on the share icon and then tap on "hide" at the bottom. The photos will still appear in Albums, but will now be removed from Moments, Collections and Years.

Photo: Karlis Dambrans | Flickr

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Brazilian Judge Marcel Montalvao has ordered local mobile network carriers to block the Facebook-owned messaging app, WhatsApp, for 72 hours. Companies who will fail to comply will face a hefty fine of $143,000 for each day that they allow access to WhatsApp.

SindiTelebrasil, an association of mobile phone operations in Brazil, indicated that its member companies would comply with the order to block the messaging app. Phone operators within this group include: Nextel, Telefonica Brasil SA, Oi SA, Claro SA, and Tim Participacoes SA.

Local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo was the first one to break the news about WhatsApp being shut down in Brazil for the second time in less than six months. In December 2015, a Brazilian judge in a Sao Paolo court ruled to block WhatsApp for 48 hours after the company refused to turn over data involved in an ongoing criminal case.

This decision, however, was lifted by another judge a mere 12 hours later, after a backlash from WhatsApp's 100 million Brazilian users, as well as net neutrality activists. The judge suggested to levy a fine against WhatsApp as an alternative to a total shutdown which would punish millions of users.

In March, Judge Montalvao also took aim at Facebook's local affiliate offices by ordering the arrest of Facebook's Vice President in Latin America, Diego Dzodan. According to authorities, Dzodan's detention was due to his failure to comply with the court's order to release WhatsApp user data.

The Facebook executive, however, was released quickly after it was established that the Facebook offices operating in Brazil were merely sales offices that had no access or control over WhatsApp data.

Now, less than a month after WhatsApp announced end-to-end encryption for all users, Judge Montalvao has issued a second ban for the service claiming that Facebook has failed to cooperate in an ongoing sensitive investigation by refusing to turn over the user data.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg expressed his displeasure about the initial ruling of blocking WhatsApp in Brazil.

"I am stunned that our efforts to protect people's data would result in such an extreme decision by a single judge to punish every person in Brazil who uses WhatsApp," Zuckerberg said back in December, commenting on the first ruling.

Zuckerberg also reiterates that due to the end-to-end encryption of the service, Facebook has no means to provide the unencrypted communication data being sought by authorities.

"This decision punishes more than 100 million Brazilians who rely on our service to communicate [. . .] in order to force us to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have," Facebook says in a new statement, in response to the latest ruling.

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Google announced that it is acquiring Synergyse, a business technology startup based in Toronto which was launched in 2013 by a group of former Google employees.

What is Synergyse all about, and why did Google acquire it?

The startup offers businesses guided tutorials on how to utilize Google Apps, with Synergyse's services allowing companies to provide their employees with step-by-step guides. The tutorials cover a wide variety of tasks that can be carried out using Google Apps such as sending emails in Gmail and using Docs as a collaboration tool.

Synergyse updates its tutorials as Google releases new features, allowing businesses and their employees to remain current with what they are able to do through Google Apps.

Previously, Synergyse customers had to pay $10 per year for individuals and $10 per employee per year for businesses, but it was free for students. With Google's acquisition of the startup, the service is being made free for all Google Apps users.

"Given the enthusiasm that exists for Synergyse already, we want to extend this service to all of our customers," wrote Google Apps Operations Senior Director Peter Scocimara about the acquisition in a blog post on the official Google for Work blog.

Scocimara added that Google is planning to offer the service as part of Google Apps within the year. Current customers of Synergyse, however, will be able to continue accessing the service as the integration is developed. Users that would be interested in trying out Synergyse's offerings could also download a free extension for the Chrome browser.

Integrating Synergyse's tutorials into Google Apps should not be complicated as the startup built its offerings within Google's Cloud Platform.

According to Google, the customers of Synergyse utilize Google Apps 35 percent more compared to users that have not undergone the training that the startup offers. By integrating the startup's tutorials directly into Google Apps, Google is looking to increase the adoption of its software, entrenching users into the apps as opposed to having them use and switch to competing services such as Microsoft's Office 365.

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Japanese President Shinzo Abe meeting with President Xi Jinping. Sino-Japanese ties improve as China welcomes the first Japanese dignitary in four years. (Photo : Getty Images)

China proves its sincere wish to improve ties with Japan after welcoming Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in a high-level reception led by no less than Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.



According to the South China Morning Post, Li, together with Beijing's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and State Councillor Yang Jiechi, gave Kishida a "red carpet" welcome as he is the first Japanese diplomat to ever visit China in over four years.



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Media from both countries saw the act as a sincere gesture to improve the current Sino-Japanese relationship, which had been tainted with the legacy of Japan's World War II aggression and the current territorial disputes in East China Sea.



Improving Ties



During the talks, Premier Li urged the Japanese envoy to stick with the current development of the two nations' relationship amid setbacks, a report from China Daily stated.



"China hopes Japan will maintain peaceful development and make real steps toward fulfilling its agreement to take up opportunities created by China's peaceful development," Li said.



Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang highlighted both nations' willingness to improve their relationship which he described to have dropped to low ebb.



"We have recently seen the Japanese side repeatedly expressing its hope of improving the bilateral relationship," Wang declared as quoted by Reuters. "You have also shown your willingness to take the first step. If you come with sincerity, we welcome you."



Meanwhile, the Japanese Foreign Minister described the bilateral talks with the Chinese as a "frank exchange of views," adding that the meeting had born a significant improvement in the Sino-Japanese relations.



"At this meeting we confirmed the importance of Sino-Japanese relations and agreed that both sides would strive for further improvement in ties," he said.



To continue their current course, Li suggested that the two countries "reinforce a sense of responsibility, maintain the current momentum of improvement, and undertake the task of putting bilateral ties on a normal track."



The Setbacks



Despite seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, setbacks on the development of Sino-Japanese ties are still lurking in the shadows.



Early in March, the Chinese Foreign Minister himself was uncertain of the future of the relationship between the second and third biggest economies in the world.



At the time, Wang said that the ties "had been greatly harmed due to Japanese leaders' 'mistaken' approach to historical issues," per a report from the Diplomat.



He even bluntly added that Japan had been solely to blame for the conflict between the two countries because the Japanese continue to "cause trouble" for China amid their words of peace, describing it as "a classic example of a two-faced person's methods."






In the quest to find life on Mars, scientists have found strong pieces of evidence to support the presence of flowing liquid water on the Red planet. Although they did not directly detect liquid water, they had spotted water-bearing salts in mysterious streaks called recurring slope lineae (RSL).

But it does not stop there. Now, new research conducted by the same headline-making team revealed that the mysterious, dark lines on the Martian surface have actually been caused by a process unlike anything on Earth.

Recreating Martian Conditions

On Mars, the atmospheric pressure is about 1/100th that of Earth  too low for liquid water to remain on the surface.

To better illustrate, planetary geomorphologist Susan Conway told Space.com that the atmospheric pressure on Mount Everest is 400 millibars, sea level is at 1,000 millibars, and the Martian surface is only at 5 to 10 millibars. This means that liquid water on Mars will boil no matter what the temperature is.

Conway and her colleagues recreated the same low atmospheric conditions at the Large Mars Chamber in England in order to produce accurate results. It had taken them a month of unsuccessful experiments before they found the perfect setup.

The research team placed a block of ice on top of a slope comprised of fine-grained sand, observing how the meltwater moved downhill through the sand. One problem they encountered was that the block of ice kept moving down the slope, so they had to put a safety belt to prevent it from tumbling.

Here is what happened: under Earth-like conditions, the meltwater only gushed and did not change much of the slope.

Under Mars-like conditions, however, the meltwater boiled and popped sand grains like they were popcorns, launching them airborne. The grains piled up and collapsed, then triggered avalanches.

Conway said they did not predict that the boiling water would be so intense.

"We all crowded around the chambers, going, 'Aw, that's so cool!'" said Conway.

Their results suggest that even lesser amount of water could move large piles of sediment, something that is more than possible under terrestrial conditions with the same amount of water.

The Good, The Bad And The Mysterious

The study, which is featured in the journal Nature Geoscience, offers both good and bad news.

On one hand, the findings indicate that water is a viable candidate for the formation of RSL, leaving the possibility that there is presence of liquid water at present-day Mars.

On the other, the presence of boiling water could mean that much less water is needed and the water is actually very short-lived. If so, it means the environment is not suitable for microorganisms.

But the mystery still remains. The team's study is limited in the way that they cannot actually mimic Martian gravity, and indisputable proof could only be taken by future exploration.

Ice expert Jennifer Hanley, who was not part of the study, said the research was performed at best-case temperatures for the "Martian summer," forgetting that RSLs also form all through spring at cooler temperatures.

One big obstacle to finally solving the puzzle is finding a safer way to view the RSL up close. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter would not have a clear enough view to observe RSLs.

What about rovers? Those are out of the equation. NASA is trying to steer the rovers away from RSLs to prevent them from contaminating the sites with traces of life from Earth. It could throw off experiments or even abet a microbiological invasion.

Meanwhile, Conway and her colleagues believe that their findings lay the groundwork for further investigations. She said another question that needs to be answered is this: if there is more water on Mars, does the boiling become swamped by erosion and transport?

One hopes the answer lies in the future.

Watch the sandgrain popping action below.

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A U.S. Jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $55 million to a South Dakota woman who claimed that using the talc powder products of the company for feminine hygiene led to the development of her ovarian cancer.

The verdict was J&J's second loss for such trial this year. In February, the company was ordered to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower for decades.

On May 2, after a three-week trial, state court jurors in St. Louis decided to award Gloria Ristesund $5 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.

The 62-year-old was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after using Johnson & Johnson's talc-based feminine hygiene products for nearly four decades. Ristesund's cancer is in remission after she underwent a hysterectomy.

The company currently faces about 1,200 other lawsuits that accuse it of ignoring studies that link its Shower-to-Shower product and Johnson's Baby Powder to ovarian cancer.

Women claim that the company is aware of the cancer risks of its talc-based products but have failed to give adequate warning to consumers.

J&J spokesperson Carol Goodrich said the company plans to appeal the verdict and will continue to defend the safety of its products. Goodrich cited that the decision is in contrast with 30 years of research that support the safety of cosmetic talc.

"Unfortunately, the jury's decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc," Goodrich said. "Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously.''

J&J attorney Christy Jones also told jurors that Ristesund had a number of risk factors for ovarian cancer such as having a family history of cancer, having no children and having endometriosis.

Some health experts, however, are skeptical about the safety of talcum powder. In a 2015 study, researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston surveyed more than 2,000 women with ovarian cancer regarding their talcum powder use.

They found that applying the product to sanitary napkins, underwear and genitals ups risk for ovarian cancer by a third albeit the risks also depend on other factors such as weight, menopausal hormone use and smoking habits.

Photo: Austin Kirk | Flickr

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A Bloomberg News analysis revealed that there were racial disparities in the free same-day delivery service being offered by online retail giant Amazon. The company was not offering the service to minority communities across six major states, including New York and Chicago.

Amazon, however, was quick to respond to the analysis and the criticism from city representatives. The company promised to bring its Prime delivery service to the mostly black Roxbury neighborhood in Boston, after the criticism regarding the neighborhood's exclusion from the service.

The company has now also sent letters to officials that state the expansion of free same-day delivery to the Bronx, which is the only borough of New York City that was not included in the service, as well as to the South Side of Chicago.

According to Amazon, the expansion of the Prime delivery service depends on several factors, which include the distance of an area to a fulfillment center, the demand in an area, the number of Prime subscribers in an area, and the ability of partner carriers to deliver to an area up to 9 p.m. daily.

"We will continue expanding our delivery capabilities and are adding more ZIP codes rapidly," said Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for Amazon.

U.S. Representative Bobby Rush is among the pleased officials on Amazon's efforts.

"As I said on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives last week, 'Black Americans' dollars are just as green as any other Americans' dollars,' and I am glad that Amazon.com recognizes that," Rush said.

In Chicago, 2.2 million people were serviced by Amazon's free same-day delivery, but the 472,000 residents of the predominantly black South Side previously did not enjoy the perk.

Ruben Diaz Jr., the president of the Bronx Borough, also wrote a letter to Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos about the exclusion of the Bronx and some black neighborhoods in Queens, affecting constituents that are largely black and Hispanic.

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Having trouble getting a shuteye? A doctors' group in the United States recommends turning to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as the first line of treatment for chronic insomnia instead of reaching for the pill bottle.

Chronic insomnia is a real problem that affects 10 percent of the U.S. population, and the typical way of addressing it is by taking sleeping pills.

However, Dr. Thomas Tape of the University of Nebraska Medical Center warns that prescribing a pill is not the desirable first step to treat the sleep disorder.

With that in mind, the American College of Physicians (ACP) released new guidelines on Monday that described CBT as an effective method in conditioning the body to sleep again, especially because the therapy does not carry side effects.

"We want to get away from the overtendency to prescribe sleep medications," said ACP President Dr. Wayne Riley. "Clearly CBT can be a very nice tool in the toolkit."

Recommending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Chronic insomnia is defined as the difficulty of falling or staying asleep, and it is more common in women and older adults. The sleep disorder can induce fatigue, mood disturbance and poor thinking and can take a toll on productivity.

Initially, the ACP did not find enough evidence to directly compare drug treatment and CBT, but the group then added a review of published research that indicated CBT's effectiveness, mentioning its plausibility in primary care setting.

Before doctors recommend CBT to patients with insomnia, they should first rule out medical conditions that cause insomnia, such as restless leg syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea and prostate gland enlargement.

Doctors should also advise patients regarding behavioral factors that contribute to poor sleep, including alcohol drinking.

Additionally, if CBT does not work alone, then that is when doctors should discuss options with patients and consider adding drug therapy.

How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Works

Although CBT involves keeping the bedroom dark or avoiding too much caffeine, experts say it is much more than that.

CBT is about reconditioning the body and brain away from habitual tossing and putting it back to normal sleep patterns, according to sleep medicine specialist Meg Lineberger. She was not involved with the guidelines.

The therapy is usually administered by psychologists or physicians trained in this form of psychotherapy. Four to six sessions of CBT are required to improve a person's condition.

Lineberger said the hardest part of CBT is sleep restriction. For a person who sleeps an average of 5.5 hours daily, an extra half-hour should be tacked.

The person should then count back the six hours from the wake-up time. If the person wakes up at 6 AM, then 12 midnight is the initial prescribed bedtime.

This helps build up the body's drive for sleep. Gradually, the patients then move to an earlier bedtime.

Meanwhile, American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr. Nathaniel Watson said patients with chronic insomnia are taught with realistic sleep expectations. He also suggested inexpensive apps that are available online such as ShutEye and Sleepio.

The ACP guidelines are featured in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Supporting evidence is also published in the same journal.

Photo: Clare Bell | Flickr

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Fitbit CEO James Park says that the company looks from the point of view of consumers when creating its health-minded products. He also touts the company's products as simple and single-mode devices.

Park went on to say that Apple Watch is a computing platform where a little of everything is crammed into the wearable. For this reason, Park said that Apple had a wrong way of approaching the wearables category even from the very start.

Fitbit's products focus on one thing, which is none other than tracking one's fitness. Functionality is limited to step counting, activity monitoring and other health-based tasks. This makes using Fitbit more straightforward than Apple's multi-functional Apple Watch.

According to Park, Fitbit uses a strategy wherein the wearable would first come equipped with basic activity tracking features. New functionality is then added one step at a time. The purpose of such a strategy is to add a more approachable appeal to wearables, while features are carefully layered over time. The first step to achieve using this strategy is to begin with simple devices.

Last year, Fitbit's sales record reached up to 21.3 million sold units, which is almost two times the 10.9 million units that were sold in 2014. Research firm IDC also described Fitbit as the world's largest maker of wearable devices in terms of market share.

While Apple does not reveal any sales performance record for its Apple Watch, the wearable seems to be enjoying a growing number of sales. An estimate from analysts shows that Apple has sold 12 million Apple Watch since its April 2015 debut.

Fitbit also went public in June, which has since then caused its stock to drop by 10 percent. Analyst Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley expressed concerns such as the company's particular competition with Apple and the skepticism of its investors as the factors that triggered the drop.

Still, Park seemed unperturbed every time people would compare Fitbit's products to Apple's. Fitbit caters to the $60 to $250 market with its products, mostly focusing on health monitoring. The Apple Watch starts at $299 and caters to those who want both functionality and style in their wearables.

It remains to be seen how Fitbit can devise new ways to become more profitable and attract more customers. Fitbit products are usually opted by first time users and not by those who are into upgrading their wearable. If people learn what smartwatches are really good for, then they could better understand that a crammed wearable might not be the best option they can make.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The unlocked HTC 10 is just starting to ship this week, reaching preorder customers in the U.S. and the UK.

In the U.S., Verizon is currently the exclusive carrier for the HTC 10, set to start shipping the smartphone on May 5, while Sprint will join the party on May 10.

Although the HTC 10 is barely starting to reach its new owners, HTC is already pushing out a system update to improve the smartphone's capabilities. This means that the update should be ready to install out of the box, as soon as customers get their new smartphone.

As PhoneScoop reports, the new HTC 10 system update will bring improvements to connectivity and camera performance.

The update will enhance the quality of photos taken outdoors, while low-light images should now appear sharper and brighter. HTC has also tweaked the laser-assisted autofocus user interface, and the HDR function gets improved light sensitivity, thanks to a wider range. At the same time, photos taken in Pro Mode should no longer have any visible purple noise.

When it comes to connectivity enhancements, the update reportedly boosts Wi-Fi performance with Smart MIMO (multiple input-multiple output). Cellular connectivity should then be better in areas where the signal is generally weak.

The new system update is reportedly hitting the unlocked HTC 10 in Europe first, and will soon reach the unlocked version on sale from HTC itself. It remains to be seen, however, when the update will start reaching carrier versions of the smartphone.

In the U.S., only three of the four major carriers are on board with the HTC 10. More specifically, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile will all be selling HTC's latest flagship, but AT&T has confirmed that it will not be offering the handset.

As a reminder, the new HTC 10 flagship features a 5.2-inch QHD LCD 5 display (2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution), a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, microSD support for up to 2 TB of additional storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery, among the highlights. Other specs include a 12-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front shooter with optical image stabilization (OIS), USB Type-C, BoomSound speakers with Dolby Audio, and a fingerprint sensor. The smartphone rocks Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, with HTC Sense 8 UI on top.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Gillette Launches Emojability Keyboard For Special Needs Community | TechTree.com

Children who have disabilities will be able to express their unique experiences like never before, thanks to a first-of-its-kind app developed by Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The app, an ability-themed emoji keyboard called Emojability, will allow families, patients, caregivers and advocates in the special needs community to communicate, support one another and feel empowered to celebrate the goals and successes they've achieved. From adaptive equipment and therapy emojis to words of encouragement, Emojability brings to life symbols and phrases that don't exist on other emoji keyboards. The free app is now available for download on smartphones.

"Gillette takes pride in its partnership and advocacy for patients, but also advocates for the larger community of kids, adults and families who have special needs," says Dennis Jolley, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare vice president for institutional advancement.

"We understand that living with a disability or complex condition can be a challenging journey. Our patients, families and caregivers work hard to make progress every day, and the definition of progress is unique to each child," Jolley says. "When there's reason to celebrate, we know many patients, families and caregivers want to share the news and be proud. That's why we created Emojability. It allows our patients to use a keyboard that's inclusive of their unique experiences."

An emoji keyboard, like the Gillette Emojability, gives users access to images and phrases that can be sent as text messages or used in popular messaging apps. The Emojability keyboard is available on both Apple and Android platforms.

The new Emojability keyboard includes a moving walker and mobility related emojis, physical and occupational therapy as well as inspirational emojis. The website features downloading instructions and a gallery of all of the Emojabilities. Users can even submit ideas for new keyboard features. Gillette partnered with Periscope, a leading independent creative agency, to create the keyboard.

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare treats children who have complex conditions such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and other disabilities that affect the musculoskeletal and neurological systems. Gillette tailors its care model specifically to the needs of its patient and family community so they can achieve their highest

potential.

TAGS: emoji, Gillette, Parenting Apps
This kid Hacked Instagram; Won $10K From Facebook

Jani is a 10-year old who managed to hack Instagram and in the process, gain a $10,000 bug bounty from Facebook. According to Mark Zuckerbergs rules, the individual might have been too young to participate in the competition, but it turns out that in the digital age, age is just a number. By uncovering a flaw in Instagram, he managed to become the youngest ever recipient of a Facebook bug bounty after uncovering a vulnerability that allowed him to delete any message on the photo sharing application.

Forbes reports that Janis hack enabled him to alter code on Instagram servers to force delete users words. According to him, he could have been able to remove absolutely anyone from the social media, joking that Justin Bieber would have also made the list, and that would have ended up making millions of women extremely angry.

The Helsinki-based wunderkind, according to Finnish publication Iltalehti, discovered he could alter code on Instagram servers to force delete users words. I would have been able to eliminate anyone, even Justin Bieber, he told the paper.

Facebook told the source that Jani verified his report by deleting a comment the company posted on a test account. A spokesperson had confirmed the bug was patched in late February and the $10,000 reward was handed to Jani in March. Instagram has been a buggy platform to post what is going on in your life and to be honest, not all of them have been rewarded.

Case in point will be researcher Wes Wineberg, who managed to uncover the shocking bugs in December 2015 that allowed him access to a vast amount of internal Instagram data. Facebook was under the impression that the individual had gone too far to prove his point and hence denied him the reward, even though we believe that he deserved it.

According to Facebooks latest update, the bug bounty programme has awarded more than $4.3 million to more than 800 researchers around the world. In 2015, the social networking giant paid $936,000 to 210 researchers for a total of 526 reports.

The nationality to uncover the most number of bugs have been Indians, with Americans in close pursuit.

Forbes
The online hacktivist group, Anonymous has recently recommenced its operation called #OpIcarus to target the corrupt global financial institutions. In the first attack after the recommencement, the Anonymous launched a Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attack again Bank of Greece website. The powerful DDoS attack took down the bank website, forcing the servers to remain offline for more than 6 hours.

The #OpIcarus was relaunched by Anonymous in March 2016. Anonymous says that the banks and financial giants are involved in corruption and OpIcarus operation is a means to to register their protest against such crony capitalism. The Anonymous also released a video announcing the attack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf6JGltELzQ&feature=youtu.be

In a statement released on Facebook, Anonymous said,

Attention Brothers and Sisters: The opportunity to create financial chaos and public unrest and from that, there will be a previously unachieved amount of lulz to be had. Charge your lasers and aim them at the Financial Matrix.

It has been said that humanity is not an end in itself but rather a means to an end. We have shown the world our strength to deny ignorance, overcome adversity, fight oppression and even the power to throw a wrench in the system that perpetuates it. We are enslaved within a matrix of institutions with the illusion that each stands alone, each fighting for power, for profits, for the scraps on the table that represent humanities dwindling resources. In reality however, these institutions; the arms industries, banking and other financial institutions, government intelligence agencies and countless others have formed what was once a clandestine coalition whose corruption and avarice have become increasingly transparent due to wikileaks and the efforts of anonymous. This coalition seeks the preservation and the perpetuation of the powers that be and this octopus operates through the tentacles of the IMF, the Federal Reserve and the World Bank, masterminded by think tanks such as the Bilderberg group and the Council on Foreign Relations.

The puppets of the powers that be include the president of the united states and his cabinet, and through them they are able to repress the freedom of information and with it the free and open exchange of ideas which are fundamental to the existence and operations of anonymous and the ability to see beyond the veil of secrecy from which the powers that be stand behind. But where does the power behind the throne lie? Within the global financial system, centered within the New York stock exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

They feel secure in their ivory tower built on the broken backs of the laborers of the world for what are their subjects but humanall too human. In humanity lies the restraints of pity and mercy, driven by fear. But We are not merely human. Anonymous is something much more for we possess neither fear nor mercy. It is time to show the world the true power and the true face of the faceless, the nameless and the ghosts of society.

Like Icarus, the powers that be have flown too close to the sun and the time has come to set the wings of their empire ablaze and watch the system their power relies on come to a grinding halt and come crashing down around them. We must strike at the heart of their empire by once again throw a wrench into the machine, but this time we face a much bigger target; the global financial system. This time our target is the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

This is a call to arms my brothers who for too long have stood for nothing but have criticized everything. Stand now, behind the banner of free men against the tyrannical matrix of institutions that oppose us. Ready your weapons and aim them at the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. This is the operation to end all others. Innocent people may stand to lose something from this but the powers that be stand to lose much more. Bring the rain brothers.

We are Anonymous

We are Legion

We do not forgive

We do not forget

Expect Us.
China will train fisherfolk to patrol disputed territories in the South China Sea. (Photo : Getty Images)

China will reportedly train fishermen to patrol the disputed territories along the South China Sea amid turmoil in the region as several other countries claim sovereignty over the waters.



An unnamed source told Reuters that the fishermen were being trained to sail into the disputed waters to gather information and keep watch over China's territory.



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"The maritime militia is expanding because of the country's need for it, and because of the desire of the fishermen to engage in national service, protecting our country's interests," explained the source who was an advisor to the Hainan government who requested for anonymity.



China's Maritime Militia



According to Reuters' source, the fishermen undergo basic military training under the People's Armed Forces Department's city-level branches which are managed by both military and local Communist Party authorities.



There, the fishermen will be taught the basics of search and rescue operations, surviving disasters at sea, and "safeguarding Chinese sovereignty" starting May until August.



Participating fisherfolk will be paid by the government, which would require them to use sturdier vessels with steel hulls instead of the wooden ones.



The fishermen militia will be monitored by Global Positioning Satellite equipment that would allow them to contact the state Coast Guard should there be any emergencies.



According to the Diplomat, the presence of this maritime militia provides the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) with a cheaper multiplier of forces in the area with less profound legal implications.



"The sheer size and scope of the vast network of China's maritime militia complicates the battlespace, degrades any opponent's decision-making process and exposes adversaries to political dilemmas that will make them more cautious to act against China during a maritime crisis or naval war," the outlet explained.



Why Fisherfolk Still Participate



It appears that aside from the pay, the fishermen are also motivated to join the training because it is an opportunity for them to directly protect their livelihood.



"If some foreign fishing boats infringe on our territory and try to prevent us from fishing there . . . Then we're put in the role of safeguarding sovereignty," said Chen Rishen, an operator for a government-subsidized fishing firm.



"Defending sovereignty is primarily the government's concern. But of course, regular folks being able to fish in their own countries' waters should be the norm. That goes for us, too," said Ye Ning, a fishing company manager in Haikou.



Unsurprisingly, the move is predicted to have consequences including the possibility of stirring more conflict with the other countries claiming sovereignty over the territories and putting the fisherfolk at risk.






Owner of a fortune estimated at 841 million euros, he professes the Hindu religion and is the grandson of Punjab immigrants. | Read More
China's New Silk Road: Providing Trade and Friendship Bridges to Europe, Central Asia and Middle East

The historic Silk Road town of Kashi remains a political and commercial center. (Photo : Getty Images)

China plans to build a physical connection to Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East by modernizing the ancient Silk Road with a nickname, One Belt, One Road.



According to the New York Times, Beijing is planning to remake the path popularly known as the Silk Road into a 21st century version beginning with the addition of locomotives and expansion of roads.



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The action plan for the new program released by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March states that the "Belt and Road" routes would run through Asia, Europe and Africa.



The Belt and Road Initiative



According to the Xinhua News Agency, the project aims to connect East Asia's "vibrant" economic circle to the "developed European economic circle."



First introduced in Sept. 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Kazakhstan, the Silk Road Economic Belt concept was initially suggested to be built by cooperation between Central Asia and China.



Since then, the number of countries who pledged their help in establishing the New Silk Road has increased to 26 with the addition of the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Tajikistan.



In 2013, China has already received a total of $50 billion in investments for the project.



Citing a report from the Financial Times, Forbes said that if it became a success, the New Silk Road would be China's "signature foreign policy initiative" under the administration of Xi.



Mutual Benefit



According to Forbes, Beijing hopes that the establishment of economic development will pacify the riots in western China's Xinjiang Province where tensions are high between the Muslim ethnic minority Uyghurs and the Han majority.



However, China's President Xi vows that the New Silk Road would have mutual benefits for countries on either end of the road.



"The Belt and Road Initiative, though initiated by China, is not only about China. I hope people in all countries along the Belt and Road will actually feel the benefit brought by the initiative," the Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying on April 30.



He further noted that while the physical road may be a link for trading, it can also become a bridge that connects friends as China vows to provide "more consideration and care to the interests of other countries" while maintaining its own.



"The ancient silk roads are not just routes of trade, but routes of friendship," Xi added.






If you want to earn good money in broadcasting and production, it helps if you are a man over 40 who works in London in commercials or independent TV. Televisuals 21st annual Salary Survey reveals  once again  significant disparity in pay depending on gender, geography and genres.

For an industry that prides itself on being liberal and open, it is genuinely shocking to learn that men continue to earn more than women, bringing home a median salary of 50k versus 37.5k respectively (see separate story).

This is the case right across the spectrum, with Salary Survey figures showing that men tend to earn more than women in similar jobs as diverse as assistant producer, editors, production managers, producer directors, producers and series producers.

Workers in London also earn more than their counterparts in the nations and regions. The median pay in London is 47.4k, while in Manchester it is 35.8k and 45k in Bristol and Glasgow. Perhaps less surprisingly, pay increases with experience, with median salaries crossing the 60k mark once people are in their 40s.

On a positive note, the median salary for people working in this industry is 45k, significantly above the national median wage of 27.5k. A majority of respondents also say that their pay has gone up in the past year, with 47% saying their salaries have risen, compared to 38% saying they have stayed the same and 15% reporting a decline.

Many report that the industry is busy, with plenty of shows in production helping to support levels of pay. One drama editor on 55k says: Not only did I work more weeks last year, but my rate was marginally up too.







Despite a widespread perception that both budgets and wages are decreasing, one reality TV producer says he was surprised that after ten years in the industry he was finally able to force an increase in my rate.

That said, such positive feedback to the Salary Survey is few and far between. Most commentary focuses on four concerns; flatlining wages; the salary gap between those at the top and the bottom of the industry; the imbalance between male vs. female pay; and working conditions that mean long hours but no overtime.

The long hours culture of the industry is regularly commented on, with many complaining that this is effectively driving down their real rates of pay. There is no work life balance and we are all having to work evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays regularly for no extra pay, say one researcher on 22k who accuses indies of continuing to exploit workers.



An edit producer who earned 55k last year says: The level of work expected and the amount of hours put in are definitely not reflected in our wages. You dont get over time or sick pay. As an experienced producer whos now worked in TV for over 13 years I think pay has risen very little. You constantly have to fight for your rate.

An AP on 29k has his own take on the root cause of the overtime culture in TV: The absolute biggest problem is the phrase Thats just telly though being used to excuse every exploitation. Theres a Grapes of Wrath type mentality in the industry that needs to change; the mentality that its such a sought after industry to work in and if you dont do it theres always someone who will do it for cheaper.



Many also say there is a kind of stigma attached to asking for what youre worth  particularly for overtime. Says one freelance editor: Everyone expects you will sit in the edit until 2am because you love your job.

Many complain of the discrepancy in pay between production staff and unionised technical jobs in cameras and sound. A production co-ordinator on 26k says. Production staff are incredibly underpaid, undervalued and overworked compared to the technical jobs in the industry. Many colleagues like myself are jaded and looking to get out of the industry to do something that gives us more money or time to live our lives.

Many contributors to the survey report that their pay has flatlined in recent years, blaming static or falling programme budgets. Production managers and executives are using the low budget excuse to increase hours and keep pay low, says one researcher. Salaries seem to have stayed the same for 10 years for most roles, but the workload has increased with budgets getting smaller but content ambitions getting bigger, explains a production manager.

In effect, this means a pay cut because of rises in the cost of living, with many contributors pointing out that their wages are down 15-25% in real terms. My rate has remained static for three years and I have to fight for every contract, says one series producer on 54k.



Notably, the Salary Survey has plenty of comments from freelancers working in the Bristol TV industry who complain that the market has been all but stagnant for a number of years now with the BBC in particular seen to be imposing unofficial rate caps and refusing to negotiate on rates.

Indeed, there is widespread anxiety among Salary Survey participants about what exactly they should charge, in the absence on any commonly agreed standards. Greater transparency on rates is needed, argues an AP. It feels like they are determined by production managers whispering to each other. There needs to be some sort of routine and authoritative third party clarification of going rates, to take the power out of managements hands. I wish Bectu were more proactive on this front.

There is also plenty of commentary about the disparity in pay between those at the top and bottom of the career ladders.

One md (on 100k) of an indie making high volume series for the BBC and ITV acknowledges: Creatives are being squeezed the most with falling budgets. The only way for us to make things work is to pay management less. Adds another head of production (on 100k): There are a lot of people at the top making huge sums and yet the people at the bottom still slog it out on 25-30k for many years. Id like to see average junior wages rise. Many argue junior staff are the ones taking the hit for programme budget falls  while those at the top and particularly talent are protected.

Indeed, running throughout much of the commentary is a general exasperation at some peoples treatment at the hands of some companies in production. One edit assistant at a TV indie describes the predicament facing many junior staff well: Im in a fortunate position to have been able to turn down jobs for the following reasons: 1. We dont do lunch. A runner will bring lunch at your desk. 2. Youre paid until midnight, but we expect you to stay until the work is done, which may be 7am. 3. Contracts that pay 45 hours, but include an Opt Out of the EU Working Time Directive. 4. Jobs with OK salaries, but on a Freelance (0 hours basis), with no guarantee of work.



How the Salary Survey works

Televisual emailed readers asking them to respond anonymously to our online salary survey. We asked what they were paid in 2015, and details about their age, gender and job. We had 717 responses in all.

The annual figures quoted in the article are based on median earnings. The survey skews towards Televisuals readership, which tends to reflect more senior levels of the business. Respondents had a median age of 36. 57% were male, and 43% female.

46% worked full time for a single employer, 50% were freelance, 3% part time and 1% unemployed. 49% worked in indie TV production, 18% in post production, 18% at a broadcaster, 5% in corporate, 3% in commercials and 2% in a facility.









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Japans foreign minister announced a US$7 billion initiative Monday to promote development in Southeast Asias Mekong region, which encompasses parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand through which the river flows.

In a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Fumio Kishida affirmed the importance of Southeast Asias economic prosperity to Japan.

He pledged 750 billion yen (US$7 billion) in funding over the next three years to support development and growth in the region.

The initiative will help promote connectivity within Southeast Asian countries and Japan through funding in infrastructure and development of human resources.

Thailand has become a key manufacturing and export hub for Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda.

Invigorating the flow of goods and people by connecting the region through roads, bridges and railways is indispensable for promoting economic development, he said, adding that Japans cooperation will go beyond just building infrastructure.

Over the next three years, we will make use of funds amounting to 750 billion yen toward cooperation with the Mekong region, Kishida said. Specific details have not been announced but he said Japan would like to work together with the Mekong countries to create a framework to support the various efforts, including regional issues and theme-oriented support, in a detailed manner.

Referring to Thailands current political situation and its military government, Kishida said he hoped that the people of Thailand will overcome the current difficult challenges and play more active role in the region and international community.

Source: Japan announces US$7 billion plan to develop Mekong region  The China Post
A training ship of the South Korea Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday docked at Tien Sa Port in the central city of Da Nang, starting its four-day visit.

The Badaro 3011 HAM and 170 officials and crew members were welcomed by officials from the citys Department of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Coast Guard Force.

During their stay in Da Nang, the South Korean officials and crew members are scheduled to meet and play volleyball with Vietnam's Coast Guard Force - Zone 2.

They are also scheduled to meet the citys Peoples Committee leaders before leaving on May 6.

Here are some images of the South Korea ship and its crew members. Photos: Nguyen Tu/Thanh Nien
Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested two Bulgarian men suspected of using fake bank cards to withdraw money from local ATMs.

Kolin Karasimirov Kolev, 29, and Dimitar Tsankov Hristov, 25, were caught trying to withdraw money from an ATM on Do Quang Dau Street in District 1 on Sunday but their cards were rejected, police said.

At the police station, the duo admitted they used fake cards, adding they had successfully withdrawn money from other ATMs in the city three times.

Investigations are ongoing.

Earlier last month HCMC police arrested three Bulgarian men suspected of using fake ATM cards to withdraw money from local banks.

Police found 20 ATM cards in one of the men's bag, which they suspected to be fake, together with more than VND80 million (US$3,700) and some foreign money.
The accident happens on the National Highway No. 1 in Tinh Phong Commune, Son Tinh District, Quang Ngai Province on May 3, 2016. Photo: Hien Cu/Thanh Nien

Four people were killed and six others were injured after a 16-seater bus collided with two trucks on Tuesday morning in the central province of Quang Ngai, officials said.

The incident reportedly happened at around 8:15 a.m. when the bus, traveling south along the National Highway No.1 in Tinh Phong Commune, hit a truck while trying to overtake it.

The bus then crashed into another truck in the opposite direction, said Colonel Vo Van Duong, deputy head of Quang Ngai Provinces police department.

The collision killed three people on the spot. Another succumbed to severe injuries at the Quang Ngai Province General Hospital.

Six others with serious injuries are being treated at the hospital, officials said.

In related news, a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong on Monday claimed three lives and injured 18 others.

The bus, traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Dak Lak Province, hit the truck on the National Highway No. 14 in Dak Nongs Dak Gan Commune on Monday afternoon, authorities said.
Vietnamese environment minister Tran Hong Ha on Monday met with foreign scientists from the US, Germany and Israel in an attempt to identify the cause of recent mass fish deaths in four coastal provinces.

During the meeting in Hanoi, Ha briefed the scientists on the environmental disaster and asked them to actively support the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Vietnams agencies in investigating and identifying the cause of the unusual seafood deaths and in protecting Vietnams marine environment in the long term, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website on Monday.

The scientists specialize in oceanography, coastal geology, coastal engineering and sustainable environment.

Ha also said his Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is willing to let the foreign scientists assess the activities of factories which discharge wastewater into the sea in Vung Ang.

Prof. Roberto Mayerle, director of the Research and Technology Center Westcoast of Kiel University in Germany, said the scientists will also work with the Ministry of Science and Technology.

He suggested sending more experts and equipment to Vietnam to help the country investigate the cause of the incident, according to the statement.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told authorities investigating the disaster to do their best and solve the case.

"We will not shield anyone found causing the pollution," he told a meeting in Ha Tinh Province Sunday attending by all deputy PMs, several Cabinet members, the central bank governor, and leaders of the four provinces affected by massive fish deaths.

We are reviewing all facilities without exception, including Formosa, he said.

Hundreds of tons of fish were washed ashore in April in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, apparently killed by industrial effluents.

Suspicion has centered on Hung Nghiep Formosa Steel Company, a major Taiwanese firm in the Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh, which admitted it has a large sewage pipe going straight into the sea. But it claimed all its discharged wastewater had been treated.

Officials have said they could not find any connection between Formosa's discharge and the disaster.

The environment ministry has admitted that response to the disaster was slow.
Police escort a group of people wanted for suspected fraud in China after they were deported from Kenya. (Photo : Reuters)

Malaysia deported 32 Taiwanese nationals suspected of wire fraud to China, pushing Taiwan to call for a more comprehensive communication between the mainland and the island in resolving crime.



The Associated Press reported that the Malaysian government sent more than 30 Taiwanese suspects to mainland China after they were found to be linked to the massive telecom scam that victimized Chinese citizens.



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According to AP, the case is the most recent addition to the long-standing conflict between the mainland and its wayward province, following similar cases in the past including one where Kenya sent four dozens of alleged Taiwanese fraudsters to the mainland.



In the past, China had criticized Taiwan for not bringing the fraud suspects to justice after Taipei released 12 prisoners due to lack of substantial evidence.



Because of this, Taiwan's Premier-designate Lin Chuan called for better communication between the island and the mainland in order to bring the massive telecom fraud gang to justice.



"A mechanism of full communication and cooperation between Taiwan and China is needed to address challenges regarding telecom fraud schemes involving suspects and victims from both sides," explained Lin as cited by Focus Taiwan.



According to the report, the incoming administration under the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen wants to convene with Chinese authorities about the issue on the deportation of the suspects by a third-party country.



Meanwhile, Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun reacted more positively on how Beijing is handling the dispute, particularly after China invited a delegation from the island to participate in talks about the Taiwanese nationals detained in the mainland.



Talking to China Post, Sun said that the invitation not only meets the cross-Taiwan Strait agreement but is also a welcome improvement at their requested mutual legal assistance.



The Taiwanese delegation is set to travel to Beijing in a week, bringing with them a joint investigation plan from district prosecutors' offices in Taoyuan and Taichung that are in charge of the telecom scam case.


A general view shows rescue workers searching for residents feared trapped in the rubble of a six-story building that collapsed after days of heavy rain, in Nairobi, Kenya April 30, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Gregory Olando

Rescue workers pulled out a one-year-old girl from the rubble of a building in Kenya's capital on Tuesday morning more than 72 hours after it collapsed following heavy rain, the Kenya Red Cross said.

"She was rescued and was severely dehydrated. She is currently receiving medical attention at Kenyatta National Hospital," Red Cross spokeswoman Arnolda Shiundu told Reuters, adding that the girl was rescued at about 4 a.m.

Officials have put the death toll so far at 21. Aid workers had said on Monday that the chances of finding more survivors was unlikely after the building fell down on Friday night.
Islamic State fighters killed a U.S. serviceman in northern Iraq on Tuesday when they overran Kurdish defenses in the biggest attack in the area in recent months, officials said.

The dead man was the third American to be killed in direct combat since a U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign against the jihadist group in 2014.

"It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters during a trip to Germany.

A senior official of the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga force said the man was killed near Tel Asqof, a town 28 km (17 miles) north of Mosul, which the militants occupied at dawn on Tuesday. Early information suggested he had been killed by a sniper, Jabbar Yawar said.

The leader of a Christian militia deployed alongside peshmerga in the Tel Asqof area said the town had been attacked by multiple suicide bombers, some driving vehicles laden with explosives.

A U.S. military official said the U.S.-led coalition helped the peshmerga repel the attack with air support from F-15 jets and drones.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man was killed "by direct fire" from Islamic State.

Carter's spokesman, Peter Cook, said the incident took place during an Islamic State attack on a peshmerga position some 3-5 km behind the forward line.

Snipers and suicide bombers

Peshmerga were surrounding Tel Asqof and coalition aircraft were targeting militants in the area, according to Safa Eliyas, head of the Nineveh Protection Forces (NPF) militia.

"Until now there are suicide bombers trapped inside (the town)". Another NPF member on the front line said they were awaiting an armored division to storm the town, where Islamic State snipers had also taken up positions.

The peshmerga also deflected Islamic State attacks on the Bashiqa front and in the Khazer area, about 40 km west of the Kurdish regional capital Erbil, Kurdish military sources said.

In mid-April the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq, and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces in the war against Islamic State.

Last month, an Islamic State attack on a U.S. base killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight other Americans providing force protection fire to Iraqi army troops.

The Islamist militants have been broadly retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the Iraqi army took the nearby region of Hit, pushing them further north along the Euphrates valley.

But U.S. officials acknowledge that military gains against Islamic state are not enough.

Iraq is beset by political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shi'ite Muslim-led government's fitful efforts to reconcile with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter testifies on operations against the Islamic State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 28, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behavior by Russia.

The Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which joined NATO in 2004, have requested greater presence of the alliance, fearing a threat from Russia after it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Carter acknowledged NATO deliberations included the deployment of the four battalions to the Baltic states and Poland. The Wall Street Journal said this would likely total about 4,000 troops split between the United States and its allies.

"That's one of the options that's being discussed," Carter told reporters traveling with him at the start of a three-day trip to Germany, declining to enter into details about the deliberations by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"We're obviously involved in those discussions. I just don't want to get out in front of where that goes."

U.S. officials say the goal in Europe is to move increasingly from efforts to reassure allies to broader activity to deter any aggressive moves by Russia.

The United States has already budgeted to sharply boost military training and exercises and last month announced it would deploy continuous rotations of U.S.-based armored brigade combat teams to Europe.

Carter's trip to Germany will include meetings with Army General Curtis Scaparrotti as he takes over as the next NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, succeeding U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove.

Scaparrotti told a Senate hearing last month that a resurgent Russia was displaying "increasingly aggressive behavior that challenges the international norms, often in violation of international law."
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida poses with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during their meeting in Beijing on Saturday, April 30. (Photo : Reuters)

Despite moves to ease the tensions between China and Japan, the meeting between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Beijing on Saturday, April 30, was described by media as hostile.



In an article published by www.breitbart.com, Li was quoted as saying that China is willing to work with Japan in the spirit of "taking history as a mirror" to look into the future and reinforce mutual trust and put bilateral relations back into track.



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China's Foreign Ministry presented four demands, which it said would help improve the relationship between the two countries.



First, it asked Japan to honor its commitment to the four political documents and recognize the one-China policy. The four documents mentioned included the China-Japan Joint Statement signed in 1972, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1978, the China-Japan Joint Declaration of 1998, and the joint statement to promote strategic and mutually beneficial relations, which was signed in 2008.



China still resents Japan's invasion of China during World War II, in which Chinese girls were used as "comfort women," and the Nanjing massacre that occurred on Dec. 13, 1937.



The Chinese also criticized Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo to honor their dead soldiers, which include the 14 former leaders responsible for the attack on China.



China also wanted Japan to recognize Taiwan as part of China, not as an independent nation.



Second, the ministry said that China wants Japan to act as a cooperative partner and take a more positive outlook on China's growth, instead of spreading theories about threats or economic recession. China also asked Japan not to complain about the country's military buildup.



The third demand, which deals with economic exchange, has called on Japan to do away with the outdated concept for a win-win cooperation as it urged for a fair and realistic cooperation in various fields based on shared benefits.



China may also declare another economic war should Japan decide not to follow what it was told, the report said.



The country launched an economic war on Japan in 2012, cancelling its shipments of rare earth minerals which were needed for the manufacture of electronic products in Japan. A Panasonic factory and Toyota dealership in China were set on fire by protesters, while several Japanese department stores and supermarkets were ransacked and looted.



Lastly, the ministry urged the two countries to respect each other's interests and concerns and maintain regular communication and coordination. It also called on Japan to set aside its mentality of confrontation and work for regional stability, peace and prosperity with China.



The ministry echoed the country's message: "We want stability and peace. If you do exactly as you're ordered, then we'll have stability and peace. But if you don't do as you're ordered, then we'll kill you, and get stability and peace that way."


The prospect of booking a return flight from Sydney to New York for $969  about half the price of the lowest fare a few years ago is great news for travellers.

But the latest special on Air Canada from Flight Centre, which comes after American Airlines recently offered $860 return fares from Sydney to New York via Webjet, is not viewed as positively by shareholders in airlines such as Qantas.

Qantas, the largest player on the trans-Pacific route, last month warned revenue per available seat kilometre in its international business had fallen in March due to more competitive pricing on routes including the US and UK, and was down for the financial year to date.

"While competitor airlines are investing more of their fuel benefits into lower pricing, this is also suggesting the demand profile has also weakened from the US and UK," Citi analyst Anthony Moulder said.
The tourism industry is pleased the federal budget has maintained funding for Tourism Australia, but is bitterly disappointed that the government failed to make changes to the "backpacker tax" introduced in last year's budget.

Tourism & Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said her organisation would be working actively during the federal election campaign on efforts to scrap the backpacker tax, which kicks in on July 1.

"The Federal Government's destructive backpacker tax is going to smash the number of people choosing Australia as a backpacking destination when working holidaymakers are taxed 32.5 per cent on every dollar they earn on their holiday," she said.
Mistress (Photo : YouTube)

Fixing marriages is a lucrative business for Jiali Jiawa, a consultancy based on Chonqing which has handled about 10,000 cases of broken marriages.



Most of the clients of the company, Inside Home and Outside Home Marriage Consultancy, were initiated by Chinese wives whose husbands have strayed away and are in extramarital affairs with mistresses. The company receives an average of 300 inquiries on its web site daily, said 45-year-old Yu Feng, founder of Jiali Jiawa, reported The South China Morning Post.



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Feng is more known as the mistress discourager. He is a psychology graduate who left Jiangsu Province and moved the Shenzhen where he initially started a counselling workshop with a friend. Most of the people who approached him were wives who complained of straying husbands.



Because of the economic progress in China, some men left the provinces to work in the city. And being away from the family took its toll as the husband sought distraction in bars and clubs that eventually led to romantic relationships with other women who became their mistresses. Feng noted that since 2009, there has been a dramatic rise in extramarital affairs with 80 percent of men having mistresses.



The initial work is done by investigators who inquire if the claim made by wives that their husbands have other women is true. Then social workers talk to the mistresses and family members, while counsellors discuss the issue with the couple. But Jiali Jiawa has standards when accepting cases.



These are: the marriage could still be saved, the couple is legally married and the request would come from an aggrieved wife, never from a mistress. Feng charges a per hour consultancy fee of 1,200 to 1,500 yuan, which means cases involving mistresses usually would cost the wife about 100,000 yuan, although most of them are wives of wealthy men.



Feng pointed out that despite public perception of being home wreckers, mistresses are not all bad women. Most and young and impressionable women whom husbands deceive by big promises of a better life.



However, not all aggrieved wives would have a marriage counselor fix their problem. Some of them take the matter in their hands and attack the mistresses on the street which Mirror noted was a dangerous viral trend in 2015. Most of the time, the crowd just watch the spectacle and would not stop the wife from beating the mistress. Some even filmed the beating and posted it on social media sites






Arrium's administrators have won an extension for the next creditors' meeting until early 2017 after revealing a creditor claim from US hedge fund GSO Capital could have led to the collapse of the steel maker's most profitable business, Moly-Cop.

Arrium's creditors  estimated to be a staggering 22,500 claimants including more than 10,000 trade creditors  will next meet at the end of February 2017 after winning an extension from the Federal Court. Administrators were to hold a meeting on May 13.

Metals futures traders are spooked amid worries around Chinese growth. Credit:Bloomberg

The extension was granted after the lawyer for administrators from KordaMentha, Leon Zwier, argued that the complex nature of Arrium's business structure, combined with threats from Morgan Stanley and Blackstone-backed GSO to scupper the process, had added to the complexity of the administration.

An affidavit filed by KordaMentha also revealed that a restructuring of the Whyalla steel business is needed and will take between four to six months because it faces "financial, operational and strategic challenges". It also revealed that it would take up to 12 months to finalise a sale of Moly-Cop if the administrators go down that path, and that to send out printed 250-page reports to 22,500 creditors would cost $500,000 alone.
Australia's biggest supermarket chain is chasing positive sales growth rather than catching runaway rival Coles as the release of Woolworths third quarter sales pushes the gap between the two supermarket chains to its widest point ever.

Woolworths newly appointed group chief and former supermarket boss Brad Banducci said it was important the supermarket business was growing "at a local store level" to woo shoppers back to the Fresh Food People.

"Our current focus is on getting into positive sales growth and getting that sustainably," Mr Banducci said pointing to improved sales growth in April. This edged closer to positive territory, down 0.4 per cent on the same period last year, compared to the 0.9 per cent reversal in same store food and liquor sales in the third quarter.

Woolworths revealed it would sink an additional $150 million in the second half of this financial year, to cut prices, improve service and make changes to its unpopular loyalty program.
Every year, about 20 per cent of high-school graduates delay college for some period of time, about half of them for just a year. But not all time off from education is created equal. The reasons a high-school graduate puts off college is critically important to how well they eventually do in school and in their career.

For the gap year to truly matter, it can't be simply a break, a year spent sleeping in the childhood bedroom and working part-time at McDonald's. Students who delay college to work odd jobs while they try to "find themselves" don't do as well as everyone else when they get to campus. They get lower grades and there's a greater chance they will drop out.

But students whose gap years involve travel  whether to a foreign country or to a different part of their own  not only end up with higher grades in college, but also graduate at the same rate as those who don't delay at all. Research has found that when gap-year students arrive on campus, they take their studies more seriously and don't engage in risky behaviour, such as alcohol abuse.

For a gap year to have a significant impact on success in college, and later in the working world, it needs to be a transformative event, quite distinct from anything a student has experienced before  a meaningful work experience, academic preparation for college, or travel that opens up the horizon to the rest of the world. It should also be designed to help students acquire the skills and attributes that colleges and employers are looking for: maturity, confidence, problem solving, communication skills, and independence.

Too much of the rhetoric about taking time off after high school gets wrapped up in the "don't go to college" movement. It's not that we should encourage students to skip college, but we need to provide more pathways for further education after high school than the one route we largely provide today. If anything, perhaps Malia Obama's decision will encourage others to find a better way to locating the on-ramp to college, a career, and eventually a purposeful life.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has blamed refugee advocates, rather than his government's policies, for a spate of horrifying self-harm incidents on Nauru that included a young Somali woman named Hadon setting herself alight on Monday.

It was the second self-immolation on Nauru in the past week. The first involved 23-year-old Iranian man Omid Masoumali. He died in a Brisbane hospital on Friday, after waiting more than 24 hours for medical evacuation to Australia.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton at a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Dutton on Tuesday said the young woman had been airlifted to Australia and remained "in a very serious, critical condition".

'We can only hope for the best possible outcome ... It is of grave concern that this person would resort to such an extreme act of self-harm," he said.
He estimated the change to the company tax rate would represent a saving of $250 million to Queensland small and medium-sized businesses in 2016-17 alone. "And hopefully will encourage those businesses to grow and to employ," he said. Mr Pitt however said the fact that Queensland received nothing from the $5 billion asset recycling fund "was an attempt to blackmail us into asset sales." Infrastructure Two large Queensland infrastructure projects received funding in Tuesday's federal budgets.

The Darra to Wacol section of the Ipswich Motorway, received $200 million as expected. The bigger surprise is more than half a billion dollars - $594 million - for land acquisition and pre-construction works for planning the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail. This long-running project targets productivity improvements at the Port of Brisbane  getting heavy freight off highways and onto rail. But the complex issue of finding the best route to the Port of Brisbane must now be evaluated. Mr Behrens said he believed the budget had the "next two months in mind" rather than "the next two decades", with further announcements likely during the election campaign. Mr Pitt said there was "not one cent' for Cross River Rail - the business case is not yet finished; "not one cent" for a Townsville Stadium - Infrastructure Australia said it was not a priority and contained already promised projects.

Southeast Queensland's mayors viewpoint Mayors from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast and west to Ipswich generally welcomed Tuesday's budget. Brisbane's Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, chair of the Southeast Queensland's Council of Mayors, welcomed upgrades to the Ipswich Motorway and the Coomera interchange on the Gold Coast. He said the decision to push ahead with the Inland Rail would provide long-term benefits. "The commitment of $594 million in equity funding to acquire land for the Brisbane to Melbourne Inland Rail corridor, and to continue pre-construction works and due diligence activities, is a nationally and regionally vital investment," Cr Quirk said.

"The Inland Rail project will provide significant infrastructure and investment benefits right across SEQ, and create new jobs and enable new industries for generations to come." Environmental issues Environment groups said the budget misses the mark in regards to the push towards alternative energy and does not even mention climate change, despite the impact of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Fossil fuel subsidies have been increased, environment funding has been cut by 17 per cent and the $100 million Great Barrier Reef funding package to control fertiliser run-off is being "trickled in", WWF-Australia said last night. The budget includes $171 million for the Great Barrier Reef's 2070 long-term sustainability plan.

However, WWF-Australia spokesman Nick Heath said the Australian Government would pay $7.7 billion in fossil-fuel subsidies over four years. "We are saying that is sending the wrong signal as the world moves towards clean energy and alternative fuels," Mr Heath said. "Surely this is the time we should be scaling back fossil-fuel subsidies." Australian Greens leader Richard di Natale said Treasurer Scott Morrison did not even mention climate change in his speech. "His speech has a wasteful defence plan but absolutely no plan to deal with the single greatest challenge facing our economy: the transition to clean energy that would power the new economy," Mr di Natale said.

"While subsidies continue to flow to the fossil fuel industry, more than a billion dollars is being ripped out of clean energy." National Disability Insurance Scheme  to start in 2016-17 Money has been included for Queensland to commence the first phase of the NDIS, which begins in North Queensland. Queensland gets $298.4 million for the next financial year and $309 million for 2017-18, which is slightly more than was laid out under the formal agreement reached at COAG in March 2016. Resources sector

Chief Executive Michael Roche welcomed the launch of a $100 million Exploring for the Future Fund to help mining companies find new mines in Queensland. "Geoscience Australia will carry out geological mapping of mineral deposits, which will enable exploration by resource companies in areas that have proven difficult to explore in the past, " Mr Roche said. Exploration is the building block for the resources sector, getting it ready for the inevitable future upswing.



Industry welcomes the strong commitment of $171 million for the Great Barrier Reef through the 2050 Long Term Sustainability Plan. Youth employment and tax savings Australian Council of Social Services chief executive Cassandra Goldie questioned the impact of cutting $13 billion from family tax payments.
A joint operation involving Queensland Police, New South Wales Police and the Australian Federal Police has nabbed a number of offenders operating across the border.

Among them was a man wanted by NSW police on outstanding warrants dating back 15 years.

Police have held a major operation on the Gold Coast battling cross-border crime. Credit:Jorge Branco

Brandon Muthu, 42, was caught by police at a Robina address where he was hiding in a cupboard when they arrived.

He will be extradited to New South Wales to face warrants for 29 fraud offences dating back to the early 2000s.
The Queensland University of Technology did not inform three students of a racial discrimination complaint against them for 14 months because it hoped to resolve the matter on their behalf, despite being unable to represent them.

Three former QUT students are being sued alongside the university under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act over a string of Facebook posts about a computer lab that had been reserved for the use of indigenous students.

QUT has been criticised for its handling of the case. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Cindy Prior, an administration officer at the university's Oodgeroo unit, has not worked since the May 2013 incident and is seeking $250,000 in damages and lost wages, plus future economic losses.

She complained to the Australian Human Rights Commission in May 2014, but the students weren't told until July 28, 2015, days before a final conference on the matter, which ultimately paved the way for the current Federal Court case.
An ion is an atom with one or more electron stripped from its outer shell, making it positively charged. This charge allows scientists to trap the ion in very stable and controlled environments down to the level of individual atoms or strings of atoms. The new Nanoscience Hub at the University of Sydney. Credit:Louise Kennerley "The concept underlying this program is that delicate quantum states can be preserved indefinitely and put to work performing useful computational tasks," Associate Professor Biercuk said. Combined with quantum research at the University of NSW, the Sydney basin is emerging as a global hub of quantum science. Through its National Innovation and Science Agenda initiative, the federal government has granted $26 million to the quantum computing labs at UNSW, which is investigating the feasibility of phosphorus qubits in a silicon environment. The University of Sydney is looking at a variety of materials with which to develop quantum computing, from trapped-ion systems to gallium-arsenide and silicon-germanium.

"We're excited to be participating in this international project and are grateful for the substantial and continued support from the US government," Associate Professor Biercuk said. "There is extraordinary strength in advanced quantum technology right here in Sydney, and we hope that the opportunity this activity presents will fuel future innovation in Australia." The grant builds on a long history of collaboration between US intelligence agencies and the University of Sydney's quantum science group, which is pursuing fundamental and applied research into the exotic phenomena of matter at the nanoscale. Intelligence funding Talking to the Herald, Associate Professor Biercuk said that the IARPA funding is untied and forms part of the organisation's "open research" programs. Unlike Australia, where most government funding comes through the Australian Research Council he said that there were a diversity of funding programs in the US, many from the military or intelligence organisations. "These programs are not about building weapons but for supporting applied science research," he said.

He said there were no security clearances required for this funding or research. "They are just expecting us to do the research and publish our results," Associate Professor Biercuk said. The US office of the Director of National Intelligence has a direct interest in the successful development of quantum computing because of its potential to fundamentally alter cryptography. Stable and useful quantum computing will be able to develop unbreakable codes and also quickly break the most secure of existing encrypted systems. Professor James Der Derian is the director of the University of Sydney's centre for international security studies. He told the Herald that powerful technology always has a dual use. "Quantum tech can be used to break codes but can also be used to help maintain anonymity," he said.
A Couple And Their Triplets Beg In Beijing (Photo : Getty Images)

Three five-year-old male triplets were seen on Saturday at the special economic zone north of Hong Kong distributing missing persons flyers. The boys were looking for their mother who suddenly left the family in December.



The father of the three has also joined his three sons in seeking Han Xinghua, 27 years old, from Henan Province. The flyer, which contains Hans photo, a family portrait and their contact details, said the couple did not have a quarrel before she left their home.



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Han was not alone because she took her 2 -year-old daughter with her but left the triplets with their father. Speculations are that she could not take the pressure of a large young family, reported The South China Morning Post.



Marriages are breaking up in China and divorces are at an all-time high. In many cases, it is the husband who strays away from the family home, especially is he works in another city and the family is left behind in the province.



Although some couples refused to be bound by traditional Chinese outlook toward marriages, such as the 10 couples who joined the Naked Wedding in Zhejiang Province on April 24, most of marriage decisions in China are still made by the parents. This situation places a lot of pressure on children, from having a boyfriend or girlfriend upon reaching marrying age to financial pressure on the newlyweds to buy a house after the wedding.



Due to the lack of love, divorces in China increased by 27 percent from 2011 to 2014, reported Reuters.






Security has been upgraded at a meeting of thousands of surgeons after animal activists protesting against the use of pigs and sheep in surgical training snuck into the event.

On Monday night, two animal liberationists disrupted a welcome ceremony at the prestigious Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' annual scientific congress in Brisbane by taking to the stage to voice their message.

Animal activists have been protesting against the use of pigs and sheep in surgical training. Credit:Brendan Esposito

Fairfax Media understands that during proceedings, two protesters calmly walked on to the stage and took hold of a microphone to tell delegates about their campaign to stop the use of live animals in trauma surgery training courses run by the college.

According to witnesses, President of the College Professor David Watters quickly realised the pair were not meant to be there and took the microphone from them.
A former Victorian police officer who allegedly became a trusted member of a criminal syndicate has appeared in court, charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of the drug ice.

David Cameron Lister, 37, was arrested last month in Queensland, when police intercepted a quantity of drugs that were bound for Townsville, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

Former Victorian police officer David Lister allegedly became a trusted member of a criminal syndicate. Credit:Luis Ascui

Mr Lister was arrested and charged in Queensland but those charges were dropped and he returned to Victoria.

He was subsequently arrested and charged on Monday under Victorian laws, amid raids on a string of properties across Melbourne.
A fire that broke out at Victoria's oldest Greek Orthodox church on Monday is not being treated as suspicious.

The blaze at The Holy Annunciation of Our Lady on Victoria Parade in East Melbourne started about 1.40pm and was quickly brought under control.

The fire was mainly limited to the church's roof. Credit:Penny Stephens

The fire was mainly contained to the church's roof, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said.

Fire investigators and an arson chemist were expected to attend the scene on Tuesday.
A violent offender who spent time as a fugitive when mistakenly released from custody has been jailed for two years for repeatedly bashing a woman who was staying with him.

Andrew Brian Males, 37, who in 2014 spent about a month on the run when wrongly released by Corrections Victoria, viciously and regularly assaulted a woman who was living with him in an Altona North bungalow between December 2014 and January 2015.

Andrew Brian Males

In December 2014, after Males had been apprehended after his wrongful release and then granted bail on other offences, he met the woman and offered her a place to stay as she was a victim of domestic violence.

But, the County Court heard, Males inflicted increasingly serious injuries on her, until she visited a Medicare branch and raised her sunglasses to reveal two black eyes to a staff member, who contacted security.
A man has been charged with murder following the death of 31-year-old Mildura woman Karen Belej.

Ms Belej, an employee at the Mildura Rural City Council, was found dead at her Montana Avenue home in Cardross shortly after 7.30pm on Sunday.

A man is arrested on Sunday night after the discovery of Karen Belej's body. Credit:Gregory Williams

A 36-year-old Cardross man was arrested at the scene. At the time, police said he was assisting with their enquiries.

On Tuesday, the man was charged with one count of murder.
They say things happen in threes. Unfortunately for our wind-blown city, that appears to be true.

Fierce winds lashed Victoria on Sunday, and again on Tuesday, and the state is now bracing for more wild weather on Mother's Day.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kevin Parkyn has warned another cold front is heading for Victoria and could intensify and unleash winds and heavy rain on Sunday.
The rise of mobility scooters in Australia is putting people at risk of serious injuries and death, prompting calls for helmets and other protective measures to be considered.

Doctors are concerned about an increasing number of people in motorised wheelchairs colliding with cars, pedestrians and other objects on footpaths, roads and in shopping centres.

A man rides an electric mobility scooter in Sydney. Credit:Ben Rushton

Following estimates that at least 230,000 Australians use motorised wheelchairs that can travel at up to 10km/h (double a brisk walking pace), Dr Edward Gibson studied how many people had landed in South Australian hospitals because of them.

His audit found that, between 2010 and 2015, 81 patients had been injured by mobility scooters in some way, including 12 people who were not riding them but got caught up in accidents involving them.
A boy has told police of how he fled from a hooded man who grabbed his arm in the toilets of a Geelong primary school.

Police were informed after the student told teachers how he was grabbed on the arm by a man in the toilets of Mandama Primary School in Grovedale just before 2pm on Tuesday.

The boy was able to break free after punching the man and running away, police said.

"The boy has notified teachers who reported the matter to police," police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson said.

"Police conducted a patrol of the area but were unable to locate the man."
The former head of the collapsed Viking Group has been found guilty of dishonesty charges related to plans to defraud banks of millions of dollars.

A Supreme Court jury found Steve Iliopoulos guilty of 11 charges of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one of attempting to obtain a financial advantage.

The Viking Group trucking company went into liquidation in 2011. Credit:Jason South

He was acquitted on two fraud charges.

The jury also convicted another member of the Viking Group's former management team, Vasilis Bariamis, on two charges of obtaining a financial advantage by deception and one of attempting to.
The cabin crew on a Jetstar flight have intervened after a woman tried to open the cabin door mid-flight near Avalon Airport.

Police were called to the airport about 11pm on Monday after reports a woman attempted to open a door on a flight between Sydney and Avalon.

"She was arrested without incident and has been taken to hospital for assessment," the spokesperson said.

A Jetstar spokesperson said crew on the flight intervened when a customer approached the front door of the aircraft during descent in an emotional state.
A campus is hailed as "coming from fairytale" for its impressive European-style architecture. The campus of Sichuan Southwest College of Civil Aviation, which is located in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, costs 1 billion yuan ($154.5 million).


A succession of flights have been delayed at Perth Airport after the police helicopter entered the airspace as part of a ground pursuit.

Traffic Enforcement Group officers' automatic number plate recognition cameras alerted them to stolen number plates on a black Holden Commodore utility.

A screen capture of the police helicopter's flight patterns. Credit:www.adsbexchange.com

The car failed to stop for police at the intersection of Bulong Avenue and Great Eastern Highway, near the entry to the domestic terminal, just before 10am.

Police vehicles and the helicopter followed the suspect off and on throughout Perth's north-east.
Duterte told supporters on Sunday night on Liwasang Bonifacio square in Manila City that he will defend Philippine claims in the contested waters while remaining open to the possibility of joint exploration for energy assets with China.

He also said he would ride a jet ski to a disputed island occupied by China and personally stake the Philippines' claims.

Rodrigo Duterte, the tough-talking Davao City mayor who is leading Philippine presidential polls, said he will hold bilateral talks with China to resolve a territorial dispute in the South China Sea if the current multilateral discussions don't bear fruit within two years.

He may also ask China to help build key railway projects connecting Manila to provinces and for assistance with a long-standing plan for a train system in Mindanao, his home region.

Duterte supporters hold a campaign banner in the capital Manila. Credit:AP

"If negotiations will be in still waters in 1 or 2 years, I will talk to the Chinese," Duterte, 71, told a crowd of about a thousand people.

Bilateral talks would mark a departure from the policy of outgoing President Benigno Aquino, who has brought China before an international arbitration panel to try to resolve the dispute, leading to a deterioration in bilateral ties. China has been more aggressively asserting its claims to more than 80 percent of the waterway in recent years, reclaiming more than 3000 acres of land to build out artificial islands that will better allow it to project force in waters that are a rich fishing ground for the Philippines.

Duterte has said he will tout the Philippines' alliance with Western powers such as the United States to get China to accept the Philippine position, which he will stress by personally staking the Philippines' claims.
Roman Ostriakov, 36, couldn't afford anything to eat, so he stole about $6 worth of cheese and sausage from a supermarket in Genoa, Italy, in 2011. He was caught, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of 100 and serve six months in prison. An appeals court upheld the decision.

This week, Mr Ostriakov's fate changed. Italy's highest court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, issued a broad ruling that the theft of essential sustenance out of dire necessity is not a crime. This, even though Ostriakov had originally tried to overturn the conviction as an "attempted" theft, since he never made it out of the store with food, rather than argue he had been in the right all along.

When is stealing not a crime? When the thief is hungry, an Italian court rules. Credit:AFR

In a front-page opinion piece, Italian newspaper La Stampa applauded the court's endorsement of the view that the "right to survival prevails over property".

The decision, which Britain's Telegraph called unusual, seemed particularly so in contrast to the US criminal justice system's response to crimes of necessity.
IRVINE, Calif., May 3, 2016 -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported April U.S. sales of 26,195 vehicles, representing an increase of 8.6 percent versus last year. Year-to-date sales through April are 90,838 vehicles.

Key April sales notes:

Mazda achieved its best April since 1995 with 26,195 vehicles sold. This is an increase of 8.6 percent year-over-year (YOY).

Mazda3 has achieved its best April performance ever with 10,722 vehicles sold, an increase of 33.9 percent YOY. This is the first time Mazda3 has ever had more than 10,000 vehicles sold in April.

The all-new 2016 MX-5 had an outstanding first month of Spring with 1,086 vehicles sold. This number represents an increase of 182.8 percent YOY and the best April since 2009.

SKYACTIV  TECHNOLOGY proves to be the key between performance and fuel efficiency as customers demand a no-compromise solution. More than 96.0 percent of Mazdas sold in April were equipped with SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY.

TECHNOLOGY proves to be the key between performance and fuel efficiency as customers demand a no-compromise solution. More than 96.0 percent of Mazdas sold in April were equipped with SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY. Mazda reported Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) April sales of 3,392 vehicles, which is the same performance as last year.

Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported April sales of 3,625 vehicles, down 16.0 percent versus April of last year.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.
CHERRY HILL, N.J., May 3, 2016 --

Record April - monthly sales increase 6.6 percent over April 2015

53 consecutive months of month-over-month growth

Best April ever for Crosstrek, Forester, Outback and WRX/STI

26 consecutive months of more than 10,000 Outbacks sold

33 consecutive months of more than 10,000 Foresters sold

Subaru of America, Inc. today reported record sales for April 2016 totaling 50,380 vehicles, a 6.6 percent gain over April 2015. The company also reported year-to-date sales of 182,777 vehicles, a 2.4 percent gain over the same period in 2015.

April marked the 26th consecutive month of 40,000+ vehicle sales for the company. Crosstrek, Forester, Outback and WRX/STI sales were notably strong as each carline achieved its best April ever.

"Through the outstanding efforts of our retailers, our franchise was able to report its best April ever," said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer for Subaru of America. "We are proud to be represented by a passionate and dedicated group of retailers who deliver an outstanding purchase and ownership experience to our customers."

"Driven by our industry-leading owner loyalty and new customers choosing Subaru at a record rate, we are on pace so far this year for our eighth consecutive sales record with over 600,000 vehicles," said Jeff Walters, senior vice president of sales for Subaru of America.

Carline Apr-16 Apr-15 % Chg Apr-16 Apr-15 % Chg

MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 14,490 13,977 3.7% 52,917 51,613 2.5% Impreza 4,836 5,311 -8.9% 18,843 20,597 -8.5% WRX 3,096 2,713 14.1% 10,549 9,974 5.8% Legacy 5,591 5,276 6.0% 20,069 19,647 2.2% Outback 14,294 12,534 14.0% 51,565 48,021 7.4% BRZ 466 494 -5.7% 1,677 1,653 1.5% Crosstrek 7,607 6,936 9.7% 27,157 27,017 0.5% TOTAL 50,380 47,241 6.6% 182,777 178,522 2.4%

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit media.subaru.com.
Chinese OEM Xiaomi released the MI Bunny kids smartwatch on April 26, 2016. (Photo : YouTube/THD-Tech HD)

Xiaomi released a new smartwatch for kids, the Mi Bunny kids smartwatch that is making a revolution in the wearable industry through its price. Just like other smartwatches, the Xiaomi smartwatch for kids can receive and make calls. It makes it possible for parents to track the whereabouts of its wearer, the children.



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The Mi Bunny kids smartwatch alerts parents when kids wander out of the set-up virtual fence. However, the most apparent feature of the new Xiaomi smartwatch is its price, Engadget reported. Released on April 26, it has an attractive price range of 299 yuan or $46, a lot cheaper than other wearables for kids.



Dubbed as the Baby Bodyguard, the Mi Bunny kids smartwatch has an SOS button which children can press if they need help. When they do that, the watch will send their current location to the phones of their parents in seconds.



The Mi Bunny Kids smartwatch was launched as Xiaomi's first child intelligence product, according to Xiaomi's official global site. It is now available on Mi.com.



When kids press the SOS or emergency button, a distress signal will be received by the parents on their phones along with a route map automatically generated so they can immediately go to the location and pick up their kids. Calls from strangers can be filtered as a safety precaution.



Parents can set a virtual safety area for their kids, such as the surrounding houses, neighborhood or the way to school. When the child is outside the virtual fence, the parents will automatically receive notifications.



The AW8155AFCR audio amplifier, hi-fi, anti-breaking sound give the Xiaomi kids smartwatch call clarity. The kids wearable also has history record, such as the wearer's location for three months.



The Mi Bunny kids smartwatch packs a 300mAh gel polymer battery that could last for six days when standby mode. It supports the U.S. GPS and Russian GLONASS satellite positioning system.



Xiaomi has not indicated if the Mi Bunny kids smartwatches will make their way to the U.S. The Chinese original equipment manufacturer is also set to release Mi Max smartphone and the MIUI 8 software on May 10.



The following video features the newly-launched Xiaomi kids smartwatch, Mi Bunny.






Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen has been chosen as the next Minister of Health by Premier Brian Pallister. He will also assume the duties of government house leader.

Goertzen and 11 other PC MLAs who will form Pallisters cabinet were sworn in today, along with the new premier, at a ceremony held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

Cabinet members include:

 Brian Pallister (MLA for Fort Whyte)  premier and president of the executive council; minister of intergovernmental affairs and international relations

 Heather Stefanson (MLA for Tuxedo)  minister of justice and attorney general, Keeper of the Great Seal of the Province of Manitoba, deputy premier;

 Cameron Friesen (MLA for Morden-Winkler)  minister of finance;

 Kelvin Goertzen (MLA for Steinbach)  minister of health, seniors and active living;

 Ian Wishart (MLA for Portage la Prairie)  minister of education and training;

 Scott Fielding (MLA for Kirkfield Park)  minister of families;

 Blaine Pedersen (MLA for Midland)  minister of infrastructure;

 Eileen Clarke (MLA for Agassiz)  minister of Indigenous and municipal relations;

 Cathy Cox (MLA for River East)  minister of sustainable development;

 Cliff Cullen (MLA for Spruce Woods)  minister of growth, enterprise and trade;

 Ralph Eichler (MLA for Lakeside)  minister of agriculture;

 Rochelle Squires (MLA for Riel)  minister of sport, culture and heritage and minister responsible for francophone affairs and status of women; and

 Ron Schuler (MLA for St. Paul)  minister of Crown services.

In addition to cabinet appointments, Jon Reyes (MLA for St Norbert) has been named the military envoy.
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will feature a 5.8-inch display and a 4000mAh battery. (Photo : YouTube/Huzaifa Buzdar)

The minimum expectation for the Galaxy Note 6 on release date is for Samsung's sixth-generation phablet flagship to surpass what already were seen with the Galaxy Note 5 of last year and the recently rolled out Galaxy S7. The latest reports indicate that this will be case as the upcoming device will unpack with feature upgrades of desktop-class level.



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Tech blog GizmoChina reported that the Note 6 is a massive step up from both the last two flagships that Samsung has unboxed. The new phablet's main engine will be Snapdragon 823, which is a jump from the SD 820 that powers the S7 and S7 Edge. The RAM provision will be no less than 6GB, again a notable leap from the Note 6's immediate predecessors. The screen is stretched diagonally to 5.8-inch.



It is highly likely too that a version of the Galaxy Note 6 will boast of up to 256GB of internal memory and if Samsung will also bring back the microSD slot that was seen again with the S7 then the device is well-positioned to be the first mobile device with total storage capacity of more than 400GB. It is expected that like the memory expansion feature of the S7, the Note 6 will accommodate memory card with up to 200GB of memory space.



GizmoChina also claimed that Samsung's second flagship for 2016 will draw its battery juice from a 4200mAh battery, suggesting that like the HTC 10 the Note 6 will last up to days without topping up on the energy meter.



In a separate report, Android Geeks said that the Galaxy Note 6 is confirmed to unbox with the same camera system deployed with the S7 and S7 Edge. However, Samsung is said to have bumped up the Note 6 shooting prowess by including an infrared-aided autofocus module.



No doubt, the upgrade is considerable enough even as the S7 already gained tons of praises for its camera that is laced with superfast autofocus and dual pixels system. Experts have declared that both the S7 and S7 Edge are the best camera smartphones around, which likely will change once the Note 6 hits the market.



But what could prove as the biggest selling point of the Galaxy Note 6 is the prospect of the device running Android N on release date. This possibility could be the same reason that the Samsung phablet, brimming with functions and features akin to desktop setting, will debut ahead of schedule, likely as early as July 2016.


Forget the woman card, Donald Trump is about to throw down the sexual assault card.

Trump previewed his next attack in December, when Hillary Clinton called out his penchant for sexism. He shot back: Be careful, Hillary, as you play the war on women or women being degraded card, declaring Bills extramarital activities, and his wifes efforts to quash the bimbo eruptions that tainted his career, fair game.

Shes not a victim. She was an enabler, he later elaborated. Some of these women have been destroyed, and Hillary worked with him.

Its outrageous to hear a man prone to calling women dogs and fat pigs question the feminist credentials of the first woman to seriously compete for president. Yet Hillarys responsibility for her role in supporters slut-shaming her husbands accusers is a relevant question, regardless of whos asking.

Trumps trapone laid out in his strategist Roger Stones oppo book The Clintons War on Womenopens up the space between 1990s feminism and its contemporary form, forcing feminists to reconcile the Clintons various campaigns to discredit the women who alleged consensual, and not so consensual sexual contact, with the current movement to believe women who report abuse.

Hillary walked into it in November, when she tweeted: Every survivor of sexual assault deserves to be heard, believed, and supported.

When asked if that includes her husbands accusers, she replied, Well, I would say that everybody should be believed at first until they are disbelieved based on evidence.

And there lies the rub. Women whove been assaulted or harassed rarely have hard evidence, which is why character attacks are so successful. Powerful men like Bill Cosby can go decades smearing and threatening victims into silence. So what do we do with Juanita Broddrick, who claims Bill raped her in 1978 (the only such allegation, it should be noted) and whos now reemerged, pushing those claims on Twitter with the active encouragement of Stone and co.? Or Kathleen Willey, who says he groped her in the Oval Office?

Bill has always denied that he assaulted anyone, although he settled for $850,000 with Paula Jones, who alleged that he exposed himself to her. Reading through the layered past to try to piece together what actually occurred is a futile headache, but the ambiguity is apparent and unsettling.

Monica Lewinsky is the exception.

The facts of their relationship are not in dispute: A 21-year-old intern voluntarily performed oral sex on her boss. A long line of Clinton defenders then smeared her to a willing press as stupid and unstable, an aggressive chanteuse, or both.

Their efforts to, in the words of an earlier sex scandal, define her as a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty, were so successful that a Fox News poll at the time found that 54 percent of viewers rated Lewinsky a young tramp looking for thrills, as opposed to an average girl. Late night was relentless, with Letterman and Leno rushing gleefully to denigrate her further:

Monica Lewinsky has gained back all the weight she lost last year. I believe thats the cover story in Newsweek, Leno joked. In fact, she told reporters she was even considering having her jaw wired shut, but then, nahshe didnt want to give up her sex life.

Samantha Bee wouldve shut that talk down faster than an abortion clinic in Texas.

But in a landscape devoid of a mainstream feminist counter-narrative, save for Maureen Dowdwho briefly pilloried the Clintons before grabbing her pitchfork and impaling Lewinsky on it as ditsy (and) predatorythe media branded Monica a thong-snapping whore.

After 16 years of social exile, Monica has emerged into an affecting and eloquent advocate against bullying. In her TED Talk, The Price of Shame, viewed more than 7 million times, she describes the near-death experience of being the universal butt of blowjob jokes:

Let me tell you about being publicly separated from your truth, she says, her voice cracking against the memory.

As a living Rorschach test for cultural attitudes about women, thats a sentiment Hillary can relate to.

So how could such an outspoken feminist as Hillary perpetuate the same kind of savagery against another woman? Because women are not better than people. And in the 90s, a lot of women were happy to trash Monica and move on.

Bill actually picked up points for his sexual prowess. In a New York Observer story headlined New York Super Gals Love that Naughty Prez, a cabal of female literati, including Patricia Marx and Erica Jong, agreed that Bill was eminently fuckable. Their concern for Monica was mostly limited to whether she spit or swallowed. While the presidents job approval rating soared, Monicas career prospects slid into disgrace. She can rent out her mouth, Nancy Friday suggested.

Its an ugly piece of history and theres no excusing it. Today its impossible to imagine Rebecca Traister, or any dean of the modern feminist media, mocking Monicas blue stained dress, let alone a group of them doing so at a boozy on-the-record lunch at Le Bernadine.

Hillarys exact role in destroying Monicas reputation is shrouded in innuendo. She may have privately called Monica a narcissistic loony toon, but 18 years later a real nut case is trying to make her pay the freight for her husbands faults. Thats insane.

Its not fair to expect that Hillary wouldve been anything less than livid about the situation Bill put her in. Can we really blame her for being angry as he pissed away his legacy and jeopardized her future?

With very little in the way of direct evidence, we can only assume that in a two-for-one presidency she was not an innocent bystander. Still, it would be wrong to hold her eternally responsible for the mistakes she made in one of her worst moments. And it would be wrong to humiliate her all over again by demanding further explanation. Like Monica, Hillary deserves to move on from a personal drama that played out publicly and no doubt separated her, and the rest of us, from her truth.

Bill comes with real baggage, and hes certainly fair game even if Hillarys right to personhood is not. Either way it could cost her.

Trumps genius is to sew just enough doubt with young women who grew up going to slut walks, reading Jezebel, and voted overwhelmingly for Bernie Sanders in the primary. They wont vote for Trump, who a staggering seven in 10 women of all ages view unfavorably, but they might stay home.

The whole thing is a hot mess that exacerbates Hillarys likability problem: a uniquely gendered obstacle born of institutional sexism and implicit bias.

In this episode of American politics, the question of whats fair seems ridiculous on the face of it.

None of it is fair.
For the first time we have a reliable estimate of how much money thieving dictators and others have looted from 150 mostly poor nations and hidden offshore: $12.1 trillion.

That huge figure equals a nickel on each dollar of global wealth and yet it excludes the wealthiest regions of the planet: America, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

That so much money is missing from these poorer nations explains why vast numbers of people live in abject poverty even in countries where economic activity per capita is above the world average. In Equatorial Guinea, for example, the national economys output per person comes to 60 cents for each dollar Americans enjoy, measured using what economists call purchasing power equivalents, yet living standards remain abysmal.

The $12.1 trillion estimatewhich amounts to two-thirds of Americas annual GDP being taken out of the economies of much poorer nationsis for flight wealth built up since 1970.

Add to that flight wealth from the worlds rich regions, much of it due to tax evasion and criminal activities like drug dealing, and the global figure for hidden offshore wealth totals as much as $36 trillion.

In 2014 the net worth of planet Earth was about $240 trillion, which means about 15 percent of global wealth is in hiding, significantly reducing the capital available to spur world economic growth.

That $12.1 trillion figure for money looted from poorer countries has been hiding in plain sight. It comes from numbers in the global economic dataderived by comparing statistics from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, supplemented by some figures from the United Nations and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agencythat do not match up, but which until now no one had bothered to analyze.

You might think that with their vast staffs of economists and analysts the IMF, the World Bank, and other institutions would have run the numbers long ago, but no.

Following the Money

Instead, one determined person combed 45 years of official statistics from around the world to calculate the flight wealth for nearly 200 countries that publish comparable economic data.

Thats Jim Henry, who was a rising corporate star until he gave it all up to document illicit flows of money and the damage they do to billions of people.

Henry has been the chief economist at McKinsey & Co., arguably the worlds most influential business consultancy, and worked directly under Jack Welch at General Electric. A Harvard-educated economist and lawyer, Henry calls himself an investigative economist. His approach is simple: Just look at the effing data and solve the puzzle of mismatches between the various official sources.

From his home in Sag Harbor, near the tip of Long Island, Henry has painstakingly built massive spreadsheets to reveal the mismatches that indicate capital flight. He then fleshes out what the data show by interviewing bankers and bank regulators, government economists, law enforcement officials, and even some of the retainers who help kleptocrats loot the countries they rule.

Henry, a consultant on the Panama Papers journalism project, has released some of his findings at a global Tax Justice Network meeting in London. He shared a fuller set of his data with me.

Henry has been ahead of the curve on these issues for decades. In 1976, the year he graduated from Harvard Law School, Henry wrote a cover story for The Washington Monthly urging the elimination of the worlds most popular paper currency, the $100 bill. He argued that large paper bills helped drug dealers, tax evaders, and other criminals while honest people use checks and other bank services.

His proposal was unacknowledged by Larry Summers, the former Treasury secretary, and Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff, in their recent proposals to ban the large bills, known as Benjamins because they feature Benjamin Franklin.

This week the European Central Bank is expected to vote to eliminate its 500 note, which Henry recommended for years before others took up the cause. No American action is slated to ban Benjamins, more than two-thirds of which are held outside the U.S.

The Cost of the Crime

The 150 poorer nations all have weak tax systems, which means that tax evasionthe driving force for Americans and Europeans hiding wealth offshoreis a minor factor in the levels of flight wealth from those countries.

Collectively the 150 poorer countries whose economic data Henry scrutinized owe $8.1 trillion of foreign debt. Statistically, that means that all of the money these nations borrowed externally, much of it from the United States and Europe, has been sent offshore. In addition, corrupt rulers looted $4 trillion from the national treasuries they control.

Almost a third of the $12.1 trillion of poorer country flight wealth comes from Russia, China, Malaysia, Mexico, and Venezuela. Those countries are all major oil exporters, except for China.

Were all of the flight capital returned and invested smartly it would reduce human misery by raising living standards, especially by reducing child mortality while increasing both health status and life expectancy.

Kleptocrats and their retainers are not the only sources of flight wealth. A small portion belongs to business people who keep some of their wealth offshore for fear it will be confiscated. The weaker the laws to protect property, the greater the share of honest wealth titled offshore.

There are only inadequate protection of assets in these countries, Henry said. Those who earned their wealth in business shield some of it from predatory rulers, which has the negative effect of reinforcing poverty.

While lawlessness enables kleptocrats, they put much of their ill-got money in Switzerland, the United States, and British protectorates such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands where the rule of law is strong because you dont want to get deposed and then show up to get your money and discover that its been stolen from you.

Many kleptocrats use shell companies to store wealth in economically unproductive assets. They buy beachfront homes in Honolulu, Malibu, and Miami; sprawling apartments with Central Park views in Manhattan and bay views in San Francisco; and mega-yachts tied up in Monaco and St. Kitts.

Even though some of this flight wealth was stolen decades ago, only a small portion of it represents investments gains. Thats because kleptocrats value secrecy and security far more than market gains. When they want more they can just steal more.

Switzerland, Henry notes, has the highest cost banking services among major countries because many of its customers are indifferent to price. They are willing to pay to ensure their hidden fortunes will ensure a luxurious exile if they are deposed from power.

Flight wealth is mostly stashed with the worlds major banks in accounts paying little to no interest, Henry said. A growing share is also in huge storage vaults, known as freeports, where gold, art, jewelry, and other physical wealth can be kept safe and out of sight.

The purchase of art by kleptocrats who store it in vaults has contributed to the rapid rise in art prices in recent decades, as well as to keeping many of the greatest creations of mankind unavailable for viewing.

Henry identifies numerous big international banks as favored choices of kleptocrats, a subject Ill return to in future columns.

We need fundamental reform of banking, he says, so the kleptocrats do not sleep well at night.
Its tempting to mock the most over-the-top looks at the annual Met Gala (see our gallery here). But were it not for moments like last years omelet couture (Rihanna, we missed you), New Yorks premier fashion event would be a total snooze.

So while many surely thought Madonnas tits and ass hanging out of a black, bondage-y Givenchy ensemble on Monday night was too much, most of us wouldnt want it any other way. Beyonce came in embroidered latex. That was gloriousa wicked combination of sexy, chic, and a mischievous play on technical innovation.

GALLERY: How Beyonce and Katy Perry Won the Met Gala Red Carpet (PHOTOS)

Despite the absence of a literal robot at this years Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we saw a number of devil-may-care-daring interpretations of the Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology theme (this is the Mets new major fashion exhibit), from Madge and Riccardo Tiscis take on chaps--a reference to the therapeutic kinesiology tape she wraps around sore muscles on tour, she told Vogue--to beauty entrepreneur Julie Macklowes metallic-disco space suit by Philipp Plein.

The biggest takeaway of the night may be that the future is silver. Even Kim Kardashian opted for an aluminum-hued, seemingly transformer-inspired Balmain dress, she told E! News, despite knowing that silvery metallics would dominate the evening.

Balmains Olivier Rousteing also designed glowering husband Kanyes outfit, a shimmery embroidered denim jacket that Kim described as a downplayed version of her own ensemble. Asked about his blue contact lenses, Kanye grunted: Vibes.

Kylie Jenner, Cindy Crawford, Jourdan Dunn, and Alessandra Ambrosio all wore similar shiny sterling looks by Balmain. Rita Ora wore a silver-grey cutout Vera Wang gown with a feather train; Brie Larson went with a tiered Proenza Schouler dress covered in silver metallic paillettes; and Kate Upton looked elegantly sexy in a glittery one-shoulder gown by Topshop.

Poppy Delevingne, one of the first to arrive at the event, set the tone for the evening in a Marchesa gown that was part flapper dress, part futuristic lady knight with chainmail embroidery.

Taylor Swift, one of the evenings hosts, was dressed as a fembot in a short, silver-printed Louis Vuitton dress with a harness detail--an outfit that was somewhat underwhelming given her role for the night.

How odd that Swift would be so muted, while her pop nemesis Katy Perry, so long appearing to be her pop culture subordinate, emerged triumphant in an astonishingly regal Prada gown, with fabulous, sharp, tower of hair, and impeccable make-up.

And thank goodness too, for the fashion brains and bravery of Nicki Minaj and Solange Knowles. They too took the Gala invite at face value and chose genuinely challenging, expertly executed fashion that was also, well, fun. More willowy models chose gorgeous dresses, for sure, and these played with silvers and textures and looked all very pretty.

But few of these safe, and inevitably lauded pieces, confronted us as much as Solange Knowles did. And clever, shocking confrontation should be at the heart of the Met Gala evening.

There was surprisingly little wearable tech, given the nights theme, which is why supermodel Karolina Kurkovas stunning, battery-powered Marchesa dress--white, ultra-feminine and ethereal looking, with hand-embroidered flower petals--was one of the big showstoppers of the night, a truly magical collaboration between man and machine.

Kurkova Instagrammed a photo of her dress and asked fans to tweet at her, promising that the dress petals would light up in different colors to reflect their emotions. At an event celebrating innovative couture, everything else almost paled in comparison.

The kind of imagination and technical application in Kurkovas frock, plus the sheer delight in playing dress-up, should be central to the Met Gala. More than what we see on the runway at Fashion Weeks, the possibility of fashion is at the heart of this happily demented evening.

So, thanks Beyonces latex and Katy Perrys regal bitch-queen, and Kurkovas femme and sparkly petal lighting: you all win, and you win by reminding us, as a Met Ball should, of the pleasure that fashion at its most daring and inventive can bring.
Egypts oldest public daily newspaper expects the sacking of the interior minister in response to the storming of the journalists syndicate on Sunday

Egypts Al-Ahram daily newspaper published in its Tuesday edition strong criticism of the interior ministry after the unprecedented move of police storming the press syndicate on Sunday to arrest two journalists, a step described by lawmakers as unconstitutional.

Al-Ahrams editorial said the announcement of the sacking of the interior minister is expected in response to the heinous act [of storming the syndicate] that left the entire country with a feeling of sickness.

The leaders of the [interior] ministry and those who control them didnt realise that the disgraceful act of storming the Journalists Syndicate is unprecedented and unacceptable, it added.

The unsigned editorial also directly criticised the interior ministrys recent general performance.

The interior ministry has committed many mistakes in the recent period, and concluded with its sorrowful action against journalists and media people.

[The ministry] wont succeed in its malicious aim of gagging mouths and stifling the freedoms of opinion and expression, rights stated in the constitution which the security leaders are yet to read.

It added that the only way the country can move forward is through freedom of opinion, or else the state will be the first to pay the price of violations to these freedoms.

The editorial also outlined that security leaders are painting to the political leadership a deceptive picture of the state entity and its peace.

Al-Ahrams editorial also touched upon the recent arrests of youths.

Hundreds of activists were arrested from cafes and the streets as a preemptive measure after the call for protests on 25 April to condemn the countrys acknowledgment that two Red Sea islands, previously under the sovereignty of Egypt, belong to Saudi Arabia.

Security forces also arrested hundreds of youth during the protests, among them 43 journalists, seven of whom are still in custody.

The editorial added that the youth have been imprisoned without a case against them and are under the illusion that they are against the state, though we dont know yet what state the security [apparatus] means by this and what they want to achieve with these claims.

Have we [as journalists] become, along with our youth, enemies of the state? the editorial asked.

Al-Ahrams editorial concluded by calling for wisdom in the face of this crisis so that the callers of chaos and discord, as well as those who want to use this impasse to harm the country, cannot benefit.

This is the first time the syndicate has been stormed since it was founded 75 years ago.

The two journalists who were arrested, Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka, were questioned by the prosecution on Monday and given 15 days detention pending investigations on accusations of spreading false news, inciting the public, and plotting to overthrow the regime.

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When all was said and done Saturday night, Larry Wilmore emerged from the White House Correspondents Dinner as the most controversial host since Stephen Colbert. In a new interview with The Daily Beast, he says he knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

While Colbert was initially criticized for his satirical hammering of George W. Bush, a decade later, it was Wilmores relentless jokes about the media, along with one well-placed colloquialism to describe the president, that has his detractors up in arms this week. Instant reviews ranged from CNN host Don Lemons middle finger to former CNN host Piers Morgans pearl-clutching.

At the top of The Nightly Show Monday evening, Wilmore immediately addressed the kerfuffle over his use of the term my nigga in reference to the president. I completely understand why people would be upset about that. Its a very charged word, I get it, he said, before explaining to critics the difference between the the n-word with an -a and with an -er. As the host explained, it is very important to properly conjugate that slur.

After his triumphant return to the airwaves, Wilmore called The Daily Beast to rehash his experience and fire back at some of those commentators who thought using that particular word to describe President Obama crossed a line.

So, how do you think it went on Saturday night?

It was very surreal. Just purely as a comic, when youre in that situation you go, OK, this is not going to be easy. [Laughs.] I could feel the resistance in the room almost immediately. I kind of realized early on that the tone of what I was doing did not match the room. But then I also realized theres not much I can do about it now, because this is what Ive prepared.

Was there anything that you adjusted or cut on the fly, either based on what Obama said or the rooms reaction?

Oh, completely. I was was cutting jokes all over the place. I cut about 10 jokes. I was going, No, thats not gonna play. Thinking, No, probably shouldnt say that. If they didnt laugh at that one, Im definitely not going to say this one. Thats why it was very surreal, it was almost like an out-of-body experience. And I think the first indication was the Wolf Blitzer joke, which to me was more tongue in cheek than anything else, you know? I think it came off harsher than how I had initially intended it. It seemed like a hard comment, but I really meant it more roasty. Because I saw all of this as a roast, really. Like, in other words, I have nothing against Wolf Blitzer. Hes a nice guy. Im just giving my observation on that. And just trying to be snarky about it, but it came across pretty cold-blooded.

It seems like the president traditionally goes first so he doesnt have to follow a professional comedian.

Yeah, I heard that George H.W. Bush changed that around, because he followed a comic and said, Im not doing that again.

But because Obama has become so good at this, do you think it was fair that you had to follow him, especially after that mic drop?

Well, its never fair, but hes the president, what are you going to do? I mean hes unbelievable. You know what, its so funny, because first of all, hes charming, right? Hes got all that natural charm. And people like him because of that. And then hes funny too, he really figured out timing early on, probably within the first year of his presidency. And he has good writers, he has funny jokes. So its that combination of the three that really makes him irresistable.

You got a very positive shout-out from Stephen Colbert last night. What does that mean to you?

That was very cool. It means so much. Stephen is just one of those great guys. That was just very nice, because Stephen went throughI mean, people forget that at the time, it was not nice at all when he did that setand his was almost like performance art. I still feel like it was arguably one of the bravest performances. Because he knew ahead of time [how it would be received] going in. I was kind of like, Oh, they dont like this as I was doing it. I was almost caught off guard.

Like Colbert before you, your speech was received better outside of the room than inside the room. Can you talk about what that felt like in the moment versus some of feedback youve received since?

Yeah, because of the experience in the room, I was wasnt sure how anybody received it. I thought maybe it felt like that outside too. I really didnt know. And then Twitter started going crazy. And all these comments came in and people were saying, Oh my god, that was the best ever and I was like, Really? I was like, Thank god somebody liked it out there. Some of the things that people said in support of it were unbelievable. It was just so much good validation for what I was trying to accomplish. But there was a lot of negative as well, there was plenty of both.

Obviously the biggest uproar has been in reaction to your use of the n-word at the very end. Even Al Sharpton said it was in bad taste. What made you decide to close with that?

Some people are amazed, like, Why would you do this? It was a creative choice, definitely. I came up with it like a month ago. Ive talked about what this presidency has meant to me on a personal level, how much it really affected me on a personal level and why I was a supporter of Obama from that historical point of view. Part of it, and Ill be honest with you, Im offended every time the president has been insulted in so many different ways. And to me it goes back to years and years of what weve faced in this country. Ive been called horrible things growing up and all that stuff. And when I think about that particular word and how its been used against our people, for me to be able to turn it on its head and have almost a private moment with the president on stage, kind of like a public solitude, where he knew what I was talking about. Usually thats something we only do behind closed doors. But to do it in public, I thought, would be a strong way to end. And I knew it would be controversial and I was ready to accept the fallout from it.

It reminds me of the outrage after Obama said the word in question during his podcast interview with Marc Maron. You pointed out on your show that at least two other presidentsNixon and Johnsonare on record using the word in a very different context.

I hadnt thought about that until after the fact. But yeah, I guess there is a parallel in some ways. To me, its kind of the antidote to You lie and that sort of critique. Id never heard anyone say You lie to a president [before Rep. Joe Wilson shouted it at Obama during a 2009 joint session of Congress]. A lot of people I know were offended by that and saw it as more than just a difference [of opinion] with the president. It just didnt hit our ears that way. So this was a creative expression of those feelings.

The controversy also came up at the White House press briefing on Monday. Josh Earnest said Obama appreciated the spirit of the sentiments that Mr. Wilmore expressed. What did Obama say to you personally about it?

He was very genuine when I first came off stage. He kind of [pounded] his chest too, the way I did. And you know, its funny because Im the same age as the president. We graduated from high school the same year. That embrace at the end was so nice, it just felt so genuine. He was nothing but classy the whole time, and the First Lady. At the end, we were on the dais and he was like, Hey, Larry, come over, we got to get in this picture. And Im just there thinking, I dont know, how do people feel about what I did? Did I just blow things up here? I really didnt know, so they made me feel nothing but comfortable and a part of everything.
When Elham Salah first began her training to be a psychological counselor, she thought that she would be helping local women cope with the effects of domestic and other gender-based violence. However, after almost three years of working at the Jiyan Foundationa small group in Iraqi Kurdistan that specializes in womens issuesshe has become intimately acquainted with the fallout from the regions brutal wars.

Almost all of her patients now are Yazidi women who have been liberatedor escapedfrom captivity by ISIS, or the so-called Islamic State.

At first, most of my patients were experiencing abuse from someone they knew, Salah told The Daily Beast, carefully describing her clientele. It was something we have seen before.

But since the Islamic State arrived, it has changed completely, she said. Now many are dealing with violent rapes from strange fighters, and the tension in religious differences. It is a completely new set of psychological challenges.

Almost two years ago, ISIS stormed the mountains of northern Iraq, capturing and killing thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority, in what is increasingly being recognized as a genocide. While many of the men and the older, less desirable women were almost immediately murdered, the younger women were taken to areas inside of the Islamic States caliphate, where they were bought, sold and traded as sex slaves, among the Islamic State fighters.

They gave us to them, a Yazidi survivor recently recounted, while testifying at the United Nations about her experiences of being kidnapped and then auctioned to ISIS fighters in Mosul.

He beat me up, and forced me to undress, she continued, recalling her first experience being raped by an ISIS fighter. He put me in a room with six militantsthey continued to commit crimes to my body until I was unconscious.

Since the time that ISIS first captured the Yazidis, many of the kidnapped women have been liberatedmostly by outside forces. Some also managed to escape their captivity themselvesfleeing to the areas of northern Iraq that they once called home.

However, now on the other side, many of the women are struggling to make sense of their experiences, and adjust to normal life.

There is a lot of depression, and symptoms of trauma among the women, said Salah, who both sees patients in her office, and visits women living in the nearby refugee camps as part of a mobile clinic.

Some of the women appear fine, normal even, but then begin to shake, freeze, and panic when they try to recount their experiences.

There are only a handful of organizations offering psychological support for survivorsthe Jiyan Foundation, where Salah works, being one of them. Due to the dearth of services, and lack of capacity for outreach, many women are unaware that there is an opportunity for psychological support, or think that they lack the necessary funds.

For others, the combined taboo of losing their virginity before marriageand then having to be candid about itkeeps them from seeking therapy.

It is very important that we are all women working in the clinic, Salah noted. It allows women to talk frankly, and honestly with someone who can imagine the same experiences happening to them.

However, for many women, the trauma is not over. Although they are free and safefor the time beingmany of them have family members that are part of the 2,000 Yazidi women thought to still be held captive by the Islamic State.

The problem is that, though their psychological state is improving, many still have family that is still with the Islamic State [and] captured, Salah said.

Because of this, they will continue to have these feelings, these problems, and not fully able to escape.
We finally got what we wanted: after a year of tolerating annoying dual-wheeled hoverboard impostors, two different inventors have brought to market real, genuinely hovering personal vehicles that are meant for carefree gliding above the pavement.

But even without new safety regulations, hoverboards already might be in jeopardy of never hitting the streets (or the air above them). Before we ground your hopes, lets look at the two rising stars of the hoverboard world.

The hoverboard youre likely to see this year is ArcaBoard, a battery-powered, fan-propelled, LEGO-like box that can get 20 inches off the ground and whip around above the pavement for half an hour before needing a charge. Production has already started on the $15,000 boards, and theyre likely to start selling as early as this month.

But the crowning (and record-breaking) achievement in hover technology is much farther from production despite its accomplishments. The same man who created the water-propelled Flyboard is now back with a kerosene-fueled Flyboard Air, which is the closest in resemblance to Griffs high-powered hoverboard in Back to the Future Part II.

You wouldnt necessarily want to strap a backpack full of kerosene to your shoulders and lift off with nothing to stop you from careening to your death save for your own wits, but the boards inventor did just that. Whats more, he shattered the pre-existing record for longest (and highest) flight of a hoverboard yet.

We wont see Flyboard Air (which some assumed was a hoax) anywhere but in videos for quite some timeyou probably want them to make a gas tank before purchasing onebut when we do, its a vehicle capable of whipping you down the street at over 90 mph, and, furthermore, is claimed to be capable of reaching the clouds.

That one will likely cost more than $15,000, since mechanically its closer to a smart motorcycle than an electric scooter. The price tag isnt much to intimidate a wealthy city dweller, though. And anyone who hates traffic and public transit might, for instance, enjoy the idea of zipping down from their Upper West Side condo balcony atop a true hoverboard, whizzing overtop of the creeping street traffic, and dismounting in front of their office, all in the span of a few short minutes.

But its entirely possibly that the money and time saved there would quickly go toward extensive traffic fines, at least in New York, London, and plenty of other places.

While hoverboards are not illegal in their own right, theyre illegal by default in some places. New York laws ban any motor vehicle that does not fit the description of an existing vehicle description. In other words, because the hoverboard isnt a car, a motorcycle, a scooter, or a motorized skateboard, its an illegal mode of transportation. The same is true in the U.K. and several other places.

But regulating future hoverboards may not be exclusively in the hands of local transportation officials, especially as some of these models begin to achieve heights that put them in the arena of the FAA. Its simply too early to tell whether these devices will require drivers licenses, pilots licenses, both, or (because theyre deemed illegal) neither.

At the moment, whipping through downtown Manhattan on a flying skateboard is something only Spider-man villains are doing, and only in the movies. But if theres a way to avoid rush-hour traffic, it wont take long for someone to give it a try.
Larry Wilmore has spent the past 48 hours taking heat from pundits over what some naysayers viewed as an unevenand even problematicperformance at President Obamas final White House Correspondents Dinner.

One man who knows what that feels like is Stephen Colbert, who received similar criticism for his speech at the 2006 dinner, in which he spent most of his time mocking President George W. Bush to his face.

Before delivering his monologue on The Late Show Monday night, Colbert gave a supportive shout-out to his good friend Wilmore, who took over his Comedy Central time slot a year and a half ago.

He stunned that room, Colbert began. People in Washington arent used to seeing two men speaking at the same event.

The host then addressed the shocking moment at the end of the speech when Wilmore said the n-word to President Obama. But it did lay the groundwork for President Trump to say it next year, the host joked. You can imagine it, he added.

Personally, I thought Larry gave a great speech that did not let the president or the press off the hook, Colbert said in his monologue, before alluding to his own controversial appearance at the event a decade ago. I am confident that Larry will receive the ultimate recognition for his work: Never being invited back.

You can watch with me next year, Larry! he concluded.
Hoosiers are Ted Cruzs last hope.

The near-universal consensus is that without a victory in Indianas Republican primary on May 3, Cruz will have no credible way of arguing that he could still snag the nomination.

But if they give him a win, his campaign will live to fight on.

Its his hour of greatest need.

So after Hail Mary veep picks and strange alliances, the Texan has turned in the home stretch to God, Glenn, and Gohmert.

Cruz is looking to re-bottle the Wisconsin and Iowa magic, filling the state with right-wing radio favorites and recruiting endorsements from dozens of pastors.

Its a mix of strategies thats brought him success in other Midwestern states. But in Indiana, the outlook is a bit bleakerand the Cruz Crew is living on a wing and a prayer.

On Friday, Cruzs team announced that hed been endorsed by more than 50 pastors and social conservative leaders.

He made a similar announcement regarding Wisconsin faith leaders shortly before that primary, and it foreshadowed a 13-point victory there. In Indiana, though, things are a little differentin part because conservative voters there dont seem quite as single-minded in their longing for an archetypal conservative as the Republican nominee.

In fact, at least one of the pastors Cruzs campaign boasted about isnt actually sure whether hell vote for Cruz or Trump.

Pastor Kent Harting, who leads the Ijamsville United Methodist Church in Ijamsville, is listed as one of the campaigns 50+ endorsers. Reached by phone, though, Harting said hes having second thoughts.

I went and heard his daddy, and I was pretty impressed with his daddy, Harting said, of Rafael Cruzthe senators father and one of his top surrogates. I wish his daddy was running but to tell you the truth, I havent gotten to pull yet tomorrow and I havent pulled the lever yet, so well see what happens in the morning.

I like Mr. Trump, I like Mr. Cruz, and its a real hard decision to make sure which one I pull, he added.

Harting said he wants a godly president, but he also wants someone who understands business.

Its a real hard decision, and one day I lean one way and one day I lean the other way, he said.

Harting added that he signed a card saying he supported Cruz after hearing his father, Rafael Cruz, speak. But the staffer at the event who got his name seemed a bit confused, Harting continued, as the campaign announced that Harting was from Jamesville UMEa church that does not exist.

But other pastors the campaign listed told The Daily Beast that their support for the Texan is enthusiasticsome, in fact, are even fasting for his victory.

Jerel Clanney, who heads Victory Baptist Church in southwest Indiana, said hes encouraged his congregation to fast before the election.

I think that shows God there is a level of commitment on Christians part to not approach the election with an average mentality, he said.

He added that he has fasted for several 24-hour periods over the past two months, praying for Gods will to be done. And hes voting Cruz.

Ted Cruz, to me, is the one that lines up most consistently with what the Scripture tells us to look for in a national leader, he said.

If we get somebody that believes according to the Scripture and stands for conservative values, all that other stuff will be taken care of, he added.

The Indiana Pastors Alliance helped connect Rafael Cruz to churches around the state, according to their executive director, Ron Johnson. Johnson said that though the group doesnt endorse, it helped facilitate about 10 speaking engagements for Cruzs father. Those visits sometimes resulted in pastoral endorsements. Johnson has endorsed Cruz, and said hes the only candidate who comes down on the right side of the same-sex marriage debate, the abortion debate, and the religious freedom questionthree issues that are non-negotiables, at least for Bible-believing Christians.

Healthy marriages between a man and a woman which create children are the cornerstone of every society, Johnson said, and if a candidate cant figure out that issue, we should seriously question whether they deserve our vote.

Radio host Glenn Beck, a Mormon who campaigns for Cruz, has pushed hard for his listeners to go hungry for Ted on Tuesday.

[B]ecause we are the only nation since ancient Israel to have actually made a covenant with Him, it must be broken, I believe by all of us, he wrote on Facebook . I realize many will mock this theory, but in a way that will prove my point. We have become such an unholy people that he wants to see each of us, each state to choosewho will you serve?

Beck has traveled Indiana with Cruz, urging Hoosiers to support his candidacy. As has Rep. Louie Gohmert, a long-winded Texas congressman famous for once, while serving as a district judge, duct-taping a defendants head. For real .

Gohmert also regularly gives hour-long speeches on the House floor, and spoke for more time there than any of his colleagues in 2014, according to The Hill . And he has some interesting thoughts on trans people and bathrooms.

[I]n the seventh grade if the law had been that all I had to do was say, Im a girl, and I got to go into the girls restroom, I dont know if I couldve withstood the temptation just to get educated back in those days, he told Tony Perkins in audio that RightWingWatch aggregated .

Now, Gohmert has taken to the campaign trail to educate Hoosiers about Cruz. According to reports, hes joked that Fox News is the Trump super PAC, and vented that the most dishonest man in the race calls the most honest man Lyin.

After stumping for Cruz in Iowa, Gohmert had little campaign-trail presence for the senator. But now that Indiana is looking like it could be Cruzs Waterloo, Gohmert is back in business.

Trumps supporters seem skeptical. Cruz confronted a few of them who stood outside a restaurant where he had made a retail stop. They waved TRUMP signs and yelled, Boo, Cruz, and Go back to Texas, according to The Wall Street Journal . Cruz told one of the Trump supporters that their chosen candidate was playing you for a chump. Cruz also said he showed the protester more deference than Trump would have.

Youll find out tomorrow, the man retorted. Indiana dont want you.

Cable news networks played the conversation on loop as one more piece of evidence that the Texas Republican could have a bad time in Indiana come Tuesday. And the evidence isnt just anecdotal; an NBC poll released on Sunday gave Trump a 15-point lead over Cruz. And the RealClearPolitics average gives him a 9.3-point lead.
The U.S. Marine Corps has got an air force problem. Its current fleet of fighter jets, purchased from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, is in poor repair. And a new fleet of of vertical-launching F-35 stealth fighters that the Marines have been waiting years to put into action is coming on-line too slowly to keep up flying units strength.

The slow-motion collapse of the combat squadrons could, in some future conflict, expose Marine infantry on the ground to enemy air attacksomething that hasnt happened in generations.

The Marines air fleet isnt small, at least on paper. It consists of 276 F/A-18 Hornet fighters, more than two-thirds of the Marines combat-capable jets. But on April 20, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, the Marines deputy commandant for aviation, told the Senate that just 87 of those Hornets were flightworthya mere 32 percent.

Yet the Marines say they need 58 percent of their F/A-18s to be ready for flight in order to have enough planes to fight Americas wars while also training new pilots and giving trained pilots enough flight hours to maintain their combat prowess.

The statistics, as bleak as they are, mask the true extent of the crisis. The Marines keep around 40 Hornets deployed to the Middle East and the Western Pacific for airstrikes on ISIS and for patrols near China and North Korea. Another 30 F/A-18s belong to basic-training squadrons.

That leaves just 17 Hornets for the potentially hundreds of pilots who arent currently bombing ISIS or keeping an eye on the Pacific, but who still need to fly a couple times a week just to keep up their skills. There simply arent enough flyable jets to go around.

I am concerned with our current readiness rates, both in equipment and personnel, Davis wrote in his most recent annual report on Marine aviation.

Davis and other Marine leaders know have practically pleaded with Congress for financial help to solve the problem. In March, the service sent legislators a so-called unfunded priorities requestbasically, a wish list of things it would like to buy in the next years budget that it didnt actually include in its formal spending proposal. The military circulates these unfunded-priorities lists every year in the hope of convincing lawmakers to add money to the presidents budget.

The Marines wish list for 2017 includes a staggering $800 million for warplane spare parts plus four F-35 stealth fighters. Our measure[s] of mission readiness are not where they need to be and I will find the resources to turn that around, Davis wrote optimistically in his annual report.

But in begging for a cash infusion, the Marine brass have cast blame for the airplane shortfall in all the wrong places.

Theyve blamed the U.S. aerospace industry for not producing spare parts fast enough. Theyve indirectly blamed American policymakers for getting involved in long conflicts that increase the wear and tear on aircraft. In griping about the automatic sequestration budget cuts that Congress wrote into law in 2011, Marine leaders have even blamed their aviation woes on the same lawmakers theyre now asking to bail out the Marines cash-strapped squadrons.

Weve been operating at a high rate, Marine Corps commandant Gen. Robert Neller told a House of Representatives subcommittee in March. Sequestration affected the work force at some of the fleet readiness centers [that maintain planes]. There are some parts issues with new airplanes. We left our airplanes overseasparticularly our rotary-wing [helicopters]probably longer than we should have, looking back it.

But top Marine officers havent copped to the services own culpability. More than any other factor, its the Marine Corps insistence onsome might even say obsession withbuying pricey, complex F-35s that has starved the fighter squadrons of money, parts, and ready airplanes.

The American militarys shrinking capabilities have very little to do with money, Daniel Davis, a retired U.S. Army colonel, wrote in The National Interest. Rather, they are the result of internal mismanagement.

The Marines want to buy more than 400 F-35s to replace all of its old F/A-18s and other current fighters. The services is particularly enamored of two attributes of the new stealth fighterits vertical-launch option and its purported ability to avoid detection, both of which, in concept, allow it to fly in more places amid even the heaviest opposition.

Were on a 40-year path to get an airplane thats more responsive, Harold Blot, then a lieutenant general and the head of Marine Corps aviation, told Congress in the mid-1990s.

The Marine Corps coveted the stealth fighters so badly that, in the 90s, it stopped buying all other jet models and began, in essence, hoarding cash for the day the F-35 was finally available. After struggling with multiple design problems stemming, in part, from the Marines demand for vertical-takeoff capability, Lockheed Martin began production of F-35s in 2006years later than the military initially had planned.

The Marine Corps finally declared its first 10 F-35s war-ready in the summer of 2015, but under current scheduling, it will take until the mid-2030s to buy enough F-35s to fully replace existing jetsby which time the old Hornets will be even older and, probably, even harder to maintain.

Theres a simple reason for the slow replacement rate: Cost. A single F-35Bthats the Marines vertical-takeoff version of the radar-evading jetcosts a whopping $250 million. Thats more than three times as much as the Navy pays for a new F/A-18E/F, an un-upgraded version of the basic F/A-18 that the Marines had a chance to purchase back in the 1990s but passed over in favor of waiting for the F-35.

In short, the Marines budgeted themselves into a financial corner two decades ago by committing to a warplane they could not affordand which, today, has effectively sucked all the cash out of the air wings.

The cost of extending the lives of current fighter aircraft and acquiring other major weapon systems, while continuing to produce and field new F-35 aircraft, poses significant affordability risks in a period of austere defense budgets, the Government Accountability Office warned in a March report. (PDF)

Today the Marine Corps is short on fighters not because America is at war or because Congress insisted on a little budgetary restraint, but because the service wants the latest high-tech jets, even if acquiring the jets comes at the cost of the Marines own war-readiness.
Charles H. Keating IV, a Navy SEAL and the grandson of a man with the same name at the central of a 1980s banking scandal, was killed Tuesday in Iraq, his family confirmed.

According to a local Colorado affiliate, Keatings fiancee was planning to buy her wedding gown this week. Keating was 31 years old.

A family member reached by The Daily Beast declined to speak about Keating, a Phoenix native who lived in Colorado with his fiancee. He was the third service member killed in Iraq since the U.S. began its war against ISIS 20 months ago.

Keating was the grandson of Charles Keating, the infamous financier involved in the savings and loan scandal of the 1980s. According to the Arizona Republic, the younger Keating was known as C-4 and a 2004 graduate of Arizonas Arcadia High School, where he was a track star.

The self-proclaimed Islamic State broke through a line of Kurdish forces in Iraq on Tuesday and killed Keating, who was there to advise the Kurds, a defense official told The Daily Beast.

U.S. military advisers had arrived on Monday morning to assist the Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, in the northern city of Mosul, checking on their morale and defenses, the official said.

The U.S. forces were at least three miles from the front lines when the ISIS fighters attacked, the official said.

ISIS fighters appeared to penetrate the forward line and began attacking the peshmerga. Keating was shot at 9:30 a.m. local time; he died an hour later in a U.S. medical facility in nearby Erbil, the official said.

No other U.S. service members were wounded or killed. It is unclear if the peshmerga suffered any casualties. This is not the first time ISIS has successfully broke the Kurdish line. Fighters successfully attacked the peshmerga as far back as late last year, the official said.

The U.S. deployed F-15s and drones to fight back the ISIS offensive, launching 23 strikes, the Pentagon said.

A Navy official who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the casualty publicly told The Daily Beast earlier Tuesday that the service member killed was a SEAL from a West Coast unit. (The Navy is forbidden by law from releasing the name of the dead for 24 hours, pending notification of next of kin.) The SEALs team in Iraq was part of the mission to advise, assist, and train local forces. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the service members death while in Stuttgart, Germany, for a change of command ceremony at U.S. European Command headquarters.

Keating is the third service member killed in Iraq since the U.S. campaign against ISIS began and the second to die while trying to build up the local forces. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin died in March helping the Iraqi forces move toward Mosul from the south.

Keatings name will likely not be officially released until early Wednesday.

Carter was quick to acknowledge the service member died in combat but he has hesitated to do so in the past when U.S. troops have been killed. The Obama administration has continued to claim that the U.S. is not back at war in Iraq.

But with more than 5,000 troops on the ground, the U.S is undeniably part of the ground war against ISIS, which is largely being led by Kurdish forces. The U.S. advisers are there to build up local Iraqi forces that could eventually take back Mosul from the Islamic State, which has controlled Iraqs second-largest city since June 2014. But such an operation is months away, as not all the troops that would be involved have been trained. Moreover, the Iraqis have have struggled to move against ISIS without heavy U.S. backing from airstrikes.

Together, U.S. airstrikes and Iraqi troops have reclaimed the cities of Hit, Tikrit, and Ramadi from ISIS in recent months.

But even with territorial gains, Iraq is struggling politically. Over the weekend, Iraqis stormed their parliament seeking a vote for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadis push to reshuffle his cabinet. Such schisms have raised fears that the coalition could successfully win back Iraqi territory from ISIS only to have no able political partner in place to keep that territory from falling back into jihadist hands.

 with additional reporting by Kim Dozier
Russias transparency is gone. Pro-Putin radicals now attack independent journalists, famous intellectuals, politicians, and civil society activists, and the violence remains unpunished.

On Thursday, dozens of nationalists wearing ribbons of Saint George poured a bottle of green disinfectant over the face of internationally acclaimed novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya. The well-organized attackers cursed high school children and their teachersvisitors to Moscow who arrived from Russias regions to participate in a history contest devoted to memories of Stalins political repression.

One of the contests jury members, Irina Yasina, witnessed the attacks. The wheelchair-bound Yasina said that the radical activists scared her and the students she was working with. Police did not stop the criminals, that means the state approves of this shameful, ugly attacks on children and women, Yasina told The Daily Beast. Russia is closing, withdrawing into some brutal self-isolated world, where young people do not want to remember their own history, she said.

One part of the country, the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, has already closed its doors for outside observers. Moscow reporters described the republic as hell, where locals suffer constant abductions and arrests but can find no sympathy or support from the Russian authorities. A dark new trend is the abduction of Chechen intellectuals who have a different opinion from the republics authoritarian leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. The most recent cases include a university professor, a well-known poet, and two book publishers.

The veteran human rights center, Memorial, reported 24 abductions in the last three months. But nobody knows the true scale of the epidemic in Chechnya, as there is no independent coverage. We try every chance to shout to the Kremlin about the horrors in Chechnya, violence against journalists and human rights defenders, but so far we are unheard, the chair of the Committee Against Torture, Igor Kalyapin, told The Daily Beast. According to the World Press Freedom Index in 2016, conducted by Reporters Without Borders in April, Russia was ranked 148th out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom, just behind Pakistan.

Rumors are rampant in Chechnya about the detention and severe beating of the poet, writer and musician, Hussein Betelgeriyev. His family believes that he was punished for not attending a pro-government rally, and for criticizing the leadership on social media. Who abducted the famous poet and then beat him for days remained a mystery, as usual. Betergiriyev was tortured so severely that we could not transport him out of the republic, Kalyapin told The Daily Beast.

President Vladimir Putin appointed a retired police general, Tatyana N. Moskalkova, to the post of his new human-rights ombudsman. That killed many hopes for any sympathetic ear within government. Every week, I receive five or six calls from crying mothers pleading with me to find their sons, said Kheda Saratova, a Chechen human-rights activist. Not only Chechnya is strangled, the entire country cannot breathe! And now I am supposed to call a police general and ask a former cop to help with our victims detained by police. This is a nightmare.

Last month, a crowd of young Chechens attacked Russian, Norwegian, and Swedish reporters, the last group having arrived from Moscow to uncover the truth about Kadyrovs reign of violence. One of the victims, journalist Yegor Skovoroda, told The Daily Beast that a black Mercedes with 666 on the plates followed him and his colleagues around from the first day of their arrival in the Chechen capital of Grozny.

On the third day, a group of 10 to 15 young men in medical masks stopped them. It took the Chechen-speaking attackers about 10 minutes to smash the windows of our mini-bus, drag us out of it, break our ribs and limbs, and set our bus on fire, Skovoroda said. Journalists realize that there is no use to risk lives by going to Chechnya, because local people are terrified their lives would grow even more hellish if they give interviewsmore than of personal danger, journalists are concerned of causing harm.

Chechnya was not the only place where law enforcers put pressure on civil society. This week, the Ministry of Justice recognized The World Of Women, a civil group based in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, as a foreign agent involved in political activity. This is absurd, all we do is we teach women about their civil rights and how to protect themselves from domestic violence, the groups leader, Oksana Prishepova, told The Daily Beast.

Both the Kremlin and Chechen leaderships condemned the attack on reporters in March. But weeks passed, and nobody showed any intentions of punishing the attackers. Kalyapin, a member of the Kremlins Council on Human Rights and one of Russias braves activists, went to Grozny to speak with Chechen officials about the series of abductions and the attack on reporters. But somebody ordered to kick him out the Grozny City Hotel. The receptionist threw Kalyapins passport and money on the floor and asked him to leave. Later, Chechens threw eggs, and poured flour and green disinfectant on him.

Last week, Kalyapin told deputy head of Putins administration, Viacheslav Volodin, about what he and his colleagues had suffered. I told [him] that our office in Chechnya has been burnt twice, our vehicle was destroyed, me and my colleagues get publicly attacked for doing our job, Kalyapin said.

Memorials Alexander Cherkasov told The Daily Beast that his group has monitored dozens of political prisoners, and hundreds of victims of abductions, torture, and killings. The government is responsible for human-rights violations in the army, in Russian prisons, in Muslim republics of the North Caucasus and also in using controlled radical groups to attack reporters, activists, and students, he said. The list of human-rights issues is much longer than we can imagine and it seems there are no institutions left to help us.
In the recent New York primary, Ted Cruz, for fairly obvious reasons, didnt do much campaigning on the Upper West Side. So why would Hillary Clinton go to southern West Virginia, deep into the growling belly of coal country?

Theyre not exactly analogous, but theyre close enough. West Virginia, once one of the most reliably Democratic states in the country, has been getting redder and redder every election since George W. Bush beat Al Gore there in 2000. Bill Clinton won the state twice, but thats ancient history now. Theres not a state in the union that has changed so thoroughly so rapidly from one column to the other.

So the Mountain Statemy home state, in case I havent mentioned that enough over the yearswas never going to be Hillary Country. But after she said in a March 13 CNN debate that were going to be putting a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business ... well, it would be like Cruz going to the Upper West Side after saying were going to abolish the theatrical arts when Im president, and by the way were gonna close down Zabars to boot.

But there Clinton was Monday night, in Williamson. Now Williamson is way down there. Near Kentucky. Ive never been to Williamson and to be honest with you Ive never been especially close, unless you count Charleston or Beckley, the cities that are kinda-sorta near. When you grow up in Morgantown, up north, you look at that part of the state on the map for about three seconds, those corkscrew back roads and that forbidding topography, and think, Uh-uh. And its far. By about 30 miles or so, Morgantown is closer to Cleveland than it is to Williamson.

So, give her credit for that at least. If she merely wanted to be able to say that she set foot in West Virginia in advance of the upcoming May 10 primary, she could have come to Morgantown, the university city where you can find some actual liberals, or Shepherdstown, the quaint eastern panhandle burg that has liberalized as escapees from the nations capital have moved in. Shes going to gets real votes in those two places. But she went right down into the hellmouth. And Bill went to nearby Logan, where local officials announced that the Clintons were banned. Bill showed up anyway.

Both met with predictable results. Go home! protesters chanted to Hillary, some holding Trump signs. She appears to have taken it in stride. I dont mind anybody being upset or angry, she told the audience at the health center where she spoke, adding that she was a bit sad and sorry that I gave people the excuse to be angry at me because thats not what I said at all.

Well, it is what she said, and certainly, she meant it. The Democratic Partys rank and file, and more importantly its donor base concentrated on the coasts and in Chicago, is heavily anti-fossil fuel. Conversely, the coal companies themselves now donate almost exclusively to Republicans. So no Democrat seeking national office is going to support coal from this point on.

But in fairness, it isnt all she said. She quickly added at that debate: And we're going to make it clear that we don't want to forget those people. Those people labored in those mines for generations, losing their health, often losing their lives to turn on our lights and power our factories. Now we've got to move away from coal and all the other fossil fuels, but I don't want to move away from the people who did the best they could to produce the energy that we relied on.

True to wonkish form, Clinton has a plan for saving coal communities. On paper it looks fine$30 billion in investments to help places like Williamson and Logan build functioning post-coal economies. Coal is going to die away at some point in the probably not-too-distant future; the industry is in steep decline, partly because of cheaper natural gas and partly because of greater recognition of coals environmental costs. So better to acknowledge the reality and prepare for it. But of course, thats not what gets votes. Shouting long live coal! does a better job of that.

So why did she go? She may have gone because in spite of the infamous quote, it seems she might still have a chance to pick the state off in the primary, and of course every delegate counts now as she tries to race to 2,393 to shut Bernie Sanderss arguments down. Polling in the state has been as wobbly as the Mountaineers special-teams coverage in recent years. A poll back in February made everyones eyes pop out of their heads when it showed Sanders 57, Clinton 29. Then came another in early Marchbefore the debate commentthat had Clinton up 44-31. Then a new one hit Tuesday, showing Sanders back up 45-37.

The state is a goner come November. Check out Sanderss and Clintons respective favorable/unfavorable ratings in that most recent poll: 15-77, and 12-84! Trump or even Cruz will romp there. But she may still feel that she has a shot at winning the primary.

However, the way to do that, as I noted above, is to hit friendlier terrain, have a big rally. Thats usually done in Charleston, the capital. Maybe work in a quick fund-raiser, pose for pictures with the states Democratic honchos.

So maybe she went ... to meet these people and try to reassure them? Said Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, who took a bit of a risk himself by accompanying Clinton: Its easy, easy for anybody in public office to go and visit with your friends all day long.

West Virginia, southern West Virginia in particular, is in for a pretty grim future. Coal is their life, their jobs; they can hardly be blamed if they dont believe it when politicians tell them that former mine lands can be repurposed for manufacturing or clean-energy projects. That may be a lie, and its not as if implementing her post-coal action plan is going to be one of President Clintons top three priorities. But telling them their way of life can continue indefinitely, as Republicans do, is certainly a lie. At least Clinton went to talk with them.
At least 40 police personnel stormed the press syndicate on Sunday to arrest two journalists

Egyptian journalists called for protests on the stairs of downtown Cairos Journalists Syndicate on Tuesday on World Press Freedom Day to condemn the polices unconstitutional storming of the building on Sunday and arrest of two journalists.

The flags on top of the syndicates building will be lowered and replaced by black flags to mourn the conditions that Egyptian journalists are facing, the head of the syndicates Freedom Committee Khaled El-Balshy told Ahram Online.

The two journalists arrested on Sunday, Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka, were questioned by the prosecution on Monday and given 15 days detention pending investigations on accusations of spreading false news, inciting the public, and plotting to overthrow the regime.

A number of journalists have already started camping out at the press syndicate to protest the storming of the syndicate, a move unprecedented during the 75 years since its foundation.

The striking journalists are also calling for more people to join them. They will hold a press conference where they will possibly denounce the interior ministrys action and announce their next steps.

The syndicate has already called for an urgent general assembly on Wednesday to discuss the storming of the syndicate and to possibly escalate their actions, as well as to deliberate on the recent arrest of journalists.

During protests on 25 April to condemn the countrys acknowledgement that two Red Sea islands, previously under Egyptian sovereignty, belong to Saudi Arabia, over 40 journalists were detained. Seven remain in custody.

In a statement to the press on Monday night, the syndicate said that the interior ministrys claim that it coordinated with the syndicate before arresting the journalists is only a rumour and is completely false.

They added that the ministry should face the truth and confess to the crime it has committed.

According to Egyptian constitution, in order for police to enter the syndicate, they have to coordinate with its board and only enter in the presence of representative from the prosecution and head of the syndicate's board.

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Thirteen Egyptians were killed last week in central Libya during a fight with the families of human traffickers

Egypt's foreign ministry said on Monday evening that its embassy in Tripoli was following up on the identification of the bodies of Egyptians who were killed in western Libya last week following a fight with human traffickers.

The bodies are being prepared to return to Egypt.

Thirteen Egyptians were killed in the central town of Bani Walid in western Libya last Tuesday during a fight with the families of local human traffickers.

The ministry said in an official statement that the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli, whose operations are in Cairo due to the unstable security situation in the Libyan capital, was looking to determine the identity of the victims after successfully transferring the bodies from Bani Walid to Tripoli.

According to Libyan sources, the victims were murdered by the families of three human traffickers who were killed earlier in a fight with 30 Egyptian migrants.

Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman said nine bodies were identified out of 13 by Libyan forensic authorities and families of the deceased.

Four bodies have yet to be identified.

In 2015, the Egyptian government issued a warning to Egyptian citizens to avoid travelling to Libya after the Islamic State militant group killed 20 Egyptian migrant workers near Derna.

The warning was renewed later that year and is still in effect, as the security situation remains dangerous in the country.

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The Spiny Forest is like nowhere else on Earth, but it's disappearing fast.

It's a bizarre Dr Seussian world of spiky octopus trees and swollen baobabs, and almost all its species exist only in Madagascar.

The strange vegetation teems with even weirder wildlife. There are ghostly white lemurs impervious to thorns, birds that sing communally, and a chameleon that spends most of its life as an egg.

Once there were ten-foot tall elephant birds and gorilla-sized lemurs too, but they went extinct just a few centuries ago.

Unsurprisingly, scientists have long ranked the Spiny Forest as one of the world's most important 'ecoregions'. Even so, hardly anyone outside Madagascar has heard of it. The tragedy is that the Spiny Forest is rapidly, silently, going up in smoke while the world looks the other way.

Southern Madagascar is a dry and impoverished region with little in the way of infrastructure or industry. Most of the population scrapes a living from the land, as cattle herders and farmers, or as fishermen at sea. People also depend on the forest's essential resources, such as construction wood and fuel, medicinal plants, wild yams and 'bushmeat', among other things.

So why is it disappearing so fast?

There are two main causes of deforestation - shifting cultivation (also known as slash-and-burn agriculture), and the production of charcoal. Here charcoal is not just a novelty for barbecues, but the fuel that cooks almost every meal. Making it involves baking the Spiny Forest's precious hardwood trees in makeshift earth ovens, and it's a gruelling job. Nonetheless, it's a growing menace.

In 2010 my colleagues at the WWF noticed a huge increase in the amount of charcoal being produced in the forest of Ranobe. Ranobe is the richest area in the whole Spiny Forest for lemurs and other wildlife, and it had just been declared a new protected area, so we needed to find out what was going on.

I wanted to know what had driven the change, so I interviewed more than 200 charcoal producers to find out. Many had previously been farmers but had given it up - they couldn't predict the rains any more due to the changing seasons, so their crops failed and yielded nothing. Even areas with irrigation suffered, as the region's few ageing dams and canals had fallen into disrepair.
Greenpeace Netherlands has released a huge cache of secret documents from the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations on its specially created ttip-leaks.org website.

The leaked papers show that EU negotiators are prepared to drop hard won environmental protections to secure a deal, while measures to tackle climate change would be trumped every time by trade and investment rules.

In addition the 'precautionary principle' is abandoned in favour of a US-style 'risk based' approach to health and environmental regulation on chemicals, drugs, GMOs and other potential hazards, while environmental and consumer protection are consistently sidelined in favour of big business.

"These documents make clear the scale and scope of the trade citizens of the United States and the European Union are being asked to make in pursuit of corporate profits", said Sylvia Borren, Executive Director Greenpeace Netherlands.

"It is time for the negotiations to stop, and the debate to begin. Should we be able to act when we have reasonable grounds to believe our health and wellbeing is at risk, or must we wait until the damage is done?"

According to BBC News today, France's trade minister Matthias Fekl said a freeze in the TTIP talks was the "most likely option in view of the United States' state of mind today", adding that Europe was offering a lot with little in return.

"It is an agreement which, as it would be today, would be a bad deal", he said on French radio, commenting on the leaked papers. "It cannot be agreed without France and even less so against France."

Climate change, environmental protection omitted

Coming just months after COP21 and days after the signing of the Paris Agreement, the TTIP texts carry an extraordinary omission: climate change. Nothing indicating climate protection can be found in the obtained texts, indicating that where climate protection clashes with any provision that is in the text it will be overruled.

Worse, the scope for climate mitigation measures is directly limited by provisions of the chapters on Regulatory Cooperation or Market Access for Industrial Goods. As an example these proposals would rule out regulating the import of CO 2 intensive fuels such as oil from Tar Sands.

"Were our governments serious in Paris when they said they would do what was necessary to protect the planet, and keep climate change under 1.5 degrees?", asks Borren.

In addition none of the chapters appear to reference the so-called 'General Exceptions' rule. This nearly 70-year-old rule enshrined in the GATT agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO), allows nations to regulate trade "to protect human, animal and plant life or health" or for "the conservation of exhaustible natural resources".
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By Erin Schmitt of The Gleaner

A bill about the injustice of animal fighting, created by Henderson middle school students, is now Kentucky law.

Seventh-graders Sailor Stich, Ty Gatten and Reagan Fulkerson were all part of an 81-student delegation that Holy Name School sent to the Kentucky Youth Assembly.

The three-day program allows students to serve as part of a model state government and learn how a legislature works.

As part of the process, students introduced bills. Stich, Gatten and Fulkerson authored an act to eliminate animal fighting for game, sport, or financial gain using two- or four-legged animals.

"Dogfighting is illegal in Kentucky, but what was not illegal was harboring, breeding and training these dogs and using them for bait," said Fulkerson. "That's what we were trying to eliminate and it's worked so far."

Henderson Humane Society President Kent Preston helped the students prepare for their presentation by giving them pictures and information about local cases. It helped them understand the topic on a personal level.

"He told us a lot of things about dogfighting in Henderson that we didn't even know was present here," said Stich. "It's really in every town."

Not just a student project, the bill also passed through state legislature and became law after it was introduced during the Kentucky General Assembly.

The students were understandably excited about this, especially with the response online petitions garnered.

"We felt very honored when we heard that over 68,000 people signed the petition," said Fulkerson.

Gatten thinks his fellow students had a lot to do with the bill's passing.

"In Kentucky we would like to believe that a bunch of kids told their parents and that just kind of got the word out through the younger kids and they spread the news," he said.

The students' efforts were recognized by Henderson County Fiscal Court Tuesday morning.

The students are already looking ahead to next year's Kentucky Youth Assembly.

"I'm definitely thinking I want to do it again next year," Stich said. "Our teacher gave us a big list of things that we could choose from and dogfighting stood out the most to us, but next year we will have another opportunity to try again."

Gatten agreed, calling KYA a good experience all around.

"It helped us know that we could be heard and we can make a change," said Fulkerson. "I want to do that again."
Sudan reiterated its claim on Monday that it had "sovereign rights" over the disputed Halayeb and Shalateen region along Egypt's southern border.

The Halayeb Triangle, which comprises three cities under Egyptian control, has been a source of tension between the two countries since Sudan gained independence from joint British-Egyptian rule in 1956, with rows occurring at times over the right to manage the region's petroleum resources.

"We will not let go of our sovereign rights to the Halayeb Triangle," Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told the parliament of Sudan on Monday.

The renewal of sovereignty claims over the region by Sudan comes following an Egyptian-Saudi agreement signed in April where Egypt recognised Saudi sovereignty over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir.

The deal, which has been met with criticism and has sparked several protests throughout Egypt, was approved by the Saudi cabinet and the Saudi Shura Council in the past weeks.

The agreement is still pending approval by the Egyptian parliament.

Ghandour said that Sudan is planning to get a copy of the deal in order to "gauge the impact of the agreement on [Sudan's] maritime borders."

"We have adopted legal and political measures to assert our rights to the Halayeb Triangle," he said, without giving further details.

The Egyptian foreign ministry was not available for comment on Sudan's most recent statement, though Egypt did say following the Cairo-Riyadh deal that the Halayeb and Shalateen situation was "totally different" than that of the Red Sea islands.

The Information and Decision Support Centre, an Egyptian cabinet think tank, has said that while the Red Sea islands were rightfully Saudi under Egyptian control, Halayeb and Shalateen, which were once under Sudanese control, are rightfully Egyptian.

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By Beth Smith of The Gleaner

The Henderson County Fiscal Court on Tuesday approved seeking a Community Block Development Grant for a proposed Riverport water main loop project.

The meeting opened with a public hearing at which time Joanna Shake with the Green River Area Development District spoke about the project, which will cost $275,000, as well as the grant process.

"The purpose of this public hearing is to discuss the proposed Riverport water main loop," Shake said. "The Riverport loop project proposes 2,500 linear feet extension of water line that will provide the loop with a distribution system and improving the system to the industrial area which is currently underserved. The extension service will also allow redundant services to the industries in case of a water main break, as well as enhancing fire protection."

County Judge-executive Brad Schneider said, "In addition to this extending the loop ... and increasing the water pressure out there, it will also help with the Custom Resin expansion ... They're doubling the size of their facility and adding 40 plus employees."

"That's correct," Shake said.

The project cost is $275,000, she said, adding that the court will apply for a grant to fund the full amount of the project.

After the public hearing, at which no one from the public asked to speak, the court approved a resolution to seek funding in the form of a block grant.

The court also honored Judge's Scholar Kendal Hargrove, a student at A.B. Chandler Elementary School. Hargrove is the final Judge's Scholar of the 2015-2016 school year.

Cindy Williams with the Henderson County School District presented Magistrate Butch Puttman and retired educator Roy Pullam with a gift honoring their efforts to initiate the Judge's Scholar Program in 2011.

"This program is designed to recognize, motivate and encourage students that have embraced and achieved a higher level of change in attitude, attendance, grades and leadership, among other things," Williams said. "This award was recommended by Mr. Puttman and Mr. Pullam, but County Judge-executive Hugh McCormick embraced this award. We've been doing this since 2011. So you are to be commended for being here as well. What I've done is put a picture collage together of all the Judge's Scholars from 2011 until the last time Judge McCormick presented the award in February."

Tina McCormick, wife of the late County Judge-executive Hugh McCormick, accepted the gift on behalf of her husband, who died unexpectedly in February.

In other business Tuesday:

Kent Preston, executive director of the Humane Society of Henderson County, introduced to the court three Holy Name School students who led the charge to get state legislation passed toughening penalties for animal fighting for game, sport or financial gain using two- or four-legged animals. The students are Ty Gatten, Sailor Stitch and Reagan Fulkerson.

"You've got to tell us how you got that through Frankfort, because that's a trick," Schneider said after commending their efforts. (See related story on Page 3A today.)

The court heard a proclamation declaring this week Small Business Week.

The court approved the Henderson Cooperative Extension's draft budget of roughly $1.8 million.

The magistrates approved the reappointment of Kenny Perkins and Larry Phillips to the Board of Zoning Adjustment.

The court approved the payment of $32,500 to the Henderson County Board of Education for the transportation of nonpublic school students for the school year 2015-2016.

The court accepted payments from the County Attorney's Office.

Henderson resident Madison Warren, son of Magistrate George Warren, informed the court about a music CD he is making to raise money for the Hugh Edward Sandefur Training Center, Riverview School and the Henderson Diabetes Coalition.
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Gleaner staff

A Henderson County grand jury on Tuesday indicted a former local principal on a felony charge of first-degree wanton endangerment.

Buffy House, 47, formerly the principal of Cairo Elementary School was arrested by the Henderson County Sheriff's Office in February after allegedly pointing a loaded gun at her then boyfriend and pulling the trigger during a dispute at her residence in the 14000 section of U.S. 60-East in Reed.

Authorities said the gun, a 9-mm, didn't fire due to the safety being on.

A longtime educator here and in Daviess County, House was put on paid leave from the school district following her Feb. 8 arrest. She resigned on March 11.

According to court records filed in the Henderson Judicial Center, House denies the accusations.

The sheriff's office said there are no indications that House or the victim were intoxicated when the alleged incident occurred.
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By Beth Smith of The Gleaner

A Henderson man has been sentenced in Colorado to 14 years to life in connection with the sexual assault of a child.

Antonio J. Smith, 31, was sentenced Thursday in El Paso County, Colorado.

Officials with the El Paso County District Attorney's Office said Smith's sentence is followed by 20 years to life parole.

Smith, who resided here in the 600 block of Eighth Street Court, pleaded guilty Feb. 3 in El Paso District Court in Colorado Springs to four felony counts of sexual assault of a child, four felony counts of sexual assault of a child while in a position of trust and four counts of aggravated incest.

Smith was arrested in Henderson in March 2015 after an investigation by authorities in Colorado.

Officials said while stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado, Smith is accused of the sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl.

When Henderson police went to Smith's Eighth Street Court address, they discovered he was living with a woman and her 7-year-old daughter, local officers said.

City police said there have been no accusations of sexual abuse involving Smith and the Henderson child with whom he was living.

During an interview with Smith at the Henderson Police Department, he admitted to several incidents of sexual contact with the young girl in Colorado, authorities said.

After arrest warrants from El Paso County were confirmed through the National Crime Information Center, Smith was arrested in Henderson for being a fugitive from another state.

Smith was then taken to Colorado to face charges there.
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By Gleaner Staff

Northbound traffic across the Twin Bridges will be reduced to one lane Thursday for milling and paving from the end of the bridge to near the entrance to Ellis Park.

The traffic restriction will be in place from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m.

According to a news release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, a contractor will be milling the existing pavement, then placing a new permanent asphalt surface along a 1,200-foot section of the northbound lanes. The work is part of an effort to reduce wet-weather crashes occurring along the stretch of road.

Once the new asphalt has had time to fully cure, traffic engineers plan to place a specialized high traction coating at the site. That will most likely be scheduled sometime in August or September.

Starting around 8 a.m., Thursday, all northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Around mid-day, traffic will shift to the opposite lane.

The KTC asks that motorists use appropriate caution where equipment, flaggers, and maintenance personnel are along the roadway.

During their study of wet weather crashes at the north end of the Twin Bridges, traffic engineers determined that high-speed traffic had likely caused wear on the pavement surface along the curve at the bridge end and decreased the traction qualities of the surface.

As part of ongoing safety efforts, KTC officials have asked area law enforcement agencies to step up speed patrols on and around the bridges.
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Jack Durbin, Henderson

Open borders policy

will lead to downfall

It's a small wonder why illegals see the United States as a viable alternative to South American countries.

We make it too easy for them.

I'm all for the right kinds of immigrants, but when we subject ourselves to allowing anyone to come in we allow in crime and system abuse. Illegal aliens are now permitted to practice law in California. I am not surprised it would happen in California.

The move to allow illegals to practice law is another entitlement. Their education was fundamentally paid for at American taxpayers' expense. They need to seek legal citizenship first before practicing law in this nation.

The next thing that will come to the state of California will be an illegal running for governor. This is mind-boggling. Since when do illegal aliens have the same rights as citizens?

I have had it with everyone being politically correct. At its worst it causes our officials to create dangerous policies. They refuse to close our borders and they let criminals and terrorists free in our streets. They refuse to deport them.

About 40 years ago the U.S. began to drop its guard and became lax about protecting the borders of our country. America's open borders are a threat to our nation's sovereignty. As a nation, we cannot afford to allow our borders to remain open. This open-border policy the has been accepted by both Democratic and Republican politicians and administrations is not acceptable to the vast majority of the American people and is against the very ideals of a safe and secure republic. The borders, for all intents and purposes, are wide open and our border patrol agents are stretched to the limit and the border patrol and protection remains underfunded.

What might be more frightening than all of this is the fact it is believed that violent Middle Eastern organizations or Hezbollah and Hamas are crossing the southern border into the United States at a time when Iran is threatening to the people of the United States. There are many towns and cities along the border that have become virtual war zones.

America has been strong in the past because it was a nation founded upon the principles of law, a nation of justice and a nation that believed in defending its borders.

America, we either wake up from our slumber now, protect our borders and guard our sovereignty or our freedoms will be gone forever and we will fall like all the other great empires in history. One of the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire was the invasion of aliens.

In 1986, the Reagan administration, under the Simpson-Mazzoli Act granted amnesty to 3 million illegal aliens, assuming that the Congress and future administrations would enforce our immigration laws.

But they didn't. We now have 11 to 20 million illegal aliens roaming America.

They are costing the American taxpayers over a quarter of a trillion dollars a year.

That money should go to helping the citizens of this country. For example our decaying infrastructure.

God bless America.
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Frank O'Nan, Henderson

Unless your are rich,

pick Bernie or Hillary

The elected Republican officials are holding their collective noses to back Ted Cruz and deny Donald Trump the GOP presidential nomination.

Cruz is the most despised member of the U.S. Senate and with good reason. For example: helping to petition to have Texas secede from the union. Had that been successful, federal funds to Texas would have been cut off  no Social Security checks, no Medicare, etc.

The flamboyant radical then in 2013 helped shut down the federal government.

Ted Cruz initially was the state solicitor for Texas. He ran for U.S. Senate with no legislative experience. Cruz came in second of nine candidates, thereby forcing a run-off election because no one received the 50 percent needed by any one candidate. People in Texas liked the lieutenant governor who was running against Teddy, but Cruz had the financial support of people like white collar crooks the Koch brothers. Those boys have miles of pipeline and power plants in Texas. Less than 700,000 people voted in a state of over 12 million. Cruz eked out a win. Most Congressional districts in America have about 700,000 people in them.

Cruz the political accident, the most unqualified member of the senate and the senator from Texas has the super PACs and big boys of the GOP behind him.

They dislike Donald Trump because he is a loose cannon that nobody can control.

They can control junior Senator Cruz. Texas is a great state with stupid ideas. Texans are allowed to carry guns in the voting booth, but a student ID doesn't gain you the right to vote.

To me, Gov. Kasich would be the best Republican candidate for president, based on his experience and temperament. Still Kasich would be against the poor, elderly, children and women. He never mentions the destruction of our environment, climate change, global warming or the destruction that the Koch brothers and others are perpetrating.

Should you be among the less affluent, Bernie or Hillary are both better choices than the GOP people.
Mississippi River levels impacting Burlington tourism, barge transport

The problem is especially dire on the Lower Mississippi, where low water-level barriers are restricting corn and soybean shipments to New Orleans.
An Egyptian interior ministry email was mistakenly sent to journalists on Tuesday stating that the ministry could not backtrack on its position regarding its ongoing feud with the press syndicate because it would have to admit wrongdoing.

The email, detailing what seemed to be a suggested plan on dealing with the situation, was sent due to a "technical error" to all journalists on the ministry's mailing list, an anonymous security source from inside the ministry was quoted as saying by Al-Ahram's Arabic website.

The email stated that "the ministry must have a steady position backtracking suggests a mistake was made, and if there is a mistake, who is responsible for it and who will be held accountable?"

Tensions escalated between journalists and the police, who are under ministry authority, after security forces stormed the press syndicate in Cairo on Sunday and arrested two journalists who were staging a sit-in, a move described by syndicate head Yahia Qallash and many other journalists as "unprecedented" and "illegal."

The ministry email suggested that a number of police veterans should make TV appearances to stress that "sheltering fugitives" is illegal and that the press syndicate cannot be above the law.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of Amr Badr, editor-in-chief and founder of the Yanair (January) news portal, and journalist Mahmoud El-Sakka, who works for the same website, after they voiced their objection to Egypt's recently announced Red Sea island deal with Saudi Arabia.

The deal, which acknowledges Saudi sovereignty over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir and has stirred considerable controversy in Egypt, is yet to be approved by the Egyptian parliament.

On Monday, the prosecution ordered the detention of the two journalists for 15 days pending investigation into charges of "spreading false news", "inciting the public," and plotting to overthrow the regime.

Dozens of journalists have been staging protests at the syndicate over the past two days, mainly against the police storming the syndicate building, while a general assembly has been called for Wednesday.

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STAMFORD  A 60-year-old city man has been charged with animal cruelty after his emaciated dog was found on the street last year with bleeding, rotting teeth.

Robert Armstrong, of Hanrahan Street, told police he let the small white Shih Tzu out and it never returned on April 21, 2015. A pedestrian found the dog the next day on Hanrahan Street and alerted animal control officers.

The dog was taken to High Ridge Animal Hospital and then to Cornell Animal Hospital for additional treatment.

According to the veterinarian, the dog was extremely thin, having lost much of its muscle mass, and had a seriously infected mouth, police said. Many of the dogs teeth were rotten and bleeding with oral ulcers, police said.

The dog had severe matting of its fur that was irritating and inflaming the skin, police said. The fur was matted with dried feces, caked onto the skin, the affidavit said.

The degree of the mats along with the dried feces made it appear that the dog had been in this condition for many weeks, and possibly months, the arrest warrant said.

The dogs breathing was so labored, it had to be put on oxygen.

Four days after being found, the dog was euthanized, the affidavit said.

Police found the dogs original owner, who claimed to be Armstrongs girlfriend of 27 years. The woman said she left the dog with Armstrong when she broke up with him three years earlier.

Armstrong, who said the dog had not been to the vet in several years, was released after posting a $45,000 court appearance bond. His arraignment is scheduled for May 16.

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HARTFORD  After early morning negotiations failed to yield a final budget deal, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy this morning visited Senate Democratic leaders in attempt to get a new spending package before the legislative deadline of midnight Wednesday.

But walking back to his office on the west side of the Capitol Malloy indicated to Hearst Connecticut Media that an agreement was not imminent. You can report that I had a conversation, Malloy said abruptly. Im doing my best to help everybody get this job done and I just wanted to recognize that discussions are taking place and I thought this was an appropriate thing to do.

Failure to reach a deal by 12:01 a.m. Thursday would send the General Assembly into a special session aimed at finalizing a $19-billion budget set to start on July 1. The second year of the biennium budget passed last year is about $930 million in deficit, so Malloy and Democratic leaders have been negotiating massive cuts and rearranging priorities.

Democrats and Malloys budget staff met until 2 a.m. Tuesday, but were apparently tens of millions of dollars apart. Without an agreement from Malloy, Democrats who control the Senate 21-15 and the House 87-64 risk an embarrassing veto from Malloy. But without enough support from their House and Senate caucus members, Democratic leaders cannot hope to pass a tax-and-spending package.

Municipal aid, support for state hospitals, transportation funding and public school grants are all in play during the last-minute negotiations.

The fiscal problems were exacerbated Tuesday afternoon when the Judicial Branch issued a letter warning of hundreds of courthouse staff layoffs if Malloys latest budget were adopted. In addition to the 126 layoffs we announced on Friday, April 15, no fewer than an additional 600 layoffs will be required if this budget proposal is adopted, Chief Court AdministratorPatrick J. Carroll III warned in a letter to the governor and legislative leaders.

Hours later, the state Office of Policy and Management announced 90 new layoffs, including one in the Military Department and 89 in the Department of Developmental Services. That brings the total terminations in recent weeks to 775 employees.

Chuck DellaRocco, president of AFSCME Local 749, representing 1,600 court workers and public defenders, said Wednesday that Carroll has informed the union that 110 layoffs are coming Thursday. He said union members and supportive members of the public have been calling their state lawmakers.

We keep beating the pavement, DellaRocco, a state Supreme Court police officer, said in an afternoon phone interview. He said that the Judicial Branch as been handling the terminations professionally, unlike agencies that have walked-out employees with no notice.

It kind of gives us a sense that there is still a possibility that the cuts wont be as deep as people predicted, he said. But people need to make their voices heard, and contact state reps and senators and ask them to make sound judgment calls. We need people to contact the people we put in charge of our state government to make sure that they make conscious decisions on what theyre going to.

Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, co-chairman of the budget-setting Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday morning that Democrats and the governors staff have made good progress at a time of sharply declining revenue.

We had a lot of conversations yesterday, Bye said, adding that Malloys latest budget proposal, his third since February, materialized in a surprising way. She said the negotiation process includes concepts that are then totaled up by non-partisan staff in the Office of Fiscal Analysis and the governors budget staff in the Office of Policy and Management. She said that a $100 gap between Democrats and the governor had been mostly bridged.

Were trying to mechanically sit down and put things together and see it in its final phase, Bye told reporters. She said that the goal of getting House and Senate votes before midnight Wednesday remained in sight. But it usually takes a full 24 hours to print a negotiated package for debate on the House and Senate floors.

Were walking toward that goal, Bye said of the statutory deadline. I dont think we should let a deadline of midnight tomorrow stop us from getting to a budget that people can agree on. I think the people of Connecticut are waiting to see.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, indicated the closer an incomplete Democratic deal gets to midnight Wednesday, the larger the possibility that if they dont like the package, Republicans could filibuster the legislation into a special session, forcing more negotiations, from which they have been barred. We've heard rumors that they're close to a deal, but they're still far enough apart where there is no deal, Klarides said Wednesday morning. So, that's all we know right now.

Criticism of Malloys budget proposal was widespread, from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to social service agencies.

The CCM warned that Malloy would cut $73 million in state aid to towns from the States Municipal Revenue Sharing Fund; $19 million from Education Cost Sharing grants; and another $25 million in School Transportation Funds.

This proposal does not provide for significant and structural mandates relief to mitigate the impact of the cuts, said Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director. They are simply deep cuts in current state aid programs that only serve to shift the tax burden from the State onto residential and business property taxpayers across Connecticut. While ending money for school buses, towns and cities would have to pay for the service.

DeLong said that taking away the planned property-tax relief would be deeply affected by the reductions in aid.

If these state aid cuts are not accompanied by significant relief from unfunded state mandates and or corresponding cuts in other required municipal expenditures, the overwhelming result will be a tax transfer from the State to towns and cities, DeLong said. CCM and municipal leaders will be deeply disappointed if that is the result.

kdixon@ctpost.com;
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NORWALK  Mac It, which bills itself as 'The Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese Experience,' opened three years ago at 8 Main St. Yet some residents still don't know it's there.

"We hear a lot of people say, 'I didn't know you were here. I live around the corner," owner Teresa Dozier told a representative of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Monday. " 'I live down the street. I live across the street and I didn't know you were here,'" Dozier said. "Those are some of our challenges."

On Monday, Dozier and two other Main Street businesses were visited by elected officials and Frank Alvarado, senior area manager/veterans affairs officer for the SBA Connecticut District Office in Bridgeport, as part of National Small Business Week (May 1 through May 7).

While Dozier has a website and uses social media, more help is available from SCORE, a nonprofit association that helps small businesses, as well as from the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, a partnership between the SBA, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the University of Connecticut, Alvarado said.

"There are business advisers that would come here and meet with (Dozier)," Alvarado said. "We would set her up with the adviser that is assigned to this town to make sure that she gets the help she needs."

He said such help is free of charge and handed Dozier a copy of the Connecticut edition of the SBA's 2016 Resource Guide for Small Business.

Alvarado, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Norwalk Mayor Harry W. Rilling also toured Muro's Original New York Bakery & Deli at 52 Main.

"We're here to support small businesses because they're the lifeblood of our economy," Blumenthal said.

Rilling thanked the business owners for their long-time commitment to Norwalk.

He said parking remains the complaint he most commonly hears from Wall Street neighborhood businesses. He attributes that to ongoing redevelopment.

"Other than that, I really don't hear many challenges from our small businesses," Rilling said. "We give them plenty of support. We meet with them whenever they need to meet. We have the small business seminars."

The Muro family has run the bakery for much of the last half century. Co-owner Ken Muro said competition -- from other bakeries and grocery stores -- is his biggest challenge.

"There's not too many of the mom-and-pop bakeries around," Muro said. "The supermarkets kind of put a little bit of a hit on us, but the people that want fresh-baked, homemade stuff, they know where to come."

Muro and Philip Kydes, owner of Steve's Market at 69 Main St., both welcomed new residential development in the Wall and Main Street neighborhoods as a boon to their businesses while acknowledging they've also changed over the years.

New York Bakery continues to hand bake its products on site but added a deli to the premises.

Steve's Market stopped selling fresh lamb but still offers what Kydes describes as the largest selection of imported Greek products in Connecticut as well as non-Greek items.

"It's become homogenized. They've blended, which is what we want anyway in America -- this is a melting pot," Kydes said. "So they eat Greek food, they eat American food, they eat Italian food. That's why we also had to expand which is what we did and that's how we survived."

Elizabeth L. Stocker, Norwalk's director of economic development, and Brian Griffin, vice president of The Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, also participated in the tour.
NORWALK -- City Hall will no longer be home to a controversial mural depicting African-American slaves working along the Mississippi River in the 19th century.

"The issue is it being in City Hall. All throughout this process we've been trying to figure out where it could go," said Mayor Harry W. Rilling. "We haven't identified a place yet but, having said that, we don't need to wait until we can find a place for it to go before we can take it down."

Rilling said the decision to remove the mural was made by himself, Norwalk Historical Commission Chairman David G. Westmoreland and Norwalk Human Relations Director Adam J. Bovilsky.

More than 60 residents, including members of Norwalk's African-American Community, attended a public hearing on the mural before the Human Relations Commission at City Hall last Thursday evening. Most speakers labeled the mural inappropriate for City Hall.

"When I come into City Hall I would like to look at positive pictures of our history and not negative," South Norwalk resident Martha Dumas told the commission. "This picture belongs in an art museum and not in City Hall."

Rilling said he felt uncomfortable when he first saw the mural and that his discomfort has only grown as a result of the recent debate.

"When I first saw the mural -- before this issue even arose -- I felt a little uncomfortable looking at the way the African-American young people were depicted," Rilling said. "When this (debate) all came out, it made me more sensitive to the feelings of the people who were offended by it."

The mural, created by local artist Justin C. Gruelle in 1937 as part of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, shows young African-Americans carrying the luggage of white riverboat passengers.

Gruelle based his mural on Mark Twain's book "Life on the Mississippi," which was published in 1883 and depicted Southern trade in the late 1850s.

Rilling said the mural will be placed into temporary storage as a new home for it is found.

"We have to get a price on taking it down, because it has to be lowered down through the atrium. It won't fit into the elevator," Rilling said.

The mural measures roughly 3 by 12 feet.
NORWALK -- The Norwalk Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) late Monday evening adopted a $337.3 million operating budget to run city schools and departments for the fiscal year starting July 1.

"This budget that was adopted right now is, I think, a very frugal budget while fully funding our Board of Education, which was important to everybody on the BET," Mayor Harry W. Rilling, ex-officio member of the tax board, said afterward. "I think also it treated our taxpayers responsibly and resulted in about a 0.3 percent mill rate increase."

The budget stands to boost the mill rate on the annual property tax bill on the median-assessed single-family home in Norwalk by about 0.3 percent, according to the Norwalk Department of Finance.

The budget adoption came after a closed-door discussion in which tax board members considered ways to make up for an anticipated loss in state aid.

"We don't know what the answer coming out of Hartford is going to be," Rilling said. "But we are mandated by charter to pass the (city) budget tonight. So we had no choice but to pass the budget. We did discuss some contingency plans to deal with any cuts that many come out of Hartford and we're prepared to move on those and make the tough decisions we have to make later on."

Rilling said he could not elaborate on what those decisions might be.

"I don't want to get into what-ifs right now," he said.

State lawmakers are considering various plans to close a nearly $1 billion shortfall in Connecticut's budget, and Norwalk and other municipalities on Monday remained unsure how their projected state aid would fare.

At this point, Norwalk is anticipated to get $20,729,968 in state aid and other intergovernmental revenue.

The bottom line of Norwalk's newly adopted 2016-17 operating budget stands at $337,324,141. The amount stands $45,286 below the expenditures cap set by the Common Council, even after the board added $189,408 in spending for items left open in the tentative budget.

Rilling cited contingency funding as the reason for the executive session meeting before the tax board voted on the budget. Contingency is money set aside for, among other things, unresolved labor contracts. Most of the city's contracts with its unions expire June 30.

"Generally, you're allowed to go into executive session for anything that directly relates to how you negotiate contracts," Council President Bruce I. Kimmel, an at-large Democrat, said outside the meeting doors. "Right now, everything is up in the air vis-a-vis Hartford and Norwalk. It's still being worked out. What we want to do is anticipate some kind of reduction in our (state aid) from Hartford, so we're preparing by looking at different accounts, one of which is contingency."
A open house will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, May 3) for the Habitat for Humanity Home built by about a dozen students in Northwest High Schools carpentry class.

Northwest High School carpentry instructor Keith Dubas said the students worked on the home starting near the beginning of the 2015-16 school year before finishing the work this spring. Dubas said that students did all the work on the house at the corner of Fourth Street and Sherman Avenue, except for the work that needed licensed professionals such as plumbers and electricians.

He said there is no formal program for the open house, which is intended to let friends, parents, grandparents, siblings and other family members see the work done by students. Dubas said he anticipates some of the neighbors to the Habitat for Humanity Home will also use the open house to tour the new home. Dubas said he had one student, Brad Schmidt, in his carpentry program for three semesters. As a result, Schmidt actually got to see two two Habitat for Humanity Homes completed during his time at Northwest High School. He said Schmidt is scheduled to attend the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis next year.

Dubas said the carpentry class has alternated between building Habitat for Humanity Homes and spec homes, which are built and then put on the market to find a buyer. He said Northwest carpentry students are scheduled to build a spec home near Northwest High School during the 2016-17 school year.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told a US congressional delegation in Cairo on Tuesday that the issue of human rights and freedoms in Egypt should not be approached from a "Western perspective" due to differences in challenges and domestic and regional conditions.

Egypt's government is currently facing domestic and international criticism over what numerous rights groups and media outlets have described as human rights abuses and a clampdown on press freedoms.

El-Sisi had said last month in response to the criticism that he understands some Western concerns over the human rights situation, but urged critics to bear in mind that Egypt faces "persistent attempts from evil powers" that aim to isolate the country.

In an official statement by the presidency, spokesman Alaa Youssef said that El-Sisi stated during a meeting with the US delegation  headed by the chairman of the US House Committee on Homeland Security Michael McCaul  that the Egyptian government was committed to the rule of law and upholding the values of democracy.

El-Sisi also stressed Egypt's commitment to cooperating with the US to accomplish mutual goals, especially in light of the challenges the region is currently facing, particularly the threat of terrorism.

The president also talked during the meeting  which was attended by Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and the US ambassador to Cairo R. Stephen Beecroft  about domestic developments and the ongoing efforts to provide security and stability for the Egyptian people.

The congressional delegation arrived in Cairo on Monday for talks with Egyptian officials on bilateral ties and counterterrorism efforts.

Congressman McCaul expressed the US' appreciation of its strategic relationship with Egypt, stressing the importance of Egyptian stability for the US.

Presidency spokesman Youssef added that other members of the congressional delegation praised Egypt's accomplishments in maintaining security, stability and national unity at a time when the region is facing crisis.

According to the spokesman, the meeting involved discussions on countries in the region facing civil conflicts, with El-Sisi stressing the importance of finding political solutions in a way that preserves the countries' national institutions.

El-Sisi warned of the consequences of the "fall of nation states" in the region and the impact that would have on the spread of terrorist groups in the Middle East.

Last month, a congressional delegation headed by US Speaker of the House Paul Ryan met with El-Sisi and parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al on security issues and bilateral cooperation.

The United States provides Egypt with $1.3 billion in military aid annually, with the 2016 package including $150 million in economic assistance.

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Then on Friday afternoon, Trump is expected to be in Omaha for a campaign rally, according to a source familiar with the planning. Details have not been announced.
Gerald L. Kuszak, 66, of Grand Island passed away Sunday, May 1, 2016, at CHI Health St. Francis Skilled Care.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, rosary at 1 p.m. with visitation prior. the Rev. Todd Philipsen will officiate. Burial will follow at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

All Faiths Funeral Home is serving the family. More details will appear later.
It is 50 years late, but it is not too late to give the Vietnam veterans the homecoming they deserve. Please join the Hall County Hero Flight Committee and volunteers today at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport at 5 p.m. to welcome home the first Vietnam Hero Flight.

Many of these veterans have difficult memories of their homecoming from Vietnam. We cant change that, but we can show them times have changed and Hall County appreciates all they sacrificed for our freedom. They will never forget their friends who did not come home. Lets show them how glad we are they did come home.

The Hero Flight is participating in Go Big Give. Your donation to Go Big Give will fund the next flight, planned for May 2017. Thank you to all our generous donors who have funded the flights for World War II, Korean and now Vietnam veterans possible. We live in a great place.
Members of Egypt's Journalist Syndicate are expected to head on Wednesday to the syndicate headquarters in Cairo to attend an "urgent" general assembly meeting over the Sunday storming of the syndicate building by police to arrest two journalists.

The syndicate, which includes more than 8,000 registered journalists who work for state-owned and private news outlets, condemned the arrest of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka on Sunday.

The prosecution ordered that the two be detained for 15 days pending investigation into charges of plotting to overthrow the regime and spreading false news.

Badr and El-Sakka, who run the progressive news website Yanair (January), were among dozens of activist and journalists who were ordered arrested a few days before the 25 April protests against the recent Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea island agreement.

According to the press syndicate, 46 journalists were arrested while covering the protests. Most of them were released a few hours later.

The arrest of Badr and El-Sakka has caused outrage among journalists and activists, who describe the move as "unprecedented and unconstitutional."

"We condemn this barbaric attack and this flagrant assault on our journalists and we call for the immediate sacking of the interior minister," the syndicate said in a statement on Monday.

However, the interior ministry attempted to defend its position on Monday by saying that "the two journalists are accused of inciting violation of the protest law, disrupting security and attempting to destabilise the country as they sought to use the syndicate building to avoid arrest."

The ministry explained that it received approval from the prosecution before entering the syndicate building and that all arrest procedures were legal.

However, syndicate chairman Yehia Qallash told CBC channel shortly after the arrest that "security forces should have informed the syndicate beforehand."

Press freedom

Journalists protested on the stairs of syndicate building on Tuesday, which marked World Press Freedom Day, while other activists were prevented from entering the syndicate's street by police, who insisted that only syndicate members were allowed to enter.

Among those prevented from entering were Mona Mina, board member of the Doctors Syndicate, and members of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party.

The press syndicate released a statement earlier Tuesday titled "Our dignity is part of our freedom," detailing the state of journalism in Egypt.

"Currently, there are 29 Egyptian journalists in jail, either sentenced to prison or facing trial," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, the Committee to Protect Journalists has listed Egypt as second after China in the number of jailed journalists, it said, adding that security forces stormed the premises of many news outlets and 14 gag orders have been imposed in different cases.

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Linkedin Christian Guntur Lebang and Muhamad Arif (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

In the wake of a series of armed piracy incidents and kidnappings by gunmen believed to have ties to the southern Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are contemplating conducting joint maritime patrols in the increasingly piracy-prone waters of northeast Kalimantan.



At the time of writing, 14 Indonesian and four Malaysian seamen remain held hostage. Joint patrols by littoral states are indeed a prospective and necessary solution to combat piracy and other transnational maritime security challenges in the sea off Kalimantan.



Southeast Asian countries have shown the merits of joint patrols in tackling piracy. The Malacca Strait Sea Patrols ( MSSP ) conducted jointly by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore since 2004 have significantly reduced the number of piracy attacks in the busy sea lane. And despite a lack of effectiveness of the aerial surveillance component of the operation, known as Eye in the Sky, the MSSP remains one of the most successful multilateral joint maritime operations ever conducted.



Notwithstanding the success of the joint patrol in the Malacca Strait as a lesson learned, a joint patrol in the sea off Kalimantan would be a challenging task with different factors to take into account.



First, bilateral disputes over territories adjacent to the area of operation could pose difficulties for the joint patrol plan. A dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia over the resource-rich area of the Ambalat block has remained unresolved. Indonesian officials indeed often use the potential conflict over Ambalat as justification for military modernization and deployment.



Meanwhile, Malaysia and the Philippines are still struggling to settle the long-standing territorial dispute over the eastern part of the state of Sabah, over which the Philippines retains a dormant claim through the heritage of the Sultanate of Sulu. There has also been concern over Abu Sayyaf working together with the Sulu Sultan family in their stronghold in the southern Philippines. Thus, Malaysia could make use of the planned joint patrol as a means to prevent a southern Philippines-based incursion on Sabah, like what happened in 2013 during the incident known as the Lahad Datu standoff, which Manilla would dislike.



Second, the ongoing geopolitical development in the South China Sea might also further complicate the plan for a joint patrol. Although the area of operation itself is not within the waters it claims, China might be anxious about the prospect of a joint operation between littoral states near its claimed territorial waters. Moreover, the very prospect of claimant states working together could be disturbing for Beijing, which has been trying to maintain a divided Southeast Asia as far as the territorial disputes in the South China Sea are concerned.



Finally, the plan for a joint maritime patrol, in its development, might hit a concrete wall of non-intervention principles adhered to by ASEAN member states. In this regard, it is important to note that most of the piracy attacks recently occurred in the territorial waters of the Philippines. The call for a joint patrol, thus, could be interpreted in Manila as external parties scrutinizing its inability to secure its territory, a move considered taboo among ASEAN member states.



Challenges notwithstanding, a joint patrol by littoral states is a necessary solution to combat piracy in the sea off Kalimantan. Piracy, like other contemporary maritime security challenges, is transnational in nature. Pirates emerge not to face and defeat states but rather to disrupt the increasingly globalized trading system upon which states now rely ( Till, 2004 ).



Indeed, the waters off Kalimantan are home to a sea lane that carries US$40 billion worth of cargo each year, including 70 percent of the Philippines coal needs imported from Indonesia. Piracy attacks would not only damage states whose nationals are taken hostage but also other countries across the region that rely upon secured, uninterrupted sea-based shipping for their economic development.



The increasingly globalized system, coupled with the rise of transnational maritime threats like piracy, require a paradigm shift in how states develop, deploy and operate their maritime capabilities. Gone are the days of focusing on the fleet-on-fleet operations to secure sea control for whatever purpose that will serve the interests of the power that controls it ( Till, 2004 ). Rather, the days have come for states to focus more on a cooperative approach to secure the sea for everyone but the enemies of the system to use ( Till, 2004 ).



Against this background, the following recommendations should be taken into account by officials deliberating the plan to conduct joint maritime patrols in northeastern Kalimantan waters.



First and foremost, it is crucial to make clear from the beginning that the joint patrol will be conducted by coast guards rather than navies. This is particularly important as the deployment of white hulls has been generally considered less sensitive compared to grey hulls.



Moreover, officials from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines should be aware that pirates, although based on a certain country, do not consider states boundaries the way government officials see them. Therefore, the possibility of cross-boundary patrols, particularly in the event of hot pursuit, should be anticipated. The establishment of a hotline to communicate the movement of patrolling ships and give prior notice before chasing a vessel into other states territorial waters is necessary.



The different broader geostrategic interests of the participating states and the close proximity of the area of operations to the disputed South China Sea, in which rivalry between great powers is ongoing, could also be mitigated by making the joint patrol as inclusive as possible. It is important in this regard for participating states to invite external parties, particularly external major powers, to contribute to the plan by providing capability-building measures.



The development of capabilities to conduct maritime domain awareness could be one of the avenues for cooperation with external parties. The effectiveness of the joint patrol could be further enhanced by calculating the patterns of piracy attacks.



It has already been noted that piracy attacks in the sea off Kalimantan are conducted using small yet fast vessel-attacking tug boats. In order to increase the rate of success, the pirates usually conduct their business when the weather is clear and waters are calm.



Moreover, it should also be noted that unlike in the Malacca Strait, Philippine pirates have been known to be based in scattered islands in the southern part of the country. In this regard, again, maritime domain awareness and intelligence-sharing mechanisms would be particularly important.



Finally, for Indonesia, the plan to conduct joint patrols should provide momentum to enhance its coast guarding capabilities in terms of assets deployed as well as regulations. Better coordination among agencies with coast guarding mandates should be achieved in order to build a robust and effective maritime security and policing system.



***

Christian Guntur Lebang is an alumnus of the School of International Relations, University of Indonesia ( UI ). Muhamad Arif is a researcher at The Habibie Centers ASEAN Studies Program and a lecturer at UIs School of International Relations. The views expressed are their own.

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We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Asmara Wreksono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Four days after its nationwide premiere, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 (Whats Up with Cinta 2/AADC2) passed the one million viewers mark and became one of the most successful productions of Miles Films.

Producer Mira Lesmana thanked fans via her Twitter account on Monday, Once more, thank you Indonesian moviegoers for the reunion with #AADC2 and for the appreciation.

AADC2 features Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra, who also starred in the previous movie as Cinta and Rangga. The pairs onscreen unresolved love story was initially left open-ended back in 2002, and ten years later the idea of a sequel appeared when the cast gathered for the movies 10th anniversary.

In a previous interview with thejakartapost.com, Mira said the casts undeniable chemistry was what inspired her to make a sequel.

That anniversary event was the time we saw them [the cast] together again and there was still great chemistry. At the same time, I also saw interesting personal development in them. Seeing them together, looking at the chemistry, seeing mature Cinta and the gang, mature Rangga, was when the idea came up, she said.

To date, Miles Films has garnered significant success from its iconic past movies such as 2000's Petualangan Sherina (Sherina Adventures) with 1 million viewers, 2002's Ada Apa Dengan Cinta with 2 million viewers, 2008's Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops) with 4.6 million viewers and 2009's Sang Pemimpi (The Dreamer) with 2.5 million viewers.

Watch thejakartapost.com's exclusive interview with the movie creators Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza and actors Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra at the Miles Films office here. (asw)
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Linkedin Asmara Wreksono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Actress Claire Danes quite literally illuminated the red carpet wearing an old-Hollywood style pale blue ball gown at the Met Ball 2016 in New York on Monday.

The well-designed strapless dress, designed by Zac Posen, was fitting for the event themed "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology". The designer, known for incorporating tech into fashion, began to collaborate with female coders through Googles Made with Code initiative back in 2015.

While his past creations feature LED animation on dresses, Posen sourced fiber optic-woven organza from France Danes Cinderella gown. Thirty battery packs cleverly sewn into the dress structure worked to power the bodice and wide skirt.

"I went through a sequence of stages; from the process of draping this gown to playing with motion and structure to capture the emotional engineering. The gown is hollow underneath with no tulle  holding its own structure, Posen said in a statement.

The Met Gala, also known as Met Ball, is a black-tie annual benefit event held on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume (Fashion) Institute in New York City. This year, The Met Gala was sponsored by Apple.
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Linkedin Joyce Teo (The Straits Times/Asia News Network)  Tue, May 3, 2016

Urban living can have lasting effects on the health of skin and it is not just ultraviolet (UV) light that can wreak havoc on the body's first line of defence.

Other pollutants, toxins and chemicals in the urban environment, along with the impact of urban lifestyle, such as increased stress, can all affect the skin, a recent study comparing rural and urban Beijing residents showed.

Chronic exposure to these pollutants led ultimately to tissue damage, according to the study of 206 women aged between 30 and 45 who had lived in the rural (Mi Yun) and urban (Shi Jing Shan) areas for at least 10 years.

It found the urban residents tended to sleep longer, drink more water, wash off make-up nightly and use skincare products more often. Yet, they had poorer skin hydration than those living in the rural areas.

Rural residents showed higher photodamage - including fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation - but better skin hydration, as their skin was less dry and dull.

The results of the study, presented at several academic conferences, were shared at the Singapore International Conference on Skin Research last week.

Such research could be vital as more people flock to live in cities.

Right now, more than half the world's population is urban and this proportion is expected to grow.

"It's still early days but the study tells us there's something else besides UV that may be impacting skin," said Dr John Oblong, principal scientist at Procter & Gamble, which funded the study. He presented the study and was a panellist at the conference discussion.

"Urban living is beyond what the environment is. There's stress, maybe that could be one factor."

Also, besides the known vehiclular and industrial pollutants, there could be others that people are not aware of, said Associate Professor Paul Bigliardi, a senior principal investigator at A*Star's Institute of Medical Biology, another panellist at the discussion.

For instance, some buildings are using more and more fragrances to overcome unpleasant odours, he said. These fragrances are modern pollutants that we do not even think about.

Some dermatologists outside of the conference agree that pollutants from the urban environment may have a detrimental effect on the skin. "External pollutants initiate oxidative stress, which can damage the skin barrier," Dr Derrick Aw, head and senior consultant (dermatology) at National University Hospital, told Mind & Body.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's ability to counteract the harmful effects of these molecules. In urban cities, it is not just the outdoors that has air pollutants; there are also indoor air pollutants which can come from tobacco smoke, stoves, furniture, animal dander, mould spores and bacteria, Dr Aw added.

Dr Tan Kian Teo of Skin Physicians at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre told Mind & Body that the main environmental factors that damage skin in general are ultraviolet light, cigarette smoke and ambient ozone.

Ambient ozone air pollution at ground level is an important component of smog, he said.

Another adverse factor is smoke haze from forest fires, which affects people in any environment, urban or rural.

Indeed, studies have shown that haze can contribute to the premature ageing of skin and exacerbate inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and acne, Dr Stephanie Ho, a consultant dermatologist with her own practice at Pacific Plaza, said.

The sun, smoking and haze can also hasten the formation of wrinkles and lead to premature ageing, she said.

For those with skin conditions like eczema, the effect of urban living on their skin can be more pronounced. Certain pollutants may even trigger the condition.

Many clinical studies have linked the exposure to air pollutants to the development and aggravation of eczema, a common, chronic itchy skin condition that usually begins in childhood, said Dr Aw.

"For example, international studies demonstrated that babies who are exposed just before and just after birth to environmental tobacco smoke, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter could more likely develop eczema," he said.

But many things remain unknown, such as the exact hazardous element in the various urban pollutants, the amount of exposure to air pollutants that will cause clinically significant abnormalities in the skin and who will be more susceptible to such influences, Dr Aw added.

To counteract the effects of these environmental pollutants, use sun screen and topical formulations with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, niacinamide and reservatrol, said Dr Tan.
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

It was in the afternoon on March 25 when 10 Indonesian sailors on board tugboat Brahma 12 and barge Anand 12, en route to the Philippines, noticed two speedboats approaching their vessels. They felt no suspicion or alarm, as the approaching men were all decked out in the uniform of the Philippine national police, crewmember Julian Philip said on Monday.

"We initially thought they were from the official authorities," said the native of Minahasa regency in North Sulawesi.

However, as the vessels drew up, the men on the speedboats jumped onto the Indonesian vessels, wielding M14 and M16 guns, their bodies draped with reload bullets.

From then, the crews knew their vessels were being hijacked, Julian said. The hijackers then proceeded to tie up all people on board; several crewmen were tied with ropes while others were placed in handcuffs.

"We begged them to release us from our bindings; we said we wouldn't fight back and would follow their orders," said the deck officer of the Brahma 12, speaking to reporters at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta.

They were eventually released from their bounds. The hijackers then attached the two vessels to their speedboats and headed eastward toward Tawi-Tawi Island in the Sulu Archipelago in the southwestern Philippines.

Along the way, the militants ordered for the barge, which was carrying 7,000 tons of coal, to be detached. By the time they had reached the northern part of Tawi-Tawi, they had also abandoned the tugboat.

Julian and his nine colleagues were split up four days into the captivity and the groups continuously moved locations every few days, supposedly for their own safety, according to their captors.

"Our safety was maintained. Perhaps they didn't want any of the hostages to do because they thought that if one were to die, they wouldn't receive any ransom money," Julian conjectured.

His and his fellows release came as a surprise.

"We were just suddenly put in a car, dropped off at a location and told to find the governor's house," Julian said, explaining the story behind their sudden arrival at the house of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II.

A helicopter then took the 10 men to the city of Zamboangan where they were officially questioned by local authorities. From there, they were flown by plane to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, arriving at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The 10 were finally allowed to return to their families the following day after doctors confirmed they were in good health.

No details of the release have been disclosed by the government.

The government claimed that total diplomacy was the reason behind the success and no ransom paid. The group had demanded a ransom of 50 million pesos or around Rp 14 billion (US$1.06 million) for the 10 hostages.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the rescue efforts had been conducted in collaboration with many parties.

The government-led rescue efforts included both the Indonesian and Philippine governments, as well as other relevant parties, all of whom contributed to the success of the negotiation and diplomacy processes, she added.

The government is continuing in its efforts to rescue four other Indonesians who were taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf in a different incident in mid-April and still remain in captivity. (rin)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

An Indonesian child protection activist has called on the government to give extra attention to the recent sexual abuse and murder of a teenage student in a case involving 14 boys.

It is an extraordinary crime. The state must show presence, Arist Merdeka Sirait, the chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA) told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.

In early April, the 14 teenage boys raped and killed a junior high school girl in a remote area of Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu, prompting strong public criticism via social media over the absence of a government response.

The girl was on her way home, wearing her school uniform, on April 2 before she was taken by one of the perpetrators, whom she knew personally, and dragged into the forest, where she was raped and then murdered.

The bruised body of the 14-year old girl was found in the remote area, tied up and naked, three days after her death.

The government should identify the accurate cause of the incident to tackle the social problem by its root instead of letting the police investigate the case as a purely criminal incident, Arist said.

This is a national issue. The cure must address the root of this social disease, he asserted.

Twenty NGOs held a joint press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, calling on President Joko Jokowi Widodo to fast-track a draft bill on sexual violence at the House of Representatives.

The draft bill stipulates a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for sex crime offenses and seeks better protection for rape victims.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) recorded 321,752 cases of violence against women in 2014, up from 293,220 cases in the previous year.

Komnas Perempuan drafted the sexual violence bill back in 2014, but it was only included on the national legislative priority list this year. (vps/dan)
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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Right activists visited the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister on Monday to report their findings on 122 mass graves across Java and Sumatra containing the bodies of at least 13,900 victims of the 1965 communist purge.

The findings, from the Murder Victims Research Foundation (YPKP) 1965/1966, were compiled from a study it began in 2000 involving victims and witnesses of the massacre that killed at least 500,000 people accused of being affiliated with the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Reza Muharam, a member of the International People's Tribunal (IPT) on the 1965 tragedy, an organization that supports YPKP, said the report was intended to urge the coordinating minister to immediately coordinate with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to settle the human rights abuse case.

Earlier, the activists had handed over the report to Komnas HAM to be investigated, since it was the commission that was authorized by law to investigate the case, Reza said.

"Now the office of the coordinating minister doesn't have any more excuses to say there are no mass graves [...] it should cooperate with Komnas HAM and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to take action and reveal the truth," Reza told the journalists.

The data was important part of pushing the judicial process, which remains at the AGO even though Komnas HAM filed a report of its investigation into the 1965 massacre to the AGO in 2012. Reza said that besides this, it was also significant as a part of efforts to allow truth to prevail.

Based on the findings, there are 122 mass graves in 12 provinces across Java and Sumatra, with the highest number in Central Java with 50 graves alone. However, as the study continued, so did the number of sites, Reza said.

Bedjo Untung, the head of YPKP, said the 122 mass graves were only two percent of the real number spread across Indonesia. Their locations were dispersed and often not in secluded areas, with some buried under parks, forests and street pavement, while some are hidden under malls or housing complexes.

"The findings have become the start of true reconciliation and the revelation of truth," Bedjo said.

Previously, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan has said that if there really were mass graves of 1965 victims, the government would apologize for the killings.

The government should immediately address the issue, Bedjo said, now that the locations of the mass graves had been found, some parties would try to interfere with the locations erase the trace of the killings, Bedjo said.

Meanwhile, the coordinating ministers deputy assistant for human rights protection and advancement, Brig. Gen. Hafil Fuddin who received the report said the findings would be taken into consideration in drafting the policy to settle past human rights abuses. (dan)
Egypt's top prosecutor issued a gag order in the case of the storming of the Journalists Syndicate premises on Sunday and the arrest of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka.

"The arrest warrant and the procedures being conducted by the Ministry of Interior are correct and the two suspects are facing criminal charges that are not related to their work," the prosecution said.

The statement explained that there are no legal or constitutional conditions that prevent police from arresting journalists from inside the syndicate headquarters.

"If investigations reveal that both journalists agreed with the syndicate chairman to hide in the syndicate, this will be considered a violation of the law and a crime committed by the chairman himself," it added.

Badr and El-Sakka were questioned by the prosecution on Monday and given 15 days detention pending investigation into charges of spreading false news, inciting the public, and plotting to overthrow the regime.

The two were among many ordered arrested ahead of the 25 April protests against the recent Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea island agreement.

The Journalists Syndicate condemned the "unprecedented and barbaric attack" by police against the journalists and called for an "urgent" general assembly meeting and the immediate sacking of interior minister Magdy Abdel-Ghafar.

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama said on Tuesday that he had received a report about an attack by Luar Batang residents in North Jakarta on delegates tasked by the governor to negotiate with them over planned evictions.

The incident occurred on Monday evening when city secretary Saefullah arrived at Luar Batang Mosque to hand over donations, including uniforms for the mosques attendants.

Saefullah was not harmed in the incident, having received protection from a group of residents.

"I've received a complete report regarding the incident. A Public Order Agency [Satpol PP] officer was beaten. He received five stitches on his forehead. The subdistrict head was also beaten," Ahok told journalists at City Hall on Tuesday.

Ahok spoke briefly on the attack, saying let the police investigate the incident. He did not want to speculate about the cause of the incident.

Ahok explained that Saefullah paid a visit to Luar Batang to also disseminate information on the Jakarta administrations plan to relocate residents affected by the revitalization of the mosque.

Mosque secretary Mansur Amin said separately that residents were angry and disappointed with the administration's plan, which was conveyed by Saefullah during a meeting in Penjaringan subdistrict.

They oppose the city administrations plan to evict people from buildings that would be replaced with a plaza. They also rejected the administration plan to construct a road to connect the mosque to Kota Tua.

Mansur said Saefullah entered the mosque and village without permission, sparking chaos. "We felt cheated by Saefullah, who didnt heed our warning," Mansur said in a press release. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Motorcycle riders mounting the sidewalk is a common practice across the city, particularly when roads are packed with other vehicles.

Like other pedestrians, 34-year-old Alfini Lestari is annoyed by this incursion into spaces that are supposed to be only for pedestrians.

But unlike many other pedestrians, she has dared to take action. A photo of her blocking bikers attempting to ride along a sidewalk on Jl. M.H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Monday was published on the front page of The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

The picture of a woman also went viral on social media with many netizens expressing appreciation for her courage.

However, some people suggested that she was just looking for attention and was only imitating Daffa Faros Oktoviarto, an elementary school student in Semarang, Central Java, who recently received a lot of press for taking similar action.

It was a coincidence that there was a photographer who captured what I did, she told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.

Alfini, who has worked as a cook for a Japanese family in the Sultan Residence apartment block for the last three years, said that she often saw motorcycle riders using pedestrian walkways.

She observed that the violation against the traffic regulation had been worsening in the last two months, particularly after the Jakarta city administration removed the three-in-one traffic restriction, which has worsened congestion on Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman.

Alfini says she cannot resist taking action when she sees bikers using the sidewalk, and admitted that she has spontaneously confronted bikers several times upon seeing them riding on sidewalks.

She says that she does not care if the bikers throw insults at her, try to drive her off the sidewalk or tell her that she doesnt own the sidewalks and should stop trying to be a hero.

I told them that they should be ashamed of themselves. They have their own roads but they still use the sidewalk, said Alfini.

I told them to get off the sidewalks, and said that if they didnt want to get off, I would stand my ground [] I also told them that if they wanted to hit me I wasnt scared, she said adding that some bikers had returned to the road when they saw how persistent Alfini was.

She expressed hopes the police would enforce the law by cracking down on such traffic violations to ensure the sidewalks were free of inconsiderate bikers. (bbn)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Bali Police shot dead a French national, former mixed martial artist Amokrane Sabet on Monday after he resisted arrest for several reports of misconduct. In the process of resisting arrest, the Frenchman stabbed a police officer to death.

North Kuta Police officers and Bali Police Mobile Brigade personnel went to Sabet's house in Berawa, North Kuta, on Monday at around 11 a.m local time to take him into custody following several reports of his misconduct.

However, Sabet resisted arrest by fighting back the visiting officers and attacked them with a knife, Bali Police office chief Insp. Gen. Sugeng Priyanto said on Monday.

"We gave him warning shots. The perpetrator stabbed one of our officers in several places. He ignored our warning shots so we shot him ," he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Police came to Sabet's house to follow up on reports and complaints from local people over his trouble-making behavior during his stay in Berawa. Moreover, after further investigation, police also found that Sabet had overstayed his visa, which expired in September last year, Sugeng said.

Police had summoned Sabet several times to come into the police station by mail, but he never showed.

Anak Agung Putu Sudi, 39, one of the officers assigned to take Sabet in, died after being stabbed eight times by the Frenchman. Sudi succumbed to wounds suffered to his neck, thigh and chest.

Bali Police had also coordinated with the French Consulate General before the arrest, Sugeng added.

"He had been living in Bali for two years and he made a lot of trouble for locals, such as refusing to pay after eating at local restaurants," he said.

Other reports to police detailed Sabet also refused to pay for tourist facilities leading him to be blacklisted by two tourism places in Berawa and Seminyak. Moreover, he had threatened people and shouted foul language, as well as was a reckless driver in the area.

Local people swarming the crime scene viewed the Frenchman as a trouble maker, who seemed to find pleasure in causing people unease.

"He liked to drive fast and point his middle finger at people," a local who wanted to stay anonymous told tribunnews.com.

Nobody was brave enough to warn him, the local said, as they were afraid of Sabet's physical appearance and attitude, especially after people knew he was a former mixed martial artist.

Nyoman Diantara, a security guard of a restaurant in Berawa, recalled that Sabet once ran away without paying after eating at the restaurant where Nyoman had worked for the past nine years.

He came again for the second time to the restaurant, Diantara said, however, the restaurant manager denied him entry. Sabet instead threatened to hurt the manager.

"He threatened my manager until my manager ran asking for people's help. Before that, hotels, villas and restaurants in Seminyak had blacklisted him, which was also the case for here [the Berawa restaurant]," Diantara told tribunnews.com.

Sabet not only liked to get into fights and arguments with locals but allegedly also with other foreign tourists, he added. (rin)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) hopes to see 11 more industrial zones be available as a "direct construction incentive" to investors who build their facility in these specified zones.

Since 2015, the government called on all industry players to concentrate their operations in industrial zones, where incentives were provided to lure them to construct facilities in such zones.

Until April 30, there are 31 projects utilizing the direct construction services offered in six industrial zones worth Rp 55.5 trillion [US$4.21 billion], said BKPM chairman Franky Sibarani on Tuesday in Jakarta.

Currently, there are 14 industrial zones in six provinces offering the service of which only nine are active. According to Industrial Zones Association (HKI) data, there are 113 industrial zones in Indonesia, which 70 of them are HKI members.

Some of the areas are actually not industrial zones, but they claimed to be one, such as the one located at Pasar Kemis. The government must handle this issue, HKI chairman Sanny Iskandar said.

On the other hand, several problems, including infrastructure, exists at the industrial zones. Several regional administrations were reluctant to widen road access because they regarded it the central governments responsibility, Sanny said.

The issue has gotten complicated as several local governments have turned down proposals to offer direct construction incentives. Eight industrial zones in Batam for years have asked the governor to apply for the incentives, only to get ignored.

Also, there are problems related to the additional requirements of local governments, such as the minimum allocation for corporate social responsibility (CSR). Some foreign investors were surprised as it is not mentioned during BKPMs roadshow, Sanny said.

Responding to this, BKPM deputy Tamba Hutapea said BKPM would mediate access needs for roads, railway and other infrastructure.

We have helped some industrial zone, mediating with related ministries, to open railway, toll roads, electricity and water systems. Even the Public Works Ministry and PLN (state-owned electricity company) have requested us to speed up the process, he said. (ags)
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

The Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDP) and biodiesel producers have signed a contract to produce 1.53 million kiloliters of biofuel between May and October this year for oil and gas companies Pertamina and petroleum and chemical distributor PT AKR Corporindo.

"Compared with last year, the number of companies has increased from 11 to 15," BPDP president director Bayu Krishnamurthi said on Tuesday.

The mandatory biodiesel mix is part of the government's policy to encourage the use of non-fossil fuels. Under the program, biofuel -- mostly made of palm oil -- is expected to replace diesel fuel as part of the government's efforts to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions.

The mandatory biofuel blend has increased to 20 percent this year from 15 percent last year.

Currently, biodiesel producers have a capacity of 9 million kiloliters a year.
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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java  Tue, May 3, 2016

Sutomo, 49, and Rahayu, 45, the parents of Bayu Oktavianto, 22, a sailor recently released by the Abu Sayyaf militant group, could not hide their happiness upon reuniting with their loved one.

Bayu, one of 10 Indonesian sailors held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants for more than a month, arrived in Jakarta on Sunday evening.

We are happy and very grateful that Bayu and nine other crew members could be finally released. This is an extraordinary miracle, said Sutomo on Monday. He was speaking on his way to Adi Soemarmo Airport, Surakarta, Central Java, from where he would depart for Jakarta to bring his son home.

Sutomo said Bayus company, shipping firm PT Patria Maritim Lines, Jakarta, informed him on Sunday afternoon that his son and nine other crew members of the tugboat Brahma 12, kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in southern Philippines, had been released.

For more than a month Bayus family, living in Miliran, Delanggu district, Klaten, Central Java, was desperately worried about his fate. Together with his nine fellow seamen, Bayu was taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group on March 28. Later the hostage takers asked the Indonesian government or the tugboat owner to pay a ransom of Rp 15 billion (US$1.14 million) by April 8 at the latest.

Sutomo said he was concerned, especially after PT Patria Maritim Lines and the Indonesian government did not show any sign that they would fulfil the militant groups demand. His wife, Rahayu, could not eat for days. She could only cry and pray.

Sutomo said he and his family dropped to the lowest level when they heard news that Abu Sayyaf militants had executed several hostages because their ransom requests were not fulfilled.

We really didnt know what we were supposed to do. We were confused, worried and angry. We later used prayer as our last resort. We surrendered to God, said Sutomo.

He said his family got strength after a Koran recitation group in his village decided to carry out a recitation of the Koran and mass prayers at his house every night. Led by Ustadz (Islamic teacher) Abdul Rohman, they held mass prayers to ask for the release of Bayu and the other sailors. It was planned that the Koran recitation and mass prayers would be held routinely every evening for 40 days.

On the 33rd day, we received information that Bayu and nine other crew members had been released. After Bayu arrives home, we will hold a syukuran [a gathering to express thanks to God]. Hopefully, Bayu can return home to Delanggu on Tuesday morning, said Sutomo, who departed for Jakarta with his younger brother, Pardiyono.

Rahayu relentlessly expressed her happiness over the release of his son. Speaking to journalists at her home, Rahayu said she could not wait any longer to cook Bayus favorite dish, spicy fried eels.

Every time he comes home after sailing abroad, Bayu always asks me to cook spicy fried eels. The dish must be already served on the table once he gets home, she said, in a trembling voice.

Bayu and the nine other Indonesian crewmen were captured in Sulu, southern Philippines. The Brahma 12, towing the barge Anand 12, carried a total of 7,500 tons of coal, was hijacked in Tawi-tawi waters as it sailed from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, to Batangas, southern Philippines. (ebf)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

The Jakarta city administration is seeking a plot of land in Luar Batang in North Jakarta to construct low-cost rental apartments (rusunawa) to accommodate people affected by a project to revitalize Luar Batang Mosque, an icon of religious tourism.

The city is looking at two plots of land, both owned by private companies, namely PT Pluit Sakti Karisma and PT Karya Teknik Utama, according to acting North Jakarta mayor Wahyu Hariadi.

City Secretary Saefullah said both plots of land were in places suitable for local people who earn a living as fishermen, and also within easy reach of Luar Batang Mosque.

Saefullah was instructed by Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama to negotiate with Luar Batang residents, who have expressed their opposition to the city administration's plan to demolish their houses.

Thereve been rumors flying around that the administration wants to relocate the residents far from the mosque. Its not like that. We plan to move them not far from the mosque, Saefullah claimed at City Hall on Monday.

He expressed hope that land could be acquired immediately for the construction of low-cost apartments.

As a tourist spot, Luar Batang Mosque will be connected to the project to revitalize the nearby Kota Tua, said Saefullah, adding that the Jakarta Bina Marga (Roads) Agency would also expand road access by up to five meters to the mosque and increase parking facilities for visitors.

Saefullah on Monday visited the mosque to hand over a city administration donation, but his visit was opposed by local people, who remain suspicious over the city administrations plan to evict them from the area.

The donation included uniforms for the mosque's attendants.

Saefullah stressed that the administration would still go ahead with its plan to purchase land near the mosque, and would also construct a plaza to provide street vendors space to do business, particularly for selling souvenirs and foods.

If the residents are willing to sell their land, we will purchase the land from them, the city official said. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Construction projects underway for the Asian Games will be complete by the time the sporting event is held in 2018, Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama has promised.

The main projects are the renovation of an equestrian center in Pulomas in East Jakarta and the construction of a velodrome in Rawamangun, also in East Jakarta, the governor said after meeting with President Joko Jokowi Widodo at the State Palace on Monday.

We will widen the sidewalks along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. M.H. Thamrin and remove the central reservations, said Ahok, adding that the construction of the light rail transit (LRT) system was expected to finish before the Asian Games are held.

The groundbreaking of the LRT is expected to be conducted on June 22, in conjunction with Jakarta's 489th anniversary, he added.

The completion of the LRT project before the Asian Games is important as some stations are to be constructed near games sites, namely near the equestrian center in Pulomas, the velodrome in Rawamangun and an athletes village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

City Development Planning Board head Tuty Kusumawati said that two government regulations were being drafted by the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister, aiming to accelerate the preparations for the Asian Games.

The Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) is currently preparing an environmental impact analysis (Amdal) document for the LRT project, Tuty added.

The permit arrangement and the regulation revisions are taking place simultaneously. We are also waiting for the approval of the Transportation Ministry regarding the route of the LRT. We hope we will hold the groundbreaking soon, she said on Monday. (bbn)
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Linkedin Brian Melley (Associated Press) Los Angeles  Tue, May 3, 2016

The "Grim Sleeper" trial was nearly over Monday after months of testimony about a serial killer targeting black women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic on the south side of Los Angeles.

Lonnie Franklin Jr., 63, faces the death penalty if convicted of killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. All were shot or strangled, and their bodies were dumped in alleys and trash bins.

Perhaps the most riveting witness against Franklin is the only woman known to have survived the serial killings. She described being shot in the chest and sexually assaulted in 1988. Then, she noticed her attacker taking a Polaroid picture of her before pushing her out of his car.

When Franklin was finally arrested 22 years later, the same photograph  showing the wounded woman slouched over in a car  was one of many pictures found in his possession, prosecutors said.

Franklin was connected to all ten victims named in this trial through either ballistics or DNA evidence, prosecutors said.

Many of the victims were prostitutes; others used cocaine. Franklin targeted women who were "willing to sell their bodies and their souls in order to gratify their dependency on this powerful drug," prosecutor Beth Silverman told jurors.

Before his arrest, a police officer posed as a pizza parlor busboy to collect DNA samples from dishes and utensils Franklin used at a birthday party.

Franklin's defense questioned the DNA evidence. Attorney Seymour Amster told jurors that many victims had DNA from more than one man on their bodies, and that more than 20 DNA tests excluded his client.

Both Silverman and Amster acknowledged disliking each other, and at times held heated arguments in the courtroom out of the jury's hearing.

At one point, Amster even yelled at Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy after she ruled that he would have to refile a subpoena.

"I am now going to rest. We have no defense," Amster declared, prompting gasps in the courtroom. "I cannot represent this man any further." However, he continued on with the case.

Authorities dubbed him the "Grim Sleeper" because the killings attributed to him stopped from 1988 to 2002. Dozens of police officers had failed to solve the case in the 1980s, and the renewed killings prompted the creation of a special task force. Franklin was finally arrested in 2010.

The closing arguments began with prosecutors after the judge delivered jury instructions on Monday. The process could last two days. (ags)
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Linkedin Anggi M. Lubis, Tama Salim and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3 2016

Ten sailors were reunited with their families on Monday after being held hostage for more than a month in the Philippines, as the government continues its efforts to release another four abducted sailors.



A teary ceremony took place at the Foreign Ministry to return the sailors, who arrived in Jakarta late on Sunday evening, to their families.



Yola, the wife of seaman Alvian Elvis, burst into tears upon seeing her husband among the released hostages. She thanked all parties involved in securing the sailors release from the Abu Sayyaf terror group.



Yola, a resident of Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, represented the families of the hostages at the ceremony.



My thanks go to everyone who has helped. I also thank God for the blessings that made my husband return home, said the young mother, who attended with her toddler.



Alvian was less vocal than his wife, simply hugging her and their child, and thanking her without saying anything else.



Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said that despite complex dynamics in the field, the release was made possible through the patience of the families and intense communications and cooperation with numerous parties, including Filipino authorities and the sailors employer, Patria Maritime Lines.



Our strategy is total diplomacy. Diplomacy that is led by the nations leader and involves every element of society, Retno said, while providing no details on the events that led to the release.



The sailors were abducted in Philippine waters in late March as they delivered coal to Batangas in the southern Philippines. Abu Sayyaf demanded 50 million pesos (US$1 million) for their release.



Two weeks later, four more Indonesian sailors were taken hostage.



Retno said her ministry would resort to any possible solution to secure the remaining four, adding that the government knew and was monitoring their location.



The released sailors  all donning long-sleeved white shirts and dark trousers  looked tired but nevertheless fit. They discussed their experience in captivity with the media, saying they were fed and treated well, and had to move from one island to another at night.



They, however, did not share details of the release, saying they were suddenly dropped off in front of a local governors house on Sunday.



Patria commissioner Loudy Irwanto Ellias, who represented the company at the ceremony, said a Patria team had maintained daily communications with the abductors and helped with the negotiations.



Loudy, however, refused to give further details, including on the ransom demanded by the captors, which is rumored to have been paid by the company.



Patria is a subsidiary of PT United Tractors Pandu Engineering, which in turn is a unit of PT United Tractors, part of giant conglomerate PT Astra International.



While Patria was the operator of the sailors tugboat and barge, the vessels belonged to PT Brahma International.



Representatives from our company and PT Patria worked with a negotiation team from the government in the field. We do not know details about the process, but PT Brahma itself never paid [any ransom], Brahmas legal and external relations division head, Iyan Arief, told a press briefing on Monday.



Separately, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan added that diplomatic avenues were being explored in tandem with reports from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Intelligence Agency (BIN).



We are currently handling the four remaining hostages, Luhut said after meeting with Retno and the TNI and BIN chiefs. Luhut admitted that the whereabouts of the remaining hostages was unknown.



With no official chronology distributed to the media, a number of parties have stepped in, claiming involvement in the release.



A number of negotiators have also been cited by the media as saying that no ransom was involved in the release and attributing the hostages release to connections with prominent figures close to the issue.



Earlier in the day, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri commented wryly during a discussion with State Secretary Pratikno, suggesting she knew about the hostages being freed on account of a ransom being paid.



The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted a source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the matter, as saying the 50 million peso ransom was paid to secure the release.



Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin, while welcoming the release of the Indonesians, said he was unaware whether a ransom had been paid.

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Rebel rocket fire on government-held districts of Syria's Aleppo killed at least four civilians Tuesday but an AFP correspondent reported no regime air strikes on rebel areas as ceasefire efforts intensify.

More than 250 civilians have been killed in Syria's second city since April 22 in an upsurge of violence that has prompted a flurry of diplomacy by Russia, the United Nations and the United States to rescue a teetering February truce between the government and non-jihadist rebels.

A child was among at least four people killed in the rebel bombardment, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

State news agency SANA put the death toll at six and said 37 people were also wounded.

The AFP correspondent said the rebel-held east of the city was quiet and the Observatory also reported no new air strikes in the area.

Moscow has faced mounting pressure from Washington to rein in air raids by its Damascus ally as the civilian death toll has mounted and after a hospital and three clinics were hit.

There were some ground clashes during the night along the front line that has divided Aleppo since rebels seized eastern districts of the city in 2012.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was in Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on efforts with Washington to agree a new monitoring mechanism to shore up the ceasefire.

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Linkedin Erika Anindita Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

The Golkar Party has brought forward the date of its extraordinary national congress (Munaslub) to May 15, from May 23 previously, to ensure President Joko Jokowi Widodos can attend the opening ceremony of the event.

It is the fifth time the party has changed its congress schedule.

Nurdin Halid, chairman of the Munaslub Steering Committee, said the schedule adjustment was merely a technical matter and all stages of the event would run as normal, along with the timelines prepared by the committee.

After we coordinated with the State Palace, we decided to advance the congress schedule to May 15, he told journalists at the Golkar central executive board (DPP) headquarters in Slipi, West Jakarta, on Tuesday.

The Golkar senior politician explained that the congress would be held in Bali from May 15. The main objective of the congress was to elect the partys new chairman, he added.

Nurdin said the party must adjust its congress dates to match Jokowis presidential schedule as he was expected to attend and officially open the meeting.

We must adjust our schedule to the Presidents, he said.

In the last two months, the Golkar congress dates have been revised four times. In April, party chairman Aburizal Bakrie announced that the congress would be held on May 25 to 27, revising Nurdins earlier statement about the postponement of the congress from May 7 to May 17.

Less than two weeks ago, Aburizal announced that Golkar was scheduled to hold its extraordinary national congress on May 23.

Nurdin said there was no guarantee that the schedule would not be adjusted again because the committee referred to President Jokowis schedule in deciding the congress date. He added that information about all stages of the congress would be communicated to chairman candidates and their campaign teams.

Meanwhile, Nurdin gave his assurances that candidates campaign trips would run according to plan, with trips reduced to covering only three areas.

Initially, campaign rallies, which will be the only place for would-be candidates to campaign on their mission and vision for the future of the party, were set to be held in Medan in North Sumatra, Semarang in Central Java, Yogyakarta, Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, Makassar in South Sulawesi, Bali and Jakarta.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ordered Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly to revoke a decree that acknowledged the legality of the party faction led by Agung Laksono. The minister later issued a decree legalizing the party leadership declared at its national congress (Munas) in Bali in November 2014.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry extended the Golkar leadership formed at a Riau congress, which should have expired in 2014, for six months on Jan. 28 to help the party organize a reconciliation congress as part of efforts to end its leadership conflict. Based on the Riau congress, Aburizal is party chairman, Agung is deputy chairman and Idrus Marham is secretary-general.

Golkar has been split into two factions for around a year. The camp led by Aburizal was chosen by the Munas in Bali, while the splinter faction led by Agung was elected at an Ancol Munas in Jakarta in December 2015. (ebf)
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

The government will soon finalize the rules and regulation supporting the implementation of the 12 economic stimulus packages, a top official has said.

Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Franky Sibarany said the government had already resolved 97 percent of the regulation and rules of the twelve policy packages.

Among the pending regulations is the negative investment list (DNI) in the 10th economic policy package set to be finalized this week.

"Going forward, we are pushing for our pending works in the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Finance Ministry and Industry Ministry to be resolved in the next two and three weeks while we prepare for the next policy package, Franky said after a coordination meeting at the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Franky said the BKPM had already implemented several deregulation measures, such as a three hour licensing policy for certain industry, the acceleration of tax allowance and tax holiday policy and the revised tax allowance for labor intensive industry.

He claimed that the governments economic stimulus packages had received a warm welcome from many investors.

He recalled positive feedback the government had received from investors from European countries during President Joko Jokowi Widodos recent tour to Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. (dmr)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Rights activists are calling on the government to immediately pass the sexual violence bill, having deemed the bill crucial to protect women from such crime.

The number of rape victims, many of them later murdered, has continued to increase. The state must be responsible, Lathiefah Widuri Retyaningtyas of the Indonesian womens foundation Perempuan Mahardhika said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

There is no reason for the government not to pass the sexual violence bill immediately, she went on.

Perempuan Mahardhika, together with 117 other NGOs and institutions, including the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and Simponi (Music Syndicate of Earth Dwellers), condemned the rape of YY, a 14-year-old student. She was found dead in Bengkulu after a brutal gang rape carried out by 14 men, most of whom were teenagers.

M.Berkah Gamulya of Simponi said sexual violence against women likely occurred because of the societys patriarchal culture, which often tolerated such crimes.

He said many victims of sexual harassment had been blamed for the crime, accused of wearing sexy clothes or being out late at night.

Gamulya later cited the 2013 UN study, which stated that one out of four men in six Asia-Pacific countries admitted to having raped a woman who was not his partner.

Hence, it is a male responsibility to educate other men not to rape women. It is not their responsibility to educate women to dress properly, he further said.

Gamulya said the government should include a one-hour minimum gender equality lesson in schools to lessen patriarchal culture in the society.

YY disappeared on April 2. Her body was found two days later in a ravine in desolate bushland area in Padang Ulak Tanding district, Rejang Lebong regency.

Local police have arrested 12 of the 14 suspects, some of them are believed to have been the girl's schoolmates.

Local media outlets reported the murder and rape, but had treated it as an ordinary crime - alongside news on landslides and junior high school final exams.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) recorded 321,752 cases of violence against women in 2015, up from 293,220 cases in the previous year.

The commission began to draft the sexual violence bill in 2014 and it has been included as a 2016 national legislation priority (Prolegnas).

In the bill, Komnas Perempuan listed six forms of sexual violence against women: rape, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual control, sexual torture and sexually charged punishment. The bill also stipulates a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment for sex-crime convicts. It also has several articles that provide better protection for rape victims. (vps/ebf)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Hundreds of North Jakarta residents held a rally in front of Jakarta City Hall on Tuesday to protest the frequent evictions by the Jakarta administration under the leadership of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama.

The protestors, grouped under the North Jakarta Residents Alliance (AMJU), called on the governor to put a halt to evictions as they said that the action had caused many people to become homeless, particularly if they were not relocated to low-cost apartments.

Among the protesters were residents of Luar Batang in North Jakarta, the next target of evictions by the city administration.

The areas most recently hit with evictions were Pasar Ikan and Akuarium, two coastal areas near Luar Batang. In February, the city also evicted the Kalijodo red-light district, also in North Jakarta, to be converted into parks.

They also protested what they believed to be the plan of the city administration to allow the construction of luxury apartments near Luar Batang Mosque.

"Luar Batang Mosque is an iconic place so it cannot not be surrounded by apartments and a plaza. The administration can carry out development but they can't disregard the basic concept of the mosque," Jamran, a rally coordinator, said.

Ahok spoke briefly about the protest, stressing that he respected the aspirations conveyed through the demonstration. Democracy allows demonstrations. Therefore, anyone can carry out a demonstration," Ahok said.

Among the protesters were school children, who admitted that they skipped classes to participate in the demonstration. The protesters called on the governor to step down and mocked police officers securing City Hall.

Ahok said initially that the city administration would carry out evictions in Luar Batang in May to implement a revitalization plan for Luar Batang Mosque and its surrounding areas. However, the plan was postponed on account of protests and a lack of low-cost apartments to accommodate the evictees.

Later, the city said it would purchase land in Luar Batang to develop low-cost apartments. Jamran, however, said the residents opposed the administrations plan to revitalize Luar Batang Mosque. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3 2016

The country has started to see a an influx of foreign workers, following the implementation of the ASEAN single market, a trend that will likely continue given its aggressive effort to develop major infrastructure projects.



Data released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Monday suggested a sharp increase in the number of visits by foreign citizens who come to Indonesia to work for one year or less.



The data showed that the country saw 22,805 foreign worker visits in March, a 62.8 percent increase from 14,000 visits in the same month last year.



Some of the visits were made by infrastructure consultants, BPS chief Suryamin told The Jakarta Post.



The government has set about 30 priority infrastructure projects that will be completed in the next four years with total investment of Rp 819.41 trillion (US$62.2 billion) to help boost economic growth.



Among the projects on the priority list is the development of eight segments of the trans-Sumatra toll road and the light rail transit (LRT) projects in South Sumatra and Greater Jakarta.



Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) economist Latif Adam, meanwhile, said the increase in foreign worker visits was the result of foreign investors bringing in their own experts or workers for ongoing infrastructure projects.



If the investors are from China or India, they prefer bringing along workers from their countries, Latif said.



China, for example, has secured the countrys first high-speed rail project connecting Jakarta to Bandung in West Java, in addition to its role in the development of power plants and ports.



The recent implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which has merged the region into a single market since late last year, will inevitably trigger a rising inflow of foreign worker visits, Latif added.



Thus, Latif said, the government needed to implement regulations to anticipate social problems triggered by the increasing number of foreign workers in the country.



Do not let foreign workers who have the same skills as Indonesian workers work here because doing so could eliminate job opportunities for our workers, he provided an example.



Manpower Minister Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri previously said the public should not be concerned about a potential influx of workers as a result of the AEC implementation.



Hanif said the number of foreign workers coming to Indonesia had in fact decreased over the past five years, from 77,000 in 2011 to 69,000 in 2015.



After the implementation of the AEC, foreign workers may only be employed in certain jobs, covering eight professions and 12 sectors. Most of the jobs are in the line of managers, directors, advisers, commissioners, expert technicians or expert supervisors, the minister explained.



The BPS recorded 915,000 foreign citizen visits to Indonesia in March, up 8.79 percent from 841,071 visits recorded in the same month last year, with over 90 percent being tourists. (vny)

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Direct communication between President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his Philippine counterpart Benigno Aquino III was crucial in the release of 10 Indonesian seamen held captive by the Abu Sayyaf militant group, officials said on Monday.

The government said intensified efforts, both through formal and informal networks, helped in the release of the crews, but the cooperation between the two heads of state made the biggest impact, Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said.

"[The coordination] was by phone, directly government to government," Luhut told journalists at a press conference at his office on Monday.

Jokowi had thanked the Philippines' government for their support in the rescue of the sailors who had been held hostage by the notorious group since the end of March. Ten sailors returned home to Indonesia on Sunday evening while four other Indonesian citizens remain in captivity.

Some members of Indonesian security authorities also had personal relationships with their counterparts in the Philippines, which helped to ease the rescue process.

The process combined both intelligence operations and the government's total diplomacy efforts, Luhut said, adding that no money was paid to the group as they had previously demanded a US$ 1 million ransom for the abducted sailors.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung confirmed that neither the government nor the company that owned the tugboat Brahma 12 paid a ransom.

However, he declined to give further details on why the Abu Sayyaf militants finally agreed to hand over the Indonesian hostages.

The government is now focusing on the release of the four remaining Indonesians who have been held hostage by an alleged Abu Sayyaf splinter group since April 16. Jokowi is continuing his intensive communication with Aquino to seek the best solution for the rescue of the four sailors. (rin)
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Linkedin Mohammed Baraghdeh (Associated Press) West Bank  Tue, May 3, 2016

Israel's military on Monday ordered a well-known Palestinian journalist to be held for four months without charges or trial, in so-called administrative detention.

The military said Omar Nazzal is being held on suspicion of "unlawful activity" for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small PLO faction that has been labeled a terrorist organization by Israel.

Nazzal's lawyer, Mahmoud Hassan, said he believes his client, a leading member of the Palestinian journalists' union, is being targeted because of his political activism. Hassan noted that under the system of administrative detention, the defense is not shown any alleged evidence against a detainee.

Nazzal, 53, has been in Israeli custody since he was seized at an Israeli-run crossing between the West Bank and Jordan last month, while traveling to a meeting of the European Federation of Journalists.

The journalist headed Palestine Today, a TV station affiliated with the militant group Islamic Jihad, for five months, but quit earlier this year shortly before Israel shut it down. He also had ties to the PFLP which in the past was involved in attacks on Israelis.

Hassan denied his client was linked to violence. "This arrest is a political arrest," the lawyer said.

The number of Palestinians in administrative detention reached 627 at the end of February, according to official figures by the Israel Prison Service that are regularly published by the Israeli rights group B'Tselem. Critics say Israel's large-scale use of the practice amounts to a violation of rules of due process.

The number of administrative detainees has doubled since the start of the current round of Israeli-Palestinian violence in September. Since the fall, Palestinians have carried out frequent attacks on Israelis, including stabbings or ramming by cars. The attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans.

On the Palestinian side, some 200 people have been killed by Israeli fire  the vast majority in what Israel says were attacks or attempted attacks. Critics say Israeli security forces and civilians often used lethal force unnecessarily.

In a fatal shooting last week, 24-year-old Maram Taha and her 16-year-old brother Ibrahim were shot and killed at a busy West Bank crossing. Maram Taha was the mother of two girls, four and five years old.

Israeli police alleged at the time that the Taha siblings ignored calls to halt and that the woman threw a knife at a policeman before being shot dead. The police statement did not explain why lethal force was used and why Ibrahim Taha was killed. Two knives were found on the teen, but only after the shooting.

Police have said they will not release security camera footage of the incident until an investigation is completed, even though they have in the past made such images public within hours of stabbings.

Police initially said Israeli troops were involved in firing the fatal shots, but on Monday, authorities said that private security guards shot the siblings. Police officers at the scene acted "according to regulations," including firing warning shots in the air, the police said.

The siblings' family and Palestinian witnesses have disputed the police account, saying the siblings were some 20 meters (yards) away from security forces and could have been stopped without deadly force.

Later, Monday night Israeli police said a 60 year-old-man was evacuated to hospital for treatment after he was stabbed in Jerusalem's old city in what it said was likely a Palestinian attack. (ags)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

More than 6,000 Jakarta Police personnel will secure the capital city in the anticipation of the upcoming long weekend.

Two public holidays in celebration of the Ascension Day of Jesus and the Ascension Day of Prophet Muhammad known as Isra Miraj will fall on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Jakarta Police will deploy as many as 6,295 personnel in a security operation conducted across the days, beginning on May 4 until 8, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Cmr. Awi Setiono said on Tuesday as reported by Antara news agency.

The personnel will be posted at crime-prone locations, crowded areas, tourist spots and areas of potential traffic congestion, especially along the toll roads.

Toll roads that are prone to heavy traffic include Jagorawi, JORR, Pondok Indah, the Inner City Toll and Bekasi-Cikampek roads.

The Jakarta Police is coordinating with the National Police Traffic Corps, Banten Police and the West Java Police to address any potential traffic problems, Awi added.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police Traffic Director Sr. Cmr. Risyapudin Nursin said detour plans had been prepared in anticipation of traffic congestion on the freeway and tourist areas. The contingency plans encompass steps one to three in tackling congestion.

The first step prepared was a "contra flow" system, when a queue of vehicles before a toll gate reaches. In the second step, two toll gate cards officers will be proactively come over to the cars to manage payment to cut the queue.

Moreover, the third step would encompass the closing of the toll gates and direct drivers to alternative routes, he added.

Heavy congestion usually take place during long holiday at the capital city as Jakartans usually go out of town such as to the neighboring cities of Bogor and Bandung in West Java or Anyer in Banten province. (liz/rin)
Desperate efforts to salvage Syria's ceasefire shifted to Moscow on Tuesday as the country's battered second city of Aleppo came under fresh fire that killed at least four people.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to hold talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura in the Russian capital in a last-ditch bid to rescue peace negotiations that have been undermined by fierce fighting around Aleppo.

The high-profile talks follow a day of diplomacy in Geneva as US Secretary of State John Kerry added his weight to efforts to resuscitate the stuttering truce.

Kerry said the situation in the war-torn country was "in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing" as the two-month-old ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow hangs by a thread.

Skirmishes continued in and around Aleppo, where more than 250 people have died during a week of violence.

Rebel rocket fire on government-held districts of the city killed at least four civilians including a child early on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

State news agency SANA put the death toll at six and said 37 people were wounded.

However, an AFP correspondent reported no regime air strikes as ceasefire efforts intensify.

Meanwhile, heavy air strikes throughout the night on the Islamic State group's de facto Syria capital Raqa killed at least 13 civilians and five Islamist militants, the Observatory said.

But the monitoring group had no immediate word on whether the strikes were carried out by the Damascus regime, its Moscow ally or the US-led coalition battling IS.

"Raqa has not been targeted by air raids of this intensity for several weeks," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

"These raids continued throughout the night and into the morning."

Washington accuses Russia of doing little to rein in the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's around Aleppo.

But Moscow retorted earlier this week that it would not ask the Syrian regime to halt air raids on Aleppo as it believes that they are helping to combat Islamist militant groups there.

Since then, Russia has said talks are under way to include Aleppo province in a so-called "regime of silence" -- a freeze in fighting.

To buttress the truce, Washington and Moscow have agreed to bolster the number of Geneva-based ceasefire monitors, Kerry told reporters, pledging to work "in the next hours" to rein in violence on the ground.

Kerry accused Assad's regime of deliberately targeting three clinics and an attack on a major hospital last week, which he described as "unconscionable".

"It has to stop."

Kerry said a bolstered group of ceasefire monitors will track violations "24 hours a day, seven days a week".

A senior US diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US, Russia and the UN had moved forward on a new ceasefire mechanism for Aleppo, but that the deal was not complete.

Kerry stressed that the goal was to reinforce a broad truce capable of withstanding further tests.

"We're trying to press this as fast as possible but I don't want to make any promises that can't be kept," he told reporters after meeting de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir -- whose government has influence with key rebel groups.

Before leaving Geneva en route to Washington, Kerry called Lavrov to discuss the flagging truce. The pair "agreed on new measures to be taken by Moscow and Washington", a Russian foreign ministry statement said, without providing details.

Kerry said Washington would press moderate rebels to separate themselves from the Al-Nusra Front's militants in Aleppo -- in a nod to Moscow's demands.

Russia and Assad's regime have used the presence of Al-Nusra, which was not party to the February 27 ceasefire deal, as an excuse to press their offensive.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 253 civilians -- including 49 children -- have been killed on both sides of divided Aleppo since April 22.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for the ceasefire to be extended to include Aleppo as a matter of urgency. The city was initially left out of a new deal announced last week to "freeze" fighting along two major fronts.

That freeze was extended until 1:00 am Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday) in Eastern Ghouta, state media said, and until 1:00 am Tuesday in Latakia, a regime stronghold.

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down with the situation escalating into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people.

Last month's peace talks in Geneva failed to make headway, although de Mistura has voiced hope they can resume next month.

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Linkedin Abdi Guled (Associated Press) Mogadishu  Tue, May 3, 2016

For Abdiqadir Dulyar, simply reading messages sent to his phone can be chilling.

His voice breaks as he reads a recent one: "Keep doing what you do, and we shall come to give your well-deserved award [death]."

Dulyar, the 40-year-old director of the Somali TV station Horn Cable, said the threats often lead him to avoid going home and to stay at his office for weeks at a time.

He said his fear was heightened last week after unidentified men opened fire on a car carrying journalists from his TV station in the capital of Mogadishu. No one was hurt.

Somali journalists frequently receive threats, with many being killed. But police rarely investigate them or adequately protect reporters, according to Human Rights Watch, which on Tuesday marked World Press Freedom Day by issuing a report on the dangers faced by Somali journalists.

The deadliest country for journalists in 2015 was Syria, where 14 were killed, followed by France with nine, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Around the world, 72 journalists were killed in 2015 and 10 have been killed so far this year.

Turkey's main journalism association called World Press Freedom Day one for reflection, solidarity and "finding a way out" of the rapidly deteriorating state of media freedom in the country. Since January, the government seized the largest circulation opposition newspaper; two journalists were put on trial for spying for their reports on alleged government arms smuggling to Syrian rebels; and several pro-Kurdish journalists were detained over their reports on fighting between government forces and the Kurdish rebels.

Turkish academic and columnist Murat Belge went on trial Tuesday, accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a column that suggested he reignited a conflict against Kurdish rebels for electoral gains. Belge faces four years in prison if convicted under a law that critics say Erdogan is using to muzzle dissent.

"I am a member of one of Turkey's most populous clubs  the club of people who have insulted Erdogan," Belge said at the end of the hearing. Almost 2,000 cases have been opened against people, including journalists.

"The conditions are not there for the Turkish media to celebrate this important day," said Nazmi Bilgin of the Turkish Journalists' Association. "It is not possible to celebrate freedom when you are not free." Bilgin said 720 journalists had been fired this year, while more than 100,000 websites have been blocked.

In Somalia, which for years has been one of the most dangerous countries for media workers, 59 journalists have been killed since 1992, soon after a civil war began in the Horn of Africa nation, according to the CPJ. The deadliest year was 2012 when 18 were killed. In 2015, three journalists were killed, including Hindia Haji Mohamed, who worked for the state-run broadcaster and had been married to a journalist who also had been slain. She died in December when her car was bombed, an attack claimed by the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab.

The killings of Somali media workers often happen in government-controlled areas that journalists generally consider safe, and reporters must be on their guard at all times. It does not help that they also might face hostility from the government, said Human Rights Watch.

There are signs the Somali government is protecting journalists better. Last month, the government executed a man convicted of assisting the killing of five journalists. A former journalist himself, the man had joined al-Shabab to work as their press liaison and was known to have threatened reporters. He was one of the few prosecuted by the government, which has been urged for years by rights groups to do more to protect journalists.

Despite relative stability in Mogadishu since the ouster of al-Shabab in 2011, journalists say they still feel unsafe from both militants and government officials. Although African Union troops have helped to push Islamist extremists out of all Somalia's major cities, the rebels still carry out numerous attacks, hampering the government's rebuilding efforts.

"There is the prospect of having a Somali free from oppression, but threats and intimidation against journalists continue and it is very grim  no group or government likes our work," said Dulyar, the broadcast journalist. Despite the dangers, Dulyar said he remains committed to his job.

"No matter what, I shall keep working," he said. "I shall remain being a messenger for the whole world."

___

Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Tue, May 3 2016

Whether a US$1 million ransom demanded by the southern Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf was paid in exchange for the release of 10 Indonesian sailors on Sunday after they were held hostage for 35 days does not seem a big deal as the crewmembers safe return was what their families and we all wanted.

But clarity is needed, sooner or later, about whether such an agreement of cash for freedom was made, simply because we have been negotiating with a terrorist group that is still holding four other Indonesian citizens hostage.

Abu Sayyaf, which used to receive funds from the al-Qaeda global terrorist network, works with an Indonesian terrorist group led by Santoso in the Central Sulawesi regency of Poso since the two recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) movement. The ransom, if it was paid, will not only stain Indonesias image as a nation that many acknowledge is a role model in the fight against terrorism, but will also let the Mindanao-based rebels haunt us with more kidnappings of our citizens.

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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3 2016

Cash-strapped, the Transportation Ministry has opened up an opportunity for rivals China and Japan to take part in financing Indonesias major railway projects.



We are still in the process of offering the trans-Sulawesi and trans-Sumatra projects to Japan and China. What we are offering is the financing needed to build the projects, the ministrys director general for railways, Hermanto Dwiatmoko, said on Monday.



The government is working on a number of important railway projects to boost connectivity in the country, with President Joko Jokowi Widodo envisioning railways becoming the nations main mass transportation mode in the future.



Among the projects are trans-Sulawesi, trans-Sumatra, trans-Papua, trans-Kalimantan and trans-Java railway network expansion.



The minister has already gone to Japan and China  he has already offered it. We are just waiting for a response, because they will conduct a study first, he said.



The loan offer to the Asian economic giants would be paid back by the state budget, while the government would still be in charge of construction.



It is among alternatives to make up for the lackluster budget for railway projects, which only amounted to Rp 13 trillion (US$986.7 million) this year, compared to Rp 18 trillion last year.



The ministry saw its budget cut by around Rp 3.7 trillion in the revised 2016 state budget, from an initial total budget allocation of Rp 48.5 trillion due to an expected shortfall in tax revenues.



Minister Ignasius Jonan also acknowledged the lackluster budget recently, as he invited foreign investors to enter infrastructure sectors, especially those related to transportation.



I think if we want the railway projects to be finished by 2019, the budget will not be sufficient, Jonan said.



Hermanto sounded a tad bit more pessimistic. He said the budget could would push back the targeted operation of various railway projects, including the trans- labeled ones.



I dont think it will be done on time. But at least we have started it, so we can continue the development in the future, Hermanto added.



Many of the trans-labeled projects have not progressed as fast as the government intended. Until now, the government has only revitalized the trans-Sumatra project as well as built 20 kilometers of the Makassar-Parepare route in trans-Sulawesi.



The ministry also pushed back the construction of the trans-Papua railway project to the end of the year due to land procurement issues.



It is not likely that we will start construction in July, Hermanto said, referring to the initial target.



The ministry also acknowledges that investors and lenders might also be hesitant to finance the projects, as many are not economically feasible.



Generally, what the government builds is that profitable. Take trans-Papua as an example. To disburse the loan, these people will also think about whether the number of passengers will be lacking as well, Hermanto said.



The ministry previously turned to Japan to finance its seaport project in Patimban, West Java, through a loan to replace the scrapped Cilamaya project.



The government planned to build more than 3,200 km of railway tracks over the course of five years, requiring Rp 234 trillion, of which the state budget can only afford to cover 26.6 percent.



Railway construction has not seen any significant progress in the country, with a decrease in active railways from 8,157 km in the 1930s to merely 5,196 km in 2015.

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Linkedin (Associated Press) Madrid  Tue, May 3, 2016

Spain has missed the deadline for its politicians to form a new government following inconclusive elections held Dec. 20 so King Felipe VI must now dissolve parliament before a new election on June 26.

Since no political party had enough support to form a government and all parties failed to reach coalition agreements by midnight Monday  the deadline  the stage is set for an unprecedented repeat of general elections, six months after the previous ballot ended Spain's two-party system.

The king will sign a decree dissolving parliament Tuesday.

Spain has been in a political stalemate, governed by a caretaker government with Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy as prime minister since Dec. 20, when newcomer parties Podemos and Ciudadanos upset the longstanding dominance of the Popular Party and Socialists. (ags)
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Linkedin Ika Krismantari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3 2016

A video says it all: Footage from the colonial period has become the source of inspiration for Otty Widasaris art exhibition titled The Ones Who Are Being Controlled at Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace in Jakarta.

Artist Otty Widasari has again rattled the Indonesian art scene with her recent art exhibition, The Ones Who Are Being Controlled.

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Linkedin Elly Burhaini Faizal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

The sun shone brightly on the hundreds of fishermen occupying reclaimed Islet G in Jakarta Bay on Sunday, April 17. Holding aloft dozens of banners, the fishermen climbed the piles of sand dredged elsewhere and dumped in the bay, and spread out their banners, emblazoned with messages such as #JakartaTolakReklamasi (Jakarta opposes reclamation) and Stop Reklamasi Berselimut Korupsi (Stop corruption-tainted reclamation).

The fishermen voiced their protest amid suffocating heat, accusing the city government of pursuing a policy that favors only the business interests of big developers in the city, while depriving local fishermen of their livelihoods.

Islet G is one of 17 islets being or to be developed as part of a major reclamation project in Jakarta Bay. Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama has insisted on pressing ahead with the multitrillion-rupiah project, which comprises offshore reclamation and the development of 17 artificial islets. At least eight property companies have obtained reclamation permits from the Jakarta administration, according to the Peoples Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA). The advocacy group has further revealed that PT Muara Wisesa Samudera, a subsidiary of property developer PT Agung Podomoro Land (APL), which was granted a permit to develop Islet G, is one of the eight companies granted with reclamation permits. On Islet G, plans have been made to build houses, malls, offices and apartments.

It is not an exaggeration for the fishermen of Jakarta Bay to say that the Jakarta administration has shown favor solely to the interests of private profit. The arrest of Jakarta city councillor Mohamad Sanusi on March 31 on suspicion of accepting bribes from Trinanda Prihantoro, an APL employee, indicates the companys effort to smoothen the project by all means possible. At the same time, the alleged involvement of Sunny Tanuwijaya, an adviser to Ahok, in the bribery case throws ever-darker shadows on the governors seemingly blind insistence on pressing ahead with the project.

The central government has not yet approved the reclamation; the provincial administration issued reclamation permits despite the absence of the requisite coastal area and small island zoning bylaw. Sunny, a Northern Illinois University (NIU) graduate student who has been in the governors brains trust since the latter stood in the last gubernatorial elections as deputy to now President Joko Jokowi Widodo, has repeatedly admitted to acting as a mediator between Ahok and business figures.

The alleged bribing of Sanusi was apparently aimed at influencing the deliberation of bills on the zoning of Jakartas coastal areas for the period 2015-2035 and on the North Jakarta Strategic Area Spatial Plan. These bills, once passed into city bylaws, were expected to ease the administrations handling of the Jakarta Bay reclamation project.

The reclamation permits issued by the Jakarta administration contradict Article 34 of Law No.1/2014 in reference to Law No.27/2007 on the management of coastal areas and small islands, KIARA says. Article 34 stipulates that any reclamation must take into account the lives and livelihoods of local people affected.

The firm opposition expressed by coastal communities in the Jakarta Bay to the reclamation project is rooted in their concerns that it will lead to the disappearance of their livelihoods and their continued existence in the area, KIARAs deputy head for information management, Parid Ridwanuddin, told thejakartapost.com in a interview.

Recent reports of sharp declines in sea catches in the bay since reclamation began are a strong indication that individual fishermen will have to bear the cost of the adverse social and economic impacts of the reclamation project.

Jakarta-chapter Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) executive director Puput TD Putra says the large-scale reclamation project will disturb mangrove vegetation and its ecosystem in Jakarta Bay and surrounding areas. Mangroves play, according to Puput, a vital role in holding back sea currents and slowing erosion, acting as a natural flood-defense system that does not entail sacrificing the local ecosystem. Mangroves have additional benefit, too, such as serving as good breeding grounds for fish and other marine wildlife.

The reclamation could further disrupt the ecosystem, Puput told thejakartapost.com. Reclamation, he said, would probably see mangrove vegetation destroyed, on the grounds that it was no longer needed because reclaimed islets would themselves serve to slow the currents in the bay. This would trigger great losses to coastal communities, which depend on fishing in mangrove forests.

The biota and coral reef lost in Jakarta Bay and surrounding areas are another environmental impact of reclamation that Walhi is deeply concerned about. Many small-scale fisher families hunt fish, green mussels or shellfish in the area as an alternative livelihood. Loss of biota and coral reef will as such plunge a whole subsection of Jakarta society into poverty.

Around 18,000 fishermen in the Jakarta Bay will at a stroke lose their fishing grounds if reclamation goes ahead. They will have to search for fishing grounds farther out to sea, entailing spending more money on fuel.

If these men and their families are not to see their livelihoods lost and their lives turned down, it is imperative that the reclamation megaproject, currently under a temporary moratorium, be called off once and for all.
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

Manufacturing was under pressure in the first quarter of 2016, with a 1.41 percent quarter-on-quarter (qoq) decline, according to the latest reading of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

BPS head Suryamin said industries that experienced production decline during the period were tobacco processing, rubber products and plastics, as well as pulp and paper.

"Tobacco processing fell 9.99 percent, rubber products and plastics down 7.66 percent, and paper products were down 5.73 percent," he said in a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

On the opposite end, wood, bamboo, rattan and products scored the largest increase of 5.6 percent. Basic metal products and transportation equipment industry followed with 3.76 percent and 3.51 percent growth, respectively.

However, on a year-on year (yoy) basis, manufacturing registered 4.08 percent growth, BPS data showed.

The increase was mainly due to the upsurge production in pharmaceutical products, chemical drugs and traditional medicine by 10.50 percent. The non-metal mineral products also grew by 8.58 percent, followed by basic metal products by 7.61 percent.

Meanwhile, industries having experienced a production decline were the chemicals and chemical goods, down 10.85 percent, electrical equipment (down 9.97 percent), and apparel industry (down 9.97 percent).

Commenting on the data, Industry Minister Saleh Husen said conditions would improve in the next quarter, especially in the chemical industry. Petrochemical companies such as of Petrokimia Gresik and Pupuk Sriwijaya are scheduled to start operating new plants soon.

"We hope it [the production] will increase in the second quarter of the year. Pupuk Sriwijaya has finished its plant expansion, and will inaugurate it soon, so it can boost production in the second quarter," he said at the State Palace. (ags)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

The nomination as Golkar Party chairman of Hutomo Tommy Mandala Putra, the youngest son of late former president Soeharto, will hamper the partys struggle to rebuild its image, an observer has opined.

People would question Tommys eligibility as regards his track record. In the current situation, Golkar needs to find the right chairman, someone who can unify and is committed to improving the party and grooming its cadres, instead of someone who can merely finance it, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) senior political analyst Siti Zuhro said on Monday.

Born in 1962, Tommy took control of a large number of businesses during his father's New Order regime (1966-1998), allegedly making vast amounts of money through corruption and embezzlement.

Golkar has been split into two factions for around a year. The Golkar leadership led by Aburizal Bakrie was chosen by a party national congress (munas) in Bali in November 2014, while a splinter faction led by Agung Laksono was elected at a munas at Ancol in Jakarta in December 2015.

The conflict receded earlier this year when the Supreme Court ordered Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H Laoly to revoke a decree acknowledging the legitimacy of the Agung camp. The minister later issued a decree that legalized the Golkar leadership declared at the Bali Munas.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry extended the Golkar leadership formed at a Riau congress, which should have expired in 2014, for six months on Jan. 28 to help the party organize a reconciliation congress. It was then decided that Golkar would hold an extraordinary national congress (munaslub), scheduled for May 23 to May 26 in Bali.

The chair of the congress steering committee, Nurdin Halid, confirmed on Monday that Tommy would run for the party chairmanship along with other candidates Ade Komaruddin, Airlangga Hartarto, Aziz Syamsuddin, Indra Bambang Utoyo, Mahyudin, Priyo Budi Santoso, Setya Novanto, Syahrul Yasin Limpo and Wati Amir.

Nurdin said as quoted by Tempo.co that Tommy had sent a representative to attend an event set by the committee to introduce the mechanisms and procedures of the munaslub and chairmanship race, although the son of the late president has yet to formally declare his candidacy.

During Soeharto's 32-year authoritarian leadership, Golkar enjoyed the benefits of being the single biggest party in the country. It consecutively swept all six general elections from 1971 until 1997, garnering an average vote of over 60 percent.

However, the party suffered defeat for the first time in the 1999 general election, in which it came second with 22.44 percent of the votes after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), led by Megawati Soekarnoputri, daughter of founding president Sukarno.

Golkar's performance in recent regional elections showed an even greater decline; the party ranked ninth of 12 political parties participating in the elections, far below the PDI-P, which topped the poll, according to data compiled by NGO the People's Voters Education Network (JPPR).

Currently, there is great public attention on all political parties including Golkar. It will as such be hard for the party if it fails to convince the public, especially before the next simultaneous regional elections in 2017 and legislative and presidential elections in 2019, Siti said. (vps/ebf)
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Linkedin (Associated Press) United Nations  Tue, May 3, 2016

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding that all parties to conflicts protect medical personnel, hospitals and medical facilities against violence and attacks  and face justice if they don't.

The resolution adopted Tuesday follows a spate of deadly attacks on hospitals, including one last week in Syria.

It expresses deep concern that the number of attacks is increasing despite obligations under international law that combatants protect medical staff and facilities as well as the sick or wounded.

The resolution was drafted by five council members  New Zealand, Spain, Egypt, Japan and Uruguay.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said every country must do more than just condemn attacks, and act to protect hospitals and staff and punish those responsible for such violence.
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Linkedin Tan Hui Yee (The Straits Times/ANN) Bangkok  Tue, May 3, 2016

Amid growing tensions in the South China Sea, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has called on regional countries to uphold the rule of law to maintain peace and stability in the region.

He also urged ASEAN to "strengthen its unity" as well as exert "its centrality in regional cooperation in East Asia".

Speaking Monday in Bangkok on the second leg of his eight-day Asia tour which includes Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, Kishida told the audience at Chulalongkorn University: "The area where the principle of the 'rule of law' is now most at stake is maritime security."

He urged all countries concerned to adhere to three principles of the rule of law at sea earlier distilled by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: That claimant states shall make their claims based on international law, not use force or coercion, and seek to settle their disputes by peaceful means.

The foreign minister reiterated his call for an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to be established.

While his speech did not mention China by name, it comes amid much political jockeying in the lead-up to an international tribunal ruling on the rival claims by Manila and Beijing, which asserts ownership over most of the South China Sea.

China's claims over the strategic waterway overlap with those of Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. The Asian giant has insisted on dealing with these territorial disputes on a bilateral basis, and says that it will not recognize the upcoming ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on a petition by the Philippines.

While China has reclaimed islands to widen its military control of the seas, it also announced last month that it had come to an agreement with Laos, Cambodia and Brunei that the South China Sea problem was "not an issue between China and ASEAN as a whole".

The last development was seen by analysts as a move to prevent the regional bloc from taking a common position after the ruling.

Japan, which has its own territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea, has offered assistance to the Philippines and Vietnam in the form of leased aircraft and ships to help them patrol their waters more effectively.
Saudi Arabia's labour minister is dissatisfied with the level of female employment in the conservative kingdom but their not being allowed to drive is not to blame, he said Tuesday.

Female Saudi unemployment rose last year to almost 34 percent while the overall jobless rate for Saudis fell to 11.5 percent, according to official figures cited by Jadwa Investment, a local securities firm.

"We tried (during) the last four years to increase the female participation in the labour market," Labour Minister Mufarrej Al-Haqbani told reporters.

But still, "I am not satisfied at all" with their employment rate, he said.

The kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030 plan, released last week to diversify the economy away from oil, calls for increased female participation in the workforce and a lowering of overall unemployment to seven percent.

More and more job sectors have opened to women, whose workforce participation -- though still relatively low -- has risen over the past few years.

But the kingdom has some of the world's toughest restrictions on females and is the only country where they are not allowed to get behind the wheel.

With limited public transport, women must rely on relatives to transport them, or pay a driver if they can afford one.

While Saudi women "are highly qualified" and "ready to work", the work environment "is not yet that good for them" but will improve, Haqbani said on the sidelines of the Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference.

Asked whether allowing women to drive could help female employment, he said: "I don't think this is the reason for their participation" or not.

The issue in all cases is not one for the labour ministry.

"What I care about is the labour, work environment" which the ministry is trying to improve, he said.

A new initiative called "telework" allows women in isolated regions to work remotely in major cities, Haqbani said, without clarifying how this is achieved.

Women's participation in the industrial sector is also rising, he said.

"So we are trying to provide them with a good environment and less costly tools to encourage them to participate."

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Linkedin Devina Heriyanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 3, 2016

A higher education delegation from Perth, Western Australia, is visiting Indonesia from 1 to 5 May. Last year the delegation visited Vietnam and China.



Western Australia Education Minister Hon. Peter Collier MLC led the delegation, accompanied by the vice chancellors of universities in Perth.



The main agenda of the visit is to market Perth as a university city, increasing the number of Indonesian students in Western Australia. There are only 800 Indonesian students in Western Australia, despite the geographic proximity.



Perth is home to five universities: University of Notre Dame Australia, University of Western Australia, Murdoch University, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University. With an international community of 19 nationalities, Perth boasts itself as the most diverse city in Australia.



Western Australia universities cooperate with a number of Indonesian universities, in key areas such as energy, agriculture, maritime, politics and security. The partner universities are Gajah Mada University, the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Airlangga University and Atma Jaya University.



Collier stated that the number of Indonesian students was in decline, having reached the lowest level in 10 years. While there are direct flights from Jakarta to Perth, the region is overlooked with Eastern cities like Melbourne or Sydney.



Perth is also considered expensive, added Paul Johnson, the vice chancellor of Australian Western University. The city has a mining and energy industry that increases living costs, although the delegation argued that the cost was becoming more affordable today.



The petroleum industry is a major component of the Western Australian economy, and Australia is aiming to be world's largest liquefied natural gas exporter by 2020. The presence of large enterprises like Chevron, Shell and Exxon Mobile is good for students, argued Johnson. Western Australian universities are also intensifying research on renewable energy to adapt to global warming, he added.



On Wednesday, the delegation is scheduled to visit Surabaya, the sister city of Western Australia. The delegation will attend a school for children with impaired hearing and Airlangga University, and will also meet with the deputy provincial governor.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Police are trying to find two suspects wanted in connection with the robberies of four restaurants on the Lower East Side last Tuesday and Wednesday.

Cops say they believe the same suspects are responsible for swiping a $2,000 bottle of cognac from Suffolk Arms, the new cocktail lounge, early last month.The other crimes took place over a 24 hour time period.

At about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26, the robbers hit Dudleys (85 Orchard St.), taking about $500 from the register. Then at 10 the following evening, they struck at Sheng Wang, the Chinese spot on Eldridge Street, just below Canal St. About $400, an iphone and an ipad were stolen. A half hour later, the duo entered Sing Fish Ball (21 Eldridge St.), taking $300. By 10:45 p.m., theyd moved on to Erin McKenna Bakery (248 Broome St.), swiping $1600. And then finally, the suspects targeted Kottu House on the same block, stealing $50.

If you have any information about these robberies, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
Pamela Erenss new novel, Eleven Hours, opens with the push and tug between laboring patient and nurse. Lore, the expectant mother, rigid and stubborn  No, the girl says, she will not wear the fetal monitoring belt  and Franckline, her nurse: These girls with their birth plansas if much of anything about a birth can be planned. Orphaned, friendless, and estranged from her babys father, Lore is poised to deliver alone. Franckline, by contrast, is more sociable, a seemingly happily married woman from Haiti. Through Franckline and Lore, Erens continues interrogating the core contradiction that threads through two earlier novels: The simultaneity of twinness and aloneness.

In light of this core contradiction, Eleven Hourss outwardly different protagonists  Lore is white; Franckline is black  share important characteristics. Franckline is herself pregnant. Out of superstition of miscarrying, she has not informed her husband. Just as Lores isolation derives from loss and betrayal, it also transpires that Francklines past is one of suffering and disruption. Thus Lore and Franckline form a pair, each with private misgivings about her pregnancy and impending birth, each entangled in the others present.

Layers of finely wrought details frame these women as matched puzzle pieces. Moving seamlessly between them, Erens renders them singular and affecting, deftly weaving in their backstories while remaining rooted in the novels central drama: Lores labor. With indulgent pragmatism, Franckline watches her patient fight to control the uncontrollable process of birth. Lore is inflexible; Franckline knows better:

Anything can happen, and often doesBabies twisted up on the umbilical cord, starved for oxygen for a little too long. Birthmarks obliterating a childs face, absent fingers or toes. Fifty-hour labors, a mother suffering a heart attack while pushing (that one was only thirty-two years old, grossly overweight, yes, but seemingly hale, with an energetic, generous laugh; they saved her, but it was touch and go).

Lore is less than self-aware; Franckline is generous, attuned, and self-aware, to the point of underestimating her own kindness: The pregnancy has made her mean, made her small, Franckline thinks. On the subway and in the street, she looks away from pregnant women  seven, eight, nine months along  so as not to poison them with her envy. Lore is a speech teacher at P.S. 30, while Franckline considers her own, hard-earned English: How supple her speech is now! How she surprised herself at times! She is proud of her English; after eleven years it is almost flawless.

Eleven years, eleven hours. Duality is literatures lifeblood; writers frequently quarry opposites. William Shakespeare loves his twins; Mark Twain, his Prince and the Pauper. Contemporary novels embed alternate endings within the same book. Jenny Erpenbecks recently translated The End of Days offers two interpretations of the same facts in each of its five segments. Lionel Shrivers The Post-Birthday World splits into divergent paths  the road taken and the other road taken.

Erens makes a fresh contribution. Along with creating original and nuanced characters, she pits duality against intense isolation. Her astonishing debut, The Understory, tells the wrenching story of John Frederick Ronan, who squats in his deceased uncles New York apartment, living in his head. He is obsessed with twins, hunting for them around the city, using two personal aliases. Readers wend through his warped reasoning  twisted from either his inability, or his lack of desire, to engage with others. He arrives at a Buddhist monastery in upstate New York seeking shelter, having been evicted into homelessness. In the silence of the monasterys enforced, pre-dawn meditation, Ronan reflects: I have no family, no home, no friend, no books. Surely they can leave me my thoughts.

Reading The Understory is itself a meditation. Sublimely paced and rigorously crafted, The Understory investigates not only Ronans raw isolation, but also his drift toward coupling; a love that unfolds with disastrous consequences.

Erenss second novel, The Virgins, centers around two teenage lovers at a tony boarding school. While their classmates imagine steamy sex, Aviva and Seungs relationship is rife with the unsaid  misunderstandings and misconceptions that ultimately coalesce in tragedy. Aviva and Seung come from different cultural backgrounds, but their disconnection is rooted in something more fundamental; a set of experiences that impedes their ability to trust the people with whom they should be closest.

In Eleven Hours, the characters are similarly disconnected. Franckline has had to break with her family of origin, imbuing her with a powerful streak of self-reliance. Lore was orphaned young, but it is the ugly betrayals of those around her, including the father of her child, that have convinced her to go it alone. Erens deploys a character named Julia  who introduces Lore to the man who will father her baby  to address the subject of rape and its aftermath. With this subplot, Erens signals what is finally being publicly acknowledged: Rape is endemic to the female experience, far more common that we choose to admit.

Perhaps Lores child will splice her loneliness, but during labor, her isolation is stark. Here is a contraction, exquisitely captured:

the moan this time is not simply a moan of will and pain but a call into the emptiness: Is anyone there? There is a blackness spreading into her vision and she feels herself spinning in an unlit sky. Empty, empty, her moan cries.

And later, as Lore strengthens her resolve that the babys father will never be part of her babys life: Now she would be her own fiance; she would marry herself. She would be both father and mother to this child. It was, really, one of the most ordinary stories in the universe.

Eleven Hours is, at its most basic, the story of a woman about to mother a daughter (Lore has found out she is carrying a girl). Erens writes thoughtfully on pregnancy and mothering, mining her own challenges with breastfeeding. Mother-daughter pairings appear throughout the book. At Lores mothers funeral:

she looked down at her mothers face, relaxed of some of its characteristic lines, and thought that here lay the only person who would every truly understand her, the only person she would ever care to be close to.

Franckline, whose mothers soft murmuring patter dried up near Franckline after a teenage dalliance, is rescued by another mother, the one who would become her mother-in-law. Neither Lore nor Franckline share information about their mothers; instead they engage in a kind of emotional parallel play, in which they give free reign to their thoughts within the confines of a small hospital room, keeping everything to themselves. Between nurse and patient, there is a whiff of the mother-daughter, as if Lore were a cranky toddler continually saying no to Francklines experienced advice, and Franckline her long suffering parent.

Franckline reaches for Lores handThere is flesh bunched below the wide silver band on the fourth finger, like a thick putty squeezing outThe finger above the ring is paler than the other fingers, with a bluish tinge. Franckline should tell Lore in no uncertain terms, in her practiced nurses voice, that the ring must be cut, that she could lose a finger. Franckline should use a word like necrotize, a word that makes young women pale and listen. But Lore would simply repeat no.

Lore sneaks out of her room, wandering into another part of the hospital like a rebellious teenager escaping an overbearing mother, and realizes she has gone too far: Come get me, Franckline, she thinks. Come find me. Come help me, come make it all easier. Contrite, Lore makes it back and shuts the door.

Franckline arrives at the room a couple of minutes later, out of breath, her eyes reproachful. Im sorry, blurts Lore. How she hates that phrase! Its like trying to move sand around her mouth. But she cannot bear Franckline looking at her like that.

With passages like these, Erens skates perilously close to troubling, cliched territory: Competent, wise black woman supports white woman in her struggle. Erens seems to recognize the dangers of descending into such a well-worn trope, skirting offense by giving Franckline a complex interior life, and by masterfully filling out each character.

Eleven Hours is crafted with the taut economy of The Understory, and with the same laser focus on human alienation. In fewer than 180 virtuoso pages, Erens knits together two women, two lives, two stories. Each woman has borne serious trials; each is detached from her family of origin, albeit for different reasons. Each has reason to worry about bringing new life into this world. They are together, but brutally alone. And yet for the duration of Lores hospital stay, their communion feels both necessary and illuminating. What passes between Franckline and Lore lifts them above despair, thrusting them toward life itself.
Russia said Tuesday it hoped a new ceasefire could be announced within hours for Syria's battered city of Aleppo, where fresh fighting left at least 16 dead including in rocket fire on a maternity hospital.

As the city was struck by some of its heaviest reported clashes in recent days, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said efforts were underway to agree a freeze in the fighting.

"I am hoping that in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, such a decision will be announced," Lavrov told reporters after talks with the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow.

World powers have been making a concerted push this week to stop the fighting in Aleppo and salvage a landmark ceasefire agreed in late February.

The truce between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebel forces raised hopes for efforts to finally resolve Syria's five-year conflict. But it has all but collapsed amid renewed fighting, especially in Aleppo.

A surge of violence that erupted on April 22 has left more than 270 people dead in the divided northern city and undermined efforts to revive peace negotiations.

After a relative lull in clashes on Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired a barrage of at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighbourhoods, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

At least three women were killed when the rockets crashed into a maternity hospital, the agency and state television said, and another 11 killed in fire on other government-held neighbourhoods.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said it had counted at least 19 dead and 80 wounded from the attacks on government neighbourhoods.

An AFP correspondent in the city saw the heavily damaged hospital building towering over the charred remains of a parked car.

Fierce fighting was also raging on the city's western edges after rebel groups detonated explosives in an underground tunnel, the correspondent said.

He described it as the most violent day for the city's regime-held west since clashes resumed 11 days ago.

Fresh regime air strikes also hit rebel-held eastern areas in the afternoon, another AFP correspondent reported.

Rescue workers in the area said at least two people were killed in the strikes.

In Moscow after seeing US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Monday, De Mistura said it was crucial for the ceasefire to be "brought back on track", hailing the February truce agreement as a "remarkable achievement".

Diplomatic efforts were set to continue with De Mistura joining the foreign ministers of Germany and France for talks with Syria's main opposition leader in Berlin on Wednesday.

Discussions will focus on "how the conditions for a continuation of the peace talks in Geneva can be met, as well as how a reduction of violence and an improvement in the humanitarian situation in Syria can be achieved", the German foreign ministry said in a statement.

On Monday Kerry said the situation in Syria was "in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing."

Washington and Moscow are working together to include Aleppo province in a so-called "regime of silence" -- a freeze in fighting.

The freeze is meant to bolster the broader February 27 truce also brokered by the two world powers.

The two countries have agreed to boost the number of Geneva-based truce monitors to track violations "24 hours a day, seven days a week," Kerry told reporters.

"We're trying to press this as fast as possible but I don't want to make any promises that can't be kept," Kerry told reporters after meeting de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir -- whose government has influence with key rebel groups.

In a nod to Moscow's demands, Kerry said Washington would press moderate rebels to separate themselves from Al-Nusra Front's jihadists in Aleppo.

Russia and Assad's regime have used the presence of Al-Nusra, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda which was not party to the February ceasefire deal, as an excuse to press their offensive.

The Observatory says more than 270 civilians -- including at least 49 children -- have been killed on both sides of divided Aleppo since April 22.

Aleppo city was initially left out of a new deal announced last week to "freeze" fighting along two major fronts in Syria's northwest and in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down, escalating into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

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In a year where cinema seems to be dominated by comic book adaptations, you could be forgiven for looking towards the newest release from Marvel (the third superhero film of the year after Deadpool and Batman v Superman) with some fatigue. Theres already been one big (and not very good) blockbuster about superheroes lining up to fight each other; surely we dont need another one? Wrong.

The third solo outing for Captain America focuses on the fallout from the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron as the world finally demands that the group are held responsible for the consequences of their actions  especially with regards to the numerous civilian casualties that occur when the entire city of Sokovia gets destroyed.

While Civil War could be seen as another Avengers movie, purely due to the reunion of most of that cast, the focus is on Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he fights against the demands for accountability in order to protect Bucky who, as the Winter Solider, has committed assassinations and bombings for the past seventy years.

While the actual events of the Civil War are entertaining  with one of the best superhero showdowns ever taking place in an airport  it is this plot line where the Russo Brothers manage to keep the film focused on Steve and his motivations, as he tries to get his best friend back.

As the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) begins to take shape, the cast of characters continues to grow and grow, and at times can seem a bit excessive. With the announced solo movie of Black Panther expected in 2018, the addition of TChalla/Black Panther (the excellent Chadwick Boseman) to the mix in Civil War provides an opportunity to expose the audience to a relatively unknown superhero in preparation.

This could be seen as a further diluting of the action to yet another main character, but Chadwick Boseman manages to not only provide enough insight into his character but to also help advance the plot of the film.

One of my main criticisms of the film, which has been picked up by critics, is that it doesnt end with any particular resolution, acting as more of an episodic film in a series that leads up the climax of the Phrase Three of the MCU, the two-part Avengers: Infinity War.

It is clear though, that with Russo Brothers at the helm for the next Avengers film, the future of the MCU is in safe hands.

Captain America: Civil War is out in the UK cinemas now.
There are "extremely worrying" signs that the Islamic State group may be making its own chemical arms and have used them already in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog said Tuesday.

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons head Ahmed Uzumcu said his body's fact-finding teams have found evidence of the use of sulphur mustard in attacks in the two war-torn countries.

"Although they could not attribute this to Daesh... there are strong suspicions that they may have used it (chemical weapons)," Uzumcu told AFP, using the alternative name for the militants group.

"Secondly the suspicions are that they may have produced it themselves, which is extremely worrying," Uzumcu said on the sidelines of a three-day conference at the OPCW's Hague-based headquarters.

"It proves that they have the technology, know-how and also access to the materials which might be used for the production of chemical weapons," Uzumcu said.

CIA director John Brennan in February told CBS News that IS group militants had the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas.

Uzumcu did not point to any specific attacks, but last month IS group mounted a deadly gas attack against Syrian troops at a government-controlled airbase outside the divided eastern city of Deir Ezzor, according to the SANA state news agency.

The attack was the latest in a string of suspected mustard gas attacks by the militants in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

On March 9, a suspected IS group gas attack on the Iraqi town of Taza, south of Kirkuk, killed three children and wounded some 1,500 people, with injuries ranging from burns to rashes and respiratory problems.

While chemical agents allegedly used by IS group so far have been among its least effective weapons, the psychological impact on civilians is considerable.

A total of 25,000 people fled their homes in and around Taza last month, fearing another attack.

Uzumcu also urged vigilance by other nations to guard against any chemical attacks outside Syria and Iraq.

Russia last month pushed for measures at the United Nations to monitor extremist groups fighting in Syria, warning of a "clear and present threat" that they could stage chemical attacks, possibly in Europe.

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UPDATED: Now with added Radiohead

This week has seen artists go from private to very public. Or, in the case of Radiohead, the complete opposite.

Beyonces fan base have been in hysteria since Lemonade sparked rumours of Jay Zs possible infidelity. Beyonces fan base have been in hysteria since Lemonade sparked rumours of Jay Zs possible infidelity.

The twittersphere is intent on pinpointing Becky with the good hair, holding numerous females and Jake Gyllenhaal in the line of fire. Could it be more likely that given the average of 15 songwriters on board of each song (inc. Father John Misty?!) that the lyric in question is little more than a publicity stunt.

Blink 182s Tom Delonge took to the internet to declare there could be a future between him and the band, though a sly dig at the latest albums co-writing didnt go amiss.

Oh and in true Thom Yorke style, Radiohead have pulled themselves from the internet entirely (only to start teasing new activity this morning).

Here are a pick of songs that are intent on staying in the public sphere

Update - Radiohead - Burn The Witch

As if to mess with the whole concept of our rather tenuous opening paragraphs, Radiohead have only gone and released a brand new song. And it's wonderous, a blend of electronic and orchestral sounds in a way that only Radiohead can deliver. It also has a freaky Trumpton meets The Wicker Man video.....

Mick Harvey - Dont Say a Thing

Original Bad Seed member Mick Harvey reinstates his iconic status with his comeback to complete the third volume of his ambitious series of Serge Gainsbourg covers translated from French to English. 'Dont Say a Thing', taken from Volume 3  Delirium Dreams is flawlessly composed, cavorting drums and serene intertwining of male and female vocals doesnt lose an ounce of the songs meaning.

Mura Masa  What if I Go?

Mura Masa has already been cited as one to watch, but he may have also produced the song of the summer. Featuring the soaring vocals of Bonzai, signed to his own label, a thick steel drum and cruising tropical chords, the artist who is fittingly named after a Japanese sword carves out a fresh cut of electronic pop.

The Hotelier  Soft Animal

The latest taste of The Hoteliers highly awaited third studio album is an awakening for the Massachusetts based emo band. Vocalist Christian Holden's soaring voice makes for a truly eye-opening chorus. The words, Make me feel alive, Make me believe that all my selves align rise up through the counterblast of drums and guitars, like the naive doe the poetic lyrics are so concerned with.

Bonnie Prince Billy  Most People

'Most People' is the first release taken from the collaborative Refugee album, a collection of unreleased original songs contributed by a range of cult artists in aid of Migrant Offshore Aid Station. Bonnie Prince Billys moving lyrics and sombre voice capture all of the emotion of current events.

Lisbon Kid  Last Weekend

The second single from electronic duo Lisbon Kids forthcoming self-titled debut is a tranquil ambient number. Tony Bignells honest narrative stream of thought flows easily over the playful bass wired electronic backdrop, creating something that really wouldnt be out of place on the Trainspotting soundtrack.

Loa Loa  Monet

Brighton garage rockers Loa Loa burst onto the scene with feral grunge track 'Monet'. With attitude lauded vocals and fuzzy melodies aplenty, the track builds on the foundations of bands such as The Cribs and Drenge, providing an innovative take on the grunge genre.

JuJu  We Spit on Yer Grave

JuJu is the latest incarnation of Sicily based artist Gioele Valenti (Lay Llamas). Taken from the debut self-titled album, the primal track explores the total defeat for humanity arising from the tragedies that occur at sea during the exodus from Africa, through the rhythmic outlet of repetitive tribal drums and dizzy psychedelic riffs .

Grawl!x  Kumquat

Derbys Grawl!x are following up their 2015 debut album with newly announced Aye!, dropping this bubbly indie-pop single in the process. Inspired by an inviting piano on display in an abandoned church where the song-writing process took place, the band have forged out glistening harmonies with a distinctive pop edge.

Mhairi - Crystalline

Bournemouths Mhairi entices with harrowingly dark 'Crystalline'. The hugely atmospheric track encompasses deep synths and intimate vocals, building a sharp intensity that can only matched by its video, which raises awareness of Pasung, an ancient way to shackle the mentally ill that is still in use today.
Over fifty students have been shortlisted for the prestigious Royal Television Society (RTS) awards.

The Student Television Awards 2016 looks to recognise the best student television across universities and colleges in the UK. The categories are split into undergraduate and postgraduate, including animation, comedy, drama and news. The Student Television Awards 2016 looks to recognise the best student television across universities and colleges in the UK. The categories are split into undergraduate and postgraduate, including animation, comedy, drama and news.

19 institutions have been shortlisted, including the University of Sheffield and Edinburgh University.

The RTS offer Television Production and Technology bursaries to help those from disadvantages backgrounds take their first step in the industry. As an education charity, they also run masterclass sessions to teach students using academics and industry leaders.

The Royal Television Society works with some of the UKs biggest broadcasters such as the BBC, BskyB, Channel 4 and ITV.

The awards ceremony is being held at the BFI Southbank on Friday 3rd June and the films will be available to watch afterwards on Sky Arts' on demand.
The student behind the polarising Rhodes Must Fall campaign has been branded a racist - after refusing to tip a waitress because she was white.

Ntokozo Qwabe (pictured right), who studies at Oxford, bragged about making the waitress cry 'typical white tears'. Ntokozo Qwabe (pictured right), who studies at Oxford, bragged about making the waitress cry 'typical white tears'.

He posted how he bullied the waitress, Ashleigh Schultz, saying he was 'unable to stop smiling because something so black and wonderful had happened'.

Qwabe and a friend went to a Western Cape cafe last week and wrote on the bill: "We will tip when you return the land."

A friend of waitress Schultz said: "She has a very sick mother she cares for, and had to move flat recently and is worried about all of this. She did burst into tears because she is having a tough time at present."

Qwabes bizarre social media post threatened a violent overthrow against white people and denied upsetting the waitress was racist.

His outburst continued: "NO white person shall rest. It is irrelevant whether you personally have land/wealth or you dont. Go to your fellow white people & mobilise for them to give us the land back."

Qwabe was branded a hypocrite at the end of last year by Professor Mary Beard for accepted the Rhodes scholarship: "You can't whitewash Rhodes out of history, but go on using his cash."
A student has won 750 compensation after complaining her courses teaching was too 'sex obsessed'.

Angie Marynicz, 61, complained that the writings of Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare were disturbing and she found the lecturers ignorant and callous delivery of such sensitive topics distressing. Angie Marynicz, 61, complained that the writings of Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare were disturbing and she found the lecturers ignorant and callous delivery of such sensitive topics distressing.

Marynicz complaint was about her course at the University of Wales, Trinity St David.

Mrs Marynicz wrote in her complaint: "One of the compulsory modules for the BA (Hons) Creative Writing course was Critical and Cultural Theory.

"The first lecture for that module was listening to the lecturer read aloud the Edgar Allen Poe short story The Black Cat, which is a graphic account of domestic abuse where the abuser puts an axe through his wife's head.

"As he finished reading the story, he giggled which I found very upsetting and offensive. I emailed him twice to tell him so - to which I received no reply.

"The second lecture in that module was the Freudian idea that Shakespeare's Hamlet had an Oedipus complex i.e. child sex abuse/incest. I was told by the Head of School, in no uncertain terms, that this was good art and they would carry on teaching it as such."

She continued: Within the degree course were poetry modules with the Head of School being the lecturer. At the beginning of one of his modules, he announced that 'All literature is about sex because sex is the most important thing in the world.

The university rejected her complaint, and Marynicz took it to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA).

The OIA rejected the complaint on the content of the course, citing academic freedom, but said the university should have considered whether it was reasonable to require Mrs Marynicz to attend the Critical and Cultural lectures in view of the content and delivery of the module which Mrs Marynicz had difficulties with."

It further ordered the university pay her 750 in compensation.

A University spokesman said: The University wishes to stress that the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education found the students complaint not justified in all of its main points, including those relating to course content and delivery.

"The complaint was deemed partly justified solely in relation to attendance for particular lectures and, in accordance with the recommendation of the OIA, a sum of 750 was paid to the student and accepted as full and final settlement of the complaint.
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Russia hoped Tuesday a new ceasefire could be announced within hours for Syria's battered city of Aleppo, where fresh fighting including rocket fire on a maternity hospital left at least 19 dead.

As the city was struck by some of its heaviest reported clashes in days, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said efforts were under way to agree a freeze in the fighting.

"I am hoping that in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, such a decision will be announced," Lavrov said after meeting UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow.

France and Britain called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting on Aleppo, boosting the major push by world powers this week to end the fighting.

"Aleppo is burning and it is crucial that we focus on this top priority issue," said British ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft.

A February 27 truce between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels raised hopes for efforts to resolve the five-year conflict.

But it has all but collapsed amid renewed fighting, especially in Aleppo.

A surge of violence that erupted on April 22 has killed more than 270 people in the divided northern city and undermined efforts to revive peace talks.

After a relative lull Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighbourhoods, said state news agency SANA.

The rockets killed 16 people and wounded 68, including at least three women at Al-Dabbeet maternity hospital, it reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said it had counted at least 19 dead and 80 wounded from the attacks on government-held areas.

An AFP correspondent saw the charred remains of a car outside the heavily damaged hospital building.

Fierce fighting also raged on Aleppo's western edges after rebels detonated explosives in a tunnel, the correspondent said, adding the clashes subsided at nightfall.

It was the most violent day for the city's regime-held west since clashes resumed 11 days ago.

New regime strikes also hit rebel-held eastern areas, dotting the city with thick plumes of smoke, another AFP correspondent reported.

As warplanes thundered above, rebel and government forces exchanged nearly non-stop artillery fire.

The civil defence said air strikes on the rebel-held east killed three people, including a child.

The rocket attack was the sixth time a medical facility has been hit in 11 days in Aleppo, the International Committee for the Red Cross said, calling it "unacceptable".

The UN Security Council unanimously voted Tuesday to condemn the targeting of health facilities in war zones.

In Moscow after seeing US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Monday, De Mistura said it was crucial for Syria's ceasefire to be "brought back on track", hailing the February truce as a "remarkable achievement".

Diplomatic efforts were set to continue Wednesday in Berlin with De Mistura joining the German and French foreign ministers for talks with Syria's main opposition leader.

The German foreign ministry said their discussions would focus on how to reduce violence and improve Syria's humanitarian situation so peace talks can resume.

Washington and Moscow are working together to include Aleppo in a so-called "regime of silence" -- a freeze in fighting -- aimed at bolstering the broader truce brokered by both world powers.

The two countries have agreed to boost the number of Geneva-based truce monitors to track violations "24 hours a day, seven days a week," Kerry said Monday.

"We're trying to press this as fast as possible but I don't want to make any promises that can't be kept," he told reporters after meeting De Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, whose government has influence with key rebel groups.

In a nod to Moscow's demands, Kerry said Washington would press moderate rebels to separate themselves from Al-Nusra Front jihadists in Aleppo.

Russia and Assad's regime have used the presence of Al-Nusra, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda which was not party to the February ceasefire, as an excuse to press their offensive.

The Observatory says more than 270 civilians -- including 54 children -- have been killed on both sides of divided Aleppo since April 22.

The city was initially excluded from a deal announced last week to "freeze" fighting along two major fronts in the northwest and in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Meanwhile, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said there were "extremely worrying" signs IS may be making its own chemical weapons and may have used them already in Syria and Iraq.

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down, and escalated into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

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Spanish police arrested four people on the outskirts of Madrid on Tuesday accused of promoting Islamist militancy via social media, the Interior Ministry said.

Three of those detained in the operation, which is ongoing, were from Morocco and the fourth was Spanish, it said in a statement.

They allegedly targeted hundreds of people via instant messaging and other social media before making direct contact with smaller groups.

Including Tuesday's arrests, Spain has detained 23 people so far this year with presumed links to Islamist militancy.

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Arson suspected in Phuket speedboat fire

PHUKET: The owner of six speedboats damaged by fire near Chalong Pier last month has called for police to speed up their investigation because he believes the fire was intentionally started.

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By Darawan Naknakhon

Tuesday 3 May 2016, 05:44PM

Pisit Paphakityosapat (left) of Nikorn Marine Tours, who is also a Dpeuty Mayor of Rawai, belives his boats were set on fire. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

The fire, which broke out before 3am on April 19, caused an estimated B25 million in damage to six speedboats belonging to Nikorn Marine Tours. (See story here.)

Right now my family and I do not feel at ease because we are still in the dark about what happened that morning and to this day police still have no answers, said Pisit Paphakityosapat of Nikorn Marine Tours.

Lt Col Kittisak Noopeung of the Provincial Forensic Police explained to The Phuket News, We cannot conclude our investigation yet as we are waiting for the Forensic Science Division (in Bangkok) to conclude their findings.

After we sent the evidence we collected from the damaged boats, we were told to wait one month for the test results, he said.

Mr Pisit, who also currently serves as Deputy Mayor of Rawai, explained that five of his boats were rendered unsalvageable by the fire and one boat requires repairs.

All boats are being kept at our company car park and no one has been allowed near them because we want the police to get all the evidence they need and find the cause of the fire, he said.

I do not believe the fire was an accident, said Mr Pisit.

There were so many suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident from the information we got from our guard who was injured by the fire That night, we had only one man watching the boats due to the low tide that night. Normally we would have two men guard the area.

Also, the CCTV recorded a motorbike passing by before the fire started and the spotlights in the area mysteriously stopped working the same time.

I want police to wrap up their investigation as soon as possible. We were told by police that our guard is now facing negligence causing property damage, he said.

The guard, Donsafad Pormin, 55, is still at Vachira Phuket Hospital recovering from serious burns to his body, Mr Pisit added.

Meanwhile, new speedboats are already en route to Phuket so Nikorn Marine can resume full services, he said.

New boats are on their way to replace the damaged boats. We will have three replaced by June 25. Six of our boats were damaged by the fire, but we will continue to provide the best and quality service to our customer, Mr Pisit added.
Indonesian villagers mistake sex toy for angel

JAKARTA: Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed by an angel fallen from heaven when a beautiful doll washed up on a beach  only to discover it was an inflatable sex toy.

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By AFP

Tuesday 3 May 2016, 04:21PM

Indonesian villagers found the inflatable doll in April while fishing |off the remote Banggai islands. Photo: AFP

Rapidly-spreading reports of a heavenly offering and fears of possible social unrest prompted a police investigation.

Detectives who arrived in the remote spot soon punctured the theory of divine intervention.

When our officers arrived they saw that the fallen angel was just a doll, it was a sex toy, said local police chief Heru Pramukarno.

Villager Pardin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, found the doll when he was fishing off the remote Banggai islands off Sulawesi in central Indonesia, police said.

The discovery in March came a day after a solar eclipse swept across the area, a deeply spiritual experience in the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country. This led superstitious locals to believe the two events were linked.

Pardin took the partially inflated doll to his home in Kalupapi village, where it was treated with great reverence.

His mother gave the angel a fresh change of clothes and new Muslim headscarf to wear every day, and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip.

Police decided to investigate after becoming concerned the increasing excitement about the angel could lead to unrest.

We were hearing many stories, such as that the fallen angel was crying when she was discovered, Pramukarno said.

The problem, it seemed, was the remoteness of Kalupapi.

They have no Internet, they dont know what a sex toy is.

After investigating, officers confiscated the doll and took it to the local police station, a move they said was intended to stop false rumours from spreading.

It is not the first time that a sex toy has been mistaken for something else entirely.

In 2012 a Chinese TV station reported a rare mushroom with medicinal qualities had been discovered in a town during drilling for a new well, only for viewers to point out that the object was in fact a sex toy for men.

Sex toys have also sparked police alerts in the past. Several years ago police in Chinas Shandong province launched a rescue operation to save what they believed was a woman drowning in a river, only to discover it was actually an inflatable sex doll.
Phuket murder probe underway as Myanmar migrant workers body found at dump site

PHUKET: Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a Myanmar migrant worker was found wrapped in a mattress dumped among rubbish at a mangrove forest in Rassada this morning (May 3).

Myanmarhomicidedeathcrimepoliceviolence

By Darawan Naknakhon

Tuesday 3 May 2016, 06:22PM

Police have idetnified Mr Pai's agent and will call him in for questioning. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

Neighbours searched for days until Mr Pai Taicher's body was found this morning (May 3). Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

Phuket City Police were called to the scene, an illegal dump site off Soi Tha Ruea Mai in Moo 7, at 7:30am.

The body was wrapped in a light mattress secured tightly with three ropes. The mattress had been dumped halfway into a canal next to the rubbish, said Pol Maj Sakon Krainara.

A Myanmar national named only as Malee, 43, soon identified the body as that of 51-year-old Pai Taicher.

 According to Ms Malee, who lived next door to the deceased, Pai returned to his place from working on a fishing boat on April 27 and an agent who help finds work in the fishing industry brought him his wages, Maj Sakon said.

She said the agent subtracted his cut from Pais earnings before giving whatever was left to Pai, which upset Pai. Pai demand an explanation from him and they got into an argument.

The agent assaulted Pai by smashing a glass bottle over his head, then both men went their separate ways, she said.

Pai apparently went to a doctor that day, but he never returned. His neighbours had been looking for him, until someone found his body this morning, Maj Sakorn said.

We have learned who Mr Pais agent was and we will question him about the allegations against him. At the same time, officers are investigating to find any other suspects who might be involved in the death of Mr Pai, Maj Sakon added.

In the meantime, Mr Pais body has been taken to Vachira Phuet Hospital for doctors to confirm the cause of death.

At this stage, we believe that he had been dead for at least a week before his body was discovered, Maj Sakorn said.
Phuket teens wanted for alleged rock throwing incident causing car crash

PHUKET: Police are currently looking for two teenagers who are alleged to have thrown a rock at a vehicle travelling on Thepkassattri Rd today (May 3) causing the vehicle to crash into a roadside pylon and leaving the driver and his wife needing hospital treatment.

accidentsviolencetransportpolice

By Darawan Naknakhon

Tuesday 3 May 2016, 05:46PM

The driver of the Mazda 2 said a teenager throwing a rock at his car caused him to lose control and crash into the pylon. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

Luckily, a one-year-old baby girl that was also in the vehicle escaped from the crash unhurt.

Phuket City Police were called to the scene of an accident on Thepkassattri Rd northbound in Koh Kaew at 1:10pm. It was reported that two teenagers had thrown a rock at a passing vehicle causing the driver to crash into a pylon.

Police were told that two people had suffered injuries from the accident.

Lt Col Chalaew Taihu arrived at the scene with his team to find a Mazda 2 smashed into a roadside pylon.

The driver of the vehicle Mr Jatuporn Kanpai, 25, and his wife Sunisa Kongkam, 22, who had both sustained injuries from the crash were taken to Vachira Hospital for treatment.

Lt Col Chalaew explained,  A friend of the victims told us that Mr Jatuporn said that he was heading to Leam Hin Seafood and while he was making a U-turn near the Sapam Sounds spotted two teenagers following him on a red Honda Wave.

Mr Jatuporn said that the suspects blocked his vehicle from making a left turn into Baan Laem Hin so he drove past them to make a U-turn again when one suspect walked across the road and threw rock at his car. He panicked and crashed, Lt Col Chalaew said.

Mr Jatuporn said that the two teenagers then sped away on their motorbike heading towards Phuket Town.

CCTV footage showed two teenage suspects on a Honda Wave, the driver was wearing a grey top and jeans, he had a blue helmet. His passenger was wearing black clothing with a black hat.

We did not see them throw the rock, however, officers are looking for them. We also alert all police checkpoints to be on lookout for them, he added.
The French government's contested labour reform bill finally reached parliament on Tuesday, having sparked two months of mass protests, but neither employers nor unions are happy.

The government says the bill is designed to unlock France's rigid labour market and cut stubbornly high unemployment of around 10 percent -- the issue that has dogged Socialist President Francois Hollande's four years in power.

But since March 9, hundreds of thousands of people in cities around France have demonstrated against what they see as a reform weighed in favour of businesses.

With 12 months until the presidential election, the bill is likely to be the last of its size to be introduced by Hollande's government.

It also has the unenviable record of being the reform that has brought the most Socialist supporters onto the streets during Hollande's rocky time in office.

On Tuesday, as lawmakers begin to examine the bill, unions and student organisations held another demonstration outside the National Assembly parliament building.

Unions fear it will erode the cherished rights of workers on full-time contracts, while student organisations -- who have been at the forefront of the protests -- believe it will fail to create "real" jobs for young people.

In response to the opposition, the government has watered down its original proposals, with the result that employers are now worried.

Pierre Gattaz, the head of the employers' federation Medef, said the reform worried his members and "will fail to create jobs".

"In its current state, the bill really scares us," he told RTL radio.

"I would really like the lawmakers to go back to the initial spirit of the bill.

"This labour market needs to be unlocked. The whole world says so, Brussels says so and all the international organisations say so," he said.

Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri will attempt to address those concerns when she speaks to parliament at the start of the debate around 1500 GMT.

Police are bracing for fresh clashes with protesters after many of the demonstrations against the bill descended into violence.

Authorities believe troublemakers -- the so-called "casseurs", or breakers -- have mingled with protesters to foment clashes with riot police.

Demonstrators on the other hand accuse the police of heavy-handedness which they claim is fuelling the violence.

Participation in the demonstrations reached its peak on March 31 with nearly 400,000 people on the streets. In protests last Thursday, those numbers had fallen to 170,000.

The reform was also the central theme of the traditional May 1 workers' march in Paris, which descended into clashes between masked protesters and police.

Opposition to the bill also inspired the "Nuit Debout", or "Up All Night" movement, which has grown to encompass a range of causes.

Christophe Sirugue, the Socialist lawmaker presenting the bill to parliament, said last week that several points still needed "clarification" but that he expected the bill to pass.

Among the key remaining sticking points in the bill are measures to make it easier to lay off workers in lean times, and whether employers should be allowed to shed staff if their company is doing badly in France, even if its operations abroad are successful.

Hollande continues to face opposition from within his own party.

A group of Socialist lawmakers complained Monday that the package "is not in line with the reforms that one expects from a government of the left".

"This bill is not useful for France or for the common good," they said in a statement.

If the government fails to gather enough support for the reform, it could use a constitutional mechanism to force through the reform by decree without a vote, providing opponents do not force a no-confidence vote.

The government used the tactic last year to ram through another controversial economic reform governing trading hours and the deregulation of some sectors.

However, using such a mechanism carries the risk of further alienating left-wing voters.

Opinion polls show a majority of this group have a negative opinion of Hollande's time in office, which does not bode well for the president as he considers whether to stand for re-election.

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Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she would do what she can to help curb the rise of France's National Front (FN), as support surges for far-right parties across Europe.

"I will make my contribution towards ensuring that other political forces are stronger than the National Front," she told students attending the French high school in Berlin.

Merkel, who rarely comments on neighbouring France's political scene, said that in Germany too, the rise of the far-right was a phenomenon that "we have to deal with".

"We see that there are political forces with very negative rhetoric on Europe," she said, referring to the German populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

"We have to ensure that Europe is a project that people understand," she said, adding that a key message that has to hit home is that "it's better with Europe than without Europe".

Formed only three years ago on a eurosceptic platform, AfD is now Germany's third strongest party, according to a recent opinion poll.

The populist upstart outfit has shifted its rhetoric to one that rails against the influx of 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015, and last weekend adopted an anti-Islam platform.

Like AfD, France's National Front is anti-EU.

Its leader Marine Le Pen has overseen an unprecedented rise in the party's fortunes and many pollsters predict the FN will make it to the second round of the French presidential election next year.

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Indiana voters cast their ballots in key US presidential primaries Tuesday, with Republican Donald Trump hoping to knock out his rivals and Hillary Clinton seeking to further cement her status as the Democrats' presumptive pick.

The latest contest in the 2016 race for the White House is seen as a day of reckoning for the movement to "stop Trump" led by his closest rival Ted Cruz.

But the billionaire real estate mogul -- who has thus far defied all political logic to lead the Republican race -- looked set to deliver a death blow to Cruz, with a new NBC poll giving Trump a 15-point advantage over the conservative Texas senator.

"I don't think he's got the temperament to be president," Trump said of Cruz in an interview with Fox News after polls opened.

"People are tired with what's happening with these politicians and they're just tired of seeing our country get ripped off."

Clinton and her rival Bernie Sanders were locked in a closer race in Indiana, with the former secretary of state in the lead by just under seven percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics poll average.

The 68-year-old Clinton is already so far ahead overall that Sanders' only hope now lies in the unlikely scenario of her failing to win a majority of delegates in the primaries, in which case her nomination could be contested at a Democratic convention in July.

Cruz was counting on a similar scenario, with Indiana acting as a Trump firewall, blocking him from receiving the 1,237 delegates necessary to secure the nomination at the Republican convention in Cleveland in July.

Mathematically eliminated from winning outright, Cruz's goal is to snatch victory on a second ballot, when most delegates become free to vote for whomever they choose -- but which will only be held if Trump falls short of a majority in round one.

With momentum favoring the 69-year-old Trump, who has clinched the last six contests, the two rivals attacked each other on an unlikely front Tuesday -- a tabloid report linking Cruz's father Rafael to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Trump invoked the recent National Enquirer story in his interview with Fox News.

"This is just kooky," an irate Cruz shot back while stumping in Evansville, Indiana, branding Trump a "pathological liar."

"The man is utterly a moron," he said.

"A caricature of a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks."

Should Cruz fall short Tuesday, even his supporters see an extremely steep road ahead.

Indiana's primary awards 30 delegates to the state's winner. The remaining 27 are awarded three each to the winner of the state's nine congressional districts.

If Trump sweeps the state, "it could be over," former Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler acknowledged on MSNBC.

But if Cruz pulls off an upset, Tyler said he would be strongly positioned in California, which votes on June 7 on the final day of the Republican race.

Trump has so far amassed 1,002 delegates, according to CNN's tally. He needs just under half of the 502 in play in the remaining 10 contests to lock in the nomination. Cruz is at 572 delegates.

The map currently favors the billionaire, who is polling well ahead in the largest states yet to vote -- California and New Jersey.

Clinton needs only 21 percent of remaining Democratic delegates to win her party's nomination.

But Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist senator representing Vermont, wasn't throwing in the towel.

Courting the union vote in Indiana, where manufacturing has taken a hit, Sanders sought to focus on trade.

"We need a trade policy which works for the middle class and working families and not just for the CEOs of large corporations," he said outside a diner in Indianapolis.

"Secretary Clinton has supported virtually every one of these disastrous trade agreements and that is an area of strong disagreement that the voters of Indiana and America will have to consider."

Either candidate needs 2,383 delegates for victory. Currently Clinton has 2,179 including 513 superdelegates, while Sanders has 1,400 including 41 superdelegates, according to CNN's tally.

A confident Trump was already looking beyond Tuesday to a general election matchup with Clinton.

"Please, let's focus on Hillary," he said on the eve of the vote.

Clinton also had her sights set on November.

"I am focused on moving into the general election," she said Tuesday in West Virginia.

"That's where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who'll literally say or do anything."

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Three candidates seek two spots in District 5 House race

Three candidates are running for two seats representing District 5 in the state House: Kahden Mooney, Byron I. Callies and incumbent Hugh Bartels.
A Copenhagen art show was reported to police on Monday on allegations of encouraging terrorism for plans to portray suicide bombers killed in the Brussels and Paris attacks as heroes.



A Danish group of artists plans to include brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El-Bakraoui, who detonated bombs in the deadly Brussels attacks in March, in the controversial show.



Foued Mohamed-Aggad, who blew himself up at Paris music venue Bataclan in November, is also to be in the exhibition partly inspired by Tehran's Martyrs' Museum to people killed in Iran's Islamic revolution and war with Iraq.



The installation will have the look of a museum, using images of the bombers, replicas of their belongings and plaques to explain who they were.



A local member of Denmark's ruling Venstre party, Diego Gugliotta, on Monday reported the event and its organisers to police for "encouraging terror".



Portraying international terrorists as heroes could push some people to "take the last step and join a terror organisation," he wrote on Facebook.



The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for both the Paris attacks, which left 130 people dead, and the Brussels bombings, which killed 32.



The Islamic State attackers will be featured in the installation alongside historical figures considered to have died for their cause, such as French heroine Joan of Arc and Greek philosopher Socrates, said Ida Grarup Nielsen of artist collective The Other Eye of The Tiger.



"Our exhibit is really about describing the term 'martyr' from as many different angles as possible and through history," Nielsen said.



Everyone is "the hero of (their) own story," she added.



The exhibit is scheduled to go on display from May 26 until June 10 in a former abattoir in Copenhagen's trendy Meatpacking District.



The venue is home to a theatre group whose artistic leader, Christian Lollike, courted controversy in 2012 by staging a play based on the manifesto of Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Chunks of Cindy Scotts childhood were walled off, spent in an old brick building on the shores of Lake Simcoe.

Now in her fifties, Scott wants those walls torn down as the government prepares to open consultations on what remains of the Huronia Regional Centre.

Thats what we need to do. Completely gone, said Scott, who was institutionalized there twice before she turned 15. We do not want to see that building anymore.

Her vision is at odds with a sweeping reimagining of the site as an arts destination in the vein of The Banff Centre, championed by a cadre of well-known figures, including Margaret Atwood and visual artist Charles Pachter.

Huronia Cultural Campus Foundation, the group proposing the plan, has engaged bureaucrats and politicians in discussions since forming in late 2014.

But the one group critics say should be paramount in the discussions, former residents like Scott, has so far felt left out.

Pachter stresses the arts centre wont deny the sites horrific past or exclude former residents. He speaks of its future, including dreams of artist residences, art galleries, and symphony concerts, in glowing terms.

The land and the site itself is magnificent, he said.

Its a characterization that turns Marilyn Dolmages stomach. Once a social worker there and sister of a former resident, the longtime advocate served as the litigation guardian on a class-action lawsuit against the province alleging decades of abuse.

It is superficially a beautiful place, she said. But those lawns were not enjoyed the way children enjoyed lawns . . . imagine driving into that place to go to work, as I did for five years, and never seeing a child out playing.

Open from 1876 to 2009, at its peak, 2,600 children and adults were housed in the facility for people with developmental disabilities.

Inside those buildings, in a giant room would be 50 to 75 men with no clothes on, masturbating, defecating, everything. And somebody following up with some kind of a mop, she said.

My brother was in one of those buildings and never got out of a crib and died from all the illnesses he got. Thats what we see when we see those buildings, Dolmage said.

Pachter points to the ongoing revitalization of Regent Park and Humber Colleges Lakeshore campus, the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, as models for redeveloping lands with fraught histories.

If you spend all of the effort focusing on the suffering you cant move forward, he said. The other thing of course is in 10 years many of those people will be gone, and in 20 years Ill be gone, and nobody knows whats going to happen to that land still.

For Kate Rossiter, a professor who works with former residents in her research and met with the foundation before taking maternity leave, the longevity of former residents is irrelevant.

Its absolutely crucial to include and honour the survivors who are here now, she said. Its also really important to think about how to honour the people who did not survive Huronia, the people who didnt make it out alive. And there were thousands.

Consulting former residents takes time, effort and energy, but it will result in better outcomes, she said.

Theyre messy and theyre difficult and not unified, she said of the talks. It can be sometimes a hard road to get there but (survivors) are articulate and creative and have important ideas to share.

In the foundation boards view, survivors are not left out; rather, its a slow-moving process and those working on the project are not full-time, so fitting everyone in takes longer. Chair Fred Larsen admits the outreach hasnt been robust, but said it will be going forward.

Over the next several months we need to strengthen our relationship with the survivor groups and former residents, he told the Star.

So far the outreach has included a meeting last April between Dolmage, Scott and others, a smaller meeting with Pachter, Scott and other former residents, and meetings with community care groups and the Creative Spirit Art Centre, which holds a collection of paintings done by Huronia residents.

In the year since that meeting, Dolmage has fought to get answers about the process and concerns raised in July about sewer lines running through the cemetery.

Since forming, the foundation group has obtained site surveys from the province and been granted $90,000 in grants and funds from the province and $50,000 from Orillia City Council for their projects.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure wrote in an emailed statement that it will hold consultations on the sites future this year, inviting input from the community and former residents.

The property is owned by the province, which uses some buildings to house OPP and court services. Any part deemed excess would go through the standard circulation process, the statement read.

In an email, Infrastructure Ontario spokesperson Jeff Giffen went on to say: As part of the normal circulation process, the preliminary map was made available to entities such as the municipality, and registered not for profit organizations, have an opportunity to express an interest in the property.

Dolmage worries recent progress made to right over 100 years of wrongs, including an apology from Premier Kathleen Wynne and a $35-million settlement in the class-action suit, will be undone if former residents are left out of the discussions.

We have to learn from the mistakes of the past, not gloss them over as wonderland.

With files from Star staff

What to do with Huronia

Originally known as the Orillia Asylum for Idiots, the infamous Huronia Regional Centre closed in 2009 after more than 100 years of neglect and abuse alleged by the adults and children it housed. Now talks are underway about what to do with the property, with a group of prominent cultural figures proposing it be remade as an arts centre  an idea many former residents resist.

Cindy Scott, former resident

Cindy Scott, 52, was a child when she was admitted to Huronia, but the sight of the property still gives her flashbacks to the physical abuse she endured. I had smacks, I had pinches, kicked, you name it, she said. You wouldnt even imagine how bad it is, that place. You have no idea.

I havent forgotten that place ever, said Scott, who is staunchly opposed to the proposal to turn much of the property into an arts centre. This is ridiculous, to be a part of art. I dont think people would want to see that.

Marilyn Dolmage, advocate for former residents

Dolmage fears former residents havent been more included, in an attempt to downplay the past. Their stories are not good for business. Their stories remind people of the trauma that this site represents.

If you cover up the truth, you turn it into a happy story to generate jobs, or arts revenue, to improve the property values in Orillia, were moving backwards as a society, she said. The class action got us to the point where they are now believed end respected in general, she said. Were working so hard to make sure that continues and nobody tramples on us.

Charles Pachter, started cultural campus campaign

How do you move from one point to another? How do you get closure from one era and change it to something else? said Pachter, credited by many as the visionary behind the arts project. If we dwell on sadness that went on there perpetually, you cannot transform it into a place of joy and creativity.

The arts centre proposal is sympathetic to the sites history, he said, and would give a fair share of honour and exposure, and absolutely include some kind of a monumental sculpture to the past . . . theres no question that all that has to be kept in its proper place. He added that more elements, such as a memorial pavilion or learning centre, could be included too.

Fred Larsen, chair of the Huronia Cultural Campus Foundation

Were not looking to hide anything of the propertys history. We very much want to move forward in a way that incorporates an understanding of what happened on the property, both good and the bad, and turn that into a place where we can find joy and beauty and better understanding, he said.

We would hope that eventually all of the former residents and their families would appreciate what is created on the property.

Margaret Atwood, writer

This could do for Orillia what the Stratford Festival did for the town of Stratford, Atwood told the Stars Martin Knelman last year about the project. She was not available for comment for this story before deadline.

Don Tapscott, writer

This could be the most important development for the region since the arrival of Samuel de Champlain, Tapscott, a bestselling author, told the Stars Martin Knelman last year. This projects impact goes far beyond the cultural benefits. It would provide massive economic benefits for the region and the province. It could become the hub of entrepreneurship and a major creator of new jobs. Tapscott was not available for comment for this story before deadline.

With files from Martin Knelman

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OTTAWAAdvocates say aboriginal women tend to be underprotected and overpoliced, making it vital for police behaviour to be examined in the coming inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women.

Kim Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, says indigenous women are grossly overrepresented in the prison system and commonly suffer from poverty and abuse.

Pate also says rates of violence are particularly high for indigenous women, who are less likely to have support in addressing such problems.

Dawn Lavell-Harvard, president of the Native Womens Association of Canada, says many of the crimes linked to aboriginal women are related to desperation and circumstance.

The prison watchdog says the aboriginal inmate population ballooned by more than 50 per cent between 2005 and 2015, calling the situation even more distressing for federally sentenced aboriginal women.

Over the last 10 years, the number of imprisoned aboriginal women has doubled.

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OTTAWAAboriginal women tend to be underprotected and overpoliced, making it vital that the behaviour of police be examined in the upcoming inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women, advocates said Monday.

Indigenous women are grossly overrepresented in the prison system and commonly suffer from poverty and abuse, said Kim Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies.

Those who end up behind bars often share similar, vulnerable backgrounds with those who are murdered or go missing, she added.

They are women who are often already marginalized by virtue of their race, class, and sometimes disability if they have disabling mental health issues or intellectual disabilities, Pate said.

We know that the rates of violence . . . against indigenous women are particularly high, and they are also more likely to not have had support in addressing that violence.

Pate said she hopes the inquiry will untangle the issues that make indigenous women vulnerable to becoming victims, as well as those that might make them more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.

If we end up with recommendations for better supports for women and not abandoning them to the streets or to prison, then we will end up seeing fewer people in all of those situations in my opinion.

Deep, systemic problems facing aboriginal women in prison were recently flagged in the year-end report from Canadas prison watchdog.

Howard Sapers found Canadas aboriginal inmate population ballooned by more than 50 per cent between 2005 and 2015. He called the situation even more distressing for federally sentenced aboriginal women.

The number of indigenous women behind bars has doubled over the last 10 years, he added, making it the fastest growing offender category under federal jurisdiction.

Aboriginal female inmates are also more likely to be serving a sentence for a drug-related offence, more likely to be classified as maximum security and more likely to be considered high-risk, Sapers said.

Dawn Lavell-Harvard, president of the Native Womens Association of Canada, said many of the crimes linked to aboriginal women are related to desperation and circumstance.

We have seen, because of racism, that our women get less response (from police) and then when theyve had to stand up for themselves . . . end up with harsher responses when . . . theyve had to stand up against their abuser, against their attacker, she said.

The racism is that double-edged sword where it prevents us from getting attention from police when we are the victims but at the same time, it brings down the long arm of the law when our women eventually stand up for themselves.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett was not available for an interview Monday, but in a statement, her office said the government is hearing from survivors, family members and loved ones about what they perceive to be an uneven application of justice.

The government is looking to set the mandate for the inquiry by this summer.

Based on this type of input and much more that we received during the pre-inquiry engagement process, our government is designing an inquiry that will both examine the causes of violence against indigenous women and girls and lead to recommendations for concrete actions to prevent future violence, the statement said.

The inquiry needs to be designed to uncover the truth, Lavell-Harvard said, adding there will likely be a lot of ugliness that comes forward during the process.

If police officers are doing their best, even if it is in difficult circumstances, and they have nothing to hide, there wont be a problem, she said.

Thats really what this is all about: exposing the problems, owning the problems, so we can have effective change.

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OTTAWAThe RCMP says it expects to soon get its hands on the so-called Panama Papers revealing offshore companies and bank accounts around the world, though it was coy about how it intends to obtain the documents.

Yet asked if people who are deliberately hiding their money to evade taxes could be in trouble, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said Id like to think so.

Paulson appeared with several of his top deputies at the Senate standing committee on national security and defence Monday and outlined challenges the force faces in trying to obtain evidence abroad to pursue charges when it comes to terrorist financing.

But when Conservative Sen. Claude Carignan asked about the Panama Papers, RCMP deputy commissioner Mike Cabana, in charge of federal policing, said the RCMP moved quickly after their publication.

As soon as we learned of the existence of those documents we started discussions with our foreign partners in order to get our hands on copies of those documents. Those discussions are still underway; we have received confirmation that we are going to receive the documents in their entirety, Cabana said.

Cabana said the RCMP is working with domestic partners here in Canada including FINTRAC, the agency that tracks money-laundering and other suspicious financial transactions, so that once we get all of the documents we will be able to quickly analyze them.

I didnt say we had them, Paulson said later. We are trying to get them. Were interested in getting our hands on them and what criminality they may represent, and what investigations we should pursue, were in partnership with a number of people.

Asked if he is seeking judicial warrants to seize data or documentation from the International Consortium of Journalists or media involved in the reporting, Paulson dodged a direct answer. He said he was uncomfortable discussing details of what actions the RCMP might take around the documents.

Theres a broad understanding of what they represent and there is a tremendous suggestions (sic) of criminality and were going to have to proceed very carefully. Typically when we do investigations of these types we like to have some discretion, the ability to manage that, Paulson said.

On May 9, the International Consortium of Journalists has scheduled a partial release of corporation names and associated names, but not individual records, data, documents or passports associated with its trove.

Reporter Rob Cribb, who has led the Stars reporting on the documents as a partner in the media consortium, said nobody in the RCMP has contacted the Star, but nearly two dozen national tax authorities around the world, including the Canada Revenue Agency, have made formal requests of media involved.

The Star and the CBC have declined to turn over the documents to the CRA.

Cabana said the RCMP has 57 officers deployed in 30 countries who work either as liaison officers or analysts with other agencies on investigations of interest to Canada, or to promote information-sharing.

Paulson said the RCMP faces huge challenges in pursuing terrorist financing cases related to the difficulty of gathering evidence abroad.

The RCMP managers also outlined how the force is living within its budget while building a case for more funds to juggle national security investigations along with other investigative operations.

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OTTAWAOf the challenges it has placed on the table, there can be little question the toughest will be the Liberal governments quest to meet international global warming targets.

When Justin Trudeau formally signed the Paris climate agreement at the United Nations last month, he received applause and warm words on the international stage.

But the fact remains this country has no road map that will allow it to reach the Paris carbon reduction targets. It cannot even claim to have a plan to hit the much more modest targets it inherited from the former Conservative government, targets it has deemed to be a floor.

Even if it could reach the Conservative targets, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated a dip in the gross domestic product of up to three per cent, perhaps lowering the average Canadian income by about $1,900.

Rough seas await and there are reasons to believe that the Trudeau term could be defined by this prime ministers balance of pipelines versus environmental stewardship, the type of Canadian conundrum that can take the shine off anyones international green credentials in a hurry.

As meetings continue among provincial and federal officials with an eye to passing off a plan to provincial environmental ministers next month  one step from a pan-Canadian plan for the autumn (a hugely ambitious goal)  there are signs that government talk is leading to some action.

We have already seen oil and gas executives standing with Premier Rachel Notley as she announced new climate change policy in Alberta late last year.

Monday, Canadas forest products industry stepped up, pledging it would be a player in cutting green house gas emissions and helping Ottawa hit its 2030 targets.

Stuff is moving and you can choose to watch it go by you and miss it, or you can choose to say, How can we part of this and make it work for us?  Derek Nighbor, the CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, told me Monday.

He credits the Trudeau government for changing a focus and helping the provinces move on the environment. The environment is now part of the cross-talk in a myriad government departments, he says, giving his industry an opportunity to take a second look at its own performance and become more pro-active rather than having something come at us.

Canada has committed to cutting overall emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The forest products industry says it can comprise 13 per cent of that target with a mix of better forestry practices, greater use of carbon-sequestering woods products, and greater efficiencies in its mills.

And it wants continued changes to building codes so taller wooden buildings can be erected.

It is one facet of the carbon debate rarely mentioned, but a United Nations report says urban buildings account for 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions  a number believed higher in Canada.

The association is eyeing wood laminate buildings as tall as 18 storeys planned for the University of British Columbia or a 13-storey timber tower in Quebec City. These wood laminate buildings would store carbon and leave a much smaller footprint than traditional construction materials of concrete and steel. One Vancouver architect, Michael Green, has estimated one 100,000 square-foot wood building takes the carbon equivalent of the emissions from 1,410 cars out of the atmosphere each year.

Besides changes to the building code, the industry wants preferential treatment in government procurement and its fair share of the clean technology fund established by the government in the March budget.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has not been shy about conceding the challenges ahead as she deals with provincial governments with different priorities, different needs and different economies  not to mention different levels of action already taken.

There was a marked difference in tone in a first ministers conference Trudeau convened before the Paris meeting, and a post-Paris meeting where bonhomie had to give ground to specifics.

A pledge from an industry that has not always had a green reputation may sound somewhat arcane. But there is reason to believe that the conversation has fundamentally changed in this country.

Targets are a long way off and may well remain elusive, but industry appears to have seen the future and realizes its better to jump aboard a train rather than be steamrolled by it.

Tim Harper is a national affairs writer. His column usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. tharper@thestar.ca Twitter:@nutgraf1

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Palestinian leaders are blasting the Eurovision Song Contest for preventing their flag from being flown during the event this month.



Palestinian official Saeb Erekat voiced his dismay in a letter to Jean-Paul Philippot, the head of the European Broadcasting Union which oversees the yearly contest. In the letter, obtained by The Associated Press Sunday, Erekat says the decision is "totally biased and unacceptable." The Palestinians do not compete in the contest.



The EBU published a list of banned flags last week. Among them were the flags of Northern Cyprus, Kosovo, Spain's Basque region and the Islamic State group's flag.



In a Facebook post, the EBU apologized and said it removed the list of flags. An updated policy says flags of an "offensive, discriminatory, unsuitable, political or religious nature," are banned.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Toronto Police are looking for a male suspect accused of sexually assaulting a woman riding a Queen streetcar early Sunday morning, then trying to follow her when she disembarked.

According to police, the woman got on the streetcar at John St. at around 2:20 a.m. Three stops later, a man allegedly boarded and sexually assaulted her. She disembarked at Broadview Ave., but was pursued on foot by her alleged attacker.

Shortly before arriving home, the woman lost sight of her attacker  near Danforth and Broadview Aves. She then called police.

The suspect is described by police as being between 30 to 35 years old, Hispanic, standing around 5-foot-3, and having short black hair. He was allegedly wearing a white tank top, jeans, a silver necklace, and a rosary necklace.

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The retroactive release of all Special Investigations Unit directors reports  including censored details related to the death of Andrew Loku  looms as part of a new review of police oversight, Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur said Monday.

Under fire from critics outraged that only nine of 34 pages were made public from the SIU probe of Lokus shooting by Toronto police last July, Meilleur said Monday that more information will be forthcoming.

That could include the release of the thousands of secret reports prepared by SIU directors since the civilian watchdog was created in 1990  including the 138 fatal police shootings the agency has probed.

But critics say the release of the reports is meaningless if key information, such as evidence provided by witnesses, is kept secret.

In an interview Monday, Meilleur said her ministry has asked Justice Michael Tulloch, the judge appointed to review all Ontario police oversight bodies, to make the release of past and future SIU directors reports among the first issues he tackles.

Tulloch will be empowered to release any SIU reports even before his final report is completed, Meilleur said.

He will also prioritize looking at whether past SIU reports should be made public, and the form this information would take, Meilleur said.

To the families of those killed by police, there is relief in knowing they may soon learn more about the investigation into their relatives death.

But they will not accept heavily censored documents such as the Loku report released Friday, said Karyn Greenwood-Graham, who runs a support group for families of those killed by police.

That report, written by SIU director Tony Loparco, omitted the names of the officer who shot Loku, the names of 24 police and civilian witnesses, and all of the evidence they provided.

We need the full report  the who, what, where, when and how, said Greenwood-Graham, whose son Trevor was killed by Waterloo Regional Police in 2007.

Former Information and Privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian said releasing past and future SIU reports in the same restricted fashion as in the Loku case could not be considered an accomplishment for transparency and accountability.

It could in fact create the perception that important details are being concealed, she said.

The point of releasing the reports is to enhance openness and transparency associated with what transpires in these investigations. So it just strikes me that it would defeat the purpose of releasing them by reporting information in the words of the SIU as opposed to the words of the actual witnesses, she said.

Cavoukian supports the public release of the names of subject and witness officers, as well as the accounts of civilian witnesses without any identifying information. She recommends that the government first give consideration to releasing the actual words of the witnesses in the Loku case, and then applying the same procedure retroactively to previous reports.

When releasing the Loku report last week, the government explained that the omission of civilian accounts is due to an undertaking given to witnesses by the SIU that their identities and accounts will be kept confidential unless the case ends up in court or a coroners inquest.

Thats the question that we have asked the judge (Tulloch) to give us advice on and we believe we will have an answer before March 31, 2017 (when Tullochs report is due), she said.

Former SIU director and Crown attorney Howard Morton believes the government could already get a legal opinion from lawyers at the Ministry of the Attorney General on the release of the SIU reports, rather than wait for Tulloch to weigh in, which Morton said appears to be a stall tactic.

The only issue once they decide if its legal to release them is whether its politically wise to do so, and thats a decision they dont need Michael Tulloch for, he said.

The partial release of the SIU directors report into Lokus death  the first directors report ever released since the watchdogs creation  also drew criticism in the legislature Monday.

NDP deputy leader Jagmeet Singh accused the Liberal government of dragging its heels on Lokus death.

First, the attorney general took 30 days to read a report that only she could read. Then, while the Premier (Kathleen Wynne) made some promising remarks about perhaps releasing this report, the attorney general said no four times in response to media questions about the release of this report, Singh told the legislature.

Now, finally, when the government releases the report, they release it late on a Friday. They release only ten out of 34 pages  and one of those ten pages is blank. The pages that are released are heavily redacted, he said.

Singh, who praised Fridays appointment of Tulloch to review SIU, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, said the public shouldnt have to wait for additional answers.

While New Democrats welcome this commission and welcome the appointment of Justice Tulloch, that doesnt answer the question of transparency, he said.

Loku, a 45-year-old father of five from South Sudan, was shot dead when officers were called to an apartment building  leased by the Canadian Mental Health Association to tenants with mental health challenges  at 502 Gilbert Ave. last July, after reports he was threatening a woman inside with a hammer.

Loparcos report said Loku was advancing on the officers with a hammer raised above his head and the unnamed shooter fired in self-defence, to thwart an imminent hammer attack.

As revealed in the report, Loku had a blood-alcohol level was 247 mg/100 mL of blood, three times the legal driving limit.

The SIU director wrote there "was no indication" Loku's mental health was the reason he was aggressive towards his neighbours or the police, though its not clear whether this issue is addressed in any of the witness statements to the watchdog or additional evidence it collected.

Loparco wrote it was as likely that Lokus intoxication, as his mental illness, that caused him to be aggressive toward police.

The report also revealed Loparco criticized the conduct of one Toronto officer immediately after Lokus death. That unnamed officer, who did not arrive on scene until after the shooting, improperly attempted to review and download surveillance video of the shooting.

Loparco said that contravenes the Police Services Act, which clearly states the SIU is the lead investigator.

This case is another example in which the post-incident conduct of some officers threatened to publicly compromise the credibility of the SIUs investigation, Loparco wrote.

But in a statement Monday Toronto police chief Mark Saunders said his officers have the legal onus, also set out in the Police Act, to fulfil the responsibility to secure the scene before the SIU investigators arrive and take charge.

My officers attempted to locate and secure the video. Due to technical difficulties, they were unable to do so. They did not review the video, nor did they download the video. An officer was posted to secure the scene until technical assistance could be contacted. The SIU, in fact, downloaded the video at a later time. The SIUs forensic examination states that no tampering took place, Saunders said.

Saunders added that at no point did SIU investigators on scene question, contradict or prevent my officers from carrying out this responsibility.

Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca

Correction - May 4, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that said SIU director Tony Loparco concluded it was likely that Lokus intoxication, and not his mental illness, caused him to be aggressive toward police. While Loparco states that there "was no indication" Loku's mental health was the reason he was aggressive towards his neighbours or the police, he wrote it was as likely that Lokus intoxication caused him to be aggressive toward police.

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Ontarios New Democrats will be paying full commercial rates for office space at the downtown building now being sold by the partys union-backed holding company.

But the rent will be paid to the company, Ontario Cornerstone Leadership Corporation, whose shareholders are the NDP and eight unions or their locals.

The rent change comes after terms of the sale by Cornerstone were revised last Friday, altering plans to give the NDP free rent at 101 Richmond St. E for the rest of the year, and a reduced rate until July 2017.

Once a sale is finalized the party will be charged fair market rent by Cornerstone, Karla Webber-Gallagher, the NDPs provincial secretary, said in an email Monday. And Cornerstone will keep the rent money, she said.

The rental arrangement follows a Star report that a previously secret Cornerstone shareholders agreement from Sept. 9, 2009 showed the company has a complex corporate entity where the NDP controls all of the Class A common shares. Typically, these shares carry more powers. Eight unions hold Class B shares. The agreement also showed that each union has a seat on the Cornerstone board, the NDP has one seat.

The corporate structure is not illegal. But it appears to challenge past assertions by the NDP that the party had an arms-length relationship with Cornerstone. In 2014, Cornerstone guaranteed a $6-million loan for the NDP, which currently has a debt of around $5 million.

As the Star revealed Saturday, Cornerstone is selling the building on Richmond St. to Streetwise Capital Partners Inc. for $3.5 million in a deal set to close June 24. Thats $400,000 more than Cornerstone paid nine years ago.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday shes not in the loop of day-to-day operations at Cornerstone, established more than a decade ago to help the New Democrats raise money and secure loans for election campaigns.

The sale of the building to Streetwise comes as Premier Kathleen Wynnes Liberals are scrambling to reform Ontarios lax political fundraising laws, possibly imposing bans on corporate and union donations.

It is possible a ban on contributions from unions would lead to an unravelling of the Cornerstone arrangement. That would put extra financial pressure on the NDP.

But Horwath said the four-storey office is absolutely not being sold because of the reforms, which Wynne will introduce later this month.

Nobody even knows what the new legislation is, the NDP chief said, noting the party has been looking for new premises for some time.

There have been problems with that building for many, many years. There are problems with accessibility, there are problems with the roof.

But Finance Minister Charles Sousa suggested the timing of the real estate deal is curious.

Its coincidental  or not  that suddenly theyre trying to unwind the shell corporation, said Sousa, whose own party announced reforms only after the Star disclosed that ministers had annual fundraising targets of up to $500,000 each.

He accused Horwath of trying to delay the process of introducing the fundraising reforms.

The NDP leader said the Liberals are using their majority in the legislature to bring in the reforms without enough input from her, Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.

Horwath, who endured Liberal heckling in question period about the Cornerstone controversy, maintained she is not involved with the building sale.

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When Maryam Malekpour heard that Canadian resident Mostafa Azizi was released from Evin Prison last weekend, she rejoiced for his family.

But there is no joy for her brother, Saeed Malekpour, who has been left behind in the same prison, trapped within the tentacles of the Iranian regime and serving a life sentence on charges widely denounced as spurious.

Like Azizi  a filmmaker and former Torontonian who was pardoned after a year behind bars on charges of insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei  Malekpour is also a Canadian resident.

In spite of the election of a more moderate Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, Malekpour has not been freed after eight years of torture, interrogation and brutal jail conditions.

Also worrying for Malekpour and his family, says Maryam, is the Trudeau governments apparent lack of interest in pressing Iran for his release.

Saeed is so depressed now, she said in a phone interview. He was hoping for a pardon or at least a furlough from prison, which others have had. But Iran rejected that. We believe that if the Canadian government doesnt advocate for him, there will be very little hope.

Malekpour, an engineer who emigrated to Victoria B.C. in 2004, was awaiting citizenship when he made an urgent trip to visit his dying father in October 2008. In spite of lack of evidence, he was arrested on charges of managing a pornographic website at the instigation of western countries plotting to corrupt the morals of Iranians.

Response to Maryams pleas for help from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion came as a blow, she said. I was happy when the Liberals were elected, now I am deeply disappointed.

In a letter to the family, Dion answered with sincere regret at Saeeds plight and said Canada would use re-engagement with Iran to support efforts to advance human rights. But he warned that Ottawa would have limited ability to intervene on his behalf because he is an Iranian citizen. There was no mention of his Canadian resident status, or prospective citizenship.

It comes at a time when Canada has pledged to re-engage with Iran and move toward reopening its embassy in Tehran, something Iran favours.

But, said Maryam Nayeb Yazdi, a Toronto-based human rights campaigner, this takes us right back to 2010. Its as though (Ottawa has) never heard of Saeeds case.

Under the Harper government, the House of Commons passed an unprecedented unanimous motion to hold the Iranian authorities accountable if anything happened to Malekpour, who was then under a death sentence. The department of foreign affairs, as well as Liberal and Conservative MPs, made numerous references to his plight, and he was adopted as a prisoner of conscience.

Now Canada has lifted sanctions against Iran, and said it wishes to re-engage, Liberal MP Irwin Cotler said in an interview Monday. That re-engagement should also secure Saeeds release.

He added that Malekpours case will be the centrepiece of Parliaments upcoming Iran Accountability Week.

Canada has a unique opportunity to at least demand the release of Saeed Malekpour and other political prisoners with ties to Canada as a precondition to re-establishment of diplomatic relations, says international law professor Payam Akhavan of McGill University.

It is time for the Rouhani government to demonstrate its supposedly reformist credentials, and for the Trudeau government to do what is just, rather than expedient, in our foreign relations.

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Some 65 years ago, American microbiologist Elizabeth King peered into a microscope and discovered the glistening, gray-white organism that would eventually bear her name.

In the ensuing decades, the bacterium  renamed Elizabethkingia in 2005  would fall into relative obscurity, causing only sporadic cases and the rare hospital outbreak. But late last year, something strange started happening in the state of Wisconsin.

From the end of December to the beginning of January, we got reports from hospitals of six cases of Elizabethkingia infections, said Karen McKeown, Wisconsins state health officer.

We knew right away that it was unusual.

That cluster was the beginning of what is now considered the United States largest-known outbreak of Elizabethkingia, a bacterium rarely seen in humans  and four months into their investigation, disease detectives still have no idea what could be linking these cases.

Wisconsin typically sees between two and four Elizabethkingia infections in a year but since Nov. 1, health officials have identified 59 cases, with another six suspected or under investigation. Single cases have also been confirmed in nearby Michigan and Illinois and at least 20 deaths have been linked to the outbreak.

At blame is a species called Elizabethkingia anophelis, which is particularly rare in human infections  in Canada, the public health agency is aware of just one case, reported three years ago in Quebec.

Further deepening the mystery, Illinois recently identified another 10 people who had been infected by Elizabethkingia anophelis over the last year and a half  but these cases are genetically unrelated to the Wisconsin strain.

And last week, a childrens hospital announced Wisconsins latest case of Elizabethkingia anophelis in an infant, though health officials are still determining whether it was caused by the outbreak strain or an unrelated one, like in Illinois. Either way, it is just the latest curveball in an outbreak that has left health officials utterly and maddeningly stumped.

It ranks right up there (in terms of tough cases), with the mystery and the level of frustration, said Dr. Christopher Braden, a medical epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are a lot of questions that we need to answer.

Elizabethkingia is a genus of bacteria that grows ubiquitously in the environment, with four known species. At first, investigators assumed they were dealing with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, which has popped up in hospital outbreaks before, including a 2012 outbreak involving 30 patients at critical care unit in London, England.

But CDC investigators confirmed it was actually Elizabethkingia anophelis, a species first discovered in 2011 inside the gut of a mosquito. Elizabethkingia is particularly abundant in the midgut of these insects, accounting for 50 per cent of the entire microbial community living in certain mosquitoes, according to Dr. Shicheng Chen, a microbiologist with Michigan State University, who studies Elizabethkingia.

Scientists still dont know whether mosquitoes can transmit the bacterium to humans, though this was never entertained as a possibility in the Wisconsin outbreak, which started in the dead of winter.

They do know, however, that Elizabethkingia anophelis thrives in blood  and while Elizabethkingia can infect joints or the respiratory tract, most people affected by the current outbreak have suffered bloodstream infections.

This bacterium likes animal blood cells, Chen said. They utilize the nutrients from blood cells and grow so quickly.

While treatable if caught early, Elizabethkingia is also highly drug-resistant, he added. More than 20 antibiotic resistance genes have been identified.

For disease detectives, their first hypothesis was that this outbreak was hospital related. Most patients are over 65 and suffer from serious illnesses already  a detail that has complicated efforts to determine whether deaths are actually caused by Elizabethkingia or the patients underlying conditions.

But so far, thats been a dead end. Cases have cropped up at several hospitals in scattered locations, and some patients had no interaction with health care facilities whatsoever. At least one person infected somewhere in the community had no underlying conditions, said Dr. Nasia Safdar, director of infection control at the University of Wisconsin Hospital.

Another hypothesis is that the outbreak could be linked by a contaminated health care product. Thats something that we want to act fast on, Braden said. A health care product could be widely distributed.

Investigators combed through patients medical records to catalogue the numerous drugs and treatments people were exposed to in the week before getting infected. When that turned up nothing, they searched even further back to a month.

All the flu vaccines, the intravenous medicines, even the alcohol wipes or iodine wipes that you use  we went through all of those ideas, Braden said, adding that common water sources were also checked and ruled out.

Health officials are now casting a much wider net, looking at everything from ice and skin creams to food items, with investigators tracking down restaurant receipts and hospital food invoices.

Investigators may need to start rethinking how this bug genetically behaves, Braden said, noting that some bacterial infections, like tuberculosis, are known to go dormant for years or even decades.

Less obvious stealth vehicles are also being considered. Heres a hypothetical situation: maybe its not the skin cream thats contaminated but the bottles; perhaps several brands are affected after being shipped together by a common distributor. Health officials are hopeful that the outbreak is finally tapering off, but no one will be surprised to see more cases. Braden acknowledges that it could be weeks, months or even years could pass before the mystery is solved  if it ever gets solved at all.

There are outbreaks that we just dont figure out and we know that, Braden said. This may be one of them.

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In an attempt to transfer all the objects planed to be exhibited at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) to be subjected to restoration before being permanently on display, a collection of 1199 artefacts from Mariya and Mostafa Kamel archaeological galleries was selected and transported.

Tarek Tawfik Supervisor General of the GEM announced adding that most of the objects are from the New Kingdom and the Greaco-Roman era. Among them are artefacts from the sunken city of Heraclion unearthed by a French Egyptian mission during the 1990s.

Eissa Zidan Director General of Restoration Department at the GEM told Ahram Online that among the objects transferred are a royal colossus and a collection of sphinxes carved in red granite and a collection of arrows. The objects arrived safely at the GEM and are now subjected to restoration.

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Kill Hisham Geneina or get rid of him, youll never be free to practise corruption the way you like. The announcer was attacking the man nervously asserting that the head of the Central Auditing Organisation should be dismissed.

Indeed, the decision to fire Geneina was issued before midnight that night, and the announcer smiled, feeling proud of himself, while saying to the people that the president responded to him positively.

For a long time, the man was subjected to a continuous attack from this announcer and others, and his hands and feet were tied because he does not own a satellite channel to deny the accusations, which did not spare his family and his personal conduct.

While being a venerable judge, he was unable to defend himself after the prosecutor-general issued a publishing ban on his case -- qlthough everybody is speaking about this case night and day, without any inhibiting conscience or a deterring law.

I found myself rereading the first Book of Kings and the story of King Solomon with the two women each claiming the motherhood of a baby: Someone bring me a sword, he said. A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him. The babys mother screamed asking him to give the baby to the other woman. The king decided that she was the real mother.

The book says in the end: Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realised that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly. Thus, the rule is established through justice and the earth is stabilised by fair judgement.

This was the judgement of reason and wisdom in the times of Solomon, which is quite different from another time that the Book of Judges spoke of.

The judges in this book were not the judges according to the modern definition. They were leaders or chiefs who appeared among the Israelites during the period following the death of Joshua and the beginning of the Age of Kings. They were as though commissioned by God himself to rule.

According to the Old Testament narratives, this period of the Israelites history was bleak, for after the age of the brilliant Joshua, people were engaged in comfort and amusement and began to worship idols.

Thus, the judges had to make them return to faithfulness again. They were Gods hands in reimposing his law and justice after miscreance and corruption had become prevalent. In short, the Book of Judges covers the period of apostasy, regression and moral decay; the defeat of justice in the confrontation with corruption.

Respecting the prosecutor-generals decision, I will observe the ban. However, my conscience will not accept to remain silent, static while a human being is slaughtered for simply shedding some light over the bats dark dens where corruption thrives.

It was said that he was talking politics, and with all due respect to judges and judicary, may anyone point to me a judge who did not appear in the media or in general during the last five years to give an opinion?

Examples are numerous and I dont want to fall in the same error of these pretenders who occupy television screens every evening in order to assassinate certain persons. However, I think that people remember that, for instance, some judges stated opinions against the Muslim Brotherhood. Then they did not feel embarrassed to sit on the high judicial platform to try members of that organisation and issue verdicts against them, to the extent that one of them said that he would not be satisfied if tens of thousands of them were killed.

It was said that Geneina was not correct in determining the accurate number of the sums of money wasted by corruption, while acknowledging the existence of corruption. Was that the real error or was the error in pointing out the area of corruption?

Even if we agreed that the number was exaggerated, shouldnt this alert everyone concerned to combat corruption like we used to stimulate our soldiers before crossing the Barlev Line through asserting the dangerousness and savagery of the enemy?

It was said that he did not take the sound legal path in presenting the reports related to corruption -- although the old constitution and law under which he was working stipulated that he must brief the public about the corruption situation. Since the new constitution has not been activated yet then, and the Corruption Combating Agency, mentioned in the constitution, has not been established yet, should the man be blamed for briefing public opinion about a topic with this amount of significance? Especially as the people, as the constitution stipulates, are the source of all powers.

It was said that what he has negatively affected the Egyptian economy because it scared investors from having investments in Egypt -- as if those investors are naive and gullible persons who do not know the situation of the countries they are investing in.

I am certain that if the organisations report is handled in a positive way and the will to combat corruption is obvious, this will encourage serious investors to come to Egypt. This certainty comes from experiences and observations of many countries in the world.

What raises surprise and doubt is that methodical media campaign waged for a long time against the Central Auditing Agency, as if it were self-defence from the sector that has the wealth which allows it to control the media space.

Thus, it is a campaign waged from the trenches of corruption which has become cancerous in the state key apparatus and more dangerous than terrorism on the security and stability of the country.

Since this is the case, there will be nobody standing for the rights of the poor for fearing for himself. Then finally, is it appropriate to treat a venerable judge in this humiliating way in the media, even if we agree that he has made mistakes?

I think Solomons wisdom is lost and we are living in the time of the Book of Judges.

The writer is a former assistant Egyptian foreign minister.

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China is progressing toward becoming a technology leader. Brands such as Huawei, Alibaba, Haier and many more are gaining popularity, even in Germany. A study by the Fraunhofer Society of Germany, a global leader in applied sciences, recently concluded that China has closed the gap with Western economies in some fields related to the digital economy faster than expected. As ambassador to China I have had the opportunity to see for myself. In Europe, we can only dream of the ease, speed and low cost of paying bills with your smartphone, as we can see in many Chinese cities across the country.

In a world progressively covered by digital applications in virtually all aspects of our lives, two things have become more important than ever: Protecting inventions and know-how and protecting brands. We all know of the enormous benefits manufacturers of smartphones, but also of kitchen appliances, cars and brand apparel, can reap once trust of the ever more demanding Chinese consumer in their product has been established. "Bekannt und bewahrt" (known, tried and trusted), an old German advertising slogan, is the key to success in China like maybe in no other market in the world. And losses are all the greater when Chinese consumers are fooled by cheap copycats.

A few decades ago, the world of intellectual property was divided in haves and have-nots, or in the parlance of real estate, of "homeowners" and "squatters." Intellectual property experts have coined the phrase "trademark squatters." This refers to people who scout overseas markets for trademarks that have not yet been registered domestically, which they then quickly register here under their own name. Foreign owners of the trademark are then compelled to buy off the "squatter"  often for high amounts  if they want to have their brand protected in China. This fills the pockets of the squatter but does nothing to advance innovation or to enhance the reputation of the country.

Looking at intellectual property today, China has transformed itself. Due to great technological and economic progress, it is no longer a squatter; it has become a homeowner. Today, China has a strong self-interest to protect its own intellectual property through modern legislation and, crucially, robust implementation. Modernizing procedures for trademark registration in 2014 and the reform of special courts for the protection of intellectual property, vigorously advanced by Supreme People's Court President Zhou Qiang, are important in this regard.

However, I get the impression that in the new land of homeowners China, squatters have not altogether disappeared. Here's just one example. The case of the well-known German apparel brand Boss has raised eyebrows in Germany. This brand was registered in 1987 with the intent to protect itself from squatters, which were then still quite common in China. With this step, Boss was among the very first German brands to show trust in China's fledgling trademark protection system. Against this background, it appears rather strange that authorities appear to have chosen to protect a Chinese company operating under a confusingly similar name.

In the present situation where achieving growth is getting more and more complicated, trust in China's policy of reform and opening is needed more than ever. It would build a lot of trust if the homeowners in the field of intellectual property were better protected and squatters were firmly shown the door.

Effective and modern protection of trademarks worthy of a leading economy such as China is but one, albeit important, stepping stone that would level the path toward global economic and technological leadership. In order to realize its dream of a renaissance, China will need to do much more. Nothing less but a reorientation of thought and action is required. The key will be to realize that true strength requires the courage to face competition. The following four outdated habits should therefore quickly be discarded.

First, China should include foreign products and investments in its policy of reducing administrative burdens. Under Premier Li Keqiang's leadership, many approval requirements for business have been relaxed. Recently, a negative list has been presented  for Chinese, not foreign companies. In some areas that are enormously important to Chinese society, such as the supply of effective and innovative medicines and importing healthy food products we even see signs of retrogression. The procedures for certification of pharmaceutical products have become slower and more cumbersome. The same applies to important parts of the food industry. By now, China can afford to allow fair competition with international suppliers and would at the same time greatly increase its consumers' trust in drug and food safety.

Second, China should in the future refrain from exerting pressure on Western companies to transfer technology to China in exchange for market access. The attraction of its market and the much improved quality of its research personnel are sufficient incentives for companies to establish research and development facilities in China.

Next, China should not see foreign non-governmental organizations, including those that work in the field of economic and scientific cooperation, primarily as a security problem. A new law on foreign NGOs could have a harmful effect unless its focus is fundamentally shifted away from its previous fixation on perceived security threats to more openness for cooperation.

Finally, China should see cyberspace primarily as a unique tool for communication and interaction between people and progressively with and between things, i.e., as the main engine driving the next industrial revolution. Without doubt, important security issues will have to be addressed. As in the case of NGOs, it will be crucial to avoid putting the cart before the horse. Perceiving the Internet first and foremost as a security threat will put you in a bad position to win the global race for innovation. As with trade, high protective walls might bring short-term relief from competition and inconvenient truths. In the long run, they will stifle innovation and slow you down on the way to the top.

Michael Clauss is the German ambassador to China
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Betar Illit Municipality signed an agreement with the Terem to provide an emergency clinic in the chareidi city. The plan calls for opening a large emergency medical services clinic at 1 Ohelei Sarah Street near the citys other emergency services.

According to the agreement signed on erev Pesach, the clinic will provide emergency medical care and the facility will operate all week, including on Shabbos and Yomtov.

The services offered will include but are not limited to emergency medical care, laboratory blood services, x-ray services, orthopedic services, stitching wounds, IV therapy, as well as OB/GYN services including ultrasounds.

The new emergency clinic is scheduled to be operational in the coming months. According to the Terem website, it operates 17 emergency clinics nationwide which are manned by a staff of 800 professionals. It boasts an average waiting time of only 57 minutes, far less than a hospital emergency room, and 1 million people are treated in the clinics annually including 300,000 children.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Jerusalem City Hall is probing the placement of caravans near Ramot before Purim in compliance with a request from Rishon LTzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita. The caravan issue is an annual one and the placement was intended to result in land contiguity between Ramot and other areas of the capital in line with the teshuva of HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZTL via-a-vis Purim observance for Ramot residents. If these caravan homes are suitable for living during the year, according to Maran this is sufficient to connect Ramot to Jerusalem.

It appears residents of the city have complained to the building department over the placement of the caravans. The city has launched a probe as a result.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Amid reports that President Reuven Rivlin is contemplating a presidential pardon for former President Moshe Katsav, Mrs. Katsav has reportedly met with Rivlin a number of times.

According to reports, Moshe Katsavs mental state has deteriorated significantly after a parole board denied his request for early release for good behavior. Mr. Katsav has served 4.5 years of a 7-year sentence and expected to be released after serving two-thirds for good behavior as is customary in the prison system.

According to a Channel 1 News report Sunday night the eve of 24 Nissan, Mrs. Gila Katsav met with President Rivlin at least twice in recent months. Israel Radio on Monday morning added that Mr. Katsavs attorney reports his clients mental state has declined significantly since the parole board decision and he fears the worst.

The report added that while some are calling to have Mr. Katsavs status evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine the extent of his condition, others are calling to evaluate the status of the women he was convicted of assaulting regarding a possible presidential pardon for their attacker and how this will impact their mental status.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The threat of layoffs by Intel was announced a number of weeks ago, a threat that also involves employees of the high tech giant in Israel. It now appears that hundreds of Israeli employees of Intel will be informed of their imminent dismissal in the coming days. Some of the veteran employees will be offered a voluntary retirement package as Intel announced it was going to cut its global staff by 11%, amounting to 12,000 of its 107,000 employees. In Israel, employees will be offered early retirement at 58.

Intel Israel employees some 10,000 employees in Yerushalayim, Haifa, Petach Tikvah, Kiryat Gat and Kibbutz Yakum.

Globes reports that many who will be targeted in the layoffs in Israel will include those who received a lower annual evaluation. In addition to layoffs, Intel Israel may consolidate some of its facilities.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Tourism Minister Yariv Levine believes local hotels have to cut prices to make tourism overnights more affordable towards boosting tourism. He is also calling for cutting taxes on hotel stays. He explains the ministry is working hard to build additional hotels, which he feels will provide additional rooms  another step that will lead to lower prices as availability will increase.

Levine explains Every million tourists bring in NIS 3.5 billion, and create 40,000 jobs. Even though this is well known, tourism in Israel has not been given weight in national priorities  not in the budget and not in attention devoted to the subject, and this is going to change. Were starting from a fairly low beginning of 2.8 million tourists a year, and as far as Im concerned, were at a turning point.

Levine feels there is simply too much regulation in Israel in general, and this includes the hotel industry. He explains the ministry has taken steps to reduce hotel costs, including the elimination of a fitness instructor in a hotel fitness room; revised regulations for night shifts; flexibility regarding overtime; eliminating the requirement for a pool operator  all towards lowering hotel costs to tourists.

Levine adds he is working with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and they have developed a plan to cut hotel prices by 20%. The plan includes constructing an additional 15,000 hotel rooms over the next five years.

The Hotel Association explains in its response that their profit margin is low and this is a main reason others do not enter the market  high costs and low profit. The association adds that flooding the tourism market with low-price hotels will not resolve the matter.

The Hotel Association adds that it is the first industry to suffer as terrorism escalates, as was seen during recent months.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The German weekly Der Spiegel reported that German Chancellor Angela Merkel may be changing her countrys long-standing policy of unconditional support for Israel due to Berlins growing frustration vis-a-vis the policies of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Germany has been a staunch ally of Israel since the two nations officially began diplomatic relations in 1965. However, recent policy decisions pertaining to yishuvim throughout Yehuda and Shomron have elicited the ire of the international community, including Germany. In addition, the stalled diplomatic talks between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) is another bone of contention for the German leader.

Ynet reports that a German government official has released a statement that this is not so and Merkel is not reevaluating Germanys relationship with Israel, contrary to the Der Spiegel report.

France has recently stepped in [again] announcing a Mideast peace summit, expressing disappointment with the lack of negotiations between Israel and the PA towards a final status agreement. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault explained his country was acting in good faith by hosting the peace initiative.

Israel has since announced in a message from the Prime Ministers Office that only direct talks with the PA will result in an agreement.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
A burglar realized no one was home and broke into a home in Tel Aviv. He decided to make a night of things and went to sleep on a bed. The owner returned and found the burglar asleep in her bed.

The owner arrived home and found someone she had never met asleep in her bed. She summoned police, who placed the 36-year-old Eilat resident under arrest. Police also returned the items the burglar had gathered, which he hid down the block.

On Friday afternoon erev Acharon Shel Pesach, the Tel Aviv resident left her home. A few hours later the burglar arrived and ascertained the apartment was empty, making the decision to enter. After a short evaluation of the apartment he took clothing and shoes that he placed in a case and hid down the block. He then returned and fell asleep in the bed.

The woman returned home during the morning hours only to find the burglar in her bed. She phoned police who awakened him and placed him under arrest. He will be indicted in the coming days.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Five babies attending the same daycare facility in a Negev kibbutz have been admitted to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva. All of the babies presented with high fever, diarrhea and signs of aridity. Two of them have developed a rare complication involving an intestinal infection that produces bacteria that attack various body systems. The complications have also involved their renal output. The two were in an intensive care unit with one showing marked improvement and moved to a pediatric bed and the second is listed in moderate condition, still in ICU.

Three other toddlers are not showing signs of the rare infection. They remain under observation.

Chief of Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine Dr. Tzachi Lazar explains This is a disease manifested by destruction of red blood cells and platelets, as well as renal system involvement along with other bodily systems. Treatment is supportive as well as follow-up and monitoring.

The cases have been reported to the appropriate Health Ministry officials. It appears the source of the infection is the kibbutzs petting zoo.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the head of the Brussels-based group European Jewish Association has today called on German Government to actively intervene in the rise of far-right Alternative for Germany party (AFD).

The Rabbi says the party represents a clear threat to European Jewish communities, freedom of religion and social peace.

The AFD recently won seats in three legislatures and clearly stated their position regarding Judaism ritual practices stating they intend to ban shechita and bris milah.

Rabbi Margolin who has written to Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of the Bundestag, Professor Norbert Lammert, called the AFD a red flag for the Jewish community adding that the future of the European Jewry would be in danger if the AFD got into power

In a statement Rabbi Margolin said, The rise of such a party reminds us of the dark days of the rise of the National Socialist party in the 1930s and sends shivers down the spine of Jews across Europe, but especially in Germany. History has taught us that it is entirely possible to manipulate people to vote for an anti-Semitic government and how it can consequently lead to a tragedy.

The AFD and the views they espouse fly in the face of the solidarity, sharing, and social well-being that Jews largely enjoy across the rest of the political spectrum. They represent a red flag to the Jewish Community.

It is of upmost importance that the German government recognizes that anti-Semitic parties should be illegal, in order to avoid a catastrophe.

The AFDs far right rhetoric is not only anti-democratic, it seeks to bring communities against each other and potentially leading to violence and fear amongst people. It must be stamped out.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Donald Trump has a Plan B if hes faced with a contested convention, and it involves the sort of outside groups that hes called corrupt.

While the billionaire businessman might lock up the Republican presidential nomination in the next five weeks of voting, he and his allies are simultaneously undertaking a parallel effort in case he falls short.

Outside groups, including one led by longtime Trump political ally Roger Stone, and a loose collection of colorful supporters such as Bikers for Trump are organizing ahead of the July convention in Cleveland.

Theyre soliciting money to pay for their transportation and housing, and theyre already trying to influence the mood of the convention with a social media campaign saying that anything short of a Trump nomination would be stealing.

Our principal focus right now is Cleveland, Stone said of his group, called Stop the Steal. We want to bring as large a contingent as possible to demonstrate the breadth of Trumps appeal so that the party can see graphically what theyre going to lose if they hijack the nomination from him.

Stop the Steal and other groups are gaining steam even though Trump has insisted he wants no donor help for his bid and is beholden to no one.

Super political action committees are a disaster, by the way, folks, Trump said at a Republican debate in March. Very corrupt.

Stop the Steal is not technically a super PAC, but it operates under very similar rules.

This past week, Trumps lawyers sent the Federal Election Commission a letter renewing the campaigns disavowal of groups using his name, image, likeness, or slogans in connection with soliciting contributions. All the groups planning Cleveland activities repeatedly use his name in their literature.

Trump set the stage for what the outside groups are doing by making provocative comments about the complex way Republicans pick a nominee  rigged, he calls it. Voters weigh in, but each state has its own rules about what delegates go to the convention and how they must vote on a presidential candidate while theyre there.

Stop the Steal and other Trump fans are pushing a similar message on social media and websites.

The big steal is in full swing, one online letter says, calling unfriendly delegates stooges.

The Stone-led Cleveland coalition includes We Will Walk, Bikers for Trump, Citizens for Trump and Women for Trump. Stone said the goal is to bring thousands of people to march peacefully in the streets.

We are prepared to bring the Republican Party down if they mess with Trump and try to take it away from him by doing the dirty tricks, said Paul Nagy, a New Hampshire Republican. He runs We Will Walk, a group that has collected more than 41,000 online signatures of people who say Trump deserves the nomination.

The public relations offensive is a counterpart to GOP rival Ted Cruzs carefully crafted, labor-intensive strategy of recruiting friendly delegates in hopes he can win if Trump falls short on the first ballot of voting.

This weekend in Arizona, Cruz won another strategic victory over Trump, getting numerous friendly delegates elected to head to Cleveland while the Trump backers appeared to be virtually shut out. Those delegates are required to first vote for Trump at the convention because he won the state, but they could later switch their votes to Cruz.

While Cruz is playing within the partys rules, Trumps claim that what Cruz is doing amounts to stealing resonates with voters.

In mid-April, after Cruz swept Colorados elected delegates, stay-at-home mom Erin Behrens said she felt sick about what was happening to her candidate. So Stop the Steal helped her organize protests in the state.

Stone and an ally, Greg Lewis, flew in to help Behrens answer email and arrange a rally. At the April 15 event in Denver, about 200 demonstrators waved banners that read Banana Republicans and chanted Stop the Steal!

Behrens said in an interview last week that shes continuing to organize Trump supporters in Colorado. If theres funny business and they make it clear theyre going to not give it to Trump, Stop the Steal Cleveland will be one thing, she said. But we will have protests, events across the United States. Count on it.

A good chunk of what the outside groups are doing now is fundraising.

Bottom line we need to raise $262,000 in the next two weeks, Stop the Steals website says. If you cant make it to Cleveland will you help those who can? Will you send $500, $200 or even $100 to this crucial effort?

A different pro-Trump group, Great America PAC, also is raising money for a Cleveland effort. This one is led by William Doddridge, chief executive officer of the Jewelry Exchange.

Its commercials warn that party elites will try to seize the nomination from Trump at the convention and suggest that people stop that from happening by calling an 800 number and giving money.

It needs the help. The groups latest fundraising report, covering through the end of March, shows it is more than $600,000 in debt. The super PAC can take unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations and unions. Trumps lawyers have specifically asked it to cease operations.

Stop the Steal isnt a super PAC, the category of outside group that attracts the most ire from Trump, Stone said. But its a distinction without a difference.

It is organized as a political nonprofit 527 group that files periodic disclosure reports about its donors and spending with the Internal Revenue Service rather than the Federal Election Commission. Like an FEC-monitored super PAC, a 527 can take unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations and unions.

(AP)
If Ted Cruz is to slow Donald Trumps march to the Republican presidential nomination by closing a gap in polls and defeating the billionaire in Indianas primary on Tuesday, hell need conservatives such as Catherine Lanctot of Indianapolis.

Lanctot, 59, has been making phone calls to voters at Cruzs Indianapolis office most days during the past week when she wasnt home-schooling her two youngest daughters. The nomination fights are usually over by the time Indiana votes, and Lanctot said shes making the most of the states pivotal role this year to help Cruz, who she sees as the most principled conservative in the race.

We dont have the biggest delegate count, were not the first to vote in a primary, and well just sit here frustrated, Lanctot said of past presidential nominating contests. So we had to put the walk behind the talk this time and say, We have no excuse.

Indiana has become essentially a last stand for Cruz and the forces trying to prevent Trump from securing the partys nomination on a first ballot at its convention in July, and the urgency shows. At the start of the week, Cruz announced an unconventional deal with Ohio Gov. John Kasich to have Kasich cede Indiana and Cruz not campaign in Oregon and New Mexico. Cruz then named former rival Carly Fiorina as his running mate should he get the nomination.

And with Trump leading in several polls-a Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll on Sunday showed Trump 15 percentage points ahead of Cruz-the Texas senator is counting on his data-driven grassroots organization to counter Trumps appeal to displaced middle-class workers and other disaffected voters. Cruz also is tapping a network of social and religious conservatives in Indiana that is naturally aligned with his candidacy and has been active in legislative fights in the state over religious liberty and gay rights.

Without it, its a Trump state, said John Hammond, the states national Republican committeeman and a party delegate. It is a very strong base that is used to being mobilized.

Still, while Cruzs campaign said it has five offices in Indiana, about a dozen paid staff and more than 3,000 volunteers in a sign that grassroots conservatives are rising up and coalescing behind Ted, Trump has four offices and 40 paid staff also making calls and knocking on doors, said campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. He said opponents ignore Trumps ground game at their peril, and the results are obvious in the states he has dominated-including South Carolina and Alabama, where he won over evangelicals.

Its the same narrative that they always perpetuate, which is, We have the greatest ground game ever, and the truth be told, thats not what happens because the voters are rejecting Ted Cruz, Lewandowski said. Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee right now, and a win in Indiana will continue to remind everyone that its time to unite the party behind Donald Trump.

Speaking at packed stadium of 15,000 in Fort Wayne on Sunday, Trump said he didnt want to take the race for granted. Outside, an airplane carried a banner that read, Seal the deal, Indiana. Vote Trump.

Forget the polls, pretend were losing-were not, but pretend. The bigger we win by the better, Trump said.

Aside from a trip to California on Saturday to speak at the state partys convention, Cruz has campaigned hard in Indiana, holding daily rallies and shaking hands at pancake restaurants and candy stores in small towns across the state. He has tested a number of messages, including being glad the race has moved back to friendlier turf, that the states voters have a chance to stop Trump, that hes the only true conservative in the race, and the mainstream media and New York power brokers and lobbyists want the race to be over.

This entire political process has conspired to put the State of Indiana in the position to stand up and speak the voice of sanity, Cruz said during a rally on Sunday night in La Porte, begging people to get their friends, neighbors and family to vote to sway the race in his favor. I could not be happier that this election is coming down to the Hoosier State, to Midwestern common sense, the good judgment of the men and women in this great state.

Indiana will award 57 delegates in the Republican primary, 30 to the statewide winner and three in each of the states nine congressional districts. Trump has 996 of the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination, according to an Associated Press tally, and with both Cruz and Kasich mathematically unable to reach that number before the convention, theyre hoping to force multiple ballots in Cleveland.

Even before the campaign calendar turned to the Hoosier State, Ron Johnson, executive director of the Indiana Pastors Alliance, said he arranged several speaking engagements in churches across the state for Rafael Cruz, the senators father.

The campaign is also using social media and activists to recruit volunteers, said Monica Boyer, a tea party leader from Warsaw, Indiana, who was active in the effort to defeat six-term Senator Richard Lugar in the 2012 Republican primary.

Preaching on Sunday at the Living Stones Church in Crown Point where he is senior pastor, Johnson did not mention Cruz by name or endorse him. But hes personally backing Cruz, and he told about 100 church members at the 8:30 a.m. service that theres only one candidate who stands with them on non-negotiable issues of anti-abortion, gay marriage and protecting religious liberty.

I encourage you, get out this Tuesday, May the 3rd, and make your voice heard, Johnson told the congregation. Indiana literally has an opportunity to turn the whole course of the direction for this election.

Boyer said Fridays endorsement of Cruz by Indiana Governor Mike Pence also could help motivate social conservatives as well, though Pence, who is locked in a tough re-election fight this year, also praised Trump and said hell back whoever emerges as the nominee.

On Saturday, Cruzs headquarters in Indianapolis was jammed with people using the 70 phones on five long tables to call voters and teams of canvassers heading out to knock on doors. Volunteers used an application on their mobile devices that provided the houses of Republican voters targeted by the campaigns.

Brian Higgins, a volunteer who worked for Cruz in Iowa, South Carolina and in Wisconsin, where Cruz tapped a network of conservative voters and talk radio with the backing of Governor Scott Walker to defeat Trump, said hes feeling more optimistic about Indiana as the primary approaches. Cruz had more offices in Wisconsin, but the same data-driven organization in place in Indiana, he said.

David Flynn, 74, a retired physicist from the Salt Lake City area, came to knock on doors in Indiana because he knows the stakes, he said.

If he wins, it appears to me that were more assured of going to an open convention, Flynn said. Otherwise, the nomination of Trump is more likely, which scares me to death, he said.

Through April 26, Trump had run more broadcast television spots in Indiana than Cruz, according to data from Kantar Medias CMAG. The front-runner had aired 1,249 spots in the state, while Cruz had run 639.

The air war, however, favors Cruz, once outside groups either supporting him or opposing Trump are factored in. Trusted Leadership PAC, Club for Growth Action and Our Principles PAC have run a combined total of 1,227 spots in the state, the CMAG data shows.

By comparison, Trump ran just 457 spots in Wisconsin prior to his April 5 loss there to Cruz. The Texan, along with the same pro-Cruz and anti-Trump groups that have aired ads in Indiana, ran 1,439 spots on Wisconsin broadcast television.

Even so, Trump supporters say Indiana is not Wisconsin. At Trumps office in a Carmel strip mall north of Indianapolis, about 25 volunteers worked the phones on Saturday and a steady stream of people came in for Trump yard signs. Scott Peterson of Carmel took a photo of his 10 year-old daughters next to a life-size cardboard cutout of Trump.

Sally Farris, 72, a retired executive assistant who has been coming to the Trump office in Carmel twice a day to call voters, said whatever Cruz volunteers and social conservatives are doing on behalf of Cruz cant match the passion that voters have for Trump.

Indiana is very conservative, Farris said. But his mannerisms and what he is saying I think has changed a lot of people. Theyre seeing that, OK, this guy is for real.

Megan Robertson, a Republican consultant in Indianapolis who opposed the push by social conservatives for a state constitutional amendment in Indiana banning gay marriage in 2014, said the deal that Kasich struck with Cruz could actually help Trump. The Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll showed that 58 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Indiana disapproved of the deal. Robertson said she also doubts Cruz naming Fiorina will help.

The whole thing smacks of being pandered to, Robertson said. I just think were all so disenchanted with the process that everyone sees right through it at this point.

(c) 2016, Bloomberg  Mark Niquette
The four suspects  a couple living near Lake Como, a 23-year-old Moroccan man, and a female relative of a fugitive couple  were also to join the Islamic State terror group, Milan prosecutor Maurizio Romanelli said at a press conference.

Italian police also said they are seeking to arrest of a fugitive couple, another Moroccan man and his Italian wife, who are believed to have left Italy for Iraq and Syria last year, the prosecutor said.

Transcripts of wiretapped phone conversations between three of the four suspects who have already been arrested mentioned the possibility of attacks on the Vatican and the Israeli Embassy in Rome.

I swear I will be the first to attack them in this Italy of crusaders, I swear Ill attack it, in the Vatican God willing, one of the arrested men is quoted as telling the man on the run in the transcript.

In a separate conversation with another of the suspects arrested, the same man said he wanted to hit the Israeli embassy in Rome and had contacted an Albanian man to get a gun.

Reports in Italy said that the suspects were plotting to carry out these attacks in the coming months, and then flee to Syria.

(Source: EJP)
Nottingham City councilor Ilyas Aziz and former Blackburn mayor Salim Mulla have been suspended pending an investigation.

Aziz had suggested on Facebook that it might have been wiser to create Israel in America and that Israel could be relocated even now, while Mulla accused Israel of being behind the Paris attacks and the killing of Japanese prisoners held captive by ISIS.

In other posts he appeared to liken Israeli actions toward the Palestinians to those of the Nazis against Jews, referred to Israel as an illegal state, and made comments about Zionist invaders.

Aziz also called on Jews to stop drinking Gaza blood.

If the Israelis really wanted to target terrorists why arent they killing themselves? he wrote.

The move to suspend Aziz follows the suspension last week of two other Labour figures, including former London mayor Ken Livingstone, who was on the partys executive council.

The issue flared up Labour MP Naz Shah was suspended for posting anti-Israel material before she was elected to Parliament. That prompted former London Mayor Ken Livingstone to defend her by saying that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had been a Zionist early in his political career.

The partys leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has launched an independent review of anti-Semitism and racism within its ranks. He told the Jewish News that he will propose a new code of conduct on anti-Semitism and other forms of racism Labours national executive committee next month.

According to London mayor Boris Johnson, the Labour Party has become infected by a virus of anti-Semitism.

Johnson said there was an ideological continuum between Livingstone, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan, the partys candidate for London mayor.

They are now basically captured by the old Livingstonian mafia, the machine, the London Labour Party- thats whos running the Labour Party now. Thats what the Corbynistas are.

The reality is that they have some pretty tough views about Israel and if you listen to some of the things that are being said about Israel and what should happen to Israel, in my view, it shades into anti-Semitism.

(Source: EJP)
The five women crowded together around the kitchen table in New Jersey, their eyes fixed on a laptop screen. It was 7 a.m., and none of them had slept well the night before; they were too anxious and excited for this moment. Jess Katz logged into Skype as her mother and three sisters watched.

A face flickered into view: their cousin, the son of a long-missing uncle, the family they thought they had lost forever in the Holocaust.

On the other side of the screen, on the other side of the world, Evgeny Belzhitsky sat with his daughter, his granddaughter and a translator in his home on Sakhalin Island, Russia. The eight family members smiled at each other, speechless. Then, Katz recalls, they all started to cry.

What do you say to someone youve been searching for your whole life? Katz says.

More than 70 years had passed since Katzs grandfather, Abram Belz, first tried to find his younger brother, Chaim. Abram last saw Chaim in 1939, the year their family was relocated along with thousands of other Polish Jews to the Piotrkow Trybunalski ghetto at the start of World War II.

The brothers died without seeing each other again, but on April 20 their families joyfully reunited.

The young men were separated soon after the family was forced into the ghetto following the Nazi invasion of Poland. Abrams mother had begged her two sons to escape and save themselves, Katz says.

My grandfather, because he was the oldest son, felt an obligation to stay, she says. But it was important to their mom that Chaim try to escape.

With his mothers help, Chaim slipped through a gap in the ghetto wall and fled across the border to the Soviet Union. The family knew he made it there, Katz says, because he sent letters and packages to his family. But then the letters and packages stopped coming.

Abram described what happened next in a 1990 testimonial for Steven Spielbergs USC Shoah Foundation project:

Less than a year after we moved into the ghetto, my grandfather dropped dead in the house. Two weeks later, my 24-year-old sister died of tuberculosis. My uncle who was 26 years old was shot, his wife and baby were sent to Treblinka where they were gassed to death by the Nazis. The rest of my family was exterminated. My parents were sent to Treblinka and were killed in the gas chambers.

Of more than 60 relatives, Abram and one of his cousins were the lone survivors of the concentration camps. Abram was liberated from the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in 1945, and eventually resettled in Brooklyn, NY.

He never stopped looking for Chaim. When Abram moved to the U.S. after the war, he wrote to the Polish government and sought the help of nonprofits that worked to connect survivors to their families. In the 1980s, his daughter  Katzs mother, Michelle Belz Katz  penned letters to the Red Cross, Yad Vashem (Israels Holocaust Remembrance Center), and Russian and Polish officials, to no avail.

I cant find anything about my brother who escaped to Russia, Abram wrote in the final lines of in his 1990 testimonial. My daughter wrote all kinds of letters to try to find him. We cant find him.

Last month, Katz  a tech-savvy 25-year-old who works for a software company in New York City and has blogged about her familys Jewish roots  had extra time on her hands as she recovered from minor surgery at home. She decided to take up the search.

After decades of tedious research and letter-writing, it took Katz two weeks to find Chaims son.

It was a success born of an improbable alchemy: the serendipity of social media, the generosity of helpful strangers, and access to technology that allowed distant relatives to bridge thousands of miles, a 14-hour time difference and a language barrier.

With the help of a Jewish heritage website, JewishGen.org, Katz contacted a genealogist who quickly tracked down Russian military documents with Chaims name and army unit, dated 1942. Katz shared the documents in a Jewish Facebook group, where she was directed to another Russian forum, where  with the help of Google Translate  Katzs post caught the attention of an Israeli woman who matched Chaims last name to a man on a Russian social networking site called Classmates. That man, it turned out, was Evgeny Belzhitsky.

Katz created an account on Classmates and sent Belzhitsky a message. He responded right away: He said I dont have the words to explain my emotions right now, but I want to send you a picture of my father. Do you see any resemblance?  Katz says. My sisters and my mom are sitting on the bed together, and my mom just screams, because he looks just like my grandfather.

But her family wanted to be certain, so they asked Belzhitsky what his fathers birth date was. He answered with the correct date: Nov. 17, 1918.

We were shaking, we were crying, we couldnt believe it, Katz says. The next morning, she says, the family met for the first time over Skype, and spent two hours talking about their families and their shared history, about Abram and Chaim.

On different continents, the lives of the two brothers followed remarkably similar paths: both became successful tailors after the war. Both married women eight years younger. Both were gentle, doting fathers. And each had searched for the other, writing letter after letter, hoping his sibling had somehow survived.

Neither lived to see last months reunion. Abram died five years ago at age 95; Chaim succumbed to a brain tumor at 51. Belzhitsky showed his American relatives a photograph of his fathers grave.

It was so much to process, Katz says  family lost and found, all at once. Her mother was especially moved by the bittersweet reconnection.

Its difficult for her to know that her dad never got to find his brother, Katz says. Its difficult to think that this is all my grandpa would have wanted  to have his brother, to have a nephew  and Im sure Chaim also would have wanted that. So its a blessing, but theres also a lot of pain.

Since their first Skype session, the newfound relatives have been in touch daily. They send messages to each other over Facebook, sharing stories and photos. They are trying to make up for so much lost time, Katz says, and they hope to arrange a visit as soon as they can.

And they want other people, those who are still hoping and hunting for lost relatives, to know that a miracle is always possible.

Since I shared the post, Ive gotten a lot of messages from families who are also still searching and asking how I did it, Katz says. We want to show that there are these different tools that technology can offer now  these Facebook groups, Google Translate  and that can really help in finding relatives. We want to give hope to families who are still searching for loved ones.

The reunion came at a particularly poignant moment, she says: this year, Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on the May 5 anniversary of Abrams liberation from Mauthausen, the beginning of his long search for his sibling.

I wish he was here to see this, Katz says. I cant even imagine the love and joy he would have felt to have found his brother.

But there were so many lucky turns that led her to find Chaim so quickly, she says  so many people who helped her at precisely the right moment. She likes to think the brothers might have had something to do with that.

I feel like they somehow orchestrated it, she says, and they are beaming down with happiness now.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Caitlin Gibson
Senator Simcha Felder has introduced a bill to prohibit the requiring of a permit to sing the National Anthem or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The bill follows recent events where a middle school choir was ordered to cease singing the National Anthem at 9/11 memorial event.

Its almost comical that a law should be required to protect people who want to sing our countrys National Anthem or recite our Pledge of Allegiance, said Senator Felder. For generations, citizens of this great nation have been proud to express their patriotism and loyalty to the United States by participating in these time-honored traditions. How in the world have we become so politically correct that benign acts of patriotism must be protected under the law?

Participating in the Star Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance is a sign of haKaros haTovgratitude to this country that allows Freedom of Religion and many other freedoms. People who sing the Star Spangled Banner or pledge allegiance to the flag to honor our nation and those who have given their lives in its service should be commended, not subjected to sanctions or fines for failing to obtain a permit.

The Senators law would amend the general city law to add a new section prohibiting the requiring of a permit for the singing of the National Anthem or the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.

I am proud to co-sponsor legislation introduced by Senator Simcha Felder that will prohibit the requiring of a permit to sing the national anthem or recite the Pledge of Allegiance, said Senator Marty Golden (Brooklyn). Unfortunately, there is a need for such a law to protect patriotic citizens, despite the fact that so many have sacrificed so that we can live in this Nation of freedom. I urge my colleagues in the State Legislature to approve this bill.

Americans recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the Star Spangled Banner to show their patriotism and love for our country, said Senator Jack Martins (Long Island), a co-sponsor of the bill. No American should be prohibited from reciting the pledge or singing the national anthem; its disgraceful that common sense has given way to militant political correctness. Im proud to join with Senator Felder in fighting to protect our patriotic traditions.

Other co-sponsors of the bill include Senator George Amedore (Ulster County), Senator Andrew Lanza (Staten Island), Senator William Larkin (Orange County), Senator Michael Nozzolio (Finger Lakes) and Senator Robert Ortt (North Tonawanda).

(YWN Desk  NYC)
Officials in Shaare Zedek Hospital on Tuesday morning 25 Nissan report the condition of the victim of the Lions Gate terrorist stabbing attack on Monday night is improving. The victim was stabbed in his upper back and a lung was compromised. He remains in an intensive care unit in stable condition. His name for Tehillim is reportedly Yisrael ben Tirtza.

The hospital adds that a victim of the Egged number 12 bus attack that occurred a few weeks ago continues to show signs of improvement.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The terrorist who perpetrated the stabbing attack at the Lions Gate entrance to Jerusalems Old City on Monday night has been apprehended. A chareidi male in his 60s was wounded in the attack, stabbed in his upper back.

The terrorist fled the scene but according to a police report, he was apprehended at about 01:00, some three hours later, in one of the alleyways of the Old City. He is reportedly an 18-year-old Arab male, a PA (Palestinian Authority) resident.

The attack took place on Maale Chaldaya Street in the so-called Muslim Quarter of the Old City. The victim was walking towards Lions Gate when attacked from behind. The wounded man ran towards the gate, aware of the constant police presence there. He was transported to Shaare Zedek Hospital where he remains in a cardiothoracic intensive care unit in stable condition.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is set to learn how long hell spend in prison following his conviction in a $5 million corruption case.

The 72-year-old Manhattan Democrat will get a chance to speak before U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni on Tuesday prior to his sentencing.

Silver was convicted in November on charges that he traded favors to enrich himself and then lied about it.

In court papers, prosecutors asked that he serve substantially more than a decade in prison, saying he corrupted the institution that he led for more than two decades and caused immeasurable damage to the democratic process and public trust. They also asked that he be fined $1 million. They said he amassed more than $2 million in assets and arranged to receive a $70,000 annual pension from the state.

Defense lawyers have sought leniency for Silver, citing his age, health and good deeds.

In an April 14 letter to the judge, Silver asked that she consider the good things hes done as she decides his punishment.

I failed the people of New York. There is no question about it, he wrote. What I have done has hurt the Assembly, and New York, and my constituents terribly, and I regret that more than I can possibly express.

He added: Because of me, the government has been ridiculed. I let my peers down, I let the people of the State down, and I let down my constituents  the people of lower Manhattan that I live among and fought for. They deserve better.

Silvers wife, Rosa, also wrote a letter to the judge, asking for leniency.

She said she was devastated by the guilty verdict and wanted the judge to know that her husband is a good man.

(AP)
Retiring U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson will not run for New York governor in 2018, he said Monday.

Gibson, a Kinderhook Republican who has been the Mid-Hudsons congressman since January 2011, said he will be leaving politics and has accepted a position as a college lecturer in western Massachusetts.

Gibson, 51, was elected to his third two-year term in the House in November 2014 and announced less than two months later that he would step down at the end of 2016. Gibson said at the time that he was considering running for statewide office in 2018, and he formed an exploratory committee two months ago regarding a possible bid for governor.

New Yorks current governor, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, was elected to his second four-year term in 2014 and has $16 million on hand if he decides to run for a third term.

In February, Gibson said: For too long, Governor Cuomo has led with fear, intimidation and bullying. New York has been embarrassed by corruption and lags behind in too many important categories. We can do better.

At an Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce breakfast in January, the congressman said it was time to restore the faith in state government, and he talked about the need for independent redistricting, some campaign finance reform and denying pensions to state lawmakers convicted of felonies.

He also told the chamber he felt a sense of duty and calling for the people of New York.

In a statement to the press issued Monday afternoon, Gibson said he visited 48 of the states 62 counties in recent months and that he appreciate[s] greatly the warm welcomes and support I have received, and the time so many have dedicated to our mission to change the state.

But the last year has also brought into greater clarity what our next steps should be as a family, he said. Mary Jo (his wife) and I have three teenagers who are in their last years at home. In addition, I was just offered and accepted a position with Williams College [in Williamstown, Mass.] as a visiting lecturer on leadership, beginning in February 2017, and anticipate accepting other academic positions shortly. Ultimately, for our family, the opportunity to spend increased time together balanced with a return to academia was one we could not pass up. Therefore, I will not be running for governor in 2018.

Gibson said he will shut down his gubernatorial exploratory committee and return campaign contributions that he has received.

Gibson represents New Yorks 19th Congressional District, which comprises all of Ulster, Greene and Columbia counties, part of Dutchess County and some or all of seven other counties.

The race to succeed Gibson in the House has attracted five candidates: former state Assemblyman John Faso of Kinderhook, Dutchess County resident Andrew Heaney and Delaware County resident Bob Bishop on the Republican side; and law professor Zephyr Teachout and town of Livingston Deputy Supervisor Will Yandik on the Democratic side.

Teachout, who lives in the Dutchess County town of Dover, ran against Cuomo in a Democratic gubernatorial primary in 2014. She won only 34 percent of the popular vote but carried half of the counties in the state, including 10 of the 11 counties that make up the 19th Congressional District.

Gibson is a retired U.S. Army colonel whose 24 years in the military included four tours of duty in Iraq. He first was elected to the House in 2010, when he unseated Democratic incumbent Scott Murphy of Glens Falls in what then was New Yorks 20th Congressional District. Gibson won again in the new 19th District in 2012, beating Democrat Julian Schreibman of Stone Ridge, and in 2014, defeating Democrat Sean Eldridge of Shokan.

Gibson is among the more moderate members of the House GOP caucus and sometimes bucks his own party when voting. He also has worked at times will fellow Hudson Valley Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a Democrat from Cold Spring.

Gibson is in line with Republicans on some hot-button issues  he opposes same-sex marriage, taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and New York states SAFE Act gun-control law  but he has said abortion is a private matter to be decided by a woman and her doctor. But he opposes abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

(AP)
Zaka reports its legal department this week received a request from a family whose brother died in Thailand. The niftar left a will in which he requests to be cremated as he did not wish to be a burden to his family by compelling them to cover the expense of having him buried in Israel.

The Foreign Ministry was brought in to express the familys objections to the cremation and its desire to bring the body to Israel for kvura. Attorney Dror Schussheim who heads Zakas legal division submitted an urgent request to the Jerusalem District Court expressing the familys wishes. Baruch Hashem, this led to a decision to the release of the body into the custody of the family for kvura in Israel.

The Foreign Ministry is working to expedite returning the body to Eretz Yisrael.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Republican front-runner Donald Trump is resurrecting accusations against rival Ted Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, saying that he was with President John F. Kennedys assassin Lee Harvey Oswald prior to his death.

The whole thing is ridiculous, Trump said on Fox & Friends Tuesday ahead of the Indiana primary. Right prior to his being shot, and nobody brings it up. They dont even talk about that.

A recent National Enquirer report claimed that the elder Cruz appeared in a 1963 photo of Oswald as he handed out leaflets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee.

The Cruz campaign has denied the accusations.

(AP)
Three people have been injured in what appears to be a vehicular terror attack near Yishuv Dolev, in the Binyamin Regional Council of the Shomron.

A more exact location according to the IDF is Parsa Junction, which is near the community of Dolev.

It appears the victims, IDF soldiers, were struck inside the PA (Palestinian Authority) village Ein Ariv, which is very near Dolev. Soldiers operating in the village were hit by a vehicle.

It is reported the terrorist was neutralized, ending the threat.

MDA spokesman Roi Engel: Paramedic Rafi Farjun states When I arrived on the scene I found a male in his 20s being treated by an IDF physician. He was in a compromised state of consciousness, being treated for multisystem trauma. He was taken on our MICU ambulance and we met with a chopper nearby for transport. His condition is moderate-to-serious.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Media Resource Group)
Goldman Sachs full-figured London chief, Michael Sherwood, has invested 20,000 in Zing Zing, a Chinese takeaway based in his native north London. A neighbourhood favourite, peut-etre? Westminster-educated Woody, 51, who boasts a 200million fortune and took home 13million last year, roosts with his wife and two children in a mansion overlooking nearby Regents Park. Other local business interests include a 400,000 stake in Tottenham Hotspur. Hence the G-SPUR registration on the flashy devils Cessna jet.

North London roots: Goldman Sachs' London chief, Michael Sherwood, has invested 20,000 in Zing Zing

Remember Alexis Stenfors, the disgraced London-based Merrill Lynch trader rumbled in 2009 for deliberately mismarking positions to hide his 67million losses? The square-jawed Scandinavian, 44, was deemed not a fit and proper person to work in financial markets and banned for five years by the FSA. Hes now senior business lecturer at Portsmouth University, where he advises students on behavioural finance. Comment is unnecessary.

Standard Chartered has been conducting a probe into its bankers conduct, including over-egging expenses. Several bankers have also quietly departed its Dubai offices recently, after the firm found they personally lent money to other employees in violation of internal compliance rules. Standard Chartered may find lecturing staff on financial propriety tricky. Not long ago it was fined 180million for money-laundering failures and breaching Iran sanctions.

Credit Suisses smooth-talking chief executive Tidjane Thiam, who has seen company shares fall 40 per cent since his arrival last July from Prudential, came under fire at the banks recent AGM. One shareholder remarked coarsely: Credit Suisse reminds me of an office building that seems to be collapsing. We shareholders are the suffering owner of the building. No great suffering for Ivory Coast-born family man Tidjane, 53, of course. He annually pockets a corking 8million.
The worlds biggest fund is to use its huge influence to vote against fat cat pay and boardroom bad behaviour.

Norways sovereign wealth fund  which has 595billion invested around the globe  will break its silence on excessive salaries at major companies and plans to shame the top payers.

It is a highly important move as the fund holds a stake in most of the worlds biggest firms, including many on the FTSE 100.

Executive pay: Norways sovereign wealth fund will break its silence on excessive salaries at major firms

Last week the fund took the first steps towards a more active role on pay when it voted against a bonus plan at mining firm Weir that would have seen directors get a huge pay-off regardless how the company performed. It also voted against the 7.2million pay of Anglo American boss Mark Cutifani.

Now, in a sign it is planning more revolts, its chief executive Yngve Slyngstad has said: Due to the way the issue of executive remuneration has developed, we will have to look at what is appropriate.

However, the fund voted in favour of the 13.8million pay packet of BP chief executive Bob Dudley, despite almost half of other shareholders rejecting it.

If the Norway wealth fund, which was built up from the billions the country has made from its oil reserves, switched its position it would be a major fillip for investment groups trying to rally support ahead of next years annual general meeting season.

Backing: However the fund voted in favour of the 13.8million pay packet of BP chief executive Bob Dudley

Of the revolts by shareholders this year, only the one by Weir has been binding on the company. This is because investors only get to turn down the pay packages of executives once every four years. In intervening years the vote is not binding. In 2017 the majority of FTSE 100 firms face a binding vote.

Meanwhile, the politician who masterminded the last series of shareholder reforms, Vince Cable, has called for further action, including employee approval of executive pay and the publication of shareholder voting decisions.

Cable who led governance changes when he was business secretary in 2012, hit out at recent pay awards.

He said: What we have seen  with the example of Dudleys pay  is that companies are putting two fingers up to their own shareholders. Investors have more power now. They can block the pay policy. But there are further steps that should be considered.

Options: Vince Cable said that employee votes on executive pay should be reassessed

He said measures that he considered but did not pursue back in 2012 should be looked at again.

Employee votes on executive pay should be reassessed. He said: This could obviously be difficult as some UK-listed firms have many employees overseas, such as mining companies, but it could certainly be looked at.

The European model, such as a works council, shows it is possible. These large companies should consult their workers.

Some investors agree with Cable. At BPs annual meeting earlier this month, independent shareholder Grace Smith said: We know that the executive directors and non-executive directors belong to the same elite.

I would challenge the board to take a leap.

Will you open up the remuneration committee to include meaningful workforce representation?

High Pay Centre director Stefan Stern said: Any bonuses should be tied to a much broader range of indicators and based on the discretion of the remuneration committee. And, of course, having normal people in the room, i.e. employee representatives, would help keep the discussion grounded and based in reality.

Cable also said other measures could be taken.

He added: I would like to see that it becomes obligatory for shareholders to register how they vote online.

I would like to see it a requirement for corporate governance.
Star US investor Carl Icahn has sold a stake in Apple worth 3billion following its disappointing results for the start of this year.

The 80-year-old, worth around 12billion, sold his 45.8million shares and cited concerns over Apples position in China. His fears centred on regulatory meddling from the regime there.

Calling China a dictatorship he said: You worry a little bit about Chinas attitude. In China they will come in and make it very difficult for Apple to sell there.

In decline: iPhone sales dropped for the first time, falling 10m in the first quarter compared to last year

The tech giant last week revealed its revenues fell for the first time since 2003, to 34.4billion from 39.7billion in 2015.

And iPhone sales dropped for the first time, falling 10m in the first quarter compared to last year.
Claims-chasing law firm Slater & Gordon, which bought most of scandal-hit accountancy company Quindell, has boosted its battle for survival.

The Australian-based firm, which has a large presence in the UK, has negotiated a finance deal with major lenders including Westpac, National Australia Bank, Macquarie Group and Citi.

Lenders will get a bigger fee, but investors are set to miss out on dividends. However, despite this disappointment for shareholders the new arrangement should keep the firm above water.

Deal: Law firm Slater & Gordon has negotiated a finance deal with major lenders
Deutsche Bank has been sharply criticised by the City watchdog for serious and systemic failings in its anti-money laundering controls.

The Financial Conduct Authority blasted the German giant which is run by 55-year-old British banker John Cryan for doing too little to solve the problem.

According to the Financial Times, the FCA told the bank: Effective senior management engagement and leadership on financial crime had been lacking for a considerable period of time.

Money-laundering: The FCA blasted the German giant for doing too little to solve the problem

It comes after an FCA review of the banks operations. The watchdog has now ordered another review which could be followed by an enforcement investigation that could lead to fines.
Hungry diners ordered 31.5 million takeaways via delivery marketplace Just Eat in the first three months of 2016, leading the FTSE 250 group to raise its expectations for the full year.

With Just Eat's total global orders rising by 57 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, the UK-based group increased its revenue forecast for the year to 358million, up from 350million.

Bolstered by the solid set of first quarter results, Just Eat shares topped the FTSE 250 leader board in afternoon trading, with its shares up 7.5 per cent, or 28.8p to 412.3p.

Cravings: 31.5 million takeaway orders were made via Just Eat in the first three months of this year

The group said it was benefiting from a one percentage point rise in the commission it charged UK food outlets, which kicked in last month.

On a like-for-like basis, which measures sales at outlets within the Just Eat family for a year or more, sales were up 41 per cent, a slight slowdown from the 46 per cent seen in the first quarter of last year.

While year-on-year orders in the UK grew by 40 per cent in the period, a joint venture in South America with iFood prompted a 160 per cent rise in orders in Brazil.

David Buttress, chief executive of Just Eat, said: 'We have had an excellent start to 2016 and I am delighted with the company's performance and the momentum in the business. The team has continued to work hard to deliver increased value and ever more orders to our restaurant partners.

'Our focused strategy and improvements to both our consumer offering and restaurant support are working and we are well positioned to continue benefiting from channel shift in the category.'

Stock up: Just Eat was the top FTSE 250 riser in afternoon trading, with its shares up nearly 8 per cent

Analysts have previously raised concerns about Just Eat's dependence on the UK marketplace, which generates most of its revenue but where it could be vulnerable to mounting competition from the likes of Deliveroo and UberEATS, launched by the company behind the popular taxi-hailing app.

But, in March, Just Eat's boss said its international business was growing faster than the UK business at the time of its initial public offering in 2014.

In the last two years, the company has looked to diversify with acquisitions in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, Canada, Spain and Italy

The company, which was priced at 260p a share at the time of its flotation in April 2014, has seen significant share price growth over the course of the last few years.
Car trouble

Drivers switching from BMWs luxury sedans to 4x4s produced by their rivals have caused the German car maker to miss forecasts and post lower quarterly operating profit.

The low cost of fuel means Americans are buying gas-guzzling pick-up trucks and off-road vehicles. First-quarter earnings at BMW slid 2.5 per cent to 1.95billion  just below the 1.96billion analysts had forecast.

While BMW stuck to profit guidance for the year it will increase the proportion of SUVs sold in the United States to 40 per cent from 30 per cent.

German car maker BMW missed forecasts and post lower quarterly operating profit

Cussons boss

Imperial Leather owner PZ Cussons has recruited the chairman of fizzy drinks maker AG Barr to its board.

John Nicolson, a former executive of Heineken and Scottish & Newcastle, joined the Cussons board as a non-executive director on May 1. Cussons chairman Richard Harvey is retiring to New Zealand at the end of the year.

Package pair-up

Packager Macfarlane has bought rival Edward McNeil for 1.8million.

Glasgow-based Macfarlane makes specialist packaging used by the electronics industry to protect fragile components as well as in the aerospace and medical sectors.

McNeil posted sales of around 3.6million in 2015. Shares in Macfarlane fell 0.36 per cent or 0.25p to 68.25p.

Astra deal

AstraZeneca has sold the global rights to angina treatment Imdur outside the US.

The British drugs giant will receive 130million following its deal with China Medical System Holdings and Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical Holding.

The company has also completed the takeover of Takeda Pharmaceuticals lung business for 393million.

No fly

Lufthansa is the latest airline to cut routes as travellers stay home. The terrorist attacks in Belgium and fierce price competition has caused the German airline to cut growth plans for the year.

Last week British Airways owner IAG axed routes because sales had been hurt by a change in the travel habits of multi-national companies.

Lufthansa will increase overall flight capacity by 6pc this year instead of 6.6 per cent.

Sweet smell

Estee Lauder Companies was boosted by Brits buying more make-up this year.

The US group reported 11 per cent rise in sales in Europe for the third quarter, helped by a strong performance in the UK, and is pinning hopes on more success with launches including a range by Victoria Beckham.
James Watt, 33, is a co-founder of independent brewery BrewDog. It began in 2007 with two employees, and now has 540 and makes 65 beers. He is married and lives in Scotland.

Piece of advice: 'Be selfish, do what you want and ignore advice', says James Watt

Who had the biggest influence on you?

Legendary beer writer Michael Jackson. A chance meeting led to Martin Dickie [BrewDogs other co-founder] and I deciding to take the plunge and start our very own renegade brewery. Michael told us to quit our jobs and start brewing beer.

What has been your most important decision so far?

Starting a revolution  we were bored of the industrially brewed lagers and stuffy ales that dominated the beer market and decided to do something about it.

Whats the most satisfying part of your job?

Seeing so many people turn away from bland mass-produced beer is what we thrive on.

Whats the toughest decision youve had to make?

Throwing caution to the wind and starting an ambitious small business with next to no capital was gritty and intense. It resulted in endless periods of hard work and little sleep.

Whats been your worst job?

My legal career in my early twenties. It was very brief. I quickly came to realise that conforming was painful at best.

The best piece of advice youve ever been given?

Be selfish, do what you want and ignore advice.

When was the last time your job kept you awake?

A few weeks ago our Aberdeen brewery played host to the BrewDog AGM (Annual General Mayhem). A chance for our backers to get a behind the scenes look. A lot of beer was consumed and no sleep was had.

Popular: BrewDog began in 2007 with two employees, and now has 540 and makes 65 beers

What is the most expensive thing youve bought?

Our canning line where we produce cans of beer, but its worth every penny.

When did you last worry about money?

Yesterday, today and tomorrow  cash is king.

How do you handle stress?

Our Jack Hammer beer at 7.2 per cent strength solves anything.

Your biggest extravagance?

Weve just spent 35m on a brewery in Columbus, Ohio. When we sealed the deal, Id only spent 24 hours there.

Where are you happiest?

BrewDog HQ in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. You need to surround yourself with like-minded, awesome people.

If your 20-year-old self could see you, what would he think?
The bodies had clothing and backpacks that matched the gear Lowe and Bridges were wearing when they disappeared.

Climbers David Goettler of Germany and Ueli Steck of Switzerland were preparing for an attempt to reach the summit of Shishapangma in Tibet, the world's 14th-highest peak, when they discovered two bodies encased in ice on a glacier, the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation said in a statement posted to its website on Friday.

The bodies of renowned U.S. mountaineers Alex Lowe and David Bridges, who were killed in a 1999 avalanche in the Himalayas, have been found by another pair of climbers, according to a charity founded and run by Lowe's widow.

Lowe, who was 40 at the time of his death, was regarded as the best American mountaineer of his generation when he and Bridges were swept away by an avalanche during an expedition that included plans to ski down the 26,291-foot (8,013 m) peak. A third climber, Conrad Anker, was injured but survived.

"Alex and David vanished, were captured and frozen in time," Lowe's widow, Jenni Lowe-Anker, said in a statement. "Sixteen years of life has been lived and now they are found. We are thankful. Conrad, the boys and I will make our pilgrimage to Shishapangma. It is time to put Alex to rest."

Lowe-Anker married Anker in 2001 and the climber adopted her three sons. She serves as president of the Lowe foundation, which provides advice and financial support to humanitarian programs that operate in remote parts of the world.

Fellow climbers called Lowe a "mutant" for his accomplishments, which included two climbs to the top of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, as well as several first ascents in Antarctica and dozens of less prominent but highly technical ascents.

Lowe rejected the label of world's best climber. "There might be a fastest runner or a highest jumper," he once said in an interview with a specialty climbing publication. "But climbing is different. It's just too subjective. And it's a lifestyle; it's not a sport."
Gerry Adams, an Irish politician and leader of the Sinn Fein political party, caused an uproar Sunday after he posted multiple racial slurs on his Twitter account.

Adams was watching the Quentin Tarantino film "Django Unchained," which details the struggle of an American slave to gain his freedom, at the time he tweeted the slurs. He used the movie to compare the treatment of slaves to that of Irish nationalists in a Catholic area of Belfast.

"Watching Django Unchained -- A Ballymurphy Nigger!" Adams said in the tweet, which has since been deleted.

"Django -- an uppity Fenian!" he said in a subsequent tweet, which was also deleted.

Ballymurphy is a Catholic neighborhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is best known as the site where British soldiers killed Irish civilians in August of 1971 during what is known as the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland -- violence that stretched out over more than three decades and took the lives of around 3,500 people.

Adams was a leader in the Irish Republican movement, which was feuding with the British government.

Despite Adams's attempt to delete the tweet, it had already been seen and shared by many people, and political opponents were quick to condemn him for it.

"So this is acceptable, is it?" asked Peter O'Brien, a Labour Party councilor in Ireland.

Another Labour councilor, Deirdre Kingston, posted a screenshot of Adams's deleted tweet with the caption, "The Real Gerry Adams."

Following the uproar, Adams said his use of the "N-word" was meant to be ironic, and that anyone who saw the movie should understand that. He also said he has been opposed to racism for his whole life.

"Attempts to suggest that I am a racist are without credibility ... The fact is that nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy, were treated in much the same way as African Americans until we stood up for ourselves," he said in a statement.

"If anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used. For this reason I deleted the tweets."

On Thursday, the Northern Ireland Assembly will hold elections, and opinion polls indicate the Sinn Fein party is expected to win about a quarter of the votes.
Claims by an Australian computer scientist and businessman that he is the inventor of the digital currency Bitcoin are being met with some skepticism.

The BBC reported Craig Wright provided the media outlet with technical proof he possesses the original programming known only to Bitcoin's true creator. The BBC also reported "prominent members" of the Bitcoin community, including the co-founder of the Bitcoin Foundation, have come forward and confirmed his claim.

Wright also told The Economist and GQ magazines he is the currency's founder.

The Economist said Monday the 45-year-old Australian "could well be Mr. Nakamoto, but that important questions remain."

While some in the digital currency world believe Wright's claims are valid, others are expressing doubt.

Wright declined requests from The Economist to provide additional proof he is the founder. On its website, The Economist said "nagging questions remain" about his claim. And others in the tech community have expressed skepticism on online forums like Reddit.
Many prominent surgeons think the idea is crazy and will not work, but Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero says he still plans to attempt the first human head transplant late next year.

He even has a volunteer, 31-year-old Russian software development manager Valery Spiridonov, who suffers from a debilitating muscle-wasting disease.

Canavero's project does have supporters in the medical community, including Dr. Michael Sarr, professor emeritus of surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He said the procedure is very risky, but experiments show that reconnected spinal cord nerves may actually function.
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By Patrick Donachie

Dogs, cats and other animals of all shapes, sizes and stripes will soon have a new city shelter in Queensthe first of its kind in the borough.

In the release of his new fiscal year 2017 budget Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that more than $10 million in capital funding would be allocated for two new animal sheltersone in Queens and one in the Bronx. The funding marked the largest investment in the animal-shelter system since the city government first took over operations of the shelters more than 20 years ago, according to the mayors office.

The city contracts with Animal Care Centers of NYC to run the shelters. ACC operates three full-service animal shelters in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and has two animal admission centers in Queens and the Bronx.

With a new Queens shelter, animals could be medically treated at the site, missing animals could be properly sheltered and people could directly adopt animals at the location. Animals found in Queens are currently transported from the admission center to another boroughs shelter for the full range of services.

Our animal shelters deliver services to upwards of 35,000 animals, Mayor de Blasio said, referring to the number of animals taken in per year. These two new shelters in Queens and in the Bronxboroughs that combined see more than 14,000 cats and dogswill increase the citys bandwidth to ensure that all missing, homeless and abandoned animals within the city receive the care they need.

The mayors office said the city took in 9,328 cats and 5,834 dogs from Queens and the Bronx in 2014. The three shelters operated by the ACC are not no-kill shelters, according to the website of animal advocacy group No Kill New York.

The plans for the funding include $2 million in FY 2017 to design the shelters followed by an additional $8 million in the following fiscal year to acquire land. According to a spokesman from the mayors office, a more concrete timeline on construction and a proposed date for the opening of the facilities will be released once the city has selected and acquired the land.

In recent years, the mayors office allocated $3.5 million in capital funds for the Brooklyn shelter for renovations and $5 million for the Manhattan ACC shelter to help transform a garage into a new adoption center. The heads of ACC and the ASPCA both lauded the funding the mayors office had allotted for the new shelters.

This money may finally bring full-service shelters to the Bronx and Queens, dramatically improving the chances for local animals to get adopted and find safe and loving homes, said Matt Bershadker, president and chief executive officer of the ASPCA.
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By Madina Toure

Flushing residents will become more technology-savvy thanks to a new computer center recently opened at the Chinese-American Planning Councils site in downtown Flushing.

The center, called the TWC Learning Lab, funded by a $52,000 grant from Time Warner Cable, will be incorporated into the councils educational programs. Time Warner Cable Business Class will also provide complimentary high-speed business Internet and TV services.

Janice Won, the councils interim president and CEO, said she is honored that the council will be the first community-based organization to receive two TWC Learning Labs.

There are overwhelming needs in immigrant communities for access to state-of-the-art technology and secure and reliable Internet connection and the TWC Learning Lab in our new Queens Community Center will be a great resource for the Flushing community, Won said.

Wajeeha Aziz, Time Warner Cables vice president of technical operations for Brooklyn and Queens, echoed similar sentiments, noting that the labs exist in 19 other locations in New York City.

Time Warner Cable is proud to partner with such a strong organization like CPC to help bridge the digital divide for Flushing residents and provide them with access to e-learning programs, Aziz said.

The councils new lab has computers, laptops, tablets, computer software and high-definition televisions. The council will be able to provide new and refined courses in areas such as college readiness and vocational training, English as a Second Language, resume writing and interviewing for jobs. People will also be able to conduct online employment searches.

In 2011, TWC committed to opening 40 labs in New York City by 2020 to offer low-income communities access to computers and high-speed Internet. Its total investment to equip the labs is expected to surpass $2 million. TWCs Time Warner Cable Business Class will also be providing in-kind funding from Time Warner Cable Business Class.

Time Warner Cable has already opened 20 labs in New York City neighborhoods. In Queens alone, there are labs open at the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens, Woodside on the Move, Sunnyside Community Services, Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation, Greater Ridgewood Youth Council and Korean Community Services, Inc.
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By Madina Toure

State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) formally launched her re-election campaign in Forest Hills Monday afternoon as U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and community leaders from Flushing and Forest Hills praised the senators work.

Speaking right near Geraldine Ferraro Way on Ascan Avenue and Austin Street, which was named for the late congresswoman and the first female U.S. vice presidential nominee of a major political party, Stavisky touted accomplishments such as the Womens Equality Agenda, the lowest tax rate on the middle class in the last 70 years in this years budget, the tuition freeze at SUNY and CUNY and an increase of 6 percent in state aid to education throughout the state.

But she said ethics reform is long overdue, noting that LLC (limited liability corporation) loophole must be closed and for limits to be placed on elected officials outside incomes. She also called for more diversity in specialized high schools and for the Dream Act legislation enabling undocumented students who graduated from high schools in New York City to apply for college financial aid to be passed.

I believe that we are going to nominate a woman for president, she said. Women have to be given the opportunity. In the state Senate, there are 12 women. We were all excited when the number increased this year from 11 to 12 out of 63 and weve got to do something about that.

Meng, who co-hosted the event and has worked with Stavisky for years, reminded attendees that Stavisky was the first woman in Queens to be elected to the state Senate and reiterated the significance of the news conference being held at Geraldine Ferraro Way.

She noted the role that Stavisky played in bringing the public school holiday for Lunar New Year to fruition.

Any issue that people bring up to her, shes always right there, not just for a photo-op but for multiple meetings in front of the press, behind closed doors, Meng said. Whatever it takes to find a solution to a problem, Senator Stavisky is always leading the charge.

Peter Tu, executive director of the Flushing Chinese Business Association; Flushing Democratic District Leader Martha Flores Vazquez; Joe Nocerino, a Forest Hills community leader; Ikhwan Rim, president of the Union Street Small Business Association; and Jeff Huang, a plumbing contractor in downtown Flushing spoke in support of the senator.

Her challenger, S.J. Jung, former president of the MinKwon Center for Community Action, said her campaign sent out negative mailers and disseminated deceitful information through phone call programs during the 2014 cycle when he ran against her. He said the focus should be on the issues affecting Queens residents.

I was very disappointed in 2014 by Sen. Staviskys tactics and I hope that this year she can steer clear of negative campaigning, Jung said.
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By Madina Toure

At an event examining how the two Democratic presidential candidates courted the black vote, state Sen. James Sanders (D-South Ozone Park) said U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had the best platform but that there were some steps he could have taken to win the black vote in the New York city primary.

Speaking before roughly 40 community leaders, activists and residents at the Black Spectrum Theatre in Jamaica Saturday, Sanders, a Bernie delegate, said his platform was the best platform that we may see in my lifetime. He credited Bernie with embracing the Black Lives Matter movement, even naming black activist and BLM supporter Symone Sanders, chairwoman of the Coalition for Juvenile Justices national youth committee, as his national press secretary.

Bernies biggest misstep was going to the Vatican four days before the primary, Sanders said, rather than coming to southeast Queens, where Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state and the former U.S. senator from New York, captured more than 75 percent of the vote.

It was foolish not to come here. We have seen that where he shows up, the vote increases, Sanders said. People did not know him. He got 25 percent down here without showing. He might have been able to get 50 percent if he had shown and really did work down here.

Other negative issues, Sanders said, were his focus on solving the class problem as a way to combat racism rather than tackling the race problem first and the fact that he is an older guy. The SE Queens lawmaker pointed out that progressives were interested in U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who is 66 years old but still younger than Bernie, who is 74..

He also said people should not idealize either of the candidates, saying the black community should consider its own interests.

Sanders also said Clintons decision to include the mother of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman found hanged in a Texas jail cell in July 2015, in her campaign was not pandering, which is to make small of something. Speaking to issues affecting the black community does not come naturally for her, he said.

Dont make your strength a weakness. Clinton was right. She was smart in it, he said about her willingness to promote black issues.

The lawmaker said the black community faces a problem because we are not mature politically yet and should be talking about the black agenda we plan to present to who he hopes will be the future President Clinton.

On the issue of the 126,000 Democratic voters dropped from the rolls in Brooklyn in the April 19 primary, Sanders said if it was across the board for both candidates, Hillary may have lost people, too, but that the story changes if it was restricted to Bernie supporters.

He also noted that City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who vowed to audit the Board of Elections over the missing voters, is a Hillary delegate so an outside individual should investigate the matter.

Im sure he can do a fantastic job, but to avoid any partisanship, you need somebody outside looking at that matter because it may not change the result, but then again it may, he said. We need more information and we need an investigation.

But he stressed that ultimately the best way to move forward is for people to work together.

I accept the verdict of the people, he said. The people chose. We who say we are in the struggle have to go back to our people and help raise the consciousness.

The senator also fielded questions from attendees on issues such as what a black agenda would entail and who would be setting it and the possibility of incorporating classes that touch on voting and how government works into the school curriculum.
Five domestic automakers struggled with sales last month, mainly due to a sharp fall in exports.

Hyundai, Kia, Renault Samsung, GM Korea, and Ssangyong sold around 740,000 cars worldwide in April, down 7.2 percent on-year, according to industry data on Monday.

The carmakers posted brisk sales at home except Hyundai, but suffered weak exports. Their domestic sales grew 4.2 percent overall from a year earlier to 139,600 cars, with Renault Samsung's sales rising 21.6 percent, Kia's 12.7 percent, Ssangyong's 12.3 percent and GM Korea's 10.2 percent. But Hyundai's sales declined 5.7 percent.

A total of 604,000 cars were exported by Korean carmakers in April, down 9.5 percent on-year due to a slowdown in emerging markets such as China and Russia.
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By Patrick Donachie

U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Melville) endorsed Suffolk County legislator Steve Stern as his replacement for the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Little Neck, Whitestone, Glen Oaks and Floral Park.

The announcement came during a news conference in Port Washington Monday.

While I admire all of the Democratic candidates, I believe that Steve Stern is best able to continue and build on my four priorities in Congress: consistently supporting womens rights, standing up for U.S.-Israel relations, and demonstrating leadership on the environment and veterans, Israel said.

He also said that Stern was the candidate best positioned to defeat the eventual Republican challenger for the seat, who Israel claimed would likely be backed by Super PACs and supporters of the Tea Party.

Stern is in the midst of his sixth term as a legislator for Suffolk Countys 16th District, which includes parts of the towns of Huntington, Babylon and Islip.

He is running in the Democratic primary against former Glen Cove Mayor Tom Suozzi, North Hempstead Town Board Member Anna Kaplan, former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman and attorney Jonathan Clarke.

At Mondays event, Stern said that he and Israel had been friends for years, and lauded the retiring congressman for his work on trying to attain equal pay at work for women and in protecting the environment.

I am honored to receive Rep. Israels support and humbled by the confidence he placed in me, Stern said. This endorsement is particularly meaningful for me because Rep. Israel and I share so many of the same priorities.

The primary elections for the Democratic and Republican candidates will be held on June 28, followed by the general election Nov. 8.
By David Swanson

If the bombing occurs when the bombs that have been dropped from U.S. airplanes explode, then the United States just bombed Germany and has been bombing Germany every year for over 70 years.

There are still over 100,000 yet-to-explode U.S. and British bombs from World War II lying hidden in the ground in Germany. Notes the Smithsonian Magazine:

"Before any construction project begins in Germany, from the extension of a home to track-laying by the national railroad authority, the ground must be certified as cleared of unexploded ordnance. Still, last May, some 20,000 people were cleared from an area of Cologne while authorities removed a one-ton bomb that had been discovered during construction work. In November 2013, another 20,000 people in Dortmund were evacuated while experts defused a 4,000-pound \Blockbuster\ bomb that could destroy most of a city block. In 2011, 45,000 peoplethe largest evacuation in Germany since World War IIwere forced to leave their homes when a drought revealed a similar device lying on the bed of the Rhine in the middle of Koblenz. Although the country has been at peace for three generations, German bomb-disposal squads are among the busiest in the world. Eleven bomb technicians have been killed in Germany since 2000, including three who died in a single explosion while trying to defuse a 1,000-pound bomb on the site of a popular flea market in Gottingen in 2010."

A new film called The Bomb Hunters focuses on the town of Oranienburg, where a huge concentration of bombs keeps up a constant menace. In particular the film focuses on one man whose house blew up in 2013. He lost everything. Oranienburg, now known as the city of bombs, was a center of nuclear research that the U.S. government did not want the advancing Soviets to acquire. At least that\s one reason offered for the massive bombing of Oranienburg. Rather than possibly speed up the Soviet acquisition of nukes by a handful of years, Oranienburg had to be rained on with blankets of enormous bombs  to explode for decades to come.

They weren\t just bombs. They were delayed-fuse bombs, all of them. Delayed-fuse bombs were usually included along with non-delaying bombs in order to terrorize a population further and hinder humanitarian rescue operations after a bombing, similar to how cluster bombs have been used in recent U.S. wars to extend the terrorizing of a population by blowing up children for months to come, and similar to "double taps" in the business of drone murder  the first missile or "tap" to kill, the second to kill any rescuer bringing aid. Delayed-fuse bombs go off some hours or days after landing, but only if they land the right way up. Otherwise they can go off some hours or days or weeks or months or years or decades or god-knows-when later. Presumably this was understood at the time and intended. So, that intention perhaps adds to the logic of my headline above. Perhaps the United States didn\t just intend to bomb Germany, but it intended 70 years ago to bomb Germany this year.

A bomb or two goes off every year, but the greatest concentration is in Oranienburg where thousands and thousands of bombs were dropped. The town has been making a concerted effort to find and eliminate the bombs. Hundreds may remain. When bombs are found, neighborhoods are evacuated. The bomb is disabled, or it is detonated. Even during the search for bombs, the government must damage houses as it drills test holes into the ground at evenly spaced intervals. Sometimes the government even tears down a house in order to conduct the search for bombs beneath it.

A U.S. pilot involved in this madness way back when says in the film that he thought about those under the bombs, but believed the war to be for the salvation of humanity, thus justifying anything. Now, he says, he can see no justification for war.

Also in the film, a U.S. veteran writes to the Mayor of Oranienburg and sends $100 to apologize. But the Mayor says there\s nothing to be sorry for, that the United States was only doing what it had to. Well, thanks for the codependency, Mr. Mayor. I\d love to get you on a talk show with Kurt Vonnegut\s ghost. Seriously, Germany\s guilt is immensely admirable and worthy of emulation in the guilt-free United States, which grotesquely imagines itself forever sinless. But these two extremes build on each other in a toxic relationship.

When imagining that you\ve justified a war involves imagining that you\ve thereby justified any and every atrocity in that war, the results are things like nuclear bombings and bombings so intense that a country remains covered with unexploded bombs at a time when almost nobody involved in the war is alive anymore. Germany should strengthen its peace-identity by shaking off its guilt-ridden subservience to the United States and putting an end to U.S. warmaking from bases on German soil. It should ask the U.S. military to get out and to take all of its bombs with it.



David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host.

The views expressed in this article are the author\s own and do not necessarily reflect The Times Of Earth\s editorial policy.
An Israeli court on Tuesday handed down a life sentence to the ringleader of a Jewish gang that kidnapped, beat and burned alive a Palestinian teenager in 2014.

Barely two hours later, a Palestinian rammed a car into a group of Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank and injured three, including one seriously.

Settler Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was sentenced in a Jerusalem court for killing 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and was also given 20 years for other crimes.

He was also told to pay 150,000 shekels ($39,000, 34,000 euros) to Abu Khdeir\s family.

After the verdict, angry relatives of the victim cursed Ben-David as he was led from the court.

Ben-David, wearing a burgundy yarmulke and a black shirt, had earlier told the court he was "sorry".

"I am sorry for the family. This is not me. I wasn\t in control," he said.

Ben-David and two young accomplices kidnapped Abu Khdeir from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on July 2, 2014 and beat him up.

His burned body was found hours later in a forest in the western part of the city.

A forensic report showed the presence of smoke in his lungs, indicating that the boy had been alive when set alight.

Ben-David was found in November to have led the assault, but his lawyers submitted last-minute documents saying he was mentally ill.

A court rejected that appeal last month, ruling that he was sane at the time of the attack.

In February, a court sentenced his two young Israeli accomplices to life and 21 years in prison for the killing, but Ben-David was seen to be the ringleader.

Abu Khdeir\s father Hussein, speaking before Tuesday\s verdict, said no punishment would be enough.

"Whatever they decide, our wounds will not heal  the boy will not come back," he told AFP.

His brutal murder in 2014 shocked Israelis and Palestinians alike, and contributed to an escalation in violence that culminated in the 50-day Gaza war that summer in which more than 2,000 Palestinians and 73 Israelis died.

Israeli authorities said the three decided to kill an Arab and equipped themselves with cables, petrol and other materials before choosing Abu Khdeir at random.

They had tried to kidnap a child in east Jerusalem the previous day, but were thwarted by the child\s mother.

Abu Khdeir\s murder was seen as revenge for the killing of Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrach, who had been abducted from a hitchhiking stop near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.

The last-minute insanity appeal by Ben-David, made just minutes before the end of the trial in November, also caused dismay among Abu Khdeir\s family, who said they feared a miscarriage of justice.

Ben-David\s lawyers said their client, who claimed to the "Messiah", was not criminally responsible for his actions, but the claim was rejected.

"This is an evil and cruel man who does not represent our civilised society," state prosecutor Uri Korb said at the hearing, adding that the killing "brought shame upon our society and offended our values".

The ruling came with tensions once again high on Tuesday.

A Palestinian from a refugee camp near Ramallah in the West Bank rammed his car into a group of Israeli soldiers, injuring three of them before being shot dead.

"Forces responded to the imminent threat and fired towards the assailant, resulting in his death," a statement from the army said.

Israel\s Magen David Adom rescue service said one of those hit by the car had been badly injured.

The Palestinian health ministry named the attacker as 36-year-old Ahmed Shahaada from the Qalandia refugee camp.

Earlier, Israeli police said they had arrested a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem\s Old City suspected of stabbing a Jewish man there late on Monday.

The victim, described by police as "a Jewish male, aged about 60", was said by Jerusalem\s Shaarei Tzedek hospital to be in stable condition after treatment for a damaged lung.

Since October 1, 204 Palestinians and 28 Israelis have been killed in an ongoing wave of violence.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

SOURCE: AFP
Nepal authorities have detained a Canadian software developer working in the country over a series of tweets deemed to "disturb social harmony", an immigration official said on Tuesday.

Police detained Robert Penner on Monday afternoon at the request of Nepal immigration authorities, who say his tweets contravene the terms of his working visa.

Penner tweets frequently on political issues in Nepal, most recently to condemn the arrest of a Nepali magazine editor who has since been freed on the orders of the Supreme Court.

"Evidence shows that he has been spreading messages that disturb the social harmony, peace and security of the country," said the department\s information officer Bishwo Prakash Neupane.

"We have the authority to cancel a person\s visa if they are found indulging in such activities," Neupane told AFP news agency.

Penner\s lawyer Dipendra Jha said immigration officials were threatening to cancel his visa.

"But there is no concrete evidence he has indeed disturbed peace and harmony. No action has taken place to support that allegation," Jha said.

Penner has been working in Nepal for the technology outsourcing company CloudFactory for about four years.

He has spoken out on a number of controversial issues, including a row over a new constitution that triggered deadly protests.

SOURCE: AFP
Local safety experts offer advice for keeping Trick-or-Treat fun for everyone

As families prepare for fun night of Trick-or-Treating, local safety experts are offering some tips on how to stay happy and healthy this Halloween season.
Fotolia Cooking at home can be a rewarding endeavor and lifelong pursuit.

SHARE OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Let your steaks rest at least 10 minutes before slicing to prevent the loss of juices.

By Blair Anthony Robertson

Cooking at home can be a rewarding endeavor and a lifelong pursuit. The more time and effort you invest, the more likely you are to reduce your flubs and minimize your disappointments.

Along those lines, we're always learning something, whether it's how to clean a cast iron pan (yes, soap and water is OK) or how to cook a steak (turn it frequently, or, hmm, start by freezing it).

But maybe you're just starting out and don't have the benefit of skills and years of trial and error. If so, you've probably made some of the mistakes listed below (or are about to make them). Even if you've been at it for years, surely there's something here you're doing wrong. How many kitchen missteps are you willing to own up to? In random order, here are 31.

1 You don't preheat your oven adequately. While preheating is not always necessary, it is crucial for many baked goods like cakes, muffins, pies and breads. To get the oven fully heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit usually takes 20 minutes. Also, finishing a thick steak in the oven (after searing it on the stove top) mandates that the oven be preheated (usually to 450 F. Or maybe 160 F).

2 You don't check the interior temperature of the food you are cooking. If you want to make sure your dinner guests don't eat nearly raw chicken you just plucked off your backyard grill, use an instant-read thermometer and save yourself some grief. The federal government actually has a helpful temperature chart: foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html. The best instant read device is the speedy but pricey Thermapen.

3 You don't preheat your skillet. Are your omelets a mess? Are your pancakes gooey in the middle? Do delicate foods stick to your nonstick pan? You're probably not patient enough heating it up. You can actually use an infrared thermometer to get it right. Cast iron pans are great, but they don't heat up evenly and take longer to get a balanced heat across the entire cooking surface.

4 You don't prep before you cook. Watch what happens in a professional kitchen. Before lunch or dinner service, prep cooks come in and get everything ready: They peel potatoes, chop celery, mince onions, slice tomatoes, peel garlic. Home cooks tend to do everything at once and the results can be chaotic. Prep, then cook. It's more relaxing and you're less likely to make mistakes.

5 You don't read recipes all the way through. This is similar to prep. You should understand the recipe before you dive in and start cooking from it. The better recipes are often complex and have recipes within recipes. There's also the issue of timing. It's crucial. Say you're making a chocolate mousse an hour before dinner guests arrive, only to read the final step: Chill said mousse for eight hours.

6 You don't let your meat rest after cooking. You're hungry. The kids are famished. Let's just pull those steaks off the grill and dig in. Wrong. The pros let their steaks rest at least 10 minutes before slicing to avoid the dreaded loss of juices all over the plate. Tent the steaks with foil, set your timer and leave them alone.

7 You use dull knives. OK, be honest. When was the last time you've had your knives sharpened? Dull knives are actually dangerous, especially for doing things like slicing onions. Here's a quick test: A sharp knife should easily cut through a sheet of paper. Sharpen your knives about once a month, depending on use. Hone your blades with a steel or a honing rod, before every use to realign the edge (which makes it feel sharper).

8 You don't use a cutting board. This one seems so basic we hesitated to include it, but it turns out that a lot of people use their counter tops to chop, slice and mince. That's a big no-no. It's bad for your knives and can potentially cause cross-contamination. Glass cutting boards also are a bad idea for your knives.

9 You avoid wood cutting boards because you think they trap bacteria. That's a myth. Keep your cutting board clean and oiled (with mineral oil), and it's very safe.

10 You don't pay enough attention to food safety. Over 100,000 people a year go to the hospital for food poisoning each year. The federal government has helpful guidelines to greatly reduce that risk: Clean, separate, cook and chill.

11 You don't label and date the food you refrigerate and freeze. Those fish sticks in the freezer won't last forever. Was it 2005 or 2007 that you stuck those things in there? Here's a food storage timing guide you should bookmark: foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html. The one thing in your kitchen that won't spoil no matter where you store it? Honey. It might last for centuries.

12 You're not using a pressure cooker. Remember when bread machines were all the rage? And slow cookers? It may seem old school, but the best gadget you're not using is the pressure cooker. These days, it's a big hit with chefs using modernist techniques. It saves time (boiled potatoes in 10 minutes instead of 45), it's a green appliance (uses less energy) and in many cases the flavors are superior to other cooking methods.

13 You don't follow the recipe. Thanks to online comments on countless food sites, we see it all the time. People alter recipes, then complain the recipe is no good. They substitute ingredients, often unwisely. They leave things out. They skip steps. Stick to the recipe faithfully the first time and see what the writer is getting at before switching it up. See No. 5 and No. 27

14 You always cook from a recipe. Yep, while it's good to follow recipes and learn how ingredients work together, you're not really cooking until you go it alone and create your own dishes. A good book for understanding the fundamentals and creating your own recipes is "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking" by Michael Ruhlman.

15 You think baking and cooking are the same thing  just wing it. Sure, you can adjust the flavors or sauces and soups on the fly, and seasoning chicken, beef and poultry is more of a feel thing. But it's not that way with baking, where precision is paramount. You need to measure carefully and consistently. See. No. 16.

16 You don't use a kitchen scale. The most accurate way to bake and cook is to weigh the ingredients. More and more recipes, especially for baked goods, are providing weights in the list of ingredients. It's more precise than cups and spoons. "The Food Lab" mastermind J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, among others, is a proponent of digital scales.

17 You don't clean your cast iron pan with soap and water because you heard it will remove the (nonstick) seasoning, or polymerized layer, you worked so hard to achieve. Not true. Use it, wash it, dry it, then wipe it with a thin coating of oil while heating it for a few minutes and you're done.

18 You don't chill your chocolate chip cookie dough before baking. This is not the secret it used to be, thanks to a spate of recent articles celebrating this crucial step. Yes, your cookies will have better texture and flavor if you chill the raw dough for 24 hours before baking. This is the key step for excellent vegan chocolate chip cookies, too.

19 You don't use parchment paper. It's the best for cakes and cookies and makes cleanup a breeze. Take it from Martha Stewart.

20 You over-stir your pancake batter. This is a rookie mistake and can lead to pancakes as pleather. This is not like a cake batter, where you whip and/or mix at high speeds. Put the whisk away, grab a silicon spatula and stir, or fold. Gently. Just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Interestingly, this buildup of gluten does not happen to the same extent if you're making whole wheat pancakes. If that's the case, stir on with abandon.

21 You overcook your omelets. Here's a seemingly simple dish that actually requires great care. Browning the eggs alters the flavor for the worse. Learn the technique, practice and master one of life's little luxuries. Thomas Keller of the French Laundry advises using a pan at low heat and cooking the eggs until they are slightly underdone, with no color. For an unusual approach, try chef Daniel Patterson's poached omelet technique.

22 You buy things you could be making and make things you probably should be buying. Mayonnaise, almond butter, granola, cookies, salad dressing, soup? They're easy and better when made at home. Bagels? You probably need some mad skills, but it's doable. Beef, chicken and veggie broth? Best at home  if you've got time. Pizza? It can range from awful to decent at home, but unless you have an 800-degree oven (standard ovens only go up to 550 degrees F) you'll have a hard time getting that Neapolitan-style crust the way you want it. Drip coffee? Yes. Espresso? Unless you've dropped $2,000 on a decent countertop machine, leave it to the experts. A good resource: "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook From Scratch" by Jennifer Reese.

23 You waste time boiling a pot of water for pasta. Old thinking was we needed plenty of water to keep the pasta circulating. There's a new way. Start with a saute pan of cold water and turn on the heat. You don't need much water and it takes less time and energy. This comes courtesy of food writer Harold McGee. nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?  r=0

24 You only turn your steaks once (because that's how you were taught). McGee and Lopez-Alt, among others, have shown that multiple turns is better, leading to more even cooking.

25 You thaw and marinate food on the counter at room temperature. The government's food safety guide calls it "one of the riskiest things you can do." Instead, thaw meat in the fridge. Same with marinating. If you thaw food in the microwave, cook it immediately.

26 You ALWAYS thaw your meat before cooking. OK, that's not necessarily a mistake and this one's a little esoteric, but it's interesting, courtesy of Modernist Cuisine. Freeze the steaks for 30 minutes, then sear over high heat in a pan (remember to preheat it adequately), then finish in the oven at the uncommonly low 160 degrees for 50 minutes, or until the interior of the steak reaches 133 degrees (yes, get out that instant-read thermometer).

27 You don't think about time and sequence before you start cooking. Let's say you've got four different dishes to pull together for dinner. Starting them haphazardly could lead to chaos. Start each recipe in the proper sequence and finish everything at the same time (remembering to rest that steak for 10 minutes). See Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 and 23.

28 You're still soaking dried beans. This is a controversial one, because most recipes for dried legumes call for soaking, often overnight. But Russ Parsons, food writer for the Los Angeles Times, has long insisted that soaking does nothing to improve flavor and texture and only marginally decreases cooking times. If you want to do beans even faster, see No. 12.

29 You always brine, or never brine, your chicken, turkey and pork. Brining is big these days, thanks to advocates like the science nerds at Cooks Illustrated. Sure enough, brining can work magic on ho-hum boneless chicken breasts, giving them better texture and an infusion of flavor. But as McGee notes in "Keys To Good Cooking," his follow-up to the classic "On Food and Cooking," brining has its limitations: "They dilute the meat's own flavorful juices with tap water, and usually make the pan juices too salty for deglazing into a sauce."

30 You under-salt everything. Eric Veldman Miller, owner of V. Miller Meats in Sacramento, says the most common mistake home cooks make with steak is under-salting the meat. Be assertive. The salt brings out the flavor of the beef.

31 You overcook EVERYTHING. Last but not least, this may be the biggest blunder of all. Your pork chops have all the tenderness of a foam roller. Your steaks are dark gray and brutally dry in the middle. And that plate of mushy veggies, as "Joy of Cooking" puts it in the "Introduction to Vegetables" section, "is drained of all life force." The great tome goes on to advise home cooks to "do very little to them." Obliterating food is a sign of an insecure cook. With skill and experience comes an understanding of when food is cooked properly.
Free screenings of independent films will take place at 29 public facilities including art galleries, museums and libraries from May to December, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Monday.

The city government organized the event to promote the independent film industry.

The opening movies are "Cruel State," a documentary about the Sewol ferry disaster, and "Spirits' Homecoming," a film telling the stories of women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during World War II. They will be screened throughout May.

"Spirits' Homecoming" has attracted 3.49 million viewers since it was released on Feb. 24.

For more information, visit the event's website at www.indiefilmseoul.org. Free admission is available on a first come, first served basis.
Police Lights

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By Times Record News

A suspected thief is in custody, accused of pulling a knife on a store employee who confronted him.

The incident happened about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Police spokesman Sgt. Harold McClure, said officers were told a man pulled a knife on a worker who tried to stop him at Sikes Senter, then ran. The man ran toward other shops on Maplewood Avenue.

Officers arrived in the area and saw a suspect matching the description crossing a bridge on Sikes Lake on Midwestern State University property. Because the man was reported to be armed, officers stopped him at gunpoint.

The man was taken into custody without incident. His name had not been released Tuesday afternoon.
The Wichita Falls Fire Department Hazmat team responded to a Burlington Northern train car venting argon gas Tuesday morning in the 1500 block of Old Iowa Park Road. Railroad officials determined the problem to be a malfunctioning pressure relief valve and sent the train on to its next stop in Amarillo to be repaired. TORIN HALSEY/TIMES RECORD NEWS

SHARE Small amounts of refrigerated argon gas were venting from this Burlington Northern Railroad tank car Tuesday morning when it was stopped in the 1500 block of Old Iowa Park Road. Railroad officials and fire department official determined the problem was not serious and that it was from a leaky pressure relief valve. The train was allowed to proceed to its next stop in Amarillo where the gas would likely be off loaded to another tank car and the valve repaired. TORIN HALSEY/TIMES RECORD NEWS

The Wichita Falls Fire Department Hazmat team responded to a Burlington Northern train car venting argon gas Tuesday morning in the 1500 block of Old Iowa Park Road.

Railroad officials determined the problem to be a malfunctioning pressure relief valve and sent the train on to its next stop in Amarillo to be repaired.

Small amounts of refrigerated argon gas were venting from the tank car Tuesday morning when it was stopped.

Wichita Falls Police were sent to the scene to block off a portion of Iowa Park Road until it was determined the leaking gas was not posing a threat.
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Schenectady

If it's Tuesday, it must be legal advice day at the New York BizLab. Thursday? Think accounting.

On Monday, the private business incubator on downtown State Street announced it has assembled a volunteer team of legal, accounting, recruiting and human resources experts  dubbed BizHub  to help launch fledgling entrepreneurs. And those experts will staff offices on a recurring, predictable schedule.

"The team we have brought together understands the entrepreneurial mind  many are entrepreneurs themselves," said Antonio Civitella, founder and president of the incubator. "They will play a key role in helping our protege companies grow smart and grow fast."

Owner of Transfinder Corp., which develops school bus routing software, Civitella founded the incubator about a year ago in the three-story, 35,000-square-foot former bank building that is now wrapping up a $3 million renovation.

It already includes startup tenants like SureDone, a New York City-based e-commerce site; Lottery Rewards, a Schenectady business founded by the former CEO of the New York State Lottery that offers prizes and other incentives to holders of losing state lottery tickets; Furlocity, a pet services brokering site, and Fundabilities, a crowdsourcing site that helps budding entrepreneurs raise cash.

"We can help startups avoid some of the pitfalls from a legal perspective, like the disappearing partner scenario," said Rich Honen, a partner at the Albany law firm of Phillips Lytle LLP. "We can help people avoid some common mistakes. I love the model that has been created here."

The advisory team also includes human resources firms HR Resolved in Clifton Park and Deb Best Practices in Albany; accounting firms Marvin and Company and UHY LLP; financial consulting firm CFO for Hire; Albany law firm Lavelle & Finn; and recruitment firm Pinnacle Recruiting.

"We can help a startup create an interviewing process, create a hiring process," said Debra Best. "Otherwise, it can be like throwing darts at the wall."

Added Bill Tansey Jr., of HR Resolved, in the absence of knowing what jobs require what skills, it means that a new business founder can start making mistakes like "hiring their friends."

A potential intern was already there looking for an opportunity. "There is a lot of experience coming together to help young people like myself," said Kyle Rooney, a Clifton Park resident who just finished his junior year at Clarkson University.

The incubator is looking for more potential tenants, said Managing Director Rick D'Errico. Tenants can either rent space there to fuel their launch, or provide an equity stake to Civitella, if he is convinced of the enterprise's ultimate viability.

D'Errico said another goal of the incubator is for tenants to bounce ideas and scenarios off each other. "We want them to be able to share their experiences  and some of solutions  with each other," he said.

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
Troy

A Wisconsin manufacturing company and a Glasgow university withdrew a complaint that Troy-based Vital Vio, which designs disinfectant lighting to boost sanitation, infringed on patents and used misleading advertising.

Kenall Manufacturing Company and the University of Strathclyde's notice of voluntary dismissal was filed in early March to Delaware District Court.

Vital Vio CEO Stephen Petti said the withdrawal followed the company's shift to a new technology that is "well outside the scope of anything else being done right now." After the lawsuit was filed, the company withdrew versions of its products that plaintiffs said infringed on two patents, he said.

Petti did not disclose the terms of the settlement but characterized it as "painless to both sides." Lawyers representing the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Kenall and the university said in September filings that Vital Vio promoted and sold products that infringed on patents held by the university and licensed to Kenall.

The plaintiffs also said Vital Vio's advertisements claimed that its white light would kill 99 percent of bacteria, spores, MRSA, E. coli and salmonella. But in tests in "actual, commercial environments" like hospitals, harmful bacteria was reduced by only between 80 and 90 percent, the plaintiffs said.

"Vital Vio falsely represented and advertised to customers and potential customers factual attributes of Vital Vio's infringing products," the lawsuits read, adding that these claims harmed Kenall.

Vital Vio no longer sells the products using the technology in question, Petti said, and the shift in product accompanies a shift in the identity of the company, which operates out of Rensselaer Technology Park. (The company decided to work there, instead of pursuing plans to work in the Quackenbush Building in Troy, because the Technology Park space had already been developed, Petti said.)

Over the last year, Petti said, the company has focused on engineering and research, not sales, for which it aims to partner with external companies.

Manufacturing will also be licensed to an external company, he said. Vital Vio has evaluated several potential manufacturing partners, Petti said, adding a few are in the region.

Vital Vio's engineering team, largely composed of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates, developed the new technology in Troy, Petti said. He said the new product differs from older technology because of its size.

The technology can be as small as a thumbtack, Petti said, which may expand the potential realms of use to grocery stores, zoos and food services, in addition to hospitals.

The company, he said, "has the potential to be a major contributor."

The news of the withdrawn lawsuit was first reported by the Albany Business Review.

lellis@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @lindsayaellis
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Albany

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will be sentenced in Manhattan federal court at 2 p.m. Tuesday following his November conviction on seven corruption charges.

In documents submitted last month, prosecutors requested that Silver be sent away for a "greater than any sentence imposed on other New York State legislators convicted of public corruption offenses." The state record public corruption sentence length belongs to former Assemblyman William Boyland Jr., who received 14 years in prison following his 2015 conviction on bribery charges.

Silver's attorneys had sought a sentence below federal guidelines, "possibly coupled with home confinement and community service."

Based on federal guidelines, Silver could face more than 27 years in prison for his conviction on seven counts ranging from honest services fraud to extortion.

Silver was found to have engaged in a two-track corruption scheme that netted him an estimated $4 million in bribes and kickbacks disguised as legal fees.

Silver funneled legislative favors, including state grants, to a mesothelioma doctor who directed many of his asbestos-exposure patients to Weitz & Luxenberg, the law firm where the Manhattan Democrat served "of counsel." Silver's other legal work, for a separate firm that handled property tax assessment appeals, was unknown to the public until a year ago: Prosecutors successfully argued that Silver received legal fees from real estate developers  including Glenwood Management, the state's most generous political donor  that had extensive business before the Legislature, and did his best to conceal the arrangement from ethics watchdogs.

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @matt_hamilton10

A timeline of Silver's political story is below:
Amore Pacific posted record earnings again as sales of its beauty products keep surging in China.

Korea's biggest cosmetic maker on Monday said first-quarter revenues soared 22 percent compared to the same period last year to W1.76 trillion, while operating profit soared 31 percent to W419 billion (US$1=W1,141).

Sales in Asia grew 50 percent to play a key role in the stellar earnings performance. The operating margin reached 23.8 percent, which is even higher than Apple's celebrated 23 percent and Google's 21 percent last year.

Amore Pacific's full-year operating margin is forecast at 18 to 20 percent given the cosmetics industry's tendency to post higher operating profits in the first quarter due to lower marketing costs. But that is still an enviable edge for a manufacturer.

A company spokesman said brand awareness in China is rising, which helps it cut marketing and advertising costs and improve profitability.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Lori Van Buren Show More Show Less 2 of 3 TIME UNION ARCHIVE Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Originally an office building for the D&H Railroad Corporation, the Delaware and Hudson Building hasn't changed much style-wise through the years. But in 1973, the building officially became the home of many offices for the Administration Center of the State University of New York

It was designed by architect Marcus T. Reynolds and cost $1.25 million to build in 1918. Widely considered to be the greatest architect Albany ever produced, Reynolds designed more than three dozen buildings in the Capital Region, including the Albany Trust Co., First National Bank of Albany, Albany City Savings Bank and the United Traction Co. Building. Several of his creations are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday slammed North Korea's ongoing nuclear program after his own country pledged to abandon its own last year. Speaking at a press conference with President Park Geun-hye in Tehran, he said, "We want changes on the Korean Peninsula. Our basic principle is that there should be no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula or in the Middle East." Park said, "Stressing the need to fully implement the latest United Nations sanctions on the North for its recent nuclear test, I asked for Iranian cooperation."

Until recently, Iran has in effect been a military ally of North Korea. Iranian scientists were spotted at the site of North Korea's missile launches in 1998 and 2006. The North sold short-range missiles to Iran, while Tehran is suspected of supplying components to the North to develop long-range missiles. It is no coincidence that the missile programs of the two countries have progressed almost identically. This is why the U.S. Treasury Department pointed to three Iranian individuals and eight Iranian businesses and demanded that they sever their connection with the North when the international community lifted sanctions against Tehran in January.

Now Iran's president himself is calling for changes on the Korean Peninsula. Rouhani's comments may have been carefully worded to avoid agitating Pyongyang, but the intention is clear. Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar also told the Chosun Ilbo in a recent interview that Tehran believes nuclear weapons are not a solution, and this made a breakthrough in disarmament talks with Washington possible.

It is too early to expect Iran to pursue an active role in persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Officials from the Norths Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation visited Iran secretly only last month, and it remains a mystery what the purpose of the trip was. Yet with Iran gradually lowering its spending on the missile trade, North Korea faces even more isolation.

Iran threatened to retaliate only four years ago if South Korea joined international sanctions against it, and trade has dropped since. But now that it has vowed to give up its nuclear weapons, trillions of won in economic cooperation deals with the South are emerging from Park's trip. If North Korea changes its mind, that sort of business could also head to Pyongyang. The regime leader must give some serious thought to Rouhani's advice.

Read this article in Korean
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Albany

Chris Gibson will not run for governor. I'm stunned.

I met with the Republican congressman at his Kinderhook home in December, and he sure sounded like a candidate at the time. Gibson spent more than an hour outlining a detailed campaign platform, proving he had spent considerable time weighing a race against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Evidence that Gibson would run mounted in subsequent months, most notably with his February move to form a campaign committee and begin raising money. He seemed to be gearing up for the challenge.

More Information Contact Chris Churchill at 518-454-5700 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

So what happened?

The easy explanation is that Gibson decided he couldn't beat Cuomo, but I don't buy it.

Yes, beating Cuomo would have been difficult, given the significant statewide registration advantage Democrats enjoy. Yes, some of Gibson's positions, especially his distaste for gun control, would have made him a tough swallow downstate.

But Gibson readily acknowledged those weaknesses in December. He knew he would be waging an underdog campaign and still saw a route to success.

"Victory is possible," Gibson said while sitting on his living room sofa, near the family Christmas tree. "It's a very narrow path, but it's very possible with the right candidate and the right platform."

If anything, the path has only widened in the months since.

Cuomo remains deeply disliked by many New Yorkers. What's more, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is hunting for corruption among the governor's inner circle and God only knows where the investigation will lead.

So why would Gibson bow out now?

Maybe Gibson's concern is more with internal Republican politics. It is a party, after all, whose voters just showered Donald Trump with 60 percent of the presidential primary vote, emboldening the lunatic fringe headed by Carl Paladino.

Gibson is no fan of Trump, as he made clear with me in December and has repeated in subsequent interviews. He doesn't like Trump's tone and is worried that the bombast of the Republican race is alienating middle-of-the-road voters.

"There's no aspiration, no inspiration, in these campaigns," Gibson told me.

Perhaps Gibson decided he'd rather not navigate the electorate's Trump-loving waters, or is worried that his dignified approach to politics wouldn't work at a time when GOP voters want bullying bluster and are suspicious of moderation.

In a statement released Monday, Gibson stressed that abandoning a run would allow him to spend more time with his family. He instead plans to become a visiting lecturer at Williams College.

"Ultimately, for our family, the opportunity to spend increased time together balanced with a return to academia was one we could not pass up," Gibson said. "At the conclusion of my term in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will be leaving politics and starting this new direction with my family."

The more-time-with-family excuse is a familiar trope among politicians. Leaving cynicism aside, we should consider that Gibson, who turns 52 this month, might be the rare elected official who really means it  a political Adam LaRoche, if you will.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

Whatever Gibson's reason for bowing out, this much is clear: It is a devastating blow for New York Republicans.

The party simply doesn't have anybody else with Gibson's prominence or appeal. Have I mentioned that his 24 years in the Army included three tours in Iraq, four Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, or that he has a Ph.D in government from Cornell?

With apologies to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who is expected to repeat his run for governor, the state GOP doesn't have other potential candidates who can really challenge Cuomo, much less beat him.

That, ultimately, is why New Yorkers of all political stripes should be saddened by Gibson's decision. This is a state that would benefit from a competitive governor's race and vigorous debate about its direction.

When we talked in December, Gibson highlighted two issues above all others: Economic development and cleaning up state government. Both are areas where it is obvious New York needs a new approach.

Gibson rightly noted that the economy in upstate New York, in particular, continues to struggle. His candidacy could have forced Cuomo to answer for that.

Gibson also promised to link the state's endemic corruption  and the inability to enact meaningful reform  directly to the behavior of a governor who has been anything but transparent.

"We need a leader who leads by example," Gibson said. "You don't just tell the Legislature we need more transparency. You have to go first."

How would Cuomo have answered Gibson? We'll never know.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
THE ISSUE:

With time growing short in the legislative session, there's been no movement on ethics or campaign finance reform.

THE STAKES:

Will state leaders do nothing to fix a system that enables corruption?

More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse

Even as new scandals erupt, it seems the only thing lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo will do about ethics reform is pay it lip service. If that.

By now, any responsible government would have done all it could to at least look like it doesn't consider corruption to be business as usual. Yet Senate Republicans remain as intransigent as ever, blithely passing one-house bills on anything but ethics and campaign finance. And Cuomo has been silent on ethics, for all practical purposes, since his State of the State speech in January, except to occasionally shrug the matter off on lawmakers.

If they need some reasons to take this more seriously in the 21 days left in this session, let's start with the pending sentencing of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and ex-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, both convicted on corruption charges last year. But Mr. Skelos' successor as majority leader, John Flanagan, and his colleagues seem determined to pass bills on any crime other than those elected officials commit.

Now come fresh reports that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is investigating several figures close to the governor, including Joseph Percoco, Cuomo's former executive deputy secretary, and Alain Kaloyeros, president of SUNY Polytechnic Institute and a key figure in Mr. Cuomo's upstate economic development efforts, which are said to be the focus of the probe.

And there's more. As the Times Union's Chris Bragg continues to reveal, New York's campaign finance system is pockmarked with mysterious donations  tens of thousands of dollars at a time, $100,000 in at least one instance, all with origins cloaked in the anonymity of Delaware incorporation laws and New York limited liability company statutes. Wealthy campaign donors can use LLCs to get around campaign contribution limits. They've long been protected by both the Senate's Republican majority and GOP commissioners who hold half the seats on the state Board of Elections.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

And there's even more: big, anonymous donations that appear to be laundered through political party "housekeeping" accounts to candidates who normally couldn't accept them from individuals.

All this may well be perfectly legal. It shouldn't be.

There are many things lawmakers could do, but even the most obvious  closing the LLC loophole, initiating a constitutional amendment to allow the pensions of corrupt public officials to be revoked, setting limits on party housekeeping accounts and bringing down the state's obscenely high campaign contribution limits  can't get through the Senate majority. Mr. Cuomo appears unwilling to offer more than mild public rebukes. Rather than push the Senate, the governor's latest ethics initiative is to hire his own investigator to poke into the same issues the Feds are looking into.

And the Senate GOP? Come Wednesday, they're scheduled to sip wine, courtesy of the New York Wine Industry Association.

Lip service? It's as if they're not even pretending to care anymore.
Failte Ireland has rowed back on its decision not to open Nenagh tourist office for the coming season.

The organisation had claimed it could not open in Nenagh because of ever tightening budgets.

The decision had caused uproar at the April meeting of Nenagh MDC, with councillors disgusted by the plan.

However, the State tourism body told Tipperary County Council last Wednesday that it had now decided to open the office for 11 weeks.

In a statement, Tipperary County Council said it welcomed the announcement by Failte Ireland that they have reviewed their resource position vis-a-vis their 2016 tourist information office staffing levels and are in a position to support the opening of the Nenagh Office for a period of 11 weeks this summer.

The importance of having an appropriately staffed office in Nenagh, particularly at the height of the summer season, is recognised by the council. Nenagh is strategically located in close proximity to Limerick, Shannon Airport and Lough Derg. It has many attractions and facilities including Nenagh Castle, the Heritage & Genealogy Centre, the Town Park and Leisure Centre and Nenagh Arts Centre. Information will also be provided on the attractions of the other towns and villages in the area, the council said.

Meanwhile, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly said: said "This is good news from Failte Ireland. I used to worked there. I am delighted that this news has been confirmed. It is very important to have a tourism office in Nenagh. I've put a lot of time and funding into promoting Lough Derg, I will always promote Lough Derg whether I'm in politics or not.
[May 03, 2016] Behavioral Health Organization Announces Rebrand to South Bay Community Services

One of the largest behavioral health providers serving the New England area today announced that it has rebranded to South Bay Community Services. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005715/en/ Formerly South Bay Mental Health, the 30-year-old company is an industry leader in adult behavioral health, substance abuse counseling, children's behavioral health and early childhood services, with an outreach program unparalleled to any other behavioral health care and family services in the area. The South Bay Community Services brand direction was chosen to best exemplify the range of behavioral health offered, as well as to accentuate the company's commitment to the people it serves. The new logo portrays a mosaic sunset on the bay, representing South Bay's mission to encourage individuals and families to become self-sufficient and live as independently as their abilities allow. The end result is a completed puzzle of health when all pieces are working together. "Our rebranding to South Bay Community Services coincides with recent changes to internal structure and processes we've made to enhance the overall employee and consumer experience," said Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Community Intervention Services, parent company of South Bay. "The challenges faced by the communities we serve are complex, and this change re-emphasizes our new leadership team's dedication to ensuring our clinicians are able to provide the best possible care to our consumers, especially as we continue to grow and evolve."



South Bay Community Services is headquartered in Brockton, Massachusetts, and began operation in 1986 as South Bay Mental Health, providing outpatient behavioral health services to children and families in the area. Now, it is one of the largest and most proficient behavioral health providers serving more than 35,000 individuals and families annually offering 47 programs in 23 locations from across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. In 2012, the company was acquired by Community Intervention Services. Since then, CIS has improved internal and external services with new technology, human capital, increased employee compensation and benefits, and infrastructure improvements. These resources have allowed South Bay to expand its expertise in the industry and find innovative solutions to enhance the consumer experience, such as electronic health records, facility renovations and continual professional development opportunities for staff.

South Bay Community Services currently employs approximately 1,000 people in the New England area and is currently hiring compassionate and dedicated individuals across a number of programs and locations. For more information, please visit www.southbaycommunityservices.com or call 508-521-2200. Also, connect with the new South Bay on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (News - Alert) and Instagram. About South Bay Community Services South Bay Community Services is an industry leader providing a full circle of behavioral health care and resources for consumers in the New England area. South Bay's clinicians touch the lives of individuals and families who need it most in the communities served through consumer outreach, no matter where the consumers are or their circumstances. Headquartered in Brockton, Massachusetts, South Bay is operated locally out of 23 locations offering 47 programs and managed by Community Intervention Services, a national provider of community-based behavioral health and substance abuse services owned by H.I.G. Capital. To learn more, visit www.southbaycommunityservices.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005715/en/

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[May 02, 2016] Fluent, LLC to Present at Industry Events in May 2016

Fluent, LLC, an IDI company (NYSE MKT:IDI) and an industry leader in people-based digital marketing and customer acquisition, today announced its participation at three industry events in May 2016: CampaignTech East, Future of Email - NYC, and the Email Innovations Summit. CampaignTech East Fluent's Chief Marketing Officer, Jordan Cohen, spoke on a panel titled "Exploring the Value of Emerging Channels", held on Monday, May 2, 2016 at 11:00am ET at The Knight Conference Center at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Additionally, Fluent's GM of Political and Advocacy Solutions, Jeff Pavelcsyk, spoke during a lunch presentation on People-Based Political Advertising on Monday, May 2, 2016 at 12:30pm. At CampaignTech East, get behind-the-scenes perspectives on the newest digital strategies, marketing tools, and ground-breaking technologies for this campaign cycle and beyond. Connect and learn from the revolutionaries of digital politics, advocacy, and technology. For further information, please visit: http://campaigntecheast.com/. Future of Email - NYC Fluent's Chief Marketing Officer, Jordan Cohen, will participate on a panel discussion on identity and the future of email on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 4pm at Helen Mills in New York, NY. Learn about the latest technologies, cutting-edge campaign strategies, and can't-miss tactics you can use to transform email in 2016 and beyond. The industry's most influential trailblazers, thought leaders, and technologies will converge for one evening of jam-packed information to help you bring your email marketing program into the future. For further information, please visit http://thefutureofemail.com/new-york/. Email Innovations Summit Fluent's Chief Marketing Officer, Jordan Cohen, and Fluent clients DealNews, BuildDirect, and Western Union (News - Alert) will participate in a panel titled "Innovation in Acquisition: Big Data and Real-Time Targeting at the Top of the Funnel", on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 10:30am PT at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The panel will focus on the strategies, tactics, and technologies that Fluent is using to acquire their best customers, with precision, at a massive scale. Going far beyond "the basics" of list building, this panel will dive into how sophisticated data modeling, real-time interaction with consumers, and people-based marketing platforms can be deployed to aggressively grow the top of the funnel while preserving high engagement rates and ROI.



The focus of this unique conference series is on email marketing's latest innovations in technology, strategy, design, and acquisition. The EI Summit incorporates sessions designed to help the marketer integrate the information learned back into the broader marketing team when they get back to the office. For further information, please visit http://emailinnovationssummit.com/. About Fluent

Fluent, LLC, an IDI company (NYSE MKT: IDI), is an industry leader in people-based digital marketing and customer acquisition, serving over 500 leading consumer brands and direct marketers. Leveraging a massive reservoir of proprietary audience data, as well as millions of real-time survey interactions with consumers every day, Fluent enables advertisers to more effectively target and acquire their most valuable customers, with precision, at a massive scale. The company's headquarters is in New York City, with a satellite office in Washington, DC. For more information visit http://www.fluentco.com/. About IDI, Inc. At IDI, we believe that time is your most valuable asset. Through powerful analytics, we transform data into intelligence, in a fast and efficient manner, so that our clients can spend their time on what matters most - running their organizations with confidence. Through leading-edge, proprietary technology and a massive data repository, our data and analytical solutions harness the power of data fusion, uncovering the relevance of disparate data points and converting them into comprehensive and insightful views of people, businesses, assets and their interrelationships. We empower clients across markets and industries to better execute all aspects of their business, from managing risk, conducting investigations, identifying fraud and abuse, and collecting debts, to identifying and acquiring new customers. At IDI, we are dedicated to making the world a safer place, to reducing the cost of doing business, and to enhancing the consumer experience. For more information visit http://www.ididata.com/. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipate," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are based on our expectations as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this press release and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other SEC (News - Alert) filings. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502006363/en/

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[May 03, 2016] IEEE Cybersecurity Development Conference Gathers Industry Experts to Prioritize Security Innovation in Design & Development

IEEE (News - Alert), the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, today announced plans to host the IEEE Cybersecurity Development Conference (IEEE SecDev), a new event established as part of the IEEE Cybersecurity Initiative. IEEE SecDev will be held 3-4 November 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. IEEE SecDev, distinguished by its focus on how to build security in versus the common emphasis on security flaws and weaknesses, will bring together both academia and industry to encourage and disseminate ideas for secure system development. The focus on developers and researchers are important in moving cybersecurity forward, as both groups have valuable experience and ideas that can inform academic research, concepts, studies, code, and tools. The goal is to propose useful and thought provoking ideas, and to share knowledge on the art and science of secure system development. This conference presents an opportunity for security researchers, professionals, and the broader development community to contribute to an in-depth exchange of ideas, processes, frameworks, and tools. Authors are invited to submit papers, abstracts, or tutorials by 16 June 2016 on relevant topics relatedto the following areas of interest:



- Security engineering processes, from requirements to maintenance

- Dynamic and static code analyses for security

- Programming languages and frameworks supporting security

- Testing strategies to ensure security

- Code reviews, red teams, and other human-centered assurance

- Security-focused systems; hardware/software/architecture designs

- Human-centered design for systems security

- Distributed systems design and implementation for security IEEE member and IEEE SecDev Program Chair, Michael Hicks, offers his perspective on why a conference on security innovation is needed in his blog, which you can read here: http://bit.ly/HickSecDev.

For details on the complete list of IEEE SecDev topics and submission information, please visit http://bit.ly/SecDevCFP. Opportunities to support IEEE SecDev as a donor are also available. For more details, visit http://bit.ly/SecDevCFDonors. To learn more, follow the IEEE Cybersecurity Initiative on Twitter (News - Alert) at @IEEECybSI and follow the hashtag #IEEESecDev, like us on Facebook, or visit cybersecurity.ieee.org. About IEEE IEEE is the largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005328/en/

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[May 03, 2016] MIT Center for Real Estate Convenes Global Gathering of Industry Leaders

The MIT (News - Alert) Center for Real Estate today announced that on May 19-20 it will host the World Real Estate Forum, an unparalleled gathering of more than 300 industry leaders, distinguished faculty, innovative researchers and alumni who will engage in a wide-ranging conversation about the global real estate industry. The World Real Estate Forum features five expert panels of thought leaders from over 20 countries, along with "The Edge Sessions," a series of conference tracks in which participants may engage directly with MIT faculty and researchers on exciting innovations in real estate. "The MIT Center for Real Estate has a rich, 33-year history of pioneering research, providing a rigorous, multidisciplinary master's degree program, and spurring innovation in international real estate," said Albert Saiz, Director of the MIT Center for Real Estate and the Daniel Rose Associate Professor of Urban Economics and Real Estate. "One way we achieve our mission is by uniting industry thought leaders with MIT's distinguished faculty, researchers and alumni each spring." For this year's World Real Estate Forum, panelists will come to Cambridge from all corners of the globe - Canada, China, Colombia, Ghana, Great Britain, Lebanon, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Spain and the United Arab Emirates - to discuss a wide range of topics that are shaping and reshaping the real estate industry: Across Borders: Global City Building

Growth Markets, Development Opportunities: Ltin America

Growth Markets, Development Opportunities: Africa & Middle East

Global Impact: New Roles for Sovereign Funds

Debt, Equity and Innovation: How Cross-border Capital Flows Propel Development



The World Real Estate Forum takes place on Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20, 2016, at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge. Registration and additional information is available online at http://www.mitworldreforum.com/registration.html.

The event, gold-certified by the MIT Office of Sustainability, is sponsored by the Samuel Tak Lee MIT Real Estate Entrepreneurship Lab and global law firm Baker & McKenzie, along with media partners Anuario Inmobiliario Latinoamerica and Inmobiliare, and presenting partner RICS. Join the conversation on Twitter (News - Alert) - #MITworldREforum. About the MIT Center for Real Estate

The MIT Center for Real Estate, founded in 1983, is home to the first-ever one-year Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) degree, as well as an integrated suite of professional development courses. The groundbreaking MSRED degree presents a program that is rigorous, concentrated, multidisciplinary, and geared toward direct application. The MIT Center for Real Estate's pioneering research investigates the real estate transaction from initial concept to market reality, providing breakthrough knowledge to help organizations capitalize on today's dynamic markets and technologies. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005428/en/

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[May 03, 2016] RiskSense VP to Discuss Cyber Risk Management for K-12 Education Market at ACPE Transform IT Conference

RiskSense, Inc.:







WHO: Torsten George is Vice President of Global Marketing and Products at pro-active cyber risk management software vendor RiskSense. He has more than 20 years of global information security experience and has held executive level positions with Agiliance (now RiskVision), ActivIdentity (now part of HID Global, an ASSA ABLOY Group brand), Digital Link, and Everdream Corporation (now part of Dell (News - Alert)). He is a frequent speaker on cyber security and risk management strategies worldwide and regularly provides commentary and byline articles for media outlets, covering topics such as data breaches, incident response best practices, and cyber security strategies. WHAT: K-12 educational institutions can greatly benefit from taking a pro-active stance against cyber threats. As the Horry County school district in South Carolina found out, being reactive is costly. The district was forced to pay $8,500 to attackers in a crypto-ransomware attack. In this presentation, cyber risk expert Torsten George will explain the top cyber threats facing K-12 institutions and districts, as well as the challenges associated with addressing them. This session will also provide best practices for transforming cyber security risk management from a reactive to a pro-active discipline that can enable educational institutions to get ahead of nearly 95% of all threats. WHERE: 2016 ACPE (Association for Computer Professionals in Education) Conference - Transform IT at The Resort at the Mountain, 68010 East Fairway, Welches, Oregon. To register, visit: http://www.acpenw.org/. WHEN: Wednesday, May 4th, 2016, 1:30 - 2:30 pm PDT HOW: To schedule a conversation with Torsten George, contact Marc Gendron at [email protected] or 781-237-0341.

About ACPE The Association of Computer Professionals in Education (ACPE), actively seeks out and shares relevant information designed and targeted for its members to promote general recognition of the role of IT professionals in educational institutions; improve network and computer services; integrate emerging technologies; encourage appropriate use of information technology for the improvement of education and support standards whereby common interchanges of electronic information can be accomplished efficiently and effectively. Through annual conferences for its members and other outreach efforts, ACPE, has served the Pacific Northwest's educational community since 1965. For over 45 years, ACPE has provided IT professionals in pre-kindergarten through post-secondary education unique opportunities to share ideas, techniques, practices in environments that builds long lasting relationships amongst its members. ACPE serves educational IT professionals in the states of Oregon and Washington. ACPE is an affiliate of ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education and CoSN, the Consortium of School Networking. About Transform IT Transform IT is an interactive and engaging forum for educational IT professionals to share knowledge and skills on best practices, emerging trends and technologies pertinent to serving and supporting the K-12 environment. ACPE's annual conferences are designed to help build long lasting relationships and partnerships for educational technologies that support the sharing of knowledge, skills and best practices in IT leadership to serve educational organizations. ACPE's uniqueness is rooted in networking, relationships and collaboration. We bring you the very best among us to lead our sessions in a way that keeps it both practical and visionary. The ACPE Board is committed to bringing the very best innovative IT strategies, practices and pragmatic solutions to our membership at every event. About RiskSense RiskSense, Inc., is the pioneer and market leader in pro-active cyber risk management. The company enables enterprises and governments to unify and contextualize internal security intelligence and external threat data across the entire computing stack, then correlate the findings with business criticality to identify imminent cyber risks and prioritize remediation actions. The company's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) Platform transforms cyber risk management into a more pro-active, collaborative, and real-time discipline. The RiskSense Platform embodies the expertise and intimate knowledge gained from real world experience in defending critical networks from the world's most dangerous cyber adversaries. As former advisors to the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Intelligence Community, RiskSense founders developed Computational Analysis of Cyber Terrorism against the U.S. (CACTUS), Support Vectors Intrusion (News - Alert) Detection, Behavior Risk Analysis of Vicious Executables (BRAVE), and the Strike Team Program. By leveraging RiskSense cyber risk management solutions, organizations can significantly shorten time-to-remediation, increase operational efficiency, strengthen their security posture, improve cyber hygiene, heighten response readiness, reduce costs, and ultimately minimize cyber risks. For more information, please visit www.risksense.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005006/en/

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[May 02, 2016] Veritas Joins Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Alliance

SINGAPORE, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Veritas Technologies, the leader in information management, announced that it has joined the Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Alliance. Popular Veritas backup and recovery solutions NetBackup and Backup Exec provide outstanding protection for a wide range of Microsoft platforms and applications, including Windows, Hyper-V, SQL Server, Exchange, and SharePoint. "Through every technology wave, Veritas has been there delivering enterprise-class data protection to the world's leading organizations, including 86% of the global Fortune 500," said Simon Jelley, Veritas VP of Product Management. "Hybrid cloud is the next technology wave for business and Veritas is there again for our customers delivering powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use backup and recovery for the entire IT infrastructure regardless of platform: virtual, physical and cloud. Joining the Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Alliance continues that leadership role and is further evidence of our ongoing strategy to support major cloud service providers. With both large global enterprise and SMB footprint of our customers, the Alliance helps accelerate our efforts to provide information management solutions." "We are pleased to welcome Veritas to the Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Alliance," said Chris Lwanga, principal pm manager, Microsoft Corp. "As a leader in the backup and information management, their expertise and forward-thinking solutions are a welcome addition to what we can offer to other members of the Alliance. We look forward to working with and sharing our ideas with them for the betterment of enterprise customers." Veritas NetBackup Veritas NetBackup is the market-share leader in enterprise backup and recovery software and is engineered to protect the largest and most demanding data center environments. With the latest release, NetBackup v7.7 offers up to 30 times faster backups to cloud storage than before while providing enhanced Hyper-V and SQL functionality. NetBackup delivers breakthrough performance reducing backups for virtualized systems by up to 35 times and recovering terabytes of data in a matter of minutes. The NetBackup Converged Platform is one of the most scalable solutions for protecting the enterprise, incorporating cutting-edge technologies for data reduction and bandwidth efficiency, while providing extensive indexing and search capabilities. NetBackup is the winner of Storage Magazine's Storage Awards 2015 for Data Protection Product of the Year. "Veritas is dedicated to providing our customers with cloud-ready solutions that enable them to easily extend and manage data protection from their data center to the hybrid cloud," added Jelley. "As we work to expand our relationship with Microsoft across a wide range of Information Management solutions, Veritas is pleased to announce beta availability of an integrated connector in NetBackup for Microsoft Azure Blob storage services. We encourage our enterprise customers to test the ease of use, manageability, and performance of NetBackup on Microsoft Azure." For those interested in becoming part of the NetBackup Continuous Beta Program and testing the new NetBackup Azure storage capabilities, they may register here. Veritas Backup Exec Winner of the MSExchange.org 2015 Reader's Choice award, Veritas Backup Exec 15 provides optimized and intelligent data protection for virtual, physical and cloud deployments. It intelligently indexes and catalogs backup data which saves organizations valuable time and disk space by eliminating the need to mount the backup disk, determine what is inside and search for specific data. Customers can easily find and recover data -- at any level. It also provides significantly rapid Exchange deduplication and virtual machine backups helping to reduce the backup windows. "Improving data protection, both in terms of reliability and agility, continues to be top of mind for organizations of all sizes," says Jason Buffington, principal analyst of data protection at ESG. "The continued trends of increasing virtualization and ever-modernizing core-business applications, combined with the question of 'How should cloud-services fit in my IT strategy?' leave many IT architects looking for leadership in a sea of unknowns. With that in mind, it is very encouraging when major industry institutions, such as Microsoft and Veritas, collaborate to provide enterprise-grade solutions that are both powerful and flexible enough to meet tomorrow's IT recovery challenges." Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader For over a decade, Veritas has been recognized as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for both Enterprise Backup Software and Integrated Appliances1 and Enterprise Information Archiving2. Product Availability Both the Veritas NetBackup and Backup Exec 15 are available now through channel partners. Or, call toll free (866) 837-4827 for more information. About Veritas Technologies Veritas Technologies enables organizations to harness the power of their information, with information management solutions serving the world's largest and most complex environments. Veritas works with organizations of all sizes, including 86 percent of global Fortune 500 companies, improving data availability and revealing insights to drive competitive advantage. www.veritas.com







Veritas, the Veritas Logo, NetBackup, and Backup Exec are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

1 Source: Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup Software and Integrated Appliances, Dave Russell, Pushan Rinnen, Robert Rhame, June 15, 2015



2 Source: Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Information Archiving, Alan Dayley, Garth Landers, Anthony Kros, October 29, 2015. Note, from 2005-2009 the research was called Magic Quadrant for Email Active Archiving.



Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Contacts: Belinda Lim

Corporate Communications

Veritas Technologies

+65-6427-5564

[email protected] Asuka Nagai

Corporate Communications

Veritas Technologies

+81-3-4531-1753

[email protected] Victoria Lim/ Venessa Ho

Text100 Singapore

+65-6603-9000

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150408/8521502200

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[May 02, 2016] Technological Advances in Satellite Imagery Will Drive the Satellite-based Earth Observation Market in Europe Through 2020, Says Technavio

Technavio analysts forecast the satellite-based Earth observation (EO) market in Europe to grow at a CAGR of approximately 15.65% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the satellite-based Earth observation market in Europe for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the following: Data and value-added services (VAS), including image and data processing and information products.

EO services and applications related to defense and intelligence, government authorities, energy and natural resources, navigation and location-based services, and living resources.

EO applications in the insurance, manufacturing, and agriculture industries. For instance, insurance companies worldwide use satellite data about flood-affected areas to assess the number of casualties. The same information is useful for government agencies while providing disaster relief. Technavio ICT analysts highlight the following four factors that are contributing to the growth of the satellite-based Earth observation market in Europe: Technological advances in satellite imagery

Increased government spending on space programs

Strong coordination of public sector EO initiatives

Association between ESA and other major EO organizations Technological advances in satellite imagery Images provided by satellites offer valuable data and information, which are used by government organizations for sectors such as defense, oil and natural gas, mining, meteorology, and agriculture. The technology used to capture satellite images has seen a marked improvement over the years. As a result, the expectations of end-users have risen. Users have started demanding more clarity in the pictures captured by EO satellites so that they can use these images effectively for applications such as weather information and forecasting, farming, and forestry. According to Rakesh Kumar Panda, a lead analyst at Technavio for M2M and connected devices, "The innovative image-enhancing equipment, including high-resolution cameras, and advanced remote-sensing technology have enhanced the quality of satellite-based EO images. These images are used extensively in the defense, science, and R&D domains."



Increased government spending on space programs Government spending on space programs reduced considerably between 2009 and 2012. Before 2010, the spending declined because of the global economic recession of 2008-2009. Thereafter, the sovereign debt crisis hit Europe in 2010, and the US initiated budget sequestration. These factors reduced government spending until 2012, which affected space programs.

However, in 2013, the spending saw a sudden increase following an improvement in the global economic outlook. In 2013, 60 countries invested over USD 10 billion in space applications and technologies. Half of these countries were from the European region. In addition, Russia plans to invest around USD 1 billion in its space program during the forecast period. Strong coordination of public sector EO initiatives The GEO triggered a catalytic effect for more coordination of EO public sector initiatives in the EU, both at European and national levels. At the European level, the EC manages the GEO High-Level Working Group (HLWG). The group involves all European GEO members and organizations that manage the GEOSS implementation and help shape a common European view on the GEO. "At the national level, some of the European GEO members such as Germany, Greece, and Spain have developed or are intending to establish national management structures to coordinate GEO contributions, EO investments, strategies, activities, and programs," explains Rakesh. Association between ESA and other major EO organizations The ESA plays an important role as a stakeholder in the Copernicus program as well as in the implementation of GEOSS. It is responsible for delivering and managing the portal of GEOSS, and offering satellite-based EO assets for many GEO societal challenges (including disasters and climate change) and GEO initiatives (including AfriGEOSS and GFOI). The ESA also conducts R&D programs related to EO to support the European and Canadian geospatial information sectors. These programs will also help improve EO services for organizations. Other members of the Copernicus program include the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Union Satellite Center, European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and the Geological Surveys of Europe (EuroGeoSurveys). These members are involved in joint GEO efforts to improve satellite applications. Browse Related Reports: Global Remote Sensing Satellite Market 2016-2020

Satellite-based Earth Observation Services Market in the US 2015-2019

Global Satellite-based Earth Observation Services Market by Government Users 2015- 2019 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [email protected] with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502005550/en/

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[May 02, 2016] Fitch Affirms Florida Atlantic University's Housing System Revs at 'A+'; Outlook Stable

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the 'A+' rating on the following revenue bonds issued on behalf of Florida Atlantic University (FAU): --$21.7 million Florida Board of Education, FAU housing revenue bonds, series 2003; --$23.0 million State of Florida Board of Governors, FAU housing revenue bonds, series 2006A; --$17.2 million State of Florida Board of Governors, FAU housing revenue bonds, series 2006B. The Rating Outlook is Stable. SECURITY The bonds are secured by a net revenue pledge of FAU's housing system (the system). KEY RATING DRIVERS ESSENTIALITY AND SOLID DEMAND: The 'A+' rating reflects the housing system's importance to FAU and solid demand for on-campus student housing. Occupancy rates fell to 88% in fall 2013 and fall 2014, but recovered to 96% in fall 2015. FAU expects to sustain the current sound occupancy levels based on enrollment trends and improved system management. ADEQUATE DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE: The system maintains adequate debt service coverage. Coverage fell to a still-adequate 1.26x in fiscal 2015 due to lower occupancy but is projected to improve to historical levels in fiscal 2016 based on higher occupancy. UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL PROFILE: FAU's credit profile is characterized by sound demand, a large and stable enrollment base, healthy balance sheet resources, and low leverage. GAAP-basis operating results have been negative, offset by positive cash flow and state capital support. Recent success under state performance funding metrics will improve FAU's operating appropriations and operating results going forward. RATING SENSITIVITIES ADEQUATE COVERAGE: Rating stability for Florida Atlantic University's housing system depends on its ability to maintain adequate debt service coverage based on enrollment levels, occupancy trends and good financial management. CREDIT PROFILE FAU is a comprehensive public university and one of the 12 institutions of Florida's State University System (SUS). In addition to its main campus in Boca Raton, FAU has five satellite campuses located throughout southeast Florida. The housing system is a component auxiliary enterprise that finances and operates the majority of on-campus student housing facilities on the Boca Raton campus. ESSENTIALITY AND SOLID DEMAND The housing system is essential to FAU, which serves primarily undergraduate students. In addition to meeting student demand, on-campus housing is aligned with FAU's mission and strategy. FAU can provide enhanced academic support and student services through on-campus housing, which improve both student outcomes and state funding tied to associated performance funding metrics. Essentiality is also expressed in FAU's residency requirement; incoming freshmen are required to live in the housing system if they live more than 30 miles from campus. FAU's large enrollment base provides sound student demand for system facilities. FAU's fall 2015 headcount enrollment totaled 30,714 students, including 15,560 full-time students at the Boca Raton campus compared to total campus bed capacity of about 4,178. System facilities account for 2,362 beds; the remainder are in non-system facilities financed through the FAU Finance Corporation (FAUFC), a related direct support organization of FAU (FAUFC housing bonds series 2010A and series 2012A rated 'A+'/Outlook Stable by Fitch). System occupancy fell to 88% in fall 2013 and fall 2014 but has since recovered to a sound 96% in fall 2015. Management attributes the prior declines to an unexpected but temporary university-wide enrollment decline, poorly enforced residency requirements and a popular residential program that was briefly discontinued. The yield of freshmen, who mainly live in system facilities, was particularly soft in fall 2014 as FAU tightened admissions standards to promote better student quality and outcomes. Enrollment and occupancy have both improved in iscal 2016 based on a larger fall 2015 class and stable enrollment. A new management team over student affairs and campus housing has also improved occupancy through improved marketing and enforcement of housing policies. FAU expects to sustain the current sound occupancy levels based on enrollment trends and improved system management.



ADEQUATE DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE; FAU FINANCE CORP The system maintained adequate debt service coverage despite lower enrollment. Coverage fell to a still-adequate 1.26x in fiscal 2015 due to a second year of lower occupancy. FAU managed lower occupancy levels effectively, including concentrating vacant beds in and temporarily closing part of one facility to reduce costs. Coverage is projected to improve to historical levels (generally around 1.5x or better over the past five years) in fiscal 2016 based on higher occupancy.

As of March 24, 2010, the senior lien on housing system revenues was closed. Since that time, FAUFC has financed expansion and renovation of on-campus housing. These financings are secured by the revenues generated by their specific projects. However, excess revenues of the system facilities, following the payment of system expenses and debt service, are available to pay debt service on FAUFC bonds. To date, these revenues have not been necessary to supplement debt service on either the series 2010A Innovation Village project or the 2012A student housing project (now known as Parliament Hall). Fitch recognizes that FAU management is closely involved in all financings undertaken by FAUFC. FAU manages its campus housing without distinction between system and non-system facilities, is responsible for setting rates and charges for all beds located on campus, and enforces a freshmen residency requirement. FAU'S SOUND FINANCIAL PROFILE FAU's credit profile is sound and lends support to its auxiliary enterprise, even though general university resources are not pledged to pay the housing system bonds. FAU has a large and stable enrollment base driving demand for on-campus housing. Negative GAAP-basis operating margins largely reflect depreciation expense and are offset by positive cash flow and historically strong state capital funding. The current political environment and a statewide focus on affordability preclude tuition increases and limit revenue-raising flexibility somewhat. However, state operating appropriations are set to increase in both fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017 based on FAU's significant improvement on state performance funding metrics. FAU was most recently tied for the top score among SUS institutions, after performing near the bottom in fiscal 2014. FAU has good balance sheet cushion, with available funds (unrestricted cash and investments) equal to 45.8% of operating expenses and 73.8% of debt (including certain related-entity obligations). The university's low leverage and debt burden (debt service equaled 1.9% of fiscal 2015 operating revenues) reflect historically strong state capital support and provide good financial flexibility. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Applicable Criteria Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 16 Jun 2014)

https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=750012 U.S. College and University Rating Criteria (pub. 12 May 2014)

https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=748013 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form

https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1003752 Solicitation Status

https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1003752 Endorsement Policy

https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&detail=31 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON (News - Alert) THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502006133/en/

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[May 02, 2016] ID Watchdog Announces Record Revenues for First Quarter 2016

DENVER, May 2, 2016 /CNW/ -- Employee Benefit revenues increased 152.8%

Total revenues increased 102.6%

Operating Income increased 110.0% ID Watchdog, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: IDW) (PINKSHEETS: IDWAF) ("ID Watchdog" or the "Company"), provider of consumer-facing identity theft protection and resolution services, today announced its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016. All amounts are in U.S. dollars. 1st Quarter 2016 Highlights: Revenue: Revenue totaled $2,572,675 for the first quarter of 2016, an increase of $1,302,989 , or 102.6%, from the first quarter of 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, revenue from our employee benefit channel contributed $1,348,946 to the total increase in revenues, which was partially offset by a slight decrease in the other revenue channels.

Revenue totaled for the first quarter of 2016, an increase of , or 102.6%, from the first quarter of 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, revenue from our employee benefit channel contributed to the total increase in revenues, which was partially offset by a slight decrease in the other revenue channels. Gross Profit: Gross profit increased by 966,303, or 104.8%, from $922,037 during the first quarter of 2015 to $1,888,340 during the first quarter of 2016. The gross margin rates for the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 were 73.4% and 72.6%, respectively.

Gross profit increased by 966,303, or 104.8%, from during the first quarter of 2015 to during the first quarter of 2016. The gross margin rates for the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 were 73.4% and 72.6%, respectively. Operating Income: For the first quarter of 2016, Operating Income increased by $151,584 to $289,367 as compared with $137,783 for the similar period in 2015.

For the first quarter of 2016, Operating Income increased by to as compared with for the similar period in 2015. Adjusted EBITDA: For the first quarter of 2016, Adjusted EBITDA increased by $169,515 to $331,803 as compared with $162,288 for the similar period in 2015. Adjusted EBITDA margins for the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 were 12.9% and 12.8%, respectively.

For the first quarter of 2016, Adjusted EBITDA increased by to as compared with for the similar period in 2015. Adjusted EBITDA margins for the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 were 12.9% and 12.8%, respectively. Cash Balances: Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2016 , totaled 1,933,232, an increase of $863,943 from our cash balances at December 31, 2015 . Second Quarter 2016 Guidance









Three Months Ending

June 30,

2015-Actual

Three Months Ending

June 30, 2016- Guidance

Change vs. 2015 Employee Benefit Revenue $917,519

$2,210,000 to $2,250,000

141% to 145% Total Revenue $1,296,265

$2,510,000 to $2,560,000

94% to 97% Gross Margin $966,980

$1,825,000 to $1,865,000

89% to 93% Operating Income (1) $137,119

$250,000 to $335,000

82% to 144% Adjusted EBITDA $159,141

$275,000 to $360,000

73% to 126%





(1) Excludes any increase in stock-based compensation expenses resulting from any new stock option grants. ID Watchdog CEO, Michael Greene, stated, "We are pleased to report strong operating and financial performance in the first quarter of 2016, resulting in record total revenue and Adjusted EBITDA of $2,572,675 and $331,803, respectively. We had exceptionally strong growth in or Employee Benefit Channel where revenue grew by 152.8% driven by very strong January 1 employee enrollments. The demand for our identity theft protection services remains very strong and we look forward to building on this success." ID Watchdog, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations









Three Months Ended March 31,



2016

2015 Revenue

$ 2,572,675

$ 1,269,686 Cost of revenue

684,335

347,649 Gross profit

1,888,340

922,037 Operating expense:







General and administrative expense

596,399

331,226 Benefit broker commission expense

602,988

215,904 Sales and marketing expense

357,150

212,619 Share-based compensation expense

27,269

14,293 Depreciation and amortization expense

15,167

10,212



1,598,973

784,254 Operating income

289,367

137,783 Other income (expense):







Interest expense, net

(163,025)

(232,506) Litigation provision

(39,808)

 Gain on warrant liability

317,709

199,659



114,876

(32,847) Net income and comprehensive income applicable to ordinary shares

$ 404,243

$ 104,936 Basic and diluted net income per share applicable to ordinary shares

$ 0.00

$ 0.00 Weighted average number of shares outstanding - basic and diluted

129,824,454

121,834,997



Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA





Three Months Ended March 31,

2016

2015 Net income $ 404,243

$ 104,936 Depreciation and amortization expense 15,167

10,212 Interest expense, net 163,025

232,506 EBITDA 582,435

347,654 Gain on warrant liability (317,709)

(199,659) Litigation Provision 39,808

 Share-based compensation expense 27,269

14,293 Adjusted EBITDA $ 331,803

$ 162,288 ID Watchdog, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Financial Position















March 31,

2016



December 31,

2015 ASSETS













Cash and cash equivalents

$ 1,933,232



$ 1,069,289 Trade receivable, net



569,460





311,136 Prepaid expenses and other



224,455





170,434

Total current assets



2,727,147





1,550,859 Property and equipment, net



161,945





155,995 Customer agreements, net



14,105





15,781



Total Assets

$ 2,903,197



$ 1,722,635



















LIABILITIES













Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other

$ 1,797,662



$ 1,173,852 Deferred revenue



395,609





473,481 Provision



315,000





350,000

Total current liabilities



2,508,271





1,997,333 Promissory Notes



2,751,956





 Deferred rent



24,095





26,860 Finance lease obligations, net of current portion



16,678





17,641 Series C Preferred mandatorily redeemable preferred

shares, net of discount and conversion feature









5,042,709 Warrants liability









317,709



Total Liabilities



5,301,000





7,402,252



Total Shareholders' Deficit



(2,397,803)





(5,679,617) TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT

$ 2,903,197



$ 1,722,635



















About Non-IFRS Financial Measure To supplement the Company's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), the Company reports "Adjusted EBITDA" (net income (loss) before deducting net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation, litigation provision, and gain on warrant liability) and uses this metric to measure the performance of our business. Adjusted EBITDA is not a performance measure defined under IFRS and is not considered an alternative to income from operations or net earnings in the context of measuring the Company's performance. Adjusted EBITDA does not have a standardized meaning and is therefore not likely to be comparable with similar measures used by other publicly traded companies. Adjusted EBITDA should not be used as an exclusive measure of cash flow since it does not account for the impact of working capital changes, income taxes, interest payments, capital expenditures, debt principal reductions and other sources and uses of cash, and is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with IFRS. Financial information contained in this press release should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our most recent quarterly reports and our annual report. These documents are available online at www.sedar.com and in the "Company Overview" section of our website at www.IDWatchdog.com. About ID Watchdog, Inc. ID Watchdog was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The Company provides three-tiered comprehensive monitoring, detection and resolution for identity theft. ID Watchdog proactively detects identity theft problems at their source and provides immediate resolution services to ensure complete peace of mind for individuals. All the Company's services have been developed with input from industry experts; national consumer advocacy groups; federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; consumer protection agencies; and adhere to guidelines published by the Consumer Federation of America. For more information, please visit www.IDWatchdog.com. Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains opinions, forecasts, projections, and other statements about future events or results that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and financial outlook and forward looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about: future revenue and the growth of revenue including growth from our Employee Benefit Channel; anticipated expenditures; our business strategies; our ability to grow in both the near and long term and the funding of our growth opportunities; the plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of the company regarding revenue growth; the Company's financial position including liquidity and financial capacity, and the future development of the company's business. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements. We identify the principal risks and uncertainties that affect our performance Company's filings with Canadian regulators at www.sedar.com. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements and financial outlook contained in this release are made as at the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements and financial outlook, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Company Contact:

Jay B. Lewis

Chief Financial Officer

ID Watchdog, Inc.

303-339-8099

[email protected]

www.idwatchdog.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130829/NY71341LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/id-watchdog-announces-record-revenues-for-first-quarter-2016-300261330.html SOURCE ID Watchdog, Inc.

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[May 02, 2016] Jewelry Designer Katie Scott Launches New E-Commerce Website To Debut Her Soul I.D. Inspiration Collections

NEW YORK, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Katie Scott Design is pleased to announce the launch of the Katie Scott Jewelry website and the introduction of her "Build Your Soul I.D." Inspiration Collections. Each collection has a unique meaning so the wearer can choose what speaks to her inner spirituality. The Inspiration Collections are: Aura, Faith, Wish, Spirit, and Let It Be. Her new website features an advanced e-commerce platform. www.katiescottjewelry.com The Katie Scott brand reaches beyond the surface of simply creating luxury. It is Katie's desire to inspire soulful living into the world - an infusion of universal beliefs lived in a modern, purposeful, and beautiful way. Katie documented her spiritual journey in her recent book, "Let It Be." In 2013, Katie Scott introduced her fine and fashion jewelry lines. Success and recognition came quickly in the jewelry world. Within the first eight months, Neiman Marcus acquired her new jewelry collections, as well as select retailers across the United States, drivingher expansion into an e-commerce platform.



Tapping into her desire for something edgy and fashion-forward yet spiritually inspired, Scott was motivated to unite style with inner spirituality. After discovering a lack of modern, upscale pieces in this category, Katie's ingenuity, spiritual life and design worlds evolved. Her resulting jewelry collection references spiritual talismans and messaging that personally relates to the wearer in a contemporary way with diamonds and leather, rose gold and silver, meditation beads and archetypal crosses. Houston-based, Katie is also a nationally renowned interior designer. Katie Scott Interior Design has been featured in magazines such as Elle Decor, Country French, House Beautiful, Modern Luxury, Interiors, Southern Living, Paper city, and Luxe.

"I work directly from the heart, as I believe it holds our greatest treasures of truth and enlightenment," explains Scott. "Designing is my canvas, allowing me to capture my own passions, aesthetic and style. I believe one of the greatest gifts I can offer clients is stimulation through your home, environment and jewelry - creating a heightened level of sensitivity to your greatest desires in an effort to expose and explore them." For more details on our jewelry please visit http://www.katiescottjewelry.com Contact:

Stanton Scott | Katie Scott Design

Phone: 713-973-7384

Cell: 713-248-3141

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jewelry-designer-katie-scott-launches-new-e-commerce-website-to-debut-her-soul-id-inspiration-collections-300261344.html SOURCE Katie Scott Design

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[May 03, 2016] Panelists to Discuss Challenges Facing Product Management and Marketing Pros

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pragmatic Marketing, which has more than two decades of experience providing practical tools, tips and training to product management and marketing professionals, is hosting a high-level panel discussion June from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the CCT Venues Plus. The five panelistsall experienced marketing, development and product professionals from London area tech companieswill discuss their common struggles and share examples of the challenges their companies have faced in becoming market-driven. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131023/LA02552LOGO Panelists include: Tim Barker , CEO of DataSift

, CEO of DataSift Paul Meadowcroft , director of product management at Thales e-Security

, director of product management at Thales e-Security Anna Miedzianowska, product wner, Ocado Technology

Colin Millership , head of product management, Red Gate Software Ltd.

, head of product management, Red Gate Software Ltd. Dennise Oakley , global senior marketing director, digital customer experience, OpenText



John Gatrell , the interactive session will cover a variety of topics that are relevant to product management and marketing professionals in today's software and hardware companies. Panelists will discuss the challenges they faced when bringing products to market and how to overcome the barriers that prevent companies from being market-driven. In addition, they will discuss where companies see breakage between internal groups and how to address that. Cost of the event is $25 (USD) per person. To learn more or to register, visit http://pragmaticmarketing.com/ukforum

About Pragmatic Marketing, Inc.

Pragmatic Marketing, Inc. was founded in 1993 and has become the authority on technology product management and marketing. The company has trained more than 100,000 product management and marketing professionals, with more than 25,000 becoming Pragmatic Marketing Certified. Pragmatic Marketing's team of thought leaders produce blogs, webinars, podcasts and publications that product professionals around the world turn to for industry insights. For more information, please visit www.PragmaticMarketing.com or call 480-515-1411. Media Contact:

Lisa Sorg-Friedman

+1-480-563-9287

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[May 03, 2016] In Italy Prisoners Can Send Handcrafted Tweets

DUBAI, UAE, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tonic International, a Dubai-based creative agency comes up with #TweetFromAPrison project for Made in Carcere - a dedicated line of Made in Carcere products that allows Italian prisoners to communicate with the outside world by using Twitter. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7824551-italy-prisoners-handcrafted-tweets/ A statistics report shows that 80% of prisoners who learn a new skill are less likely to commit crime after being released. For this reason, in 2007, Made in Carcere was born. Its goal is to provide job training and voluntary full-time employment to women imprisoned for minor offences. They make gadgets, giving new life to unwanted textiles. It's a sustainable idea based on the "second-chance philosophy", for both fabrics and for women who are in prison. Through learning a craft, these women can earn a salary and have a chance for a better life once they leave prison. These new skills give them the opportunity to understand their worth and to play an active role in society. Made in Carcere had a problem: recruitment inside the prison was difficult due to the indifference of the prisoners. The company asked Tonic International to find a solution and #Tweet From A Prison was born. A prisoner can sew her twet on a bracelet and submit it to the outside world thanks to the Made in Carcere e-commerce website. A special sewing machine is connected directly to the Made in Carcere Twitter page. Every time a person sends a tweet reply, it will be instantly sewn by the machine and delivered inside the prison.



"The moment they come out of prison and resume their regular lives they will be less likely to be marginalized again and, most importantly, to make similar mistakes again." (Luciana delle Donne, Ceo - Made in Carcere) Cristiano Tonnarelli, Executive Creative Director of Tonic International, adds: "Made in Carcere's goal is to provide job training and voluntary full-time employment to women imprisoned for minor offences, while reducing waste by giving new life to unwanted textiles. With #TweetfromAprison project we want to encourage prisoners to join Made in Carcere and to expose them, at least conceptually, to the digital chatter that now defines modern life and can make reintegration all the more daunting."

Credits: Agency: Tonic International, Dubai Executive Creative Drirector: Cristiano Tonnarelli Copywriter: Matteo Maggiore Art Director: Valerio Mangiafico Producer: Kappakom? Executive Producer: Ascanio Capparoni? Director: Serena Corvaglia? Dop: Federico Annicchiarico? Post production: Iggy Post? Edit: Marco Bonini? Colorist: Daniel Pallucca? Original Music: Stabbiolo Music - Alessandro Cristofori e Diego Perugini Assistant Director: Giulio Cupperi? Assistant Producer: Federica Talone Tonic International Founded in Dubai, Tonic International is a marketing communication group that revolutionised the communication landscape in the Middle East. Tonicians are smart and fearless- they take brands to new directions though branding, design, advertising, research, digital and media. Visit this fiercely independent agency at http://www.tonicinternational.com Luciana Delle Donne, CEO of Made in Carcere company / mobile: +393355441121, [email protected]

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160428/361165 )





Video:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7824551-italy-prisoners-handcrafted-tweets/

SOURCE Tonic International

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[May 03, 2016] New Berkshire Firm to Team Up With the UK's Leading E-Cigarette Manufacturer

BLACKBURN, England, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vape Smart is ensuring the future of its e-cigarette business by teaming up with the UK's largest independent vaping company, Totally Wicked. EU regulations coming into force over the next 12 months will mean that manufacturers and importers of e-cigarettes will have to comply with stringent legislation and introduce new testing procedures. This raft of new regulations will impose significant compliance cost which many small independent vaping stores will be unable to accommodate, without radical changes to their business models. The Vape Smart business has grown into an impressive eight stores in just one year. Whilst the Vape Smart brand has achieved rapid success, long term supply continuity, compliance support and brand awareness considerations, makes a strategic partnership with Totally Wicked a cmpelling proposition.



The Vape Smart chain has shops in: Cippenham, Maidenhead, Slough High Street, Slough Farnham Road, Gerrards Cross, Eckington, Yiewsley and Egham. Vape Smart said, "The joining of the businesses will see the Vape Smart brand and shop interiors replaced with the iconic Totally Wicked store look and feel, and stock the full range of Totally Wicked's sector-leading product range. Working with Totally Wicked will allow us to fully focus on providing the very best customer service, growing further and developing our business. The team is very excited about our new partnership."

Totally Wicked is one of the first e-cigarette companies in the UK - setting up business in 2008, and is a founding member of the Independent British Vape Trade Association. Totally Wicked produces e-liquid in the UK in its dedicated production facility and designs and manufactures one of the largest dedicated ranges of branded vaping products. Through its owned and reseller operated retail, Totally Wicked products are available through over 100 dedicated vaping stores in the UK. Fraser Cropper, CEO of Totally Wicked said, "I am thrilled to welcome the Vape Smart team to the Totally Wicked family. With our support and experience, current and future stores can look forward to bright and sustainable futures. As a team we will continue to strive to improve and offer the very best products and support to current and future Vape Smart customers." Re-branding is currently taking place, with the first 'new' store set to open on the 5th May in Egham.

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[May 03, 2016] AlliedBarton Security Services and Universal Services of America to Merge to Create Leading Security Company in North America

-- Combined Company, to be Named AlliedUniversal, Will Provide Localized Response and National Support with Approx. 140,000 Security Officers -- CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. and SANTA ANA, Calif., May 3, 2016 /CNW/ -- AlliedBarton Security Services and Universal Services of America today announced that they have agreed to merge, creating the leading security company in North America. The combined company, which will operate under the AlliedUniversal brand following the close of the transaction, will offer its clients localized response and national support with industry-leading technology solutions and approximately 140,000 highly-trained officers. It is expected to have total annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2016, subject to customary regulatory approvals. The two companies have a shared value proposition and aligned values. Founded in 1957, AlliedBarton Security Services is a leader in providing responsive and customizable security services to a diversified group of clients from more than 120 regional and district offices located throughout the United States in a number of markets. Founded in 1965, Universal Services of America is the largest American-owned security company, providing an innovative mix of traditional manned security solutions and advanced digital security technologies to ensure the safety of clients throughout North America. The company also offers clients janitorial solutions, as well as safety and emergency preparation services. Steve Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Universal Services of America, will serve as the CEO of the combined company, and Bill Whitmore, CEO of AlliedBarton, will serve as its Chairman of the Board. Warburg Pincus and Wendel will b lead investors in the combined entity with equal voting rights and Board representation; Partners Group and members of management will also have ownership interests in the combined company.



Mr. Jones commented, "AlliedBarton Security Services and Universal Services of America share a deep focus on the customer experience. Bill Whitmore and the AlliedBarton team have established a sterling reputation in the industry for reliability and support. This combination brings together two excellent teams, and we are very excited to partner in a seamless integration that we expect to complete by the end of the year." Mr. Whitmore remarked, "Through this combination with Universal Services of America, we expect to deliver tremendous value to our clients through access to Universal's portfolio of technology-based security solutions. This merger will drive compelling opportunities for both our employees and clients, creating an organization that is well-positioned for continued growth, and I look forward to working with Steve."

Chandler Joel Reedy, Managing Director of Warburg Pincus, added, "The key factors in contemplating this merger were the mutual respect of these organizations and the overwhelming support and enthusiasm exhibited by the leadership teams of both companies." David Darmon, Managing Director and CEO of Wendel North America, commented, "We see a very compelling opportunity in the combination of AlliedBarton Security Services and Universal Services of America. These two best-in-class companies are distinguished by strong leadership talent, and together they will provide unmatched service and support to their clients." Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP acted as legal counsel to Warburg Pincus and Universal Services of America. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal counsel to Wendel and AlliedBarton Security Services, along with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, who acted as counsel with respect to executive compensation matters. About AlliedBarton Security Services For more than 50 years AlliedBarton Security Services has provided superior security officer services to protect people, homes and businesses. AlliedBarton tailors security programs to meet clients' needs with committed professionals who enhance clients' brands. The most honored security services provider, AlliedBarton consistently delivers exceptional service which creates a differentiated experience for clients and the people they serve. More than 60,000 employees and 120 offices serve thousands of clients with levels of protection that anticipate needs and build enduring relationships. For more information, please visit www.alliedbarton.com. About Universal Services of America Founded in 1965, Universal Services of America is one of the leading facility services companies in the U.S., combining an innovative mix of tradition with cutting edge systems and technology to keep pace with the ever-evolving needs of today's business environments. Headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., today, Universal is a $2.5 billion company with more than 80,000 employees on staff. The company is now the second largest manned guarding security company in North America and employs a hands-on, highly experienced management team and continuous training to deliver consistent, high quality security solutions. Universal has four unique divisions: Universal Protection Service, Universal Protection Security Systems, Universal Fire/Life Safety Services and Universal Building Maintenance. For more information, please visit www.universalpro.com. Media Relations Contacts

AlliedBarton Security Services

Nancy Tamosaitis, Vorticom Public Relations

Phone: +1 212 532 2208

Email: [email protected] Universal Services of America

Angela Burrell, Public Relations Manager

Phone: +1 714 619 9744

Email: [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362595 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alliedbarton-security-services-and-universal-services-of-america-to-merge-to-create-leading-security-company-in-north-america-300261616.html SOURCE AlliedBarton

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[May 03, 2016] Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield Opens Enrollment for 2016-2017 School Year

GREENFIELD, Mass., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield (MAVA), an accredited online public school, has opened enrollment for the 2016-2017 school year. Now starting its sixth year of operation MAVA provides students statewide in grades K-12 with a high-quality online alternative to the traditional brick and mortar school setting. By combining award-winning curriculum, hands-on materials, instruction from state-licensed teachers and the support of a strong school community, MAVA provides an individualized education for each student. "We meet the needs of diverse learners by encouraging critical thinking, curiosity and an independent learning style," said Carl Tillona, the Executive Director at MAVA. "This approach can be perfect for families that want a 'best-fit' education solution." MAVA provides a rigorous, engaging curriculum, including courses in language arts/English, math, science, history, world languages, art and music, as well as high school electives and Advanced Placement courses. Students each receive an individualized learning plan designed to enhance academic strengths and addressweaknesses.



High school students follow the Massachusetts High School Program of Studies (MassCore), which is intended to fully prepare high school graduates for college or a career. The core academic offering  online college preparatory courses, Advanced Placement courses and electives -- is bolstered by a strong support system that includes subject-specific teachers, grade level advisors and counselors. Students graduate with a high school diploma that is recognized nationally. In 2015, MAVA graduates attended post-secondary options such as Boston University, the University of New England, the University of Vermont, University of Massachusetts-Boston and Northeastern University. "Our elementary school students are encouraged to develop solid study habits and to express themselves creatively," Tillona said. "In middle school we begin to offer them a bit more autonomy and by high school they are able to work both independently and in small groups, just as they will in college."

MAVA organizes opportunities for families to get together in local groups, including teacher-led excursions and educational or recreational activities throughout the year. Students can join extra-curricular clubs that meet online, as well as take part in the more traditional school experiences, including spelling bee, art competitions and a graduation ceremony. To help families learn more about the program, MAVA will host information sessions and community events around the state, as well as several online information sessions. For details, visit the school website: http://mava.k12.com/ About Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield

Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield (MAVA) is an accredited, full-time online public school program that serves students in grades K through 12. As part of the Massachusetts public school system, MAVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the award-winning curriculum and tools provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about MAVA, visit http://mava.k12.com/. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362570LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/massachusetts-virtual-academy-at-greenfield-opens-enrollment-for-2016-2017-school-year-300261416.html SOURCE Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield

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[May 03, 2016] Unify Expands Channel Program and Service Offerings Driving Growth for Thousands of Partners Globally

MUNICH and BOCA RATON, Fla., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Unify, the Atos brand for communications software and services, unveiled new programs and offerings to accelerate channel partner business growth at its annual Unify Partner Conference held recently in Barcelona, Spain. Addressing the audience of more than 250 global partners, Unify reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to being the partner of choice in the communications and collaborations industry. Unify continues to deliver on its intent to dramatically increase business through its global partner network, and today over 50 percent of Unify's product revenue is through the channel. The recent appointment of industry and channel veteran Jon Pritchard to CEO of Unify confirms the company's ongoing commitment to strengthening its channel business and more firmly embedding partners within its business. In the past year, Unify's partner base has more than doubled in size to over 2,000 partners in more than 50 countries, along with 13 new distributors. Based on ongoing partner feedback, Unify made a number of improvements in key areas, including streamlining and simplifying the on-boarding process and experience, making it easier to do business with Unify. Unify has focused on reducing the time and requirements for partners to begin selling in order to achieve a faster time to revenue. Today, 80 percent of the partners that Unify on-boarded in the last 12 months are already actively selling. New specializations were added to the Unify Partner Program to help further differentiate and grow business in new markets, including the Health Station HiMed Specialization that was made available in December 2015. Additionally, Unify has made its large enterprise OpenScape portfolio available through distribution, enabling partners to access these solutions quicker and at a lower cost. Training and certification updates are anothe area of ongoing investment. Additional training courses are now available online, with all OpenScape Business training courses accessible via the web, helping to reduce travel costs and time. Unify has also reduced the large enterprise certification requirements 50 percent, resulting in less investment for taking VUE certification tests. In total, between 20 and 56 days of required training have been eliminated by combining implementation and support certification requirements. Additionally, 11 authorized training partners have been added to Unify's training portfolio, bringing the total global number to 17.



"Our team is excited about the opportunity to work with Unify and Atos more closely," said Brian Gendron, vice president of Large Enterprise Sales, Black Box Network Services. "It's inspiring to see Unify remain so dedicated and responsive to the channel in a time of immense change. We're excited to see what's in store for the upcoming year and beyond." Unify also introduced new tools and offerings to make it easier for partners to grow:

A new configure, price, quote (CPQ) tool delivers a seamless, automated solution for the design, pricing, proposal and ordering process. This user-friendly, SaaS-based tool provides a simplified interface for partners, thereby accelerating the sales cycle and reducing the complexity and time needed to produce Unify solution proposals. This reduces partner's total operating costs for selling Unify products.

New guided selling methodology and workflow integration to request special bids and technical approval are now available.

A new OpenScape Business software bundle offering to support customer requests and full solution selling approach. "Through Unify's annual Voice of the Partner survey, we suggested a number of enhancements to the partner program  mainly simplification and improving certain processes. We are delighted to see our views have been listened to," said Michael Brase, managing director of Telba GmbH , Germany. "In particular, we are looking forward to the benefits that the new configure, price, quote tool will afford our business. Not only will it speed up our sales cycle and streamline current processes, but it will also free up time that will allow us to focus on winning more business." "The new OpenScape Business promotions that were presented at the conference are very compelling  they will enable a smooth upgrade path to the latest version and via software support our customers can be confident they are benefitting from the latest features," added Iain Simpson, managing director of Active Voice and Data. About Unify Unify is one of the world's leading communications software and services firms, providing integrated communications solutions for approximately 75 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Our solutions unify multiple networks, devices and applications into one easy-to-use platform that allows teams to engage in rich and meaningful conversations. The result is a transformation of how the enterprise communicates and collaborates that amplifies collective effort, energizes the business, and enhances business performance. Unify has a strong heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security. About Atos Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital services with pro forma annual revenue of circa  12 billion and circa 100,000 employees in 72 countries. Serving a global client base, the Group provides Consulting & Systems Integration services, Managed Services & BPO, Cloud operations, Big Data & Cyber-security solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. With its deep technology expertise and industry knowledge, the Group works with clients across different business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. Atos is focused on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131015/NY97454LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unify-expands-channel-program-and-service-offerings-driving-growth-for-thousands-of-partners-globally-300260580.html SOURCE Unify

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[May 03, 2016] P3 Expands in Canada

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario and MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- P3 Group, a leading global consulting, management and engineering services company, today announced it has expanded its Toronto area office to serve the growing testing and network optimization needs of Canada's mobile carriers and device manufacturers. Located at 1450 Meyerside Drive, Mississauga, the new 3,500 square foot office is home to 14 experienced device, network and application engineers who conduct functional and performance tests during product development, certification, implementation and post-launch. They travel extensively throughout Canada in specialized test vehicles, and on foot in key business and public venues, to evaluate device function, service quality and usability from the end user's perspective "We're all about solving deep technical problems for our customers," said Dirk Bernhardt, CEO of P3 communications, Inc. "In addition to performing certification, usability, application and security testing for wireless devices, we also assess service performance and benchmark mobile and fixed communications networks. Our comprehensive approach combined with our suite of proprietary and certified diagnostic tools help Canadian carriers bring new devices to consumers more quickly, streamline network deployments and optimize service performance." In addition to serving the needs of Canada's wireless industry, P3's Toronto team provides international device testing and network roaming measurements for major U.S. carriers and international OEMs as well as chipset suppliers. P3 has more than a decade of experience in testing wireless devices, network quality and service performance around the globe. The company has provided consulting, engineering and testing services for Canadian mobile operators since 2013 andhas served major U.S. carriers since 2007. Last year the company performed the first independent mobile benchmark of Voice over LTE services in the United States.



The new office in Mississauga complements the P3 Montreal facility, which was established in 2008 to serve the area's booming aerospace market and today employs over 50 aerospace engineers specializing in system and structural design, advanced aerodynamics, cabin design, manufacturing engineering and certification. As a strategic supplier to the industry's OEM and Tier 1 suppliers, P3 has played a significant role in bringing some of the major development programs to market. "We are very happy to grow our footprint here in Canada, especially as we move toward an integrated service portfolio between our aerospace, automotive and telecommunications platforms. This diversity has been a key differentiator for P3, and will continue to be a big part of our strategy moving forward," said Mark Makoukji, managing director for P3 Group Canada, Inc.

In addition to Mississauga and Montreal, P3 office hubs in the Americas include Morristown, Dallas, Detroit, Greenville, Los Angeles, San Jose, Portland, Seattle, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. As in all locations, P3 provides its full portfolio of services from the Mississauga office. "We continue to grow at a rapid pace and are excited about expanding our Canadian team," Bernhardt said. "The Toronto area is a hotbed for wireless carriers and device manufacturers. At the same time, it is becoming a key area for research and development for connected car telematics, creating new opportunities for us to partner with P3's Canadian automotive division. We are strategically positioned for success and look forward to continued growth in Canada." P3 communications provides a broad portfolio of independent technical and management consulting services including network planning, engineering, end-to-end optimization, market intelligence, security, QoS and QoE testing, international benchmarking, device testing and acceptance services. It is recognized worldwide as the completely neutral authority on network quality. In addition to wireless carriers and device manufacturers, P3's telecommunications clients include infrastructure vendors, public safety organizations and regulatory authorities. For more information about P3 visit http://www.p3-group.com. About P3

P3 is a global consulting, management and engineering services company, with a rapidly growing team of more than 3,000 consultants and engineers working to develop and implement innovative solutions to today's complex technology challenges. Offering a broad portfolio of services and proprietary tools to the automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and energy industries, P3 adds tangible value that helps clients succeed at every stage, from innovation to implementation. For more information please visit http://www.p3-group.com. CONTACT:

Lynette Viviani

973-534-1004

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/p3-expands-in-canada-300261533.html SOURCE P3 Group

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[May 03, 2016] Neurotechnology Announces MegaMatcher Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS)

VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurotechnology, a provider of high-precision biometric identification technologies, today released the MegaMatcher Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), a complete system for the deployment of large-scale multi-biometric projects. MegaMatcher ABIS can process multiple complex biometric transactions with high speed and accuracy using any combination of fingerprint, face or iris biometrics. It leverages the core technology of MegaMatcher SDK and MegaMatcher Accelerator, which have been used in a wide array of national-scale biometric identification projects, including national voter registration, biometric passport and ID, border control and criminal records systems. The quality of the biometric algorithms in MegaMatcher ABIS has been proven in NIST evaluation programs including FPVTE 2012, MINEX III and IREX IV.



MegaMatcher ABIS extends the capabilities of Neurotechnology's MegaMatcher SDK and MegaMatcher Accelerator to provide additional features and functions required for large projects. It includes a complete set of modules for system administration, transaction management, image processing and adjudication of suspicious duplicate cases. These added capabilities help to define system user roles and ensure proper biometric data flow. MegaMatcher ABIS provides the same high availability, fault tolerance, scalability, interoperability and support for biometric standards as MegaMatcher SDK and MegaMatcher Accelerator. All modules are also customizable according to different customer and project needs. "We are pleased to offer to our customers a complete Automated Biometric Identification System to integrate into their solutions for identity management," said Antonello Mincone, business development manager for Neurotechnology. "After years of experience working with the major system integrators in the industry, we have greatly expanded our knowledge of the functionality required in large scale biometric projects. We have put this know-how into MegaMatcher ABIS, a product that makes it easier than ever for integrators to deploy complex multi-biometric solutions."

MegaMatcher ABIS is fully expandable, and through its flexible web services-based interface it can communicate with all other key elements of identity management solutions, such as enrollment and personalization applications. This enables integrators to bring their projects to production smoothly and quickly. MegaMatcher ABIS and the entire Neurotechnology biometric product line are available through Neurotechnology or from distributors worldwide. A free 30-day trial is available. For more information, go to neurotechnology.com. About MegaMatcher SDK and MegaMatcher Accelerator MegaMatcher technology is a multiplatform SDK for Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, iOS and Android. It includes fingerprint, facial, speaker, iris and palm print biometric modalities along with a fused algorithm for fast and reliable recognition in systems of any scale. MegaMatcher Accelerator is a software engine able to achieve matching speeds of up to 100,000,000 fingerprints, 100,000,000 faces and 200,000,000 irises per second on a single server unit. About Neurotechnology

Neurotechnology is a provider of high-precision software development products for biometric fingerprint, face, iris, palmprint and voice identification; object recognition; AI and robotics. Drawing from years of academic research in the fields of neuroinformatics, image processing and pattern recognition, Neurotechnology was founded in 1990 in Vilnius, Lithuania and released its first fingerprint identification system in 1991. Since that time the company has released more than 130 products and version upgrades for identification and verification of objects and personal identity. More than 3000 system integrators, security companies and hardware providers integrate Neurotechnology's algorithms into their products, with millions of customer installations worldwide. Media Contact

Jennifer Allen Newton

Bluehouse Consulting Group, Inc.

+1-503-805-7540

jennifer (at) bluehousecg (dot) com Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362532-INFO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neurotechnology-announces-megamatcher-automated-biometric-identification-system-abis-300261378.html SOURCE Neurotechnology

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[May 03, 2016] Trina Solar Awarded a Silver Rating in EcoVadis CSR Survey

CHANGZHOU, China, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL) ("Trina Solar" or the "Company"), a global leader in photovoltaic ("PV") modules, solutions, and services today announced that the Company has been granted a Silver Recognition Level in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance survey conducted by EcoVadis. Recording a solid year-on-year improvement in its overall score, Trina Solar is now ranked in the top 13% of all businesses assessed by EcoVadis globally. As an independent rating agency, EcoVadis operates the first collaborative platform providing supplier sustainability ratings for global supply chains. Using its unique CSR assessment methodology that covers 150 purchasing categories, 110 countries, and 21 CSR indicators, EcoVadis evaluates and analyses companies' performance over four major categories, i.e. Environment, Labour Practices & Human Rights, Fair Business Practices, and Sustainable Procurement. Commenting on the results, Mr. Jifan Gao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar, said: "We are proud to have been recognized for our commitment to sustainability. We have taken significant steps over the past year to improve our CSR performance, and this has been reflected in the improvement of our CSR results. Our position within the top 13% of all companies worldwide assessed by EcoVadis demonstrates our prominent global position when it comes to embracing CSR requirements." In addition to this latest CSR assessment, Trina Solar continues to hold a top position in the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition's (SVTC) Solar Scorecard, along with the Company recently being named as the world's most bankable PV manufacturer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Mr. Gao concluded:"As a leader in the development and production of renewable energy sources, we believe that our passion for quality and sustainability should be reflected in the way we approach relationships with our employees, the environment and the communities we serve. These are our strongest ever EcoVadis CSR results, and complement our achievements in the SVTC Solar Scorecard and the BNEF report. We will be taking necessary steps to ensure this upward trend continues in the future." David McClintock, Marketing Director at EcoVadis, added: "We are pleased to see Trina Solar has made a notable score increase since their previous assessment just one year ago, and have done this through improvements in two themes: Environment and Labor practices. This is a good sign of commitment to ongoing improvement of their CSR practices which we hope to see continue across all themes in the coming years." About Trina Solar Limited Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL) is a global leader in photovoltaic modules, solutions and services. Founded in 1997 as a PV system integrator, Trina Solar today drives smart energy together with installers, distributors, utilities and developers worldwide. The company's industry-leading position is based on innovation excellence, superior product quality, vertically integrated capabilities and environmental stewardship. For more information, please visit www.trinasolar.com. About EcoVadis EcoVadis operates the first collaborative network for managing sustainability performance of suppliers across 150 sectors and 110 countries. EcoVadis ratings and easy to use monitoring tools allow companies to manage risks and drive eco-innovations in their global supply chains. More than 130 Global Multinational companies have selected the EcoVadis solution, including Fortune 500 such as Axa, Alcatel-Lucent, Bayer, BASF, Coca Cola Enterprises, Deutsche Telekom, Heineken, Orange, Johnson & Johnson, Lafarge, Renault-Nissan, Schneider Electric, and Vodafone. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Company's ability to raise additional capital to finance its activities; the effectiveness, profitability and marketability of its products; the future trading of the securities of the Company; the Company's ability to operate as a public company; the period of time for which the Company's current liquidity will enable the Company to fund its operations; general economic and business conditions; demand in various markets for solar products; the volatility of the Company's operating results and financial condition; the Company's ability to attract or retain qualified senior management personnel and research and development staff; and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry in which the Company operates. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.







Trina Solar Limited Christensen IR Teresa Tan, CFO (Changzhou)

Email: [email protected] Linda Bergkamp

Phone: +1 480 614 3014 (US)

Email: [email protected]

Yvonne Young

Investor Relations Director

Email: [email protected]



To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trina-solar-awarded-a-silver-rating-in-ecovadis-csr-survey-300261653.html SOURCE Trina Solar Limited

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[May 03, 2016] New Lending Data From OnDeck Kicks Off Small Business Week

NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Small Business Week is underway with Small Business Administration (SBA) events scheduled for the week in Georgia, Colorado, Arizona and California and OnDeck (NYSE:ONDK), the leader in online lending for small business, is recognizing the occasion by releasing new data highlighting the nearly $1 billion dollars the company has lent to small businesses in those four states. From its inception through the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, OnDeck has made nearly 20,000 loans to small business owners in Georgia, Colorado, Arizona and California totaling $913.7 million dollars. Overall, the company has deployed over $4 billion to more than 50,000 customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada and Australia. "We join the SBA in recognizing the magnificent achievements of small businesses throughout the nation," said James Hobson, chief operating officer, OnDeck. "America's 28 million small businesses are the engine of job creation and economic growth in this country, creating nearly two out of every three new jobs in the United States and employing over half the nation's workforce. As our lending activity in the four states that SBA administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will visit during Small Business Week indicates, we are proud to lead the way in providing small businesses with the capital and credit they need to grow and thrive." OnDeck's innovative technology-driven platform and OnDeck Score have substantially increased the flow of capital to Main Street year-over-year, expanding growth opportunities for small business An Analysis Group report published last year analyzed the economic impact from the first $3 billion OnDeck lent to small businesses. The report estimates that those loans powered $11 billion in business activity and created 74,000 jobs nationwide. Specifically, in the four states, OnDeck's lending has generated an estimated $2.5 billion in economic activity and nearly 17,000 jobs.



One California small business that is thriving with OnDeck's support is TransGuardian, a logistics software company based in Los Angeles, California. Jim Moseley is the President and CEO of the firm which develops innovative and customized solutions for the gem and jewelry, fashion, and other specialized vertical markets. Services include small parcel and freight services, transit insurance, credit insurance, security packaging and trade compliance. "We have some very big brand names among our clients," says Moseley. "OnDeck helped us to acquire their business by providing funds that enabled us to build customized, innovative software, to satisfy needs no one else was addressing. Without such financing solutions, we would never have been able to get their business. Thanks to OnDeck, we're saving these clients 30-50% over the old ways of working, and we increased our bottom line by 15% in 2015."

National Small Business Week is an annual event organized by SBA to recognize the achievements of the top small businesses in the nation. Since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. This year National Small Business Week will be recognized from May 1-7 with national events planned in Washington, D.C., New York, Denver, Phoenix, Oakland and San Jose. Events throughout the week will be live-streamed on SBA's website www.sba.gov. Make sure to check in during the event for live social media engagement, using the hashtag #DreamSmallBiz. For more information on the national events please visit: www.sba.gov/nsbw. About OnDeck

OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK) is the leader in online small business lending. Since 2007, the company has powered Main Street's growth through advanced lending technology and a constant dedication to customer service. OnDeck's proprietary credit scoring system  the OnDeck Score  leverages advanced analytics, enabling OnDeck to make real-time lending decisions and deliver capital to small businesses in as little as 24 hours. OnDeck offers business owners a complete financing solution, including the online lending industry's widest range of term loans and lines of credit. To date, the company has deployed over $4 billion to more than 50,000 customers in 700 different industries across the United States, Canada and Australia. OnDeck has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and operates the educational small business financing website www.businessloans.com. For more information, please visit www.ondeck.com. Media Contact:

Miranda Eifler

917.677.7112

[email protected] OnDeck, the OnDeck logo, OnDeck Score and OnDeck Marketplace are trademarks of On Deck Capital, Inc. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150812/257781LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-lending-data-from-ondeck-kicks-off-small-business-week-300261368.html SOURCE On Deck Capital, Inc.

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[May 03, 2016] PODIM 2016 - The Largest Startup Conference in the Alps-Adriatic Region

MARIBOR, Slovenia, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PODIM is the largest conference on startups, entrepreneurship and innovation in the Alps-Adriatic region. This year, it's happening on 11 and 12 May in Maribor, Slovenia. It's annually visited by more than 600 participants from more than 10 countries as well as more than 50 internationally renowned speakers and corporation representatives. PODIM Challenge, the investment part of the conference that also includes a pitching competition, annually attracts more than 200 innovative startups from Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, as well as more than 50 most respected regional and global investors! (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362834 ) Hidden forces of startups

The central topics of this year's PODIM Conference are Hidden forces of startups and How startups revolutionize a business and its environment. More than 50 speakers from all over the globe will reveal the disruptive forces that change all aspects of life and business, and sometimes entirely turn around the way a society, including industries, functions. More than 60 presentations

This year, more than 60 presentations will line up on stage - lectures, panel discussions and roundtables, plus workshops for fast and lean development of disrptive, globally successful products. The official PODIM app will ensure effective networking between all conference guests.



50+ investors from all over the world

PODIM organizers are especially proud that they succeeded in attracting stellar speakers and more than 50 renowned investors who travel to Maribor from all over the world, mostly from the US, UK and other European countries. They will attend PODIM Challenge, the investment part of the conference with a pitching competition, as part of which most promising startups from the Alps-Adriatic region will try to get rich rewards and the attention of investors. Stellar speakers!

Speakers such as Steli Efti, Bart Lorang, Alex Iskold and Gary Whitehill will undoubtedly contribute to an excellent atmosphere and an unforgettable 2-day entrepreneurial and motivational experience.

Meet the biggest hustler in Silicon Valley

Steli Efti is the CEO and Co-Founder of Close.io, alumni of Y Combinator and the biggest hustler in Silicon Valley. Bart Lorang is the Co-Founder and CEO at FullContact and a regular guest of programmes such as CNN Live and FOX News, among other reasons also because he pays 7,500 $ for his employees to completely disconnect on their vacation. Alex Iskold is an investor and the managing director of Techstars New York, one of largest tech accelerators in the US. And Garry Whitehill is a globally renowned startup entrepreneur, mentor and advisor to Fortune 100 companies and government leaders. Extensive startup catalogue

Organizers also annually prepare an extensive PODIM startup catalogue, where they present most promising startups from the Alps-Adriatic region. With its help, they organize one-on-one matchmaking meetings between PODIM startups, investors, speakers and corporation representatives. PODIM PRO Package

PODIM organizers dedicated one special conference segment Startup wars - The corporate force awakens and a special PODIM PRO Package for all corporate managers who wish to do disruptive innovations like startups! Startup of the year award ceremony

At PODIM, organizers annually stage a gala evening event with an award ceremony for the best startup of the year 2016. The event attracts all key members of the regional startup ecosystem with its spectacular programme and reputation. Contact: Stanislava Vabsek, Head of PR, email: [email protected] +386-31-707-204

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Lawrence County Council adopts increased budget for 2023

The final total for next years budget was adopted at $28,405,574, an increase of 3.5% from the approved budget for 2022.
One of this countrys most fascinating yet underrated musical icons Pikelet is back with a brand new, mind warping album-length recording Tronc.

A follow on from 2013s psych exploration Calluses and 2010s Australian Music Prize-shortlisted effort Stem, the constantly evolving Pikelet (a project centered around multi-instrumentalist and social activist Evelyn Morris) has managed to produce something both familiar and genre defying in Tronc, cementing her position as one of the most adventurous and compelling voices in Australian music.

After the success of full-band LPs Calluses (2013) and Stem (2010), Tronc is a return to the super intimate solo format of early Pikelet recordings, with each of the tapes eight songs recorded and performed by Evelyn at home.

Tronc is out via cassette and digital by Chapter Music on Friday May 6. Pre-orders are up now via the Chapter webstore or Bandcamp

Upcoming Shows

Polyester Records Instore

Pikelet + Gregor instore

Polyester Records

Saturday May 7, 3pm

Free, all ages

Tronc Tape Launch

Saturday May 21 Melbourne  Hugs & Kisses
Loving live music isnt just about attending music festivals and seeing an international artists massive arena show. Even the biggest of big-name headliners started in the trenches, on the sticky carpets and bandrooms of your local bars and pubs  which is exactly where you should be if you want to discover your new favourite band or venue. Heres our picks for this weeks best local gigs from Aussie talent  from Perth to the East Coast  and all for the price of a good meal.

At The Dakota

Where? The Hotel Metro 46 Grote St, Adelaide

When? 8pm, Saturday 7th May

Why? When theyre not partying in their hometown of Darwin this indie-pop 5-piece are tearing up the capital cities with their next level live shows. After a massive 2015 touring with The Rubens and The Bennies, At The Dakota are stoked to support their new single Rat King City, a song of about unity and desire. Showcasing the bands evolution since their last release this cheeky tour stop is set to go off with the help of Ezra Hope and Apollo Sons.

Tickets & Info: $10, Facebook

Batpiss

Where? Cherry Bar AC/DC Lane, Melbourne

When? 8pm, Friday 6th May

Why? The legendary Batpiss are hanging up their instruments for the rest of the year but that wont stop them from going out with a bang. As one of the sludgeyest punk outfits in Melbournes history Batpiss have a certain reputation to maintain, guaranteeing a no holes bared night of powerful punk. Their last hurrah begins this friday at Cherry, with TTTDC and Grim Rythm before a filthy pile of east coast shows. Get in while their still standing.

Tickets & Info: $12.70, Facebook

The Keepaways

Where? The Bearded Lady 138 Boundary St, West End, Brisbane

When? 7pm, Friday 6th May

Why? Tripped out punks The Keepaways are launching choice new single this Friday at the Bearded Lady. Amping up for the release of their latest self produced record, The Keepaways are keen for a laugh and a beer with a few local mates including Barge with an antenna on it, Whalehouse, TEVA and Wren Klauf.

Tickets & Info: $5-15, Facebook

Darling James and Machine Age

Where? Brighton Up Bar 1/77 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, Sydney

When? 8pm, Friday 6th May

Why? Sydney residents need not fear the lockouts with this atmospheric electronica double header. Kicking off the first date on an east coast tour, the pair are both excited to parade their new music in front of eager fans. While the bubbling pop of Darling James and the brooding industrial soundscapes of Machine Age might not go hand in hand, their uniquely disparate styles and palpable energy are a cocktail fit for any live music lover.

Tickets & Info: $10, Facebook

The Dead Heir

Where? The Tote 71 Johnston St, Collingwood, Melbourne

When? 5pm, Sunday 8th May

Why? As part of their on going Sunday residency at The Tote, The Dead Heir are bringing their Garage/Psych swagger to the table to ease away that Saturday night hangover. Grab a bev and a little morsel from The Totes new kitchen before lounging it in the front bar with The New Pollution and a *Special Guest. If you can think of a better way to spend a autumn Sunday in Melbourne Id like to hear it.

Tickets & Info: FREE, Facebook

Breve

Where? Yah Yahs 99 Smith St, Fitzroy, Melbourne

When? 8pm, Thursday 5th May

Why? Double down on free shows in Melbourne this month with Breves Thursday residency at Yah Yahs. Before dropping a debut album and bailing to Europe for an international tour this experiment in local garage rock needs a proper send off. Touting a pay-as-you-feel collection for their first international shows, the boys will accept anything from loose change to blank cheques and tins of tuna. Dig deep!

Tickets & Info: FREE, Facebook

Recycled Rainbow #5

Where? Mojos Bar 237 Queen Victoria St, North Fremantle, Perth

When? 8pm, Thursday 5th May

Why? Local vintage clothing outlet/party factory Recycled Rainbow are at it again, turing the glitter meter up to 11 for a Thursday night psychfest of unprecedented awesomeness. The latest in a series of monthly celebrations of music and friendship, the Rainbow team have assembled a killer lineup featuring Red Engine Caves, Spaceman, The Durongs, The Kramers and Leon Osborn, as well as their own house DJs. Not for those unwilling to dance the the night away.

Tickets & Info: $10, Facebook
this week Melbourne punks Bad Vision are gearing up to drop their brand new LP Turn Out Your Sockets (set for release this Friday the 6th of May) and its everything weve come to expect from the five piece.

A collection of short, sharp, guitar driven blistering proto-punk gems, Turn Out Your Sockets was Recorded at Purple Wayne studios in Collingwood by David West in a manic burst of energy one weekend in January 2015.

Overflowing with with pop hooks, razor-sharp chops and a mishmash of garage rock, punk and pop embellishments, according to the band its the album they always wanted to make (and theyve done a pretty bloody fine job).

Check out the LP below and if you like what youre hearing pop by www.badvision.bandcamp.com to pre-order the record.

LP Launch

June 3rd | The Old Bar

W/ Camp Cope

Cable Ties

The Tropes

Facebook event
Australias official albums chart was a sorry sight last week. To make a long story short, we have a new record holder for lowest selling No. 1 album ever and the only thing that kept a So Fresh album from taking the top spot is a rule about compilation albums.

As Tone Deaf reported last week, Disturbed officially now have the lowest selling No. 1 album in ARIA chart history, selling just 2,140 copies of their album Immortalized, taking the record previously held by Bring Me The Horizon, selling just 3,600 units back in 2010.

For the sake of context, note that the ARIA charts factor in both physical and digital sales, but does not, however, include compilation albums with no new material, which kept So Fresh Hits of Autumn from the No. 1 spot with its 4,422 copies sold.

So how did we go this week? A little better, thanks to a new release from pop juggernaut Beyonce and the unfortunate loss of music legend Prince. These chart hurricanes collided last week to cause a perfect storm that gave the Australian albums chart a much needed boost.

As News Corp reports, Beyonces new album, Lemonade, which she gave a surprise release last week, yielded 20,499 digital downloads in its first week of release. Meanwhile, The Very Best of Prince sits behind at No. 2, with 18,430 copies sold.

The Very Best of Prince is one of four of the late music icons albums in the Top 10. As News Corp notes, Princes sudden death meant record stores did not have enough of his albums in stock to meet demand and sold out of CDs and vinyls almost immediately.

As a result, most of the sales were digital, though nothing to scoff at, as various labels rush to press new units of the musicians discography. The Hits/The B-sides is currently at No. 4 with 4,328 sales, Purple Rain sits at No. 5 (4,130 sales), and Ultimate Prince is at No. 6 (3,688 sales).

A similar phenomenon occurred following the passing of David Bowie. He had 13 albums in the Top 50 the week after his death (equal to Michael Jacksons following his death in 2009) and set an ARIA chart record when he had 17 albums in the Top 100.
As music fanatics, theres one thing we love almost as much as the live experience, and thats a compelling music documentary.

Every so often we scour the internet to piece together a nice shortlist of music inspired docos that you can watch at home, whether it be a focus on up-and-coming artists, the story of the greatest names in music, industry focused pieces or just oddities of musicians, we strive to provide you with something interesting that you may not have seen before.

In saying that, weve got more brilliant docos we think youre really going to dig, so kick back, relax, and enjoy some top-tier music edutainment from the comfort of your desktop unless of course youre at work, in which case bookmark and watch later at your leisure.

NY77: The Coolest year In Hell (2007)

1977 is perhaps the single most pivotal year in all of modern music history. NY77 is a look at this tenuous time in american history with the musicians that brought New York City back to life.

At the time New York City was falling apart. The job market was non-existent, police were corrupt, no one had any money and gangs, looting, drugs and serial killers controlled the streets. At the time at a time when the only positive thing people had was music this boiling pot of social chaos catalysed the development of new musical movements; Disco, Hip-Hop and Punk Rock.

PLGRM: The Busker (2015)

Turns out you can be the victim of a one hit wonder. At the height of his powers Greg Cookey Cook was the guitarist for the extremely successful rock band The Mixtures.

As progenitors of the international number 1 single The Pushbike Song Cookey enjoyed short lived super stardom. Multiple international tours later the bands song hit number 2 before they were dropped from the label and payed out for future royalties. Years later this doco interrogates the effect hard drugs and astronomical super stardom have on a person, the hardships and resounding appreciation for a life well lived.

Hip Hop in the Holy Land (2015)

Released episodically late last year this full length doco is somewhat of an enigma. A unique mix of global politics and musical history it interrogates the social, political and religious tensions in Israel and Palestine through the lens of its local hip-hop scenes.

Through this lens we see a complex series of issues, completely intertwined with the local music culture. The film opens with a segment on Tamer Nafar, godfather of Palestinian hip-hop and founder of the group DAM, talking about the lack of democracy in his ghetto, run by the Israeli government.This is immediately contrasted against the work of ultra-othodox Jew Ohad Cohen, rapping from a religious perspective, honouring God and helping holiness with his music.

Not just an engaging look at the politics of a contentious part of the world, but also at a fully developed musical culture with a history that very few Australians are intimately familiar with.

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Winning 2012s Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Searching for Sugarman caries with it a lot of weight. Not just a great doco about music but a great film, it chronicles the search of two South Africans looking for their mysterious rock and roll hero.

70s rock star Sixto Rodriguez failed to garner much success in his home country of the US. After a short career he was dropped from his label and seeming forgotten by all, he was even rumoured to have committed suicide on stage in front of fans.

He wasnt aware that he had garnered such a cult following in South Africa, and it was not until two of his biggest fans attempted to track down his legacy did his music get the recognition it deserved.

The Distortion of Sound (2014)

For those more interested in the technical developments of modern music The Distortion of Sound analyses the effect of modern technology on music consumption, specifically the decline of sound quality.

Compressed music, MP3s and streaming, have diminished the quality and flattened the emotion. Marketing gimmicks and convenience now take the place of excellence.

With cameos and interviews with international music personalities like Steve Aoki, Slash and Snoop Dogg this passionate love-letter to song writing pines for the return of a quality listening experience, inspiring audiences to look for a better way to consume music.

Punk Rock vs Sharia Law (2014)

Not for the faint of heart this doco features a super intense look under the hood of Indonesias only Sharia province, where recently 65 punk rockers were detained in an Islamic moral training camp for mental conditioning.

Indonesia has one of the worlds richest punk scenes. It is a government that has historically raised children to be non-critical, which has afforded todays disaffected Indonesian youth opportunity to revolt against social conventions and strict family values.

However Indonesia is also one of the worlds largest Islamic nations, with religious fundamentalists and zealots taking every opportunity to persecute rebellious youth for their individuality.

Public Enemy: Prophets of Rage (2011)

After the success of last years biopic Straight Outta Compton its only fitting that we revisit another early rap staple, Public Enemy.

This slightly dated BBC documentary takes a thorough look at the rise and continued popularity of the infamous militant rap group, preaching pro-black politics in a predominately white musical landscape with unfettered aggression.

Explore the ways that their unparalleled rise to power has influenced the sound of modern rap and hip-hop, shifting the focus of a generation to the black suburban struggle.

Breaking the Sound Barrier

What does it take to be a successful band in Australias current music scene? Can you make a living on passion alone? Is Triple J airplay all its cracked up to be?

Being an Australian musician is hard work, there is a lot more at play in our local music communities that many of us know nothing about. Many of our most prominent acts have their own unique way of approaching music production, recording and touring as well as a philosophy on what it really means to be a musician.

Produced earlier this year by Melbourne music photographer Yana Amur this mini doco captures the inner working of several Melbourne bands, attempting to answer the question what makes our favourite bands tick?
THIS AFTERNOON KANSAS CITY MAYOR SLY ADMITS THAT HE'S GOING TO WAIT ON THE AIRPORT FOR NOW!!!

CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT PETITIONER DAN COFFEY CALLED IT!!! MASSIVE VOTER OPPOSITION AND HORRIBLE POLLING IS THE REASON BEHIND THE TACIT ADMISSION OF DEFEAT FROM MAYOR SLY!!!

A statement Mr. Coffey is optimistic and right on the money: "This is a strong indication that, at the end of the day, the real power is with the people. When we first launched our voter petition in order to guarantee that the public would be allowed to vote on this issue, there were times when I doubted that elected officials would let us have our say. But this announcement is a great sign that if people speak up, vote, and talk about the issues that are important to them . . . They can impact the process and create change."

THE BEHIND THE SCENES ON THIS THING IS THAT ROBO-CALL POLLING DATA REVEALED WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION FROM KANSAS CITY RESIDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE!!!

scheme

The mayor is walking into a press conference right now but our blog community already knows what he's gonna say . . .Two for Tuesday . . .Quick talk with Mr. Coffey in order to get his thoughts on this one.More deets . . .Word is the phone poll was something like 15 minutes long so the people who did bother to answer the questions were obviously pissed.More . . .Mayor Sly is talking a good game about howbut there's no way around the fact that the opposition to thiswas simply too great, the proponents far too arrogant and deets were far too scant.You decide . . .Links following TKC:Developing . . .
TONIGHT LET'S WARN OUR BLOG COMMUNITY ABOUT THE TOP CONSEQUENCES OF UPCOMING POLICE CUTS!!!

OFFICER CUTS = LONG RESPONSE TIMES

NORTHLAND RISING CRIME CONCERN

amid consistently violent Kansas City weekends, officers/resources are often shifted and the Northland is left virtually unguarded.

BIGGER KANSAS CITY CASE BACKUP

Not so long ago, when City Hall was attempting to pass the earnings tax, there was the argument thatNow, after the tax won in a landslide victory . . .Accordingly . . .Like it or not the reduction in force will have an impact and here's a preview of what's to come . . .This trend in the face of lower budget is neither hype nor a scare tactic but a warning from people who know better than bloggers, pundits or columnists:For years, staffing across the bridge has been a concern and fewer officers overall don't make things better . . . For those who don't understand the situation let's not forget thatFor those who advocate women's rights but aren't concerned about public resources or taxpayer accountability . . . Here's a bit of info. This story trended recently and it's worth revisiting:Again, fewer resources aren't going to help the situation.. . . Now, that the cuts are underway, Kansas City should help prepare for the consequences.Developing . . .
Ankara will no longer require a visa for Greek Cypriots who wish to visit Turkey

In a decision that analysts call historical, Ankara will no longer require a visa for Greek Cypriots who wish to visit Turkey.

The visa liberalization does not amount to Turkish recognition of Cyprus, a Turkish official told Reuters on Tuesday.

The visa waiving for Greek Cypriots who want to visit Turkey is tied to the recent European Union-Turkey agreement on stemming migrant flows. As part of Ankaras demands, the EU will relax visa requirements for Turkish citizens who wish to visit Europe.

According to Reuters, Turkeys cabinet has approved waiving visas for EU citizens once Europe relaxes its own visa requirements for Turks, The decision is published in Turkeys Official Gazette.

Visa liberalization for Greek Cypriots is one of the 72 criteria required by Brussels for Turkey to win visa waiving for Turks.

Recognition of Cyprus

One of the biggest obstacles in Turkeys accession to the EU is Ankaras refusal to recognize Cyprus. However, Cyprus has international recognition, while the islands north part that is occupied by the Turks since 1974 is recognized only by Ankara.

According to the Reuters report, the Turkish official confirmed Ankaras relaxation of visa requirements for EU citizens would also apply to Greek Cypriots.

This doesnt mean the recognition of Cyprus. If the EU abolishes visas for Turkish citizens, then we will also abolish visas for the remaining EU countries, the official said.

Right now, Greek Cypriots can already travel to Turkey, but we are issuing their visa on a separate paper. With this new arrangement they wont need a visa, he added.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Asimina Arvanitaki wants to explain the universe.

The Greek-born theoretical physicists goal will be a lot easier now that shes received an $8-million research chair at the Perimeter Institute, which was established in 1999 and is considered the most advanced research centre in theoretical physics in the world.

Arvanitaki was named the inaugural Stavros Niarchos Foundation Aristarchus Chair in Theoretical Physics at the Waterloo, Ont.-based centre.

Shell spend her five-year term, jointly funded by the Perimeter Institute and the Greek-based Stavros Niarchos Foundation, furthering her own cutting-edge work and contributing to education and training for young people in Greece. Arvanitaki is a young superstar, on the cutting edge of research in supersymmetry, dark matter, and extra dimensions.

Shes also the first female research chair at the Perimeter Institute and, after today, one of the best-funded academics in Canada. Neil Turok, the famous Director at the Institute says Asimina is an excellent and unusual physicist as her ideas bridge the theoretical aspect of physics with by experimenting with new and creative ways.

She has a rare talent, which is necessary today more than ever, as we are on the threshold of revolutionary advances, he says.

Turok says Arvanitaki will have the chance to make new discoveries thanks to the funding by the Niarchos Foundation. Arvanitakis graduated from Athens University, before receiving her he doctoral from Stanford University, where she conducted research at the Institute for Theoretical Physics along with another Greek physicist Savvas Dimopoulos.

She focuses her research on a new type of theoretical physics called precision frontier which involves taking highly precise measurements of tiny differences in particles and particle interactions.

Source: Macleans.ca

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday urged the eurozone to swiftly close talks on fresh reform measures from debt-hit Greece

European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday urged the eurozone to swiftly close talks on fresh reform measures from debt-hit Greece, saying it would help global economic stability.

I urge finance ministers to reach an agreement very soon, Tusk told reporters as he entered talks in Brussels with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.

And I hope that by the end of May when we meet at the G7 summit the implementation of Greeces program is positively assessed. I want to encourage all the ministers and institutions to redouble their efforts in finalizing the review.

We need to make sure that Europe contributes to stability rather than global instability. We should do all in our power to dispel uncertainties, Tusk added.

There is no doubt that a successful completion of the ongoing review of Greeces program would strengthen confidence.

Source: AFP

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) have partnered to facilitate co-operation and the exchange of regulatory information the development of financial institutions in both jurisdictions.



The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by SHANG Fulin, chairman of CBRC and Richard Teng, chief executive officer, Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRSA) of ADGM.



This MoU is FSRAs first with an Asian regulator and represents the importance placed by ADGM on maintaining a strong relationship with China. This partnership marks a new milestone for Abu Dhabis financial industry and ADGM as the new international financial centre in the UAE.



The agreement provides a framework for FSRA and CBRC to render mutual assistance, exchange of relevant regulatory information, co-operate in the supervision and oversight of the compliance of financial institutions with applicable banking laws and regulations. Both authorities will also be able to leverage the MOU to explore and launch mutually beneficial initiatives such as joint training and technical assistance to strengthen the high regulatory standards and practice in their respective jurisdictions.



After the MOU signing, Shang and Teng met to discuss ongoing initiatives by Chinese banks and financial institutions with ADGM. They also discussed areas of cooperation including joint efforts and initiatives to support the aspirations of both Chinese and UAE banks and financial institutions to engage in cross-border activities and business expansion.



The signing of this MOU also lays a strong foundation for further economic and financial cooperation between China and Abu Dhabi and comes after the inclusion of UAE in the RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) quota of 50 billion yuan ($7.5 billion) aimed at promoting bilateral trade and investment.



With Chinas strategic One Belt and One Road initiative, Chinese financial institutions, and stakeholders are increasingly expanding their investment, trade and economic engagement in the Middle East and Africa, said Teng.



As the International Financial Center of Abu Dhabi, ADGM is committed to play its role as a strategic and economic partner for Chinese stakeholders in advancing their commercial aspirations in this region. Similarly, ADGM supports its local stakeholders in their aspirations to expand their engagement with China. We look forward to building a long-term and meaningful relationship with the China Banking Regulatory Commission and support Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The office market in Dubai, UAE, continues to see strong demand for good quality, efficient, and well located accommodations, resulting in declining vacancy rates in key sub-markets, according to global real estate consultancy firm CBRE.



In Tecom and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), demand is currently outstripping supply, encouraging a new wave of development starts. This includes the highly anticipated ICD Brookfield Place at the DIFC which will comprise around 1.1 million sq ft of Grade A offices and high quality retail, stated CBRE in its 'Q1 2016 Dubai MarketView' report.



There has also been sustained demand for new free zone licences, with DMCC currently experiencing positive take-up rates, driven by demand for smaller offices spaces from start-ups and SMEs, it stated.



Mat Green, the head of research and consulting for CBRE Middle East, said: "Overall, the availability of good quality single-held offices remains tight, with a surge in pre-leasing activity over the last 24 months stripping a large portion of the recently delivered and upcoming office space from the market before completion."



"Around 800,000 sq m of new office space is expected to be completed over the next three years, with the majority to be located within the Business Bay masterplan, which will contribute roughly 25 per cent of the total - a further 10 per cent is anticipated from Dubai Trade Centre District," he noted.



According to Green, the average prime CBD (central business district) office rentals saw some marginal growth during the quarter with rates rising to Dh1,916 ($521) per sq m annually, thus reflecting the sustained demand for well-located and good quality office products.



The CBRE report pointed out that Dubais residential rental market has started to show more widespread deflationary trends, with average rentals declining by around two per cent during the quarter.



Residential properties have faced sliding rates across virtually all locations, reflecting the negative impact of new supply on the market and slowing new job growth caused by ongoing economic challenges in the region.



As has been the trend in recent quarters, prime locations have experienced some of the most pronounced declines, with Downtown Dubai in particular witnessing a notable dip in rentals during the first quarter," remarked Green.



"However, we have also seen deflationary pressures creeping into some of the more affordable leasehold locations, including Al Barsha, Oud Metha and Bur Dubai, whist freehold sub-markets such as International City have also suffered more market downturns in performance," he said.



"Average residential sales prices have also continued to fall, with a further drop of around two per cent recorded quarter on quarter, after a four per cent decline during the final quarter of 2015," he noted.



This broadly reflects current sentiment, with weaker investor demand, US dollar strength, and sustained economic challenges regionally and globally, combining to create an uncertain transactional market environment, added Green.



According to data from the Dubai Land Department (DLD), total real estate transactions were recorded at around $15 billion during the first quarter of 2016, delivered through 12,568 transactions.



This comprised 8,440 sales transactions with a value of $5.8 billion, with mortgages accounting for 3,213 transactions with a total value of $6.7 billion. A further undefined 915 transactions with a total value of $2.2 billion were also recorded.



The CBRE report once again had Dubai Marina on top of the list as the most prolific sub-market for sales, followed by Burj Khalifa and Business Bay. In terms of mortgages transactions, Dubai Marina was again first, followed by Muaisem 1 and Business Bay.



Based on recent construction updates, close to 15,000 new residential units could complete during the course of 2016, with the majority of these properties from secondary locations such as Dubailand (35 per cent), Dubai Silicon Oasis (20 per cent) and Jumeirah Village (six per cent).



In terms of new supply from the more established sub-markets, Dubai Marina is likely to see the highest allocation, with around eight per cent of the total new units, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Senior executives from Italys La Spezia Container Terminal are set to return to Asia to highlight its La Spezia Homeport as the gateway to Italy and the markets of South and Central Europe in key East Asian cargo hubs.



The events in China and South Korea in May follow on from a highly successful tour of key supply chain hubs by the operator in Greater China and Singapore last year, said a statement from the terminal, owned by Contship Italia Group.



A report by Drewry, a best-route market study for containerised imports to South Germany, last month confirmed that La Spezia Homeport provided the best average transit times for maritime cargo on the Shanghai-Mediterranean route, with just 27 days for 2M, O3 and CKYHE alliances, it said.



The scheduled arrival of the Hanjn Buddha on May 8 will provide further impetus with an improved transit time of just 25 days from Shanghai to Italian markets, it added.



The purpose of the visit in May, which will include by-invitation presentation and networking events for top supply chain professionals in Ningbo and Qingdao on May 10 and 11, and in Seoul on May 12, is to engage with logistics providers, freight forwarders and manufacturers and raise awareness of the benefits of La Spezia Homeport as Asias premier cargo gateway to Italy and Southern and Central Europe, it said.



Michael Cashman, commercial director of Contship Italia Group Maritime Terminals, said: We emerged from last years successful tour, which took in Singapore, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Shanghai, with a deeper understanding of the needs and requirements of the supply chain in those areas, and we will add new material and raise new questions with participants.



We now head to Ningbo, Qingdao and Seoul to introduce the alternative route and efficient end-to-end options we provide for Asia-Italy and South Europe cargo, he said.



Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello, president of Contship Italia, which operates six container terminals in the Mediterranean, will again lead the delegation.



She said: Last year, we engaged with Asias shippers and pipeline seniors about our uniquely expedient, privately owned intermodal connections for turnaround and onward movement of cargo into Italy and beyond.



That was stage one. Now we return for stage two, in other principal areas of cargo concentration, to continue what we started, as we promised we would. she confirmed.



Contship is promoting La Spezia Container Terminal as the premier gateway to Italy and South and Central Europe to leading players in Asias supply chain sector, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has facilitated the participation of leading companies from the UAE, Jordan, and Tunisia at the ongoing Sao Paulo Supermarkets Association Fair (Apas Fair) in Brazil.



The event which kicked off on May 2, will run until May 5, at the Expo Center Norte, Sao Paulo.



The participating companies are showcasing their products at the ABCC stand, which span 98 sq m at the expos white pavilion, said a statement from ABCC.



The stand showcases a wide variety of commodities from various companies to give a sample of popular Arabic products. Three Tunisian companies are represented as well as the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency (Apia), it added.



Delegates from eight Jordanian companies are also present at the stand, while a liaison officer from Dubai Exports, the emirates export promotion agency, are representing 15 local companies, it said.



The companies participation is primarily aimed at showcasing their products and specialties in Brazil such as olive oil, dates and spices to throw the spotlight on best-selling products across the region and attract potential buyers, further added the statement.



In addition, the Arab enterprises will be selling items such as chocolates, rice, cakes, candy, beverages and camels milk. They will also offer plastics for packaging, air conditioning systems, and perfumes, it said.



The import of olive oil from Arab countries by Brazilian companies has increased more than 600 per cent in 2014 to 2015, according to statistics from the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC) and ABCC. The country that exported the most olive oil to Brazil was Tunisia. In 2014, the country sold $104,000 for Brazil. In 2015, that figure jumped to $1 million, it stated.



As part of the delegations programme of activities during their visit to Brazil, the Arab executives will also visit to a cereal wholesale hub near Sao Paulos Municipal Market to talk business with olive oil and date importers. Participating Jordanian companies will also look for potential suppliers and partners in line with their efforts to import goods and products in the near future, it said.



Dr Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO, Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: We are excited to participate in the 2016 edition of the Apas Fair which is one of the leading export and import platforms.



The fair is widely sought after and drew 138 international exhibitors and welcomed 494 foreign visitors from 56 different countries in 2015. We are optimistic that this years event will be even more successful, he said.



The ABCC will be at their disposal to act as a bridge between exporters and importers and we believe this is an important part of our active efforts to further cultivate ties between the two countries, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
A top-flight delegation led by Ithraa, Omans inward investment and export development agency, will head for Paris, France, next week to conduct a three-day Invest in Oman Roadshow.



The senior delegation, building on existing strong trade and investment ties, will comprise some of the sultanates largest and most influential business organisations, including: Special Economic Zone Authority Duqm (Sezad); Oman Air; Oman Aquaculture Development Company; Oman Rail, said a statement from Ithraa.



Sayyid Faisal Al Said, director general of investment promotion at Ithraa, said: In addition to strengthening existing Oman-France trade and investment ties we have identified strong prospects in tourism, logistics, food and beverage manufacturing and fisheries that we intend to home in on.



We are delighted to be working in partnership with so many important trade and investment stakeholders. Combined, we are in a top position to boost awareness of Omans business offer in France and highlight the wealth of opportunities on offer in key sectors in the sultanate, he said.



Today, Oman is a major economy within the GCC region with a great talent pool and more affordable than many other countries in the region. It is the perfect location for French companies looking to penetrate the growing markets of the Gulf, Asia and Africa. Indeed, recent developments such as Muscat International Airport, Duqm Port, Oman Rail, Al Mouj Muscat, Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre and Madinat Al Irfan all have significant international appeal.



We have found on recent trade missions that European investors are intrigued by the business story Oman has to tell. We have the stability, infrastructure, opportunities, talent and logistics connections French businesses are looking for. We are most definitely in an interesting and strong position, Al Said concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
Iran has enlisted Korea Gas Corporation (Kogas) to engineer and launch Iran's 9th and 11th cross-country pipeline project, based on an agreement signed with National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), a report said.



The memorandum of understanding (MoU) extends to other areas for cooperation including mini-LNG, LNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) plants as well as research and development (R&D), Azizollah Ramezani, NIGC's director for international affairs was quoted as saying in the Iran Daily report, which cited Shana.



The Iran-Oman undersea gas pipeline was also included in the NIGC-Kogas cooperation agreement, he added.



The MoU will be valid for one year and could be extended, he noted.
Ibrahim Al Sharif has been appointed as the new executive chef at the InterContinental Jordan, a leading five star hotel in the country.



A Jordanian national, Al Sharif's career span of 15 years has seen him working across many leading brands in Jordan and various other countries including IHG sister hotels Crowne Plaza Amman and Crowne Plaza Hotel Kuwait.



"I am looking forward to working hand in hand with the InterContinental Jordan team to continue the hotels winning journey and bring about more success and achievements," Al Sharif said. - TradeArabia News Service
Dur Hospitality will be developing the first Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott properties in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia following the signing of a franchise agreement with Marriott International during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai.



The SAR87 million ($23.1 million) project, which will be developed on a 7,647-sq-m of land, will be Marriott Internationals first franchise agreement in the kingdom.



Dr Badr Al Badr , CEO Dur Hospitality, said: We value our relationship with Marriott International and constantly seek opportunities to take it to the next level and this comes in line with our fruitful strategy that recognises the importance of building strategic partnerships with International Hotel Operators. As a leading hospitality company that has been operating in the Saudi market for over 40 years, we are participating in AHIC to share our extended hotel operation experience in the Saudi Market with regional and international companies.



Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East & Africa, for Marriott International, said: We are extremely proud to build on our long-standing partnership with Dur Hospitality in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is one of our key markets both for existing hotels as well as a very strong pipeline of more properties to come in more parts of the kingdom over the next five years. We hope that under this agreement we will work on other cities and sites around the kingdom. Our being here for all these years is due to the continuous support we have received from our partners Dur Hospitality, and the Saudi Arabian government. - TradeArabia News Service


In a drive to improve the passenger experience and deliver increased flexibility to its airlines, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) will this year introduce Sitas self-service check-in kiosks across Bahrain International Airport.



Sita will install and manage six new AirportConnect S4 Kiosks at the airport, with four kiosks to be introduced in the economy check-in area and two in the first and business class check-in area. The new S4 kiosks provide a vastly improved passenger experience with large 19-inch multi-touch screens.



Along with the new kiosks, Sita will provide its AirportHub shared connectivity platform, enabling airlines to migrate their back offices from legacy or direct connections systems to a cloud-based communication link.



Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, chief executive officer of BAC said: This project is the first step towards the companys vision of implementing Iata Fast Travel Initiative which will significantly enhance the passenger experience at Bahrain International Airport. This initiative will offer benefits of self-service check-in to passengers to facilitate the passenger journey.



Hani El-Assaad, Sita president, Middle East, India and Africa said: Kiosks have proven to be an extremely versatile interface for a wide range of airport functions and services. Having worked with airlines, airports and governments around the globe has allowed us to develop kiosk products across all touch points in the airport journey and Sita has already delivered more than 10,000 kiosks to airports and airlines globally. - TradeArabia News Service


An exciting showcase of lights and colours await tourists and residents as the first Bahrain Light Festival opens at the Al Fateh Corniche in Manama on May 5.



The festival, being organised as part of 'Manama Gulf Capital of Tourism 2016' calendar of events by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), will introduce the latest innovations in lighting by international contemporary artists.



The outdoor festival, which will run till May 9, will include technical artistic dynamics in addition to remarkable artistic performances.



The walkways of the corniche will be decorated with light installations that will transform the corniche and the capital Manama into a beautiful light haven. An outdoor theatre will also be set up to host live light shows presented by international artists, said a statement.



Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, chief executive officer of BTEA, said: Bahrain Light Festival is considered to be a distinctive event which was never hosted before in the kingdom. We expect a high demand for this upcoming event from different audiences, as it is suitable for all age groups. We also hope that this event will reflect a new aspect to Bahrain and boost attractions for tourists coming to the kingdom to participate in various events held throughout the year, he added.



The festival will run daily between 6pm and 11pm from May 5 to 9. - TradeArabia News Service


Resort Travel & Xchanges Justin Hunter Elected to CRDAs Board of Directors



(TRAVPR.COM) USA - May 2nd, 2016 - Resort Travel & Xchange, a premier vacation exchange company, announced that its Vice President of Operations Justin Hunter has been elected as a member of the Canadian Resort Development Associations (CRDA) Board of Directors for the 2016 term.

Justin Hunter, Vice President of Operations, Resort Travel & Xchange (RTX): Currently, his primary role consists of overseeing all operations for RTX at both their Asheville and Orlando locations. Hunter brings over nine years of timeshare industry expertise to CRDA. His well-rounded background includes experience working in the following departments: owner services, finance, and club management. He has served on ten different boards of directors for various timeshare properties holding many different positions as well as serving on the board of directors for multiple timeshare programs. Prior to entering the timeshare industry, Justin attended Marshall University where he earned bachelors degree in business administration.

Its an honor to serve on the CRDA board. This organization has a positive impact on the entire timeshare and vacation ownership industry, and is beneficial for companies like RTX as well as our peers and timeshare owners. I look forward to making meaningful contributions to CRDA as a board member, said Hunter.

Hunter joins 12 other industry trailblazers on CRDAs elite team of Board of Directors. CRDA is an industry-based business association to advancing vacation ownership all across the world.The CRC is an annual opportunity for association members and non-members to further their understanding of vacation ownership and the resort world.

With three levels of membership to choose from, RTX members may exchange their timeshare ownership (fixed week, float week, or points), giving them access to a host of fresh and exciting new destinations. The companys popular vacation exchange platform offers low exchange fees, up to a 4-year deposit window, and a world of perks that include hotel, air, car, getaways, restaurants, airport lounge membership, exclusive club publications, a VIP concierge line, and more.

For more information about RTX, visit www.rtx.travel.

For more information about CRDA, visit www.crda.com

About RTX

Resort Travel & Xchange (RTX) is a timeshare and vacation ownership exchange company based in Asheville, N.C. RTX works with a number of resorts and developers throughout the world to provide the best exchange options possible to its members. In addition to exchange services, RTX offers numerous travel benefits to members, such as reservation protection, rebates, travel discounts and more. RTX has approximately 80,000 members.

About CRDA

CRDA is an industry-based association that is dedicated to furthering the vacation ownership resort and leisure industries. It was founded over 30 years ago in response to the publics demand for reliable information about timeshare products. Focus has since broadened to all aspect of shared ownership. For more information visit www.crda.com

About LaTour Hotels & Resorts

LaTour Hotels and Resorts provides superior management services to luxury fractional ownership properties throughout the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela, with upcoming expansion plans throughout South America, Europe and Asia. The companys goal is to transform the ownership experience through superior service, distinctive amenities, imaginative activities, and an obsessive attention to detail. Exclusively targeting the most discerning buyers and staffed with highly-trained and highly-motivated personnel, LaTour properties will deliver ownership experiences that vastly exceed all expectations.

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Earlier this month, Swaziland Tourism Authority (STA) ran their official launch of the Luphohlo Recreational Park, and its handing over to various communities in Siphocosini on Saturday April 16, 2016.



(TRAVPR.COM) UK - May 3rd, 2016 - Earlier this month, Swaziland Tourism Authority (STA) ran their official launch of the Luphohlo Recreational Park, and its handing over to various communities in Siphocosini on Saturday April 16, 2016.

The scenic park is strategically located along the northern bank of Luphohlo Dam, and provides excellent view of the dam and mountain ranges beyond. The park, which has already been fenced, has ablution facilities as well as several sitting bays built by STA. Also, a shop that will hire out or sell fishing equipment has also been built at the site.

In an interview on site, while overseeing the final touch ups in preparation for the official opening ceremony presided by the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Jabulani Mabuza; STA CEO Eric Maseko said the new venture will have enormous spin-offs for Siphocosini communities.

This new venture will significantly address current socio-economic problems faced by Siphocosini community. Some of these, and which are generally inherent with many other communities, include the prevalence of HIV, high unemployment, income inequality, and poverty, said Maseko.

Maseko said the launch of this community-tourism project will create and increase employment opportunities in the community. He said appropriate frameworks that will guide efforts to gender equality and increase opportunities for women and girls empowerment will also be put in place.

This community-run venture will create and expand occupational activities for the youth to encourage positive behavior change in the community, and will also empower arts and craft groups from the area, as we anticipate massive traffic to the area, said Maseko.

People from surrounding areas, such as Mbabane, as well as from other places, for a long time, have yearned for a scenic leisure place that was away but not far from the urban area, hence the Luphohlo Recreation Park is likely to be an instant hit, said Maseko.

The community approached Maseko about two years ago to assist in the project. The organisation started building facilities last year, and has officially handed over the running of the place to a trust set up by the community.

As much as we funded the project, the local youth also volunteered their time and assisted in the clearing of the land and erecting of the fence, and we are humbled to see such commitment, said Maseko.

There were a variety of activities that took place as part of the official launch including fishing, a swimming competition by members of the Swaziland Swimming Association, water games for the public, kiddies games, among others. Maseko encouraged members of the community as well as leisure seekers from surrounding areas and cities to attend the event, and witness the birth of a new leisure hotspot in the country.

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Saving old buildings is unfashionable these days; economists and writers think that we are all nostalgists and NIMBYs who are preventing the development that is needed to make housing affordable and keep cities from ossifying. Jane Jacobs is also being reassessed by those who consider her the patron saint of NIMBYs.

But a new study from the Preservation Green Lab, the Atlas of ReUrbanism, demonstrates once again that in most cases, the opposite is true; that cities with older, smaller buildings actually have higher density, more diversity, a greater number of small businesses and lots more entrepreneurial activity. And yes, they even have more affordable housing. It actually confirms Jane Jacobs dictum that "Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings."

As was demonstrated in the recent American election, it is one thing to view the world from New York City or San Francisco, but it is a very different thing in the rest of America. The Atlas of Reurbanism mapped fifty cities on a fine-grained grid and came up with findings that would make Jane Jacobs proud. It builds on the work of the Preservation Green Lab in their earlier study, Older, Smaller, Better.

Old Architecture Creates Character

One of the key items that the Atlas measures is character. They recognize that preserving old buildings isnt about A buildings that everybody loves and considers "historic" , but those everyday B and C buildings that are the backdrop.

Blocks of older, smaller, mixed-age buildings add character and charm to cities, but these areas are far more than quaint relics. High Character Score areas provide a foundation for strong local businesses, innovative startups, and mom-and-pop small businesses. Whereas large, new buildings sometimes provide space for major employers, older blocks with more modest, unassuming buildings contain economic development engines of their own. For example, every Starbucks, Boeing, or Microsoft had to start somewhere, and in each of these cases, older, smaller buildings provided the launching ground.

And indeed, they found that there were 46 percent more jobs in small business in areas with high character.

Atlas of ReUrbanism/Screen capture

Older Is More Affordable

Its not always the best housing on top of the store, but it is often a place to start.

High Character Score neighborhoods also have higher percentages and counts of affordable units of rental housing. In many cities in the Atlas, there is twice the number of affordable housing units on blocks with older, smaller, mixed-age buildings. Economists and housing experts refer to a process of of filtering, in which older stock serves as unsubsidized, naturally affordable housing. This report shows clear evidence of just how important older housing is.



It is also really dense, housing a lot of people. As we have pointed out many times on TreeHugger, you dont have to go tall to get dense. The study confirms it.

Too often, however, density is associated only with building size and height. While some cities have areas where lots of people live in tall buildings, the densest neighborhoods overall are almost always characterized by blocks of older, smaller, low-rise buildings. Developed before the automobile claimed so much of our urban landscape, these areas have a hidden density that is clearly revealed by the data summarized in this report.



Atlas of ReUrbanism/ Los Angeles/Screen capture

Old Buildings Are Prosperous

As we have seen in cities all over North America, these areas of density and character are where people want to be, at all ages. You can knock everything down and build 40 storey towers like economist Ed Glaeser thinks we should do, but what do you get?

Dense, walkable, active, and architecturally rich neighborhoods are attracting new residents and investment. Older buildings with layers of history and flexible floorplans are attracting companies large and small. The ability of cities to attract and retain talented young workers is closely tied to the presence of character-rich places. The value of these areas points to the benefits of preservation advocacy and policies that support good design.

We have been talking about this for years anecdotally, but these very granular maps provide real data that confirm what Jane wrote in Death and Life of Great American Cities:

[Businesses] that support the cost of new construction must be capable of paying a relatively high overhead. If you look about, you will see that only operations that are well established, high-turnover, standardized or heavily subsidized can afford, commonly, to carry the costs of new construction. Chain stores, chain restaurants and banks go into new construction. But neighborhood bars, foreign restaurants and pawn shops go into older buildings. Supermarkets and shoe stores often go into new buildings; good bookstores and antique dealers seldom do.

It is not so simple as saying that real estate is all about supply and demand, and that if we build more new stuff prices will drop. New stuff is expensive and unaffordable for many of the uses that we are trying to promote, and it often doesnt even increase density or create many more housing units. The data from the atlas clearly show:

We need a mix. We need character. We need old buildings.

The atlas has studied fifty cities; only a few are posted so far but watch for more here.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 2

Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the Punjab Government was committed to the overall growth of farmers. He said water was a big need for the farmers and keeping in view their needs, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had decided to scrap the Satluj-Yamuna Link canal project, which in itself was a historic decision.

While distributing tube-well connections to farmers at a function organised at Nath Di Khuhi village yesterday, he accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of backstabbing farmers over his double standards on the SYL issue. He said farming was no more a profitable occupation because the farmers were not paid proper rates for their crops. He reiterated that a special package for farmers should be given and the Swaminathan Commission report submitted in 2006 should be implemented.

Majithia said to make the farmers debt free, the Punjab Government would soon take firm steps which includes that no one would be able to take possession of farmers land.

He also thanked Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal for allotting 1.25 lakh tube-well connections to farmers and said the government would provide more such facilities to the farmers. He said Punjab was the first state which provided free electricity to farmers for their tube wells. He added that an interest-free loan scheme was started for farmers by the government.
An international tribunal has offered India and Italy a sliver of opportunity to end their differences over two Italian marines charged with killing two Kerala fishermen over four years ago. The two countries have already moved forward by submitting the case for international arbitration. The case will now move to the Indian judiciary, which has been mindful of international sensitivities. It was the misfortune of the marines that they were from Italy. As a result, when the case exploded during the UPA governments tenure, the Congress joined the political one-upmanship battle with the Opposition. It could not afford to be seen as going soft on Italy because the then UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, is an Indian of Italian origin.

The Kerala unit of the Congress found it politically expedient to take a hard line also because of a must-win Assembly byelection at that time. Otherwise, its Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would not have raised the stakes to an extent that the Centre was compelled to reject Italys offer for joint investigations. Since then the case has become so complicated that it took the Modi government over a year to send it for arbitration. The Italians are convinced the two marines from the highly-decorated San Marco Regiment fired the shots in international waters. This means the applicability of the UN rules on the law of the sea, translating into a trial in Italy.

The dissonance led to Italy opposing Indian membership to an elite missile club. In the coming days, China would not have to look for proxies to nix Prime Minister Narendra Modis dream of making India a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group by the year end. The Indian political establishments doublespeak is evident from its silence on the US marines killing Tamil Nadu fishermen off Abu Dhabi. Italy has paid a handsome compensation and the Supreme Court will now evaluate the tribunals conditions for the transfer of the remaining marine (one is already in Italy). It is important for the political class to display level-headedness and allow the judiciary to find a way out of the impasse.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 3

Ahead of the scheduled debate on AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow and the Lok Sabha on Friday, the Congress today queered the pitch alleging a deal between India and Italy behind a UN courts orders yesterday to release Italian marines facing murder charges here at home.

Parallel to the insinuation of the deal, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked the government for deliberately targeting him. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has maintained innocence, saying she was not afraid of anyone and daring the BJP dispensation to complete probe in the case.

The Congress today accused the government of cutting a deal with Italy to release the Italian marines. The partys chief whip in LS Jyotiraditya Scindia stopped short of saying that India weakened its defence in the UN Court of Arbitration to enable relief for marines so a Milan court could pass an adverse order in the Agusta case.

The NDA government is hand-in-glove with Italy in terms of the release of Italian marines. We want to ask the government what was the quid pro quo behind this relief to the marines, Scindia said, recalling a March 21, 2014, tweet by the PM who had then taunted Sonia saying: Sonia ji if you are so patriotic please tell us in which jail of India are the Italian marines lodged.
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 3

A day after UN Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague asked India to allow an incarcerated Italian Marine to go back home pending a case over jurisdiction issues, Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley gave statement in Lok Sabha saying India had jurisdiction over the case.

In February 2012 two Kerala fishermen had lost their lives after two Italian marines  Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone  posted on a merchant vessel had fired at the fishing vessel off the Kerala coast suspecting them to be pirates.

Italy has been arguing that the case should not be heard in India as the incident happened in international waters. However, India has remained confident that the issue of jurisdiction will be determined in their favour.

Jaitley said even if the detained Italian marine returns home as per the UN tribunals orders, he would remain under the Supreme Courts jurisdiction.

" The Italian court has confirmed that the marine  Salvatore Girone  will submit his passport to the Italian government and the court will keep our Supreme Court apprised of the progress they have made every three months."

"The governments position is clear: India has jurisdiction in this case and will pursue the case on behalf of the victims rigorously," Jaitley said.

The Congress protested against Jaitleys stand allowing the release of Salvatore Girone and staged walk from the House out while terming the release a fixed match.

While both the marines were granted bail, Girone has been detained at the Italian embassy in New Delhi since the past four years and Latorre was sent to Italy on bail after he suffered a stroke in 2014.

Jaitley, who at the start of the statement said he was speaking on behalf of his colleague External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, said the Supreme Court must approve the return of an Italian marine to his country while international arbitration plays out in the case accusing him and another marine of fatally shooting two Indian fishermen in 2012.

Instead, it says the tribunal's decision affirms the Indian court's authority in the case and asks both countries to approach the court about Girone's bail terms.

Jaitleys comment comes a day after an international tribunal asked New Delhi and Rome to approach the Supreme Court of India to relax the bail conditions of an Italian marine accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012.
The Hague, May 3

Italy will have to return its marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, in case the court finds Indian jurisdiction over the case, the UN tribunal said today.

"Italy and India shall cooperate, including in proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, to achieve a relaxation of the bail conditions of Sergeant Girone so as to give effect to the concept of considerations of humanity, so that Sergeant Girone, while remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, may return to Italy during the present arbitration," the order said.

Read: India has jurisdiction, says Jaitley



Girone, along with another Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre, is facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast. Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy here. The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN court.

The Arbitral Tribunal confirms Italy's obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case the Arbitral Tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him in respect of the 'Enrica Lexie' incident," the order said.

It further said the Arbitral Tribunal has decided that Italy and India each shall report to it on "compliance with these provisional measures and authorises the president to seek information from the parties if no such report is submitted within three months from the date of this order and thereafter as he may consider appropriate.

Yesterday, Italian Foreign Ministry said the UN tribunal has ruled in favour of Girone by allowing him to leave for Italy while India maintained that the tribunal left it to the Supreme Court to fix the precise conditions of Girone's bail and noted that while the marine may return to Italy during the present arbitration, he would remain under the authority of India's apex court.  PTI
Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Dhakla (Jhajjar), May 3

Nearly a century after a Haryana braveheart laid down his life fighting for the British in Egypt, the soil from the grave of the World War-I hero was brought to his native village today.

Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Om Prakash Dhankar brought the soil from the grave of Risaldar Badlu Ram, a recipient of the Victoria Cross, to Jhajjar this morning amid raising of patriotic slogans by locals.

The soil was later taken to his native village, Dhakla, in a procession. Dhankar laid the foundation stone of the Badlu Ram Memorial as contingents of the Army and police fired a volley of shots into the air.

The minister said an official delegation from the state had gone to Egypt to participate in a seminar on Sustainable farming and water management during climate change. I got a chance to visit a war memorial to Indian soldiers who had sacrificed their lives during World War-I. I feel proud to have brought back a symbol of Badlu Ram from the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo (Egypt), said Dhankar.
Singapore, May 3

Singapore has detained eight radicalised Bangladeshi supporters of the Islamic State terror group for plotting terror attacks back home as part of efforts to overthrow the Bangladeshi government, the Home Ministry here said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the eight men, who were migrant workers in Singapore, were detained in April under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and were members of a secret group called Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB) that was set up in March this year.

The suspects, working in Singapore's construction and marine industries, intended to join ISIS as foreign fighters but "as they felt that it would be difficult for them to make their way to Syria, they focused their plans instead on returning to Bangladesh to overthrow the democratically-elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic state in Bangladesh and bring it under ISIS' self-declared caliphate," the ministry said.

Investigations showed that the group had identified several possible attack targets in Bangladesh.

In a document titled 'We Need for Jihad Fight' recovered from their leader and founder of ISB, Rahman Mizanur (31), there was a list of Bangladeshi government and military officials who could be targeted for attacks, it said.

Rahman as the founder of the group also possessed documents on weapons and bomb making, as well as significant amount of ISIS and al-Qaeda material, which he used to recruit ISB members in Singapore from January this year, the ministry said.

The members had also planned to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore to expand their group and had raised funds to buy firearms to carry out their planned terror attacks in Bangladesh. The ministry said their money has since been seized.

The group posed a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to use violence overseas, the ministry said.

The detained ISB members are still under investigation for their activities in Singapore, the ministry said.

Rahman has said he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS, though there were no specific indications that Singapore had been selected as a target.

Several of the detained persons may also be liable for prosecution for terror financing, the ministry said.

Besides the eight detained, another five Bangladeshi workers in Singapore were also being investigated under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

While investigations showed they were not involved with ISB, they had "possessed and/or proliferated jihadi-related materials or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause". The five were deported to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh police arrested the five suspected Islamist militants after being alerted to their alleged extremist activities by Singapore.  PTI
Beijing: In a bid to attract educated youths to the worlds largest army, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army has released its first rap-style hip-hop music video filled with masculine lyrics and images of advanced weaponry, styling itself on par with the US military. PLA, the world's biggest army with 23 lakh personnel, enjoys the second highest defence budget of over $146 billion, only second to that of America's $534 billion. PTI

Worlds smallest engine developed

London: Scientists have developed the world's tiniest engine  just a few billionths of a metre in size - which is powered by light and may help develop nano-machines that can navigate in water, sense the environment around them, or even enter living cells to fight disease. The prototype device is made of tiny charged particles of gold, bound together with temperature-responsive polymers in the form of a gel. When the 'nano-engine' is heated to a certain temperature with a laser, it stores large amounts of elastic energy in a fraction of a second, as the polymer coatings expel all the water from the gel and collapse. PTI

UKs phone boxes to be turned into mini-offices

New York: A former venture capitalist is planning to restore the former glory of Britains famous red telephone boxes by turning some of them into mini-offices for on-the-go workers. Jonathan Black, chief executive of New York City-based Bar Works Inc, said his company was refitting phone booths in five British cities with 25-inch screens, scanners, printers, a wireless mouse and WiFi connection  as well as free coffee. Though their original purpose has all but disappeared with the advent of mobile phones, the classic red phone box, designed in the 1920s, was voted the greatest British design of all time in a survey last year. reuters

Pentagon celebrates Baisakhi for third year

Washington: The Pentagon has observed the annual Baisakhi festival for the third consecutive year, indicating that the US Defense Department places high value on supporting free exercise of religion of its personnel. We are honoured to celebrate Baisakhi here at the Pentagon, which is not only the birthday of the Sikh religion, but also the day that Guru Gobind Singh set us on the path to be Sikh soldiers and warriors," said Major Kamal Kalsi, one of the few Sikhs who have been allowed to serve in the US armed forces with his religious symbols intact. Petty Officer Guldeep Kaur Sindhu, who has served on active duty on the US Navy for six years, was the main speaker. PTI
Ankara, May 3

Turkey has agreed to abolish visa restrictions for all European Union citizens, including Greek Cypriots, passing one of the last remaining hurdles for it to secure visa-free access to Europe for its own nationals.

The Turkish cabinet on Monday cleared waiving visas for visitors from all 28 EU member states once Europe relaxes its own visa requirements for Turks, according to a decision published in the country's Official Gazette.

Although the visa waiver will apply to Greek Cypriots, a Turkish official told Reuters it did not amount to Turkish recognition of Cyprus.

Liberalising visa rules for Turkey is a contentious issue among EU states, but Brussels is pushing ahead to keep a migration accord in place that should help ease Europe's worst migration crisis since World War Two.

The European Commission is expected to declare on Wednesday that Turkey has broadly met the criteria for visa liberalisation and to ask EU governments and the European Parliament to clear the decision by the end of June.

"With this decree, Turkey has fulfilled one more of the important benchmarks for visa liberalisation," European Commission spokesman Margaritas Schinas told a daily briefing in Brussels.

One of the biggest obstacles in Turkey's ties with the EU is Ankara's refusal to recognise EU member Cyprus, the Mediterranean island divided for four decades between the Turkish-controlled north, recognised only by Ankara, and the Greek Cypriot south, which has international recognition.  Reuters
SEOUL, May 3

North Korea has started welcoming delegates from around the country to its first ruling party congress in 36 years, state media reported on Tuesday, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the event.

The isolated North has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers' Party congress starting in Pyongyang on Friday.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful test this week as a crowning achievement. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress.

"North Korea's goal is to be internationally recognised as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing." At the congress, which foreign media organisations have been invited to cover, Kim is expected to declare his country a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his byongjin policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability.

It follows Kim's father's Songun, or military first, policy and his grandfather's Juche, the North's home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism.

Pyongyang citizens "fervently welcomed participants of the congress who have given all their patriotic passion ... as a new generation of true warriors of Juche revolution under the leadership of dear comrade Kim Jong Un," North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Tuesday.

Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress.

The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance.

The party congress is the first since 1980, before the 33-year-old Kim was born. His father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, never held one.

While some past party congresses featured representatives from countries the North has ties with, South Korean officials have said they were not aware of invitations sent to official foreign guests for the upcoming event.

North Korea has become increasingly isolated over its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and was hit with tightened UN Security Council sanctions in March that were backed by its chief ally, China, in response to a January nuclear test.

Pyongyang has conducted a flurry of missile and other weapons tests in the run-up to the congress, although not all have been successful. It made three attempts last month of what was believed to be its intermediate-range Musudan missile, all of which failed, according to US and South Korean officials.

The congress is expected to last four or five days, South Korean government officials and experts said. Kim may decide to take on the post of party General Secretary, a position held by his late father, elevating himself from first secretary.

"It is now his era, and the elders have passed away, and the idea will be that if he remains first secretary, then he might think he won't get enough respect because of that," said An Chan-il, former North Korean military official who now heads a think tank in Seoul.  Reuters
ISLAMABAD, May 2

Pakistan angrily criticised Donald Trump, frontrunner for the US Republican presidential nomination, for saying he would force the country to free a jailed Pakistani doctor believed to have helped the CIA hunt down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Trump, a 69-year-old billionaire real estate developer, told Fox News on Friday that, if elected, he would get Pakistan to free Shakil Afridi "in two minutes", saying that Islamabad receives a lot of development aid from the United States.

"Contrary to Mr. Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America," Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said in a statement on Monday.

The statement said Afridi's fate would be decided "by the Pakistani courts and the government of Pakistan and not by Mr. Donald Trump, even if he becomes the president of the United States".

The statement came on the fifth anniversary of the killing of bin Laden  architect of the September 11, 2001 attacks on US cities  during a secret raid in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad that damaged relations between the strategic allies.

Washington views Afridi as a hero but Pakistan sentenced him in 2012 to 33 years in jail on charges of belonging to militant group Lashkar-e-Islam, which he denies. That sentence was overturned and Afridi is now awaiting trial on another charge.

Trump has alarmed US allies with his combative rhetoric and his calls for an "America First" agenda that many see as a threat to retreat from the world.

In his comments about Pakistan and Afridi for Fox News, Trump said: "I would tell them let (him) out and I'm sure they would let (him) out. Because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan." Afridi has also been accused in Pakistan of running a fake vaccination campaign in which he purportedly collected DNA samples to help the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) track down bin Laden. He has not been charged over those allegations.

After his original conviction was overturned, he was charged in 2013 with murder relating to the death of a patient eight years earlier. He remains in jail.

In the Fox interview Trump also said he supported leaving the roughly 10,000 US troops still based in Afghanistan instead of withdrawing them by the end of 2017.

"I would stay in Afghanistan," he said. "It's probably the one place we should have gone in the Middle East because it's adjacent and right next to Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons." The United States-led the military invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 to oust the Taliban for sheltering bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders following the September 11 attacks.  Reuters
Crowds flock to ancient alley despite ban on tour groups

2016-05-03 10:02

Tourists visit Nanluoguxiang as drizzle falls in Beijing on Monday.[Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]

Nanluoguxiang, a well-known and popular ancient hutong in Beijing lined with shops, restaurants and bars, was packed with visitors during the May Day holiday despite a recent ban on tour groups in the area.

On Saturday, more than 70,000 visitors flocked to the 787-meter-long, 8-meter-wide alley that has eight narrower and symmetrical alleys on either side, while more than 90,000 visited on Sundaysimilar figures to the same period last year.

Urban patrol officers were sent to entrances to the alleys to ensure the implementation of the new regulation and to direct the crowds, China News Service reported.

The officers initially suggested that tour groups change their plans to visit the 740-year-old alley, but when they insisted on arriving, they split them up into smaller groups and allowed them entry, Beijing Morning Post reported.

To ease congestion, the subway station at the south end of the alley was only used as an exit but not an entrance when the number of visitors surged.

Nanluoguxiang, a famous ancient alleyway in Beijing that is packed with small tourist shops, bars and restaurants, has become a victim of its own success. [File photo]

Despite the huge numbers of people, the crowds flowed smoothly, and no complaints were received about security and service during the weekend, the authorities in Dongcheng District said.

According to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development, an average of more than 30,000 people visit Nanluoguxiang each weekday, with the number rising to 50,000 during weekends. On public holidays, it can reach 100,000.

The China National Tourism Administration said the alley is designed to cope with a maximum of 17,000 people at any one time.

The district authorities decided to introduce the ban on large tour groups last month to reduce the impact of tourists' on local residents and the potential risk posed to historic buildings. The ban took effect on April 25.

Nanluoguxiang's governing body also took the initiative to remove its rating as a National AAA Grade scenic area in the hope of reducing the influx.

Contact the writer at tangyue@chinadaily.com.cn
Carriers next refrigerant will be carbon dioxide, which is very safe as a cooling compound even if environmental authorities blame CO2 for helping cause Climate Change. Photo: Carrier Transicold

Sophistication is an integral part of todays transport refrigeration units. Development over the years has stemmed from creative competition and concern for cargo safety from fleets, shippers and receivers, and more recently from the federal government.

Products from Carrier Transicold and Thermo King, which make most of the TRUs for North America and elsewhere, not only keep perishable commodities at proper temperatures in transit, but also let managers continually record those temps and track the whereabouts of the reefers, and their loads, in real time.

Those abilities are vital to delivering cargoes in the conditions specified by customers, and for adherence to food safety regulations which are becoming a larger part of refrigerated trucking. The recorded data help truck operators answer any questions that might come from people at either end of a shipment and thus settle any issues.

Meanwhile, Carrier and Thermo King say they have steadily updated their equipment to meet federal and California limits on diesel exhaust emissions and refrigerant compounds, and to operate more intelligently to save fuel and wear on components.

Diesel emissions on current units now meet Tier 4 Final standards, which are equivalent to the most recent EPA rules for truck engines. All TRU engines meet the limits with electronic controls, and advanced fuel system and combustion technology. Some use diesel particulate filters, while others can achieve clean-air goals without them. Pressure from California authorities to use all-electric standby power whenever possible has spurred development of diesel-electric hybrid TRUs and more buying of standby components by carriers.

The next refrigerants

Refrigerants have been changing as TRU makers meet rules that seek to control release of compounds damaging to Earths atmosphere. Freon  R12  is long gone since the discovery of its harm to the protective ozone layer, and chemists have developed increasingly safe compounds that, if errantly vented, add fewer pollutants. One compound condemned as a greenhouse gas thats said to be partly responsible for climate change is carbon dioxide.

Yet carbon dioxide is also a good thing, Carrier said last year when it announced that CO2  R-744  would be its next refrigerant. Its already used in Europe and in ocean shipping and has proved efficient and effective. Because its a natural compound, its Global Warming Potential is a small fraction of currently used compounds like R-404A. Also, acquiring supplies of CO2 takes it out of circulation, and even if it is mistakenly released, itll be no worse than if it werent recycled as a transport refrigerant in the first place, the company says.

Thermo King, meanwhile, announced last summer that it has selected Chemours Opteon XP44  R-452A  which has a Global Warming Potential about 45% percent lower than R-404A, its current refrigerant. Opteon, which is awaiting approval by the EPA, will be an alternative to R-404A until fleets are ready to transition to the new compound.

With tracking equipment, this untethered trailers reefer can be remotely monitored. Thermo King will switch to R-452A, which has half the Global Warming Potential of R-404A, its current refrigerant. Photo: Tom Berg

Array of sensors

Sensors are key to proper operation of a modern reefers components and to maintaining desired temperatures. A large array of sensors watches temps inside and outside the trailer, as well as humidity and many other conditions, says David Kiefer, Carriers director of marketing, sales and product management.

Sensors today not only monitor trailer interior temperature, but other temperatures, pressures, electrical voltages and current draw, he explains. Some sensors, such as those for compressor discharge pressure or engine coolant temperature, make sure the unit operates safely and reliably. Others, such as those that monitor electrical voltage or current, help detect emerging operational issues or aid technicians in diagnostics and repair.

Knowing ambient temps enables the reefers electronic controls to anticipate cooling and air circulation needs inside a trailer. So do door switches that signal when doors are opened, helping to confirm deliveries and warning of possible theft and inappropriate or unauthorized operation of the units, such as while parked empty in yards. Tank sensors warn if low fuel could shut down the engine, for if its out of fuel, its out of cool, Kiefer quips.

When outside temperatures are within a predetermined range of the set point, the unit runs in start/stop mode, but when ambient temperatures heat up, the unit will automatically switch to continuous run, Kiefer says. The range at which the unit switches back and forth between modes, and thus the degree of fuel savings, can be easily adjusted by the user  a narrower stop/start range for more sensitive cargoes, and a wider range for less sensitive loads. By completely automating the function, the chance of operator error is also reduced.

Fleet testing using collected data has shown that continuous-run demands by shippers can be unrealistic, says Bud Rodowick, manager, fleet performance for Thermo King. Start/stop operation can keep sensitive commodities very close to the [temperature desired], and deviating from a specified temperature can protect them very well.

Logging is becoming more important, as recent rules from the Food and Drug Administration demand careful treatment and monitoring of loads to keep them from spoiling and therefore harming consumers.

Its coming, he has repeatedly warned reefer operators about implementation of the regs under the Sanitary Transportation of Food Act, the last of which will be published next month as a final rule. Among the requirements: accurate records of whats occurred in transit, and careful cleaning of trailer and truck body interiors and areas in terminals where food products are handled. Another is documentation of shippers instructions regarding care of foodstuffs. Therefore, Carriers, talk to your customers and shippers now, Rodowick urged.
WASHINGTON  Countries usually dont knowingly commit economic suicide, but in Britain millions seem ready to give it a try. On June 23, the United Kingdom will vote to decide whether to quit the European Union, the 28-nation economic bloc with a population of 508 million and a gross domestic product of almost $17 trillion. Lets not be coy: Leaving the EU would be an act of national insanity.

It would weaken the UK economy, one of Europes strongest. The EU absorbs 44 percent of Britains exports; these might suffer because trade barriers, now virtually nonexistent between the UK and other EU members, would probably rise. Meanwhile, Britain would become less attractive as a production platform for the rest of Europe, so that new foreign direct investment in the UK  now $1.5 trillion  would fall.

Also threatened would be Londons status as Europes major financial center, home (for example) to 78 percent of EU foreign exchange trading. With the UK out of the EU, some banking activities might move to Frankfurt or other cities. This would be a big blow.

Losses could be considerable. A study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), after making assumptions about UK trade and investment, concluded that Brexit  shorthand for Britains exit from the EU  could shave off $3,200 from average British household income by 2020. No one really knows, but other studies reach similar conclusions.

Indeed, the adverse effects may be undercounted, argues OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. Noting that UK economic growth in the first quarter of 2016 was the slowest since 2012, he says that uncertainty over Britains future is already causing businesses to delay hiring and investment decisions.

What would Britain get from all this? Good question.

There are three main complaints against the EU, says Nile Gardiner, who was once an aide to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and now works at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

First, the outpouring of regulations from Brussels  the seat of the EU  has compromised Britains sovereignty. On some issues, the European Court of Justice can overrule British courts.

Second, the EUs liberal migration rules may expose Britain to terrorists or overburden its welfare system. (Once people become EU citizens, they are allowed to live or work anywhere in the bloc.)

Finally, the EU imposes costs on Britain  an annual contribution to the EU budget plus the costs of regulations.

The EU certainly isnt immune to criticism. It is often an elitist institution that has centralized too much power in Brussels for a continent characterized by huge differences of national history and culture. It has also committed massive errors, the adoption of the euro probably being the largest. (One currency didnt work well for all countries. Britain wisely decided not to join.)

Still, most complaints seem exaggerated. The UKs net annual contribution to the EU budget is about 0.5 percent of Britains GDP. Thats hardly crushing. Some EU regulations may be overkill, but Britains labor and product markets are among the least regulated of advanced counties, according to studies.

As for immigrants, studies show that these workers pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits, says Frances Burwell of the Atlantic Council. Theyve come to work.

What this debate is really about is Britains place in the world and its self-identity. Britain has long been of Europe but also apart from it. The British Empire was once the worlds largest. To be simply another member of a continental confederation, albeit an important member, offends this heritage. The nostalgic yearning is understandable, but it is not a policy.

Ironically, leaving the EU would confirm the UKs reduced status. The UK would have to renegotiate its trading agreements with the EU and dozens of other countries. A deal with the EU is essential. For the UK, the best outcome would be to retain much of its preferential access, which  as a practical matter  would mean continuing contributions to the EU budget and abiding by most EU regulations. The status quo would survive, except that the UK would have no influence over EU policies. Anything less than this would have the EU putting its own members at a competitive disadvantage.

Viewed this way, Brexit is an absurdity. But it is a potentially destructive absurdity. It creates more uncertainty in a world awash in uncertainty. This would weaken an already sputtering global economy by giving firms and consumers another reason to pull back on spending.

It would be better for the UK to stay in the EU. It would also be better for the EU, because Britain provides political and intellectual balance. Finally, it would be better for the United States, which doesnt need a major ally  Britain  to go delusional.
BEIRUT  Syrias military extended a unilateral cease-fire around Damascus and opposition strongholds in the eastern suburbs of the capital for another 48 hours Monday as a humanitarian convoy delivered aid to 12,000 families trapped in a government-besieged area in central Syria.

On Monday in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said several proposals were being discussed aimed at finding a way to restore at least a partial truce in the war-torn country.

The latest partial truce in Syria does not cover Aleppo, the countrys largest city and the scene of its worst violence in recent weeks.

Aleppo remains on knifes edge as rebels and government forces trade rockets and bombs across the northern city and its outskirts, according to activist monitoring groups.

Rebels on Monday lobbed rockets into government-held areas in the western part of the city while government helicopters dropped crude and unguided barrel bombs on opposition-held areas in the city and surrounding villages, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Separately, a car bomb detonated in the rebel-held Salhin neighborhood of Aleppo, appearing to target an Islamic judiciary council. The explosion wounded a lawyer and several other people, according to the Local Coordination Committees, an activist network.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, which organizes rescue operations in opposition-held areas of Aleppo, said several civilians were killed and wounded, including a judge for the hard-line jihadist faction Ahrar al-Sham.

Still, Aleppo was safer Monday and Sunday than it had been in over a week. Fierce violence took the lives of more than 250 civilians over the previous nine days, according to the Observatory, while only six died in violence Sunday.

The government declared its cease-fire Friday around Damascus, the capitals eastern Ghouta suburbs, and the coastal Latakia region, in the wake of two weeks of rising violence that spoiled a previous cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and Russia in late February.

Russias Tass news agency quoted Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko, head of the Russian coordination center in Syria, as saying that the Damascus area cease-fire was brokered by the Russia and the United States, in agreement with the Syrian leadership and the moderate opposition.

But more than three dozen rebel factions said Saturday they would not respect the truce unless the government agreed to extend it over the whole country. Russian and American officials said they were working to arrange a truce for Aleppo.

Meanwhile, relief efforts by the International Committee for the Red Cross continued with a convoy of 13 ICRC trucks and 3 trucks from the Syrian Arab Crescent delivering food, hygiene items, diapers, and school books to the besieged town of Talbiseh, north of the central city of Homs, ICRC spokesperson Pawel Krzysiek said Monday.

The population of Talbiseh has doubled to 60,000 with the influx of displaced residents from other areas, according to the ICRC.

Pawell says the joint ICRC and SARC team will assess medical, water, and sewage infrastructure in Talbiseh and neighboring villages.
History on canvas

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-03 09:27

Shen Yaoyi's paintings depicting the historic Long March are now on display at Beijing's National Art Museum of China.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Elderly painter Shen Yaoyi's exhibition in Beijing marks both the end of the Long March and the 95th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. Lin Qi reports.

Chinese painter Shen Yaoyi has made the Long March the subject of his work over the past four decades.

His oil paintings, engravings and picture books re-create scenes from the tactical retreat of the Red Army to evade Kuomintang forces for two years starting in 1934. During the march, which included a series of movements through much of the country, the Communist troops traveled about 12,500 kilometers.

Shen, 73, a retired arts professor from the capital's Renmin University, is now showing dozens of his paintings at the National Art Museum of China.

In 2004, he had held a show of landscapes along the Long March at the same Beijing venue.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The ongoing exhibition commemorates the end of Long March eight decades ago, when three major factions of the Red Army united in Northwest China's Gansu province, surviving bitter struggles with the enemy and harsh natural surroundings. It also celebrates the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Shen's interest in the march was ignited in the 1960s while he was studying at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. At the time, he was sent to the People's Liberation Army for a short-term program. That was when he discovered a map showing the routes that the Red Army had taken during the march.

His Red Classic art series is based on five trips retracing itineraries of the Long March.

In 1975, he embarked on the first journey. He was then a teacher at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. In three months, he covered areas in East China's Jiangxi province, where the Long March had started, and in Shaanxi province in the country's northwest.

His travels inspired Shen to produce two oil paintingsRevolutionary Ideals Higher than Heaven and With Firm Strides We Start Againthat later became iconic pieces of the Red Classic series.

The first painting sold for 40 million yuan ($6.35 million) in 2012 at an art auction in Beijing and the other is part of the national art museum's collection.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The centerpiece of the current exhibition is Long March 1936, an album of some 600 drawings on leaves telling how Red Army units separately triumphed in several battles before merging in Gansu.

It took Shen two years to complete the album and is a sequel to The Earth's Red Flying Ribbon, an album he drew from 1988 to 1993, visualizing a namesake novel on the march by the late Chinese writer Wei Wei.

Shen executed the pieces combining approaches in oil painting and engraving with the lining technique of traditional Chinese painting.

"Cultural products that are completed quickly are now in big demand. But I'm a painter who needs a lot of time to focus on one thing," he says.

"At my age, I want to do what I like to do, and I'm not tired."

Another signature piece from Shen's Long March series on show is Zunyi Conference. In it, he shows a CPC meeting in Southwest China's Guizhou province in 1935.

He applied a gray tone to indicate both the cold weather at the conference location and how it mattered to the fate of the Red Army, which was then at a critical moment in the Long March.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Shen also shows many new landscapes in which he paints weeds. He sees in them an incarnation of the spirit of bravery and persistence that defined the Long March.

"I like observing weeds when I travel. They grow with great effort. And even when they wither, they stand tall.

"Weeds usually face a crisis of existence. This distinguishes them from other plants that grow with a false sense of self-importance," Shen says.

Wang Ming, director of Beijing Fine Art Academy, says Shen is like a film director who has presented the heroism of the Long March with mastery and a distinctive approach.

The academy has original drafts of The Earth's Red Flying Ribbon, and Wang says an exhibition to show them is being planned.

If you go

Shen Yaoyi's Selected Works (2005-15)

9 am-5 pm, through May 10, Monday closed. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.
Sheriff Vic Regalado will talk with volunteers of the reserve deputy program Tuesday evening at their monthly meeting to lay out the reforms hes implementing.

Casey Roebuck, public information director for the Sheriffs Office, said on Monday that were getting close to re-activating the program. She said Regalado wants to specifically explain the changes to reservists before signing off on them.

Roebuck said final revisions could be approved by Regalado later this week. Some of the reserves already have satisfied the beefier standards, she said, while others will begin receiving additional training to fulfill the new requirements.

It will be a gradual roll out, Roebuck said, noting there isnt a set date for when the first reserve or reserves will be approved for a return to duty. It wont be an all-at-once activation.

Regalado took office April 11 and conveyed his hopes of having the reserve program operational again within 30 days, but only if it was possible to do so without cutting corners.

Regalado outlined his changes to the program to the Tulsa World a few weeks ago.

Prominent among the reforms is that reserves no longer will be allowed to patrol on their own, only when paired with certified deputies; nor will they be assigned to special operations or task forces. There also wont be a tiered system  basic, intermediate and advanced  because all reserves now must fulfill the same requirements to volunteer.

Prior to reinstatement, Regalado said, each reserve must complete a fit-for-duty physical with a doctor to determine whether they are physically and mentally capable of serving.

To help ensure the program doesnt revert to its oft-criticized past, Regalado said biannual evaluations of current reserves will be mandatory to ensure compliance on hours, training and fit-for-duty requirements.

Public outrage and media scrutiny engulfed the program in the days after Robert Bates, then an advanced reserve deputy, fatally shot Eric Harris on April 2, 2015, in an undercover gun deal. Bates said he confused his revolver and Taser when he pulled the trigger as deputies subdued Harris on the ground after Harris had fled on foot.

Bates, 74, is an insurance executive who is a longtime friend of former sheriff Stanley Glanz and benefactor to the Sheriffs Office. He was convicted of second-degree manslaughter last week, with jurors recommending a maximum punishment of four years in prison.

Formal sentencing by the judge is set for May 31.

The reserve program was indefinitely suspended last May for an internal records audit. The outcome found that more than half of reserve deputies files were missing mandatory training-hour records and yearly firearms qualification documentation, and that nine advanced reserves had not met minimum service-hour requirements.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday invalidated a proposed vote of the people concerning changes to the states liquor laws.

We hold that the gist of the petition does not fairly describe the proposed constitutional amendment and is invalid, the opinion said. The gist is not subject to amendment by this Court, and as a result, the only remedy is to strike the petition from the ballot.

The proposed initiative petition, State Question 785, was filed by the Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma.

The measure would have allowed wine to be sold in grocery stores with some restrictions. It would have allowed retail package stores to sell the same items sold in convenience and grocery stores. And it would have allowed small brewers to sell their products at a brewery, festival or trade show.

Obviously, we are disappointed the Supreme Court did not feel our petition met the constitutional requirement to go in front of the people, said Bryan Kerr, president of the Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma. As a result, Oklahomans will not be able to vote on a sensible reform of our alcohol laws.

The Oklahoma Grocers Association and its Executive Director, Ron Edgmon, filed a protest to the Retail Liquor Store Association petition March 11.

We are pleased they agreed with our argument that the gist was not accurate and complete and it was in conflict with the ballot title, said Glenn Coffee, an attorney representing the Oklahoma Grocers Association. The court agreed with our argument that if you are going to request signatures of people, you need to be forthcoming and truthful.

Another ballot measure, State Question 789, has also been filed to alter the states liquor laws.

Kerr said that petition is not sensible.

It allows for wine and beer to be sold in grocery stores. It allows cold beer to be sold in liquor stores and allows liquor stores to sell other items.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are expected to send the issue to a vote of the people in the form of Senate Joint Resolution 68 and consider statutory changes to the states liquor laws.

The initiative moving forward and the SJR are almost the same language, Coffee said. Both are excellent options for modernizing our state laws moving forward.

Recent proposals to change Oklahoma's liquor laws

State Question 783 (Oklahomans for Modern Laws)

 Would allow regular-strength beer capped at 8.99 percent alcohol by volume in grocery and convenience stores.

Status: Petition withdrawn in March after challenges filed.

State Question 785 (Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma)

 Oklahoma breweries would be able to distribute their products directly to Oklahoma liquor stores.

 Brewers in the state could serve and sell their product at their breweries, regardless of alcohol by volume.

 Liquor stores would be able to hold tastings inside stores, as well as sell any items sold in a grocery store, with a few restrictions.

 Would require a distance of at least 2,500 feet between two outlets that sell spirits or wine, but existing stores would be grandfathered in under the proposal.

 Would leave laws on the days and hours of operation for retail package stores up to the Legislature to work out. The proposal would ban the sale of spirits on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Status: The Oklahoma Supreme Court invalidated the initiative petition Tuesday.

Senate Joint Resolution 68

 Would include wine and strong beer in groceries and convenience stores.

 Would allow liquor stores to operate two locations

 Would allow Oklahoma liquor stores to have up to 20 percent of their sales come from nonalcoholic items, including food items and anything else one might find in a grocery or convenience store.

 Would allow breweries in the state to operate brew pubs selling full-strength beer.

 Would give dry counties in the state two years to decide if they want to remain dry; 21 of Oklahoma's 77 counties remain dry.

 Would require all store cashiers to be at least 18 years of age and obtain a state license to sell beer. Current law allows for 16-year-old store clerks to sell low-point beer in grocery and convenience stores.

Status: Currently in a conference committee along with a companion measure, Senate Bill 383, which would change the state's liquor statues.

State Question 789 (Oklahomans for Consumer Freedom)

 Would allow strong beer and wine to be sold in grocery and convenience stores.

 Would allow for liquor stores to sell only up to 10 percent nonalcoholic items.

 Attorney for Oklahoma Grocers Association says the question mirrors Senate Joint Resolution 68 in most areas.

 Backers include large chains including Walmart and QuikTrip.

 Replaces SQ 786, which was withdrawn.

Status: Protest period ends Friday. If no challenges are filed, constitutional amendment would require 123,725 signatures to be placed on ballot in November.
A Tulsa man who was on death row for 15 years before winning a federal appeal that tossed out his conviction in 2013 was sentenced Monday to spend life in prison without parole in the May 1997 stabbing of a woman in her east Tulsa home.

Sterling B. Williams, 47, accepted a plea deal before District Judge Sharon Holmes on Monday in exchange for avoiding a second possible death sentence in the May 14, 1997, stabbing of 22-year-old LeAnna Hand. Holmes also ruled that Williams receive credit for time served toward a 99-year sentence he received in connection with an assault the same day against Hands roommate, Elizabeth Hill.

To the Hand family, and to Ms. Hill, I want to apologize for my actions, Williams told the victims just before being sentenced. Today, I take responsibility for the acts I caused.  I hope me taking responsibility will help you get past this somehow.

Williams case had been up for a retrial after an Aug. 26, 2013, decision by the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that he receive a new trial in the matter. The circuit court ruled that jurors in Williams 1999 trial should have received instructions regarding second-degree murder, and that the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals made a ruling that went against a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring juries to consider lesser-included offenses in capital cases.

We hold that the evidence would permit a rational jury to acquit Williams of first-degree murder and convict him of second-degree murder, the circuit court decision states, adding that the Oklahoma appeals court did not explain why the evidence in Williams case did not support a second-degree murder conviction.

Williams had been sentenced April 28, 1999, to die by lethal injection for Hands death. Tulsa World archives say a jury found Williams guilty of plunging a 7-inch butcher knife into Hands chest at her home after arriving there on the pretense of giving her free meat during his work as a meat company salesman.

Court records indicate Hill reported seeing Hand struggle with Williams in the home before hearing Hand fall to the floor. Hill later testified she was able to run to a neighbors house for help after successfully fighting Williams attempts to choke her. Williams was arrested May 15, 1997, in Louisiana.

During Williams trial, prosecutors emphasized that the knife used to kill Hand matched a set kept at Williams home, and that Williams T-shirt tested positive for Hands DNA. They also told the court that Williams called his employer and said he had just killed a girl and needed to hide in Chicago.

The state in November 2013 appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for a review of the 10th Circuits decision, which the Supreme Court denied on March 3, 2014.

Williams counsel presented testimony during his trial that showed Williams had been abused and neglected as a child. A psychiatrist from Kansas City, Missouri, testified that Williams childhood treatment manifested itself into an abnormal preoccupation with sex that led to Williams killing Hand because he wanted to silence her so that he could rape her.

Williams father, Earl Williams Jr., attended Mondays hearing accompanied by two law enforcement officers, as he has a pending 2015 Tulsa County case for rape, kidnapping, lewd molestation and violating a protective order. He is free on bond and has a hearing set for Tuesday.

Neither Earl Williams nor Sterling Williams attorney, James Goodwin, commented after the hearing. Members of Hands family also declined to comment.

Sterling Williams brother, Elliott Williams, died in October 2011 while in custody at the Tulsa Jail. The death sparked a lawsuit against Tulsa County that is pending. Videos of Williams last days in the jail obtained by the World and The Daily Beast, which showed jail staff paid little attention to him, made national news and drew nationwide outrage at the jails practices.

Since being removed from death row, Sterling Williams has been housed at the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite.
McALESTER  The water system in the city of McAlester has been turned back on after crews shut it down because of a problem with a water line.

Water was restored around 2 p.m. Tuesday. The entire municipal water system had been shut down since midday.

City Manager Pete Stasiak told the McAlester News-Capital that a broken valve led to the shutdown. He says the problem was detected Tuesday morning, and it took crews a long time to locate the source.

Earlier, Stasiak said the malfunction to the water line caused a "50-foot geyser," and urged residents to conserve water.
Reworking ancient ideas of Chinese lacquerware

From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-05-03 10:28

Gan Erke shows a lacquer piece he made.[Photo provided to China Daily]

From reviving skills to make lacquerware resembling rhino hide to drawing on porcelain plates, master craftsmen are tweaking their techniques to modern tastes. Wang Kaihao reports in Macao.

Gan Erke is not someone who agrees that Japan is the last word when it comes to lacquerware.

The 61-year-old from Huangshan, in East China's Anhui province, has spent years reviving a technique which gives lacquerware a texture resembling a rhino's hide.

"While Japan has very fine lacquerware, it's not acceptable that China, a big country with a rich culture, should not be a world class counterpart," Gan says.

Gan, certified as an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, exhibited around 30 of his finest lacquerware at the first International Exposition of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Ancient Art in Macao in late April.

The event, held by the China Cultural Relic Protection Foundation, was an opportunity for him to attract global attention to his craft.

"When overseas visitors come to our country, they want to see something of the highest-level craftsmanship," says Gan.

"So assembly-line products will not do. If we want to show them something, we need to show them the best," he adds.

But he admits that no one is sure what the best is. That is something which he has pursued for a lifetime.

"We don't have the right to judge anyone else, but we can try our best. Nothing more is needed."

For him, that is the sprit of a craftsman, something that was advocated by Premier Li Keqiang while presenting his government work report in March, and has stirred wide discussion, since.

In 2002, when Gan decided to re-create hide-like lacquerware, which can be dated back to 2,000 years ago, he faced huge difficulties, though he has been a lacquerware craftsman since his teens.

A luxury watch movement with bronze seal from Shanghaibased collector and watchmaker Zhang Shuyang.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The only references he found to that kind of lacquerware were a 29-Chinese-character writing in a 16th-century book on lacquerware and a few ancient collections.

It took him five years of trial and error to develop the technique.

The works he produced were acquired by the Palace Museum in Beijing in 2011.

As of now, it takes him more than a year to make a bowl of hide-like lacquerware, but Gan believes it is worth it to keep polishing his skills and working on new ideas.

"Ancient hide-like lacquerware is generally dull in color and its texture is not that clear, so we have to improve on that," says Gan, giving an example of why his work is not yet done.

"When you see the items (he makes), they must have an ancient feel. But, beyond that, I have to blend in my own understanding and feelings and give the items a modern aesthetic."

Increasingly, professionals who devote themselves to reviving intangible cultural heritage are going beyond traditional techniques. For them, intangible cultural heritage can also create top-end luxury items.

At least, that is what was evident in Macao recently.

Feng Jie, 71, from Jiangxi's provincial capital Nanchang, also in the country's east, is well-known as a master for his technique of drawing on porcelain plates. He says one of the exhibits was priced at 2 million yuan ($308,000).

"So people should not be satisfied with just being craftsman. We should encourage the development of more masters."

Traditional handmade toys from a German studio.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Though the local government in Nanchang has set up an institution for Feng to use as an incubator to train youngsters, Feng says the quality of students is not satisfactory.

He says that today's young are generally too fickle to take up the art seriously.

"To master traditional skills, you have to read, practice writing, and nurture a comprehensive understanding of the art."

He adds the relatively low wages earned from the art compared with other careers is another hurdle to attracting talent.

So, it seems that a better option may be to create a business which can blend traditional skills with modern industry.

And, some people at the expo are making attempts in this direction.

For instance, Zhang Shuyang, a Shanghai-based veteran antique collector, set up a luxury watch studio where he uses porcelain to make dials and elements from ancient bronze mirror to make the watch movements.

Explaining what he hopes to achieve, Zhang says: "It (the piece) has to be original, unique, handmade and be made by someone with the highest skills.

"When you mimic others' work, you cannot call it fine art. Consequently, I put my own DNA into the products, to combine tradition and modern design."

Now, several masters from China's porcelain hub of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, have joined him.

He also says: "It (the product) has to be genuinely Chinese. Though watches come from the West, we don't have to follow them. Our traditional craftsmanship can provide lots of inspiration."

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Still, a dialogue between East and West probably helps improve traditional craftsmanship on both sides.

For instance, Homemade in Germany, an exhibition that was held in Shanghai last year, and returned to China for the recent Macao expo, can offer ideas to Chinese industry.

The exhibition, which comprises more than 150 companies from Germany, aims to promote handcrafts for everyday use.

The oldest German company exhibiting products at the event is more than 300 years old, and many of the others are family-run businesses.

Matthias Philipp, the curator of the exhibition, says handmade crafts are highly regarded in his country despite facing stiff competition from mass-produced goods.

"People in Germany say, 'I'd rather buy something more expensive, but which is more authentic.' They don't want to buy mass-produced items," he says.

"In a world of globalization and digitalization, people value items made by hand. You can make a handicraft modern by adding something new," he says.

"They (handicrafts) are regarded as a luxury because luxury refers to something that is individually designed and is unique."

As an example, he talks of high-end German pens made using traditional techniques and others made using more modern methods, though both are traditional brands.

"They (both brands) can coexist. But, if you want to keep tradition alive, you have to somehow bring it into the 21st century," he says.
The opposition is calling for public disclosure of the legal advice given to former Attorney General Faris Al Rawi relating to the indemnity agreement with Vincent Nelson.

Speaking at the UNCs weekly Sunday media conference this morning, MP Saddam Hosein also criticized what he sees as the law associations delayed and weak response to the entire matter.
Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has delivered his first budget.

Commercial Free to Air networks will see their licence fees reduced by $48 million-a-year, amounting to a 25 per cent cut.

The ABC will receive $3.1 billion in base funding over the next three years, while SBS will get $814 million.

FTA Licence fees:

The fee for commercial television licensees that earn $100 million or more will fall from 4.5 per cent of revenue to 3.375 per cent. Networks were hoping for bigger cuts or an abolition of the fees.

ABC:

The public broadcaster will receive an additional $41.4 million over three years towards local news and current affairs services under the Enhanced Newsgathering budget  down from $69.4 million.

The Enhanced Newsgathering Program, established under the Rudd government, included the establishment of outer-suburban bureaux, a National Reporting Team, state-based digital news, the ABC Fact Check Unit and improving live-linking capacity in the regions.

ABC News indicated it will seek to maintain as many of the initiatives as possible, with a focus on regional and outer-suburban areas, but there will be changes to staffing and programming as a result of reduced funds.

SBS:

SBS will receive an additional $8.3 million over three years to provide multilingual, multicultural and Indigenous media services. It will also receive $6.9 million over three years after the senate rejected its push for increased primetime advertising.

SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said, At the heart of SBS is a commitment to contribute to the health of our multicultural society and this funding acknowledges the special value of SBS programs and services to Australian audiences.

The funding will support SBS services at a time when there is higher engagement and demand than ever before, with audiences expecting content to be delivered across a multitude of digital platforms and devices.

It will enable SBS teams to continue delivering on our Charter by providing balanced and high-quality news and current affairs, services that aid participation in Australian life for our four million LOTE (Language other than English) speakers, and unique programs which inspire a greater understanding and appreciation of our nations diversity.

In this Budget, the government has recognised the value of SBSs role in our collective efforts to promote social cohesion, and the changing media landscape in which SBS operates.

This post updates.

Source: AAP, The Australian, Fairfax
Tonights Silicon Valley episode features a scene that will go down as one of the years most startling sequences: horse sex.

The scene includes full view of two horses copulating, including with anatomical parts and fluids (sorry!).

According to creator Mike Judge it is the real deal.

Yes, they are really having sex, Judge told The Hollywood Reporter. There is no CG  we captured that moment. Eww.

Thats the only thing thats fake is, well, the horses actually go very quickly. So we had to repeat the footage some  not too much, but if you cut it all together, the horse just finishes really fast. It would not go on as long as that conversation Richard and Jack are having in the scene.

Ill hold off the more detailed image (given the lovely folk at Google Ads are more prudish) but you can see more if youre game here.

It airs tonight on the Comedy Channel.
7:54 a.m., May 3, 2016--This semesters History Workshop series at the University of Delaware, marking its 40th anniversary, will conclude on Tuesday, May 10, with a talk by John Gray, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the National Museum of American History.

The session will begin with a reception at noon of light food and beverages, followed by the lecture from 12:30-1:45 p.m. The event will be held in the Class of 1941 Lecture Room in Morris Library on the UD campus and is free and open to the public.

Grays talk, Content Trumps Business, will focus on the business of museums, which he defines as content, content, content. While conventional wisdom today is that business people can manage nonprofits, Gray will argue that it is the ways in which the mind works  that is, strategically, thoughtfully and inclusively  that matters.

Understanding the basic principles of economics, finance and organizational theory are important, he says, but they pale in comparison to content.

This special, culminating History Workshop is co-sponsored by the University of Delaware Library and the Department of History.
9:26 a.m., May 3, 2016--Harvey L. White, professor in the University of Delawares School of Public Policy and Administration, has received the 2016 National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Educator of the Year Award.

The award is given annually to honor and thank an educator who has made significant contributions to NFBPA and played a substantial role in preparing and supporting young public managers and aspiring executives. It also pays tribute to the awardees commitment to excellence in the education and training of public managers.

The award was presented to White last month at the opening session of NFBPAs national conference in Portland, Oregon.

Particular note was made of Whites global vision for developing public managers. As mentioned during the presentation of the award, he has helped train public service professionals from more than 25 countries and facilitate international travel experiences for more than 1,000 public service professionals and students to African, Asian and Latin American countries.

Many of the individuals he taught and mentored hold high-level executive positions in local, state and federal governments in the United States and abroad. Others hold executive positions in for-profit and non-governmental organizations. Some of these individuals were present for the award and to acknowledge Whites contributions to their career development.

In his acceptance remarks, White thanked NFBPA for honoring him and complimented the organization for its many contributions to help public service organizations become more representative of the communities they serve.

He recalled being one of only a few African American city managers in the United States in the early 1970s, but thanks to the efforts of NFBPA and others there are currently thousands of senior administrators of color at various levels of government.

White noted, however, that there is still much more work to be done and encouraged conference participants to continue working to build a more equitable and just society.
9:52 a.m., May 3, 2016--Messages to mom, pleas for a job and shout outs to a degree well-deserved  are all memos synonymous with the mortarboard decorating trend that has recently exploded at universities across the country. And for the past few years, the University of Delaware Alumni Association (UDAA) has welcomed the movement by providing graduating seniors with a platform to decorate their cap and turn a rather traditional academic dress into one representative of their personal style and flair.

So, whether they elect to use felt, foam letters, fabric or feathers, the Senior Cap Decorating Party held from 5-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 18, in the Multipurpose Rooms of the Trabant University Center offers a fun and relaxing way for seniors to take a break from finals and the stress of preparing for lifes next step to celebrate their milestone in a creative and crafty way just in time for UDs 167th Commencement.

The Internet itself  through popular social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram  has caught the attention of millennials dying to design the hottest hat that will effectively encapsulate their time at UD. Here are a few techniques gathered with the help of senior Rachel Zolotarsky for Blue Hen seniors to consider when capturing their entire Delaware experience atop the crown of their head.

Go big with bling

Seniors can go big with bling and design a glitzy cap that is sure to grab the attention of commencement guests by affixing gems, rhinestones, glitter and shiny decals to their hat. Zolotarsky believes that many graduates may even incorporate Flash Tattoos, little jewelry-inspired metallic temporary tattoos, as part of this motif. They are gold or silver  really stylish, and I can see people putting that on their cap.

Quotes

Spend just a few minutes scrolling the timeline of Facebook or Pinterest and students are sure to encounter a myriad of quotes shared by their social media friends. Zolotarsky thinks some of her classmates may take heed and incorporate a quote from their favorite movie, celebrity, song or author that poignantly captures the essence of their experience as a Blue Hen or shares something inspirational about how times have passed or the next steps ahead.

Monograms

While often found on decorative holiday stationery or recently made popular with blushing brides as a design element to incorporate into wedding themes, some seniors may keep it simple and add their very own initials on either the top of their hat. This design element allows traditional graduates a quick and easy way to get in on the fun, without jeopardizing the integrity of the academic dress. To mix up this simple style, seniors may consider sowing their initials horizontally, along the backside of their cap underneath the mortarboard.

Comic relief

For those witty Blue Hens, who are not really into lavish decorations, there are quite a few clever ways to infuse a bit of humor into your cap, by offering a tasteful, yet comedic message of satire. Some notable favorites online read: 99 problems but a degree aint one, referring to the popular chorus in one of hip hop icon Sean (Jay-Z) Carters singles released in 2003; a Game of Loans logo as a nod to the popular HBO medieval fantasy series and hefty price tag that is often associated with college tuition; or even Now Hotter by One Degree.

At the event, attendees will also enjoy music by alumnus DJ Amaze, refreshments, a photo booth and leave with additional swag like specially-made 2016 sunglasses and T-shirts  perfect to accompany their newly-designed cap. A variety of supplies will be provided for use, but seniors are also welcome to bring their own art supplies.

And for those wondering how Zolotarsky plans to garnish her cap: I like to keep it simple. I plan on putting a little Earth on my cap because I am traveling abroad after college, she shares. I took a six-month program director job in Nicaragua for a nonprofit organization called Manna Project International.

Seniors are encouraged to invite their friends to attend via this Facebook event and share ideas before attending the event on May 18.

For more information, please contact Lauren Simione, director in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 302-831-1408 or email alumni-association@udel.edu.

About the University of Delaware Alumni Association

All University of Delaware graduates are automatically granted membership in the UD Alumni Association (UDAA) upon graduation and are inducted with a pinning ceremony at Commencement. The UDAA is proudly dedicated to engaging the entire alumni community by fostering a tradition of lifelong loyalty and commitment to University of Delaware. The UDAA provides exceptional value and ongoing support to alumni worldwide by expanding benefits available to alumni, supporting regional and affinity club events, recognizing alumni and their accomplishments and more. For more information, visit www.UDconnection.com.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
As of 06:00, the situation in ATO area in eastern Ukraine stabilized. However, pro-Russian illegal armed groups fire at the Ukrainian positions from time to time.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

"The militants violated ceasefire five times in ATO area over past day. In the evening, the militants used light anti-tank grenade launcher to shell a Ukrainian stronghold near Marinka [35 km south-west of Donetsk]. In addition, the terrorists used small arms and grenade launchers to fire at Ukrainian servicemen near Zaitseve [67km north-north-east of Donetsk] and Luhanske [59km north-east of Donetsk]," reads the statement.

ol
Russia is actively deploying new types of weapons in Crimea, particularly cruise missile submarines and coastal missile systems.

Russia also strengthens aviation and naval contingent, Vadym Skybytsky, the spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said, 112 Ukraine news channel reports.

"Russia has created powerful contingent of troops on the territory of the Crimean peninsula and plans to further strengthen it. They want to reach the Soviet Union level of military potential until 2020," Skybytsky said.

According to him, the Russian arms delivered to Crimea inter alia include brand new cruise missile submarines with hitting area covering the whole of Ukraine.

ol
The decline in militant activity is observed in ATO area in eastern Ukraine. No Ukrainian servicemen were killed but one soldier was wounded in last day.

The spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the ATO, Colonel Andriy Lysenko, said this at a briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"One Ukrainian soldier was wounded as a result of aimed shelling near Svitlodarske water storage basin. Tense situation is also observed west of Donetsk airport, where the Ukrainian soldiers came under 120mm mortar fire," Lysenko said.

ol
There is no state strategy to return the territories of Donbas, temporarily occupied by pro-Russian militants.

Heorhiy Tuka, ex-chairman of the Luhansk Military and Civil State Administration, newly appointed deputy minister for the occupied territories, said this in an interview with Ukrainian Channel 5.

"I met with the President two days ago. I told him that, unfortunately, as the head of the region, I have seen no state strategy for dealing with the occupied territories," Tuka said.

According to Heorhiy Tuka, he became a member of "the group that will elaborate the strategic decisions."

"First of all, we must answer ourselves what our ultimate goal is: whether it is return of territories, return of people, or return of territories and people. I support the latter approach, though it is the most difficult one," he added.

ol
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter intends to visit Ukraine.

He said this to journalists, who accompanied him in his flight to Germany on Monday, TASS news agency reports.

Carter expressed desire to once again meet with his Ukrainian colleague Stepan Poltorak.

"Their [Ukrainian] defense minister is a very good professional. I work a lot with him, I met him in Europe a few times and I hope to go there," the Pentagon chief said.

At the same time, Carter stressed that he hoped for long-term defense cooperation between Ukraine, the USA and the EU. "I think that we and Europe will keep long-term defense partnership with Ukraine," he said, adding that implementation of the Minsk agreements in eastern Ukraine still leaves much to be desired.

ol
The Ukrainian World Congress condemns a ruling of Russian court, extending house arrest of Director of the Ukrainian Library in Moscow, Nataliya Sharina, for another three months.

This was stated by UWC President Eugene Czolij, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The Ukrainian World Congress appeals to all Commissioners of human rights and international human rights organizations to monitor such attempts to impede the preservation of the Ukrainian culture in the Russian Federation," Czolij said.

He also called on the human rights defenders to "protect the fundamental freedoms of all national minorities in the Russian Federation."

As a reminder, Director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature in Moscow, Nataliya Sharina, was arrested on October 28 last year on charges of "inciting ethnic hatred and enmity."

In late April, the court extended her stay under house arrest until July 29, 2016.

ol
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a speech on April 30 at the University of Michigan Graduation Rites. He was booed as he addressed political correctness in US colleges and universities and pertained to "safe spaces," trigger warnings" as dangerous.

Bloomberg told the sea of University of Michigan graduates that political correctness has no place in higher education as it hinders them from experiencing the struggles that they may encounter after college, Michigan Daily reported. He criticized that university administrations should not be shielding their students from such situations. Bloomberg drew a mixed response from the crowd, with some applausing and some booing at his statements.

Bloomberg's graduation rites speech comes after a chalking incident in University of Michigan's campus. The chalked messages were anti-Islam and anti-immigration in nature and someone also wrote "Trump 2016." Business Insider shared that colleges and universities across the US have adopted the idea of safe spaces for their students. Some students have even held protests against racism and discrimination within campuses.

While others find Bloomberg's message to be offensive, some students say that safe spaces inside campuses are necessary. A second-year college student at University of Michigan told Huffington Post that students should feel safe in their schools. The student explained that lack of diversity and issues of sexual assault make people afraid and universities backing safe spaces help them feel at ease.

Additionally, Bloomberg also turned to the 2016 US Presidential candidates in his speech. He said that both Republican and Democratic parties have demagogues, those who seek appeal by using prejudices, New York Times noted. While the former NY Mayor did not name anyone, it was reportedly aimed at Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz.
Bitcoin finally unlocks mystery that haunted the digital world due to its anonymous founder. The crypto-currency is much of a controversy. Craig Steven Wright who earned a doctorate degree in theology has confessed to public as the mastermind behind Bitcoin.

Bitcoin grows to become virtual money with high security feature and people have came up with many individuals working behind it. For all this time, the public knows him by a Japanese name, Satoshi Nakamoto. The alias that Australian man, Craig Wright, has been using all along.

Announcing his 'real name' in official blog, Wright says that he has been silent but not absent. He seems to have thought about his public persona, Satoshi, for quite some time before finally reveals it.

Quoting his statement, "Satoshi is dead" - he refers it to the beginning of sharing the remarkable work of cryptographic process to the public. Wright who owns a doctorate degree in theology, explains in his blog, that signing a paper with "Craig Wright" will mean differently to signing with "Craig Wright, Satoshi". He quotes 1964 Jean-Paul Sartre who said that signing himself as 'Jean-Paul Sartre' is not the same thing as if signing with 'Jean-Paul Sartre, Nobel Prizewinner'.

The quest in finding Nakamoto can be traced back in 2013 when David Kleiman, computer expert, died but he was related to Wright's Bitcoin in some ways possible, as Gizmodo reported. The Australia government also did an investigation to Wright's home in Sydney but his presence somehow was declared a hoax that only generated more speculations on the candidates.

One of the Bitcoin Foundation directors, Jon Matonis, is convinced that Craig Wright is Satoshi Nakamoto as the Australian is said to satisfy category checklists of technical data, social lines and cryptographic source, Tech Times has learned.

Bitcoins transaction increases by volume as recorded by the CNet. The anonymous transactions fit condition for money laundering since it is highly secured and prevent any government intervention.
29-year-old Christopher Eugene has been arrested in connection with last week's shooting on the Tucson campus that injured another man, University of Arizona police said Monday, May 2.

In a news release, UAPD said Eugene was arrested around 7 a.m. Monday without incident at his Tuscon home. Campus law enforcement and the Tucson police SWAT team booked him on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of aggravated robbery, all felonies.

According to police, a man was shot Wednesday night near the Keating/BIO5 building, in the 1600 block of East Helen St. Campus.

Police said neither the suspect nor the victim are affiliated with UA.

In the April 27 shooting that occurred near the Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building on the north eastern edge of campus, police found shell casings and blood near the building, but no victim or suspect could be located, according to reports on Tucson.

The unidentified victim was shot once in the buttocks.

Police said the 23-year-old victim came in seeking treatment at about 9 p.m. and was released the next day. Police suspect the victim and his assailant earlier clashed with each other off-campus, and the shooting was intended to solely injure the victim.

The victim divulged he was approached by three men as soon as he got off the Sun Link streetcar, North Warren Avenue, department spokesman, Sgt. Filbert Barrera said.

The victim also told the investigators that one of the men shot at him multiple times, hitting him once in the buttocks.

The suspect made a quick exit in a dark color SUV, Barrera added.

In order to steer clear of any threat to campus following the April 27 shooting, UA police issued four safety alerts.

Although police released a sketch of the suspect, they have refrained from releasing Eugene's picture as the investigation was ongoing, according to reports on ABC15.
ICAS, the professional body of chartered accountants, appointed SASANBELL as architect to alter and refurbish its headquarters situated in the heart of Edinburgh's Haymarket, CA House is the global HQ of ICAS.



The aim was to improve the visitor experience through alteration and refurbishment of the reception creating a more open plan and welcoming feel, and enhancing and maintaining a first class environment for delegates and visitors that inspires learning and education.



Key to the success was the integration of the company branding and capturing the progressive image of the profession. Following the extensive refurbishment ICAS now offer world class meeting space in the heart of Edinburgh.



As part that exercise, SASANBELL studio also looked at rationalisation of existing spaces in order to provide better use of their accommodation. The new spaces are designed to change the enclosed nature of rooms and corridors that were not utilised properly and move more towards a large open plan area that can provide a more inclusive feel for visitors and occupiers.



Since early 1800s the institute had accumulated a large number of painting and books that they simply had no room to display for visitors. For this we utilised what used to be corridor walls behind closed doors into a heritage wall that in large now forms part of the reception space where arts and graphics portray ICAS rich heritage and story.



Visual clues are provided to separate spaces with open archways and colonnades without creating a physical barriers. The ability to move freely between spaces was as important as defining each space for the function it served.



Movable partitions to meeting room off the waiting area and touch down zone will double the size of the space once opened, allowing for functions to take place at the ground floor.



The Masterbrand coloured circles represent the three funding cities of Glasgow (Green), Aberdeen (Red), and Edinburgh (yellow). The fourth circle represent Scotland (blue). All deriving from the original ICAS crest. The colours also represent chartered accountants, Students, affiliates and clients of ICAS.


OBJECTIVE - To provide a 5-year follow-on update on the changes in prevalence and treatment of upper urinary tract stone disease in the UK.

METHODS - Data from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) website (w w w hesonline .

nhs . uk ) were extracted, summarized, analysed and presented.

RESULTS - The total number of upper urinary tract stone hospital episodes increased slightly from 83,050 in 2009-10 to 86,742 in 2014-15 (4.4% increase). The use of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for treating all upper tract stones remained stable over the 5-year study period following a significant increase in previous years. There was a 49.6% increase in the number of ureteroscopic stone treatments from 12,062 in 2009-10 to 18,055 in 2014-15. Increase in ureterorenoscopy (flexible ureteroscopy) demonstrated the most rapid increase from 3267 to 6631 cases in the 5-year study period (103% increase). The gap between the total number of ureteroscopies and SWL treatments continues to narrow. Open stone surgery continued to decline with only 30 reported cases in 2014-15. Due to the continued rapid increase in the number of ureteroscopies performed, treatment for stone disease has continued to increase significantly in comparison to other urological activity.

CONCLUSIONS - This study provides an update on the changing landscape of the management of urinary tract stones in the UK. It demonstrates a sustained high prevalence of stone disease in the UK commensurate with levels in other developed countries. This study reveals a trend in the last 5 years to surgically intervene on a higher proportion of patients with stones. As in other countries, there is a significant increase in the use of ureteroscopy (particularly intrarenal flexible ureteroscopy) in the UK. These data have important implications for work-force planning, training, service delivery and research in the field of urolithiasis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

BJU international. 2016 Apr 29 [Epub ahead of print]

Hendrik Heers, Benjamin W Turney

Department of Urology, Oxford University Hospitals, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom., Department of Urology, Oxford University Hospitals, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27128735
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common benign proliferative disease among aging men. Androgens play a key role in the development and growth of the male genital tract favoring differentiation and proliferation of stromal and epithelial cells of the prostate gland.

It is known that growth factors play a crucial role in the cross-talk between stromal cells and epithelial cells. These factors, mainly secreted by stromal cells, act in an autocrine/paracrine manner to maintain prostate cellular homeostasis. A number of experimental studies support the interdependence between growth factors (IGF, FGF, TGF) and the steroid hormone milieu of the prostate. Alterations of these interactions may alter the balance between proliferation and cell death leading to the development of BPH. The onset of BPH is closely related to an inflammatory microenvironment. Chronic inflammation, which generally follows the acute inflammation because of infectious agents, is favored by hormonal or metabolic abnormalities. However, a close correlation between these mechanisms and metabolic or sexual hormones (androgen/estrogen ratio) alteration has been shown suggesting a key role of hypogonadism in the development of prostate inflammation. This review clear shows that the BPH pathogenesis and the subsequent onset of the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) depends from different etio-pathogenetic factors whose mechanism of action remains to be evaluated.

Andrology. 2016 Apr 18 [Epub ahead of print]

S La Vignera, R A Condorelli, G I Russo, G Morgia, A E Calogero

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy., Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy., Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27089546
Study abroad program renews travel opportunities to Mexico for UTSA students, faculty UTSA dedicated to enhancing its connection with Mexico through academics and travel

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(May 3, 2016) -- The first cohort of UTSA students to travel to Mexico since 2010 recently returned from a weeklong education trip to Mexico City.



Eight faculty-led study abroad programs will visit Mexico this year to study everything from political science and global affairs to cross-cultural medicine to culture and civilization in Latin America. The expansion comes as a result of strengthened academic partnerships between UTSA and 26 Mexican institutions, centers and government entities.



The new programs, sponsored by UTSA Office of International Programs and the Carlos and Malu Alvarez International Study Fund, support UTSA's Latin American Initiative, which aims to advance scholarship on both sides of the border.



The University of Texas at San Antonio has a unique and long-standing connection with Mexico due to our shared visions of global learning, research and community engagement, said Rene Zenteno, vice provost for international initiatives. In recent years, UTSA has made deliberate and strategic efforts to expand our partnerships in Mexico.



Art History scholar Teresa Eckmann and 20 undergraduate and graduate students in her Muralism, Across the Border and into the 21st Century course spent spring break in Mexico City and Cuernavaca presenting their mural research on location and immersing themselves in the history of modern and contemporary Mexican art.



For some students this was their very first trip outside of the U.S., and for others it was an experience of coming home to their cultural inheritance, Eckmann said. UTSA provides students the opportunity to advance in the fields they study through real experiences.



Nicole Poole, sophomore fine arts major, said travel is an essential component of personal growth, especially for someone interested in reflecting life through art.



When we are able to travel, we can understand other peoples ways of life and their cultural traditions, Poole said. Mexico is a diverse nation that anyone can learn from, and I feel it is important to understand and relate to our closest neighbors on a personal level."



In preparation for the trip, Poole and her fellow students spent months studying the works of famous Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco, known colloquially as Los Tres Grandes. She said that viewing the murals in person helped her better understand the works she studied.



"Youre able to appreciate the intricate details and textures you cant grasp otherwise, she added. "Being there helped me become a better student of art, and I have UTSAs top-tier study abroad opportunities to thank for that.



The class will display their sketchbooks, research, and a film about their experiences at the UTSA Gallery corridor in the Art Building on the Main Campus May 4-11, with a closing reception on May 11 from 2-4:00 p.m. that is open to the public.



In the coming months, more UTSA students and faculty of various disciplines will travel to Mexico as part of their classes. So far, the study abroad programs are scheduled to visit Mexican cities such as Guadalajara, Puebla, Queretaro, Oaxaca, Mexico City and Guanajuato.

----------------------

Learn more about UTSA Education Abroad Services and 2016 Study Abroad opportunities.



Connect online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and UTSA Today.
CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR An intensive care unit for children is expected to open May 3 at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks.

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By Tom Kisken of the Ventura County Star

A long-awaited intensive care unit for children opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks.

The four-bed pediatric ICU is designed to provide care for children with medical needs that might otherwise mean being transferred out of the community. Patients could include youths injured in accidents or diagnosed with conditions that may require ventilators, constant monitoring or other specialized care.

A similar unit at Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura closed temporarily more than a year ago because of staffing and other issues, making the Los Robles unit the only one of its kind in Ventura County.

County officials have said the Ventura County Medical Center pediatric ICU should reopen by the end of the year.

The Los Robles unit was originally expected to open last year. A barrier to that opening was removed when the hospital finalized an agreement with Children's Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group to staff the unit.

"By expanding our services to Los Robes Hospital, Greater Conejo Valley families can benefit from care that is more specialized for children closer to home," said Dr. Kevin O'Brien of the medical group and medical director of the new pediatric ICU.

Dr. Kenneth Saul, a Thousand Oaks pediatrician, said he was at the hospital seeing a patient when the unit opened Tuesday morning.

"It's going to be great," he said. "Time will tell how busy it will be."
STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star

Faced with the possibility of losing insurance coverage, the Port Hueneme City Council unanimously agreed Monday that its members and city staff will engage in 18 months of meetings, workshops and exercises to improve its performance.

The executive committee of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority proposed the performance improvement program to the council in response to a surge of claims against the city. JIPA is a self-insurance pool that provides workers' compensation insurance, all-risk property insurance and general liability insurance to 93 agencies.

If the council and staff do not complete the program, the city risks losing its insurance coverage.

"There will be opportunities for training, team building, staff building, council-to-staff relations and council-to-council relations," explained JPIA CEO Jonathan Shull.

The performance improvement program was presented in chart form, outlining various areas of concern.

"The matrix goes through a number of things so you can become a better city," Shull said.

After Shull addressed the council, former Port Hueneme Mayor and Councilman Ellis Green, who is a retired risk manager, told the council during the public comment portion of the meeting, "Your No. 1 priority must be to agree on one thing: to put personal issues aside and put the interests of the city and community first."

Councilman Tom Figg asked how the city's success in the program would be measured.

"A large part of the plan is qualitative: 'Thou shalt do this and thou shalt do that.' Will you set thresholds of lost claims?"

Shull explained that the quantitative data has been evaluated by JPIA executive team members, but "the Performance Improvement Plan is geared toward the qualitative."

Figg then asked whether the problems that have triggered the improvement plan are recent or have been building over time.

"This didn't happen because of a certain event, did it?"

Shull said there have been increased claims for workers compensation, adding that no one case triggered the improvement plan.

Councilwoman Sylvia Munoz Schnopp, however, pointed out that in 2014, JPIA honored Port Hueneme for being one of the top performing cities in the group.

Councilman Jon Sharkey questioned the process of deciding claims. The city most recently settled a $279,000 harassment claim with former City Manager Cynthia Haas.

"There has been a lot of speculation about whether the process is legitimate," Sharkey said. "Some are saying it is not, including calling it fraud."

Shull said JPIA's claims committee reviews cases to decide, "whether we should pay money to make it go away or go to court."

Mayor Doug Breeze then reviewed the past few years, citing the ill-fated Measure M business tax measure and the controversy over school crossing guards.

"We took personnel actions and it got worse and worse and worse," he said. "People left the city. I accept responsibility for the mistakes I've made.

"This is not a small issue," he added. "It would behoove us on the council to work tougher. I would hope we all put in a heartfelt and honest effort to get the city's act together."

The improvement plan calls for hiring a permanent city manager within six months and for a permanent finance director to be selected by the new city manager within three months after that. It also calls for team-building training for staff.

The city must notify the JPIA of any instance of claims of discrimination or harassment.

The council will be required to take "specific training on council relations, the city council/city manager form of government, appropriate interaction with city staff, the Brown Act, leadership and cooperation."

In other action Monday, the council unanimously approved a recruitment brochure after Figg said the version presented at the last meeting was "too vanilla."

The recruitment brochure addresses the city's financial issues and states, "The City Council has had a number of internal disagreements regarding financial issues and basic policies. The future finances and political differences have had a negative impact on employees."

According to Interim City Manager John Baker, the city has until the end of August to find his permanent replacement.
SHARE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Sharon Harrington and Rhonda Kaihara, curators with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, curated the "Then & Now" exhibit, currently on display in the Simi Valley Police Department lobby.

By John Scheibe of the Ventura County Star

It was 1971. Richard Nixon was president and a third group of American astronauts had made another successful moon landing thanks in good part to the efforts of a Simi Valley company, Rocketdyne, which developed the rocket engines used in the Apollo program.

Simi Valley, meanwhile, had yet to get its own police department. That would happen on July 1 of that year.

"We started out with just 30 sworn officers," John McGinty, Simi Valley's deputy chief of police, said on Monday.

Until then, Ventura County Sheriff's deputies had patrolled Simi Valley, which became an incorporated city in October 1969.

Today, nearly 45 years later, the Simi Valley Police Department has 131 sworn officers and more than 65 support personnel.

Some of the department's milestones are on exhibit in the front lobby in a "Then & Now" display that is open to the public. They include a clipboard and paper forms used by police for decades when taking a report.

"That only changed in 2008, when officers started using laptop computers," McGinty said. The laptop and the clipboard sit side by side in the display, along with mobile communication equipment carried by police and police batons, which have been in use for centuries.

The department, along with law enforcement agencies everywhere, has seen many changes, many brought about by new technology.

The display also shows a nontraditional green blazer uniform worn by officers during much of the department's first year of operations.

The idea was to give police a "less militaristic" look and "make them more approachable to citizens," officials said this week as they announced the display.

Police had set up a similar display some years ago. "The only problem was that the display was set up inside the department," out of public view, McGinty said.

Police officials quickly realized it would be much better to set it up in the outside lobby so everyone could see it. But before doing so, McGinty said he reached out to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum "for their expertise on setting up displays."

The library offered one of its curators, Sharon Harrington, who along with Rhonda Kaihara, spent days setting up the exhibit.

As to how long the display will be up, McGinty said "there's no expiration date to it."

"We want to have it there for some time."

The lobby is at 3901 Alamo Street and is open 24 hours a day.
SHARE FILE PHOTO

By Staff Reports

Ventura County Fire Department firefighters were called to the 2900 block of Amarillo Avenue in Simi Valley Monday afternoon where they found a row of trees on fire.

The incident was initially reported as a structure fire at 2:37 p.m.

But firefighters said there was no structure fire. Rather a row of trees in the back of the property was on fire.

No injuries were reported.
SHARE ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Ventura High students Izabella Kress (left) and Arleen Arreola arrange table settings at the Ventura Beach Marriott on Thursday during a field trip through VC Innovates. The trip was part of a Hospitality Week partnership between local hotels and the Ventura County Office of Education. ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Oxnard College culinary students Liliana Guzman and Josh Arce help make salads in the kitchen of the Ventura Beach Marriott on Thursday during a field trip through VC Innovates. The trip was part of a Hospitality Week partnership between local hotels and the Ventura County Office of Education. ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Ventura Adult Continuing Education students Austin Burst, Savannah Froenel, Ricardo Figueroa and Jose Garcia listen as hotel staffers Mikaela Akuna and Carissa Taylor explain the work they do during a field trip Thursday to Ventura Beach Marriott. The trip was part of a Hospitality Week partnership between local hotels and the Ventura County Office of Education. ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR Carissa Taylor (right), a room operations manager for Ventura Beach Marriott, shares job insights with a group of Ventura Adult Continuing Education students during a field trip Thursday through VC Innovates. As part of Hospitality Week, teacher Kayla Hernandez joined students Savannah Froenel, Jose Garcia, Austin Burst and Ricardo Figueroa on the trip.

By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star

Do you know the difference between a wine goblet and water glass? A dinner fork and a salad fork?

Training new employees on the intricacies of table-setting  from where the dishes and flatware are placed to folding cloth napkins  can take up to a week, according to Tony Magana, banquet supervisor at Ventura Beach Marriott hotel.

Each setting for a table of 10 people must be carefully measured and arranged according to the event, he explained last week as area high school and college students toured the hotel, learning about careers in the hospitality industry.

The tour on Thursday was part of VC Innovates, a Ventura County Office of Education program that provides a link between educators and area businesses so students can explore various careers. VC Innovates is part of the Career Education Center, which is funded by the California Career Pathways Trust to prepare students for the workplace. The center is located at Camarillo Airport.

This is the first year VC Innovates has offered Hospitality Week, with nine Ventura County hotels welcoming 150 students to peek behind the scenes during the last week in April.

The 300-room Ventura Beach Marriott hosted 20 students, most of whom said they'd never been inside the hotel.

"It's interesting to see everything that goes on in our city," said Arleen Arreola, a Ventura High School senior in the culinary program. "I want to go into hospitality because I like to make people feel at home. I think this tour has been very informative. There's job security, and they are always treating people the best way possible."

Su-lin Rubalcava of VC Innovates said students are often unaware of the many different careers available in the hospitality industry, from culinary arts to engineering. "And every hotel does things in a different way," she said.

Shannon Hillygus, general manager of Ventura Beach Marriott, said he got his hospitality start in his family's catering business.

"I worked for my family's catering company when I was in grade school. Then I went on to restaurants and then hotels," Hillygus said. "When I talk to students I stress that their education is a big development, but that they need to gain exposure to the hospitality industry. Plus it's a great way to make extra money while going to college. We have openings all day and night every day of the week."

Most hotels and restaurants require a combination of education, specifically in business and culinary arts, in addition to on-the-job training, Hillygus said.

Josh Arce, a culinary student at Oxnard College, listened to Marriott Executive Chef Rick Rossignol describe in detail how he keeps food costs down.

Arce said he understands his coursework better because of the tour.

"I'm taking accounting now," he said. "Everything you're saying is making it click into place. I didn't think I was learning anything, but now it makes sense."

Kayla Hernandez, who heads up the culinary arts program at Ventura High School, said the tour was invaluable.

"We grow up here and we live down the street, but many of us never set foot inside the hotels. The students have an opportunity to see the front of the house and the back of the house," Hernandez said. "And there are so many different levels of jobs."

Josue Lopez, Marriott food and beverage manager, took students to check out one of the hotel's lounge areas where barrels were being constructed and set up for an evening event. He said part of his job is to make sure every event runs smoothly, which can require innovative solutions  such as a rustic board to hold a cheese and appetizer display.

"If you want job security, hospitality is the place to go. We are busy 365 days a year," Lopez said.

As he toured the hotel's spacious lobby and reception area, Ricardo Figueroa, a Ventura High School senior, said he was impressed.

"I want to continue to work in the food industry. After graduation, I'm debating whether to go to college into a culinary program or go straight into the hotel business," Figueroa said. "I think it's been a great experience to see everything."
ROB VARELA/THE STAR Tamika Hatcher and her daughters Naima (left), 2, and Imani, 1, moved into a studio apartment at the Gateway Plaza Apartments in south Oxnard last year. Hatcher was temporarily homeless after leaving a relationship.

SHARE ROB VARELA/THE STAR Tamika Hatcher picks up her mail before heading out from her studio apartment at the Gateway Plaza Apartments in south Oxnard. ROB VARELA/THE STAR Tamika Hatcher heads out with her daughters Imani (right) and Naima from her studio apartment at Gateway Plaza Apartments in south Oxnard. ROB VARELA/THE STAR Complex manager Karrie Vasquez poses outside the office at Gateway Plaza Apartments in south Oxnard. ROB VARELA/THE STAR The Gateway Plaza Apartments in south Oxnard.

By Kathleen Wilson of the Ventura County Star

As they struggle to move homeless people into housing, social service officials are focusing on a little-known ally  landlords and property managers.

They're recruiting, cajoling and honoring them to free up rentals in the sizzling market in Ventura County. It's become a necessity because the odds have worsened as rents have soared, vacancies have dropped and demand has risen, officials in the Ventura County Human Services Agency said.

"It is an absolute crisis," said Amy Luoma, a consultant retained by the agency to solicit and engage landlords.

She's one of a group of professionals known as housing navigators. Locally and around the nation, they're being hired to hunt for units, advocate for clients, help them negotiate with landlords.

Providers are also thanking landlords at celebratory events. This year for the first time, county officials invited 40 landlords and property managers to an "appreciation breakfast" in Ventura.

About three dozen showed up, both prospects and existing partners. Three stalwarts won certificates of recognition for their work.

Not surprisingly, two of the awards went to complexes that provide affordable housing for low-income people: Pacific Point Apartments and Gateway Plaza Apartments, both in Oxnard. But the third recipient was Troop Premier Property Management, which handles conventional market-rate units.

Laurie Coello, manager of Troop Premiers Oxnard office, has worked with owners to get the rent lowered for promising homeless applicants.

"It's karma," she said. "If you put it out there, it's going to come back to you."

Market-rate properties and those established to provide affordable housing are needed, officials said.

"We are grateful there are existing rentals. We need that more than ever," said Marissa Mach, deputy director for adult and family services at the Human Services Agency. "But you also want your mainstream property managers to participate even incrementally."

Mach decided to hire Luoma last year after she saw homeless families in the CalWORKs public assistance program shut out of the market. They could make the rent and had support from social workers, but could not find a place to call home, she said.

Tamika Hatcher, 29, is glad she could.

She lucked out late last year after leaving a relationship and spending a week in a van parked at a relative's yard, Hatcher said.

Karrie Vasquez, manager of the Gateway Plaza Apartments, just happened to have a vacancy. So Hatcher and her two daughters, ages 1 and 2, moved into the studio unit.

"I will be forever grateful because she saved us from being homeless," Hatcher said.

Hatcher has been paying $790 a month for the rental. She'll qualify for lower rent now because she recently lost her job as a customer service worker.

It's a roomy, light-filled apartment, one of 105 at the property at 1719 S. Oxnard Blvd. Vasquez says the waiting list is a year long now and every unit is filled.

The tenants include veterans, disabled people and single-parent families, she said.

Vasquez said she accepts homeless people referred by the Human Services Agency, which covers costs such as a security deposit and the first month's rent.

"It makes me feel good that they have a roof over their heads," Vasquez said. "They can shower. They have a microwave. They have a bed to sleep on."


CraftHaus Brewery will receive a proclamation from the city of Henderson in recognition of American Craft Beer Week. The proclamation kicks off American Craft Beer Week May 16-22.

City council board members will deliver the proclamation, which is signed by Mayor Andy A. Hafen, to CraftHaus Brewery May 16th at 6:00pm. They will also tap the first Biggest Small Beer Ever brewed to celebrate the American craft brewing spirit.

CraftHaus Brewery wrote a new, craft beer friendly license for the City of Henderson in 2014, which helped launch the city with a boom of craft breweries. Henderson has recognized that the craft brewing industry is a benefit to their city.

The Brewers Association, the largest national craft beer focused trade organization, has asked CraftHaus Brewery to represent the state of Nevada by brewing the biggest small beer ever. The Brewers Association definition of a craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. Craft breweries across the nation are brewing the same beer style and recipe, an oatmeal stout, which will be available May 16-22nd in CraftHaus Brewerys taproom.

The proclamation presentation and Biggest Small Beer Ever takes place Monday, May 16 at 6pm at CraftHaus Brewery, 7350 Eastgate Rd Suite 110, Henderson, NV 89011.
Residents in Quynh Xuan Ward, Hoang Mai Town reportedly heard crackling sounds coming from the house of 40-year-old Le Tien Ngu around 3:00 am.

As neighbors rushed to the source of the sound, they found Ngus eldest son Le Tien Dam, 22, and his wife trying to break open the door, screaming Everybody, please, save my parents, save my brothers!.

Still haunted by the tragic fire, Dau Thi Hang, a neighbor of Ngus who was first to arrive at the scene, recalled, Smoke and fire could be seen engulfing the back compartment of the house when we arrived. Sounds of small blasts could be heard coming from the fire, so nobody dared to come close to the house.

The fire was put out thirty minutes later, only to reveal a haunting scene inside the house.

Ngu and his wife Nguyen Thi Cot, 38, were found burnt to death on the floor near the bed.

The deceased husband and wife were living in the house with their 19-year-old twin sons Le Tien Dieu and Le Tien Dong, their oldest son Le Tien Dam, and his newly-wed wife.

At the time of the incident, Dam and his wife were sleeping in the front compartment and were unharmed by the fire.

The twins Dieu and Dong were also severely burnt, and were immediately admitted to Nghe An General Friendship Hospital for medical treatment.

Nguyen Huu Tan, a doctor in the emergency ward at the hospital, said the two patients were admitted at around 5:00 am on Monday with up to third-degree burns on their bodies.

According to Tan, Dieu had burns to 90 percent of his body, while Dong had burns on up to 80 percent of his.

Due to the severity of the burns, the victims were transferred to the National Institute of Burns in Hanoi for further treatment.

Given his terminal condition however, the twins family asked for Dieu to be taken home, and he died on the way.

The bodies of Ngu and his wife were handed back to their family for funeral proceedings at noon on Monday, after the police had carried out an autopsy.

Vu Van Tu, chairman of Quynh Xuan Ward Peoples Committee, said Ngu was a freelance laborer, while his wife sold poultry at a local market.

The family enjoyed a fairly comfortable life, and rarely engaged in arguments, according to Tu.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday afternoon, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Ngoc Anh, police chief of Quynh Xuan Ward, said, As three of the victims are dead and one is still in a critical condition, we are having difficulties collecting testimonies from live witnesses. For the moment, police are investigating into two possible causes of the fire, an electrical short-circuit and gasoline, since the scene smelled of gasoline.

Meanwhile, Le Tien Dong, the only survivor of the fire, is still in a deep coma due to the severity of his injuries.

Dieu has recently finished school and taken up taxi driving a month ago, while Dong is revising for his university entrance exam, Le Tien Tu, the twins uncle said with tears in his eyes, Dieu didnt make it, and Dong only has a 20 percent chance of surviving. We are doing our best to take care of him. We only hope he will make it.

Responding to rumors that the fire was an act of arson, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Binh Ha, police chief of Hoang Mai Town, said his division was coordinating with Nghe An Police to investigate the cause of fire in the shortest possible time.
The funds, including the US's Chambers Street Global Fund and Thailand's Thanachart Securities Pcl, bought the shares from British Virgins Islands-incorporated CDH Electric Bee Limited, Vietnam Securities Depository reported on April 29.

The deal was reportedly worth around VND334 billion (US$14.8 million) in total. Electric Bee, which bought nearly 20% of the company in 2013, now owns a stake of 5.27%, following several sales over the years.

Reports by market research firms and The Gioi Di Dong suggested the company now controls around 30% of Vietnam's mobile retail market with 646 stores around the country. The retailer, which also runs a chain of 91 home electronics stores and online sale services, reported revenues of more than VND9.6 trillion (US$425.6 million) in the first quarter, an increase of 75% from the same period last year.

Its online sales doubled to VND680 billion (US$30.14 million) in the first three months, or around 7% of the total revenues, according to the company's new data.

In a January report, London-based market research company Euromonitor named The Gioi Di Dong as Vietnam's biggest online retailer with a market share of 10%, local media reported. It was followed by Germany's Rocket Internet with popular e-commerce businesses Lazada and Zalora, and tech giant FPT.
The first US-to-Cuba cruise ship - with 700 passengers aboard - arrives at the port of Havana. The Adonia - a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line - set sail from Florida, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana. (JORGE BELTRAN/AFP)

HAVANA: The first US cruise ship to travel to Cuba in half a century docked in Havana on Monday (May 2), marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between the old Cold War foes.

A crowd of onlookers waved Cuban and American flags and filmed with their cell phones as the Adonia, a Carnival cruise liner, sailed into port in Havana after setting off on Sunday from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States.

The ship had 700 passengers on board, some of them Cuban-Americans returning to the communist island for the first time in decades.

Yaney Cajigal, a 32-year-old dancer, could barely contain her excitement as she waited for her niece to disembark. "This is incredible for me, this is very exciting," she told AFP. "We're welcoming them with the flags of Cuba and the United States so everything will be unity, peace and tranquility."

The voyage is the first of what Carnival says will become week-long cruises to Cuba twice a month, with the goal of promoting cultural exchange between the two countries following a warming of ties that began in December 2014 and led to the restoration of full diplomatic relations last year.

The "cultural exchange" aspect is key, since ordinary tourism to Cuba is still banned under a US trade embargo, which remains in force despite the diplomatic thaw.

For the time being, Americans can travel to Cuba only for cultural, academic, sports-related or religious events. Carnival is the first cruise line company to win permission from both governments to offer trips, which ended after the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

The Adonia has scheduled cultural activities in its ports of call in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, including meetings with artists, musicians and business owners, as well as dance classes and guided tours.

The cruise "offers a truly historic opportunity for travel to Cuba: a chance to help build new bridges to a rich and vibrant culture that, until now, most US travelers have only seen in photographs," the cruise ship's web page says.

DOWN TO THE WIRE

Uncertainty over whether the cruise would take place cleared up only last week, when Cuban President Raul Castro's government lifted restrictions for seaborne visits of Cubans to and from the United States, opening a door for Cuban-Americans born on the island to board the ships.

Carnival initially refused to accept reservations from Cuban-born customers because of restrictions first imposed when Havana feared landings by anti-Castro militants.

The cruise line's policy prompted charges of discrimination amid a firestorm of criticism.

Carnival, the world's leading tour ship operator, eventually relented and began allowing reservations from Cuban-born customers. But its conditions to start the visits were for Cuba to allow its citizens to sail freely.

Cuba ultimately backed down after intense negotiations as part of the normalization process, which culminated in President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba in March.

'ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT'

One of the Cuban-born passengers is Isabel Buznego, 61, who left the island when she was five and was returning for the first time.

"My dad wanted to come because he had never been able to come, but he passed away," she said. "So I'm coming in his name. That is why I have so many different emotions, but I am mostly happy."

Another passenger, Regina Patterson, 58, from Delaware, said she wanted to take the cruise because it was historic. "And it is a place I always wanted to visit," she said. "I want to see how they live, the music, what they eat, and shopping, shopping, shopping!"

The cost of a ticket on the cruise ranges from US$1,800 to US$7,000 per person. Regular flights from the United States to Cuba are expected to begin later this year.
The Canadian company, CMX Renewable Power Group, has recently attended a working session with the leadership of the Ninh Thuan Peoples Committee to propose a $150 million solar power project.

Accordingly, once the project is approved, the investor will construct a 250 hectare facility where it committed to using local workers as well as local materials. In addition, CMX will supply 1 per cent of the solar farms power capacity to local people each year free of charge.

Deputy Chairman of the Ninh Thuan Peoples Committee Pham Van Hau said that Ninh Thuan had always welcomed investment capital in the renewable energy sector because these projects would play an important role in the provinces socio-economic development and contribute to supplying renewable energy sources for the country.

Previously, a joint venture between Binh Nam Bac Investment Trading Co., Ltd. and Leverage Company from Japan expressed their interest in investing in a renewable energy project in the province.

Ninh Thuan's greatest potential lies in the development of wind energy projects. As Vietnam's wind energy hub, the province has licensed many investors to develop wind power plants here. For example, in mid-2014, Power Generation Corporation 2, a subsidiary of state-run Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), kicked off the Cong Hai 1 wind-to-power project in Suoi Gieng hamlet in Cong Hai commune. The project, worth over VND1.5 trillion ($69.76 million), is being constructed in two phases.

To date, Ninh Thuan has had plans for 12 wind-to-power projects, many of which have already been licensed. They include the Phuoc Nam renewable energy project, Enfinity, Mui Dinh, and Cong Hai projects.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asks for seeking causes of the mass fish deaths in an objective, honest, cautious and quick manner. Photo: VGP

The event also drew the attendance of Deputy PMs Vu Duc Dam and Trinh Dinh Dung, leaders of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Technology, Information and Communications, Health, Public Security, National Defense, the State Bank of Viet Nam, the Government Office.

Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung reported that right after the incident, the PM had drastically requested relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to figure out roots and conduct emergency relief for victims. Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung and some ministers had fact-finding tours to affected areas.

So far, the PM and Deputy PMs have issued eight guiding documents focusing on (1) defining the causes; (2) supporting local people to overcome the consequences, quickly stabilize lives, and restore production; (3) maintaining social order; and (4) ensuring environmental protection.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha said that the Ministry had already installed observatory instruments in Vung Ang to control pollution levels in the water area.

Seawater environment in central provinces is completely safe, he confirmed.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien informed that in Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces, a lot of fresh seafood samples and vegetables were collected for analysis. All indicators were at safe levels for human health, she added.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat announced that seawater is harmless for aquatic cultivation but central provinces needs to closely monitor abnormal changes.

Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh revealed that the ministry had mobilized leading scientists to make objective conclusion on mass fish deaths.

Addressing the meeting, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc called mass fish deaths a serious environmental breakdown which strongly affected residents in the central provinces.

He tasked sectors and localities to avoid any similar incident, prevent hunger, and create favorable way for fishermen to maintain fishing as normal.

PM Phuc tasked the Ministry of Science and Technology to work with the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, competent agencies, or even invite foreign scientists to figure out the real causes of mass fish deaths in an objective, honest, cautious and quick manner.

The Ministry of Public Security was assigned to collect all evidence and trace any signs of criminal crime regardless any organization or individual.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and localities were asked to tighten control of coastal production sites to prevent discharging of polluted substances to the environment.

The Ministry of Health takes prime responsibility for cooperating with relevant agencies to assess impacts of seafood on human health.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was requested to regulate purchasing of offshore seafood.

He also agreed to provide 4,500 tons of rice relief for fishermen with 15kgs per person in one and a half month as well loans free of charges within six months for building ships for offshore fishing.
Because of its stable, high income, and the strict qualifications required, locals call xich lo driving in Hoi An a VIP job.

And it is not easy to be a rider in this small town, located in central Vietnam.

Four generations of xich lo driver

Nguyen Tu, 62, a rider in Hoi An, was carrying a Belgian passenger of over 80kg when Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters met him on a muggy midday in April.

The pedicab traveled through many streets before it reached the old town area, with the riders green T-shirt already covered in sweat.

Tu smiled, trying to hide his tiredness.

The passenger paid him VND150,000 (US$6.74) for what was a 45-minute tour around the town.

Thank you. Have an enjoyable, happy holiday in Hoi An. See you again, Tu responded in English.

The Belgian tourist, Thomas Conllins, shook Tus hands, saying that riders in Hoi An are extremely friendly and offer a professional service.

Tu gives four to five rides every day during holidays or peak seasons, sometimes leaving his body sore and aching.

He is one of 102 riders in Hoi Ans cultural pedicab labor union.

Over the last ten years, riding pedicabs has become the hot job in town, providing him with a salary ranging from VND9 to VND10 million (around US$400 to US$500) per month.

Tu started working as a xich lo driver 19 years ago.

With the stable income it provides, he has been able to take care of his five children, four of them having already graduated and taking jobs themselves.

Tu said his grandfather, Nguyen Bang, was a rider a long time ago. In 1969, Bang gave the pedicab to Nguyen Phan, Tus father, to continue the job.

In 2011, Tus son bought another xich lo and has also become a rider in Hoi An.

Dedicated riders

Phan Phuoc Tung, head of the cultural pedicab labor union, said there were only around 50 pedicabs in Hoi An before 2002.

Two foreign children sit on a xich lo' (pedicab) in Hoi An Ancient Town.

At that time, the service was not well-organized and unprofessional, receiving a lot of complaints from passengers.

In 2003, local authorities allowed the establishment of the labor union, under which riders work legally and more efficiently.

About 100 pedicabs are arranged in five pick-up locations in town. Riders work in shifts to assure equality of opportunity.

Bui Thanh, 75, is the oldest member of the union. Like other people, Thanh went through a number of training sessions to learn English and service etiquette.

Riders are required to wear uniforms, including T-shirts, hats, and trousers. They are not allowed to solicit tourists or charge extra money from them.

Besides basic English, riders also need self-defense skills to ensure the safety of passengers.

Tung, who has nearly 14 years of experience in riding his pedicab, said each vehicle is marked with a fixed number, and so is the riders T-shirt.

Passengers who forget their personal property during the trip can easily find it later by remembering the number of the pedicab and reporting their loss to the union.

In 1999, Hoi An Ancient Town was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO for being a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th to 19th centuries, and for housing buildings with a unique blend of local and foreign influences.

Since then, the culturally rich town has been voted one of the top tourist destinations in the world by several major tourism magazines.
The situation is very serious and could become catastrophic if rain doesnt come soon, said Nguyen Nam Hai, vice chairman of Vicofa. A huge number of coffee growers in the region have already been put out of business.

Over 20,000 hectares of farm land, primarily used for growing coffee, around the prime growing area of Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak province have been severely damaged by the water shortage, said Mr Hai.

Mr Hai underscored the point that there are preliminary reports that as many as 165,000 hectares of coffee farmland may be at risk of loss from the drought and that 60,000 hectares might already have been wiped out.

Based on Vietnam average yields for coffee, he said, a loss of 20,000 hectares of productive land could result in losses in excess of one million 60-kilogram bags from just the Buon Ma Thuot region alone.

Pictures taken within the last two weeks show entire farms completely wilted after the massive dry spell, that has wreaked havoc on the current 2015-16 harvest and comes just as trees were supposed to start flowering for the next 2016-17 crop.

Owners of coffee plantations in the Central Highlands region are lamenting over their dying plants, the hot dry weather and are already pointing the finger at dams constructed by the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corporation as a contributory cause of the devastation.

A local paper, the Mekong Witness reports that growers often use water from Ia Cham Stream but had recently found the stream to be drying out.

Those families living close to Ia Cham Stream have been able to save part of their coffee crops, according to the newspaper, but families further away face cataclysmic consequences from the lack of access to water.

Grower Le Van Viet said he has grappled with associated problems of finding water for the better part of two weeks and fears his entire coffee plantation is at risk of being lost, the paper said.

Unseasonably warm weather has been blamed as the root cause for the drought, worsened by the extended impact of climate change that has provoked an unusually powerful El Nino effect.

The last six months have seen only half of the average rainfall recorded in previous years, according to Tran Trung Thanh, vice director of Centre for HydroMeteorological Forecasting in the Central Highlands.

Mr Thanh also warned that drought conditions are expected to worsen this year and in the foreseeable future.

Coffee prices remain unpredictable

As a result of the prolonged drought coffee prices in the coming months remain unpredictable, said the Vice Chairman of Vicofa.

A kilo of coffee in the Central Highlands is currently selling at US$1.43-US$1.57, up US$.20-US$.22 per kilo compared to early February.

The export price of Robusta coffee to other countries is now at US$1,493 per metric ton, up US$11 against early April.

However, he noted, that if it rains in late April and early May, the price of coffee should stabilize and hold steady from there on out.
A resident smokes in a communal flat in central St. Petersburg AFP/Olga Maltseva

SAIT PETERSBURG: A leftover from the Soviet era, the communal flat or "kommunalka" with bathroom and kitchen shared by a dozen or so residents is very much alive in Russia's historic city of Saint Petersburg.

More than 25 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, these overcrowded dwellings are now admired as a unique - if disappearing - cultural phenomenon, featured on guided tours and discussed at academic conferences.

The former imperial capital has even started up its own kommunalka festival run by a group of local artists.

"Communal flats are part of the history of our country and of our city," said one of the festival organisers Svetlana Vorobyova.

"Even though they are still numerous in Saint Petersburg, they are on the way out."

"ALWAYS SOMEONE AROUND"

She herself lives in one, a fairly small, three-room apartment which was among a few opened up to the public for this year's festival.

Her "neighbour", 75-year-old Eduard Yemelyanov, has lived in the flat in the central Petrogradskaya district for 15 years. Wearing an undershirt and baggy shorts - "just like every day" - he happily spoke with visitors.

"I really like communal flats and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else," he said. "You're never alone. There's always someone around and that's good."

Communal flats became a mass phenomenon in Russia after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, when factory workers and peasants flocked to cities and were housed in spacious apartments of well-to-do families, who themselves were often relegated to a single room after the space was partitioned off to make room for others.

In Saint Petersburg, renamed Leningrad by the Soviets, these flats were still used up to the 1980s, when they accounted for almost 40 percent of the apartments in the historic centre.

In Moscow, where the city centre was massively rebuilt in the Soviet era, there were far fewer communal flats and practically none are left.

After the end of the Soviet era, a new generation of wealthy Russians snapped up communal flats - often in an advanced state of disrepair - and paid to rehouse residents in small, individual flats in the suburbs.

In 2008, Saint-Petersburg authorities launched a programme aimed at moving out all the inhabitants of communal flats - which can have up to 10 rooms - to bring an end to the Soviet tradition.

In the following seven years, the number of such flats in the city of five million fell from 116,000 to 83,000, according to official figures.

Today, many families who own rooms in communal apartments no longer live there themselves but rent them out to students, out-of-towners and migrant workers.

TWO SIDES OF THE KOMMUNALKA

Another kommunalka dweller, 39-year-old Anna Fyodorova, also opened her room with huge windows and a panoramic view of a central street to visitors for the festival. There is a corner fireplace - no longer functioning - and stunning, 3.5 metre-high ceilings.

But she has to share a kitchen, bathroom and toilet with the 10 people living in the flat's seven other rooms.

The small bathroom and toilet with old, worn fittings are at the end of a long, dark corridor along with the large kitchen where at least one neighbour can be found at any given time.

The kitchen has four gas cookers and eight small tables and fridges - one for each room.

"A communal flat has two sides: there are wonderful things along with nasty things," said Fyorodova, an artist who arrived from the southern city of Volgograd four years ago.

While it's an advantage to be in the city centre in a smart building from 1905, "of course, some things are complicated."

"For me, a person from the south who is very emotional, it was hard at first to find a balance in everyday life in the kommunalka," she said, admitting that relations with others in the flat can be strained.

On cue, her 40-year-old neighbour Nadezhda came out in a bright pink T-shirt to complain about festival visitors tramping through.

"You see, Anna, I've just washed the floor and your visitors have already got it dirty," she said, sighing.

"I warned my neighbours I was going to take part in the festival, but not all of them were happy," Fyodorova said.

Two of those on the festival tour, sisters Kira and Svetlana, aged 45 and 48, said they attended out of nostalgia.

"We grew up in a flat similar to this, It was a six-room flat with 18 neighbours," Svetlana remembered.

"In reality, there wasn't anything romantic about everyday life. I wouldn't go back for anything in the world," said Kira.


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A prominent rights worker who was questioned over the developing sex scandal allegations against opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy leader Kem Sokha has said that the woman at the heart of the salacious affair is also a victim.

Thida Khus, head of NGO Silaka, said she felt sympathetic towards Khom Chandaraty, Sokhas alleged mistress at the heart of an Anti-Corruption Unit investigation.

What Im worried about is that now the victim is still Srey Mom. The opinions from the public, civil society groups and so on have labeled her as dangerous. We dont know the real issue behind all of this. So we ask the public not to come too quick judgment and accuse Srey Mom, she said, using an alias for Chandaraty.

A leaked phone recording released last month allegedly showed that Chandaraty was Sokhas mistress, however, no one has come forward to verify the recordings authenticity.

Eng Chhay Eang, a CNRP lawmaker, said that the case was not of national importance and a private matter out of the partys remit.

Khus was critical of Sokhas silence on the issue, adding that he should have come out sooner to respond to the release of the recording sooner.

Adhoc director Thun Saray agreed. Even if [the allegations are] true, he should still come out to defend his rights.

Chandaraty has demanded $300,000 in compensation from Sokha and four rights workers who were detained on Sunday in relation to the case.
Cambodian journalists will visit the U.S. to observe the presidential election in November to learn from their American colleagues experience of covering the polls, a media development group has said.

The US-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) said this week that 25 Cambodians would receive online training from May to July before 15 participants would be selected to visit the states.

People here also learn from foreign journalists, but what Cambodians take back is how they can apply what they have seen, observed and learned in their own society by tailoring it to the needs of their media and election systems, Babar Taimoor, ICFJ program director, told VOA in a phone interview on Monday.

Cambodia is set to hold its local elections in 2017 and a general election in 2018.

ICFJ said it is now seeking potential candidates, with long-term commitments to journalism and a strong interest in election coverage, for the six-week program.

Kann Vicheika, a reporter for Voice of Democracy (VOD), said she had already applied for the program.

As we know, the U.S. is a real democracy and its election system is different from that of Cambodia, so if I have a chance to observe the U.S. elections firsthand, I will improve my own capacity and help my colleagues as well when we cover the next elections in Cambodia, she said.

Taing Vida, a journalist with a local newspaper The Khmer Times, said he was also in the process of applying to the program.

The program will be a good opportunity for me to strengthen my understanding of election coverage as well as how to use information and communication technology tools in the U.S. election coverage, so that I can share this knowledge among my Cambodian colleagues to ensure a fair and transparent election in Cambodia, he said on Monday.

As our Cambodian journalists understanding and coverage of elections in Cambodia is still limited, such a program is a perfect opportunity for them, said Yoeurng Sotheara, an monitoring officer for the local election watchdog Comfrel.

The Cambodian journalists selected for the study tour will visit Washington D.C, an election battleground state in the Midwest, and Long Beach, CA, according to the ICFJ.

The program is supported and funded by the U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh.

Jay Raman, the embassys public affairs officer, said it was the best time for Cambodian journalists to see how American journalists practice their trade in the upcoming U.S. general elections.

So what better time could that be to send a group of Cambodian journalists to see how we do our political reporting? he said.

And hopefully they'll get some ideas and some lessons that they can bring back to Cambodia to use in their own work.
The head of Cambodias leading center for the study of the Khmer Rouge era has urged Armenia to lead efforts to promote education about genocide globally.

Youk Chhang traveled to the South Caucuses nation to attend events last month marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the Armenian Genocide. The founder and executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, known as DC-Cam, Youk Chhang, is also behind the Sleuk Rith Institute, a project currently underway to establish in Phnom Penh a permanent research center and memorial to the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Genocide education is indispensable to peace and prosperityincluding human rights protection, Youk Chhang was quoted as saying by the official Armenian news agency, ARMENPRESS, while taking part in the forum entitled Against the Crime of Genocide in the capital, Yerevan.

Armenia should take the lead or team up with other countries who have been through genocide  seize the opportunity offered by ourselves who suffered genocide to establish the worlds first genocide education program for all, he added.

The conference was aimed at promoting discussion about acts of mass murder. The Armenian Genocide took place between 1915 and 1923, when about 1.5 million people are believed to have died at the hands of the Ottoman government in what is now Turkey.

The event was controversial since Turkeywhich was formed as an independent republic in 1923 after the fall of the Ottoman Empiredenies the genocide took place. Nearly 30 countries have officially recognized that a genocide occurred, and Armenia is lobbying for more countries to recognize what many historians characterize as a systematic attempt to exterminate a people.

Hollywood actor George Clooney attended the conference and expressed that he would like to visit Cambodia, Youk Chhang said.

The Armenian government also organized a Remembrance Day of Genocide on April 24, which was marked by protests in Yerevan.

Youk Chhang told VOA Khmer that Turkeys policy of denying the genocide was a source of tension, adding that Armenian youths took the streets and torched the Turkish national flag during the demonstrations.

He suggested that education programs for young people in both Turkey and Armenia could help to calm the two countries antagonistic relations, calling on Armenias foreign minister to lead efforts to establish world genocide education.

The youth of both countries need to have accurate memory of their own society, Youk Chhang said in an email.

About 1.7 million people died in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 under the Pol Pot regime. The period is often referred to as a genocide, although there is debate among scholars over whether it constitutes the definition of the crime set out in a 1948 United Nations convention.

Former Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea are facing trial at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Phnom Penh. The pair have already been convicted of crimes against humanity, but a second phase of their trial is currently being heard that includes charges of genocide, specifically against the Muslim Cham and ethnic Vietnamese minorities.

Youk Chhang noted that the Armenian Genocide early in the last century had been followed by numerous other genocidal acts around the world. He stressed that education about genocide and discussion of the subject was crucial, especially in post-conflict societies like Cambodia, if such atrocities are not to be repeated.
Legal experts and human rights activists reacted with caution to the legal measures taken by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court this week after four human rights activists and National Election Committee official were detained on Tuesday.

Sok Sam Oeun, the defense lawyer, said that it was difficult for him to come to a conclusion in relation to the court's decision to detain the five officials because he did not understand on what grounds they were being held.

Khom Chandaraty, also known as Srey Mom, allegedly engaged in an extra-marital affair with opposition deputy president Kem Sokha, which is the subject of an ongoing government investigation.

The rights workers were alleged to have paid about $200 to Chandaraty when they met with her following the announcement of the allegations.

If you accept $200 and tell a lie, thats bribery but if she [Chandaraty] doesnt have money or a job and needed help and [the rights workers] just helped her financially, thats not bribery. But I dont know on what grounds the court is holding them, so we cant decide whether the charges are fair or not, Sam Oeun said.

Moeun Tola, executive director of the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights, said it was not right for the court to use a small payment of $200 as grounds for a bribery charge as the organization in question, local rights group Adhoc, provides legal and social services to clients.

The four Adhoc workers - Ny Sokha, Nay Vanda, Yi Soksan, and Lim Mony  were charged with bribery and being accomplices to bribery on Monday along with election official Ny Chakrya.

Am Sam Ath, chief of the investigation unit of human rights group Licadho, said civil society was skeptical of the veracity of the charges.

We are still doubtful but what I believe is that the individuals of Adhoc worked in line with ethics  we have seen for 20 years that it [Adhoc] works to help the victims of human rights violations, land rights violations and other injustices, he said.

But Ly Sophana, a court spokesman, declined to comment on the evidence that would warrant a trial.

Transparency International on Monday said in a statement it was seriously concerned by increasing allegations of political interference and intimidation of human rights and anti-corruption activists in Cambodia.

The Anti-Corruption Unit should not be used in such a way that intimidates and silences the voice of civil society activists, Elena Panfilova, vice chair of Transparency International, said in the statement.

Om Yentieng, director of the Anti-Corruption Unit, could not be reached for comment.
Most scientists believe than our planet is getting hotter and drier and that the trend will be hard to reverse, especially in flat regions such as the Arabian Peninsula.

Among other reasons these regions do not have much rainfall is a lack of so-called updraft  vertical movement of the moist air that occurs when horizontal winds hit a mountainside.

So one Persian Gulf nation, the United Arab Emirates, is seriously considering building a mountain to try to change its climate.

While it does not have experience in mountain-building, the UAE has successfully built an artificial lake  Lake Zakher, in the desert near the border with Oman.

Scientists from the U.S.-based University Corporation for Atmospheric Research say they are now studying local climatology to determine the best location for and dimensions of the proposed mountain.

If the project materializes, moist air from the Gulf could climb up the mountainside and cool, while seeding the clouds from aircraft with eco-friendly chemicals would help create much needed rain, changing the local climate.
Brazil's top prosecutor asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation on opposition Senator Aecio Neves on Monday as a vast corruption probe ensnares more politicians.

Neves, who narrowly lost the 2014 election to President Dilma Rousseff, was previously included in a list of some 50 politicians thought to have taken bribes originating from state-run companies.

Brazil's Prosecutor-General Rodrigo Janot had stopped the investigation of Neves last year but is now asking to reopen it based on plea bargain testimony from another senator, Delcidio do Amaral.

Janot also requested an investigation of congressman Marco Maia of the ruling Workers Party and of a judge at the TCU audit court.

A spokesman for Neves, the leader of the centrist Social Democracy Party (PSDB), said the investigation would show his conduct was correct. Maia said in a statement that he was the "victim of a lie."

Amaral, the government's former leader in the Senate, said in plea bargain testimony that Neves benefited from a corruption scheme involving Furnas, a subsidiary of state-run power utility Eletrobras.

The scheme was similar to one that police uncovered at state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, according to Amaral. Construction executives worked together to overcharge Petrobras for work and used the excess funds to bribe politicians.

Amaral is collaborating with prosecutors after he was arrested and accused of obstructing the corruption investigation, Brazil's largest-ever.

The scandal has increased calls for President Dilma Rousseff's ouster though she is not under investigation for taking bribes herself. The leaders of both houses of Congress, who belong to a party that used to be an ally of Rousseff's government, are under investigation.

Rousseff is waiting for the Senate to vote on whether to open a trial for her ouster this month after the lower house voted overwhelmingly to impeach her on charges of breaking budgetary laws.
Chinese authorities are investigating internet search giant Baidu after the death of a college student who accused the search engine of ranking search results by the amount advertisers paid, resulting in the receipt of misleading medical information.

While searching for treatments for a rare form of cancer known as synovial sarcoma, 21-year-old Wei Zexi found an experimental immunotherapy treatment at a Beijing hospital, rather than a traditional surgical treatment for his type of cancer.

Wei, who died last month, paid $30,000 in borrowed money for the treatment but it failed, he said in a posting in February on a Chinese question-and-answer website. He accused the hospital of overstating the therapy's effectiveness and denounced Baidu as "evil" for allegedly ranking medical information search results by the amount advertisers paid.

His posting prompted a barrage of criticism over the prioritization of paid internet search results.

Amid mounting public anger, The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's online regulator, said it has launched a joint investigation with health and commerce authorities.

'Killed for money'

Chen Jieren, a well-known Beijing-based political commentator, told VOA Mandarin Service it's "no exaggeration to say Baidu has 'killed for money.'"

"The death of this student is only a microcosm of Baidu's evil practices," he said during a televised VOA broadcast. "Three months ago, another cancer patient also complained about Baidu. Baidu has used its power of information monopoly in China, taken payment from fake hospitals and badly rated hospitals, and heartlessly promoted them as high-ranking hospitals. Baidu is the most important part of an evil link which has hurt lots of people and caused the death of many."

Often viewed as China's version of the U.S. internet mammoth Google, Baidu's search services accounted for 83 percent of its total revenue last year. Much of the search business came from customers "who pay us a fee based on click-throughs for priority placement of their links in the search results," the company said in its annual report.

Call for supervision

Some Chinese netizens have called on Google to return to mainland China, arguing that if the Silicon Valley tech giant hadn't been banned by Beijing, Baidu wouldn't have a regional information monopoly.

Chen said a diversified search market wouldn't necessarily provide a safeguard.

"It makes sense, but we should avoid thinking in terms of absolutes," he said. "Even with Google in China, we [would] still have to have effective supervision. Both Google and Baidu are business for profits. Without supervision, there would be dangerous information providers."

Baidu said in a statement that it deeply regretted Wei's death and would "fully cooperate" with the investigation. "Baidu is a trusted company and we uphold extremely high standards to make our platform safe and trustworthy," a company spokesperson said.
The Chinese public has reacted to U.S. presidential contender Donald Trumps latest controversial remarks with bitter sarcasm, one day after the real-estate tycoon compared the American trade deficit with China to rape.

Trump on Sunday told a cheering crowd in Fort Wayne, Indiana that we cant continue to allow China to rape our country, referring to the lopsided trade balance in Chinas favor.

That marked the first time in the U.S. campaign that the Republican front-runner has used the term rape to describe, in his view, Chinas trade dominance over the U.S., although he used the same analogy as early as 2011 to accuse China of trade and currency manipulation.

The Chinese government hasnt given an official response to Trumps renewed criticism.

But that hasnt deterred a number of Chinese netizens from attacking Trump with, mostly, sarcasm.

Equally bitter words

One Weibo user further called Trump a big mouth, [who aims at] boosting online popularity while another user wrote the analogy of rape is inappropriate. Instead, the expression that [China is] liberating the U.S. is more like it, followed by three emojis of smiley faces.

A blogger nicknamed Kafkas Diary expressed concerns over Trumps remarks by commenting that Trumps claims of isolationism will be in favor of Chinese authorities, but detrimental to Chinese people because such policies will create barriers to Chinas U.S.-bound exports, which will end up hurting domestic businesses and cost Chinese people jobs.

But Chinese authorities may secretly give a helping hand to Trumps campaign as they welcome his stance of staying out of the countrys human rights record, the blogger added.

One Weibo user, moreover, compared Trump to former German dictator Adolf Hitler, mockingly writing shall Trump be elected, the U.S. will become an even more powerful country.

No official rebuttal

Compared to heated online comments, Chinese authorities seem muted on the controversy at a time when the country is on a seven-day national holiday.

The local media had previously labelled Trump as a populist, whose sensational rhetoric only aimed to garner media attention.

No Chinese officials Tuesday discussed Trumps undiplomatic analogy to U.S.-China trade ties. The issue was also absent from editorials in state-run media, including Xinhua News, Peoples Daily and Global Times.

Only the state-controlled Wen Wei Po in Hong Kong, in its editorial, explained the rationale behind what it calls the Trump phenomena, saying it has reflected the U.S. societys pervasive resentment toward the countrys upper classes, including those who are in power and financially advantaged.

The Trump phenomena will widen the divide within the U.S. Republican Party, which may end up hurting its own prospects of claiming a presidential win, the editorial added.

Campaign tricks?

Zhu Feng, professor of international studies at Peking University, urged Trump to refrain from using what he calls dramatic and inflammatory campaign language.

I think its a very distorted perception, [sent] out by the presidential candidate. Its not just exaggeration, its also very inflammatory, Zhu said.

The professor rejected the view that many in China are looking at Trump as a joke since the presidential hopeful has been a very successful businessman, who should be aware that the trade imbalance between the two countries was a result of the globalization and the division of labor and economic advantages.

While it is interesting to see how the polarization presented during the presidential campaign will play out, the professor expressed worries over how Trumps comments will impact his countrys economic future with the U.S. at a time when China is excluded from the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) discussions.

Were highly aware of Donald Trumps inward-looking [views] and ideas. We dont think it will be very helpful for the economic integration between Washington and Beijing, he added.


The state of New Hampshire is appealing a decision that allows voters to take pictures inside voting booths. It would like to join other U.S. states that have banned any voting booth documentation in the form of digital images or photography being shared on social media or otherwise.

In other words: No selfies with your ballot.

"It's natural that people  particularly young people who are participating in the democratic process want to make a record of their specific act of casting a ballot," John Hardin Young, Chair of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Election Law, told VOA. "That can include taking a photograph with their phone of the actual ballot face as it's marked. In a way, we are really at loggerheads. On the one hand, we want everyone to participate. On the other, we do want to make sure that the ballot box remains secret."

The secret ballot has long been perceived as an integral part of the U.S. democratic system, protecting voters from criticism or peer pressure and allowing them to fulfill their democratic privilege in private.

Many states, such as New Hampshire, believe that documentation of ballots may promote an uptick in voter fraud and buying votes  allowing companies or individuals to force paid voters to give confirmation that they completed their "job."

But a federal judge ruled in 2015 that New Hampshire could not ban photography in the voting booth.

Snapchat gets involved

The social network Snapchat joined the discussion last week by filing a court brief in the New Hampshire case, arguing that engaging in social media is a way of political expression  a millennial's version of an "I Voted" sticker that keeps them involved and excited about the political process.

"Whatever its form, the voter's message is the same: I'm participating in the civic process, and you should, too," Snapchat said. "That message has carried over to the virtual world. Millions of voters announce online that they have voted, and many engage with or share political content with their online networks. Selfies and ballot selfies are part of that."

Snapchat also argued that as a news gatherer, the social media app has a journalistic interest  guaranteed under the first amendment of the Constitution  to share ballot booth selfies.

"The State's ballot-selfie ban unjustifiably infringes on that right," Snapchat said.

Steven LaBonte, a representative for the case from the office of the Attorney General of New Hampshire, does not deny the importance of news gathering and the press's right to freedom of expression. But he did not buy Snapchat's claim that ballot selfies have a place in modern news gathering.

"I think the press has a news gathering duty, but it has been done for years without the ballot selfie," he told VOA.

Snapchat's format has changed and expanded in recent years, moving toward more live "stories" that can be viewed by a broad audience as opposed to sending individual "snaps" to a handpicked list of people, but the basic principle of sending an image that can only be seen once before it disappears remains the same.

Young does not think that Snapchat's format lends itself to the arguments it is making in regard to documentation, but says that, regardless of the nature of the photo, the overarching question remains the same.

What is best for the voting booth?

"Whether that is an instant snap for a moment or all time  the real question is what do you believe is the predominant or best policy for the voting booth?"

Laws vary by state

There is no federal consensus on photography in the voting booth, and laws vary dramatically state by state.

While some states, such as South Carolina, have virtually no restrictions, Pennsylvania voters can face fines of up to $1,000 for posing with their ballot. Many other states, such as Texas, have more moderate policies  they ban cellphones and photographs inside the voting booth, but the offense is not punishable by law.

Young said that while this case is bound to receive national attention, a federal law is unlikely.

"Most of the laws regarding voting are decided at the state level  and I don't see that changing," he said.
Turkish citizens could soon benefit from visa-free travel to Europe, as part of the deal between the EU and Ankara to stem the flow of refugees. In return, Turkey has pledged to crack down on the smugglers and keep the migrants on Turkish soil.

However, many European lawmakers have threatened to use their veto on the visa issue to block the migrant deal.

European Union figures show just over 26,000 refugees arrived on the Greek islands in March  less than half of February's total. EU officials point to those numbers as proof that the deal with Ankara is working.

"If we did nothing, we will condemn Greece to become a huge, huge refugee camp with hundreds of thousands refugees stuck. That is what we needed to solve," Frans Timmermans, the European Commission's vice-president, said last week.

Turkey says it is on track to meet all the criteria laid down by Europe ahead of the June deadline  and insists visa-free travel is a non-negotiable part of the migrant deal.

But in Germany, analysts say fears over a wave of Kurdish asylum seekers from Turkey are driving up anti-immigration support. Exacerbating those fears is the escalating conflict between Kurdish PKK rebels and the Turkish government.

But such concerns are misplaced, according to Ibrahim Sirkeci, RIA Professor of Transnational Studies at Regents University in London.

"Any Kurdish citizens of Turkey applying for asylum in Europe will be refused, he said. It will be desk rejection, immediate rejection. This has been the case anyway for a long while."

Targeting human rights

While right-wing politicians look to benefit from fears of migration, some lawmakers in Brussels have threatened to try to block the deal with Turkey over human rights concerns.

Amnesty International accuses Ankara of forcefully returning hundreds of unregistered refugees back to Syria  and even of shooting Syrians trying to cross the border illegally.

"Just as it's illegal for Turkey to be sending refugees back to the very conflict zones that they're fleeing, it's no less illegal for the EU to be sending refugees from those areas back to a country that's sending them on," said Amnesty's John Dalhuisen.

It's not only the rights of refugees in the spotlight. Critics say fundamental rights are under attack in Turkey.

Prosecutors have opened more than 1,800 cases against people for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2014.

Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk spoke out Tuesday following a court hearing against a fellow writer.

"This is about only silencing political opposition, he told reporters. This is about intimidating people and scaring the country so that no one criticizes the government."

Sirkeci argues that Europe's actions negate any claim of moral superiority in Brussels by " abandoning a huge population who are in need of humanitarian protection. Europe says, OK, instead of taking and helping you, we will just let you stay wherever you are, and instead we will pay Turkey 6 billion euros to keep our borders shut down.' That is what Europe is losing."

But even as Europe attempts to close one route, another is expanding fast. Tens of thousands of migrants have made the journey from Libya to Italy in recent weeks, and more are expected as summer brings calmer seas.
Two Kenyan men allege they were subjected to forced anal examinations at the Mombasa Coast Provincial General Hospital in February 2015 after police took them into custody for alleged homosexual conduct.

The men have filed a constitutional petition against the magistrate who ordered the exams, as well as the hospital, the police, the director of public prosecution, and the health ministry.

"This is the first time that we have documented the use of anal examinations in Kenya, said Neela Ghoshal, the Human Rights Watch senior researcher for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. And it is quite disturbing, I have to say, because Kenya has a reputation of having a quite liberal cosmopolitan medical community, doctors who are very well educated, who understand what kinds of procedures are scientific and what kind of procedures are not."

The Independent Forensic Expert Group says these procedures are not scientific.

It says forcibly conducted anal examinations are "medically and scientifically worthless" and the practice "constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and possibly torture."

These examinations prove and accomplish nothing except to humiliate those who are subjected to them, according to Human Rights Watch. The group argues that Kenya's Sexual Offenses Act, as well as international law, dictate the exams constitute sexual assault and possibly rape if they involve any form of unwanted penetration.

Requests for a response went unanswered from Kenya's Ministries of Health and Gender, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Mombasa's Coast Provincial General Hospital, the police and the judiciary.

Human Rights Watch says it has documented forced anal examinations since 2010 in Cameroon, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda and Zambia.

The Mombasa high court is scheduled to hear the constitutional petition Wednesday.
Kenneth Bae, an American missionary who was detained in North Korea for more than two years, said Pyongyang tried to use him as a political bargaining chip.

In a rare interview with VOA's Korean service last Friday, Bae described in detail the ordeal that made him the longest-held American by the North since the Korean War. The former detainee is releasing a memoir Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea this week.

Bae, 47, a South Korean-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in Rason, a city in North Korea's northeast, in November, 2012 for carrying a computer hard drive containing his missionary work and a documentary video about the country. Bae said he was not aware he was bringing the items. But, several months later the North sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly trying to overthrow the state.

Harsh sentence

Even before the trial, they told me the sentence would not matter much. Instead, they said how the U.S. government acts after the trial would matter most, said Bae.

The sentencing came amid escalating tensions between North Korea and the U.S. following Pyongyangs third nuclear test.

I felt a sense of rising tensions. North Koreans told me war with the U.S. was imminent, the missionary recalled.

Bae said Pyongyang sought a visit by a high-profile figure such as a former U.S. president or a secretary-level official.

They did not name a specific individual, but repeatedly mentioned the release of female journalists in 2009 as an example, Bae said.

In 2009 Pyongyang released two detained American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, after former president Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang and met with Kim Jong Il, then North Korean leader.

High-profile visit sought

Bae said the North Koreans forced him to press the U.S. government to send the high-level envoy by staging media interviews or preparation sessions.

Every letter that I sent to my family was prescreened. I had to rewrite it again and again until it got cleared, he said.

North Korea repeatedly said it would not use Bae as a political bargaining chip during his captivity.

In November 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama dispatched James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, the nations most senior intelligence official, to Pyongyang, resulting in the release of Bae and another American detainee Matthew Todd Miller.

The American envoy, however, apparently did not bring the message Pyongyang wanted.

When I first met them, they appeared to be upset, and I felt appreciative and sorry for the troubles that my action had caused, said Bae, referring to his meeting with a U.S. delegation led by Clapper.

Efforts to release him

After the trip, Clapper said he did not know whether his mission would be a success.

I was quite apprehensive, because we werent sure how this was going to play out, the intelligence chief said.

I think they were disappointed, frankly, that I didnt have some breakthrough, Clapper said of the North Koreans.

Bae said he had to perform grueling labor such as carrying rocks or shoveling coal and received verbal threats although he was not beaten or physically tortured during the captivity. While performing hard labor, his health deteriorated. He suffered back pain, diabetes and gallstones. In August 2013, he was placed in a hospital to recuperate. A month later, Washington secretly sent a National Security Council official and a medical doctor to Pyongyang to check Baes conditions and negotiate his release, according to Bae.

Bae was born in Seoul and came to the U.S. with his family in 1985. After graduating from the University of Oregon and a seminary in St. Louis, he moved to China for missionary work. In 2010, he set up a small company in Dandong, a Chinese border town, which specialized in tours of North Korea. He had traveled to the country 17 times before he was detained.

Currently, North Korea is holding two U.S. citizens on charges of committing hostile acts against the state.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Iraqi government to reverse its decision and allow Al-Jazeera's Baghdad bureau to reopen, saying its closure was "nothing but an effort to clamp down on freedom of expression."

Last week, Iraq's Communications and Media Commission revoked the news agency's license, closing its office for one year after accusing it of "inciting sectarianism and violence" and violating rules regulating media coverage of "the war on terror."

In its statement, HRW called on Iraqi authorities to "immediately allow Al- Jazeera to resume its work, or spell out exactly how and when the station incited violence."

Iraqi authorities have long perceived Al-Jazeera's media coverage as hostile to Iraq's Shi'ite majority and too friendly toward Islamic State. The Al-Jazeera Media Network denied violating the rules, maintaining it has consistently provided professional and objective coverage.

"Iraqis have a right to hear a variety of perspectives on current events," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Closing down a prominent international network on the basis of vague and unsubstantiated allegations smacks of political motivation to shut out uncomfortable criticism, and its an action that should be immediately reversed."

The closure comes a month after Iraq's Communications and Media Commission shut down the Cairo-based Al-Baghdadia TV for allegedly operating illegally and without a license.

HRW reports, however, that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the closure was due to the channels incitement, specifically the coverage of demonstrators who broke into the heavily fortified International Zone.

Iraqi authorities have banned Al-Jazeera from reporting in the country on three occasions. In 2013,the news agency was prohibited from reporting on a military crackdown allegedly on Sunni Muslims. Iraq imposed the ban after accusing Al-Jazeera's TV stations of promoting banned terrorists groups who committed crimes on Iraqis.
Human Rights Watch is accusing both the Somali government and the militant group al-Shabab of using abusive and violent tactics to intimidate journalists. As the world marks Press Freedom Day, the rights group is calling on the authorities to act and bring an end to the attacks against journalists in the country.

Human Rights Watch published a report Tuesday titled "Like Fish in Poisonous Water that documents killings, arbitrary arrests and threats against journalists since 2014.

Laetitia Bader, a Human Rights Watch researcher, said Somali journalists face daily threats in doing their work.

Over the last two years, we found that journalists are facing threats, harassments and also violence from all sides," she said. "Traditionally, al-Shabab has obviously been one of the most dangerous actors in Somalia for journalists journalists are now facing threats and manipulation from many different actors, which are making it incredibly difficult for them to report even on basic news stories.

Since 2014, more than 10 journalists have been killed. Six others survived assassination attempts.

One survivor is journalist Abdirisak Elmi. In October 2014, armed men attacked him outside his house in Mogadishu.

A car approached us and it stopped in front of us, they started firing at my friend and me. The first bullets hit me in the hands," he said. "When I tried to run they hit me in the back, my stomach and around my kidney. I ran towards a house, they continued firing at me. I fainted at the door of the house."

Elmi was hospitalized for four months. He said he doesnt know who attacked him, but is certain they attacked because of his work.

After much thought, the reason I was attacked, I realized, was because of my profession.I dont believe that there is anything that will make them attack me other than being a journalist; much of my life and time I worked in the media, said Elmi.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, most of the journalists killed in Somalia cover politics and war.

Last month, the Somali government executed three people, including a former journalist, for their alleged involvement in the killing of six journalists.

Human Rights Watch accuses the government of bringing charges when an act is attributed to al-Shabab, but failing to prosecute government officials.

The organization also accuses regional authorities of intimidating journalists and closing down media stations that do not comply with unlawful orders.

Over the years, many Somali journalists have fled to neighboring countries to escape the threats and intimidation.

One of them is Said Hassan, a former reporter now living in Kenya.

In Somalia, if you are a journalist, you are a target. Being a target it makes you worried and fearful all the time. Sometime back they threw a grenade at us, and sometimes they threaten us in our station," he said. "Are you going to wait for death? This has forced me and others to flee the country, said Hassan.

Earlier this year, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a controversial media law that gives government officials a wide range of powers to arrest and prosecute journalists for disseminating false information.

With Somali elections less than four months away, Human Rights Watch called on the government to allow different views and opinions to be aired, and to allow safe and open reporting.
Hungary will hold a referendum in September or early October on whether to accept any future European Union quota system for resettling migrants, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken an increasingly anti-immigrant stance since the migration crisis escalated last year and opposes a plan, agreed by a majority of EU governments in September, to redistribute 160,000 migrants around the bloc.

Along with Slovakia, Hungary has launched a court challenge against that plan, which will set quotas for each EU country to host a share of the migrants over two years.

The referendum will ask Hungarians whether they would accept any permanent quota system beyond that.

The question voters will be asked is: "Do you want the EU, even without the approval of Hungarian parliament, to be able to prescribe the mandatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary?"

"There are crazier and crazier ideas coming up in Brussels. It seems that Brussels has not given up on the plan for mandatory resettlement," Antal Rogan, Orban's cabinet chief, told a news conference.

Once parliament approves holding the referendum, President Janos Ader will set a date on the matter that Rogan said was an "issue of national sovereignty".

Hungary has erected a steel fence along its southern border to stop migrants and refugees, many of whom arrive in Greece fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and try to travel north to settle in countries such as Germany and Sweden. Several other countries in southeastern Europe have also put up fences.
Indian police have detained three men for the rape and murder of a law student in southern India, a case that echoes the deadly 2012 gang rape of a woman on a bus that sparked widespread protests across the country.

Police say the 30-year-old woman, from the Dalit caste, was found dead last Thursday at her home in Kerala state.

Authorities described the attack as particularly brutal and shocking. Reports say she was found lying in a pool of blood with her intestines hanging out.

Protesters held demonstrations calling for a quick trial Tuesday in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

The 2012 rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student on a bus in New Delhi led to an overhaul of the country's rape laws, doubling prison sentences, as well as criminalizing stalking and trafficking of women.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has dropped out of the Republican presidential contest after a big loss Tuesday in the Indiana primary to billionaire real estate magnate Donald Trump.

Cruz told supporters in Indianapolis that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed," saying voters have chosen another path.

He thanked all his supporters, calling them "incredible patriots."

WATCH: Cruz Announces Suspension of His White House Bid

Trump won Indiana in a landslide, with Cruz second and Ohio Governor John Kasich far behind in third.

Trump called his win in Indiana a "tremendous victory" and congratulated Cruz, calling him and the 15 others who ran for the Republican nomination smart and tough competitors. He is appealing for unity in the Republican party.

Watch video report from VOA's Jim Malone:

The head of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, is calling Trump the "presumptive" nominee,

But a Kasich spokesman said the governor is still aiming for a deadlocked contested convention in July, where he looks to capture the Republican nomination on a second or third ballot.

A victory in Indiana would give Trump 57 more delegates, bringing him closer to the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination.

For the Democrats, the Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is projected to be the winner in Indiana over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The two candidates exchanged the lead all night before Sanders pulled away to win by a projected seven percent of the vote.

Even with a Sanders win in Indiana, Clinton leads the delegate count by a huge margin, making it just about mathematically impossible for Sanders to become the Democratic nominee.

Trump, the often harsh-speaking former television host who has never been elected to any political office, is now shifting his insulting rhetoric from Cruz to Clinton.

Earlier Tuesday, he disparaged Clinton's performance as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, saying she was asleep during part of a 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans.

Trump told supporters he could defeat Clinton in states Republicans do not normally win, even as early election surveys suggest otherwise.
Who is voting?

Both Republicans and Democrats are voting Tuesday in open primaries. A person does not have to be a registered member of a party to vote in the primary.

How many delegates are up for grabs?

There are 57 Republican delegates and 92 Democratic delegates.

How will the delegates be awarded?

For the Republicans: Winning any of the nine congressional districts garners three delegates each, while 30 of the delegates go to the overall winner

For the Democrats: 56 delegates up for grabs in the congressional districts , with 27 going to the overall winner. The nine superdelegates go on to vote at the Philadelphia convention in July and are not bound by the primary voters.

How many needed to win the nomination?

The Republican hopeful needs to win the support of a majority of the 2,472 delegates.

The Democratic nominee will need to win a majority of the 4,765 delegates.

How many do they each have?

Republicans:

Trump 996

Ted Cruz 565

John Kasich 153

Democrats:

Overall (including superdelegates)

Clinton 2,165

Sanders 1,357
Keeping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power has come with a deadly price tag for Iran, which has lost more troops in the war-torn country in the past six months than in the previous two years.

More than 280 Iranian troops have been killed in Syria since September of last year, according to an analysis by the Levantine Group of casualties reported by Iranian media.

The willingness to sustain such a heavy rate of losses is evidence of Tehran's commitment to the Assad regime, but also seems to show that Iran is counting on its forces to stand in for what the Levantine Group describes as a "decomposing" regime army.

"Iranian operatives are not mere military advisers spread out along regime lines," said geopolitical and security analyst Michael Horowitz.

"Iranian troops are in fact concentrated around Aleppo, where they fought all of Assad's battles," he said. "They serve as the tip of the spear, rather than advisers."

In fact, two of the deadliest months for Iranian troops can be tied directly to fighting in and around Aleppo.

Tehran's troops suffered 50 casualties during its most recent counteroffensive last month in southern Aleppo, according to the Levantine Group analysis.

Only February saw more fatalities, when 64 troops were killed  51 of them during a 10-day span that coincided with an offensive in northern Aleppo.

U.S. confirmation

U.S. officials have been watching Iran's military maneuvers in Syria closely and say it is clear that the heavy fighting has taken a toll  especially on units belonging to its Revolutionary Guard Corps, such as the Quds Force.

"Iran continues to withdraw some of its more elite forces from Syria and replace them with troops of lower caliber," a U.S. intelligence official told VOA.

That process, which began last month, came as Iran stepped up its efforts following a decision by Russia in March to withdraw some forces, including some of its air power, from Syria. And it may be exposing a key weakness for Iran's forces.

"Without Russian air support, it seems that their effectiveness is marginal," the Levantine Group's Horowitz said.

"After the Russian withdrawal, more than 40 Iranian troops were killed as they launched a counteroffensive in southern Aleppo, yet weren't able to reverse the opposition gains in the area," he said.

In contrast, with Russian air support during the Iranian-led February offensive in northern Aleppo, pro-regime forces were able to cut the main supply line for opposition forces.

The analysis also noted lower Iranian casualties during the Russian-led offensive to retake the city of Palmyra from the Islamic State terror group, suggesting either that Iran's forces benefited from the use of Russia's helicopter gunships or that they played a lesser role in the offensive.
More than 1,000 Iraqis are being held without charge at makeshift counterterrorism centers throughout the country, an international rights group says.

Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty says, "The detainees are squeezed into a space of less than one square meter each, sitting in a crouching position day and night, unable to stretch or lie down to sleep and are rarely allowed outside for fresh air." Shetty toured one of the centers last month.

Amnesty says many of the detainees were taken when Iraqi forces recaptured their towns from Islamic State forces. Many are suspected of collaborating with the militant group.

None of those held have been charged.

Counter-terrorism officers told Amnesty they lack personnel to carry out investigations in a timely manner and the resources to treat detainees humanely.

Shetty said the problem is symptomatic of the deep flaws in Iraq's justice system.

"There is no doubt that Iraq is currently facing unprecedented security challenges, with deadly attacks against civilians being perpetuated by IS on a daily basis," he said. "However, that in no way exonerates the Iraqi authorities from their responsibility to protect the human rights of all Iraqis."

Amnesty International says 683 detainees are being held at a center run by Anbar's counterterrorism agency in Ameriya al-Fallujah. Hundreds more being held in similar conditions at a makeshift holding center in nearby Habbaniya.
An Israeli court has handed down a life prison term to the accused ringleader of an Israeli gang that kidnapped and burned to death a Palestinian teenager in 2014.

Defendant Yosef Haim Ben David, sentenced Tuesday in Jerusalem, also received an additional 20 years for related crimes, and was ordered to pay the family of his 16-year-old victim $39,000.

Two other Israelis have already been convicted in the death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, with one defendant receiving a life prison term and the other 21 years.

Ben David was found guilty last month of masterminding the crime, which investigators said began with the July 2014 abduction of Abu Khdeir from his East Jerusalem neighborhood. Prosecutors said the trio then drove their victim into a forest and set him on fire. The killing was linked to the abduction and deaths of three Israeli teens killed in the West Bank a month earlier by Hamas militants.

The court also rejected Ben David's insanity plea as the verdict was delivered April 19, saying he was fully aware of his actions at the time of the murder.

The July 2014 murder helped stoke violence that led to the 50-day Gaza war, in which 2,200 Palestinians were killed, along with 66 Israeli soldiers and seven civilians.
Freedom of the Press is an annual report on media independence around the world, produced by Freedom House, a watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world.

The report assesses the degree of print, broadcast and digital media freedom in 199 countries and territories.

Freedom of the Press 2016, key findings

 Press freedom in 2015 declined to lowest point in 12 years.

 Report blames political, criminal and terrorist forces behind efforts to silence media.

 Loss of press freedom primarily linked to heightened partisanship in many countries, and the degree of extralegal intimidation and physical violence faced by journalists.

What is a free press? Area where political news is robust, safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures.

Media access

31: percentage of countries with a free press

36: percentage with a partly free press

33: percentage with no free press

13: percentage of world's population that lives with a free press

41: percentage that lives with a partly free press

46: percentage that lives with no free press

10 worst countries and territories

Belarus, Crimea, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Countries with largest 1-year decline in press freedom

Bangladesh, Turkey, Burundi, France, Serbia, Yemen, Egypt, Macedonia and Zimbabwe

Nauru

Report cites the tiny Pacific island nation as the country with the largest loss of press freedom because it began assessing thousands of dollars in fees against journalists wanting to enter the country or blocking their entry altogether, apparently in an effort to silence reports about migrants being held in Nauru who are seeking asylum in Australia.

Bright points in report

Report found two countries moved to ease restrictions on journalists in 2015.

Sri Lanka: After new government was installed, fewer threats and attacks aimed at journalists, and blocks against Internet websites were lifted.

Burkina Faso: Officials dropped prison sentences as punishment for libel, and state interference in news content was curtailed, the report found.

Dangerous issues for media coverage

 Organized crime

 Corruption

 Environment/land development

 Religion

 Disputed Sovereignty

 Lese-majeste (injured magesty)

Countries to watch

The report attributed the declines to a rise in the authoritarian nature of some governments, such as those in Tajikistan, Egypt and Turkey; security situations that have become more dangerous, such as in Libya, Yemen and Burundi; blasphemy laws, such as in Brunei, and tighter government control of state-owned media, such as Poland.

72: Number of countries showing a decline in freedom for the year

43: Number of countries that made gains.

Middle East and North Africa region: Received the worst ratings for press freedom, followed closely by Eurasia.

Freedom on the Net Report

Internet freedom declined for the fifth consecutive year in 2015, report finds.

More governments

 Censored information of public interest

 Expanded surveillance

 Cracked down on privacy tools
Liberias main opposition party, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), is denying that there is an arrest warrant in the United States for its leader and presumptive candidate for president, George Oppong Weah.

The Liberian online publication FrontPageAfrica reported that a court in the U.S. State of Georgia issued a warrant for Weahs arrest for child abandonment and failure to pay child support.

Court withdraws the arrest warrant

Mulbah Morlue, vice chairman for operations and mobilization for the CDC, says that warrant is no longer in effect.

The speculation that there is an arrest warrant for Mr. Weah quoting court sources is just not true. While it is true that a court document published on the 18th talked about the warrant, but also the same court issued another document that neutralizes or withdraws that court file of 18 April 2016. So as we speak, there is no arrest warrant for Mr. Weah, he said.

Morlue said the case in the Georgia court is politically motivated in order to diminish Weahs popularity ahead of the election.

There was a child support petition filed

Kenna White, the clerk of the court for criminal hearings of the Newton County Court in Covington, Georgia, confirmed to VOA that a petition was filed by Meapeh Gono Glay, the mother of Weahs 10-year-old daughter. The court official also confirmed that a hearing has been scheduled on May 11, 2016. According to one account in FrontPageAfrica, the court had ordered the father shall pay child support in the amount of $1,000.00 per month commencing May 1st, 2016 to be paid on the 1st day of each month, and continuing every month thereafter until further order of the court.

A document shown to VOA shows that on February 25, 2016 one Laureen J. Mullins, Weahs attorney, paid $162 to the court, authorized by my client for the needs of the minor child.

Party does not deny Weah is the father

Morlue admits that Weah has had a relationship with Miss Gono Glay and does not deny fathering a child.

It is a normal relationship. As with any couple anywhere in the world or people who have had interaction in the past. So regarding his child, Mr. Weah has always cared for children, not just his own but children of the world, children of Africa, and Liberia. So he cannot be the kind of person that abandons a child as is speculated in the complaint filed by the individual, Morlue said.

Weah will run for president

Last Thursday, Weah accepted a petition from tens of thousands of his supporters to run for president in the coming 2017 general elections. Weah, who is now a first-term senator for Montserrado County, first ran for president in 2005 and came in second to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He ran again in 2011, this time as a vice president to Winston Tubman and again his party came in second to President Sirleaf.

Morlue said the case in the Georgia court is politically motivated by people he called domestic state actors to try to diminish Weahs popularity ahead of the election.

Madam Gono Glay happens to be the former secretary general of the Alternative National Congress party (ANC) that broke away from the CDC influenced by domestic state actors to try to diminish the popularity of Mr. Weah and the CDC. But how be it, we respect the rights of children, we respect the rights of women. So we are not going to be castigating her. We simply want to provide details that Mr. Weah is not wanted anywhere in the world and there is no arrest warrant for him, Morlue said.

Morlue wants retraction of story

He called on Rodney Sieh, the publisher of FrontPageAfrica, to retract the story which claimed that an arrest warrant has been issued for Mr. Weah. Morlue says the action of the court on 26 April 2016 withdraws the warrant of 18 April 2016.

Morlue said he knows of no record showing that FrontPageAfrica publisher Sieh made any attempt to contact Weah or his party for reaction before publishing his article.

When contacted by VOA in Monrovia, Sieh said he made several attempts to get a reaction from Weah or the CDC, but he implied that there was an effort by some in the party to suppress the story.
When journalists and media rights activists gather in Helsinki to mark World Press Freedom day Tuesday, there will be a notable absence: Journalist Khadija Ismayilova, recipient of this years UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, is currently serving a 7.5-year sentence in Azerbaijan for her work exposing government corruption.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says some 200 journalists like Khadija are currently jailed across the world. And prison isnt the only way that governments co-opt or suppress the media.

Thai journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk was also invited to Helsinki, but the ruling military junta has banned him from leaving the country  a small price to be paid, he recently wrote, as journalists elsewhere face long-term detention or even assassination.

Most Thai journalists play it a little safe by ensuring that at least they adopt an adequate level of self-censorship when it comes to discussing or criticizing the military regime, he told VOA. You know when you've crossed the line [when] you get detained without charge by the military regime.



Global press freedom has fallen to its lowest point in more than a decade, notes Freedom House in its latest annual report, which scores 199 countries and territories, democracies and autocracies.

Only 13 percent of the worlds population enjoys a free pressthat is, where coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures, the report finds.



In a video statement marking World Press Freedom Day, John Lansing, CEO of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), said "Freedom of the press is a basic tenet of our democracy and a staple of a free and open society."

'Witch-hunt' in Turkey

Turkey witnessed a drop in press freedom over the past year as a result of a media crackdown one prominent editor called a witch-hunt. Reporters without Borders (RSF) ranks Turkey 151 out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index, down two points since 2015.

As many as 2,000 individuals  reporters, celebrities, academics and students  are reportedly being officially investigated on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or spreading terrorist propaganda.

Foreign journalists have come under increasing scrutiny. Der Spiegels correspondent was forced to leave Turkey, after the government failed to renew his press credentials. In April, Turkish police denied entry to a reporter for German State TV. Similarly, when American journalist David Lepeska returned to Ankara after a vacation in Italy, he was blocked from re-entering Turkey.

I was told to wait in the immigration waiting area for a final decision from Ankara regarding my entry to Turkey, Lepeska told VOA via a direct message on Twitter. After nearly 20 hours that decision still hadn't come so, on the advice of my employers and an adviser, I decided to fly out of the country. I'm still awaiting final word from Ankara, on whether my entry ban is official and the reason for it. I can only guess that it had something to do with my reporting.

Lepeska says he had never faced any restrictions or pressure at any time during three years reporting in Turkey. Nor did he ever receive any warning.

Arrests, threats on the rise in Egypt

Journalists across Eastern and Southern Africa faced rising political pressure last year, according to Freedom House. Although the 2010 Constitution in Kenya prohibits government interference in media, reports of intimidation and harassment are increasing in number. A media council set up by the government in 2013 has the power to impose stiff fines on reporters or withdraw press accreditation.

Oh yes, we've faced a number of threats over the years, said John Allan-Namu, an investigative journalist who left Kenya TV in late 2015 to co-found the Africa Uncensored news site. We've faced threats from the police, from various quarters within the government -- fairly high in the rank of government.

Allan-Namu says journalists have also been threatened by private businessmen and entrepreneurs  basically anyone who feels aggrieved by our stories.

Egyptian media has experienced an acute decline in freedom under President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who has personally met with journalists and writers at least three times since coming to power in a clear effort to set government red lines.

Last year, Egypt imprisoned a record 23 journalists, according to the CPJ, second only to China as the worst global jailer of journalists. Security forces arrested dozens of journalists attempting to cover recent protests against the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia and, on Sunday, stormed the press syndicates Cairo headquarters, arresting two journalists who had been participating in a sit-in to express solidarity with their jailed colleagues.

The state-controlled news agency MENA reported that arrest warrants had earlier been issued against the two journalists, who are accused of posting false news on Facebook to incite the April 25 protests.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi he mainly sees the medias role is to support the regime and act like a propaganda machine for the regime, said Khaled Dawoud, assistant Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram weekly and spokesman for the liberal al-Dostour party. And we refuse to play this role. Our rule is provide objective and credible coverage of events that are taking place in Egypt.

Egypt is now turning its attention to social media. This month, the speaker of Egypts parliament called for new laws that would allow authorities to prosecute Facebook users posting material dangerous tonational security.

In September 2015, Sissi told CNN that Egyptians enjoy unprecedented freedom of expression.

And throughout the time I have been in office, nothing will happen to the people of the press or the people of the media, he said.

Mohamed Adel Fahmy, former Cairo bureau chief for Al Jazeera, spent more than 400 days locked up in Egypt's notorious Tora prison.

"The only positive development in Egypt's deteriorating environment of press freedom is that pro-government journalists and some die-hard celebrity TV anchors supportive of the government are now relentlessly criticizing the unprecedented crackdown," he said, calling on Egypt to release photojournalists Mahmoud Abu Zeid and author/journalist Ahmed Naji, "serving time for crimes they did not commit."

Taking on cyberspace in China

The internet is posing challenges for other authoritarian governments seeking to curb free speech. Last year, for example, China passed a national security law and drafted a cyber security law which open the door for widespread crackdowns on free speech online.

Probably the biggest setback in terms of freedom of the press in the past three years has been the increased control over the internet in China. China has always controlled the internet in China, said William Nee, a China researcher at Amnesty International. It set up the great firewall, probably the greatest censorship apparatus there is to control the internet.

At the opening of a major internet conference in Beijing in December 2015, President Xi Jinping advocated respecting the rights of internet users to exchange ideas and express their minds; this, as prominent rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang was facing charges of inciting ethnic hatred and picking quarrels and provoking trouble for a series of messages he posted on the popular microblogging site Weibo.

When Xi Jinping rose to power in 2013, he went after the big celebrities, the big Vs  verified users, the big Vs  verified users in Weibo and people who had millions of followers, said Nee. Weibo, despite the censorship, was a relatively vibrant place where people could talk about public affairs, talk about news.

But the crackdown has not only tamed this vibrant media space, said Nee, but had a carry-over, sobering impact on traditional media outlets.

Similar campaigns are underway in Russia, where independent media are facing growing pressure under Vladimir Putin, especially during the current economic crisis.

Before 2011 they basically ignored what was going on the internet, on social media, said Ilya Klishin, digital media chief at the independent Dozhd TV, also known as TV Rain. They thought if you control themajor TV stations, then youre good. Then you control the public opinion.

But the power of the internet became clear after 2011-2012 street protests, largely organized on social media, and Klishin says efforts to control its influence have gained added urgency ahead of parliamentary elections slated for September.

A witch-hunt is being waged against independent media, which are increasingly branded as a fifth column seeking to destabilize the country, was the way Reporters Without Borders described the current media climate in its April on press freedom.

Refusing to sell newsprint in Venezuela

In the Americas, press freedoms tend to be higher, with some notable exceptions.

In an effort to silence its media critics, the government of Venezuela has gone so far as to refuse to sell newsprint, forcing dozens of newspapers to suspend printing or shut down altogether.

As a result, many journalists have turned to the internet  among them, Alberto Federico Ravell, former CEO and co-founder of the news channel, Globovision. After leaving the network in 2010  allegedly under government pressure  he co-founded the web news portal La Patilla. Highly critical of the government of President Nicolas Maduro, La Patilla ranks among the top most visited sites in Venezuela.

"They see us as the media of the CIA or the State Department, Ravell. This government really maintains a relentless persecution against the media and against the directors and editors of newspapers.

The U.S. scores high among the major media watchdog organizations, but watchdog groups note some concerns:

Freedom House notes that U.S. media have been caught up in the 2016 presidential election campaign. The leading Republican candidate, Donald Trump, made criticism of individual journalists and outlets a major focus of his appeal and used outrageous social-media comments to attract and divert traditional media coverage, Freedom House said in its annual report.

RSF ranks the U.S. 41st out of 180 in its most recent index, citing what it called a war on whistleblowers in the U.S. and expressed concern over the arrests of journalists during #Blacklivesmatter protests in Baltimore and Minneapolis.

The CPJ has for its part expressed concern over the Pentagons first Law of War Manual, which notes that some journalists in conflict may be unprivileged belligerents, using journalism as a cover for other activity. This, it says, could open the door for U.S. military to detain journalists without charge, evidence or trial.

Contributors to this report include Steve Herman from Bangkok, Amos Wangwa from Nairobi;, Bill Ide from Beijing, Daniel Schearf from Moscow, Pros Laput in Hong Kong, Hamada Elrasam from Cairo and Jose Pernalete from Miami.



WATCH: International journalists discuss press freedom
The leader of an umbrella organization representing world Jewry has asked the Michelin travel guide company to evaluate Israeli restaurants with its famous rating system, implying that the decision to omit the country may be political.

In a letter to the Michelin Guide, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder said it is a "concerning omission'' that Michelin does not have a guide to Israel.

"Israel today is a venerable amalgam of cultures and traditions, which come together to produce a distinctive and exceptional culinary scene,'' wrote Lauder. "Why, therefore, has your company refused to produce a guide to Israel's restaurants?''

"Though I am sure that it is not your intention, some have speculated that reasons other than merit color Michelin's decision not to visit Israel,'' Lauder, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, added. The letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

Israel, particularly Tel Aviv, has a vibrant food scene, melding flavors from Jewish immigrants around the world with local Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. In recent years, Israeli cuisine has earned international acclaim, with Tel Aviv recognized by Saveur Magazine as an outstanding travel destination for food lovers in 2014.

At least one Israeli chief, Moshik Roth, has received a Michelin star, for his work in the Netherlands, while Israeli chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Assaf Granit have found success in Britain. Another Israeli chef, Michael Solomonov, has won the prestigious James Beard award in the U.S.

In Paris, Michelin Guide spokeswoman Samuelle Dorol said there has never been a Michelin Guide to Israel and there are no current plans for one, citing commercial reasons.

"We have not had the opportunity to do a guide there,'' she said. "But that doesn't mean we will never have one.''

In general, she said Michelin Guide locations are chosen based on "gastronomic interest'' and sales potential. "You have to have potential readers.''

Michelin currently has guides for 27 countries and many city-specific guides. Among recent additions is a guide to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where no restaurants have earned even a single star from the three-star rating system.

But Michelin launched there anyway because of the potential for gastronomic development. "We sensed that something was happening in these cities,'' Dorol said.
Firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the figure at the center of Iraq's current political tempest, may be agitating and directing his supporters in the name of reform, but he and his followers, who ransacked the national parliament at the weekend, risk worsening Iraqs sectarian divisions.

The ultimate beneficiary of Iraqs unfolding political crisis and weakened government will likely be Iran, say analysts, who warn that Tehran, even though it may not be engineering the Sadrist protests, is seeking to leverage its influence on its neighbor.

And the Sadrists plan to hold more anti-corruption protests in the Iraqi capital Friday as they push for the scrapping of a now-hated quota system that guarantees the countrys political factions a share of government jobs and patronage. They present the next immediate challenge for embattled Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, whose own determined reform efforts have stalled.

In the Kurdistan capital of Irbil, to which dozens of Iraqi lawmakers fled over the weekend after Sadrs followers breached the fortified government citadel, the Green Zone, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter vouched for Abadi, saying he remains in a strong position.

Prime Minister Abadi stands for and has been a partner in all of the things that are important to Iraq's future," Carter said Monday, "namely, a country that holds together and doesn't just spiral off into sectarianism.

Tight spot for Abadi

Despite the U.S. vote of confidence, Iraqs prime minister remains in a tight corner. To head off a repeat of last weekends protests, he and Iraqs ruling elite need to start implementing reforms, something that Abadi has been unable to do for months.

The weekend invasion of the Green Zone saw Iraqi security personnel refrain from trying to repel protesters. But the demonstrations this Friday could be different and more violent, deepening the political crisis and triggering unpredictable consequences.

There may be units in the Iraqi army, such as the elite Golden Brigade, that might shoot down demonstrators, warned Sadr biographer Patrick Cockburn. Writing in Britains Independent newspaper, he added, The other main Shiite political factions are also capable of mobilizing their own militias to defend their interests, which they see as being threatened by the Sadrists. This may lead to battles between the different armed groups.

Abadis reform proposals, which would see the dismantling of much of a governance system that was built up since the U.S. invasion in 2003 to ensure all of the countrys competing sects have a share in power, have faced massive opposition from entrenched political interests. Sunni leaders as well as Shiite rivals of Sadr depend on the patronage system and fear the clerics increasing sway over poor, urban Shiites.

Efforts at improvement

Abadi, a Shiite himself, announced measures to improve the countrys governance and streamline Iraqs bloated and dysfunctional bureaucracy last August after anti-government protests erupted in several cities across Iraq, with demonstrators venting anger over poor public services and government corruption. But Abadi has been thwarted at every turn in his attempts to effect change.

Earlier this year, he drew up a list of ministers he believed could form a technocratic government that could start dismantling the quota system. But it wasn't accepted by parliamentary factions, who drew up their own list of nominees.

A second list the prime minister unveiled in April prompted anger from Sadrists and reformers, who claimed most of the nominees would merely perpetuate a quota system that has allowed the ruling elite to amass wealth.

And the Sadrist protests demanding the immediate implementation of reforms and the removal of corrupt officials arent helping Abadi overcome opposition. The clerics opponents, Shiite as well as Sunni, are now starting to equate calls for reform with Sadrist demands.

The populist Sadrist movement has succeeded in sidelining much of the broad-based civil demands for reform, effectively hijacking the street side of the anti-corruption movement, according to Hassan Mneimneh, an analyst at the Middle East Institute.

Sadr and Iran

Sadr insists his followers protests represent a show of support for Abadi and that he is on the prime ministers side, although he has warned if Abadi doesnt secure parliamentary approval for a cabinet of technocrats, he will destroy the government and force early elections.

Sadrs clout isnt in doubt, as he proved last weekend and in February, when he brought tens of thousands onto the streets of Baghdad to call for reform  one of the biggest protest rallies in recent Iraqi history.

What is in doubt are the 42-year-olds ultimate objectives. He shot to prominence after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, trading off the name of his father, another populist religious leader, who was assassinated on the orders of Saddam Hussein. Sadr formed the sectarian Shiite Mahdi Army, a militia that fought both the Iraqi government and American forces. By 2008, he was in Qom, Iran. He returned to Iraq in 2011, presenting himself as a very different and more mature leader.

One of his militias has been fighting on the government side against the Islamic State, and he has positioned himself as a less sectarian figure, promoting Iraqi unity and railing against foreign meddling in the country, Western or Iranian. His followers at the weekend protests in Baghdad could be heard chanting against Iran.

His critics accuse him of exploiting popular anger to enhance his political standing  not only in Baghdad but also in Tehran, which has favored other Shiite leaders over him.

On Monday, Sadr traveled to Iran. His aides would not give details about the trip, but observers see the move as possibly paving the way for Sadr to smooth over the intra-Shiite rivalry in Iraq and to persuade Iran to help resolve the crisis.
Nearly 450 Rohingya Muslims are homeless after a huge fire burned down several shelters at a camp for internally displaced people Tuesday.

About 50 shelters were destroyed at the Baw Du Pa camp located near Sittwe, the capital of the western state of Rakhine. The French news agency, AFP, says it has learned from authorities that strong winds caught the flames from a cooking stove and spread them from shelter to shelter. There are no reports of injuries or deaths.

About 140,000 Rohingya Muslims are living in limbo in dozens of squalid displacement camps across Rakhine state, having been forced to leave their homes amid fighting between Muslims and Myanmar's majority Buddhists in 2012.

Rohingya Muslims are marginalized in Myanmar. Branded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they are unable to travel freely, cannot vote, marry or have children without official permission, are largely barred from higher education and face the constant threat of violence as Buddhist extremism gains traction.

Myanmar leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has drawn criticism from the international community for failing to speak out on the plight of Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya. On April 1, the United Nations gave her newly installed civilian government 100 days to improve living conditions for the Rohingya.
Struggling to cope with the largest migration crisis in recent history, the European Commission is due to release details of its plan to overhaul the EU asylum system Wednesday.

The report is expected to touch off a renewed debate on how Europe should handle the influx, and analysts warn imposing quotas could continue to fuel anti-immigrant sentiments that are giving rise to far-right movements across eastern and western Europe, as well as efforts, like that in Britain, to break from the European Union.

The new regulations will seek to correct EU failures in dealing with the migrant crisis, most notably its inability to get member states to absorb a total of 160,000 refugees. Officials say European countries have taken in only slightly more than 1,000 of those asylum seekers.

An estimated 1 million refugees and migrants arrived in the European Union last year.

Among the most contentious of the proposals is a possible plan to charge nations that do not take in their share of migrants. EU officials, in leaks to the Financial Times newspaper, said the charges could reach nearly $300,000 per migrant.

A European Commission official contacted by VOA declined to confirm the report.

Any such proposal will likely trigger opposition, but may also provide an alternative to those who have refused to accept migrants.

Poland and Hungary will likely oppose financial penalties, but analysts say some politicians in those countries see the payments as one way to avoid having to accept migrants.

In both countries, the migrant issue has fueled the rise of right-wing political movements. Concerns over the imposition of EU quotas and general skepticism about migrants helped bring rightist Beata Szydlo to power in Poland last year. Similar concerns have strengthened the base of Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Hungary.

The trend is spreading in western Europe, where analysts warn of signs the political center could be shrinking.

Anti-immigrant parties have scored election victories in Austria and in Germany, where the three-year-old Alternative for Germany party, AfD, won record votes in three state elections and is now represented in half of Germanys eight states.

The party on Sunday adopted a manifesto that says, Islam is not a part of Germany.

AfD supporter Michael Stuerzenberger, a Munich activist known for his campaign against Muslim immigration, voiced support Tuesday for the idea of having German taxpayers face financial penalties rather than accept migrants.

Its better to pay money for them to stay in the areas where they come from than to have them come to Europe, he told VOA.

Some analysts, however, see an overwhelming swing to the right as unlikely. They note mainstream parties that have switched to less liberal stances have not done well in elections and those who vote for populist parties do so in protest of the ruling parties inability to deal with the migrant crisis, not necessarily because they oppose the migrants presence.

Mainstream parties do not gain from copying claims made by populist parties; quite the contrary; they make populist parties more respectable by this strategy, Mattias Kortmann, a politics professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, told VOA.

However, I think that it is still a minority, which indeed agrees with these parties' ideas. Most voters rather try to express their disappointment with the mainstream parties by voting for the populist ones, he said.
President Barack Obama made a new appeal Tuesday to U.S. lawmakers to approve a 12-nation Pacific Rim trade deal, saying the United States, not China, should set the rules for economic engagement in the Asia-Pacific region.

In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Obama played down an effort by Beijing and 15 other countries to create a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Asia to compete with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that the U.S. reached with 11 other countries with shorelines along the Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. leader said the prospective Chinese-led accord "won't prevent unfair competition among government-subsidized, state-subsidized enterprises," ensure a free internet, protect intellectual rights of artists and writers, or enforce high standards for workers or the environment.

He said, however, the agreement the U.S. helped broker would achieve such protections and lead to the elimination of more than 18,000 taxes that other countries have imposed on U.S. products.

Obama said that once the TPP was in place, "American businesses will export more of what they make. And that means supporting more higher-paying jobs."

Obama has encountered resistance in winning support for the trade deal, with many in his own Democratic Party opposed to it, including the leading Democrat looking to replace him when he leaves office next January, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The front-running Republican presidential candidate, billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump, also opposes it.

In the midst of the contentious presidential and congressional election campaigns, lawmakers have set no date for a vote on the trade pact, but possibly could consider it at the end of the year, after the November election to pick Obama's successor.

"I understand the skepticism people have about trade agreements, particularly in communities where the effects of automation and globalization have hit workers and families the hardest," Obama said in the opinion piece. "But building walls to isolate ourselves from the global economy would only isolate us from the incredible opportunities it provides. Instead, America should write the rules. America should call the shots. Other countries should play by the rules that America and our partners set, and not the other way around."

Obama said, "The United States, not countries like China, should write" trade rules.

He said Congress should "seize this opportunity, pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership and make sure America isnt holding the bag, but holding the pen."
Pakistan is rejecting Afghan demands for military action against Taliban commanders within Pakistan and emphasizes the need to continue talks for a settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan.

In Islamabad Tuesday, Pakistani foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz dismissed demands by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that Pakistan evict Taliban insurgents through military action or arrest and hand them over to Kabul for trial and punishment for killing innocent Afghans. Ghani recently announced that Afghanistan will not seek Pakistan's help in arranging reconciliation talks with the Taliban.

Aziz called Afghan outrage at Pakistan an expression of frustration because they (Afghan leaders) were expecting reconciliation talks would have started by now and led to a reduction in violence. He said it is unfortunate the Taliban has gone ahead with its spring offensive and negotiations have also not started.

The Pakistani adviser, however, also said the insurgency has been unable to make significant advances in the fighting and has not captured any territory. He said that if stability persists on the battlefield, it could push the Taliban to the talks with the Afghan government.

Aziz said Pakistan has not yet come to that stage because officials believe it is premature; but Afghanistan is pushing Pakistan to urgently examine and take action against Taliban leaders. Aziz added that Islamabad is telling Kabul the military option has been applied since 2001 but has not ended the Afghan conflict, referring to the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

He said, The reconciliation option cannot materialize in just two to four weeks and should be given due time because it is the only way to bring peace to Afghanistan.

Peaceful resolution

Aziz said Pakistan will continue to pursue efforts together with the United States and China for a peaceful resolution of the Afghan war. He added that a Taliban delegation from its political office in Qatar also visited Pakistan last week as part of the exploratory contacts Islamabad is making to facilitate Afghan peace talks.

The Pakistani official said Beijing, Washington and even negotiators from Afghanistans High Peace Council also maintain contacts with the Talibans Qatar office and are using them to promote the peace and reconciliation process.

Kabul has criticized Islamabad for allowing the Taliban to send a delegation to Islamabad, saying a terrorist group should not have been allowed to do so.

Kabul hardened its stance toward reconciliation talks and relations with Pakistan after a deadly bomb-and-gun assault in the Afghan capital on April 19 left nearly 70 people dead and around 350 others wounded.

After the Kabul attack, the Afghan government accused Islamabad of not acting against the Taliban and militants linked to the Haqqani network that Kabul alleges used Pakistani soil to plot the assault and other insurgent violence in Afghanistan. Haqqanis have ties to the Pakistani spy agency, according to Afghan and U.S. officials.
The Philippine defense chief said Tuesday his government has agreed in principle to lease five Japanese surveillance planes to be used in patrolling disputed areas of the South China Sea and in search-and-rescue missions during disasters.



Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said he plans to discuss with his Japanese counterpart the terms of the lease of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force TC 90 aircraft when they meet on the sidelines of an annual meeting of defense ministers in Laos later this month.



The Asian allies, which have separate territorial conflicts with China, have been deepening their security ties. They signed an agreement in February to allow Japan to supply defense equipment and technology to the Philippines, Tokyo's first such pact with any Southeast Asian country.



Japan's efforts to ease restrictions on its defense forces to provide equipment to Asian allies paved the way for Tokyo to offer the patrol aircraft to the Philippines, he said.



"This is a big help because we don't have such a capability", Gazmin said.



In a telephone call Monday with Gazmin, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani "reaffirmed the transfer'' of the Japanese planes which will be useful for humanitarian and disaster-response missions and maritime security,'' the Philippines defense department said.



They agreed that cooperation by their countries "is indispensable,'' with Nakatani stressing the relationship ``is crucial for peace, stability and prosperity'' in the region, the department said.



Both agreed to reschedule a meeting after Nakatani postponed a trip to the Philippines last month because of twin quakes in southern Japan, it said.
A 21-year-old Somali refugee is critically ill after setting herself on fire on Nauru, a tiny South Pacific republic where Australia runs an offshore detention camp. Some in Australia are using the incident to press their criticisms of the countrys refugee policy. But the government in Canberra believes some refugee supporters are putting pressure on migrants to harm themselves for the attention it will bring.

A 21-year-old Somali refugee Hodan Yasin has been transferred to a hospital in the Australian city of Brisbane where she is in a critical condition after setting herself on fire on the island of Nauru Monday.

Refugee advocates say the injured woman was distressed after she was previously sent back to the South Pacific nation following medical treatment in Australia for injuries sustained in a road accident.

Last week, a 23-year-old Iranian asylum seeker died after he set himself on fire at the Australian-run migrant center on Nauru.

It is one of two offshore processing camps sponsored by Australia as part of a policy to stop asylum seekers reaching its northern waters by boat. Even if detainees are found to be genuine refugees, they are not allowed to resettle in Australia.

Refugee rights

Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says her country is abandoning vulnerable people.

This is the ridiculous situation we are in, that these are people who have had their claims assessed," she said. "They have been found to be refugees, therefore they deserve to be looked after and given an opportunity to rebuild their lives. We should not be having languishing on Nauru even now, let alone for years and years to come. We should end this suffering and bring these people to Australia and allow them to get on with their lives.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has accused refugee supporters of enflamming tensions on Nauru by encouraging migrants to take drastic measures to try to force Australia to change its border protection policies.

Asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia by sea are sent to either Manus Island in Papua New Guinea or to Nauru.

Officials in Canberra say the policy is a deterrent and has stopped a steady flow of migrants trying to reach Australia by boat.

Last week, the Papua New Guinea government said it would close the Australian facility on Manus Island after the countrys Supreme Court ruled it illegal.

A boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers has reportedly arrived on the Cocos Islands, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. If confirmed, it would be the first refugee vessel to have reached Australian waters in almost two years.
Press freedom in 2015 fell to its lowest point in 12 years, according to a new report on the issue.

Freedom House, which produced the Freedom of the Press 2016 report, cited political, criminal and terrorist forces behind the decline in press freedom.

World Press Freedom Day, a global observance on May 3, stresses that freedom of information is a fundamental human right as well as weighs the state of press freedom around the world. The focus of the day is also to remind people around the world that in dozens of countries, publications are censored, fined or shuttered, while journalists and editors are harassed, detained and sometimes even murdered.

Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a France-based international nonprofit group that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press, said 110 journalists were killed in the course of their work or in connection with it in 2015; 787 have been killed since 2005.

Of the 110 journalists killed in 2015, RWB found:

 49 were murdered or knowingly targeted

 18 were killed in the course of their work

 43 were killed for unclear reasons

 27 were citizen journalists

 7 were media workers

 36 percent were killed in war zones

 97 percent were nationals of the countries in which they were killed

The five deadliest countries for journalists

 Iraq

 Syria

 France *

 Yemen

 South Sudan

* The Charlie Hebdo attack in January made France the third-deadliest country for journalists in 2015. In response to terror attacks, officials in France, as well as Spain and the United Kingdom, proposed restrictive surveillance and antiterrorism laws last year in the name of public security.

Five deadliest incidents for journalists

 Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris; 12 people were killed, including eight journalists

 Beheading of Japanese freelance reporter Kenji Goto by the Islamic State group

 Hacking deaths of Bangladesh bloggers: Avijit Roy, Ananta Bijoy, Washiqur Rahman, Niloy Chakrabarti

 Death of photojournalist Ruben Espinosa in Mexico

 Death of Somali journalist Hindiya Mohamed in a car bombing; she was one of two women journalists killed in 2015

Journalists in prison or held hostage

Detained: 153, 23 of whom are being detained in China

Held hostage: 54, 26 of whom are being held in Syria
A team led by the United States, Russia and the United Nations is working to finalize a plan that could restore the cessation of hostilities in Syria, where fighting between the government and rebels could unhinge a multinational effort to fight the Islamic State.

Our teams, on a military-to-military basis, are working through the details that need to be implemented so that this can be restored, said Secretary of State John Kerry.

He commented Tuesday, a day after holding emergency talks in Geneva with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and other officials.

Kerry also spoke by phone to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The U.S. and Russia are co-chairs of a Syrian cease-fire task force.

Earlier Tuesday, Lavrov told reporters he was hopeful that a truce could be agreed to in the nearest future, even in the coming hours. He commented as he met with de Mistura in Moscow.

The flurry of meetings came after a cease-fire, announced by world powers in February, began unraveling, especially in Aleppo, Syrias largest city.

Since late April, more than 270 people have died as a result of fighting in the city, including more than 50 who were killed in a Thursday airstrike on a hospital blamed on the regime.

We are particularly aiming to try to restore this [cease-fire] in Aleppo, Kerry said.

He did not spell out details of the plan being discussed by negotiators in Geneva but did indicate there could be consequences for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he did not comply.

If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the cease-fire and they go back to war, Kerry said. I do not think that Russia wants that. I dont think that Assad is going to benefit from that, but there may be other repercussions that are being discussed.

Lavrov said he urged U.S. officials to put pressure on moderate rebels to leave territories occupied by Islamic State fighters and al-Nusra Front jihadists.

Test of US commitment

The battle for Aleppo is key at a time when the conflict has become a test of U.S. commitment in the region.

The security situation there, as bad as it has been for some time, now is deteriorating, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday. It is an indication that the cessation of hostilities is continuing to fray.

He spoke after a series of rockets, believed to have been launched by rebels, hit a hospital and other buildings the city, killing at last 16 people.

Kerry said there was no justification for horrific violence targeting civilians. We condemn any of these attacks, no matter who commits them.

Jasmine Gani, an analyst at the Center for Syrian Studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told VOA that perceptions of U.S. legitimacy in the region hang in the balance as a result of what she called a "mismatched rhetoric and policy." She said Washington raised expectations by calling for Assad's exit early in the conflict and then failed to provide the support needed to carry out that aim.

With Russia now figuring strongly in the equation, Gani said, the U.S. "has to be a lot more careful as to what it puts its commitment to. In the past, it was not such a problem, but the shift of dynamics in global power means there is greater scrutiny on the United States to fulfill its promises."
The Islamic State (IS) is bombarding social media with Russian language propaganda aimed at attracting new recruits from targeted audiences.

The media barrage appeared to intensify after Russia entered the Syrian civil war last September to help prop up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. While it is hard to measure the campaigns success, Russia has taken steps to block Islamic State's online messaging. Despite the measures, IS continues to target disenfranchised youth, radicalized women and jihadists it believes are willing to join the IS cause.

According to the Russian government, more than 4,000 Russian citizens have traveled to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside various jihadist groups, including IS. Central Asian nations also report high levels of influence and recruitment by the jihadists, with estimates of the number of recruits who have joined ranging from several hundred to several thousand.

The percentage of women among the recruits is also not declining, government officials say.

Russian-language IS propaganda is proliferating online despite efforts by social network and domain administrators to block it. It is aimed at Russian-speaking Muslim communities globally and reaches urban centers and remote rural villages. Experts say young people and single mothers are the most vulnerable targets.



One recent video shows children playing joyfully on a sunny day, surrounded by adults, all of them long-bearded men, some of them carrying Kalashnikovs, others tasting freshly roasted barbecue. There are also little boys playing with real pistols, elders praising Allah for the blessed peace of the Islamic State, and young men kneeling in a group Muslim prayer on the streets. No adult women or teenage girls appear during the 12-minute video.

Cannon fodder

Another recent IS video is full of scenes of war, accompanied by quotes from the Quran exhorting the lazy to come and fight. It promises salvation and rewards in heaven to those who answer the call to jihad, and "eternal hell" for those who ignore it.

More so than in the past, Russian-language IS propaganda videos are more narrowly focused on and specially narrated for certain target audiences. Videos specifically aimed at drawing in Muslim families tout the rewards of living under Sharia law, while martial arts videos aimed at youth dreaming of heroic adventures feature fierce combat, victorious attacks and humiliated captives, all ending with a young fighter calling on viewers to join the ranks.

The youngsters are obsessed with IS videos practically everywhere, and are material for cannon fodder, Orkhan Dzhemal, a reporter with independent Russian television station TV Dozhd (Rain), told VOA.



Dzhemal's reporting from the Middle East, Central Asia and the North Caucasus has earned him a level of trust among Salafists, adherents of a more puritan, Saudi-style branch of Islam that the governments of Russia and some Central Asian nations considers a dangerous form of Islam and openly persecute.

Professional production values

Since the emergence of a Russian-speaking Islamic State contingent, IS video/audio production has gone from amateurish to professional, produced by a newly established team of Russian-speaking IS propagandists. Since mid-2015 the produced material is much more sophisticated technologically, and includes a daily radio news program and a flood of propaganda videos.

Some of the videos are simply translated or subtitled versions of Arabic language IS video-clips.

Some are produced by the Russian-speaking IS team. Often nearly an hour long, many include footage of Russian troops during the two Chechen wars and calls for Muslims to take revenge. These videos, which often focus on episodes from the history of Russia's colonization of the North Caucasus, display relatively advanced filmmaking skills. They frequently feature figures popular among radical-minded Muslims in the North Caucasus and in Central Asia, who tell stories about living and fighting in the IS "caliphate" and urge viewers to join.

Finding social media users

Russian-language IS websites and accounts emerge and disappear, sometimes on the same day, because social network and domain administrators quickly shut them down. But these short-lived online propaganda projects come with a back-up plan: there are how not to lose us links pinned to the top of each page. These links usually lead to mirror accounts, decoded file sharing sites and the Telegram app.

Created in 2013 by two Russian IT developers, brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, this cloud-based instant messenger, with optional secret chats equipped with a self-destruct timer, had 100 million active users worldwide as of February 2016.

Russia's security services say Telegram remains one of the biggest challenges to fighting IS online. But there is nothing that prevents compiling a database of the names of those who use the app and those with whom they are communicating.

To track extremist groups on the Internet, Russian security and intelligence services use a program called Avalanche. The program makes it possible to collect data on terrorist recruitment and financing. Special filters and keywords allow the program to track correspondence in e-mail, social media, mobile phone messages, and in chat rooms of online computer games.

But while the Russian government says that tens of thousands of domains, blogs and social media accounts are being blocked or banned every day, Russian-language Islamic State propaganda continues to appear and multiply.
Roughly 1 in 3 people in the Mideast and North Africa have had to pay a bribe for a public service, a watchdog group said Tuesday.

In the report released by Transparency International, researchers found that bribes are commonly used to obtain public services, in court systems, and among regional police, as well as for medical services, identity documents, permits, electricity, and water. A majority of respondents felt that corruption is getting worse.

The Berlin-based anti-corruption group surveyed nearly 11,000 adults in 9 countries and found bribery rampant. About half of respondents in Egypt, Morocco, and Sudan said they had paid bribes for public services.

People were also interviewed in Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, and Yemen. Surveys in Yemen, which were conducted before Saudi Airstrikes which led to war in March 2015, showed that 77% of citizens said they had to pay a bribe in order to receive public services.

Across the nine countries, courts fare worst for bribery, with 1/3 of respondents who have dealt with the courts reporting that they have had to pay bribes. Police are not much better, with one in four respondents reporting having bribed police officers.

Only 1 in 5 respondents said they had reported having to pay bribes, and 2 in 5 of those who did report corruption said they have faced retaliation.

Public anger over corruption and lack of transparency fueled the Arab Spring uprising in 2011 which ousted leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya. But the hope that followed this movement is overshadowed by the continuing corruption.

"It's as if the Arab Spring never happened," Transparency International's chief Jose Ugaz said in a statement accompanying the report.

Transparency International has urged all nine national governments to prosecute corruption as well as promote freedom of the press and establish independent anti-corruption commissions.
Nearly every public school in Detroit, Michigan, was closed Monday after more than 1,500 teachers called in sick, angered that they may not get paid over the summer.

Like the city itself, Detroit schools are struggling financially. Many of the buildings are reported to be in shambles, with crumbling floors and ceilings, and rodents skittering across the classrooms.

The state had approved $47.8 million in emergency money in March, but that amount only pays the district's bills through June 30. Detroit Schools also would be unable to fund summer school or special education programs after June 30.

The state Legislature is debating a $720 million restructuring plan that would pay off the district's massive debt.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder says the teacher sick-out  which gave nearly 45,000 schoolchildren the day off  was not a constructive move, but he urged state lawmakers to work out a plan by the end of the month.
From the question of Britain's place in Europe to the choice of New Zealand's flag, referendums worldwide are usually preceded by unbridled debate. Not so under Thailand's junta.

Many Thais are chafing under strict new regulations governing discussion ahead of an Aug. 7 referendum on a military-backed constitution.

The junta that seized power in a May 2014 coup has already threatened to jail anyone campaigning for or against the constitution, which critics say entrenches the military's political influence.



The 14 rules, which were issued by the Election Commission and formally became law on Monday, make even well-meaning discussion risky, say academics and experts.

Under the regulations, Thais must express their opinions with "polite words... without distorting the facts".

"Rude, aggressive, or intimidating" interviews with the media are banned. So is organizing a panel discussion "with intent to incite political unrest".

Also forbidden are "T-shirts, pins and ribbons" that encourage others to campaign.

Violators can be jailed for up to 10 years. Dissenters in military-run Thailand often receive lengthy prison sentences under draconian laws on computer crime and royal defamation.

The referendum will be a test of the junta's popularity and a potential flashpoint in a turbulent political scene, say analysts. The military government has promised an election by mid-2017, even if the constitution is rejected.

Groups of all political stripes have denounced the draft constitution as undemocratic, with one major political party urging supporters to vote "no".

"To express opinions using reason. Is that so hard to understand?" Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha snapped at a reporter who asked about the new rules on Tuesday.

Prayuth has ruled largely unchallenged but anti-junta activists have recently staged small but frequent protests.

Nine activists were jailed last week on charges of sedition and computer crimes. Two face additional charges of insulting the monarchy.

Phubed Pisanaka, a recent law graduate who comments on the government on his Facebook account, said the rules would make him more careful.

"I have to think twice about what I post and share now," he said.

Others remain defiant. "I'll keep expressing my opinion even though I could be

criminalized," said Kornkritch Somjittranukit, a contributor to Thailand's online publication Prachatai. "If thinking differently is a crime, living inside or

outside of jail is practically the same," he said.
A young Tibetan monk appears to have been detained by police Monday for carrying a portrait of the Dalai Lama through the streets of Ngaba in western China's Sichuan province.

In a cellphone video that surfaced online, Losang Thubten is seen walking through a shopping area crowded with vehicles and pedestrians; in a second video, he is seen being marched quickly down the middle of the street by two police officers on either side.

A source outside of Tibet told VOA that Thubten is a member of nearby Kirti monastery, whose monks have long protested what they call repressive and humiliating regulations imposed on Tibetan monasteries by Chinese officials.

A monk from Kirti monastery carried out the first self-immolation protest inside Tibet in 2009, and since then Ngaba and the surrounding area has seen a wave of self-immolation protests by monks, nuns and laypeople.

Between 2009 and 2013, when the largest number of self-immolation protests took place, Beijing's response evolved from discrediting protesters as disturbed, fringe activists to accusing them of separatism  and often charging and imprisoning relatives and friends on grounds of collusion.

Another development that has terrified some Tibetans: recent self-immolations in which the person was taken away while still alive, but later declared dead by officials who state the cause of death without allowing access to the remains.

The crackdown on friends and families of those who self-immolate in protest of Chinese policies in the Tibetan Autonomous Region has resulted in fewer protests since 2013. But since 2014, the number of lone street protests, such as the one that took place Monday, has grown.

These lone protesters are typically detained and not heard from again.

Thubten's protest is the first major news to come out of the Ngaba region in 2016, as authorities shut down the internet at the outset of the Tibetan New Year in early February. However, internet services were restored in mid-April, shortly after two sensitive dates for the communist officials in Tibet: commemoration of the March 10, 1959, uprising against Chinese forces in Lhasa, and polling results from the exile Tibetan government elections.

According to sources, the family of Thubten is distraught over the mans fate, as authorities have not informed relatives of his condition or whereabouts.
Greek Cypriots will no longer require visas to visit Turkey under an EU-Turkey agreement on visa liberalization but this does not amount to Turkish recognition of Cyprus, a Turkish official said on Tuesday.

Turkey's Cabinet has approved waiving visas for EU citizens once the EU relaxes its visa requirements for Turks, according to a decision published in the Official Gazette. The move is one of the 72 criteria required by Brussels.

The official confirmed the deal would also apply to Greek Cypriots.



"This doesn't mean the recognition of Cyprus. If the EU abolishes visas for Turkish citizens, then we will also abolish visa for the remaining EU countries," the official said.

"Right now, Greek Cypriots can already travel to Turkey, but we are issuing their visa on a separate paper. With this new arrangement they won't need a visa."
Punches and water were thrown during a Turkish parliamentary committee meeting late Monday night before a bill that would strip deputies of their immunity from prosecution was passed.

As the committee discussed the bill, which members of the pro-Kurdish opposition say is designed to target them and suppress dissent, fights broke out between members of the ruling AK party and the pro-Kurdish people's party (HDP). Witnesses say multiple deputies exchanged kicks and punches and some threw water at their opponents. The HDP subsequently withdrew from the meeting, allowing the three remaining parties to pass the bill.

The measure will now go to the full parliament for debate.

President Tayyip Erdogan, founder of the AKP, has called for prosecution of some HDP members, accusing them of being connected to the outlawed militant group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Currently Turkish lawmakers are immune from prosecution while in office. The police can file "dossiers" against politicians which may lead to a legal process only after their term in parliament has ended.
The 42-year-old is all set to assume the position left vacant by Liz Truss.
U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said Tuesday he wants to get the two-month-old cessation of hostilities in Syria "back on track" as he met in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The cease-fire between pro-government forces and rebel fighters went into effect in late February, leading to a dramatic drop in violence that has slowly eroded as both sides alleged repeated violations. The fighting has been worst around the northern city of Aleppo where government airstrikes and rebel shelling have killed hundreds of people during the past week.

Syrian state media said rebel rockets hit a hospital Tuesday in Aleppo, killing or wounding dozens of people.

Proposals on cease-fire

At the start of his meeting with de Mistura, Lavrov said Russia and the United States are both working to strengthen the cease-fire. Lavrov's office said he discussed the situation in a phone call Monday with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and that they both urged all sides to "strictly observe" the truce.

The call followed Kerry's own meeting with de Mistura in Geneva where he said the United States and its partners are discussing "several proposals" to stop the spiraling violence." Kerry did not specify what those proposals are.

News agencies quoted U.S. officials who requested anonymity as saying the United States is considering mapping out safe zones marked by hard lines that would provide refuge for civilians and members of the moderate opposition.

No help from Russia

Getting Russias support has been key but elusive for Kerry, who has called for Moscows help in getting Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces to stop their assault on rebel-held parts of Syrias largest city.

There are several proposals that are now going back to key players to sign off, Kerry said after his meetings Monday with de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir. We are hopeful but we are not there yet, Kerry said, adding the U.S. and its partners are going to work very hard in the next 24 hours, 48 hours to get there.

Kerry said an agreement on Aleppo could be announced in the coming days.

For the United States, it is important to show it has not given up on resolving the five-year-old conflict, but there are questions on whether a low level of U.S. commitment has resulted in a Russian victory in the region as the Russian-backed Syrian government forces retake large swaths of land.

Were in a kind of phase in the conflict where there are ongoing battles for advantage happening, David Butter, a Middle East analyst at Chatham House in London, told VOA. Of course, the momentum is very much on the Assad regime.

Key battle

The battle for Aleppo is key at a time when the conflict has become a test of U.S. commitment in the region.

Kerry arranged the trip after it became clear the humanitarian situation in the city was deteriorating rapidly and as proximity talks between the Assad government and the moderate opposition failed.

Scenes of escalating violence and atrocities committed against civilians are an opportunity for the United States to demonstrate a leadership role in resolving the conflict, analysts say.

As Syrian forces prepared the latest assault on Aleppo two weeks ago, Russia had successfully portrayed the efforts as a counter-terrorist operation to strike at the al-Nusra Front, which the United States and Russia consider a terrorist group.

Analysts note that U.S. officials, intentionally or not, were interpreted as being unopposed to the Aleppo operation before it began. U.S. military officials were quoted as saying the al-Nusra front was a major dominant force in the city and not part of the cease-fire.

The perception changed when an airstrike hit Aleppos al Quds hospital, a facility supported by the group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) killing several children and medical staff, including one of the citys remaining pediatricians.

The incident outraged Kerry and analysts say it was an opportunity for the U.S. to step up its efforts to change any perception that it was not taking an active enough role in resolving the Syrian conflict.

IN PICTURES: Deadly Airstrikes Hit Aleppo Hospital, Dozens Killed



US needs to show commitment

Demonstrating the U.S. administrations commitment to fulfill promises remains a major task for Kerry.

[President] Obama set the tone by talking quite a big game on Syria, but not having any strategic commitments. Because the U.S. hasnt really invested, its not got much to lose except as a non-actor, said analyst David Butter.

Jasmine Gani, an analyst at the Center for Syrian Studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told VOA that perceptions of U.S. legitimacy in the region hang in the balance as a result of what she calls a mismatched rhetoric and policy. She says Washington raised expectations by calling for Assads exit early in the conflict and then failed to provide the support needed to carry out that aim.

With Russia now figuring strongly in the equation, Gani said the U.S. has to be a lot more careful as to what it puts its commitment to. In the past, it was not such a problem, but the shift of dynamics in global power means there is greater scrutiny on the United States to fulfill its promises.
The United Nations Security Council will meet Wednesday afternoon to be briefed on the situation in Syria following a week of renewed violence, particularly in Syria's second city Aleppo.

U.N. political chief Jeffrey Feltman will brief the council on Wednesday afternoon.

This follows the U.N. Security Council's approval of a resolution on Tuesday demanding all parties protect hospitals, health care providers, and medical facilities against violence and be held accountable in case they do not.

The action followed a series of deadly attacks on hospitals in war zones worldwide.

About 30 airstrikes by Syrian government warplanes and helicopter gunships hit rebel-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo on April 30, killing at least five people. A rebel rocket attack struck a hospital in Aleppo Tuesday, killing at least three people.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, nearly 250 civilians have died in shelling, rocket fire and air raids in the city since April 22. Among those killed were at least 50 people in a hospital that was hit in an airstrike.

The resolution was drafted by council members New Zealand, Spain, Egypt, Japan, and Uruguay.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said every country must do more than just condemn attacks, and act to protect hospitals and staff and punish those responsible for such violence.

Last year, the United Nations verified 59 attacks against 34 hospitals, Ban said.

Today, almost half of all medical facilities in Syria are now closed or only partially functioning. Millions of Syrians lack life-saving healthcare, Ban said on Tuesday during a briefing in New York on health care in armed conflict.

He added that a similar pattern of systematic destruction of health facilities is evident in Yemen. More than 600 medical facilities have closed because of damage sustained in the conflict and shortages of supplies and medical workers.

In January of this year, coalition air strikes ini Yemen hit the Shiara Hospital, which serves around 120,000 people in Saada Governorate.

Ban called the attacks shameful and inexcusable.
The United States and its allies are expecting more offensives like the one Islamic State fighters pulled off Tuesday in northern Iraq, briefly breaking Kurdish Peshmerga lines and resulting in the death of a U.S. Navy SEAL.

U.S. officials have been adamant that IS is as vulnerable and weak as it has been since its fighters first pushed into Iraq in June 2014. But such optimism has been tempered by caution; defense and intelligence officials have repeatedly warned of the terror group's resilience.

One U.S. intelligence official, speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity, described the faster tempo of IS operations as a "lashing out," unlikely to slow in the near future.

"As it faces mounting losses of territory, ISIL is unable to respond to strategic defeats with effective counterattacks," the official said, using an acronym for the terror group.

The official also said the increasing number of attacks specifically targeting civilians, like those on Shia pilgrims in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, "betray ISIL's desperation."

'Huge attack'

Tuesday's offensive, though, focused on Kurdish frontline positions, targeting forces that have been hailed as some of the most effective in the fight against IS.

Related story: Peshmerga Regroup to Recapture Iraqi Town from IS

"We were outgunned," Peshmerga fighter Osman Hussein said. "When their hammer vehicle entered, our shield wall collapsed. We couldn't do anything. We had to retreat."

IS launched the offensive at dawn Tuesday, hitting various Kurdish frontline positions north and south of Mosul with a combination of heavy weapons, and both vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers.

"It was a very huge attack," said Peshmerga Gen. Hamid Afandi of the Islamic State operation in Telskuf, some 30 kilometers north of Mosul. "IS had control for about two to three hours."

It was a costly operation for IS, which held the towns of Telskuf and Musqelat only briefly. Kurdish officials said 80 IS fighters were killed in the battle and 25 vehicles were destroyed.

Repeatable operation

But a Western diplomat, talking to VOA on condition of anonymity, said it was the type of operation IS could very well repeat. And the official noted that being able to claim the attack was able to penetrate Kurdish lines and kill an elite U.S. Navy SEAL would make an impression with the terror group's target audience.

Former intelligence officers also warn against seeing the IS attack on Kurdish positions, or even the uptick in suicide bombings, as a sign that time is running out for the self-declared caliphate.

"I've always hated the 'when a terrorist group acts like a terrorist group, it's a sign of desperation' line," said Patrick Skinner, a former intelligence officer now with The Soufan Group.

"It's a sign of how nasty the tactical fight is," he said. "Overall, ISIS is losing, but the day to day doesn't abide to that trend line."

VOA's Sharon Behn and Ali Javanmardi contributed to this report from Irbil; Kurdish Service Reporter Kawa Omar contributed from near Mosul.
As he stepped down as America's top commander in Europe on Tuesday, retiring Air Force General Philip Breedlove recalled how he began his career more than three decades ago trying to keep the peace during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

"I think my career is now ending here, trying to prevent a Cold War - and continue to keep the peace," Breedlove said in a farewell address, shortly before he received a final salute from troops at European Command headquarters in Germany. "But I hand that mission over now to you."

Breedlove turned over European Command to Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, ending an era during which the straight-talking general helped transform U.S. and NATO planning in Europe after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

A similar ceremony will take place on Wednesday to pass along Breedlove's other title, NATO supreme allied commander Europe.

Backed by a big increase in U.S. military spending, NATO is setting up small eastern outposts, forces on rotation, regular war games and warehoused equipment ready for a rapid response force, all to deter Russia.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter acknowledged on Tuesday NATO discussions to strengthen the alliance's position on its eastern flank, possibly by sending four battalions to rotate through the Baltic states and Poland.

The moves effectively represent NATO's biggest build-up in eastern Europe since the Cold War.

The Kremlin denies any intentions to attack the Baltic countries, but it has often said that they have become an aggressive "Russophobic kernel" pushing NATO toward a consistently anti-Russian posture.

Tensions between Washington and Moscow have been highlighted by recent encounters between their militaries. Last month, two Russian warplanes flew what U.S. officials described as simulated attack passes near a U.S. guided missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea.

Despite those incidents, the United States and Russia still work together diplomatically. Carter noted critical U.S. and Russian collaboration, including to secure a deal last year with Iran over its nuclear program.

"That's why we'll keep the door open for Russia. But it's up to the Kremlin to decide," Carter said.

"We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia. But make no mistake, we will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us."
The U.S. Marine Corps is investigating the possibility that one of the six marines in an iconic photo taken at The Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II has been misidentified.

The probe comes more than a year after two amateur historians raised doubts about one soldier.

"The Marine Corps is examining information provided by a private organization related [to] Joe Rosenthal's Associated Press photograph," the Marine Corps spokesman Major Chris Devine said in a statement.

Rosenthal shot the photo on February 23, 1945 on Mount Suribachi, amid an intense battle with the Japanese. The flag-raisers quickly moved on to other tasks and it was impossible to get their names, Rosenthal told retired AP executive Hal Buell, who wrote a book in 2006 about the famous image.

Because the photo was immediately celebrated, prompting the U.S. government to use it in future bond sales to help finance the war, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the military to identify the soldiers.

After some confusion, they were eventually identified as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley.

But after reviewing photos taken at Iwo Jima later that day, amateur historians Eric Krelle of Nebraska and Stephen Foley of Ireland last year noticed some possible discrepancies. They concluded the man identified as Bradley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, who died in 1995.

Bradley's son, James Bradley, wrote the best-selling book Flags of Our Fathers about the flag-raisers and was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. Bradley expressed shock that the Marine Corps is investigating the identities of the soldiers. "This is unbelievable," Bradley told AP. "I'm interested in the facts and truths, so that's fine, but I don't know what's happening," he added.

The Marine Corps did not give a timeline for the investigation.

Iwo Jima is part of the cluster of Japanese Volcano Islands south of Tokyo. It was the site of an intense 36-day battle that began on February 19, 1945, and involved about 70,000 U.S. Marines and 18,000 Japanese soldiers. More than 6,500 U.S. soldiers died in the battle.

The capture of Iwo Jima was strategically important to the U.S. because it prevented Japanese planes from taking off from there and intercepting American bombers.
Religious freedom across the globe has been sharply curtailed over the last year, a U.S. watchdog agency concluded Monday.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF, said that authoritarian governments throughout the world are jailing prisoners of conscience  most often Christians and Muslims  for practicing their religious beliefs, while there is also an increase in bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe.

There is "no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide," the independent government agency said, adding that it is fueled in part by the hundreds of thousands of migrants trying to flee their homelands, often because they have been persecuted for religious reasons.

"The incarceration of prisoners of conscience  people whom governments hold for reasons including those related to religion  remains astonishingly widespread, occurring in country after country, and underscores the impact of the laws and policies that led to their imprisonment," the report said.

It said the instances of religious intolerance "are crises in their own right which cry out for continued action on the part of the international community, including the United States."

The 2016 report said that religious freedom "deserves a seat at the table when nations discuss humanitarian, security and other pressing issues. The United States and other countries must fully accord this right the respect it deserves and redouble their efforts to defend this pivotal liberty worldwide."

Hot spots of religious suffering

The commission singled out some countries for particular abuses against religious minorities. The report cited China, where Christians have been imprisoned for refusing to remove crosses atop churches; Iran, where religious minorities have been sentenced to death for "enmity against God"; and North Korea, where thousands of religious believers have been imprisoned in labor camps.

The commission said more people in Pakistan are on death row or serving life sentences for blasphemy than in any other country in the world, while Saudi Arabia sentenced a Saudi poet and artist to death for alleged apostasy for advocating atheism, although the sentence was later cut to eight years in prison and 800 lashes.

In Uzbekistan, a majority-Muslim country, the report said a human rights activist has been imprisoned for supporting persecuted independent Muslims. Vietnam controls nearly all religious activities.

The report denounced Islamic State jihadists for their "summary executions, rape, sexual enslavement, abduction of children, destruction of houses of worship and forced [religious] conversions."

It said the Syrian and Iraqi governments "can be characterized by their near-incapacity to protect segments of their population" from Islamic State terrorists.

The agency, which acts in an advisory role to President Barack Obama, the U.S. Congress and the State Department, said nine nations should retain their State Department designations as "countries of particular concern" (or CPCs) for their systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom: Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The report recommended that eight more countries be added to that list: Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan and Vietnam.

In addition, 10 countries have been placed on a Tier 2 watch list. These countries do not rise to the statutory level that would mandate a CPC designation but require close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by governments.

The list includes Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia and Turkey.
Taiwan-based Vietnamese workers took to the streets of Taipei on Monday to protest a Taiwanese firm they say caused mass fish kills along Vietnam's central coast.

Some demonstrators also accused government officials in both Taipei and Hanoi of a sluggish response to the environmental disaster.

In solidarity with demonstrators who rallied Sunday in major cities across Vietnam, Vietnamese laborers carried banners protesting Taiwan's Formosa Plastics (TFP) outside the offices of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou. The small but vocal crowd was joined by fellow migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

According to an Associated Press report, although a probe called by Hanoi officials has yet to link the massive fish kill to a $10.6 billion steel plant run by a branch of TFP in Ha Tinh, "public anger against the company has not abated."

While Vietnamese news outlets did not cover Sunday's protests, which are rare in Vietnam, the AP report says hundreds gathered in Hanoi holding banners that read "Formosa destroying the environment is a crime" and "Who poisoned the central region's waters?"

"We organized this rally to voice our concerns on the devastating damage to our environment, which is detrimental to our people's life, and especially to the maritime ecology of Vietnam," Reverend Peter Nguyen Van Hung, a Taiwan-based Australian-Vietnamese Roman Catholic priest and human rights activist, told VOA. "We would like raise awareness amongst the local people and of Vietnamese workers in Taiwan about this disaster."

While television news programs in Taiwan reported on the mass fish death in central Vietnam, "they did not link this to Formosa steel plant. Formosa in Taiwan has already said that they are not responsible for the operations of the Formosa steel plant in Vietnam, he said.

Nguyen, who organized the Taipei protest, said thousands have signed a petition asking the World Health Organization to assess Formosas impact on the health of residents who live near the steel plant.

Nguyen also said he fears Vietnam officials will "sweep the problem under the carpet," and not tell the truth about any role the Taiwanese steel plant might have played in the disaster.

"I hope that Vietnamese youth will gradually wake up, and be less apathetic to the problems facing the country," said Nguyen, who in 2006 was honored by the U.S. Department of State for his activism against human trafficking. "We workers in Taiwan also would like to send a message to our people in Vietnam, that we are concerned about what is happening inside the country, that we are ready to walk with them in the fight for the truth, for equality, for justice, so that future generations of Vietnamese will have fish to eat, beaches to swim in, and a clean environment for living."

Numerous people took to social media to voice their anger about the governments alleged lack of action and transparency.
West African pirates have turned to hostage-taking as regional navies grow more effective at responding to their crimes, a report from an anti-piracy group said on Tuesday.

The Gulf of Guinea has become the worlds most dangerous body of water, with pirates carrying out 54 attacks in its waters last year and causing over $700 million in economic damage, according to the report from U.S.-based Oceans Beyond Piracy.

Those pirates appear to be changing tactics as navies grow better at apprehending them.

In the past, one of the primary models of Gulf of Guinea piracy was hijacking for cargo theft, said Matthew Walje, a lead author of the report.

But with navies responding more and more quickly to attacks, pirates can no longer spend days looting hijacked ships.

Theyve had to shift towards a faster attack model and kidnap for ransom doesnt require as much time in order to do that, Walje said.

Piracy has been decreasing globally, and has virtually stopped in the Gulf of Aden, where Somali pirates once hijacked dozens of ships per year.

But the the International Maritime Bureau says attacks in the Gulf of Guinea are increasing. Forty-four sailors were abducted in the first three months of 2016, according to an IMB report released last week, and two of three ship hijackings that have happened globally took place in the Gulf of Guinea.

Shipping plays a major role for West African economies like Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, all of which export commodities like oil and cocoa via their seaports.

Anti-piracy partnerships



The increase in piracy in the waters has attracted the attention of countries like the United States, Britain and France, which have partnered with West African navies to teach them how to better guard their coasts.

That strategy seems to be paying off. Walje pointed to an incident in February where a ship hijacked off Ivory Coast was chased by warships from the U.S., Togo and Ghana, before Nigerian sailors eventually retook it.

The region has gotten better at responding to these incidents, and it is working between the different nations to do handoffs and to ensure that each of the different maritime security institutions is informed and able to act, Walje said.

With pirates shifting tactics, sailors are paying the price.

Twenty-three people were killed in piracy incidents last year, the Oceans Beyond Piracy report said. Walje said some sailors who were kidnapped were beaten or subject to mock executions. Most sailors are released only after a ransom is paid.

Nigeria has been at the center of this high-seas crime wave.

Many of the sailors who were kidnapped have been taken to its restive Niger Delta region and the pirates themselves are thought to come from the region.

The Delta has long struggled with crime and kidnapping, along with tensions between local communities and the petroleum companies that pump oil from the region.

President Muhammadu Buhari made shaking up Nigerias security services a priority after he took office last year.

Even though piracy jumped in 2015, Walje said those security reforms could make Nigerias  and West Africas  coasts safer in the future.

The response is getting better, he said. This may be a temporary uptick during a period of transition.
A young Tibetan monk carried a portrait of the Dalai Lama through the streets of Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) town around 3PM local time on Monday, May 2, 2016.

In one video that has emerged, Losang Thubten is seen walking along a busy shopping street crowded with vehicles and pedestrians, and in a second video he is seen being quick marched down the middle of the street by two security police officers on either side of him.

A source outside of Tibet has told VOA that Losang Thubten belonged to the nearby Kirti monastery whose monks have protested widely since 2009 against what they say are repressive and humiliating rules and regulations imposed on Tibetan monasteries by the authorities.

A monk from Kirti monastery carried out the first self-immolation protest inside Tibet in 2009, and since then Ngaba and the surrounding area has seen the most number of self-immolation protests, both by monks and nuns, and lay people.

Between 2009 and 2013, when the most number of self-immolation protests took place, the Chinese authoritys response to them evolved from trying to discredit the protesters as disturbed and fringe individuals in the beginning, to accusing them of separatism, often charging and imprisoning relatives and friends of collusion. Another development that has been terrifying for Tibetans is that in the more recent self-immolation cases where the person was taken away while still alive, the authorities denied access to relatives and then told them that their loved one died instead. This deeply disturbing procedure, along with the crackdown and punishment on families and friends of someone who protested against Chinese policies in Tibetan areas has resulted in fewer protests since 2013.

However since 2014, there has been a growing number of lone street protests like the one that took place today, and invariably all of the individuals were detained and have not been heard of again.

Losang Thubtens protest is the first news that has come out of the Ngaba region this year where the authorities had shut down the internet from Tibetan New Year in early February, through to the middle April after two sensitive dates for the communist authorities in Tibet: the commemoration of the March 10, 1959 uprising against the Chinese forces in Lhasa, and the exile Tibetan government elections which went to the polls on March 20.

According to sources, the family of Losang Thubten are distraught over the fate of their son as the authorities have not informed them of his condition or whereabouts.
Russian authorities are seeking greater control of information on the internet, with some who favor tighter restrictions looking to China.

Russia's Safe Internet League, an influential lobby, hosted a first-ever forum Wednesday in Moscow with China's top internet censors, including Fang Binxing, known as the "Father of the Great Firewall of China."

Comments from speakers at the event underscored the desire for authorities to further limit and control information online.

Fang lectured on cyber sovereignty, arguing that countries borders apply to the online world as well and foreign interference should not be tolerated.

Chinas cybersecurity and internet policy chief Lu Wei said that online freedom was not a right but a responsibility to be kept in check lest it lead to terrorism, according to a tweet from a Financial Times reporter.

Lu echoed Kremlin rhetoric, saying Western media were waging an information war against their countries.

Both Chinese and Russian speakers lamented American companies dominance of the internet. Konstantin Malofeev, who is chairman of the Safe Internet League and is linked to both the Kremlin and the Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, said Russia should learn from Chinas internet censorship practices and assert its sovereignty online.

Struggle for control

Russian internet experts said the forums timing and high-profile guests demonstrated an urgency in the Kremlin's struggle to control information ahead of parliamentary elections later this year and presidential elections in 2018.

I think this reflects their level of desperation inside of the Kremlin, said Andrei Soldatov, co-author of "The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia's Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries," who spoke to VOA via Skype. They have these coming elections. And, it seems they need desperately to find some sort of solution to be absolutely sure that they can control the internet before the elections.

Russian authorities increased scrutiny of online social media after they proved key to organizing mass 2011-2012 anti-Kremlin protests.

They thought if you control the television stations, I mean, like the major TV stations, then youre good. Then you control the public opinion, independent TV Rains digital media chief Ilya Klishin said to VOA. At that point they found out that even internet news websites and people on the Facebook and Twitter can actually organize 100,000 [-person] rallies [in] downtown Moscow.

The movement against the Kremlin, sparked by allegations of election-rigging, petered out as arrests and intimidation fractured the opposition. A crackdown on media ensued.

Heavy fines and jail time have been introduced for anyone posting online comments deemed extremism, an incitement to hatred or an insult to revered groups such as Orthodox Christians. Prominent bloggers have been forced to register their real names.

Anton Nosik is a Moscow-based blogger and Russian internet pioneer who, just a day before the forum, was charged with extremism and inciting hatred for posts he made about bombing Syria and comparing President Bashar al-Assads government to Nazi Germany. He faces a fine of thousands of dollars and up to four years in prison if found guilty.

Perceived as enemy

Nosik told VOA he thought he was being prosecuted "because I'm perceived as a foreign influence, as an enemy of the state, enemy of the regime  perceived not by law enforcement as such, but rather by those guys who reported me.

Nosik said that while Chinas online censorship has long targeted politically sensitive issues that are well-known to all, such as Tibet and the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Russias internet censorship goals are still developing but fast growing.

He said the Kremlin's desire to censor and control information has sparked a competition among Russian lawmakers to pass increasingly restrictive laws.

Particular deputies are proposing laws just to make themselves noticed by their superiors and to be included in the lists for the next parliament to be elected later this year, Nosik said. So, many laws are proposed that curb internet freedom in very many different ways.

Prominent bloggers and activists are targeted to send a message, Soldatov said, because the Russian system, in large part, is based on intimidation and instigating self-censorship among journalists and among users of social networks and bloggers. That's why they use these tactics.

While intimidation is expected to continue, fully blocking major internet sites or social networks, as China does, is not a likely option for Russia, Klishin said.

Its not like in China or even in Turkey, where they had YouTube or Twitter blocked. So far, they never blocked a major social network or web platform like Gmail or YouTube or Twitter," he said. "So, you know, if they would ban Facebook in Russia, then everyone would notice.

They found a way how to deal with journalists, Soldatov said. But the internet is a completely different thing, because the internet, the content, is generated by users. And [the Ukraine crisis] showed them very clearly that they cannot control social networks even if they control the company which owns social networks.

Photos contradicted Kremlin

The Kremlins denial that it supplied troops to eastern Ukraine was discredited after Russian soldiers were found posting photos of themselves via the social network VKontakte. Its founder, Pavel Durov, sold the company in 2014 and left Russia, he said, because of pressure to turn over data to Russian authorities.

One way Russia is seeking to mimic Chinas internet controls is in forcing all foreign internet service providers to base their servers with Russian data inside Russia.

To put it very simply, the idea of the Russian surveillance is to have direct access to all the information on all servers of all internet service providers and content providers on the Russian soil," Soldatov said. Which means that the moment, say, Google or Facebook or Twitter land their servers in Russia, all their data, including [encryption] technologies, would be immediately available ... to the Russian security services.

While Western companies have so far resisted putting their servers in Russia, Chinese companies were praised at the forum Tuesday for having started to comply.

The Russian security services would know what you buy in China, but of course it's absolutely incomparable with the information that we share on Facebook and Gmail, Soldatov said. Because, that [is] essentially private information which might be intercepted by the Russian security services and might be used against, say, activists, opposition leaders and participants of any kind of political movements.
Children in some schools in Zimbabwe on Tuesday recited the newly-introduced national pledge, which has been widely criticized by locals as Zanu PF's attempt to allegedly brainwash young people.

Some parents refused to send their children to school today in protest against the introduction of the national pledge. The government says the national pledge is expected to motivate people to cherish their Zimbabwean identity but most locals claim that it is unconstitutional.

Zimbabwean journalists say media freedom and access to information remains a pipe dream in the country as some laws regarded by some as draconian are still intact despite constitutional provisions granting local people a wide spectrum of press and media freedoms.

A new survey finds overwhelming support among Africans for the media and their role as a watchdog against government corruption and abuse.

We will give you an update on governments view on human trafficking as some Zimbabwean women, who abused in Kuwait after being promised good jobs by employments agencies but were enslaved in that country, are now back home.

Stay tuned for these stories and more coming up on Studio 7 at 7:30 pm on 9-0-9 Medium Wave and on the 4-9-3-0, 5-9-4-0 and 1-5-4-6-0 shortwave frequencies. We also broadcast on www.channelzim.net. Please check us out on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.

This evening on Livetalk our hosts of the Connection Ntungamili Nkomo and Tatenda Gumbo will be talking with listeners and experts about the opening of schools in Zimbabwe for the second term amid concerns that reciting the national pledge is some form of political indoctrination. And are parents able to find money for school fees?

Participate by sending your messages on our WhatsApp number 001 202 465 0318. You can also post comments on this Facebook wall or send us your number so we can call you back. The number again 001 202 465 0318. Stay tuned!!!!!!
The 3rd Capacity Development Forum has started in Harare on Monday. The Forum is part of the 25th Anniversary celebrations of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) hosted by the government.

ACBFs membership consists of 39 African countries that include, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (DRC), Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Foundation has also benefited from the financial support of 13 non-African countries, namely Austria, Canada; Denmark; Finland; France; Greece; India; Ireland; The Netherlands; Norway; Sweden; United Kingdom and the United States of America) and 3 multilateral institutions, namely the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AFDB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Since its inception, ACBF has supported capacity building programs and projects in 45 African countries.

Dr. Thomas Chataghalala Munthali, director of Knowledge, Monitoring and Evaluation (KME) at the Africa Capacity Building Foundation said, Basically what it is about is to bring various actors and players on the continent to discuss the achievements around capacity building that has taken place over a period of time and also to reflect the key challenges in terms of capacity that still remain especially in as far as the development challenges of the continent is concerned.

He said the meeting is focusing more on how nations can build capacity towards the continents economic and social transformation.

The Foundation will explore the major challenges and opportunities associated with capacity development, including youth employment.

We are actually in the process of devising our next strategic plan. One of the key aspects we have highlighted in there, is how to create jobs for the youth and creating jobs not just having them employed but also creating entrepreneurship that helps them to be employers.

The migration of skills and expertise among the youth has been a challenge to Zimbabwe and Africa in general.

Part of the challenges that we are seeing  moving across from the continent to other parts of the world are really in search for greener pastures because the continent cannot support its youth in giving them the jobs they need so we have a whole lot more people being trained but not matching the specifications and jobs the private sector is coming up with.

Wealth creation among the youth remains key to building sustainable development in Zimbabwe. If you are looking at entrepreneurship base as for example, Zimbabwe is making a case for a lot more indigenization, the idea is that if more youth more locals are involved in the wealth creation of country  the better.

One of the development challenges is youth unemployment. What we are trying to address as one of the aspects is how we get various partners and governments including the donor community to make commitments to say how do we build capacity for our youth so they are relevant for the kind of environment that we are living in  They are relevant to contribute to sustainable development goals, relevant to contribute to 2063 and they are part and parcel of the development agenda. The development agenda of the continent, because they are the majority at the same time they are really not in the driving seat of the whole thing. So it is an important forum because it makes the important players to recognize that there is a missing link.

http://www.acbf-pact.org/media/photo-gallery

The writer Chioneso Jani can be reached cjani@bbg.gov
The Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) says the governments plans to promulgate 13 laws to improve the ease of doing business by June is informed by World Bank reports.

The chief secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr. Misheck Sibanda, speaking at a cocktail organized by his office at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo, said the legislative reforms would include a Public Procurement Bill.

In 2015, the World Bank ranked Zimbabwe number 153 out of 189 countries and this year Zimbabwe is ranked number 155. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1189.

A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. The number one ranked country in the world is Singapore and in Africa it is Rwanda.

Some economists have blamed Zimbabwes indigenization law for scaring investors. The law requires foreign companies with assets of more than 500 thousand to transfer or sell a 51 percent stake to indigenous Zimbabweans.

Harare says the indigenization law is meant to correct colonial imbalances which marginalized black Zimbabweans. But analysts say that policy and others have sunk Zimbabwes economy to unprecedented lows.

Chief Executive Officer of ZIA, Richard Mbaiwa, told VOA Studio 7 that the reforms are significant in attracting investment.
There was relative tranquility in schools Tuesday after restless teachers started receiving pay-slips reflecting the much-awaited 2015 bonuses.

Three teachers organisations confirmed to Studio 7 that their members started receiving the pay-slips Tuesday.

Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe had both warned that their members were not going to conduct classes starting today if the government failed to pay them their outstanding bonuses.

Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe coordinator Brighton Makunike said the money will only have real value when that particular money is reflecting in their bank accounts.

At the moment the majority of our members yes they have received pay-slips with the bonuses reflecting, but they are still yet to see the money reflecting in their accounts, said Makunike.

Sources though said most teachers were disappointed when they failed to access the money from their banks as most banks ran out of cash.
Children at some primary and secondary schools in Mashonaland West province today recited Zimbabwes national pledge for the first time when schools opened for the second term.

The national pledge has been criticized as some form of political indoctrination by some Zimbabweans, who decided to keep their children at home today in protest.

Most parents, who witnessed the reciting of the national pledge at Sinoia Primary School, were convinced that the exercise was nothing but state propaganda designed to brainwash children.

Silas Musangeya of Chinhoyis Mapako low density suburb said Zimbabwe has nothing to show the children the portrayed hard work in the national pledge done to liberate the country from colonial rule.

But others like Mrs. Patience Gororo, who brought her child a gift of a Zimbabwe bird, said the national pledge is good because black people were not privileged to go to school during the colonial era.

Mrs. Gororo said the girl child has every reason to celebrate the work done by Zimbabwes forefathers to liberate the country.

Some of the children loved the pledge. One of them, Billy Petros, who is in Grade Six, said he understood the national pledge as a prayer to Zimbabwes ancestors to bring blessings to the country.

Some Zimbabweans, who are against the national pledge, argue that it violates the rights of children as enshrined in the supreme law of the country.

In Harare, some school children also recited the national pledge.

At schools visited by Studio 7, pupils assembled and sang the national anthem, then recited the Lords Prayers and then the national pledge.

Surprisingly, the pupils recited the pledge so well and at one of the schools, the few parents who turned up to witness the launch clapped hands and seemed to like it.

Others even brought presents for their children as had been directed by the school heads. Some parents like, Gift Hwesa, said he was disappointed the launch of the national pledge.

The Constitutional Court is due to hear the matter on June 3 in which a Harare man is challenging the constitutionality of the government policy directing school pupils to recite the national pledge.

The national pledge reads as follows, Almighty God, in whose hands our future lies, I salute the national flag. Respecting the brave fathers and mothers who lost lives in the Chimurenga/Umvukela.

We are proud inheritors of the richness of our natural resources. We are proud creators and participants in our vibrant traditions and cultures. So I commit to honesty and the dignity of hard work.

Zimbabwes Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku recently dismissed an urgent chamber application by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to stay the reciting of the national pledge in schools until the court makes a ruling on the case. The Constitutional Court will only hear the matter in June.
Zimbabwe has invited bids for the purchase of wild animals, citing a devastating drought and overpopulation.

According to Reuters news agency, the country wants to destock part of its wildlife, including elephants and lions, following a crippling drought that has resulted in diminished food reserves in some national parks and conservancies.

Reuters quoted Carolyn Washaya Moyo of the countrys national parks and wildlife management as saying that they have not yet identified the number of animals that are set to be sold to various buyers.

She could not be drawn to say whether foreign buyers are invited to make bids following an international outcry last year over the killing of a tresured lion  Cecil  by an American doctor.

Reacting to this move, Johnny Rodriguez director of the Zimbabwe Conservation Trust, told Studio 7 that the exercise is a result of poor wildlife management.
A video published by Daesh has announced the installation of a training camp in Puntland, named Commandant Cheikh Abou Nouman, after the name of an ex-officer of the organisation Shabaab, who assassinated him after his defection to Daesh.

With no pretence of being a fully-fledged state, Puntland is a province of Somalia which seceded and now disposes of an independent government. It is in fact a pirate state that the United States encouraged in order to hinder the passage of Chinese and Russian vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, and that they abandoned as soon as China and Russia sent their warships to escort their cargo ships [1]  the CIA is busy rebuilding a similar base with the Islamic Emirat of Mukalla, situated on the other bank, in Yemen [2].

For the moment, it is not possible to know whether Daesh is supported by Puntland, or if it has simply set up on disorganised territory. However, this hypothesis remains probable, since Shabaab are supported by Erythrea and Somaliland against Somalia and Puntland.
During an interview with LBCI on the 28th April 2016, Riad Salame, governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, indicated the modalities for the application of the US Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act [1].

A new circular will be published next week which () will oblige Lebanese banks to conform to the decrees of application of (the US law). We consider that there are no other alternatives (...) since we have to protect the banking system, which exists thanks to the exchanges between corresponding banks , he declared.

For the last four months, Lebanon has been living to the rhythm of contradictory declarations about the consequences of a foreign law which assimilates the Lebanese Resistance with a terrorist organisation and a drug cartel.

However, the governor has also indicated that he will not allow the banks to exceed the conditions of the US law. Therefore, the salaries of the deputees and Ministers of Hezbollah will still be paid, on the condition that they do not use them to finance the actions of their party.

Precise criteria concerning the application of this law have been put into place, and specify that the accounts which have to be closed are those affiliated with Hezbollah, in its status as an institution, and those affiliated with the names listed on the list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

... no more, no less () The circular also specifies that in the case of the closure of (or the refusal to open) a bank account, the banks are bound to inform the BDL of the reasons justifying this (decision), as well as the identity of the beneficiary of the account, he declared.

In addition, governor Salame also denied the charges printed in Le Monde according to which Lebanon was to be put on the blacklist of fiscal paradises established by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

He said that bank confidentiality was maintained as long as it did not serve tax evasion, but only the protection of private life, and that Lebanon would bow to international obligations concerning the exchange of information, in operation since the adaptation of its legal arsenal in November 2015.

The Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing in the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Daniel Glaser, should be visiting Lebanon in order to check the application of the US law.
Each month, Boris Kachka offers nonfiction and fiction book recommendations. You should read as many of them as possible.

Imagine Me Gone, by Adam Haslett (Little, Brown, May 3)

Hasletts story collection, You Are Not a Stranger Here, revolved around the communal aftermath of mental illness; it made you wonder if its debut author had already dug as deeply as he could. He hadnt. His third book, Imagine Me Gone, finds in one familys tragedies an even smarter and more polyphonic treatment of the subject. Gifted and unstable Michael is the novels focus, but each of five family members gets to tell a different version of the story. Haslett is that rare writer whose art can console without ceasing to be art.

The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria, by Janine di Giovanni (Liveright, May 3)

In a rather short book stuffed with too many graphic accounts of torture, rape, and killing (can there ever not be too many?), the longtime war correspondents boldest inclusion is her own traumatic attachment to such places as Syria in 2012, where she reports on the governments brutality and the rise of ISIS, its competitors in savagery. Scarred by the Bosnian conflict, Giovanni nonetheless came back to war; here she uses her hurt to invoke our empathy, even from the safe and sometimes numbing remove of the printed page.

Sweet Lamb of Heaven, by Lydia Millet (W.W. Norton, May 3)

If Millets title and premise  woman hears voices from her baby, hides out from her estranged, psycho politician-husband  primes you to expect genre conformity, prepare to be surprised by more than plot twists. The woman, Anna, is too dry and passive to fit the mold of wifely revenge; her husband, Ned  picture Ted Cruz if he had charisma and actually fit a serial killers profile  is too specific to be anyones stereotype. And as Anna and other voice-hearers explore the collective unconscious of their hallucinations, the Pulitzer finalists philosophical fireworks add layers of energy and mystery.

The Politicians and the Egalitarians, by Sean Wilentz (W.W. Norton, May 16)

The 2016 Democratic primary never comes up in the Princeton historians forceful defense of both partisanship and Establishment liberalism, but the essential choice  between a prophet of purity and a steward of incremental change  is the main event. Before there were Bernie Bros and Bloomberg technocrats, there was George Washington, arguing against parties in order to buck up his own; the angry populist Andrew Jackson; the overreaching Reconstructionists; and Howard Zinns unsung heroes. Wilentz thinks too much credit is given to the activists and too little to the skillful manipulators, Lincoln included, who turned their selfish ambitions toward noble ends.

Zero K, by Don DeLillo (Scribner, May 10)

To the delight of fans and even mild skeptics of post-Underworld DeLillo, this excursion into sci-fi cryogenics is deep-chilled in his signature style. Still heavier on concepts than characters, Zero K isnt a departure, but it is an advance. DeLillo charts the wildest dreams and nightmares of futurism but mainly the ultimate singularity: immortality. Financier Ross Lockhart and his terminally ill wife make preparations to depart from this world, perhaps only temporarily, via a freeze facility in central Asia. The billionaire plans to leave it all to his wayward son, but Jeff, our skeptical Virgil, has other dreams.

Sweetbitter, by Stephanie Danler (Knopf, May 24)

Yet another thumbsucker about the wising up of a big-city arriviste? Danlers debut is that, and trails other baggage too  the hype of a big book deal and the frisson of a roman a clef (her ingenue waits tables at a restaurant with the decor and location of Danlers former employer, the Union Square Cafe). But her novel is rarer than all that  immaculately true to its time and place. Her food writing is lush and precise, her party scenes generous in substance(s) without McInerneys glamorizing, and her confiding narrator, Tess, a raw, knowing, and crisp companion.

Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, by Svetlana Alexievich, trans. Bela Shayevich (Random House, May 24)

In the Soviet era, when the Belarusian oral historian couldnt get published, erasure of the past was a state-sanctioned given. In the two decades after the collapse it was simply a dangerous habit  one that paved the way for Putin. Alexievich, who won last years Nobel Prize in literature, roams that quasi-democratic interregnum in her fourth work of kaleidoscopic journalism. Some of her subjects are nostalgic, even for Stalin; others despair or rage at Yeltsins failed utopia; a select few even express hope. But all the voices are heard, for the first, and hopefully not the last, time.
Amber Rose. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Dr. Phils new business partner is just as bald as he is: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amber Rose has signed a deal to host a weekly VH1 talk show, produced by the good doctor himself. The untitled series follows Roses recent book, How to Be a Bad Bitch, and will showcase her candid interviews with celebrity friends and provocative, entertaining and humorous conversations [about] pop culture, motherhood, relationships, friendships, race and entrepreneurship. Rose is not expected to grow a mustache for the gig.
Photo: Marvel, Getty Images

National treasure George Takei is going in hard on Marvel. The social media icon took to his Facebook account to post about Marvels casting of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One in the upcoming Doctor Strange film. He initially focused on the backpedaling done by Marvel in which they cast blame on the Chinese market as their reasoning to avoid association with Tibet. So let me get this straight. You cast a white actress so you wouldnt hurt sales  in Asia? This backpedaling is nearly as cringeworthy as the casting. Marvel must think were all idiots, writes Takei. Marvel already addressed the Tibetan question by setting the action and the Ancient One in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the film. It wouldnt have mattered to the Chinese government by that point whether the character was white or Asian, as it was already in another country. So this is a red herring, and its insulting that they expect us to buy their explanation. They cast Tilda because they believe white audiences want to see white faces. Audiences, too, should be aware of how dumb and out of touch the studios think we are.

In the comments, Takei argues that the casting is representative of a deeper systemic problem of casting white actors in Asian roles:



To those who say, She an actress, this is fiction, remember that Hollywood has been casting white actors in Asian roles for decades now, and we cant keep pretending there isnt something deeper at work here. If it were true that actors of Asian descent were being offered choice roles in films, these arguments might prevail. But there has been a long standing practice of taking roles that were originally Asian and rewriting them for white actors to play, leaving Asians invisible on the screen and underemployed as actors. This is a very real problem, not an abstract one. It is not about political correctness, it is about correcting systemic exclusion. Do you see the difference?

He also addressed various reader rebuttals. For one, he wants to point out that the idea of color-blind casting (that casting should occur without regard to a persons race or ethnicity) only works if there were equity in Hollywood. The end result here is simply that there are fewer actors of Asian descent getting major studio roles.
Photo-Illustration: Maya Robinson and Photo by ABC

On last weeks episode of Fresh Off the Boat, Mama Huang, played by Constance Wu, remembers the story of how she adopted her American name, Jessica. Their friendly white neighbors Marv, Honey, and Deirdre populate her flashback even though Louis points out that they didnt go to school with her. All white people look the same, she says with a wave of her hand. It flips the lens on a familiar trope where white people think basically that all other ethnicities look the same, showrunner Nahnatchka Khan told me. Shes like, Lets not even.

In other words, it was just another gem from Jessica Huang, who weekly delivers some of the best lines on TV, expressing confusion about mainstream white culture (For who could ever love a cabbage-faced baby?) or keeping her family in line (Did you tell him not to date rape?). In a way, shes an onscreen representation of the Tiger Mom  the oft-misunderstood Asian-American mother who rules her children like a Marine. And yet through Wus performance, she becomes much greater than that.

At Vulture, we wanted to explore how a character like Jessica Huang comes together, so we spoke to Khan, Wu, and writers and executive producers Sanjay Shah and Kourtney Kang about how she went from an adaptation in Eddie Huangs memoir, Fresh Off the Boat, to the character we see onscreen.

Conception

First off, there is, of course, Eddies real-life mother, Jessica Huang. Huang herself read her characters lines from the pilot on video, a private link that Constance Wu had access to as a reference point. To prepare shooting for the pilot, Wu would listen to her accent and watch her mannerisms. Its actually really funny because shes reading all my lines, but shes making commentary on them with facial expressions, said Wu. You could tell some of the lines she does not like. Its a very useful character exploration to see her mannerisms.

Wu even met the Huangs at their house. Shes very, very extravagant, Wu said, remembering Jessica Huang was wearing a white mini-dress, giant platform sandals, and was dripping in diamonds. But she never wanted her character to be an emulation of the real person, so instead she looked at her carriage and the feeling she conveyed. She was very planted in the earth but also very whimsical in the air, Wu laughed.

For Khan, the real-life Huang was always just a starting point. The mom wasnt only going to be seen through Eddies eyes. The mom was going to be independent, her own character, said Khan. And listen, my favorite thing is writing strong women characters. Thats what I love.

Khans Jessica would be tough, but loving. In the writers room, shes also become the repository for personal anecdotes from the writers, many of whom are the sons and daughters of immigrants. A lot of the staff members who have first-generation parents found a lot of really relatable, compelling things about the character that they saw in their own lives, said Sanjay Shah. Speaking for myself, my mom came to this country in the 70s. She has a kind of similarly stern, layered attitude towards parenting. Its constantly hustling.

Casting

Initially, Khan balked when she saw Wu. I saw her picture and I was like, Shes way too young. Like, theres no way. Shes got to be the mom of three boys, Im not going to buy it, said Khan. I mean, shes a freshman at Northwestern, if anything. Indeed, Wu had just shot a pilot where she played a college student during the audition process. But one of the casting directors, Michael V. Nicolo, insisted they bring her in anyway.

I went to Crossroads or one of these second-hand stores and I bought something that I thought looked like what a mom would wear, Wu said, of preparing to come in for another reading. When Khan first saw her in person, she still thought she looked too young, but changed her mind once the audition started. This is going to sound a little bit like exaggeration, but its really not: The camera turns on and she somehow transformed physically, said Khan. She goes to this place where she really and truly inhabits the character, and she just looks different.

Wu remembers going in thinking she didnt have a shot. She saw other more experienced actresses up for the role and assumed they would get it. Theyve done network TV. Theyve done comedy. Theyre fantastic, she thought. I just went in there like, Oh, Im not going to get it. I might as well just have a great time. And so thats what I did. I wasnt even nervous. ... And then I got it and it was very shocking.

As for the accent, that was always going to be a part of her character. That was something that was built into the DNA. They were not born here, the kids were, said Khan. But we didnt really calibrate her level. We werent like, Thats too much, thats too little. She sort of found it. For Wu, its an important reminder that while accented English has long been used to make a joke out of Asian immigrants, its not in itself negative. I dont want to propagate the idea that an accent is shameful, because that is the idea that has been propagated by white Hollywood culture since forever, said Wu. It is simply a product of immigration, and our story is a story about immigration. Its called Fresh Off the Boat  its not being used as fodder. Its actually crucial and integral.

Writing

Writing for Jessica Huang has consistently provided an opportunity to throw in great lines from the beginning. One of my favorite moments [from the pilot] is when Jessica was commenting on Evans lactose intolerance and says, His body is rejecting white culture, which makes me kind of proud, said Shah. [It] felt real! My parents were never ashamed about being from India. That line really summarized the lack of shame for who they are and also a latent anxiety about assimilation.

Usually a character like Jessica Huang would be like the fourth funny neighbor that would chime in color on the other moms problem were following, said Kang. Its a really fun way to look at everything we think of as the norm. Kang describes how Khan built the writing staff to include those who would be able to channel this perspective. She was looking for people who had a sense of being an outsider, said Kang. People who felt like they maybe werent always a part of the norm of things.

For the most part, Jessicas jokes arent overtly political. Shah remembers one of his favorite lines: the one where Jessica doesnt understand why there would be calendars of babies dressed up as vegetables. For who could ever love a cabbage-faced baby? Jessica asks, incredulous. I love that shes not limited [to any one thing] as an actress or as a character, said Shah. She can just have a funny rant about this weird, American cultural thing of sticking babies faces in vegetables. (That was Kangs baby, by the way.)

Acting

Constance herself is so charismatic and interesting that shes given her character such a life, said Kang. Thats why it feels like someone you know.

Wu said shes kept a character journal since day one. Something as simple as Honey saying to me, Oh I think that a fortune teller is ridiculous, instead of me being like, No, I think a fortune teller is great  I kept a journal and I wrote down imaginary experiences of every single time I went to a fortune teller, she explained. She would imagine how Jessica felt, why she did it, and how she felt about the advice. And then of course when youre actually playing the scene you throw all that shit away, and just trust that its in your marrow, said Wu.

This strategy allows for moments of surprise when Constance herself does something unexpected with a line, sometimes veering into pathos. For instance, during the flashback for Hi, My Name Is Jessica recalls a series of three moments that led her to change her name. In one, she has an interaction where her professor wont call on her in class because he cant pronounce her name, Chou Tsai Cha. Its my name. People should learn how to say it, she tells him. Yes, but they probably wont, he responds.

I remember a lot of takes where I was actually crying, said Wu, because its so hurtful to hear somebody say that to me. And it was a little too heavy for me to be that upset over it, so I tried to reel it back obviously with comedy.

When we were writing it, we thought, this is just a moment of casual racism, and Jessicas just going to take it because shes unashamed, has a strong personality, and is going to defend herself, said Shah. I couldnt have imagined that in that exact moment there would be a sadness of the reality. Thats what the actress brought to it. It felt real, it felt true. Here we thought that vignette in particular might be the funnest one of the three, but that ended up being the most emotional of the three.

Its moments like these that make Jessica Huang someone three-dimensional, vibrant, and relatable. She is, to me, my mom, said Khan. She is all moms who dont quite understand the way the system works.
Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images

What journalist is out there referring to Broadway as small? Reveal yourself! Prompted by a reporter who asked her, Why would such a big star choose to do such a small play? the now-Tony-nominated Lupita Nyongo shared her reaction to the query in a new Lenny Letter, a reaction that essentially boiled down to Because I want to play good roles, numb nuts. (Note: She didnt say numb nuts. She would never. Shes Lupita Nyongo.)

The Queen of Katwe star did, however, take a deep dive into her decision-making process. Says Nyongo, I decided early on that if I dont feel connected to, excited by, and challenged by the character, the part probably isnt for me. If Im ever in doubt, I envision the career choices of artists I admire, like Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, and Viola Davis.

She also addressed her more recent fantastical roles in Star Wars and Jungle Book, roles that she sees as some of the best available to her, at least given the alternatives shes been offered as a young woman of color in Hollywood:

So often women of color are relegated to playing simple tropes: the sidekick, the best friend, the noble savage, or the clown. We are confined to being a simple and symbolic peripheral character  one who doesnt have her own journey or emotional landscape  I think sometimes a singular catharsis can be found in genre storytelling  as I found when playing a thousand-year-old woman (Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and a wolf mother (Raksha in The Jungle Book). Im able to be more engaged in roles such as those than I would be in playing the wife when she is written with no motivation or singularity.

All of which is to say that there really should be no question as to why an Oscar-winning actress would want to dig her non-CGIed teeth into the weighty female characters of Danai Guriras critically acclaimed Eclipsed:
The Waco City Council on Tuesday is set to approve a $4.7 million contract to repave several miles of streets as part of a promised effort to catch up on street maintenance.

APAC-Texas of Cedar Park was the low bidder for the project, beating out Big Creek Construction of Hewitt, which put in a $4.9 million bid.

The work involves the complete reconstruction of Jewell Drive in the Texas Central Industrial Park, plus the resurfacing of 10 other road segments with an additional 2 inches of asphalt.

City engineering staff selected the streets through a road condition inventory that has been in place for years but refined the list using a new high-tech inventory system.

Since last fall, Fugro Roadware has used laser scanners and vibration monitors to collect data on about 600 miles of streets and determined which streets need immediate attention to keep from getting worse.

The data havent yet been compiled into a roadwork master plan, but city engineering director Octavio Garza said staff was able to use the collected data to help shape the list of streets proposed for work in 2016.

We confirmed that, yes, these are streets that need to be done really quickly because theyre about to go to the next level of disrepair, he said.

Those street segments include:

 J.J. Flewellen Road from Faulkner Lane to Herring Avenue.

 Cameron Park Road from Jacobs Ladder to Herring Avenue.

 University Parks Drive from Herring Avenue to Franklin Avenue.

 Franklin Avenue from 17th Street to 38th Street.

 17th Street from Webster Avenue to Baylor Avenue.

 41st Street from Hillcrest Drive to Cobbs Drive.

 Bagby Avenue from Kendrick Road to New Road.

 Lake Air Drive from Franklin Avenue to Cobbs Drive.

 Fishpond Road from Ridgewood Drive to Old Fish Pond Road.

 Texas Central Parkway from Highway 84 to Imperial Drive.

Garza said he hopes the council will consider another slate of major road repair projects in the next budget year, but he wont be ready to recommend that slate until midsummer.

We have a ton of data and we still have to go through the calibration process, he said.
One of the great successes of America and the envy of many allies in Europe is our collective ability to effectively assimilate immigrants, legal and otherwise. Sure, sometimes the transformation takes a generation or two to click, and, yes, xenophobia is a problem, but the overall success has made our culture richer, our people more appreciative of our founding values and our nation more of an example of how to blend differences into vigor and strength.

Which is why the findings of a year-long project by Georgetown University Law Center researchers are so damning, particularly revelations that some schools in Texas are declining to enroll the children of immigrant parents  a violation of a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision that slapped down what was then a Democratic-run Texas Legislature that ordered school districts to refuse the enrollment of students not legally in this country.

The Supreme Court majority correctly cited the almighty 14th Amendment as legal grounds to ensure equal protection of such children, who, after all, shouldnt be held liable if they were brought here illegally by parents. More importantly, the justices noted that a consequence of such actions, if allowed to stand, would be creation and perpetuation of a subclass of illiterates within our boundaries, surely adding to the problems and costs of unemployment, welfare and crime.

Indeed, if Republicans and Democrats ever do get around to reaching compromise on immigration  possibly during the next presidents administration, judging from comments by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan  then refusing to educate immigrant children now could prove disastrous, especially if immigration reform allows youths legal status if not outright citizenship.

To be sure, like all persons who have entered the United States unlawfully, these children are subject to deportation, the late Justice William Brennan wrote in 1982. But there is no assurance that a child subject to deportation will ever be deported. An illegal entrant might be granted federal permission to continue to reside in this country or even to become a citizen.

Even Republicans such as former Texas Gov. Rick Perry have wisely noted the importance of ensuring that children of immigrant origins be afforded educations. If these children do become legal residents or even citizens one day, we best ensure theyre taxpaying Americans who contribute to the betterment of us all.
Wrong diagnosis

I write in response to Ohio social worker Dortha Williams expressed concerns that Chip Gaines may be an abusive husband to his wife Joanna [Letters, April 30]. Speaking as a personal friend of the Gaineses and as a psychologist, I can boldly assert that Ms. Williams is wrong in her clinical judgment. Deeply wrong.

My work daily exposes me to people who are mired in abusive relationships. As such, I appreciate that Ms. Williams is sensitive to those dynamics. Gladly, I can state that this is not a troubled marriage  far from it. I know no man who loves and dotes on his wife more than Chip Gaines. I know no woman who loves and adores her husband more than Joanna Gaines.

I am not alone in my belief that Fixer Upper is hugely popular because its viewers vicariously relish the lively and affectionate chemistry between Chip and Joanna. People rightly want what they have. The playful banter you see on TV is nothing more than that. Simply put, they are a fun couple.

While Im at it, let me add that Joannas sisters and parents are also her best friends. Chip, who comes from a great family himself, is well aware that when he married Joanna, he entered a family where love and respect is tantamount. Happily, Ms. Williams, I can assure you that you missed on your assessment.

Lee Carter, Waco

n n n

I am responding to the Saturday letter of a woman in Shaker Heights, Ohio, regarding the Fixer Upper program with Joanna and Chip Gaines. I too was a social worker for 36 years and have watched every episode of the popular HGTV program. Never have I noticed or even suspected any kind of abusive or denigrating behavior by Chip Gaines toward his wife. In fact, I have been impressed with their loving relationship and the cohesiveness within their family which they include in every episode.

The one thing that draws people to the program is the way the couple interacts with each other. They seem to care deeply for each other and their children. I have no idea what the woman who wrote the letter is seeing, but Ive not seen any troubling pattern that could ever be considered in the realm of abuse. Chip sometimes acts goofy, but that behavior is what endears him to his audience.

I feel sorry that anyone thinks Joanna Gaines may need help. Several excellent Trib articles written about Joanna indicate she seems quite happy with her work and her relationship with her co-host and spouse.

Donna M. Myers, Waco

Symbolic mixup

Please inform Fidencia Lopez in the photo on Page 3A of April 21 that there really is no reason she should protest with a Mercedes symbol next to Peace and flowers. Maybe she should take a history course.

James Myers, Waco
New Attractions for Warbirds Over the Beach!

by A. Kevin Grantham

Warbirds Over the Beach is just around the corner and for those who plan on attending the Military Aviation Museums annual World War II air show on 20-22 May, 2016. you are in for a real treat!

Jerry Yagen, the museums benefactor, has earned a reputation for dazzling visitors with rare and exotic flying machines. This year will be no exception as he plans to debut the newest addition to his collectiona Messerschmitt Bf 109G-4. Meier Motors in Eschbach, Germany restored this particular example using a combination of newly fabricated components augmented with parts from a license-built, Spanish 109 variant, the Hispano Buchon. There are a number of Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered Buchon/109s around the world, but Yagens G-model is powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine, just like the WWII Luftwaffe originals. The authentic power plant and cowlings give the German fighter the look, sound and performance of a fighter that could have rolled off the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke factory line in 1943-44.

The second new attraction that the museum has in store for air show attendees this year will be the presentation of an genuine, WWII-era Royal Air Force aircraft control tower. A little over ten years ago, Jerry Yegan bought the then-derelict control tower that stood at the former RAF Station Goxhill in Lincolnshire, England. He had the building and its contents, including the original toilet fixtures, carefully disassembled and shipped to the Museums home in Virginia Beach. Mike Potter, the Museums director, said, about twenty-five percent of the original bricks are being used in the construction of the new tower. We are also on schedule to have the exterior of the building completed in time for Warbirds Over the Beach. The distinctive doors of the original building were sadly beyond repair, but surprisingly the original manufacturer is still in operation, so Jerry Yegan, in his typical search for authenticity, initiated a contract with the firm for new doors. The interior will be decorated to resemble a WWII-era, Eighth Air Force base control tower as RAF Goxhill was the first home for the Lockheed P-38 Lightnings belonging to the 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group.

The Military Aviation Museum houses one of the finest flying collections in the world, so even if you cant make Warbirds Over the Beach this year, visiting the museum is an absolute must on any warbird-lovers bucket list. They are located at 1341 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23457. For more information about the museum and Warbirds Over the Beach please call +1 757 721-7767, or visit them online at http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org.



WarbirdsNews wishes to thank the noted aviation historian A.Kevin Grantham very much for his pre-show report, and lovely images. We look forwards to sharing more of his articles in the future! We also expect to hear news of the 109s first flight any day now, so be sure to watch this space!
Maj. Gen. Anthony Cotton, 20th Air Force and Task Force 214 commander, his wife, Marsha Cotton and Chief Master Sgt. Matthew Wells, 20th AF and TF-214 command chief, visited the 90th Missile Wing April 28, to see the Mighty Ninety mission from the Airman perspective.

This is Cottons second time visiting the wing since assuming command in November.

There is nothing more important than receiving unvarnished feedback from Airmen in the field, Cotton said.

As the 20th AF commander, Cotton is responsible for the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile force and ensuring that each of the three missile wings, along with the nuclear operations support wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, are performing their mission in a safe, secure and effective manner.

During his visit, Airmen briefed him on their jobs and how they contribute to the ICBM mission. Cotton spoke with several Airmen of all ranks and reinforced their importance to the entire Air Force.

It was an honor to get to hear the views of Gen. Cotton, said Senior Airman Jason Cathey, 90th Security Forces Group administration executive. He told us we were the most powerful part of the Air Force as Airmen. General Cotton wants us to lead not only by example, but by mentorship.

Cotton sat down with Airmen for breakfast and with senior non-commissioned officers for lunch to get a full enlisted perspective. During each meal, different programs for the base and issues from around the wing were discussed.

One of the concerns was about how one percent of Airmen can negatively impact the rest. Cotton rebutted by saying that it was up to Airmen to work together and make the wing a solid team.

We are all strategic Airmen within our enterprise, Cotton said. I need each of you to help the one-percent. Everyone should embrace the core values and represent the Air Force as professional Airmen.

While Cotton met with the Airmen, his wife received a mission orientation and spoke with the spouses of the wing. She toured the dormitories and family quarters to learn about the available housing opportunities on base.

During a lunch with the key spouses, Marsha stressed the importance of the spouses for all Airmen.

There isnt a manual for being a spouse, Marsha said. Its a hard job to be the support network, but it is up to us to do it. I appreciate your work and will do what I can to support your endeavors.

During the Cottons visit they both took their time to understand each Airmen they spoke with and asked, If you could change something, what would that be?

Though the 20th AF headquarters is here and the Cottons live on base, their visit gave them the opportunity to look into the inner workings of team Mighty Ninety.
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National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, and savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services comprise credit, and deposit and investment solutions, as well as international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services. The Wealth Management segment comprises investment solutions, trust services, banking services, lending services, and other wealth management solutions. The Financial Markets segment offers corporate banking, advisory, and capital markets services; and project financing, debt, and equity underwriting; advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and financing. The U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment provides specialty finance products; financial products and services to individuals and businesses in Cambodia; and investment solutions, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, notes, structured products, and monetization. It provides its services through a network of 384 branches and 927 banking machines. National Bank of Canada was founded in 1859 and is based in Montreal, Canada.
AccorHotels has expanded its hotel network with the announcement, at the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition conference held in Melbourne this week, of two new-build hotels and two takeovers .

In partnership with Queensland real estate developer, Kinstone Developments Group, a new-build 238-room Novotel hotel will be built on Brisbane's South Bank, following the signing of a management agreement.

The former Tune Hotel is now operating as the new ibis Melbourne Swanston Street. Credit:Shannon Reddaway

In Sydney, the largest hotel operator in the country has signed a franchise agreement with Bankstown RSL Community Club to open a new five-storey, 240-room hotel under its Midscale Mercure brand in south-western Sydney.

The Mercure Sydney Bankstown hotel is part of a $60 million redevelopment of the RSL over two stages. Construction of the mixed-use hotel development is expected to commence in July 2016 and to open in late 2017. AccorHotels also said its ibis Budget Sydney Central will be located at 412 Pitt Street between Central Station and World Square.
Barack Obama got quite a bit of air time for mocking Donald Trump this week. The best gag was to pretend to defend Trump against the accusation that he lacked the foreign policy credentials to be president.

"But in fairness," said the President, "he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan."

But how do you mock Trump, once co-owner of the Miss Universe pageant, better than Trump does? The reality of The Donald is actually funnier than Obama's fiction.

When an interviewer challenged Trump for fabricating a claim that an anti-Trump protester was linked to Daesh or Islamic State, the candidate's defence was to say: "I only know what's on the internet."
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day, the UN-gazetted date that focuses global attention on defending media producers from attacks  on their lives and their independence  and pays tribute to the many journalists who've been killed or imprisoned in the course of their work.

This year's celebration marks the 250th anniversary of the world's first freedom of information law, established to cover the modern territories of Sweden and Finland. It's fitting, then, that Finland's capital Helsinki is hosting UNESCO's annual global World Press Freedom Day conference this week. Less fitting is the Finnish Government's attempt to intrude into a global journalistic investigation.

Illustration: Simon Bosch.

The creeping threat to investigative journalism posed by the erosion of journalistic source protection internationally is in the spotlight in Helsinki as journalists at Finnish public broadcaster YLE come under pressure from the government to hand over a cache of documents from the Panama Papers.

YLE analysed the files as one of the global media houses collaborating on the biggest act of cross-border investigative journalism in history.
OzCrowd founder Nick Karolidis. Credit:Jason South But in 2012, Kickstarter launched a PR campaign reminding backers it was "not a store", to highlight the risks involved. An independent US study found one in 10 Kickstarter projects never delivers its perks  and in those cases backers should expect a refund just 13 per cent of the time. A thumbnail of the Triton campaign, right, and the Tricon campaign as they appear on Indiegogo's search page. Credit:Indiegogo Rouse invested in a mobile wallet called the iCache Geode. It raised more than $US350,000 ($456,770) but after months of delays, backers were angry. Many never received a product, and those who did reported major problems. Eventually the company stopped updating its backers completely, and all but vanished from the web.

When things go bad like this, crowdfunding platforms will pass on a creator's contact details, and some will actively facilitate refunds. But that's usually where it ends. The Batteriser. Credit:Batteroo Rouse managed to get a refund two years later for his lost investment  but only when he hounded Amazon Payments, which processed his transaction, after he read about US backers getting refunds. "Really you're sort of throwing your money into these products with no assured way of recovering it should there be an issue down track," he says. iCache's failed Geode product. Credit:Kickstarter

Rouse thinks crowdfunding platforms don't work hard enough for the money they skim off every campaign - up to 8 per cent of funds raised in transaction and service fees. That's significant cash when you're talking sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single project. "It's only fair that they do some basic vetting," he says. "The problem with a lot of these fantastic ideas is the creators don't have the knowledge or skills to produce them. It only takes one or two bad experiences to turn people off for good." Kickstarter has lifted its game since the Geode debacle. It's imposed stricter rules around technology products, which are on average higher risk than other categories. It now requires creators to have a working prototype and a production timeline before they can launch a campaign. Indiegogo has no such checks  and that has resulted in some very spurious projects indeed. There's the Triton Oxygen Respirator, which promises its "artificial gills" let you breathe underwater without scuba gear. Skepticism about the product hit fever pitch after scientists debunked its claims, and Triton recently refunded all its backers. It has since relaunched with a modified campaign.

The product spawned its own spoof campaign called the "Tricon", featuring a 1 perk which promised "absolutely nothing". Indiegogo suspended the campaign for a few hours, but returned it after its creators argued Triton was guilty of worse than parody. Triton has raised more than $US400,000  more than eight times its $US50,000 goal  with two days left of its relaunched campaign at the time of writing. Then there's the Batteriser, which promises to extend the life of reusable batteries up to eight times. Several electrical engineers have publicly questioned Batteriser's marketing claims. By that measure alone, Batteriser  and the Triton  may be in breach of Indiegogo's terms and conditions, which state that "Campaign Owners shall not make any false or misleading statements in connection with their Campaigns". Batteriser is now months overdue to ship to backers  and they're not happy, with some accusing the company of scam behaviour. The company says it is now in the final production stages, with plans to fulfill "all orders soon". Nick Karolidis, founder of Australian platform OzCrowd, says the best marker of whether a campaign will do well is if the creators' own network is prepared to back them. "It's not even just dollar amounts, it's really just activity behind a campaign  those that are shared, those that have comments, those that have multiple contributors are much more likely to get broader public interest," he says.

In the past OzCrowd has intervened in good faith to help creators manage production delays when things start to go south  but that's a rarity in the industry. "The key there was making sure we caught them early," Karolidis says. "Most of the time because of the nature of the campaign people are very interested in supporting the particular project, so delays and tweaks to products because of manufacturing issues tend to be accepted so long as the campaigners do a good of job keeping people updated." Claire Merquita, general manager at Australian crowdfunding site Pozible, says high-profile crowdfunding flops  particularly technology projects  are making potential backers more cautious. "We're seeing tech products not doing as well as they used to [in terms of fundraising], and we're seeing that across the industry as a whole," she says. That's potentially worrying for local tech entrepreneurs who may have trouble raising funds elsewhere due to a lack of risk appetite in Australia.
Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi is refusing to release reports she reportedly penned for conferences and events over the last year, despite telling council last week she "always prepared reports after trips".

At the City of Perth's April 27 council meeting, councillors voted that all elected members, including Ms Scaffidi should report back to council after attending a conference or event, to quell the public's perception it was "just another junket".

The State Administrative Tribunal will announce the penalty it will impose on Lisa Scaffidi on Tuesday.

However, the lord mayor, who was given the green light at the meeting to attend two controversial, rate-payer funded trips to Sydney and Bunker Bay said she always wrote up reports after trips.

But despite repeated requests by WAtoday over the last week to see a copy of any of the reports completed by Ms Scaffidi, none were produced.
At the invitation of the Director General of Cameroon Customs, Mr. Edwin Nuvaga Fongod in his capacity as Vice-Chair of the West and Central Africa region, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya visited Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, to attend the Regional Conference of Directors General of Customs of West and Central Africa, from 27 to 29 April 2016.

The meeting was opened by Cote d'Ivoire's Minister of the Budget, Mr. Abdourahmane Cisse.

The discussions centred on three major topics, namely Digital Customs including inter-connectivity in the region, security, and human resources, giving participants the opportunity to share experience and form a common strategy for the region with a view to enhancing cooperation.

The Director General of Customs of Cote d'Ivoire, Mr. Issa Coulibaly, was elected the next Vice-Chair of the region.

The Heads of Delegation met with the Prime Minister of Cote d'Ivoire, Mr. Daniel Kablan Duncan, who appreciated the report by Secretary General Mikuriya, as well as the discussion with the Directors General of Customs of the region. He underlined the importance of investment in Customs as a means of making a considerable contribution to economic development and the protection of society from security threats.

All the participants thanked the Customs Administration of Cote d'Ivoire for its warm hospitality and the excellent organization of the meeting. At the close of the session, they visited the WCO's Regional Office for Capacity Building in Abidjan and were given a demonstration of the regional website.
A WCO National Workshop on Advance Ruling on Origin, funded by CCF Japan, was held in Melaka, Malaysia, from 25 to 28 April 2016.

The objective of this workshop was to assist the Royal Malaysian Customs Department in increasing its institutional capacity to carry out origin work and in developing an advance ruling system for origin, as required under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). This workshop was a follow-up of the Regional Workshop on Revenue Package and Advance Rulings which had been held from 25 to 29 January 2016 in Melaka, Malaysia.

Twenty mid- to high- level Customs officers from Malaysia Customs participated in the workshop, facilitated by the WCO Secretariat and a WCO Accredited Expert from China.

The facilitators emphasized the importance of a well-organized origin infrastructure as well as well-defined and effective origin practices in order to develop a functioning advance ruling system. Presentations were made with respect to the WCO Revenue Package, WCO tools related to origin, the theoretical and practical aspects of implementing an advance ruling programme, as well as good practices in the areas of organizing origin work and related infrastructure.

All the participants actively participated in the discussions and used the "WCO Diagnostic Tool on Tariff Classification, Valuation and Origin Work and Related Infrastructure" to review and evaluate the current situation, and to identify possible solutions with regard to the development of an advance ruling system for origin.

At the end of the workshop, the participants presented a number of action points in relation to the development of an advance ruling system for origin and the modernization of origin work and related infrastructure in Malaysia.
We've heard of volcanic eruptions throughout the world, but did you know Virginia was once home to some of the biggest volcanoes on the East Coast?

Volcanoes on the East Coast are more recent than you think. In fact, we're located in what researches consider to be a volcanic swarm, or cluster of volcanoes. Remnants of them are still visible even today.

The signs of Virginia's explosive past can be seen all around us in the rocks around us, if you know where to look.

Dr. Robert Tracy, a geologist at Virginia Tech has studied Virginia's ancient rocks for decades.

"Some of the oldest rocks in Virginia are along the Blue Ridge, and are over a billion years old. Most of them started out as volcanic rock, lava flows or ash layers associated with volcanic eruptions," says Tracy.

In his geology lab at Virginia Tech, Dr. Tracy examines a rock sample from Mount Rogers in Grayson County. Standing at 5,728 feet, Virginia's tallest mountain is also the state's oldest volcano.

If you go through the entrance at the Grayson Highlands Park and you go up to a place called Buzzard rock. within minutes you can be on outcroppings of very obvious volcanic rock that erupted 750 million years ago.

What's interesting to note is that "when the volcano erupted, the mountain was likely out near the Richmond area. Millions of years later it has been pushed back to the west.

COULD VIRGINIA SEE VOLCANOES AGAIN?

The volcanoes around Virginia have been extinct for millions of years. However, one might questions could we ever see magma reach the surface again?

We would need some type of crack or pathway to get the magma thought to flow miles beneath the earth's crust, back up to the surface.

The nearest "crack" is thought to be along the Interstate 64 corridor. This so happens to be the same area where the Mineral, Virginia earthquake occurred, and is home to two of the youngest volcanoes, Mole Hill near Harrisonburg and Trimble Knob in Highland county. It's estimated those two volcanoes erupted more than 50 million years ago.

If you follow the Interstate 64 corridor to the west, you'll find several natural, heated mineral springs across the Alleghany Highlands.

For centuries people have come to the famous Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs to dip in the mineral water flowing from deep beneath the ground. The bubbling water stays a year-round 100 degrees.

While it's still not clear just how the water is heated, could these warm springs have a connection to Virginia's volcanic past?

Dr. Robert Tracy believes they could. "Hot Springs and Warm Springs are almost certainly a possibility for them is, they are heated by magma that is moving up one of these fracture zones."

He notes one such fracture zone can be mapped going very close by where those occur. So could Warm Springs be the sight of Virginia's next volcano?

Dr. Tracy admit's while these types of things are hard to predict, it's entirely possible.

Before you let your imagination run wild, it likely wouldn't happen for thousands if not millions of years.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 02, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2016 | 02:32 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Paducah police are warning area banks and other businesses that cash payroll checks to be alert to fake checks.



On Friday, Paducah Police were called to Banterra Bank on Parisa Drive because of a suspicious check. Officers said that when they arrived, they found 45-year-old Jeremiah Rodman of Paducah attempting to cash a forged check.



Rodman was arrested on a charge of criminal possession of a forged instrument and booked into McCracken County Regional Jail.



Detectives said the check had a legitimate business name on it, and had apparently been printed on a professional quality printer. Police said the check looked authentic, and local businesses should use caution when cashing payroll checks.



The Paducah Police Department is asking anyone with information about possible forged checks to call them or Crime Stoppers. Information leading to an arrest or indictment may result in a reward of up to $1,000.
Test scores show historic setbacks for U.S. students after COVID lockdowns
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 02, 2016 | 07:13 PM | PADUCAH, KY

West Kentucky Community and Technical College faculty members Dr. Victor Taveras and Carrie Hopper were among six employees recognized during a faculty and staff awards reception April 29.

Taveras, an assistant professor of physics at WKCTC, received the Phelps Award, named in memory of Finis Sargent Phelps and Florence Grubbs Phelps that was established at the college in 1991. The purpose of this award is to emphasize quality, promote academic excellence, and reward competence in teaching in the Liberal Arts and Sciences disciplines.

Taveras joined the WKCTC faculty in 2011. He earned a bachelors degree from the University of Rhode Island and a doctorate degree in physics from Pennsylvania State University. He has also completed post-doctoral research at Louisiana State University.

Hopper received the Paducah Junior College Faculty Award, which was established in 1999 and recognizes quality, competence and excellence in teaching in a technical field. The dental assisting program coordinator at WKCTC, Hopper earned an associate degree from WKCTC and a bachelors and masters degree at Murray State University. She joined the college faculty in 2001.

In addition to serving on several college and local committees, Hopper provides several community continuing education courses for area dental assistants and hygienists and coordinates the University of Louisville dental students on the WKCTC campus to provide dental services to children in the purchase area.

Paducah resident Jeanne Stroup received WKCTCs Adjunct Faculty Award, recognizing the outstanding contributions and achievements of a dedicated adjunct faculty member who provides exemplary service to WKCTC students. An adjunct faculty member in the Business and Related Technologies Division, Stroup earned an associate degree at WKCTC before completed a bachelors and a masters degree from Murray State University.

Dr. Lisa Stephenson and Nancy Robins, both of Paducah, and Kevin ONeill of Bardwell were recognized as WKCTCs nominees for the KCTCS New Horizon Awards. One faculty member, one administrative member, and one staff member from the 48 people nominated within the KCTCS system will be chosen as the top staff and faculty representative.

ONeill, WKCTC director of community education, was nominated in the administrative category. He manages all community and continuing education classes at college. Last year ONeill implemented a mailing and online catalog listing all classes and camps provided by the college and the community. He coordinates with faculty, staff and community members to teach more than 75 community education offerings that bring hundreds of people to campus each spring and fall.

Nominated in the faculty category, Dr. Stephenson, K-12 Partnership director, joined the college in 1985 as a business studies instructor. Dr. Stephenson was instrumental in the successes with the West Kentucky College Academy and the Community Scholarship Program, as well as in the accreditation as the first National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) accredited community college in Kentucky.

Nancy Robins, student affairs assistant in WKCTCs records department, was nominated in the staff category. Working at the college for more than 20 years, Robins not only supports WKCTC within the records office but also by volunteering for nearly every event and activity on campus. She is also an active volunteer throughout the community. Robins recently received the Ladd Mathis Award for her volunteer work with the United Way of Paducah-McCracken County - the highest form of recognition the United Way can give to an outstanding community member.

Eleven faculty and staff retirees were also recognized during the ceremony, including WKCTC President Dr. Barbara Veazey who will retire June 30 after more than 40 years of service, 14 as the founding president of WKCTC. The retirees represent over 250 years of dedication to the college and its students. Registration for summer and fall classes at WKCTC is also underway.
By Joe Jackson May. 03, 2016 | 10:55 AM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

A woman faces numerous wanton endangerment charges following an incident Tuesday morning in Graves County.

According to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, just before 4:00 am a deputy was dispatched to a report of a vehicle chasing another vehicle on the Purchase Parkway. A man told police he was taking his wife and child home, when a vehicle driven by Mena Powell came up along side his vehicle and began making hand gestures which made him feel that she was pointing a gun at him.

The man told police that Powell then followed his vehicle at a high rate of speed, within inches of his back bumper. He said at times Powell would pull along side his vehicle and swerve toward him, which caused him to have to leave the roadway.

Police spotted Powell's vehicle and pulled her over. According to deputies, Powell appeared to be under the influence of a drug. Powell also had a small child in the back seat not wearing a seat belt nor restrained in a child safety seat.

Powell was arrested and charged with four counts of wanton endangerment, reckless driving, no operators license, failure to wear a seat belt and failure to use a child restraint device. She was booked into the Graves County Jail.
By The Associated Press May. 02, 2016 | 09:06 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

The Executive Branch Ethics Commission says it cannot stop Republican Gov. Matt Bevin from investigating whether his Democratic predecessor violated state ethics laws.

Bevin says he will hire a private law firm to investigate whether former Gov. Steve Beshear coerced state employees to donate to political campaigns.

Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear, Steve Beshear's son, asked the ethics commission to tell Bevin he does not have the authority to conduct such an investigation. Commission Executive Director Kathryn Gabhart wrote back on Monday saying the commission does not have the authority to stop Bevin.

Bevin spokeswoman Jessica Ditto said the commission was right to reject Andy Beshear's request. She said Bevin welcomes the commission to conduct its own investigation.

Andy Beshear said any investigation by Bevin would not be credible.
Wexford family to discuss Lamh sign language on Late Late Show  It would mean so much to Lori May to have other children communicate with her
#Korean Air-Cebu incident Korean Air flight overruns Cebu runway, no injuries reported Korean Air Co. said Monday its flight KE631 with 173 people on board overran the runway while landing at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines a day earlier but no injuries...

#Yoon Suk-yeol Yoon calls for war against drug crimes President Yoon Suk-yeol called Monday for special measures to address drug crimes, saying they must be stopped before they become a national-level threat. Yoon gave the instruct...
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You have probably noticed the new giant banner hanging on the outside of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It depicts a painting, a portrait of a man in a brilliant blue hood, by the artist Karel Funk. The gallery is mounting an exhibition of Funks realistic paintings  and to me, the banner seems celebratory. Spring is here, and paintings by a world-class artist, who happens to be from Winnipeg, will soon be on display.

This Friday, Funk will join artist Elvira Finnigan at the Winnipeg Free Press News Cafe. Both artists will speak about their work, but more than that, they will discuss the various pressures  both internal and external  that shape their professional lives.

Doubt and uncertainty, for example, are never far off  even when a giant banner with your name on it is flapping in the breeze. The spectre of failure haunts every new effort. And the art world, for all its efforts to help artists succeed, can be a real source of anxiety. Really, it is something of a miracle most art even gets made.

303 GALLERY, NEW YORK Untitled #75 by Karel Funk, a Winnipeg-born artist who paints anti-portraits. The WAG is mounting an exhibition of his work.

Finnigan works with salt, purposely employing the minerals metaphors. She stages elaborate meals, and drowns the leftovers in a warm salt brine to preserve and memorialize the occasion. As days and weeks pass, the brines water evaporates. Lacy white patterns form on the tablecloth. Serving dishes and goblets transform into strangely beautiful crystalline sculptures. The table settings become otherworldly, seeming to pause time.

Her latest show took place last winter at the University of Winnipegs Gallery 1C03. For the show, Finnigan took a risk  choosing to memorialize not another decadent meal but the casual eating experience of the universitys cafeteria. For her, french fries, plastic forks and aluminum cans were new terrain.

There was the real chance of absolute failure, says Finnigan, and I was really apprehensive about letting go of the specific kinds of beauty I was accustomed to creating.

Funk and Finnigans trajectories into the art profession are very different. Finnigan came to art later in life, after raising children and pursuing other careers. Her artistic nature was something she had to learn to take seriously. Making art helped her make sense of life and its losses, both the large and the small.

Things stay unresolved unless you explore them, she says.

Funk went to art school at the University of Manitoba when he was in his 20s, and went on to obtain his masters degree at Columbia University in New York. His early photo-realistic paintings were accomplished, but he didnt find his own artistic voice until 2003, when he began to paint what can be called anti-portraits. His mostly male subjects look away, close their eyes, hide under hoods. In his work, hoods and jackets are a recurring motif. At times, he has left out the figure entirely to focus on the hoods themselves. Funks uncanny ability to render their folds and creases stems from his study of drapery painted by Renaissance masters. His paintings describe states of being  stillness, quietness  more than they do specific identities.

And yet, they are almost heartbreakingly familiar. We all know someone who has that jacket, that hairline, that slight slouch in their posture.

Within a few years of graduating, Funk had his first solo show at New Yorks 303 Gallery, was reviewed by major publications and earned gallery representation  all hallmarks of art-world success.

So does the artist still grapple with fears and uncertainty? Constantly says Funk. Self-doubt has always been there. I am my own worst critic. Every time I begin a new painting I think I am going to do better, going to paint better, but every time its this terrible struggle.

Maybe artists really are dramatic, Funk says with a laugh, after acknowledging many artists have trouble weathering the emotional storms and requisite highs and lows of the ego.

It can be so deflating, says Finnigan, about navigating the art world. You can spend months writing grants, spend so much time and energy, and have it go nowhere. But ultimately there is such satisfaction making art, in giving the internal life an external form.

Art is made when the artists hand works in concert with the brain. It is made when ability, intellect and the minds less rational regions  feeling, intuition, responsiveness  somehow come together. Certain artists, Funk and Finnigan among them, know how to move past the safety of that coming together to see what else is possible.

When I say art is a miracle, I think this is what I mean: artists must face, on a daily basis, the fact both their own, inner critics and the entire too-sensible world might call what they are doing ridiculous. And yet they continue on anyway.

Sarah Swan has loved co-ordinating Art Talk/Art Walk and writing this column, but Fridays event will be her last. To reserve tickets, please call 204-697-7069.
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This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO  Pet parents  those doting cat and dog owners who will shell out big bucks for organic food, doggie daycare or even spa treatments  are driving a booming industry in Canada.

But shoppers looking for bargains or specialty products and services are pushing out mid-size chains from an otherwise growing market.

Take for instance PJs Pets and Pets Unlimited, which operate under separate banners but are one company. Late last month it announced it was closing 27 of its 39 Canadian stores.

A PJ's Pets store on Yonge Street is liquidating their stock in Toronto on Tuesday April 26, 2016. Pet parents - those doting cat and dog owners who will shell out big bucks for organic food, doggie daycare or even spa treatments - are driving a booming industry in Canada. But shoppers looking for bargains or specialty products and services are pushing out mid-size chains from an otherwise growing market.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Over the past three fiscal years, the company reported annual multimillion-dollar losses between $3 million and $6.9 million, according to a March PwC report to the Quebec Superior Court after it filed for creditor protection.

The report partly attributes the red ink to increased competition from larger pet retailers and retail stores. It also blames the low loonie as well as the companys decision in 2011 to stop selling puppies in some stores following some public pressure.

Thats in contrast to an overall positive outlook for Canadas pet shops.

The industry is growing and we are seeing growth among both the major and the smaller players, said Britanny Carter, an IBISWorld industry analyst.

Following years of growth, pet store industry revenue in Canada is expected to jump an additional 3.6 per cent this year to $2 billion, according to a recent report by the market research firm. Three major players  PetSmart, Pet Valu and Global Pet Foods  make up more than 40 per cent of the market share.

Many of the remaining shops are small, independent ones with fewer than four employees, according to the IBISWorld report. Some, like PJs Pets and Pets Unlimited, are mid-size operations with multiple locations.

They all face competition from grocery stores that increasingly include a pet supplies aisle and discount retailers like Walmart.

Those big outlets attract customers by offering lower prices than smaller industry players thanks to advantageous economies of scale, Carter said. They also offer convenience for those looking to pick up pet supplies while they shop for food and household goods.

Large pet store chains are able to compete by providing a one-stop shop for all their pet care needs, Carter said. Some PetSmart locations, for example, boast grooming, boarding, day camp, training and veterinary services.

Smaller chains and boutique shops must also carve out innovative ways to lure in customers such as offering dog training classes or risk being pushed out of the market, said Carter.

An inability to stand out may be what led to the PJs Pets and Pets Unlimited closures, she added.

What it seems the company has failed to do is truly differentiate, she said.

PJs Pets and Pets Unlimited didnt return messages for comment.

Mid-size operations such as PJs Pets and Pets Unlimited are at a disadvantage, said David Hardisty, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbias Sauder School of Business.

They get kind of caught in the middle, Hardisty said.

When buying for pets, people look for a company they trust, he said.

The brand recognition that comes with being a big chain gives them an edge, while boutique stores play well to those who crave a neighbourhood feel and want to support local businesses, he said.

Follow @AleksSagan on Twitter.
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VICTORIA  British Columbias auditor general has delivered a scathing report that concludes the government is not properly prepared to protect the environment from potential disasters in the mining industry.

Carol Bellringer said Tuesday that her offices mines audit was already underway in August 2014 when the tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine in central B.C. collapsed, spilling millions of cubic metres of silt and waste into nearby lakes and rivers.

Her report, An Audit of Compliance and Enforcement of the Mining Sector, took two years to complete.

It says almost all expectations for government compliance and enforcement in the mining industry are not being met.

She said in a telephone news conference with reporters that the enforcement and compliance activities of the ministries of energy and mines and environment are not set up to protect the province from environmental risks.

Bellringer highlighted major gaps in the ministries, citing too few resources and insufficient staff.

She said the results were inadequate inspections of mines to ensure operators complied with requirements.

Bellringer added that mining companies have not provided government with enough financial security deposits to cover potential reclamation costs if a firm defaults on its obligations. She said the fund is short more than $1 billion.

We concluded the Ministry of Energy and Mines and Ministry of Environment compliance and enforcement activities of the mining sector are inadequate to protect the province from significant environmental risk, she said. Almost all of the expectations for a robust compliance and enforcement program were not met.

Mines Minister Bill Bennett said he accepts Bellringers recommendations and the ministry on its way to implementing a total of 43 recommendations from combined reports, linked to the Mount Polley disaster.

We actually agree with the central opinion that is expressed in the report that our compliance and enforcement regime  in terms of our legislation and our oversight of engineers, is in need of some significant improvement, said Bennett in an interview. We are not backing away from this. The auditor general is correct.

Bennett said the government and the auditor general differ on her call for the creation of an independent mining compliance office to keep watch on the industry.

Bellringer said the government has rejected her recommendation, but Bennett said the government is open to discussions.

The minister refused Opposition New Democrat calls for his resignation following Bellringers report.
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According to George Cope, the CEO of BCE Inc., the rumours were all true.

Bell has wanted to buy MTS for a long time.

Cope was in Winnipeg on Tuesday, the day after the announcement of his companys $3.9 billion definitive arrangement to acquire 100 per cent of Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS). That total includes BCE assuming about $900 million of MTSs debt.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MTS CEO Jay Forbes (left) and George Cope, the CEO of BCE (Bell Canada Enterprises) in the lobby of MTS Building at Portage and Main.

Cope was only half joking when he said its the first time in 100 years that Bell has had a crack at MTS, referencing the 1908 transaction when Bell sold the precursor to MTS to the Manitoba government.

In an interview with the affable Cope in MTSs corporate boardroom (with MTS CEO Jay Forbes sitting across the table), he made clear his belief that the deal will be good for Manitoba consumers and good for the province.

People ask me about the high price  10.2 times EBITDA  but I have been saying that these things really only come around every 100 years, he said. Its true. Its a once in-many-generation opportunity.

Companies are familiar

MTS and Bell have had a long history of collaboration. Fifteen years ago, Bell owned 22 per cent of MTS, until MTS acquired Allstream in 2004.

As long as Allstream was owned by MTS it was something that prevented Bell from ever being a buyer, said Cope, because Bell already operated a national business telecommunications network. Then Jay (Forbes, MTS CEO) arrived, undertook a transformation of the company, and got a transaction done on Allstream that no one seemed able to do for years.

Cope said the deal checks all the boxes of BCEs six strategic imperatives that drives the $20-billion-per-year company.

Theres no debate from anyone today that this is not absolutely in Bell and MTSs best interest, he said. It brings together two companies that have been in the same space for more than 100 years.

He said that while the $40-per-share price thats being offered was important, there were other issues the MTS board needed to be satisfied on.

It was of big importance to the board of MTS that we make a commitment to the province, said Cope. Its very important whats in for the shareholder. But there was more to it whats in it for the province?

Big spending coming

In Copes telling of it, BCEs commitment to spend $1 billion on the broadband infrastructure in Manitoba over the next five years will be transformative in itself.

It is part of Bells plan to spend $20 billion across its entire national infrastructure to upgrade to a much faster and robust high speed Internet network that will allow for download speeds 20 times faster than what is available anywhere in the country.

He said some Manitoba markets will experience that within 12 months of the close of the deal that is expected to happen with nine to 12 months.

Although Cope would not promise there would be no job losses  we arent going to pretend, we have to be honest, there will be some obvious duplications  he said, In our world, when we spend $1 billion in capital, that is putting people to work.

As for making Winnipeg Bells Western Canadian headquarters, he said it will be a real thing.

When BCE says it is head office for a marketplace, by definition some goodness will come out this that none of us can see today, he said.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
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TORONTO  Ontarios top court has rejected an application by a group of U.S. bondholders to appeal a decision last year on how Nortel Networks Corp.s remaining US$7.3 billion in assets should be divided.

A panel of three judges from the Ontario Court of Appeal said Tuesday the reasons put forth by the group contained no merit and will be dismissed.

The panel said it did not agree with the U.S. bondholders argument the trial judge exercised his discretion in an unprincipled way and strayed into improper commercial judicial moralism' when he decided to divide the assets on a pro rata basis among Nortels former subsidiaries around the world.

The trial judge considered the evidence before him in considerable detail and worked with the facts presented to him, the 42-page ruling said.

Based on those facts, he concluded that a pro rata order constituted the answer to the allocation issue. The fact that the answer is also fair should not detract from the force of his conclusion

The Ontario Superior Court and a U.S. bankruptcy court in Delaware issued the ruling last May, stating that proportional distribution would wind up giving all the creditors about 71 per cent of the return on their claims.

The joint decision by the Canadian and U.S. courts came after months of legal battle over Nortels remaining assets, which were the result of the sale of chunks of its business.

The Ottawa-based technology company filed for bankruptcy in 2009 following an accounting scandal. At its height from 1999 to 2000, Nortel was worth nearly $300 billion, employed more than 90,000 people globally.

In its ruling, the appeal court expressed frustration over the delays and legal battles that have been staged in the case.

It noted that it has been seven years since the bankruptcy filings, and more than 6,800 former Nortel employees and pensioners have died with legal costs climbing well above US$1 billion.

A further appeal proceeding in Canada would achieve nothing but more delay, greater expense, and an erosion of creditor recoveries, said the panel.

The appeal court also noted that the parties involved have repeatedly been asked to try to resolve their differences through mediation but have not done so.

Last month, a U.S. court heard an appeal from U.S. bondholders regarding the May 2015 ruling. A decision has not yet been released in the case.

 Follow @LindaNguyenTO on Twitter.
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NDP staffers given heave-ho

THE job market in Manitoba is about to be flooded with former NDP political staffers.

By the end of Monday, 105 NDP political staffers had been let go as Brian Pallisters Progressive Conservatives prepared to take power.

Gutted were the Selinger governments communications team, policy analysts, special assistants and directors. Departments such as the provinces issues management team and priority and planning personnel are all being let go.

When the Gary Filmon PCs were voted out in 1999, 53 people lost their jobs  costing taxpayers $1.2 million after the Tories passed an order in council compensating staff for a 10-week lump sum payment, plus two weeks pay for every year of service.

The orders in council for the 105 NDP staffers isnt yet public.

Sticking around for now will be the provinces deputy ministers, the senior public servants who run the provincial department or serve another executive function within government. However, during the transition in 1999, four deputy ministers left their positions shortly after the change in government, costing taxpayers a further $500,000.

The provinces 14,000-member civil service, who belong to the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union (MGEU), are not affected by the transition. Furthermore, the union ratified a five-year collective agreement with the province earlier this year that includes a no-layoff clause.

Starbucks sued for underfilling cups

CHICAGO A Chicago woman is suing Starbucks for more than US$5 million for allegedly underfilling its iced coffee, tea and blended drinks.

Plaintiff Stacy Pincus argues in the lawsuit, filed last week in federal court in Chicago, the amount of ice Starbucks uses in its drinks means customers get less of the actual beverage.

Starbucks cold drink cups have three black lines on the outside that are intended to be fill lines for the beverage, and baristas typically fill the rest of the cup with ice. The lawsuit states liquid filled to the top black line on a Venti cup typically only gives a customer 14 ounces of beverage, even though the stated ounce total on the menu is 24.

The lawsuit also takes issue with the fact iced drinks cost more, even though they have less total liquid.

In a statement, Starbucks said it believes the plaintiffs claims are without merit.

Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any iced beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it, spokesman Reggie Borges said.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status.

Redstone compelled to testify

LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge said Monday the ailing Sumner Redstone will have to testify in the upcoming trial to determine whether he is mentally competent.

Redstone will have to give a 15-minute deposition, which will be videotaped and played for the judge at trial. That portion of the trial will be closed to the public.

His appearance is of the utmost significance, Judge David J. Cowan said in his tentative ruling. He is not a peripheral witness.

The trial is expected to begin Friday, barring a last-minute settlement between Redstone, who turns 93 later this month, and his former companion, Manuela Herzer. She filed the petition questioning Redstones capacity in late November, after she was removed from Redstones sprawling mansion and his life in mid-October.

The case is expected to delve into Redstones often fractured interactions with his daughter and granddaughter.

 from the news services
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OTTAWA  Canada is prepared to join a key United Nations anti-torture agreement more than a decade after it was first passed.

The UNs optional protocol to the convention against torture allows for the establishment of national and international systems for inspecting detention centres where torture often takes place in secrecy.

It was first approved by the world body in 2002.

FILE - Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion speaks with reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons before Question Period in Ottawa on April 13, 2016. "The minister just announced that we agree that the government of Canada should join this important protocol," said Chantal Gagnon, a spokesperson for the minister, of what Dion had to say at a private reception earlier Monday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Although dozens of countries have signed on, Canada has not ratified the protocol. The Harper government twice promised to do so, but never did.

The new Trudeau government will follow through, says Chantal Gagnon, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion.

The minister just announced that we agree that the government of Canada should join this important protocol, Gagnon said of what Dion had to say at a private reception earlier Monday.

We are taking the first step towards doing so by beginning formal consultations on the optional protocol with provincial and territorial governments.

Mohamed Fahmy, who spent more than a year in a prison in Egypt, welcomed the move on Twitter, calling it history in the making.

Activist groups have been pressing for ratification for years; Amnesty International Canada retweeted Dions announcement and has a news conference on the subject scheduled for Tuesday.

Supporters of the protocol say it is an important step in freeing the world from the practice of torture.

They say Canadian ratification would strengthen the countrys ability to press other countries to open detention centres to increased scrutiny.

 With files from Mike Blanchfield
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OTTAWA  Call it the start of the governments biggest big data push.

Monday marks the start of mailings from Statistics Canada of census surveys, including the return of the mandatory, long-form questionnaire that was replaced with a voluntary survey five years ago.

Statistics Canada says more than 15 million households will receive census letters over eight days, along with reminders to either fill the form out by hand or online, which half of Canadians did five years ago.

The Statistics Canada offices at Tunney's Pasture in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Call it the start of the government's biggest big data push.Monday marks the start of mailings from Statistics Canada of census surveys, including the return of the mandatory, long-form questionnaire that was replaced with a voluntary survey five years ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Every home will receive a short-form questionnaire. One in every four homes will receive the long-form census.

So far this year, about 1,700 Canadians have subscribed to an online reminder from Statistics Canada to fill out their form, which the agency says requires no registration or lengthy download processes. And census officials have visited more than 60 per cent of First Nations communities since the start of April to help residents fill out the questionnaire.

The census gives a statistical snapshot of the population once every five years, collecting demographic information on every man, woman and child living in the country, as well as Canadians living abroad on a military base, or part of an embassy.

For provincial coffers, the population estimates in the census determine how much per capita funding they will receive in transfers from the federal government.

For local governments and community groups, the demographic details in neighbourhoods help with decisions on where to place new schools, transit routes, seniors housing and emergency services.

For companies, the census data act as a much-needed complement to whats become known as big data.

Some people wonder, well, why do you even need a census when we have big data? said Jan Kestle, president of Environics Analytics.

When you combine the kind of data we now can collect with census data, you can really get a more integrated view of what consumers want both in terms of products and services and thats also true in terms of what citizens want from government.

Its a massive undertaking that is estimated to cost $715 million for the seven-year period that it takes to prepare, collect, analyze and distribute results. The final cost isnt known until two years after census day.

The previous Conservative government replaced the long-form census with the voluntary survey five years ago in a move that caught many by surprise and lit a political fuse over the depth of data Statistics Canada collected through regular population counts. The results from the 2011 count prevented comparisons to previous years, left out some small communities over quality concerns, and raised reliability questions around response rates of immigrants and aboriginals.

As one of its first acts in government, the Liberals brought back the mandatory, long-form questionnaire.

Kestle said there will remain gaps in the data collected five years ago, but the return of the long-form census this year should bridge many of them created by the one-time absence.

To be realistic, of course there will be breaks (in data), but I think missing one (census) is not nearly as bad as if we hadnt had it come back, she said.

The long-form questionnaire will go out to one of every four households, instead of the one in every three that received the voluntary survey. Failure to fill out one of the forms could lead to a fine of $500, up to three months in jail, or both.
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A second terminally-ill Manitoban is asking a judge to allow a physician-assisted death.

A Manitoba woman, who is not identified in court documents, has applied to ask a Court of Queens Bench justice for the legal right to have a doctor-assisted suicide. The womans request will be heard during a hearing Friday.

The document says the woman has a grievous irremediable medical condition that causes suffering.

(She) has the mental capacity to make a clear, free and informed decision about a physician-assisted death. (She) is or will be physically incapable of ending her life without a physician-assisted death.

The document says the womans doctors are also asking the courts to make an order to keep their identities secret because she lives in a small rural community where there is strong opposition to physician-assisted death. As well, the documents say if the doctors identities become known, one of them might not assist in the procedure.

The woman would be the second terminally-ill Manitoban to be allowed to die this way. The first ruling was made in a Manitoba court March 15.

That ruling came after the Supreme Court ruled in February 2015 that Canadian adults in unending pain have the right to end their lives with the help of a doctor.

The federal government has been given until June 6 to pass a physician-assisted-death law but, until that happens, Canadians can apply to the courts for a legal exemption.

A few days after the ruling, the familys lawyer, John Myers, confirmed the first person granted a legal physician-assisted suicide had died.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
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Controlled fires within the City of Winnipeg and much of southern Manitoba have been suspended due to above-average temperatures, high winds and dry topsoil.

On Monday, the provincial ministry formerly known as Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship announced it will no longer issue burn permits in central, eastern and some western portions of the province and cancelled existing permits in those regions.

While campfires in enclosed pits are still permitted, open-air burns are forbidden from the U.S. border in the south to Berens River in the north, from the Ontario border in the east to the Interlake in the west and in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, Duck Mountain Provincial Park, the Porcupine Hills and along the west shore of Lake Winnipegosis.

The City of Winnipeg followed suit on Tuesday, announcing it, too, will no longer issue burn permits. Winds in the Manitoba capital gusted as high 50 km/h, while temperatures are expected to remain above seasonal normals all week peaking at a forecast high of 29 C on Thursday.

While soil-moisture conditions are normal across most of southern Manitoba, the top layer of the soil is dry in several areas, said Pam de Rocquigny, a Carman-based cereal-crop specialist with the newly renamed Manitoba Agriculture.

This has led to a heightened risk of grassfires and forest fires, said Gary Friesen, the wildfire program manager for the newly renamed Manitoba Sustainable Development. Low humidity, high winds and above-average temperatures will keep the fire risk high until shrubs and grasses turn green later this month, he said.

So far this year, 26 wildfires have been reported within Manitoba, Friesen said. The normal count for this time of year is 60, he said.

While Friesen called some fire crews back to work in March, one month ahead of schedule, cool weather, rain and snow in April helped keep the number of wildfires down, he said.

Thanks to a weekend-long rainstorm in April, total precipitation across southern Manitoba has actually been close to normal over the past three months, said Natalie Hasell, a Winnipeg-based warning preparedness metereologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Nonetheless, the dry topsoil presents a risk in the short term, Friesen said. He asked backcountry users such as paddlers and hikers to keep a close eye on campfires and warned ATV users to remain on developed trails and clear their exhaust pipes of debris.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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You could call it irony. Or, you could see it as a bit of poetic political justice.

On the morning of Tuesday, May 3, premier-designate Brian Pallister and his new Progressive Conservative cabinet will be sworn into their new roles, an act of tradition that more or less signals the official commencement of a new government. More significantly, the event will be held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

The CMHR has become a preferred location for events that crave the buzz and excitement of one of the most interesting public buildings anywhere in the world. For the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, however, the museum is the source of particularly bittersweet memories. Specifically, memories from an April nine years ago when the Tories suffered one of their most humiliating moments in opposition.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The Progressive Conservatives are about to celebrate a return to government in a building that has haunted the Tories for a generation.

It was back in 2007, in a tent on a vacant lot that would become the CMHR, that then-Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen attended a ground-breaking event featuring prime minister Stephen Harper and premier Gary Doer. It was a momentous occasion, the culmination of more than a decade of work by the Asper family to establish a world-class public museum in Winnipeg. It was the first federal museum in more than 40 years, and the first national museum ever built outside Ottawa.

The ground breaking celebrated both the largesse of the Harper government, which agreed to contribute $100 million to capital costs and regular operating funding, and the sheer political determination of Doers NDP government, which spent a lot of political capital to convince a Tory administration in Ottawa to pony money for a project conceived by one of the countrys most iconic Liberals.

So, it was not surprising that for the purposes of this event, Tories like McFadyen applauded Doer for his work in securing the museum deal. In a rare unguarded moment, Harper had even referred to the Manitoba premier as Gary, while thanking him for working behind the scenes to get the deal done. When the dignitaries in attendance rose at one point to give Doer a standing ovation, McFadyen rose as well. It was the right thing to do for any politician with a passing familiarity to the high road.

Unfortunately, that warm and fuzzy, all-party, bipartisan moment in time was betrayed but a few hours later when  with Harpers plane still in Manitoba airspace  Doer asked Lt. Gov. John Harvard to dissolve the legislature and call an election. By evening, Doer was already in full re-election mode, the image of his political nemesis giving him a standing ovation still fresh in his mind.

Doer would go on to trounce McFadyens Tories in the 2007 election. Few Tories forgot the mischief in how and when Doer called the election.

That is what makes the events of this week so special and intriguing. For it is this week, Pallister returns to what is more or less the scene of that political crime to see cabinet and government officially launched.

There will be lots of irony to go around. For example, when Pallister gets a standing ovation at this event, it will be the first time a Manitoba Tory has been so honoured at the building that Gary Doer helped build. In fact, it should be a very sweet moment for all Tories  an opportunity to celebrate their return to government in a building that has haunted the Tories for a generation.

More than that, it is part of the natural evolution of political history whenever there is a change in government.

There is no doubt that the museum is an important part of the NDP legacy. There are still naysayers, of course, but the CMHR has certainly fulfilled many of its goals and once it sorts out a nagging dispute with the city over property taxes, should be financially stable for some time to come.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Premier-designate Brian Pallister

In practical terms, however, the event at the museum reminds us that legacies are not always top of mind for voters. Moving the cabinet ceremony to the museum is what a conquering government does to a vanquished political foe. Doer may have built it, but Pallister is putting his mark on the museum in his first official day as premier.

Its also an opportunity to shake off some of the hyperbole from the election and establish a new context for the Pallister government.

The NDP worked diligently during the recent campaign to paint Pallister as a man with extreme views on human rights issues like homosexuality and same-sex marriage. It was an uncomfortable moment for the Tories, given that the ammunition being used by the NDP came from comments Pallister made in the House of Commons when he was a MP. A ceremony at the CMHR is certainly one way to signal that Pallister the premier has evolved some.

In political and practical terms, there is a lot of intelligent thought behind the decision to swear in the cabinet at the CMHR. Intelligent enough that it should be a very long time before another NDP leader receives a standing ovation in that museum.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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VANCOUVER  The tragedies of Attawapiskat  suicides, hopelessness and poverty  have touched us all. But what can we do?

Former prime minister Jean Chretien proposed shutting down small, isolated settlements such as Attawapiskat and shipping the residents elsewhere. But that ignores the feelings of the people who call these communities home.

Instead, there are steps we can take to bring long-term viability to remote First Nations settlements. They are not necessarily easy or quick, but they are viable.

Governance

Troubled communities need good governance, starting at the local level. Residents must have faith local leaders are acting in the best interests of everyone. Leaders must be seen to be serving the community, not being self-serving. They must use whatever resources they have to deal with the most urgent needs first. Then they need to attract outside resources (public or private) to help the community.

The federal First Nations Financial Transparency Act was a step in the right direction, providing the openness good democracy requires and giving citizens some assurance leaders act in their best interests. But recent proposed changes to the act would weaken it by reducing consequences for non-compliance.

Culture

When Canadians in the North lack adequate heat and housing, culture might be considered an unaffordable luxury. Exactly the opposite is true. A strong nations citizens must have a sense of who they are, where they come from and what makes them unique, be it language, customs or way of life.

Young, bright, ambitious people leave small communities for greater opportunities. But places such as Attawapiskat can give them reasons to come back to live, or provide resources and support. Culture, a sense of belonging and a sense of home maintain ties for those who leave and fosters the desire to return.

Connectivity

Connectivity is absolutely essential in the 21st century. Transportation ties are needed, but even more important is a viable, reliable electronic connection. New technology has made that possible and reasonably affordable, even in remote areas.

Access to the Internet significantly reduces many of the disadvantages of smallness and isolation. Banking can be done electronically. Getting education of almost all types is possible, though it requires more motivation outside a classroom. Reaching customers, suppliers and government agencies can be done in real time.

Electronic services are more costly to supply in small remote centres, but such connectivity is necessary today. Our telecommunication giants should become true national corporations by providing service throughout Canada, including to places such as Attawapiskat, regardless of the cost.

Entrepreneurship

A town, like a person, needs a source of income. Too often in Canada, a single mine, factory or forestry operation supports the job base and the tax base. If that one operation closes, it leaves the community without an economic leg to stand on.

There are alternatives. Local people can generate local businesses, selling goods and services in town (and thus making the community a more attractive place to live), and exporting goods and services throughout Canada and the world. To do this, connectivity again becomes crucial.

To be successful, a business needs to ask and answer the entrepreneurial question: what good or service can I provide that someone would be willing and able to pay for?

Once the question is answered, the entrepreneur must gain the business and marketing skills needed to make the plan work. And, again, those skills are gained through the communitys connectivity.

The entrepreneurs of these communities should think small and local to start, and concentrate on high value. It is amazing what can be valuable. One First Nations woman sifted mud, packed it in fancy jars and sold it at high prices for mud-pack facials. Wood and stone can be turned into art. Foodstuffs  fish, meat and plants  can be processed, packaged and marketed as specialties. However, it is essential to add the value at the local level  goods sold in bulk to others means someone else does the refining and marketing, and makes the lions share of profits.

With good governance, an honoured culture, connections, an entrepreneurial spirit and some patience, communities such as Attawapiskat can thrive.

Troy Media columnist Roslyn Kunin is a consulting economist and speaker.

 Troy Media
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobas NDP may not have a ceiling right now, but they certainly have a Flor.

The pending choice of Logan MLA Flor Marcelino as interim leader says a lot about the state of a New Democratic Party that was trounced in last months election by Brian Pallisters Progressive Conservatives.

The NDP, which won 37 seats in the 2011 election and held 35 before the election call this year, was reduced to 14 representatives in the legislature. Defeated premier Greg Selinger resigned, forcing the party to choose someone else to steer the listing ship on a temporary basis, at least until a leadership convention is held.

Theres no shortage of potential candidates for NDP leader, including former leadership contenders Theresa Oswald and Andrew Swan, two-term MLAs Kevin Chief and James Allum and Fort Rouge rookie Wab Kinew.

Among this crew, only Oswald wont sit in the legislature. Beyond the other four who will in fact go to work on Broadway this spring, there isnt a lot of bench strength in the NDP caucus.

This is where Marcelino comes in. First elected in 2007, shes a three-term MLA who owns a place in Manitobas political history as the first woman of colour elected to the legislature.

Shes held two cabinet positions, spending four years as the minister of culture, heritage and tourism and seven as the multiculturalism minister. Shes also an irrepressibly positive person, as are many other MLAs.

She has never, however, been regarded as a fearsome political figure. The idea that this very sunny politician may soon serve as opposition leader  a job that demands she serve as a counterbalance to premier-designate Pallister  is nothing less than jarring.

At least it is to this reporter, who has only witnessed Marcelino perform her duties in a ceremonial context  and even then, in a less-than-impressive manner.

In 2011, Winnipegs Chinatown Development Corp. announced it had secured a $400,000 donation to help demolish the old Shanghai Restaurant building and replace it with an assisted-living residence for Asian-Canadian seniors. Marcelino served as the MC at the news conference, held within the Chinese Cultural and Community Centre on King Street.

Things began poorly when the minister was not aware of the name of a visiting Chinese dignitary, but it approached the absurd when Marcelino was asked what form of financial support her government planned to offer the seniors project.

What project? she asked.

I assumed she was joking. She had just served as the MC at a news conference about a demolition that would pave the way for a new assisted-living residence. So I asked again.

I dont know what youre talking about, she said, stretching the limits of credulity. It was like the old Monty Python skit, where the shopkeeper denies theres anything wrong with the dead parrot. So I asked once more.

Youll have to speak to Kerri Irvin-Ross, she said, referring to the NDP minister of housing and community development at the time. I left the news conference wondering about the minimum requirements for serving as a cabinet minister.

My next close-up encounter with Marcelino occurred in 2013, at the premiere of Bashir Lazhar, a Theatre Projects Manitoba production held at the Rachel Browne Theatre in the Exchange District.

Marcelino took a seat to my left. I made a point of identifying myself as a reporter and asked her about the upcoming provincial budget. Its common courtesy for journalists to make elected officials aware they may be scrutinized, even in a social setting.

This was not, however, a purely social setting. Marcelino was a culture minister attending a theatrical premiere. She proceeded to fall asleep, which is not in and of itself a crime. Then, however, she began to snore loudly, reaching a crescendo during a dramatic soliloquy near the climax of this very serious one-man show.

Some other audience members berated me, asking me to wake up my friend.

Marcelinos companion did nothing.

The minister eventually woke up and proceeded to attempt to unwrap a candy, crinkling the wrapper as the play continued. Complaints from other audience members grew louder.

I was again censured for Marcelinos behaviour.

These are nothing but amusing anecdotes, told previously only on Twitter, but they do suggest a politician who does not always take enough pains to consider her surroundings.

If Marcelino is to become interim NDP leader, a job that comes with more than ceremonial responsibilities, she must step up her game.

Requests to interview Marcelino and NDP provincial secretary Keith Bellamy were declined.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The last vestiges of the old Manitoba Telephone System will disappear if BCE Inc.s bid to buy MTS is approved by federal regulators. Despite efforts to keep up the appearance of stiff competition, the deal will actually reduce it. While some Manitobans may long for the days of good government jobs and local development, the private-sector juggernaut in telecommunications has proved to be relentless and unstoppable.

MTS president Jay Forbes said it himself when he noted Monday the deal was too good to be turned down  by shareholders. Whether the proposed sale of Manitoba Telecom Services to BCE Inc. (or Bell) for $3.9 billion is good for Manitobans in general, and customers in particular, remains to be seen.

The usual suspects have lined up with opposing opinions and facts. Unifor, the union representing telecom workers, says if history is a guide, BCE will move quickly to consolidate operations and reduce the workforce. Makes sense.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The MTS Building at 333 Main Street.

For its part, Bell says it will invest in infrastructure in Manitoba and improve service. Makes sense, too. And what about prices?

Manitoba and Saskatchewan have enjoyed some of the lowest rates in Canada because of the strong local competition provided by MTS and SaskTel. In Manitoba, those days are coming to an end, despite Bells decision to sell one-third of its new Manitoba holdings to Telus in an effort to retain a competitive market.

The fact is the market will be less competitive without MTS. The field will now be dominated by Bell, with Rogers and Telus in pursuit.

The federal government has wanted a more competitive wireless market for obvious reasons  better service, better pricing, better technology  but the collapse of MTS for the sake of shareholder wealth means it will have to play a more aggressive role in regulation.

Indeed, the CRTC has had to intervene repeatedly in recent years to ensure fairness and transparency in the industry. Even something as simple as a Wireless Code to make it easier for individuals and businesses to understand their contracts was necessary because the telecom giants wouldnt do it on their own.

In other fallout from the deal, Winnipeg will lose its status as a telecom headquarters and instead become the Western Canadian HQ for Bell. The name MTS will be dropped, the last act in a story that began in 1908 when the Manitoba government bought Bell Canadas Manitoba telephone operations.

Its also the fulfillment of a warning from then Opposition leader Gary Doer, who argued in 1996 the Tory governments decision to privatize MTS would result in the companys head office disappearing from Manitoba, along with jobs and local development.

Exactly 20 years later, Mr. Doer was proved to be right on that score, although it is far less clear that his opposition to the privatization of MTS was valid.

He believed the government should have held on to MTS for as long as possible, but the world was changing rapidly even then. Ultimately, a small government monopoly could not compete with modern telecoms. SaskTel might be an example to the contrary, but, if so, it is a very solitary example and one that is also unlikely to survive in the long term.

The Saskatchewan Crown corporation also benefited from a special federal arrangement that blocked telecom competition in the province for more than five years in the 1990s, ensuring its profitability and success. A similar deal was never sought in Manitoba.

In any event, the time to mourn for MTS ended a long time ago.

For now, the new Tory government in Manitoba should use whatever influence it possesses to urge the regulator to encourage more competition in a bid to retain and create jobs.

It would be a fitting final irony for MTS to be mourned by the party that did it in.
The Professional Excellence Award for Administrative Service Faculty was given to WSUs Barbara Oertel, director of the Warrior Success Center at Winona State University. The award recognizes exceptional individual professional accomplishment in key roles that service faculty fulfill including recruitment, retention, and placement for students. The selection criteria include exceptional work performance; advancement of the university mission; expertise, creative achievement, and professional development; and contribution to student growth and development.

Oertel is known for her focus on student success and for continually searching for opportunities to improve the student experience. Oertels career at WSU spans more than 30 years, and throughout that time she has worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to improve the experience and foster the success of the many students who have chosen Winona State for their education. She is the founding director of the Warrior Success Center, a comprehensive student services department that helps students successfully transition into the university through orientation and placement testing; supports students during their time at WSU through tutoring, advising, and disabilities services; and assists students for the next steps beyond their studies through job searching and career advising.
SENTENCED

 Curtis D. Johnson, 50, Stockholm, was sentenced to 12 months in jail and four years of probation for strangling and suffocating a woman Jan. 5 at a house in rural Nelson. Johnson also pleaded guilty to domestic abuse disorderly conduct. A charge of battery was dismissed. Six months of jail time was stayed and Johnson was credited for 108 days already served in jail.

 Jacob S. Whyte, 28, St. Louis Park, Minn., was sentenced to 18 months in state prison after his probation was revoked on a 2013 felony drug offense in Buffalo County. Judge James Duvall ordered Whyte eligible for an earned release program with 24 months of extended supervision after release from prison.

 Todd F. Oreskovich, 31, Buffalo City, was sentenced to 45 days in jail and fined $1,744 for third-offense operating while intoxicated. A court order said 30 days of jail time would be stayed if Oreskovich complies with conditions. His drivers license was revoked for 24 months.

CHARGED

 Donald A. Creque, 37, Alma, is scheduled to have a plea and sentencing hearing May 24 on a felony charge accusing him of third-degree sexual assault of a woman at an apartment in Alma. Creque pleaded not guilty to the charge in December. A complaint says the assault happened on Oct. 17, 2015.

 Michael M. Joswick, 53, Buffalo City, has a hearing May 11 on a misdemeanor charge accusing him of resisting or obstructing a police officer. Joswick also is accused of traffic offenses that include operating while under influence of an intoxicant, driver in possession of open intoxicant, refusal after arrest to take test for intoxication and unsafe lane deviation. Joswick has pleaded not guilty.

 Justin M. Watts, 33, Mondovi, has a hearing Aug. 11 on felony charges accusing him of felon in possession of a firearm, maintaining a drug trafficking place and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia used to manufacture, compound, convert, produce or store methamphetamine. Watts pleaded not guilty in February.

 Todd A. Doverspike, 38, Mondovi, has a plea and sentencing hearing May 11 on felony charges accusing him of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia used to manufacture, compound, convert, produce or store methamphetamine. Doverspike pleaded not guilty to charges in February.

 Mitchell S. Schmid, 23, Independence, Minn., was bound over for trial on felony charges accusing him of hit-and-run involving injury. An arraignment hearing was set for May 27. A complaint accuses Schmid of fleeing an accident scene in Nelson where three pedestrians were injured on Nov. 30.

 David J. West, 18, Fountain City, has a plea and sentencing hearing scheduled May 25 on a felony charge accusing him of child enticement for purposes of alleged sexual contact. A complaint accuses West of enticing a 15-year-old girl to an apartment.

 Teena M. Nelson, 52, Cochrane, has a hearing July 14 on a felony charge accusing her of fifth-offense operating while intoxicated. Nelson also is accused of failure to stop for an unloading school bus.

 Terry G. Sacia, 64, Winona, has a hearing May 25 on a misdemeanor charge accusing him of 4th offense operating with a restricted controlled substance. Sacia has pleaded not guilty.
In the latest offensive against the emerald ash borer, the city of Winona will be retreating 1,000 ash trees to continue their protection.

Half of the work will be done by city crews, and half done by a contractor. Advertising for contractors was approved by the Winona City Council Monday.

The work is expected to cost approximately $90,000 for the treatment of just over 500 trees, and come out of the storm water utility fund.

The citys costs for their chemicals will come from the 2016 budget and, if necessary, the storm water utility fund.

Winona public works director Keith Nelson said previously, for the 2013 and 2014 treatments, they had city workers do some trees, and hired and trained supplemental summer interns for the work as well, but it was spread out over two years.

We just dont have time, Nelson said.

The trees have to have the second dose of the treatment in 2016, and didnt have the time or money on hand to hire and retrain workers, Nelson said.

Since the city adopted the Ash Tree Management Plan in 2012, it has treated around 1,000 trees and removed hundreds of others. The ash borer was confirmed in the city in 2014, but was likely present prior to that.

Of the trees that were treated before, only a few of them have become infested after having the treatment, TREE-age, which involves drilling a number of holes into an ash tree and pushing the chemical, mixed with water, up through the wood.

The city is only treating trees on city-owned areas and public parks, according to Nelson, and is working to spread the treatment to trees around the city, about a third or so of the overall ash population citywide.

For ash trees on private property, property owners are required by city ordinance to remove infested trees promptly, and are encouraged to treat or replace healthy ash trees.

Council member Gerry Krage said that he had treated several of his trees, which survived, marking the treatment was a success.

It is working, Krage said. The treatment is coming through right at the percentage we were told, the high 90s. Its a good investment.

Other local chemical treatments have had different results.

La Crosse also used a chemical treatment after the insects were discovered there in 2012. In late April La Crosse approved a plan to remove the majority of the trees from their boulevards, totaling 2,700.

The plan will remove 1,350 this year and the remaining 1,350 next year. The plan also calls for removing 3,100 ash tree stumps, to prevent them from resprouting, then planting 4,350 trees to replace the ones lost to the invasive insect.

In all, La Crosse plans to spend $1.2 million on the project.

Nelson said that nationally, the treatment Winona is using is generally successful on 90 percent or more of the trees.

Winona also has ongoing efforts to remove trees already killed by the ash borer.

The emerald ash borer was discovered in Minnesota in 2009 and has infested areas including Winona, Houston and Trempealeau counties and the Twin Cities metro region. The most recent confirmation of the ash borers spread was a discovery in Wabasha County. Ash borer larvae live under the bark of an infested tree and kill the tree by boring through wood under the bark, cutting off circulation and depleting nutrients.

There is no known way to kill the invasive pest. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is experimenting with several methods for limiting its spread.
A letter was published April 7 in the Daily News about North Carolinas House Bill 2 and Minnesota Gov. Mark Daytons response to it, issuing a directive barring Minnesota state employees from non-essential travel to North Carolina.

The letter disparages Daytons directive as a perfect example of what the politically correct really mean by tolerance, they very generously tolerate every point of view, so long as it is exactly like their own. This statement illustrates a lack of information not only about trans people, but also about the demeaning and marginalizing effects of HB2 in North Carolina. We want to remind people that bathrooms have been battlegrounds in the past for those fighting for civil rights. For example: bathrooms were marked For Whites Only during the Jim Crow era.

The author of that letter argues that North Carolinas legislators were reasonable when they crafted the legislation, asserting that not to do so would open a door to sex offenders looking for easy opportunities to prey on women and children. This is fear-mongering at its best and cloaks anti-LGBT prejudice.

There is no evidence showing such fears are warranted. Spokespeople from the Transgender Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union told Mic that no statistical evidence exists to warrant this kind of legislation..

Another example: Experts  including law enforcement officials, government employees and advocates for sexual assault victims  have published recent research from three cities debunked the bathroom predator myth, citing empirical evidence and experience working with sexual assault victims. There have been zero reported cases in which trans people have attacked someone in bathrooms.

North Carolinas bill, like other bathroom bills across the country, does not protect women and children. These bills are vehicles for inculcating discrimination against trans and gender-nonconforming people.

And the bills have serious consequences.

Transgender people face significant levels of discrimination and harassment simply when trying to use a public restroom. The list of violent acts against them begins with verbal harassment and physical violence, which are frequent anecdotes from trans women in our community. And this is not to mention the health consequences ranging from dehydration, urinary tract infections and other kidney problems  simply because they are either denied access to restrooms or they avoid them.

The aforementioned letter states that HB2 accommodates people who have had gender reassignment surgery by allowing them to use the bathroom of their choice. National news recently reported a teen lesbian who was asked to leave a McDonalds when she used the girls bathroom and after officials demanded some identity. This encounter demonstrates that surgery or biological characteristics notwithstanding, the proposal to reference birth certificates or government ID leads to an entirely new plane of problems. The imagery of requiring a class of citizens to carry a photo ID to access public facilities hearkens back to the most totalitarian dystopian warnings.

The opinion author states that the rights of women and children dont concern (us) at all. On what grounds is this true? What disastrous pretense allows opponents of this bill to be against the civil liberties of men, women, and even non-binary people  whether theyre trans or cisgender?

Accusations of bullying are hypocritical when supporting a bill that has a body count.
Did you see any signs today? We are surrounded with signsinflatable signs with elephants that tell us to shop here, the man dressed like the Statue of Liberty holding one telling me to turn left before it is too late. They come in all shapes and sizes. There are signs with blinking lights, bold colors, signs telling us toslow downstopwatch out for the curves!

I was fascinated after reading an article recently that showed 12 individuals holding signs that expressed with one word what they felt about the presidential debates and our future. Some of the signs read disappointed, worried, embarrassing, divided, anxious, long, and dishonest. Wowit made me bow my head and ponder long and hard. If you were asked to create a sign with one word that expressed your feelings regarding lifewhat would your word be?

After sitting with a first grader recently my mind was overflowing with words to put on my life sign. Aya arrived with a bounce in her step to have a cup of hot chocolate with me. It was a school holiday and she was beaming with delight. Of course, when asked by the man behind the counter if we wanted our hot cocoa with whipped cream we both chimed in, Yes, that is the best part!!

When Aya was 18 months old her family was served through Catholic Charities. I remember having a picture with her sitting on my lap waving to those attending a potluck. She was wearing her favorite colorpinkand her ebony colored hair was pulled into perfect pigtails with raspberry ribbons. Today Aya is still wearing her favorite color and although she still resembles that sweet little toddler, she has transformed into the most engaging and articulate little girl. She simply radiates goodness and positivity. She and her brothers are all thriving. In fact, her mother is now a professional serving the poor in our community. Some might say How ironic I prefer to say, Its a sign that the circle of goodness is spreading throughout our little corner of the world.

If I were to describe Ayas views regarding the future with one word on a sign, it would read: HOPE.

After chatting with her, it was evident that there was genius in her ability to take what we may feel is incredibly complex and break it down and present it as something simple to understand. Maybe, we should have more conversations with children like Aya and listen intently to the hope in their voices. Their belief that all is possible may encourage us to have words on our life signs that inspire others to believe that change happens when we embrace opportunities placed in our path each day to provide help and create hope. (Visit ccwinona.org to see more of Ayas story.)

Catholic Charities annual Mothers Day Appeal is May 7 and 8. Perhaps, youve noticed the signs in our community expressing that your gift brings HOPE. When you choose to support the efforts of Catholic Charities in your communities, you bring hope to families in crisis, vulnerable adults and seniors, and children in need.

In fact, the tag line of Catholic Charities for the last 15 years has been Providing HelpCreating Hope. Catholic Charities is the social service arm of the Catholic diocese for the twenty southernmost counties of Minnesota. Your support of the efforts of the ten programs of Catholic Charities brings hope to thousands of people living on the margins each year, regardless of age, faith tradition, ethnic background or ability to pay.

This Mothers Day I am remembering my mother and all those in our lives who nurture and inspire us to have hope and to act with compassion. Ironically, at times that nurturing of a spirit of hope and inspiration often comes from a child. Compassion is life-changing; it enables us to reach targets that we think are beyond us and to solve intractable problems in the world. This Mothers Day I am going to pay more attention to the signs that encourage me to seize the opportunities each day to provide help and create hope!
Police say a Baraboo woman ran a drug operation in which she legally purchased pounds of marijuana in Colorado, and then illegally transport it to Wisconsin for sale on the black market.

The multiple drug charges filed Monday against 22-year-old Alexandrea C.E. Throndson came following an April 1 raid on her Eighth Street home. The search by the Sauk County Drug Task Force also resulted in a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge against Codie J. Matuszak, 21, of Baraboo.

A criminal complaint filed in the case states investigators used confidential informants to purchase drugs from Throndson on multiple occasions, and also sifted through her garbage to gather evidence that was used to justify a search warrant.

While interrogating Throndson, a Baraboo detective informed her that she could get her cell phone back right away if she allowed officers to go through it immediately. Otherwise, she was told, they would have to obtain a search warrant for the device, and she would be without it for some time.

Throndson granted permission to search the phone, and the detective reported that he found evidence of her multi-state operation.

It does appear that Alexandrea has been making trips to Colorado to purchase pounds of marijuana to re-sell on the streets, the detective reported.

Inside the home, task force officers reported finding a glass jar filled with marijuana, as well as plastic bags with marijuana and residue from the drug.

The complaint states that Throndson told the detective she only smoked marijuana in her home and did not sell it. She also said she did not know where the glass jar of pot came from, and insinuated that it may have been there prior to a raid on the same home that occurred in 2014. However, a task force officer noted that the marijuana inside the jar seemed to be fresh.

Throndson faces one felony count of marijuana possession with the intent to deliver, which carries a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. She also faces a count of maintaining a drug trafficking place, plus misdemeanor charges of obstructing an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She is due to make her initial appearance in Sauk County Circuit Court at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Kandie Beckwith says she doesnt mind being called the zoo lady.

I guess I could be known as worse, she said with a smile.

Beckwith is synonymous with the Ochsner Park Zoo, as she helped found Friends of the Baraboo Zoo and now serves as its president. But identifying her solely by her role as zoo booster leaves out the other organizations  the Baraboo Food Pantry, the Lions Club and the Al. Ringling Theatre  she has served. It was her dedication to a broad range of community needs that prompted the Baraboo Kiwanis Club to give her this years Dr. Al Dippel Community Service Award.

Im really in shock, Beckwith said. There are so many good people out there.

Each year, Kiwanis recognizes one of the communitys unsung heroes with an award named for one of the clubs charter members. A reception honoring Beckwith will be held June 7 at the Farm Kitchen Restaurant.

Beckwith was nominated by Holly Fenske and Fran Johnson, who noted her service to the zoo, Food Pantry, Lions Club, Friends of the Grandstand and the Chamber of Commerce. Kandie is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, they wrote.

Parks Director Mike Hardy said Beckwiths efforts have been critical to improving the zoo. Ochsner is one of only five free municipal zoos in Wisconsin, and it relies solely on fundraising by Friends of the Baraboo Zoo to add exhibits.

Any volunteer who dedicates over 30 years of time to one of my programs is very special to me, Hardy said.

He credited her for helping to raise $200,000 for a bear exhibit in 2004 and another $250,000 for a lynx exhibit in 2012. Now, Beckwith is spearheading a campaign to establish a river otter exhibit. About $250,000 has been raised, but another $110,000 is needed. Zoo boosters have scheduled several fundraisers in hopes of breaking ground this year.

This year weve hit it as hard as we can possibly hit it, Beckwith said.

Despite projected cost increases that kept nudging the fundraising goal higher, Beckwith has maintained a positive attitude and has poured her sweat into bringing in every dime she can find in the community to bring the project closer to reality, Hardy said.

A desire to see Ochsners wolf habitat improved moved Beckwith to help start Friends of the Baraboo Zoo in the mid-1980s. She enjoyed taking her children  and now her grandchildren  to the zoo, and wanted to see it thrive. Its unique to have a zoo in a community this size, so its something we should treasure, Beckwith said.

Hardy said volunteers like Beckwith have been integral to the 90-year-old zoos development. Because of efforts from people like Kandie and the FOBZ, he said, we can focus most city tax dollars on maintenance costs at the zoo while still making improvements and expansions using mainly donations at the zoo, grants and fundraising.

Beckwith was quick to share credit with fellow Friends of the Baraboo Zoo volunteers, such as fellow charter member Reggie Zimmerman. She hopes winning the Dippel Award will bring attention to the drive to create a river otter exhibit. You dont get there by yourself, she said. Were small but mighty.

In her leisure time, Beckwith enjoys working in the yard and quilting, plus keeping up with her grandchildren. But during the river otter campaign, spare time has been rare.

Many people say how nice it is that a city the size of Baraboo has our own zoo, Hardy said. Not everyone realizes that I cannot continue to make the improvements to the facility or programs at the aging zoo without the efforts of people like Kandie.

If every resident gave $10 to the zoo, Hardy said, that would be more than enough to bring otters to Baraboo. Given enough time, the zoo lady would be happy to hit up each and every one for a donation. That is, unless she was busy volunteering at a blood drive, ushering at a play or guiding a walking tour of Baraboo.

People are always in need, Beckwith said. You do things you really, really believe in.
A Baraboo hospital was locked down Sunday afternoon when the victim of a drive-by shooting was brought in for treatment.

St. Clare Hospital spokeswoman Kim Sveum said hospital went on lock down for about 30 minutes, but that services were not interrupted.

Hospitals go on lockdown for various reasons from time to time, Sveum said. It is decided on a case by case basis.

The dramatic chain of events began just before 7 a.m. Sunday morning with a fatal shooting in West Allis, located in Milwaukee County. It ended around 3:20 p.m. near DeForest, where law enforcement shot an armed suspect after disabling his vehicle.

The Lake Delton shooting happened around 2 p.m. along Interstate 90/94, and involved the same individual who was suspected in the West Allis incident.

Authorities said a vehicle driven by a 43-year-old man was passing the suspects vehicle, a Chevrolet Blazer, when the operator of the Blazer rolled down his window and fired three rounds into the vehicle.

The second shot struck the mans 44-year-old wife in the neck. The driver and the couples two children were not injured. The man pulled over and provided care to his wife until an ambulance crew arrived and transported her to St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, law enforcement officials said.

Working with the Baraboo Police Department, hospital officials decided to lock down the facility while the woman was being treated because the suspect was still at large.

It was still a fluid situation and there was a lot happening, Sveum said. Safety is always a top priority.

The woman was later flown to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, where she was listed as being in critical condition Monday. Authorities have not released her identity.

Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister said the Lake Delton shooting appeared to be entirely random, and not related to road rage on the part of the suspects.

We think it was just a random shooting, Meister said. We dont have any reason to think there was road rage involved, based on what we know right now.

The incident caused a standstill for interstate traffic at and before the Exit 92 interchange in Lake Delton.

Lake Delton Police Chief Dan Hardman said his officers were in charge of crime scene containment by re-routing interstate traffic onto eastbound Highway 12. Hardman was not aware of traffic snarls taking place farther into Lake Delton, since all traffic was diverted south toward Baraboo.

Wisconsin Dells Events reporter Jeff Smith contributed to this report.
Antigo police just demonstrated in a powerful and reassuring way that trained officers near schools can stop deadly shootings.

Officer Andy Hopfensperger responded in split seconds on April 23 when an 18-year-old former student of Antigo High School started firing a rifle at teenagers as they left the schools prom, authorities said.

Hopfensperger was patrolling the school parking lot with another officer when he heard the attack begin. Hopfensperger quickly ended the threat by shooting the assailant, Jakob E. Wagner, who pointed his weapon at police, according to the coroner. Wagner was injured and later died at a hospital.

Many questions remain, including where and how Wagner got the gun that, according to police, he carried to the school on a bicycle, using it to shoot and injure two students before Hopfensperger intervened. Police also are investigating the shooters motive.

But this much is clear: Hopfensperger is a hero. And the presence of law enforcement at or near Wisconsin schools can deter senseless and terrifying attacks.

Antigo High School has had a police liaison officer since 1997, according to the citys website. Many school districts across Wisconsin similarly partner with law enforcement to discourage crime, drug use and bullying. Thats money well spent.

Every school district should have a close relationship with local law enforcement.

Hopfenspergers quick action may have prevented a slaughter.

Gov. Scott Walker praised Antigo police and called for more attention to bullying in schools, following reports the shooter had been taunted. Thats a welcome suggestion, though Wisconsin schools have done a lot in recent years to highlight and discourage bullying in the wake of previous incidents that ended with violence.

The governor discouraged limits on firearms. You wouldnt have hunting here if rifles were banned, Walker said. The governor can rest assured the state isnt about to ban rifles for hunting.

What our governor and Legislature should focus on instead is ensuring that existing gun laws are enforced  and that loopholes are closed. All firearm purchases, including at gun shows and online, should require background checks.

The origin of the Antigo shooters gun is unclear. But this isnt: More firearm owners should lock up their hunting rifles and equip their handguns with trigger locks. A couple of simple gun locks could have prevented the school shooting death of a principal a decade ago at Weston High School.

Some state lawmakers have suggested arming teachers to defend against school attacks and allowing citizens with permits to carry concealed guns into school. That isnt justified and would create more chaos during an emergency. Unlike civilians, police officers get intensive training on how and when to safely use firearms. The Antigo case shows law enforcement is best able to respond to and stop threats.
The Beaver Dam FFA will reap rewards from countless hours of hard work preparing for their fourth annual plant sale this week.

The sale at the Beaver Dam High School greenhouse, 500 Gould St., is Thursday and Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and May 9 through 13 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Beaver Dam FFA chapter president Jennifer Swan, treasurer Colin Zimmerman and chapter member Brandi Strahota helped water plants and debud flowers on Monday in preparation for the sale with chapter advisor Jacob Cramer.

Cramer said this years sale includes more varieties of plants. Swan, a BDHS senior, said they also prepared more hanging baskets. Work for the sale began several months ago.

It has been a lot of time, Cramer said. Theyve put in an hour a day since the beginning of February.

Strahota said she likes working with the flowers. Zimmerman likes doing the planting.

I like making the baskets and hanging bags, Swan said.

Cramer said the FFA members worked with volunteers from the Beaver Dam Senior Center to plant their ever-popular Beaver Dam pepper, since the senior center lost its greenhouse when it moved to The Watermark.

Zimmerman, a sophomore at BDHS, said funds from the plant sale will help send FFA members to the National Convention and leadership conferences.

He said participating in the FFA expands his horizons.

Strahota, a junior, will travel to Washington, D.C., in July for a leadership conference. She enjoys the opportunities to meet new people through FFA.

I get to do a lot of new things, Strahota said.

To learn more about the Beaver Dam FFA chapter visit http://beaverdamffa.theaet.com/AETHome.aspx?ID=22249.
MAYVILLE  The leadership for the Mayville School Board will remain unchanged for the upcoming school year.

John Westphal will continue to act as President of the school board. He was nominated by Richard Fink and elected unanimously. Fink will act as Vice President of the board. He was the sole nominee and was nominated by board member Norb Donfeldt.

Barb Hagedorn was nominated and unanimously elected as clerk of the school board. Jim Congdon will continue to hold the position of treasurer of the board.

For each position, no other nominees were presented. The board agreed to keep committees the same. Fink will act as chair of the buildings and grounds committee with Congdon and Dornfeldt. Hagedorn will act as chair of the curriculum and technology committee with Wild and Terri Wilkens.

Westphal, Dornfeldt, Hagedorn and Fink will serve on the emergency leave appeals committee. Westphal, Dornfeldt, Wilkens, Congdon and Hagedorn will serve on the finance and personnel committee. Westphal and Fink will serve on the negotiations committee with Congdon acting as chair. Hagedorn and Dornfeldt will serve on the policy and transportation committee with Wilkens acting as chair.

Fink will continue to act as the Cooperative Educational Service Agencies representative on behalf of the board and Shannon Wild will act as the Wisconsin Association of School Boards delegate.
JUNEAU  An arrest warrant has been issued for a 51-year-old Hartford man who allegedly admitted to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl seven years ago.

Steven Baran is charged with five counts of first degree sexual assault of child. He faces up to life in prison if found guilty of all charges. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison.

Judge Steven Bauer signed a warrant for Barans arrest on Tuesday.

On June 29, 2015 officers were dispatched to the Hartford Police Department lobby, 109 N. Main St., for a report of a sex offense. There officers met with Baran, who said he wanted to turn himself in for raping a girl seven years prior. He allegedly told officers that the incident had been weighing heavy on him.

Baran told officers that in 2008 he was living with a couple and their two children in Hustisford. Baran allegedly admitted to having sexual intercourse with the female child who was then approximately 12. Baran allegedly admitted to sexually assaulting the child five or six more times over the course of three months.

According to the criminal complaint, Baran asked officers to take him into custody immediately because he was feeling the urge to have sex and felt that he may rape again. When asked how he might select a victim, Baran allegedly said he would probably go to a local park or meet someone on the street. He allegedly said he did not care if the victim was an adult or child.

Officers made contact with the victim who told officers that she was sexually assaulted by Baran. She said that she was raped by Baran at least 75 times. The victim said that Baran was unemployed and had many health issues which is why he resided with her family for at least six years.

The victim said she never disclosed the sexual acts because Baran threatened her and allegedly threatened to kill her parents if she told anyone what happened.
Last week, Gov. Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 657 and AB 455, two measures advanced by Legislative Republicans to help combat drunken driving in Wisconsin.

This session, Republicans focused on long-term solutions to our states OWI problem, advancing proposals to increase funding for treatment and stiffen penalties for repeat offenders.

I was proud to be the lead Senate author of AB 657, a proposal which increases funding for state Treatment and Diversion programs by $2 million each year. This common sense program has been proven effective at treating substance abuse and reducing recidivism.

Unlike simply hiking monetary penalties and jail time, the TAD program targets our drunk driving problem at its root, by treating alcohol and drug addiction to reduce the number of impaired drivers on Wisconsins roads.

I believe that this approach will take meaningful steps towards making our streets safer because studies of treatment programs have shown that participants are significantly less likely to relapse or engage in criminal activity.

A treatment-centered approach has an upside for Wisconsins taxpayers too. Instead of increasing local corrections costs by throwing more OWI offenders in jail, our investment in treatment today will help to reduce corrections costs for Wisconsins taxpayers down the road.

According to a four year study by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, participants in state TAD programs were nine times less likely to return to prison than other offenders. That translates to an average savings of $1.93 for every dollar invested in alternative treatment programs.

The increase in TAD funding continues Legislative Republicans focus on treatment from the Biennial Budget which launched a 5-county pilot of a 24/7 Sobriety Program. Mirrored after a successful version implemented in Winnebago County in 2011, the program gives the state another new tool to combat alcohol and drug abuse. Participants receive twice daily testing for alcohol use with the threat of immediate sanctions, an approach proven to reduce recidivism in participants.

While we hope that our focus on treatment has a real impact on drunk driving in Wisconsin in the future, we also take the current threat to public safety very seriously. That is why we approved AB 455 to increase penalties for multiple offenders and make any fourth offense a felony, aligning Wisconsins laws with those of other states.

We have made dramatic strides in the last decade towards reducing the impact of drunk driving on our state. Crashes, injuries and fatalities related to alcohol have been cut in half, and more than two-thirds of drivers who receive a first OWI never re-offend. For those who do not have a substance abuse problem, the high societal and financial costs associated with the first offense are nearly always an adequate deterrent to getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

Alongside stiff penalties, we will continue to focus on making treatment available for those who need it to produce a lasting and meaningful impact on drunk driving in Wisconsin.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) represents the 13th Senate District, which covers portions of Dodge, Jefferson, Waukesha, Washington, Dane, and Columbia counties.
James DeVita may be best known for his work on and for the stage as an actor, director and playwright, but on May 19 the monthly gathering of Books & Beer will feature his work as a novelist as he discusses his suspenseful thriller A Winsome Murder at 7 p.m. at The Black Kettle, 139 N. Ludington in Columbus.

DeVita is a core company member and literary manager for American Players Theater in Spring Green and has worked as an actor in Japan, Germany, Australia, Ireland and around the United States. In addition to A Winsome Murder, DeVita has penned two other novels, The Silenced and Blue. Hes worked extensively as a playwright for both young and adult audiences, winning numerous awards.

A Winsome Murder has been praised for its fast plotting and stellar writing and begins, of course, with a grisly murder in the pastoral Wisconsin town of Winsome Bay. A series of gruesome deaths follow in this fast-paced novel that takes us from Chicagos underbelly to the Wisconsin woods. We meet a gorgeous waitress with a haunted past, an author juggling a failing writing career and motherhood, and a hard-bitten detective with unexpected inspiration from William Shakespeares bloodiest plays  and nobody escapes the nightmare created by a psychotic killer of women.

The monthly Books & Beer gathering engages local and regional authors with readers in the community in a fun, casual setting. All interested readers in the area are welcome to attend and are encouraged to RSVP via the event listing on the Books and Beer Columbus Facebook page or by emailing Valerie@ValerieBiel.com.

To read the novel in advance, you can purchase A Winsome Murder from any of the major online retailers as well as through your favorite bookstore. The novel is also available as an e-book. DeVita will sign copies on May 19 and will also have additional copies available for purchase that evening. Learn more about James DeVita on his website at: www.JamesDeVita.com.
Maustons new promotional campaign to bolster tourism in the area received a huge boost from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

The Greater Mauston Area Chamber of Commerce announced on Monday that it will receive a $33,000 joint effort marketing grant to help kickoff its Wheres Aldo? campaign running through May and June. The campaign features icons of Aldo Leopold, a famous conservationist and writer, best known for his book A Sand County Almanac, published in 1949, one year after his death in Baraboo. Juneau County is considered one of the sand counties Leopold wrote about.

In the Wheres Aldo? campaign, people enjoying recreational activities throughout Juneau County can snap a selfie with one of the Aldo faces (cutout on a wooden stick), post to social media and have a chance to win prizes. The goal is to highlight the sustainable outdoor activities Leopold enjoyed, such as boating, horseback riding, fishing, wildlife photography and camping.

Greater Maustons Naturally Connected movement began in January 2015 when the chamber of commerce and the citys room tax committee started working with SocialEnergizer, a marketing firm from Appleton. Since then, the partnership has worked to put up billboards and online advertising, promoting tourism opportunities within a 30-mile radius of Mauston. The chamber and SocialEnergizer has partnered with the Aldo Leopold Foundation for permission to use Leopolds likeness for marketing purposes.

Last week, Gov. Scott Walker and Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett helped the Wheres Aldo? drive by posting selfies during their statewide tour to promote tourism.

Along with the Aldo faces spread across the county during the next two months, a life-size Aldo cutout will move throughout Juneau County. Through help from the Juneau County Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC), an interactive map was produced to help locate Aldo, available through JuneauDells.com.

Mary Hudack, Executive Director of the Greater Mauston Area Chamber of Commerce, is excited to kickoff the campaign with the help of the $33,000 grant.

Finding Aldo and posting selfies with him is part of the fun, but the real enjoyment comes with exploring the beautiful outdoors of our region in a way that reflects his love and respect for nature, Hudack said. Aldos work and life reflected his conviction that man needs to live in harmonious balance with his natural surroundings. His philosophy and example are more relevant today than ever.

Hudack also believes the campaign promotes the areas appreciation for lakes, forests and rivers, which were important to Leopolds life.

Our Wheres Aldo? campaign invites visitors to enjoy Greater Maustons outdoors while raising awareness of Leopolds approach to conservation, land ethic and responsible enjoyment of our lakes, rivers, woods, trails, wildlife and natural beauty, Hudack said.

Last Wednesday, Maustons chamber of commerce held a joint meeting with SocialEnergizer, JDEDC, and leaders from across the county to help ignite the campaign and brainstorm ideas to promote it.

We really want this to take hold and bring more visitors to Juneau County, said Lynn Rasmussen from SocialEnergizer.

A report released on Friday highlighted an economic boost in tourism across the county. In 2015, direct tourism spending in Juneau County totaled almost $60 million, up nearly 6 percent from 2014. Total tourism business sales were $95.3 million, up 5.53 percent. Meanwhile, the county added 742 jobs from tourism, helping to provide a $13.6 million increase in total labor income.

Juneau Countys percentage increases were above the state average in four of five categories. Labor income was slightly below the stage average at 4.88 percent. Visitors to Juneau County helped generate $7.1 million in state and local taxes; a 4.43 percent increase.

Terry Whipple, Executive Director for JCEDC, said partnering with Greater Mauston for the Naturally Connected campaign should help the local economy.

Tourism is a clean, sustainable way to bring outside dollars into the county and to support our other economic pillars such as manufacturing, farming and entrepreneurship, Whipple said.

For more information, contact Hudack at 608-847-4142.
Two Columbia County Sheriffs deputies are on administrative leave after a police chase through three counties ended with them shooting and wounding a West Allis homicide suspect on Interstate-39/90/94 near DeForest on Sunday.

The man earlier shot and severely wounded a passenger in a moving car on I-90/94 near Lake Delton, a shooting authorities are describing as random.

As the man drove into Dane County, his vehicle went over road spikes set out by the Dane County Sheriffs Office, blowing the vehicles front tires and bringing it to a stop.

According to Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards, the man stepped out of the vehicle and approached the officers with a gun in his hand.

The officers ordered the man to stop and drop the weapon, but when he continued, they fired a number of rounds, with at least one hitting the man.

Something like that, where the person wouldnt listen and had already shot multiple times from a moving vehicle, injured somebody  that would not drop the gun, said Richards. They were 100 percent justified to use a firearm.

The Columbia County Sheriffs Office received a call from a driver Sunday afternoon, reporting two fast-moving vehicles heading east on I-90/94 in Sauk County, with shots fired.

And at the same time, Sauk County advised over point-to-point radio that they just had a drive-by shooting in their county and gave the suspect vehicle information, said Richards.

The victim, according to the Sauk County Sheriffs Office, was a 44-year-old Illinois woman who was shot through the neck. Her 43-year-old husband pulled the vehicle over and gave her first aid as their two children sat in the back. Emergency medical services arrived and took the woman to St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo before she was taken by Med Flight to UW Hospital in Madison, where she was reported Monday afternoon in critical condition.

Dispatchers continued to receive calls describing a silver Chevy Blazer and one of the occupants firing on the other vehicle as it tried to pass along the interstate.

At 3:12 (p.m. Sunday), another deputy of mine joined the pursuit, again, still eastbound, said Richards. At 3:20 Dane County deployed their spikes just into Dane County and at 3:21 it was reported that the front tires were flat and the vehicle was starting to slow. At 3:22 the subject is out of the vehicle and walking toward the officers and shots fired. At 3:23 theres one suspect down and two suspects  passengers  still in the vehicle.

Sunday morning regional law enforcement was alerted of a break-in and fatal shooting in West Allis, and later the same 20-year-old suspect making threatening statements to a member of the nearby Epikos Church.

Preliminary investigation revealed the individual involved in the Sauk County drive-by shooting is the person responsible for the homicide that occurred this morning in West Allis, according to an announcement Sunday by Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesman Johnny Koremenos.

After the suspect hit the ground during the standoff in the highway, deputies administered first aid to the man who was taken to the UW Hospital.

Neither the identities of the suspects or the deputies involved have been made public. The deputies will be on administrative leave during which they are taken off patrol and will only work in the office for incident-related interviews.

The details of the shooting are limited with the incident under investigation, headed by the Dane County Sheriffs Office with the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation.

It is out of our hands, said Richards. But you have Dane County and DCI, plus you have Sauk County and West Allis involved. This is a big investigation.

The suspects that remained in the Blazer during the incident, a 30-year-old man and a 34-year-old man, were both taken into custody. They have been described as the chief suspects brothers.

My deputies and all the officers involved in this situation did exactly what they were trained to do  none of us get into this line of work to hurt or to have to shoot somebody, said Richards.

And this person left them no choice but to take the action that they did. And Im very happy that all law enforcement involved were able to go home to their families and friends.

Correction: Columbia County Sheriffs Office deputies fired several shots at the suspect during the I-39/90 incident, but details have not been released regarding how many times the man was struck. As of Tuesday afternoon there is no update regarding the condition of the injured suspect.
The Dane County Sheriffs Office on Tuesday identified the victim of Sundays drive-by shooting on Interstate 90-94 in Sauk County as 44-year-old Tracy Czaczkowski and confirmed that she has died at UW Hospital.

Czaczkowski, a married mother of two, was a resident of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Her husband, Greg, is an 11-year employee of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She was licensed to work as a dental hygienist in New Jersey and Illinois.

The 20-year-old man suspected of shooting her  and fatally shooting a man in West Allis earlier on Sunday  was identified by the sheriffs office Tuesday as Zachary T. Hays of West Allis.

Shot by Columbia County Sheriffs Office deputies outside his vehicle, a Chevrolet Blazer, on Interstate 39-90-94 near DeForest about 15 minutes after the drive-by shooting, Hays remained at UW Hospital under police guard Tuesday as officers in several counties  including Milwaukee, Columbia, Sauk and Dane  continue to investigate to determine what charges will be referred to a district attorney, Dane County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said in a statement.

Two male passengers in Hays Blazer, identified as his brothers, were arrested in connection with the drive-by shooting and remained in the Dane County Jail on Tuesday.

The sheriffs office identified one of those brothers as Jeremy A. Hays, 30, who is being held on a tentative charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The other brother, who is 34, was not named due to his cognitive disability, Schaffer said. He was being held at the Dane County Jail on a tentative charge of discharging bodily fluid at a police officer, Schaffer said.

A relative of Czaczkowski on Tuesday issued the following statement through DEA spokesman Leo Hawkins:

We are immensely appreciative of what the Agency is doing for Greg and the children.

Tracy is one of seven siblings. They are still making their way from various states.

We are all extremely proud of what Tracy accomplished in life, the wonderful family she created and the joy she brought to everyone around her. We ask for prayers for her loving husband and children.

Tracy Czaczkowski on Monday was in very, very critical condition, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said at the time.

On Sunday, Greg Czaczkowski was driving the familys BMW as the couple and their children returned home on eastbound I-90-94 after visiting Wisconsin Dells, authorities said. The drive-by shooting, described by authorities as appearing to be random, occurred on the Interstate at about 2:55 p.m., some 3 miles southeast of the Highway 12 exit at Lake Delton.

Greg Czaczkowski and the children were not injured when three rounds were fired into the vehicle from a Chevrolet Blazers rolled-down drivers window as the Czaczkowskis BMW passed the Blazer. The second of the three bullets hit Tracy Czaczkowski in the neck.

Witnesses to the drive-by shooting called 911 with a description of the shooters vehicle, enabling officers from several agencies to follow the Blazer into Dane County, authorities said.

At mile marker 125 near DeForest, road spikes put down by Dane County Sheriffs deputies disabled the Blazer. Zachary Hays was shot about 3:20 p.m. after he got out of the vehicle with a hand gun and did not obey verbal commands to stop advancing toward officers, authorities said.

A statement issued Tuesday by the DEA said the Czaczkowski family was returning from a weekend family trip at the time of the shooting Sunday.

Tracy was a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all, the DEA statement said, adding that the family was asking for privacy, with funeral arrangements to be announced later. The family would like (to) thank everyone for their prayers and outpouring of support for Tracy.

Authorities identified Gabriel Sanchez, 42, as the man they said was fatally shot by Zachary Hays in a West Allis apartment building on South 92nd Street before 7 a.m. Sunday. According to the state Department of Justice, Zachary Hays also had made threats against a member of Epikos Church in West Allis, and police went to the church to check on members after Sanchezs body was discovered on Sunday. No one at the church had been injured.

Authorities said Zachary Hays and his brothers left West Allis in the Blazer after Sanchez was shot, heading toward Wisconsin Dells. Investigators continue to follow up with witnesses to Sundays incidents, and police urge anyone with information to call a tip line at 608-284-6900.

The DEA statement listed an account for those wishing to help the family with future needs such as the childrens educations at gofundme.com/CzaczkowskiFamily.
Its dock season for area lakes.

Crews spent the weekend of April 30 braving frigid waters and chilly winds to install access features at Lake Redstone and Dutch Hollow.

While the work is the same, the faces have changed. Prestige Landscaping, which has overseen installation and removal for 13 years, has handed the reins to the Schorer Agency, run by local Army Infantry veteran Cale Schorer. The enterprise is known as Patriot Shore Services because both men have served their country.

Schorer said the business has traditionally provided docks for private properties but he is open to doing public work in the future.

He added that Patriot Shore Services wants to provide additional services such as boat preparation, which includes cleaning and polishing so vessels are ready to hit the water when tourists arrive.

Prestiges owner Jason Sammons has known Schorer since childhood. Sammons said Schorer has experience on the water, having grown up on Lake Delton, and is an excellent choice to take over the practice.

Sammons said the docks are a big job and hes already busy running his lawn and landscape company. The change will give him more time and energy to devote to Prestige.

Schorer, who treks across the nation for his insurance job, took the role so he could have closer ties to Reedsburg. He said hes devoted to this region and appreciates it the more he travels.

This kind of anchors me to the community, he said.

Extreme work

Dock installation is a mix of hot and cold. Sammons said docks are put in by hand by men in wet suits. The water is always cold and the weather varies so its important for crews to keep moving. He said they have worked in just about every condition minus thunder and lightning.

Workers return in the fall to retrieve docks, he added. In Wisconsin, October weather may be hot and humid, pleasant and sunny, cool and rainy, or even chilly and snowy.

Schorer said he and Sammons know what its like to work under frigid conditions. During his time on Lake Delton Schorer learned how to install docks, and he also worked as a skier in Wisconsin Dells. Sammons said he served in the Coast Guard.

Sammons said Lake Redstone is more challenging than Dutch Hollow because the banks are steep.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/patriotshoreservices, call 608-448-1752 or email 608Patriot@gmail.com.
Two people died and one was injured in a two-car collision Saturday afternoon on Highway B north of Highway 23 in Adams County, about five miles from downtown Wisconsin Dells.

Timothy Helm, 65, who was the driver of a 2007 Hyundai, and his passenger 72-year-old Francis Chowaniec were pronounced dead at the scene. Both men were from Oxford.

The driver of the second car, a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, was Kolton Coon, 24, of Wisconsin Dells. Kolton sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Divine Savior Hospital in Portage.

Assisting agencies included the Adams County Sheriffs Department, Kilbourn Fire and Rescue and Dells-Delton EMS.

Village of Lake Delton Director of Public Safety Dan Hardman said Dells-Delton EMS personnel extricated the two victims and as of late Tuesday morning could not offer any additional details on the crash.

The crash remains under investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol. The agency had not released if any charges have been filed against Coon or his medical status.
Update on students involved in an accident

Wits delegation remains in Mokopane where they are receiving families of the seven deceased students.

MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE

Dear Colleagues/Students

A delegation from Wits University remains in Mokopane where they are receiving families of the seven deceased students, together with representatives from the provincial department of health and the police. They have already met with the families of five of the deceased, and will meet with the remaining two families when they arrive today or tomorrow. Social workers and counselling services were also made available by the province to assist the family members.

Four of the six surviving students were transported to the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg this afternoon while two others are being treated in Mokopane for minor injuries, after which they will be released.

We encourage students and staff that may be traumatised to contact CCDU if you require any assistance. CCDU has counsellors on hand to assist anyone during this difficult period. If you cannot physically go to the CCDU offices, please call (011) 7179140/32 and they will call you back.

Let us continue to support each other during this difficult time.




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A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Timothy Johnson and Judith Therianos

By: Chan Yuan

(Scroll down for video) A man was arrested on a charge of murder after allegedly raping and killing a woman before having sex with the dead body, police in Florida said.

The Pasco County Sheriffs Office has charged 25-year-old Timothy Johnson, after being accused of the rape and murder of 52-year-old Judith Therianos of Maine.

Johnson has been charged with premeditated murder. He was booked into the Land O Lakes Detention Center, where he is being held without bail.

According to the police investigation, Therianos traveled to Tampa, in order to take care of her friend. At some point, she hooked up with Johnson, and they started having consensual sex in a wooded area.

The last time they met, Therianos told him that she wanted to end the relationship. Johnson ignored her request and raped her.

He squeezed her neck until she passed out. Therianos took away her debit cards and went to a nearby Waffle House to eat.

He then went to buy beer before returning to have sex with her dead body again. Johnson then left again and came back with alcohol in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Frederic Desnard

By: Wayne Morin

A man is suing his employer because he was paid for doing menial jobs.

The man of France, said that he was so bored at work that it caused him to be depressed.

44-year-old Frederic Desnard from Paris, said that he was forced to quit his job at a prestigious perfumes company after being subjected to boredom.

Desnard is asking for $400,000 in compensation. He claims that he quit his job at Interparfum because he was removed from his job as a manager and instead, he was ordered to do boring and menial jobs over a four-year period.

aI became depressed, I was ashamed to be paid to do nothing,a Desnard said. aThe worse part of it was them denying this suffering,a he added.

However, according to the company, Desnard was fired after taking seven months sick leave.

Desnard is seeking about $400,000 in damages and missed pay, which include missing out on a potential promotion and paid vacation days.
World Socialist Web Site Arts Editor David Walsh spoke at San Diego State University and the University of California, Berkeley in late April on Art, War and Social Revolution. The talks addressed the present political and cultural situation in America, explaining the long-term decline in critical and anti-war films, novels and other forms of art work.

Both meetings, sponsored by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), were well-attended and followed by lively discussions.

Walsh began his lecture by outlining the eruption of American imperialism over the past quarter century, beginning with the first Gulf War in 1990-91; the Clinton administrations further interventions in Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Somalia and Haiti; the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq carried out by George W. Bush; and those operations either continued or launched under Barack Obama, including the devastation of Libya and Syria and the murderous drone strikes against Pakistan and Yemen.

The speaker suggested that anyone who had come of age in the US in the 1990s or 2000s belonged to a generation that had known only war. During the last 15 years in particular, the American military had been embroiled in killing people on a daily basis.

The first portion of the lecture dealt with both the physical harm wreaked by imperialist violence and, beyond that, the scarring psychological impact.

After detailing some of the indices of the material and spiritual damage, including the emergence of sadistic and psychopathic trends in filmmaking, Walsh turned to a brief history of American filmmaking in relation to war. He emphasized that in a previous period a significant number of films were more critical and realistic. A true anti-war film shows the atrocities your country commits against the so-called enemy, Walsh argued.

Walsh noted that in contrast to contemporary works about Iraq and Afghanistan, a number of the films about World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, attempted to take head-on enormous social and political themes. However, he emphasized that socialists do not look upon this era as a Golden Age that must be re-created, and the time period certainly had its own definite limitations.

For Marxists, art is  no less concerned with getting at the truth than the hard sciences. Art largely shows, it doesnt explain. When we look back on these films, the filmmakers tended to look more critically at American life and society.

Walsh described the achievements and limitations of the films and literature about the current wars in the Middle East and Central Asia. He suggested there were some valuable works in this category, but by and large the films and novels treated the momentous events in a narrow manner, concentrating on immersing the viewer or reader in the immediacy of the events and evading any larger considerations.

No one is taking the problems head on, and that hasnt always been the case. In an earlier period, authors and filmmakers tried to analyze the fundamental problems of the age. Art holds a mirror to society and says this is where youre failing, these are your deficiencies, and this is largely absent today.

The WSWS Arts Editor posed this as a central issue of the lecture: Weve had 25 years of war, 15 years of perpetual warby now you would think that a great work would have appeared that captured this period in concrete imagery. And yet where is the novel, film, drama or painting that captures the age of the War on Terror?

He pointed to numerous long-term and shorter-term issues, including the anti-Communist purges in Hollywood, the decades of political stagnation and the lurch to the right by considerable layers of the erstwhile liberal or left middle class. But he also suggested that there was a specific problem in regard to the conception of art itself. Walsh argued that postmodernism, with its emphasis on the subjective mini-narrative at the expense of a coherent theory of society and history, had exercised an enormously damaging influence on cultural life in recent decades.

Commenting on the correlation between artistic integrity and the building of a socialist culture, Walsh stressed, Our concern is with the education of the working class. We need a new art committed to the truth at any cost.

During the discussion in Berkeley, one IYSSE member asked, What will lead to a new, critical cultural awakening among artists?

Walsh replied, First and foremost, a change in popular mood, a movement of the working class. A mass anti-capitalist movement  would have a revivifying and rejuvenating influence, which, as Trotsky says, will blow away the clouds of skepticism and pessimism. The impact on the artist of that sort of social movement will be very powerful.

An attendee joining online from the University of Oregon asked, Can you talk more on art and the role of identity politics?

Walsh responded, Identity politics has had a disastrous impact on art because it narrows the artists outlook. There are democratic rights issues involved, and we resolutely defend them. But we do not believe the great questions of the day involve gender, race, or sexual orientation. Identity politics has encouraged individualism, narcissism and careerism. The postmodernists have had their way for 30 to 40 yearswhere is the great work of art?

In San Diego, Joe, a recent graduate student from the University of California, San Diego, found Walshs analysis of the postmodernists influence on art particularly striking, saying, Postmodernism is a paradigm that has shifted through all forms of art, affecting how the artists see the world.

I like how he brought out the fallacies of the postmodernists. In most disciplines, these thinkers are unavoidable and we need to bring out their fallacies and their politics, such as those of Michel Foucault, for example. It is important to shed light on their politics and their influence.
The Conservative government defeated a cross-party amendment to its Immigration Bill calling for the UK to accept just 600 unaccompanied refugee minors a year for a five-year period. The children are mostly from Syria, now stranded in mainland Europe.

Last weeks vote means that Britain is open to homeless dogs and cats being brought in from Europe, but not refugee children.

Home Office minister James Brokenshire opposed the amendment, arguing cynically that the government could not support a policy that would inadvertently create a situation in which families see an advantage in sending children alone, ahead and in the hands of traffickers, putting their lives at risk by attempting treacherous sea crossings to Europe which would be the worst of all outcomes.

The Home Office claimed that it was doing enough to help child refugees in Syria and neighbouring countries by providing humanitarian aid. In January Prime Minister David Cameron said 3,000 vulnerable and refugee children at risk currently in refugee camps in the Middle East would be allowed into Britain, but not those in Europe. This would be in addition to the paltry 20,000 over five years that the UK agreed to accept from camps on Syrias borders in the aftermath of the international outrage over the death of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body was washed up on a Turkish beach.

Given that barely a handful of the 20,000 have as yet actually been allowed to enter Britain, such promises are no more than a cynical public relations exercise.

The amendment was tabled in the House of Lords by Labour Party member Lord Alf Dubs, himself a beneficiary of the British governments agreement to the Kindertransport (Childrens Transport) that admitted temporarily unaccompanied Jewish children following Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, in Germany and Austria on November 9-10, 1938. This grudging agreement was made only because relief agencies promised to fund the operation and find homes for the children at no cost to the state. They were even forced to pledge to finance the childrens eventual repatriation back to Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the Free City of Danzigalthough the outbreak of war made that impossible. While no limit on the number was ever announced, less than 10,000 children came to Britain under the program.

Under new rules established by the Immigration Bill, those deemed illegal immigrants will face up to six months in prison for working in the UK. Takeaways and off-licenses (food and alcohol vendors) are to be closed if employers are caught using undocumented foreign workers, while employers could have their businesses closed, have their licenses removed, or face prosecution if they fail to report foreign workers. UK border officials are to be given powers to temporarily close businesses that break the law.

After its defeat in the Commons, ministers buried the amendment via a parliamentary manoeuvre, attaching a label of financial privilege and making it impossible for it to be referred back to the House of Lords, which does not have the power to override legislation with cost implications.

The governments refusal to accept even a few hundred children follows its attempts to use the courts to prevent unaccompanied minors trapped in Calais, France from being re-united with their families in Britain. Prime Minister David Cameron infamously branded the refugees in Calais a bunch of migrants, while earlier he said there was a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean to seek a better life in Britain.

So far, the Home Office has let in just 20 unaccompanied children under the 2014 Dublin agreement allowing children with relatives in the UK to seek asylum. This is despite a court ruling last January that paved the way for family reunification, which the government sought to overturn. At the same time, it has deported 740 people since the Dublin III regulations came into force. According to lawyers, there are 157 children in Calais legally entitled to be reunited with their families in Britain.

Conditions for the thousands of refugees from war-torn countries in Europe are heartbreaking. Children of all ages have trekked for hundreds of miles through the Balkan route, with just the clothes they were wearing, exhausted, in need of food, water and medical care.

It is estimated at least 95,000 unaccompanied child refugees applied for asylum in Europe last year. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, who contacted 29 governments for statistics, this was four times the number for 2014.

Sweden registered the most asylum applications by lone children in 201535,369. This was followed by Germany with 14,439, Austria 9,331 and Hungary 8,804. The UK registered just 3,043.

The real number of children seeking asylum will be even higher. As the Bureau noted, It is the first time any concrete figure has been reported for the actual scale of migration among unaccompanied minors during last years refugee crisis. It added, Only 17 of the 29 countries we approached provided any data. Spain refused to cooperate with us, while France said we must wait for publication of official data later this year.

Eurostat, the official European Union (EU) data agency, has still not compiled any figures on this human tragedy.

Many of these children live in terrible conditions and are subject to abuse. In January, Europol, the EUs criminal intelligence agency, estimated that 10,000 children had gone missing after arriving in Europe, and warned that many had been taken by criminal gangs for sexual exploitation and slavery.

In March, the 28 EU heads of government reached a sordid agreement with Turkey aimed at hermetically sealing off Europes borders to the millions of refugees fleeing war zones in the Middle East and North Africa. Refugees arriving on the Greek islands by crossing the Aegean Sea have been returned to Turkey, following a farcical asylum review procedure in Greece.

The price of subcontracting to Turkey the task of keeping asylum seekers out of Europe was the acceptance of one Syrian refugee for every Syrian sent back to Turkey from Greece and 3 billion by 2018 in addition to the 3 billion already offered to Ankara thus far. Turkey was also offered the prospect of visa-free travel within the EU and the opening of a new chapter in negotiations over Turkish EU membership.

The deal effectively means the EUs abrogation of the 1951 Geneva Convention on the protection of refugees, and the abandonment of any commitment to the right to asylum. The Convention sought to make concrete the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees a right to seek and enjoy asylum. This is generally interpreted to mean that someone has the right to apply for humanitarian protection. Governments are also banned from returning migrants to a country where their lives would be in danger, a process known as refoulement.

The callous indifference on the part of the European powers is inseparably linked to the growth of militarism, nationalism and great power conflict, fuelled by the deepening economic breakdown of world capitalism. Just as in the 1930s, governments everywhere are promoting anti-immigrant racism and national chauvinism to intimidate and disorient public opinion and overcome broad anti-war sentiment, as part of the preparation for a new world war.

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Camerons attack on migrants spearheads appeal to far right in the UK

[29 January 2016]
The ongoing strike by Verizon workers on the East Coast of the US raises important issues before the working class. With the strike by more than 39,000 Verizon workers ending its third week, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are following an oft-trodden path of betrayal.

To oppose the sabotage of their struggle by the telecom unions, Verizon workers need to be armed with a clear understanding of the nature of these organizations. Over the past several decades the CWA and IBEW have overseen the decimation of the jobs and living standards of telecommunications workers. Based on their program of American nationalism and corporatist union-management partnership, the unions have sought to offset the drastic decline in membership through forging ever-closer relations with the global telecom monopolies.

Today the CWA and the IBEW are basically business entities, dues collecting agencies entirely dedicated to the defense of corporate profits and the bloated, six-figure salaries of the union executives.

This is borne out by the latest US labor department filings. According to the CWAs 2015 financial report the union had over $582 million in total assets, with $491 million in investments, including $394 million in marketable securities. Fifteen top CWA officers took in over $2 million in salaries and expenses, including former CWA President Larry Cohen, who pocketed $201,458, and Secretary Treasurer Annie Hill, who took in $185,020.

While striking workers have been left on starvation rations with no health care for their families, in April 2013 delegates to the CWA Convention approved the diversion of $12,622,500 from the defense funds to a new Growth Fund, for leadership development, research, industry analysis and efforts to achieve economic justice, including the hiring of staff needed to provide resources for launching new and sustaining existing efforts.

The IBEW has $556 million in total assets. For his part, IBEW International President Edwin Hill in 2015 received $393,005 in salary and expenses. Eight other top IBEW officials took in over $200,000 apiece in annual salary and expenses.

Like unions around the world, which are all based on the defense of the capitalism and economic nationalism, the telecom unions in the US have been unable to respond in any progressive manner to automation and the increasing globalization of the industry. At every step the CWA and IBEW have sought to collaborate with the telecom companies to increase their competitiveness through driving up productivity and eliminating hundreds of thousands of jobs. In the process they have long abandoned the principles of no contract no work, industry-wide strikes and the sanctity of the picket line established in an earlier period

Early struggles

While there had been attempts to organize telephone workers since the early part of the 20th Century, led primarily by the craft union IBEW, these efforts largely collapsed by the 1930s. The CWA emerged as the mass industrial union representing most telephone workers in the wake of the formation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), founded in 1935.

The semi-insurrectionary movement of the American working class that established the CIO as a mass organization was led largely by socialist-minded workers, inspired by the Russian Revolution, whose aim was not merely the amelioration of intolerable conditions, but the abolition of the system of capitalist wage slavery itself. In the Flint sit-down strikes and other great struggles workers challenged the police, the courts and, by occupying the factories, the very institution of private property.

However, the emerging trade union bureaucracy blocked the development of the formation of an independent political party of the working class, with the newly formed CIO subordinating the industrial union movement to the Democratic Party. This bargain with the devil would produce tragic results.

The first attempt at the mass organization of telephone workers was the founding in 1938 of the National Federation of Telephone Workers (NFTW). The NFTW, however, was not a national union, merely a loose federation of locals.

During World War II telephone workers demonstrated their militancy by striking in defiance of the unions no-strike pledge. In 1944, a rebellion by telephone workers in Dayton, Ohio against abysmally low pay sparked a broader walkout by telephone workers from Chicago to Washington DC.

However, the pay of telephone workers remained below that of many industries. This led to a strike by the NFTW against phone giant AT&T in 1947. AT&T succeeded in splitting the strike, insisting on separate local agreements with regional affiliates. As a consequence, the strike collapsed, and along with it the NFTW. The fiasco led later that year to the founding of the Communications Workers of America, which, in 1948, voted to affiliate with the CIO.

The founding of the CWA coincided with the growing purge of the labor movement of the socialist and militant workers who had led the great struggles of the 1930s. This culminated in the 1955 merger of the AFL and the CIO on a common right-wing program of anti-communism, support for the capitalist profit system and full allegiance to the military and foreign policy interests of US imperialism.

Still, for the next several decades, telecommunications workers waged significant struggles and were able to make limited gains, under conditions of the post-war economic boom and the unchallenged superiority of American capitalism on the world market.

In 1955 the CWA waged a 72-day strike against Southern Bell involving 50,000 workers. The strike successfully beat back Bells attempt to break the union and won significant gains. During the strike the company leveled its often-repeated charges of sabotage against strikers and called in the FBI, and the Atlanta sheriff even swore in the president of the local CWA union and 12 other union officials as special deputies to protect the property of the phone company from what the media called strike goons.

CWA officials were forced to conduct the first national strike against the Bell system in 1969 after the spread of wildcat strikes in Chicago and other cities. The strike by 200,000 telephone workers won a 20 percent wage increase and fully paid health care.

Two years later a total of 400,000 CWA members, including 20,000 rebellious New York City workers, waged a nine-month strike against the Bell System, winning a cost of living adjustment and other improvements, including a shortened wage progression and increased vacations. 1970-1971 saw a wave of powerful strikes, including, in addition to the CWA workers, GM and US Post Office workers, dockers, Teamster truck drivers and many others.

End of the postwar boom

As the United States faced increasing pressures from powerful economic rivals in Europe and Asia, the postwar boom began to unravel. This was reflected in the 1971 decision by President Richard Nixon to remove the gold backing from the US dollar and institute wage and price controls.

The American ruling class jettisoned its policy of class compromise and soon launched an offensive aimed at clawing back the gains it had grudgingly surrendered during the previous period. The unions support of capitalism and subordination to the big business Democratic Party left workers entirely vulnerable to this counter-offensive. While tens of millions of workers lost their jobs the unions integrated themselves into the structure of corporate management. The increasingly global character of production undercut the ability of the unions to use strikes to pressure the corporations for concessions, since the telecom giants could shift many operations overseas. Thus the strategy of the unions shifted from pressuring the corporations, to pressuring workers for concessions in order to attract capital to the United States.

In the early to mid-1970s the CWA isolated a series of strikes against the General Telephone company. In 1976, GT workers in Kentucky were left stranded on the picket line for 200 days, as the CWA refused to call out its other members to support their struggle.

President Ronald Reagans firing of the air traffic controllers and the smashing of the PATCO union served as a signal for an all-out assault by US corporations on wages, benefits and working conditions.

The 1984 divestiture of the telecommunications industry was the spearhead of a major assault on communications workers. It led to the breakup of AT&T into regional Bell affiliates. It was designed both to facilitate the competition of the US telecommunications industry globally and to intensify the exploitation of US telecom workers through competition between different companies.

In the months leading up to divestiture the telecom unions called a strike against AT&T involving 700,000 workers, the largest strike in the US since 1946. It was also the last national strike the CWA would ever call. After three weeks the CWA called off the walkout in order to avoid a confrontation with the Reagan administration, accepting a sellout agreement that left workers vulnerable to mass job cuts.

Another strike against AT&T in 1986 involved a greatly diminished workforce of 155,000 and saw the IBEW ordering its members to cross CWA picket lines to keep the companys manufacturing plants open. The CWA eventually accepted a contract that it had initially denounced as outrageous, including a two-tier wage structure, sending workers back to work before the results of a ratification ballot conducted by mail.

After this series of betrayals the strike called by the CWA and IBEW against NYNEX in New York State and New England in 1989 marked a major turning point. The company recruited 57,000 managers as scabs to keep its operations going during the walkout. Meanwhile, the CWA and IBEW worked to separate the strike from hundreds of thousands of workers at AT&T, Pacific Telesis, Bell Atlantic and other companies whose contracts were also up.

On August 14, a 34-year-old NYNEX striker, Gerry Horgan, a father of two, was hit and killed by a car driven by a scab crossing the picket line in Valhalla, New York. The driver of the car, the 18-year-old daughter of a NYNEX manager, was never prosecuted.

The Bulletin newspaper, a forerunner of the World Socialist Web Site, wrote on October 6, 1989, The refusal of the authorities to bring any charges against the cold blooded killer of the young worker represents the de facto sanction of the capitalist state for the murder of strikers. It exposes with brutal clarity the class issues in the NYNEX strike and stands as an indictment of the cowardice and treachery of the CWA, IBEW and AFL-CIO who have isolated the NYNEX strikers and refused to mobilize the labor movement against the unionbusting tactics of the company and the capitalist state.

In November the CWA and IBEW accepted a contract settlement that did not contain an amnesty clause for 170 CWA strikers and 35 IBEW strikers victimized by management. It contained $125 million in wage concessions compared to the other Bell contracts and a smaller wage increase than offered at the beginning of the strike.

Corporatism

The 1980s saw the decimation of telecommunications jobs, as the consequences of divestiture worked through the system. Some 200,000 union jobs were eliminated, about a third of the total. At AT&T alone some 100,000 jobs were wiped out, about half of all unionized positions.

Opposed to any break with the Democratic Party and the independent political mobilization of the working class against the capitalist system, the CWA drew ever closer to management. It sought to shore up its income through the creation of corporatist union-management committees, collaborating in quality and team programs.

The CWA settled the 1992 NYNEX contract one year early in 1991 without a strike. In exchange for an insulting wage settlement NYNEX agreed to fund a $80 million Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association (VEBA) for retiree health care. The fund, controlled by the CWA, was created by diverting money from pensions, which supposedly had a surplus at the time. This type of scheme was later utilized by other unions, notably the United Auto Workers, as a slush fund and lucrative investment vehicle for the union bureaucracy.

This set the stage for the 1992 contract talks at AT&T. For the first time in its history the CWA and IBEW ordered their members to work past the contract expiration, despite a four to one vote in favor of strike. Instead of a strike the CWA set up what it called an electronic picket line, in reality an impotent consumer boycott. In order to divert workers energies, the CWA staged various middle class protest stunts, enlisting the services of such forces as the Reverend Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow Push Coalition and consumer advocate Ralph Nader.

A factor in the decision of the CWA to avoid a strike was the ongoing US presidential campaign. CWA President Morton Bahr was determined not to potentially embarrass the campaign of Democratic nominee Bill Clinton, the governor of the Right-to-Work state Arkansas.

The Bulletin newspaper wrote on June 4, 1992, This is the first time since the unionization of the telephone industry that the CWA and IBEW have agreed to work without a contract at AT&T. It is the culmination of collaboration by the union leadership with AT&T and the Regional Bell companies.

The Bulletin wrote, on July 10, 1992, To dignify the machinations between the union bureaucracy and AT&T with the term negotiations would be to perpetrate a fraud on the working class.

The outcome of such a betrayal was a foregone conclusion. The unions accepted a deal that allowed AT&T to cut thousands of jobs and imposed reductions in health care for new and retired workers.

Bahr defended the sellout by openly declaring the CWAs identification with management. This is a company that is still top heavy, Bahr said. When we cant bid for a job because operating costs are too high and someone underbids us, thats a problem. AT&T not only has to compete against domestic companies, without unions, but against Siemens of Germany, Fujitsu of Japan and Northern Telecom of Canada...

The nationalism of the union precluded any unification of workers around the world against the global telecom giants. Instead it meant collusion in the ever-worsening conditions of US workers.

The Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996

The 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act signed into law by the Clinton administration allowed what were formerly the regional Bell companies to enter the long distance market, and permitted the long distance companies to begin providing local telephone service. It also scrapped other regulations in the phone industry, which had provided consumers with a degree of protection in relation to quality and access to service.

The Act was the product of collaboration between Bahr and the Clinton administration and was designed to make the US telecom industry more globally competitive and expand the ability of the phone companies to enter new international markets at the expense of telecom workers and the public at large. Far from fostering competition, the result of deregulation has been the strengthening of the domination of a handful of giant monopolies over the industry, including wireless, Internet and cable services.

Meanwhile, the assault on telecom workers continued unabated. The CWA and IBEW continued to hand out concessions contracts through the 1990s and into the 2000s.

The telecom unions called a strike by 87,000 workers at newly formed Verizon in 2000, ending it after a few weeks based on a settlement that tied wage raises to increases in productivity and that did not seriously address the question of job security. The CWA and IBEW split up the strike, sending workers in New York and New England back before workers in the Mid Atlantic states. This allowed Verizon to redirect calls from strikebound areas to New York and New England, thus negating any impact of the strike. Gloating over the sellout he had engineered, Bahr declared that the deal helps sharpen Verizons competitive edge.

Bahrs retirement in 2005 and the selection of Larry Cohen as CWA president did not change the course of the union one iota. Indeed, a new low came in 2011 when the telecom unions sent 45,000 striking Verizon workers back to work after two weeks without a contract settlement. Talks continued for another 16 months, after which the CWA and IBEW agreed to deep concessions, including health care cuts. Despite a so-called no-layoff clause, the company has cut another 5,000 jobs in the meantime.

The back-to-work agreement signed by Dennis Trainor, now CWA vice president, sanctioned the firing of workers for so-called strike misconduct, including mass picketing, blocking vehicles and supposed hate speech towards strikebreakers.

The present strike by Verizon workers has once again exposed the reactionary and anti-working class character of the CWA and IBEW. After forcing workers to stay on the job for months, isolating them from the ongoing struggles of autoworkers and steelworkers, the telecom unions called a strike without any serious preparation, under conditions where management had trained a small army of management strikebreakers.

As far as the strategy of unions, it is entirely based on preserving its membership base, or dues units, as CWA bureaucrats say in private. To achieve this, they want to gain access to Verizons wireless operations and pressure the company to expand its fiber optic cable division. To secure this, the unions are prepared to impose any sacrifice on the membership.

To divide and disorient workers the unions are promoting economic nationalism, blaming workers in the Philippines, Mexico and other low-wage countries for taking jobs. The focus of their strategy is to offer up US Verizon workers as a cheap, highly productive workforce in order to improve Verizons global competitive position.

Verizon is a transnational corporation, with operations in 75 countries. An international strategy is crucial for Verizon workers to succeed, uniting with workers overseas in a common struggle in defense of jobs, wages and working conditions.

In order to give itself a left cover, the CWA endorsed Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination and even timed the calling of the strike to coincide with the New York State primary. Sanders particular role has been to divert mass opposition to the capitalist system back into the death grip of the Democratic Party, which, no less than the Republicans, is the party of Wall Street and the rest of corporate America.

The record of the telecom unions demonstrates the bankruptcy of the pro-capitalist and nationalist program on which they are based. It points imperatively to the necessity of breaking free from the grip of these rotten bureaucratic apparatuses and building new organizations of struggle with an entirely different class orientation.

The WSWS and the Socialist Equality Party call for the building of rank-and-file committees independent of the company and the unions, as well as the Democratic and Republican parties. These committees must be genuine organs of workers democracy in the factories and workplaces. They must reach out to unite telecom workers with their brothers and sisters in auto, steel, transport and public workers including teachers. They must fight to unite with their allies overseas in a common struggle against the telecom giants.

But above all the working class needs a new political strategy. The Socialist Equality Party is building a mass political movement of the working class whose aim is the replacement of capitalism with socialism. This includes the transformation of the telecom giants into public utilities under the collective ownership and democratic control of the working class. This will ensure that the vast new developments in technology are used in the interests of workers and the public throughout the world, not the private profit interests of the ruling elite.
New legislation seeks to deny social assistance and Hartz IV benefits to European immigrants who enter Germany to look for work. Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Andrea Nahles (Social Democratic Party/SPD) presented the draft legislation to the chancellors office on Thursday to be put to a vote.

The law is directed above all against immigrants from the poorer EU countries such as Bulgaria and Romania. It encourages chauvinism and racism and constitutes a massive attack on the social rights of all workers in Europe.

According to Nahles plan, people from other EU countries will be excluded on principle from services such as social assistance and basic income for those searching for work, says a press release from the ministry. Only after five years of continuous residence in Germany would they be eligible for all social assistance.

Since it is scarcely possible to survive during such a long period of time without any social safeguards, the law is really about forcing immigrants who are searching for work to leave the country.

Nahles wants to provide affected individuals with a kind of emergency assistance, for four weeks, which will cover the immediate need for food, shelter, personal hygiene, and medical treatment. Once the four weeks have ended, the only assistance provided would be a loan to pay for a return trip to the country of origin.

Nahles claimed on Thursday that the draft legislation only represented a clarification of existing rules, and that this had become necessary in order to provide disincentives. The new regulations contain no undermining of existing law.

This is a bald faced lie. The cancellation of social benefits for five years ignores a judgment of the German Federal Social Court in Kassel. In December, the court decided that benefits should be provided after a residence of only six months.

The decision was prompted by a legal dispute between the Job Centre in Berlin-Neukolln and Nazifa Alimanovic, who fled from the war in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1990 and came to Germany with her children. She later moved to Sweden, where she received Swedish citizenship. When she returned to Germany, the Job Centre in Neukolln denied her all social assistance.

The case then went all the way to the European court, which agreed in principle with the arguments of the Job Centre and ruled that job seekers who have not found work for six months will lose all claim on social assistance.

The European court referred the case back to the German social courts. The Federal Social Court in Kassel then decided that job seekers should not be left without any social assistance after six months. It explicitly referred to Article 1 of the Basic Law, according to which human dignity is inviolable, and argued that a basic social income is anchored in constitutional law.

However, Andrea Nahles brushed these constitutional law considerations aside with her argument that the affected persons could apply for social assistance in their countries of origin. According to Nahles, there is no right in the EU countries to freely choose the location of social assistance payments.

This view of the matter is no different from the demands that have been raised by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for some time. Its president, Bavarian Minister President Horst Seehofer, already said more than a year ago that Germany is not the social welfare office of the world. He said he would defend himself with the last bullet against immigration into the social system.

Nahles herself had to concede that there was currently no mass storming from citizens of EU states on social benefits in Germany. She could only refer to 43,000 people from EU countries, whose source of income is not known to the authorities. The law is therefore a preventative measure to close a loophole that is potentially available if one takes the judgment of the Federal Social Court as a basis.

A situation in which payments are imposed on municipalities instead of at the federal level must be prevented, the minister claimed. Cities and communities are responsible for social assistance. Supposedly they were threatened with additional burdens of 600 million.

The deputy managing director of the Association of German Cities and Towns, Helmut Dedy, welcomed the draft legislation, explaining that it was necessary to provide disincentives to immigrants from other European member states. Neither Dedy nor Nahles can provide concrete numbers of EU immigrants in need of assistance.

However, Nahles primary aim is not to solve a problem that does not exist. Her efforts enjoy the support of both Chancellor Angela Merkel and the employers association, and are aimed above all at restricting the freedom of movement of workers within the European Union.

Her draft legislation takes up and even goes beyond the demand of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has made denying social benefits to immigrants from other EU member states for a period of four years a condition for Great Britain remaining in the EU.

The media has praised the minister for her legislation, further encouraging chauvinism with its propaganda. The Suddeutsche Zeitung, for example, said, Europes poverty problems will not be solved by allowing the poor to chase after social assistance. It is therefore correct that Social Minister Andrea Nahles is now making it clear that social assistance cannot be provided to new immigrants without work.

The right to choose freely where one lives and works within the European Union has proven to be a chimera. It serves as a symbol for the supposed integration of Europe, but, in reality, the project of the European Union has only led to the dominance of the strongest nations and corporations, which set the tone for the entire EU. The social and national contradictions within the EU are assuming ever more drastic forms.

The per capita gross domestic product of Bulgaria is just one-fifth of the EU average of 27,400. In Germany, GDP is 37,100, almost seven times higher than in Bulgaria. The average monthly wage of a worker in Bulgaria, as Andrea Nahles herself reported, is 187, while in Denmark it is more than 4,000. But the difference between rich and poor is continuously increasing within the individual countries as well.

In order to prevent major class struggles, the ruling elite is trying to divide the European working class and to channel conflicts in a right-wing direction. The effort to turn immigrants and refugees into scapegoats for the social crisis and brand them as economic refugees who are guilty of social abuse is grist to the mill of right-wing extremist parties such as the Alternative for Germany. The Labour Ministry is thereby making itself into the standard bearer of the right wing.
Malaysias state-owned investment fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), confirmed on April 25 that it had defaulted on a $US1.75 billion bond after it missed an interest payment of $US50 million.

The latest development in the scandals surrounding the fund has further undermined the position of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who founded 1MDB in 2009 and chairs its advisory board. The default is fuelling rifts within Malaysias ruling elites, with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad earlier this month calling for foreign intervention to oust Najib.

The default followed a dispute with Abu Dhabis state-owned International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) after its officials withdrew from a $4.7 billion deal to help restructure some of the massive $12.7 billion debt the 1MDB has accumulated.

IPIC entered a deal in 2012 to provide a loan of $1 billion to 1MDB in exchange for an assets transfer and also agreed to assume interest obligations from $3.5 billion of 1MDBs debt. On April 18, the Abu Dhabi fund declared that 1MDB and the Malaysian Finance Ministry were in default on the loan.

Global financial markets reacted mildly to the default, calculating that 1MDB remained guaranteed by the Malaysian government. Moodys Investors Service said its view on 1MDB was relatively intact, while Standard & Poors said it saw no impact on Malaysias rating for now.

Nevertheless, Moodys analyst Christian de Guzman noted that the governments debt burden had grown to around $7.5 billion, or 2.5 percent of gross domestic product. Hong Kong City University political science professor Bill Case told the Malaysia Chronicle that the 1MDB scandal was so serious and the amounts so large that a default and government bailout would deal a blow to Malaysias entire financial system.

Investigations into 1MDB corruption and money laundering are underway in Switzerland, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. The Wall Street Journal on April 18 reported global investigators now estimate funds siphoned out of 1MDB to be as much as $6 billion.

Reportedly, none of the foreign government inquiries has directly implicated Najib but the Wall Street Journal has pointed out possible connections to Najib. In particular, it claims to have traced documents showing that Najibs confidante Jho Low helped transfer $681 million into Najibs personal account in 2013. This year alone, the US financial newspaper has published 49 articles on the 1MDB scandals, indicating that international financial circles are concerned by the crisis in Malaysia and are pushing for economic and political changes.

Najibs United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has ruled Malaysia continuously for more than 60 years through its stranglehold on the state apparatus and police state measures to suppress opposition.

Sections of the Malaysian ruling class now regard Najibs continued presence as a liability and a magnet for popular discontent amid a sharp slowdown in the economy. Mahathir, who was UMNO leader and prime minister for 22 years until 2003, has sought to pull together various opposition groups into a Save Malaysia campaign demanding Najibs removal.

While railing against corruption, Mahathirs real differences with Najib centre on the latters limited moves to open the economy to the global money marketssteps that threaten the protected business empires that underpin UMNO. Last year, when Najib signed up to Washingtons Trans-Pacific Partnership trade and investment bloc, Mahathir said it would turn Malaysia into an economic colony.

Having failed to oust Najib from within UMNO itself last month, Mahathir quit UMNO, saying it had become Najibs party. Mahathir, who was once Najibs mentor, has even turned to Anwar Ibrahim, his former deputy prime minister whom he jailed on trumped-up sodomy charges in 1998. Mahathir moved against Anwar for proposing to adopt open market measures. Anwar was ultimately released from prison, but was jailed again in February 2015 by Najib, using similar methods.

Anwar issued a statement from prison last month, saying he would support the position of those in civil society, political parties and individuals, including Mahathir, in the push to remove Najib.

Splits may emerge within UMNO. Also joining the campaign was Muhyiddin Yassin, who was sacked as deputy prime minister last year after he openly questioned Najib on the 1MDB scandal.

On April 10, Mahathir told the Australian newspaper he had combined forces with a grand coalition of opposition parties, including Anwars Peoples Justice Party (PKR, also known as Keadilan), because he was left with no other option.

The fact that sections of Anwars PKR and the DAP have formed the anti-Najib pact with Mahathir also reflects the oppositions weakness since its Peoples Alliance coalition broke apart last June. The Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) split from the coalition, effectively propping up Najib.

Amid this political turmoil, both the Najib and anti-Najib camps are looking for backing by the Western powers. For the past three years, Najib has been shored up by the support of the Obama administration, which endorsed UMNOs win in blatantly gerrymandered 2013 national elections. That backing was in return for Najibs tilt of foreign policy toward the US and its pivot to Asia, directed against China.

Washingtons political support has been critical in Najibs ability to shut down all national investigations into the 1MDB and use Sedition Act prosecutions91 in 2015and press censorship to suppress dissent.

After Save Malaysia rallies failed to attract widespread popular support during March, Mahathir called for foreign intervention. In his April 10 interview with the Australian he said there was little hope Najib would step down without outside pressure. Normally I dont like foreign interference in Malaysian affairs but our avenues for redress have been closed completely, he said.

The impact of the global economic slump is worsening the political instability. The Malaysian economy is still expected to grow by 4.4 percent in 2016, but that is well below the 6 percent growth in 2014. The situation is adversely affected by falling commodity prices and volatile capital flows. The countrys foreign currency reserves are 30 percent below their 2013 high. In response, Najibs government is cutting social spending further and continuing to enforce its unpopular goods and services tax.

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Fresh corruption allegations undermine Malaysian prime minister

[1 April 2016]
The following speech was delivered by Wije Dias, general secretary of the Socialist Equality Party in Sri Lanka, to the International May Day Online Rally held on May 1, 2016.

The workers and toilers of the Indian subcontinent must assume, alongside their class brethren around the world, a frontline role in the struggle against imperialist war.

Since the US seized on the never-explained events of September 11, 2001 to invade Afghanistan, South Asia and the Indian Ocean region have been drawn ever-more deeply into the maelstrom of imperialist geo-politics and global great-power struggle.

From the standpoint of the strategists of US imperialism, South Asia is the soft underbelly of Eurasiacrucial to projecting US power toward the energy-rich Middle East and Central Asia, and across the Himalayas at China.

The Pentagon war-planners view dominance of the Indian Oceanwhich a recent US-Naval War College study emphasised has replaced the North Atlantic as the central artery of world commerceas pivotal to US global hegemony. First and foremost, because it is at the heart of US plans to impose an economic blockade on China, through strategic chokepoints, in the event of war or a war-crisis. But also because the Indian Ocean is considered essential to US military operations in the Middle East and East Africa.

Washingtons drive to expand its military-strategic presence across the region is now a mighty factor in the internal political life and class dynamics of every country in South Asia, from the tiny Maldives to the rival nuclear-armed states of India and Pakistan.

The US occupation of Afghanistan is now in its fifteenth year.

Pakistans military, with Washingtons encouragement and blessing, has once again muscled aside the countrys civilian government and is waging war in the countrys tribal regions, occupying its principal city, Karachi, and now embarking on military operations in the Punjab, its most populous province.

Last year, Sri Lankas president Mahinda Rajapakse fell victim to a regime-change operation made in Washington. The US orchestrated the defection of a leading minister in Rajapakses government, Maithripala Sirisena, and his subsequent nomination as the so-called common opposition candidate for the presidency. The US had backed Rajapakse to the hilt as he waged civil war against the countrys Tamil minority. What it would not tolerate was his attempt to balance between Washington and Beijing. Within months of Rajapakses ouster, John Kerry was making the first ever visit of a US secretary of state to Sri Lanka and soon after Colombo agreed to a US-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue.

But it is India that is the linchpin of the US drive to harness South Asia to its drive for world hegemony. By virtually any measure India is a poor country, with three-quarters of the population eking out an existence on less than $2 per day. But for Washington it is a strategic prize.

The head of the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris recently declared himself moonstruck  by the opportunities a strategic partnership with India provide US imperialism. He then went on to call for joint US-Indian naval patrols in the South China Sea.

In the Indian bourgeoisie Washington has a willing accomplice. The venal Indian bourgeoisie hopes to realise its own great powers ambitions by serving as a US satrap.

The two year-old government of Narendra Modi and his Hindu-supremacist BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is transforming India into a frontline state in the US war-drive against China. It parrots Washingtons false narrative that China is the aggressor in the South China Sea; has begun to co-develop new weapon-systems with the Pentagon; and is expanding bilateral and tri-lateral ties with the USs principal allies in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan and Australia.

Last month, the BJP government announced its agreement in principle to a pact with Washington that will throw open Indias military bases and ports to US planes and ships for refuelling, resupply and recuperation.

In South Asia, as around the world, US imperialism is acting with extreme recklessness, throwing gasoline on a region that is riven by ethnic, communal and caste conflictsthe bitter legacy of colonial rule and of the bloody, communal partition of the subcontinent into a Muslim Pakistan and a Hindu India that the rival wings of the emerging national bourgeoisie implemented in 1947.

Buoyed by Washingtons support, the Modi government is aggressively asserting Indias longstanding claim to be the regional hegemon, imposing a five-month blockade on Nepal, bullying the Maldives into declaring India its most important friend, and instructing the Indian military to make Pakistan pay for alleged border violations with incommensurate losses.

Pakistan, for its part, has repeatedly warned that the USs lavishing of weaponry and weapon-systems on India has overturned the regions balance of power. With Washington blithely ignoring these warnings, Islamabad is now deploying tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons.

Among the masses of South Asia, as around the world, there is mass opposition to war, but no anti-war movement.

In Sri Lanka, the pseudo-left supported the US regime change operation, touting the lie that Sirisena, who had been a crony of Rajapakase until only weeks before the presidential election, was the candidate of democracy.

The Indian Stalinists have played the pivotal role in politically suppressing the rapidly expanding Indian working class. Over the past quarter-century, the Communist Parties and their Left Front have supported a succession of governments intent on making India a cheap-labour haven for world capital and a strategic partner of Washington.

Now the Stalinists are using the crimes of the BJPits promotion of communal reaction and the US basing agreementas the excuse for subordinating the working class even more completely to the Indian bourgeoisie and state. To argue for an even more explicit alliance with the Congress Partythat is with the Indian bourgeoisies traditional party of government and the party that over the past quarter-century has done most of the heavy-lifting in implementing pro-investor restructuring and forging an Indo-US alliance.

The entire history of South Asia over the past century demonstrates the utterly reactionary character of all such alliances with the supposed progressive or democratic faction of the bourgeoisie and the urgency of the working class adopting the program of Permanent Revolution. Imperialist oppression, chronic poverty, caste and communal discriminationnone of the burning problems facing the massescan be resolved other than through a working-class led socialist revolution.

Social opposition is growing. Last week, a leading Indian newspaper expressed alarm at the sudden eruption of mass protests by poorly-paid garment workers in Bangalore. What so shocked and troubled the commentator was that this militant protest erupted outside the existing trade union and political structures.

The crucial question is to arm the incipient rebellion of workers around the world with a program and perspective that articulates their objective interests as a global class and protagonist of a new social order, free of want and war.

On this May Day, I urge workers and youth across South Asia and around the world to join us in this great task.
Supporters of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) in France will hold a public meeting in Paris on Sunday, May 15. Speakers will address the rising danger of war in Sri Lanka and Asia, the bankruptcy of the Tamil nationalist parties, and how Tamil workers and workers in Europe can oppose war and austerity. Workers, youth, and intellectuals from the Tamil community and of all nationalities are invited to attend.

Tamil nationalist parties that long dominated political life in the Tamil diaspora in Europe are discredited. Their co-thinkers in Sri Lanka, led by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), have become shameless supporters of last years US-sponsored regime change operation that installed President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Their promises that these officials would deliver good governance and improve Tamils lives proved to be a pack of lies.

The main speaker at the meeting will be Deepal Jayasekera, Assistant Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka), the ICFIs Sri Lankan section. He has played a leading role for nearly three decades in the SEPs struggle to unify Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim workers in Sri Lanka in a socialist and internationalist opposition to the anti-Tamil racialist war waged by successive governments in Colombo.

On May 15, Jayasekera will explain how Washingtons installation of a pro-US regime in Colombo is part of its wider campaign to ally with countries across Asia to encircle China and prepare for war. Sri Lanka has been drawn into the geopolitical maelstrom of the drive to war of all the imperialist powers. Workers there face the same essential problem faced by workers across Europe, as NATO aggressively confronts Russia and launches military interventions in Ukraine and Syria.

The Sri Lankan SEPs struggle to unify the working class in Sri Lanka and the Indian subcontinent against war is an integral part of the ICFIs struggle to unify the international working class in a movement against war and for socialism. The lessons of this struggle are vital not only for Tamil workers in Europe, but for the entire European working class as it seeks to fight the onslaught of war and austerity unleashed by imperialism.

Date and Time: Sunday, May 15, 3.00 p.m.

Venue:

Auberge de Jeunesse HI Yves Robert

20, esplanade Nathalie Sarraute (en face du 43 rue Pajol)

75018 Paris

Metro: Marx Dormoy, Ligne 12

La Chapelle, Ligne 2

Riquet, Ligne 7
Speaking Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press talk show, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan categorically denied the involvement of Saudi Arabia in the September 11 terror attacks, while demanding that documents pointing to its complicity remain hidden from the American people.

Brennan was referring to 28 pages of the joint congressional inquiry report on the attacks, completed in 2002. The section on Saudi involvement has been kept secret for 14 years, despite calls from some sections of the US political establishment for their release.

The statements of Brennan, who wields enormous power as the head of the Obama administrations CIA and is personally implicated in countless crimes of the state, are intended to intimidate and threaten anyone who questions the official cover-up of the 9/11 attacks. The White House itself has also opposed legislation that would mandate the release of the documents.

Brennan sought to paint the section of the report on Saudi Arabia as inaccurate, declaring without substantiation that subsequent investigations found that there is no evidence that indicated that the Saudi government as an institution, or Saudi officials individually, had provided financial support for the 9/11 attacks.

While acknowledging that the documents point to Saudi involvement, he nevertheless claimed that the reports were uncorroborated, un-vetted, and basically just a collation of this information that came out of FBI files.

He added, I think some people may seize upon this information to conclude that Saudi Arabia was involved, which I think would be very, very inaccurate. At the same time, he argued that the documents were being kept hidden because of the sensitive methods and investigative action used in collecting them.

These self-contradictory statements reek of a cover-up, and are refuted by what is already publicly known about the extent of Saudi Arabias involvement.

The evidence of Saudi involvement includes the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals and several of them received financing from Saudi officials. Moreover, Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted of participation in the plot to hijack airplanes and fly them into the World Trade Center and other US targets, has testified in court that he worked as a courier between Osama bin Laden and the Saudi royal family, including Prince Salman, who is today the King of Saudi Arabia.

Moussaoui also asserted that high-level Saudi officials and members of the Saudi royal family, including Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the long-time Saudi ambassador to Washington, directly financed Al Qaeda.

Former Democratic Senator Robert Graham, co-chair of the Joint Congressional inquiry into the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said earlier this year that there is a pervasive pattern of covering up the role of Saudi Arabia in 9/11, by all of the agencies of the federal government, which have access to information that might illuminate Saudi Arabias role in 9/11.

At issue is not only the role of Saudi Arabia, but of sections of the US state. Brennans statements are clearly dictated by fears that exposure of Saudi Arabias relationship with the hijackers would shed light on the involvement of US intelligence agencies themselves in the events of 9/11. After all, the CIA has had long-standing and close ties with its counterparts in Saudi Arabia. The 9/11 hijackers, despite being under surveillance, were able to freely travel in and out of the country and attend flight schools, despite repeated warnings from other countries and from individuals within US intelligence.

We have a very strong relationship with Saudi Arabia, including intelligence, Brennan said in his interview, adding, I have very close relations with my Saudi counterparts. In addition to being the largest customer of the US military-industrial complex, having purchased over $100 billion in weapons from the US, Saudi Arabia has been the nexus for every clandestine and criminal alliance between the United States and Islamist forces for nearly four decades.

Under the CIAs Operation Cyclone, conducted between 1979 and 1989, the United States and Saudi Arabia provided $40 billion worth of financial aid and weapons to the mujahedeen freedom fighters waging war against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, an operation in which then-US ally Osama bin Laden played a key role. The proxy war in Afghanistan was pivotal in the later creation of Al Qaeda.

More recently, Saudi Arabia has been a key player, along with Turkey and Qatar, in funneling US money and weapons to Islamic fundamentalist groups in Syria beginning in 2011 as part of the civil war targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The entire narrative of the war on terror, rests on the claim that the September 11 attacks were masterminded by a single man, Osama bin Laden, and the policy of the stateunder first Bush and then Obamahas been guided by the overriding aim of preventing another attack.

The truth about what happened on September 11 cannot be told because it would expose as a lie the official account of an event that has been used as the catch-all pretext by the American ruling class at home and abroad. On the basis of the events of that dayand subsequent attacks that have followed a similar patternthe US and other imperialist countries have waged a series of wars that have killed millions, while erecting the framework of a police state.

Fifteen years after the beginning of the war on terror, the American people still do not know the truth about what actually happened on 9/11. The tragic event, which directly cost the lives of nearly 3,000 people, remains shrouded in secrets and lies.
On Sunday, anarchist protesters marched in Seattle in a self-described May Day anti-capitalist protest. News reports indicate that the protesters, dressed in black, threw rocks and bricks, among other things. Nine arrests were reported.

The protesters began amassing in Westlake Park after 5:00 pm. The protest was planned in advance, giving the Seattle police ample time to organize their forces. As the Chicago Tribune reported, there was a massive deployment of police officers in riot gear on foot, on bicycles, on horseback and in vehicles to control the crowd of dozens of masked protesters

As the protesters marched, Roman candles and other fireworks were lit. A Starbucks window was shattered and a Seattle Department of Transportation vehicle was sprayed with black spray paint. Upon moving to Fifth Avenue and Pine Street, protesters began throwing rocks and other objects where, the Chicago Tribune notes, police liberally doused parts of the crowd with pepper-spray. Moreover, police tossed blast balls at the protestors, which generate a loud noise and bright light while emitting pepper spray.

From Fifth and Pine, protesters moved to the Belltown neighborhood, where they were flanked by heavily armed officers. At roughly 7:00 pm a majority of the demonstrators headed back downtown, where a number of clashes with the police ensued. According to reports, more rocks and bricks were thrown at the police, while others shot flares. The Seattle police reported an officer was hurt in the clash, at which point police issued a dispersal order for the area, arresting anyone who resisted.

Flanked at all times by the police, the protesters moved to the Sodo industrial area, where they would make their final confrontation in a Costco parking lot. There, they reportedly began overturning pallets until they were encircled by the police. By 8:45 pm only a small group remained in the parking lot. At that point, police began allowing protesters to slowly disperse, after a small number were arrested.

Such anarchist protests are the expression of disillusioned middle class layers who do not represent the interests of working class. They rely instead on political adventurism, i.e., the planning of one day protests accompanied by rock throwing and scuffles with the police. The backward character of such protests feed into the reactionary character of the state, which uses them to legitimize the use of force. Moreover, the anarchist organizations are often infiltrated with police officers.

Multiple mainstream media outlets have denounced the protest, making sure to use the words anti-capitalist and violence together in their articles. Moreover, major news outlets contradict one another, with some suggesting Molotov cocktails were thrown, while others say they were not lit.

NBC News described the outcome of the days events as follows: One officer was struck by a rock, one was hit by a Molotov and a third was bitten, the Seattle Police Department said. The nature of the injuries to the other two officers was not immediately known. This sentence was preceded by, The anti-capitalist disorder followed a peaceful march earlier in the day by advocates for workers and immigrantsone of several nationwide events Sunday calling for better wages for workers and work permits for undocumented migrants.

The big business press rushes to use such events to promote confusion among workers and youth, where a genuine anti-capitalist sentiment is brewing. To put it more precisely, the media, acting as the mouthpiece of the capitalist ruling class, fears that such sentiments may find expression in a genuine political and socialist form.
Following a temporary hiatus, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has begun a new round of mass water shutoffs. Beginning today, thousands of Detroit, Michigan residents will lose access to one of most basic rights of life, the ability to have clean water.

Shutoffs were set to begin May 1, then subsequently pushed back to May 3 so that residents, already living in dire economic conditions, could set up a payment plan by 6:00 pm Monday. The phone lines of the DWSD were jammed as desperate workers borrowed and begged for money to pay the exorbitant bills charged by the City of Detroit.

Beginning April 24, notices were sent and placards placed on the doors of some 23,000 residents behind on their water bills. The newest round of shutoffs comes after 23,300 were shut off in 2015 and 30,000 lost service in 2014, amounting to 25 percent of the total of households in the city of Detroit. The mass shutoffs are to continue despite public outcry and UN officials declaring them to be contrary to human rights.

Earlier this year, it came out that $41 million is owed by businesses and government-owned properties compared to $26 million by homeowners. Attempting to contain public anger, DWSD Director Gary Brown announced on April 26 that a last-minute Water Assistance Fair would take place on Saturday, April 30.

About 1,000 Detroiters lined up outside the DWSD Eastside customer service center on Saturday in a desperate attempt to maintain service. The line went down the block, wrapping around the parking lot and into the back alley.

Two payment plans were available to those facing shutoffs, depending on household income level. For those at or below 150 percent of the poverty level, the Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP) offers up to $1,000 in assistance per household per year, $25 in monthly payments toward current bills and up to $700 toward arrears to be paid in two lump sums at 6 and 12 months. If two payments are missed, service will be shut off.

Those making over 150 percent of the poverty level must sign up for the DWSDs 10/30/50 plan to maintain service. The plan mandates that they pay at least 10 percent of their overdue amount up-front. The remainder must be paid in monthly installments over a 12- to 24-month period while paying the current bill as well. If a payment is missed, they will then be obligated to pay 30 percent of the arrears up-front to reenter the payment plan. If another payment is missed, they will be forced to pay 50 percent of the amount past due to prevent a shutoff.

Its a ridiculous joke, said Cassandra, who was still waiting in line at the Water Assistance Fair after 2 hours. This is not a plan to help the people. Its a plan to bankrupt the people.

The water rate is steadily going up, she added. They are trying to push us out of the city so the big-timers can come in.

Sabrina added, You have to still pay your current bill and pay on your arrears. Then if you miss a payment you are cut off. If you own your home, they put a lien on your house and put it on your taxes.

They have the same concept as Donald Trump. They want to build up barriers. You got the top people getting bonuses. How, when we get a pay cut?

DWSD said at the announcement of the Water Assistance Fair that around 30,000 customers are now on payment plans, while another 23,000 had already defaulted due to inability to pay. Nearly all of those facing shutoffs this week had previously been on payment plans but were unable to keep up. Moreover, the new payment plans were only promoted publicly in the local media a few days before shutoffs were to resume, leaving residents scrambling to prevent a lapse in service.

Residents are forced to jump through hoops by documentation of residency and income and either a deed for owners or a rental agreement outlining the renters responsibility to pay the water bill. The majority of renters do not have written rental agreements, and few of those that do have details of the water payment explicitly written out.

Before starting a payment plan, residents must pay $150 to get the bill tied to their name and social security number as opposed to the bill being tied to the residential address as had been done in the past.

WSWS reporters also spoke with Felicia and Marcus, both tier-one or traditional workers at Chryslers Warren Truck plant.

We have decent jobs and work every day and still have difficulty affording the water bill, Marcus said. Detroits bills are among the highest in the country and now they bill you every single month. The bill includes all types of surcharges because working people are being squeezed in every direction.

Felicia added, The recent contract struggle at Chrysler was not just about workers being greedy or something; it was about fighting for equal pay for equal work. Why should the person I work with on the assembly line be making half the pay that I do when we are doing the same thing?

Marcus agreed, asking, Why shouldnt every worker who is there get a pension once they retire? Instead of pensions they now have a 401(k), and health care is being cut.

As the situation of Felicia and Marcus makes clear, the struggle to keep up with the basic needs of life affects all sections of workers. DWSD Director Brown, however, has sought to pit the 108,000 households that are caught up on payments against those that are unable to pay, stating, If everyone paid their water bills, those customers could save $120 each year.

The situation is particularly difficult for the elderly and disabled. One woman told the WSWS, Water is ridiculous! Especially for seniors. Im on a fixed income. My husband died and its just me by myself. I have medication and sometimes I have to decide what comes first, the medication or the water.

The mass shutoffs began in 2014 as part of the Detroit bankruptcy proceedings. Under the direction of Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Kevyn Orr, city officials moved to collect unpaid bills as a means of making the DWSD more attractive to investors for possible privatization. This privatization plan was later scrapped as city control of the DWSD was leased to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), a regional body of the tri-county metro Detroit area.

Immediately prior to the first mass shutoffs in 2014, the city of Flint had shifted from DWSD treated water to Flint River water, leading to devastating poisoning of an entire city and the deaths of at least 12 people.

The two former industrial powerhouses of Detroit and Flint sit in the heart of the Great Lakes, which hold 21 percent of the fresh water on the planet. Yet, the working class of these cities has been squeezed dry.
Bernie Sanders is shifting into the next phase of his mission on behalf of the American ruling elite, seeking to corral the millions of youth and workers who responded to his campaign and direct them behind the war criminal and Wall Street stooge Hillary Clinton. In parallel, the various pseudo-left organizations that have promoted Sanders are seeking to adjust their tactics to better perform their assigned task of blocking the development of a genuinely socialist movement of the working class.

Socialist Alternative has been the most unrestrained of all these groups in integrating itself into Sanders campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Now, with Sanders effective concession to Clinton, it is desperately seeking to revive illusions in his bogus political revolution. The organization and its chief spokeswoman, Seattle City Councilor Kshama Sawant, have launched a petition drive asking the Vermont senator to run either as an independent or on the Green Party ticket alongside Green presidential candidate Jill Stein, and to found and lead a new left party, which they describe as a fighting, working-class political alternative.

Socialist Alternatives position involves a mass of howling contradictions and outright lies. There are two basic fictions. First, that Sanders, who has allied himself with the Democrats for his entire 26 years in the US Congress and sought to become the partys presidential candidate, is somehow a genuine independent whose socialist pretensions should be taken for good coin. Second, that his campaign, in the words of a statement by Sawant published April 27 on the groups web site, actually represents the workers who have donated to it, and that a party he founded and led would be a party for the millions, not the millionaires.

From the onset of its virtual dissolution into the Sanders campaign, Socialist Alternative has sought to obscure or deny certain basic facts: that Sanders pledged at the outset of his campaign that he would support the eventual Democratic candidate; that he has explicitly defended capitalist private ownership of the banks and corporations; and that he has repeatedly praised and held up as a model the Obama administration, which has overseen a record growth of social inequality.

Now that Sanders has essentially conceded the nomination to Clinton, Socialist Alternative is promoting another fiction: that independent working class-politics is simply a matter of an organizational break with the Democratic Party. There are all sorts of parties that are nominally independent of the Democratic Party and are nevertheless bourgeois parties that defend American capitalism and US imperialismthe Green Party being one of them.

Real working-class political independence is a question of program, history and the class interests objectively represented by the organization. To claim that a politician such as Sanders, who has for decades loyally supported one of the two main parties of Wall Street and the Pentagon, and proven his utility in diverting social discontent into harmless channels, can become the leader of a genuine workers party is to engage in the political equivalent of alchemy. Those who promote such ideas are liars and con artists, not socialists.

It is worthwhile examining in greater detail what Socialist Alternative actually writes. The April 27 statement by Sawant begins with gross a distortion of reality. She states: Despite all the obstacles thrown in the path of Bernie Sanders by the corrupted American electoral system, his campaign has made an enormous impact.

What obstacles? It would be more accurate to say Sanders has been accorded the red carpet treatment. He has had widespread media access, has been invited to participate in numerous nationally televised debates, and has been the target of notably little redbaiting, from either party. Genuine socialist candidates, who oppose the capitalist system, its two major parties and American imperialism, are confronted with impossible hurdles, legal and otherwise, merely to obtain ballot status. They are all but blacked out by the media and regularly excluded from election debates.

Socialist Alternative, however, wants to portray Sanders as an insurgent outsider battling the system in order to mask its own de facto support for the Democratic Party.

That Sawant and her organization, for all their talk of independent left and even socialist politics, back the Democrats emerges clearly from the manner in which she promotes Sanders. She denounces the Democratic establishment not on any principled socialist basis, but for making it more difficult to defeat the Republicans in the general election. She writes: Rather than support the candidate who is best positioned to stop Trump and the Republicans, namely Sanders, they are backing Clinton.

For all its criticism of Clinton, Socialist Alternative is already lined up behind the anyone but Trump mantra that will be a major aspect of her right-wing campaign. Its web site prominently features a graphic with the slogan, Stop Trump.

If there is any doubt about this, consider the following passage: If electing a Republican is really Bernies main concern, there is no reason he could not at least run in the 40 + states where its absolutely clear the Democratic or Republican candidate will win, while not putting his name on the 5-10 closely contested swing states.

Here Sawant puts into Sanders mouth the position of her own organization: that a so-called independent left Sanders campaign should run only in those states where it will not jeopardize a victory for Clinton and the Democrats.

Sawant goes on to argue that without an independent Sanders campaign, Trump will capture the antiestablishment anger that has erupted onto the surface of the 2016 election campaign. While Trump might not win the election, she writes, support for hard-right populist politics will grow if there is no fighting left alternative offered.

In fact, as history has demonstrated again and again, the surest guarantee of the growth of right-wing parties and movements is the subordination of the working class to bourgeois left politicians and parties. This historical law has been demonstrated most graphically in the recent period in the bitter experience of the Greek working class with the supposedly left Syrzia party. Throughout Europe, right-wing and neo-fascist parties are gaining strength due to the militarist and socially reactionary policies of the official left, supported by its pseudo-left satellites.

A second article, posted on April 28 and titled Time for Bernie to Launch a New Party for the 99%, is, if anything, even more grotesque in its opportunism. It completely identifies Socialist Alternative with Sanders, warning that if the Vermont senator remains loyal to the Democratic Party and backs Clinton in the general election, it would mean the demoralization and disorganization of our movement. [Emphasis added].

In other words, the future of Socialist Alternatives working-class movement depends entirely on the decision of a politician who explicitly defends capitalist property and has functioned for decades as a loyal appendage of the Democratic Party.

The article goes on to urge Sanders to call a mass conference of his supporters to democratically debate whether to endorse Clinton or continue as an independent. It praises a petition titled A Love Letter to Bernie that calls on Bernie to turn his two-million-strong donor base into a democratic membership organization that runs democratic socialist candidates at all levels of government.

The article explicitly backs Sanders reactionary promotion of economic nationalism and trade war policies, hailing his demand to stop job-killing free trade agreements. This nationalist component to Socialist Alternatives politics is by no means incidental. It is, on the contrary, central to its enthusiastic support for a capitalist politician and, more basically, capitalist politics.

There is, in the course of these two articles, no mention of a single political development beyond the borders of the United States. Nor is there any mention of Sanders foreign policy. This in an election over which looms the explosive growth of militarism and the mounting danger of a third world war.

In its silence on this question of questions, Socialist Alternative is complicit with both capitalist parties and the corporate-controlled media, which have systematically excluded from the campaign the advanced plans for a far-reaching escalation of the wars in the Middle East and stepped-up aggression against nuclear-armed Russia and China, to be implemented after the November vote, regardless which party emerges victorious.

Sanders economic nationalism is part of the growth of militarism and is consistent with his pro-imperialist and pro-war foreign policy. Sanders does not like to speak on foreign policy, but just in the past two weeks, when pressed by an interviewer, he acknowledged that he supports President Obamas kill list and drone assassination program and the administrations six-fold increase in US troops in Syria.

In January, somewhat embarrassed by Sanders remarks in support of Obamas war policy, Socialist Alternative published a damage-control article titled Sanders Foreign Policy Falls Short: Socialism Means Internationalism. But in seeking, entirely hypocritically, to distance itself from Sanders support for US imperialism, the article revealed the real position of the organization when it declared that Sanders defense of American aggression does not negate the enormously progressive aspects of his campaign

As though it is possible for someone to oppose the billionaire class at home while supporting its crimes and depredations abroad! Genuine socialists insist that the interests of workers in any country are identical to those of workers in every other country, and that no national contingent of the working class can defend its rights except in a common struggle with workers internationally against their common class enemy.

There is no iron wall between the foreign and domestic policy of the capitalist class. War abroad, conducted to secure for the corporate oligarchy access to resources, markets and cheap labor, is always accompanied by repression and social reaction at home. Sanders support for US imperialism overseas exposes as fraudulent his supposed opposition to Wall Street and support for workers within the US.

And Socialist Alternatives alliance with Sanders and the Democrats, notwithstanding its radical and even socialist phrases, exposes it as a pro-capitalist and pro-war organization of the privileged middle class, hostile to the interests of working people.
More than 1,500 Detroit teachers called in sick on Monday, forcing the district to cancel classes at 94 of its 97 schools. The action followed the provocative announcement by Detroit Public Schools (DPS) Emergency Manager Steven Rhodes that the district did not have the money to pay teachers over the summer months.

Rhodes had previously assured teachers that the state's $47.8 million emergency appropriation, enacted in March, would be sufficient to complete payrolls over the summer for those teachers electing to spread their salary throughout the calendar year. Approximately two-thirds of DFT members do so, and face losing thousands of dollars. They have calculated that, without paychecks after June 30, they are already working for free. In addition, Rhodes claimed that there would be no funds available for summer school.

There are over 45,000 students in the DPS, which has shrunk in size drastically while under emergency management since 2009, due to mass school closings and the diversion of public resources to privately-run charter operations. There are some 2,600 teachers in the system.

The eruption of the protest coincides with the resumption by the City of Detroit of the mass disconnection of service for overdue water bills. The shutoffs could affect up to 23,000 households that the city says are behind in their payments.

It also follows the announcement that nearly one-third of tested DPS schools are contaminated with either lead or copper in their drinking water. The results have prompted calls for all DPS students to be tested for lead poisoning, as in nearby Flint.

Monday morning hundreds of angry teachers protested in front of DPS headquarters in midtown Detroit. Some carried signs reading no pay, no work and We fight for Detroit Kids.

Tracy, a teacher at McKenzie Elementary/Middle School said, The latest blow is unbelievable. Our money is literally being stolen. Now they are saying we cant get our money, so effectively as of April 28 we are working for free.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers sanctioned the latest sickout in an evident attempt to maintain control of a potential rebellion. It follows a series of protests by Detroit teachers in January of this year, which erupted independently of the union, over abysmal conditions in the schools and years of pay and benefits cuts.

With large numbers of teachers opposing any return to work on Tuesday, while the DFT is supposed to be organizing a strike vote, interim DFT president Ivy Bailey sent a message to teachers late Monday afternoon saying, We are still locked out. We do not work for free and therefore we do not expect you to report to school tomorrow.

The latest job action follows the appearance of a baiting editorial in the Detroit News over the weekend, headlined, Its time to dump Detroit Public Schools, that called for essentially scrapping public education and the introduction of a voucher system.

Detroit teachers are in the forefront of the fight to defend public education. It is unprecedented for families in a major US city to be told their schools can be shut down through the actions of the state and their children deprived of education.

The current crisis in Detroit is the product of decades of attacks on public education, overseen by Democrats as well as Republicans, and it is being manipulated to impose an agenda long in preparation. The DPS is being used as a testing ground for the Obama administrations right wing policies, including the virtually unrestricted expansion of for-profit charter schools. In 2009, Obamas former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan declared that Detroit was ground zero for so-called school reform in the nation.

Currently Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature are debating a restructuring plan for the Detroit schools. The DPS is burdened by a crushing debt, largely a product of federal and state funding cutbacks and collapsing enrollment due to the spread of charter schools. All factions agree that major attacks must be imposed on teachers. Competing bills call instead for DPS to be dissolved as an education entity, with the creation of a new school system called the Detroit Community Schools. The DFT is supporting the funding proposal backed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Democrats, as the supposedly lesser evil.

However, both plans are meant to facilitate the dismantling of public education and allow private interests free rein over public funds allocated for the schools.

Teachers are by and large hostile to both proposals. A protest called by the DFT in the state capital of Lansing last week to support Snyders funding bill drew barely 200 teachers. Teachers contacted by the WSWS expressed anger that union officials at Mondays protest outside DPS offices tried to silence any chants criticizing Snyders restructuring plan. A popular chant was Old Co., New Co., we say Hell No, referring to the proposed creation of a new district in place of DPS.

When we were chanting that AFT organizers came around and told us to stop, said one teacher active in organizing the sickouts earlier this year.

A DPS teacher with 16 years in the Detroit schools told this reporter, It is similar to the Enron scam. I dont have enough fingers to point at all who are to blame. Children are our future. You are supposed to take care of the people who take care of children.

Steven Rhodes is the latest in a series of state-appointed emergency managers wielding dictatorial authority over DPS. Prior to his current post Rhodes was the federal judge overseeing the Detroit bankruptcy. In that position he carried out a ruling overturning the states constitutional protection of public worker pensions, which were then slashed as part of a debt restructuring deal. He has also been hired to do the bidding of the hedge funds which are demanding brutal austerity cuts in Puerto Rico.

In the face of the walkout Rhodes issued a hypocritical statement declaring, It is unfortunate that the DFT has chosen to make a statement in this way. I am on record saying that I cannot ask anyone in good conscience to work without pay. I am however confident the legislature will support the request that will guarantee that teachers will receive the pay that is owed to them. The DFTs choice for a drastic call to action was not necessary.

A factor in the DFT decision to sanction Mondays sickout is likely the upcoming June 30 contract expiration. Under provisions of Michigans new Right-to-Work law, after that date teachers can no longer be compelled to pay dues to the DFT as a condition of employment. DFT officials rightly fear a mass exodus from the union if teachers are no longer compelled to pay dues to support the union apparatus.

Concern over this, and more importantly the potential that a rebellion by teachers could provoke a far broader mobilization of the working class against the Obama administration, has led AFT President Randi Weingarten to basically take up temporary residence in Detroit. Weingarten, whose salary is $543,000, has collaborated with such enemies of public education as billionaire Bill Gates, and is a fervent supporter of Hillary Clinton, who championed the right-wing campaign for school choice, i.e., opening public education to the private market.

The teachers action on Monday won the support of many students. Alex, a student at Cass Tech High School in Detroit, told the WSWS, We think this is good. We arent getting a fair education. We have leaks in the roof. We need books and supplies. We see the conditions in our schools, then we see that teachers arent even getting paid. We need to find out where the money is going.

During the rally outside of the school headquarters, Socialist Equality Party presidential candidate Jerry White and vice presidential candidate Niles Niemuth addressed sections of the protest with a bullhorn. They explained that the DFT and AFT were conspiring with Governor Snyder and Rhodes to destroy public education. The socialist candidates denounced the claims that there was no money for teacher salaries, public education or water, when trillions were spent on bank bailouts and war.

Urging teachers to take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of the DFT through the building of rank-and-file committees, they called for a unified struggle by all sections of the working classDetroit city workers, autoworkers, families facing water shutoffs, parents and studentsagainst the capitalist system and both big business parties.
Secret files documenting that the former Solidarity leader, Nobel peace prize winner and president of Poland Lech Waesa was a Stalinist informer, were released to the public by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), an investigative research institute established in 1998 to document Nazi and Stalinist crimes against the Polish nation.

The right-wing IPN serves as a political arm of the government to document activities of the former authorities of the Polish Peoples Republic (PRL: 1945-1989) and propagate the nationalistic narrative of the ruling capitalist regime.

Waesas dossier consists of a personal file including 183 pages of documents and a file on a secret collaborator code-named Bolek, with 576 pages of records. The first docket, released to the public on February 22, 2016, consists of a handwritten commitment to cooperate with the security service (SB) signed: Lech Waesa, Bolek, as well as confirmations of receipt of money. The second batch of documents, released on February 24, 2016, includes numerous reports by Bolek and notes of secret service functionaries meetings with him.

The documents cover a period from 1970 to 1976, and an expert-archivist has certified their authenticity. They cover the situation at the Gdansk Lenin shipyard, covering preparations for strikes, lockouts and demonstrations, their organizers and those leafleting the plant are named. They served as the basis for repression against several dozen individuals.

Waesa was recruited to cooperate with the intelligence services while under arrest during the shipyard workers rebellion in Gdansk in December 1970. His handwritten undertaking to cooperate with the secret service dated December 21, 1970, reads:

I, undersigned, Waesa Lech, son of Bolesaw and Feliksa, born in Popowo, dist. Lipno in 1943, undertake to keep in strict confidence contents of the talks held between myself and the secret service officers. At the same time, I undertake to cooperate with the secret service in detecting and combating enemies of the PRL. The information I will pass on will be in writing, and it will be truthful. The fact of cooperating with the secret service I undertake to keep strictly confidential and to not disclose even to my family. The information provided will be signed with the pseudonym Bolek.

The first receipt of money for the amount of 1 000 z bears a date of January 5, 1971. Waesa was to receive a total of 13 100 z for his services. According to one of the notes, he was eager to take money. Collaboration ended because Bolek thought he had not been properly rewarded for his services in denouncing coworkers.

Allegations in regard to Waesas collaboration with the Stalinist secret service are not new. Already in the late 1970s, several Solidarity members, including Anna Walentynowicz and Andrzej Gwiazda, claimed that Waesa was a spy implanted by the regime to derail the workers movement against the Stalinist bureaucracy. Their allegations were denounced as conspiracy theories by mainstream media and most politicians.

In 1992, Waesas name appeared on the Macierewicz list of former Solidarity activist, now Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, that revealed the identity of then-government members and parliament delegates listed as collaborators with the secret service. The so-called lustration law proposed at the time to purge the government apparatus of ex-Stalinists was repealed by the Constitutional Tribunal in June 1992.

In 2000, Waesa was cleared of suspicion by the Appellate Lustration Court in Warsaw. The Court ruled in his favor because all documents that served as evidence of Waesas role as an informer were Xeroxes and their authentication was deemed impossible. During Waesas presidency in 1990-1995, original documents from the Bolek files were repeatedly stolen by top officials from his office, the interior ministry office (MSW), and the Office for State Protection (UOP).

A book by two historians, Piotr Gontarczyk and Sawomir Cenckiewicz, SB and Lech Waesa published in 2008, sparked a ferocious national debate. Several copies of the documents from the secret Bolek files were published, together with the transcript of Waesas conversation with two army colonels during his martial law internment. These exposed Waesas role as an agent who helped clean Solidarity of several leading members.

The files that recently came to light contain the authenticated originals from the official secret service archives very few knew still existed. The files were illegally hidden at the late General Czesaw Kiszczaks house and offered to the IPN for money by his widow. According to Maria Kiszczak, her husband had hidden the documents to protect Waesas status as a national hero.

The documents, seized on February 16 by the police and the IPN officials, were supposed to be published 5 years after Waesas death.

General Kiszczak was a high-ranking officer in the secret service and the interior ministry from the 1960s until 1990. Together with General Wojciech Jaruzelski, he was responsible for imposing martial law in December 1981, which crushed the Solidarity movement. He issued orders for the pacification of the Wujek coal miners strike in 1981 that killed 9 miners. He was also involved in the Round Table talks in 1989 that led to the restoration of capitalism in Poland. Kiszczak died in Warsaw on November 5, 2015.

The IPN also released video footage from the Magdalenka talks held prior to the Round Table agreement, showing Solidarity leadersincluding Adam Michnik, Bronisaw Geremek and Lech Waesadrinking heavily and fraternizing with the Stalinist brass.

Waesa has denied all the allegations, asserting that the documents were forged. For years he affirmed that the code name Bolek referred to the SB case against him. Although admitting to signing some papers out of fear of persecution in 1970, he claimed it was an insignificant episode aiming at fooling the system. This version of events was presented in Andrzej Wajdas latest movie Waesa. Man of Hope (2013). Through historical falsification, the film attempted to defend Waesas reputation as a working class hero from mounting critiques of his legacy.

The documents released by the IPN are only a small part of the records exposing the decades-long legacy of Stalinist provocations and covert operations against the workers movement in post-war Poland and internationally. Full details concerning the exact length and nature of the secret dealings Waesa entered into with the Stalinist and imperialist intelligence services are still hidden from the public for political reasons. However, even this small fraction of documents uncovered by the IPN helps to understand how it was possible for a mass workers movement that emerged in the Polish shipyards and factories in the 1970s and 1980s to be derailed and ultimately defeated.

According to a 1981 interior ministry report, the Stalinist secret service placed over 1,800 agents in Solidaritys ranks. Thirteen agents were members of the National Conciliation Committee, the unions leading body. Just in Gdansk, the birthplace of Solidarity, there were 1,556 secret agents active in its ranks in 1981, and their number was growing. (G. Majchrzak The beginnings of the safeguarding of Solidarity by the Secret Service [September 1980-April 1981]) Waesas role as a Stalinist agent did not end in 1976. It is still unclear how he entered the Lenin shipyard premises without a pass during the August 1980 strike (according to several witnesses he was brought in by the SB). His election as head of Solidarity in September 1981 was a key SB priority. Waesa is needed  he has already become an institution and a screen behind which we can manipulate Solidarity, declared Stanisaw Kania, the first secretary of the Stalinist United Peoples Party in September 1980.

The aims of the group around Waesa included preventing strike actions by regional committees; campaiging against popular Solidarity members opposed to Waesa, such as Gwiazda, Jurczyk, Rulewski or Walentynowicz; preventing extreme factions from influencing workers; and limiting union activity to non-political and reformist demands, as well as provoking petty regional, organizational and personal differences (including slander) to destroy Solidaritys unity. (Sawomir Cenckiwicz, In the Eyes of Bezpieka, omianki 2014, p. 436-447)

Despite Waesas secret negotiations with the Stalinists, which resulted in the calling off the March 1981 general strike, Bolek was able to win the elections with 55.2 percent of the vote. This victory was possible only due to the support of Lechs fellow agents as well as activists like Jacek Kuron, one of the founders of the Workers Defense Committee (KOR) and a leading Pabloite within the Solidarity movement. Although aware of Waesas prior connections with SB (I have known about it forever, Kuron wrote in Cool! or Squaring the Circle, 1992, p. 246), he supported Waesas candidacy in exchange for a guarantee of holding a position of high authority within the union. (IPN 0236/243)

After the defeat of Solidarity through the imposition of the martial law on December 13, 1981, Waesa was properly rewarded, living like a king in a golden cage of several government villas where waiters in tuxedoes served him exquisite dinners, French wines, and cognacs. (Karol Modzelewski, Lets Ruin the Jade of the Past, Warszawa 2013, testimonies of the Government Protection Bureau (BOR) security officers). During his talks with the army colonels Bolesaw Klis and Hipolit Starszak on November 14, 1982, he bragged of his record of suppressing the opposition within Solidarity and getting rid off activists the authorities might not have liked. (Piotr Gontarczyk and Sawomir Cenckiewicz, SB and Lech Waesa, IPN Warszawa, 2008)

For former Waesa advisers like Kuron or Michnik, Waesas foul collaboration with the secret service was apparently no big deal. The entire liberal opposition to the PiS government around the Civic Platform (PO), Nowoczesna (Modern), the Committee for the Defense of Democracy (KOD) vehemently defended Waesa when the files became public. After all, he only anticipated their own collaboration with the Stalinists in implementing capitalist restoration.

The head of PiS and former Waesa adviser, Jarosaw Kaczynski, used the files against Waesa strictly in the framework of PiS recent political maneuvers aiming at further decommunization of the state apparatus to save good capitalism from bad, Stalinist influenced capitalism.

Earlier however, together with his late brother Lech, he had no problems grooming Waesa for the post of president in 1990, fighting all allegations against him (Kaczynski, in a verbal act of retribution, reportedly used his knowledge about Waesas past to threaten Waesa with the prosecutor already in November 1991, when he realized he would not be appointed prime minister in the newly-formed government. [J. Kuron, Ib .]). For all these political opportunists, cooperation with the highly-placed Stalinist agent guaranteed their own futures.

The vast majority of the petty bourgeois and academic advisers of the Solidarity trade union aspired to integrate Poland into the world and European capitalist economy and supported shock therapy, austerity measures and Polands accession to NATO and the EU. This, and not the defense of the working class, was the content of their call for freedom and democracy.

Notwithstanding the imposition of martial law in 1981 and the imprisonment of many Solidarity leaders, this was also the perspective of the ruling Stalinist bureaucracy. Amid mounting economic crisis and the disintegration of the Stalinist regimes in the Soviet Union and all over Eastern Europe, they saw the restoration of capitalism and their own transformation into capitalist owners as the only chance to preserve their privileged positions.

This was the basis for the Round Table talks and the peaceful transition of power to members of Solidarity, culminating in the election of Lech Waesa as president in 1990.

During the 1990s, under rapidly changing governments, the heirs of Solidarity and former Stalinists cashed in on the new capitalist economy, privatizing and destroying most of the very factories from which Solidarity had emerged. The restoration of capitalism in Poland provided these layers with access to privileged positions and high-paying jobs in international corporations, state institutions and academia.

Twenty-six years after capitalist restoration, only a small bourgeois layer and sections of the upper middle class have profited from the integration into the European Union and privatization. Poverty is widespread, and wages are abysmally low.

Crimes connected with the Stalinist takeover of the Solidaritys leadership, conspiracies of the imperialist secret service (CIA, BND), as well as the filthy role of the Catholic Church and the Pabloites around the Mandel group need to be further examined in more detail to provide the truthful historical account of the events leading to the defeat of the biggest workers movements in post-war Europe. Necessary lessons of these betrayals need to be drawn by the Polish and international working class. Such betrayals are only possible when spontaneous workers actions lack the necessary leadership armed with the revolutionary perspective and the international program of the socialist Trotskyist party.

For further information about the Solidarity movement, please see Solidarity in Poland 1980-1981, by Wolfgang Weber.
6 years, 5 months ago by Jim Dewey

Picked up Wednesday in Keokuk

Clark County authorities say a fourth man who eluded them Monday night after a drug buy near Alexandria has been caught.

Trenton Kindhart was picked up by Keokuk police Wednesday. Clark County officials suspected he had made his way back there after eluding them Monday night. Police say that an anonymous tip led them to a house on the city's south side, where Kindhart was found asleep on a couch around 10:30 AM. Kindhart was arrested on a warrant for a parole violation, and he's now in the Lee County jail.

11:26 A.M.

Authorities are still looking for a Keokuk man considered armed and dangerous, who eluded law enforcement after an attempted drug sting Monday night near Alexandria.

The search for Trenton Kindhart continues, a day after authorities surrounded an abandoned mobile home in Wayland and arrested Jasen Tripp and Dalton Meyers. Meyers was earlier mistaken for 19 year old Weston Schorr of Alexandria, who helped lead authorities to the pair after giving them a ride to the mobile home. Kindhart, Tripp and Meyers fled from a controlled meth buy by running into some woods near Running Fox elementary school Monday night. A fourth person is under arrest after she was caught at the scene.

Clark County officials say they don't have any solid leads on where Kindhart could be, and are asking for the public's help in trying to find him.

5/3/16 2:02 P.M.

Authorities say two of the three men wanted after a drug bust went sour last night near Alexandria, Missouri are in custody, but a third armed and dangerous man is still on the loose.

Authorities say several law enforcement agencies surrounded an abandoned mobile home in Wayland during the Noon hour Tuesday and arrested 40 year old Jasen Scott Tripp and Dalton Meyers. Meyers was earlier mistaken for 19 year old Weston Schorr of Alexandria, who helped lead authorities to the pair after giving them a ride to the mobile home. Authorities are still looking for 21 year old Trenton Ray Kindhart of Keokuk, who is considered armed and dangerous. The three fled from a controlled meth buy by running into some woods near Running Fox elementary school Monday night.

Clark County officials are still encouraging residents to take their keys out of their vehicles, and lock their vehicles and homes. A fourth person is under arrest after she was caught at the scene.

-- 8:26 A.M. --

3 possibly armed and dangerous people are still on the run after a drug bust went bad last night near Alexandria, Missouri.

Clark County Sheriff Paul Gaudette says the chase began at about 9:40 Monday night after a controlled buy of a gram of crystal meth. A vehicle with 4 occupants fled west on Highway 61 before they could be arrested but their car got stuck in the mud on a dirt road near Running Fox Elementary school.

The driver - 30 year old Michaela Helenthal of Hamilton, Illinois was arrested at teh scene but the other three occupants - all white males - escaped on foot. Gaudette says they should all be wet - cold and muddy - but they are also believed to be armed and dangerous. Together, they are suspected of stealing several vehicles in the last week, in and around Lee County, Iowa; Hancock County, Illinois and Clark County, Missouri.



A perimeter was immediately set up by members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kahoka Police Department, and the Clark County Sheriff's Office. The suspects are 40 year old Jasen Scott Tripp, and 21 year old Trenton Ray Kindhart both of Keokuk and 19 year old Weston Jaycob Schorr of Alexandria.



Sheriff Gaudertte encourages the public to take their keys out of their vehicles, lock their vehicles and lock their homes. Please report any suspicious individuals and/or activities to the Clark County Sheriff's Office.










6 years, 5 months ago QPD

Ryan M. Taylor (25) of 6821 Dale Ave was arrested for Expired Registration at 5th and Hampshire on 5/2/16.

Richard Selsor Jr. 54, of Quincy for failure to reduce speed.

Chad E Ray 34, of Quincy for speeding.

James L Schroder 34, 1107 Chesnut for stealing.

William T Gilker 60, of Quincy for Theft under $500 at 2039 College on 4/5.

Wilfred L OBrien 57, of MO for failure to reduce speed.

Thomas L Welsh 63, of Quincy for improper lane usage.

Schuyler Chandler 204 Locust reports his residence entered between 3/18 and 4/18 and several items were stolen.

Austin Pieper 1823 Wilmar Orchard reports his vehicle was entered on 4/17 while parked at the residence. His wallet was stolen

Elizabeth Spoonmore 337 S 24th reports her vehicle was gone through on 4/17 while parked at the residence. Nothing taken.

Terry Epley 1834 W. Wilmar reports a coin purse, wallet & gift cards taken from his vehicle while parked at his residence on 4/17.

Robert Morriss 2109 Payson reports his unlocked vehicle entered on 4/17 while parked at the residence. Nothing missing

Michael Herschler of St. Johns Lutheran Church reports a window was shot out on the east side of the church on 4/23.

Joseph Knox 501 Sycamore reports a window on his car was broken out on 4/26 while parked at the residence.

Tyler Hill of the North Side Boat Club reports a door on a shed damaged on 4/9.

Teresa Carter of International Eye Care reports someone mailed out fraudulent checks around the country using banking information for the business. The checks have been returned and not cashed.

Daniel L Burton 2030 State reports a tree and wooden railing were struck on 4/2 at around 2300 hrs and the vehicle left the scene.

Robert Bordewick of Quincy reports someone tried to open a Macy's account using his personal information in February.

A Zombie brand stun-gun was recovered in the area of 2nd and Cherry on 4/13.

Denver Ecternkamp of Quincy reports a Honda Power washer was stolen from the back of his pick-up while parked at 1663 Vermont on 4/22. A Yeti cooler was stolen from the side of the house.

Margie Mohrman of 115 Knollwood reports a silver necklace with two medallions was stolen from her residence on 4/7.
6 years, 5 months ago by Scott Hardy

Three children in home placed with relative

The West Central Illinois Task Force says three Mendon residents are in jail after a meth bust in their home Monday night.

The Task Force Tuesday announced the arrests of 26 year old Brandon Giesing, 26 year old Shelby Giesing and 28 year old Brianne Carlson. All three face charges after the raid on their home by the Task Force and the Adams County Sheriff's Office in the 200 block of East Collins in Mendon. The Task Force says they found meth,cannabis, drug paraphernalia, and firearms in the home. They also found three children, who are now with a family member.

Brandon Giesing was arrested on a charge of Unlawful Possession of Firearms with a Revoked Card, while both Shelby Giesing and Brianne Carlson were arrested for Unlawful Possession of Meth.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - The Student Government Association at Florida State University has passed a resolution expressing disapproval of wearing headdresses at games.

According to Resolution 15, which was passed by the SGA on April 20, the student senate voted that wearing headdresses at any FSU games or university sanctioned events would constitute a violation in the Student Code of Conduct.

The resolution said that the headdresses typically worn by fans don't accurately represent the culture of the Seminole Tribe.

In 2005, the university received support from the Seminole Tribe, including being allowed to use their name, logos, and images. The Tribe has reportedly said they don't approve of the current headdresses worn at games.

The university noted that this is a SGA resolution, not a university policy. The university also added that a resolution is simply a, "formal expression of the opinion or will of the Senate."
It's cool. It's different. It's unique. The search is on for the unconventional in our very own backyard. Over the next several weeks, WTXL's Christine Souders is taking you on an adventure to discover what makes the area 'Funky with an F.'

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Trucking beer east of the Mississippi made breaking the law back in 1977 totally worth it in a Trans Am. Only one man could pull it off as many moviegoers found out in the classic film, "Smokey and the Bandit."

Co-Founder of Tallahassee based Trans Am Worldwide Tod Warmack describes just how his company is bringing back the Trans Am. "We are a conversion company for the 5th generation Camaro and convert it to a modern-day Trans Am," said Tod Warmack.

Tod Warmack and his team, including his brother Scott, take brand new cars and strip them down to a shell; with the help of Designer Kevin Morgan they create the iconic Trans Am design.

"The Shaker Scoup, the screaming chicken they call it, which is really a Phoenix, then you have the T-tops. Very iconic design element to the Trans Am," said Warmack.

Burt Reynolds even gave his stamp of approval for the Bandit Edition.

"To meet Burt Reynolds, for someone like myself who's been a big fan, it was a real surreal experience. Those are things you dream about as a kid. Sitting in a movie theater when I was 16-years-old, never would have thought one day I'd be a part of a group inspired by him to do a limited-edition production of a modern-day Trans Am," Warmack said.

The Bandit is even fit for royalty.

"The car ships overseas next week. It was purchased by a member of a royal family," said Warmack.

The Bandit is also for regular people who are die-hard Burt Reynolds fans.

"We just recently had a grandmother order one of our Bandit cars with the 840 Extreme package to take her son to the grocery store," said Warmack.

The Bandit is the jewel, but there's another set of wheels Burt Reynolds, the FSU Alum, could also get behind.

It's a Trans Am especially made for the Seminole Fan.

"I'm partial to garnet and gold, Red Rock Metallic, adorned with gold and black. All graphics are hand-painted," he said.

It's called the Outlaw and when it comes to speed, the Outlaw is not for the faint of heart.

"It's putting out about 720 horsepower," said Warmack.

Pair that with the retro look, some of you have the chance to re-live your childhood fantasies. However, it will cost you anywhere from $70,000 to $165,000.

"There's not a better feeling of freedom then riding in your Trans Am with the T-Tops off, wind blowing," said Warmack.
Is there any summer beer better than the Stiegl Radler?

One sunny day last week, we tried to find one by holding a blind tasting of a dozen different radlers and shandiesall fruited beers, non-Belgian, under 5 percent alcohol. In the end, nothing could beat the Austrian-made blend of lager and grapefruit soda.

This super-light brew2 percent ABV and only 112 calories per bottle, just a little heavier than flavor-free suds like Bud Light (110 calories) and Miller Lite (96 calories)made with the Salzburg brewery's mild and slightly herbal Goldbrau, outscored everything we threw at it. Given that it's the summer of legal weed in Oregon, a highly sessionable low-alcohol beer is especially welcome on the back deck. Oh, and it comes in river-ready cans, too.

Related: Every Mexican Beer We Could Find in Portland, Ranked.

Here's where the field of radlers (which use citrus soda) and shandies (they still use fruit juice) finished, including tasting notes from our panel.

1. Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

93 Points out of 100:

2% ABV, bottles and cans widely available.

Salzburg, Austria, sits just over the border from Germany. That means it's influenced by the famous Bavarian purity lawthe base Goldbrau actually follows it, using only hops, barley, water and yeastbut they don't have to if they don't want to. And, thus, radler in a can.

Selected comments: "I would give this to a childit's like a sunny birthday party."

"Tastes like grapefruit Izze. They must've put the lightest lager they could find in this and then spiked it with grapefruit."

2. Leinenkugel's Grapefruit Shandy

Points: 91

4.2% ABV, bottles and cans available this summer.

When it comes to shandies and radlers, you want the nearly but not actually German. So Wisconsin is a good place to look. Leinies, now owned by Miller, just introduced this beer this year, with typical corporatese: "This refreshing new beer takes advantage of a grapefruit beer market that grew triple digits in 2014," said Miller's CEO. Well, it's damned tasty. When it comes to widely available domestic Stiegl clones, this is a good 'un.

Comments: "Best nose of the daythe flavor is also good, but it can't live up to that nose."

"Would be perfect for drop shots."

"This is a terrific blending of beer and grapefruitbrightly citric but a terrific blending of beer and flavor."

3. Schofferhofer Grapefruit

Points: 86

2.5% ABV, bottles and cans available year round.

Frankfurt's Schofferhofer is well-known for making the world's first hefeweizen. So they split the can with grapefruit juice and rolled out a new brew. It trailed our leaders by a few points, but bested the rest of the field by 14 points.

Comments: "Sweet and lovely."

"This is sweet, subtle and delicious. I could drink this all day."

4. Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

Points: 67

4.2% ABV, bottles seasonally.

hen you've got it, you've got it. Leinies' weisse beer with lemonade isn't a match for its grapefruit version, but it's still worth drinking.

Comments: "It's all fizz, which I'm cool with."

"Tastes like seltzer water."

5. Shiner Prickly Pear

Points: 62

4.9% ABV, bottles seasonally.

This one, from Spoetzl Brewery, sister to Portland Brewing Company, was an outlier, a shandy made with prickly pear cactus fruit instead of grapefruit or lemon. Tasters liked the grapy flavor of the purple prickly pears.

Comments: "It's grape soda beer. Nothing I would ever buy, but I wouldn't complain if offered it."

"It's like a blend of a margarita and boxed wine."

6. Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat

Points: 58

5.5% ABV, bottles available

year round.

We bent the rules a little for this beer from Lost Coast just because they've never made an appearance in one of our many taste-offs. The tangerine wheat was pleasantly forgettable and has a little more booziness than the others here.

Comments: "Middling."

"Tastes like the watered-down apple juice they give preschoolers."

7. Widmer Hefe Shandy

Points: 53

4.2% ABV, bottled available seasonally.

This is the beer that got us excited about local juice brews when it arrived at our office a few weeks ago, and we still found it to be the best local version in a blind taste-off. It's the original "American Hefeweizen" with a little lemon juice, and we like it even better than regular Widmer Hefe. Next year, why not try grapefruit?

Comments: "Don't put hoppy beer with fruit."

"Soapy and kinda tastes like spit."

"This tastes like the moss growing on a lemon tree instead of the lemons."

8. Omnipollo 42

Points: 51

4.5% ABV, available in bottles.

The most expensive bottle in our tasting was $7 at Belmont Station. Totally not worth it. Omnipollo comes from Sweden (it loosely translates as "all the chickens"?) and is a witbier brewed with passionfruit and key lime juice. Do not buy.

Comments: "Smells like a popsicle from my youth."

"Smells like pee."

9. 10 Barrel Swill

Points: 44

4.5% ABV, available in bottles seasonally.

Two years ago we named this one of our favorite beers in Oregon. Then last year's bottles blew up after getting infected with a bad bug that caused rapid secondary fermentation in the bottle. Then the brewery got bought by Budweiser. Now, in a blind taste test, we do not like this beer anymore.

Comments: "It's like they got some of the zest and seeds in with the lemon."

"It's like lemon-flavored cough drops, grossly medicinal."

10. Narragansett Presents Del's Shandy

Points: 41

4.7% ABV, available in cans.

Narragansett is Rhodyspeak for beer. It's not good, but don't tell the guy in the Red Sox hat unless you're willing to scrap with him about it.

Comments: "There's so much pine and lemon. I've had some IPAs that are a little like this."

"I'd rather drink Pine-Sol."

11. Hopworks Totally Radler

Points: 31

2.6% ABV, available seasonally in cans.

Hopworks Lager is good. Organic lemon juice is good. Mixing them 50-50 is good. What went wrong? (Note: One taster, me, liked it except for the fact that it was too sweet.)

Comments: "Tastes like puking in your mouth."

"Did they put corn syrup in this?"

12. Gilgamesh Radtke Radler

Points: 13

4% ABV, available seasonally in cans.

In my experience, Salem makes a lot of bad beer. Gilgamesh also makes its fair share of bad beer. Our experience with this specific beer in a blind tasting reinforced that notion. I don't like that fact any more than you do. Sorry, Salem.

Comments: "Pretty color, OK smell, nothing resembling a desirable flavor compound in the actual liquid."

"If grapefruit tasted like piss."

"This actually made me want to puke."

"It's like they somehow got only the bad parts of the grapefruit."

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North Korea's capital of Pyongyang has started welcoming delegates from around the country to its first ruling party congress in 36 years, as rival South Korea expressed concern that its northern neighbor could conduct a nuclear test before or during the event.

North Korea has become increasingly isolated over its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and was hit with tightened UN Security Council sanctions in March that were backed by its chief ally, China, in response to a January nuclear test.
On the five-year anniversary since Osama bin Ladens execution, US President Barack Obama Told CNN he believes that in his final moments, bin Laden realized America had not forgotten the 9/11 terror attack. Hopefully at that moment, he understood that the American people hadnt forgotten the some 3,000 people who he had killed.

Bin Laden was executed in Pakistan in May 2011 by US Special Forces. Obama said he considers that day to be the most significant of his entire time as president.
Fifty members of the British Labour Party were secretly suspended over the last two months due to racist and anti-Semitic statements, the British daily The Telepgraph reported Monday.

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Twenty out of the fifty were suspended only in the last two weeks. Labour chairman Jeremy Corbyn acknowledged for the first time that there is a problem within the party, although he insisted that it is not a huge problem".

UK Labour chairman Jeremy Corbyn

Corbyn told the Daily Mirror that what there is is a very small number of people that have said things that they should not have done. We have therefore said they will be suspended and investigated.

The center-left party is facing a crisis following a series of recent anti-Semitic statements made by several of its MPs. The former mayor of Blackburn, Salim Mulla, was suspended last Monday after accusing Israel of being responsibile for the Paris attacks. Last week Labour legislator Naz Shah was suspended for posting anti-Israel material before she was elected to Parliament. That prompted former London Mayor Ken Livingstone to defend her by saying that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had been a Zionist early in his political career.

Party officials indicated to the Telegraph that the pressure on Corbyn from within the Labour Party is so great that there may be "a sort of revolution if the situation does not improve." Officials noted that Corbyn may be replaced later on by John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, most likely after the vote in parliament on whether or not the UK will remain in the EU.

One of Corbyns fiercest critics, Labour MP John Woodcock said, "The Labour party should make public the number of incidents it has had reported in recent years to the present, we mustn't allow any impression that we are seeking to minimize this very serious issue or sweep it under the carpet."
Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon announced plans on Monday to increase annual financial support for Holocaust survivors and elderly welfare recipients by a half-billion shekels in advance of the countrys Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday.

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Unfortunately, previous Israeli governments have not done enough on behalf of Holocaust survivorsthe program is focused on pushing elderly Holocaust survivors over the poverty line, Kahlon said during the annual Knesset event celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. In addition, there has not been enough done for the economically-disadvantaged elderly populationincreasing their benefits was one of our conditions for entering the government.

The new plans will benefit 60,000 survivors living below the poverty line and will add NIS350 million earmarked for elderly welfare recipients.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Two days from now, on Wednesday evening, we will enter Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), as we do every year, Kahlon said. As the years pass, we see a decrease in the number of Holocaust survivors in Israel. However, what is not decreasing is our desire to listen to their stories, which are an inseparable part of the countrys founding, as well as our desire to enable them to grow old with dignity

Government funds towards survivors have increased in recent years, according to Aviv for Holocaust Survivors, an NGO dedicated to informing the Israeli survivor population of updates regarding grant allocation and changes in government policy.

We believe that in 2016 there are not supposed to be any poor survivorsthis is the last opportunity to help Holocaust survivors and thats why everyone is trying to help, said Aviva Silverman, CEO and founder of the organization, in an interview with Tazpit Press Service (TPS). Its hard to say what impact and influence the project will have, but we truly embrace and treasure every and any kind of support and change. Any benefit given is a blessing.

The median age of survivors in Israel is 82, Silverman said, and many survivors need assistance in understanding and applying for these benefits.

The main problem is that because there are so many changes and announcements, the Holocaust survivors are not aware of many of the benefits they can enjoy, Silverman told TPS. Our job is to inform them and help them apply for these benefits.

Reprinted with the permission from the Tazpit News Agency.
A recently submitted bill to limit the tenure of the prime minister of Israel which will be up for discussion and a vote in the upcoming summer session is causing a commotion within the Likud party.

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Ynet has learned that senior Likud officials are working behind the scenes to allow the law to pass, at least in a preliminary reading at this point. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to thwart any possibility that the law will receive a majority backing.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)

Likud officials said that Netanyahu, serving a fourth term in office (currently his third consecutive term), is opposed to the law, among other things, due to the message it sends concerning his current position. If approved, the law will probably not be applicable to the incumbent prime minister, "but saying that two terms as prime minister is enough is directed first of all at him," a senior Likud official stated. If the bill passes its current form, Netanyahu could serve six terms as prime minister in all. Nevertheless, he is prepared to fight the proposal.

The opposition is working in a coordinated manner to pass the law, and now it turns out that there are those in the governing coalition who wish to see the law passed. Coalition officials related that in recent days Likud officials have expressed in private conversations their belief that it is a good law that should be passed.

MK Oren Hazan (Likud), who at the moment is the only Likud MK willing to openly state it, told Ynet that "already at the beginning of my term I said I was in favor of limiting the tenure to two terms. Given the reality in Israel, there needs to be a reinvigoration and the adjustment of the length of service to two terms, provided that they are full tenures. It is impossible to constantly look up to the American model but when it comes to the most important issue  a demanding job that requires freshness and vigor - suddenly decide that that model does not fit. We simply must limit the length of (the prime ministers) tenure in Israel."

The bill was initiated by Zionist Union faction chairwoman, MK Merav Michaeli, and it was signed by all the chairmen of the opposition parties. The law in its current version would be applicable as of the 22nd Knesset (the current Knesset is the 20th), and theoretically it could prevent Netanyahu from remaining in office in another two elections. But according to officials, it is not impossible that there will be those who try to introduce changes during the legislative process. Also because of this, Likud officials say that Netanyahu intends to due his utmost to prevent the law from passing.
Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot met with Holocaust survivors at the Seigfried Moses Parents Home in Jerusalem on Tuesday, as part of a new project called Because Survivors Deserve Dignity and Care, which aims to provide them with any assistance and support they might need.

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Joining Eisenkot were other top members of the General Staff, including GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, GOC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Roni Noma, GOC Home Front Command Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick, Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Guy Tzur, Navy Commander Maj. Gen. Ram Rothberg and Air Force Commander Maj.Gen. Amir Eshel.

In preparation for Holocaust Remembrance Day, over the next week some 10,000 officers and soldiers will meet with 3,000 survivors and present them with an award celebrating their courage.

Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot with Holocaust survivors (Photo Gil Yohanan)

Eisenkot himself met with Tamar Landau, who in 1946 had made aliyah at the age of 14. During their conversation, the two discovered that they had something in common, as both Eisenkot and Landaus grandson had served in the Golani Brigade.

Following their meeting, Eisenkot said that the memory of the Holocaust acts as one of the foundations for the soldiers and commanders of the Israeli Army. Tens of thousands of soldiers and commanders visit Yad Vashem and the Ghetto Fighters House. And Delegations of soldiers travel to Poland as part of the Witnesses in Uniform Project, where they go through a powerful, empowering and unique experience.

Eisenkot continued by saying that listening to the survivors personal stories embeds the memory and significance of the Holocaust within Israels soldiers.

It is the commitment of this generation of commanders and soldiers to maintain a powerful army that relies on its strength, it historical memory and the belief in its own sense of justice. For this reason I can safely say that we can trust the current generation, which is truly wonderful.

Also in attendance was Former MK Limor Livnat, now Head of the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel. Livnat added to Eisenkots words by saying that if it wasnt for the founding of Israel and the IDF immediately after the Holocaust, we would still be exiled and persecuted. Holocaust survivors managed to reach Israel through superhuman strength, and we have the moral responsibility to help them live their lives with dignity.

Livnat also stated that there are around 200,000 Holocaust survivors currently living in Israel, and while the foundation she is in charge of assists 50,000 of them, there are still 45,000 survivors who live below the poverty line.
STUTTGART - US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday that an American serviceman has been killed near Irbil in Iraq.

"It is a combat death," Carter said at the outset of a news in Stuttgart, Germany where he has been consulting with European allies this week.

The defense secretary provided no other details, other than to tell reporters that the serviceman lost his life "in the neighborhood of Irbil."

"A Coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. "Further information will be released as appropriate."

The CENTCOM statement noted it is the policy of the military "to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."
ERBIL - Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish peshmerga forces on multiple fronts in northern Iraq on Tuesday, breaching their defenses and briefly taking over a town, military sources said.

The attacks around the northern city of Mosul are the largest against Kurdish forces in recent months by the insurgents, who have been losing ground to an array of forces in the north and west of the country.

The head of a Christian militia said the insurgents had overrun their positions at dawn around the town of Tel Asqof, 20 km (12 miles) north of Mosul, and occupied it until being beaten back with the help of air strikes from a US-led coalition.

"There were many suicide bombers and suicide car bombs," said Safa Eliyas, the head of the Nineveh Protection Forces, which are deployed alongside the peshmerga in the area.

There were also attacks on the Bashiqa front and in the Khazer area, about 40 km (25 miles) west of the Kurdish regional capital Erbil.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the Gaza border on Tuesday, his first visit to the area since the discovery a few weeks ago of a new Hamas tunnel burrowing into Israeli territory

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The prime minister, who was accompanied by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, GOC Southern Command Eyal Zamir, and the Gaza Division commander, was briefed about the tunnel and the other threats Israel faces from the Gaza Strip.

After their tour of the border and a visit to the tunnel entry, Netanyahu and the senior defense officials convened for a meeting at the Gaza Division.

Netanyahu examines the recently-discovered tunnel (Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom, GPO)

The discovery of the tunnel was cleared for publication about two weeks ago, after many days of extensive IDF activity in the area.

The tunnel was found using advanced technological measures, and defense officials say it was constructed before Operation Protective Edge. It was not used during the 2014 operation, but Hamas bolstered it following the war.

Netanyahu meets with soldiers from the 51st Battalion on the Gaza border (Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom, GPO)

Nevertheless, this was the first Hamas tunnel found since the 2014 war in Gaza that crosses under the border fence into Israel.

The IDF destroyed 33 tunnels during the operation. Overall, Israel has invested NIS 600-800 million in combat the tunnels before the operation, and an additional NIS 600 million following it. The IDF handles the tunnels on several levels: Engineering, operational, technological and intelligence.

The opening of the tunnel was found on the Israeli side several dozens of meters from the border fence, in an area under the jurisdiction of the Eshkol Regional Council, but not near any of the communities in the council.

The tunnel was meant to be used by Hamas's elite Nukhba commandos to commit a strategic attack on Israeli communities by the border.

Work on the tunnel seemed to have progressed faster than in the years prior to Protective Edge, which indicates the terror organization has learned its lessons and made an unprecedented investment of millions of shekels in the underground terror tunnel. The depth of the tunnel - some 30 meters underground - is also considered unusual.

However, in many other ways the tunnel is similar to those discovered before and during the operation, including reinforced concrete walls, tracks, internal depth and smaller tunnels branching out of the main tunnel.

A senior official in the Southern Command said Hamas has 800 men digging its tunnels, who are enjoying high salaries compared to other employees in the organization. The official noted the Hamas military wing's commander, Mohammed Deif, views the tunnels as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade's flagship project.
A few days before Israel marks the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, 50 survivors, whose 13th birthday and lost youth had passed many years ago, finally got to celebrate their Bar Mitzvah on Monday at the Western Wall.

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Together they were called up to the Torah, laid tefillin and even got a barrage of candy thrown at them by excited family members.

Among those celebrating was Itzhak Reznik, a Holocaust survivor from Lithuania. Reznik was eight years old when his parents and siblings were taken and killed in the Ninth Port of Kaunas.





Itzhak Reznik reading from the Torah (Photo: EPA)

Reznik came to Mondays ceremony accompanied by his family, and wrapped in a prayer shawl, he walked arm in arm with his grandson toward the Western Wall. Am Israel Chai, he said, overcome with emotion.

Photo: AFP

I never had a Bar Mitzvah, Reznik told Ynet. So when they approached me with this, I really wanted to do it. I love my religion and feel very connected to it. My parents were religious, but by the time I turned 13, I didnt know I was supposed to be celebrating. All I wanted to do was survive.

Itzhak Reznik (Photo: EPA)

Reznik and the other survivors spilled a great deal of tears throughout the day. For me, victory means celebrating my Bar Mitzvah in Israel with my grandchildren. Its a victory for the entire Jewish Nation, which is very much alive.

Photo: EPA

Rezniks grandson, Yakir, had celebrated his own Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel 16 years prior. We didnt know Grandpa never had a Bar Mitzvah, he said. Even though we knew he was a child during the war.

Photo: EPA

All of the participating survivors are residents of Kfar Saba. The Mayor of Kfar Saba, Yehuda Ben-Hamo, spoke at the event, saying that this celebration is twice as moving for happening on this week. Though 70 years late, we have come to celebrate the Bar Mitzvahs of those who have survived the Holocaust. Today we made a dream shared by the 50 participating survivors come true.

Photo: GettyImages

Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel also took part in the ceremony, which was sponsored by the ministry and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. The main purpose of this moving event was to give these heroes a moment of their childhoods back that had been stolen from them by the Nazis, said Gamliel. Their being here today is the greatest victory the Jewish Nation has achieved in all of its thousands of years of existence.

Western Wall Rabbi Rabinovitch, left, with social Equality Minister Gamliel, second on the right.

Kotel Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch also congratulated the participants. Events such as this point to the deep connection between the People of Forever to its heritage, regardless of time or place. It is our duty to remember the past and to pass on that knowledge to future generations.

Since its inception in 2012, about 3,600 Holocaust survivors have participated in the event, 1,100 of them having missed their Bar Mitzvah during the time of the Holocaust.
Israeli authorities thwarted the smuggling of four tons of ammonium chloride, a chemical used as rocket propellant for long range rockets, which was on its way to Gaza in bags of salt, it was revealed on Tuesday.

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The chemicals were caught at the Nitzana border crossing by customs officials in cooperation with the Shin Bet. The Nitzana crossing is the main goods crossing between Egypt and Israel.

A week before the Passover holiday customs officials were inspecting a shipment of 40 tons of salt bound for the Gaza Strip. After a cursory check of the salt aroused the suspicions of the customs officials, a more thorough search of the materials uncovered four tons of ammonium chloride, enough to produce propellant for hundreds of long range rockets.

A bag of ammonium chloride next to a bag of salt (Photo: Nitzana Customs)

Ammonium chloride is listed as a dual-use product, and bringing it into the Strip requires special clearance. The Shin Bet's suspicions were aroused when they saw the massive amount of salt being sent to Gaza. Salt is typically used to smuggle chemicals into the Strip, especially chemicals used in rocket production.

The Gazan importer is known to Israeli authorities, and is known for having close ties to Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

Four tons of ammonium chloride (Photo: Nitzana Customs)

"This case underscores the activity of Gaza-based terrorist organizations in smuggling dual-use materials disguised as goods destined for the civilian population and reconstruction projects," a statement by the Israel Tax Authority said. "The security establishment and the Israel Tax Authority customs view the incident with utmost gravity. It is their intention to continue to locate and thwart attempts to smuggle in dual-use materials and deal with those involved to the fullest extent of the law.

"It should be noted that cooperation between customs authorities, especially personnel at the land crossings, and the Shin Bet has led to the foiling of dozens of attempts to smuggle items and materials that are prohibited from importation into the Gaza Strip  such as sulfuric acid, diving suits, rocket propulsion fuel components, polyurethane, sulfur, fiberglass rolls and specially coarse coal for use in iron smelters and metalwork  and which are suspected of being for use by local terrorist organizations."
Yosef Ben-David, who was convicted of the kidnapping and gruesome murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, was sentenced on Tuesday to life (25 years) and a cumulative punishment of an additional 20 years in prison.

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Abu Khdeirs murder sparked a wave of terrorism in Jerusalem. Ben-David and two minors, who were both convicted for their role in the murder, abducted the 16-year-old teenager and killed him after the funeral of the three Jewish teens Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach, who were kidnapped and murdered on June 12, 2014. A day earlier, the three defendants tried to kidnap seven-year-old Moussa Zaloum while he was walking down the street in Beit Hanina with his mother and two brothers.

The Jerusalem District Court also ordered Ben-David to pay NIS 150,000 in compensation to the Abu Khdeir family, and NIS 20,000 to Moussa Zaloum.

Yosef Ben-David (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Shortly before his sentencing was announced, Ben-David apologized to the Abu Khdeir family for the first time, saying "Everything that happened was out of my control. It's not my character and not who I am. I apologize and ask for forgiveness."

Ben-David further noted that "in the past, I worked for ZAKA, I collected the remains of both Jews and Arabs. I've always sanctified human life and honored the dead."

Ben-David, 30, was convicted last month of the murder in July 2014 after a November court ruling found him responsible for his actions, but did not convict him because of a previous psychiatric assessment presented by his attorneys that questioned his sanity.

Abu Khdeir's father Hussein said the sentence was not enough, "We want him to stay in prison for the rest of his life and die there."

Members of the Abu Khdeir family who were at the sentencing hearing called out "death sentence" at Ben-David, adding that he's a "murderer," "racist," and "trash."

The Abu Khdeir family's lawyer, Muhand Jabariya, said he submitted a request to Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan to consider destroying Ben-David's house, as is commonly done by Israel as an act of deterrence against Palestinian terrorists.

Hussein and Suha Abu Khdeir, the parents of the slain teen (Photo: AFP)

The prosecution welcomed the sentencing, saying "Every person, of every religion and race, ought to know that if he commits such acts - whatever the ideology he claims to act in the name of - the law enforcement system will bring him to justice."

The prosecution initially sought an unusually harsh punishment of 60 years imprisonment: 12 for the kidnapping of Moussa Zaloum, 20 for the kidnapping of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and three additional year for setting fire to vehicles.

Prosecutor Uri Korev from the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office stressed that unlike his two accomplices, Ben-David has not taken responsibility or expressed remorse for his actions.

"This is a man who dragged his relatives into committing a kidnapping and a murder of an innocent teenager. A man who committed incomprehensible and revolting acts. We didn't hear any remorse from the defendant. He committed these acts out of barbarous motives of revenge, and he's placing the responsibility for the acts on his accomplices, who are minors, and claims he is being falsely accused."

Ben-David's attorney, meanwhile, argued for diminished responsibility for his client due to the defendant's mental state.

According to the conviction, in the late evening hours of July 2, 2014, Ben-David and the two minors, after making preparations and equipping themselves in advance, headed out to commit the "revenge attack" in memory of the three yeshiva students.

They searched for a suitable victim for three hours in the neighborhoods of Wadi al-Joz and Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem until, around 4am, they saw Mohammed Abu Khdeir on his way to the mosque for morning prayers.

Mohammed Abu Khdeir

After snatching him, and while driving towards the Jerusalem forest, the two minors held onto Abu Khdeir, who struggled and tried to free himself, leading Ben-David to order one of them: "Finish him." The minor then strangled Abu Khdeir, until the latter lost consciousness.

When they reached the Jerusalem forest, one of the minors angrily told Ben-David that they "were doing all the work," following which Ben-David took a crowbar and started hitting Abu Khdeir with it, yelling "This is for the Fogel family, this is for Shalhevet Pass" (victims of terror attacks perpetrated by Palestinians -ed.) until the Palestinian teen started bleeding from his head. Ben-David also kicked Abu Khdeir several times while yelling "This is for Gil-Ad, Naftali, Eyal."

The three then set Abu Khdeir on fire while he was unconscious, and then fled the scene. They destroyed the evidence at Jerusalem's Sacher Park, and then went to Ben-David's home, where they played guitar and then went to sleep.

"The fact that the defendant searched for a victim, along with defendant 2, on the first night, and did the same on the second night, is indicative of his ideologically-motivated determination and conscious decision to take revenge, rather than uncontrollable obsession," the court said in its ruling. "The defendant was in control of all of the acts; he spurred others and encouraged them, and reacted rationally to everything that occurred. He gave instructions, and in the critical moment, when the victim was lying on the ground and breathing his final breathes, he kicked him and proclaimed the motives to this act of revenge."
Barjes Awidat, 47, an Israeli-Druze from Majdal Shams, was released on Monday from Syrian prison after serving 12 years on charges of spying for Israel.

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Awidat was released to the Druze city of Suweida in southern Syria, and is currently awaiting his transfer back to Israel, with MK Ayoob Kara working to bring him home.

Awidat travelled to Syria to study dentistry. At one point during his studies, all communications between him and his family in Israel ceased. It was only five years later that his family discovered that he was arrested by the Assad regime on charges of espionage.

Barjes Awidat was released from Syrian prison recently

Hail a-Safadi, Awidat's relative, said that "Barjes was living in student dorms in Damascus when he was arrested by the secret police's Palestine Division. He still doesn't understand why they arrested him and on what grounds, although the Syrian regime accused him of spying. After his arrest, all contact with him was lost until a high ranking Israeli government official intervened."

A-Safadi continued, "the Israeli official dealt with this issue for years, and even managed to send Barjas's mother to Syria twice. She wasn't able to find out what happened to him or why he was arrested the first time she visited, but the second time she went, she was able to visit him in prison - something that almost never happens."

Barjes Awidat's mother visits him in prison in Syria. Visits by Syrian prisoners' family members are almost unheard of.

According to a-Safadi, the civil war in Syria, the situation in Syrian prisons, and the pressure the family and Israeli officials put on the Syrian government, all helped to secue Awidat's release. The Syrian government also hopes that Awidat's release would ease the pressure being put on it by the Syrian Druze community.

Awidat's mother and sister rejoiced at the news of his release. "I just want to see my son in my arms again," his mother said. "I miss him so much. I haven't hugged him in years. I won't be able to relax as long as he's so far away from me."
Three IDF soldiers from the Kfir brigade were run over in a terrorist vehicular attack on Tuesday evening at HaParsa Junction near the settlement of Dolev and the Arab village of Ein el-Arik in the West Bank's Binyamin region.

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The forces were conducting unannounced checks at the entrance of Ein el-Arik when the driver, who has been identified as 36-year-old Ahmed Shahada, used a van to carry out his attack before being shot dead by one of the soldiers nearby.

Originally from the refugee camp of Qalandiya, Shahada was temporarily residing in the city of Beitunia, west of Ramallah.

Video of the ramming attack

X

Magen David Adom paramedics and IDF medical forces were treating the wounded soldiers, one of them in serious condition who was transported to Tel HaShomer Hospital in a helicopter. The other two victims, said to be in their 20s, were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in an ambulance in light to moderate condition suffering from multiple injuries.

Scene of car-ramming attack at HaParsa Junction

Car-ramming attack in HaParsa Junction which injured three people (Photo: TPS)

Dr. Yoram Klein, from theTel HaShomer Hospital trauma unit, later said that the soldier evacuated in a helicopter would require "extensive treatment and his life is in danger. We hope that we will be able to stablize him in the coming days."

The incident comes one day after a 60-year-old Jewish man was stabbed in his upper back outside the Lions Gate at the entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem on Monday night, breaking weeks of relative calm in the cycle of violence.
Negotiations meant to enshrine US defense aid for Israel over the next decade have snagged on disputes about the size, scope and fine print of a new multibillion-dollar package, officials say.

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Five months into the talks, several US and Israeli officials disclosed details about the disputes to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The US and Israeli governments said negotiations were continuing, declining to elaborate.

Israel is seeking up to $10 billion more than the current 10-year package and billions more than the US administration is offering, partly by asking for guaranteed funding for missile defence projects hitherto funded on an ad hoc basis by the US Congress, the officials said.

Netanyahu and Obama meet in Washington (Photo: Reuters)

US President Barack Obama wants to ensure the funds, thus far spent partly on Israeli arms, are eventually spent entirely on US-made weapons.

The differences partly reflect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vocal opposition to the international nuclear deal with Iran championed by President Obama. The two sides are also at loggerheads over the Palestinians.

Israel has long been a major recipient of US aid, most in the form of military assistance against a backdrop of an ebbing and flowing conflict with the Palestinians and Israel's neighbors, as well as threats from Iran. Obama has pushed hard for a resolution to the conflict, but has made little headway.

In seeking a sharp increase in military funding, Israel argues it needs to offset military purchases by Iran, Israels regional arch-foe, after it secured sanctions relief in the accord limiting its nuclear program.

Obama's administration, which has fraught relations with Netanyahu, is offering what it says is a record sum to Israel to assuage fears expressed both there and among his Republican rivals at home that the deal with Iran will endanger Israel.

Army Humvees primarily funded by the USA (Photo: Nir Ben Zaken)

But the officials say it is less money than Israel has sought overall and Obama also wants changes to allow US defense firms to reap greater benefits from a new deal.

If unresolved before Obama leaves office in January, the impasse could deny him a chance to burnish his legacy with the aid package to Washingtons closest Middle East ally. That would also leave Netanyahu to await the next US president in hopes of securing a better deal.

$10 billion more

The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed in 2007 and due to expire in 2018, gave Israel a total of about $30 billion, or an average of $3 billion annually, in so-called "Foreign Military Financing."

Israel, whose annual defense budget is $15 billion, want at least $3.7 billion annually under the same rubric in the new MOU, officials say.

Israel also wants guaranteed missile defense aid built into the MOU for the first time, which could mean hundreds of millions of dollars more per year, bringing the full package to more than $40 billion over the next decade.

US negotiators have proposed a total of between $3.5 billion and $3.7 billion in annual aid to Israel, but it was not clear if this included any money for missile defense.

Iron Dome missile defense system, funded primarily by the USA (Photo: Rafael Spokesperson)

The Obama administration has balked at Israel's request to stipulate a separate funding track in the MOU for missile defense projects, one official said. It was not known how much Israel had proposed under the missile defense clause.

Israel wants the missile defense component to be viewed as the 'floor' amount, as Congress can be asked for more on an ad hoc basis if circumstances require, said one official.

US lawmakers have in recent years given Israel up to $600 million in annual discretionary funds for missile defense, well beyond the $150 million requested by the Obama administration.

Palestinian rocket salvoes in Operation Pillar of Defense in 2008-9, 2012 and Operation Protective Edge in 2014 helped Israel drum up American sympathy and support for its anti-missile systems, Iron Dome, Arrow and David's Sling.

More than four-fifths of the US Senate signed a letter last week urging Obama to conclude an increased 10-year aid package

These discussions are continuing and we remain hopeful we can reach agreement on a new MOU that will build on the United States' historic and enduring commitment to Israel's security, a White House official said in response to a Reuters request for confirmation of the latest negotiating terms.

The official declined to comment directly on the terms.

The current MOU allows Israel to spend 26.3 percent of the US funds on its own defense industries. The United States wants to phase this provision out gradually so that all of the money is spent on American military products, the sources said.

Israel wants to keep the provision in place, or only partly reduced, they said. It fears a devastating blow to Israeli arms firms that glean some $800 million a year from the current MOU.

In another move to shore up its own defense industries, the United States wants to end a provision allowing Israel to spend around $400 million in annual MOU funds on military fuels.

One official paraphrased Washington's message to Israel as: "We want (you) to be spending this money on actual security, on weapons systems, ways to make you safer."
STUTTGART - US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter used a US military changing-of-the-guard ceremony Tuesday to blast Russian aggression in Europe, saying Moscow is "going backward in time" with warlike actions that compel a US military buildup on NATO's eastern flank.

"We do not seek a cold - let alone a hot - war with Russia," Carter said. "We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake, we will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us."

Carter presided at a ceremony installing Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti as head of US European Command and the top NATO commander in Europe. Scaparrotti most recently commanded US and allied troops in South Korea and has commanded troops in Afghanistan. He succeeds Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who has pointedly and repeatedly warned that NATO must better prepare for an adversarial relationship with Russia.

"Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to brandishing nuclear weapons," Carter said.
WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned a deadly hospital attack in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday. He said the missile appears to have been fired from rebel-controlled territory.

Kerry said the US won't accept violence against civilians, whether it's by the Syrian government or by Western-backed opposition.

At least 20 people died Tuesday when rocket fire struck the maternity hospital in a government-held section of Aleppo. Fighting there has all but shattered the shaky 2-month-old truce between Syria's government and moderate rebels.
Britain and France are calling on the UN Security Council to hold an urgent meeting on Syria's contested city of Aleppo which has been engulfed in an intense wave of attacks.

Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should brief the council on the situation in the city, which was Syria's largest before the war, "as a matter of top priority." France's UN Ambassador Francois Delattre echoed the request.

"Aleppo is burning ... and its civilians are being killed," Rycroft told the council after members adopted a resolution demanding an end to attacks on hospitals and medical workers in Syria and other war zones.
UNITED NATIONS- The United Nations will start inspecting shipments to rebel-held ports in Yemen in a bid to boost commercial imports and enforce an arms embargo, the world body said on Tuesday, some eight months after announcing it would establish such a procedure.

Yemen relies almost solely on imports, but a 14-month long conflict between Houthi rebels and a Saudi Arabian-led coalition has slowed to a trickle commercial shipments to the impoverished country where 80 percent of people need humanitarian aid.

The United Nations announced in September it would set up a verification and inspection mechanism. Then in October UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said the United Nations was still trying to raise some $8 million to fund the Djibouti-based operation.
Each year, citizen legislators from across Nebraska gather in Lincoln to balance the budget and work on important priorities for our state.

Last week, the second session of the 104th Nebraska Legislature concluded. This year, the Legislature and I had a very successful session. We were able to accomplish all four important priorities I laid out for the session in my State of the State address back in January as well as prevent bad legislation from passing. The work we did together on the budget, tax relief, roads, and healthcare will help our state grow and protect our states budget and taxpayers from unnecessary risks.

By law, one of the only requirements the Legislature has to complete in any session is balancing the state budget. While senators and I differed on some of the specifics about how taxpayer dollars should be spent, we were able to cut the rate of growth in state spending significantly. Together, the Legislature and I held the rate of growth in state spending to 3.6 percent down from 6.5 percent or about half the previous rate of growth. Holding the rate of growth in state spending down is critical to providing opportunities for tax relief in the coming years.

My top priority for this session was providing property tax relief for Nebraskas hardworking families. At the State Fair last year, I began discussions with the Legislatures Education Chairwoman Kate Sullivan and Revenue Chairman Mike Gloor about building a property tax relief package. After hearings, debate, and compromises, the Legislature and I settled on a tax package that provides $20 million in direct property tax credits to farmers and ranchers. It also makes changes to the states education funding formula, increases school aid, and allows more schools to become eligible for school aid.

In addition to balancing the budget and providing tax relief, I also worked with the Transportation Committee to develop the Transportation Innovation Act (TIA). This program will help accelerate completion of our states expressway system, provide funds to repair county bridges, and dedicate resources to infrastructure projects that will help growing and expanding businesses. These investments will fund key infrastructure priorities for Nebraska for years to come. Capitol observers who have tracked infrastructure investments over the years described the passage of the TIA as historic and landmark.

In the last few months, the Legislature has prudently voted down several bad pieces of legislation. One of the most significant bills they rejected would have expanded Medicaid under Obamacare in Nebraska. As proposed, this bill would have cost Nebraska taxpayers almost $1 billion in new state spending in the first 10 years.

Additionally, Medicaid spending for our states existing program already makes up a growing share of our state budget, and expansion would have exposed our state budget to unnecessary risk. This is the fourth time the Legislature has wisely decided against expansion in four years, and I will continue to work with senators to protect our states budget in future sessions.

In the coming weeks and months, I will be listening to you as well as meeting and working with my agencies and with senators as I develop new initiatives to pursue in next years session. I am committed to holding the rate of growth in state spending even lower, so that we can continue to provide tax relief for hardworking Nebraskans like you in the coming years. If you have ideas that you would like to share for next year, I hope you will contact my office at 402-471-2244 or email pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov.
WASHINGTON  The Republican presidential race rolls into Nebraska this week, with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and businessman Donald Trump planning campaign appearances.

The Cruz event is scheduled for noon Wednesday at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln.

Then on Friday afternoon, Trump is expected to be in Omaha for a campaign rally, according to a source familiar with the planning. Details have not been announced.

Their appearances come just before next Tuesday's GOP primary in Nebraska, a winner-take-all contest for 36 national delegates. The Nebraska primary is one week after today's pivotal contest in Indiana.
LINCOLN  Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director (NDA) Greg Ibach shared his support of the proposed Costco processing facility as an opportunity to grow Nebraska jobs by growing Nebraska livestock production.

The Costco facility will grow jobs beyond the farm gate, said Ibach. Job opportunities for electricians, carpenters, insurance professionals, production consultants and truckers are just a sample of the career opportunities that will come to communities where value added livestock facilities are located.

The project also creates a new market for local corn and soybean farmers. This change in the grain demand model will increase the price of locally grown crops resulting in an increase in net farm income for the region.

Typically for a farm to expand it means another farm has shrunk or gone out of business, said Ibach. The Costco facility will allow 75-100 farms in east central Nebraska to grow without negatively impacting other farms.

Costco has stated that their business model is structured as a partnership of local farmers and businesses working towards common goals. Costco has expressed that in order for them to have long-term success their local partners must also be successful. The resulting benefits will have long term positive impact for local farmers, the region and the state.

Local lending institutions have reviewed the prospectus during the grower network recruitment efforts and shared their support of the project.

A preliminary review of the proposed business plan appears to be very good for Nebraska farmers, said Scott Meister, Fremont market president of Pinnacle Bank. This represents a model we have not seen before that provides greater benefits to the poultry grower.

Nebraska has a golden opportunity to invite in a world-class company to be part of our community, a company that embodies Nebraskan values, a company well be proud to have in our state, and fits Nebraska like a hand in a glove, said Ibach. As a state rooted in agriculture we need to embrace this opportunity and give them a Big Red Welcome!
YORK  Personal property owners will receive millions of dollars worth of tax exemptions, thanks to the Personal Property Tax Relief Act that was passed by the state legislature last year.

The Act provided an exemption of the first $10,000 of tangible (income-producing) property value for each tax district in which a personal property return was filed by the taxpayer.

This pertained to income-producing machinery and equipment  not real estate.

The property tax schedules had to be filed before May 1, in order for the owners to receive the exemptions. Because May 1 fell on a Sunday, Monday became the deadline.

York County Assessor Ann Charlton said there are 1,790 parcels of personal property in York County.

If each had $10,000 worth of exemptions, that means York County personal property owners saw $17,900,000 in exemptions, in personal property tax savings, Charlton said, while also acknowledging that some owners own personal property with values under $10,000 so that could make the overall total less.

But if they have under $10,000 worth of personal property, that means they would pay no taxes at all on that property, Charlton said.

She said the county will be reimbursed by the state . . . so the tax savings do not affect the countys finances.
Mentoring earns Niagara youth Congressional medal

It wasn't until Gabriel Curcione's father deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 did the young man feel the weight of being a military child.



Curciones father is Master Sgt. Paul Curcione, 30th Aerial Port Squadron.



It was really hard not having that second parental figure there, said Gabriel of his fathers deployment. My brother and sister had to take on more responsibility.



This responsibility ignited a passion in Curcione to help others. With the help of his mother, he applied for the United States Congressional Award and began mentoring other children who were in similar situations.



I was able to meet other kids just like me, other military children, said Curcione. We were able to share our experiences and help each other out when our parents were deployed.



Curciones passion allowed him to travel the country, speaking with dozens of military children.



I council the kids, Curcione said. I share my personal story about what happened when my father was deployed.



Mentoring and counseling are traits that are strong within the Curcione family. Gabriels father tries to instill these values into his children.



Thats one of the most rewarding parts of my job, said Paul Curcione. I love mentoring kids. I love preparing them to eventually take over my job, to see when they get it and that light bulb comes on. Its so rewarding and I think Gabe feels the same way.



Currently, the high school senior's more than 400 hours of community service, volunteerism and personal development has earned the Congressional Award Silver Medal.



Congressman Chris Collins presented the Silver Medal April 22 at Wilson High School, Wilson, New York.



I hope that winning this award will help me get into the Air Force Academy, said Curcione. I hope that Im able to inspire other people to achieve more, too.



Curcione plans on attending Rochester Institute of Technology this fall. He anticipates joining the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps and studying mechanical engineering. He plans to apply to the Air Force Academy in July for the class of 2021.






In the recent State Budget the Victorian Government pledged $10.4b worth of funding for infrastructure projects, which the REIV believes will have a marked impact on the performance of Melbournes outer suburbs.

Given the significant growth in Melbournes outer suburbs in the past two quarters, improved road and rail infrastructure will drive continued price growth in areas further from the city and within commuting distance of the CBD, REIV chief executive officer Enzo Raimondo said.

With estimated population growth of about 100,000 people each year, amenities investment in suburbs more than 20km from the city is necessary to ensure these suburbs remain attractive for home buyers, Raimondo said.

In particular, the REIV welcomed $2.9 billion for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, which will provide underground rail access to the Melbourne CBD from both the citys east and west.

Road access to the citys western suburbs will also be improved with $1.46b directed towards the citys Western Distributor project.

The government also allocated $924 million for new and upgraded schools and $982 million in improvements to the Victorian health system, with $75.4 million specifically earmarked for services and facilities in Melbournes outer suburbs and growing regional communities.

Raimondo also supported the governments decision to hit foreign buyers with increased stamp duty and land tax charges.

Victoria is the most liveable city in the world and its important that these buyers contribute to ongoing infrastructure development and amenities.

Duty increases for overseas purchasers will help enhance the citys housing stock at a time when our population is growing faster than any other capital city.
Released yesterday, the ABS figures show 19,371 new homes were approved in March, a 3.7% increase over the month.

The monthly increase in new home approvals was largely driven by approvals for detached homes, which increased 5.1% while multi-unit approvals climbed 2.4%.

Housing Industry Association (HIA) economist Diwa Hopkins said the figures were welcome, but signs still point to a slowdown in the residential construction sector over the coming year.

Despite the increase during March, the broader trend in approvals is that of decline from the record levels during the middle of last year, Hopkins said.

Todays result is consistent with our expectations for actual new home building activity over the near term. HIA expects the number of new homes commencing construction during 2016 to remain very strong at around 200,000, albeit less than 2015s record of 220,000, she said.

Source: HIA

During the March 2016 quarter, the number of approvals was lower than in the previous quarter, by 1.6% and was 8.8% lower than 12 months previously.

With a slowdown in the residential construction sector predicted, Hopkins said its becoming increasingly important for policy makers to ensure the framework is in place for Australia to deliver adequate housing supply.

It will also be important to see innovative solutions to our cities infrastructure challenges to underpin an adequate supply of housing that meets the long term needs of Australias growing and ageing population.

During March 2016, total seasonally adjusted new home building approvals saw the largest increase in South Australia (+8.7%) with growth also occurring in Western Australia (+7.3%), New South Wales (+6.9%), Queensland (+5.7%) and Victoria (+3.7%).

Approvals fell by 18.7% in Tasmania. In trend terms, approvals saw a 19.0% increase in the Australian Capital Territory and an 18.4% fall in the Northern Territory.
As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More
Question: What can be done to help mitigate the risk of attracting a bad tenant to my investment property?Answer: By Carolyn Parrella, Executive Manager, Terri Scheer InsuranceAttracting good tenants, and keeping them satisfied, is one of the best investments a landlord can make. The behaviour of tenants can make or break a landlords investment experience and cause significant financial stress.Its important to minimise potential risks by attracting suitable tenants from the outset.The process of attracting a suitable tenant begins before youve even purchased your rental property.When choosing an investment property, think about the type of tenant you want to attract, whether that is a family, sole tenant or couple, and choose a property that is likely to appeal to them.Poorly maintained properties in low socioeconomic areas may be less desirable for your target tenants and, in turn, attract a smaller pool of appropriate tenants.Established, well-appointed homes that are close to good schools, shops and public transport are usually highly sought after and will likely give you a larger pool of prospective tenants from which to select.A property that is poorly presented by the landlord is likely to be poorly cared for by the tenant.Landlords who present a clean, tidy and well cared for property set the standard which tenants are encouraged to maintain.It is important to thoroughly screen rental applications as this can help to filter out potential troublemakers and minimise the risk of future issues.This may involve speaking with previous landlords or property managers and ask whether they have had any issues with the tenants being reviewed, including late or missed rental payments and incidences of malicious or accidental damage.Property managers can help you identify potentially good tenants from the outset as they often have experience screening prospective tenants. They may also have access to a database that lists tenants with a history of defaulting on rental payments, damaging property, eviction and absconding.A property manager can also take responsibility for conducting regular property inspections and can alert you to potential issues with the tenant or their lifestyle before they escalate.While even the best tenant can accidentally damage a property or run into financial hardship, there is also a minority who may purposely cause grief for their landlords.Every landlord should consider having a tailored landlord insurance policy that covers them for both malicious and accidental damage, their legal liability as landlords and the loss of rental income.This type of cover can provide landlords with peace of mind should unforeseen insured events occur. A standard building and contents insurance policy generally wont cover landlords for the risks associated with owning an investment property.
          
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- Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church welcomed on Tuesday Marija Kapitanovic, the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in Bucharest. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know more about

- Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Suica is paying an official visit to Romania, Thursday to Saturday, the European Commission Representation in Bucharest announced. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook

- Climate change has direct implications for the safety and well-being of citizens around the world, is President Klaus Iohannis's message to the participants in the Climate Change Summit, a regional event taking place in Bucharest on October 4 - 5. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- President Klaus Iohannis declared, on Friday, that his friendship with businessman Michael Schmidt did not matter in terms of winning the tender held by the Romanian Police for the purchase of BMW cars and emphasized that, if there are suspicions regarding the legality of the procedure, there are

- President Klaus Iohannis sent, on Thursday, a message of condolence on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, stating that the reign of the British monarch represents "an exceptional symbol of loyalty and commitment to public service". Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- The Polish Film Festival, Vistula Film Festival, which promotes Polish culture in over 40 cities in 24 countries, invites Romanians to its first edition in Romania, September 22-25, at the Village Museum Cinema in Bucharest. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- The Bookfest Fair in Chisinau is an expression of the common cultural and linguistic space, a materialization of the European aspirations of the Romanians on both sides of the Prut River, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday in the message sent on the occasion of the opening of the 5th edition

- President Klaus Iohannis on Monday signed a decree regarding the submission to Parliament for ratification of a loan agreement and a grant agreement between Romania and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) related to the first programmatic financing for the development
It was the film that introduced the world to Neve Campbell and paved the way for the likes of 'Charmed' and now, as you'd expect with any hit from the '90s, a reboot is now on its way.

Nearly 23 years on, 'The Craft' is one of the quintessential cult horror movies of the '90s, up there with the likes of 'Scream' and 'The Faculty'. But what of its cast? Can they still do the "light as a feather, stiff as a board" levitation trick?

ROBIN TUNNEY - 'Sarah Bailey'

Tunney played new girl Sarah Bailey who falls in with the trio of outcasts that practice witchcraft at her new school. After 'The Craft', she went on to star opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and our own Gabriel Byrne in silly actioner 'End of Days'. She had several other film roles before moving into TV. Audiences nowadays would best know her from the likes of 'Prison Break' and 'The Mentalist', and most recently, she's turned up in 'The Fix'.

FAIRUZA BALK - 'Nancy Downs'

Balk played bad girl Nancy, the ring leader of the coven. A method actor, Balk actually became a practicing Wiccan during filming. She even bought her own occult store. Bobby Buchet's mother (Kathy Bates) might have been on to something when she referred to her as "The Devil" in 'The Waterboy'. She's had a variety of supporting roles since then, appearing in 'Almost Famous' and more recently on TV opposite Liev Schreiber in 'Ray Donovan'.

NEVE CAMPBELL - 'Bonnie'

While she was already well known thanks to her role in 'Party of Five', 'The Craft' propelled Campbell towards the movie franchise that would make her a star, 'Scream'. Funnily enough, she almost turned down the role of Sidney Prescott because she wasn't sure another horror film was the right move her so soon after 'The Craft'. Luckily for her, she changed her mind. She reprised the role in all three of the 'Scream' sequels. She can currently be seen dealing with the Underwoods in 'House of Cards' Season 4.

RACHEL TRUE - 'Rochelle'

While it's expected that the actresses would all be a little older than the 'teens' they were portraying on screen, you may be surprised to learn that Rachel True was nearly 30 when she played the role of Rochelle. True appeared in the Dave Chappelle cult comedy 'Half-Baked' before going on to star in her own sitcom, 'Half and Half'. The show ran for 91 episodes. More recently she's appeared in a variety of TV movies including 'Sharknado 2' and 'Sharknado: Hearts of Sharkness'. That's a real movie, folks.
Barbering has always been an important trade, but in recent years it has taken on extra gravitas, with the men's grooming industry undergoing a major boom.

With more men than ever before sporting beards and slick hairstyles, the days of a 'short back and sides' or a 'two blade all over' are long gone.

With that knowledge in mind - as well as their collective years of experience both in Ireland and abroad - Luke Delaney and Fabian Posca established The Fireplace Barber Shop on Dublin's South William Street in 2015.

We caught up with 28-year-old Dublin native Luke to discuss how he got into barbering, why he took the leap to set up his own business with his partner-in-style Fabian, and what sets The Fireplace Barber Shop apart - both stylistically and aesthetically.

Did you always want to be a barber, or was it something that came later in life?

It's crazy to look back and see how it all started. Since I was a kid, I was always fascinated with hair. Long, short; once you had hair on your head, I was your friend. Strange - some might say kids normally like Action Men and that type of thing but, no no Luke just wanted to play with hair. As a kid. my father would bring us down to the local Barber shop Finnegan's Barbers now known as the Waldorf Barber Shop. I could sit there for hours just watching the barbers do their thing. I found it quite therapeutic.

You've had 15 years' experience at this point. How did your passion in barbering translate into a career?

At the age of 12, I saved up my confirmation money, went into town and bought my first scissors and clippers. I had my poor family's hearts broken because I felt like they needed a hair cut every day  well, at least that's what I thought. From there, I managed to get a Saturday job in the barber shop my father brought us to as kids, except this time it was in their Westmoreland Street shop. I was 13 years old. Here, I spent every Saturday sweeping the floor and watching some of the most talented barbers I've ever come across to this day. Finally, when I completed my Junior Certificate, there was smoke on my heels and straight into my 4 year apprenticeship I went. Fast forward ten years and the Fireplace Barber Shop was born.

Obviously it's something that takes a lot of training to master. Who or what has been your biggest inspiration as a barber over the years?

My first inspiration was my former boss, the owner of the Waldorf Barber Shop. This is someone who I still respect to this day - not only for her passion in barbering, but also as a very successful businesswoman. I tend to pick qualities from a lot of different people who I have admired over the years and try to instill some of their qualities into myself and my work.

You spent time working in Australia and Los Angeles before returning to open The Fireplace Barber Shop with Fabian. How did you guys first meet?

After years of working for some of the big barbering names both here and abroad, last year I decided 'It's now or never'.. In fact, the Barbershop was an afterthought. The previous year, I was in the process of setting up a Teaching Academy with a Barbershop I had been previously been working with - but after months of preparation we decided to postpone the launch, due to timing. That evening, the Fireplace was born. I went home, poured myself a glass of wine and searched the internet for suitable retail units in the city. The first one that popped up was number 27 South William Street. Fast forward to the 20th September 2015, and the door was officially opened.

Myself and Fabian had met on a few occasions over the previous years, but it was not until Fabian came back to Ireland in 2015 to attend a workshop that I happened to be teaching on that he grabbed my attention with his natural talent for barbering. I thought to myself, I need this guy. However, his plan was not to stay in Ireland but to go back home to Berlin. Once he was back home, Fabian worked a few days per month in Cologne as a guest barber  but a few weeks passed and eureka! I had a light bulb moment. Fabian was willing to move to Dublin full-time and after endless chats and many empty bottles of wine later, he was made the other half of the Fireplace Barber Shop.

The shop has a very vintage, old-timey look to it and you offer hot towel shaves, etc.  what was the thinking behind that aesthetic?

The shop is a true reflection of mine and Fabian's taste. A lot of time and careful consideration went into the layout and interior of the shop. We wanted the feeling of simple relaxation, as if the client were getting their hair cut in the comfort of their own sitting room. Above all, for me and Fabian it is so important that we felt like it was a place of comfort, not work. With only two barbering chairs - one placed each side of the fireplace - it gives us privacy between ourselves and our clients. Our main goal at the Fireplace is to ensure we make it a positive and memorable experience for each and every client, rather than a chore.

You guys are best placed to see the trends that are coming through your door  what are the big ones at the moment, and what haircut/style trends do you see emerging in the near future?

Trends, trends, trends. If we take a look back over the years, you will see fashion trends have come full circle. That said, thank god the mullet is not making a comeback. Our biggest request for hair styles at the moment is the old classics - we're long past the 'short back and sides and bit of a fringe'. Yes, Irish men are coming into their own, and our most requested hair style is the classic fade on back and sides, and side-part or slick-back'. And still, one of the most popular is the pompadour. In my opinion, all of these cuts are timeless and will remain one of the most requested cuts. They're certainly not a passing fad.

Speaking of trends, what are the worst that you've seen over the years?!

Where do I start?! Does anyone remember the rats tails back in the '90s? Well I do - horribly horrific, is all I can say. Mullets, again, were another shocker for me - thank god they are far a few between these days. Sorry, all you mullet folks - just not my thing.

The beard thing has become huge in recent years, and I notice that both yourself and Fabian are sporting exquisite examples! Why do you think beards have become so popular over the last five years or so?

'When is doubt, grow a beard' seems to be the word on the street. I must admit, I'm a lover of the beards, myself - I just wish guys knew how to maintain them. It takes a lot of maintenance and time. Beards are definitely not a passing fad, but like everything, it will have its day; already, we're starting to see less and less of them. The true beard folk will be happy with this as they can now reclaim their status.

But it's not just beards that have become popular in the last few years, all aspects of male grooming has seen a massive increase. Why is this? Because finally, us men realise it's OK to take pride in our appearance. We have become more fashion and image conscious in recent years and lets hope it stays that way. For the first time, men can actually appreciate and know the difference between a good and a bad haircut, which has led to the surge in more male grooming emporiums and barber shops opening up.

If there was one person that you could get into your chair at The Fireplace Barber Shop to work your magic, who would it be?

That's a hard one, as there are so many... but this one is a no-brainer. A man has been getting a lot of press attention over the last few months: Donald Trump. Need I say anymore?

Finally, what advice would you give to young aspiring barbers?

I can honestly say Im happy to go to work. I love my job, because I made my passion my career and for that, I feel very lucky. If you have no passion for it, well, my advice is not to waste any more time and find something that you love. Find something that makes you want to get up every morning and enjoy this one life we have. If you want any advice about becoming a barber, you're always welcome to pop in to us for a chat for a nice fresh coffee, or a craft beer (Hop House 13, of course).

My next venture is the Fireplace Academy, which is due to launch in September; we'll be doing everything from basic barbering to advanced barbering, shaving courses and up-skilling. We'll also be holding a number of workshops around different locations in Ireland, so keep up to date on all the latest from the Fireplace and visit our website, or simply contact us through our social media.

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Brought to you by Hop House 13. Drink responsibly.




New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday asked for suggestions from taxi unions before presenting its detailed phase-out plan for diesel cabs before the Supreme Court on Thursday.

"We called a meeting of (representatives of) taxi unions and transporters at 3 p.m. They have been asked to submit their suggestions in writing by 1 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Their issues will also be discussed in the EPCA`s (Environment Pollution Control Authority) meeting tomorrow," Delhi`s Transport Minister Gopal Rai told reporters here.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi government urged the apex court to relax its ban order as protesting taxi drivers created a gridlock in large parts of the National Capital Region for the second day.

A bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur asked the government to submit a roadmap for phasing out the diesel cabs and switching over to cleaner compressed natural gas.

Rai said that the ban does not apply to cabs with all-India tourist permit.

"We are waiting for a written order from the court regarding the ban on diesel cabs in Delhi and the remaining National Capital Region. Meanwhile, the enforcement agencies have not impounded any diesel cabs in Delhi," the minister said.

The minister accused app-based taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola of illegally running diesel vehicles having all-India tourist permit.

The Supreme Court on April 30 refused extension to diesel cab operators to switch over to CNG, saying it had already given several extensions.

Owners and drivers of diesel taxis blocked several important roads, including the DND Expressway and Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, causing inconvenience to motorists and lakhs of other commuters.
New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court requesting to ban diesel taxis from the National Capital Region in a phased manner.

The government's move came as diesel taxi drivers blocked major traffic points of the NCR for the second consecutive day today.

Responding to the plea, the SC said it will examine the Kejriwal-led government's recommendations which it will file today.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, meanwhile, asked the Delhi government to give a roadmap for phasing out diesel cabs and switching over to cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel.

The government told the court that they will file a roadmap by Tuesday evening after which the matter was listed to be heard on Wednesday.

The court said its order to ban diesel and petrol taxis was not to cause any inconvenience to the people but to curb rising pollution levels in the capital city, considered to be one of the worst polluted in the world.

We also dont intent to create a human problem but whenever such measures are taken it does lead to some inconvenience, the bench said.

The Delhi government said it was fully committed for tackling pollution.

However, a problem has arisen for the citizens."

Dozens of drivers protesting against a Supreme Court ban on diesel cabs parked their taxis on the Mahipalpur flyover leading to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, on another key road that links Delhi with Noida in Uttar Pradesh and in a south Delhi area that is linked to Gurgaon in Haryana.

In no time, hundreds of vehicles were caught up on both sides of the roads -- like on Monday.

Police reached all three spots and engaged the drivers in discussion from about 9 am.

"We tried to reason with them that their protest was causing hardships to people and this wasn't fair," Joint Commissioner of Police Sharad Aggarwal told IANS.

"We told them that if they had issues with any judicial ruling, they must talk to the government."

Aggarwal said that some of the drivers who accepted the reasoning took away their taxis. Those who refused to were taken to a police station and their taxis were impounded.

"The entire process took 45 minutes to an hour. By then, there were jams everywhere... But now, three hours after it all began, there is no traffic jam anywhere in Delhi due to any taxi protest," Aggarwal said.

Another police officer, Ishwar Singh, told news agency IANS that three taxis were found illegally parked on the Rajoukri flyover in south Delhi, apparently to create a traffic jam. But they were quickly removed.

Aggarwal told IANS: "We are telling the drivers not to go for such protests because the general public is affected very badly."

The second day of protests follows a Supreme Court ruling that diesel driven taxis won't be permitted to ply in Delhi after March 31. The cab owners and drivers say the ruling has affected thousands of them.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: Two days after the Supreme Court put a ban on diesel cabs in the city from May 01, 140 diesel-run taxi drivers were on Monday booked for plying their vehicles in the national capital violating the apex court order.

As over 27,000 diesel-run taxis went off the roads of the city yesterday, thousands of commuters had a tough time finding means of travel. Adding to the chaos on roads were thousands of protesting cab drivers who blocked National Highway 8 and the Ring Road.

"As many as 140 drivers were booked today and challans were issued to them. Vehicles were impounded in a few cases," Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sandeep Goel said on Monday.

After extending the deadline twice, the Supreme Court had on Saturday refused to give more time to cab operators to convert to CNG and put a ban on diesel cabs in the city from May 01. The court exempted taxis with all-India tourist permit (AITP) from switching to CNG if they operate outside NCR.

The errant drivers were booked under Section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Cases in which the vehicles had AITP, police officials spoke to the passengers enquiring about their boarding and de-boarding points, a senior official said.

Nearly 150 such diesel-run cab drivers, including several with AITP, were prosecuted on Sunday and many vehicles were impounded, following which the drivers alleged harassment by enforcement agencies.

The city groaned under traffic woes yesterday as hundreds of cab drivers blocked National Highway 8 and Ring Road, protesting against action by enforcement agencies following the Supreme Court's decision to ban diesel taxis in Delhi.

In the early hours, a group of protesters blocked both carriageways near the Rajokri toll booth on National Highway 8, which led to a long tailback stretching over a kilometer in the area, traffic officials said.

The congestion largely affected thousands of office-goers who travel between Delhi and Gurgaon, linked by NH-8. In no time, traffic was thrown out-of-gear in Dhaula Kuan, Kapashera and Mehrauli, and the chaos continued for hours.

The situation turned worse at around 11.30 am when the protesters blocked both carriageways on the Ring Road stretch at Maharani Bagh, close to Ashram Chowk.

The second blockade directly hit traffic in areas including Sarai Kale Khan, Ashram, near PGDAV College in Nehru Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Moolchand stretching up to AIIMS.

The protesters included the diesel cab drivers with AITP, who are exempted from the ban provided they operate outside NCR.

"We will continue with our protest until the authorities forbid police and transport department officials from penalising us as we have an All India permit which is exempted from the ban. We are only asking for exemption which we have already been given," said Sanjay Samrat, President of Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association.

Various researches have put Delhi among the most polluted cities in the world.

(With Agency inputs)
Panaji: Rubbishing media reports that Manohar Parrikar would return as Goa's Chief Minister, state BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar on Tuesday said the Defence Minister may lead the party's campaign for state Assembly polls next year.

"There is a strong possibility that he might lead the election campaign for 2017 polls in Goa. He is required to counter the agenda put forth by Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) on Medium of Instruction (MoI) issue," Tendulkar told PTI.

Notably, the BBSM is propagating mother tongue as the MOI in elementary education in Goa and stopping of grants to schools teaching in English medium. RSS state unit chief Subhash Velingkar has also been criticising BJP and Parrikar for their alleged failure to protect the interest of regional languages in Goa's MoI policy.

On reports in a section of local media that Parrikar may return as Chief Minister before the state Assembly polls, Tendulkar said, "There are no such discussions at party level over the issue".

"The possibility of him returning seems to be bleak as we are almost nine months away from the elections and Parrikar's return to the state as CM would necessitate the byelection within six months," he said.

"Then there would be state elections due in March next year. I don't think he will allow so many elections," Tendulkar said.

Parrikar rode the BJP to victory in the 2012 Goa Assembly elections but had to resign from the post of Chief Minister when he was elevated as Defence Minister at the Centre.
Zee Media Bureau/Udita Madan

New Delhi: People complaining of sleeplessness or problems related to their sleep cycle are not unheard of.

Stress, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, etc., can all result in you experiencing sleep deprivation and/or lack of proper sleep.

Tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, you've tried it all, but in vain.

However, we came across a new concoction that swears to rid you of your sleeping woes  Banana tea!

Sounds weird, doesn't it? Especially knowing as how a fair number of people don't like the flavour of banana much. But, it's always better to have a solution than suffer and be restless the entire day, right?

Also, it's so simple to make! Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients:

1. Banana

2. Water

3. Dash of cinnamon (if desired)

How to make:

Take a fresh banana and cut off a little bit from both sides. Do not peel. Put the banana in a pot of a cup or two of water and bring to boil.

Once boiled, drain the water in a mug with the help of a sieve and drink it hot! For better effect, you can eat the boiled banana along with the peel.

Drink the tea right before you go to bed.

It sounds even stranger, now, we know. Many of you are probably shuddering at the thought of eating a boiled banana, but if it guarantees a good and improved sleep cycle, then why not?

You might be wondering how it happens, though. Well, the explanation lies in the peel of a banana. A banana peel contains a large amount of magnesium, which is known as a calming and relaxing agent. Do try this out!

Sweet dreams!
New Delhi: With the controversy surrounding the VVIP chopper deal getting murkier by the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Tuesday, will again question ex-Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi in connection with the case.

The former IAF chief today reached CBI headquarters for questioning in the alleged VVIP chopper scam.

The CBI had yesterday grilled Tyagi for around 10 hours over his alleged links with middlemen in the controversial Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal during which he was also quizzed about the source of funding for his post-retirement trip to Italy.

It was for the second time in three years that the retired Air Chief Marshal was being questioned in connection with the VVIP chopper deal but it was for the first time he was quizzed after an order of the Italian court on the matter. He was earlier quizzed in 2013.

Tyagi has been named in the FIR in the chopper deal along with 13 others including his brothers -- Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep -- and European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

Sources said Tyagi's brothers will soon be summoned for questioning along with Gautam Khaitan, another accused in the case.

The allegation against the former IAF chief is that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres (15,000 feet) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids.

However, Tyagi maintains that the decision was reportedly taken in consultation with officials of the Special Protection Group (SPG) and the Prime Minister's Office. Twelve helicopters were to be bought by India.

The CBI says the reduction of the service ceiling, which is the maximum height at which a helicopter can perform normally, allowed the Britain-based firm to get into the fray. Otherwise its helicopters were not even qualified for submission of bids.

The chopper deal resurfaced after an Italian court last month referred to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh among others in connection with the chopper deal but gave no details of any wrongdoing by the two leaders.

The CBI, which has received a copy of the Milan court order, has now prepared a fresh set of questions for Tyagi, who has denied the bribery allegations.

The Milan court has also given details of how alleged bribes were paid by AgustaWestland's parent company Finmeccanica as well as AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal.

The order mentions Tyagi's name in several places.

The investigating agency had quizzed former IAF deputy chief JS Gujral on Saturday.

Both Tyagi and Gujral were questioned in 2013 but the fresh round of questioning was necessitated after the recent order of the Italian court.

AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force was scrapped by the then UPA government over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents.

In January 2013, India cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate the matter.

The CBI on March 13, 2013 registered a first information report against Tyagi and others in the case.

Firms Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland, IDS Infotech Ltd (India) and Aeromatrix India were also booked as accused in the case.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Former Press Council of India Chairman and Supreme Court of India judge Markandey Katju sparked yet another controversy on Tuesday.

This time, Justice Markandey Katju has come down heavily on outdated and backward customs in Muslim community.

Katju has said that there is a need for Muslims to become modern.

'I'm against oral talaq and burqa'

"I am strongly against oral talaq and burqa among Muslims, and I support the demand of a uniform civil code," Katju wrote on his official Facebook page.

"Sharia law has done great harm to Muslims, and has contributed in keeping them backward. The time has come when it must be abolished ( just as the old Hindu Law was abolished in 1955 and 1956 by statutes ). It is only due to vote bank politics and bigotry of some die hard feudal minded Muslims that this has not yet been done. So I support the recent demand of some modern minded Muslim womens organizations in this connection," Katju wrote.

'Sharia was made by Allah, and so cannot be abolished - This is nonsense'

"The very fact that oral talaq is permitted to only Muslim males, but not to females shows that Sharia treats women as inferior. But some claim that Sharia was made by Allah, and so cannot be abolished. This is nonsense and humbug. Customary non statutory law was not made by anyone, but evolved in accordance with the social system prevalent at that time."

'Wearing burqa is stupid backward practice'

"In the middle ages women were everywhere regarded as inferior to men. Thus, according to the old non statutory Hindu Law, a man could marry as many wives as he wanted, but a woman could marry only one husband. This shows that the old Hindu Law too treated women as inferior. Similarly, wearing burqa is a stupid backward practice. If a woman wears a sari or salwar kameez surely she is not nude. Why should women be kept in a cage ? It is time now that Muslim men tell their wives and other female relatives to discard burqa, and support the demand for abolition of oral talaq."

'Always supported Muslims'

"I have always supported Muslims whenever any atrocity or injustice was done to them. But I am an opponent of outdated backward feudal customs and practices among all communities, e.g. the caste system among Hindus and looking down on dalits."

(Above statements of Katju has been taken from his Facebook's post)

FULL TEXT of the Markandey Katju's post

The need for Muslims to become modern

I have always supported Muslims whenever any atrocity or injustice was done to them. But I am an opponent of outdated backward feudal customs and practices among all communities, e.g. the caste system among Hindus and looking down on dalits.

Similarly, I am strongly against oral talaq and burqa among Muslims, and I support the demand of a uniform civil code.

Sharia law has done great harm to Muslims, and has contributed in keeping them backward. The time has come when it must be abolished ( just as the old Hindu Law was abolished in 1955 and 1956 by statutes ). It is only due to vote bank politics and bigotry of some die hard feudal minded Muslims that this has not yet been done. So I support the recent demand of some modern minded Muslim womens organizations in this connection.

The very fact that oral talaq is permitted to only Muslim males, but not to females shows that Sharia treats women as inferior. But some claim that Sharia was made by Allah, and so cannot be abolished. This is nonsense and humbug. Customary non statutory law was not made by anyone, but evolved in accordance with the social syste prevalent at that time. In the middle ages women were everywhere regarded as inferior to men. Thus, according to the old non statutory Hindu Law, a man could marry as many wives as he wanted, but a woman could marry only one husband. This shows that the old Hindu Law too treated women as inferior.

Similarly, wearing burqa is a stupid backward practice. If a woman wears a sari or salwar kameez surely she is not nude. Why should women be kept in a cage ? It is time now that Muslim men tell their wives and other female relatives to discard burqa, and support the demand for abolition of oral talaq.
New Delhi: A demand for getting back the Kohinoor diamond from Britain and giving it to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, as had been willed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was made in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention, Bhupinder Singh (BJD) said Maharaja Ranjit Singh had willed that the Kohinoor diamond be given to Jagannath Temple as Guru Nanak Dev had visited Puri and mentioned about the deity in the holy book of Guru Granth Saheb.

He demanded that the diamond be brought back and restored to whom the Maharaja had willed it to be gien.

The Centre had recently told the Supreme Court that the heirs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave the 105-carat Kohinoor to the British as "voluntary compensation" to cover the expenses of the Anglo-Sikh Wars.

The diamond is on display at the Tower of London.

The BJD leader said it was incorrect to say that the heirs of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had converted to Christianity and offered the diamond to British.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien said every member "will be happy is Kohinoor is brought back."

PL Punia (Congress) raised the issue of shortage of judges in courts saying the country had 17 judges per 10 lakh population as against a requirement of 50 judges.

The shortage of judges was impacting speedy delivery of justice, he said, adding that judges spent between 2 to 15 minutes on a case.

He demanded that the collegium system of appointing judges must be scrapped and replaced by a transparent system of appointment and vacancies filled up at earliest.

Also, an 'All India Judicial Service' be set up and reservation to SC, ST and OBCs given at all levels of judicial appointments, he said.

Once these things are done, "Chief Justice of India will not have to cry in front of the Prime Minister," he said alluding to the Chief Justice almost breaking down in front of Narendra Modi recently over vacancies in judiciary.
New Delhi: In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Capitation fee being charged by the educational institutes is illegal.

Taking note of hard reality of very high capitation fee taken by various colleges for admission, the apex court said that educational institutions should not just focus on making profits, but run on 'no-profit-no-loss' basis, The Times of India report said.

A five-judge Constitution bench of Justices AR Dave, AK Sikri, RK Agrawal, AK Goel and R Banumathi that commercialisation of education sector is not permissible and put the onus on the government to curb malpractices.

The bench observed that the admission process should only be based on merits.

While expressing concern over the prevalence of capitation culture in the country, the SC categorically said, profiteering and commercialisation are not permitted and no capitation fee can be charged.

"Education is treated as a noble occupation on 'no-profit-no-loss' basis. Thus, those who establish and are managing the educational institutions are not expected to indulge in profiteering or commercialise this noble activity, the ToI report quoted the SC bench as saying.

The top court said the government should ensure that educational institutions were not indulging in commercialisation.
Cairo: Egypt's journalists' union today denounced what it called a decline in press freedoms and accused the regime of being "at war" with the profession after two reporters were arrested.

Human rights activists accuse President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of running an ultra-authoritarian regime that has violently suppressed all opposition since toppling Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

On Sunday, police sparked media and opposition outrage by storming the journalists' union building in an unprecedented raid and arresting two reporters.

A day later, the authorities ordered the detention for 15 days of Amr Badr and Mahmud el-Sakka on allegations of incitement to protest.

The prosecutor said the pair would be held as part of an investigation which also includes allegations they had called for a "coup".

Badr heads the website Babawet Yanayer which is opposed to Sisi.

Sakka works for the same organisation whose Arabic name means January Gate in a nod to the January 2011 uprising that forced longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak to stand down.

"This year we mark World Press Freedom Day with Egypt down in all the international rankings," union chief Yahiya Kallash told a press conference ahead of a union general meeting due tomorrow.

"Instead of seeing the government take concrete measures to overcome this situation, we are surprised to see it escalating the war against journalism and journalists," he said.

Kallash denounced "unprecedented searches of the offices of information providers" and the "practice of censorship before publication".

He said "29 journalists are currently behind bars, some of whom have been in custody for nearly three years".

The union chief addressed an often rowdy press conference of some 200 journalists during which he was interrupted by chants against the police who controlled access to the building.

"Interior ministry thugs!" they chanted.
Islamabad: Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Pakistans banned terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), has said that his organisation will not allow destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places of non- Muslims in the country.

It was Muslims responsibility to safeguard holy places of their Hindus brethren, Saeed reportedly said while addressing a meeting in Matli town of Sindh province yesterday.

We will not allow destruction of temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country, he had warned.

The JuD chief rejected allegations that his organisation is promoting extremism in Thar area of Sindh, which borders India, by opening seminaries in the poverty-stricken arid region.

Saeed also pledged support for Kashmiri Muslims, according to a Dawn report.

He said the law enforcement agencies were sincerely trying to fight against anti-state actors and RAW agents but the Nawaz Sharif government remained silent over it.
New Delhi: Reacting strongly to US Commission for International Religious Freedom report, India on Tuesday said, USCIRF once again failed to show proper understanding of India, its Constitution and society.

The Ministry of External Affairs said, Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens including the right to freedom of religion. The Government of India doesn't see locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on state of Indian citizens' constitutionally protected rights.

On the @USCIRF report: We see no locus standi for the report. We take no cognizance of it. pic.twitter.com/ibIA9lzj8S  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) May 3, 2016

"We see no locus standi for the report. We take no cognizance of it," MEA tweeted.

New Delhi's reaction comes after the USCIRF, in its 2016 annual report said, religious freedom in India was on a "negative trajectory" in 2015 as religious tolerance "declined" and religious freedom violations "increased".

The USCIRF, in its 2016 annual report, also suggested that the Indian government publicly rebuke officials and religious leaders that make derogatory statements about religious communities.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world, dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.
The Hague: Italy will have to return its marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, in case the court finds Indian jurisdiction over the case, the UN tribunal said today.

"Italy and India shall cooperate, including in proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, to achieve a relaxation of the bail conditions of Sergeant Girone so as to give effect to the concept of considerations of humanity, so that Sergeant Girone, while remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, may return to Italy during the present arbitration," the order said.

Girone, along with another Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre, is facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast.

Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy here. The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN court.

"The Arbitral Tribunal confirms Italys obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case the Arbitral Tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him in respect of the Enrica Lexie incident," the order said.

It further said that the Arbitral Tribunal has decided that Italy and India each shall report to it on "compliance with these provisional measures and authorises the President to seek information from the parties if no such report is submitted within three months from the date of this order and thereafter as he may consider appropriate."

Yesterday, Italian Foreign Ministry said that the UN tribunal has ruled in favour of Girone by allowing him to leave for Italy while India maintained that the tribunal left it to the Supreme Court to fix the precise conditions of Girones bail and noted that while the marine may return to Italy during the present arbitration, he would remain under the authority of Indias apex court.
Washington: In a major blow, the Obama administration on Monday rejected any subsidy for Pakistan to buy the eight F-16 fighter jets.

Rather the United States has asked Pakistan to "put forward" its "national funds" for purchase of these jets.

The development comes after some top American Senators have put a hold on use of the US tax payers' money for this purpose.

"While Congress has approved the sale, key members have made clear that they object to using FMF (foreign military financing) to support it. Given Congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose," US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.

Kirby, however, did not say when this decision was taken and when was it communicated to Pakistan.

On February 11, the State Department had informed the Congress about its determination for selling eight fighter jets to Pakistan at an estimated cost of USD 700 million. The move was opposed by the Indian government as it summoned the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, to lodge its protest.

Here in the US, top American lawmakers led by Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, put a hold on the sale arguing that it would not let the Obama administration use tax payers' money for sale of the fighter jets to Pakistan given that Islamabad was not taking enough action against terrorist organisations, in particular the Haqqani network, and there was continued existence of terrorist safe havens inside its territory.

Several Indian American organisations reached out to lawmakers expressing their concern over such a sale, which they argued is nothing but rewarding a bad actor.

Last week, top American lawmakers during a Congressional hearing openly told the Obama administration that they feared Pakistan would be using these F-16 fighter jets against India and not against terrorists.

However, both the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Pakistan government insisted that F-16 is an important tool in the fight against terrorism and urged the Congress to remove the hold. The lawmakers stood their ground and told the Obama administration that it will not till the time Pakistan takes tangible action against the Haqqani network.

On the occasion of fifth anniversary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader at a safe hideout in Abbottabad on the outskirts of a Pakistan Army garrison town, by American commandos, the US publicly announced that it has asked Pakistan to use its national resources to buy F-16.

In saying so, the US expressed its disappointment over the Congressional hold. "Effective engagement with Pakistan, we believe, is critical to promoting the consolidation of democratic institutions and economic stability in supporting the government's counterterrorism activities and capabilities," Kirby said.

"As a matter of long-standing principle, the Department of State opposes conditions to the release of appropriated foreign assistance funds. We believe that such conditions limit the president and the secretary's ability to conduct foreign policy in the best interest of the United States," Kirby said.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a fresh plea of few states, including Jammu and Kashmir, and some private medical colleges that NEET for admissions to undergraduate medical courses like - MBBS and BDS - may not be thrust on the states and they may be allowed to conduct their own entrance examinations.

A bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur had yesterday said that the hearing by the special bench headed by Justice Anil R Dave will take place today at 2 pm after a battery of senior lawyers, including Gopal Subramaniam appearing for Jammu and Kashmir, and KK Venugopal appearing for Association of Private Medical Colleges of Karnataka, mentioned the matter.

Various states, including the associations of private medical colleges are aggrieved by the top court's Friday order reiterating that admission to undergraduate medical courses will be only through National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) to be conducted by the Central Board of School Education (CBSE).

Subramaniam, appearing for Jammu and Kashmir said that the entrance test being held by the state administration be allowed to go on as per schedule on the ground that it has been granted a special status.

Venugopal, who represented some private medical colleges of Karnataka, made similar pleas that the pre-scheduled entrance test may be permitted to go on alongside the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET).

Similar requests were made by the counsel representing Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. All these fresh pleas would be heard tomorrow by another bench headed by Justice AR Dave which had recently recalled its earlier order and permitted NEET to be conducted.

The apex court had on April 29, said that the entrance test for admission to MBBS and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-17 will be held as per the schedule through the two-phased common entrance test NEET on May 1 and July 24.

The first phase of NEET was conducted on Sunday. The second phase will be held on July 24.

On April 28, the court had rejected opposition for holding NEET by states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Association of Karnataka Medical Colleges, besides minority institutions like CMC, Vellore.

The apex court order had implied that all government colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges would be covered under NEET and those examinations which have already taken place or slated to be conducted separately stand scrapped.

It had also revived the government's December 21, 2010 notification for holding a single common entrance test through NEET with a clarification that any challenge on the issue would directly come before it and no high court can interfere.

Notably, under Article 254 if a law enacted by the state legislature is inconsistent with the law made by the Parliament on a subject falling under the concurrent list, then the central law would prevail. However, the state law would continue to operate in the state if it has been reserved for the consideration of the president and has received his assent.

However, this would not come in the way of Parliament to enact a law that would added to, amend or even repeal such a state law.

Noting that the working of the Medical Council of India was not satisfactory, the constitution bench set up a three member committee comprising former chief justice RM Lodha, former comptroller and auditor general Vinod Rai and Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences director Shiv Sarin to oversee its working.

Asking the government to issue notification for the committee, the bench had said: "The committee will function till the central government puts in place any other appropriate mechanism after due consideration of the Expert Committee Report."

Initially the committee, the court had said, would function for a period of one year, unless suitable mechanism is brought in place earlier to substitute it.

Directing the listing of the matter after one year, the court hoped that within the said period the central government would come out with an appropriate mechanism.
Lucknow: In a shocking claim, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has alleged that Bollywood actor Govinda took underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and builder Hiten Thakur's help to defeat him in Mumbai North in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

In his memoir 'Chaireveti, Chaireveti' (Keep Moving) written in Marathi, Naik said despite being a three-time MP, he was unable to digest his defeat by a margin of only 11,000 votes.

The memoir, which was released in Mumbai on April 25, mentioned that Govinda was friends with Dawood and Thakur and the Bollywood actor used them to terrorise voters.

"He used their muscle power to poll votes against me and in his favour," he told The Times of India.

However, Govinda said he won because of the support of people. "I did not need anyone's support at that time. By saying such things, does Ram Naik mean that the people of the constituency were sold into the hands of the underworld. Please do not insult anyone by saying such things," the daily quoted Govinda as saying.

"At this juncture when I am coming back into films, I humbly request Ram Naik not to damage my name and create hurdles in my work," the actor said.

"If Govinda had any connection with Hindu or Muslim underworld, then why would his career come to a standstill for 10 years. Why is Govinda still making low-budget films?" he asked.
Mumbai: Actor Sanjay Dutt on Tuesday dismissed speculations of joining Bharatiya Janata Party and said that he attended the party event only to cheer up his friend Mohit Kamboj.

"I was not there seeing it as a BJP platform but I was there for my brother Mohit Kamboj," the 56-year-old actor told ANI.

On Sunday, Sanjay Dutt made his first public appearance at a BJP event organised by youth wing leader of the party Mohit Kamboj at the Mumbai suburb of Dindoshi on Maharashtra Day.

Dutt, seen in an orange Maharashtrian turban, appealed to people in his trademark film style to elect Kamboj in the next assembly election.

His appearance at the BJP event led many eyebrows raised in political circles as critics associated his father Sunil Dutt and sister Priya Dutt's long association with Congress party.

Way back in 2009, Dutt had joined Samajwadi Party as it state general secretary but quit the party after two years.

It is important to note that many BJP leaders were critical of repeated parole granted to Dutt while he was serving jail term in connection with 1993 bomb blasts case.
New Delhi: The Indian intelligence officials have reportedly traced a secret facility which was used to train the Jaish-e-Muhammad militants who carried out the assault on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot recently, a report said on Tuesday.

However, under growing pressure from India, Pakistans notorious spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has ordered the shifting of facility used to train the JeM militants who were involved in the Pathankot attack case, a report carried by the Indian Express said.

According to the report, the instructions have come from Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence to shift JeM's base, located in the shadows of Fort Maujgarh, which is believed by the Indian intelligence to have been used to train elite Jaish units for special missions.

As per intelligence sources, the training facility has now been housed at the Jaish-e-Muhammads main seminary at Bahawalpur, 62 km away, but without their weapons.

The western complex, walled off by high earthworks, includes several barrack-like buildings, small patches of farmland, and a modern, rectangular water reservoir. The southern complex, built in a sandy depression, also has a main building protected by a high perimeter wall, and houses a similar water reservoir, says report.

Fort Maujgarh is believed by Indian intelligence to have been used for tactical training in cross-border infiltration.

Indian intelligence officials believe that large parts of the JeM militants' hands-on training appears to have taken place in a sprawling patch of desert west of an agrarian settlement known as Chak 48, well to the west of Maujgarh along a road running along the desert parallel to the India-Pakistan desert.

The region is believed by the Pakistani counter-intelligence to be less vulnerable to Indian espionage than Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Fort Maujgarh is the second major desert facility known to have been used by the Jaish-e-Muhammad. In 2009, Indian intelligence detected that the organisation was training personnel at Fort Abbas, 72 km as the crow flies from Fort Maujgarh.

The bases location set off alarms in New Delhi, since it is just a short distance from Faqirwali, on the India-Pakistan border.

In addition, Fort Abbas houses an airstrip which led to fears in the intelligence community that the Jaish may have been planning to use it to train personnel in handling remote-controlled aircraft as airborne improvised explosive devices.
New Delhi: Government on Tuesday asserted in Lok Sabha that the UN arbitration tribunal's order allowing a murder-accused Italian marine to return home from India pending its proceedings has "affirmed" the Supreme Court's authority and not questioned it.

Making a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Finance Arun Jaitley said the tribunal has confirmed Italy's obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case India's jurisdiction over him is established.

The tribunal has also left it to the Supreme Court to fix precise conditions of his bail, he said amid unhappiness expressed by Congress over the way the case is being handled by the government.

"We see the tribunal's order not just as a recognition of India's consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India," said Jaitley, speaking on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is unwell.

Congress members, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a walkout, expressing unhappiness after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow them to ask questions.

Their protests invited criticism from Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who accused Congress of doing so because of the Assembly polls in Kerala as media would cover it even though the Speaker has expunged their remarks. "It's match-fixing," he said.

The two Italian marines are accused of killing two fishermen of Kerala four years back.

Jaitley said the issue of jurisdiction, which is "at the heart" of the case, is yet to be even argued before the tribunal and the "limited relief" given on humanitarian considerations has been made contingent to the clear cut undertakings provided by Italy that Girone will return to India in case its jurisdiction is established.

"The tribunal noted that while Italy had earlier made a far-reaching request that, if granted, would have removed Sergeant Girone entirely from the reach of India's legal system. This time Italy was only requesting India to relax the bail conditions to enable him to return to Italy.

"In doing so, Italy was prepared to accept that he remained under the jurisdiction of the courts if India. In essence, they proposed to change the physical location of Sergeant Girone's bail without prejudice to the authority of India's courts," he said.
New Delhi: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said the government has better things to do than targeting Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

We are targeting poverty, education, and focusing on employment generation... We've better things to do, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said when asked to comment on Rahul Gandhi's statement that he was happy to be targeted by the BJP.

Naidu's comments came after Rahul, while reacting to BJP's allegations that one of his top aides Kanishka Singh was closely linked to the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, said, I am always being targeted, happy to be targeted.

Further expressing his views on the VVIP chopper deal, Naidu said, "It's a matter concerning the security of the country and a dirty scam took place during the UPA regime."

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has levelled serious charges against Sonia Gandhi saying, he believes that the Congress president received bribe in the Rs 3600 crore deal.

Commenting on the alleged VVIP chopper scam, Swamy said, The bribe paid had not come to India, it has been deposited in foreign banks. According to me, Sonia Gandhi was given bribe and she deposited the money in Sarasin Bank in Geneva and Pictet bank in Zurich.

The chopper deal resurfaced after an Italian court last month referred to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh among others in connection with the chopper deal but gave no details of any wrongdoing by the two leaders.

AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force was scrapped by the then UPA government over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents.
Bengaluru: The alleged kingpin in the Class XII chemistry question paper leak case has been arrested, Criminal Investigation Department officials said on Tuesday.

Shivakumariah was nabbed from a hideout near Hosur road on the outskirts of the city last night, the officials said.

CID was on the lookout for him.

The exam that first took place on March 21 was cancelled after it was revealed that the question paper was leaked.

On March 31, hours before the rescheduled Chemistry exam was to begin, Department of Pre-University Education was alerted about question paper leak at two locations in the state.

The state government handed over the probe into the matter to CID, which has arrested several persons in connection with the case including the Officer on Special Duty to state minister Sharanprakash Patil.

Cracking the whip, the government had suspended 40 officers and other staff of the Pre-University Department, and also transferred the Director following the leak.

Over 1.74 lakh students wrote the exam across the state finally on April 12 under strict vigil.

Facing flak over handling of the examinations, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar had announced that government was working on changing the rules for conduct of exams.
New Delhi: The brutal rape and murder of a 30-year-old law student at her home in Kerala has sent shockwaves across the country.

The savagery and barbarity with which the Dalit woman was assaulted at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28 reminds one of `Nirbhaya`, the victim of 2012 Delhi gang-rape.



Post-mortem report suggests that Jisha was beaten savagely by the accused using a sharp weapon that pulled out her intestines. There were over 30 injury marks on her body. Two sides of her chest were found to be pierced to almost two inches deep. She was also hit in the genitals with an iron rod. An injury on her head is, however, cited as the main reason of her death.

The Kerala Police, after being severely criticised for inaction in the case even days after the incident came to light, has detained two persons and their interrogation is on.

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in poll-bound Kerala, demanding justice for Jisha.

The social media is flooded with doubts if outrage against rapes is selective. Some users doubted if the case will be taken as seriously as Nirbhaya's, or if people of the country rise in unison to denounce the incident as happened in 2012. Huge protests had erupted across country, seeking justice for Nirbhaya.

The gruesome rape and murder of a girl by a group of men on a moving bus in Delhi December 16, 2012, had shocked the nation. `Nirbhaya` became the pseudonym given to the gang-rape victim whose death in 2012 brought worldwide attention to violence against women. The incident also brought about new laws that doubled prison terms for rape and criminalised voyeurism and stalking.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Human Rights Commission today ordered that the probe into the brutal murder of a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor be handed over to the Crime branch.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, Commission Chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.

The crime branch should submit the progress of the probe to the commission on May 30 by 11 AM, the commission said in the order marked to State DGP, Kochi Range IGP and Ernakulam Rural SP.

Efficient police personnel should be entrusted with the investigation of the case like it was carried out in the murder of a Delhi student in 2012, the commission said in a release.

The commission also directed the DGP that since the May 16 elections are only days away the investigation in the case should be completed as early as possible before the evidence is lost.

Police had said as per the post mortem report, she was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her small wayside house in Ernakulam district on April 28.
Ernakulam (Kerala): The Kerala Police on Tuesday detained three persons in connection with the brutal rape and murder of the 30-year-old law student here.

The incident has drawn parallels with the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case of Delhi, as the dalit student in Kerala was meted out a similar brutal treatment.

Jisha was found lying dead in a pool of blood on April 28 at her home near a canal in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam by her mother who works as a casual labourer.

Her body was badly mutilated; there were injuries on her private parts, according to the police.

The police are waiting for forensic reports to find out if the victim was raped and then murdered.

"The suspect attacked and murdered her brutally and fled the scene quickly," said police inspector general Mahipal Yadav, who is heading the investigation into the case.

"There are indications that her intestines came out after severe violation by some foreign object," Yadav told AFP.

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said police had registered a case of rape and murder and detained three people for questioning.

"Police have booked a case of rape and murder... today three people were taken into custody for interrogation," AFP quoted the minister as saying.

"Police are working very hard on this case, we will bring all the culprits to book within no time. There will be no laxity."

Protesters staged a demonstration in state capital Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, many covering their mouths with black handkerchiefs and carrying placards demanding justice for the victim.

(With agency inputs)
Perumbavoor: The post-mortem report of the Dalit law student, who was found dead at her house in Ernakulam, Kerala, on April 28, has suggested that the 30-year-old was brutally raped before her death.

In a brutal reminder of gang-rape of a Delhi student on a moving bus in 2012, the body of the law student was found in Perumbavoor with the intestines hanging out.

According to kaumudi.com, there were around 30 injuries on the student's body. A deep wound on her neck was visible. The post-mortem report also suggested that the injury in her head caused her sudden death.

A report by Mathrubhumi said the victim was beaten savagely using a sharp weapon. The autopsy report also suggested that the two sides of her chest were pierced to almost two inches deep using a sharp knife. She was also hit in the genitals with an iron rod.

The woman lived with her mother. After returning to her single-room house from her daily work by 8.30 pm, the girl's mother found her daughter lying in a pool of blood.

No arrests have been made in the case as yet.

Talking to ANI, Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said two teams were probing into the matter. Saying that the girl was brutally murdered, Kumar ruled out the possibility of the involvement of many people in the case.

With the Kerala Assembly Election 2016 round the corner, the CPI-M accused the Congress-led UDF government for the laxity in finding the culprit.
Ernakulam (Kerala): The brutal murder of a poor law student in this district last week has galvanised politics in election-bound Kerala as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy promised a thorough probe while the opposition alleged "inaction".

Jisha, a 27-year-old woman, was found murdered on April 28 at her home near a canal in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam by her mother who works as a casual labourer.

Her body was badly mutilated; there were injuries on her private parts, according to the police.

The police are waiting for forensic reports to find out if the victim was raped and then murdered.

The possibility that Jisha might have been sexually assaulted and the mutilation that her body bore has led some to compare the case with that of Jyoti Singh `Nirbhaya` who was gang-raped and brutalised on December 16, 2012 in a moving bus in Delhi.

Sensing that it could lead to a political backlash, the state government has ordered a high level probe to be led by Kochi Range Inspector General of Police Mahipal Yadav.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters on Tuesday: "We have asked the probe to be led by a very senior official and nothing will be left to chance to bring the culprits to justice.

The State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala is also closely watching the probe, said Chandy.

Women activists and the opposition CPI-M, however, said the handling of the case so far was proof of abject inaction.

"It has come to a stage that women are now no longer safe in their homes. The police here are not allowed to do their job and the state government is also not doing anything," said CPI-M politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan.

In the state capital women journalists took out a march demanding police act with speed in its investigation.

"The police appears to be soft and silent in the probe and there has been a violation of Justice Verma Commission guidelines in such cases. It`s five days since the incident took place and nothing seems to be happening," said lawyer and women`s rights activist Ginakumari.

The students` wing of CPI-M expressed impatience and anger over the alleged delay in investigation of the case; it took out a march to the police station near here demanding quick action.

The victim`s mother said: "Our neighbours did not come to our help even after coming to know of the murder. We want the law to come to our aid to arrest those who have done this."

Jisha`s sister Deepa said the neighbours were unkind to them and trying to evict them from the place.

"They did not come to her rescue even while she was brutally assaulted," said Deepa.

With assembly polls to take place on May 16, the Left opposition, led by CPI-M, is now determined to take this case up as an election issue to hit at the Chandy government.

--IANS

sg/kb/vm


Thiruvananthapuram: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday took suo moto congnizance of media reports of rape and murder of a law student in Ernakulam and issued a notice to Kerala government.

The Commission, on the basis of the media reports, has observed that the crime is so spine-chilling and gruesome that words fall short and expressing anguish and shock appear meaningless and mere ritualistic.

It is a matter of utmost concern that women`s security is facing grave threat in spite of several measures taken in the recent times including amendment in the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Evidence Act.

The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Government of Kerala as well as Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam Rural at Aluva.

They have been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident and action taken in the matter within two weeks.

On April 29, a law student was first raped and then brutally murdered in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala. She was found dead in a pool of blood by her mother who returned home from work.

The autopsy report said that her intestine were ripped out in the attack and the deceased was attacked multiple times with a sharp-edged weapon. The attack is being referred as Nirbhaya case of Kerala.

It's been over a week yet the investigative officers are completely clueless with no arrest been made so far in the case. However, on Monday two persons were detained in Kochi for interrogation in connection with the case.

While the family is still in deep shock, the investigative officials have assured that perpetrators will be nabbed and will be behind bars soon.
Pune: MNS activists today allegedly vandalised state Irrigation Department's office here protesting against the sharing of water in city reservoirs with neighbouring towns reeling under water shortage, police said.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists barged into 'Sinchan Bhavan' and the damaged office furniture, shouting slogans against Pune District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat's decision to release in phases one TMC water from Khadakwasla dam to Daund and Indapur talukas, effective today.

"None of the protesters have been detained as they fled the scene after the sudden demonstration," an officer in city police control room said.

Although Bapat has maintained that the decision would not result in further water cut applicable to Pune, city Mayor (NCP) Prashant Jagtap criticised the measure saying the civic body was not consulted before the announcement on water sharing that would aggravate the water crisis in the city.

"The Guardian Minister himself has made things difficult for people and announced his decision to share water without taking Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) into confidence," Jagtap said.

The residents of Pune are at present getting municipal water supply from Khadakwasla dam every alternate day.
Dhaka: Bangladesh Supreme Court will pronounce the final verdict on May 5 on the death sentence it handed down to chief of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, Motiur Rahman Nizami, deciding his fate over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

"The decision will be pronounced on May 5," Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha said today, wrapping up the hearing on the 72-year-old death row convict's review petition at the four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

During the over three-hour review hearing, the court heard both attorney general Mahbubey Alam and Nizami's chief counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

In another development, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) in the capital handed down death penalty to four 1971 war criminals and "imprisonment until death" to another for carrying out atrocities in northern Kishorganj during the Liberation War, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Only one of the convicts ? former members of Razakar Bahini, a Bengali-manned auxiliary force of the Pakistan army in 1971 - faced the trial in person while the rest, including a former Bengali captain of the Pakistani force, were tried in absentia.

Witnesses said the three-member special tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque sentenced one of the fugitives the imprisonment until death.

In the apex court, Nizami's chief counsels appealed to the court to reduce his client's punishment, saying despite being the then chief of the notorious Al-Badr militia force and of Jamaat's student wing, he was not "directly involved" in mass murders, arsons and rapes.

Attorney general Alam opposed the argument, saying Jamaat had sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War and being the chief of the Al-Badr militia force manned by the party activists, Nizami could not avoid the responsibility.

Legal experts said if the apex court upheld its January 6 judgment confirming Nizami's capital punishment, the top leader of Bangladesh's biggest Islamist party would be left with the only option to seek presidential mercy.

President Abdul Hamid, however, has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year.

ICT-BD originally sentenced Nizami to death on October 29, 2014 and after an appeal hearing, the apex court in its January judgment found the punishment appropriate for him.

The prison authorities served Nizami the death warrant on March 16 as the apex court's decision reached them in writing through the ICT-BD following which the Jamaat chief preferred to seek review of the Supreme Court judgment.

Nizami was a minister in the past BNP-led four-party alliance government with Jamaat as its crucial ally.
Colombo: Four former LTTE operatives have been arrested by police in Sri Lanka on suspicion of trying to revive the banned group's separatist activities.

The police's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) yesterday issued a receipt acknowledging the arrest of one Krishnapillai Kaileshan who allegedly operated as the LTTEs eastern Batticaloa district intelligence senior.

He was being questioned, police sources said.

It was also said that three more intelligence seniors from the eastern districts of Ampara and Batticaloa and Jaffna in the north had also been arrested in the recent days.

Northern Tamil media sources said that since March 29, some 23 former LTTE operatives had been arrested in the north and east.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said the government would not permit the revival of the LTTE and it was investigating possible attempts by individuals to organise themselves to form a new terror group.

The LTTE fought for three decades with the government to carve out a separate Tamil homeland. It was defeated by the government troops in 2009.
Dhaka: A new hit-list naming 10 people, including the head of a university and ruling party officials, have been released by a Bangladeshi extemist outfit amid a series of gruesome murders of secular bloggers and intellectuals in the Muslim-majority country.

Islamic Liberation Front (ILF), an organisation that aims to establish Islamic Khilafat in the country, yesterday issued a hit-list naming 10 renowned people, including Rajshahi University Vice Chancellor M Mizanuddin and former mayor Khairuzzaman Liton.

The ILF sent the letter to the president of the Natore Press Club from Rajshahi.

Natore Press Club president Rezaul Karim Reza said that an envelope containing a computer- composed letter on an ILF pad reached the press club by post, Independent Bangladesh newspaper reported.

Apart from Mizanuddin and Liton, others named in the list include Rajshahi lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, Rajshahi district unit Secretary Asaduzzaman and journalist Anu Mostafa, it said.

Natore Superintendent of Police Shyamol Mukherjee said they have beefed up intelligence activities in the district and are investigating the matter.

The threat to the Rajshahi University vice chancellor comes weeks after professor from the same university AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, was attacked by motorbike-borne assailants and his throat was slit on April 23.

Siddiquee's murder led to widespread protests by teachers and students from the university who condemned the attack and voiced concerns of their colleagues' security.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.

In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.
Islamabad: Pakistan`s interior minister has launched a blistering assault on "ignorant" Donald Trump after the Republican presidential frontrunner vowed to free the doctor who helped track down Osama bin Laden if he wins office.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the "government of Pakistan and not Donald Trump" will decide the fate of Shakeel Afridi, languishing in prison five years after his fake vaccination programme helped the CIA track and kill the Al Qaeda leader.

Khan spoke late Monday in response to an interview with Trump on Fox News on Friday in which the billionaire claimed that if he became president he would have Afridi out of prison "in two minutes".

"I would tell them, let them (him) out and I`m sure they would let them (him) out. Because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan," Trump said, adding that Pakistan "takes advantage like everybody else".

Pakistan has historically been among the top recipients of US aid, receiving $633 million in 2015 according to USAID and billions in previous decades.

But Khan said the "peanuts" the US has given his country "should not be used to threaten or browbeat us into following Mr Trump`s misguided vision of foreign policy".

"Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America," he said, adding that Trump`s comment "serves to show not only his insensitivity but also his ignorance about Pakistan".

Afridi was accused of ties with militants and thrown in jail weeks after bin Laden`s death in a US raid on the garrison city of Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

Details of Afridi`s involvement are murky, but it is known that he ran a fake vaccination programme that helped obtain genetic samples from the city which led the CIA to bin Laden. He was hiding there under the noses of senior Pakistani military officers.

In response to Afridi`s jailing a furious US Senate committee voted to cut aid to Islamabad by $33 million -- $1 million for each year of his original sentence.

The sentence was later cut by 10 years, but since then US pressure for Afridi`s release has tapered off. The doctor, who has always maintained his innocence, has no access to a lawyer and his appeal against the sentence has stalled.

"We believe he`s been unjustly imprisoned," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday when questioned about Afridi after Trump`s interview.

He said the US continues "to raise this issue at the highest levels" but has been given no firm assurances by Pakistan over Afridi`s release.

Trump also said during the interview that US troops should stay in Afghanistan "because it`s adjacent and right next to Pakistan which has nuclear weapons".

jaf/st/sm


Washington: Five years after the killing of Osama bin Laden, former Central Intelligence Agency director Leon Panetta on Monday revealed that the US decided to keep Pakistan in dark regarding the mission against al Qaeda chief because it doubted Islamabad's trustworthiness.

Osama bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seal commandos on May 2, 2011, when they raided his compound in Abbottabad.

"Pakistan was difficult because they had a close relationship to various terrorist networks, and you were never quite sure just exactly where their loyalties would lie," Panetta, the head of the CIA operation that killed al Qaeda leader bin Laden at his Abbottabad hideout in Pakistan, said.

"It was for that reason, very frankly, that when we were looking at the bin Laden operation, which we would have preferred, frankly, to have worked with Pakistan. But there are so many questions raised about whether or not we could trust them that the president decided that we should do it alone," he told PBS news on Monday on the fifth anniversary of the killing of the most dreaded terrorist in the world on the outskirts of a Pakistan military garrison town.

Panetta, also the former US defence secretary, said it has been a challenging period to develop the relationship with Pakistan.

"Obviously, Pakistan was helpful in being able to work with us in many areas. Certainly, in the intelligence area, we worked together. On military efforts, we worked together," Panetta said.

He said five years after the killing of bin Laden, reality is that terrorism remains a threat.

"It's metastasised into ISIS. It's metastasised into Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. And so it continues to be very much a threat that the US and other countries in the world have to focus on. This is a long-term effort. We have had some success, there is no question about it. We have gone after their leadership.

"We have done well to prevent another 9/11- type attack, but there remains an awful lot more work to be done in order to protect this country. We have done a very good job at decimating al Qaeda's leadership particularly in Pakistan. And obviously, the bin Laden operation was kind of the primary effort to go after the spiritual leader of al Qaeda," he said.

"At the same time, al Qaeda's probably metastasised, as we have seen with other terrorist operations in the Middle East. There are variations of al Qaeda that are still operating very much in the Middle East and North Africa," Panetta added.

The US Navy Seals' raid killed bin Laden in 2011 in his compound in Abbottabad town near Pakistan Army's elite training school.

Bin Laden was the founder of al Qaeda, the group that claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Lahore: Efforts are underway in Pakistan to prepare a special force that's only task would be to protect Chinese nationals in the country.

The force would have a strength of 4,000 personnel and will safeguard Chinese nationals working at various projects in Punjab province.

Chinese engineers and workers working on the strategic USD 46 billion economic corridor project would also be covered by this security force.

As of now, more than 17,000 security personnel have been pulled from the Army and other security forces to provide foolproof security to Chinese nationals working across Pakistan on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

The CPEC would provide China access to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan.

The ambitious 3,000-kilometre CPEC project was launched last year to link western China to southern Pakistan through a network of roads, railways and pipelines.

"We are recruiting over 4,000 security personnel for the protection of Chinese nationals working at various projects in Punjab," Inspector General of Punjab Police Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said.

"The force will be trained and equipped to perform its duty to the best of its ability," he stated.

"The training of new force members has begun and will be completed within six months. The first batch of the force will pass out on September 15 and deployed at 16 projects for the security of Chinese," the IGP added.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday warned that it will scrap its F-16 deal with the US and buy fighter jets from other countries if the latter failed to subsidise the sale as agreed.

The threat came amid reports that the US State Department has expressed its inability to provide part of the funds for the USD 700 million deal. The department has stated that it would not be able to pass on American tax payers' money to fund the sale of F-16s to Pakistan.

Sartaj Aziz, the advisor to Pakistani prime minister on foreign affairs, said his country may be forced to look at other suppliers if the funds are blocked.

"Pakistan will buy F-16s from some other country if funding (from the US) is not arranged," Aziz said.

The two nations had earlier agreed on USD 700 million deal under which Pakistan was to pay USD 270 million from its national funds to purchase eight F-16s while the US was supposed to finance the rest of the amount from its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) fund.

But the US Congress has refused to approve the funding, leaving the deal in limbo, as cash-starved Pakistan may not be able to make the entire payment.

As per PTI, Aziz said F-16s were an effective tool to fight militancy and it can be replaced by JF-17 Thunder jets, locally produced.

He also expressed concern over the growing military prowess of India and said if it isn't checked, Pakistan will be "forced to increase its strategic power" too.

"The international community should avoid steps which may disturb the strategic balance in South Asia," he said.
Islamabad: Five people appeared in a Pakistani court Tuesday accused of blasphemy after a Sikh man complained they had desecrated his turban during a scuffle over a delayed bus.

Mahindar Paul Singh, 29, went to police after the clash on Sunday during a journey from the city of Faisalabad to Multan.

"Five people in this case have been apprehended," Chichawatni police investigator Abdul Sattar told AFP.

Blasphemy carries the death penalty and is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can spark mob violence.

The five, all Muslims, appeared in court for a hearing in Chichawatni Tuesday, police said.

Singh said the clash came after he and other passengers complained when their bus broke down during the journey.

"The staff (of the bus company) misbehaved, pushed me and threw my turban, which is very sacred, away," he told AFP.

"They desecrated my religious symbol so I decided to lodge a blasphemy case."

Rights activists have criticised the country`s blasphemy laws, which they say are often used to carry out personal vendettas against minorities.

wh-ks/st/aph/eb


Ghaziabad: A private school in Ghaziabad was evacuated on Tuesday after an unknown caller claimed that a bomb was planted in the school.

The threat call left authorities at Chhabil Das Public School in Patel Nagar in a tizzy and they ordered an immediate evacuation of the school premises.

Acting swiftly, the police cordoned off the school and a through search, with help of the bomb squad, was conducted.

Ghaziabad SP Salman Taj Patil said that the hoax call had come from a BSNL landline phone and efforts are being made to trace the caller.
Dehradun: The new Uttarakhand DGP has announced that police station in-charges who come up with innovative ideas for better coordination of Char Dham Yatra beginning next week will get cash rewards.

DGP M A Ganpati, who recently took over as the state's new police chief, made the announcement while reviewing preparations for the yatra with SDRF, IRB and PAC officials via video conferencing at the state police headquarters here yesterday evening.

He asked the officials to take every step to ensure a safe pilgrimage for devotees during the yatra comprising the shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. It will begin on May 9.

Vulnerable spots en route to the Himalayan shrines should be identified in advance and a list of key mobile numbers of different agencies, including office bearers of bus and taxi unions, should be maintained to send weather forecasts, besides information in case of landslides and road blockades through SMS, he said.

Giving the assurance that additional deployment of forces will soon be made for the smooth conduct of the yatra, Ganpati said police station incharges who come up with new ideas and introduce innovative techniques for better coordination of the annual pilgrimage will be given a cash reward of Rs 20,000 each.

The DGP, who spoke through video conferencing to the heads of State Disaster Response Force, India Reserve Battalion and Provincial Armed Constabulary, also asked them to cooperate fully in the ongoing operation to control forest fires in the state.

He also asked them to take stringent legal action against people found guilty of deliberately starting forest blazes.
Dinhata: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today accused the BJP of inciting the separate statehood movements in Coochbehar district and Darjeeling sub- division in West Bengal for narrow political gains.

The two districts have witnessed for some years agitation for separate states. While it has been led by the Greater Coochbehar People's association in Coochbehar, that in the Darjeeling subdivision is spearheaded by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha.

"The BJP is trying to break Coochbehar and Darjeeling for narrow political gains. It always tries to fuel separate statehood movements in the state," Banerjee told an election rally here.

Banerjee took the credit of settling the 68-year-old border enclave issue with Bangladesh.

"None of the previous state governments in Bengal could solve the enclave problem. But last year, I have solved the problem and ensured that people get their rights," she said.

Bangladesh and India have exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves on Aug 1, last year, ending one of the world's most complex border disputes that had lingered for seven decades.

Banerjee also promised to carry forward the development work that has been started in the Coochbehar district.
New Delhi: Sandeep Garg, an IAS officer of 1991 batch, was convicted by a Special CBI court here today for amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 3.18 crore.

The officer has been sentenced to four years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25 lakh imposed on him, a CBI spokesperson said.

Garg, the then Regional Director (Northern Region), Anti Adulteration Cell, Ministry of Petroleum and four others have been convicted in the case, she said.

"Atul Jindal has been sentenced to four years RI with fine of Rs two lakh; Suman Sarin to four years RI with fine of Rs two lakh; Swami Saran Garg to two years RI with fine of Rs two lakh and Rajiv Garg to four years RI with fine of Rs two lakh," she said.

The spokesperson said Garg was apprehended while accepting Rs 12 lakh from a businessman of Panipat at his residence.

"The money had been given by the accused to the businessman for getting it changed into higher denomination of currency notes. The subsequent searches carried out by CBI had resulted in detection of cash and assets worth crores," she said.

The spokesperson said after thorough investigation, CBI had filed a chargesheet on July 28, 2006 against Garg for possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 3.36 crore (approx) during the period of April 01, 1999 to April 16, 2004.

"It was further alleged that the said officer had acquired huge assets during a short period from January 1999 to April 2004. These included a plot in Panchkula (Haryana); two flats in Vasant

Kunj and one flat in Maya Enclave, Hari Nagar (Delhi). Movable assets consisting of huge cash as well as Bonds, shares, FDRs and bank balance in crores were also unearthed," she said.
The Hague: There are "extremely worrying" signs that the Islamic State group may be making its own chemical weapons and may have used them already in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog said Tuesday.

The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Ahmet Uzumcu, said his body`s fact-finding teams have found evidence of the use of sulphur mustard in attacks in the two countries.

"Although they could not attribute this to Daesh... there are strong suspicions that they may have used it (chemical weapons)," Uzumcu told AFP, using the alternative name for the jihadist group.

"Secondly the suspicions are that they may have produced it themselves, which is extremely worrying," Uzumcu said on the sidelines of a three-day conference at the OPCW`s Hague-based headquarters.

"It proves that they have the technology, know-how and also access to the materials which might be used for the production of chemical weapons," Uzumcu said.

CIA director John Brennan in February told CBS News that IS fighters had the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas.

Uzumcu did not point to any specific attacks, but last month IS mounted a deadly gas attack against Syrian troops at a government-controlled airbase outside the divided eastern city of Deir Ezzor, according to the SANA state news agency.

The attack was the latest in a string of suspected mustard gas attacks by the jihadists in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

On March 9, a suspected IS gas attack on the Iraqi town of Taza, south of Kirkuk, killed three children and wounded some 1,500 people, with injuries ranging from burns to rashes and respiratory problems.

While chemical agents allegedly used by IS so far have been among its least effective weapons, the psychological impact on civilians is considerable.

A total of 25,000 people fled their homes in and around Taza last month, fearing another attack.

Uzumcu also urged vigilance by other nations to guard against any chemical attacks outside Syria and Iraq.

"The international community should be very vigilant to such threats and cooperate further to prevent such attacks from occurring elsewhere," Uzumcu said.

Russia last month pushed for measures at the United Nations to monitor extremist groups fighting in Syria, warning of a "clear and present threat" that they could stage chemical attacks, possibly in Europe.

Russia and China presented a draft Security Council resolution that calls on all countries, in particular those neighbouring Syria such as Turkey and Iraq, to report any move by armed groups to acquire or produce chemical weapons.

"All neighbouring countries so Syria and Iraq should... do their utmost to prevent such activities," Uzumcu said.
District of Columbia: The Islamic State group killed a US service member in Iraq Tuesday, the Pentagon said.

The fatality occurred during an IS attack on a Peshmerga position north of Mosul, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.

The US-led anti-IS coalition had said earlier that a service member had died but did not specify a nationality.

"He was killed by direct fire," a defense official told AFP.

Cook said the attack took place about three to five kilometers (two to three miles) behind the forward line of troops, adding that the service member was advising and assisting Peshmerga forces.

"As (US Defense Secretary Ashton) Carter noted today in Germany, this sad news is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face every day in the ongoing fight to destroy ISIL and end the threat the group poses to the United States and the rest of the world," Cook said, using an alternate acronym for the IS group.

"Our coalition will honor this sacrifice by dealing ISIL a lasting defeat."
Seoul: North Korea has started welcoming delegates from around the country to its first ruling party congress in 36 years, state media reported on Tuesday, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the event.

The isolated North has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers` Party congress starting in Pyongyang on Friday.

North Korea`s young leader Kim Jong Un has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful test this week as a crowning achievement. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang`s fifth nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress.

"North Korea`s goal is to be internationally recognised as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing."

At the congress, which foreign media organisations have been invited to cover, Kim is expected to declare his country a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his "byongjin" policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability.

It follows Kim`s father`s Songun, or "military first," policy and his grandfather`s Juche, the North`s home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism.

Pyongyang citizens "fervently welcomed participants of the congress who have given all their patriotic passion ... as a new generation of true warriors of Juche revolution under the leadership of dear comrade Kim Jong Un," North Korea`s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Tuesday.

Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress.

The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance.

The party congress is the first since 1980, before the 33-year-old Kim was born. His father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, never held one.

While some past party congresses featured representatives from countries the North has ties with, South Korean officials have said they were not aware of invitations sent to official foreign guests for the upcoming event.

North Korea has become increasingly isolated over its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and was hit with tightened UN Security Council sanctions in March that were backed by its chief ally, China, in response to a January nuclear test.

Pyongyang has conducted a flurry of missile and other weapons tests in the run-up to the congress, although not all have been successful. It made three attempts last month of what was believed to be its intermediate-range Musudan missile, all of which failed, according to US and South Korean officials.

The congress is expected to last four or five days, South Korean government officials and experts said. Kim may decide to take on the post of party General Secretary, a position held by his late father, elevating himself from first secretary.

"It is now his era, and the elders have passed away, and the idea will be that if he remains first secretary, then he might think he won`t get enough respect because of that," said An Chan-il, former North Korean military official who now heads a think tank in Seoul.
Washington: In a major embarrassment for the Nawaz Sharif government, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said she believes that the Pakistani establishment knew about slain al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad.

Speaking to CNN, the Democratic front-runner said, We couldn't link top establishment of Pakistan military having connection with Osama, but it wouldn't have been impossible for the Qaeda boss to build such a big house without Pakistani establishment's knowledge.

Osama, who was staying in a fortified compound in Abbottabad, a small military town less than a 100 kilometres from Pakistan's capital Islamabad, was killed in an operation on the intervening night of May 01 and 02 by the commandos of US Navy Seals Team 6.

They had flown in from Afghanistan on two Black Hawks and the whole operation lasted a little over three hours.

Later US President Barack Obama broke the story to the world in a late night press conference and confirmed that the leader of al Qaeda had been killed in an operation carried out by them.

In another jolt to the Nawaz government, the Obama administration has asked Pakistan to "put forward" its "national funds" to buy the eight F-16 fighter jets as some top American Senators have put a hold on use of the US tax payers' money for this purpose.
Islamabad: Pakistan has condemned US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's remark that he would ensure Pakistani physician Shakil Afridi, who has helped the US kill Osama bin Laden, is freed from jail within two minutes.

Afridi, who is known in Pakistan as a CIA doctor and has been described as a hero in the US, is serving a 33-year-long imprisonment for treason.

Trump on Monday in an interview with Fox news said: "I think I would get him out in two minutes. I would tell them (Pakistan) let him out and I'm sure they would let him out," Trump said.

Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said Afridi's fate will be decided by Islamabad and not by Trump even if he becomes the US president.

"Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani citizen and nobody else has the right to dictate us about his future," Khan said.

Khan said it was not only about Afridi but Trump's perception and comments about Pakistan were highly misplaced and unwarranted.

"Contrary to Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the US. He should learn to treat sovereign countries with respect. Trump seems to be ignorant, historically, of the huge sacrifices Pakistan have made in standing with or supporting US policies over the years."

Trump also said he plans to leverage US aid "because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money to Pakistan."

Khan said the "peanuts" that the US gave to Pakistan in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat the country into following Trump's misguided vision of foreign policy.

Khan said the cost Pakistan had to pay in supporting US over the years was mind-boggling.

Trump's statement shows not only his insensitivity but also his ignorance about Pakistan, he said.
Singapore: The Singapore government said Tuesday it had arrested eight Bangladeshi men who allegedly plotted to carry out terror attacks, including assassinations, in their home country to establish an Islamic state.

The suspects were arrested in April and had originally planned to go to Syria to join the Islamic State group, the Singapore home ministry said.

Items seized included manuals on bomb-making, and a list of government and military officials targeted for attack.
Madrid: The Interior Ministry said police have arrested four people in the Madrid area suspected of spreading pro-jihad propaganda and recruiting followers.

A ministry statement said Civil Guard police today arrested two Moroccans in the town of Pinto and one Moroccan and a Spaniard in the town of Ciempozuelos, south of the Spanish capital.

The statement said the four formed part of an organised group that worked intensely to spread extremist material on the Internet. It said the group made contact with hundreds of people and then selected some to be radicalised and indoctrinated.

Spanish police have arrested dozens of suspected pro-jihad activists and recruiters in recent years.
Ankara: Turkey has agreed to abolish visa restrictions for all European Union citizens, including Greek Cypriots, passing one of the last remaining hurdles for it to secure visa-free access to Europe for its own nationals.

The Turkish cabinet late on Monday approved waiving visas for visitors from all 28 EU member states once Europe relaxes its own visa requirements for Turks, according to a decision published in the country`s Official Gazette.

Although the visa waiver will apply to Greek Cypriots, a Turkish official told Reuters it did not amount to Turkish recognition of Cyprus.

Liberalising visa rules for Turkey, a Muslim country of 79 million people, is a contentious issue among EU states, but Brussels is pushing ahead to keep a migration accord in place that should help ease Europe`s worst migration crisis since World War Two.

The European Commission is expected to declare on Wednesday that Turkey has broadly met the criteria for visa liberalisation and to ask EU governments and the European Parliament to approve the decision by the end of June.

"With this decree, Turkey has fulfilled one more of the important benchmarks for visa liberalisation," European Commission spokesman Margaritas Schinas told a daily briefing in Brussels.

NO RECOGNITION OF CYPRUS

One of the biggest obstacles in Turkey`s relations with the EU is Ankara`s refusal to recognise EU member Cyprus, the Mediterranean island divided for four decades between the Turkish-controlled north, recognised only by Ankara, and the Greek Cypriot south, which has international recognition.

"This doesn`t mean the recognition of Cyprus. If the EU abolishes visas for Turkish citizens, then we will also abolish visas for the remaining EU countries," the Turkish official said on condition of anonymity because the full deal has not yet been finalised.

"Right now, Greek Cypriots can already travel to Turkey, but we are issuing their visa on a separate paper. With this new arrangement they won`t need a visa."

Cyprus would wait for the assessment review of the European Commission on Wednesday before making any comment, government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides told the Cyprus News Agency.

Nordic foreign ministers meeting in Finland said it was important that Turkey reached all 72 criteria before visa-free travel for Turks could be allowed.

"It is an important deal, we need it in Europe. But we must be strict in that sense, that when we have agreed on those benchmarks, they should be fulfilled," Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini, head of the nationalist Finns party, told a news conference.
Dubai: After making Burj Khalifa kiss the sky, the Sheikhs of United Arab Emirates have set their eyes on another audacious mega-project  'building' a mountain!

And what for? To bring rain to the desert nation!!

According to a report in the Arabian Business, the UAE government has contracted the US-based National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to study how a man-made mountain will help increase rainfall in the arid region.

"What we are looking at is basically evaluating the effects on weather through the type of mountain, how high it should be and how the slopes should be," Roelof Bruintjes of NCAR told Arabian Business.

Mountains do play an important role in precipitating rainfall as they block moist air reaching it and pushes it up, leading to its cooling  the air may then condense and turn into liquid and fall as rain.

For a country like the UAE that gets not more than a handful of rainy days in a year, the plan makes perfect sense  at least in theory.

So what's the cost?

The Netherlands, also a flat country, had planned a similar project in the past. And the cost for a hollow 1.2 mile-high mountain was calculated at $230 billion.

With oil revenues drying up, can the UAE afford a mountain remains to be seen...
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Political analyst Garik Keryan says the Nagorno Karabakh (NKR) conflict is acquiring features of the Arabic-Israeli conflict: long process with periodic escalations, delays and lack of prospects for solution.

Anyhow Aliyev has not won. Azerbaijanis were even writing in social networks that this is a victory of coffins. In these conditions, Azerbaijan will try to achieve victories in some areas to increase internal political legitimacy. External factors may also escalate the situation. If in fact Turkey was behind the April war, Azerbaijan and Turkey might as well have a new plan, Keryan said.

"Today, it seems as if Russia, France, the US are trying to watch how the conflict would end or what will be the result of these battles, he added.

There may be a secret anticipation of the Russian failure, in case of which the settlement issue will be passed to the West. In conclusion, we can say that a new escalation may be objectively connected with external factors, Garik Keryan said.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. On May 2 and throughout the morning of May 3 the Azerbaijani side fired irregular shots from various caliber weapons and sniper rifles at Armenian positions in the northeastern part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border, Press Service of the Armenian Defense Ministry told this to Armenpress.

The Armenian Armed forces exercised restraint and conducted response actions only in case of strict necessity and confidently maintain control of the situation.

According to the information by NKR Defense Army overnight May 2-3 the Azerbaijani forces continued violating the ceasefire agreement in the line of contact by firing various caliber weapons and 82 mm mortars.

The Nagorno Karabakhi forces are in control of the situation and continue monitoring the borders.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. ANM Board member Hovhannes Igityan says the negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement were ceased as a result of Azerbaijan. All the documents, that were put on the negotiation table and over which the discussions were held, were aimed to establish peace. But today it is meaningless to speak about the package over which the parties should negotiate. Now we should think how to restrain Azerbaijan since it aims to solve the conflict with military means with the help of its international partners, Igityan stated.

He added that Azerbaijani not only violates the ceasefire regime but also the international norms, especially the principle of non-use of force against the civilian people.

Hovhannes Igityan thinks that Nagorno Karabakh should be the direct participant in the negotiation process if finally the negotiations restart. He referred also to the response by the international community stating that Russia which is the strategic partner of Armenia announces that it is concerned about the war situation. I think that these statements should be addressed, meaning that they should be directed towards the part which violated the agreements. Today there are talks that the Minsk Group should receive a new mandate which is to install monitoring mandate in the line of contact. This will give an opportunity to investigate and reveal who really violated the ceasefire and unleashed aggressive measures. I think that this is very important, Igityan concluded.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Information Security expert Samvel Martirosyan says Azerbaijani media applied several tactics from four-day war till now. If they kept salient during the first day, then started to speak about the victory, but in the last days they presented themselves as a victim.

On April 2 the Azerbaijani media in fact was salient, even the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister said he was informed about the situation from Lavrovs telephone call. This shows that their planned informational operation did not go the way they expected, Samvel Martirosyan said this to journalists.

At the second stage the Azerbaijani media tried to inform the public that they won. Azerbaijani society was convinced that they captured Fuzuli, Jabrayil and northern territories. But now they change the situation stating that Armenians are aggressor. But of course they do it very mildly since they are unable to present the whole picture and they said for years the Armenian Army knows only to escape, Russians help them to move forward, the expert said.

Samvel Martirosyan says Azerbaijanis hide information on the causalities in order not to panic their public. They have officially stated that the information on their causalities is a secret, and now in fact they do not speak about their causalities. It seems that they have no causalities. Only a one news agency operating in Berlin Meydan TV spoke about it however, a criminal investigation started against it.

Samvel Martirosyan noted that Azerbaijan carries out an anti-Armenian propaganda in its internal market trying to keep alive the hatred towards Armenians. Their state university prepared a video where a group of students express anti-Armenian thesis not only against Armenia, but all Armenians as an ethnic group. They do something which are being criminally condemned in the whole civilized world, the expert concluded.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. The Government has presented to discussion the draft bill on Recognizing the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, which was submitted by MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan.

The discussions will take place during the May 5 session.

The Governments preliminary conclusion on the draft says: The Government of Armenia links the adoption of the presented draft to results of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh , taking into account further developments, including external factors.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Speaking on the rumors that allegedly mobilizations will take place soon in Armenia, Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said there cannot be mobilization until the Defense Ministry makes a relevant announcement.

If a decision on mobilization is made, there will be relevant announcements. I urge the Press to refrain from publishing unofficial information regarding the Army, Hovhannisyan said.

Speaking on the news that allegedly mobilizations are taking place in Azerbaijan, Hovhannisyan said he does not have information in this regard.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be resolved within the OSCE Minsk Group and with peaceful means, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil to Armenia Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro said this during the press conference at Armenpress press hall.

In recent days the situation escalated in the line of contact, violence took place which is not good. The official stance of Brazil is to resolve the conflict with peaceful means, through negotiations. Karabakh conflict is very sensitive issue, and it is not so that Brazil can be involved in the settlement of the conflict, the Ambassador said.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Ilkka Kanerva in Helsinki on May 3, Press Service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Armenpress. Armenian Foreign Minister presented to the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly the consequences of aggressive actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh and the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to overcome these consequences.

Edward Nalbandian brought Ilkka Kanervas attention to the gross violations of international humanitarian norms by the Azerbaijani armed forces. Armenian Minister added that Azerbaijan continues to ignore the calls by the international community to respect the ceasefire, violates 1994-1995 trilateral termless agreements on establishing and maintaining the ceasefire regime.

In this regard Ilkka Kanerva stated that the use of force is unacceptable and added that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly fully supports the international mediation efforts by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards the peaceful settlement of the conflict through negotiations and the expansion of capabilities of the team of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

Interlocutors have also discussed issues of the OSCE daily agenda.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil to Armenia Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro says Armenia and Brazil consistently develop their relations in different fields during the press conference at Armenpress press hall.

Embassy of Brazil was opened in Armenia in 2007, and I think that it is not so long time. Brazil and Armenia do not have embassies in all countries. If these two states both have embassies in their countries, this means that they have good relations. The Armenian community in Brazil is one of the major reasons for strengthening the relations between the two states. According to our sources 45.000 Armenians live in Brazil 25.000 of which live in Sao Paulo, said the Ambassador.

According to him, two states develop their cooperation at diverse levels. As an example, Ambassador brought the fact that Rio and Yerevan, as well as Gyumri and Osasco are sister cities. It means there is some cooperation at local level. Ambassador recalled that a government-level agreement was signed in 2002 that aimed to strengthen the cultural cooperation.

Ambassador says an agreements is expected to be signed based on which portuguese will be taught in Armenia. He also stated that 8 Armenian professors went to Brazil and gave lectures for the last two years.

Referring to the tourism issue Ambassador says there is no longer a need for short-term visa. The residents of Armenia and Brazil say tourism packages are expensive. Yes, they are expensive. But I offered the Armenian tour agencies to put into circulation regional tour packages which will enable tourists from Brazil visit several countries including Armenia when visiting the region, Ambassador added.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tajikistan to Armenia H.E. Imomuddin Sattorov (residence in Moscow) presented his credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan on May 3.

The President congratulated the Ambassador and wished success. Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that Ambassador Sattorov will invest his experience and skills to further deepen the relations between Armenia and Tajikistan and cooperation in various fields.

The President and the Ambassador also spoke about strengthening cooperation in within international organizations. President Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of developing relations between Armenia and Tajikistan as CSTO member states, based on the general goals of the organization and the principles of the member states.

The potential and possibilities of developing relation in political, economical, humanitarian and other fields were also discussed.

The Ambassador of Tajikistan assured that he will do everything for the strengthening and deepening of Armenia-Tajikistan relations.
STEPANAKERT, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Former President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan said after a meeting with President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan that the leaderships of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are doing everything which is needed for todays situation calmly, confidently, certainly and moderately.

Our conversation was about the issues which worry us today. You know the worries, confidence and firmness of both the Armenian leadership and the Karabakhi leadership. So I think the leadership is calmly and moderately doing whatever the current situation demands, Ter-Petrosyan said.

On May 3, President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan met with former President of the Republic of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan in Stepanakert city.

The April 2-5 Azerbaijani aggression was discussed during the meeting.

President Sahakyan stressed the importance of the unity of political powers during these days.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian is on an official visit in Finland. On May 3, Nalbandian met with Speaker of the Parliament of Finland Maria Lohela. Head of the Finland-Armenia parliamentary friendship group was also present at the meeting.

During the meeting the strengthening of parliamentary cooperation was discussed, as a format of deepening the friendship between peoples.

Issues related to the fostering of cooperation between parliamentary delegations of Armenia and Finland in parliamentary assemblies of international organizations was discussed, as well as Armenia-EU, and cooperation in trade and economy.

Nalbandian presented to Lohela the Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh and the efforts of Armenia and OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to overcome its consequences.

The Finnish Speaker of Parliament condemned the use of force and violations of humanitarian rights in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, and stressed that her country unequivocally supports the peaceful negotiating settlement of the conflict.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. In a meeting with President of Finland Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki on May 3, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian introduced the situation in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) after the large-scale military attack by Azerbaijan, and the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs aimed at stabilizing the situation.

President of Finland Sauli Niinisto expressed his unconditional support for peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, stating that it must be solved only through negations, press service of MFA Armenia informed Armenpress.

Thanking for the reception, Minister Nalbandian conveyed the best wishes and greetings of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to his Finnish counterpart, and reconfirmed the invitation to visit Yerevan. Sauli Niinisto asked to convey his best wishes to Armenian President.

The sides discussed a number of issues of deepening cooperation in different spheres, especially trade and economy. In this context, Armenian Foreign Minister stated that Armenia is interested in deepening and expanding multidimensional cooperation with Finland.

The interlocutors discussed a number of international and regional urgent issues, focusing on Middle Eastern developments and the migration flows caused by the conflicts.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau has issued a statement on the occasion of unveiling of Armenian Genocide Monument in St. Catharines city. Armenpress reports, citing horizonweekly.ca website, Trudeau recalled the tragic extermination of Armenians in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire.

On this day, we gather to unveil the Armenian Genocide Monument of St.Catharines, which commemorates the tragic loss of life of the Armenian population during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Both the Senate of Canada and the House of Commons have adopted resolutions referring to these events as a genocide.

This monument will help preserve the memory of those who lost their lives, and those who suffered during this genocide and pay our deepest respects to their descendants, including those who now call Canada home.

Canadians of all backgrounds and faiths stand together in reaffirming our collective commitment to the values of pluralism, human rights, and diversity.

As we dedicate this monument, please join me in my hope for a peaceful future based on tolerance, respect, and reconciliation, reads the statement of PM Justin Trudeau.
The strike, which began on Sunday, slashed Kuwait's crude production from 3.0 million barrels per day to just 1.5 million bpd

The Kuwait Oil Workers Union on Wednesday called off a "total strike" and decided to return to work, hours after a fresh appeal by the acting oil minister.

"In respect for the emir and in loyalty to him... we have decided to cancel the total strike," an official statement by the union said, ending action that had given support to oil prices.

The statement said workers would go back to work at 0400 GMT.

"We trust the emir... for the protection of the rights of oil workers," said the union statement, posted on its official Twitter account.

The surprising decision came only hours after the union leaders told a press conference that they would continue their strike, having rejected all appeals.

The union leaders insisted that they would end the strike only after all their demands were met in full including the scrapping of plans to cut their wages and benefits.

The union said in the new statement that the strike was "extremely successful" and conveyed the workers' message to authorities about their rights.

It also warned oil authorities of taking any action toward the workers who stopped work.

The strike, which began on Sunday, slashed OPEC members' crude and natural gas production by more than half.

Kuwait's crude production dropped from 3.0 million barrels per day to just 1.5 million bpd and refining output dived to 520,000 bpd from 930,000 bpd.

The workers' demands included abolishing decisions by authorities to cut some incentives in the face of falling oil prices and excluding the oil sector from a new payroll scheme for public servants.

Acting oil minister Anas al-Saleh called on workers in a television interview Tuesday night to return to work and start negotiations with authorities.

"We can not sit on the negotiations table while the strike was still going. Return to work and come for negotiations," Saleh told private Al-Rai satellite television.

Saleh, who is also the finance minister, said that authorities have not yet implemented any decision regarding the oil workers' pay.

Story continues

Oil prices ended a four-day losing streak Tuesday as sharply curtailed production in Kuwait due to the strike spurred hopes for an easing of the global crude glut.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in May jumped $1.30 (3.3 percent) to $41.08 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In London, European benchmark Brent North Sea crude for June delivery finished at $44.03 a barrel, a gain of $1.12 (2.6 percent) from Monday's settlement.
Sri Lanka encourages Chinese investment, ambassador says Updated: 2016-05-03 17:23 By Zhang Min and Liu Jing in Tianjin(chinadaily.com.cn)

A container ship is pictured docked at the Colombo South Harbour funded by China, in Sri Lanka March 30, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Sri Lanka encourages Chinese investment, especially in new technology, a government official of that country said.

Karunasena Kodituwakku, Sri Lanka's ambassador to China, made the remarks at a Dialogue in Tianjin Saturday and encouraged Chinese investment, especially in new technology.

The event was the fourth gathering of governors, journalists, scholars, businessmen, and citizens from Tianjin and beyond. The highlight of the afternoon was the ambassador's speech, during which he introduced Sri Lanka as a pearl and fast becoming a hub in the Indian Ocean.

He said that Sri Lanka would be open to all kinds of investment from China, but investment in new technology was most welcomed. "Youth today are more tempted to be engaged in new tech," he said.

Chen Weiming, vice chairman of the Tianjin Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, noted "We have built a formal platform between the two countries and offered our various sources to eliminate the risks of foreign investments."

Zhang Bin, founder and inheritor of Jade Zhang, a traditional Tianjin brand selling jade and jewelry, said, "It was such an endurance to deal with the officials directly. The tax preferential policy sounds attractive and I hope they could be more open to small business."

With 30 years' experience in the jade trade, Zhang noted that the jade market in North China is very large and suggested, "Sri Lanka should bring more jade fairs to the North China."

The ambassador also said that Sri Lanka places great importance on the "One Belt One Road" initiative, such as the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, a great opportunity for cooperation between the countries.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Beijing last month, seeking more investment possibilities.

More than 20 officials from Sri Lanka's Ministry of Agriculture visited an internet technology service provider in Beijing last Thursday, to gain better knowledge of mobile apps and easily accessible website-making software.

Sri Lanka has already collaborated with China in many ways, including education, infrastructure construction, import and export. In 2016, Sri Lanka expects 320,000 Chinese tourist arrivals, which is 1.5 times that of 2015.
In August 1980, an extortionist planted a thousand-pound bomb in Harvey's Wagon Wheel Casino in western Nevada. Unless the owners paid him $3 million within 24 hours, he said, the bomb would go off and destroy the casino. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the tense drama that followed and the FBI's efforts to catch the criminal behind it.

We'll also consider some dubious lawn care shortcuts and puzzle over why a man would tear up a winning ticket.

Show notes

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The Bank of America logo is seen at their offices at Canary Wharf financial district in London,Britain, in a March 3, 2016 file photo. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause/Files

(Reuters) - Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC - News) reached a $190 million settlement with a federal home loan bank over four mortgage-related complaints, according to a securities filing on Monday.

The bank had accrued "substantially all" of the settlement amount previously, Bank of America said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The settlement was dated on April 25.

The litigation was started by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, which later merged into the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.

A spokeswoman for the merged entity referred Reuters to another securities filing showing it had reached a settlement with an unnamed bank on April 25, but declined to say whether it was with Bank of America.

(Reporting by Dan Freed; Editing by Sandra Maler)
By David Lawder NEW YORK (Reuters) - Facing deeply entrenched differences and political headwinds, the top negotiators trying to reach a sweeping U.S.-European free trade deal avoided agriculture, public procurement and other thorny issues in talks this week. Instead, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Daniel Mullaney and European Commission lead negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercera said on Friday they concentrated on less controversial areas such as small and medium enterprises and technical language. But both insisted after their 13th negotiating round in New York that they can still reach a deal this year before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves office in January. Mullaney said concerns over a June referendum in Britain over whether to leave the European Union would not slow efforts to reach a deal to boost trade, investment and job growth on both continents, and nor would anti-trade rhetoric from the U.S. presidential campaign trail. "We're confident that we can achieve that kind of an agreement and that when we do, later this year, it'll be an agreement that the public on both sides of the Atlantic can support," Mullaney said. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has said he would scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and has been especially critical of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement for "destroying" U.S. jobs. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, has also said TPP is unacceptable in its current form. "I haven't seen a worse political environment for trade deals" negotiations, said Robert Vastine, a former president of the Coalition of Service Industries, who gave a presentation on services at a forum on the sidelines of the New York talks. He said the sour environment was contributing to the slow pace of talks and a lack of enthusiasm for making concessions, particularly when any deal would need to be approved under a new U.S. president. In Europe, too, the political environment is challenging, with widespread opposition to allowing more imports of U.S. agricultural products over concerns about genetically modified foods, hormone-raised beef and fierce protection of local food-naming rules for items from Asiago cheese to Parma ham. A new survey released this week by the Bertelsmann Foundation showed waning support for a TTIP deal in both Germany and the United States. The poll, conducted by YouGov, showed that only 17 percent of Germans believe TTIP is a good thing versus 55 percent two years ago. In the United States, only 18 percent of those polled supported such a deal, versus 53 percent in 2014. France has voiced particular frustration at the lack of movement on the U.S. side. French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl this month suggested the talks should be scrapped absent further progress. John Wilson, senior vice president of the Dairy Farmers of America, told the New York forum that his cooperative of 8,500 farms would oppose TTIP unless U.S.-made cheese can break into Europe's closely guarded naming rules, known as "geographic indications." "We've been producing Asiago cheese for a long time. It's a common name, it's a generic name," he said. European Commission agricultural negotiator John Clarke shot back that Europe would fiercely defend its geographical indications, including Asiago, from U.S. imports. "You will certainly not be able to export Asiago from the USA to Europe. That's absolutely impossible," Clarke said. The services sector remains another problem area, with U.S. officials insisting Europe drop exclusions for some 200 sectors, and European officials frustrated at the U.S. refusal to open up its coastal maritime transport sector. The EU's Garcia Bercera said he was mindful of the public debate in the negotiations. "We believe that the task is to convince public opinion in Europe and the United States that trade agreements are instruments to better manage globalization," he said. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish)
BOSTON (Reuters) - The website of Vanguard Group is showing "inflated client account balances" on some mobile devices, a spokeswoman for the index fund manager said via e-mail on Monday. The issue "does not impact actual account balances or transactions," said the spokeswoman, Katie Henderson Hirt, and is "relegated to Apple devices only." Vanguard expects to have the issue fixed on Monday evening, she added. Asked how many devices were affected, Hirt said the impact was a "modest number overall." On average just 16 percent of logons to vanguard.com come from an Apple device, she said, and of those about 11 percent visit the personal performance page where they would have seen the inflated balance. (Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Bernard Orr)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - African private equity firms cashed in on investments last year at the highest rate in almost a decade, with South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya accounting for two-thirds of these exits. Equity firms sold investments in 44 companies in 2015, compared to 39 companies in the two previous year, according to a report by Ernst & Young (EY) and the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA). The number of successful private equity exits influences a company's ability to attract investors and raise funds. Private equity firms in Africa still continue to outperform public markets, the report showed. The financial services sector capped the highest exits at 24 percent between 2014 and 2015, while the oil and gas sector saw no exits during the same period, the report showed. One of those institutions is Nigeria's Access Bank, which obtained approval to raise up to 100 billion naira ($503.65 million) from either private or public funders on Thursday. "The biggest current challenges noted by PE firms included an increasingly tough macro-economic environment, particularly currency fluctuations, valuations trending upwards, and an intermediary landscape that is underdeveloped in a number of countries," EY said in a statement. Returns per region varied, with East Africa performing the best, closely followed by Southern Africa (excluding South Africa) and North Africa, the report noted. Geographic expansion, cost reduction, mergers & acquisitions, and new management were some of the factors contributing to the growth. AVCA analysts were still cautious about the growth of the market, saying that the year ahead will still be challenging. ($1 = 198.5500 naira) (Reporting by Zimasa Mpemnyama; Editing by James Macharia and Tom Heneghan)
A Canadian man says he has been told to leave Nepal after he was detained by police in Kathmandu on Monday for posting tweets that Nepal's Department of Immigration said had caused "social discord."

Robert Penner, a software engineer for a tech company in Nepal, tweeted on Tuesday that he was released by immigration officials after 26 hours in custody. Penner said he had his visa cancelled and was given two days to leave the country after he was found to be in violation of the terms of his visa by the Department of Immigration.

On Monday, Penner posted several tweets commenting on his arrest, and the arrest and trial of Nepalese journalist Kanak Dixit, who faces corruption charges. Penner frequently writes and comments on Nepalese politics.

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"Police were watching his [Penner's] activities for a long period," Basu Dev Ghimire, director of Nepal's Department of Immigration, said Tuesday. "Police found him guilty."

The police reported his political commentary to the Immigration Department, which then ordered his arrest on Monday evening.

Penner was detained overnight in the Immigration Department's headquarters, where he was held in an office by police. On Tuesday afternoon, he was still detained at the immigration office, but his lawyer expected him to be released by Tuesday evening.

"They've taken my phone and not allowed me to contact people," Penner said in the afternoon before police escorted this reporter out of the office where he was being held.

According to immigration officials, the political commentating is a violation of the provisions of his work visa. A Nepalese work visa can be rescinded from someone if he or she is found to have caused public unrest. Department of Immigration Director General Kedar Neupane said Penner's tweets caused "social discord."

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Immigration officials claimed they were not violating free speech, but had received complaints about Penner.

Penner has lived in Nepal since 2012, working for tech startup Sprout Technology Pvt. Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Hong-Kong based CloudFactory. The company has over 150 employees, a handful of which are expats on work visas. According to his LinkedIn profile, Penner graduated from Trinity Western University in British Columbia in 1999.

CloudFactory CEO, Mark Sears said via email that CloudFactory did not have any comment, but went on to say, "Robert is a valued engineer and employee whom we care deeply about but he has made it clear that any statements or opinions expressed in public forums are solely his own and in no way reflect those of CloudFactory or its leadership."

Penner known to talk politics

Penner has taken an in-depth view into Nepalese politics on Twitter and blogging sites, and even travelled to the southern part of Nepal, where ethnic groups were protesting the recently passed Constitution.

He was also involved in a Twitter and blog feud over a Human Rights Watch report that came out in October last year. The report criticized the Nepalese police for brutality against people protesting the new constitution.

But some Nepalese resent foreigners becoming involved with or commenting on internal politics, and one Twitter user complained of Penner's commentary to the Immigration Department's Twitter account on Monday. Although officials said that the Twitter complaint did not incite the arrest and that it was a result of police monitoring, some believe there are larger powers at play in the investigation.

"It's an intimidation of the people who are trying to bring the reality of the Nepalese people to the rest of the world," said blogger Mukesh Jha, founder of Madhesiyouth.com, which is linked to the ethnic group protesting the Constitution. "He's not here to destroy Nepal. His criticism is actually constructive."

Jha suggested that Penner may have offended some higher-ups in Nepalese society, who then moved to have him arrested.

For some Nepalese bloggers and journalists, his arrest is seen as a warning. Many believe the government is flexing its muscles, sending a message that prominent journalists like Kanak Dixit and foreigners like Penner are not out of their reach.

On Tuesday, Twitter buzzed with invocations to stand up to the government.

"Who's next? That's the question," Jha asked.
Chinese police officers patrol during a joint effort with Italian police in Rome May 2, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

Police officers from China are to collaborate with police officers from Italy in two joint patrols in Rome and Milan in a program based on a Sino-Italian agreement launched here on Monday.



According to the program, police who patrol touristic areas of Rome in central Italy and the business city Milan in northern Italy will include two Chinese officers each, who can speak Italian and English besides Mandarin, for two weeks starting from Monday.



"Today it is an important day because we are strengthening collaboration with China in a very special field," Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told a press conference in Rome in the presence of the two countries' authorities.



Alfano said Chinese uniformed police would work together with Italian uniformed police in Rome and Milan to reinforce the sense of safety for the many Chinese tourists visiting Italy.



The interior minister said he hoped the bilateral collaboration would then be deepened with further agreements, and also extended to other Italian cities, because "China has a fundamental role in the world's destiny."



"Through this initiative, we are telling Italian citizens that their state is joining hands with a great country, in a team work to ensure the safety of everybody, including Italian citizens and Chinese tourists in Italy," Alfano also told Xinhua.



Liao Jinrong, director-general of the international cooperation department at China's ministry of public security, and deputy head of Interpol's national central bureau in Beijing, praised the initiative as "the result of a very positive collaboration between Chinese and Italian police forces."



Liao stressed that the initiative, also a question of good faith between the two countries, was the first one of its kind carried out by Chinese police in Europe. The program, he explained, stemmed from a bilateral agreement reached in 2014.

Liao said that in recent years, the business and cultural exchanges between China and Italy had become very frequent, and smooth communication with police forces was a fundamental ingredient to ensure safety.



Thanks to the joint patrols, the two countries would also be able to further deepen knowledge of their legal systems, Liao said, expressing hope the program would set an example for more initiatives with other European countries.



Gennaro Capoluongo, head of the international police cooperation service in Italy, told Xinhua Italian police had already carried out similar initiatives with other countries including the United States and Spain, especially during peak tourism periods. "We feel proud to be the first one in Europe to undergo such an important collaboration program with China," he said.
By Nick Brown and Daniel Bases SAN JUAN/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's governor on Sunday declared a moratorium on a $422 million debt payment due Monday by the island's Government Development Bank, the most significant default yet for the U.S. territory facing a massive economic crisis. Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said in a televised speech that he signed the moratorium on Saturday in what he characterized as a "painful decision" based on inaction from the U.S. Congress, which continues to debate a legislative fix for Puerto Rico's $70 billion debt load. Garcia Padilla, addressing Puerto Rico's 3.5 million people in Spanish, said the island's American citizens had sacrificed much for the nation throughout history and asked Congress on many occasions for tools to restructure its financial liabilities. "We do not want a bailout. We havent asked for a bailout. We havent been offered a bailout," he said as the U.S. territory's economic crisis enters its most dire stretch yet. Puerto Rico, a tropical paradise in economic purgatory, faces a $70 billion debt bill it knows it cannot pay, a staggering 45 percent poverty rate and a shrinking population as citizens flee to the mainland. The legality of this move to invoke the moratorium, which effectively means defaulting on the debt, is almost certain to be challenged by the GDB's creditors, and could spawn costly lawsuits and perpetuate more economic uncertainty for the island. "One of our operating assumptions is that protracted or chaotic litigation will reduce aggregate recoveries," Moody's Investors Service senior credit officer Ted Hampton said. Though island agencies have defaulted in the past, they have been small and isolated. The failure to pay by the GDB could reverberate through the local economy as it serves as Puerto Rico's primary fiscal agent. "Agencies being able to access money to cover costs on a week-to-week basis is the only thing keeping Puerto Rico's doors open," said Height Securities analyst Daniel Hanson. GDB has held talks with groups holding some of its $4 billion in bonds to try to restructure the debt consensually. The moratorium covers Monday's payment on the GDB's 2011 Series B Senior Notes. The missed payment at GDB could mean the beginning of the end to how the bank conducts operations. It could be wound down by a receiver and its deposits shifted to a new entity. Some creditors say government reforms could allow the island to pay its debts without hurting its people, while Garcia Padilla, whose administration has not published annual financial statements since fiscal year 2013, insists it needs relief from debt payments. "The government has known the GDB was a ticking time-bomb and yet nothing constructive was done to forestall a default," said Arturo Porzecanski, economist and sovereign debt expert at American University in Washington, adding that "the approach is symptomatic of all that is wrong with how Puerto Rico has dealt with its deteriorating financial situation." The default ratchets up pressure on Congress to find a legislative solution for Puerto Rico, which owes another $1.9 billion of debt on July 1, including about $777 million in general obligation debt backed by its constitution. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan initially called for a plan by March 31. However, draft legislation from the House Natural Resources Committee, which would put Puerto Rico's finances under federal oversight and allow it to restructure debt through a bankruptcy-like process, has faced opposition from liberal and conservative wings of both parties. Congress is in recess until the week of May 9th. "If Congress fails to authorize a mechanism to restructure our debt, the 3.5 million American citizens who live in Puerto Rico will continue to suffer," Garcia Padilla said. (Reporting by Nick Brown and a contributor in San Juan and Daniel Bases in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Diane Craft)
By Christian Lowe and Dmitry Solovyov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his space officials to raise their game on Wednesday after he flew thousands of kilometers (miles) to watch the inaugural launch of a rocket from a new spaceport, only for it to be called off. With moments to go before the launch of an unmanned Soyuz rocket, officials had to postpone it early on Wednesday morning because a fault was uncovered with the rocket. They rescheduled for 24 hours later, but there was uncertainty about whether the second attempt would go ahead. The episode was the latest problem to beset Russia's space program, which Putin aims to revive as part of his push to restore Russia's military and technological might after years of post-Soviet neglect. "The fact is there is a large number of hitches. That is bad. There should be an appropriate reaction," a stern-looking Putin was shown saying on state television at the Vostochny cosmodrome, hours after the launch was scrapped. Delays and corruption have blighted work on the new cosmodrome, while this month a European Space Agency launch in French Guiana, using a similar Russian Soyuz rocket, was delayed by technical problems. Problems with Russian space rockets are worrisome not just for the Kremlin but also for the United States space program. Since it retired its space shuttle, NASA depends on Russia to fly its astronauts to the International Space Station. Russian news agencies later quoted state space commission sources as saying that a new attempt to launch the rocket from Vostochny would be made exactly 24 hours after the original one, at 0501 (0201 GMT) on Thursday. SPACE TOURISTS Russia pioneered manned space flight when it fired Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961. But since the collapse of the Soviet Union its space program has had to retrench for a lack of cash. For years it filled gaps in its budget by taking paying tourists into space. The Vostochny spaceport, in the remote Amur region near the border with China, was the flagship project in Putin's planned $52 billion investment in space exploration up to 2020. The first civilian rocket launch site on Russian territory, it is intended to phase out Russia's reliance on the Baikonur cosmodrome that Russia leases from ex-Soviet Kazakhstan. Several people involved in building the Vostochny spaceport are under criminal investigation for embezzlement, workers went on strike over pay arrears, costs overran, and the project missed its scheduled completion date last year. Speaking at the meeting with officials at Vostochny on Wednesday, Putin said he was satisfied to note that the cosmodrome was now in working order. He said the technical glitch was to do with the rocket system, not the launch-pad, and that Russia still led the world in many aspects of space technology. But he added that if suspects in the criminal investigation were found guilty, "then they will have to swap their warm bed at home for a prison bunk." (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov, Dominic Evans, Toni Reinhold)
Hawking answers ancient Chinese philosophical question Updated: 2016-05-03 10:35 (Xinhua)

Stephen Hawking listens to the announcement of the Breakthrough Starshot initiative involving investor Yuri Milner in New York on Tuesday. [Photo/Agencies]

Does the man dream that he is a butterfly or is the butterfly dreaming that he is a man: Can we really tell our dreams from reality?

This question, asked by a netizen on China's most popular microblog site Weibo on Thursday, was directed at the official account of world-renowned British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.

Hawking replied, "We don't or perhaps can't."

The question was discussed by influential ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, who was known for his philosophy of skepticism. It was Zhuangzi who had dreamed of being a butterfly, or perhaps it was the butterfly who dreamed he was Zhuangzi. Either way, it has been the starting point for discussions on reality, self, illusions and more for over 2,000 years.

In his fourth posting on the microblog, Hawking, who has 3.6 million followers on Weibo - more than the population of Wales - selected the question from comments left on his previous updates.

"Zhuangzi dreamed of being a butterfly - perhaps because he was a man who loved freedom," he said.

Hawking said, in his case, he might dream of the universe and wonder if the universe dreamed of him, "but we humans just don't and perhaps can't know if we are living in our dreams or reality, at least not until we start to understand more about consciousness and the universe."

The era in which Zhuangzi lived is considered by many Chinese thinkers to be a time "when a hundred schools of thought contended."

Chinese philosophers argue that Dao (the Way), from which Daoism gets its name, is the most indefinable of them all.

The Way of the universe is change: Night into day, joy into sorrow, life into death. Nothing is fixed, nothing definable. Moreover, everything is connected. No one knows where the Way leads.

Over 40,000 web users had commented on or forwarded the post within 24 hours of it being published. One follower said Hawking's answer was "a historic conversation."

Since Hawking opened his Sina Weibo account on April 12, his four posts have been forwarded 572,000 times, received 620,000 comments and been liked by over two million users.

In a previous post, Hawking introduced his Chinese followers to his latest project - Alpha Centauri, an astonishing space mission to our nearest star system.

Hawking said that the project, a collaboration with Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milner and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, would revolutionize space travel as it would use tiny nano-spacecraft able to travel fast enough to relay information to humans within a life time. It means humans would learn more about the galaxy, and ultimately themselves.
Lithuanian English

Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-05-02 15:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the 12rd of May 2016 the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of AB SEB bankas will take place. The General Meeting is initiated and convened by the Management Board of the bank. 100 % of shares of the bank are owned by Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB.

Issues on the agenda:

Re garding the withdrawal of members to the Supervisory Council of AB SEB bankas; R egarding the election of a member to the Supervisory Council of AB SEB bankas.

The Management Board of bank endorsed the following draft resolutions of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of the Bank:

to withdrwaw the following persons from the Supervisory Council of AB SEB bankas:

1.1. David Bamforth Tear, SEB group Chief Risk Officer;

1.2. Mark Barry Payne, Chief Financial Officer of SEB Pension in Denmark.

to elect the following person to the Supervisory Council of AB SEB bankas:

2.1. Riho Unt, Head of Baltic Division of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB.

To stipulate that the withdrawn members shall cease to hold the positions and the newly elected member of Supervisory Council shall commence his activity since the adoption of the decision at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of AB SEB bankas and the newly elected member shall hold this position no longer than the end of tenure of the current Supervisory Council - 29th October, 2017.

To authorize the President of AB SEB bankas to perform all the necessary actions related to the implementation of this decision, including but not limited to registration of decision within the Company Register, allowing him to reauthorize other persons to perform the above mentioned actions.

This notification is non-confidential.

Jonas Irzikevicius, Vice President of AB SEB bankas, Head of Business Support Division and Chief Financial Officer.

2 May 2016, Vilnius
English Finnish

Lehto Group Plc

Stock Exchange Release 3 May 2016, at 12.30 a.m. EET

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA OR THE UNITED STATES, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

LEHTO GROUP PLC'S 10 LARGEST SHAREHOLDERS AFTER THE END OF THE INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

The ten largest registered shareholders of Lehto Group Plc and their shares of ownership before the Initial Public Offering are shown in the table below.

Shareholder Number of Shares Proportion of voting rights and Shares Lehto Invest Oy* 23,536,384 51.94% Asko Myllymaki 6,939,144 15.31% Mikko Kinnunen 2,795,716 6.17% Winduo Oy 1,979,144 4.37% Tomi Koivukoski 1,892,920 4.18% Ari Saartoala 1,345,186 2.97% Jaakko Heikkila 888,242 1.96% Lunacon Oy** 808,570 1.78% Lasse Makelainen 616,842 1.36% Yrjo Lahtinen 512,040 1.13% Other shareholders 3,996,216 8.82% In total 45,310,404 100.00%

* Lehto Invest Oy is controlled by the Company's CEO Hannu Lehto.

** Lunacon Oy is controlled by the Company's chairman of the Board Pertti Huuskonen.

The ten largest registered shareholders of Lehto Group Plc and their shares of ownership after the Initial Public Offering as of 2 May 2016 are shown in the table below.

Shareholder Number of Shares Proportion of voting rights and Shares Lehto Invest Oy* 22,561,192 38.73 % Asko Myllymaki 6,651,631 11.42 % Mikko Kinnunen 2,679,880 4.60 % Winduo Oy 1,897,141 3.26 % Tomi Koivukoski 1,814,490 3.11 % Ari Saartoala 1,289,450 2.21 % OP-Delta Fund 980,392 1.68 % Jaakko Heikkila 851,439 1.46 % SEB Finlandia Fund 838,312 1.44 % Lunacon Oy** 808,570 1.39 % 10 largest in total 40,372,497 69.31 % Other shareholders 17,878,255 30.69 % of which nominee-registered shares 6,574,840 11.29 % In total 58,250,752 100.00%

* Lehto Invest Oy is controlled by the Company's CEO Hannu Lehto.

** Lunacon Oy is controlled by the Company's chairman of the Board Pertti Huuskonen.

Lehto Group Plc

Pertti Huuskonen, the chairman of the Board of Directors

Hannu Lehto, CEO

More information:

Veli-Pekka Paloranta, CFO tel. +358 400 944 074

Pertti Huuskonen, the chairman of the Board of Directors tel. +358 400 680 816

Lehto Group in brief

Lehto Group is a Finnish construction and real estate group focusing on economically driven construction. The Company's mission is to be an innovative reformer of the construction industry. The Company has divided its operations into four service areas: Business Premises, Housing, Social Care and Educational Premises and Building Renovation. Lehto Group currently operates in Finland and is geographically concentrated in growth centres, which form a significant part of the construction volume. The Company's headquarters are located in Kempele. The company employed 423 people at the end of the financial year 2015.

DISCLAIMER

This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Africa or the United States, or any other jurisdiction in which release or distribution would be unlawful. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

The information contained herein shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities referred to herein in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Investors must neither accept any offer for, nor acquire, any securities to which this document refers, unless they do so on the basis of the information contained in the applicable prospectus approved by the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority and published by the Company.

These written materials do not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States, nor may the securities be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder. The securities will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and there will be no public offering of the securities in the United States.

The Company has not authorised any offer to the public of securities in any member state of the European Economic Area other than Finland. With respect to each member state of the European Economic Area other than Finland which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relevant Member State"), no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of securities requiring publication of a prospectus in any Relevant Member State. As a result, the securities may only be offered in Relevant Member States (a) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; or (b) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive. For the purposes of this paragraph, the expression "an offer of securities to the public" means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to exercise, purchase or subscribe for the securities, as the same may be varied by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State, and the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression "2010 PD Amending Directive" means Directive 2010/73/EU.

The information contained herein shall not constitute a public offering of shares in the United Kingdom. This document is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) to investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Any investment activity to which this document relates will be only available to, and will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

This document includes "forward-looking statements" that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning the Company's dividend policy, financial targets, plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law.

OP Corporate Bank plc and Pareto Securities Oy (together, the "Bookrunners") are acting exclusively for the Company in connection with the contemplated listing. The Bookrunners will not regard any other person as their respective client in relation to the listing and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for giving advice in relation to the listing or transactions related thereto.

HUG#2009296
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP) (OTCBB:CYDVF) (Frankfurt:C1Z1) (Cypress or the Company) is pleased to announce, further to its news release April 5, 2016, that the Company has received lithium assays from Cypress ongoing Phase 2 sampling program at its 1320 acre Clayton Valley Project located in Esmeralda County, Nevada.



Cypress Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada claims map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/Clayton-Test-Wells-Plan-Map.jpg

Cypress' Clayton Valley Project is located on the south flank of "Angel Island" and immediately southeast of the Albemarle Silver Peak lithium mine. Cypress' Clayton Valley claims share their western boundary with claims controlled by Pure Energy Minerals. Pure Energy has identified a lithium resource at its northern resource area that is located to the immediate west of Cypress' property boundary.

The Albemarle Silver Peak mine is the only operating brine based lithium mine in North America. The Silver Peak mine began operations in 1967 to mine lithium by low cost evaporation ponds and has produced lithium since then. The lithium concentration in the production brines were reported in 2001 to average 160 ppm lithium (160 mg/litre) (Garrett Report, 2004). Cypress' highly prospective "Glory" and "Angel" claims are located within 0.5 miles (<1000m) south of current and past producing lithium brine wells belonging to the Albemarle Silver Peak Mine.

Cypress Phase 2 Clayton Valley Project Exploration Results

Phase 1 surface sampling of the claystones at Cypress' Clayton Valley Project was completed at the end of January in an area within the northwest portion of the property on the west flank of Angel Island. The outcropping claystone likely represent uplifted portions of the stratigraphy within which the lithium brines of the basin are produced.

The assays results encountered by Cypress suggest a strong possibility of an essentially continuously mineralized volume of lithium in claystones at surface on extensive portions of Cypress' Clayton Valley property. The Phase 2 sample results to date, including Januarys Phase 1 results, show 2 kilometers of north-south strike of outcropping claystones that assay approximately 1,000 ppm lithium on average.

An additional batch of samples have been collected from the most northern portion of the northwest area of Cypress claim group to complete the Phase 2 sampling of that area. The new samples have been submitted to ALS Chemex in Reno for processing.

Cypress Clayton Valley Phase 2 lithium sampling sites map, Nevada:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/CYP-Clayton-Phase-2.jpg

The tables below show Phase 2 assay results from the North, Central, Southeast and Southwest areas of Cypress Clayton Valley property.

North

Area

Assays Central

Area

Assays SE Area

Assays SAMPLE

ID Li ppm SAMPLE

ID Li ppm SAMPLE

ID Li ppm 243681 1680 243671 780 123190 420 243682 1150 243672 830 123191 470 243684 780 243673 730 123192 750 243685 190 243674 700 123193 500 243686 510 243675 640 123194 650 243687 1300 243676 630 123195 640 243688 1060 243677 440 123196 610 243689 1040 243678 610 123197 690 243690 960 243679 730 123198 620 243691 1620 243680 500 123199 770 Average 1029 Average 659 123200 870 123201 650 123202 590 123203 590 123204 670 123205 860 123206 860 Average 659.4





Southwest Area Assays SAMPLE

ID Li ppm Li ppm Li ppm 123146 1030 123161 1230 123176 860 123147 1040 123162 700 123177 630 123148 1140 123163 800 123178 790 123149 1060 123164 790 123179 690 123150 1120 123165 170 123180 450 123151 1130 123166 770 123181 480 123152 1120 123167 770 123182 810 123153 1130 123168 690 123183 840 123154 1140 123169 950 123184 860 123155 1140 123170 1290 123185 470 123156 750 123171 810 123186 860 123157 1130 123172 870 123187 450 123158 910 123173 840 123188 380 123159 1130 123174 850 123189 130 123160 680 123175 820 Average 834.1

*NOTE: (Li=Lithium, ppm=parts per million, 1 ppm=1 milligram per litre)

Lithium Leachability Study

A number of samples from these current results are now being run by additional assay procedures to provide further data on the favourable leachability potential of lithium from the mineralized claystones.

Cypress Phase 3 program will include the drilling of shallow auger holes targeted to provide initial subsurface data and assays under areas of strongly lithium mineralized salty claystone outcrops. The auger holes are planned to test the depth of lithium in claystones and will be sampled on composite 5 foot intervals.

Cypress Clayton Valley Project proposed auger and drill hole map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/CYP-Clayton-Drill-Plan-Map-small-apr16.jpg

The surface sampling and reconnaissance geologic results received by Cypress to date are viewed as being highly encouraging for the presence of lithium rich brines within the subsurface aquifers below the mineralized claystone. In Cypress view, lithium rich brines are likely to be found below the water table below the mineralized outcrops and may be especially well developed along the arcuate fault zones where fracturing will have increased the permeability of the rock section.

In preparation for a planned Phase 3 program, Cypress Development has filed a Notice of Intent permit with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), Nevada covering a planned four hole drill program targeting lithium brines at the Company's Clayton Valley Project (see news release April 21, 2016).

Clayton Valley is located within the Basin and Range Province in southern Nevada and is an internally drained, fault bounded and closed basin. Basin-filling strata compose the aquifer system which hosts and produces the lithium rich brines.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

All samples were assayed by ALS Chemex using a four acid digestion / ICP-Mass Spec method. Blind sample blanks are being inserted into the sample sequences at a rate of approximately 1 per 20 samples.

Robert Marvin, P.Geo, Exploration Manager for Cypress Development Corp. is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved of the technical information in this release.

About Cypress Development Corp.:

Cypress Development Corp. is a publicly traded lithium and zinc-silver exploration company developing projects in Nevada, U.S.A.

Cypress Development Corp. has approx. 24.1 million shares issued and outstanding.

To find out more about Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP), visit our website at www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com.

CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Don Huston



DONALD C. HUSTON

President

For further information contact myself or:

Don Myers

Director

Cypress Development Corp.

Telephone: 604-687-3376

Toll Free: 800-567-8181

Facsimile: 604-687-3119

Email: info@cypressdevelopmentcorp.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.
ATLANTA, May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Racemi, a provider of automated server migration software, announces the promotion of Scott Mewett to chief technology officer (CTO) and his appointment to board secretary and the promotion of Charles Watt to chief scientist.

Scott and Charlie have earned these new assignments through their pioneering work on our automated server workload migration software, which in 2010 we re-directed to address emerging needs to move to cloud computing platforms, said Lawrence Guillory, CEO of Racemi. Since that time, weve seen steady growth and record sales bookings last year, which increased 460 percent year-over-year as cloud computing rapidly moves mainstream. With Scott and Charlie in these roles, we are well positioned to deliver additional function and features to make migrations to cloud faster and easier than ever before.

Scott Mewett joined Racemi in 2011 as vice president of engineering. He has more than 20 years experience in software development, which includes more than a decade of experience in the design, implementation, and management of enterprise-class software and services.

During his career, Mewett has designed and implemented products that have been deployed at thousands of businesses worldwide, including distributed threat and vulnerability management systems, cryptographic products used in banking, application frameworks, anti-virus, firewall and other security applications including the worlds first online security threat analyzer. He is the credited inventor of multiple U.S. patents relating to network and computer security. Mewett has a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Computer Systems) from the University of Queensland, Australia and a Bachelor of Information Technology from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

Charles Watt founded Racemi in 2001 leading the companys research and development of its automation software for moving server workloads across disparate systems and cloud computing platforms. He has more than 30 years of experience in software development and was previously chief scientist of S1 Technologies, chief scientist of SecureWare, and president of IIO Systems.

During his career, Watt has designed and implemented Internet financial applications that include the worlds first Internet bank (Security First Network Bank), military-grade secure operating systems, cryptographic products for email and Internet Protocol (IP) networking, anti-virus products and industrial controls. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College (A.B. and B.E.) and the Thayer School of Engineering with a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering.

About Racemi

Racemi, the moving company for the cloud, has been named a Cool Vendor and an AWS Leadership Award winner, and has over 1,800 customers and partners around the globe. The company develops server provisioning and cloud migration software that allows businesses to quickly migrate their existing physical and virtual servers between dissimilar physical, virtual, and cloud platforms and across geographies. Racemi software can be used for cloud migration projects, data center relocations, disaster recovery, and other server workload migration needs. For more information, visit www.racemi.com.

# # #

Racemi, the moving company for the cloud, are marks of Racemi. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.
Swedish prosecutors have announced that they close down the investigation regarding suspected bribery in Azerbaijan. After todays decision, there are no ongoing Swedish investigations that relates to Telia Company, except for the investigation regarding Uzbekistan. Telia Company is cooperating fully with the prosecutors and police in investigations regarding suspected bribery and has full confidence in the prosecutors and their work. Telia Company AB discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Swedish Securities Markets Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instrument Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at CET 17.30 on May 3, 2016. For more information, please contact our press office +46 771 77 58 30, press@teliasonera.com, visit our Newsroom (http://www.teliacompany.com/en/newsroom/news/news3/) or follow us on Twitter @Teliacompany (https://twitter.com/Teliacompany). Forward-Looking Statements Statements made in the press release relating to future status or circumstances, including future performance and other trend projections are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to many factors, many of which are outside the control of Telia Company. Were Telia Company, the New Generation Telco. Our 21 000 talented colleagues serve millions of customers every day in one of the worlds most connected regions. With a strong connectivity base, were the hub in the digital ecosystem, empowering people, companies and societies to stay in touch with everything that matters 24/7/365 - on their terms. Headquartered in Stockholm, the heart of innovation and technology, were set to change the industry and bring the world even closer for our customers. Read more at http://www.teliacomapany.com/.
Afeni Shakur, mother of renowned rapper Tupac Shakur, has died at age 69, the Marin County Sheriff's Office confirmed Monday night.

Deputies from the Sheriff's Office responded to her Sausalito, California, home around 9:30 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a possible cardiac arrest.

Shakur was transferred to a hospital where she died about an hour later, at 10:28 p.m.

The Sheriff's coroner will lead an investigation into the cause and manner of Shakur's death.

Shakur, who was born in North Carolina and became a Black Panther and activist, was the subject of her late son's 1995 hit song "Dear Mama," in which he detailed his childhood struggles and love for his mother.

Tupac Shakur was shot Sept. 7, 1996, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and died in the hospital six days later from his injuries. His assailant was never caught.

After his death, Afeni Shakur formed the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, and in 2014 helped create the Broadway musical "Holler If Ya Hear Me," featuring the rapper's music.

She was also an executive producer for the film "All Eyez on Me," about her son's life. The film is set to be released in November.
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
I don't think it's either accurate or fair to describe "Game of Thrones" as fan fiction to George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. They're an authorized adaptation, rather than an attempt by fans to turn the story in a new direction or to re-purpose the characters for other stories. Martin himself has written episodes for the series. And we've know for years that Martin has told "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss how his novels will end, so the end of the show should be roughly consistent with the end of the novels.

Posing a choice between "Game of Thrones" and A Song of Ice and Fire is asking people to make a decision they don't actually have to take on. The final versions of each series--if Martin actually finishes the novels--will have differences. But I'll be eager to see how they both reach a similar conclusion.
In-Depth

Inside Look: Windows 10 Anniversary Edition

The first major update of Windows 10 will make better use of digital ink, add intelligence and extensibility to Cortana, extend Hello biometric authentication in the Edge browser, and run the Linux Bash Shell from Ubuntu, among numerous other features coming this summer.

One year after its release, Windows 10 will get a makeover this summer. It won't be an "extreme makeover," but when Microsoft rolls out the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, code-named "Redstone," the first major update of the OS will feature quite a few welcome improvements.

Redmond announced the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition at its annual Build developer conference in San Francisco a month ago. Although the version number for the new release remains to be seen, if history is any indicator, it would most likely be Windows 10.1. The release will add loads of new features and refinements, in much the same way Windows 8.1 improved on Windows 8.

In late March, Microsoft released Build 14295, which features a number of welcome bug fixes, but also provides the foundation for Windows 10 Anniversary Edition. Microsoft last month followed up with the release of Build 14316 to Windows Insiders, the first version to provide a glimpse of those new features, though the company has indicated it will roll out a number of new builds leading up to this summer's release. Here's a sampling of some key new features Microsoft emphasized at Build.

The New Start Menu

In spite of all of the great features in Windows 10, the OS is probably best known for the resurrection of the Start menu. The Start menu still exists in the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, but Microsoft has made some changes to it (again). The current Windows 10 Start menu displays the more commonly used applications and applications pinned to the Start menu, but in an effort to avoid clutter, Microsoft placed most of the apps on a sub-menu named All Apps.

In the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, users no longer have to click All Apps to access their full list of applications. The app list is displayed by default. Although none of the currently available builds feature the revamped Start menu, a Microsoft software engineer named Jen Gentleman tweeted an animated GIF showing the new Start menu.

Windows Ink

Without a doubt, the new feature I'm most excited about is Windows Ink. Microsoft's decision to make the technology available to developers should lead to a slew of new pen-enabled applications. With the current version of Windows 10, Windows Ink makes it possible to use the Surface Pen to mark up a Word document or annotate a PowerPoint slide during a presentation. Although Windows Ink exists in some of the Office applications and in the Edge browser, there hasn't been good support in third-party applications. In the Anniversary release, Microsoft is making it possible for developers to add inking capabilities to their applications using as few as two lines of code.

Terry Myerson, executive VP for the Microsoft Windows and Devices group, said during his Build keynote address that with the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, the "goal is to make using a pen with your device as seamless and as easy as pen and paper." The company then demonstrated the creation of sticky notes, a sketch screen and a sketch pad for taking notes (see Figure 1). The sketch pad app basically turns your device into a digital whiteboard, while the sketch screen app will let you to take a screen capture and then mark it up.

[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 1. The sticky notes, sketch screen and sketch pad in Windows 10 Anniversary Edition.

Windows Hello

Windows Hello existed in the original Windows 10 release and allows users to authenticate into their devices by using a device PIN or biometric authentication, rather than a password. In the Anniversary Edition, Microsoft has decided to leverage Windows Hello for use with the Edge browser. Doing so could go a very long way toward improving security.

The Windows 10 Anniversary Edition will make it possible for users to authenticate into Web sites using biometric authentication. It is worth noting, however, that in order to use this capability, each individual Web site must support biometric authentication. Initially, site-level support for Windows Hello will be extremely rare, but over time it seems likely biometric authentication for the Web will gain mainstream acceptance, thanks to growing support for the Fast ID Online (FIDO) standard.

Cortana

As useful as Cortana is on Windows Phone, it doesn't have that same appeal on a PC. Based on the announcements coming out of the Build conference, however, that promises to change. It's the assistant-like behavior of Cortana that makes it so useful on a phone, so Microsoft has been putting a lot of work into figuring out ways to make Cortana more useful on the desktop by adding more intelligence.

According to some sources, Cortana will also be able to keep track of your whereabouts over the long term. Supposedly, it will be possible to ask Cortana questions such as, "What was the name of that restaurant I ate at in Chicago last year?"

Some of the new intelligence added to Cortana includes revamped reminders. These reminders are e-mail-enabled, and are designed to help users keep the promises that they've made. Suppose, for example, a user sends an e-mail message to a colleague promising to get back with him next week. Cortana is going to be smart enough, in some instances, to interpret the e-mail message and remind the user if he hasn't followed up with his colleague as promised.

Linux

One of the most widely applauded new capabilities coming to Windows is support for the Bash shell. The announcement of a native Bash shell in Windows is the result of a recent partnership between Microsoft and Canonical Ltd. Those who wish to use the Bash shell will be able to download it from the Windows Store. Microsoft has posted a video on Channel 9, which discusses Bash on Windows

Hyper-V ContainersPerhaps the most-anticipated feature of the forthcoming Windows Server 2016 is containers. Containers provide a way of creating portable, virtualized applications that can run in the local datacenter or in the cloud. Windows Server 2016 containers can be implemented either at the OS level or at the Hyper-V level.

According to a recent announcement, Microsoft has decided to bring Hyper-V containers to Windows 10. The biggest advantage to doing so is it will enable developers to create containerized applications on their desktops and then push those applications either to a server running in the organization's own datacenter or to the cloud. Microsoft has indicated that any runtime containers built on Windows 10 Hyper-V will work with Windows Server Hyper-V containers or with Windows Server containers (containers that don't use Hyper-V).

One of the reasons why Microsoft chose to implement containers through Hyper-V in Windows 10, as opposed to implementing containers at the base OS level, is that Hyper-V containers are able to utilize a dedicated Windows kernel rather than sharing the Windows 10 OS kernel. This means containers created on Windows 10 really are Windows Server containers, because they'll use a Windows Server kernel.

Chasable Live Tiles

Microsoft is doing a lot of work with the Windows 10 Action Center and toast notifications, but one of the interesting new features coming to Windows 10 is chasable live tiles.

Right now, live tiles deliver app-specific information via the Start menu. On my phone, for instance, I have live tiles that display a preview of the most recently received e-mail message, my next calendar appointment and the weather forecast. Although it's nice to be able to get real-time information through these tiles, tapping on a tile generally takes me to an application's home screen.

Chasable live tiles will give users the option of going directly to a particular piece of information. For instance, a user might tap on a tile and go straight to a specific e-mail message, rather than merely opening the Inbox. Such behavior is similar to what Microsoft provides on the Band 2 today. Although Band 2 users can access their Inbox by tapping on the Inbox icon, they can also tap on new message previews to go directly to the message.
And Frasers Hospitality plans to launch 10 more properties in China.

Are Singapore's banks turning boring again? Probably, yes. Are they making the slide into tedium worthwhile for shareholders? Maybe not. Before the onset of the subprime crisis in the U.S., the three homegrown Singapore lenders -- DBS, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. and United Overseas Bank -- used to earn a humdrum 13 percent return on equity, compared with of 25 percent for large banks in Hong Kong, 20 percent in Australia and 19 percent in the U.K. Read more here.

The Department of Statistics Singapore released the February 2016 Retail Sales Index figures two weeks ago. The data shows that year-on-year, total retail sales value fell 3.2% from an estimated $3.5 billion in February 2015. The decline would have been bigger if not for the sales of motor vehicles, which increased 51% over February last year. Find out more here.

Frasers Hospitality has unveiled plans to launch 10 more properties in China, following the opening of Fraser Place Tianjin by Mr Lawrence Wong, Singapores Minister for National Development. The plans include key cities in Tianjin, Wuxi, Chengdu, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and new market launches in Nanchang, Dalian and Changsha. Read more here.













More From Singapore Business Review


AFP News

Ukraine on Sunday denounced as dangerous lies suggestions from Russia that it was preparing to use a "dirty bomb". Its western allies also dismissed the allegations from Moscow, just hours after Russia went public with the claims. In conversations with his British, French and Turkish counterparts, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu conveyed "concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a 'dirty bomb'", Moscow said. Russia did not mention the alleged "dirty bomb" allegation in its statement following Shoigu's call with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. "If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on social media. "I believe that now the world should react as harshly as possible." Earlier Sunday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba denounced Moscow's claims as "absurd" and "dangerous". "Russians often accuse others of what they plan themselves," he added. A British defence ministry statement said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had "refuted these claims and cautioned that such allegations should not be used as a pretext for greater escalation". And in Washington, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson dismissed Moscow's "transparently false" claim. "The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation," she added. - 'Vile strikes' - Russia also announced Sunday that it had destroyed a depot in central Ukraine storing over 100,000 tonnes of aviation fuel. Kyiv's energy operator meanwhile said scheduled power cuts had been introduced in the Ukrainian capital due to Russia's repeated strikes on the nation's power network. The blackouts started from 11:13 am (0813 GMT) with consumers in Kyiv divided into three groups "disconnected for a certain period of time", energy company DTEK said. DTEK reiterated calls for residents to use electricity "sparingly" and for businesses to limit their use of external lighting. More than one million Ukrainian households have lost electricity following recent Russian strikes, according to the Ukrainian presidency, at least a third of the country's power stations having been destroyed ahead of winter. Zelensky condemned the "vile strikes" in comments late Saturday, after Russian attacks caused power cuts across the country. - 'Save your strength' - In the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig, deputy mayor Sergiy Miliutin was dealing with emergencies and power outages from his underground bunker, used as a venue for a children's martial arts competition. "I've reached a point where I just survive on my drive. You have to stay level-headed and save your strength. No one knows how long this will all last," he told AFP. The intensification of Russian strikes on Ukraine, particularly energy facilities, came after the bridge linking the annexed Crimea peninsula to mainland Russia was partially destroyed by an explosion earlier this month. It was another major setback for Moscow's forces, battling to contain a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south and east of the country. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that it was for Ukrainians to decide when "peace is possible", in comments made in Rome at the start of a peace summit. Ukraine reported three deaths in an overnight Russian artillery strike in the Toretsk area, a governor of the eastern Donetsk region said. Inside Russia, two lines of defence have been built in the border region of Kursk to deal with any possible attack, a local governor said on Sunday. On Saturday Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor in the neighbouring Russian border region of Belgorod, said the construction of defence structures had begun. Gladkov said two civilians had been killed in strikes there Saturday, and that 15,000 people had been left without electricity. - Kherson evacuations - Meanwhile Ukraine's SBU intelligence service said it had detained two officials of Ukrainian aircraft engine maker Motor Sich on suspicion of working with Russia. The SBU said management at the company's plant in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region -- partly controlled by Russian forces -- had colluded with Russian state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec. The suspects had supplied Russia with Ukrainian aircraft engines that were used to make and repair attack helicopters, the SBU said. In the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, which Russia claims to have annexed, pro-Moscow officials on Saturday urged residents to leave "immediately" amid a "tense situation" at the front. Kherson, the region's main city, was the first to fall to Moscow's troops and retaking it would be a major prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive. A Moscow-installed official in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, told Russian news agency Interfax on Saturday that around 25,000 people had left Kherson city to the left bank of the Dnipro River. Ukraine has denounced the removal of residents from Kherson, describing them as "deportations". bur-imm/raz/jj/lcm
Presidential frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton hoped Tuesday the Indiana primaries would put them one step closer to locking up the Republican and Democratic nominations -- and their likely November showdown. The latest contest in the 2016 White House race is seen as a day of reckoning for the "stop Trump" movement led by his closest rival Ted Cruz. But the billionaire real estate mogul -- who has thus far defied all political logic to lead the Republican race -- looked set to deliver a death blow to the conservative Texas senator, with a recent NBC poll giving Trump a 15-point advantage in the midwestern state. "I don't think he's got the temperament to be president," Trump said of Cruz in an interview with Fox News after polls opened. "People are tired with what's happening with these politicians and they're just tired of seeing our country get ripped off." Clinton and her rival Bernie Sanders were locked in a closer Indiana race, with the former secretary of state leading by just under seven percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics poll average. Clinton, 68, is far enough ahead overall that Sanders' only hope now lies in the unlikely scenario of her failing to win a majority of delegates in the primaries, in which case her nomination could be contested at a Democratic convention in July. "I'm really focused on moving into the general election," a confident Clinton told MSNBC Tuesday in West Virginia. "That's where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who'll literally say or do anything," she said of Trump. "We're going to take him on at every turn." Cruz was also hoping to thwart Trump by using Indiana as a firewall, blocking the brash billionaire from receiving the 1,237 delegates necessary to secure the nomination at the Republican convention in Cleveland in July. Mathematically eliminated from winning outright, Cruz's goal is to snatch victory on a second ballot, when most delegates become free to vote for whomever they choose -- but which will only be held if Trump falls short of a majority in round one. - 'Staring at the abyss' - With momentum favoring the 69-year-old Trump, who won the last six contests, the primary battle took a nasty turn Tuesday when Trump cited a tabloid report linking Cruz's father Rafael to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Trump evoked the recent National Enquirer story in his interview with Fox News. "This is just kooky," an irate Cruz shot back while stumping in Evansville, Indiana, branding Trump a "pathological liar." "The man is utterly amoral," said Cruz, lambasting the frontrunner as "a caricature of a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks." "We are staring at the abyss," Cruz warned. Should Cruz fall short Tuesday, even his supporters see an extremely steep road ahead. Until recently, Indiana was widely seen as a good state for the senator, who has performed well in primaries dominated by conservative and evangelical voters. Observers say a Trump victory would raise serious questions about whether Cruz can still win other states where he was thought to be favored, such as Nebraska, Washington, Montana and South Dakota. If Trump sweeps Indiana's 57 delegates, "it could be over," former Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler acknowledged. The frontrunner has so far amassed 1,002 delegates, according to CNN's tally. He needs just under half of the 502 in play in the remaining 10 contests to lock in the nomination. Cruz is at 572 delegates, while Ohio Governor John Kasich trails with 156. The map currently favors Trump, who is polling well ahead in the largest states yet to vote -- California and New Jersey. - 'Let's focus on Hillary' - Clinton needs only 21 percent of remaining Democratic delegates to win her party's nomination, but she declined to call on Sanders to drop out. "He has every right to finish out this primary season. I couldn't argue with that," Clinton said. Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist senator representing Vermont, wasn't throwing in the towel. Courting the union vote in Indiana, where manufacturing has taken a hit, Sanders sought to focus on trade. "Secretary Clinton has supported virtually every one of these disastrous trade agreements and that is an area of strong disagreement that the voters of Indiana and America will have to consider," he said outside a diner in Indianapolis. Either candidate needs 2,383 delegates for victory. Currently Clinton has 2,179 including 513 superdelegates, while Sanders has 1,400 including 41 superdelegates. A confident Trump was already relishing a general election matchup with Clinton. "Please, let's focus on Hillary," he said on the eve of the vote. Clinton appeared ready for the challenge, telling MSNBC that the quick-to-insult Trump "has given no indication that he understands the gravity of the responsibilities that go with being commander-in-chief."
Published May 02, 2016 | Updated May 04, 2016

The Android Security Bulletin contains details of security vulnerabilities affecting Android devices. Alongside the bulletin, we have released a security update to Nexus devices through an over-the-air (OTA) update. The Nexus firmware images have also been released to the Google Developer site. Security Patch Levels of May 01, 2016 or later address these issues (refer to the Nexus documentation for instructions on how to check the security patch level).

Partners were notified about the issues described in the bulletin on April 04, 2016 or earlier. Where applicable, source code patches for these issues have been released to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository.

The most severe of these issues is a Critical security vulnerability that could enable remote code execution on an affected device through multiple methods such as email, web browsing, and MMS when processing media files. The severity assessment is based on the effect that exploiting the vulnerability would possibly have on an affected device, assuming the platform and service mitigations are disabled for development purposes or if successfully bypassed.

We have had no reports of active customer exploitation or abuse of these newly reported issues. Refer to the Android and Google Service Mitigations section for details on the Android security platform protections and service protections such as SafetyNet, which improve the security of the Android platform.

We encourage all customers to accept these updates to their devices.

Announcements

To reflect a broader focus, we renamed this bulletin (and all following in the series) to the Android Security Bulletin. These bulletins encompass a broader range of vulnerabilities that may affect Android devices, even if they do not affect Nexus devices.

We updated the Android Security severity ratings. These changes were the result of data collected over the last six months on reported security vulnerabilities and aim to align severities more closely with real world impact to users.

Android and Google Service Mitigations

This is a summary of the mitigations provided by the Android security platform and service protections such as SafetyNet. These capabilities reduce the likelihood that security vulnerabilities could be successfully exploited on Android.

Exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform. We encourage all users to update to the latest version of Android where possible.

The Android Security team actively monitors for abuse with Verify Apps and SafetyNet, which are designed to warn users about Potentially Harmful Applications. Verify Apps is enabled by default on devices with Google Mobile Services, and is especially important for users who install applications from outside of Google Play. Device rooting tools are prohibited within Google Play, but Verify Apps warns users when they attempt to install a detected rooting applicationno matter where it comes from. Additionally, Verify Apps attempts to identify and block installation of known malicious applications that exploit a privilege escalation vulnerability. If such an application has already been installed, Verify Apps will notify the user and attempt to remove the detected application.

As appropriate, Google Hangouts and Messenger applications do not automatically pass media to processes such as mediaserver.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank these researchers for their contributions:

Security Vulnerability Details

In the sections below, we provide details for each of the security vulnerabilities that apply to the 2016-05-01 patch level. There is a description of the issue, a severity rationale, and a table with the CVE, associated bug, severity, updated Nexus devices, updated AOSP versions (where applicable), and date reported. When available, we will link the AOSP change that addressed the issue to the bug ID. When multiple changes relate to a single bug, additional AOSP references are linked to numbers following the bug ID.

Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Mediaserver

During media file and data processing of a specially crafted file, a vulnerability in mediaserver could allow an attacker to cause memory corruption and remote code execution as the mediaserver process.

The affected functionality is provided as a core part of the operating system and there are multiple applications that allow it to be reached with remote content, most notably MMS and browser playback of media.

This issue is rated as Critical severity due to the possibility of remote code execution within the context of the mediaserver service. The mediaserver service has access to audio and video streams, as well as access to privileges that third-party apps could not normally access.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2428 26751339 Critical All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Jan 22, 2016 CVE-2016-2429 27211885 Critical All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 16, 2016

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Debuggerd

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the integrated Android debugger could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the Android debugger. This issue is rated as Critical severity due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2430 27299236 Critical All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 22, 2016

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Qualcomm TrustZone

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm TrustZone component could enable a secure local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the TrustZone kernel. This issue is rated as Critical severity due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2431 24968809* Critical Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013), Android One Oct 15, 2015 CVE-2016-2432 25913059* Critical Nexus 6, Android One Nov 28, 2015

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Qualcomm Wi-Fi Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm Wi-Fi driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as Critical severity due to possibility of a local privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution leading to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2015-0569 26754117* Critical Nexus 5X, Nexus 7 (2013) Jan 23, 2016 CVE-2015-0570 26764809* Critical Nexus 5X, Nexus 7 (2013) Jan 25, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in NVIDIA Video Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the NVIDIA video driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as Critical severity due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2434 27251090* Critical Nexus 9 Feb 17, 2016 CVE-2016-2435 27297988* Critical Nexus 9 Feb 20, 2016 CVE-2016-2436 27299111* Critical Nexus 9 Feb 22, 2016 CVE-2016-2437 27436822* Critical Nexus 9 Mar 1, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Kernel

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the kernel could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. This issue is rated as Critical severity due to the possibility of a local privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution leading to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise, which may require reflashing the operating system to repair the device. This issue was described in Android Security Advisory 2016-03-18.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2015-1805 27275324* Critical Nexus 5, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9 Feb 19, 2016

* The patch in AOSP is available for specific kernel versions: 3.14, 3.10, and 3.4.

Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Kernel

A remote code execution vulnerability in the audio subsystem could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. Normally a kernel code execution bug like this would be rated Critical, but because it first requires compromising a privileged service in order to call the audio subsystem, it is rated High severity.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2438 26636060* High Nexus 9 Google Internal

* The patch for this issue is available in Linux upstream.

Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Qualcomm Tethering Controller

An information disclosure vulnerability in the Qualcomm Tethering controller could allow a local malicious application to access personal identifiable information without the privileges to do so. This issue is rated as High severity because it can be used to gain elevated capabilities, such as Signature or SignatureOrSystem permissions privileges, which are not accessible to a third-party application.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2060 27942588* High None Mar 23, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update should be contained in the latest drivers of affected devices.

Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Bluetooth

During pairing of a Bluetooth device, a vulnerability in Bluetooth could allow a proximal attacker to execute arbitrary code during the pairing process. This issue is rated as High severity due to the possibility of remote code execution during the initialization of a Bluetooth device.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2439 27411268 High All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 28, 2016

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Binder

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Binder could allow a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of another apps process. While freeing memory, a vulnerability in the Binder could allow an attacker to cause local code execution. This issue is rated as High severity due to the possibility of local code execution during free memory process in the Binder.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2440 27252896 High All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 18, 2016

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Qualcomm Buspm Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm buspm driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. Normally a kernel code execution bug like this would be rated Critical, but because it first requires compromising a service that can call the driver, it is rated as High severity.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2441 26354602* High Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P Dec 30, 2015 CVE-2016-2442 26494907* High Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P Dec 30, 2015

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Qualcomm MDP Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm MDP driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. Normally a kernel code execution bug like this would be rated Critical, but because it first requires compromising a service that can call the driver, it is rated as High severity.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2443 26404525* High Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013) Jan 5, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Qualcomm Wi-Fi Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Qualcomm Wi-Fi component could enable a local malicious application to invoke system calls changing the device settings and behavior without the privileges to do so. This issue is rated as High severity because it could be used to gain local access to elevated capabilities, such as Signature or SignatureOrSystem permissions privileges, which are not accessible to a third-party application.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2015-0571 26763920* High Nexus 5X, Nexus 7 (2013) Jan 25, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in NVIDIA Video Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the NVIDIA media driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. Normally a kernel code execution bug like this would be rated Critical, but because it first requires compromising a high privilege service to call the driver, it is rated High severity.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2444 27208332* High Nexus 9 Feb 16, 2016 CVE-2016-2445 27253079* High Nexus 9 Feb 17, 2016 CVE-2016-2446 27441354* High Nexus 9 Mar 1, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Wi-Fi

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Wi-Fi could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of an elevated system application. This issue is rated as High severity because it could also be used to gain elevated capabilities, such as Signature or SignatureOrSystem permissions privileges, which are not accessible to third-party applications.

Note:The CVE number has been updated, per MITRE request, from CVE-2016-2447 to CVE-2016-4477.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-4477 27371366 [2] High All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 24, 2016

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Mediaserver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in mediaserver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of an elevated system application. This issue is rated as High severity because it could be used to gain elevated capabilities, such as Signature or SignatureOrSystem permissions privileges, which are not accessible to a third-party application.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in MediaTek Wi-Fi Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the MediaTek Wi-Fi driver could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code within the context of the kernel. Normally a kernel code execution bug like this would be rated Critical, but because it first requires compromising a service that can call the driver, it is rated as High severity.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2453 27549705* High Android One Mar 8, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Remote Denial of Service Vulnerability in Qualcomm Hardware Codec

During media file and data processing of a specially crafted file, a remote denial of service vulnerability in the Qualcomm hardware video codec could allow a remote attacker to block access to an affected device by causing a device reboot. This is rated as High severity due to the possibility of remote denial of service.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2454 26221024* High Nexus 5 Dec 16, 2015

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Conscrypt

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Conscrypt could allow an local application to believe a message was authenticated when it was not. This issue is rated as Moderate severity because it requires coordinated steps across multiple devices.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2461 27324690 [2] Moderate All Nexus 6.0, 6.0.1 Google Internal CVE-2016-2462 27371173 Moderate All Nexus 6.0, 6.0.1 Google Internal

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in OpenSSL & BoringSSL

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in OpenSSL and BoringSSL could enable a local malicious application to access data outside of its permission levels. Normally this would be rated High, but because it requires an uncommon manual configuration, it is rated as Moderate severity.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-0705 27449871 Moderate All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 7, 2016

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in MediaTek Wi-Fi Driver

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in MediaTek Wi-Fi driver could enable a local malicious application to cause a denial of service. Normally an elevation of privilege bug like this would be rated High, but because it requires first compromising a system service, it is rated as Moderate severity.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-2456 27275187* Moderate Android One Feb 19, 2016

* The patch for this issue is not in AOSP. The update is contained in the latest binary drivers for Nexus devices available from the Google Developer site.

Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability in Wi-Fi

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Wi-Fi could enable a guest account to modify the Wi-Fi settings that persist for the primary user. This issue is rated as Moderate severity because it enables local access to " dangerous" capabilities without permission.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2457 27411179 Moderate All Nexus 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 29, 2016

Information Disclosure Vulnerability in AOSP Mail

An information disclosure vulnerability in AOSP Mail could enable a local malicious application to gain access to users private information. This issue is rated Moderate severity because it could be used to improperly access data without permission.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2458 27335139 [2] Moderate All Nexus 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Feb 23, 2016

Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Mediaserver

An information disclosure vulnerability in Mediaserver could allow an application to access sensitive information. This issue is rated as Moderate severity because it could be used to improperly access data without permission.

CVE Android bugs Severity Updated Nexus devices Updated AOSP versions Date reported CVE-2016-2459 27556038 Moderate All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Mar 7, 2016 CVE-2016-2460 27555981 Moderate All Nexus 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1 Mar 7, 2016

Denial of Service Vulnerability in Kernel

A denial of service vulnerability in the kernel could allow a local malicious application to cause a device reboot. This issue is rated as Low severity because the effect is a temporary denial of service.

CVE Android bug Severity Updated Nexus devices Date reported CVE-2016-0774 27721803* Low All Nexus Mar 17, 2016

* The patch for this issue is available in Linux upstream.

Common Questions and Answers

This section reviews answers to common questions that may occur after reading this bulletin.

1. How do I determine if my device is updated to address these issues?

Security Patch Levels of May 01, 2016 or later address these issues (refer to the Nexus documentation for instructions on how to check the security patch level). Device manufacturers that include these updates should set the patch string level to: [ro.build.version.security_patch]:[2016-05-01]

2. How do I determine which Nexus devices are affected by each issue?

In the Security Vulnerability Details section, each table has an Updated Nexus devices column that covers the range of affected Nexus devices updated for each issue. This column has a few options:

All Nexus devices : If an issue affects all Nexus devices, the table will have All Nexus in the Updated Nexus devices column. All Nexus encapsulates the following supported devices: Nexus 5, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9, Android One, Nexus Player, and Pixel C.

: If an issue affects all Nexus devices, the table will have All Nexus in the Updated Nexus devices column. All Nexus encapsulates the following supported devices: Nexus 5, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9, Android One, Nexus Player, and Pixel C. Some Nexus devices : If an issue doesnt affect all Nexus devices, the affected Nexus devices are listed in the Updated Nexus devices column.

: If an issue doesnt affect all Nexus devices, the affected Nexus devices are listed in the Updated Nexus devices column. No Nexus devices: If no Nexus devices are affected by the issue, the table will have None in the Updated Nexus devices column.

3. Why is CVE-2015-1805 included in this bulletin?

CVE-2015-1805 is included in this bulletin because the Android Security Advisory2016-03-18 was published very close to the release of the April bulletin. Due to the tight timeline, device manufacturers were given the option to ship fixes from the Nexus Security BulletinApril 2016, without the fix for CVE-2015-1805, if they used the April 01, 2016 Security Patch Level. It is included again in this bulletin as it must be fixed in order to use the May 01, 2016 Security Patch Level.

Revisions
Security

Education Platform Addresses Data Privacy

A new education platform for K-12 pulls together multiple programs to ensure student data security and privacy. Aegis Identity Software has formally introduced EduZone, a combination of applications that provide a privatized data and application management platform for schools and districts. The suite is already in use within at least one Illinois district.

EduZone encompasses five programs:

EZ Application Launcher is a single website where users can log in to find all district-approved applications. Once they're logged in they have access to all programs;

EZ Application Marketplace provides a one-stop shop where users can look at the pool of applications being made available to district people. When a given program is approved by the district, it will appear in the application launcher;

EZ Identity enables the district to set up "digital citizen" profiles for each user, giving that person access to approved applications for as long as he or she is granted access by the district. Likewise, access to all district network resources is cut off when the status of that online persona is changed;

EZ Registry enables the district to control and set up agreements with how applications may use and "persist" the data. Application providers use the registry to make their applications available in EduZone Marketplace and agree to the terms of use by the district; and

EZ Data has an application programming interface that facilitates data exchange among applications while ensuring the district maintains control over the data.

Bloomington Public Schools District 87 in Illinois is an early user of the data security platform for identity and data management.

"At the core of everything we do at Aegis is the belief that technology can empower every leader to lead, parents to participate and transform how students learn and teachers teach," said company CEO Bob Lamvik, in a press release. "EduZone's enterprise-class software platform was designed to manage digital identities as well as resolve all of the digital citizen issues that education faces today."
- Kenyans are still mourning the death of their loved ones following the collapse of a 7-storey building in Nairobi's Huruma area on Friday, April 29, 2016. The death toll currently stands at 23 as more people are believed to be trapped in the rubble

- It is not the first time a building has collapsed in Nairobi. Neither is it likely to be the last. A resident in Pipeline Estate has narrated chilling details of how structures in the area are a death trap waiting to strike, calling the estate a cemetery of the living

- Standard Group's Kenny Kaburu says he has lived in Pipeline for over 10 years and has seen buildings constructed recklessly, endangering the lives of thousands of residents

- His chilling experience comes amid empty promises from the government to demolish inhabitable structures in the city and across the country

READ ALSO: One and half year old girl found alive in collapsed house

On Friday, April 29, 2016, a seven-storey building collapsed in Nairobis Huruma area, killing at least 23 people, more than 60 still unaccounted for as by Monday, May 2, and many others injured.

It was one of the worst tragedies to befall the country since the turn of 2016 as heavy rains keep pounding on Nairobi and its environs.

As we speak, rescue operations are still underway as it is believed more people are trapped in debris and rubble.

President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the scene and ordered the arrest of the owner of the doomed building and its architects and engineers.

Other leaders have also visited the area and condemned the owners and the constructors of the building. Among them is Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero who has promised to crack the whip on the lazy officials in his government. The national government too has promised to act swiftly.

But this could be the empty talk we have come to get used to as a resident in Nairobis Pipeline estate narrates chilling details of how residents in the estate are awaiting death that could strike any time soon.

Kenny Kaburu, a Standard Group journalist, says he has spent over a decade in Pipeline and has seen how structures in the estate are vulnerable and death traps.

He labels the estate a cemetery for the living.

Kenny says that even a slight tremor in the area will definitely lead to unimaginable number of casualties. He says that the estate has poorly constructed structures going as high as eight storeys. All these are death traps.

Here is his chilling narration that should touch anyone who is responsible for the safety of the residents of the city:

READ ALSO: 20 dead, 73 still missing after Huruma tragedy - Red Cross

PIPELINE ESTATE IS A CEMETRY FOR THE LIVING

If there was ever a minor tremor in pipeline, Embakasi, God forbid, Nairobi City would be inhabitable for months. The stench of rotting human flesh would reach high heavens. More than 100,000 people live here. In storeyed heaps of cheap cement, sand and dust. Chuma ni wewe na watu wenu

I have lived in pipeline for more than a decade. I can take you to more than 30, eight-storeyed heaps of dust held together by nothing but the love of God. Children enjoying the echo and tremors of the buildings as they stamp their little feet in excitement. As you walk up the stairs, the building wiggles precariously beneath you like those childhood storeyed buildings of stack maize cobs. It only took a bad look at the house of maize cobs by your jealous friend to bring it tumbling down.

We used to call Pipeline buildings 'GMO flats'. This is because it only took a weekend to find the shortcut you took to job on Friday was now a towering 8-storeyed house, fully occupied on Monday. Buildings here are built day and night. There is a mad rush to make money from the desperate Kenyans who majority earn an average KSh 6,000 PM from the Wahindi businesses at the adjacent Industrial area.

This cadre of Kenyans cannot be fully classified as humans. Unlike real humans, they can work from Monday to Monday with no rest and proudly take home 6k. Imagine these kind of humans walk to work daily at 5am and get back to the heap of storeyed dust at 7pm. The county council of Nairobi actually classifies them as pigs. The roads to the 'estates' are maintained at best in a muddy fashion. Perfect habitat for pigs. Thank you City Council! Our only fear is the health department ruling 'No pigs in town' and forcing us back to shags.

Its for that reason we chose to keep quite lest we attract unnecessary attention from the city animal department. As we wait for our turn for the coveted presidential visit as we emerge from the rubbles as dusty heroes...in full glare of the cameras. With the teary governor giving interviews to the press and promising action.

Story credit: Kenny Kaburu

READ ALSO: NTSA pledges to update city dwellers on floods on the roads

Image: wabtechonline.com

Source: TUKO.co.ke
palmyra soldiers

New documents obtained by Sky News revealed that the Syrian government's recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State militants was apparently part of a pre-arranged deal that allowed ISIS to remove its heavy weaponry from the city before withdrawing.

Sky News reported that the documents came from a Free Syrian Army group comprised of ISIS defectors originally from Raqqa, ISIS' de facto capital in Syria.

"Withdraw all heavy artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns from in and around Palmyra to Raqqa province," read one document that was dated just before the Syrian Arab Army recaptured Palmyra at the end of March.

Stuart Ramsay, Sky News' chief correspondent, said he asked one of the defectors if ISIS was coordinating its movements directly with forces loyal to Assad  and even with Russia, which backed the assault on Palmyra with heavy airstrikes.

"Of course," the ISIS defector told Ramsay.

The documents obtained by Sky News provide more evidence that the Assad regime has been colluding with the jihadists, who have captured more than half of Syria's territory since 2012.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month on files uncovered during a raid on the home of Abu Sayyaf, the Islamic State "oil minister" who was killed by US Special Forces at his compound in Syria's Deir Ezzour province last May. The files revealed deals the Assad regime supposedly made with Sayyaf that, at one point, contributed up to 72% of ISIS' profits from natural resources.

Abu Sayyaf's division had successfully negotiated agreements with the Assad regime to allow Islamic State trucks and pipelines to move from regime-controlled fields through territory controlled by the group, which is also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh. The division helped the jihadists bring in roughly $40 million a month in oil sales alone, according to documents seen by The Journal.

Story continues

The natural-gas fields surrounding Palmyra were a particularly important source of revenue for the jihadists. They turned the gas into fuel which they then sold to Assad, according to Matthew Reed, the vice president of Foreign Reports Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm focused on oil and politics in the Middle East.

The documents smuggled out of Raqqa to Sky News appeared to provide corroboration.

"One document requests safe passage for a driver through IS checkpoints 'until he reaches the border with the Syrian regime to exchange oil for fertilizer,'" Ramsay wrote.

He added: "The defectors claim that this is a trade agreement between the two sides that has been going on for years."

NOW WATCH: Scientists have linked the deaths of three US presidents to the same surprising cause





More From Business Insider


(Adds details of investment flows)

By Tom Miles

GENEVA, May 3 (Reuters) - Companies put $221 billion into countries with low tax last year, chiefly Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while $72 billion of investment went into two British tax havens - the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, the U.N. said on Tuesday.

However, they took billions out of Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the final quarter of 2015 after the two countries imposed new EU rules to crack down on abusive tax practices.

The flows into the British Virgin Islands and the Caymans were roughly in line with historical averages but their source has shifted from rich to developing countries in recent years, the U.N. thinktank UNCTAD's report said.

From 2010 to 2014, Hong Kong, the United States, Russia and China were the top four sources.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has come under increasing pressure in the last few months to tackle tax evasion after leaked documents from a Panamanian law company exposed how the world's rich and powerful used secretive offshore company structures to stash their wealth.

Companies shuffling money between jurisdictions to save on tax remained "a key concern for policy makers", the U.N. report said, noting that firms from a sample of 26 developed countries registered more profits in Bermuda than in China in 2014.

The report said companies' "special purpose entities" (SPEs) were typically subsidiaries that had little connection to the local economy but held assets or liabilities or raised capital.

Quarterly flows to the SPEs in the Netherlands reached $148 billion in the third quarter, the highest since 2007, driven by investment from Luxembourg and Britain, but then sharply reversed.

Flows to Luxembourg, associated with funds financing investments in the United States, surged in the first three quarters of 2015, triple on the same months of 2014, but turned negative with a net divestment of $115 billion in the final quarter.

"The tight interrelation between SPE flows in Luxembourg and the Netherlands highlights the existence of dense and complex networks of these entities in both countries, with capital flowing rapidly among them in response to financing needs and tax planning considerations," the report said. (Editing by Louise Ireland)
KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Felda Group, the world's third-largest palm plantation operator, will withdraw certificates of environmentally sustainable operations from 58 of its processing mills, the company said on Tuesday.

Felda Group and its subsidiary Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd pulled the certificates that were granted by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) effective today. (Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Evening Standard

Max Verstappen has won his second Formula One world title but is still yet to receive his official trophy. F1 is unusual in comparison to most sports, which hand out the major prize immediately after the season finishes. It has led to some atypical sights in previous years with Lewis Hamilton winning the 2019 title having finished second in Austin while he was not even on the podium when claiming the championship in Mexico a year earlier, forcing him to run around the track to enjoy a moment in front of the fans.
America's spy agency, the CIA, has tweeted the events of the Osama bin Laden raid in real time - five years to the day that the al Qaeda leader was killed.

Bin Laden was tracked to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he was shot dead by US special forces on 2 May 2011, having evaded capture for nearly a decade.

The announcement of his death was greeted with celebration by the US and many of its allies but many Twitter users weren't so convinced about the agency's anniversary plans.

The tweeting was described as "grotesque", "extremely weird" and "a puzzling exercise".

Some, however, thanked and praised those involved.

Meanwhile, CIA director John Brennan said that the capture of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the head of the so-called Islamic State group, may be among the agency's next goals.

"He is important, and we will destroy ISIL; I have no doubt in my mind. We have to remove the leadership that directs the organisation to carry out these horrific attacks," he told NBC's Meet The Press.

"If we got Baghdadi, I think it would have a great impact on the organisation. And it will be felt by them," he added.

"But this is a large, not just organisation, it's a phenomenon. We see it not just in Syria in Iraq, we see it in Libya, Nigeria, and other countries. We're going to have remain very focused on destroying all elements of the organisation."

He added that, while "a large part" of al Qaeda had been destroyed, "it is not completely eliminated".
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday approved a guarantee by two German states for HSH Nordbank [HSH.UL] that will ultimately facilitate a sale of the state-owned bank which had to be rescued during the financial crisis. The Commission found that a 3 billion euro (2.34 billion pound) increase in a guarantee ceiling provided by the regional states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein was in line with EU state aid rules. In 2013, the Commission had temporarily approved the increase in the guarantee to 10 billion euros from 7 billion euros but began an investigation to assess whether the public-sector bank could restore its viability. The Commision said its finding was based on new commitments by Germany to split the bank into two parts and to sell the operational business without state aid. "The split and sale solution, as I already outlined in agreement with the German authorities in October, created an opportunity to sell an important part of the bank," EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. "It paves the way for a privatised, viable business to emerge from the sale process," she continued. HSH Nordbank, majority-owned by Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, turned to its owners after risky assets turned sour in 2008 and the shipping lender got hit by the slump in global trade in the wake of the financial crisis. The bank said on Monday the Commission's approval would allow it to transfer non-performing loans worth 8.2 billion euros to a wind-down vehicle run by its owners. HSH will contribute 260 million euros to setting up this external 'bad bank'. The Commission has set HSH's owners a February 2018 deadline to privatise the bank, which can be extended by six months provided the EU agrees. If Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein fail to find a private investor, then Germany's public-sector banks may seek a solution for HSH, sources familiar with the matter said. DSGV, the umbrella organisation of Germany's seven landesbanks and roughly 400 savings banks, said on Monday that it would continue to cooperate with HSH Nordbank. ($1 = 0.8712 euros) (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop, Arno Schuetze and Andreas Kroner. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Sharon Bernstein BURLINGAME, Calif. (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Ted Cruz made a plea to the California Republican Party on Saturday to line up behind him in the state's June primary in his uphill battle to stop front-runner Donald Trump from grabbing the nomination. At the same party convention that was the backdrop for chaotic protests against Trump on Friday, Cruz tried to woo party members with support for their long-time issues, like lower taxes and a harder line on immigration. Former California Governor Pete Wilson gave Cruz his endorsement as he introduced the U.S. senator from Texas. Cruz received more applause at the convention than either Trump or the third-place candidate, Ohio Governor John Kasich, who also spoke on Friday. "If we're fractured and we're divided, Hillary Clinton wins and the campaign is lost," he said, referring to the Democratic Party's front-runner in the Nov. 8 election for the White House. Now mathematically eliminated from securing the nomination on the first ballot at the party's convention in Cleveland in July, Cruz aims to stop Trump from receiving the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination outright, forcing a contested convention. However, the prospect of him being able to do so has grown increasingly slim. Trump, a billionaire businessman and former reality TV star, has continued to notch up wins in the nation's nominating contests, including a five-state sweep of the latest string of contests last Tuesday. Cruz has downplayed the severity of the losses and in his speech Saturday looked forward to upcoming contests, which he has said will put him on the path to thwarting Trump. "California is going to decide this Republican primary," he said, referring to the state's June 7 contest. Trump has been at odds with the party's establishment and has called the system for nominating its candidate "rigged." Critics say he has played on the fears of his supporters, especially on immigration, by proposing a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country and accusing illegal Mexican immigrants of being rapists and criminals. On Thursday and Friday, anti-Trump protests erupted outside the candidate's California events. On Friday, he was forced to halt his motorcade and go through a back entrance to a hotel to give a speech to the convention and avoid several hundred loud protesters gathered outside. Cruz hopes to slow Trump's march toward the nomination in Indiana's primary on Tuesday. The state awards its 57 delegates on a winner-take-all basis by congressional district, possibly granting Cruz a windfall of pledged delegates. A Real Clear Politics polling aggregation in the state shows Cruz just behind Trump, 35.2 percent to 37.5 percent. Polls show Cruz has more of a challenge in delegate-rich California, where he lags Trump 28.3 percent to 45.7 percent. In an indication of efforts to court the state, Cruz on Wednesday made the unusual move of naming a vice presidential running mate, onetime presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina, who was formerly a chief executive of the California technology company Hewlett-Packard Co. Fiorina ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in the state in 2010, losing to the Democratic incumbent. (Writing by Alana Wise; Editing by Mary Milliken and Chizu Nomiyama)
By Brian Love PARIS (Reuters) - After weeks of sometimes violent protests, France's socialist government sent a bill to parliament on Tuesday that seeks to soften labour laws despite every chance that rebels within President Francois Hollande's ruling party will shoot it down. Defeat would deliver a further blow to the deeply unpopular Hollande a year from elections. Only weeks ago, in the face of widespread opposition, he was forced to abandon plans to strip people of their French citizenship if convicted of terrorism. "The time has come to allow parliament to embellish the text. Should we give in to street protests and pull this text? No," Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri told France's Le Parisien newspaper as the National Assembly prepared to open the debate. France has some of the most extensive and protective labour regulations in the euro zone. The government argues that France needs to cut red tape and some of the more cumbersome regulations that deter employers from hiring. At stake for Hollande is a second crack at the presidency. He has said he will not run for re-election unless the unemployment rate, stuck stubbornly above 10 percent, falls. El Khomri acknowledged the bill might be as many as 40 votes short of the support it needs to become law when put to a vote later this month. She said she hoped that would change. The government, facing thousands of formal demands from lawmakers for amendments, could override opposition via a special constitutional clause - known as 49:3 - to force the reform through by decree. It has not indicated it will do so. Unions argue that by broadening recourse to deals on pay and conditions at company level, the proposed legislation would effectively provide employers with an opt-out from national obligations on basic labour rights. The government has already watered the bill down. El Khomri backed down on capping the financial settlements that labour tribunals can impose on employers for breach of obligations. But the bill retains other measures that would make it easier for firms to lay off workers in hard times. Unions and other opponents of the bill were planning more protests in Paris and other cities later on Tuesday. (Editing by Louise Ireland)
By Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Plans by India's coal monopoly to buy billions of dollars of new machinery and outsource work are facing resistance from powerful unions worried about job losses, in a potential blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to bring electricity to all. State-run Coal India Ltd , the world's biggest coal miner, has already doubled output growth since Modi came to power two years ago, owing to the removal of hurdles to production like environmental clearances and land acquisition. The increase turned coal shortages at India's power plants to oversupply, making it one of the administration's biggest successes. The next phase of restructuring the notoriously inefficient behemoth is likely to be harder, however, and is crucial to the government's ambition to sell 10 percent of the $27 billion company to raise funds for further growth and investment. New Delhi also wants to double annual output to 1 billion tonnes by 2019/20 to meet future demand, and to do that it must radically increase productivity. Coal India's output-per-man shift is estimated at one-eighth of Peabody Energy Corp , the world's largest private coal producer that recently filed for bankruptcy protection. Already, labour unions, with a history of hostility towards management, are pushing back on Coal India's plans, fearing modernization and outsourcing will hit jobs, said leaders of two unions that cover a majority of the company's 371,000 employees. Strikes, sometimes every few months, have disrupted output, although under Modi the unions have been more cooperative. "High-tech mining will mean fewer job opportunities for labourers and no job guarantee for existing employees," said Baij Nath Rai, president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which says it represents 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors. "We strongly protest this, and have already taken up the issue with the government. They will not dare do anything if there is a strong protest." The BMS's view is likely to carry extra weight, as it is loosely affiliated with the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the ideological parent of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). COAL INDIA UNIT SAYS OUTSOURCING WORKS Rai said Piyush Goyal, minister for power, coal and renewable energy, had been trying to convince unions to play along with the reforms. Early last year, the unions planned a strike to protest against moves to open up the coal sector to private firms and sell a 10 percent stake. But they called off a five-day stoppage on its second day after Goyal formed a committee to look into their concerns so that they "do not have to go on strike again". Coal India officials also say they constantly talk to workers on various issues, but union leaders, including BMS's Rai, said they would resist any move deemed "anti-labourer". "The government is doing this slowly, so that there is not much protest all of a sudden," said D.D. Ramanandan of the All India Coal Workers Federation, which says it represents more than 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors. "We have consistently opposed this policy and will sit together with all the unions to decide the future course of action," Ramanandan said. Federal Coal Secretary Anil Swarup and several senior Coal India officials said the company planned to push ahead. It wants to spend billions of dollars over the next few years, including around $1.3 billion this year, to buy equipment and expand mines, where workers often use shovels and picks to dig for coal underground, one of the officials said. The company also plans to stop filling most vacancies arising from retirements over the next three years, and outsource more mining to private companies, the officials added. "Outsourcing helps in more ways than one," Swarup told Reuters. "If they bring in efficient technology, because they are paid for that, it will make the people in Coal India understand they too can become more efficient." The government's production and productivity plans have drawn support from the London-based World Coal Association, a trade group of coal producers and mining equipment makers. Coal India's equipment orders, some already placed, are a bright spot for machinery makers such as U.S. firm Caterpillar , Japan's Komatsu <6301.T> and India's Larsen & Toubro , at a time when most miners are scaling back production amid a global supply glut. Coal India unit Mahanadi Coalfields pioneered outsourcing of mining work a few years ago and is now the company's biggest producer and fastest growing unit. Deepak Srivastava, Mahanadi's chief vigilance officer, said around 90 percent of the unit's mining work is done by contractors who have performed better than in-house miners. The ratio is much lower for other Coal India units but will increase, he added. Swarup, who has overseen an overhaul of Coal India's anti-theft and monitoring systems this year, said he hoped the push for efficiency and extensive use of machines would help attract investors if the government were to sell a stake. "We keep doing our job in terms of increasing production and productivity and improving quality," Swarup said. "Our assumption is that once you do that shareholders would be interested." (Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Mike Collett-White)
By David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Labour party has launched an inquiry into how to tackle anti-semitism after suspending former London mayor Ken Livingstone days before it contests elections in London, Scotland and Wales. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn - a close ally of party veteran Livingstone - said in a statement that he would propose a new code of conduct explicitly banning anti-semitism and other forms of racism. "There is no place for anti-semitism or any form of racism in the Labour party, or anywhere in society," he said. Labour suspended Livingstone on Thursday after he said Hitler was "supporting Zionism" when he proposed in 1932 that Jews be moved to Israel. Livingstone served as mayor from 2000 to 2008. Labour has been struggling to pull together after Corbyn, from the party's hard-left, swept into the leadership in September on a wave of enthusiasm among younger members for change and an end to 'establishment politics'. On Saturday Livingstone said his remarks were historic fact and not anti-semitic, but had been seized on by supporters of former prime minister Tony Blair in the Labour party to discredit Corbyn. "If anyone was upset by what I said of course I'm really sorry for that," he told broadcaster LBC. "This is about the struggle of embittered old Blairite MPs to try and get rid of Jeremy Corbyn. They whipped this issue up." Polls suggest Labour's current candidate for London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, is on course to defeat his Conservative opponent Zac Goldsmith on May 5, but that Labour risks losing ground in a series of elections elsewhere in Britain. British media reported again on Saturday that Corbyn could face a leadership challenge if the results are especially bad. Goldsmith, in a BBC radio interview on Saturday, said Khan was "part of the same movement in the Labour party" as Livingstone and had not been clear enough in his condemnation of anti-semitism until recent weeks. "You need to be very clear on these issues not to ride two horses. Until the mayoral campaign began, Sadiq Khan has not been anything like as clear on this issue as he has been in recent weeks," Goldsmith said. Khan called Livingstone's remarks about Hitler appalling and pressed for him to be suspended. Labour's inquiry into anti-semitism will be led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of civil rights charity Liberty. She will consult Jewish and other minority groups on what counts as anti-semitism and racism, and how to deal with allegations. (Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Sixteen Labour members have been suspended pending investigations into alleged anti-Semitism and racism, according to Sky News sources.

Three councillors were suspended in the space of seven hours on Monday after it emerged all had posted offensive comments on their Facebook accounts - all claiming Israel should be relocated to the US.

One, the former Blackburn Mayor Salim Mulla, even claimed Israel was behind so-called Islamic State sharing a post that suggested French and Japanese support for the Palestinians had led to revenge attacks from the terrorists.

:: Labour Suspends Three Councillors In Anti-Semitism Row

Sky News has learned 16 Labour members have been suspended for anti-Semitism since Jeremy Corbyn took control of the party. Reports had suggested Labour had secretly suspended as many as 50.

Mr Corbyn is under pressure over the anti-Semitism crisis engulfing his party amid suggestions it could lose more than 100 seats at the local elections on Thursday.

London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has said the issue has already hurt his campaign.

:: Livingstone 'Can't Remember' Why He Made Hitler Comment

However, unveiling a local election poster this morning, the Labour leader, who has been sharply criticised for failing to get to grips with the problem, dismissed the suspensions as a "very small number of cases".

He said the matter had "been dealt with" and that Labour would not lose any seats.

Unite leader Len McCluskey claimed Mr Corbyn's opponents within the party were using the problem to try to destabilise his leadership and mount a challenge.

Mr Corbyn said: "I don't know who these Labour MPs are but I would advise every member of the party, including our MPs, to get out there on the doorstep and campaign. We have two days to go."

The Labour leader accused the media of being "obsessed" with his leadership when they should be obsessed with "the devastating crisis of inequality in our society".

Story continues

:: Ken Livingstone: A Profile

The anti-Semitism row hit crisis point last week when the party suspended Ken Livingstone, who said in an interview that Hitler was a supporter of Zionism and Jewish nationalism "before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".

He had been defending the Bradford West MP Naz Shah, who had been suspended a day earlier after it was disclosed she had shared a post on her Facebook account suggesting Israel be relocated to the US.
By Lisa Barrington and Denis Dyomkin BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Rebel fighters launched an assault in Syria's divided northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday and fired rockets on a hospital in the latest violence to hit civilians as diplomats struggled to restore an unraveling ceasefire and resurrect peace talks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the conflict, said rebel rockets had killed 19 people in government-held territory, including an unspecified number at the al-Dabit hospital. It described a rebel offensive that led to casualties on both sides. Rebels had hit a government gun position with a guided missile. The Syrian state-run Ikhbariya news channel said three women were killed at the hospital and 17 people wounded. A Damascus Information Ministry statement called it a crime against humanity. The rebel attack followed government air strikes on rebel areas, including one that hit a hospital last week, which medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said killed 55 civilians. Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting in recent days, wrecking the first major ceasefire of the five-year-old civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, which had held since February. The United States and Russia have taken the leading roles in diplomacy since Moscow joined the war last year with an air campaign that tipped the balance of power in favor of President Bashar al-Assad, its ally. In an effort to revive the ceasefire, temporary local truces have been put in place in two parts of Syria, but those have not been extended to Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war and its biggest strategic prize now. U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, who met U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Monday and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday, said he hoped the truce could be extended to Aleppo swiftly. "We all hope that ... in a few hours we can relaunch the cessation of hostilities. If we can do this, we will be back on the right track," de Mistura said. If the truce were extended to Aleppo, peace talks could resume, he said. Lavrov said, "The process of agreeing a ceasefire in Aleppo is being finished right now between Russian and American military personnel." He added that he hoped it could be announced in the near future, "maybe even in the coming hours." KERRY WARNS ASSAD OF 'REPERCUSSIONS' In pointed remarks in Washington on Tuesday, Kerry warned Assad of "repercussions" if he did not stick to the ceasefire and move forward with a political transition aimed at ending the war in Syria. "If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and then go back to war," Kerry told reporters a day after the meetings in Geneva. "I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed," he said. It was not clear what Kerry meant by repercussions. Obama administration officials have previously warned of consequences for Assad's actions in Syria's civil war, but critics have said the United States has failed to follow through with a more aggressive response. Kerry said fighting in Aleppo could escalate if the ceasefire was not extended to the city. The Aleppo fighting threatens to wreck the first peace talks involving the warring parties, which are due to resume at an unspecified date after breaking up in April when the opposition delegation walked out. Washington and Moscow have announced a new joint center in Geneva to monitor the ceasefire, to be staffed around the clock by U.S. and Russian officers. The two governments have been working to extend the local truces to Aleppo but so far have not been able to do so, although both have expressed optimism that this can be achieved. BIG PRIZE Aleppo remains the biggest prize for Assad's forces hoping to take full control of the city. The nearby countryside includes the last strip of the Syria-Turkish border in the hands of Sunni rebels. The Observatory has reported 279 civilians killed on both sides in Aleppo since April 22, by intense government air strikes and rebel shelling, with 155 killed in opposition-held areas and 124 in government-held districts. Tuesday's rebel ground assault focused on the Jamiat al-Zahraa area of the city, where insurgent groups took a few buildings before advances were checked by the arrival of reinforcements on the government side, the Observatory said. A Syrian army source said a car bomb was used in an attack nearby, but the assault had failed. "Matters had been moving towards Aleppo being included in the truce, but it seems there are those who do not want that," the source said. A Syrian army statement on Tuesday said the rebel attack on the hospital came "at a time when international and local efforts are being made to shore up" the ceasefire and extend the truce to Aleppo. In a statement, the Nour Al Edin Al Zenkey rebel group accused the government of launching the first ground assault on Tuesday, saying it had attacked west of Aleppo. The group said the assault was successfully repelled and was followed by a counterattack in which rebels captured several positions. The civil war in Syria has killed hundred of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes, created the world's worst refugee crisis and provided a base for Islamic State militants who have launched attacks elsewhere. All diplomatic efforts to resolve it have foundered over the fate of Assad, who refuses to accept opposition demands that he leave power. Washington is among Western and regional powers that say Assad must leave office. (Additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow and Tom Perry in Beirut, and Lesley Wroughton and David Alexander in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff and Peter Cooney; Editing by David Stamp, Toni Reinhold)
By Lisa Barrington and Denis Dyomkin BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Rebel fighters launched an assault in Syria's divided northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday and fired rockets on a hospital in the latest violence to hit civilians as diplomats struggled to restore an unravelling ceasefire and resurrect peace talks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the conflict, said rebel rockets had killed 19 people in government-held territory, including an unspecified number at the al-Dabit hospital. It described a rebel offensive that led to casualties on both sides. Rebels had hit a government gun position with a guided missile. The Syrian state-run Ikhbariya news channel said three women were killed at the hospital and 17 people wounded. A Damascus Information Ministry statement called it a crime against humanity. The rebel attack followed government air strikes on rebel areas, including one that hit a hospital last week, which medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said killed 55 civilians. Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting in recent days, wrecking the first major ceasefire of the five-year-old civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, which had held since February. The United States and Russia have taken the leading roles in diplomacy since Moscow joined the war last year with an air campaign that tipped the balance of power in favour of President Bashar al-Assad, its ally. In an effort to revive the ceasefire, temporary local truces have been put in place in two parts of Syria, but those have not been extended to Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war and its biggest strategic prize now. U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, who met U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Monday and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday, said he hoped the truce could be extended to Aleppo swiftly. "We all hope that ... in a few hours we can relaunch the cessation of hostilities. If we can do this, we will be back on the right track," de Mistura said. If the truce were extended to Aleppo, peace talks could resume, he said. Lavrov said, "The process of agreeing a ceasefire in Aleppo is being finished right now between Russian and American military personnel." He added that he hoped it could be announced in the near future, "maybe even in the coming hours." KERRY WARNS ASSAD OF 'REPERCUSSIONS' In pointed remarks in Washington on Tuesday, Kerry warned Assad of "repercussions" if he did not stick to the ceasefire and move forward with a political transition aimed at ending the war in Syria. "If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and then go back to war," Kerry told reporters a day after the meetings in Geneva. "I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed," he said. It was not clear what Kerry meant by repercussions. Obama administration officials have previously warned of consequences for Assad's actions in Syria's civil war, but critics have said the United States has failed to follow through with a more aggressive response. Kerry said fighting in Aleppo could escalate if the ceasefire was not extended to the city. The Aleppo fighting threatens to wreck the first peace talks involving the warring parties, which are due to resume at an unspecified date after breaking up in April when the opposition delegation walked out. Washington and Moscow have announced a new joint centre in Geneva to monitor the ceasefire, to be staffed around the clock by U.S. and Russian officers. The two governments have been working to extend the local truces to Aleppo but so far have not been able to do so, although both have expressed optimism that this can be achieved. BIG PRIZE Aleppo remains the biggest prize for Assad's forces hoping to take full control of the city. The nearby countryside includes the last strip of the Syria-Turkish border in the hands of Sunni rebels. The Observatory has reported 279 civilians killed on both sides in Aleppo since April 22, by intense government air strikes and rebel shelling, with 155 killed in opposition-held areas and 124 in government-held districts. Tuesday's rebel ground assault focussed on the Jamiat al-Zahraa area of the city, where insurgent groups took a few buildings before advances were checked by the arrival of reinforcements on the government side, the Observatory said. A Syrian army source said a car bomb was used in an attack nearby, but the assault had failed. "Matters had been moving towards Aleppo being included in the truce, but it seems there are those who do not want that," the source said. A Syrian army statement on Tuesday said the rebel attack on the hospital came "at a time when international and local efforts are being made to shore up" the ceasefire and extend the truce to Aleppo. In a statement, the Nour Al Edin Al Zenkey rebel group accused the government of launching the first ground assault on Tuesday, saying it had attacked west of Aleppo. The group said the assault was successfully repelled and was followed by a counterattack in which rebels captured several positions. The civil war in Syria has killed hundred of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes, created the world's worst refugee crisis and provided a base for Islamic State militants who have launched attacks elsewhere. All diplomatic efforts to resolve it have foundered over the fate of Assad, who refuses to accept opposition demands that he leave power. Washington is among Western and regional powers that say Assad must leave office. (Additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow and Tom Perry in Beirut, and Lesley Wroughton and David Alexander in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff and Peter Cooney; Editing by David Stamp, Toni Reinhold)
Australia's immigration minister has accused refugee advocates of "encouraging" asylum seekers to set themselves on fire so they can get into the country.

Peter Dutton said those who attempt suicide in offshore detention centres will not persuade the Australian government to change its border protection policies.

Officials claim a 21-year-old Somali woman is in a critical condition in an Australian hospital after she set herself alight at a camp on the South Pacific island of Nauru.

Mr Dutton said: "It is of grave concern that this person would resort to such an extreme act of self-harm.

"I have previously expressed my frustration and anger frankly at advocates and others who are in contact with those in regional processing centres and who are encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way, believing that that pressure exerted will see a change in our policy."

Last week a 23-year-old Iranian man died in a hospital in Brisbane from injuries he sustained in a similar protest about his treatment.

Nauru's government said his actions coincided with a visit to the island by representatives of the UN Refugee Agency.

Asylum seekers attempting to get into Australia are usually intercepted before they reach its shores.

They are sent to detention centres on Nauru, which holds about 500 people, and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

However, the Papua New Guinea government has ordered the Manus centre, which holds about 850 people, to close after its Supreme Court ruled the facility was illegal.

Despite this, Australia has vowed it will not be swayed and there will be no change to the policy.

Mr Dutton said: "No action will cause the government to deviate from its course.

"We are not going to allow people to drown at sea again, 1,200 people drowned at sea last time Australia lost control of its borders."

The United Nations has blamed the rise in self-immolation in detention camps on the country's tough policies.

Story continues

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she believed the Somali woman had been been driven to despair.

"She's now fighting for her life back in Australia and this is a policy in freefall," Ms Hanson-Young said.

"It is a policy that is hurting people, breaking people, and let's make no mistake about it, that is exactly what it is designed to do."

The harsh conditions have drawn criticism both inside and outside Australia and have become a major headache for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during campaigning for July national elections.
SWNS

<p>A woman lost four stone after taking up SCYTHING  and then became UK champion.</p><p>Andi Rickard, 54, took up the classic farming technique in 2009 after becoming frustrated with lawnmowers and strimmers.</p><p>Mum-of-three Andi then tipped the scales at 13st 7lbs and was struggling to lose weight after having her children.</p><p>But she said scything helped her lose four stone and slim down to 9st 7lbs.</p><p>Andi, from Wellington, Somerset, went from a size 18 to around a 10 and said she is more toned now than when she was 18.</p><p>She said the full body workouts have helped her keep the weight off and away from the gym.</p><p>And Andi, who has scoliosis, said the circular swinging has even helped her back.</p><p>Andi said: We were renting a house with a small paddock back in 2009 and it was really overgrown.</p><p>I had three small children and didnt want to use a loud strimmer and lawnmower couldnt get near it, so I tried a scythe.</p><p>I took a course to learn how to use it and found I really enjoyed it.</p><p>It was so nice to discover I was good at something in my 40s.</p><p>I was struggling to lose the weigh after having my children and scything really helped.</p><p>I went from 13st 7lbs to about 9st 7lbs and it has helped me keep the weight off ever since.</p><p>I hate exercise and scything has saved me from going to the gym.</p><p>Im lighter and more toned than I was when I left school at 18, and I look and feel better now than I did when I was younger.</p><p>It keeps me active and mobile.</p><p>Its great because its something you can make as hard or easy as you like.</p><p>It can be a full-blown aerobic workout if you want it to.</p><p>I have scoliosis and the circular movement, the swinging from side to side, has really helped my back.</p><p>The tool itself is very light and you can make it as much of a workout as you like.</p><p>Scything became iconic after actor Aidan Turner showed off his ripped abs while using the tool to mow a meadow during episodes of hit TV show Poldark.</p><p>In 2019 Andi became the UK scything champion, the first woman to win the title which she held until 2021.</p><p>She went on to represent Great Britain at the European Scythe Championships in Austria and finished 24th, where most of the competitors were half her age.</p><p>Andi is still the UK ladies champ and runs the Somerset Scythe School where she teaches others the centuries-old practice.</p><p>She said in the last year she has taught doctors and teachers and that scything can be a stress relief.</p><p>Andi said: I did about 58 teaching days this year over the summer.</p><p>Its not that hard, most people I teach can be mowing in about an hour.</p><p>I do a lot of 1-1 sessions with couples and group workshops with community groups who maintain areas of woodland.</p><p>Last year I had a lot of doctors, teachers and musicians come for stress relief, it helps people to get outside.</p><p>I think the pandemic changed things a lot, people couldnt go on holiday and wanted to be in nature.</p><p>The fact it is so much better for the environment has also been a huge factor in the popularity of it.</p>
By Jack Kim and Jonathan Saul SEOUL/LONDON (Reuters) - South Korea has revived a project to build a backup ship navigation system that would be difficult to hack after a recent wave of GPS signal jamming attacks it blamed on North Korea disrupted fishing vessel operations, officials say. Global Positioning System (GPS) and other electronic navigation aids are vulnerable to signal loss from solar weather effects, radio and satellite interference and deliberate jamming. South Korea, which says it has faced repeated attempts by the rival North to interfere with satellite signals, will award a 15 billion won ($13 million) contract this month to secure technology required to build an alternative land-based radio system called eLoran, which it hopes will provide reliable alternative position and timing signals for navigation. "The need for us is especially high, because of the deliberate signal interference by North Korea," a South Korean government official involved in the initiative told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media. The latest jamming campaign from the North began on March 31, lasting nearly a week and affecting signal reception of more than 1,000 aircraft and 700 ships, originating from five locations along the border, South Korean officials said. Aircraft traffic was not affected because the GPS system is normally used as a backup, not a primary navigation tool, one of the officials involved in telecommunications policy said. The jamming prompted warnings by South Korea's military to North Korea to stop what it called "provocation" and a protest at the United Nations. North Korea has denied involvement. South Korea has been on high alert against possible cyber attacks from the North following the North's nuclear and missile tests and threats of war in response to new sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council and the South. The reclusive North and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty. The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and its major ally, the United States. "THE REALLY SCARY PART" No major disasters anywhere have been blamed on loss of GPS, although the risks are growing as sea lanes become more crowded. Part of the problem is that it's not easy to detect a GPS outage caused by jamming. "When GPS/GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) fail, transportation is impacted immediately. It slows down, becomes more dangerous, and every mode can carry less capacity," said Dana Goward, president of the non-profit Resilient Navigation & Timing Foundation. "As short-term backup clocks start to desynchronize with each other ... cell phone towers start to fail, IT networks slow down or fail, financial systems are impacted, management of the electrical grid becomes problematic. That is the really scary part," said Goward. GPS vulnerability poses security and commercial risks, especially for ships whose crews are not familiar with traditional navigation techniques or using paper charts. The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland, which tried to pioneer an eLoran system in Europe, conducted simulated communications attacks on ships at sea and said the results "demonstrated the devastating effects of jamming on the ships' electronic bridge systems". Many vessels, such as fishing boats, lack backup electronic navigation systems. The United States, Russia and India are all looking into deploying versions of eLoran, which sends a much stronger signal and is harder to jam, as backup. Installing an eLoran receiver and antenna on a ship would cost thousands of dollars, although cheaper options could include incorporating eLoran systems into satnav devices, according to technical specialists. DISRUPTIONS AT SEA Last month, hundreds of South Korean fishing boats returned to port after GPS jamming that also created problems in locating nets at sea, South Korean officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard said in January that "multiple outbound vessels from a non-U.S. port suddenly lost GPS signal reception", although the vessels were able to navigate using compasses and other aids. In 2013, the U.S. Navy reported almost certain, intentional jamming of the GPS system of one of its vessels sailing near Iranian territorial waters. South Korea's eLoran initiative dates to 2011, after a series of incidents also blamed on the North, but was stalled in part by a cancellation of contracts due to a conflict over payment schedules with a U.S. supplier. Its new plan envisions setting up coastal transmitters by the end of 2019, said Seo Ji-won, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, who is on a government advisory panel. A British-led initiative to create an eLoran system was suspended after failing to keep other European countries interested. A private group called Taviga is in talks with European governments to resume support for eLoran, the company said. "The situation for this country is different, because there have been real cases of deliberate interference," the South Korean government official said. "We need this." (Editing by Tony Munroe and Nick Macfie)
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Monday it was on guard for the possibility North Korea may try to snatch its citizens abroad or conduct "terrorist acts" after the North accused it of abducting North Korean workers from a restaurant in China. "All measures of precaution" were in place for the safety of South Koreans abroad including an order to beef up security at diplomatic missions, said the South's Unification Ministry, which handles issues related to the North. "We are on alert for the possibility that the North may try to abduct our citizens or conduct terrorist acts abroad," ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee told a briefing. The two Korea's have been fierce rivals since the 1950-53 Korean War and tension on the peninsula has been high since January when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test. It followed that with a string of missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. South Korea said in April 13 North Korean workers at a restaurant run by the North in China had defected. North Korea accused the South of a "hideous abduction". North Korea proposed sending family members of the 13 to South Korea for face-to-face meetings but the South rejected the suggestion. About 29,000 people have left North Korea and arrived in the South since the Korean war, including 1,276 last year, with numbers declining since a 2009 peak. In the first quarter of this year, 342 North Koreans arrived in the South. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel)
By Ho Binh Minh HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam on Thursday banned the sale and distribution of non-living aquatic products in its central region, following inconclusive efforts to explain why huge numbers of dead fish washed ashore. The ban tackles fears of a health threat along 200 km (124 miles) of the coast, after the government said the fish could have been killed by toxic discharge caused by humans or "red tide", when algae blooming at an abnormal rate produce toxins. On Wednesday, the government said there was no evidence that discharge from a new Taiwanese-built steel plant, a unit of Formosa Plastics, was to blame for the fish deaths. Vietnam exports $7 billion of seafood a year, mostly from waters off its southern coast, but industry has yet to feel the impact. Fish and shrimp from the affected region are chiefly consumed at home, an industry official told Reuters. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung ordered officials in four Vietnamese provinces to seize and destroy dead aquatic products washed ashore or raised along the coastline. "The use, collection, transport, trading of dead aquatic products as food for people and feed for livestock is strictly prohibited," the order said. Seafood exports from January to April are estimated to have risen 3.8 percent from a year ago to $1.93 billion, compared to a fall of 15.6 percent in 2015. Vietnam's biggest markets are the United States, Europe and Japan. On Thursday, Facebook users called for peaceful protests to highlight food security and environmental concerns sparked by the deaths, while a petition on the White House website urging help from the United States drew close to 100,000 signatures. Signers want President Barack Obama to raise the issue with the government when he visits Vietnam next month, and sought help in doing an independent environmental impact assessment of the steel plant. Tests of seawater in Thua Thien-Hue, one of the affected provinces, showed higher than normal levels of some pollutants, the province's environment department has said. Vietnam has a four-day holiday ending Tuesday, and many people had booked tours to beaches in Quang Binh, neighboring the province of Ha Tinh. The latter, 400 km (250 miles) south of Hanoi, is where dead fish began washing up on April 6. Seafood markets have been deserted and tourist firms are receiving cancellations, state media reported. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Additional reporting by My Pham; Editing by Martin Petty)
By Ho Binh Minh HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam has told owners of a Taiwanese-built steel plant to dig up a controversial waste pipe, even after it found no evidence tying its discharge to mass fish deaths that have triggered health fears and public anger. Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at farms and on beaches in central Vietnam since April 6, impacting 200 km (124 miles) of coastline, with no known cause of what the government is calling one of its worst ever environmental disasters. Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha declared illegal the waste pipe operated by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh, a unit of Formosa Plastics, after officials examined water samples around the site. "We propose to have measures in place to monitor this system after it is elevated, for easy access and surveillance," Ha told Formosa officials and reporters on Thursday. Ha's comments suggest the government retains doubts despite tests that show Formosa, a major investor leading the $10.6 billion steel project, was not behind the pollution. Public outrage was also evident on social media, the only real channel through which Vietnamese get to vent in a country tightly controlled by the Communist Party. In a statement on Friday Ha admitted the government lacked experience in dealing with disasters and had been slow to act. He called it a "very huge and serious environment disaster". The government has banned sale and distribution of non-living aquatic products in four affected provinces. Its probe said either toxic discharge caused by humans or "red tide", when algae blooming at an abnormal rate produce toxins, may have killed the fish. Facebook, which is used by some 30 million Vietnamese, is seeing an outpouring of anger directed at Formosa and criticism of the government's sluggish response. Many used the hashtag #toichonca, which means: "I choose fish". The hashtag emerged after a Taiwanese official at Formosa Ha Tinh said Vietnam had to choose between "catching fish and shrimp and building a modern steel industry". He later apologized. In a government letter issued on Friday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said authorities had yet to find the cause, and acknowledged public concerns. Vietnam's seafood exports, which totaled $6.6 billion last year, will not be hurt, the industry's body said. Top buyers are the United States, Europe and Japan. A petition on the White House website is urging President Barack Obama to raise the issue with Vietnam's leaders when he visits next month. (This version of the story corrects headline to remove "red tide", and adds "either" in ninth paragraph) (Additional reporting by My Pham; Editing by Martin Petty and Simon Cameron-Moore)
Italian buyout firm Alto Partners has sold its entire 95% stake in BIA, a European producer and distributor of couscous, to B.F. S.p.A., which is the holding company of Bonifiche Ferraresi.
STEPANAKERT, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh (NKR) Defense Ministry reports Azerbaijani forces violating the ceasefire agreement in the line of contact with NKR.

Overnight May 2-3 the Azerbaijani forces continued violating the ceasefire agreement in the line of contact by firing various caliber weapons and 82 mm mortars. The Nagorno Karabakhi forces are in control of the situation and continue monitoring the borders, reads the ministrys announcement.
YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced the appointment of Academy Award winning actor Cate Blanchett as a global Goodwill Ambassador, Armenpress reports citing UNHCR official website.

The announcement comes as Blanchett returns from a mission to Jordan to witness the ongoing humanitarian operation for people displaced by the conflict in Syria. She met Syrian refugee families to hear first-hand about the perilous journeys they had undertaken and the daily challenges they face.

"I am deeply proud to take on this role," Blanchett said in a video interview. "There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity. We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide. It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance?", Blanchett mentioned.
The Irish commercial property market has remained active in recent months with encouraging volumes of transactional activity continuing to be recorded in all of the main occupier markets according to Commercial property specialists, CBRE.

Their May 2016 bi-monthly report shows that prime rents have continued to increase in all sectors over recent months and are firmly on target to reach the year-end forecasts the company issued earlier this year.

They also report continued activity in the development land and hotels & licensed sectors of the market in the last two months and expect this to continue into the Summer with a number of high-profile sales due to conclude over the coming months. CBRE say that activity in the investment sector has also been impressive of late and will be boosted by the conclusion of the sale of Blanchardstown Town Centre in west Dublin.



Almost two thirds of office lettings signed in the first quarter in the capital were to Irish companies, which is particularly encouraging with seven of the ten largest lettings signed in the quarter comprising expansions of existing businesses.



Prime rental values in Dublin have increased again to 619 per square metre in recent weeks and are on target to reach CBREs forecast of 700 per square metre by year-end. The overall vacancy rate in Dublin is now 7.7% according to CBRE.



According to the report, the biggest frustration in the Irish retail property market currently is a severe scarcity of stock in the shopping centres, high streets and retail parks that retailers are specifically targeting. The sheer length of time negotiations are taking is also frustrating, with landlords in general being more selective about the tenants and lease terms they are willing to accept now that the market is showing signs of recovery and the next phase of rent reviews is approaching.



Total returns in the Irish commercial property market in the year to the end of March 2016 were 23.5% according to MSCI with 2.9% growth achieved in the quarter. This clearly demonstrates that while the Irish investment market continues to significantly outperform other markets, the pace of growth has slowed compared to the exceptional growth achieved in 2014 and 2015.



Fourteen hotels totalling more than 47.4 million sold in the Irish market in the first quarter of 2016. The report shows there is a depth of demand for all types of hotels around the country from a range of different buyers who are encouraged by tourist numbers and improving hotel performance statistics.



Executive Director & Head of Research at CBRE Ireland, Marie Hunt says, "Investor appetite for Irish commercial real estate remains robust, particularly from institutional buyers who are focussing attention on prime assets. Monetary pricing continues to influence asset pricing in Europe and against this backdrop, Irish real estate, which offers the potential for significant rental growth, remains attractive to institutional investors."

She added, "However, with deleveraging now firmly in its final phase in the Irish market, the pipeline of new investment product is less visible, with many of the assets due to be formally launched for sale over the coming months being relatively small in size compared with the large assets and portfolios that have traded in the last two year period."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

About us


The shortlist of 24 finalists in the 2016 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) programme was revealed today.

The finalists have a combined workforce of almost 3000 people and turnover of nearly 450M. The 19th year of the programme focuses on the theme of building a business legacy and includes mentoring initiatives, bespoke executive education and an international CEO Retreat to Boston.

Finalists will also benefit from networking with an experienced community of peers, as they join the 416-strong EOY community of former finalists and winners.

The 24 finalists were selected by an independent judging panel of previous winners, chaired by Anne Heraty, CEO of Cpl Resources plc and previous winner of the 2006 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme.

As part of the 10 month development programme, the finalists will join over 70 members of the EOY community for a week long CEO retreat to Boston in May. The retreat will include masterclasses with decision makers at the helm of Bostons most successful start-ups and globally renowned brands and leading academics from Harvard and M.I.T.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme is supported by Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, The Irish Times and Newstalk.

Partner Lead of the EOY programme, Kevin McLoughlin said, "This years shortlist is of a remarkable standard, and it is particularly encouraging to see an increase in the number of female finalists in the programme from last year."

He added, "The finalists represent a fantastic mix of listed and private entrepreneur-led companies from a diverse range of sectors, including food, retail, technology, and manufacturing. There is also a particularly strong spread of finalists from the burgeoning life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors in Ireland."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

About us
Modified On May 06, 2016 05:31 PM By Arun for Toyota Innova Crysta 2016-2020

We Indians love the Toyota Innova  there's no other way of saying it! What else justifies sales of close to six lakh units over a span of a decade? Yes, the good ol' Innova has been a darling of the chauffeur driven seth and the taxi market at large. That said, it was a boring design and was utilitarian for the sticker price. With the Crysta, Toyota has addressed those issues. It looks like a business lounge on wheels, and from the inside  it is one!

On the other end of the spectrum is the Mahindra XUV500. A vehicle that had all imaginable creature comforts stuffed into it, from the word go. Yes, there have been some niggling concerns over reliability and quality. Nonetheless, the XUV has been the poster boy for Mahindra, packing technology cars a segment above usually have.

Wondering how the Crysta stacks up against the Mahindra? We have the answer!

Dimensions and Design

Design-wise, the cars are as different as chalk and cheese. While the Innova Crysta follows the traditional MPV design directive to the T, the XUV500 is a butch crossover that has an imposing presence.

The Innova carries clean and understated looks. Nothing feels out of place, and bits like the smoked out projector headlamps, the large hexagonal grille and the 17-inch wheels make the Crysta look handsome. The Mahindra, on the other hand, is full of aggression. Elements such as the gloss-black grille with chrome whiskers, flared wheel arches and the sheer visual bulk of the XUV500 is likeable.

Space and Seating

Like before, the Innova Crysta is available as a seven and an eight-seater. We're glad the Crysta retains the widely loved captain seats for the second row, and are pleased to report that they are even more comfortable than before.

The XUV500 is wider than the Crysta, but has a smaller wheelbase, thereby compromising on some legroom. Headroom is marginally better in the Crysta as well. Both cars also have a third row of seats. The Crysta trumps the XUV500 in this department too, with even more space both in terms of legroom and headroom.

Engines

Mahindra has stuck with its 2.2-litre mHawk motor for the XUV500, that generates a healthy 140PS of power and 330Nm of torque. The motor can either be had with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. Moreover, one can also pick between FWD and AWD.

The Innova Crysta gets two diesel engine options  a 2.4-litre and a 2.8-litre unit. The smaller engine develops 150PS and 343Nm of torque, whereas the bigger unit develops 174PS and 360Nm. While the smaller engine is available only with a 5-speed manual, the latter can be had only with a 6-speed automatic.

Pricing

Prices for the Mahindra range between Rs. 12.0 lakh - 17.8 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The Crysta starts at Rs. 13.84 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs. 20.78 lakh. For the same price (approximately Rs. 15.99 lakh) as a top-spec XUV500 manual, one can choose the Innova Crysta with a bigger 2.8-litre engine mated to an automatic transmission. However, at the same price point, the Crysta isn't as well-equipped as the XUV500 as it misses out on features such as leather upholstery, automatic climate control, projector headlamps, touch-screen audio system and a lot more. The only upside is that it has a bigger engine and an automatic gearbox for the same price.

The two also cross paths around the 17.5 lakh mark. One can choose between a top-spec AWD automatic XUV500 or the VX trim of the Innova Crysta with the 2.4-litre engine. Here, the Mahindra and the Toyota are on par when it comes to features, with both getting some premium elements such as ambient lighting, projector headlamps with daytime running lamps and offering top-notch safety, with six and seven airbags respectively. The tables turn, in this case, wherein the 2.4-litre engine is available only with a manual transmission, whereas the Mahindra brings an automatic transmission to the table. Moreover, the XUV500 gets an all-wheel-drive setup as well.

Wrapping Up

One pays a premium of Rs.3.5 lakh for the top-spec manual Innova Crysta compared to the XUV500. The price-gap widens with the automatic, where the Toyota is expensive by nearly Rs. 4 lakh. While both cars are on par when it comes to features, one does get much better quality of plastics, a more powerful motor and Toyota's reputed reliability for the added price. In case you still need some help deciding, do check reviews of the XUV500, XUV500 Automatic and the Innova Crysta to get a better idea.

Read More on : Innova Crysta review
Modified On May 05, 2016 04:46 PM By Alshaar

We were drooling all over Barack Obamas ridiculously cool microphone drop during his last presidential address at the 2016 Correspondents Dinner this week, until this happened. Tesla recently tested a new pro-environment automotive technology and it certainly has taken Elon Musks coolness to the Obama Out level; at least in the automobile quarters.

In its latest newsletter, Tesla states that it has successfully tested the HEPA air filtration system and a Bioweapon Defense Mode. The really interesting bit about the system is that it could well be capable of withstanding bioweapon attacks!

The American tech-giant sited the Tesla Model X in a massive bubble where it precisely controlled and carefully monitored atmospheric conditions. The bubble was then contaminated with filthy levels of pollution before shutting the falcon doors and activating the Bioweapon Defense Mode.

The time vs pollution concentration graph showed a dramatic fall not just inside the car, but also in the ambient conditions inside the bubble. In less than two minutes, the HEPA filtration system had scrubbed the air in the Model X, bringing pollution levels from an extremely dangerous 1,000 g/m to levels so low as to be undetectable (below the noise floor) by Teslas instruments.

Not only did the vehicle system completely scrub the cabin air, but in the ensuing minutes, it began to vacuum the air outside the car as well, reducing PM2.5 levels by 40%. According to the newsletter, the testers were even able to remove their gas masks and breathe fresh air while sitting inside the bubble of pollution.

Tesla claims that with its new system in place, your car could serve you in the time of bioweapon attacks like a bunker shields civilians in the times of air strikes.

Earlier, the air filtration system was also put to the test in real-world environments; from California freeways during rush hour, to smelly marshes, landfills, and cow pastures in the central valley of California, to major cities in China.

READ: Modi visits Tesla

The Model X would be the first Tesla car to get this new revolutionary filtration system, followed by the Model S. As India prepares to lay down the red carpet for Teslas entry into the peninsula with its forthcoming Model 3, we hope to see the HEPA air filtration system on this one too. If not more, it would at least help tranquilise the pollution debate in Delhi.

Let us know what you think of Teslas mind-boggling technological development in the comment section below.
A $25 million U.S. government study has found a link between cell phones and cancer. The National Toxicology Program's multiyear study found links to two types of brain and heart tumors in rats exposed to the radio frequencies commonly used by cell phones.

In the brain, gliomas affect the gluey tissue that holds the neurons in place. Schwannomas generally affect hearing-related nerves when they occur in the brain. In the heart, they affect neurons and are generally benign but malignant heart schwannomas were found among the rats in the study.

While the number of tumors was small, scientists said any incidence was worrying, given the massive number of people who use cell phones regularly worldwide.

Given the widespread global usage of mobile communications among users of all ages, even a very small increase in the incidence of disease resulting from exposure to [radio-frequency radiation] could have broad implications for public health, an early version of the study said.

The NTP's report said the types of tumors found in the rats "are of a type similar to tumors observed in some epidemiology studies of cell phone use." It said the findings "appear to support" the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conclusions regarding the possible carcinogenic effects of cell phone radiation.

The NTP undertook the study at the direction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) helped to oversee it and earlier this week noted that there was "limited evidence of an increased risk for developing cancer from cell phone use."

While rats and humans are not identical, rats are commonly used in cancer studies because their reactions to various carcinogens are similar to humans. The report released today covers only findings affecting the brain and heart. Additional findings will be released later, the NTP said.

A wake-up call

The test was constructed so that the radiation level the rats received was "not very different" from what humans are exposed to when they use cell phones, said Chris Portier, former associate director of the NTP, Mother Jones reported.

Portier said the findings should be a wake-up call for the scientific establishment. "I think this is a game changer," he said. "We seriously have to look at this issue again in considerable detail," according to the Mother Jones report.

"The NTP does the best animal bioassays in the word," Portier added, the Mother Jones article said. "Their reputation is stellar. So if they are telling us this was positive in this study, that's a concern."

The wireless industry in the U.S. has long proclaimed, without any definitive evidence, that cell phones are harmless. CTIA, the wireless industry's trade group, no longer lists cancer as a topic on its website's Policy & Initiatives page.

About the study

Cell phones emit what is called non-ionizing radio-frequency radiation (RFR). Ionizing radiation is a well-accepted human carcinogen, but the wireless industry and others have argued that there is no evidence that non-ionizing radiation could induce tumors.

For the study, rats were housed in custom-designed reverberation chambers and exposed to cell phone 900 MHz RFR, using both GSM and CDMA modulation, the two types that are in general use worldwide.

Exposures began in utero and continued over a period of approximately 18 hours using a continuous cycle of 10 minutes on (exposed) and 10 minutes off (not exposed), for a total daily exposure time of approximately 9 hours a day for 7 days per week.

A control group was housed in identical containers and not exposed to the radiations.

Brain effects

A low incidence of malignant gliomas and glial cell hyperplasia was observed in all groups of male rats exposed to GSM-modulated RFR. In males exposed to CDMA-modulated RFR, a low incidence of malignant gliomas occurred. No malignant gliomas or glial cell hyperplasias were observed in specimens of the control group, the NTP report said.

In females exposed to GSM-modulated RFR, a malignant glioma was observed in a single rat. Glial cell hyperplasia was also observed in a single rat. In females exposed to CDMA-modulated RFR, malignant gliomas were observed in two rats. Glial cell hyperplasia was observed in one female in each of the CDMA-modulation exposure groups. There was no glial cell hyperplasia or any of the seven malignant glioma observed in females of the control group.

Heart effects

Cardiac schwannomas were observed in male rats in all exposed groups of both GSM- and CDMA-modulated RFR, while none were observed in the control groups. For both the GSM and CDMA modulations, there was a "significant positive trend" in the incidence of schwannomas of the heart, according to the NTP report.
Credit unions should begin making arrangements to attend NAFCUs Congressional Caucus, Sept. 18-21 in Washington, for a chance to meet directly with lawmakers and regulators to discuss top credit union issues. Three members of the House Financial Services Committee are already slated to speak during the event.

NAFCUs Congressional Caucus in September is the perfect opportunity for credit union professionals to share their stories with lawmakers and regulators  face-to-face  about the devastating impact overregulation is having on their ability to serve their more than 103 million member-owners, said NAFCU Director of Political Affairs Dan OBrien. Credit unions need to plan to attend Caucus; the personal connection with lawmakers and regulators is priceless.

House Chief Deputy Whip and Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., has already been added to the Caucus speaker slate. McHenry also serves on the committees Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, and Oversight and Investigations subcommittees.
Graphique, cours, CAC 40, indices, retrouvez toute l'actualite boursiere en quelques clics mais aussi des articles et dossiers complets sur les tendances du moment. Des informations cle en main pour vous accompagner dans tous vos investissements en bourse.

Tous droits reserves. Euronext : Cours en temps reel sur le CAC40. Cours differes d'au moins 15 minutes sur les valeurs et autres indices. Pour les clients connectes : cours en temps reel sur toutes valeurs et indices.
The Frisco5 are in day 12 of a full hunger strike demanding the firing of Police Chief Gregory Suhr. You are invited to march with them at 1 pm on Tuesday May 3 to City Hall to speak with the Mayor of San Francisco.
Chernobyl + 30 by Michael Steinbertg

Thirty Years after the nuclear cataclysm at Chernobyl, the disaster continues.

Nuclear Shutdown News April 2016



Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear power industry in the US and beyond, and highlights the efforts of those who are working to create a nuclear free world. Here is our April 2016 issue.







Michael Steinberg Black Rain Press



Chernobyl + 16: It's far from over



On April 26, 1986, a nuclear disaster began at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, then ruled by the USSR. Thirty years later, that disaster is far from over.



In their 1990 book, Deadly Deceit: Low Level Fallout, High level Cover-Up, authors Jay Gould and Benjamin Goldman devote an entire chapter to the Chernobyl debacle. The doomed Chernobyl nuke was one of 4 reactors operating at the site at the time. It took until 2000 for the other 3 to be permanently shut down.



Jay Gould is a founding member of the Radiation and Public Health Project (radiation.org), which continues to study the effects of radiation on public health.



The author's wrote, "Ironically shortly before the accident, Soviet nuclear scientists had stated that a catastrophic accident was 'impossible.' "



"But the impossible happened. At 1:23 a.am. that fateful Saturday, a thunderous blast lifted the massive concrete lid from the reactor and released a plume of radioactive debris that was carried two thousand meters into the air. The initial explosion split the reactor core and set fire to surrounding buildings. The reactor core burned for two moreweeks, releasing radioactive contaminants all the while. Within a few days, according to the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (in the San Francisco Bay Area), hundreds of millions of curies of radiation were released into the biosphere. This release may have amounted to about one-tenth of the nuclear fission products that have been spread by all bomb tests since 1945."



The Chernobyl radioactive clouds quickly moved across the Northern Hemisphere, as rainfall brought down its radiation to Mother Earth in Northern Europe--and beyond.



Deadly Deceit's authors reported, "On May 5th, nine days after the Chernobyl accident, monitoring stations in the State of Washington--9,000 miles from the Ukraine--found radioactive iodine-131 in rainfall, with test stations around the state reporting peak values May 12th and 19th...The highest levels in the Pacific Northwest were found in Spokane."



By using data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency, The Department of Energy, and National Center for Health Statistics on Chernobyl fallout in the US, Gould and Goldman began finding some disturbing problems.



"The Chernobyl disaster released so large a volume of fission products into the atmosphere so quickly that its immediate effects, though thousands of miles from the source, were revealed by analysis of the official mortality reports of two nations--the US and West Germany.



"Our results were unexpected, but when we came back to examine the mortality data associated with previous large nuclear releases, we found the same pattern of excess deaths among the very young and very old. We found immediate increases in infant mortality and in total deaths (primarily comprising older persons) which were followed later by annual increases in excess cancer deaths. These excess deaths may be linked to damaged immune systems from ingestion of fission products: in particular, radioactive iodine, which damages fetal thyroids, and radioactive strontium, which concentrates in bone marrow."



Thirty Years On



In late April, Counterpunch released an issue to mark Chernobyl + 30. The issue featured a recent report by Dr. Ian Fairlie called TORCH 16.



Counterpunch introduced Dr. Fairlie as "an independent consultant on radiation in the environment. He has a doctoral degree in radiation biology. He was head of the Secretariat in the UK's government committee on internal radiation risks. He has been a consultant to the European Parliament, local and regional governments, environmental NGOs, and private individuals."



TORCH 16 stands for The Other Report on Chernobyl. It was commissioned by Friends of the Earth in Austria and the City of Vienna, and focuses on the health effect of the Chernobyl disaster three decades on.



Among Fairlie's findings in this report:







--40,000 fatal cancers predicted for Europe over the next 40 years.



--6000 thyroid cancers to date, 16,000 more expected.



--5 million in Belarus, the Ukraine and Russia still live in highly contaminated areas.



--400 million are living in less contaminated areas.



--increases in radiation caused leukemia, cardiovascular diseases, and breast cancers confirmed.



--new evidence of Chernobyl caused birth defects, mental health diseases and diabetes.



--new evidence of children living in contaminated areas are suffering radiation illnesses.



Sources: Radiation and Public Health Project radiation.org; Counterpunch counterpunch.org








ILWU Local 10 initiated a rally and march on May Day 2016. It started with a rally at the ILWU Hall in Fisherman's wharf and was followed by a march along the Embarcadero to the Harry Bridges Plaza next to the Ferry Building. Many trade unionists spoke and also San Francisco resident Danny Glover talked about May Day.

The ILWU Local 10 initiated rally and march on May 1, 2016 was also joined by actor, unionist and actor Danny Glover. Hundreds of workers and unionists in San Francisco joined the rally and also a delegation of family members who have had their sons and daughters killed by police came and spoke out. They called for the need to unite labor in the fight against police terror and ILWU Local 10 members have also been affected by this repression.Unions from around the world also made statements of solidarity including International Dockworkers Council IDC, Japanese railway union Doro-Chiba, Puerto Rican FMPR teacher's union, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions KCTU, Working Peoples Party of Puerto Rico (Partido del Pueblo Trabajador-PPT), From Al Rojas in Mexico wroteOn this day, 150,000 Trade-Unionists, including San Quintin Striking Agricultural Workers and supporters of the Boycott Driscoll Berries, together with Progressive Socialists & the 43 Ayotszinapa Atenco, Teachers Union & Resistance Movements Against Corporate Greed will march. We send to you, on this first day of May -- International Workers Day -- El Dia del Trabajo -- our Greetings of Solidarity from Mexico City, D.F. ,Al Rojas, Campaign Organizer Boycott Driscoll Berries, U.S. CampaignTrade unionists spoke about the privatization of public care at San Francisco general hospital and the fight and lives of fast food workers.Production of Labor Video Project
On Thursday, April 28th, 2016, The BART Board of Directors stopped, at least temporarily, the BART Police plan to install Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) at MacArthur BART  a pilot program to surveil all those entering and exiting the parking group.

Alert members of the Oakland Privacy Working Group (OPWG) noticed the buried item on the BART Boards agenda, and three OPWG members attended the 9:00 AM meeting to testify against this proposal going forward.

5B. Automated License Plate Reader Technology.

i. Test Deployment Report.

ii. Public Comment.

Prior to that notice very few people had any idea that BART police were deploying, or were about to deploy, automated License plate readers (ALPRs). In fact, it seems likely given the meeting comments that the BART board itself had no idea this was happening before the report was put on the agenda. That it was brought up at all before the Board is a consequence of a new California law, SB 34, which requires public notice and input, and that a privacy and use policy be developed, before deployment of ALPRs.

A Deputy BART Police Chief gave the report. The ALPR test system had been installed at MacArthur, and it wasnt clear whether it was in operation yet (the agenda information suggested it was, but later statements by BART officials claimed it was not). License plate data collected by the cameras was to be stored not by BART, but in fact sent off to the local fusion center (aka the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, aka NCRIC), where it would be available not just to BART police, but to Federal agencies, including ICE, and State and local agencies.

Upon questioning, the Deputy Chief said that while they had occasionally looked into deploying facial recognition systems, no such systems had yet been deployed, either via ALPR cameras or platform surveillance cameras.

Thanks to the attention drawn to the item by OPWG members, some BART Board members voiced their own concerns about the system, the balance between privacy and security, and the need to be transparent (one recalled the debacle that ensued after BART killed cell phone transmission in 2011 due to a protest). Then the board suggested to BART officials that the program not be put into operation for the nonce, and that a committee be set up to create an overall surveillance equipment regulation ordinance. BART officials present agreed not to put the pilot project into operation, and a proposal for a committee is to be brought up at the next BART Board meeting. Community input and participation, including from OPWG and the ACLU, is to be sought.

There is no rational reason for BART to spy on the thousands of people who park at BART stations. There is no rational reason to install these systems. BART has operated for forty-four years without them and will continue to operate perfectly well for the next forty-four whether they are installed or no. The excuse provided by BART police was to help catch people breaking into cars and stealing catalytic converters. But if thats what they want to do they would be far better off monitoring the parking lots for the people doing these things, rather than recording the comings and goings of the 99.999% of people who are simply trying to get from point A to point B.

Oakland Privacy Working Group orginally came together to stop the Domain Awareness Center (DAC) in the wake of the Snowden revelations. Recently, it has been working to get surveillance equipment regulation ordinances passed in various Bay Area locales, which will require public input and participation in the process of deploying new and ever-increasingly powerful surveillance technology by law enforcement. It is smart of the BART Board to recognize the need for such an overall policy before deployment of any further spying technology.

This was just Round One with BART. Hopefully, like the DAC, the ALPRs will be TKOed at the end of the bout. Stay tuned.
- NBM has reacted to the death of the Oba of Benin

- The group's president described the late monarch as an epitome of truth

- Eyeoyibo says the group's history will always reflect the efforts of the late Oba

Popular Pan-Africanist group Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM worldwide), through its president Bemigho Eyeoyibo, has described the passing away of Oba of Benin, as a great loss to the entire Black race.

President of the group Bemigho Eyeoyibo at a press conference, extended condolences and sympathies of the members of NBM of Africa worldwide to the family of Omo n' Oba N Edo Uku Akpolokpolor, Oba Erediauwa, the crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, Edaiken n' Uselu and to the people of the great Bini kingdom.

Oba Erediauwa's life spanned from before the birth of democracy in Nigeria through its emergence as a critical force within the Nigerian economy and a leader among Nigeria kings and the Africa nations.

According Eyeoyibo on behalf of the group, the late Oba was a symbol of truth, peace and justice.

He said: "He has been fully committed to truth, peace, justice and equality even during the days of the military era in Nigeria. Oba Erediauwa took bold steps in advancing the peace initiatives amongst political leaders, government dignitaries and ethnic communities, endeavours that will outlive him as an enduring contribution to the quest for peace and development in the Nigeria nation."

Members of NBM with a Monarch

The NBM president however stated that the late kings labour, during his active days will always be reckoned with.

"His service as a permanent secretary in the Nigeria ministry of health before being crowned as an Oba will reflect his service to humanity and the Nigeria nation.

"At home, Oba Erediauwa's vision was dedicated to the development of his people and to greater achievements and engagements with the outside world. His commitment to the education of the Edo people can be seen in his strides and contribution to Education.

"He also served the then Bendel state as a commissioner of Finance and all of these will allow NBM of Africa justify our statement of describing him not just as an Icon but also, the Oba who served his people."

"This beautiful character and leadership can be traced to the doggedness and fatherly character of his father Oba Akenzua whose prayers still lead our noble movement.

NBM of Africa found love with him as one of our first patrons in 1977 where he prayed that the "death of NBM of Africa shall never be heard". Our relationship, loyalty and reverence to the palace of Bini kingdom which means a lot to us will continue to grow as long as NBM lives.

Eyeoyibo said: "Today we commiserate with the entire Benin kingdom and the good people of Edo state. It should be known that our history as a movement will not be completely written if we leave out the role Benin city and his wonderful people has played in seeing to our continuous growth over the years since our formation in 1977 to date.

"We have always found love with Benin city the cradle of black civilisation, we have always found love with the Oba's palace from the reign of Oba Akenzua till date, and we are convinced this love will continue. As a movement we will declare a seven (7) days mourning period in reflecting our heavy hearts," he said.

In another development the national publicity secretary of the organization, Comrade Melvin Udo, briefed the press on their forthcoming 38th annual national convention and 12th annual lecture series with the theme;reinventing African Resource Potentials for Global Economic Growth.

According to Udo, the event slated for the May 25-28, in Warri, promises to be an epoch making event for members, families and friends will come from all over the globe to celebrate one of the biggest black conscious groups in the world.

He concluded that speakers will also be drawn from all sectors and visitations will be made to monarchs and the IDP camp in Benin Edo state, to give back to society and also commiserate with crown prince and good people of Benin Kingdom; amongst other programmes lined up for this event.

Source: Legit.ng
Newcastle and Fiji forward Korbin Sims will miss his nation's Test match against PNG on Saturday night at Pirtek Stadium after accepting a one-match ban for a grade 2 careless high tackle.

The charge comes from Sims' challenge on Roosters winger Joe Burgess in the Knights Round 9 loss at Allianz Stadium.

Cronulla forward Jayson Bukuya will also miss a match after pleading guilty to a grade 1 shoulder charge on Broncos halfback Ben Hunt.

Bukuya will miss his side's Round 10 game against the Knights.

Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson also pleaded guilty to a grade 1 tripping charge, but will not be suspended for any matches.
Alstria office REIT-AG has placed its first promissory note ('Schuldscheindarlehen'). The total size of the 'Schuldschein' issuance market in 2015 was 20 bn, making it a liquid debt market widely used by German corporates. Investors in this space are mainly savings- and loans banks in Germany, insurers, pension funds as

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La Francaise Forum Real Estate Partners (LFF Real Estate Partners) has acquired for approx. 17 million the office building Bockenheimer Landstrae 72 located nearby the Central Business District of Frankfurt am Main. The seller is Art-Invest Real Estate. The micro location is demanded by strong occupiers, with neighboring tenants such

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JLL Bratislava officehas another RICS qualified member in its team with whom the number of RICS professionals in JLL Slovakia increases to four. As of the 4th of April, Rudolf Nemec became a member of RICS after he successfully passed the final assessment interview in Commercial Property as his chosen

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed for The St. Regis Belgrade and The Residences at The St. Regis Belgrade, a development project slated to open in 2019. Owned by Belgrade Waterfront LLC, the 125-room hotel will additionally feature 220 St. Regis branded residences in Kula Belgrade, the countrys highest

Photos: Business Wire



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Strabag Property and Facility Services has been awarded another major contract by the German air-traffic control body DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH as at 1 March 2016. The industrial and real estate service provider is taking on the entire technical facility management for the DFS headquarters in Langen near Frankfurt, including

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Forty four UK high street retail assets outside Central London were transacted for a combined 255m in the first quarter of 2016, according to research out today from Cushman & Wakefield. Although 10% down against the same period in 2015, the figures exceeded expectations and revealed any Brexit concerns were

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Bajaj has announced this price hike within just about a month from the Avenger 220 Cruise BS6s launch

Bajaj Auto Limited has announced a price hike for its updated Avenger 220 Cruise BS6. The popular cruiser was launched in its cleaner format just about a month ago, at a starting price of Rs 1.17 lakh. After the hike, prices start at Rs 1.19 lakh (up by Rs 2,500). Compared to its BS4 counterpart which was priced at Rs 1.05 lakh, the total effective price hike stands is about Rs 14,000. This is a substantial price increase considering the cruisers segment. All figures mentioned here are ex-showroom.

The BS6 Bajaj Avenger 220 Cruise remains unchanged in terms of styling, features and specifications. It continues to sport a digital instrument cluster (with a secondary display on the fuel tank), a high windscreen, cushioned pillion backrest, halogen headlamp (with LED DRLs), spoke wheels, etc. The motorcycle sees extensive use of chrome accents across its body in a bid to achieve a more premium feel. It is available in just two colour choices: Auburn Black and Moon White. Despite getting a price hike, the Avenger 200cc Cruise is still more affordable than the lesser-powered Suzuki Intruder 150.

Relevant data such as fuel-tank capacity, seat height and ground clearance are marked at 13 litres, 737mm and 169mm, respectively. Kerb weight is a reasonable 163kg. Overall dimensions is as follows: 2,210mm long, 806mm wide and 1,142mm tall. It has a relatively long wheelbase in typical cruiser fashion, at 1,490mm.

Powered by a 220cc oil-cooled single-cylinder engine, the BS6 Bajaj Avenger 220 Cruise makes roughly 19bhp @ 8,500rpm and 17.55Nm @ 7,000rpm. This is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The power plant boasts of FI and twin-spark technology. To meet the new emission norms, almost every two-wheeler (including scooters) on the Indian market at present comes with an FI system.

Braking duties in the Avenger 220 Cruise are carried out by a 280mm front disc and 130mm rear drum brake. The body is supported by conventional telescopic forks with double bush and a five-way adjustable twin shock absorbers at the rear. A single-channel ABS unit is offered as standard.

Bajaj Auto has commenced operations at its plant and dealerships across the country as India enters its fifth stage of COVID-19 lockdown protocols. Considering the present state of affairs, Bajaj Auto has also announced an extended warranty period (from May 31 to July 31) and free service schedules for its customers. Industries are gradually recovering from the pandemic.
Researchers at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have taken part in a study of the effect of one molecule, 3-nitrooxypropanol, in inhibiting methane production in ruminants. The work has been published in the magazine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Ruminants are animals which digest their food through fermentation carried out by microorganisms living in the rumen. This process produces organic acids: acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, all of which are absorbed and metabolized by the organism as a source of energy. But, in addition, it also produces methane, which escapes into the atmosphere in the form of gas.

How 3-nitrooxypropanol works

By 2014, scientists had demonstrated the effectiveness of this molecule in sheep, but were unaware of how it actually worked. Now, in vivo research, using incubated anaerobic microorganisms from ruminants' digestive systems have revealed how the compound 3-nitrooxypropanol only had an effect on methane producing microorganisms (arqueas methanogens) and not on those which contribute to digestion (bacterias). As David Yanez, a CSIC researcher at the Zaidin Experimental Research Centre in Granada (southern Spain) explains, "Up until now, no-one had described the mode of action of a compound which can repeatedly reduce (by 30%) methane production in animals without any risks, either to the animal's health, or to their productivity."

The results of this work open up the possibility of reducing methane emissions and of contributing to a reduction in global temperatures which is caused by greenhouse gases. In addition, "We will see an increase in the efficiency of ruminant production systems as better use is made of the energy taken in in animal feed, given that methane production accounts for a loss of up to 12% of the energy an animal ingests" notes Yanez.

Both the University of Auburn in the USA and the Max Planck Institute in Germany collaborated on this project as did the Swiss company, DSM Nutritional Products, which developed and owns the patent to 3-nitrooxypropanol.
New research shows the sudden oak death epidemic in California cannot now be stopped, but that its tremendous ecological and economic impacts could have been greatly reduced if control had been started earlier. The research also identifies new strategies to enhance control of future epidemics, including identifying where and how to fell trees, as "there will be a next time."

Sudden oak death -- caused by Phytophthora ramorum, a fungus-like pathogen related to potato blight -- has killed millions of trees over hundreds of square kilometres of forest in California. First detected near San Francisco in 1995, it spread north through coastal California, devastating the region's iconic oak and tanoak forests. In 2002 a strain of the pathogen appeared in the south west of England, affecting shrubs but not oaks, since English species of oak are not susceptible. In 2009 the UK strain started killing larch -- an important tree crop -- and has since spread widely across the UK.

In a study published in PNAS, researchers from the University of Cambridge have used mathematical modelling to show that stopping or even slowing the spread of Phytophthora ramorum in California is now not possible, and indeed has been impossible for a number of years.

Treating trees with chemicals is not practical or cost-effective on the scales that would be necessary for an established forest epidemic. Currently the only option for controlling the disease is to cut down infected trees, together with neighbouring trees that are likely to be infected but may not yet show symptoms. "By comparing the performance of a large number of potential strategies, modelling can tell us where and how to start chopping down trees to manage the disease over very large areas," explains Nik Cunniffe, lead author from Cambridge's Department of Plant Sciences.

The authors say that preventing the disease from spreading to large parts of California could have been possible if management had been started in 2002. Before 2002 not enough was known about the pathogen to begin managing the disease. Their modelling also offers new strategies for more effectively controlling inevitable future epidemics.

Models developed in Cambridge are already an integral part of the management programme for the Phytophthora ramorum epidemic in the UK. The models are used to predict where the disease is likely to spread, how it can be effectively detected and how control strategies can be optimised, in close liaison with colleagues from DEFRA and the Forestry Commission.

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Sudden oak death is known to affect over one hundred species of tree and shrub, presenting a significant risk to the biodiversity of many ecosystems. The death of large numbers of trees also exacerbates the fire risk in California when fallen trees are left to dry out. There is now concern that the disease may spread to the Appalachian Mountains, putting an even larger area of trees at risk.

"Our study is the first major retrospective analysis of how the sudden oak death epidemic in California could have been managed, and also the first to show how to deal with a forest epidemic of this magnitude," explains Cunniffe.

"Even if huge amounts of money were to be invested to stop the epidemic starting today, the results of our model show this cannot lead to successful control for any plausible management budget. We therefore wanted to know whether it could have been contained if a carefully-optimised strategy had been introduced sooner. Our model showed that, with a very high level of investment starting in 2002, the disease could not have been eradicated, but its spread could have been slowed and the area affected greatly reduced."

The model also indicates how policymakers might better plan and deploy control when future epidemics emerge.

"It is a tool by which we can make a better job next time, because it is inevitable that there will be a next time," says Chris Gilligan, senior author also from the Department of Plant Sciences. "With this sort of epidemic there will always be more sites to treat than can be afforded. Our model shows when and where control is most effective at different stages throughout a developing epidemic so that resources can be better targeted."

"It can be tempting for authorities to start cutting down trees at the core of the infected area, but for this epidemic our research shows that this could be the worst thing to do, because susceptible vegetation will simply grow back and become infected again," explains Cunniffe.

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Cunniffe, Gilligan and colleagues found that instead treating the 'wave-front' -- on and ahead of the epidemic in the direction that disease is spreading -- is a more effective method of control. They also found that 'front-loading' the budget to treat very heavily early on in the epidemic would greatly improve the likelihood of success.

"Unlike other epidemic models, ours takes account of the uncertainty in how ecological systems will respond and how the available budget may change, allowing us to investigate the likelihood of success and risks of failure of different strategies at different points after an epidemic emerges," says Gilligan.

"Whenever a new epidemic emerges, controlling it becomes a question of how long it takes for us to have enough information to recognise that there is a problem and then to make decisions about how to deal with it. In the past we have been starting from scratch with each new pathogen, but the insight generated by this modelling puts us in a better position for dealing with future epidemics," he adds.

The researchers say that the next step in dealing with well-established epidemics such as sudden oak death is to investigate how to protect particularly valuable areas within an epidemic that -- as they have demonstrated -- is already too big to be stopped.

The methodology is already being applied to create related models for diseases that threaten food security in Africa, such as pathogens that attack wheat and cassava.
A widely recommended risk calculator for predicting a person's chance of experiencing a cardiovascular disease event -- such as heart attack, ischemic stroke or dying from coronary artery disease -- has been found to substantially overestimate the actual five-year risk in adults overall and across all sociodemographic subgroups. The study by Kaiser Permanente was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, also known as atherosclerosis, is a silent disease that starts early in life and can have serious consequences, including heart attack, stroke or even death if untreated. It progresses through a build-up of cholesterol plaque and other substances in the walls of arteries, causing obstruction of blood flow. Evidence-based use of statins to reduce cholesterol has been a cornerstone for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events in those patients who are at high enough risk to benefit.

Publication of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Pooled Cohort risk equation for estimating the likelihood of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events in 2013 was considered an important step forward. However, the equation was developed from several groups of enrolled volunteers primarily conducted in the 1990s with limited ethnic diversity and age range, so its accuracy may vary in current community-based populations.

"Our study provides critical evidence to support recalibration of the risk equation in 'real world' populations, especially given the individual and public health implications of the widespread application of this risk calculator," said senior author Alan S. Go, MD, chief of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Conditions Research at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.

The actual incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events over five years was substantially lower than the predicted risk in each category of the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort equation:

For predicted risk less than 2.5 percent, actual incidence was 0.2 percent

For predicted risk between 2.5 and 3.74 percent, actual incidence was 0.65 percent

For predicted risk between 3.75 and 4.99 percent, actual incidence was 0.9 percent

For predicted risk equal to or greater than 5 percent, actual incidence was 1.85 percent

"From a relative standpoint, the overestimation is approximately five- to six-fold," explained Dr. Go. "Translating this, it would mean that we would be over-treating a good many people based on the risk calculator."

The study followed a population of 307,591 men and women aged 40 to 75 years old, including non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Asian, Pacific Islanders and Hispanics, from 2008 through 2013 and had complete five-year follow-up. The study population did not include patients with diabetes, prior atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or prior use of lipid-lowering therapy such as statins.

To determine whether the risk equation might be improved by being recalibrated in "real world" clinical care, Kaiser Permanente researchers examined a large, multi-ethnic, community-based population of the health plan's members in Northern California whose cholesterol levels and other clinical measures could theoretically trigger a discussion about whether to consider starting cholesterol-lowering therapy based on estimated risk using the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort tool.

Among both men and women, there was consistent overestimation of observed five-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease incidence in each predicted risk category, with similarly poor calibration in both genders. Researchers also found consistent overestimation of actual atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in each of the major ethnic subgroups. Results were also similar across measures of socioeconomic status.

On the other hand, researchers found that observed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk was substantially closer to that predicted by the ACC/AHA tool among adults with diabetes who were not treated with statin therapy for primary prevention.

"Statin therapy is a mainstay treatment for millions of Americans," said lead author Jamal S. Rana, MD, PhD, cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and adjunct investigator with the Division of Research. "Our study highlights the importance of ongoing research and dialogue in this area to provide more rigorous evidence to guide treatment for the patients most likely to benefit from this approach."
The sea urchin's intricate mouth and teeth are the model for a claw-like device developed by a team of engineers and marine biologists at the University of California, San Diego to sample sediments on other planets, such as Mars. The researchers detail their work in a recent issue of the Journal of Visualized Experiments.

The urchin's mouthpiece was first described in detail by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, earning it the nickname "Aristotle's lantern." It is composed of an intricate framework of muscles and five curved teeth with triangle-shaped tips that can scrape, cut, chew and bore holes into the toughest rocks--a colony of sea urchins can destroy an entire kelp forest by churning through rock and uprooting seaweed. The teeth are arranged in a dome-like formation that opens outwards and closes inwards in a smooth motion, similar to a claw in an arcade prize-grabbing machine.

The urchin's extraordinary ability to rip through rock could translate to a good sediment sampler for space vehicles like the Mars rovers, which currently use shovels to collect ground samples, said Michael Frank, a Ph.D. candidate at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego and the paper's first author. "Our goal was a bioinspired device that's more precise and efficient at grabbing ground samples from different areas, and won't disturb the surrounding area like a shovel would," he said.

Frank is part of a research group that uses engineering to explain biological structures and then designs bio-inspired devices based on what they find. Led by mechanical engineering professor Joanna McKittrick, the group has applied this approach to exploring natural structures in seahorses, boxfish, porcupines, woodpeckers, porcupine fish and many other animals.

In this paper, one finding was the importance of a T-shaped structure running down the middle of each of the urchin's teeth, called the keel. Simulations show that teeth with keels experienced 16 percent less stress than teeth without keels when subjected to a 10lb-load. Researchers also noted that adding the keel increases the mass of the tooth by only 4 percent.

Methodology

Bio-inspiration for the study came from pink sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus fragilis), which live off the West Coast of North America, at depths ranging from 100 to 1000 meters in the Pacific Ocean. The urchins were collected for scientific research by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

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Researchers extracted the urchins' mouthpieces, scanned them with microCT, essentially a 3D microscopy technique, and analyzed the structures at the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research at the School of Medicine at UC San Diego. This allowed engineers to build a highly accurate model of the mouthpiece's geometry.

Researchers also used finite element analysis to investigate the structure of the teeth, a method that allowed them to determine the importance of the keel to the teeth's performance.

Engineers then turned the microCT data into a user-friendly file that a team of undergraduate engineering students at UC San Diego used to start iterating prototypes of the claw-like device, under the supervision of Ph.D. students in McKittrick's lab.

The first iteration was very close to the mouthpiece's natural structure, but didn't do a very good job at grasping sand. In the second iteration, students flattened the pointed end of the teeth so the device would scoop up sand better. But the device wasn't opening quite right. Finally, on the third iteration, they connected the teeth differently to the rest of the device, which allowed it to open much easier. The students were able to quickly modify each prototype by using 3D printers in the UC San Diego Design Studio.

The device was then attached to a remote-controlled small rover. The researchers first tested the claw on beach sand, where it performed well. They then used the claw on sand that simulates Martian soil in density and humidity (or lack thereof). The device was able to scoop up sand efficiently. Researchers envision a fleet of mini rovers equipped with the claw that could be deployed to collect samples and bring them back to a main rover. Frank hopes that this design will be of interest to NASA and SpaceX.

Video at: https://youtu.be/4CG5peD6J3M
Community-based social groups could play a crucial role in empowering people with early-onset dementia, according to new UBC research.

The study, led by UBC nursing professor Alison Phinney, focused on an independently run program known as Paul's Club, which offers social and recreational activities three days a week out of a hotel in downtown Vancouver. Members range in age from mid-40s to late 60s.

"Of the estimated 1.4 million Canadians living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia by 2031, a few thousand in every major city will be diagnosed before age 65," noted Phinney. "The question is how we can support them so that they can continue to live at home for as long as possible."

The answer, according to Phinney's research, could be day programs like Paul's Club.

The club, founded in 2012 by retired Vancouver nurse Nita Levy and her husband, Michael, provides members a friendly environment without medical or hospital associations--hence the "club" monicker and the choice of a hotel for a meeting place. The focus is on having fun, so dementia is rarely mentioned or discussed.

The club runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to give members' families a break from caring from their loved ones. Each day starts with morning coffee, often followed by chair yoga, a dance or other light workout before the group heads out for lunch and a walk in the neighbourhood. Ice cream at a local gelato shop caps off the day.

While the club doesn't follow a strict schedule, the one constant is the group walk. Linking arms or holding hands with the Levys or club volunteers, members stroll in groups of twos or threes, stopping frequently to admire the scenery or talk to other people.

"By observing and talking to the members, we found that walking in the neighbourhood and interacting with others kept them connected to the community," said Phinney, a researcher with Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. "They felt that they still belonged--something that wouldn't have been possible had they stayed at home."

The Levys founded the club following the death of a beloved brother-in-law as a result of early-onset dementia. They saw a need for services for younger people with dementia as most programs are suitable for older people, and very few are targeted to those with dementia.

"Young-onset dementia is incredibly challenging because they're still fairly active and healthy and suddenly they're no longer able to work," said Phinney. "Being part of the club keeps them busy and healthy and gives their family respite, making it more feasible for members to stay at home longer."

Phinney's research is funded by the Alzheimer's Society of Canada. Its next stage will examine a more traditional adult day program for older people, including some living with dementia.

"Walking in the Neighbourhood: Performing Social Citizenship in Dementia," has been accepted for publication in Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice. It can be found here: https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/facultyresearchandpublications/52383/items/1.0300370
Exercise can have a positive influence on certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis: Patients who do yoga and aquatic exercise suffer less from fatigue, depression and paresthesia, as reported by researchers from the University of Basel and the Psychiatric University Clinics Basel in a joint study with colleagues in Iran.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive auto-immune disease in which the body's own immune system attacks the nervous tissue, potentially resulting in movement disorders. Other typical symptoms of MS include physical and mental fatigue as well as faintness, depression and paresthesia such as pins and needles, itchiness and numbness.

Increased risk of depression

In a random trial, researchers from Basel and Kermanshah (Iran) have now shown that these symptoms significantly improved after an eight-week program of yoga and aquatic exercise. In comparison to the control group, fatigue, depression and paresthesia were significantly reduced in patients who took part in a three-times weekly training program. In the non-exercising group, the likelihood of moderate to severe depression was 35-fold higher than in the groups who had done yoga or aquatic exercise.

Fifty-four women with MS and an average age of 34 were assigned to one of three groups: yoga, aquatic exercise or no exercise. Before and after the trial, patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about their symptoms. All patients continued with their existing treatment, including any medication taken to regulate the immune system.

Exercise as a complementary therapy

"Exercise training programs should be considered in the future as possible complements to standard MS treatments," write the researchers. Researchers from the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in Iran, the Psychiatric University Clinics (UPK Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders) and the University of Basel's Department of Sport, Exercise and Health took part in the study.
Cytopathology researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital recently found that combining two diagnostic tests, Pap and high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV), dramatically decreased the chance of missing tumors and high-grade lesions by sevenfold.

In the May 2016 issue of Cancer Cytopathology, published by the American Cancer Society, the Houston team did a retroactive study of more than 1,600 cases with Pap and hrHPV co-testing and found that each test missed approximately 9 percent of cancer and/or high-grade lesion cases. Combining the tests resulted in only 1 percent of cases missed.

"We've known that neither test is perfect and misses a certain number of cases, but we didn't realize until we analyzed the data just how impactful the combination of these tests would be," said Dina Mody, M.D., director of cytopathology at Houston Methodist Hospital and paper co-author. "The numbers tell me that Ob-Gyns need to regularly offer co-testing, and woman age 30 or older need to proactively request co-testing."

In 2014, the FDA approved the use of an HPV DNA test as a primary screening tool for women 25 and older. The test detects two of the most common high-risk HPV strains (16 and 18) as well as combined results for 12 additional high-risk HPV types, but the test only detects a small percentage of the 150 HPV strains that exist.

Mody is past president of the American Society of Cytopathology and has led the Houston Methodist Hospital cytopathology lab for 15 years. As part of standard quality assessments, her team reviewed data from 1,652 cases over an 18-month period.

Lead author Yimin Ge, M.D., a member of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital, compiled cases with cytology-HPV co-testing and follow-up biopsies. The researchers found that 253 cases had biopsy confirmed high-grade lesions. Of those cases, the Pap test and the hrHPV test accurately detected approximately 91 percent of the cases. When they combined the tests, the team found only three of the 253 cases were double-negatives for both the Pap and hrHPV tests.

"We used a large population-based observational study, which is only the second of its kind conducted since the FDA approved the HPV test as a primary screening method for cervical cancer," Ge said. "The next step is to look at cases missed on Pap and HPV, test the tissue and try to determine why they were missed."

The Pap test is recommended for women between 21 and 65 years old as a screening test for cervical cancer. Women 30 and older who are negative on co-testing may wait as long as five years for their next testing, but physicians still recommend annual well woman exams.

Approximately 98,000 cases of gynecologic cancers are diagnosed in the United States every year, and less than 70 percent of cervical cancer patients live longer than five years after diagnosis.
The University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute researchers and clinicians published results of the largest population-based study of adult Latinos and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the National Eye Institute-funded "Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES)." The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, is the first to analyze the risk and prevalence of early and late stage AMD and its impact on quality of life for older Latinos.

According to the National Eye Institute, AMD is a chronic, progressive disease affecting 2 million Americans and typically diagnosed in those age 50-60. The LALES study, conducted among 4,876 Latinos in Los Angeles with a mean age cohort of 54.8 years old, indicates that Latinos diagnosed with bilateral AMD with large drusen (the lipids or fatty proteins that are yellow deposits under the retina) and depigmentation as well as a more severe AMD had a substantially lower health-related quality of life as compared to those with AMD lesions in only one eye.

In addition, the findings point to a more significant health-related quality of life decline beginning in early rather than later stages of the disease. For instance, the study shows 80 percent of early AMD participants reported difficulty driving as opposed to 43 percent who had late AMD. As well, 91.6 percent of early AMD participants reported vision-related social function impact and 74.4 percent had near vision problems as compared to 67.7 percent and 46.9 percent respectively of late AMD participants who reported the same. The researchers also found that while participants may not have a measurable decrease in their visual acuity, their reported reduced visual function may possibly be the result of contrast sensitivity associated with early-stage AMD.

"The study results are a wake-up call for both ophthalmologists and those in the Latino community to avoid a quality of life decline due to ocular conditions, especially in earlier stages of eye diseases such as AMD," said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, interim dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the USC Roski Eye Institute. "What was significant but not intuitively obvious was that Latinos diagnosed with AMD in both eyes or more severe AMD had a markedly diminished vision-specific quality of life requiring us to shift our clinical focus from treating advanced stages of AMD to finding earlier stage interventions and treatment options."

Dr. Varma, the study's principal investigator and one of the world's leading experts in population based eye disease, shared that objective measurements like vision loss may not adequately characterize the total impact of the ocular condition of a patient. The research points to the increasing need to assess a patient's health-related quality of life and a patient's overall perception of relative well-being as a valuable tool to evaluate treatment efficacies.

The Latino population is the largest minority segment of the U.S. population and is the largest ethnic population in Los Angeles county surpassing the Caucasian population in 2014. According to the U.S. Census 2015 report, Latinos are 17 percent of the U.S. population (55 million) and by 2060 they will be 29 percent (119 million). At the same time, American society has a growing aging population with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day and AMD, an ocular disease that typically affects those age 50 and older, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness.

"Previous studies on Latinos have found this population to have a different pattern of AMD prevalence, incidence, progression and risk factors," added Dr. Varma. "More importantly, the lower level of health care access and utilization among this group is likely to impact follow-up care of these patients and may make them more susceptible to diminished quality of life."

"The LALES findings unexpectedly demonstrate that even the earliest stages of AMD may impair eyesight enough to interfere with daily activities. They also point to the need for additional research on the earliest stages of AMD," said Maryann Redford, D.D.S., M.P.H., a program director for Collaborative Clinical Research at NIH's National Eye Institute. "People with early AMD affecting both eyes appear to be especially vulnerable to declines in their vision-related quality of life, and might benefit from any early referral to a low vision specialist."

The LALES study was conducted among 4,876 participants in six U.S. Census tracks in La Puente, Calif. More than half of the participants were female (59 percent) and 41 percent were male with a median cohort age of 54.8 years. The participants underwent comprehensive eye exams and interviews to assess risk factors for health-related quality of life impact related to either an early or late AMD diagnosis. Photographs of the inside of the eyes were taken to also detect signs of AMD. Typical AMD symptoms are straight lines or faces appear wavy, objects appear smaller or further away and there is blurriness or blind spots in central vision.

Dr. Varma is the principal investigator of many major National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded studies, including the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Diseases Study (MEPEDS), African-American Eye Disease Study (AFEDS) and the Chinese-American Eye Study (CHES). The USC Roski Eye Institute is ranked in the Top 2 of the nation's top grant recipients from the NEI and has achieved more than $32 million in annual grant funding.
A U.S. government agency whose mission is to help save the lives of people around the world living with HIV and AIDS has seen a steep drop in funding for an important part of its budget. The finding, from a UCLA study, could be a cause for concern because many countries rely on the agency to help pay for vital health care services for people with the disease.

The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, was launched in 2003 and is now the world's largest health assistance program focused on a single disease. The agency, which is funded by the federal government, helps pay for antiretroviral therapy, HIV testing, counseling and other programs for tens of millions of people around the world.

PEPFAR's budget is divided among five core activities: prevention, care, treatment, management and operations, and governance and systems. The latter category, which receives about one-sixth of the organization's overall funding, supports infrastructure for delivering HIV- and AIDS-related services, particularly in low-income countries.

But the study, published in the May issue of the peer-reviewed journal Health Affairs, found that after its budget increased each year from 2004 through 2011, the unit's funding declined slightly in 2012 and 2013, and then by 33 percent from 2013 to 2014, to $448.6 million. The agency's overall budget declined from 2013 to 2014, but by a much smaller amount, 7 percent, to a total of $3.4 billion.

"People with HIV and AIDS who receive effective antiretroviral therapy can live for many years," said Corrina Moucheraud, assistant professor of health policy and management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and the study's lead investigator. "But the care and treatment of people with HIV and AIDS requires a strong health system -- access to health workers, a reliable supply of medicines, laboratory testing and so on."

Moucheraud said the findings, the first detailed evidence about PEPFAR's health system budgets, offer an opportunity to reflect upon the agency's funding priorities.

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"Programs like PEPFAR fund programs specific to HIV and AIDS, but to maximize their effectiveness and sustainability, they must also invest in strengthening health systems," she said. "This is especially true in resource-poor countries with weak health systems."

Most PEPFAR funding goes to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which has been particularly hard hit by the AIDS pandemic.

Data used in the study came from the PEPFAR Dashboards, which provides information on funding and expenditures. The site revealed that a total of $33.3 billion was budgeted for PEPFAR between 2004 and 2014. Of that amount, $5.2 billion across country budgets and years, went to governance and systems activities. Governance and systems' share of the budget rose from 14.9 percent in 2004 to 27.5 percent in 2013 before dropping to 20.8 percent in 2014.

Although the number of new HIV infections each year has continued to decline around the world, Moucheraud said that the need to fully fund agencies like PEPFAR remains.

"The number of people who are infected with HIV continues to rise, so the money for governance and systems to help these patients needs to increase," she said.

The authors noted some limitations to this study. The data they used was for funding and not expenditures, so the researchers could not determine how the funds were actually spent. In addition, the data came directly from PEPFAR, which could cause source bias.

"These findings call into question whether the rhetoric of health systems strengthening has been translated into sustained policy action," the researchers write. "Additional research and analysis of the PEPFAR Dashboard data in coordination with in-depth country work is needed to fully understand the changing role of health systems in the operations of PEPFAR and other global health initiatives."
"The results for tolerability, safety, and the immune response to the vaccine candidate are very promising," explains Prof Marylyn Addo. The antibodies which developed against the virus were still detectable after six months. Addo is convinced, "With this, a single vaccine could provide lasting protection against Ebola." The infectious disease specialist, who works for the German Center for Infection Research at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE) in Hamburg, led the trial in Hamburg. A total of 158 healthy adult volunteers were tested in Hamburg, as well as at the partner sites in Geneva (Switzerland), Lambarene; (Gabon) and Kilifi (Kenya).

The scientists involved are participants in VEBCON, a consortium of experts founded by the WHO, the goal of which is rapid and coordinated clinical testing of the Ebola vaccine in Africa. A vaccine is still urgently needed, since the current Ebola epidemic has not yet been completely defeated and future outbreaks cannot be ruled out.

About the trial

Across the four locations, a total of 158 healthy volunteers were vaccinated with increasing doses of the potential vaccine. A double-blind study was conducted in Geneva. The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine that was used is an attenuated, genetically modified strain of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which bears a surface protein of the Ebola virus. The goal is to help the vaccinated person's immune system produce antibodies to prevent an outbreak of the disease upon contact with the Ebola virus. For the first time, scientists have tested the vaccine's safety, tolerability and immune response in humans.

Important results

Safety and tolerability: No serious vaccine-related adverse reactions were observed; there were some cases of temporary mild fever and others of joint complaints. Since it is a live vaccine, small amounts of the vaccine virus were found in the blood, as expected, but only in the first few days following vaccination. Virus replication appears to be controlled and limited by the immune system. No viruses were detected in saliva and urine.

Effect on the immune system: In all participants, a single vaccine stimulated the immune system to produce antibodies specifically targeting the Ebola surface protein. The antibodies produced were able to inhibit the Ebola virus infections in vitro, and were still detectable after six months. The scientists evaluate the risk-benefit profile as positive.

Prof Stephan Becker, who analysed the immune responses of the volunteers in his laboratory at the Philipps-Universitat Marburg is happy, "These results demonstrate that the new vaccine can potentially be used in future Ebola outbreaks." DZIF Professor Peter Kremsner from the University Hospital Tuebingen, who headed the trial in Gabon, explains, "The adverse reactions were moderate and within the limits of what can be expected when using live vaccines."

The pathway to the vaccine: The results are now being incorporated in further trials which are using the previously determined optimal vaccine dose and testing children in particular. These trials are taking place in Lambarene, Gabon, amongst other places. In Guinea, the vaccine has also already been tested in a larger trial where people in contact with Ebola patients were vaccinated. The preliminary interim results have shown that the vaccine is effective. Approval by the American authority FDA is being sought for early 2017.

The German Center for Infection Research supported the preparation of the trials at the UKE in Hamburg and in Gabon and provided initial funding. The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), and the British Wellcome Trust provided the funding for the clinical trial preparation and implementation. The Canadian Health Authority donated the vaccine candidate to the WHO, which then made it available for these trials. The development of the vaccine candidate was supported by the WHO. All parties involved thus responded quickly and jointly to the dramatic Ebola epidemic in West Africa. For the trial preparations, the DZIF scientists in Hamburg, Gieen-Marburg-Langen, and Tubingen worked closely with the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI), which, as a partner of the DZIF, supports research into new vaccine platforms. In Hamburg, the trial was conducted in close collaboration with the Heinrich Pette Institute and the Bernhard Nocht Institute.
The poor voter turnout of young Brits can be explained by the delayed transition to adulthood, says new research from Royal Holloway, University of London.

And as early voting behaviour trends set the pattern for life-long voting, it is not likely that current low levels of participation will see an improvement.

Dr Kaat Smets of Royal Holloway's Department of Politics and International Relations analysed British Election Studies from 1964 to 2010 and found that late maturation, which is common in in Europe, has a negative effect on voter turnout of young people. Her research shows that if today's young adults were as 'mature' as young people from the pre-war generation, voter turnout among young people in the UK these days would be 12 percentage points higher.

Dr Smets says: 'Young people are in school longer, start their first job later, buy their first house later, get married and have children later. But all these life-cycle events are positively related to whether people vote. Willingly or unwillingly, delaying the transition to adulthood implies that most young adults these days have not experienced life-cycle events that are important for participation in democratic life.'

The ndings of this research have potential policy implications. Dr Smets says while it is difcult for governments to inuence the pace of maturation in broad terms, assisting young citizens to become stable and independent earlier in life would have a positive impact on young adults' turnout levels. Tackling youth unemployment, assistance for rst-time home buyers, and sufcient childcare facilities are examples of measures that would facilitate the transition to adulthood for young citizens and increase their levels of political engagement. In this sense, the current economic crisis, which puts young Europeans in an exceptionally precarious situation, does not bode well for future levels of voter turnout.

Dr Smets' research on the effects of later maturation on voter turnout among young adults is published in the May issue of European Political Science Review.
A new study has found that children with autism are capable of learning new words the same way any child would -- by following someone's gaze as they name an object. They just take longer to pick up the skill.

The study, which appears in the March 2016 issue of the International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, showed that autistic children scored almost exactly the same as neurotypical children (those who don't have autism) in tests of learning new words, and were able to follow their teachers' eye movements 75 percent of the time, compared to neurotypical children's 78 percent.

Researchers have long known that neurotypical children as young as 18 months old look at a person's eyes and follow their gaze in order to associate a spoken word with the object the person is looking at.

Though autism spectrum disorder isn't easily explained in generalities, most children with the disorder have some kind of difficulty making eye contact with other people under certain conditions. For this reason, therapists have been taught to actively encourage a child to make eye contact -- for instance, by repeatedly telling the child to "look at me" while teaching.

"A lot of good work has gone into targeting this skill in kids with autism. It's considered a pivotal skill -- looking at other people and monitoring eye movement. Our findings are really exciting, because they suggest that maybe we don't need to directly target whether kids follow their partner's gaze," said Allison Bean Ellawadi, assistant professor of speech and hearing and director of the Autism & Child Language Learning Laboratory at The Ohio State University.

"We found that if we use eye gaze in a meaningful way, and in a consistent pattern, kids with autism will pick it up on their own, and they'll learn new words."

The pattern is key, she said. The idea may sound simple, but it's rooted in some of the most advanced theories of how humans learn. The brain works in nonlinear ways that are extremely difficult to model mathematically, so over the last 20 years, researchers have tried to use statistical methods with nonlinear equations to create models of how children learn -- neurotypical children, that is.

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To Bean Ellawadi's knowledge, this study is the first to use an advanced statistical model of learning to teach children with autism, and shows that these methods could lead to helpful new teaching strategies.

Statistical analysis is useful for modeling natural systems, because it allows for complex behavior and so-called "tipping points," when a number of factors that may seem at first unrelated come together in just the right way to cause a dramatic shift in behavior. It helps researchers explain natural systems that seem unpredictable, from quantum mechanics to climate change.

Bean Ellawadi says she's an advocate for applying statistical learning theory to children with autism, "because it explains a lot of the instability we see in their skills."

"Sometimes they'll develop a great behavior in a specific context, but not in other contexts," she explained. "If we think of the behavior as being a combination of factors in just that one particular moment, we can begin to ask how we might use those factors to create more learning success across different environments."

She and study co-author Karla McGregor, professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of Iowa, compared the learning skills of 15 children with autism to those of 15 neurotypical children. The children's ages ranged from 18 months to 7 years old. The researchers placed a tray of toys and a bucket in front of each child. Then they looked at a particular toy -- say, a stuffed duck -- and asked the child to put that toy in the bucket.

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The researchers chose this format because it's similar to a study done by another research group in 2009. But that study consisted of only one trial; children had only one chance to put the right toy in the bucket. Children with autism made eye contact less often, and failed at the task more often than neurotypical children, so much research since has assumed that autistic children needed instruction to make eye contact before they could learn objects.

In contrast, Bean Ellawadi and McGregor gave the children in their study five "warm-up" trials followed by up to 20 more trials that counted for the study.

When the child put the right toy in the bucket, the researchers praised him or her. When the child put the wrong toy in the bucket or just didn't respond, the researchers didn't give any negative feedback. They just pointed to the right toy or demonstrated the task for him or her, and asked again. Then they moved on to a new toy.

As in the 2009 study, neurotypical children out-performed the autistic children on the first trial. But by the end of the experiment, the autistic children had caught up. Children with autism looked at the researchers' eyes 75 percent of the time, and neurotypical children looked 78 percent of the time. Both groups were able to choose the right toy more than half the time, with an overall performance of 50-60 percent, depending on how many toys were on the tray.

Bean Ellawadi and McGregor had bet that the autistic children would pick up on patterns in their teachers' behavior to learn the names of new objects, and it worked.

"Little kids are amazing statisticians," Bean Ellawadi said. "They do a really good job of tracking the statistics of regularity in their environment."

Bean Ellawadi completed this study to earn her doctoral degree at the University of Iowa. She'll continue the work at Ohio State. Next, she wants to examine whether autistic children can recognize patterns with a less structured learning task, and whether they would come to follow a teacher's gaze spontaneously.
A class of 150 US 7th graders has helped select a name for a newly discovered plant, which amazes with its fruits that appear to be bleeding once they are cut open. Bucknell University biology professor Chris Martine and life science teacher Bradley Catherman challenged the students to come up with ideas for what to call the new Australian species last spring.

Looking for a way to engage local youngsters in biodiversity science, Martine scheduled a presentation to the collective 7th grade life science classes at Donald H. Eichhorn Middle School. As the day of his assembly approached, he started to think that the best way to generate interest might be to somehow allow the students to participate in the actual research he was doing in his lab at the time. Only, he knew there were few things he could do with 150 13- and 14-year olds sitting in a gymnasium.

"I emailed Mr. Catherman and I said, 'How about we ask them to name a new species for me?' explained Martine. "And then I showed up with live plants, preserved specimens, and my notes from the Outback -- and we said, 'Go ahead, tell us what to call this thing.'"

Nearly a year later, Martine and his co-authors, including two undergraduate students, have published the new species in the open access journal PhytoKeys. The news is coming just in time for the National Teacher Appreciation Day, thus giving tribute to Bradley Catherman, a life science teacher who is not afraid to step beyond the standard curriculum and make that extra step to actually engage his students with their studies.

"I was really impressed with Mr. Catherman's willingness to work outside of the typical curriculum on this," said Martine, "In an age when K-12 teachers are increasingly pressured to 'teach to the test' he is still willing to think creatively and try something unusual."

Curiously, the new flowering bush species 'behaves' nothing like an ordinary plant. While its unripened fruits are greenish white on the inside when cut open, they start 'bleeding' in no more than two minutes. The scientists have even filmed a video short showing how their insides turn bloody scarlet at first, before growing darker, appearing just like clotting blood.

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A week after the presentation, each of the students submitted an essay in which they suggested a name, explained the meaning, and translated it into Latin (the language that scientific names are required to be in). Catherman and Martine then selected the two best essays for the inaugural Discovery Prize, a new middle school science award established by Martine and his wife, Rachel.

"As you might imagine, the suggestions ran the gamut from the silly to the scientific," said Martine. "But for every request to name the species after a favorite food, family pet, or Taylor Swift, there were many suggestions based on the data the students had been provided."

According to Martine, a number of the students suggested names based on two characteristics of the plant's berries: the 'bleeding' unripened fruits and the dry and bone-hard mature ones. Based on this, the plant will now be known as Solanum ossicruentum, best translated to Australian blood bone tomato, with "ossi" meaning "bone" and "cruentum" meaning "bloody." The species belongs to the genus of the tomato.

The species is native to the sub-arid tropical zone of northern Australia. Martine collected the seeds, he grew his research plants from, during a 2014 expedition to Western Australia and the Northern Territory. However, specimens of the plant had actually been gathered for years before then.

"This is just one of thousands of unnamed Australian species that have been collected by dedicated field biologists and then stored in museums," said Martine, who studied specimens of the new species in the Northern Territory Herbarium before hunting for it in the bush.

"There is a wealth of museum material just waiting to be given names -- and, of course, the organisms represented by those specimens await that recognition, as well as the attention and protection that come with it."

Luckily for Solanum ossicruentum, attention and protection are not too much of an issue.

"Not only is it widespread and fairly abundant," said Martine, "but one of the healthiest populations occurs in Mirima National Park, a popular and easily-accessible natural area just outside the Western Australian town of Kununurra."

"Plus, middle schoolers can be tough to deal with. I don't think anyone in their right mind would mess with this plant, now," the botanist joked.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee will today arrive in Stuttgart, Germany, following his first visit to NZ Defence Force (NZDF) troops at South Camp in Egypts Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights in Israel.

Visiting the Sinai provided a great opportunity to talk with Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) leadership and our 27 strong Kiwi contingent who form part of the deployment that for the past 34 years has maintained peace between Israel and Egypt on the Sinai Peninsula," Mr Brownlee says.

The deployment to the MFO is one of New Zealands longest running peacekeeping deployments, with a continuous NZDF presence since the mission began in 1982.

As in other deployments, NZDF personnel are doing an excellent job, in this case as drivers, trainers and key operational planning personnel contributing a huge amount to the MFO.

The deployment is also highly appreciated by the Egyptian and Israeli governments, a point reinforced by Egyptian Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi, when I met with him on Friday, and Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, who I met in Tel Aviv on Sunday."

While in Israel Mr Brownlee also met with Major General David Gawn, Head of Mission and Chief of Staff to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO), in the Golan Heights.

As a former New Zealand Chief of Army, Major General Gawn is extremely experienced and the visit was a timely opportunity for full briefings on the security situation in the region, Mr Brownlee says.

UNTSO was the first peacekeeping operation established by the United Nations, with the first military observers arriving in the Middle East in June 1948. UNTSOs activities are spread over five host countries  Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syrian Arab Republic.

There are currently eight NZDF personnel serving as part of the UNTSO based in Israel, Jerusalem and Southern Lebanon, Mr Brownlee says.

New Zealand is committed to international peacekeeping and peace monitoring efforts, and Kiwis can be very proud of the work NZDF troops are undertaking to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.

Mr Brownlee is in Stuttgart to participate in a Counter-ISIL Defence Ministers meeting prior to returning home.

SOURCE: Office of Andrew Little
Two baby owls found themselves in a place no animal deserves to live last week - the trash.

Arizona Humane Society

At only 5 weeks old, they were unable to fly out. There wasn't a nest or a mother owl in sight.

Dodo Shows Cat Crazy Fluffy Cat Wants To Sit On His Dad At All Times

Arizona Humane Society

But someone saw them and realized they needed help - so they reached out to the Phoenix Police Department in Arizona for assistance. In turn, the police department reached out to the emergency rescue service with the Arizona Humane Society (AHS).

Arizona Humane Society

Andy Gallo, of the AHS, arrived on the scene and, without hesitation, climbed into the dumpster to pull out the young owls.

Arizona Humane Society

Since the owls appeared to be in good health, more than likely someone purposely abandoned them, Bretta Nelson, public relations manager at AHS, told The Dodo. "But sadly, it is unlikely that we will ever know who did that." "It is important for people to know that if they can no longer care for their animals or if they witness suspected cases of animal cruelty or neglect that they call for help," she said.

Arizona Humane Society
These babies were never supposed to have been born.

Goofie and her son | Jenny Desmond

These photos come from a colony of chimpanzees who were formerly used by the New York Blood Center (NYBC) for research, before being stranded years ago on several islands off the coast of Liberia. Just over a year ago, NYBC announced that it had stopped funding the chimps, a decision that cut off birth control - as well as food and water for them and their new babies. There are now 14 additional chimps in the colony, all of whom were left without enough to eat or drink. Now, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is restoring the water systems that NYBC left in disrepair, providing food to the chimpanzees twice a day and administering birth control to the chimps.

Dodo Shows Dodo Heroes Woman Devotes Her Life To The Stray Dogs Of Bali

Jenny Desmond

"While the babies are adorable and much-loved, births ... at sanctuaries are highly discouraged," Jenny Desmond of HSUS told The Dodo. "These young chimps will need lifetime care as well, with a potential life span of over 50 years." She also explained that the fact that these mothers were former research chimps makes it more challenging for them to raise babies. Many have lived their entire lives in captivity, and those who didn't were captured at far too young an age to remember how their mothers cared for them. "The abuse these chimpanzees suffered makes the risks of miscarriage, infant deaths, lack of ability to care for new babies, and illnesses transferred from mother to infant much higher," she said. Yet, when NYBC withdrew support and essentially left these chimps to die, these mothers managed to keep their babies alive against the odds.

Rhinoceros and her son | Jenny Desmond

Now, with the help of HSUS, the mothers and their children are enjoying life again.

Rhinoceros and her son | Jenny Desmond

Jenny Desmond

Jenny Desmond

Jenny Desmond
The cargo plane that carried 33 lions from Lima, Peru, to Johannesburg, South Africa, over the weekend broke more than records. It broke chains. For good.

Animal Defenders International

The lions, all rescued from illegal circuses in Peru and Colombia, were part of the biggest exodus Animal Defenders International (ADI) has ever organized. Rescuers say it was the biggest lion transport ever.

Animal Defenders International

But more importantly, the passage to South Africa, dubbed Operation Spirit of Freedom, represents a new beginning for lions who had been languishing in circus cages for years, their lives seemingly forfeit to profit. On Sunday, they arrived at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa.

Dodo Shows Little But Fierce Pocket-Sized Kitten Grows Up To Be A Wild Woman

Animal Defenders International

"Before ADI rescued them, these animals had never felt the grass beneath their feet or the sun over their heads. Yesterday, they were in the African bush," Jan Creamer, president of ADI, said in a statement. "This has been a really important mission because it has eliminated circus suffering in Peru, saving future generations of animals. Getting the animals home has been exhausting and exhilarating."

Animal Defenders International

It took more than a year to liberate them all, as authorities working alongside ADI staff tracked each animal. It wasn't easy. Some circuses, illegal in Peru since 2011, went underground to avoid giving up their dubious "assets."

Animal Defenders International

After they were removed from the circuses, the lions spent months in a kind of limbo - temporary enclosures where they could at least stretch their legs and receive the care they had gone so long without - while ADI raised the funds for their transport to a sanctuary in South Africa.

Animal Defenders International

Each lion's fare was estimated to cost a daunting $10,000. But donations poured in from around the world until every last one of them could be transported to their new home.

Animal Defenders International

These battered survivors will never feed like lions - many of them had their claws removed and their teeth shattered. But they will savor the freedom that is every lion's birthright.

Animal Defenders International

On Monday morning, they roared into a new reality. And it was a roar heard around the world.

Animal Defenders International

"African sun, African night skies, African bush and sounds, clouds, summer thunderstorms, large enclosures in a natural setting where they can remember who they are," Savannah Heuser, founder of Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, said in a statement.

Animal Defenders International
You never know who might steal your heart - just ask these cops.

Last March, officers from the Kirtland Police Department were called out to deal with a large stray dog who'd been spotted on the loose in an Ohio neighborhood. Rather than send him to a shelter and leave his future up to chance, they instead tried to find his owner themselves.

But despite making an appeal on social media on behalf of the animal - they called him John Doe Dog - no one in the small town of 6,800 residents came forward to claim him.
For one cat named Duchess, living with a crooked jaw doesn't stop her from being the queen of her kingdom.

Crystal Tate

In the fall of October 2015, a stray cat arrived at the Adobe Animal Hospital and Clinic in Texas after she was hit by a car. A Good Samaritan brought her to the clinic after the incident.

Crystal Tate

"Most places would've just euthanized her, but by some miracle, Duchess got lucky," Crystal Tate, an employee of the Adobe Animal Hospital, told The Dodo.

Crystal Tate

Hospital staff decided to take a chance on Duchess, a flame point Siamese, and repaired her badly broken jaw.

Dodo Shows Cat Crazy Fluffy Cat Wants To Sit On His Dad At All Times

Crystal Tate

But Duchess' journey wasn't over yet  she remained at the clinic for a month to recover after her surgery, during which she had to eat through a feeding tube and take several different medications. Her chances for survival were slim.

Crystal Tate

But Duchess was a fighter. She managed to make it through the worst but, in the aftermath, was left with a crooked jaw, a mouth that would not open or allow her to chew and just a few teeth.

Crystal Tate

But that didn't stop Tate from falling in love with her.

Crystal Tate

"I met her the day I arrived at the clinic for my first day," Tate said. "Her mouth was just beginning to heal, the feeding tube had just been removed and she was very thin. The lowest meow caught my attention  her eyes showed so much sadness, but her purrs showed so much love and hope."

Crystal Tate

Every day, Tate spent time petting Duchess and speaking to her. When doctors asked if Tate would be interested in taking her home permanently, Tate said she knew the two of them were meant to be in each other's lives.

Crystal Tate

"I had never cared for a special needs kitty and she had never experienced life as a special needs kitty, but we've learned [together]," Tate said.

Crystal Tate

Duchess, who is currently 3 years old, now shares a home with her big brother Joshua, a Siberian husky; Peaches, a bichon; and Oliver, her cat brother.

Crystal Tate

"She has been a part of our family since [last] November and she walks around like she owns the house," Tate said, adding that Duchess has a very spunky personality and loves to knock things down regularly as part of her playtime routine.

Duchess napping with Joshua | Crystal Tate

When it comes to mealtime, Duchess can only eat canned food that's been mixed with water and blended into a soup-like texture, which she then laps up with her tongue.

Duchess and Oliver | Crystal Tate

"We are still learning her quirks and helping her live her new life, but we wouldn't have it any other way," Tate said. "She has had a few more procedures since coming home with me, but she is getting stronger every day and we couldn't be more proud."
Ruby almost lost her baby once - and she's determined to never let it happen again. "Ruby the cow started mooing and mooing over and over," Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary wrote on Facebook in late April. "We thought maybe her baby Lucas had escaped the pasture, as he had done several times."

But this time something else was wrong. Lucas and his mom have endured a lot of hardship already. Ruby gave birth to Lucas in a kill pen. They were unwanted farm animals, slated to be killed if they weren't purchased at an auction in Pennsylvania. And Ruby and Lucas almost didn't make it out alive. A woman who was there to rescue horses passed the cold, dirty pen where Ruby and her newborn were huddled together. She immediately stopped. Ruby had turned to her with tears in her eyes. The woman couldn't get this mother cow out of her mind.

She knew she had to save them. So, the woman purchased Lucas and his mom and brought them to New Bolton Center Hospital in Pennsylvania, which provided the rescued family with a home at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Maryland. Ruby almost lost Lucas once - it's no wonder she's protective.

Dodo Shows Wild Hearts Orphaned Deer Runs Back To The Wild With Her Best Friend

So, earlier this week, when Ruby wouldn't stop mooing, sanctuary workers approached cautiously. And they realized that there was something really wrong. Lucas had a high fever. Ruby was calling for help.

As any mother would, Ruby went with her baby back to New Bolton Center Hospital, where doctors tried to determine what was wrong with the calf. Meanwhile, in response to a plea from staff at Poplar Spring, donations for Lucas's hospital bills poured in from animal lovers. "A HUGE thanks to everyone who contributed to help Lucas the calf with his vet bills," Poplar Spring wrote on Facebook. Thanks to people rooting for Lucas, the sanctuary reached its fundraising goal in less than 24 hours. "We are truly grateful for the outpouring of support for this amazing little calf who has struggled so hard, since the day he was born."

But there were concerns that Lucas might have a serious disease, stemming from his rough beginning. At the hospital, Lucas was hooked up with antibiotics and IV fluids so he could gain his strength back. Doctors tested him for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), which is a serious disease usually described in monetary terms: how much money a meat farm loses because of cattle infected with BVD. If Lucas had BVD, he could die. As Ruby and rescuers waited for the results of the test, Lucas gained strength from the medicine and nursing from his mom, who was always by his side. Human visitors also hoped Lucas would recover. Poplar Spring's Farm Manager Dar Vervenka even took a little video of Lucas and Ruby when she visited them in their hospital stall.

Soon, everyone heard some really good news: The BVD test came back negative. It turns out that Lucas was just struggling with a nasty case of pneumonia.

But he's already doing much better. And soon he and Ruby will be on their way home - all thanks to Ruby, and her sharp maternal instinct, which detected the fever early.

"Many people think that cows are not intelligent animals," the sanctuary wrote, "but they are really very smart."
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Politicians do it. Businessmen do it. Secret societies do it. Even a well-trained dog does it. When it comes to handshakes, youve probably heard all the tired advice: Shake it like you mean it. Grip firmly, stand up straight, look them in the eyes.

But heres a more interesting question: Why exactly do we feel the compulsion to shake hands when were saying hello, making a deal, or burying hatchets? Heres what the research says about this most common of rituals  and how the act can change the way people perceive us.

Why we shake it

As anybody who owns a rear-sniffing dog knows, animals use ritualized physical contact when they meet somebody new. Handshake-like interactions are likely ancient.

At a basic level, youre literally showing your hand and letting it (be) known that you can be trusted, because you dont have a concealed weapon or are hiding anything else, says Florin Dolcos, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Illinois who has studied the science of handshakes.

Dolcos also points to a fundamental need for humans to connect physically with each other  especially when establishing a sense of trust and safety.

Handshakes could also be used to, quite literally, sniff other people out. A 2015 study conducted at Israels Weizmann Institute of Science used cameras to show that people often instinctively smell their hands after shaking somebody elses. The researchers theorize that this behaviour is similar to that displayed by other mammals, which often use their sense of smell as a part of social interactions.

Its about trust

In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Dolcos and his wife Sanda Dolcos, also a faculty member at the University of Illinois, found that simply adding a handshake to a social interaction made people more likely to view others more positively.

In the study, researchers placed subjects in an fMRI brain scanner while showing them movies of social interactions. Some of these movies showed people engaged in approach behaviours that signalled a positive social interaction, while others included avoidance behaviours that suggested one person was less than thrilled to be interacting with the other. With all types of interactions, adding a handshake caused test subjects to rate the people they viewed as more confident, trustworthy, and interesting.

Touch can help seal deals  even bad ones

This study re-enforces another one published in 2010 in the journal Psychological Science that found that minimal amounts of physical contact could increase a persons sense of security to the point that he or she is more likely to make risky financial decisions. For the study, researchers at Columbia University and the University of Alberta greeted some test subjects with a 1-second pat on the back of the shoulder prior to giving them the option of choosing between a certain cash payout or a risky bet. Those who received the touch were far more likely to take the riskier route.

While the effect was seen on both male and female test subjects, it was present only when the person doing the touching was a woman  a result that researchers theorize could be related to feelings of maternal security.

Bottom line: A handshake or light touch on the shoulder really could help seal the deal  especially if youre a woman.

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LONDONAn Australian man long thought to be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin has publicly identified himself as its creator.

BBC News said Monday that Craig Wright told the media outlet he is the man previously known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The computer scientist, inventor and academic says he launched the currency in 2009 with the help of others. One Bitcoin is, at the moment, worth more than $450.

His identity had been shrouded in uncertainty until now.

The BBC said Wright had decided to make his identity known to stop the spread of misinformation about Bitcoin.

I firmly believe that Bitcoin and the Blockchain can change the world for the better, he said. I didnt take the decision lightly to make my identity public and I want to be clear that Im doing this because I care so passionately about my work and also to dispel any negative myths and fears.

He said he would now be able to release his research and academic work to help people understand the potential of Bitcoin.

The BBC said that Wright supported his claim by signing digital messages using cryptographic keys used during the early days of Bitcoin.

Jon Matonis, one of the founding directors of the Bitcoin Foundation, told the BBC he is convinced that Wright is who he claims to be and is responsible for a brilliant achievement.

Wright also revealed his identity to the Economist and GQ.

The Economist took a more skeptical path. Wright has the possession of certain digital keys that only Nakamoto would have, though the magazine said it did not have enough time to independently verify the key's verisimilitude. "Our conclusion is that Mr Wright could well be Mr Nakamoto, but that important questions remain," the Economist wrote. "Indeed, it may never be possible to establish beyond reasonable doubt who really created bitcoin."

The open source software for Bitcoin, which allows users to make online transactions anonymously and without going through banks or other financial institutions, was released in 2009. It started out more resembling monopoly money than real currency - people would trade the "coins" (really just lines of code) for favors or even give them away. But as the exotic system gained popularity, it gained value.

Now anyone - tech nerds, central bank-averse Libertarians, criminals - can use bitcoins for anything from ordering pizza to trafficking drugs. Their value fluctuates wildly.

Craig Steven Wright, a 44-year-old former academic "nobody," as Wired put it had never before appeared on the public lists of any Nakamoto-hunters and yet troves of leaked (or perhaps hacked) documents published by both Wired and the tech blog Gizmodo seemed to point to him last December.

Within hours of the two stories' publication, Wright's online presence had all but vanished, Gizmodo reported, and Australian authorities were raiding Wright's suburban Sydney home.

The BBC quoted a blog post by Gavin Andresen, chief scientist at the Bitcoin Foundation, in support of the claim:

"I believe Craig Steven Wright is the person who invented Bitcoin," Andresen wrote.

"I was flown to London to meet Dr. Wright a couple of weeks ago, after an initial email conversation convinced me that there was a very good chance he was the same person I'd communicated with in 2010 and early 2011. After spending time with him I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt: Craig Wright is Satoshi.

"Part of that time was spent on a careful cryptographic verification of messages signed with keys that only Satoshi should possess. But even before I witnessed the keys signed and then verified on a clean computer that could not have been tampered with, I was reasonably certain I was sitting next to the Father of Bitcoin."

 with files from Ben Guarino, Washington Post

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WINNIPEGBCE Inc. has signed a friendly deal valued at $3.9 billion to buy Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.

The agreement will add Manitobas largest phone, Internet and wireless company to a Montreal-based telecommunication business that stretches across Canada.

Bell and MTS have a shared legacy of service and innovation that spans more than a century, BCE president and CEO George Cope said in a statement.

We are honoured to join with the MTS team in this all-Canadian transaction to deliver the benefits of new infrastructure investment, technology development and the best of broadband communications to Manitobans.

The acquisition will add 2,700 employees from Manitoba Telecom to BCEs Bell phone business. Bells western operation will nearly double to 6,900 people as a result and operate as Bell MTS, headquartered in Winnipeg.

In a side deal, BCE has agreed in principle to sell about one-third of Manitoba Telecoms post-paid wireless customers as well as one-third of the MTS stores in Manitoba to Vancouver-based Telus Corp.  a competitor with both companies. The BCE-Telus agreement requires approval from the Competition Bureau. Neither BCE nor Telus put a value on their agreement.

While often allies, the BCE and Manitoba Telecom have occasionally had a combative and competitive relationship.

At one time, BCE was a large shareholder of Manitoba Telecom and there was widespread speculation that the Montreal-based company would buy full ownership.

However, Manitoba Telecom took a different path to remain an independent company and decided to buy Allstream  a Toronto-based company that competes directly with BCE on a national basis for business customers.

MTS announced in November that it would sell Allstream to Zayo Group of Boulder, Colo., in a $465-million cash deal that closed in January.

We are very proud of what the MTS team has accomplished, said Jay Forbes, MTS president and CEO.

Now, enabled by Bells national scale and commitment to broadband investment, Bell MTS will be very well-positioned to accelerate service innovation, customer support and community investment to the benefit of Manitobans like never before.

BCE is offering $40 per share, about 45 per cent in cash and 55 per cent in stock, for the Winnipeg-based companys shares.

Manitoba Telecom shareholders can chose $40 in cash or 0.6756 of a BCE share, but may receive a combination of both cash and shares prorated within the caps set by BCE.

BCE will have the opportunity to match any superior offer that may come forward. Each side has agreed to pay a $120-million break fee under certain circumstances if the deal isnt completed.

The agreement will require various approvals, including from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, but is expected to close late this year or early 2017.

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MONTREALThe former head of online gaming company Amaya, two associates and three companies have pleaded not guilty to several securities-related charges following an investigation into allegations of insider trading, Quebecs securities regulator said Monday.

David Baazov, 35, was charged in March with five offences, including aiding with trades while in possession of privileged information, influencing or attempting to influence the market price of the securities of Amaya and communicating privileged information.

He was charged following an investigation by the Autorite des marches financiers that resulted in 23 charges against three people  Baazov, Yoel Altman and Benjamin Ahdoot  and three companies: Diocles Capital Inc., Sababa Consulting Inc. and 2374879 Ontario Inc.

The accused all formally pleaded in writing in the last couple of weeks, said AMF spokesman Sylvain Theberge.

He said the case will soon be forwarded to Quebec court for the selection of a judge and setting trial dates.

Baazov, who took an indefinite paid leave of absence as CEO and chairman of Amaya after he was charged, has from the outset said the allegations were false.

Ahdoot and Altman are facing four and six charges respectively, including for trading while in possession of privileged information and influencing or attempting to influence the market price of Amaya securities.

Diocles Capital is facing five charges of trading while in possession of privileged information and influencing or attempting to influence the market price of Amaya securities. Sababa Consulting Inc. and 2374879 Ontario Inc. are facing a total of three charges for trading while in possession of privileged information.

The charges stem from the alleged use of privileged information when trading company shares between December 2013 and the June 2014 announcement of a $4.9-billion (U.S.) deal to acquire the Oldford Group. That deal included the acquisition of gambling website PokerStars.

The penalty for insider trading is $5,000 to $5 million per charge plus up to five years in prison, said Theberge.

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Canada's Competition Tribunal has issued a decision that some insiders say will open up the real estate industry to more online competition and services and, force it to comply with federal competition rules.

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) "continues to engage in, a practice of anti-competitive acts" in its restrictions surrounding the use of Multiple Listing Service (MLS) information, says a decision summary released by the tribunal on Thursday.

The Competition Bureau argued at the tribunal that TREB's practices have kept information under the control of traditional real estate agencies, restricting the operation of industry newcomers, known as Virtual Office Websites (VOWs), and stifling innovation in the Toronto area.

In welcoming the decision, Commissioner of Competition John Pecman issued a statement saying, "This is a good day for competition and innovation. We look forward to the hearing before the tribunal on remedies."

He first challenged TREB's MLS restrictions in 2011. That application was dismissed, but the commission successfully appealed and the tribunal held another hearing last year.

TREB CEO John DiMichele cautioned that the tribunal has only "partially granted" the Commissioner of Competition's application.

"The tribunal has also asked that both parties provide input to remedies," he said in an emailed statement.

For non-traditional real estate brokers, Thursday's release signals a major victory. They say that Canada's real estate practices have stifled innovations such as U.S. online real estate giant Zillow.

"No one has attempted to enter the market in a meaningful way until this cloud is removed," said one expert.

"Finally, the market will open up," said Lawrence Dale, a Toronto lawyer and founder of Realtysellers who has battled TREB for nearly a decade.

"It will not be so easy any more for TREB and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) to abuse their control over the MLS to prevent competitors to the traditional model from operating as they have to date done so successfully," he said.

"Since 2002, I was stopped by either TREB and/or CREA from offering various services. Now after two bureau proceedings I have complete vindication," said Dale.

In the fall of 2007 TREB put Dale's VOW, a partnership with Bell Canada, out of business.

"Bell valued that business at $1.4 billion after it was built out. The final chapter is now left to be written and I hope TREB and CREA can count that high," he said.

The tribunal decision means buyers can do more of their own research rather than being dependent on a realtor, said John Pasalis founder of Realosophy, a Leslieville VOW that offers clients data on houses and neighbourhoods that they might not find in an MLS listing.

"It matters to a business like ours because our approach is that buyers make better decisions if they have more information in their hands,"he said.

"We advocate giving clients more information which is philosophically quite different than TREB's. TREB's philosophy is to have the agent be the gatekeeper. Any time you want information as a consumer you have to call your realtor," said Pasalis.

The Competition Bureau originally brought the case before the tribunal in 2011 to stop TREB from restricting agents from providing information such as previous sale prices and, it said, "thereby denying agents the ability to introduce new and innovative real estate brokerage services using the internet."

TREB argued vigorously that releasing the information, something real estate agents had always provided clients on a one-on-one basis, would violate privacy rights.

But the real concern is that TREB realtors will "get cut out of the action," said Pasalis, who was a witness in the case for the Competition Bureau.

The full tribunal decision is still confidential. Both sides have until mid-May to submit their recommendations for a remedy. They have the right to appeal to the trial division of the federal court, said a tribunal spokesman.

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As Toronto City Council begins debate Tuesday about creating new regulations for the popular Uber service, company executives say they are taking steps to ease consumer worries about the ride-hailing app.

At an editorial board meeting with The Star, general manager Ian Black shared details of some of the efforts. Heres a look at some key areas:

Facial recognition

In Toronto, Uber is testing software that requires drivers to take a photo during log-in and verify that it matches official photos on file. If the photo doesnt, they cant sign on. The technologys now at the point where its 99.99 per cent accurate and so thats kind of one of those ways we can use technology to remove the possibility of someone driving on someone elses account, Black says.

Safe driving

Uber is testing the use of telematics (such as sensors in smartphones), collecting data that can reveal whether someone drives erratically or brakes too harshly. The phone must be mounted to gather accurate data; the information could be sent to Uber when the driver is logged on to the app.

Tipping

Uber settled two class-action lawsuits last week in the United States that require it to clarify its policy on tipping. In a blog post, the company said its policy has not changed. Tipping is not included, nor is it expected or required, the post said, a position that was also echoed by Uber Canada spokeswoman Susie Heath.

Fines

Time is money, and Uber is testing a program in which riders who keep drivers waiting for more than two minutes are charged extra. Similarly, if a rider cancels a request for a ride more than two minutes after their initial request, they will face a small fee, a change from the previous five-minute grace period. Uber is running pilots of these policies in Dallas, Phoenix, New Jersey and New York.

Unionization

More than 1,000 Uber drivers in New York have signed membership cards with an association known as the Amalgamated Local of Livery Employees in Solidarity, or Alles. Since Uber management controls the fares charged for the service, drivers want and need security and protection, the association says.

From Jennifer Pagliaro and Vanessa Lu

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The chair of the federal standing committee on justice and human rights says Liberal MPs are warming to the idea of decriminalizing paid sperm donation.

My sense after talking to my colleagues in the Liberal caucus is that there is an openness to amend the law, Quebec MP Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal) said Monday.

He said he is pushing MPs in his own party as well as those in opposition to amend the 2004 Assisted Human Reproduction Act, which bans payment for sperm and egg donors, and surrogate-pregnancy services. Housefather said the ban forces Canadians who want to expand their families to look to other countries.

His committee has put the issue on the list of subjects it may potentially tackle in future, he noted.

NDP health critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) says his party is open to amending the legislation to better protect families, but it remains steadfastly opposed to paid sperm donation.

The MPs remarks come on the heels of a Star investigation about several Canadian families who allege they were misinformed about donor they chose from a U.S. sperm bank.

Donor 9623 was advertised as the perfect donor by Georgia-based Xytex Corp. His online profile said he was a healthy man working on a PhD.

But after Xytex seemingly inadvertently released his name to some mothers in a breach of confidentiality, they discovered he has been diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, has a criminal past and had dropped out of college, says their lawyer, Nancy Hersh.

Xytex lawyer Ted Lavender said in an email Monday that he had no comment. The company has earlier stated that it is upfront with purchasers of sperm that it does not verify medical or social information provided by donors.

The Star confirmed through public records that the donor, Chris Aggeles, 39, of Georgia has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. As well, he testified at a 2005 court hearing at which he pleaded guilty to burglary that he has schizoaffective disorder.

According to the University of Georgias registrars office, Aggeles graduated with a bachelors degree last year, 20 years after commencing studies there.

Hersh said that as early as this week she is planning to file lawsuits against Xytex on behalf of some American and British families she alleges were misinformed about the donor.

Toronto lawyer James Fireman said he also expects this week to file lawsuits against Xytex on behalf of some Ontario families.

Lavender earlier said that Xytex would vigorously defend itself against any lawsuits.

Davies said it might be time to update the Assisted Human Reproduction Act.

We need to look at the act to ensure that sperm banks are better regulated, he said, adding that this may require sperm banks to check donors medical records.

He warned that paid donation comes with big risks.

A paid system always introduces risk. Any kind of screening entails answering questions, and when there is a financial incentive to be dishonest, this is the kind of situation that can happen, he said, referring to the Xytex problem.

Davies said the debate over paid sperm donation is similar to the ongoing, controversial one over paid plasma donation. As with sperm, Canada imports the majority of plasma products from the United States.

Canadas first pay-for-plasma clinic recently opened in Saskatchewan. British Columbia and Nova Scotia are looking at allowing such clinics in their provinces. Ontario and Quebec have brought in bans on selling blood products.

Davies said its a bad idea to allow payment for any bodily fluid and noted that the Krever commission recommended against private paid blood collection after 30,000 Canadians were infected with hepatitis C.

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Three Ontario families have launched lawsuits against a U.S. sperm bank and its Ontario distributor, alleging they were misinformed about their sperm donor, who has turned out to have multiple diagnoses of mental illness and is a convicted felon.

The claims, filed Wednesday against Georgia-based Xytex Corp. and Aurora-based Outreach Health Services, allege the companies continued to promote and sell the donors sperm even after the sperm bank had been informed he was nothing like the man advertised on his online profile.

If proven, this takes this case from shocking to truly outrageous, charges the families Toronto lawyer, James Fireman.

Xytexs lawyer, Ted Lavender, said Wednesday night that he had not seen the lawsuits so could not comment. Representatives of Outreach could not immediately be reached for comment.

The donors sperm is alleged to have been used to create at least 36 children in Canada, the United States and Britain.

The lawsuits charge that Xytex fabricated the donors IQ, raising it to a genius level of 160 (the same as Einstein and Stephen Hawking) after he told them he thought it was more like 130.

The families are from Port Hope, Ottawa and Haileybury, north of North Bay. They each have one child created from the donors sperm, ages 8, 6 and 4, respectively.

They are seeking $15.4 million in damages.

The allegations, which include wrongful birth, failure to investigate and fraud, have not been proven in court.

A recent Star investigation confirmed the man who sold his sperm to Xytex was very different than the donor the company advertised.

The donor, known initially only as No. 9623, was touted as extremely healthy and working toward a PhD in neuroscience engineering.

Families learned his real identity  James Christian Chris Aggeles, now 39, of Georgia  in 2014, after Xytex, inadvertently and in a breach of confidentiality, included his email address in an email to them, said Nancy Hersh, a San Francisco lawyer who also represents some of them.

Parents took to the Internet to learn what they could about him and were stunned by what they were able to quickly discover. Subsequent public record searches raised more red flags. Among the allegations cited in the lawsuits:

Aggeles has received diagnoses of schizophrenia, narcissistic personality disorder, drug-induced psychotic disorder and significant grandiose delusions.

He committed a residential burglary in 2005 and spent eight months in jail. He has also had previous arrests.

He dropped out of university, and just last year graduated with a bachelors degree, 20 years after enrolling.

Aggeles applied to be a donor in October 2000 and was promptly accepted without even being asked to show a drivers licence to prove he was who he said he was, the lawsuits claim.

The families allege Xytex continued to sell his sperm until January of this year, even though they informed the company back in 2014 of the discrepancies. Outreach continued to sell it until January last year, they allege.

Angie Collins and Beth Hanson, of Port Hope, are the only plaintiffs allowing their names to be used.

Collins said she is angry at Xytex and Outreach, but has compassion for Aggeles: He should not have done what he did, but the big problem is not with him. Its with companies that allowed him to donate and sold his sperm.

Despite numerous requests, Aggeles, his lawyer and family members have refused to comment.

Hersh said there are plans to file more lawsuits related to the case on behalf of other families.

An earlier lawsuit launched by Collins and Hanson was dismissed by a Georgia court because it was interpreted to be a claim for wrongful birth, which is not recognized under that states law. An appeal was dismissed for procedural issues.

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A form of permanent birth control for women, tiny metal coils implanted in the Fallopian tubes, is the subject of thousands of complaints to North American health regulators.

The device, known as the Essure Permanent Birth Control System is sold in countries around the world, including Canada, as a less invasive alternative to having a womans tubes tied. Approved in Canada in 2001, Essure is far less common here but is at the centre of a potential class-action lawsuit involving more than 100 women, many of whom say they had hysterectomies to remove the coils.

A Health Canada safety review, ordered in November 2015, follows one conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA announced last month it would require a new, mandatory clinical study; a new patient checklist to ensure women are aware of potential risks; and a new so-called black box warning label making those risks clear.

The FDA has recommended the Essure packaging indicate some patients have reported adverse events, including perforation of the uterus and/or Fallopian tubes, intra-abdominal or pelvic device migration, persistent pain, and allergy or hypersensitivity reactions, and note that some reported events resulted in device removal that required abdominal surgery.

A final report from Health Canada is expected in May.

A class-action lawsuit was filed in October 2015 at the Court of Queens Bench for Saskatchewan against global pharmaceutical giant Bayer, which manufactures the device. More than 110 Canadian women have contacted Merchant Law Group about the lawsuit.

The statement of claim alleges that Bayer Inc., Bayer Corp. and Bayer Health Care LLC were collectively negligent by: failing to adequately test the device in a way that would fully disclose the magnitude of the risks associated with use, and that failing to properly develop and test Essure increased the risk of side effects including infections, perforated organs, implant migration, pelvic pain and autoimmune disorders.

The statement of claim also alleges Bayer failed to provide adequate safety data to Health Canada with respect to Essure and argues the company continues to market Essure in spite of overwhelming evidence that the products are not reasonably fit for use.

The claim states Bayer failed to provide adequate warnings of potential side effects to patients or physicians, and that Bayer attempted to conceal the adverse effects of Essure from regulatory authorities, the medical community and the public. The claim alleges Bayer failed to adequately train implanting doctors on how to insert Essure and provided implanting doctors with no training on how to remove the coils if they were to migrate.

The statement of claim describes the side effects of two representative plaintiffs as sharp or severe pelvic pain, hair loss, bloating, cramping and heavy menstrual bleeding. Both representative plaintiffs underwent hysterectomies to remove Essure; the claim states their symptoms improved within weeks of having it removed.

The claims have not been proven in court. Bayer Inc., the Canadian division of Bayer HealthCare AG, headquartered in Germany, declined an interview request but provided a statement to the Star on April 14 that read: Essure is a highly effective permanent contraception option with a positive safety profile for women who want a non-surgical method of permanent contraception.

Patient safety is Bayers top priority. Bayer continuously collects, analyzes and reports all adverse event data it receives and works closely with health authorities worldwide, including the FDA and Health Canada, in monitoring the safety profile of Essure.

As a matter of policy, Bayer does not comment on active litigation.

Regina-based lawyer Tony Merchant, whose firm is leading the lawsuit, expects the class action to be certified by a judge later this year.

THE PROMISE OF ESSURE

The method for implanting Essure is less invasive than tubal ligation, the more common surgery where Fallopian tubes are surgically sealed or snipped.

That requires a general anesthetic and an incision through the abdomen and renders women sterile about 99 per cent of the time, according to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), a professional society of 3,500 members representing reproductive health practitioners. Essure, on the other hand, is inserted in both Fallopian tubes through the cervix using a disposable catheter, guided by a tiny medical camera called a hysteroscope.

The outpatient procedure requires nothing more than a trip to a doctors office, a mild sedative and 10 minutes.

Essure is over 99 per cent effective at permanently preventing pregnancy, a Bayer website says.

California-based Conceptus, Inc. ran the clinical trials and manufactured Essure until 2013, when that company was bought by Bayer. The clinical trials submitted to Health Canada as part of the approval process included the possible side effects at rates of less than four per cent: coil expulsion and organ perforation  when an organ wall is penetrated; abdominal pain; cramping and pain during sex; severe pelvic or abdominal pain; severe cramps; bloating and heavy bleeding.

How Conceptus conducted the trials has also been called into question.

Some of the original participants have become vocal critics of Essure, testifying at an FDA panel hearing in September their experiences were not recorded properly or even altered to produce more positive feedback.

The FDA also investigated allegations that Conceptus had altered reporting forms used during the trials in order to edit out negative or painful reactions. The claims were made by a Florida-based law firm in a citizen petition, an application allowing Americans to ask the FDA to pull a device from the market.

The FDA found that while 268 modifications had been made to the trial records, that represented less than 1 per cent of the trial data and determined no pattern of changing the reports in a way that favoured the device.

Bayer says about 750,000 women, mostly in the U.S., have Essure. Since the device was approved in the U.S. in 2002, the FDA has received almost 10,000 complaints through its self-reporting database for symptoms including pain and bleeding.

Under U.S. law, manufacturers are shielded from liability for personal injury if their device came to market through the FDAs stringent pre-market approval process, called the agencys gold standard because it requires companies to prove a devices safety and efficacy before it can be sold in the States. In Canada, where Essure has been approved for sale since 2001, companies have no such immunity.

Marlee Scott, a 27-year-old mother of four in Barrie and one of the potential members of the Canadian class-action lawsuit, was 26 years old when she had a hysterectomy to remove the Essure coils put in place by a gynecologist three months earlier. She was relieved.

Scott has four sons: the eldest is 7 and the youngest a one-year-old. Scott delivered all four of her children without an epidural. After she had Essure inserted last June on the advice of a doctor, she experienced pain so severe that her family doctor prescribed painkillers.

I was in tears because of the pain that I was in, Scott says.

She told the Star her other symptoms included her hair falling out in chunks, aching joints, so much bloating a neighbour asked if she was pregnant again, and non-stop menstrual bleeding. She had the Essure coils removed in August 2015.

I didnt want to get a hysterectomy at 26 or at all in my entire life, Scott says. I told my doctor, Ive been on pain meds for the past three months. I want it out.

I look at it like its over with and Im not suffering any more.

The lawyer Merchant says the vast majority of the women in the lawsuit have had hysterectomies to remove the device.

We think there may be a great many people with this problem, Merchant says. We only get a sense of the danger of these products over time as the numbers add up.

Because its permanent, no removal protocol exists, says Dr. John Thiel, who sits on a medical advisory board for Bayer, which is now working on a training video to show surgeons their method for removing the device. Thiel was a consultant for Conceptus, though not involved in the original clinical trials. He says he receives no money and his participation on the board is voluntary.

Health regulators keep track of devices once they are on the market, monitor scientific literature as well as national and international adverse event reporting, Health Canada spokeswoman Maryse Durette told the Star in an email. A February 2015 review of Essure acknowledged adverse events had been reported but confirmed the overall benefits of the product.

Health Canada has received 24 reports of symptoms and side effects suspected to be related to Essure. Under medical device regulations, manufacturers are required to report to Health Canada when a device is believed to have failed or contributed to the serious deterioration of a patients health. Like the FDA, Health Canada does not verify the adverse event reports.

The most commonly reported side effects included those already indicated on the label, such as: pain, cramping, bleeding, bloating, nausea, fatigue and vomiting. There were no deaths associated with any of these 24 reports, Health Canada said in a statement this month.

Between 2002 and 2015, the FDA received 9,900 adverse event reports through its Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, which is also part of the monitoring process.

Seven out of 10 of those reports involved pain, according to an FDA overview of the reported problems; other symptoms include bleeding, weight gain, nickel sensitivity and device migration. The FDA received 631 reports of pregnancies, around half of which allegedly ended in miscarriage.

The MAUDE website notes the reports, submitted by women, their doctors or by Bayer, are unverified by the FDA and some may be incomplete or duplicated. Regulators are alerted to possible trends and potential device-related safety issues.

A sharp increase in recent years of complaints through the MAUDE database and on social media  a Facebook page dedicated to Essure problems now has nearly 29,000 members  led the FDA to call the panel hearing. A report released last month called for the black box label and new studies.

The American controversy is what in part prompted the review at Health Canada.

Given new information that was brought to our attention and FDA activity, Health Canada is currently carrying out a followup safety review of the Essure system, before reaching a final conclusion on the potential risk and the need for further risk management measures, Health Canada spokesman Eric Morrissette said in a statement to the Star late last year.

ESSURE IN CANADA

SOGC president Dr. Margaret Burnett is aware of recent questions regarding the safety of Essure and says her organization is monitoring the process.

The currently available evidence suggests that complications are rare, Burnett says.

Only a handful of hospitals in Ontario provide the procedure, including Womens College Hospital in Toronto, McMaster University in Hamilton and Barries Royal Victoria Hospital and one in Ottawa.

Thiel, the head of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, was one of the first doctors to introduce Essure to Canadians. He says while the procedure is available across Canada, the uptake has been slow everywhere but Saskatchewan where it is the procedure of choice. He estimates he has done around 1,500 procedures there.

While many women have been vocal in their concerns, Thiel says thousands of others are happy with Essure.

Not all (doctors) have done a good job in talking to, and addressing the concerns of the dissatisfied patients, and that has led to many of the complaints, Thiel says.

The answer is not to remove a product that is safer, less risk and has a significantly lower failure rate than other (contraceptive) methods, the answer is to address patient concerns with empathy and understanding, he says.

Marci Marner, 39, of Regina, approached Merchant in 2014 about a lawsuit and is now a member of the class action. The mother of 14 children through a blended family had Essure inserted in 2004. She says she went to the emergency room the next night for pelvic pain and was sent home with antibiotics.

In the decade that followed, she alleges she developed shingles, autoimmune disorders, heavy and irregular periods, a rare vascular disease and pelvic collapse. Before Essure, she had no allergies, endometriosis or other conditions, Marner says.

Her left Fallopian tube was removed in 2005 after imaging allegedly showed the coil was misplaced. But she claims the coil itself was not removed, remaining lodged in her bowel, which she says was discovered in 2014 when she underwent surgery to remove the right coil.

Marner says she was referred to specialists for her various conditions but none would link her symptoms to Essure. Frustrated, she sought a lawyer.

No one believed Essure was doing this to any of us, Marner says. We were treated like we were hysterical women.

A judge will now determine whether the lawsuit meets the criteria for a class action in Canada.

In the GTA, only three physicians offer the procedure, which take place at Womens College Hospital, says Dr. Lisa Allen, the hospitals site chief of gynecology. She says Womens College plans to continue offering Essure in accordance with SOGC guidelines and FDA recommendations.

We still believe in providing this as a safe and effective less-invasive option as long as its approved for use in Canada, particularly for women who arent good candidates for tubal ligation surgery, says Allen.

Since 2013, 42 patients have had Essure insertions. None have had their coils removed at Womens College Hospital, says Allen. She declined to comment on whether any of those patients had experienced negative side effects, citing patient confidentiality.

Physicians are now having a much more fulsome discussion with patients about the risk-benefit profile, of Essure, says Dr. Ally Murji, an assistant professor of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at the University of Toronto who is trained in the procedure. Tubal ligation surgery still carries a greater potential risk, he added.

We were always getting proper informed consent, but since this whole controversy we are being far more vigilant in documenting and going through all of those risks, Murji says.

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Each day in my practice at West Park Healthcare Centre, I am reminded of how COPD  a disease once exclusively found among men  is affecting women in increasing numbers.

In the last 15 years the number of women who are now suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has skyrocketed. Today half of my patients are women  and their numbers continue to grow.

What is it like to suffer from COPD? Its as if you can never catch your breath. Its a lung condition characterized by increasing and debilitating breathlessness and includes terms such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The truth is that the vast majority of my patients today have COPD because of years of smoking. As smoking rates among women have continued to rise  so has the number of women suffering from COPD.

Many women smokers say that they were encouraged to smoke by advertising campaigns in the 60s and 70s such as the now infamous Youve Come A Long Way, Baby featuring cigarettes for women. These campaigns promoted smoking as a symbol of empowerment and equality. Sadly, that equality has translated to the equal burden of being unwell that they and their families experience.

Recent estimates show more than 1.5 million Canadians are suffering from the disease and over the next six years, it is estimated there will be 100,000 more Ontarians living with COPD.

By 2011 the gap in the death rate from COPD between the sexes had virtually disappeared. While smoking rates among men have declined, there has not yet been any corresponding drop in the death rates among women. We can expect a similar pattern to unfold among women, an eventual reduction in smoking followed by a delay in reducing their health care needs.

COPD is not curable. It progresses with time, leading to more breathlessness, decreased activity tolerance and less participation in day-to-day life. However, even at an advanced stage you can slow its progress by stopping smoking and improve your quality of life by using medications correctly, responding quickly to disease flare-ups, receiving the flu vaccine and by participating in pulmonary rehabilitation.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is considered to be the gold standard of care when it comes to managing COPD. It is recommended by professional organizations across the world. The patients learn breathing techniques to help deal with breathlessness as well as how to identify and manage a flare-up. They enrol in endurance and strength training to increase their ability exercise and become more mobile in their day-to-day lives. Most importantly they learn to manage their disease outside of a hospital setting.

According to research conducted at West Park Healthcare Centre by my colleague, Dr. Dina Brooks, less than five per cent of Canadians with COPD are eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation are able to access it. Access is limited by a lack of rehabilitation facilities and as a result of under-diagnosis. Current resources will not meet the growing need of future male and female COPD patients. We will have to be resourceful and creative to increase access and capacity to accommodate more individuals without overburdening the health-care budget. Approaches such as community programs and remote delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation through telehealth are promising directions that our group is exploring.

Tips for Lung Health

Taking care of your lungs doesnt have to be complicated. Here is some basic advice to keep you breathing easily.

 Dont smoke. As high as 98 per cent of COPD diagnoses are related to smoking.

 If you smoke, quit.

 If you have a lung condition, learn what triggers shortness of breath for you.

 Learn about your medications, including how and when to use them.

 Get the flu shot.

 Recognize the signs of a flare-up. Early intervention with medication or support from a family physician could avoid an emergency room visit.

 Enrol in pulmonary rehabilitation

 Stay fit and active.

Dr. Roger Goldstein is a professor of medicine and physical therapy at U of T. He heads Respiratory Services at West Park Healthcare Centre and holds the National Sanitarium Association Chair in Respiratory Rehabilitation Research. Doctors Notes is a weekly column by members of the U of T Faculty of Medicine. Email doctorsnotes@thestar.ca .

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Flashing wide smiles and toothy grins, Grade 3 students regaled Health Minister Eric Hoskins with tips about good dental hygiene at Lord Dufferin Public School in Torontos Regent Park neighbourhood Tuesday.

Floss is boss, said one student. Think before you drink, said another, referring to the dental perils of sugar-laden pop and other sweet beverages.

The visit was part of the provinces re-launch of Healthy Smiles Ontario, a free dental care program for children and youth under age 18 in low-income families.

The $100-million-a-year initiative is expected to offer free dental checkups, cleanings, fillings, X-rays and urgent oral health services for about 460,000 children.

First launched in 2010 as one of six separate programs, the new integrated service, introduced Jan. 1, will be easier for parents to understand and access, Hoskins told reporters.

Its a program that puts patients first, he said. Parents no longer have to spend time understanding which program their child needs, for which treatment ... a barrier that can often become confusing for families.

Children receiving services under the old programs will be enrolled automatically and will get a Healthy Smiles dental card in the mail to present to participating dentists and dental hygienists, he said.

Others can visit a new one-stop website at www.ontario.ca/healthysmiles to find out if their children are eligible and sign up. They can also enroll through their local public health office.

New income eligibility, first announced in December 2013, means 70,000 more children from low-income families will have access, he added.

According to the Healthy Smiles website, families with one child under age 18 and net incomes of up to $22,070 are eligible, with the income cap rising by $1,670 for each additional child.

To date, more than 323,000 children from low-income families are enrolled, but Hoskins hopes a new public awareness campaign will encourage more families to sign up.

Good oral health can have a positive impact not just on a childs health, but also on that childs self-esteem and their ability to learn, he said. Left untreated, it can affect a childs ability to eat, sleep and concentrate in school, impacting their growth and development.

Dentists were concerned about the confusion and inefficiency of six separate dental programs and are pleased the ministry has taken their advice to merge them, said Jerry Smith, past-president of the Ontario Dental Association.

Ontario dentists are a willing partner in this important and imperative work, the Thunder Bay dentist told reporters. However, there is more work that needs to be done.

Dentists receive an average of just 44 cents for every dollar of dental care they provide through publicly funded programs, Smith said in an interview, adding more funding is needed.

Dental health advocates welcomed the programs new simplicity.

But we need to do a lot more outreach to community organizations that are working with low-income families and to schools and doctors offices and child care centres to make sure this program is adequately promoted, said Jacquie Maund, of the Association of Ontario Health Centres.

Queens Park should also move faster on its 2014 promise to extend free dental care to low-income adults and seniors by 2025, Maund said.

Its a gaping hole in our health-care system, she said. People cant wait nine more years to get their teeth fixed.

Healthy Smiles by the Numbers

2010 Year Healthy Smiles was first announced, to serve 130,000 children and youth with no other dental coverage and whose parents earn less than $20,000.

2013 Year Healthy Smiles was expanded to cover up to 70,000 more low-income children and youth.

2016 Six publicly funded dental programs for low-income children were merged into a single program under the Healthy Smiles Ontario logo.

323,000 Low-income children and youth currently enrolled in the streamlined program

460,000 Low-income children and youth eligible

$100 million Annual cost

Source: Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

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Tabi are Japanese split toe socks, designed to be worn with traditional thonged footwear. They were the socks of choice for samurai during Japans feudal era and are still sported by many martial artists today. Learn to isolate you toes with this simple stretch.

Tabi Toes

1. Sit on the floor with legs outstretched and feet side by side. Flex your ankles until the soles of the feet are vertical  the ankles should resemble standing ankles. Spread your toes.

2. Press both big toes away from you while bringing the remaining toes back in the opposite direction. If the toes arent overly co-operative, use your hands to manually pull the smaller toes back while you focus on the reach of the big toes. Feel free to bend your knees when reaching for the toes.

3. Now, find the opposite action: Move the big toes towards you while curling the remaining toes away. If this is challenging, push the smaller toes away with your hands while you focus on pointing the big toes back toward you.

4. Aim for ninja-like precision as you repeat the exercise, gradually speeding up as the intrinsic muscles of the feet get stronger and more co-ordinated. Complete eight rounds.

Practise this regularly to improve your balance and get lighter on your feet.

If the arches of your feet cramp up while trying Tabi Toes, give them a little stretch and a massage before attempting to complete the exercise using 20 per cent less effort. This kind of cramp is the result of overwork and neurological confusion; the pattern of cramping should resolve with a little time and practice.

Toeing the line between foot fact and fiction

The toes help us to balance and propel us forward when we walk and run. Test this out by lifting the toes while attempting to balance on one foot or while jogging. The big toe carries more weight that any other toe, bearing about 40 per cent of the load. The big toe is also the last part of the foot to push off the ground when taking a step. 85 per cent of our ability to control the foot resides in the big toe.

Despite the big toes importance, losing a big toe is not synonymous with life in a wheelchair. According to a study conducted by Roger Mann, past president of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, and published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, big toe amputations result in little or no disability.

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Its hard to love cap-and-trade.

The rules are opaque, overly complex and tough to explain. Its a stealth tax by any name.

But after years of delay, Ontario has belatedly joined the global fight against global warming. The timing couldnt be better both economically and politically, even if its a little late environmentally.

Thursdays budget has formally committed Ontarios Liberals to what they first promised  and then postponed  eight years ago: A coherent plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Back in 2008, Queens Park was spooked by the electoral humiliation of the federal Liberals for proposing a national carbon tax. Fearful of getting too far ahead of the carbon curve, the province delayed. Now the world has changed, and delay is paying dividends. Carbon pricing will soon be the law of the land, and it is gathering momentum across the planet.

Other governments, notably Quebec, have worked the kinks out of cap-and-trade in the intervening years. And while awareness of global warming is rising, fossil fuels are plunging in price, making it an easier political sell.

Under Ontarios plan, polluters will pay a price for every tonne of CO2 they dump in the atmosphere, generating $1.9 billion annually. The appeal for politicians is that cap-and-trade is essentially a hidden tax, passed on to consumers almost unnoticed.

Gasoline prices will initially rise by a mere 4.3 cents a litre, and home heating bills by an average $5 a month for natural gas. Given the volatility of fuel prices, the hike will be almost imperceptible.

All that said, its still hard to love cap-and-trade. Taxpayers have every right to be wary of governments exploiting the cash flow and creating ever more incomprehensible complexity.

Will Queens Park bungle the auctioning, buying, swapping and pricing of carbon credits? Will it aggressively lower emissions caps while raising prices for polluters in subsequent years?

If you believe global warming is here  as the opposition parties concede  the question is whats the alternative? Stephen Harpers federal Conservatives (including current Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown) teamed up with Jack Laytons NDP to trash the simpler carbon tax proposed by then Liberal leader Stephane Dion in 2008.

Despite its elegant simplicity and transparency, a carbon tax has its own challenges. Rather than directly lowering carbon emissions, it merely deters them indirectly through taxation.

Offending companies can continue polluting, viewing the tax as a cost of doing business (just as courier firms view parking tickets as a nuisance). It also risks disadvantaging local companies against foreign competitors that remain unburdened by such taxation, polluting with impunity.

By contrast, cap-and-trade imposes a hard cap on overall emissions, lowering the ceiling every year without raising the political temperature. Companies in trade-sensitive, energy-intensive sectors that risk losing out to cross-border rivals are eligible for free or discounted carbon allowances to remain competitive.

If cap-and-trade deals with some of the shortcomings of a pure carbon tax, the details are still devilishly complicated. But by waiting all this time to join, Ontario is being rewarded for its tardiness: Quebec and Queens Park have been comparing notes ever since our provincial neighbour created a joint carbon market with California (four years ahead of us), learning lessons from the mistakes of others.

While environmental groups are praising Ontario for finally joining in, opposition parties raise a legitimate question: Are trade-sensitive industries getting a free ride or favoured treatment in their carbon allocations?

The provincial Liberals will always remain under a cloud over carbon, given their past bungling of gas-fired power plants. One way for Premier Kathleen Wynne to inspire greater public confidence is to be more transparent in her interactions with polluters  by cleaning up fundraising at the same time.

How can Liberal politicians go cap in hand for donations one day, then hand out cap-and-trade credits the next? Will they give out carbon credits in exchange for credit card contributions at campaign time?

Cap-and-trade, and trading in influence, will be seen as two sides of the same coin for as long as this government takes big money from big donors  and big polluters. The best way for Wynnes Liberals to regain credibility as stewards of our environment would be to clean up Ontarios political climate at the same time.

Martin Regg Cohns column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. mcohn@thestar.ca

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OTTAWASen. Mike Duffy made a quiet return to Parliament Hill on Monday, almost two weeks after being cleared of all criminal charges, while the RCMP stayed mum on its beleaguered probe into Duffy and other senators.

Duffy was seen outside his office in Centre Block Monday afternoon. Because the Senate did not sit on Monday, his return to the Upper Chamber will have to wait at least another day.

Duffy was asked by the Star if he wanted to say a few words upon his return to Parliament Hill. He declined to answer that question.

Instead, he spoke to two people who had been with him in his office, and then left in an elevator.

Likewise, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson was silent on his forces actions in the failed prosecution of Duffy, as well as its ongoing probe into other senators. Before and after testifying at a Senate committee, Paulson refused to answer media questions about the verdict in the Duffy case.

Prosecutors have until May 20 to decide whether to challenge the Duffy acquittal, but Paulson did not suggest that was the reason he would not comment.

Im not at liberty to talk about it, Paulson said repeatedly. It would be inappropriate for me to talk about the Duffy matter right now or any of those matters.

At the same time Paulson suggested there will soon be a decision made in the long-running police investigation into Sen. Pamela Wallins travel expenses.

I think well have a disposition in that in the near future but I shouldnt speak about any of those right now.

Wallin has been under investigation, but not charged, for more than three years by an RCMP investigative team that was separate from the one that led the Duffy probe.

The Wallin investigative team has been poring over her calendars and expenses charged to the Senate for travel that the RCMP alleged was tied to personal or corporate travel, not Senate business, according to an RCMP affidavit.

However, none of those allegations has been proven in court.

The RCMP is also reviewing the cases of other senators whose expenses were flagged by the auditor-general for further investigation, and charges are still outstanding against two other senators: Patrick Brazeau and retired Liberal senator Mac Harb. The Harb trial is set for August, while the Brazeau trial is put off until 2017.

Big questions swirl around all of those cases in the wake of the Duffy case.

The Duffy trial judge who conducted an exhaustive review of the rules around Senate business has said Senate rules were broad enough to allow a wide range of expense claims.

Duffy, the senator from Prince Edward Island, was cleared by a provincial court last month of all 31 charges including fraud, bribery, and breach of trust.

He had claimed living expenses for an Ottawa-area home he lived in for years before being appointed to the Senate by former prime minister Stephen Harper to represent the island of P.E.I. in the upper chamber.

Duffy owns a cottage home in rural P.E.I. which he designated as his primary residence, a designation that entitled him to claim living and travel expenses for a secondary home in Ottawa. Duffy also used senate funds to cover a range of partisan travel and third-party contracted services.

Judge Charles Vaillancourt ruled that Duffys actions, including accepting a $90,000 from Harpers former chief of staff to repay $90,000 in living expenses, were not criminal.

Instead, Vaillancourt blasted Harpers PMO, who attempted to make the expense scandal go away by forcing Duffy to repay the money.

It remains to be seen what Duffys future role in the Senate will be. He sits as an Independent, following his ejection from the Conservative caucus after the $90,000 payment was revealed.

Questions about his continued legitimacy to sit as a P.E.I. senator, as well as his entitlement to back pay for the period of his suspension, have stuck with Duffy after his acquittal.

Speaking to CTVs Question Period on Sunday, Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos, said Duffy will be welcomed back as a senator with all the rights that entails. But Housakos, a former Senate Speaker and chair of the powerful Senate internal economy committee, suggested there would be little appetite for senators to revisit Duffys suspension and pay.

On Monday, Housakos office said he was speaking as an individual senator, and not for the chamber as a whole. All questions on Duffys potential reimbursement were directed to the Senate Speakers office.

Speaker George Fureys office said he took no position on the issue, but would preside over the Senates deliberation of the question if it arises. Furey was a prosecution witness during the Duffy trial.

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George John Dryden, who spent years of his life trying to prove conclusively he was the love child of former Canadian prime minister John George Diefenbaker, died on Sunday, a longtime friend said.

Dryden, 47, who had terminal pancreatic disease, suffered fatal injuries in a suicide attempt, Merry-Ellen Unan said.

He blamed decades of alcohol abuse for the illness.

I didnt have a bad life, he told The Canadian Press last week in his last interview. I basically ended up killing myself.

Dryden, who bore an uncanny resemblance to The Chief, grew up in a Toronto family of privilege as the son of prominent federal Liberal Gordon Dryden.

About five years ago, however, a cousin told him it had long been a quiet family rumour that Drydens mother, Mary Lou Dryden, had an affair with Diefenbaker that led to his conception.

In a stunning revelation, DNA tests confirmed Gordon Dryden was not his biological parent.

For somebody who knows who their father is, it seems kind of strange, Dryden said at the time. But I went for 42 years thinking I was a Dryden, and I just found out . . . that Im not.

The bombshell sparked his elusive quest to prove his parentage definitively.

It also caused an ugly rupture with the Drydens.

The family kept him from his ailing mother, and hid the death of his father from him for eight months.

Unan, who met Dryden 20 years ago and was with him when he died, described him as sensitive, caring, a wonderful friend, but also very much a lost soul, she said.

He was searching most of his life for his identity, Unan said.

He truly didnt know who he was.

Dryden said his mom, a staunch Conservative and known confidante of Canadas 13th prime minister, admitted to him she had seen Diefenbaker privately around the time he was conceived in late 1967 or early 1968, a few months after she married Gordon Dryden.

The former prime minister would have been 72 at the time. She would have been in her mid-30s.

She also told him his fathers name was John, Dryden said.

History books record the twice-married Diefenbaker as childless, and Dryden found little appetite to change the official narrative.

Known Diefenbaker relatives refused to co-operate, but Dryden managed to obtain a DNA sample from one of them, which proved enough of a match to convince him of the relationship.

I dont have any doubts, Dryden said last week.

But nobody is going to say it.

His belief was bolstered when DNA tests showed he was related to the Goertzens in Saskatchewan, three brothers with whom he had no known connection.

Independently, the brothers had previously learned that their father, Ed Thorne, was the son of Mary Rosa LaMarche, Diefenbakers housekeeper in Prince Albert, Sask., in the late 1930s.

Her daughter would tell them Thorne was the product of a dalliance between LaMarche and Diefenbaker, which would make them the former prime ministers grandchildren.

When one of the brothers, Lawrence Goertzen, read about Dryden, he made contact three years ago.

Two of the siblings and Dryden did DNA tests.

The result showed with near certainty that they had an uncle-nephew relationship.

Two weeks ago, an ailing Dryden went out to Saskatchewan to meet the Goertzens for the first time.

They visited Diefenbakers house in Prince Albert and the Diefenbaker Canada Centre in Saskatoon along with his grave.

George was looking for a sense of connection there, Goertzen said.

Goertzen, who was surprised at how much alike he and Dryden were, described his putative uncle as a searching soul.

His inability to get Diefenbaker, who died in 1979, to recognize the relationship  former prime minister Pierre Trudeau was open about fathering a daughter in later life  left Dryden with a sense of something missing that he needed to find.

He always insisted there was nothing in it for him, beyond certainty about his parentage.

The best possible present that George could ever have gotten was an acknowledgment that Diefenbaker was his father, Goertzen said from Saskatoon.

I get it; people dont want to tarnish Diefenbakers name, (but) somebodys covered something up.

Dryden, who never married, recently developed a close relationship with the sister of Vanna White, hostess on TV game show Wheel of Fortune, in South Carolina. Their father, Herbert White, treated him as if he were a son, he said, for which he was grateful.

I miss her and what could have been, he said wistfully.

As he counted down his final days, Dryden said he wanted to warn others of the dangers of alcohol abuse, and said he had no plans to suffer.

Im not going to be tied to machines, he said. Ill take care of it myself.

He chuckled at the notion of a Diefenbaby Dies headline.

His tombstone in Toronto, he said, would carry both the Dryden and Diefenbaker names.

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MONTREALWhen Quebec media baron Pierre Karl Peladeau was revealed as a star candidate for the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois two years ago, he said he was jumping into the dirty business of politics for the future of his children.

Throwing his fist into the air, the former president of Quebecor Inc. said it was on their behalf that he had acted on his deepest political convictions and embarked on a quest to make Quebec a country.

The surprise was understandable, then, when he invited reporters to a surprise news conference Monday afternoon and invoked that same family as his reason for quitting his seat in the provincial legislature, his post as leader of the official Opposition and his role as leader of Quebecs main independence party.

Faced with no alternatives I am forced to make a choice, an agonizing choice, between my family and my political project, Peladeau said.

I have chosen my family.

There were no explanations given, but in a province that pays extra-special attention to the private lives of its public personalities, none were really required.

It sufficed to re-watch the Sunday night television appearance of Julie Snyder, the TV producer, host and mother of two of Peladeaus three children. Appearing on Tout le monde en parle, the flagship variety show of Radio-Canada (the main rival of the Quebecor-owned TVA network), Snyder sounded devastated and nearly destitute as she spoke about the breakdown of her marriage to the PQ leader just five months after their high-profile nuptials last summer.

Snyder said marrying her longtime partner was a dream come true for which she was prepared to make personal and professional sacrifices, including stepping away from the leadership of her successful television production company.

But being a political spouse took a toll on Snyder and on the couples relationship that was too much to handle, she said, adding: I realized why people say that politics is violent.

The couple is currently in mediation to settle their divorce, a confidential process that Snyder described as a challenge.

But if Snyders appearance included any coded-message that might have had bearing on Peladeaus snap decision, it was her comment on the building blocks of a functioning family.

We always talk about the importance of the family, she said. But the relationship of a couple is the foundation of the family. A family doesnt last if the couple cant stay together.

For Marc Laviolette, a longtime PQ member and union leader, the Snyder interview and Peladeaus resignation speech were like two sides of the same coin  an unhappy couple that have the best interests of their children at heart.

But Peladeaus statement, delivered with wet eyes and quivering voice, was also an excruciating glimpse into the difficulties for politicians trying to balance their responsibilities in the legislature with the demands on the home front, said Concordia University political science professor Guy Lachapelle, a former PQ candidate.

That stark reality was acknowledged across the provinces political spectrum, including the fringe left-wing Quebec solidaire, the conservative-minded Coalition Avenir Quebec and by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, who leads the Liberals.

The decision that he took today is the fruit of a difficult reflection that led him to put his family before his political party. The well-being of those close to us, of our children, is the most precious thing we have, Couillard said in a statement.

Peladeau was the seventh leader of the PQ, a party founded in 1968 by Rene Levesque, and a controversial pick for a normally left-leaning movement.

He was cursed and criticized by those cherish their union card as much as their party membership for being an uber-capitalist and the lockout king of Quebec  taking the hardline against Quebecor employees more than a dozen times while he ran the media company.

He was hounded for refusing to sell off his Quebecor stocks once he became PQ leader, something critics said put in doubt the impartiality of the provinces largest newspaper chain.

But despite the criticism and the short-time in the PQs top job, Peladeau was credited Monday for laying the groundwork for independence-minded Quebecers to eventually reunite under the same party after splintering in recent years and finding new homes with Quebec solidaire and Option nationale.

He did that by putting in place policies that might find support across the political sovereignty spectrum and allow others to come back into the fold without feeling that they had abandoned their principles.

He understood very well that we have to unite the sovereigntist forces, said Laviolette. He scored some points but its not finished. The convergence will continue, even if hes not there.

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A Brampton judge has acquitted a driver who failed a roadside breath test after accepting a former government scientists evidence that the device is faulty and the process used in Ontario flawed.

Defence lawyer Richard Posner, who represented the man, said the judges findings not only call into question the integrity of the breath testing system in Ontario, but also the reliability of guilty verdicts in many other drinking and driving cases throughout the province.

This is, in my view, having done impaired and over-80 cases for the past two decades, obviously of great significance because of the systemic nature of it, Posner said.

(In Ontario, the maximum legal blood-alcohol concentration for fully licensed drivers is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. Hence, the charge is known as over-80.)

Calling his witness Ben Joseph a whistleblower, Posner said the essence of his testimony was that convicting people for breath readings obtained by the Intoxilyzer 8000C is flirting with disaster.

The Crown has filed an appeal in the case, and the attorney general will make no further comment because the matter is before the courts, ministry spokesman Brendan Crawley wrote in an email.

Last month, Ontario Court Justice Elinore Ready said she believed much of what Joseph said in court. He left the Centre of Forensic Sciences in 2013 to enrol in medical school.

While on the stand over three days last year, Joseph cast doubt on the reliability of the Intoxilyzer 8000C, the device police officers across the province use to test the blood-alcohol level of drivers. The Centre of Forensic Sciences oversees the breath-test program in Ontario.

Prior to the trial, Joseph studied the historical data and maintenance and calibration records for the breath-testing equipment used by Peel Region police to obtain a breath sample from Gurdev Singh on March 4, 2014.

Joseph said he determined the instruments history was littered with inaccurate results and other failures. He noted that none of the devices maintenance records explained the malfunctions or what, if anything, police had done to address them.

For that reason, no one could have confidence in the reliability of Singhs breath-test results, Joseph testified. In addition, Joseph told court that since, to his knowledge, all the 8000Cs used in Ontario lack an uncertainty of measurement  an established error rate, used to ensure results account for uncertainty  there is no way to be statistically confident about a subjects breath-test reading.

He suggested he and other toxicologists at the forensic centre discussed their shared concern about uncertainty of measurement with breath-testing instruments, but it appears nothing was done.

The judge agreed on both points. She said an instrument that is not properly maintained and operated could not provide complete results, and without an uncertainty of measurement, the instruments results are not reliable.

Without such an uncertainty of measurement on Mr. Singhs instrument and being included on his test record cards . . . his readings are not complete, Ready said, reading from her ruling March 30.

She also rejected the assertion by a Crown expert, toxicologist Robert Langille, that historical records were not relevant in determining the reliability of the breath result.

Posner said across Ontario every day, the Crown presents printouts from the Intoxilyzer 8000C in court, and there is no way to determine the accuracy or reliability unless you know the uncertainty of measurement for that instrument.

The irony is the Centre of Forensic Science oversees this program, and they would lose their accreditation if they ran a test, and they run tests daily, that generates a numerical value if there was not an uncertainty of measurement for that instrument, Posner said.

In an interview, Joseph said at the moment, the Intoxilyzer 8000C is the only breathalyzer instrument used by police officers in the province, and he estimates there are up to 350 in use.

He said his problem with the instrument began after he left the forensic centres northwestern Ontario office. He previously thought, and had testified on behalf of the Crown, that the devices historical data  its black box of information  was irrelevant to the breath-test results.

But while at the centre, Joseph was aware that some police detachments were calling the 8000Cs manufacturer, Kentucky-based CMI, to complain that certain individuals were having a hard time providing a breath sample. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

The company explained the machines flow sensor can fatigue and need replacing. But Joseph said his analysis led him to conclude that some people may have been charged wrongly with refusing to supply a breath sample because they were blowing into machines later found to have faulty flow sensors.

Thats the big elephant in the breath room that nobody wants to talk about, Joseph said.

All police agencies in the province were instructed to change the flow sensor following a significant drift away from the manufacturers set-point, but there was no investigation to look and see, as I did, if there were actual people charged with refused to give a sample.

Police forces in Ontario began using the U.S.-manufactured Intoxilyzer 8000Cs about six or seven years ago.

Joseph compared the case to Motherisk, the Hospital for Sick Childrens now discredited hair-testing program.

Its no different. Its just another judge saying things in another forensic setting. Because of the lack of quality standards that Sick Kids did not adhere to, same thing, no uncertainty of measurement here, no proper maintenance here, so (it) calls into question the reliability of breath testing in certain instruments.

A judge in Sudbury is set to rule June 23 in an impaired driving case after Joseph testified about his concerns. The testimony lasted until 11:30 p.m.

The judge found it controversial, but he wanted to hear it all.

What, if any, impact will R v. Singh case have? Thousands of people are charged with impaired driving annually in the province, and unless other Ontario courts start releasing similar decisions, very little is likely to change.

What's wrong with Ontarios breath tests?

According to expert Ben Joseph:

An examination of historical data in Peel Region found unexplained inaccurate results and other failures.

A key problem is that the instruments used in Ontario lack an "uncertainty of measurement." In other words, it's impossible to know how precise any given reading is.

The devices' "flow sensors" wear out and if not replaced could lead to breath tests not registering.

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OTTAWAThe federal government quietly spent $75 million to settle with victims and creditors affected by the Lac-Megantic rail disaster  a contribution that also shielded it from lawsuits related to the deadly crash.

Former transport minister Lisa Raitt said the deal, which involved 24 other defendants who settled, was under negotiation before her Conservatives lost the October election to the Liberals.

The Liberals have refused to reveal how much the government gave to the $460 million settlement fund, even though at least two parties accused of wrongdoing in the deadly Quebec derailment disclosed their contributions.

But in a recent interview Raitt said the amount was public.

She said it was included in Transport Canadas supplementary estimates as well as in its quarterly financial report under out-of-court settlement. The amount listed is $75 million.

Last week, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said the figure was classified when asked how much taxpayer money the government set aside for the settlement.

Garneau also reiterated Ottawas denial  under both the Liberals and the Tories  that it had any legal responsibility for the 2013 oil-train accident that killed 47 people and levelled part of Lac-Megantic.

We dont acknowledge that we had any responsibility; however, we did want to make a contribution because of the impact of this terrible tragedy in Lac-Megantic, Garneau said last week.

Raitt agreed that the governments main goal behind the settlement was to speed up the process.

The motivation was simple: this was an opportunity to get money to the victims for wrongful death in a shorter period of time through the U.S. bankruptcy proceedings as opposed to a long, drawn-out, litigious court case, Raitt said in a recent interview.

The governments decision to settle may have also been made to avoid the cost of fighting the allegations in court. It would have faced numerous lawsuits related to the derailment on both sides of the border, said the U.S.-based bankruptcy trustee for the company at the centre of the crash  Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway.

Robert Keach has also said that, contractually speaking, the arrangement explicitly stated the settling parties were not acknowledging any liability with their contributions.

The Transportation Safety Boards 2014 report on the crash said Transport Canada failed to recognize that the railway had urgent safety problems and was not following the rules. It also said the department failed to audit safety procedures at MM&A and didnt conduct enough inspections.

Raitt responded to the TSB report at the time by saying the governments role was to put the rules in place. The companies, the Conservative minister added, were expected to follow those regulations  something she said MM&A did not do.

In the recent interview, Raitt reiterated the position that the rules werent respected.

We dont believe we are liable and its not an admission of liability, said Raitt, who added she would have publicly disclosed the governments settlement contribution.

Irving Oil has announced it had contributed $75 million to the fund. The train was transporting crude oil to Irvings refinery in Saint John, N.B.

World Fuel Services Corp., the U.S. company that owned the oil aboard the train, announced a few months later that it provided $110 million (U.S.) toward the settlement.

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OTTAWAIf Mike Duffy returns to his Senate seat this week, his arrival will not be heralded with an open landau and rose petals.

But if he marks his arrival with a request for repayment of his salary while he was under suspension, his Senate colleagues have two choices.

They can do the right thing and pay him back.

Or they can embarrass themselves again.

Yes, many Canadians will find the prospect of Duffy asking for a big fat cheque odious. In the court of public opinion, he is still seen as the king of feathered beds and padded expenses, but this is not about the man, it is about a principle.

Our Senate has had any number of low points in recent memory, but the 2013 circus that led to the suspension of Duffy, Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin was a gully of historic proportion.

Before we rush to judgment over a case of rushing to judgment, it is worth noting that Duffy has not even confirmed he will take back his office this week, although it is a safe bet he will at some point.

He has not argued for a return of his pay, although his lawyer Donald Bayne has set the stage for such a case, saying he would definitely seek to recoup two years salary if he was in the senators shoes.

But we dont know whether Duffy is content to have won in the court (if not necessarily the court of public opinion), or whether his health or spirit is up for another fight, because this could mean a return to court.

Its not known whether he would seek to rejoin the Conservative caucus and it is likely it wouldnt have him back. But on CTVs Question Period Sunday, Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos, the chair of the internal economy committee, made it clear that there would be no appetite to revisit the suspension and contemplate reimbursement in the Senate.

Bayne has argued that political figures should be given due process and Duffy was given that due process when Judge Charles Vaillancourt dismissed 31 criminal charges against him.

It ought to cause those who rushed to judgment, acted like a political herd in the Senate, to the great discredit of the Senate, (to) give real second thought in how they behaved in this, he said.

The Senate will argue it is the master of its own house and it sets its own rules  though Vaillancourt often searched in vain for such rules and oversight.

It maintains it had the right to impose its own discipline and that expense abuse that falls short of criminality is expense abuse regardless.

Looking back to October 2013, the haste to rid itself of the trio, was described this way in this column: For three days, a chamber that bills itself as the home of sober second thought stumbled along like a drunk brandishing a knife, seemingly intent on a public execution that ignores every Canadian tradition of due process or rule of law.

It was not unanimous. Former senator Hugh Segal argued the tougher the penalty, the greater the need for due process. Due process is not a speech made under duress in a star chamber, he said.

Conservative Sen. Don Plett said the move to suspend was political and he believed in due process.

This is not a bid to canonize Duffy. The Senate has tightened its spending rules, everything from requirements that residency be proved annually to requiring receipts for cab fares under $30, but Duffy is no poster boy for reform.

He raised so many red flags, the Senate had no choice but to try to clean house and the government leader of the day, Marjorie LeBreton, referred the matter to auditor general Michael Ferguson who found more than $1 million in questionable expenses.

That was reduced under a review by retired Supreme Court justice Ian Binnie and, while every sitting senator has reimbursed the public purse, the Senate has gone to the courts to recover some $500,000 from retired senators.

Duffy returns to a more independent place. Some have come to that status by choice. Liberals were sent there by dictate from their leader. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed the first waves of so-called independent senators, including a government representative in Peter Harder.

The Senate would like to turn the page on this debacle. But the book is not finished until the lack of due process is at least officially acknowledged, whether pay is reimbursed or not.

Tim Harper is a national affairs writer. His column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. tharper@thestar.ca Twitter:@nutgraf1

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OTTAWAThe Communications Security Establishment is refusing to release the number of privacy breaches the agency has logged since 2007.

Documents obtained by the Star state the intelligence and cyber defence agency has maintained a central database for certain privacy violations since 2007. These breaches are categorized as minor procedural errors or more serious privacy incidents, and reviewed by the CSE Commissioners office every year.

In these files, CSE records any incidents it identifies that put at risk the privacy of a Canadian in a manner that runs counter to (or is not provided in) its operational policies, a September 2014 letter from former CSE chief John Forster to a senior Treasury Board official.

The Star requested just the number of breaches  no details about what actually transpired or the Canadian personal information involved  but was told the agency could not comply due to operational security concerns.

Releasing the number of (breaches) would provide insight into CSEs capacity to conduct operations, the extent of its capabilities, the degree to which partner organizations benefit from sharing and the reach of the programs, wrote spokesperson Ryan Foreman in an email last week.

CSE is one of Canadas most technologically sophisticated agencies, responsible for collecting foreign intelligence and protecting Canadian networks from cyber attacks. It is forbidden to use its surveillance tactics against Canadian citizens, except under specific circumstances.

But disclosures from U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden have aroused suspicion about CSEs tools and tactics as part of the Five Eyes alliance  a group that also includes the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

Documents tabled in Parliament last month show CSE logged 13 privacy and information breaches in 2015, affecting at least 630 individuals. The agency did not report any of the privacy breaches to the federal privacy commissioner, as CSE determined that there was no significant risk to the individuals involved.

CSE further refused to report the activities that led to the breaches.

The Star reported Sunday that the agency has been in a https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/05/01/canadas-spies-in-spat-over-privacy-breach-reporting.html year-long debate END with the Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therriens office over how much information CSE is required to report about privacy breaches. A government-wide regulation requires all serious breaches to be reported to the privacy watchdog, but a discussion about how best to do that has been dragging on since at least January 2015.

On Monday, NDP foreign affairs critic Helene Laverdiere asked Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to explain why CSE is resisting turning information over to Therriens office.

CSE has proactively worked with the commissioner on all aspects, and they do have a good working relationship, said Sajjan, who is responsible for the intelligence agency. CSE abides by Canadian law, including the Privacy Act.

Wesley Wark, a professor at the University of Ottawa specializing in security and intelligence matters, said reviewing CSEs privacy breaches has typically fallen to the CSE commissioner, rather than the privacy watchdog.

Really, the protection of privacy role, in terms of external review, has de facto been given to the CSE commissioner, Wark said in an interview last week.

The 12-person team at CSE Commissioner Jean-Pierre Plouffes office is mandated to ensure that CSE, a sophisticated foreign intelligence agency with a more than $500 million annual budget, https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/01/28/canadas-electronic-spy-agency-broke-privacy-laws-watchdog-says.html complies with Canadian law END .

A spokesman for Plouffe said in a statement that the commissioner had discussed the matter with Therriens office. The privacy commissioners office refused an interview request when contacted by the Star, saying discussions were ongoing.

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SAINT JOHN, N.B.Dennis Olands lawyers are asking the Supreme Court of Canada for an expedited decision on his bail application while he appeals his murder conviction.

In papers released Tuesday, Olands lawyers argue that the New Brunswick courts applied high standards that are out of step with similar cases elsewhere in Canada.

They say there is a dearth of clear guidance from the Supreme Court of Canada as to when grant bail pending appeal, and the Oland case gives the top court a chance to clarify.

The answer  will fundamentally define the liberty interests of all convicted persons in custody awaiting an appeal, Olands application argues.

The lawyers repeat earlier assertions that Oland is a model candidate for bail.

The former investment adviser received a life prison sentence this year after being convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his father, prominent New Brunswick businessman Richard Oland.

Oland was found dead in his Saint John office in July 2011, the victim of a beating during which he suffered 45 blows to his head, neck and hands.

The younger Oland is appealing his murder conviction and asked the New Brunswick courts to grant him bail while the appeal is being prepared, but his request was rejected.

No person convicted of murder has ever been granted bail in New Brunswick.

The appeal is scheduled to begin Oct. 18, and one lower court judge said that wasnt an inordinately long time to wait behind bars.

In their filing Tuesday, Olands lawyers disagreed.

To speak plainly, eight months is a long time to spend waiting in prison and, in any event, that may fall far short of the full measure of time until the decision, they argue.

The Olands are an establishment family in the history of the Maritimes, having founded Moosehead Breweries, although Richard Oland left the family business in 1981.

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OTTAWAA prominent Canadian victim of abuse behind bars in Syria is calling on the government to cancel controversial directives that allow for the sharing of intelligence that could lead to torture.

Abdullah Almalki, a Canadian who was imprisoned and tortured in Syria for almost two years, said Tuesday it is time the Liberals ditched the policy that was enacted by the previous Conservative government.

Almalki said the current government must end Canadas previous complicity in torture.

The Liberals say they are reviewing the directives as part of a broader security review.

Almalki and other human rights activists said cancelling the directives is the next logical step for the government after it announced Monday it was prepared to join a key United Nations anti-torture agreement more than a decade after it was first passed.

Almalki was part of a group of human rights activists that praised Mondays surprise announcement by Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion.

But they said the government must go further, and cancel the torture directives.

Many of the prisoners Ive interviewed have reverted to saying things that necessarily didnt happen or they were told to confess in order to avoid the torture, said Mohamed Fahmy, the Canadian journalist who was imprisoned in Egypt.

Alex Neve, the head of Amnesty International Canada, said his organization has been campaigning for years to get the controversial torture directives thrown out.

It certainly would be very much in keeping with the spirit of what we heard yesterday ... to rescind that very troubling ministerial direction and bring our intelligence sharing practices into line with our international obligations, said Neve.

Fahmy warned Dion and the provinces not to dither and to bring Canada into full compliance with the anti-torture convention within one year.

The federal government must now consult with the provinces on the legal way forward for Canada to formally join the UN anti-torture convention.

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A tenacious German shepherd cross who pulled his sleeping owner to the door amid a house fire is among five heroic hounds being inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame.

Noreen Lucas credits nine-year-old Rex with saving her life last December.

Lucas had been visiting her son and his family in Aberdeen, Sask., when pneumonia struck. While the rest of the clan headed to Saskatoon for Christmas Eve dinner, Lucas took a sleeping pill and went to sleep on the couch.

Lucas was roused briefly by Rexs barking at one point but returned to sleep. She says she only woke after Rex latched on to her leg, pulled her off the couch and dragged her across the room towards the front door.

The duo made it safely outside but by the time firefighters arrived, fire had engulfed the house.

Other inductees include a B.C. Labrador retriever-Norwegian elkhound cross who kept a bear at bay when his owners went for a walk, a Toronto Labradoodle who barked for help when his owner suffered a heart attack, and a Toronto police dog who withstood a machete attack in the line of duty.

Since 1968, the Purina Animal Hall of Fame has inducted 172 animals, including 144 dogs, 27 cats and a horse.

A look at this years inductees:

Raya, a four-year-old black Labrador retriever-Norwegian elkhound cross from Fort St. John, B.C.

 Brent Cote was elk hunting last September with Raya and his mom Trudy when a bear suddenly charged, apparently to protect her young cub.

Raya ran out in front of Brent  something she was trained not to do  and barked and snapped in a way Brent had never seen before. The bear retreated, allowing Brent and Trudy to back up while Raya stayed in front.

But they were still too close and the bear charged again and again, with Raya holding her ground. Eventually the bear retreated, and all three returned safely to their truck.

Zola, a seven-year-old chocolate Labradoodle from Toronto

 Matthew Church returned from a long bike ride complaining of pain in his shoulder and elbow. His wife Patricia gave him a couple of Aspirin pills and he headed upstairs to watch television.

Patricia was reading with Zola resting at her feet when she heard a heavy thud. Zola suddenly began growling and barking, and urged Patricia to follow her up two flights of stairs. When they reached the top floor, they found Matthew lying face down, immobile and turning blue. His heart had stopped. Patricia immediately began CPR while their daughter called 911.

Paramedics restarted his heart and rushed Matthew to hospital where he made a full recovery.

Lonca, two-year-old German shepherd police dog from Toronto

 This dedicated police dog withstood repeated machete strikes to the head, neck and body while apprehending a suspect fleeing from a home last November. Throughout the struggle, Lonca positioned himself between the suspect and the officers until the suspect finally surrendered.

Blood streaming from his mouth, Lonca then led police to the rear of the premises where they found a second suspect. Lonca was rushed to the emergency veterinary hospital and made a full recovery.

The suspect who attacked Lonca is the first in Canada to be charged under Quantos Law, enacted in July 2015 to hold those who hurt law enforcement animals accountable.

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MONTREALPierre Karl Peladeau, who abruptly resigned Monday as leader of the Parti Quebecois for family reasons after less than a year on the job was as close to a winning condition for federalism as the sovereigntist movement could provide.

On that basis, his sudden departure is not good news for Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard. He had reasons to count on PKP  as the departing sovereigntist leader is commonly known  to pave his path to the reelection of his federalist government in 2018.

For in more ways than one, Peladeau was the best opposition foe the Liberal premier could possibly hope for.

His sovereigntist zeal was a major attraction for the partys aging hardliners who ensured his leadership victory last May. But the fighting words that were music to the ears of the converted acted as a powerful deterrent on the majority of Quebec voters who cannot stomach the prospect of a third referendum anytime soon.

The more they took his commitment to sovereignty seriously the less they wanted to replace the ruling Liberals with the PQ.

At the same time Peladeaus union-busting track record as a media owner made him an object of suspicion in the eyes of the partys traditional allies within the Quebec left. His polarizing personality was particularly ill-suited for the task of bringing back together the various factions that have strayed from the sovereigntist party since the 1995 referendum.

At a time when many Quebec voters are looking for a progressive alternative to Couillards agenda, the PQ under PKP did not qualify as a serious option.

A CROP poll published last month illustrated the partys predicament. It showed Couillards Liberals still in the lead province-wide and still competitive in francophone Quebec despite a consistently disastrous political winter.

Prudence would now dictate that the Liberals work harder at winning over some of the 60 per cent of Quebecers who are unhappy with their government. This unexpected reshuffling of the PQ deck could have beneficial results for one or the other of Quebecs opposition parties.

For the sixth time since the 1995 referendum the Parti Quebecois is looking for a leader liable to rebuild a coalition sturdy enough to sustain another push for sovereignty. With every leader that task has become more formidable.

The party has not won a majority mandate since Lucien Bouchard led it to victory in 1998. It has spent all but 18 months of the past 13 years in opposition. Over that period it has become dominated  by default  by old-timers.

The PQs best hope to avoid a slow death on the opposition benches may lie in its success in effecting generational change and in reconnecting with younger voters. For that reason, one of the names often mentioned as a potential successor is that of Jean-Martin Aussant. The 45-year old economist is a former MNA who left the PQ five years ago to create a breakaway party called Option Nationale.

He quit politics after leading ON in one election He is widely considered as Jacques Parizeaus political heir. He eulogized the former premier at his funeral. He has the social-democrat credentials that PKP so sorely lacked. There is a market out there for a more consensual, more progressive PQ leader.

Alternatively, Peladeaus resignation could breathe new life in the Coalition Avenir Quebec. Francois Legaults party took a hit from the arrival of PKP as leader, especially among older nationalist voters. A rocky PQ succession would benefit the CAQ.

Although many observers doubted that PKP  who had turned out to be anything but a natural politicianwould go the distance to the next Quebec campaign, Mondays announcement was a surprise. From his partys perspective it has two significant merits.

Peladeau is leaving two full years before the election, leaving more than enough time for the PQ to regroup under a successor. And then, as opposed to some of his predecessors, he is not quitting on the heels of the kind of divisive leadership crisis that has long been in the DNA of his party.

In leaving, PKP may have just rendered his greatest service ever to the Parti Quebecois.

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ABBOTSFORD, B.C.A British Columbia woman who killed a 14-year-old girl almost two decades ago has been denied day parole after a board said she is too entitled.

But Kelly Ellard has admitted for the first time that she was responsible for the death of Reena Virk.

Ellard told the board during her parole hearing today that Virk would still be alive if she hadn't participated in swarming and drowning her.

The now 33-year-old woman told the board she wanted day parole so she could be treated for substance-abuse issues after getting contraband crystal meth inside prison.

But the parole board ruled that Ellard wasn't ready to be released and that her comments to the board that "enough is enough" and there is nothing in prison to help her move forward showed she is entitled to release.

Ellard was 15 years old in November 1997 when she smashed Virks head against a tree and then held the Grade 9 students head underwater until she stopped moving.

Ahead of the hearing, Virks grandfather said the family no longer believes Ellard can redeem herself.

If she had admitted (her role) and if she had told the truth, then it would have been much better for our conscious, our pain, our satisfaction, said Mukand Pallan, 86, from his home in Victoria.

The way she behaved, were very, very mad about it. It doesnt seem right, shes not a good girl, she doesnt deserve any help.

Members of the Virk family showed compassion for many years toward Ellard, three other girls convicted of assault and Warren Glowatski, who was also found guilty of second-degree murder in the teens death.

They no longer believe Ellard, now 33, will change but will trust the federal parole board to make the correct decision, Pallan said.

It is very painful, but theres nothing too much we can do about it anymore.

Virks parents, Manjit and Suman, have taken a vacation in order to avoid media attention, Pallan added.

The attack focused a national spotlight on bullying and teen violence, particularly among girls.

The murder happened late in the evening after Virk joined a group of teens gathered outside a local school to drink and smoke pot. She was assaulted until bloody by several teens and then crossed a bridge, pleading to be left alone. Successive trials heard that Ellard and Glowatski followed.

During Ellards third trial, a pathologist testified Virks brain was swollen and she suffered at least 18 forceful blows to her body. She died from drowning and her body was found adrift in a local inlet.

Ellard was put on trial for murder as an adult.

A jury found her guilty during the first trial in 2000, but the verdict was overturned and a new trial ordered when the B.C. Court of Appeal determined the Crown had conducted cross-examination improperly.

She testified during her second trial in 2004, sobbing and insisting she never crossed the bridge. The jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Ellard didnt testify during her third trial in 2005. She was convicted and then won an appeal, but Canadas highest court rejected the case and restored the conviction.

She has run into other trouble since Virks death.

Ellards bail was revoked in 2004 while she was living in a halfway house awaiting trial. She was charged with assault causing bodily harm of an older woman in a New Westminster park. The charges were stayed after she was found guilty in the Virk trial.

Court documents in 2005 said Ellard was a belligerent and often abusive inmate, who had violent outbursts that included throwing food and kicking chairs.

She was portrayed as having a fragile mental state as a result of her prison time during her sentencing hearing.

At the time, her mother Susan Pakos said in a letter to the judge that her daughter has suffered more publicly and privately than anyone can ever imagine.

Her lawyer Peter Wilson described her as a person everyone loves to hate.

Should Ellards request for parole be granted, she would be placed under a release plan that includes a requirement she live in a halfway house, a parole official said.

A release plan usually includes a series of conditions attached to the parole boards risk assessment, such as abstaining from intoxicants and avoiding criminally active peers.

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Rob Fords family requested a Ford Nation flag in the heart of city hall and pushed for an open casket in the lead up to the former mayor lying in repose at the public building in March.

But city staff co-ordinating the unprecedented civic memorial had to curb those requests, according to emails obtained by the Star through a freedom of information request.

Fords death on March 22  announced by email from his chief of staff Dan Jacobs at 11:03 a.m.  came after days of his family being at his side at Mount Sinai Hospital. Ford was receiving treatment for a rare and aggressive cancer after earlier undergoing surgery to remove a tumour.

At 11:38 a.m., Jacobs emailed the citys clerk, Ulli Watkiss.

Hi Ulli, the family are requesting that the Councillor lie in state Monday and Tuesday.

The request, while anticipated from Fords family, put staff and Mayor John Tory on the spot. While there was precedent for a city-organized public mourning for two mayors who died in office in 1936 and 1963, it had never been afforded a former mayor.

With Torys blessing, the city began arranging for Ford to lie in repose, starting on Easter Monday, which required opening city hall when it is typically closed.

On March 23, the day after Fords death, the citys chief of protocol Barbara Sullivan responded to requests from the Ford family for the public viewing.

While some of the arrangements were basic  limited and discreet floral arrangements may be placed by the casket  other requests challenged staff.

A Ford Nation flag will not be permitted in the set up for the lying in repose at city hall, Sullivan told Fords senior staffer Jacobs.

And: An open casket is not permitted at city hall, Sullivan said, adding she had consulted with Heritage Canada, which organizes state funerals federally, and that it would not be appropriate.

The location is a public building, open to people who are doing city business. Those people may not have (necessarily) chosen to attend the visitation. There is also a child care facility on the main floor of city hall and this would be very disturbing to the children.

That didnt seem to satisfy the family.

Dan has come back to me regarding the open casket, Sullivan said in a subsequent email to the city clerk and the mayors office the following day, saying Jacobs was requesting the casket be opened on at least one of the two days.

I declined the request, she reported.

What about just when family received dignitaries?

I declined this as well.

Sullivan said she recommended the family provide a large portrait or photo to be placed next to the casket as an alternative.

Jacobs, responding to the Star in an email, said the requests were made on behalf of the family.

Doug Ford, a one-time councillor who ran against Tory for mayor when his brother fell ill, told CP24s Stephen LeDrew the next day that Rob would love to be with the people . . . He wanted an open casket and so does the family, but since its in a public building, they didnt want that. And I understand what protocol was saying.

When the public first started lining up in city halls rotunda the next week, there was no open casket or Ford Nation flag. Fords official photo as mayor was set up near the casket.

Following the funeral, there was a reception at the Toronto Congress Centre in Etobicoke where supporters posed with a large Ford Nation flag.

For a week, interviews of and eulogies by his family focused heavily on Fords legacy in the city, with little mention of his substance abuse, controversial conduct or failed policies.

And dont worry, Ford Nation will continue, will continue respecting the taxpayers, Doug Ford told the crowd at St. James Cathedral and a live broadcast audience.

Council will declare Fords Ward 2 Etobicoke North seat vacant this week at a regular meeting that begins Tuesday. They must also decide whether to hold a byelection to fill the chair or appoint someone.

The Fords have said either Doug or nephew Michael Ford, currently a Toronto District School Board Trustee, will seek to represent the ward whether it is filled by appointment or byelection.

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The Special Investigations Unit investigator was waiting outside the door to the Brampton courtroom, minutes from taking the stand. With him was the complete investigative file on case #15-OFD-046  information that, so far, had been treated as a state secret.

Suzan Zreiks quest for information and justice had come to this: subpoenaing the lead investigator on her case, via a drastic legal manoeuvre.

There was no other way, she felt, to know which Peel police officer shot her.

In the evening of March 20, 2015, Zreik, 22, was in the kitchen of her Mississauga home when a stray bullet pierced through her window and lodged into her back, one inch from her spine. It had to be surgically removed.

Zreiks struggle to learn the firing officers identity has propelled her into a legal battle against traditions of privacy, secrecy and anonymity surrounding police shootings  a battle that required a private prosecution that was arguably a shot in the dark of her own.

The bullet that flew into her back was one of 19 unloaded by three Peel Regional Police officers inside a residential complex, after police responded to a call about a woman threatening a neighbour with a knife.

When officers had arrived to arrest the woman allegedly making the threats, her 22-year-old son Marc Ekamba-Boekwa came to the door holding a six-inch knife, according to the SIU.

A struggle ensued, and all three officers fired multiple rounds, shooting Ekamba-Boekwa 11 times and sending eight other bullets flying through the neighbourhood. One struck one of the officers in his bulletproof vest, causing minor injuries. Another hit Zreik.

Last November, the SIU, the civilian watchdog that investigates police incidents involving serious injury or death, ruled the unnamed officers conduct was legally justified. No charges would be laid in Ekamba-Boekwas death or in Zreiks shooting.

In the words of SIU director Tony Loparco, Zreik was in the wrong place at the wrong time through no criminal fault of anyone else.

Michael Moon, Zreiks lawyer, disagrees.

There are palpable grounds to believe that my client, who was in her house, was shot by a police officer in what we allege is criminally negligent conduct. They should know the consequences when they just unleash a fusillade of bullets in a crowded residential complex.

Days after the officers were cleared, Moon demanded a copy of the SIU directors report, containing witness testimony, evidence from the scene and additional information to help explain the watchdogs decision.

To determine what to do next, he and Zreik would need to know more about the SIUs probe and the rationale for the directors decision  particularly since none of the officers agreed to be interviewed or provide their notes, as is their legal right.

And they would need to know who shot Zreik.

But SIU directors reports are secret, sent only to Ontarios Attorney General. Not even the victim of a police shooting or that persons family can access them.

In the face of public protest and an ongoing investigation by the Star into SIU secrecy, pressure has been mounting at Queens Park and across the province for the Liberal government to begin releasing these reports, something already done in other provinces.

When Moon was refused access to the directors report and told to file a Freedom of Information request  a request that goes into the darkness  he asked the watchdog to at least afford Zreik the dignity of knowing the identity of the police officer who shot and caused such grievous injury to her.

The SIU refused to provide the information, citing privacy restrictions.

So Moon began a fact-finding mission, launching his own investigation by conducting interviews of witnesses and reading comment sections of news stories about the shooting, looking for clues. A break came when an anonymous tip landed at his office, suggesting Peel Const. Jennifer Whyte was the cop who shot Zreik.

Armed with his findings, earlier this month Moon took the unconventional legal step of launching a private prosecution against Whyte  an attempt on behalf of Zreik to make Whyte face the charge of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

It is an uncommon route to criminal charges, which are usually laid by police, but Canadas justice system allows a private citizen who has reasonable grounds to believe a person committed a crime to cause a charge to be laid.

The process is initiated when the citizen goes before a justice of the peace and swears their information under oath. That launches a gate-keeping hearing, called a pre-enquete, where the merits of the case are tested.

Moons private prosecution caused Whyte to be charged with criminal negligence, and a pre-enquete date was set for April 22.

During the pre-enquete, cross-examination of the complainant who caused the charge to be laid, or of key witnesses, is permitted. Moon subpoenaed the man who could shed the most light on Zreiks shooting: lead SIU investigator John Line.

Moon says he required Line bring the full investigative file on Zreiks case.

He was going to be cross-examined on witnesses . . . where the witnesses were, what they said, Moon said in an interview. It would have aired it all out in the courtroom.

But just as the closed-doors hearing was about to begin, the Crown prosecutor stayed the charge against Whyte. According to Moon, Crown prosecutor Philip Perlmutter told him that, while Whyte was one of the officers involved in the shooting, forensic evidence showed the bullet did not come from her gun.

Moon says he was not told, however, which officer was responsible.

This is the other aspect of this absolutely secrecy, is that mistakes like this happen, Moon said, of filing the charge against the wrong officer. It seems to be secrecy for the sake of secrecy.

Paul OMarra, the lawyer representing Whyte, called the proceedings completely unmeritorious and unnecessary. OMarra said his client was cleared by both the SIU and an internal investigation by Peel police and has been very affected by the shooting.

To bring a criminal proceeding against a police officer like that, and have her name out there, I think is just wrong, OMarra said.

Paul Black, president of the Peel Regional Police Association, said Moon was cavalier in his attempt to undermine the excellent work our officers do and called the private prosecution misguided.

The courts have rightfully stopped this process, he said in an email.

Brendan Crawley, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General, could not confirm forensic evidence was the reason the charge was stayed, but he said it was done after a thorough review by senior Crown counsel of all relevant and available evidence.

As no charges were laid, we are not legally permitted to provide any details about the case and private information, including the identity of any individuals named in the Information nor the nature of the charge, he said in an email.

Crawley added that the government is aware the public wants more transparency and accountability from the SIU. An upcoming review and public consultations on police oversight in Ontario will guide, among other things, when and how best to release the information in these types of reports in the future, he said.

Moon said not knowing who shot her has left Zreik with a palpable fear and sense of powerlessness.

There is also a sense of injustice. An internal Peel police administrative review, on which Chief Jennifer Evans signed off, resulted in no discipline against the officers and no changes to procedure or policy.

A young man was shot and killed. An innocent civilian was shot and almost died. Another police officer was shot in the back by one of their partners, and bullets scattered and (were) knocking off the walls of a residential complex, and as far as the chief of police is concerned theres nothing to see here? said Moon.

Moon and Zreik are now considering next steps, including filing an application for a judicial review of the SIUs decision. While they know there is the option to pursue damages through a civil suit, Moon says he wants to believe the criminal law can address what happened to Zreik.

He will keep working to identify the officer whose bullet struck her.

It seems like there is so much more energy dedicated to anonymizing the police officers involved, so that well never know, he said. My position is that thats corrosive on public trust in the police force.

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In January 1998, photographer Charles ORear was driving from his home in Napa Valley to his girlfriends house north of San Francisco when he stopped to take a photograph. Millions have seen it but probably never imagined it was real.

The green of the rolling hill and the bright blue of the Sonoma County sky looked too saturated to be true. Many viewers thought the image was computer-generated when it debuted in 2001 as wallpaper for Microsofts XP operating system.

Microsoft chose the Bliss pic, as its now known, in 2001 from a catalogue of photos by Corbis, which owned the rights after buying out a stock photo agency founded by ORear and photographer Craig Aurness.

ORear wont say what he was paid for the photos use  but he got on an airplane to deliver the original himself after FedEx said it was too valuable to ship, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The former National Geographic photographer used Fuji Velvia, the most intense colour-positive film at the time, but didnt digitally enhance the image. ORear says that after the photo became famous a U.S. Agriculture employee emailed him to say that the field had been fertilized with manure from a nearby dairy farm to grow oats and rye, before being used as a cow pasture. He says that fact, together with the film, accounted for the brilliant green.

ORear, 74, married that girlfriend, Daphne Larkin, and they live in Napa Valley in Northern California.The Bliss photo was retired at the same time as Windows XP in 2010. Microsoft still owns all the rights.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You first worked at the Kansas City Star and then the L.A. Times, but quit after two years because they turned down all your story ideas. Where was your next stop?

After a miserable two-year stint as a staffer at the Los Angeles Times, I began shooting for Western Airlines. I was hired to go with the (1968 U.S.) Olympic team on a Western Airlines flight to Mexico City.

The first story you pitched to National Geographic in the 70s  and that they accepted  was about Napa wine country?

My strengths have been my resourcefulness and my ideas, so my first proposal to NG was a village in Alaska which had been built by emigrants from Russia. I proposed Napa Valley to NG about the same time but the magazine did not accept alcohol advertising, therefore we wont publish stories about alcohol, said the then-editor. In 1978, the magazine published a story about Bordeaux (wine) and then I was dispatched back to Napa Valley to make my story.

What was your favourite assignment for National Geographic?

Among my 25 years with the magazine, a few stand out. Those include six months in Vancouver, plus a year in Indonesia and many trips around the globe. A memorable time with Maggie Trudeau was one highlight, but more than that was time with real people  the villagers of rural Russia, or rural Louisiana, rural France, rural Turkey.

Any Bridges of Madison County moments? (Im only kidding about this one.)

How bout Maggie?

You know that in the movie the National Geographic photographer played by Clint Eastwood has an affair with the married character played by Meryl Streep? It wasnt just dinner and wine  that would be too dull, right?

It wasnt dull, I assure you! I can say I got to know more than one first lady rather well. I spent a couple of days with Lady Bird Johnson (but that time it was only dinner and wine) photographing her for a NG story about wildflowers. Dinner at the LBJ ranch in Texas was memorable in a very different way.

What do you do now?

Im enjoying every moment of not working  Also, I spend time pursuing companies, publications, television networks who use my copyrighted photos without payment.

Is there a downside to being known primarily for taking the Bliss pic?

Cant think of one downside. Im reminded that my gravestone will not refer to my 25 years with NG, but that I actually made the famous Bliss photo!

How many times a week are you asked about it?

Several times a week. Most often I get emails from students around the world who are writing about famous photographers. Not too bad, eh?

Bliss and 250 other photos are featured in ORears most recent book, Napa Valley: The Land, the Wine, the People. Microsoft has given the photographer permission to sell prints of the Bliss photo.

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Premier Kathleen Wynne admits she has dealt with a couple of instances of sexual harassment involving at least two Liberal MPPs, but is keeping the circumstances and names secret.

The situations are confidential so Im not going to go into the details, the premier said Tuesday amid repeated questions from reporters seeking more information.

The conversations have been confidential for various reasons, not the least of which is that people who brought complaints forward were not looking for a public process, Wynne added at York Mills Collegiate.

Her remarks came two weeks after she proposed a code of conduct for MPPs in the wake of the controversy over a vulgar sex joke told by Progressive Conservative MPP Jack MacLaren.

Wynne said Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown should consider booting MacLaren from his caucus for the remark about Ottawa-area Liberal MP Karen McCrimmon, raising questions about what discipline or action was taken against the premiers own Liberal MPPs.

I think theres certainly a double standard, Brown told reporters, calling on Wynne to be more forthcoming. Transparency is always a good thing.

The premiers admission is confirmation that sexual harassment problems in the Liberal circle at Queens Park  which she first mentioned in November 2014 after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau suspended two caucus members  involved elected politicians.

Its unclear whether the offending MPPs are men or women, if they are still in office, or whether there have been new instances in the last 18 months.

Ive dealt with them in various ways, Wynne said, noting her party has its own code of conduct for dealing with sexual harassment.

I have had a context within which to have those conversations with MPPs and I have done so.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath revealed she has raised concerns with fellow party leaders at Queens Park over complaints of inappropriate touching.

Unfortunately, Im not surprised, she said, referring to Wynnes admission. Horwath did not detail the touching incidents or who they involved or when they occurred.

Some of my members have talked about feeling uncomfortable with inappropriate touching thats happened around this place.

This is not the 50s. Its 2016 and people need to be respectful of each others individual space and be respectful of womens sexuality.

Wynnes government last year launched a public campaign against sexual assault  including widely praised advertising videosm  and harassment, and passed legislation requiring employers to take such problems more seriously.

Wynne said she had not asked any MPPs accused of harassment to get sensitivity training on their own  as Brown has done as a condition for MacLarens return to the legislature.

No. I have not done that. But I will say that our whole caucus is having training, the premier said.

Brown told the Star that MacLaren has started his sensitivity training, which was prompted by his offensive remarks at a mens night cancer charity fundraiser in Carp, a town outside Ottawa in his riding of Carleton-Mississippi Mills.

Its well underway and when its completed well let you know.

Wynne said April 15 that if he (MacLaren) were a member in my caucus wed be having a very different conversation about whether he would remain a member of caucus or not.

Horwath accused Wynne of making hay over the MacLaren situation when she needs to get her own house in order.

You cant have one set of rules for one group because you can get a political advantage and then have another set of rules for your own group.

Horwath said her caucus and NDP staffers are getting training on whats not acceptable and that she has not had sexual harassment or violence issues involving any of her caucus members.

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The saga of Australias controversial offshore refugee detention centres took an unexpected turn Tuesday when the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ordered that the biggest facility, on its Manus Island, be closed.

Between 2010 and 2014, Australia saw a huge influx of refugees  many from Afghanistan, Iran and Bangladesh  attempting sea journeys. The government responded by aggressively implementing its Pacific Solution, through which boat people were picked up by the Australian military before landing and relocated to detention facilities.

Twelve facilities are in Australia, and its government also holds refugees on the minuscule, eight-square-mile island of Nauru, and on another sparsely inhabited island that is part of Papua New Guinea, commonly referred to as PNG. All the facilities are operated by private security contractors.

The detention centre on Manus Island, once likened by an Australian opposition politician to a gulag, is now home to 900-odd male asylum seekers. Over the past few years, it has witnessed a slew of horrific incidents including riots, prolonged hunger strikes, and dozens of gruesome suicide attempts, some involving the swallowing of razor blades or scissors.

In one incident, PNG police and local gangs allegedly infiltrated the facility and attacked detainees, injuring 77 and killing one Iranian by dropping a large rock on his head. International human-rights activists have decried the volatile conditions on Manus Island while hundreds have languished for years as Australia processes their asylum requests.

The PNG Supreme Court said the facility violated the nations constitution, as detainees were being held against their will in a place they had never tried to immigrate to in the first place.

Australia arguably has the most restrictive immigration control regime in the world, and it has more or less achieved its goal: The flow of boat people has all but ceased.

Peter Dutton, Australias immigration minister, said that PNGs decision does not alter Australias border protection policies  they remain unchanged, adding that no one who attempts to travel to Australia illegally by boat will settle in Australia.

Last year, Dutton announced that Manus Island detainees whose asylum requests were found to be valid should be resettled in PNG. This has only complicated matters for the detainees, as PNG is wary of local resettlement for fears that refugees will compete for jobs in an economy that is already weak.

The new decision to close the facility wasnt accompanied by a timetable, nor any clarity on whether infrastructure assistance Australia promised to PNG as part of the agreement to place the facility there would be discontinued.

It is also unclear what will happen to the detainees, who, according to reports from local journalists, were rejoicing after the decision, though some expressed doubt that their situation would be resolved anytime soon.

Meanwhile, in Nauru, a young Iranian man set himself on fire in front of United Nations representatives as they visited the facility. Five suicide attempts were reported in the past few days, and two women have gone missing and are feared to have drowned.

At a hearing in the Australian Senate last week, lawmakers were told that more than half of the children who had been held at the camp in Nauru and subsequently moved to Australia are suffering from mental illness.

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CAIROEgypts journalists union called for the dismissal of the interior minister and launched an open-ended sit-in at its headquarters in downtown Cairo on Monday, protesting the detention of two journalists on its premises the previous night.

After an emergency meeting in the early morning hours, the Journalist Syndicate also announced a general assembly to be held on Wednesday as well as action on World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday.

Throughout the day, dozens gathered at the buildings steps, chanting journalists are not terrorists, and the Interior Ministry are thugs. But most of the side streets were eventually blocked off by police up to several blocks away, and by the end of the day entry to the area was heavily restricted.

The union described the polices entry into the building as a raid by security forces whose blatant barbarism and aggression on the dignity of the press and journalists and their syndicate has surprised the journalistic community and the Egyptian people. Union members said the raid was heavy-handed, involving dozens of officers storming their way in and resulting in a security guard being injured.

Police denied they entered the building by force and said only eight officers were involved, acting on an arrest warrant for the two journalists accused of organizing protests to destabilize the country. Demonstrations without prior authorization are banned in Egypt and rallies in general are rarely allowed unless they are pro-government. Protesters are subject to arrest.

The Ministry of Interior affirms that it did not raid the syndicate or use any kind of force in arresting the two, who turned themselves in as soon as they were told of the arrest warrant, the ministry said in a statement.

The two journalists, Amr Badr and Mahmoud el-Sakka, are government critics who work for a website known as January Gate, which is also critical of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissis government. They had begun their own mini-sit-in at the union headquarters after discovering that police had searched their homes while looking for them.

It was unclear what size any sit-in at the syndicate could achieve. Police had lifted a days-long blockade overnight, but then began tougher restrictions on who could enter as the day went on. Heavily armed swat teams and barbed-wire covered transport vehicles withdrew from the street in front of the union building, but remained parked at nearby thoroughfares, where families and teenagers strolled past trucks loaded with men in black paramilitary uniforms.

Hundreds of uniformed and undercover police have been deployed in the nearby vicinity to prevent any protests, although Monday is a national holiday in Egypt celebrating the first day of spring and much of Cairo was empty of its usual chaotic traffic.

Later in the day, the prosecutor generals office issued a statement saying the two journalists were arrested under an April 19 warrant and that firearms, Molotov cocktails and inflammatory leaflets were found during the searches of their homes.

A day earlier, police prevented hundreds of workers from holding a meeting at the syndicate building to commemorate International Workers Day, prompting calls by independent trade union leaders for the government to allow them freedom of assembly.

The syndicate has invited the trade union leaders to join their sit-in to denounce the police incursion and protest restrictions on freedom of assembly for labour organizers. It said the move was illegal and violated its state-sponsored charter, which forbids police from entering the building without the presence of a syndicate official, and is urging security forces to end their siege of the building and stop preventing journalists from entering.

The journalists syndicate has been a rallying point for demonstrations in the past, and even under longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, it was one of the rare places people could air grievances without fear of arrest. But is increasingly being blockaded, for example last Monday when organizers of mass anti-government protests called to use it as a rallying point.

The building drew particular attention of late because it was from there that some 2,000 demonstrators gathered last month to protest el-Sissis decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Police fired tear gas and arrested dozens to break up the protests, the first significant wave of street demonstrations since the former army chief became president in 2014.

A second round of mass demonstrations over the issue planned for last Monday across the city were stifled by a massive security presence, with hundreds of arrests and only small flash mobs managing to assemble, drawing tear gas and birdshot from the riot police.

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They said Id make a good lampshade, says Julia Ioffe. Ioffe is a journalist, who happens to be Jewish, and who happened to write a profile of Donald Trumps wife, Melania, for GQ. She has since been barraged with insults and threats, many of them violent, and many of them anti-Semitic.

Basically, says Ioffe, I woke up to find that the Daily Stormer, which is a white supremacist website, wrote a piece saying that I had attacked Empress Melania, the wife of their glorious leader  those are their words, not mine  and they basically asked everyone to send me a tweet, saying how it made them feel.

Mrs. Trump was born in Slovenia as Melania Knavs. She changed her name to Knauss to help her modelling career. Knauss met Trump at a party in New York in 1998, and they married in 2005.

Ioffe interviewed Melania Trump for the story, and travelled to Slovenia to interview people who knew her growing up. Ioffe presents a picture of her as an intelligent, responsible, hard-working, intensely private woman, devoted to her family. Ioffe also got the first media interview with her illegitimate half-brother.

The Stormers headline reads: Empress Melania attacked by filthy Russian kike Julia Ioffe in GQ!

Immediately, Ioffe says, I was getting some pretty vile images in my email and Twitter feed. You know, caricatures of Jews being shot, execution-style; a Back to the Future poster redone as Back To The Oven; suggesting I would look good on a lampshade.

In a post on Facebook, Melania Trump criticized Ioffe for invading her familys privacy and said the story contained numerous unspecified inaccuracies.

While the tweets are disgusting and egregious, adds Ioffe, whats been weirder has been the phone calls that Ive been getting even late into the night regarding inquires I had supposedly left about caskets and homicide cleanups at my house. Other calls featured automated recordings of Hitlers speeches.

Ioffe is not worried about these implied death threats. Its unpleasant to be sure, but Ive gotten blowback for my pieces online in the past. You know, as a journalist, this is what comes with the territory. This is just going after my religion and ethnicity.

The volume, and the way that basically a whole army seems to have been snapped into action, is more disconcerting to me than the specific phone calls, says Ioffe, because it makes me think that, given Donald Trumps hostility to the press, suggesting that we loosen our libel laws so its easier to go after journalists; getting people at his rallies to boo at the press; constantly vilifying journalists and attacking them . . . the question is, what does this imply for our country, and the healthiness of our public discourse, and the freedom of our press.

Ioffe and GQ have yet to hear from the Trumps what they believe to be inaccurate in the story. The only thing that Mrs. Trump did mention explicitly to me was that she believed I was invading her familys privacy. I can understand that. Shes an intensely private person. And I think that, as uncomfortable as it is for her  and I know that this is one of the reasons that she wasnt so hot on the idea of her husband running for president  this is unfortunately what comes with the territory of being the wife of the presumptive Republican nominee.

The story was thoroughly fact-checked. The GQ legal team went over it. We even had lawyers in Slovenia look at this piece, says Ioffe.

Ioffes family moved from the Soviet Union in 1990 to escape anti-Semitism.

I dont think and I dont know that Melania Trump sent these anti-Semitic trolls to my virtual doorstep, says Ioffe. But she did express displeasure with my article. She named me. And this is what happened. This has happened to journalists before me, and Im sure it will happen again.

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NICKERSON, NEB.Half-ton pickup trucks crowd the curb outside the One Horse Saloon, a neon Coors Light sign in the window and rib-eye steaks on the menu, but otherwise Nickerson, Nebraska, is nearly silent on a spring evening, with only rumbling freight trains interrupting bird songs.

Regional economic development officials thought it was the perfect spot for a chicken processing plant that would liven up the 400-person town with 1,100 jobs, more than it had ever seen. When plans leaked out, though, there was no celebration, only furious opposition that culminated in residents packing the fire hall to complain the roads couldnt handle the truck traffic, the stench from the plant would be unbearable and immigrants and out-of-towners would flood the area, overwhelming schools and changing the towns character.

Everyone was against it, said Jackie Ladd, who has lived there for more than 30 years. How many jobs would it mean for people here? Not many.

The village board unanimously voted against the proposed $300 million (U.S.) plant, and two weeks later, the company said theyd take their plant  and money  elsewhere.

Deep-rooted, rural agricultural communities around the U.S. are seeking economic investments to keep from shedding residents, but those very places face trade-offs that increasing numbers of those who oppose meat processing plants say threaten to burden their way of life and bring in outsiders.

Maybe its just an issue of the times in which we live in which so many people want certain things but they dont want the inconveniences that go with them, said Chris Young, executive director of the American Association of Meat Processors.

Nickerson fought against Georgia-based Lincoln Premium Poultry, which wanted to process 1.6 million chickens a week for warehouse chain Costco. It was a similar story in Turlock, California, which turned down a hog-processing plant last fall, and Port Arthur, Texas, where residents last week stopped a meat processing plant. There also were complaints this month about a huge hog processing plant planned in Mason City, Iowa, but the project has moved ahead.

The Nickerson plant would have helped area farmers, who mostly grow corn and soybeans, start up poultry operations and buy locally grown grain for feed, said Willow Holliback, who lives 40 miles (64 kilometres) away and heads an agriculture group that backed the proposal.

When farmers are doing well, the towns are doing well, she said.

The question of who would work the tough jobs was at the forefront of the debate, though many were adamant they arent anti-immigrant. Opposition leader Randy Ruppert even announced: This is not about race. This is not about religion.

But both were raised at the raucous April 4 meeting where the local board rejected the plant. One speaker said hed toured a chicken processing plant elsewhere and felt nervous because most of the workers were minorities.

More overtly, John Wiegert, from nearby Fremont where two meat processors employ many immigrants, questioned whether Nickersons plant would attract immigrants from Somalia  more than 1,000 of whom have moved to other Nebraska cities for similar jobs, along with people from Mexico, Central America and Southeast Asia.

Being a Christian, I dont want Somalis in here, Wiegert, who has led efforts to deny rental housing to immigrants in the country illegally, told the crowd. Theyre of Muslim descent. Im worried about the type of people this is going to attract.

Others pointed out that, given Nebraskas unemployment rate is among the nations lowest near 3 per cent, few local residents would accept the entry-level jobs. While the projected wage of $13 to $17 (U.S.) an hour was above the regions current median wage for production workers, opponents argued meat processors generally have high turnover.

We arent against jobs, farmer John Schauer said. We want clean, stable jobs.

The land is flat and rich around Nickerson, which is a half-mile off a narrow state highway about 30 miles (48 kilometres) from Omaha. The towns tidy but often faded single-story homes sit on large, grassy lots. Theres a small cluster of commercial buildings, most of them long shuttered, and a grain elevator.

Its school was demolished more than a decade ago, leaving only the old playground, but residents take pride in the regional school district. Superintendent Jeremy Klein told the village board he worried new students would overwhelm local schools and that tax breaks would limit any extra money to hire more teachers.

Its impossible to know what the size of that impact will be, Klein said days later.

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The wedge-tailed eagle, with a stealthy approach that belied its 7-foot wingspan, attacked without warning.

Before the predator struck, it had been a peaceful Wednesday afternoon in Burringurrah, a small community in remote northwestern Australia. Under the watchful eye of police officer Scott Mason, a young kangaroo named Cuejoe hopped around beneath the gum tree that grows in the Burringurrah police station courtyard.

Constable Mason has been the little roos guardian since March, to the delight of those who appreciate men in uniform and cute critters. Rescuers found Cuejoe in his mothers pouch, after a car fatally struck the adult kangaroo. Mason, who helped nurse Cuejoe back to health, has regularly appeared with the kangaroo in the Australian polices social media feeds.

So it was something akin to a fatherly instinct that kicked in as Mason watched a large bird descend upon Cuejoe. The eagle was massive, he said. It lifted Cuejoe in its talons, hoisted the roo over a six-and-a-half-foot fence and headed toward the bushland. I took a second to react, Mason told The Washington Post in a phone interview early Tuesday. I was pretty shocked. Once the shock wore off, Mason began running.

Youd be forgiven if baby kangaroo-snatching runs counter to our impressions of eagles and their noble countenances. Dating back to ancient Roman heraldry, humans have used the birds as symbols of courage and honour. But wild eagles, like all other carnivores, need to eat. And because the large birds are so powerful and move so quickly  some species reach speeds of 30 miles an hour in the moments before they strike  eagles can tackle surprisingly heavy prey.

In Russia, biologists have seen golden eagles take down deer. In the United States, bald eagles typically stick to fish  but an eagle munching on a cat isnt totally absurd. A web cam pointed at a nest near Pittsburgh, in fact, recently live-streamed bald eagles feeding a dead cat to their young. Down under, wedge-tailed eagles carting off small sheep and lambs are not unheard of. In spite of fake viral videos to the contrary, however, there are no reports of eagles absconding with human babies. Cuejoe, Mason said, weighs nearly 10 pounds.

But. while clutching large prey in their talons, eagles cant travel very far. Instead, they devour their food near to where they catch it.

Sometimes, too, wedge-tailed eagles share. As Mason dashed a few hundred metres down the road, in pursuit of the eagle and Cuejoe, another wedge-tailed eagle soared out of the woods.

The birds landed and began to peck at Cuejoe. He had a puncture wound to his chest and his face, the police officer said, and several patches of hair missing. Mason bull-rushed the eagles, scaring them into the air. Cuejoe bolted away from the road, with the two eagles and Mason close behind. It was a race to see to who could get to Cuejoe first, he said.

It was Masons race to win. Victorious, clutching the bleeding Cuejoe to his chest, Mason returned to the police station. The eagles followed. Two days later, the birds were still sitting on a telephone pole watching the station, he said. With the nearest veterinarian at least a 5-hour drive away, Mason relied on his paramedic training to stitch up Cuejoe and administer antibiotics.

The recovery process has gone well. In the week since the attack, Cuejoe has been doing a lot better, Mason said. He just started eating again. The pair will hit the road soon, destined for Perth  and far from the open country that wedge-tailed eagles prefer.

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WASHINGTONDonald Trump, Republican nominee.

There will be no contested convention, no white knight. The billionaire demagogue effectively clinched the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night, knocking top rival Ted Cruz out of the race with a landslide victory in Indiana.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich remains a candidate, for now, but the astonishing outcome is clear: a general election between Hillary Clinton and a billionaire demagogue widely viewed as a political laughingstock just last year.

Cruz, a Texas senator campaigning on a message of Christian piety and conservative orthodoxy, had enjoyed relative success in the south. But his difficult personality and hard-line politics proved toxic almost everywhere else.

With a heavy heart but with a boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign, he said in Indianapolis.

Trumps dispatching of Cruz completes his wildly implausible journey from celebrity curiosity to shocking front-runner to polarizing victor to majority choice. He vanquished 16 competitors, most of them prominent current or former elected officials, to become the first major-party nominee since Dwight Eisenhower without experience in office.

His triumph amounts to a hostile takeover. Gleefully attacking Republican sacred cows from Fox News to George W. Bush, Trump managed to become the partys standard-bearer with little support from party power-brokers and only marginal commitment to traditional conservative positions.

He is the single most unpopular nominee in the modern history of polling. A plurality of Republican voters didnt care. Furious with the polished figures of the political establishment, eager for simpler times and receptive to Trumps anti-Muslim, anti-illegal-immigration, anti-free-trade message, they had chosen the insult-spewing businessman in almost every part of the country.

The Republican banner will now be carried by a man described Tuesday by the Republican runner-up, Cruz, as a pathological liar and serial philanderer for whom morality does not exist.

Were going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesnt understand trade, Trump said at Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Trump himself did not appear to comprehend that he was the winner, at one point telling the audience he would have to ask them where the race stood.

Though he praised Cruz, he largely stuck to his familiar gripes about unfair attack ads, familiar refrains about fixing the economy and familiar-but-inaccurate claims about his popularity with minority groups.

Were going to have unbelievably great relationships with the Hispanics, he said.

But he is widely disliked by a dizzying array of general-election voter groups, from Hispanics to women to African-Americans to millennials to suburbanites. He begins the battle with Clinton down about 8 percentage points nationally.

I dont want to congratulate Hillary Clinton on winning the presidency tonight, but she just did, Erick Erickson, one of the leaders of the failed Never Trump, movement, wrote on Twitter.

Other analysts, though, believe Trump might prove an unexpectedly formidable competitor. Clinton is herself highly unpopular. Trump is more popular than her with white men. And his populist appeals on trade and political dysfunction may resonate in key states in the Rust Belt.

Still, he has a formidable task ahead. As he attempts to repair his image with Hispanics and other voter groups, he must also embark on an effort to unify a bitterly divided Republican Party. A significant minority of party voters remains unwilling to support an oft-sexist, authoritarian-sounding former Democrat with a penchant for audacious lies and an implausible platform that includes erecting a giant wall on the Mexican border.

The GOP is going to nominate for president a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks its on the level. Im with her, Mark Salter, a former longtime aide to Sen. John McCain, wrote on Twitter.

But there were signs everywhere that much of the party was now prepared to back Trump. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who ran in 2012 as a moderate, called this week for an end to intraparty fighting. Even Cruz refused to say he would not support Trump in the general election against Clinton. And party chairman Reince Preibus sent an unmistakable get-out-now message to Kasich.

(Trump) will be presumptive GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton #NeverClinton, he wrote on Twitter.

Trying desperately to keep Trump from clinching, Cruz had pulled out every possible stop to win Indiana: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/04/27/ted-cruz-picks-former-gop-candidate-carly-fiorina-as-running-mate.html announcing vice-presidential selection Carly Fiorina END at an unprecedentedly early date, cajoling a tepid endorsement out of Gov. Mike Pence, even confronting pro-Trump demonstrators outside one of his events. Conservative groups, like the Club for Growth, spent $2 million trying to help him.

Nothing worked.

Clinton lost to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Indianas Democratic primary, but the defeat did almost nothing to cut into her big lead. Sanders will now face intense pressure to drop out of the race so the party can unify behind Clinton and against Trump.

He insisted Sunday that he was not going anywhere, claiming he could persuade hundreds of Clinton-supporting superdelegates to change their minds. But that is highly unlikely given the former secretary of states hefty lead in pledged delegates and the popular vote.

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In Ontario and British Columbia, teacher unions have been in fierce legal battles with their respective provincial governments. In both cases, the main issue is whether governments should have the ability to unilaterally dictate the terms of teacher contracts. With the Supreme Court of Canada now set to weigh in, these decisions have enormous implications for school labour relations across the country.

The Ontario case dates back to 2012 when the Liberal government, under Bill 115, imposed contracts on teachers, cut their wages, and removed their ability to strike. Why did the government do this? Pure politics. The Liberals were at the time facing a byelection which they hoped to win so that they could form a majority government. Their plan, according to a top Liberal strategist, was to bring down the hammer on teachers so as to attract right-of-centre votes.

Of course the Liberals claimed that Bill 115 was all about fiscal responsibility. But as Ontario Superior Court Judge Thomas Lederer noted in his recent decision, It is telling that although all sectors were experiencing the same fiscal concerns, Ontario allowed for free negotiations and did not interfere with collective bargaining in any other sector. Quite telling indeed. Judge Lederer ultimately ruled that the Liberals actions were unconstitutional.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Education Minister Liz Sandals have now tried to distance themselves from Bill 115. But this is difficult given that Wynne was a senior member of the cabinet that crafted the legislation, and Sandals voted in favour of it. It is also hard for Wynne to pivot given that when she was running for the Liberal leadership, she repeatedly refused to disavow Bill 115 because criticizing her own party would have prevented her from winning. Instead, she repeatedly talked about how she would introduce a great new two-tier collective bargaining system that would fix everything. Negotiations have been taking place under this new system since 2014, yet there are still around 280 cases across the province (including Toronto high school teachers) where collective agreements have not been reached.

The B.C. case involves similar actions taken by the B.C. Liberals. Back in 2002, when current Premier Christy Clark was the education minister, the Liberals stripped teachers of their right to collectively bargain about class size and composition. The British Columbia Teachers Federation took the government to court over the issue, and a judge ultimately ruled the law unconstitutional. However, undeterred by mere court rulings, the Liberals tried again to strip teachers collective bargaining rights by introducing similar legislation in 2012. Again the BCTF has taken the government to court, and now the Supreme Court has decided to finally settle the case.

But whether or not it is legal for governments to strip teachers of their collective bargaining rights, it is clear that it is not good public policy. Some conservative groups, such as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which plans to act as an intervenor in the Supreme Court case, seem to think that we would all be better off if governments were able to unilaterally dictate teacher contracts. After all, duly elected governments should have the broader public interest in mind. But if the Ontario Liberals were willing to throw the education system into chaos over a mere byelection, it should be clear that governments alone cannot always be relied upon to craft good education policy.

If you want to see what education systems look like when collective bargaining power has been taken away from teachers, just look south of the border. In about a third of American states, teachers have no collective bargaining rights whatsoever, and in many others they are so weak that they cannot bargain over things like class size and composition. And has this lack of union power produced the well-functioning schools of conservative imagination? No. Rather, the U.S. perennially lags behind Canada and other developed countries in math, science and reading, and is currently in the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage because pay and working conditions are so poor that no one wants to enter the profession.

The fact is that education systems work best when governments work in partnership with teachers and their unions. It is disheartening to see that the Ontario and B.C. Liberals require the courts to teach them this lesson.

Sachin Maharaj is a PhD student and Canada Graduate Scholar in educational policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto and a teacher in the Toronto District School Board.

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Attention Toronto city councillors: Were on track to create a gig economy if your new vehicle-for-hire bylaw is passed on Tuesday.

Im calling on city councillors to vote for fair and smart regulations on May 3, which put the safety and interests of Torontonians first. Im also asking council to vote against the creation of a shadow taxi service that threatens the livelihoods of thousands of small business owners who have always played by the rules.

I came to Toronto in 1978 from Jamaica. I met my beautiful wife while I was going to school. I worked a few odd jobs in security and at the Bank of Nova Scotia, but at 26 years old, I began driving a taxi full-time.

I work hard. My wife and I own a small restaurant in Scarborough and we also have a mortgage to pay. Were putting both our children through school. My daughter is a teacher and my son is now graduating from law school. When I look at them, Im happy to know they will have good jobs and good livelihoods in this country.

Driving a taxi used to be a good full-time job. It was a good opportunity when I began and provided for my family and me for many years.

The sad reality with the rise of Uber is I cant make a decent living anymore. I am making less money now than I did five, ten years ago.

And its not for lack of trying. I work full-time hours every week. I pay for driver training and police record checks. I bring my car in for inspection twice a year and again for repairs. I pay my licensing fees, my insurance (now $5,000-plus per year), and winter tires. If I dont, the police pull me over or the city gives me a ticket.

My friends tell me I should skip the rules and go drive for Uber. If I didnt have a conscience, I would. The thought of getting into an accident with someone elses son or daughter and no proper insurance would keep me up at night.

My wife wouldnt be able to bear the thought of me picking up passengers with no safety features, such as a security camera in my car.

Its not much better for UberX drivers either. If these new bylaws pass, our city will continue to flood the market with for-hire vehicles. Well all be driving longer hours, at discounted rates, just to make ends meet. For UberX drivers, if they dont like the cut Uber takes from their fare or the fact they cant accept tips through the app, theres little they can do about it.

Were seeing the strife that UberX drivers are experiencing around the world, specifically in cities like San Francisco and New York.

After 32 years of driving a taxi, what else is there for me to do?

I have no problem with technology and innovation. Beck has a homegrown app that has made it easier for me to connect with customers and lets my customers pay hassle-free.

Nor do I have an issue with competition. While I know there has been some negative perceptions around taxis, I pride myself on offering my customers a first-rate service.

My concern is that the way the new proposed rules are designed, there is no level playing field for drivers like me. Im providing the exact same service as an UberX driver. I transport paying riders to where they need to go.

So why are we being treated differently?

A freelance transportation industry with no regulations threatens the livelihoods of thousands of drivers.

Im losing more than just my job with these new rules.

Im losing the pride I had in my ability to make a decent living for my family.

Lincoln Samuel has been driving for Beck Taxi since 1983.

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The new Environics survey of Muslims in Canada  the sequel to their 2006 study  includes some important pieces of data for contesting persistent, unfounded stereotypes. Many news reports headlined the fact that 83 per cent of Muslims feel very proud to be Canadian. It is also noteworthy that only 1 per cent of Muslim Canadians believe that many or most in the community support violent extremists like Daesh. And only 3 per cent said they had ever seen or heard violent extremism being promoted in a mosque in Canada.

But instead of simply heaving a sigh of relief, we should also ask: why the intense need to determine whether Muslims are dangerous/radicalizing to violent extremism/supportive of Daesh/proud to be Canadian, in the first place? These questions reveal as much about Canadian society as a whole as they do about the Muslim Canadian communities placed under scrutiny.

These types of anxieties about Muslims are more a product of dominant narratives than a reflection of reality. After all, analyses by government agencies and academics indicate that far right-wing and white supremacist violence is a greater danger in North America than is political violence by Muslims  but the right-wing and white-supremacist threat generally fails to stimulate the hand-wringing about enemies within elicited by reports of radicalized Muslims.

The questions put to Muslim Canadians  formally in the Environics study, but informally as an almost daily condition of existence  are a sign of how far the burden of suspicion has shifted: so that rather than being presumed innocent, Muslims must be proven innocent by survey.

In this frame, the only violence made visible is Muslim violence, named terrorism and violent extremism, which Muslims are called upon to repudiate. Other sources of violence, which are also terrorizing and extreme, disappear from the picture.

But Muslim terrorism is not the only project of violence we should be concerned about Canadians supporting. For example, a recent study by International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Physicians for Global Survival demonstrates the staggering costs of the war on terror; their report estimates that at least 1.3 million, and perhaps more than 2 million, have been killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan alone during the course of this war.

Just a few weeks ago, 17 civilians were killed in a series of U.S. drone strikes in Afghanistan. (According Democracy NOWs report: The first strike reportedly hit the truck of a local elder who was on his way to resolve a land dispute  killing the elder and 11 others. The second drone reportedly struck and killed two people who were collecting their bodies. A third drone strike reportedly killed three more who had come to see what had happened.) Incidents like this happen far too frequently in those parts of the world where the war on terror is being waged. In some areas, the civilian casualty rate of the drone program is as high as 90 per cent.

Instead of putting Muslim Canadians under a special microscope to detect signs of support for violent extremism, shouldnt we also ask about levels of support for violent militarism in the general population? When Canadians are polled about the war on terror, the emphasis is usually on whether the war is necessary to protect Canadas security and global reputation  not to suss out whether large numbers of Canadians endorse the broad-scale killing and destruction of societies that the war on terror has in fact involved. The object of such polls is to assess whether Canadian popular opinion demands continued participation in military missions  not whether this opinion renders Canadians a violent and dangerous community (in stark contrast to the purpose underlying surveys of the Muslim population).

As a Canadian, I am not regularly expected to condemn, apologize for, and disavow the violence executed by my government and its closest allies in the name of fighting terrorism. My causal connection to this violence is far tighter than any I might have to the atrocities of groups like Daesh, with whom I nominally share a religion, but no genuine political or social relationship. And yet, I and other Muslims in Canada are constantly held to account for the actions of our co-religionists on the other side of the world. My Muslim identity is made to bear a burden of collective guilt never imposed on my Canadian identity.

The Environics survey challenges many common assumptions about Muslims in Canada  but we need to change the questions we ask about Muslims, not just the answers to those questions. The very need for a study like the Environics one is a sign of the problem, not its resolution.

Azeezah Kanji is a legal analyst and writer based in Toronto.

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Parents have a legal responsibility to seek conventional medical treatment for their seriously ill children even if it goes against their deepest beliefs.

Thats the precedent-setting take away from a trial in the southern Alberta city of Lethbridge, which ended last week with a jury delivering a guilty verdict for the parents of a 19-month-old boy who died from bacterial meningitis after his parents opted to take him to a naturopath and treat him with home remedies rather than take him to hospital.

The parents, David and Collett Stephan, were accused of failing to provide the necessaries of life, a section of the criminal code that is usually applied to adults who mistreat their elderly parents or parents who neglect their children.

In this case the child, Ezekiel, was not abused or neglected. His parents by all accounts were loving and attentive. But they also decided that mainstream medical treatment would harm the boy so he was never seen by a licensed medical doctor and was never vaccinated.

This is a warning to parents that the Crown in Alberta takes these cases very seriously and is willing to prosecute, Juliet Guichon, a medical ethicist at the University of Calgary, said during a telephone interview.

A similar case is scheduled to go to trial in Calgary later this year. Tamara Lovett faces the same charge as the Stephans because her 7-year-old son, Ryan, died in 2013 after suffering from strep throat for 10 days. It is alleged that Lovett did not take him to a doctor or emergency room but treated him instead with home remedies.

Guichon says these cases are different than the instances where Jehovahs Witnesses refuse permission for a blood transfusion for their children because of religious beliefs.

In those cases, the child has come to the attention of medical professionals, who can then advocate for the child. But in these cases the children never made it that far. It was already too late by the time someone with authority could step in, Guichon said.

The Stephans are Mormons, part of a large community of Mormons in Southern Alberta. But the Mormon religion does not forbid vaccination or conventional medical treatment. It appears the Stephans clung to a personal creed that sees conventional medicine as harmful and to be avoided at all costs.

Several years ago David Stephans father, Tony, fought a long legal battle with Health Canada over regulation of the marketing of his brand of vitamin supplements called EMPowerplus, which he claimed cured mental illness. Stephan senior was eventually acquitted and still promotes the product, which is also known as Truehope.

At one point the Stephans treated Ezekiel with it when he was suffering with meningitis, but to no avail. If the toddler had been vaccinated he might still be alive.

For parents like the Stephans conventional medical treatment is never an option  it is like a religion, Guichon said.

Indeed, a study conducted by researchers at University of Toronto and McMaster University found selected groups of alternative medicine students did not drop their opposition to vaccination even after being presented with detailed evidence on the effectiveness of the polio vaccine and the testimony of a woman who was born before the vaccine was available and was partially paralyzed by the disease.

In Ontario, the same sort of belief system was at work when two indigenous children died from cancer after their parents refused to consent to chemotherapy that most likely would have saved them and instead opted for traditional treatments. But those parents were not charged with failing to provide the necessities of life.

In Alberta, a jury composed mostly of women decided a childs right to life trumps his parents deeply held beliefs. In less than 24 hours they rendered a guilty verdict that could see the Stephans, who have three other children, go to prison for up to five years.

The jury made it clear that helpless children should not be sacrificed on the altar of their parents misguided beliefs no matter how sincere they may be.

Gillian Steward is a Calgary writer and former managing editor of the Calgary Herald. Her column appears every other week. gsteward@telus.net

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A good case can be made for every one of the 12 iconic women being considered for a new Canadian bank note to be issued in 2018. The long list selected by a special advisory panel includes candidates from almost every part of the country and features activists, artists, authors and a notable athlete.

Public opinion will now be surveyed and historical experts consulted before a short list of three to five names is put forward. Of course  this being Canada  regional bias is likely to be an issue.

Lucy Maud Montgomery, creator of Anne of Green Gables, is sure to be a favourite in Prince Edward Island. West Coast painter Emily Carr is certain to find strong backing in British Columbia. And francophones might well opt for social reformer Therese Casgrain, author Gabrielle Roy or suffragette Idola Saint-Jean.

One name doesnt have a loud constituency but seems especially worthy of attention  that of E. Pauline Johnson. Known for poetry celebrating her aboriginal heritage and her dramatic speaking tours, she was immensely popular in the late Victorian era. To many in this country and abroad she personified Canada.

Born in 1861 on the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, Johnson was the daughter of a Mohawk chief and Englishwoman, and was also known by the Mohawk name Tekahionwake. Between 1892 and 1909, capitalizing on her fame as a poet, she conducted a series of speaking tours giving readings across this country, in the U.S., and in England highlighting aboriginal and Canadian themes.

After retiring from the stage, Johnson moved to Vancouver where she continued to write before her death in 1913. Her funeral was massively attended and a memorial, carved with her image, stands in Stanley Park. Her popularity faded after her death but Johnson won fresh recognition at the end of the 20th century as an inspirational figure, reflecting the diversity of Canada, who spoke on issues of race, gender and native culture.

Ideally, we should have two bank notes featuring iconic Canadian women, not just one. But having Pauline Johnson grace our money would be an excellent place to start.

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Re: Harriet Tubman will take the place of U.S. president on $20 bill, April 23

Harriet Tubman will take the place of U.S. president on $20 bill, April 23

It is indeed ironic that Harriet Tubman, an ex-black slave and an ardent anti-slavery activist, is slated to replace Andrew Jackson on the American $20 bill. It is to be noted that Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and an inveterate slave owner.

This is a fitting tribute to an outstanding abolitionist who shepherded hundreds of black American slaves to freedom in Canada. Harriet Tubmans 19 trips across the border did not go unnoticed as a significant group of slave owners put a bounty on her head. It is remarkable that the massive sum of $40,000 was put up to ensure her capture. Although her life was always at risk she skillfully evaded capture, and finally settled in St. Catharines on the Niagara Peninsula in 1851.

Her recognition by the American federal government brought back fond memories of my visit to Salem Chapel in St. Catharines on Aug. 24, 2002. My wife, Avrie, and I were honoured to have been invited to the dedication of Salem Chapel as a National Historic Site. It was indeed a deeply emotional experience to set foot inside Salem Chapel whose original structure dates back to 1855.

It is quite fitting that the Salem Chapel has become synonymous with the name Harriet Tubman, the world renowned slavery abolitionist and civil rights leader of the 19th century. So great was her leadership that she was fondly referred to as the Black Moses. And there is no question that she symbolized the best of the human spirit.

Salem Chapel was undoubtedly the most famous Underground Railroad church associated with the life and times of Harriet Tubman. Here she catered to the social, cultural, political, and spiritual needs of the refugees fleeing the denigrating effects of slavery in the U.S.

To be honoured with her indelible image on the American $20 bill is indeed a fitting tribute to Harriet Tubman our Black Moses.

Rupert Johnson, Scarborough

The Stars report that abolitionist Harriet Tubman will replace the slave-owning president Andrew Jackson on Americas $20 bill made me think of a pioneering African-Canadian woman whose recognition is overdue.

Mary Ann Shadd Cary, a free African-American woman who fled the U.S. to Ontario after the passage of Americas 1850 Fugitive Slave Act is recognized for being the first black woman to publish a newspaper in Canada. She is however also the first female to achieve this feat.

While John Bushell gets credited for being the first male newspaper publisher, Mary Ann, who also became a lawyer and educator, virtually never gets this significant credit.

She accomplished what no other woman did at a time when half of Canadas population could not sign their names. This is a fact and her story is inspirational. Reporters, academics, authors, all, lets take the fact-laden road and acknowledge her now.

Ingrid Walter, Toronto

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Re: Police union's strong influence waning at city hall, April 25

Police union's strong influence waning at city hall, April 25

As Toronto, and hopefully other cities, consider lower-cost alternatives to the current system of paid-duty security, what is done in Vancouver, as reported, offers a useful model.

Should Toronto alone imitate such a program, there could be about 250 well-paying jobs created, paying $50,000 per year: half of the current expense. And, if other municipalities and the province hitchhike on this, the job creation will be even greater.

However, lets go further and consider this: such a system can offer unique, well-paying and responsible job opportunities for Ontarios disadvantaged minorities. But unlike Vancouver, we should not be so dogmatic as to exclude young people with minor criminal convictions, if properly vetted by the police or whomever.

So can we get on with this and give some of our youth a chance?

Mike Brown, Burlington

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Re: Drake's towering view of The 6, April 26

Drake's towering view of The 6, April 26

On page 279 of scientist Richard Dawkins 2013 memoir, he writes: Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperm or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain, via a process, which in the broad sense, can be called an imitation.

What are the meme ideas, behaviours and styles that Drake is moving into the brains of your readers?

Did the Toronto Star Staff who wrote this column think that Drake is imitating in his new album an elf, Seinfeld, a frat house roof, a death star, Keanu Reeves, Kobe Bryant, JayZ and Beyonce? Or do I have to buy the album to find out?

Willson McTavish, Mississauga

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Re: The dirty truth about nuclear terrorism, April 24

The dirty truth about nuclear terrorism, April 24

Olivia Ward is right to worry about risks of terrorists access to nuclear materials and therefore of dirty bombs. But worse still is the final fact she provides: the United States planned expenditure of $1 trillion over the 30 years to modernize its nuclear arsenal.

Plans include developing smaller, more usable nuclear warheads in the 5-10 kiloton range. The bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945 was 15 kilotons.

The other eight nuclear weapon states are also modernizing their nuclear weapons. With broad reliance on nuclear deterrence, and the current U.S.-Russian tensions, we are all at greater risk than ever before, even at the height of the Cold War.

The record of accidents with nuclear weapons, near-misses, human errors and known risks of technological failure in complex systems is chilling. Experts say we have avoided a nuclear detonation by sheer dumb luck. And modernization means we will face 70 more years of such hazards.

There are no safe human hands for nuclear weapons. They are the ultimate barbaric weapon of mass destruction. Listen to the rising cry of those voicing deep humanitarian concern.

Its time to ban nuclear weapons and work to eliminate them, before they kill us all.

Phyllis Creighton, Toronto

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Re: Time to discuss the monarchy, Letter April 23

Time to discuss the monarchy, Letter April 23

Im not a very big fan of the British monarchy but it really isnt all that important to have it abolished. It is an institution where the King or Queen, as the symbolic head of state, is not a threat to the personal and religious liberties of its citizens and is not above the laws of the land when one studies the 1215 Magna Carta.

Also whatever the U.K. pays the monarchy is minuscule when one looks at the tourism it benefits from. Plus what would the media have to report about when it comes to newsworthy scandals?

John Clubine, Etobicoke

I am astounded that the Star would run this letter, full of gross exaggeration and speculative bias, interspersed with big words to give it a feeling of legitimacy. You wouldnt dare run anything so outrageous on any other group. Why pick on a little old lady?

Shame on the Star.

Richard Coleman, Richmond Hill

I take great exception to this venomous assault on the integrity of Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family. Their destiny was not of their choosing.

Had it not been for the abdication of King Edward VIII, the Queens father, Albert, Duke of York, would have been spared the onus of becoming George VI and he and his family could have enjoyed a life far less demanding than the one that followed his coronation.

There is little doubt that his premature death in 1952 was hastened by a total dedication to his duties as King during World War II.

Rather than seeking refuge abroad, the Royal Family remained in Britain throughout the war, despite the fact that Buckingham Palace received nine direct hits during raids by the German Luftwaffe. When advised by the Foreign Office to leave, Queen Elizabeth (later to become the Queen Mum, and probably one of the most revered women on the planet in her day) famously replied, The children will not leave unless I do. I shall not leave unless their father does, and the king will not leave the country in any circumstances, whatever.

In addition to visiting areas in London damaged by the Blitz, the King and Queen visited other bombed cities, military bases, factories and hospitals throughout Britain. The King, who served in the Royal Navy in World War 1, also visited military units in a number of war zones from 1939 to 1944. His brother, Prince George, Duke of Kent was killed on active service with the RAF in 1942. Our Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, joined the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) of her own volition and served as an ambulance driver.

The contribution of the Royal Family to the high morale of all citizens of the British Commonwealth and their and armed services during that conflict is beyond measure.

On her 21st birthday, Princess Elizabeth made the following pledge: I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. At age 90, the longest reigning monarch in British history is still honouring that pledge.

The claim that the monarchy is responsible for people living in abject poverty has no more merit than the assertion that the current realm is accountable for the sins of their ancestors. As a constitutional monarch, the Queen does not control parliament. She can only apply moral suasion to moderate the actions of politicians. It is the responsibility of elected governments to ensure that all citizens are adequately provided for and any failure in this regard rests solely with them.

Some may consider that the Queen and her family live a life of indolent ease but imagine the countless rounds of ceremonial, diplomatic and civic duties they perform each year. Every day, except Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, the Queen receives boxes from government departments containing documents which require her signature and Royal Assent to before they become law. Given the familys inherited wealth, they could have abandoned their heritage of service in favour of retirement at any time. Those who believe that they are a drain on the treasury should consider the fact that in 2014 alone, 34.4 million tourists spent the equivalent of 17.2 billion U.S. dollars in the United Kingdom, the worlds 8th biggest tourist destination. London accounts for 54% of visitor spending, due in large measure to the pageantry and nearby historical sites associated with the Royal Family. Such revenues are increasing every year.

A constitutional monarchy also benefits from the stability of a head of state who serves for a lifetime instead of a constantly changing series of political leaders whose attention to diplomatic affairs is diluted by every day parliamentary concerns.

It is difficult to imagine a more exemplary person for this role than Queen Elizabeth the second.

God Bless Her.

Harry J. Rollo, Toronto

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Charles Koch laments the tone of this presidential campaign, particularly from likely Republican nominee Donald Trump, but he almost certainly wont be supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the general election.

In an interview in the Kansas offices of his company, Koch Industries, the billionaire businessman and political donor at first said he could not see a chance he would support Clinton this fall despite his concerns about Trump. He immediately amended his remark. There is a chance, he could support Clinton, Koch said, but its highly remote.

Last month, Koch told ABC News in an interview that it was possible Clinton could be a better president than the GOP nominee, a statement that raised eyebrows on the left and right. On Tuesday, he clarified what he meant.

What Im trying to say is that Im not for Republicans or Democrats. I couldnt care less about what the party label  in fact, I agree with George Washingtons concern about parties. They become an end in themselves rather than helping people improve their lives. So what I was trying to say is, if Hillary had policies that would more likely make peoples lives better than Republicans, Id be for Hillary. Im for whoever will do that. I couldnt care less.

Koch and his brother, David, are two of the most influential conservative donors in the country. The network of political nonprofit groups that they lead aims to spend $900 million in the run-up to the 2016 elections  money that at this point is largely expected to boost conservative congressional candidates, not the GOP presidential nominee.

1 of 46 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Clinton on the campaign trail View Photos The former secretary of state visits key states in her quest to become the Democratic nominee for president. Caption The former secretary of state, senator and first lady is the Democratic nominee for president. July 31, 2016 Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Charles Koch said the decision not to back any candidate thus far was a direct reaction to the insulting tone of the campaign. He said he told candidates that to get his support, Youve got to be like Ronald Reagan, and youve got to compete on, Im going to do a better job of making peoples lives better. And then you cant get into tearing others down. And of course it started just the opposite. So we told them all, we cant. I mean, this violates what we all stand for, what you represent in these debates. So we cant support you.

We tried to persuade candidates to change their tone, he added. We talked to them. We talked to some of them multiple times, but they had all the answers.

Koch found little to praise from the presidential race so far, from candidates or interest groups supporting them. He returned frequently to a frustration with the lack of good-faith debate over ideas, particularly on questions of how to improve the economy and lift typical workers incomes.

Asked whether a Trump presidency would be dangerous for the country, he said, The good and the bad news is that politicians very rarely do what they say theyre going to do when they campaign. But, yeah, just his tenor and insulting of people is beyond the pale. To have these debates the way they are, to talk about their body parts and stuff, my God. Its staggering. If I hadnt seen it, I wouldnt believe it.

He criticized presidential candidates for not focusing on harnessing technology to boost opportunity for beleaguered Americans. We have the most fabulous opportunity, with all the technologies out there, if we have permission-less innovation, to make peoples lives better in every dimension. And yet were doing all this crazy, self-defeating stuff, he said. Its just name-calling and shouting and mischaracterizing what the other person stands for.

Koch expressed little sympathy for business leaders who have decried candidates lack of focus on policies that corporate executives think will energize the economy, casting many businesses as more interested in protecting their profits than promoting competition.

No kidding that business leaders are worried about the political climate today, he said. They caused it.

They blame the unions and others, but the business communitys much bigger, and theyre the ones pushing this cronyism  government policies meant to give specific businesses or industries advantages over others. Whos pushing all this occupational licensing? Its not just big business, its little local business.

As he spoke, voters in Indiana were going to the polls, poised to vault Trump closer to the Republican nomination. Koch summarized the moment with a literary allusion.

Im reminded of Dickenss quote from A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,  he said. Its an era of wisdom and its an era of great foolishness.
As a four-brained collective, the Beatles possessed a staggering oneness. Remove any individual skill set from that collective, and they would have been something else  something less  entirely.

Its possible to be a passionate fan of the band and own every bootleg recording along with every Beatles book and yet still have little interest in the solo careers of the four members. That poses a particular challenge for biographers who set their eyes on just one of them.

In 1981, Philip Norman wrote Shout!, one of the finest Beatles biographies. There is no better record of their early days in the flesh dens of Hamburg. Norman also revealed himself as a writer willing to advance theories where facts feared to tread. Hed tell you what he thought was going on, even if his opinions could be a bit splashy or polarizing.

Now hes back with a massive biography that focuses just on Paul McCartney. It wraps up Beatles matters about halfway through and isnt very polarizing, but then again, McCartney himself rarely has been. Norman is thorough, though, and his book gives us a fuller McCartney than youll find anywhere else, in part because of McCartneys studious management of his brand over the years.

Norman is not shy about the groups flaws. The Beatles, trotted out so often nowadays for their surplus of love and acceptance, were, in fact, deeply sexist. Read a biography like this, and youll find them shockingly so. Beatles management was regularly trying to keep up with women with paternity suits. At the bands triumphant post-Hard Days Night return to their home town in 1964, leaflets were printed on behalf of a Liverpool woman denouncing Paul as a cad.  How would that have played out on Twitter?

"Paul McCartney: The Life" by Philip Norman. (Little, Brown)

The bands breakup in 1970 plunged McCartney into a depression, and that accounts for some of the most compelling new material in this biography. People forget how young the Beatles were when the group ended: late 20s, basically. Norman captures just how daunting the future was for someone like McCartney. Having achieved so much, with the bulk of his life still in front of him, he felt overwhelmed by expectations of reaching those previous peaks.

Linda McCartney, who emerges as the love of Pauls life  if were not counting John Lennon  was downright heroic during a time in which McCartney himself could barely function. I dont know how anyone could have lived with me, McCartney says. I was on the scrap heap in my own eyes. . . . It was a barrelling, empty feeling that just rolled across my soul.

The Wings years are seen as chaotic and exciting  like a lite version of the Beatles  but the specter of those past relationships with the old band members hovers at the edge of almost every page.

There are some poignant glimpses of what might have been, before Lennons assassination in 1980. At the end of the 1970s, McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr clambered up on a stage at a party to bash out a jokey version of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. The past is something better revisited with a joke than with an attempt to measure up to earlier glories, even for a genius like McCartney.

Music has been a key component throughout his life, of course, but what the book makes plain is a far bigger component, one that continues to this day: McCartneys desire to live well. We see a man who must have a woman in his life. Family is his focus now, along with talking about John and the days of yore, and being Sir Beatle, the ultimate surviving rock star.

You just want to shake the McCartney of the final third of this book and say, Boyo, dont you want to be a great artist again? Write something awesome  or try, anyway. But thats one of the take-away themes of Normans biography: the idea that most of day-to-day life is spent by adapting, by humming along, rather than by standing up and pulling at stars.

But how you wish this guy would have kept pulling nonetheless.

Colin Fleming is writing a book titled Same Band Youve Never Known: An Alternative Musical History of the Beatles.
Outside it was pouring rain, and the carpet squished as Septime Webre, the Washington Ballets artistic director, walked around the low-ceilinged basement of a housing project in Adams Morgan. Water was leaking in through its cracked foundation.

It was 1999, and Webre had just moved to Adams Morgan from New Jersey to start his new job. Beside him stood Rhonda Buckley, founder of the Sitar Arts Center, which ran after-school programs for underserved children in that damp, windowless room. She was nervously hoping that Webre would consider, at some future date, offering ballet classes for little ones at her center, maybe once she had moved it to a better location.

His answer surprised her.

He said yes, emphatically and without hesitation, Buckley recalled recently. I had just met him. My only thought was, Im going to put this vision out. I was expecting him to say, Let me know when you get the space, and well talk. I was not expecting him to say, Yes, lets start this thing right now. Lets take up the carpet and put down wood floors, put up mirrors. Heres how were going to do this.

It was a magical buy-in, she added, to kids.

The Washington Ballet's artistic director, Septime Webre, center, works with dancers on April 21, 2016. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

After 17 years as director, Webre, 54, steps down from the Washington Ballet next month. Hes leaving, he says, because he wants to work with other companies to stage his ballets and create new ones, and he also wants to work more with kids, without the burden of administrative tasks. But hes keeping his apartment, not far from Sitar, which he shares with his partner, Marc Cipullo, and some 40 pieces of taxidermy. His favorites: a half-body hyena, snarling, and a white ermine.

Im a gatherer, not a hunter, Webre says with a laugh over lunch recently at Georgetowns Grill Room. He sweeps a hank of dark hair out of his eyes. Wearing a black leather jacket and jeans, hes just dashed out of a rehearsal with his Studio Company of young trainees. Somehow he manages to speak at a clip while also downing oysters and lobster salad.

Dead creatures may seem an odd obsession for a man known for his energy. Webre injected high spirits into the Washington Ballets social calendar, hosting festivities for donors and Beerballet&bubbly soirees for young professionals and audience newcomers. He also juiced the companys repertoire and spurred the dancers to high-wattage performances, most memorably of his own works. Since its 2004 premiere, his Washington-themed Nutcracker, with its bare-chested Anacostia Indians, has been such a smash hit that it greatly changed the ballets financial picture.

But Webres more enduring legacy is quiet, almost hidden. It is what grew out of Sitars waterlogged basement. Webres early buy-in to those kids developed into a citywide program to bring ballet training to children where they live. Although Webres choreography may eventually be retired after former American Ballet Theatre star Julie Kent takes over from him, the community engagement programs that he was simultaneously building will remain.

Audiences will have a final view of the show-business side of Webres Washington Ballet this week at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater (preview Wednesday; series ends Sunday). The program is true to Webres upbeat, supercharged nature, featuring two works accompanied by rock music, and created by Washington Ballet regulars: Trey McIntyres Mercury Half-Life, with music by Queen, and Edwaard Liangs Dancing in the Street, with music by David Bowie.

Dance checks all the boxes

Webres years here have spanned an explosive period of growth in the region, and that spirit of optimism fed his organization. What had been a well-schooled but bland troupe in its last years under aging founder Mary Day woke up when Webre took over. In 2000, trailing funders and arts leaders, the Washington Ballet went to Cuba as the first major American company in 40 years to dance at the Havana International Ballet Festival.

Whod have thought then that Webres reign would be marked by a U.S. president following in his footsteps? President Obamas historic trip to Havana in March makes a fitting parallel.

By the early 2000s, arts organizations were ramping up around the region. Arena Stage and the Shakespeare, Signature and Studio theaters took on building projects. The Dance Institute of Washington and the Atlas Performing Arts Center opened new spaces. Dance Place began its expansion.

Likewise, the Washington Ballets audience grew so much that the company regularly filled the Eisenhower Theater. Webre was developing a vigorous, outgoing style that drew attention from arts enthusiasts of all kinds. The ballets budget was $2.8 million when he started. Now its $12 million.

Its really exciting when theres someone whos actively creating work with a generative mind-set, who is charting the future of an institution that is often more associated with existing repertoire, said Jenny Bilfield, president and chief executive of Washington Performing Arts. She said Webres role as a director-choreographer brings to mind Leonard Bernstein at the New York Philharmonic.

But the new works and the buzz werent enough for Webre. The question he kept coming back to, he said, was, How many different people can we touch and do it in meaningful ways?

The Washington Ballets formal-looking headquarters on Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, housing the company and its training arm, the Washington School of Ballet, was a white wall to the world, Webre said. He wanted to turn his operation into a big tent.

Some D.C. schools were already offering dance classes in older grades. I thought, Lets develop something thats pertinent to what we do well, Webre said. We train young people in a professional way, and starting in fifth grade is just too late.

Septime had a very big vision, said Katherine Bradley, president of the education nonprofit CityBridge Foundation. As a Washington Ballet board member in Webres early years, she helped him shape his plan to train kids for whom the pricey Washington School of Ballet was out of reach. He wanted it to be exciting, and to do something that hadnt been done before.

Dance checks all the boxes for youth development, Bradley continued. Its tremendously physically demanding, its mentally demanding and you get to produce art. You learn how to get up in front of people and how to handle a mistake when it happens. And you learn that not by watching dance, but by doing it.

Bradley advised Webre to build a continuous, immersive ballet program into the school day, rather than offering a workshop every now and then. And so from the partnership with Sitar emerged the Washington Ballets DanceDC program, which weaves ballet training into the curriculums of second- and third-graders in eight District schools. Those with the most talent and focus receive scholarships to the Washington School of Ballet.

Timothee Courouble, 19, was one of those kids, dutifully starting ballet with all the other second-graders at John Eaton Elementary. He discovered that he loved it. Webre cast him as Fritz in the world premiere of his Nutcracker, and Courouble eventually trained at the main school. Hes now majoring in theater education at Emerson College in Boston.

It hurts for me to say it, Courouble said, but I dont think I wouldve picked [ballet] up or been willing to try if it hadnt been imposed on me.

The after-school training continues at Sitars improved location on Kalorama Road NW (Buckley realized her dream of a top-notch studio). In 2005, Webre opened TWB@THEARC in Anacostia, where he also pushed the developers to design a theater big enough for Nutcracker performances.

Inheritance of inclusiveness

Why did Webre spread himself around the city, when running a company and creating new ballets surely took up enough time?

He looks out the window onto the canal. His inspiration, he said, was his late mother. Her openness. She really defined mi casa es tu casa. An elegant and sociable Cuban woman, she had nine children (Webre was the seventh), and she loved to entertain.

Their house in Texas had a big pool, rarely empty. There were always hordes, Webre said. Twenty-five kids sleeping on floors and whatnot. His mother was also involved with social justice issues, migrant farm workers and famine relief, when Webres father, a sugar engineer, moved the family throughout Africa and the Caribbean.

Her inspiration colors how hed like his impact on Washington life and the Washington Ballet to be remembered.

Ive tried to live life in a playful way, he said, and in a way thats welcoming.
Owen Howard reads while sitting on a BOSU ball at Takoma Park Elementary School. The kids in his class voted to replace their desks and chairs with the balls. (Joseph Ndayisenga)

On a recent Monday morning, second-graders at Takoma Park Elementary School walked into a classroom that had been transformed.

Instead of the regular desks and chairs, they saw gray domed things  looking a little like horseshoe crabs  in neat rows on the story rug in the middle of the nearly empty room.

Called BOSU balls, the pillow-size half-balls are made of plastic and rubber. Flat on one side, round on the other, with a bouncy center core, BOSUs are found in training rooms of some professional sports teams, at physical therapy centers helping people recover from injuries, and in some athletic and recreation facilities. (The name comes from the idea of using it BOth Sides Up, or BOSU.)

Theyre our desks, explained second-grader Leul Wondwosen, pointing to jumping, hopping, bouncing, balancing, rolling, crawling and standing classmates doing their regular classwork on, near, under, on top of and over BOSUs. Yoga balls, balance boards and stand-up tables lining the walls add to the unusual study space.

Were continually active, said Leul, 7, adding, If we had to sit at desks the whole day, like last year, wed be, like, confined and bored.

Charlotte Croft's second-grade class at Takoma Elementary gathers around the story rug sitting on BOSU balls. (Joseph Ndayisenga)

Leul and his 21 classmates agreed this year to give up their desks for what his teacher describes as a kinesthetic learning experience. That means learning by doing physical activities, rather than by listening to a teacher talk, watching videos or reading books.

Kinesthetics requires using space differently from traditional classrooms. One elementary school in Kentucky, for example, replaced desks with sofas and little tables. A California school brought in stand-up desks only, with no chairs. Many schools are experimenting with replacing chairs with yoga balls.

Our students voted to get rid of desks, said teacher Charlotte Croft. But before making a decision, Croft said, the class talked about possible problems.

Delina Berhanu, 7, recalled asking, Where will I keep my stuff?

Classmate Madina Kante, 7, had an answer. Well keep them in our cubbies, she remembered saying.

They also discussed how reading, writing and math could be done while bouncing all over the place.

It helps your brain to work more, said Ema Stroudova, 8.

Like it? I love it, said Devon Hoverter, 7. When we had desks, sometimes I got bored at the same seat over and over.

Still, students must do the same work every other second-grader does, and their test results will be studied closely when school ends in June, Croft said.

We have been active all year long on yoga balls, balance boards and trying new places to do our work, such as standing at tables, or on chairs by cubbies, or even on the shelves of our cubbies, Croft said. And the more active the students have been, the more improvements I saw in their schoolwork.

Liz Rowsey, of Ohio-based BOSU, said the company donated the balls because this is the first time a teacher has reached out to us and expressed interest in removing desks and only using BOSUs. She said she cant wait to see whether kids learn better this way.

Absatu Conteh, 7, said other students would like to be part of the experiment. My best friend said, No fair, I want no desks, too. 

For at least one kid in Crofts class, the school year is ending too soon.

Now I have all the tools to have fun and study, said Owen Howard, 7. I am going to miss it next year in third grade.
Dear Heloise: The ice cream in the freezer section of our 20-year-old, side-by-side refrigerator/freezer was getting soft. I moved the temperature controls for both the refrigerator and the freezer to their lowest setting and back up to their regular setting, then closed both doors. Within a day or two of normal use of the refrigerator and freezer, the ice cream was as firm as it was supposed to be and continues to be so.

I am sure this will not work for everybodys freezer problem, but it doesnt cost anything to try it, and who knows, perhaps it will save someone else from having to purchase a new refrigerator.

George S., Hamilton, Ohio

George S.: I am a firm believer in trying anything once in an effort to fix something, especially before calling a professional. Whether moving the settings or unplugging an appliance completely, you never know what fix may occur and ultimately save you money.

Dear Heloise: I recently lost the smart key to my car, which cost me $400 and change to replace. While backtracking to all the places where I possibly lost it, I was amazed at the unclaimed key rings at the lost-and-found in various stores.

I now attach a dog tag, with name and phone number, to my key ring, like the ID tags purchased at any pet store. It cost me $5 and can save you hundreds. Caution, though: Do not put an address on the tag, only first name and telephone number, so it cannot be used to enter your home.

Ilona T. in Florida

Ilona T. in Florida: As an added precaution, type the phone number into an Internet search engine to see if an address comes up. And you may want to use a cellphone number to be sure you are reached when out searching for the keys!

Dear Heloise: I have a hint Id like to share: When I was working (now retired), I took frozen meals to the office to cook in a microwave for lunch. Taking the hot dish back to my desk, I hit upon the idea of sliding the hot dish back into the cardboard package. Much easier to handle that way, and no burned fingers!

Mary M., via email

Dear Heloise: When hanger space is limited, I put a key ring around the top of the hanger and hang a coordinating item from the key ring. I also put special jewelry in a plastic bag, cut a hole in the bag and place it over the hanger top. This helps me coordinate a whole outfit in little space.

Shirley L. in Florida

Dear Heloise: I enjoy your hints in the Tupelo, Mississippi, Daily Journal. My hint is for removing lint from the clothes-dryer screen. I use an old, battery-powered toothbrush. Just turn it on and brush over the screen. It removes the lint easily and quickly.

Gail C., via email

Heloises column appears six days a week at washingtonpost.com/advice. Send a hint to Heloise , P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Tex. 78279-5000, or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
A crew with District Contractors clears snow from the Mary E. Switzer Memorial Building at C Street and 3rd Streets SW in 2010. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

The District government spent $55 million on snow removal from one storm in January  more than it cost to get rid of snow in the past seven years combined.

The record spending was driven by hastily arranged deals between the city and contractors up and down the East Coast after a blizzard dumped almost two feet of snow.

Aides to D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said the administration had no choice: The snow threatened to paralyze the District, and to get plows and dump trucks going, the city had to hire contractors  a lot of them, and fast.

But officials did something unusual  they charged almost half the expenses on city credit cards.

That sent the citys credit-card balance soaring to roughly 20 times its usual level and prompted lender J.P. Morgan last month to take the unprecedented step of shutting off the citys credit cards until the balance is paid.

After a couple of days, the city and the creditor reached an agreement to temporarily allow the use of credit cards in order to keep municipal agencies running. On Tuesday, the D.C. Council took the first in a series of emergency actions to repay debts related to the storm, officials said.

We try to tell people to manage their own affairs, but this doesnt seem like good management of financial affairs, said D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), who has oversight of snow removal. She said she was surprised by the amount the city spent and by how it paid the bills.

Bowser administration officials have not said how much the city is incurring in late fees because of its unpaid balance, which reaches into the millions.

Spokesman Michael Czin said that because of restrictions in city contracting law, it was often most expedient to charge the cost of snow removal.

The mayor has the ability to deploy resources as needed in an emergency, and using credit cards was the fastest way to pay vendors for their services, Czin said. Our priority was on getting contractors down here in a timely manner, and it was also important we continue to pay them in a timely manner so that it doesnt impact our ability in the future to hire as needed.

Paying off the debt hasnt been as easy, though.

Bowser notified the council in February that she was withdrawing $55 million from city contingency funds to pay for the snow removal.

But a dispute with attorneys for the D.C. Council has in part held up payments. D.C. law requires any contract of more than $1 million to go before the council for a vote. And many companies that received multiple payments by credit card were paid more than that.

Many companies also refused to accept credit-card payments because of the fees that banks charge and other issues.

On Tuesday, the council voted to approve $10.2 million in emergency expenditures to pay mostly D.C.-area construction crews for services rendered immediately after the storm.

In coming weeks, the council will consider $24 million in credit-card debt, Czin said.

The city expects to receive more than $30 million in reimbursements from the federal government under a disaster declaration due to the storm, D.C. City Administrator Rashad Young told council members last week. But that will still leave the District with costs from the blizzard that will be equal to or greater than four years worth of the citys snow budget.

A project manager for Citadel Firm LLC, which received the largest single credit card payment, $669,198, said it was unusual for a city to ask to charge so much work, but the company decided to accept the payment  and the transaction fees  because it had to hire many subcontractors and needed money for cash flow.

Another company, Virginia-based C.W. Strittmatter was paid $4,475,467 over 27 credit-card payments. The company provided 75 dump trucks and 20 pieces of equipment around the clock for one week.

In all, the city made 67 of the largest charges ever on District credit cards  each over $100,000 between Feb. 3 and March 4.

The project manager for Citadel, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized by his superiors to do so, said the District warned contractors that if they did not accept payment by credit card, it could take months to be paid.

The large one-time expense illustrates the perils of the D.C. governments decision not to plan for a snowfall as large as the one from Januarys storm, dubbed Snowzilla.

The District budgets for snowfalls of up to 18 inches, less than the 22 inches measured in parts of the city in January. The citys $6.2 million annual snow-removal budget pays for about 700 pieces of equipment to cover its 68 square miles. At the peak of the February cleanup, the city had six times that number of trucks and heavy pieces of machinery on city streets, with some crews from as far away as Boston and Florida.

[Boston snow crew shows D.C. how its done  with a little scoffing]

By comparison, New York City budgets $77 million annually for snow removal and dispatches 2,000 pieces of equipment across the citys 302 square miles. On average, New York contends with 25 inches of snow each year, nearly twice what Washington gets.

[D.C. officials dont want to hear about how good NYC is at clearing snow]

Cheh has said the District needs to keep contractors on retainer for megastorms to clear walkways, bus stops and fire hydrants. But she said the city government seems to accept that it can prepare only so much for rare events.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said he was stunned by the price of the cleanup for only one storm, but he was reluctant to budget $20 million or more for snow removal every year.

The danger is if it doesnt snow, that could just end up being a slush fund for District lawmakers to do with as they please, he said.

[Related: D.C. forgave thousands of parking tickets issued during the storm]
Rina Shah Bharara, pictured in 2011, has been barred from being a delegate to the Republican National Convention this summer. (Jeffrey MacMillan)

A Republican businesswoman who has called Donald Trump a racist, misogynist flip-flopper will not get a chance to vote against him this summer at the Republican National Convention, D.C. party officials say.

D.C. GOP leaders voted not to certify the election of Rina Shah Bharara as a convention delegate after they said they discovered that she lives in Virginia, not the District  a violation of party rules.

But in an interview Tuesday, Bharara fired back, saying she offered the party proof that shes a D.C. resident, and she vowed to go to Cleveland for this summers convention anyway.

This is all Trump-driven. They are searching for anything to get rid of me, Bharara said. I have not been dishonest; its actually the D.C. party that is overstepping its authority. . . . I was elected, and Im going to Cleveland.

The investigation into Bhararas eligibility to be a Republican delegate was launched after Breitbart.com, a conservative media outlet and one of the earliest chroniclers of Trumps long-shot bid for the presidency, reviewed Bhararas property records and her Instagram account, finding pictures of a home she says she co-owns in Virginia.

Bharara became a lightning rod for conservative commentators last month after she said in an appearance on Fox News that she would consider voting for Hillary Clinton instead of Trump should the New York billionaire become the partys nominee.

Bharara says that she took that stance to draw attention to what she considers Trumps dangerous positions but that it uncapped turmoil within the D.C. GOP about what to do if Trump becomes the nominee.

Bhararas favored candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), won the D.C. Republican primary before he withdrew from the race. Ohio Gov. John Kasich came in second. Trump did not win any delegates in the District.

But Trumps string of victories in other primaries has put him within striking distance of the partys nomination, diminishing the role of anti-Trump delegates such as Bharara.

This is about Trump supporters, and I cant believe they are winning, Bharara said.

Bharara is the founder of a political consultancy, Rilax Strategies, which operates out of a Navy Yard condominium she bought with her father in 2011 and where she said she resides.

She campaigned for a spot as an RNC delegate with a sign at the D.C. partys March convention that read: Vote for a Daughter of Immigrants  Rina Shah  New Mother, Millennial, Entrepreneur, DC Resident of 10+ years.

Two party officials with knowledge of the issue said a Trump supporter lodged a complaint about Bhararas residency. The GOPs executive committee voted 3 to 1 to oust her after reviewing property records that showed she owns the home in Reston, about 20 miles outside the District. The committee also reviewed records showing that her business address in the District is owned by her father, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe party actions.

In a statement, Patrick Mara, executive director of the D.C. Republican Party, said party leaders recommended against allowing Bharara to keep her title as delegate based on evidence that she is not a resident of the District of Columbia.

Bharara provided The Washington Post with a copy of a legal affidavit she gave the party showing that she is responsible for property taxes and pays utilities at the Navy Yard site, and that she has a D.C. drivers license and is registered to vote in the city.

Bharara had lamented Rubios withdrawal from the GOP field on Twitter and other social media, saying after he left the race that she felt sucker punched.

By the middle of last month, Bharara had vowed to use her vote to try to stop Trump. She was touted by the Never Trump movement, appeared on national radio and television broadcasts, and began fiercely criticizing Trumps comments on immigrants and women.

.@realDonaldTrump is not a real Republican. So, hell never get my vote. He is a racist, misogynist flip-flopper. Wake up #USA! #NeverTrump, Bharara said in a Twitter message.

In another post, she wrote: @ GOPconvention, Ill do right 4 GOP voters of #WashingtonDC. Im w/Rubio 1st ballot & want 2 elect some1 who CAN beat Hillary. Trump cannot.

Breitbart, which reported Bhararas ouster last week, published emails showing what may be an effort by the D.C. GOP to rally around Trump if he gets close to the threshold of delegates needed to win the nomination.

Mara, the partys executive director, said Bhararas replacement would be one of two alternates. Bharara said she would fight the decision.

After appearing last month on Fox News, Bharara became a pariah to conservatives. She said she had tinkered with the idea of voting for Clinton if Trump becomes the partys nominee.

Ive thought about this, Bharara said. . . . Ive been called a Democrat; Ive been called a Republican in Name Only. But the truth of the matter is, I know what Im getting with Clintonian policies. I dont know what Im getting with Donald Trump  hes seriously too far off the deep end for me.
Kindergartners sit on the classroom floor on Feb. 18, 2016, at Westlawn Elementary in Fairfax County. The Fairfax County school system will start classes a week earlier in 2017. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Virginias largest school district will start its school year before Labor Day in 2017, becoming the latest school system to receive a waiver from a state law that was passed two decades ago to safeguard the states tourism industry.

The board of the Fairfax County school system voted 9 to 1 last week to move the start date to Aug. 28 in 2017, the first time in recent history that classes will start before Labor Day. The district, with about 186,000 students, has had enough snow days over the past decade  averaging more than eight in the five worst years  to qualify for the waiver from what is widely known as the Kings Dominion law, a reference to the popular theme park.

The state law requires schools to start after Labor Day unless they meet a threshold for weather-related cancellations or have alternative programs. Lawmakers and tourism boosters have argued that the law gives families an extra week and a long weekend to go on vacation, supporting a vital industry.

Eric Terry, president of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association, said the pre-Labor Day starts to the school year hurt local tourism hot spots such as Williamsburg and Virginia Beach. The trade group found in a 2008 study that if all schools adopted an early start, the move could cost the industry $275 million.

Theres certainly concern. Youre talking about the fifth-largest private industry in the state, Terry said. The shift to early school years begins to impact what happens with employment, taxes collected and a number of things.

But the post-Labor Day start has been unpopular among some school board members who want the authority to set school calendars. Former governor Robert F. McDonnell (R) made the repeal of the law part of his education agenda. That effort was shot down in 2012.

[From 2012: Kings Dominion law likely to live on in Va., leaving first day of school after Labor Day]

Local school jurisdictions should be allowed to design their own school year without interference from the state, said board member Ryan McElveen (At Large).

Of 132 school divisions statewide, 80 qualified for waivers from the law this year, most because of weather-related cancellations, according to the Virginia Department of Education. Schools in Prince William and Loudoun counties, the states second- and third-largest school districts, started before Labor Day this school year and plan to do the same next year.

Virginias law makes it an outlier in the Washington region. The Districts public schools start classes before Labor Day. Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland start before Labor Day, although there has been a recent push to require schools to start after the long weekend to boost tourism.

[Start school after Labor Day? Maryland task force says yes]

Those who support earlier start dates say the schedule gives students more time to prepare for end-of-course exams, including nationally administered Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests.

Fairfax County School Board member Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield) said that by being required to start school after Labor Day, the countys students have been perpetually disadvantaged because they compete with students across the country who start far earlier.

Some school districts even start at the beginning of August, Schultz said at the board meeting last Thursday when she voted to start before Labor Day. Those students have weeks, if not months or more, ahead of the curriculum against the standardized tests.

Supporters of a pre-Labor Day start also argued that it will reduce down time in the classroom that can occur after students complete comprehensive state exams and before the school year lets out.

We have to make the end of our year more meaningful, said student board representative Ben Press, a senior at James Madison High School. He said many teachers are forced to rush through curricula at the end of the year to prepare for standardized exams but have little for students to do once the exams are over.

Despite overwhelming support on the board to move to an earlier start date, the results of a community survey were less definitive. The district surveyed nearly 42,000 parents of Fairfax County students, and 53 percent supported the early start to the school year. Among about 14,100 teachers, 64 percent supported it.
BLOOD DONATIONS

BLOOD DRIVES Sunday 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Sterling United Methodist Church, 304 E. Church Rd., Sterling, 800-733-2767; May 9, 2-7 p.m., Village at Leesburg, 1603 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg, 800-733-2767; May 13, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Northern Virginia Bahai Center, 21415 Cardinal Glen Cir., Sterling, 800-733-2767; May 17, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Loudoun School Administration Building, 210000 Education Ct., Ashburn, 866-256-6372.

INOVA BLOOD DONOR CENTER Mondays noon-8 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays noon-4 p.m. Dulles Town Center, 45745 Nokes Blvd., Sterling. 866-256-6372 or inova.org/donateblood.

FIRST AID

FIRST AID/ADULT, INFANT AND CHILD CPR/AED Fauquier Hospital Medical Office Building, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Call for schedule. 540-316-3588. Registration required.

HEARING

DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER Technical assistance through the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and presentations to businesses, civic groups and schools. Third Tuesdays 2-5 p.m., Workplace, 205 Keith St., Warrenton. Call for an appointment, 800-648-6324; TDD, 540-373-5890. Free.

FREE HEARING TESTS Age 18 and older. Mondays-Thursdays 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. 703-858-7620. Registration required.

HEARING LOSS, TINNITUS AND MENIERES SYNDROME SUPPORT For all ages, including parents of children with hearing loss. First Fridays 2 p.m., Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2906.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING Age 18 and older, second Tuesdays 10 a.m., Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400.

HEARING LOSS OUTREACH Free referrals. Fourth Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Loudoun County Workforce Center, 102 Heritage Way, Leesburg; third Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. Free appointments: 703-430-2906 or nvrcloudoun@aol.com.

MENTAL HEALTH

COUNSELING FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVIVORS Provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice. 703-771-9020.

CRISISLINK Suicide and crisis intervention. The organization provides community education, has a volunteer crisis response team and offers CareRing, a daily telephone outreach program for the elderly and disabled. 703-527-6016, volunteer@crisislink.org or crisislink.org.

PIEDMONT CHAPTER, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS Serves Fauquier, Orange, Madison and Rappahannock counties. Support group, education classes and events for people living with mental illness and their family members. First Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. Fauquier Hospital, 500 Hospital Dr., Sycamore Room A, Warrenton. 571-426-8213.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA CHAPTER, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS A support group, classes and programs for people living with mental illness and their family members. naminorthernvirginia.org.

PREGNANCY, PARENTING

ADOPTIVE FAMILY PRESERVATION Adoptive families discuss common experiences; registration required. Third Tuesdays 12:30-2 p.m. Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd. Call 703-941-9008, Ext. 23, or email jmellerio@umfs.org.

BIRTHRIGHT OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Free pregnancy tests, baby clothing, transportation and support throughout pregnancy, 823 S. King St., Leesburg. 703-777-7272.

BOND BETWEEN US A nonprofit organization that offers support to birth parents when children have been placed for adoption. Fourth Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. Call for location. 703-771-7844.

BREAST-FEEDING SUPPORT Mondays 9:30-10:30 a.m., Fauquier Hospital Family Birthing Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588.

DAD SUPPORT New and expectant fathers share ideas. First Tuesdays 7 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. 703-858-6360.

FOR THE CHILDRENS SAKE A group for separating or divorcing parents to share advice. Four-hour session weekly. Information : 703-391-8599 or fitsfoundation.org.

LA LECHE LEAGUE Mother-to-mother support and breast-feeding information. 10 a.m. second Wednesdays in Warrenton, 540-351-6103. Third Fridays 10:15-11:45 a.m., call for location, 703-444-7386. Second Fridays 10:15 a.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd., 703-431-3852; Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Panera Bread, 43670 Greenway Corp. Dr., Ashburn, email lllashburn@gmail.com. Third Fridays 10:15 a.m., Christ the Redeemer Church, 46833 Harry F. Byrd. Hwy., Sterling, 540-338-4637.

LOUDOUN FATHERHOOD PROGRAM Fathers discuss the joys and challenges of being a parent. Meets every other Saturday for two hours for four months; sponsored by Northern Virginia Family Service. 571-748-2796. Free.

LOUDOUN NURTURING PARENTING PROGRAM Positive parenting techniques; children attend with parents. Registration required. Call 703-771-3973, Ext. 27, or email nurturingprogram@lcsj.org . Free.

MOTHERNET/HEALTHY FAMILIES LOUDOUN Program links first-time parents with medical, social and educational resources to give children a socially and physically healthy start in life. Family support workers meet with participants in homes. English-Spanish translation provided. 703-444-4477, Ext. 217, or inmed.org .

NEW MOTHERS SUPPORT Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m. Inova Loudoun Medical Pavilion, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg, main entrance. Babies welcome. 703-858-6360.

YOUNG PARENT SERVICES Support for teenage parents. Loudoun County Department of Family Social Services, 52 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg. Call for times. 703-771-5375.

ONLINE CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION PROGRAM Inova Loudoun Hospitals Web-based program uses animation, videos and interactive activities to guide users through the basics of childbirth, breast-feeding and caring for newborns. 703-858-6360. thebirthinginn.org/classes.

PARENTING ALONE GROUP For parents of school-age children who have lost a spouse or partner to cancer. Second Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-698-2536 or email jennifer.eckert@inova.org .

PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH SUPPORT Childbirth Solutions Resource Center, 8393 W. Main St., Marshall. 571-344-0438.

SENIORS

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Weights, treadmills, bikes and a cardio-glide. Instruction provided. Age 55 and older. Weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

FITNESS FOR PEOPLE 55 AND OLDER Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 1-1:45 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400. $36, 12-visit card.

EYE CARE LensCrafters staff members will clean glasses and make minor repairs. Second Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2397. Free.

INOVA LOUDOUN MOBILE VAN Blood pressure checks. Second and fourth Tuesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling, 571-258-3280; first Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

LAUGHING YOGA FOR SENIORS I mprove flexibility and balance. Thursdays 9:30-10 :30 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

LOUDOUN ADULT DAY CENTERS For seniors with physical limitations or memory loss, a safe and social environment, therapeutic activities, individualized care and respite for caregivers. Limited transportation. Sliding-scale fees. Weekdays in Leesburg, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 703-771-5334; Purcellville, 571-258-3402; and Ashburn-Sterling, 571-258-3232.

SENIOR OUTREACH SERVICES Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Senior Center at Cascades. First and third Wednesdays 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280.

SENIOR OUTREACH SERVICES Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Sign up in the Leesburg Senior Center lobby. Second and fourth Thursdays 11 a.m.-noon and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

SENIOR OUTREACH SERVICES Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Carver Center. First and third Mondays, 12:30-5 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 703-737-8741. Free.

ZUMBA GOLD CLASS: For people 55 and older who are learning Zumba for the first time, or those who prefer a lower-impact version. The fitness program combines Latin and international music with dance.Thursdays 11 a.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280. $12.

TAI CHI Stretching and strengthening movements. Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

ZUMBA GOLD CLASS Age 55 and older. Wear rubber-soled shoes and comfortable clothing; bring water and a towel. Tuesdays 11 a.m., Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. Senior Center of Leesburg, 102 North St. NW, Leesburg. 703-737-8039. $24 per month.

SUPPORT GROUPS

AL-ANON SERVICE CENTER OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA A volunteer is available 24 hours with information for spouses, family members and friends of problem drinkers. 703-534-4357 or 877-339-8350. Mondays 8 p.m. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 125 W. Washington St., Middleburg, 540-554-2747; Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg, 877-339-8350; Fridays 8:30 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main St., The Plains, 800-344-2666; Tuesdays 12:15 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, Route 29 N., 540-347-7448; Tuesdays 7 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 p.m. Warrenton Presbyterian Church, 91 Main St., 800-344-2666.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Various meeting times and locations in Loudoun County. 800-208-8649 or 703-876-6166. nvintergroup.org.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVER SUPPORT For those who care for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Fourth Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m. The Villa at Suffield Meadows, 6735 Suffield Lane, Warrenton. 540-316-3800.

ALZHEIMERS SUPPORT First Tuesdays 10-11 a.m. Spring Arbor Assisted Living, 237 Fairview St. NW, Leesburg. 540-338-6520.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVERS SUPPORT For those caring for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Second Mondays 7-8:30 p.m. Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-430-9229. galileeumc.org.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVER SUPPORT Emotional, educational and social support for family members and friends of people with the disease. Third Saturdays 10 a.m. Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, 20145 Ashbrook Pl., Ashburn. Call 703-771-5407 or email lesley.katz@loudoun.gov.

ALZHEIMERS SUPPORT First Wednesdays 4 p.m. Leesburg Adult Day Center, 16501 Meadowview Ct., Leesburg. 703-771-5334.

TALK ABOUT CURING AUTISM A nonprofit organization educating and supporting families affected by autism. tacanow.org.

AUTOIMMUNE SUPPORT Last Thursdays 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jackson Building, 209 Gibson St., Leesburg. Email autoimmunesupport@hotmail.com .

BEREAVED PARENT SUPPORT One-on-one counseling is available. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT For those experiencing loss because of the death of a loved one. Age 18 and older. Third Mondays 1 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-957-1800.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT Fourth Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Tower, Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-0588.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT For those with new diagnoses or starting treatment. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT For those who have finished treatment, have had a recurrence or metastatic breast cancer. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857. Free.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT ASSISTANCE FUND Loudoun County residents who have received a diagnosis or have undergone treatment in the past 12 months are eligible to apply for financial assistance. Areas included are wigs, bras, puffs and prostheses, mammograms and medical bills, food and help with utilities, rent or mortgage, and transportation costs. The Pink Assistance Fund has been established by the Loudoun Breast Health Network. lbhn.org.

CANCER SUPPORT Oncology nurses, social workers and spiritual care providers offer education and support to patients, families and caregivers. Second Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2273.

CANCER SUPPORT Life with Cancer, for patients, family members and friends. Second Thursdays 7 p.m. Ashburn Presbyterian Church, Room 202, 20962 Ashburn Rd. 703-729-2012. ashburnpresbyterian.org.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831 or alz.org.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP Third Saturdays 10 a.m. Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, 20145 Ashbrook Pl., Ashburn. 703-771-5407. alz.org/nca .

CAREGIVER SUPPORT AND RESOURCE GROUP Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.-noon (no meeting first Wednesdays), Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

CARING FOR AGING PARENTS Support group. Confidential. Fourth Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Family Focus Counseling Service, 20-B John Marshall St., Warrenton. 540-349-4537.

CHADD PARENTS SUPPORT For parents of children with ADD/ADHD. Fourth Sundays 3 p.m. KinderCare, 44051 Ashburn Village Shopping Plaza. chadd.nova loudoun@gmail. com .

CHRONIC ILLNESS SUPPORT Tuesdays 10:30-11:30 a.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministries, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814 or scsm.tv.

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION: Support for those discouraged because of illness, bereavement, caregiving or a loved one in the military. Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS For parents who have experienced the death of a child. First Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg. 540-882-9707.

CREATING AND CONNECTING Two-hour art therapy and relaxation workshop for cancer patients. Every other month, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-858-8850.

DEPRESSION BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE OF WESTERN LOUDOUN Saturdays 3 p.m. Purcellville Library, 220 E. Main St., Carruthers Room. Call 703-431-7160 or email kathy@dbsanca.org.

DROP-IN GRIEF SUPPORT For those coping with a death. Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. St. Davids Episcopal Church, 43600 Russell Branch Pkwy., Ashburn. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-597-1781.

GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER YOUTH AND PARENT SUPPORT A group in partnership with Metro DC PFLAG. Fourth Sundays 4-6 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 22135 Davis Dr., Sterling. 703-328-6518.

GRIEFSHARE Open to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Tue sdays from 7-8:30 p.m. Purcellville Baptist Church, 601 Yaxley Dr., Purcellville. Call 540-338-0918 or email caring@purbap.org. Workbook, $15.

GRIEFSHARE Nondenominational seminar and support group. Tuesdays 7:30-9 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1-2:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. Free.

GRIEF SUPPORT Sponsored by Hospice Support of Fauquier County. Individual counseling available. First and third Thursdays 3:30-5 p.m. Hospice Support Office, 42 N. Fifth St., Warrenton. Registration required. Call 540-347-5922 or email hospicesupport@verizon.net.

GRIEF SUPPORT Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

HOSPICE SUPPORT Free medical-equipment loan facility for Fauquier County residents. Especially needed are donations of wheelchairs, bedside commodes, rolling walkers, electric hospital beds, shower benches and chairs, adult diapers, lift chairs, Ensure and hospital bed mattresses. 540-347-5922.

LOOK GOOD, FEEL BETTER For women undergoing or emerging from cancer treatment. Every other month, 6:45 to 9 p.m. ,Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-776-2820. Free.

LOUDOUN CHADD SUPPORT Led by Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Leesburg Town Hall, lower-level conference room, 25 W. Market St. 703-669-2445.

LOUDOUN INTERGROUP OF OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Fellowship and support. For locations and times, call 571-420-2012. oa.org.

LYME DISEASE SUPPORT Fourth Sundays 2-4 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Conference Room A and B, Leesburg. Go to natcaplyme.org or email loudounlymeadvocates@gmail.com.

LYME DISEASE SUPPORT Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, 6398 Lee Hwy. Access Road, Warrenton. 540-347-7265 or email lymeinfauquier@gmail.com.

MADD LOUDOUN VICTIM SUPPORT For those who have been affected by drunken driving. Third Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. 210 Wirt St., Leesburg. 540-338-6491.

MAN-TO-MAN CANCER SUPPORT Sponsored by Loudoun Cancer Care Center, for prostate cancer patients and their families. Second Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. Call 703-858-8857 or email karen.archer@inova.org.

MENOPAUSE SUPPORT Third Thursdays 6:30-9 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg (second floor, Patient Education Room). 703-858-8060.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUPPORT Saturdays 10:30 a.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-2826.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUPPORT Last Sundays 2-4 p.m. Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Pl., Potomac Falls. 703-771-4256.

NAR-ANON FAMILY SUPPORT For those affected by loved ones with addiction. Meaningful Mondays, 7-8 p.m., Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-203-9792; Wisdom Wednesdays 7-8 p.m., St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 37730 St. Francis Ct., Purcellville, 703-606-7125; Serenity Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. Leesburg Presbyterian Church, 207 W. Market St., Leesburg, 703-606-7125.

PARKINSON'S SUPPORT Open to anyone with Parkinson's disease, family members and caregivers. First Tuesdays 1:30-3 p.m. Call for Ashburn location. 571-442-8851.

POST-PARTUM SUPPORT Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Cornwall Campus, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. 703-909-9877. Email lamckeough@gmail.com. Registration required.

REACH TO RECOVERY Home visit program for mastectomy and lumpectomy patients. Temporary prostheses, exercise instruction and encouragement. 703-938-5550.

SEXUAL ASSAULT AND INCEST SURVIVORS GROUP COUNSELING Services provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and the Loudoun Abused Womens Shelter are free and confidential. 703-771-9020.

SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS EMPOWERMENT SUPPORT Sponsored by Sexual Assault Victims Volunteer Initiative. Child care available with 48-hours notice. Mondays; call for times and locations. 540-349-7720.

SPIRITUAL SUPPORT GROUP For cancer patients, family members and friends. Third Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8850.

STROKE SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVERS SUPPORT Second Wednesdays 11 a.m.-noon, Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second floor, Patient Education Room. 703-858-6667 or robyn.thomson@inova.org.

SUICIDE COUNSELING Third Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m. Leesburg Town Office, Conference Room 2, lower level, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. 703-587-1618 or survivorsofsuicidelossleesburg@gmail.com.

WOMENS SUPPORT Sponsored by Services to Abused Families. Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Confidential location. 540-825-8876.

WIDOW AND WIDOWER SUPPORT Third Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

WOMENS CANCER SUPPORT Woman to Woman, first Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Registration required. 703-858-8850.

MISCELLANEOUS

BRAIN TRAUMA SURVIVORS BROWN BAG LUNCH For survivors and caregivers, first Tuesdays, noon-1:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second-floor Patient Education Room. Call 703-737-3150 or email jberg@braininjurysvcs.org. Free.

BRAMBLETON HEALTHY LIVING EXPO Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Brambleton Town Center, 42395 Ryan Rd., Brambleton. Health ckeck stations, exercise demonstrations, music, moon bounces, face-painting, balloon artist and vendors. 703-542-2925. Free.

CHILD DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS For ages 2-5. Children may not be kindergarten-age-eligible. Sponsored by the Loudoun County public schools Child Find Center. 571-252 - 2180.

CHOLESTEROL SCREENINGS Weekdays 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Fauquier Health LIFE Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2640. Registration required. $35.

EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES Loudoun residents who are in need can receive a free three-day supply of groceries. Supplies are distributed Mondays through Saturdays by Loudoun Interfaith Relief. 703-777-5911. interfaithrelief.org.

FAUQUIER FREE WALK-IN MEDICAL CLINIC Patients must call Thursdays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. to register for the clinic, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Patients are also seen by appointment Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fauquier and Rappahannock residents only. Bring proof of address for the first visit. Patients cannot have Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. Information: 540-347-0394 Tuesdays or Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

FAUQUIER HOSPITAL BISTRO SENIOR SUPPER CLUB Nutritious meals and fellowship for people 55 and older. Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Bistro on the Hill, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. $5.49.

GAMERS UNION FOR TEENS WITH ASPERGERS Youths 12 to 21 interact through gaming; their caregivers meet for networking. Second Tuesdays 6 p.m. Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Rd., Leesburg. 703-777-0323. Free.

HEROES (Hometown Enabling Relationships, Opportunities and Empowerment through Support) is a program for military families. A trained volunteer provides support to military members and their families, from pre-deployment up to two years post-deployment. Assistance includes financial help, job placement, family care and mental health services. heroescare.org or email caring@purbap.org .

INOVA LOUDOUN HOSPITAL MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS Monday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Levis Hill House, 1000 W. Washington St., Middleburg; Tuesday 9 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling; Wednesday 10 a.m.-noon, Lansdowne Woods, 19400 Leisure World Blvd., Leesburg; Thursday 10 a.m.-noon, Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. Information: 703-858-8818 or inova.org/mobilehealth. Free.

LOUDOUN CARES INFORMATION AND REFERRAL HELPLINE Call for help in finding resources for county residents who are dealing with rent eviction, utility cut-offs, needed health care, employment and more. 703-669-4636.

MOTOR SKILL SCREENINGS Birth to 21 months. First Thursdays, Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. Call for an appointment. 703-858-7620. Free.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN Call for help in resolving complaints related to long-term-care facilities. 703-324-5861.

ROAD TO RECOVERY, for cancer patients who need rides to appointments. 410-781-6909. Email jen.burdette@cancer.org. Free.

SEVEN LOAVES FOOD PANTRY Individuals and families can receive a three-day supply of food, distributed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10 a.m.-noon. 540-687-3489 or sevenloavesmiddleburg.org.

TREE OF LIFE FOOD PANTRY Serving western Loudoun County. Food is delivered Wednesdays and Saturdays. 703-554-3595.

WHEN A MAN FACES GRIEF Four-week series focusing on men healing from loss. Wayne Ralston and Jim Presely are the facilitators. Thursdays in May, 7-8:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministries, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. Non-denominational. 540-349-5814, Free.

 Compiled by Sandy Mauck

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C.D. Witherspoon, representing the Baltimore chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, discusses alleged irregularities with the city's April 26 primary at a news conference at the Baltimore City Board of Elections headquarters. (Josh Hicks/The Washington Post)

More than a dozen Maryland activists called Tuesday for the state to halt certification of election results from Baltimores April 26 primary and investigate alleged voting problems, a move that would cast doubt on state Sen. Catherine E. Pughs victory in the Democratic mayoral race.

The latest results show that Pugh, the states Senate majority leader, defeated former Baltimore mayor and runner-up Sheila Dixon by 2,574 votes out of 125,221 cast in the Democratic contest.

Some election watchdogs have questioned the integrity of the primary, citing concerns about vote tallies that went missing from several precincts for about 24 hours, polling stations that opened late and alleged conflicts of interest among election judges as well as problems with staff training and voting equipment, including shortages of ballots and ballpoint pens at some centers.

This is about preserving the integrity of the democratic process in this city, said C.D. Witherspoon, who represented the Baltimore chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at a news conference in front of the Baltimore City Board of Elections.

The activists, who say they are not working on behalf of any of the candidates in last weeks primary, sent a letter to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) asking him to intervene with an investigation through the state prosecutors office.

They said they had identified more than two dozen problems with last weeks primary, including campaign workers hired to work as election judges, voters who received the wrong ballots, eight precincts that submitted their results a day late, and former prison inmates who did not receive voter cards even though they had registered this year after the state legislature restored their voting rights.

[Md. legislature overrides Hogans veto of felon-voting bill]

Given the totality of the irregularities, we cannot rely on the election results, said J. Wyndal Gordon, the attorney who is serving as lead counsel for the effort.

Hogans office said the governor will allow the usual election-certification process to take place through the local election board and the state prosecutors office.

Hell be keeping an eye on it, spokesman Doug Mayer said. The governor supports fair and equitable elections and believes that any election that takes place in the state of Maryland should be completely free of any kind of irregularities or fraud.

Baltimore Board of Elections Director Armstead B.C. Jones Sr. said some staffing and training issues stemmed from a rush to fill vacancies on the Friday before the election, after a firm that was hired to provide poll workers failed to fulfill its obligation.

We filled them with a last-minute email blast, he said. We had to fall back on city workers. We may have been short 68 people at the end of the day.

Jones said all of the poll workers were trained the day before the primary and should have known they were prohibited from working at a polling station if they were involved in a campaign.

He added that election judges sometimes misplace memory sticks and thumb drives that contain election results from their precincts, but the board ultimately tracked down the Baltimore results in question.

It was a legitimate election, Jones said. Of course there are shortfalls, but they are human shortfalls that have nothing to do with the integrity of the election. I think people are just fishing.

The protest sent to Hogan stated that the missing results cause concern about whether or not the chain of custody was broken and if the votes . . . were in fact compromised.

Jones said he had not been contacted by the offices of the governor or the state prosecutor.

The activists at Tuesdays event included several Democratic candidates for the Baltimore City Councils 5th District seat, including Betsy Gardner, Christopher Ervin and Kinji Scott. Isaac Schleifer won that race with 3,369 votes out of 10,360 cast.

G.I. Johnson, former president of the Baltimore NAACP, said the issues with last weeks primary could diminish public confidence in the election process. Its going to be extra tough to get voters to the polls now, he said.

Statewide, election officials say they received few reports of glitches in Tuesdays primary, which marked Marylands long-awaited switch to paper ballots tallied by scanning machines nearly a decade after lawmakers decided to ditch electronic machines that left no paper trail.

[Marylands new voting machines debut with few reported glitches]
A federal judge sentenced a former D.C. juvenile justice worker to four years in prison Tuesday for helping steal at least $2.4 million in fraudulent federal income tax refunds by giving an identity-theft ring personal information about 645 youth offenders, U.S. authorities said.

Marc A. Bell, 49, of Bowie, Md., admitted that while working at the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services from 2005 to 2013, he became a key source for an identity-theft ring. The ring, led by a Southeast Washington barbershop owner, included more than 130 people and claimed refunds of more than $42 million.

[Barbers, letter carriers, police do it; IRS says refund theft rampant]

U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle in the District also ordered Bell to repay nearly $2 million to the Internal Revenue Service. Prosecutors said Bell is among about 20 individuals who have pleaded guilty, including Kevin Brown, 45, owner of the Classic Kutz barbershop.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and officials with the Justice and Treasury departments, the Postal Service and the IRS.

[Mentor gives teens a chance to start over]

In 2001, The Washington Post profiled Bell, then 34, who directed a District-funded program run by the nonprofit Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice to keep youths out of jail.

[Ex-D.C. juvenile justice worker pleads guilty in $42 million tax-ID-theft ring]

Bell pleaded guilty in January to three counts of identity theft, fraud and conspiracy to defraud the government.
Union Hardware in Bethesda no doubt has nice bathtubs. The store doesnt call itself a store so much as a studio  one to help you imagine the feel of your new space, as its website says.

The imagination of one thief, though, appears to have centered not so much on his space as it did on a well-planned credit-card scam and a U-Haul getaway man. And on Monday, Montgomery County police released a store surveillance photo of the suspect in hopes of generating leads. Theyre asking anyone who may know the man to call 240-773-6710.

The bathtub boost unfolded on the afternoon of April 26.

According to police, the man walked into Union Hardware about 1:30 and said he wanted a specific tub listed at $13,000 but on sale for $6,700.

Apparently this thing has a lot of jets, said Officer Rick Goodale, a Montgomery police spokesman.

The man handed a credit card to an employee. It was declined.

The man told the employee he would call his bank to straighten things out. He placed a call on his cellphone, handed the phone to the employee, and said his bank would explain the rest.

The employee was given instructions over the phone on what to enter into the credit card machine in order to obtain an approval, police said in a news release. The employee followed the instructions and a receipt for the bathtub printed out, as if the purchase had been approved.

The man then loaded the tub into a U-Haul waiting outside the store at 7800 Wisconsin Ave. A second person was behind the wheel. They drove away.

A short time later, Union Hardware was called by its bank, and was told the tub was purchased with a fraudulent credit card, according to police.

It appears the suspect knew what he was after, Goodale said. This was well-thought-out and planned.
A Baltimore police officer sitting in his patrol car shot and critically wounded a man who came up to him pointing a 9mm handgun, police said Sunday.

Police Commissioner Kevin Davis called the incident an attempted suicide by cop. When other officers and EMTs arrived on the scene in Northwest Baltimore, Davis said, the suspect told them multiple times: He should have finished me off.

The shooting, which occurred about 9:30 a.m., is the third in five days involving a Baltimore police officer. It follows the shooting of a teenage boy running from police with a BB gun Wednesday and the shooting Thursday of a 25-year-old man who appeared to have a bomb outside a television station.

In Sundays incident, the officer perceived he was being ambushed, Davis said, which is a really scary thing in police work, and its not the first time an American police officer in the last year or so has been ambushed.

Police said the officer, who was not identified, was sitting in his car writing reports in an alley off Ulman Avenue, between Reisterstown Road and Park Heights Avenue. Seeing the man pointing the gun at him, the officer fired through his closed driver-side window, shattering the glass and hitting the man several times in the upper body, police said.

The suspect, who has not been identified by police, was alert and conscious when taken to hospital but was in critical condition, police said. The suspects gun turned out to be unloaded.

Im just in shock that someone would have a gun and do that, and early on a Sunday morning, said Sharon Green Middleton, a city councilwoman who represents the Park Heights area where the shooting occurred.

Its another example of the problems we have with guns and how easy it is to obtain a gun on the street, she said. I continue to pray for our officers that put their jobs on the line every day, and I pray for the family of this person that did this particular act.

Police spokesman Donny Moses said charges are pending against the man who was shot. He was carrying no identification, Moses said, and police were trying to identify him.

Davis described the officer as being in his 20s and said he is regularly assigned to the area. The officer was not injured.

The man was the seventh person shot by city police this year. All but one of the shootings have happened since March 31. At the same time last year, police had shot four people.

On Wednesday, a city police detective shot a teenager in East Baltimore who he believed was carrying a semiautomatic pistol. It turned out to be a BB gun. On Thursday, police shot a 25-year-old man wearing an animal costume and what appeared to be an explosive device outside the Fox 45 station on W. 41st St. The device turned out to be chocolate bars and wire.

On Sunday, both the boy and the man remained hospitalized. Dedric Colvin, whose family says he is 14 and police say is 13, was listed in good condition, and Alex Brizzi, the 25-year-old, was in serious but stable condition, police said.

Davis said Saturday the teenager would not be charged. Brizzi faces several charges, including arson, related to the incident in which his car burned outside the TV station, which was evacuated after he entered the lobby and gave a flash drive with video warning of the end of the world to a security guard. Brizzi was shot after exiting the lobby and refusing to follow orders to remove his hand from his pocket, police said.

The Rev. Cortly C.D. Witherspoon Sr., who has worked in Park Heights and is president of Baltimores chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said police-involved shootings strain the trust between police and the community, no matter the circumstances.

This is not helping the situation in terms of improving police and community relationships, he said. With this one-year anniversary of Freddie Grays death, we as a community must find a way to improve police-community relationships. These shootings of African American men are not going to help to bridge the broken relationships between the community and the police.

Gray died April 19 last year from spinal injuries sustained while in police custody.

In recent years, Middleton said, residents have made strides in trying to improve the neighborhood near Sundays shooting, which she called a constant drug area.

A nearby park on Pall Mall Road and Shirley Avenue was reclaimed from drug dealers by the community recently, she said, and neighbors are attempting to clean it up and restore its historic stage and brickwork.

Park Heights has its problems, but its wonderful people there that still have hope and care about their community, Middleton said.

Rock Ware, who owns a mobile car washing and detailing business that typically sets up in the area where the shooting occurred, said he would have been in that spot if it had not been raining Sunday. He said he was shaken by the incident.

Its always something around here, Ware said. Im getting scared to come around here.

Not 10 days before, a man was killed and another man injured in a shooting two blocks from Sundays incident. Nathan Walker, 25, was killed April 22 in the 3400 block of Reisterstown Road.

Willie Flowers, executive director of the Park Heights Community Health Alliance, which offers fresh food, health consumer advocacy and other services, said he was shocked by the police shooting.

Flowers said his organization isnt licensed for mental-health services but offers yoga, tai chi and meditation training. All are in high demand in Park Heights, he said.

Theres obviously a need for greater access to mental-health programming as early as possible, he said. Theres consistent treatment for drug addiction, but the mental health thing is stigmatized. There should be some level of outreach that guides people to mental health services.

 Baltimore Sun

Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton contributed to this report.
Social video shows D.C. police officers detaining Keith James Loving, 30, who attacked a D.C. Metrobus driver on May 3 and hijacked the bus. A pedestrian was struck and killed during the hijacking. (Twitter/Sobe @Sobelifeh2o)

Social video shows D.C. police officers detaining Keith James Loving, 30, who attacked a D.C. Metrobus driver on May 3 and hijacked the bus. A pedestrian was struck and killed during the hijacking. (Twitter/Sobe @Sobelifeh2o)

A passenger on a Metrobus attacked the driver, then hijacked the vehicle in Northeast Washington on Tuesday morning, continuing for several blocks until he careened into a gas station and fatally struck a pedestrian, police said.

Police swarmed the bus moments after the pedestrian was hit. A witness said officers pointed guns at the windshield as the driver revved the engine, then they stormed the bus and overpowered him.

The suspect appeared to be very violent and resistant, D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said, explaining that he fought as officers took him into custody and that he was taken to a hospital once he had been restrained. Its a bizarre incident.

The suspect was identified by police Tuesday night as Keith James Loving, 30, of Northeast. They said he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

The victim was identified as Anthony Payne, 40, of Northwest.

Details are emerging about fatal bus hijacking in Northeast Washington on May 3. Keith James Loving, 30, attacked a D.C. Metrobus driver, hijacked the bus and then hit and killed 40-year-old Anthony Payne in a gas station parking lot. (WUSA9)

Police said the attack appeared random, by a man either distraught or possibly under the influence of drugs. Lanier said the suspect is known to officers and might have assaulted a woman earlier Tuesday.

In a brief interview Tuesday night, a relative of the suspects, who declined to be identified by name for privacy reasons, said he was a troubled guy. The relative said he also suffered from mental illness as well.

Police described a frightening series of events starting about 10:30 a.m., when a man with seven-inch-long shears or pliers began beating the driver as about 10 passengers fled the bus through the back door.

[Federal officials say Metro not adequately addressed assaults on drivers]

Lanier said the assailant boarded the bus in the 3800 block of Jay Street NE as it was on its way to Lincoln Heights. The man stood next to the driver, who asked him, Do you want to take a seat? Lanier recounted in an interview. He was just standing there staring.

At the next stop, at Kenilworth Terrace, Lanier said, the man attacked the driver. He did not use the pliers-like device in the assault, Lanier said. A police spokesman said the driver was not seriously injured.

The driver hit his emergency call button  which notifies Metros control center, triggers GPS tracking of the bus and notifies police  and then he, too, escaped. Lanier said the suspect then shut the door, hopped in the seat and drove away.

The man drove to Minnesota Avenue, where he headed north for several blocks before jumping a curb and going across the parking lot of a Crown gas station near Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue. The busy area is a gateway into Maryland. Police said the bus jumped a second curb and hit Payne as he walked across the parking lot. He died at a hospital.

David Stephen, a spokesman for Amalgamated Transit Local 689, which represents most of Metros train and bus operators and other workers in the transit system, said attacks on bus drivers have increased over the past few years. He said he had not spoken with the driver and declined to give any information about him.

In 2015, federal authorities noted a 37 percent increase in assaults on drivers, and Metro implemented a pilot program to train drivers in dealing with difficult passengers in the most troubled areas of the bus system, which covers a total 1,500 square miles in the District, Maryland and Virginia.

[Fears of assaults rise on Metro buses]

Several attacks last year gained wide attention, including a shooting in which a gunman standing in front of a bus disabled it and then fired through the windshield, aiming at another man with a gun. A passenger pepper-sprayed a driver in another instance, and a 14-year-old attacked a driver with a stun gun. More commonly, drivers are spat on, slapped and punched, or rocks are thrown at buses.

Our operators of our buses and trains, and at our stations, are the people who are on the receiving end of these activities, Stephen said. Whenever one of our people is in danger, that means the riders are in danger.

The union official said protective shields, which can help prevent rider-driver contact, are being phased in. Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said 362 buses have shields, but the bus hijacked Tuesday lacked one.

The U6 bus, which ferries passengers between Kenilworth Terrace and Lincoln Heights, came to a stop on a curb next to a trash bin and a vacuum machine in the gas stations back parking lot.

Darius Johnson was working at a front register at an adjacent Wendys when he heard a customer at the drive-through window yell, Oh, my God, someones been hit.

He and other workers ran out and saw police board the bus to arrest the suspect.

Its very tragic, Assistant Police Chief Peter Newsham said. The victim was minding his own business and is now the victim of a homicide.

Martin Weil contributed to this report.
A Prince Georges County police officer has been indicted for child abuse that resulted in a 3-year-old boy sustaining a concussion, prosecutors said.

Francesco Marlett, 26, was watching his girlfriends son on Dec. 27 while she was making dinner, the Prince Georges County states attorneys office said in a statement. After the child soiled the bed, Marlett allegedly began spanking the boy, and the child hit his head against a wall and lost consciousness.

When the boys mother came into the room to see what was happening, the child was unconscious and Marlett was performing CPR, the statement said. The child was treated for a concussion and a bruise above his eye at Childrens National Medical Center, according to prosecutors, and staff alerted police and Child Protective Services.

There is no excuse for Officer Marletts actions, Prince Georges County States Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks said in the statement. No matter what may have happened, striking a defenseless child and causing this type of injury is never acceptable.

Marlett has been employed by the department for three years and is assigned to the Bureau of Patrol in District IV, the departments Oxon Hill station, police said.

He faces one count of second-degree child abuse and one count of second-degree assault. After initially being suspended with pay in December as the police departments internal-affairs division investigated the incident, police said, Marlett is currently suspended without pay. His initial court date has not been set.

This incident shows family violence affects people in every profession, in all walks of life, Prince Georges County Police Chief Henry P. Stawinski III said in a statement. We take these allegations very seriously. The issue of family violence is one we are committed to preventing.
Seble Delelegn shares the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans during a meeting of Ethiopian leaders, workers and advocates at Lalibela Cafe in Washington. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

In his native Ethiopia, Bert Bayou was a middle-class professional with a United Nations job. But like tens of thousands of his countrymen, he left his war-torn homeland to start over in the United States. Arriving in Washington in 2001, he used the immigrant grapevine to find low-wage jobs in parking garages and coffee shops where other Ethiopians worked.

Today Bayou, 38, is a labor union official in the District and the veteran of a successful campaign to improve job conditions for garage workers. Now, his union is hoping to organize another niche of Ethiopian employment: the restaurants and newsstands at Reagan National and Dulles International airports.

More than 1,500 people sell snacks and magazines, wait on tables and clean floors at dozens of terminal outlets such as Starbucks and Hudson News, which are under contract at both airports with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Between 60 and 75 percent of those workers are from Ethiopia, according to union officials.

The environment is bright and modern, with both airports having recently upgraded retail services. Yet many workers earn about $10 per hour even after years on the job  less than for similar jobs at other major U.S. airports, union leaders say. Workers say their shifts change unpredictably, some companies offer no health benefits and they can be penalized for taking vacations.

Ethiopians are the predominant ethnic group working at these airports, so these jobs have an outsize impact on our community, Bayou said last week. Latinos are the predominant group among janitors, and they have been able to organize and win rights, but our community is being left behind.

Ethiopian leaders, workers and advocates gather at the Lalibela restaurant, including Tseyon Marya, second from left, to talk about their employment issues at National and Dulles airports. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Bayous union, a national AFL-CIO affiliate called Unite Here, is taking inspiration from the Service Employees International Union, whose Justice for Janitors campaign involved thousands of Central American office cleaners in the Washington area in the 1990s. The group held noisy pickets outside downtown buildings for months.

On April 12, Unite Here staged a brief march by about 50 workers through one terminal at National. Instead of negotiating with more than 20 companies that own concessions at the airports, union leaders want the airports authority to set an overall policy on wages and conditions.

It would be best if the airport authority, which is a public body, would intervene to make sure immigrant workers in the terminal concessions are treated fairly, said Adam Yalowitz, an official with the union, which has not decided what further actions to take.

Two spokesmen for the airport board, Kim Dibbs and Chris Paolino, said in separate interviews that they had no information about the activities or demands of the union.

Efforts Friday to reach officials at a half-dozen companies that own concessions at National and Dulles were unsuccessful. One owner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that concession workers make an average of $10 an hour but said the wages are higher than those who work at non-airport outlets.

The Ethiopian-focused campaign comes on top of other recent efforts to organize a variety of low-wage airport workers, such as baggage handlers and cleaners. The SEIU, which represents nearly 20,000 contract workers at 30 U.S. airports, held a one-day strike in March at several major airports including National, demanding higher pay, better conditions and the right to unionize.

There has also been a two-year campaign by Unite Here to organize workers at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, which has included strikes, proposals for legislation in the Maryland General Assembly, and complaints of racial discrimination in wage rates. Many concession workers at BWI are African American. Unite Here represents 35,000 airport workers across the country.

Tseyon Marya, left, and Seble Delelegn were among those who gathered at the restaurant. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

In Washington, the fledgling union campaign signals a growing activism within the regions large Ethiopian community, best known for its lively restaurants in the Districts Adams Morgan and Shaw neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees and immigrants live in the area, a wave that began during civil conflict in the 1980s and has continued since.

The airport workers are encouraged by other Ethiopians who work in parking garages, and they said their situation improved after the successful unionization drive. They are also being supported by several Roman Catholic churches and a nonprofit, immigrant-run group in Silver Spring called Dream Ethiopia.

Last week, a dozen airport workers met with Bayou and other union officials at the D.C. restaurant Lalibela. They munched on platters of Ethiopian stew with spongy injera bread, and a woman in a gauzy scarf shook a steaming pan of aromatic coffee beans near each participant in a ceremonial gesture.

The workers didnt make specific plans that day, but they shared stories of toiling long, unpredictable hours for low pay, taking on multiple jobs to make the rent and send money to their families in Ethiopia, and sometimes being treated callously by managers.

Kasahun Belahu, a man in his 60s, works at three airport outlets for $9.50 an hour and can barely make ends meet. Often, he said, his hours are suddenly cut from 40 to 30 a week. They can take away your [ID] badge for any reason. Thats why we have to have the courage to speak up, he said.

Sabela Dalelegn, 35, the woman whirling around the table with the pan of coffee beans, sat down to recount her struggles. She said she once asked for a week off without pay after five years  and was fired as soon as she came back.

I was so desperate, she said. I didnt have money to pay the rent or feed my baby. Dalelegn pleaded for her job back, and said the manager told her to reapply at the starting wage of $8 per hour. We have no equality, no respect. We need a union, she said.

In a gleaming concourse at National one morning last week, piped music played softly. One cashier at a coffee shop sat behind her register, waiting for the first lunch customers. She said she knew about the union drive but was not involved in it.

Im tired, she said with a sigh. I have two children, I have been working here nine years, ever since I came to this county, and my pay is still 10 dollars. There was another shop that paid eleven, but I had to get there by 4 a.m, she said, shaking her head. Its not fair. Its not enough.
The Virginia state senator who met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last week made his unlikely journey at the expense of a Florida businessman, who estimated the cost was $10,000.

State ethics officials signed off on the gift to Sen. Richard H. Black (R-Loudoun) ahead of his trip to the war-torn country, finding that it complied with state ethics laws. He will be required to report the free business-class air travel and accommodations on the financial disclosure form he files with the state.

But Black is not sure how to put a dollar figure on something the Syrian government lavished on him during his visit: security.

We went around in a four-ton, bulletproof car, he said. When we went to Palmyra, as we were traveling some of the roads, they had a very large assault jet flying in at treetop level with ear-splitting roars. And on the other side were four assault helicopters. And we had a truck with a dual-barreled cannon on the front.

[Va. senator travels to Syria, shakes hands with Assad]

Accounting for largesse of that sort will be a new one in Richmond, even after three rounds of ethics reform.

I dont think that was contemplated when we talked about gifts, Black said. I couldnt tell you the cost of that. I suspect I could have gone out there in a Vespa motor scooter and putted down the road, but I might have needed to wear a black wig and darkened my skin so I didnt get kidnapped by the rebels.

The General Assembly has overhauled the states ethics rules every year since 2014, when Robert F. McDonnell (R) left the governors mansion in the aftermath of a $177,000 gifts scandal. But legislators left room for extravagant largesse from certain givers.

Once free to take unlimited personal gifts, Virginias public officials can no longer accept anything worth more than $100 from lobbyists or government contractors.

But Blacks benefactor, Tampa area gasoline wholesaler Paul Jallo, is neither. So there is no limit on his gifts.

A Syrian-born Christian, Jallo became aware of Black in 2014, when the senator wrote a well-publicized letter to Assad, thanking him for protecting Syrian Christians. Jallo Oil Distributors has since donated $10,000 to Blacks Senate campaign account.

[Supreme Court seems skeptical of McDonnell conviction]

The average public official might not welcome an all-expenses-paid jaunt to a war-ravaged country. Two members of Congress initially planned to join Black and Jallo on the trip but backed out because of security concerns, Jallo said in an interview Tuesday. He declined to identify them.

Black, 71, said the most valuable thing he got out of the week-long trip, which included a two-hour sit-down with Assad and several days in Lebanon, was a deeper understanding of the region.

It sort of took it from black-and-white to Technicolor, Black said. He came away more convinced than ever that the United States should respect Assad, he said.

The White House considers Assad a brutal dictator and suggested last week that Blacks view stemmed from ignorance.

Jallo, 48, spent his early years in Syria but mostly grew up in Lebanon and moved as a teenager to New York, where he found work sewing handbags in the citys garment district. He followed a brother into the gas station business and today has a string of stations in New York, New Jersey and Florida, as well as a wholesale business.

I came to the U.S. with no money, said Jallo, whose Instagram account is filled with images of his palm-lined mansion, exotic cars and Jesus. This is the American Dream. You come to America. If youre a good person and work hard, God always blesses.

[Virginia senator listed as enemy by ISIS]

Jallo said he wants nothing from Black or the state of Virginia, just peace in his homeland. He hopes attention drawn by Blacks visit will contribute to that cause.

Senator Black feels if Assad goes, ISIS will take over Syria, Jallo said, referring to the Islamic State. He believes all the Christians will be killed, and I believe the same thing.

As a state legislator, Black plays no role in crafting U.S. foreign policy. But he has an intense interest in international affairs as a Vietnam veteran and former Pentagon lawyer who was stationed in Germany in the 1980s.

While in Syria, Black said he was free to go wherever he liked. When visiting a hospital in Damascus, he said he darted down corridors at will and struck up conversations with wounded soldiers. He came away angry to learn that U.S. financial restrictions were making it difficult for doctors there to obtain medicines and prosthetics.

He said he was impressed by evidence of religious freedom, including a chorus singing Christian songs in the majority-Muslim city of Homs.

Black and Jallo met Assad in the presidents palace office, where their discussion ranged from what they had seen on their trip to international politics to their respective families. The presidents wife joined them for much of the discussion, and Black said he was struck by their affectionate, very Westernized relationship.

The media likes to refer to him as a monster and this and that, Black said. They very seldom depict him speaking, and the reason is, he is a very mild-spoken, rather genteel-sounding person, almost a little bit shy in nature.

Assad praised Black not only for making a visit, but for doing so publicly, Jallo said.

The president was talking to the senator, saying, A lot of times people visit Syria and they dont want to be in the news. You, senator, you speak your mind, Jallo said. He was . . . saying, Youre one of a kind. 
Howland Chapel School in Heathsville, Va., is on Preservation Virginias list of the states most endangered historic places. (Louis Malon/Preservation Virginia)

The cemetery was historic but suffered from neglect. Tombstones had fallen over. Vandals had destroyed markers. Weeds ran wild.

Edwina St. Rose was saddened by what she saw happening to the Daughters of Zion Cemetery in Charlottesville. She has relatives buried there, and it hurt to see their final resting place falling apart. So for the past few years, the Charlottesville native and a few of her friends have spent their free time trying to restore the African American cemetery, which was founded in 1873.

The city of Charlottesville contributed $80,000 to help with the refurbishing. And now St. Rose and her friends are getting some extra attention for their effort.

Preservation Virginia, a nonprofit group formed in 1889 to protect the states historic landmarks and heritage, announced Tuesday that African American cemeteries across Virginia, a schoolhouse built for the children of freed slaves and the General Assemblys office building complex in Richmond are among the commonwealths most endangered historic places.

Also on the list, which the organization releases each year to highlight sites that it believes are threatened by neglect, development or misuse, are a former slave dwelling, natural and historic resources endangered by utility infrastructure projects, and a neighborhood that would be irrevocably altered by development of a 150-year-old tract of land in Richmond.

We want to highlight awareness that historic preservation of these places is vital to Virginias economy and sense of identity, said Elizabeth Kostelny, Preservation Virginias chief executive. We want to raise awareness of some of these threats, and we really want to offer solutions.

The Daughters of Zion Cemetery is typical of many African American burial grounds across the state. Upkeep is expensive, and maintenance of the properties fell off as churches closed and communities dissolved.

[Will a rural black cemetery live on after its longtime caretaker is gone?]

St. Rose says about 300 people are buried at the cemetery, but only about 150 markers remain. Her group, the Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, has been working with landscape architects and monument preservers to salvage and restore the property.

Its very rewarding to do this, St. Rose says. Its very satisfying to know that Im part of a project thats going to help tell the story of African American history. And I hope that we can get more help to do that.

One of the largest projects on Preservation Virginias list is the General Assembly complex in Richmond. Home to legislative offices, agencies and meeting rooms, the 104-year-old building on Capitol Square is slated for demolition. Last month, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and the General Assembly reached a deal that would launch a $300 million project to help replace it with a new building.

Groups such as Preservation Virginia and Historic Richmond want the current building to be renovated rather than replaced, but Kostelny knows the odds are against them.

I dont think its out of the question, but its going to be a hard step, she said. Most important for Kostelny is that any new building complements the architecture on Capitol Square and, if possible, that the facades are retained.

Preservation Virginia is also taking aim at statewide utility infrastructure proposals, such as the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines and the building of electrical transmission line towers across the Rappahannock and James rivers. The projects, the group says, should avoid locations eligible for historic listing. It also warned against building in areas where doing so could harm the historic integrity of a community and negatively affect tourism.

[Dominion Power sparks new Battle of Williamsburg with James River plan]

The potential cumulative negative effects on Virginias heritage tourism industry are substantial and unprecedented, the group said in a statement.

For Algeria Tate, one of the locations on the endangered list has a deeply personal connection.

Built in 1867 to serve the children of former slaves, the Howland Chapel School, near the Northumberland County town of Heathsville, is an early Reconstruction-era schoolhouse that is little changed from when it was built.

Tate, 70, attended the school in the late 1940s and early 1950s. There was no indoor plumbing, and the two rooms of the 26-by-40-foot building were heated by an old black potbellied stove. A total of a dozen kids from grades one through four filled the schoolhouse, Tate remembers.

It was a very close-knit environment, and it was very family-oriented, she said. The teacher, Miss Bennett, assumed the role of our second mother. She had a personality that was very caring for her students, but she was a no-nonsense person, also.

Tate and other graduates of the school, which closed in the late 1950s, are working to turn it and the nearby teachers cottage into a museum. Theyre seeking funding to stabilize the property and provide upkeep.

I really believe that there are a lot of people in the area who really dont know the significance of the school, Tate says. Its part of our heritage.
The city has agreed to a request from the Smithsonians new National Museum of African American History and Culture to delay the demolition of a gazebo where 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot to death by police.

Cleveland officials decided Monday to hold off on demolition for 30 days.

Workers expected to begin dismantling the structure this week. It became a makeshift memorial after Rices death in 2014, which became part of a national outcry over fatal confrontations between black people and white police officers. Rice, who was black, was playing with a pellet gun when a white rookie patrolman, responding to a call about a man waving a gun, fatally shot him.

The museum, scheduled to open this fall in Washington, is in talks with Black Lives Matter concerning options for preserving the gazebo, given its importance to African-American history, its senior history curator, William Pretzer, said in an email to a city official.

Cleveland Law Director Barbara Langhenry said the gazebo could end up at the museum being built on the National Mall or in a museum in Ohio, Cleveland.com reported.

I am particularly interested in knowing who will pay the cost of removing and relocating the gazebo, when it would be removed, where it would go, and how it would be used, she wrote.

Subodh Chandra, an attorney for Rices family, said the boys mother supported the demolition but would also support the relocation of the gazebo and displaying it in a museum exhibit.
ALL TOO frequently, senior U.S. officials play down gross violations of human rights by regimes perceived to be important to other American interests. The case of Khadija Ismayilova, an Azerbaijani journalist, is a particularly disturbing example. Ms. Ismayilova trained in Washington at Voice of America before returning to her homeland to work for another U.S.-funded radio station, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She produced groundbreaking investigative reports about the corruption of Azerbaijans ruler, Ilham Aliyev, and his family; the recently released Panama Papers confirmed the truth of her account of offshore companies used by the Aliyevs to hold their interest in a gold mine.

For the past 16 months, Ms. Ismayilova has been jailed in Baku on trumped-up charges of tax evasion and illegal business activities linked to the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty bureau she headed. Last September she was sentenced to 7 years in prison. She is not only a persecuted journalist, but also one who was working for a U.S.-funded radio station that is dedicated to free expression.

Yet the Obama administration has responded weakly. A State Department statement at the time of her conviction said the United States is deeply troubled by the case, and called for her release. But when Mr. Aliyev met with Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Vice President Biden during a recent visit to Washington, neither said anything in public about Ms. Ismayilova. Other Azeri political prisoners were released before Mr. Aliyevs visit, so it is hard to dispute the assessment we heard from one Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty official: If the White House had made [Ms. Ismayilova] a priority, she would be out.

The case illustrates why Congress should approve pending legislation on international human rights abuses. A bill known as the Global Magnitsky Act would create a process for the imposition of U.S. sanctions on any foreign person who commits abuses against human rights activists or individuals . . . who seek to expose illegal activity carried out by government officials. Its an expansion of a 2012 law that provided for sanctions against Russian officials, including those involved in the imprisonment and death of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who exposed a massive embezzlement scheme.

The Obama administration resisted the original Magnitsky Act but has since publicly imposed sanctions on 39 Russians under its provisions. A global law would pressure (but not require) future administrations to take action in cases such as that of Ms. Ismayilova. Importantly, the chairmen and ranking members of relevant congressional committees would be able to raise specific cases with the executive branch, which would be required to respond.

Sponsored by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), the Global Magnitsky Act passed the Senate in December and is awaiting action in the House. Some administration officials object that the legislation could have the consequence of restricting U.S. action to a relatively narrow band of human rights cases, those involving human rights campaigners and whistleblowers. But a more comprehensive approach could swamp the State and Treasury departments  and nothing would prevent the White House from launching initiatives in cases of genocide and other major rights violations.

The Global Magnitsky Act would promote a better balance between pragmatism and principle. The House should pass it promptly.
Donald Trumps formal foreign policy address last week hurled a stick into the hive of the foreign policy establishment. Republican and Democrat foreign policy mavens erupted and buzzed around to attack the intruder. Anyone not reading the text would think it was a contradictory spewing of nonsense, another in the long line of Trump outrages. In fact, the reaction to the speech was far more revealing than Trumps address itself.

The Clinton campaign brought out former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to respond. Albright, a supporter of Bushs Iraqi debacle and promoter of America as an indispensable nation, scornfully announced that she was hoping for something that made sense. Kaine termed Trumps use of the words America First disqualifying. Neoconservatives Bill Kristol and Charles Krauthammer damned it for echoing President Obamas foreign policy. The Post editorial board dismissed Trumps argument as loose, frequently contradictory and embedded in a bucket of falsehoods, suggesting it reflected the isolationism of Robert A. Taft and Pat Buchanans fondness for authoritarian regimes.

Trumps speech did recycle many of the lies that Republicans routinely tell about Obamas foreign policy. He accused Obama of apologizing to enemies and alienating friends. He called the Iran nuclear deal a disgrace and wrongly claimed Iran is violating it. He postured that Obamas failure to enforce the line in the sand in Syria was a measure of weakness. He charged Obama with mistreating Israel, gutting missile defense and abandoning Poland and the Czech Republic. Although Trump read from a teleprompter, the prepared speech didnt cover up the shallowness of his understanding.

But putting aside the partisan lies about Obama, Trump issued a direct and clear hit on the establishment foreign policy consensus that has failed dramatically over the years. Trump argued that after the end of the Cold War, our foreign policy veered badly off course. He criticized the chaos weve created in the Middle East  Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria. He indicted the rush to a new Cold War with China and Russia. He condemned our trade policy for running unprecedented deficits and weakening our country. He promises to get out of the nation-building business.

Most of all, Trump, after all the bluster, urged surprising sobriety in the use of military force. War and aggression will not be my first instinct, he said. A superpower understands that caution and restraint are signs of strength. Revealingly, Trumps establishment critics, virtually without exception, dismiss his views without displaying the slightest awareness of the serial catastrophes wrought by their policies. Kristol concluded that if Trump leads Republicans, there will be two parties committed to an agenda of national decline.

Yet, neither Kristol nor his neocon comrades offer any recognition that the policies they have championed rank among the most costly debacles in U.S. history. This blindness to their record of failure renders their critiques risible. Trumps speech reflects his canny understanding of establishment failure. His alternative  a stronger military that is used less, a balanced trade policy  fits well with the mood of the American people.

Needless to say, however, Trump is not a credible champion for a new policy. He is more interested in insult than in strategy. And he displays only a passing knowledge of the world and of the policies he is talking about.

But what his speech reaffirmed is that we desperately need a real debate about foreign policy. The failed policies of past years  still embraced by the bipartisan foreign policy establishment  need to be challenged by a new realism that has a better grasp of our real security concerns. This new realism would understand the limits of U.S. power and the need to focus seriously on rebuilding an economy of shared prosperity. It would embrace the Pentagons realization that catastrophic climate change is already a real and present danger that poses a greater threat than the terrorist bands that capture the headlines. It would learn from the past and be far more skeptical of regime change and the false promise of painless nation building. It would understand that the United States cannot afford to police the world and that building and respecting international law is central to our interest. It would seek to engage Russia and China, not gear up for a new Cold War. It would abandon a global economic policy that has been forged by, for and with the global corporations and banks, and formulate an alternative that would better serve Americas working people.

This debate has begun to break out in the faceoff between Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries. Clinton champions our current course, while sporting a more interventionist and bellicose policy than that of the president she served as secretary of state. Not surprisingly, neoconservatives and the indispensable-nation crowd alike increasingly embrace her.

Sanders has fitfully begun to challenge the orthodoxies that she represents. He has questioned her record of regime change from Iraq to Libya to Syria. He has been a skeptic of the push for a new Cold War and arms race with Russia. Hes been courageous in speaking common sense about the Middle East, arguing that true security for Israel requires treating the Palestinian people with respect and dignity. He has indicted a trade policy that has run unprecedented deficits and undermined wages and security at home.

As Sanders enters the final weeks of the campaign and heads to the Democratic convention, he should grasp this opportunity to develop these themes and outline the elements of a new security agenda. He should expand his challenge to the failed foreign policy of the establishment and add it to his indictment of our corrupted politics and rigged economy. He is helping to energize and educate a new generation coming into American politics. It is imperative that a real security agenda be part of that education.

Clinton is identified with the failed policies of the past years that she has championed. She prides herself on her hawkishness. White House correspondent Mark Landler, author of the new book Alter Egos on the Obama-Clinton relationship, reports that Jake Sullivan, Clintons leading foreign policy adviser, told him, Theres no doubt that Hillary Clintons more muscular brand of American foreign policy is better matched to 2016 than it was to 2008.

Clinton and Sullivan are mistaken. Americans are weary of wars without end and without victory. They are increasingly skeptical of trade deals that protect the rights of global corporations while costing the jobs and incomes of American workers. They are looking for a leader who will focus on rebuilding this country from the inside out and the bottom up.

Sanders can demonstrate the power of a new realism in the run-up to the convention. His pressure might help Clinton realize just how out of step her more muscular brand of American foreign policy is. Shes already adjusted her stance on trade. Maybe Sanders can move her to revise her scorn for Obamas sensible caution against doing stupid stuff. Trump is not a credible leader for this or any country. But the country will be better-served if the next president trades hawkishness for a new realism.

Read more from Katrina vanden Heuvels archive or follow her on Twitter.
Suppose youre a hardcore fiscal conservative. You dont give a hoot about social issues, and you dont follow any of this nonsense about identity politics or insiders and outsiders. All you care about is getting the nations fiscal house in order.

Are you sitting down? I hope youre sitting down. Because the candidate you should vote for might surprise you.

According to a new report from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the most fiscally conservative presidential contender left standing is . . . Hillary Clinton.

Seriously.

Youre probably used to thinking of Clinton as just another spendthrift liberal, oblivious to fiscal restraint. And it is true that she wants to expand the footprint of the federal government.

By a lot.

Consider her New College Compact, which would substantially reduce higher-ed costs for new students and lower debt for past ones. She also plans to expand the Affordable Care Act. Her proposed expansions and investments in clean energy, early-childhood education, family leave, veterans services and infrastructure look pretty costly, too.

On the other hand, Clinton also proposes a lot of tax changes and other policies that would raise revenue or save money.

These include imposing a surtax on personal income over $5 million; raising rates on medium-term capital gains; limiting the value of tax breaks; changing the immigration system; taxing carried interest as ordinary income; raising the estate tax rate; imposing a risk fee on large financial institutions; and some vague, as-yet-unspecified changes to the corporate tax code.

Heres the bottom line for the nations bottom line: Clintons spending increases and other proposals that cost money have a total price tag of about $1.8 trillion over the next decade. But her offsets, which come mostly from tax hikes, would save an estimated $1.9 trillion over that same period (or closer to $1.6 trillion if you dont count those as-yet-unspecified business tax proposals).

The net fiscal impact of her plans, then, is pretty close to zero.

To be clear, shes not likely to reduce the federal debt. That presumably would be a more attractive outcome for the strictest of fiscal conservatives  including the number-crunchers at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, who based their estimates partly on existing analyses from the Congressional Budget Office, Tax Policy Center and other outside research groups.

While Secretary Clinton would not worsen the fiscal situation, she also unfortunately does not offer concrete proposals for improving it, laments the organizations report. With debt at post-war record-high levels and projected to grow unsustainably, simply remaining on our current course is not enough, it adds.

Still, contrast Clintons plan with those offered by, oh, every other presidential candidate in the race, all of whom would blow multitrillion-dollar holes in the budget.

Bernie Sanders proposes to expand the reach of the federal government far more than Clinton would, and he promises to offset his spending increases with commensurate tax hikes. Many of the underlying assumptions his campaign used to get these numbers to add up, however, are way too optimistic.

An earlier Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget analysis estimated that the net budget shortfall resulting from all of Sanderss proposals would add somewhere between $2 trillion and $14.8 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade, depending on how quickly you assume health-care costs will rise.

On the Republican side  the party allegedly devoted to fiscal responsibility  things look just as bad. The GOP candidates all offer massive, across-the-board tax cuts that they dont even attempt to pay for.

Donald Trump would cut tax revenue dramatically, while simultaneously raising spending on programs such as veterans health care. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget ballparks the total cost of his proposals at $11.7 trillion to $15.1 trillion over the next decade, again depending on what underlying assumptions you make.

Likewise, Ted Cruzs various proposals  which include tax cuts, a repeal of Obamacare and a bigger military  would add between $2.7 trillion and $21.3 trillion to the federal debt.

John Kasich, who somehow fancies himself the lone fiscal grown-up in the race, remains the only candidate who has released so few details that none of the major budgetary watchdog organizations has even attempted to score his policies. Given that his tax plan looks a lot like Jeb Bushs, however, we can assume hed add trillions in red ink, too.

Without fail, these candidates claim that ludicrous levels of economic growth will paper over their budgetary shortfalls. As Ive observed before, though, the more growth a politician promises, the worse their economic plan tends to be.

Maybe when (if) voters start to notice this, Clinton will finally receive the praise shes been due, from arithmetic fans and fiscal conservatives alike.
Donald Trump at a campaign rally in South Bend, Ind., on May 2. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters)

My neighborhood of Chevy Chase is a leafy and peaceful slice of Northwest Washington. But this week, the news here is of a woman assaulted outside the local Starbucks by a Donald Trump supporter, she says  for the sin of being Muslim.

Police on Monday released surveillance video showing a heavyset white woman shouting at, and then pouring a bottle of liquid onto, a woman in a Muslim headscarf seated outside a Starbucks on a recent weeknight. Police are investigating a possible hate crime.

The victim said the attacker called her a worthless piece of Muslim trash and a terrorist. And the attacker said she was supporting Trump because he would send the Muslims back to where you came from.

She mentioned this mans name to me as a way of saying hes going to put all of you out of this country, the woman, who asked not to be identified, told me Tuesday.

But this is her country. Shes African American, born in Minneapolis, reared in Chicago and now living in the District  where, until now, she never thought shed have a foul-smelling liquid poured on her for wearing a headscarf.

A Muslim woman says she suffered harassment and an assault because of her faith outside of a Starbucks in NW D.C. The incident occurred on April 21 and the victim caught some of the harassment on video. (WUSA)

Trump won the Indiana primary easily Tuesday night, giving him an almost certain grip on the Republican presidential nomination. Now Republicans across the country will be forced to make a moral choice: Do they associate themselves with the grotesque things that Trump and his supporters have said and done? Or do they refuse to allow such things to be said and done in their names?

At the core of Trumps candidacy so far has been his disparagement of women, immigrants, Latinos and African Americans, his mockery of the disabled, his play with Jewish stereotypes and his demonizing of Muslims. They all should be taken into account, but for now lets focus on the last.

Asked about a system to register and track Muslims in the United States, Trump said, I would certainly implement that  absolutely. He said he would certainly look at closing mosques.

He falsely said there were thousands cheering the collapse of the World Trade Center from New Jersey, with its heavy Arab population.

Trump called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.

Trump continues at rallies to repeat an apocryphal story about U.S. Gen. John Pershing executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines decades ago using bullets dipped in pigs blood.

At a rally, a Trump supporter called President Obama a Muslim and said Muslims are a problem in this country. Trump allowed both of those statements to stand.

D.C. police released surveillance footage of an assault that occurred in the 5500 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW, on April 21, at approximately 10:39 p.m. Police are asking for help identifying the person of interest captured on camera. (D.C. Metropolitan Police Department)

Trump previously led the birther challenge to Obamas birth certificate and speculated, Maybe it says he is a Muslim.

Trump said in a TV interview that Islam hates us, and, later asked if that meant all 1.6 billion of the worlds Muslims, Trump said, I mean a lot of em.

Muslims have been taunted outside Trump events, and at one event in South Carolina, a woman in a hijab who stood in silent protest was escorted out by police as Trump supporters booed her, chanted Trumps name and suggested she was a terrorist.

Trump cant be blamed for everything his followers do. But his ascent has coincided with a rise in the number of anti-Muslim incidents to the highest level the Council on American-Islamic Relations has ever found. A sampling from the past two months:

A self-proclaimed Trump supporter was sentenced in California for making death threats outside a Muslim center and for building pipe bombs.

Demonstrators claiming to be Trump supporters staged public desecrations of the Koran in Atlanta and Phoenix.

A man chanting Trump slogans at a gas station shouted brown trash and other epithets at a Muslim who is student-body vice president at Wichita State University in Kansas. (The Trump backer and a friend of the Muslim student were charged for fighting.)

A man in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., was captured on cellphone video chanting Trump! and yelling Kill the Muslims.

And here in Washington, my Chevy Chase neighbor was attacked on her way home from her county-government job when she stopped outside Starbucks to use the WiFi. She says she told the responding officers that her attacker had invoked Trump, but that detail apparently didnt make the police report.

The victim said the liquid poured on her didnt harm her. But the talk of Trumps coming vengeance on Muslims scared her. It could get a lot worse for Muslims in America, she said. For people here on the fence about who to vote for, maybe this will help them make that decision.

Twitter: @Milbank

Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
A girl looks through a fence at a camp for migrants and refugees near the Greek village of Idomeni not far from the Greece-Macedonia border on Sunday. (Tobias Schwarz/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)

Robert Satloff is executive director of the Washington Institute and author of Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocausts Long Reach into Arab Lands.

As our nations leaders gather under the Capitol Rotunda for the annual remembrance of the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah, we should find room in our observance for a discussion of Syria, the setting of one of the greatest humanitarian crises since World War II.

While casualty numbers are not definitive , Bashar al-Assads regime bears the bulk of responsibility for more than 300,000 dead, about one-third of them civilians, and the creation of more than 11 million refugees and internally displaced persons since 2011  more than half the countrys prewar population. Other actors  notably, the Islamic State  have killed wantonly, but the Assad regime and its partners are responsible for far more deaths than all other groups combined.

Some historical perspective is in order. As shocking as these numbers are, they do not begin to approach the enormity of the Holocaust. In about the same number of years, Germany and its allies killed more than 50 times as many Jews as the number of civilians killed in Syria. And those victims of the Nazis dont include the many millions more killed on account of their ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, or physical or intellectual challenges.

And, in contrast with the plight of Jews, many potential victims of the carnage in Syria clearly have options for rescue. During the Holocaust, only about 500,000 Jews managed to escape Europe, one-twelfth the number of those murdered. In Syria, the situation is reversed  about 4 million have managed to flee the country, more than 13 times the number killed. Indeed, the global refugee crisis itself reflects the huge number of Syrians who have found a way to escape.

In other words, one lesson of Syria is: It is no Holocaust.

But does the death toll in Syria really have to approach the incomprehensible level of the Holocaust for it to tug on our consciousness and trigger effective action? Let us not forget some of the other differences between Syria and the Holocaust.

First, Syria today is no Germany circa 1941. It is a small, poor, weak state with no friends among its neighbors and with its closest allies  Russia and Iran  hundreds of miles away. However complicated it may be to compel the end of mass killings in Syria, achieving it is surely less demanding than was victory over Germany.

Second, despite the confluence of Syrian, Russian, Iranian and Islamic State interests to make the country a media-free zone, so much evidence has emerged  from victims testimonies, journalistic coverage and reports of international observers  that there can be no doubt about what has transpired in Syria since 2011.

In that sense, the Syrian conflict is similar to the Holocaust, about which far more was known  both to the public and to high officials  than is generally thought. Yet whereas many Americans were incredulous at the thought that civilized Germans could contemplate the horrors they were accused of perpetrating, today the dominant reaction to stories of atrocities in Syria is not shock but indifference.

But where we seem to be regressing most of all is in our leaders capacity to be ashamed at failing to stop  or even attempting to stop  the carnage. Compare these three U.S. responses to atrocity.

John J. McCloy, then assistant secretary of war, is remembered for his 1944 letter to the World Jewish Congress explaining why the Allies could not divert resources to bomb Auschwitz. Dogged for decades by the accusation of heartlessness toward the condemned Jews, McCloy tried a new tack in 1986, telling an interviewer that President Franklin D. Roosevelt was to blame for the Auschwitz decision. (Roosevelt, of course, was not around to defend himself; McCloy died in 1989.)

Bill Clinton took a different view. In 1994, he decided not to stop the Rwandan genocide, concluding that no U.S. interests justified intervention. Four years later, he visited the country  chastened and repentant  to offer a presidential apology. We in the United States and the world community did not do as much as we could have and should have done to try to limit what occurred in Rwanda in 1994, he said.

In the half-century from McCloy to Clinton, American leaders began to wrestle with having the means  and therefore bearing the responsibility  to stop mass atrocities. Despite counting among his achievements the 2012 creation of the boldly named Atrocities Prevention Board, President Obama seems to have reversed this trend. Consider his response to the gruesome August 2013 Ghouta chemical attack, in which Syrian dictator Assad killed up to 1,700 civilians, including children.

In June 2012, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum took the unusual step of issuing a warning of the potential for genocidal acts if nations do not take prompt actions to uphold their responsibility to protect groups and individuals targeted by the Syrian regime. Until then, the president had been reluctant to signal any direct engagement in the Syrian conflict, but six weeks later, he laid down a red line that use of chemical weapons in Syria would change his calculation and warrant a U.S. response.

Flash forward a year: incontrovertible proof of the Ghouta massacre emerged, the time for decision arrived, and the president opted not to act. Almost miraculously, Moscow offered the administration an elegant exit via a deal to remove most of Syrias remaining chemical weapons. Since then, however, more civilians have been killed in Syria than before the red line incident, some by additional chemical attacks.

Both Obama and Clinton chose policies of inaction in the face of atrocity. But whereas Clinton acknowledged his mistake while still in office, Obama projects a very different posture. Inaction, for him, has triggered no pangs of regret, no second-guessing; choosing to remain a bystander was neither a close call nor a tough decision.

To the contrary, in the presidents words, choosing to do nothing was a source of honor. Im very proud of this moment, he recently told journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. For me to press the pause button at that moment, I knew, would cost me politically. . . . [It] was as tough a decision as Ive made  and I believe ultimately it was the right decision to make.

With thousands of Syrians dead and many more slated for a similar fate, the president was candid enough to admit that he was concerned more about the political cost he would bear for not acting on their behalf than the life-or-death cost they would bear for his inaction.

As complicated as the Syria policy challenge may be, Obamas posture in the face of atrocity is why Syria belongs on this years Yom HaShoah agenda. When the leader of the worlds indispensable nation suggests it took courage and conviction to do nothing, we all need to rethink what we mean when we repeat the vow Never Again.
NEWS THAT the nonprofit entrusted by D.C. officials to hand out government grants has been mismanaged to the point of bankruptcy should come as no surprise. This is the organization that allowed then-D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help city youths. It awarded $471,405 to a former pro boxer who used city money, not to mentor at-risk youths, but to pay for cruise ship gambling, concerts and speeding tickets. It was called out by federal auditors for its slipshod administration of the D.C. school voucher program.

What is surprising  actually, shocking  is that an organization with so many obvious problems was allowed to survive so long. Only now, finally, are plans being made to shut down the operation  and D.C. taxpayers find themselves paying the price.

The board of DC Trust, previously called the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corp., met in emergency session last Tuesday to begin shuttering the organization, including laying off its employees. Board chair Marie C. Johns called the trusts operation reckless. Among the issues, according to reporting by The Posts Aaron C. Davis: exorbitant spending and overhead, misuse of credit cards and use of grant monies to underwrite operational costs.

When the trust was established, under Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), the idea was to leverage public dollars to raise private money for groups providing services to city youths. There was some initial success, notably $8 million from the Wallace Foundation to support after-school programs, but the organization soon evolved into a vehicle for elected officials to steer money to favored nonprofits, often with ties to friends or campaign donors. The Thomas scandal cemented perception of the trust as a slush fund, and private investment dried up. But officials refused to pull the plug, and the administration of Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) made changes, including installing new leadership, it promised would result in sound business practices.

Whether those officials brought in to right the organization are guilty of more than poor management is an issue best left to the citys inspector general and attorney general. It will be incumbent on Mayor Muriel E. Bowsers (D) administration to sort out the impact on youth programs, including those receiving extra funds allocated last year for violence prevention. Hopefully, effective programs will not be curtailed. But if the District thinks there is value in providing government grants to nonprofits, it must put in place a process that is transparent, competitive and accountable.
HOW DID you go bankrupt? one character asks another in Ernest Hemingways  The Sun Also Rises. Two ways, is the response. Gradually and then suddenly.

In the matter of the Republican Partys moral and ideological bankruptcy, the GOP is still in the gradually phase. Donald Trump is seemingly about to accumulate all, or nearly all, of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the GOP presidential nomination on the first ballot. In the face of this not quite entirely inevitable but quite entirely odious prospect, the thing to do is declare your unequivocal opposition and fight it. Alas, some leading Republicans, such as House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (Fla.) and Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (Pa.), have endorsed Trump. Others are calibrating their responses, as politicians are wont to do.

These include Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who leavened his endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) with praise for Mr. Trumps supposed tapping of legitimate voter concerns and a protestation that Im not against anybody. The category also contains some people who should know better, such as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (Tenn.), who did not endorse Mr. Trump but observed, apropos the candidates unserious April 27 foreign policy address: I think when somebody transitions and gives a serious speech about something, I think giving an atta boy is an appropriate thing to do.

And then theres Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), last seen trading crude insults with Mr. Trump, en route to a humiliating primary defeat in his home state on March 15. In those days, Mr. Rubio choked up when asked if hed keep his promise to support the GOP nominee, even if it should be Mr. Trump; he declared it was getting harder every day to do so. On April 20, however, it seemed to be getting easier again: Ive always said Im going to support the Republican nominee, and thats especially true now that its apparent that Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic candidate  as if it hadnt been apparent five weeks earlier, or as if Mr. Rubio would have been more sanguine at the prospect of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the White House. Though he added that his differences with Mr. Trump are well documented, he also allowed that the billionaires performance has improved significantly, as he put it on April 29.

Who knows why Republican politicians equivocate about the most repugnant political phenomenon in recent American history. Opportunism? Cluelessness? A sincere wish to influence the process for the better? Any of those, or a combination, would be preferable to a fourth alternative: actual approval of what Mr. Trump stands for  though plainly there is some of that, too.

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican candidate continues to dominate the presidential contest. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

Someday, everyone involved in American politics will be called upon to account for his or her behavior during Mr. Trumps run for the White House. The Republican Party chairman, Reince Priebus, forged one route months ago when he cheerfully pronounced: Winning is the antidote to a lot of things. It will be instructive to watch which politicians now follow Mr. Priebus to the moral poorhouse, and which have the gumption to chart a different course.
TWO PERSISTENT failings of U.S. foreign policy have been an overdependence on individual leaders, who frequently fail to deliver on American expectations, and a reluctance to accept that an established status quo cant hold. The Obama administration has committed both those errors in Iraq  and it has done so more than once.

In its zeal to withdraw all U.S. troops in time for President Obamas reelection campaign in 2012, the administration threw its weight behind then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, with disastrous consequences. Mr. Malikis Shiite sectarianism fractured the fragile political system and opened the way for the Islamic State. In 2014, having pushed for Mr. Malikis removal, the administration bet on Haider al-Abadi; now, in its impatience to reduce the Islamic State before Mr. Obama leaves office, it clings to a prime minister who has proved unable to govern the country or reconcile its warring factions.

Mr. Abadis impotence was revealed most dramatically over the weekend, when Shiite supporters of anti-American firebrand Moqtada al-Sadr stormed into Baghdads walled-off Green Zone and invaded the parliament. Nominally, the protesters were supporting one of Mr. Abadis aims, to create a new, technocratic cabinet to replace a corrupt system of dividing ministries according to party and sectarian lines. But Mr. Abadi denounced the invasion, which showed him as unable to control either the political insurgents or the established parties that have repeatedly rejected his reform proposals.

The blowup came at a particularly awkward time for the Obama administration, which had just doubled down on its support for Mr. Abadi during a visit to Baghdad by Vice President Biden. As The Posts Greg Jaffe reported, an administration briefer told reporters that Mr. Bidens visit was a symbol of how much faith we have in Prime Minister Abadi and expressed optimism that his government was getting stronger.

Whether Mr. Abadi survives the present crisis will likely depend on whether Shiite parties, with help from Iran, can patch up their differences. But already he has proved incapable of addressing Iraqs fundamental political problem, which is the schism among the Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish communities. That brings us to the Obama administrations second error: an unwillingness to accept that Iraq cannot survive under its present system of governance, which centralizes power in Baghdad.

Since the rise of the Islamic State in Iraqs Sunni-majority areas, the administration has stubbornly stuck to the slogan of a unified Iraq, even though that has effectively meant depriving Kurdistans autonomous government and armed forces of the resources they need to fight the war, and critically delayed the development of a Sunni leadership that could effectively govern areas liberated from the terrorists.

The latest crisis should prompt a reconsideration. Kurdish leaders are now openly saying that Iraqs post-2003 political structure has collapsed; the United States should be forging closer ties to their regional government. It should also be working to encourage a similar federal state in Sunni areas of Iraq. If Iraq survives as a nation-state, it will be because power, and oil revenues, are radically decentralized from Baghdad. Continuing to center U.S. support on a single Iraqi leader, whether it is Mr. Abadi or someone else, is a recipe for more failure.
If Donald Trump looked at a demographic profile of his supporters, he would sneer. They are disproportionately out of work or not seeking it. If they do have a job, theyre probably working with their hands, maybe something a machine could do better or someone overseas could do cheaper. A large share have only a high school education, which they increasingly find useless. Trump, not one for the niceties of political correctness, might call such people losers. I think theyre something else as well: suckers.

In the old days, there was yet another term for such a person: cannon fodder. Jobless and poor young men often would drift into the military and stay as long as they could. They got housing and three meals a day and a sweet pension after 20 years. One such person was in my basic training unit. He had left the Army but could find no job. He reenlisted and had to do basic training all over again, but struggled because he was no longer young. One day during a run, his back gave out on him. He was writhing in pain but got to his feet anyway. Basic was tough, but as he would say, out there was tougher.

His name is Jim and his difficult life fits the profile of many a Trump supporter. Id like to ask Jim and others down on their luck what they think Trump can actually do for them. Trump says he has a plan to bring back jobs, but how and from where? Can he compel manufacturers to pull their factories back from China or wherever, and, if he can, how will he keep prices as low as they are? When I have a computer problem and I call the help line, will I get someone in America and, if so, whos going to pay the added cost?

Can he really build a great wall between the United States and Mexico and keep out undocumented immigrants who will, if they can, take the jobs of native-born Americans? What about the immigrants who do the jobs Americans no longer are willing to do  such as stooping to haul in the harvest and reaching to pick grapefruit off the trees? In short, can Trump move the clock back 50 years or so to a time when the United States had millions more manufacturing jobs, Detroit was dominant in autos and China was making those tiny paper umbrellas found in cloying cocktails?

If Trump were honest (and if pigs had wings . . .), he would tell his supporters that things are only going to get worse. Hed warn them that the robots are coming  just over yonder hill  and they are going to take so many jobs that serious people are now discussing something called universal basic income, or UBI. This would be a stipend  much like a Social Security payment  that everyone would get, regardless of income, so that the trucker who gets replaced by a robotic truck can still, as it were, make a living. In Silicon Valley, where the silicon scabs of tomorrow are being conceived and manufactured, UBI is a lively topic. I have yet to hear it mentioned by Trump.

Trumps foreign policy speech last week was not so much about foreign policy as about betrayal. Everything and everyone have betrayed the United States. Our plight is the result of lousy deals conducted by inept negotiators, with both allies and foes playing us for patsies. Across the board, a single man  a new president  can right the wrongs and he can do it not because he has a plan, but because he has an intention. Im the only one who knows how to fix it, he allowed.

Trump apologists, the ones who are now finding virtue in his demagoguery, are selling out the people who have already been sold out once. Recognizing that free trade has costs as well as benefits is hardly the same as proposing a solution. Acknowledging the pain of the Rust Belt is not a remedy, and blaming immigrants, Chinas monetary policy, trade agreements and stupid politicians lacks a certain specificity.

I come back to Jim and those like him. Their grievances, while genuine, have impaired their hearing. They should listen hard. Listen to Trumps education plan or his infrastructure plan or his jobs plan. Hear anything? No. Thats not the sound of silence. Its the sound of contempt.

Read more from Richard Cohens archive.
Supporters of Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump cheer at a campaign rally in Costa Mesa, Calif., last month. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

The Donald Trump rampage  still hard to believe after nearly a year  is a symptom of something deeper and more profound: the Republican Partys slide into complete incoherence.

Rarely has a major partys establishment been so out of touch with its voting base. Rarely have so many experienced politicians (Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rick Perry, et al.) been so thoroughly embarrassed, and so cruelly dispatched, by a political neophyte. Rarely have feelings been so raw that one leading Republican (John Boehner) would publicly describe another (Ted Cruz) as Lucifer in the flesh.

What does the GOP believe in? There was a time when anyone with a passing interest in politics could have answered that question. Today, who knows?

This ideological disintegration has been years in the making. I believe one fundamental cause is that after winning the allegiance of millions of Reagan Democrats  mostly white, blue-collar, and Southern or rural  the party stubbornly declined to take their economic interests into account.

Traditional Republican orthodoxy calls for small government, low taxation, tight money, deregulation, free trade and cost-saving reforms to entitlement programs. If I were independently wealthy, that might seem an agreeable set of policies. Ditto if I were one of the small-business owners to whom GOP candidates sing hymns of praise.

But most working-class Republicans are, get ready for it, working-class. They are more Sams Club than country club. They dont own the business, they earn wages or a salary; and trickle-down economics has not been kind to them. Their incomes have been stagnant for a good 20 years, they have seen manufacturing jobs move overseas and job security vanish, they have less in retirement savings and home equity than they had hoped, and they see their young-adult children struggling to get a start in life.

This segment includes military families that have borne the awful weight of more than a decade of war. Repeated deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq have caused tremendous strain; wounded warriors have returned bearing grievous physical and psychological scars.

What adjustments did the GOP establishment make for these voters? None. Most of the governors, senators and former somebodies who ran for the presidential nomination, and failed, offered nothing but flag-waving pep talks and demagoguery on social issues  along with promises to stick with trickle-down orthodoxy and intervene in trouble spots around the world. Only Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, who were dismissed as yesterdays news, seemed to realize that working-class Republicans even existed.

Did Trump cunningly craft a message for these orphaned voters, or did he stumble across his populist appeal by way of beginners luck? At this point, it hardly matters. He offers policies, however far-fetched, that address their wants and needs. He rails against the free-trade pacts that he says robbed the nation of manufacturing jobs. He promises not to cut entitlements and often hints at boldly expanding them. He pledges an America first foreign policy that withdraws from entanglements and eschews interventions.

Trump also plays on these voters insecurities, resentments and fears. He makes Hispanic immigrants and Muslims his scapegoats. He goes beyond attacking President Obamas policies to also impugn his identity  in effect, portraying the president as the incarnation of demographic change that many white Americans fear. And Trump delegitimizes establishment Republicans by painting them as cogs in a system that is rigged to favor the rich and powerful. (In this, hes basically right.)

Faced with Trumps challenge, GOP grandees have failed to react in any meaningful way. Trumps closest challenger for the nomination is the least-liked Republican in the Senate, a man who believes the partys problem is that its presidential candidates havent been orthodox enough.

In no way do I minimize the ugly side of Trumps appeal  the naked chauvinism, the authoritarian streak, the cynical appeal to his supporters worst instincts. But it is wrong  and, for the Republican Party, suicidal  to ignore the fact that he is doing more than merely rousing the rabble. Trump is filling a vacuum left by years of inattention to voters who have been patronized and taken for granted. The fissures he exposed in the GOP will not go away.

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican candidate continues to dominate the presidential contest. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

The party now seems on the verge of anointing a presidential nominee who does not subscribe to many of the partys core beliefs  yet who has absconded with much of the partys base. Post-Trump, Republicans will have a choice: They can develop new policies or look for new voters.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
President Obama will meet Wednesday with residents of Flint, Mich., who have been dealing with elevated levels of lead in their water. (Carlos Osorio/AP)

President Obama will visit Flint, Mich., on Wednesday, right in the middle of a state government scandal over lead contamination of the citys drinking water. The move has drawn accusations from Republicans that he is politicizing the crisis in an election year.

White House officials said the president will meet with local officials as well as Flint residents to hear concerns and discuss the federal response to a public-health emergency that has left many in the city of 100,000 relying on bottled water for drinking and bathing for months.

But Obamas mere presence, while aiming to provide reassurance, represents a virtually unprecedented decision to insert himself so directly and personally into a burgeoning state mismanagement scandal that does not center on the federal government. The White Houses announcement of the visit last week, citing a written request from an 8-year-old girl, prompted renewed partisan finger-pointing among Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), state Democrats and the Obama administration.

Obama aides emphasized that the president does not intend to assign blame for the water crisis during his Flint visit, which will include remarks to a crowd of 1,000 at a school in a predominantly African American neighborhood. But the issue of accountability has reverberated after officials switched the source of Flints water supply in April 2014 while the city was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager.

The states Department of Environmental Quality failed to add required corrosion controls to prevent the leaching of lead from pipes, and water in homes was found to have toxic levels of lead well above federal limits. Michigans attorney general has filed criminal charges against two state officials and the city water plant operator.

Last week, Obama told a group of college reporters that his aim in Flint is to shine a spotlight on the threats to public health from aging infrastructure, including lead water pipes, across the country. He criticized the people who were responsible for the health and safety of Flint residents for not carrying out their duties.

The issue has also played out on the 2016 campaign trail. Democrats Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders separately toured Flint, and they participated in a debate in that city in March, while Republican presidential candidates have stayed away.

Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel said in an interview that she hopes Obama will draw attention to the resiliency of the people of Flint and a recognition that a lot of steps have been taken to address the crisis. She cited the replacement of lead service lines and the distribution of water filters and food.

Although she welcomed Obamas visit, she said that Clinton and Sanders used their stops in Flint more as a political issue than as an opportunity to bring people together. I think the Republican candidates did not want to interject themselves into an issue they do not fully understand.

Snyder has apologized for the state-level missteps, but he has also faulted federal oversight agencies and expressed frustration at the Obama administration for not providing more federal funding. In January, Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint and dispatched officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to help coordinate the response.

But the president declined to declare Flint a federal disaster area, which would have brought additional financial assistance.

The governor initially told reporters late last week that he was too busy to greet Obama at the airport, but Snyder quickly reversed himself and requested a meeting with the president. His aides said Tuesday that the governor would, in fact, meet Air Force One on the tarmac and participate in a meeting in Flint with the president, which the White House confirmed.

Snyders aides said the governors office had not been notified of Obamas visit before reporters asked him about it, which led to the confusion. But the governors about-face drew a sarcastic reaction from White House press secretary Josh Earnest during his press briefing Monday: I guess his schedule got a little freed up, huh?



Snyders press secretary, Anna Heaton, fired back at Earnest in a Twitter message that referred to Obamas appearance at last weekends White House correspondents dinner: Should have left the jokes at the WHCD. Flints recovery warrants full attention & cooperation of fed, state & local govts.

In an email to The Washington Post, another Snyder spokesman, Ari Adler, accused the White House of leaking notice of Obamas visit to reporters.

That made the whole situation awkward, Adler wrote. Unfortunately, some political operatives decided to make something out of nothing and complicate matters even further. A little communication can go a long way. Thats why we are continuing our efforts to coordinate tomorrows schedule as best we can with the limited flow of information being provided.

Rep. Daniel Kildee (D-Mich.), who grew up in Flint and represents the citys congressional district, said in an interview that it is Snyder who has sought to politicize a public health emergency that his administration is responsible for creating.

He handpicked the task force to determine how this happened, and the result is that the state government is not just primarily, but almost entirely responsible, said Kildee, who will accompany Obama to Flint. To hear him continue to try to obfuscate that point by creating a false equivalence of responsibility between the levels of government, thats a public relations ploy.

Like other presidents, Obama has visited the locations of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States. In 2010, he visited the Gulf Coast in the wake of the massive BP oil spill. But he has carefully refrained from making a personal visit to a city dealing with a local or statewide public management crisis and weighing in while there.

When Obama addressed the Illinois state legislature in February to tout bipartisanship, he did not mention a months-long state budget standoff that threatened to cut off crucial services.

Aides said the president will use his time in Flint to highlight the need for greater federal and local investment to repair and replace the nations aging infrastructure. Obama has routinely called on Republicans to support more funding for public-works programs, and he made it a campaign issue in 2012.

McDaniel agreed on the need to make clear that Flint is not the only community with lead service pipes and not the only place to experience high lead levels in its drinking water. But she added that its important to recognize the problem and determine the best way to solve it. Im not sure the presidents plan is the best for that.
A gay rights activist celebrates outside of the iconic Stonewall Inn on the day the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in all 50 states. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)

President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of Americas modern gay liberation movement.

While most national monuments have highlighted iconic wild landscapes or historic sites from centuries ago, this reflects the countrys diversity of terrain and peoples in a different vein: It would be the first national monument anchored by a dive bar and surrounded by a warren of narrow streets that long has been regarded the historic center of gay cultural life in New York City.

Federal officials, including Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), will hold a listening session on May 9 to solicit feedback on the proposal. Barring a last-minute complication  city officials are still investigating the history of the land title  Obama is prepared to designate the area part of the National Park Service as soon as next month, which commemorates gay pride.

Protests at the site, which lasted for six days, began in the early morning of June 28, 1969 after police raided the Stonewall Inn, which was frequented by gay men. While patrons of the bar, which is still in operation today in half of its original space, had complied in the past with these crackdowns, that time it sparked a spontaneous riot by bystanders and those who had been detained.

Although national monument designations are partly symbolic, backers of the move said it could bolster the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which led to the landmark 2015 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced in May 2014 a study to find landmarks important to LGBT history for inclusion in the national parks program. President Obama is expected to declare the site of the Stonewall riots a national monument. (US Department of the Interior)

We must ensure that we never forget the legacy of Stonewall, the history of discrimination against the LGBT community, or the impassioned individuals who have fought to overcome it, Nadler, who has co-authored legislation that would make it a national park, said in a statement. The LGBT civil rights movement launched at Stonewall is woven into American history, and it is time our National Park system reflected that reality.

The president described Stonewall as a critical event in the nations social progress during his second inaugural speech, reflecting the idea that all of us are created equal, and alluded to it again when celebrating the 50th anniversary of the march on Selma, Ala.

Interior Department spokeswoman Amanda Degroff said Obama has made clear that hes committed to ensuring our national parks, monuments and public lands help Americans better understand the places and stories that make this nation great  though at the moment the administration has no official announcement on the designation.

Noting that Jewell and Jarvis are attending next weeks public meeting at the invitation of Nadler and federal, state and local officials, Degroff added, Insights from meetings like this one play an important role in identifying the best means to protect and manage significant sites like Christopher Park, whether a designation is established by Congress or through executive authority.

Nadler and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have asked the president to protect the site under the 1906 Antiquities Act. In a sign of how much has changed since 1969, the three officials who represent the area  City Council member Corey Johnson, state assembly member Deborah Glick and state senator Brad Hoylman  are all openly gay and endorse the idea of making it a monument, as does the local community advisory board.

The decision to recognize a critical moment in the fight for gay rights, at a time when politicians in several states are moving to strip away legal protections for transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual residents, enjoys considerable support within the administration. But the path to declaring the monument has been a complicated one, largely because the site involves private property and a dense urban area where land-use planning is never simple.

But late last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed legislation, backed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and several state lawmakers, that would allow the city to transfer ownership of Christopher Park to the federal government should it become designated as a monument. That patch of green, spanning less than two-tenths of an acre, lies opposite the Stonewall Inn.

A plaque noting the site of the 1969 Stonewall Riots is affixed to the front of The Stonewall Inn, in New York's Greenwich Village, on May 29, 2014. (Richard Drew/AP)

In the same way Chicagos Pullman National Monument  which Obama declared last year to highlight the struggle for labor and civil rights a century ago  encompasses a federally owned former railroad-car factory and part of the surrounding neighborhood, the proposed monument would include several streets that served as a battlefield between activists and law enforcement.

Historys messy, said David Stacy, government affairs director of the Human Rights Campaign, whose group has pushed for the designation along with others such as the National Parks Conservation Association and Gill Foundation. This raised the consciousness of people throughout the country. It said to people, you dont have to be quiet. You dont have to stay in the closet.

[Hes on a quest to visit all 411 parks  and hoping Stonewall will be the 412th.]

The site has become a gathering place following victories in the fight for LGBT equality: Many came there after key court rulings in 2014 and 2015, and Cuomo officiated at a same-sex wedding outside the Stonewall Inn last summer.

Gill Foundation president and chief executive Courtney Cuff, whose group helped fund a two-year study to identify what LGBT sites might qualify for National Park Service recognition, said a monument designation would mean interpreters will be talking to visitors about the LGBT community and the contributions of the LGBT movement writ large.

Hoylman, who lives in the neighborhood with his husband and 5-year-old daughter Silvia, said he has taken her there and tried to explain to her how important it is to her daddy and her papa.

The president has mentioned Stonewall along with Selma and Seneca Falls in his second inaugural. So its fitting that he would be the president to bring this forward, he said. Its breathtaking how far weve come, in so short a time.
Austrian police check vehicles in a search for illegal migrants at the Austrian side of the Austrian-Hungarian border near Nickelsdorf, southeast of Vienna, on April 29. (Christian Bruna/EPA)

In a blatant slap at the European Unions authority, Hungarys Supreme Court on Tuesday paved the way for a referendum defying an E.U. order to resettle tens of thousands of migrants among member states.

The proposed popular vote has long been pushed by Viktor Orban, Hungarys hard-line prime minister, whose outspoken anti-immigrant platform and distaste for E.U. leadership are well documented.

The referendum would be a direct affront to Brussels bureaucrats and to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who have been pushing for a permanent system of mandatory migrant quotas across the European Union.

The Hungarian vote is expected to be held this year, and its results will be valid if voter turnout exceeds 50 percent.

When they vote, Hungarians will answer the following question: Do you want the European Union to prescribe the mandatory settlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary even without the consent of parliament?

This is ultimately a policy question, but Orban has said before that voting no is a vote for something far bigger: Hungarys independence.

As the E.U. continues to grapple with the migrant crisis, such challenges also raise the question of how the organization deals with renegade member states that openly defy directives from Brussels.

In response to insubordination like Hungarys proposed plebiscite, the E.U. may levy heavy penalties for governments that do not comply with directives for the resettlement of migrants.

There have been reports that these fines could be as steep as 250,000 euros (about $288,000) per migrant, but E.U. officials would not confirm the exact amount to The Washington Post. Details are scheduled to be revealed in Brussels on Wednesday.

In a Europe already ridden with internal divisions over what to do with migrants, many fear the consequences of a financial penalty clause.

Its going to create as many problems as it tries to solve, said Marc Pierini, a former career E.U. diplomat and Brussels-based policy analyst. It will build up recrimination against the E.U.  against Brussels, as they say in other capitals.

I dont see it as a very sound piece of policy. In my view, its no more than an additional sign of extreme nervousness.

In the end, the referendum in Hungary is only the latest grievance against the European Union.

After years of economic stagnation across the continent and a wave of terrorist attacks in 2015 whose execution largely depended on loopholes within the European security apparatus, many member states grew frustrated with E.U. bureaucracy even before more than 1 million migrants arrived on the continent last year.

Most notably, perhaps, Britain will vote next month on whether to exit the European Union altogether, a move commonly referred to as Brexit. The June 23 vote is the culmination of a long campaign of British dissatisfaction with European bureaucracy and leadership.

Whether it succeeds or fails, Brexit has ultimately established a precedent that many in Brussels view as dangerous: the option of saying goodbye.

In an already fraught climate, the migrant crisis presents another massive problem for Europe to solve collectively in the months and years ahead  and one that will require significant financial and material investment to solve.

The plans that E.U. leaders will announce Wednesday are, in theory, a road map out of the migrant crisis. But they are also an attempt to maintain control of an increasingly unruly, and even unwary, continent.

Its a very tense moment in the commission, Pierini said Tuesday, referring to the European Unions executive body. Tomorrow is the day when you have to put down on paper the price for handing off the refugee crisis.

Read more

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Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Sadiq Khan, the Labour Party candidate for London mayor, would become the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital if he wins Thursdays election. (Hannah Mckay/Reuters)

As Londoners prepare to go to the polls Thursday, the race to succeed Boris Johnson as mayor has been dogged by allegations of negative campaigning not usually seen in London elections.

The main issue in the contest has been housing  in recent years, housing prices in the British capital have gone through the roof  but the campaign has turned increasingly bitter in recent weeks as it nears the finish line.

Sadiq Khan, the Labour Party front-runner, has been criticized for his links to alleged Muslim extremists, which in turn has triggered counteraccusations that his opponents are fanning the flames of divisiveness.

The Conservative Partys Zac Goldsmith, Khans main rival, has said that his opponent has given platforms and oxygen and cover and excuses to extremists. Khan has shot back, accusing him of Donald Trump-style antics.

If Khan wins  polls show he has a sizable lead over Goldsmith  he would end eight years of Conservative rule in City Hall.

The Conservative Partys Zac Goldsmith, center, accompanied by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, left, and British Prime Minister David Cameron, right, at a campaign event. (Hannah Mckay/Reuters)

He would also become the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital at a time of heightened tensions over Islamist extremism after the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and in the European cities of Paris and Brussels.

Khan, 45, is the son of a Pakistani bus driver and seamstress who grew up in cramped government housing with his seven siblings. He trained as a lawyer and later became a Labour Party member of Parliament for the south London borough of Tooting, where he was raised.

Goldsmith, 41, comes from a wealthy, cosmopolitan family (he has Jewish ancestry and his nephews are Muslim) and studied at Eton College before he was expelled for possessing marijuana. A longtime environmentalist, he edited the Ecologist magazine before becoming a member of Parliament representing Richmond, a London suburb.

The mayoral race, along with a number of other British elections Thursday, has taken a back seat to the contentious debate over Britains membership in the European Union. President Obama recently caused a stir here when he said that if Britain leaves the E.U., it would be at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States.

It also does not feature big personalities such as former mayor Ken Livingstone, who was recently suspended from the Labour Party for controversial remarks, or Johnson, the flaxen-haired incumbent with the larger-than-life persona who is known across Britain simply as Boris.

But although the election may not feature flamboyant personalities, analysts say its tone has been, at times, nastier than those of past elections.

In Britain, you get negative campaigning, of course, but its usually of a much more gentle variety, said Tony Travers, a political expert at the London School of Economics.

David Cameron, the British prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, ratcheted up the debate when he launched an attack on Khan. Cameron said Khan had appeared at nine events with Sulaiman Ghani, an imam from Khans constituency who Cameron said supports the Islamic State.

Ghani has condemned the Islamic State and demanded an apology. He said that he has fallen out with Khan over Khans support for gay marriage.

A former human rights lawyer, Khan said he has never tried to hide the fact that he has met with unsavory characters.

Khan, who is a fast-talking and pugnacious politician, called the tone of the contest a Donald Trump approach to politics because it seeks to divide communities rather than unite them.

He said in an interview that if he is elected, he hopes it will send a message that the fact that you might be a son of immigrants, or [from] a poor background, or ethnic or religious minority, isnt held against you, because you are respected for who you are and what you put in.

He also added, half-jokingly, that if he becomes mayor, Ill need to rush to come to America before November because if Trump wins, Ill be banned from coming.

Goldsmith, a mild-mannered politician whose aides said he was not available for an interview, has insisted that he has run an overwhelmingly positive campaign and argued that it is legitimate to question Khans judgment.

It is unclear what impact any of the mudslinging will have on London voters, who have told pollsters that one of their top priorities is the citys housing crisis.

The number of houses in London has lagged behind the population boom and sent prices skyward. A swath of the population, popularly referred to as generation rent, says it is nearly impossible to get a foothold on the property ladder.

Finding affordable housing in London is very, very difficult, said Cecilia Anim, president of the Royal College of Nursing, who attended a recent debate in east London.

You can pay up to 1,600 pounds [$2,300] rent a month, she said. An average nurse doesnt earn enough to pay that and so is forced to do extra duties.

Khan told the audience that if he is elected, 50 percent of new homes would be genuinely affordable and that Londoners would get first dibs over investors in the Middle East and Asia.

Goldsmith said he would double the current rate of new homes to 50,000 a year and would relentlessly pursue rogue landlords.

Asad Jaman, who works in management at the East London Mosque, one of Britains largest, left the rally undecided about whom he would vote for.

Like the majority of Londoners, Jaman traditionally supports Labour, but he also thinks that Goldsmith could wield more influence when negotiating with a Conservative government.

But he said that if Londoners select a Muslim mayor, it would inspire people from other ethnic minorities to enter mainstream politics.

It would give a similar message to when Barack Obama was elected, he said.

Read more:

The petty, mean and deliciously rude ways British politicians insult one another

Zionism and Hitler? A guide to the wild scandal rocking Britains left.

London mayor candidate once challenged a far-right leader to duel with swords

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Israeli Yosef Haim Ben-David, the ringleader in the killing of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir in 2014, is escorted by Israeli police at the district court in Jerusalem on May 3, 2016. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images)

The ringleader of a group that kidnapped and burned alive a Palestinian teenager two years ago  a revenge killing that shocked many here because of its savagery  was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison plus 20 years.

Yosef Haim Ben-David was convicted of murder and kidnapping last month. Ben-David, 32, the owner of an eyewear shop in Jerusalem, lived in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. He is married with a young daughter and is the son of an ultra-

Orthodox rabbi.

The killing of Mohammed Abu Khdeir in 2014 was part of a summer of violence that contributed to the war between Israel and the Islamist militant movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Before his sentence was read in court Tuesday evening, Ben-David made a brief statement. I apologize for what happened, he said. I ask forgiveness of the family for all that happened.

[After months of violence, Palestinians wonder: What was gained?]

Suha, the mother of killed Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, reacts at the court in Jerusalem on May 3, 2016, as a life sentence is handed down in her sons death. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images)

Ben-David said he had served as a volunteer for one of the emergency response teams that assist ambulance crews at the scenes of accidents and attacks. I attended to both Jewish and Arab bodies, he said. I always considered the human form and respect for the dead to be holy.

Members of the Abu Khdeir family shouted at Ben-David in the courtroom, calling him a piece of garbage and no better than a Nazi.

Israeli prosecutors called the kidnapping and killing inconceivable and repulsive acts.

Prosecutors said that Ben-

David persuaded two minors to join him on a hunting expedition to kill a Palestinian to avenge the killings of three Israeli yeshiva students, who had been kidnapped and shot by a Hamas cell operating in the West Bank.

The trio trolled the streets of East Jerusalem with a pair of plastic handcuffs and a can of gasoline before they found their victim.

Ben-Davids young accomplices were earlier convicted of murder. The minors are unnamed because of their ages. One received a life sentence, the other 21 years.

Ben-Davids attorneys had sought unsuccessfully to have his sentencing delayed by a last-

minute insanity defense, arguing that he was not responsible for his acts.

In an initial court appearance, Ben-David had shouted, I am the Messiah! Relatives of the victim said at the time that it was an act. The judges rejected Ben-Davids claims of diminished capacity.

After the sentence of life in prison was read, members of the Abu Khdeir family said the punishment was too lenient.

He should be sentenced to 20 lifetimes in prison, Hussein Abu Khdeir, the victims father, told The Washington Post. He should never be released.

The father also said Ben-David should never be eligible for parole. His punishment should be great enough to deter anyone else from going out and burning a child to death.

Attorneys for the family also are demanding that Ben-Davids family home be demolished as part of his punishment, just as the homes of Palestinian attackers are often leveled by Israeli forces.

Attorneys for Ben-David said they would appeal the verdict and seek to have a higher court reconsider their clients insanity plea.

Outside the courtroom, violence continued. A Palestinian rammed his car into a group of Israeli soldiers Tuesday, seriously injuring one on a road outside Ramallah in the West Bank. The driver was shot dead at the scene. On Monday, a Palestinian teenager stabbed and injured an elderly Israeli in Jerusalems Old City. The assailant was arrested.

Read more:

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Vatican causes stir with treaty recognizing Palestine as a state

Tourism is the new front in Israeli settlers battle for legitimacy

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Sufian Taha contributed to this report.
A Syrian man walks past destroyed buildings on Monday in Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid neighborhood, which was hit by airstrikes. (Karam Al-Masri/AFP/Getty Images)

A Syrian rebel assault on government-held parts of Aleppo killed as many as 19 people, activists and Syrian state media said Tuesday, in attacks that included a deadly rocket strike on a hospital even as diplomats struggled to find ways to quell the fighting.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, traveled to Moscow to push for a halt to the violence that monitoring groups say has killed more than 250 people in the past week. Russia is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

We all hope that there will soon be a relaunch of the cessation of hostilities, de Mistura said at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

An earlier cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia across Syria has all but collapsed.

What the Syrians want to hear is no bombs, no rockets, no shelling, no aerial bombing," de Mistura said. Then peace efforts will be back on the right track.





[Aleppos chaos claims pediatrician who refused to flee]

But on Tuesday, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said "scores" of people were killed or injured in rebel shelling of government neighborhoods in the western part of Aleppo, which has been divided between the rebels and the regime since 2012. The number of dead and injured could not immediately be confirmed.

Rebel fighters attacked several government positions in the Zahra neighborhood of Aleppo but were eventually repelled, activists said. The Syrian military also said it had fought off "terrorist" forces in the area, according to a statement reported by the Associated Press.

The bombardment included a rocket attack on a hospital and maternity clinic in Aleppo, SANA reported. At least three women were reported killed.

The strike came just hours before the U.N. Security Council passed a unanimous resolution calling for an end to attacks on health-care workers and facilities worldwide. Support for the resolution gained momentum after a deadly air raid on the Quds hospital in rebel-held Aleppo killed more than 50 people last week.

"This resolution cannot end up like so many others, including those passed on Syria over the past five years: routinely violated with impunity," Joanne Liu, international president of Doctors Without Borders, which supported the Quds hospital, said in an address to the Security Council on Tuesday.

"In Syria, where health care is systematically targeted and besieged areas are cynically denied medical care . . . uphold your obligations," Liu said.

The mounting death toll in Aleppo, Syria's largest city, has stirred international outrage and concern that the country's civil war could be tumbling into a new round of bloodshed and humanitarian misery.

[Russia and United States seek new ways to halt Syrian carnage]

Syria's information minister, Omran al-Zoubi, warned Tuesday that the government was ready to strike back against rebels shelling civilian areas. Opposition-held areas have also been pummeled by Syrian government airstrikes, and at least two people were killed Tuesday in the citys Fardous district, activists said.

As many as 400,000 people have been killed in the five-year conflict, de Mistura said last month.

In Moscow, Lavrov said the United States and Russia would establish a joint center in Geneva to monitor the Syrian conflict. The United States has been launching airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and has also supported some rebel groups.

"U.S. and Russian counterparts will be sitting at the same table. They will be looking at the same maps," Lavrov said of the proposed monitoring center. "They will work together to make sure that any violations [of the cease-fire] are nipped in the bud."

There are groups in Syria trying to escalate violence," Lavrov said. "And they shouldn't be allowed to do so."

Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.


Iraqi soldiers fire artillery toward Islamic State positions from a location outside Makhmour, Iraq, on April 18. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post)

At the base of a rocky ridge rising from the surrounding farmland, the barrels of American artillery poke out from under camouflage covers, their sights trained on Islamic State-held positions.

Less than 10 miles from the front lines in the push toward the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the U.S. outpost, known as Firebase Bell, is manned by about 200 Marines.

Having them here has raised the morale of our fighters, said Lt. Col. Helan Mahmood, the head of a commando regiment in the Iraqi army, as his truck bumped along the dirt track that divides his base from the American encampment, ringed by razor wire and berms.

If theres any movement from the enemy, they bomb immediately, he said.

The new firebase is part of a creeping U.S. buildup in Iraq since troops first returned to the country with a contingent of 275 advisers, described at the time by the Pentagon as a temporary measure to help get eyes on the ground.





Now, nearly two years later, the official troop count has mushroomed to 4,087, not including those on temporary rotations, a number that has not been disclosed.

The troops are moving outside the confines of more established bases to give closer support to the Iraqi army as it prepares for an assault on the northern city of Mosul  putting them closer to danger.

On Tuesday, a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed by direct fire about three miles from the front lines north of Mosul after Islamic State fighters penetrated Kurdish peshmerga forces, U.S. officials said. It was the third U.S. combat death in Iraq linked to the fight against the Islamic State.

The shift to give closer support to Iraqis comes at a time of political turmoil in Baghdad, which is threatening the legitimacy of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the key partner for the United States. Iraqi commanders said they are concerned that the crisis will complicate and slow progress on the battlefield.

It was inside Firebase Bell, a few miles outside Makhmour, a small mixed Arab and Kurdish town on the edge of Iraqs northern Kurdish region, that Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin was killed on March 19 in a rocket attack, days after the Marines arrived here.





The area is prone to attack. Islamic State fighters sneak out at night to position explosives on the roads here and have sent a steady flow of suicide bombers to Iraqi army and Kurdish positions.

One managed to infiltrate the base here, said Mahmood, pointing toward the main gate of his base, the headquarters of the Iraqi armys 15th Division, just a few hundred yards from Firebase Bell. The assault, which included five suicide bombers, also took place shortly after the Marines arrived, he said.

We eliminated them, he said, adding that none of his own men were killed in the attack.



Iraqi army soldiers stand outside a house on the edge of Kharbadan, Iraq, on April 19. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post)

Before the U.S. troops and their M777 Howitzers moved here, the base came under regular fire.

A propaganda video released recently by the Islamic State showed a montage of clips of rockets and mortar rounds being launched toward the Iraqi army positions around Makhmour.

Im jealous of you because you are going to heaven, a militant said to a bearded fighter who was leaving for a suicide mission.



A Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, or MRAP, is used to clear improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, last month from a road controlled by the Iraqi army on the outskirts of Kharbadan. Islamic State militants frequently infiltrate the area to plant IEDs by the side of the road. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post)

The attacks have since subsided, but Iraqi troops are still struggling to recapture the Islamic State-held village of Nasr, eight miles from the base, despite launching an offensive shortly after Cardins death.

After an overnight battle, the Iraqi forces withdrew in order to avoid casualties, Iraqi commanders said.

The village was heavily rigged with explosives. The Islamic State sent car bombs.

It was a fierce fight, said Mahmood, who like many of the other soldiers here was with the Iraqi army in Mosul when it collapsed so spectacularly two years ago. Since then, he has completed 4 months of training with the U.S.-led coalition.

He deemed the Nasr operation a success because dozens of militants were killed, even if the territory wasnt held. My regiment isnt specialized in holding ground, he said. We liberate and then withdraw.

Mahmood chuckled and shrugged when asked whether there were still no U.S. boots on the ground in Iraq, as President Obama initially repeatedly pledged.

Theyve become more active, and for us, its had a positive result, he said.

But the battle for Nasr was a faltering first step for the 5,000 freshly trained Iraqi troops in Makhmour, and an indication of the level of hand-holding by U.S. forces that will be required as these forces move toward Mosul.

The Iraqi troops have recaptured a cluster of hamlets and villages in the vicinity of Makhmour, though reports were mixed on how heavy the Islamic State presence was there before the Iraqi advance.

In Kharbadan, one village they seized, bodies still lay rotting in the sun.

On a dusty track there, Iraqi soldiers pointed out other hamlets and clusters of mud buildings they had regained. The Iraqi army also said it had cleared nearby Mahana on Wednesday.



An Iraqi army soldier stands by the decomposing body of an Islamic State militant killed in battle days before in Kharbadan last month. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post)

The inching gains have helped secure the base near Makhmour, but the Iraqi forces are heavily dependent on American firepower to move forward. U.S. artillery and airstrikes destroyed 30 or 40 Islamic State rocket and artillery positions in the area, said Maj. Gen. Najim al-Jabouri, head of Nineveh Operations Command, who is overseeing the buildup.

They know very well its not just the Iraqi army in the field, he said. Its also the American air force and advisers with us, and artillery.

An operation for Mosul itself still appears distant, though. It will involve coordinating a mix of Sunni tribal fighters, Kurdish forces, Iraqi armed forces and Shiite and Christian militias, putting U.S. forces in the midst of a potentially drawn-out and complex battle for the ethnically and religiously mixed region.

Abadi, also commander in chief of Iraqs armed forces, faces the challenge of corralling them at a time when he is also fighting to steer the country out of its political crisis. Hundreds of protesters stormed parliament over the weekend demanding reform, in a major security breach.

Jabouris own position is indicative of how politics can often complicate the battlefield in Iraq.

The commander, who was praised by then-President George W. Bush for his work to curb sectarian violence during the Iraq War, returned to the country last year after living in Virginia for eight years. He was directly appointed by Abadi, and his relationship with the Defense Ministry is openly fractious.

Jabouri admits that has caused some problems.

Its like a miracle here, he said. Just the Iraqi army without any tanks, without any support, just from the American forces.



Iraqi soldiers are seen in their base in Makhmour. (Alice Martins/For The Washington Post)

Unlike on other battlefields in Iraq, the army here is not supported by counterterrorism forces, the countrys most elite troops, who have led the offensives for Hit and Ramadi. In any real push for Mosul, theyll be needed, Jabouri said. However, some of those already stretched special forces units have been recalled to the capital because of the problems there.

Jabouri hopes some tanks will arrive soon but is also in need of more troops, police and engineering units, he said.

The United States has said it will provide close air support from Apache helicopter gunships for Mosul, but that also puts pilots at risk of being shot down.

The battle will require coordination with the Kurdish regional government in the north, which has a strained relationship with Baghdad and complains that it lacks military support.

There are political problems, said Mahdi Younis, a commander with the Kurdish peshmerga forces. If they want us to participate, they should supply us like they are supplying the Iraqi army, he said of the United States, which currently supplies its military support to Iraq through Baghdad.

While Iraqi forces in Makhmour are equipped with U.S.-supplied M-16s, the peshmerga tote old Kalashnikovs.

Jabouri wouldnt give a specific timeline for the offensive but said it would be soon, although even before the dramatic ransacking of Iraqs parliament Saturday, he expressed concern that the countrys political crisis would have an impact.

This has a big influence on us, he said. Its a very, very tough crisis.

He used to speak to the prime minister every evening, he said, but hasnt now for a month. Hes very busy.

Mustafa Salim contributed to this report.

Read more:

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to members of the media at the State Department May 3, 2016 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Tuesday used the example of a Washington Post reporter imprisoned for over a year in Iran as a case that Kerry said underscores the need for a free and independent press.

In remarks to reporters on World Press Freedom Day, Kerry said he had welcomed home Jason Rezaian when he was released after 545 days in captivity in a notorious Iranian prison often used to interrogate and hold political prisoners. Rezaian, The Posts correspondent in Tehran, was tried and convicted in Iran of espionage and other related charges. In January, he was freed along with three other U.S. citizens in an agreement that involved the release of Iranian citizens jailed in the United States.

Jason did not go to Iran to advance an ideology or to make a political point, Kerry said. He actually went there to explain to his own country what life was really like in the country of his ancestry. And he wanted to replace misconceptions with accurate perceptions. That is all. But that is everything.

For the past week, the State Department has been highlighting journalists in countries around the world who have been arrested by governments that didnt like the facts they were digging up. World Press Freedom Day, established by the United Nations in 1993, aims to draw attention to their plight.

Governments who crack down on that may seek to convey strength, but what they actually convey is a deeply rooted kind of insecurity and weakness, Kerry said.

Colombian journalists demonstrate on World Press Freedom Day in memory of fellow journalists killed in the country. (Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty Images)

No government, whatever its pretensions or whatever its accomplishments, can fairly claim respect if its citizens are not allowed to say what they believe, or denied the right to learn about events and decisions that affect their lives, he added.

A country without a free and independent press has nothing to brag about, nothing to teach, no way to fulfill its potential. To those who try to coerce and imprison reporters we will always say that committing journalism  reporting of the truth  is not a crime. It is a badge of honor.

Kerry said that in wars and international crises, governments may try to change the narrative by attacking the reporting.

If you look behind the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, or the tensions on the Korean Peninsula or the South China Sea, or the terrorist propaganda that degrades our social media, or the campaigns by civil society to confront high-level corruption in some places, you will see in all of those places and all of those efforts a fundamental battle to define reality.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided physical and digital training to about 750 journalists worldwide, and it is increasing its funding of those programs to $2.5 million, Kerry said.

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In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian citizens and firefighters fight fires after rockets hit a hospital in Aleppo, Syria on Tuesday. (SANA/via AP)

U.S. and Russian military officials will sit in the same room 24 hours a day and jointly pore over maps and intelligence to monitor cease-fire violations in Syria under a new system they hope will save a fast-collapsing truce, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Tuesday.

Under the new arrangement, which Kerry said could be finalized by Wednesday, lines will be drawn in and around Aleppo, scene of the heaviest recent fighting, to prevent new incursions or attacks from any party in the Syrian civil war.

The city will not be allowed to fall to the government, Kerry said. If [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assads strategy is to somehow think hes going to carve out Aleppo . . . Ive got news for him, he told reporters at the State Department.

He spoke just hours after another deadly strike on a hospital in Aleppo, this time by opposition forces. The official Syrian Arab News Agency said scores of people were killed in a rocket assault on government-held neighborhoods in the western part of the city, which has been divided between the opposing forces since 2012. Activists put the number of dead at 19.

[A tale of two cities in Aleppo: Rubble on one side, packed restaurants on the other]

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, welcomes Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, as they arrive for talks in Moscow on May 3. The UNs envoy for Syria and Lavrov have began talks in Moscow about strengthening the faltering cease-fire in Syria. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Kerry acknowledged rebel responsibility, saying that todays attack . . . appears to be rockets that have come from some area of opposition  we are trying to determine which.

Over the past two weeks, government airstrikes and shelling, including last weeks bombing of a pediatric hospital in the city, have left at least 250 civilians dead.

Syrias information minister, Omran al-Zoubi, warned that the government is ready to strike back against rebel shelling of civilian areas. Activists said opposition-held areas were also pummeled by Syrian government airstrikes Tuesday, and at least two people were killed in the citys Fardous district.

The bottom line is, there is no justification for this horrific violence, Kerry said, whether a member of the opposition retaliating or the regime in its brutality against civilians . . . We condemn any of these attacks, no matter who commits them.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday passed a unanimous resolution calling for an end to attacks on health-care workers and health facilities worldwide.

This resolution cannot end up like so many others, including those passed on Syria over the past five years: routinely violated with impunity, Joanne Liu, international president of Doctors Without Borders, which supported the government-destroyed al-Quds hospital, told the council.

[The worlds most needed hospitals are under attack]

The renewed fighting, in Aleppo and elsewhere, has brought a cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia in late February to the verge of collapse. After an urgent appeal by U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura to do something to prevent that from happening, Kerry said he and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have come up with the new monitoring plan.

Washington and Moscow have ostensibly been monitoring the cease-fire since it began, but only from a distance. Russian military officers at their base in Hmeymim, Syria, and U.S. counterparts in Amman, Jordan, communicate by telephone and videoconference, and they have rarely met in person.

At a new coordination center in Geneva, U.S. and Russian counterparts will be sitting at the same table, Lavrov said at a Moscow news conference with de Mistura. They will be looking at the same maps. They will be analyzing proposals and they will work together to make sure that any violations are nipped in the bud.

The cease-fire and the lifting of sieges around civilian areas that have blocked delivery of humanitarian aid were supposed to pave the way for political negotiations between the opposition and the government to end the war and install a transition government in Syria. Two weeks ago, the opposition walked out of the talks to protest ongoing government violence.

The Obama administration, which halted all military cooperation with Russia after its incursion into Ukraine, has been reluctantly dragged back into coordination over Syria. The two governments back opposite sides in the long-running civil war, but the United States has tried to keep Moscow at arms-length.

We have a responsibility  we, those who support the opposition . . . have an obligation to work with the opposition to keep the opposition from breaking the truce, Kerry said. Likewise, two parties  Iran and Russia  have a particular responsibility that they assumed at the same time that we assumed ours.

Left unclear by both Kerry and Lavrov was what they proposed to do if and when they determine one side or the other has crossed the new lines they intend to delineate. Kerry, who met Tuesday at the White House with President Obama, has long favored a direct U.S. military response against Assad that Obama has resisted.

Kerry acknowledged that they were still grappling with what to do about Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate whose forces are excluded from the cease-fire but are intermingled with some opposition forces around Aleppo.

Are they somehow commingled? Are they fair game? These are the kinds of things that have to be worked out, so that theres no misunderstanding about who is doing what, where, when and how, Kerry said.

We dont control the terrorists, he said. They can obviously move and try to use other people as a human shield . . . thats where it gets complicated.

Cunningham reported from Istanbul.
U.S. Carnival cruise ship Adonia arrives at the Havana bay on May 2, 2016, the first cruise liner to sail between the United States and Cuba since Cuba's 1959 revolution. (Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)

The first U.S. cruise ship to cross the Florida Straits in 40 years sailed from Miami and docked in Havana on Monday, restarting commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.

Carnival Cruise Lines Adonia became the first U.S. cruise ship in Havana since President Jimmy Carter eliminated virtually all restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba in the late 1970s. Travel limits were restored after Carter left office.

U.S. cruises to Cuba become possible again only after Presidents Obama and Raul Castro declared detente in December 2014.

Hundreds of workers and passersby gathered to watch, some cheering, as the gleaming white 704-passenger ship operated by Carnivals Fathom subsidiary pulled into the dock  the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year could cross the Florida Straits.

The straits were blocked by the United States during the Cuban missile crisis, and tens of thousands of Cubans have fled across them to Florida on homemade rafts  with untold thousands dying in the process.

1 of 26 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  See a U.S. cruise ship set sail on a historic voyage to Cuba View Photos It was the first time in nearly 40 years that a U.S. cruise vessel crossed the Florida Straits from Miami and arrived in Havana. Caption It was the first time in nearly 40 years that a U.S. cruise vessel crossed the Florida Straits from Miami and arrived in Havana. May 2, 2016 Carnival cruise ship Adonia arrives in Havana bay in Cuba, the first cruise liner to sail from the United States to the island in decades. Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

The number of Cubans trying to cross the straits is at its highest point in eight years, and cruises and merchant ships regularly rescue rafters from the straits.

The Adonia is one of Carnivals smaller ships  about half the size of some larger European vessels that already dock in Havana  but U.S. cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars in badly needed foreign hard currency if traffic increases as expected. More than a dozen lines have announced plans to run U.S.-Cuba cruises. If all begin operations, Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said in a report on Monday.

Most of the money would go directly to the Cuban government, council head John Kavulich said.

Carnival says the Adonia will cruise twice a month from Miami to Havana, where it will start a seven-day circuit of Cuba that costs $1,800 per person.

Before the 1959 Cuban revolution, cruise ships regularly traveled from the United States to the island.

Cruises dwindled in the years leading up to the Cuban revolution and ended entirely after Fidel Castro overthrew the U.S.-backed government.

As part of a policy of diplomatic and economic normalization, Obama approved U.S. cruises to Cuba last year. The Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line announced during Obamas historic trip to Cuba in March that it would begin cruises to the island nation starting May 1.
An elite U.S. Navy SEAL was killed Tuesday in an attack by Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq, highlighting the evolving nature of the Pentagons mission in Iraq and how American troops are serving closer than ever to the front lines.

The SEAL was killed by enemy fire about 9:30 a.m., U.S. military officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information publicly.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) identified the slain SEAL as Charlie Keating IV. He was the grandson of Arizona financier Charles Keating, who was convicted in the savings-and-loan scandal of the 1980s and 1990s.

[U.S. troops are getting closer to the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq]

The death occurred after Islamic State fighters north of Mosul penetrated a front line of Kurdish peshmerga forces by about three miles, a U.S. military official said.

In this 2002 photo, Charlie Keating IV, 16, poses for in Phoenix for an upcoming series on the Discovery channel that he took part in. Keating was identified as the Navy SEAL killed on May 3 in Iraq. (Sherrie Buzby/The Arizona Republic via AP)

The SEAL was the third U.S. service member killed in combat since the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State began in June 2014.

The first, Army Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, 39, was a member of the elite Delta Force who was killed in a raid on an Islamic State prison compound Oct. 22. But the latest two deaths show the kind of threats faced by the bulk of U.S. troops advising Iraqi soldiers near the front lines with the Islamic State.

The death occurred after Islamic State fighters began attacking peshmerga lines at dawn near the town of Teleskof, about 20 miles north of Mosul, the Islamic States main stronghold in Iraq, Kurdish officers said.

The attack involved truck bombs supported by infantry, the U.S. military official added, an indication that conventional Islamic State tactics were used..

An established front line  what U.S. service members call a forward line of troops, or FLOT  has separated the Islamic State and Iraqi soldiers for months, and the Islamic State often tries to breach it using vehicles carrying explosives, with infantry-type fighters following.

[Shiite pilgrims in Islamic State crosshairs]

Mortar rounds and artillery began hitting front lines near Teleskof, a largely Christian town, about 4 a.m., according to Kurdish officers and members of the Assyrian Christian militia that hold the ground there.

Its inhabitants, speakers of ancient Aramaic, fled in August 2014 when the town was overrun by Islamic State forces, who burned and desecrated its churches. It was retaken by Kurdish forces the same month, and some residents had since returned.

But after bombarding the area Tuesday, the militants launched a multi-pronged attack on Teleskof about 5:30 a.m. from several directions, using hundreds of fighters, commanders said.

Maj. Gen. Azad Jalil, a peshmerga officer, said Islamic State forces breached Kurdish front lines with more than 10 car bombs, also using bulldozers to push through.

The peshmerga then made a tactical retreat to reorganize their forces, he said. Islamic State militants overran the town.

Brig. Gen. Bahnam Aboush, a fighter with the largely Christian militia based in the town and known as the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, said his men tried to hold their ground but were overwhelmed.

We tried to fight them, but we couldnt due [to] our limited capabilities, he said. We have only some old rifles we bought from our own money.

He said he was near the attack that mortally wounded the Navy SEAL, when a U.S. military contingent came to assist the struggling militia forces.

American Special Forces came to rescue us in four vehicles, he said. They opened the way for us to retreat, then one of their vehicles was hit.

The general added that when he entered Teleskof after the assault, he saw the U.S. military vehicle abandoned with one of the doors destroyed by an explosion. He was not certain how the SEAL died.

I think an RPG shot the car, he said. Then maybe a sniper shot the person inside.

Matthew VanDyke, an American fighting alongside the Nineveh Plains Protection Units, who also was nearby, said the SEAL was hit by a sniper shot. A U.S. military official confirmed that the death was caused by small-arms fire. VanDyke said that about 20 Navy SEALS arrived not long after the town was lost about 6 a.m., traveling a few vehicles behind peshmerga forces in a convoy.

They went straight into the fight, he said. They lined up on the edge of the town, and they were unloading on ISIS.

The SEALs were a few vehicles behind the peshmerga forces as they tried to retake the town, when a car bomb struck the front of the convoy, VanDyke said.

Every time wed try to advance, theyd send car bombs, he said. It was during that encounter that the SEAL was killed, he said.

The SEALs kept fighting but ran low on ammunition and pulled out as hundreds of peshmerga reinforcements arrived, VanDyke said. The SEALS were involved in direct action. Thats for sure.

In Washington, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said: Todays incident is a vivid reminder of the risk our service members are taking, and three of them now have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. He stressed that the U.S. mission in Iraq is to support Iraqi forces on the ground that are taking the fight to the Islamic State and that Iraqi forces must fight for their own country.

Earnest said that U.S. troops cannot act as a substitute for Iraqi forces.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to comment candidly, said U.S. military leaders were still assessing what happened. F-15 fighter jets hit about 20 Islamic State targets in an effort to repel the attack, the official said.

The defense official said U.S. operational reporting suggests the SEALs already were at the scene of the attack when it began and got caught up in this, but he added that that was not yet clear. The SEALs have been working with the peshmerga for months in northern Iraq, he added.

A counteroffensive had retaken the town by late afternoon Tuesday.

The coalition had the key role in retaking the village, Jalil said. The Islamic State launched the attack, he said, because it is under pressure south of Mosul near Makhmour, where Iraqi forces, with the help of U.S. artillery and air power, have managed to make inching gains.

Its showing how desperate and how broken they are, he said. There are now more than 100 dead bodies of them in the village, plus they lost many vehicles, he said.

Jabbar Yawar, a spokesman for the Kurdish peshmerga, said that a number of Kurdish fighters died in the attack but that he could not disclose how many.

This sad news is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face every day in the ongoing fight to destroy ISIL and end the threat the group poses to the United States and the rest of the world, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an acronym for the Islamic State.

[Expanded U.S. force approved for Iraq]

Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter first announced the death while traveling in Stuttgart, Germany. He said the service member was killed by enemy fire but offered few additional details.

U.S. Special Operations troops operate across peshmerga front lines, often spending hours at outposts gathering information about Islamic State activity.

The small detachments, however, are usually stationed a few miles from the front to help coordinate airstrikes between peshmerga fighters and the joint command centers in Baghdad and Irbil, the administrative center of the semiautonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

Some 200 U.S. Marines also are stationed less than 10 miles from the front line, near the northern town of Makhmour, where Iraqi troops are building up for a future Mosul offensive. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin was killed there in a March 19 rocket attack.

Prior to Tuesday, 15 American service members had been wounded in the campaign, according to Pentagon statistics.

Lamothe reported from Washington. Thomas Gibbons-Neff in Stuttgart, Germany, and William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

NATO considering thousands of troops near Russias border

Protesters leave Baghdads Green Zone a day after ransacking parliament

Fighting erupts in Iraq, and the Islamic State isnt part of it

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
An estimated 40,000 Costa Rican state workers and students staged a two-day strike on April 26 and 27 to oppose policies of the government of President Luis Guillermo Solis Solis, which is attacking workers incomes, public education, health care, and the right to water.

The central government estimated that 50 percent of all public health and 70 percent of public education workers participated in the strike. The unions said the strike affected 80 percent of the health services and 95 percent of the countrys educational institutions.

Union officials had threatened to extend the strike indefinitely, but sent the workers back to work once the ministers of health and labor agreed to meet last Thursday for negotiations. On Thursday, the different unions were split over their demands and the talks came to a halt. Meetings continued on Friday.

The public sector union association BUSSCO and the teachers union ANDE convoked the strikes primarily to oppose plans to reduce public workers incomes, including the single salary or Public Employment Law, which is directed at drastically reducing workers wages.

On the eve of the walkout, President Solis stated that there was no justification for the strikes since not a single point in their demands is not already present, or could be incorporated, into current negotiations.

Workers who participated in a mass demonstration Tuesday, however, expressed their concerns and anger over the governments counter-reforms and voiced their willingness to fight back against the government and the business elite.

The single salary [proposal], more than anything else, is what worries us. It would take away approximately 40 to 50 percent of our net income, said Gabriel, a math high-school teacher.

He added, I have two small children who depend on me. If this law gets through, I would have to quit and do something else. I dont know what.

Asked whether he perceived any results from previous strikes, Gabriel answered: Other times we havent felt any, but we hope this time will be different.  We want a permanent strike until the government gets rid of these proposed bills!

The strikers were also protesting against public hospital death lists, with an estimated 500,000 patients waiting for surgery and thousands more waiting for examinations.

The government is seeking to dismantle and privatize the public health sector, a process demonstrated by the states poor clinical infrastructure, expired drugs, salary bonuses to high functionaries, a massive debt built on poor investments, the shortage of medical specialists and the absence of efforts to reduce waiting lists.

Under International Monetary Fund (IMF) orders, the government is threatening to revoke collective bargaining agreements and slash retirement benefits, while raising the minimum age. Among other reactionary measures, it intends to limit unemployment benefits to eight years, reduce medical and family leaves, slash yearly raises from 5.5 percent to 2.54 percent and add tougher performance evaluations to approve them.

The unions also oppose the new tax bill, which would turn the current 13 percent sales tax into a 15 percent regressive value-added tax, covering a wider scope of services.

Public health workers were under direct orders from their unions not to speak to interviewers and to direct all questions to union leaders. However, a nurse, who decided not to give her name, said that she has three sons and would not be able to afford taking care of them if the reforms pass.

Miguel, a retiree from ANEP, another one of the traitor unions in this country, as he put it, also hoped that, if the government doesnt heed it, this demonstration today will be extended indefinitely.

With the support of the pseudo-left Frente Amplio, the unions betrayed the workers by decentralizing the protest, calling the strike a rehearsal, and falsely promising bigger actions in the future. The unions, along with Frente Amplio and the ruling PAC party, did exactly the same thing in 2005 and 2006 with the anti-CAFTA protests, including calling them rehearsals.

These demoralizing tactics by the unions and the pseudo-left parties have become essential tools for the political and business elite to continue imposing austerity measures and privatizations.

Miguel said that he was mainly protesting against a recent water law. In 2009, he was part of the efforts to collect 150,000 signatures to propose a law declaring water a human right. But the parliament manipulated the bill so much that it became an commodity, he concluded, it got privatized.

In another significant betrayal, Frente Amplio and Patria Justa supported the approval of the Labor Process Reform, which limits public sector strikes and gives private sector employers the final decision on whether a planned strike fulfills the requirements to make it legal.

Perhaps more importantly, it prohibits a union in a specific trade supporting or demonstrating in favor of other sectors that are not of their concern.

Franklin, a sociologist and member of the Workers Association of the Labor Ministry, said: Our focus today is on tax evasion and pay cuts against public employees. Its on our backs that the government is placing the tax deficit, knowing that tax evasion is 8.2 percent of GDP. In comparison, Costa Rica spends 7 percent of its GDP on education each year.

He criticized the government for attacking workers rights to negotiate and protest in order to cut salaries and employment and concluded, the solution is to make the rich pay like rich, and the poor pay like poor.

Income inequality within the government is comparable and in some cases greater than that in the private sector. The Ministry of Planning calculated that the highest state salary is 55 times the lowest. For an average employee, 15 annuities amount to $1,440 in yearly wages, compared to $24,400 for a state manager, about 17 times greater.

Oxfam reported in 2015 that there are about 100 Costa Ricans who individually own more than $30 million in assets and collectively own as much as four times what is spent on education yearly.

When asked whether there are any parties that represent working class interests, Franklin answered. We might have some sympathies and compatibility with Frente Amplio, but we dont coincide in other things. We believe that, with these proposed bills, our ally will be Frente Amplio.

A school principal and member of ANDE, protesting with a group of colleagues. spoke to the WSWS. She is particularly concerned about the changes in the education system, but said that, We have a long list of measures that we could take to exert pressure on the government. For instance, we could simply stop taking yearly census data, for which they pay us as unskilled cheap labor.

The dual education reform plans to institutionalize the existing gap in school completion rates and education quality that exists between technical and academic high schools. It plans to oblige students in technical schools to virtually become free labor for companies in order to get certified.

The structural schooling disparity, which would get consolidated with dual education, leaves an entire sector of the population with little or no opportunity to complete or advance their education. Within low-education households, only 15 percent of those between the ages of 18 to 24 continue to study, compared to 79 percent of those in households with an average of post-secondary education.

The school principal added, We cant be afraid, just like previous generations, we are defending our rights.

The government is also planning to collect the retirement savings of all 1.4 million public workers in order to more easily invest them within the government and in speculative markets. It will gradually make the workers themselves pay more for the funds sustainability by imposing regressive taxes and reducing pension benefits.

According to Oxfam, partial and complete social security privatizations in Latin America have led to more unequal coverage. In Costa Rica, there already is a 44 percent gap in access to health care and 28 percent gap in pension enrollment between the top and poorest quintiles.
Two children are still hospitalized after deputies discovered one child allegedly chained to the ground and another allegedly tied to a door with a leash in the backyard of a Texas home Thursday night, officials say.



The outpouring of support and interest in the case has been overwhelming, officials say.



"People want to help these children," says James Keith, chief communications officer at the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. "[Now,] they're away from this abusive situation."



 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.



Last week, deputies received a call from an anonymous caller who reported a child had been crying for a long time in a neighboring backyard. When deputies arrived, they allegedly discovered six unsupervised children inside the home and two outside.



Porucha Phillips, 34, the mother of the six children inside the home, was arrested and charged with Injury to a Child by Omission with Serious Bodily Injury.



The mother of the two children found outside has been located in California, but officials say that Phillips had been caring for the children.



"[Phillips] was responsible for them at the time," Keith tells PEOPLE, adding that investigators are unsure why her children are in the San Antonio area.



Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokesperson Patrick Crimmins told the Associated Press that the six children found inside the house were placed in foster care and that authorities are worried all of the children may be malnourished. Crimmins told the AP that one of the injured children has a fractured arm and wrist and that the other has scarring and abrasions.



Keith tells PEOPLE the agency has been stunned by the discovery of the alleged abuse.



"These deputies are trained to handle tough situations," says Keith. "This was still a tough one. A lot of tears were shed, but it reminds you why we do what we do."
In British television director Susanna Whites Cold-War-rekindled thriller Our Kind of Traitor, Ewan McGregor plays a character named Perry Makepeace, whose moniker is only slightly more subtle than those of classic Bond girls Pussy Galore, Plenty OToole and Xenia Onatopp. A tweedy college professor roped into brokering the defection of Russias No. 1 money launderer, Makepeace would appear to be making good on his name, were this not the latest espionage thriller from cynic extraordinaire John le Carre, who might have done better to christen his unwitting protagonist Patsy McGullible.

Makepeace is vacationing with girlfriend Gail Perkins (Naomie Harris) in Marrakesh, when he takes the bait, accepting the invitation of boisterous Russian oligarch Dima (Stellan Skarsgard) to attend the sort of party where revelers dance among the fireworks and high-dollar prostitutes roam the halls on horseback. This is pretty much the lifestyle taxpayers figure Gerard Depardieu left France to enjoy, and though it might have been fun to see the Marseilles star chew the scenery in the role, Skarsgards turn as an overbearing, open-collared Russian stereotype proves to be the films strongest asset.

Still smarting from the sort of confidence-shattering indiscretion that serves to make their characters slightly less one-dimensional, the couple left London to rekindle the proverbial spark. By accepting Dimas offer to hand-deliver a USB drive to British intelligence, the excitement-averse academic inadvertently ignites far more, thrusting them both into what sounds like a classic Hitchcock plot: Ill-equipped everyman is yanked from a life of comfortable obscurity to save the world and/or clear his name.

Perry figures he can turn the USB drive over at customs and be done with it, though it turns out British intelligence wasnt what it once was. The dirty Russian money Dima has been laundering all these years seems to have found its way into some very prominent British pockets, and as such, semi-disillusioned MI6 agent Hector (played by Homelands shifty-looking Damian Lewis) must pursue his investigation with minimal manpower.

Story continues

Actually, hes so short-staffed  and yet so personally invested in bringing down a potentially corrupt rival  that Hector manages to convince Perry and Gail to put their own lives on the line in order to bring Dima in. And so The Two Faces of January writer-director Hossein Aminis screenplay invites armchair espionage fans everywhere to imagine how they might navigate such a tricky negotiation, tapping into their sense of chivalry and/or patriotism, rather than that more urgent Hitchockian notion of misplaced guilt.

In order to convey the stakes, director White  who leans on d.p. Anthony Dod Mantle to strike the balance between seduction and danger  takes us into the inner circle of The Prince (Grigoriy Dobrygin), the ruthless Russian mobster who signs his enemies death sentence by presenting them with a cherished pistol, only to have his goons collect it from their cold dead hands hours later. White depicts one such execution on a lonely stretch of icy road, and the disturbing image of an entire family killed in cold blood haunts us as it does Dima. Outward flamboyance aside, hes a committed family man, which is perhaps the quality that convinces Perry (clearly atoning for his own shortcomings in that department) to stick his neck out for the near-stranger  that and the free trip to Paris he and Gail get out of it.

At Horaces urging, the couple hops the Channel for a second romantic getaway, this time playing cloak and dagger with Dima right under the noses of the men who intend to kill him  including the dreamy, blue-eyed Russian (Pawel Szajda) whod dispatched the aforementioned family. Perry and Gail are completely out of their depth in these scenes, and White milks their naivete (and ours) by putting them in situations that could presumably turn fatal at any moment, including a detour by retro-futuristic housing projects the Tours Aillaud, where a tea break turns tense in an otherwise dead-end scene.

Perry Makepeace may be virtually incapable of making violence, but Dima has no such impediment, and things heat up when the Russian starts to feel cornered. So many of Skarsgards past performances rely on his intellect that its a rare pleasure to see him slip into such a physical role, whether hes puffing his chest to show off Russian prison tattoos or strangling one of the Princes thugs with his bare hands.

By contrast, McGregor is arguably too physical for his role, which (as when he was cast as an uptight fisheries expert in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) really ought to have gone to a stuffier and far less handsome actor. But audiences come to movies like this  a sort of latter-day Charade, minus the mistakes of its less charming remake, The Truth About Charlie  fully expecting to enjoy the scenery. To that extent, photogenic co-stars McGregor and Harris are as indispensable to the equation as the films exotic exteriors, which range from the skylines of Paris and London to the Swiss Alps.

Despite the real-world bombshell of the recent Panama Papers scandal, Dimas secrets are too juicy for the general public to digest, and this is where le Carres trademark skepticism distinguishes the web he weaves from that of any less venomous spider. Still, the shattering of ones noble ideals is a delicate thing to capture on film, and White plays the moment of rupture with a banality that threatens to undermine our faith in her as storyteller more than in the system itself. If Makepeace was meant to be our kind of hero, its a shame to see him made out to be such a sucker.

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BUYERS: Aidy Bryant and Conner OMalley

LOCATION: New York City, NY

PRICE: $995,000

SIZE: (approx.) 850 square feet, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Veteran celebrity real estate informant Polly Wannacracker sent word via covert communique and property records do indeed confirm that professionally upwardly mobile comedy couple Aidy Bryant and Conner OMalley shelled out $995,000 for a modestly sized if hardly inexpensive co-operative apartment at the London Terrace complex in New York Citys bustling, art gallery-filled Chelsea neighborhood. Bryant and OMalley were improv standouts in Chicago before she secured a coveted spot on Saturday Night Live in 2012. He currently toils as a writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers and shes recently popped up on the HBO hit series Girls and the IFC mockumentary spoof Documentary Now! along with the Louis C.K.-written web series Horace and Pete and last year the couple teamed up for an outlandish and hilariously ribald scene on the critically acclaimed sitcom Broad City.

At around 850-square-feet, the one-bedroom and one-bathroom apartment isnt going to win any size contests but, according to online marketing materials, it does benefit from nine-foot beamed ceilings, refurbished oak floorboards stained the color of black coffee, and a renovated bathroom that retains London Terraces signature black and white mosaic tile flooring and white subway tiled walls. The stripped steel front door opens less than ideally  although not all that unusually for smaller apartments in New York City  directly into an inarguably compact kitchen that incorporates just enough black granite topped counter space to unpack Chinese take-out plus a convenient two-stool snack bar. The main living space comfortably accommodates separate living and dining spaces and has two large north-facing windows that provide an over-the-townhouse-rooftops view of the Empire State Building. The listing was handled by Douglas Elliman broker Bruce Wayne Solomon.

Our research indicates the jokester couple didnt have far to schlep their belongings as they previously paid somewhere around $4,200/month to rent a one-bedroom and one-bathroom apartment with two decorative fireplaces and a private terrace in a landmarked, 19th-century Greek Revival-style townhouse thats just a few blocks south of their new digs. Residents of the titanic London Terrace complex, who once-upon-a-time included this property gossip, are provided with round-the-clock doorman and concierge services, a half-sized Olympic swimming pool with lockers and steam rooms, a ground-level courtyard and planted roof terrace with wrap-around city views, and, for additional monthly fees, a full-service fitness facility and an on-site parking garage. In addition to several other former Saturday Night Live who include but are not limited to Chris Kattan and Bill Hader, the multi-building complex has been home a hefty number of high-profile residents including Debbie Harry, Katherine Helmond, and Susan Sontag whose former penthouse is now owned by The Sopranos writer/producer David Chase who acquired it in 2013 for $9.65 million.

Exterior image: Christopher Bride for Property Shark

Listing photos and floor plan: Douglas Elliman

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The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.

When it comes to tuition, enrolling in an in-state college rather than a private institution is typically a way to save money. But some in-state schools have a higher price tag than others.

Among the 316 ranked public colleges that submitted these data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average tuition was about $8,893 for the 2015-2016 academic year.

[Consider attending a tuition-free college.]

Meanwhile, the average among the 10 schools with the highest in-state tuition and fees was significantly higher at $16,536.

The University of Pittsburgh, tied for No. 66 among National Universities -- which offer a wide range of undergrad programs plus master's and doctoral degrees -- tops the list, as it did last year. The school had a total tuition and fees of $18,192 for 2015-2016, an increase from last year's $17,772.

Nine of the institutions on the list saw increases in total tuition and fees from last year, with the exception being the College of William and Mary. The school, tied at No. 34 among National Universities, saw a decrease to $16,919 in tuition and fees from last year's $17,656.

[Discover four strategies for surviving a college tuition increase.]

In addition, seven of the schools that made it onto the top 10 list this year were repeats from last year. The schools new to the list were the Pennsylvania College of Technology, Temple University and the University of Virginia.

Below are the most expensive public colleges for in-state students, based on tuition and required fees for the 2015-2016 academic year . These figures do not include room and board, books, transportation and other costs. They also do not factor in any scholarships or grants a student might receive. Schools designated by U.S. News as Unranked were excluded from this list. U.S. News did not calculate a numerical ranking for Unranked programs because the program did not meet certain criteria that U.S. News requires to be numerically ranked.



Story continues

School (state) In-state tuition and fees for 2015-2016 U.S. News rank and category University of Pittsburgh $18,192

66 (tie), National Universities Maine Maritime Academy $17,668

7, Regional Colleges (North) Pennsylvania State University--University Park $17,514

47 (tie), National Universities Colorado School of Mines $17,383

75 (tie), National Universities College of William and Mary (VA) $16,919

34 (tie), National Universities Virginia Military Institute $16,536

82 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges Pennsylvania College of Technology $15,900

37, Regional Colleges (North) University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign $15,626

41 (tie), National Universities Temple University (PA) $15,096

115 (tie), National Universities University of Virginia $14,526 26, National Universities

Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find tuition data, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed nearly 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2015 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News' data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News' rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The tuition data above are correct as of May 3, 2016.







More From US News & World Report


The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.

When it comes to tuition, enrolling in an in-state college rather than a private institution is typically a way to save money. But some in-state schools have a higher price tag than others.

Among the 316 ranked public colleges that submitted these data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average tuition was about $8,893 for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Consider [attending a tuition-free college.]

Meanwhile, the average among the 10 schools with the highest in-state tuition and fees was significantly higher at $16,536.

The University of Pittsburgh, tied for No. 66 among National Universities -- which offer a wide range of undergrad programs plus master's and doctoral degrees -- tops the list, as it did last year. The school had a total tuition and fees of $18,192 for 2015-2016, an increase from last year's $17,772.

Nine of the institutions on the list saw increases in total tuition and fees from last year, with the exception being the College of William and Mary. The school, tied at No. 34 among National Universities, saw a decrease to $16,919 in tuition and fees from last year's $17,656.

Discover [four strategies for surviving a college tuition increase.]

In addition, seven of the schools that made it onto the top 10 list this year were repeats from last year. The schools new to the list were the Pennsylvania College of Technology, Temple University and the University of Virginia.

Below are the most expensive public colleges for in-state students, based on tuition and required fees for the 2015-2016 academic year . These figures do not include room and board, books, transportation and other costs. They also do not factor in any scholarships or grants a student might receive. Schools designated by U.S. News as Unranked were excluded from this list. U.S. News did not calculate a numerical ranking for Unranked programs because the program did not meet certain criteria that U.S. News requires to be numerically ranked.



Story continues

Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find tuition data, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed nearly 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2015 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News' data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News' rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The tuition data above are correct as of May 3, 2016.



Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.


From ELLE

Princess Charlotte turns one today-an occasion the Palace has celebrated by releasing new, adorable photos of her and the list of gifts Charlotte has received over the last year. The Telegraph notes the princess has cumulatively received presents and letters from 64 countries around the world, along with blankets, clothes, books, toys, hand-knitted clothes, and many, many bootees from schools, community groups, and fans of the Royal family. These are all very nice, but the most extravagant gifts have come from world leaders.

They have made charitable donations to save Australian wildlife in her name! They have presented her with silver rattles to chew! (The Natural Sapphire Company even gave her a gold one, worth about $44,000). They-specifically the Obamas-have given her a stuffed animal version of their dog.

Here, a list of Charlotte's fanciest gifts, via The Telegraph:

 A silver rattle from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and his wife, Senora Angelica Rivera

 An 18k white gold rattle "studded with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires" and worth 30,000 ($43,982), from the U.S.'s Natural Sapphire Company

 A willow rattle handwoven by Co Galway basket maker Ciaran Hogan

 A set of silk figurines illustrating the Dream of the Red Chamber, the classic 18th century Chinese novel, from Chinese President Xi Jinping

 A stuffed animal of the Obamas' Portuguese Water Dog Bo, rocking chair, and baby blanket, from President Barack and Michelle Obama

 A copy of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, from British Prime Minister David Cameron

 A snowsuit, book, and 54,000 ($79,168) donation to Immunize Canada (an organization that seeks to "eradicate vaccine-preventable disease" in the country), from then-Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper

 A snowsuit from the Wellington Rugby Team (given to Prince Harry during his New Zealand tour)

 A sleepsuit, from the New Zealand Rugby Team

 Teddy bears, baby blankets, and bootees made from Stansborough, New Zealand wool, from New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key

Story continues

 A pink dress embroidered with "From Israel with Love," from Israeli President Reuven Rivlin

 A cot blanket made from Tasmanian merino wool (embroidered with Australia's floral emblem) and a 5,200 ($7,624) donation to the Healesville Sanctuary (where mountain pygmy possums are conserved), from the Australian Government

 A coat, from the King and Queen of Bhutan

 A set of biodegradable diapers made from natural mull cloth (4 each) from Pippa Middleton

Note this was all before her birthday today.
Can the frontrunners seal the deal?

That's the question at the heart of Tuesday's Indiana primary, in which Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump hope to parlay their recent string of victories in crucial Northeastern contests into resounding wins that cement their positions atop the two parties' presidential fields.

But with Ted Cruz mounting what even close allies acknowledge is an effective last stand against Trump and Bernie Sanders hoping to woo voters with an inequality-focused pitch, Trump and Clinton faced spirited challenges ahead of the Hoosier State vote.

Follow along as Mic keeps tabs on all the evening's latest developments. All times are Eastern. Polls close at 7 p.m.

9:34 p.m.: Trump praises Cruz while declaring victory.

Goodbye, "Lyin' Ted."

After vanquishing Cruz, Trump sounded a conciliatory note in his Trump Tower victory speech, saying Cruz "has got an amazing future" and praising his political chops.

Source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

"I have met some of the most incredible competitors that I have ever competed against," he said, calling Cruz "one hell of a competitor."

Trump's mission: To convince members of the Cruz Crew to coalesce behind his candidacy.

"We want to bring unity to the Republican Party," Trump said later. "It's so much easier if we have it."  Luke Brinker

9:24 p.m.: Sanders takes Indiana as Trump is speaking.

Sanders will prevail in the Hoosier State, according to the AP, who called the race at 9:23.  Stefan Becket

BREAKING: Sanders wins the Indiana Democratic primary. @AP race call at 9:23 p.m. EDT. #Election2016 #APracecallpic.twitter.com/HtANPd3a4d https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chk0Iz7WUAAhOSK.jpg:large

9:14 p.m.: Watch Trump's victory speech, live from Trump Tower.

9:07 p.m.: He fixed it. So now it's official!

@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton

9:00 p.m.: Trump is your presumptive Republican nominee (or "presumtive").

So says Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, who is only human and also makes typos.  Stefan Becket

Story continues

@realDonaldTrump will be presumtive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton

8:56 p.m.: Meanwhile, on the Democratic side...

Clinton and Sanders are locked in a very tight race, with Sanders maintaining a narrow lead of about six points with 63% of precincts reporting.

Exit polls show Sanders won men 60% to 40%, and beat Clinton among women 52% to 48%.

Sanders did predictably well among young voters, defeating Clinton with voters between the ages of 17 and 44 years old, 68% to 32%. Clinton edged out Sanders among the older set, voters 45 and older, 56% to 44%.

Sanders was much more popular among white voters, winning them 62% to 38%. But Clinton trounced Sanders among black voters, who made up close to a fifth of the Democratic electorate voting Tuesday night, 74% to 26%.

Sanders' edge among women, and the narrow lead that Clinton held over Sanders among older voters, bodes well for Sanders.  Zeeshan Aleem

8:52 p.m.: Kasich reacts to Cruz dropping out.

Kasich, who is still in the race, issued congratulations to Cruz, praising his "strong and disciplined campaign."  Stefan Becket

Sen. @TedCruz should be proud of his strong and disciplined campaign. Texas is lucky to have you. Best wishes going forward. -John

8:40 p.m. Cruz suspends his campaign, making Trump the presumptive nominee.

That's that.

Source: Mic/Getty Images

Flanked by his family with his campaign staff in attendance, Cruz spoke in Indianapolis and announced he was dropping out. His drumming in the Indiana primary dashed almost any hopes of preventing Trump from reaching the majority of pledged delegates, and Cruz looked defeated as he thanked his family and supporters before laying out a vision of the future that will position him well in 2020.

"The pundits all said it was hopeless," Cruz said, announcing he had given up hope.

"Tonight, I am sorry to say, the path [to victory] has been foreclosed," Cruz said. "We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path.



"And so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign," Cruz said. "But hear me now  I am not suspending our fight for liberty."  Stefan Becket

8:26 p.m. It's over  Cruz is dropping out.

As Carly Fiorina introduced Cruz, Patrick Svitek of the Texas Tribune broke the news that he's dropping out:

Just in: @TedCruz is ending his presidential campaign, campaign manager Jeff Roe tells me.

8:20 p.m.: The Trump campaign revels in victory from headquarters.

TRUMP TOWER  An upbeat Corey Lewandowski told reporters gathered at Trump Tower that after the big win in Indiana, the campaign isn't fiddling with worries about delegate counts ahead of a possibly contested convention.

"With all due respect, we're going for a first-round knockout," he said in the building's marble lobby.

Lewandowski said the campaign would next move on to West Virginia and Nebraska, continuing to build momentum and delegate support in the march to 1,237.

As for why the resistance movement hit a wall in Indiana, he said, "The #NeverTrump movement has failed because they don't fundamentally understand that the American people are sick of a broken Washington."

Despite the day's volley of insults between the Trump and Cruz camps, Lewandowski promised his candidate would ultimately unite the GOP against Hillary Clinton.

He also said Team Trump hadn't discussed VP picks yet, despite news reports to the contrary, and remained committed to self-funding through the primary.  Celeste Katz

8:12 p.m.: Sanders may win, but the math remains forbidding.

With Sanders holding a narrow edge over Clinton, an Indiana upset isn't out of the question  but as statistics wizard Nate Silver points out, overtaking Clinton's delegate lead will require crushing landslides in the remaining contests.  Luke Brinker

If Sanders wins Indiana tonight, here's what he need the rest of the way.. http://53eig.ht/1Z9Xjso pic.twitter.com/GTL3DHIXq8 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chkd1pQXIAAxUZ1.jpg:large

7:30 p.m. Follow live results as they come in.

Courtesy of Graphiq, here's a map of the latest returns.  Luke Brinker

7:25 p.m.: Kasich vows to remain in the race.

Running a distant third in Indiana, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has won only his home state primary, says he won't be going away.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Kasich strategist John Weaver said the candidate would remain in the race as long as no candidate entered the Cleveland convention in July with a 1,237-delegate majority.

"Tonight's results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich's campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention," Weaver said.

But with Trump securing at least 1,041 delegates already, the chances of holding him below 1,237 are diminishing fast.  Luke Brinker

7:08 p.m.: Trump reacts to his victory with shots at Cruz.

Within minutes of winning the Hoosier State, Trump unleashed a torrent of attacks on Cruz, who had himself gone scorched-earth on the frontrunner during a mid-day press conference.  Luke Brinker

Wow, Lyin' Ted Cruz really went wacko today. Made all sorts of crazy charges. Can't function under pressure - not very presidential. Sad!

Lyin' Ted Cruz consistently said that he will, and must, win Indiana. If he doesn't he should drop out of the race-stop wasting time & money

7:00 p.m.: Trump wins.

And there it is. The AP called the race for Trump when the final polls closed. Read more here.  Luke Brinker

BREAKING: Republican Donald Trump wins the #IndianaPrimary. @AP race call at 7 p.m. EDT. #Election2016 #APracecallpic.twitter.com/nlC0AS9Kr5 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChkTPJVWwAAMaXb.jpg:large

6:55 p.m.: Exits look good for Trump and Sanders.

Though pre-primary polling showed Clinton edging Sanders, early exits show the Vermont senator with some key advantages over the former secretary of state  though those exits may not be indicative of the final outcome.

According to a preliminary analysis from ABC News, the Indiana Democratic electorate was whiter than average  a good sign for Sanders, who has lagged Clinton badly among minority voters. Six in 10 voters said they found Sanders the more inspiring candidate, meanwhile, and voters also saw him as more honest and trustworthy.

On the GOP side, ABC found, Trump is likely to benefit from voters' hunger for an outsider candidate.  Luke Brinker
In some ways, the 2016 Tony Awards nominations shook out exactly as expected, with Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Mirandas pop-culture phenomenon, dominating the conversation. But the May 3 announcement still provided plenty of plot twists for the theater industry to chatter over. Here are the nine biggest snubs and surprises:

1. SNUB: Audra McDonald and the Tony Winners of Shuffle Along

It seems like every time Audra McDonald  the winningest actress in the history of the Tony Awards  shows up on a Broadway stage, she gets a nomination (and, more often than not, walks away with the award). But not this time. Six-time winner McDonald wasnt even nominated for her well-received turn in Shuffle Along  nor, for that matter, were her two fellow Tony-winning co-stars, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter. Instead the shows acting nominations went to lesser-known names giving headturning performances: Adrienne Warren (in what many consider a breakout) and Brandon Victor Dixon.

2. SURPRISE: Bright Star

Its been an impossible season to try to open a new musical not named Hamilton, and Bright Star, the tuner by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, is among those having a tough time attracting attention. The show received mixed reviews, and descriptions like gentle and sweet probably arent selling many tickets. But the musical got an unexpected boost from the Tony nominations, scoring a total of five, including one in the coveted race for best new musical. (The category, usually limited to four productions, expanded to five this year, as is an annual possibility following a 2014 rules change.)

3. SNUB: Jennifer Hudson in The Color Purple

Shes already got that Oscar, but she wont have a chance at a Tony Award this year. Hudson, the biggest name in the revival of The Color Purple, didnt score a nomination after earning generally appreciative notices from the critics. The show itself, however, wasnt overlooked: The production is a real contender in the highly competitive musical revival race, while director John Doyle snagged a nomination and co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) each notched an acting nod.

Story continues

4. SURPRISE: Jennifer Simard in Disaster

Who? Casual Broadway observers probably havent heard of Simard, much less the musical comedy, Disaster!, in which she stars. But Simard has been a stage trouper for years, with Broadway credits including Sister Act, Shrek the Musical and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. And as the critics noted, the actress, playing a nun with a gambling problem, steals every scene in which she appears in Disaster!

5. SNUB: On Your Feet! and American Psycho

A bio-musical about Gloria and Emilio Estefan, On Your Feet! was one of the high-profile openings of the fall, well-received by the press and anchored by a performance by Ana Villafane. The show also has a clear appeal to the Latino audiences who often overlook Broadway, and the Tonys like to reward a show that has the potential to win over new theater fans. But in an ultra-competitive season for new musicals, On Your Feet! managed only one nomination, for Trujillos choreography. Meanwhile, American Psycho, with music by Tony winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), divided critics but has its fans  and even the folks who didnt much like the show expressed admiration for Benjamin Walkers performance in the lead role. Psycho, however, came away with just two nods: one for set (Es Devlin and Finn Ross) and one for lights (Justin Townsend).

6. SURPRISE: Sophie Okonedo in The Crucible

Its not as if the Tonys didnt already love British actress Okonedo  she won in 2014 for A Raisin in the Sun  and Broadway watchers agree that shes great in The Crucible. But in the awards-season hubbub, talk about her performance had largely gotten lost in a lead actress competition that includes big Hollywood names like Jessica Lange (Long Days Journey Into Night), Lupita Nyongo (Eclipsed) and Michelle Williams (Blackbird). Her inclusion on the list ranks as what most in the industry will see as a well-deserved surprise.

7. SNUB: Notable actors in ensemble casts

Okonedos co-star, Ben Whishaw, is already much-admired for his stage work, and earned strong notices for his cast-against-type role in The Crucible. He seemed like a potential contender, as did a handful of his cohorts in the large cast, including two-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) and Ciaran Hinds. None of them made the cut (although stage veteran Bill Camp did). Over at The Humans, the six-person cast won praise for its seamless work, with Reed Birney, Jayne Houdyshell, Sarah Steele and Cassie Beck all looking like strong possibilities. But only Birney and Houdyshell nabbed noms, with Houdyshell competing for featured actress with two cast members from Eclipsed, Pascale Armand and Saycon Sengbloh, and two from Noises Off, Megan Hilty and Andrea Martin.

8. SURPRISE: Noises Off

Those two nominations for featured actress were part of an expectedly strong tally for Noises Off, which also muscled into the play revival category (this year expanded to five, like the new musical race) and earned additional nods for featured actor (David Furr) and costumes (Michael Krass). The show earned a slew of good notices from the critics and grew into a tidy little hit for the Roundabout Theater Company, but the production, which opened in January and finished its limited run in March, tended to get overshadowed in the awards discussion by the chatter around more recent openers.

9. SNUB: Casey Nicholaws choreography in Tuck Everlasting

Like Bright Star, Tuck Everlasting has had trouble gaining traction in the shadow of Hamilton, and reviews were mostly muted. But many in the industry showed real affection for the wordless, dance-storytelling finale in Tuck, and a choreography nomination would have given Nicholaw, Broadways go-to musical guy (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Something Rotten!), another shot at his first win in that category. (Hes been nominated five times as a choreographer, but never won; he picked up a directing award for Mormon.) In a competitive field this year, he was edged out by strong contenders including Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton), Savion Glover (Shuffle Along), Hofesh Shechter (Fiddler on the Roof) and Sergio Trujillo (On Your Feet!). Tuck Everlasting itself got only a single nomination for costume design (Gregg Barnes).

The 70th annual Tony Awards will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theater on CBS, in a June 12 ceremony emceed by The Late Late Show host (and Tony winner) James Corden.

Related stories

Tony Awards Could Rebuke #OscarsSoWhite With Historic Wins

2016 Tony Awards: 'Hamilton' Nabs Record 16 Nominations

Tony Awards: Brian Stokes Mitchell to Receive 2016 Isabelle Stevenson Award
Santosh Nair

Audis 2017 versions of the Q3 have hit Brazilian showrooms. The price of the Attraction 1.4 TFSI variant is Real 142,990 (Rs 27.06 lakh), and the Ambiente 1.4 TFSI will cost Real 153,990 (Rs 29.15 lakh).

Originally launched in Brazil in 2011, the Q3 was restyled last year which helped it register one-third of Audis sales in the period. Audi claims that the Q3, which now rolls off its Sao Jose dos Pinhais plant, is strategic for the brand. Audis latest Q3 has a 1.4TFSI petrol engine that makes 150bhp and 255Nm of torque at 1500rpm. This mill is coupled to an S-Tronic seven-speed gearbox to transfer all that power to the wheels.

The Q3 is the sales leader in the premium SUV segment last year, and is a very important model for our long term growth strategy in Brazil. Domestic production reinforces our commitment to the country, "says Jorg Hofmann, President and CEO, Audi Brazil.

Audi Brazil is also expected to come up with a top-of-the-line Ambition variant for the Q3 later this year. The Q3 is sold in India with a 2-litre diesel engine and Audi has no plans of introducing a petrol version yet.

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

Check On-Road Prices | Find New Cars | Upcoming Cars | Compare Cars | Dealer Locator
Sagar Bhanushali

After previewing it at the New York Motor Show earlier this year, Honda is now preparing to introduce the 2017 Civic hatchback for several global markets. The brand has already shown the sedan and the coupe and now its the turn of the all-important hatchback thats being caught on test in Europe.

Besides key European markets, the 2017 Civic hatch will also be sold in the US with the 1.5-litre turbo engine and a manual gearbox. As Honda said, the production model looks similar to the prototype even though the 19-inch wheels and the crazy-looking exhaust and body kit are gone. The latter bits always belonged to the Type R model.

The 2017 Civic Hatchback will be out later this year and will be joined by the Civic Si and the Civic Type R which are due next year. Unfortunately for us Indians Honda India has no plans to bring back the Civic nameplate. The brand, instead, is concentrating on the new Accord and the BR-V crossover. The latter is to be launched on May 6.

Read our first drive report on the BR-V by clicking here.

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

Check On-Road Prices | Find New Cars | Upcoming Cars | Compare Cars | Dealer Locator
Many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, but this can be very tough to define. There is great debate regarding which metrics are the best to focus on in this regard, and which are not really quality indicators of future performance. Fortunately, with our new style score system we have identified the key statistics to pay close attention to and thus which stocks might be the best for momentum investors in the near term.



This method discovered several great candidates for momentum-oriented investors, but today lets focus in on ACCO Brands Corporation ACCO as this stock is looking especially impressive right now. And while there are numerous ways in which this company could be a great choice, we have highlighted three of the most vital reasons for ACCOs status as a solid momentum stock below:



Short Term Price Change for ACCO Brands



A great place to look for finding momentum stocks is by inspecting short term price activity. This can help to reflect the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand right now. It is especially useful to compare it to the industry as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.



With a one week price change of 9.7% compared to an industry average of 4.7%, ACCO is certainly well-positioned in this regard. The stock is also looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the four week price change compares favorably with the industry at large as well.



Longer Term Price Change for ACCO Brands



While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. That is why looking at longer term price metricssuch as performance over the past three months or year-- and comparing these to an industry at large can be very useful.



And in the case of ACCO, the results are quite impressive. The company has beaten out the industry at large over the past 12 weeks by a margin of 57.2% to 8.5% while it has also outperformed when looking at the past year, putting up a gain of 21.2%. Clearly, ACCO is riding a bit of a hot streak and is worth a closer look by investors.



ACCO Earnings Estimate Revisions Moving in the Right Direction



While the great momentum factors outlined in the preceding paragraphs might be enough for some investors, we should also take into account broad earnings estimate revision trends. A nice path here can really help to show us a promising stock, and we have actually been seeing that with ACCO as of late too.



Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates have gone higher compared to no downward revisions for the full year, while we are also seeing 2 upward revisions with no downward revisions for the next year time frame too. These revisions have helped to boost the consensus estimate as two months ago ACCO was expected to post earnings of 76 cents/share for the full year, though today it looks to have EPS of 82 cents for the full year now, representing a solid increase which is something that should definitely be welcomed news to would-be investors.



Bottom Line



Given these factors, investors shouldnt be surprised to note that we have ACCO as a security with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Momentum Score of A. So if you are looking for a fresh pick that has potential to move in the right direction, definitely keep ACCO on your short list as this looks be a stock that is very well-positioned to soar in the near term.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



ACCO BRANDS CP (ACCO): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
If you're worrying about what type of retirement plan is best for you, you're not alone. Pension plans are becoming less and less common, and Social Security as it stands today is essentially doomed to fail unless it undergoes some major systemic changes.

With recent studies showing that the median working-age American couple has just $5,000 saved for retirement, it's essential that we figure out better ways to save for our golden years. Fortunately, there are several retirement plan options available to individual investors.

Of course, everybody's situation is different. Always speak to a certified tax professional or retirement planner to make sure you're doing what's best for you.

[Read: The Best Ways to Invest $5,000.]

Employer plans. Employer plans come in many shapes and sizes, and the majority of American taxpayers can take advantage of these vehicles.

"The 401(k) is offered by for-profit employers, the 403(b) is offered by not-for-profit organizations, and the 457 plans are offered by governmental entities," says Michael Zovistoski, partner and co-founder of the wealth management practice UHY Advisors in New York. "All of these plans allow the individual to make contributions from their paychecks."

That's an important feature for -- believe it or not -- psychological reasons. If you don't see your contribution getting deducted, well, it doesn't seem like it's getting deducted. You see the same paycheck every two weeks, so it doesn't really feel like you're contributing.

The most important thing you should know about 401(k) plans? Just do them.

"If you are eligible for this type of plan, you should contribute," says Robert A. Massa, director of retirement at Ascende, an employee benefits consulting firm in Houston. "Since the large majority of employers offer an employer match, contributing at least enough to get the maximum employer match is simply common sense. By failing to contribute enough to get the match, you are giving up a tax-deferred raise, and everybody wants a raise."

Story continues

IRAs. IRA stands for individual retirement account. Essentially, anyone who doesn't have an employer-sponsored plan should definitely be contributing to one of these. Within IRAs, there are three major types, although there are roughly a dozen overall.

Traditional IRAs "are great for people that either don't have a retirement plan, or have maxed out their employer-provided plan, such as a 401(k), already," Massa says.

[See: The 10 Best Ways to Buy Tech Stocks.]

Lew Baker, principal at Baker Schilling Smith Wealth Strategies in the District of Columbia, says traditional IRA contributions can be made in pre-tax dollars and can be deducted from your adjusted gross income for tax purposes. This typically makes sense for wealthier people, or those closer to retirement.

They are "best for people who have a shorter time horizon until retirement, and are also in a high tax bracket, as the current year tax-deduction can be very important," Baker says.

Roth contributions, however, are made in post-tax dollars and can't be counted as a deduction on your taxes. With traditional IRAs, you get hit with taxes when you finally make withdrawals on the back end, when you need the money. Not with Roths: You pay taxes going in, and pay nothing coming out.

Conversely, Baker says that Roths are "best for younger people with a long time until expected retirement age and currently in a low tax bracket," especially since you'll likely be in a higher tax bracket later in life -- when you'd be forced to pay taxes on your withdrawal in a traditional IRA.

The SEP IRA is for self-employed workers. Zovistoski calls it "an inexpensive way for the self-employed individual to save for retirement."

Remember though, there are obscure rules surrounding most retirement vehicles, one of which is the maximum contribution.

"Traditional and Roth IRAs have contribution limits of $5,500 for individuals under 50 years of age and $6,500 for those over 50," Baker says. "Traditional 401k/403b plans allow for $18,000 and $24,000, respectively."

There are also early withdrawal penalties, and even requirements for when you must start taking withdrawals, depending on the plan. Again, check with a tax professional for the specifics in your situation.

Other options. The truth is, there are too many ways to save and invest for retirement to list them all in thorough detail here. But it's important to understand that 401(k) plans and IRAs aren't the only vehicles you have at your fingertips.

Annuities are another great option for retirement investors: You plop down a lump sum, fork it over to the annuity company, oftentimes an insurance company, and in exchange you receive a stream of future annual payments. Anyone who wants guaranteed cash flows late in life should give these a look.

Annuities are purchased with after-tax dollars. "Once distributions occur during retirement, the principal will be tax-free as a return of capital and the earnings would be taxable," Zovistoski says. "Annuities will typically offer certain guarantees in relation to death benefits and/or returns relating to distribution."

[See: 7 Ways to Tell if a Stock Is a Good Price.]

Other IRA plans and health savings accounts also have various tax and savings benefits. And of course, there's always the option of opening plain vanilla investing accounts of your own, which won't be subject to any contribution, withdrawal, or investment limitations.

John Divine is an investor, freelance financial writer and assistant editor at InvestorPlace.com. Follow him (at your own risk) on Twitter @divinebizkid or spam him with email at jdivine@investormedia.com.
In a dramatic sign of the scope of the opioid crisis, a new survey on health shows that 44 percent of Americans personally know someone who has been addicted to prescription painkillers.

About a quarter of those people say the person they know is an acquaintance, 21 percent say its a close friend, 20 percent say its a family member and two percent say they themselves are addicts.

Related: As Heroin Addiction Grows Like a Cancer, Obama Orders New Health

At the same time, a majority of Americans complains about a lack of access to substance abuse programs and says that Congress isnt moving quickly enough to pass new programs to address the crisis and save lives, according to the tracking poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The newly released survey found that Americans view heroin and opioid addiction as among the top most serious public health issues of the day, along with cancer, contaminated drinking water, obesity and lack of access to mental health treatment. And more than 60 percent of those interviewed last month say that the government needs to do more to halt the epidemic of heroin and painkiller abuse that is claiming tens of thousands of lives.

The findings come as the House and Senate struggle to negotiate legislation to address the mounting crisis, while Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican candidate, have raised the issue repeatedly on the campaign trail.

I think the opioid epidemic crosses all lines, Clinton told MSNBC on Tuesday following a campaign event in Charleston, West Virginia, where several people shared their personal experiences with addiction crisis. It is found in the most affluent of neighborhoods and families and among the most distressed neighborhoods and families. It really knows no boundaries.

Related: The Rapidly Rising Death Toll of the Heroin Epidemic

I really hope that as a nation we will do much more on changing the way we treat people who are addicted  moving more into treatment and recovery, she added. And looking for ways to change prescription practices by physicians: being ready to help with overdoses and diverting people into drug courts -- a really good idea.

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While it wasnt until the campaign began to heat up last year that the problem drew national attention, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. In 2014 alone, there were 47,055 reported fatal drug overdoses. Central to the epidemic is opioid addiction, which resulted in 18,893 deaths in 2014 linked to prescription pain relievers and 10,574 overdose deaths related to heroin.

In March, President Obama unveiled new steps and funding to broaden medical treatment and assistance for millions of people addicted to heroin and prescription painkillers.

When it returns from its latest recess next week, the House is scheduled to vote on nearly 20 separate bills that  among other things -- would allow some opioid prescriptions to be partially filled, to create an interagency task force to review physicians prescribing practice, and efforts to promote the use of naloxone, a drug designed to reverse the effects of an overdose.

Senators push protections for opioid-dependent parents, infants

The Senate has already approved a bill authored by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to try to counteract opioid abuse by significantly reducing the supply of dangerous prescription drugs and promoting therapeutic alternatives.

While the House and Senate eventually must reconcile their differing approaches, the biggest obstacle as usualis finding sufficient funding. House Democratic leaders have been pressing for $600 million to underwrite the anti-opioid efforts, but they complain that Republican leaders are dragging their feet on reaching a compromise.

Republicans have been unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the second ranking House Democrat, said at the American Hospital Association's annual member conference. Obviously policy without the ability to implement them are somewhat empty words.

Related: The New War on Heroin Has Only Just Begun

The Kaiser April Tracking Poll indicates that many Americans want Congress to act before the November election. However, a majority of those interviewed also believe that physicians who prescribe painkillers could do a lot more to reverse the surge in overdosing on painkillers and other prescription medicine.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
A midsize pickup, the latest generation of the Chevrolet Colorado was introduced for the 2015 model year, joining Chevys stable of large trucks.





Here are five fast facts about the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado:



1) For 2016, the Colorado offers Chevy MyLink with an available built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision alert. New phone-integration technology on Colorados MyLink system displays content from Apple iPhone 5 or later models on the multi-color screen through the Apple CarPlay feature.

2) Chevrolet offers in the 2016 Colorado an all-new, 2.8-liter, Duramax turbo-diesel engine that gives the truck a maximum trailering rating of 7,700 lbs. The motor generates 181 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque. The standard engine remains a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder unit, rated at up to 27 mpg on the highway by the EPA. Also available is a 3.6-liter V-6 motor that can handle up to 1,590 lbs. of payload and up to 7,000 lbs. of trailer.

3) The Chevy Colorado is available in 4-door extended- or crew-cab configurations. Trim levels include Work Truck (WT), LT, and Z71. The off-road-inspired Z71 features a gunmetal grille surround, projector headlamps, and 17-in. aluminum wheels with all-terrain tires, automatic-locking rear differential, and standard transfer case skid plate. Beds of 62 in. or 74 in. are available.

4) The Colorado features triple-sealed doors inlaid in the body sides, like its stablemate, the full-size Silverado, for improved aerodynamic performance and a quieter interior, according to Chevy. The Colorado also offers the segments first active aero grille shutters, designed to enhance aerodynamics when closed.

5) Hauling and access solutions include a standard CornerStep rear bumper design; EZ Lift-and-Lower tailgate that uses an internal torsion bar to make raising the tailgate easier with one hand (standard on Z71 and available on WT and LT models; standard two-tier loading that allows a platform to effectively split the bed into upper and lower sections; and 13 standard tie-down locations throughout the pickup bed.



Additional Research:

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A midsize pickup, the latest generation of the Chevrolet Colorado was introduced for the 2015 model year, joining Chevys stable of large trucks. Here are five fast facts about the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado...

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Liquidity of a company is one of the key indicators of its financial health. A company with a higher level of liquidity can convert its assets into cash to pay short-term debt obligations faster than those with a lower level of liquidity. Several studies show that investing in shares of companies with high liquidity bears the potential of higher-than-market returns.

However, ample liquidity can also mean that the company is failing to utilize its assets efficiently. Hence, it is also important to find out whether a company with high liquidity is efficient or not. A combination of efficiency and liquidity can whip up a good opportunity for strong returns.

Liquidity Ratios

Liquidity ratios  Current Ratio, Quick Ratio and Cash Ratio  are primarily used to identify companies with strong liquidity.

Current Ratio: It measures current assets relative to current liabilities. This ratio is used for measuring a companys potential to meet both short- and long-term debt obligations. Thus current ratio  also known as working capital ratio  below 1 indicates that the company has more liabilities than assets. However, a high current ratio does not always indicate that the company is in good financial shape. It may also mean that the company failed to utilize its assets significantly. Hence, a range of 1 to 3 is considered ideal.

Quick Ratio: Unlike current ratio, quick ratio  also called acid-test ratio" or "quick assets ratio"  indicates a companys ability to pay short-term obligations. It considers inventory excluded current assets relative to current liabilities. Like current ratio, quick ratio of greater than 1 is desirable.

Cash Ratio: This is the most conservative ratio among the three, as it takes into account only cash and cash equivalents, and invested funds relative to current liabilities. It only looks toward a companys ability to pay current debt obligations using most liquid assets. Though cash ratio higher than 1 may point to a companys sound financials, a high number may indicate inefficiency in using cash.

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As evident, a ratio of greater than 1 is always desirable but may not always underline a companys financial health.

Screening Parameters

In order to avoid selection of inefficient companies, we have added asset utilization, which is a widely used measure of a companys efficiency, as one of the screening criteria. Asset utilization is a ratio of total sales over the past 12 months to the last four-quarter average of total assets. Though this ratio varies across industries, companies with a ratio higher than their respective industries can be called efficient.

In order to ensure that these liquid and efficient stocks have solid growth potential too, we have added our proprietary Growth Style Score to the screen.

Current Ratio, Quick Ratio and Cash Ratio between 1 and 3

(While liquidity ratios of greater than 1 are desirable, stocks with high ratios may indicate inefficient companies.)

Asset utilization greater than industry average

(Higher asset utilization than industry average indicates a companys efficiency.)

Zacks Rank equal to #1

(Only Strong Buy rated stocks can get through.)

Growth Style Score less than or equal to B

(Back-tested results show that stocks with a Growth Style Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 handily beat other stocks.)

Just these few criteria narrow down the universe of over 7,700 stocks to only 8.

Here are five stocks that meet these criteria:

Sonus Networks, Inc. (SONS)

Netgear Inc. (NTGR)

Manhattan Associates, Inc. (MANH)

Silicon Laboratories Inc. (SLAB)

Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI)

Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and back-testing software.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.

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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a United States government agency that helps Americans start, build and grow small businesses. You might be thinking, Yawn, what could possibly be shocking or exciting about that? Well, not so fast.

Related: 7 Loan Programs Offered by the SBA

There is actually plenty thats interesting about this agency. Here are five facts about the SBA that just might shock you.

1. The SBA does not actually loan money to small businesses.

Most folks have heard the term SBA loan, though many might not know that the SBA does not actually make loans directly to small businesses. Instead, the agency provides a guarantee to, and sets guidelines for, SBA loans actually made by banks, credit unions, community development organizations and microlending institutions. Importantly, the SBA guarantee enables lenders to loan to small businesses they would not have been able to help previously.

2. The SBA costs taxpayers zero.

"Government spending" is a buzzword you hear over and over, especially in an election year. However, dont bring up the SBA when you talk about spending cuts, because the SBA funds all of its own operations with the guarantee fee it collects from borrowers. SBA loans over $150,000 also carry a guarantee fee, which is typically 2 percent to 3 percent of the loan amount. What this means is that the macro economic benefit the country gets from the 45,000 businesses that annually secure a low-cost SBA loan annually accrues to the U.S. economy without costing taxpayers a dime.

3. SBA loans fuel the U.S. economy.

SBA loans help American businesses and the entire U.S. economy grow. The numbers say it all: In 2014, small businesses created over 2 million new jobs, while small businesses employ more than 50 percent of the nation's entire workforce. SBA loans each year also amount to more than $20 billion borrowed by small businesses which may not have otherwise secured low-cost funding.

Related: The Feds Have $2.5B Available to Fund Innovative Small Companies

4. The SBA offers much more than loans.

Even back in the 1950s, the government realized the importance of small businesses to the economy. The SBAs philosophy and mission started to take shape as a response to the pressures of the Great Depression and World War II. President Dwight Eisenhower proposed creation of a new small business agency, and the SBA was accordingly formed in 1953.

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But if you just think loans when you hear "SBA," youre only partially right. Today, the SBA has a variety of services to help the American entrepreneur succeed. Programs include helping small businesses secure government contracts as well as secure outreach to women, minorities and armed forces veterans.

Additionally, the SBAs Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) offer concierge service to help small businesses grow. Small business owners can contact their local center with business questions or problems and get expert answers and potential solutions. SBDCs' services also include one-on-one management consulting, workshops to evaluate business ideas, business plan assistance and financing option guidance.

Group training programs, as well, cover topics from start-up basics to marketing, accounting, financing, taxes and more. Workshops are offered free, or for a low fee if they occur on a regular basis. SBDCs can be found across the nation; to find your local SBDC, check here.

5. SBA loans are the 'gold standard' for small business growth.

Small business owners should begin their financing search with an SBA loan. SBA loans are traditionally the "gold standard" for businesses; any business that can obtain one should generally take it. SBA loans offer some of the lowest rates, longest terms and lowest payments on the market.

These loan proceeds can then be used for a variety of purposes, including working capital, marketing, hiring, equipment purchases and the buying or refinancing of commercial real estate, the acquisition of a business, the buyout of a partner and other uses.

One particularly popular use for SBA loans in todays economy is the refinancing of existing high-cost loans. That move lowers overall monthly debt payments and improves business cash flow. Since 2008, when many large banks pulled out of the smaller sub-$1 million business loan market, alternative lenders have filled the funding gap, with fast, yet very expensive, loans.

Many small business owners trapped in these high-cost loans can now secure an SBA loan to help improve their financial health. Businesses that pay off high-cost debt with low-interest SBA loans save thousands of dollars each month.

Although the traditional offline SBA loan process is seen as long and cumbersome, online providers have dramatically streamlined the process. Borrowers can now prequalify for a low-cost oan online in only five minutes without impacting their credit scores, and loans can be funded as fast as seven days after completion of the application.

Related: When Seeking an SBA Loan, Remember the 5 C's

The online marketplace also drives up approval rates because the right borrower is referred to the right bank.
From Cosmopolitan

Bernie Sanders may be a long shot for the Democratic presidential nominee, but his most ardent fans will tell you that the democratic socialist has already inspired millions of people who'd long given up on politicians and grown wary of Wall Street. In fact, several tattoo shops around the country have tapped into the excitement, offering free Sanders tattoos. (Aartistic Inc. in Vermont began offering these tributes to counter a New Hampshire tattoo shop giving free Donald Trump tattoos.) No matter the outcome of the 2016 election, those who have commemorated the political movement with tattoos may be feelin' the Bern forever. Cosmopolitan.com spoke to eight women with Sanders tattoos about why they got them and why they'll never regret them.

Lisabeth Detwiler, 33, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Why you got it: I've been listening to Bernie for about 10 years on the radio on the Thom Hartmann radio program, and so I've been very familiar with Bernie and his politics, and I was always struck by his unwavering support for the middle class. I got the tattoo as an homage to somebody that I admire tremendously.

Any chance of regret?: Oh, of course not. I mean whether or not he loses, he's somebody that I admire - or whether or not he wins, that is. And, I mean, I have far too many tattoos to regret any of them.

Tattoo location: Upper left thigh

Vanessa Simo, 34, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Why you got it: He really speaks for a lot of the things I feel passionate about. I can only relate it to a religious experience, which sounds crazy. I'm a homeschooling mom, and I've talked to a lot of Christian homeschoolers, and they'll talk about their faith like, "Oh, you feel it in your heart; you know it transforms your life," and I was listening to Bernie Sanders talk, and I was like, "Oh my gosh." He spoke to me! All the things he was talking about that were important, were important to me - health care, education. This was someone who was actually saying something that mattered. Then I heard that they were giving all these tattoos away in Vermont, and I thought, Oh my gosh, I want that. Because to me, it signified everything I believe in and I could've easily just gotten "liberty" or "believe" or something patriotic, but that would've been so generic. This, I look at it and I'm like, Yeah, that man stands for something I believe in.

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Any chance of regret?: No. Art's awesome; you can never go back. It's a cool tattoo, but that's not even it. It's like I look at it, and I'm like, "Whoa." I've never heard a politician talk and felt like I almost could cry. I look at it and I go, "Yeah, I stand for that," and I can tell my kids, "Listen, you have to stand up for what you need or what you believe," and this is what we need and this is what I believe in, so, no, I won't regret it.

Tattoo location: Inner left arm

Emily Kueppers, 19, Burlington, Vermont

Why you got it: I got the Bernie Sanders tattoo, one, because it was gaining a lot of attention. People were sharing articles about it on Facebook because this studio in Winooski, Vermont, was giving free Bernie tattoos in protest against a studio in New Hampshire that was giving free Donald Trump tattoos. And I also got it because this is the first election that I'll be able to vote in and I really like the issues that Bernie is fighting for; they really resonate with me as someone who's a member of the LGBTQ community, the things that he stands for, and the honesty he speaks with kind of makes you have faith that our country can be cool and a supportive place, and even if he doesn't win the presidency, knock on wood, these are morals that I want instilled within me for the rest of my life. It also is a reminder that my voice matters, and that politics is something I'm passionate about and I'm going to be passionate about for the rest of my life.

Any chance of regret?: I think the only reason that would make me regret getting this tattoo [is] if Bernie were to change his moral goals, like if he were to start supporting and representing something that I don't believe in.

Tattoo location: Left leg

Rebecca Moseley, 44, Burlington, Vermont

Why you got it: I thought that was a super-great way to do something local and express myself and where I'm from. When I was in high school, Bernie was the mayor of Burlington, and he's just a really down-to-earth guy. For me, it was more about supporting the person that he is. He has helped so many people - my cousin's husband was a veteran and he was at a basic training thing and he had an injury and he couldn't get it taken care of and it was causing him to lose consciousness. And my dad thought of calling Bernie to see if there was something that he could do, 'cause he was really supportive of veterans' rights. Bernie immediately made some phone calls so he could [get] surgery. Every time I share that story, there's so many other people who randomly have the same kind of story. So I think it's less about the idea that Bernie's a politician and more about the idea that he understands that other people need other people sometimes. And that really goes against the politics as usual. I just wanted to support him and be able to talk to other people about it. There's a bunch of other people who have the same tattoo, and I just think it will be great to run into those people and say, "Hey," and talk about it.

Any chance of regret?: No, no. I mean I thought about that. I wouldn't consider getting a tattoo for just anybody. The bottom line is that over my [time] growing up, he's been my mayor, my congressman, and I think that that really kind of defines people who are from Vermont as well. You know, that they're pretty honest and they're pretty open and they try to help others, and we have a really sort of community attitude toward taking care of each other, and I just think that [the tattoo is] symbolic of the bigger picture of who I am and who Vermont is.

Tattoo location: Above ankle

Beth Joy*, 40, New York, New York

Why you got it: I have never felt it so important to be on the right side of history as I do with this campaign. I am a constitutional enlightened democratic socialist a la FDR. Democracy died with him. Bernie will bring it back - waking up Americans to voter manipulation and untruths to become leader of the free world. My Birdie Sanders tattoo represents truth, justice, and prosperity. It represents being an oddball in NYC, but now the world gets me and why I have been saying these things since high school debate in Illinois.

Any chance of regret?: No regrets about making right choices. Everything happens for a reason, and a revolution is just the beginning. No rain, no rainbow.

Tattoo location: Left arm

Sue Begin, 51, San Diego, California

Why you got it: I've been not actively involved in politics my whole life, but kind of standing in the background and watching. And Bernie has been the first candidate in my adult life that has really stood for all the things that I believe in. I'm really behind the Bernie movement and ready to give it all I got.

Any chance of regret?: Oh no, never. I was part of something bigger than, I don't know how to express it. But no, I've thought about that, but - my tattoos that I have, I have no regrets. I love them all. I put a lot of thought into it before I got it, and no, I won't regret it. It's part of history at this point.

Tattoo location: Inner left ankle

Krystal Walsh-Kimball, 28, Burlington, Vermont

Why you got it: Because I support Bernie Sanders 100 percent. He's been the only person that's actually been real with people.

Any chance of regret?: Nope. Because whether or not he wins, he's still a big part of the community and he's a big part of the 2016 election. He's going to make a big dent in the world if he does win, hopefully. If he doesn't, then whatever, I still support him 100 percent.

Tattoo location: Left shoulder blade

Meaghan Mort, 31, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Why you got it: Well, I didn't actually think I would get a Bernie Sanders tattoo or any politicians tattoo. I thought it really goofy. And I was up canvassing in New Hampshire, and on an impulse, I just decided I was OK with it and I would do it. Even if he doesn't win, it's still a symbol of growth and of change, and it's not just a political revolution but a revolution of my own mind and where I stand on issues that are very important to me. That I really don't see myself changing. I think that's probably the only reason I did it, is because it's something I can support my whole life.

Any chance of regret?: No. I have 13 tattoos and I started when I was 18 and I don't live with regret. Even if it's something I did change my mind on, then it's a visible reminder that everybody makes mistakes and I learn from it.

Tattoo location: Left inner elbow

*Upon request, Cosmopolitan.com has not printed this individual's full name.

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LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) - BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, on Tuesday said it had agreed to sell its defined contribution pension platform and administration business to Dutch insurer Aegon for an undisclosed amount.

Aegon would acquire around 12 billion pounds in assets under management and 350,000 customers through the deal, creating a 30 billion pounds platform-based workplace savings business, the firms said in a joint statement.

BlackRock's remaining 65 billion pounds in UK defined contribution business would be focused on investment management and look to provide services to Aegon's clients.

"The pensions and investment landscape has changed significantly in the UK over the last few years," said David Blumer, Head of BlackRock EMEA. "Aegon's broad retail product and digital capabilities will best serve the increased demand from employers for holistic retirement solutions in the future." (Reporting by Simon Jessop, editing by Sinead Cruise)
(Adds context, detail)

May 3 (Reuters) - South Africa's central bank is not comfortable with private equity firms pursuing any of the major banks up for sale in Africa's most advanced economy, its deputy governor said on Tuesday.

Barclays is seeking to sell its controlling stake in Barclays Africa Group over the next two to three years, while an Old Mutual split could unbundle Nedbank by 2018.

"As a regulator, we would not be comfortable with private equity play for any of the banks," said deputy governor Kuben Naidoo. He did not comment on any specific bank.

Former Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond is reportedly teaming up with private equity group Carlyle to buy Barclays Africa Group.

(Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; writing by TJ Strydom; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Beirut (AFP) - Heavy air strikes throughout the night on the Islamic State group's de facto Syria capital Raqa killed 19 civilians and 10 jihadists, a monitor said in a new toll Tuesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had first reported the air strikes on Tuesday morning and said 13 civilians and five IS fighters had been killed.

Two children were among the civilians killed.

The Britain-based monitor had no immediate word on whether the strikes were carried out by the Damascus regime, its ally Moscow or the US-led coalition battling IS.

"Raqa has not been targeted by air raids of this intensity for several weeks," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

"These raids continued throughout the night and into the morning."

The US-led coalition has acknowledged that its anti-IS raids have killed 41 civilians in Syria and Iraq, although observers say the toll is likely to be much higher.

The Airwards monitoring group said in March that Russia's air campaign in Syria, which began in September 2015, probably killed more than 1,000 civilians in its first three months alone.

More than 270,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict first erupted with anti-government protests in March 2011.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - More than 35 air strikes hit Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria overnight, killing at least 13 people and wounding many in the city of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The monitoring group said it did not know if the planes were Russian or belonged to the international coalition led by the United States which is attacking Islamic State in Syria and neighboring Iraq. At least five members of the ultra-hardline militant group died in the attacks, the Observatory added. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva was quoted as saying on Friday that Syria's army was planning to attack Raqqa, backed by the Russian Air Force. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Benet Koleka TIRANA (Reuters) - An Albanian court sentenced nine defendants, including three Muslim clerics, to jail sentences of up to 18 years on Tuesday for recruiting people to fight in Syria's civil war. The sentencing marked the end of a two-year trial that has underlined concerns about radicalization among Muslims in Albania and other Balkan countries and has been closely followed by Tirana's NATO ally the United States. A small number of Albanians in the majority-Muslim ex-communist state have in recent years come under the influence of radical preachers, usually foreigners or Albanians who received their training abroad. The nine defendants refused to stand when Judge Liljana Baku read out their sentence, just as they have done throughout their trial, saying they recognized only the will of Allah. The three clerics, Bujar Hysa, Genci Balla and Gert Pashja, were found guilty of recruiting people for terrorist purposes, inciting hatred and making public calls for terrorist acts, and were sentenced respectively to 18, 17 and 17 years in a high-security jail. They had preached in mosques not controlled by the official Muslim Committee and are believed to have recruited most of the 100 or so Albanians estimated to have traveled to Syria, some with their families, to fight alongside militant groups. The other six defendants were found guilty of the same charges but sentenced to shorter terms in jail. Cries of "Allahu Akbar" rang out in the chamber when the judge read out the first sentence but quickly fell silent when she threatened to expel them from the courtroom. "You are prisoners, not them," one man with a long red beard shouted at police and journalists in the courtroom. "These American dogs did it," said defendant Bujar Hysa as he left the iron cage in the courtroom, looking towards a U.S. Embassy official who has been attending the court hearings. About 60 percent of Albanians are Muslims and traditionally follow a tolerant version of the faith, co-existing peacefully with their Christian neighbors. The U.S. Embassy in Tirana told its citizens that radical groups had threatened violence if the imams were found guilty. At some court sessions, Fadil Muslimani, a cook at the mosque who was among the defendants, said the group was loyal to Islamic State and that they hoped jihadists would triumph in Syria and around the world. "This (trial) is a crusade against Islam. Communism died, democracy will be gone and Islam will triumph," Muslimani said at a December hearing. On Tuesday he was handed a 12-year jail sentence. (Reporting By Benet Koleka, Editing by Gareth Jones)
By Lisa Maria Garza

DALLAS (Reuters) - An Army private accused of shooting his wife during an argument in a Dallas-area parking lot and killing a man who tried to intervene knocked the man's gun from his hands, police said on Tuesday.

Ricci Bradden, 22, a U.S. Army private stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, has been charged with murder in the Monday killing of Anthony Antell, 35, a gym owner who had served in the U.S. Marine Corps. The incident took place outside a Walgreens drugstore in Arlington, west of Dallas.

Bradden said he knocked Antell's gun from his hand and then shot him, a police report said.

Before that, Bradden is suspected of shooting his wife, 22-year-old Quinisha Johnson, a Walgreens employee, in the store's parking lot. She was struck in the ankle and went inside the store to call for help, the report said.

Antell, a father of three and local CrossFit gym owner, witnessed the shooting and retrieved his hand gun from his vehicle before confronting the suspect.

He told the suspect to drop his weapon and was shot, the report said. Antell died at the scene and his wife witnessed the killing, it said.

Bradden drove away then confessed to his Army supervisors, and they persuaded him to surrender to authorities in another county, investigators said.

(Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
After years of developing and testing self-driving cars, Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL) has signed its first deal with an established automaker to build self-driving vehicles.

The tech giant is forming a partnership with Fiat Chrysler (FCA-IT) that will initially focus on making self-driving minivan prototypes. There are no plans to sell the self-driving vehicles, though; the two sides are working together to build vehicles for testing.

Fiat Chrysler will make about 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans for Google to use as test vehicles.

For Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, the partnership catapults the automaker to the front of the pack in the race to build and sell self-driving vehicles. Over the past two years, as competitors including General Motors (GM) and Ford (F) publicly discussed their success developing autonomous-drive technology, Fiat Chrysler has been relatively quiet.



"The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits," he said in a statement.

Earlier this year, when asked why his company is not doing more R&D on self-driving cars, Marchionne dismissed the idea Fiat Chrysler would be left behind when it comes to incorporating the technology.

Since first demonstrating its self-driving technology in a modified Lexus in 2010, Google has logged more than 1.5 million miles testing self-driving cars in four states.

Over that time, Google has recorded 17 minor accidents involving the vehicles. Those states  California, Arizona, Texas and Washington  allow Google test drivers to operate the autonomous-drive vehicles while constantly monitoring the vehicles' performance.

This is developing news. Check back for updates.




How Altria Group Beat Earnings and Sales Estimates in 1Q16

(Continued from Prior Part)

Revenue growth

As discussed earlier, Altria Groups (MO) reported net revenue of excise taxes rose 6.0% to $4.5 billion in 1Q16 compared to $4.3 billion in 1Q15. The rise was primarily due to a rise in revenue in all of Altrias business segments, including smokeable products, smokeless products, and wine.

After missing revenue expectations last quarter, Altria came in ahead of Wall Street analysts estimates in 1Q16. Analysts had projected revenue of $4.4 billion.

Rise in sales compared to peers

MOs net revenue rose 4.5% to $6.1 billion in 1Q16, reflecting higher net revenue in all of its reportable segments and a stronger focus on execution. In addition, higher pricing for its tobacco products impacted its revenue growth in the quarter. Reynolds Americans (RAI) 1Q16 net revenue rose 41.8% to $2.9 billion.

Other companies such as British American Tobacco (BTI) and Japan Tobacco (JAPAF) (JAPAY) release their results on a yearly basis.

Philip Morriss (PM) 1Q16 revenue excluding excise taxes fell 8.1% to $6.1 billion. Excluding the adverse impact of foreign currency, its net revenue rose by 2.4% in 1Q16. Vector Groups (VGR) 1Q16 proforma adjusted revenue also fell 11.7% to $0.3 billion.

Anheuser-Busch InBev transaction benefits

During Altrias 1Q16 earnings call, its chairman, president, and CEO Martin J. Barrington announced that the Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) and SABMiller (SBMRY) transaction should be completed after necessary approvals in the second half of 2016.

This transaction would offer a significant premium on MOs beer investment and continued participation in the global brewing profit pool. Altria is SABMillers largest shareholder, with a ~26.6% stake. Altria expects to receive an approximate 10.5% equity interest in the new, combined company and approximately $2.5 billion in pretax cash, each subject to proration.

Also, the transaction structure could provide tax efficiency to Altria. This would help in contributing long-term earnings growth and strengthening Altrias top line.

Story continues

In the coming parts, well focus on Altrias three reportable segments revenues and cost drivers.

MO makes up 1.2% of the iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY).

Continue to Next Part

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What Do AMD's 1Q16 Earnings and Guidance Say about Its Future?

(Continued from Prior Part)

AMD in the server space

In the previous part of the series, we saw that Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) EESC (Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom) segments performance was weak in 1Q16 due to seasonal weakness in the semi-custom business.

However, the company is looking to compete with its archrival Intel (INTC) in the server space, where the latter holds more than a 99% market share. Intel commands the high-margin processors market and has left the low-cost processors for AMD.

Intel versus AMD

AMD has licenses for both ARM and x86 architectures, but it lags behind Intel in terms of process technology. To bridge this gap, AMD, for the first time, is developing an x86 Zen architecture on Samsung (SSNLF) and Global Foundries 14nm (nanometer) FinFET (fin-shaped field effect transistor) technology. Zen is expected to enter the market in 4Q16 and compete with Intels 14nm processors such as Skylake.

While this may bring AMD on par with Intel, the achievement is likely to last for only a brief period of time. Intel will not remain silent, and it will challenge AMD with its 10nm processor, Cannonlake. Note that Intel is much stronger than AMD in terms of technology and has huge cash reserves.

However, one factor thats beyond Intels control is the slowing of Moores law. The company is introducing next-generation chips every two and a half to three years instead of every two years. This is giving rise to competition. AMD has an opportunity to catch up with Intel in terms of technology.

China is the new battleground

Challenging Intel are Qualcomm (QCOM) and AMD. They are tapping China (MCHI), the second-largest server market in the world after the United States. Qualcomm has signed an agreement with the Guizhou province to design and build server chips for China. AMD has signed a licensing agreement to enable China to build x86 servers. Well shed some more light on this in the next part of the series.

Story continues

Intel isnt far behind. It has entered into a joint research venture with Tsinghua University and Montage Technology to design server chips for China.

On AMDs 1Q16 earnings call, its president and CEO Lisa Su said, Our strategy to improve our business by gaining share in the Graphics and PC markets, growing our Semi-Custom business and expanding into the data center market is progressing as planned.

Continue to Next Part

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American Water Works Company, Inc. AWK will release first quarter 2016 financial results after the market closes on May 4, 2016. In the prior quarter, this water and wastewater utility reported a negative earnings surprise of 3.51%. However, we expect American Water Works to surpass earnings estimates this time around.



Why a Likely Positive Surprise?



Our proven model shows that American Water Works is likely to beat earnings because it has the right combination of two key ingredients. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen.



Positive Zacks ESP: This is because the Most Accurate estimate stands at 47 cents while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 46 cents, resulting in +2.17% ESP.



Zacks Rank: American Water Works Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of the ESP, and when combined with +2.17% ESP, a beat appears to be quite likely this quarter.



We caution against stocks with a Zacks Ranks #4 and #5 (Sell rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.



Surprise History

The above chart indicates that American Water Works was able to register positive earnings surprises in three of the last four quarters. The average positive earnings surprise was 2.13%.



What's Driving the Better Than Expected Earnings?



American Water Works stands to gain from the $1.4 billion investments made in 2015 to strengthen its existing infrastructure. Last year, strategic acquisitions and organic growth helped the company to add nearly 42,000 customers to its customer base. These positives will definitely boost its first quarter results.



American Water Works focus to manage its costs efficiently and spread its businesses through new contracts and customers will have a positive impact on its results.



Stocks to Consider



American Water Works apart we do not have any other water utility worth considering on the basis of our model. Rather we suggest some operators in the broader utility sector worth considering on the basis of our model, which shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:



Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. HE has an earnings ESP of +2.7% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. It is expected to report earnings on May 4, 2016.



Consolidated Edison, Inc. ED has an earnings ESP of +0.82% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. It is expected to report earnings on May 5, 2016.



TELUS Corp. TU has an earnings ESP of +4.0% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. It is expected to report earnings on May 5, 2016.



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As voters are heading to the polls in Indiana, Hillary Clinton spoke to Amy Poehler about what the presidency would be like if Poehlers Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope ran for office in the real world.

Oh my God, she would run out of gas really fast, said Poehler, who referred to herself as Mayor of Pawnee, Indiana, in the video. I think she would go full speed ahead, shed make a lot of change really fast and then shed have to take, like, a month nap.

The video ends with Clintons campaign logo accompanying the message, Vote Indiana! (You can nap later.)

Also Read: Donald Trump Leads Hillary Clinton in New Poll

Poehler played Leslie Knope in the NBC comedy series, Parks and Recreation from 2009 to 2015.

The perpetually optimistic Knope worked as the Deputy in the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana, and on multiple occasions said her goal was to become the first female President of the United States.

Clinton is facing off against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination at the Indiana polls on Tuesday.

CNN reports that the former secretary of state is only ahead with a narrow lead in the polls before the Indiana voting begins.

See Video: Watch Carly Fiorina Suck Up to Hillary Clinton in 2008

Watch the video here.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Donald Trump Says Hillary Clinton 'Would Get Virtually No Votes' If She Was a Man (Video)

Donald Trump Sweeps 5 States, Hillary Clinton Wins 4 in 'Acela Primary'
Did Hess Beat Earnings and Revenue Estimates in 1Q16?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Analysts recommendations for Hess

After Hesss (HES) 1Q16 earnings, Wall Street analysts updated their target prices for the company for the next 12 months.

Consensus rating for Hess

Approximately 54% of analysts rate Hess a buy, and ~46% rate it a hold. The average broker target price for Hess is $60.33, which implies a fall of around 1.5% over the next 12 months from its closing price on April 27. Upstream peers including Apache (APA), Cimarex Energy (XEC), and Concho Resources (CXO) have average broker target prices of $48.86, $108.53, and $118.53, respectively. These figures imply returns of ~-27%, -9.8%, and ~-5.2%, respectively, in the next 12 months.

Analysts high, low, and median target prices for Hess are $75, $40, and $60, respectively.

Hess is part of the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE). VDE invests ~1% of its portfolio in the company.

Analysts target prices

Raymond James gave Hess one of the most optimistic target prices of $75. This implies a return of ~22% in the next 12 months.

Both Goldman Sachs (GS) and Scotia Howard Weil gave Hess an optimistic target price of $69. This implies a return of ~12.6% in the next 12 months.

Barclays (BCS) gave Hess a lower target price of $63. This implies a return of ~2.8% in the next 12 months.

Societe General and J.P. Morgan (JPM) gave Hess an even lower target price of $62 each. This implies a return of ~1.2% in the next 12 months.

Capital One Securities and Morgan Stanley (MS) gave Hess the lowest target prices of $57 and $40, respectively. These target prices imply returns of ~-7% and -35%, respectively, over the next year.

Keep watching Market Realists Energy and Power page for more news on the energy sector.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
U.S. energy firm Apache Corp. APA is set to release first-quarter 2016 results before the opening bell on Thursday, May 5.



Last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 88.46%. We note that Apache reported an average positive surprise of 96.09% in the preceding four quarters. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.





Factors to Consider This Quarter



Apache has a large, geographically diversified reserve base and a multi-year trend in reserve replacement and production growth.



However, a decline in volume level is a major concern for Apache, as evident from last years statistics. The output of oil and natural gas averaged 535,094 oil-equivalent barrels per day in 2015, down approximately 9.4% year over year. We expect the declining trend to continue in the to-be-reported quarter as well.



As it is, Apaches results are directly exposed to oil and gas prices, which are inherently volatile and subject to complex market forces. During the JanuaryMarch period, crude traded below $40 per barrel. Most importantly, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell to the 12-year low mark in mid February. On top of that, natural gas did not fare well as reflected by gas pricing fundamentals that were weaker than the prior-year quarter. Hence the pricing scenario is not in favor of the upstream player and might impact its earnings this quarter.



What Our Model Indicates



Our proven model does not conclusively show that Apache is likely to beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) to pull off a beat. That is not the case here as you will see below.



Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is 0.00% since both are pegged at a loss of 92 cents.



Zacks Rank: Apache has a Zacks Rank #3 which increases the predictive power of ESP. But we need a positive ESP to be confident of a beat.



We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revisions.



Stocks That Warrant a Look



Here are some companies in the energy sector with the right combination of ingredients to post an earnings beat this quarter:



Hercules Offshore, Inc. HERO has an Earnings ESP of +15.24% and a Zacks Rank #3.



DCP Midstream Partners LP DPM with an Earnings ESP of +9.52% and a Zacks Rank #2.

NGL Energy Partners LP NGL with an Earnings ESP of +1.96% and a Zacks Rank #2.



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modi tim

The Indian government has reportedly rejected a request by Apple to import and sell refurbished iPhones in the country, Bloomberg reports, citing an unnamed telecommunications ministry official.

The decision is not yet official.

It's a major setback to Apple's India strategy, a major component of which was reusing old iPhones as a low-cost option in addition to selling new iPhones, which are too expensive for many Indians.

Several smartphone companies, including Samsung, opposed Apple's application, according to Bloomberg.

Apple has set its sights on India as its next major growth market as iPhone sales in China have slowed their torrential growth and the Chinese government seems poised to increase the amount of regulation it places on Apple.

"This is another huge one  India will be the most populous country in the world in 2022," Cook said Monday night on CNBC. "People really want smartphones there, really want smartphones."

"And now we're really putting energy in India as well," Cook said. iPhone sales grew 56% last quarter in India, according to Apple.

Another potential advantage to selling refurbished iPhones in India is that Apple can continue to sell older devices that don't connect to the latest "LTE" cellular networks, common in the US and other developed nations but essentially nonexistent in India.

"What I see is that countries like India, no LTE, so zero percent penetration," Cook said. "They are selling smartphones, and we sell iPhone there. But arguably you can't get the full value from it."

Aside from price issues and government permits, distribution and brand awareness are major issues that Apple will need to solve to turn the Indian market into a second China. A recent study found that nearly half of Indians did not know about Apple.

NOW WATCH: Stop making the biggest mistake when it comes to texting etiquette





More From Business Insider


Researchers in Rhode Island say they have probably found the wreck of the HMS Endeavour, the ship that British explorer Captain James Cook sailed on his expedition that reached Australia in 1770, previously unknown to Europeans.

The ship was renamed the Lord Sandwich and used as a troop transport during the American War of Independence before being scuttled in 1778 along with 12 other ships off the U.S. Atlantic coast.

In a statement on its website, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) said it had now identified shipwreck sites in Newport Harbor that researchers believe account for all five ships that are known to have been sunk there, including the Endeavour.

All of the 13 ships lost in Newport during the Revolution are important to American history, but it will be a national celebration in Australia when RIMAP identifies the Lord Sandwich ex Endeavour, the statement said, ahead of a progress update on Wednesday in Providence, R.I.
Archer Daniels Midland Companys ADM adjusted earnings of 42 cents per share for first-quarter 2016 plummeted 46.2% year over year and fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 43 cents. This marks the companys fourth consecutive earnings miss.



Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) Street Actual & Estimate EPS - Last 5 Quarters | FindTheCompany

On a reported basis, Archer Daniels earnings were 39 cents per share compared with 77 cents earned in the year-ago quarter.



Total revenues of $14,384 million fell 17.8% year over year and lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15,394 million. Soft revenues resulted from lower sales at all of its operating segments.



Going by segments, quarterly revenues at Archer Daniels Agricultural Services segment plunged 19.5% to $6,480 million, the Oilseeds Processing segments revenues plummeted 20.6% to $4,997 million, the Corn Processing segments revenues decreased 10.5% to $2,207 million, Wild Flavors and Specialty Ingredients segment witnessed a 2.3% decline to $592 million, while Other revenues were up 12.5% to $108 million, all on a year-over-year basis.



Operational Discussion



Archer Daniels reported adjusted segment operating profit of $573 million in the first quarter, down 36% from the year-ago quarter. On a GAAP basis also, the companys segment operating profit declined nearly 33% year over year to $573 million.



On a segmental adjusted basis, operating profit for the Agricultural Services segment dropped $118 million to $76 million owing to difficult comparisons from last year that stemmed from significantly lower North American export volumes and margins, moderate global merchandising and transportation opportunities, and unfavorable Global Trade Desk merchandising positions.



Archer Daniels' Corn Processing segments operating profit jumped $127 million from the year-ago quarter to $129 million. The increase was primarily due to the strength in the sweeteners and starches business, offset by lower U.S. ethanol industry margins and soft lysine results.



The Oilseeds Processing segments operating profit declined $231 million year over year to $261 million, as crushing margins worldwide were impacted by higher Argentine crush run rates, coupled with lower softseed crush volumes and weaker Brazilian commercialization.



The Wild Flavors and Specialty Ingredients segments operating profit increased $2 million to $70 million driven by solid contributions from Wild Flavors and specialty ingredients businesses. With over 900 revenue synergy projects identified, this segment is smoothly progressing toward attaining its 2016 targets.



Financials



Archer Daniels ended the first quarter with $706 million in cash and cash equivalents. As of Mar 31, 2016, long-term debt including current maturities was $5,863 million. Shareholders equity at quarter-end was $17,913 million.



As of Mar 31, 2016, Archer Daniels generated $23 million of cash from operating activities.



However, the companys returns suffered, with its trailing four-quarter average adjusted ROIC coming at 6.3%, down 30 bps from the annual WACC of 6.6%.



Nevertheless, the company returned $0.5 billion to shareholders in the first quarter, in the form of share repurchases and dividend payments. In the quarter, Archer Daniels bought back shares worth $300 million.



Other Developments



Focused on its strategic plan, Archer Daniels acquired a controlling stake in a leading producer of non-GMO, organic and gluten-free ingredients, named Harvest Innovations. Also, it bought a corn well mill in Morocco, fortifying its sweetener presence. To cater to all this expansion, the company opened a modern flavor creation, application and customer innovation center in Cranbury, NJ.



Simultaneously, progressing with its portfolio management efforts, the company agreed to sell its Brazilian sugarcane ethanol operations.



Archer Daniels currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).



Stocks to Consider



Some better-ranked stocks in the broader consumer staples sector include Campbell Soup Company CPB and Mondelez International Inc. MDLZ, each carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and Kellogg Company K, holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



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Buenos Aires (AFP) - Argentina's President Mauricio Macri said Tuesday he was willing to cooperate with a court investigating his alleged links to offshore companies named in the Panama Papers tax evasion revelations.

A judge on Monday sent requests to Panama and the Bahamas on Monday for evidence of Macri's role in companies registered in those territories, a judicial source said.

The conservative president, 57, was one of the most senior figures implicated in the worldwide Panama Papers leaks, just four months after he took office.

The court is investigating whether Macri deliberately withheld relevant information about his role in two offshore firms -- a tax offense punishable by two years in jail.

He has said he has "nothing to hide."

"I am available to the judge to provide the information," Macri told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Let the courts act with independence and precision."

The judge on Monday asked authorities in Panama and the Bahamas to confirm whether the two offshore companies, Fleg Trading LTD and Kagemusha, had bank accounts in Macri's name.

Separately on Monday, judicial sources said the courts were investigating fresh allegations against Macri's leftist predecessor, Cristina Kirchner, and her son.

The case, brought by Kirchner's rivals, targets alleged irregularities in the running of a real estate company owned by her family.

Kirchner was already under investigation over suspect dollar transactions by her government. She alleged that case was politically motivated.
Her shirt reads, "Ask me how my college is protecting my rapist." And if you ask, Madeline will tell you: St. Olaf College  a small liberal arts school in Northfield, Minnesota  is protecting him not through active shielding, but through systemic passivity.

Madeline, a 22-year-old nursing major, is pressing the issue. She and 10 fellow students are wearing gray T-shirts intended to spark frank conversation about the college's sexual assault policies, which they say have failed to secure justice for victims.

"It's not us versus St. Olaf," Madeline said. "We're doing this because we love St. Olaf and we know it can be a better place, and we want it to be."

M , said she was raped at the end of her junior year, in May 2015. She left a house party with a guy she didn't know and went back to his dorm. At the time, the 21-year-old was drunk  not blacked out, she said, but close.

"I told him I wasn't going to have sex with him and he said that was fine, but he was a lot bigger than me and a lot stronger than me," she said. Ultimately, he didn't listen.

St. Olaf's Sex Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment Policy defines rape as "penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object ... without the consent of the victim." Consent includes "words or overt actions by a person clearly and affirmatively communicating a freely given present agreement to perform a particular sexual act" and can only be given when individuals are "not physically or mentally impaired or incapacitated, whether from alcohol, other drugs or other causes."

Sex with an incapacitated individual "is by definition sexual assault."

St. Olaf is one in a nation of schools struggling with assault. A 2015 report by the Association of American Universities indicated unwanted sexual contact involving physical force or incapacitation is a reality for 26% of female seniors. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, some 90% of victims of sexual assault on campus do not report, and 63% of men who've admitted to behavior fitting the definition of rape are repeat offenders. Although about a third of college presidents recognize rape as a problem on campuses nationwide, only 6% believe it to be a problem on theirs.

Story continues

St. Olaf College campus

It's a dismaying snapshot of our educational landscape, especially considering there's a legal framework in place to protect students from assault: Title IX, a 1972 law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, and 1990's Clery Act, which requires colleges make transparent their campus crime data. The Office for Civil Rights  a division of the U.S. Department of Education  oversees both, and in June was conducting investigations at 124 colleges and universities suspected to be in violation of Title IX, which requires schools to investigate official reports of sexual assault.

According to Madeline, St. Olaf seems loathe to own t . The college's vice president and Title IX coordinator, Jo Beld, , but shortly after Madeline's group launched its T-shirt protest, Beld clarified her position for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

"We are legally obligated to provide a fair and equitable process," she said in early April. "I think the message [the group is] conveying is that the system is broken and needs to be fixed, and I don't believe the system is broken."

Madeline didn't report the incident until September. At the time of the alleged assault, she was finishing a taxing semester, recovering from surgery and heading into finals week. "I couldn't handle it at the time so I just really shut it down," she said. But she couldn't keep it buried all summer.

"Normally, when I start thinking about coming back to school, I get really excited because I love school, and this year at the end of the summer I was just kind of feeling a lot of anxiety and I was really stressed out about it," she said. "It wasn't until the very end of the summer that I really started processing."

W first realized the encounter qualified as rape, she didn't want to report it to St. Olaf. "You hear people's really awful experiences with reporting," she said. "There's this idea that things are not going to go well, and so I was really scared to do that."

She feared "that nothing would happen or that ... they wouldn't believe me." But once she started seeing her attacker around campus, she said, she couldn't think about anything else.

"I was focusing on it so much and obsessing over the details, and I couldn't focus on school, and I was upset all the time," she said. "I didn't feel like I was going to be able to move on unless I had some closure."

Madeline went to a dean's office and set the process in motion. Afterward, she felt relieved. "I just really trusted them, and I felt like this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders."

Source: Nicole Kroschel

When one St. Olaf student accuses another of sexual assault, the school hires an outside investigator to compile a report, which both parties read before composing written responses. These  along with the report and audio of testimony from the complainant, defendant and witnesses  go to a member of the college's Title IX team, who reviews and decides the case. (Madeline was not allowed to keep a copy of that report; all details about it presented here come from her memory and notes she took during the process.)

Students involved in an assault investigation are allowed an adviser to them throughout the process. "Advisers may confer with the person involved, but they may not actively participate in the process," school policy reads. Title IX requires both students be given equal access to outside counsel  part of the "fair and equitable" process Beld mentioned.

Madeline's alleged assailant had two lawyers, two private investigators and a forensic toxicologist working on his behalf; one of his lawyers acted as his adviser, . Madeline didn't know this until October, when an ex-boyfriend, who didn't attend St. Olaf, told her he'd received a call from a private investigator, asking questions like "Is she trustworthy?" and "Would she get herself into a situation like this?" The investigator was asking on behalf of Madeline's alleged rapist.

Madeline immediately went to the deans. What she didn't know at the time, and what she said the administration neglected to mention, was that a student who hires private investigators to dig up dirt on another student meets the college's stalking definition  "unreasonably obtaining personal information ... by accessing public records, using internet search services, hiring private investigators ... contacting complainant's friends, family, work or neighbors, etc."  and is of sexual misconduct.

The investigators called a number of people Madeline knew, including her boss from home. They asked him whether or not Madeline dressed provocatively at work, whether she was sexually aggressive with customers. Every time she learned about a new call, she reported it to the deans. But the school's own policy obligated the administration to act on her first tip.

It didn't quite do this. According to the formal complaint Madeline filed with the Office for Civil Rights in April, the administration warned the accused student to "make certain that actions taken on [his] behalf do not harass, intimidate or in any other way retaliate against ... the complainant" in October, rather than expressly telling him to stop. The calls continued while the student put off his interview for weeks, Madeline said.

When he finally appeared, he presented information found on Madeline's Facebook and by his investigators, plus character references. Madeline expressed concerns about this information finding its way into the investigation report, but was told it wouldn't be a factor.

That was a step in the right direction, according to Colby Bruno, senior legal counsel at Victim Rights Law Center. But what St. Olaf needed to do was to see it through, instead of allowing the accused student to include the opinions of outside counsel in his written response. "St. Olaf's biggest hurdle," Bruno said, was to make sure that any irrelevant information the student provided didn't make its way into the report that landed on the adjudicator's desk.

Private investigators called people Madeline knew, including her boss from home. They asked him whether or not she dressed provocatively, whether she was sexually aggressive with customers.

When Madeline read that initial report, "It looked really good for me," she said. All the witnesses present on the night in question testified that she'd been drunk, and the student had admitted that she'd said no. She felt confident until the next week, when she read his response and saw the not-quite-evidence that had been cut from his initial testimony.

"He accused me of making all this up because he didn't call me, and he included his medical records, and he included an expert witness testimony from a forensic toxicologist who talked about how I was creating false memories and you can give consent when you're blacked out, you just won't remember it," she said.

Madeline lacked the resources to secure comparable counsel. She said the school hadn't informed her of "the number and extent of the professionals he hired." Since she didn't know how many people were working on the other student's behalf, she didn't have the chance to present a comparable account.

The forensic toxicologist's assessment, delivered through her alleged assailant's written response, seems to have determined the verdict. "I was an unreliable witness because of my memory loss, which was due to my state of intoxication," she summarized the adjudicator's decision. The college found the accused student not responsible, despite the fact that the college's policy says a student who's been drinking cannot give consent, and despite the fact that student admitted in his recorded testimony that Madeline said no to having sex with him. Following the college's own guidelines, t

"There's a very clear line between relevant [and] irrelevant in these cases," Bruno said. By allowing irrelevant information to seep into the final report, she said, a school creates " People like the accused student's forensic toxicologist, who never spoke to Madeline, s , even indirectly, to the adjudicator. And because Title IX requires every college rely on a preponderance of evidence standard, the case should've been decided "based on the more convincing evidence and its probable truth or accuracy, and not on the amount of evidence."

By mid-December, when the school issued its Notice of Determination in the case, it had exceeded  by nearly three weeks  the 60-day timeline for deciding sexual misconduct complaints. Citing procedural error, Madeline appealed. She was denied nine days later, on Dec. 22.

She also requested a new investigation into the accused student's stalking, which the college filed, but under the wrong category: "general student misconduct," which is handled with a different procedure than sexual misconduct. It wasn't correctly labeled until March, nearly three months after the initial adjudication.

St. Olaf senior Adrian Benjamin

Adrian Benjamin knows firsthand how St. Olaf's sexual assault policy can fail a student. Also a senior, Benjamin was assaulted in January 2014. He reported to the deans and provided evidence. After nearly two silent weeks, Benjamin learned of the decision when he was copied on an email to the accused person, informing that student he wouldn't be held "responsible for the allegation." The language, Benjamin felt, intimated that someone was being held responsible  if it wasn't the direct recipient, it must have been the person copied.

"It was quite a slap in the face," he said. "I was so angry and upset, I didn't want to speak with [the administrators involved] again." Benjamin's grades fell, leading to academic probation and, eventually, dismissal. He contested that punishment, arguing that his decline made sense given the trauma he'd experienced. The school, it seems, agreed.

" hat [the administration] said was, 'Oh, it makes sense why your grades dropped,'" he recalled. "It was so strange that they almost affirmed the sexual assault when I had to rebut the dismissal, but during the process of [reporting] the sexual assault, they wouldn't affirm it."

When Madeline's WordPress site, My College Is Protecting Rapists, went up, St. Olaf alumni confirmed the college's history of failing victims, even as it acknowledges them. The comments they left and the testimony they shared suggest this pattern stretches back some 50 years.

Madeline first had the idea for the "Ask me how my college is protecting my rapist" shirts in December, around the time lawyers at Gender Justice, a nonprofit law firm and advocacy group, agreed to take on her case. "Things just kept going downhill with the college," she said. She found the other 10 students who now make up the so-called "Gray Shirt Group" by word of mouth. A friend put Benjamin in touch with Madeline, who "asked if I would be willing to bring this to light and to change it so students  future students and current students  wouldn't ever have to face what we did."

Madeline (front, second from left) and Adrian Benjamin (back, left) with the rest of the Gray Shirt Group

The students first donned their T-shirts on March 30 and now wear them about twice a week. While the shirts initially shocked people, the movement has attracted widespread encouragement from the St. Olaf community.

"It's so strange," Benjamin said, "the support we've received from alumni ... students here, faculty and staff ... literally custodians coming up to me ... saying they really support what we do and that they hope we can affect some positive change here, but it's almost as if our admin isn't part of that community, that they're not even part of our school."

Publicity appears to have spurred the administration to action, however. On April 15, St. Olaf president David Anderson announced the creation of a working group to conduct a "comprehensive review of the college's Title IX policies."

The Title IX working group  composed of 10 faculty members, students, alumni and outside experts  will meet weekly to do what Michael Kyle, the college's vice president for enrollment and college relations, called a "top-to-bottom review" of the school's Title IX enforcement policy, compiling its findings in a report for Anderson by mid-July.

According to Madeline, no one on the committee has been through the Title IX process at St. Olaf. Madeline has been invited to address the committee members, and she'll go, although she's skeptical it will make a difference. "The idea of the working group is to present suggestions," she said, which she and other students have already presented in bulk. "What they find isn't necessarily going to be paid attention to."

But the group has a job to do, and, according to Kyle, " ing [an] outcome to this would be very premature." No one can know what Anderson will do with the group's recommendations, but Kyle wanted to make one thing clear:

"Every single day, those of us who work at the college think about the safety and well-being of our students. We want to make sure that we are not just in full compliance with federal and state regulations ... but that our students are cared for, they're advocated for; that they're heard from."

The administration, he continued, is "always open to continuous improvement. ... If there are ways that we can do better, we're going to do that."

The Gray Shirt Group thinks the college can start by replacing the vague "overt actions" clause in its consent policy with a verbal affirmation requirement. Among the group's demands are support for victims, transparency, better training for Title IX team members and administration adherence to a clearly defined sexual assault policy. They're also getting help from the Office for Civil Rights, which will be investigating St. Olaf for its alleged violations of Title IX.

"It's not about good guy versus bad guy," Benjamin said. "We're doing this so that other students don't have to go through this horrible process."

"If there's one thing that I could ask [the administration to] do, that would be to treat us as human beings," he added. "I shouldn't have to ask that. My administration shouldn't look at me like a dollar sign."
MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / Aurvista Gold Corporation (AVA.V) (ARVSF) ("Aurvista" or the "Company") has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to C$ 1,100,000. The Private Placement will consist of up to 6,250,000 flow-through units (the "Flow-Through Units") at a price of C$ 0.08 per Flow-Through Unit for gross proceeds of up to C$ 500,000. Concurrently, the Company will also be offering up to 10,000,000 non flow-through units (the "Hard Units") at a price of C$ 0.06 per Hard Unit for gross proceeds of up to C$ 600,000. The closing is expected shortly.

Each Flow-Through Unit will consist of one flow-through common share and one warrant. Each Hard Unit will consist of one non flow-through common share and one warrant. Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional non flow-through common share of the Company at an exercise price of C$ 0.10 per share during the 12 months from the closing date.

All the securities will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing. A finder's fee may be payable in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). The private placement is subject to the approval of the TSXV.

The Company intends on using the net proceeds from the private placement to continue advancing the Douay Gold Project and for general corporate purposes.

About Aurvista Gold Corp.

Aurvista Gold Corporation is a junior gold exploration and development company with 69,511,617 shares outstanding trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada and OTC Pink Sheets in the U.S. Aurvista's only asset is the Douay Gold Project totaling 287 claims for 145.3 km2. Of the total, 32 claims for 11.9 km2 form the North West Zone and are in a joint venture with SOQUEM (75% Aurvista, 25% SOQUEM). The project is located along the gold-bearing Casa Berardi Deformation Zone in northern Quebec. Details can be viewed on the Company's website at www.aurvistagold.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Story continues

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "will", "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Aurvista Gold Corporation's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.aurvistagold.com.

For further information please contact:



Mr. Jean Lafleur, P. Geo.

President and CEO, Director

Cell +1 514 927 3633

Facsimile +1 416 504 4129

Mr. Bryan Keeler

Chief Financial Officer

+1 416 504 4126

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

SOURCE: Aurvista Gold Corporation
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

Australian Dollar little changed post Caixin PMI report

Manufacturing PMI 49.4 in April versus 49.8 expected

Small response likely due to pre-positioning for the RBA

Having trouble trading the Australian Dollar? This may be why.

The Australian Dollar showed a tepid response against its major peers after Chinas Caixin PMI crossed the wires. The gauge of the manufacturing sector showed a print of 49.4 in April, worse than the 49.8 forecasted by economists and lower than the 49.7 reading in March. A reading below 50.0 shows a contraction while a mark above indicates growth. This marks a 14th consecutive month in which the manufacturing sector contracted.

Perhaps a minimal reaction from the Aussie could be explained by the upcoming Reserve Bank of Australia monetary policy announcement. Overnight index swaps are pricing in a 55 percent probability that the central bank will cut rates by 25 basis points. Such parameters could deter speculators from taking on large positions ahead of a potentially volatile event.

Meanwhile, the DailyFX Speculative Sentiment Index (SSI) is showing a reading of -1.12 following the announcement, meaning that for every trader long the AUD/USD, there are 1.12 on the short side. The SSI is a contrarian indicator, implying further AUD/USD strength ahead.

Want to learn more about the DailyFX SSI indicator? Click here to watch a tutorial.

Aussie Dollar Little Moved After Caixin PMI Release, RBA Ahead



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from FXCM.
By Jane Wardell CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia announced a further crackdown on multinational tax avoidance in its annual budget on Tuesday, including the planned introduction of a UK-style diverted profits tax (DPT), that it expects to raise A$3.9 billion over the next four years. The government is creating a new Tax Avoidance Taskforce of 1,000 specialist officers to police the new regime with harsher penalties for those found flouting the rules. "Everyone has to pay their fair share of tax, especially large corporates and multinationals, on what they earn here in Australia," Morrison told parliament in his budget speech. The new rules build on the country's Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law that came into force early this year. Australia in December took the unprecedented step of publishing the records of hundreds of companies, including Google Inc and Apple Inc, which showed they paid little or no tax on their in-country earnings. Of more than 1,500 largely foreign-owned companies which reported total earnings over A$100 million ($72.11 million) in the 2014 financial year, more than a third paid no tax, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data showed. The proposed DPT or so-called "Google tax" will tax multinationals on income they have sought to shift offshore at a penalty rate of 40 percent - well above the current 30 percent company tax rate. The new regime will also strengthen provisions for whistleblowers who report tax avoidance and increase penalties for multinationals that fail to meet their compliance and disclosure obligations to the ATO. Morrison said the new measures would target private companies, high wealth individuals, trusts and tax scheme promoters as well as multinational companies, raising an additional A$3.9 billion in revenue over the next four years. "Tax cheats will be tracked down and face the full force of the law," he said. The government opened the proposed tax to industry consultation, with a June 17 deadline for submissions. Google has already prepared some ballast to meet the changing tax winds, revealing in filings lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission just days before the budget that it was restructuring. The accounts showed the U.S. company paid A$16 million in taxes last year, still a fraction of its overall profit, as revenue from local advertising on its search engine business, estimated at more than A$2.5 billion, was booked offshore in the low tax nation of Singapore. However, Google added it would this year "recognise revenue from the marketing and settling of certain services and products to Australian-based customers."
By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia blamed refugee advocates on Tuesday for "encouraging" asylum seekers held in remote camps towards acts of self-harm after a woman set herself on fire, while the United Nations renewed its criticism of Australia's harsh immigration policy. Australian officials said an unidentified 21-year-old Somali woman was in a critical condition after she set herself alight at an Australian detention camp on the tiny South Pacific island of Nauru on Monday, the second such incident in a week. A 23-year-old Iranian man also set himself on fire last week in protest against his treatment on Nauru and later died. The Somali woman has been transferred to Australia for treatment, officials said. Under Australia's hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia after paying people smugglers are sent for processing to camps on Nauru, which holds about 500 people, and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. They are told they will never be settled in Australia. The Papua New Guinea government ordered the Manus Island camp, which holds about 850 people, closed last week after its Supreme Court ruled the facility unlawful. The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism inside and outside Australia and have become a major headache for Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during campaigning for likely July elections. Australia however has vowed there will be no change to the policy, which has been pursued by successive governments. On Tuesday, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton acknowledged there had been a rise in cases of self-harm in the camps but accused refugee advocates of giving the asylum seekers false hope they would one day be settled in Australia. Her said some advocates were "encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way". "The recent behaviors in Nauru are not protests against living conditions. They aren't protests against health care, they aren't protests against the lack of financial support," Dutton told a news conference in Canberra. "IMMENSE DAMAGE" However, the peak U.N. body for refugees said such incidents in the camps, which hold asylum seekers fleeing violence in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia, were a result of Australia's tough offshore detention polices. "These people have already been through a great deal, many have fled war and persecution, some have already suffered trauma," the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Australia said in a statement. "The consensus among medical experts is that conditions of detention and offshore processing do immense damage to physical and mental health," it said. A boat believed to be carrying asylum seekers from Sri Lanka had been intercepted near the remote Australian Indian Ocean territory of the Cocos Islands, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported later on Tuesday. If confirmed to be carrying asylum seekers, it would be the first such vessel to have arrived in Australian territory in almost two years. A spokeswoman for Dutton's office refused to confirm or deny such a vessel had been intercepted. The number of asylum seekers trying to reach Australia is small compared with those arriving in Europe, but border security has long been a major political issue and will almost certainly feature prominently again in elections likely to be held in July. (Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Paul Tait)
Canberra (AFP) - Australia on Tuesday unveiled a further push to crack down on tax avoidance by multinational companies, imposing a 40 percent penalty rate on firms that shift profits offshore.

The revenue-raising measure, which is similar to the so-called "Google Tax" introduced by Britain last year, was a key part of the nation's annual budget.

It is forecast to raise Aus$3.9 billion (US$2.95 billion) over the next four years when combined with a broader tax avoidance package.

The package includes stronger protections for whistleblowers and harsher penalties for multinationals that fail to meet tax compliance or disclosure obligations.

"Everyone has to pay their fair share of tax, especially large corporates and multinationals, on what they earn here in Australia," Treasurer Scott Morrison told parliament in his budget speech in Canberra.

"New measures... include embracing a new diverted profits tax, as implemented in the United Kingdom, that taxes multinationals on income they have sought to shift offshore at a penalty rate of 40 percent, that is higher than the current company tax rate (of 30 percent)."

The government added that Aus$679 million would be allocated to the Australian Tax Office over four years to set up a taskforce focused on clawing back revenue from international firms as well as wealthy people.

There has been a global push, including in Australia, for large local and international companies to stop using sophisticated structures to avoid or lower their tax payments, which has seen governments lose billions of dollars.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has estimated national governments miss out on US$100-240 billion, or four to 10 percent of global tax revenues, every year due to the tax-minimising schemes of multinationals.

Australia last year introduced several measures targeting international tax avoidance, including lifting transparency requirements that include disclosures required for private companies with turnover of Aus$200 million.

Story continues

Large multinationals, including tech giants such as Google and Microsoft, have also been hauled before a parliamentary committee on corporate tax avoidance to explain their tax structures.

The drive by Morrison to boost revenues came as Canberra sought to rein in its deficit, which was forecast in the budget papers to reach Aus$37.1 billion, or 2.2 percent of GDP, in 2016-17.

Government income in the resources-dependent country has been eroded by falling commodity prices as demand from Australia's largest trading partner China wanes, and from lower-than-expected income tax receipts amid weak wages growth.
* Eritrea wants mining to help to kick-start economy

* Potash project is 50:50 venture with state firm

* Talks ongoing for binding deals with potash buyers

By Edmund Blair

NAIROBI, May 3 (Reuters) - Australia mining group Danakali Ltd has applied to Eritrea for a mining licence for its Colluli Potash Project, which is expected to start production in 2019, the company's chief executive said.

Eritrea, which became independent from Ethiopia in 1991 after years of fighting, wants to establish a mining industry to help to bolster its economy.

The country has deposits of gold, copper, zinc and fertiliser-ingredient potash. Its first commercial-scale mine began production in 2011.

Danakali Chief Executive Paul Donaldson said the aim was to secure project development funding, commercial offtake contracts and approvals to start construction.

"We anticipate being in production by 2019," he told Reuters.

A formal application for a licence was submitted on Monday for the potash project, a 50:50 joint venture with state-owned mining firm ENAMCO, he said.

The aim is to develop it in two stages, each with production of about 425,000 tonnes a year. The potash deposits are near the coast, making exports easier than other mines further in land that have to move ore or concentrate long distances to the main port.

Danakali had already signed memorandums of understanding for offtake agreements with potential buyers for a little more than 800,000 tonnes of sulphate of potash, Donaldson said.

He said the company had effectively got enough demand for both stages of the project and was in talks to secure binding agreements.

Eritrean miners have been digging for years for gold nuggets on deposits that stretch along the Red Sea, a geological formation known as the Arabian Nubian Shield.

But commercial-scale mining only began in 2011 from Bisha mine, a joint venture between Canada's Nevsun Resources and ENAMCO. The mine first produced gold and now produces copper from deeper seams and will soon produce zinc.

Story continues

Another gold mine, a venture between ENAMCO and a Chinese firm, was due to start commercial production at the end of March, following initial commissioning at the end of 2015.

The industry has faced hurdles in Eritrea. Executives say a slide in commodity prices has made it tougher to raise funds, particularly for an emerging player.

Bisha mine has also been faced allegations from rights groups and former workers now outside the country that the company used poorly paid workers who were on national service during construction. The government and Nevsun deny this.

(Writing by Edmund Blair. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Edmund Blair NAIROBI (Reuters) - Australia mining group Danakali Ltd has applied to Eritrea for a mining licence for its Colluli Potash Project, which is expected to start production in 2019, the company's chief executive said. Eritrea, which became independent from Ethiopia in 1991 after years of fighting, wants to establish a mining industry to help to bolster its economy. The country has deposits of gold, copper, zinc and fertiliser-ingredient potash. Its first commercial-scale mine began production in 2011. Danakali Chief Executive Paul Donaldson said the aim was to secure project development funding, commercial offtake contracts and approvals to start construction. "We anticipate being in production by 2019," he told Reuters. A formal application for a licence was submitted on Monday for the potash project, a 50:50 joint venture with state-owned mining firm ENAMCO, he said. The aim is to develop it in two stages, each with production of about 425,000 tonnes a year. The potash deposits are near the coast, making exports easier than other mines further in land that have to move ore or concentrate long distances to the main port. Danakali had already signed memorandums of understanding for offtake agreements with potential buyers for a little more than 800,000 tonnes of sulphate of potash, Donaldson said. He said the company had effectively got enough demand for both stages of the project and was in talks to secure binding agreements. Eritrean miners have been digging for years for gold nuggets on deposits that stretch along the Red Sea, a geological formation known as the Arabian Nubian Shield. But commercial-scale mining only began in 2011 from Bisha mine, a joint venture between Canada's Nevsun Resources and ENAMCO. The mine first produced gold and now produces copper from deeper seams and will soon produce zinc. Another gold mine, a venture between ENAMCO and a Chinese firm, was due to start commercial production at the end of March, following initial commissioning at the end of 2015. The industry has faced hurdles in Eritrea. Executives say a slide in commodity prices has made it tougher to raise funds, particularly for an emerging player. Bisha mine has also been faced allegations from rights groups and former workers now outside the country that the company used poorly paid workers who were on national service during construction. The government and Nevsun deny this. (Writing by Edmund Blair. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Byron Kaye and Jemima Kelly

SYDNEY/LONDON (Reuters) - Australian tech entrepreneur Craig Wright identified himself as the creator of controversial digital currency bitcoin on Monday but experts were divided over whether he really was the elusive person who has gone by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto until now.

Uncovering Nakamoto's real identity would solve a riddle dating back to the publication of the open source software behind the cryptocurrency in 2008, before its launch a year later.

Bitcoin has since become the world's most commonly used virtual currency, attracting the interest of banks, speculators, criminals and regulators.

Worth a total of $7 billion (5 billion pounds) at current levels, it fell more than 3 percent on Monday -- a normal intraday move for the volatile currency -- after the news, to below $440 from around $455, before recovering slightly.

Some online commentators suggested bitcoin's creator could help resolve a bitter row among the currency's software developers that threatens its future.

But Wright made no reference to the row in a BBC interview identifying himself as Nakamoto, and as the protocol bitcoin runs on is open-source and cannot be controlled by any one person, it is unclear whether he would be able to influence the way it develops.

"I was the main part of it, other people helped me," Wright, who is now living in London, told the BBC. "Some people will believe, Some people won't, and to tell you the truth, I don't really care," he said.

Many bitcoiners said Wright had not done enough to definitively prove that he was Nakamoto, who maintained his anonymity throughout his involvement with bitcoin, which he stepped away from in 2011.

But Gavin Andresen, who Nakamoto chose to succeed him, published a blog post in which he described meeting Wright last month and said he is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the Australian is Nakamoto.

Jon Matonis, a founding director of the Bitcoin Foundation now works as a bitcoin consultant, wrote a blog post on Monday which, like Andresens, supported Wrights claims.

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According to me, the proof is conclusive and I have no doubt that Craig Steven Wright is the person behind the Bitcoin technology, Nakamoto consensus, and the Satoshi Nakamoto name, Matonis wrote. He and Andresen also confirmed they had been responsible for their respective blog posts to Reuters directly.

LEGACY

Nakamoto's biggest likely legacy lies well beyond his control. The blockchain technology that underpins the currency could transform the way banks settle transactions, the way that property rights and other vital data are recorded, and provide a way for central banks to issue their own digital currencies.

The BBC reported on Monday that Wright gave some technical proof demonstrating that he had access to blocks of bitcoins known to have been created by bitcoin's creator.

Researchers believe Nakamoto may be holding up to one million of the more than 15 million bitcoins currently in circulation, which would make the creator worth around $440 million.

In a blog post also dated Monday, Wright posted an example of a signature used by Nakamoto and an explanation of how bitcoin transactions are verified and thanked all those who had supported the project from its inception.

"This incredible communitys passion and intellect and perseverance have taken my small contribution and nurtured it, enhanced it, breathed life into it," he wrote.

However he did not state directly that he was Nakamoto. "Satoshi is dead," he said. "But this is only the beginning."

Bitcoin expert Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Coin Center, said a new message cryptographically signed using the private key associated with the so-called Genesis block, the first ever "mined" would have been more convincing.

The currency's "miners" are incentivised to process transactions every 10 minutes by a possible reward of bitcoins (25 currently), which is how new bitcoins are created.

Wright also spoke with The Economist, but declined requests from the magazine to provide further proof that he was Nakamoto. His representatives told Reuters he would not be taking part in more media interviews for the time being.

"Our conclusion is that Mr Wright could well be Mr Nakamoto, but that important questions remain," The Economist said. "Indeed, it may never be possible to establish beyond reasonable doubt who really created bitcoin.

Hopes that bitcoin would become broadly used helped buoy its price to more than $1,000 in December 2013, when its market capitalisation was $13 billion compared with today's $7 billion.

Wright told The Economist he would exchange bitcoin he owns slowly to avoid pushing down its price.

HOME RAIDED

In December, police raided Wright's Sydney home and office after Wired magazine named him as the probable creator of bitcoin and holder of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the cryptocurrency. At the time he made no comment.

The treatment of bitcoins for tax purposes in Australia has been the subject of considerable debate. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) ruled in December 2014 that cryptocurrency should be considered an asset, rather than a currency, for capital gains tax purposes.

On Monday, the ATO said it had no comment while police were not immediately available for comment.

If Wright is Nakamoto he "is now the leader of a movement", said Roberto Capodieci, a Singapore-based entrepreneur working on the blockchain, the technology underlying the currency.

That movement ranges from libertarian enthusiasts to central banks experimenting with digital currencies, all of which pay homage in some way to Nakamoto's writings.

(Additional reporting by Jeremy Wagstaff in Singapore, Matt Siegel in Sydney and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by Nick Macfie, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Philippa Fletcher)
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Rescue workers pulled out a one-year-old girl from the rubble of a building in Kenya's capital on Tuesday morning more than 72 hours after it collapsed following heavy rain, the Kenya Red Cross said. "She was rescued and was severely dehydrated. She is currently receiving medical attention at Kenyatta National Hospital," Red Cross spokeswoman Arnolda Shiundu told Reuters, adding that the girl was rescued at about 4 a.m. Officials have put the death toll so far at 21. Aid workers had said on Monday that the chances of finding more survivors was unlikely after the building fell down on Friday night. (Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Amrutha Gayathri

(Reuters) - Baker Hughes Inc sought to reassure investors on Monday by announcing a $2.5 billion plan to buy back stock and pay down debt, using the breakup fee it will receive following the collapse of its long-stalled takeover by fellow oilfield services provider Halliburton Inc.

Now each company must map out a strategy to thrive on its own. Both had hoped the merger would help them weather the worst oil price crash in a generation, which has caused hundreds of thousands of layoffs across the industry.

Wall Street analysts said Halliburton should be in better shape than Baker Hughes but praised Baker Hughes' plan to cut annual costs by some $500 million in an oversupplied market while repurchasing shares.

"(This) equates to meaningful upside potential to earnings estimates in 2016 and 2017" for Baker Hughes, UBS analyst Angeline Sedita said in a note to clients.

Baker Hughes said proceeds from a $3.5 billion breakup fee from Halliburton would fund a $1.5 billion share buyback and the repayment of $1 billion of debt.

Shares of Halliburton rose 2.6 percent to $42.36 on Monday, while Baker Hughes fell 2.8 percent to $47.04.

Baker Hughes has faced employee turnover and cutbacks ever since Halliburton announced plans 18 months ago to buy it in a deal first valued at $35 billion.

Regulators in the United States and overseas frowned upon the transaction, calling it a threat to competition and innovation. That led both sides to scrap the agreement on Sunday.

The U.S. Justice Department had filed a lawsuit last month to stop the deal, saying it would leave only two dominant oilfield services companies, the merged Halliburton-Baker Hughes entity and global market leader Schlumberger Ltd.

Baker Hughes, which is developing products that lower costs and maximize production for oil and gas producers, also said on Monday it planned to refinance a $2.5 billion credit facility, which expires in September.

The company said an initial phase of cost-cutting should result in $500 million of annualized savings by the end of 2016.

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In a separate regulatory filing on Monday, Baker Hughes said it had cut 2,000 more jobs in the first quarter, adding to worldwide reductions of 18,000 last year. The company had about 43,000 employees as of Dec. 31. (http://1.usa.gov/23iDCjh)

Baker Hughes said on Wednesday that it recorded after-tax "merger-retained" costs of $110 million in the first quarter, leading to a bigger net loss for the period.

The Houston-based company also said then that it was limiting its exposure to the unprofitable onshore pressure pumping business in North America.

Halliburton, which will release its first-quarter results on Tuesday, said on April 22 that revenue for the period slumped 40 percent.

Shares of Baker Hughes have fallen 25 percent since the merger deal was announced in November 2014. Halliburton stock declined more than 19 percent in that time.

(Reporting by Amrutha Gayathri in Bengaluru; Writing by Terry Wade; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
dive chase

Bank of America Merrill Lynch's big-money equity investors are rushing for the exits.

In a note Tuesday, equity and quant strategist Jill Carey Hall said the firm's institutional clients were net sellers of stocks for a 14th straight week.

That's the longest such streak the firm has seen since it started keeping track in 2008.

Together, institutional investors  such as mutual funds and endowment funds  pulled out $2.8 billion from equities last week.

The S&P 500 fell 1.3% last week, its biggest decline since February. Stocks had come within close reach of record highs before pulling back.

The market was another leg lower on Tuesday, as global markets dipped after some disappointing Chinese manufacturing numbers.

Hall wrote (emphasis ours):

As we noted last week, this has been the longest uninterrupted selling streak in our data history (since '08)  previously the longest streak was 12 weeks (in late '10). Persistent sales suggest clients have continued to doubt the rally's sustainability. Negative equity sentiment has also been echoed by our Sell Side Indicator, which recently generated a contrarian buy signal. Net sales continue to be led by institutional clients, while hedge funds and private clients were also sellers.

Screen Shot 2016 05 03 at 8.29.56 AM

Hall noted that investors sold off stocks in fewer sectors last week compared with recent periods. Healthcare saw the largest net sales, as it continues to be hurt by fears of a political clampdown amid an election year and several investors unwinding their positions.

Investors are getting more positive on industrial stocks. Hall said that's because in this earnings season they've bucked the recent trend and seen the biggest beats on profits and revenues. Expectations, however, were set very low.

On Tuesday, Bank of America's head of US and quant strategy, Savita Subramanian, highlighted that the firm's sell-side indicator showed that Wall Street didn't believe in the rally's continuity.

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The indicator is based on the average recommended equity allocation of strategists as of the last business day of every month.

It fell to 51.9 in April, the lowest level in over a year. Subramanian, however, said it had historically been a contrarian indicator, as total returns are usually positive most of the time when sentiment becomes this bearish.

"However, past performance is not an indication of future results," she cautioned.

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By Michael Flaherty

LOS ANGELES, May 3 (Reuters) - Bankers are seeing more evidence that activist investor tactics launched in the United States several years ago are making their way abroad.

So far this year, international activist campaigns are up 30 percent, Robin Rankin, co-head of global mergers and acquisitions at Credit Suisse Group AG, said during a panel on Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.

"We're going to see some traditional activism all over the world," she said, citing countries in Europe and Asia as examples.

Last year, activist hedge funds began launching campaigns abroad to shake up management teams, prompt or interrupt mergers and generally get companies to improve financial returns, after U.S. markets became more challenging.

Among the activists pushing abroad are Elliott Associates, which targeted companies in South Korea and Hong Kong in the past year, and ValueAct Capital, which is on the board of British engine maker Rolls Royce Holdings Plc. Third Point is pushing changes at Japan's Seven & i Holdings Co .

"Around the world, our corporate clients outside of the States, have suddenly" become more aware of activist investors, Rankin said.

Steve Krouskos, a vice chairman at Ernst & Young, said the nature of activist campaigns abroad will be led more by frustrated shareholders than traditional activist hedge funds. He said he is already seeing investors in European companies publicly angling for greater efficiency and "value creation," and predicted there is more to come.

One of the factors spreading activism abroad is the scarcity of targets for larger U.S. activists. Valuations are also lower than they are in the United States, where stock markets are back near historic highs.

Jennifer Nason, who chairs JPMorgan Chase & Co's global technology, media and telecommunications investment banking group, said one constant across the globe was that an activist must have a powerful message, a loud voice and an attractive target to make a campaign successful.

"Sometimes it's not so much about a campaign for change," she said. "Activists often target high-profile CEOs, high-profile, branded companies, high-profile parts of the world, because the exercise is about driving value for their investors at the end of the day." (Reporting by Michael Flaherty; Editing by Bill Rigby)
In the wake of the housing crisis, surprisingly few people or institutions have been held accountable for the risky lending practices that nearly wrecked the U.S. economy. Thats partly because the people who were most damaged by the foreclosure crisisthe people who lost their homesdont have the resources to bring lawsuits.

But the families who lost their homes werent the only ones hurt by the foreclosure crisis. So theres an argument to be made that they shouldnt be the only ones who can go after the lenders. Cities, for example, lost tax revenue when homes sat vacant, and saw property values within their boundaries decrease when vacant and boarded-up homes sat empty. Cities had to pay for police and fire protection to keep those homes from being vandalized and to respond to reported break-ins and criminal activity at the houses.

So should cities be able to sue the banks, too?

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Thats the question making its way through courts across the country after municipalities including Los Angeles, Miami, Oakland, and Providence all filed lawsuits against lenders under the Fair Housing Act. The lawsuits, which the banks are fighting to have dismissed, argue that the lending practices of these banks harmed the cities too. When lenders targeted minorities for risky loans, knowing that the borrowers would likely lose their homes, they knowingly deprived cities of tax revenue while making them shoulder the expenses of blocks of foreclosures, the lawsuits allege. Oakland, for instance, argues in its complaint against Wells Fargo that the city has suffered economic injury based upon reduced property tax revenues resulting from (a) the decreased value of the vacant properties themselves, and (b) the decreased value of properties surrounding the vacant properties. Last month a judge declined to dismiss the suit.

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In these cases, the municipalities have accused lenders, including Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Bank of America, of redlining, or the practice of denying credit to people in particular neighborhoods because of their race, and reverse redlining, or the practice of flooding a minority neighborhood with exploitative loan products. These practices, they say, violate parts of the Fair Housing Act.

Those violations themselves could be very costly to the banks, but the much, much bigger question at stake is whether the cities even have standing to bring the cases. If they do, that will be a nightmare for banks, which could face lawsuits from every corner of the country if indeed the citys can bring such cases. Much to the horror of the lenders, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September that Miami did indeed have standing to bring its case against Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Citigroup. (A similar suits by Miami against JP Morgan Chase has been dismissed, though the city is appealing.)

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[The Eleventh Circuit] completely accepted our theory of the case, Robert S. Peck, a lawyer for the cities and the president of the Center for Constitutional Litigation, told me.

The Eleventh Circuit sent the cases back to the lower court, which dismissed the cases on other grounds. On Friday, the cities filed an amended complaint, and both sides are waiting for a judge to now decide the statute of limitations on the banks practices.

But on the question of standing, the banks appealed the Eleventh Circuits decision to the Supreme Court, which could choose to consider the banks petition to dismiss the case on standing grounds.

We do not believe that the Fair Housing Act was intended to allow for the claims that the city of Miami has made in this case, and are asking the Court to provide a definitive ruling on that matter, Tom Goyda, a Wells Fargo spokesman, wrote to me in an email.

The Fair Housing Act, a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and introduced enforcement mechanisms for people to bring suits if they experienced discrimination from landlords or lenders. It prohibits intentional discrimination, and also discrimination that may not be intentional but that has a disparate impact on certain populations of minorities. One part of the law allows an aggrieved personsomeone who has been injured by a discriminatory housing practice, or who believes that such person will be inured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occurcan bring a suit under the act.

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The lenders say that allowing cities to sue is far too wide an interpretation of the Fair Housing Act. They also argue, in their motions to dismiss the lawsuits, that they issued high-interest loans to help minority borrowers who might not otherwise be able to buy homes.

The claims in the lawsuits really dont reflect how we approach our lending business and our commitment to the communities in which we do business, Goyda told me.

In the petition now before the Supreme Court, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed an amicus brief siding with the banks, arguing that the municipalities were not discriminated against and that their injuries are not related to whether the lenders discriminated on the base of race.

By extending Fair Housing Act remedies to municipalities that have allegedly suffered remote and conjectural economic harmssuch as a diminution of their tax basethe Eleventh Circuit has exposed lending institutions to virtually boundless liability, the Chambers brief says.

Peck disagrees. It was foreseeable that the city would get injured by this and as a result, they plainly have standing, Peck told me. They're suing for lost property taxes, and the costs of remediating neighborhoods as the result of foreclosures because of lending policies that predictably resulted in foreclosure.

The Supreme Court has shown that it is open to interpreting the Fair Housing Act relatively broadly. In its Inclusive Communities decision last year, it upheld the disparate-impact standard and said that suits under it could be brought under the Fair Housing Act, which meant that people did not have to prove discrimination was intentional, just that it occurred, to bring a case.

But, if the Court finds that the cities do not have standing, the question will remain: Who can hold lenders accountable for their practices during the mid 2000s? So far, doing so has been difficult. Most of the civil lawsuits have been brought by investors who bought the bad home loans, not by the people who actually lost their homes or were targeted with predatory loans, according to Stuart Rossman, the Director of Litigation at the National Consumer Law Center.

Thats because its hard, as an individual, to bring lawsuits against banks with deep pockets and lots of experience litigating. Most people wouldnt recoup enough from a lawsuit to make it worthwhile. And filing a lawsuit against the banks only became more difficult after a 2011 Supreme Court decision that set a higher standard for who could form a class to bring class-action lawsuits. The National Consumer Law Center had 11 lawsuits against subprime lenders under the Fair Housing Act, and the entire group cratered after that decision, known as the Dukes decision, came down, Rossman said.

If municipalities arent allowed to bring these suits under the Fair Housing Act, it will fall to the Justice Department and the Justice Department alone to try and bring suits against the banks, according to Rossman. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department has already brought some lawsuits, but just a few, and civil rights advocates say the ensuing settlements havent gone far enough in holding the banks accountable. The cities are trying to pick up some of the slack. But whether theyll be able to do so is up to the courts.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Laila Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. pharmaceutical companies dominated an annual global ranking of top 10 large-cap stocks with the best five-year returns, according to an analysis released on Tuesday by Boston Consulting Group.

Drug company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O), which had an average annual total share return of 75.3 percent, was the top performer. Allergan (AGN.N) and Gilead Sciences (GILD.O), with 43.3 percent and 41.4 percent average annual returns, respectively, took second and third place.

Companies with over $4 billion in market cap were considered for the list and ranked based on share gains and dividend yields between 2011 and 2015. Some 2,000 stocks were analyzed.

Big pharma had a total of four companies make the list. The fourth, Biogen (BIIB.O), landed in the No. 6 spot.

Seven of the top 10 stocks ranked highest for creating value for shareholders were U.S. companies.

Several technology and media companies, including South Africa's Naspers (NPNJn.J), China's Tencent and U.S.-based Netflix (NFLX.O), also made the list.

Besides pharma, industries that delivered the highest shareholder returns over the past five years include healthcare services, followed by media and publishing and travel and tourism. Commodity industries - oil, metals and mining - rank at the bottom of the list, BCG's report said.

Investors appear to be cashing in on some gains, with the S&P 500 Health Care Sector (.SPXHC) down 2.7 percent year-to-date.

Since Boston Consulting began publishing its analysis of top value-creating stocks in 1999, 89 companies have made the list -with fewer than half doing so a second time, the report said.

Only 19 companies have appeared on the list three years or more, including Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O), Ambev SA (ABEV3.SA) China's Baidu Inc (BIDU.O) and Tencent, a Chinese social media company.

Regeneron, Netflix, Visa (V.N), Japan's communications provider KDDI (9433.T) and MasterCard (MA.N), with a 34.7 percent average annual return, appeared on the top 10 for the first time.

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"We're always quite surprised at how much change there is one year to another," said Hady Farag, a New York-based principal at BCG who co-authored the report.

While pharmaceutical companies have ranked high in recent years, individual companies with sustainable revenue growth and strong business plans, rather than those "riding industry trends," have consistently done well, Farag said.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
steve cohen

There are more hedge funds today than there have ever been in history, says billionaire Steve Cohen, and it's bringing about one of his worst fears.

"One of my biggest worries is that there are so many players out there trying to do the same strategies ... if one big one goes down, will we take collateral damage?" Cohen said at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on Monday. "We were down 8% in February and for us that's a lot ... my worst fears were realized."

Cohen is the founder of Point72, a family office formerly known as hedge fund SAC Capital. He was speaking at a panel with AQR Capital's Cliff Asness and Neil Chriss of Hutchin Hill Capital.

His fear is one unique to the evolution of the hedge fund industry because of its explosive growth over the last decade-plus.

It's about differentiation  or rather the lack of it.

In February, the market was going absolutely nuts. Everyone thought the end of days were near as China tailspinned, dragging the rest of global stock markets with it, and commodities prices were at historic lows. It happened so suddenly that big investors with their money parked here and there were asking "How much can we not lose?" instead of "How much money can we make?"

And because a lot of hedge fund money was parked everywhere, losses were magnified. As big investors sloshed their money around in these volatile waters, some funds got wiped out in the volatility.

"It happened in four days," Cohen added later, "and the markets were going up at that time."

Too many hedge funds isn't the only problem

There are reasons why hedge funds can clobber each other with size now, aside from the fact that too many of them are doing the same thing.

As Chriss pointed out during the panel, the hedge fund industry used to be worth a couple $100 million. Today, the industry is worth $3 trillion. And, according to Cohen, every player in the industry thinks they have to be big to survive.

Story continues

To Cohen, Asness, and Chriss, it feels like a day of reckoning is coming. It was all they could talk about.

Since the financial crisis, the stock market has had a wonderful run, while hedge funds overall have not outperformed the indices that they are compared against. Investors are getting annoyed, but Asness had an answer for that.

"Our criticism of hedge funds is that they're not hedged enough ... They're not supposed to beat the market in a bull market," said Asness. "The comparison against all stocks makes you look really good when the stock market goes down and bad when it goes up, and it's hurt them in the last six to seven years."

For his part, Asness thinks that things are about to get better for hedge funds.

"I expect better than the last three to five years, but lower than history," Asness said.

Hedge fund performance isn't the only problem. Even though there are more funds around today, Cohen says that there isn't enough talent. He hires only 3% to 4% of the people who apply to join his firm.

"I'm blown away by the lack of talent," said Cohen.

NOW WATCH: Here are some incredible toys hedge fund boss Steve Cohen has bought with his billions





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May 3 (Reuters) - Drugmaker Biogen Inc said on Tuesday it intends to spin off its hemophilia drug business as an independent, publicly traded company in a tax-free transaction.

Biogen said the new company will focus on the discovery and development of therapies for the treatment of hemophilia, a group of hereditary genetic disorders that impairs the body's ability to control blood clotting.

John Cox, Biogen's executive vice president, pharmaceutical operations & technology, will be the chief executive officer of the new company, Biogen said.

Biogen said the spinoff would be through the distribution of shares in the new company to existing Biogen stockholders.

(Reporting by Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
(Adds analyst estimate on deal value, updates stock in paragraphs 5, 11)

May 3 (Reuters) - Biogen Inc plans to spin off its hemophilia drug business as a publicly traded company, leaving the drugmaker to focus on developing drugs for neurodegenerative diseases, the company said on Tuesday.

Biogen said it considered a number of alternatives including a sale before deciding to split the business in a tax-free transaction, which it said would deliver the most value to its shareholders.

The new company will include treatments Eloctate and Alprolix for hemophilia A and B, which had total sales of $554.2 million in 2015, about 5 percent of Biogen's revenue. Hemophilia is a group of hereditary genetic disorders that impairs the body's ability to control blood clotting.

Biogen began a sweeping restructuring program in October to cut costs and focus on core areas such as neurology and autoimmune diseases. In April, Reuters reported that it was looking at selling the hemophilia assets.

After that report, Citi analyst Robyn Karnauskas said the business could be worth $4.8 billion to $6.4 billion.

Biogen expects the transaction to occur by the end of this year or early next year.

Biogen will focus on developing drugs for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and neuropathic pain. It will keep its bestselling MS drug, Tecfidera.

The company's promising Alzheimer's drug candidate generated excitement last year after early data showed a reduction in amyloid plaque in the brain and some cognitive improvement.

Biogen's collaboration on Eloctate and Alproprix with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB will continue, CEO George Scangos said during a conference call with analysts. The move to spin off the hemophilia drugs would have been premature 6 or 12 months ago, he said.

"It's not really a shift in strategy. It is the fact that the business has matured. It is doing very well. It is profitable. It can stand on its own," Scangos said. The area of the company focused on hemophilia also has a pipeline of experimental products that need to be "aggressively" developed, he said.

Story continues

Biogen's executive vice president, pharmaceutical operations and technology, John Cox, will be the chief executive officer of the new company, which will be based in the Boston area, Biogen said.

Biogen shares were largely unchanged in early trading at $274.52, versus their Monday close of $273.67.

(Reporting by Amrutha Penumudi and Rosmi Shaji in Bengaluru and Caroline Humer in New York; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Frances Kerry)
(Reuters) - Biogen Inc plans to spin off its hemophilia drug business as a publicly traded company, leaving the drugmaker to focus on developing drugs for neurodegenerative diseases, the company said on Tuesday. Biogen said it considered a number of alternatives including a sale before deciding to split the business in a tax-free transaction, which it said would deliver the most value to its shareholders. The new company will include treatments Eloctate and Alprolix for hemophilia A and B, which had total sales of $554.2 million in 2015, about 5 percent of Biogen's revenue. Hemophilia is a group of hereditary genetic disorders that impairs the body's ability to control blood clotting. Biogen began a sweeping restructuring program in October to cut costs and focus on core areas such as neurology and autoimmune diseases. In April, Reuters reported that it was looking at selling the hemophilia assets. After that report, Citi analyst Robyn Karnauskas said the business could be worth $4.8 billion to $6.4 billion. Biogen expects the transaction to occur by the end of this year or early next year. Biogen will focus on developing drugs for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and neuropathic pain. It will keep its bestselling MS drug, Tecfidera. The company's promising Alzheimer's drug candidate generated excitement last year after early data showed a reduction in amyloid plaque in the brain and some cognitive improvement. Biogen's collaboration on Eloctate and Alproprix with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB will continue, CEO George Scangos said during a conference call with analysts. The move to spin off the hemophilia drugs would have been premature 6 or 12 months ago, he said. "It's not really a shift in strategy. It is the fact that the business has matured. It is doing very well. It is profitable. It can stand on its own," Scangos said. The area of the company focused on hemophilia also has a pipeline of experimental products that need to be "aggressively" developed, he said. Biogen's executive vice president, pharmaceutical operations and technology, John Cox, will be the chief executive officer of the new company, which will be based in the Boston area, Biogen said. Biogen shares were largely unchanged in early trading at $274.52, versus their Monday close of $273.67. (Reporting by Amrutha Penumudi and Rosmi Shaji in Bengaluru and Caroline Humer in New York; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Frances Kerry)
New York (AFP) - The world of virtual currencies was stunned Monday when Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright claimed to be the creator of the Bitcoin.

The shockwaves were clear as crypto-currency specialists gathered in New York for a conference on the blockchain technology behind Bitcoin and similar virtual forms of money.

"It's nicer if we keep the myth," said Dirk Avau, founder and chief executive of the financial tech firm Intellect Technologies, at the Consensus 2016 conference.

"If the myth now is broken, it's unfortunate. It was a wonderful story about an inventor who managed to change the world."

Wright was named by three media outlets -- the BBC, The Economist and GQ magazine -- and posted a blog on his website claiming credit for creating Bitcoin, a digital currency created by supercomputers and then traded online or exchanged for goods and services by a peer-to-peer network of computers.

Little biographical detail is known about Wright, who describes himself as a cyber-security expert and was born in Brisbane but, according to The Economist, has now moved to London.

- Skepticism, disbelief -

At the New York conference and elsewhere, the news was greeted by some with disbelief.

Matthieu Riou, founder of the blockchain tech platform BlockCypher, said he believes Wright was "part of the whole thing" but not the sole creator of Bitcoin, which has been attributed until now to someone using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

"I don't think that he did it by himself," Riou told AFP at the conference.

Jason Park of the South Korean-based software form Korbit echoed the view that "Nakamoto was not a one person."

Park added that Bitcoin "is already run by a community not one person," and argued that "there is no founder."

BlockCypher chief executive Catheryne Nicholson said she was not persuaded by the news, saying Wright could remove any doubt by producing the "keys" that unlock the Bitcoin cryptographic codes.

Story continues

"I don't believe him, I am still skeptical," she said.

Since the Bitcoin was launched in 2009, it has gained notoriety as a shadowy currency for illicit transactions.

But the blockchain technology behind Bitcoin, which offers verifiable online ledgers, has been touted as a way to potentially transform banking and other kinds of financial transactions.

A consortium of global banks including Morgan Stanley, HSBC, UBS, Credit Suisse, Barclays, Societe Generale and Commerzbank are working with the finance tech startup R3 to use blockchain technology for a wide range of applications.

Others moving forward include Bank of America, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, which is working on its own virtual currency.

Jeffrey Wallis of Noble Markets said the news about the creator doesn't matter.

"The space has already moved on regardless of the identity of the person," he said. "It's irrelevant because the momentum of the Bitcoin has extended beyond one individual... This is an industry."

Gabriele Domenichini of the Italian-based blockchain association Assob.it said the news could be a "disruption" that impacts the value of the Bitcoin, but only in the short term.

"The price has dropped a little bit. This is another attempt to disrupt the Bitcoin world but I don't think it's a substantial disruption," he said.

"If it's really him, the impact could be really big because he got something like one million Bitcoin."

Domenichini said there are 15 million Bitcoins in circulation but only 14 million can be spent.

"The person who claims to Satoshi is a target because he's got $450 million and he doesn't have the protection needed," he added.
A major fire on Tuesday damaged or destroyed the homes of some 2,000 Rohingya Muslims living in a camp for people displaced by 2012 communal fighting in western Myanmar.

The charred remains of wooden shelters and twisted metal roofs were visible through a thick haze of smoke after the fire broke out in the early morning, a stark reminder of dire living conditions for over 100,000 Rohingya confined to a network of bleak camps in Rakhine state.

Authorities said a cooking stove caused the blaze at the Bawdupa camp near the state capital Sittwe, with strong winds believed to have spread flames from house to house in the tinder-dry area.

A statement from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said initial reports suggested 14 people had been injured, with unconfirmed reports that there could have been fatalities.

"An estimated 440 households (about 2,000 individuals) were affected, but exact numbers are unconfirmed," it said, adding that humanitarian organisations were working to provide shelter and other necessities.

It said 44 barracks-style housing blocks, which hold up to eight families each, were completely destroyed by the fire. Up to nine more were badly damaged.

Some 140,000 people, mainly Rohingya, have been trapped in grim displacement camps since they were driven from their homes by waves of violence between Buddhists and minority Muslims four years ago.

The conflict left Rakhine state deeply scarred, effectively segregating communities on religious grounds and depressing the local economy.

It also stoked wider Buddhist nationalism in Myanmar, which has seen outbreaks of anti-Muslim bloodshed in other areas in recent years.

Rakhine's Rohingya are labelled "Bengali" by hardline Buddhists and many government officials, who brand them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though many can trace their ancestry back generations.

Faced with apartheid-like restrictions that limit access to jobs, education and healthcare, thousands have braved perilous boat journeys in search of better lives in Malaysia and Indonesia.

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An exodus last year sparked a regional crisis and a crackdown on smuggling routes.

Last month at least 20 Muslims from a Rakhine displacement camp drowned when their boat capsized in choppy waters while it was travelling to a market in Sittwe.

Passengers said they were forced to take the dangerous sea route because authorities ban them from travelling by road.
Frankfurt (AFP) - German automaker BMW on Tuesday said the road towards its full-year targets was clear after it clocked up record sales volumes and earnings in the first three months.

"The BMW group remains confident in achieving its forecast targets for the current financial year," said chief executive Harald Krueger.

"We reaffirm our targets for the full year. We forecast slight increases, and thus new record figures for sales volume and group profit before tax in 2016," Krueger said.

In the period from January to March, BMW sold a total 557,605 vehicles worldwide, a record for the first quarter, it said.

That translated into revenues of 20.85 billion euros ($24 billion), or a drop of 0.3 percent from the year-earlier figure, largely due to "unfavourable currency factors, such as the value of the British pound and the Chinese renminbi against the euro," the carmaker said.

Underlying, or operating, profit fell by 2.5 percent to 2.46 billion euros, but bottom-line net profit rose by 8.2 percent to 1.64 billion euros, "also marking a new first-quarter record," BMW said.

"Our first-quarter performance is further proof of our ability to generate positive earnings with our core business, despite a volatile environment," said CEO Krueger.

"The decisive factor for us is not short-term profit but sustainable, profitable growth."

In regional terms, sales volumes grew by 9.5 percent to 257,120 vehicles in Europe, with double-digit growth seen in Britain, France and Italy.

Sales to Asia were also up strongly, rising by 9.9 percent to 183,204, with sales in China up 10.5 percent.

By contrast, sales to the Americas decreased by 8.7 percent to 100,245 units and sales in the US alone were down 10.8 percent at 81,601 vehicles.

Nevertheless, investors did not appear to be particularly impressed and BMW shares were among the main losers on the Frankfurt stock exchange on Tuesday, shedding three percent, while the overall market was down by around 1.6 percent.

The first-quarter results were "solid", even if revenues came in a bit lower than expected due to exchange rate effects, said DZ Bank analyst, Michael Punzet.

"With first-quarter numbers only just matching expectations, and weaker numbers in China, the share is likely to react negatively," said LBBW analyst, Frank Biller.
When firefighters were called put out a minor structural fire, never did they expect that it would quickly become a kitten rescue mission.

Read: Firefighters Rescue 7-Year-Old Boy Who Fell Into A Well While Playing Near Construction Site

Firefighter Dale Meldin from the Turlock Fire Department told InsideEdition.com that when their team arrives on any scene, the first thing they consider is the victims that might be involved.

But when they responded to a pile of logs on fire near a northern California home Monday morning, they never expected to find four kittens, trapped underneath the logs after they put the fire out.

"We were cleaning up the scene and making sure all the fire was out, sifting through the burning pile of wood when firefighter Meldin located two cats, baby kittens," fire engineer Kevin Tidwell, who was on the scene, told IE.com. "We heard the meowing of the kittens, so we sought out where that was coming from."

Meldin, who captured the whole rescue on his body cam, found two more kittens.



They were immediately handed off to other crew members to be cleaned of debris, soaked in water, and dried off as Meldin continued to clean up.

"Our whole goal is to help people, and help things," Meldin told IE.com. "[It was] no different than what we would do for anyone else."

Though Tidwell said the cats didn't appear to be "associated with the house," firefighters did notice a larger cat, presumably the mother, lingering around the scene.

"We put the box in the same vicinity they were located. By the time we were cleaning up, the mom cat had gotten back with their kittens," Tidwell said.

Read: Firefighter Drops Baby From Burning Building In Heroic Rescue

To be sure the kittens were doing better, Tidwell told IE.com they even went back to check.

"We checked on them later in the night. We had another call and we came back, and they were all gone, so we assumed they moved onto a new little home," Tidwell said.

Story continues

Watch: Jake the Pitbull Becomes Honorary Firefighter After He's Rescued From a Devastating Fire

Related Articles:
The Music Will Challenge Children to Listen to Music, Find their Own Meanings in Songs, and Encourage their Critical Thinking Skills

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / Bradley Swiniarski, an independent musician who specializes in post-grunge rock, recently announced the launch of his new project, BRATZINSKI. Swiniarski, who aims to create rock music custom designed to entertain kids of most ages, developed a collection of 11 original rock songs for children, which later expanded to include a coloring book.

According to Swiniarski, he originally created the original kids rock songs because he was disappointed with the tone and quality of most children's music on today's market. The Columbus, Ohio-based musician spoke about his goal to encourage children to explore music and find out all the wonderful things that music can do. He hopes that one day, children will embrace music as a creative endeavor, especially because today's music can be very formulaic.

"Creativity comes from the essence of a child and is pure behavior, and encouraging creativity promotes this essence and helps it grow stronger," said Swiniarski. "Creative thought is active learning, problem solving, critical thinking, and more--and above all, I want to promote brain power and confidence. When done right, children are not even aware of how much they are learning, working, and thinking--it happens naturally."

At this time, Swiniarski has taken his campaign to Kickstarter, where he seeks the funds to manufacture CDs and vinyl records of the recordings he created. Additionally, Swiniarski hopes to begin the manufacturing of his brand's associated coloring books. In exchange for their support, Swiniarski is offering his contributors a number of perks such as copies of the CDs and coloring books.

Individuals interested in learning more about BRATZINSKI can visit Bradley Swiniarski's Kickstarter page for additional information.

About Bradley Swiniarski:

Bradley Swiniarski, the creator behind this imaginative idea, is an independent rock musician with two children, and happens to have another on the way. Being disappointed with the most readily available children's music, Bradley took it upon himself to create a collection of 11 original rock songs for kids, just for fun. The project has also spawned a coloring book that is currently in the design process right now. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/q7DEhx.

Story continues

Contact:

Lawrence Norris

admin@rocketfactor.com

(949) 555-2861

SOURCE: Bradley Swiniarski
(Adds Zuckerberg statement)

By Natalia Scalzaretto and Caio Saad

SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO, May 3 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg called on Brazilians to demand his company's WhatsApp messaging service never be blocked again after an appeals court on Tuesday overturned the application's second suspension in five months.

In a post in English on his Facebook page, the U.S. billionaire and Facebook founder urged Brazilians to gather outside Congress in the capital Brasilia at 6 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Wednesday to rally in favor of legislation that would prevent Internet services from being blocked.

WhatsApp was cut off in Brazil at 2 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Monday after a judge in the remote northeastern state of Sergipe ordered Brazil's five main wireless operators to block access to the app for 72 hours. The reason for the order was not made public.

The suspension of WhatsApp's text message and Internet voice telephone service for smartphones was lifted after about 24 hours when an appeals judge on Tuesday ruled in favor of an injunction by the company's lawyers, the court said in a statement. Some 100 million users were affected.

"You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. He also posted a link to a petition, calling efforts to block communication "very scary in a democracy."

The suspension highlighted growing international tensions between technology companies' privacy concerns and national authorities' efforts to use social media to gain information on possible criminal activities.

The same judge in Sergipe ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive in March in a dispute over demands to access the company's encrypted messaging service as part of a drug trafficking investigation.

California-based WhatsApp had said in a statement on Monday that it was "disappointed" at the judge's decision to suspend its services. It said it had done the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals, but it did not possess the information the court was requesting.

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Matt Steinfeld, a Facebook spokesman, said WhatsApp executives were meeting this week with law enforcement and judicial officials in Brazil to improve communication and clarify that the company cannot see users' encrypted messages and does not store them after transmission.

BRAZILIANS ANGERED

It was the second time in five months that WhatsApp in Brazil has been suspended. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered it shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order. Another court lifted that suspension shortly afterward.

Monday's suspension angered many in Brazil, where the service is used by individuals, companies and federal and local governments to send messages and share pictures and videos. Cost-conscious Brazilians are avid users of free messaging apps, and WhatsApp is by far the most popular - installed on more than 90 percent of Android devices.

As some Brazilians sought an alternative messaging system, rival Telegram said on Monday that it suffered technical problems under the weight of demand. It said it received more than a million new user requests.

Leticia Mendes, a 20-year-old shop assistant in Rio de Janeiro, said she was frustrated by the suspension because it could force people to use pay services.

"It's really bad," she told Reuters. "It's just a way of getting more money out of us, when we already have to pay for so many things."

The suspension came as a congressional commission on cyber crime in Brazil debated changes to the 2014 legislation governing the use of the Internet.

Lower house deputy Esperidiao Amin, the rapporteur of the commission, said his proposed reform would help avoid shutdowns of this kind by allowing the blocking of specific individuals or IP addresses suspected of illicit activity, rather than the access of all users.

"It's less dramatic than withdrawing the service from the whole of the Brazilian population," he told Reuters by telephone.

(Editing by Daniel Flynn and Cynthia Osterman)
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's prosecutor-general asked the Supreme Court to investigate former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the court said on Tuesday, as a senator's testimony opened new fronts in a massive corruption case. Rodrigo Janot also asked for several of President Dilma Rousseff's ministers to be investigated, including Chief of Staff Jaques Wagner, the minister in charge of legislative affairs Ricardo Berzoini, and her spokesman Edinho Silva. Janot on Monday requested an investigation of opposition Senator Aecio Neves, also based on testimony from Senator Delcidio do Amaral. Amaral was the government's former leader in the senate and decided to collaborate with the investigation after he was arrested last year. Janot's recent requests, which come on top of already existing investigations into Lula and other officials, have added to growing uproar over just how many senior politicians are implicated in a graft scheme involving kickbacks from state-run oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA. Coming as Brazil's Senate weighs what is expected to be Rousseff's suspension ahead of a trial on charges over budget irregularities, the charges also underscore the likelihood that senior politicians from the ruling Workers' Party will continue to face legal problems, and possible jail terms, well past what is expected to be Rousseff's eventual ouster. The Supreme Court was already investigating some 50 politicians, including the leaders of both houses of Congress. Prosecutors in the southern city of Curitiba have also sought to investigate Lula, Rousseff's predecessor and mentor. Their efforts have stalled as the Supreme Court weighs whether or not Rousseff can make him a minister, a move that would give him immunity from all but the high court. Lula has repeatedly said he is not guilty of corruption and calls the efforts to investigate him a witch hunt. Wagner said in a statement he did not know why he was included in the investigation and therefore could not comment. Berzoini also declined to comment. In a statement, Silva, Rousseff's spokesman and the treasurer of the 2014 re-election campaign whose finances have been called into question as part of the probe, said the campaign was clean. Calls for Rousseff's ouster have grown as the investigation expands, though she has not been accused of taking bribes. The -ongoing Senate deliberations follow impeachment proceedings in the lower house over the alleged manipulation of public accounts. (Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazil's top prosecutor has asked the Supreme Court to open a probe into alleged obstruction of justice by President Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian media reported, in a potentially explosive twist to the country's political crisis.

According to reports in the Globo, Folha de Sao Paulo and Estadao dailies, chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot has requested authority to open an investigation into the embattled president and also her predecessor and key political ally Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports, published Tuesday.

But if confirmed, the probe into Rousseff would be on top of a separate investigation that Janot earlier Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to open against Lula and three of Rousseff's ministers in relation to corruption at the state oil giant Petrobras.

Rousseff -- who could face the start of an impeachment trial on separate charges as early as next week -- allegedly colluded with Lula to obstruct a judge leading a huge investigation into corruption at Petrobras by top politicians and executives, Janot was quoted as stating.

Rousseff's current attorney general, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, is also implicated.

At issue is an attempt by Rousseff to name Lula, who retains broad influence despite having left office, to a post in her government. Rousseff said she wanted him to lead her defense against impeachment.

But prosecutors, who wire-tapped the president's phone conversation with Lula, said the appointment aimed to obtain ministerial immunity for the ex-president.

Lula, who is fighting corruption charges related to the Petrobras scheme, risks being prosecuted by the main investigating team led by Judge Sergio Moro.

However, if he were in the government, he would gain limited immunity, with only the Supreme Court able to handle his case.

The Supreme Court is now preparing to rule on whether he can take his post.

Janot's filing, if confirmed, would ramp up pressure on Lula and Rousseff.

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Prosecutors looking into the controversy have decided that Lula's nomination was part of a "scenario" involving several attempts to obstruct Moro's investigation into the Petrobras scheme, Estadao newspaper reported.

Rousseff is separately accused in Congress of having illegally manipulated government budget accounts and could be suspended from office next week by the Senate so a trial can get underway.

- Mega scandal -

A lower court, headed by a judge in the town of Curitiba, has been leading the Petrobras probe, uncovering what is believed to be Brazil's biggest ever corruption scandal, featuring a network of politicians who took bribes to facilitate inflated Petrobras contracts for crooked construction companies and others.

But criminal cases involving government ministers and other high-ranking officials are handled exclusively by the Supreme Court.

The latest target list included Lula, Rouseff's chief of staff Jacques Wagner, Political Affairs Minister Ricardo Berzoini and Social Communications Minister Edinho Silva.

It also names opponents of Rousseff, notably the speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who is from the PMDB and has spearheaded the impeachment proceedings against the president.

Senator Jader Barbalho from the PMDB was also on the list.

- Focus on Lula -

But the main focus was on Lula, the founder of Rousseff's leftist Workers' Party, her main mentor and a hopeful to replace her by returning to power in 2018 elections.

Lula is already facing charges in a separate case related to the Petrobras scandal, but the latest move seeks to draw him and the other high-profile politicians directly into the central probe focused on the corruption scheme.

"The request aims to include them in the main inquiry which is into a criminal organization," a spokesman for the Supreme Court told AFP in Brasilia.

Janot was quoted as saying by Folha newspaper that the vast Petrobras scheme "could never have functioned for so many years and in such a broad and aggressive form under the federal government without participation of ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva."
LONDON (Reuters) - The British government on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding department store retailer BHS's collapse into administration last week.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid has instructed the Insolvency Service to fast-track its inquiry, which will also specifically consider the extent to which the conduct of the directors of BHS led to its insolvency.

BHS was placed into administration, a form of creditor protection, by owner Retail Acquisitions on April 25, putting the 88-year-old retailer at risk of disappearing from British shopping streets and putting 11,000 jobs at risk.

BHS is already being investigated by Britain's pensions regulator and British lawmakers. Both the cross-party Work and Pensions Committee and the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee have launched inquiries.

Separately on Tuesday a spokeswoman for the Work and Pensions Committee said former BHS owner Philip Green, the billionaire retailer, has agreed to appear before the lawmaker committees.

"I have asked the Insolvency Service to bring forward its investigation rather than wait three months for the administrators to report before launching their inquiry," Javid said.

"This investigation will look at the conduct of the directors at the time of insolvency and any individuals who were previously directors. Any issues of misconduct will be taken very seriously."

The Insolvency Service would normally wait for the conclusion of the administrator's final report before commencing any investigation into a company entering administration.

Should the probe find that directors were involved in any misconduct the service can apply to a court to ask that they be disqualified from acting as a director for up to 15 years.

Green sold BHS to Retail Acquisitions, a collection of investors, for a nominal sum of a pound in March last year.

He had bought it for 200 million pounds in 2000 and when it was profitable paid out several hundreds of millions of pounds of dividends to his family.

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With a pension deficit of 571 million pounds, the pensions regulator is probing whether BHS's previous owners sought to avoid their obligations.

Green could not be immediately reached for comment.

(Reporting by William James and James Davey. Editing by Jane Merriman and David Evans)
If you watched Britains Got Talent on Saturday (April 30), the chances are you saw male vocal group Vox Fortis blow the judges away with a moving performance of We Will Stand Together.

While the group, who were together for six months before their audition, sailed through to the next stage of the competition, theyve now revealed that Cameron Jones decided to leave due to personal reasons.

Cameron pictured on the far left. Copyright [ITV]



Rodney Clarke, Thomas Goodridge, Julius Williams and Elias Hendricks have revealed that they will now continue as a four-piece.

Revealing the news, Thomas told The Sun: We were a five piece before but due to his own personal reasons Cameron decided not to continue with the group and we have to respect that.



Though losing a band member is obviously never easy, they group believe the sad news has brought them closer together, with Elias explaining: Were very strong, adversity and things like can bring groups together and I think thats what its done to us.



Copyright [ITV]



We are so together as a group now and I think theres nothing we cant do.

Understandably, Vox Fortis were super keen to impress Simon Cowell with their audition - though they were worried he wouldnt see their performance as he was running late.

Elias told the paper: One of our groups aspirations is a recording contract and we know what hes done with artists in the past and just to have his approval of our group, our sound and our concept just means the world.
Vancouver is coming off its biggest year ever for film and TV production in 2015, and its provincial government today voted to lower the generous tax incentives that help draw projects to Hollywood North. Effective October 1, the subsidies available to the industry in British Columbia will shrink from 33% to 28%.

Canada flag

The move is expected to save Canadas westernmost province an estimated $100M a year. B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong said Monday, Our objective here was to work with the industry to arrive at a reasonable place that recognizes the importance of the film-television production sector to B.C., recognizing the tens of thousands of jobs associated with the sector, but is fair to other sectors of the economy.

De Jong said the tax credit was expected to cost the government nearly $500 million this year, up from the average of $313 million of the past three years, fueled by the American dollars strength against the Canadian currency.

Production in Vancouver, which is B.C.s largest city, saw a 40% surge last year over 2014  fueled by Deadpool and more than two dozen other feature films, 158 commercials and 309 TV episodes. With a total of 353 productions last year and 1,518 filming days, Vancouver is the No. 3 production hub in North America after Los Angeles and New York City.

CBC News reported that British Columbia initially considered a cap system for production tax credits, meaning the province would give out a certain amount each year, and no other company would be eligible for a break. But the news service said that industry players who were consulted before B.C. made the change frowned on that option because it would have created a first come, first served model that would not allow producers to plan ahead.

B.C.s $2-billion film and television industry is built on three decades of collaboration private-public investment and represents thousands of B.C. jobs, the Motion Picture Industry Association of B.C. said in a statement. Together we have a vested interest in its long-term growth and sustainability.

Story continues

Related stories

California Film Commission Upbeat About New Tax Incentives

New Mexico Boosts Film Incentives Again

New Mexico Governor Signs New Tax Incentive Bill
Actor Eric Balfour (24, Haven) has teamed with Fargo producer Warren Littlefield for These Broken Stars, a TV series based on Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooners best-selling novel that launched the Starbound science-fiction trilogy.

BrokenStars

The space romance, which I hear is being eyed for development by Freeform in the US and Sky TV in the UK, hails from MGM TV, which also produces Fargo and Handmaids Tale with Littlefield. Continuum creator/showrunner Simon Barry will write the adaptation.

It is unclear yet whether Balfour would act in the project, which he is executive producing with his producing partner Stephanie Varella, Littlefield, Ann Johnson and Martin Berneman, who originally discovered the material and acquired the rights to the novels.

In These Broken Stars, a massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux  the daughter of the richest man in the universe  and Tarver Merendsen  a young war hero who comes from nothing  are the only survivors and must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

warrenlittlefield

Kaufman and Spooners These Broken Stars was published by Freeform sibling Disney-Hyperion in December 2013. The second book in the trilogy, This Shattered World, came out in December 2014, and the third, Their Fractured Light, in December 2015.

Balfour next is directing and starring in his first feature film, The Flesh, which begins production next month in Austin. The film, which takes a new twist on the classic vampire story in a world where only women can become vampires, is produced by Scott Dolezal for Smokehammer Media and Greg Strause of Hydraulx. Balfour is repped by APA, More/Medavoy Management and attorney Michael Adler.

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'Young & Hungry' Co-Star Aimee Carrero To Reprise Role In Spinoff Series

'Greek' Reunion Movie In Works At Freeform

Freeform Developing 'Young & Hungry' Spinoff Starring Ashley Tisdale, Late-Night Talk Show, Sets 'PLL' Premiere Date
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar hit a 10-month high on Tuesday but then fell against its U.S. counterpart as lower oil prices and a sell-off in stocks weighed on the risk-sensitive commodity-linked currency. Oil fell as rising output from the Middle East and North Sea renewed concerns about global oversupply while weak Chinese factory activity worsened the demand outlook. U.S. crude prices were down 0.58 percent to $44.52 a barrel. [O/R] European financial stocks fell after a string of weak first-quarter earnings reports from banks, while yen strength threw an uncomfortable spotlight on central banks' attempts to boost growth through aggressive policy easing. At 9:26AM EDT (1326 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading at C$1.2624 to the greenback, or 79.21 U.S. cents, weaker than Monday's close of C$1.2536, or 79.77 U.S. cents. The currency's weakest level was C$1.2625, while it touched its strongest since June 30 at C$1.2461. The pullback for the loonie came as fellow commodity currency the Australian dollar tumbled after the Reserve Bank of Australia surprised some by cutting its cash rate to a record low. Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz will participate at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) in a panel at the Milken Institute in Los Angeles, entitled "Monetary Policy: Out of Ammunition?" Poloz has said in the past that the idea that monetary policy is not working any more is a myth. The two-year price rose 5.5 Canadian cents to yield 0.663 percent and the benchmark 10-year climbed 65 Canadian cents to yield 1.468 percent. The curve flattened, as the spread between the 2-year and 10-year yields narrowed by 4.2 basis points, indicating outperformance for longer-dated maturities. Canada's trade report for March is awaited on Wednesday, while the nation's April employment report is due on Friday. (Reporting by Fergal Smith Editing W Simon)
By Nia Williams CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - An uncontrolled wildfire burning near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, the heart of Canada's oil sands region, has forced the evacuation of nearly all the city's 80,000 residents, local authorities said on Tuesday. A number of flights from Fort McMurray airport were canceled and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for updates. "This is the biggest evacuation we have seen in the history of the province in terms of fire," said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. However, the 2,650-hectare (6,540-acre) fire, which was discovered on May 1, is not close to any oil sands facilities, according to Alberta government online maps. The blaze, which started southwest of Fort McMurray, spread rapidly on Tuesday to the outskirts of the city, forcing the evacuation of the downtown area and almost every community in the lower town on the banks of the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers. TV footage and photographs on Twitter showed flames and smoke billowing over the city and traffic heading north on the highway to safety, while CTV News reported a trailer park had been destroyed. By late afternoon, the fire had blocked off one major route out of town, closing Highway 63 south of downtown. The local government told residents to drive north towards the oil sands camps. "Be calm. Be prepared. Be ready to move politely in traffic to a safe destination," said mayor of the Wood Buffalo region Melissa Blake on Twitter. Some residents were evacuated to Noralta Lodge, an oil sands camp 21 kilometers (13 miles) north of Fort McMurray. "Tomorrow is expected to be a more intense burning day than today is," said Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister of Alberta's Forestry Division. Mayer said that nine air tankers, more than a dozen helicopters and more than 100 firefighters were battling the fire. This is the second major fire around the city in less than a year. Last May, wildfires in the area led to the evacuation of hundreds of workers from Canada's energy heartland, leading to a 9 percent cut in Alberta's oil sands output at the time. Earlier on Tuesday authorities said the wildfire jumped the Athabasca river and breached Highway 63, the main artery south from the isolated city, which is located around 430 km (267 miles) northeast of Alberta's capital, Edmonton. Authorities are now expecting a cold front to reach Fort McMurray by Wednesday afternoon, bringing increased winds that will make tomorrow a more difficult fire-fighting day than today. Most oil sands facilities are to the north and east of the city, with the closest being Suncor Energy's base plant roughly 30 km (17 miles) away. A Suncor spokesman said there were no current impact on operations. Will Gibson, a spokesman for the Syncrude project, which has its facility around 40 km (25 miles) north of the city, said operations were unaffected. The evacuations last year led to shutdowns by Cenovus Energy and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd at some of their projects. (Additional reporting by Euan Rocha and Allison Martell in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Hay, Sandra Maler and Bernard Orr)
* First-quarter fuel costs fall 21 pct

* Cost per available seat mile falls 4.2 pct (Adds CEO remarks from conference call, comments from analysts)

May 3 (Reuters) - Canada's WestJet Airlines Ltd on Tuesday reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by lower fuel costs.

Calgary-based WestJet's fuel expenses, typically an airline's largest variable cost, fell nearly 21 percent to C$166.4 million ($132.4 million).

WestJet has shifted its focus to eastern Canada and suspended nearly a dozen daily flights in January from Alberta's airports after airlines operating in the oil-rich province started recording a significant decline in passenger traffic.

On a conference call with analysts, Chief Financial Officer Harry Taylor said the airline would continue with efforts to control its costs, including renegotiating contracts with vendors.

"We are not going to leave any stone unturned," Taylor said.

The company's cost per available seat mile, a measure of how much an airline spends to fly a passenger, fell 4.2 percent to 12.45 Canadian cents in the first quarter, from a year earlier.

WestJet's full-year CASM is projected to rise 0.5 percent to 2.5 percent, higher than the carrier's previous guidance.

However, WestJet's revenue per available seat mile (RASM), an indicator of an airline's efficiency calculated by dividing operating income by available seat miles, fell 11 percent to 14.14 Canadian cents. WestJet projects RASM to be down between 7.5 percent and 9.5 percent in the second quarter.

"While we sense that full year expectations are reasonable particularly given the pullback in capacity, the bar was higher following the strong Air Canada results and guidance," wrote BMO analyst Fadi Chamoun in a note to clients on Tuesday. "Reception of these results is likely to be muted."

The company's earnings fell nearly 38 percent to C$87.6 million, or 71 Canadian cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31.

Analysts on average had expected earnings of 65 Canadian cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

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"The favourable variance on an EPS basis was largely due to lower interest costs," Chamoun wrote.

Revenue fell 4.8 percent to C$1.03 billion.

Up to Monday's close, WestJet's stock had fallen 22 percent in the past 12 months.

"We remain cautious on Canadian airlines due to tough macro tape including continued weakness in Alberta, intense competition, and pricing pressure," wrote Macquarie analyst Konark Gupta in a note to clients.

($1 = 1.25 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Manish Parashar in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
By Lauren Hirsch, Denny Thomas and John Tilak

NEW YORK/HONG KONG/TORONTO, May 2 (Reuters) - U.S. private equity firm CCMP Capital Advisors is trying to sell Jamieson Laboratories about two years after buying the Canadian vitamin maker, according to three sources familiar with the situation.

CCMP, which has hired investment banks Houlihan Lokey and Nomura to facilitate the sale, has received some approaches from potential buyers, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the matter was not public.

Huge interest in health and wellness in Asia has fueled interest in the vitamins market, and Chinese players are looking to expand beyond their borders.

One source said Jamieson could go for a multiple of 12 to 14 times EBITDA, which would be roughly $600 million to $700 million. Jamieson was sold in 2014 for about $300 million, which was a multiple of 10 times adjusted EBITDA, the source said.

Houlihan Lokey, which advised Jamieson on the previous sale to CCMP, and Nomura did not immediately respond to requests for comment. CCMP declined comment.

While interest in the asset is said to be strong, the talks are progressing slowly, two of the sources said.

The news of renewed interest in Jamieson was reported by the Wall Street Journal earlier on Monday.

(Reporting by Lauren Hirsch in New York, Denny Thomas in Hong Kong, John Tilak in Toronto; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Paris (AFP) - Carlos the Jackal, once one of the world's most wanted militants, must face trial for a deadly 1974 grenade attack in Paris, France's highest appeals court ruled Tuesday.

The 66-year-old Venezuelan, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, has been held in French jails since 1994 after he was tracked down in Sudan following a series of attacks and murders in France.

Court papers showed the judge rejected his appeal against being put on trial on charges of premeditated murder for his alleged role in the grenade attack on a pharmacy in an upmarket district of Paris that killed two and injured 34.

In an interview with the magazine Al-Watan Al-Arabi back in 1979, Carlos allegedly admitted to having thrown the grenade that exploded in the pharmacy. But he contested that interview during the investigation into the attack.

In 1997, Carlos received the first of two life sentences for the 1975 murder of a civilian and two policemen more than two decades earlier.

Then in 2011 he was found guilty of masterminding attacks on two French passenger trains in 1982 and 1983, a train station in Marseille and a Libyan magazine office in Paris.

Carlos was given another life sentence for his role in those attacks, which left 11 people dead and nearly 150 injured.

He has denied any involvement in those attacks and said during the appeal process that the evidence gathered from intelligence files against him was unreliable.

The appeals court however upheld his conviction in 2013.
N carpageddon is not a bad remake of A, where a giant carp replaces an Earth-driven asteroid. Rather, it's an Australian government program to eradicate invasive carp, led by prime minister Barnaby Joyce, that went into effect on Monday, CNN reported.

T

T

The virus wouldn't affect humans, according toBBC.

Source: Stefan Postles/Getty Images

Joyce called carp "disgusting, bottom-dwelling, mud-sucking creatures," according to CNN. While those words might be considered harsh, carp has negatively impacted Australia's environment and economy by increasing erosion and also threatening the habitat and the survival of other native fish. In Australia's agricultural Murray-Darling Basin, carp account for almost 90% of the fish biomass, B .

"Suddenly, there will be literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions of tons of carp that will be dead in the River Murray," Science Minister Christopher Pyne said,
If Castles plan is to lead up to that finale with a series of episodes that feature the show doing what it does best thats almost a bit mean, yes?

RELATEDMatts Inside Line: Scoop on Castles L.A. Rumor and More

Because Much Ado About Murder, like Dead Again before it, featured a pretty perfect blend of 1) good mystery, 2) interesting suspects, 3) Rick/Kate cuteness and 4) some sort of personal runner involving a supporting character.

Here, we had a ripped-from-the-headlines-ish case, in which a movie star hogs a Broadway role for which he is entirely unqualified. Yet so desperate was the guy, Zane Cannon, to rise to meet the Hamlet material, he had Martha on call 24/7 for discreet hotel assignations (setting up a quite amusing eyeful for Rick and the boys).

Jewel Staite (Firefly) played the plays director, a character that appeared and then vanished so quickly, you had to figure she would emerge as one of the final suspects, if not the killer (which she was). The mysterys one shortcoming. I also could have stood a bit more of Rick and Ryan questioning Ophelia using Bardspeak  though impatient Esp shutting them all down was pretty hilarious.

RELATEDCastle Shocker: Stana Katics Dismissal Leaves Series Creator Heartbroken

Where I did not see the case going was in the direction of a notorious cartel kingpin whom Zane was wooing to secure the rights to a biopic. El Oso aka Jorge knew as everyone did that Zane sucked as an actor, and thus challenged him to prove his chops with the Hamlet lark, and then he would greenlight his showcase/box-office payday. El Oso wound up having Rick abducted, primarily to beseech the novelist to write the script for his biopic. Or else. But thanks to some (conspicuously introduced) high-tech credit card that Rick had just received, Beckett & Co. were able to track him down, send in the DEA to gun down El Osos goons and capture the drug lord. At episodes end, Rick  who feared he was on borrowed time, having played a (small) role in El Osos capture  received a package from the cartel boss suggesting that things were A-OK between them. As long as Rick turned in a solid first draft.

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Was anyone else thinking/wishing that El Oso had gotten word that Rick was chasing drug lord LokSat and had gifted him with a hot lead on a rival?

RELATEDStana Katic Out at Castle as Part of Season 9 Cast Shake-Up

Beyond the case, there was an ongoing thread about Rick and Kates highly competitive date night planning, which Kate at one point tried to pawn off on Ryan  but he was too busy micromanaging daughter Sarah Graces preschool play, to the point that he got booted from the production. Sarah Grace, though, stopped by the 12th  dressed as a sunflower  to get a refresher on her lines from Dad (with Javi as backup dancer), before braving the stage.

What did you think of the episode Much Ado About Murder?

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Photo: Masatoshi Okauchi/REX/Shutterstock.

Cate Blanchett is joining the ranks of Angelina Jolie.

The United Nations announced Monday that the actress will serve as its newest Goodwill Ambassador. She will help the U.N.'s refugee agency raise global awareness about the refugee crisis.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are roughly 15.1 million displaced people worldwide. That figure puts the crisis at its highest point in decades.

"We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide," Blanchett said in a statement reported by AFP. "It feels like we're at a fork in the road. Do we go down the compassionate path, or do we go down the path of intolerance?"

The largest percentage of displaced people are in sub-Saharan Africa. There are also millions of refugees in Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, as well as thousands in the Americas, according to the U.N.

AFP noted that Blanchett recently visited with Syrian refugee families in Jordan who were displaced by their home country's civil war. The UNHCR shared a video of Blanchett's trip to Jordan  hear some of the actress's conversations with Syrian refugees in the video below.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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* Zloty, on rollercoaster, firms tracking lira and rand * Downgrade concerns can continue to weigh on Polish assets * Leu hits 3-month low, mortgage walk-away bill a key risk By Sandor Peto BUDAPEST, May 3 (Reuters) - The zloty firmed against the euro on Tuesday, in contrast to other currencies in Central Europe which remained directionless, while the Turkish lira and the rand also rose.

The zloty was up a quarter of a percent at 4.3816 to the euro by 0850 GMT, regaining some of the ground it lost after Monday's Polish PMI manufacturing figures indicated a slowdown in economic activity in April.

The Polish currency, the most liquid and volatile in the region, also rebounded against the forint, on Tuesday, a public holiday in Poland where domestic markets were closed.

The zloty is supported by expectations that Poland's economic growth will outperform the euro zone, but investors see risks that concerns over Polish government spending plans and other measures will lead ratings agency Moody's to downgrade Poland, following the move by Standard and Poor's in January.

"The zloty can weaken again as we approach May 13 when Moody's will review Poland's credit rating," one Budapest-based currency dealer said.

The unit has been hovering around 4.4 in the past 8 days, about halfway between January lows at 4.511 and April highs at 4.223, with European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve providing investors with little guidance in recent comments.

The forint eased a shade, but trading at 311.30 it is still in the middle of the past three months' range.

The Hungarian central bank signaled last week that its rate cuts were near an end. One or two reductions are still likely and that could attract flows into Hungarian debt, but the past cuts have curbed the forint's attractiveness, the dealer said.

"Turnover is about half of what we saw in May last year," he added.

Romania's leu has also been rangebound in the past months, but by weakening 0.1 percent on Tuesday it reached a 3-month low versus the euro at 4.494.

Story continues

A key risk to Romanian asset prices is uncertainty over the impacts of a law, signed by the country's president on Thursday, that enables property buyers to walk away from mortgages.

"Weakening pressures on the Romanian currency are likely to remain in place ahead of the actual implementation of the debt discharge bill for individuals later this month. As such, despite today's light calendar, EUR/RON could see a test at 4.50," ING analysts said in a note.

CEE SNAPS AT 1050 MARKETS HOT CET CURRENCIES Lates Prev Daily Chan t ious ge bid clos change in e 2016 Czech 50 350 % 4% Hungary 000 1750 % Polish 6 31 % 2% Romanian 9 68 % Croatian 0 25 % % Serbian 000 4900 4% Note: calculat previ clos 1800 daily ed from ous e at CET change STOCK S Lates Prev Daily Chan t ious ge clos change in e 2016 Prague 903.9 909. -0.59% -5.4 5 34 8% Budapest 26866 2686 -0.01% +12 .67 9.01 .32% Warsaw 1899. 1896 +0.16 +2.
(Adds context)

BISHKEK, May 3 (Reuters) - The Kyrgyz unit of Canadian miner Centerra Gold Inc said on Tuesday it was operating as usual after prosecutors and state law enforcement agencies conducted a search at its offices last week.

"Kumtor Gold Company points out the fact that the Company is working according to its normal routine while (company) President Daniel Desjardins remains in Kyrgyzstan," it said in a statement, adding that two other senior executives who had left Kyrgyzstan after the search were on long-planned vacations.

Centerra shares fell nearly 9 percent after it reported the search last Thursday, saying it was to collect documents related to a criminal case alleging financial violations by its subsidiary.

The government has said it is concerned about a dividend paid by Kumtor to Centerra in 2013, Centerra said, adding that the dividend complied with Kyrgyz laws and 2009 agreements governing the Kumtor project.

The prosecutor general's office could not be reached for comments on Tuesday, a public holiday in Kyrgyzstan.

Toronto-based Centerra and the government have been in drawn-out, on-and-off talks on restructuring the ownership of the mine. The ex-Soviet republic currently holds a 32.7 percent stake in Centerra.

(Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko; writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by Louise Heavens and Jason Neely)
Authorities have summoned the head of Baidu after the death of a student who sought a cancer cure on the Chinese search giant, reports said Tuesday, prompting a barrage of criticism for prioritising paid search results.

Wei Zexi, 21, had already been diagnosed as having a terminal soft tissue disease when his family found an experimental immunotherapy treatment at a Beijing hospital run by the armed police force via a Baidu search.

Wei spent more than 200,000 yuan ($30,000) on the therapy but it failed, he said in a posting on zhihu.com, a Chinese question-and-answer forum, in February.

He had borrowed money to cover his costs.

Wei accused the hospital of exaggerating the treatment's efficacy and accused Baidu of ranking medical information search results by the amount paid by advertisers, denouncing it as "evil" and warning other cancer patients "not to be cheated".

Baidu says it differentiates paid entries in its search results.

But amid mounting public anger, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement that it has launched a joint investigation with the country's health authorities and business regulator into Baidu.

The company's chief executive Robin Li has also been asked by the Internet regulator to answer queries, the Economic Information Daily, which is owned by the official Xinhua news agency, on Tuesday quoted sources as saying.

"Baidu has been operating in a grey area where the rule of law, business profits and public interests are intertwined," a columnist wrote on Tuesday in the Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party.

"Baidu must face discipline by authorities for its unscrupulous activities driven by desire for profits," it added.

Baidu said it "welcomed" the probe and would "fully cooperate" with investigators.

In a separate statement emailed to AFP on Tuesday, a company spokeswoman said: "Our deepest condolences go out to Wei Zexis family."

Story continues

"Baidu is a trusted company and we uphold extremely high standards to make our platform safe and trustworthy," she added.

- Google equivalent -

Baidu is often seen as China's equivalent of Google -- although the US firm is hardly a direct competitor as it is blocked on the mainland and terminated most of its operations in 2010 after controversy over the countrys online controls.

Search services accounted for nearly 84 percent of Baidu's total revenues last year, the company's annual report showed.

Most of the business came from customers "who pay us a fee based on click-throughs for priority placement of their links in the search results", it said.

Baidu's lucrative online marketing business has been hugely controversial.

The company came under fire earlier this year for selling the right to manage an online haemophilia forum to an unlicensed private hospital. The hospital used the platform for self-promotion and deleted comments that challenged its credentials, Xinhua said Monday.

In 2011 Baidu was forced to apologise after China's state television reported about fraudulent advertisements on its platforms that ranged from phoney airline tickets to unlicensed pharmaceutical adverts.

China's health authority announced Tuesday that it, the military and armed police were jointly probing the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps, where Wei had the failed therapy.

Private healthcare firms from Putian, in the eastern province of Fujian -- which have a reputation for overprescription and false advertising -- are believed to have links with the hospital, media reports said.

Local governments have no authority to supervise hospitals run by the military and armed police, making them especially appealing to unscrupulous third-party service providers -- especially since patients trust public health facilities more than private ones.

The People's Liberation Army and armed police have significant business interests. But in March authorities ordered them to stop providing "paid services", which could eliminate such hospital contracts.
LAGOS (Reuters) - The chief executive of Nigeria's Fidelity Bank remained in custody on Tuesday, having been detained last week by the country's financial crimes agency, prompting the lender to appoint a temporary replacement. A spokesman for Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the agency obtained a court order to detain Fidelity Nnamdi Okonkwo and that he would remain in custody while the investigation continued. "It is an ongoing investigation that requires his attention and that was why he was arrested. He has been assisting the commission with the investigation," Wilson Uwujaren said. Okonkwo has been in the custody of the EFCC since Wednesday, as part of investigations into transactions made in the run-up to presidential elections last year. The bank has said that "the transactions were duly reported as required by the regulators" and that it is cooperating with the authorities. On Monday the bank appointed one of its executive directors Mohammed Lawal Balarabe as acting chief executive with "immediate effect". Shares in the bank fell nearly 8 percent to a two-month low of 1.08 naira on Tuesday, the first day of trading since it reported a 14 percent drop in first-quarter profits after the market's close on Friday. The shares are down 22 percent so far this year. President Muhammadu Buhari took office last May after winning an election on a campaign promise to crack down on corruption, and the EFCC has made a number of high-profile arrests since. (Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha, Oludare Mayowa and Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Louise Heavens, Greg Mahlich)
By Colin Packham

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A China-led consortium seeking to buy Australia's S. Kidman & Co withdrew its A$371 million (190 million pounds) bid for the country's largest private land-holding company and is planning to make another, a partner in the purchase attempt said on Tuesday.

Australia last week rejected the bid for the cattle company by the group headed by Hunan Dakang Pasture Farming Co Ltd , saying the sale is not in its national interest.

Dakang P&F's partners in the purchase attempt were Shanghai CRED Real Estate Stock Co Ltd and local company Australian Rural Capital Ltd (ARC.AX).

Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison gave the partners a week to address his concerns but the bidders have now withdrawn their offer, and intend to make a fresh bid they hope can allay any regulatory concerns, Australian Rural Capital said in a statement on Tuesday to the stock exchange.

A likely strategy in any amended offer would be to increase the stake of Australian Rural Capital to more than the 20 percent it had in the previous offer, a source familiar with the consortium's plans told Reuters.

"I think the consortium will likely amend the ownership structure, and while it is not decided, a fresh approach is likely after the elections on July 2," the source said.

Representatives from the members of the consortium were not immediately available for comment.

Ownership of farmland is a sensitive issue in Australia amid concerns that foreign buyers are snapping up properties to cash in on a boom in Asian food demand. The government's rejection of the most recent China-led bid comes just weeks before Australia holds federal elections.

Australia had earlier rejected an offer for S. Kidman by Chinese companies Genius Link Asset and Shanghai Pengxin.

The Kidman lands are about 2.5 percent of Australia's agricultural land.

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Tom Hogue)
By Adam Jourdan SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's health ministry will investigate a hospital that a university student turned to for cancer treatment after seeking information on the Baidu Inc search engine, a state health commission said on Tuesday. The student, Wei Zexi, 21, died last month of a rare form of cancer and China's Internet regulator said on Monday it would investigate Baidu over the case. Wei had searched Baidu for the best place for treatment, finding a department under the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps which offered an experimental treatment that ultimately failed, state media reported this week. The health ministry, along with military health departments, would jointly investigate the hospital, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a short statement on its website. The ministry did not give further details about the investigation but said the case had drawn widespread public attention. Before dying, Wei accused Baidu online of promoting false medical information, and the hospital for misleading advertising in claiming a high success rate for the treatment, state radio said. Baidu said in a statement it deeply regretted Wei's death, and it would fully cooperate with the investigation. Reuters was not able to reach the hospital for comment. Baidu's shares dropped sharply after the investigation was announced on fears it may hit its advertising revenues and that it could face a sharp response from regulators who are keenly sensitive to healthcare-related scandals. In a separate statement, the ministry said an inter-agency team would be set up to crack down on hospital ticket "scalpers" and online healthcare touts, a grey market of buying and selling access to healthcare which has drawn public anger. The healthcare system is plagued by touts trading appointment tickets outside hospitals and a murky world online of healthcare advertisements offering cheap medicine or access to unapproved or experimental procedures. Reuters reported in April ticket touts were defying a crackdown launched at the beginning of the year, casting light on the scale of the challenge China faces as it looks to overhaul a creaking, under-funded public health system. The ministry said it would speed up reforms, improve regulatory systems and standardize how operators published information to "get rid of the soil in which ticket scalpers and online touts survive". (Reporting by Adam Jourdan and SHANGHAI newsroom; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Beijing (AFP) - China plans to release the last prisoner known to be held in connection with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests after nearly three decades in jail, a US-based human rights group said Tuesday.

Miao Deshun, 51, is due to be released in October, the Duihua Foundation said, after serving more than 27 years in prison for his involvement in the mass demonstrations that were brutally put down by China's government.

Chinese courts originally gave him a suspended death sentence for arson after he and "four coworkers allegedly threw a basket onto a burning tank", it said.

Commuted to life imprisonment, his prison term was subsequently reduced several times, most recently this year, when authorities shortened it by 11 months for good behaviour.

"People who served sentences with him in the 1990s remember him as a very thin man who refused to admit wrongdoing and participate in prison labour", the statement said, noting that he had spent time in solitary confinement and been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

In 2013, Duihua said that China had released Jiang Yaqun, then 73 and thought to be the last prisoner convicted of counter-revolutionary offences in relation to the protests.

Chinese troops killed hundreds of unarmed civilians during the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, by some estimates more than 1,000.
Despite the global weakness, Chinese A-shares market and country-specific exchange traded funds (ETFs) rallied Tuesday on speculation Beijing would back the equities market.

The Market Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF (CNXT) and Deutsche X-trackers Harvest CSI 500 China A-Shares Small Cap Fund (ASHS) led gains Tuesday, rising 2.3% and 2.4%, respectively. The China A-shares ETFs track more middle capitalization-weighted companies. Nevertheless, CNXT is still down 20.1% and ASHS is 19.3% lower year-to-date.

Meanwhile, the db X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares Fund (ASHR) , the largest China A-shares-related ETF, rose 0.9%. ASHR declined 14.4% year-to-date.

Market observers argued that Chinese traders were encouraged by President Xi Jinpings after-market hours call to maintain a healthy development of the stock market, reports Dominique Fong for MarketWatch.

Xi chaired a Communist Party Politburo meeting of Chinese leaders who urged strengthening market supervision and protecting investor interests, according to a state official media.

The comments drew investors attention as top leaders rarely show public support of the equities market.

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The politburo meeting has led investors in the mainland to speculate that the government will probably come up with more measures to prop up stocks, so they are buying though corporate earnings are not very impressive, Wei Wei, an analyst at Huaxi Securities, told Bloomberg.

China National Radio said Beijing will increase supervision of the stock market to protect investors and will maintain a prudent monetary policy, along with a proactive fiscal policy.

Chinas first quarter earnings were not as bad as previously feared and many see signs of a stabilizing economy. Combined quarterly profits of 2,837 mainland-listed companies only fell 0.45% while 666 companies projected earnings increases or a turn to profit over the first half, Reuters reports.

Click here to read more ETF news, strategy and commentary on ETF Trends. Market Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's influential Communist Youth League has had its budget slashed by more than 50 percent for this year, a state-run newspaper reported on Tuesday, after the organization came under fire in official media over graft scandals and inefficiency. The youth league, a stronghold of former president Hu Jintao, is widely seen as a training ground for elite positions within the party, and the cutting of its budget signals a further loss of influence. Last week, the league said it would carry out reforms including cracking down on corruption and enforcing strict political discipline. The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the party's official People's Daily, said the league's budget for this year would be 306.27 million yuan ($47.33 million), compared with spending of 624.13 million yuan the previous year. The league "has been working on a detailed plan for the organization's reform, which is expected to be released shortly", a league official surnamed Zheng told the newspaper. The paper said the league has faced public criticism for "being too elitist and inefficient" and pressure has been growing for it to adhere more closely to the party's leadership and operate in a cleaner, more transparent way. The paper did not say who ordered the budget cut. President Xi Jinping has launched a widespread campaign against corruption, targeting both high- and low-ranking officials in sectors from the military to state-owned enterprises. The campaign has also felled many of Xi's political opponents, including Zhou Yongkang, the country's once-powerful domestic security tsar. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's banking regulator, in a move to rein-in the rapidly growing 'shadow loans' industry, has told commercial lenders to properly account for lending products that may appear on their balance sheets as lower-risk investments.

Authorities are tightening scrutiny of the lenders as the growing use of complex financial structures has raised concerns that bad lending and credit risks can be concealed.

The new rules forbid commercial banks from entering into repurchase agreements once a loan's income rights have been transferred, according to a document from the China Banking Regulatory Commission, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

Banks also are now required to make adequate provisions for transferred loans where the underlying loan assets remain on their balance sheets.

Individual investors also are forbidden from investing in bad loans through bank-issued wealth management products.

Financial institutions have used the transfer of income rights from credit assets to improve their business, the CBRC said, but added that part of the process was "non-standard and opaque".

Analysts say the new rules, issued last week, are meant to provide greater transparency and address the rampant growth of investment receivables that are now accumulating on bank balance sheets, particularly among mid-tier lenders.

"Some joint-stock commercial banks that have a higher reliance on interbank funds and increasing investments in loans and receivables could see their liquidity deteriorate," said Minyan Liu, an Associate Managing Director at Moodys.

The size of China's 'shadow loan' book rose by a third to $1.8 trillion in the first half of 2015, equivalent to 16.5 percent of all commercial loans in China, according to UBS.

The growing use of financial structuring, which involves structures known as Directional Asset Management Plans (DAMPs) or Trust Beneficiary Rights (TBRs), comes as some mid-tier lenders, under pressure from China's slowest economic growth in 25 years, are already delaying the recognition of bad loans.

Story continues

Banks are required to set aside capital against their credit assets. The riskier the asset, the more capital must be set aside, earning them nothing. Loans typically carry a 100 percent risk weighting, but some investment products carry a quarter of that, so banks can keep less money in reserve and lend more.

Banks must also make provision of at least 2.5 percent for their loan books as a prudent estimate of potential defaults. Provisions for these products ranged between just 0.02 and 0.35 percent of the capital value at the main Chinese banks at the end of June, Moody's Investors Service said in December.

(Reporting By Matthew Miller and Meng Meng; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Kim Coghill)
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Country Living

Chris Stapleton met his wife Morgane (then Hayes) when they were both songwriters in 2003.

Chris and Morgane Stapleton married in 2007.

Now, she sings backup on his songs and is a major influence on his music.

They have four children-a son and daughter around ages 8 and 6 and twin baby boys.

Chris Stapleton may have landed on everyone's country music radar thanks to a duet with Justin Timberlake at the CMA Awards in 2015, but his ultimate duet partner will always be his wife, Morgane Stapleton. The singer-songwriters met in 2003, and their wedding followed four years later in 2007.



Since then, the Stapletons have created beautiful music together-as well as a family. Chris (age 40) and Morgane (age unknown) share a son and daughter (ages eight and six) as well as new twin boys, whose names have all been kept private.

"We're married so we hold each other accountable," Chris told The New York Times last year. "We can lift each other up on bad nights, kind of give each other a wink when we screw up or do something funny."

Read on for their love story. It's one for the ages, even drawing comparisons to Johnny and June.



When Chris Met Morgane

Chris was working at a Nashville publishing house in 2003 when he caught the eye of Morgane Hayes, a fellow singer-songwriter at a neighboring publishing house. Morgane (pronounced Morgan) had a friend who worked with Chris and she would hang out in the office hoping for a chance run-in with the studly songwriter. "We'd hear the jingle of his keys as he walked down the hall, and we knew he was coming to play us whatever new song he had written," Morgane told the Washington Post.

"She was a stalker," Chris joked in an interview with Paste.

Story continues

When he finally asked her to get together for a songwriting session-at 6 p.m. on a Friday-it ended up being the couple's first date. "We didn't get much writing done that night," Morgane said.

Chris and Morgane's Wedding

The pair married in 2007; before the wedding, Chris had the words "You Are My Sunshine," secretly etched into his ring. "That's our story," Chris told Rolling Stone. He and Morgane often perform the song together on stage.

My love...  by @andybarron A post shared by Morgane Stapleton (@morganwithane) on Jun 25, 2016 at 9:06pm PDT

Making Music (and Babies)

Chris served as the frontman of bluegrass band The SteelDrivers until 2010, when he left seeking a shift in his career. He and Morgane had had their first child by that point: "I missed my kid and I missed my wife, and I was getting an idea of what it was like to be a touring musician," he told American Songwriter.

Commercial success seemed inevitable after Chris released his first single-"What Are You Listening To," in 2013, which made it to the Top 50 that summer-but then, tragedy struck: Chris's father passed away. Around the same time, the single started dropping on the charts. Responding to her husband's grief, Morgane suggested a cross-country road trip to help him clear his head and cope with the sadness.

She bought a 1979 Jeep Cherokee online and the couple flew to Phoenix with the plan to drive it back home to Nashville. They knew the car was a clunker, liable to break down on the highway, but the couple accepted the challenge with a sense of humor. "We looked at each other like, 'Yeah, we're finally doing this,' and then gas started spewing everywhere," Morgane told the Tennesseean. "We called the seller and he said, 'Oh, you can't fill [the tank] all the way.'"

The road trip filled Chris's creative tank-he began work on his first solo album, Traveller, shortly after. Morgane, who's always been in all of her husband's musical talent, handpicked the majority of the album's songs from the prolific writer's library of more than a thousand published tunes. Chris wrote one of Morgane's favorite tracks, "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore," about a father questioning his faith, while waiting for her to get ready to go out.

SHOP/STREAM NOW Traveller (from $10, amazon.com)

"This is the most emotional, saddest country song I've ever heard, and you just spit it out in 10 minutes," an incredulous Morgane told the Washington Post.

Awards (and More Babies)

Photo credit: Getty Images

The Stapletons' hard work paid off at the 2016 ACM Awards, when Chris took home four awards, for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, New Male Vocalist of the Year, and Male Vocalist of the Year.

SHOP/STREAM NOW From A Room Vol. 1 (from $10, amazon.com)



That year, he also picked up two Grammys, and in 2018, he earned three more. At the 2018 ACM Awards, Chris vied for Entertainer of the Year, Single Record of the Year ("Broken Halos"), and Song of the Year ("Whiskey and You") and took home Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year (From A Room Vol. 1).





The couple continue to write and perform together, and just had twin baby boys. While ACM Awards host Reba McEntire announced their arrival at the awards show, Morgane revealed on Instagram that the babies actually came more than a month early.

"We're so grateful to finally be home with our sweet family," Morgane wrote after a week-long NICU stay. "We would like to say a special thank you to all the incredible nurses & doctors at Centennial Women's & Childrens Hospital in Nashville ... Words cannot express our gratitude for you all & what you did for our family."

We can't wait to see (or better yet, hear) what the lovebirds collaborate on next.

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Cincinnati Bell Inc. (CBB is slated to release first-quarter 2016 results on May 5, before the opening bell.



Last quarter, Cincinnati Bells earnings had met the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Meanwhile, the trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise stands at 66.67%.

Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.



Factors Likely to Influence this Quarter



Introduction of MyTV through its Fioptics high-speed Internet service bodes well as providing smaller, tailored TV channel packages are likely to drive the companys top line as well as check churn in the quarter. Moreover, creation of a new business division aimed at providing support services to various small and mid-sized Businesses (SMBs) should further boost the quarters performance.



On the flip side, continuous erosion in local access lines, heavy capital expenditure requirements, slower pace of ARPU growth along with legal hurdles are some of the factors that might hamper the quarters results. Moreover, intensifying competition in the companys operational region can be a drag on its pricing power, thereby inducing pressure on its margins.



Earnings Whispers



Our proven model does not conclusively show that Cincinnati Bell is likely to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case here as elaborated below.



Zacks ESP: Cincinnati Bell has an earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 3 cents.



Zacks Rank: Cincinnati Bell has a Zacks Rank #3 which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, a 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult.



On the other hand, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.



Stocks to Consider



Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:



TELUS Corporation TU has an earnings ESP of +4.00% and a Zacks Rank #2.



Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc. CCOI has an earnings ESP of +25.00% and a Zacks Rank #3.



Mattersight Corporation MATR has an earnings ESP of +6.67% and a Zacks Rank #3.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



TELUS CORP (TU): Free Stock Analysis Report



CINCINNATI BELL (CBB): Free Stock Analysis Report



COGENT COMM HLD (CCOI): Free Stock Analysis Report



MATTERSIGHT CP (MATR): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
The Daily Beast

Beresford Hodge - PA ImagesLONDONRishi Sunak is to become Britains third prime minister of the year after winning a hastily arranged leadership contest on Monday in the wake of Liz Truss lightning downfall. After losing out to Truss in the summer, Sunak is on his way to Downing Street after his leadership race rival, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew from the contest at the last minute. While Truss became Britains leader after being voted in by Conservative Party membersless than one percent of the
Continuing with the strategy of divesting non-core operations, Citigroup Inc. C intends to vend its Asia credit card payment processing business, according to Reuters. Notably, Hong Kong, Singapore and India account for around 70% of the units business.



As per the source, Credit Card Merchant Acquiring business of Citigroup serves thousands of merchants in Asia, generating gross revenues of $400 million through providing credit and debit card payment processing services.



Citigroup exited merchants acquiring businesses in other regions in 2005, Asia being the last market from where it plans to exit. Notably, Citigroup recorded revenues worth $2.6 billion from its credit card business in Asia.



However, Citigroup refrained from disclosing anything on the matter.



The company's long-term strategy to prune its non-core assets and increase its fee-based business mix would improve valuation over time. The rundown of Citi Holdings, its legacy problem assets portfolio, is on track. Notably, at the end of first-quarter 2016, Citi Holdings assets decreased 44% year over year and represented just 4% of the companys total assets. These runoffs will ultimately reduce the company's risk profile and free up capital for investment in its core businesses.



Conclusion



Amid various adversities, Citigroups decision to vend its non-core assets will lend it some financial flexibility. We believe that the company is well positioned to resolve its internal inefficiencies and setbacks. Further, we believe these streamlining initiatives will bolster the companys capital position, reduce expenses and drive operational efficiency.



Citigroup currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Better-ranked companies in the finance space include The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation BK, Enterprise Financial Services Corp. EFSC and Peoples Bancorp Inc. PEBO. All the three companies carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



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Prosecutors in Busan have formally charged former Busan festival chief Lee Yong-kwan with fraud. Lee and three other former officials were charged Tuesday, according to the Yonhap news agency and Korean local media.

The charges relate to alleged irregularities in the way that Lee and the festival paid third party agents commissions for bringing in sponsorship revenue. The threat of such charges was raised several months ago by the city government. Lee responded that the system is standard practice in Korea and that it had been operated and approved for several years by the festivals board, which includes city officials.

The decision to go ahead with the indictments is certain to be labelled as politically motivated. And it further increases the strife within the Korean film industry over the Busan festival. Many members of the Korean industry say that they will boycott the festival this year, if indeed it goes ahead.

The city government has been at odds with the festival management since the October 2014 edition, when managers went ahead with the screening of a polemical documentary film Diving Bell (aka The Truth Shall Not Sink With Sewol) against the wishes of the mayor. The Busan Municipal Government previously tried to remove Lee, then made him share his post. But they failed to oust him. In February, however, Lee lost his job when his contract expired and was not renewed.

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Fighting erupted east of Damascus on overnight Tuesday despite a temporary truce announced by the Syrian army in that area, a war monitor said, and rebel group Jaish al-Islam said it had lost ground to the government there. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said seven people were killed in heavy rebel shelling of government-held areas of Aleppo, which was not one of areas where temporary truces were announced last week. An air strike south of Aleppo meanwhile killed at least three people, it said. Local ceasefires were announced late last week in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus and in northern areas of Latakia province. Washington and Moscow said on Monday they were working hard to extend the truce to Aleppo. An opposition activist in northern Latakia told Reuters the area had been completely calm for three days. Jaish al-Islam said in a statement overnight that government forces had taken ground around the town of al-Marj in Eastern Ghouta. The rebel group said the loss had been made easier because of in-fighting with rival rebel groups. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he hoped for more clarity in the next day or so on restoring a wider ceasefire, a reference to a Feb. 27 "cessation of hostilities" agreement that has unraveled in recent weeks, particularly in Aleppo. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Tom Perry; Editing by Dominic Evans)
Hillary Clinton apologized on Monday for saying in March that she would put coal miners and coal companies out of business as part of a transition to alternative energy sources.

The Democratic front-runner and former secretary of state called the prior remark a misstatement as she campaigned in Kentucky, ahead of the states Democratic primary on May 17, CBS News reported. The small group discussion took place in what was once one of the countrys top coal producing counties, as protesters gathered outside.

What I said was totally out of context from what I meant, Clinton said. It was a misstatement, because what I was saying is that the way things are going now, we will continue to lose jobs.

Clinton had made the comment during a town hall hosted by CNN in March, saying she would move away from coal and other fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources.

Im the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country. Because were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, she said during the town hall. And were going to make it clear that we dont want to forget those people. Those people labored in those mines for generations, losing their health, often losing their lives to turn on our lights and power our factories.

Read more: Hillary Clinton Announces Plan to Protect Coal Communities

Clintons apology on Monday came in response to a man who said he had lost his job in the coal industry.

I do feel a little bit sad and sorry that I gave folks the reason, or the excuse, to be so upset with me, because that is not what I intended at all, Clinton said, CBS News reported. Im here because I want you to know whether people vote for me or not, whether they yell at me or not, is not going to affect what Im gonna try to do to help.
In the 2008 Democratic primary, Appalachia was the heart of Clinton country.

Hillary Clinton did better against Barack Obama in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Arkansasher longtime home statethan anywhere else in the nation. She captured more than two-thirds of the Democratic vote in Kentucky and West Virginia in May of that year, landslides that gave her campaign a late jolt and enough momentum to stay in the race for the duration of the primaries.

Clinton returned to Kentucky on Monday for the start of a two-day bus tour through Appalachia, and her strength there eight years ago now seems hard to fathomeven to her. The white, working-class voters that embraced her message of resilience in 2008 have deserted her for Bernie Sanders in many primaries in 2016; she has relied instead on the African American and Latino voters who preferred Obama in 2008. Clinton has won the cities, but Sanders has trounced her in rural America.

West Virginia Democrats vote on May 10 and Kentucky holds its primary a week later. Neither are must-win states for Clintonnot in the primary, in which she has a commanding delegate lead, and not in the general election, where the last Democrat to win electoral votes in the Appalachian states was her husband. The voters there are predominantly white, culturally conservative, and hard-hit economically by the loss of jobs in the coal and steel industries and as a result of outsourcing. In other words, they are Donald Trumps base of support, and a demographic that hell need as the likely Republican nominee this fall in the larger and more competitive states of Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to the north.

So as Clinton began a swing that her campaign dubbed a Breaking Down Barriers tour, the big question was: Can she win those voters back?

Recommended: Live Coverage of the Indiana Primary

The answer, even among her core supporters, is: not entirely. Theres a limit to how well she can do in Appalachia, said Representative John Yarmuth, the lone Democrat remaining in Kentuckys congressional delegation. When Clinton dominated Obama in Kentucky and West Virginia in 2008, there were three main factors at play. One was undoubtedly race: More than one in five Democrats admitted to pollsters that race played a role in their decision. Clinton also benefitted from the fond memories that Kentucky and West Virginia Democrats, and particularly older, more conservative voters, had for her husbands presidency, Yarmuth said.

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Finally, Clinton was able to take advantage of Obamas blunder just a few weeks earlier that spring, when he was caught telling donors at a San Francisco fund-raisers that small-town Americans get bitter and they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who arent like them. Eight years later, it is Clinton who must clean up her own words from a few weeks ago, when she said during a CNN town hall in March that as president, she would put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. Republicans quickly pounced, and Democrats in West Virginia were so stung by the remark that Senator Joe Manchin, who had endorsed Clinton nearly a year earlier, put out word that he immediately called her and threatened to pull his support. When the states Democratic governor, Earl Ray Tomblin, endorsed Clinton late last week, he made clear that he remained concerned about some of her positions on fossil fuels. Clinton later clarified her remark, but it played right into the GOPs longstanding charge of a Democratic war on coal. Senator Rand Paul welcomed her to Kentucky on Monday by demanding that she apologize to the entire state. In West Virginia later in the day, she was met by a group of protesting Trump supporters.

Recommended: Donald Trump's War on Truth

Even though I think its unreasonable, its clear that a lot of people blame Democrats for what happened to coal, Yarmuth told me. There has been virtually no polling of the Democratic primary in either Kentucky or West Virginia. State Representative Sannie Overly, the chairwoman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, said that while Clinton clearly benefitted in 2008 from the affinity the state had for her husband, it remains to be seen how things are going to play out in 2016. Sanders, who has vowed to campaign aggressively despite his delegate deficit, plans to make his own two-day swing beginning Tuesday. Clinton won Arkansas earlier this year by a similarly wide margin as she did in 2008, but Kentucky and West Virginia are closer demographically to the states in which Sanders has performed well.

Clinton began her Appalachian tour in listening mode as she heard from a group of steelworkers affected by repeated rounds of layoffs at AK Steel in Ashland. Just about everyone within range of the camera was white, and nearly all were men. One worker told her that the firms workforce had dropped from a high of 5,000 to just over 200 now. Clinton didnt directly reference her comments about putting coal companies out of business, but she acknowledged the industrys struggle and touted her Marshall-style plan to retrain coal workers for other jobs. In a nod to Bill Clintons popularity, she pledged to put the former president in charge of developing ideas to boost manufacturing across the region. I am a make-it-in-America fanatic, Clinton said. I know how disappointed people are in government and politics, she added. Im going to tell you what Im going to do so you can hold me accountable.

Recommended: How the Republican Party Decided on Trump

While Clinton didnt heed Pauls demand and apologize to Kentucky, she was forced to confront her comments a few hours later in West Virginia, when a voter at a roundtable, Bo Copley, asked her directly how she could claim to be a friend to coal miners after saying she would put them out of jobs. Clinton appeared to be prepared for the exchange, and she apologized for what she said was a misstatement that was taken out of context. She said she was only referring to job loss that would continue if policymakers didnt take more aggressive action to help transition coal miners to new fields.

Im gonna do whatever I can to try to help, she said, according to Politico. Im not gonna over-promise. Im not gonna, you know, say itll all be perfect because we gotta work hard to get to where we can. Clinton also acknowledged that the remark would make it very difficult for her to win West Virginia, even in the primary.

As she moves closer to clinching the Democratic nomination, Clinton has shifted toward a two-pronged strategy of sewing up her own party while turning her attention to November. If that wasnt made clear by her message, it is by her schedule: She is finishing her two-day tour of Appalachia with an economic speech in southeastern Ohio. Clinton may not need to win Appalachia this fallshe made no grand predictions about her chances on Mondaybut her goal is to limit her losses and to begin to repair the damage done not only by her own rhetorical slip but by nearly two decades of neglect from Democratic policymakers. To that end, Mondays events served as both reintroduction and reminder, of a time not too long ago when Democrats stood a chance in Appalachia and when coal country and Clinton country were actually one and the same.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
CNNs coverage of the White House Correspondents Dinner, led by John Berman, beat Fox News and MSNBC in both total viewers and among the key demo of adults age 25-54 on Saturday night.

The network averaged 3 million viewers from 10-11 p.m. ET, when President Obama and host Larry Wilmore both delivered their speeches. During the same time period, Fox News averaged 1.2 million and MSNBC drew 945,000 viewers.

More than 5 million people watched the event between the three cable news networks. President Obama has been praised by critics for his comedic timing, while Wilmore has been criticized for using the N-word during his speech.

Also Read: President Obama Is Cool With Larry Wilmore Calling Him The N-Word

The President roasted the Republican Party, and at one point told GOP party leader Reince Priebus, who was in attendance: Its good to see youve earned a night off. The Republican Party, the nomination process, its going great. Keep it up.

Obama also had fun at the expense of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was in attendance, when he said: Bernie, you look like a million bucks. To put it in terms youll understand, you look like 37,000 donations of $27 each.

The President also ripped into Donald Trump and even dropped the mic when it was over.

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A flag belonging to the Islamic State fighters is seen on a motorbike after forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad recaptured the historic city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate in this handout picture provided by SANA on March 27, 2016. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters

Syria peace talks are deadlocked as the regime and the opposition remain unable to move past a crucial sticking point  the role of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's future.

Negotiations appear to have fallen apart, and the ceasefire between rebels and the Syrian regime has effectively collapsed.

The peace talks, which have taken place in Geneva, Switzerland, are "at best stalled and at worst already collapsed," Robert Ford, the former US ambassador to Syria from 2011 to 2014 and current fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Business Insider in an email.

And if the regime and opposition fail to reach a deal, Syria's terrorism problem is likely to fester and grow even worse.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter indicated to a Senate committee last week that peace in Syria is still a long way off.

"Our strategy ... is that Assad leaves, the structures of the government remain in place  but without Assad  and that the moderate opposition becomes part of the government and there is a government that can give the Syrian people what they deserve, which is a country that runs and a country that's moderate and a country that treats its people decently," Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"We're a long way from that now, but that's the vision for Syria," he continued.

Fred Hof, a former special adviser for transition in Syria under then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said the US is pursuing "a very risky strategy of incrementalism" in Syria.

"If we win the race against time with ISIS in Syria we'll be very fortunate," Hof told Business Insider in an email.

Islamic State billboards are seen along a street in Raqqa, eastern Syria, which is controlled by the Islamic State, October 29, 2014. REUTERS/Nour Fourat

Ford, the former ambassador, said progress towards national reconciliation is "vital to undercut ISIS and Al-Qaeda recruiting" in Syria. As long as Assad is committing atrocities against civilians in Syria, terrorist groups can convince people that they are Syrians' best bet for protection against the regime.

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Hof noted that US officials seem to acknowledge that "as long as Assad is in power somewhere in Syria, there is no prospect for a political solution that would produce a united front against ISIS."

But the US might be damaging its credibility in the peace process that aims to end a five-year civil war that has caused massive bloodshed, an international refugee crisis, and the rise of terrorist groups in the Middle East, Ford said.

"In the absence of US pressure on the Syrian government and Russians to abide by the cessation of hostilities fully [the US] becomes irrelevant to securing a peace deal for Syria," Ford said, citing airstrikes on a hospital in Aleppo as a recent act of impunity on behalf of Assad regime allies.

People inspect the damage at the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo, April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail

Fighting is likely to keep escalating in Aleppo. And with that escalation in violence, chances of a peace deal become "nil," Ford said.

"The US keeps saying it is 'concerned' about Syrian government and Russian actions, but beyond handwringing it has no real response," Ford said.

The regime and its allies don't seem willing to budge on the issue of Assad staying in power. The opposition insists on a political transition that would see Assad stepping down, and the US insists that Assad cannot be part of Syria's future.

"Assad and national reconciliation just don't mix," Hof said. "Assad's portfolio of war crimes and crimes against humanity makes him pure poison."

The US seems to hope that Russia, which is backing the Assad regime and carrying out airstrikes against rebels in Syria, will help plan a political transition.

The Russians "are the ones that have the most leverage over Assad right now," US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week. "It's very important that they do that because, as [Dunford] indicated, there's no resolution of the Syrian civil war until that occurs."

NOW WATCH: A hair surgeon explains what's going on with Trump's hair





More From Business Insider


By Mohamad Bazzi

For years after the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had an outsized influence on the countrys politics: he was able to mobilize the Shiite masses in a way few other Iraqi leaders could match, his followers created one of the most powerful militias during Iraqs civil war, and he played kingmaker in the selection of prime ministers.

But after U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in late 2011, Sadr went into a self-imposed seclusion from politics, even as his supporters continued to run for parliament and to control several key ministries. Sadr was waiting on the sidelines for his opportunity to play the savior of Iraqs Shiites. Today, Sadr is making a comeback -- this time positioning himself as an Iraqi nationalist who can both fight Islamic State and stand up to Irans growing influence over Iraq, especially through its support of Shiite militias. On April 30, after months of protests over political reforms, hundreds of Sadr supporters stormed Parliament in Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone. The protesters withdrew after 24 hours, but Sadr has threatened another mass protest on May 6.

As Iraqs Shiite-dominated government tries to retake territory from Islamic State militants and to cope with the loss of revenue caused by the global collapse in oil prices, the country faces a new danger: an intra-Shiite conflict among factions competing for power. While most attention has been focused on the struggle between the weak Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his Shiite competitors -- including his predecessor, Nuri al-Maliki -- the once-renegade Sadr has once again taken center stage.

While Sadr is trying to cast himself as a populist and reformer, he has a bloody history in Iraq. His paramilitary force, the Mahdi Army, led a Shiite rebellion against American troops in Iraq starting in 2004, and it carried out kidnappings, assassinations and an ethnic cleansing campaign against Sunnis during the subsequent civil war.

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In February, Sadr instigated a mass protest campaign in Baghdad aimed at ending political corruption and financial mismanagement. In scenes reminiscent of uprisings in other Arab capitals, Sadr brought tens of thousands of Iraqis into the streets of Baghdad. The cleric demanded that Abadi follow through on his promises to form a new government and impose political reforms -- eliminating the three posts of vice president, cutting government spending and removing sectarian quotas in political appointments -- that had stalled since last summer. Sadr did not call for Abadis ouster, but instead framed his protests as an effort to help the prime minister consolidate support.

On March 31, Abadi announced a new cabinet made up of technocrats, most of them unaffiliated with the powerful political parties that divvied up patronage jobs and government contracts. Sadr declared victory, called off his protests in the center of the capital and returned to his home in the southern city of Najaf. But since then, Shiite parties forced several of the proposed ministers to withdraw their candidacies and pressured Abadi to replace them with political operatives. Iraqs parliament also failed to approve the new cabinet, setting off a new round of protests led by Sadr, who is now threatening to oust the weakened Abadi and to call for early parliamentary elections.

The months-long political paralysis is diverting the attention of Iraqi leaders from the fight against Islamic State. Iraqi military officials have been working with American counterparts to prepare a major operation to retake Mosul, Iraqs second largest city. In June 2014, Islamic State militants, backed by Sunni tribal fighters, captured Mosul and announced that they would march on to Baghdad and the southern Shiite heartland of Karbala and Najaf.

After the takeover of Mosul, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most revered cleric in Iraq, issued a call to arms, urging all able-bodied Iraqi men to join the security forces. Within weeks, tens of thousands of Shiite volunteers signed up to join the Iraqi military or one of a growing number of Shiite militias -- two forces that became difficult to distinguish in the fight against Islamic State. With Sistanis appeal and the intervention of Iran, which armed and helped organize the Shiite militias, Iraqis began to turn the tide against the jihadists.

But the effort to retake Mosul has stalled, due to the political bickering and because Iraqs Shiite leaders have not shown a willingness to share power with the beleaguered Sunni minority. Since he reemerged this year, Sadr has tried to portray himself as an agent of political reform who can also make a nationalist appeal to Iraqs Sunnis. But his overtures to Sunnis failed to generate support in that community.

Today I am among you to say, frankly and bravely, that the government has left its people struggling, Sadr told his supporters at a rally in late February, against death, fear, hunger, unemployment, occupation, a struggling economy, a security crisis, poor services and a major political crisis.

***

The 42-year-old Sadr does not have the religious credentials of Sistani or other senior clerics, but he is the son of a revered ayatollah and he has broad support among the Shiite masses. Sadr has emerged once again as the bad boy of Najaf, who challenges the religious hierarchy represented by Sistani. In the days after the fall of Mosul, Sadr called for establishing peace brigades that would protect Shiite shrines, churches and other holy sites in Iraq.

It soon became clear that Sadrs peace brigades were simply a new label for his feared Mahdi Army, which supposedly disbanded in 2008. In June 2014, his militia returned to its stronghold, the capitals teeming Shiite slum in Sadr City. In its largest show of force in six years, thousands of Shiite fighters marched through the streets with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide explosive belts strapped to their chests. I will purify Mosul, I am a Sadrist, some of the fighters chanted.

Sadr represents the triumph of a defiant brand of Shiism in Iraq. Because Sistani and other senior theologians shun direct political involvement, they create a power vacuum among Iraqi Shiites -- one that Sadr is eager to fill. He wants to be both a respected cleric and a political broker.

In the Shiite world, it is unusual for a young cleric with Sadrs limited theological credentials to gain such a wide following. Sadr is several ranks and years away from attaining the title of ayatollah. But he is the only surviving son of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr, who was assassinated by the Iraqi regime in 1999. The elder Sadr was a leading Shiite scholar, and -- unlike Sistani -- he advocated a strong political role for the clergy. Sistani and the elder Sadr became rivals in the Shiite religious hierarchy.

Aside from his pedigree, Sadr has another claim to leadership: he did not leave Iraq to live in comfortable exile during Saddam Husseins rule. Amid the euphoria that followed Husseins ouster in 2003, clergymen debated their role in politics. Sadr and his supporters argued that they must fill the void left by the Baathist system. They denounced the U.S. occupation and Washingtons plan to install an interim government made up mainly of exiled Iraqi politicians like Ahmad Chalabi and Ayad Allawi.

Sadr started out as a militia leader, with the populist appeal and credibility that comes from being heir to a family of martyrs. He then turned himself into one of Iraqs most effective politicians. The elder clerics watched from the sidelines, confident that their religious authority would be more enduring than Sadrs fleeting political power. Now, the renegade cleric is once again poised to command the Shiite street, and to become a kingmaker in Iraq.

(Mohamad Bazzi is a journalism professor at New York University and former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday. A former fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, he is writing a book on the proxy wars between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He tweets @BazziNYU)
SCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / Combining firsthand life experience and self-deprecating humor, prolific investor, author, business entrepreneur and contributing writer for The Huffington Post, Harmel S. Rayat, President of Talia Jevan Properties, Inc., will turn traditional investing on its head as he presents "Winning with Commercial Real Estate" at the 35th annual in MoneyShow Las Vegas, May 9-12, 2016 at Caesars Palace. Rayat's keynote presentation runs from 2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, in the Octavius 3 room.

Rayat will speak candidly about the myths that hold many investors back from succeeding in real estate. He will also reveal his proprietary TROPHY formula that he uses as a roadmap to success in real estate investing. By applying this formula, beginning with no legacy assets and an equity investment of just $20 million, he has built a portfolio of high-quality commercial real estate now valued at almost $150 million in just ten short years. Over this period of time, and through the sharpest economic downturn since the Great Depression, his equity has grown at an annualized rate of 33% per year, as compared to just over 6% for the S&P 500 and just under 10% for the FTSE NAREIT All Index.

"Real estate is a slow-moving product and a steady, secure asset class," said Rayat. "It is one of the greatest inventions ever made for the creation, accumulation and preservation of wealth. This simply reinforces what I've been saying for quite some time and my book espouses - the growth, return, and the rewards being offered by investing in Class-A commercial real estate is astounding."

Rayat's key message is how to outperform the broader U.S. stock market by investing in quality, Class-A real estate that can deliver a steady stream of current cash flow and provide for capital appreciation over time. It is also why he says commercial real estate should be a core component of any retirement portfolio, generating superior risk adjusted returns without the risks and volatility of the stock market.

Story continues

The MoneyShow is a 35-year-old global, financial media company known as a leading producer of investment tradeshows, as well as producer of the award-winning, multimedia online community, and interactive eShows.

Interested investors are welcome to visit Talia Jevan Properties, Inc. in booth #205 in the Exhibit Hall where Rayat will give away signed copies of his new book, "Winning with Commercial Real Estate".

About Harmel S. Rayat:

Harmel S. Rayat is a prolific investor, entrepreneur and business owner based in Vancouver, Canada. He is the author of the new book, Winning with Commercial Real Estate, and President of Talia Jevan Properties, Inc., a privately held commercial real estate firm specializing in the acquisition and long-term ownership of Class-A commercial real estate assets throughout North America. When Mr. Rayat isn't providing investment capital and strategic advice to incumbent management teams of established and start-up companies, he's spending time with his family and helping people live better lives through his love of science, technology, real estate and investing. Mr. Rayat brings a unique world view to his work having been born in Uganda and relocating to India before moving with his family to the United Kingdom and then to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he worked at a brokerage in his early twenties and became interested in early stage companies. Since 2006, Mr. Rayat has grown his real estate portfolio to an independently appraised value of almost $150 million, generating a 33 percent annualized return on equity. For more information visit: HarmelRayat.com.

Media Contact:

TrendLogic

Dwain Schenck

800-992-6299

dwain@trendlogicpr.com

SOURCE: Talia Jevan Properties, Inc.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Commerzbank (CBKG.DE), which faces criticism for helping investors exploit tax loopholes in Germany, will stop offering such tax deals in anticipation of new legislation, Chief Financial Officer Stephan Engels said on Tuesday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet in February drafted a law which, if approved in parliament, would grant foreign investors the same tax status as domestic investors.

Under current law, domestic funds are exempt from paying corporate income tax on revenue related to dividends and real estate, while foreign funds are required to pay 15 percent tax on such gains.

That has led to a widely used tax-evasion scheme - in which Commerzbank is seen as one of the most active players - which a report by public TV station Bayerischer Rundfunk said has cost Germany 5 billion euros ($5.78 billion) in taxes since 2011.

"You can assume that we have prepared for this draft law since the start of the year and have adjusted our business accordingly," Engels said.

(Reporting by Arno Schuetze)
Standing next to cages that once housed political prisoners, former Khmer Rouge foot soldier Tho Lon gets a surprisingly sympathetic hearing from a clutch of students, despite his work for a regime that wiped out a quarter of Cambodia's population.

"All my life I've been cheated by politicians," he told them in Anlong Veng, a dirt poor town where Pol Pot and his henchmen are still venerated.

"My heart is pained, but I pretend not to be hurt," he adds.

That his complaints get an airing may jar with many Cambodians in a country still piecing together the horrors of the past.

But his testimony is part of a pioneering reconciliation scheme introducing students to former fighters.

Until now, historians, officials and civil society groups helping Cambodia have struggled to decide on how to approach Anlong Veng, which lies on Cambodia's remote northern border with Thailand.

It was here and among the surrounding Dangrek Mountains that Pol Pot and senior Khmer Rouge leaders lived on long after their murderous regime was toppled by Vietnam in 1979.

Hidden deep in the jungle they launched two decades of guerilla attacks that only ended with the rgeion's final defeat in 1998.

As the students listened intently, Tho Lon explained why he kept on fighting.

"We were living in the mountains," he said. "We had lost all contact with others so we believed what we were told, that the Vietnamese would behead us (if we stopped)".

Tho Lon, 57, paid for his loyalty. He lost his sight in one eye and his right arm below the elbow in a mine blast fighting for a Marxist agrarian utopia that never materialised.

The country paid a bigger price -- a grisly legacy for Cambodia's younger generations.

Along Veng also hosts the dilapidated grave of Pol Pot, the regime's "Brother Number One", who died nearly two decades after the Khmer Rouge fell.

"I feel a mixture of excitement and pity," said Sang Thong, a 25-year-old student from the town of Battambang, as classmates snapped pictures of the grave on their phones.

Story continues

Some of his relatives died under Pol Pot, he explained.

"But I don't come here to take revenge against him, I come here to learn more and understand more deeply about his regime."

- 'Never forget' -

Ly Sok-Kheang, head of the Anlong Veng Peace Programme, part of the Documentation Centre of Cambodia that researches the country's genocide, said the meetings "promote historical empathy and understanding."

But he admits it was no easy sell.

When Cambodia's long civil war finally ended with the fall of Anlong Veng, he explained, most of the reconciliation work understandably centred on commemorating the Khmer Rouge's victims.

The country's killing fields and notorious detention camps like Tuol Seng have become focal points for those efforts, while Anlong Veng has remained an impoverished backwater.

But Ly Sok-Kheang believes the town should also be remembered, precisely because it was the place where Cambodia finally managed to end decades of violence.

"I think Anlong Veng is the perfect place when we talk about peace in Cambodia," he told AFP.

Ignoring it, some argue, has fed the festering support for Khmer Rouge in the region.

Tho Lon gave his lecture in the grounds of a tumble-down but once grand villa that was owned by Ta Mok, a senior Khmer Rouge leader nicknamed "The Butcher" for the massacres he perpetrated.

He died in 2006 without ever seeing justice.

Ta Mok rose to number three in the Khmer Rouge hierarchy. But he eventually turned on Pol Pot as the remnants of the movement imploded and turned on each other.

Pol Pot was arrested and tried by Ta Mok's faction in 1997.

Ta Mok remains celebrated in the town, primarily for irrigation projects and doling out money and favours.

"I would like to stress that living under Ta Mok, both civilians and troops loved him," said Tho Lon.

- Pol Pot's power lingers -

Sieng Sok Heng, chief of Anlong Veng's tourism office -- a wooden shack down a dusty road -- agreed.

"A lot of the people here were under Ta Mok," he said, adding they instead "hate the regime and its leaders."

Sieng Sok Heng hopes more tourists will seek out the town. Currently some 2,000 locals and 30 international tourists visit each month.

Many seek out Pol Pot's grave.

The Khmer Rouge leader died in yet to be fully explained circumstances shortly after his trial by Ta Mok's henchman.

He was swiftly cremated on a bed of car tyres on a hillside overlooking the town, a stone's throw from the Thai border.

His grave lies in the shadow of a large, newly constructed casino filled with Thai and Chinese tourists, the only clue to its existence a rusty blue sign.

For Chhoeun Chhay Lin, 18, the grave stood as a warning.

"I feel a little bit scared of him as a leader, whether he's dead or alive, he still has some power over people," she said.

"But students should know about history. We must learn never to follow the direction of that dark regime again."
By Marcus E. Howard

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former police commissioner in New Haven, Connecticut, who became a rabbi is accused of sexually abusing a teenager in his care from 2001 to 2005, according to a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday.

Daniel Greer, a well-known member of New Haven's Orthodox Jewish community, is accused of sexually abusing Eliyahu Mirlis over three years while he was a boarding student at Yeshiva of New Haven and the Gan School, two religious schools operated by Greer.

Mirlis, who is now 28 years old and living in New Jersey, filed the lawsuit against Greer and the schools in U.S. District Court of Connecticut, seeking unspecified damages.

Mirlis's attorney, Antonio Ponvert, said he planned to speak with New Haven police about the matter, suggesting he may seek criminal charges. Connecticut's statute of limitations, he said, gives his client 30 years to file his complaint from the time he turned age 18.

Ponvert said his client came forward in order to find closure.

"I think he reached a point in his life where he is tired of living with the pain and responsibility of this," Ponvert said.

The lawsuit said Mirlis attended the schools from September 2001 to June 2005, and was assaulted by Greer during the last three years of high school from age 15 to 17.

Greer is accused of giving the teen alcohol, showing him pornographic films and having sex with him, according to the lawsuit. The incidents took place on school property, at Greer's home and in motels in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

At least one other administrator at Yeshiva was aware of the abuse and another student also was victimized, the complaint said.

Greer is known for his conservative viewpoints in the city of about 130,000 residents that is home to Yale University.

Greer did not immediately respond to a request for comment left at Yeshiva. Efforts to reach his attorney, William Ward, were not immediately successful.

(Reporting by Marcus E. Howard; Editing by Bill Trott)
New York-based Consolidated Edison, Inc. ED is set to release first-quarter 2016 results after the closing bell on May 5. In the preceding quarter, Consolidated Edison delivered a positive earnings surprise of 10.91%. Lets see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement.









Why a Likely Positive Surprise?



Our proven model shows that Consolidated Edison is likely to beat on earnings this season because it has the right combination of two key ingredients. A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) to beat estimates, and Consolidated Edison has the right mix.



Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at +0.82%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate is at $1.23, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged slightly lower at $1.22. This is a meaningful indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise.



Zacks Rank: Consolidated Edison currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.



The combination of Consolidated Edisons Zacks Rank #3 and positive ESP make us reasonably confident of an earnings beat this season.



Conversely, Sell-rated stocks (#4 or #5) should never be considered going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.



What is Driving the Better-than-Expected Earnings?



Consolidated Edison follows a systematic capital investment plan for infrastructure development and has a robust capital expenditure plan of around $11.5 billion for the 20162018 time frame. Roughly 81.3% of the planned investment has been allocated for its regulated utility operations, while the rest goes to its competitive business. It expects 2016 earnings in the range of $3.85 to $4.05 per share.



Meanwhile, Consolidated Edison has gradually been converting some of its operations to gas, which is safer for the environment. The company is, in fact, steadily investing in its renewable generation assets. It plans to continue with its renewable investments in 2016 as well  the company will invest $3,168 million in energy delivery systems and $985 million in renewable electric production projects. Going forward, the company has set aside $1.7 billion for its renewable and energy infrastructure projects for the 20162018 period.



In Jan 2016, the company announced that it has created a new division  Con Edison Transmission, Inc. (CET)  to focus better on electric and gas transmission projects. These initiatives would help the company to expand and diversify energy resources while encouraging competitive pricing for consumers.



Consolidated Edison has a history of paying incremental dividends. The company hiked its quarterly dividend by 3.1% in January. The company presently shells out an annual dividend of 67 cents per share. This marked the 42nd annual dividend rate hike by this utility. The increased rate raises the companys annual dividend to $2.68 per share.



On the flip side, Consolidated Edisons service territories witnessed warmer-than-normal temperatures in winter. This led to lower household expenditure on heating, which may hurt the companys revenues in the first quarter.



Other Stocks to Consider



Here are a couple of other utility companies you may want to consider, as our model shows that they also have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:



Pattern Energy Group Inc. PEGI has an Earnings ESP of +466.67% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter 2016 results on May 5.



Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. HE has an Earnings ESP of +2.70% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter 2016 earnings on May 4.



Peer Release



DTE Energy Company DTE reported first-quarter 2016 operating earnings per share of $1.52, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Reported earnings, however, dropped 7.9% from the year-ago figure of $1.65.



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Lyle Denniston, the National Constitution Centers constitutional literacy adviser, looks at the dispute over Amtraks role in writing railroad track rules, and why the case seems destined for the Supreme Court.

We conclude, as did the Supreme Court in 1936, that the due process of law is violated when a self-interested entity is intrusted with the power to regulate the business of a competitor. [Referring to the 1936 ruling in Carter v. Carter Coal Co.] A statute which attempts to confer such power undertakes an intolerable and unconstitutional interference with personal liberty and private property and transgresses the very nature of government function.The Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment puts Congress to a choice: its chartered entities may either compete, as market participants, or regulate, as official bodies.To do both is an affront to the very nature of things, especially due process.

 Excerpt from a decision on April 29 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, striking down the authority of Amtrak  the nations railroad passenger service  to take part in writing rules that govern the use of railroad tracks as part of Amtraks efforts to make its trains run on time and assure its profits. The dispute over Amtraks powers has been to the Supreme Court once before, and seems destined to go back.

WE CHECKED THE CONSTITUTION, AND

A series of Supreme Court decisions in the 1930s, striking down much of President Franklin Roosevelts New Deal plan to pull America out of the Great Depression, brought on a constitutional crisis when Roosevelt attempted to pack the Court with sympathetic Justices. Both FDRs reaction, and several if not most of the decisions that provoked him, have gone down in history as misuses  if not outright abuses  of government power.

In recent years, however, an ongoing feud between the nations freight railroads and Amtrak, the private corporation set up by Congress to run the passenger trains, seems to keep bringing back to life one of those supposedly discredited 1930s decisions by the court. That has happened again, for the second time in three years. And a return trip to the Supreme Court, to sort it out again, appears to be assured.

Story continues

The operations of Amtrak are vitally important to many Americans, who either use it for daily business commuting or travel on its cars to keep alive the romance of a more serene mode of travel. But what happens to its service is also turning out to be important to modern understandings of how the Constitution distributes governing authority.

Amtrak is, in fact, a strange creature, as far as government agencies go. It actually was created by Congress is 1970 as a private corporation that is supposed to make a profit, running the passenger trains that the existing railroad companies felt was dragging down their business and keeping them from focusing on rail freight deliveries, the real money-maker for them.

But Congress, as a condition for giving the freight lines liberation from the passenger-carrying business, ordered the freight companies to give Amtrak priority use of their tracks so as to help assure that passenger trains run on time.

And Congress went even further, to the deep dismay of the freight companies: it let Amtrak share in the governmental task of writing rules and standards on the use of the tracks, and a share in enforcing those rules against the freight firms. The freight lines had no role in either task.

When the freight carriers constitutional challenge first came up in a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., two years ago, that court ruled that Congress had wrongly given away the power of the government to a private entity, Amtrak. The appeals court relied upon the Supreme Courts 1936 decision in Carter v. Carter Coal Co., nullifying Franklin Roosevelts New Deal plan to give the coal companies authority to write rules to regulate the coal-mining industrys wage costs.

Disagreeing flatly with the appeals court, the Justices declared that Amtrak was not a private entity, after all; it had enough attributes to make it governmental in nature. So, the dispute over Amtrak went back to the appeals court, to settle other challenges that the freight companies had in store.

Once more, the appeals court (the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit) pulled from history the Carter Coal precedent. Turning to a part of the Constitution that only applies to actions of the federal government (the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment), the appeals court said the same vice that the Supreme Court saw in the New Deal coal industry regulatory regime was present in Amtraks assignments of power. Since the Supreme Court turned Amtrak into a public entity, it had to obey the Due Process rights of the freight companies, the appeals court made clear.

And Amtrak, governmental or not, remained a direct competitor of the freight companies in the use of the tracks that belong to those companies, the appeals court said. So, it concluded, the Carter Coal precedent still provided the constitutional standard: Amtrak could not exercise governmental power to serve its own on-time aspirations and its profit potential, at the expense of their rival carriers.

Because the Justice Department almost always feels the need to defend the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress when a court strikes them down, it seems predictable that Amtrak is scheduled for a trip back to the Supreme Court. Of course, Congress could always step in and try to cure the constitutional defect that the appeals court has found this time, but it is far from clear that the lawmakers could agree on what that solution might be.

But, for those who pay attention to how the Constitution develops, the Amtrak woes provide a further demonstration that the administrative state that Congress has been putting into place since at least the New Deal days, and probably before  erecting a massive fourth branch of government  still stirs constitutional suspicions among regulated entities in industry and commerce.

And, just as in the Thirties, there are courts and judges of today who will find that government has to be reined in. The old precedents, it is clear, are ready at hand to provide the checks and balances on Big Government.
Ajaccio (France) (AFP) - An underground separatist group in Corsica said Tuesday it would end "military operations", two years after the main militant movement on the French island laid down its arms.

The so-called October 22 splinter group of the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) made the announcement during a night-time news conference at a location unknown to the six journalists present, in line with FLNC practice since it was formed in May 1976.

Reading out a statement, a hooded spokesman wearing black fatigues said the decision was made to allow the Mediterranean island's new assembly, led by nationalists, "to calmly fulfil its mandate, as well as, we are sure, subsequent ones".

A nationalist coalition -- including politicians campaigning for outright independence from the mainland -- scored an unprecedented victory in Corsica during French regional elections in December.

The spokesman said the splinter group would begin "a process of demilitarisation", nearly two years after the main FLNC movement known as the Combatants Union announced that it would end its armed struggle.

- Prisoners must be freed -

"The end of military operations does not mean a laying down of weapons," the spokesman said, however, flanked by around 30 hooded militants, wielding assault rifles and rocket launchers as he sat at a table adorned by the Corsican flag, dimly lit by small lamps.

He added: "The farewell to arms will not be total until the return of political prisoners and the end of prosecution for all the wanted militants. Not before."

Several October 22 members were convicted by a Paris court in 2012 for attacks committed between 2004 and 2006 on administrative and political targets.

The FLNC and various other factions intent on self-rule demanded recognition of "national rights" including citizenship, language and culture.

There have been thousands of attacks in the 40-year struggle during which nine police officers have been killed.

Story continues

The FLNC has also been blamed for armed robberies and extortion through the imposition of so-called revolutionary taxes.

But the group suffered from internal feuds in the 1990s, a decade when it also staged the assassination of Claude Erignac, the prefect of Corsica and the island's top official.

Corsica was conquered by the French in the 18th century and was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Today, the island with a population of around 300,000 is a popular tourist destination, famed for its spectacular beauty and climate.
Morning Update on Commodities for May 3, 2016

Crude oil weaker on Tuesday morning

Crude oil started May 2016 on a weaker note by declining on Monday, May 2, and this weakness was seen in crude oils price movements on Tuesday morning, May 3. At 8:39 AM Eastern time, WTI crude for June delivery was trading at $44.23 per barrel, a loss of ~1.2%.

Brent crude is trading at $45.40 per barrel, a fall of 0.94%. The increasing concerns regarding the production of crude oil are weighing on oil markets.

Iraq oil exports close to record highs

According to a spokesman for Iraqs oil ministry, Asim Jihad, Iraqs oil exports in April 2016 rose to ~3.4 million barrels a day from Marchs export number of ~3.3 million barrels a day.

Aprils export figure is close to an all-time high recorded in November 2015, which was ~3.4 million a day. The record exports in April exclude the sales of the Kurdistan regional government. This report is weighing on oil prices this week.

Fears of supply glut weighing on prices

In addition to this, the surge in the supply from the OPEC producers is also weighing on crude oil this week. The production of crude oil by OPEC nations in April reached ~32.6 million barrels per day, a surge from Marchs production pace of ~32.5 million barrels per day. This has again triggered the fears of a supply glut in the crude oil market.

The US API weekly crude oil stock data is scheduled to release at 4:35 PM Eastern time today. It will be followed by the US crude oil inventories report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (or EIA) on Wednesday, May 4.

On Monday, May 2, WTI and Brent crude declined further due to profit booking and weak sentiment. Oil producers QEP Resources (QEP) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) gained ~2.1% and 0.83%, respectively. WPX Energy (WPX) and Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO) fell by ~1.8% and 0.08%, respectively The SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration and Production ETF (XOP) fell by 0.76% on May 2.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Theres seemingly no end to the speculation surrounding John F. Kennedys murder.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz responded Tuesday to allegations that his father, Rafael Cruz, was somehow linked to Lee Harvey Oswald.

Earlier that morning, in an appearance on Fox & Friends, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump criticized Rafael Cruz for campaigning on behalf of his son in Indiana and asked, What was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death?

Theres a whole thing, and, you know, his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswalds being  uh, you know shot. I mean the whole thing is ridiculous, Trump said on the morning show. What is this? Right prior to his being shot and nobody even brings it up. I mean they dont even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it. But I think its horrible.

During a news conference later Thursday, Cruz dismissed Trumps allegations concerning Kennedys death in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

Ted Cruz during a rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, May 2, 2016. (Photo: Michael Conroy/AP)



Donald Trump went on national television and attacked my father, Cruz told reporters. Donald Trump alleges that my dad was involved in assassinating JFK. Now lets be clear. This is nuts. This is not a reasonable position. This is just kooky.

With a heavy dose of sarcasm, Cruz proceeded to admit that his father is connected to several other outlandish conspiracy theories.

And while Im at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit, yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffas buried in his backyard.

Cruzs father has been campaigning for his son among the evangelical community in the conservative state of Indiana. He has implored voters to throw their weight behind his son, the candidate he says stands for the word of God and the Constitution: The alternative could be the destruction of America.

Trump has taken exception to the assertion, calling it disgraceful that the elder Cruz is allowed to say it, noting that Trump  not Ted Cruz  received the endorsement of influential evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr.

Story continues

Trump was alluding to a recent National Enquirer cover story with the shocking headline Ted Cruz Father Linked to JFK Assassination! The supermarket tabloid accused Cruzs Cuban-born father of handing out pro-Fidel Castro leaflets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee with Oswald in New Orleans three months before Kennedys death  and claimed to have photographic evidence.

During the press conference, Cruz dismissed the National Enquirer as pro-Trump tabloid trash.

But its run by his good friend, David Pecker, the CEO, whos endorsed Donald Trump, Cruz said. And so the National Inquirer has become his hit piece that he uses to smear anybody and everybody.

Donald Trump at a campaign stop in South Bend, Ind., on May 2, 2016. (Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)



Alice Stewart, the communications director for the Cruz campaign, told McClatchy, the publishing company that operates the Miami Herald, that the allegations against Cruzs father are nothing more than garbage.

This is another garbage story in a tabloid full of garbage, she said. The story is false; that is not Rafael in the picture.

The Herald notes that Rafael Cruz did support Fidel Castro in overthrowing the Cuban government in the 1950s. He says he did not realize the political leader was a communist at the time and is now strongly opposed to the ideology.

Early Thursday afternoon, Trump said in a statement that Cruz is now a desperate candidate trying to save a failing campaign.

It is no surprise he has resorted to his usual tactics of over-the-top rhetoric that nobody believes, the statement reads. Over the last week, I have watched Lyin Ted become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing, in all cases by landslides, the last six primary elections  in fact, coming in last place in all but one of them.

Trump said Cruzs latest outburst proves he does not have the temperament for the presidency.

The Warren Commission report concluded that Oswald murdered Kennedy. Two days after Kennedys death, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald, who was in police custody, in front of live television cameras.


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz lashed out at rival candidate Donald Trump on the day of Indiana's primary on Tuesday, calling him a pathological liar, narcissist and bully after the front-runner linked Cruz's father to John F. Kennedy's assassin. "I'm going to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies," Cruz told reporters in a scathing indictment. "He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth. And...his response is to accuse everybody else of lying." In a television appearance earlier, Trump linked Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, to Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, citing a report by National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid known for celebrity gossip and alien sightings. "You know, his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswalds being  you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody brings it up," Trump said on "Fox & Friends." Republicans in Indiana might give New York billionaire Trump an almost unstoppable advantage in his turbulent journey toward the party's presidential nomination. The real estate mogul holds a double-digit polling lead in the Midwestern state over Cruz, a U.S. Senator of Texas. Cruz denounced the Enquirer and its chief executive, David Pecker, who has endorsed Trump, for claiming his father, a Cuban immigrant to the United States, was pictured handing out pro-Fidel Castro literature with Oswald in New Orleans in 1963. "Yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his back yard," Cruz said in a sarcastic retort. Cruz also unleashed fury over Trump's earlier comment about his wife, Heidi. "Donald has a real problem with women. Donald is terrified by strong women - he lashes out at them," Cruz said. "The man is utterly amoral. Morality does not exist for him," Cruz said. (Additional reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Alistair Bell)
This is the third story in a multipart series created for Rosetta Stone.

Forget the sun, beaches and mojitos  when Karl Anderson traveled to Cuba recently, he joined more than a dozen car enthusiasts as they explored the islands rumbling auto scene. A board member of Americas Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, Anderson often found himself chugging along in old-school Fords, Chevys and Buicks that dated back to the 1940s and an era before the U.S. embargo took hold, plus a few newer Russian cars  evidence of the Soviet influence in Cuba. But nearly all of the vehicles, Anderson says, were junkers that had morphed over the years into a new species, some sporting rusted bodies, shot springs or cracked windshields. Without a doubt, most of these cars wouldnt meet the minimum requirements for a license in the U.S., Anderson notes.

That old saying Its not where youre going, its how you get there takes on new meaning in Cuba. For car owners on this island of more than 11 million inhabitants, getting there can require persistence, and creativity. Traverse Cubas cracked streets and you may come across varieties like a 50s Dodge with a front bumper from a Cadillac and a too-small rear bumper from a Fiat, or a Cadillac with a modern Peugeot diesel engine replacing the original, says TV personality and Gears, Grins & Gasoline author Lance Lambert. Some drivers have even swapped out an old engine for one from a tractor or a boat. Its the Galapagos Islands for classic cars, says Jonathan Klinger, spokesman for Traverse City, Michiganbased Hagerty Insurance, which insures collectible cars.

Yet the lack of available auto parts here hasnt put the brakes on the ingenuity of passionate car owners. The glue that sometimes helps keep these automobiles together is derived from a popular Cuban yogurt  not necessarily for its taste but for its packaging. When the plastic containers are melted, Anderson explains, they form a substance ideal for repairing dents and holes.

Story continues

A License to Thrill

Like Cuban cars, license plates here have also undergone a transformation.

Early aughts: Plates came in various colors to denote vehicles owned by the government (white), the state (blue) or an individual (yellow), while the first letter of each plate identified its issuing province.

2013: Plates were redesigned as very long, narrow white rectangles. The word Cuba is displayed vertically on the left side, and a black letter placed before a set of numerals identifies whether a car is owned personally (P), by the military (M) or by a diplomat (D).

More recently: The redesign not only forced auto owners to drill additional holes into their cars to accommodate the new, oddly shaped plates but also created a demand for older versions of Cuban plates. Retired plates, now being sold in Cuba for about $10 apiece, are fetching upward of $150 as collectors items, Anderson says.

While safety features like air bags and seat belts are often faulty or nonexistent, Cubas cars continue to remain objects of admiration among residents and tourists alike. Theres this great sense of pride that comes with owning a car, since such a small number of Cubans can afford one, Anderson says. In part thats because these autos help make up the collective cabs of Cuba. Although some cabs are government-run, private cars known as maquinas are also welcomed into the mix, bringing in up to $200 a week in tips, compared with state salaries just shy of $20 a month.

Sure, these authentic cars might leave foreign visitors holding on tightly as they take the ride of their lives from one destination to the next. But they also promise to leave a lasting impression about the way Cuban life has unfolded in recent decades. As Klinger says, These cars represent a story far greater than the vehicle itself.

Cuba Car Video

Related Articles
Put down the sleeping pills. According to recently released guidelines by the American College of Physicians, the most effective way to combat insomnia is through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a structured method of treatment that teaches patients how to break bad habits.

Researchers at the American College of Physicians looked at 10 years of research to conclude that CBT is efficient at reconditioning the brain and body back to normal sleep patterns without the side effects that often come with medications.

To do so, patients practice things like not reading or doing work in their beds, or slowly making their bedtime earlier and earlier. They would see their therapist up to six times over a span of a few weeks, like with many other therapy practices.

Source: Giphy

"Americans do tend to be overmedicated for sleep," ACP president Wayne Riley told NBC News. "That's why there's a significant cost to the health care system. But also the potential side effects of sleep medications are underestimated."

It's effectiveness, though, depends on a commitment from the patient to break bad habits once and for all. "Cognitive behavior therapy at the beginning is hard to do but once you get through the initial phase it's lifelong. It's durable," Riley said.

It can also be difficult for people to get their insurance to cover CBT treatment  especially for insomnia, which some healthcare workers don't even acknowledge as a health problem, despite studies that show links between sleep deprivation and things like heart problems, stroke and diabetes.

But for those looking for one less pill to pop, CBT is a good place to start
CVS Health Corporation CVS reported first-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.18, up 3.5% year over year. The adjustment considers certain asset amortization, acquisition-related integration costs and certain legal charges. The quarters EPS was ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2 cents and exceeded the company-provided guidance range of $1.14$1.17.

Without the one-time adjustments, reported EPS from continuing operations in the first quarter declined 2.8% year over year to $1.04.

The Quarter Under Review

Net revenue in the first quarter increased 18.9% year over year to $43.2 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $42.9 billion. The year-over-year improvement came primarily on the back of balanced growth in both the Pharmacy Services and Retail Pharmacy segments.

Pharmacy Services revenues increased 20.5% to $28.8 billion in the reported quarter. The segment gained from growth in the specialty pharmacy business and increased volume in pharmacy network claims.

Pharmacy network claims processed during the quarter went up 22.6% to 283 million, backed by net new business. Moreover, the continued adoption of Maintenance Choice offerings brought the Mail Choice claims processed to 20.3 million, up 6.6%.

Revenues from CVS Retail/ LTC improved 18.6% year over year to $20.1 billion, primarily driven by the addition of long-term care (LTC) operations acquired as part of the Omnicare acquisition, the addition of the pharmacies and clinics of Target Corporation that were acquired in Dec 2015, and pharmacy same store sales growth. Same-store sales improved 4.2%, while front-end same-store sales were marginally up 0.7% year over year.

Front-end same-store sales were sluggish due to softer customer traffic, partially offset by an increase in basket size. However, the shift of Easter from Apr 2015 to March in 2016 positively affected front store same-store sales by approximately 80 basis points (bps). Pharmacy same-store sales increased 5.5% in the reported quarter. Pharmacy same store sales were negatively affected by approximately 360 bps due to recent generic drug introductions, partially offset by approximately 130 bps from the additional day in 2016 related to the leap year. Moreover, Pharmacy same-store prescription volumes rose 5.9% on a 30-day equivalent basis.

Story continues

The generic dispensing rate (the proportion of all generic prescriptions to total number of prescriptions dispensed) soared 170 bps to reach 85.2% in the Pharmacy Services segment and increased 125 bps to 85.7% in the Retail/LTC segment.

Although gross profit rose 9.4% to $6.4 billion, gross margin contracted 136 bps to 15.6%. Total operating margin during the quarter contracted 83 bps to 5% due to a 13.3% increase in operating costs.

CVS exited the first quarter of 2016 with cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of $1.86 billion, as against $2.54 billion at the end of 2015. The quarters net cash provided by operating activities was $2.41 billion, up 21.7% from 2015 end.

During the first quarter, CVS opened 24 retail drugstores and 24 new retail stores, and closed 5 stores. Further, the company relocated 14 retail drugstores. As of Mar 31, 2016, CVS operated 9,674 retail drugstores, including pharmacies in Target stores in 49 U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Brazil.

2016 Guidance

CVS Health has reinstated its full-year 2016 expectations. For 2016, CVS Health still expects to deliver adjusted EPS in the range of $5.73$5.88, representing annualized growth of 11.25%14.25%. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for CVS Health is pegged at $5.82 for 2016, within the predicted range.

Moreover, the company still expects to deliver free cash flow of $5.9$6.2 billion, and cash flow from operations of $7.6$7.9 billion in 2016.

CVS Health has also provided its second-quarter 2016 adjusted EPS projection. The company forecasts adjusted EPS in the range of $1.28$1.31. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.35 is pegged above the guided range.

Our Take

CVS Health posted better-than-expected first-quarter results with both adjusted EPS and revenues exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The Pharmacy Services segment benefited from growth in the Specialty Pharmacy business while the Retail Pharmacy segment gained from increased same-store sales.

We take note of the recently completed Omnicare and Target Pharmacy acquisitions, which are currently undergoing the integration process. According to the company, both the acquisitions are strategic fits. CVS Health expects to benefit with multiple opportunities for driving enterprise value from Omnicare and Target in both the near and long term.

CVS Health earlier expected Omnicare to be approximately 20 cents accretive to its 2016 EPS (excluding any transaction and integration costs). The Target Pharmacy acquisition on the other hand should expand CVS Health's customer base, add a new retail channel for its products and augment customer convenience. CVS Health also expects to see market share gain in its specialty pharmacy suite of services with differentiated specialty offerings providing a high level of clinical support to patients.

Zacks Rank

Currently, the stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some top-ranked stocks in the broader healthcare sector are Herbalife Ltd. HLF, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. WBA and Boston Scientific Corporation BSX. All the three stocks hold a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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David Hasselhoff and longtime girlfriend Hayley Roberts are engaged!

The Baywatch star, 63, surprised Roberts, 36, by popping the question during a five-year anniversary lunch in Malibu, California, Hello! Magazine reports.

WATCH: David Hasselhoff Returns to 'Baywatch,' Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron Can't Contain Their Admiration

Roberts admitted that she didn't even think Hasselhoff wanted to get married, saying that they hadn't really discussed the possibility.

"I genuinely had no idea he was going to propose," Roberts told Hello!. "I thought he was just joking around at first. He's asked me before, but it was never for real. Then he pulled out the ring. I cried so hard that he didn't get around to actually asking, 'Will you marry me?' until about 10 minutes later."

HELLO ! Thanks for all Congratulations to me & Hayley&GUMBALL &2nd season premiere of Hoff The Record on Dave this Friday ! BEST WEEK EVER!  David Hasselhoff (@DavidHasselhoff) May 3, 2016

Hasselhoff explained that the idea had been on his mind for a while. In fact, he was planning on proposing during an earlier trip to the Maldives.

"I'd been carrying the ring around for weeks," Hasselhoff said. "It's visited nine different countries."

PICS: The Biggest and Best Celebrity Engagement Rings

The happy couple reportedly first met when Hasselhoff was signing autographs in a hotel lobby during his stint as a Britain's Got Talent judge.

This will mark Hasselhoff's third marriage. He previously wed soap star Catherine Hickland in 1984. After the estranged couple split in 1989, Hasselhoff married actress Pamela Bach the same year, but they later called it quits in 2006. Hasselhoff and Bach have two daughters together -- Taylor, 25, and Hayley, 23.

"I told my girls what I was going to do, and they were both really supportive," Hasselhoff said. "It's tough. No one wants to see their parents split up. But they love Hayley and they're just happy for me."

Story continues

Related Articles
Deadmau5 - aka EDM star Joel Zimmerman - has reached an agreement with his former Canadian label over remixes and mashups of early recordings that he claimed violated his moral rights.

The settlement of a lawsuit brought by Zimmerman in October 2015 in an Ontario, Canada, court calls for Play Records and company principal Melleny Melody, aka Melleefresh, to no longer create new remixes or mashups of master recordings. The agreement also allows Play Records to retain the rights to more than 100 original tracks, collaborations and remixes created by Deadmau5 (pronounced Deadmouse) between 2006 and 2008.

Melody told The Hollywood Reporter that Play Records will continue to license and exploit that catalog after both parties amicably resolved their legal wrangle. "We are pleased to reach a mutually beneficial resolution, given our long-standing business history," Melody said.

Dina LaPolt, Zimmerman's lawyer, also confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that both parties had amicably resolved their dispute.

Deadmau5 earlier settled a separate legal wrangle with Disney over his registration of a caricature of a mouse head with black ears, white eyes and white mouth. The EDM star also retracted a cease-and-desist order against the producer of Deadmouse: the Musical, a production that was part of a Toronto live theater festival.

Melody, a Toronto-based musician and voice actress, launched Play Records in 1996. Ten years later, Melody and Deadmau5 collaborated on remixes when the EDM artist's career was getting off the ground.

Deadmau5 in the original 2008 settlement agreement assigned Melody ownership of the early recordings and compositions, including his first hit, Faxing Berlin. The EDM artist in 2008 also signed personal management agreements with Play Records.

That followed Deadmau5 relocating to London in 2007, linking up with another management firm and wanting to sever ties with Play Records. "As a label, we launched his career. We're really proud of that," Melody said.

Story continues

Play Records, which also has a U.K. recording facility, Play Deep Studios, represents more than 1,000 licensed and exclusive dance tracks across a network of online digital and streaming channels.

Read More: Deadmau5, Disney Settle Dispute Over "Mouse Head" Logo
Deadmau5 -- aka dance star Joel Zimmerman -- has reached an agreement with his former Canadian label over remixes and mashups of early recordings that he claimed violated his moral rights.

The settlement of a lawsuit brought by Zimmerman in October 2015 in an Ontario, Canada, court calls for Play Records and company principal Melleny Melody, aka Melleefresh, to no longer create new remixes or mashups of master recordings. The agreement also allows Play Records to retain the rights to more than 100 original tracks, collaborations and remixes created by Deadmau5 (pronounced Deadmouse) between 2006 and 2008.

Deadmau5's 'Before They Were Famous' Episode: Learn More About The Man In the Helmet

Melody told The Hollywood Reporter that Play Records will continue to license and exploit that catalog after both parties amicably resolved their legal wrangle. "We are pleased to reach a mutually beneficial resolution, given our long-standing business history," Melody said.

Dina LaPolt, Zimmerman's lawyer, also confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that both parties had amicably resolved their dispute.

Deadmau5 earlier settled a separate legal wrangle with Disney over his registration of a caricature of a mouse head with black ears, white eyes and white mouth. The EDM star also retracted a cease-and-desist order against the producer of Deadmouse: the Musical, a production that was part of a Toronto live theater festival.

Deadmau5 Sues Vape Company for Trademark Infringement

Melody, a Toronto-based musician and voice actress, launched Play Records in 1996. Ten years later, Melody and Deadmau5 collaborated on remixes when the EDM artist's career was getting off the ground.

Deadmau5 in the original 2008 settlement agreement assigned Melody ownership of the early recordings and compositions, including his first hit, Faxing Berlin. The EDM artist in 2008 also signed personal management agreements with Play Records.

Deadmau5 Gets Beats 1 Radio Show

Story continues

That followed Deadmau5 relocating to London in 2007, linking up with another management firm and wanting to sever ties with Play Records. "As a label, we launched his career. We're really proud of that," Melody said.

Play Records, which also has a U.K. recording facility, Play Deep Studios, represents more than 1,000 licensed and exclusive dance tracks across a network of online digital and streaming channels.

This article was first published by The Hollywood Reporter.
When the Indian state of West Bengal goes to the polls this week, thousands of people will be able to vote for the first time in their lives. The reason? They are finally citizens of India after almost 70 years of virtual statelessness.

Around 15,000 people gained Indian citizenship about a year ago, when Bangladesh and India implemented an agreement to trade the 160-odd enclaves that had been stuck in limbo since the latters independence in 1947. At that point, Bangladesh became East Pakistan until its liberation in the India-Pakistan war of 1971, but the enclaves  111 pockets of land belonging to India but located within Bangladesh and 51 within India in the opposite situation  remained as they were even after the war.

The result was a peculiar predicament  neither country had governing jurisdiction within the others enclaves, nor could they provide the residents with local services due to their status as foreigners.

Given the option of joining either country in the July 2015 deal, over 900 Bangladeshis opted to move to India while none chose to go in the other direction, according to the Associated Press. Now, they will join more than 9,000 others in voting for the first time in their lives.

These new voters are being aggressively wooed by various political parties ahead of the Thursday polls, with the Indian Express reporting that every candidate has visited the region and presented their party as the only one that can adequately represent them. Their vigorous campaigning appears to have been met with a mix of enthusiasm and bemusement.

Earlier no one cared and now suddenly everyone has us at the center of their attention, a former enclave dweller named Padman Burman told the Express. It is very discomforting, we just want to go back and eat.

Tahalu Raiburman, a 65-year-old first-time voter and one of the Bangladeshis who took up Indian citizenship, told the Los Angeles Times that he feels like he is worth something at long last.

The Indian authorities conducted a training session by putting up a mock polling booth, he said to the Times. I have never been inside one until now.
Regulatory and legal issues seem to be never ending for Deutsche Bank AG DB. The German banking giant has serious failings in anti-money-laundering controls, per findings by the UK regulator Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The news was first reported by The Financial Times on Sunday, citing a letter by FCA to Deutsche Bank, dated Mar 2.



FCA stated in the letter, Our overall conclusion was that DB UK had serious AML (anti-money laundering), terrorist financing and sanctions failings which were systemic in nature. The regulator also added, Effective senior management engagement and leadership on financial crime had been lacking for a considerable period of time.



In response, Deutsche Bank mentioned, We understand the importance of this issue and are committed to and engaged in fixing it.



Reportedly, FCA has now ordered a separate independent review. The findings of FCA come as part of Deutsche Banks participation in the regulators AML program, which is evaluating the controls of 14 major banks against financial crime. The program is being overseen by FCAs supervision team and any potential fines ordered are not generally publicly disclosed.



Notably, in a bid to ensure high internal operating standards, last November, the companys new Co-CEO John Cryan announced the review of its know-your-client (KYC) and client on-boarding procedures. The company seeks to achieve an increased transparency in these processes, which will, in turn, help it maintain sustainable client relationships in the long run.



Tightening the internal policies, the company further decided to suspend the addition of new clients as well as introduction of new products to the existing clients in certain locations that have higher risk weightings. Further, the company determined that any transaction with a new client will commence only upon successful completion of the required KYC and on-boarding procedures.



The latest issue crops up at a time when Deutsche Banks co-CEO Cryan, is expediting efforts to revamp the bank and boost profitability. However, we remain cautious as litigation headwinds are not likely to ease soon as the bank continues to struggle with numerous lawsuits and regulatory proceedings. A potential legal action will not only add to the litigation burden of Deutsche Bank but also expose the company to high legal expenses stemming from the case.



Deutsche Bank currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some well placed stocks in the foreign banks space include Banco Macro S.A. BMA, Grupo Financiero Galicia S.A. GGAL and Shinhan Financial Group Company Limited SHG, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).



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Bunge Beat Its 1Q16 Earnings Estimates: Strong Start in 2016

(Continued from Prior Part)

Revenue declined, missed estimates

In 1Q16, Bunge Limited (BG) reported a revenue decline of 17%compared to 1Q15. The total net sales for 1Q16 came in around $8.92 billioncompared to $10.21 billion in 1Q15. It also missed analysts estimates by 13%. Bunge earns its revenue through its five segmentsAgribusiness, Edible Oil Products, Milling Products, Sugar and Bioenergy, and Fertilizer.

Agribusiness

The Agribusiness segment accounted for 70% of Bunges revenue in the first quarter with $6.2 billion in sales. However, it fell 20% year-over-year. A softer global soy processing environment impacted the Oilseed segments results. Soy processing results in Brazil and oilseed trading and distribution results were in line with last yearsupported by strong export flows out of South America. However, it benefited from good performances in South America and effective risk management strategies.

Edible Oil Products

North American businesses were comparable to last year due to strong volume growth in Bunges value-added downstream business. The margins and volumes in Russia and Ukraine were impacted by depressed economies, soft consumer demand, and unfavorable currency translation.

Milling Products

A better performance in Bunges value-added categories and increased productivity in its US operation contributed to good results in North America. Its Mexican business delivered stronger volumes and productivity gains as well. However, the gains were offset by currency translation from the weaker peso.

Sugar and Bioenergy

The trading and distribution business benefited from higher volumes and margins. It drove the performance of the Sugar and Bioenergy segment. Sugarcane milling results declined slightly due to lower sugar and ethanol sales resulting from Bunges commercial decision to carry fewer inventories into 2016compared to 2015.

Fertilizer

Higher volumes and margins in the Argentine fertilizer operation and increased volumes at the Brazilian port facility contributed to the improved results for the Fertilizer segment.

Story continues

Bunges peers in the industry include Ingredion (INGR) and Flowers Foods (FLO). They reported operating margins of 14.7% and 6.0% in their last respective quarters. The iShares Morningstar Mid Core ETF (JKG) and the iShares S&P MidCap 400 Index Fund (IJH) invest 0.51% of their holdings in Ingredion.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
SDP chief Chee Soon Juan waves to supporters. Photo: Joseph Nair/Yahoo Singapore

The issue of character once again came to the fore as Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan appealed to the Peoples Action Party to stop the personal attacks that he said had besmirched the Bukit Batok by-election campaign.

Addressing his opponent K. Muralidharan Pillai directly at the partys third political rally on Tuesday (3 May), he noted that PAP heavyweights like Lee Hsien Loong, Heng Swee Keat and Goh Chok Tong had all engaged in personal attacks against him. For example, Prime Minister Lee called Chee hypocritical and unrepentant, while Emeritus Senior Minister Goh compared him to a fox asking to look after the hen house.

Adding that Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had promised the SDPs Paul Tambyah to run a clean campaign, Chee said that Muralis party colleagues had broken the promise repeatedly. On the SDPs part, he said, the opposition party had refrained from attacking Murali personally.

They have attacked me in the most personal and vicious of ways, even resorting to using made up newspaper headlines, said Chee, referring to a Lianhe Wanbao report that had said the SDP chief was proud of his crazy past. Wanbao later amended the headline in the online version of the article.

Appealing to Murali to get his colleagues to stop the personal attacks, Chee said, I dont want to see politics become so poisonous. Ive seen how it can ruin countries, and if we continue down this path, we will tear our country apart.

A surprise speaker

Neo Swee Lin is greeted by the SDPs Jaslyn Go, as she goes on stage. Photo: Joseph Nair/Yahoo Singapore

Actress Neo Swee Lin, best known for her role in the popular TV sitcom Phua Chu Kang, made a surprise appearance as a speaker at the rally. Neo read an open letter signed by 30 individuals from the arts scene, academia, civil society and more, which said that the by-election campaign had deteriorated to a level that undermines our Singaporean values.

Story continues

It is indeed a sad state of affairs when people who have been entrusted with positions of powerperpetuate such unbecoming behaviour.

Neo added that for her and actor husband Lim Kay Siu, In a perfect future, we will have a true democracy in Singapore, with more balanced views represented in parliament. We will never have that with one ruling party dominating the political scene.

An appeal to good sense and good hearts

Chee is greeted a supporter while signing copies of his books. Photo: Joseph Nair/Yahoo Singapore



But while his checkered past has often been used against him, Chee openly referenced his previous reputation as a political firebrand who often took on the establishment. Noting that he had been called names, sacked, sued, jailed and made a bankrupt, he declared, I will not kneel before them because one cannot stand up for ones principleson bended knees.

Chee ended his speech with a message for his three young children, The most important lesson that I can impart to you is that we dont ruin others in order to rise up. We dont step on others dreams in order to fulfill ours. And we dont ridicule others for not being like us.

Instead, we lift up our friends. We extend a hand to strangers and we forgive our enemies. We do what is good, so that others may see the goodness in our hearts and want for themselves what they see in us. That is character!
Donald Trump took several swings Tuesday morning at Sen. Ted Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz  even linking him to President John F. Kennedys assassin.

Speaking by telephone with Fox and Friends on Tuesday, Trump took issue with Cruzs fathers recent suggestion to an audience of Christian voters in Indiana that a presidency by Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, could be the destruction of America.

I think its a disgrace that hes allowed to do it, Trump said. I think that its a disgrace that hes allowed to say it.

He continued: Its disgraceful that his father can go out there and do that, and so many people are angry.

Trump also pushed back against the elder Cruzs pitch to evangelical voters in which he pointed out high-profile endorsements from figures like Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr.

During Tuesdays interview, Trump also sought to undermine Rafael Cruzs legitimacy by parroting a dubious National Enquirer story. The story claimed Rafael Cruz was photographed in the early 1960s handing out pro-Fidel Castro leaflets with President John F. Kennedys assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.

The Enquirer has established a reputation for sensational stories that occasionally make their way into the political mainstream, such as when it broke the story of the John Edwards affair. The publication has endorsed Trump in this election cycle while publishing a series of suspect stories critical of the Texas senator, including one that Cruz accused of being fomented by Trumps henchmen.

The Cruz campaign has called the National Enquirer story involving Rafael Cruz garbage.

Trumps comments came the day of the Indiana primary, in which he is looking to score a knockout blow against Cruz. Though Cruz has campaigned hard in the Hoosier State, most recent polls show Trump with a significant lead.

NOW WATCH: The Secret Service may have been impaired the day JFK was assassinated





More From Business Insider


Donald Trump delivered a knockout punch in the Indiana primary on Tuesday with his seventh straight win and driving his strongest challenger, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, to end his campaign for the Republican nomination.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders earned a surprise victory over Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, winning 53 percent of the vote to her 47 percent for the former secretary of state with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

But the Vermont senators upset is unlikely to alter the Democratic contest since the states delegates are allocated proportionally and Sanders still trails Clinton by more than 300 delegates.

At the closing of the polls, Trump claimed at least 45 of the states 57 Republican delegates up for grabs, according to AP. With 98 percent of the vote counted, Trump had nearly 53 percent of the vote, followed by Cruz with 37 percent and Ohio Gov. John Kasich with 7 percent.

Also Read: Ted Cruz Throws in the Towel, Withdraws From GOP Presidential Race

Just hours after networks and news outlets project Trumps decisive win in Indiana, Cruz announced he was formally dropping out of the race.

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, declared Trump the presumptive GOP nominee and urged voters to unite in an effort to defeat Hillary Clinton.

.@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, Reince Priebus tweeted. We all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton#NeverClinton.

Also Read: 5 Things to Watch in Indiana Primaries

Indiana, a political afterthought during most presidential elections, has emerged as one of the most crucial battlegrounds in this years primary race as Trump tries to reach the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination outright and Clinton looks to prove that she can win over Sanders supporters in a state with a large number of blue-collar white voters.

The loss in Indiana spelled disaster for Cruz, who made a concerted effort to slow Trumps momentum by joining forces with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and stepping up his criticism of the GOP frontrunner in recent days.

Story continues

Going into Tuesdays primary, Trump had 996 delegates, Cruz had 565, while Kasich had 153 delegates, according to the Associated Press. On the Democratic side, Clinton had 2,165 (including 520 superdelegates), while Sanders had 1,357 (including 39 superdelagates).

Preliminary exit poll results from Indianas Democratic primary showed higher than usual turnout this year among liberals, young voters, whites and those focused on a candidate whos honest or cares about people like them.

More than seven in 10 voters were whites, according to the exit polls, while nearly half of voters were under age 45, numbers that usually favor Sanders over Clinton.

On the Republican side, exit polls showed a greater-than-average support for an outsider candidate and for deporting undocumented immigrants. A majority of voters also said they were interested in a candidate wholl bring needed change or tells it like it is.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Trump Bolsters Claim Linking Cruz's Dad and JFK Assassination: 'Nobody Talks About It'

Donald Trump Reacts to Carly Fiorina's Tumble at Ted Cruz Rally: 'Weird Deal, Man' (Video)

Donald Trump Leads Hillary Clinton in New Poll
As the Ted Cruz campaign stares down increasingly grim prospects, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump took a break from attacking his chief rival to instead focus on his father.

On Tuesday, the New York billionaire raised the possibility that Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, might have been complicit in the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

"His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being  you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous," Trump said during a phone interview with Fox News, Politico reported. "They don't even talk about that. That was reported, and nobody talks about it."

"I mean, what was he doing  what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?" he added.

Source: Mic/Getty Image

The Cruz family has found themselves mired in conspiracy and controversy before  though until recently, most of the fire has been trained solely on the Texas senator. In addition to potentially being the frontman for the Christian metal band Stryper and a one-time guest on Maury, Cruz has been widely dogged by accusations that he is the Zodiac Killer.

The California serial killer was never apprehended, and even though Cruz was born in Canada in 1970  a full two years after the murders began  nearly 40% of Florida voters polled in February said he was or might be the murderer. The long-running joke reached such lengths that it was formally denounced by Cruz's wife on Monday.

"Well, I've been married to him for 15 years, and I know pretty well who he is, so it doesn't bother me at all. There's a lot of garbage out there," Heidi Cruz told Yahoo! News.
donald trump

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas may come to regret calling Indiana an "absolutely pivotal" state.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is hoping to score a knockout punch against Cruz with a major victory in the Indiana primary on Tuesday.

Appearing at several campaign rallies across the state on Monday, Trump relentlessly doubled down on his personal attacks on Cruz in an attempt to bury him once and for all and virtually lock down the GOP race.

"I think he's crazy  honestly, I think he's crazy," Trump said at a rally Monday night.

He went on to question Cruz's "temperament," a line of criticism often aimed at Trump.

"Ted does not have the temperament to be doing this," Trump said. "He's choking like a dog because he's losing so badly. We've got to put him away tomorrow, folks."

Cruz has campaigned vigorously in the state, which was seen as more favorable to his candidacy.

The senator spent last Tuesday night in Indiana, a signal that he was focused on the importance of the Hoosier State contest rather than the five states he lost to Trump that evening. Cruz also chose Indiana as the location to announce his potential vice presidential running mate, former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. Cruz made five campaign stops Monday while his wife, Heidi Cruz, along with other high-profile surrogates appeared at five separate stops without him.

But the Cruz campaign has encountered numerous late setbacks in the Hoosier State. Recent surveys have shown Trump with a sizable lead over the Texas senator.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday found Trump with a 15-point lead over the senator among likely Indiana Republican primary voters.

Cruz's plan to consolidate anti-Trump support also fell through.

Last week, Cruz attempted to forge an alliance with Gov. John Kasich of Ohio to persuade the governor's supporters in the state to vote for Cruz and block Trump. But the pact quickly fell apart.

Story continues

Trump brimmed with confidence during a "Fox News Sunday" interview when asked whether Indiana would essentially end the Republican race.

"Yes, it's over," Trump said. "It's already over."

NOW WATCH: 'Indiana dont want you!': Watch Ted Cruz's awkward exchange with a Trump supporter





More From Business Insider


Damascus (AFP) - Rebel fire on a hospital in a government-controlled neighbourhood of Syria's second city Aleppo killed three women and wounded another 17 people on Tuesday, state media reported.

The rockets hit Al-Dabbeet hospital in the Muhafaza district, state news agency SANA said.

Rebel rocket fire on other government-held neighbourhoods killed another 11 people, it added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels had fired rockets and shells on government-controlled western districts of the city throughout the day.

After a lull through the morning, regime air strikes on rebel-held eastern areas resumed in the afternoon, an AFP correspondent reported.

Moscow has faced mounting pressure from Washington to rein in air raids by its Damascus ally after a hospital and three clinics were hit.

The northern metropolis has been hit by a wave of violence that has killed more than 250 civilians since April 22, sparking a diplomatic push by Russia and the United States to end the carnage and restore a teetering truce.
By Gina Cherelus NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rapper Aubrey "Drake" Graham became the newest member of The Forbes Five club of hip-hop's wealthiest artists on Monday with a net worth of $60 million, according to Forbes. The annual list has regularly included rap artists Bryan "Birdman" Williams, Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, Shawn "Jay Z" Carter, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Sean "Diddy" Combs. But due to a mismanagement of funds which resulted in a bankruptcy last summer, 50 Cent was superseded by Drake, who has increased his net worth through touring, music releases and business deals with Nike, Sprite and Apple. "Views," the fourth studio album by Drake, a Toronto native who goes by his middle name, sold an estimated 630,000 copies on its April 29th release date, according to Vibe Magazine. With each album selling at $13.99 exclusively on iTunes, the 29-year-old made about $800,000 that night. Business mogul and rap artist Diddy continued to hold the number one title with a net worth of $750 million thanks to his agreement with Diageo's Circo vodka, stakes in his music television network Revolt, his clothing line Sean John and more. Dr. Dre follows with $710 million, then Jay Z in third place with $610 million and finally Birdman, who came fourth with $110 million. While his net worth is small in comparison to his fellow club members, Drake is quickly climbing the ranks, earning some $150 million to date before taxes and spending, Forbes said. The business magazine analyzes artists' past earnings, values their current holdings and talks to industry specialists to determine which hip-hop star makes it on the list. Combined together, Forbes said, all five artists are worth $2.2 billion dollars. (Reporting by Gina Cherelus; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Andrew Hay)
Most of us probably wouldnt have the guts to try this excuse - but a young Chinese driver told police they could tow his car because he was an intergalactic warlord.

Specifically, he was from the largest royal family in the galaxy, and would be forced to destroy the Earth if his car was taken away.

The young man in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, was pulled over and found to have 27 traffic violations.

Thinking quickly, he said, You have your regulations, but we have our regulations in the Milky Way as well. Im from a royal family.

If you let me go, then I will let this incident pass. However, if you piss me off, I will be forced to destroy the Earth. My royal family is the biggest in the galaxy and no one has ever dared to make me this unhappy.

Sadly, his argument didnt hold much sway with police - although his arrest has since gone viral on Chinese social media.
Abidjan (AFP) - The drummer for popular Ivory Coast music group Magic System has drowned in an accident at a seaside resort in the country, the band announced Tuesday.

A family member said Didier Bonaventure Deigna died "trying to save a person from drowning".

Magic System said in a statement it "announces with regret and deep sorrow the death of its drummer and conductor Didier Bonaventure Deigna, known as Pepito, last Sunday May 1 by drowning in Jacqueville," in southern Ivory Coast, aged 46.

The beaches in Ivory Coast are reputed to be dangerous and drownings are frequent.

The four-member Magic System perform dance-oriented Zouglou music popular in French-speaking West Africa and in France.

The announcement comes just over a week after the Democratic Republic of Congo's rumba king Papa Wemba collapsed on stage and died at the FEMUA music festival in Ivory Coast.

The festival was organised by Magic System.
Http%3a%2f%2fi.blueprint.mashable.com%2fhpwiia2fj6mtlqpfmnld_orlyso%3d%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f78902%2f1916885_167752950250165_922629605407324976_n

How could you not love that face?

Against all odds, Duchess, a.k.a The Miracle Kitty, has overcome a major accident and is currently stealing the Internet's heart.

The stray cat was brought to Adobe Animal Hospital in El Paso, Texas, in October after it was struck by a vehicle. She suffered a broken jaw and was in pretty bad shape, Crystal Tate, an employee of the clinic explained on the cat's GoFundMe page.

SEE ALSO: Naughty cat threatening postal deliveries in Bristol

Image: Duchess the Miracle Kitty

Image: DUCHESS THE MIRACLE KITTY

Tate explains that most vets would euthanize a stray animal in that condition, however Dr. Meyer and Dr. Gearheart decided to give the cat a chance.

The cat's jaws was wired shut, and the majority of her teeth were removed. After surgery, Duchess was in recovery for about a month, and was placed on a feeding tube.

"Her chances of survival were slim, but she was a fighter and pulled through," Tate explains.

Image: Duchess The Mircale Kitty

Tate says she met her the day she started at the clinic and decided to bring Duchess home, even though she is still in need of additional surgery to, "help straighten her jaw more and improve her quality of life."

Image: Duchess the Miracle Kitty

So in order to raise money for Duchess' needed surgery, Tate launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has already raised $2,865 of its $3,000 goal at the time of writing.

Tate told Mashable in an email that Duchess has been doing much better in recently.

"We haven't had any complications in the last couple months so she is just living life to the fullest," Tate told Mashable.

Tate credits the Facebook page Cat Addicts Anonymous, for sharing her story which resulted in an outpouring of success.

Image: GoFundMe

You can keep up with Duchess' progress on her Facebook Page.
A high-ranking Los Angeles County Sheriffs official resigned after emails were discovered in which he made racist and crude comments about Muslims, blacks, Latinos, and women.

As chief of staff, Tom Angel was one of the top aides to Sheriff Jim McDonnell, who had at first said he wouldnt punish Angel. The Los Angeles Times published the emails late last week, and only after wide criticism did Angel finally resign. The emails were sent while Angel held a previous post with the Burbank Police Department. The Times reported he sent them:

... in 2012 and 2013 when he was the No. 2 police official in Burbank. There, too, he had been brought in to reform an agency reeling from misconduct in its ranks, including allegations of brutality, racism and sexual harassment. I took my Biology exam last Friday, said one of the emails, which The Times obtained from the city of Burbank under the states public records law. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently Blacks and Mexicans were NOT the correct answers. Another email ridiculed concerns about the racial profiling of Muslims as terrorism suspects. A third included the subject line How dumb is dumb? and listed 20 reasons Muslim Terrorists are so quick to commit suicide, including Towels for hats, Constant wailing from some idiot in a tower and You can't wash off the smell of donkey.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs office has 18,000 employees, and is the largest sheriffs department in the world. Angels boss, McDonnell, won election in November 2014, and has tried to move the department past recent scandals, which include racism, and inmates whove accused deputies of beating them.

Recommended: How the Republican Party Decided on Trump

McDonnell told the Times he plans to turn the experience into a learning opportunity. He said hed randomly audit employees emails, that the department would look at its current cultural-sensitivity training programs, and that hed meet with community groups. Angel hasnt spoken publicly since he resigned, but the Times did talk with him beforehand. The paper wrote that Angel said hed not meant to embarrass or demean anyone, and that it was unfortunate that his work emails could be obtained by the public under the states records laws.

Story continues

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Ecolab Inc. ECL reported adjusted earnings (excluding special gains, charges and tax items) of 77 cents per share in the first quarter of 2016 which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny.



Ecolab Inc. - Earnings Surprise | FindTheBest

However, earnings decreased 4% from the year-ago quarter primarily due to strong currency headwinds (11 cents).



Quarter Details



Sales declined 6% year over year to $3.10 billion in the quarter which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.08 billion. On a fixed currency basis after adjusting for acquisitions, sales decreased 2% on a year-over-year basis.



Global Industrial segment sales grew 4% year over year to almost $1.08 billion at fixed currency. Regionally, Latin America reported strong sales growth, with modest gains in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.



Global Institutional segment sales increased 8% to $1.05 billion, led by strong growth in the institutional and Specialty businesses.



Global Energy segment sales declined 15% to $760 million in the reported quarter. Sales growth in the downstream business was more than offset by a significant decline in the upstream business.



Sales from the Other segment climbed 9% year over year to $188 million.



Operating income (excluding special gains and charges) at fixed currency increased 6% from the year-ago quarter to $374 million. Operating profits at the Global Industrial, Global Institutional and Other segments improved 25%, 18% and 30%, respectively. Meanwhile, Global Energy segments operating profit declined 15% on a year-over-year basis.



Outlook



For second-quarter 2016, Ecolab projects adjusted gross margin at approximately 48%. Selling, general & administrative (SG&A) expenses, as a percentage of sales, are expected to be approximately 33%. Interest expenses are projected at around $67 million.



Adjusted earnings are estimated between $1.03 and $1.11 per share. Unfavorable foreign currency and the impact of Venezuelan deconsolidation are expected to affect earnings by 8 cents.



For 2016, Ecolab expects adjusted gross margin in the range of 47% to 48%. SG&A expenses, as a percentage of sales, are projected at approximately 32%. Meanwhile, interest expense is forecasted at around $270 million.



Ecolab reiterated its adjusted earnings guidance range at $4.35 to $4.55. The current guided range reflects a 9% to 13% year-over-year increase. Venezuela deconsolidation is likely to affect earnings by 17 cents.



Ecolab expects mid-single digit acquisition adjusted fixed currency sales growth at the Institutional, Industrial and Other segments. Energy segment sales are expected to decline in the mid to upper single digit range. The company expects to repurchase approximately $700 million worth of shares in 2016.



Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



Currently, Ecolab carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).



Better-ranked stocks in the industry are Daqo New Energy Corp. DQ, KMG Chemicals KMG and Chemtura Corporation CHMT. All the three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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Eddie Murphys gotta be a pro in the delivery room at this point! The actor and his model girlfriend, Paige Butcher, welcomed their first child together, a daughter, on Tuesday May 3, in Los Angeles. This is the 55-year-old actors ninth child.

The baby girl  named Izzy Oona Murphy  weighed in at 7 lbs., 15 oz., and measured 19 1/2 inches long. Both mother and daughter are doing well, Murphys rep told Us Weekly in a statement.

PHOTOS: How to Style a Mother's Day Brunch

Us Weekly confirmed in November that Murphy and the Australian model, 36, were expecting their first child together. The Beverly Hills Cop actor is already dad of Eric, 26, with ex Paulette McNeely; Christian, 25, with ex Tamara Hood; and Angel, 9, with Spice Girl Melanie Mel B Brown. He also shares Bria, 26, Miles, 23, Shayne, 21, Zola, 16, and Bella, 14, with his ex-wife Nicole Mitchell. The pair split in 2006 after 13 years of marriage.

PHOTOS: 2015's Babies of the Year

Murphy and Butcher have been together for more than four years. In 2013, Butcher explained to Vanity Fair that she deleted all of her social media accounts because of her boyfriend. Im in a relationship with a celebrity, so I felt like theres already enough of me out there, she explained. I felt like I was giving out too much information. I was giving people too much access. I like to keep as much private as possible now.

PHOTOS: Mother's Day 2016: Gift Guide

The Australian model has appeared in such films as Somethings Gotta Give and Big Mommas House 2.
Did Edwards Lifesciences 1Q16 Earnings Beat Expectations?

(Continued from Prior Part)

1Q16 performance

Edwards Lifesciences (EW) reported ~$697 million in total revenue in 1Q16. Of that, ~$196 million was contributed by the companys SHV (Surgical Heart Valve) Therapy segment. The segment accounted for about 28% of Edwards Lifesciences total revenues. These sales figures represent a marginal decline of ~0.5% as compared to sales in 1Q15. Some of the major competitors of Edwards Lifesciences in this segment are Medtronic (MDT), St. Jude Medical (STJ), and Boston Scientific (BSX). Investors can invest in the Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF (RYH) to gain diversified exposure to Edwards Lifesciences and its peers.

Key performance drivers

In 1Q16, global surgical aortic valve sales increased by ~7%, and average selling prices declined worldwide. Thus, there is a sustained demand for surgical aortic valves worldwide. This is substantiated by the fact that though underlying sales remained stable for the SHV Therapy segment in 1Q16, total sales were partially weighed down by the impact of ~$15 million of discontinued sales of nonstrategic cannula products.

New launches and product pipeline

Edwards Lifesciences recently launched a tricuspid surgical valve repair product in Japan. The product has been generating interest and is expected to witness significant sales in 2016 and beyond.

INTUITY Elite valve is under approval and is expected to be launched in mid-2016 in the United States. It is used for the treatment of aortic stenosis through minimally invasive aortic valve replacement therapies.

With the continued momentum in global SHV sales, new product launches, and the subsiding impact of discontinued sales, Edwards Lifesciences has maintained its 2016 sales guidance for the SHV Therapy segment at 3%6%.

In the next part of this series, well look at EWs Critical Care segment.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Moscow (AFP) - Russia hoped Tuesday a new ceasefire could be announced within hours for Syria's battered city of Aleppo, where fresh fighting including rocket fire on a maternity hospital left close to 30 dead.

As the city was struck by some of its heaviest reported clashes in days, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said efforts were under way to agree on a freeze in the fighting.

"I am hoping that in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, such a decision will be announced," Lavrov said after meeting UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow.

The UN Security Council will meet Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Aleppo that threatens to derail international peace efforts to end the five-year war in Syria.

France and Britain called for the meeting, boosting the major push by world powers this week to end the fighting.

"Aleppo is burning and it is crucial that we focus on this top priority issue," said Britain's UN ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

A February 27 truce between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels raised hopes for efforts to resolve the five-year conflict.

But it has all but collapsed amid renewed fighting, especially in Aleppo.

A surge of violence that erupted on April 22 has killed more than 270 people in the divided northern city and undermined prospects for peace talks.

In Washington, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Assad of "repercussions" if his regime continues to flout a new ceasefire being negotiated for Aleppo.

"If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and they go back to war," he told reporters.

"I don't think that Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that."

- UN condemns attacks -

After a relative lull Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighbourhoods, said Syrian state news agency SANA.

Story continues

The rockets killed 16 people and wounded 68, including at least three women at Al-Dabbeet maternity hospital, it reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, however, said it had counted at least 19 dead and 80 wounded from the attacks on government-held areas.

Fierce fighting also raged on Aleppo's western edges after rebels detonated explosives in a tunnel, an AFP correspondent said, adding the clashes subsided at nightfall.

It was the most violent day for the city's regime-held west since clashes resumed 11 days ago.

New regime strikes also hit rebel-held eastern areas.

As warplanes thundered above, rebel and government forces exchanged nearly non-stop artillery fire.

Civil defence workers said air strikes on the rebel-held east killed 11 civilians, including a child.

The rocket attack was the sixth time a medical facility has been hit in 11 days in Aleppo, the International Committee for the Red Cross said, calling it "unacceptable."

The Security Council unanimously voted Tuesday to condemn the targeting of health facilities in war zones.

- 'Regime of silence' -

In Moscow, de Mistura said it was crucial for the ceasefire to be "brought back on track," hailing the February truce as a "remarkable achievement."

Diplomatic efforts were set to continue Wednesday in Berlin, with de Mistura joining the German and French foreign ministers for talks with Syria's main opposition leader.

Washington and Moscow are working together to include Aleppo in a so-called "regime of silence" -- a freeze in fighting -- aimed at bolstering the broader truce.

They have agreed to boost the number of Geneva-based truce monitors to track violations "24 hours a day, seven days a week," Kerry said Monday.

In a nod to Moscow's demands, Kerry said Washington would press moderate rebels to separate themselves from Al-Nusra Front jihadists in Aleppo.

Russia and Assad's regime have cited the presence of Al-Nusra, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda that was not party to the ceasefire, as justifying their offensive.

The Observatory says more than 270 civilians -- including 54 children -- have been killed on both sides of divided Aleppo since April 22.

The city was initially excluded from a deal announced last week to "freeze" fighting along two major fronts in the northwest and in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Meanwhile, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said there were "extremely worrying" signs IS may be making its own chemical weapons and may have used them already in Syria and Iraq.

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down, and escalated into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.
The photos of the eight Bangladeshi nationals who were arrested last month under the ISA. (Photo: Ministry of Home Affairs)



As members of the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB), they had planned to topple the Bangladeshi government through violent means and bring it under the aegis of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

They possessed materials on weapons and bomb-making, and had raised funds to buy firearms for terror plots back home. They had also worked up a list of targets, including Bangladeshi government and military officials, media peoples and disbelievers.

Last month, eight Bangladeshi men aged between 26 and 34 were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). They are: Rahman Mizanur, 31; Mamun Leakot Ali, 29; Sohag Ibrahim, 27; Miah Rubel, 26; Zzaman Daulat, 34; Islam Shariful, 27; Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 30; Sohel Hawlader Ismail Hawlader, aged 29.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday (3 May), the men were all employed in the construction and maritime sectors in Singapore. One was an S-Pass holder while the other seven were Work Permit holders.

ISB, a clandestine group, was set up by Rahman MIzanur in March. They had initially sought to travel to the Middle East, in order to become foreign fighters with ISIS. However, as they felt it would too difficult to make their way to Syria, they decided to focus on their home country instead. They also planned to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore.

According to an MHA press release, ISB poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas.



The detained ISB members are still under investigation for their activities in Singapore. Rahman Mizanur has said he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS to do so, though there are no specific indications that Singapore had as yet been selected as a target, said the Ministry.



Story continues

Speaking to Yahoo Singapore, Alexander Neill, Shangri-La Dialogue Fellow for Asia Pacific security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia (IISS-Asia), said that the threat posed to Singapore is a major concern even if the country is not targeted by radicalised foreigners.

If the cell realises that it is being uncovered and that deportation is not going to be an option for them, then they may target key areas in Singapore. The leadership here views the threat from Islamic State and radical jihadists as credible and imminent, Neill said.

MHA said that another five Bangladeshi workers who were also investigated under the ISA have been repatriated. Investigations showed that they were not involved in ISB, but they possessed and/or proliferated jihadi-related materials, or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause.



The announcement by MHA was the second such detention of Bangladeshi nationals under the ISA in recent months. In January, MHA announced the arrests of 27 Bangladeshis who were planning to wage jihad against their government.



MHA said, The Singapore Government takes a very serious view of any form of support for terrorism. Any person, foreigner or otherwise, who engages in any activity that is inimical to Singapores national security and racial and religious harmony will be firmly dealt with under the law. In this connection, foreigners should not import their own domestic political agenda into Singapore and carry out activities here in pursuit of such an agenda.

Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said that it is critical that Singapore takes pre-emptive measures to quell the threat from radicalised foreigners.

We need to better understand how extremist ideology has percolated amongst this particular community, what were the reasons that led these individuals to embrace the ideology and what are the effective ways to immunise them against such appeals, he said.

IISS-Asias Neill said that should an act of terror be carried out in Singapore, the people in the country should be prepared to deal with the aftermath.



If an attack does take place, how people react to that, on the streets for example, is crucial. All it takes is one individual to go into a crowded area to detonate an improvised explosive device. A sense of national cohesion is very important, he said.

- additional reporting by Vernon Lee


The actress channelled old Hollywood glamour in the dramatic ensemble. [Photo: Getty]

Emma Watson killed it on the red carpet in NYC last night. The British actress and Goodwill ambassador donned a Calvin Klein ensemble, which included an off-the-shoulder monochrome top, trousers and a huge skirt, and made her sartorial prowess known.

At first it wasnt clear how her look tied in with this years theme - Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology - but once we discovered how her outfit was made, it made perfect sense.

Watson didnt do a Claire Danes and lace her dress with lights that made the entire ensemble glow in the dark, instead she donned a trouser suit made entirely out of plastic bottles - because shes all eco-friendly like that. Her black and white look was in fact the result of a collaboration between Calvin Klein and Livia Firth (actor Colin Firths wife), whos an environmental activist and founder of Eco Age Ltd.

A photo posted by Eco-Age (@ecoage) on May 2, 2016 at 4:31pm PDT

The end result shows that it is entirely possible, with the technology available, to create high-end fashion out of recycled goods (seriously, who knew plastic bottles could look so chic?) - and suggests that more designers should consider following suit.

We loved working with the team at Calvin Klein to create a look that is truly a perfect marriage of ethics and aesthetics, a rep for Eco Age said on Instagram of Watsons Met Gala dress.



The body of the look is crafted from three different fabrics all woven from yarns made from recycled plastic bottles, the zippers are made from recycled materials and the inner bustier has been created using organic cotton, Eco Age added.

Met Gala: What Everyone Wore

Karlie Kloss Cut Off Half Her Dress For The Met Gala After Party
PARIS (Reuters) - French utility Engie (ENGIE.PA) board chairman Gerard Mestrallet's 350,000 euro (277,664 pound) salary will go to the Engie Foundation charity and Mestrallet will carry out his new job for free, the company said.

Mestrallet, the former chief executive and chairman of Engie, on Tuesday handed over the CEO role to former Engie CFO Isabelle Kocher and will remain as chairman.

Jean-Louis Beffa, head of Engie's nominations and remuneration committee, said that from this month onwards, Kocher would have an annual fixed salary of 1 million euros, a variable salary between 700,000 and 840,000 euros, and 120,000 performance-related performance units.

"Isabelle Kocher will have an extremely reasonable salary, about one third below the level of chief executives of companies of similar size," Beffa said.

An Engie spokeswoman said the performance units have a value of 7.73 euros each. This would put the value of Kocher's units' at 927,600 euros, and her total package at a maximum of 2.77 million euros if all performance criteria are met.

Executive pay levels have attracted close scrutiny in France in recent months.

Last week, carmaker Renault (RENA.PA) stuck by its decision to pay Carlos Ghosn 7.2 million euros ($8.2 million) for 2015, defying a shareholder vote against the chief executive's package.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; editing by David Evans and David Clarke)
In this Salute to American Success were taking a look at PostNet. The company provides services ranging from postal services to graphic designs. With many years of experience in business, founders Steve Greenbaum and Brian Spindel met in Las Vegas in the 1980s and started working on a concept that would eventually become PostNet.

While in Las Vegas, the duo realized there werent many private or physical mailboxes in big-market areas and came up with an idea to capitalize off the lacking industry. In 1983, they opened their first pack-and-ship store.

Customers would come in and take a package, not just receive, Greenbaum said. Theyd also ask if they could make a copy. It was overwhelmingly successful. We also collaborated to help other people get into business in their own mail and packaging center.

Despite the companys early success in the 1980s there were some bumpy roads, especially entering the next decade, according to Greenbaum. Originally, he didnt have an optimistic view on franchising.

Our view of franchising was not that positive, Greenbaum said. We may have had the wrong view, but we were young entrepreneurs.

After researching the concept, Greenbaum said he had a change of heart.

We wanted the franchise to be open and inclusive, he said. It has been a unique family oriented culture all sorts of franchise leadership groups as well.

Today, the business has grown to nearly 700 franchises, according to Greenbaum. Along with more than 200 stores in the U.S., PostNet has a strong presence globally, including about 300 locations in South Africa. Greenbaum anticipates further growth this year.

Were expecting to open 30 locations in 2016, he said. The short-term strategy in the next five years or so is to grow to $300 million. Our long-term strategy is to double the revenue of the company.

With the digital age continuing to boom, the online sector of a business is key to growth. PostNet is trying to capitalize off this development.

Story continues

Online revenue has grown exponentially, Greenbaum said. Were really seeing the click side [of the business] driving revenue growth and enhancement the online side of the business has growth potential.

Related Articles
By P.J. Huffstutter CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday pulled a report offline that concluded glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans, saying the document was inadvertently published and the agency had not finished its review of the chemical, which is the key ingredient in Monsanto's herbicides. The 86-page report, seen by Reuters and published on Friday on the regulations.gov website that the EPA manages, was from the EPA's cancer assessment review committee (CARC). It found that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the world's mostly widely used weedkiller, was "not likely to be carcinogenic to humans." The EPA took down the report and other documents on Monday afternoon, saying it did so "because our assessment is not final," in an emailed statement to Reuters. The agency said the documents were "preliminary" and that they were published "inadvertently." But a covering memo that was part of the documents seen by Reuters described the report as the committee's "final Cancer Assessment Document." "FINAL" was printed on each page of the report, which was dated Oct. 1, 2015. The EPA declined to comment on whether the report, or the 13 other documents that were also published and subsequently taken down on Monday, indicate whether the agency ultimately will conclude that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Glyphosate has been the subject of controversy over whether it is cancer-causing. Last year, the World Health Organization's cancer arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans." Other government authorities have issued a variety of opinions on glyphosate. The European Food Safety Authority last November said glyphosate was "unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans." MONSANTO: REPORT "CLEARLY LABELED" Monsanto Co, whose Roundup herbicide line uses glyphosate as a key active ingredient, responded to the EPA's document, saying in a statement on Monday that the agency had issued an "official classification" that glyphosate was not likely to be carcinogenic. Monsanto said the document was "clearly labeled and signed as the final report of EPA's Cancer Assessment Review Committee," in an email to Reuters on Monday after the documents had been removed. The EPA said its documents are part of its broader registration review, which began in 2009, of glyphosate and its potential human health and environmental risks. "EPA has not completed our cancer review," the EPA told Reuters in a statement. "We will look at the work of other governments as well as work by (the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services') Agricultural Health Study as we move to make a decision on glyphosate." The EPA said its assessment will be peer reviewed and completed by the end of 2016. A reporter with Bloomberg BNA, a subsidiary of Bloomberg, had posted a link to the documents on Twitter on Monday morning. The EPA documents, while available, sparked strong reactions from critics of the world's most widely used weed killer. "All they're doing is reviewing studies that are funded by the industry," said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental and public health advocacy group. In addition to the cancer assessment report, the documents that the EPA removed included summaries of three 2015 meetings between EPA officials and Monsanto; preliminary ecological risk assessments of glyphosate on milkweed, which is key to the health of monarch butterflies; a report discussing possible label amendments to two of Monsanto's Roundup products when used on oilseeds, fruit and other crops; and a six-slide Monsanto presentation to the EPA officials. (Reporting by P.J. Huffstutter; Editing by Jo Winterbottom and Leslie Adler)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's executive will propose a reform of the bloc's asylum rules on Wednesday, EU sources said, that reflects caution in the face of deep divisions among governments about how to handle the migration crisis. The European Commission last month floated scrapping a rule in the so-called Dublin system that gives responsibility for handling asylum claims to the first EU state a person enters -- a rule that has placed heavy burdens on Greece and Italy. However, two sources said, it would now issue a legislative proposal retaining the "first country" principle while including a central scheme to spread claimants around Europe to give the frontline states the chance to relocate asylum seekers to other EU countries if arrivals on their borders are too high. An emergency relocation system set up last year after record numbers of refugees and migrants reached Greece was agreed in the face of fierce opposition from east Europeans. Slovakia and Hungary have challenged the legality of the measure and Hungary plans a referendum on any more quotas this autumn. Any proposal will need to win the backing of a majority of the 28 EU states as well as the European Parliament for it to be enacted and EU officials and diplomats do not expect agreement swiftly. An EU source said separately that the Commission would also propose a "financial sanction mechanism" for countries that refuse to take in claimants. "It should therefore go beyond symbolism but be understood as prohibitive pricing," the source said. "If a member state does not show solidarity in taking in refugees, it has to compensate with financial solidarity." Last year, a Commission suggestion that would have given countries an option to pay 0.002 percent of national income to help migrants instead of taking in asylum seekers was not endorsed by leaders. One east European diplomat in Brussels said a new proposal for financial penalties would also be unpopular. Germany - the EU's biggest economy and the final destination for most of the more than a million migrants who arrived in the bloc last year - is keen to see a permanent mechanism to share out the load. Ex-communist states in central and eastern Europe say their homogeneous societies are ill equipped to take in large numbers of migrants, especially from the Middle East or Africa. Diplomats speculate that the division over migration between Eastern states and richer Western members which pay for the EU grants and subsidies they receive could affect negotiations on the bloc's budget. Officials hope, however, that an EU agreement with Turkey last month that has seen a sharp drop in refugees arriving in Greece could ease internal tensions over the migration issue, which has fueled a rise in nationalist parties across Europe. Also on Wednesday, the Commission is set to propose easing visa requirements for Turks as part of the deal, though that also faces difficulties with governments and EU lawmakers who argue that Ankara has not met all the conditions, notably on improving its human rights record. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Richard Balmforth)
Brussels (AFP) - The EU will on Wednesday grant conditional approval for Turks to gain visa-free access to the Schengen zone, sources told AFP, meeting one of Ankara's key demands to keep a migrant deal alive.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation EU, will say Turkey must still implement further measures in order to access the passportless Schengen area without visas by June, the sources said on Tuesday.

Ankara has demanded visa-free travel in exchange for taking back migrants who land in Greece under a controversial deal signed in March seeking to curb the influx as Europe grapples with its biggest migrant crisis since World War II.

EU member states and the European Parliament must still approve the Turkey visa plan after it clears the Commission, which is by no means a foregone conclusion as many countries have concerns over human rights in Turkey.

"The Commission will put forward a plan to include Turkey in the list of countries exempted from visas," a European source told AFP, adding that "only 64 out of the 72 criteria are fulfilled" and that the offer, therefore, remains conditional.

Turkey has to meet a list of 72 criteria -- ranging from biometric passports to respect for human rights -- that were set when Brussels and Ankara first talked about 90-day visa-free travel to the Schengen area.

Turkey has pressed the EU to respect its promises over what Ankara regards as its big win from the deal which was signed at a summit on March 18.

- Schengen suspension -

But Germany and France have proposed an emergency brake -- or "snap back mechanism" -- under which it could halt visa-free travel if large numbers of Turks stay in the EU illegally or if there are a large number of asylum applications by Turks.

The EU struck the deal with Turkey to send back all "irregular" migrants who arrive in Greece after March 20 and are turned down for asylum, in a bid to halt the mass migration which has created enormous strain in Europe.

Story continues

In exchange, the EU will resettle one Syrian refugee from camps in Turkey for every Syrian that Turkey takes back from the Greek islands, the aim being to discourage people from crossing to Greece in the first place.

The accord is awash with legal and moral concerns, and critics have accused the EU of sacrificing its values and overlooking Turkey's growing crackdown on free speech in order to secure the deal.

On Wednesday the EU will also allow countries to extend border controls in the Schengen area as a result of the migrant crisis and recent terror attacks.

Germany, France, Austria, Denmark and Sweden requested the extension, saying the border situation remains "extremely volatile".

Since 2015 several countries in the 26-nation Schengen zone have reintroduced border controls due to the migrant crisis -- effectively suspending its principle of border-free travel.

European sources said the Commission was to approve the measure in line with its so-called "roadmap" for the restoration of the normal functioning of Schengen "by the end of the year".

EU rules say countries can reintroduce border controls for up to two years, in periods of up to six months at a time, in exceptional circumstances.

- Dublin rules -

Also Wednesday, the EU is expected to unveil an overhaul of its asylum rules to more fairly share responsibility for migrants and refugees arriving in Europe.

The existing Dublin rules have been criticised as obsolete and unfair to countries like Greece, where most of the 1.25 million Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and other migrants entered the bloc last year

Under those rules, migrants seeking asylum must lodge their application in the country where they first arrived, and should be returned there if they try to move elsewhere in the bloc.

The Commission is expected to propose a special mechanism whereby refugees and migrants can be relocated to other countries if a crisis is declared -- for example in Greece.

The Financial Times reported that countries that do not take their share could be fined 250,000 euros per person that they refuse to accept.

But the EU is expected to shun a complete overhaul of the Dublin rules.
Brussels (AFP) - The EU warned on Tuesday that uncertainty over Britain's referendum on membership of the 28-member bloc in June poses a "considerable" risk to the European economic outlook.

"Risks associated with domestic EU developments remain considerable, as for instance... the uncertainty ahead of the UK's EU referendum," it said in its spring economic forecast.

Britain's own economy also faces risks from the issue.

"Overall, risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside, reflecting less favourable external demand and uncertainty in the lead-up to the June referendum," the forecast said.

Britain votes on June 23 in an in-out referendum on whether to stay in the EU.

The EU cut its forecasts for the British economy, saying that "growth is expected to ease in 2016 and 2017".

It projected annual growth of 1.8 percent in 2016 and 1.9 percent in 2017, compared to its earlier forecast in February of 2.1 percent for both years.
Brussels (AFP) - The EU cut Tuesday its eurozone growth forecasts for this year, warning that global risks including the slowdown in China and the danger of Britain leaving the bloc were harming the economic recovery.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, also warned that major member states France, Spain and Italy were on course to break the bloc's rules on public spending.

Warning of increased global risks for the 19-country single currency area as it continues its sluggish recovery, the Commission trimmed its 2016 forecast to 1.6 percent from 1.7 percent.

The Commission also said that eurozone growth would accelerate to 1.8 percent growth next year, instead of the earlier forecast 1.9 percent.

"Growth in Europe is holding up despite a more difficult global environment," said EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who unveiled the forecast at a press conference in Brussels.

"The recovery in the euro area remains uneven, both between member states and between the weakest and the strongest in society. That is unacceptable and requires determined action from governments, both individually and collectively."

Eurozone nations are still dealing with the threat of a new crisis in debt-hit Greece, which nearly crashed out of the currency a year ago, as wrangling continues over its huge bailout.

The EU warned that the "uncertainty surrounding the forecast is extraordinarily high", suggesting major revisions to the outlook could be expected in the future.

"External risks include the possibility that slower growth in emerging markets, particularly China, could trigger stronger spillovers or turn out worse than expected," the Commission's forecast said.

- UK referendum 'uncertainty' -

It also pointed to domestic problems in Europe that posed "considerable" risks, including the slow pace of reforms "and the uncertainty ahead of the UK's EU referendum".

Story continues

These dangers "could prove to be stronger than expected", the Commission warned.

Britain's own economy faces risks from the June 23 referendum with the EU firmly slashing its growth outlook for the UK.

It projected British annual growth of 1.8 percent in 2016 and 1.9 percent in 2017, compared to its earlier forecast in February of 2.1 percent for both years.

Moscovici said that the forecast was based on Britain remaining in the EU.

The commission said that growth in the eurozone would continue to show wide divergences between countries.

Greece will be the only eurozone member in recession this year with a contraction of 0.3 percent as fallout from debt crisis continued to affect the economy.

Growth in Ireland would lead the single currency zone with a huge 4.9 percent expansion this year.

The Commission said inflation would also continue to be very low and far off the 2.0 percent target of the European Central Bank.

The Commission slashed its inflation forecast for the eurozone to 0.2 percent in 2016 and to 1.4 percent in 2017.

The ECB has cut interest rates to zero percent, beefed up its controversial bond-buying programme and made vast amounts of cheap loans available to banks in a bid to jumpstart inflation.

Nonetheless, inflation in the eurozone was minus 0.2 percent in April.

The Commission forecasts also set up a tense battle with France and especially Spain over its public spending plans for this year and next.

The EU warned Spain's deficit would reach 3.9 percent in 2016, way off the 3.0 percent of GDP limit for member states that Madrid said would be met this year.

Meanwhile, the EU said France would break a promise made to Brussels to meet the 3.0 percent threshold by 2017.

The Commission said the French deficit would reach 3.2 percent of output without new reforms.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday he was confident that the European Union and Japan could seal a free trade agreement by the end of the year.

The EU and Japan launched negotiations in March 2013 and held a 16th round of talks in Japan last month.

"Our negotiations have progressed, but now we must finish the job," Juncker told reporters before holding talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Brussels.

"I am confident we can do this before the end of this year. Our agreement will not only boost growth and jobs in Europe and Japan but also send a positive signal to the rest of the world"

(Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Gabriela Baczynska)
Brussels (AFP) - EU President Donald Tusk urged the eurozone on Tuesday to swiftly close talks on fresh reform measures for debt-hit Greece, saying it would help global economic stability.

"I urge finance ministers to reach an agreement very soon," Tusk told reporters as he entered talks in Brussels with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.

"And I hope that by the end of May, when we meet at the G7 summit, the implementation of Greece's programme is positively assessed. I want to encourage all the ministers and institutions to re-double their efforts in finalising the review."

Eurozone finance ministers are due to meet on May 9 to try to seal a deal on the first review of Greece's June 2015 bailout, talks on which have been stalled since the end of last year.

The ongoing negotiations between Athens and its EU-IMF creditors are currently stuck on a demand that Greece commit to an extra set of reforms in case it misses its spending targets in 2018.

These so-called "contingency measures" are a key demand of the International Monetary Fund to complete the bailout's first review, which will unlock billions of euros for cash-strapped Athens.

"We need to make sure that Europe contributes to stability rather than global instability. We should do all in our power to dispel uncertainties," Tusk added.

"There is no doubt that a successful completion of the ongoing review of Greece's programme would strengthen confidence."

Hopes are high for a deal next week but officials warned there was still work to do.

"I think it requires a lot of energy, a lot of work, but I think there is a way," EU Economics Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told reporters in Brussels.

"I wish to express a reasoned optimism, these are not easy issues," added Moscovici.

In Berlin German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble assured that "this year there will be no great Greek crisis".

Story continues

Greece is on the path towards perceptible progress, he said in comments run by German news agency DPA.

With an agreement, eurozone governments would unlock funds that would allow Greece to make two big payments to the European Central Bank this summer.

They would also then embark on talks to offer Greece debt relief, one of the only concessions allowed leftist-led Athens in the bailout agreed in July.

In new growth forecasts published Tuesday the European Commission said that Greece will be the only eurozone member in recession this year with a contraction of 0.3 percent as fallout from debt crisis continues to affect its economy.

Greek public debt is estimated to rise to 82.8 percent of GDP, an unwanted eurozone record.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield was charged Monday with the rape of a ''developmentally delayed'' woman, prosecutors announced.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said Stubblefield, a former defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, allegedly assaulted the woman on April 9, 2015, at his Morgan Hill home after interviewing her for a baby-sitting job. He is charged with five felony counts and faces a ''substantial prison sentence'' if convicted.

A day before the assault, Stubblefield contacted the then 31-year-old woman on a baby-sitting website and arranged an interview, prosecutors said.

''This was a crime of violence against a vulnerable victim,'' Deputy District Attorney Tim McInerny said. ''She was looking for a job, and she was unconscionably assaulted.''

Bail for Stubblefield, 45, is set at $250,000. His arraignment is scheduled to take place within 24 hours.

According to a report by the Morgan Hill Police Department, the interview of the woman by Stubblefield lasted about 20 minutes. She later received a text from Stubblefield saying he wanted to pay her for her time that day, and she went back to the house, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

After raping her, Stubblefield gave her $80 and let her go. The woman immediately went to the Morgan Hill Police Department and reported the rape. DNA evidence matched that of Stubblefield, the report said.

Stubblefield's attorney, Gary Winuk, said the sex was consensual and that his client is being unfairly targeted because of his wealth and celebrity.

Stubblefield provided prosecutors with lie-detector results and with evidence that shows the sexual encounter last year was consensual, including proof that the woman asked his client for a job and money afterward, said attorney Ken Rosenfeld, who is also representing Stubblefield.

''Dana Stubblefield is being unfairly targeted due to his celebrity and wealth by someone with full motivation to lie,'' Rosenfeld said. ''Mr. Stubblefield passed a lie-detector test with flying colors and will present a full, vigorous defense against these false allegations.''
OSLO (Reuters) - Former Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa has been nominated to be the new U.N. climate chief, helping to bolster a 2015 Paris Agreement to shift the world economy from fossil fuels, officials said on Tuesday. Christiana Figueres, a Costa Rican who is stepping down in July after a six-year term as head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, wrote in a Tweet that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had nominated Espinosa to succeed her. The Bonn-based Secretariat said the appointment needs to be approved by an 11-member U.N. bureau, whose members represent groups of governments worldwide and is now led by French Environment Minister Segolene Royal. The bureau has no record of challenging nominations by the Secretary-General, diplomats say, even though some had expected that the job would shift from Latin America. Espinosa, aged 57 and who works as Mexico's ambassador to Germany, won high marks for presiding at annual U.N. climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, in 2010 when she was foreign minister. Delegates gave her a standing ovation after she brokered a deal to get negotiations on limiting global warming back on track after the failure of a fractious 2009 summit in Copenhagen. Those 195-nation talks culminated in December 2015 with a deal at a Paris summit to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2100, shifting to cleaner energies such as wind and solar power. The job of the new U.N. climate chief will be to oversee and strengthen that agreement. The United Nations says the Paris deal, built from voluntary national limits on greenhouse gas emissions, is too weak to achieve a goal of limiting a rise in temperatures blamed for stoking more droughts, floods, heat waves and rising sea levels. (Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Dominic Evans)
After three drama-filled seasons in the Caribbean, Below Deck is setting sail for the Mediterranean in a spin-off of the Bravo reality series, aptly titled Below Deck Mediterranean. Not only is there a new location (the Greek Islands), but there's a whole new crew led by Captain Mark Howard, who promises a more professional group aboard his yacht. (The only crew member returning from the original series is Chef Ben Robinson.)

"There's more experience involved here," Howard tells ET. "This is the pinnacle of charter yacht operation and the best of the best people go to the Med. We had some newbies, but we had a lot of experience as well. That really made a big difference in what we were able to do and the service we were able to provide for the charter clients."

MORE: Andy Cohen Remembers the Time He Thought He Ruined Everything on 'Watch What Happens Live'

Those clients, Howard reveals, are more formal than the ones seen on past seasons of Below Deck. "Everyone is a little more conscious of what they're doing, how they're doing it, what you're saying," he says of the guests, who are influenced by the European culture. "All of those things are a little more elevated in the Med."

While the show does offer a peek into the lavish world of the super-wealthy, the main draw of Below Deck is the cast. "At first, there was a little bit of pushing and prodding with some people seeing how far they can go with some people," Howard says of his crew. "But in the end, everyone got to that professional level and gave it their heart and gave it all they could."

MORE: Meet Bravo's Newest Stars -- the 'Real Housewives of Dallas'!

Despite coming together in the end, Howard says there was still some animosity out on the water, "which you'll see." Of course, Howard admits there was plenty he didn't witness during filming.

"I'm sure there are going to be some things that I'm going to learn once the show starts airing," he says, especially about relationships between crew members that developed during downtime between clients. "Things happened there that I had no knowledge of that I'm going to be seeing, along with you, for the first time."

Story continues

Audiences can join Howard in watching the new series when it premieres Tuesday, May 3 at 9 p.m. ET. Until then, enjoy an exclusive look at the yacht:

--Additional reporting by Jennifer Peros

Related Articles
By Dan Williams, Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Negotiations meant to enshrine U.S. defense aid for Israel over the next decade have snagged on disputes about the size, scope and fine print of a new multibillion-dollar package, officials say. Five months into the talks, several U.S. and Israeli officials disclosed details about the disputes to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The U.S. and Israeli governments said negotiations were continuing, declining to elaborate. Israel is seeking up to $10 billion more than the current 10-year package and billions more than the U.S. administration is offering, partly by asking for guaranteed funding for missile defense projects hitherto funded on an ad hoc basis by the U.S. Congress, the officials said. U.S. President Barack Obama wants to ensure the funds, thus far spent partly on Israeli arms, are eventually spent entirely on U.S.-made weapons. The differences partly reflect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vocal opposition to the international nuclear deal with Iran championed by Obama. The two sides are also at loggerheads over the Palestinians. Israel has long been a major recipient of U.S. aid, most in the form of military assistance against a backdrop of an ebbing and flowing conflict with the Palestinians and Israel's neighbors, as well as threats from Iran. Obama has pushed hard for a resolution to the conflict, but has made little headway. In seeking a sharp increase in military funding, Israel argues it needs to offset military purchases by Iran, Israels regional arch-foe, after it secured sanctions relief in the accord limiting its nuclear program. Israel also wants the U.S. administration to support missile defense projects that have so far relied on ad hoc assistance by the U.S. Congress, citing arms acquisitions by neighboring Arab states as well as Iran as conflicts rage in Syria and Yemen. Obama's administration, which has fraught relations with Netanyahu, is offering what it says is a record sum to Israel to assuage fears expressed both there and among his Republican rivals at home that the deal with Iran will endanger Israel. But the officials say it is less money than Israel has sought overall and Obama also wants changes to allow U.S. defense firms to reap greater benefits from a new deal. If unresolved before Obama leaves office in January, the impasse could deny him a chance to burnish his legacy with the aid package to Washingtons closest Middle East ally. That would also leave Netanyahu to await the next U.S. president in hopes of securing a better deal. $10 BILLION MORE The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed in 2007 and due to expire in 2018, gave Israel a total of about $30 billion, or an average of $3 billion annually, in so-called "Foreign Military Financing." The Israelis, whose annual defense budget is $15 billion, want at least $3.7 billion annually under the same rubric in the new MOU, officials say. Israel also wants guaranteed missile defense aid built into the MOU for the first time, which could mean hundreds of millions of dollars more per year, bringing the full package to more than $40 billion over the next decade. U.S. negotiators have proposed a total of between $3.5 billion and $3.7 billion in annual aid to Israel, but it was not clear if this included any money for missile defense. The Obama administration has balked at Israel's request to stipulate a separate funding track in the MOU for missile defense projects, one official said. It was not known how much Israel had proposed under the missile defense clause. Israel wants the missile defense component to be viewed as the 'floor' amount, as Congress can be asked for more on an ad hoc basis if circumstances require, said one official. U.S. lawmakers have in recent years given Israel up to $600 million in annual discretionary funds for missile defense, well beyond the $150 million requested by the Obama administration. Palestinian rocket salvoes in the Gaza wars of 2008-9, 2012 and 2014 helped Israel drum up American sympathy and support for its anti-missile systems, Iron Dome, Arrow and David's Sling. More than four-fifths of the U.S. Senate signed a letter last week urging Obama to conclude an increased 10-year aid package. These discussions are continuing and we remain hopeful we can reach agreement on a new MOU that will build on the United States' historic and enduring commitment to Israel's security, a White House official said in response to a Reuters request for confirmation of the latest negotiating terms. The official declined to comment directly on the terms. The current MOU allows Israel to spend 26.3 percent of the U.S. funds on its own defense industries. The United States wants to phase this provision out gradually so that all of the money is spent on American military products, the sources said. Israel wants to keep the provision in place, or only partly reduced, they said. It fears a devastating blow to Israeli arms firms that glean some $800 million a year from the current MOU. In another move to shore up its own defense industries, the United States wants to end a provision allowing Israel to spend around $400 million in annual MOU funds on military fuels. One official paraphrased Washington's message to Israel as: "We want (you) to be spending this money on actual security, on weapons systems, ways to make you safer." (Writing by Dan Williams and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Philippa Fletcher)
By Brian Ellsworth, Corina Pons and Marianna Parraga

CARACAS/HOUSTON (Reuters) - Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA has issued at least $310 million in debt to companies including General Electric Co as it negotiates private issuances to pay off its suppliers, industry sources told Reuters, stretching the finances of a company that bondholders already worry is on its way to default.

The securities are not bonds but offer rights similar to those enjoyed by bondholders, and at least one issue offers dispute resolution via the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, according to one of the three sources, who cited a term sheet.

This means that if PDVSA defaults, investors holding their bonds may find that there are more creditors competing for compensation than they had originally anticipated.

The overall negotiations on private debt issuance, which were confirmed by seven sources, come as weak oil markets and an unraveling socialist economy have fanned concerns PDVSA will be unable to make nearly $5 billion in bond payments between now and the end of the year. PDVSA and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro insist they will meet all debt obligations and dismiss default rumors as a right-wing conspiracy.

In addition to the $310 million, a package of $1.5 billion in such securities maturing in three to five years is being discussed as a way of settling debts with small and medium-sized oil services firms, according to one of the sources, who was briefed on that proposal.

PDVSA is struggling to prevent oil services providers from stopping work in Venezuela in protest over billions of dollars in unpaid bills.

The company has worked with banks including Deutsche Bank AG to structure fixed-income securities such as promissory notes that can be sold to investors, according to one of the sources, a local trader who saw documents outlining the proposal.

"PDVSA has been offering promissory notes as well as other types of notes and financial instruments to settle debts with providers," said another of the seven sources, who was also involved in one such operation.

Story continues

"They are offering them because there is no cash."

Deutsche and GE declined to comment. PDVSA did not respond to an email seeking comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing or because they are not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

The total amount of such securities that have already been issued by PDVSA could not immediately be determined.

BACKED-UP BILLS

Promissory notes would typically be unattractive for oil services companies to keep on their own books. They are seen as too risky for many investment portfolios, because they trade in limited volumes and are therefore difficult to sell.

As a result, they are generally structured by large foreign banks that ultimately end up buying the notes at a steep discount, according to another of the sources, who works in the finance industry.

GE has agreed to convert $350 million in unpaid PDVSA invoices into $257 million in loan notes, which are interest-bearing securities that can be sold to other investors, a GE source told Reuters.

An oil industry source said that one company accepted $53 million in promissory notes that come due at the end of this year, asking that the company not be identified to avoid creating conflict with PDVSA. The notes are not registered with settlement agents such as Euroclear, the source added.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, PDVSA has systematically allowed bills to pile up and later negotiated discounts with providers or paid them with global bonds which sell at a discount. Debts to providers in 2014 reached nearly $21 billion, according to that year's financial statements.

PDVSA has not yet released 2015 results.

The company has not made any cash payments in dollars to providers in at least six months as a result of its difficult cash-flow situation, according to two of the sources. It has not been able to issue bonds on capital markets because of prohibitively high yields.

Converting the unpaid bills into securities does not increase PDVSA's total debt burden.

But it does have significant consequences in the event of a default, since the debt changes from a private obligation between two parties into a security held by investors.

Payment difficulties led Schlumberger, the world's top oil services company, to announce in April that it was halting operations in Venezuela.

In response to an email seeking details, a Schlumberger official said the company was not in a position to discuss the issues because it considers them confidential.

Services giant Halliburton also said it was reducing activities in Venezuela, without saying why. It said in its 2015 annual report that at the end of last year it had $31 million in surety bond guarantees associated with its Venezuelan operations, without providing details.

Halliburton declined to comment.

(Additional reporting by Davide Scigliuzzo and Alwyn Scott in New York,; Editing by Christian Plumb and Stuart Grudgings.)
By Brian Ellsworth, Corina Pons and Marianna Parraga CARACAS/HOUSTON (Reuters) - Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA has issued at least $310 million in debt to companies including General Electric Co as it negotiates private issuances to pay off its suppliers, industry sources told Reuters, stretching the finances of a company that bondholders already worry is on its way to default. The securities are not bonds but offer rights similar to those enjoyed by bondholders, and at least one issue offers dispute resolution via the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, according to one of the three sources, who cited a term sheet. This means that if PDVSA defaults, investors holding their bonds may find that there are more creditors competing for compensation than they had originally anticipated. The overall negotiations on private debt issuance, which were confirmed by seven sources, come as weak oil markets and an unraveling socialist economy have fanned concerns PDVSA will be unable to make nearly $5 billion in bond payments between now and the end of the year. PDVSA and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro insist they will meet all debt obligations and dismiss default rumors as a right-wing conspiracy. In addition to the $310 million, a package of $1.5 billion in such securities maturing in three to five years is being discussed as a way of settling debts with small and medium-sized oil services firms, according to one of the sources, who was briefed on that proposal. PDVSA is struggling to prevent oil services providers from stopping work in Venezuela in protest over billions of dollars in unpaid bills. The company has worked with banks including Deutsche Bank AG to structure fixed-income securities such as promissory notes that can be sold to investors, according to one of the sources, a local trader who saw documents outlining the proposal. "PDVSA has been offering promissory notes as well as other types of notes and financial instruments to settle debts with providers," said another of the seven sources, who was also involved in one such operation. "They are offering them because there is no cash." Deutsche and GE declined to comment. PDVSA did not respond to an email seeking comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing or because they are not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. The total amount of such securities that have already been issued by PDVSA could not immediately be determined. BACKED-UP BILLS Promissory notes would typically be unattractive for oil services companies to keep on their own books. They are seen as too risky for many investment portfolios, because they trade in limited volumes and are therefore difficult to sell. As a result, they are generally structured by large foreign banks that ultimately end up buying the notes at a steep discount, according to another of the sources, who works in the finance industry. GE has agreed to convert $350 million in unpaid PDVSA invoices into $257 million in loan notes, which are interest-bearing securities that can be sold to other investors, a GE source told Reuters. An oil industry source said that one company accepted $53 million in promissory notes that come due at the end of this year, asking that the company not be identified to avoid creating conflict with PDVSA. The notes are not registered with settlement agents such as Euroclear, the source added. Since the 2008 financial crisis, PDVSA has systematically allowed bills to pile up and later negotiated discounts with providers or paid them with global bonds which sell at a discount. Debts to providers in 2014 reached nearly $21 billion, according to that year's financial statements. PDVSA has not yet released 2015 results. The company has not made any cash payments in dollars to providers in at least six months as a result of its difficult cash-flow situation, according to two of the sources. It has not been able to issue bonds on capital markets because of prohibitively high yields. Converting the unpaid bills into securities does not increase PDVSA's total debt burden. But it does have significant consequences in the event of a default, since the debt changes from a private obligation between two parties into a security held by investors. Payment difficulties led Schlumberger, the world's top oil services company, to announce in April that it was halting operations in Venezuela. In response to an email seeking details, a Schlumberger official said the company was not in a position to discuss the issues because it considers them confidential. Services giant Halliburton also said it was reducing activities in Venezuela, without saying why. It said in its 2015 annual report that at the end of last year it had $31 million in surety bond guarantees associated with its Venezuelan operations, without providing details. Halliburton declined to comment. (Additional reporting by Davide Scigliuzzo and Alwyn Scott in New York,; Editing by Christian Plumb and Stuart Grudgings.)
kristen_griest

There's about to be a, "Yes, ma'am," in an Army infantry unit.

After earning the coveted black-and-gold Ranger tab in August 2015, US Army Capt. Kristen Griest, 26, will once again make history by becoming the first female infantry officer, the Army said.

Griest will become the first woman to lead an infantry unit into combat.

"I think it's awesome," US Marine Corps Cpl. Harlee Bradford told Business Insider. Bradford was one of the first women to train in the first gender-integrated, notoriously grueling Marine Corps' Infantry Training Battalion in 2013.

"Are we supposed to be surprised that a woman can do what a man can do? I'm happy for her. My only advice would be  don't let someone else tell you what the hell you're capable of," Bradford added.

Screen Shot 2016 04 29 at 11.12.05 AM

In December 2015,

Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that the Pentagon would open all combat jobs to women.

"I totally support women in combat, women being eligible to compete for any position in the military," former Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Business Insider in an interview earlier this year.

"But I would agree with military leaders there can be no lowering of the standards of the requirements to perform specific jobs, lowering standards will put lives at risk," Gates added.

'Rangers Lead the Way'

army rangers

The motto of the US Army's elite regiment could not be more fitting: "Rangers lead the way."

In April 2015, West Point graduates Griest and First Lt. Shaye Haver entered into the first gender-integrated Ranger School, alongside 380 men and 18 other female candidates.

Story continues

Ranger candidates arrive for the 62-day training in the best shape of their lives and survive on a meal a day and just a few hours of sleep  all the while completing some of the toughest military training in the world.

"Ranger School is a gut check," Jack Murphy, a Special Operations 75th Ranger Regiment veteran and the managing editor of the military-focused publication SOFREP, told Business Insider.

"... When you see another soldier wearing a Ranger tab on his or her uniform you know that you have both slogged it out through some extremely challenging training, which automatically builds a certain amount of trust in each other," Murphy added.

Each year, approximately 4,000 students attend Ranger School.

Sixty percent of those candidates wash out of the course.

Griest, a military police officer from Connecticut and Haver, an Apache helicopter pilot from Texas, completed the full Ranger course in four months and graduated in August 2015 with 94 of their male counterparts.

Welcome to Ranger School

Screen Shot 2016 04 29 at 11.10.45 AM

The US Army divides the grueling course into three phases: "Benning," "mountain," and "Florida."

During the Benning phase of Ranger School, which takes place in Georgia, a soldier's physical stamina, mental toughness, and tactical skills are evaluated and fine-tuned.

On the last day of the Benning phase, Ranger candidates conduct an arduous 12-mile march while carrying a 35-pound ruck sack  and without the luxury of drinking water. About 50% of students will pass this phase of the course, according to the Ranger School website.

Screen Shot 2016 04 29 at 11.13.59 AM

During the appropriately named mountain phase, Ranger students are sent to the northern Georgia mountains to continue to learn how to sustain themselves in adverse conditions.

"The rugged terrain, severe weather, hunger, mental and physical fatigue, and the emotional stress that the student encounters afford him the opportunity to gauge his own capabilities and limitations as well as that of his peers," according to the US Army.

army ranger school

The last phase consists of fast-paced field-training exercises in which candidates are evaluated based on their execution of high-stress raids, ambushes, and close-combat attacks.

All students must pass an intense physical fitness test that includes 49 push-ups, 59 sit-ups, a 5-mile run with a 40 minute time limit, six chin-ups, a timed swim test, a land-navigation test, several obstacle courses, three parachute jumps, four air assaults on helicopters, and 27 days of mock combat patrols.

NOW WATCH: The 6 coolest phrases only people in the military use





More From Business Insider


By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Boosting the number of midwives in Nigeria, and globally, would reduce the number of stillbirths and women dying during or just after giving birth, according to the founder of women's rights organization Wellbeing Foundation Africa. Midwives can provide the majority of the services needed for newborns and pregnant women and those cared for by midwives are less likely to have complicated births or go into labor early. Toyin Saraki spoke to the Thomson Reuters Foundation ahead of this week's Global Midwifery Conference in Abuja, which is hosting its first global conference on midwifery. [L5N17Z1QO] "Midwives will be the army to change dire health outcomes, if we invest in them and provide them with skills," she said. To mark International Day of the Midwife on May 5, here are some facts about childbirth, maternal mortality and midwifery: * In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman is 100 times more likely todie during pregnancy or childbirth than one from anindustrialized country. * Around 800 women and more than 8,000 newborns die everyday due to largely preventable complications during pregnancy,childbirth and the immediate postnatal period. * Since 1990, maternal death has dropped by 44 percent andthe death of children under five by 41 percent. * In 2013, there were an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths,3 million newborn deaths and 289,000 maternal deaths. * Seventy-three countries in Africa, Asia and Latin Americaaccount for 96 percent of the world's maternal deaths, 91percent of stillbirths and 93 percent of newborn deaths. * Yet these countries only have 42 percent of the world'sdoctors, midwives and nurses. * There are two doctors and 11 nurses or midwives for every10,000 people in Africa, compared with 19 doctors and 49 nursesor midwives per 10,000 in the Americas, and 32 doctors and 78nurses or midwives per 10,000 in Europe. * Only one in five countries have enough adequately educatedmidwives to meet the basic needs of women and newborns. * More than one third of all births around the world takeplace without a midwife or other skilled health staff. * Investing in midwifery education could yield a 16-foldreturn on investment in terms of lives saved and costs ofcaesarean sections avoided.Sources: World Health Organisation, United Nations Population Fund. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
(Adds details, background)

May 2 (Reuters) - Grocery chain operator Fairway Group Holdings Corp, which has lost money in every quarter since it went public in 2013, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday in a New York court.

Fairway listed assets in the range of $100 million to $500 million, and liabilities of $100 million to $500 million, according to a court filing. (http://1.usa.gov/24kPoiP)

The company has filed for a prepackaged Chapter 11 plan to restructure its debt and is seeking approval for $55 million in debtor in possession credit, it said in a statement.

Fairway, which operates about 15 stores in the New York City area, said it aimed to reduce debt by about $140 million through the restructuring and retain jobs.

The company said it has hired Dennis Stogsdill of turnaround management firm Alvarez & Marsal Inc as chief restructuring officer.

Bloomberg reported last month that Fairway was likely to file for bankruptcy after reaching a deal with its creditors.

Fairway said in February it needed to raise more capital to stay in business over the long term.

The case is in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, Case No: 16-11241.

(Reporting by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)
Held the first Monday in May in New York, USA, the Met Gala is a high-glam event that draws a multitude of celebrities to its red carpet. The 2016 edition -- held May 2 and chaired by fashion's queen bee, Anna Wintour -- was themed "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," which guests channeled with elegance, audacity and extravagance.

The cream of the American fashion and movie industries took to the red carpet at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art alongside other prestigious guests, such as Charlotte Casiraghi, Princess of Monaco, who stood out in a Gucci silk chiffon dress with multicolored layers.

Elegance and full-volume dresses

Every red carpet event sees its share of princess-worthy gowns, and this year's Met Gala was no exception, as a host of fashion icons and actresses aired their most glamorous eveningwear ensembles. The most spectacular gown of this 2016 edition was no doubt Zoe Saldana's Dolce & Gabbana number. The actress's dress had a particularly impressive train finished in feathers, reminiscent of a peacock's display.

Blake Lively caused a sensation in a Burberry pink silk organza gown decorated with petals, while Katy Perry opted for a long velvet Prada dress in shades of black, midnight blue and emerald green with gold-colored embroidery.

Jennifer Hudson, Claire Danes -- whose dress glowed in the dark -- Jessica Chastain, Kate Hudson and Emma Watson also went for volume this year, sporting full-skirted fairytale dresses or super-long trains in a line-up of stylish and sophisticated looks.

Cutaways and metallic detail

The theme of this year's Met Gala inevitably brought sparkling details and metallic shimmer to the event in a major way. The red carpet shone all night long thanks, in particular, to Olivier Rousteing's "Balmain Army," who set the tone with metallic ensembles. In fact, Jourdan Dunn, Kim Kardashian, Joan Smalls, Kylie Jenner, Alessandra Ambrosio and the show-stopping Cindy Crawford all wore metallic gowns crafted by Balmain.

Story continues

Balmain wasn't the only fashion house opting for high shine, as Lupita Nyong'o dazzled the catwalk in a sequin-covered Calvin Klein dress with velvet straps. Sienna Miller shone in a metallic pink Gucci dress, along with Ciara in H&M and Hailey Baldwin in Tommy Hilfiger.

Rather than going for full-on shine, Gigi Hadid -- one of the evening's most eagerly awaited models -- nodded to the theme in a Tommy Hilfiger ensemble comprising a metallic strapless bodysuit partially covered with a sheer gray skirt.

Beyonce wore a figure-hugging number from Givenchy with bouffant sleeves plus pearl and floral embellishment.

Another major trend at the 2016 Met Gala was cutaways, sometimes revealing backs, decolletes, or legs, but above all flashing waistlines. Gowns with cutaway sides, revealing the hips and waist proved particularly popular. This was a look adopted by Kendall Jenner, who stunned in an Atelier Versace gown that hugged her body to perfection, as well as Karlie Kloss in Brandon Maxwell, Margot Robbie in Calvin Klein and Taylor Swift in Louis Vuitton. Rita Ora managed to rock cutaways, metallic detail and high glamor in a Vera Wang number.

Model Edie Campbell merits a special mention for standing out from the crowd in a bespoke sequined tuxedo jacket and matching flared pants from Burberry.

Lady Gaga's Atelier Versace number and Madonna's Givenchy ensemble also grabbed attention with their bold, sexy styles, bringing a rock n' roll -- and possibly slightly OTT -- touch to the evening's festivities.
By Bernie Woodall

DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit automakers reported another month of strong demand from U.S. consumers for trucks and sport utility vehicles on Tuesday, but their shares dropped as analysts focused on signs the world's second largest auto market has little room to grow.

Ahead of the final tally for U.S. light vehicle sales in April, General Motors Co (GM.N) estimated the seasonally adjusted annualized selling rate will be 17.6 million vehicles. That was more than the 17.5 million vehicles expected by analysts polled by Reuters. U.S. auto sales in 2015 hit a record 17.4 million vehicles.

Wall Street analysts say the U.S. auto market is close to a cyclical peak and that more production cuts, which hurt profits, could be needed to keep inventories of vehicles from ballooning later in the year.

"We continue to believe sales growth will be muted this year," Joseph Spak of RBC Capital said in a note to investors.

Inventory data issued early on Tuesday, pointed to some possible "risk to North American production over the coming months," Spak added.

The sluggish pace of U.S. economic growth adds to concerns that the auto industry recovery could run out of fuel.

GM and Ford Motor Co (F.N) shares were down more than 1 percent generally in line with the broader market, while Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N) fell more than 2 percent.

GM and Ford Motor Co (F.N) said sales to individual consumers were still growing. But because GM has been cutting back on low-profit sales to rental car companies and other fleets, its overall April U.S. sales fell by 3.5 per cent.

GM's results were among many that highlighted a divide in the market between slumping sales of traditional sedans, and robust demand for pickup trucks and SUVs.

GM said sales of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck rose nearly 9 percent in April compared to a year earlier. However, sales of GM's Cadillac CTS and ATS luxury sedans plummeted 23 percent and 18 percent respectively.

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Other luxury brands also had weak results in April, especially for cars. Toyota Motor Corp's Lexus luxury division suffered a 26 percent decline in sales of cars such as the large LS sedan, although sales of Lexus brand SUVs rose 20 percent.

German luxury car maker BMW AG (BMWG.DE) said sales of its BMW brand passenger cars fell 6.5 percent, while its SUV sales fell 9.7 percent.

The chief executives of two leading auto dealer groups, AutoNation Inc (AN.N) and Group 1 Automotive (GPI.N) had warned in April that automakers should start curbing production, particularly of slow-selling luxury sedans.

Still, April U.S. sales for Ford, Honda, and Nissan Motor Co all beat analysts' expectations. Ford's sales rose 4 percent from a year earlier, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was up 5.6 percent and Toyota, No. 3 in the U.S. market, rose 3.8 percent. Honda Motor Co's sales rose 14.4 percent.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Tom Brown)
By the time it was lost, HMS Endeavour had been conscripted into the American Revolutionary War and renamed. Years before, the British explorer Captain James Cook had sailed the 100-foot oak ship on his first voyage to Australia.

After Cooks first voyage, the Endeavour was largely forgotten. While searching for Australia, Cook wrecked the ship into a coral reef, so upon return to England, workers at a dockyard refitted it as a naval transport. Cook got a new ship. Meanwhile the Endeavour delivered provisions to the Falkland Islands in 1772, was sold in 1775, then renamed the Lord Sandwich, and unceremoniously, and purposefully, sunk in 1778 in the shallow waters of a Rhode Island harbor to block advancing French ships thatd come to help the Americans. And there the Lord Sandwich still lies.

On Tuesday, the Rhode Island Marine Archeology Project (RIMAP) said it will announce it has found the locations of five downed ships in Newport Harbor, one of which is the Endeavour. RIMAP said in a statement it will:

 outline what must be done in the future to determine which of the 5 sites there is which ship. The next phase of the archaeological investigation will require a more intense study of each vessel's structure and its related artifacts. However, before that next phase may begin, there must be a proper facility in place to conserve, manage, display, and store the waterlogged material removed from the archaeological sites. Therefore RIMAP has begun the capital campaign to create the facility to satisfy those technical requirements and allow the intense archaeological fieldwork to begin.

The announcement is scheduled for Wednesday, May 4, which also marks the 240th anniversary of when the General Assembly of the Colony of Rhode Island declared its independence from Great Britainmeaning it did so a full two months before the rest of colonies (though Rhode Island was last to ratify the U.S. Constitution). And while for Americans, the Lord Sandwich served the redcoats, Cook, whose ship it originally was, would also discover Hawaii, the last state to join the country. (Hed also die in what he had named the Sandwich Islands.)

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The Endeavour also holds special significance for Australians, because of the connection with Cook. Indeed, the Australian National Maritime Museum donated money to RIMAP, which allowed it to search for the historic documents in London that would later identify the Lord Sandwich as one of the downed ships in the harbor. In all, the British purposefully sunk 13 ships in Newport Harbor to blockade French boats. The Lord Sandwich, and thus Captain James Cooks Endeavor, is thought to be one.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
EXCLUSIVE: Sparks are commencing and bids are expected to start coming in today on a hot package sent out to financiers earlier this week. Graham Moore has adapted his upcoming novel The Last Days Of Night, and Morten Tyldum has attached himself to direct. Moore won the Oscar for scripting and Tyldum was Oscar nominated for directing The Imitation Game. Moore adapted the Andrew Hodges book on Enigma code cracker Alan Turing on that other movie. Here, Moore has adapted his own book, which Random House has set for September 20 publication as a lead fall title. He previously authored The Sherlockian. Nora Grossman and Ido Ostrowsky of Bristol Automotive are attached to the package as producers.

Thomas Alva Edison

westinghouse

Like The Imitation Game, this one involves seminal technological geniuses. The publisher describes it as being about the nature of genius, the cost of ambition, and the battle to electrify America. New York, 1888. The miracle of electric light is in its infancy. Thomas Edison has won the race to the patent office and is suing his only remaining rival, George Westinghouse, for the unheard of sum of one billion dollars. To defend himself, Westinghouse makes a surprising choice in his attorney: He hires an untested twenty-six-year-old fresh out of Columbia Law School named Paul Cravath. The task facing Cravath is beyond daunting. Edison proves to be a formidable, wily, and dangerous opponent. Yet this young, unknown attorney shares with his famous opponent a compulsion to win at all costs. How will he do it? As he takes greater and greater risks, hell find that everyone in his path is playing their own game, and no one is quite who they seem. Woven into the tale are Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell, Stanford White and other technological titans of the late 19th century.

Graham Moore

Michael Bloomberg Hosts a Celebration of The Weinstein Company's "THE IMITATION GAME"

The hope is to electrify the town the way that the Max Landis script Bright did with its package of David Ayer, Will Smith and Joel Edgerton. While Tyldums latest pic, the Jennifer Lawrence-Chris Pratt-starrer Passengers, is generating high expectations at Sony, buyers are weighing the potential competing project over at The Weinstein Company, The Current War, which reportedly has Benedict Cumberbatch to play Edison and possibly Jake Gyllenhaal as Westinghouse in the race to electrify America. Me And Earl And The Dying Girls Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is attached to direct.

CAA went out with the Last Days Of Night script, repping Moore, who is repped for publishing by ICM Partners and who is managed by Think Tank Management. WME reps Tyldum with Anonymous Content. Stay tuned, as this could be a big one.

Related stories

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'Imitation Game' Helmer Morten Tyldum Acquires Bobbie Peers' Children's Novel 'William Wenton And The Luridium Thief'

Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None' Bought By Fox For Morten Tyldum To Direct
Thanks to Their Innovative Recruiting Practice, Finnburg and Switzer is Able to Successfully Help their Clients with their Recruiting Needs

MANHATTAN, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / Finnburg and Switzer, a top international consulting firm, is pleased to announce that they are expanding their successful recruiting practice. As Mary Castillo, Vice President of the Finnburg and Switzer Recruiting Division noted, the company is planning to grow its recruiting practice by doubling their team of recruiters and opening a new office in Los Angeles, CA in 2016.

"We have had a lot of success in a relatively short period of time," Castillo said, adding that many clients return to Finnburg & Switzer time and time again for assistance with recruiting candidates.

"Thanks to our firm's expertise in recruiting, many of our venture capital clients turn to us for their executive recruiting needs."

As Finnburg and Switzer works to expand their recruiting division, they will remain committed to offering the best services possible. As Castillo noted, the practice helps to recruit both technical and advanced skill level employees, and the division will continue to work with new and existing clients to provide a wide variety of top level and senior executive candidates.

Castillo, who has a strong background in human relations, is extremely knowledgeable about helping even hard to place candidates find the best positions and get the new jobs they are looking for.

In addition to its growing recruiting division, Finnburg and Switzer offers a variety of other services. For example, their advisors are market leaders in fund management and investment, and they provide expertise in all areas of business in order to help maximize returns.

Anybody who would like to learn more about Finnburg and Switzer is welcome to visit the company's website at any time; there, they can read more about the recruiting and consulting services that they provide.

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Finnburg & Switzer is a leading global consulting firm working with a substantial and diversified client base that includes private equity firms, venture capital groups, high net worth individuals, institutions, governments and charities. Finnburg & Switzer provides a comprehensive range of consulting solutions to a diverse client base and aims to provide consistent performance, world-class services and a broad product range to satisfy their clients' needs. The firm is headquartered in Geneva with offices in London and New York. For more information, please visit http://www.finnburgswitzer.com

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SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Thousands of Chilean fishermen blocked roads with barricades in the region of Los Lagos on Monday and Tuesday, saying government efforts to mitigate the economic effects of a harmful algal bloom have been insufficient. For the last four weeks, the southern-central region of Los Lagos has been plagued by what scientists say is the biggest "red tide" in its history. The red tide - an algal bloom that turns the sea water red - is a common, naturally recurring phenomenon in southern Chile, though the extent of the current outbreak is unprecedented. Scientists point to an unusually strong El Nino weather pattern this year as a key factor. It makes the mussels, hake, and other fish that residents pull from the ocean essentially poisonous, heaping economic pressure on a region with tens of thousands of artisanal fishermen. In one instance, protesters took over a principal access ramp to the island of Chiloe. The government has offered to pay each affected family 100,000 pesos ($151) each in compensation, an amount fishermen have widely rejected as insufficient. "What the government announced is not going to work for us," said fisherwoman Doris Santana. "In no way can we live on 100,000 pesos." Artisanal fishing unions have blamed the size of the red tide on pollution by Chile's farmed salmon industry, which is active in the Los Lagos region. However, Chile's SERNAPESCA fisheries body as well as many scientists have rejected that explanation, pointing to natural factors such as the cyclical El Nino weather pattern, which warms part of the Pacific Ocean and has also caused heavy rain and flooding elsewhere in the region. "What we are having here is a silent catastrophe, one that affects a lot of people and a vast territory," said Leonardo de la Prida Sanhueza, the regional governor. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Gram Slattery; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Berlin (AFP) - The founder of Germany's xenophobic and anti-Islamic Pegida movement was Tuesday convicted of inciting racial hatred and fined nearly 10,000 euros for branding refugees "cattle" and "scum" on social media.

Lutz Bachmann, founder of the far-right "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident" movement, was ordered to pay 9,600 euros ($11,000) over the widely-shared Facebook posts.

Judge Hans Hlavka told the court in the eastern city of Dresden it was "clear" that Bachmann was responsible for the comments on the social network and that his insults could not be considered as free speech.

The defence said it will appeal the decision while prosecutors who had demanded a seven-month jail sentence said they may do the same.

The Pegida movement bitterly opposes Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal migration policy that brought more than one million asylum seekers to Germany last year.

Bachmann, 43, who called the court case a "political show trial", made a defiant appearance when the trial started a week earlier, wearing a pair of glasses that mimicked the black bars printed over people's eyes in censored photos.

His defence lawyer Katja Reichel insisted Bachmann had not written the offending words, and that his Facebook account may have been "hacked".

However, the court also watched video footage of a Pegida rally in January 2015 where Bachmann appeared to be defending the Facebook comments, saying he had merely "used words that everyone has used at least once".

Pegida rallies at that time peaked at around 25,000 people, but interest then began to wane following wide coverage of Bachmann's overtly-racist comments and the surfacing of "selfies" in which he sported a Hitler-style moustache and hairstyle.

The pendulum swung back a few months later, as tens of thousands of asylum-seekers -- many fleeing war in mostly Muslim countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan -- poured into Germany each week.

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Bachmann has repeatedly labelled the newcomers "criminal invaders" while also railing against "traitor" politicians and the "liar press", whom he blames for jointly promoting multiculturalism.

A trained chef and now running a public relations agency, Bachmann has previously been convicted of drug, theft and assault charges.

In the late 1990s, he fled Germany for South Africa to avoid a jail term, but was extradited two years later and served some 14 months behind bars in Germany.
Tegucigalpa (AFP) - Four people have been arrested in Honduras over the murder of a high-profile indigenous activist earlier this year, officials said.

The four had been linked to the March 3 killing of Berta Caceres, a spokesman for the state prosecutor's service told AFP.

One of the suspects detained was a 49-year-old employee of Desarrollos Energeticos (DESA), an electricity company involved in the construction of a hydro-electric dam against which Caceres had campaigned, local media reports said.

Two masked gunmen fatally shot Caceres, a 45-year-old activist for indigenous, environmental and social issues, at her home in La Esperanza, northwest of the capital Tegucigalpa. Her funeral drew thousands of mourners.

Before her death, she said she had been threatened by DESA for organizing local resistance to the Agua Zarca dam.

- Family wary -

President Juan Orlando Hernandez congratulated the authorities on the arrests, but Caceres's family expressed wariness.

"As a family, we are together in our reserve over these detentions because (in Honduras) suspects are often detained and then three weeks later they are freed" for lack of proof, Caceres's brother Gustavo Caceres told AFP.

The public ministry, responsible for the state prosecution service, identified the four detainees as Sergio Antonio Rodriguez Orellana, Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, Mariano Diaz Chavez and Edilson Atilio Duarte Meza.

They were arrested on suspicion of involvement in Caceres's murder and the attempted murder of a Mexican who was also shot at her house during the attack, it said in a statement. He survived the assault.

Rodriguez Orellana, 49, worked for DESA, local media said, adding that Diaz Chavez was an active-service soldier and Duarte Meza a retired soldier.

"To Berta Caceres's family, we apologize if a member of our institution participated in such a shameful act," the head of the country's joint chiefs of staff, General Franciso Alvarez, said of Chavez's reported involvement.

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- Call for OAS to join probe -

Caceres's family and her indigenous rights group COPINH issued a joint statement saying they were excluded from the investigation preceding the arrests and "cannot say whether they were the result of exhaustive work, nor do we know if they include the masterminds at all levels" behind the killing.

Nevertheless, the reported participation of an active and a former soldier linked to DESA "seems to show the involvement of state agents in the murder," they said.

As a result, they argued, the Agua Zarca dam project should be shut down "immediately and definitively."

They also said the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an autonomous body in the Organization of American States (OAS), should have access to Honduras's investigation.

The United States, an OAS member, said through its embassy that it "welcomes" the arrests and would be watching the trial.
By Matthias Blamont and Jean-Baptiste Vey PARIS (Reuters) - France will press its G7 partners this month to launch an "irreversible" process to control the prices of new medicines, part of a global drive to make life-saving drugs more affordable, three sources told Reuters. President Francois Hollande said in March he would push for the international regulation of drugs prices when he meets other G7 leaders in Ise-Shima, Japan on May 26-27. The sources said the issue was now on the summit agenda and health ministers will continue work on it in Kobe in September when other parties, such as the pharmaceutical companies themselves, could potentially be involved. "We need to initiate this process with firmness, and the president wants it to be irreversible," said a source close to Hollande. The rising cost of ground-breaking medicines has been criticised around the world, with campaigners in developing countries demanding reform of the patent system to make vital treatments more affordable. G7 nations are home to most of the leading drug makers and while governments are keen to tackle rising health costs they may be reluctant to pitch themselves against their own pharmaceutical industries. Any regulation would have to balance the need to keep costs down with the need for pharmaceutical companies like U.S group Pfizer, France's Sanofi or Britain's GlaxoSmithKline to retain financial incentives for innovation. G7 delegations have begun initial talks on the issue but no one expects a breakthrough in the near future, one of the sources said. A United Nations panel is discussing ways to improve access to medicines and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has promised to rein in prices in the United States. In the latest move by the pharmaceuticals industry to address criticism on prices, GlaxoSmithKline said in March it would adopt a graduated approach to patenting its medicines depending on the wealth of different countries. (Additionnal reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Richard Lough and Robin Pomeroy)
PARIS (Reuters) - France will maintain pressure on Renault to rein in Carlos Ghosn's pay, Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, after shareholders voted against the chief executive's 7.2 million euro (5.70 million pound) payout for 2015.

In comments to lawmakers, Macron railed against what he called Renault's "dysfunctional governance", after shareholders rejected Ghosn's pay package on Friday -- only to be immediately overruled by the carmaker's board.

The government may consider firmer steps to limit executive pay levels deemed excessive unless companies such as Renault show greater moderation, the minister added.

After the consultative vote at Renault, in which the state wielded more than 18 percent of voting rights as the carmaker's biggest shareholder, the board voted again to maintain last year's CEO payout, while pledging to review its pay structure for 2016 and beyond.

The government's two board representatives had consistently opposed Ghosn's compensation proposal, Macron said on Tuesday.

"What we are very clearly demanding is that Mr Ghosn live up to his responsibilities with regard to his compensation for 2016," he said.

The government will seek a further Renault board meeting to "draw the necessary conclusions", Macron said. "Failing which we would be compelled to legislate."

Renault had no comment on Macron's comments when contacted by Reuters.

Ghosn's total 2015 payout included 1.23 million euros in fixed salary, 1.78 million in variable pay and a further 4.18 million in deferred bonuses and stock That was in addition to his second salary as CEO of 43.4 percent-owned affiliate Nissan , which last year amounted to 8 million euros.

Across the Channel in Britain, shareholders have staged a series of protest votes over what they regard as excessive pay for executives.

(Reporting by Laurence Frost; Editing by Keith Weir)
Paris (AFP) - Negotiations for a vast US-EU trade pact, which aims to create a free-trade zone covering 850 million people, are likely to grind to a halt because of Washington's reluctance to make concessions, a top French trade official warned Tuesday.

"In view of the United States' state of mind today, that seems to be the most likely option," minister of state for trade Matthias Fekl told French radio when asked if the talks on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which began in 2013, could stop.

Fekl's comments reflect deep suspicion in Europe that the deal will erode ecological and health regulations to the advantage of big business.

Washington and Brussels want the mega-deal completed this year before US President Barack Obama leaves office, but it has faced mounting opposition on both sides of the Atlantic.

On Monday, environmental pressure group Greenpeace released a trove of leaked documents about the closed-door negotiations, charging that a deal would inflict a dangerous lack of standards on US and European consumers.

However, the European Commission, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of the 28 EU member states, said Greenpeace was "flatly wrong" in its interpretation of the documents.

The Greenpeace leak was a "storm in a teacup," Brussels said.

US officials also hit back at Greenpeace with the US Trade Representative saying: "The interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat out wrong at worst."

Fekl said that Europe was pushing for "reciprocity."

"Europe is offering a lot and we are getting very little in return. This is unacceptable," said Fekl, who negotiates trade deals on behalf of France.

"It is a deal that -- in the state it is in today -- would be a bad deal," he said.
Paris (AFP) - The French government's contested labour reform bill finally reached parliament on Tuesday, having sparked two months of mass protests, but neither employers nor unions are happy.

The government says the bill is designed to unlock France's rigid labour market and cut stubbornly high unemployment of around 10 percent -- the issue that has dogged Socialist President Francois Hollande's four years in power.

But since March 9, hundreds of thousands of people in cities around France have demonstrated against what they see as a reform weighed in favour of businesses.

With 12 months until the presidential election, the bill is likely to be the last of its size to be introduced by Hollande's government.

It also has the unenviable record of being the reform that has brought the most Socialist supporters onto the streets during Hollande's rocky time in office.

On Tuesday, as lawmakers begin to examine the bill, unions and student organisations held another demonstration outside the National Assembly parliament building.

Unions fear it will erode the cherished rights of workers on full-time contracts, while student organisations -- who have been at the forefront of the protests -- believe it will fail to create "real" jobs for young people.

- 'Labour market needs unlocking' -

In response to the opposition, the government has watered down its original proposals, with the result that employers are now worried.

Pierre Gattaz, the head of the employers' federation Medef, said the reform worried his members and "will fail to create jobs".

"In its current state, the bill really scares us," he told RTL radio.

"I would really like the lawmakers to go back to the initial spirit of the bill.

"This labour market needs to be unlocked. The whole world says so, Brussels says so and all the international organisations say so," he said.

Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri will attempt to address those concerns when she speaks to parliament at the start of the debate around 1500 GMT.

Story continues

Police are bracing for fresh clashes with protesters after many of the demonstrations against the bill descended into violence.

Authorities believe troublemakers -- the so-called "casseurs", or breakers -- have mingled with protesters to foment clashes with riot police.

Demonstrators on the other hand accuse the police of heavy-handedness which they claim is fuelling the violence.

Participation in the demonstrations reached its peak on March 31 with nearly 400,000 people on the streets. In protests last Thursday, those numbers had fallen to 170,000.

The reform was also the central theme of the traditional May 1 workers' march in Paris, which descended into clashes between masked protesters and police.

Opposition to the bill also inspired the "Nuit Debout", or "Up All Night" movement, which has grown to encompass a range of causes.

Christophe Sirugue, the Socialist lawmaker presenting the bill to parliament, said last week that several points still needed "clarification" but that he expected the bill to pass.

Among the key remaining sticking points in the bill are measures to make it easier to lay off workers in lean times, and whether employers should be allowed to shed staff if their company is doing badly in France, even if its operations abroad are successful.

Hollande continues to face opposition from within his own party.

A group of Socialist lawmakers complained Monday that the package "is not in line with the reforms that one expects from a government of the left".

"This bill is not useful for France or for the common good," they said in a statement.

If the government fails to gather enough support for the reform, it could use a constitutional mechanism to force through the reform by decree without a vote, providing opponents do not force a no-confidence vote.

The government used the tactic last year to ram through another controversial economic reform governing trading hours and the deregulation of some sectors.

However, using such a mechanism carries the risk of further alienating left-wing voters.

Opinion polls show a majority of this group have a negative opinion of Hollande's time in office, which does not bode well for the president as he considers whether to stand for re-election.
Paris (AFP) - French Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri staunchly defended the government's contested labour reform bill on Tuesday as it finally reached parliament after sparking two months of mass protests.

The government says the bill is designed to unlock France's rigid labour market and cut stubbornly high unemployment of around 10 percent -- the issue that has dogged Socialist President Francois Hollande's four years in power.

But since March, hundreds of thousands of people in cities around France have demonstrated against what they see as a reform weighed in favour of bosses.

In a passionate defence of the reform, the 38-year-old El Khomri said it was "necessary" and "fair".

"I want this bill to help my country," El Khomri said. "We can be proud of this bill."

Hollande said the reform was a "dynamic and fair compromise".

With 12 months to go until the presidential election, the bill is likely to be the last major piece of legislation introduced by the 61-year-old Hollande's government.

The reform that was to have been Hollande's signature achievement has instead brought supporters of his own Socialist Party onto the streets.

On Tuesday, between 1,500 and 3,000 union representatives and students staged another demonstration, this time outside the National Assembly parliament building.

Unions fear the reform will erode the cherished rights of workers on full-time contracts, while student organisations -- which have been at the forefront of the protests -- believe it will fail to create "real" jobs for young people.

- 'Labour market needs unlocking' -

In response to the opposition, the government has watered down its original proposals, with the result that employers are now worried.

Pierre Gattaz, the head of the employers' federation Medef, said the reform "will fail to create jobs".

"In its current state, the bill really scares us," he told RTL radio.

Story continues

"I would really like lawmakers to go back to the initial spirit of the bill.

"This labour market needs to be unlocked. The whole world says so, Brussels says so and all the international organisations say so," he said.

Police are bracing for fresh clashes with protesters during the 10 days of parliamentary debate on the bill after many of the previous demonstrations descended into violence.

Authorities believe troublemakers -- the so-called "casseurs", or breakers -- have mingled with protesters to provoke clashes with riot police.

Demonstrators on the other hand blame heavy-handed police tactics for fuelling the violence.

Participation in the demonstrations reached a peak on March 31 with nearly 400,000 people on the streets. In protests last Thursday, those numbers had fallen to 170,000.

The reform was also the central theme of the traditional May 1 workers' march in Paris, which again saw clashes between masked protesters and police.

Opposition to the bill also inspired the "Nuit Debout", or "Up All Night" movement, which has grown to encompass a range of causes.

Among the key remaining sticking points in the bill are measures to make it easier to lay off workers in lean times, and whether employers should be allowed to shed staff if their company is doing badly in France, even if its operations abroad are successful.

Hollande continues to face opposition from within his own ranks.

A group of Socialist lawmakers complained Monday that the package "is not in line with the reforms that one expects from a government of the left".

"This bill is not useful for France or for the common good," they said in a statement.

If the government fails to gather enough support for the reform, it could use a constitutional mechanism to force it through by decree without a vote, providing that opponents do not force a no-confidence vote.

The government used the tactic last year to ram through another controversial economic reform governing trading hours and the deregulation of some sectors.
Paris (AFP) - A Frenchman is suing his former boss over the crushing boredom he suffered in an 80,000 euro-a-year job which he claims turned him into a "professional zombie".

On Monday, Frederic Desnard, 44, lodged a complaint at a labour relations tribunal, demanding 360,000 euros ($415,000) in compensation and damages for the "bore-out" he says he suffered as a well-paid executive in a perfume business.

The plaintiff, who was paid an annual salary of more than 80,000 euros, was sacked in September 2014 after he had been on sick leave for seven months from his company, Interparfums.

Desnard's lawyer Montasser Charni said that his "bore-out" -- the opposite of burnout -- caused him to have an epileptic fit while driving, which in turn caused him to have an accident that landed him in a coma for several days and led to his illness.

Although Desnard had a doctor's certificate, labour law will require him to prove a link between his illness and his working conditions in order to win a complaint for unfair dismissal.

Desnard joined the company, which specialises in licensing luxury perfumes, as a manager in December 2006.

At first he was a model employee who showed "total devotion" to his job, Charni said.

But his workload began to evaporate in 2009 and things got worse in 2012 when Interparfums lost a major contract and began laying off staff.

With nothing much to do, Desnard "spent his time running errands for the president" of the company, Charni said.

- 40-minute days -

In an interview with the daily Le Monde, Desnard said he completed "between 20 and 40 minutes of work a day".

The situation plunged him into a state of "extreme weariness", he said. "I no longer had the energy for anything. I felt guilty and ashamed to earn a salary for nothing. I had the impression I was invisible at the company," the told Le Monde.

Desnard was "destroyed morally and especially physically" but did not dare complain, being glad to have work in a depressed job market, Charni said, adding that his client was being "killed professionally through boredom".

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But the company's lawyer Jean-Philippe Benissan said that Desnard never sent a single email to management to complain about his situation, nor did he alert the employee health and safety agency.

Benissan said the company doctor had consistently given Desnard a clean bill of health.

The company lawyer questioned Desnard's "strategy", noting that he had previously complained to the labour relations tribunal of being overworked in his Interparfums job, given "too many hats" to wear.

The tribunal's ruling in the case is set for July 27.
Youve heard of a burnout but what about a bore out?

A Frenchman is taking his case to an employment tribunal after accusing his former employers of boring him stiff.

Frederic Desnard, 44, from Paris, is asking for 360,000 (283,000) in compensation from the prestigious perfume company Interparfums.

He accuses them of giving him work so tedious that it made him ill.

He described an insidious descent into hell" that led to health problems including epilepsy, ulcers, sleep problems and serious depression.

Desnard complained that between 2010 and 2014 he was mise en placard  which means being given no work or menial tasks.



However, he took the usual step of using the English phrase bore out when talking about the case.

I went into depression, I was ashamed to be paid to do nothing, he told AFP. The worse part of it was denying this suffering, he said.

Desnard was fired in 2014 after seven months sick leave.

However, Jean-Philippe Benissan, Interparfums lawyer denies the allegation.

He said that Desnard never said anything about being bored during his time with the firm.

If he actually had nothing to do over these years, why didnt he mention it? he added.



(Credit: Thinkstock)
A Frenchman is suing his former employer because he did not have enough to do at work, the AFP reports.

Frederic Desnard, 44, filed a complaint against the perfume company Interparfums in an employment tribunal in Paris on Monday. He is asking for $415,000 (360,000 ) in compensation for being killed professionally through boredom, his lawyer Montasser Charni told AFP.

Suffering from a phenomenon that has been called a bore-out instead of a burnout, Desnard also claims that the lack of meaningful work caused a decline in mental health that led to his dismissal and brought on a seizure once while he was driving.

The companys lawyer Jean-Philippe Benissan said that Desnard never brought up these issues to his supervisors at a hearing on Monday, The Telegraph reports.

A ruling on this case is expected to be handed down on July 27, according to AFP.
Activists seeking the removal of San Franciscos police chief marched on City Hall on Tuesday, May 3. The protest was connected to the hunger strike by five activists who have become known as the Frisco Five. The group has demanded that Police Chief Greg Suhr resign or Mayor Ed Lee fire him. The hunger strike, which is taking place outside the Mission Police Station, entered its 13th day on Tuesday.

Activists want change in how the police use force, especially against communities of color. The death of Mario Woods last year, in part, sparked protests and other initiatives seeking change inside the police department.

Local reports said many politicians support the Frisco Five and their efforts, but they do not support firing Suhr. Lee also attempted to meet with the Frisco Five on Monday, but the group refused to see him, calling it an ambush, reports said. Credit: Instagram/Arash Rajaeeyan
By David Randall

NEW YORK, May 3 (Reuters) - Educational technology company 2U Inc could be poised for a comeback, a little more than six months after a report from noted short-seller Citron Research sliced its share price nearly in half.

Prominent fund companies William Blair, Franklin Templeton and Fidelity Investments increased their positions by 10 percent or more in their most recent quarters, according to Morningstar. That occurred when the total number of funds owning shares in the company, which markets and operates online graduate education programs for higher-tier universities such as Northwestern University, the University of Southern California and the University of California Berkeley, dipped 14 percent to 158.

The Meridian Growth Legacy fund - one of the best-performing small-cap funds over the last 10 years - added a new position in 2U over the same time.

With 2U set to report earnings on May 5, some fund managers say its quarterly results could counter any lingering suspicions and help it regain its all-time high of $39.45 within the next 12 months, a 42 percent jump from its close on Monday at $27.73.

"When you have a business that isn't profitable and growing fast, you can always poke holes in it, but we think that this company has such a strong tailwind. They are far and away the leader on execution and strategy" compared with education technology competitors, said Mike Balkin, portfolio manager of the William Blair Small Cap Growth fund.

Balkin estimates that 2U will have a $5 billion market cap within 3 to 5 years, a nearly three-fold increase from its current market value of $1.3 billion.

Fidelity, Franklin Templeton and Meridian declined to comment or did not respond to questions from Reuters.

SHORT-SELLER REPORT

Shares of the company dived in October after Citron Research called it "for-profit education in a silly disguise" and said its shares were worth $14, less than half the $29.22 they closed at the day before the report was published.

Story continues

Citron did not respond to requests to comment, and 2U declined to comment, citing its upcoming earnings release.

Jeffrey Silber, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, said the Citron report prompted the company to become more transparent about the profitability of its partnerships, countering Citron's claim that its older contracts were not making money. The company, which has said it is targeting 30 percent annual revenue growth for the next several years, is expected to announce six new programs in 2016, nine in 2017, and 12 in 2018.

Yet many investors remain skeptical. Short interest - a measure of shares being held by investors who are betting they will fall - remains high at 22 percent of available shares.

The high level of shorts could prompt the stock to pop should the company beat earnings estimates on Thursday, said Michael Tarkan, an analyst at Compass Point.

"As long as management continues to execute, you will see another level of short-covering as we move through the year," he said.

(Reporting by David Randall; Editing by Linda Stern and Dan Grebler)
By Geert De Clercq

PARIS (Reuters) - General Electric (GE.N) wants to become a major player in the offshore wind industry and is interested in buying the Areva-Gamesa (AREVA.PA) (GAM.MC) offshore joint venture Adwen, GE's new head of renewables said on Tuesday.

Following its takeover of the energy assets of French Alstom (ALSO.PA), GE in November 2015 created a global renewable energy business unit with sales of 9 billion euros (7.11 billion pound), staff of 13,000, and its headquarters in France.

The resulting enlarged unit has built about 25 percent of the world's installed base of hydropower and more than 20 percent of global onshore wind capacity, but has virtually no presence in the capital-intensive offshore business, which GE had always steered clear of.

"We have the ambition to become one of the three major players in the offshore wind market," GE renewables head Jerome Pecresse told reporters in Paris on Tuesday.

He added it was too soon to discuss a market share target. Germany's Siemens (SIEGn.DE) is European market leader for offshore wind with 63.5 percent of installed capacity end 2015, followed by MHI Vestas (VWS.CO) with 18.5 pct.

With the acquisition of Alstom, GE also acquired contracts to build 1,500 megawatts of offshore wind on the French coast for utility EDF (EDF.PA), which are set to be built by 2019.

Areva-Gamesa joint venture Adwen also has contracts to build 1,500 MW of offshore wind on the French coast for utilities Engie (ENGIE.PA) and Iberdrola (IBE.MC).

But Germany's Siemens is negotiating a takeover of Gamesa and has no interest in acquiring Adwen, which is blocking the Siemens-Gamesa talks, sources have told Reuters.

Pecresse said that GE may be interested in buying Adwen, but that no talks had been held with the companies involved.

"We are in favour of a strong French offshore industry and a consolidation of the French players would contribute to that. We look at the evolution of Adwen's capital with interest," he said, adding that one big French offshore wind player would make more sense than two smaller ones.

Story continues

Adwen accounted for 5.7 pct of the installed offshore wind base in Europe at the end of 2015, but came second in terms of installations with an 18.2 percent share of newbuild.

Industry specialists say that from a competition perspective, it would be difficult for Siemens to buy Adwen and that a third big player in offshore wind would boost competition and help lower prices in the industry.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Andrew Callus and Louise Heavens)
George Soros: Is China Becoming the US of 2008?

(Continued from Prior Part)

George Soros discusses Chinas resemblance to the United States

Chinas boom in credit growth, which we discussed earlier in this series, could affect Chinas (FXI)(YINN)(ASHR) growth. George Soros said, Most of the money that banks are supplying is needed to keep bad debts and loss-making enterprises alive. If a significant part of this credit is converted into repaying bad debt and non-performing assets, it could lead to a serious economic crisis. In the United States (QQQ)(VFINX)(IWM), the soaring credit level and real estate bubble were the prime cause of the financial market crash in 2008.

Why China now resembles the United States during the sub-prime crisis

Chinese financial markets already crashed in August 2015. However, the total debt-to-GDP ratio is still too high, at 246% in 2015. The total public debt-to-GDP ratio for the United States (SPXL)(VOO) in 2007 was 62%. The Chinese economy grew 6.7% in the first quarter of 2016, in line with expectations. The rise in credit facility is the main reason for this GDP growth.

According to a report published by Standard Chartered, Chinas public and private debt compared to economic growth was 5.4% in December 2015. If the debt increases to more than 5% of GDP, then it will fall under the highly risky category.

Soros is comparing the current Chinese economy with the US economy in 2005 and 2006, when real estate prices started to form a bubble. The same story is repeating in China, and Soros suggested that the problem will be bigger in time.

In the next part, well analyze what George Soros is foreseeing for the Chinese real estate bubble.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Marvel has been on the defensive ever since the first trailer for Doctor Strange was released in April, which shows Tilda Swinton's portrayal of the Ancient One  whose comic book iteration was an Asian male. The controversy surrounding the casting has caught the eye of internet maven and Star Trek alumn George Takei, who shared his thoughts on the "cringeworthy" casting, as well as Marvel's defense for the choice.

"So let me get this straight," Takei wrote in a Facebook post Saturday. "You cast a white actress so you wouldn't hurt sales... in Asia? This backpedaling is nearly as cringeworthy as the casting. Marvel must think we're all idiots."

The reference to worrying the Asian market seems to be a direct response to one of the writers of the film, C. Robert Cargill, who said the choice to cast Swinton as opposed to an Asian actor was to appease the Chinese movie market. Essentially, because the Ancient One is originally Tibetan in the comics, he said it would cause controversy and a potential boycott in China should they cast a Tibetan character. Conversely, casting a Chinese actor to play the part would also cause a stir; a choice Cargill described as a "cultural landmine."

Takei also responded to Cargill's reasoning, commenting on Takei's own post to explain further how Marvel had already avoided the problem altogether.

"Marvel already addressed the Tibetan question by setting the action and the Ancient One in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the film," he wrote.

It wouldn't have mattered to the Chinese government by that point whether the character was white or Asian, as it was already in another country. So this is a red herring, and it's insulting that they expect us to buy their explanation. They cast Tilda because they believe white audiences want to see white faces. Audiences, too, should be aware of how dumb and out of touch the studios think we are.

Story continues

Of course, Doctor Strange isn't the only film mired in a Hollywood whitewashing controversy (see Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming Ghost in the Shell). But Takei's response  and his Facebook reach of over 9.7 million followers  means more people will at least be aware of the backlash.

You can check out Takei's post, as well as some of his responses to other Facebook users, below.
History may have put in development the story of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, without Kate del Castillo or Sean Penn, from Narcos co-creator co-creator Chris Brancato. But Fox News Channel boasted this afternoon it has Castillo, for a one-hour special airing this coming Saturday. Fox News Reporting: Beauty & the Beast  When Kate met Chapo will be hosted by Geraldo Rivera, who sits down with Mexican actress to discuss her relationship with Joaquin Guzman, better known as the head of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, El Chapo.

She goes in-depth on how the two became pen-pals in addition to the secret meeting they later had with Penn. Also during this special, Rivera reports on Chapos pending extradition to the United States, the drug lords fascination with Donald Trump, the role the Mexican government has played, as well as the potential impact his incarceration will have on the drug epidemic in the United States. Rivera also talks with former assistant special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administrations Special Operations Division for the Americas, Carl Pike. Saturdays 8 PM ET/PT special will be repeated Sunday at 9 PM ET/PT.

Related stories

'Empire's Lee Daniels Says "Sorry" To Sean Penn; $10M Defamation Suit Ends

Ed Henry Off Air For Now At Fox News In Wake Of Tabloid Infidelity Report

Kate Del Castillo Netflix Series 'Ingobernable' To Film In U.S.
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German comedian under investigation by prosecutors for mocking Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday of "filleting" him and serving him to a despot for tea in his first public comments since the row broke. Merkel drew heavy criticism for allowing German prosecutors to pursue a case against satirist Jan Boehmermann after he recited a poem on television in March suggesting Erdogan engaged in bestiality and watched child pornography. Erdogan, a crucial partner for Merkel in tackling Europe's migrant crisis, had demanded Germany press charges against Boehmermann. Erdogan is known for his sensitivity to criticism and Turkish prosecutors have opened over 1,800 cases against people for insulting him since he became president in 2014. Under Germany's criminal code, insults against foreign leaders are not allowed but the government can decide whether to authorize prosecutors to go ahead. After weeks of silence, Boehmermann pulled no punches in an interview released in part on Tuesday by Die Zeit weekly. "The chancellor must not wobble when it's a matter of freedom of opinion," he told Die Zeit in the interview, which will be published in full on Wednesday. "But instead, she filleted me, served me for tea to a highly strung despot and made me into a German Ai Weiwei," he said, referring to the Chinese dissident artist. The affair, which turned into a diplomatic spat, was a headache for Merkel as it made her vulnerable to accusations she was getting too cozy with Erdogan over a controversial European Union deal with Turkey to stem the flow of refugees into Europe. Critics had already accused her of ignoring human rights violations and press freedoms in Turkey, a candidate for EU membership, in order to win its cooperation over the migrants. Merkel is widely seen as causing the problem in the first place because she described the poem to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as "deliberately insulting", something she herself has said was "in retrospect a mistake". Prosecutors in the western German city of Mainz who are dealing with the Boehmermann case said it was unclear when a decision would be made on whether to go ahead with the case. (Additional reporting by Thorsten Severin; Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Berlin (AFP) - A German couple lured women to their village home with personal contact ads, then trapped, tortured and killed at least two of them, authorities said Tuesday.

Police said they were not ruling out more deaths from what one newspaper dubbed the "house of horrors", where one woman's body was cut up and burnt in the fireplace.

The 46-year-old man, identified by Bild daily as Wilfried W., and his ex-wife, Angelika B., 47, were arrested last week, accused of tormenting a woman through almost two months of captivity.

The couple was caught after their car broke down with the badly wounded 41-year-old woman inside. She died hours later in hospital from a head injury.

On Tuesday prosecutors and police said the female suspect had admitted to at least one more killing by the couple, and to trapping several more women over the years.

The second victim was a 33-year-old woman, whose body the couple had stored in a deep-freezer, then cut into pieces and incinerated in their fireplace.

The woman had died on August 1, 2014 as a result of "severe physical abuse", in the village house in the western town of Hoexter, said chief prosecutor Ralf Meyer.

Meyer stressed that investigators could not rule out that more people were killed, although police at this stage had no evidence of further deaths.

"We are looking for more victims" who survived, said Ralf Oestermann, chief of the homicide division in the nearby city of Bielefeld.

He also told a press conference that the male suspect had denied all charges of abuse and torture and had placed all the blame on his ex-wife.

Meyer said police had no evidence of sexual abuse in the case.

The couple married in 1999 and filed for divorce in 2013, the same year the man married the 33-year-old woman who later died, police said.

Oestermann said the male suspect had also "massively abused" his co-accused ex-wife.
* Report highlights German loophole used by investors

* German government attacks 'illegitimate' scheme

* Commerzbank says to stop such services (Adds detail, background, comment)

By Arno Schuetze

FRANKFURT, May 3 (Reuters) - The German government has again criticised schemes to help foreign institutional investors avoid a dividend withholding tax, following new media allegations of their widespread use, with Commerzbank pledging on Tuesday to stop offering such services before the tax loophole is blocked by a new law.

Under current German law domestic funds can claim a credit on a 15 percent withholding tax paid on dividends which foreign funds cannot.

But a joint media investigation alleged that major funds were deliberately seeking to avoid paying the tax by lending their shares 'cum dividend' to German banks and investment funds who could make use of the dividend tax credit and taking them back days after the dividend is paid, leaving the shares entitled to the next dividend.

Newspapers Handelsblatt and the Washington Post, German public TV station Bayerischer Rundfunk and investigative journalism group ProPublica said they had uncovered the avoidance scheme in a cache of confidential documents which had been obtained by ProPublica, including emails, marketing materials, chat messages and other communications among participants in the schemes.

They said the documents also showed the loophole in German tax rules had been exploited by some of the world's largest institutional investors including Blackrock and Norway's sovereign wealth fund to cut their tax bills.

The report reignited a debate about tax avoidance in Germany, where politicians and government rounded on a scheme that Wolfgang Schaeuble's finance ministry dubbed illegitimate, even if it was not illegal.

They concluded that banks including Germany's Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank arranged the widely used tax-avoidance scheme dubbed 'dividend stripping' or 'cum cum' trades, costing the tax payer 5 billion euros ($5.8 billion) in lost revenue since 2011.

Story continues

"To make it clear: we consider the cum-cum deals illegitimate because their sole purpose is to avoid the legal taxation of dividends," a spokesman for Germany's finance ministry said.

That criticism was echoed elsewhere. "It simply can't be right that German banks are using tax loopholes to put billions of euros beyond the reach of the tax man," said Hans Michelbach, a senior German conservative lawmaker.

"This business must be stopped."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet in February drafted a law to close the loophole.

Commerzbank, which is partly owned by the state, pledged to stop offering such tax deals in anticipation of the new legislation, Chief Financial Officer Stephan Engels said on Tuesday.

Blackrock declined to comment. A spokesman for Norway's national wealth fund said that securities lending was an important part of the fund's investment strategy but it did not participate in so called "dividend arbitrage" trading in Germany.

The fund added that it has outsourced the securities lending operation to an agent, whose actions are in compliance with the German legislation.

"We do not necessarily know the motivation for borrowing, or who the end user is, but are aware that tax considerations are one of several drivers for pricing these transaction," the spokesman said.

The media reports said that other major institutional investors including Fidelity Investments and Vanguard Group had made use of the loophole, while banks including SEB, Barclays, UBS, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs , Morgan Stanley and Citigroup had helped.

All the banks declined to comment.

Vanguard said it only lent out securities in the ordinary course of its business.

"Vanguard, like many other mutual fund companies, has long engaged in securities lending - a widely accepted investment activity that Vanguard employs prudently to add value for our clients," a spokesperson said.

"Vanguard follows all applicable regulatory, tax, and legal standards related to securities lending in the markets in which our funds invest," the person added.

A spokesman for Fidelity said: "We take our responsibility towards fund shareholders very seriously and when our funds engage in securities lending, they do so for the benefit of fund shareholders and in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations." ($1 = 0.8684 euros) (Additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, Sinead Cruise in London and Matthias Sobolewski in Berlin; Editing by John O'Donnell and Greg Mahlich)
Germany is to legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes early next year, the health minister said on Tuesday.

"Our goal is that seriously ill patients are treated in the best possible way," said Hermann Groehe, who will present draft legislation to the German cabinet on Wednesday.

The draft bill comes as many parts of the world are relaxing laws on cannabis use and medicinal marijuana is gaining popularity to ease suffering from cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, Hepatitis C, Parkinson's disease and other serious conditions.

However, the issue of recreational and medical cannabis use is controversial in many countries, as opponents fear crime connected to drug abuse and addiction. Some argue pot use could lead to dependence on harder drugs.

Groehe acknowledged that cannabis was "not an inoffensive substance" and stressed that cannabis would be available from pharmacies only on prescription.

Until specially supervised plantations have been established to grow cannabis, Germany will import "medical marijuana", the minister added.

"Without wishing to pre-judge the work of the Bundestag (lower house of parliament), it is likely that the law will come into force in the spring of 2017," Groehe told German daily Die Welt.
Berlin (AFP) - A group of German radical Islamists will face trial for forming "sharia police" street patrols that told people to stop drinking, gambling and listening to music, a court said Tuesday.

The ultra-conservative Muslim group around German Salafist convert Sven Lau sparked public anger with their vigilante patrols in 2014 in the western city of Wuppertal.

A city court last December said the group would not face charges -- but a higher court has now overturned that decision, announcing that eight members of the group could face trial, without setting a date.

It sided with state prosecutors who had argued the group's orange vests with the words "Sharia Police" on them constituted a violation of a ban on uniforms at public rallies.

The state high court in Duesseldorf also found that the law -- which is aimed against militant street movements such as the early Nazi party -- could be applied in this case.

The vests had signified the group's "shared political view" that traditional Islamic law could be applied on German streets, the court found.

This implied a lifting of the separation of church and state and also evoked "militant and intimidating" religious police units that operate in some Islamic countries.

Lau, one of Germany's most prominent Islamist preachers, was arrested in December on charges of supporting a "terrorist group" fighting in Syria.

Lau is accused of supporting and recruiting fighters for the Syria-based Army of Emigrants and Supporters, which Germany lists as a terrorist organisation.
By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) - An 11-year-old girl kidnapped from the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico was found dead on Tuesday and the man suspected of abducting her was still at large, an FBI spokesman and the Navajo Nation said.

Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother were abducted after school on Monday near the community of San Juan, New Mexico, when a man driving a van offered them a ride, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Frank Fisher and a statement released by the Navajo Nation.

The boy, Ian Mike, was found walking along a highway around 7:15 p.m. local time and taken to the police department in Shiprock, the largest town on the Navajo Nation. He reported the man had taken his sister, Fisher and the Navajo Nation said.

The boy told the police the driver took them toward the Shiprock pinnacle - a rock hill that is a landmark on the Navajo Nation - hit a dead end and released the boy, telling him to go home, the Navajo Nation said. The girl's body was discovered less than 8 miles (13 km) south of the pinnacle, Fisher said.

The suspect was described by the FBI as a light-skinned Navajo male in his late 30s with short dark hair and a tear-drop tattoo under his left eye, according to the Navajo Nation. The suspect wore earrings in both ears, a long silver chain necklace, a gold watch, a black shirt and blue pants, it said.

"The sooner we get this person off the streets the better. Ashlynne's family deserves nothing less," Fisher told a news conference. "There was no reason for Ashlynne to have suffered this way."

Fisher called on the public to look for the suspect's van, which he said had sliding doors, a luggage rack and no hubcaps. The Navajo Nation said the maroon vehicle also had a broken front bumper.

Dozens of law enforcement officers took part in the search for the girl, Fisher said. "They're more determined than ever now to try to find who did it," he said in a telephone interview.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by David Schwartz in Phoenix; Editing; editing by Frances Kerry and Dan Grebler)
GLAAD, an organisation which calls for greater representation of LGBT people in the media, has challenged Disney to introduce gay characters to the Star Wars universe.



The comments come as part of GLAADs annual Studio Responsibility Index report, which overall found that LGBT characters are often reduced to being token characters.

- Famke Janssen Hopes To Return As Jean Grey

- First Look At X-Men: Apocalypses Blob

- Captain Marvel: New Casting Clue



The report took 126 films released by the top seven major Hollywood studios in 2016 and put them through the Vito Russo Test. To pass, a film needs just one significant, fleshed out LGBT character. Only 22 of the 126 had one, and of those only 8 passed the test.

Four of the studios included in the test (Sony, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate and Universal) didnt receive a "good" rating, while the remaining three (Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros and Disney) were each handed a Failing grade.

As sci-fi projects have the special opportunity to create unique worlds whose advanced societies can serve as a commentary on our own, the most obvious place where Disney could include LGBT characters is in the upcoming eighth 'Star Wars film, reads the report.

'The Force Awakens has introduced a new and diverse central trio, which allows the creators opportunity to tell fresh stories as they develop their backstory. Recent official novels in the franchise featured lesbian and gay characters that could also be easily written in to the story.

In the 11 Disney films considered for the report, not a single one featured an LGBT character.

Last year, 'The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams discussed the possibility of the gay character in 'Star Wars, saying: When I talk about inclusivity its not excluding gay characters. Its about inclusivity. So of course.

Well find out if director Rian Johnson has included any LGBT characters in 'Star Wars: Episode 8 when its released in December 2017.

Picture Credits: LucasFilm
Tesla Store Red

Tesla is having a hard time rolling out its direct-to-consumer sales strategy across the country. The biggest issue being competitionor rather, GMs fear of competition. In a recent report by Elektrek, GM is outright blocking Tesla from selling vehicles in Connecticut, and possibly elsewhere.

Bill SB3 that would allow Tesla to sell directly to consumers in Connecticut has officially been shut down. The lobbying campaign, led by General Motors and the local dealership association is to credit. But Tesla isnt backing down just yetthe automaker has already opened a showroom in the state, and will likely launch another effort next year.

RELATED: See Photos of the All-New Tesla Model 3

Tesla Hacked 3

For now, the company isnt shying away from placing the blame:

This is using the state legislators and a legislative body to prosecute a business strategy whereby they are trying to shut us down at the same time they are bringing out a competitive product, said Teslas Vice President of Business Development, Diarmud OConnell.

The free market fairness question has to be asked: General Motors decided they were going to a franchise system in the 1920s and 30s. Good for them. Why wouldnt Tesla as a free-market actor get to make the same choice now?

RELATED: The Tesla Model S Received a Facelift for 2017

Tesla Hacked 2

With Teslas ongoing issues not only in Connecticut, but across the country, another report suggests that Tesla may be taking the fight to federal court in the near future.

RELATED: See Photos of the Tesla Model X SUV




The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. GS seems to be seeking revenue opportunities as weak markets and stricter regulations have put a pressure on the investment banks traditional businesses like fixed income trading. According to a Reuters report, Goldman, which is widely focused on large companies and wealthy clients, is now eyeing less wealthy borrowers.



Citing unidentified sources, the report stated that per the New York based banks new strategy, it will to partner with small brokerages and wealth management firms for lending money to their clients. Notably, many of these clients have much less wealth, in sharp contrast with a usual Goldman private bank account. While the wealth threshold for the prospective borrowers could not be known, they are presumed to be "mass affluent" i.e. those having investable assets below $1 million.



The strategy, which is in an early stage, calls for an increase in lending activities through third-parties as Goldman currently does not intend to acquire any large brokerage firm or depository bank. With this potential strategy likely to be implemented next year, Goldman intends to have a larger borrower base in the U.S. and may extend abroad as well, without resorting to mergers or building relationships individually.



Notably, loans will further extend Goldmans offerings to outside investment managers through which the company sells its own products including mutual funds and alternative investments. Nonetheless, the new strategy seems unique in Wall Street, as usually most banks lend to their own clients.



However, the company is exposed to associated risk. This is because it will be difficult for Goldman to evaluate borrowers or their collateral assets.



The company also intends to boost margin lending that facilitates clients to borrow loan against a percentage of their assets.



The latest plans of Goldman do not come as a surprise. The company has been taking steps to boost its business. Last month, complementing its funding capabilities, Goldman completed the acquisition of the online deposit platform of GE Capital Bank, assuming around $16 billion of deposits. Further, the company plans to commence online consumer lending later this year.



Goldman currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Sell). Some better ranked stocks in the finance space include Raymond James Financial, Inc. RJF, Flagstar Bancorp Inc. FBC and Cash America International, Inc. CSH. All three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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(Recasts throughout; adds background on autonomous driving developments, executive comments)

By Bernie Woodall and David Shepardson

DETROIT/WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google unit and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV have agreed to work together to build a fleet of 100 self-driving minivans in the most advanced collaboration to date between Silicon Valley and a traditional carmaker, the companies said Tuesday.

The deal marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker "to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle," the companies said in a statement on Tuesday.

Google and Fiat Chrysler engineers will work together to fit Google's autonomous driving technology into the Pacifica minivan. Some engineers for both companies will work together at a facility in Southeast Michigan, where Fiat Chrysler has its major North American engineering center, the companies said.

Google said it is not sharing proprietary self-driving vehicle technology with Fiat Chrysler, however, and the vehicles will not be offered for sale to the public.

The agreement between Google and Fiat Chrysler comes as rival technology and auto companies are accelerating efforts to master the complex hardware and artificial intelligence systems required to allow vehicles to pilot themselves.

General Motors Co in March agreed to acquire San Francisco self-driving car startup Cruise Automation . German automakers Daimler AG, BMW AG and Volkswagen AG last year bought digital mapping company HERE to accelerate their autonomous driving development.

Some features already available on mass market cars, SUVs and trucks take steps in the direction of replacing a human driver, such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and automatic lane-keeping.

Some analysts said a self-driving minivan would make sense for testing the technology in a fleet of mass transit vehicles deployed in a controlled environment, such as a Google or Fiat Chrysler campus or a city center.

Story continues

"Minivans fit into the transportation fleets easily," said Karl Brauer, a senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "They can be a box-on-wheels and can move more humans around."

Google's self-driving car engineers had previously purchased Lexus sport utility vehicles made by Toyota Motor Corp and retrofitted sensors and other hardware into the cars on their own.

Tuesday's deal holds benefits for both companies. Fiat Chrysler has a net debt pile of 6.6 billion euros ($7.6 billion). Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne has been trying unsuccessfully for more than a year to convince reluctant rivals, including GM, to consider a merger to spread the rising costs of advanced safety and emissions technology.

Fiat Chrysler shares rose more than 2 percent in after market trading after the Google agreement was announced.

Google has said that it does not want to build self-driving vehicles on its own and has explored alliances with auto companies, but none have been finalized. Working more closely with Fiat Chrysler could help Google refine its systems as a step toward offering them in regular production cars.

The deal does not preclude either FCA or Google from cooperating with others, the companies said in their statement.

"The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive," John Krafcik, chief executive of the Google Self-Driving Car Project, said in a statement.

Collaborating with Google provides an opportunity for Fiat Chrysler "to partner with one of the world's leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry," Marchionne said in a separate statement.

The Fiat Chrysler vehicles will more than double Google's testing fleet, which currently includes about 70 Lexus SUVs and small prototype cars designed by Google. Google is now testing self-driving vehicles in four U.S. cities.

Executives at other automakers, including GM, Ford Motor and Daimler, have expressed wariness about alliances with Alphabet or other technology companies that could relegate them to the role of hardware suppliers.

John Elkann, Fiat Chrysler's chairman, in April dismissed the idea that automakers must shoulder alone the burdens of heavy investments in automated driving or ride sharing. By 2030, Elkann said, fully self-driving cars will likely account for just 15 percent of global sales.

"Boring old car makers need to figure out how to make this profitable and guard against falling into the ... trap of ignoring that business while chasing profits in other parts of the value chain," Elkann said.

(Additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak in Milan; Editing by Tom Brown)
The latest Google Doodle marks National Teacher Appreciation Day 2016 with an animation of a large pencil reading to a group of smaller pencils designed by artist Nate Swinehart.

National Teacher Appreciation Day has been celebrated during the first week of May since 1985, but its origins are murky, according to the National Education Association (NEA).

The organization says that, back in 1944, Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge started lobbying political and education leaders for a national day honoring teachers  even soliciting the help of Eleanor Roosevelt, who supported the effort.

Congress proclaimed a National Teacher Day in 1980 on March 7, and the holiday was observed in March until 1985 when NEA decided the day would officially be celebrated on the Tuesday of the first week of May.

The 2016 National Teacher Appreciation Week also happens to correspond with the 50th anniversary of TIMEs May 6, 1966, cover story on Great Teachers (which can be read here).
Gilroy-garlic-fries-header

McDonald's fries have been through a lot over the past twenty years, but they're about to experience a rebirth.

Four restaurants in the San Francisco area recently confirmed that they'd be testing a new fry known as the "Gilroy garlic fry." The fry will not only include local Gilroy garlic but other delightful toppings like parmesan and parley. Gilroy, California, is located two hours outside of San Francisco and is otherwise known as "The Garlic Capital of the World."

SEE ALSO: McDonalds 'of the future' to offer all-you-can eat fries

"The new fries are made-to-order in McDonalds kitchens where restaurant employees toss French fries in stainless steel bowls with a puree mix that includes ingredients, such as chopped Gilroy garlic and olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley and a pinch of salt," a press release read.

The chain will offer the fries as part of its larger plan to expand local food options at their franchises. Not too long ago, McDonald's experimented with mozzarella sticks in New Jersey, a cheddar bacon burger in New York and chorizo burritos in Texas.

Here is a man dressed for the occasion at Gilroy's Garlic Festival.

Image: lore e denizen/flickr

While Gilroy garlic might originate in California, garlic fries are an international delicacy enjoyed by anyone with good taste (and digestive systems). The only way those fries could improve is if they had melted cheddar on top.

Hint hint, nudge nudge, McDonald's.

The chain plans to expand it to 250 Bay Area restaurants in August if successful.

[h/t TIME]
One recent morning, Dibendyu Dutta rose at 6 a.m. to catch a three-hour train back to the city of his childhood, Kharagpur. He made for his family house, retrieved a case and brought it to the local police station. He handed over the case the police. Ten minutes, some questions and a few signatures later, it was time to get back on the train to make it home in time for dinner.

The case? It contained a gun, and Dutta, like the estimated 6 million registered gun owners in India, was performing a civic duty that would make many Americans cringe: He was forfeiting his weapon during election season. Bureaucracy! Government arms seizures! Are you weeping yet, NRA?

Duttas journey provides some insight into Indias high-scrutiny and rather strange gun laws. Yes, Americans might find the questions about liberty, security and paternalism familiar. But in India, the paternalism still rings of colonial indignity  and the bureaucracy seems very strange indeed. There are some 34 million illegal firearms dotting the national landscape, according to Gun Policy, feeding conflict zones in the northeast and here in West Bengal, and a thriving illegal trade along the Bangladesh border. In other words, the vast majority of Indias gun owners hold them illegally, sans license, registration or baroque, election-season forfeitures.

Rakshit Sharma, secretary general of the National Association for Gun Rights India (NAGRI), tells a common story of bribery associated with getting a gun. The airline captain, whos enjoyed shooting in Florida among other places, says it took three years to get licenses for his small revolver, handgun and other inherited family arms. If my family knew the right people, I would have had it within a week. Sharma says he doesnt want laws relaxed, just a bit more logical. The system is, he says, archaic, draconian, colonial.

Owners are also restricted in how many cartridges they can buy per year, meaning few could actually practice.

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Sharmas anti-gun rivals agree. The enforcement of gun laws favors the privileged, says Binalakshmi Nepram, secretary general of the Control Arms Foundation of India. (The Internal Security division of the Ministry of Home Affairs did not respond to multiple requests for comment.) That is in line with American trends too: Men tend to own more guns than women, and as Columbia University public health researchers found in a 2015 study, those who love their firearms are generally over 55 and high income.

The privilege has a different tint in India. Like the law itself, the Arms Act of 1959  which inherited its logic from British rule  many gun owners want to keep their weapons because they ring of a time when owning a small firearm marked you as part of fancy imperial circles. Dutta, for instance, doesnt know how to shoot his gun, but he keeps it because it was a gift to his grandfather from a Brit. The British felt very secure, Sharma says of their habits of gifting guns. They felt, these are the people we can work with; a commoner cannot own a gun.

Speaking of knowing how to fire, Dutta, a dentist, says he was supposed to be tested on shooting as part of the licensing process. An owner ought to know how to fire his own weapon, right? But no one ever asked Dutta to prove he knew how to use it. There were no psych screenings or probing background checks, he says. Instead, police officers asked generic profile questions  his occupation, his parents history, where he grew up, etc. Owners are also restricted in how many cartridges they can buy per year: around 25, which, Sharma says, isnt enough to practice with, meaning few could actually learn to use the weapon.

Sharma worries government discussions about toughening up the Arms Act will turn even more discriminatory. There have been other potentially misguided attempts to even the playing field  like the revolver Nirbheek, manufactured just for women, and named in tribute to Nirbhaya, the woman brutally gang-raped and murdered in Delhi in 2012. Its a small gun meant to fit in a purse. It is an insult to the memory of Nirbhaya, Nepram says. The gun costs around $2,000  unaffordable for most women whod need the weapon (if you believe in necessity). The Ordnance Factories, which manufactures the gun, did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

On an afternoon in downtown Kolkata, I knocked on the door of the D.N. Biswas and Company gun shop. The sign said Open, so I made to enter. Two attendants rushed to block my path. I peered behind one. Police? Yes. The police were there, performing an inspection, presumably poring through sales records and the like. It was election season, and paranoia was in the air. What are they looking for? I asked. Im not comfortable telling you that, one of the attendants said. Its too dangerous to speak about these things.

Related Articles
- By Tiziano Frateschi





Thanks to GuruFocus All-In-One Screener, I want to highlight stocks that have a growing dividend yield with sustainable payout ratio. This sustainability is confirmed by long-term profitability and a very strong financial situation.

CA Inc. (CA)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 56%. The yield is now .% with a payout ratio of 58%. The average ROA of the last five years has been 7.67% and ROE had an average performance of 6.59%.





The company has a current ROE of .56%, above the industry median of 6.%. Financial strength has a rating of 8/ and the cash to debt ratio of . is outperforming 7% of its competitors.

It develops and delivers software and services that help organizations manage and secure their IT infrastructures and deliver more flexible IT services.

The main guru shareholders are T Rowe Price Equity Income Fund (Trades, Portfolio), which holds .8% of outstanding shares of the company, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss with .6%, Private Capital (Trades, Portfolio) with .%, Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio) with .%, Joel Greenblatt (Trades, Portfolio) with .9%, Ken Fisher (Trades, Portfolio) with .7% and Ray Dalio (Trades, Portfolio) with .6%.

HCI Group Inc. (HCI)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 56%. The yield is now 4% with a payout ratio of %. The average ROA of the last five years has been .9% and ROE had an average performance of .7%.

The company has a current ROE of 9.59% that is outperforming 94% of other companies in the Global Insurance - Property & Casualty industry, and the ROA is .%, above the industry median of .9%. Financial strength has a rating of 7/ and a cash to debt ratio of .7.

The company provides property and casualty insurance. It faces competition from national, regional and residual market insurance companies.

Story continues

Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio), who holds .5% of outstanding shares, is the main guru investor followed by Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) with .7% and Paul Tudor Jones (Trades, Portfolio) with .7%.

Westlake Chemical Corp. (WLK)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 47%. The yield is now .6% with a payout ratio of 4%. The average ROA of the last five years has been .98% and the ROE had an average performance of .5%.

The company has a current ROE of .7% that is outperforming 85% of other companies in the Global Specialty Chemicals industry, and the ROA is .%, above the industry median that is .88%. Financial strength has a rating of 8/ and it shows a cash to debt ratio of .54 that is outperforming 6% of its competitors.

It is a manufacturer and marketer of basic chemicals, vinyls, polymers and fabricated products.

The main guru shareholders are Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) who holds .85% of outstanding shares of the company, Louis Moore Bacon (Trades, Portfolio) with .6%, Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with .%, Joel Greenblatt (Trades, Portfolio) with .7%, T Boone Pickens (Trades, Portfolio) with .8% and Pioneer Investments (Trades, Portfolio) with .5%.

Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 47%. The yield is now .% with a payout ratio of 6%. The average ROA of the last five years has been .98% and the ROE had an average performance of .5%.

The company has an ROA of 7.65% that is above the industry median of .8%. Financial strength has a rating of 6/ and cash to debt ratio of .5 that is outperforming 5% of its competitors.

It is engaged in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products, including men's, women's and children's apparel, accessories, fragrances and home furnishings.

Steven Cohen (Trades, Portfolio), who holds % of outstanding shares of the company, is the main guru shareholder followed by Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with .7%, Martin Whitman (Trades, Portfolio) with .4%, Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) with .%, Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio) with .9% and Robert Olstein (Trades, Portfolio) with .5%.

National American University Holdings Inc. (NAUH)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 9%. The yield is now 8.6% and the average ROA of the last five years has been 6.6%. ROE had an average performance of .7%.

Financial strength has a rating of 6/ with cash to debt of .4 that is underperforming 56% of its competitors. The equity to asset ratio is .58.

It is a provider of postsecondary education company working for the needs of working adults and other non-traditional students.

Pzena Investment Management Inc. (PZN)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 9%. The yield is now 4.8% with a payout ratio of 64%. The average ROA of the last five years has been 6.79% and the ROE had an average performance of 4.7%.

The company has a current ROE of 48.% that is outperforming 98% of other companies in the Global Asset Management industry and the ROA is 7.%, above the industry median that is .98%. Financial strength has a rating of 9/ with no debt and an equity to asset ratio of .6 that is below the industry median of .85.

It is an investment management company and is the sole managing member of Pzena Investment Management LLC, which is its operating company.

The main guru shareholders are Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio), who holds .75% of outstanding shares of the company, Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with .54%, Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio) with .% and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss with .%.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NOV)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 8%. The yield is now .7% with a payout ratio of 7%. The average ROA of the last five years has been 5.9% and the ROE had an average performance of 6.54%.

The company has a current ROE of 86.46% that is outperforming 99% of other companies in the Global Biotechnology industry, and the ROA is 4.%, above the industry median that is -6.9%. Financial strength has a rating of 7/ and it shows a cash to debt ratio of 9.7 that is underperforming 54% of its competitors.

Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio), who holds .5% of outstanding shares of the company, is the main guru shareholder followed by Ken Fisher (Trades, Portfolio) with .4% and Tom Gayner (Trades, Portfolio) with .4%.

Littelfuse Inc. (LFUS)

It has a dividend yield that during the last five years has grown by 7%. The yield is now .94% with a payout ratio of %. The average ROA of the last five years has been 9.85% and the ROE had an average performance of .9%.

The company has a current ROE of .% that is outperforming 7% of other companies in the Global Electronics Distribution industry and the ROA is 7.66%, above the industry median that is .99%. Financial strength has a rating of 8/ with cash to debt of .94 that is above the industry median of .45.

It is a supplier of circuit protection products for the electronics, automotive and electrical industries.

The main guru shareholders are John Rogers (Trades, Portfolio) who holds .7% of outstanding shares of the company, Columbia Wanger (Trades, Portfolio) with .8%, Ken Fisher (Trades, Portfolio) with .%, Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with .96%, Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio) with .5% and Chuck Royce (Trades, Portfolio) with .4%.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






Daveed Diggs cant remember ever watching the Tony Awards.

Well, once I did watch the part when I thought my friends category was going to be on, he said recently over chamomile tea in New Yorks Rockefeller Center. And my mom watches them, I think.

He laughed a big, hearty laugh about this, flashing his giant smile, the alluring one thats earned him troves of fans for his roles as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the record-shattering Broadway musical Hamilton.

The rapperwhose Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical was announced Tuesdaynever saw his story heading in this direction. Born in California in 1982 to a white, Jewish mother and an African-American father, Diggs forged his path into performing early on, studying theater at Brown, where he also became a track star. He spent years working as a hip hop artist, touring with his band Clipping and even sleeping on the subway overnight when he couldnt afford an apartment.

Now hes on a first-name basis with the entire Obama family, has rapped for French President Francois Hollande and rubs shoulders with celebrity theatergoers like Beyonce, Jay Z and Jamie Foxx, to name a few.

The incredible moments just keep piling up, he said. The entire day at the White House was pretty surreal. When the President says your name before you say his, its like, whoa.

Diggs plays Lafayette in the first act of the show, letting his wild hair downliterallyfor the second act as a gaudy, somewhat charming version of Jefferson, for whom he gets regularly recognized on the street.

I think Jeffersons the more recognizable character, he has more to do but also people like to choose favorites, Diggs said. Theres a Team Lafayette and a Team Jefferson.

Jefferson has been the more difficult character to embody, considering that the complicated president not only owned slaves, but most historians agree he fathered children with some of them.

Story continues

Its tricky with Jefferson because there are so many things about him that I disagree with, he said. The way that we made him function in the show is to make him incredibly charismatic.

Its this charisma thats turned what was a small hip-hop-focused fan base of Diggs into a vast array of supporters ranging in all ages, races and genders.

The funnier thing, the thing that perks my ears up, is the generational thing, when someone whose interests really predate hip hop, like someone whos in their 70s, and they say I listened to all of your songs, he said. Thats a trip.

This trip hes on is only speeding up, though, especially with his latest Tony nomination and Hamiltons record 16 nominations. Ive been an artist for my whole life, and this happens to be the thing people know me for more than anything else, but for the smaller group of people who know me from before, theyre like, what are you doing?

Diggs thinks of what hes doing as reclaiming history, both for audiences and for himself.

The impact Lafayettes and Jeffersons legacies have on Diggs is unbelievable to the actorshortly after his interview with TIME, he headed to Christies to handle Lafayettes pistols before they were auctioned off. And in a more somber way, he said he felt a stronger connection to his French character the day of the Paris attacks.

Toward the end of the first act Im yelling Freedom for America, freedom for France, and there is this political and military bond between France and the United states that I didnt know much about before the show, Diggs said. I was definitely feeling things that night on stage and there were a lot more emotions, I was tearing up.

The emotions, whether happy or sad, are only inflated by a supporting cast thats grown to be as close as a family. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the shows star and creator, is definitely the oracle of the family, Diggs says, while Anthony Ramos, who plays John Laurens and Hamiltons first son Phillip, is little brother. Chris Jackson, who plays George Washington, is pops, full of pearls of wisdom and great advice, while Renee Elise Goldsberry, who plays Angelica Schuyler, is kind of the cool aunt.

But the great thing about all of these people is that whatever role theyre taking backstage, on stage they are the most giving people. All of the hierarchy disappears, Diggs said.

His role in the family hes not even sure of, calling himself the lost puppy dog whos always slightly befuddled. He said he looks up to Phillipa Soo, who, starring as Eliza Hamilton, sings a line in the show directing her family to look around at how lucky [they] are to be alive right now.

Diggs is looking around. He just cant believe his luck.
By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA, May 3 (Reuters) - It is hard to tell whether a C$400 million ($315 million) Canadian venture capital fund will boost innovation as intended because there are few ways to measure its effectiveness, the country's top independent watchdog said on Tuesday.

The previous Conservative government set up the so-called Venture Capital Action Plan in 2013 to stem the loss of young entrepreneurs to the United States and to rekindle investor interest in providing start-up funds for new ventures.

Auditor General Michael Ferguson, who reports to parliament, said Ottawa had too few tools to measure its success.

"It is unclear what impact the government's action plan will have on venture capital and innovation," Ferguson said in a statement accompanying a probe of the fund.

The system Ottawa set up to assess the fund's performance is limited and is not due to formally start monitoring progress until 2021, he added.

"This will not provide information early enough to support important decisions such as whether to launch a similar program in future," said Ferguson.

Monitoring should be boosted to include data on how many companies who received funding were successfully floated, their export growth and financial performance as well as how many new patents they had registered, he added.

The C$400 million was used to establish two new, private-sector-led national "funds of funds" to invest in other venture-capital funds, to recapitalize existing large private sector-led funds of funds and to invest in four existing, high-performing venture-capital funds in Canada.

Ferguson suggested the plan be changed to allow public sector partners to end their participation while the funds were still operating.

"An early exit of the public sector partners could send a strong signal of the private sector partners' confidence that their returns at termination will be sufficient," he said.

Ottawa wanted the funds to spur investment in such sectors as digital media, information technology, clean tech and telecommunications.

Story continues

Private sector backers include Richardson GMP, Open Text Corp, Royal Bank of Canada, BMO Financial Group , Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto-Dominion Bank and Bank of Nova Scotia.

Ferguson said the government initially had trouble attracting private sector investors, who complained about low returns, strict international regulatory requirements and high management fees.

He also said there had been "significant shortcomings" in the selection process for fund managers which meant it was not fair, open and transparent.

The government was due to react later on Tuesday.

($1=$1.27 Canadian) (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Frances Kerry)
899edf3b159a449db1b7fe27a934c18f

There has certainly been a lot of talk about Americans wanting to move to a different country if Republican tycoon Donald Trump becomes president of the United States.

Much of the talk has been about moving to Canada, an easy escape up north with the bonus of dreamy Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, or far flung places such as New Zealand, where the healthcare is free and the scenery is beautiful.

SEE ALSO: Stop taking photos and go inside the most Instagrammed site in Australia

Yet none of these countries have yet to actually extend a hand to exasperated Americans who really, really don't want a Trump presidency.

Australian councillor and journalist Stephen Mayne is changing that, by filing a motion to help encourage U.S. companies to move their headquarters to Melbourne, Australia. The motion will be debated by the city's council on Tuesday night.

"Why would you want to live in a country where so many people think Donald Trump is good? Come to Australia where 80 percent of people think he's a jerk," Mayne told The Age.



melbourne

Image: De Agostini/Getty Images

Maybe's submission points out that a Trump U.S. presidency could be a boon for equivalent economies like Australia.

"Whilst Trump's rise clearly represents a threat to world peace and stability, it also creates opportunities for stable, peace-loving, US-aligned, English speaking countries such as Australia," Mayne writes in his submission.

The passing of the motion will allow the council's Future Melbourne Committee to authorise a councillor to write to 15 of the largest U.S. based companies urging them to make their move to the city  excluding weapons manufacturers, gambling companies and large carbon emitters.

"We are home to people from more than 200 countries, who speak 260 languages and dialects and practice 135 religious faiths  all living harmoniously together," the submission adds.

Story continues

The city also boasts a high number of international students at its universities, featuring world-class sporting infrastructure and a lot of free space in the Docklands area to set up, as highlighted in Mayne's submission.

A perfect city for companies "who don't fancy retaining their global headquarters in a country led by someone as embarrassing and offensive as Donald Trump," according to the submission.

Did we mention that Melbourne is an excellent city for nightlife, and possesses some really good coffee too? If you hate Trump, come quick.
Silicon Valley

On Sunday night, a new episode of HBO's "Silicon Valley" highlighted a very pressing issue faced by plenty of real-world startups as they struggle to stay alive long enough to find a business model that actually works.

Here's a longer, funnier story made short.

(No, seriously, you should probably go watch "Silicon Valley" first, as this will make it sound like a super-serious business drama, which it definitely is not.)

Anyway, in the latest episode, titled "Two in the Hand," Pied Piper founder and CTO Richard Hendricks sees the company and its data-compression algorithm as a kind of one-in-a-million chance to actually change the world. He wants to give the Pied Piper technology away free and turn users into paying customers later, likening his strategy to that of Dropbox.

But CEO Jack "Action" Barker, a veteran businessman installed by the company's board of directors, is more focused on the company's valuation and cash flow. He wants to sell the product directly to big businesses, and soon. And he's willing to ruthlessly cut features from the product if it will make it easier to explain and faster to sell.

Baker says:

Pied Piper's product is its stock. Whatever makes the value of the stock go up is what we are going to make. Maybe sometime in the future we can change the world and perform miracles and all of that stuff. I hope we do. But like I told you before, I am not going to mortgage the present for that.

So here's the tricky part, in the show and in real life: Both the engineering-driven Hendricks and the more business-minded Baker are correct.

The case for the enterprise

To use the show's own example, just look at Dropbox. The file-sharing startup boasts 500 million users, with 1.2 billion files uploaded each day.

But some industry observers wonder whether Dropbox will be able to turn that huge adoption into revenue  whether consumers will ever spend enough on upgrading their Dropbox storage past the free plan to justify the company's $10 billion valuation. Indeed, the graveyards of tech are full of startups that tried to give their product away free and then found they couldn't monetize.

Story continues

Drew Houston

To plug that gap, Dropbox has spent much of the past few years building out its enterprise product for big businesses. Unlike consumers, enterprises buy in bulk and will often accept a long-term, multiyear contract in exchange for some kind of discount.

To take it back to the show, this means the business-focused Baker is right. If you want to make a lot of money really quickly, building a successful product for business customers is a great way to do it. It is telling that the chat startup Slack, the fastest company to ever reach a $1 billion valuation, is focused on the workplace.

Business is hard

The problem is that building enterprise software is really difficult. Corporate IT departments won't approve any purchase unless the product meets extremely exacting criteria around security, reliability, and ability to fit into existing infrastructure.

Furthermore, they want all purchases to come from a vendor they trust. After all, customers who are signing multiyear contracts want to make sure that a startup won't expire before the deal does. Combined, all of this means that enterprises can take months, or even years, to decide to buy a new piece of technology.

Even the beloved Dropbox is under a ton of scrutiny on whether it can make a dent in enterprise, and an inability to do so would be a huge indictment of its whole business.

GitHub co-founder Chris Wanstrath

But as Hendricks finds out on Sunday's episode, focusing on the enterprise means sacrificing a certain ability to stay on the bleeding edge.

As an engineer, it means solving hard problems, sure, but not problems that are exciting to anybody outside the CIO's office. In the show, focusing on the enterprise means not building cool features like Pied Piper's neural net and artificial intelligence, instead building in extra security and data isolation. It deflates Hendricks and his team.

Back in reality, the $2 billion startup GitHub found that going after the enterprise required an uncomfortable focus on suits, ties, and building a professional sales team, which stood in opposition to its hoodies-and-sneakers roots. A bunch of GitHub executives ultimately left, and the company changed course back to focusing on its more grassroots community of users.

The case against both

In the long run, consumer companies generally have a higher value, simply by virtue of reaching more users. Pied Piper, in the show's reality, has the potential to save bandwidth and data storage costs for people all over the world.

It's definitely possible to generate lots of revenue from consumers  look at Apple, Google and Facebook  but it's really quite difficult. Consumers are notoriously fickle, and a service (Snapchat) or product (iPhone) that's hot today could very well be a bust tomorrow.

Snapchat billboard

Similarly, enterprise startups are never a sure thing, either. Even if you build an enterprise technology that businesses actually love, it's no indicator that it'll last forever. Just look at BlackBerry, which got totally flattened by the iPhone.

And so, Baker and Hendricks are both a little right and a little wrong.

The enterprise is a great way to make money, but it carries an extremely difficult set of challenges for little glory. And going after consumers is exciting and can potentially change the world, but it's also really hard to make money that way. There's no magic formula in the tech business.

NOW WATCH: These real-life robocops are patrolling the streets of Silicon Valley





More From Business Insider


By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health)  Alcohol-dependent people quickly process nicotine in their bodies and that may make it more difficult to quit smoking, suggests a small study of Polish men. We didnt measure what was happening when people were drinking, but after they stopped, their elevated rate of nicotine metabolism slowly subsided, said lead author Noah R. Gubner of the Center for tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco. When nicotine metabolism is higher, people tend to have a harder time quitting smoking, Gubner told Reuters Health by phone. If two people are trying to quit smoking and using a nicotine patch, the person with a faster nicotine metabolism will clear the chemical from their body faster and feel the desire to smoke again sooner, he said. In 2011 and 2012, the researchers studied 22 white male smokers at an inpatient alcohol addiction treatment center in Poland. They analyzed participants' urine samples to gauge nicotine levels and metabolism at one, four and seven weeks after detoxing from alcohol. The speed of nicotine processing declined by about half over the seven-week period, even though the men did not change how many cigarettes they were smoking per day. The researchers write in Drug and Alcohol Dependence that heavy alcohol use may trigger the enzyme in the body primarily responsible for metabolizing nicotine. And faster nicotine processing could explain the poor rates of quitting smoking among people who are alcohol dependent. The results might be useful for helping recovering alcoholics quit smoking, they add. More research is needed to know if nicotine replacement therapy is more effective after people stop heavy drinking, however. Quitting alcohol and quitting smoking are complicated undertakings, and nicotine and alcohol could have some synergistic effects on reward and pleasure, Gubner said. Also, heavy drinking can affect decision-making, including the decision to smoke less or not at all. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1SLaSut Drug and Alcohol Dependence, online April 14, 2016.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Steelmakers in China's Hebei province have built new plants in contravention of state measures aimed at tackling overcapacity, and have kept mills running that should have been shut down, China's pollution watchdog said on Tuesday. The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) said Hebei, home to much of China's heavy industry, had made some progress in curbing smog and improving water quality, but it was still not putting enough pressure on local governments to meet environmental standards and shut down polluting industries. In a notice posted on its website (http://www.mep.gov.cn), the ministry singled out firms in the major steelmaking city of Tangshan for illegally expanding ferroalloy production capacity. It said "fraudulent practices" continued to take place, while new power plants were also being approved in the province despite Hebei's plans to cut coal consumption. China has been pushing to cut overcapacity in its steel industry, but a jump in steel prices has encouraged many producers to ramp up production, potentially exacerbating a global steel glut that has sparked trade friction. Hebei produces around a quarter of China's steel, and according to official rankings is home to seven of the country's 10 smoggiest cities. Although the province has been on the frontline of China's "war on pollution", the environment in some of its regions had continued to deteriorate, the ministry said. From 2013 to 2015, the province shut down 200 illegal enterprises and detained 123 people for breaching environmental laws, the ministry said. The province pledged to shed 60 million tonnes of outdated steel capacity over the 2013-2017 period, and also aims to slash coal consumption by 40 million tonnes a year over the four years as part of its efforts to improve air quality. Hebei's total crude steel capacity stood at 286 million tonnes in 2014 and it aims to bring that down to 200 million tonnes by 2020. It produced 188.3 million tonnes last year, up 1.3 percent from 2014 and amounting to 23.4 percent of the national total. (Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Richard Pullin)
From House Beautiful

It's time to make that beach house you always dreamed of a reality. Scientists just found evidence that waterfront living provides more than picture-perfect views and a cool sea breeze. Just looking at the ocean actually reduces stress and improves wellbeing.

It may seem obvious, but the recent study from Health & Place helps researchers understand nature's powerful therapeutic capabilities. Just a few weeks ago, another group of scientists found that women who reside in greener areas (like forests) actually live longer. Their findings inspired an investigation into the health benefits of "blue spaces," such as oceans or lakes.

Using national databases, the scientists found that New Zealand residents reported less "psychological distress" if they lived near visible coastlines. For extra validation, they then tested whether the benefit correlated with money (after all, living on the water isn't cheap!) but even after controlling for income, crime rates, and other factors, the effect held true.

Call it a score for Mother Nature - and an excuse to start dreaming up the ideal oceanfront getaway.

[h/t Mashable]
Campaigning in coal country, Hillary Clinton said that shes sorry for vowing earlier this year to put coal miners out of business.

During a roundtable discussion in West Virginia on Monday, the Democratic frontrunner was pressed by an unemployed coal worker over comments she made at a debate in March, when she said, Were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.

Bo Copley, a West Virginian who recently lost his coal mining job, questioned how Clinton could made such a vow and then come in here and tell us how youre going to be our friend.

Copley, a registered Republican, then pointed to dozens of demonstrators  some of them Donald Trump supporters  who had come to protest Clintons appearance in coal country.

Hillary Clinton speaks to unemployed coal worker Bo Copley and his wife during a campaign event in West Virginia on Monday. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)



Those people out there dont see you as a friend, he said.

The former secretary of state insisted that she had misspoken.

What I said was totally out of context from what I meant because I have been talking about helping coal country for a very long time, Clinton said. What I was saying is that the way things are going now, we will continue to lose jobs. Thats what I meant to say.

She added: I do feel a little bit sad and sorry that I gave folks the reason or the excuse to be so upset with me because that is not what I intended at all.

At the March 13 Democratic forum in Columbus, Ohio, Clinton was asked to explain to poor whites in rural states why they should vote for her instead of a Republican like Trump.

We have serious economic problems in many parts of our country, she said at the town-hall style meeting. Instead of dividing people the way Donald Trump does, lets reunite around policies that will bring jobs and opportunities to all these underserved poor communities. So for example, Im the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country, because were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.

Story continues

Supporters of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump gather outside a Clinton campaign event in West Virginia on Monday. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)



Clinton continued: Were going to make it clear that we dont want to forget those people. Those people labored in those mines for generations, losing their health, often losing their lives to turn on our lights and power our factories. Now weve got to move away from coal and all the other fossil fuels, but I dont want to move away from the people who did the best they could to produce the energy that we relied on.

On Monday, Clinton admitted that those remarks will be pretty difficult for her to overcome in West Virginias upcoming Democratic primary.

A poll of West Virginia voters conducted in February  weeks before Clintons coal industry comments  showed Clinton trailing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by 28 points. The same poll showed Trump with a 20-point lead over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Mountain State.
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday that he was opposed at this stage to concluding the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union and the United States. "As things stand in the international trade negotiations, the French position is 'no'," Hollande said in a speech in Paris. Earlier on Tuesday French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said a halt to the trade talks was now likely. France has been particularly vocal about what it sees as a lack of movement on the U.S. side. (Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Ninad Ambre

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) has recently announced their sales figures for April 2016, which show a decline in sales of 17 per cent as against April 2015. Not deterred by the average sales numbers, the carmaker is banking on the soon-to-be-launched BR-V to revive their sales performance.

HCIL sold 10,486 units overall in the domestic market last month, in comparison to the 12,636 cars they sold in the same month last year. The exports were also down to 496 units as compared to 853 units a year ago. Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales for Honda believes that the ongoing ban on diesel cars has had an impact on the consumer sentiment. There has been a quick shift in the consumer preferences from diesel to petrol cars. This has led to a mismatch in the demand and availability of variants.

Nevertheless, HCIL is taking corrective measures to address this situation and meet the right demand. In addition, the Honda BR-Vs impending launch at a competitive price should stir up the market and increase the demand for the vehicle. This could also see a return of the strong sales pace for the manufacturer that has been seen a constant dying down in sales numbers. Lets hope and see if Honda prices the BR-V very competitively, which will be clear on May 5 when the variant-wise prices are announced.

Click here to read our First Drive review of the Honda BR-V

Honda BR-V

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

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By Gustavo Palencia TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduran police have arrested four people in connection with the killing of environmental and indigenous rights activist Berta Caceres, including an employee of a company whose project she helped block, the attorney general's office said on Monday. Caceres, 43, who fought to stop the construction of hydroelectric plants and mines on indigenous territory, was fatally shot in La Esperanza, Honduras, in early March, sparking domestic and international outrage. One suspect was a man working for Desarrollos Energeticos, or DESA, a local firm behind the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project that Caceres managed to bring to a halt after mobilizing residents and activists, the attorney general's office said. Hidroelectrica Agua Zarca, a unit of DESA, said in a statement it was surprised that the man, identified as Sergio Rodriguez, had been arrested and that it had no "material nor intellectual" connection with the killing of Caceres. It described Rodriguez as a manager working in social and environmental issues. The company added it had been cooperating with authorities in their inquiries since the outset. Two of the other suspects were soldiers, one on active duty and the other now retired, a spokesman for the armed forces, Lenin Gonzalez, told reporters. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez congratulated the investigators and reiterated his pledge to see justice served. But prosecutors have yet to put forward an official explanation for what motivated the killing. Caceres, who had previously received death threats, won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015 for her efforts to prevent the construction of a $50 million dam that threatened to displace hundreds of indigenous people. (Additional reporting by Enrique Pretel; Writing by Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein; Editing by Dave Graham and Peter Cooney)
For the majority of Hong Kongers, the notion of breaking away from mainland China is far-fetched -- but pro-independence leader Andy Chan insists it can become a reality as fears grow Beijing is tightening its grip.

Critics cast young activists such as Chan, who set up the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) in March, as naive political novices without a workable strategy, campaigning for the unattainable.

But while many in the city may believe the independence mission is futile, the discussion of what was largely a taboo subject in Hong Kong has now undeniably become part of its political narrative as frustrations increase, particularly among younger generations.

"The Chinese Communist Party will never give us democracy, so I decided to cut off from them... that's the reason that I pursue independence," Chan, 25, told AFP.

"Why can they decide our fate and destiny, even though we are two different groups (of people)?"

Chan says his party has 30 core members, all of whom are under 30-years-old.

HKNP's brazen pro-independence stance has drawn ire from Beijing and authorities in Hong Kong, who have warned campaigning for a breakaway will damage the city's future prosperity and say that advocating independence could result in unspecified "action according to the law".

Chan remains undeterred.

"Hong Kong will be an independent country, I don't know when, but it will happen," he says.

Hong Kong is self-governing and retains liberties not seen on the mainland under a "one country, two systems" deal, made before the city was handed back to China by colonial power Britain in 1997.

Under the arrangement, Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status is guaranteed for 50 years -- but Beijing sees the concept of eventual independence as unthinkable.

- 'Deny your nationality' -

Tall, bespectacled and softly spoken, Chan studied engineering and business -- he gave up his job as a sales engineer to found the party.

Story continues

HKNP taps in to growing antipathy towards authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong since the failure of massive pro-democracy protests in 2014 to win political reform.

The negative sentiment has been exacerbated by growing influence from Beijing in a range of areas, from politics to the media -- including the disappearances of five Hong Kong booksellers who resurfaced on the mainland.

The men all worked for a publishing house that produced salacious titles about political intrigue and love affairs at the highest levels of Chinese politics.

Young activists are now increasingly pushing for more autonomy from China as part of a new "localist" movement, which sees Hong Kong as a separate society and culture.

Although not all localists are campaigning for independence, some see it as the only solution -- and have said they are not afraid to use violence to achieve their goal.

Chan is unequivocal that Hong Kongers must fundamentally rethink their sense of identity to survive.

"We speak Cantonese, they speak Mandarin, we use common law and they don't, we have our culture, our religions, our lifestyles which are greatly different from the Chinese region," Chan said.

"Hong Kong people have to deny their Chinese nationality."

The idea of independence is gaining support, Chan says: one pro-independence localist leader took more than 60,000 votes in a recent parliamentary by-election.

While he would not divulge his own party's plans or political strategy, Chan describes its members as "revolutionary".

"(Going to) jail, we are ready for that because we are fighting for our freedom and our future," he told AFP.

HKNP has already faced hurdles after authorities refused its application to register as a company, making it difficult to run in legislative elections in September.

But Chan says he is still considering competing for a parliamentary seat, buoyed by his belief that momentum for the independence movement is growing.

"Hong Kong is ready to be a country," he says.

"More and more people realise that 'one country two systems'...is not viable."
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HII is set to release first-quarter 2016 results on May 5, before the opening bell. In the preceding quarter, the company had delivered a negative earnings surprise of 2.61%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.









Why a Likely Positive Surprise?



Our proven model shows that Huntington Ingalls is likely to beat estimates this season because it has the right combination of two key ingredients.



Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at +0.47%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate is $2.12 while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged lower at $2.11 per share. A favorable Zacks ESP serves as a meaningful indicator of a likely positive surprise.



Zacks Rank: Huntington Ingalls currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Note that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 have a significantly higher chance of beating estimates. Conversely, Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) should never be considered going into an earnings announcement.



The combination of Huntington Ingalls Zacks Rank #2 and +0.47% ESP makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat this season.



What's Driving the Better-than-Expected Results?



The largest military shipbuilder in the U.S., Huntington Ingalls is the prime industrial employer in Virginia. Huntington Ingalls is the sole designer and manufacturer of nuclear powered aircraft carriers in the U.S. Over 70% of the active U.S. Navy fleet consists of Huntington Ingalls ships.



The shipbuilding business outlook remains strong given the enacted fiscal 2016 budget and the fiscal 2017 proposal. Huntington Ingalls shipbuilding programs that were funded by the enacted 2016 budget comprised the construction of LPD-28 and the 9th National Security Cutter or NSC as well as accelerated development of LX(R) by two years. This will have a positive bearing on the companys first quarter results.



Huntington Ingalls maintains stable liquidity and capital resources to fund its operations. The companys net cash from operating activities in 2015 increased 15.6% year over year to $828 million. Free cash flow was $640 million in 2015, up 16.2% year over year. On the other hand, Huntington Ingalls long-term debt dropped 18.5% to $1,273 million as of Dec 31, 2015, from end 2014.



A stable financial position backed by a strong cash generation capacity enables Huntington Ingalls to follow a disciplined capital spending program.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 is $2.11 a share, reflecting a rise of 48.5% year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is at $1,591 million, implying growth of 1.3% year over year.



Other Defenses Releases



Pentagons prime contractor, Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT, reported adjusted first-quarter 2016 earnings of $2.58 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.51 by 2.8%.



Northrop Grumman NOC reported first-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings of $2.77 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.47 by 12.1%. Earnings also increased 29.4% from $2.14 per share in the year-ago quarter on higher sales volume.



General Dynamics Corporation GD announced first-quarter 2016 earnings from continuing operations of $2.34 per share, comfortably surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate and the year-ago figure of $2.14 by 9.3%.



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
By Dave McKinney CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Democratic bid to transfer the highly coveted political power of drawing legislative boundaries from state lawmakers to the Democratically controlled Illinois Supreme Court overwhelmingly passed the state House of Representatives on Tuesday. The proposed amendment to Illinois' constitution sailed through the House on a 105-7 vote and now must be approved by a three-fifths majority in the state Senate by Friday in order to be placed on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Since Democrats controlled the state legislature and the governors office after the 2010 census, they won the once-a-decade right to draw new legislative district boundaries. The process enabled the party to build super-majorities in both the Senate and House. The power we presently have is only to protect incumbents, said Representative Jack Franks, a Democrat from Chicagos far northwest suburbs who sponsored the amendment. Republican Governor Bruce Rauner campaigned to take away legislative redistricting responsibilities from the General Assembly but instead backs a different proposal. Under Franks plan, the Illinois Supreme Court would appoint an eight-member redistricting commission to oversee the drawing of 118 House districts and 59 state Senate districts beginning with the 2022 elections. Critics disliked how Franks' amendment mutes the General Assemblys voice in the process. Whats dangerous about what were doing (is that) we as a legislative branch are ceding our authority to a co-equal branch of government, said Representative Christian Mitchell, a Chicago Democrat who voted against the amendment. If the plan clears the Senate, the result could be two competing redistricting proposals on the fall ballot, a scenario Rauner has warned would confuse voters. The initiative Rauner backs is being pushed by a bipartisan coalition that includes Republican former Governor Jim Edgar and former White House Chief of Staff William Daley, brother and son of two of Chicagos longest-serving Democratic mayors. That group, known as Independent Maps, proposes a system where a bi-partisan, 11-member commission would be stocked through a random and public screening process overseen by the state auditor general from a pool of 100 finalists. (Reporting by Dave McKinney; Editing by David Gregorio)
From Seventeen

Dakota Yorke, an 18-year-old senior at Portage High School near Chicago, is fulfilling her childhood dream of running for prom queen.

She's identified "as a girl more than a boy" since early childhood, her mother Dawn Yorke told the Chicago Tribune. After years of bullying in middle school, she found a supportive group of friends in high school and felt more comfortable expressing herself.

As a child, Dakota dreamed of wearing the prom queen's sash and tiara. Earlier this spring, she asked school officials if she would be able to run. When they approved her request, she was overjoyed.

"I saw my name on the bulletin board and I cried," Dakota told the Tribune, the day she discovered she's one of four finalists for the crown based on votes from her classmates.

This time last year, Dakota attended her junior prom dressed in a tuxedo, presenting as a guy. She recalled feeling a sense of dysphoria.

"I felt embarrassed," she told the Tribune.

Over the past year, she's transitioned - and she's blossomed. She's made spectacular progress in her cosmetology classes, and dreams of moving to Los Angeles to become a makeup artist. For the most part, everyone in her life has been supportive; she only receives hateful comments online.

"I've been real lucky with people understanding me, and me not having to explain my pronouns," she said.

Her classmates are excited to vote for her.

Last weekend, Dakota bought a prom dress. But her big night, May 7, is about more than just the opportunity to represent her class as prom queen.

"This is not about winning that crown," Dakota told the Tribune. "For other transgender teens, this is about following your dreams and being who you are, not who people think you are."

For more from Dakota, check out her video for the Tribune, where she explains the journey to becoming the confident, happy young woman she is today.
Sydney (AFP) - A rare violet diamond, the largest of its kind ever found at Australia's remote Argyle mine, will be the centrepiece of Rio Tinto's annual pink diamonds showcase, the company said Tuesday.

The rough gem, discovered in August 2015 at a mine where more than 90 percent of the world's pink and red jewels are produced, originally weighed 9.17 carats and had etchings, pits and crevices.

After weeks of assessment, the Argyle Violet was polished down to a 2.83 carat, oval-shaped diamond.

"Impossibly rare and limited by nature, the Argyle Violet will be highly sought after for its beauty, size and provenance," Rio Tinto Diamonds general manager of sales, Patrick Coppens, said in a statement.

Rio Tinto did not put a figure on its worth, but said it had been assessed by the Gemological Institute of America as a notable diamond with the colour grade of Fancy Deep Greyish Bluish Violet.

It is not known how diamonds acquire their coloured tinge but it is thought to come from a molecular structure distortion as the jewel forms in the earth's crust or makes its way to the surface.

Diamonds for sale as part of the annual Argyle pink diamonds tender can fetch US$1-2 million a carat. As a basic rule of thumb, pink and red diamonds are worth about 50 times more than white diamonds.

Rio Tinto said violet diamonds were extremely rare with only 12 carats of polished stone produced for the tender in 32 years.

"This stunning violet diamond will capture the imagination of the world's leading collectors and connoisseurs," Argyle pink diamonds manager Josephine Johnson said.

The 2016 tender will begin private trade viewings in June and travel to Copenhagen, Hong Kong and New York, Rio Tinto said.
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Abundant rain last week in some of Ivory Coast's cocoa regions should support the growth of small pods during the mid-crop but hot weather and a lack of moisture is likely to prevent flowers from turning into pods elsewhere, farmers said on Tuesday. Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer and its mid-crop runs from April to September. But a long dry season is weighing on the crop and upland farmers said the harvest remained modest with small beans. In the southern region of Divo, farmers said it had not rained in the last week and hot weather had not helped. "There are lots of flowers on the trees. (But) one fears that the strong heat is stopping them from transforming into pods because of a lack of regular and abundant rain," said Amadou Diallo, who farms on the outskirts of Divo. "The humidity is not sufficient. If there is a lot of rain this month we should have a good harvest between July and September," he said. In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, an analyst reported 24 millimetres of rain in the last week, compared with 11 mm the previous week. "These rains are good to bring out the flowers, but not enough to improve the quality of the beans in the next two months," said Kouassi Kouame, who farms on the outskirts of Soubre. In the centre-west region of Daloa, which produces one quarter of national output, farmers reported heavy rain. Farmer Denis Koffi said the mid-crop could be plentiful within the next two months if the right conditions prevail. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and David Evans)
By Anuradha Nagaraj CHENNAI, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Kasthuri Munirathinam crawled out of the window of a second floor apartment in Riyadh, she was scared for her life. The 55-year-old Indian housemaid from the southern state of Tamil Nadu was determined to escape from her employer's apartment where she worked as a domestic help. She had been in Saudi Arabia for just two months, one of thousands of Indians heading to the Gulf states every year for work, but was terrified she would never see her family again. "I thought they would kill me. I had to escape. I wasn't given enough to eat. They had my wages, my passport, my phone," Munirathinam told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview in her home in Vellore, 150 km (90 miles) from Chennai. Munirathinam's desperate bid to escape last September hit international headlines after the housemaid said her employer had chopped her hand off in the affray, with the injury resulting in an operation to amputate her arm. Videos and photos of Munirathinam lying in a hospital bed, her arm heavily bandaged, prompted India's foreign ministry to complain to the Saudi Arabian authorities about the attack although the exact details remain unclear. Saudi police said Munirathinam's arm was amputated due to injuries she sustained in the fall from the building. Munirathinam is still waiting for action to be taken against her employer. Phone calls and emails to the Saudi Arabian embassy in New Delhi and the Indian mission in Riyadh on the issue went unanswered. "I became a dependent who needs assistance to even comb my hair ... and to think my journey to the Gulf was in the capacity of a breadwinner for my family," she said tearfully. "Some official (from the government hospital in Chennai) called and said I could get a free prosthetic arm. But going to the hospital would mean hiring a taxi and we can't afford it." Munirathinam's widely reported story has put a human face to the dilemma faced by many Indian workers, particularly women - whether to leave their villages to take up jobs overseas paying up to three times more than in India but putting their fate in the hands of recruitment agents. Government figures show there are an estimated six million Indian migrants in the six Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman. In 2015, more than 700,000 Indians moved to the Gulf states where domestic help is in high demand. BETTER PAID JOBS Indians from Tamil Nadu and neighboring Kerala have traditionally traveled to the Gulf states for work but in recent years, India's foreign ministry has also opened offices in the northern Indian states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Munirathinam said she decided to go overseas to work when her family racked up debts of 30,000 rupees($450) by taking out loans to fund her daughters' weddings and to build a house. "There was no choice and the agent said there would be no problem. I trusted him and he promised I would get $250 every month," she said. The average monthly salary for a domestic help in Tamil Nadu or India is about 5000 rupees ($75). Like Munirathinam, many migrant workers move in a bid to support their families at home - but taking these higher paid, oversea jobs can actually add to their financial burden. A migration survey by the Tamil Nadu state government released in 2015 showed that a migrant spends an average of 108,112 rupees ($1,600) to a secure a job overseas, with half going to recruitment agencies and the rest for visas and travel. But the survey of 20,000 households also revealed that 39 percent of women and 21 percent of men who work abroad reported not receiving the promised wages. "It is a cycle of no food, no rest and no promised wages," says Clarammal Panipitchai, convenor of the Tamil Nadu Domestic Workers Union. "In a recent case, a woman from Tuticurin in Tamil Nadu tried to commit suicide. That was her ticket back home." Munirathinam remembers her journey vividly and her agent unexpectedly switching her destination to Riyadh from Dubai. "We were flown to Sri Lanka. There were so many of us from different states. We spent three days there and were then put on flights to different countries," she said. Since the 1980s, India has signed various agreements with the Gulf states to address the protection and welfare of Indian workers but even a new series of agreements was not seen by campaigners as likely to stop human trafficking. Last month, India's foreign ministry said the latest accord with the UAE would ensure rapid investigations and prosecutions of traffickers and safeguard the rights of victims. But activists say these agreements are unlikely to change the situation for the millions who travel for work but end up trapped in abusive situations with employers taking away their identity documents. "The bilateral agreements are focused on ensuring more people get jobs and bring back remittances, but not protecting the worker and his basic rights," says Bernard D'Sami, coordinator of the non-government Arunodhaya Migrant Initiative in Chennai, which works on labor issues arising out undocumented migration. "People arrive at the destination country to find no labor contract and no valid work permit. At the end of 90 days, when their tourist visa expires, they are undocumented people in a foreign land. That's when the hell begins." In response to a query in India's parliament in March, the External Affairs Ministry said their diplomatic missions in all six Gulf states had registered complaints of physical abuse, maltreatment, non-payment of salary, and other grievances. Indian officials took up 538 cases in Kuwait in 2015 and 282 cases of physical abuse in Saudi Arabia. Figures for the other states were not available. But for Munirathinam any changes that happen come too late. "My arm was amputated, there was promise of justice and I was flown back home, right back to the circumstances that had forced me to take up the job," she said. (Reporting by Anuradha Nagaraj, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
Guwahati (India) (AFP) - Indian police said Tuesday they have arrested four forest guards on suspicion of helping to cover up rhino poaching in a national park visited by Britain's Prince William and his wife last month.

The arrests relate to an incident last year, but came as wildlife officials said a gang of poachers armed with automatic weapons had killed another rhino on Monday in the Kaziranga National Park in the northeastern state of Assam.

The four arrested guards were suspected of covering up the killing of a rhino last November, Kaziranga wildlife warden Suvasish Das told AFP by telephone.

Police said they had failed to report the killing and had buried the carcass with its horn removed.

"Based on specific information, we managed to recover the carcass on Monday after digging up the site," said a senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"This led to the arrest of seven people including the four forest guards."

The other three are locals living around the park, home to the world's largest concentration of rare one-horned rhinoceros.

At least seven rhinos have been killed there so far this year. Across the state, the figure is 13.

Images of the park, a major tourist attraction, shot around the world last month when Britain's Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went on safari and fed rhino and elephant calves there during a tour of India and neighbouring Bhutan.

The state's forests minister Atuwa Munda said he had ordered an investigation into the alleged collusion of forest guards in poaching.

"We will take stern action against anyone found (to be involved) in incidents of rhino poaching," he said.

Kaziranga has fought a sustained battle against rhino poachers who kill the animals for their horns, which fetch huge prices in China and Vietnam where they are deemed to have aphrodisiac and cancer-curing qualities.

A recent census estimated there were 2,500 one-horned rhinos in the park out of a global population of around 3,300.
Indian police detained three people Tuesday over the brutal rape and murder of a young student in a case echoing the 2012 gang-rape of a Delhi woman that sparked mass protests.

Police said the attack on the 30-year-old law student from the lowest Dalit caste was so vicious she was found lying dead in a pool of blood, her intestines hanging out.

Her mother discovered her body at the family home in the southern state of Kerala.

"The suspect attacked and murdered her brutally and fled the scene quickly," said police inspector general Mahipal Yadav, who is heading the investigation into the case.

"There are indications that her intestines came out after severe violation by some foreign object," Yadav told AFP.

Kerala home minister Ramesh Chennithala said police had registered a case of rape and murder and detained three people for questioning.

"Police have booked a case of rape and murder... today three people were taken into custody for interrogation," he told the NDTV news network.

"Police are working very hard on this case, we will bring all the culprits to book within no time. There will be no laxity."

Protesters staged a demonstration in state capital Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, many covering their mouths with black handkerchiefs and carrying placards demanding justice for the victim.

The attack drew comparisons with the fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in 2012, which shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of sexual violence against women.

It led to an overhaul of India's rape laws, including the speeding up of trials and tougher penalties for offenders, but high numbers of assaults persist.

The most recent official figures show that 36,735 rapes were reported across the country in 2014, although activists say the true number is likely much higher, with many crimes going unreported due to the social stigma they attract.

Social media users took to Twitter to express their outrage over the latest incident.

"The horror of the Kerala rape cannot and should not be silenced, elections or no elections. Justice must be delivered swiftly," wrote author Advaita Kala.
In Indiana, the script has been flipped.

The state's Democratic primary on Tuesday comes nearly eight years to the day after Hillary Clinton notched a razor-thin victory over Barack Obama there during her first presidential bid. But Clinton needed a landslide win to change the contours of the Democratic race, and her Hoosier State squeaker cemented the conventional wisdom that Obama was virtually certain to clinch the party's nod.

Eight years later, it's Clinton whose delegate lead is so overwhelming that she can afford a loss in Indiana, while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders needs nothing less than a blowout to have even a prayer of winning the nomination. With 2,165 delegates to Sanders' 1,357, Clinton needs less than 18% of the remaining delegates at stake to secure the 2,383 delegates required to win the nomination.

With 83 pledged delegates at stake in Indiana, Clinton is likely to edge Sanders on Tuesday, one week after besting him in four of five mid-Atlantic primaries. Surveys show Clinton with a modest-but-durable lead over Sanders in Indiana, with the RealClearPolitics polling average giving her a 50% to 43% edge.

Behind the numbers: A recent CBS News/YouGov survey illuminated the dynamics behind Clinton's lead.

The poll, which Clinton leading Sanders 49% to 44%, showed Sanders ahead overwhelmingly among voters under 45 (69% to 21% with those younger than 30, 55% to 41% with voters 30-44), and narrowly among whites (48% to 44%)  but losing every other demographic group.

Not only did Clinton lead 49% to 41% among women; she also edged Sanders 49% to 47% with men. Meanwhile, older voters backed her nearly two-to-one, as did black voters. Blacks comprised just 15% of the Democratic primary electorate in 2008, but given the closeness of the race among whites, Sanders may struggle to overcome the in-built advantages of the Clinton coalition.

Story continues

Sanders the sleeper? If Sanders does pull off an upset, however, it will likely have been powered by his populist economic pitch. The planned shuttering of Carrier's manufacturing plant in Indianapolis  and the disappearance of the plant's 1,400 jobs  have stoked heightened suspicion of free trade and globalization, bugaboos shared by both Sanders and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.



Clinton has backtracked on her past support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, but Sanders has repeatedly hammered Clinton over her record on the issue.

The potency of those attacks may be limited, however. Though Sanders scored a shock win in the Michigan primary, he has lost handily elsewhere in the Rust Belt, going down to double-digit defeats in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The final poll closures in Indiana will come at 7 p.m. Eastern.
In June 1966, a black civil rights worker in Clarke County, Mississippi, met a fresh recruit at the local bus station. He loaded up John Cumbler, a white college student from Wisconsin, and took him for a ride. He drove south toward Shubuta, a small town of seven hundred located at the southern end of the county. Just north of town, John Otis Sumrall turned left onto a dirt road. Pocked with puddles, the route wound past a few clusters of cabins before narrowing into a densely wooded corridor. It seemed a road to nowhere, or at least nowhere one might want to go. A fork in the road revealed the Chickasawhay River, and a rusty bridge.

The steel-framed span loomed thirty feet above the muddy water. At the far end of the hundred-foot deck, the forest swallowed up a dirt road that used to lead somewhere. Years of traffic rumbling across the bridge had worn parallel streaks into the deck, and heavy runner boards covered holes in rotted planks. Metal rails sagged in spots. Still, the reddish-brown truss beams on either side stood stiff and straight, and overhead braces cast shadows on the deck below. On that rusty frame, between lines of vertical rivets, someone had painted a skull and crossbones and scribbled: Danger, This Is You.

This, Sumrall announced to Cumbler, his new recruit, is where they hang the Negroes.

The way he said it, Cumbler remembered, it could have happened a hundred years ago, or last week.

Now closed to traffic, the Hanging Bridge still stands. In 1918, nearly a century ago and just five weeks after Armistice Day, a white mob hanged four young blackstwo brothers and two sisters, both pregnantfrom its rails. This was several days after their white boss turned up dead. People says they went down there to look at the bodies, a local woman recalled fifty years later, and they still see those babies wiggling around in the bellies after those mothers was dead. When the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)an organization less than ten years old at the time demanded an investigation, Mississippi governor Theodore Bilbo told them to go to hell.

Story continues

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Twenty-four years later, white vigilantes hanged Ernest Green and Charlie Langfourteen and fifteen respectivelyafter a white girl accused them of attempted rape. Newspapers nationwide ran photographs of the two boys corpses and that same river bridge. Shubuta Bridges Toll Stands at Six Lynch Victims, the Chicago Defender announced. Some place the figure at eight, the prominent black newspaper continued, counting two unborn babies. In the wake of the latest atrocity, the Defender dispatched a black journalist to the nations new lynching capital. In Meridian, a small city forty miles north, the undercover reporter asked a black taxi driver for a ride to Shubuta. No sir, the cabbie replied. Id just as soon go to hell as to go there.

Local whites proved just as blunt. A white undercover investigator sent to Clarke County in November 1942 spoke with a local farmer who bragged of his towns most infamous landmark. Its not in use anymore as a bridge, he boasted. We just keep it for stringing up [n*****s]. Whites had to mob blacks from time to time, he explained, to keep them in line. We had a case of that here just recently, he added, two fourteen-year-old boys.We put four up during the last war.

From Jim Crows heyday to the earliest hints of its demise, the Shubuta bridge cast its shadow on Mississippis white supremacist regime and the movement that ultimately overthrew it. In the World War I era, on the heels of a three-decade campaign to disenfranchise and segregate African Americans across the South, vigilantes used brutal violence to deter challenges to white supremacy. A generation later, during World War II, local whites again relied on racial terrorism to prop up an order they claimed was under unprecedented attack. In both of these pivotal moments, national attention and protest politics collided at a lonely river bridge, where the pervasive violence of the twentieth-century South rose sharply and tellingly to the surface.

The bridge boasted a history as gory as any lynching site in America, but its symbolic power outlasted the atrocities that occurred there. While local whites emphasized its usefulness in shoring up white supremacy, civil rights supporters recognized its potential to galvanize protest. After the 1942 lynchings, a black journalist branded the bridge a monument to Judge Lynch. The rickety old span, Walter Atkins argued, is a symbol of the South as much as magnolia blossoms or mint julep colonels. With its grim history, as well as with the myths and legends it inspired, the bridge reinforced white control and deterred black resistance. The structure was not just a monument but also an altar to white supremacy, as the journalist put it, a place to offer as sacrifices anyone who threatened that power. The river below the bridge flowed gently, yet Atkins predicted a long overdue flood that will smash and sweep away Shubuta bridge and all it stands for.

MORE: New Report Documents 4,000 Lynchings in Jim Crow South

A generation after the 1942 lynchings, that flood finally hit. Civil rights workers, federal agents, and television reporters poured into the state in the mid-1960s, though the rising tide of protests and marches did not reach everywhere. Despite massive demonstrations in nearby places such as Meridian and Hattiesburg, Clarke County seemed left high and dry. Even as local activists and allies across the state challenged segregation and disenfranchisement, the Hanging Bridge still stood as a reminder of Jim Crows past and violent potential. Few civil rights workers ever set foot in Clarke County. The Mississippi movements high-water mark1964s Freedom Summercame and went with no Freedom Schools and no marches in Shubuta; only a handful of the countys black residents registered to vote.

Local people had a ready answer for anyone who wondered why the movement seemed to have passed them by. Old-timers across the county still spoke of a bottomless blue hole in the snaking Chickasawhay River, where whites had dumped black bodies. Far more mentioned the bridge that spanned the murky water. The myths could be just as muddy, the details dependent on the storyteller. However the events were mythologized, a fundamental truth remained. Down in Clarke County, a Meridian movement leader recalled, they lynched so many blacks. A white northern journalist who visited in the wake of the 1942 lynchings predicted that the mob impulse would die hard. The lynching spirit means more than mob law, he warned. It means the inability of so many white Southerners to keep their fists, their clubs, or their guns in their pockets when a colored person stands up for his legal rights.

When black activists in Clarke County defied mobs and memory in pursuit of political power and economic opportunity, they provoked a new round of violent reprisals. In the process, they fixed outside attention on problems that persisted in the wake of the soaring speeches and legislative victories of the civil rights era. In this rural corner of Mississippi previously known for lynchings, those activists used that infamous reputation to focus national attention on ongoing battles against racial terrorism, grinding poverty, and government repression. Their story reaches back into generations when the rural South seemed all but cut off from national campaigns against discrimination and abuse, but grassroots activism in Clarke County also extends the story deep into the 1960s and beyond. Racial violenceboth in bursts of savagery that sent tremors far beyond Mississippis borders and in the everyday brutalities that sustained and outlived Jim Crowconnects the generations and geographies of Americas civil rights century. In reclaiming these stories, we bridge the gap between ourselves and a past less distant than many care to admit. To acknowledge the role of violence in shaping our racial past is no guarantee that we can face honestly the ways in which it informs our racial present, but it is a place to start. In the history of lynching, place is often difficult to pin down with precisionhanging trees long since felled, killing fields reclaimed by nature, rivers and bayous that hide the dead. Yet one of Americas most evocative and bloodstained lynching sites still spans a muddy river, and it still casts a shadow.

Adapted from Hanging Bridge: Racial Violence and Americas Civil Rights Century by Jason Morgan Ward with permission from Oxford University Press, Inc. Copyright  2016 by Oxford University Press.
Inside Procter & Gamble's Soaring Operating Margin in Fiscal 3Q16

(Continued from Prior Part)

Beauty revenue in 3Q16

Procter & Gamble (PG), or P&G, operates under five reportable segments:

Fabric Care and Home Care Baby, Feminine, and Family Care Beauty, Hair, and Personal Care Healthcare Grooming

The Beauty, Hair, and Personal Care segments organic sales increased by 1% in fiscal 3Q16. The increase was primarily due to the positive impact of pricing (a 2% rise), which was partially offset by a -1% impact from a lower organic volume. This segments net revenue for fiscal 3Q16 was 8.2% lower than in fiscal 3Q15 at $2.7 billion.

PG made up 5.4% of the First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index (FDL) as of April 27, 2016.

Organic sales

Double-digit growth on SKII and strong Old Spice sales in the US were partially offset by organic sales declines from the Olay brand. This was also due to competitive activity from Dove (UL), Clinique (EL), and LOreal (LRLCY). However, on March 24, a resident filed a lawsuit against P&Gs Old Spice deodorants, claiming they caused rashes, burns, and another discomfort.

Hair Care organic sales were unchanged as growth on Pantene and Head & Shoulders was offset by declines in Herbal Essences and Vidal Sassoon. In Latin America, both Pantene and Head & Shoulders gained market shares, but these gains were offset by declines in Russia and China.

Innovation and support

P&G continues to focus on innovation in Pantene conditioners in the US. The new conditioner is a blind test winner versus P&Gs best competition in North America, China, and Japan. Additionally, the company plans to support Head & Shoulders because it has delivered over 8% compound average sales growth over the past ten years, even with significant currency impacts.

P&G beauty brand merger with Coty (COTY) should also help P&G in its strategic portfolio reshaping. (To learn more about P&Gs Beauty segment divestment to COTY, read the series Coty Buys 43 Procter & Gamble Brands: What Investors Should Know .)

Story continues

In the next part, well analyze P&Gs Grooming segment.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
microsoft continuum

Microsoft's phone business is struggling: Sales of its flagship Lumia brands are down 72% over the same time last year.

But Microsoft has been urging calm, dropping lots of hints that the long-rumored Surface Phone, said to be due in 2017, will change everything. Microsoft has even said that it could put Apple and the iPhone on the defensive.

It's a nice idea.

But Intel, one of Microsoft's oldest and best partners, is having its own difficulties breaking into mobile. As a result of those troubles, Intel might have made a decision that could sink the Surface Phone and its rumored best feature  the ability to run standard Windows desktop software  before it's even officially announced.

Mobile headaches

This week, Intel revealed that it won't release its next-generation Atom chip for mobile devices, which was code-named "Broxton." Competitors like Qualcomm and ARM have all pushed Intel out of the growing mobile market, and the chip titan just can't compete.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has been pitching a feature called "Continuum" as a killer app for the Windows 10 Mobile phone operating system. Basically, if you're using a Lumia 950 or 950XL flagship phone from Microsoft, Continuum lets you plug a phone into a monitor, a mouse, and a keyboard and use it kind of like a desktop PC.

microsoft continuum

That feature is very cool, and potentially game-changing for places where smartphones are more affordable than PCs, like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's childhood home of India. It's something that neither Google nor Apple can currently match.

But in its current form, and with the Lumia 950 running on a Qualcomm processor, Continuum is extremely limited.

First, the Lumia is clearly limited to the apps only on the Windows Store market, which is not as well stocked as Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store. Second, an app has to specifically support Continuum, and so far it's mostly Microsoft's own products, like the Edge browser and the Office suite, that have taken the plunge.

Story continues

Intel could help

Intel could help Microsoft address all of those problems with Continuum. With an Intel chip, rather than a Qualcomm one, the would-be Surface Phone could more easily be rigged up to run legacy Windows software in Continuum mode. It would make that phone a much more viable and interesting PC-replacement option, with a much wider base of software.

Indeed, as The Register points out, Microsoft is said to have been planning on placing an Intel Atom chip into the Surface Phone.

The low-powered Atom would be ideal for cutting down on power consumption while still allowing for Windows software to run. It would take the novelty that is Continuum today and turn it into a real competitive advantage for the Surface Phone and Windows 10 Mobile.

intel

With Intel jettisoning the next version of Atom, Microsoft could be in a pickle.

Maybe they'll figure out some way to cram a desktop PC's Intel chip in there, or maybe they have some kind of deep sorcery that will let them run Windows software on a smartphone processor.

But without that killer Continuum feature, it's going to make it much harder for Microsoft to make that promised dent in the smartphone market.

NOW WATCH: A tech company made a new type of solar panel that's about to turn the energy industry upside down





More From Business Insider


Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ICPT is scheduled to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 5, after the market closes.

Intercept has a disappointing track record so far, with the company missing estimates in three of the last four quarters. The company has posted an average negative earnings surprise of 0.19% over the last four quarters. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors at Play

Since Intercept does not have any approved product in its portfolio, its revenues mainly comprise fees derived from collaborative agreements for the development and commercialization of its pipeline candidates. In this scenario, investor focus will remain on pipeline updates.

Last month, the FDAs Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously (in the ratio of 17 to 0) in favor of the companys lead pipeline candidate, Ocaliva (obeticholic acid). The committee recommended accelerated approval of Ocaliva for the treatment of patients suffering from primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) (previously known as primary biliary cirrhosis).

In Dec 2015, the FDA extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date for priority review of Ocaliva by three months. The agency was previously supposed to give a decision by Feb 29, 2016. However, it requested additional clinical data analyses, which Intercept has submitted. Consequently, the FDA now requires additional time for a full review of the submission and has extended the PDUFA date by three months to May 29, 2016.

Although the FDA is not bound to abide by the Advisory Committee's recommendation, it generally takes the same into consideration while reviewing candidates. The candidate is also under review in the EU and a decision is expected in late 2016.

Meanwhile, the company has also initiated a phase III trial, REGENERATE, on Ocaliva in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients suffering from advanced liver fibrosis. Moreover, the candidate is in a phase II trial, CONTROL, which will evaluate its effect, in combination with statin therapy, on lipid metabolism in patients with NASH.

Story continues

Hence, Intercept expects operating expenses in the range of $360$400 million (higher in the second half of the year than the first half), much higher than the 2015 level. The increase will primarily be due to the clinical development program on Ocaliva in PBC and NASH; higher Ocaliva manufacturing activities; and continuation of the development of INT-767 and other preclinical programs.

What Our Model Indicates

Our proven model shows that Intercept is not likely to beat estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) for this to happen. But that is not the case here, as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -19.83%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate stands at a loss of $4.29, while the current Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at a loss of $3.58.

Zacks Rank: Intercept carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). As it is, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or #5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

Stocks That Warrant a Look

Here are some health care stocks that you may want to consider instead, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc JAZZ has an Earnings ESP of +4.58% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10.

Impax Laboratories Inc. IPXL has an Earnings ESP of +8.89% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10.

Intrexon Corporation XON has an Earnings ESP of +17.39% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company is expected to release first-quarter results on May 10.

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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Investing in an "army of midwives" across Nigeria will cut the number of stillbirths and women dying during or after giving birth, a leading women's rights activist said ahead of the West African nation's first global conference on midwifery. Nigeria has the world's highest rate of stillbirths after Pakistan - one in every 23 pregnancies. It recorded more than 300,000 stillbirths last year, while around one in 120 women die during childbirth, according to data from medical journal The Lancet and the World Bank. Toyin Saraki, founder of women's rights charity Wellbeing Foundation Africa, said the value of midwives in Nigeria is being shown in the unlikeliest of places - camps for internally displaced people (IDP) uprooted by Boko Haram militants. Around one in five babies are dying during childbirth in northeast Nigeria, where the Islamist group has waged a six-year insurgency, yet the survival rate of pregnancies delivered in IDP camps in the region is almost 100 percent, Saraki said. "A woman there is only footsteps away from a midwife and clinic, with her family around her, and a doctor on standby," said Saraki, who suffered a stillbirth in Nigeria due to a delay in finding an anaesthetist for an emergency caesarean section. "If ever there was an argument for having midwives present at delivery and a doctor on call if needed, this is surely it." Saraki spoke to the Thomson Reuters Foundation ahead of the Global Midwifery Conference in Abuja, which will feature lectures, brainstorming sessions and training on innovations such as portable ultrasound scanners that plug into smartphones. The midwives will not only learn how to save a mother and child's life, but also how to detect women at risk of domestic violence and female genital mutilation (FGM), Saraki said. "Midwives will be the army to change dire health outcomes, if we invest in them and provide them with skills," said the former lawyer and first lady of Kwara state in western Nigeria. "I want Nigerian midwives to be able to stand on an equal footing with midwives from around the world," Saraki added. While Nigeria has started training midwives in life-saving emergency obstetric care in recent years, it still lacks enough midwives or an even distribution across the nation, Saraki said. The majority of the world's poorer countries, which account for most childbirth-related deaths among newborns and mothers, have a critical shortage of midwives, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and World Health Organisation. [L5N17W7IR] Midwives can provide the majority of the services needed for newborns and pregnant women and women cared for by midwives are less likely to have complicated births or go into labour early. The Global Midwifery Conference, which runs from May 4 to 5 to mark International Day of the Midwife, is being hosted by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, UNFPA and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katie Nguyen; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. (KLIC) will host a live webcast to discuss the results of the second quarter 2016, to be held Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time.

To participate in this event, dial 877-407-8037 domestically, or 201-689-8037 internationally, approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call. Additionally, you can listen to the event online at http://www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=174923 as well as via the Kulicke & Soffa website (investor.kns.com).

If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the event archive will be available at www.investorcalendar.com or investor.kns.com.

About Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc.

Kulicke & Soffa (KLIC) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of semiconductor, LED and electronic assembly equipment. As a pioneer in this industry, K&S has provided customers with market leading packaging solutions for decades. In recent years, K&S has expanded its product offerings through strategic acquisitions and organic development, adding advanced packaging, advanced SMT, wedge bonding and a broader range of expendable tools to its core ball bonding products. Combined with its extensive expertise in process technology, K&S is well positioned to help customers meet the challenges of assembling the next-generation semiconductor and LED devices. (www.kns.com)

SOURCE: Investor Calendar
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / TOR Minerals International, Inc. (TORM) will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the results of the first quarter 2016, to be held Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

To participate in this event, dial 877-407-8033 approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call. Additionally, you can listen to the event online at www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=174949 as well as via the TOR Minerals International, Inc. website (www.torminerals.com).

If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the event archive will be available at www.investorcalendar.com or www.torminerals.com.

About TOR Minerals International, Inc.

Headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas, TOR Minerals International, Inc. is a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty mineral and pigment products for high performance applications with manufacturing and regional offices located in the United States, Netherlands and Malaysia.

SOURCE: Investor Calendar
DUBAI, May 3 (Reuters) - Iran has banned the import of Chevrolet cars, a week after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticised imports of U.S. autos and asked the government to support domestic production.

The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted an unnamed official in the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade as saying on Tuesday that an order of 200 Chevrolet cars, worth $7 million, should be cancelled. Chevrolets are made by General Motors.

"The person who has registered the car orders has been informed that their import is not allowed. The cars are not in the country yet and were only loaded to be shipped to Iran," the official was quoted as saying.

He said the shipment was to have come from South Korea, but did not give details of the seller.

Before its Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran was a flourishing marketplace for U.S.-manufactured cars and trucks, but a combination of U.S. sanctions barring most trade and Iran's own restrictions blocked sales.

After the nuclear deal which Iran reached with the United States and other world powers last year, and the lifting of most international sanctions in January, Iran listed a few Chevrolet models as cleared for import.

The list, published on the official portal of the industry ministry of Industry, includes only a handful of foreign carmakers such as BMW, Hyundai and Posrche . The name of Chevrolet has now been removed from the list.

Last week, Khamenei denounced the import of foreign products including U.S. cars and said Iranian consumers should support domestic manufacturers instead.

"Even the Americans are not interested in buying such cars because of their weight and high fuel consumption," Khamenei was quoted by his official website as telling hundreds of workers in Tehran.

"Why should we import the cars from a bankrupt American factory? This is very odd."

On Monday, Khamenei criticised rich young people who drove expensive cars on the streets of Tehran, saying they were the result of identity crises and bad education.

Foreign-made cars are available in Iran, but high import tariffs put them out of reach of most buyers. Imports are sometimes restricted if a car is considered "luxury" or "unsafe" by the government.

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Andrew Torchia and David Evans)
Everyone loves a last-minute takeaway but those living in Glasgow may want to think very carefully about where they order from.

The three-and-a-half mile stretch of Paisley Road West may very well be the most dangerous place in Britain to buy fast food after a staggering 17 restaurants were slapped with food hygiene warnings.

Environmental health chiefs have swooped on a series of Indian, Italian, Chinese and Turkish takeaways on the city street over the past year.

Risky: Some 17 restaurants on the street have been hit with food hygiene warnings (SWNS)

Notices: Many of the takeaways were told they needed improvement (SWNS)

A dozen of the takeaways were hit with improvement required notices last year and a further five premises have had them issued so far this year.

Public health expert Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen University said: Every customer has the right to expect safe food.

"They pay money for safe food, food thats clean and made in clean premises.

"The public have a right to know businesses are run along safe lines, and its the job of the environmental officers to make sure that they are.

"Clearly, theyve been busy.

Busy: Paisley Road West is one of the main roads out of Glasgow (SWNS)

The takeaways on the street which have been hit with improvement orders include The Night Palace, The Blue Sky, Super Chef and The Taste of India.

Factory worker Agnes Kendal, who has been ordering food from The Blue Sky Chinese takeaway for 15 years, said she was shocked by the revelation.

She said: Its such a huge surprise, its been there as long as I have been living here and always been the main takeaway I would trust.

"I would order Singapore Noodles with chicken from it usually but I cant go back there any more.

Orders: Super Chef was on of the takeaways needing improvement (SWNS)

Information: Customers are able to check the hygiene of the takeaways (SWNS)

"Ive trusted Blue Sky for so long but if it is dirty then I cant see myself trusting any other takeaways again unfortunately.

Story continues

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "The Food Hygiene Information Scheme allows customers to check their favourite restaurant or takeaway.

"Where inspectors find the most serious breaches of food hygiene, which pose an immediate risk to customers, we will still take steps to close the premises.

Top pic: SWNS
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish peshmerga forces on multiple fronts in northern Iraq on Tuesday, breaching their defenses and briefly taking over a town, military sources said. The attacks around the northern city of Mosul are the largest against Kurdish forces in recent months by the insurgents, who have been losing ground to an array of forces in the north and west of the country. The head of a Christian militia said the insurgents had overrun their positions at dawn around the town of Tel Asqof, 20 km (12 miles) north of Mosul, and occupied it until being beaten back with the help of air strikes from a U.S.-led coalition. "There were many suicide bombers and suicide car bombs," said Safa Eliyas, the head of the Nineveh Protection Forces, which are deployed alongside the peshmerga in the area. There were also attacks on the Bashiqa front and in the Khazer area, about 40 km (25 miles) west of the Kurdish regional capital Erbil. Since the United States intervened to blunt Islamic State's advance on Erbil in August 2014, the peshmerga have driven the militants back in the north. The militants are rarely able to penetrate Kurdish defenses. Peshmerga Secretary General Jabbar Yawar said details of the offensives were still unclear, but they constituted the biggest attacks in recent months. "The battles are ongoing," he said. (Reporting by Isabel Coles; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked challenged British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to crack down hard on Wednesday after fresh allegations of anti-Semitism in its ranks.

"Mr. Corbyn must clarify that anti-Semitic comments are not within legitimate political debate, and that anti-Semitic views should end a politicianas career and disqualify them from any future public office," she said in remarks broadcast from a ceremony in Krakow, Poland, on the eve of Israel's Holocaust memorial day.

Shaked was the highest-ranking Israeli official so far to comment publicly on the furore over comments, seen as anti-Semitic, by Labour officials.

"Make no mistake, the Israeli government cherishes our strong and warm relationships with friendly nations," Shaked, of the far-right Jewish Home party, said.

"But we will not compromise our sovereignty. We will maintain our might, defend our borders and secure our citizens," she added.

"This is an era of Jewish power. Some of our detractors find that notion offensive. But like other nations, Jews now exercise power."

More than 50 British Labour party members have been suspended in the past two months over comments deemed racist or anti-Semitic, according to Britainas Daily Telegraph newspaper, including former mayor of London Ken Livingstone.

A spokesman for the Israeli Labour party said on Tuesday that breaking off ties with the British Labour movement was "one of the options that is being considered."

He told AFP that the Israeli party was looking for assurances from Corbyn that he was treating the allegations with the necessary gravity.

In the most high-profile case, Livingstone was sanctioned on Thursday after saying that Adolf Hitler "was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".

Livingstone's comments were in defence of Labour MP Naz Shah, who was suspended last Wednesday for sharing posts on social media two years ago suggesting that the solution to the Palestinian conflict was to move Israel to the United States.

Corbyn has announced an independent review into the allegations, saying there was no place for "anti-Semitism or any form of racism in the Labour Party."

The left-winger has been criticised in the past for referring to Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah as "friends" and urging dialogue with Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, as well as meeting representatives of both organisations.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli man convicted of murdering a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem, a crime that helped trigger the 2014 Gaza war, was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison. Jerusalem District Court sentenced Yosef Haim Ben-David, who organized the killing of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khudair, to life, which in Israel usually means around 25 years, and an additional 20 years for other counts, to be served consecutively. Two Jewish youths who helped Ben-David abduct the teen, who was bludgeoned, strangled and burned alive, were sentenced in February, one to life imprisonment and the other to 21 years. All three defendants had confessed and said the July 2, 2014, murder was revenge for the killing days earlier of three Israeli youths by the Hamas Islamist group in the occupied West Bank. Ben-David, 30, had lodged an insanity plea that held up his formal conviction and sentencing. After receiving psychological assessments, the court ruled he "fully understood his actions" and found him guilty last month. Abu Khudair's killing raised tensions, and a seven-week Israeli offensive against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip began on July 8, 2014, after cross-border Palestinian rocket attacks and an Israeli roundup of suspected militants in the West Bank. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian driver who rammed his vehicle into three Israeli soldiers, injuring them, on a road in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the army said. The Palestinian health ministry identified the dead man as Ahmed Reyad Shehada, 36, a resident of Bitunia near the town of Ramallah, close to where the incident took place. The ministry added later that Israel had returned Shehada's body to the family for burial. Israeli authorities have been wary of handing back bodies of some assailants because they have said ensuing funerals have stoked further violence. One of the three injured soldiers was in a life-threatening condition, a spokeswoman at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv said. The other two were lightly hurt and taken to a hospital in Jerusalem, an ambulance spokesman said. In the last half year, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two visiting U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 194 Palestinians, 133 of whom Israel has said were assailants. Many others were shot dead in clashes and protests. Factors driving the violence include Palestinian bitterness over stalled statehood negotiations and the growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, increased Jewish access to a disputed Jerusalem shrine and Islamist-led calls for Israel's destruction. The last violent fatality in the region took place on April 27 when Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian woman and her teenage brother at the major Qalandia crossing in the West Bank. Israeli police said the two were armed with knives and tried to carry out an attack on the checkpoint. On April 20, a suicide bomber died of his wounds after he detonated a device on a Jerusalem commuter bus two days earlier. Suicide bombings on Israeli buses were a hallmark of the Palestinian revolt of 2000-2005 but have now become rare. The pace of what had been near-daily Palestinian attacks since October has slowed, and Israel has attributed this partly to closer cooperation with Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and more stringent monitoring of social media to identify potential assailants. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Richard Balmforth, Mark Heinrich, Toni Reinhold)
On Monday, Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation overturned homeless man Roman Ostriakov's 2011 theft conviction, in which he stole about $4.50 worth of sausages and cheese from a grocery store in Genoa, according to the BBC. In 2015, Ostriakov was sentenced to six months in jail plus a fine.

The "historic" overruling sets the precedence that those who steal a little bit of food when "in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment" are not committing a crime, BBC reported. Instead, doing so is considered to be "a state of necessity."

At first, Ostriakov's lawyers were just trying to cut his sentence short and have the conviction changed to "attempted theft," since he did not flee the grocery store after getting caught.

Local papers agreed with the verdict. "The court's decision reminds us all that in a civilized country no one should be allowed to die of hunger," Italian newspaper La Stampa wrote, according to the Washington Post.

Homelessness in Italy has been on a steady rise, with about one third of its population at risk of poverty, according to Reuters, in 2013.
Janis: Little Girl Blue, airing Tuesday night on PBS American Masters, does a good job of depicting why Janis Joplin was so appealing a figure in 1960s rock. It also demonstrates the problems of making a documentary at the behest of a family estate that wants its own version of Joplins life to become the accepted one.



Joplin emerged from Port Arthur, Texas in the 1960s with a big voice and a head full of the blues  both blues music from black musicians she idolized, and a blue mood from the ridicule she endured at school as an outsider whose interests and appearance didnt match the very conventional norms. Moving to San Francisco, she joined forces with Big Brother and the Holding Company, not the most precise but certainly a spirited band, and gained rapid attention for her deceptively wild howling, a vocal style over which she always maintained more control than she was given credit for.

Director Amy Berg, given access to the Joplin family estates collection of Janiss correspondence, photographs, home movies, and archival footage, chronicles these early years well. (Some of the letters and narration are read by Joplin fan Chan Marshall  a.k.a. Cat Power.) Lots of talking heads try to summarize Joplins sound and originality, but none succeed as vividly and concisely as Lillian Roxon did in her Rock Encyclopedia published in 1969: People had to readjust their thinking because of her. Her voice, for instance. Chicks are not supposed to sing that way, all hoarse and insistent and foot-stamping. Theyre not supposed to sound as if theyre shrieking for delivery from some terrible, urgent, but not entirely unpleasant, physical pain Janis has redefined the whole concept of the female vocalist.

The film cannot understate Joplins early humiliations as a source of her drive and ambition. To cite just one example: She was voted Ugliest Man on Campus in a fraternity-hour newspaper when she attended the University of Texas in Austin. Unfortunately, Little Girl Blue does understates Joplins homosexuality and bisexuality; these key elements in her life and, by extension, her art are relegated to an interview with a single girlfriend, Jae Whitaker, and, even more briefly, references to long-time friend and lover Peggy Caserta. Casertas presence is obscured by far more anecdotes about and from boyfriends, particularly David Niehaus, whos portrayed as Joplins heart-breaker. It seems obvious that references in the film to the difficulties Joplins lifestyle presented to her apparently straitlaced family must have influenced these directorial emphases. (Current Joplin scholarship is divided between those who champion two Joplin biographers, Myra Friedman, whose bestselling 1973 bio Buried Alive is the one I grew up with, and Alice Echols 2000 book Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin, which places more emphasis on her subjects relationships with women than either Buried or Little Girl Blue.)

Story continues

Overriding much of this, including the music, is Joplins substance abuse. As Little Girl Blue makes clear, the initial image of Joplin as a boozy blues-mama swigging from a bottle of Southern Comfort eventually devolved to Joplin the isolated heroin-shooter. Its a sad tale, of course, culminating in her 1970 death at age 27  that doomed death-age that has also claimed Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, and others.

Today, Joplins best-known music (her a capella Mercedes Benz; her cover of Kris Kristoffersons Me and Bobby McGee) remains fixed in its time  her beloved blues and the grittiest kind of 1960s soul music are not the genres that contemporary young listeners are likely to latch onto. She was rarely backed by bands with talents as great as she had, and she recorded relatively little music, her reputation burnished primarily by live performances. Combine all this with Joplins disinclination to encourage the sort of rock-star mystique that built up so easily around Hendrix and Morrison  Joplin was always more inclined to be either prosaically honest in interviews, or frustratingly circumspect  and Little Girl Blue is more like a time capsule of a bygone era than the showcase for an enduringly vital artist.



Janis: Little Girl Blue airs Tuesday night on PBS. Check your local listings for times.


(BANGKOK)  Japans foreign minister announced a $7 billion initiative Monday to promote development in Southeast Asias Mekong region, which encompasses parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand through which the river flows.

In a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Fumio Kishida affirmed the importance of Southeast Asias economic prosperity to Japan. He pledged 750 billion yen ($7 billion) in funding over the next three years to support development and growth in the region.

The initiative will help promote connectivity within Southeast Asian countries and Japan through funding in infrastructure and development of human resources. Thailand has become a key manufacturing and export hub for Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda.

Invigorating the flow of goods and people by connecting the region through roads, bridges and railways is indispensable for promoting economic development, he said, adding that Japans cooperation will go beyond just building infrastructure.

Over the next three years, we will make use of funds amounting to 750 billion yen toward cooperation with the Mekong region, Kishida said. Specific details have not been announced but he said Japan would like to work together with the Mekong countries to create a framework to support the various efforts, including regional issues and theme-oriented support, in a detailed manner.

I am expecting the day when, as a result of these efforts, I can depart from Bangkok eastward in the morning and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at night and enjoy pho for dinner, he said.

Kishida also renewed his call for the establishment of a code of conduct in the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines and others have competing territorial claims, and that prosperity can only achieved if there is peace and stability in the region.

In this region, there are issues of terrorism, extremism, and ensuring maritime safety and security, he said. There are multitudes of issues now facing our ASEAN partners. We need to face these issues together, and maintain stability in this region. What is necessary is respect for diversity, and what is fundamental for that is the rule of law.

Referring to Thailands current political situation and its military government, Kishida said he hoped that the people of Thailand will overcome the current difficult challenges and play more active role in the region and international community.

The visit to Thailand is part of his regional tour that includes stops in China, Burma, Laos and Vietnam.
A French jet ski champion has set a new world record for the longest hoverboard flight, far surpassing the previous record.

Franky Zapata flew a hoverboard 7,388 feet (2,252 meters) from a height of 164 feet (50 m), according to Guinness World Records. The daredevil set the new record on the Flyboard Air, a futuristic craft developed by his company, Zapata Racing.

Previous world record holder Catalin Alexandru Duru piloted a hoverboard prototype of his own design that flew 905 feet, 2 inches (275.9 m). [Hyperloop, Jetpacks & More: 9 Futuristic Transit Ideas]

The hoverboard is essentially a flying skateboard, similar to the one that Marty McFly famously rode in the 1989 classic movie "Back to the Future Part II." Though the board from that film was only a piece of movie magic, a number of functional prototypes have been introduced in recent years.

Zapatas record-breaking flight, which flew more than eight times the distance of Durus, was staged off the coast of Sausset-les-Pins, in the south of France, on April 30. Followed by a fleet of boats and jet skis, Zapata can be seen piloting his Flyboard Air over the water in a video of the event that Zapata Racing shared recently.

On site to confirm the record-setting distance, Guinness World Records adjudicator Sofia Grenache said in the video that the flight as a phenomenal sight to see.

Prior to the Guinness World Record attempt, Zapata Racing had shared footage from a test flight of the Flyboard Air that went viral. The company has developed a range of other devices, including the original Flyboard, which connects to a watercraft turbine via a long hose. In comparison, the Flyboard Air is powered by an "Independent Propulsion Unit" to fly hose-free for up to 10 minutes, according to Zapata Racing. The company also claims that the hoverboard can reach a height of 10,000 feet (3,048 m), with a maximum speed of 93 miles per hour (150 km/h).

The Flyboard Airs technology took four years to develop, reported The Verge. The board has four 250-horsepower turbo engines, fueled by Jet A1 kerosene carried in a tank strapped to its rider's back. There are also two engines for stabilization on each side of the board.

Story continues

Its extremely hard to stabilize  its not only my balance, Zapata told The Verge. For example, we use, like, the same kind of electronics like you use on a drone to stabilize. The problem is to create the algorithms, the right algorithms, to combine the intelligence in the board and in your brain.

Follow Kacey Deamer @KaceyDeamer. Follow Live Science @livescience, on Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Jerusalem (AFP) - American author Michael Chabon's Jewish identity has long been central to his work.

From 2001's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" -- the story of two Jewish cousins before, during and after World War II -- to 2007's "The Yiddish Policemen's Union", Chabon's novels have delved into what it means to be Jewish, especially in America.

Like many American Jews, Chabon has also long felt a connection to Israel, visiting the country first in 1992 with his Israeli-born wife, fellow author Ayelet Waldman.

But his most recent visit, which included a trip to the Palestinian territories with a number of prominent American authors, has raised hackles among some in the Jewish state.

Its aim was to raise awareness of the effects of Israel's occupation of the territories, an issue Chabon says should be of particular resonance to Jews.

"Part of what makes it uniquely horrible for me and what makes it distinct from apartheid is it is being done by Jews. I am a Jew," he told AFP by telephone after returning to the United States following last month's trip.

"(For) a people who went through such a horrific, prolonged persecution, to turn around and eventually oppress another people at such a mass bureaucratic level is somehow to me much more dismaying than apartheid -- as horrible as apartheid was, and I am not trying to diminish it."

Chabon's decision to become involved in campaigning against the occupation was steered by Waldman after a visit to the country of her birth two years ago.

- 'Grievous injustice' -

"She felt much more connected at a root level than she had ever expected," he said. "In a way that was a dismaying moment for her. She felt 'If I am going to feel at home here, then I also have to take on this occupation.'"

Last month's tour saw writers including Dave Eggers and Pulitzer winner Geraldine Brooks meet Palestinians in east Jerusalem, Hebron and villages near Ramallah. Eggers also travelled to the Gaza Strip.

Story continues

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and imposes a wide range of restrictions on its 2.5 million Palestinian residents. Several hundred thousand Israelis have also established settlements in the territories which the United Nations and much of the international community consider illegal.

In an interview with Jewish American publication The Forward after the visit, Chabon, 52, described the occupation as the "most grievous injustice I've ever seen".

Picked up by some Israeli media, his comments sparked widespread discussion online and much criticism.

Prominent pro-Israeli social media campaigner Arsen Ostrovsky said on Twitter that Chabon "clearly hasn't seen much in his life then".

Author Jack Engelhard, writing for the Arutz Sheva Israeli news website, called his comments "sickening", saying they smacked of "someone knocked silly from too much American indulgence".

Many in Israel -- especially on the right -- bristle at criticism of the country by some American Jews, accusing them of not understanding the daily realities of living in the Jewish state.

But Chabon denied any hostility to Israel.

"This idea of me being an enemy of Israel or hating Israel -- I was so biased in favour of Israel, and I think still am on some level, that I was prepared and preferred to ignore it (the occupation)," he said.

"Because that is the only thing you can do if you want to hold on to your support in regard to Israel -- you have to ignore it. The government knows that as well, so that is why they are working so hard to hide it and keep people, including ordinary Israelis, from ever having to see it."

- Editing book on occupation -

The tour was organised in conjunction with Breaking the Silence, a group that provides a platform for military veterans and serving soldiers to describe what they say are disturbing aspects of their service in operations in the West Bank and wars in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon in March accused the group of treason, after they were alleged to have asked soldiers to disclose classified information. The organisation denied the claims.

Chabon and Waldman will now edit a book written by 25 prominent authors focussing on different aspects of daily life under the Israeli occupation, with the proceeds going to Breaking the Silence and a local Palestinian group.

Israeli officials declined to comment on the visit.

Chabon -- whose last novel "Telegraph Avenue" was released in 2012 and who wrote lyrics for more than half the songs on Mark Ronson's last album -- is the latest in a long line of cultural figures that have come out either in favour or against Israel's policies.

Artists such as former Pink Floyd star Roger Waters have called for new measures against the country, but Harry Potter author JK Rowling has opposed a cultural boycott.
Looking to invest in a consumer stock? Take a look at Clorox, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Tuesday.

"[CEO] Benno Dorer delivers another fabulous quarter. Don't forget, he was dealt a good hand, because when [Donald Knauss] left, that last quarter he got them out of Venezuela," Cramer said on " Squawk on the Street ." "What I'm really impressed with is you got the 4 percent volume increase  that's really terrific  cleaning sales really good."



Clorox (CLX) shares rose 1.95 percent Tuesday after the firm posted better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings per share of $1.23. Revenue for the quarter also beat estimates, coming in at $1.43 billion. Analysts polled by Reuters expected the company to report earnings of $1.11 on $1.41 billion.

On Tuesday Dorer told CNBC's "Closing Bell" that diversification of bleach products, such as sprays and bleach-based toilet bowl cleaners, contributed to the company's growth. "Bleach accounts for anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of our revenue," he said. "Total bleach business actually is up."



Clorox, the parent company of Brita water filters, also got a boost from a health and wellness trend trend among both millennials and the aging generation that is "here to stay," the CEO noted. "We're promoting a healthy lifestyle, which includes filtered water, and we're doing that very successfully with consumers today."

The company celebrated its 103rd anniversary Tuesday.

 Reuters contributed to this report.







More From CNBC


Is the Sky Falling? Carl Icahn Exited His Investment in Apple

(Continued from Prior Part)

Jim Cramers view on Apple

While investors and the Market have been busy focusing on what Carl Icahn likes or dislikes, especially after he divulged that he offloaded his entire stake in Apple (AAPL), Mad Money host Jim Cramer suggests that investors should focus on what this market wants out of a company.

According to Jim Cramer, Apple is too cheap to sell, but not cheap enough to buy more.

Cramer thinks that given the companys strong dividend and growing service revenue stream, it might be difficult for the company to support the stock at these levels.

Other companies

Companies such as Amazon (AMZN), LinkedIn (LNKD), and Expedia (EXPE) almost doubled their profit. Apple (AAPL) fell due to weakness in China.

Amazon

Amazon reported its 1Q16 earnings after the closing bell on April 28. The companys stock rose 12% in late trading. It recorded a $1.01 earnings per share against an expected $0.61 per share. The rally made the companys CEO, Jeff Bezos, the fourth richest person in the world.

LinkedIn

On April 28, the company beat revenue and earnings estimates. This sent the stock price up 3.5% as of the close on April 28. The company reported adjusted earnings of $0.74 per share versus analysts estimate of $0.60 per share. As a result of our new mobile experience, members are increasing their activity on LinkedIn, helping drive strong levels of engagement across the platform, said LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner.

Expedia

The companys shares soared 13.5% in after-market trading. The company beat both earnings and revenue estimates. With $1.9 billion in revenue reported against an expected $1.82 billion, the company benefitted from its string of acquisitions. Last year, Expedia embarked on an acquisition spree. It bought its rival Orbitz Worldwide for $1.3 billion and Travelocity for $280 million.

To stay updated on the technology sector (XLK) (QQQ), visit Market Realists Tech, Media, and Telecom page.

Story continues

For more analysis related to activist investors such as Carl Icahn, David Tepper, Ray Dalio, Bill Gross, and Jeffrey Gundlach, visit Market Realists Active Management page.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
U.S. Navy Lt. Jack McCain, son of former Republican presidential candidate and Arizona Sen. John McCain, got personally involved Tuesday in an ugly Twitter war over an interracial couple recently featured in an Old Navy ad.

Read more: This Old Navy Ad Featuring an Interracial Family Is Being Attacked By Racist Trolls

McCain, whose spouse Air Force Reserve Capt. Renee Swift McCain is a black woman, responded to internet racists who felt the ad promoted "m" by posting photos of his very happy-looking marriage to Twitter.

To the people upset about the #OldNavy "Scandal" of an a picture of a mixed race marriage, eat it. @Reneeitchkapic.twitter.com/yA5YwbZRcm https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chd3masUUAApS5K.jpg:large

I hope this one burns too, you ignorant racists. Here is us on our wedding day. @Reneeitchkapic.twitter.com/1VSd2gqH9W https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Chd3_1lU8AEId9o.jpg:large

McCain also mocked racists who insulted him for daring to post a photo of himself and his wife.

@_AltRight_ @Reneeitchka This response is probably my favorite so far because it is nearly the most racist thing I have ever heard.

@_AltRight_ @Reneeitchka She is a strong, fiercely independent, well educated woman, and far more than I deserve.

@johnny_nimble @_AltRight_ Dude, I am a United States Navy Pilot. There is no lack of confidence here.

@20002ist @Reneeitchka It has been an enlightening experience to say the least. The crazies came out to say hi, en masse.

Swift McCain also posted her own image of her and her husband, saying they had "bought something" at the retail chain to support Old Navy's embrace of multiracial families.

Story continues

I was just in @OldNavy this weekend! Bought something for me and my husband. #LoveWinspic.twitter.com/fE5s97yDny https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CheYVsGUgAENHx-.jpg:large

Gallup polling shows a huge supermajority of Americans, 87%, support interracial marriage, while Pew studies have shown almost all young people see absolutely nothing wrong with it. So the McCains are in solid company, and the haters are just that.
(Adds lawyer's comments, background, stock price)

By Jessica Dye

NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a U.S. jury on Monday to pay $55 million to a woman who said that using the company's talc-powder products for feminine hygiene caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

The verdict, which J&J plans to appeal, was the second straight trial loss for the company, which is facing about 1,200 lawsuits accusing it of not adequately warning consumers about its talc-based products' cancer risks.

Following a three-week trial in Missouri state court, jurors deliberated for about a day before returning a verdict for Gloria Ristesund. She was awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.

J&J spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said the verdict contradicted 30 years of research supporting the safety of cosmetic talc. The company intends to appeal and will keep defending its products' safety, she said.

Ristesund said she used J&J's talc-based powder products - which include the well-known Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder - on her genitals for decades. According to her lawyers, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had to undergo a hysterectomy and related surgeries. Her cancer is now in remission.

Jere Beasley, whose firm represents Ristesund, said his client was gratified with the verdict. The jury's decision should "end the litigation" and compel J&J to settle the remaining cases, he said.

J&J shares were down 18 cents in after-hours trading to $112.57.

The verdict followed a $72 million jury award from the same court in February to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after years of using talc powder for feminine hygiene.

That verdict, which J&J is appealing, sparked renewed interest in talc-powder lawsuits among plaintiffs' lawyers, as well as consumers familiar with J&J's powder products. But scientists have told Reuters the evidence of a real danger is inconclusive.

Story continues

Plaintiffs in talc litigation, which is concentrated in Missouri and New Jersey state courts, have accused J&J of failing for years to warn that talc was linked to an increased risk for ovarian cancer. J&J has said it acted properly in developing and marketing the products.

The only other case to be tried involving talc powder and ovarian cancer resulted in a mixed verdict in South Dakota federal court in 2013. While those jurors found J&J was negligent, they awarded no damages to the plaintiff, whose cancer was in remission at the time of the trial.

Reuters viewed the proceedings on Courtroom View Network.

(Reporting by Jessica Dye; Editing by Leslie Adler and Peter Cooney)
Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $55 million to an American woman who says the companys talcum powder caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

Following a three-week-long trial in Missouri, jurors decided on Monday in favor of Gloria Ristesund, Reuters reports. The 62-year-old plaintiff said she had used the companys talc-based powders as feminine hygiene products for decades. According to her lawyers, she developed ovarian cancer and had to get a hysterectomy.

The decision follows a previous case in the same court in February, in which a family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer was awarded $72 million.

According to Reuters, the company is facing 1,2000 similar lawsuits, accusing the Johnson & Johnson of not adequately warning its consumers about the cancer risks to its talcum-based products, which include Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder.

J&J, reports Reuters, says its cosmetic talc is safe and that Mondays verdict at the Missouri state court contradicts 30 years of research. The company intends to appeal the jury decision.

[Reuters]
May 3 (Reuters) - Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday slapped a negative outlook on Kansas' Aa2 credit rating, citing the state's reliance on one-shot measures to balance its budget.

That followed action late last month by Standard & Poor's, which put Kansas' AA rating on review for a possible downgrade after the state lowered its revenue estimates for the current and next fiscal year by $228.7 million.

Governor Sam Brownback plans to divert $185 million in sales tax revenue from the state' highway fund to the general fund and delay a $96.5 million fiscal 2016 pension payment to help fill the gap.

"By continuing to balance its budget with unsustainable, nonrecurring resources, including pension underfunding, it is accumulating large and expensive long-term liabilities that it will be paying off for a long time," Moody's said in a statement.

The credit rating agency also revised the outlook on $2.1 billion of Aa2-rated Kansas highway revenue bonds to negative from stable.

The Kansas budget is feeling the effects from action taken by Brownback and the Republican-controlled legislature in recent years to cut corporate and other income taxes to help the state compete with bordering Missouri and other states for business development and jobs.

The state's fiscal year begins on July 1.

(Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Kanye

Kanye West is never one to play it safe or traditional.

But he really outdid himself on this year's Met Gala red carpet. The theme for the annual charity event, which supports the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology."

For Kanye, that apparently meant blue contacts, ripped jeans, and a sparkly metallic-looking denim jacket  all by his favorite fashion house, Balmain.

Let's say this first: as a whole, Kanye's outfit is not bad. It's adventurous, sure, but in that "he's taking risks and they're not all working" and not the "what a disaster" way.

Unfortunately for the "Life of Pablo" rapper, the Met Gala is a black-tie event. That means tuxedos, or since it's a relatively fashion-forward event, something that at least approximates it.

Last year at the gala Kanye did great with a black velvet number, and while we weren't quite sure what exactly to call the garment, it at least looked appropriate.

This year, it looks like Kanye forgot he was going to a black-tie event altogether and just showed up in something he might wear on the street.

What can you learn from this? That it doesn't matter how cool and fashion-forward your outfit is  if it's completely wrong for the event, it's just wrong.

We're big fans of adhering to strict dress codes, and unfortunately Kanye's outfit just doesn't fit into the strict Met Gala guidelines.

If you're Kanye, you can get away with pretty much everything. But that doesn't mean you should.

Here's what people were saying about it:

why did kanye west wear ripped jeans to the met gala #inappropriate  helena horton (@horton_official) May 3, 2016

Kanye:

*ripped jeans*

*light white tee*

*sparkly jacket*

*blue eyes*

ok I'm ready  Yoshimi (@ryonsrackie) May 3, 2016

Sweet that Kim Kardashian brought a wax figure of Kanye West as her Met Gala date pic.twitter.com/eqFdqoeeSQ  Tricia Gilbride (@tricia_gilbride) May 3, 2016

I thought colored contact wearing Kanye was a nightmare, but it wasn't  Sam (@montueswedn) May 3, 2016

I don't think I've fully comprehended that Kanye West showed up in jeans.  Jordan (@jboogie111800) May 3, 2016

NOW WATCH: Back in 2014, dancer Misty Copeland told us a story about working with Prince





More From Business Insider


Maury Povich is weighing in on a controversy that for once doesnt have to do with a paternity test.

Povich gave his two cents on the backstage drama that has erupted between Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa after Strahan abruptly announced that he would leave Live With Kelly and Michael to join Good Morning America.

Both of them ought to leave their diva cages and be thankful they have an audience, Povich said to Fox411. Maybe he can arrange to have them sent to boot camp, where they can be broken down and then built back up.

Also Read: Neil Patrick Harris and Other Possible Replacements for Michael Strahan on 'Live'

Ripa was said to be upset that she was kept out of the loop on ABCs plan to switch Strahan to Good Morning America. That switch was originally set to occur in September, but it was bumped up to May in recent weeks.

In the meantime, Ripa has gotten apologies from Strahan and ABC boss Ben Sherwood, among others, for how the GMA affair was handled and for not telling her sooner.

Various guests hosts are expected to fill in for Strahan until ABC decides on a permanent co-host. Back when Regis Philbin retired as Ripas co-host in 2011, it took 10 months before the network settled on Strahan as a permanent replacement. The rotating guest hosts will essentially be trying out for the gig.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Lewis Black Jokingly Auditions to Be Kelly Ripa's New 'Live' Co-Host (Video)

Kelly Ripa's Return Boosts 'Live!' Overnight Ratings 62 Percent

Kelly Ripa Returns to 'Live!': 'Our Long National Nightmare Is Over' (Video)
Meeting the leader of the free world is one thing, but becoming the butt of his jokes? Even better!

Kendall Jenner has responded to President Barack Obama's quip at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner, saying she's thrilled to have scored a mention in the commander in chief's eighth and final WHCD speech.

EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Obama on Sasha and Malia's First State Dinner: 'They Got to Do the Big Girl Dress-Up Thing'

"Kendall Jenner is also here," POTUS told around 3,000 guests, including Kerry Washington and Helen Mirren. "We had a chance to meet her backstage and she seems like a very nice young woman. I'm not exactly sure what she does, but I am told that my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof."

In a new blog posted on her app, 20-year-old Jenner wasn't fazed by the apparent dig at what she does for living. "Remember when I posed as Rosie The Riveter? Well, Rock The Vote and USA Today invited me to The White House Correspondents' dinner to represent," she writes. "I was SO honored to be amongst such amazing humans. President Obama told me to say hi to Kim and Kanye, and then he even joked about me in his speech. Unreal  I was seriously pinching myself!"

MORE: Malia Obama Will Be Attending Harvard University Come Fall 2017

The model and reality TV star wore a black, strapless Vivienne Westwood gown, diamond choker necklace and a loose, messy ponytail to the elite gala. However, she's expected to swap her brunette locks for a blonde wig at tonight's Met Gala, after Estee Lauder reps posted a Snapchat image of a girl in a white wig  believed to be Jenner  getting ready for the New York event.

Related Articles
By Richard Leong

(Reuters) - California chef Suzanne Goin, known for her use of seasonal local ingredients in European-inspired dishes, was named best U.S. chef by the James Beard Foundation on Monday.

Chicago's Alinea, which built its reputation on elaborate, avant-garde cuisine, took the prize for top U.S. restaurant.

Goin is only the fifth female to win the top chef honor since the foundation established awards for chefs, restaurants and food writers in 1990.

The California native owns four restaurants in Los Angeles: Lucques, a.o.c. and Tavern as well as The Hungry Cat which she opened with her husband, chef David Lentz.

Goin has received acclaim for her sophisticated comfort food using the best local ingredients since opening her first restaurant, Lucques, in 1998.

In contrast to Lucques' inviting familiarity, Alinea has challenged diners and critics with its ever-changing tasting menu of up to 22 dishes.

Grant Achatz, who won the best U.S. chef award in 2008, has been the creative force behind the three-star Michelin restaurant in Chicago with its envelope-pushing modernist dishes.

The awards ceremony, the biggest for the U.S. restaurant industry, took place in Chicago. The foundation also named Dahlia Narvaez at Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles as the nation's top pastry chef and Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery + Cafe in Boston as top baker.

New Orleans' Shaya took the prize for best new U.S. restaurant. Daniela Soto-Innes at Cosme in New York City was cited as "rising star chef."

In other key categories, Berns Steakhouse in Tampa, Florida, took the prize for outstanding wine program, while Maison Premiere in Brooklyn, New York, was honored for its excellence in cocktail, spirits and/or beer service.

(Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Simon Cameron-Moore)
Lagos (AFP) - Countries hit by Boko Haram violence were warned on Wednesday not to make premature claims of victory, despite the Islamist group being pegged back by a sustained military counter-insurgency.

"Though the military response to Boko Haram has become more cogent, the Lake Chad states should not too quickly proclaim 'mission accomplished'," the International Crisis Group said.

"Even if they are made to abandon all territorial pretensions in Nigeria's northeast and the Lake Chad area, or are forced to abandon their guerrilla war, some Boko Haram militants at least are likely to seek to continue their insurgency in some form, probably through terror attacks," the security analysts added.

Nigeria and its neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger are due to hold a security summit in Abuja on May 14 with international partners including Britain, France and the United States.

The ICG said the meeting -- two years after the first in Paris -- was "an opportunity to consolidate regional and wider international cooperation" as well as review current policies.

Closer ties beyond military support were vital to address key drivers of the conflict, as well as its effects, to prevent sustained support for the Islamists and similar, future threats.

These include addressing the humanitarian situation for the more than 2.8 million people made homeless by the violence since 2009, and re-establishing the rule of law and governance in the region.

Also key was treatment of detained Boko Haram suspects and even more moderate fighters willing to be rehabilitated, the ICG wrote in a briefing paper, "Boko Haram on the back foot?"

"How governments treat and distinguish Boko Haram ideologues from those who joined from other motives will be vital," the report said.

"Dealing appropriately with ex-members is the first step to lessen recruitment."

Nigeria's military on Tuesday said dozens of Boko Haram fighters were now at a rehabilitation camp in an undisclosed location and undergoing a "deradicalisation" programme.

Story continues

- 'Difficult to eradicate' -

President Muhammadu Buhari, who has made defeating Boko Haram a priority since taking power last year, in December declared that the Islamic State group affiliate was "technically" defeated.

Armed service chiefs have in recent days also been talking up operations in Boko Haram's Sambisa Forest stronghold, indicating a final push was under way.

But the rebels have still been able to deploy suicide bombers in northeast Nigeria, and particularly northern Cameroon, even if attacks have decreased in Chad and Niger.

The ICG recommended winding down the use of civilian militia forces who have helped the military maintain security but also been accused of abuses against civilians.

A failure to do so could increase the risk of local, communal violence, it warned, adding: "Many could become tools for local politicians to misuse."

Boko Haram, whose push for a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left more than 20,000 people dead since 2009, has come to resemble a marauding criminal gang in recent months.

The ICG, however, cautioned that its reduced capacity to operate beyond hit-and-run raids for resources should not be under-estimated.

"Much like other jihadist groups, such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), it may become less a guerrilla force attached to a specific territory and more a terror group with a longer reach," the report added.

"Even if it may be on its back foot, Boko Haram is likely to be difficult to eradicate, because it originates from Nigeria's deep structural challenges."

These include deep-seated corruption and poor governance, as well as perceived regional inequalities, abject poverty and lack of opportunity that Boko Haram was able to exploit for support.

A failure to tackle these, combined with uncertainty and weakness in neighbouring countries, could prolong Boko Haram's existence in a different form or even create a new security threat, the ICG added.
On Mondays The Nightly Show, Larry Wilmore responded to a backlash from the White House Correspondents dinner, which he hosted. Wilmore coyly opened his show by asking the audience how their weekends were and then downplayed his own weekend.

During his controversial speech, Larry Wilmore told jokes at the expense of President Obama, the media, and many others in attendance. Wilmore closed by showing his feelings about President Obama and his being the first black president. He said, So, Mr. President, if Im going to keep it a hundred: Yo, Barry, you did it, my n***a.

Related: Ken Tucker Reviews Larry Wilmore and President Obama at the White House Correspondents Dinner

Wimore described reactions to the line as mixed, with the exception of journalist Piers Morgan, who wrote an article shaming Wilmore.

The Nightly Show host was quick to point out his difference of opinion: He quoted me as saying, Yo, Barry, you did it my n***er. He added, Thats horrible. I would never do that.  Theres a difference. Pierce, you did not properly conjugate that slur.



The Nightly Show airs weeknights at 11:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram  or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Cynthia LuCiette, on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.


Larry Wilmore didn't waste time in addressing his critics for the comedian's remarks at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday. Wilmore kicked off The Nightly Show Monday explaining that he "hosted a little dinner party" with the likes of President Barack Obama and CNN's Don Lemon. Of course, the big news was at the end of Wilmore's speech, when he addressed the president saying, "You did it, my nigga."

"I'm wrapping up my little speech and giving the president some props, telling him how much I appreciated him being the first black president," Wilmore said Monday. "And then I buttoned it with a little, um, let's say, colloquialism. There was a lot of reaction. Many people were upset about it. Many people supported it. And like the president himself, the reaction was mixed. Oh, shit, I did it again. Don't make those jokes, Larry!"

Of the criticisms, though, Wilmore singled out an oft-controversial media figure from across the pond: Piers Morgan. Morgan wrote a pointed column about Wilmore's remark, in which he argued for ending the use of the word all together (even among black people), but Wilmore said he failed in distinguishing between n*gger and n*gga  and the connotations for both.

"A

M an's article  from the perspective of a white man  clearly missed its mark. But Wilmore imparts some advice for his future columns.

"Now, you also said in your article, 'Larry, you're not a n***er and nor is Barack Obama.'" Wilmore said. "I know, stop calling us that! Stop it! Conjugate the slur! And then, also, don't use it."

You can check Wilmore's full response here.
* AES Dominicana returns with stapled note offering * Panama's Tocumen airport comes with structured bond * CAF markets three-year global bond * Odebrecht delays results amid corruption probe * PDVSA issues new debt to pay off suppliers By Mike Gambale NEW YORK, May 3 (IFR) - No deals priced in the LatAm market on Tuesday.

Below is a snapshot of LatAm sovereign credit spreads: SOVEREIGN 5/2 4/29 4/28 1D 10D YTD 2015/16 HIGH BARBADOS 644 646 643 -2 -10 40 659 (2/11/16) BRAZIL 357 359 358 -2 -7 -129 542 (2/11/16) CHILE 78 82 82 -4 -6 -8 143 (2/11/16) COLOMBIA 257 261 256 -4 -3 -32 412 (2/11/16) COSTA RICA 466 466 468 0 -3 -51 587 (2/11/16) DOMINICAN REP 406 407 402 -1 4 -9 542 (2/11/16) ECUADOR 974 987 999 -13 -182 -341 1765 (2/11/16) EL SALVADOR 634 632 628 2 19 -6 840 (2/11/16) GUATEMALA 280 283 281 -3 12 -22 385 (2/11/16) JAMAICA 432 433 431 -1 6 -17 519 (2/11/15) MEXICO 185 187 180 -2 4 -9 278 (2/11/16) PANAMA 185 189 187 -4 -3 -21 272 (2/11/16) PERU 186 191 186 -5 -6 -45 291 (2/10/16) TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 175 179 176 -4 21 77 173 (1/15/15) URUGUAY 252 256 253 -4 4 -16 344 (2/11/16) VENEZUELA 2948 2834 2814 114 -90 156 3713 (2/12/16) Source: Bank of America Merrill Lynch Master Index SPREAD TRENDS: Venezuela widens by 114bp overnight Ten-day trend has Ecuador tighter by 182bp PIPELINE: AES Dominicana, rated Nr/B+/B+ (-/p/p), announced a US$370m 10yr nc5 senior unsecured note unit offering via CITI/CS. 144a/RegS. Books are open, with pricing expected Wednesday.

The deal will consist of two underlying notes. 1) AES Andres B.V. and Dominican Power Partners. US$270m. 10-year nc5. IPT Low to mid 8%s. Guaranteed by AES Andres DR, S.A. 2) Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Itablo, S.A. US$100m. 10-year nc5. IPT: Low to mid 8%.

Underlying Notes may only be transferred as part of the Notes Units and will not trade separately until the earliest of: (i) an event of default under either of the underlying Notes (ii) a change of control under either of the underlying Notes (iii) a redemption in whole of either note , and (iv) the tender in whole or in part of the underlying Notes.UOP: Repay outstanding bridge, repay outstanding bridge loan and GCP, loan and GCP.

Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, S.A., expected ratings Nr/BBB/BBB, has announced IPTs of 5.75% are on a US$625m 20-year senior secured note offering via sole structuring agent Citigroup. The amortizer has a WAL of 15.9yr, with pricing expected on Wednesday.

First priority lien over (i) Issuer's committed aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues and the Trustee General Account, and (ii) Debt Payment Account and DSRA established for this issuance. UOP: Proceeds deposited in the CapEx account, net of fees and expenses and Debt Payment Account, DSCR and other reserve account funding.

Regional development bank Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF) has set initial price thoughts of MS+115bp area on a new US dollar-denominated three-year SEC-registered senior unsecured Global SEC Registered bond. Leads Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and HSBC are taking indications of interest on Tuesday, with pricing expected to follow on Wednesday.

Colombia's Banco de Bogota has hired banks to arrange investor meetings ahead of a potential subordinated bond sale. Banco de Bogota is expected to issue US$1bn through 10-year Tier 2 notes.

Rated Ba2 by Moody's and BBB by Fitch.

The bank has hired Credit Suisse, HSBC and JP Morgan to arrange meetings in London, New York, Los Angeles and Boston between May 3 and May 6.

The Province of Neuquen has started fixed-income investor meetings as it looks to market a US dollar 144A/RegS transaction through Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.

The borrower will wrap up meetings in London on Wednesday. The offering of bonds, which will by backed gas royalties, is being done in conjunction with an exchange for outstanding 2021.

The Province of Chubut is preparing to sell an up to US$83m New York law bond due in 2023, according to Moody's, which assigned a B3 rating to the issue on Thursday.

The Province of Mendoza is looking to raise US$300m in both the local and international markets to refinance debt, according to local reports.

(Reporting by Mike Gambale; editing by Shankar Ramakrishnan)
If you want a career in the beauty industry, most states make you work for it. In New York, for instance, it takes 600 hours to become a licensed makeup artist  which is far more than the 150 to 200 hours it takes to become an EMT. And, according to a new lawsuit filed by the Beacon Center of Tennessee, the requirements for shampoo technicians are just as outrageous.



The Nashville-based libertarian think tank is filing the suit against the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners on behalf of would-be Memphis shampoo technician Tammy Pritchard. According to Mark Cunningham, spokesman for the Beacon Center, arbitrary government regulations requiring 300 hours of education are preventing residents like Pritchard from earning a decent living.

States, including Tennessee, make it difficult for people like Tammy Pritchard to become a shampoo technician. (Photo courtesy of the Beacon Center)

Washing hair is clearly not a safety hazard, Cunningham tells Yahoo Beauty. It is something that most people do every single day, and its completely unfair that the Tennessee government forces people to get an expensive and time-consuming license that essentially amounts to a tax on low-income Tennesseans who just want to work.

Related: Its Harder to Become a Makeup Artist Than an EMT in 33 States

What does it cost to become a shampoo tech? A lot more than youd imagine, Cunningham explains. The typical cost of those classes is around $3,000, he says. In addition to that, there is a $50 licensing fee. However, because there are no current schools that offer this class in Tennessee, it means that to be a shampoo technician in Tennessee right now, you need a full cosmetology license.

Cosmetology licenses require 1,500 hours of education, and the total cost of schooling typically ranges from $15,000 to $32,000. For Tennesseans like Tammy, becoming a full-blown cosmetologist just to wash hair is not a viable option, Cunningham says.

Story continues

According to Franklin Academy in Nashville, a typical shampoo tech course costs $3,225. The class teaches an understanding of the theory of shampooing, as well as the skill. It helps a potential technician develop good habits and sanitation procedures and covers what supplies are required. The course is meant to prepare a student for the State Board examination for becoming a licensed shampoo technician.

Related: The Best Shampoo For Your Hair Type

All that said, the Franklin Academy isnt offering its class for shampoo techs for the remainder of the year. Cunningham says the Beacon Center asked the state government about options for those like Pritchard, but representatives said they were unaware of any school that currently offers the program as of March 2016.

Tennessee has the most restrictive shampooing requirements in the country  only four other states currently have similar laws in place to become a shampoo tech, and the regulations in Tennessee are twice as burdensome as the next greatest state. Cunningham says that as long as others rights arent violated, everyone in the country deserves the chance to make an honest living through decent job opportunities.

Professional shampooing shouldnt be so hard in the state of Tennessee. This is a prime example of a law that was put in the books to stifle competition and make it nearly impossible for low- and middle-income residents to use their skill set to better their economic situation, Cunningham says. It disproportionately hurts the very people who need a job the most.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
World, meet Norman. Norman is grumpy. Hes got a frowny face and he will turn it on any one of us.

With a small but dedicated following on Twitter, @emergencynorman is being touted as the new Grumpy Cat thanks to his serious face and inability to crack a smile.

Norman, not taking any of this Lindt bunnys sh*t [Twitter]

Described by his owner as an adorable as*hole, Norman is, confusingly, a long-haired British shorthair cat, who lives in Melbourne.

Norman: also grumpy about laundry [Twitter]

His owner, writer Anna Spargo-Ryan, told the Daily Mail, Hes like a private school boy whos never had to work for anything because his hair is so good.

Just hanging out [Twitter]

Normans fame may be small but its growing; with the actual Grumpy Cat raking in the cash thanks to marketing tie-ins and film appearances, theres never been a more lucrative time to own a cat with a slightly disgruntled expression on its face.

All pictures: Emergency Norman on Twitter
By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - An oil company set up by Libya's eastern government is preventing a tanker from loading a cargo for its Tripoli rival, the National Oil Corporation (NOC), officials said on Tuesday. The eastern company, also calling itself the National Oil Corporation, ordered workers at Marsa el-Hariga port in eastern Libya not to load the tanker, which had been waiting for two days, a port official said. If the tanker, Seachance, cannot load or the port is closed, Libyas production could drop by 120,000 barrels per day, the official said. An eastern NOC official said the order was in line with the east's failed attempt to export a shipment of 650,000 barrels of oil last week in defiance of the authorities in Tripoli, part of a power struggle between Libya's rival administrations. Seachance had been initially due to load on April 26-28 and was part of the Tripoli NOC's loading program, an NOC official in the capital said. The eastern NOC was formed by one of two competing governments that struggled for control in Libya from 2014, each backed by loose alliances of armed groups. A United Nations-backed unity government arrived in Tripoli last month and is attempting to establish its authority over the North African OPEC state, but it has continued to face vocal opposition from some in the east. Libya's oil output has dropped sharply amid the political chaos, labor unrest and insecurity that have followed the uprising against autocrat Muammar Gaddafi five years ago. Production is currently less than a quarter of a 2011 high of 1.6 million bpd. The eastern NOC has long said it plans to export oil independently, but until last month had failed to secure a tanker. After it shipped a cargo of oil on the Indian-flagged Distya Ameya on April 25, the United Nations blacklisted the vessel and it returned to a port in western Libya controlled by the Tripoli NOC. Eastern officials have issued a series of defiant statements in recent days, vowing to continue their efforts to export oil. (Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar and Libby George in London; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Patrick Markey and Gareth Jones)
The wreck of a famous research vessel turned Revolutionary War troopship may soon be discovered.

The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) will announce its progress in the hunt for a ship dubbed "Lord Sandwich" on Wednesday (May 4). This ship is better known by its previous name: the HMS Endeavour, the British Royal Navy vessel that James Cook took to explore Australia and New Zealand between 1768 and 1771.

After Endeavour's retirement as a navy vessel, the ship was sold for civilian use and renamed. During the American Revolution, the ship was used to transport troops and then was scuttled by the British Navy in Rhode Island's Newport Harbor, RIMAP has found. Along with 12 other ships, Cook's vessel became part of a blockade meant to keep French ships out of the bay. [In Photos: The HMS Victory Shipwreck Site]

With a grant from the Australian National Maritime Museum, RIMAP has uncovered documents in London describing which ships were sunk, and where. They've learned that the Lord Sandwich/Endeavour sits in a group of five wrecked ships in Newport Harbor, four of which the archaeological agency has already mapped.

The group plans to map the fifth site, as well as to work to identify each of the ships, according to a statement from RIMAP. To do so, the group needs to first construct a facility to house, examine and conserve any artifacts that can be brought up to the surface.

It was RIMAP that did the archival work to confirm that the Lord Sandwich was actually the Endeavour in the first place. The ship (the namesake of a now-retired space shuttle) was originally named the Earl of Pembrokebefore it was purchased from private hands for the Cook expedition, according to the Captain Cook Society. The vessel weighed 368 tons (334 metric tons) and was 105 feet (32 meters) long.

The Endeavor nearly didn't survive its ambitious southern voyage. The ship and its crew sailed from Plymouth to Tahiti and then island-hopped all the way to New Zealand. It was the first ship to land on Australia's east coast, but foundered on the Great Barrier Reef in June 1770, forcing Cook and the crew to throw more than 40 tons of equipment, including guns, overboard. The crew was able to get the leaky ship off the reef and then had to beach it for weeks of jerry-rigged repairs, according to historians. It wasn't until four months later, in October, that the ship reached the Dutch East Indies for full repair work.

Story continues

Though the Endeavour's final resting place has yet to be confirmed, some pieces of the ship have been discovered: The guns and ballast tossed overboard in the Great Barrier Reef were found in 1969.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
How Will Fiscal 2H16 Play Out for 21st Century Fox?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Valuation metrics

In this final part of our series, well look at some key metrics investors can use to compare the values of media companies. Well look specifically at media valuation multiples, which are helpful in the valuation of conglomerates.

Some of the usual valuation multiples for companies are PE (price-to-earnings), EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization), PCF (price-to-cash flow) ratio, and PFCF (price-to-free cash flow) ratio.

Price-based multiples take into account value from a shareholders perspective. EV-based multiples help investors to understand the value of a company for the holders of its sources of capital. These are forward multiples based on expected values after a year.

Is FOXA overvalued?

As the above graph shows, 21st Century Fox (FOXA) has a forward PE multiple of 14.4x, which is high among its peers. Time Warner (TWX), Viacom (VIAB), and CBS (CBS) have forward PE ratios of 12.6x, 7.9x, and 12.8x, respectively. Only the Walt Disney Company (DIS) has a higher PE multiple of 16.6x.

21st Century Fox has a forward EV-to-EBITDA multiple of 10.2x. This is higher than the multiples of its peers, except for Disney, which has a forward EV-to-EBITDA multiple of 10.4x.

FOXAs value proposition

FOXA stated in its fiscal 2Q16 earnings call that it was focusing primarily on its programming as a creative asset and monetizing it across various platforms. Last year, it launched its OTT (over-the-top) platform, hotstar, in India (EPI), which is getting a very good response.

The company is also looking at monetizing the viewing of its content across multiple platforms through interactive advertising technology. FOXA is using its TrueX technology on Hulu, the OTT platform that it jointly owns with Comcast (CMCSA) and Disney.

FOXA makes up 0.66% of the PowerShares QQQ Trust, Series 1 ETF (QQQ). QQQ has 4.2% exposure to the television space.

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Europes largest oil company Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A is set to release its first-quarter 2016 results before the opening bell on Wednesday, May 4.

In the preceding three-month period, The Hague-based supermajor posted a negative earnings surprise of 3.33% amid the continued plunge in commodity prices. This was partially offset by higher production.

As far as the earnings surprise history is concerned, the company has a mixed record: its beaten estimates in 2 of the last four quarters with an average beat of 9.16%.

Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors to Consider This Quarter

Similar to other companies exploring for and producing oil and gas, the results of Shells upstream division are directly exposed to commodity prices. Consequently, with oil price collapsing to its lowest level in twelve years and natural gas mostly trading under $2 during the first quarter, the groups revenues, earnings and cash flows are likely to be hit hard.

There are also signs of unexpected weakness in the refining business, suggesting that the unit  which had saved Royal Dutch Shell when crude prices plunged  could now be a drag.

Finally, following Shell's $50 billion mega acquisition of BG Group plc, we remain worried about the companys rise in net debt and reduction of liquidity.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Royal Dutch Shell will beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) to be able to beat consensus estimates. That is not the case here as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -11.54%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate stands at 23 cents, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged higher, at 26 cents.

Zacks Rank: Royal Dutch Shell carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), which further complicates the forecasting power of ESP.

Story continues

As it is, we caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions momentum.

Stocks to Consider

While earnings beat looks uncertain for Royal Dutch Shell, here are some firms you may want to consider on the basis of our model, which shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

DCP Midstream Partners L.P. DPM has an Earnings ESP of +9.52% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release earnings results on May 4.

Enable Midstream Partners L.P. ENBL has an Earnings ESP of +21.05% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is anticipated to release earnings on May 4.

McDermott International Inc. MDR has an Earnings ESP of +100.00% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is likely to release earnings on May 5.

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Typically, when an actor is coming off the high of an Oscar win, he or she is showered with big Hollywood roles befit for someone with the industry's highest recognition (think Jennifer Lawrence and Charlize Theron). But Lupita Nyong'o shied away from that trend.

Since winning the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2014 for her role in 12 Years a Slave, Nyong'o has been noticeably absent on the big screen; her most recent work is in voiceover roles in The Jungle Book and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Instead, she's starred in Danai Gurira's Broadway play, Eclipsed, which she was recently nominated for at the Tonys.

Nyong'o described her decision to take the role in a new essay, published Tuesday in Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter. In the piece, titled "Why I Chose a 'Small Play' Over the Big Screen," Nyong'o explains how she has dealt with the media questioning why she elected for a role on stage over Hollywood, and how it relates to her being an actress of color.

I think as women, as women of color, as black women, too often we hear about what we "need to do." How we need to behave, what we need to wear, what's deemed as too much or not enough, the cultural politics of what society considers appropriate for us and for our lives. What I am learning is that the most important questions you can ask yourself are "What do I want?" and "Who do I want to become?"

Eclipsed, set during the Liberian Civil War in 2003, is the first Broadway play to feature an all-female cast, director and playwrights. Nyong'o said she was drawn in, too by the prospect of playing a complex female character of color.

The chance to appear in Eclipsed after winning an Oscar was an opportunity to share in the incredible (and too rare) freedom of playing a fully rendered African woman. The playwright, Danai Gurira, has conceived a drama where the only people onstage are women. This allows the audience to be fully immersed in their lives, although the presence of the men around them is deeply felt. So often women of color are relegated to playing simple tropes: the sidekick, the best friend, the noble savage, or the clown. We are confined to being a simple and symbolic peripheral character  one who doesn't have her own journey or emotional landscape.

Story continues

The heartfelt essay is a powerful dive into Nyong'o's personal sentiments about the play, and sends a resonant message along with it: If you like what you do, you don't need to justify your choice for anyone else.

"I see a work of incredible power that is transforming lives by daring to offer women of color fully rendered narratives, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it," she writes. "I look at this play and see nothing about it that is 'small.'"

You can check out Nyong'o's full essay on the Lenny Letter here.
Luxembourg (AFP) - The main whistleblower in the "LuxLeaks" scandal told his trial in Luxembourg on Tuesday that he was proud that leaking of thousands of secret documents had opened up the issue of tax avoidance in Europe.

Frenchman Antoine Deltour, a former employee of auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), is on trial along with two other people over the leaks and faces up to 10 years in jail.

"I feel a certain pride in having contributed to these important advances to taxation in Europe," Deltour told the court in the tiny EU duchy of Luxembourg as he gave evidence for the first time.

"One may hope that the outrage aroused (by the leaks) resulted in concrete political action."

Deltour, who faces charges of stealing documents, revealing business secrets and violation of professional secrets, is accused of leaking the documents to French journalist Edouard Perrin, who is also on trial.

The documents were originally used for a 2012 report on French public television, but only really exploded onto the world stage two years later with the huge "LuxLeaks" release of all 30,000 pages into the public domain.

The files showed how Luxembourg granted "sweetheart" deals that saved firms including Apple, IKEA and Pepsi billions of dollars in taxes, at a time when Jean-Claude Juncker, now head of the European Commission, was prime minister.

Deltour told the court he was "surprised" that all the documents were leaked but "satisfied" that they had put the spotlight on taxation.

Perrin, who is accused of violating business secrets and of encouraging Deltour to leak the papers, told reporters at the trial he "neither gave orders nor was a thief".

A third person, former PwC employee Raphael Halet, told the court last week he had leaked documents after deciding to do his duty as a citizen because he was "shocked" by Luxembourg's huge tax breaks for multinational firms.

The trial is expected to end around May 10.
What Were Following: The Terrorist Attacks in Iraq Dozens of people in Iraq have been killed in multiple car-bomb attacks by the Islamic State in recent days. At least 31 people were killed in the city of Samawah yesterday, and at least 18 were killed in Baghdad today. The attacks came after a weekend of unrest in the country; on Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators broke into the Iraqi parliament in protest of the mostly Shiite government. The United Nations estimates more than 700 Iraqis were killed in terroristic and other violent acts in April.
* Ringgit bondholders see no reason to enforce cross-default rights

By Kit Yin Boey

SINGAPORE, May 3 (IFR) - Beleaguered 1Malaysia Development won some welcome respite last week after local investors said they would take no action on a cross default on M$7.4bn (US$1.89bn) of ringgit-denominated bonds.

Market sources said major bondholders, holding about a quarter of the M$5bn government-guaranteed 5.75 percent due 2039s, were unlikely to accelerate the bonds after the state-owned fund triggered a cross default last Monday, following a missed coupon on notes of $1.75 billion, carrying a guarantee from an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund.

"We are on the same page," said one bondholder. "We will not call for an acceleration of the bond."

Investors holding 75 percent of the bonds will need to call for an acceleration of payment in order to force early redemption - a move that will challenge 1MDB's restructuring efforts. With around 25 percent already on board, and other bondholders either state-owned or seeing nothing to gain from rocking the boat, that is highly unlikely to happen.

"There are big investors in the bonds, such as state-owned funds like Kumpulan Wang Persaraan and Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja," said another investor, who does not hold 1MDB bonds. "They won't make a call on the bonds."

Other parties are showing less patience. Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank, fined the fund an unspecified amount on Thursday and is demanding that 1MDB repatriate fund from abroad by May 30. These funds are related to a total of US$1.8bn of foreign transfers that BNM had approved between 2009 and 2011, and then revoked in October last year.

Last Monday, 1MDB failed to pay a $50.3 million coupon on a $1.75 billion 5.75 percent 2022 1MDB bond with a guarantee from International Petroleum Investment Co. It said this had triggered cross defaults on the 5.75 percent 2039s and subsidiary Bandar Malaysia's series of bonds amounting to 2.4 billion ringgit.

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Investors in the Bandar Malaysia notes are also not expected to call for an acceleration of the bonds.

The cross defaults did not affect a 800 million ringgit loan from the Social Security Organisation, but could instead be impacted by the "material adverse effect" clause, 1MDB said. That loan also carries a federal government guarantee.

There is no cross default on the remaining $1.75 bilion 5.99 percent bond via 1MDB Energy and the $3 billion 4.4 percent bond via 1MDB Global Investments.

1MDB said it had sufficient funds to pay the interest, but was withholding payment as its stance was that IPIC had the obligation to do so.

"Until IPIC accepts that all obligations have been met, 1MDB is obliged to withhold payments and will seek legal recourse and resolution," the statement said. Dispute The dispute between IPIC and 1MDB arose after the Abu Dhabi fund said it was still owed $1.1 billion and would cancel a 2015 agreement to service interest payments on $3.5 billion of 1MDB bonds it had guaranteed.

IPIC said last Monday it would make the $50.3 million interest payment only after 1MDB defaulted on its payment obligations - in line with its original guarantee. As a result, it will have 10 days to cure the default, which means investors will find out by May 9 if IPIC makes good on its promise.

1MDB, however, maintains that it has made the $1.1 billion payment to a British Virgin Islands-incorporated entity, called Aabar Investments PJS Limited, but IPIC says that the company has no connection with itself or Aabar Investments PJS, in which IPIC holds a 98 percent stake.

Meanwhile, the trustees of the ringgit bonds are believed to be preparing documents in anticipation of 1MDB's move to seek bondholder consent to waive the cross default.

"There is no point in accelerating the bond now as doing that will mean we get back our investments at par," said the bondholder. "We will lose any premium from where the bond is trading now."

This will give breathing space to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has faced calls to resign over 1MDB's debt woes. Najib founded the fund, which was transformed from Terranganu Investment Authority in 2009. Najib is also chairman of 1MDB's board of advisers.

News of the cross default did not dent the ringgit bond due 2039s, which were trading at a cash price of around 110-111. The sovereign's five-year credit default swaps climbed around 5bp when 1MDB reported the cross default on Monday, but have since been range-bound at around 161bp-169bp.

The outstanding US dollar bonds due March 2023 were lower on Thursday at 87.3/87.6 against 89.4/89.7 last Monday.

1MDB said it had updated bondholders on the developments. It had also briefed them of its "successful rationalisation plan" to meet its debt obligations. The ongoing plan involves the sale of the Edra Global Energy power assets, the sale of land at Bandar Malaysia and a debt-for-asset swap agreed with IPIC.

If local investors appear comfortable with 1MDB's credit risk for the moment, rating agencies are less sanguine about the outlook for the sovereign.

Moody's said contingent liabilities could crystallise on Malaysia's government balance sheet, which was a credit negative for the sovereign. It estimated that the default could lead to contingent liabilities that would add up to around 2.5 percent of Malaysia's gross domestic product.

Fitch said the developments would not have an immediate impact on Malaysia's sovereign ratings.

"More broadly, Fitch believes (the) developments reflect Malaysia's relative weak governance standard, which the agency has cited as a weakness in the credit profile," said Fitch's sovereign ratings associate director, Sagarika Chandra.

Attention will now turn to the IPIC-guaranteed 5.99 percent notes due 2022, on which a coupon payment is due on May 11. (Reporting By Kit Yin Boey; editing by Daniel Stanton and Steve Garton)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A man hijacked a Washington D.C. bus on Tuesday and drove it into a gas station, killing a pedestrian in an incident that was over in less than three minutes, police said.

The bus driver tripped an alarm and fled the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority vehicle after the man attacked him with a weapon, police said.

"The suspect appeared to be very distraught and violent," Police Chief Cathy Lanier told reporters. Police did not identify the attacker.

The attacker drove the bus over the curb and into the gas station, hitting a male pedestrian who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Police took the suspect into custody and Lanier said he may have been taken to a hospital.

She declined to describe the weapon. Washington's WRC-TV, an NBC affiliate, said the suspect put needle-nosed pliers to the driver's neck when he took over the vehicle.

The driver suffered injuries that police described as not life-threatening. No passengers were injured.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Ted Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz unleashed a fierce tirade against Donald Trump on Tuesday, using his harshest rhetoric yet against the frontrunner as Indiana headed to the polls for what could be a do-or-die primary.

"This man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies," Cruz said at a press conference. "He lies  practically every word that comes out of his mouth."

At various points, he called Trump a "narcissist" and "serial philanderer" and said "morality doesn't exist" for him.

Cruz also responded at length to the Republican presidential frontrunner's suggestion earlier in the day that Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, was somehow linked to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy.

"This is nuts," Cruz said.

The Texas senator mocked Trump's suggestions, going on a sarcastic riff to lump in Trump with famous conspiracy theorists.

"Yes, my dad killed JFK. He's secretly Elvis. And Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard," Cruz said.

Trump's assertion came during a Fox News interview on Tuesday, when Trump cited a dubious National Enquirer article. The publication has endorsed Trump in this election cycle, and has published a series of suspect and unverified stories critical of the Texas senator and his family, including one that Cruz accused of being fomented by Trump's "henchmen."

The Texas senator also railed against Trump's sustained attacks on Cruz's family. He dismissed the Enquirer's stories as "idiotic" and criticized Trump's retweet earlier this year of an image comparing Heidi Cruz to Trump's wife, Melania Trump.

"Apparently she's not pretty enough for Donald Trump. I may be biased, but I think if he's making that allegation, he's legally blind," Cruz said.

Trump responded to what he called Cruz's "outburst" in a Tuesday statement:

Ted Cruz is a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign. It is no surprise he has resorted to his usual tactics of over-the-top rhetoric that nobody believes. Over the last week, I have watched Lyin Ted become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing, in all cases by landslides, the last six primary elections --- in fact, coming in last place in all but one of them. Todays ridiculous outburst only proves what I have been saying for a long time, that Ted Cruz does not have the temperament to be President of the United States.

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But while Cruz's rhetoric may have sharpened, it's unclear whether his attacks will have any effect on the key primary day.

Pressed by reporters on Tuesday, the senator again refused to answer whether he would support Trump if he became the Republican presidential nominee, a prospect that appears more and more likely.

NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: Why Hillary Clinton is a 'dangerous person'





More From Business Insider


NIAMEY (Reuters) - French nuclear company Areva's local business in Niger denounced a 72-hour strike at its COMINAK uranium mine as a violation of a previous agreement over bonuses. Workers launched the strike on Monday, demanding the full payment of bonuses they say they are owed for reaching financial targets last year, according to a union leader who said the company had released 70 percent of the amount. However, COMINAK management said it had agreed with the workers to pay 70 percent initially, with the remainder to be paid after shareholders approved company results at a meeting in June. "COMINAK management deplores the unions' position," it said in a statement on Tuesday released via Areva Mines Niger. "This is in violation of the negotiated agreements." The statement said the bonuses had already been increased by 50 percent over the previous year as part of negotiations. An official with SYNAMIN, one of two unions along with SYNTRAMIN which called for the strike, said on Monday the workers would evaluate the company's response after three days with a view to possibly extending the stoppage. Located in northwestern Niger, COMINAK produced 1,607 tonnes of uranium in 2015. AREVA owns 34 percent of COMINAK with the state of Niger holding 31 percent. Japan's Overseas Uranium Resources Development Company Ltd holds 25 percent of the mine and Spain's Empresa Nacional des Uranio owns the remaining 10 percent. (Reporting by Boureima Balima; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Keith Weir)
Thanks to strong Hong Kong contributions.

Mapletree Logistics Trust (MLT) closed its financial year with soft results, as net property income (NPI) inched up 4.8% YoY to $290.9m. For the quarter, NPI edged up 3.3% YoY to $72.63m.

According to a MLTs news release, MLT enjoyed contributions from acquisitions as well as strong results from Hong Kong, though partly offset by soft performance from Singapore. MLTs profits were also hit by the flagging MYR.

A report by OCBC notes that DPU for the quarter dipped 2.7% YoY to 1.80 S cents, depite a 4.4% uptick in gross revenue to $88.4m. This is on back of a lower NPI margin of 81.7%, higher management fees and a spike in borrowing costs.

For FY16, revenue climbed 6% to $349.9m, while DPU slipped 1.6% YoY to 7.38 S cents.

OCBC further asserts that MLT bagged a positive rental reversion of 4% during FY16. However, rental reversions have moderated, coming in at 0.6% in Q4.

On the flip side, management actively pursued its forward renewals, thus lowering lease expiries in FY17 to 14.6% of NLA, in contrast to 21.1% at the start of FY16.

OCBC cautions that there are still some leasing risks around the corner for MLT, though, including six single-user assets due for renewal. Of these six, two are from Singapore and both tenants have already indicated their intention not to renew leases.

The biggest risk comes from KPPC Co Ltd in Korea, one of MLTs top ten customers, which contributed 2.7% of MLTs gross revenue, states OCBC.





More From Singapore Business Review


Marc Benioff

Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff has become a loud opponent of state legislation that critics say discriminates against LGBT people.

But he's also become the ringleader to get other CEOs to join him to speak out. This began in Indiana last year, where Salesforce is a major employer, and he succeeded at getting Indiana to modify the law.

He then took on Georgia, where he helped rally business leaders so strongly that the governor vetoed the bill.

Now the fight has moved to North Carolina, with companies like PayPal and Deutsche Bank canceling jobs and expansion plans.

Benioff is using all the guerrilla marketing tactics he honed in building his company to rally other CEOs on the topic, reports The Wall Street Journal's Monica Langley.

He calls them. He emails them. He throws lavish parties  in March, for instance, he invited CEOs to a sushi dinner at his main San Francisco house, with celebrities like magician David Blaine, and urged them to act against the Georgia law.

Where corporate CEOs once felt compelled to keep mum about polarizing political issues such as gay rights, now they are being cajoled to speak up.

Tim Cook

For instance, Benioff publicly blasted Apple CEO Tim Cook for not taking on the Georgia bill. Cook had come out in a big, powerful way against the Indiana bill, writing an opinion piece against it in 2015.

So Benioff waylaid Cook at Vanity Fair's Academy Awards party and personally asked him to discuss the Georgia law, Langley reports.

In the end, Cook didn't go out stumping on the issue alongside Benioff. But Apple as a company has been joining in the public criticism of these bills.

A lot of CEOs don't like what Benioff is doing.

"I've received some very heated emails that joining the cause would be disastrous for their companies," Benioff told Langley.

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But other CEOs love it. Yelp's Jeremy Stoppelman describes it as "creating cover" so he and others are free to speak out.

NOW WATCH: This gay Syrian man narrowly escaped being killed by ISIS





More From Business Insider


A domestic dispute in Arlington, Texas, ended after a third man with a concealed carry permit attempted to intervene and was ultimately shot dead himself, the Dallas Morning News and others reported Monday.

Ricci Bradden, a 22-year-old solider at Fort Hood, had been quarreling with his wife Quinisha Johnson in the parking lot of the Walgreens where she worked. Bradden reportedly shot at Johnson twice, one bullet hitting the ground near her feet, while another struck her ankle. Johnson fled the scene screaming  which drew the attention of T.J. Antell, a 35-year-old ex-Marine and father of three who owned an area CrossFit gym.

Read more: A Tearful Obama Announces New Executive Actions on Gun Control

Ricci Bradden

A . Bradden, however, retrieved his pistol once more to shoot Antell in the head  killing him.

Bradden fled the scene, called his father and ultimately turned himself into local authorities later that day.

"He went into protective mode," said Marc Lowrance, Antell's pastor, according to the Washington Post. "He's a father, he's protective by nature. And he thought he could help everyone involved, and tragically it went a different way."

Johnson was taken to a local hospital where her injuries were not considered life-threatening.

T.J. Antell

A Americans are rushing to scoop up concealed carry licenses in ever-greater numbers. Between 2007 and 2015, the number of U.S. citizens holding the permits nearly tripled from 4.6 million to 12.8 million, the Washington Post reported.
WILLIAM FRIEDKIN AT THE NEW BEVERLY | 7165 Beverly Blvd.

American iconoclast William Friedkin is paid welcome tribute throughout the month of May at the New Beverly Cinema with a selection of classic and contemporary genre works, all presented in 35mm. Double features include a pair of the director's '80s California crime sagas, To Live and Die in L.A. and Rampage (May 6 and 7), his Oscar-winning The French Connection and its John Frankenheimer-directed sequel The French Connection II (May 14), and a weekend showcase featuring his two most recent films, the misunderstood psychosexual thriller Bug, starring Ashley Judd, and the twisted Matthew McConaughey indie Killer Joe (May 27 and 28). In addition to these is a special four-night stand of Friedkin's retroactively embraced '70s thriller Sorcerer (May 20, 21, 22 and 23), while the month's Saturday midnight specials are given over to some of the director's even less heralded work, including the Al Pacino vehicle Cruising (May 7), the mythological horror saga The Guardian (May 14), a third pass at Killer Joe (May 21) and, finally, the cat-and-mouse thriller The Hunted (May 28), starring Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro.

DRAGON INN AT THE NUART | 11272 Santa Monica Blvd.

Beginning on Friday, May 6 at Santa Monica's Nuart Theatre and running for one week is the brand new 4K restoration of King Hu's 1967 wuxia epic Dragon Inn. The beloved Chinese filmmaker's second martial arts film, and one of its enduring classics, Dragon Inn centers on the children of a defeated general who, after being banished from their homeland, flee to a remote border outpost where a gang of henchmen await in ambush to carry out their final executions. The resulting spectacle, a mix of hand-to-hand combat and deceptively elaborate spatial choreography, brought wuxia action into the realm of pure visual poetry, influencing multiple generations of martial arts filmmakers whose reliance on CGI and wire-work continue to inadvertently speak to Hu's unparalleled use of practical effects and his dedication to cinema's most elemental phenomena.

NEW RESTORATIONS AT CINEFAMILY | 611 N Fairfax Ave.

New digital restorations of Jean-Luc Godard's seminal nouvelle vague effort Band of Outsiders and Eiichi Yamamoto's watershed work of psychedelic animation Belladonna of Sadness highlight a typically busy month at Cinefamily. Beginning on May 5 and running for a week is Godard's highly influential small-time crooks parable, starring Sami Frey, Claude Brasseur and the iconic Anna Karina as a trio of lovers and would-be criminals whose dreams of Hollywood and delusions of grandeur bring them together only to summon their inevitable fates. Yamamoto's erotic, hand-drawn epic, meanwhile, runs from May 12-19, allowing ample opportunity to experience its lush colors, dizzying details and labyrinth narrative in which a small village is haunted by an incensed woman who, under the spell of Satan, seeks revenge on a community who exile her following accusations of heresy and witchcraft.

IRANIAN NEW WAVE CLASSIC AT THE HAMMER | 10899 Wilshire Blvd.

The UCLA Film and Television Archive's monthlong celebration of Iranian cinema is largely comprised of new films made under the strict regulations of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. But amid these works of contemporary significance is a classic that paved the way for the many filmmakers continuing to battle undue censorship. Made in 1969, director Dariush Mehrjui's The Cow-- screening May 13 in a new digital restoration -- tells the tale of Masht Hassan (Ezzatolah Entezami), a middle-aged villager who slowly loses grip on reality and his sense of self-worth in the wake of the passing of his beloved livestock. Often cited as the first film of the Iranian New Wave -- and a key influence on many of the movement's key figures, including Abbas Kiarostami and Mohsen Makhmalbaf -- The Cow stands as a probing parable of quiet insight and heartbreaking humanity.

BIRTH AND DEATH FILMS AT FILMFORUM | 6712 Hollywood Blvd.

Los Angeles Filmforum's upcoming programs, "The Birth Film" and "The Death Film"--taking place on May 8 and May 15, respectively, at the Spielberg Theater at Grauman's Egyptian -- are slightly misleading, each comprising not one film but a selection of vintage experimental works made by a roll call of the avant-garde's most storied names, dealing with the matter and depiction of birth and death onscreen. Running the gamut from modest observational portraiture to first-person documentation--and ranging in subject from human to animal birth, and in tone from lighthearted reflection to poetic mourning -- these two largely 16mm programs feature classic works from Stan Brakhage (Thigh Line Lyre Triangular, Cannot Exist), Marjorie Keller (Misconception), Standish Lawder (Necrology), Gus Van Sant (Where'd She Go?) and the husband-wife duo of Alexander Hammid and Maya Deren (with the little-seen long version of The Private Life of a Cat).
In many ways, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump is singular: When the billionaire businessman first announced his presidential campaign last June, the mainstream media mostly took his bid as a joke. But perhaps unlike any presidential candidate before, Trump has managed to power his campaign with crass comments, penis jokes, schoolyard-caliber insults and blatantly discriminatory policy proposals to create an unstoppable force that could win him the Republican nomination.

While a number of politicians around the world have condemned Trump and his platforms, there's at least one who's taking notes: Filipino presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte.

Th began receiving international attention in April when a YouTube video of Duterte's comments on the 1989 rape and murder of an Australian missionary resurfaced. In it, Duterte laments her tragic death  but says it's a shame he wasn't able to rape her first.

While outrageous, the remarks were at least somewhat unsurprising considering Duterte's track record. According to Time, he's quipped about his sex life and Viagra use, called Pope Francis a "son of a whore" and joked about dumping corpses in Manila Bay.

Meet Rodrigo Duterte, the Donald Trump of the Philippines

But, like Trump, it's this no-holds-barred attitude that has won him overwhelming support.

March and April polls showed Duterte as the clear frontrunner in the Philippines' 2016 election, with over 30% of the nation's backing. Duterte managed to edge out his opponent Grace Poe after calling her citizenship into question. Sound familiar?

Poe, who had to surrender her United States citizenship, had to have her presidential run approved by the Supreme Court of the Philippines. And with less than a week left until May 9th's general election, Duterte continues to maintain a clear lead ahead of her.

Despite the similarities in their campaign trajectories, Duterte denies any kinship with Trump. He told Time last month, "It's one thing to be loudmouth but another to be a bigot."

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To be fair, Duterte may not be exactly like Trump. Duterte has proven himself to be worse, outdoing Trump in one respect: Making good on his word. And it's terrifying.

Duterte has pledged to crackdown on crime in the Philippines, where citizens reported 352,321 crimes related to robbery, rape and murder in the first six months of 2015 alone. Known as "The Punisher," Duterte has openly admitted to being a member of a death squad, stating on a local broadcast, "Me? They are saying that I'm part of a death squad? True, that's true."

Supporters weren't deterred when Trump said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters." Had he followed through, it'd be a different story. (Maybe.) Instead, Duterte's ties to the death squad would echo in his strategies to combat crime if he clinched the presidency.

"Me? They are saying that I'm part of a death squad? True, that's true."

"I will use the military and the police to go out and arrest them [criminals], hunt for them and if they offer a violent resistance ... I will simply say, kill them all so we can finish this problem," Duterte said, according to C. Duterte promised to kill five criminals a week until they're entirely eliminated.

However extreme his message, it is resonating with those who are looking for dramatic change in the Philippines  and who believe Duterte's outside-of-the-box, "anti-establishment" strategies could be the solution.

Filipino journalist Nelson Navarro told NBC News, "He could become president because our system has failed and there are enough who see nothing to lose in trying his methods for a change."
6e00edef3a3c4bc0bc5c5d46e4624834

On Monday, Mercury will pass between the Earth and the sun, a event that only takes place about 13 times every 100 years.

Scientists are planning to watch the transit of Mercury using Earth-based and in-space telescopes. The observations they gather could help researchers learn more about Mercurys atmosphere.

The last transit of Mercury was in 2006, and the next one will be in 2019.

SEE ALSO: NASA captures magnificent 4K video of a flare erupting from the sun

Astronomers get excited when any two things come close to each other in the heavens, Louis Mayo, program manager at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement. This is a big deal for us.

Three of NASA's solar telescopes will watch the transit for just that reason.

The transit  which lasts for about 7.5 hours  will be visible for millions of people around the world beginning at 7:12 a.m. and lasting until 2:42 p.m. ET, according to NASA.

The East Coast of the United States will be able to see the entire transit, while the West Coast will be able to see most of the event after the sun rises.

Image: NASA

Do not try to look directly at the sun during the transit.

While Mercury will pass in front of the star from Earths vantage point, the small world doesnt block that much light, meaning that it will still be very dangerous to look directly at the sun without proper protection using a telescope, binoculars or with the naked eye.

If you are interested in seeing the transit yourself, youll need some kind of magnification like a telescope or binoculars with a solar filter in place to see it.

You can also watch the transit live with NASA in near real-time thanks to the Solar Dynamics Observatory beaming back high-definition images of the sun from its post in space. NASA scientists will also participate in a Facebook Live event discussing observations of the transit from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. ET on May 9.

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Two other spacecraft will also watch the transit, according to NASA. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Japans Hinode will also observe the sun during the transit.

It used to be hard to observe transits, Joseph Gurman, SOHO project scientist, said in the statement.

If you were in a place that had bad weather, for example, you missed your chance and had to wait for the next one. These instruments help us make our observations, despite any earthly obstacles.

Researchers use transits for science outside of the solar system as well. Some telescopes keep an eye on stars far from Earth to see when their light dips a slight amount, sometimes signaling that a planet has passed in front of its host star.
Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she would do what she can to help curb the rise of France's National Front (FN), as support surges for far-right parties across Europe.

"I will make my contribution towards ensuring that other political forces are stronger than the National Front," she told students attending the French high school in Berlin.

Merkel, who rarely comments on neighbouring France's political scene, said that in Germany too, the rise of the far-right was a phenomenon that "we have to deal with".

"We see that there are political forces with very negative rhetoric on Europe," she said, referring to the German populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

"We have to ensure that Europe is a project that people understand," she said, adding that a key message that has to hit home is that "it's better with Europe than without Europe".

National Front leader Marine Le Pen swiftly released an outraged statement on Merkel's "very serious" comments.

She slammed the German leader's intervention as "an outrageous and humiliating interference in our internal affairs."

Merkel's promise to influence events also displayed "the submission of our country to Germany," she added, referring mockingly to French President Francois Hollande as a "vice chancellor".

The French National front and the German AfD have differing economic views but are joined in their opposition to the European Union.

Formed only three years ago on a eurosceptic platform, AfD is now Germany's third strongest party, according to a recent opinion poll.

The populist upstart outfit has shifted its rhetoric to one that rails against the influx of 1.1 million asylum seekers in 2015, and last weekend adopted an anti-Islam platform.

Like AfD, France's National Front is anti-EU.

Le Pen has overseen an unprecedented rise in her party's fortunes and many pollsters predict the FN will make it to the second round of the French presidential election next year.
(Adds MetLife comment and additional details.)

By Suzanne Barlyn

May 3 (Reuters) - MetLife Securities Inc will pay $25 million to Wall Street's industry-funded watchdog in a settlement stemming from misconduct related to switching customers' variable annuities, the regulator said on Tuesday.

The sanction includes a $20 million fine and $5 million to be paid to customers, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) said. The fine marks FINRA's largest related to variable annuities, FINRA said.

"MetLife fully cooperated with the FINRA investigation and we are pleased to put this matter behind us," a MetLife spokesman said. The company, which neither admitted nor denied FINRA's charges, has set aside funds to pay the fine, he said.

MetLife's "annuity switching" business generated at least $152 million in commissions between 2009 and 2014, FINRA said.

An annuity is an insurance product that offers investors steady income payments, typically in exchange for a lump-sum investment. Account values of variable annuities, a mix of life insurance, mutual funds, and tax-deferred retirement plans, vary depending on how those investments perform.

"Annuity switching" happens when a broker encourages a client to trade an older annuity to buy a different one, often at significant cost to the client and benefit to the broker.

MetLife, during the period, misrepresented or omitted at least one significant fact about costs and certain features of customers' existing variable annuities in nearly three-quarters of 36,000 applications for switches.

For example, MetLife falsely told customers that their existing annuities were more expensive than replacements MetLife recommended, FINRA said.

Brokers also did not disclose in many instances that customers who switched would give away certain features in their existing annuities, such as a an opportunity to invest in an account that guaranteed principal and interest - as high as 3 percent or 4 percent in some cases - at no extra cost, according to the settlement.

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What's more, MetLife did not "reasonably supervise" annuity switches during the period, FINRA said.

The sanction follows a March, 2014 FINRA complaint against two former MetLife brokers whom FINRA said engaged in a seven-year scheme to inflate commissions by having customers switch $21 million in annuities.

MetLife terminated Williamsville, New York-based brokers, Christopher Birli and Patrick Chapin, in 2012, according to regulatory filings. The two had advised State University of New York employees who participated in the school's retirement plan, according a 2014 FINRA complaint.

Both brokers agreed to be permanently barred from the industry without admitting to nor denying FINRA's allegations, according to regulatory filings. http://reut.rs/26Pquqj (Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Mexico City (AFP) - US Democratic lawmakers visiting Mexico City assailed Donald Trump's controversial remarks about immigrants, with one member of Congress decrying his "poisonous rhetoric."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Monday led a congressional delegation from border states during a visit that included talks with President Enrique Pena Nieto about trade, security and immigration.

Mexico's government has criticized Trump for calling Mexican immigrants rapists and said it would not pay for a wall along the border as demanded by the Republican frontrunner if he is elected president.

"I know that many people are very concerned about the remarks against immigrants, but I can assure you that we fight every day against this poisonous rhetoric," US Representative Linda Sanchez of California said in Spanish at a news conference.

Ruben Gallego, a lawmaker from Arizona, said "Donald Trump's rhetoric is not a reflection of the United States' opinion of our neighbors and friends, the Mexicans."

Henry Cuellar said people from his home state of Texas do not want walls, as they "know that the Rio Grande doesn't divide us, it unifies us as two nations."

Vice President Joe Biden said during his own visit to Mexico City in February that he felt "almost obliged to apologize" for the comments made about Mexicans during the Republican primary race.
The Newly-Released Single is Also Available on YouTube

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / Michel-Olivier Martelly, a Haitian artist who is also known as "BigO," is pleased to announce that he has just released a new song titled "On S'Prend Pas La Tete."

As Michel-Olivier Martelly noted, the title of the new single comes from a French slang term that is popular with youth. "It means 'we dont care' or 'whatever needs to happen will happen'," BigO said, adding that the shooting of the video took place in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

"The song talks about not letting problems get to you and trying to be positive and caring instead. If you have a positive attitude in life, things will get better."

The new release from Michel-Olivier Martelly can be seen on YouTube.

Top Alderman co-signed on the new single, which Martelly hopes will be a big hit and resonate with music fans of all ages. Even though the song was only just released, it is already getting a lot of positive feedback on YouTube and the song is featured on Trace TV: http://fr.trace.tv/musique/big-o-decouvrez-la-sensation-pop-urbaine-du-moment.

Martelly, who is well known for his innovative style of music, is also the founder of BigO Productions. He launched the company in the spring of 2007 with one key mission in mind: to bring individuality and a signature sound combined with a modern twist to music fans around the world.

Martelly's production company specializes in writing and producing a wide variety of musical genres, including zouk, techno, compas, R&B, reggae and dance. Music is like an extra language in the Martelly family with four musicians, Michel-Olivier's dad Michel Martelly (aka Sweet Micky) and his brothers Sandro Martelly (aka Dro) and Yani Martelly and two enthusiastic listeners and fans, his mother Sophia Martelly and his sister Malaika Martelly.

"BigO Productions has been honored to work directly and indirectly with many artists including Sean Paul, Sweet Micky, Wyclef Jean and many more," Michel-Olivier Martelly noted.

Story continues

"As our company motto says, 'Music is life, even the rhythm of our hearts has a beat, so let us help you live and feel it'."

About Michel-Olivier Martelly:

Michel-Olivier Martelly, also known as "BigO," is a Haitian artist whose unique music is a Caribbean "Pop" mixed with Haitian Kompa. Anybody who would like to learn more about Michel-Olivier Martelly "BigO" is welcome to visit www.bigoproductions.ht.

Contact:

Bernice Castro

admin@rocketfactor.com

(949) 555-2861

SOURCE: Michel-Olivier Martelly
Tom Davis CEO Solair

Microsoft has purchased tiny Italian startup Solair to boost its credibility in the fast-growing "Internet of Things" smart-device market, it announced in a blog entry.

Solair's technology allows businesses quickly gather and analyze the data from connected gadgets. For instance, Microsoft writes, the Rancillo Group is using Solair's platform to collect data from their leased-out espresso machines and see when they need service or restocking.

This is a major area of investment for Microsoft: Beyond just the smart home, big factories, dairy farms, and other industrial=companies are turning to connected devices and robotics to move faster and work smarter.

And so, the Redmond giant is pitching its Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform as the ideal place for businesses to work with their smart devices. That makes Solair a perfect fit, as Microsoft looks to boost its intelligence in this market.

Solair, founded in 2011, had not publicly taken any venture capital cash from outside investors, and has 37 employees listed on LinkedIn. Founder and CEO Tom Davis and the rest of the Solair team will join Microsoft.

NOW WATCH: This factory is the key to Teslas future





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Yahoo Finance is tracking the stocks youre following, based on your Yahoo Finance ticker searches.

Yelp (YELP)  Hedge fund manager David Einhorn revealed that he has made new investments in the business review site. In his first-quarter letter to investors, Einhorn wrote, If the company executes its current plan, by 2019 it will double revenues and earn $300 million of EBITDA at a 35% margin.

Pfizer (PFE)  The pharmaceutical giant topped Wall Street estimates in the first quarter and raised its full year revenue and earnings forecast. Pfizer reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.67 on revenue of $13.01 billion.

General Motors (GM)  The auto giant's U.S. sales fell 3.5% in the month of April due to a decline in fleet business. But its retail sales rose 3.3%, boosted by sales at its Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC brands.

Six Flags (SIX)  The company has released plans for its new theme park in Dubai. Six Flags new theme park scheduled to be opened in 2019 and will include "record-breaking" roller coasters.

AIG (AIG)  The insurance giant missed estimates, posting adjusted earnings of $0.65, down from $1.22 per share one year ago. AIG reported a net loss of $183 million for the first quarter, compared with a net income of $2.5 billion in the previous year.

Biogen (BIIB)  The company is planning to spin off its hemophilia business into a stand-alone company. The spin-off, which will be headquartered in the Boston area, is expected to be completed by early 2017.

Sprint (S)  The wireless carrier reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. Sprint is in the middle of a multi-year plan to transform the way it does business and significantly lower costs.

Fiat Chrysler (FCAU)  The automaker posted a 5.6% rise in April U.S. auto sales, selling a total of 199,631 vehicles in the month. Fiat Chryslers numbers were driven by continued demand for its Jeep brand. It was the best April for the automaker in 11 years.
From Seventeen

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth flew from Byron Bay, Australia to Los Angeles this weekend. The couple had spent time Down Under visiting Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky and attending Liam's friend Aaron's wedding (where Miley performed a song she had probably written about Liam!). Miley also got a matching wave tattoo with Liam's sister-in-law Elsa, cementing their bond.

For the flight, Miley wore a gray onesie and a choker necklace, while Liam stuck to his usual jeans and a t-shirt. When they arrived at LAX, they were approached by paparazzi, who wanted to know if there was any truth to the rumors about an upcoming Miliam wedding. While they ignored the questions, the two were adorably holding hands as they walked to their car.



If the paparazzi read Seventeen.com, they'd know that Liam already said earlier this month that he's not engaged. Come on, guys. Get with the program.
People all around the world have been speaking out on Prince's legacy since his death on April 21.



Among those is ballerina Misty Copeland  the first-ever African-American principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater (ABT)  who previously worked with Prince earlier on in career.



"I wouldn't be in this place in my career had I not met him," Copeland tells PEOPLE at the launch of the new Misty Copeland Barbie. "[Had I not] been influenced by him and experienced being on stage with him."





Misty Copeland Remembers Her Former Collaborator Prince: 'He Will Forever Live On'| Prince









Today, Copeland credits Prince's influence and guidance in helping her to evolve as an artist in a way that in the world of professional ballet, she hadn't yet experienced.



"He pushed me as an artist in ways I hadn't been before," she said. "In ways that the ballet world doesn't particularly invite."



Copeland and Prince collaborated multiple times throughout their careers. She appeared in his 2009 music video for "Crimson and Clover" and danced during a rendition of "The Beautiful Ones" on Lopez Tonight in 2011. Later that year, she danced alongside him on his European tour.



"He allowed me to be me on the stage, and explore," she says. "I feel like that's really when I started to blossom as an artist."



Copeland says that the lessons Prince taught her were essential in carving out her own name back at ABT.



"I was able to take all those tools back with me to ABT and use them in a different structure and a different environment, but feel that I had that freedom internally to become the artist I want to be."



Prince was a "huge part" of the ballet community, Copeland says, donating to ABT and a number dance schools that hold a special place in her heart.



"There are so many moments I feel like I'll keep forever with me," she says. "He will forever live on."
Global brewer Molson Coors Brewing Company TAP delivered better-than-expected earnings and revenues in the first quarter of 2016, driven by beer volume growth and continued focus on cost savings, pricing and brand building.

Molson Coors posted adjusted earnings of 54 cents per share in the first quarter of 2016. Earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 43 cents by 25.6% and increased 17.4% from the prior-year earnings of 46 cents per share.

Earnings grew owing to worldwide volume growth and lower cost of goods sold. These factors more than offset the negative impact from unfavorable sales mix, higher brand spending, a higher underlying tax rate and currency headwinds.

Molson Coors Brewing Company - Earnings Surprise | FindTheBest

Revenues and Operating Profits

Net sales, including excise tax, declined 6.1% year over year to $657.2 million in the first quarter, as a result of a continued difficult economy and competitive pressure, along with significant unfavorable foreign currency. Currency had a negative impact of $43.5 million on overall sales in the quarter, which overshadowed the impact of volume growth. On a constant currency basis, sales increased 0.1% in the quarter. Net sales per hectoliters declined 8% in the first quarter, while it declined 1.9% in constant currency.

While sales declined in Canada, it grew in the other two regions of Europe and International.

Sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $602 million by 9.2%.

Total worldwide beer volume increased 1.2% year over year to 11.6 million hectoliters with volume gain of 3.5% in Coors Light worldwide.

Sales volume improved 2.1% to 5.75 million hectoliters in the first quarter of 2016. The increase in volume was due to volume gain in Europe and the U.S., partially offset by volume decline in the Canada and International region.

Underlying (excluding special and other non-core items) pre-tax income improved a significant 36.3% year over year to $139 million driven by growth in the geographical segments of Canada and the U.S., offsetting the declines in Europe and the International region. Currency had a negative impact of $0.3 million in the first quarter. On a constant currency basis, underlying pre-tax income increased 36.6%.

Story continues

Segment Details

The company operates through the following geographical segments.

Canada: Molson Coors Canada net sales declined 14.5% to $268 million in the quarter due to a decline in sales volume. STRs decreased 5.2% due to the termination of the Miller brands agreement and increased competitor trade spending and pricing activities, as well as weak economic conditions in Western Canada. On a constant currency basis, segment sales decreased 5.6%.

The segments underlying pretax income increased 20.7% to $37.3 million in the quarter driven by a temporary reduction in distribution costs, lower pension expenses, and cost savings initiatives. These factors offset the impact of lower volume, higher brand investments and currency headwinds. On a constant currency basis, underlying pretax income increased 25.2%.

United States (MillerCoors): MillerCoors, a U.S. joint venture of Molson Coors Brewing Company and SABMiller plc, was launched on Jul 1, 2008. Molson Coors has a 42% economic interest in MillerCoors.

MillerCoors underlying net income increased 22.2% to $372.1 million driven by higher net pricing, positive sales mix, timing of shipments and lower cost of goods sold. Molson Coors underlying U.S. segment equity income increased 22.1% to $157.9 million.

Europe: It includes the UK segment combined with the results of operations in Central Europe, excluding the Central Europe global export and license business.

The segment reported net sales gain of 0.2% to $358.7 million in the first quarter of 2016. On a constant currency basis, segment sales increased 4.4%, due to volume gains. However, Europe net sales per hectoliter decreased 0.5% in local currency, due to lower contract brewing volume. Excluding the impact from the termination of the Heineken brewing agreement, positive brand and geographic mix was partially offset by negative net pricing in the quarter.

The segment posted an underlying pretax loss of $0.5 million, as against an income of $4.5 million in the prior-year quarter due to higher brand investments, lower net pension benefit, the termination of the Heineken contract brewing arrangement in the U.K., and unfavorable foreign currency movements, partially offset by higher sales volume and lower overhead costs. On a constant currency basis, underlying pretax income decreased 102.2%.

Molson Coors International (MCI): Segment net sales improved 6.5% to $31 million in the quarter. On a constant currency basis, segment sales increased 8.6%, despite volume declines. Sales volume including royalty volume decreased 0.7%.

The segment posted an underlying pretax loss of $2.3 million in the first quarter, narrower than $5.4 million loss incurred in the year-ago period, driven by favorable sales mix and lower marketing, general and administrative expenses due to the substantial restructure of the China business in 2015. On a constant currency basis, underlying pretax income increased 61.1%.

Molson Coors currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Constellation Brands Inc. STZ is a better-ranked brewer in the alcohol industry, holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Investors can also consider soft beverage stocks, PepsiCo, Inc. PEP and Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. CCE, both with a Zacks Rank #2.

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From Cosmopolitan

A mom from Michigan named Megan Pearce has filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit that accuses a local police officer of tapping into her baby-monitoring camera with a cell phone to watch her breastfeed her baby after getting out of the bath. The woman says it all started when the baby's father, Cody Fuhrman, a licensed medical marijuana caregiver, was arrested on drug charges.

Using a search warrant, Hazel Park police officer Michael Emmi confiscated the Fuhrman's iPhone, and the next day, Pearce noticed that the camera's light was flashing, indicating that someone was watching her breastfeeding her son via the Nest Cam app. Pearce activated the "Find My iPhone" feature for Fuhrman's phone and traced it to Emmi's home, according to the suit.

Pearce tried cutting off access from the iPhone to the Nest Cam, and believed she had eliminated the connection. But that evening, as she repeated her routine of bathing and breastfeeding, she noticed the camera's light blinking again, Pearce's lawyer Kevin Ernst told PEOPLE.com.

"This is such a serious violation of my family's privacy including myself and my son," Pearce told FOX2Detroit.com. "It is absolutely necessary to take this action to prevent this from happening to future individuals."

She is seeking unspecified monetary damages from Emmi, who is named in the lawsuit as a private individual.

In response to the suit, Hazel Park Police Chief Martin Barner told PEOPLE.com that Emmi is a "fine upstanding officer. I find it very hard to believe that these allegations will be proven in a court of law."

Follow Maressa on Twitter.
GENEVA (Reuters) - An estimated 113 people died in four shipwrecks between Libya and Italy at the weekend as the crossing becomes the preferred sea route for migrants to Europe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday. With the closing of land routes in the Balkans and a recent deal under which Greece sends migrants back to Turkey, Italian officials have said they expect more people to try to make this longer and much more dangerous crossing from Libya. In one of four incidents, an Italian merchant ship rescued 26 people off the coast of Libya in rough seas and others were feared missing, Italy's Coast Guard said on Saturday. IOM, citing survivor testimony, said 84 people appeared to be missing from that wreck, while at least 29 drowned in two other attempted crossings in rubber dinghies of the Channel of Sicily. It was still investigating a fourth incident. "Just since Friday we know of 4 shipwrecks and 113 people killed, just off Libya," IOM spokesman Joel Millman said. "It is becoming the preferred route. So therefore we are very mindful of what could be coming in the next few months," Millman told a news briefing. Migrants from West Africa, especially Nigerians, and the Horn of Africa dominate the Libya-Italy route, which Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis are not taking for now, Millman added. In all, 1,357 migrants and refugees perished at sea during the first four months of the year, mostly along the Central Mediterranean route, against 1,733 during the period in 2015, the agency said. Since January, 28,593 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea in Italy, while 154,862 have landed in Greece, the IOM said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Alexander Smith)
From Esquire

Our continuing experiment to figure out which is crazier, Veep or the 2016 election, caught a sizable break this week. Ted Cruz picked Carly Fiorina as his running mate for the general election he won't ever be a part of. Fiorina is much closer than Hillary Clinton to Veep's Selina Meyer, who is statistically the most honest candidate in the race and possesses real political substance. In Fiorina we have the kind of empty drifting ambition that fits perfectly within Veep's universe.

The second episode of the fifth season of Veep is possibly the Veepiest Veep episode ever made. The particular joy of the show has always been the use of aggressive sexualized language in the context of the bland pieties of American political landscape. And this episode has plenty of great bits of masterful swearing, as usual: "If you miss that deadline, find a rattlesnake and shove it up your dick hole, because it's a lot more fun than what I'll do to you," one of the analysts tells a volunteer. When Ben Cafferty meets his political idol, whom he knew as an intern, the man remembers him by his nicknames: "Fatty dicksuckle," "B-B-B-B-Benny and the Jizz," "Buttfucker." Cafferty's just pleased that he registered: "Buttfucker! That's me!" None of it's personal.

The sexual language has real consequences this time, though. The recount in Nevada is consuming all of Selina's energy. Her operatives proceed through the ballots trolling for votes. One ballot has scribbled on it: "Fuck Selina Meyer." Or maybe there's a comma there, which would make it "Fuck, Selina Meyer." Amy argues that the comma turns the ballot from an expression of outrage to "earthy but unambiguous enthusiasm for Selina Meyer."

This is also an episode in which the president actually gets laid. Selina, in this episode of Veep, does what every red-blooded person over the age of 50 wants to do: She fucks John Slattery. They meet at a banking task force, where he is one of the bankers being tasked. Needless to say, starting a relationship in the middle of a reelection campaign is not ideal, as her advisors point out.

Story continues

Selina's relationship with Slattery's character is, um, efficient. Meyer shows him the closet where Warren Harding fathered a child with his teenage mistress, and everything proceeds as the founding fathers intended. Once the impromptu banking task force has concluded, she cuts the pleasantries: "Right, we gotta get you out of here." He hints at more possible meetings. "I'm just saying I'm not that kind of a President. Do you know where my shoes are?"

Their relationship is immediately complicated when he leaves her bed to work for her opponent. Infuriated beyond her usual constant level of infuriation, Selina utters what may be the perfect Veep line, the line the show has been reaching for during its entire run:

"He fucked me and then he fucked me? What is he trying to do, fuck me?"

***

The reality of the 2016 election continued to be bizarre beyond belief, of course. A little thought experiment as an example: Ask yourself if the following story is satire or not. After John Boehner called Ted Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh," a group of Satanists expressed their deep sense of offense at the comparison. Is the above scenario taking from The Onion or is that real life?

That's the state of American politics, and the current election cycle: always on the edge of the believable.

This week, however, Veep actually made me do something that was more absurd than reality, in that it made me look up who Carly Fiorina is dating.

So, for this week anyway, Veep managed to beat out reality.

Running total:

Veep: 1

Reality: 1
May 2 (Reuters) - Jacques Brand, CEO of North America at Deutsche Bank AG, is leaving the German investment bank after nearly two decades to join boutique investment bank PJT Partners Inc, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Brand is joining New York-based PJT as a dealmaker, one of the people said, though his new title could not be learned. The sources asked not to be identified because the hire has not been announced publicly.

"Jacques Brand, CEO for the Americas, has informed us of his decision to leave Deutsche Bank to pursue another opportunity," Deutsche Bank said in a statement on its website.

PJT declined comment.

Brand held several positions at Deutsche Bank since joining in 1999, including acting as global head of investment banking coverage and advisory. He began his career at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc in 1984 and joined Bankers Trust, which Deutsche Bank subsequently acquired, in 1990.

Deutsche Bank has seen a number of high-profile moves since announcing a reorganization plan. In April, Anthony Whittemore resigned his position as Americas co-head of mergers and acquisitions.

PJT is run by former Morgan Stanley banker Paul Taubman. It was created through the merger of Taubman's firm with the advisory business of Blackstone Group LP, which was subsequently spun off last year.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis and Lauren Hirsch in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr)
By Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Medical aid charity Medecins Sans Frontieres on Tuesday slammed four of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for ties to attacks on hospitals in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan as the council demanded an end to such strikes. The 15-member council unanimously adopted a resolution reminding states that under international law they must protect medical and aid workers, but the text does not impose any new obligations and does not single out any conflicts. Joanne Liu, president of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), appealed to the council to lead by example, particularly the permanent veto-wielding powers - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China. "Four of the five permanent members of this council have, to varying degrees, been associated with coalitions responsible for attacks on health structures over the last year," she said. "These include the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, the Russia-backed, Syrian-led coalition." More than 50 people were killed last week in an attack on a hospital in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, which U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "by all accounts" was carried out by the Syrian government. Russia backs the government. In Yemen, a Saudi-led coalition strike hit an MSF hospital in October, leaving 200,000 people without healthcare. The United States, Britain and France supply arms to Saudi Arabia. In Afghanistan, the United States carried out a deadly Oct. 3 air strike that destroyed an MSF hospital. Washington said last week it had taken disciplinary action against 16 service members over the strike. "Such attacks must end. When so-called surgical strikes end up hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong," Ban told the council. "Explanations ring hollow to parents burying their children and communities pushed closer to collapse." "All too often, attacks on health facilities and medical workers are not just isolated or incidental battlefield fallout, but rather the intended objective of the combatants," he said. "This is shameful and inexcusable." The U.N. resolution "strongly condemns the prevailing impunity for violations and abuses committed against medical personnel and humanitarian personnel ... as well as hospitals and other medical facilities in armed conflict." Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, described the U.N. resolution as "a momentous step in the international community's effort to draw attention to a problem that we otherwise risked getting used to through the sheer frequency of its occurrence." (Editing by Andrew Hay)
Murali wants to do more to help students in the Bukit Batok area. (Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Singapore.)

Murali Pillai, the Peoples Action Party candidate for the upcoming Bukit Batok by-election, revealed his plans to help students from the lower income families in the area on Tuesday (3 May).

The lawyer, who is contesting in the May 7 by-election against Singapore Democratic Partys chief Chee Soon Juan, told reporters of his plans to have a youth mentoring programme in the constituency, after a walkabout at a park near Block 104 Bukit Batok Central.

He pointed out that he had been involved in a number of initiatives to help students of Bukit Batok and cited the Dr Ong Chit Chung Bursary Award that was started in 2008.

Thousands reap benefits of bursary



Named after the late Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bukit Batok ward, the bursary is meant to help children from the lower income background, especially students who do not qualify for Edusave.

The PAP candidate spent the morning greeting residents at a park near Bukit Batok Central (Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Singapore.)

Murali said that thousands of students, from primary schools to universities, have already benefited from the programme. But we want to do more, and this is where the mentoring programme comes in. It will help to ensure our students remain on the path to maximise their potential.



Murali added that a number of voluntary welfare organizations such as the Loving Heart Multi-Service Centre and the Ministry of Culture Youth and Community have offered to help him with his plans.

He would like to bring Loving Hearts Sports, Tuition and Mentoring Programme (STAMP) to Bukit Batok and also tailor the programme to fit residents of the area.

The programme, according to Murali will reach out to students in schools and impart correct and positive values through sports, tuition and mentoring.



Interchange incident involving Chee

Meanwhile, Murali also commented on an incident that allegedly happened at the Bukit Batok bus interchange involving a PAP supporter who made a remark about Chee.

Facebook user Ridhuan Abdullah on Sunday (1 May) posted that a PAP volunteer had asked him why is he supporting Chee, pointing out that the SDP candidate is unemployed and worthless.



Murali asked for more details on the incident and said that such things are not something that he subscribed to. Do check the source and as far as I am concerned I put the residents in the centre of what we do, said Murali.
Mylan N.V.s MYL first-quarter 2016 earnings (excluding special items) of 76 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. Also, reported earnings escalated 9% from the year-ago quarter, driven by higher revenues.

Revenues grew 17% to $2.19 billion, but fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.26 billion. The top line recorded year-over-year growth on the back of solid revenue growth at the Generics segment.

Quarter in Details

Generics third-party net sales, derived from sales in North America, Europe and Rest of World, soared 17% to $1.93 billion. Segmental third-party net sales climbed 8% to $919.7 million in North America. While new product launches aided revenues, factors offsetting this increase were lower sales on existing products.

Third-party net sales from the European market increased 45% to $587.7 million. The increase was mainly due to incremental net sales derived from established products as well as new products. However, higher volumes on existing products, primarily in France, were offset by lower pricing throughout Europe due to government-imposed pricing reductions and competitive market conditions.

Third-party net sales from Rest of World increased 10% to $420.8 million. Segmental performance was driven mainly by incremental net sales from established products and from certain female healthcare businesses acquired from Famy Care Limited, and to a lesser extent from new product launches across the region. Higher volumes in Japan and Australia also contributed to the increase. This was partially offset by lower pricing throughout the region and a decrease in third party net sales volumes from the anti-retroviral franchise.

Beginning from the first quarter of 2016, the company reclassified sales from its Brazilian operation from the Rest of World region to the North America region. The amount reclassified for the three months ended Mar 31, 2015, was about $10.2 million.

Third-party net sales at the Specialty segment increased 17% to $247.9 million. Specialty segment sales benefited from higher volumes of EpiPen Auto-Injector and higher sales of Perforomist Inhalation Solution.

Story continues

Adjusted gross margin during the first quarter of 2016 expanded to 54% from 53% in the year-ago quarter on the back of contribution from established products as well as new product launches, partially offset by decreased margins on existing products in North America.

2016 Outlook Maintained

Mylan reiterated its outlook for 2016. The company continues to expect earnings in the range of $4.85 to $5.15 per share (the midpoint of which represents a year-over-year increase of 16%) while total revenues are expected in the range of $10.5 billion to $11.5 billion (the midpoint of which again represents a year-over-year increase of 16%). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is $4.90 per share on revenues of $10.6 billion.

Meanwhile, Mylan is set to acquire Meda, a leading international specialty pharmaceutical company, in a deal worth $9.9 billion. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2016.

Our Take

Mylans first-quarter results were mixed with the company beating on the bottom line while missing top-line estimates. Nevertheless, we are encouraged by double-digit growth both at the Generics and Specialty segments. We are also positive on the Meda deal. We expect investor focus to remain on updates from the transaction, going forward.

Mylan is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. Some better-ranked stocks in the health care sector include Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. AEGR, Gilead Sciences Inc. GILD and ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ANIP. All three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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There's a new piece of nasty Android malware floating around that Android users should be on the lookout for. Masquerading as a update for Google's mobile Chrome browser, the malware is hosted on webpages designed to look like they are official Google or Android landing pages.

Originally spotted by the security firm Zscaler, the malware is designed to monitor call logs, browser history, text messages and banking information. Once installed, the malware logs the aforementioned data and sends it all back to a remote command and control server. What's more, Zscaler notes that the malware is capable of checking if a user has any antivirus apps installed, and if so, "terminating them to evade detection."

DON'T MISS: Time to cut the cord: $95 gets you a Fire TV and free network TV in HD for life

So while user's should be extra vigilant about this malware, we should note that installation can only occur if a user turns off a default Android setting which prevents the installation of software from non-approved sources.

Tom's Guide notes:

After downloading the APK file, users would need to disable one of Androids default security settings which prevents the installation of programs from unknown sources. Once thats done and the target gives Update_chrome.apk administrative access, the malware registers the phone with its remote server, and monitors all SMS messages and calls, which it sends to remote servers. If users open the Play Store on an infected device, the malware presents a phony payment information page for entering credit card numbers. After that data is entered, a screenshot is then sent to a phone number in Russia, which doesn't sound like a safe way to store your banking data.

As if that weren't nasty enough, the malware is extremely resilient can only be thoroughly removed when a user performs a factory reset on their device.

Moral of the story? The openness of Android is obviously one of its major benefits, but you might want to stick with the Google Play store or other approved storefronts for now.

Story continues

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7 months later, Marshmallow is still on just 7.5% of Android devices

There's finally a way to get iMessage support on your Android phone

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Sagar Bhanushali

Toyota India launched an all-new generation of the Innova (labelled Innova Crysta) yesterday in what can only be deemed as a low-key event. Instead of consolidating the media and showing them their all-important model under the shimmering lights (which is usually the case), the brand simply issued an official statement complete with the ex-showroom prices and the details of the car.

A major player in the National Capital Region (NCR), Toyota India is among the worse-affected automakers due to the ongoing ban on registration of new diesel vehicles with engine capacity of over 2000cc. The ban, which was first imposed on December 16, 2015, until March 31, was later pushed to April 30, 2016, in a bid to curb the air pollution in the NCR.

The Supreme Court, however, isnt likely to lift the ban anytime soon. As per the latest hearing held on April 30, the court has extended the prohibition till the next hearing that is scheduled on May 9.

As one would expect, the ban has left many mainstream manufacturers in huge trouble with regards to sales efforts. While brands like Mahindra seem to have found a way out by introducing downsized engines for their range to make them applicable for sale in the NCR, Toyota India is yet to counter the ban which has ultimately terminated sales of the Fortuner and the Innova. This also explains why the new Innova Crysta will not be launched in the NCR for now.

Nevertheless, Toyota India is hopeful that the Supreme Court will lift the ban in the next hearing of 9th May. More importantly, with the ban duration now well into the fourth month, it remains to be seen as to how the Supreme Court plans to take it forward. Until then, take a look at what we think are the ideal alternatives for the 2-litre-plus diesel vehicles by clicking here.

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

Check On-Road Prices | Find New Cars | Upcoming Cars | Compare Cars | Dealer Locator
Kathmandu (AFP) - Nepal on Tuesday revoked the visa of a Canadian who has worked in the country for four years, saying he violated the terms of his stay by posting comments on social media that could "incite conflict".

The head of the immigration department said Robert Penner, a 37-year-old software developer, had two days to leave the country.

Penner tweets frequently on social and political matters and had spoken out on a number of controversial issues, including a new national constitution that sparked deadly protests.

"His working visa has been cancelled and he will return to his home country within two days," Kedar Neupane, chief of the immigration department, told AFP.

"He was found to have violated the terms of his visa, commenting on internal matters of the country, inciting conflict and disturbing social harmony."

Penner's legal representative Raksha Ram Harijan said his client had broken no laws and would appeal against the decision.

"The decision was made based only on his tweets, but such allegations cannot be substantiated just by his tweets and personal opinions," he told AFP.

"There is no evidence of any crime committed linked to what he has said."

Harijan said he would apply to the courts for a stay order on the government's decision so Penner could remain in Nepal pending the appeal.

Penner has been working in Nepal for the technology outsourcing company CloudFactory for about four years.

He recently tweeted criticism of the country's anti-corruption watchdog for its handling of the arrest of a Nepali magazine editor, who has since been freed on the orders of the Supreme Court.
We live less than a minutes walk from Waitrose, two minutes from Sainsburys, the same from Tesco and five from Co-op. A dash to the shops to pick up some bread and milk should be a walk in the park  almost literally.

But its not. Its pretty much the complete opposite; a full-blown military exercise, with many levels of planning. And thats just to get out the house. All thanks to the kids.

Child number one: coat on, shoes on. Great. Now child two. One arm in and the human baby turns into an octopus  wriggly, slippery (what even is that wet stuff and where is it coming from?), and too many limbs for one M&S jacket to handle. Meanwhile child one has taken her shoes off again because she doesnt want to wear those ones.

Off to the shops (no, its not raining) [Copyright: Yahoo/Claire Sparks]

Then child two discovers my purse in the top of my bag and starts trying to pull all the cards out and eat the receipts. I know I probably dont still need that coffee receipt from November 2014, but I can think of better ways of disposing of it than in my babys mouth.

Eventually, appropriately attired (ish), the babys in the buggy and the toddlers out the door and were ready to go.

Upon arrival, the toddler protests when I say she cant go in the trolley because Im pushing the buggy and cant push a trolley at the same time. I pick up a basket instead, not entirely sure of how Im going to push a buggy, keep hold of a wayward toddler and carry a basket in one go.

Somehow I manage to steer buggy and toddler vaguely in the direction of the bakery aisle without too many collisions. But I know Im going to lose the toddler when we turn the corner and she sees the Kinder Eggs. She knows where they are now too, so no distraction tactic is going to stop her from reaching her goal.

Then theres the help she so generously insists on giving at the checkout, handing everything to the cashier, except her Kinder Egg  shes not letting go of that, she doesnt care if it needs to be scanned before she can have it.

Story continues

Meanwhile the baby starts crying because the buggy has stopped moving. Just like when were in the car, hes happy as long as were in motion but as soon as were stopped at lights or in traffic, his rage descends.

As Im paying and shushing simultaneously, the toddler starts panicking, frantically asking for the green money. Eventually it dawns on me that she means the little charity tokens they give you to put in one of three collection boxes near the exit. The Cats Protection League would be considerably worse off without my daughter and these tokens.

Then we start the long dawdle home, the buggy and my arms straining under the weight of the shopping bags. But its the toddler, carrying nothing but her egg, who needs a rest and sits down on a step halfway up the road.

It should have taken ten minutes, maximum. Instead were lucky to do it in under an hour.

If my other halfs at home, youd think itd be easier. I can go without the kids. It is easier  but only if I succeed in sneaking out the house unnoticed. Ill pay for it when I get back and theyre waiting for me at the door, outraged that I went without them and inconsolable that I havent bought them a treat. Those flipping Kinder Eggs.

But the chances are I didnt succeed in the sneaking  its hard to do with a one year old and two year old semi-permanently attached to my legs with the determination of a baby marsupial. So Ill take one of them with me; usually the two year old because she can shout the loudest and can walk there on her own two feet. Until she needs a rest, of course.


All Eyes on US Crude Inventory and OPEC Production on May 3

(Continued from Prior Part)

Iranian crude oil production

Iran is the third-largest oil producer in OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). Bloomberg surveys project that Irans crude oil production rose by 300,000 bpd (barrels per day) to 3.5 MMbpd (million barrels per day) in April 2016, as compared to the previous month.

Irans crude oil exports

Irans crude oil production has increased by 1.3 MMbpd since January 2016. Iran was able to scale up its crude oil production due to sanctions lifted by the US. Irans crude oil exports subsequently rose to 2 MMbpd in March 2016, and April was Irans highest production level since December 2011. Irans exports of crude oil to South Korea increased to 400,000 bpd in April 2016, as compared to 100,000 bpd during pre-sanction levels.

Impact

On Tuesday, May 2, 2016, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh reported that Irans crude oil exports will triple their yearly amounts to South Korea. Iran will increase its crude oil production until it hits pre-sanction crude oil production levels of 4 MMbpd. This rise in crude oil production from Iran will add to the oversupplied market and will negatively affect crude oil prices. At the same time, low crude oil prices are driving oil producers to produce more to offset lower oil prices. (Read How Are Oil Prices Squeezing OPEC Members Budgets? to learn more.)

Multiyear low crude oil prices impact oil and gas producers like the National Iranian Oil Company, Oasis Petroleum (OAS), Energy XXI (EXXI), Triangle Petroleum (TPLM), QEP Resources (QEP), and Denbury Resources (DNR).

ETFs and ETNs including the PowerShares DWA Energy Momentum (PXI), the United States Brent Oil (BNO), and the ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (SCO) are also influenced by ups and down in crude oil prices.

In the next and final part, well discuss crude oil price forecasts.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
(Reuters) - A Virginia prosecutor declined on Tuesday to seek criminal charges against police officers who used stun guns repeatedly on a black man in 2013 before he died.

Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin said no evidence showed the death of Linwood Lambert Jr., 46, was caused by the stun guns or that the officers were criminally negligent when they did not follow through on taking him into a hospital.

"I find there is no good faith basis to believe any

violation of state criminal law applies to the facts of this case and, therefore, I decline to seek criminal charges against the officers," she wrote in a 76-page report.

A medical examiner has concluded that Lambert likely would have died from "cocaine-induced excited delirium" even without being shocked, she said.

Martin's report comes amid a U.S. debate on law enforcement treatment of minorities after the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police in Missouri, Ohio, New York and elsewhere since 2014.

Lambert's family filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit

in U.S. District Court in April 2015 against the officers, the police chief, the deputy chief and the town of South Boston, Virginia.

Lawyers for the family were not immediately available to comment.

The incident took place after three South Boston police officers arrested Lambert on a noise complaint. They took him to the Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital for an evaluation.

Martin's report said Lambert kicked out a police cruiser window, ran to the emergency room doors and crashed into them with his hands cuffed behind his back.

The officers then shocked Lambert with their Tasers while he was on the ground. They put him in a police car where he was shocked again when he raised his feet toward a window and then when he failed to sit up.

He was taken to jail and then found unresponsive. An emergency team tried to revive him and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Martin's report said the Tasers were triggered a total of 20 times.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)
By James Pearson PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Korea's rain-soaked capital was festooned on Tuesday with banners celebrating leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a ruling party congress, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the rare event. Flower pots lined balconies along streets that have been tidied as part of a 70-day campaign for the first Workers' Party congress in 36 years, which starts on Friday. At the congress, Kim is expected to declare isolated North Korea a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his "Byongjin" policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability. It follows Kim's father's Songun, or "military first," policy and his grandfather's Juche, the North's home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism. "Let's uphold Great Comrade Kim Jong Un's Songun revolutionary leadership with patriotism!," one banner read. Isolated North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers' Party congress. One banner in Pyongyang extolled a February rocket launch that put a satellite in space. Overseas, however, the launch drew condemnation as a ballistic missile test in disguise. Kim has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful fifth test this week as a crowning achievement, foreign analysts have said. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang's nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress. "North Korea's goal is to be internationally recognized as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing." North Korea has invited foreign media to cover the congress, although journalists' movements are closely managed and much of the country and its people remain off-limits to outsiders. Pyongyang citizens "fervently welcomed participants of the congress who have given all their patriotic passion ... as a new generation of true warriors of Juche revolution under the leadership of dear comrade Kim Jong Un," North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Tuesday. Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress. The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance. FIRST SINCE 1980 The party congress is the first since 1980, before the 33-year-old Kim was born. His father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, never held one. While some past party congresses featured representatives from countries the North has ties with, South Korean officials have said they were not aware of invitations sent to official foreign guests for the upcoming event. North Korea has become increasingly isolated over its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and was hit with tightened U.N. Security Council sanctions in March that were backed by its chief ally, China, in response to a January nuclear test. Pyongyang has conducted a flurry of missile and other weapons tests in the run-up to the congress, although not all have been successful. It made three attempts last month of what was believed to be its intermediate-range Musudan missile, all of which failed, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. The congress is expected to last four or five days, South Korean government officials and experts said. Kim may decide to take on the post of party General Secretary, a position held by his late father, elevating himself from First Secretary. "It is now his era, and the elders have passed away, and the idea will be that if he remains first secretary, then he might think he won't get enough respect because of that," said An Chan-il, former North Korean military official who now heads a think tank in Seoul. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Tony Munroe and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Oslo (AFP) - The crash of a Super Puma helicopter off the coast of Norway last week that killed all 13 people on board was due to a technical failure, Norwegian investigators said Tuesday.

"Based on the facts we have, it was a technical failure. It was not human error," a director of the Norwegian accident investigation board, Kare Halvorsen, told a press conference held in a hangar in the western city of Bergen, where debris from the wreck was visible.

The EC225 Super Puma built by Airbus Helicopters crashed Friday on a small island off Bergen, en route from a North Sea oil platform. The 13 killed included 11 Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian.

While investigators seemed to be in no doubt about the helicopter's technical failure, they did not disclose the exact cause of the accident -- the deadliest helicopter crash in Norway since 1978 -- adding the investigation was still ongoing with French and British assistance.

Eyewitness accounts and footage captured on cell phones indicate that the rotor detached just before the crash.

On Friday, Norwegian and British aviation authorities announced they were grounding the EC225 until further notice.

"We have taken note of the announcements" from Norwegian investigators, a spokesman for Airbus Helicopters, Guillaume Steuer, told AFP.

"They have reported technical causes. That can be several things: conception, production or maintenance," he said.

On Sunday the company advised all EC225 owners to continue flights as normal in countries where they were authorised.

"The fleet is safe," Steuer reiterated Tuesday.

Older model Super Pumas have been involved in several accidents in the British oil sector, some of them deadly. The most serious dates back to 2009 when a helicopter crashed off of Scotland, killing its 16 occupants after its rotor detached.
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: NBY) revealed the presentation of clinical data demonstrating that its Avenova reduced the bacterial load on the ocular skin surface by over 90 percent in 20 minutes without affecting the diversity in the remaining bacteria type. According to the company, results of the Avenova study were already discussed in an oral presentation by its SVP of Ophthalmology Development, David Stroman, at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Seattle.

NovaBay's VP of Sales and Marketing, Glenn Moro, commented, "In vitro and non-clinical studies have shown that in solution the bacteria and other microorganism that are a common underlying cause of chronic conditions such as blepharitis are killed. In fact, many patients suffering from the itchiness, inflammation and irritation associated with blepharitis and dry eye syndrome are reporting relief of symptoms in as little as two weeks with soothing Avenova used twice-daily."

Moro added, "That said, many ophthalmologists and optometrists are looking for clinical validation before prescribing Avenova to their patients. We now have that validation, giving us a clear advantage in a very large and underserved market."

On Monday, the stock shed 14.3 percent.

See more from Benzinga

 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that a Chinese-led regional trade deal demonstrated the urgent need for Congress to approve the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. Obama has been pushing to finalize the TPP before he leaves office on Jan. 20, but he needs to overcome strong anti-trade sentiment from both the left wing of his own Democratic Party as well as from the right flank of the Republican Party. Voter anxiety over the impact of trade deals on jobs and the environment has featured large in the campaigns of Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner for the Nov. 8 presidential election, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. In an opinion piece published on the website of the Washington Post on Monday, Obama said he understood voter skepticism but that "building walls to isolate ourselves from the global economy" would backfire on the American economy. "China is negotiating a trade deal that would carve up some of the fastest-growing markets in the world at our expense, putting American jobs, businesses and goods at risk," Obama said in the piece. Obama was referring to the 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, and noted that China was seeking to finalize the deal by the end of the year. "That trade deal won't prevent unfair competition among government-subsidized, state-owned enterprises. It won't protect a free and open Internet," Obama said, also criticizing the RCEP's lack of protections for intellectual property, labor standards and the environment. Obama, who plans a visit to TPP partners Japan and Vietnam later this month, argued the TPP would allow America to "call the shots" on trade with Asia. "That's why my administration is working closely with leaders in congress to secure bipartisan approval for our trade agreement, mindful that the longer we wait, the harder it will be to pass the TPP," he said. Asked about Obama's comments, China's Foreign Ministry said global trade rules should be discussed by all countries, not just set by one. China has an open attitude towards TPP, which should be promoted together along with RCEP to help achieve the goal of a free trade zone in the Asia Pacific, ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing in Beijing. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Tom Brown and Clarence Fernandez)
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Alternative asset investment manager Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC reported a first-quarter loss on Tuesday after taking a $200 million reserve as it moves closer to settling bribery charges with the U.S. government.

The company said it would not pay a dividend for the quarter, compared with a year-earlier payout of 22 cents a share.

The largest publicly traded U.S. hedge fund posted a distributable loss of $142.5 million, or 27 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier gain of $126.7 million, or 25 cents a share. Distributable results exclude costs from the company's 2007 initial public offering.

Without the $200 million reserve accrual, the company said it would have had distributable earnings of $57.5 million or 11 cents a share.

Wall Street analysts had forecast 12 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The U.S. Justice Department is pushing for Och-Ziff to plead guilty in a probe of whether it bribed Libyan government officials to win an investment mandate from the country's sovereign wealth fund.

The department is also investigating whether loans Och-Ziff made funded illegal payments to the government in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the company invested in natural resources.

The decline in earnings, excluding the reserve, largely stemmed from lower incentive income and management fees as well as higher operating expenses. Higher legal fees because of the investigation fueled the $16.8 million increase in non-compensation expenses, excluding the reserve, the company said.

Assets under management stood at $43.2 billion at the end of the first quarter, down 11 percent from a year earlier. Most of the decline occurred in Och-Ziff's flagship multi-strategy funds.

Some investors have asked for their money back because of the investigation.

In April a source familiar with the matter said that a fine of $100 million to $400 million was under discussion. Rattled by the probe, investors have sent Och-Ziff shares down 36 percent since January to $4 at Monday's close.

The first-quarter loss follows a drop in fourth-quarter earnings for Och-Ziff.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Brasilia (AFP) - Embattled President Dilma Rousseff greeted the Olympic flame in Brazil on Tuesday, promising not to allow a raging political crisis, which could see her suspended within days, to spoil the Rio Games.

Rousseff promised "the most successful Olympic Games in history."

"We are experiencing political instability. We are going through a very difficult period, truly critical in the country's history and in the history of democracy," Rousseff said in the capital Brasilia.

However, "Brazil will provide the very best reception for athletes and foreign visitors because we have created the conditions for this."

The flame, which arrived in a small lantern from the ancient Greek site of Olympia, via Switzerland, was transferred to Brazil's Olympic torch featuring waves of tropical colors.

The torch will now be carried in a relay by 12,000 people through 329 cities, ending in Rio's Maracana stadium on August 5 for the opening ceremony.

Air Force jets roared overhead in a clear blue sky to write "Rio 2016" and the five Olympic rings in their vapor trails. Then there were cheers as the first relay runner, double Olympic gold winning women's volleyball captain Fabiana Claudino, set off.

Twelve-year-old Syrian refugee Hanan Daqqah, who arrived in Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo with her family in 2015, was also among the 10 first torch bearers.

- Impeachment crisis -

But political and economic turmoil overshadowed the ceremony ahead of South America's first ever Olympics.

Rousseff will be suspended from office for six months next week if the Senate votes on May 11 or 12 to open an impeachment trial, meaning that Tuesday could have been one of her final major public events as president.

She is accused of illegally manipulating government accounts but says she is the victim of a coup mounted by her vice president, Michel Temer, who would replace her if she is suspended.

Story continues

In a brief speech at the torch-lighting ceremony, Rousseff said the relay would put Brazil's beauty on display, but she also laced her comments with references to her fight for political survival.

"I am certain that a country whose people know how to fight for their rights and to protect their democracy is a country where the Olympics will have great success in the coming months," she said.

A swarm of police jogged alongside the first torch runners, possibly to separate them from protesters in the crowd who held up banners, including one reading "No to the coup."

"Unfortunately , we're not here to celebrate this great party," protester Rita Andrade, an artist, told AFP. "We're asking for help for our democracy which is bleeding right now."

- Last days in office? -

The impeachment trial and a definitive Senate vote on Rousseff's fate could take months, during which time the 68-year-old will be on half pay, still living at the presidential residence, although ejected from the executive offices.

If she is not cleared, Temer would stay in power until the next scheduled elections in 2018.

Rousseff has vowed to "fight to the end."

She hopes to persuade senators that the accounting tricks, which she allegedly used to mask the depth of Brazil's economic crisis, do not amount to an impeachable offense. According to Rousseff, the charges are trumped up by her political enemies.

Given the makeup of the Senate, a simple majority vote to suspend her next week looks almost certain. However, a two-thirds majority is needed to remove her completely from office, making the final outcome harder to predict.

Rousseff, a one-time Marxist guerrilla who was tortured by the military dictatorship in the 1970s, has all but lost the ability to govern in recent months. Even if she survived impeachment, she would have trouble regaining authority.

However, her Workers' Party, which has dominated and transformed the country since 2003, is still fighting to prevent impeachment from turning into a nationwide shift to the right.

Rousseff's mentor and presidential predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, hopes to run for president again in 2018 -- or even sooner in special snap elections that many in Brazil want to happen this year.

Polls show Lula would be one of several frontrunners, trouncing the unpopular Temer.
From Cosmopolitan

Bad news for Taylor Swift: According to the MIT Technology Review, our brains are only capable of having up to five best friends at a time.

Heres the science behind it: In the early 90s, British anthropologist Robin Dunbar noticed a correlation between a primates brain size and how big their social groups were - the bigger the brain, the more friends one could have.

Dunbar determined that people are only capable of having a finite number of friends due to the size of our neocortex, which is a subsection of our cerebral cortex. Specifically, were only able to have five best friends, another 10 close friends, 35 acquaintances, and 100 additional contacts.

Dunbar recently tested out his theory some more by examining 6 billion phone calls made by 35 million people in an anonymous European country. His team of researchers chose to examine phone calls from the year 2007 because it largely predates the popularity of smartphones and social media, which would skew the results. (Seriously, who do you even talk to on the phone these days? Your grandma? Thats about it.)

The team assumes that the frequency of calls between two individuals is a measure of the strength of their relationship, says the MIT Technology Review. The study found that Dunbars estimate was not too far off: The average cumulative layer turns out to hold 4.1, 11.0, 29.8, and 128.9 users, researchers found - again, thats besties, close friends, acquaintances and contacts respectively.

So even though Tays squad might seem to run hella deep, girlfriend only has between 4.1 and 5 BFFs. And TBH, that seems like more than enough.

Follow Eve on Twitter.
May 3 (Reuters) - Summit Bank has received approval from Pakistan's central bank to conduct due diligence on Burj Bank, it said in a stock exchange filing, in the latest bid for the unlisted lender, which is seeking to boost capital through a stake sale.

The acquisition of a majority shareholding in Burj Bank would fit the long term strategy of Summit Bank, which is planning to convert its operations to conform to Islamic principles that include bans on interest and gambling.

Burj Bank, one of the country's five full-fledged Islamic banks, held 4.4 billion rupees ($42 million) in paid up capital as of December, compared with the regulatory minimum of 10 billion rupees.

Last month, Burj Bank said it had shortlisted three financial institutions to conduct due diligence on a non-exclusive basis. It also received an extension from the central bank to meet the mimimum capital requirement until June 30.

The Islamic lender has previously attracted interest from state-owned National Bank of Pakistan and MCB Bank Ltd , both conducting their own due diligence in 2014, but a sale has not materialised.

The largest shareholders of Burj Bank are Bahrain's Bank Alkhair with a 37.9 percent stake and the Jeddah-based Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector, which holds a 33.9 percent stake. ($1 = 104.7500 Pakistani rupees) (Reporting by Bernardo Vizcaino; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
Jerusalem (AFP) - A Palestinian rammed his car into a group of Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, injuring three before being shot dead, the Israeli army said.

"An assailant rammed a vehicle into three Israelis in a car ramming attack northwest of Ramallah," a statement said of the latest in more than seven months of attacks.

"Forces responded to the imminent threat and fired towards the assailant, resulting in his death."

The army later confirmed that the injured were soldiers, and said they were taken to hospital for treatment without giving further details.

However, the Magen David Adom rescue service said one of those hit by the car had been badly injured.

The Palestinian health ministry said the attack occurred at a checkpoint and named him the attacker as Ahmed Shahaada, 36, from the Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah.

The attack was the latest in a wave of violence that has killed 204 Palestinians and 28 Israelis since October 1.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Earlier on Tuesday, police said they had arrested a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem's Old City suspected of stabbing a Jewish man in his 60s there late on Monday.
Lindsey Graham

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA  Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Tuesday that the Republican Party had "lost its way" by supporting a candidate who says Middle East and North African countries are better off governed by brutal strongmen.

"You go live in Gaddafi's Libya," he said in a session at the Milken Institute Global Conference. He was addressing Donald Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, who was not present.

In a February debate, Trump said: "We would be so much better off if Gaddafi would be in charge right now."

He has also said that the US would be better off with Saddam Hussein still leading Iraq.

"Isn't it too bad that we knocked him out in the first place?" he said in a recent Fox News interview.

"You want to be the leader of the friggin' free world, and you're yearning for dictators," Graham said on Tuesday of his former GOP rival. "I'm a Republican, and my party has lost its way, in terms of the Donald."

Graham, who ran a campaign highly critical of Trump, effectively conceded that Republicans will lose the general election with Trump as their nominee.

"The next president of the United States, whoever she may be," will have to take on radical Islam, he said.

In the same session, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair did not directly answer a question about whether the current chaos in Iraq and Syria is a result of the American-British decision to invade Iraq in 2003. Blair and Graham commiserated over their respective parties' troubles over the past few months.

"You're still a Republican, right?" Blair asked Graham. "I'm in the British Labour Party. We're hanging on in there, in our separate ways."

Like the Republican Party, Labour has suffered from public infighting in recent months, most recently over anti-Semitic comments by prominent party members.

Story continues

NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: Why Hillary Clinton is a 'dangerous person'





More From Business Insider


In 2015, 57 billion Hilton HHonors loyalty points, representing 1.6 million free nights, went unearned, according to Hilton, because customers did not book directly with them. As a result, the hotel chain recently launched the largest marketing initiative in the company's nearly 100-year history to educate guests about the benefits of booking directly with its hotels. The "Stop Clicking Around" campaign aims to show travelers that by booking directly with the hotel group, they will receive the best price, desirable benefits and have a more personalized stay, says Geraldine Calpin, chief marketing officer at Hilton Worldwide. Plenty of other hotels and chains are jumping on the bandwagon, offering special perks to those who bypass online travel agencies like Expedia and Travelocity, and instead go online, use an affiliated app or call to book their stay directly with the property.

So what are you missing by booking your room through a third-party website? Everything from free Wi-Fi to better rooms to reduced rates. Here's a rundown of when it pays to go direct.

[See: The Best Hotels by Brand 2016.]

If You Want to Rack up Travel Rewards Points

If you don't book your hotel room directly with a property, you may lose out on loyalty points in their rewards program, as most programs will not allow you to earn points for a stay booked through a third-party. Darius Dubash, co-founder of the Million Miles Secrets website, explains that hotels often have promotions to earn extra points when staying a certain amount of nights that you could be missing out on as well. "These promotions are almost always limited to folks who book directly through the hotel. So, you may lose out on extra points if you book through a hotel aggregator," he says.

Points not only earn you free stays but also count toward upgraded status in some hotel loyalty programs, which can offer even more benefits. Guests can also use points for things other than free accommodations, such as frequent flier miles or tickets to concerts and sporting events.

Story continues

If You Want to Ensure You Receive the Lowest Rates

As part of Hilton's campaign, consumers who book directly receive a special discounted rate. HHonors members who reserve a room at least 15 days in advance, receive 3 percent off stays from Sunday to Thursday and 10 percent off stays on Fridays and Saturdays. And for reservations within 14 days, guests receive a 2 percent discount any day of the week. Meanwhile, members of the Hyatt Gold Passport hotel rewards program receive a discount of up to 10 percent when booking directly.

The Intercontinental Hotel Group has been offering a "Best Price Guarantee" since 2002, promising the lowest room price publicly available online on its website. The hotel group will match any lower online rate found within 24 hours of booking a room on their site. Marriott, Hyatt and Starwood will similarly match a better rate, plus give guests an extra discount for going direct. And with Marriott, you'll get an extra 25 percent off your nightly rate, while Hyatt offers an extra 20 percent discount and Starwood lets you choose either 2,000 reward points or a 20 percent discount of your nightly rate. In addition, Marriott allows you to pay when you check in when you book direct, and also permits you to change or cancel your reservations.

Jason Steele of credit card comparison website CompareCards.com points out that booking directly also gives you negotiating power when it comes to pricing. "Often, I will call the hotel and simply ask for a better rate, and receive it," he says.

If You Want Digital Perks

The lack of free Wi-Fi at hotels has long been the gripe of travelers, and many hotels and groups are giving guests that desired perk in exchange for booking directly with their hotels and being a member of their rewards program.

At Hilton, HHonors members who book online are able to check-in online or via their smartphone ahead of time and select their room preference. Meanwhile, Hilton and Marriott are rolling out similar programs for rewards members at their properties. Plus, Starwood offers digital keys to their SPG members.

[See: 10 Common Pieces of Travel Advice You Should Never Follow.]

If You Want an Upgraded Hotel Room

While you may land an enticing package by booking your reservation with an online travel agency, you can't always count on the perks you might expect when booking direct. For example, Steele recalls a tme when he used an OTA to book a non-smoking room, but upon a late arrival was given a smoking room. "When I complained, I was told point blank that the non-smoking room was merely a 'preference' that could not be honored because we booked through a third party," he says.

"Most chain hotels will not give you the worst room if you booked directly through their website and are a member of their loyalty program," Dubash says. "The most undesirable rooms are usually allocated to folks who booked through third-party sites," he adds. Dubash has even been upgraded to suites when booking hotel stays directly through Hyatt where he has Diamond status member, but says that even those with basic membership status in a hotel rewards program can get upgraded to a more desirable room.

There's even an app, HotelUpgrade, that helps you maximize upgrades. By booking directly through the app, guests can get you more upgrades, such as suites, club access, additional points or free drinks, at no cost.

If You Want Extra Amenities

Smaller hotel groups and properties are following suit and promoting direct bookings as well. At Hawaii's Aqua-Aston Hospitality properties, including Lite Hotels, Kauai Shores, an Aqua Hotel, Aqua Waikiki Pearl Hotel and Ilikai Hotel & Luxury Suites, guests who book directly get a $20 Starbucks gift card each day of their stay. Plus, some properties provide a Hawaiian gift basket and complimentary car rentals.

Meanwhile, at The Kitano New York, guests who book directly with the property receive complimentary room upgrades, early check-in times starting at 10 a.m. and extended check-out times. In fact, The Kitano's perks are so popular that 65 percent of the hotel's guests reserve rooms in person. And at ACME Hotel Company in Chicago, guests who book direct not only receive the best rate, but also free use of Google Glass during their stay, as well as a "Hotspot to-Go," which grants free Wi-Fi cross the Windy City.

Steele says there are even some credit cards that offer bonuses for hotel charges booked directly.

Should you Ever Book through a Third-Party Website?

According to Dubash, there are several times when it makes sense to consider booking your stay with an OTA. For example, he uses Hotels.com to stay at smaller properties that may not have affiliated rewards programs. That way, he can earn one complimentary night after staying 10 nights at a property booked through Hotels.com, he explains.

[See: The 50 Best Hotels in the USA 2016.]

Third-party sites can also be helpful when looking for hotels in smaller cities outside the U.S., because aggregators usually have user-friendly websites and are in English, Dubash says. "Sometimes, the cancellation policies through aggregators may be more lenient than that of a hotel," he says. "And in the case of smaller hotels, you may lose your entire deposit if the hotel goes bust, but if you booked through an aggregator, you may get your money back," he adds.

Steele also likes to use aggregators to compare the different hotel options available for a desired destination. "These sites work very well for finding available rooms, as it's much more convenient than querying the sites of dozens of hotels," he says.
That scene in Silicon Valley's May 1 episode with the super-explicit horse sex? PETA didn't think it was funny.

Although the American Humane Association was on the set at the California breeding farm where the sequence was filmed and gave the shoot a "No Animals Were Harmed" certification, the more radical animal-rights group likened the practice of thoroughbred mating to "arranged rape."

According to PETA spokesperson Lisa Lange, "It may seem fun, but the mares are tethered during the process with no means of escape and the stallions are put on a lead rope and dragged to the mares to be mounted. Neither the stallions or the mares have any choice, it's assembly line breeding for profit. There's an overpopulation crisis in racing as most horses will not win races, and are therefore discarded and sent on hideous journeys by truck in all weather to Mexico or Canada to be turned into meat."

HBO, for its part, couldn't get enough of the horseplay. "I actually have an email from [senior vp comedy programming] Amy Gravitt where she said, 'I can't believe I'm saying this, but can we have more screen time with the horses having sex?' " the show's creator Mike Judge tells The Hollywood Reporter. "So we put in more shots."

Those shots, says Mark Stubis of the American Humane Association, were filmed "naturally, documentary style, on an actual horse breeding farm with no interference with the animals in any way by production."

Breeding professionals were on hand to make sure everything went smoothly. An American Humane Association Certified Animal Safety Representative was on set during the filming of the scene, as was a veterinarian who checked both horses prior to shooting the scene," he adds. "Production was very cooperative from the first stages of informing American Humane Association to the day of filming."

Read More: 'Silicon Valley's' Mike Judge Explains That Horse Sex Scene: "It's Real"
By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After a planned purchase of Allergan Plc (AGN.N) was scuttled by the U.S. government, Pfizer (PFE.N) Chief Executive Ian Read on Tuesday said he would consider another merger of any size, at any time, as long as the deal makes sense.

But he said Pfizer is at least temporarily abandoning its quest to lower taxes by relocating overseas, a main rationale for buying Dublin-based Allergan. The $160 billion deal fell apart last month after the U.S. Treasury Department issued stringent new rules against such tax inversion deals.

Pfizer pays a considerably higher tax rate than European rivals. That has long rankled Read, a trained accountant who took charge of Pfizer in 2010. He argues the higher taxes put the drugmaker at a competitive disadvantage.

"We'll have to work harder and be smarter," Read said in an interview. "We can beat any company, whatever advantage they've got, if we use our resources better than they do."

Read said Pfizer's strong first-quarter results, reported earlier on Tuesday, demonstrated the company's ability to prosper as a standalone company. "Not having (Allergan) still leaves us with a good hand to play," he said.

Pfizer remains interested in deals that could help restock its medicine chest and ensure future growth, Read said, though he declined to name any biotech companies that were of particular interest.

"We have cash and resources and I'd entertain a deal of any size; size is not the issue," he said. "The issue is does it make sense for our shareholders."

Pfizer plans by late 2016 to decide whether to sell or spin off its generic medicines, which it calls established products. Those products had first-quarter sales of $6 billion. Its other business, of patent-protected medicines, had sales of $7.03 billion.

Read said Pfizer would be more likely in the short term to acquire innovative drugs, following its $16 billion purchase last year of generics maker Hospira.

Asked if future deals were more likely to come before or after Pfizer decides whether to split the company, Read said he could not put such a timeline on a transaction. "Assets appear and you make a decision whether to buy them or not."

If the opportunity for a major acquisition arises, Read said Pfizer may again have to delay a decision whether to split up the company, as it did when the Allergan merger was announced. Pfizer initially delayed a decision by two years, but restored its original 2016 deadline after the deal fell through.

(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
By Ransdell Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After a planned purchase of Allergan Plc <AGN.N> was scuttled by the U.S. government, Pfizer <PFE.N> Chief Executive Ian Read on Tuesday said he would consider another merger of any size, at any time, as long as the deal makes sense.

But he said Pfizer is at least temporarily abandoning its quest to lower taxes by relocating overseas, a main rationale for buying Dublin-based Allergan. The $160 billion deal fell apart last month after the U.S. Treasury Department issued stringent new rules against such tax inversion deals.

Pfizer pays a considerably higher tax rate than European rivals. That has long rankled Read, a trained accountant who took charge of Pfizer in 2010. He argues the higher taxes put the drugmaker at a competitive disadvantage.

"We'll have to work harder and be smarter," Read said in an interview. "We can beat any company, whatever advantage they've got, if we use our resources better than they do."

Read said Pfizer's strong first-quarter results, reported earlier on Tuesday, demonstrated the company's ability to prosper as a standalone company. "Not having (Allergan) still leaves us with a good hand to play," he said.

Pfizer remains interested in deals that could help restock its medicine chest and ensure future growth, Read said, though he declined to name any biotech companies that were of particular interest.

"We have cash and resources and I'd entertain a deal of any size; size is not the issue," he said. "The issue is does it make sense for our shareholders."

Pfizer plans by late 2016 to decide whether to sell or spin off its generic medicines, which it calls established products. Those products had first-quarter sales of $6 billion. Its other business, of patent-protected medicines, had sales of $7.03 billion.

Read said Pfizer would be more likely in the short term to acquire innovative drugs, following its $16 billion purchase last year of generics maker Hospira.

Story continues

Asked if future deals were more likely to come before or after Pfizer decides whether to split the company, Read said he could not put such a timeline on a transaction. "Assets appear and you make a decision whether to buy them or not."

If the opportunity for a major acquisition arises, Read said Pfizer may again have to delay a decision whether to split up the company, as it did when the Allergan merger was announced. Pfizer initially delayed a decision by two years, but restored its original 2016 deadline after the deal fell through.

(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Manila (AFP) - Philippine presidential favourite Rodrigo Duterte's vague economic plans and threats to kill thousands of criminals are spooking the financial markets, with one business leader warning Tuesday the trash-talking politician would bring anarchy.

The key Philippine Stock Exchange index fell on Tuesday for the fifth consecutive day, a stretch that began after Duterte made a speech before top business leaders in which he joked about his penis and vowed to pardon himself for mass murder.

Ramon del Rosario, head of the prestigious Makati Business Club that hosted Duterte last week, wrote a column Tuesday in the Philippine Daily Inquirer criticising the candidate's "distinct lack of respect for the rule of law".

"Without the rule of law, there will be chaos and anarchy, and no confidence in our country. Without confidence, there will be no investments, and without investments, there will be no jobs," del Rosario wrote.

With the key stock exchange index down 1.62 percent since Duterte's speech, analysts said investors were nervously waiting to learn more about his economic policies.

"They are not sure about his economic platform because Duterte has always emphasised his campaign on corruption and not what he would do about the economy," research chief April Lee Tan of Manila-based securities firm COL Financial told AFP.

"That uncertainty is causing a lot of investors to stay on the sidelines and wait and see how a Duterte presidency would pan out."

Duterte, 71, enjoys a double-digit lead in the polls over four opponents ahead of Monday's national elections.

This is despite shocking the political establishment with his profanity-laced speeches, which have included cursing the pope and a joke about raping an Australian missionary who was murdered in a 1989 prison riot.

Analysts say his promises of quick fixes to crime and other deep-rooted problems resonate with voters who feel the six-percent economic growth delivered under President Benigno Aquino has failed to improve their lives.

Story continues

Duterte has been the mayor of the major southern city of Davao for more than two decades. He claims to have fixed crime and thus enabled businesses to succeed there by a ruthless crackdown on criminals.

His critics say Davao is not the utopian society portrayed by Duterte, and point to vigilante death squads that have killed more than 1,000 people there as an example of what the rest of the country can expect if he becomes president.

Aquino, who is limited by the constitution to a single six-year term, warned last week in a thinly-veiled reference to Duterte that the country risked falling into dictatorship.

Duterte campaign manager Leoncio Evasco on Tuesday accused the Aquino government of orchestrating a "vilification campaign" against the front-runner.
Pitney Bowes Inc. PBI is one of the largest providers of mail processing equipment and integrated mail solutions across the world. It offers a full suite of equipment, supplies, software and services for end-to-end mainstream solutions, which enables its customers to optimize the flow of physical and electronic mail, documents and packages across their operations.

Pitney Bowes steady transformation process over the past three years to create long-term flexibility for investment reinstates hope. In this regard, the companys decision to exit low-margin countries like Mexico, South Africa and five markets in Asia looks encouraging. The companys Digital Commerce Solutions (DCS) remains one of its major strengths and has been driving the companys performance over the past few quarters.

However, an uncertain global economic environment has proved to be a significant drag on the companys top-line performance for the past few quarters. Moreover, rising operating and marketing expenses is also adding to the companys woes. While the previously planned ERP implementation in the U.S. is expected to raise operating expenses, aggressive advertising and marketing strategies are likely to increase marketing expenses. These rising expenditure are likely to pressurize the companys financials in the short-run.

In the last four trailing quarters, PBI has reported an average negative surprise of 2.2%.

Currently, PBI has a Zacks Rank#4 (Sell) but that could change following its first-quarter 2016 earnings report which has just released. We have highlighted some of the key details from the just-released announcement below.

Earnings: For the first-quarter 2016, adjusted earnings per share of 34 cents missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 41 cents.

Revenues: Revenues came in at $844.6 million, which decreased 4% on a constant currency basis year over year.

Key Stats: During the first quarter of 2016, the company paid $36 million in dividends and repurchased 6.8 million shares for $128 million.

Story continues

Stock Price: Shares prices did not show any movement in the pre-market trading session.

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Pitney Bowes Inc. PBI reported first-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings from continuing operations of 34 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 41 cents by 17.1%. Also, on a year-over-year basis, adjusted earnings declined 15%.

Incremental advertising expenses and absence of earnings from Imagitas that was sold in May last year proved to be a major drag on earnings. Also, the dismal top-line performance compounded the earnings decline.

Inside the Headlines

Total revenue in the quarter was $844.6 million, down 5.2% year over year on a reported basis. Also, on a constant currency basis, revenues fell 4%. The top line took a beating due to the company's exit from direct operations in Mexico, South Africa and five markets in Asia. Absence of revenues from these geographic segments made year-over-year comparisons difficult. Also, currency fluctuations impacted revenues adversely.

As for the segments, on a reported basis, Small and Medium Business (SMB) Solutions revenues slipped 5% year over year to $453 million. Softness in the North American Mailing business (down 3%) stemming from a decline in recurring revenue streams proved to be a major drag.

Also, the decline in recurring revenue streams hurt the International mailing business (down 11%), worsening the fall. However, new go-to-market strategy and improving equipment sales in certain geographies including France, Germany and Japan arrested the sales decline at this segment to a great extent.

Enterprise Business Solutions (EBS) revenues declined 2.7% year over year to $215 million. This segments production mail business (down 12%) was hit by fewer equipment installations on account of unfavorable timing of deal closures. However, this decline was partially offset by an uptick in Presort Services (up 5%), mainly driven by higher volumes of First Class and expansion into the St. Louis market.

The Digital Commerce Solutions reported an 8.6% year-over-year rise in sales to $176 million. A fall in sales from Software solutions (down 10%) was more than offset by a rise in sales from global e-commerce business (up 30%), thereby driving an overall increase. Smaller number of large licensing deals and lower data-related revenues resulted in the lackluster performance of the Software solutions business.

Story continues

This sub-segment particularly benefited from the Borderfree acquisition and growth in U.K. revenues. In addition, a surge in retail clients and robust outbound U.S. package shipments proved to be major growth drivers at the segment.

Notable Activities

Pitney Bowes fortified its shipping logistics portfolio with the acquisition of Enroute Systems Corporation, a cloud-based, software-as-a-service enterprise retail and fulfillment solutions company. The deal will help Pitney Bowes enhance the shopping experience for clients across channels by integrating a range of physical and digital processes in the fulfillment management chain.

Moreover, the company launched the Clarity solutions suite that will utilize the power of Industrial Internet to transform the production mail industry. The offering is expected to be commercially available from the first quarter of 2016 in North America and from the second quarter in Europe. The suite will be launched globally in 2017. Also, the company announced that its EngageOne Video solutions are to be deployed by American Family Insurance as well as financial services and technology company  The Bancorp.

Meanwhile, Bancorp announced that it will leverage Pitney Bowes EngageOne Video interactive video solution in order to deliver a distinctive educational resource for clients in the companys Institutional Banking practice.

Liquidity and Cash Flow

Exiting the quarter on Mar 31, 2016, adjusted free cash flow was $60.2 million compared with $84.9 million as of Mar, 31, 2015.

As of Mar 31, 2016, the companys cash and cash equivalents totaled $613.0 million compared with the year-ago tally of $650.5 million. Long-term debt as of Mar 31, 2016, was $2,775.2 million, up from $2,489.6 million as of Mar, 31, 2015.

Outlook

Pitney Bowes has reiterated its 2016 earnings guidance in the range of $1.80$2.00, on both adjusted and GAAP basis. Moreover, the revenue projection is maintained in the range of a decline of 1% to 2% growth from the 2015 level.

Double-digit growth in the Digital Commerce Solutions is expected to boost revenues in 2016, excluding the impact of currency. While the company expects flat to modest growth in the Enterprise Business Solutions segment, SMB Solutions is expected to see a low single-digit decline.

In addition, implementation of the new ERP program is expected to slash SG&A expenses in the second half of 2016, which in turn, should drive margins. However, incremental marketing expenses related to the new advertising campaign can prove to be a drag.

Our Take

Expectedly, Pitney Bowes faced the brunt of the weak performance by its software business during the quarter. Additionally, escalating operating and marketing expenses have impacted financials. Meanwhile, the planned ERP implementation in the U.S. is driving operating expenses while aggressive advertising and marketing strategies are also proving be challenging. Benefits from the ongoing ERP materialization in the Canada and the U.S. are expected to materialize in the second half of 2016 while a rise in marketing expenses throughout first-quarter 2016 is likely to hurt margins.

Despite these negatives, improving equipment sales in North America Mailing business during the quarter signals that the restructuring activities undertaken by the company are gradually paying off. Also, Pitney Bowes believes that the implementation of the go-to-market strategies in major markets, expansion of the Presort Services network, robust pipeline of product launches and the acquisition of Borderfree, Real Time Content (RTC) and Enroute Systems Corporation are expected to supplement top-line performance in full-year 2016.

Pitney Bowes currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Better-ranked stocks in the same space include Broadcom Limited AVGO, Bruker Corporation BRKR and Internet Initiative Japan Inc. IIJI. All three stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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When it comes to plastic surgery  particularly cosmetic facial procedures  most of us have our own options. But one surgeon wants to take away the taboo by not only being open about it, but by poking a little fun.

Dr. Cory Torgerson, a cosmetic plastic surgeon at Dr. Cory Torgerson Facial Cosmetic Surgery in Toronto, recently released a video along with his team to his version of The Weeknds Cant Feel My Face.



This video was supposed to push boundaries, Torgerson said in a press release. Cosmetic enhancements and procedures are no longer taboo as they once were. The topic is increasingly relevant and becoming the norm  we can and should embrace that!



(YouTube)

The video follows two patients as they undergo various procedures that make their faces go numb. Its OK, though, because they love it.

The video was produced and directed by Claudette Omrin, a legit professional in the industry who has worked with musicians such as Jennifer Hudson, Robin Thicke, Jamie Foxx, and Selena Gomez. Torgerson also called on choreographer Lenny Len to help with the dance sequences. Len has worked with artists like Rihanna, Ne-Yo and Ludacris.

What do you think of this plastic surgery parody? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
Play Club KL is introducing "PLAY DAY OUT" (PDO)  a party movement created to offer party-goers a one-of-a-kind experience by sending them to iconic music festivals all over the world.



"We want to spread the good music around and to allow people to learn not just what's happening on the radio all the time, but what's next and what's up-and-coming. PLAY DAY OUT is our way of extending our passion and love for the music and to keep the party spirit going for years to come," said Dax Lee, Director of The Roof.

"All music festivals will be carefully handpicked by us and it must meet the criteria of having world class acts and renowned festival status. We will always be on a look out for the most spectacular music festivals and the best clubbing experience to ensure the sustainability of PLAY DAY OUT for years to come," added Roen Cian, who is also the Director of The Roof.



The first edition of PDO will kick off with Ultra Korea this coming June, where revellers will get to party with a list of powerful headliners like Afrojack, Avicii, Axwell^Ingrosso and Martin Garrix from 10 to 12 June 2016 in Seoul.

That's not all, PDO will also be associated with one of the biggest R&B idols of all time, Rihanna!



In collaboration with Universal Music Malaysia, lucky fans of Rihanna will be given an all-expense paid trip to catch Rihanna's "Anti World Tour  LIVE in London" on 24 June 2016 at Wembley Stadium, London.

Furthermore, in July, PDO will have its very own version of "Road to Ibiza" where the itinerary includes visiting the most happening clubs in Ibiza town. Some of the shortlisted clubs include:



 Pacha - Ibiza's oldest and most well-known club with over four decades of party-planning under its belt.

 Ushuaia  One of the most famous venues for championing huge DJ names, amazing stage production and glamorous dancers.

 Space Ibiza - Known around the world as one of the temples of EDM, emphasizing on bringing only the best and finest international DJs across the genres.

 Ocean Beach Ibiza  Astonishing outdoor party venue with stylish, decadent pool parties, fiestas, fine dining, fashion shows, acrobatics and live performances.

 Privilege - the 'World's Biggest Club' with a Main Room like an aircraft hangar - that could fit the whole of the other clubs in Ibiza inside it.

So, to be eligible for the individual flyaway, PLAY visitors must purchase the selected twin bottle packages  Ultra Korea's package or Rihanna's package which comes with her latest ANTI album, while stocks last!



Each of the purchase will be entitled to one PDO coupon which will be dropped at the dedicated box located at PLAY's entrance for a draw during the respective closing parties.



Winners will be announced at the following events:-



 Ultra Korea Closing Party (28 May) where 6 winners will be picked

 Rihanna Night Out (4 June) where 4 winners will be selected



The flyaway for "Road to Ibiza" will be determined at a later date.
No one wanted to give this stray dog a new home - so he was adopted by the police force who found him wandering the streets.

The huge pooch was spotted roaming around Kirtland, Ohio, in March and police were called to take him in.

Officers from the Kirtland Police Department decided against taking the animal - who they named JD - to a rescue shelter and set about finding his owner by themselves.

New home: JD now lives with the police officers who rescued him (Facebook/Kirtland Police Department)

However, no one in the town of 6,800 people claimed the poor mutt so police thought they would give JD a home at their department instead.

The force wrote on Facebook: The folks here at the Police Department wanted a good home for JD so with the permission of the Chief and the Mayor JD has been adopted by the Kirtland Police Association but they also share the warmth this stoic animal has brought with City Hall and the Fire Department.

JD has fit into the environment as though he were here always.

We are happy to have him in our department and our lives. He loves everyone and we love him.

Top pic: Facebook/Kirtland Police Department
May 3 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- Aeropostale Inc is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection this week and close more than 100 stores, according to people familiar with the matter, as the teen-apparel retailer contends with mounting losses and falling sales. (http://tinyurl.com/jkabzlq)

- The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that municipalities can't bar hydraulic fracturing, a long awaited decision in a legal battle that has rippled across this energy rich state. (http://tinyurl.com/h9jzg4a)

- Donald Trump, with a big lead in the polls in Indiana and the Republican presidential nomination within his reach, kept attacking his GOP rivals on the eve of the state's primary, while democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton ignored her opponent and looked ahead to the general election. (http://tinyurl.com/zu8amcp)

- Microsoft Corp updated its Bing search app for iOS on Monday with a new feature that lets you search for images by taking a photo with your iPhone or uploading an image from your camera roll. (http://tinyurl.com/zspmtx3) (Compiled by Vishal Sridhar in Bengaluru)
Check out the donor list on the website of PARSA, a respected international aid organization that works with orphans, war wounded and the disabled of Afghanistan and you'll spot the usual suspects: the American and German embassies, the International Organization for Migration and an outfit called War Child Canada.

But here's a surprising name to add to the list: Prince.

"Prince was really invested in orphans," says Seattle native Marnie Gustavson, executive director of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitative Support for Afghanistan (PARSA), who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in a phone interview from Kabul, where she has lived for the past 12 years. "The reason I'm letting it be known is to honor him. And I am no longer sworn to secrecy."

The news of Prince's redoubtable and longstanding charitable efforts began to trickle out more fully in the wake of his death on April 21, but the extent and breadth of his interests seem to grow steadily larger by the day and, geographically at least, more eclectic.

Still, few would have expected Afghanistan.

A landlocked country of 30 million that has been wracked by war for going on four decades, it's one of the poorest nations in the world, still struggling to emerge from a decade of Soviet occupation, years of brutal civil war, oppression by the Taliban and, most recently, the continuing fallout of a well-intentioned but uneasy relationship with the U.S.

For the last half-dozen years, Prince quietly funneled thousands of dollars to help rekindle one of PARSA's signature initiatives: an 85-year-old Afghan Scouting program, whose members and mentors are all orphans. The Afghan Scouts is designed to empower Afghan kids and steer them away from the lure of extremist groups like ISIS. Started in 1931, the program was largely dormant during periodic bouts of war, but has been growing again recently.

Read More: Critics Notebook: Princes Subversive Screen Persona Was Crucial to His Musical Genius

Story continues

Prince's interest and financial involvement was precisely the kind of quiet yet effective diplomacy that Americans need to engage with more, says Vali Nasr, Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

"We become so narrowly focused on the horror stories in Afghanistan, the bombings, the Taliban, the kinds of issues Americans don't understand or want to have anything to do with," says Nasr. "Prince was not doing this out of a selfish need for publicity, but because it was the right thing to do in his mind. And even now, posthumously, it shows that this is a kind of a cause that somebody can support on their own, without getting looped into a larger debate about whether nation building is worth it or not."

Prince's entree to Afghanistan's orphans came about through his well-known friendship with Betty Tisdale, another Seattleite whose nonprofit Helping and Loving Orphans (HALO) has offices around the world. Known as the "Angel of Saigon" for her heroic efforts to help refugees and orphans escape the war in Vietnam, Tisdale was a giant in the aid community. (She died last year at the age of 92.)

Long before his death, Prince had already selected HALO as one of his favorite charitable organizations and supported the group financially for years, but his involvement with Tisdale was apparently more personal and far-reaching, according to people who knew her.

"Any of us who met Betty fell in love with her," says Gustavson, "I know that's what happened with Prince. She could call him up and say, 'I need money for this, three thousand for this, five thousand for this' and he'd give it to her. She was quite secretive about it, as everyone who received from him was."

Gustavson estimates that Prince donated an initial $15,000 or so starting roughly six years ago, and contributed roughly another $6,000 every year after that until his death.

And Tisdale, who continued to visit Afghanistan well into her 80s and worked tirelessly to help promote organizations like PARSA, kept her word to the pop icon. "It was a strict non-disclosure agreement they had," says Gustavson. "Betty said, 'I'll tell you the donor, but you absolutely cannot tell anyone else; my support will dry up if you do.'"

So the two kept quiet and got on with the heavy lifting of helping Afghanistan's orphans find a leg up in a society all too willing to abandon them. Orphans often get short shrift in Afghanistan. A child who has a mother but no father is considered an orphan and extended family, if one exists at all, is given responsibility. Orphanages are rife targets for corrupt ministry officials and governors who have been known to siphon off funds for themselves. Orphanage officials have often neglected the most basic needs of their charges: food, water, blankets and basic shelter.

"Orphans are at the bottom of list," Gustavson adds. "They're just very poorly taken care of."

PARSA has undertaken valiant efforts to change that, ranging from feting promising government officials to funneling money and materiel to workers who are in a position to improve the orphans' lives.

Under the leadership of its founder Mary MacKay and later Gustavson, and with the help of Tisdale, Prince and others, PARSA staff and volunteers have helped refurbish dozens of orphanages across the country, often at great personal risk.

In recent years, PARSA has managed to grow its Scout volunteer corps to more than 100, roughly a quarter of whom had been Scout mentors before the Soviet invasion in 1979, which catapulted the country into its decades-long conflict.

"A lot of Americans may not pay attention to the issues," says SAIS's Nasr, who believes Prince's involvement showed an important and subtle understanding of foreign policy issues. "But they pay attention to the ambassadors for these issues."

"Betty had a special relationship with Prince," says Gustavson. "He adored her."

Gustavson says the steady drip of bad news is just part of Afghanistan's story, and that the Scouts who were helped and nurtured by Prince's funding shouldn't be forgotten.

"Most Afghans are just trying to get through the next crisis, and it's been a long haul," says Gustavson, "When is Afghanistan going to fall? Well, we don't think it's going to fall. We're just really working hard in a very difficult situation. We want to give them responsibility and accountability. Even if it starts with Prince."

Read More: Prince's Legal Legacy: Contract Fights, Copyright Battles and Changing His Name
Gettyimages-566439501

Sometimes, it's OK to fail.

Princeton professor Johannes Haushofer is a highly regarded academic with plenty of honors and degrees under his belt. To show his students, and people the world over, that everyone experiences disappointment, Haushofer decided to publish a resume of his failures.

SEE ALSO: For one sick pup, bonnets are a dog's best friend

"Most of what I try fails, but these failures are often invisible, while the successes are visible," the professor wrote at the top of his 'CV of Failures.' "I have noticed that this sometimes gives others the impression that most things work out for me. As a result, they are more likely to attribute their own failures to themselves, rather than the fact that the world is stochastic, applications are crapshoots, and selection committees and referees have bad days. This CV of Failures is an attempt to balance the record and provide some perspective."

Below is the complete CV full of Haushofer's failures.

Image: johannes haushofer

Image: johannes haushofer

At the top of the CV, Haushofer explains that he likely forgot a few failures, as he wrote the resume from memory.

"This CV is unlikely to be complete  it was written from memory and probably omits a lot of stuff," he said. "So if its shorter than yours, its likely because you have better memory, or because youre better at trying things than me."

According to the Washington Post, Haushofer first wrote the CV of Failures in 2011 in an effort to support a friend who had a professional setback. After receiving a positive response, he later made the resume public.

"I'm hoping that it will be a source of perspective at times when things aren't going well," he told the Washington Post in an email. "Especially for students and my fellow young researchers."
Update, 8:44 p.m., May 3, 2016: Ted Cruz suspended his presidential campaign after losing to Donald Trump in the Indiana primary.

A victory in Tuesdays Indiana primary is Sen. Ted Cruzs strongest hope for staying alive in the race for president, and one super PAC is leading the charge to keep his campaign afloat.

Meet Trusted Leadership PAC.

The pro-Cruz super PAC is focusing on the Hoosier State, where it has spent $2.4 million in Indiana, half of the total it has reported spending to support Cruzs candidacy so far, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Thats translated into more than 1,800 broadcast ads, according to a Center for Public Integrity review of data from Kantar Media/CMAG.

And for good reason: Cruz lost five states last Tuesday to Republican front-runner Donald Trump. Cruz now trails Trump by more than 400 delegates, according to the Associated Press, and Indianas delegates could put Trump even closer to the magic number needed to clinch the Republican nomination and shut out Cruz.

Or, as the most-aired Trusted Leadership PAC ad says in a voice-over set against videos of Cruz and newly named running mate Carly Fiorina: The time for big talk has passed.

This story is part of Source Check. Click here to read more stories in this series.

Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.

The ads sponsor

Trusted Leadership PAC was created in mid-March, when it was launched as the latest addition to a network of pro-Cruz super PACs. Each pro-Cruz super PAC in the network had been named a variant of Keep the Promise and is funded by a small group of rich megadonors.

One important distinction: While the Keep the Promise PACs are largely controlled and funded by individual families, Trusted Leadership PAC is actively soliciting contributions from multiple big-dollar donors.

But like the Keep the Promise PACs, the newest pro-Cruz super PAC can raise and spend in unlimited amounts, opening the door for it to rake in massive sums during the Republican primarys waning months.

Story continues

Whos behind it?

The treasurer of Trusted Leadership PAC is Alice Hanley, according to Federal Communication Commission filings.

A former vice president of an investment bank, the Florida-based Hanley is married to oil tycoon and investor Lee Hanley, who in June contributed $5,000 to Keep the Promise I. He also contributed $15,000 to a pro-Fiorina super PAC in March 2015.

Alice Hanley donated $5,400 to Fiorinas campaign and $2,700 to Cruzs.

Trusted Leadership PAC is also controlled by organizers from five other pro-Cruz super PACs: four Keep the Promise groups and Stand for Truth Inc., said Kellyanne Conway, head of Keep the Promise I.

Trusted Leadership harnesses the strength and resources of that broad support to consolidate fundraising efforts and deploy resources strategically, Conway said in an emailed statement.

Money in

Since forming in March, Trusted Leadership PAC has brought in $4.7 million. Together, eight super PACs in the pro-Cruz constellation have raised a whopping $62.4 million through March 31, according to FEC filings.

Thats more than the super PACs supporting any other still-active Republican candidate. Groups supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton have raised $76 million to boost her presidential bid.

Trusted Leadership PAC has so far reported receiving two seven-figure donations, a $1 million contribution from businessman Richard Uihlein and another from Missouri-based Herzog Contracting Corp. The company's owner, Stan Herzog, is a major Republican donor who also gave a seven-figure contribution to a super PAC supporting former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012.

Herzog Contracting Corporation, Herzog Railroad Services and Stan Herzog have collectively contributed about $1.5 million to pro-Cruz super PACs. In addition, the Cruz campaign has paid Herzog Contracting Corporation $430,000 for travel expenses, as first reported by Mother Jones.

Trusted Leadership PAC also in late March received $800,000 from Keep the Promise I and $100,000 Stand for Truth.

Related: Where pro-Cruz Trusted Leadership PAC has spent its millions

Money out

Trusted Leadership PAC has poured roughly $4.9 million into ads, mailers and voter calls advocating for Cruz in the weeks since it was first formed, according to FEC filings.

Much of the $2.4 million it has spent in Indiana has gone into a mix of ads that take jabs at Republican opponents Trump and John Kasich, as well as positive, pro-Cruz ads.

Conservative group Club for Growth also aired ads supportive of Cruz. The two groups have been responsible for 24 percent of TV ads aired in Indianas Republican primary, according to the Center for Public Integritys analysis of data from Kantar Media/CMAG, a firm that monitors advertising on broadcast television and national  but not local  cable. The Trusted Leadership PAC spot featuring Cruz and Fiorina aired more than 1,000 times.

Trusted Leadership PAC has narrowly outspent the Cruz campaign in Indiana, according to data provided by The Tracking Firm, a nonpartisan media tracking company.

Why watch this group

Much of the recent pro-Cruz messaging has been outsourced to Trusted Leadership PAC.

In fact, no other pro-Cruz super PAC aired a single TV ad since March 15. Since then, Trusted Leadership PAC has sponsored roughly 3,200 ads, according to the Center for Public Integritys review of data tracked by Kantar Media/CMAG.

While the super PAC has received $900,000 from some of the Keep the Promise groups, its also given about $1.3 million to other ones, including Keep the Promise III and Keep the Promise PAC.

So at least for now, Trusted Leadership PAC appears to be the central node in the pro-Cruz efforts.

This story was co-published with TIME and the Texas Tribune.

This story is part of Source Check. Click here to read more stories in this series.

Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
From Good Housekeeping

Jonathan Scott had a hands-on weekend - and we don't mean the DIY kind. The HGTV star ended up in the middle of a violent bar fight on Saturday night, according to gossip site TMZ.

After traveling to Fargo, North Dakota for a design conference, the contracting half of the Property Brothers went out for a drink at Dempsey's Public House. Apparently Scott tried to break up an argument between some customers at closing time, but the 6' 5" celebrity received the brunt of the bouncer's attention.

He then reportedly called 911 claiming the bar employee assaulted him. While the establishment denies the altercation, a picture does show the reality TV star caught in a headlock.

Fargo police told local news station KFGO it was a "he said, the bar said" situation, but the incident is under further investigation.

[h/t TMZ]
By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - People with chronic insomnia should try cognitive behavioral therapy before medications, suggests a prominent group of U.S. doctors. While the American College of Physicians (ACP) can't say cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) outperforms medications for chronic insomnia, the group does say psychotherapy is less risky than drugs. "Sometimes we forget that sleep medications have the potential for serious side effects in some patients, while cognitive behavioral therapy is very low (risk) to patients," said Dr. Wayne J. Riley, ACP president. "The evidence is clear that CBT and sleep hygiene can be long lasting, life long, durable and delivered at a lower cost," said Riley, who is also affiliated with Vanderbilt University in Nashville. About 6 to 10 percent of people in the U.S. have insomnia. Through loss of productivity, the condition is estimated to have cost the country about $63 billion in 2009, according to the ACP committee that wrote the new guideline, which is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Chronic insomnia is defined as at least three restless nights per week for at least three months. "We wanted to take a deep dive into the literature for what makes a big difference with insomnia," Riley told Reuters Health. The ACP commissioned two reviews of insomnia treatments. One focused on medications, and the second focused on psychological and behavioral treatments. Overall, the first review found that some medications may improve sleep over a short period of time, but those come with the potential for changes in thinking and behavior. Additionally, there is a risk for infrequent but serious harms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says medications for insomnia should only be used for short periods. The agency warns those drugs may impair people during the daytime, lead to "sleep driving," behavioral changes and worsening depression. The review of psychological and behavioral treatments found that CBT for insomnia improved overall sleep with a low risk of harms, the researchers report. Evidence collected separately for the two reviews found that "side effects can be quite severe with the use of insomnia medications in contrast to CBT, where there are minimal side effects," said Riley. CBT for insomnia is typically delivered in four to six one-hour weekly sessions. People are taught behavioral techniques such as sleep restriction and stimulus control, and they are also taught sleep hygiene. When chronic insomnia isn't helped by CBT alone, the ACP advises patients and doctors to consider a short course of medication. That discussion should touch on the potential benefits, harms and costs of medication, the ACP says. Doctors should encourage patients with insomnia to engage in CBT, according two researchers whose editorial was published with the reviews and the guideline. But, they admit, CBT for insomnia might not be covered by insurance and is likely not available at doctors' offices, write Dr. Roger Kathol, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and J. Todd Arnedt, of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. "Unless access to and unencumbered payment for value-based behavioral interventions, such as CBT (for insomnia), in medical settings become a reality, patients with chronic insomnia will continue to receive suboptimal treatment and experience suboptimal outcomes," they write. Alternatives to in-person CBT for insomnia include group therapy session, telephone counseling, online lessons and self-help books, Riley said. The ACP recommendations are similar to that of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), said Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, who is medical director of NYU Langone Medical Center's Comprehensive Epilepsy CenterSleep Center in New York City. The AASM's 2008 practice guidelines for treating chronic insomnia endorse psychotherapy as a first-line treatment and suggests it be used when medications are prescribed. "The recommendations made by the ACP will appeal to a broader group of physicians to make them aware of this," said Rodriguez, who was not involved with the new recommendations. "Then the doctors know just giving patients who come to their office with sleep problems a prescription is not the best solution in the long term." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/Ms1ZbQ Annals of Internal Medicine, online May 2, 2016.
(Adds comments from government and Wal-Mart, context on French language laws, description of implications for retailers)

By Kevin Dougherty

MONTREAL, May 3 (Reuters) - Canada's predominantly French-language province of Quebec will require retail stores with English brand names such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc to display some French on their outdoor signage, the provincial government said on Tuesday.

Quebec's Liberal government plans to alter the province's language laws so retailers with English names will have to add a French description of what they are selling, but will not have to change their trademarks.

The changes are expected to be adopted in 2016, but there will be a three-year grace period for companies to comply, it said.

The move comes after the Quebec government lost court cases in 2014 and 2015 against a group of big-box retailers that declined to add French to their signage.

Quebec, the only North American jurisdiction with a French-speaking majority, has laws to ensure French is used in the workplace, learned by newcomers and remains predominant in the province's largest city, Montreal.

"We are in Quebec, not Maine or Massachusetts," Quebec's Language Minister Helene David told reporters in Montreal.

She said the changes would ensure "French is visible everywhere in Quebec."

Xavier Piusviex, president of Wal-Mart for Eastern Canada, said on Tuesday that the company would be adding the slogan "Economiser plus," or "Save More," in French to its Quebec stores.

David also said 21 businesses, including retailers, were consulted last fall on the changes, which would apply to an estimated 1,860 companies with trade names in English or another language.

However, government officials said there would be an exception for family names, which means the new rules would not apply to McDonald's Corp, Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons or the law firm Norton Rose. They did not explain why the laws would not apply to these particular businesses.

(Additional reporting by Allison Lampert; editing by Leslie Adler, G Crosse)
By Amy Tennery (Reuters) - British rockers Radiohead returned to the Internet on Tuesday with a new music video, after the band stumped fans by deleting all posts on their Twitter account over the weekend. The critically acclaimed band previewed the release of the new single "Burn the Witch" early Tuesday, posting short bursts of footage from the video on Instagram. Both "Burn the Witch" and "Radiohead" quickly became two of the top 10 trending terms on Twitter in the United States Tuesday after the video was unveiled. UK film director Edgar Wright (@edgarwright) tweeted on Tuesday, "Love the Trumpton / Camberwick Green style video for Radiohead's 'Burn The Witch'." It was unclear when Radiohead might release a new full-length album, though the group is scheduled to begin its next world concert tour later this month, according to a schedule that was linked to the band's website. Adding to the intrigue, the group appeared to have scrubbed its Twitter account of any posts that appeared previously to those published Monday that related to the new single. "'Sorry I can't come to work tomorrow. Radiohead just deleted all their tweets, so something Earth changing is about to happen,'" tweeted D.D. Walker (@desmondalan) on Sunday. "Radiohead just deleted all of their tweets + their website and profile pictures are completely blank," tweeted Peter Sharkey (@iPeterSharkey) on Sunday. "They sure do know how to build hype." Over the weekend, music review website Pitchfork reported that several Radiohead fans in the UK had received cryptic leaflets in the mail that read, in part, "BURN THE WITCH/WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE." Radiohead, an alternative rock group, is best known for hits like "Creep" and "Paranoid Android." (Reporting By Amy Tennery; additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York and Piya Sinha-Roy in Los Angeles; Editing by David Gregorio)
The Toronto Blue Jays haven't exactly been racking up runs lately. That's something Marco Estrada has dealt with all season.

Estrada will try to help the Blue Jays put the brakes on a four-game home losing streak Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers.

It's hard to believe Toronto (12-15) would ever struggle to score with its deep and power-laden lineup, but it's been limited to 16 runs and a .162 average while losing four of six. The Blue Jays have totaled seven runs - five in one game - during four straight losses at hitter-friendly Rogers Centre.

Michael Saunders' RBI single accounted for their offense in Monday's series-opening 2-1 loss to the Rangers in a rematch of last season's AL division series. Edwin Encarnacion went 0 for 2 with two walks and is hitless in his last 17 at-bats, while fellow slugger Jose Bautista is 2 for 20 with nine strikeouts in his last six games.

Toronto, which hasn't dropped five in a row at home since Sept. 1-13, 2013, is batting .195 with runners in scoring position during a 4-8 overall stretch.

''In these close games we're just not executing good enough to win,'' manager John Gibbons said.

Estrada (1-2, 2.92 ERA) has been a victim of poor support all season, receiving two runs in two home starts while his 2.19 run support average would be the third lowest in the AL if he had enough innings to qualify.

The right-hander has pitched well enough to earn more than one win, allowing three runs or fewer in three of his four starts. His control, however, has become an issue with eight walks over 11 2/3 innings in his last two.

Estrada held the Chicago White Sox to one hit over six innings Wednesday and ended up yielding three runs and two more hits before leaving with two outs in the seventh of a 4-0 loss.

He's 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA in three starts against the Rangers, giving up one run over 6 1/3 innings in a 5-1 victory in Game 3 of the ALDS.

Mitch Moreland has had success in this matchup, going 3 for 8 with a home run.

Story continues

Texas (15-11) opened a seven-game road trip with its fifth win in six tries behind a terrific performance from Nomar Mazara, the AL rookie of the month for April who turned 21 last week. He hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, and preserved the lead in the bottom half by throwing out Saunders at the plate to end the inning.

''Mazara just continues to impress all of us,'' manager Jeff Banister said.

Fellow rookie Brett Nicholas also homered for the Rangers, who ended a four-game skid away from home with eight total runs in that span.

Martin Perez (1-2, 4.20) comes off his fourth quality start in five outings, limiting the New York Yankees to two runs through six innings in a 3-2 victory Wednesday. The Rangers had lost each of the first four games started by the left-hander.

''He made pitches when he needed to,'' catcher Bryan Holaday said. ''He was able to use that sinker down and away. ... When we pitched off that, we were able to use his secondary stuff and get some swings and misses.''

Perez made his first start against the Blue Jays in Game 3 of the ALDS opposite Estrada, allowing four runs over five-plus innings to take the loss.

Josh Donaldson is 7 for 16 with a homer and four doubles against Perez, while Justin Smoak is 4 for 11 with a pair of doubles.
Duck! The Real Housewives of Dallas' Monday, May 2, episode brought an array of touching themes: family, friendship, loyalty and champagne glass-throwing tantrums. How lovely.



PHOTOS: Former Real Housewives Stars

LeeAnne Questions Tiffanys Loyalty



Early in the episode, Tiffany Hendra ambitiously tried to say something nice about Brandi Redmond to archrival LeeAnne Locken while at a charity event. Ive seen those glimpses of a sweet girl in Brandi, said the former model, to which LeeAnne immediately replied, Fake. A ticked-off LeeAnne then said in a confessional, Tiffanys so interested in making friends that shes forgotten where her loyalty is.

PHOTOS: Real Housewives' Plastic Surgery: See Their Before and After Pictures!

Stephanie Says She Doesnt Deserve Her Wealth



We then saw Stephanie Hollman take Brandi and a carful of both of their kids to visit Stephanies family in the humble town of Coweta (pronounced Kwee-duh), Oklahoma. Brandi got to see childhood photos of her small-town best friend, and we even learned about the brilliant idea of a combination liquor store and tanning salon  one of Stephanies favorite haunts as a teen! Hold on while we look up driving directions to Coweta!

Stephanie, always charmingly self-aware about her privilege, told the camera, I think my parents know that I dont deserve half the things I have in life  I havent worked for them.

PHOTOS: Real Housewives' Biggest Fights Ever

Tiffany Defends LeeAnne: "A Front That She Puts On



After Cary Deuber took Tiffany to a yoga class and showed off some seriously contortionist-level flexibility, the duo grabbed juice  and boy, was it juicy! Tiffany started the conversation by defending her long time friend LeeAnnes recent behavior, and revealed that she used to hate her. I thought she was so obnoxious and all about me.' Thats a front that she puts up to protect herself because she has been hurt so much.

Cary then snarked, She may have raised a lot of money, but shes not one of the Dallas socialites. Shes not one of the old-money Dallas people.

Story continues

LeeAnne Calls Brandi a Rattlesnake  We Think?

As LeeAnne was getting ready to attend a cocktail party hosted by her friend Marie Reyes, she naively told live-in boyfriend Rich Emberlin, Im excited  Its just us hanging out, chilling, having a good time. Oh, what a difference a few hours makes! As soon as Brandi walked into the party, Tiffany cornered her and made sure the former cheerleader knew she didnt want to be involved in Brandi's fight with LeeAnne.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Feuds: The Biggest Ever!

I wanna get to know you on my own terms, Tiffany said to Brandi. And LeeAnne told the camera, I think its cute that Tiffany wants to play with rattlesnakes. I just hope that this ones rattle works before it bites her. Wait, is LeeAnne the rattlesnake, or is Brandi?



Taylor Doesn't Provide Relief

Then viewers were introduced to a random young man named Taylor who stepped in at the exact perfect, pot-stirring moment. The friend of cocktail party host Marie revealed an ironic twist in the poop-hat feud narrative when he said, Marie had told me something about LeeAnne pooping her pants cause she was so wasted! No wonder LeeAnne was so offended by the piece of fake poop  it was a ghastly reminder of her apparent past!

LeeAnne Dumps Champagne on the Ground After Slamming Brandi for Her Poor Behavior

Finally it was time for Brandi and LeeAnne to talk it out like the mature adults that they are. Or not. Brandi started the confrontation by mocking LeeAnnes previous comment that she was Brandis elder and should be respected as such. When LeeAnne insisted, I dont have a malicious bone in my body, Brandi clapped back with, You are so full of s--t!

LeeAnne got so angry that she then dumped the champagne out of her glass and onto the floor, and then chucked the glass out of frame, where it presumably shattered. (Or was that just clever sound editing? Well never know!)

Stephanie called out LeeAnne for her destructive outburst, saying, Thats so classy, by the way. LeeAnne responded, It is classy. By the way, you know whats classy, is that you stand up for a little piece of s--t trash who cant keep her mouth shut. It is classy. It is.

LeeAnne Threatens to Flush Stephanies Charity World Down the Toilet

LeeAnne continued with what is perhaps the gravest threat in the history of mankind, saying to Stephanie, You know what? Your charity world is gonna go down the toilet. Whoa. We didnt even know that charity worlds COULD go down toilets.

LeeAnne then stormed out of the bar, leaving a teary-eyed Stephanie and Brandi in shock. Stephanie said, I cannot hang out with her anymore.

Tell Us: Did LeeAnne overreact by throwing her champagne glass? Also, do you agree with Us that Taylor should be in the running for a spinoff?

The Real Housewives of Dallas airs on Bravo Mondays at 10 p.m. ET.




Digital lifestyle media company Refinery29 is moving further into the world of virtual reality with the launch of VR29 Studios, a VR and 360 studio within the Refinery29 video department. It was announced as part of the companys annual Newfront presentation to advertisers today in New York.

The company says the virtual-reality and 360-focused programming and production studio will focus on the technical and narrative craft of multidimensional production, while creating opportunities for female creators in the growing field. Refinery29 says it has been testing and developing formats for the past year, and will launch one VR/360 asset every week for the rest of the year.

Refinery29 also announced its 2016 programming slate, which includes projects from Kristen Stewart, America Ferrera and Gabourey Sidibe. In addition, the company announced a partnership with the Columbia Digital Storytelling Lab to further explore the concept of claiming power. They have formed The Empathy Lab, a program that will consist of think, do, learn sessions with young people in order to establish a toolkit to activate tangible change.

Related stories

Digital Anthology Series For Emerging Female Filmmakers Backed By Sundance Institute

Lauren Zalaznick To Produce Feminism Video Docu-Series 'A Woman's Place'

Refinery29 Distills $50 Million From Scripps Interactive, WPP In Series D Round
From Road & Track

Pop the bubbly and bust out the noisemakers-the Porsche Panamera Wagon is officially coming to America!

We won't get it for a few years-most likely not until 2018-but that's fine. Have you seen the Sport Turismo concept pictured above? A car that looks like that is absolutely worth waiting for.

We've known for a while that Porsche would be building a wagon version of the second-generation Panamera, but it sounded like it would only be sold in Europe. Thankfully, Porsche decided not to do us like that and changed its mind.

"We have to have some patience for [the wagon] to arrive in the U.S.," Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America told Automotive News. "But we are confident that this car will be well received here, despite the fact that this country doesn't really like hatchbacks or wagons."

We'll get to see the next-generation Panamera at the Paris Motor Show in September, and then the sedan will go on sale here sometime in 2017. The wagon will probably be a year or so after that.

If you're as excited about this news as we are, then it'll be frustrating to see Europe get the Panamera wagon next year, but at least you'll have time to save up for your down payment.
From Esquire

Being our semi-regular weekly survey of the state of Our National Dialogue which, as you know, is what The Beatles would have come up with had they recorded "Derp Prudence."

We already have dealt with my man Chuck Todd's near-truth experience with Tailgunner Ted Cruz when the latter paid a visit to broadcasting's Overlook Hotel, where my man Chuck Todd always has been the caretaker. But that wasn't the only stop that the Tailgunner made on The Sunday Showz. He also dropped by Face The Nation where, sitting in the chair once graced by former Turkic Khaganate homeland security correspondent Bob Schieffer, John Dickerson asked him about his existential dread of violence at the Republican convention in Cleveland.

DICKERSON: But if, in Cleveland, your scenario were to go forward, the person who has millions more votes-that won't change. He will go to the convention, Donald Trump will, with millions more human being votes, real people, regular folks supporting him. And you are hoping to overthrow that with more delegates. In a situation where delegates over people, won't that lead to riots?

CRUZ: No, it won't, although Donald may do everything he can to encourage riots. You know, overthrow is such a loaded spin word as to bring nothing but chuckles. I can tell you, the last contested convention we had, 1976, Ronald Reagan had a million more votes than Gerald Ford. But Gerald Ford got the votes of the majority of the delegates. If you look back to the very first Republican Convention, in 1860, our very first candidate for president, Abraham Lincoln, came in to a contested convention, he was second in the balloting. And on the third ballot, he won a majority.

(It is here where we ask who, in this scenario, is Lincoln. But we do not ask it out loud because we know the answer will be both terrifying and ridiculous. Apparently, Dickerson felt the same way.)

The Tailgunner was followed by onetime presidential also-ran Huckleberry J. Butchmeup, who wasted no time in explaining that, if the Republican convention goes the wrong way, not only will his party lose the election, but also we're all likely to die.

Story continues

GRAHAM: Well, no. But there's a civil war going on in the Republican Party, obviously. John and I are very close friends, but he's embracing Donald Trump, and I am not. Why? Because I believe Donald Trump's foreign policy is isolationism. It will lead to another 9/11. Trump doesn't understand the Obama-Clinton mistakes. They didn't intervene in Iraq. They withdrew from Iraq. Obama didn't intervene in Syria. He failed that against sound military advice when it would have mattered in Syria. The people of Libya rose up against Gadhafi. Our failure was not to follow through. And Trump never mentioned Afghanistan. So his foreign policy to me is just isolationism. We're either going to fight radical Islam over there in their backyard or in our backyard. But Trump is the most unelectable candidate we could put up against Hillary Clinton. Women and Hispanics hate his guts, for good reason.

If you're keeping score at home, President Graham would have involved the United States military in not one, not two, but three civil wars in a part of the world where distrust of the United States is about the only factor uniting all sides everywhere. And, OK, He, Trump is the dangerous amateur.

But it was when Dickerson brought on the panel that his show captured this week's House Cup. This was because you could see The Great Accommodation forming itself to enfold Our Lady Of The Magic Dolphins in its warm embrace. Even the cartoon canaries are screaming in tune.

NOONAN: I think the wind is obviously at his back when you win the five primaries so decisively in the past week in the northeast corridor primary, New York a big win before that. As somebody noted earlier in the program, my goodness, demographically, Trump did fine. He carried Greenwich, Connecticut. Holy mackerel, something big is happening in the party. I do think undergirding, the race is so big in many ways, but an essential thing is that Donald Trump, the rising Republican, the, in my view, likely nominee, is someone who stands for things so at odds with the long time policies now the past 15, 20 years of the Republican power people in Washington, the establishment, et cetera. On key issues like entitlement cutting, immigration, trade policies, his vague sense, I think everybody's vague sense that somehow these 10,000 page bills, which nobody reads, aren't necessarily working in Americans' favor. Also key, his non-assertive perhaps stance with the world. All of this is at odds with the standing of those who have been running the Republican Party for a long time. It's going to be very hard for them to mesh. I don't how that works.

Holy mackerel, something's happening! There's this thing, and it's happening. It's a happening thing that's happening, holy mackerel! It's a happening mackerel thing, holy happening! I have been repeating this, more or less, for almost 24 hours now. When I close my eyes, I see commas dancing in formation. Also key, I am conditionally tense about the conditional tense. Holy mackerel! The Republican party's internal monologue has degenerated to babbling nonsense. It is a wonder to behold.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.
A hazard zone has been set up around a huge sinkhole that suddenly opened up underneath homes in Plumstead, forcing residents to evacuate.

Around 48 people who live in the newly built Brickfield Cottages have cleared out of the premises while the area was cordoned off to the public.

There has so far been no explanation for the emergence of the hole, which is thought to be at least 60ft deep.

A spokeswoman for development company Hexagon said: We are trying to get information from the utilities about when we can restore services to the homes.

Sudden: The sinkhole forced residents to be evacuated from their homes (London Fire Brigade)

Residents are currently staying with family or friends or have been put up in hotels.

We are trying to contact all our residents today to provide support.

A Greenwich Council spokesman said they were working with structural engineers to see what caused the incident.

He added: Structural engineers are working to secure the site as a matter of urgency and residents will be allowed to return as soon as it is safe to do so.

The hole is believed to be sitting on top of an old chalk mine.

Top pic: London Fire Brigade
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Stunning views of iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, a sun-drenched patio nestled in the hills of Atlantic rainforest and rooms costing a fraction of nearby hotels. The Favelinha hostel, like others in several of Rio's more than 1,000 shanty towns, offers more than just cheap housing for the more adventurous among the estimated 500,000 foreign tourists expected to arrive for the Olympics in August. The establishments also open the rich culture of the city's slums for travelers, giving them a glimpse into one-time "no-go" areas where about one-fifth of Rio's population lives. French tourist Sabrina Noblanc took selfies with a friend on the deck of the Favelinha hostel in the Pereira da Silva slum, or "favela," located in central Rio on a steep hill, where the city's traffic din fades away to the squawks of jungle birds and squeals of kite-flying kids. Noblanc arrived in Rio with the notion that all the city's shanty towns were centers of heavily armed gangs and drug trade violence. "Now that I'm here, I am impressed," she said. "It's better than my imagination. For me, it was to be so dangerous, with the guns and everything. Actually, that's not the case." Without question, the majority of Rio's slums suffer from intense violence. What critics call heavy-handed policing, coupled with drug factions fighting among themselves for territory, leads to daily shootings and deaths. Brazil, according to United Nations' statistics, has more gun deaths than any other country. Rio's state government implemented a program in 2008 to "pacify" slums by pushing the gangs out of areas mostly located near richer neighborhoods or Olympic venues. But the effort has had mixed results and is losing steam because the security budget was slashed this year amid Brazil's economic crisis. Solange dos Santos manages the Favelinha hostel, where the daily rate for a double bed room is about $30, compared with $250 at nearby three-star hotels. "It is difficult to establish a hostel inside a favela, with everything that we know goes on in favelas," she said. "But that is changing because people are coming and interacting with the people, and saying, 'Wow, this isn't anything like what we've heard about!' There is peace and tranquility here." (Reporting by Thales Carneiro; Writing by Bradley Brooks; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Dan Grebler)
Madrid (AFP) - Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane claimed three-time World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo is 100 percent fit for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg showdown with Manchester City.

Ronaldo missed last week's 0-0 draw in the first leg due to a thigh injury, but took a full part in training on Monday and Tuesday.

However, Zidane confirmed that Madrid will be missing two other key players in striker Karim Benzema and defensive midfielder Casemiro through injury.

"Cristiano is fine, he is 100 percent, that is why he trained this week and will be there tomorrow," Zidane said on Tuesday.

"Karim and Casemiro are another thing. In the scan today Karim still has a problem and we don't want to risk him.

"The same with Casemiro. He doesn't have a serious injury but it is a dilemma and we also don't want to risk him.

"We have a sufficient squad so that the rest can play."

Zidane also claimed Ronaldo was 100 percent on the eve of the first leg before the Portuguese was finally forced to miss out after feeling the recurrence of the muscle injury he picked up against Villarreal two weeks ago.

However, having also sat out Real's Gareth Bale-inspired 1-0 win at Real Sociedad on Saturday, Zidane is confident Ronaldo will be ready for another famous European night at the Santiago Bernabeu after scoring a hat-trick to overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit against Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals.

Indeed, Ronaldo could break his own record for goals in a Champions League campaign from two years ago of 17 having hit 16 in just 10 appearances this season.

"It has been over a week and little-by-little he has been recovering. He is a player like that, he recovers quickly," added Zidane.

"We need Cristiano at 100 percent because he is a different player, as his numbers show.

"I would have liked Karim to be fit too, but it is not to be and others will play."

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In the absence of Benzema, Ronaldo is expected to play in a central striking role flanked by the in-form Bale and Lucas Vazquez.

However, City coach Manuel Pellegrini -- who managed Ronaldo in his one year in charge at the Bernabeu in 2009/10 season -- insisted his side can't be too obsessed by stopping Ronaldo as they look to make history by reaching a first ever Champions League final.

"Cristiano scores a lot of goals, you see the amount of goals he scored in six years here," said Pellegrini.

"But Real Madrid is not just Cristiano, if he doesn't play they have other options.

"The most important thing is to work as a team defending and attacking against Real Madrid not just Cristiano."

And the Chilean refuted suggestions City will be extra motivated by the dismissive attitude towards City's chances of reaching the final in the Spanish press in recent days.

"I think we have the motivation, we must not be thinking about that," he added.

"Our aim must be to try and reach the final we never reached before and to play against a great time like Real Madrid in a beautiful stadium."

Pellegrini confirmed that City will be without Spanish international David Silva and Pablo Zabaleta through injury.

However, Yaya Toure is fit to return after a thigh injury.

Zidane has inspired a huge turnaround in Madrid's fortunes since taking charge in January, winning 18 of his 23 games in charge to lead Madrid to a sixth consecutive semi-final and to within a point of La Liga leaders Barcelona with two games to play.

However, he admitted that it would now be considered a failure for Real not to reach their 14th European Cup final.

"Until now we haven't won anything. We are in good form, but our idea is to try to be at our best tomorrow to get through the tie.

"It is very difficult, but it is a clear failure if we don't get through."
TBS' Search Party is filling out its cast.

The comedy from Wet Hot American Summer's Michael Showalter has added Rosie Perez, Ron Livingston, Christine Taylor and Parker Posey as recurring guest stars. In addition, Broad City's Brandon Micheal Hall has boarded the dark comedy as a series regular.

Set to premiere in late 2016, Search Party is a dark comedy starring the Arrested Development alum about four self-absorbed 20-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance named Chantal suddenly disappears. The ensemble of young comic actors also includes John Early, John Reynolds and Meredith Hagner.

Read More: Alia Shawkat-Mike Showalter Comedy 'Search Party' Lands TBS Series Order

Hall will play Julian, Dory's (Shawkat) journalist ex-boyfriend who seeks the truth no matter who gets hurt. Perez plays Lorraine, a realtor whose life may be in peril for knowing too much about the missing girl. Livingston is set to play Keith, a private detective who takes Dory under his wing in the hunt for the missing Chantal. Posey will portray Brick, the head of an artisanal boutique that turns out to be much more sinister than expected. And Taylor is set to play Gail, Dory's bored and wealthy employer who revels in getting the scoop on her hunt for Chantal.

From TBS Originals in association with Jax Media, the series is executive produced by Showalter, along with Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers. Tony Hernandez (Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer) and Lilly Burns (Broad City, Difficult People) also serve as executive producers.
By David Ingram NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Russian man who spent about three years behind bars in the United States for creating the computer malware known as Gozi was ordered on Monday to pay $6.9 million to cover losses to bank customers but spared further U.S. prison time. Nikita Kuzmin, 28, could have received more prison time but was sentenced to time served at a hearing in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said in a statement. He was jailed in August 2011 and held for 37 months before authorities released him, for reasons that remain unclear. A probation office had recommended a sentence of 84 months, although it said it was not taking into account any assistance Kuzmin provided to investigators, prosecutors said. An explanation of how much assistance he has provided remains under a court seal, along with many other papers in the case. Kuzmin's attorney, Alan Futerfas, confirmed the sentence and said Kuzmin was glad to put the episode behind him and move on to the next stage of his life. He declined to say what Kuzmin's plans were. Prosecutors described Kuzmin as an innovator in online crime, saying he not only created Gozi but rented it out to criminals who used it to steal tens of millions of dollars from bank accounts. The malware was disguised as a .pdf file, and security experts identified it around 2007, prosecutors said. Kuzmin was arrested in 2010 after he traveled to a conference in the United States. He pleaded guilty in May 2011 in a cooperation agreement with U.S. prosecutors. In January, a Latvian man who admitted to having written some of the computer code was also sentenced to time served. He served 21 months in prison. (Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Ken Abosch spends his days digging into financial accounts and numbers that most companies dont want their employees knowing about  namely, how much you get paid compared with your colleagues. But hes actually part of a team of data-loving whizzes at the consulting firm Aon Hewitt who get multiple calls a week asking for help to fix issues with pay gaps. Its like the doctor who sees patients who are mostly ill, says Abosch, Aons North American compensation practice leader, because the majority of clients we assist do have some issues that need to be addressed.

Call em the salary whisperers of America. While thats not their official job title, for Abosch and thousands of other internal auditors across the country, it may as well be. Their so-called pay audits have gained in popularity in the past couple of years as more companies  especially those in the tech sector  take financial information that used to be kept secret and make some of it public. Were talking about revealing pay gaps for women, minority employees and the average worker whose pay slips pale in comparison to their executive bosses. And this trend for exposing salaries has ushered in a new era of transparency, pushing some companies toward a pledge of equal pay.

In Boston, roughly 100 companies under whats known as the Womens Compact have vowed to make equal pay a necessity, with auditors having been brought in to check the salaries of workers at places such as real estate firm JLL, Care.com, Staples and the company behind Dunkin Donuts. Although President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, requiring companies to pay people who are doing the same work with the same salary, salary transparency is still a relatively budding development in corporate America. Searches of the phrase salary transparency have steadily risen over the past decade, according to a Google Trends report, while research from the Center for Creative Leadership shows that 60 percent of millennials and 53 percent of older staff now use crowdsourced salary information from sites such as GlassDoor.com.

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Tune in Tuesday at 11/10C for PBS new late-night series Point Taken to see OZY co-founder Carlos Watson moderate a spirited debate on whether or not salaries should be transparent.

But while Google may provide big data on the topic, the company doesnt seem keen about the idea of making salaries public  not yet, anyway. It, along with eight other companies, was the subject of a targeted proposal by the activist investment firm Arjuna Capital this year to publicly disclose whether there were gender pay gaps. Natasha Lamb, who as director of shareholder engagement at Arjuna spearheaded the movement on behalf of shareholders who own shares in all nine tech companies, pushed five of them  Intel, Apple, Amazon, Expedia and Microsoft  to get an internal pay audit that revealed they either had no pay gap or made a commitment to close it.

Other companies reacted more defensively, says Lamb. Google, which referred OZY to this SEC filing about the matter, is due to vote on the proposal in June but has been advised by the board of directors of its owner, Alphabet, to vote against it. Previously, eBay fought the proposal and voted on it last week, where it failed to pass. The companys CEO, Devin Wenig, has since announced that an internal pay review will be completed by October. If we find that we have an issue, we will fix it, he wrote. For Lamb, however, its still not enough. Oftentimes, she argues, an internal audit only includes high-level numbers without a breakdown of bonuses or equity stakes, meaning truly equal pay may not have been achieved. Weve been pressing for more detail, she says. (A spokeswoman for eBay says their internal analysis is global in nature and considers salary, bonus and equity.)

Once the dust settles, how well does a system like this work for rewarding hardworking staff, without creating resentment?

While some businesses have publicly made it clear that they want to narrow the gender or race pay gap, others, including Buffer, have gone a step further. The tech company that created an app to manage social networks blew the lid off this debate when it published its entire pay list a few years ago, which supermarket chain Whole Foods and a New York City-based analytics firm called SumAll have also done. Salaries at Buffer run from $35,000 (for a customer support member based out of Cambodia) to $218,000 for its CEO.

Yet once the dust settles over such a disclosure, how well does a system like this work for rewarding hardworking staff, without creating resentment? In the short term, Its definitely harder to make sure that as people make progress, you keep on rewarding them and upping their compensation, says Leo Widrich, Buffer co-founder and chief operating officer (who earns $185,000 a year). But being transparent also means less bias and relying on plain old gut intuition, he adds.

For Joelle Emerson, the head of Paradigm, which has helped companies including Slack, Airbnb and Pinterest tackle diversity, the pay gap is just one area to watch going forward. Traditional analyses, Emerson says, dont always consider barriers that prevent some people from getting a job in the first place, including how employees are evaluated and how people advance in an organization. Still, theres opportunity here. Pamela Coukos, for one, just quit her job at the Department of Labor after five years of conducting pay gap audits to go independent. Theres still a lot of pay secrecy in a lot of companies, she says. This is a really good time to be doing this kind of work.

Related Articles
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's stock market regulator said Tuesday it would ease rules for foreign investment on the bourse, as part of efforts to open its capital market under an economic diversification plan.

Overseas institutions with at least $3.75 billion riyals ($1 billion) under management will now be able to invest on the Tadawul All-Shares Index (TASI), the largest Arab bourse, a notice on the exchange website said.

Under initial rules that applied last June when the TASI first opened to Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs), at least 18.75 billion riyals in assets were required.

The regulator has also doubled the amount of a stock which QFIs may own, to a maximum of 10 percent of a listed company.

Government funds and university endowments will now be able to invest, adding to foreign banks, brokerage houses, fund managers and insurance companies that were permitted at the initial opening.

The effective date of the changes will be published in the first half of next year, the bourse statement said.

Saudi Arabia had long talked of diversifying its economy, which remained relatively closed to outsiders.

But the collapse in global crude prices by more than half since mid-2014 jolted the world's biggest oil exporter into accelerating those efforts.

At the root of the Vision 2030 diversification plan, unveiled last week by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is the sale of less than five percent of state oil giant Saudi Aramco in what officials say will be the world's largest-ever Initial Public Offering.

Proceeds from the sale will help create the biggest government investment fund in the world, with a value of $2 trillion, whose profits can provide an alternative to oil revenues.

The regulator aims "to make the financial market environment more stable and support the national economy and stimulate investment," the bourse statement said.

On Tuesday the TASI closed 1.2 percent lower.

With Aramco's total valuation at between $2 trillion and $2.5 trillion, according to Prince Mohammed, five percent would be worth about $100 billion, or about a quarter of the TASI's current market capitalisation of close to $400 billion.

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"We'll take into account all of the impact on our indices," Tadawul Chief Executive Officer Khalid Al-Hussan told the Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference in Riyadh.

He said Aramco's main holding company would be the first to be listed, followed by subsidiaries.

The bourse, which replaced its trading platform last year, is preparing for numerous other share listings, Hussan said.

"We're ready for it," he told the forum.

Among the firms to go public will be the Tadawul itself. Hussan told Bloomberg News that the exchange has carried out an "IPO-readiness exercise".

The Tadawul has also announced plans for a secondary market targeting small- and medium-sized enterprises, a sector whose economic contribution is to increase under the Vision 2030 plan.
By Marwa Rashad and Katie Paul

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's government plans a new set of labor quotas and incentives to reduce unemployment as it tries to wean its economy off oil exports, Labour Minister Mufrej al-Haqbani said on Tuesday.

The changes are part of a wider reform plan announced last week by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and reflect the difficulties the kingdom has faced for years in creating jobs for Saudi nationals.

"There is no doubt that unemployment is a looming specter and we will take all measures, whether job creation, job substitution or even, if required, increasing the Saudisation target," Haqbani told Reuters in an interview.

He was referring to the possibility of restricting certain jobs to Saudis and pressing companies to employ higher ratios of Saudis to foreign workers.

Cutting the jobless rate to 7 percent by 2030, and raising women's participation in the labor force to 30 percent from 22 percent, are among a raft of targets in Prince Mohammed's reform plan.

Under a government program called Nitaquat ("Categories"), launched in 2011, companies are already encouraged to hire Saudis rather than cheaper foreign workers. Firms employing high ratios of Saudis receive preferential treatment from the labor ministry in processing work permits.

The scheme has had only limited success, however. The official unemployment rate among Saudis is 11.6 percent and net employment of Saudis rose by only 49,000 in 2015, its slowest increase since records began in 1999, as the government cut spending because of low oil prices.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Haqbani said the government was ready to intervene on both the supply and the demand sides of the labor market. "We expect we will need from 1.1 million to 1.3 million jobs to reduce the unemployment rate to 7 percent."

He said the government planned a new form of Nitaqat that would not focus merely on the numbers of Saudis hired but also on factors such as womens employment, the average pay of Saudis, the ratio of the wages of Saudis to non-Saudis, and the sustainability of jobs occupied by local citizens.

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"The new Nitaqat is not quantitative, based on the number of Saudis, but it will include other variables... We will announce it in two to three weeks, and it will be into effect within five months, Haqbani said.

About 10 million foreigners are working in Saudi Arabia, doing many of the strenuous, dangerous and lower-paid jobs shunned by the 20 million local citizens. About two-thirds of Saudi workers are employed by the public sector.

But in recent months, the officials behind the economic reform drive have made it clear that they want the focus of job creation for Saudis to be in the private sector, as the government restrains its spending in an era of cheap oil.

"There are no exceptions from the Nitaqat for any sector, but the quotas are lower for some sectors according to their conditions," Haqbani said of the planned system.

"Retailing, for example, will be required to hire a bigger number of Saudis, while the construction sector doesnt have this capability."

The new form of Nitaqat could mean fresh pressure on the finances of private sector companies, which have complained of the cost of meeting the quotas. Some say privately they have found it impossible to find enough qualified Saudis, so they have simply recorded "ghost workers" on their books while continuing to employ large numbers of foreigners.

(Writing by Andrew Torchia; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
* Gulf stock markets: http://link.reuters.com/cun29t

* Higher foreign ownership cap of 10 pct for single investors

* Some other restrictions scrapped, requirements eased

* Signals push for foreign money under economic reform plan

* Could facilitate listing of Saudi Aramco

* But little joy in stock market, impact to be slow

By Andrew Torchia

DUBAI, May 3 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia announced a string of reforms to its stock market that could attract billions of dollars of fresh foreign money and smooth sales of state assets as the kingdom grapples with damage to its finances caused by low oil prices.

When Riyadh opened its bourse to direct foreign investment last June, it took a cautious approach, imposing tight ownership limits and minimum qualifications for overseas institutions to reduce the risk of them destabilising the market.

Reforms announced on Tuesday suggested authorities are now courting foreign money more aggressively. Last week, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman outlined sweeping plans to cut the kingdom's dependence on oil exports.

Among his plans are a privatisation programme that will include offering a stake of under 5 percent in national oil giant Saudi Aramco. The Saudi stock market could have trouble absorbing the shares without an infusion of foreign money.

"This is a very good piece of news and supportive of the stock market in the medium- to long term," Sebastien Henin, head of asset management at Abu Dhabi's The National Investor, said of Tuesday's announcement.

"It may clear the road for the possible listing of Aramco shares...All in all, this will align the bourse with international markets and encourage foreign investors to allocate funds to Saudi shares."

Each foreign institutional investor will be allowed to own directly a stake of just under 10 percent of a single listed company, up from a previous ceiling of 5 percent, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced.

Other restrictions were scrapped, including a ceiling of 10 percent on combined ownership by foreign institutions of the market's entire capitalisation. All foreign investors combined will still be limited to owning 49 percent of any single firm.

Story continues

To qualify as a foreign institutional investor in Saudi Arabia, each asset manager will only need to have a minimum of $1 billion of assets under management globally, instead of $5 billion. The CMA said it would now accept investments by new types of foreign institution including sovereign wealth funds and university endowments.

The regulator also said it had approved the introduction of securities lending and covered short-selling to the stock market, which would give investors more options to hedge their purchases against market downturns.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Stock Exchange will introduce during the first half of 2017 the settlement of trades within two working days of execution, the bourse said.

At present, trades must be settled on the same day. This has inconvenienced foreign investors in particular as they must have large amounts of money on hand before trading, which can be hard given Riyadh's time zone and its Sunday-Thursday business week. Many big emerging markets have settlement after two days.

MSCI ENTRY

Saudi Arabia wants to join international index compiler MSCI's emerging markets index as soon as in 2017, because many global funds base their investments on that index. Officials have conceded same-day settlement is an obstacle to inclusion.

MSCI is expected to say in June whether it will review Saudi Arabia for possible inclusion in the index, and the reforms announced on Tuesday could help to sway its decision.

Nevertheless, the Saudi stock market did not react positively to the announcement; its index was 1.4 percent lower in late trade.

One reason is that the reforms will take considerable time to materialise. The CMA said its new foreign ownership rules, and a date for them to take effect, would be revealed only by the end of the first half of 2017.

A deeper reason is that despite last June's opening to foreign institutions, overseas funds have so far not been very keen to put their money into Saudi Arabia; total direct and indirect foreign investment accounts for less than 1 percent of the $408 billion stock market, bourse data shows.

Low oil prices, as well as the inefficiencies of Saudi firms and the greater dynamism of other emerging economies, have diverted money from the kingdom. It may take years before it becomes clear if the economic reform drive will change this.

At the end of 2015, only nine foreign institutions had obtained licences to invest directly in the Saudi market. The Middle East head of a big international fund manager, declining to be named because of commercial sensitivities, said this number would not necessarily rise sharply when restrictions were eased.

"You can ease regulations as much as you want, but the value proposition of Saudi Arabia needs to be strong enough to make it worthwhile for institutional investors to come in," he said.

(Additional reporting by Celine Aswad and Tom Arnold in Dubai and David French in Riyadh; editing by Anna Willard)
RIYADH, May 3 (Reuters) - Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is targeting North America for the shale gas needed to fuel growth at one of the world's largest petrochemicals groups, its chief financial officer said on Tuesday.

The company has said previously that a shortage of natural gas was stifling its domestic growth and forcing it to look at foreign investment opportunities.

The U.S. shale gas industry has increased output in recent years and SABIC signed its first deal for U.S. shale gas last year for use at its Teesside petrochemical plant in Britain.

"In terms of industry growth, we see growth chasing where feedstock is competitive, and the U.S. is top of the list," Mosaed al-Ohali told Reuters.

Saudi petrochemicals businesses have benefited in the past from feedstock subsidies that are being phased out as the government looks to bridge a substantial budget deficit after oil's two-year downturn.

The Saudi government raised gas prices for petrochemicals feedstock from $0.75 per million British thermal units (BTUs) to $1.75 for ethane and $1.25 for methane, which some industry watchers say is not far from U.S. natural gas prices.

U.S. natural gas prices for April at the Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana fell to their lowest level for the month since 1995, averaging $1.90 per million BTUs.

SABIC is also focusing on oil-to-chemicals operations, with Ohali saying that the company views its planned $30 billion Yanbu project as a "fertile opportunity".

He added that SABIC is also looking at technologies such as coal-to-chemicals in China but gave no further detail.

SABIC will stick to its main chemicals products, Ohali said, but it will support small and medium enterprises (SME) to move further downstream through Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company (SAIIC), its joint venture with Saudi Aramco and the Public Investment Fund.

(Reporting by Reem Shamseddine and David French; Editing by David Goodman)
In todays world, the schoolteachers who are appreciated by society arewe hopethose who inspire children to learn and whose classrooms will long be remembered by their students as the places where education came alive. In 1953, those things were important too. But, judging by this LIFE story from that February, skill wasnt all.

Nell Owen taught speech class to first- through sixth-graders in Dallas, and she wasaccording to a contest to which her students submitted her picturethe prettiest teacher in the U.S. The contest, as LIFE explained, was sponsored by the hit CBS radio (and later television) program Our Miss Brooks, which starred Eve Arden as a high-school teacher. The prize was a trip to meet Arden in Hollywood. Though the show was a comedy, its subject matter wasnt all frivolous: the first episode starts with Miss Brooks enthusiasm for her work and another episode depicted Miss Brooks confronting the lack of resources for heating fuel at her school.

That juxtaposition of lightheartedness and serious education matters would also prove appropriate for a contest won by Owen. While the ranking of elementary-school teachers by their looks seems quite retrograde these days, her career was about more than her face. The principal of her school told LIFE that he had worried she would be another discipline case whom those kiddos will takeby storm. After a year of teaching, at only 21 years old, Owen had been dubbed durable as she is fetching.

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.
By Joseph Ax NEW YORK (Reuters) - Researchers who helped detect gravitational waves for the first time, confirming part of Albert Einstein's theory in a landmark moment in scientific history, will share a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize, according to the prize's selection committee. The Breakthrough Prizes for scientific achievements were created by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner along with several technology pioneers, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin. In February, a team from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced a pair of giant laser detectors had measured the tiny ripples in space and time first theorized by Einstein a century ago, capping a decades-long quest. Einstein predicted gravitational waves as part of his seminal theory of general relativity, which explained gravity as distortions in both space and time caused by bodies of matter. LIGO's three founders - Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and Ronald Drever, who dedicated much of their careers to gravitational wave detection - will share $1 million. More than 1,000 contributors to the project will also split $2 million equally. "That's much more modern and much more the way that physics gets done," said Weiss, a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of the decision to honor the entire team. "You can't credit just the three of us for this." Researchers said the gravitational waves came from the collision of two black holes, the extraordinarily dense objects that Einstein's theory also predicted. The black holes, both many times the mass of the sun, were located 1.3 billion light years from Earth. The waves should unlock new ways to understand the cosmos, including black holes, neutron stars and the mysteries of the early universe. "For us to spend basically a half-century since the three of us started working in this field, to have it actually be pulled off successfully in the manner we dreamed  it was really remarkable and wonderful," said Thorne, who is retired from the California Institute of Technology. "I'm forever grateful to the team that got it done." The winners will be honored at a December ceremony, when the regular annual awards for physics, life sciences and mathematics will also be announced. The Special Breakthrough Prize can be conferred at any time to mark "an extraordinary scientific achievement." Edward Witten, a prominent physicist who heads the physics prize selection committee, said the discovery's magnitude warranted immediate recognition. "There are a lot of basic things about Einstein's theory of relativity that seemed like science fiction when I was a student," Witten said. "This is the first time we've seen the full force of Einstein's theory of gravity at work." (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Washington (AFP) - The killing of a Navy SEAL by Islamic State fighters highlights the increasing risks US troops face in Iraq and Syria as they inch ever closer toward the jihadists' frontlines.

IS fighters on Tuesday used suicide bombers and firepower to blast their way past Kurdish peshmerga forces that US troops were supporting north of Mosul in northern Iraq.

The fallen SEAL had been visiting a peshmerga encampment near Tal Asquf about three miles (five kilometers) from the front. Officials simply said he was killed by "direct fire."

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey identified the SEAL as Charlie Keating IV, who attended high school in Phoenix.

It is only the third time a US serviceman has been killed in combat since the United States launched an international coalition to fight the IS group in August 2014. Another 14 have been wounded.

Since the start of the campaign, the US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State group, and the Pentagon has deployed around 5,000 troops in Iraq.

The effort is primarily being conducted by plane and drone strikes, but America's intensifying role for troops on the ground means additional US casualties are likely.

"Although the US has pursued a light-footprint policy to try to minimize the number of combat troops it has on the ground, at the end of the day these soldiers are serving in a conflict zone and there will be casualties," Nick Heras of the Center for a New American Security told AFP.

Last month, the Pentagon said US military advisors will start working with Iraqi forces at the battalion level, meaning greater numbers will be physically closer to the fight in Iraq than before.

And the United States has increased sixfold -- from 50 to 300 -- the number of special operations forces and support personnel working in northern Syria, where they are training Kurdish and Syrian Arab fighters to tackle the IS group and call in air strikes.

Story continues

"It's certainly inevitable that the more US forces become involved in supporting ground operations, the more risk they are going to have to take," said Jacob Shapiro, an associate professor at Princeton University.

Officially, more than 4,000 US forces are in Iraq, but when temporary assignments are factored in, the number stretches beyond 5,500.

Rocket fire killed a US Marine in northern Iraq in March, while a special forces soldier died of wounds received during a raid in October.

- 'Crazy somersaults' -

The casualty numbers are tiny compared to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 5,300 US troops were killed in combat.

President Barack Obama, elected partly on a promise of getting America out of Iraq, has faced a backlash at home for saying there will be no US combat "boots on the ground" in the Middle East -- even as US troops die in combat.

"Our men and women on the ground in Iraq do not have a combat mission, but they do have a dangerous mission to operate in a dangerous country," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Obama's policy is to use US troops to train, advise and equip Iraqi and Syrian forces to fight the IS group.

The immediate goal is for them to retake the key IS cities of Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria, but it is unclear if local forces have the capabilities to hold the towns.

"We have learned important lessons in the last decade. We know that the United States will not be successful if it is US troops acting, essentially, as a substitute for local forces fighting for the security situation in Iraq," Earnest added.

Critics have called Obama disingenuous for deploying US troops without describing their role as a combat mission.

"Why does the administration go through these crazy somersaults, that the entire country knows is not correct, to say our troops are not in combat when they're in combat?" Senator Dan Sullivan asked Defense Secretary Ashton Carter at a hearing last week.

"These people are in combat, senator, and I think that we need to say that clearly," Carter responded.

Obama's term finishes at the end of the year. His potential successors have indicated a willingness to deploy more US forces to the region, but the US public has little appetite for such an engagement.

"There is no chance of large-scale combat," said Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow in foreign policy at The Brookings Institution.

"I could imagine American troops in the thousands or, in an extreme case, the very low tens of thousands but not main combat operations, even under a new president. We already tried that."
Excerpted from TIMEs Prince: An Artists Life, a 96-page, fully illustrated commemorative edition. Available at retailers and at Amazon.com.

I can recall so clearly the night I met Prince. I was at a studio in Los Angeles, and he was recording there too, and I saw him walking down the corridor. He had gone out without his bodyguardI guess he knew I would follow him. He was a master at manipulating a situation.

So I ran down after him, and it was just Prince and I, standing out on the street, and I told him how much of a fan I was and how much he changed my life. He was very cool. He said, Oh, thank you. He asked me what I was recording. He said he liked my song Crazy. And then, of course, about 10 minutes after we were talking, his bodyguard came rushing out, because he had just realized Prince was gone. Yeah, right. It was quite a big scene.

The last time I saw him was in the Netherlands, at a festival where we were both performing. The person I was with at the time had never seen him play before. I said to him, You gotta see this. Trust meyouve never seen anything like this in your life. After hes gone, when he stops doing this, it will never be repeated.

Backstage, we watched Prince walk out to a rapturous reception, and then we were exposed to two hours of sublime musical genius. Everything he didevery single movement, every gesture, every step that he took, from the time he left that dressing room and walked onto the stage, was in absolute, total immaculate rhythm. And the band was in total rhythm with him. Nobodys eyes left him. They were in perfect sync and perfect rhythm with everything. I have never seen anything like it, nor will I ever see anything like it again.

And then he looked over at me and said, You wanna sing Mountains? So I went out and sang with him. I probably screwed the whole thing up. Just to be on the same stage as himit was a dream that I will take with me to my grave.

Prince wasnt just an artist. Prince was a lifestyle. Prince was the person that everyone said was weird, and yet he was so committed to how different he was. He was so committed to his sexuality. He was so committed to his flamboyance. He made it OK for you to be you. He did it with unquestionable conviction. He was so masterful and so brilliant at it that he became a part of you.
From Cosmopolitan

The University of New Hampshire's dining hall now features the above LED light table. It seats 16 students, features "spoons on the center post and railings from the original building that were saved from the construction project," and cost $17,500, according to The New Hampshire Union Leader. Also: "It was a mistake."

UNH Media Relations Director Erica Mantz told the Union Leader such a mistake "won't happen again." When the dining hall was being rebuilt in January, those in charge of the school's hospitality and dining budget thought the addition of the table to the already $10.5 million renovation was "reasonable" and "the concept of what they wanted to do with the table was great," another school rep told the paper, but now they believe "it could have been done a lot less expensively." WMUR reports university administrators found out about the price of the table from the school's newspaper.

Regardless, the comments on the article seem to reflect how students feel about the purchase.

According to The New Hampshire, the table's LED display lights were not working as of last week, but there's no word on if or when it was fixed. A year of in-state tuition at UNH cost $16,986 last year.

Follow Tess on Twitter.
New York (AFP) - Halliburton and Baker Hughes emphasized cost-cutting and downplayed higher crude prices Tuesday as they pivoted from their just-killed merger and argued they are well positioned for an eventual industry recovery.

The two US oil services giants, addressing Wall Street analysts in separate presentations two days after calling off their proposed $28.6 billion merger, said recent higher oil prices after a long-running slide were a source of hope.

But that optimism has yet to translate into more orders from oil companies to purchase drilling fluids, or commission pumping services or other functions.

"Clearly they're marginally more optimistic about things," said Halliburton chief executive Dave Lesar. "I don't think we've seen that optimism translated into any set plans to actively increase the rigs in the back half of the year."

Halliburton, which has already undertaken several rounds of layoffs, plans 2016 capital spending of $850 million, down 75 percent from the 2014 level.

Baker Hughes chief executive Martin Craighead said the drop in North American oil production had raised some hopes that oil markets "could move back into some kind of balance by the end of 2016."

But Baker Hughes plans $500 million in further expense cuts by the end of 2016 regardless of what happens with oil prices.

"We are going to be changing significant parts of our business in the coming weeks and months to ensure we have the most cost-effective and efficient organizational design," Craighead said.

James West, an oil services analyst at Evercore ISI, said there has been limited evidence higher oil prices will translate into more activity in the second half of 2016.

But "the seeds of the recovery are actively being sown, setting up for a momentous 2017 and beyond," he said.

That would be a relief to an industry hit hard as oil giants have slashed drilling budgets, mothballed rigs and cut staff.

Story continues

- Lots of downgrades -

Fitch Ratings has downgraded just about every oil services company it covers, said Dino Kritikos, a director for the agency.

"Everybody has had some sort of negative outlook or downgrade over the last 12-18 months," he said.

In March, energy accounted for $275 billion in high-yield bonds, the biggest segment in the $1.5 trillion junk-bond composition. Of this group 8.3 percent were in default, Fitch said.

Halliburton and Baker Hughes announced their would-be tie-up in November 2014 as oil prices were in retreat due to several factors, including slowing demand in China and surging shale production in the US.

Halliburton and Baker Hughes, the number-two and number-three oil services companies, respectively, after Schlumberger, touted their union as a means to provide a full slate of services to petroleum clients worldwide.

But antitrust regulators balked at the deal, with the Justice Department saying in its lawsuit that the deal would have led to a virtual duopoly with Schlumberger in more than 20 markets.

Lesar said Tuesday that the Justice Department had misjudged a great deal for the industry and consumers.

"We continue to believe the proposed Baker Hughes transaction would have been pro-competitive," he said.

"However, obtaining US antitrust approval of large, complex business combinations, regardless of the industry, has become increasingly time-intensive and difficult, as evidenced by the termination and litigation of several other large proposed transactions over the last 16 months."
Singapore (AFP) - Singapore said Tuesday it had arrested eight Bangladeshi men who allegedly plotted to carry out terror attacks and assassinations in their home country to establish an Islamic state.

The migrant workers were arrested in April under Singapore's Internal Security Act which allows for detention without trial, the home ministry said in a statement.

Items seized from them included manuals on bomb-making and how to use a 0.50 calibre sniper rifle, plus a list of Bangladesh government and military officials targeted for attack, it said.

The ministry said the men were members of a clandestine group set up in Singapore in March by 31 year-old Rahman Mizanur, who called the group "Islamic State in Bangladesh"(ISB).

They had initially planned to go to Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) group but decided to return to their homeland.

"As they felt that it would be difficult for them to make their way to Syria, they focused their plans instead on returning to Bangladesh to overthrow the democratically-elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic State in Bangladesh and bring it under (Islamic State's) self-declared caliphate," the ministry said.

It added that five other Bangladeshi men had been investigated but not found to be involved in ISB. They nevertheless possessed jihadi-related material and been repatriated to Bangladesh, the statement said.

Bangladesh police said they arrested five suspected Islamist militants on Tuesday who had been deported from Singapore, after being alerted to their alleged extremist activities by authorities in the city-state.

- Attacks anywhere in the world -

There is growing concern over an increase in attacks on minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Suspected Islamists have murdered at least 30 members of religious minorities, secular bloggers and other liberal activists, foreigners and intellectuals in the country in the past three years.

Story continues

Two gay activists were hacked to death last week in attacks claimed by a Bangladeshi branch of Al-Qaeda, while a liberal English professor was killed days earlier, a murder claimed by the IS group.

Bangladesh police also said Tuesday they were investigating a new hit-list from a group called the Islami Liberation Front, which includes the head of a university, journalists and ruling party officials.

Singapore is heavily dependent on foreign labour and employs 1.15 million overseas workers out of a total population of 5.6 million.

Officials say the nation -- a close military partner of Washington -- is a prime target for Islamic militants.

Singapore says it foiled an attempt by militants in late 2001 to carry out bomb attacks on US and other foreign targets in the country.

According to the home ministry, the ISB group planned to recruit more Bangladeshi workers in Singapore and raised money to buy weapons for use in Bangladesh. The money has been seized, the ministry said.

The group's leader also told investigators that he would carry out attacks anywhere in the world if instructed to do so by IS, but the ministry said there were no specific indications Singapore was a target.
The Singapore government said Tuesday it had arrested eight Bangladeshi men who allegedly plotted to carry out terror attacks, including assassinations, in their home country to establish an Islamic state.

The suspects were arrested in April and had originally planned to go to Syria to join the Islamic State group, the Singapore home ministry said.

Items seized included manuals on bomb-making, and a list of government and military officials targeted for attack.
Jessica and Darren McIntosh were too busy to see me when I arrived at their house one Sunday morning. When I returned later, I learned what theyd been busy with: arguing with a family member, also an addict, about a single pill of prescription painkiller shed lost, and injecting meth to get by in its absence. Jessica, 30, and Darren, 24, were children when they started using drugs. Darren smoked his first joint when he was 12 and quickly moved on to snorting pills. By the time I was 13, I was a full-blown pill addict, and I have been ever since, he said. By age 14, hed quit school. When I asked where his caregivers were when he started using drugs, he laughed. Theyre the ones that was giving them to me, he alleged. Theyre pill addicts, too.

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Darren was 13 when he started taking pills, which he claims were given to him by an adult relative. He used to feed them to me, Darren said. On fishing trips, theyd get high together. Jessica and Darren have never known a life of family dinners, board games, and summer vacations. This right here is normal to us, Darren told me. He sat in a burgundy recliner, scratching at his arms and pulling the leg rest up and down. Their house was in better shape than many others Id seen, but nothing in it was theirs. Their bedrooms were bare. The kind of multigenerational drug use he was describing was not uncommon in their town, Austin, in southern Indiana. Its a tiny place, covering just two and a half square miles of the sliver of land that comprises Scott County. An incredible proportion of its 4,100 populationup to an estimated 500 peopleare shooting up. It was here, starting in December 2014, that the single largest HIV outbreak in U.S. history took place. Austin went from having no more than three cases per year to 180 in 2015, a prevalence rate close to that seen in sub-Saharan Africa.

Story continues

Exactly how this appalling human crisis happened here, in this particular town, has not been fully explained. Id arrived in Scott County a week previously to find Austin not exactly desolate. Main Street had a few open businesses, including two pharmacies and a used-goods store, owned by a local police sergeant. The business with the briskest trade was the gas station, which sold $1 burritos and egg rolls. In the streets on either side of it, though, modest ranch houses were interspersed among shacks and mobile homes. Some lawns were well-tended, but many more were not. On some streets, every other house had a warning sign: No Trespassing, Private Property, Keep Out. Sheets served as window curtains. Many houses were boarded up. Others had porches filled with junkwashing machines, furniture, toys, stacks of old magazines. There were no sidewalks. Teenage and twenty-something girls walked the streets selling sex. I watched a young girl in a puffy silver coat get into a car with a gray-haired man. I met a father who always coordinates with his neighbor to make sure their children travel together, even between their homes, which are a block apart. Driving around for days, knocking on doors looking for drug users who would speak with me was intimidating. Ive never felt more scared than I did in Austin.

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The mystery of Austin is only deepened by a visit to the neighboring town of Scottsburg, the county seat, eight miles south. Its just a bit bigger than Austin, with a population of about 6,600, but its vastly different. A coffee shop named Jeeves served sandwiches and tall slices of homemade pie, which you could eat while sitting in giant, cushiony chairs in front of a fireplace. A shop next door sold artisanal soap and jam. The town square had a war memorial and was decorated for Christmas. The library was populated. The sidewalks had people and the streets had traffic. There were drugs in Scottsburg, but the town did not reek of addiction. The people didnt look gaunt and drug-addled. No one I asked could explain why these two towns were so different, and no one could explain what had happened to Austin. But a new theory of public health might yet hold the answer. Known as syndemics, it may also be the one thing that can rescue Austin and its people.

The diseases couldnt be properly understood in isolation. They were not individual problems, but connected.

The term syndemics was coined by Merrill Singer, a medical anthropologist at the University of Connecticut. Singer was working with injecting drug users in Hartford in the 1990s in an effort to find a public-health model for preventing HIV among these individuals. As he chronicled the presence of not only HIV but also tuberculosis and hepatitis C among the hundreds of drug users he interviewed, Singer began wondering how those diseases interacted to the detriment of the person. He called this clustering of conditions a syndemic, a word intended to encapsulate the synergistic intertwining of certain problems. Describing HIV and hepatitis C as concurrent implies they are separable and independent. But Singers work with the Hartford drug users suggested that such separation was impossible. The diseases couldnt be properly understood in isolation. They were not individual problems, but connected.

Singer quickly realized that syndemics was not just about the clustering of physical illnesses; it also encompassed nonbiological conditions like poverty, drug abuse, and other social, economic, and political factors known to accompany poor health. Syndemics is embedded in a larger understanding about whats going on in societies, he said when I spoke to him. Singer dubbed the syndemic hed observed in Hartford SAVA, short for substance abuse, violence, and HIV/AIDS. In the past ten years, several medical anthropologists have pursued syndemics theory in other contexts. Emily Mendenhall, who studies global health at Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service, has described a syndemic of type 2 diabetes and depression among first- and second-generation Mexican immigrant women in Chicago. She named that syndemic VIDDA, short for violence, immigration, depression, diabetes, and abuse, the constellation of epidemics the women were experiencing. The people who get affected by any given disease, its not random, said Bobby Milstein, a public-health scientist, today at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who founded the now-defunct Syndemics Prevention Network at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It happens systematically with certain people who are placed in conditions of vulnerability that are not entirely under their own control. As Andrea Gielen, who directs the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Johns Hopkins University, explained to me: Everything works together. To be in silos delivering one thing for one problem, another thing for another problem, is not as effective as stepping back, looking at the whole person, and addressing the complexity of needs in an integrated way.

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Mendenhall, a leading researcher in syndemics theory, told me her method would be to approach Austin as an ethnographer; that is, by studying the people and the culture. In syndemics, one of the most important parts is seeing whos affected, she said. She harkened back to John Snow, the British physician known as the first epidemiologist, whose examination of a London neighborhood affected by cholera included speaking to as many people as possible, leading to his identification of a contaminated water pump as the cause. As Mendenhall explained, a syndemic approach to Austin would mean obtaining in-depth life history narratives from large numbers of people, both those who use drugs and those who dont. Those narratives would then be framed within the larger political economy, to identify the factors that put the town into strife. The approach would isolate the identifying characteristics of people who are using drugs. Is it everyone whos associated with a factory that shut down? Who was the dealer that brought drugs into the community? Is there a social belief linked with use, or is it more stress-related? You have to figure out the social and political networks that link people to drug use, Mendenhall said.

If I was to untangle the web of problems that was smothering Austin, then Id have to start in the past and track how that web was spun. Austin was founded by four men in 1853. The town was smallin 1880, the population was 287but bustling. There was a furniture shop, a woodworking shop, a cabinet and coffin maker, two blacksmiths, two grocery shops, a saloon, a hotel, a newspaper, a literary society, two doctors, and three ladies hat shops. The main industries were timber and canning. The Morgan Packing Company, a canning factory that became the towns largest employerand which still is todaywas founded in 1899.

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Brittany Combs, a public-health nurse for Austin who grew up in the southwest corner of Scott County, remembers her childhood as happy and carefree. There was a real sense of community, she said. We all helped each other. In the 1960s, the Morgan Packing Company began expanding its workforce by transporting people north from Hazard, Kentucky. Many people living in Austin today trace their routes to that Appalachian town, including Darren and Jessica. They call this Little Hazard, said Jessica.

Theres nothing for people to do  Theres boredom, unemployment.

Austins decline seems to have begun in the late 1980s. The American Can Company, which manufactured cans for the Morgan Packing Company, was the towns second-largest employer for decades, but closed in 1986. Connie Mosley, who has lived in Austin since she finished high school in 1965, thinks the town deteriorated when the older generation died and the younger generation, instead of staying, sold the houses and left. Outsiders started buying up everything, she said. Inexpensive rentals  the average monthly rent is less than $700 in Austin, lower than the US average of $934  attracted transient people who were not necessarily looking to settle down and raise a family.

In January 1990, unemployment spiked to a high of 16.9 per cent. The average jobless rate for that year was lower, at 8.5 per cent, but still starkly at odds with an overall U.S. unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent. The towns infrastructure began to deteriorate. Jackie McClintock, a nurse who works with Combs, points to the lack of recreational activities as leading people to use drugs. Theres nothing for people to do, she said. Theres boredom, unemployment. Jerome Adams, Indianas state health commissioner, describes Austin as having social and economic conditions that are ideal for a drug epidemic. Its kind of the epitome of years of neglect, poverty, lack of education, and lack of opportunity, or peoples perception of lack of opportunity, he said.

Today, the estimated median household income in Austin is $33,000, about $15,000 less than that for Indiana. The average home is valued at $78,000, the U.S. median in 2010 being $210,000. About 8.3 percent of Austin residents are unemployed, compared with a U.S. average of 5 percent. An estimated 34 percent of working people in Austin hold manufacturing jobs and just 7 percent have a college degree. In 2013, about 25 percent of Austin residents were living in poverty.

Widespread pill abuse can be traced back to the 1990s. Will Cooke, a physician who opened his practice in Austin in 2004, claims he has patients who have alleged pills were available at a local bar, even to teenagers. The moment he started seeing patients, they were asking for opiates and benzodiazepines, the tranquilizers more commonly known as Valium and Xanax. As Cooke sees it, Austins substance abuse problem is the legacy of decades of challenges. As far back as people that Ive talked to can remember, he said, its always been a struggle in survival mode.

Adams told me the problem was exacerbated by physicians themselves. Many opioid prescriptions start out as legitimate treatments for pain. Most doctors are untrained in pain management and yet patient satisfaction scores for physicians, maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, are directly determined by patients assessment of how well their pain was managed. That score has consequences: a low one leads to a decrease in pay. We have an environment where doctors and hospitals feel compelled to continue to prescribe opioids based on their bottom line, said Adams. We still havent accepted that overprescribing is a part of the problem to the degree that I think it clearly is. In addition, addiction treatment services have been lacking. In the entire state of Indiana, there are two or three psychiatrists specializing in addiction. Weve underfunded mental health and substance abuse for decades, Adams said.

All of what has happened since the late 1980s is potentially part of Austins syndemic: the sudden unemployment, the desertion of the young, the fall in rent prices, the rise of the itinerant population, the decline of infrastructure, the overprescription of pain pills, the lack of assistance. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, it seems, the town itself had become sick, the result of various forms of structural violencea term introduced by Harvard physician and anthropologist Paul Farmer to describe harmful social frameworksalong with historical, behavioral and political risk factors.

You literally couldnt walk around a corner without somebody asking, Hey, you wanna try this?

It was into this diseased town that Jessica and Darren were born. The first time I saw someone taking drugs I was probably about nine or ten years old, Darren told me. You literally couldnt walk around a corner without somebody asking, Hey, you wanna try this? He said that many relatives are drug addicts and dealers. They told me that sometimes elder relatives would sell their pills to get by. Theyre hardly alone. Some of these kids around here just did not have a chance, said Darren, who has seen parents selling drugs in front of their 5- and 6-year-olds. Barney Rushkoff, an HIV-positive 57-year-old who lives in a mobile home without electricity or heat, told me about seeing a child playing in the street. The little boy had a towel wrapped around his arm and was shouting shoot me, shoot me, mimicking his parents injecting. Rushkoff said hed recently quit using but still kept sterile drug paraphernalia in his tiny bedroom for his son, an addict who lives with him in the trailer.

Darren has used cocaine, Lortab, Percocet, OxyContin, and most recently Opana, an opioid hes been shooting for the past few years. He started selling pot when he was around 14 years old. Id take my money and buy cocaine with it, he said. Today, he has almost nothing. He owns one pair of shoes, one pair of pants, and one pair of shorts. When I asked how he would stay warm in winterit was early December when we methe pointed to a fleece jacket. They had sold the washer and dryer for drug money, along with almost everything else in their house, including copper stripped from the air conditioner. Hes been in jail many times and served two prison sentences. He wakes up in pain and survives day-to-day, doing whatever he can to get money for drugs, including burglary, selling items stolen from the dollar store and pimping out his sister. Jessicas trajectory has been largely the same, though she has spent more time prostituting and less time in jail.

From a purely biological standpoint, the 2015 HIV outbreak was caused by the transfer of the virus by dirty needles.

From a purely biological standpoint, the 2015 HIV outbreak was caused by the transfer of the virus by dirty needles used to inject liquefied pain pills and methamphetamine. Everyone knows each other, Darren said. And theyre all sharing needles. Because of the sharing, a single introduction of HIV exploded among the community of drug users. Jackie McClintock, the nurse who started working with Combs when the outbreak made headlines, told me about a couple she met whod recently moved to Austin. They shared one needle for a month, she said. They would shoot up at least ten times a day.

The laws surrounding drug paraphernalia, yet another part of the syndemic, likely augmented the problem of needle sharing. Prior to Indianas governor, Mike Pence, approving the temporary needle exchange program there, anyone found carrying a needle could be arrested for a felony. Such laws are in keeping with the mindset that people who are addicted to drugs have only themselves to blame, a foundation of the U.S. governments War on Drugs, set in motion by President Richard Nixon in 1971 and upheld by several subsequent administrations. Policing, along with social stigma, increase the likelihood that drug users will live in and inject in unhygienic environments, wrote Singer and fellow researcher Nicola Bulled in their study Syringe-mediated syndemics, published in AIDS and Behavior in 2009.

The picture that emerges from this is one of a disease with many causes, including place of birth. An estimated 2.6 percent of Americans have injected drugs, compared to up to 12 percent of Austin. Thus, the very fact of living in Austin can be considered a risk factor for substance abuse. A child born there is imperiled by circumstances beyond their control. The desperation felt by many contributes to the towns illness, in part because people diagnosed with HIV may not seek treatment for either their infection or their addiction. Theres not a whole lot of hope for nobody, said Kristy Madden, 37, a recovered addict with two children and two grandchildren. Nobody doesnt really have anything to look forward to. She said she has relatives with HIV, some of whom are still using drugs. An Austin man named Cecil, who has HIV, told me hed recently spent $3,500 on Opana pills in less than five hours. My days is numbered, he told me, so why stop now?

Syndemics does have critics. Alexander Tsai, of the Center for Global Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, published a study in 2015 demonstrating inconsistencies in evidence linking diseases and harmful social conditions. It was a harsh critique, said Mendenhall. The study highlighted a lack of proof that syndemics works epidemiologically, that it is still theoretical. People havent actually tested syndemics quantitatively, Mendenhall said. In other words, there is no concrete data proving that, say, domestic abuse is a definitive cause of diabetes among Mexican immigrant women in Chicago, even though Mendenhalls hundreds of interviews implied otherwise.

But evidence linking disadvantage to poor health does exist. According to the landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences study, published in 1998, people exposed to neglect, sexual abuse, living with a substance abuser, and other situations as children were far more likely to abuse substances as adults. More recently, the massive Global Burden of Disease study, which examined a wide range of illnesses across the world, looked at suicide rates as one quantifiable measure of mental-health issues. There, suicide was considered one solid indicator of such problems. A smaller-scale analysis measuring the various components of a given syndemic in a given population has not been done.

Part of the challenge is that a syndemic is hard to measure. If a broken social network affects peoples outcomes more than their daily exercise, Mendenhall noted, how do you explicitly prove that? Syndemics relies largely on qualitative data; that is, on descriptions provided by affected individuals, rather than on numbers and percentages. Mendenhall, who has edited a series of papers on syndemics soon to be published in the Lancet, agrees with the criticism and the importance of numerical data. But she noted that, considering its holistic view of illness, syndemics works best by interrogating the social experience as much as the biological. And that means more allowance for correlative data. We need people in public health and medicine to take syndemics seriously, she said. That will allow them to incorporate the social into the understanding of the medical. Meanwhile, there are signs that medical research may be learning to make more room for so-called softer science. A recently published open letter to the BMJ by 76 senior academic researchers cited concerns about the high rejection rate for qualitative research at not only that journal but also JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine, and called on these influential journals to reconsider such policies.

They asked about needle sharing, sleep habits, and injection frequency quickly and in the same cheery tone as their greeting.

But even if the HIV outbreak and widespread drug addiction in Austin are viewed as part of a system of problems, rather than a collection of individual issues, how can this new understanding be applied? What good does any of this do? Perhaps learning to see a problem in all its true complexity will give us the opportunity to heal it more effectively. As a result of Mendenhalls work, doctors at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, now routinely ask women about domestic violence. Merrill Singers work in Hartford also led to new interventions. Previously, no support system existed for women who were pregnant and abusing drugs. Newborns were at risk of HIV and being born with drugs in their bodies. Singer was also concerned about children being put into state custody and becoming locked in the system, potentially maintaining the SAVA syndemic for the next generation. The identification of Hartfords SAVA syndemic led to a comprehensive program specifically for women who were pregnant and abusing drugs. Funding eventually waned, but a residential drug treatment program in the town, which was born of the effort, remains.

I caught a glimpse of how a syndemic understanding of Austins problems might work when I accompanied Combs and McClintock during their home delivery of sterile drug paraphernalia, a service they provide every Friday afternoon. Their needle program has been controversial in the town. Fueling the habit is not helping, said Linda Brandenburg, a 47-year-old Austin resident. Another local, Linda Bowling, thought the money would be better spent on children. These might be considered understandable positions in the absence of a syndemic perspective.

Combs and McClintock were so friendly with the people they brought supplies to that I was, at first, squeamish about the chumminess. They knew the clients and greeted them with familiarity. Sitting in the backseat of their car as they made their rounds, I caught myself judging Combs and McClintock for being so accepting of people shooting up. When they asked what size needle to providemeth users and Opana users prefer different gauges because of each drugs thicknessit had all the gravity of a coffee order. They asked about needle sharing, sleep habits, and injection frequency quickly and in the same cheery tone as their greeting. Back in the car, Combs and McClintock discussed the potential whereabouts of missing clients in a way that seemed far removed from what that absence might imply. As if catching up on the days news, McClintock scrolled through the county jail inmate list on her phone to see if they could account for anyone. I wondered if the critics could be right. Their niceness surely condoned the addiction.

But their program has been enormously successful. More than half the towns injecting drug users are enrolled. The HIV outbreak tapered off soon after it began. As effective as it has undoubtedly been, though, addressing the entire syndemic in Austin requires more than a needle exchange. Its not enough, said David Himmelgreen, who has studied the connection between food insecurity and HIV in southern Africa. You want people off their addiction, but they need to be well-nourished in body and mind. Jerome Adams sees social stigma as a major barrier to reducing substance abuse. Weve got to get everyone on board with the concept that addiction is a chronic disease, he said. It is not a moral failure.

Two days later, I began to understand the underlying value not only of Combs and McClintocks work for the needle exchange, but of the human exchange it fostered. When interviewing Darren, he told me he had never talked about his life before. Nobody had been interested. He said he thinks every day about all the people hes hurt and wishes he could go back to school and then work as a car mechanic. Jessica also dreams of another life. I would give anything in the world if I had never seen a pill, she said. Theyre both grateful for the clean paraphernalia they receive each week. That needle exchange is the best thing that couldve happened to Austin, Darren said. Its likely that soon after I left, Darren and Jessica got some Opana or did some more meth until they found their relatives lost pill. Jessica was planning to enter rehab six weeks from then, which may or may not have happened. The barriers to any sort of healing for them both may be insurmountable.

What Id realized, during my week in Austin, was that a friendly interaction might just turn out to be as healing for its people as a sterile needle. But does that make the no-trespassing signs and the communitys attitude toward addiction part of the syndemic? Many residents I met spoke of drug users as evil, with only themselves to blame for their choices. Others resented how the media portrayed the town. The country just singled us out as the only place this ever happens, an owner of Buchanan Funeral Home told me. She admonished me to be sure I got the facts right when I wrote about Austin. Then she excused herself to tend to a family who had come to collect their funeral flowers. Theyd just buried their 26-year-old son, whod died of an overdose, two years after burying his older brother.

This article appears courtesy of Mosaic. Although interviewees granted permission for their names to be used, some have been changed for privacy and legal reasons. Some family relationships have also been obscured.

Related Video

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Fans of famous American casual wear Abercrombine & Fitch, or better known as A&F, were overjoyed when A&F decided its finally time to enter Singapore. Im pretty sure the ladies remembered their debut in Orchard Road when a controversial poster was put up pre-launch, and the countless number of muscular hunks lining up to welcome you into their new store. All was good until we realised that the prices in Singapores A&F were slightly higher than expected. For example, a same dress that cost $88 in Singapore would have cost you just $65 if you buy from the United States.

Accessing Abercrombie & Fitch U.S Website

When you visit A&F website, you will be directed to A&F Singapores homepage. In order to gain access to the U.S website, you will need a VPN. If you have ZERO idea what is VPN, click here to find out more from the previous article.

We checked out both A&F Singapore and A&F U.S website, and were greeted with drastically different layout. The biggest difference has got to be absence of our favourite four-letter word, SALE. The U.S website has frequent seasonal sales with discounts sales can go as high as 60% (more reason to splurge!).

Singapore website

U.S Website

A&F U.S vs Singapore price comparison

If you are an A&F fan, the smarter way to shop would be to get it directly from the U.S. Check out how much savings* you could get by shopping from the U.S web store:

*Before taxes

Abercrombie and Fitch Graphic Tees

In US: $30 USD (approx $40 SGD)| In Singapore: S$65

Savings: S$25

Abercrombie & Fitch U.S

Abercrombie and Fitch Dresses

In US: $68 USD (approx $92 SGD)| In Singapore: S$124

Savings: S$32

Abercrombie & Fitch U.S

Abercrombie and Fitch Joggers

In US: $68 USD (approx S$92 ) | In Singapore: S$124

Savings: S$32

Abercrombie & Fitch U.S

Okay Ive found what I want to buy, now how to get them shipped to Singapore?

1) Direct order from U.S website, international shipping to Singapore

International shipping to Singapore starts from $40 USD and the shipping rates are progressive based on your order amount. However, the international shipping does not include their Fragrance and Body Care products. The chart below shows the shipping cost of apparels to Singapore from the US.

Story continues

Screen Shot 2016-04-15 at 17.02.04

2) Join sprees to split shipping cost

Paying shipping cost of $50 -$60 for one piece of dress just doesnt sound sane. What if you could combine orders with others and reduce the shipping cost by more than half? There are several private sprees out there that helps you do this. They usually charge an administrative fee for the service, and shipping takes 2-3 weeks.

3) Ask travellers who are returning from U.S, to help you bring back

At Airfrov, we aim to make the world a smaller place. Shoppers like you post a request of your shopping list, and travellers with extra luggage space could offer their help in exchange for tips.

By posting a request, Airfrov will notify travellers who are visiting United States, and get them to help you purchase your Abercrombie and Fitch. Try it out, click on the image below to see how we did it!

Abercrombie & Fitch U.S

The post The Smarter Guide to Buying Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) from U.S appeared first on Airfrov Blog.
Sofia Vergara spoke to ET about Joe Manganiello's health on Monday, revealing that her husband is "doing great" after recent medical issues.

"He's OK," the 43-year-old actress shared at Modern Family's ATAS Emmy Event. "He had a little problem, but now he's good."

WATCH: Joe Manganiello Breaks Silence After Hospitalization Reports, Pays Tribute to Doris Roberts

Manganiello, 39, pulled out of a charity event due to a "health issue" back in April. TMZ reported at the time that the Magic Mike XXL star was hospitalized to have his appendix removed and said that doctor's called Manganiello's condition "extremely serious."



The actor also had to bow out of History Channel's Navy SEAL drama series, Six.

While Manganiello has kept mum on the issue, he did post one cryptic tweet on April 17 which read simply, "I love my wife."

I love my wife  Joe Manganiello (@JoeManganiello) April 17, 2016

WATCH: Sofia Vergara Shows Off Sexy Dance Moves in Surprise GRAMMYs Performance with Pitbull!

"I'm always very special with him, so it must have been one of my normal days," Vergara, in a curve-hugging hot pink dress and gold choker, responded with a laugh. "That's how I am."

See more of the adorable couple in the video below!

EXCLUSIVE: Inside Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello's Romantic, Luxurious Honeymoon

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Washington (AFP) - The son of the longest-held civilian hostage in US history slammed the Obama administration for abandoning the ex-FBI agent in an Iranian jail.

Ex-CIA contractor and ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson has been missing for nearly a decade. Now 68, he disappeared in mysterious circumstances in March 2007 during a visit to the Iranian island of Kish.

He was reportedly investigating cigarette counterfeiting in the region.

After Iran released some US nationals it was holding following last year's international nuclear deal, his father's fate remains alarming, overlooked by Washington time and again, his son Dan Levinson wrote in an opinion in the New York Post.

"The White House and State Department have avoided acknowledging the basic fact that he is a hostage," he said on Monday. "When pressed by a reporter about this, a State Department spokesman spent 3-1/2 excruciating minutes refusing to call him a hostage."

The White House has consistently said Levinson was not working for the US government when he disappeared. In January, it said the United States did not believe he was now in Iran.

However, The Washington Post reported that Levinson was working for the CIA at the time and was supposed to meet with an informer about Iran's nuclear program.

"My father has appeared in a video pleading for help and in pictures wearing chains, clearly being held against his will," Levinson said. "What further evidence is needed?"

In January, Tehran released four Iranian-American dual nationals, some of whom had been held for years, in a prisoner swap, while a fifth American was freed separately.

Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians in exchange and withdrew international arrest notices for 14 Iranians.

The prisoner swap came as the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Iran had put a nuclear bomb beyond its immediate reach and the United States and European Union lifted their most draconian economic sanctions.

Story continues

US diplomats insisted, to widespread skepticism, that the two breakthroughs were entirely separate.

The younger Levinson argued on Monday that if Washington pressed harder, his father would be headed home.

"I have no doubt that if the administration told Iran there would be no further negotiations on any other issues until my dad is returned, Tehran would move quickly to resolve his case," he wrote.

"But Washington has shown an unwillingness to do that, and we feel helpless... My father... is being abandoned."
London (AFP) - An Air France passenger plane was escorted down by rapid-response British military jets after losing radio contact, both parties said Tuesday, after sonic booms shook homes in northern England.

Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled late Monday night to identify an unresponsive civilian aircraft, the Ministry of Defence said, causing sonic booms over Yorkshire in northern England.

The Air France flight from Paris's main Charles de Gaulle airport to Newcastle in northeast England had a radio fault, the French airline said.

"Air France confirms that due to a radio communication problem AF 1558 had to be accompanied by two British fighter aircraft," it said on its UK official Twitter account.

"Safety of clients and crew is an absolute priority."

A spokesman for Britain's Royal Air Force said: "Quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Coningsby to identify an unresponsive civilian aircraft.

"Communications were re-established and the aircraft has been safely landed."

North Yorkshire Police tweeted to reassure people there was no danger from the explosive sounds.

"Confirmation from RAF that loud bangs heard across the county were sonic booms from RAF Typhoon jets. No cause for concern," it said.

A sonic boom shockwave is caused when an aircraft breaks the speed of sound: 768 miles (1,236 kilometres) per hour.
SoundCloud CEO

Music streaming platform SoundCloud has extended the paid-for subscription service it launched in the US in March to the UK and Ireland.

SoundCloud Go will cost 9.99 per month  mirroring the price of rival services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal  for access to ad-free streaming of a library of around 125 million tracks.

Those tracks range from bedroom DJs to artists signed to major labels. In total, SoundCloud says 12 million "creators" are listened to every month on the platform.

SoundCloud Go also allows users to store tracks on their phones to listen to offline.

SoundCloud has had advertising on the platform in the US since 2014, but this is the first time users in the UK and Ireland will start seeing and hearing ads. SoundCloud now has 10 staff based in the UK.

Ad formats on SoundCloud include: audio ads and interstitials, which can be bought through Global's Dax network; "native" ads such as promoted playlists; and branded content, which in the US has seen the company select artists to produce tracks for brands.

soundcloud

Speaking to Business Insider in London ahead of the UK and Ireland launch, SoundCloud's chief revenue officer Alison Moore said ad rates are comparable to other audio ad prices, but that the relationship users have with the platform makes it "unique" from other streaming services.

"We bring unique content to the picture. These people are music lovers and music discovery lovers and they're very highly engaged," she said.

Not all artists posting music to the platform will be able to benefit from the monetization of their content  only those that are part of its invite-only Premier program. Right now, that differs from other online streaming services, where artists can pay a small, sub-$20 annual fee to a digital distribution company  like TuneCore, Distrokid, or CD Baby  for their music to be placed on a number of streaming platforms and they can be compensated per download or stream.

Story continues

Asked how smaller artists may feel about their tracks being used to generate advertising and subscription revenue for SoundCloud, without being given the opportunity to take a cut, Moore said the company was gearing itself up to give "multiple opportunities" to artists big and small.

Moore declined to reveal how many SoundCloud Go subscribers there are in the US, or the company's revenue numbers, but she said the company was "very happy" with its progress so far.

Financial filings showed the Berlin-based streaming service reported a loss of 39.14m ($44.19m) in 2014 on revenues of 17.35m ($15.37m).

NOW WATCH: Here's what would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time





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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African investment firm RMB Holdings Ltd. plans to expand its portfolio by buying a stake in unlisted Atterbury, builder of the Mall of Africa, one of the largest shopping venues in the country. RMB Holdings Limited, which holds a 34 percent stake in FirstRand, the largest banking group by value in Africa's most industrialised economy as its only major asset, said on Tuesday it will buy 25.01 percent of Atterbury. Although it did not put a price on the cost of investment for Attebury, RMB Holdings said in the statement it would fund the deal through preference shares. RMB Holdings said in a statement it aimed to use Atterbury to spearhead its retail and industrial property business. The Mall of Africa, which opened its doors last week, targets consumers in Midrand a middle-class suburb north of the commercial hub of Johannesburg. "We thought it was a missing element of our overall portfolio," RMB Holdings Chief Executive Herman Bosman told Reuters, referring to property investments. Shares in RMB Holdings fell 4.60 percent on the bourse by 1358 GMT, as stocks tumbled across the board tracking a sell-off in emerging markets. (Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by James Macharia)
Madrid (AFP) - Weary Spaniards will head to the polls for the second time in six months after King Felipe on Tuesday called fresh elections for June 26, which surveys suggest may result in yet another hung parliament.

The king signed a decree dissolving parliament in the eurozone's fourth largest economy after political parties failed to agree on a coalition to install a new government following inconclusive December 20 elections.

Spain has never had to repeat elections since the country returned to democracy following the death of long-time dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975.

"It is the first time that this has happened in the democratic era because we were unable to fulfil the mandate citizens gave us, parliament speaker Patxi Lopez told reporters after the king signed the decree.

"Let's hope we've all learned our lesson and that the next parliament reaches an agreement as soon as possible," he added.

Spain will be left with a caretaker government for several more months as it battles an unemployment rate of 21 percent, the highest rate in the European Union after Greece's.

December's vote put an end to Spain's traditional two-party system as voters fed up with austerity and corruption scandals flocked to new groups, resulting in a hung parliament.

Spain has never had a coalition government and parties tried in vain since the polls to cobble together a governing alliance.

Much of the negotiations had centred around left-wing parties after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy -- whose conservative Popular Party (PP) won the December election but lost its majority -- gave up trying to form a government for lack of support.

The Socialists (PSOE) -- who came second in the polls with just 90 parliamentary seats out of 350 -- were tasked by the king to try and bring other parties together in a coalition, but ultimately failed.

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez managed to strike a deal on a government with centrist upstart Ciudadanos -- which came fourth in the election -- but the two parties had too few seats in parliament to win a vote of confidence.

Story continues

He then tried to enlist the support of new far-left party Podemos, whose 65 parliamentary seats would have got it through, but failed.

- 'Avoided the worst' -

Polls suggest that fresh elections will do little to change the December outcome, which saw four parties win much of the parliamentary seats -- but not enough each to gain power.

Rajoy's conservatives could gain ground, while new far-left party Podemos may lose as some of the five million people who voted for the party and its allies believe it should have worked with the Socialists.

He credits his reforms for returning Spain to growth after a sharp economic downturn sparked by the collapse of a property bubble in 2008.

The Spanish economy expanded by 3.2 percent last year, one of the fastest rates in Europe, and his acting government predicts it will grow by an average annual rate of 2.5 percent over the next four years.

The European Commission believes the forecast is too optimistic and has urged Madrid to do more to rein in its public deficit which came in at five percent of output last year.

"We have avoided the worst," Rajoy said in an interview published Sunday in daily newspaper La Razon in a reference to a failed bid by Podemos, a close ally of Greece's ruling Syriza, to form part of a governing coalition.

Over three-fifths of Spaniards, 62 percent, feel the political situation in Spain is "bad" or "very bad", according to poll published Tuesday by the state-run Sociological Research Centre (CIS).

Analysts say parties will likely be more willing to compromise after fresh polls as voters will be impatient for a government to be formed.

A possible game changer in fresh elections would be an alliance of Podemos with the smaller Izquierda Unida, a communist-green party that got 800,000 votes in December.

The two parties are discussing the possibility, which could help Podemos surpass the Socialists in new elections.
By Angus Berwick MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish judge has issued arrest warrants for 12 Russians, including some senior officials, who are alleged to be linked to one of Russia's largest criminal syndicates that operated out of Spain, a court document seen by Reuters showed. After a decade-long investigation into the activities of the Tambov Gang, authorities want officials including Vladislav Reznik, a member of Russia's lower house of parliament, to stand trial in Spain, the unpublished document said. Other prominent Russian officials named in the document included General Nikolai Aulov, deputy head of the Federal Drug Control Service and a former KGB colleague of President Vladimir Putin, and former deputy head of the Russian prosecution service's investigation committee, Igor Sobolevsky. Reznik has previously denied the allegations and Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika was quoted as saying in March that Russia will not extradite Reznik. A Kremlin spokesman did not respond to a request for comment as it is a public holiday in Russia. According to the document, all 12 people had dealings with the gang's alleged leader, Gennady Petrov, who was arrested in Spain in 2008 with his wife and another man, but who has since fled the country. The prosecution also issued warrants for their rearrest. Petrov shifted the Tambov Gang's operation away from its St. Petersburg base in 1998 when he moved to Spain. He laundered millions of euros earned from its criminal activities in other countries through several Spanish firms and then sent the money abroad to those named, the document said. Prosecutors say that charges against members of the group will include murder, arms trafficking, drug smuggling, extortion, fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors said Petrov's operation in Spain had close ties to the Russian state and was helped by a network of lawyers and other middlemen. Petrov also has previously denied the allegations. "(The Tambov group) maintains strong links with political, economic, legal and security powers in Russia and also with members of other international criminal organizations," Judge Jose de la Mata wrote in the document. A U.S. diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks reported that the investigation's chief prosecutor Jose Grinda gave a briefing in 2010 in which he said Russian political parties worked "hand in hand" with organized crime and called the country a "mafia state." Some supporters of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned by radioactive polonium in 2006, believe he was helping investigate Moscow's link to the Spanish case and may have been murdered in 2006 to stop him. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in his killing. The court also issued warrants for Reznik's wife, Diana Gindin, and Petrov's son, Anton, along with business figures Irina Ussova, Viktor Gavrilenkov, Sergei Kuzmin, Arkady Buravoy, Ilya Traber, Pavel Kudryashov and Oleg Noskov. (Additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow; Editing by Julien Toyer and Richard Balmforth)
Madrid (AFP) - A Spanish court said Tuesday it had officially recognised a popular matador as the illegitimate son of legendary bullfighter Manuel Benitez "El Cordobes", who had long denied being related to him.

The scandal broke in February when Manuel Diaz, 47, told "Hola!" magazine he had filed a paternity suit against his supposed father in the southern city of Cordoba after trying in vain to form a relationship with him.

Benitez, now 79, revolutionised Spain's conservative bullfighting world in the 1960s with his acrobatic style that would sometimes see him jump on the back of the bull, earning him criticism from experts but adoration from the crowds.

His rise from an illiterate youth caught by police stealing chickens to top matador was narrated in the 1967 best-selling book "Or I'll Dress You in Mourning: The Extraordinary Story of El Cordobes".

Diaz, who also uses the nickname "El Cordobes", says Benitez had a brief affair with his mother when she worked as a maid in Madrid.

But when she became pregnant, Benitez did not want to have anything to do with the child, according to him.

A court in Cordoba agreed to hear the paternity case after Diaz presented the results of DNA tests carried out on a restaurant napkin used by Benitez that was picked up by a private detective.

The court then ordered an official DNA paternity test to be carried out and the results showed there was a 99.9 percent probability Benitez was the father of "Cordobes Jr.", Diaz's lawyer Fernando Osuna told AFP last week.

On Tuesday, it officially recognised Diaz as Benitez's son.

The case has gripped Spain, with the two men featuring regularly in the country's gossip magazines.

"The straw that broke the camel's back was the day when he was asked about me during a television interview. Benitez turned away from the camera as if I were the devil. My children asked me, 'Why doesn't your father want to talk about you?'" Diaz told "Hola!" magazine when the story broke.

Diaz says he does not want to make any claims on Benitez's estate and just wants to be recognised as part of a lineage he is proud of.
By John Davison BAALBEK, Lebanon (Reuters) - Seven-month-old Nour lives in a tarpaulin tent pitched on a muddy patch of earth in Lebanon's Bekaa valley. The tent, one of a dozen in a small refugee camp, contains a metal stove, a prayer mat and worn rugs on the floor. A leather jacket and a plastic mirror hang from nails hammered into its wooden beams. Swaddled in a faded pink blanket against the cold, Nour is the first of her Syrian parents' three children to be born as a refugee. Her family fled their native Homs at the start of Syria's civil war. Crammed two to a seat in a bus, her parents and two older siblings traveled 70 miles (112 km) into Lebanon, where Nour was born. Now her mother and father, Asheqa and Trad, face a new challenge. They need to register Nour with a local government office in Lebanon by her first birthday in early September. A birth certificate is the crucial first step to securing Syrian citizenship. Without it, Nour could join a fast-growing generation of children who are stateless  lacking legal recognition as a citizen of any country. But as Nour's parents are learning, even something as simple as registering a baby's birth is fraught with hurdles for a refugee in Lebanon. The country has more refugees per head of the population than any country in the world, but it is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has not allowed the U.N. to set up formal camps for Syrians. Some politicians fret about the impact of mainly Sunni refugees from Syria on the country's sectarian balance. Power in Lebanon is carefully divided between Christians, Shi'ite Muslims, Sunnis and other groups. Registering Syrian births could create a precedent for Syrians to settle in the country, they worry. Surveys by the United Nations refugee agency and the Norwegian Refugee Council suggest the number of children whose births remain unregistered in Lebanon could be as high as 50,000. Aid agencies see similar difficulties registering children in Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, which host millions of Syrian refugees between them. That means the number of Syrian children facing statelessness is likely to be much higher. Those thousands of potentially stateless children are one way the wars in Syria and Iraq are reshaping the Middle East and its people for good. "If you look at the number of births that have happened ... I think we can be talking about hundreds of thousands who are potentially not registered in the region as a whole," said Daryl Grisgraber, senior advocate for the Middle East at Refugees International, a humanitarian group that works for displaced and stateless people. The U.N. says stateless children risk missing out on basic rights such as education and healthcare, can face difficulties getting a job and are exposed to abuse and even trafficking. To have Nour fully recognized as Syrian will involve a Kafkaesque process that requires trips to different government offices, negotiating checkpoints to get to Beirut, and approaching the Syrian embassy  something many refugees fleeing civil war are afraid to do. Lebanon's social affairs ministry, which handles the refugee issue, said the steps required were "clear and proportionate." Nour's parents  they asked not to reveal their full names for fear of being targeted by Syria's warring factions or arrested by Lebanese authorities  are afraid of embarking on the process. They have not even tried to get her birth registered, despite understanding what that might mean down the line. "We're scared for her future," Asheqa, her mother, said. "We're afraid that if we want to return to Syria, we won't be able to take her in because she has no documents. Where's the proof that it's your child?" TAKING FLIGHT Asheqa and Trad abandoned their house about three months after the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. Like many buildings in Homs  a center of the uprising  their home was later flattened to rubble in bombardments. "We found out the school next door was shelled and collapsed onto our house," said 25-year-old Asheqa. "We stayed with relatives nearby for a while, but there were 16 people under one roof, there was no work and the fighting intensified." The couple and their two children  daughter Rahaf, now 7, and son Marhaf, now 5  fled for Lebanon, where they have squatted on farmland near the town of Baalbek ever since. When they left Syria, they took all their identity papers, marriage certificate and family booklet, and papers relating to their children. "When the war ends, we're keen to go back. We're not exactly looking forward to it with nothing left, but we want to go back and rebuild," Asheqa said. Until Nour's birth is registered, however, they are stuck in exile. Children without a registered birth certificate face separation from their families if they try to cross international borders, including into Syria. Without the certificate, Nour has no legal proof of parentage or place of birth. But her parents face a complex and often unclear registration process. And they fear arrest if they try to move around too much in Lebanon. REGISTERING A BIRTH The United Nations and the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian aid group, advise refugees to carry out three crucial steps to register a newborn in Lebanon. The steps still leave parents several bureaucratic procedures away from obtaining full Syrian citizenship for their child, but are the most important and time-sensitive. First, parents should obtain a birth notification from the hospital where the child is born, or from a midwife. Next, they should take the birth notification, their own identity papers and marriage certificate to a local notary closest to the place of birth. Notaries will then produce a birth certificate, for which they normally charge a fee of up to $20. Finally, the parents should register the certificate with a local government registry office in Lebanon. All this needs to be completed before a child turns one or the process becomes much more expensive and complicated, involving courts, lawyers and DNA tests. Asheqa and Trad completed the first two steps within 10 days of Nour's birth last Sept. 12. Now, though, they are stuck. Restrictions on Syrian refugees, including a requirement they carry certain documents or risk arrest, have made it harder to move around. The rules force Syrians registered as refugees to pay $200 a year for the right to stay in Lebanon but ban them from formal employment. Trad and Asheqa's papers expired in January last year, right at the time the new regulations took effect. When Lebanese security forces raided the family's camp last December, Trad and several other men were detained because they could not produce valid papers. Trad said he and the other men were held for a day and then released with a warning to renew their residency papers or face arrest again. Since then, he and Asheqa have been afraid to leave the camp. "We don't dare approach any authorities, not even to register Nour's birth, without renewing our residency first  we're scared they'll lock us up," Trad said. But $200 is a huge sum for refugees, 70 percent of whom the U.N. says live in extreme poverty. And refugees not only have to pay the annual charge, they often need the help of a Lebanese sponsor, who usually charges another $200. "So that's $400 for me, $400 for my husband, before we can go to register our daughter," Asheqa said. In Syria, Trad, 32, drove taxis. In Lebanon he does casual labor and seasonal farm work. But none of that makes much money. "I get maybe one day of work in 10 and make 10,000-20,000 Lebanese pounds ($7-13)," he said. The family collects U.N. aid worth around $100 per month  barely enough for bread, they say. They also owe hundreds of dollars to a local grocer who has repeatedly extended them credit. The grocer's wife, Amira Msheik, showed a reporter a handwritten list of Syrian families in the area that owe money to her husband, Ismail: Umm Ahmed, 1,250,000 pounds, Abu Saadoun 700,000 pounds, Samah, 1 million pounds. Asheqa and Trad are now trying to save or borrow enough to renew their residency. But their debt keeps mounting. Trad found work in March. On his first day he crushed his finger in a tractor accident and had to borrow $1,000 to cover the hospital fees. MISINFORMATION AND BUREAUCRACY Technically, even though their own residency documents have expired, Trad and Asheqa can complete step three and register Nour with the local government office. But aid agencies say lack of reliable information and rules that are applied inconsistently mean that in practice, this rarely happens. The Norwegian Refugee Council says many refugees give up because they lack information, fear the authorities or simply cannot afford to register. The U.N. reports similar difficulties. Aid agencies try to inform families, but are stretched due to the numbers of refugees, who often live in hard-to-reach areas. "It is confusing," Asheqa said. "We're not sure even which local government office we'd need to go to. But what's the point anyway? We still need to renew our residency." Nour is one of 10 unregistered babies in her small camp. In the early months of 2016, a new baby was born almost every two weeks. The settlement is just one of hundreds in the Bekaa Valley alone. In all, almost 70,000 children have been born to Syrian refugees in Lebanon since 2011, the United Nations says. This number excludes families not registered with the U.N., for which the refugee agency UNHCR has no estimate. A UNHCR survey of 2,500 families at the end of 2015 said 68 percent did not complete the third step, leaving their babies unregistered. Norwegian Refugee Council figures from January last year showed that more than 80 percent of nearly 800 refugees interviewed failed to register. The implications of having so many potentially stateless Syrians are worrisome. "It pushes you underground," Human Rights Watch researcher Bill Van Esveld said. "The lack of identity documents just makes everything in life much more difficult. The door to crucial rights like education and healthcare may be closed if you don't officially exist. You're forced to live in a grey zone, or even treated like a criminal." Khalifa al-Matar, another father in the camp, fled northern Syria's Raqqa with his wife three years ago. He has missed the cut-off point to register his son Hakam, who is now 18 months old. Khalifa now needs to get a lawyer, renew his own residency and possibly take a DNA test to prove Hakam is his. "I tried to register Hakam," he said, breaking a piece of firewood with one hand and holding his son in the other. "There seemed to be 50 ways to do it, and no one told me how. I even tried at the Syrian embassy. They told me to go to the notary, the notary told me I had to go back to Syria, so I eventually gave up. "Tomorrow there could be worse problems than now, and maybe we'd even need to flee Lebanon. With Hakam unregistered, we can't go anywhere," he said. (Additional reporting by Melih Aslan in Istanbul Edited by Simon Robinson, Sara Ledwith)
Spectra Energy SE is expected to report first-quarter 2016 earnings on May 4.



In the last quarter, the companys earnings of 28 cents per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents. The quarter's results also plunged 40.4% from the year-ago earnings of $0.47 per share. Lets see how things are shaping up prior to the announcement.









Factors Likely to Affect Earnings



Though we believe that commodity price concerns remain in the near term, the companys core fee-based businesses of storage, transmission, distribution, along with Canadian gathering and processing, have the potential to move the needle toward solid earnings and cash flow growth. Spectra, going forward, intends to increase its presence in the oil and refined products pipelines, storage tanks and terminals businesses.



Spectras growth momentum continues through both organic and inorganic means. Also, the company remains upbeat about its prospects in 2016. This is emphasized by its increased dividend of $0.14 per share in 2016. We expect strong returns from the companys western Canadian assets, BC Pipeline, BC Field Services, Midstream and Natural Gas Liquids. These constitute the largest natural gas midstream businesses in Canada and are well positioned for growth. These should also boost the first-quarter earnings.



However, Spectras results are vulnerable to fluctuations in natural gas markets. The proposed liquid-rich drilling activities by the company clearly suggest that low natural gas prices have little chance of recovery in the near term.



Though most of Spectra's revenues are based on regulated tariff rates, an unfavorable macro environment may result in lower earnings and cash flows. Moreover, with a relatively heavy debt-to-capitalization ratio of 57.5%, the company's balance sheet remains highly leveraged.



Earnings Whispers



Our proven model does not conclusively show that Spectra is likely to beat earnings this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here, as you will see below.



Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is currently pegged at -5.26%. The Most Accurate estimate for Schlumberger stands at 36 cents while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged higher at 38 cents.



Zacks Rank: Spectra carries a Zacks Rank #3. Though a favorable Zacks Rank increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys negative ESP makes surprise prediction difficult.



We caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 and 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.



Stocks to Consider



Here are some companies from the energy sector that, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:



Chesapeake Energy CHK has an Earnings ESP of +9.09% and a Zacks Rank #3.



Rowan Companies plc RDC has an Earnings ESP of +2.70% and a Zacks Rank #3.



Dril-Quip Inc DRQ has an Earnings ESP of +1.47% and a Zacks Rank #3.



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Sprouts' 1Q16 Earnings: Management, Wall Street Are Optimistic

(Continued from Prior Part)

What to expect from SFM in fiscal 2016?

The management of Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) is optimistic about the companys performance in fiscal 2016. It has predicted the companys top line to grow in the range of 16%19%, driven by same-store sales growth of 4%6% and an addition of 36 new stores during the year.

The company plans to open 70% of the new stores in existing markets. As a result, it expects cannibalization of 125150 basis points.

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) does not expect any gross margin improvement as it plans to drive sales by making necessary price investments. It is looking for EBITDA margin compression by around 4050 basis points on higher direct stores expenses and operating expenses.

Mid-term guidance by SFM

Sprouts Farmers Markets management expects the companys strong performance to continue in the coming years. It is anticipating Sprouts sales to grow by more than 15% in the medium term.

The companys sales growth is likely to be fueled by mid-single-digit growth in comparable store sales and about 14% growth in store units. SFM expects a six-fold expansion in its store count to reach 1,200 in its domestic market in the medium term.

Sprouts versus other supermarket peers

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) is a relatively small player when compared to other supermarket chains. As of December 31, 2015, the company operated 217 stores in 13 US states. In comparison, Whole Foods Market (WFM) operates more than 430 stores in the country. Kroger (KR), the largest supermarket chain in the US, operates more than 2,600 supermarkets in the US. SuperValu (SVU), the owner of Save-A-Lot, operates 194 retail stores and more than 1,300 Save-A-Lot stores.

Investors looking for exposure to Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) through ETFs can invest in the Guggenheim S&P MidCap 400 Pure Growth ETF (RFG). SFM has a weight of ~1.8% in RFG.

Please read the final article for Wall Streets view on the company, SFMs stock market performance, and its current valuations versus peers.

Story continues

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Sri Lanka's parliament erupted in brawls between rival lawmakers Tuesday, after a former army chief said a bomb blast apparently targeting ex-president Mahinda Rajapakse's brother 10 years ago was an "inside job".

Legislators from Sri Lanka's ruling party traded blows with those loyal to Rajapakse who became enraged after Sarath Fonseka said the 2006 bombing was aimed at winning sympathy for the then-ruling family.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said several lawmakers were injured and one was later taken to hospital suffering a black eye after the worst melee seen in the legislature in more than a decade.

"I am deeply saddened by the behaviour of MPs in storming the well of the House and attacking each other while Field Marshal Fonseka was explaining (security arrangements for the former president)," said Jayasuriya, who was forced to suspend proceedings for the day.

Fonseka, now a government legislator, said the December 2006 bomb attack blamed on separatist Tamil Tiger rebels had been stage-managed by the president's brother Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who was defence secretary at the time.

"No terrorist will set off a suicide bomb 25 metres away from the intended target," Fonseka told parliament during a debate on scaling down military security granted to the former strongman leader.

The government has said it is removing troops in Rajapakse's bodyguard and replacing them with police commandos as part of a policy of relieving the military from civilian security duties.

Gotabhaya escaped the 2006 bombing in Colombo unhurt, but it killed two members of his military convoy.

Soon after the attack, the government asked peacebroker Norway to halt all contacts with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Colombo withdrew from a truce and eventually crushed the rebels by May 2009.

Fonseka led the successful military campaign against the Tigers, but later fell out with the Rajapakse family over who should take credit for the spectacular military success.

Story continues

He launched a failed challenge to Rajapakse in 2010 elections and was later jailed for two and a half years on corruption charges.

The former army general has since been exonerated of all charges and elevated to the rank of field marshal by Rajapakse's successor, Maithripala Sirisena.

The general himself was seriously wounded in a suicide bombing in April 2006.

He recovered to lead the military in wiping out the rebel leadership in a no-holds-barred offensive that also sparked allegations of war crimes.
Coach-vs-first-class

Want to see airline passengers do a great impression of the Hulk? Parade the economy passengers through first class before a long flight.

In a study published Monday, researchers found two big factors that increased the likelihood of air rage incidents: Whether or not there was a first class cabin on board, and whether or not economy passengers had to pass through it during boarding.

"Air rage in economy is much more common when that plane has a first class cabin than when it does not," the study's lead author, Katherine DeCelles, told Mashable.

How much more common? A whopping 400 percent.

The study, by DeCelles, who is an associate professor at the University of Toronto, and Michael Norton of Harvard Business School, analyzed thousands of flights on a large international airline over several years and found that not only were incidents in economy more likely if there was a first class cabin, and more so if economy passengers had to walk through it  but incidents were also more likely in first class itself.

In other words, class inequality stresses everyone out, the study found.



"Physical design that highlights inequality can trigger antisocial behavior on airplanes," the researchers wrote.

The "antisocial behavior" they're referring to includes the types of behavior in the many, many incidents that have made headlines as of late, like when a woman threw a glass of water on a passenger when he prevented her seat from reclining, or when two women brawled mid-flight because of a crying baby, or when a grown man choked another passenger after she reclined her seat, or  you get the picture.

These incidents frequently result in flight diversions and the involvement of law enforcement, which are costly for airlines and inconvenient for everyone else on board.

It's worth noting that while the study found statistically significant correlations between in-flight inequality measures and air rage incidents, that does not necessarily mean that the manifestations of inequality are causing the incidents. Also, the study is limited to one airlines data, and its possible that broader surveys might show more subtle relationships, if any.



Story continues

DeCelles' previous research focuses on organizational behavior and criminology: "I'm interested in inequality and people's reactions to unfairness," she said.

In studying incidents on the international airline, which provided the data on the condition of anonymity, DeCelles found that air rage incidents contain parallels to the relationship between inequality in living situations and crime rates.

"The modern airplane reflects a social microcosm of class-based society," the study says, "making inequality salient to passengers through both the physical design of the plane (the presence of a first class cabin) and, more subtly, boarding procedure (whether economy passengers must pass through the first class cabin)."

An airplane, then, is a real life representation of wealth inequality that most people usually only experience in the abstract. It's like feeling just fine about your five-year-old Toyota Corolla  until a brand new Porsche cuts you off on the highway.

And even though passengers are only briefly exposed to in-flight inequality when passing through first class, that exposure seems to be having a very negative effect.

From the study's authors:

Modern commercial airline conditions like shrinking economy seats and packed flights are of course not blameless for mid-air misbehavior, but the study highlights the ability of reminders of inequality to escalate the situation.

Image: Carolyn Cole / LA Times / Getty Images and Mario Tama / Getty Images

What's more, the study's authors looked at seat pitch  the standard measure for airplane seat size  and found no correlation with air rage incidents. So even though those cramped seats are causing you discomfort, DeCelles says they aren't necessarily causing violence, at least on the airline in the study.

The study also found a difference in the types of antisocial behavior most common in first class compared to economy.

In first class, the researchers wrote, incidents "were more likely to be a result of belligerent behavior, involving a passenger's expression of strong anger," while incidents in economy "were more likely to result from emotional outbursts" ostensibly caused by the feeling of having no control.

That's consistent with previous sociological research on how relatively advantaged and disadvantaged people respond to situations they deem unacceptable: To generalize, first class passengers get angry. Economy passengers lose control.

If mid-air fights are something you'd like to avoid, the research is not comforting.

"Class-based seating is both more prevalent and more unequal in recent years, with first class cabins claiming an increasingly large share of total space," the researchers wrote. And what they left unwritten: First class is only getting better, while economy on many airlines is getting worse.

DeCelles did offer some suggestions for reducing incidents, however. For one, when possible, airlines should board first and economy classes through separate doors. Unfortunately, that requires not only aircraft with appropriate doors, but also airports with gates that support separate entrances.

But there are other things airlines can do: Decrease the in-your-face inequality by not openly favoring first class passengers, and not constantly reminding economy passengers that no, that lavatory at the front of the plane is not for them.

And having a nice economy cabin  DeCelles noted the economy seats on JetBlue's new aircraft with the Mint first class section  can also keep passengers happy.

"People know that inequality is going to happen," she said. "They just don't want to be treated like dirt."
ROME (Reuters) - Stealing a little food should not be considered a crime if you really need it, Italy's highest court has ruled. Ukrainian national Roman Ostriakov was living rough in the northern Italian city of Genoa in 2011 when he was caught trying to steal some cheese and sausage worth 4.07 euros ($4.71) from a supermarket. He was found guilty of theft and sentenced to six months in jail and a handed a 100-euro fine. The state prosecutor appealed the sentence on a technicality, arguing that he should not have been found guilty of theft, but rather attempted theft, because he had been caught before he had left the supermarket premises. But Italy's Supreme Court annulled the verdict. "The condition of the accused and the circumstances in which he obtained the merchandise show that he had taken the little amount of food he needed to overcome his immediate and essential requirement for nourishment," it said in a written ruling. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer)
Rome (AFP) - Italy's highest court has acquitted a homeless man of stealing cheese and sausages, ruling that the theft of small amounts of food by the hungry poor is not a crime.

Ukrainian Roman Ostriakov was caught in 2011 pocketing 4.07 euros ($4.72) worth of food in a supermarket in Genoa, after a customer spotted him and reported him to a member of staff, Italian media reported on Tuesday.

He was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a 100 euro fine.

But the verdict was appealed on grounds that Ostriakov had been stopped before he had actually left the supermarket, and at a second appeal, Italy's court of cassation acquitted him.

It was clear the defendant "could not live without feeding himself, so acted out of necessity," the court said.

The Corriere della Sera daily was quick to point out the irony of a legal system in Italy which saw the theft of goods worth fewer than five euros go through three costly rounds of justice -- first instance, appeal and cassation -- before being thrown out.
LOS ANGELES, May 2 (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Steven Cohen said that too many hedge funds placing the same types of bets had contributed to sharp losses for his Point72 Asset Management earlier this year.

"One of my biggest worries is that there are so many players out there trying to do similar strategies," Cohen said on Monday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.

"If one of these highly levered players had a rough run and took down risk, would we be collateral damage?" Cohen said. "In February we drew down 8 percent which for us is a lot. My worst fears were realized." (Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne; Editing by Sandra Maler)
(Adds additional Cohen comments, career background)

By Lawrence Delevingne

LOS ANGELES, May 2 (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Steven Cohen said that too many hedge funds placing the same types of bets contributed to sharp losses for his $11 billion Point72 Asset Management earlier this year.

"One of my biggest worries is that there are so many players out there trying to do similar strategies," Cohen said Monday, speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.

"If one of these highly levered players had a rough run and took down risk, would we be collateral damage?" Cohen said. "In February we drew down 8 percent which for us is a lot. My worst fears were realized."

Point72 has rebounded to a return of approximately zero for the year, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Cohen also commented on the hedge fund industry's relatively large size and meager recent returns, saying that both investors and their clients were willing to tolerate lower performance.

"When this business started, guys took pride in the returns that they generated. Guys would make 20, 25, 30 percent," said Cohen, known for generating similar returns himself. "Now it's about trying to figure the intersection between assets under management and what investors would be willing to accept."

The Hedge Fund Intelligence Americas Global Equity index, an industry benchmark, fell 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2016. The index gained just 0.56 percent in 2015.

Cohen's presence at the Milken event reflected a newfound openness for an investor who generally avoids media interviews. The public appearance was his third this spring - including events organized by Evercore and the Marine Corp Law Enforcement Foundation - after doing virtually nothing since attending the SkyBridge Alternatives Conference in May 2011.

Cohen famously founded and ran SAC Capital Advisors, one of the most successful hedge fund firms ever.

Stamford, Connecticut-based Point72 is the so-called family office that succeeded SAC, which pleaded guilty to fraud in 2013 and paid $1.8 billion in criminal and civil settlements with U.S. authorities.

Story continues

It was also forced to return outside capital, although a more recent settlement with regulators would allow Cohen to again manage other people's money starting in 2018 should he so choose.

Cohen did not address the firm's regulatory history in his remarks and no questions from the audience or media were allowed.

(Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne; Editing by Sandra Maler and Kenneth Maxwell)
Http%3a%2f%2fi.blueprint.mashable.com%2f1w0-uqbls6r_hsy3em5m3g4vkie%3d%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f7738%2fe4a703cee9514dd6a0ebe274c9407d88

Comedian Seth Rogen has visited the University of Vermont three times over the past few years, and for each visit UVM senior Ted comes fully prepared:

Ted  who prefers to keep his last name private  tells Mashable that he pulled the idea from a popular Reddit post, in which a Doug Benson fan recreated his photo with the comedian four times, image print-out and all.

SEE ALSO: Comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen brag about the size of their caucuses

For three years the student and his fellow fraternity brothers have raised money for Rogen's Hilarity for Charity, a nonprofit that benefits those with Alzheimer's disease. Their prize was a campus visit from Rogen and his wife and charity co-founder Lauren Miller.

He says he didn't intend for the resulting photos to wind up in the public eye. But as people on the Internet are wont to do, someone pulled the photo from Ted's Facebook page and posted it on Reddit, where it rocketed to the front page. He confirmed the photo as his own in a post comment.

"Seth is always great when talking to him," Ted told Mashable. He's confident his fraternity will win a visit from Rogen again in the coming year, and hopes he'll be able to attend as an alumnus.

Let's hope for a four-peat.

Bonus: Nick Offerman reads 'Shower Thoughts'

Video: Annie Colbert, Alan Haburchak
Supermarkets on the Stock Market: A Performance Comparison

(Continued from Prior Part)

Apollo closes its deal with The Fresh Market

The Fresh Market (TFM), which entered into a definitive agreement with Apollo Global Management (APO) on March 14, 2016, has entered the next stage of the acquisition deal. The go-shop period for The Fresh Market, which ended April 2, 2016, expired without any new bidders stepping in. This gave Apollo the green light to close the deal.

Apollo Global, an American private equity firm, announced its interest in acquiring TFM for $1.4 billion in an all-cash deal. Apollo agreed to pay $28.50 per share to TFM shareholders, which includes a premium of 24% to the closing share price on the day prior to the announcement of the deal. The deal, if successful, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016.

April results recap

SuperValu (SVU) reported its fourth-quarter 2016 results on April 26, 2016. The company beat analysts earnings estimates by $0.04 and reported adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.23. The company, however, missed on revenue estimates for the third consecutive quarter, reporting total sales of $4.0 billion. All of its segments reported a revenue decline. The companys better-than-expected earnings were primarily a result of lower income tax expenses and a decline in interest costs.

Whats in store for supermarkets in May?

Whole Foods Market (WFM) is all set to launch its first 365 stores in Los Angeles on May 25. The new concept will follow a smaller store format, housing private label products that will be cheaper than those offered in the traditional Whole Foods stores. These budget-friendly stores are one of the companys most important initiatives to stay afloat in the highly competitive organic food space.

WFM is set to report its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 on May 4, 2016. After WFM, Sprouts Farmers Market will release its 1Q16 results on May 5, 2016. While Wall Street is expecting WFMs earnings per share to fall by 5.3% year-over-year, it is expecting SFMs to rise by 14%. ETF investors seeking to gain exposure to Whole Foods could consider the Market Vectors Retail ETF (RTH), which invests 1.5% of its portfolio in the company. Investors looking to invest in SFM through ETFs could opt for the iShares S&P Mid-Cap 400 Growth ETF (IJK). SFM makes up 0.54% of IJKs holdings. Continue on to the next section to read about the five supermarkets stock market performance.

Story continues

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge by business groups to Seattle's law raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour, a move echoed by other locales, in a case focusing on how the ordinance affected local franchises like McDonald's.

The Seattle law's supporters hailed the court's action, which left intact a lower court ruling backing the measure, as a defeat for "the big business lobby" that has taken aim at minimum wage hikes.

The International Franchise Association and the businesses that challenged the measure did not target the actual wage hike. Instead, they argued that it was unfair for Seattle to exclude local franchises of big companies like McDonald's and Burger King from the small companies that the law gives three extra years to pay employees at least $15 per hour.

Seattle was the first major U.S. city to commit to such a high basic wage amid pressure from unions and workers' rights groups. The move has since been followed to varying degrees by cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as by state lawmakers in California and New York.

Seattle's law, which took effect in April 2015, requires businesses with more than 500 employees nationwide to raise their minimum wage to $15 by 2018. Smaller companies have until 2021 to do so.

The high court's move means that cities and states that pass similar wage laws must treat franchises as offshoots of brand parents rather than independent small businesses.

The franchise association said its 2014 lawsuit sought "to level the playing field" for the 600 franchise businesses that employ 19,000 people in Seattle, and it was disappointed with the court's action.

"Seattle's ordinance is blatantly discriminatory and affirmatively harms hard-working franchise small business owners every day since it has gone into effect," said the group's president, Robert Cresanti.

Story continues

A federal judge in Seattle in March 2015 sided with the city, and the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year agreed.

Working Washington, a coalition of labor and nonprofit groups that spearheaded the campaign to pass Seattle's wage law, called the Supreme Court's move not to hear the case a victory for workers.

"The big business lobby has thrown everything they got at Seattle workers," the group said, "but they keep on losing, and the economy continues to boom."

Seattle officials and the Service Employees International Union, which backed the city in the case, said franchises are not typical small businesses because franchising offers inherent advantages such as access to loans, brand recognition and bulk purchasing. But the franchise association countered that those perks come at a cost, namely royalties, fees and rent.
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. TROW has been slammed with a lawsuit for allegedly charging investors $388 million in excessive fees. The lawsuit was filed on last Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, by a group of investors in T. Rowe Price mutual funds.



The suit focuses on some of the Maryland-based asset managers well known funds, including its Blue Chip Growth Fund. For instance, the company is accused of charging up to 69% higher management fees on its Blue Chip Growth Fund compared to its charges as a sub-adviser on equivalent funds for other asset managers.



Apparently, T. Rowe Price has been providing similar services for its branded and subadvised funds, but charging considerably different fees. According to the complaint, T. Rowe Price breached its fiduciary duty by receiving investment management fees from each fund that are so disproportionately large that they bear no reasonable relationship to the value of the services provided... and could not have been the product of arm's-length bargaining.



Investors also stated, The board has approved the [investment management agreements] each year without devoting the time and attention necessary to independently assess the investment management fee rate paid by each fund or to effectively represent the interests of fund shareholders.



T. Rowe Price, in its response, stated, We believe the claims are without merit, and will aggressively defend against the suit.



Though the company remains committed in countering the issue, we believe it exposes T. Rowe Price to any potential high legal expenses stemming from the case.



T. Rowe Price currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Some other well placed stocks in the investment management space includes Cohen & Steers Inc. CNS, Eagle Point Credit Company Inc. ECC and GAMCO Investors, Inc. GBL, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).



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(Adds details, NHTSA, Takata reaction)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Under pressure from U.S. regulators, Japanese air bag manufacturer Takata Corp is expected to announce as early as Wednesday that it is recalling 35 million to 40 million additional inflators in U.S. vehicles, three sources briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.

The expanded recall will be phased in over several years and more than double what is already the largest and most complex auto safety recall in U.S. history. The new recall will cover all frontal air bag inflators without a drying agent, sources briefed on the matter said.

To date, 14 automakers, led by Honda Motor Co, have recalled 24 million U.S. vehicles with 28.8 million inflators due to the risk that they can explode with too much force and spray metal shards inside vehicles.

In recent days, officials from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told Takata they need to expand the recall based on the government's determination of the root cause of the problems, sources briefed on the matter said.

NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas declined to confirm the expanded recall. "NHTSA has reviewed the findings of three separate investigations into the Takata air bag ruptures. The recall of Takata air bag inflators... continues and the agency will take all appropriate actions to make sure air bags in Americans' vehicles are safe."

The new recall is expected to include about 35 million passenger-side air bags and some driver-side air bags without a drying agent. It is also expected to include some air bags that were previously replaced that did not have a drying agent.

Takata spokesman Jared Levy declined to confirm the expansion, but said the company is "working with regulators and our automaker customers to develop long-term, orderly solutions to these important safety issues."

Last month, NHTSA said there were about 85 million unrecalled Takata air bag inflators in U.S. vehicles that would need to be recalled by 2019 unless the company can prove they are safe.

Story continues

The recall expansion, earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal, leaves open the question of whether about 50 million inflators - including 18 million side inflators and about 32 million frontal and side airbags with drying agents - will eventually need to be recalled.

At least 11 people have been killed worldwide in incidents linked to defective Takata inflators. The latest was the March 31 death of a 17-year-old driver in Texas.

Under an agreement signed last year, the company has until 2019 to demonstrate that all of its unrecalled air bag inflators are safe.

The prospect of ballooning recall costs has prompted Takata to look for a financial backer.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler; Editing by Dan Grebler)
Washington (AFP) - Takata is preparing to recall at least another 35 million airbags in the US to address a defect linked to 11 fatalities, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The additional recalls by the Japanese auto parts supplier could be announced as soon as this week, the newspaper said, citing unidentified people familiar with the situation.

Some 50 million Takata airbags have been recalled globally, including roughly 28 million in the United States, to address a defect that can cause the airbag to explode, pummelling a driver or passenger with metal and plastic shrapnel.

Contacted by AFP, officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declined comment. The agency had said in February that tens of millions of additional cars in the United States could be recalled.

In spite of numerous probes, US officials have been unable to settle on the exact cause of the problem. However, they believe the problem is more likely to surface in older cars and in climates where humidity is high.

In November the NHTSA imposed a record $200 million civil fine on Takata for providing inadequate and inaccurate information about its dangerously explosive safety devices installed in millions of cars.
Police responded to a 911 call of an active shooter situation inside a Bradley, Illinois, Target on Monday afternoon to instead find an unarmed man causing panic among customers.

Michael Merichko, 39, was taken into custody for disorderly conduct after protesting the retail giant's nationwide bathroom policy, which allows employees and customers to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.

According to a Chicago Patch report, the store was "surrounded by heavily armed police Monday afternoon in search of a gunman, but no armed man was found. Police did find a big, bearded man who has issues with Target's toilet rules."

No gun at Target during frenetic 'active shooter' response but man arrested. http://ow.ly/4nkZVV pic.twitter.com/jdzv0Gbiyv https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CheaOSbWYAIdO4L.jpg:large

On April 19, the company issued a statement clarifying its own restroom and fitting room policies, which fly in the face of the anti-transgender laws enacted in states like recently.

"We believe that everyone  every team member, every guest and every community  deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally," the company wrote. "We welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity."
Retail real estate investment trust (REIT) Taubman Centers Inc.s TCO first-quarter 2016 funds from operations (FFO) per share of 84 cents missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. We expect the earnings release to lead to stock movement.



However, the figure was up 3.7% from 81 cents earned a year ago. Results were driven by an increase in occupancy and average rent at its centers.



Revenues came in at $139.5 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $136 million and improving from around $129.0 million in the year-ago quarter.



Quarter in Detail



Comparable center net operating income (NOI), excluding lease cancellation income, rose 5.8% year over year; while average rent per square foot was $60.80, up 2.7% year over year. For the period ended Mar 31, 2016, trailing 12-month releasing spreads per square foot were 25.2%.



For the first quarter, mall tenant sales per square foot decreased 2.9% year over year. Results reflect the adverse impact on the tourist-oriented centers that were affected by the strong dollar, particularly in South Florida.



As of Mar 31, 2016, the comparable centers portfolio was 95.9% leased, denoting a 0.4% year-over-year increase; while ending occupancy was 93.2%, up 0.8% year over year.



Liquidity



Taubman Centers exited first-quarter 2016 with cash and cash equivalents of $172.9 million, down from $206.6 million recorded at year-end 2015.



2016 Guidance



Taubman Centers has raised its guidance for 2016. The company now expects 2016 FFO per share in the range of $3.75$3.95, against the prior outlook of $3.45$3.65. Adjusted FFO per share is projected in the range of $3.50$3.70. The Zacks Consensus Estimate currently stands at $3.66.



The guidance includes $2$2.5 million of net service fee income for the year along with a payment to the company of around $21 million slated to be received in the second quarter, both an outcome of the termination of the companys leasing services agreement at The Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas, NV.



Moreover, the updated outlook incorporates the positive impact of Country Club Plaza and an assumption of 5% growth for the year in comparable center NOI, excluding lease cancellation income.



Our Viewpoint



Taubman Centers is expected to grow on the back of a solid retail portfolio and a strong tenant base, going forward. Yet, stiff competition and growing online sales remain as concerns.



Taubman currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Investors interested in the retail REIT industry may consider stocks like The Macerich Company MAC, Realty Income Corporation O and STORE Capital Corporation STOR. Each of these stocks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



Note: FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.

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With the Q1 earnings cycle in full swing, a number of tech companies are slated to report their quarterly numbers over the next few days. So far, the earnings scenario for the overall sector has remained pretty unimpressive.

First-quarter results for the technology sector were marred by weaker-than-expected numbers from behemoths like Apple AAPL, Microsoft MSFT and Alphabet GOOGL. Notably, as of Apr 29, total earnings of all the companies, representing 85.3% of the tech sectors total market capitalization in the S&P 500 index, were down 5.9% on 0.7% higher revenues. (Read more: Why Are More Companies Beating Q1 Estimates?)

Furthermore, the earnings scenario for the overall tech sector remains gloomy, with the Zacks Earnings Trend predicting a 6% year-over-year decline in the quarter, despite a modest sales growth projection of 2.3%.

Among the companies slated to report this week, lets see what awaits these four major tech stocks, all of which are scheduled to release their quarterly numbers this week.

Microchip Technology Inc. MCHP, which develops and manufactures specialized semiconductor products, is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2016 results on May 4.For the to-be-reported quarter, this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company has an Earnings ESP of 3.33%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 60 cents.

Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 10.91%. In fact, Microchip has a healthy track record with respect to earnings, having delivered positive surprises in each of the last four quarters with an average beat of 5.20%.

Microchip is one of the fastest growing providers of 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers in the world. In fact, the companys microcontroller business has historically outperformed the industry and is expected to record a solid performance in the upcoming quarter as well. Furthermore, Microchip is increasingly expanding its touch business beyond handsets and tablets in areas such as automotive industrial applications, which should boost its to-be-reported quarterly results. (Read more: Will Microchip's Earnings Momentum Continue in Q4?)

Story continues

Teradata Corporation TDC, the world's largest company focused on raising intelligence through data warehousing and enterprise analytics, is slated to post its first-quarter 2016 results on May 5. For the quarter, the company has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and it carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The Zacks Consensus Estimate stands at 31 cents.

Last quarter, the company posted a negative earnings surprise of 3.08%. Notably, Teradata has missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the four trailing quarters, with an average negative surprise of 13.87%.

Since the past few quarters, Teradatas business has been impacted by unfavorable customer purchase patterns. The recent realignment of its sales force in the U.S. could make things even more difficult for the company. Moreover, in the first quarter, the company is expected to exit from most of its Marketing Applications business, resulting in an after-tax loss of $7 million. (Read more: Teradata to Report Q1 Earnings: Will It Miss Again?)

PerkinElmer, Inc. PKI, a global technology company that provides products and systems to the telecom, medical, pharmaceutical, chemical, semiconductor and photographic markets, will report its first-quarter 2016 results on May 5.For the to-be-reported quarter, this Zacks Rank #2 company has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 51 cents.

Last quarter, PerkinElmer posted a negative earnings surprise of 1.15%. Notably, the company has surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 4.81%.

PerkinElmer expects the Medical imaging segment to face headwinds in the first half (down in the high single/low double digits) of 2016. Moreover, strengthening of the U.S. dollar, a sluggish European macro environment and challenges in Japan are expected to impede top-line growth in the near term. Nonetheless, we believe PerkinElmer has maintained strong execution of its business across several product lines, aided by rebounding markets and effective cost-containment efforts. New product launches are expected to be key catalysts, going forward. (Read more: Can PerkinElmer Pull a Surprise in Q1 Earnings?)

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation CTSH, a worldwide provider of IT, consulting and business process services, is scheduled to post its first-quarter 2016 results on May 6.For the to-be-reported quarter, this Zacks Rank #3 company has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 70 cents.

Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 4.23%. Notably, Cognizant has surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice in the preceding four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 3.79%.

Cognizant has been benefiting from its healthy exposure to fast-growing verticals like Financial Services and Healthcare. We expect the company to benefit from strong demand for high quality, lower cost technology services, especially in the outsourcing market. Rising demand for offshore services beyond traditional IT outsourcing namely, BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) and IT infrastructure services, also bodes well for the company. However, it can be impacted by a slowdown in regions like North America or unfavorable changes in industries like financial services. (Read more: Cognizant to Post Q1 Earnings: What's in the Cards?)

Stay tuned! Check later on our full write-up on earnings releases of these stocks.

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Donald Trump won a resounding victory in Indianas Republican Primary on Tuesday, all-but winning his partys presidential nomination and closing off the path to the nomination for Sen. Ted Cruz, his one serious remaining rival.

The results in Indiana were a decisive milestone in the Republican primary, ending what Texas Sen. Cruzs last hope to force the race into a contested convention.

Shortly after Trumps victory in Indiana, Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus called him the presumptive GOP nominee, effectively handing the party to a man widely loathed within its own ranks.

Trump, who stormed over a deep field of Republican candidates with a potent mix of ad hominem attacks, bluster and outsider flair, is one of the least popular men ever to be the presumptive nominee of a major political party. He has surprised his party at every turn, beating back well-funded rivals and capturing the imagination of a restive Republican base.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary in Indiana, the Associated Press projected shortly after 9 p.m. ET, edging out Hillary Clinton by a small margin. The delegates will be split in the state, however, and the result is unlikely to shake the race.

Now Trump is preparing for a general election, likely against Clinton.

Were going after Hillary Clinton. She will not be a great president, she will not be a good president, she will be a poor president, Trump said at his victory party on Tuesday night.

Cruz announced he was dropping out of the Republican primary shortly after the results were called, a shocking blow to a GOP establishment that hoped to prevent Trump from winning the nomination.

We left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything weve got but the voters chose another path, Cruz said. So with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign.

Story continues

With Trumps path toward the Republican nomination cleared, perhaps the most remarkable primary in recent history is winding to a close.

After Trump claimed a sweep of major victories in five Atlantic states from Rhode Island to Maryland last week and in New York the week before, he was in a strong position to claim the Republican nomination by the last primary in June. The real estate moguls big win in Indiana gave Cruz little chance to win the nomination.

The Republican primary was deeply bitter in recent weeks, with the candidates trading charges of desperation, dishonesty, and even questioning each others basic morality. Cruz spent his final day before polls closed in the state making an urgent push to block Trump from winning a victory that would virtually seal up the nomination for the billionaire businessman.

As he campaigned in the Hoosier State this week, Cruz engaged with pro-Trump protesters, touted his support of Second Amendment rights, and worked to sway evangelicals and Christian conservatives. At a campaign stop in Evansville, Ind., on Tuesday, Cruz criticized Trump for statements hes made about women and his weakness with female voters, describing him as terrified of strong women.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump fired back at comments by Cruzs father, Rafael, who called on evangelicals and constitutionalists to vote for his son and warned that the alternative candidate could cause the destruction of America.

I think its a disgrace that hes allowed to do it. I think its a disgrace that hes allowed to say it, Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. Im backed byyou look at Jerry Falwell Jr. and you look at so many of the ministers that are backing me, and theyre backing me more so than theyre backing Cruz, and Im winning the evangelical vote.

Trump also baselessly accused Rafael Cruz of being affiliated with Lee Harvey Oswald and involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Lets be clear: this is nuts. This is not a reasonable position.  This man is a pathological liar, Cruz said from Evansville, rejecting the criticism of his father. The man is utterly immoral.

Trump held his election-night event at Trump Tower in New York City.

Sanders victory in the Indiana primary will likely give him a bump in fundraising, though the nomination is increasingly out of his reach with Clinton enjoying a sizable delegate lead. The states open primary stood to help both Trump and Sanders, who have attracted independent voters throughout the campaign.

Clintons allies were already beginning to call on Sanders to drop out of the race Tuesday night to allow the former Secretary of State to concentrate on the general election.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.  Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is behind in Republican presidential primary delegates and down in the polls, but he has a plan.

On the day before todays crucial Indiana primary, Cruz and his allies barnstormed the state and explained how they hope to defeat GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. They faced doubters and voters who are concerned the protracted primary could damage the Republican Party.

After more than three months of primaries and caucuses, Cruz has no chance of winning the Republican nomination on the first ballot at the Republican Partys convention in July. At this point, his strategy is centered on keeping Trump below that first ballot threshold as well, in the hopes that party delegates will elect him in subsequent rounds of voting, in which they are not bound by primary election results. Without a strong finish in Indiana today, the chance that Cruzs plan might work will become increasingly remote.

As Indiana began to look like a must-win race for Cruz, his campaign pulled out all the stops. On Monday, his team hosted 10 events around the state with a slew of allies, including his wife, Heidi, a trio of elected officials who have endorsed him, conservative pundits and his newly appointed running mate, Carly Fiorina.

Heidi and Fiorina spent Monday touring Indianapolis and its suburbs in a bus bedecked with the Cruz campaign logo. They were accompanied by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, and conservative author David Limbaugh. Their first stop was a bakery in the town of Brownsburg, where Heidi told multiple supporters that the Cruz campaign believes it is converting new supporters in Indiana even though polls in the state currently show Trump ahead by an average of over 10 points.

Theres been a lot of people who are kind of now seeing the reality of this whole thing and coming on board, Heidi told one voter she met at the bakery. Weve been converting big numbers this past week.

Story continues

And what is the hard truth the Cruz campaign believes Republican voters are facing? It points to polls showing that Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton would easily defeat Trump in a general election matchup as evidence that the Republican Partys voters have as much interest in forcing a contested convention and blocking Trump as Cruz does.

Ted Cruz speaks during a rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis on Monday. (Photo: Michael Conroy/AP)



In a conversation with Yahoo News, Gohmert argued a Trump win would lead to a Republican loss in the general election that could match the historically bad numbers the GOP saw when Barry Goldwater was crushed in the 1964 election. Gohmert pointed to video footage comedian John Oliver aired of Trump and a British documentary as evidence that Democrats have tons of material to paint Trump as a flip-flopper with a history of questionable comments, bad business dealings and personal drama.

I mean, Im not a John Oliver fan, but you look at the 20 minutes John Oliver put together on the inconsistencies of Donald Trump and I think you see, if hes the nominee were just going to be overwhelmed, Gohmert said, adding, Its going to be brutal. I think those that predict, if Trump is the nominee that itll be worse than Goldwater, I think theyre right.  All the things negative on Trump that theyve been holding onto, they will come out.

While Gohmert presented this argument to voters at the Brownsburg bakery, Fiorina tried winning them over in a different way as she posed for photos and signed autographs.

Occasionally, someone will want a picture, they say theyre not decided, and then I have to say one vote, one picture. Thats how it works, Fiorina said to one voter.

After a man named Shane took a selfie with her, Fiorina was dismayed to find he remained undecided.

Oh come on, you just got a selfie, youre going to vote tomorrow, and youre going to vote for us, all right? Thats the deal.  Thats the deal, one picture, one vote, Fiorina said. And I never forget a face, so you dont want me coming back looking for you.

I guess I better be at that poll in case shes at my poll tomorrow, quipped Shane, who later told Yahoo News he was still undecided between Cruz and Trump.

Fiorina ended her own presidential campaign in February after a seventh place finish in New Hampshire. Cruz tapped Fiorina as his running mate on April 27. It was an unusual maneuver for a candidate whos still competing in the primary, and it was widely seen as a last-ditch effort heading into the crucial Indiana race. While Fiorina encountered some enthusiastic fans on Monday, others seemed less aware of her presence. One Cruz supporter in Brownsburg confused Fiorina with Heidi.

Im Carly Fiorina.  Im not Heidi Cruz, Fiorina told the woman. I run with him.

Yahoo News asked Fiorina why she believed she could help boost Cruz after her own poor finish in the race. She pointed to Trump.

The soul of our party is at stake. I said the moment Donald Trump announced his candidacy, he doesnt represent me and he does not represent my party, Fiorina said. He agrees with Hillary Clinton way too much for my tastes or, I think, the tastes of the people of the Hoosier State and so, this isnt a fight about me, this is a fight about all of us actually.

In their appearances on Monday, Cruz and his allies all presented it as a foregone conclusion that he would win the Republican nomination at a contested convention even though he has made few friends among the Republican Party leadership during his time in Congress. Lee, who is known as one of Cruzs only friends in the Senate, said a lack of Washington allies wouldnt hurt Cruz at a contested convention.

The Washington, D.C., establishment is very different from the delegate base, and as weve seen all across the country, its very different from the primary election base, Lee said. And, you know, there are those who significantly exaggerate the idea that he doesnt have any friends. That simply isnt true.

Cruz was joined by conservative talk show host Glenn Beck at some of his Indiana appearances on Monday. In the early evening, the pair visited a supermarket in Bloomington. Hundreds of supporters lined up around the block to see Cruz.

Inside, Cruz encountered some voters who were concerned about his campaigns attacks on Trump. Tony Feller showed up at the market with his wife and daughter. Feller told Yahoo News he was undecided between Cruz and Trump.

My only slight concern with Cruz is  his ad campaigns and everything are just very typical politician, you know, theyre all negative ads, Feller said. I havent seen a single ad that really says anything about him himself. Theyre all negative against Trump.

Cruz campaigns outside the Wagon Wheel Market in Bloomington, Ind., on Monday. (Photo: David Snodgress/The Herald-Times via AP)

As Cruz made the rounds and shook hands with voters, some expressed concern his fight with Trump could hurt the Republican Party. Bloomington resident Christine Carlin told Cruz she was undecided. Carlin, who is this reporters aunt, expressed concern there is no unity in the GOP.

If you and Trump  came together, would that not make Hillary insane? Carlin asked Cruz.

I mean, my view on compromise, Im happy to compromise on all sorts of issues, but not on core principles, Cruz answered. And Trumps views are, I think, fundamentally inconsistent with core principles.

Carlin also told Cruz she was worried that Clinton would beat him in the general election. Cruz pointed to some polls that show his chances in a general election are better than Trumps.

We have to win, Cruz said. Ill tell you this, if Donalds the nominee, she wins by double digits. If Im the nominee, right now, Im leading her in the key swing states. Im leading her in Ohio, Im leading her in Iowa, Im leading her in Colorado.

While polls do show Cruz beating Clinton in Iowa, the results in the other two states he named have been mixed.

At the market in Bloomington, an elderly woman who told Cruz she was voting for him also said she was worried about his feuding with Trump.

I think you guys need to come together, the woman said, later adding, As a grandma, I want to go up there and put yall in your own rooms and tell you youre all grounded.

Cruz countered by suggesting Trump engages in personal attacks and he does not.

I will say that there is a difference in that there are other candidates who are engaging in nasty personal attacks.  In the face of those nasty personal attacks, I dont respond in kind, Cruz said. You have not heard me engage in personal attacks on Donald Trump or anyone else. I do think issues are fair game.

Along with supporters, Cruzs event in Bloomington attracted a contingent of protesters. In addition to backers of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders and a man there to criticize Cruzs support for laws barring transgender people from using bathrooms that dont match the gender they were born with, there were some less serious demonstrators. As Cruz departed the market, they screamed insults at him.

You look like a fish monster! one man shouted.

Cruz seemed unfazed. He confronted one of the protesters as he walked toward his motorcade.

You seem to have real problems with anger. I would advise decaffeinated brands, they work just as well, Cruz said.

Before he drove off, Cruz stood on the side of his SUV and waved at the crowd  friend, foe and undecided alike.
UPDATE 2, 11 AM, Donald Trump campaign response:Donald Trump has responded to GOP rival Ted Cruzs hail Mary attack on its candidate this morning in Indiana, caling him a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign.

Over the last week I have watched Lyin Ted become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing, in all cases by landslides, the last six primary elections  in fact, coming in last place in all but one of them, Trump said via his campaign. Todays ridiculous outburst only proves what I have been saying for a long time, that Ted Cruz does not have the temperament to be President of the United States.

Updated at 9:30 AM with Donald Trump Jr. reax: Donald Trump is an utterly amoral, pathological liar who boasts about infidelity, builds giant buildings on which he puts his name because of a yawning cavern of insecurity, and uses the National Enquirer to smear political opponents, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said today, to the delight of cable news networks covering his newser.

After the bomb exploded, pundits picked navel lint over Cruzs last-ditch effort to sway Indiana voters heading to the polls today  a state Cruz at one point had been expected to carry. Indiana is widely considered to be a last-stand for the #NeverTrump movement, and, when Cruzs tirade was over, Trump surrogates told giddy news talent Cruzs scorched-earth riff was a sad end to the candidates presidential bid. So far, Donald Trump is uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter since the dust settled, but Junior tweeted:

That was an impressive meltdown Desperate but impressive. Reminded me of my 3 year old coming off a sugar high. https://t.co/3lqwHIRWo6  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 3, 2016

Here are some of Cruzs highlights:

Story continues

 This morning, Donald Trump went on national television and attacks my father, alleges my dad was involved in assassinating JFK. This is nuts, this is just kooky. I guess I should just admit my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his back yard.

 Donalds source for this is the National Enquirer, tabloid trash, run by his good friend David Pecker the CEO who has endorsed Donald Trump, Cruz said. The National Enquirer has become his hit piece he uses to smear anybody. The National Enquirer has become his hit piece he uses to smear anybody and everybody.

 Im going to do something I havent done the entire campaign. Im going to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar. He doesnt know the difference between truth and lies; he lies with practically every word that comes out of his mouth.

 The man cannot tell the truth, but he combines it with being a narcissist, at a level I dont think this country has ever seen. Digging deep for the worst insult he could hurl at the GOP frontrunner, Cruz said, Donald Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and goes, Dude, whats your problem?.

 The man is utterly amoral. Morality does not exist for him. Its why he went after Heidi directly and smeared my wife. Apparently shes not pretty enough for Trump.

 Donald is a bully. Bullies come from a deep, yawning cavern of insecurity. Theres a reason Donald builds giant buildings and puts his name on them everywhere he goes, Cruz added, metaphorically.

 Donald is lying to his supporters. Donald will betray his supporters on every issue. If you care about immigration, Donald is laughing at you, and hes telling the moneyed elites dont believe what hes saying that hes not going to build a wall  thats what he told the New York Times. He will betray you on every issue across the board.

 The President of the United States affects our culture. I ask people of Indiana, think about the next five yearsThink about your kids emulating this.

 Donald Trump is a serial philanderer. And he boasts about it. Think about your teenage kids. The President of the United States talks bout how great it is to commit adulterydescribes his battles with venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam. Thats a quote, by the way, on the Howard Stern show.

The entire country is depending on youIt is only Indiana that can pull us back. We are staring at the abyss and I have incredible faith in Hoosiers.

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Ted Cruz Drops Out Of White House Race After Donald Trump Mows Him Down In Indiana Primary - UPDATE

John Oliver Message To Cicada Skitters Toward 1M Views In Web-Only 'Last Week Tonight' Segment
Think, McFly. Think.

That is the message Ted Cruz was hammering to Indiana voters on Tuesday hours before polls closed for the state's GOP primary.

Donald Trump is the current frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, but the Texas senator was trying to persuade voters to think of what the future will be like under the billionaire businessman, even citing the popular Back to the Future trilogy.

"If anyone has seen the movie Back to the Future II, the screenwriter says that he based the character Biff Tannen on Donald Trump - a caricature of a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks," Cruz told reporters. "We are looking potentially at the Biff Tannen presidency."

Tom Wilson, the actor who played Tannen, previously told The Hollywood Reporter he did not base his portrayal of the character off Trump, nor was that notion ever suggested to him during filming.

Read More: Donald Trump Criticizes Ted Cruz for Not Checking on Carly Fiorina After Fall: "Even I Would've Helped Her"
From Seventeen

Kaelin Farnish, 17, wants to open a bank account. Just one problem: they can't. They identify as genderqueer and non-binary, and every bank they've approached thus far near their small village in the UK requires applicants to tick a box on their application for either "male" or "female."

"When you're filling something in and you don't identify as male or female and you only see those two boxes then you don't see yourself there," Kaelin's dad Keith Farnish told BuzzFeed News. "You are absent. That must hurt, and that's what makes me angry. There's no reason for it. It doesn't need to be like this."

At first, Kaelin visited the website for Co-operative Bank, where their father has had an account for years. They were disappointed to find an online form with boxes for "male" and "female" and a list of titles including "Mr.," "Mrs.," and "Miss," but not "Mx." (a title often preferred by non-binary people).

"I phoned them up," Kaelin told BuzzFeed News. "And the guy said, 'We'll get back in touch with you within two weeks, because someone else has complained about this as well. But I got nothing back from them."

After contacting another seven banks, Kaelin and Keith were frustrated. At least one bank offered the solution of registering an account as one binary gender, then removing the gender later. That solution, however, isn't ideal: it requires both an online application and an in-person visit, and still requires Kaelin to pretend to choose one binary gender.

"It's another reminder," Kaelin said. "A reminder that you're different. But I don't think I'm particularly different to other people  I just don't fit male or female, I drift somewhere in the middle."

Kaelin originally came out as bisexual when they were 12 or 13, and came out as genderqueer and non-binary last March. While their family is incredibly supportive, they're encountering difficulties with bureaucratic organizations; in addition to struggling to open a bank account, Kaelin is also facing difficulties as they apply to college through the UK's UCAS [the University and Colleges Admissions Service]. However, UCAS told BuzzFeed News it has plans to expand its available gender options in the future.
By Susan Kelly

(Reuters) - Tenet Healthcare Corp (THC.N), the third-largest U.S. for-profit hospital operator, expects other insurers to step in and absorb UnitedHealth Group Inc's (UNH.N) share of the exchange market when the largest U.S. health insurance provider exits that business, company executives said on Monday.

UnitedHealth, one of the biggest sellers of plans on the exchanges, last month said it would exit the Obamacare individual insurance market in most states next year, citing losses from the program.

Tenet's hospitals have seen a boost in business from the influx of newly insured patients who bought coverage through the exchanges, created as part of President Barack Obama's national healthcare law.

Daniel Waldmann, Tenet's senior vice president of public affairs, downplayed the impact of UnitedHealth's decision, saying insurers can be expected to make adjustments, as happened when the popular Medicare Advantage managed care plans for seniors were initially introduced.

"You are going to see that. There are others who will be looking to pick up that UnitedHealth business," Waldmann told Reuters.

Chief Executive Trevor Fetter said Tenet has followed a deliberate strategy to ensure its hospitals are included as in-network choices by insurers on the exchanges, and that effort has generated strong admissions growth.

Dallas-based Tenet on Monday reported that admissions to its hospitals of patients insured through the exchanges climbed more than 27 percent in the first quarter compared with a year ago.

"It is important for us to do everything to make sure the exchanges are viable and successful, and that consumers perceive value and choice in the exchanges," Fetter said in an interview.

(Reporting by Susan Kelly in Chicago; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Andrew R.C. Marshall BANGKOK (Reuters) - From the question of Britain's place in Europe to the choice of New Zealand's flag, referendums worldwide are usually preceded by unbridled debate. Not so under Thailand's junta. Many Thais are chafing under strict new regulations governing discussion ahead of an Aug. 7 referendum on a military-backed constitution. The junta that seized power in a May 2014 coup has already threatened to jail anyone campaigning for or against the constitution, which critics say entrenches the military's political influence. The 14 rules, which were issued by the Election Commission and formally became law on Monday, make even well-meaning discussion risky, say academics and experts. Under the regulations, Thais must express their opinions with "polite words ... without distorting the facts". "Rude, aggressive, or intimidating" interviews with the media are banned. So is organizing a panel discussion "with intent to incite political unrest". Also forbidden are "T-shirts, pins and ribbons" that encourage others to campaign. Violators can be jailed for up to 10 years. Dissenters in military-run Thailand often receive lengthy prison sentences under draconian laws on computer crime and royal defamation. The referendum will be a test of the junta's popularity and a potential flashpoint in a turbulent political scene, say analysts. The military government has promised an election by mid-2017, even if the constitution is rejected. Groups of all political stripes have denounced the draft constitution as undemocratic, with one major political party urging supporters to vote "no". "To express opinions using reason. Is that so hard to understand?" Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha snapped at a reporter who asked about the new rules on Tuesday. Prayuth has ruled largely unchallenged but anti-junta activists have recently staged small but frequent protests. Nine activists were jailed last week on charges of sedition and computer crimes. Two face additional charges of insulting the monarchy. Phubed Pisanaka, a recent law graduate who comments on the government on his Facebook account, said the rules would make him more careful. "I have to think twice about what I post and share now," he said. Others remain defiant. "I'll keep expressing my opinion even though I could be criminalized," said Kornkritch Somjittranukit, a contributor to Thailand's online publication Prachatai. "If thinking differently is a crime, living inside or outside of jail is practically the same," he said. (Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Robert Birsel)
TheAudience, a social-media and digital content marketing agency focused on connecting brands with cultural influencers, has hired Mike Dodge as CEO and Debbie Menin as executive VP of strategic partnerships overseeing the sales team.

The two publishing industry vets join chief creative officer Patrick Mulford, who has been with the L.A.-based company since 2013 and leads creative and strategic direction.

Last fall, Dubai-based conglomerate Al Ahli Holding Group acquired theAudience to expand its holdings into digital media. Oliver Luckett, former CEO of theAudience, left the company in December 2015 to pursue other projects and currently lives in Iceland. In 2011, Luckett co-founded the company with Sean Parker, Facebooks founding president and the inventor of Napster; and Ari Emanuel, co-CEO of WME.

TheAudience built both its reputation and its unique position in the marketplace by learning how celebrities and social influencers can captivate such large networks of fans, and then applying that knowledge to the world of branded content, said Mulford. Bringing such forward-thinkers as Mike and Debbie on board demonstrates our ongoing commitment to connecting global companies to their audience in meaningful ways.

Prior to joining theAudience, Dodge was COO at Evolve Media, a digital lifestyle publisher whose brands include CraveOnline Media, TotallyHer Media and Martini Media. He has also held management positions at Internet Brands, GE, McKinsey & Co. and Procter & Gamble. I am looking forward to using my most recent experience in connecting brands to millennial audiences with the expertise, imagination and passion that theAudience has for delivering brand engagement online through social media campaigns, he said.

Menin most recently was head of strategic partnerships at Media Generals Federated Media. She previously held senior positions at Machinima, Yahoo, AOL, Huffington Post, Conde Nasts Parade, MTV Networks and Variety. The leading-edge social publishing capabilities that theAudience leverages to weave brands into the fabric of popular culture is what attracted me to the company, Menin said. Developing strategic social partnerships with Fortune 500 companies is what most excites me about joining Mike and Patrick.

Story continues

Pictured above (l. to r.): Mike Dodge, Debbie Menin, Patrick Mulford

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Lending standards for business loans are getting tighter, according to the Federal Reserve's "Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey" (SLOOS).

"Banks have been tightening standards for both commercial and industrial (C&I) and commercial real estate (CRE) loans over the past few quarters and the latest data from the Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey shows the most severe tightening in lending standards for these types of loans so far in the expansion," said Daniel Silver, economist at JPMorgan.

C&I loans are a catch-all category for loans that help finance purchases or upgrades of equipment.

Essentially, the Fed surveys people in charge of giving out loans at financial institutions and asks them if it's getting harder or easier to get a loan. For the past two quarters, these officers have been reporting standards tightening at a faster rate.

On net, 11.6% of respondents reported tighter lending conditions to midsize or large firms (13% reported tighter standards with 1.4% reporting eased standards), up from 8.2% net tighter in the first quarter of 2016. In fact, in the second quarter of 2015, a net 5.3% of lenders reported an easing of standards, so in a year's time it has swung 16.9% on net toward tighter standards.

Or, as Bespoke Investment Group put it in a note Monday, "Both reported demand and reported supply of C&I loans are suggesting that credit will stop flowing to business from banks in the near future, if history is any guide."

Screen Shot 2016 05 03 at 8.58.06 AM

The broader issue here isn't just that businesses are going to have a tougher time getting loans, but what that means for the US economy.

On the one hand, credit growth usually indicates expansionary policies. Businesses that can get loans can then turn around and use that capital to invest in growth opportunities and hiring. Turn off the flow, and this ability to invest in growth stops.

As Sam Coffin, an analyst at UBS, noted after last quarter's survey, tightening of SLOOS has a large impact on the labor market.

Story continues

"There tends to be a leading relationship between lending standards and employment growth," Coffin wrote. "Recent credit market and bank lending standards data suggest some spillover from business sector credit tightening into slower employment growth this year."

Additionally, Goldman Sachs' investing team recently cited tightening credit standards as one of their top three risks for the economy.

There is some good news, according to Bespoke. Based on the actual records of banks' balance sheets (the H.8 report), the size of the balance sheet at lending institutions indicates that credit is being extended. C&I loans, the same type that officers are saying are harder to get, are still growing on balance sheets at a 19.3% annualized pace.

"The bottom line is that based on bank lending statistics only, there is no reason to think that credit taps are being turned off either to households or the broad commercial economy," wrote Bespoke.

"Of course, if SLOOS is a leading indicator, wed expect the stats at left to roll over in the coming quarters. So far, however, theres been no indication that is playing out."

Screen Shot 2016 05 03 at 10.00.13 AM

While this is encouraging, Bespoke makes the point that SLOOS is typically a leading indicator. A lender has to decide to have tighter lending standards before they slow lending growth.

And to that end, as Matthew Mish of UBS recently noted, bank balance sheets typically hit their peak before the end of a cycle. The top has to be somewhere, and Mish believes it was in mid-2015, based on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's 2015 "Survey of Credit Underwriting Practices."

"The survey concludes underwriting standards eased at a significant number of banks for the three-year period from mid-2013 to mid-2015, broadly similar to that experienced from 2005 to 2007 before the financial crisis," wrote Mish.

And now the SLOOS would indicate that standards are tightening and, based on Mish's thinking, the decline in the credit cycle may soon follow.

Silver at JPMorgan also noted that the SLOOS tightening may foretell an economic slowdown.

Time will tell, but Monday's survey is not good news.

NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy





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kid uses iphone

By now, you've probably heard of cloud computing.

That's where companies rent shared software, computers, and storage instead of buying and installing it all themselves. They pay for their usage via subscriptions, accessing it over the internet.

Cloud computing is all the rage right now, on track to be a $10 billion business for Amazon in 2016; Microsoft hopes it will become a $20 billion business by 2018, and Google thinks it will become bigger than its internet ad business by 2020.

So what comes after the cloud? If you ask Cisco, it's something called "fog computing."

Last month, Cisco was joined by other industry leaders including Intel, Microsoft, ARM, Dell, and Microsoft to back a new "fog computing" consortium, the OpenFog initiative. It sounds like something straight from a Saturday Night Live parody skit, but it's not.

Later this month, the consortium is holding a conference at Princeton University. Princeton is leading the research into fog computing.

Why Cisco wants this

So what exactly is it? To understand fog computing, you first have to understand cloud computing. In cloud computing, everyone shares the same massive data centers. You run an app on your phone in your home town, but the back-end computers may be in Virginia, or California, or Ireland, etc.

A Cisco logo is seen at its customer briefing centre in Beijing, in the November 14, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

But with fog computing, computers and storage are scattered all over, perhaps placed closer to the app's users. The network is smart enough to know where the data is stored.

With the network as the star, you can see why Cisco is championing this idea. It means selling a lot more high-end, very profitable network equipment to connect a lot more computers and data centers.

Cisco has been largely left out of the cloud computing revolution.

As its customers move to the cloud, they need to buy less networking equipment. Meanwhile, some of the biggest cloud operators, like Facebook and Microsoft, have invented their own, new low-cost network equipment.

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As for the rest of the traditional IT players (Intel, Dell, Microsoft, ARM), if "fog computing" takes off they stand to gain, too. Lots of computers scattered everywhere means selling lots of computer servers and operating systems and chips.

Will it take hold?

Just because it's in Cisco's self-interest to promote fog computing, doesn't mean it won't be a real thing someday.

Fog creeps in over the buildings in Maringa, Brazil.

The name "fog" is new, but the general concept isn't. It used to be called "distributed computing."

Years ago, the now defunct company called Sun Microsystems even had a slogan "the network is the computer." (Oracle bought Sun in 2010.)

When you talk to anyone in the cloud computing industry today, they'll tell you that cloud is young and here to stay (and it is). Some believe it will stretch out in a linear line, growing endlessly bigger and more glorious over time.

But that's not how the computer industry typically works. It's more like a spiral.

The computing industry breathes in and out between centralized and distributed computing models: centralized (mainframes) turned into distributed (PCs and local computer servers, known as "client/server"), and have now become centralized again (cloud computing). So, next up would be distributed.

It does this because each model solves the problem created by the last model. Centralized computing allows you to maintain control and efficiently share computers, which lowers cost. But it can create bottlenecks as all apps rush to share the same computers. And it's expensive to keep building more and bigger data centers.

kid child iphone ipad tablet

Decentralized allows you to run apps closer to the people using the apps so the apps perform better.

This could becomes very important as billions of devices join the internet as part of the "Internet of Things." It can also be cheaper to shove a few computer servers in a room instead of building a big data center. But distributed computing can also create sprawl, get messy, and ultimately cost more.

So fog computing could very well be the next thing.

Then again, there's a rise of new technologies, like quantum computing, that could change everything and squash any tech based on the old ways to do things, including fog computing.

A horrible name

Whether fog thrives or dies, we can't help point out the karmic implications in the name. "Fog computing" might be a cute play on the term "cloud computing", but it also means: unclear, confusing, and fuzzy.





More From Business Insider


Nairobi (AFP) - Kenyan rescuers pulled a seven-month-old baby alive from the rubble of a six-storey building on Tuesday, four days after the block collapsed during heavy rains killing at least 23 people.

Two brothers who own the building were remanded in police custody on Tuesday but not charged as rescue efforts continue with close to 100 still missing.

The baby girl's father described the recovery of his daughter, Delarine Saisi, as a "miracle".

"I thank God for all that he has done to get my daughter alive after all those days in the rubble," said Ralsan Wasike, adding that he did not know the whereabouts of the girl's mother.

"I pray she is alive," he said.

The Kenya Red Cross said the baby girl was found at 4:00am (0100 GMT) "in a bucket wrapped in a blanket". She was dehydrated but without visible physical injuries.

The Red Cross had initially said the baby was a year and a half old, but the father later said she was less than half that age.

Baby Delarine was rescued 80 hours after the building collapsed on Friday night during torrential rains that hit the Kenyan capital last week.

The building was home to around 150 families crammed into single rooms.

Police said the death toll from the tragedy rose to 23 on Tuesday after two more bodies were found.

Located in the poor, tightly-packed Huruma neighbourhood, the building had been slated for demolition after being declared structurally unsound.

But an evacuation order for the structure, which was built near a river just two years ago, was ignored.

Five people were remanded in custody for 21 days on Tuesday to allow prosecutors to gather evidence and file charges, including the two brothers who own the building and three construction officials.

Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where a property boom has seen buildings shoot up at speed, often with scant regard for building regulations.

The deaths in Huruma bring to at least 30 the number of people who have died in Nairobi since the weekend in accidents linked to floods caused by torrential rains.
"Prejudice and poison" have no place in British politics, former Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday, as his Labour Party looks into claims of anti-Semitism among some of its members.

"There is no place for anti-Semitism of any sort. I detest that prejudice and poison. We should make sure it's rooted out of the Labour Party in whatever way we can," Blair, who was prime minister from 1997 to 2007, told CNBC from the sidelines of the Milken Institute Global Conference in California.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has established an independent inquiry into the accusations, which have led to the suspension of some party members, The Guardian reported Friday. Naz Shah, a member of Parliament, was suspended last week for 2014 Facebook posts, one of which appeared to endorse a plan to move Israel to the United States.

Shah last week told the House of Commons that she "deeply regrets" the posts, which were made before she was elected.



Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London, was also suspended for remarks linking Adolf Hitler to Zionism, The Guardian said. In announcing the review, Corbyn said the Labour Party "has a long and proud history of standing against racism."



In an interview with the Evening Standard on Friday, Livingstone defended his remarks, saying "everything" he said was true.



On Tuesday, Blair said the party cannot have "any suspicion" of racism. He called on leaders to let the inquiry run its course.

The former prime minister also addressed the U.K.'s possible exit from the European Union, a decision some economists and officials say could damage the economy. The British people will vote on whether to exit in June.

Blair said he believes Britain will make the "rational" decision and stay in the bloc. However, he noted that "politics is in an uncertain state."





More From CNBC


Sagar Bhanushali

Toyota India has released its official sales figure for April 2016. The Japanese automaker sold 9,507 units during the month. This includes 8,529 units sold in the domestic market and 978 Etios models for the exports.

In comparison, Toyota had sold a total of 12,325 units in the domestic market and exported 1,334 units of the Etios models in the same month last year. Now although this drastic drop in sales is not a good sign, we must remember that there have been a couple of major reasons for it.

Firstly, its been a while since Toyota has stopped producing the old Innova  their top selling model for years. In the meantime, the brand has been gearing up to introduce the replacement called the Innova Crysta. Now that the latter is officially on sale with prices ranging between Rs 13.83 lakh and Rs 20.77 lakh, Toyota is hopeful that it will see a healthy growth in overall sales for the coming months.

Secondly, Toyota is also hopeful that the Supreme Court, in the next hearing of 9th May 2016, will lift the ban on registration of diesel vehicles above 2000cc in the NCR region. The ban has had a deep impact on Toyota as two of their top selling models  the Innova and the Fortuner are among the affected vehicles that cannot be registered in the NCR region.

For more news,reviews,videos and information about cars, visit CarWale.com.

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Florida native Mason Perkins sometimes feels a little unsafe using public mens restrooms  "I usually go into the male one but I have to kind of hide my face," he said  so when he was in a Florida Target last week, he jumped at the opportunity to use a restroom that had been specifically designated as trans-inclusive.

While he was in the Target bathroom, Perkins snapped a selfie and uploaded it to Facebook with the pointed caption "SHOUT OUT TO TARGET for letting me get up close and personal with their toilets, really enjoyed it, raped a total of zero children while pissing it was great 10/10 would piss again."

Source: Mason Perkins

Perkins, who is 19 and recently finished his freshman year of college, is trans. His selfie went viral, racking up more than 10,000 shares. "I know [the caption] seems sarcastic," Perkins said, "But I'm actually really proud of what Target is doing."

Target announced in a statement in April that it officially supported customers using whichever bathroom matches their gender identity. The move came partially as a response to North Carolina's anti-LGBT "bathroom bill," which bans people from using a public bathroom that doesn't match their biological sex.

Proponents of the discriminatory legislation (and opponents of Target's bathroom policy) have argued that inclusive bathrooms are somehow unsafe for children, despite the fact there aren't any reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.

Source: Gerry Broome/AP

"It's just absolutely ridiculous," Perkins said of the anti-trans hysteria surround the bathroom debate. "They're trying to accuse me of doing something I haven't even done just so I can't share a space with them ... You know it's just their own personal bigotry." And, Perkins pointed out, "They should know that that've probably used a bathroom with a trans person" without even realizing it.

But Perkins said Target's new policy, and other signs of institutions moving toward trans-inclusivity, make him "definitely, definitely hopeful" for the future. That's partially why he wanted to share his own Target bathroom selfie. "The more exposure I can get out there ... the better."
We expect offshore drilling powerhouse Transocean Ltd. RIG to beat expectations when it reports first-quarter 2016 results after the closing bell on Wednesday, May 4.

In the preceding three-month period, the Vernier, Switzerland-based firm delivered a positive earnings surprise of 130.14% despite the challenging environment posed by the steep drop in commodity prices throughout the quarter. The outperformance came on the back of outstanding revenue efficiency and cost reduction initiatives.

Importantly, Transocean has outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all of the past four quarters with an average beat of 88.47%.

Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Why a Likely Positive Surprise?

Our proven model shows that Transocean is likely to beat earnings in the to-be-reported quarter because it has the right combination of two key ingredients.

Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for this company stands at +7.69%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate stands at 28 cents, whereas the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged lower at 26 cents. A favorable Zacks ESP serves as a meaningful indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise.

Zacks Rank: Transocean carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) which, when combined with a positive ESP, makes us confident of an earnings beat.

Note that stocks with Zacks Ranks #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 have a significantly higher chance of beating earnings. On the other hand, the Sell-rated stocks (#4 and 5) should never be considered going into an earnings announcement.

What is Driving the Better-Than-Expected Earnings?

As is the case with other offshore drillers, Transoceans revenues/earnings have borne the brunt of the freefall in realized commodity prices over the past 18 months. As oil remains in a bearish territory, the top energy companies have cut spending (particularly on the costly drilling projects) on the back of lower profit margins. This, in turn, has meant less work for the beleaguered drillers as offshore exploration for new oil and gas projects has almost come to a standstill.

Story continues

However, Transocean has come up with certain strategy initiatives to overcome the industry-wide slump and outperform earnings estimates yet again in the second quarter.

Firstly, with an aggressive cost reduction program, Transocean is looking to shore up its operational performance even in this weak oil and gas pricing environment. As part of this strategy, the company has embarked on a policy to optimize overhead and maintenance expenses.

Secondly, Transocean has zeroed its focus on reducing out-of-service times by carefully planning the frequency of its in-service maintenance and shipyard repairs.

Finally, Transocean has set itself an ambitious target to achieve a very impressive 95% revenue efficiency for 2016. As it is, the company is coming off two consecutive years with revenue efficiency at or above 95% The continuation of this trend will aid operating margin in the to-be-reported quarter.

Other Stocks to Consider

Transocean is not the only company looking up this earnings season. Here are some companies from the energy space which, according to our model, also have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.

DCP Midstream Partners L.P. DPM has an Earnings ESP of +9.52% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release earnings results on May 4.

Enable Midstream Partners L.P. ENBL has an Earnings ESP of +21.05% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is anticipated to release earnings on May 4.

McDermott International Inc. MDR has an Earnings ESP of +100.00% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is likely to release earnings on May 5.

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Salvation Burger

Tucked into a little side street on the East Side of Manhattan, and attached to the Pod 51 Hotel, is salvation.

More accurately, Salvation Burger, renowned burger chef April Bloomfield's new bovine pet project.

You may be familiar with Bloomfield's work at The Spotted Pig, which featured a burger that gained such a reputation that it helped the West Village eatery earn a coveted Michelin star in 2005.

Salvation just opened in February. The decor features large portraits of cows and a mosaic of plastic squeaky toy burgers on the wall. But do we really need a painting of the Hindu god Krishna and his sacred cow watching us while we waited for a table?

The front-of-house staff is accommodating, quick, smiley, and helpful. But once the crowd swelled and the room approached full capacity, there was a feeling of slight panic, from the way the hostess turned would-be diners away with wait-time quotes of over an hour and a half, to the deft maneuvers waiters and busboys employed to duck through the impatient crowd.

My party of three, which arrived at the restaurant about 8 on a Saturday night, was quoted a wait time of 45 minutes. We didn't sit down until 9:30. The restaurant does not take reservations, so there is no way to avoid this.

Salvation Burger

So there are some front-of-house kinks to work out. Fine, but is it worth it for the food?

In a word, yes. We all ordered the Classic burger, which is two flat-top griddled patties sourced from an upstate New York farm and served between a house-made sesame-seed bun. It's topped with house-made cheese, pickles, and special sauce. Yes, everything that goes into it really is house-made.

If you think that sounds a lot like a Big Mac, you're not alone.

"April is obsessed with McDonald's," Ken Friedman, Bloomfield's business partner, told Bloomberg.

Story continues

But the taste couldn't be further removed. The tender patties were griddled to perfection with just the right amount of pink in the center to render them juicy and flavorful. The cheese was really the star of the show, however, and the fact that Salvation sticks a slice in the middle of the two patties is genius.

The bun works perfectly in its job to keep everything from becoming too unwieldy, but the project becomes a mess really quick. You could finish the job with silverware, but it's much more fun to just embrace the chaos.

Salvation Burger

The $17 Classic burger does not come with fries, which you can order on the side for $7, but there's no reason to. Salty, crispy, and shoestring, they were good but forgettable.

We shared one side among the three of us, and we all had quite enough.

None of us tried the flagship eponymous Salvation Burger, which clocks in at $25 and is one large, wood-fire grilled burger patty instead of two, topped with in-season house-made ingredients that rotate.

The restaurant also serves a vegetable burger  reviewed quite well  and a hot dog, fried-fish sandwich, and other assorted salads and veggies.

For dessert, we split a fried blueberry pie  in a similar shape to McDonald's rectangular pies  which was delicious. There are also regular pies and milkshakes, both normal and spiked.

Salvation Burger is definitely worth a trip for burger fans, if just once, even though the wait is painfully long.

NOW WATCH: Heres how many calories are in 6 of the most popular fast-food kids meals





More From Business Insider


Washington (AFP) - Presidential frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton hoped Tuesday the Indiana primaries would put them one step closer to locking up the Republican and Democratic nominations -- and their likely November showdown.

The latest contest in the 2016 White House race is seen as a day of reckoning for the "stop Trump" movement led by his closest rival Ted Cruz.

But the billionaire real estate mogul -- who has thus far defied all political logic to lead the Republican race -- looked set to deliver a death blow to the conservative Texas senator, with a recent NBC poll giving Trump a 15-point advantage in the midwestern state.

"I don't think he's got the temperament to be president," Trump said of Cruz in an interview with Fox News after polls opened.

"People are tired with what's happening with these politicians and they're just tired of seeing our country get ripped off."

Clinton and her rival Bernie Sanders were locked in a closer Indiana race, with the former secretary of state leading by just under seven percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics poll average.

Clinton, 68, is far enough ahead overall that Sanders' only hope now lies in the unlikely scenario of her failing to win a majority of delegates in the primaries, in which case her nomination could be contested at a Democratic convention in July.

"I'm really focused on moving into the general election," a confident Clinton told MSNBC Tuesday in West Virginia.

"That's where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who'll literally say or do anything," she said of Trump. "We're going to take him on at every turn."

Cruz was also hoping to thwart Trump by using Indiana as a firewall, blocking the brash billionaire from receiving the 1,237 delegates necessary to secure the nomination at the Republican convention in Cleveland in July.

Story continues

Mathematically eliminated from winning outright, Cruz's goal is to snatch victory on a second ballot, when most delegates become free to vote for whomever they choose -- but which will only be held if Trump falls short of a majority in round one.

- 'Staring at the abyss' -

With momentum favoring the 69-year-old Trump, who won the last six contests, the primary battle took a nasty turn Tuesday when Trump cited a tabloid report linking Cruz's father Rafael to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Trump evoked the recent National Enquirer story in his interview with Fox News.

"This is just kooky," an irate Cruz shot back while stumping in Evansville, Indiana, branding Trump a "pathological liar."

"The man is utterly amoral," said Cruz, lambasting the frontrunner as "a caricature of a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks."

"We are staring at the abyss," Cruz warned.

Should Cruz fall short Tuesday, even his supporters see an extremely steep road ahead.

Until recently, Indiana was widely seen as a good state for the senator, who has performed well in primaries dominated by conservative and evangelical voters.

Observers say a Trump victory would raise serious questions about whether Cruz can still win other states where he was thought to be favored, such as Nebraska, Washington, Montana and South Dakota.

If Trump sweeps Indiana's 57 delegates, "it could be over," former Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler acknowledged.

The frontrunner has so far amassed 1,002 delegates, according to CNN's tally. He needs just under half of the 502 in play in the remaining 10 contests to lock in the nomination. Cruz is at 572 delegates, while Ohio Governor John Kasich trails with 156.

The map currently favors Trump, who is polling well ahead in the largest states yet to vote -- California and New Jersey.

- 'Let's focus on Hillary' -

Clinton needs only 21 percent of remaining Democratic delegates to win her party's nomination, but she declined to call on Sanders to drop out.

"He has every right to finish out this primary season. I couldn't argue with that," Clinton said.

Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist senator representing Vermont, wasn't throwing in the towel.

Courting the union vote in Indiana, where manufacturing has taken a hit, Sanders sought to focus on trade.

"Secretary Clinton has supported virtually every one of these disastrous trade agreements and that is an area of strong disagreement that the voters of Indiana and America will have to consider," he said outside a diner in Indianapolis.

Either candidate needs 2,383 delegates for victory. Currently Clinton has 2,179 including 513 superdelegates, while Sanders has 1,400 including 41 superdelegates.

A confident Trump was already relishing a general election matchup with Clinton.

"Please, let's focus on Hillary," he said on the eve of the vote.

Clinton appeared ready for the challenge, telling MSNBC that the quick-to-insult Trump "has given no indication that he understands the gravity of the responsibilities that go with being commander-in-chief."
By Ginger Gibson and Alana Wise INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Reuters) - Republican front-runner Donald Trump scored an important victory over rival Ted Cruz in Indiana on Tuesday, a win that moves him close to being unstoppable in his march to the party's presidential nomination. The New York billionaire was quickly projected to be the winner by television networks shortly after polling places closed in the Midwestern state. Trump was on track to take well over 50 percent of the vote, eclipsing Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas. Ohio Governor John Kasich was running a distant third. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were running virtually neck and neck, with Clinton's early lead eroded as more votes rolled in. Cruz had been counting on a win in Tuesday's primary to slow the New York businessman's progress toward the nomination. But Trump rode momentum from wins in five Northeastern states a week ago into a big lead in Indiana over Cruz, whose brand of Christian conservatism had been expected to have wide appeal in the state. "Lyin' Ted Cruz consistently said that he will, and must, win Indiana. If he doesn't he should drop out of the race-stop wasting time & money," Trump tweeted ahead of a victory speech he was to deliver at Trump Tower in New York. At Cruz's evening event in Indianapolis, there was an air of resignation among some of his supporters. Im definitely disappointed that we couldnt pull it out for him in Indiana, said Andrew Coulter. Coulter, 43, said he believes Cruz will continue forward, but gave little hope that his candidate would prevail. I think that its at this point Trump is going to win the nomination. I think that this was Cruzs firewall," he said. The loss for Cruz was a sour ending to a rough day in which he got entangled in a harsh back-and-forth with Trump. It began when the billionaire repeated a claim published by the tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer that linked Cruz's father, Cuban emigre Rafael Cruz, with President John F. Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Campaigning in Evansville, in the state's southwest corner, Cruz sounded deeply frustrated by the bombastic real estate mogul, who has ripped Cruz at every turn. "The man cannot tell the truth but he combines it with being a narcissist," Cruz said, "a narcissist at a level I don't think this country has ever seen." Cruz termed Trump a "serial philanderer" - likely as part of his strategy to try to win the support of evangelical voters. Trump, in response, said Cruz had become "more and more unhinged." The only hopes that Cruz and Kasich have for becoming the Republican nominee is to somehow deny Trump the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright and force Republicans at their July convention in Cleveland to choose one of them. Kasich vowed to stay in the race. "Tonights results are not going to alter Gov. Kasichs campaign plans," Kasich senior strategist John Weaver said in a campaign memo. "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention." (Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson and Megan Casella in Washington; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump alleged Tuesday that White House rival Ted Cruz's father was with John F. Kennedy's killer shortly before the US president was assassinated, prompting Cruz to brand the Republican frontrunner a "pathological liar."

The startling allegation, and Cruz's full-throated retort, occurred on the morning of a crucial primary election in Indiana where Trump is seeking to land a knockout blow against his chief challenger for their party's nomination.

Trump, parroting a recent story by the National Enquirer tabloid, took to Fox News to say the Texas senator's father Rafael Cruz, an immigrant from Cuba, was "with Lee Harvey Oswald" before the assassination.

"I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this? Right prior to his being shot, and nobody brings it up," Trump told Fox by telephone.

"I mean, what was he doing -- what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death -- before the shooting? It's horrible."

The Enquirer, which has published previous stories deeply critical of Cruz, said an August 16, 1963 photograph of Oswald in New Orleans handing out leaflets in support of Fidel Castro shows a young Rafael Cruz nearby.

Oswald was killed November 24, 1963, two days after Kennedy's assassination.

Rafael Cruz was once a supporter of rebel leader Castro, but he admits in his biography "A Time for Action" that he was unaware that Castro was a communist, according to the Miami Herald.

The paper said there was no corroborating evidence that Cruz -- who is now fervently anti-communist -- was affiliated with Oswald, and that the Cruz campaign said candidate's father is not in the photograph.

Trump's remarks incensed Ted Cruz, who delivered a blistering takedown of the celebrity billionaire.

"Donald Trump alleges that my dad was involved in assassinating JFK," a visibly angry Cruz told reporters at a campaign event in Indiana.

Story continues

"Let's be clear, this is nuts," he said. "Yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard."

Cruz slammed Trump for several minutes unabated.

"This man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies," Cruz added, comparing Trump to a schoolyard bully and saying the real estate mogul boasts of being a "serial philanderer."

"The man is utterly amoral," Cruz said. "Bullies come from a deep, yawning cavern of insecurity."

Cruz sees Indiana as one of the final firewalls where he could stop Trump from seizing the Republican nomination.

"Indiana can pull us back, but it takes Hoosiers showing up and voting today, and the country is looking to Indiana, is looking to the judgment of the good men and women of this state," Cruz insisted.

Trump and Cruz are battling it out for Indiana's 57 Republican delegates. If the billionaire sweeps them, he will be on track to reach the 1,237 necessary to win the nomination outright.
Ted Cruz erupted after Donald Trump accused Cruz's father of being an associate of JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Read: Trump Slams Cruz After Fiorina Fell Off The Stage: 'Even I Would Have Helped Her'

Cruz called Trump a pathological liar and a narcissist while speaking to reporters on Tuesday in Indiana.

In a live phone call on Fox And Friends Tuesday, Trump repeated the explosive allegation being made by The National Enquirer: "Ted Cruz Father Linked To JFK Assassination".

His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being  you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous, Trump said. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that. That was reported, and nobody talks about it.

I mean, what was he doing  what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting? Its horrible, Trump added.

Cruz blasted Trump's accusations and the report. He sarcastically said: "Yes, my dad killed JFK. He is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard!"

The tabloid claims a photo of a man handing out pro-Cuba leaflets with Oswald in August 1963 -- three months before President Kennedy was assassinated, is Rafael Cruz, Ted's father.

The man in the photo has never been identified and The National Enquirer quoted one expert as saying he looks like Ted Cruzs father as a young man.

"Theres more similarity than dissimilarity ... It looks to be the same person and I can say as much with a high degree of confidence, the expert said.

Read: Larry Wilmore Defends His Use of the N-Word at White House Correspondents' Dinner

On Tuesday, Cruz let Trump have it, saying: Donald's source for this is The National Enquirer. The National Enquirer is tabloid trash.

Story continues

Cruz also attacked Trump, calling him a serial philanderer who boasts about it.

A Cruz campaign spokesperson told The Miami Herald the Enquirers story was another garbage story in a tabloid full of garbage.

Watch: Maury Guest Who Resembles Ted Cruz Wants DNA Test with Presidential Candidate

Related Articles:
Charity Chambers really stepped in it Monday. With just one post to Twitter, the Texas local TV producer ignited a so-called "HBCU vs. PWI" discussion by suggesting that white employers are turned off by students with degrees from historically black colleges and universities.

(For the uninitiated, PWI is short for "predominantly white institution.")

Source: Twitter

"Sorry to all of you HBCU goers/ grads but just be REALISTIC. What white employer would pick an HBCU grad over PWI grad??... VERYYYYYY few," Chambers tweeted via her handle @CharityCSports. The account had been disabled Monday afternoon after HBCU graduates flooded its mentions over the comment; "HBCU" was also a top 10 trending topic into the afternoon.

It's unclear what prompted the tweet. But it's part of a long-standing debate about the value of degrees from HBCUs for African-American graduates entering the workforce.

There is also no reliable data or academic study to support such a claim. There is far more evidence showing that employers have discriminated against applicants with ethnic-sounding names  it's a form of racial prejudice that has often been cited to explain African Americans' chronically high unemployment rate compared to the rate for whites.

In March, the unemployment rate for blacks was 9 percent. The rate for whites was 4.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here are a few reactions to Chambers' tweet:

Do you know how many HBCU grads work in your industry? It's quiet for you, sis.

@CharityCSports Next time, think wisely and mind what you tweet, sis. In truth and service, A proud @HowardU alum.

@CharityCSports The executive director for development and diversity/senior producer at @CBSNews is a @FAMU_1887 alumna. Girl, bye.

@CharityCSports A Degree is a Degree as long as the School is accredited. ..You believe White is Better that's your ideological truth

@CharityCSports Also fyi going to an HBCU is irrelevant when it comes to white applicant vs. black applicant in many instances.

Sev eral Twi tter us ers w onde red if the deba te was act ually started by the announcement that the eldest da ughter o f Barac k and Michelle Ob ama, Malia , would attend Harvard University after taking a gap year.

Story continues

Some wondered if Malia should have chosen an HBCU.

People are really mad that Obama didn't send his daughter to an HBCU? Goodness gracious.

Realistically, I want to know if the Obama's even spoke to their children about HBCU's.

Others weighed in expressing disappointment that the discus sion was h appening at all.

Lord. I see the HBCU v. PWI debate on my TL.pic.twitter.com/kpCcBmMqYI
Image via Complex

Image via Complex

Tupacs mother, Afeni Shakur, has passed away at the age of 69. TMZ reports that she died last night in California after a possible cardiac arrest at her home in Sausalito, after which she was taken to the hospital. The Marin County Sheriff confirms she passed away shortly after getting to the hospital. Afeni was the head of Tupacs estate following his death in 1996, and she also founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, which set out to provide art programs for young people.

Born January 10, 1947 in Lumberton, North Carolina, Afeni Shakur was a renowned political activist, having previously been a Black Panther in the 60s. As the executor of Tupacs estate, she was behind majority of Tupacs posthumous projects, including the recent Broadway musical, Holler If Ya Hear Me, back in 2014. When she was arrested in April 1969 under several counts of conspiracy to bomb police stations in New York alongside another of other Black Panther members, she was pregnant with Tupac during her trial following the arrest, giving birth to Tupac Shakur later on June 16, 1971.

The Sheriffs Coroners Office will lead an investigation to determine the exact cause & manner of Afeni Shakurs death. It has not yet been revealed who will handle Tupacs estate following Afenis passing.

The post Tupacs Mother Afeni Shakur Passes Away at 69 appeared first on Pigeons & Planes.

More from Pigeons & Planes
Afeni Shakur Davis in 2006 10 years after her sons murder. (Photo: Getty Images)



Afeni Shakur Davis, the mother of late rap legend Tupac Shakur, died on Monday, May 2. She was 69.

According to the New York Daily News, police responded to Davis home in Sausalito, California, on Monday, after she had reportedly suffered from cardiac arrest. Police said on Tuesday, May 3, that she was rushed to the hospital, where she passed away shortly before 10:30 p.m. local time.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Deaths in 2016: Stars Weve Lost

Tupac Shakur (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Davis welcomed her son, Tupac, in June 1971. She was an activist and a member of the Black Panther Party, which heavily influenced Tupacs politically-charged music throughout his career. Davis and her son remained close throughout his upbringing in East Harlem, NYC, and the rapper even dedicated his 1995 hit, Dear Mama, from his third studio album, Me Against the World, to his mom. The song eventually landed at No. 9 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.



Theres no way I can pay you back, he rapped in the song. But the plan is to show you that I understand / You are appreciated.



PHOTOS: Stars Gone Too Soon

A year later, he was murdered at age 25 in a contested Las Vegas shooting. After her sons death, Davis took it upon herself to look over her sons legacy. She also engaged in a bitter battle with Tupacs biological father to keep a hold over his estate and assets.



In a memorable interview with Howard Stern last June, Tupacs close friend, Jada Pinkett Smith, reflected on their humble upbringings. The two attended high school for arts together. Ive had never in my life met a person like Pac. He had so much charisma. And he was poor, Will Smiths wife noted of the Harlem native. When I met Pac, he owned two pairs of pants and two sweaters He used to tell me all the time. He was like, Jada, youre a superstar. He didnt say it about himself.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Childhood Friends

Though the two had a falling out  Pinkett Smith didnt agree with the direction in which he was headed as he rose to fame  the actress said his sudden death taught her one invaluable lesson. Which is life is too short. Do not let disagreements stand in between you and people that you love, she said. I love him. You know what? He left a very strong and powerful mark. People are still inspired by him. So he did his work.


By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday charged nine people with defrauding investors into buying the now essentially worthless stock of LED lighting provider ForceField Energy Inc, causing $131 million of losses.

The charges against the defendants, who include stock promoters, brokers and investor relations officials, were announced by U.S. Attorney Robert Capers in Brooklyn.

They follow the April 2015 arrest of Richard St. Julien, a Canadian citizen who was ForceField's executive chairman, on charges he orchestrated schemes to inflate the stock price of his company, which was once called SunSi Energies Inc.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday announced related civil charges against all 10 defendants, including St. Julien.

Authorities said the defendants manipulated ForceField's stock from December 2009 to April 2015 by secretly trading it in undisclosed accounts, inflating trading volume to create a false sense of demand, and concealing kickbacks to stock promoters and brokers to tout it.

One defendant, Herschel Knippa, 45, was accused of promoting the stock on Fox Business Network's "Varney & Co" in July 2014 without revealing he was receiving kickbacks, and lying to host Stuart Varney when asked if he owned ForceField by responding: "You bet I do. I put my money where my mouth is."

The defendants "took a company with essentially no business operations and little revenue and deceived the market and their clients into believing it was worth hundreds of millions of dollars through a dizzying round of unauthorized trades and deceptive promotions," Capers said in a statement. "The deceived investors were left holding the empty bag."

ForceField shares last traded on Thursday, at 2 cents.

Among the other new defendants are Jared Mitchell, 34, of New York, the managing partner of Mitchell & Sullivan Capital LLC; and Christopher Castaldo, 44, of Glen Head, New York, the president of Wall Street Buy Sell Hold Inc.

Their lawyers and a lawyer for Knippa were not immediately available for comment. A lawyer for St. Julien, 46, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prosecutors said Tuesday's five-count indictment charges the nine new defendants with securities fraud, and conspiracies to commit securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. Mitchell was also charged with making a false statement.
PARIS (Reuters) - A halt to trade talks between the European Union and the United States is now likely, French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said on Tuesday.

Negotiators have been battling to reach a deal before President Barack Obama leaves office in January but points of contention remain, ranging from food safety standards to support for small business.

France has been particularly vocal about what it sees as a lack of movement on the U.S. side. "Given the approach being taken by the United States today, (a halt) is the most likely option," Fekl said on Europe 1 radio.

Fekl said in April that the talks should be scrapped in the absence of further progress.

His intervention comes a day after Greenpeace called for the talks to stop, citing concerns a deal would compromise food safety. To support its case it published confidential documents it said showed entrenched positions on the two sides.

The environmentalist pressure group argues that the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would hand too much power to big business at the expense of consumers and national governments.

(Reporting by Yann Le Guernigou and Andrew Callus; Editing by James Regan and Dominic Evans)
By Esha Vaish (Reuters) - A former venture capitalist is planning to restore the former glory of Britain's famous red telephone boxes by turning some of them into mini-offices for on-the-go workers. Jonathan Black, chief executive of New York City-based Bar Works Inc, said his company was refitting phone booths in five British cities with 25-inch screens, scanners, printers, a wireless mouse and WiFi connection - as well as free coffee. "It's an alternative to, say, Starbucks but obviously it provides you with total privacy," said Black, a Brit who lives in New York. Privately owned Bar Works launched in Manhattan last year, offering bar-themed workspaces in popular locations. Users pay a monthly subscription in return for access to the premises and unlimited use of office facilities. The phone boxes will operate using the same model. Monthly membership of "Pod Works" will cost 19.99 pounds ($29), and Black said he expects at least 10,000 members by the end of this year. Though their original purpose has all but disappeared with the advent of mobile phones, the classic red phone box, designed in the 1920s, was voted the greatest British design of all time in a survey last year. Bar Works has leased 15 of BT Group Plc's old phone boxes in cities such as London and Edinburgh and plans to launch the first of them in about eight weeks. "The red boxes were actually put in for convenience," said Black, "so naturally they all hold very high-profile locations." Bar Works, which recently raised $1.5 million in a funding round, also plans by 2017 to open four or five larger premises in Britain. Globally, the market for flexible workspace is dominated by Regus Plc and New York City-based WeWork. Regus, which rents out meeting rooms, business lounges and office space, on Tuesday reported revenue of 532.5 million pounds for the quarter ended March, an increase of about 18 percent. ($1 = 0.6879 pounds) (Reporting by Esha Vaish in Bengaluru; Editing by Robin Paxton)
By David Ingram (Reuters) - Former drug executive Martin Shkreli, who last year became a lightning rod for outrage over soaring prescription drug prices, may face additional U.S. charges of securities fraud, a federal prosecutor said on Tuesday. More charges related to Shkreli's involvement with biopharmaceutical company Retrophin Inc could be filed within a month, Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Paes said at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Shkreli, 33, sparked outrage among patients, medical societies and U.S. lawmakers after another company he ran, Turing Pharmaceuticals, raised the price of the drug Daraprim by more than 5,000 percent to $750 a pill. In December, U.S. authorities arrested him on fraud charges unrelated to the pricing of Daraprim, saying he ran his investment funds and companies almost like a Ponzi scheme. He stepped down from Turing and was fired from KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc . Shkreli has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer Benjamin Brafman told reporters after Tuesday's court hearing that he did not believe additional charges would change the case. After the hearing and on Twitter, Shkreli said he did not commit a crime and he agreed with a Twitter user who said Shkreli would not get a fair trial. Lawyers at the hearing discussed possible trial dates late this year or in early 2017 for Shkreli and for Evan Greebel, a lawyer charged in the same case. Greebel has pleaded not guilty.
BEIRUT (AP)  Syrias military extended its own, unilateral cease-fire around Damascus for another 48 hours on Monday amid an intense diplomatic push by the United States and Russia to restore a partial truce for the entire country  one that would include war-battered Aleppo, Syrias largest city.

American officials say one idea being considered by the U.S. side is a detailed map that would be drawn up with the Russians laying out safe zones where civilians and members of moderate opposition groups covered by the truce could find shelter from persistent government attacks.

It was not immediately clear whether Russia would accept such a plan or if Moscow could persuade Syrian President Bashar Assads government to respect the prospective zones.

One U.S. official said hard lines would delineate specific areas and neighborhoods. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry did not specifically refer to such a proposal in his comments to reporters in Geneva, where he met Monday with the Saudi foreign minister and the U.N. envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

There are several proposals that are now going back to key players to sign off. We are hopeful but we are not there yet, Kerry said, adding heam al- would telephone Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later Monday and that de Mistura was headed to Moscow on Tuesday for talks.

Aleppo has remained on knifes edge as rebels and government forces trade rockets and bombs across the northern city and its outskirts, according to activist monitoring groups. Fierce violence took the lives of more than 250 civilians over the previous nine days, according to opposition activists.

The violence eased somewhat on Sunday. Still, rebels on Monday lobbed rockets into government-held areas in the western part of the city while government helicopters dropped crude and unguided barrel bombs on opposition-held areas in Aleppo and surrounding villages, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Story continues

Separately, a car bomb detonated in the rebel-held Salhin neighborhood of the city, appearing to target an Islamic judiciary council.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, which organizes rescue operations in opposition-held areas of Aleppo, said several civilians were killed and wounded.

Speaking later to staff at the U.S. mission in Geneva, Kerry said he hoped that an agreement about Aleppo could be announced within the next few days.

Earlier Monday, Syrias military extended a unilateral cease-fire around Damascus and opposition strongholds in the eastern suburbs of the capital for another 48 hours.

The government first declared its cease-fire on Friday around Damascus, the capitals eastern Ghouta suburbs, and the coastal Latakia region, in the wake of two weeks of rising violence that spoiled a previous truce brokered by the U.S. and Russia in late February.

Kerry and de Mistura both said Friday that the U.S. and Russia have agreed that there will be additional personnel stationed in Geneva around the clock to create a better mechanism for monitoring and controlling a new cease-fire.

Earlier, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir called the situation in Aleppo with continued airstrikes an outrage and a criminal violation of humanitarian law. He said that Assad would be held accountable for the attacks and would be removed from power either through a political process or by force.

There is only one side that is flying airplanes, al-Jubeir said, adding that its the side of Assad and his allies. So they are responsible for the massacre of women, children, and the elderly.

This situation, any way you slice it, will not stand. The world is not going to allow them to get away with this, he said.

Russias Tass news agency quoted Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko, head of the Russian coordination center in Syria, as saying that the Damascus area cease-fire was brokered by the Russia and the United States, in agreement with the Syrian leadership and the moderate opposition.

But more than three dozen rebel factions said Saturday they would not respect the truce unless the government agreed to extend it over the whole country  including in Aleppo.

The cease-fire in Syria, which first went into effect in late February, has been partial in the sense that it doesnt include the extremist Islamic State group and Syrias al-Qaida branch known as the Nusra Front.

On the ground, relief efforts by the International Committee for the Red Cross continued with a convoy of 13 ICRC trucks and 3 trucks from the Syrian Arab Crescent delivering assistance to 12,000 families trapped in the government-besieged town of Talbiseh in north of the central city of Homs, ICRC spokesperson Pawel Krzysiek said Monday.

The population of Talbiseh has doubled to 60,000 with the influx of displaced residents from other areas, according to the ICRC.

Also Monday, Syrian opposition activist groups said authorities surrounded a prison in the central city of Hama in response to a riot inside the facility that saw prisoners take several guards hostage. The Observatory said security forces fired tear gas into Hamas main prison.

The Syrian prisoners rights group Detainees Voice says inmates went on strike after authorities tried to transfer five political prisoners on death row to the notorious Sidnaya prison in Damascus.

Syrias Interior Ministry denied the reports, according to the official news agency SANA.

___

Associated Press Writers Philip Issa and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.
Http%3a%2f%2fi.blueprint.mashable.com%2f9lk2luyvl11akvdlqb0xtqz-mmm%3d%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f78185%2f697f4e277b8146f3ac77f29b70a8809f

It's been a rocky ride for Uber in the Australian state of Queensland.

The ride-sharing service has been set back by a raft of new regulations by the state's government, and now it's hitting back with a slow, old piece of transportation and some printed sheets of paper.

SEE ALSO: If you hate Donald Trump, Australia might take you

Horse and cart was the method of delivery for 15,000 printed emails from Uber's customers to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday. Yes, a horse and cart.

The emails were from really mad Queenslanders who just want to be able to Uber around town, but the state government is trying to stop them.

"Recently, more than 15,000 people emailed members of parliament to voice their support for ridesharing," Uber Queensland's General Manager Sam Bool said in a statement emailed to Mashable Australia.

"Unfortunately, thousands of these emails were deliberately blocked by the parliament and were not received. To ensure the voices of those that want ridesharing in Queensland will still be heard, today we hand delivered these emails to the premier's office."

A bill cracking down on ride-sharing services was passed on Apr. 20, with fines of A$2,356 for Uber drivers who are caught, with administrators of illegal taxi services penalised up to A$23,560, according to the ABC.

Uber created a form ahead of the vote on the bill for Queensland customers to voice their concerns via email to members of parliament. In the days after, emails from the form began to bounce back. The parliament's speaker, Peter Wellington, confirmed to the Brisbane Times that it was as deliberate decision to automatically block these emails.

"Whether these emails were, in fact, being generated by individuals or individuals utilising some sort of feeder system, or simply being auto generated and were a type of email bomb or blast, one result of these emails was to compromise the Parliamentary Service's email system and members' ability to communicate," Wellington said.

Story continues

"In these circumstances the Clerk took the decision to auto block these emails to prevent the overload of our members' email accounts," Wellington added.

Bool said in the statement that the blocking of emails is hypocritical, citing the government's recent conference on innovation.

"It's curious that a government, who only last week held a conference on innovation, would block the technology that allowed them to hear from their constituents. We'll be interested to see whether the people who wrote to their premier will receive a response in the mail or through updated, modern regulations that recognise their right to choose how they get around," Bool said.

We'll bet that the blocking of 15,000 physical letters is no easy feat, however.

UPDATE: May 3, 2016, 4:05 p.m. AEST The email form sent by Uber had been sent prior to the vote on the bill, not after as originally stated.
Travis Kalanick

Uber is making a play for its Asia-Pacific users that could drive the company miles ahead of its largest rivals in the region.

The ride-hailing company on Monday announced an expansion of its partnership with the mobile payments company Alipay, which will allow Chinese customers to pay for Uber rides outside China using their existing Alipay accounts.

Before the expansion, Uber users from China who were traveling abroad had to link a dual-currency credit card to the Uber app and be charged for their rides in US dollars.

"Chinese travelers know and love how easy it is to request and pay for Uber rides at home; now we're excited to bring this experience to them wherever they are in the world, right from the Alipay app," said Eric Alexander, Uber's Asia-Pacific head of business.

Alipay has 450 million active users in China.

The move effectively creates a seamless app experience for Chinese customers who would otherwise have to deal in the local currency where they're traveling and be charged in US dollars when using the Uber app.

Eric Jing, president of Ant Financial  the company that operates Alipay  described why the company's expanded partnership with Uber was so important: "You don't have to worry about whether you have enough local cash to pay for your rides. All you need is to open your Uber app, find a ride, and pay with Alipay in renminbi," China's official currency.

Uber Alipay

Uber users in China have been able to use Alipay to cover their Uber rides on the mainland since 2014. Users in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau were added earlier this year.

The expanded integration with Alipay allows those same users to pay in Chinese currency in the more than 400 cities in which Uber operates around the world.

Uber has been fighting for market share in China, where another ride-hailing service, Didi Chuxing (formerly Didi Kuaidi), has been focused on raising funds that could push its valuation to as much as $25 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported last month.

Story continues

The China-based ride-hailing company was worth $6 billion just last year.

Uber in February said it was losing $1 billion a year in China.

Along with the Uber/Alipay expansion comes an agreement to feature Uber more prominently on the Alipay app.

Alipay users can now find an Uber button on the front page of the payments app, making it easier to request rides and giving Uber another edge in its quest for world domination.

NOW WATCH: How to find out your Uber passenger rating





More From Business Insider


LONDON (Reuters) - Business Secretary Sajid Javid has postponed a major trade visit to Iran to focus on the future of Britain's steel industry, a spokesman from the business department said on Tuesday, as the government tries to save thousands of steelworkers' jobs.

In March, India's Tata group announced plans to sell its entire UK steel operation, leaving the government battling to rescue an industry that has been hurt by cheap Chinese imports, soaring costs and weak demand.

"Given the Business Secretarys focus on the steel industry, he has decided to postpone his trip to Iran," the spokesman said. "He remains committed to exploring the opportunities for trade and investment with this emerging market."

The trip would take place at a later date, the spokesman said.

Javid has faced heavy criticism over his handling of the Tata sale, which was announced while he was on an official visit to Australia, forcing him to rush back to Britain to reassure the company's thousands of employees.

He had planned to travel to Tehran this month on what would have been the biggest British trade delegation to Iran since the lifting of international sanctions in January.

Other European Union countries including Italy, France and Germany have already struck billions of dollars worth of deals and many within Britain's business community complain that the UK has been slower to respond.

(Reporting by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)
LONDON (Reuters) - Business Secretary Sajid Javid has postponed a major trade visit to Iran to focus on the future of Britain's steel industry, a spokesman from the business department said on Tuesday, as the government tries to save thousands of steelworkers' jobs. In March, India's Tata group announced plans to sell its entire UK steel operation, leaving the government battling to rescue an industry that has been hurt by cheap Chinese imports, soaring costs and weak demand. "Given the Business Secretarys focus on the steel industry, he has decided to postpone his trip to Iran," the spokesman said. "He remains committed to exploring the opportunities for trade and investment with this emerging market." The trip would take place at a later date, the spokesman said. Javid has faced heavy criticism over his handling of the Tata sale, which was announced while he was on an official visit to Australia, forcing him to rush back to Britain to reassure the company's thousands of employees. He had planned to travel to Tehran this month on what would have been the biggest British trade delegation to Iran since the lifting of international sanctions in January. Other European Union countries including Italy, France and Germany have already struck billions of dollars worth of deals and many within Britain's business community complain that the UK has been slower to respond. (Reporting by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)
LONDON, (Reuters) - The campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union retained its lead for a second consecutive week, according to a TNS online poll on Wednesday which put the "In" camp on 39 percent against 36 percent for the "Out" campaign. The previous such TNS poll had "In" on 38 percent and "Out" on 34 percent. It was the first TNS polling completed since U.S. President Barack Obama urged Britain last month to stay inside the 28-member bloc, an appeal which TNS said had not caused a significant shift in opinion. "We are now starting to see the 'Remain' campaign edge into a lead, although without a major boost which some may have predicted following (Obama's visit)," said Luke Taylor, Head of Social and Political Attitudes at TNS UK. "The challenge for the Remain campaign continues to be in getting a high turnout among younger voters," he added. TNS interviewed 1,221 adults in the United Kingdom between April 26 and 28. The margin of error was plus or minus three percent. All interviews were conducted as online self-completion. Previous TNS polls have not included Northern Ireland. ((Reporting by Stephen Addison, editing by Andy Bruce))
Paris (AFP) - A veteran Mexican diplomat has been chosen to head the United Nations' newly upgraded climate office, UN chief Ban Ki-moon announced in a letter to France's environment minister.

Ban said he will appoint Patricia Espinosa Cantellano "as the new UNFCCC Executive Secretary for a term of three years," referring to the body which oversaw the international negotiations in December leading to a historic climate pact.

The letter, obtained by AFP, is dated April 28 and addressed to French minister Segolene Royal, whose country hosted the 195-nation climate talks.

A former foreign minister, and currently Mexico's ambassador to Germany, Espinosa made her mark in climate circles when she took the helm at the UN talks in 2010, a year after the process was nearly derailed in Copenhagen.

She will replace Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica, who held the post for six years and will step down in July.

Figueres confirmed the selection in a tweet, noting that the process of confirmation -- a formality -- is under way.

The mandate of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, now in its 21st year, is to slash dangerous carbon pollution and help poor countries cope with climate impacts.

The 2015 Paris Agreement vows to cap global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-Industrial Era benchmark -- a hugely ambitious target.

Espinosa's appointment comes at a crucial time in the climate saga as the focus shifts from setting goals to carrying them out, analysts said.

"It is a different role now that you have the [Paris] agreement in place," said Alden Meyer of the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists.

"There is a lot more nitty-gritty implementation to be done," he said before Ban's choice was known.

The position has been elevated to the status of under secretary general, and comes with a salary in the neighbourhood of $200,000 (173,000 euros).

Story continues

Ban's letter said that he interviewed four short-listed candidates before making his choice, though he did not say who they were.

One might have been Laurence Tubiana, France's top climate negotiator during the Paris talks.

Tubiana was widely credited -- along with French foreign minister Laurent Fabius -- with ushering the fraught negotiations to a happy ending.

At the request of Royal, the application window was extended so that Tubiana's candidature could be taken into consideration.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency on Tuesday urged Gulf countries to donate millions to help UNRWA avoid a funding crisis.

Last year, the agency was hit by a major funding crisis that threatened to affect the opening of schools.

An appeal by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to donors helped resolve the crisis, but the agency still has a funding gap of some $80 million.

"We'd be very appreciative to have countries that have come forward last summer to help, and in particular three Gulf states - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait - renew their generosity this year," said Pierre Krahenbul, UNRWA's commissioner-general.

"If we could have that, we'd be able to avoid another crisis this summer," he said.

Established in 1950, UNRWA helps some five million Palestinians living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and in the Palestinian territories.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will hold an urgent meeting Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Syria's frontline city of Aleppo, where fighting threatens to unravel international peace efforts.

France and Britain called for the meeting as Russia said a new ceasefire in Aleppo could be announced within hours.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre described Aleppo as the "martyred center of the resistance" to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and compared the city to besieged Sarajevo during the Bosnian war.

"Aleppo is burning and it is crucial that we focus on this top priority issue," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

The 15-member council will hear a report from the UN's top political affairs official Jeffrey Feltman on the situation in Aleppo, where fresh fighting including a rocket attack on a maternity hospital left 19 dead on Tuesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow that efforts were under way to agree on a freeze in fighting in Aleppo.

"I am hoping that in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, such a decision will be announced," Lavrov said after meeting UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow.

A surge of violence that erupted on April 22 has left more than 270 people dead in the divided northern city and undermined efforts to revive peace negotiations.

After a relative lull in clashes on Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired a barrage of at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighborhoods, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

At least three women were killed when the rockets crashed into a maternity hospital, the agency and state television said, and another 11 killed in fire on other government-held neighborhoods.
Alexion Disappointed in 1Q16, but What's that Mean for Investors?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Share price performance

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) announced earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2016 on April 28, 2016. The company reported a revenue decline of 1.5% and an earnings decline of 2.2%, which surprised investors and led to a 6% fall in its share price.

On April 29, Alexions closing share price fell to $139.3 from the closing price of $161.4 on April 21. While maintaining its total revenue guidance, Alexion lowered its sales outlook for Soliris in fiscal 2016. This was probably another reason for the companys share price decline. The contribution from the metabolic portfolio is expected to offset the comparatively lower sales from Soliris.

Recent events that supported the share price

On March 28, 2016, Kanuma, Alexions innovative ERT (enzyme replacement therapy), received approval from Japans Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare for the indication of lysosomal acid lipase deficiency.

On April 4, 2016, Alexions ongoing, open-label Phase 2 trial of Strensiq supported the finding that children with perinatal- and infantile-onset HPP (hypophosphatasia) treated with Strensiq had statistically significant improvements in bone healing as assessed radiographically, which were sustained through 3.5 years of treatment.

These two events might have caused the companys share price surge in April.

Share prices of peers

Over the past year, Alexions share price has fallen by 19%. Shire (SHPG) and BioMarin (BMRN) have tumbled by 23.8% and 26.4%, respectively. Amgen (AMGN) declined marginally by 1.4%. Recent events over the past couple of weeks, such as pricing pressure from the US government and the Valeant turmoil, also contributed to the general slump in the biotechnology industry.

As its often risky to invest directly in a biotech company, investors can choose to diversify through an ETF like the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index Fund (FBT), which holds 3.1% of its total holdings in Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

Story continues

In the next part, well discuss Alexions product performance during 1Q16.

Continue to Next Part

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By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations will start inspecting shipments to rebel-held ports in Yemen in a bid to boost commercial imports and enforce an arms embargo, the world body said on Tuesday, some eight months after announcing it would establish such a procedure. Yemen relies almost solely on imports, but a 14-month long conflict between Houthi rebels and a Saudi Arabian-led coalition has slowed to a trickle commercial shipments to the impoverished country where 80 percent of people need humanitarian aid. The United Nations announced in September it would set up a verification and inspection mechanism. Then in October U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien said the United Nations was still trying to raise some $8 million to fund the Djibouti-based operation. It began operations on Monday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the European Union, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain and the United States had provided financing. "It should provide fast and impartial clearance services for shipping companies transporting commercial imports and bilateral assistance to Yemeni ports outside of the authority of the Government of Yemen," Dujarric said. The United Nations will ensure commercial shipments to rebel-held ports are not carrying weapons in violation of a U.N. arms embargo. The light U.N. regime will replace inspections by the Saudi-led coalition, which slowed commercial shipments. A Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign in Yemen in March last year with the aim of preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking control of the country. A month later the U.N. Security Council imposed an arms embargo targeting the Houthi rebels and Saleh's troops. More than 6,200 people have been killed in the conflict, half of them civilians. The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) said in March that nearly half of Yemen's 22 provinces are on the verge of famine. The Yemeni government suspended direct U.N.-brokered peace talks to end the conflict on Sunday after the Houthi movement and its armed allies seized a military base north of the capital Sanaa. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by David Gregorio)
Crude stocks have been getting crushed for over one-and-a-half years. Among the different types of energy players whose market capitalization has witnessed a sheer drop, exploration and production (E&P) companies are the most striking. While these upstream firms are more sensitive to price changes in oil and gas, they also stand to profit greatly from a price increase in the commodities. When investing in such stocks, youll want to choose companies that are not financially distressed. This is because there is no certainty as to when the energy rally will start, or if the current prices are even sustainable.



Investors are perturbed owing to the fact that for almost throughout first-quarter 2016 crude prices traded significantly below the $40-per-barrel level. Most importantly, WTI crude fell to the 12-year low mark of below $27 per barrel in mid February. The low levels were owing to plentiful supplies and lackluster demand. This was aptly echoed by the weekly release of Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. BHI that reported the sixth consecutive record fall in U.S. rig count.



Whats more, given the absence of major production cuts from OPEC, the effect of booming shale supplies in North America and a stagnant European economy, we do not expect much upside in the commoditys prices in the near term.



The prevailing trend in the oil and energy sector is well outlined in the Zacks Earnings Trend report. As of Friday, Apr 29, 44.7% of the oil and energy companies had reported Q1 earnings. These stocks account for 71.8% of the total market capitalization. Total earnings for these index members plunged 96.8% from the year-ago period on a 29.4% decline in revenues.



Definitely the scenario was unfavorable for the upstream energy players that include oil and gas exploration and production companies, and drilling and oilfield services players. This is because oil price has a positive correlation with the operations of these companies.



Given the persistent weakness in commodity prices, investors are eager to find out how oil and natural gas stocks will fare this earnings season. Lets take a look at the expected earnings performance of four upstream companies that are scheduled to post Q1 tomorrow, May 4.



Cimarex Energy Co. XEC has an Earnings ESP of -2.56% and Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Though a favorable Zacks Rank increases the predictive power of ESP, a negative ESP complicates our surprise prediction. The commodity price weaknesses will likely put the companys profit margins under pressure.



Last quarter, the company delivered a negative surprise of 8.70% owing to the challenges from a steep drop in oil price. Also, the company failed to meet the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the past four quarters. However, the company managed an average beat of 38.82%. Well have to wait and see whether the company can pull a surprise. (Read more: What's Up at Cimarex Energy This Earnings Season?)

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Concho Resources, Inc. CXO has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and Zacks Rank #3. Though a favorable Zacks Rank increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult. Like any other energy player  primarily involved in exploration, development and production of crude oil  the fate of Concho Resources business is directly correlated with crude prices. Continued weakness in commodity prices has significantly affected the companys revenues, earnings and cash flows.



In the preceding three-month period, the Midland, TX-based upstream player delivered a negative earnings surprise of 275.00% on oils protracted decline. As far as the earnings surprise history is concerned, the company has a good record: it beat estimates in three of the last four quarters. Well have to wait and see whether the company can keep its surprise streak alive. (Read more: Can Concho Resources Q1 Earnings Surprise?)

Murphy Oil Corporation MUR has an Earnings ESP of +24.14% and Zacks Rank #3. Our proven model shows that Murphy Oil is likely to beat on earnings because it has the right combination of the two key ingredients.



In the preceding three-month period, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 33.91%. Moreover, Murphy Oil has undertaken cost-saving initiatives which should continue to benefit it in 2016. The company also aims to reduce its total exploration expense to $22 million in the first quarter of 2016, significantly lower than the prior-year level. These actions are expected to boost its performance in the to-be reported quarter. (Read more: Murphy Oil Q1 Earnings: Stock to Pull a Surprise?)

Noble Energy, Inc. NBL carries a Zacks Rank #3. Though a favorable Zacks Rank increases the predictive power of ESP, Range Resources ESP of -5.66% makes surprise prediction difficult.



In the prior quarter, this independent energy company reported a positive surprise of 1,200.0%. Depressed commodity prices are a serious concern for the players in the oil & natural gas space. To cope with low prices, Noble Energy is aggressively cutting down capital expenditure and focusing only on areas that hold long-term prospects. (Read more: What's in Store for Noble Energy in Q1 Earnings?)

Dont miss out on our full earnings release articles for these two oil refining stocks, as the actual results might hold some surprises!

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United States Cellular Corporation USM is slated to release its first-quarter 2016 results on May 6, before the market opens.

Last quarter, U.S. Cellular delivered a positive earnings surprise of 95.35%. Moreover, the companys bottom line has surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all of the past four quarters, with an average beat of a massive 1844.67%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.



Factors Likely to Influence this Quarter

U.S. Cellular   the wireless subsidiary of Telephone & Data Systems Inc. TDS  is currently experiencing strong smartphone demand. Of the total smartphone sales, nearly 94% are 4G devices. Higher ARPU from smartphone users and full utilization of LTE network capacity on the back of migration of customers from 3G to 4G networks are expected to mitigate operating cost headwinds arising from higher subsidies on smartphones.

U.S. Cellular initiated the testing of voice over LTE or VoLTE, and is planning its commercial deployment going forward. Further, in order to offer services at competitive rates, U.S. Cellular continues to invest in the construction of new cell sites, capacity expansion of cell sites and switches, technology upgrades, new and existing office system enhancement, as well as the establishment of new and remodeling of existing retail stores.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that U.S. Cellular is likely to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case here as elaborated below.

Zacks ESP: U.S. Cellular has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because both the Zacks Consensus Estimate and the Most Accurate estimate are pegged at 23 cents.

Zacks Rank: U.S. Cellular has a Zacks Rank #3 which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, we need to have a positive ESP to be confident of an earnings surprise.

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Stocks to Consider

Here is a company you may want to consider as our model shows it has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

Agilent Technologies, Inc. A has an Earnings ESP of +2.56% and a Zacks Rank #2.

ACI Worldwide, Inc. ACIW has an Earnings ESP of +12.5% and a Zacks Rank #3.

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A team of U.S. Navy SEALs fires on insurgents from a rooftop, Friday, April 21, 2006, in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad. (AP/Todd Pitman)



President Obamas undeclared but escalating war against the Islamic State terror group suffered its third American combat casualty on Tuesday, as the White House wrestled with renewed questions about the likely scope and duration of the conflict.



Obama has promised that U.S. forces will not carry out enduring offensive ground combat operations. But he has also ordered some 5,000 troops to Iraq and plunged up to 500 elite special operators into Syria to help rebel groups battle both troops loyal to strongman Bashar Assad and extremists serving under the black flag of ISIS, as the terrorist army is also known.

The casualty, a U.S. Navy SEAL, was killed in northern Iraq after ISIS fighters breached lines held by Kurdish peshmerga forces.

It is a combat death, of course, and very sad loss, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters.

At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest tried to explain how an American who was not on a combat mission could be killed in combat.

He was killed, and he was killed in combat. But that was not part of his mission, Earnest told reporters. His mission was specifically to offer advice and assistance to those Iraqi forces that were fighting for their own country.

But Earnest denied playing down the threats facing Americans on the ground, stressing, I dont mean to make it sound benign, because its not. Its dangerous.

Asked by Yahoo News at what point the U.S. deployment in Syria would become an enduring offensive ground combat operation, Earnest suggested that American troops could remain there indefinitely without ever passing the enduring mark as long as their numbers remain short of the tens of thousands used in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

U.S. commandos in Syria have a very different mission than the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops on the ground, who are responsible for seeking out and directly engaging the enemy, he said. That is not the mission of the much smaller number of forces on the ground.

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Pressed on whether there was a time element to an enduring deployment, Earnest replied, I think the reference to enduring is a reference to the idea of an enduring presence on the ground building a base, a large physical presence on the ground. So thats why I do think this notion of the time commitment and the number of troops involved are not unrelated.

Obamas proposed Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against the Islamic State  legislation that would function as a kind of declaration of war  would not permit enduring offensive ground combat operations.

Senior Obama aides have taken pains not to define the phrase precisely. Earnest himself said in February 2015 that the language was intentionally fuzzy.

We believe its important that there arent overly burdensome constraints that are placed on the commander in chief, who needs the flexibility to be able to respond to contingencies that emerge in a chaotic military conflict like this, he told reporters at the time.

Secretary of State John Kerry told the Senate Appropriations Committee in February 2015 that if youre going in for weeks and weeks of combat, thats enduring. But he, too, said that the language meant only to suggest that Obama would not trap the United States in another conflict like Afghanistan or former President George W. Bushs invasion of Iraq.

Many Democrats say the legislation is not restrictive enough for them to support, that they worry about signing off on the kind of large-scale ground deployment that Obama has essentially ruled out. Republicans say its too restrictive, that the measures three-year sunset binds the hands of the next president, and that the language on ground forces could inhibit a future commander in chief.

But get past the policy, and politics loom large. Democrats have been mindful that a vote for war can come back to hurt them  with then New York Sen. Hillary Clintons 2002 vote authorizing Bush to invade Iraq perhaps the best example. That vote dogged Clinton throughout her unsuccessful 2008 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Republicans could modify Obamas AUMF to their liking, such as by stripping out the ground forces restriction, vague as it is, and scrapping the three-year limit. But GOP aides say their leaders in Congress worry about taking any step that might make them share the responsibility for a military strategy that will be executed by Obama, at least for another eight months or so.
Los Angeles (AFP) - Two lawsuits filed in California on Monday claim that Muslim women were discriminated against in separate incidents because of their religion and for wearing the hijab.

One of the suits claims that police in Long Beach forcibly removed a suspect's headscarf while another suit alleges that a group of women were kicked out of a Laguna Beach coffee house for being Muslim.

According to the complaint against the city of Long Beach and its police department, Kirsty Powell and her husband were pulled over by two officers while driving home in May of last year.

She was subsequently arrested on two outstanding warrants -- one linked to her sister allegedly falsely using her identity and one in relation to a 2002 shoplifting incident at a grocery store.

Powell, who is African American, alleges that while being booked at the police station, one of the officers forcibly removed her headscarf in view of other male officers and inmates, telling her she was "not allowed to wear her hijab" and that policemen were "allowed to touch women."

The suit states that Powell "suffered and continues to suffer extreme shame, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress" as a result of her experience.

"The actions taken by the Long Beach police officers were unwarranted and a serious violation of Mrs Powell's bodily integrity," said Yalda Satar, attorney for the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on behalf of Powell.

"The manner in which Mrs Powell was treated by LBPD officers was simply a show of authority over a woman of color who was unable to protect herself, and is another example of the type of discrimination faced by women who wear a hijab."

The Long Beach Police Department said in a statement late Monday that Powell's hijab was taken off in line with the department's policy to remove certain items from inmates -- including belts, shoe laces and head coverings -- for their own protection.

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"We respect the religious rights and beliefs of all people and understand the sensitivity of this matter," police chief Robert Luna said. "The policies we have in place are for the safety of the individual, other individuals and police employees.

- 'Targeted over hijab' -

In a separate lawsuit also filed on Monday, a group of seven women claim that they were kicked out of Urth Caffe, in Laguna Beach, last month because they were Muslim.

The women, six of whom wear the headscarf, allege that management had asked them to vacate their table on April 22 on grounds that the restaurant was busy and that the policy limited seating to 45 minutes when no free tables are available.

When the women refused to leave, the coffee house called in the police.

Dan Stormer, whose law firm is representing the women, told AFP that it was clear his clients were targeted because of their religion.

"At the time our clients were there, there were several dozen free tables," he said.

"There were people who were there before our clients arrived and they were not asked to leave. Those people were white and they were not wearing the hijab."

The owner of the restaurant, Shallom Berkman, could not be reached for comment.

But in interviews with local media, he denied discriminating against the women and pointed out that his wife was Muslim.

The two lawsuits come as police in Los Angeles and San Francisco have come under scrutiny over racist and homophobic text messages and emails, several of which target Muslims.

On Sunday, a senior official at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stepped down after outrage over emails he sent three to four years ago mocking Muslims and others.

In San Francisco, several police officers have resigned or retired over racist text messages they exchanged among each other.
actuv speed test 2 2 1200x800 c

The Pentagon's autonomous warship designed to hunt foreign stealth submarines just began its open-water trials.

ACTUV (Antisubmarine warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel)  a crewless, 140-ton, 132-foot-long robotic ship, which was unveiled in Portland's Willamette River in April, will undergo two years of testing in the waters off of San Diego with the Navy.

If all goes well, the Pentagon's drone vessel named "Sea Hunter" will enter service by 2018.

"This is a big, big, deal," Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said.

"It looks like a Klingon Bird of Prey," he added, admiring the vessel's narrow bow.

"It's extremely inexpensive compared to a manned system and it takes men and service women out of harms way. So why wouldn't we want to do this?"

The ACTUV, pronounced "active,"costs $15,000 to $20,000 a day to operate, according to the Department of Defense. It was conceived in 2010 by DARPA, the Pentagon's developmental wing responsible for testing emerging military technologies.

And those expenses are chump change compared with the operating costs of an aircraft carrier or submarine.

For example, the USS George Washington, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, costs a cool $1.1 million a day to operate, the Navy told The Wall Street Journal.

Staffing the ACTUV costs an estimated $684,900 a day.

amanda actuv darpa

"You can afford to use it in ways or think about using it in ways that would be too dangerous for a manned vessel," Scott Littlefield, the ACTUV's program manager, told Business Insider. "Like taking it into a minefield or taking it within range of somebody else's weapons."

"I don't think we'll ever get away from sailors on big ships," he added, "but I could imagine a future in which we have a mixture of manned and unmanned systems working together."

In short, ACTUV advances the US's robotic-warfare abilities by supplementing the Navy's manned fleet.

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'These will be everywhere'

The ACTUV's completion comes as Russia and China, near-peer adversaries to the US, expand and update their navies.

According to NATO Vice Adm. Clive Johnstone, there is now more reported activity from Russian submarines in the North Atlantic than at any time since the Cold War. At the same time, China claims the majority of land in one of the most disputed areas on the planet: the South China Sea, which is home to $5 trillion in annual global trade.

To that end, the tit for tat over crumbs of territory in the South China Sea isn't for nothing.

"This will operate wherever the United States Navy operates," Work told Business Insider. "It can operate in the South China Sea. It can operate in the Baltic Sea. It can operate in the Persian Gulf. And it can operate in the middle of the Atlantic or the middle of the Pacific."

"These will be everywhere," he said.

The ACTUV's sophisticated sonar system allows the unmanned vessel to hunt submarines, detect torpedoes, evaluate threats, and avoid small objects at sea  all while traversing the ocean at a top speed of 27 knots, or 31 mph.

This animation from DARPA depicts how ACTUV will hunt targets at sea:

While at sea, ACTUV will communicate information back to a military control center as well as to nearby Navy vessels and aircraft.

"There is no reason to be afraid of a ship like this," Work said. "This is a ship that's going to do what we tell it and nothing more."

"The US military doesn't really have the luxury of picking where it has to go, and the fact that the Navy has to be in all of those environments, that is what national security is all about, being able to do all of that," Dr. Arati Prabhakar, the director of DARPA, told Business Insider.

NOW WATCH: The US Navy's last line of defense is this ultimate gun





More From Business Insider


Baghdad (AFP) - The Islamic State group broke through Kurdish defences in northern Iraq and killed a US Navy SEAL deployed as part of the US-led coalition against the jihadists.

The attack came as the United Nations said that fighting with IS in northern Iraq could displace another 30,000 people, adding to millions who have already fled their homes.

And in Baghdad, throngs of Shiite pilgrims braved the threat of bombings by IS, which have killed dozens of people in recent days, to take part in a major annual religious commemoration.

The sailor from the special operations force was the third coalition member killed by enemy fire in Iraq since IS overran swathes of the country in 2014.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey identified the fallen SEAL as Charlie Keating IV, who attended high school in Phoenix.

President Barack Obama hailed the 2011 withdrawal of American troops from Iraq as a major accomplishment of his presidency, but US forces have been drawn back into combat in the country against IS.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the death occurred during an IS attack on one of the Kurdish peshmerga forces' positions north of Iraq's jihadist-held second city Mosul.

A US defence official said the SEAL's death was the result of "an orchestrated attack."

A coalition military official said the American was killed at 9:30 am (0630 GMT) by "direct fire" after "enemy forces penetrated" the peshmerga line.

- Firefight with IS -

The SEAL was a member of a "small team" that was present at a peshmerga encampment behind the original front line during the IS attack, which involved explosives-rigged vehicles, bulldozers and infantry, the official said.

"They fought, but they're a small number and they're not supposed to be in direct contact," and they departed by American helicopter after the SEAL was shot, according to the official.

Kurdish forces are deployed in Nineveh province, whose capital Mosul is IS's main hub in the country.

Story continues

IS attacked the peshmerga in multiple areas of northern Iraq on Tuesday in an attempt to "thwart the plan to liberate Mosul", said Jabbar Yawar, the secretary general of the autonomous Kurdish region's peshmerga ministry.

Iraq's Joint Operations Command said IS overran the Tal Asquf area and that the group employed suicide bombers.

Tal Asquf is a small Christian town whose population fled in 2014. According to the Kurdistan Region Security Council, the town was "completely cleared" of IS fighters later Tuesday.

Romeo Hekari, who heads a Christian unit fighting IS under peshmerga command, also said Tal Asquf was back under full control.

The United States announced last month that it was deploying additional forces to Iraq, bringing the official total to more than 4,000.

- Boots on the ground -

The coalition is carrying out daily air strikes against IS, and while most American forces on the ground in Iraq play advisory and support roles, Washington has also deployed special forces to carry out raids against IS, and US Marines to provide artillery support.

Two US military personnel had already been killed by the jihadists in Iraq: an American Marine by rocket fire in March and a special forces soldier who died of wounds received during a raid last October.

Obama repeatedly pledged that there would be no "boots on the ground" to combat IS, but the administration has since sought to define the term as meaning something other than American forces being on the ground and in combat.

"They are wearing boots, and they are on the ground, but that... doesn't mean that they are in large-scale ground combat," State Department spokesman John Kirby recently told journalists.

As Kurdish forces and the jihadists clashed on Tuesday, the United Nations expressed concern that "as many as 30,000 newly displaced individuals" could arrive in Makhmur southeast of Mosul, fleeing fighting in the area.

In Baghdad, tens of thousands of pilgrims converged on a shrine to mourn the death of Imam Musa Kadhim, the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shiite Islam, who was killed in 799 AD.

A shrine official said that "millions" had taken part in commemorations in recent days, despite IS-claimed bombings targeting the pilgrims that have killed at least 37 people in the past week.
Stuttgart (Germany) (AFP) - US Defence Secretary Ash Carter warned Tuesday that NATO would defend its allies against Russian "aggression" as he presided over the passing of the alliance's European command to a new general.

Carter said NATO would "keep the door open for Russia" for cooperation on global security challenges if Moscow abandoned its "sabre-rattling".

"But it's up to the Kremlin to decide. We don't seek a cold, let alone hot, war with Russia. We don't seek to make Russia an enemy," he said.

"But make no mistake: we will defend our allies, the rule-based international order and the positive future it affords us."

Carter was speaking in the western German city of Stuttgart at the change of command ceremony for General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of US forces in South Korea, to become its top commander in Europe.

Scaparrotti, who replaces US General Philip Breedlove, will have to handle the Atlantic alliance's tense relationship with Russia.

Breedlove, a US air force general, has served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe since May 2013. The post has always been held by an American.

Moscow has led a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and allegedly backed rebels in eastern Ukraine against forces of the Western-backed government in Kiev.

Since the Ukraine conflict, NATO has established a high-speed response force complete with forward command and logistic centres in its eastern members so it can deploy much more rapidly.

Last week Germany said it was considering sending troops to Lithuania as part of a NATO mission to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank with Russia.

In brief remarks, Scaparrotti said NATO faced "challenges to international law" by Russia in Ukraine and the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia.

"We also face the immediate threat that terrorism poses as the world witnessed in the recent tragedies in Brussels, Paris and Ankara," he said.

"And we face the significant influx of migrants and refugees that are challenging the social fabric of Europe."

NATO has an operation to stop migrant boats reaching the Greek islands from Turkey and member state Italy is pushing a plan to introduce NATO naval patrols off Libya in time for the summer, which is peak season for people smuggling.
GOLDEN, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 3, 2016 / Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. (VODG), dba Vitro Biopharma, announced the launch of breast cancer CAFs (cancer-associated fibroblasts) that provide additional tools for drug discovery in the quest to eradicate cancer. CAFs reside within tumor tissue and serve various functions including suppression of immune responses to cancerous cells, support of tumor cell growth and enhancement of metastasis. Modern immunotherapy has evolved into CAR-T technology (chimeric antigen receptor T cells) whereby patient's immune cells are genetically engineered to migrate to, attach to and eliminate cancer cells. Several biotech firms are developing CAR-T cancer immunotherapeutic products including Juno Therapeutics, Kite Pharma and Ziopharm Oncology. Some early trials for treatment of leukemia show nearly complete remission using this therapy. However, CAFs present within solid tumors continue to block engineered T cells and require intervention to maximize immunotherapy to completely eradicate cancerous cells (PNAS 110: 20212, 2013).

Our CAF product line now includes several tumor-specific CAFs including lung, colorectal, pancreatic and we also provide our specialized cell culture medium, Vitro Plus III, for the expansion and use of these cell lines in cell-based assays for cancer drug discovery. With the addition of breast CAFs we now provide a broader array of CAF offerings to advance the race for a cure for cancer. Immunotherapy is at the forefront of the fright to eliminate cancer through a targeted approach designed to selectively eradicate cancer tumor cells from the body: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/car-t-cells.

Dr. Jim Musick, President & CEO of Vitro Biopharma said, "We are very pleased to announce the latest addition to our cancer research tools. Use of the immune system to selectively target and eliminate cancerous cells from the body was pioneered by Dr. Steven Rosenberg at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The recent expansion to CAR-T technology adds enhanced specificity and potency to the process. Immunotherapy has the potential to provide significant advances to our abilities to treat cancer and may be a crucial tool in the eradication of cancer. Vitro Biopharma has a history of involvement in cancer research through a previous contract with NCI in the 1990's to supply a recombinant human tumor marker, CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen). More recently, our pancreatic primary fibroblast cell line and CAFs have been used extensively in cancer research. We now sell our cancer drug discovery tools to large biopharmaceutical companies and several other research labs throughout the world. We also plan to further expand our CAF product line in the future."

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About Vitro Biopharma

Vitro Biopharma's (http://www.vitrobiopharma.com/) mission is "Harnessing the Power of Cells" for the advancement of regenerative medicine to its full potential. Vitro Biopharma operates within a modern, GMP-compliant biotechnology manufacturing and R&D facility in Golden, Colorado. Vitro Biopharma manufactures and sells "Tools for Stem Cell and Drug Development", including human mesenchymal stem cells and derivatives, the MSC-Gro Brand of optimized media for MSC self-renewal and lineage-specific differentiation. Our cell lines also include cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) derived from lung, colorectal, ovarian, uterine and pancreatic tumors. In addition, we provide MSC-derived progenitor cells, including neural stem cells (NSCs), nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) as well as a growing line of terminally differentiated cells: cholinergic, dopaminergic and sensory neurons, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, cardiomyocytes, and renal tubular epithelial cells. A primary application of these terminally differentiated cells is cell-based assays for drug discovery and pre-clinical toxicology of drugs, drug candidates and drug combinations that may produce toxic effects on cardiac, neural or renal cells, either directly or through metabolites derived from the interaction of drugs with specific cells such as liver cells. Vitro Biopharma now provides its Clinical Grade MSC-Gro Media for expansion of stem cells prior to transplantation for clinical studies of osteoarthritis treatment and products for use in preliminary studies of stem cell activation therapy for ASD & autoimmunity.

Vitro Biopharma received the Frost and Sullivan Technology Innovation Leadership Award for the industry sector: Stem Cell Tools and Technology in North America, 2014.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements herein regarding financial performance have not yet been reported to the SEC nor reviewed by the Company's auditors. Certain statements contained herein and subsequent statements made by and on behalf of the Company, whether oral or written may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements are identified by words such as "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "expects" and "hopes" and include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plan of business operations, product research and development activities, potential contractual arrangements, receipt of working capital, anticipated revenues and related expenditures. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, acceptability of the Company's products in the market place, general economic conditions, receipt of additional working capital, the overall state of the biotechnology industry and other factors set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulations, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly these forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CONTACT:

Dr. James Musick

Chief Executive Officer

Vitro Biopharma

(303) 999-2130 Ext. 3

E-mail: jim@vitrobiopharma.com

SOURCE: Vitro Diagnostics, Inc.
Vornado Realty Trust VNO reported funds from operations (FFO) per share of $1.07 for first-quarter 2016, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23. The figure also came in lower than the prior-year tally of $1.16 per share.



Total revenue came in at $613 million for the first quarter, up 1% year over year. However, it lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $642.4 million.



Quarter in Detail



In the New York City portfolio, Vornado leased 737,000 square feet of office and 38,000 square feet of retail space. In Washington DC, the company leased 569,000 square feet of office space.



At quarter-end, same-store occupancy in the New York portfolio was 96.2%, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 110 basis points. On the other hand, same-store occupancy in the Washington DC portfolio was 84.8%, up from 83.1% at the end of first-quarter 2015. Same-store earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization for New York and Washington DC inched up 5.5% year over year and declined 0.1% year over year, respectively.



Other Developments



On Mar 17, 2016, Vornado inked a joint venture deal for owning 33.3% stake in a mezzanine loan.



As of Mar 31, 2016, Vornado had $1.67 billion of cash and cash equivalents, down from $1.84 billion as of Dec 31, 2015.



Our Viewpoint



We believe Vornados streamlining measures will help it focus exclusively on office assets in the New York City and Washington, DC region as well as on Manhattan street retail properties.



Currently, Vornado has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Investors interested in the REIT space may consider stocks like American Tower Corporation AMT, Brookfield Canada Office Properties BOXC and Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc GLPI. All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).



Note: FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.



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Sometimes the language and imagery of a news story is so startling that you're drawn to read it despite yourself.

(The writer gets double points if it you're lured in without the phrase, "...and you'll never guess what happens next!")

A headline and phrase last week in The New York Times happened to catch our eye, and the story led us to some remarkable wording.

DON'T MISS: VW misses own deadline for diesel-cheating report, now expected by end of year

The story is now titled, VW Chief 'Personally' Apologized to Obama Over Cheating, and it covered a meeting between U.S. president Barack Obama and VW Group CEO Matthias Muller.

The two met when Obama visited Hanover, close to VW's Wolfsburg global headquarters, for a dinner hosted by German chancellor Angela Merkel for the president to meet with German industry leaders.

At a news conference held last Thursday in Wolfsburg, Muller said he had personally apologized to the president for the company's role in the diesel-emission cheating scandal.

President Barack Obama sits in 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car at Detroit Auto Show, Jan 2016

The pair had a two-minute conversation, he said, during which he also noted that 600,000 employees and many German suppliers depend on VW's continued health and growth.

"Lawyers in the case expect the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department to demand penalties that are painful for Volkswagen," noted the Times, "but not so severe that they destroy the company."

The story is relatively straightforwardbut in our original reading, we had noticed a different headline that caught our eye.

CHECK OUT: VW diesel agreement: what we know (and don't know) in 5 questions

As reprinted by The Boston Globe (previously owned by The New York Times), the story still carries the more evocative original title that we had noticed.

It was, VW chief 'personally' apologized to Obama in plea for mercyand that specific phrase was repeated in the first paragraph of the story.

Story continues

The chief executive of one of the world's three largest automakers, wrote reporter Jack Ewing, had been "making what amounted to a plea for mercy as the German carmaker negotiates penalties with US officials."

Consumer Reports tests 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel in 'cheat mode,' October 2015 [video frame]

There's a world of difference between an apology and a "plea for mercy," and we wonder if the language proved just a little too colorful for the final version online at the Times site.

But it must be startling, even horrifying, to see a foreign newspaper report that a top German executive essentially begged the president of another country for lenient treatment after his company knowingly and deliberately violated that country's laws for eight years.

Such language, and such imagery, are one of the reasons the story remains so newsworthy.

It seems rather out of character for the CEO of a major automaker to plead for anything, up to and including government-backed bailouts for two of the three native U.S. makers during 2009.

We watched those hearings, and we'd be hard-pressed to think of anything that would get quite to the level of a "plea for mercy" by GM's Rick Wagoner or Chrysler's Bob Nardelli (both of whom are long-gone from their CEO roles).

2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI

We certainly can't know what happened during the conversation between President Obama and CEO Muller.

But the language used to describe such a meeting reflects the continuing seriousness and grave consequences of VW's actions.

Whether the president is inclined to suggest to the EPA or other agencies that they be merciful toward Volkswagen is anyone's guess.

But if we had to lay odds, we'd bet against.

_______________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.
ATM skimming is on the rise, jumping 546 percent between 2014 and 2015, according to a recent report from the analytics software company FICO. Just how much money gets stolen annually via this route is hard to pinpoint, but some industry estimates suggest that as much as $2 billion a year may be lost to ATM skimming.

For those who aren't aware, ATM skimming is the process of stealing debit card information -- even PIN numbers -- via electronic reading devices covertly affixed to ATMs.

But besides swearing off ATMs forever, what can you do to protect yourself from unscrupulous thieves?

[See: 10 Money Leaks to Shut Down Now.]

Never use a public ATM. That is, avoid going to an ATM that isn't inside a bank. You know, those ATMs in convenience stores, gas stations, bars, malls and especially city streets, where often nobody's around and thieves can easily go to work.

"These are so much easier for crooks to rig," says Robert Siciliano, a Boston-based identity theft consultant. "The tampering may take place in the middle of a biting cold night when nobody's around. Then the middle of the next night, the thief retrieves the data."

Ian Kidman seconds that. Kidman is an ATM hardware engineer for HTx Services, a provider of ATM and IT infrastructure services based in Hauppauge, NY.

"Selecting the safest ATM is somewhat of an oxymoron. Cash machines are an attractive target, and thieves are willing to risk being caught regardless of the machine's location," Kidman says. "However, ATM machines that are located inside a bank vestibule, which is well-lit and has video surveillance, increases the risk for the would-be skimmer."

He adds: "Major banks are [also] typically early adopters of security initiatives and measures that protect ATMs from fraud."

And, besides, unless it's an ATM owned by your bank, the fees to use it are probably sky-high.

[See: 12 of the Biggest Data Hacks of 2015.]

Be vigilant. If you are going to use a public ATM, examine the machine. True, there won't be a flashing neon sign stating, "ATM Skimming, Step Right Up," but there are signs to look for.

Story continues

"Is the card slot slightly askew?" asks Philip Casesa, a product development strategist with (ISC) 2, a Florida-based nonprofit that specializes in information security education and certifications. "Is the card slot not firmly attached? Try giving it a tug, if you can. Do some parts, such as the keypad, look newer than the rest of the machine? Are key parts a different color?"

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may want to find another machine, he cautions.

[See: 9 Scary Things Consumers Do With Their Money.]

Be proactive. "When using an ATM, cover the PIN pad with your hands while entering the PIN. While this only protects you from skimmers that use a camera or shoulder-surfing techniques, it is a good security practice," Casesa suggests. Your magnetic strip data could still be compromised, but at least thieves won't have the PIN number required to access your cash.

And, yes, while you might feel as if you're insinuating to those standing behind you that you don't trust them, "You'll never see that person again, anyway," Siciliano says.

If you retrieve your money and suddenly feel like something is fishy, maybe as you were leaving, say, you found yourself wondering whether you did notice something odd about the ATM, tell your bank. Don't wait. Generally, if you report stolen money from your bank account within two days, you'll get it all back eventually, except for possibly $50, according to a federal law known as the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. If you wait longer, like up to 60 days, you may be responsible for the first $500. Wait longer than 60 days and the bank won't be held liable for your missing funds.

You can be proactive in another way, too. If your bank is going to send you an EMV chip-enabled debit card, or if you have one but haven't begun using it yet, get moving. The chips contain a code that makes these cards harder to counterfeit.

Of course, thieves may eventually find a way to circumvent EMV chip technology, but that's a worry for another day.
From Popular Mechanics

Newly released footage shows an atmospheric test of the smallest and lightest nuclear weapon ever deployed by the U.S. The test, code-named Little Feller I, took place on July 17th, 1962, with Attorney General and presidential adviser Robert. F. Kennedy in attendance.

The Davy Crockett battlefield nuclear weapon system was designed to destroy enemy armor on the battlefield, giving the U.S. Army extra punch during the Cold War. The system consisted of the XM-388 nuclear projectile and two launchers, the XM-28 and XM-29. The XM-388 was one of the smallest nuclear devices ever built, weighing just 76 pounds and measuring 30 inches long by 11 inches wide. With its large, bulbous body and small tail fins, the XM-388 looked like a cartoon caricature of a bomb.

Wrecked enemy armor and lingering, lethal radiation would create impassable areas.

There was nothing funny about the XM-388, though. The device had an explosive yield the equivalent of 10 to 20 tons of TNT. This was far, far less than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, which had a yield of about 16,000 tons, but Davy Crockett had a different purpose. It was designed to be used against enemy armored forces at bottlenecks such as valleys or mountain passes, where wrecked enemy armor and lingering, lethal radiation would create impassable areas.

The XM-388 projectile was launched from the XM-28 recoilless rifle. A small, man-portable recoilless rifle, the XM-28 had a range of just 1.24 miles. An improved launcher, the XM-29, had a range of 2.5 miles. Both were operated by a three-man crew and an a M151 jeep could carry the entire system.

One might be tempted to think of the Davy Crockett as a bluff. Surely a nuclear weapon that small and with such a short range wouldn't actually be used? Don't be so sure. Davy Crocketts were issued at the battalion level in Germany and Korea, meaning every mechanized battle group had their own Davy Crocketts to defend their sector against Soviet, Chinese, or North Korean tanks.

Story continues

The Davy Crockett was phased out by 1971. Believe it or not, today's conventional bombs actually outdo the Davy Crockett in terms of raw firepower. The U.S. Air Force's Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) has an explosive yield of 11 tons. Not to be outdone, Russia's Father of All Bombs (FOAB)-a terrifying fuel-air explosive bomb that generates a powerful supersonic shockwave-has a yield of 44 tons.

These days there are easier ways to stop an attack without crossing the nuclear threshold and sending the entire world barreling toward all-out nuclear war. The CBU-97 Sensor-Fuzed Weapon is an aerial bomb that deploys 40 skeet-shaped munitions that sense and destroy tanks and armored vehicles. A single aircraft with four CBU-97s could bag up to 160 armored vehicles.

Here's a short video of the Sensor-Fuzed Weapon in a live-fire test:
For a brief period on Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency said that the herbicide glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsantos wildly popular weed killer Roundup, does not cause cancer. The report, which was pulled from the government website regulations.gov later in the day, is the latest wrinkle in an ongoing debate over the herbicide that was declared probably carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer. Contrary to that widely publicized declaration, the EPA study said glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.

The agency said it pulled the report because our assessment is not final, according to a statement. Each of the 86 pages was marked final at the top, according to Reuters.

The hemming and hawing over glyphosate and its effect on human health is a decades-old story at the EPA, which declared the herbicide a carcinogen in the 1980s only to later walk back that claim. More recently, it has eased its tolerance levels for glyphosate residue on foodslevels the Food and Drug Administration is tasked with testing for but has only done in one year (2011) since glyphosate was first made available in the 1970s. But now, with pressure from food and environmental groups as well as consumers concerned with the residues of a possible carcinogen found in foods ranging from oats to beer to organic eggs, glyphosate has entered the popular discourse on food, safety, and public health.

On Wednesday, that conversation will be on display in front of the White House, where backers of a petition to have glyphosates EPA permit revokedresulting in a ban on its salewill hold a protest and deliver nearly 90,000 signatures to the EPA. Glyphosate should not be in our consumer products in any amount, the petition reads. It is not safe as previously claimed.

The groups behind the petition arent very concerned that the EPA would appear to be moving toward affirming glyphosates safety, if the pulled report is anything to judge by. The bottom line is still that thousands of people signed a petition saying that they want this product off of the market. They dont want it to be positioning their communities, their waterways, their airwaysthat remains, said Miranda Decker, a member activism coordinator with Care2, which worked on the petition with a coalition of groups that include Moms Across America, Friends of the Earth, Beyond Pesticides, and the Organic Consumers Association. We still know that the World Health Organization has declared glyphosate a probable carcinogen, she said.

Story continues

Glyphosate, which has skyrocketed in use since the mid-1990s, when Monsantos first herbicide-resistant seeds were introduced, has become a sort of extension of activists fight against GMOs. But unlike genetically engineered corn, soy, and other crops, which have never been linked to public health risks, here we have one of the most respected public health groups in the world saying the chemical those crops are treated with could cause cancer.

When it comes to other issues related to genetically engineered foodsconversations around consolidation of the seed business, copyright issues, and the increased use of pesticides that the broad adoption of GMO crops has engenderedthose things seem sort of out there and are not personally connected, said Paul Towers, organizing and media director at Pesticide Action Network North America. But if they drive up glyphosate use, and I am going to be ingesting more, and my children are going to be ingesting more of a probable carcinogen, that becomes more relatableand scary.

But Towers said that its just the chemical of today, and the focus on banning or limiting glyphosate use misses the larger issue. Yes, there are concerns around the health harms, he said, but I think the bigger problemand potential solutionlies with the USDA supporting a better agricultural system that doesnt rely on these chemicals. If farmers were to wake up tomorrow and not be able to use glyphosate, they would either turn to an older herbicide with well-documented health risks, such as 2,4-Done of the key components in Agent Orangeor new chemicals would be developed, with unknown consequences for human health and the environment.

Glyphosate, and the growing conversation around its outsize role in modern farming, is still of interest and concern to Towers, but not solely because of the specter of a cancer risk, he said. Because its a warning light of a broken system.

I think our biggest concern remains the kind of system that agriculture gets stuck inthe pesticide treadmill of overuse, misuse, developing or encouraging invasive pests or invasive weeds that we then need to bring in the next chemical in order to deal with, Towers added. Its a process thats already happening with glyphosate, which weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to, requiring farmers to either apply more of the chemical or switch to stronger herbicides.

Although the EPA study was quickly pulled down, it was available long enough for Monsanto to jump on it and use its findings to lend further support to its claims that glyphosate is safe and does not cause cancer. The company told Reuters that the report counted as official classification of glyphosate as a non-carcinogen. However, a number of food and environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, have pointed out that the EPAs review was largely of industry-funded research on glyphosate.

Thats partly why the scientific community is not calling for a ban but more research. In a statement of concern published in the journal Environmental Health, a coalition of scientists called for new investments in epidemiological studies, biomonitoring, and toxicology studies to determine the health effects of both the increased use of glyphosate and consumers increased exposure to the chemical.

Emily Marquez, a staff scientist at PAN, also said that the WHO designation should result in additional investigation.

Researchers have also raised additional concerns between glyphosate and liver and kidney problems, birth defects, and hormone disruption, she wrote in an email to TakePart. These warrant additional scrutiny and potentially action by EPA.

But its a ban, not more research, that protesters will call for on Wednesday.

Were not going to just lie back and say that Monsanto can just keep steamrolling the peoples concern, or having corporate studies outweigh studies coming out from all over the world saying that this is probably dangerous to human beings, Care2s Decker said. We are not willing to let the EPA continue to appease them.

Take the Pledge: Let's Put an End to Food Waste

Related stories on TakePart:





 Whats for Breakfast? How About Some Monsanto Weed Killer?

 Pure German Beers Shown to Contain Trace Amounts of Weed Killer

 How Much of the Most Common Weed Killer Are You Eating? The FDA Doesnt Know

Original article from TakePart
Gettyimages-459075338

But, but...weed is for the people, it's the people's weed.

On Friday, longtime weed enthusiast Woody Harrelson lost a Hawaii-wide bid for licensing a medical marijuana dispensary through his company Simple Organic Living LLC.

SEE ALSO: Denver freezes its weed industry, preventing new marijuana shops from opening (for now)

The State of Hawaii Department of Health opened applications for "a total of eight dispensary licenses: three for the City & County ofHonolulu, two for Hawaii County, two for Maui County and one for Kauai County."

According to Reuters, the state "did not specifically say why the actor's application was denied."

Sure, he's not too upset, though. He'll find something else to do with all that would-be dispensary money.
By Jonathan Saul LONDON (Reuters) - Pirate gangs in West Africa are switching to kidnapping sailors and demanding ransom rather than stealing oil cargoes as low oil prices have made crude harder to sell and less profitable, shipping officials said on Tuesday. Attacks in the Gulf of Guinea - a significant source of oil, cocoa and metals for world markets - have become less frequent partly due to improved patrolling but also to lower oil prices, according to an annual report from the U.S. foundation Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), which is backed by the shipping industry. "They have had to move towards a faster model and that faster model is kidnappings," OBP's Matthew Walje said, noting that ransom payouts were as high as $400,000 in one incident. "It only takes a few hours as opposed to several days to conduct the crime itself," he told Reuters at the report's launch in London. "Fuel prices have fallen, which cuts into their bottom line." OBP said violence had also risen, including mock executions, and last year 23 people were killed by pirates there. "A lot of people are dying from piracy - nowhere near that number died in the last few years in the Western Indian Ocean (due to Somali piracy)," Giles Noakes, of leading ship industry body BIMCO, told the briefing. "We are particularly concerned by the issue," said Noakes, whose association audits the OBP's annual report. Last month, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea agreed to establish combined patrols to bolster security. Analysts say the pirates have emerged from Nigerian militant groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and OBP's Walje said a growing problem was the splintered nature of the various gangs operating in West Africa. "It is more fractured than it would be off Somalia where there were a few major gangs and kingpins operating," he said. OBP estimated costs related to piracy and armed robbery in 2015 in the Gulf of Guinea were $719.6 million, 61 percent of which was borne by the industry. The 2014 cost was $983 million, 47 percent of which was borne by the maritime sector, it said. (Editing by Louise Ireland)
As states around the country enact or consider voter-ID laws, the battle formations are well-rehearsed.

Conservatives who back the laws say that theres a danger of fraudulent votes, which pollute the democratic process at best and swing elections at worst. Liberals who oppose them counter that theres next to no evidence of actual voting fraud; that voter-ID laws wouldnt stop that fraud anyway; and that the laws are actually intended to depress voter-turnout among the populations that are least likely to hold state-issued photo IDstudents, the poor, minorities, and the elderly who are most likely to vote Democraticand improve conservative prospects in elections, despite demographic changes that favor liberal candidates.

Related Story

The Voter-ID Fight in Missouri

The pro-voter-ID side has two big problems. First, theyve been unable to produce proof of the widespread voter fraud they believe exists. Second, people who agree with themand in some cases the proponents themselveskeep slipping up and saying the point is to help conservative candidates.

Last week, Jim DeMint, the president of the Heritage Foundation and former senator from South Carolina, spoke on St. Louis-area talk radio. Legislators in Missouri are trying to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would mandate that voters show voter ID. (I explained why theyre using that path last week.) Host Jamie Allman asked DeMint about Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffes move to re-enfranchise former felons.

Recommended: Live Coverage of the Indiana Primary

The left is trying to draw votes from illegals, from voter fraud, a lot of different things, so this kind of fits right in to trying to find another group that they can basically count on to vote their way, DeMint said. So its really a bigger issue, and thats why the left fights voter ID or any kind of picture ID to know that it is actually a registered voter whos voting. And so its something were working on all over the country, because in the states where they do have voter-ID laws youve seen, actually, elections begin to change towards more conservative candidates.

Story continues

Its that last part that progressives have seized onDeMints statement that in the states where they do have voter ID laws youve seen ... elections begin to change towards more conservative candidates. It suggests that the motivation is just what voter-ID opponents have suggested all along.

The rest of DeMints comment, though, is equally interesting. It offers a litany of ways he thinks Democrats are trying to steal electionsand frames voter-ID laws as one tactic to fight back. But his examples dont really hold up. Its unclear what effect McAuliffes move might have in 2016, and Nate Cohn at The Upshot suggests it might be relatively modest. Incarceration rates are widely racially disparate, so that more ex-cons are African Americans, and African Americans tend to vote heavily Democratic. Over the years, the push for felon re-enfranchisement has come from both sides of the aisleformer Senator Rick Santorum backed it during his 2012 presidential runbut Democrats have been especially eager to implement the reform. Some conservatives have been warning for more than a decade that felon re-enfranchisement is a Democratic ploy to win votes, and while its hard to imagine theres no partisan motive involved, thats not a compelling argument for excluding people from the body politic. DeMints comment about illegals is probably a reference to the idea that Democrats want to offer citizenship to illegal citizens to win their votes; the fraud question is, again, barely a question.

Recommended: Donald Trump's War on Truth

DeMint isnt the first person to say something like what he did. Now we have photo ID, and I think photo ID is going to make a little bit of a difference as well, U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin said the evening of the states presidential primary. A former chief of staff for a Republican Wisconsin state senator told The New York Times in a story published Monday that he attended a meeting where GOP lawmakers were literally giddy over the suppression effects of the law. The staffer, Todd Allbaugh, says he resigned in disgust.

In summer of 2012, the Republican leader of the Pennsylvania state house said that voter ID is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania. (A judge blocked the law, and Obama won the state.) Around the same time, Doug Preisse, the chair of the GOP in Franklin County, Ohio, told The Columbus Dispatch, I guess I really actually feel we shouldnt contort the voting process to accommodate the urbanread African-Americanvoter-turnout machine.

In late 2012, former Florida GOP Chair Jim Greer told the Palm Beach Post that the motivation for shortening early votinganother common tactic in recent yearswas to drive down black turnout. The sad thing about that is yes, there is prejudice and racism in the party but the real prevailing thought is that they dont think minorities will ever vote Republican, he said. Its not really a broad-based racist issue. Its simply that the Republican Party gave up a long time ago ever believing that anything they did would get minorities to vote for them. (Florida Republican leaders are quick to point out that Greer pled guilty to theft and money laundering three years ago.)

Recommended: How the Republican Party Decided on Trump

In 2013, Don Yelton, a local GOP official in North Carolina said on The Daily Show that the Old North States strict voting law hurts a bunch of lazy blacks who wants the government to give them everything. He was compelled to resign.

DeMints comments are interesting because of his stature as a former leading rabblerouser in the Senate and as the leader of one of the most important conservative organizations. Many of the other people to voice similar ideas have been either eccentric characters (like Grothman), minor local officials (like Preisse), or both (like Yelton). Coming from DeMint, the comment seems more important and telling.

But the pro-voter-ID side has two big advantages, despite these slip-ups. One is that the courts have generally been on their side. In North Carolina, a coalition of groups sued to challenge the states strict voting law, which instituted a voter-ID requirement, shortened early voting, and eliminated same-day registration, among other changes. Yet a judge ruled last week that while there was a history of racial discrimination in the state, he rejected any claims that the state law was intended to hurt African American or other minority voters. Having considered the entire record as a whole, this court is not persuaded that racial discrimination was a motivating factor of HB 589, Judge Thomas Schroeder wrote. Accordingly, Plaintiffs have failed to establish that the legislature acted with discriminatory intent.

The second advantage is popular opinion. Polls show that majorities of Americans tend to think that voter-ID laws are a pretty good idea. Its going to take a lot more than one apparent Kinsley gaffe from Jim DeMint to change that.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
FireEye Inc. FEYE is set to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 5. Last quarter, the company posted narrower-than-expected loss. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors at Play

FireEye, headquartered in Milpitas, CA, is a global provider of web, email, file and malware security to both enterprises and governments.

The company reported mixed fourth-quarter results, wherein its bottom line compared favorably with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but the top line missed the same. Despite the persistent macro uncertainty, the company seems optimistic based on a healthy security market, strong product line-up, deal wins and investment plans, which should boost results in the to-be-reported quarter.

During the quarter, FireEye acquired iSIGHT Partners. David DeWalt, FireEyes CEO and chairman of the board stated, This acquisition extends FireEye's intelligence lead with an offering no one else in the industry can match. Therefore, the deal will boost FireEyes cyber security suite and improve its competitive dynamics.

Also, FireEye acquire Invotas, a firm specializing in improving response times after attacks, during the quarter. Invotas lead product  Security Orchestrator  has been designed to compile information from a range of security products and automate responses when an incident occurs.

Furthermore, FireEye recently launched a new product of its own, FireEye Essentials. This product is a lower-cost and simpler version of the FireEye Global Threat Management Platform. With this offering, the company intends to target smaller, midmarket companies.

These moves are important as they indicate FireEyes efforts on moving past the enterprise-level end-point protection products it had started with. Also, these factors are likely to aid its results in the to-be-reported quarter.

However, an uncertain economic environment, competition from the likes of Palo Alto Networks Inc. PANW and Juniper Networks, and unfavorable currency translations remain concerns.

Story continues

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that FireEye is likely to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in its upcoming release. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case here as elaborated below.

Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP for FireEye is 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at a loss of 89 cents.

Zacks Rank: FireEye has a Zacks Rank #2. Though this increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against stocks with Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revisions momentum.

A Stock to Consider

Here is a company worth considering which, as per our model, has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

Fitbit Inc. FIT has an Earnings ESP of +175.00% and a Zacks Rank #2.

Microchip Technology Inc. MCHP has an Earnings ESP of +3.33% and a Zacks Rank #2.

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MICROCHIP TECH (MCHP): Free Stock Analysis Report



PALO ALTO NETWK (PANW): Free Stock Analysis Report



FIREEYE INC (FEYE): Free Stock Analysis Report



FITBIT INC (FIT): Free Stock Analysis Report



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Back in 2014, Berlin passed a law saying that residents could no longer rent out their whole apartment on Airbnb in Berlin.

On Sunday, that law finally came into effect  meaning that anyone listing their property for temporary rental online via sites like Airbnb, Wimdu and 9Flats could face charges up to 100,000 Euros, according to Kombini.

The changes in Berlin may affect your trip if you're planning on visiting any time soon, but while you can't rent out a whole apartment or house, you're still allowed to rent out a room via Airbnb.

So, why the change in policy? Authorities claim it's to curb the number of multiple home owners profiting on renting out empty homes in the city; online private rental services are driving up rent prices, while locals are struggling to find affordable housing,

Berlin's Head of Urban Development described the law as a necessary and sensible instrument against the housing shortage in Berlin." In a quote given to the Guardian, he continued: "I am absolutely determined to return such misappropriated apartments to the people of Berlin and to newcomers."

Similar concerns have been expressed over Airbnb rentals in London. A report by VICE back in February this year suggested that, as of September 2015, there were a staggering 4,680 listings in the capital for "entire homes or apartments, frequently booked and with high availability all year round."

The report questioned the morality of keeping 4,680 properties from the long-term rental market during a housing crisis  and pointed out that the practice violates housing regulation laws here in the UK. These concerns could lead to a similar law to Berlin's being passed in London in the future.

However, now that travellers are so accustomed to using sites like Airbnb to book their accommodation abroad, there is an argument to be made that a ban like Berlin's could negatively affect the local tourism industry. That, or people will just start forking out for hotels again.

Story continues

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Enbridge Energy Partners: A Buy ahead of 1Q16 Earnings?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Did EEP meet its guidance?

Enbridge Energy Partners (EEP) provided an adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) guidance of ~$1.7 billion to ~$1.8 billion for 2015. Its expected DCF (distributable cash flow) could be between $900 million$960 million for the year.

EEP reported an adjusted EBITDA of ~$1.8 billion for 2015 and a DCF of $949 millionboth near the higher end of the guidance range. Enbridge Energy Partners forms ~1% of the Guggenheim Multi-Asset Income ETF (CVY).

EEP underperformed sector year-to-date

The above graph shows EEPs stock performance over the last 12 months. Enbridge Energy Partners has generated total returns of -13% so far in 2016.

In comparison, Plains All American Pipeline (PAA), ONEOK Partners (OKS), and Williams Partners (WPZ) generated total returns of 2.7%, 10.1%, and -8.9%, respectively, during the same timeframe. The Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP) generated total returns of -3% so far in 2016.

Lower 2016 DCF guidance

In February, Enbridge Energy Partners (EEP) issued a guidance of adjusted EBITDA of $1.8 billion$1.9 billion for 2016. It expects its 2016 DCF (distributable cash flow) to be $860 million$920 million.

The midpoint of EEPs DCF guidance range implies a 6.2% decline in its 2016 expected DCF compared to $948.6 million it reported in 2015. The lack of clarity on the timing or size of future dropdowns from sponsor Enbridge Inc. (ENB) also likely made investors concerned, resulting in EEPs underperformance.

Enbridge Energy Partners high leverage, low coverage, and flat distributions also contribute to its underperformance. The companys 4Q15 distribution coverage ratio was 0.83x, and its ratio for 2015 was 0.92x. A coverage ratio below 1 indicates that the company is distributing more cash than it is generating, which cannot continue in the long run. The companys net debt-to-EBITDA ratio is currently 6.5x.

Story continues

Continue to Next Part

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The days of silently snacking on shawarma together are long gone. The Avengers team has split in two and are battling each other in Captain America: Civil War. But why? Heres some spoiler-free background before you see the film.

The issue at hand: Should the U.N. control the Avengers?

At the beginning of the film, one of the heroes tries to save another but accidentally kills a bunch of innocent bystanders. Though collateral damage has long been a major part of superhero films (and all action films), the world is finally taking notice. The Secretary of State approaches the Avengers team about signing an agreement that would make them beholden to the United Nations. Captain America and Iron Man, the de facto leaders of the group now that Thor and Hulk are missing (likely filming Thor: Ragnarok together), debate whether to sign or not.

Iron Man: Yes!

Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, believes that the Avengers antics are out of control and need to be regulated. This may be related to his crushing guilt over having accidentally created the murderous Ultron (the villain in the last Avengers film), compounded by a mother who shows him a picture of her dead son early in the film. Also, remember that Stark has a relationship with the government: Before he rebelled and became Iron Man, he spent most of his life building weapons for them.

Cap: No!

What if they want to send us somewhere we dont want to go? asks Captain America. What if they wont send us somewhere were needed? The Brooklyn-born hero argues that the Avengers judgment is still the safest. Government control is an invasion of their freedom and just a first step toward fascismremember, the guy just woke up from a battle with the Nazis.

Buckys back

Theres another complication: Bucky a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. Those who saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier will remember that Bucky is a friend of Captain America from his childhood days in Brooklyn. Bucky was captured by the evil organization Hydra and weaponized.

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When Bucky is blamed for a terrorist attack in Civil War, Captain America refuses to believe Bucky is truly responsible. He makes it his mission to get to him before the authorities can, while Iron Man decides to help the government catch Bucky.

Enemies and allies

Half of the fun of Civil War is watching Iron Man and Captain America recruit different superheroes to their side  its like the scariest game of dodgeball ever. We wont spoil how Ant-Man finds his way to Captain America or how Iron Man first meets Spider-Man (one of the movies best scenes). But the film has been heavily marketed based on which heroes are #TeamCap and which are #TeamIronMan, and the trailer gives it away. So heres the lineup:

Team Cap: Bucky Barnes, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Ant-Man

Team Iron Man: War Machine, Black Panther, Black Widow, Spider-Man and Vision

The politics of Civil War

The comic books are much more political than the film, but audiences will probably come away debating the same questions. Civil War explores a powerful political question in the post-9/11 world: What role should government regulation play in modern America?

In the books the Superhero Registration Act was an allegory for the Patriot Act with each side debating when measures taken for public safety end and the invasion of privacy begins. Some readers have also pointed out that the books can work as a metaphor for the gun control debate: if superheroes are essentially weapons, who has the authority to use them?

That said, Captain America: Civil War basically drops the political plot for the personal one, hence the introduction of Bucky. Dont expect it to change your views on the NSA. It is, after all, a blockbuster film.
George Soros: Is China Becoming the US of 2008?

George Soros discusses the Chinese economys resemblance to the US economy

On Wednesday, April 21, at an Asia Society event in New York, billionaire investor George Soros discussed the Chinese economys (FXI)(YINN)(ASHR) resemblance to the US economy (QQQ)(SPY)(VOO) before the 2008 credit crisis. Chinas surging new credit is a warning sign for global investors, he suggests.

Transition in the Chinese economy

The Chinese economy has mainly depended on manufacturing and exports for a long time, but its now changing its growth driver. Its shifting toward a consumption-based economy from a low-cost manufacturing hub. According to McKinseys China Consumer Report, Chinese are becoming more selective about where they spend their money. Theyre shifting their focus from products to services and from mass to premium segments. This change shows that the economy is transitioning. To boost the economy, the central bank is allowing more stimulus, which could drive consumer spending activity.

Is Chinas surging credit growth a warning sign?

According to data from the Peoples Bank of China (or PBoC), Chinas new credit growth is increasing. In March, new monthly loans stood at 1,370 billion yuanthe highest since August 2015. The rise suggests that the Chinese government is prioritizing growth instead of controlling debt, according to a statement from Soros. Chinese economic growth has slowed since 2010. However, its recent GDP growth stood at 6.7%, which is in line with analysts expectations and mainly due to the credit growth. The graph above shows that Chinas credit growth has been increasing.

In the next part of this series, well see why George Soros says China looks like the United States before the 2008 credit crisis.

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hipster pioneer

Are you one of those intrepid home buyers who are bravely shopping the wilds of an up-and-coming neighborhood? Watch out. There are certain things you just shouldnt say to the locals who already live there, starting with one word to never ever dub yourself: a pioneer.

Granted, home buyers who settle in gentrifying neighborhoods are called pioneers all the time. The New York Times real estate section trots out this term with startling frequency to describe urban professionals who venture into uncharted territory (at least, uncharted by urban professionals): Red Hook pioneer, DUMBO pioneer, and, most recently, Windsor Terrace pioneer.

The context: Any area of the city can suddenly become the next housing hot spot, and young people have always been the pioneers, because often they cant afford anywhere else.

Pioneers, huh? Do they have covered wagons? Are they braving bears and risking starvation in search of new horizons? Sorry, hipsters willing to forego having a Starbucks down the block for the sake of scoring real estate deals dont really fit the mold.

FAIR, a national media watch group, raised this argument in an article titled When NYT Real Estate Stories Read Like 19th Century Colonial Dispatches, asking, If these young people are the first people to move to Harlemwho was there before?

To be fair, Ive probably used the word pioneer once or twice to describe myself when I moved to the wildsof Park Slope in Brooklyn in 2001 (and now its fully gentrified). But now that Ive been forced to think about it, I totally agree that FAIR makes a fair point: Pioneer used in this modern-day context does have weird, racist overtones.

And thats not the only potentially offensive euphemism popping up in real estate. FAIR goes on to say, Other problematic tropes include the ubiquitous up-and-coming neighborhood, which implies that the neighborhoods previous status was down. (Oops! Dont scroll back up.)

Story continues

Another bad cliche: melting pot, used by Newsday to put a deceptively harmonious spin on a gentrifying Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn. It described the neighborhood as a melting pot of the [Caribbean and Hasidic Jewish] cultures with a few others sprinkled in. Mmmm, sounds like some yummy new fusion cuisine, doesnt it?

Meanwhile, local news site Bushwick Daily embraced this Colonial language full-on by featuring a new building called Colony 1209: Here youll find a group of like-minded settlers, mixing the customs of their original homeland with those of one of NYCs most historic neighborhoods to create art, community and a new lifestyle. Lets Homestead, Bushwick-style. Circle the wagons, everyone!

No ones saying these real estate euphemisms rise to DEFCON 1 offensiveness: You wont get jumped by your new neighbors. Still, if youre looking to settle in a gentrifying area, it might behoove you to watch your words. To the current residents, you arent a pioneer in an up-and-coming neighborhoodyoure just a new neighbor in sore need of some cultural sensitivity training.

The post Why Home Buyers Should Never Call Themselves Pioneers appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.





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Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Magellan Midstream Partners LP MMP may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report.

That is because Magellan Midstream Partnersis seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earningswith the most up-to-date information possibleis a pretty good indicator of some favorable trends underneath the surface for MMP in this report.

In fact, the Most Accurate Estimate for the current quarter is currently at 94 cents per share for MMP, compared to a broader Zacks Consensus Estimate of 83 cents per share. This suggests that analysts have very recently bumped up their estimates for MMP, giving the stock a Zacks Earnings ESP of 13.25% heading into earnings season.

Why is this Important?

A positive reading for the Zacks Earnings ESP has proven to be very powerful in producing both positive surprises, and outperforming the market. Our recent 10 year backtest shows that stocks that have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better show a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and have returned over 28% on average in annual returns (see more Top Earnings ESP stocks here).

Given that MMP has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and an ESP in positive territory, investors might want to consider this stock ahead of earnings. Clearly, recent earnings estimate revisions suggest that good things are ahead for Magellan Midstream Partners, and that a beat might be in the cards for the upcoming report.

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A survey by the American Psychological Association last year found that about half of American workers feel they arent adequately compensated for their contributions at work.

Thats not exactly shocking. If youve paid any attention at all to the election campaign, its probably more surprising that about half feel that their pay is fair. But while politicians and economists debate stagnant wages and financial insecurity, a new survey from Glassdoor provides a reminder of a small step individual workers  or at least some of us  can try to win higher pay: Ask for it.

Related: The Retirement Revolution That Failed: Why the 401(k) Isnt Working

The new survey found that 59 percent of workers said they accepted the first salary offer presented by a new employer and didnt attempt to negotiate a higher salary. Among those who did negotiate, one in 10 were able to secure more money. Those arent great odds, but theyre certainly better than youd get by not negotiating.

The survey results confirmed previous study findings that men are more likely to negotiate than women and that theyre more successful at doing so. Nearly 70 percent of women failed to negotiate, and just 4 percent of them received more money.

By comparison, almost half of men negotiated and 15 percent of them nabbed a higher salary. The disparity may partly explain the much documented pay gap between American male and female workers.

Related: The 25 Most Overpaid CEOs

The likelihood of negotiating also varied by age. Two-thirds of workers ages 45-54 accepted the salary as offered, compared to 60 percent of millennial workers.

The report did not look at whether workers negotiated other benefits that come with a job. For some employees, flexible work time or a specific title might help offset a lower salary.

Even as the job market has strengthened in recent years, wage growth remains largely stalled. Wages for civilian workers grew by 2 percent over the 12 months through March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
A Senate health committee issued a disturbing report nearly three years ago: In sharp contravention to the Americans with Disabilities Act and a landmark 1999 Supreme Court ruling, many states were warehousing patients with serious but manageable illnesses such as diabetes, blindness and mental illness in nursing homes.

Frequently, this was being done against the patients will.

Instead of spending available federal and state Medicaid funds on community-based or home care to handle these patents, a majority of states were using the more expedient and less costly option of sending them to nursing homes, many of which had empty beds and were eager for the business.

Related: Long-Term Care, the Cost Challenge That Scares the Government Most

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee revealed in the July 2013 report that roughly 250,000 working-age people were needlessly placed in often isolated nursing homes. Between 2000 and 2007, nursing home use actually increased among adults age 31 to 65 in 48 states, according to the report.

This is amazing given that study after study has shown that home and community-based care is not only what people want, but is more cost-effective, then-Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chief author of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, said in releasing the report.

The Supreme Court held in the 1999 Olmstead case that the ability to live in the community is a protected civil right under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Yet my report reveals that 14 years later, many states are still not making a commitment to provide all individuals with disabilities the choice to live in their own homes and communities, Harkins added.

Fast forward to today, and things havent changed all that much.

Related: Living Longer, Living Better Are Making Retiring in Place Less Lonely

On Monday the Department of Justice issued a scathing analysis of South Dakotas health care system. The government found that thousands of patients were being held unnecessarily in group homes and nursing facilities.

Story continues

Regardless of their age, people with disabilities deserve privacy, autonomy and dignity in their everyday lives, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. Our findings reveal how South Dakotas current system of long-term care violates federal law and fails to give people with disabilities the choice to live in their own homes and their own communities.

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard told The New York Times that his state has made progress but that the task is challenging, especially in a sparsely populated state in which many elderly and disabled people are widely dispersed in rural areas that lack community-based or in-home health care.

Related: Where Will 78 Million Boomers Retire? Facing the Challenge of Aging in Place

But the Justice Department says that South Dakota officials have fallen well short of what they could do to ameliorate a problem they have known about for years. The states budget provides some insight into officials priorities in treating the physically and mentally disabled: In 2013, South Dakota spent $133 million on nursing homes but only $27 million on in-home or community-based care, according to state figures cited in the Times.

To its credit, the Obama administration has opened more than 50 civil rights investigations into cases of patients being forced into nursing homes and so far has reached settlements with eight states. The Justice Department says those efforts have led to more than 53,000 disabled people either leaving nursing homes or avoiding them altogether.

The U.S. nursing home industry currently has more than 1.7 million beds and provides essential, round-the-clock care for many elderly or chronically ill patients suffering from Alzheimers disease, serious heart and respiratory illnesses and other ailments and injuries. Yet for many others who suffer from chronic illness and disabilities, placement in a nursing home is neither necessary nor appropriate. When low-income patients seek help in obtaining long-term care, some states push them toward nursing homes.

The Times analysis offered several poignant glimpses into the plight of disabled Americans who were forced to move to nursing homes. One 45-year-old South Dakotan with diabetes told a Justice Department investigator that he badly wanted to be home with his wife and daughter, but was confined to a nursing home because he needed assistance getting around his house with one leg.

Related: The Staggering Cost of Alzheimers: $226 Billion a Year and Rising

And a 73-year-old man in a wheel chair told investigators that he was in a nursing home against his will. Some of these places are warehouses, he told an investigator.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Donald Trumps position on Medicare and Social Security is as remarkable for a Republican frontrunner as it is disconnected from 21st century demographic realities.

How can we not touch Medicare or Social Security when the aging of America profoundly changes the proportion of workers to retirees? For a supposed numbers guy, the figures just dont add up, as Ken Dychtwald, CEO and founder of Age Wave, laid out in a recent conference call on aging and the presidential elections.

Related: Who Gets the Most in Disability Pay? 8 Key Social Security Facts

When Social Security began, the average American could expect to live only 62 years, and there were 42 workers paying for each aged recipient. Today life expectancy is approaching 79, and due to decades of declining fertility, there are fewer than three workers to pay for each recipient. And we have to ask, is 65  or even 67  the right marker of old age in the 21st century? As our demography continues to tilt older, the economic impact of these numbers on working Americans will be massive, Dychtwald said.

Nor can one ignore Medicare, which faces similar pressures. But Trump is not alone as Hillary and Bernie continue to promise that they, too, will not touch our entitlements.

So, what is to be done, when no presidential candidate is willing to tell us the truth? Perhaps if they looked at the data about how behavior and attitudes are changing, they too would understand we are in new circumstances never before seen.

Consider just last week a new report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies -- The Current State of Retirement: A Compendium of Findings About American Retirees -- that underscores the gap between the candidates positions and where we ought to be in our aging society. As Catherine Collinson, the president of the center, says of the research findings: Todays retirees are facing formidable challenges in ensuring that they have adequate income to last their lifetimes. As Baby Boomers retire, Social Security and other benefit programs will likely be under even greater strain. Its imperative that policymakers, employers, industry, individuals and families work together to find solutions so that the retirees of today and tomorrow can have a comfortable retirement.

Story continues

Related: Democrats Promise to Expand Social Security Regardless of the Risk

Also consider a Bank of America analysis about people working longer. Gone are the days when everyone expected and planned to retire by 65 -- 72 percent of pre-retirees surveyed report they want to work in some form past 65. And nearly half of current retirees either have worked in retirement or plan to.

What all the research, surveys and analysis confirm is the aging of society. We are living longer by decades, and with low birth rates we must not only touch Medicare and Social Security if we want them to survive but make sure their basic assumptions align with 21st century demographics. If re-imagining 21st century retirement is a topic even the venerable global asset manager BlackRock is addressing through the groundbreaking work of its new Retirement Research Institute, why not our presidential candidates?

In a wonderful twist of irony, this years remaining crop of presidential candidates are themselves old by 20th century standards. If theyre not even contemplating retirement, why should the rest of us? The least they can do is help us reimagine our entitlement system to ensure it will be there when we really need it.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
From ELLE

I find merit in the criticism that the White House Correspondents' Association dinner heightens interpersonal coziness between policy makers and the journalists who purportedly hold them accountable. Despite receiving annual invitations, I never attended during the four years I hosted Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC.

This year, I went.

Knowing it was President Obama's final "Nerd Prom" was part of the temptation. And I admit to enjoying the unexpected but sweet experience of being present when comedian Larry Wilmore planted a shade tree over my former employer. But neither is the reason I hustled to Macy's Saturday afternoon, grabbed a dress, and pulled myself together for an evening with elected officials, journalists, celebrities, and mini-desserts.

I agreed to attend the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner because I was a guest of The Washington Blade. The Washington Blade was founded in 1969 and is the nation's oldest LGBT newspaper. When it abruptly shut down in 2009, The New York Times described the paper as the official record of the LGBT community. Since restarting after that difficult financial moment, The Washington Blade has worked to address the past critique that it ignored queer folk of color by exclusively focusing on a white-washed political agenda.

When he invited me to Saturday's event, The Blade's editor, Kevin Naff, said he wanted my presence to help focus on the importance of allies and intersectionality within LGBT political movements. Just as the idea of a fancy White House Correspondents's Association Dinner makes me uncomfortable, so too does the designation of ally. I am a cis, straight woman who lives and votes in North Carolina. I am not an ally; I am already fully invested. I am a citizen, a neighbor, an aunt, a sister, a mother, a friend, a teacher, an employer. I have a fundamental responsibility to help dismantle inequality; if I don't I am actively participating in perpetuating it. And as a black woman I am vulnerable to these interlocking systems of oppression, so the work is not altruistic. Still, I understand Kevin's point, the dinner is a big stage, and our little table could try to telegraph the idea that we are all in this together.

Story continues

There is another point to be made by the five people representing The Washington Blade on Saturday nightthe sheer progress of LGBT media having five tickets to the dinner. During a pre-dinner discussion on CNN, Brian Stelter argued that while the elbow-rubbing, selfie-taking nerd-prom press can appear too familiar with the Administration, journalists have experienced this White House as uniquely impenetrable. "The reality of this administration's access is very limited," Stelter said. "In many ways, this is the least transparent administration ever in terms of access." Data from a recent AP report suggest Stelter's assessment is neither partisan nor unfounded. The Obama administration has not been the open book the campaign promised it would be.

Until 1944, African American reporters were banned from covering the news conferences of the President of the United States.

Yet the quality of access may depend on whether one is standing at the center or the margins. Until 1944, African American reporters were banned from covering the news conferences of the President of the United States. Banned. It was President Roosevelt's White House press secretary Steve Early who, during World War II, insisted that color ban be ended. Like his monologue or not, Larry Wilmore's audacious decisions to bring barbershop wit to the WHCA dinner represented a breach we may never witness again in our lifetimes. Expanding access in a democracy is supposed to make the people who are already in the room uncomfortable. If it doesn't, the door isn't open wide enough.

Today it would be patronizing to assign only women to the beat of the First Lady, but when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt first began holding press conferences exclusively for female reporters, she was offering an unprecedented opportunity to women in newsrooms.

She used her position to carve out a new niche, recognizing how difficult it was for women to be allowed the opportunities to compete in existing spaces. But separate is not equal and it still took more than two decades to break into the all-boys club of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. In 1962, Helen Thomas convinced President Kennedy not to attend the annual dinner unless it was opened to women.

Expanding access in a democracy is supposed to make the people who are already in the room uncomfortable. If it doesn't, the door isn't open wide enough.

Similar histories of exclusion mark the LGBT press. The Washington Blade was first granted a pass for the White House briefing room during the Reagan administration, but its reporters were never called on, a situation, which persisted through the Clinton years and the first term of President George W. Bush. After Bush's re-election, The Blade's White House press credentials were revoked and access to administration officials was sparse. How can an administration be held accountable to a community if the media professionals with a dedicated interest in representing the interests of that community are silenced, shut down, and shut out? It is a question Larry Wilmore asked through Saturday night as well.

During our dinner, Kevin Naff told me this story of how things have changed for The Blade since President Obama was elected. "After Obama's win, his then-communications director called me directly to say he was aware of our plight and that at 12:01 am on Jan. 20, 2009, our credentials would be restored. Today, we are full members of the White House Press Corps and in the building each day. We are also members of the White House Correspondents' Association and the White House Press Pool, which means one day per month it's a Blade reporter shadowing the president. That's a first for the LGBT/alternative press. It's been a long, slow haul. Believe it or not, having five tickets for the dinner is a pretty big deal for LGBT media. "

While Stelter is right that the Obama Administration's handling FOIA requests, their actions toward journalists, and even their relationships with particular news organizations must be understood as something less than transparent, we must also understand there are many different measures of access.

In the end, the White House Correspondents' Association dinner is a slightly inappropriate, fancy meal in a big ballroom one night a year. It is not the engine of accountability for democracy. But it is one symbol of inclusion. It is a tent that is either big enough for everyone or not. It is the table to which people are invited or from which people are shoved away. So I put on my good shoes, took Kevin's arm, and stood proudly at all those complicated, messy intersections of identity and democracy because sometimes, you just have to go to the power party.
Take the OZY poll below to weigh in on gender equality in governance.

Way before there was talk of President Hillary or President Carly, there was Kim. As Canadas first  and, so far, only  female prime minister, Kim Campbell saw her approval rating soar after coming to power in 1993 to the highest level for a leader here in 30 years. But within less than six months, Campbells Progressive Conservative Party suffered a crushing defeat, she failed to win her own home riding, and ultimately left office.

Today, after having also served as attorney general and a justice minister, and the first female defense minister of any NATO country, Campbell is the founding principal of the University of Albertas Peter Lougheed Leadership College and lectures about women in powerful posts. One of her latest and more controversial proposals includes a plan to fill Canadas House of Commons with an equal number of women, up from the record 26 percent right now. And while she notes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently named women to half of his Cabinet of ministers, Campbell adds, Thats his choice and he has enough in his caucus to make that choice  but for the rest of Parliament, its very, very difficult. Her edited conversation with OZY follows.

Take the poll:

Poll

OZY: Explain your proposal for gender parity in Canadas government.

Kim Campbell: Treat each constituency like a two-member constituency. Each party would nominate both a man and a woman. There would be two lists, and youd vote for one person from the mens list and one person from the womens list. You could vote a party ticket, or not. But each constituency would send one man and one woman to Ottawa  youd have instant parity.

Its not something that hasnt been done before. It would keep nominations at the grassroots level. It would not make men and women compete against each other, because they would actually collaborate to get their party ticket elected. In previous times in history [within Canada], the idea was to try to elect equal numbers of Protestants and Catholics to avoid religious antipathies.

Story continues

OZY: Could this kind of a system be adapted for the U.S.?

K.C.: I dont think it would be adapted for the U.S. because  American political culture is very different. I would add that the American Senate is a legislative body that has two-member constituencies, so its not a radical departure. What would be radical would be to say were running two members and were going to elect a man and a woman.

OZY: Right now the only women in the U.S. presidential race are Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina. What might help more women become contenders in the future?

K.C.: Theres Emilys List and various organizations that encourage women to run, and, of course, you have an interesting situation where both of the U.S. senators from California are women. But the overall percentage is small relative to a 50/50 change. Even having women in those positions where they get a lot of press changes our understanding, our perception of who gets to do those jobs. So the visibility of women leaders at whatever level is very, very helpful in changing peoples sense of how the world works and what women do or do not get to do.

OZY: What do you anticipate being some of the biggest leadership challenges this year?

K.C.: One of the things thats very clear when you look at leadership over the years  the thing that really distinguishes great leaders  is not that they know the answers but that they understand the questions. And so they know how to bring people together to wade their way through the difficult questions, to come up with courses of action that may have an opportunity to succeed. That isnt something that always lends itself to public discourse in this day and age.

OZY: Can you share an example?

K.C.: I just read a very interesting article by a military and international political analyst who talks about the merit of the policy of containment toward ISIS  that, in fact, it did make a lot of sense because it was more likely to be defeated from within than from without. The article seemed to support the approach that the president of the United States is taking, which is not not getting involved but understanding that there are limits to what you can accomplish, and that there are unintended consequences, sometimes, of dramatic military engagement which simply builds up the opposition.

Because of the speed of communication, and the constant din of people who expound their supposed expert opinions, developing thoughtful, long-term, careful responses to difficult issues is very hard  and will get harder for leaders.

OZY: What was one of the greatest lessons you learned as prime minister?

K.C.: Perhaps the hardest thing was that I created expectations that really couldnt have been met. If Id had more time, if I could have been in an office a year, I might have been able to rebuild a coalition. And thats the thing I learned: that you cant always accomplish what you want. You need time.

OZY: What female leader out there inspires you today?

K.C.: Somebody who I find very interesting is Angela Merkel, because she kind of defies all the stereotypes of what people think a woman leader needs to be. She doesnt try to be glamorous. When she became leader of the Christian Democrats, a very sophisticated political analyst said if she gets elected she wont be chancellor. It was impossible for him to believe that Germany would have a woman chancellor. And so I love the fact that she has totally defied all those stereotypes, become the leader and appears to keep her wits about her. What history will say about her will be very interesting, but shes very astute and very much contributes to the notion that if you give women a chance they can do it.

Related Articles
Workiva Inc. WK is scheduled to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 4. Last quarter, the company posted a loss of 26 cents per share, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 32 cents.

Let us see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors to Consider

Workiva offers a cloud-based mobile-enabled platform for enterprises to collect, manage, report and analyze critical business data in real time. The exponential increase in the amount of data, complexity of data formats and the need to scale resources at regular intervals have compelled several companies to turn to cloud computing vendors.

Cloud computing includes the entire gamut of computing intelligence required to carry out day-to-day operations by companies and professionals. Thus, other than the hardware, all the supporting technology involved in creating, storing, retrieving, transporting, protecting, sorting, processing, analyzing and presenting information from multiple sources and formats, which when available from a shared (private) or public pool, could be referred to as cloud computing.

Cloud service providers, therefore, help organizations to store data and applications remotely in this pool, which can be accessed from anywhere, anytime via the Internet. Given its scope and advantages (cost, scaling, convenience, etc.), demand for cloud computing software and applications will continue to increase. This will aid Workivas results in the first quarter and beyond.

According to Centaur Partners, Software-as-a-Service and cloud-based business applications are likely to grow from $13.5 billion in 2013 to $32.8 billion in 2016, reflecting a compounded annual growth rate of 19.5%. Workiva is poised well to cash in on this opportunity.

We believe that increasing mainstream adoption of cloud-based solutions will boost Workivas first-quarter results.

However, an uncertain economic environment, currency headwinds and competition remain major concerns.

Story continues

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Workiva will beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here, as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: Both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at a loss of 36 cents. Hence, the difference is 0.00%.

Zacks Rank: Workiva currently has a Zacks Rank #3, which when combined with a 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revisions momentum.

Stocks to Consider

Here are a few stocks which you may consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

Synopsys Inc. SNPS, with an Earnings ESP of +6.38% and a Zacks Rank #1.

Fitbit Inc. FIT, with an Earnings ESP of +175.00% and a Zacks Rank #2.

Benefitfocus Inc. BNFT, with an Earnings ESP of +4.00% and a Zacks Rank #2.

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SYNOPSYS INC (SNPS): Free Stock Analysis Report



BENEFITFOCUS (BNFT): Free Stock Analysis Report



FITBIT INC (FIT): Free Stock Analysis Report



WORKIVA INC (WK): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Good morning, WMPW readers! A French photographer who covered the Paris bombings may be in trouble, Angela Merkel is living up to her reputation as the climate chancellor, and Anna Wintour still rules the fashion business. Got some news on an exceptional woman? Get in touch, at: laura.cohn@gmail.com or @laurascohn. Have a great Tuesday!

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com

THE BIG STORY

[bs-title]Covering terror[/bs-title]

[bs-content]French war photographer Maya Vidon-White, who has covered conflict in Africa, Israel, and Indonesia, is in the middle of a legal fight for taking a picture of a TV5Monde employee in the aftermath of the Paris bombings. The photo of Cedric Gomet, who was wounded in the attacks and later died, was published in a magazine called VSD. Vidon-White, a freelancer for United Press International, heard from the Paris prosecutor's office a month after she took the photo. The case illustrates the challenges of covering the news while protecting the privacy of terrorism victims.[/bs-content][bs-link link="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/world/europe/photo-of-paris-attacks-victim-sets-off-press-freedom-case.html" source="New York Times"]

[bs-share text="Covering terror via @FortuneMagazine's World's Most Powerful Women newsletter" link="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/world/europe/photo-of-paris-attacks-victim-sets-off-press-freedom-case.html"]

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

[bs-title]Hopes dashed[/bs-title]

[bs-content]Late last year, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny pledged that roughly half of his 15-member cabinet would be made up of women if he held onto power. But now that the creation of the next government depends on joining with independent members of parliament who are male, Kenny has to back away from that promise. How disappointing.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/women-forced-to-wait-for-cabinet-equality-6qmqj6xj9" source="The Times"]

[bs-seperator]

Story continues

[bs-title]The climate Chancellor[/bs-title]

[bs-content]German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who earned the nickname the "climate chancellor" after calling for her country to phase out nuclear energy, has added another notch in her belt. This time it's a $1.4 billion electric car subsidy program that will benefit the environment and give a big boost to German chipmaker Infineon.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-01/merkel-s-1-4-billion-german-e-car-push-boosts-infineon-stmicro" source="Bloomberg"]

[bs-seperator]

[bs-title]Upbraiding ballet bosses[/bs-title]

[bs-content]Russian prima ballerina Irina Kolesnikova denounced ballet companies for pressuring dancers to remain thin while overly exerting themselves during 10-hour days. Kolesnikova of the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre urges companies instead to institute "gentle" rehearsal periods. Otherwise, "at some point the body just switches off," she said.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/apr/30/irina-kolesnikova-ballet-companies-wrecking-dancers-bodies-physical-limits?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=169897&subid=18468311&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2" source="Guardian"]

ASIA-PACIFIC

[bs-title]Grabbing a CFO[/bs-title][bs-content]Uber rival Grab has widened its executive ranks by hiring its first CFO: Singapore-based Linda Hoglund, who left telecommunications company Singtel's video streaming startup HOOQ to take up the new post. Hoglund is expected to work on raising new money for Grab, which has brought in over $650 million so far.[/bs-content][bs-link link="http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/02/grab-ubers-rival-in-southeast-asia-hires-its-first-cfo/" source="Tech Crunch"]

[bs-seperator]

[bs-title]Action in Asia[/bs-title]

[bs-content]Jean Lin, CEO of digital agency Isobar, says opportunities abound for her industry in India. She points to the fact that 4G services, while available, have yet to become priced competitively. She puts her money where her mouth is: when she was appointed CEO two years ago, she could have moved to the U.S. or the U.K. but opted to stay in Asia. "The action is in this part of the world," she says.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.business-standard.com/article/management/india-is-nearing-the-digital-tipping-point-jean-lin-116050100685_1.html" source="Business Standard"]

THE AMERICAS

[bs-title]Mad Men still dominate[/bs-title]

[bs-content]While nearly 50% of workers in the advertising world are women, gender bias endures. Susan Credle, one of the industry's top women who was behind the ads featuring those cute M&M's characters, says she tries to not get emotional at work. If she does, "I immediately am looked at as the crazy woman," she says.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/business/media/for-women-in-advertising-its-still-a-mad-men-world.html" source="New York Times"]

[bs-seperator]

[bs-title]Revving up tech[/bs-title]

[bs-content]Julie Samuels, executive director of new nonprofit Tech: NYC, hopes to revive New York's tech world. The coalition, expected to be formally announced this week, is made up of tech startups, big companies, and VC firms.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/technology/new-york-city-casts-a-net-to-catch-the-next-big-start-up.html" source="New York Times"][bs-seperator]

[bs-title]Who ya gonna call?[/bs-title]

[bs-content]The new Ghostbusters movie, which will replace its four male lead characters with women, is the latest female-led film due out in the coming months. "It's one thing to say there should be more great roles for women, but if you don't create them it's all lip service," says director Paul Feig, also of "Bridesmaids" fame. Unfortunately, the movie's trailer has brought out the misogynists.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/may/01/who-ya-gonna-call-why-ghostbusters-is-leading-the-charge-for-female-buddy-movies?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=170001&subid=18468311&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2" source="Guardian"][bs-seperator]

[bs-title]Where Anna Wintour rules[/bs-title]

[bs-content]The annual Met Gala, a star-studded event that took place in New York last night, has become an epic illustration of Vogue editor Anna Wintour's enduring power. Plus, it's raised millions for the New York museum's Costume Institute.[/bs-content]

[bs-link link="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/03/nyregion/at-the-met-gala-minimalism-is-a-relative-term.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-regionion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0" source="New York Times"][bs-seperator]

IN BRIEF

[bs-title size="small"]Father of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says she will lose next year's elections[/bs-title]

[bs-link link="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-may-day-france-fn-idUSKCN0XS1LA" source="Reuters"]

[bs-title size="small"]Nielsen adds TV veteran Lauren Zalaznick to board of directors[/bs-title]

[bs-link link="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/film-and-tv-veteran-lauren-zalaznick-joins-nielsen-board-of-directors-300260721.html" source="PR Newswire"]

[bs-title size="small"]Honest Co., founded by actress Jessica Alba, is battling its critics[/bs-title]

[bs-link link="http://fortune.com/2016/05/02/honest-co-defends-infant-formula/" source="Fortune"]

[bs-title size="small"]Men are three times more likely than women to win salary negotiations[/bs-title]

[bs-link link="http://fortune.com/2016/05/02/woman-negotiation-success/" source="Fortune"]

[bs-title size="small"]Tory Burch on why women should own their ambition[/bs-title]

[bs-link link="http://fortune.com/2016/05/02/tory-burch-on-why-women-should-own-their-ambition/" source="Fortune"]

[bs-title size="small"]Meet the 92-year-old great grandmother who's McDonald's oldest employee[/bs-title]

[bs-link link="http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/at-92-shes-mcdonalds-oldest-employee" source="Straits Times"]

PARTING WORDS

[bs-quote link="http://www.thewrap.com/daisy-ridley-has-powerful-message-for-women-about-self-esteem-on-instagram/" author="--actress Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens"]Kindness isn't going to cure the world of all its awfulness but it's a good place to begin.[/bs-quote]
The surveillance video is unremarkable: Tricia Williams Todd, a 30-year-old Air Force veteran, mother and nurse, purchases some groceries at a Publix in Hobe Sound, Florida. She smiles happily and chats with the clerk.



That was the evening of April 26  the last time that Todd was seen in public.



Later that evening, Todd met her ex-husband, who was spending time with their 2-year-old daughter. According to police, Todd dropped off some medication for the toddler.



Todd didn't show up for work the next morning at the Treasure Coast Hospice, where she worked as a nurse. When she didn't pick up her daughter later that afternoon, her father called authorities.





 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.



Police soon found Todd's car, purse and keys, but no trace of the 5'4, 110-lb. redhead. Her wallet and cell phone were missing, but there has been no activity on her credit cards. Investigators searched a five-mile radius but turned up nothing. The Sheriff's Office tells PEOPLE that "no significant leads" came from the ground search.



The disappearance has baffled those close to Todd. "She would never have left her daughter on purpose," family friend Michelle Rocker tells PEOPLE. "That baby was her entire world. She'd never leave her and run off."



The family has set up a Facebook page to post and gather updates on the case. A Crowdrise fundraising page has been established to offset the expenses for the family's search.



Todd's former husband is stationed at an Air Force base in North Carolina. He has returned to the base from Florida, but remains in contact with investigators. Sheriff William D. Snyder of the Martin County Sheriffas Office told WPBF that he has been very cooperative with investigators.



"This is still an active search," said Snyder. "We have no plans to stop searching for Tricia Todd."
David Cameron forgets who he supports: Zac Goldsmith isnt the only politician confused about the football. In 2015, despite having long supported Aston Villa, David Cameron, during a speech about Britains diverse allegiances, said: [Its a country] where you can support Man United, the Windies and Team GB at the same time. Of course, Id rather you supported West Ham. Same kit colour at least. (Credit: Back Page Images/REX/Shutterstock) David Cameron forgets who he supports: Zac Goldsmith isnt the only politician confused about the football. In 2015, despite having long supported Aston Villa, David Cameron, during a speech about Britains diverse allegiances, said: [Its a country] where you can support Man United, the Windies and Team GB at the same time. Of course, Id rather you supported West Ham. Same kit colour at least. (Credit: Back Page Images/REX/Shutterstock)

The Conservative mayoral candidate for London Zac Goldsmith has been widely mocked after comparing himself to odds-defying Leicester City, who clinched the Premier League title this week.



The billionaire journalist said he was hoping to overturn Labour candidate Sadiq Khans nine-point lead in the polls by doing a Leicester City.

Im gonna zoom in from behind and win, he told LBC.

Of course, many Twitter users pointed out that The Foxes have been top of the table since January  and that his campaign perhaps more strongly resembles Arsenals season.

But Zac isnt the first politician to have made an embarrassing pop culture gaffe, as these 10 examples show
Policemen and people walk on the closed Prado street where Chanel will unveil its latest Cruise collection, in Havana, Cuba, May 3, 2016. (Photo: Reuters)

First came U.S. President Barack Obama and the Rolling Stones. Now global fashions glitterati including supermodel Gisele Bundchen are descending upon Cuba for Chanels runway show extravaganza later on Tuesday.

Chanel will be the first major fashion house to send models down the catwalk in Cuba, highlighting warming relations with the West. The exclusive show is also a reminder of new inequalities on the Communist-ruled island.

Karl Lagerfeld, who has been at Chanels creative helm since 1983, has said his latest inter-seasonal Cruise collection was inspired by the cultural richness and opening up of Cuba."

Former Cold War foes the U.S. and Cuba, formally agreed to restore diplomatic relations last July. Cuba has since improved relations with other western nations.

Chanel Fashion Chief Bruno Pavlovsky told Reuters the label was uncertain at first if it could hold the show but said Cuban authorities had been "very welcoming and helpful. Some Cubans are critical. Chanel goods are not sold in Cuba and most locals could not even dream of affording them, given even a small handbag costs thousands of dollars. About 70 percent of Cuban workers work for the state with an average salary of $25 per month. Pavlovsky said it was too early for Chanel, which has fewer than 200 boutiques worldwide, to set up shop in Cuba.

This is an event for very few people, said student Heidi Lopez, 23, as she left the University of Havana for the day. We cant enjoy it and even less aspire to buy any product. Others say the show is giving their dreams wings to fly. Chanel is very good quality and also very expensive, said Marilia Veliz, 44, an accountant and fashion lover who had sewed details like a satin bow onto her brown and cream work uniform. Just because I cant afford it doesnt mean I want to deny others that luxury. And who knows, maybe one day. Its important to dream."

Story continues

Cuba is fast becoming one of the worlds most fashionable destinations, as tourists and the style elite seek to savor faded glamour and Caribbean flair before it changes too much.

A photo posted by Gisele Bundchen (@gisele) on May 3, 2016 at 10:22am PDT

"Hola Cuba! wrote Bundchen on her Instagram account on Monday, posting a photo of a Havana downtown park that received around 110,000 likes. By showcasing its Cruise collection in Cuba, Chanel said it was harking back to the roots of the line originally designed for wealthy Americans holidaying on yachts and cruises in the Caribbean to escape the winter gray.

U.S. cruises to Cuba were forbidden during the countrys standoff with the United States. On Monday, the first U.S. cruise ship to sail to the island since Fidel Castros revolution docked in the capital, greeted by cheering local residents.

Lagerfeld, 82, is known for his lavish show settings and has created a mock casino, supermarket and brasserie in the past. Secrecy has shrouded the preparations for his runway in Havana, which will take place in the Paseo del Prado, a leafy promenade lined with marble benches, ornate street lamps and bronze lions that leads down to the Caribbean seashore. Built in Cubas golden era when it was a wealthy port, colonial colonnades and elegant Art Deco buildings on either side of the boulevard are now in various states of disrepair although some are being renovated.

Founded by Coco Chanel in 1909, privately-owned Chanel is one of the worlds most recognized labels and the second-biggest luxury brand behind LVMHs Louis Vuitton.

(Additional reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
By Natalia Scalzaretto and Caio Saad SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg called on Brazilians to demand his company's WhatsApp messaging service never be blocked again after an appeals court on Tuesday overturned the application's second suspension in five months. In a post in English on his Facebook page, the U.S. billionaire and Facebook founder urged Brazilians to gather outside Congress in the capital Brasilia at 6 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Wednesday to rally in favour of legislation that would prevent Internet services from being blocked. WhatsApp was cut off in Brazil at 2 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Monday after a judge in the remote northeastern state of Sergipe ordered Brazil's five main wireless operators to block access to the app for 72 hours. The reason for the order was not made public. The suspension of WhatsApp's text message and Internet voice telephone service for smartphones was lifted after about 24 hours when an appeals judge on Tuesday ruled in favour of an injunction by the company's lawyers, the court said in a statement. Some 100 million users were affected. "You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. He also posted a link to a petition, calling efforts to block communication "very scary in a democracy." The suspension highlighted growing international tensions between technology companies' privacy concerns and national authorities' efforts to use social media to gain information on possible criminal activities. The same judge in Sergipe ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive in March in a dispute over demands to access the companys encrypted messaging service as part of a drug trafficking investigation. California-based WhatsApp had said in a statement on Monday that it was "disappointed" at the judge's decision to suspend its services. It said it had done the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals, but it did not possess the information the court was requesting. Matt Steinfeld, a Facebook spokesman, said WhatsApp executives were meeting this week with law enforcement and judicial officials in Brazil to improve communication and clarify that the company cannot see users' encrypted messages and does not store them after transmission. BRAZILIANS ANGERED It was the second time in five months that WhatsApp in Brazil has been suspended. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered it shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order. Another court lifted that suspension shortly afterward. Monday's suspension angered many in Brazil, where the service is used by individuals, companies and federal and local governments to send messages and share pictures and videos. Cost-conscious Brazilians are avid users of free messaging apps, and WhatsApp is by far the most popular - installed on more than 90 percent of Android devices. As some Brazilians sought an alternative messaging system, rival Telegram said on Monday that it suffered technical problems under the weight of demand. It said it received more than a million new user requests. Leticia Mendes, a 20-year-old shop assistant in Rio de Janeiro, said she was frustrated by the suspension because it could force people to use pay services. "It's really bad," she told Reuters. "It's just a way of getting more money out of us, when we already have to pay for so many things." The suspension came as a congressional commission on cyber crime in Brazil debated changes to the 2014 legislation governing the use of the Internet. Lower house deputy Esperidiao Amin, the rapporteur of the commission, said his proposed reform would help avoid shutdowns of this kind by allowing the blocking of specific individuals or IP addresses suspected of illicit activity, rather than the access of all users. "It's less dramatic than withdrawing the service from the whole of the Brazilian population," he told Reuters by telephone. (Editing by Daniel Flynn and Cynthia Osterman)
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A Canadian living and working in Nepal who criticized the government on social media has been ordered to leave the country within two days, a Nepali official said on Tuesday. Robert Penner, a computer programmer working for CloudFactory, an outsourcing company, was arrested by police at his office on Monday and taken to the Department of Immigration for questioning. Penner confirmed that he had been ordered to leave on his Twitter account. He criticized the Nepal government on social media during unrest that followed the passing of Nepal's constitution last year and he denounced the recent arrest and detention of Kanak Mani Dixit, a prominent journalist and civil rights activist. "Robert Penner must leave Nepal voluntarily within two days," Kedar Neupane, Director General of the Department of Immigration, told Reuters. "If he fails to leave within this time frame, he will be considered as staying here illegally," added Neupane. He said there was no provision for Penner to make an appeal. The deportation order comes after government officials received numerous complaints about tweets and online writings that Penner had posted, said Neupane. He declined to elaborate on exactly who and how many had complained. Lawyer Dipendra Jha, who is representing Penner, earlier said he had been informed that the Canadian would be released on Tuesday and his visa revoked. The Canadian consulate in Kathmandu could not be reached for comment. The Canadian High Commission in the Indian capital New Delhi declined to comment. (This version of the story corrects the name of the company to CloudFactory) (Reporting by Ross Adkin; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Nick Macfie)
Shares in Chinese internet giant Baidu plunged as much as 15 percent in after hours trading when it said revenues would take a hit in the final quarter because of self-imposed content restrictions during the Communist Party congress (AFP Photo/GREG BAKER) (AFP/File)

Authorities have summoned the head of Baidu after the death of a student who sought a cancer cure on the Chinese search giant, reports said Tuesday, prompting a barrage of criticism for prioritising paid search results.

Wei Zexi, 21, had already been diagnosed as having a terminal soft tissue disease when his family found an experimental immunotherapy treatment at a Beijing hospital run by the armed police force via a Baidu search.

Wei spent more than 200,000 yuan ($30,000) on the therapy but it failed, he said in a posting on zhihu.com, a Chinese question-and-answer forum, in February.

He had borrowed money to cover his costs.

Wei accused the hospital of exaggerating the treatment's efficacy and accused Baidu of ranking medical information search results by the amount paid by advertisers, denouncing it as "evil" and warning other cancer patients "not to be cheated".

Baidu says it differentiates paid entries in its search results.

But amid mounting public anger, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement that it has launched a joint investigation with the country's health authorities and business regulator into Baidu.

The company's chief executive Robin Li has also been asked by the Internet regulator to answer queries, the Economic Information Daily, which is owned by the official Xinhua news agency, on Tuesday quoted sources as saying.

"Baidu has been operating in a grey area where the rule of law, business profits and public interests are intertwined," a columnist wrote on Tuesday in the Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party.

"Baidu must face discipline by authorities for its unscrupulous activities driven by desire for profits," it added.

Baidu said it "welcomed" the probe and would "fully cooperate" with investigators.

In a separate statement emailed to AFP on Tuesday, a company spokeswoman said: "Our deepest condolences go out to Wei Zexis family."

Story continues

"Baidu is a trusted company and we uphold extremely high standards to make our platform safe and trustworthy," she added.

- Google equivalent -

Baidu is often seen as China's equivalent of Google -- although the US firm is hardly a direct competitor as it is blocked on the mainland and terminated most of its operations in 2010 after controversy over the countrys online controls.

Search services accounted for nearly 84 percent of Baidu's total revenues last year, the company's annual report showed.

Most of the business came from customers "who pay us a fee based on click-throughs for priority placement of their links in the search results", it said.

Baidu's lucrative online marketing business has been hugely controversial.

The company came under fire earlier this year for selling the right to manage an online haemophilia forum to an unlicensed private hospital. The hospital used the platform for self-promotion and deleted comments that challenged its credentials, Xinhua said Monday.

In 2011 Baidu was forced to apologise after China's state television reported about fraudulent advertisements on its platforms that ranged from phoney airline tickets to unlicensed pharmaceutical adverts.

China's health authority announced Tuesday that it, the military and armed police were jointly probing the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps, where Wei had the failed therapy.

Private healthcare firms from Putian, in the eastern province of Fujian -- which have a reputation for overprescription and false advertising -- are believed to have links with the hospital, media reports said.

Local governments have no authority to supervise hospitals run by the military and armed police, making them especially appealing to unscrupulous third-party service providers -- especially since patients trust public health facilities more than private ones.

The People's Liberation Army and armed police have significant business interests. But in March authorities ordered them to stop providing "paid services", which could eliminate such hospital contracts.
Earlier this year, the FBI and Apple found themselves embroiled in a contentious legal dispute regarding the locked iPhone of Syed Farook, one of the San Bernardino terrorists. Unable to access the device, the FBI wanted Apple to create a tailor-made version of iOS that would circumvent built-in iOS security measures. Apple, meanwhile, vehemently refused, with Tim Cook even stating that the FBI wanted Apple to create the "software equivalent of cancer."

Eventually, the FBI managed to access Farook's locked iPhone after purchasing a hack from an anonymous third-party. And so while Apple's specific dispute with the FBI seemingly resolved itself, the broader issues the case raised still persist and will undoubtedly assume the public spotlight again.

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Put simply, the crux of the issue is this: When the government or law enforcement agency obtains a legitimate warrant to search a mobile device, what recourse do they have if the device is locked?

While the iPhone used by Farook was an iPhone 5c protected by a passcode, we're fast approaching a future where almost every smartphone device will be locked by a fingerprint or some other biometric indicator. That being the case, can an individual be compelled to hand over his or her fingerprint to authorities?

It's an interesting question that was recently brought to the forefront after law enforcement officials in Glendale, California obtained a search warrant to search the iPhone of a gang member's girlfriend. The iPhone in question was locked via Touch Id, but a judge compelled the girlfriend "to press her finger against an iPhone that had been seized..."

Is this what investigations of the future will look like? Will it become commonplace for individuals to offer up their fingerprints in order to unlock devices subject to legitimate warrants?

The question raises a number of interesting issues such as the right of individuals not to incriminate themselves.

Story continues

To this point, the Los Angeles Times observes:

Even with the limited outlines of the inquiry, Brenner said the act of compelling a person in custody to press her finger against a phone breached the 5th Amendment's protection against self-incrimination. It forced Bkchadzhyan to testify without uttering a word  because by moving her finger and unlocking the phone, she authenticated its contents. "By showing you opened the phone, you showed that you have control over it," Brenner said. "It's the same as if she went home and pulled out paper documents  she's produced it." But Albert Gidari, the director of privacy at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, said the action might not violate the 5th Amendment prohibition of self-incrimination. "Unlike disclosing passcodes, you are not compelled to speak or say what's 'in your mind' to law enforcement," Gidari said. "'Put your finger here' is not testimonial or self-incriminating."

To date, there haven't been many cases involving whether or not a defendant can be forced to unlock his or her iPhone. Suffice it to say, it's an issue that will become more and more frequent with each passing year.

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In Mediterranean waters, off the coast of France, a diver recently visited the shipwreck La Lune  a vesssel in King Louis XIV's fleet  which lay untouched and unexplored on the ocean bottom since it sank in 1664. But the wreck's first nonaquatic visitor in centuries wasn't human  it was a robot.

Dubbed "OceanOne," the bright orange diving robot resembles a mecha-mermaid. It measures about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and has a partly human form: a torso, a head  with stereoscopic vision  and articulated arms. Its lower section holds its computer "brain," a power supply, and an array of eight multidirectional thrusters.

Guided by a computer scientist from a boat, using a set of joysticks, OceanOne combined artificial intelligence, sensory feedback and dexterous mechanical construction to perform delicate tasks underwater, such as retrieving a fragile artifact from the wreckage and placing it in a box so it could be brought to the surface. [In Images: A 'Robo-Mermaid' Embarks on Its Maiden Dive]

A virtual diver

Remotely operated vehicles (ROV) are commonly used in ocean exploration. But OceanOne's creators designed a new kind of diving robot that can not only investigate parts of the ocean that are less accessible to people, but can do so with the flexibility and dexterity of a human diver.

The engineers also created an interface that allows a person to not only control the robot, but to actually "feel" what the robot is touching, using force sensors and haptic feedback in OceanOne's articulated hands.

"The intent here is to have a human diving virtually," said Oussama Khatib, who piloted OceanOne on its La Lune visit. Khatib, a professor of computer science at Stanford University in California, explained in a statement that the experience of guiding the robot is almost like being the diver.

You can feel exactly what the robot is doing, Khatib said.

OceanOne is also capable of interpreting and responding to its environment autonomously, detecting whether its hands-on work requires a lighter touch and when it needs to adjust its momentum to stay in place or change direction.

Story continues

The team behind OceanOne conceived of the robot as a means for studying Red Sea coral reefs at depths that were inaccessible to a human diver. OceanOne's flexible digits would allow it to conduct underwater research  manipulated by a scientist on the surface  without damaging the reef or its inhabitants.

Rise of the machines

While we may not have quite reached the point where robots that resemble people are on every street corner, OceanOne isn't the only humanoid robot in town.

A two-legged, humanoid disaster-response robot named "Atlas" made its public debut in 2013. Designed by the robotics design company Boston Dynamics to navigate challenging, outdoor terrain, Atlas stands 6 feet 2 inches tall (1.9 meters) and weighs 330 pounds (150 kilograms).

Recent videos of Atlas demonstrated that the robot could keep its balance over uneven surfaces, navigate around trees, and even recover after it had been pushed.

And another bipedal bot designed to detect and put out fires may soon help Navy firefighters extinguish blazes at sea. The Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR) is 5 feet 10 inches (1.8 meters) tall and weighs about 140 lbs. (64 kilograms). It can withstand exposure to smoke and heat and is capable of wielding a hose with its mechanical "hands."

Diver down

For now, these groundbreaking robots  including OceanOne  are still one-of-a-kind protoypes. But OceanOne's engineers are eager to build more of these mechanical divers, in order to test their prototype's ability to work as part of a team of diving units.

Robotic divers would be a promising alternative for tackling underwater environments that might be too dangerous for humans, but the sensitivity of the computer interface would still allow a human "presence" during the dive that can't be achieved with traditional submersibles. The robots' manual dexterity would also enable these machines to perform tasks that formerly only people could carry out.

"The two bring together an amazing synergy," Khatib said in a statement. "The human and robot can do things in areas too dangerous for a human, while the human is still there."

Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
If you havent purchased the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge yet, you might want to wait for Samsung to unveil its next best thing. The Galaxy Note 6 has appeared in various rumors so far and a slew of new reports offer plenty of new details about the upcoming handset. From the looks of it  not that were surprised  this will be the Android phone to buy this fall.

DONT MISS: Major tech breakthrough iPhone users have been waiting for is finally here

The Galaxy Note 6 will reportedly have a USB Type-C port, according to SamMobile, although its not clear at this point whether the reversible port will support UBS 3.1 technology. The site also speculates that Samsung will launch an updated Gear VR headset that could make use of the new USB-C port, though nothing is confirmed on that front yet.

If thats not enough, a report from Android Geeks says the Galaxy Note 6 will have a camera similar to the Galaxy S7s though theres a huge twist: It will include an infrared autofocus module.

Autofocus is already amazingly fast on the Galaxy S7, but Samsung is looking to improve upon it. The sites source says Samsung is currently testing two Galaxy Note 6 prototypes, one with IR autofocus and one with a camera setup identical to the Galaxy S7s.

Finally, a report from GizmoChina tells us the new Note smartphone should be launched at some point this August. The handset should pack a 5.8-inch display with 2K resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 823 processor (upgraded Snapdragon 820 version), 6GB of RAM, and a 4,200 mAh battery. The most impressive detail offered in this new leak from China concerns storage. Apparently, the phone would be available in a 256GB capacity, which might be a first for the company  we already know Samsung is mass-producing such storage, though its not clear what devices will support it. The report also says the phone will have IP68 dust and water certification.

Assuming these specs are accurate, the Galaxy Note 6 might be better than your current laptop, which is probably how Apple would introduce it if it were to make such a device.

Story continues

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Hello, Generation Z. Now that weve seen how Millennials turned out, guess what? Our future is in your hands. When it comes to using technology, you have some distinct advantages over the rest of us. You probably learned to use a computer before you could walk, can text faster than you can talk and multitask like a pro juggler.

But if youre under 21, theres a good chance you have one gaping hole in that impressive arsenal that will sink your business career before you can say, Hi, Im the next Steve Jobs: Youve never sent an email. Also you believe in zombies and vampires, but thats neither here nor there.

It seems that some of you are actually in college, which means youll soon be graduating and out begging for a job. And since your parents will eventually change the locks and turn your room into a yoga studio, heres everything you need to know about how we communicate in the business world.

What is email?

Since caveman figured out that he wasnt alone, humans have been searching for ways to avoid each other. First we built houses, but people would just come to the door and peer through the window. Telephones were great until some loser built the first answering machine. Then, in 1971, a computer geek named Ray Tomlinson invented email.

Email is just like texting except way more complicated, a thousand times slower and nobody ever responds. Most of it ends up in something called a junk folder and eventually gets dumped in the trash bin. Thats why when you ask, Didnt you get my email? the answer will inevitably be, Thats weird; I never got it.

In other words, email is a pointless waste of time  except under certain conditions that will soon become clear as mud.

Where is email?

Its the only built-in app on your smartphone that youve never used. The graphic looks like an envelope. If youve never seen an envelope, it looks like a hand puppet made of paper. If you dont know what paper is, I give up.

You can email from your phone or tablet (just like a phone but bigger) using the virtual keypad. It goes a lot faster on a physical keyboard that looks just like the one on your phone except you push the plastic buttons down with your fingers, not just your thumbs. Dont ask why; its a long story.

Story continues

Who do you email?

People you dont know from Adam but want something from. First, you have to find their email addresses (like a phone number but with letters instead). Most companies have a standard (john.smith@whatever.com, jsmith@whatever.com, smith_john@whatever.com, etc.) and you can learn it pretty easily using a handy little app called Email Hunter.

Why email?

Its how old people (over 30) communicate at work. You can also email coworkers under 30, but better text them this column first so they know how to read it, just to be safe.

Its also great for sending messages detailing ever little thing youre doing and anything on your mind to everyone in the company.

When should you email?

When you know that whomever youre emailing would rather drink from a toilet bowl than hear from you. Thats called direct mail or spam. It ends up in the junk folder we talked about earlier.

When you have bad news you dont want anyone to know but have to cover your behind and say you sent it.

Late at night so your boss thinks youre working hard when youre not. Just take a break from gaming every so often and send him an update.

When someone sends you an email asking you to do something, forward it to someone else and say something like, Thanks in advance, I appreciate it.

When youre drunk, neurotic or in a fit of rage. (Nah, JK.)

How do you email?

Heres where things get sort of bizarre. After opening the app, click the pen and paper icon, type your message and fill in the To field. Whats Cc mean? Youre not going to believe this, but it means carbon copy, referring to the way copies were made by hand 50 years ago, before electronics. No, Im not kidding. To and Cc function exactly the same. Why have both? Nobody knows.

That brings us to the fun part. Come up with a creative Subject that will trick people into either reading it or not, as the case may be. Attach files using the paper clip icon (looks like a folded up wire in the shape of a capsule you take for ADHD) and click on the paper airplane to send it. Yes, I know that sounds dumb, but thats how it works.

Troubleshooting tips

This is going to sting a little, so brace yourself: you cant use tons of cryptic acronyms or shorthand and everything has to be spelled right, grammatically correct and composed, more or less. You can use emoticons, but not exclusively. Actually, no more than one per email. Sorry, those are the rules, NK.

Never use Reply all. Dont ask. Just dont.

Always reread everything before sending. Seriously. The one time you dont and send something you shouldnt to your bosss boss, you can bet that will be the one time hell actually read it. Then your boss will get an email from his boss to fire your sorry butt. Dont say I didnt warn you.

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Microsoft did not disclose how much it paid for Solair, which offers software and hardware that lets companies synch smart devices to the Internet (AFP Photo/Josh Edelson) (AFP/File)

San Francisco (AFP) - Microsoft on Tuesday announced it has bought an Italian firm specializing in connecting smart objects in the Internet of Things (IoT), continuing its push into cloud computing.

The US technology colossus did not disclose how much it paid for Solair, which offers software and hardware that lets companies synch smart devices to the Internet.

Solair has built a reputation for providing IoT services across an array of industries including manufacturing, retail, transportation, and food, according to Microsoft Azure IoT partner director Sam George said in a blog post.

"This acquisition supports our strategy to deliver the most complete IoT offering for enterprises," George said.

Solair's platform is build on Microsoft's Azure cloud service, and the technology will be integrated into the Azure suite according to George.

"From the very start, our mission has been to help customers quickly and easily gain access to the huge benefits of the Internet of Things," Solair chief executive Tom Davis said in an online post.

"I'm confident that Solair's technology and talent will be able to make an important contribution to Microsoft's Azure IoT Suite and Microsoft's broader IoT ambitions."
Getting online at an airport is often a far bigger hassle than it has any right to be. There are typically dozens of hotspots that are being transmitted by the devices of other passengers, hotspots that can only the airport staff know the password to and hotspots that require you to spend a few dollars in order to access them.

It's a nightmare, but even your worst airport Wi-Fi experience probably doesn't compare to that of the passengers of Qantas flight QF481.

DON'T MISS: John Oliver recaps 17 years of pop culture history in hilarious new video

Earlier this week, a female passenger boarded a Qantas flight in Melbourne, Australia heading to Perth. Not long after she boarded the plane, she found something troubling on her phone's Wi-Fi menu  a hotspot with the name "Mobile Detonation Device." She immediately alerted a member of the crew, who then informed the captain and security, at which point an investigation began.

Passenger John Vidler tells The West Australian that the captain announced over the speaker that the flight was being delayed because a device was believed to be on board, and security needed time to try to locate it.

"He said there was a device on the plane that had a name on it that he found threatening and that we were not leaving until that device was brought to him," Vidler told the publication.

Although no device was found, Vidler says that multiple passengers  possibly up to 40  were shaken up enough that they decided not to take the flight, which forced more delays as the crew had to unload their luggage.

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By Ross Kerber BOSTON (Reuters) - An "application glitch" led some Vanguard Group clients to see an inflated account balance displayed on their Apple mobile devices, a spokeswoman said - a hiccup that left at least one user cheering the apparent extra funds. The issue did not affect clients' actual balances or transactions, the spokeswoman for the index fund manager, Katie Henderson Hirt, said on Monday. She added it was seen by people using Vanguard software applications on their iPhones, iPads or iWatches. Vanguard expected to have the issue fixed on Monday evening, she said. Asked how many devices were affected, Hirt said the impact was a "modest number overall." On average just 16 percent of logons to vanguard.com come from an Apple device, she said, and of those about 11 percent visit the personal performance page where they would have seen the inflated balance. The problem related to the fact that Friday was the last trading day of April, she said. While the issue was not seen before, she said it was not caused by hacking. One user of the app, Peter Lanphear of Bergen, New York, flagged the problem on Twitter on Monday and said in a followup conversation that he first noticed on Sunday that the app displayed a balance roughly $21,000 higher than it should have been, double the correct number. Told it was too bad he could not keep the extra money, Lanphear replied "That's what I said to them lol." (Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Bernard Orr and Andrew Hay)
Warner Bros has won the heated bidding war for the adaptation of Monsterpocalypse, the cult board game, with Fede Alvarez, helmer of the Evil Dead remake, attached to co-write and direct.

The package for the project hit the town last week and quickly generated interest and bids from studios, including DreamWorks and Sony on top of Warners. The bidding escalated quickly, hitting at least the mid-six figures against seven figures for just the rights and writing alone. Warners is now in final negotiations for the package.

Monsterpocalypse is a board game from Privateer Press that pits humans in robot suits against monsters. An adaptation was previously attempted around 2010 with a package that included Tim Burton as director and John August as screenwriter. It stalled in development after Crimson Peak filmmaker Guillermo del Toro made a competing humans-in-robot-suits-against-monsters, 2013's Pacific Rim.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the new package has a take that is substantially different from that of the previous iteration, as well as Rim's, although the core concept - humans versus monsters - remains.

Alvarez will write the screenplay with his writing partner Rodo Sayagues.

Alvarez demonstrated a passion for the material with his regular works in the horror and robot subgenres. He made his breakthrough debut with the popular short Panic Attack!, which featured giant robots attacking the South American city of Montevideo, which led to his directing 2013's remake of Evil Dead. His latest, Don't Breathe, is a horror movie that Screen Gems will release Aug. 26.

Alvarez is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and Jackoway Tyerman.

Read More: Justin Lin Circling 'Space Jam' Sequel Starring LeBron James (Exclusive)
Once self-driving cars take over, youll be able to do plenty of other things while sitting behind the wheel and waiting to get to your destination. You could sleep, work, watch TV, and plenty more. However, one Canadian expert is concerned about one other distraction when driving in semi-autonomous and fully autonomous cars: Sex behind the wheel.

DONT MISS: Watch Barack Obama roast Donald Trump then drop the mic in his final Correspondents Dinner

"I am predicting that, once computers are doing the driving, there will be a lot more sex in cars," Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellences Barrie Kirk told the Toronto Sun. "That's one of several things people will do which will inhibit their ability to respond quickly when the computer says to the human, 'Take over.'"

Canadian authorities are worried that drivers will ignore paying attention to the driving part when it comes to cars that have self-driving abilities. Systems such as Teslas limited Autopilot feature arent fully autonomous, meaning they should be used with the driver ready to pick up manual control on a whim  Volvo recently blasted Tesla for its Autopilot that will disengage in situations where it cant determine the course of action.

"The issue of the attentive driver is ... problematic," wrote federal officials in notes for Transport Minister Mark Garneau.

The notes cite media reports where Tesla drivers engaged in questionable practices behind the wheel like reading a newspaper or brushing their teeth. Teslas Autopilot isnt meant to take full control of the vehicle and needs human supervision in its current form.

The Canadian government is looking to develop laws that would govern self-driving cars. The regulations will require that vehicles be equipped with a "failsafe mechanism that can respond to situations when the driver is not available. Ontario also wants an expert in autonomous vehicles to be in the drivers seat, ready to take control at a moments notice. Officials also suggest that car makers deploy black box data recorders inside autonomous vehicles.

Story continues

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MarketWatch

Americas high inflation rate will produce a 7% increase in the size of the standard deduction when workers file their taxes on their 2023 income, according to new inflation adjustments from the Internal Revenue Service. Its also going to pump up tax brackets by 7% as well, according to the annual inflation adjustments the IRS announced this week. Start with the standard deduction, which is what most people use instead of itemizing deductions.
Capital One has a great ongoing offer where you can get a $400 bonus after opening a new Capital One 360 account and making $1000 in at least 2 direct deposits. Capital One 360 (previously ING) also does not have any minimum balance requirements or fees.

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Important notes:

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As Ted Cruz heads into the vital Indiana primary tomorrow, his presidential campaign is, by most accounts, losing momentum at a time it can least afford it. Over the weekend, he got bad news:

Cruzs poll numbers are down.

A New York Times story revealed that his support is weakening among Republican delegates who Cruz believed were a lock.

The governor of the key state of Indiana, which votes tomorrow, again showed himself unable to muster a ringing endorsement for the Texas senator.

Related: Ted Cruz Thinks Everyone Is Out to Get Him

Cruzs chief rival, frontrunner Donald Trump, has amassed a large lead in pledged delegates, and stands a good chance of locking up the nomination before the Republican Partys national convention in July. Preventing Trump from doing that is now the only strategy remaining to Cruz. He is mathematically unable to win enough delegates in the remaining states to clinch the nomination himself, but he could still shoot for a contested convention by denying Trump the 1,237 majority.

Part of what that means is that Cruz needs to deny Trump delegates at every turn, particularly in states like Indiana, which will award 27 of its 57 delegates to the candidate who wins statewide and 27 more to the winners of nine separate Congressional Districts.

Unfortunately for Cruz, a poll released over the weekend by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal showed Trump with a dominant 15-point lead in that state. The current Real Clear Politics polling average for the state shows Trump with an average 4.1 percent lead. However, that includes one poll that appears to be a serious outlier, showing Cruz ahead by 16 points. Without it, Trumps average lead would be 7.5 percent.

Cruz succeeded in earning the endorsement of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Friday, but the governors announcement on a radio program struck many as oddly backhanded. He spoke of his admiration for Trump, but said he had decided to vote for Cruz -- and he did it without really explaining why he preferred Cruz and, crucially, without urging voters to follow his lead.

Story continues

Related: Indianas Governor Just Endorsed Ted Cruz. And Donald Trump

On Sunday afternoon, Pence published an op-ed in the Indianapolis Star that went a little further in explaining some of his thinking behind voting for Cruz, including his small government and social conservative positions. My vote goes to Ted Cruz because he is a principled conservative who will work to protect our constitutional liberties, bring back better-paying jobs, and serve all Americans with the character and judgment needed to revive our national strength.

However, Pence once again stopped short of encouraging others to vote for Cruz as well, saying, I encourage every Hoosier to evaluate each of the candidates and exercise your right to vote in the May 3 Primary.

Also on Sunday, The New York Times reported that Cruzs support among the committed Republicans who will serve as delegates at the convention in Cleveland is weakening. According to the story by Jeremy W. Peters, the Texan is having an increasingly difficult time securing delegates in states where they have not yet been chosen, and in states where the process is complete, some delegates who originally supported him are starting to waver.

Related: Is Sanders About to Play the Email Card Against Clinton?

This is significant because at this point, Cruzs only practical hope for the nomination is to deny Trump a first-ballot victory at the convention, and then count on many delegates who were pledged to Trump for one or two votes to flip to him on subsequent ballots.

That shifting sentiment appears to be reflected in the Gallup tracking poll, which recently found that Cruz now has a net negative approval rating among Republicans, and that the ratio of approval to disapproval is getting worse.

Its never over until the votes are counted, of course, but now, things are not looking good for the junior senator from Texas.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
BRASILIA, May 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's former central bank chief Henrique Meirelles, a likely finance minister if Vice President Michel Temer becomes president, said on Monday it is necessary to reverse the trajectory of the country's rising public debt.

Speaking to journalists after meeting with Temer, Meirelles said the two had not discussed specific measures for the economy as a Senate vote on whether to start a trial that could oust President Dilma Rousseff has not yet occurred.

The vote is expected later this month after the lower house of Congress voted overwhelmingly to impeach Rousseff for breaking budget laws, an outcome also inspired by Brazil's economic woes and a massive corruption scandal.

Meirelles said he gave Temer his evaluation of the economy, now mired in what is likely Brazil's worst recession in a century. He called for concessions for infrastructure projects and for making it easier to do business.

Temer has said former BankBoston executive Meirelles, who was central bank chief from 2003 to 2011, would be his pick as finance minister of Latin America's largest economy.

Brazil's net public debt stands at 38.9 percent of gross domestic product, and Meirelles has warned if no measures are taken it could approach 2002 levels of around 60 percent.

In ending the increase in debt, Meirelles said, "There would be a clear reversal of confidence that would lead to increased investment and therefore job creation, higher consumption and a resumption of lending."

Asked about a possible government spending cap, he said, "A legal, constitutional control of spending is an interesting alternative that will certainly be contemplated."

Left-leaning Rousseff on Sunday vowed to raise spending on her party's signature anti-poverty program in an appeal to her political base, warning that her opponents would slash social expenditure if she is stripped of office.

Rousseff's government also hopes to raise salaries for federal police and tax agents before her likely removal from office, two sources told Reuters on Monday.

(Reporting by Cesar Raizer and Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Adolf Hitler Nazis

While hiding in a fortified two level 3,000-square-foot underground bunker, one of history's most brutal tyrants promised the world that his empire would reign for 1,000 years.

Hitler's Third Reich lasted 12 years, and officially ended on April 30, 1945, when the Fuhrer committed suicide in his bunker with his new wife after learning Allied Forces had surrounded Berlin.

Hitler's last hours

eva braun hitler

The day before his death, 56-year-old Hitler married his long-term mistress, 33-year-old Eva Braun.

After his brief wedding ceremony Hitler began preparing his last will and political statement with his secretary Traudl Junge at approximately 4:00 PM.

"What I possess belongs - in so far as it has any value, to the Party. Should this no longer exist, to the State; should the State also be destroyed, no further decision of mine is necessary," Hitler's will stated.

"I myself and my wife, in order to escape the disgrace of deposition or capitulation, choose death. It is our wish to be burnt immediately on the spot where I have carried out the greatest part of my daily work in the course of a twelve years' service to my people."

Later on that day Hitler learned his Italian counterpart Benito Mussolini was executed by a mob of anti-fascist partisans.

Here's a summary of Hitler's last day as reported by MentalFloss:

Screen Shot 2015 04 30 at 10.58.38 AM

Hitler's body

hitler sofa

Sitting on a sofa next to each other in the living room of the Fuhrerbunker, Hitler and his new bride Braun poisoned themselves with cyanide pills and then for good measure, the Nazi leader reportedly shot himself in the head.

While various historians dispute the scenario of Hitler actually ending his life with a gunshot, the Russian government claimed they had a portion of Hitler's alleged skull complete with a bullet hole, The Guardian reports.

Story continues

The fractured skull, which was reportedly taken from the bunker went on public display in Moscow in 2000. Paired with the skull was what Russian intelligence said is Hitler's jawbone.

hitler's teeth

Almost a decade later, American researchers claimed by way of DNA testing that the cranial fragment actually belonged to a woman approximately 40 years old, The Guardian reports.

The orders to be "burnt immediately" were reportedly followed when SS officers wrapped the bodies of the Fuhrer and Braun in blankets and then placed them on a small pyre where SS officer Otto Gunsche set the remains ablaze.

NOW WATCH: We went inside a secret basement under Grand Central that was one of the biggest World War II targets





More From Business Insider


KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A Canadian living and working in Nepal who criticized the government on social media has been ordered to leave the country within two days, a Nepali official said on Tuesday.

Robert Penner, a computer programmer working for CloudFactory, an outsourcing company, was arrested by police at his office on Monday and taken to the Department of Immigration for questioning.

Penner confirmed that he had been ordered to leave on his Twitter account.

He criticized the Nepal government on social media during unrest that followed the passing of Nepal's constitution last year and he denounced the recent arrest and detention of Kanak Mani Dixit, a prominent journalist and civil rights activist.

"Robert Penner must leave Nepal voluntarily within two days," Kedar Neupane, Director General of the Department of Immigration, told Reuters.

"If he fails to leave within this time frame, he will be considered as staying here illegally," added Neupane. He said there was no provision for Penner to make an appeal.

The deportation order comes after government officials received numerous complaints about tweets and online writings that Penner had posted, said Neupane. He declined to elaborate on exactly who and how many had complained.

Lawyer Dipendra Jha, who is representing Penner, earlier said he had been informed that the Canadian would be released on Tuesday and his visa revoked.

The Canadian consulate in Kathmandu could not be reached for comment. The Canadian High Commission in the Indian capital New Delhi declined to comment.

(This version of the story corrects the name of the company to CloudFactory)

(Reporting by Ross Adkin; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Nick Macfie)
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - Canary announced today that it's entering the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, as well as Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The Company plans to continue launching its flagship, award-winning product across Europe this year. The Company is now available in ten countries and more than 8,000 retail locations.

"Within months of launching our product, we had users in over 140 countries, so we knew from day one that enthusiasm abroad met or even exceeded interest locally," said Adam Sager, Canary CEO and Co-founder. "Our launch in the U.S. was one of the most successful ever for a consumer electronics startup, but we're just getting started. Protecting your home and your family is a global need, and it requires a global response. Our goal has always been to build a product that can scale and serve consumers all across the world."

Canary offers the most advanced possible technology in a single device -- an all-in-one security solution that protects and connects consumers to those who matter most. With the ability to set up a full-service security system in just moments, Canary includes HD video, night vision, and HomeHealth Technology to monitor an environment's temperature, humidity and air quality. With the Canary app, users can automatically arm and disarm the device, or completely shut off the camera and microphone with Privacy Mode. A 90 decibel siren and one-touch access to local authorities provide help in an emergency, and users can track their video history in the timeline or distribute content easily with recently released sharing options. Conceived as a product that will blend-in, not stand out, Canary has been recognized with Red Dot, iF and Inc. awards for product design.

Canary is built to learn and recognize patterns in your home to send intelligent notifications when there is meaningful activity. The Company processes 2x more video than YouTube every day, and the average user checks into the app 3-4 times daily.

Canary is available in the Nordics in Apple stores, Elkjop, Komplett, and Teknikmagasinet. The device retails for EUR219 in Sweden, Norway and Denmark and EUR229 in Finland. The device retails for EUR219 across Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and can be found at Bol, Capi, Cool Blue, Media Markt and all Apple stores, as well as on the Canary site.

To learn more, visit Canary at canary.is.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/5/2/11G096108/Images/mw1ahp6vubi40el77d181od71j2r2-71d792fb8df2904f8f5795b6ad20fa4a.jpg


The National Liberation Front of Corsica was set up in 1976 and has staged hundreds of attacks, but in 2014 said it planned to end its armed struggle (AFP Photo/Stephan Agostini) (AFP/File)

Ajaccio (France) (AFP) - An underground separatist group in Corsica said Tuesday it would end "military operations", two years after the main militant movement on the French island laid down its arms.

The so-called October 22 splinter group of the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC) made the announcement during a night-time news conference at a location unknown to the six journalists present, in line with FLNC practice since it was formed in May 1976.

Reading out a statement, a hooded spokesman wearing black fatigues said the decision was made to allow the Mediterranean island's new assembly, led by nationalists, "to calmly fulfil its mandate, as well as, we are sure, subsequent ones".

A nationalist coalition -- including politicians campaigning for outright independence from the mainland -- scored an unprecedented victory in Corsica during French regional elections in December.

The spokesman said the splinter group would begin "a process of demilitarisation", nearly two years after the main FLNC movement known as the Combatants Union announced that it would end its armed struggle.

- Prisoners must be freed -

"The end of military operations does not mean a laying down of weapons," the spokesman said, however, flanked by around 30 hooded militants, wielding assault rifles and rocket launchers as he sat at a table adorned by the Corsican flag, dimly lit by small lamps.

He added: "The farewell to arms will not be total until the return of political prisoners and the end of prosecution for all the wanted militants. Not before."

Several October 22 members were convicted by a Paris court in 2012 for attacks committed between 2004 and 2006 on administrative and political targets.

The FLNC and various other factions intent on self-rule demanded recognition of "national rights" including citizenship, language and culture.

There have been thousands of attacks in the 40-year struggle during which nine police officers have been killed.

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The FLNC has also been blamed for armed robberies and extortion through the imposition of so-called revolutionary taxes.

But the group suffered from internal feuds in the 1990s, a decade when it also staged the assassination of Claude Erignac, the prefect of Corsica and the island's top official.

Corsica was conquered by the French in the 18th century and was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Today, the island with a population of around 300,000 is a popular tourist destination, famed for its spectacular beauty and climate.
ALACHUA, FL--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - CTD Holdings (CTDH), a biotechnology company that develops cyclodextrin-based products for the treatment of disease, today announced that it will present its findings on the intravenous treatment of Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) patients at the annual conference of the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation in Tucson, Arizona, June 4-7, 2016.

CTD and physician scientists from the US and Brazil co-authored the accepted paper, which will present case studies from nine patients using CTD's drug candidate Trappsol Cyclo -- a proprietary hydroxylpropyl-beta cyclodextrin (HPBCD) -- on a compassionate basis and administered intravenously to treat the rare and fatal NPC disease, and two patients who used HPBCD from other sources.

NPC is characterized by cholesterol accumulation in all cells of the body. It leads to cognitive impairment, movement disorders, and liver and lung dysfunction, among other systemic challenges, and is ultimately fatal. CTD believes that the collective data from the study support the safety and benefit of systemic intravenous administration of Trappsol Cyclo and provide a foundation for formal clinical studies supported by the company to advance Trappsol Cyclo in market approval.

CTD's presentation will be given by Dr. Caroline Hastings and Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, the company's Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs. Dr. Hastings, a pediatric oncologist at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, was the first physician in the United States to use HPBCD in the form of Trappsol Cyclo to treat NPC. Dr. Hastings is also a member of CTD's Scientific Advisory Board and Co-Chair, with Dr. Hrynkow, of CTD's Family and Physician Listening Circle. Dr. Hrynkow is also Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board.

In addition to Dr. Hastings and Dr. Hrynkow, other co-authors of the study are Dr. Benny Liu, gastroenterologist at the Alameda Health System Oakland and the first scientist to show efficacy of HPBCD in a NPC animal model, and other physicians from the United States and Brazil who have used Trappsol Cyclo or other forms of HPBCD to treat NPC patients for one to five years. They are Dr. Camillo Vieira of the Universidad Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil; Dr. Charles Lourenco and Dr. Marcela Almeida of the Universidade de Sao Paolo, Sao Paolo, Brazil; Dr. Diane Williams, Ashland, Oregon; Dr. Ellen Plummer of Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, Medford, Oregon; Dr. Raymond Wang, Children's Hospital, Orange County, California; Dr. Alicia Casey and Dr. Olaf Bodamer of Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; and Dr. Cyrus Bascon, Children's Hospital and Research Center, Oakland, California.

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"We are pleased that the community of physicians and scientists who have used Trappsol Cyclo on a compassionate basis have come together to analyze safety and clinical outcome measures," said N. Scott Fine, CTD Chairman of the Board and CEO. "We look forward to sharing with the community what has been learned from more than five years' experience with intravenous administration of cyclodextrins in the treatment of NPC."

The Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation Annual Conference brings together top researchers in the Niemann-Pick field along with families, caregivers and advocates to consider new strategies to treat and potentially cure Niemann-Pick disease.

About the Company:

CTD Holdings, Inc. is a biotechnology company that develops cyclodextrin-based products for the treatment of disease. The company's Trappsol Cyclo, an orphan drug designated product in the United States and the EU, is used to treat Niemann-Pick Type C, a rare and fatal genetic disease. Additional indications for the active ingredient in Trappsol Cyclo are in development. For additional information, visit the company's website: www.ctd-holdings.com

Safe Harbor Statement:

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" about the company's current expectations about future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. Statements that are not historical facts, such as "anticipates," "believes" and "expects" or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from what is expressed in, or implied by, these statements. The factors which may influence the company's future performance include the company's ability to obtain additional capital to expand operations as planned, success in achieving regulatory approval for clinical protocols, enrollment of adequate numbers of patients in clinical trials, unforeseen difficulties in showing efficacy of the company's biopharmaceutical products, success in attracting additional customers and profitable contracts, and regulatory risks associated with producing pharmaceutical grade and food products. These and other risk factors are described from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the company's reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. Unless required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.
ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwired - May 3, 2016) - Dominovas Energy Corporation (OTCQB: DNRG), an energy solutions company dedicated to delivering clean, efficient, and reliable electricity, announces the launch of the first RUBICON SOFC system in Johannesburg, South Africa. Launched in partnership with the South Africa-based Edison Power Group (EPG), the 50kW RUBICON system is set for delivery and full implementation within 90 days and will serve as a demonstration unit for future Edison Power Group sponsored multi-megawatt, utility scale deployments in Africa. The 50kW RUBICON produce over 430,000 kilowatt hours of clean, fuel cell generated electricity each year. The 50kW RUBICON proof of concept "showcase" unit will be the first solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit to serve baseload capacity anywhere on the African continent.

"South Africa has historically been the energy vanguard and continues to set the pace on the continent for renewable energy solutions and broad-based energy reform by advocating for the adoption of new technology applications for clean power generation. Edison Power Group's commitment in supporting the RUBICON's first system in South Africa represents a watershed moment in a series of monumental achievements and milestones for us," stated Shantan Reddy, Chief Executive Officer of Edison Power Group. Dominovas Energy Chairman and CEO Neal Allen added, "Dominovas Energy is honored to have Edison Power Group as a partner, as it has been a stalwart leader in the development and deployment of electricity infrastructure and is a true leader in the electricity sector, not only in South Africa, but also within Africa as a whole. With the vision and leadership of Mr. Reddy and the support of Edison Power Group, the introduction of the RUBICON represents a true paradigm shift for the delivery of electricity by Edison Power Group on what will eventually be based upon multi megawatt platforms."

Michael Watkins, COO and President of the Fuel Cell Division, states, "Given the Company's current production schedule, we could not be more excited about the opportunity before us today. By August of this year, Dominovas Energy will have the first RUBICON SOFC unit operating in sub-Saharan Africa -- more than a year in advance of the commercial operations date (COD) for our first scheduled deployment." Watkins went on to say, "The partnership agreement with Edison Power Group includes the minimum deployment of 50MW over the next 5 years of Dominovas Energy's RUBICON fuel cell system."

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When asked about the significance of the 50kW RUBICON showcase unit, Dr. Pat Naidoo enthusiastically replied, "This showcase [of the RUBICON] cannot be overstated, as it ushers in a new era of beneficiation of South Africa's mineral resources; industrialization, and job creation. The fuel cell represents a transformation for the economy of sub-Saharan Africa in energy that has not been seen since the introduction of the cell phone to the telecom industry in the region." Dr. Naidoo is an esteemed associate professor of electrical power engineering at the Durban University of Technology (www.dut.ac.za), is a non-executive member of ESKOM's Board of Directors (http://www.eskom.co.za/Pages/Landing.aspx), and is a senior member of IEEE. He is also a special consultant to Dominovas Energy.

This announcement affirms Dominovas Energy's commitment to excellence and the continuous advancement of innovation by engineering multi-megawatt platforms for the deployment of RUBICON NextGen technology, which will in turn serve to further diversify the mix of clean sustainable and renewable sources of energy throughout sub-Saharan Africa. "Without question, Dominovas Energy is revolutionizing the manner in which electricity will be delivered in Africa for years to come," expressed Dr. Shamiul Islam, Dominovas Energy's Executive Vice President of the Fuel Cell Division.

The deployment of the "showcase" 50kW unit is being made possible via the continued partnership and collaboration with its system integration partner AVL Gratz, Ghmb and with stack supplier SOLIDPower SpA of Mezzolombardo (TN) Italy, (http://www.solidpower.com/en/home/) for the production and delivery of the 50kW RUBICON showcase. Ongoing, Dominovas Energy will continue to engage with AVL and SOLIDPower to support its multi-megawatt deployments in South Africa.

About the Edison Power Group (EPG)

Edison Power Group, the oldest electrical contracting company in South Africa (34 years), is driven by its determination to be the leading company in the electrical industry through the provision of cost effective, efficient services and a commitment to increasing shareholder value whilst improving the quality of life of all South Africans. The company specializes in electrical installations in all aspects of the electrical industry including commercial, industrial, HV and LV reticulation, township reticulation, fiber optic installations, live line installations, smart metering, wind and solar EPC and substation and transformer installations.

For more information, visit www.edisonpowergroup.co.za.

About Dominovas Energy Corporation (OTCQB: DNRG)

Founded in 2005, Dominovas Energy Corporation (DEC) is a publicly traded company, based in Nevada. With its operating headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Dominovas Energy Corporation is a leading power solutions provider to emerging markets around the world. DEC employs its proprietary RUBICON Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology for deployment in multi-megawatt power generation units worldwide. The worldwide pursuit of clean and efficient production of electricity via Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology inspired its founders to create an "energy solutions" company. Recognizing that "green" and "alternative energy" markets offer immense potential for growth, Dominovas Energy is aggressively moving to allocate its intellectual and financial capital forthwith, in order to strategically address a green energy solution that is 100% reliable, efficient, and measurably cleaner than GenSets and CCGT. Additionally, unlike wind and solar solutions the RUBICON provides baseload power 24/7/365 days a year. By manufacturing and deploying the RUBICON throughout of the world, Dominovas Energy is committed to creating shareholder value by not only generating guaranteed revenue streams, but also by increasing the value of "human and community capital." Devoted to core values by operating under the utmost of honesty and integrity in all its business transactions, Dominovas Energy is additionally dedicated to respecting the rights of all individuals, while acknowledging and respecting all cultures necessary to support the growth and development of the communities and countries in which it operates. The Company strongly believes in the impact this singularly advanced technology will make on the world and is resolute in its mission to provide electricity where and when economically viable.

For more information, visit www.dominovasenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release, as well as other statements made by Dominovas Energy Corporation (the "Company"), contain forward-looking statements that reflect, when made, the Company's current views with respect to current events and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to the Company's operations and business environment, which may cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from any future results. All statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or the Company's strategies or expectations are forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as is applicable would be discussed under captions as follows: "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company's filings as would be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as required. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. It should be remembered that the price of the ordinary shares and any income from them can go down as well as up. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events and/or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
HELSINKI, FINLAND and NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 3, 2016) - Information Builders, a leader in business intelligence (BI) and analytics, information integrity, and integration solutions, is pleased to announce the 30th anniversary of InfoBuild Ltd., its Finnish representative. A gala event is being held today at the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, Finland, to celebrate this milestone and honor the many customers who have become a part of the Information Builders family. Juha Kostamo, sales and service director for InfoBuild Ltd., will present an overview of the company's growth and highlight key successes since its founding in 1986 by Mikko Simolinna, who remains the current owner and chairman of the board.

Just one year after its founding, InfoBuild Ltd. established the FOCUS user group FUSE Finland ry, which is still active today. Finnair, Finland's largest airline, became one of the first members of this group as well as one of the first InfoBuild customers in the nation. In 1988 the government of Finland used Information Builders' FOCUS to tally the votes from a national election, bringing speed and accuracy to the process of tabulating election returns.

Since those early years, InfoBuild Ltd. has worked with many other well-known Finnish companies including LVI-Dahl (a technical wholesale customer since 2008), Academy of Finland (a technical research and development customer since 1997), Kela (The Social Insurance Institute of Finland, a customer since 2003), and Nordea (a major bank that has been a customer since 1986). These organizations depend on Information Builders' award-winning technology to harmonize, visualize, operationalize, and monetize their data.

"Information Builders' success is based on dedication to its long-term customers, as evidenced by its unwavering focus on solving pressing BI and data management challenges," said Mikko Simolinna, founder and chairman of the board of InfoBuild. "Based on my 30 years of involvement, I can say with confidence that customers have always been central to Information Builders' strategy. For example, the organizations that participate in Information Builders' customer advisory board have a clear and measurable impact on product development. InfoBuild Ltd. is guided by these same principles as we strive to provide long-term value to our customers."

Since its inception in 1975, Information Builders has been a pioneer in the BI and analytics space. Its flagship product, WebFOCUS, delivers rich, consumable, interactive information to a wide range of employees, managers, analysts, partners, and customers, helping to make BI and analytics truly pervasive across organizations. The company's one-of-a-kind InfoApps deliver sophisticated BI technology via an easy "app-store" like experience, enabling users of all tech levels and backgrounds to easily access and use sophisticated BI from the palms of their hands. Information Builders strives to continually deliver these types of innovations for organizations in multiple industries.

About Information Builders

Information Builders helps organizations transform data into business value. Our software solutions for business intelligence and analytics, integration, and data integrity empower people to make smarter decisions, strengthen customer relationships, and drive growth. Our dedication to customer success is unmatched in the industry. That's why tens of thousands of leading organizations rely on Information Builders to be their trusted partner. Founded in 1975, Information Builders is headquartered in New York, NY, with offices around the world, and remains one of the largest independent, privately held companies in the industry. Visit us at informationbuilders.com, follow us on Twitter at @infobldrs, like us on Facebook, and visit our LinkedIn page.
BOTHELL, WA, and BAAR, SWITZERLAND--(Marketwired - May 3, 2016) - Marina Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB: MRNA), a leading nucleic acid-based drug discovery and development company focused on rare diseases and Turing Pharmaceuticals AG a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for serious diseases announced that the companies have executed a term sheet under which Marina intends to acquire Turing's intranasal ketamine program. Pending the negotiation of the definitive agreement, Marina is expected to acquire Turing's intranasal ketamine program for approximately 53 million Marina common shares.

The assets to be acquired will include all patents and intellectual property rights, clinical development plans, regulatory documents and existing product inventories. As per the term sheet, Marina will pay to Turing up to $95 million in success- and sales-based milestones plus a mid-single digit royalty on net sales. Further terms of the proposed transaction were not disclosed.

"We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity to bring in a late-stage clinical program with the potential for approval in multiple indications including certain rare disorders," stated J. Michael French, President and CEO at Marina Biotech. "The program has been advanced worldwide with plans for U.S. and international clinical trial sites. The work thus far has predominately been directed at suicidality in post-traumatic stress disorder; a patient population with few, if any, therapeutic options. We believe the early clinical successes of this program combined with broadening acceptance of ketamine as a treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases, presents a unique opportunity to rapidly move this compound into the U.S. market as early as 2019. In addition, there is some earlier work by academic centers suggesting that intranasal ketamine might be efficacious in patients suffering from certain rare diseases. We look forward to working with the Turing team to conclude this transaction and transfer the assets as quickly as possible in order to maintain the momentum of this program."

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"We too are pleased to enter into this relationship with Marina and to have found a company capable of giving this program the priority it deserves," stated Eliseo Salinas, M.D., President of Research and Development at Turing Pharmaceuticals, "I have been impressed with the progress our research and development team has made over the past six months in advancing intranasal ketamine for the treatment of suicidality. I look forward to working with the Marina team to rapidly transition this program so that we can maintain our momentum and bring this compound to market as quickly as possible."

Marina's purchase of Turing's Phase 3 intranasal ketamine program is expected to close by July 1, 2016, pending the completion of customary due diligence considerations, the negotiation, execution and delivery of a definitive asset purchase agreement, and the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions set forth in the asset purchase agreement, including the completion by Marina of a financing transaction yielding proceeds sufficient to initiate and support the Phase 3 efforts.

Mr. French added, "Regarding the sale of our nucleic acid therapeutics assets, which we previously announced in our press release dated March 15, 2016, we have terminated the on-going efforts to sell these assets to Microlin Bio, Inc. However, we continue to explore opportunities to advance our existing clinical and preclinical programs through either our own efforts or those of a collaboration partner and leverage our nucleic acid drug discovery engine through collaborative partnerships or sale. The Marina Board of Directors and I believe that the opportunity to bring the ketamine compound to market within the next four years combined with the ability to leverage our nucleic acid assets, creates the best opportunity to build value for our shareholders."

Objective Capital Partners, LLC served as an advisor to Marina Biotech in the transaction.

About Marina Biotech, Inc.

Marina Biotech is an oligonucleotide therapeutics company with broad drug discovery technologies providing the ability to develop proprietary single and double-stranded nucleic acid therapeutics including siRNAs, microRNA mimics, antagomirs, and antisense compounds, including messengerRNA therapeutics. These technologies were built via a roll-up strategy to discover and develop different types of nucleic acid therapeutics in order to modulate (up or down) a specific protein(s) which is either being produced too much or too little thereby causing a particular disease. We believe that the Marina Biotech technologies have unique strengths as a drug discovery engine for the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics for rare and orphan diseases. Further, we believe Marina Biotech is the only company in the sector that has a delivery technology in human clinical trials with differentiated classes of payloads, through licensees ProNAi Therapeutics and Mirna Therapeutics, delivering single-stranded and double-stranded nucleic acid payloads, respectively. Our novel chemistries and other delivery technologies have been validated through license agreements with Roche, Novartis, Monsanto, and Tekmira. The Marina Biotech pipeline currently includes a clinical program in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (a precancerous syndrome) and a preclinical program in myotonic dystrophy. Marina Biotech's goal is to improve human health through the development of RNAi- and oligonucleotide-based compounds and drug delivery technologies that together provide superior therapeutic options for patients. Additional information about Marina Biotech is available at www.marinabio.com.

About Turing Pharmaceuticals AG

Turing Pharmaceuticals AG is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company with offices in Zug, Switzerland, and New York, New York. Turing focuses on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for serious diseases and conditions across a broad range of therapeutic areas, for which there are currently limited or no treatment options. Turing is currently developing next-generation therapies for toxoplasmosis and other infectious diseases. Daraprim (pyrimethamine) for the treatment of Toxoplasmosis in combination with sulfonamide and Vecamyl (mecamylamine HCl tablets) for hypertension are Turing's first commercial products.

About Objective Capital Partners, LLC

Objective Capital Partners (www.objectivecp.com) is a leading M&A investment banking firm whose Principals have collectively engaged in more than 500 successful transactions serving the transaction needs of growth stage and mid-size companies. The executive team has a unique combination of investment banking, private equity, and business ownership experience that enables Objective Capital Partners to provide large enterprise caliber investment banking services to companies with annual revenues up to $500 million. Services include sale transactions, equity and debt capital raises and comprehensive advisory services. The firm uses a proprietary process to work to achieve maximum company valuation, premium pricing, and high client satisfaction rates post-sale. The firm's industry expertise includes: life sciences, business services, software and hardware technology, aerospace/defense, IT services, healthcare services, energy services, biotech, consumer products and specialized manufacturing. Additional information on Objective Capital Partners is available at www.objectivecp.com.

Securities and investment banking services are offered through BA Securities, LLC Member FINRA, SIPC. The Principals of Objective Capital Partners are Registered Representatives of BA Securities. Objective Capital Partners and BA Securities are separate and unaffiliated entities.

Marina Biotech Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability of Marina Biotech to obtain additional funding; (ii) the ability of Marina Biotech to attract and/or maintain manufacturing, research, development and commercialization partners; (iii) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to successfully complete product research and development, including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (iv) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to obtain required governmental approvals; and (v) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to develop and commercialize products prior to, and that can compete favorably with those of, competitors. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in Marina Biotech's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Marina Biotech assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements because of subsequent events.

Turing Pharmaceuticals Safe Harbor

In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of "Safe Harbor" provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the initiation of product development activities, including but not necessarily limited to clinical trials. Forward-looking statements provide Turing Pharmaceuticals' current expectations and forecasts of future events. Turing Pharmaceuticals' performance and financial results could differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements due to general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions affecting the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. Turing Pharmaceuticals undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements.
Omar Mahmood

Former New York City Mayor Bloomberg gave an impassioned graduation speech at the University of Michigan on Saturday, where he railed against colleges that cave to pressure for "safe spaces" because of "microaggressions."

At one point, he turned his attention to graduating senior Omar Mahmood to commend him for not caving to political correctness.

"I know that one of today's graduates, Omar Mahmood, has faced threats and intimidation because he dared to write political satire about being left-handed in the Michigan Daily and he refused to apologize for it," Bloomberg said during the speech.

"Omar, wherever you are out there, I'm glad you stood your ground," he continued.

Ironically, Mahmood and his friends showed up at graduation with oversized sodas in hand to mock the former mayor.

"A couple friends and I were sipping 7-Eleven Big Gulps during the mayor's address in a cheeky protest against his ban on large sodas," Mahmood said.

He had no idea that Bloomberg's speech would praise the senior for a 2014 piece of political satire called "Do the Left Thing," written for The Michigan Review.

The piece centers on Mahmood, who identifies as "deeply culturally Muslim," taking an imaginary fall on the steps of the library and a "cis-gendered hetero upper-class man" offers to help him up. But Mahmood "waved his hand aside and got up of my own accord."

Mahmood wrote:

He shouted after me, "I was just trying to do the right thing!" The right thing... The right thing... I became so aware at that moment of the left hand that I had thrust out before falling, and suddenly my humanity was reduced to my handydnyss.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to reporters after his meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, in this file photo taken February 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Files

Mahmood, who wrote the piece in 20 minutes, says that he was guided by a desire to push back at extreme political correctness.

"I had been frustrated by the culture of stifling debate on campus through the guise of political correctness, of oversensitivity," he said. "I sought to make fun of it in a light-hearted way."

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He still characterizes his words as tame, but many students on campus were outraged.

To start, the door to Mahmood's room was vandalized with hate messages. And Mahmood says that writing the piece also cost him his job at The Michigan Daily, the University of Michigan's student-run paper, where Mahmood also worked, in addition to the The Michigan Review, an independent paper where he published the story. The Daily did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"I've always stood for open dialogue, always questioning our assumptions and thinking critically about everything, and always pursuing the truth no matter how it makes us feel," said Mahmood, who holds conservative and liberal opinions.

Being singled out in front of thousands of classmates may have been intimidating for some students, especially since Mahmood had no forewarning that the former mayor had written him into his speech. But he took the commendation in stride.



"I was very humbled and moved by his words to me," he said. "He spoke about bridging gaps. He spoke about how we need to open doors, not build walls. He called out Trump. He called out Bernie. He called out demagoguery."

NOW WATCH: This college student was kicked off a flight and interrogated by the FBI for speaking Arabic





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STEVENS POINT, WI--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - Skyward, a K-12 school administrative software provider, announces three district partnerships in Minnesota. School District 197 West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan, South St. Paul Public Schools, and Bloomington Public Schools have selected Skyward's School Business Suite.

While the three districts had different motives for pursuing a new business management solution, all arrived at the same conclusion to meet their specific needs. When the time was right to move forward, each district chose to partner with Skyward, an industry leader for more than 35 years.

"We noticed our colleagues in other districts beginning to make the change to Skyward and felt that it was a good time for us to do the same," said Aaron Bushberger, finance director at South St. Paul Public Schools. "With limited school budgets, we felt like the cost of the product was an important consideration. We now expect to see savings that we can reinvest into other areas of the district."

Rod Zivkovich, executive director of finance and support services at Bloomington Public Schools, and Brian Schultz, director of finance at School District 197, explained why they also chose to follow suit with several districts in the state.

"There are so many state and federal changes happening, such as the Affordable Care Act, and we needed to achieve compliance with these processes through technology," Zivkovich said. "In addition to the benefits of cost-savings, we are excited to experience real-time integration across the entire district, from desktop to all mobile devices."

Schultz also looks forward to seeing district dollars go farther, while gaining customization, integration and functionality required. "There is a high value for the price paid," Schultz said. "The flexibility in the configuration of the School Business Suite supports the unique business processes of our district."

Administrators recognize they are partnering with an established firm and business management solution they can count on. "Skyward not only has a strong Minnesota presence, but they have a nationwide presence," Bushberger said. "I feel this allows them to be ahead of the curve and design products that not only work for districts now, but will work for them into the future."

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For more information on Skyward's School Business Suite, visit skyward.com/K-12/School-Business-Suite.

About Skyward

Skyward has been helping school districts and municipalities improve outcomes, reduce costs, and achieve success since 1980. Skyward's SIS and ERP solutions are used by more than 1,900 public sector organizations worldwide, from small entities to statewide implementations supporting millions of stakeholders. Through a unique approach that blends thought leadership, best practices, and advanced technology, Skyward is redefining what it means to be a strategic partner in the world of enterprise solutions. To learn more, visit www.skyward.com.

The following files are available for download:
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 3, 2016) - Nevada Copper Corp. (NCU.TO) ("Nevada Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the City of Yerington ("City") Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the majority of Nevada Copper Lands ("Nevada Copper Lands") at its 100% owned Pumpkin Hollow Copper Development Property (the "Project") be put into a newly created industrial district (M-2 - Special Industrial District) to facilitate solar development. The City Council is scheduled to formally adopt the zoning after two legally-required hearings at its regularly scheduled meetings on May 9 and May 23. The current zoning already allows for all mining activities and, as described below, this would continue under the new M-2 zoning.

Tim Dyhr, the Vice President, Environment and External Relations commented: "Nevada Copper and the City have collaborated for over five years, including the landmark federal land conveyance, to assure that Pumpkin Hollow will be developed. The City continues to demonstrate overwhelming support for both mining and now renewable solar energy development at the Project. This designation has been the result of consultation amongst the City, Nevada Copper and Lyon County, with constructive input and consultation with local residents. We are very pleased with the outcome."

At the time of the conveyance by the City to the Company, the majority of Nevada Copper Lands were zoned M-1 - Industrial. The new M-2 district explicitly allows commercial solar energy conversion systems and energy storage systems and provides further definition to the full range of mining activities, as well as commercial and industrial development.

The Company is currently completing a study with NV Energy, a unit of Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("NV Energy"), to examine solar energy generation at Pumpkin Hollow in conjunction with our proposed copper development project. The study will provide site-specific evaluation of the solar potential on our lands. The study will be completed in early May and at that time the Company will determine the best strategy to develop solar at the Project.

Pumpkin Hollow Project

The Pumpkin Hollow copper development is located entirely on 11,597 acres of private land, close to infrastructure with all required power and water supplies secured. With the Project entirely on private land, all required Nevada permits for construction and mine operations are in hand (no federal permits are required). With many analysts forecasting improving copper markets over the next few years, the Company's Pumpkin Hollow Copper Project represents an attractive, "shovel-ready", fully-permitted copper project located in an ideal mine-friendly location.

NEVADA COPPER CORP.

Giulio T. Bonifacio, President & CEO

We seek safe harbour.
OSLO, May 3 (Reuters) - Norway's $872 billion sovereign wealth fund gave its backing on Tuesday to three shareholder proposals aimed to change corporate governance and climate policies at U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil.

"Norges Bank Investment Management will vote in favour of three shareholder proposals related to climate change policies, requirement for independent chairperson and inclusion of proxy access into the company bylaw," the fund said.

It also threw its weight behind a shareholder proposal that would require oil major Chevron to publish an annual assessment of climate change impact.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Stine Jacobsen)
Global warming has increasingly led to the melting of Arctic ice.

And, as the ice melts, the world's last true backwater will become a hotbed of global geopolitical competition.

The following map from Parag Khanna's book "Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization" demonstrates exactly why the Arctic will become the world's next major frontier.

Largely, the competition in the Arctic will be based off of overlapping territorial claims and the region's high likelihood of having major oil and gas fields:

Arctic map

At stake in the Arctic is an estimated 15% of the world's remaining oil, up to 30% of its natural gas deposits, and about 20% of its liquefied natural gas stored in the Arctic seabed.

Additionally, a global shipping route through the Arctic should the ice clear would be significantly faster than current routes through the Suez Canal.

A potential route, running through the Arctic from Northern Europe to China, would cut shipping time by as much as 22%. This route, should the logistics work out and the correct infrastructure is put in place, would be a major economic boon for both Europe and East Asia.

By 2030, the WSJ notes, the Northern Sea Route will be passable to shipping for nine months a year.

Russia, Denmark, Norway, Canada, and the US all have partial claims to the Arctic Circle with Moscow taking the most definite steps to ensuring that it maintains its influence in the region.

As of December, Russia had finished equipping six new military bases throughout the Arctic in a move to recreate the country's military presence to levels it had during the Cold War.

The six military bases are located throughout Russia and are placed on both the country's northern shore and on outlying Arctic islands.

Story continues

The locations are now fully equipped with the materials and amenities necessary for long-term deployments of soldiers to the region.

Throughout this year, Moscow plans to begin sending hundreds of military servicemen to the Arctic bases.

NOW WATCH: Watch Russian warplanes fly dangerously close by a US Navy ship





More From Business Insider


A woman gives first aid to an injured woman following a bombing, in Bursa, northwestern Turkey, on April 27, 2016 (AFP Photo/Onur Yurtsever) (AFP/File)

Istanbul (AFP) - A radical Kurdish militant group on Sunday claimed a suicide bombing in Turkey's former Ottoman capital of Bursa last week, saying the female assailant had failed to reach her intended target.

The attack on Wednesday evening near Bursa's famed 14th century Grand Mosque wounded thirteen people but caused no fatalities other than the female suicide bomber herself.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) -- a radical splinter group of the better-known Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) -- said in a statement on its website that one of its members had carried out the attack.

It said the bomber was a 23-year-old woman named Eser Cali and said the attack was aimed at avenging the Turkish government's current military operation in the Kurdish-dominated southeast.

But the statement added that the bomber had detonated her charge and been killed "due an accident before she had reached the target that was to be brought to account for the massacres against our people."

It did not give details on the nature of the intended target but denied she was planning to attack the Grand Mosque.

The TAK has already claimed two attacks that killed dozens of people in the capital Ankara in February and March.

Its founders are believed to the have broken away several years ago from the PKK, which has waged an over three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.

Commentators suggested at the time that the bomber had detonated her charge prematurely, sparing Bursa an attack which could have caused considerable loss of life.

The Turkish authorities have yet to say which group was behind the attack, although press reports have suggested a link to the PKK.
DUBAI, May 3 (Reuters) - Qatar's central bank said on Tuesday it sold 1.5 billion riyals ($412 million) of Treasury bills in a monthly auction as yields rose from last month's sale.

The bank sold 500 million riyals of three-month bills at a yield of 1.38 percent, receiving 975 million riyals of bids. At April's auction, three-month bills were sold at 1.31 percent.

It sold 500 million riyals of six-month bills at 1.45 percent, getting 850 million riyals of bids, compared to last month's 1.27 percent. It also sold 500 million riyals of nine-month bills at 1.44 percent, receiving 1 billion riyals of bids, against 1.38 percent.

Earlier this week, the central bank invited banks to bid for 2 billion riyals of T-bills. Between January and March, it cancelled monthly sales of T-bills because of tightening liquidity in the banking system due to low oil prices. Since then, liquidity appears to have improved somewhat.

The May auction roughly coincided with the maturation of 1.5 billion riyals of T-bills, bankers said.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia)
crocodile

South Africa has stunned the markets with a surprisingly good purchasing managers' index reading.

Manufacturing PMI rose to a three-year high of 54.9 in April, according to South Africa's Bureau of Economic Research.

This number was way above the Bloomberg consensus of 50.2 and an improvement from 50.5 in March.

A reading above 50 theoretically indicates an expansion in manufacturing  so this is great news for South Africa's beleaguered economy.

Capital Economics Africa economist John Ashbourne argues, however, that it may not actually be as great of a sign as it appears to be.

"The marked improvement in South Africa's April PMI reading suggests that confidence is returning after the severe pessimism of late 2015. But this is probably not a sign of a real pick-up in economic activity," he wrote in a note to clients.

He continued: "It is worth remembering that the PMI has provided a very poor guide to actual manufacturing output in recent months. The measure collapsed in late 2015, but output only slipped a little. So we would be hesitant about predicting a strong pick up in manufacturing growth. Indeed, the April figure is probably better understood as an adjustment in expectations rather than a sign of significantly improved conditions on the ground."

Moreover, Ashbourne points out that the PMI figure is the only actually positive reading for South Africa. While other measures have improved since the worst levels in 2015, they remain super low by historical standards.

For example, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry's business sentiment indicator rose to 81.2 in March from 80.2 in February  but it's still the fourth-worst reading ever.

Notably, the South Africa rand hit a five-month high last Friday, reaching as high as 14.1152 per dollar, after the country posted a trade surplus for March. The currency has advanced by about 11% this year, partially reversing the 25% loss in 2015.

The rand was weaker by 1.67% at 14.5118 as of 8:46 a.m. ET.

Story continues

usd rand

In short, Ashbourne suggests that South Africa's economy still has a long way to go.

"For our part, we still expect that growth will be very weak this year," he concluded. "We estimate that GDP growth will fall to just 1.3% in 2016, though this is partially due to very weak output in the agricultural sector."

NOW WATCH: FORMER GREEK FINANCE MINISTER: The single largest threat to the global economy





More From Business Insider


Spain's King Felipe VI (pictured) held talks with political party leaders over recent weeks in a last-ditch bid to get them to form a coalition (AFP Photo/Jaime Reina) (AFP/File)

Madrid (AFP) - Spain's King Felipe VI on Tuesday signed a decree dissolving parliament and calling elections for June 26, a parliament spokesman said, in what will be the country's second general election in six months.

The king signed the decree in the presence of parliament speaker Patxi Lopez after a midnight deadline for installing a new government passed following inconclusive December 20 elections.

It is the first time that Spain will repeat elections since the country returned to democracy following the death of long-time dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975.

"It is the first time that this has happened in the democratic era because we were unable to fulfill the mandate citizens gave us", Lopez told reporters.

December's vote put an end to Spain's traditional two-party system as voters fed up with austerity, unemployment and corruption scandals flocked to new groups, resulting in a hung parliament.

Spain has never had a coalition government and parties tried in vain since the polls to cobble together an alliance which had enough support to be able to pass a parliamentary vote of confidence.

Much of the negotiations had centred around left-wing parties after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy -- whose conservative Popular Party (PP) won the December election but lost its majority -- gave up trying to form a government for lack of support.

The Socialists (PSOE) -- who came second in the polls with just 90 parliamentary seats out of 350 -- were tasked by the king to try and bring other parties together in a coalition, but ultimately failed.

Polls suggest fresh elections may not break the political stalemate, with the results likely to be similar to those of December, which left power divided among four main groupings.

Analysts say parties will likely be more willing to compromise after fresh polls as voters will be impatient for a government to be formed.
Lakruwan Wanniarachchi | AFP | Getty Images. Sri Lanka is carrying out a "mop-up" operation after the last administration left the country in a "debt-trap," the country's finance minister said.

Sri Lanka's new government is carrying out a "mop-up" operation after the last administration left the small Asian country in a "debt-trap," the country's finance minister told CNBC Tuesday.

Speaking from Frankfurt at the Asian Development Bank Conference, Ravi Karunanayake told CNBC that the new government's "biggest problem is from the brought-forward, we're taking stock of what's on. We're basically unearthing what's been off-balance sheet items that have today become a contingent liability and bring that into books."



The Sri Lankan government put on hold several Chinese infrastructure projects : "We were questioning one or two items because a clean government needs to tell the people what it was  but all of those projects are back in full operation. It's a win-win go forward."



Sri Lanka received a $1.5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund on Friday, which Krystal Tan, an Asia economist at Capital Economics, said in a note over the weekend, "without an IMF loan, Sri Lanka would have been in a precarious position," noting that foreign exchange reserves only covered around 80 percent of short-term external debt.







"Just because we are able to tell the world, 'this is what we inherited,' this does not mean you can just write it off," said Karunanayake, on the country's huge debt.

Credit rating company Moody's Investors Service, in a report before the IMF deal, stated that general government debt was around 76 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015, up 71.6 percent from five years earlier.



Karunanayake said the government is trying to make the changes "without having an impact on the people, because the people have been impoverished for long enough  that's why they changed the government."



The sharp drop in oil prices also hit the country hard. Remittances from Sri Lankan overseas workers in oil-producing Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries account for around 9 percent of the country's GDP, Moody's noted.









More From CNBC


Washington (AFP) - Will the ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the world's largest trade pact, ever see the light of day?

After leaks from the closed-door negotiations surfaced Monday, a deal between the Americans and the Europeans looks less likely as skepticism over the agreement grows on both sides of the Atlantic.

Engaged in tough trade negotiations since mid-2013, the United States and the European Union tried to downplay the trove of TTIP documents put online by Greenpeace, describing them as "misleading" and deploring "wrong" interpretations of them.

But the fact remains: Despite the efforts of US President Barack Obama, who wants to clinch the trade deal by the end of the year, success is looking increasingly unlikely.

A halt in the TTIP negotiations is "the most probable option," a top French trade official said on Tuesday, blaming Washington for the impasse.

Given France's weight in the EU, "there cannot be an agreement without France, and much less against France," said Matthias Fekl, a junior minister responsible for representing Paris in the talks.

Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations, a US think tank, said the most striking element of the leaked documents was that it showed "the two sides are still so far apart in the negotiations, that there are such big issues that remain unresolved."

With the TTIP, the United States and the 28-nation European Union want to topple regulatory and tariff barriers to trade and investment.

There are plenty of thorny issues to tackle, from market access to opening up the EU services sector and improving European access to US government procurement projects.

- 'A period of tremendous uncertainty' -

Negotiators wrapped up the 13th round of talks in New York on Friday said they had made progress in the talks, as is customary.

But there was a sense of irritation on the European side about the US refusal to open access to its public procurement.

Story continues

"We need to reach a similar level of progress in market access procurement as we have already done in tariffs and services in order to move the negotiations towards the endgame," said Ignacio Garcia Bercero, chief negotiator for the European Commission.

The clock, however, is ticking. An ardent defender of TTIP, Obama will leave the White House in January and his successor, who will be elected in November, could be less inclined to promote free trade -- an issue that has fallen out of favor with a public distraught over jobs lost overseas.

The situation is hardly less politically sensitive in Europe where there are deep suspicions that the deal will erode ecological and health regulations to the advantage of big business.

"If the deal cannot be concluded under the Obama administration, further progress in the talks likely will have to wait after the different European elections in 2017," said Harvard law professor Mark Wu, a former official at the US Trade Representative which is representing Washington in the negotiations.

Next year, general elections will be held in both Germany and France, where debate over the TTIP is intense and could feature in their respective campaigns.

French leaders appear to have already given in to skepticism, after a week in which Prime Minister Manuel Valls and President Francois Hollande toughened their tone and pledged to oppose any accord that lacks guarantees on quality standards for health, the environment and French agriculture, among other issues.

Germany also has ratcheted up pressure, predicting the proposed deal "will fail" if Washington refuses to make concessions in the protracted talks.

And the possibility that Britain could decide to leave the EU in a June 23 referendum is yet another cloud hanging over the talks.

"It's a period of tremendous uncertainty for trade policy in both the US and Europe," said Alden.

- 'Leaks to embolden opponents' -

The Greenpeace leaks, meanwhile, risk ossifying positions further, particularly among the public.

"The leaks will embolden opponents of the deal and make it harder to try to bridge these differences," Wu said.

After the documents emerged, US environmental group Sierra Club came out against the treaty, saying it was "heading in the wrong direction and would put President Obamas trade policy on the wrong side of history."

And Washington activist group Public Citizen said the leaks show "business will gain enormous power to block, slow, undermine and repeal European regulations."

The leaks are not the first hiccup for the TTIP, which in 2014 was hit by revelations that the US National Security Agency was spying in Europe.

But they could end up lowering ambitions for the pact, even though Washington and Brussels have said they opposed any "TTIP light."

"Both sides will see a TTIP light as preferable to a complete failure of the negotiations," Alden said.

Greenpeace charges that a massive US-EU trade deal would place corporate interests above environmental and consumer safety concerns, as it released classified documents from the secret negotiations.
By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The more protectionist trade policy being pushed by U.S. presidential candidates could deal a heavy blow to the global economy, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Monday.

While not naming candidates by name, Guajardo referred to a proposal by Republican front runner Donald Trump to levy a 35 percent tariff on many Mexican goods, which Guajardo said would violate global trade deals and spark "chaos" if enacted.

"[It] will mean that you are willing to depart and break with the world trading system," Guajardo told Reuters in an interview.

"If that is the case then the world is in trouble," added Guajardo, who was in Washington for meetings with U.S. and Canadian trade officials.

The United States is the world's largest economy and its trade partners are concerned by an anti-trade rhetoric that is "more intense" than normally seen in U.S. presidential campaigns, Guajardo said.

Trump and Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton both oppose a major trade deal with the Asia-Pacific region recently negotiated by the Obama administration.

Guajardo said it was unclear whether any of the candidates would follow through on their proposals if elected because trade wars would heavily damage U.S. exporters, including agriculture and auto parts companies which would lobby against a protectionist stance.

"Eventually they would start to speak," he said.

(Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Diane Craft and Sandra Maler)
LONDON (Reuters) - Business Secretary Sajid Javid has postponed a major trade visit to Iran to focus on the future of Britain's steel industry, a spokesman from the business department said on Tuesday, as the government tries to save thousands of steelworkers' jobs.

In March, India's Tata group (TISC.NS) announced plans to sell its entire UK steel operation, leaving the government battling to rescue an industry that has been hurt by cheap Chinese imports, soaring costs and weak demand.

"Given the Business Secretarys focus on the steel industry, he has decided to postpone his trip to Iran," the spokesman said. "He remains committed to exploring the opportunities for trade and investment with this emerging market."

The trip would take place at a later date, the spokesman said.

Javid has faced heavy criticism over his handling of the Tata sale, which was announced while he was on an official visit to Australia, forcing him to rush back to Britain to reassure the company's thousands of employees.

He had planned to travel to Tehran this month on what would have been the biggest British trade delegation to Iran since the lifting of international sanctions in January.

Other European Union countries including Italy, France and Germany have already struck billions of dollars worth of deals and many within Britain's business community complain that the UK has been slower to respond.

(Reporting by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)
All Eyes on US Crude Inventory and OPEC Production on May 3

(Continued from Prior Part)

Saudi Arabias crude oil production

OPECs (Organization of the Petroleum exporting Countries) largest producer and exporter is Saudi Arabia. Its crude oil production increased by 80,000 bpd (barrels per day) to 10.3 MMbpd (million barrels per day) in April 2016 as compared to March 2016, according to Bloomberg sources. Its crude oil production hit the record level of 10.6 MMbpd in June 2015its highest level since the 1980s.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have decided to resume crude oil production at the jointly-operated 300,000 bpd Khafji field. Saudi Arabia will also complete the expansion work in its Shaybah oilfield by June 2016. This will increase the capacity of the oilfield from 0.75 MMbpd to 1 MMbpd.

Crude oil exports

Saudi Arabias domestic crude oil consumption will increase during summer. During this period, crude oil is used to generate electricity, and production is expected to rise by more than 400,000 bpd between winter and summer. Saudi Arabia doesnt want its exports to be impacted due to the rise in domestic consumption, but it plans to increase its crude oil production to maintain its market share.

Crude oil exports from Saudi Arabia during 1Q16 were 3.5% higher than during the same period in 2015. Saudi Arabia exported 61% of its crude oil to Asia in 2015. This figure has risen to 65% in 2016.

Impact on energy producers

The International Monetary Fund expects that Saudi Arabias oil production will average 10.34 MMbpd in 2017, as compared to 10.22 MMbpd in 2016. The expectation of a further rise in crude oil production from Saudi Arabia will negatively affect crude oil prices, which also affect oil producers like Saudi Aramco, National Iranian Oil Company, Bill Barrett (BBG), Halcon Resources (HK), and Bonanza Creek Energy (BCEI).

ETFs and ETNs like the VelocityShares 3X Inverse Crude Oil ETN (DWTI), the First Trust Energy AlphaDEX (FXN), and the United States Brent Oil (BNO) also feel the burn when oil prices rise and fall.

Story continues

Now lets look at Irans crude oil production.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Will They Garnish My Tax Return if I Owe Social Security?

Paying into the Social Security system during your working years entitles you to a check each month from the Social Security Administration once you hit retirement age -- a minimum of age 62 for a reduced benefit. The SSA calculates your benefit based on your primary insurance amount, which averages your highest 35 years of covered earnings. If the SSA overcalculates -- and overpays -- your earnings, you are required to pay the money back. The SSA may garnish your tax return to collect the overpayment if you do not make other arrangements.

Facts The SSA issues a letter advising of the overpayment as soon as it is detected. The letter states the amount of the overpayment and the methods the SSA intends to take to recollect the monies owed. If you do not agree with the overpayment or the terms of repayment, you may appeal the ruling or request a modification of the amount withheld in repayment.

Repayment For Social Security recipients, expect the SSA to withhold your entire benefit check until the repayment is completed. Recipients of Supplement Security Income -- disability benefits -- can expect a 10 percent reduction in the benefit check until it is paid in full. If you no longer receive Social Security income, you must pay the overpayment directly to the SSA as soon as possible. If you are unable to pay the entire balance, you must make payment arrangements.

IRS Offset Program If you fail to respond to the letter, pay the bill or make arrangements, the SSA begins collection efforts against you. The Internal Revenue Service offers a Treasury Offset Program to government agencies to collect past-due debts directly from your tax refund. The IRS offsets the amount you owe by your tax refund. After the debt is paid, the IRS sends the remainder to you. If your refund does not cover the amount owed, your next years refund may also be garnished. The SSA may also garnish income checks to force repayment on an SSA debt. The IRS notifies you in writing if your tax return is offset with the contact information of the receiving agency. You must contact the receiving agency about the offset. The IRS is only an intermediary in the situation and cannot give you details.
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Taipei, May 3 (CNA) The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday that it has asked police and prosecutors to step up their evidence collection, to ensure that telecommunications fraud suspects can be arrested and held upon their arrival in Taiwan following their deportation from other countries.
Lee Chih-kung (), who will take office as the new economics minister in May, told the media recently that President-elect Tsai Ing-wen () had asked him to place the upgrading and transformation of Taiwan's industries at the top of his priority list after taking office. Lee said his second task will be to integrate resources across industries, schools, research institutions and the government.
Unless Pakistan pretends to be fighting Americas enemies.......The United States has told Pakistan it will have to finance the purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets itself after members of the U.S. Congress objected to the use of government funds to pay for them.The U.S. government said in February it had approved the sale to Pakistan of up to eight F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp LMT.N, as well as radar and other equipment in a deal valued at $699 million.However, Republican Senator Bob Corker said he would use his power as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to bar the use of any U.S. funds for the deal to send a message to Pakistan that it needed to do more in the war against militants.U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said congressional opposition meant funds from the U.S. government's Foreign Military Financing allocation could not be used to purchase the aircraft."Given congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose," he told a regular news briefing.
Chinese police to patrol the streets of Rome

Chinese police are joining Italian officers on the streets of Rome and Milan in an experiment aimed at helping tourists from China feel safe, Italys interior ministry has announced.The experiment is the first of its kind in Europe, Chinas ambassador to Italy, Li Ruiyu, said at a meeting to announce the project, according to a statement from the ministry.The four Chinese officers, who were trained by Italians in Beijing, will wear the same uniforms they wear at home so their compatriots can recognise them easily.More than 3 million Chinese tourists come to Italy every year, according to Liao Jinrong, the director general of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau.This service was planned with Chinese tourists in mind, and if it works well we may consider other forms of collaboration, given the presence of the Chinese community in our country, said interior minister Angelino Alfano.The officers will share information with Italian police and help Chinese tourists if they need to contact local authorities and diplomats from Monday until 13 May, the ministry said.Liao, the head of the Chinese International Cooperation Bureau, said the officers assignment was a historic moment, recalling that the route between China and Italy had been mapped out 700 years ago by Venetian merchant traveller Marco Polo.
What Should Go

in the Next Cornerstone?

Thank you to the approximately 300 people who attended the opening of the cornerstone at the library on April 23. The library has received several questions about the next stage, so the library would like to provide a few answers.

First, the contents of the old cornerstone wont be included in the new receptacle since they are too fragile. They are currently on display in the library and all efforts will be made to preserve them. The guestbook, donated by Perfect Touch Binding, that was signed on April 23 will also be protected and used for our November event that will celebrate the opening of the library on November 1, 1916.

The library is still taking suggestions for what to include in the new receptacle. Several people have suggested gadgets like a smart phone or iPad. These items, along with any other technology, will not be included because of the strong possibility that no one will be able to read the contents in 100, 50, or even 20 years from now. Technology changes too fast, and batteries would corrode any other materials in the receptacle.

Library staff is narrowing the list of items that will go into the receptacle as well as trying to find the best kind of receptacle to put them in so they will last over time. If you have any suggestions, call the library at 402-296-4154 x24 or talk to staff when you visit the library. Thanks to Ken Andy Anderson who removed the cornerstone and will be sealing the new cornerstone in place later this month.

If youre interested in having a copy of the videorecording that was made during the opening of the cornerstone or a copy of the original 1915 blueprints on CD, please contact Karen Mier at 402-296-4154 x23. Copies will be made available at cost.

Read to Capone, May 9 and 23

Children can read to Capone, a Shar pei-Rottweiler mix, at the Plattsmouth Public Library on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. The next visit from Capone will be Monday, May 9, from 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Call 402-296-4154 to reserve a 15-minute time period for your child to read to Capone who is registered with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs Inc. in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Parents are encouraged to stay in the room to observe. Children should come to the library a few minutes before their appointment if they want to select a book to read from the librarys collection or you may bring a book from home.

Steampunk for Simpletons, May 12

Wendy Callahan, local author of "Steampunk for Simpletons: a fun primer for folks who aren't sure what steampunk is all about," will answer your questions about steampunk on Thursday, May 12, at 6:30 pm, in the Plattsmouth Public Library auditorium.

New people discover steampunk every day. Often, their first question is "What is steampunk?" Their second question is "What do steampunks do?" Wendy will expand on those questions and include a guided tour through the world of steampunk.

Adjust your goggles and pith helmets, and prepare to learn about the history of this whimsical aesthetic as well as the literature, art, music, costumes, and communities that help it thrive.
Brown Bag

The next Brown Bag Program at Cass County Historical Society in Plattsmouth is noon Tuesday, May 10. The speaker is Stephen Hunt, director of the Mills County, Iowa, Historical Society. He will talk about the remodel of the Mills County museum, its new mission and how it relates to the collection and the county. He will also talk about upcoming events at the Mills County Museum.

The program is free and open to the public. Coffee and cookies will be served.

For more information contact the museum, 402-296-4770.

Parkinsons Outreach

Parkinsons Education & Outreach Group will meet 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 17, at Nebraska Medicine Bellevue, lower level classroom. There is no charge to attend. Patients, family and caregivers are welcome. The program is Estate and Medicaid Planning, and will be presented by Catherine Swiniarski, Elder Law Attorney of Elderlaw of Omaha.

Pancake breakfast

Before you go to your first Murray garage sale Saturday, May 21, stop for breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at Conestoga Elementary School, 014 E. High St., Murray.

The Freedom Festival crew will be serving hot pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sausage, applesauce, orange juice and coffee to get you ready for a day of bargain hunting.

Free-will donations are tax deductible and will be used for expenses for the annual Fourth of July celebration in Murray. The Freedom Festival includes bingo, mud volleyball tournament, concessions, firework display and more.

Murray garage sales start Friday May 20, but the pancake feed is on Saturday, May 21.

Anyone who would like to donate4 clean unwanted to the Murray Freedom Festival garage sale may do so. Donors will receive a receipt for their tax-deductible donations. Mattresses, clothing large lawn equipment, tires and large furniture will not be accepted.

For more information, call John at 402.616.1367 or Pat at 402.235.2926.
Regan L. Hefner, daughter of Ron and Brooke Hefner of Plattsmouth, was crowned the 2016-2017 Miss Plattsmouth during the Plattsmouth Community Centers Eighth Annual Anniversary Party April 30.

Regan is a senior at Bellevue West high School and will graduate May 28 with a 5.39/5.0 weighted scale GPA May 28. She will graduate at the top of her class of 366 students.

Her extracurricular activities include National Honor Society, Kitty Hawk Air Society, Sen. Deb Fischers Leadership Youth Advisory Council member and Experimental Aircraft Society Association (EAA) Young Eagles.

Her school activities include four years in the AFJROTC program, four years on the Varsity Cross Country Team, four years on the Varsity Track Team, chorus, Congressional Award Club and Academic Bowl.

Hefner was sponsored by Plattsmouth Main Street Association. As Miss Plattsmouth she will receive a $500 scholarship from Plattsmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Her duties as Miss Plattsmouth include representing the community in the Cass County Queen Contest, attending local celebrations and crowning the 2017-18 Miss Plattsmouth.

Regans princesses are Paige Blankman and Madison Parshall.

Paige is a senior at Plattsmouth High School and will graduate May 14. In high school, she maintained a 3.979 GPA while involved in many sports, academic and community activities.

Madison is a senior at Plattsmouth High School. She will graduate on May 14 with a 3.48 GPA.

In high school, Madison is a member of the Renaissance Club, Leadership Cadre, Big Pal/Little Pal Mentor Program, Student Council as public relations chair and secretary, class treasurer and a teacher assistant.
LOUISVILLE - Louisville had 39 students attend the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Omaha and had 18 students medal. Louisville has two students that were elected state officers; for her third term, Natalie Bauermiester and for his second term, Ryan Campbell. Both Natalie and Ryan had to give a speech in front of 140 delegates, and had a question and answer session with the delegates. Natalie and Ryan will serve a one-year term. Their duties include going to the SkillsUSA National Conference in Louisville, Ky. as a voting delegate for Nebraska. Along with the other state officers, They will plan and coordinate three conferences throughout the year. Congratulations Natalie and Ryan for all your hard work and leadership.

Louisville has four students who qualified for the national conference in Louisville in June. Ryan Campbell placed first in job skill demo. Ryans job skill demonstration presentation was about sighting in a rifle. Ryan had to prepare his speech as well as bring the rifle bore and sighting rest to demonstrate in front of the judges the proper way to sight the rifle.

The community service team also placed first and qualified for nationals. For their projects this year Natalie Knott, Lauren Downs and Carsen Knott ran several blood drives and created frozen meals to be distributed within the community.

The team collected 214 units of blood, with 15 first time donors, and saved 642 lives with their units of blood collected. Also as part of their community service project the team made over 50 frozen meals that were given out within the community. They prepared meals like enchiladas, macaroni and cheese and potato soup as well as collected frozen meals and food from community members to be given out. Great effort and impact for the Louisville community.

The opening and closing ceremonies team placed second. The team consists of Jeni Leversee, Ellie Geise, Natalie Bauermeister, Claire Habrock, Kitt Wilhelm, Dustin Reckling and Peter Reckling. In this contest students use their speaking and presentation skills to describe the SkillsUSA emblem as it would be during the opening session of a SkillsUSA conference. They are scored on voice, presentation, stage presence and accuracy.

I am very proud of this group and the talents they have, especially with their speaking, SkillsUSA sponsor Jesse Sweep.

Cade Wolcott and Carter Terry placed second in the Web Design Contest. For this contest they were to design and create a SkillsUSA webpage that could be used by our chapter to describe and showcase SkillsUSA at the Louisville, Neb., school. They included videos, links to social media and links to pages informing students and parents about SkillsUSA.

Wolcott also placed second in extemporaneous speaking. His prompt was to talk about how SkillsUSA has benefited himself and his personal experiences in SkillsUSA.

Jeffery Katz placed second in carpentry. In the carpentry contest, Jeffery had to frame a wall with a window, layout and cut rafters as well as frame from a floor structure. Jeffery has competed in carpentry for the last four years, and all of his hard work has paid off. It was fun watching Jeffery work and show what he has learned over the years, Sweep said.
FREMONT  Micah Yost knew he was talking to a room full of leaders. His challenge for them, however, was to become change makers.

The pinnacle of leadership is change. The pinnacle of being a leader is being able to see things change and be better, Yost said Friday at the 2016 Pinnacle Bank Outstanding High School Leaders luncheon at the Wikert Event Center on the Midland University Campus.

Fifty high school juniors were selected to be included in this years class of leaders. A panel of community leaders sort through nominations to make the selections. Those chosen receive a leadership award from Pinnacle Bank and a $1,000 scholarship to Midland.

Yost, vice president of Sightglass Capital Management in Omaha, told the students asking the right questions at the right time is critical.

For leaders, asking questions is one of the most important things that we can do, he said. Its one of the most important ways that we can lead ourselves. Specifically, one of the most powerful questions we can ever ask as a leader is, What needs to change.

The second most-powerful question you can ask is, Who will change it.

Leadership is more than accomplishments, he added.

Its not about what you do; youre here because of your character and who you are.  Its not those actual accomplishments that make you a leader, Yost said. Its your character. Its the person that you are. Its your values that drove you to do those things. Thats what makes you a leader.

And it takes those leadership skills to create change, he said.

To see change, influence is given to those who cast a vision for a better tomorrow, exemplify strong core values, patiently build trust and start by getting their own hands dirty. All of you in this room are leaders, Yost said.  My hope for you as you leave this room is that youll also be seen as change makers; people who make things better.

The 2016 Pinnacle Bank Outstanding High School Leaders from the Cass County area were:

Ashland-Greenwood High School: Elsielynn Burke.

Louisville High School: Natalie Bauermeister, Jamie Winkler.
FREMONT Midland University honored 34 students including Steihl Reeves of Louisville and two campus organizations during its 2016 Student Achievement Awards, held April 26 in the Wikert Event Center lobby.

Awards were presented for student achievement in the performing arts, visual arts, biology, English, education, psychology, sociology, history, human performance, nursing and math and computer science. Additionally, one fraternity and one sorority were honored during the ceremony.
Fifty years ago SENCA came about because of a few proactive local citizens who wanted to help people experiencing poverty. Over the years programs have changed, staff have come and gone, but the agencys focus to help those in need has been constant states Vicky McNealy SENCA Executive Director.

Southeast Nebraska Community Action Council, Inc. (SENCA) was incorporated on May 2, 1966, in Humboldt, as a private, non-profit 501(3) corporation for the purpose of developing and operating any and all community action programs and activities including, but not limited to those authorized or permitted by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The incorporators were Evelyn Cooper, Humboldt and Cecil Davis, Pawnee City.

The corporation was formed under the laws of Nebraska as a non-profit corporation with 28 members serving on the first Board of Directors. In 2013 SENCA changed their legal name to Southeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Inc. to align with national Community Action branding efforts. The SENCA service area includes: Cass, Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee and Richardson Counties. Housing programs are also provided in Sarpy and Douglas Counties. SENCA is one of nine Community Action Agencies in Nebraska and one of more than

1,100 nationwide.

SENCA provides a variety of programs and services focusing in the areas of: Community Economic Development; Family Outreach; and Youth Education. In addition to the Central Office, located at 802 4th Street in Humboldt, SENCA provides seven Outreach locations that serve the six county service area; five Head Start preschool locations and three school collaboration sites that serve the counties of Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee and Richardson; two Transit sites, Falls City and Pawnee City; two Senior Centers, Pawnee City and Tecumseh that provide Congregate Meal programs; and three Meals on Wheels programs in Pawnee City, Tecumseh and Humboldt.

The business, property, policies, programs, and affairs of SENCA are determined and managed by a volunteer Board of Directors representing the six county service area. At least one-third of the board members are chosen by a democratic selection process to represent low-income persons residing within the service area. One-third are appointed to represent public officials and one-third are appointed to represent private interest.

Vicky McNealy began serving as the agency Executive Director on February 1, 2012. Prior SENCA Executive Directors include: Richard Max Winslow 1990 to January 2012; Kay F. Starks 1987 to 1989; Martha Mayer 1981 to1986; William Alden 1977 to1980; Brad Field, Jr. 1968 to 1976. Several interim Executive Directors served over the years. They include: Martha Mayer; William Alden; and Connie Humm.

Being part of Community Action is really about being part of something much bigger than yourself comments Vicky, Its about believing that everyone deserves an opportunity to have a good life and make something of themselves. Some just need a little more help than others. Vicky manages a team of more than 60 dedicated staff who believe in the mission of Investing in our neighbors through education and partnerships to improve lives and build strong communities in southeast Nebraska. Having dedicated more than 26 years to SENCA, serving as Fiscal Officer prior to becoming Executive Director Vicky shares I feel very proud to be able to say that I have been part of SENCAs mission.

To learn more about SENCA please visit www.senca.org or like SENCA at www.Facebook.com/SENCA1.
A 19-year-old Saunders County Jail inmate who attempted to flee from corrections officers and hospital security while being examined at Fremont Health Medical Center in late March was sentenced to serve prison time Monday morning in Dodge County District Court.

Justus B. Peltier, 19, of Beemer pleaded guilty and was found guilty of assaulting an officer, a Class IIIA felony, and assault with bodily fluid against a public safety worker, a Class IA felony.

Additionally, Peltier was sentenced for his role in violating the terms of his probation while enrolled in drug court in September 2015, which resulted in his return to Saunders County Jail.

Peltier was sentenced to serve 20 months in the Lincoln Correctional facility for violating his term of probation, three years for assaulting an officer and one year for assaulting a public safety worker with bodily fluid  saliva. Additionally, the defendant is required to complete 18 months of post-release supervision following his prison sentence.

The defendant was credited with serving 155 days in Saunders County Jail and under the Nebraska Good Time Law, Peltier must serve 10 months for the probation violation, 1 year for the bodily fluid assault and 1.5 years for the assault of an officer.

The sentences will run concurrently, and Peltier could be eligible for release in 1  years.

Peltier was arrested on March 29 when officers were dispatched at 4:36 p.m. to Fremont Health Medical Center after they were informed that a male inmate in restraints escaped custody, exited the front doors and attempted to enter a vehicle parked at a business across the street.

After forcefully entering the vehicle  which was occupied  Peltier attempted to persuade the driver of the vehicle to leave the scene.

The driver didnt comply, and Peltier was apprehended shortly after.

Peltier was arrested and charged with felony third-degree assault of an officer, felony escape, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and assault with bodily fluids.

Brian Styskal, Saunders County Jail director, said that Peltier was violating prison rules and necessary force was taken to handle the situation, resulting in the precautionary visit to Fremont Health.

He was not being compliant with rules, and our staff had to use force to gain compliance, he said. Prior to this situation he wasnt facing that much (jail time), but now he has added four big charges to his resume.

Lt. Kurt Bottorff of the Fremont Police Department said that when Fremont Police officers arrived in the McDonalds parking lot, Peltier was face down and in custody of two corrections officers, and also being monitored by hospital security.

While Judge Geoffrey Hall handed down a concurrent sentence, he noted that it might be against his better judgement. At 19 years old, and already having two felony convictions, Hall said that if Peltiers sentences were run consecutively  back to back  he might think long and hard about breaking the law again.

Should Peltier receive another felony conviction after being released from prison, he would fall under Nebraska state law as a habitual criminal, and would automatically receive 10 years in prison for any felony crime committed.

When asked if Peltier had anything to say, he responded, Im sorry, I cant really say anything besides that.

Hall responded by saying that Peltier should heed the words of the famous Western actor John Wayne.

Life is hard; its harder when youre stupid, Hall said. You should hang that saying up in your cell and look at it every single day.

In other District Court news:

*Tucker M. Milliken, 25, of Fremont pleaded guilty and was found guilty of being in possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, a Class IIA felony. Milliken, who plans on applying to drug court, faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Milliken was arrested March 16 following an investigation conducted by the III CORPS Drug Task Force and the Fremont Police Department. Milliken is scheduled for sentencing at 9 a.m. June 20.

*Rusty Hoffman, 25, of Fremont was sentenced to serve one year in prison for violating two terms of his probation while completing drug court. Hoffman, originally charged with a Class IV drug felony, could have faced up to five years in prison for violating the terms of the agreement, Judge Hall said. Under the Nebraska Good Time Law, Hoffman could be eligible for release in six months.
Archbishop Catholic School is prepared to open a new, Early Childhood Education Center and Pre-Kindergarten Program in August of this year.

Since late 2015, an Early Childhood Committee consisting of staff, parents and community members has worked toward opening an Early Childhood Education Center and Pre-Kindergarten Program that will provide an academic environment for children who are at least 3 years of age and potty trained, released information says.

The center will be located in the St Patricks Community Center on the corner of Fourth and Union Streets at the downtown Bergan Campus.

The new center will provide an academic environment for children in a preschool format in which children will explore social development, fine motor development and receive an introduction to an academic environment.

Childhood care will be available from 6 a.m through 6 p.m. for families convenience, and children attending Bergan elementary will be able to take advantage of the program by participating in before- and after-school care, as well.

Children attending the elementary will have the opportunity to be transported via bus to Bergan Elementary before school, and transported back to the early childhood education center after school.

Along with these new opportunities, released information says that Bergan will offer a pre-kindergarten at the elementary that will operate using a more rigorous, Ready, Set, Go academic curriculum, industrial technology, fine/gross motor development and Kinder music.

Archbishop Bergan Catholic School is excited to continue to look for more opportunities to minister to all of our children, regardless of age, Principal Dan Koenig said. An academic educational environment should begin before kindergarten in order to provide a child a successful entry into elementary school.

For more information, people are encouraged to contact Koenig at 402-721-9683, or via email at dan.koenig@bergankights.org.
Elray Buckendahl, 85, of Overland Park, Kan., passed away on April 26, 2016, at Aberdeen Village Retirement Community after a long battle with Alzheimers.

Elray George Elmer Buckendahl, son of Chris and Linda (Schulz) Buckendahl, was born

Nov. 27, 1930, in Pierce. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Pierce. He attended Pierce Lutheran School and Pierce High School.

Elray entered the Army on July 16, 1952, serving until he was honorably discharged on July 2, 1954.

On Dec. 28, 1958, Elray married his wife of 57 years, Imogene Nancy Klug-Buckendahl, in Pierce and

shortly relocated to Hinsdale, Ill. They returned to Norfolk in 1968 and later lived in Hooper for 25 years. In 2004, they moved to Overland Park to be with family.

Elray was an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hooper and facilitated many congregational events via AAL and his love for those he served. He served as a City Council member in Hooper for 12 years and was a very active member of his community. Elray retired from Aid Associations from Lutherans (Thrivent Financial) after 22 years of dedicated service.

Elray is survived by his spouse, Imogene of Overland Park; children, Kendal (Meredith) Buckendahl of Mt. Pleasant , S.C., Kraig (Holly) Buckendahl of Western Springs, Ill., and Eric F. Marsh of Elkhorn; grandchildren, Maile Buckendahl, Braydon Buckendahl, Zoe Buckendahl, Ava Buckendahl, Lauren Marsh, Stephanie Marsh and Brittany Marsh; along with other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Philbon and Wilber; and his sister, DeVyla Rasmusson.

A Celebration of Life Service will be 10 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk. Inurnment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Norfolk. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Military rites will be conducted by the United States Army Honors Guard, American Legion Post 16 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1644.

In lieu of flowers, remembrance may be made to the Alzheimers Association Heart of America Chapter, 3846 W. 75th St., Prairie Village, KS 66208. You may also donate online at www.alz.org.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.stonacekfuneralchapel.com.
Lt. Al Crook and his men were making their way through a dense jungle in Vietnam when they were ambushed.

Under heavy machine gun fire, Crook ordered his men to fall back. About eight moved with him to set up a line of defense. Within minutes, men were being killed by gunfire.

Crook was hit in the leg and had a heavily bleeding wound. He put a compression bandage on it knowing one of two things would happen:

Either the bleeding would stop after a while or  if the femoral artery had been hit  hed bleed to death in 10 to 15 minutes.

More than 50 years after that ambush near the Michelin Rubber Plantation, Crook and his wife, Lois, sat in the kitchen of their Fremont home. He paged through a photograph album with snapshots of him as a young soldier. Nearby, caps with the label Veteran hung on a coat rack. Some of his medals could be seen in a shadow box.

Like many Vietnam veterans, Crook didnt talk about the unpopular war for years. He never thought he could handle seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

But on June 6, he will be on the first Nebraska Vietnam Combat Veterans Flight by Patriotic Productions to see memorial monuments and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. He looks forward to seeing the wall and meeting other veterans, who served their country so many miles away from home.

Crook, who grew up on a farm near Rising City, was about 10 years old when he decided to serve his country.

I saw the Korean War veterans returning and I felt theyd helped civilians in other countries to stay free and thats what I wanted to do, he said.

Crook was in the ROTC program and commissioned as a second lieutenant when he graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He and Lois had married in 1964. In September 1965, he was headed to Vietnam. At that time, troops were transported by ship. There were nine lieutenants in a 12- by 12-foot room on the ship. The men took bets on who would get seasick first.

I lost, Crook said.

Crook weighed about 145 pounds when he and other soldiers, each carrying about 90 pounds of gear, entered Vietnam via a naval landing craft and walked onto a beach. They boarded army trucks which convoyed to the rubber plantation, where they set up a permanent base camp. There were approximately 1,500 men.

Each unit was responsible for a sector of the perimeter that surrounded the plantation. They put up concertina wire, dug trenches and foxholes and constructed bunkers. From there, they went on missions, many lasting five to 10 days.

Crook was the third platoon leader of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, U.S. Army.

His platoon had 43 men at the start. That was before the ambush and major battle on Dec. 5, 1965.

It happened in the early afternoon.

Thats when about 350 men of three infantry companies would face approximately 1,200 enemy soldiers.

Crooks platoon was the point unit (the leading platoon).

The enemy opened fire with multiple heavy machine gun fire. It was evident that wed been ambushed, he said.

Crook gave the fall back order and men around him moved back about 20 yards to a slight depression in the terrain.

In those first moments of setting up our small perimeter, three to four of those men were killed by gunfire, he said.

Crook had a radio telephone operator next to him so he could communicate with his company commander.

In another 10 minutes, my RTO was shot, said Crook, who pulled open the mans shirt and saw massive bleeding. He died several minutes later in my arms.

More death followed.

In the next 30 minutes, all nine men of my three machine gun teams were killed by heavy machine gun fire, he said. During this time, the enemy was releasing trip wires, hooked to grenades, in the trees above us.

We did luck out in one sense that only about half of (the grenades) exploded around us.

The men were pinned down and as Crook crawled around the area, directing fire, he was shot in the thigh. The bullet went through the inner side of his leg.

It actually rolled me head over heels, he said.

Crook ripped open his pant leg and saw heavy bleeding. After putting on the compression bandage, he wrapped it with tie-down tape, knowing he might bleed to death.

The platoon medic was hit in the next half hour. The man wasnt killed, but could no longer treat the wounded.

In another hour or so, Crook was hit again  this time with shrapnel in his right upper back and shoulder area.

As the battle continued, enemy soldiers yelled at the top of their lungs. Their leaders gave commands with a series of whistles. Thick smoke filled the air. Concussions from the exploding grenades were almost unbearable. In the heat, the smell of decomposing flesh produced a stench unlike anything Crook had ever known.

The slightest movement from American soldiers was met with accurate gunfire.

Just as we were close to being overrun, I was asked to throw smoke to mark the area so the Air Force could strafe it with napalm, Crook recalled.

Crook said hed throw a smoke grenade as best he could. Minutes after Crook threw the only red smoke grenade he had, the Air Force dropped the napalm.

It was mighty hot, but we were glad they showed up, he said. It was a deciding factor in the battle. By nightfall, the enemy finally broke off their engagement after six hours of pure hell.

Replacements arrived to gather the wounded, who were taken back to their base camp. Approximately 15 of Crooks men had been killed and another 15, including him, were wounded and evacuated. Crook, the last to be treated, went to a naval hospital in Saigon and recuperated for 10 days before being sent back to his unit.

Other firefights followed, producing casualties so that only seven of the original 43 survived and four of those were wounded twice.

Crook would spend 10 more months in Vietnam, chasing Charlie (the enemy), getting shot at, losing more men, before finally heading home in late September 66.

He would be awarded four Bronze stars.

I would gladly give all those back and everything I own to have those young men alive today, he said. War is hell. Too bad it is wasted on the young.
President Obama is pursuing two different strategies in two halves of Syria. One is working; the other is not.

Hes making progress in eastern Syria, where the United States is leading an expanding military campaign against Islamic State.

American airstrikes and efforts on the ground have taken a visible toll on the terrorist group. Its territory has shrunk, its finances are a mess, its recruitment numbers are down. U.S. Special Forces are training Syrian rebels with the aim of capturing Islamic States capital of Raqqah _ maybe even before Obama leaves office.

Last week, after years of resisting intervention in Syrias civil war, Obama announced that hes sending an additional 250 U.S. troops to eastern Syria, on top of 50 who arrived last year.

His rationale: These troops are part of the campaign against Islamic State, a direct threat to the United States, not the civil war against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Officially, those 300 U.S. troops arent on a combat mission; theyre coordinating local forces, collecting intelligence and finding targets for airstrikes. But they include special operations teams capable of killing or capturing Islamic State leaders  and some have already done so.

In western Syria, the more populous half of the country, its a different story.

Since 2011, the president has been saying that Assad must cede power to a transition government including the rebels who are fighting to overthrow him. Relying on diplomacy rather than force, Secretary of State John F. Kerry has worked doggedly to cajole the warring factions into a cease-fire and open peace negotiations.

For a while, it looked as if Kerry had succeeded. In February, Assad agreed to a cessation of hostilities, and for almost two months many Syrians enjoyed a respite from war.

But each time peace talks got underway in Geneva, Assads forces launched attacks on civilian areas prompting opposition delegates to walk out in protest, as Assad knew they would. Some rebel units violated the truce as well, but on a smaller scale. Naturally, each side blamed the other for the breakdowns.

Kerry expected Russia, Assads most important ally, to help enforce the cease-fires and keep the negotiations on track. That didnt happen; instead, Russia continued its airstrikes in Syria  in some cases, attacking rebel units trained and equipped by the CIA.

Last week, Assads air force bombed rebel positions and civilian targets including two hospitals in Syrias largest city, Aleppo. His army is surrounding the city, the last major urban area held partly by rebel forces. If Assad takes Aleppo, the war in western Syria will largely be over, and the government will have won. (A partial cease-fire was announced Friday, but it covers only two small areas, and doesnt include Aleppo.)

So whats Plan B? Officially, there isnt one.

Obama has rejected every alternative hes been presented.

The problem with any Plan B that does not involve a political settlement is that it means more fighting, potentially for years, he said last month.

Thats true. But its also a straw man; the whole point of a Plan B would be to increase pressure on Assad to agree to a political settlement.

Heres one version of that kind of Plan B, long discussed by U.S. and Arab officials: Supply Syrian rebels with anti-aircraft missiles, so they can defend themselves against airstrikes.

That raises the danger that a portable anti-aircraft missile could fall into the hands of a terrorist group. So intelligence agencies have discussed installing devices that would disable the missiles if they were taken out of a designated area.

And there are other options between passivity and a ground invasion: more weapons, increased training and intelligence-sharing, a safe zone for refugees.

Syrias two wars are very different from each other. A strategy that makes sense in one half of the country may not in the other.

Its time for Obama to pick a Plan B - whether he likes it or not.Still, its worth noticing that in eastern Syria, Obama has found a way to put U.S. troops on the ground without stepping onto the slippery slope he has always feared.

He has made it clear that there wont be a U.S. invasion or occupation  even though the enemy, Islamic State, is considered a direct threat.

In western Syria, Obama has long claimed he has only two choices: either minimal involvement or a full-scale ground invasion. His experience in eastern Syria, where his light footprint strategy is showing results, refutes that argument.

Diplomacy without force isnt helping Obama achieve his goal of a political settlement; that dream is slipping away even as Syrian civilians are being massacred. Its time for Obama to choose a Plan B  whether he likes it or not.
The brutal murder of a kidnapped teenager has apparently united Afghans in condemning the shocking crime and demanding the perpetrators meet justice.

Abdul Ghaffar Masoom says his only son, Abaseen Zazai, 14, was kidnapped three months ago while returning from a private lesson near his house in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

They began asking me for $100,000 in ransom money and soon sent me his chopped fingers to pressure me, Masoom said. I collected $90,000 from relatives and my tribe but they had murdered Abaseen before we could agree on how to deliver the money to them.

Masooms plea for justice has been heard at the highest level in the Afghan government. President Ashraf Ghani called Masoom last week soon after Zazais mutilated corpse was found in a rural district close to Kabul.

The president told me, I am your advocate, and I will not sit idle until I bring the perpetrators to justice,  Masoom said.

Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, speaker of the lower house of Afghan Parliament, was unusually vocal.

The government should arrest the perpetrators of this crime and punish them according to the law so such crimes are not repeated in the future, he told lawmakers.

Nazar Muhammad Mutmaeen, a Kabul-based former Taliban official who often attempts to explain insurgent positions, called on both the government and the rebels to help Zazais family in getting justice.

If he was kidnapped from a government-controlled region, the government is responsible for finding and arresting the perpetrators, he wrote in a piece published by the pro-Taliban Asia Today website. And if he was kidnapped and killed in the regions controlled by the Taliban then they are responsible for finding the murderers and should hand them over to the victims family for public execution.

As the news of Zazais murder spread last week, it prompted protests in Kabul and other cities across the country.

On April 29, Afghanistans main intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, claimed it arrested a group of kidnappers connected to the murder. Officials now say they are investigating close to a dozen suspects.

Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also promised justice while chairing the weekly meeting of the countrys Council of Ministers on May 2.

We have arrested the culprits, and they are being dealt with according to the law. God willing, justice will be served, he said.

Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Ajmal Aand also contributed reporting.
Every berry lover should have a box of meringue cookies on standby. Snow white, fat-free and light as air, meringues will dress up your favorite berries in this easy dessert, with no need to turn on an oven.

Packaged meringue cookies will keep indefinitely in the cupboard and are the perfect secret ingredient for fresh desserts and easy spring and summer entertaining.

Strawberry Meringue Parfaits with Balsamic Syrup

Meringue cookies will dissolve and soften as they sit. But you can use shortbread or any kind of cookie that will stay crisp if you want to make the parfaits ahead.

Servings: 8

  cup balsamic vinegar

 4 tablespoons sugar, divided

 24 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced -inch thick

 1 cup heavy cream

 8 ounces mascarpone cheese

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 4 ounces meringue cookies, crumbled (about 12)

1. Combine vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil about 8 minutes, or until thick. Let cool. Combine with berries.

2. Beat heavy cream, mascarpone, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

3. Layer strawberries, cream mixture and crumbled meringues in glasses. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Lynda Balslev.
CEDAR RAPIDS -- When Iowa Democrats meet Saturday to begin a post-mortem on their historically close  and crowded  2016 precinct caucuses, among the first people they will hear from will be Republicans.

Dave Nagle, a former Eastern Iowa congressman and party chairman who will lead the review panel, wants to hear from current and former GOP state chairmen Jeff Kaufmann and Bill Schickel, respectively.

Ive asked them to come and talk to us about what they learned from their 2012 review and how they applied it to 2016, Nagle said Monday.

Theres a lot that both parties have to do  find facilities and precinct chairs, bring tech to bear and so on, he said. The difference is in how we count. Thats just one aspect.

He expects a formal invitation to go out to the GOP officials Tuesday.

The Democratic review comes after precinct caucuses that saw many participants waiting in lines at caucus sites too small to accommodate the nearly 171,000 Democratic caucusgoers.

The turnout and the outcome  Hillary Clinton edged Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by a quarter of a percent -- caused some Sanders supporters to question the results and led to calls for change.

So Nagle wants to hear from the GOP which conducted its own internal review after the 2012 caucuses that ended in confusion when Mitt Romney was named the winner by eight votes on a caucus night that drew what was then a record turnout of 122,000 Republicans. Two weeks later when the results were certified, Rick Santorum was declared the winner by 34 votes.

Nagle recalled that when Republicans did their review, there was communication between the staffs of both parties, in part, because of the shared priority of maintaining Iowas first-in-the-nation caucuses.

In that spirit, Nagle wants the two parties to march this forward together.

We need to look at this from the standpoint that this is a state institution like the State Fair, he said. We need to work together whenever possible to preserve this through our combined efforts.
A new poll says Iowa voters see Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, less favorably than they did two years ago.

The survey, commissioned by the Constitutional Responsibility Project and the League of Conservation Voters, said 42 percent of Iowans see the Republican senator favorably, a drop of 18 points from two years ago. Thirty percent now see Grassley in a unfavorable light, the poll said.

The two groups have been critical of Grassley and other Republicans for failing to move forward with the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, told reporters the Republican-controlled Congress has failed to act on a number of fronts, including the Garland nomination.

The poll was conducted by Hart Research Associates from April 22-24 and sampled the opinions of 501 Iowans.

Geoff Garin, president of Hart Research, said the Garland matter has affected Iowans' views toward Grassley. He noted a Hart Research poll two years ago said 60 percent of Iowans saw the senator favorably while 19 percent saw him in an unfavorable light.

"Those ratings have fallen precipitously," Garin said.

Grassley's camp has dismissed the idea that Supreme Court controversy has diminished the longtime senator's popularity as he faces a re-election try this year.

His campaign pointed last week to a Morning Consult poll that said 55 percent of Iowans say they have a favorable impression, while 29 percent had an unfavorable opinion.

In an email, Beth Levine, a Grassley spokeswoman responded: "Selective leaks from a partisan group with a partisan agenda makes you wonder about what else they learned. The White House and its paid political activists are trying to manufacture interest where its clearly not a defining issue. And, frankly, if polling actually made a difference to this White House, then Obamacare would be repealed by now."
CLEAR LAKE  The Clear Lake City Council declined Monday to comment on Prestage Farms proposed slaughterhouse in Mason City in spite of several calls for it to do so.

Eight people who spoke during public comment time at Mondays meeting asked the council to take a stand against the $240 million project, citing potential negative impacts on water quality and tourism from hog confinements they fear will be built because of the plant.

In response, Mayor Nelson Crabb said he would stand by his comments from the April 4 meeting rather than addressing the issue again.

At the April 4 meeting, Crabb said council members had opposed large-scale animal confinements in the lakes watershed in the past, would monitor the Prestage project and may take a position in the future.

Since that time this council nor any other entity, the largest being the school district or the Chamber, has not made a request of any of us to make a statement with regard to this, Crabb said Monday.

No other council members or city staff addressed the topic. It was not on the agenda.

The Mason City Council is expected to cast its final vote Tuesday on the development deal with North Carolina-based Prestage Farms, which plans to build a 650,000-square-foot slaughterhouse in Mason City.
MASON CITY  A Mason City mans 17-year-old daughter, who was reported missing April 23, has been found in Tennessee.

Dominique Nicole Nikki Lloyd, who lives in Kalona, was found with Micheal Brad Knuth, 24, who took her from Kalona to Florida before going to Tennessee, according to Lloyds father, Jesse Carpenter of Mason City.

Carpenter said he is relieved his daughter has been found, noting as far as he knows she was not injured.

Its just been very stressful, he said.

It also has been hard on Lloyds two younger sisters a 5-year-old and 7-month-old  who live with him.

He noted the baby could sense that Daddy is really upset.

Lloyd has a 2-year-old daughter who is staying with Carpenters father.

Carpenter told the Globe Gazette Tuesday morning that he was hoping Lloyd would be brought back to Iowa that day.

Lloyd was at a birthday party for her niece in Kalona before she and Knuth just disappeared, Carpenter said.

Knuth pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse in 2014 in Washington County for an incident involving a victim between the ages of 14 to 17. He received a deferred judgment and probation, and was ordered to spend a year in a residential correctional facility.

Knuth was wanted for failure to comply with the Sex Offender Registry, according to the Amber Alert issued by the Iowa Department of Public Safety April 28 after Lloyd was spotted in Georgia.

An Amber Alert is issued if law enforcement believes a child age 17 or younger has been abducted and is in danger of serious bodily harm or death.

Carpenter said he hopes Knuth will face federal charges, noting he took Lloyd across state lines.
MASON CITY  A woman who was employed at a former Mason City massage business was given probation for prostitution Monday.

Suling Lu, 49, formerly of Mason City and now of Iowa City, was given a deferred judgment and ordered to pay a $625 civil penalty during her sentencing hearing in Cerro Gordo County District Court.

She was arrested by the Mason City Police Department Feb. 24 during an investigation of her place of employment, Asian Body Work, 546 E. State St.

The Cerro Gordo County Attorneys Office agreed to recommend a deferred judgment for Lu, according to the written guilty plea filed in March.

Police say they investigated Asian Body Work after receiving complaints about people being able to pay for sex acts at the business. Asian Body Work is now closed.

Associate Judge Karen Kaufman Salic said prostitution is a serious offense but Lu deserves a deferred judgment, citing her lack of a prior criminal record.

Prostitution is an aggravated misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison.

 Mary Pieper
DES MOINES  A former Franklin County sheriffs deputy killed this year while working for the Des Moines Police Department will be honored Friday.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will add the name of the former deputy, Carlos Puente-Morales, and three other officers to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial at the Oran Pape State Office Building at the State Capital.

Puente-Morales was killed in a car crash on March 26 while working for his new employer, the Des Moines Police Department.

He and fellow Des Moines Police Officer Susan Louise Farrell were hit by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 80 near Waukee while transporting a prisoner to Des Moines.

Farrell, the wrong-way driver and the woman in the officers squad car also died.

Puente-Morales worked full-time for the Franklin County Sheriffs Office from March 2008 to August 2011. He was based in Dows.

He also was a member of the Iowa National Guards 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantrys Charlie Co.

In addition to Puente-Morales and Farrell, the names of Ames Police Sgt. Howard Snider and Iowa Parole Board Field Agent Albert Paul also will be added to the memorial.

Snider drowned after suffering a pulmonary embolism while on vacation with family on June 17, 2012. Officials ruled the embolism was the result of an on-duty injury several days before.

Paul was killed in a car crash when his vehicle blew a tire near Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Feb. 5, 1938. He and another parole agent were transporting a paroled fugitive from California to Iowa.

The ceremony starts at 10 a.m.
MASON CITY  The City Council will vote Tuesday night on a development agreement with Prestage Foods of Iowa on its plan to build a pork processing plant in southwest Mason City.

The proposed $240 million, 650,000-square-foot facility would be on 43rd Street Southwest between Golden Grain Energy and the Avenue of the Saints.

If approved, construction is expected to begin in August. The plant is projected to have nearly 1,000 employees when it opens in 2018, with another 700 workers hired in the following two years.

The council has heard more than 12 hours of comments from the public at the last two council meetings, the majority of them against building the plant.

Citizens will get another chance to address the council at Tuesday nights meeting at 7 p.m. in the Mason City Room of the public library.

Opponents have written letters, held rallies and flooded social media with their concerns about what effect they think the plant will have on the environment, property values and their quality of life.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) has planned a press conference at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the library.
MASON CITY | Due to high attendance estimates for tonight's Mason City Council meeting at the public library, police are asking attendees to review the following information.

 Doors will open for the meeting at 6:30 p.m. No signs or bags/backpacks of any kind will be allowed inside the Mason City Room. Those interested in attending may begin to line up at 6 p.m. starting at the west door and following the front of the library building.

 A staging area has been established for large groups who plan to attend the meeting. In order to facilitate the smooth flow of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, large groups are asked to use this staging area as marked on the photo. This will help police insure the safety of everyone in the area and to not disrupt normal operations for library staff or patrons.

 Once the occupant load of the Mason City Room has been reached, as determined by fire code, attendees will be directed to the commons area at the library. The meeting will be televised there and attendees will still have the opportunity to speak at the public forum.

 Signs, flags or other printed materials may not be attached to city property or placed in the ground at the library. Attendees should plan to carry or hold these items in lieu of attaching them to city property.

 Officers will be on-site to help manage traffic and to answer questions. Attendees are asked to follow their directions and to be patient.
MASON CITY  Ackhasenh Cavan was the victim of the fatal fire at a Mason City house early Sunday.

Cavan, 24, the occupant of the house at 957 15th Place N.E., died as the result of a cooking fire, according to a press release from Jamey Medlin, fire marshal with the Mason City Fire Department.

The fire was accidental, Medlin stated.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at 4:48 a.m. When they arrived, Cavan was outside of the house and medical aid was being provided prior to his being transported to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, according to the Fire Department.

Light smoke was showing from front door when firefighters arrived. Fire damage was contained to the kitchen and living room, with smoke damage throughout the house.

The cause of the fire was unattended cooking on the stove, according to the Fire Department.

Firefighters remained on scene until 6:56 a.m.
MASON CITY  Tuesday was a day for the changing of the guard in the River City Sculptures on Parade program.

Sculptures that have been on display for the past year have been rotated out and are on their way to new locations while new sculptures are being installed in Mason City.

Workers from the citys Operations and Maintenance Department as well as volunteers from North Iowa Power Lifting & Fitness helped install the new sculptures.

River City Sculptures on Parade Inc. is a non-profit group headed by Chamber executive Robin Anderson in partnership with SculptureOne, which assists similar sculpture programs in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Mankato, Minnesota; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and Castlegar, British Columbia.

The program brings sculptures to Mason City on loan for display in the downtown area. They are also available for purchase. Several residents have purchased sculptures and have donated them to the city during previous years of the program.

The artworks are displayed in such a way downtown as to accommodate residents and visitors who want to take a sculpture walk to view all the works.
MASON CITY | North Iowa Area Community College is offering several new summer camps for teen this year.

In the Health Careers Camp, offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 19-20, students will learn how to perform essential job duties related to careers in nursing, physical therapy and other related fields. This camp is open to students entering grades 9-12.

The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) camp from June 29-July 1 is open to students entering grades 8-10.

STEM campers will stay in the new Campus View Student Housing at NIACC and work closely with faculty and college students to get a feel for the college experience.

STEM Campers will attend a career panel to learn more about careers in STEM disciplines. They also will travel off campus to visit the Lime Creek Nature Center and learn about environmental issues in Iowa.

To register for these camps, visit www.niacc.edu/about/summer-camps. For more details call Curtis Vais at 641-422-4246.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo.  One of the biggest challenges for a community adjusting to an influx of immigrants is the potential strain on social services, according to officials in St. Joseph, Missouri.

In 2006, Triumph Foods, a pork-processing plant, opened in St. Joe with about 2,700 employees, many of them immigrants. The Triumph plant has been held out as an example of what a proposed Prestage Foods hog-processing plant in Mason City might be like.

Mason Citys proposed plant isnt projected to have as many employees as the Triumph plant, but it is likely to attract a larger immigrant population to the city than it has now.

The City Council votes on approval of a development agreement with Prestage Tuesday night.

In St. Joseph, many immigrants depend on social services for housing, for help in understanding the world around them until they learn English, and for dealing with a new culture.

They have to make adjustments  but the community needs to make some adjustments too, said David Howery, executive director of Interserv, a faith-based non-profit organization.

Interserv oversees, coordinates and creates partnerships with United Way, local food pantries and a number of other social agencies in St. Joseph.

There has to be a cultural proficiency, Howery said, an understanding of things that shape all of us. The community that gets this  that can try to understand each others culture as opposed to thinking us and them  will move forward.

Disdain for the poor

He said it is a difficult plateau for a community.

In the climate we live in, there is disdain for the poor  a feeling of Im only going to help people who are worthy. Our challenge is, how do we educate the community?

The answer is that it starts with the faith community. Thats who should start the dialogue, Howery said.

He said every community has demographics that can change or disappear and then reappear generations later.

St. Joseph has a long history in meat processing dating back to the stockyards 100 years ago. One of the demographics then was immigrants, he said. One of the demographics today is immigrants once again.

Interserv has a specific program designed to help immigrants with problems they may encounter.

Donna Salcido, who heads the program, said there are language barriers, cultural barriers and legal barriers that can cause confusion and misunderstandings.

She works with immigrants and stresses the importance of being to work on time, of doing the work assigned to them so they can earn a paycheck, and that theyll lose their job if they dont follow the rules.

She said she works with them to make sure they are up to date on paperwork and permits that allow them to be in the U.S. so they wont be deported.

They need to know that in this country, you need to stay on top of things. There are consequences, said Salcido. Were a lot cheaper than a lawyer.

Housing needs

Affordable housing is another important component for immigrants, said Howery. It can be a boon for real estate sales and rental properties.

But a community with an immigrant population must be prepared to be bombarded with people seeking government assistance in housing, said Sharon Hope, executive director of the St. Joseph Housing Authority.

From where I sit, your townspeople should be concerned, she said. The immigrants  they come here, they work for a while, they quit, then they need housing assistance.

She said Triumph buses immigrants in from Kansas City to compensate for the heavy turnover at the plant.

They know all the free programs. They think it is OK to have 10 to 15 people in a two-bedroom apartment. It is a part of their culture, said Hope.

The biggest challenge for her office is communication, she said.

They come in to apply for assistance, and they cant speak English. There are no interpreters here and it costs $75 an hour to have one come in, Hope said. So we tell the immigrants to bring a friend with them when they come. But it is so hard to explain things.

Hope said a lot of immigrants live in trailer parks in the south end of St. Joseph.

They dont care what they live in. They feel safe. They are in a place where they have no fear of someone coming into their home and killing them or taking their baby, she said.
Beth Bilyeu of Forest City Economic Development now has more than a cornfield to offer prospective business and industrial clients.

Forest City has a 68-acre rail industrial park certified as project-ready by the state. It didnt come easy or quickly, and the community is to be commended for achieving the status. Ditto for Mason City, which has achieved project-ready status on 145 acres kitty-corner to the proposed Prestage site in southwest Mason City. Both projects took considerable work and diligent preparation.

Forest City has been working more than two years with the Iowa Economic Development Authority to receive Iowa Certified Site Program status. It is a comprehensive program that involves such aspects as soil sampling, utility access, endangered species evaluations and other necessities. Because all of those things have been completed, an industry can begin construction without having to check all of them itself, saving considerable time and money.

For an industry looking for a new site, one that has the work completed is more attractive than one that doesnt, said Bilyeu. Thus, she has much more to offer than a cornfield, which she said was the case early in her career. Certification also means the state will help with marketing.

John Roisen, co-chairman of Forest City Economic Development, said the fact that the site is the most northerly site in Iowa and is close to Interstates 35 and 90 along with rail service will make this an attractive site for businesses wishing to locate in Iowa.

In announcing the project certification, Gov. Terry Branstad commended leaders in the community from where I graduated high school for taking a proactive approach to attracting job-creation projects.

In Mason City, Chad Schreck, president and CEO of the North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corp., applauded the work of his staff, especially Shaun Arneson, who handled the vast majority of the project. Work actually started before Schreck was hired in late 2014.

Schreck noted there already have been several leads on the property.

Its been a real positive deal for us, he said.

And that means it, like the project in Forest City, will be positive for all of North Iowa. We commend those involved in making them happen.
I didn't grow up a pig farmer but I married one. I didn't spend my entire childhood growing up on a farm, I was born and raised in Mason City until I was 5. I then moved to the farm with my mom and step-father. It was there, on a small farm in Floyd county where I learned my love for agriculture, and raising animals. Who knew a city girl from Mason City could turn into cow-loving farm girl? I never thought I would marry a pig farmer, but I did.

Little did I know, marrying a pig farmer would turn out to be one of the best adventures of my life. As a pig farmer's wife, I get to not only support my husband but help make decisions on the farm.

I consider myself lucky because my husband's family owns a farrow-to-finish operation and we get to see and cuddle baby pigs whenever we want, aside from our finishing operation. I wouldn't pick any other environment to raise our 3year-old daughter in; where we are on call 24/7 taking care of our pigs and feeding the world from sunup to sundown.

There is a side of pig farming that most are not familiar with. It's the business side. Believe it or not, we plan out when and where to sell our pigs before they are even born. Adding a new facility close to our farm to sell pigs will create good price competition. Good price competition equals more money in our pockets that we use to grow and prosper as farmers. This means more money into the pockets of local business owners. Prestage Farms brings these opportunities to North Iowa.

Alicia Schmitt, Nora Springs, owner of www.theporkdiaries.com
Lithuanian English

SC Klaipedos nafta (Company code 110648893, registered address Buriu str. 19, Klaipeda, hereinafter  Company), has prepared Corporate Social Responsibility report (hereinafter - Report).

This Report provides the information on the social responsibility activities, performed by Klaipedos Nafta AB in 2015, as well as environment protection activities and relations with the employees and the society. The Report describes the strategic directions, activities and achievements in the area of social responsibility within the Company for the year 2015.
Primary endpoint of safety and tolerability met

Anti-viral effect demonstrated and encouraging initial indication of therapeutic effect

Results support advancing the programme into a Phase II efficacy study in infants

Potential general proof-of-principle for the administration of Nanobodies by inhalation

Conference call and webcast today at 4pm CET/10am EST

GHENT, Belgium, May 3, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX; OTC: ABYLY] today announced positive top line results from the first-in-infant Phase I/IIa study of its wholly-owned, inhaled, anti-RSV Nanobody, ALX-0171, in 53 infants, aged 1-24 months, hospitalised as a result of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating the favourable safety and tolerability profile of ALX-0171 when administered daily by inhalation in the target infant population, with no treatment-related serious adverse events reported.

ALX-0171 was detected in the serum of subjects after treatment, consistent with lung exposure. Anti-drug antibodies had no effect on the pharmacokinetics and no relation with adverse events was seen. Treatment with inhaled ALX-0171 had an immediate impact on viral replication and also reduced viral load, as compared to placebo. Analysis of a composite of clinical efficacy endpoints, the Global Severity Score[1], led to an encouraging initial indication of a therapeutic effect for infants treated with ALX-0171.

Dr Robert K. Zeldin, CMO of Ablynx, commented: "We believe we are pioneers in the development of a treatment for infants infected with RSV, an area of significant unmet medical need. We are very pleased that the positive safety and tolerability profile of our inhaled Nanobody observed in adults has now been confirmed in this vulnerable target population. In addition, we demonstrated ALX-0171's marked anti-viral effect in RSV-infected infants and saw encouraging initial signs of clinical efficacy. We believe these results strongly support advancement into a Phase II efficacy study in infants."

Dr Steve Cunningham, Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK, and Principle Investigator of the study, added: "RSV infection is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract disease leading to hospital admission in infants. It is often associated with continued coughing or wheezing after the acute phase of the infection and evidence is accumulating that it increases the risk of asthma later in life. There is no effective therapy available at present and the positive outcome from Ablynx's first-in-infant study is therefore an important step forward in the development of an effective therapeutic for this serious infection."

Webcast and presentation

Ablynx will host a conference call/webcast today at 4 pm CET, 10 am EST. The webcast may be accessed by clicking here. To participate in the Q&A, please dial +32 (0)2 402 3092, using confirmation code 6340391. Shortly thereafter, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website: http://www.ablynx.com/news/events-presentations/.

About the first-in-infant Phase I/IIa study

The first-in-infant Phase I/IIa study recruited 53 hospitalised RSV-infected infants, aged 1-24 months, in multiple clinical centres in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The study consisted of an open-label lead-in phase with 5 infants, aged 5-24 months who received ALX-0171 and a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase with 48 infants, aged 1-24 months, who were randomised to ALX-0171 or placebo.

The primary endpoint of the study was the assessment of safety and tolerability for once daily inhalation of ALX-0171 for three consecutive days. Secondary endpoints included assessments of clinical effect (including effect on feeding, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, wheezing, coughing and general appearance), immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of inhaled ALX-0171.

Serum samples were collected for PK analysis on the last day of treatment (day 3) post-dose. Anti-viral activity (viral load and time to undetectable virus) was measured in nasal swabs (plaque assay and qRT-PCR[2]), prior to dosing and then 6 hours post-dose on each day of treatment. An analysis of the clinical effect used the Global Severity Score, a clinical score that categorises infants with respiratory infections based on 7 parameters: feeding intolerance, medical intervention, respiratory difficulty, respiratory frequency, apnoea, general condition and fever. The data collected in the study were matched to corresponding parameters in the Global Severity Score to assess the time course of disease severity in the treated group versus placebo.

About RSV and ALX-0171

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections and the leading viral cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children worldwide. It is the primary cause of infant hospitalisation and virus associated deaths in infants, with estimated global annual infection and hospitalisation rates of 34 million and 3-4 million respectively[3]. It is associated with an estimated 3,000-8,500 deaths in infants <2 years globally per year[4]. In addition, RSV infections have been linked to an increased risk of asthma development later in life[5]. Current treatment of RSV infections is primarily focussed on symptomatic relief, hence the need for an effective and specific anti-RSV therapeutic.

Ablynx's ALX-0171 has been developed to address this unmet medical need and is a potential breakthrough for the treatment of RSV infection in infants. This wholly-owned trivalent Nanobody binds to the F-protein of RSV, thereby inhibiting viral replication and neutralising RSV activity by blocking virus uptake into cells. The physical robustness of the Nanobody allows administration via inhalation directly to the site of infection, i.e. the respiratory tract including the lungs. ALX-0171 has shown a potent anti-viral effect against a broad range of RSV strains in vitro and it has demonstrated a marked therapeutic effect following administration via nebulisation in a neonatal animal model for infant RSV infection[6]. Repeated daily inhalation of ALX-0171 was proven to be well-tolerated in multiple Phase I clinical studies in adults, including a study in subjects with hyper-reactive airways.

About Ablynx

Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of Nanobodies, proprietary therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, which combine the advantages of conventional antibody drugs with some of the features of small-molecule drugs. Ablynx is dedicated to creating new medicines which will make a real difference to society. Today, the Company has more than 40 proprietary and partnered programmes in development in various therapeutic areas including inflammation, haematology, immuno-oncology, oncology and respiratory disease. The Company has collaborations with multiple pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eddingpharm, Genzyme, Merck & Co., Inc., Merck KGaA, Novartis, Novo Nordisk and Taisho Pharmaceuticals. The Company is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.ablynx.com.

For more information, please contact

Ablynx:

Dr Edwin Moses

CEO

t: +32 (0)9 262 00 07

m: +32 (0)473 39 50 68

e: edwin.moses@ablynx.com

Marieke Vermeersch

Associate Director Investor Relations

t: +32 (0)9 262 00 82

m: +32 (0)479 49 06 03

e: marieke.vermeersch@ablynx.com

Follow us on Twitter @AblynxABLX

Ablynx media relations

FTI Consulting:

Julia Phillips, Brett Pollard, Mo Noonan, Matthew Moss

t: +44 20 3727 1000

e: ablynx@fticonsulting.com

[1] Poster presentation, Justicia et al: "Development and validation of a new clinical scale for infants suffering from acute respiratory infection"

[2] Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, a method to detect RNA expression

[3] Nair et al, Lancet 2010

[4] Byington et al, Pediatric 2014

[5] Sigurs et al, Thorax 2010; Backman et al, Acta Pediatr 2014

[6] Oral presentation at the 9th International RSV Symposium (November 2014); presentation available on the Ablynx website

pdf format of the press release http://hugin.info/137912/R/2009070/743390.pdf

HUG#2009070
New York, May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Canada nano-enabled packaging for food and beverages market in its latest report titled, Nano-enabled Packaging for Food and Beverages Market: Canada Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2015 - 2022. The Canada nano-enabled packaging for food and beverages market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period owing to various growth factors, regarding which PMR offers vital insights in detail in this report.

On the basis of application, the market has been segmented into bakery products, prepared foods, meat products, beverages, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and others. In terms of market share, prepared food segment dominated the Canada nano-enabled packaging for food and beverages market in 2014, with over 20% share. However, the segment is expected to witness a decline of over 140 BPS by the end of 2022.

To Get a First Look at the Report: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10631

On the basis of technology, the nano-enabled packaging for food and beverages market in Canada has been segmented into controlled, active, and intelligent packaging. Of these, controlled packaging segment contributed the highest revenue to the Canada nano-enabled packaging market for food and beverages market in 2014.

The growth of the nano-enabled packaging for food and beverages market in Canada is mainly driven by rising demand for anti-counterfeit products, prevention of contamination, and increasing application of nano-enabled packaging. However, lack of information on the impact of nano-materials on food and beverage products, high cost associated with nano-packaging, and increasing complexity with developing customized nano-enabled packaging products are restraining the growth of the market to a certain extent.

To View the Report Research Methodology and Descriptions: http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/canada-nanoenabled-packaging-food-beverages-market.asp

Some major players identified in the Canada nano-enabled packaging market for food and beverages market are 3M Company, Amcor Limited, BASF SE, Crown Holdings Incorporated, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company  DuPont, Honeywell International, Inc., Bemis Company, Inc., Sealed Air Corp., Multisorb Technologies, Inc., and AMCOL International Corporation  Nanocor Inc. Major nano-enabled packaging manufacturers in the market are currently focusing on strengthening their partnerships with processed food manufacturers to develop enhanced products catering to various food and beverage applications.

To Buy This Report (Single User License): http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/10631

About Us:

Persistence Market Research (PMR) is an innovative provider of market research reports and consulting services. The three PMR pillars of strength that have helped us win clients for years are: Quality Research, Quick Research, and In-depth Research.
VALENCIA, Calif., May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Envoy Group Corp (OTC:ENVV) is extremely pleased to announce their first shipment of Louis XIV Energy drinks to the Caribbean.



We are excited to be launching our first shipment of 60,000 cans to this active market. We expect the first container to arrive in June 2016.

The Caribbean is home to incredible beaches, climate, hospitable people and a variety of land and ocean recreational activities, it is no wonder the area ranks as one of the top vacation spots on the planet.

Envoy is actively moving into the $50 Billion dollar Energy drink market with the exclusive distribution rights for incredible family of Louis XIV Energy Drinks. Previously only available in Europe, the Louis XIV Energy Drinks are crafted to produce an ideal balance of high energy and incredible taste.

Envoy plans to develop deep inroads into the vibrant nightlife, sport, restaurant and hotel industry of the Caribbean.

Harp Sangha, CEO of Envoy adds We see the Caribbean as a key sector for the food and beverage industry with the transformative development of their resident middle class and the thriving tourism market that sees over 25 million visitors annually.

For further information please visit our website at: www.envoygroupcorp.com

Investor Relations: Stuart Smith

www.smallcapvoice.com

info@smallcapvoice.com

1-512-267-2430

Harp Sangha Chairman/CEO

Tel: 1-604-825-1309  Email: hsangha@envoygroupcorp.com

Safe Harbor Statements

Certain information contained in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as expects or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, estimates, intends or believes, or that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the Companys ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Companys filings with the SEC. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the ability to locate and acquire suitable interests in alternative medicine manufacturing operations on terms acceptable to the Company, the availability of financing on acceptable terms, accidents, labor disputes, acts of God and other risks of the alternative medicine industry including, without limitation, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or permits, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements included in this news release are reasonable; however, no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Danish English

Release no. 15/2016



With reference to release no. 14/2016 of 28 April 2016, changes in Columbus A/S Articles of Association as a consequence of the decision made by the Annual General meeting to amend the authorizations in Art. 5.1 and 5.4, have today been registered in the Danish Business Authority.

At the same time the new Articles of Association for the company are hereby published.

Ib Kune Thomas Honore

Chairman CEO & President

Columbus A/S Columbus A/S

For further information, please contact:

CEO Thomas Honore, T: +45 70 20 50 00.

Translation: In the event of any inconsistency between this document and the Danish language version, the Danish language version shall be the governing version.
GREELEY, Colo., May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JBS USA will hold its first quarter 2016 earnings conference call on Friday, May 13, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern (7:00 a.m. Mountain). The call will be open to investors in the Companys bonds and term loan, as well as lenders to the Companys revolving credit facility and prospective investors, securities analysts and market makers. More information about the call will be posted to the Companys website at www.jbssa.com. On the website, please go to the Investors page and select the JBS USA bond investors link. Financial statements and related data for the first quarter 2016 will be made available to investors on the Companys website prior to the call.

JBS USA is a leading processor of beef and pork in the United States, the number one processor of beef in Australia in terms of daily slaughtering capacity, and the number two U.S. processor of chicken through its subsidiary, Pilgrims Pride Corporation. The Company processes, prepares, packages and delivers fresh, processed and value-added beef, pork, chicken, and lamb products for sale to customers in the United States and international markets. In addition to the U.S. and Australia, the Company has processing facilities in Canada (beef) and Mexico (chicken). The Company is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A., the worlds largest animal protein producer.




LOWELL, Mass., May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Podium Data, Inc. (www.podiumdata.com), provider of the industrys first enterprise data lake management platform, has been selected as a finalist in the 13th Annual MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Innovation Showcase.

Podium Datas data lake management platform is a practical, proven solution that enables enterprises to radically simplify the way they manage, prepare and deliver ever-growing quantities of data to business users.

Big data and Hadoop specifically has made the leap from promising technology to practical, enterprise-ready tool that can deliver measurable ROI, said Paul Barth, CEO and co-founder of Podium Data. We are very pleased to be nominated by the MIT Symposium along with other great companies that are delivering real value right now to organizations around the world.

We are thrilled to invite these top 10 companies to our 2016 Innovation Showcase, said Anton Teodorescu, Co-Chair of the Innovation Showcase. Their technologies are leading edge, and will be vital to empowering the future digital economy.

For a full list of Innovation Showcase finalists visit http://www.mitcio.com/innovation

The Innovation Showcase will take place at 5:30PM in the Kresge courtyard tent on Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at MIT, in Cambridge, MA. The full agenda of the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is available at www.mitcio.com/agenda.

About the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is the premier global conference for CIOs and digital business executives to become more effective leaders. In one day, CIOs and senior IT executives explore enterprise technology innovations, business practices and receive actionable information that enables them to meet the challenges of today and the future. The Symposium offers a unique learning environment by bringing together the academic thought leadership of MIT with the in-the-trenches experience of leading, global CIOs and industry experts. The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is organized and developed by the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association, the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE), and the MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research (CISR). Visit www.mitcio.com for more information and registration.

About Podium Data

Podium Data is redefining enterprise data management with its practical, high performance data lake management platform, Podium. Podiums integrated software platform leverages proven big data technologies and provides secure, self-service access to business-ready data, which dramatically improves an organizations ability to manage, act, and innovate. Headquartered in Lowell, Massachusetts, Podiums seasoned team of entrepreneurs has deep expertise in analytics, big data and enterprise data management. A growing list of Fortune 500 companies use Podium to accelerate delivery of data to business users through a variety of enterprise scale data lake, extraction/transformation, and load migrations; and analytic projects. Visit www.podiumdata.com to learn about how Podium accelerates access to fundamental data and drives the analytics and insights required for dramatic impact or follow us on Twitter at @PodiumData.
SAN RAMON, Calif., May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMF Media Group (AMF), an award-winning full-service marketing agency, announced today it welcomed Oshi Jauco as its new Group Account Director. In her role, Oshi will lead the account services team, develop client strategy and ensure the agency delivers high-quality results on-time and on-budget.



As the agency continues to grow, its critical that we continue to recruit talented leaders who bring experience in leading national campaigns, said Vintage Foster, president of AMF Media Group. As an Addy and Summit award winner, Oshi is a proven marketing leader who delivers superior service and results to clients. We are thrilled to have her join AMF.

Oshi brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning and executing marketing campaigns in a variety of industries. She has worked with such clients as Cost Plus World Market, where her direct mail campaign resulted in a six percent ROI and an Addy award. She has led campaigns for Signature Properties and KB Home, where she was tasked with campaign rollouts for each new development. Oshi also worked with the Transamerica Pyramid Center, where she led a redesign of the buildings website and visitors center.

I am excited to join AMF Media Group, where I have the opportunity to work with top talent; be it in graphic design, event production or public relations, said Jauco. I wanted to join an elite team at a full-spectrum marketing and communications agency and now I have it here at AMF.

Oshi has an extensive nonprofit portfolio that includes the launch of an anti-violence campaign at the White House with Children Now. She also served as director of program services for Girls Inc. of Santa Barbara and assistant director of National Funding on Violence Prevention.

Outside of the office, Oshi volunteers with Oakland-based Civicorps and Girls Inc. of Alameda County, where she helps high school and college students with mentorship, resume building, and interview skills. She also fundraises for the Wa Sung Community Service Club, a community organization serving several causes in Alameda County.

About AMF Media Group

AMF Media Group is a full-service agency that delivers a comprehensive and clear approach on brand strategy and marketing, public relations, crisis communications, internal communications, multimedia production, web design and development, and event planning and management. Clients include: Alameda Health System, Blue Shield of California, Jamba Juice, Kern Medical, The Monterey Museum of Art and Kaiser Permanente.
Last Friday night, Staten Island-born chef Albert Di Meglio opened Barano on Williamsburg's Southside, inside a decade-old condo on Broadway near Kent Avenue. It's the chef's first solo venture after stints in the kitchens of Le Cirque, Osteria Del Circo and, most recently, Rubirosa, sibling of SI's famed Joe & Pat's Pizzeria. Lured by the promise of fresh-pulled mozzarella and wood-fired pizzas, I gathered a group of Staten Island friends to join me for an opening night meal at Di Meglio's new restaurant.

"This isn't the kind of stuff people eat on Staten Island," one of them laughed at the meal's completion.

That's not to say there aren't spots to get freshly made Italian foods in Shaolin, but I knew what he meant. In a borough that favors its Italian-American heritage, a dish of Octopus al Piastra ($17), enthusiastically flavored with pickled radish and mint pesto, would be something of an anomaly. Same with a Spit-Roasted Lamb Leg ($26), with Northern African influences like golden raisins and roasted carrots and the Italian staple pine nuts. Those dishes were the highlights of our meal and a delicious flex of Di Meglio's culinary muscles.

A photo posted by @nellcasey on Apr 30, 2016 at 6:00am PDT

For this venture, Di Meglio's focusing on southern Italian flavors and ingredients, like Neapolitan-esque pizzas, whose crusts a server told us were a mixture of durham and semolina flours with a wild yeast. They're highly flavorful, even when competing with salty pancetta on the Bosciaola ($18), which also comes topped with mushrooms, mozzarella and pecorino. In a uniqueand, honestly, somewhat impracticaltwist, diners are given fancy shears to cut their own slices, a difficult task on the metal grates each pie is perched atop.

Di Megliowho still lives on Staten Island with his familyalso embraces his red sauce roots, offering Meatballs ($14) and an Eggplant Parmigiana ($12), where the nightshade vegetable is roasted (instead of fried) and topped with tomato, mozzarella, basil and parm. "Growing up on Staten Island, life was about food. In my family, you're happy you eat, you're sad you eat, you're angry you eat," Di Meglio explains. "My grandmother was always cooking something. We didn't do anything without food. Sundays was always a banquet in my house, 25 people coming over eating artichokes, eating meatballs."

Another menu item, Bucatini with Rabbit alla Ischitana ($17), also speaks to the chef's childhood. "Every year I would get a pet rabbit, and every year right before Easter it would run away. Every Easter we would eat this awesome 'chicken' dish," he recalls. "Little did I know... this annual 'tradition' inspired the Rabbit all Ischitana we have on the menu at Barano."

26 Broadway in South Williamsburg, 347-987-4500; baranobk.com

Barano Menu 4.28.16.pdf
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Despite protests from local residents and politicians, the Associated Supermarket on West 14th Street and 8th Avenue has closed, facing a massive monthly rent increase. The supermarket had operated in Chelsea since 1989, staying put even as waves of gentrification brought both a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's to the areabut its lease was up this month, and the market's landlord, Pan Am Equities, tripled the rent, which was originally $32,000.

Joe Falzone, one of the owners of the supermarket, said that the landlord was not at all receptive to the community's concernsPan Am refused to budge, let alone talk to politicians, community members, or reporters.

"It wasn't feasible for us to stay," Falzone said. "The store would have never made it paying that kind of rent."

The West 14th Street location employed between 35 and 50 people, depending on the time of year, Falzone said. Some of them were able to get jobs at other supermarkets through Associated's connections, but others are now out of work.

"I am deeply disappointed that Pan Am Equities chose profit over people and forced a neighborhood institution that has served our community for decades to close its doors," said Councilmember Corey Johnson, who had been spearheading the effort to save the supermarket. "Despite numerous attempts by a broad coalition of stakeholders to engage in a dialogue with Pan Am about this issue, the landlord failed to respond in any way."

Johnson also said that he had heard Pan Am received an offer from another supermarket to lease the space, but rebuffed that offer. Pan Am did not respond to our request for comment.

When word of the rent hike got out in March, area residents protested, saying that the supermarket was one of few remaining places where they could purchase affordable food. At a March 13th demonstration outside the market, Johnson urged the Manocherian family, who own Pan Am Equities and controls at least 85 buildings in Manhattan, to "do the right thing and renegotiate the lease with Associated Market," arguing that "no one should be forced to travel long distances to buy food, especially seniors on fixed incomes."

Politicians and residents staged a second protest the next week, this time outside the offices of of Pan Am Equities at 18 East 50th Street. Some locals in attendance said that if the market closed, they wouldn't have any affordable options within walking distance.

Supporters of the supermarket circulated a petition, asking Pan Am to renegotiate the lease "in good faith." It garnered 864 signatures, and that, coupled with the community outcry, seemed hopefulparticularly considering that in February, Washington Heights residents took similar action when their Associated Supermarket was threatened by an eviction, and managed to save the market. But this time, there was no such luck, and the West 14th Street store shuttered on Sunday.

State Senator Brad Hoylman told us that "the closing of the Associated Supermarket on West 14th Street is a significant blow to affordability in Chelsea. Plus, it's insulting to our community that the landlord never tried to try to hammer out a new lease, in spite the fact that supermarket was a good tenant and hundreds of neighbors demanded this."

According to EV Grieve, in its closing, the market encouraged people to go to the East 14th street location, which has the same owners. But the fate of that market isn't clear, either: its lease is up in two years, and though its new owners at Blackstone have said they're committed to keeping an affordable supermarket in the space, there's no guarantee it'll be Associated. Falzone said that they're still in negotiations, and made a proposal several weeks ago but haven't yet heard back.

As more and more mom and pop shops have shuttered in the face of insurmountable rent hikes, some local politicians have pushed for legislation that would require mandatory lease mediation and a one-year lease extension for small businesses. And last year, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer released a report with a number of policy ideas to help small businesses, such as tax reductions and zoning changes that would make more retail space available.

"A neighborhood is more than buildings and apartmentslivability means access to essentials like transportation, open space, and affordable groceries," Brewer said today. "Manhattan's overheated rental market is threatening New Yorkers' access to supermarkets, and every idea needs to be on the table to reverse the trend."
Police are looking for three people in connection with a Brooklyn hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian and left two others injured on Sunday. Police say at least two people were riding in a stolen Toyota 4Runner when its driver crashed into a sedan in Canarsie that afternoon, then veered into two pedestrians and a wall. They fled the scene on foot, according to police.

The crash claimed the life of Chooi Tan, 51, and injured a man who reports identified as her husband, 57. The two were standing on the corner of East 94th Street and Avenue K when the driver hit them, four blocks from their home on Avenue M. The 20-year-old driver of the sedan was hospitalized along with Tan's husband.

The Toyota SUV was reported stolen on Friday in the police precinct covering Flatbush and East Flatbush, police said. Initially, the NYPD and witnesses said that there was just one passenger in the stolen vehicle.

That car was stolen out of the 67th Precinct on Friday night," NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce told reporters yesterday. "The keys were left in the ignition, someone had ducked inside a grocery store there in or around Avenue D and the car was taken at that point."

The suspects are described as 15 to 20 years old and slim. One was last seen wearing a dark jacket with an American flag pattern on the shoulders, a dark hoodie, blue-and-white track pants, and dark sneakers. Another was wearing a dark hoodie, a blue T-shirt, brown pants, and black sneakers, and carrying a dark jacket. The third was wearing a dark hoodie, a red shirt, black sweatpants, and black sneakers.

Police ask people with information about the crash or suspects to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 577-8477, or for Spanish, (888)-577-4782. People can also submit tips online here or by texting them to 274637 and entering "TIP577."
[UPDATE BELOW] The Flatiron District church that was gutted by fire on Sunday was one of three Orthodox churches that burned on Orthodox Easter. A church in Sydney, Australia burned, as well as another in Melbourne, Australia, at the 115-year-old Holy Church of Annunciation of Our Lady. The causes of all three fires are currently under investigation, and here in New York, the FDNY says the fire that devastated the 161-year-old St. Sava church on West 25th Street does not appear to be suspicious, so farthough the NYPD arson and explosion squad has joined the investigation.

Officials say they see no connection between the three Orthodox Easter church fires, but some members of the Serbian community nevertheless fear that the fires may have been deliberately set as part of a dispute over Pope Francis's recent decision to postpone the canonization of Croatian Aloysius Cardinal Stepinac.

"Too many churches have burned to call it an accident," Dr. Dusan T. Batakovic, a former Serbian ambassador, tells the NY Post. "It is very strange that it happened, that the fires all took place on Easter, the greatest Christian Orthodox holiday. Some kind of terrorist action can not be excluded."

Barry Lituchy, executive director of Brooklyn-based human-rights nonprofit the Jasenovac Research Institute, told the Post that Orthodox community members have "bombarded" him with worried phone calls. "This is a terrible tragedy, and the thought that this is an attack has not escaped us, Lituchy said. "This deeply affects everyone in the Serbian community.

The fire, which one witness described as "apocalyptic," started Sunday evening after church services, and quickly engulfed the roof and most of the wood inside the structure. It took over 175 firefighters to contain the blaze, and on Monday smaller pockets of flames were still being extinguished.

Massive 3 alarm Fire burning in a church on 24 West 25 St in Manhattan A photo posted by KolHaolam (@kolhaolam) on May 1, 2016 at 4:16pm PDT

Djokan Majstorovic, who has served as the churchs priest for over 17 years, told the Wall Street Journal he hopes to rebuild the church. "It really is a historical church of the city, Father Majstorovic said. People come here a lot of times, especially when something unfortunate happens with the family. They come here to light the candle or say a prayer."

Luxury real estate developer Madison Equities had been in negotiations to buy a church-owned adjacent lot, plus air rights, but that deal ended in litigious rancor over a $13.5 million broker's fee, which Madison argued was "exorbitant." Yesterday, an associate of the church told us developers were still interested in the church's air rights.

Reached by phone this morning, a representative of the church said "it is too early" to discuss the fire and declined to comment further.

Update 3:50 p.m.: An FDNY spokesman tells us that investigators believe the fire was likely cased by candles that were not properly extinguished. Investigators are currently exploring the possibility that one of the caretakers of the church may have put a box of candles under a table, and that one of the candles had not been snuffed out. The investigation is ongoing, but at this time it appears to be accidental.
Remember the insanely cute kittens who were found abandoned in a suitcase left in a Williamsburg parking lot? The ASPCA now has a pawesome update: Three of the kittens have been adopted, and one of the adopters is the police officer who helped rescue them!

Last month, a concerned woman called the police about a suitcase with kittens at 373 Wythe Avenue, under the Williamsburg Bridge. Officers Nicole Piridis and Roman Goris of 90th Precinct responded, and Pirdis later told the Daily News that right after finding the kittens, she took them to the woman who had called 911. But one male kitten kept approaching Officer Piridis. "I picked him up, and he fell asleep," she recalled. "We locked eyes ... Im like, Im taking him. Hes mine.'" She adopted the kitten, changing his name from Dmitry to Apollo, on Saturday.

Pirdis's friend adopted a kitten named Inessa (who is now renamed Persephone) and a kitten named Ilyo also found a furever home on Sunday. The two remaining surviving kittens, Oxsana and Albina, are still being treated and are not available for adoption yet.

"This is an incredible outcome for these vulnerable kittens who were callously discarded and left to die," said Howard Lawrence, Vice President, Humane Law Enforcement, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Group. "Through the quick response of the officers in the 90th Precinct and dedication of our staff at the ASPCA, three animals now have loving, safe homes. Cruel acts like this simply will not be tolerated in New York City. We encourage anyone with information about this case to please contact the NYPD."

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS or going online to submit a tip to Crime Stoppers websiteapparently someone threw the suitcase into the parking lot. NYPD Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips. The ASPCA adds that it "encourages the New York City public to be vigilant when it comes to reporting suspected animal abuse and to contact 311 to report animal cruelty or neglect, or 911 if they see a crime in progress."
"We can have a cocktail bar and not have it be uptight," muses Michael Lombardozzi of his newly opened tiki spot Dromedary Bar on Bushwick's Irving Avenue. "Not that I'm saying all cocktail bars are uptight." Whether or not you agree with him, there's no mistaking the Hawaiian-shirt clad bar staffwho turn out festive drinks inside mugs shaped like marlins' headsfor their mustachioed, vest-wearing kin.

Lombardozzi's a 20-year industry vet who did a decade at One If By Land, Two If By Sea before a one-night training stint at Maison Premiere inspired him to open his own place. He's been working on the Bushwick space since July, transforming a once gaudy yet dim catering hallthere were mirrors along the walls but no windowsinto the casually Hawaiian-inspired bar it is today. The self-taught mixologist created a collection of tiki-esque drinks, plus collaborated on a menu of pan-Asian eats with chef Brian Baskoff, who worked at St. Anselm in Williamsburg and consulted on the menu for Empire Biscuit.

In creating the bar program, Lombardozzi renounced the frozen sugar drinks commonly associated with appropriated tiki spots, instead wanting to see if there was a way to recreate them with more finesse. Ice is an important element in attaining the look he wants, as the crushed variety he uses "works like glass to show the colors inside." That's particularly evident in the Mt. Kilauea Colada ($11), which is supposed to depict a volcanic mountain rising out of the sea.



Salmon Poke Tacos (Scott Heins/Gothamist)

Visits to Hawaii got Lombardozzi thinking about how to incorporate the islands' beloved Spam, which is presented here as Spam Musubi Arancini ($6). The Korean Drumsticks (three for $8, five for $12)double-fried chicken legs in an oyster sauce-base with Korean chili flakeshave been an early hit and also show up in the Pupu Platter ($22/$42) with Caribbean Ribs, Ginger Grapefruit Prawns and Mushroom and Brussels Sprouts Wontons. There's also Hawaiian Mac Salad ($3/$6), naturally.

This Friday, to celebrate the opening, the bar's got a tattoo artist coming in around 6 p.m. to ink out free tattoos. Then there'll be regular burlesque and other live events, plus a Monday night "Dinner & A Movie" series that'll include drink and sandwich pairings. Brunch begins this weekend with a "Big Breakfast" of fried egg, sausage, spam, rice and mac salad.

266 Irving Avenue, Bushwick, (347) 715-4255; website

Dromedary Food Menu
Former politician Sarah Palin does not believe in climate change, just as she does not believe in same sex marriage, taxes, and English sentence structure. She has made this abundantly clear through a number of garbled speeches, claiming, among other things, that the Alaskan polar bear population has doubled (no), that there's no proof man has contributed to climate change (lol) and that capping carbon will kill the economy (newp), and now she's making an anti-climate change documentary. Sarah Palin is incorrect about pretty much everything, and last night Jimmy Kimmel took her to task, pointing out that there's a difference between *FACTS* and the literal nonsense that finds its way out of Palin's mouth hole.

Scientists nearly unanimously agree that the climate is rapidly, lethally changing, and though we get a bunch of naysayers making noise every time a snowflake falls, the planet has been consistently warming for years. Whether or not you believe the bees are disappearing because we're killing them with our overseas factories and pesticides or because they feel bad about My Girl, it's harder to make an argument stronger than Kimmel's: "You know how you know when climate change is real? When the hottest year on record is the year it is."

Anyway, Palin might be the living embodiment of Horse_ebooks, but people are dumb enough to listen to the nonsensical words she strings together (and to ignore the very smart people who've been studying this shit for a lifetime) and she's dangerous. It's all well and good when late night hosts eviscerate her, but it would also be nice if world leaders took the necessary action to stop all our oceans from turning into seafood stew. You motherfuckers better not fuck this up.
If you don't want to like a political candidate, do not -- I repeat, do not -- watch him interact with the common folk in a televised town hall like the one CNN conducted with Ted Cruz and his family on April 13.

Come to find out that "Lucifer in the flesh" has a savvy wife and adorable daughters who seem rather fond of him. How humanizing! Even worse for those of us who took pride in having nothing in common with him was to find out that he is a self-described movie buff (as are many of us) whose favorite movie is 1987's "The Princess Bride."

Whereas "The Princess Bride" is not my favorite film, I am quite fond of it (as are many of us) -- and of the wonderful book by William Goldman and also of the hilarious "This Is Spinal Tap," a precursor of sorts.

So I rewatched the cult classic to see if Cruz had ruined it for me and am glad to say he did not. I'm as much a sucker for Wallace Shawn (Vizzini) as ever.

The strange thing is, though, that "The Princess Bride" has ruined my perfect contempt for Cruz, delaying my gag reflex for at least 10 seconds every time I see him and complicating my simplistic view of him.

But my discomfort at bonding with Cruz over a movie is nothing compared to that of pacifist actor Mandy Patinkin, who, at age 34, played the film's revenge-crazed swash-buckler Inigo Montoya.

In December, Cruz got into the habit of reciting lines from "Princess Bride," on the campaign trail, among them Patinkin's "Hello, my name in Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

As Patinkin explained in December in Time magazine: "When I first heard that Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz was quoting 'The Princess Bride,' I found it amusing and kind of stunning. Then I saw the extent to which he was quoting almost every line in the movie, and a friend sent me a photograph of myself as Inigo Montoya with Cruzs face superimposed over mine. Im concerned that Cruz is using the film as a political tool. I dont think its appropriate. And Im worried not about what Ted Cruz quotes from the movie  but about what hes missing."

What Patinkin thinks Cruz is missing is, of course, the point. For him the movie's message is about the futility of revenge and the over-riding importance of true love.

Cruz apparently never recites Patinkin's favorite Montoya line: "I have been in the revenge business so long, now that its over, I dont know what to do with the rest of my life.

The New York Times quotes the actor as saying, This man (Cruz) is not putting forth ideas that are at the heart of what that movie is all about. I would love for Senator Cruz, and everyone creating fear mongering and hatred, to consider creating hope, optimism and love.

Lighten up, Mandy. Cruz adoring your movie is a good thing. It's a hopeful sign that its message resonates with him, whether or not he understands it in the way you intended.

The NYT article ends with "the balance," a response from the Cruz camp:

"Catherine Frazier, a spokeswoman for the Cruz campaign, said in an email that the senator was 'a huge fan of the film and the actors in it.'

"'Having some fun with a cult classic like The Princess Bride should be something we can all get behind, politics aside,' she said."

Finding something relatable-toable in an adversary is more than OK, Mandy. If you don't believe me, just reread "The Princess Bride" -- or "The Iliad," for that matter.
Over the last several weeks, Montana newspapers have featured countless articles and guest columns on Colstrip, its mines, and climate change. Too often, these pieces have ignored the scientific communitys consensus on climate change or overlooked the difficulty of reinventing a coal-based town.

When it comes to the science of climate change, it no longer matters if you are a believer or a skeptic. Our economy is transitioning to clean energy. On April 22 (Earth Day), the U.S. and more than 155 other nations signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. This United Nations agreement aims to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2.6C above pre-industrial levels  recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. With coal being the fossil fuel that puts out the most carbon dioxide per unit of energy, thus contributing most to temperature increase, mines like Colstrips face a bleak future.

So, can coal-dependent communities reinvent themselves? Somewhat. The best example is Centralia, Washington, which lost 550 coal jobs when its plant closed. Through support from the government and the mines owner, Centralia has been relatively effective in retraining its workforce. Importantly, however, Centralia was a far more economically diverse community than Colstrip. Thus far, the U.S. has not seen a town as economically undiverse as Colstrip successfully transition away from coal jobs.

Coal mines often shut down with little warning. On Dec. 28, 2014, Patriot Coal in Kentucky announced the elimination of 670 jobs effective Dec. 29, 2014. There is reason to believe a similar day might come soon in Colstrip. Of its four coal-fired generating units, Unit 1 and Unit 2 are both in over their 40th year of 30-year predicted life spans. If a sudden layoff occurs that leads Colstrip to become a ghost town, we will have failed our neighbors.

Do I know a solution for Colstrip? No. Is there a perfect solution that is ready for implementation tomorrow? I doubt it. What I do know is that by accepting either an unscientific or an unrealistic framing of this debate, we are simultaneously accepting a tremendous loss. Perhaps a better starting point is to ask, How can Colstrip achieve a reinvention that is economically fair and environmentally responsible?

There is a reason we are not currently asking this question. A successful, sustainable reinvention of a coal town the size of Colstrip would be unprecedented. Choosing to aim for this never before accomplished economic and environmental win-win would surely entail the possibility of failure. But this is not Colstrip, or Montanas, job alone.

In his 2016 State of the Union address, President Obama stated that part of our nations climate change responsibility involves investing especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels. I would like to know why our states leaders have not garnered the resources President Obama implied are Colstrips due. Other states are doing so. Through the Obama administrations POWER Initiative, organizations in Kentucky have received $6 million to help revitalize economies in decline due to lost coal jobs. Kentucky is not stopping there. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) has introduced the RECLAIM Act, which, if passed, would make $1 billion available for already closed mines, primarily in Appalachia.

We should treat Colstrip as an innovation laboratory for how a coal town can reinvent itself. If we succeed, Montana will bear the distinction of solving one of climate changes thorniest problems  how does a community dependent on the energy sources of yesterday reinvent itself? By solving this problem, Colstrips story could become a blueprint for similar fossil fuel communities in Montana and across the world.

Robert Reynolds, 25, lives in Miles City. Last May he completed his masters in public policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
DECATUR  One of the nation's largest railroads pledged its support Monday to developing the Midwest Inland Port in Decatur.

CN, which is one of three Class I railroads providing service to Decatur businesses, has joined the strategic development coalition for the port. Other members of the development group include Archer Daniels Midland Co., Ameren Illinois, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Clayco, OmniTrax and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

The railroad can help products from its customers in the Decatur area reach destinations around the globe, said John Orr, CN's senior vice president, Southern Region.

They can extend their reach all over the world, Orr said. Our reach is second to none.

The company, with headquarters in Montreal, Canada, has already spent $750 million to expand ways for shipments to bypass Chicago, Orr said. Avoiding the congestion in the Chicago area has been one of the main selling points to encourage use of the transportation infrastructure in Decatur.

As a result of going around Chicago, Orr said the railroad can offer more predictable transit times for shipments and avoid delays that can sometimes last days or even weeks.

The concept of the Midwest Inland Port was created with ADM's intermodal rail facility as its centerpiece, said Dennis Whalen, ADM's vice president of intermodal transportation. The conversion of a former CN rail yard into the intermodal ramp started about six years ago when ADM bought the property, Whalen said.

The Midwest Inland Port is showing signs of being an economic driver as a new platform for growth into emerging markets around the globe, Whalen said. We see many possibilities ahead.

Having CN on board brings expanded recognition and credibility to efforts in further developing the area's transportation network, said Larry Altenbaumer, executive director of the Midwest Inland Port.

Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe noted more containers filled the facility than the last time she was there. It is a sign of what can benefit Decatur from in the future, she said.

It is the best opportunity we've had in decades, Moore Wolfe said.

Each container tells a story of the benefits extending into the community coming from use of the ramp, Orr said.

Rail access is one of the features used in marketing Decatur to potential businesses, said Ryan McCrady, Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County president. McCrady said other highlights include affordable utility rates, connections to highways and the training of the area's workforce.

He said working with CN is key step forward in bringing more imports into the country through Decatur.
CHASKA, Minn.  With the approval of most of Princes siblings, a judge Monday confirmed the appointment of a special administrator to manage the late musicians assets.

Carver County District Court Judge Kevin Eide ruled on the matter during a 10-minute hearing attended by several of Princes relatives, their attorneys and more than three dozen journalists.

Prince, who died April 21 at age 57, left no known will. Mondays probate hearing stemmed from a request last week by his sister, Tyka Nelson, to have Bremer Trust, National Association appointed to manage the musicians estate, which could exceed $100 million.

Probate documents listed the apparent heirs at this point as Tyka Nelson and Princes half siblings John Nelson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson, Alfred Jackson, Omarr Baker and the late Lorna Nelson.

With the exception of John Nelson, all of the heirs signed consents with Bremer Trust before Mondays hearing, according to Natasha Robertson, an attorney representing the special administrator.

It wasnt clear at Mondays hearing whether John Nelson had been contacted in advance to address the issue.

Eide last week ordered that Bremer Trust, National Association be appointed as special administrator for the estate for up to six months, or until another can be chosen. The administrator is charged with locating and protecting the assets and notifying any heirs in line for a share of the estate.

Eide said that as of Monday morning, no will had been found, though a spokesperson for Bremer said it is continuing to look for one.

Even if all the heirs are in agreement, it's going to take a long time to settle the estate, Judith Younger, a University of Minnesota law professor who isn't involved in the case, said. Other claimants are likely to come forward, any disagreements with tax authorities over the value of the estate could result in litigation, and Minnesota courts haven't settled yet whether the rights to someone's likeness, such as Prince's, can be inherited.

"I find it so hard to believe," Younger said, noting how careful Prince was to keep control of his music and other business affairs. "How can there not be a will?"

After the hearing ended, Frank Wheaton, an attorney representing Alfred Jackson, said that the heirs were all on the same page.
DECATUR  Decatur City Council members want city workers to live in the city limits and are likely to support a resolution to that effect.

Council members continued discussing residency requirements during a study session Monday, ultimately directing City Manager Tim Gleason to bring the resolution to the May 16 meeting.

The issue of residency is complicated because requirements are defined in union contracts for police, fire and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees workers.

The new resolution would not be binding for the represented employees, but several council members also said they wanted to require new hires who are not represented by a union to live in the city limits.

Gleason said he would begin discussions with the groups during regular labor management meetings, and the issue would be a priority in upcoming contract negotiations.

You know, I'd like everybody to want to live in Decatur, and hopefully this will encourage people to think about it more, Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said after the meeting.

In other business, the council voted to sell a vacant lot at 1022 W. Macon St. to Decatur Pilot, a nonprofit arm of the Decatur Housing Authority.

The sale will help facilitate a new development planned for later this year. The housing authority plans to use $2 million from a national foreclosure settlement to build eight new, energy-efficient homes in the Oakwood area.

The intention is to sell the homes to moderate-income residents who qualify for mortgages, then reinvest proceeds into the program.

Jim Alpi, executive director of the housing authority, fielded questions from the council before the vote about how the program would work. It is meant to help revitalize an area that might not otherwise attract the investment of new homes, he said.

Speaking after the meeting, Moore Wolfe reiterated city leaders' desire to address falling property values in Decatur.

This looks like a great opportunity in a pretty stable neighborhood to be able to put some more homeowners in there that will be qualified, that will be able to take care of their homes and be proud to be homeowners in Decatur, she said.

Gleason said it was good to take advantage of what he described as a pocket of opportunity.

I think all of us are holding our breath a little bit on what the outcome is actually going to be, but it's nice that we have this opportunity, he said.
SULLIVAN  Gene Harshman is close to completing a collection he unknowingly started in 1948.

That was the year Harshman, 91, got his first vehicle, a 1948 Chevrolet.

Harshman kept that license plate and every one thereafter until Illinois began issuing stickers instead of new plates every year in 1980.

Two years ago, Harshman decided to expand his collection. He began acquiring plates and now has every plate from 1911 through 1980. He also has a 1907 and 1908. He needs only the 1909 and 1910 plates to complete his collection.

I had all those old plates stored in a box and I was wondering what to do with them, then I thought, I have a good start, why not go for the whole works? Harshman said. So I started hunting for plates.

Harshman has all the plates from 1948 to 1980 displayed in a wooden case with a glass cover. He has a display case for the others, too, but is still deciding how he wants to arrange the plates.

Harshman has collected his plates in a variety of ways. He's purchased several from individuals he's met through collecting, bought some at antique stores and even found some through taking classified ads out in 15 area newspapers.

Harshman has several plates  the 1979 one is part of his display  that came from his last job. Harshman, who retired in 1993, said he'd had a lot of different jobs, but ended up at the Brach's Candy Factory in Sullivan.

(Brach's owner) E.J. Brach would have me put them on his station wagon, and I would keep the old ones, Harshman said, laughing. Those all have EJB on them.

Harshman doesn't get online, but he knows people who do, including Illinois Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Dan Flannell of Sullivan, a longtime friend of Harshman's.

I was in his office talking to him one day and I asked him, 'Can you buy stuff on the Internet?'  Harshman said. He said he could, turned the computer on and started bidding. Some I got, some I didn't.

The eBay auction item Harshman won was supplied by Barb Sistak and Tom Baur from Island Lake, northwest of Chicago, where they run a website called LicensePlateGarage.com. It was the oldest plate in his collection, the 1907.

That was the first year cars were registered with the Illinois Secretary of State's office when 12,000 cars were registered for a $2 fee. From 1907 to 1909, motorists were responsible for furnishing the plates.

They bought the numbers at the hardware store and you put them on yourself, Harshman said.

Harshman has several copies of some years. He has the ones in the best shape repainted by local artist Theresa Poland.

At 91, Harshman still lives on his own and drives, often traveling around Central Illinois looking for plates.

I've been to some places, he said, laughing.
Like most people, I never paid much attention to Ed Schultz. A loud, bullying, meaty man in the even meatier middle of the distribution when it comes to smarts, Schultz was your classic "lunch pail populist" as host of MSNBC's "The Ed Show."

During his six-year run on the network, I don't think anyone ever asked, "Did you hear what Ed Schultz said?" save when he uttered something ridiculous enough to make smart or decent liberals wince.

Still, I always thought he meant what he was saying. Sure he exaggerated and was prone to hyperbole. But that was his shtick.

It's clear now I thought too highly of him.

Politico Magazine's Michael Crowley has a fascinating story about how Vladimir Putin supports Donald Trump. This isn't all that shocking for anybody who's been attacked by the Twitter division of Putin's Ministry of Propaganda. But there's more significant evidence, including the much reported "bromance" between Putin and Trump and the fact that one of Trump's top consigliere, Paul Manafort, was previously a one-man brain-trust for Viktor Yanukovych, the Putin stooge and kelptocrat who until recently ran Ukraine.

Crowley begins and ends his piece with a close study of none other than Schultz. You see, when Schultz lost his show at MSNBC, he cast about for a new broadcast job. He found it on Russia Today's American channel RT America, the newsy facade of Russia's global propaganda machine.

At MSNBC, there was no praise of Hillary Clinton too effusive and no slander of Republicans that was too extreme. Schultz often spent his days spewing out such statements as, "This is what the Republican Party stands for, though: racism. I think Donald Trump is a racist."

In 2011, when Trump was reportedly thinking of running for president (again), Schultz wrote in The Huffington Post, "...when it comes down to the devil in the detail of dealing with the issues ... and making real change, Trump, you don't have it. You've never had it. Money is not a measure of a man's character or success in the arena of public service."

Now I happen to agree with that second bit. The interesting thing is, Schultz doesn't, anymore. The man who once mocked Putin, now cashes his checks, as a pundit on his network, lending aid and comfort to the Kremlin's pro-Trump PR campaign.

Schultz recently told Larry King, his RT colleague, that Trump was like Ronald Reagan (he meant it in a good way). Trump, Schultz explained, "certainly has shaken up the Republican Establishment, and I think he's done it by talking about things that people care about." Schultz now says Trump is a great and decisive decision-maker.

So what explains the transformation? I don't like speculating about peoples' motives in part because 99 percent of the time, I find those who try to guess mine are wrong (Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke recently attacked me on Twitter for being a Zionist stooge for opposing Donald Trump). Still, one possibility is that Ed Schultz is simply sincere. A more obvious explanation is that he's doing it for the paycheck. Both of those things are possible. But there's a third possibility: Some people need to be on TV or some other public arena. As with Trump himself, the money comes second to celebrity.

Russia Today was likely the only broadcaster offering to keep Schultz on TV -- and that offer, perhaps came with strings attached.

I don't know Schultz personally, so maybe none or all of these explanations apply. But I do know that some people get addicted to being recognized at airports and speaking into a TV or microphone. I've seen it for more than 20 years.

Heck, poor Larry King is a bit like Richard Gere in "An Officer and a Gentleman": he's got nowhere else to go. But King is different than Schultz and other pundits on the left and the right. King's job is to ask questions, not opine on what is right and wrong, politically, analytically or even morally. That's the life Ed Schultz chose for himself, and in the era of Trump, it is interesting and dismaying, to see who thinks the limelight -- by which I mean ratings, popularity, celebrity and relevance -- is more important than long-held principles, or basic truth-telling.

Schultz's case is interesting because of the Russia connection. Sadly, if I'm right about his motives, Schultz's case is not unique.
SPRINGFIELD  Democratic lawmakers say theyre hoping for bipartisan support for a proposal that would do away with the Illinois Constitutions flat tax requirement.

Thats one of several proposed changes to the constitution both chambers of the General Assembly must approve by weeks end in order for voters to have their say this fall. Other proposals still under consideration include a provision that would prohibit the state from using dedicated transportation funds for other purposes and changes to the way the boundaries of legislative districts are drawn.

Meanwhile, a proposal from House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, to impose an additional 3 percent tax on income of more than $1 million to fund education was defeated in the House, and a proposal from state Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, to eliminate the lieutenant governors office was voted down in the Senate. The House, however, passed its own version of the lieutenant governor amendment.

While they wouldnt name any names, Democratic state Reps. Lou Lang of Skokie and Christian Mitchell of Chicago said at a Statehouse news conference Monday that they believe some Republicans will support their plan to introduce a graduated state income tax.

This is an issue whose time has come, said Mitchell, whos sponsoring the amendment. I believe that this is going to pass with bipartisan support.

Emily Miller of Voices for Illinois Children, an advocacy group thats backing the amendment and a companion bill from Lang that would cut taxes for more than 99 percent of taxpayers while raising rates on the wealthiest Illinoisans, said she expects the House to vote Tuesday to approve the amendment.

This does have some very promising bipartisan support, she said, adding that the group has been working with members of both parties.

Opponents, including Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, say the measure would drive small businesses out of the state.

I really dont support a graduated income tax, Rauner said earlier Monday, despite expressing support for new revenue as part of a grand compromise on budgets for this year and next. I think that could well be the straw that breaks the camels back for Illinois economic competitiveness.

Less controversial is a proposal from state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, to create a lockbox to protect transportation funds from being used for other purposes.

The state has periodically swept money from transportation funds, including more than $400 million last year, to plug holes in the budget. One source for that funding is the states motor fuel tax.

When people go to the pump, theyre going to know without a shadow of the doubt that their money  is going exactly where its supposed to go: into our infrastructure improvements, Phelps said.

The measure cleared the House last month on a 98-4 vote, well above the three-fifths majority needed in each chamber for a constitutional amendment. It is scheduled for a Senate committee hearing today.

Also scheduled for a hearing today is the Houses lieutenant governor amendment. Despite voting against the previous version, Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, is sponsoring the House version.

Brady said he plans to propose changing the line of succession the amendment would establish, having a vacancy in the governors office filled by the highest-ranking official of the same party rather than by the attorney general, who might be of the opposite party.

That would address a major concern for Republicans who voted against the Senate version, he said, but it would mean the amendment wont make it to the November ballot.

The Senate has already approved a proposal, sponsored by state Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, to change the way legislative districts are drawn.

His proposal, which would leave the process largely in the hands of the General Assembly, faces dim prospects in the House. Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said leadership there is focused on a proposal from state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, that would turn over the redistricting process to an independent commission.

Brown said the future is also uncertain for an amendment Madigan has proposed that would declare education a fundamental right and one that should be primarily the states obligation to fund.

The proposal is under review in light of Republicans backing the 1 percenters with their vote against Madigans proposed millionaire tax, he said.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy early with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early. Skies will become mostly clear late. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 56F. SW winds shifting to NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Excerpts of an interview with Davit Babayan, NKR presidential spokesman.

During the past two-three weeks there has been talk, also from officials of Armenia, regarding the return of a few regions. What is your position on the matter?

First off, the philosophy of the Minsk Group regarding the settlement of the Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict is based on the following important concept  nothing is agreed to if everything isnt agreed to.

This is the formula. If even one comma is not agreed to, then nothing is agreed to. All decisions must be taken on a consensus basis. The so-called documents are proposals, not treaties. The negotiating process itself is skewed given that Artsakh is not a participant.

Secondly, of course we support a comprehensive settlement that must be based on mutual concessions. There was a time when some politicians propose the return of certain territories in return for Azerbaijan opening the Artsakh-Azerbaijan gas or oil pipeline. But this isnt an equal concession because the pipeline can be shut tomorrow. We cannot return any regions.

Security guarantees or preconditions cannot work with such an aggressor, with such an abnormal state. That state doesnt hide the fact that it wants to kill and decimate us. Thus, we have always said that there is no going back to the past, either in terms of borders or status. It is a question of fundamental security for us. How can Artsakh return to the borders of 1991 or those of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAR)?

Artsakh cannot survive as an independent state within those borders. This is evident to all.

How can Azerbaijan control, lets say, Karvatchar, where 85% of the water reserves of the NAKR originate, the Arpa and Vorotan rivers, that feed Lake Sevan which comprises 80% of Armenias water resources.

What if its poisoned? During the war, they poisoned the Stepanakert water pipeline. And now they say that Armenians are burying wastes from the Metsamor nuclear plant in Karvatchar.

Of course, this isnt the case. But tomorrow they can throw some radioactive waste there and say we did it. Do you understand that there are such problems that makes it impossible for anyone to guarantee our security? We must do this ourselves.

How vital is it for Armenia to recognize the independence of the NKR?

The recognition of NKRs independence is a matter of time. I agree that Armenia should not be the first to do so.

Armenia will be the first if Azerbaijan declares war or renews large-scale military operations. If that happens, there will be no alternative. But before this, other countries can recognize us. In this matter, Armenia is showing a very constructive approach and isnt politicizing a very delicate matter.

So, its your opinion that the recognition of Artsakh by Armenia isnt a pressing issue.

Right now, whats important is that peace and stability are maintained so that our security is assured. Recognition cant be seen as the most important component of security.

How many unrecognized countries are there? Has that saved them from external invasion? Of course not.

Thats to say the number one issue is security. There are numerous other issues as well.

You say that the negotiations process is at a dead-end. Then too, we frequently hear that large-scale military operations will renew. So, what is the way out?

The way out is that we must stay strong. The stronger we are, the less the opponent will have the nerve to attack us.

Look at how many years they prepared for this. And they also underestimated us, believing that Armenians arent united and are fighting each other.

See how utterly wrong they were. We must be powerful and ready to defend our independence and security.
19 year-old Garik Movsisyan was laid to rest yesterday in his native village of Zorakan, in Armenias Tavoush Province.

Movsisyan, a senior radio operator in the Artsakh Defense Army, was killed early in the morning of April 30.

Zorakan is a village populated by Armenians who fled their village of Chardakhlou, in Azerbaijan, during the 1988 pogroms. Garik Movsisyans parents were part of that exodus.

Major Zohrab Mkrtchyan told Hetq that Movsisyan was an exemplary solider and had been appointed a junior sergeant and commander of his unit.

Zorakan Mayor Souren Martirosyan said that the Garik was from a poor family who had lost their 7-year-old daughter Anahit two years after relocating to the village.

Before entering the army in July 2015, Garik was a second year student at the Ijevan branch of Yerevans State Economics College.

Gariks father, Mnatsakan Movsisyan, said that he has a two-hour phone conversation with his son on the evening of April 29.

He said that hed call the next morning and that all was alright on the frontline. He told us not to worry. I waited for the call but it never came, said Gariks mother Anahit.

Two days before he died, Garik telephoned his sweetheart back home.

We were going out for five years. Hed always call to tell me that he loved me, said Ofelia.

Vasil Arakelyan, Gariks uncle, said that the young soldier was killed when inspecting communication connections at the post. Garik had seen that one of his buddies had fallen and went out to drag him back to the trench.

There are sons from well-off families serving along the border. We see how the children of families barely surviving are being killed on the frontline. Gariks father fought in 1992 in the Noyemberian region. Gariks death is the tragedy of Zorakan. This is a war of survival for the Armenian people, declared village resident Arshak Baghiryan.

Garik Movsisyan was posthumously awarded the NKR Military Service medal, which was presented to the family by Major Zohrab Mkrtchyan.
The Human Rights Defender of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has issued the following Legal Assessment regarding the use of indiscriminate weapons against the civilian population of Nagorno Karabakh by Azerbaijani military forces and the intentional deployment by Azerbaijan of its military units and artillery in the vicinity of and within civilian settlements.

The assessment states that by employing such actions Azerbaijan continues to violate fundamental human rights principles.

The HRD says that the assessment will be delivered to the United Nations, Council of Europe human rights commissioners, PACE, and other international legal organizations.

STATEMENT
On May 3, Minister Edward Nalbandian met in Helsinki Ilkka Kanerva, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCEPA).

Edward Nalbandian presented to the President of the OSCE PA the consequences of aggressive actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh, efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards the overcoming of the consequences.

Foreign Minister of Armenia drew attention of the OSCE PA President on the gross breaches of the International Humanitarian Law by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. The Minister added, that Azerbaijan continues to ignore the calls of the international community to respect the ceasefire, violates 1994-1995 trilateral ceasefire agreements and agreement on consolidation of ceasefire, which have no time limitations.

In this regard, Ilkka Kanerva mentioned that the use of threat is unacceptable, and added that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly fully supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the only format which enjoys international mediation mandate, for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issues through negotiations, and the expansion of the capacities of the team of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-In-Office.

The sides discussed a number of issues on the OSCE agenda.
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Bernie Sanders, shown here with his wife Jane, was the only presidential candidate who attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night in Washington. President Obama, taking shots at all of the candidates as he delivered a series of one-liners, told Sanders, "You look like a million bucks. Or to put it in terms you'll understand, you look like 37,000 donations of $27 each." PHOTO BY SUSAN WALSH/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The efforts of a Sauk Prairie middle school student led a former Green Bay Packers player to teach his fellow students a lesson in respect.

Logan Rehwinkel, a seventh grader, knows former Packers player Gilbert Brown via his parents contributions to Browns charitable foundation through the Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners.

Pat and Dawn Rehwinkel own Merry Macs Campground in Merrimac.

Logan won some money in a contest last summer, and decided to join in the contributions to Browns foundation, which supports 144 childrens charities in Wisconsin.

Inspired by Logans act of kindness, the eighth grade student council, the Sauk Prairie Middle School Builders Club, and the SPMS Parent Connection presented Brown with an additional $600 donation.

As a way of saying thank you to Logan, Brown offered a friendly lecture April 29 to Sauk Prairie Middle School students about being kind to each other.

Logan said Brown has been an inspiration in his own life.

Ive learned about being a leader, Logan said, and other kids can learn to be leaders.

Brown, who stands more than six feet tall, stood in the middle of the gymnasium floor and spoke candidly to the students.

If youre following somebody and theyre constantly getting into trouble, dont follow that guy, Brown said. All you guys understand officially at a point in your life, youve got to be a leader. Every day I wake up I see the ceiling and pray to the big man upstairs because he gave me another day to do something in this life. Everything I do I do to honor my mother and father.

Following Browns talk, students crowded around him to shake his hand, fist bump and give hugs.

We want to give credit to Logan, his parents, our student and parent organizations, and Gilbert Brown and his foundation for working together to stop bullying and promote kindness and generosity, middle school principal Ted Harter said.
A new report labeling the former Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse as the most profitable hospital in the country needs an asterisk before it goes into the record books  because statistics dont always tell the whole story.

The study of 3,000 hospitals in the United States in 2013, when Lutheran still was part of the name of what now is Gundersen Health System, chronicled the hospitals profit as $302.5 million  an eye-popping $4,241 a patient.

But a state hospital association official and a Gundersen representative questioned the findings Monday, saying the calculations dont factor in the full gamut of Gundersens expenses.

The research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md., and Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., was released Monday, as reported in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs.

The report posed questions without answering them, as well as providing a head-scratcher for Brian Potter, senior vice president of finance for the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

I dont quite understand the calculations in the study, Potter said during a phone interview Monday. The numbers for Gundersen look kinda crazy.

The figures appear to be a mash-up of statistics from the hospitals, clinics and other services the La Crosse-based Gundersen system provides in the 19 counties where it operates in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, then applied only to the systems main campus in La Crosse.

Im pretty skeptical of the figures, Potter said. I know that, in 2013, the (profit) margin for Gundersen was about 5 percent.

The WHA does hospital finance analyses that differentiate between how figures are computed for multi-facility systems as opposed to single-hospital entities, he said.

The calculations in the research study dont take into account systemwide administrative expenses and other costs such as home health services, which skews the tallies, Potter said.

A lot of expenses for a hospital might go through the system, while income would appear on the hospitals ledger, making it look like it is making a lot more money than it is, he said.

The report casts aspersions not only on Gundersen but also the six other nonprofits in the studys top 10, Potter said.

A small subset of nonprofit hospitals are earning substantial profits, said study leader Gerard Anderson, a professor in the Health Policy and Management Department at the Bloomberg School.

Either theyre doing something right or they are taking advantage of a flawed payment system, Anderson said in the press release. Perhaps the most important question is what are they doing with all of that money?

Gundersen Chief Financial Officer Dara Bartels can answer that, saying that, in part, the money goes to provide other services not only in La Crosse but also throughout the Gundersen network.

This article does not reflect our costs  as an integrated health system  for the care we provide in a multi-state, largely rural region with a high Medicare patient mix, and does not analyze data on quality of care, Bartels said.

The authors analyzed finances of about 3,000 acute-care hospitals, of which 59 percent were nonprofit, 25 percent were for-profit and 16 percent were public. Overall, their research found that more than half of all hospitals incurred small losses from patient care services, with a median loss of $82 a patient.

The findings show that, while the majority of U.S. hospitals lost money caring for patients, a small percentage earned large profits, according to a press release on the study.

The results raise questions about whether peculiarities in the payment systems or some other factors are creating these outsized winners, the release said.

While the study acknowledges that hospitals that are part of a hospital system are more profitable, it suggested the reason as being that they use their weight to negotiate higher prices from insurers rather than noting the income-vs.-expense gap.

Study co-author Ge Bai, an assistant accounting professor at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., said, All hospitals should make a little profit, but some hospitals are obtaining outrageous profits.

Bartels disputed the insinuation, saying, The portion of the cost report the authors used excludes administrative and shared costs per Medicare rules, with results varying between organizations. We would rank much differently if these costs were considered.

Bartels likened the studys methodology to analyzing a familys income based only on the breadwinners salary without factoring in the broader scope of the familys expenses, such as the mortgage, utilities, college costs and other bills.

The overall income appears larger when the full bill doesnt include such expenses, she said.

Bartels cited Gundersens multi-year pattern of keeping annual rate increases as low as possible, in the 3 percent to 4 percent range for the past several years.

The devil is in the details, Bartels indicated, saying, Analyzing Medicare cost reports of a single care center may have been relevant 20 years ago, but using the same methodology now for an integrated health system network isnt constructive.

That echoed a similar assessment from Potter, representing a neutral perspective.

Bartels also referred to a Dartmouth Atlas analysis tabbing Gundersen as the market leader in a region that has the lowest cost of care per Medicare beneficiary in the nation.
The Small Business Development Center at the UW-Madison Wisconsin School of Business is accepting nominations for the 2016 Dane County Small Business Awards.

This year marks the 34th anniversary of the awards, which recognize small businesses and their owners from around the area for their contributions to the community and the local economy.

This is a chance to highlight people who have taken on the challenge of launching a small business and are really contributing to the vitality of our communities, SBDC director Neil Lerner said in a statement. Because thats what small businesses do  they create jobs, they generate opportunities, and they support their neighborhoods.

Nominations can be made from now until May 13, up to 10 companies can be chosen, and there are four main criteria that must be met.

The business must:

Be a successful for-profit company in business for at least three years (or for one to three years for an emerging business award).

Have a minimum of three full-time-equivalent employees (including the owner).

Maintain a responsible and rewarding workplace environment.

Provide support (in-kind or financial) to their neighborhood or community.

Awards are divvied up based on four sales and revenue categories: less than $1 million, $1 million to $5 million, $5 million to $10 million and $10 million to $20 million.
Revenues tripled for Exact Sciences Corp. in the first quarter and use of its signature Cologuard product nearly quadrupled but net losses rose, as well, as the company seeks to expand awareness of its DNA stool test for colorectal cancer.

Shares of Exact Sciences stock rose in early trading to $7.23, but ended the day at $6.35 a share, down 64 cents, or 9.16 percent, from the stock's close on Monday at $6.99.

The Madison company reported a net loss of $47.5 million, or 49 cents a share, on revenue of $14.8 million for the first quarter of 2016 compared with a net loss of $35.8 million, or 40 cents a share, on revenue of $4.3 million for the same period last year.

Exact said it received about 40,000 completed Cologuard tests during the first quarter, up from about 11,000 in the 2015 first quarter, and two more commercial insurers, Harvard Pilgrim and Johns Hopkins Health Plans, have agreed to cover the cancer screening test.

CEO Kevin Conroy said Exact Sciences is expanding TV advertising nationwide after a nine-week test run in five markets, including Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay, showed a significant increase in Cologuard orders.

"As commercial insurance coverage increases, television advertising drives Cologuard orders, and our sales team continues to expand physician awareness, we believe that adoption will increase at a meaningful rate this year," Conroy said.

He said more than 50 percent of Cologuard's targeted population, between the ages of 50 and 85, is now covered for payment for the test.

Exact said it still expects to process more than 240,000 completed Cologuard tests in 2016, generating revenue of $90 million to $100 million.
A high-speed chase in Rock County ended when the car being chased became disabled and the driver was arrested in Janesville.

Mathew Harmel, 31, Beloit, was taken into custody on multiple tentative charges including eluding, four counts of reckless driving, driving the wrong way on a divided highway and other charges still to come from the Rock County Sheriff's Office.

According to the sheriff's office:

The chase started shortly after midnight on Afton Road, with Harmel being pursued by deputies as he headed toward Janesville.

Janesville officers set up tire deflating strips but Harmel drove around the strips and went into the city.

An officer found the vehicle near Rockport Road and South Chatham Street, and tried to stop Harmel but he kept driving, even though his vehicle was having problems.

Police then used the pursuit intervention technique, bumping Harmel's vehicle to try to turn it sideways, but the maneuver didn't work and he kept going.

The pursuit was called off when he drove into oncoming traffic, but Harmel's car came to a stop on Woodlane Drive with officers arresting him and detaining three others in the vehicle.

Nobody was hurt in the chase.
A man working under a skid steer was killed Monday when support holding the vehicle collapsed in Juneau County, authorities said.

The accident happened at about 5:10 p.m. on West Limits Road in the town of Kildare, just outside Lyndon Station, the Sheriff's Office said.

The preliminary investigation said the Lyndon Station man was lying underneath and working on the skid steer, that had been placed on concrete blocks.

"The concrete blocks gave way and the skid steer fell onto the man's upper body," said Sheriff Brent Oleson.

Witnesses were able to jack up the skid steer off the victim and pull him out, with lifesaving measures started by the bystanders and continued by EMTs.

"Med Flight arrived on scene but he unfortunately had succumbed to his injuries," Oleson said. "He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Med Flight doctor."

The name of the victim was not released pending notification of family.
A Madison man accused of causing the death of his girlfriends 2-year-old daughter will stand trial on a charge of first-degree reckless homicide, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Joshua S. Gehde, 25, was silent as a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf by Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke.

At a preliminary hearing, Madison police Det. Maya Krajcinovic testified that a criminal complaint accurately conveyed the conclusions by the girls doctors that she suffered severe child abuse injuries.

The criminal complaint said Dr. Barbara Knox, a UW child abuse expert, identified bruises on the girls head, including around her right eye and jaw, and bruises to her arms, shoulders, back and buttocks. Medical imaging of the girls head found brain injuries, including areas of bleeding on her brain, and evidence of bleeding within her spine, the complaint said. She also had areas of bleeding in blood vessels in her eyes.

Gehde, who remains in jail on $300,000 bail, told police he didnt know how the girl sustained her injuries, the complaint said.

Krajcinovic testified that Gehde told her that he was the only person with the girl from the time she woke up at his girlfriends apartment at 1718 Onsgard Road on Madisons Far East Side until he called 911 seeking help for the girl around 12:47 p.m. on April 12. The girl was taken to American Family Childrens Hospital shortly after police and medical personnel arrived and died at the hospital on April 14, according to the criminal complaint.

The detective also testified that Madison police obtained a video from a PDQ store on Stoughton Road that showed Gehde holding the child in the store about two hours before he made the 911 call. She said Gehde could be heard telling a clerk that she was crabby and whiny from the time she woke up in the morning.

On cross examination by Gehdes attorney, Anthony Rios, Krajcinovic said Gehde performed CPR on the girl after he called 911. There was some indication that the dispatcher had to tell him over and over what to do, Krajcinovic said. It was because of the situation, not because he didnt want to.

Rios later told the court that there was not enough evidence to say what happened, when it happened and if a crime occurred.
The body of a 37-year-old man was found Sunday morning inside a house destroyed by a fire near Blanchardville, authorities reported.

The fire was reported at about 4 a.m. at N8517 Badger Road in the town of York, the Green County Sheriff's Office said.

The New Glarus Fire Department was dispatched to the fire and found the house fully engulfed in flames with the roof collapsed.

The Blanchardville and Mount Horeb Fire Departments assisted at the scene. The State Fire Marshal and Green County Coroner were also dispatched to the scene.

The fire remains under investigation.

The victim's identity has been withheld pending notification of family.
One of three potential material witnesses to a homicide on the city's Far West Side was taken into custody on Monday, police said.

Police believe Billy Richmond, 35, of Fitchburg, may have been present when Martez Moore was fatally shot outside of a tavern around 1 a.m. on April 19. He was arrested on charges not related to the murder, police said.

Authorities said they are still searching for 25-year-old William Flowers, of Fitchburg, and 28-year-old Travis Smith Jr., of Madison, who are both wanted for unrelated crimes and might have been present at Martin O'Grady's Irish Pub, 7436 Mineral Point Road, when Moore was shot.

Madison Police Chief Mike Koval had previously said investigators were getting little cooperation from the more than 20 people identified as being in the parking lot during the homicide. He announced at a press conference last week that police were searching for the three men.
Students at Our Lady Queen of Peace School raised more than $40,000 for charities last week with the schools second annual Fun Run/Walk, an effort to streamline past fundraisers into something more meaningful for students.

The run/walk was part of Wellness Week, which featured a variety of activities focusing on nutrition, healthy lifestyles, mindfulness and movement.

We want to show them (younger students) they can have fun, run around and still help other people, said eighth-grader Charlie Feller, one of the organizers. At the end of the day, they will be proud of what theyve done.

Mary Jo Vitale, acting principal at Queen of Peace and Wellness Week coordinator, oversaw three committees that had roles such as marketing, getting permits and soliciting donors. Teachers also worked on the logistics for the event and volunteered to serve as accountants for the project.

The school counted on parent volunteers as well, including Colleen Kenney and Lauren Morey, who were instrumental in organizing the event.

Students organized the pledge folders, chose the T-shirt designfrom those submitted by students, promoted the event and worked with younger students.

They also researched and voted on the charities to benefit from the raised pledges.

This year the money will go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of America and the WunderGlo Foundation, which were close to the heart of Jenna Kohl and Helen Moylan, both eighth-graders with family members who have benefited from the organizations.

Middle school students at Queen of Peace are divided into 10 Houses of Faith, which are governed by a council that includes representatives from each individual House of Faith.

The duties of the Houses of Faith Council include organizing students service work and coordinating the Fun Run, in part by delegating some of the jobs to other students.

Helen, vice president of the council that oversees the Houses of Faith, and Jenna, a representative, said they hope the students taking part in the Fun Run/Walk will realize how fortunate they are and think about the wellness aspect of the event.

I like having a bigger say, and I like contributing, Helen said of her leadership role on the council after being a representative for each of the past two years.

Charlie said he decided to run for office in the council during his last year at Queen of Peace because he could have a bigger voice and help out others at the school.They look up to us a lot, Jenna said the younger students in the school.
A UW-Madison student who could have faced a dozen criminal counts for a series of political graffiti messages spray-painted on campus buildings wont be charged, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said Tuesday.

Instead, Denzel McDonald, a 21-year-old senior, will enter a restorative court on Madisons South Side that diverts young, low-level offenders from the traditional justice system and allows them to avoid criminal charges if they take steps such as compensating victims and doing community service.

UW-Madison police arrested McDonald in April on 11 tentative charges of vandalism and one of disorderly conduct, after they said he spray-painted messages such as White supremacy iz a disease and You are oppressed, causing an estimated $4,000 worth of damage to university buildings.

Chief apologizes after backlash to officer contacting student graffiti suspect during class UW-Madison's campus police chief apologized Friday for the disruption caused by an officer who entered a class to contact a student suspected in a string of anti-racist graffiti.

McDonalds arrest became a flashpoint for students pushing to improve UW-Madisons racial climate who accused campus officials of caring more about the vandalism than they did about the racism it was protesting.

Students and faculty also criticized UW police for interrupting a class to make contact with McDonald; officers later arrested him outside a university building. The department has since apologized for the interruption.

Hundreds of students attended a protest a week after McDonalds arrest and called for him not to face criminal charges for the graffiti.

Ozanne said those protests did not sway his decision, which he said was made because McDonald is an appropriate candidate for the restorative court program.

I believe he (is) accepting responsibility and I think its a good option, Ozanne said.

Started last summer, the Community Restorative Court is aimed at people between 17 and 25 who commit a first offense such as disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property or theft.

Online court records show McDonald was cited for vandalism last year, but he does not have a prior criminal record.

An offender in the restorative court is required to admit to his or her crime, and must take part in meetings with community residents, court coordinators and victims to work out an agreement for how the case will be resolved through tailored sanctions such as community service. Ozanne said he expects McDonald will have to pay restitution for the graffiti.

Hundreds at UW-Madison protest student's arrest, racist incidents The arrest became a flashpoint for students and professors near the end of a semester in which the university was rocked by several high-profile, racially charged incidents.

If McDonald completes his agreement, prosecutors will consider the case resolved and he wont face criminal charges. If he doesnt, Ozanne can file conventional criminal charges.

Advocates for the restorative court say it holds people accountable for their actions in a more direct way than the traditional court system, while not stigmatizing offenders with a criminal record.

Ozanne said his office wasnt letting McDonald off easy by referring him to the restorative court.

Many times, diversion is more onerous than paying a ticket, Ozanne said. The majority of people want us to hold people accountable, they would like people to repair the harm and they would like some assurance  that we are working to ensure this doesnt happen again.

UW Police spokesman Marc Lovicott said the department does not oppose the decision to refer McDonalds case to the restorative court.

McDonald could still face student sanctions from UW-Madison for the graffiti. A spokesman for the university would not comment Tuesday on the district attorneys decision, or the status of UWs discipline process.
A major redevelopment that promises to expand retail and office space while delivering a massive infusion of housing to downtown Middleton is underway.

After staging a ceremonial partial demolition last week, developer Terrence Wall on Tuesday resumed demolition of Old Middleton Centre to make way for his latest development, which will add more than 200 apartments to the area bounded by Elmwood, Hubbard and Terrace avenues and Parmenter Street.

Wall plans to replace the existing six buildings combined 53,000 square feet of retail and office space with 30,500 square feet of retail, 36,000 square feet of office space and 206 apartments across seven buildings. He estimates the three-phase development will increase the assessed value of the 3-acre site from $3.2 million to up to $47 million.

Walls project is the largest in downtown Middleton since the Alexander Co. completed Cayuga Court, a 7-acre collection of stores, restaurants, offices, a hotel and housing along Elmwood Avenue and Cayuga Street, in 2003.

City officials, who have long-sought to increase downtown residential density, have lauded the project for its potential effect on the citys core of restaurants and retail businesses.

I think the long-term impact will be to solidify the retail that we have in the downtown area because well be bringing in potentially 400 new residents over a period of three years, city administrator Mike Davis said.

The City Council in December tentatively approved $7.3 million in tax incremental financing (TIF) for the project, but no development agreement has been reached because Wall and city staff are still resolving parking details.

The exclusively commercial and office use of Old Middleton Centre allowed for public use of its 225 parking spaces on evenings and weekends, but redevelopment to include housing is expected to drastically change supply during those times.

Wall obtained purchase options on a 1-acre site just north of his development and floated the idea of the city buying the properties for $1.3 million to develop a hybrid parking and event space.

City staff explored a series of concepts that ranged from an aesthetically dressed-up parking lot to an underground parking garage with a full park above, but have recommended against any immediate council action.

Davis said demolition is able to proceed without a development agreement in place because the TIF is developer-financed, which eliminates risk to the city by having the developer front funding. He expects an agreement will be reached later this month. Assuming its approved by the City Council, the city will pay its commitment back using increased tax revenue from the project.

Construction of the first phase is expected to last through early 2017. The projects second and third phases are also expected to take about a year each, finishing in early 2019.
A doctor who was fired from Dean Clinic for alleged inappropriate contact with female patients has won a $2.2 million award after a jury said the clinics investigation of him was unfair.

The case involving Dr. Don Bukstein is unusual because actions resulting from internal investigations by clinics and hospitals generally are immune from lawsuits, said Lester Pines, a Madison attorney who represented Bukstein.

Bukstein argued that Dean was subject to litigation because its investigation was deficient and violated his employment contract. He said the clinic didnt let him review details of complaints against him from three women, cross-examine the patients, argue the evidence against him or bring a lawyer to meetings.

After a weeklong trial in February in Dane County Circuit Court, the jury said Dean breached its contact with Bukstein, an allergist who worked at Dean from 1981 until he was fired in 2012.

Dr. Bukstein, like every other physician at Dean, should have had an opportunity to give a full response during this investigative process, which he was not allowed to do, Pines said. He was railroaded out of his job.

Dean appealed the ruling Monday. While we respect the legal process, we were disappointed with the recent verdict, Dean spokeswoman Kim Sveum said.

Bukstein, 66, has been working part time since 2014 at an allergy practice in Greenfield and Fitchburg, where he lives.

I feel vindicated, Bukstein said. What happened to me was very wrong on lots of different levels. It destroyed a career I had spent 30 years building.

St. Marys Hospital investigated the complaints from the three women and decided not to terminate Buksteins privileges, though the hospital required him to have a chaperone for exams of female patients.

The state Department of Safety and Professional Services also investigated the complaints and took no action against Buksteins license, saying there was no evidence his contact was inappropriate or involved sexual gratification.

The women said Bukstein pressed his genitals against their knee or leg during physical exams.

The first complaint was in October 2010, and the other two were in March 2012. One of the latter complaints involved an incident in 1989, for which the woman filed a report at the time with Madison police, who didnt pursue charges.

In March 2012, Dean put Bukstein on unpaid leave, telling him in a letter the next month that he caused offensive and inappropriate contact with patients. In July 2012, he was fired.

Bukstein told investigators that 70 percent of his patients were children. The pediatric exam table in his room was short and extended across a wall, meaning he had to examine patients from the front.

That sometimes caused his genital area to touch patients unintentionally, he said.

St. Marys investigators agreed that the contact could have been inadvertent and said the womans complaint in 2012 about the 1989 incident might have been impacted by recall bias.

Dean reported Buksteins alleged misconduct to the National Practitioner Data Bank, which has made it difficult for Bukstein to get privileges at some hospitals and be eligible for coverage under some insurance plans, he said.

According to court records, Bukstein frequently clashed with administrators at Dean, which was acquired in 2013 by SSM Health Care, owner of St. Marys.

Of his $2.2 million jury award, $1.08 million is for SSMs purchase of his share of ownership of Madison-based Dean, which has more than 60 clinics in southern Wisconsin. He hadnt previously qualified for that payment because he was fired the year before the SSM purchase.
The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups, which sold its building on Madison's Southeast Side in October, is moving into rented space in Monona on Tuesday.

The non-profit organization, formed in 1978, is discussing a merger with another non-profit, said Nino Amato, president and CEO. Amato declined to name the other group but said a merger could take place by July 1.

Meanwhile, Amato said the coalition plans to open an office in Milwaukee this summer to expand its Wisconsin senior Medicare patrol, which aims to prevent healthcare fraud, waste and abuse.

The coalition's elder financial empowerment project recently received payments late from the government, resulting in temporary layoffs for two employees for less than two weeks in late March and early April, Amato said. The project has received new grant funding and is back on track, he said.

The coalition has the equivalent of six full-time employees. It sold its building, at 2850 Dairy Drive, for $850,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank. Its new space is at 6320 Monona Drive.
The Middleton-Cross Plains School District no longer wants responsibility for oversight of the controversial Jesus Lunches attended by its students.

School officials plan to ask the city of Middleton to cancel the districts lease of Firemans Park, effective immediately, so it can turn over regulation of the park located near Middleton High School to the city, district superintendent Don Johnson wrote Monday in an email to district staffers and parents.

Some district officials wanted to stop the Christian lunch gatherings in the park based on a district policy that religious or political events have no place on school property unless they are sponsored by a student group.

Johnson said in the message it was the best option for the district that faces legal action if changes arent made.

But city attorney Matt Fleming said its not the best option for everybody involved in the controversy because the lunch gatherings and the growing number of student protesters that accompany them will most likely continue unabated.

Its not initially apparent to me what difference (ending the lease) makes, he said.

This is something that needs to calm down, and there isnt anything the city will do, if theres no lease, to fundamentally change anything.

Weekly lunch gatherings of parents and students at Firemans Park began in 2014. As the gatherings have grown in popularity  as many as 400 students and protesters now attend  the parents who organized and led them have been at odds with district officials over their legality.

Lunch organizers believe the park is a public spot, and no laws forbid them from having lunch there. They also said they share their food with students who dont participate in spiritual talks.

Johnson wrote in his message that Fleming believes the districts authority to enforce school rules in Firemans Park under the lease is questionable, and that the city has no interest in litigation to resolve the ambiguities in the language.

Fleming didnt disagree. The only legal problems they might have right now, they brought on to themselves, he said. Their school rules only apply to school people. It is a public park, and I dont think anything untoward was happening.

Middleton Police Chief Charles Foulke said the feedback district officials have been receiving from both sides of the issue  in emails, phone calls and social media  has been hateful, ugly, uncalled for and unfair.

Butwhile he understands the districts position, Foulke expressed disappointment in it because discipline for student violations in the park is better handled by the school than police or the court system.

If a student commits a minor infraction, either nothing will happen or someone will be arrested and will go to municipal court. Thats an unfortunate consequence of the whole event, he said.

The co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which has helped rally opposition to the event, suggested that Middleton High School close its doors during the lunch period.

The only answer to this problem is to go closed campus, she said. If they dont close campus, this could grow out of control.The district plans to meet with city officials and Fleming to suggest park rules that conform with city, state, and federal law, and that are consistent with other city regulations governing public parks. ... As the parameters for park use are confirmed and updated, we expect that student well-being and the smooth operation of Middleton High School remain a top priority, Johnson wrote in the letter.One change that Foulke plans to suggest is to change an existing law allowing anyone over 21 to drink in the park during school hours. I certainly dont advocate that, he said.
The organization that claims to be the hacking arm of ISIS published a list of 3,600 New Yorkers in a supposed hit list.

American officials played down the seriousness of the threat.

"Every so often, some groupputs out names to scare people. So far, praise God, there's been no follow-up on any of this, said New York Senator Charles Schumer, who suggested this was not the work of the Islamic State.

The FBI spent much of the last few days making sure it contacted Americans on the list issued by United Cyber Caliphate.

More HERE
Sales of compact segment, comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz, Dzire and Baleno increased by 8 per cent to 45,700 units in April as against 42,297 units a year ago.

By India Today Web Desk: Auto makers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor and M&M began the new financial year with robust sales in April as also two-wheeler majors Hero MotoCorp and Honda Motorcycles & Scooters.

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said its domestic sales increased by 16.2 per cent during the month to 1,17,045 units as against 1,00,709 units in April 2015.

ALSO READ: Hyundai sales up 5.7 per cent at 54,420 units in April

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"Driving this robust growth for Maruti Suzuki are the new premium offerings Ciaz, Baleno, Vitara Brezza and S Cross. Communicating a new design philosophy, powered with new technologies and innovations, some of these products are on wait list," MSI Executive Director, Marketing & Sales R S Kalsi told PTI.

The company is making all efforts to improve availability of Baleno and Brezza to meet commitment to customers, he added.

ALSO READ: Honda Cars expects sales to grow in double digits with upcoming BR-V

The company saw sales of its utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara, Ertiga, S-Cross and recently launched compact SUV Vitara Brezza surge over 3-fold to 16,044 units from 4,452 units a year ago.

Sales of compact segment, comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz, Dzire and Baleno increased by 8 per cent to 45,700 units in April as against 42,297 units a year ago.

However, sales of mini-segment cars including, Alto and WagonR declined 9.9 per cent to 31,906 units compared with 35,403 units in the year-ago period.

ALSO READ: Tata Motors global sales rise by 11 per cent in March

Rival Hyundai Motor Ltd (HMIL) India's domestic sales rose 9.7 per cent to 42,351 units last month as compared to 38,601 units a year ago.

"In an industry seeing challenges on rural sales and diesel vehicle sales, Hyundai continued its growth momentum with volume growth of 9.7 per cent over last year with strong performance of... Creta, Elite i20, Grand," HMIL senior vice- president sales and marketing Rakesh Srivastava said.

Home-grown utility vehicle major Mahindra & Mahindra saw its domestic sales growing 14 per cent at 39,357 units last month compared with 34,467 units in April 2015.

ALSO READ: Mercedes Benz posts record sales at 13,558 units in India

The company's Chief Executive (automotive division) Pravin Shah said the company expects to maintain its growth momentum with wide range of product portfolio as well as the new launches of variants and refreshes.

Commenting on the diesel ban issue, he said, "We do hope that the Honourable Supreme Court, while taking a decision on diesel vehicles ban in NCR region on May 9, will take cognisance of all the facts, including the role that the automotive industry plays in the country's industrial growth."

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After China, Canadian canned air company looks to capture market in India: Read to know more.

By India Today Web Desk: After capturing a large market in Beijing, the Canadian company Vitality Air is about to sell 'fresh' canned air in India.

Keeping the World Health Organisation's report in mind, which tagged New Delhi as the most polluted city, the Vitality Air will release the 'air bottles' at Rs 12.50 per breath. The bottled air is available in 3-litre and 8-litre cans, with twin-packs costing between Rs 1,450 and Rs 2,800.

Image source: Vitality Air website

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Here are some points you must know:



The Canadian firm plans to sell canned 'natural' air collected from the Canadian Rockies in southwestern Canada

Vitality Air has developed a huge consumer base over seven cities in China including Beijing and Shanghai

It has already shipped around 12,000 units to China

When asked about the manufacturing process, Vitality Air's founder Moses Lam said that the company packs around 150,000 litres of air per session in Banff, Alberta in Canada. The process takes around 40 hours

Vancouver-based business-person Justin Dhaliwal is managing Vitality Air's Indian ties. He said that around 100 bottles have arrived in New Delhi for test-marketing

Samples of Vitality Air have been sent to the Canadian High Commission here, and the company has already started online and promotional marketing.





WATCH: Vitality Air commercial ad (Source: Youtube/VitalityAir)

Interested in General Knowledge and Current Affairs? Click here to stay informed and know what is happening around the world with our G.K. and Current Affairs section.



To get more updates on Current Affairs, send in your query by mail toeducation.intoday@gmail.com.

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The Supreme Court will hear the review petition of Maharashtra government on Tuesday to allow the state level MH-CET this year for aspiring medical students on the basis of a petition filed by the state government on Monday.

By India Today Web Desk: The Supreme Court will hear the review petition of Maharashtra government on Tuesday, May 3, to allow the state level MH-CET to be carried out this year for aspiring medical students, on the basis of a petition filed by the state government on Monday.



NEET Phase-I: The students could not cover the entire syllabus for the examination



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The Indian Medical Association also reached out to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday for a temporary implementation of MH-CET for students this year. The students who appeared for NEET phase I exam on Sunday stated they could not cover the entire syllabus for NEET examination as they prepared for MH-CET and there is a difference in the syllabus pattern for both the examinations.



President of IMA Maharashtra, Dr. Jayesh Lele says:



President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra, Dr. Jayesh Lele told The Indian Express, "Implementation of NEET, a single common entrance, has definitely some advantages no doubt, but it should be implemented after making necessary changes in the curriculum and with proper duration for study."



Lele added that while SC asked MCI and CBSE for its opinion, IMA's stand was not represented.



MH-CET will be conducted on May 5: Vinod Tawde



However, the minister of medical education department Vinod Tawde tweeted that MH-CET will be conducted on May 5 as scheduled.





Click here for more education related news.

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Students scheduled to appear for the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) launched an agitation in Salt Lake, West Bengal on Monday, May 2, demanding the state government to oppose the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses and move the Supreme Court.

By Indo-Asian News Service, India Today Web Desk: Students scheduled to appear for the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) launched an agitation in Salt Lake, West Bengal on Monday, May 2, demanding the state government to oppose the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses and move the Supreme Court.



The future of thousands of JEE candidates in the dark: Reaction of students in Bengal:

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A section of students said that in the wake of a common all-India medical entrance test, the state level JEEs to be held on May 17 would be scrapped, putting "the future of thousands of JEE candidates in the dark".



View of All India Democratic Students' Organisation:



"States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh are opposing the NEET and are going to hold their state level entrance exams. Some of them are also planning to move the SC. But our state government didn't clarify its stand," said a statement by the protesting students led by All India Democratic Students' Organisation.



"We demand the state government immediately oppose the NEET and move the Supreme Court to save the future of thousands of students," it said.



The students resorted to sloganeering and rammed through police barricades to submit a memorandum to the state director of Medical Education at Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake.



Apex Court will hear a batch of petition regarding NEET examination on Tuesday:



On Tuesday, the Apex Court will hear a petition seeking that NEET may not be forced on states and they be allowed to conduct their own entrance examination.



Various states aggrieved by SC order:



Various states, besides the associations of private medical colleges, are aggrieved by the apex court's Friday order reiterating that admission to undergraduate medical courses will be only through NEET which is to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).



Last week, the Supreme Court in their judgement said that the aspiring students have to appear in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to under-graduate medical courses and declined the pleas for exemption by Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.



Click here for more education related news.

Read: NEET Phase 1 2016: Paper leaked in Varanasi

Read: NEET 2016: Second phase test only for new candidates







--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From Gurdip Singh

Singapore, May 3 (PTI) Singapore has detained eight radicalised Bangladeshi supporters of the Islamic State terror group for plotting terror attacks back home as part of efforts to overthrow the Bangladeshi government, the Home Ministry here said today.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the eight men, who were migrant workers in Singapore, were detained in April under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and were members of a secret group called Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB) that was set up in March this year.

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The suspects, working in Singapores construction and marine industries, intended to join ISIS as foreign fighters but felt that it would be difficult for them to travel to Syria and therefore focused their plans on returning home to overthrow the Bangladeshi government by using force.

Investigations showed that the group had identified several possible attack targets in Bangladesh, the ministry said.

In a document titled We Need for Jihad Fight recovered from their leader and founder of ISB, Rahman Mizanur, 31, there was a list of Bangladeshi government and military officials who could be targeted for attacks, it said.

Rahman as the founder of the group also possessed documents on weapons and bomb making, as well as significant amount of ISIS and al-Qaeda material, which he used to recruit ISB members in Singapore from January this year, the ministry said.

The members had also planned to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore to expand their group and had raised funds to buy firearms to carry out their planned terror attacks in Bangladesh.

The ministry said their money has since been seized.

The group posed a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to use violence overseas.

The detained ISB members are still under investigation for their activities in Singapore, the ministry said.

Rahman has said he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS, though there are no specific indications that Singapore had been selected as a target.

Several of the detained persons may also be liable for prosecution for terror financing, the ministry said.

Besides the eight detained, another five Bangladeshi workers in Singapore were also being investigated under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

While investigations showed they were not involved with ISB, they had "possessed and/or proliferated jihadi-related materials or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause". PTI GS ASK AKJ ASK

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Aman Verma has also starred in India's first-ever daily soap Shanti and popular soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.

Can you guess who this TV star is?

By India Today Web Desk: Television actor Aman Verma, who participated in the ninth season of Bigg Boss, recently shared his childhood picture on Instagram. The actor recently lost his father Colonel YK Verma in a tragic road accident. The actor was also supposed to get married on March 29 this year, but the wedding has been postponed indefinitely now.

Though the actor made his TV debut with the serial Pachpan Khambe Laal Diwar with Meeta Vashishta in 1987, he's best known for his role of Anupam Kapadia in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. He also played an important role in India's first-ever daily soap Shanti. The actor is also known for his hosting stints in Khullja Sim Sim, Zee Cinestars and Indian Idol. His other popular soaps are Kalash, Devi, Kumkum, Teen Bahuraaniyaan, Na Aana Is Des Laado, SuperCops vs Supervillains. He also participated in reality shows like Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao and most recently Bigg Boss 9.

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Here's another throwback picture that he shared on Instagram.



With my first pet ... a GERMAN SHEPHERD ... when I was 19 ... A photo posted by aman yatan verma (@amanyatanverma) on Apr 30, 2016 at 9:25am PDT

Another Bigg Boss 9 contestant Digangana Suryavanshi shared her childhood group picture. Take a look.

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BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has claimed that Guido Haschke served as a Director in 2009 in real estate major Emaar-MGF. The real estate company, according to Somaiya, was promoted by Rahul Gandhi's aide Kanishka Singh's family.

By India Today Web Desk: "I am always being targeted, happy to be targeted," Rahul Gandhi said today. The Congress vice-president's short and pointed remark was in response to the relentless attack that the BJP has mounted on the main Opposition party and the Gandhi family in connection with the AgustaWestland chopper scandal.

The BJP has been demanding Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to come out clean on the VVIP chopper deal and now it has dragged her son Rahul into the controversy too.

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Here's how Rahul Gandhi is being linked to the scam:

BJP's Kirit Somaiya has claimed that there is evidence that links both Sonia and Rahul directly to the Rs 3,600 crore chopper deal. Somaiya said that Guido Haschke, one of three middlemen of the deal whom India wants to quiz, served as a Director in 2009 in real estate major Emaar-MGF. The real estate company, according to Somaiya, was promoted by Kanishka Singh's family. Singh is one of the top political advisors of Rahul Gandhi and is considered very close to him. The BJP and the Congress have traded charges on the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal both in Parliament and outside, with BJP chief Amit Shah earlier targeting Sonia Gandhi. In a direct attack on Sonia Gandhi, Shah asked at whose behest the contract terms in the chopper deal were tweaked. "When the AgustaWestland chopper deal was being finalised, Sonia Gandhi was the Congress president and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was in power. Their ministers were negotiating the deal," the BJP chief had said last week.



'Have nothing to do with Emaar-MGF'

Kanishka Singh has junked reports about his association with Emaar-MGF. Singh claimed that he has been on estranged terms with the Rajiv Gupta family, which owns the real estate firm.

Kanishka Singh and his mother have also challenged in court the Will of Ved Prakash Gupta propounded by Rajiv Gupta in 2005. The matter is pending in court



Also Read:

Sonia Gandhi on VVIP chopper scam: Not afraid, what was the government doing for 2 years?



What is AgustaWestland chopper deal? Why is Sonia Gandhi under attack for it?



--- ENDS ---
Michel, denying his lawyer's claim, said, "I am ready to submit documents and proof related to the case through the Indian embassy," adding that he "will be hiring an Indian lawyer very soon?" and was "willing to move Indian courts very soon."

By India Today Web Desk: In a big twist to the AgustaWestland investigation, Italian middleman Christian Michel has told India Today in an exclusive interview that 'turning approver was out of question'.

Michel, denying his lawyer's claim, said, "I am ready to submit documents and proof related to the case through the Indian embassy," adding that he "will be hiring an Indian lawyer very soon" and was "willing to move Indian courts very soon."

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Michel made it clear that he had never met the Gandhi (Sonia and Rahul) family ever. He said, "I have sued Hascke and am willing to give proof."

He also said, "I gave no favours to any journos either. The job was to monitor and follow media."

Meanwhile, after sustained cross-examination and being confronted with hard evidence on the AgustaWestland chopper deal, ex-Air Chief SP Tyagi admitted today to having met officials of Finmeccanica, including Georgio Zapa, the then COO, in 2005 in India, CBI officials said.

Tyagi had been evasive on Monday but today he was forced to admit he met the officials after being confronted with the visitor's diary and registers.

According to sources, the CBI will now zoom in on details about his international travel after retirement. The former Air Chief has admitted to having financial interests in three companies - Vanshi, Anuras and Shavan.

However, during investigation the name of a new company surfaced. This fourth company is called Meghanshu.

Tyagi has been named in the FIR in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP helicopter deal along with 13 others including his brothers - Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep - and European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.



VVIP chopper scam: Ex-Air Chief SP Tyagi admits to meeting officials of Finmeccanica, claims CBI



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The department of forensic medicine has preserved the body in the mortuary as per the court's order after it was identified by the family.

By Sneha Agrawal: Two days after Mohammed Afsar Ansari's mortal remains reached Delhi, his family on Monday moved an application seeking the conduct of post mortem again. Suspecting foul play in his death, the family sought court's direction for a post mortem.

Mohammed Afsar's body has been kept in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after being flown from Saudi Arabia. Justice Siddharth Mridul, who is hearing the petition, issued a notice to the hospital and directed it to preserve the body. The next date of hearing in the case is May 5.

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The department of forensic medicine has preserved the body in the mortuary as per the court's order after it was identified by the family.

The family had claimed that Ansari wanted to quit his job as a bulldozer operator in a construction company as he felt he was being exploited by his employers and was killed by his employer after he expressed his desire to quit the job and return to India. They claim that Ansari's employer even videotaped the entire incident to intimidate other workers.

The Government of India had earlier told the court that the Indian Embassy was informed by Saudi officials that the first autopsy report of Ansari indicated that the cause of death was due to hanging but the when the family of the deceased expected foul play, a request was made for the second autopsy report which showed that the death was caused due to suffocation. The second report also added that the body had signs of injuries on the left side of the face, including left ear and neck.

Mohammed Afsar Ansari, a young man from Jharkhand, got himself a job in a construction company in Saudi Arabia. Two years later, his wife Noushaba Bano through her counsel Jose Abraham, moved an application seeking direction of her husband's body to be transported to India.

Also read: Saudi horror: Indian woman fights to get husband's mortal remains back





--- ENDS ---
On Monday, major protests against the arrest of a secretary of an Monpa Community organisation in the town of Tawang left two persons dead and more than two dozen injured.

By Manogya Loiwal : Arunachal Pradesh is known as the Land of Rising Sun but recently it seems to be turning into the Land of Rising Corruption with firing and violent protests as scars on its scenic beauty.

On Monday, major protests against the arrest of a secretary of an Monpa Community organisation in the town of Tawang left two persons dead and more than two dozen injured.

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Lama Lobsang Gyatso is the Secretary of Save Mon Region Federation (SMRF0), an organisation of the Monpa community in the Mon-Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh spear-headed by Buddhist Lamas.

The group has been advocating socio-culturally and ecologically sensitive development in the Mon-Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh. This has included protesting against ecologically destructive hydropower projects, demanding accountability in execution government schemes and development projects, as well as exposing corruption.

The National Green Tribunal had recently, on April 7th, 2016 suspended the environmental clearance of the 780 MW Nyamjang Chhu project in response to an Appeal filed by the Save Mon Region Federation.

The Tribunal had asked for a fresh impact assessment studies, public hearing for local people and appraisal by the Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley & Hydroelectric projects and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

A major issue was the impact on the wintering habitat of the black-necked crane, a vulnerable bird considered sacred by the Buddhist Monpa community, considered an embodiment of the 6th Dalai Lama who was from Tawang and wrote about the bird in his poetry.

Lobsang Gyatso and SMRF have been supporting villagers in recording their objections against other destructive hydropower projects in Tawang too.

On April 26th Lama Lobsang Gyatso was first arrested for allegedly leading a group of people from Gongkhar village where the 6 MW Mukto Shakangchu project is coming up. SMRF is opposed to the reconstruction of spillway of the small project as they say that work quality has been compromised with prevalent corruption in the region and services.



He was arrested based after an FIR filed by the Personel security officer of local MLA Pema Khandu for disrupting peace but was soon left on bail.

Again on April 28th, Lobsang Gyatso was arrested for his alleged critical comments against Guru Rinpoche, the Abbot of Tawang Monastery.

The locals and his empathisers had gathered to demand the release of Gyatso when the police opened fired flouting its basic rule book of using tear gas shells or water cannons.

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Tension still prevails in the state raising the question of corruption in the land of rising sun.



Also read:

President's Rule lifted in Arunachal Pradesh, Kalikho Pul takes oath as chief minister

Supreme Court clears government formation in Arunachal Pradesh





--- ENDS ---
When Bangladeshi blogger and social activist Ashif Entaz Rabi seeked help, Bangladeshi authorities told him they couldn't protect him, saying he'd need the kind of security usually reserved for the prime minister to keep him safe.

By AP: When Bangladeshi blogger and social activist Ashif Entaz Rabi hosted a TV talk show about a slaying of a publisher by Islamic extremists, he faced a torrent of threatening phone calls. He says young men with earpieces started loitering outside his workplace, and a militant website urged followers to "send this Ashif to Allah."

But Bangladeshi authorities told him they couldn't protect him, saying he'd need the kind of security usually reserved for the prime minister to keep him safe. Instead, they told him to take care of himself, and write something good about Islam and the government.

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Rabi, 37, is in Washington at the invitation of a human rights group, calling attention to the dozens of writers and bloggers who fear they could be the next victim of a wave of savage attacks on liberals and religious minorities in Bangladesh. The violence has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the traditionally moderate Muslim nation.

Tuesday marks World Press Freedom Day, and a coalition of rights groups are calling for a UN backed inquiry into the killings because Bangladesh's government has failed to address the situation. They say "an atmosphere of complete impunity" in the South Asian nation is emboldening the killers. Since the beginning of 2015, at least nine intellectuals, academics, writers, bloggers, and activists have been hacked to death in targeted assassinations.

Also read:



Bangladeshi secular bloggers should "control" their writings

Al-Qaeda offshoot claims responsibility for killing Bangladeshi student



--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: Having been married to a 'startup man' for over six years, I am sure about one thing--my marriage has totally different dynamics than other, 'regular' marriages. Marriage in itself is a tough job, but what I call a 'startup marriage' is a whole new level. So, my dear 'not so better half', if you are still hanging in there, good job, you!

That said, if you are still wondering if both of you have hit rock bottom, let's just say that sometimes you learn the hard way; the way yours truly did. So, here are four things that will become 'normal' in your life if you're playing spouse to a 'startup man'.

1. Get used to waiting

Yes, there is going to be a lot of waiting. Learn to wait for that phone call to get over so that you can have a meal together; for that last-minute meeting to get over when you were just about to step out together; for him to finish that 'really urgent' work when you are out on vacation. And while you are waiting, don't let your mind wander to dicey territories like 'why am I still here' or 'when will all this end' or 'I want to burn down his startup to the ground', and don't give in to fantasies like throwing away the damn cell phone out of the window! Coz that ain't happening!

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Know that you are there because that person means the world to you and they feel the same way about you. I say you will need to 'know' because they will not have the time to repeat and reassure. Know that they were looking forward to the time together, but simply cannot avoid that call. I'd say make the most of the time you have, because you don't want to regret tomorrow for blowing off the evening due to one phone call (or two, or three). Make peace with the fact that there is a lot of... well, waiting.

2. One love?

Over the years, reading and watching rom-coms has instilled the idea of 'one love' in our minds, which makes it hard for us to believe and accept that our partner can have another love in their life. I am not promoting infidelity here, just saying that your spouse is in love with an idea, a dream he has had for a long time, and you have to learn to make peace with his love for it. Honestly, think about it, when do you know you are in love? When something occupies your thoughts all day, when you lose your appetite if it's not working out with them. Now, think about how your spouse's startup fills his days and you will know what I mean. So, whether you like to believe it or not, you are not the only one in their lives and you will need to learn to share their love, all your life!

3. Do not make them choose

The biggest fear of a 'startup spouse' is that their partner will choose the venture over them. For all you know, they just might! So, don't force them into a choice. If you think about it objectively, when you want them to choose between the marriage and the startup, your are tearing them between the two things that mean the most to them. The fact that you are not supportive of something that gives them the purpose of life hurts them the most. So, put yourself in their shoes and understand how hard a choice it would be. Know in your heart that they will choose you over anything in this world, but you would not force them to make such a hard choice, because, love! And for you, they are the 'only one'.

4. Ensure your survival

There are so many stressful days and nights that you want to give up all of yourself for their startup. Those days, do it, and support them, but remember that it takes two to tango. If you totally lose yourself, the startup will be the only thing left in your marriage. So, learn to draw a line on how much of your mental and physical bandwidth you are willing to dedicate to the business. Create time for yourself and pursue your hobbies and interests. It is difficult to create that time for yourself with so much happening around, but do yourself that favour.

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All said and done, yours truly has had her share of lows and gloomy days and they will continue to come and go. But I don't regret my life and I would never choose any other over this, as when I look beside me, the man who holds my hand not only dares to dream big, he also has what it takes to make his dreams come true (nonetheless, he had the cell phone glued to the other hand).

Manu Nath Jain is working as a senior manager in an American consulting major. She is married to Anubhav Jain, co-founder and CEO of Studybud. She also heads content development in his startup.

GIFs courtesy: Tumblr


Raising the issue of drugs menace prevalent among children, Dubey wondered what agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) were doing when instances of drug smuggling from across the border were being reported with alleged involvement of BSF personnel.

By Mail Today: BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey flagged a Mail Today story on the alleged involvement of some BSF officials in smuggling across the border and urged the government to address the issue. "Such issues usually do not get mentioned in Parliament. I thought it was required even though I am ruling party member," Dubey told Mail Today later on.

Raising the issue of drugs menace prevalent among children, Dubey wondered what agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) were doing when instances of drug smuggling from across the border were being reported with alleged involvement of BSF personnel. The problem, he said, was more dangerous in India. Dubey pointed out that per day around 55,000 children were falling prey to smoking, which was less than 3,000 in the US.

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Pointing a finger at the alleged nexus of security officials in smuggling of drugs across border, the BJP MP said the involvement of some people from African nations was also reported in the smuggling.

Speaking about the liquor ban enforced by the Bihar government and the prohibition which will be enforced in Kerala later on, Dubey said he fully supported the move but argued that several narcotic substances were available to the young as also cough syrups.

He questioned why countries like Singapore and Dubai had hanging as penalty for drug peddling while India had no such deterrent.

A group of men hurriedly crossing the India-Bangladesh border with loaded containers as Border Security Force (BSF) men turn a blind eye was caught on camera, exposing the relationship between security officials and crime syndicates involved in smuggling and illegal migration.

These brazen and unlawful crossovers took place as the smuggling mafia finds it easy to grease the palms of officials manning the frontier.

The illegal crossing over is captured clearly on cameras used by the Border Security Force itself for effective surveillance in border areas.



Also read:

Exposed: BSF turns blind eye to porous India-Bangladesh border, smuggling continues



--- ENDS ---
In a world where the internet and social media has taken over every aspect of life, there exists a quaint tiny Italian village with hardly any connectivity to the World Wide Web. An artist decided to take this place and give it a cyber makeover. But no, it's not quite what you think.

By Mohak Gupta:

Italian artist Biancoshock , who is from Milan, visited the tiny province of Campobasso for a project "WEB 0.0" and created these reflections of social media in rural settings.



No, that telephone booth is not a prop from Doctor Who. This is a village where telephone booths still function, far from the shadow of WhatsApp.



Forget the Facebook wall, these folks have a real wall, where they like discussions by others or poke each other and have a hearty laugh.



Home tweet home. This is the town's bench strength, where residents meet to gossip, the real world version of retweeting.



We don't know if this lady is the towns' official storehouse for information, that is, its own in-house Wikipedia.

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The local grocer may just be more popular than eBay in this village.



Forget Gmail, this inbox may not have a 5 GB limit but it works well.



Where do you go for your virus shots? Why, the medical store of course. Anti-virus company Avast could do well to get into the chemist business.



This is the local YouTube. No buffering issues here.



The village has its own romantic spot. Now, that's how you do Tinder in real life.





For social media addicts, this village may just be what the doctor ordered. Far from the maddening internet crowd.




By PTI: Cairo, May 3 (PTI) Cash-strapped Islamic State terror group has taken to selling chickens and eggs in the streets of Libyas Sirte at a "very cheap price" in an apparent sign of its deepening financial woes, according to a media report.

"When IS took over Sirte, they seized many properties, including farms, and some of these are very large chicken farms," a former resident told Middle East Eye, an online news portal.

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According to former residents from the ISIS stronghold of Sirte, militants have implemented rental and taxation systems, with a side-line in poultry.

"Relatives tell me IS people can now be seen standing in the streets in their black outfits with their faces covered, selling both the eggs and the chickens. And they are selling the chickens for a very cheap price of just one or two dinars," the source was quoted as saying.

Another indication that IS finances were stretched was a series of demands for rent, he said.

Shopkeepers were being forced to pay, despite owning their shops, as well as 10 Libyan dinars (USD7.35) per week was being charged for street cleaning and rubbish collection services.

Residents, too, have received demands for rent.

"There are some luxury beach apartments on the coast of Sirte, which used to belong to (late Libyan leader Muammar) Gaddafi, but where local people have lived since 2011, and IS visited people there and demanded rent money," he said.

ISIS is besieged by various international parties in Iraq, Syria and Libya and can only generate revenue from taxing the residents living under its control or through illicit means, such as the sale of antiquities captured in the countries it has swept across, natural resources from its captured oil fields and its sex slave trade, according to the American weekly Newsweek magazine.

Some residents travel to the nearby region of Al-Jufra to buy cigarettes for normal Libyan prices because of the extortionate rates under ISIS backdoor market, a man claiming to be a resident of Sirte, was quoted as saying.

"(Al-Jufra) is the closest city to Sirte. Its the ordinary prices in all of the cities except Sirte," the man said.

"If they capture you with a cigarette for first time, you will be flogged, second time, flogged, third time, maybe killed," he said.

In IS-controlled Bin Jawad, 150km to the east of Sirte, militants have reinstated Gaddafi-era banknotes in a bid to shore up their finances.

"Daesh (ISIS) are forcing shopkeepers to accept the old Libyan money," another former resident said. PTI ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
British star Colin Firth told his martial arts trainer that he has never used his legs for anything other than getting "to and from the car". The Kingsman actor also added that he had "never thrown a punch" before.

By Bang Showbiz: Colin Firth warned the stuntman on Kingsman The Golden Circle that he had "never thrown a punch" and his legs were for getting "to and from the car".

The 55-year-old actor played secret service agent Harry Hart, who was forced to defend himself by embarking on a one-man killing spree in a church in the action spy-thriller, and felt compelled to warn professional martial arts teacher Damien Walter to "be patient" with him, because he'd never been in a real fight before.

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Damien, who worked opposite Daniel Craig on Skyfall and Michael Fassbender on the forthcoming Assasin's Creed film - exclusively told BANG Showbiz, "Colin Firth was great, I spent three months with him teaching him the fight in the church. We spent two to three hours a day every day, for three months.

"The funny thing with that was when he came in (on the first day) he said, 'I've never thrown a punch in my life, never done anything with my legs, my legs are for getting me to and from my car, and that's it.' And I said, 'OK'. So we literally started from scratch. He said 'Be patient with me'."

And Damien - who has since performed a back flip over a speeding race car, ahead of the annual Formula E event which took place at ePrix in Paris last month - was able to fully prepare Colin for the intense scene, by taking it "step by step".

He added, "We were told it's going to be as violent as possible so make it as violent as you can. So the way we choreographed it, we literally did make it as violent as possible... So we took it step by step. By the end of it he was quite into it. It's about teaching people in the right way. If you can break something down enough they'll get it."

However, Colin wasn't completely telling the truth, as he once lunged at Hugh Grant when he fought for the affections of Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones Diary, but the scuffle ended with them both falling into a fountain.

--- ENDS ---
Malaika Arora was in news for her separation with husband Arbaaz Khan. And according to some reports, Arjun Kapoor was said to be the reason behind Azbaaz-Malaika split. Reportedly, earlier this week, the 2 states actor had visited Malaika at her Khar residence in the wee hours.

By India Today Web Desk: Malaika Arora was in news for her separation with husband Arbaaz Khan. And according to some reports, Arjun Kapoor was said to be the reason behind Azbaaz-Malaika split. Earlier, there were rumours that Malaika had an extra-marital affair with Arjun, after the Ki And Ka actor broke up with Salman Khan's sister Arpita.

ALSO READ: Malaika and Arbaaz have finally confirmed their separation. Here's what they have to say

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But now it seems that Arjun is again getting close to Malaika. According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, earlier this week, the 2 states actor had visited Malaika at her Khar residence in the wee hours.

A photographer told the leading daily, "We were standing outside her house as we got a tip-off that Arjun Kapoor might come there late in the night. When his car arrived, we didn't click any pictures because then he would have left immediately. We saw that his driver came out to see if there are any photographers and after doing a thorough check, he went inside. After a few minutes, the driver took the car inside and Arjun got off."

"He told us that Arjun had called and asked them to clear the paparazzi. The policeman wasn't rude to us and simply told us to leave, which we did," added the photographer. However, Arjun's spokesperson has denied all such reports.

Earlier, there were reports that after Maliaka and Arbaaz's separation, Malaika met Arjun at an event and since then the two have been in constant touch and this hasn't gone down well with Arbaaz.

On the work front, Arjun Kapoor was last seen on the silver screen in R Balki's film Ki And Ka.

--- ENDS ---
Clinical Delhi Daredevils had a perfect revenge to their close one-run defeat in their last match by thrashing Gujarat Lions by eight wickets in Rajkot.

By India Today Web Desk: Clinical Delhi Daredevils had a perfect revenge to their close one-run defeat in their last match by thrashing Gujarat Lions by eight wickets in Rajkot. The 18-year-old Rishabh Pant along with Quinton de Kock scripted Delhi's run-chase of 150 runs to perfection by putting up a solid opening partnership.

Opting to bat, Delhi bowlers did well to restrict Gujarat to 149/7 and for the hosts Dinesh Karthik was the top-scorer with a 43-ball 53. However, Gujarat's skipper was quick to accept that the batsmen didn't rise to the occasion.

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"It's disappointing and even in the previous game, we didn't bat well. They had a brilliant partnership in the first six overs. Still we have a long way to go and have to play well, Raina said. (Rishabh Pant's fifty sees Delhi thrash Gujarat )



Dwayne Bravo who didn't feature in this match due to an injury, was missed by his captain and team, especially for his bowling.

"More than the batting, Bravo's bowling with all the variations were missed," Raina said.

This was Gujarat's last game at home and Raina would have wanted to sign off on a winning note, but promised to do well in the upcoming away matches.

"We will be playing a few games away from home now, and we have done well in away games. I also want to thank the people of Gujarat for their support."

Delhi after this win have leaped to second position with five wins from seven matches, while Gujarat are still sitting pretty on the top with 12 points.



--- ENDS ---
It's true--emojis are sexist. So, Cosmopolitan magazine got illustrator Divya Tak to create some realistic, women-centric emojis (and they're awesome to say the least)!

By Aishwarya Dravid: How would a girl say 'I want to be an astronaut' in emoji? She can't. Because it doesn't exist.

In fact, there isn't a single 'activity' emoji with a female version-except a receptionist and a bride. Which is why it's hardly a surprise that when sanitary napkin brand, Always, asked young girls if they thought emojis represented them during their #LikeAGirl campaign, the answer was 'No'. So we decided to create some of our own. Cosmopolitan magazine got illustrator Divya Tak to create some realistic, women-centric emojis (and they're awesome to say the least)! Lose the pink and hair flips--it's 2016 people.

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Also read: Emojis: A past, present and future of those tiny pictures

Girl power all the way!



The surfer

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

After seeing Kate Bosworth own the waves in Blue Crush in 2002, we all shadow surfed in our rooms. Seriously!

The swimmer

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

Come on! We feared the deep end of the pool just the same. Just make sure you draw on a pretty suit.

The basketball player

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

There's a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in case you didn't know. Pity there isn't an emoji!

Also read: Now you can even express your period with these period-themed emojis



The detective

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

Sure, Sherlock Holmes was pretty cool, but didn't you ever read Nancy Drew? 'Detective' was a serious career choice. Ask any girl.

The paramedic

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

Seriously? We don't remember Florence Nightingale being a man. So, this one's a given. Plus, Grey's Anatomy!

The horse-rider

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

Studies suggest that there are actually more female riders than men. Guess nobody told the emoji guys that!

The cop

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

Surprising that this one doesn't exist already. Um, hello? Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock in The Heat. Totally bad*ss!

The skier

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

It's a recreational activity, for crying out loud. Like walking. We're definitely rooting for this one.

The cyclist

Picture courtesy: Divya Tak for Cosmopolitan

Last time we checked, a bicycle didn't care if you were a boy or a girl. About time emojis fixed that.

This article originally appeared in the April issue of Cosmopolitan.



--- ENDS ---
Places like Latur and Beed are the worst hit. The situation is so bad that the government had to rush a 50-wagon water train to the parched region. But all in vain, as India Today's special investigation reveals.

As Marathwada witnesses one of the worst droughts that the region has seen in the past century, water tankers arranged by the government for thirsty villages are being diverted and sold for Rs 2,000 each by local administrators to rich businessmen.

Places like Latur and Beed are the worst hit. The situation is so bad that the government had to rush a 50-wagon water train to the parched region. But all in vain, as India Today's special investigation reveals.

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Beed, located 137 km from Latur, is also reeling under severe water shortage. Villagers are largely dependent on water tankers arranged by the administration. Close to 800 water tankers are supplying water every day to villages across this central Maharashtra region. But is that water reaching those who really need it? India Today's special investigation team visited Beed for a reality check. And the probe revealed shocking details.

Merchants of drought:

Water tankers meant for the thirsty population of the region are being sold to businessmen for profit. The dirty business has been authorised by local administrative officers.

Our reporters posed as businessmen wanting to set up an industry in the area and met Gopal Gurkhade, the Sabhapati of Beed municipal council. The reporters told Gurkhade that they will need 2-3 tankers of water everyday.

Despite the severe water shortage, the Sabhapati of the Beed Municipal council had no problem promising 36,000 litres of water a day. Villagers may be queuing up for water for hours, but that was not Gopal Gurkhade's concern. His only concern was money.

The deal was struck - Rs 6,000 for 36,000 litres water every day. And this was not all, Gurkhade even offered protection from police and uninterrupted power supply for the factory.

India Today investigation team then met officers of Beed's Panchayat Samiti. It is the Samiti which manages the flow of water tankers to the region's thirsty villages. Our reporters got in touch with Lakshmikant, the Panchayat officer, and Ghyasuddin Zuberi, the man who handles all the accounts of the tankers. Both agreed to meet us at our hotel.

The two admitted that sending tankers for private use was a big risk, but had a simple plan to ensure that tankers reach the 'factory site' without any hitch. The tankers would deliver water at night, without any government identification on them. So, for Rs 48,000 a week, water meant for Beed's parched villagers was sold to construct a factory. There was no limit to the amount of water the reporters could ask for, as long as they had the money.

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In the course of the probe, India Today's special investigation team also met Beed's Nayab Tehsildar Kama Kute. She's supposed to have firsthand idea of the terrible situation in her district. But when the reporters told her that we needed water tankers to set up a factory, she was more than willing to help.

India Today reporters asked Kamal Kute, if she could divert a tanker meant for one of the villages to the construction site and she agreed. All she needed was permission from her boss. The special investigative team met Ashok Nandlangaonkar, Tehsildar, Beed, next.

After a brief introduction, in the first meeting itself, the Beed Tehsildar was also on board. He, however, did not talk about money. The reason was revealed to the team by his junior, Kamal Kute, later. Nandlangaonkar did not want to be caught on CCTV camera taking money. So, he sent Kute to meet the team outside office to work out the deal. The Nayab Tehsildat met the reporters with her husband at the hotel.

On the next day, Kute met India Today reporters and the deal was finalised: Rs 2,000 for one tanker. Before leaving, India Today's special investigation team met with Ashok Nandlangaonkar once again. This time they asked him if they could install a borewell at their plot. Boring beyond 200 feet is illegal in the state and a person can be jailed for defying the law. But even this illegality was not an issue with the Tehsildar.

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Marathwada is facing a dry spell. Unfortunately, water scarcity in the region has more to do with the local administration's callous attitude than nature's vagaries.



Also read: Exposed: Water tankers meant for thirsty being sold to rich businessmen in parched Marathwada

India Today Impact: Officials involved in water tanker scam suspended, probe ordered





--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Colombo, May 3 (PTI) Four former LTTE operatives have been arrested by police in Sri Lanka on suspicion of trying to revive the banned groups separatist activities.

The polices Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) yesterday issued a receipt acknowledging the arrest of one Krishnapillai Kaileshan who allegedly operated as the LTTEs eastern Batticaloa district intelligence senior.

He was being questioned, police sources said.

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It was also said that three more intelligence seniors from the eastern districts of Ampara and Batticaloa and Jaffna in the north had also been arrested in the recent days.

Northern Tamil media sources said that since March 29, some 23 former LTTE operatives had been arrested in the north and east.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said the government would not permit the revival of the LTTE and it was investigating possible attempts by individuals to organise themselves to form a new terror group.

The LTTE fought for three decades with the government to carve out a separate Tamil homeland. It was defeated by the government troops in 2009. PTI Corr NSA TRK

--- ENDS ---
UP Governor Ram Naik has accused Govinda of taking wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's help in 2004 Lok Sabha polls. The Bollywood actor has rubbished the veteran BJP leader's claims.

By India Today Web Desk: Actor Govinda has rubbished veteran BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik's claims that the Bollywood personality had taken help from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim to defeat him in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

Responding to the allegations, Govinda told India Today that attempts were being made to malign his image and also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help.

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"Ram Naikji is a senior leader and whatever he has said doesn't suit his stature. What is he trying to suggest? People of the constituency (north Mumbai) work for underworld? How did he manage to rule for 25 years? I appeal to the PM and other higher authorities to intervene in the matter," Govinda said.

"I request him (Naik) not to malign my image and create hurdles in my career," the Bollywood actor added.

Naik, in his Marathi book Chaireveti, has levelled charges against Govinda. The UP governor has also mentioned in his book that it was difficult for him to come to terms that he was defeated by 11,000 votes by a Bollywood actor.

Also Read:

Bombay film industry: Underworld connections



Govinda offers Rs 5 lakh and apology to fan he slapped



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) Power Ministry is preparing a new framework to boost hydropower development in the country by lowering the cost and removal of long-drawn clearances, a senior official said today.

"We are preparing a framework for hydropower development in the country, very soon we will take it up to the highest level in the government, so the focus is going to be back on hydro," Additional Power Secretary B P Pandey said at a conference on hydropower here.

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Hydropower is much cleaner, greener and sustainable option, he said, adding that water security is an issue in India and there is a need for storages as well.

Highlighting that reducing the cost of hydroelectric power is one of the major challenges in the hydropower sector, he suggested for financial restructuring together with innovative financing instruments.

"How do we bring down costs or tariff of hydro projects, can we overcome and remove some of the long-drawn clearance processes taking into account environmental safety as well and basin studies, can we also devise some innovative financing models in our instruments which may help to restore the investor confidence which as of now has gone down and people are really not investing apart from PSUs," Pandey said.

Speaking at the conference Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Kalikho Pul invited private players to install hydropower plants in his state and assured all necessary support.

"We will provide all support to private developers for installing and commissioning of hydropower plants with facilities of single-window clearance.

"All requirements of local coordination will be fast tracked and we will ensure that there are no barriers to investors. State is examining various options available for funding the equity participation of state including the option to exit from the same," he said, solar and hydropower should simultaneously be promoted.

He further said projects between 50-100 MW should be promoted and taken up and there is need to source subsidy funding for the same.

"With a view to raising the share of hydropower in electricity-mix of the country, the Ministry of Power may set up a green energy corridor to evacuate hydropower generation from Arunachal Pradesh and north-eastern region," he said. PTI KKS ABI

--- ENDS ---
Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, Saeed, has reportedly launched a mass recruitment drive of terrorists near the border.

By Sharat Kumar: In a fresh threat to India's security, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was recently spotted near the India-Pakistan border.

Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, Saeed, has reportedly launched a mass recruitment drive of terrorists near the border. He visited the borders near Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab at least 15 times recently, sources said.

As per an intelligence input, four to five terrorists are ready to infiltrate into India soon. The terrorists might try to infiltrate via Border outpost (BOP) Sherpura, BOP Kailash, BOP Manju or BOP Banda.

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Saeed reportedly had a meeting with the terrorists and also delivered provocative speeches at a few villages.

The JuD chief has been trying to recruit 16-17 year old kids for 21 days during which these kids were brain-washed against India.

Earlier this year, Saeed had praised the Pathankot air base attack, which martyred seven security personnel.

India has already handed over evidence of Saeed's involvement in terror activities to Pakistan. Despite that he continues to roam free in Pakistan.

Also read:

Will not allow destruction of temples in Pakistan: Hafiz Saeed



--- ENDS ---
If the natural beauty wasn't enough, here's something that will definitely make you want to travel to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

By India Today Web Desk: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is one of the most unique travel destinations in India. Thanks to the richness in its flora and fauna, along with pristine white sand beaches and stunning views of the Bay of Bengal, this set of islands always proves to be a great destination for travellers.

In a bid to promote this place and attract more tourists, Andaman's rich culture and heritage are to be promoted in India as well as abroad through areas like the performing arts, visual arts and academic conferences.

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This will be done by a strategic partnership between the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to jointly promote the rich cultural heritage of the archipelago.

"India is truly blessed with diversity. Within India, you can see the world. Islands have a very interesting, lively and celebratory manner about them," ICCR Director General C. Rajasekhar told IANS.

"They have a very distinct identity but don't get the attention that they deserve," he added.

The different ways in which the cultural heritage of the region will be promoted include cultural performances, exhibitions, literary events, artists in residences and other mutually agreed upon activities in the Islands.

The area has "a composite culture as people from the whole country settled there for it was a penal settlement developed by the British" during the pre-independence era," said Ankita Mishra, secretary of arts and culture of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

"It is like a mini-India. Within the Islands, we need to promote integration," she added.

"We expect two things: to showcase the culture of the Andamans, which are cut off from the mainland by increasing their exposure quotient to foreign cultures and to give a platform to our local artists to showcase their talent," she stated.

She also expressed concerns about literature witnessing a diminishing trend in the union territory.

"Literature needs to be developed. There is a need to provide a platform to the people. We can invite writers to the Island to write about them on anything they like," Mishra said.

"ICCR can help in identifying the writers. We can spot emerging writers from all over the world with the help of our embassies and consulates and the culture sector," Rajasekhar said.

This cooperation can help to "optimise the effort" of promoting the Islands, he added.

(With inputs from IANS)

--- ENDS ---
Marathwada is witnessing one of the worst droughts that the region has seen in the past century. Places like Latur and Beed are the worst hit.

By India Today Web Desk: Hours after India Today sting exposed the dirty business of water tankers meant for people of drought-hit Marathwada region being diverted and sold to rich businessmen, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a probe.

Speaking to India Today, the Maharashtra CM said, "Investigation has been ordered and action will be taken against the guilty."

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Earlier, two officers of Beed Panchayat Samiti Lakshmikant and Ghyasuddin Zuberi were suspended after India Today sting showed them taking money to sell water tankers meant for villagers of the parched region to reporters posing as businessmen.

Beed District Collector has also summoned Beed Zila Panchayat CEO and ordered a departmental enquiry into the case.

The collector has also asked concerned officials to report to him whether they have come across more such cases of government arranged water tankers being diverted to local industries.

People in Beed, located 137 km from Latur, are reeling under a severe water shortage. The people of the district are largely dependent on water tankers arranged by the administration. Close to 800 water tankers are supplying water everyday to villages across this central Maharashtra region.

But local administrators are diverting these water tankers to whoever can pay them in the parched region.

Also Read



Exposed: Water tankers meant for thirsty being sold to rich businessmen in parched Marathwada

India Today Impact: Officials involved in water tanker scam suspended, probe ordered

Exposed: Water tankers for drought-hit Maharashtra are being illegally sold out

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi today requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare drought a national emergency and initiate child-centric relief measures to ensure they are not forced into child labour or trafficked or compelled to leave school.

He also demanded that the unspent amount in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, especially in public sector undertakings, be directed towards child-centric drought relief measures.

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"Over 16.3 crore children from 10 states were affected by the severe drought situation. Owing to this drought and ongoing water crisis, children are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

"Reports of children being forced into child labour, trafficking, child marriage and the Devadasi system are coming to light with children increasingly dropping out from schools, discontinuation of mid-day meals and large scale migration due to this crisis," Satyarthi said.

He claimed that almost Rs 10,000 crore was lying unspent in the CSR funds, out of which Rs 3,600 crore were from public sector undertakings.

Stressing on the need for assessment of the impact of drought on children, Satyarthi said in the coming months, there is an increased risk of lakhs of children becoming victims of these circumstances.

"In this context, I urgently request you being the Prime Minister as well as the ex officio Chairperson of the National Disaster Management Authority to make children a top priority in all relief, rehabilitation work and take immediate measures to - declare drought as a national emergency, assess and analyse the effects of drought on children and ensure that no child in the drought affected areas is forced into child labour, bonded labour, child marriage, or is trafficked or compelled to leave school," he said.

Satyarthi also demanded a dedicated session of Parliament to discuss drought.

"There should at least be a dedicated session of Parliament to discuss drought and during that well know geographers and hydrologists should be called to find out a permanent solution to this perpetual problem of drought. There has to be utmost political will," he said.

"Hope the prime minister listens to the Mann ki Baat of these 16.3 crore children," Satyarthi said.

According to Satyarthis Bachpan Bachao Andolan, 35,873 children have gone missing, 22,014 abducted, 1,05,24,959 have been forced into child marriages while 74,84,416 have been pushed into child labour.

The figures, he said, were based on government records. PTI PLB SUA ZMN SUA

--- ENDS ---
From asking Muslims to become modern, slamming Sharia law to saying people have the right to remain stupid, Justice Katju is back with a bang!

By India Today Web Desk: Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju is for sure a social media enthusiast and has wrecked hell on social media with his opinionated posts on Facebook. Recently, he even called Indians 'stupid' and 'arrogant' who have no desire to learn while declaring that he will write fewer posts.

But well things are back to square one and how! In a span of one day, Kajtu posted 10 status on Facebook regarding Sharia Law and how Muslims need to become modern.

"The need for Muslims to become modern"

After claiming that he has supported Muslims whenever any 'atrocity' or 'injustice' was done to them, Kajtu articulates his problem with outdated backward feudal customs and practices among all communities.

He states the caste system among Hindus and discrimination against Dalits as examples and goes on to say that he is strongly against oral talaq and burqa among Muslims. "I support the demand of a uniform civil code," he wrote in a Facebook post.

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"Sharia was made by Allah, and so cannot be abolished. This is nonsense and humbug"

According to the 70-year-old, Sharia law has done great harm to Muslims and is the reason why they are backward. He cited vote bank politics and bigotry of some feudal minded Muslims that it has not been abolished yet.

"The very fact that oral talaq is permitted to only Muslim males, but not to females shows that Sharia treats women as inferior," reads the post.

Katju calls the practice of wearing a burqa 'stupid' and 'backward'. "If a woman wears a sari or salwar kameez surely she is not nude. Why should women be kept in a cage ? It is time now that Muslim men tell their wives and other female relatives to discard burqa, and support the demand for abolition of oral talaq."





"Women should go to scientific institutions instead of wasting their time in temples"

Katju was asked on Facebook about his views on Hindu women demanding entry in Sabarimala and Shani temples, to which he replied that that "women should go to engineering colleges, scientific institutions, medical colleges etc instead of wasting their time in temples, e.g. Sabarimala, Shani temple, etc."

"India requires more science and scientific thinking, and less of religion, for its progress."

"Right to remain stupid"

Katju received criticism for calling the practice of wearing a burqa 'stupid' and 'backward' on Facebook. A user said that women should have a right to wear what she wants and to this he replied, "absolutely. She should have a right to remain stupid if she wants. There is no law against remaining stupid, or in supporting stupidity."

But well, not all are infuriated by his display of knowledge on social media. Katju apparently got a Facebook message by a Muslim man who told him to keep posting such posts as he had read the quran and "it is nowhere written that women should wear burqa and oral talaq. This is all bakwas(crap) of bloody mullahs."
Last week, Adhyayan Suman said Kangana Ranaut was doing black magic on him. His parents Alka and Shekhar Suman repeat his claims. How much of our time do the Sumans even deserve?

By Ananya Bhattacharya: On April 28 morning, the country woke up to a shock of sorts. DNA ran the explosive interview of the long-forgotten Adhyayan Suman, and over the next few days, no one could quite shut themselves out as far as this man is concerned. Many people had to dig Adhyayan Suman back from the past just to be able to place him. Once the oh-remember-that-Adhyayan-Suman sighs were done with, people went on to read what he had to say.

ALSO READ: Aditya Pancholi's wife Zarina Wahab leaves home following his comments on Adhyayan Suman and Kangana Ranaut

ALSO READ: Kangana did black magic on him, says ex-boyfriend Adhyayan Suman

ALSO READ: Kangana's obsession with Hrithik had begun during Kites, says Adhyayan Suman

In paragraph after paragraph, the non-Bollywood (and Bollywood) people read what Adhyayan had supposedly had to go through while in a relationship with Kangana Ranaut. "My speaking out is coming from a very emotional space and I don't want to go there again. It's taken me a lot of effort to come out of this and now I am on the brink of a new beginning and a beautiful life from now on. The news channels are talking about me and Kangana again," is how Suman began his near-5000 word interview.

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All of us read his version of the relationship that apparently destroyed his life. Suman alleged that Kangana was doing 'black magic' on him. He also said how "Being a metropolitan kid studying in London and New York, I was always away from things like astrology and black magic". While initially Adhyayan managed to gain some sympathy from people, recounting his tales of horror that being with Kangana apparently made him go through, soon the tide turned against him. And indeed, one wonders, how can a person who himself claims to be 'a metropolitan kid' who 'was always away from things like astrology and black magic' accuse his ex-girlfriend of having done black magic on him.

The 'big Adhyayan Suman reveal' made people go back to excavating long-forgotten incidents from the time Kangana and Adhyayan were together. One of these is Adhyayan's allusion to a certain 'panditji' calling Kangana 'pisachini (demoness)' on national television, when the two were on Salman Khan's Dus Ka Dum. A few hours after the interview, someone posted the video in discussion on YouTube. For the record: the pandit did not call Kangana a 'pisachini'. What he said, and Adhyayan conveniently manipulated to his advantage, was 'Inke kundali mein pisach dosh hai.' Well, does it even matter!

People were just about letting Adhyayan's interview sink in when his parents went on to make fools of themselves on national television. In their interview to ABP News, the Sumans 'confirmed' that their son was being done black magic on. They went on to recount how they searched Adhyayan's drawer and found some 'supari' and some other 'weird things'. The seemingly-innocuous betelnut, painted with the Sumans' overtly-crazy imagination, became the objects Kangana used to practice black magic on their son.

And it gets better. The Sumans go on to say how they called their family priest and he confirmed that their son was being subjected to black magic. This comes from the mouth of the parents of the 'metropolitan kid' who was 'always away from things like astrology and black magic'. Adhyayan, who went on to speak for hours about Kangana's black-magic ways, had no word to say about his parents' beliefs in similar superstitions.

About a week after Adhyayan's 'soul-baring' interview, what it all looks like is one grand, carefully-crafted exercise in gaining sympathy. For people who have had the (mis)fortune of watching Adhyayan Suman 'act' on screen, are aware of his 'acting capabilities'. Most people got to know who Adhyayan Suman was after his Raaz The Mystery Continues alongside Kangana hit the screens. Suman has accused Kangana of jeopardising his career. He said how it was because of her that his career could never take off.

At this juncture, maybe it would be beneficial for one to point it out to Suman why he is still deluding himself. Five years after Raaz The Mystery Continues, after Adhyayan's long US break and bouncing back to life, Daddy Dearest tried to resuscitate his near-dead career. The 2014 film called Heartless came and went, and sank without a trace whatsoever. Any illusion anyone might still have had about Adhyayan's acting talents were all taken care of, thanks to that dud of a film called Heartless.

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Blaming a woman who has struggled her way up to the top, to winning three National Awards and being the highest-paid female actor in the country is a very easy task. Maybe the entire Suman family should take a long, hard look at themselves and undertake a journey of introspection: where did they go wrong. Maybe the Suman Seniors will realise why being a bit more stern with their son instead of blaming a woman on national television could have done Adhyayan a great deal. And maybe Suman Junior will realise why he can never be anything more than Shekhar Suman's son. Or Kangana Ranaut's ex-boyfriend.
Two people were questioned by the police but even after five days after the incident, the police have not been able to make a single arrest in connection with the case, which is now being called as Kerala nirbhaya rape case.

About three kilometres away from the house where a law student was allegedly raped and murdered on April 28, the victim's mother lies on a bed at the government hospital calling her daughter's name and cursing the person(s) responsible for the brutality inflicted on her 30-year-old daughter's body.

With her elder daughter by her side, she recalls how difficult it was to take care of the two daughters, how she would let her daughter study as long as she wants. "Who did this to you my dear? Come here. Come and sit with me," cries the mother, to her daughter who died five days ago with strangulated marks on her neck, close to 30 stabs on her body and her intestines out of her body.

"She died of strangling and smothering shows the initial observations. There were severe wounds all over her body. We can confirm all other details only after we receive the post mortem report," said Mahipal Yadav, Ernakulam range IG.

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Two people were questioned by the police but even after five days after the incident, the police have not been able to make a single arrest in connection with the case.

Speaking to those who visit her, the victim's mother repeatedly speaks of people who wanted to harm her and her daughter frequently, and how nobody paid attention to her complaints. "They tried to attack me with their bike. They hated us," she says talking about a neighbour.

"She was mentally unstable. She made noise often and none of us wanted to intervene in their matter," says Bindu Susan, president of the local residents' association about the mother. Even the cries for help from the victim and her mother on the 28th would have gone into deaf ears for the same reason.

The victim lived with her mother in a house whose door could be broken with one kick, a single room with no window panes, on a land that isn't their own. Less than 50 meters away there are several houses but it was her mother who saw the mutilated body of her body first.

The locals say the police had played down the incident, never showed them the body or told what happened which is why they hadn't intervened.

Almost a week after the incident not a single Minister visited the mother to offer consolation or inquire what led to the incident. Even Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala who was in Perumbavoor returned without meeting the mother after a group of protesters shouted anti-government slogans outside the hospital gate.

Pressure is mounting on the government with protests erupting from different parts of the state and opposition is using this incident as a weapon against the ruling front. But with less than two weeks left for the assembly elections in Kerala, the fear is that this case too like many others may fade away without a conclusion.
By PTI: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, May 3 (PTI) Nepal today revoked the visa of Canadian national Robert Penner who was arrested for allegedly posting provocative and anti-national comments on social media and visa violations.

Penner, who tweeted in favour of the Madhes movement and also on the arrest of veteran journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, has been charged with spreading messages through social media, disturbing social harmony in the country.

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A Home Ministry spokesperson said Penner has been asked to leave the country within 48 hours and if he did not obey the government?s order he will be put into the prison.

Penner, 37, who has been working in Nepal for about four years, was arrested from Lalitpur district yesterday.

The government has already cancelled his visa.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian origin, have been demanding that Nepals Constitution be amended to include their concerns over inadequate political representation and redrawing of federal boundaries.

They had enforced months-long blockade of Nepals all trading points with India, creating huge shortage of essential commodities in the country.

Penner recently tweeted criticism of Nepals anti-graft watchdog for its handling of arrest of journalist Dixit. PTI SBP ZH

--- ENDS ---
A 30-year-old Dalit woman is said to have been brutally raped on April 28 inside her own house in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala. Here's all you need to know about the horrific crime that shocked the state, but haven't quite managed to jolt the nation yet.

By Vivek Surendran: On April 28, between 12 noon and 5 pm, Priya (name changed) was allegedly raped and murdered inside her own house in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala. The horrific news came out through social media but gained attention only yesterday, 4 days after the heinous crime.

Priya, 30-year-old, was a law graduate and lived in a small house with her mother at a place called as 'canal purambokku' (waste land) in Perumbavoor.



Here's a photo of Priya's house that is being shared on social media.

Priya's house. Photo: Facebook/Bennyjohnn



The nation had outraged in unison against the Nirbhaya gangrape that happened in Delhi on a cold winter night of December 2012, but Priya's case seems to be of no interest to politicians, celebrities, activists or even the Police.

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Priya's mother is a daily-wage labourer and considered mentally unstable by the neighbours and the Police. Asianet News reports state, Priya was constantly stalked and harassed by a relative of a Panchayat member. Priya and her mother have, in the past, had quarrels with this man, which once led to a death threat from him. Priya's mother told Asianet News that she had made a written complaint at the Kurppumpadi Police station, but it was dismissed saying she is mentally unstable.The report also says there has been an attempt to murder Priya's mother when she was struck down by two men on a bike.

Since the media picked up the case, Police felt the heat and is now on a hunt to nab the perpetrators.

Here are some of the details of the murder that are known till now from the inquest report: There is evidence of a struggle inside the victim's one-room house. Victim's nose was severed due to a blow from a hammer-like object. Victim's mother found her body lying in a pool of blood. Victim had sustained stab wounds behind her head, on her chest, chin and neck. The body is said to have over 30 stab wounds and her chest was pierced using a knife-like sharp object. Cause of death is believed to be a severe injury inflicted on her head. More than one person might have been involved in the crime. Victim's body only had a churidar top when found. Her shawl might have been used to strangle her from behind before she was raped. Victim's intestines had come out.

Last time we heard of such a brutal rape was in 2012, the Nirbhaya case. The preliminary investigation hinted that migrant workers might be behind the crime.

There were also rumours that a mentally unstable person was behind the crime, but the police have dismissed this. Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala promised swift actions and said a "scientific" probe is being conducted.

The Asianet News report says the police have got information about the criminal and will be nabbed today itself.

Priya's father had left the family years ago. She has a sister who was married, but was living separated from her husband. The family is said to have issues with this person as well.

Nipun Narayan, a graphic designer, created these minimalist posters to slam the collective hypocritical stand Keralaites took in this case and these posters have been going viral. He begins with one saying "apologies" and writes in the description that "you might not be really interested in what you're going to read". Here are the posters and close translations for those who don't understand Malayalam.

Perumbavoor is a remote area with scanty population.

Police don't have means to reach here.

Since there is no scope for development, politicians hardly visit.

Since there is no scope for "political exclusives" media houses are not interested.

Since there is no scope for publicity, celebrities don't care.

Heard some murders happen there.

But since we consider murders normal, it's not much of a problem.

Since there are no evidences, nobody will believe either.



Your mother and sister are doing fine at home, right?

It seems Perumbavoor is not so far from our houses.




The committee has also questioned the government's motive, and has demanded to be apprised as to what prompted the Indian government to seek Pakistan's help.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Almost four months after the Pathankot airbase terror attack, the Parliamentary standing committee on Home Affairs submitted its report to the Parliament. Making a scathing observation, chairman of the standing committee Pradeep Bhattacharya said, "Indian government has made a huge mistake. The Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT) should not have been allowed to visit the Pathankot airbase, which was attacked by terrorists in January 2016."

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The committee has also questioned the government's motive, and has demanded to be apprised as to what prompted the Indian government to seek Pakistan's help.

The panel has slammed the security arrangement of the Pathankot airbase saying that its team visited the airbase on February 11 and found that it is poorly guarded. The panel questioned how the terrorists managed to scale the walls and enter the attack site despite an alert by the Intelligence Bureau.

It also questioned how Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh and his friends were set free by terrorists. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that the government will look at the committee report in a positive way. The committee has recommended that just providing establishment and infrastructure support is not enough. While another BJP MP BC Khanduri admitted that certain measures need to be put in place in view of the Pathankot attack.

ALSO READ

Pathankot probe: Doval expresses satisfaction with Pakistan's JIT investigation



--- ENDS ---
In an exclusive interview to CNN, Clinton stated that she believes that senior Pakistanis knew Bin Laden was hiding there.

By Asian News International: Former Secretary of US State Hillary Clinton made strong claims that senior officials in Islamabad knew about the hideout location of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, asserting that it was too much of a coincidence that the 'unusual-looking house' where the wanted terrorist was hiding, was surrounded by retired military professionals.

In an exclusive interview to CNN, Clinton stated that she believes that senior Pakistanis knew Bin Laden was hiding there.

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"It was just too much of a coincidence that that house, that unusual-looking house would be built in that community near the military academy, surrounded by retired military professionals, even though, we couldn't prove it, " she said.

She added that even though there was never any evidence that the US could uncover that led directly to the top of the Pakistani military and intelligence service, she believed that 'Pakistanis knew'.

Hillary's statement came in the wake of the fifth anniversary of the May 2011 raid that killed the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

US President Barack Obama praised the "incredible structure of cooperation" between intelligence, military and law enforcement "that has hardened the homeland."

Obama also sharply defended his targeted approached to fighting terror and stated that the next president would most likely follow his lead rather than his predecessor's.

"The kinds of Special Forces and intelligence-gathering that we saw in the bin Laden raid is going to be, more often than not, the tool of choice for a president in dealing with that kind of threat," he said.

Bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011 by a United States special forces military unit.

The operation was ordered by Obama and carried out in a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation by a team of United States Navy SEALs.

The raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad was launched from Afghanistan.

According to reports, after the raid, US forces took bin Laden's body to Afghanistan for identification, then buried it at sea within 24 hours of his death.

Also read:

CIA mocked for 'live tweeting' Osama bin Laden killing after 5 years



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Bhubaneswar, May 3 (PTI) Opposition Congress in Odisha today asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to react immediately in order to exonerate himself from the alleged chit fund scam.

"We have been demanding the Chief Ministers statement and stalling Assembly for the last few days over the chit fund scam. But, the government remains mum. Let them react before it is too late," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said in the Assembly, which saw disruption over the issue.

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Mishra said this as Congress and BJP members stalled the House since four days demanding removal of retired justice M M Das from the judicial commission probing into the chit fund scam and resignation of minister Sanjay Dasburma.

"The government does not want to take action against Justice Das as it finds an escape route from the scam through the judicial commission," the Congress leader alleged.

Seeking clarification from the Chief Minister, Mishra wanted to know who operates a bank account at SBIs main branch, Bhubaneswar.

"In which way you and BJD are associated with the said bank account? Who operates this bank account? Are you (CM) aware of this account?," Mishra asked Patnaik.

"I also wanted to know from the Chief Minister that who is Purna Chandra Padhi. Whether he is involved in the chit fund scam and jailed? Are the Padhis related to the Artha Tatwa Group," Mishra asked. (More) PTI AAM SKN DKB DBS LNS

--- ENDS ---
Allowing animals inside a sanctum is rare, but Pepsi, the adorable pooch, has the freedom to wander around the Gurudwara at his own will and he eats only Kada Prasad and Langar.

By India Today Web Desk: Meet Pepsi, this adorable stray dog has made Dashmash Darbar, a Gurudwara in Delhi his home. For the Gurudwara caretakers and locals, seeing this adorable pooch walk into the sanctum during evening prayers is a normal sight.

Allowing animals inside the main sanctum is rare, but Pepsi has the freedom to wander around the Gurudwara at his own will and he religiously eats Kada Prasad and Langar.

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According to this blog,

"On usual days, you can spot Pepsi sleeping next to the Holy Book of Sikhs (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) and attending prayers all day without disturbing or barking at anyone.

If you don't see him inside, just wait till the religious chants begin and within moments he appear from nowhere and sits peacefully till it ends. Moreover, in a Gurudwara, men and women sit separately. So you will always see Pepsi on the men's side since he is male dog! Now isn't that self-awareness.

We will never know what makes Pepsi spend his days in the Gurudwara but stories like these are an example for humans to be kind and helpful to all animals around us."

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The last phase of the West Bengal assembly polls is scheduled on May 5th and the state is already witnessing post-poll violence on an unprecedented scale.

By Romita Datta: Six-year-old Ishani Patra of Pyarabagan slums in south Kolkata and 10-year-old Priti Bor in South 24 Parganas were not spared when Trinamool Congress backed goons barged in and ransacked their houses last Saturday looking for the former's aunt and the latter's father, who were deputed as agents by the Opposition.

Ishani, who was snatched from her mother's lap and flung in the air, is suffering from the trauma of "santrash," (terror), the word she has picked up from the adults, partly realising by now what it means. "It was around 9 pm and about 20-25 men had come looking for Ishani's aunt, Smriti, and her husband, who were deputed as polling agents by Congress men. They beat us and ransacked our houses," said Sabitri, Ishani's mother.

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Priti, another child at Haridevpur, suffered injury after the supporters ran amok in search of her father, Dinesh, who is an active CPI(M) supporter. Unable to get his whereabouts, they threatened to strangulate Priti. She managed to escape, but not without being hurt. The fifth phase of the polls, which concluded last Saturday, was held in Kolkata and South 24 Parganas.

The last phase of the West Bengal assembly polls is scheduled on May 5th and the state is already witnessing post-poll violence on an unprecedented scale. The number of injured had gone around 50 and yet there seems to be no stopping. Parts of Hooghly, Howrah, Burdawan have seen frequent flare-ups resulting in several houses of Left comrades being torched.

Added to this, the Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee is spitting fire against the Opposition and threatening to settle scores one by one. "I have all records of those who did it. If I am alive, I will give a fitting reply," she said at a rally in East Midnapore.

Infuriated by the role of the central forces and the state police, which are now under the Election Commission, Mamata, who also headed the home (police) department is openly calling her cops -touts and cowards. Their fault: they have been pro-active in following the instruction of the Election Commission and giving people free and fair polls.

"A few cops, who are touts of Delhi have joined hands with the coward cops to scare us. Don't try that. After the polls we will remain, they won't," she tried to drill home the fact that there was no escape from her or her party. The protection ensured by the Election Commission was only for a few days. Such words of vengeance from the party chief has encouraged the cadres to flex their muscles, which they couldn't do on the day of the polls, courtesy the central forces and the state police.

Mamata is particularly annoyed with the present police commissioner of Kolkata, Soumen Mitra, who was appointed by the Election Commission, replacing Mamata's blue-eyed boy Rajeev Kumar. Kumar was removed on allegations of bias for the ruling party.

Mitra is being lauded from every quarters, except the Trinamool Congress, for being able to rein in the political party-backed anti-socials and goons, who usually have a field day on the day of the polls.

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"If someone thinks that having received responsibility for 15 days, he will be awarded with the golden crown, he's mistaken," Mamata said again at a political rally.The attack was unmistakably aimed at Mitra.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has already informed the Election Commission about Mamata's warning. The EC has asked for a video footage of her speech and will take a call on this soon, probably today late in the evening.

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A huge traffic jam was reported from Mahipalpur on Delhi's border with Gurgaon as dozens of taxi drivers blocked the road during the morning rush hour.

By India Today Web Desk: Protesting cab drivers returned to the streets of New Delhi for a second day today against the Supreme Court ban on diesel and petrol-run taxis in the national capital.

A huge traffic jam was reported from Mahipalpur on Delhi's border with Gurgaon as dozens of taxi drivers blocked the road during the morning rush hour.

The taxi drivers, who have been asked by the top court to switch to CNG with immediate effect, also blocked the road on the DND flyway connecting Delhi with Noida and Greater Noida.

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Jams were also reported from Mayur Vihar and National Highway 24 in east Delhi, and Ashram, Rajokri and Dhaula Kuan in the south.



On Monday, the drivers brought traffic in the national capital to a standstill, made worse by the city recording its hottest day of the year. The condition was worse on the Delhi-Gurgaon and Delhi-Noida borders and near west Delhi's Rajokri area.

Meanwhile, several diesel-based cab drivers also complained that after the ban, they were left jobless. Dharmendra, a diesel cab driver, said he bought his car five months ago on loan from a bank. After the ban, he said he is completely clueless.

"I have to pay the monthly instalment of my vehicle to the bank. But now diesel cabs are no more allowed in the city, and I have become clueless what to do," he said.

The apex court on Saturday refused to give more time to taxi operators to switch to the cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) and banned diesel and petrol-based taxis in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) from May 1. The deadline for the change was extended twice earlier.

Various studies have put Delhi among the most polluted cities in the world.

Also Read

Petrol and diesel taxis cannot ply in Delhi, NCR: Supreme Court



--- ENDS ---
Ranveer Singh is looking every bit a gym rat while pumping weights in Paris (where he is currently shooting for his next project).

By Nikita Bhalla: Sometimes a packed schedule and on other occasions, just a lazy attitude--you repeatedly need workout motivation to kick-start your fitness regime. From killing it at the gym or going for that much-needed long run, you often tend to seek some fitspiration from your super-toned celebs. For obvious reasons--they are (mostly) in good shape and well, tend to 're-invent' themselves with the latest, health-defining workouts, courtesy their personal trainers.

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So while you've seen Salman Khan gearing up for Sultan and Aamir Khan gaining (and then losing) weight for Dangal--both action-packed films that require the Khans to have a specific built--we now also have Ranveer Singh to look up to.

It was Ranveer's trainer in Paris, Stevens Llyod, who recently posted a picture of the star pumping weights in the gym like a pro. He took to Instagram to share: "Despite @ranveersingh very hectic and busy schedule wer still managing to get in our workouts and i think its safe to say hes progressing nicely."

Well, his workout swag is so evident in the picture that you can't help but believe that the actor has a good mind to give the audience a new, beefed-up Ranveer with his upcoming film, Befikre.

Also read: Parineeti Chopra credits her drastic weight-loss to 'Bollywood pressure' in new Instagram post



Befikre is Aditya Chopra's directorial venture which is set to release on December 9; the film also stars Vaani Kapoor in the lead.

Now stop drooling and get back to the gym. Happy weight training!

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"People having more than two children must be barred from voting in elections and any facility he receives from the government must be stopped," Sakshi Maharaj said.

By Abhishek Rastogi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sakshi Maharaj today stoked controversy yet again by saying that people giving birth to more than two children must be stopped from voting in upcoming elections.

Known for his controversial remarks, the BJP MP suggested that the Lok Sabha must pass a law in this regard.

"People having more than two children must be barred from voting in elections and any facility he receives from the government must be stopped," the BJP MP from Unnao said.

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There is an urgent need to discuss the matter in the Parliament, he said.

Sakshi Maharaj also lashed out at the Congress and its key leaders - Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi - over the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland scam.

Earlier last month, the BJP MP had said women in Islam are "no better than footwear" . The firebrand BJP MP had demanded the right to offer Namaz for women and sought judiciary intervention to get them entry into mosques.

Last year, Sakshi Maharaj had issued a clarion call to Hindus to produce at least four children to protect Hinduism. He sought to justify his theory of four children by raising the popular stereotype about Muslim community.

Sakshi Maharaj has repeatedly been in controversies because of his statements. He had created a furore when he termed the religious madarsas a source of terrorism in India.

ALSO READ

Women in Islam no better than footwear, says BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj

US minorities watchdog names Amit Shah, Sakshi Maharaj in report slamming Modi govt on tolerance



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Salman Khan's younger sister Arpita gave birth to baby boy Ahil on March 30 this year. The Dabangg actor took to micro-blogging site Twitter to share a picture of mother Salma Khan and nephew Ahil.

By India Today Web Desk: Salman Khan's younger sister Arpita gave birth to baby boy Ahil on March 30 this year. And it seems like Ahil has got all the attention of Salman Khan and the whole Khaandaan to himself. The Dabangg actor took to micro-blogging site Twitter to share a picture of mother Salma Khan and nephew Ahil.

Salma Nani and Nanha Ahil . pic.twitter.com/Ebq7faVOmJ Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) May 2, 2016

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Earlier, there were reports that Salman, even in his hectic schedule, had taken the charge of finding a suitable nanny for his nephew. The Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor even gifted his one-month-old nephew Ahil a BMW 7Series at the time of his birth.

Salman Mamu Gifted a BMW 7Series to Baby Ahil After Ahil was Discharged from the Hospital pic.twitter.com/kC8B4fmSJp SALMAN KHAN FANS (@GuptaAyush257) April 6, 2016

The whole family has welcomed this new addition to their family and unlike other B-Town families, Salman's Khaandaan didn't hesitate sharing the baby's first picture. Both Arpita and husband Aayush Sharma have been sharing Ahil's pictures on their social media accounts.

What are you looking at A photo posted by Aayush Sharma (@aaysharma) on May 2, 2016 at 6:05am PDT

Best People #home #leicam #family #bestweekendcompany A photo posted by Aayush Sharma (@aaysharma) on Apr 30, 2016 at 7:43am PDT

Earlier, Aayush had also shared a picture of Salman Khan and baby Ahil, which went viral. Salman Khan had also earlier hosted a baby shower for Arpita before Ahil's birth.

On the work front, Salman Khan will next be seen in Ali Abbas Zafar's film Sultan.

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India has accused Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists for the January siege at the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, in which seven security personnel were killed along with all six attackers.

By India Today Web Desk: In a severe reprimand to the government, a Parliamentary panel has pointed out the loopholes in the security apparatus guarding the Indian Air Force base in Punjab's Pathankot, which was attacked by Pakistani terrorists earlier this year.

"Something seriously wrong with the country's counter-terror security establishment," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Pathankot terror attack said. "The Pathankot airbase's security cover was not robust and had a poorly guarded perimeter wall," the panel added.

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India has accused Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists for the January siege at the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, in which seven security personnel were killed along with all six attackers.

The attack had suspended all dialogue between India and Pakistan, which saw a revival recently with the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries meeting in New Delhi last month.

However, the Joint Investigation Team formed by Pakistan to probe Pathankot had ruled out the involvement of terrorists on its soil behind the attack, a conclusion that was slammed by India. It is also not clear if Islamabad will allow the visit of its intelligence officials to Pakistan for their probe.

ALSO READ

Pak JIT shouldn't have been allowed to visit Pathankot IAF base, says Parliamentary committee



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The Toyota Innova has proven itself beyond doubt after a decade long run in the MPV segment of the Indian car market. No other car in the segment was able to even come close to the kind of sales figures the Innova achieved. After a decade, the Innova has been replaced by its successor, the Innova Crysta and we pit it against its rivals to see if it still commands the same respect in the MPV segment.

By India Today Web Desk: Toyota has launched the brand new Innova Crysta, the successor to the popular Innova, and we pit it against its rivals in the MPV segment to see if the new people-mover from Toyota is still the 'king of the ring'. The Innova Crysta was launched silently and will be sold in the entire country, minus the NCR region due to the ongoing Diesel ban.

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Powertrain

While comparing the Powertrain of all the cars, we have only focused on the diesel variants of the cars as only the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga gets a petrol option.

The MPV segment offers a lot of different engine options. The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is powered by a 1.3-litre engine, whereas the Innova gets a 2.4-litre and a 2.8-litre engine. The Renault Lodgy is offered with the 1.5-litre diesel mill that is also present under the hood of the Duster. Tata's Aria on the other hand is powered by a 2.2-litre motor that also does duty on the Safari Storme. What is interesting to see in the MPV segment is that such a wide range of engine displacement's allows buyers to choose between one, a more fuel efficient car, or a more powerful one.

The Toyota Innova Crysta has the most powerful engine due to the 2.8-litre mill offered by the Japanese car maker. The Tata Aria is also one to watch out for as it is able to compete with the 2.4-litre mill of the Innova Crysta quite easily, and is also the only car out of the four to be offered with a four-wheel-drive option. The Renault Lodgy and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga fall under the tag of fuel efficient MPVs due to their smaller displacement engines.

Also Read: Toyota Innova Crysta launched in Mumbai; prices start at Rs 13.84 lakh

Dimensions

The Toyota Innova Crysta has bigger dimensions that its predecessor, but the Tata Aria is still able to pull ahead in terms of size. The biggest advantage the Aria has over the Innova Crysta is a longer wheelbase, which directly translates into more leg-room for the second row passengers. The Aria is also longer and wider than the Innova Crysta.

The Innova Crysta has the Renault Lodgy and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga completely beat in terms of dimensions, be it length, width, height or wheelbase. Surprisingly, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is able to close the gap in terms of wheelbase length, but overall, the Innova is just too big for the Lodgy and the Ertiga.

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Features

Gone are the simple days when a car in the market was judged by one simple question, 'Kitna Deti Hai'. Now days, the trend has moved towards how many features does a car have, and this is where the Innova Crysta improves over the previous generation Innova.

The Innova Crysta gets Automatic Climate Control, rear A/C blower, Tilt & Telescopic steering adjustment, Keyless Start, Cruise Control, Reverse Camera and Parking Sensors, and even cup-holders for the third row. The Tata Aria misses out on the rear A/C blower(it does get vents) and Keyless Start but still has all the major features present on the Innova Crysta. The Lodgy and Ertiga get Tilt steering adjustment and but miss out on Automatic Climate Control. Rear passengers only get separate A/C vents. The Ertiga misses out on Cruise Control as well. The Lodgy misses out on third row cup-holders but does get Cruise Control.

The Innova Crysta offers a complete package of features where as the Aria comes close to matching it in that regard. The Lodgy and the Ertiga get bits and pieces here and there, but do not manage to make a statement.

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Also Read: First Drive Report: We drive the new Innova before its launch

Safety

The Innova Crysta gets seven airbags, along with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), Brake Assist and ESP (Electronic Stability Program). The only difference between the Aria and the Innova Crysta in terms of safety features is that the Aria has only six airbags, compared to the seven that are present on the Innova Crysta.

The Ertiga and the Lodgy get only two airbags and also miss out on ESP.

Price

The Innova Crysta has been priced substantially above the segment it will be competing in but to be fair, the Innova Crysta is definitely more premium than its competitors and also the previous Innova. The Tata Aria does manage to give the Innova Crysta a run for its money, but the unreliability associated with Tata and the strong presence of the Toyota Innova in the Indian market should tip the scales in favour of the Innova Crysta.

Tata plans to replace the Aria with the brand new Hexa that it showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo this year. It will be interesting to see if the Innova Crysta will be able to dominate the segment once the Hexa is launched by Tata.

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Also See: Toyota updates the Innova, calls it the Innova Crysta



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The ED has sent a full list of Dawood's foreign assets UK, UAE, Australia and Turkey and asked these countries to freeze the wanted underworld don's properties.

By Ashok Singhal: The Enforcement Directorate has shot off Letter Rogatories or legal request for assistance to UK, UAE, Australia and Turkey asking for seizure of Dawood Ibrahim's assets.

The ED has sent a full list of Dawood's foreign assets to these countries, sources told India Today. The wanted underworld don will not be able to use any of these assets if they are seized.

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Media reports recently claimed that the 1993 Bombay serial blasts mastermind is suffering from life-threatening gangrene in his legs . However, Dawood's deputy Chhota Shakeel had rubbished the reports .

"Your agencies have wrong information. Bhai (Dawood) is perfectly fit and fine," Shakeel had said.

While Pakistan has been denying Dawood's presence on its soil, Indian agencies maintain that Dawood has two to three safe houses in Karachi's highly secured Clifton area.

Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India for organising and financing the 1993 Bombay serial blasts which left 257 dead and 717 injured. While his subordinate Yakub Memon was hanged to death for his role in the blasts in July 2015, Dawood and Tiger Memon are still free.

Dawood is the son of a Mumbai police constable who got involved with gang members of Haji Mastan. He was first arrested for a robbery case in the 1980's.

Also Read:

Indian media has already painted me black: Dawood Ibrahim



Exclusive: Indian politicians on Dawood Ibrahim's frequent dialler list



Dawood Ibrahim's business empire under the rubble



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Hyderabad, May 3 (PTI) The Telangana government today urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help migrants from the state, who are allegedly removed from their jobs by a construction company in Saudi Arabia.

"The company has removed nearly 50,000 employees in the last three months," Telangana Industries and NRI Affairs Minister K T Rama Rao said in a letter to Swaraj.

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The visas of the removed employees are also being cancelled, he said.

"They are now jobless and not having any sources of livelihood and are not in a position to come back to India as well, as they became illegal migrants without visa. They are approaching the said company, but the company authorities are not responding properly," Rama Rao said.

The family members of said Telangana migrants are worried about their safety and security, he said.

"Hence, I humbly request you, to kindly intervene in the situation with regard to Telangana labourers working in the company in Saudi Arabia to settle all the problems which are being faced by them," Rama Rao added. PTI SJR NP RCJ SRE

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On February 11, the State Department had informed the Congress about its determination for selling eight the fighter jets to Pakistan at an estimated cost of USD 700 million.

By Press Trust of India: The Obama administration has asked Pakistan to "put forward" its "national funds" to buy the eight F-16 fighter jets as some top American Senators have put a hold on use of the US tax payers money for this purpose.

"While Congress has approved the sale, key members have made clear that they object to using FMF (foreign military financing) to support it. Given Congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose," US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.

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Kirby, however, did not say when this decision was taken and when was it communicated to Pakistan.

On February 11, the State Department had informed the Congress about its determination for selling eight the fighter jets to Pakistan at an estimated cost of USD 700 million. The move was opposed by the Indian government as it summoned the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, to lodge its protest.

Here in the US, top American lawmakers led by Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, put a hold on the sale arguing that it would not let the Obama administration use tax payers money for sale of the fighter jets to Pakistan given that Islamabad was not taking enough action against terrorist organisations, in particular the Haqqani network, and there was continued existence of terrorist safe havens inside its territory.

Several Indian American organisations reached out to lawmakers expressing their concern over such a sale, which they argued is nothing but rewarding a bad actor.

Last week, top American lawmakers during a Congressional hearing openly told the Obama administration that they feared Pakistan would be using these F-16 fighter jets against India and not against terrorists.



--- ENDS ---
By Smita Sharma: In 2015, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India. Members of the ruling BJP tacitly supported Hindu nationalist groups and used religiously divisive language to further inflame tensions.

These issues, combined with longstanding problems of police bias and judicial inadequacies, have created a pervasive climate of impunity, where religious minority communities feel increasingly insecure, with no recourse when religiously motivated crimes occur.

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These are the key findings of the US minorities watchdog USCIRF (United States Commission for International Religious Freedom) in its annual report for the year 2015, just weeks before Narendra Modi will travel to the US and address a joint session of the US Congress in early June. USCIRF is a bipartisan US federal government commission that makes policy recommendation to the US President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress.

The report names top BJP faces including party president Amit Shah and Yogi Aditya nath and Sakshi Maharaj. It comes down heavily on the current dispensation and its Sangh allies for 'numerous incidents of intimidation ,harassment and violence' experienced by Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs. Talking about the anti-conversion law existing in six states, the report says , "While the laws purportedly protect religious minorities from forced conversions, they are one-sided, only concerned about conversions away from Hinduism but not towards Hinduism. Observers note that these laws create a hostile, and on occasion violent, environment for religious minority communities because they do not require any evidence to support accusations of wrongdoing."

Expressing concern about reports of Ghar Wapasi and the reported misuse of anti-conversion law, the report adds," In 2015, high-ranking members of the ruling BJP party, including the party's president Amit Shah, called for a nationwide anti-conversion law".

The report takes serious note of the beef row that killed Mohammad Akhlaq in September 2015 and Zahid Rasool Bhat in October 2015. It slams the right wing parties for the situation. "According to members of the Muslim community, members of the BJP and the RSS over the last two years have used alleged violations of beef ban laws to inflame Hindus to violently attack Indian Muslims," it says.

Further on the issue of violations against Muslims, the report pulls up two of the most controversial lawmakers of the BJP. "High ranking BJP parliamentarians, such as Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj, reportedly called for laws to control the Muslim population. In a February 2015 video of a Sangh Parivar meeting, participants called for "cornering Muslims and destroy[ing] the demons;" several BJP state and national political leaders are visible in the video, including sitting on the dais. Muslims indicate that they rarely report abuses because of societal and police bias, and police intimidation by the RSS",it reports.

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Since 2009 the USCIRF has placed India amongst Tier 2 countries. This time too India shares space with Afghanistan, Indonesia among other nations, while Pakistan and China rank in the Tier 1 countries of most concern. The report adds that India is on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom."

The watchdog body has recommended that US should integrate concern for religious freedom into bilateral contacts with India, including the framework of future strategic dialogues, at both the federal and provincial level. Also it urges the Modi government to 'publicly rebuke government officials and religious leaders that make derogatory statements about religious communities.' An official response is awaited to the report from the Indian government. In the past though Government of India has always rejected these reports.

India has also been denying visas to USCIRF officials. Last year in response to the report of USCIRF for 2014, MEA spokesperson had said," It appears to be based on limited understanding of India, its constitution and its society.We take no cognisance of this report."

India ignores US report on rising religious intolerance

India today said it took "no cognizance" of a report by a United States agency that lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over rising religious intolerance in the country.

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"We take no cognizance of their report," an external affairs ministry spokesperson said about the report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

The report, the spokesperson said, "has failed to show proper understanding of India, its constitution and its society".

"India is a vibrant pluralistic society founded on strong democratic principles. The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including the right to freedom of religion," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said that the "government does not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens' constitutionally protected rights".

The USCRIF report, released earlier, said religious intolerance was on the rise and religious freedom was violated in India, alleging that the ruling BJP "tacitly supported Hindu groups and used religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions".

(With IANS inputs)



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The court said that even on an earlier occasion it had asked about resolving the political imbroglio in the hill state through a floor test.

By India Today Web Desk: The Supreme Court on today asked the central government to consider the possibility of a floor test in Uttarakhand. The apex court asked the Attorney General(AG)Mukul Rohatgi to take instruction and apprise it about the feasibility of holding a floor test in the Assembly under its supervision.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh, which had fixed the hearing on the plea at 2 PM on Tuesday, took up the matter at 10.30 am to apprise the parties concerned that it may not take up the case on Tuesday

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The court said that even on an earlier occasion it had asked about resolving the political imbroglio in the hill state through a floor test.

It asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to take instruction on the issue and apprise it about the same on Wednesday.

The apex court had on April 22 stayed till April 27 the judgment of the Nainital High Court quashing imposition of President's Rule, giving a new turn to the political drama in the state by restoring Central rule there.

On April 27, it had extended the stay till further orders and had also framed seven questions while giving the liberty to the AG to include other questions the government would like to be addressed.

Also Read

President's Rule to continue in Uttarakhand, no floor test on April 29





--- ENDS ---
The number of active fires dropped sharply to 40 in the hill state and the Centre claimed the situation was under control.

Two IAF helicopters made nine sorties from Nainital and Pauri and poured water over the flaming forests as 10,000 personnel fought numerous infernos on the ground.

By Mail Today: The forest fires raging through large parts of Uttarakhand began showing signs of abating, however, they reached a boarding school in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. The evacuation of the children began soon after the fire started.

The number of active fires dropped sharply to 40 in the hill state and the Centre claimed the situation was under control. Three persons were arrested from Pithoragarh and Nainital for burning dry leaves of Cheed and stoking the fires.

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"There are only 40 active fires in the state today (Monday) in comparison to yesterday's (Sunday's) 73 which is an encouraging sign. It shows the situation is gradually getting under control. Today there were 271 incidents of forest fires in the state out of which 232 have been extinguished," Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) S Ramaswamy said. Two IAF helicopters made nine sorties from Nainital and Pauri and poured water out of Bamdi buckets over the flaming forests as 10,000 personnel fought numerous infernos on the ground.

Panic gripped Lawrence school, Sanawar near Kasauli, on Monday as fires raging in adjoining forests advanced towards the school. "The fires were brought under control and no damage was caused to the 169-year-old residential school and the situation was normal," said R Chauhan, a senior teacher of the school.

Fire tenders were rushed to the forests which fought the flames for nearly two hours and brought them under control. The forest officials said it was ground fire caused by burning of dry pine needles and such fires are common during the summer and a number of fires has occurred in forests in Kasauli and surrounding areas but all these had been put out.

Also read: Uttarakhand forest fires under control, says Rajnath Singh: Top developments



Fires break out in Himachal and J&K forests, Rajnath says Uttarakhand flames under control

--- ENDS ---
He said that facts needed to be verified first before he was branded as a 'defaulter'.

By India Today Web Desk: Hours after sending in his resignation from the Rajya Sabha, liquor baron Vijay Mallya today tweeted that he was not a defaulter. He said that facts needed to be verified first before he was branded as a 'defaulter'.

In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter&; Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 2, 2016

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However he admitted that Kingfisher Air owes money to banks. "Agree Kingfisher Air owes money to Banks. I am neither a borrower or a judgement debtor. Why am I a defaulter inspite of a settlement offer?" Mallya tweeted.

Agree Kingfisher Air owes money to Banks.I am neither a borrower or a judgement debtor.Why am I a defaulter inspite of a settlement offer ?&; Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 2, 2016

On Monday, Vijay Mallya resigned from Rajya Sabha. In his resignation letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, he said he does not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in the mud".

"And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya said in the letter.

He also referred to the letter written to him by the Chairman of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha Karan Singh and said he had replied to Singh.

Ethics Panel of the Rajya Sabha, which had taken up the matter, had unanimously decided in its April 25 meeting that Mallya should no longer remain a member of the House and was planning to recommend his expulsion in its next meeting on May 3.

Tycoon Vijay Mallya is facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore and is believed to be in Uk after leaving India on March 2.

Also Read

Vijay Mallya resigns from Rajya Sabha

--- ENDS ---
Travelling to New Zealand is about to get easier, thanks to the soon-to-be-launched direct flights between the two nations.

Visitors on a jet boat take in the sights of Taupo's Huka Falls on the Waikato river. Taupo is known for its scenic beauty and outdoor activities. Photo: Reuters

By India Today Web Desk: Turns out that President Pranab Mukherjee's recent visit to New Zealand will benefit travellers in the times to come. India and New Zealand have signed a deal that has opened the door for the launch of direct flights between the two countries, with the purpose of giving the tourism and trade sectors a major boost.



According to a report by the New Zealand Herald, Air New Zealand, Air India and Singapore Airlines are among the operators that have all the potentials required to run direct flights between the two countries. New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges has said that the airline operators of New Zealand now have the opportunity to code-share to seven Indian cities -- Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Also read: Actor Sidharth Malhotra talks about his leap of faith in New Zealand

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Commenting on this, India New Zealand Business Council treasurer Bhav Dhillon told New Zealand Herald, ""We are very confident that there will be a very robust growth in tourist numbers from India to New Zealand once we have a direct flight between these two countries."

New Zealand is home to an interesting mix of landscapes -- right from the mountains to the grasslands to the seas. Being able to board a direct flight to the place would make things really convenient for Indian travellers who have a penchant to travel the world. Besides, it might also turn out to be an economical option, which in turn could help in increasing the number of tourist footfalls to New Zealand from India.

--- ENDS ---
By Munish Chandra Pandey: Alleged kingpin of an international drug mafia, Vicky Goswami, told Mail Today in an exclusive interview, "Thane Police is trying to frame me under pressure from the US. Don't be surprised if some day I am kidnapped and taken to the US." Goswami has been termed an absconding accuse in the Rs 2,000 crore drug haul by the Thane Police.

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In a telephonic interview, Goswami spoke about his meetings with Kishor Rathode and Manoj Jain and his relationship with yesteryear actress Mamta Kulkarni.

According to the Thane Police, Vicky met Manoj Jain and Kishore Rathod in January to discuss a drug deal. Vicky clarified saying, "Anybody can come and visit me. This doesn't mean I do business with them." Police also said that Goswami had met Kishore Rathode more than 20 times in the last one year.

Brushing the claims aside, Goswami said, "I have never met Kishore so many times. They can check his passport and his immigration checkout. If they are saying 20 times, they are lying. His father has been a family friend. I met him around December-January. They had come on a holiday. They came to enjoy here in Kenya. These allegations are baseless."

Thane Police also claims that in January when he met with Manoj Jain, a deal of acquiring 23 tonnes of Ephedrine was struck. Vicky claims that it's a figment of their imagination. "I met Manoj in January, he was talking about the gold. You know you can get gold in Congo, Tanzania and Kenya. So, he asked if I could procure gold for him. You can get gold here at a reasonable rate and that is what he was talking about," said Goswami.

Sources in the Thane Police have further told Mail Today that during his early interrogation after arrest, Manoj admitted to having met Goswami for a deal in kaccha sona (Raw Gold).

Thane Police are convinced that the 22.5 tonnes of Ephedrine seized from a manufacturing unit of Avon Lifesciences was to be supplied to Vicky Goswami. Avon Lifesciences in a statement has said, "The company wants to assure all stakeholders that we have all valid licenses and statutory registrations for manufacturing, stocking and sale of all products manufactured at our Solapur site. Also, all the materials have been accounted for and stocked with due notice to statutory. Ephedrine, by itself, is not an API that can be misused and hence this material that has been seized along with stock at the factory is medicinal and holds zero street value." Police also suspect that Goswami's rumoured wife, Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni is the frontman for him, attending international meetings as Vicky is under surveillance and can't travel abroad.

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Vicky said, "She is a well-wisher. When I was in trouble, she stood by me. People are talking rubbish about her. They don't know what a kind soul she is. Why are people calling me Mamta Kulkarni's husband? What husband? I swear I was never married to her. All they want is masala so that they can make a Bollywood potboiler on drug racket. I saw a report that claims she has been to South Africa, Singapore, and America - all this is nonsense. They can come and check her passport. It clearly shows that she has never been to any of these places."

Vicky alleges that Thane Police is working under pressure from DEA, which is an American Agency. "If they have any proof they should show me. US can't start the extradition process till the time I am in Kenya as I have signed a bond here." Vicky also revealed his past and said there are people who have relentlessly tried to victimise him. "I was in dubai prison for over 15 years. I became a victim of discrimination. Our embassy knew about it. Our foreign ministry knew about it also. Some unknown people are trying to destroy me," he said.

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Also read: Mamta Kulkarni's husband Vicky says she is not his wife. Yes, you read that right



Former actor Mamta Kulkarni detained in Kenya





--- ENDS ---
In his resignation letter sent from London, Mallya had said that he didn't want his name and reputation to be "further dragged in the mud".

By India Today Web Desk: A day after liquor baron Vijay Mallya sent his resignation to the Rajya Sabha, chairman M Hamid Ansari rejected his resignation on procedural grounds.

Mallya - who is wanted for defaulting bank loans to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore - has been informed that his resignation letter does not conform to prescribed procedures and the original does not even bear his signature.

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However, the ethics committee of the Rajya Sabha wants Mallya to be expelled through due procedure. The final decision rests with the Rajya Sabha chairman.

Mallya sent his resignation to Ansari on Monday, a day before the ethics panel was to meet.

He later tweeted: "In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter."

In his resignation letter sent from London, Mallya had said that he didn't want his name and reputation to be "further dragged in the mud". "Since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," the letter read.

Mallya was nominated for the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, and his term ends on June 30. This is his second term in the Upper House.

According to Parliament sources, during his tenure of almost 10 years as member of the Rajya Sabha, Mallya had been declaring his assets and liabilities as "nil".

The union government had revoked Mallya's passport after he failed to turn up for a probe into the loan default. This has set in motion the process for the billionaire's possible deportation from Britain, where he is staying at present.

His case was referred to the ethics panel by the Rajya Sabha chairman, after he fled the country.

ALSO READ

Verify facts before calling me a defaulter, tweets Vijay Mallya

Sharpest mind in India Inc, Mallya created a web of companies for money laundering: ED probe



--- ENDS ---
On Monday, SP Tyagi was grilled for nearly 10 hours over his alleged links with the middlemen in the AgustaWestland chopper.

By India Today Web Desk: The Enforcement Directorate today summoned former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev Tyagi for questioning in the controversial Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.

The summon to Sanjeev came even as the retired Air Chief Marshal was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the second day over his post-retirement trip to Italy.

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On Monday, SP Tyagi was grilled for nearly 10 hours over his alleged links with the middlemen in the AgustaWestland chopper. It was for the second time in three years that he was questioned in the case; the first since an Italian court named him. He was earlier quizzed in 2013.

The Milan Court of Appeals -- equivalent of an Indian High Court -- has given details of how alleged bribes were paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal. The order reportedly mentions the name of Tyagi at several points.

"I have told the CBI what I had to say. You people (media) are inhuman," he told reporters on Monday night at the end of his questioning.

CBI sources said that during the probe, they came across a trip undertaken by Tyagi to Florence, Venice and Milan in Italy after he retired in 2007. They said it is being probed who accompanied him on the trip and who funded for the hospitality.

The sources claimed that Tyagi was also confronted with response received from Italy on the judicial requests of the CBI. He was also understood to have been asked about the statements of middlemen Carlos Gerosa and Guido Hashke, to Italian authorities, who had purportedly claimed to have met Tyagi on several occasions between 2004 and 07.

Tyagi has denied allegations against him claiming innocence and that the change of specifications, which brought Agusta Westland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of the Indian Air Force, the SPG, the National Security Advisor and other departments were involved.

The CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins, Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep, and the European middlemen.

The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft), which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.

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CBI sources said the agency has also called Gautam Khaitan, a former board member of Aeromatrix and who is also named in the FIR, for questioning on Wednesday.

It is alleged by Italian prosecutors that bribes to clinch the deal were paid through middlemen and routed through a consultancy contract between AgustaWestland and companies owned by middlemen. Khaitan and the Tyagi cousins have strongly refuted allegations against them.

Also read:

VVIP chopper deal: CBI grills ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi

Bengal poll effect? TMC tears into Cong on Agusta case in Rajya Sabha



--- ENDS ---
'My organisation will not allow the destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places belonging to the non-Muslims in Pakistan', said Hafiz Saeed.

By Press Trust of India: Chief of Pakistan's banned JuD, Hafiz Saeed, has said his organisation will not allow the destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places belonging to the non-Muslims in the country.

It was every Muslim's responsibility to safeguard the holy places of their Hindu brethren, Saeed said while addressing a meeting in Matli town of Sindh province on Monday. "We will not allow destruction of temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country," he warned.

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The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief rejected allegations that his organisation is promoting extremism in Thar area of Sindh, which borders India, by opening seminaries in the poverty-stricken arid region.

Saeed also pledged support for the Kashmiri Muslims, according to a Dawn report. He said the law enforcement agencies were sincerely trying to fight against "anti-state actors and RAW agents" but the Nawaz Sharif government has remained silent over it.

--- ENDS ---
The Apple CEO Tim Cook believes that India is the next big market and that this year everything would change for the iPhone in the Indian market.

By Javed Anwer: The iPhone sales are down, especially in China. And that is causing some discomfort for Apple. But the company CEO Tim Cook believes that India is the next big market and that this year everything would change for the iPhone in the Indian market.

A few days ago he had said that the LTE (4G) rollout in India will help the iPhone. Now he repeated the same sentiments at an interview on CNBC, where cook appeared to defend Apple and allay fears over its future.

Also read: Hello Apple, don't blame poor 4G for iPhone woes in India. Blame its silly pricing

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India is a "huge" opportunity, he said. His optimism about India stems from two things: the LTE rollout and the young population.

"India today has around 50% per cent population at 25 years of age or younger. It's a very young country. People really want smartphones there," said Cook. "Also this year India will see LTE rollout. In the US a lot of people are using LTE and get good experience. In India people can't... and that changes this year."

While Cook sure sounds enthusiastic about the 4G in India, we are not sure if that will change much for the company unless there is a change in the way Apple sells its iPhones. Traditionally, India has been a market that has avoided the carrier-controlled phone market, something that helps Apple mask the high-price of the iPhone in countries like the US and China. Instead of selling phones directly to consumers, Apple sells iPhones to telecoms like AT&T, which then pass on the phone to consumers along with a bundled plan. The consumer pay a lot of money for the phone but the cost is spread over one or two years and hence doesn't seem that high.

Also read: Apple's business grew by 56 per cent in India, future looks bright

But in India this model doesn't work. At the same time, we are seeing that Jio, which is going to be an all-out 4G service, is trying to change the model. It is possible that Apple and Jio may enter into a partnership for the iPhones, giving Apple the much needed break that has eluded it in India.

Unless that doesn't happen, it is hard to share Cook's enthusiasm for the 4G in India. Even though the sale of the iPhones was up 56 per cent in the latest quarter, it was mostly due to the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5, which are not sold at a price that is significantly lower than their original MRP.

In its latest report, IDC has said that the iPhone 6S may not hold enough pull for existing iPhone users.

"Apple's saw its first-ever year-over-year decline in the first quarter as volumes slipped to 51.2 million units, down 16.3% from last year. Despite the plethora of new features found on the newer "S" models, current iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners may feel that a 6S upgrade may not be warranted at the moment," the research firm noted.

--- ENDS ---
The decision by the judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil.

By Reuters: A Brazilian judge ordered wireless phone carriers to block access to Facebook Inc's WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout Latin America's largest country on Monday, the second such move against the popular messaging application in five months.

The decision by the judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects WhatsApp's more than 100 million users in the country. The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court.

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In a statement, WhatsApp said the company is "disappointed at the decision" after doing the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals.

The decision "punishes more than 100 million users who depend upon us to communicate themselves, run their business and more, just to force us hand over information that we don't have," the statement said, without elaborating.

It was the second time since mid-December that the text message and internet voice telephone service for smartphones has been the target of a blocking order. A So Paulo state judge ordered the service be shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order, although another court interrupted that suspension shortly afterward.

Judge Marcel Maia Montalvo of Sergipe state is the same judge who in March ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive for failing to comply with an attempted block on WhatsApp. He was jailed and subsequently freed.

Executives at the five carriers - Telefonica Brasil SA, Amrica Mvil SAB's Claro, TIM Participaes SA, Oi SA and Nextel Participaes SA - did not have an immediate comment.



--- ENDS ---
The government may reject Apple's application in which it seeks to sell refurbished iPhones in India at comparatively more affordable prices.

By Javed Anwer: Indian government has reportedly told Apple not to sell refurbished iPhones in India. According to a Bloomberg report that cites an unnamed telecom ministry official, the government has rejected Apple's application in which it sought to bring to India refurbished iPhones, hoping to sell them here at a price that would have been cheaper compared to the price of completely new iPhones.

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"The US company's application has been turned down, the official said, asking to not be identified, citing official policy," notes the Bloomberg report.

---



Update: It seems that Bloomberg might have jumped the gun. The original report has been updated to give the impression that nothing is final yet. Meanwhile, we too have received information stating nothing is final yet. "Apple's talks with the government on this matter are still on and the company's application has not been rejected," said an industry insider, who is aware of Apple's discussions with the government on this matter.

---



Earlier, Indian phone-makers like Micromax and Lava, which rely on selling mainstream and value-for-money phones, argued that allowing Apple to sell refurbished phones would adversely affect the Make In India programme. Although it also seems that their concerns were more due to the hit their business may take in case Apple starts selling refurbished iPhones at a price that is lower than Rs 20,000.

Also read: Let's set the record straight on refurbished and pre-owned iPhones in India

While Apple recently announced that the iPhone sales in India have grown by 56 per cent, it is also clear that the device hasn't been able to fulfil its potential here. While Apple CEO Tim Cook has blamed it mostly on the lack of LTE (4G) in India, the high price has also been a factor.

"India today has around 50 per cent population at 25 years of age or younger. It's a very young country. People really want smartphones there," Cook said on Tuesday. "Also this year India will see LTE rollout. In the US a lot of people are using LTE and get good experience. In India people can't... and that changes this year."

Also read: Hello Apple, don't blame poor 4G for iPhone woes in India. Blame its silly pricing

With its refurbished iPhone plan, Apple is hoping to solve the price issue.

The company has started an upgrade program for iPhone in the US that will allow consumers to return their months-old iPhone and get the new model at a discounted price. It is possible that Apple is hoping to refurbish these old phones, make them as good as the new ones, and then sell them in countries like India at prices that will be more affordable for consumers.

--- ENDS ---

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The reports indicate that on April 30, Shojaei, the head of Ward 4 of Gohardasht, went to Hall 10 of this ward where Sunni prisoners are kept and announced that the death sentences of all 27 have been approved and have been sent to the implementation office, markedly increasing the chance of their execution.

These Sunni prisoners have been condemned to death by the judiciary on the charge of Moharebeh (enmity with God).

Most of these prisoners were arrested in the years 2009 to 2011 in Kurdistan (western Iran) by the intelligence agents. They were kept in solitary confinement under physical and psychological tortures for several months prior to their trail with no lawyers or contacts with their families. They have been arrested solely on the grounds of their beliefs.

At least one of these 27 prisoners, Barzan Nasrollah-zadeh, was a juvenile at the time of his arrest.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a report on Monday which pointed out that in Iran, religious minorities are subject to arrest, torture and even execution based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused.

Reports list the 27 prisoners names as follows:

1.Kaveh Vaissi

2.Behrouz Shanzari

3.Taleb Maleki

4.Shahram Ahmadi

5.Kaveh Sharifei

6.Arash Sharife

7.Varia Qaderi-fard

8.Kayvan Momeni-fard

9.Barzan Nasrollah-zadeh

10.Alem Barmashti

11.Pouria Mohammadi

12.Ahmad Nasseiri

13.Edris Nemati

14.Farzad Honarjou

15.Seyyed Shahoo Ebrahimi

16.Mohammad Yavar Rahimi

17.Bahman Rahimi

18.Mokhtar Rahimi

19.Mohammad Gharibie

20.Farshid Nasseri

21.Mohammad Kaivan Karimi

22.Amjad Salehi

23.Omid Payvand

24.Ali Mojahedi

25.Hekmat Shareifi

26.Omar Abdollahi

27.Omid Mahmoudi
The purchase also contributed to concerns about the Treasury Department possibly allowing Iran access to the US financial system. That change of rules would serve the same purpose that was apparently served by the heavy water purchase, in that it would give European businesses and governments the impression that such purchases and broader economic interactions are indeed allowable in the wake of last summers nuclear agreement.

It is possible that we are already seeing the effects of this message. On Monday, the Associated Press reported that Irans nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi was visiting the Czech Republic, primarily to discuss prospects for bilateral nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

Regardless of whether this trip is indicative of broader willingness to engage with the Iran nuclear program and assume it to be peaceful, it is certainly part of an ever-growing trend toward greater interchange and cooperation between Iran and various governments that had previously complied with or participated in US-led sanctions.

The president of another US ally, South Korea, visited Tehran on Sunday. Leader Call reported that President Park Ceun-hye was pursuing plans to boost trade with the Islamic Republic by nearly a factor of three, from 6.1 billion dollars per year, to 17.4 billion.

The current annual trade between South Korean and Iran is actually less than the Islamic Republic may receive from India, virtually all at once, as the Asian economic giant seeks to reestablish former trade, including unrestricted access to Iranian oil.

India had largely abided by sanctions restrictions, but is traditionally so dependent upon Iranian oil that international rules allowed for it to take more of the commodity than other participants at the height of economic sanctions.

The Hindustan Times reported on Monday that India was looking to clear 6.5 billion dollars worth of oil revenue that it owed to the Islamic Republic under partial payment deferral plans that were in place between the two countries during that period.

Provided that Tehran outlines a payment mechanism that New Delhi finds satisfactory, that debt could be cleared all at once, adding to the benefits that Iran has already accrued from the release of Western-held assets and immediately leading to more commerce between India and Iran, under terms that are much more favorable to the latter than they used to be.
[May 02, 2016]

EMC Announces New Extreme Archiving Platform for Structured and Unstructured Data

LAS VEGAS, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EMC WORLD 2016

News Summary:

EMC  InfoArchive 4.0 architecture enables extreme archiving scenarios with structured and unstructured data, and enhances the ability to secure and leverage critical application data and content.

InfoArchive 4.0 architecture enables extreme archiving scenarios with structured and unstructured data, and enhances the ability to secure and leverage critical application data and content. EMC InfoArchive 4.0 enhances user experience and accelerates time to value, while helping enterprises modernize their data centers.

EMC InfoArchive 4.0 provides compliant platform with horizontal and vertical solutions.

EMC InfoArchive support for SAP HANA, SAP S4HANA and SAP SuccessFactors, enables compliant information management throughout the application lifecycle to reduce the costs of implementing and supporting SAP systems.

Connect With Us At EMC World 2016:

Full Story:

EMC Corporation's (NYSE: EMC) Enterprise Content Division (ECD), a leader in the enterprise content management industry, today announced EMC InfoArchive 4.0, a unified enterprise platform that powers extreme compliant archiving scenarios at petabyte scale. As enterprises modernize their data center and applications, a solution that archives legacy apps to reduce costs  while continuing to make data available to the organization  is required. With its fast time to value and the small footprint, EMC InfoArchive 4.0 enhances the ability to secure and leverage large amounts of critical application data and content to empower modern-day business success.

Redefining Archiving with Extreme Archiving

EMC InfoArchive 4.0 includes a completely new, horizontally scalable architecture, also combining flexible reporting and easy accessibility to make vast amounts of data and content available. Designed to provide visibility into both structured and unstructured data sources and dependencies in one architecture, InfoArchive 4.0 is easing complexities and eliminating the siloed infrastructure of the past.

"Extreme archiving scenarios at petabyte scale are becoming increasingly important for two reasons," said Jeroen van Rotterdam, CTO of EMC's Enterprise Content Division. "First, managing the amount of structured and unstructured data created and processed today is tremendously challenging. Second, the pressure to maintain compliant data in highly regulated industries, such as Financial Services, has intensified. Customers require the right solution to address both of these challenges, as well as to achieve cost savings and better data insights, which ultimately drive better business decisions."

"Many of today's organizations struggle with managing vast amounts of data residing in both production applications and legacy systems," Lura DuBois, Group Vice President for IDC's Enterprise Storage, Server and System Infrastructure Software research. "Solutions like EMC's InfoArchive 4.0 help firms address this challenge, while preserving the value of content in a single, compliant, easily accessible and scalable archive."







In-Place Regulatory Compliance

EMC InfoArchive 4.0's compliance capabilities address business pressures and changes brought on by factors such as the volume and diversity of information, shifting supervisory expectations, constant regulatory change and complex legislation. These new features enable retention management, legal holds, data masking and PCI compliance without the need to copy or reprocess data after it has been ingested. EMC InfoArchive 4.0 can also meet enterprise-scale compliance scenarios such as Dodd-Frank in the United States, MiFID2/R in the European Union and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OFSI) E-13 in Canada.

Out-of-the-Box Compliant Big Data Access

While other available products require expensive and custom adds-on to adhere to regulatory mandates, EMC InfoArchive 4.0 is the only solution that can provide out-of-the-box compliant data access for Hadoop. With EMC InfoArchive 4.0, regulated information and records can be made available to big data analytics at a low total cost of ownership (TCO) and without compliance compromises.

Support for SAP Active Archiving and Application Retirement

EMC InfoArchive now enables customers to manage SAP data throughout the application lifecycle. The EMC platform supports active archiving of SAP production systems into EMC InfoArchive with SAP Archivelink. Not only can users access and retrieve data using SAP-native tools, but they can also manage data in a centralized repository and maintain compliance with both industry regulations and company policies.

EMC InfoArchive also supports SAP application retirement and decommissioning, through partnerships with PBS Software GmbH and EPI-USE Labs. With these partner solutions, EMC provides SAP users a smooth transition to new technologies such as SAP HANA, SAP S4HANA and the SAP SuccessFactors cloud solution. EMC InfoArchive manages data across the transition by offloading inactive information from SAP before migration. This helps reduce the timeframe, cost and effort for SAP upgrades and consolidation projects.

Pricing and Availability

EMC InfoArchive 4.0 will be generally available on June 13, 2016. EMC InfoArchive is volume priced by TB ingested.

Partner Quotes:

Tim Nelms, Business Unit Manager, Archiving Division, Crawford Technologies: "Enterprises generate over 50 billion pieces of customer communications each year in the in the US alone. In many cases these documents need to be retained for compliance reasons, reference and customer service. EMC InfoArchive 4.0 supplies a unique solution to the challenge of customer communications archiving; it can handle the scale, compliance and multitude of use cases that occur with customer communications, in a small footprint."

JD Sillion, Chief Solutions Officer, Flatirons Solutions: "EMC InfoArchive 4.0 allows Flatirons to manage even larger volumes of data and content for our application retirement clients. EMC's robust, straightforward and well-supported technology means we can quickly provide solutions that have modern user experiences on a trusted platform that meets demanding regulatory, governance, audit and reporting mandates. InfoArchive 4.0 helps accelerate our customers' return on investment in application retirement."

Dirk Bode, CEO, fme: "With today's explosion in data growth, our clients find that keeping all their information in ECM systems is neither cost effective nor scalable. EMC InfoArchive 4.0 offers the perfect solution for this challenge, empowering clients to distinguish between active content and static data. Our EMC Certified Solution, migration-center, uses the power of EMC InfoArchive to strategically organize, transform and move large volumes of documents, reducing costs for storage, servers, operations, support and DBMS licenses."

Douglas Vargo, Vice President, Paragon Solutions, Inc.: "Our clients in the Financial Services, Insurance and Life Science industries encounter a wide variety of compliance requirements, such as retention, data encryption, electronic signature, time stamping and more. The new features in EMC's InfoArchive 4.0 address these challenges, making regulatory compliance and corporate records governance easier to manage."

Additional Resources:

About EMC InfoArchive

EMC InfoArchive is a unified enterprise archiving platform that stores related structured data and unstructured content in a single consolidated repository. It enables corporations to preserve the value of enterprise information in a single, compliant, and easily accessible unified archive. Supported by a robust partner ecosystem, including the InfoArchive Consortium, EMC offers industry and horizontal solutions to address specific organizational requirements, such as Clinical Archiving.

About EMC

EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset  information  in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. Additional information about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com.

EMC and InfoArchive are registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) risks associated with the proposed acquisition of EMC by Denali Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Dell, Inc., including, among others, assumptions related to the ability to close the acquisition, the expected closing date and its anticipated costs and benefits; (ii) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (iii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (iv) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines and the volume and mixture of product and services revenues; (v) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions; (vi) component and product quality and availability; (vii) fluctuations in VMware, Inc.'s operating results and risks associated with trading of VMware stock; (viii) the transition to new products, the uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and rapid technological and market change; (ix) risks associated with managing the growth of our business, including risks associated with acquisitions and investments and the challenges and costs of integration, restructuring and achieving anticipated synergies; (x) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; (xi) insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; (xii) fluctuating currency exchange rates; (xiii) threats and other disruptions to our secure data centers or networks; (xiv) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (xv) war or acts of terrorism; and (xvi) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in EMC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EMC disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160501/362082

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emc-announces-new-extreme-archiving-platform-for-structured-and-unstructured-data-300260682.html

SOURCE EMC Corporation
[May 02, 2016] Technavio Announces Top Six Vendors in the Global Plant Automation Solutions Market from 2016 to 2020

Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors in their recent global plant automation solutions market report. This research report also lists 14 other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. Competitive vendor landscape The global plant automation solutions market has grown drastically since 2000, and hosts a number of international, regional, and local vendors. The regional and local vendors offer cost-effective customized automation solutions. However, established international players, such as Siemens (News - Alert), ABB, and Honeywell, are expanding their footprint through R&D investments and product innovation. Schneider Electric invested USD 625 million in 2014 in R&D activities. "Major companies across oil and gas, power, chemicals, and petrochemicals, automotive, fertilizers, cement, pharmaceuticals, F&B, and other industries prefer established vendors with reliable supply and lasting automation solutions," says Bharath Kanniappan, a lead analyst at Technavio for automation. Though local vendors are making efforts to compete in the market, they find it difficult to compete with their established counterparts that dominate the market in terms of quality, features, and system capabilities. In addition, local vendors do not have significant funds to develop and innovate product lines and solution offerings. Request for sample report: http://goo.gl/EqhuOv Top six plant automation solutions market vendors Siemens Siemens was founded in 1847, and has headquarters in Munich, Germany. It is a multinational conglomerate with core activities in the fields of energy, healthcare, industry, and infrastructure sectors. It supplies systems for power generation and transmission, and medical diagnosis. In addition, the company specializes in infrastructure and industry solutions. The company - through its industry segment - offers a wide range of products and solutions to various industrial companies, mainly process and manufacturing industries. It offers automation technologies, industrial controls, and industry software that optimize complete product development and production processes. Honeywell (News - Alert) Honeywell International was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in New Jersey, US. The company offers aerospace products and services; turbochargers; control, sensing, and security technologies for homes, buildings, and industry; specialty chemicals; process technology for refining and petrochemicals; electronic and advanced materials; and energy-efficient products and solutions for homes, business, and transportation. ADI-Gardiner, Grimes Aerospace, Honeywell Electronic Materials, Life Safety Distribution, and UOP Russell are the subsidiaries of Honeywell.



ABB ABB was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. The company offers power and automation technologies to diverse industries, including utilities, transport, and infrastructure.

The company's process automation division provides control systems, robots, controllers, and software systems for manufacturing and process industries. It sells its products through direct sales force and third-party network partners, including distributors, system integrators, and OEMs. The company also provides services that complement its products such as installation, training and life-cycle care, energy-efficiency appraisals, and preventive maintenance. Emerson (News - Alert) Electric Emerson Electric was established in 1890 and is headquartered in Missouri, US. The company provides technology and engineering solutions for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets. The company also provides systems and software, measurement and analytical instrumentation, valves, actuators, and regulators. It also provides reliability consulting, including digital plant architecture that allows communication of devices with centralized systems for industries such as petroleum, chemicals, F&B, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, and municipal water supplies. Schneider Electric (News - Alert) Schneider Electric was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France. The company provides integrated energy management solutions. The company serves numerous markets such as energy and infrastructure, data centers and networks, buildings, residential, industries, and machines. The company offers a wide of products, including boxes, cabling and interfaces, building management systems, bus, networks and communication, fuse switches, HMI, and motion and drives. It also provides motor starters, measurement and control relays, process automation and controls, PLC panel boards and switchboards, and power supplies and transformers. In addition, it offers protection relays and contactors, push buttons, switches and pilot lights, control stations and joysticks, sensors, radio-frequency identification systems, and signaling units. Rockwell Automation (News - Alert) Rockwell Automation was founded in 1903, and has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US. The company provides industrial automation power, control, and information solutions. It serves diverse industries, including F&B, transportation, oil and gas, metals, mining, and life sciences. The company sells products through independent distributors and direct sales force in the US, Canada, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America. The company offers control platforms that perform multiple control and monitoring applications such as continuous, batch, and discrete process, drives control, motion control, and machine safety control. The product portfolio includes electronic operator interface devices, controllers, electronic I/O devices, communication, networking products, and industrial computers. Browse Related Reports: Global Process Automation and Instrumentation Market 2016-2020

Global Automation Market in Automotive Industry 2016-2020

Industrial Automation Control Market in APAC 2016-2020 Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact [email protected] with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160502005560/en/

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[May 02, 2016] Operation & Business Support System Market by Oss Solutions, by BSS Solutions, by End-Users and by Geography - Analysis & Forecasts to 2020

NEW YORK, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Operation Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS) market size is estimated to grow from USD 23.95 billion in 2015 to USD 42.81 billion by 2020, at an estimated CAGR of 12.3%. The OSS/BSS market facilitate end users with good competency and enables cost savings and rapid delivery of results for implementation, integration, and projects maintenance thus increasing the demand of OSS/BSS solutions and driving the growth of OSS/BSS market.



Telecom enterprises end users contribute the maximum market share in 2015

The telecom enterprises end users are expected to contribute the largest market share in the OSS/BSS market. BFSI, manufacturing, and retail will be the key growing end users during the forecast period. OSS/BSS solutions majorly support functions of network management for the telecom industry. Rise in Billing & Revenue Management is contributing toward the adaption of OSS/BSS models by telecom vendors as it helps to achieve greater agility and flexibility at reduced costs, and improves network management



'Latin America is expected to be the fastest-growing region for global OSS/BSS market during the forecast period'

The Latin America region would be the fastest-growing OSS/BSS marketas compared to the other regions; however, the difference is substantially low. The major cause for the growth of the Latin America OSS/BSS market in this region is the increasing number of subscribers and data devices. The developing nations such as Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico have a large number of subscribers and provide telecom companies with new opportunities to expand in the region. The growing technological advancemens in the region are responsible for large system integrators and network equipment providers (NEP) to emerge as dominant primary suppliers to the telecom operators.







In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research. Primary interviews were conducted to gather information and primary respondents detail is mentioned below by company type, by designagtion and by regions



- By Company Type - Tier 1  55 %, Tier 2  20% and Tier 3  25%





- By Designation  C level  75%, Manager level  25%



- By Region  North America - 46%, Europe  31%, APAC  15%, RoW  8%



With the growing need for OSS/BSS solutions, the requirement for billing, customer management and order management had a breakthrough growth in areas of telecom enterprises, manufacturing, BFSI, and other retail industry. Technologies such as next-generation OSS/BSS solutions, offers huge growth by optimizing the network potentials, respond swiftly to changing business and lauch new services fast and easily.



The various key OSS/BSS vendors and service providers profiled in the report are as follows:

1. Amdocs

2. Accenture

3. HP

4. IBM

5. Oracle Corporation

6. TCS

7. Ericsson

8. Tech Mahindra

9. Huawei Technology

10. Nokia Networks



The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways:

1. This report segments the OSS/BSS market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and the subsegments across different technologies, services, deployment models, and regions.

2. The report helps stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provides them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

3. This report will help stakeholders to better understand the competitors and gain more insights to better their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes competitor ecosystem, newproduct develpoments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions.



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03572444-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/operation--business-support-system-market-by-oss-solutions-by-bss-solutions-by-end-users-and-by-geography---analysis--forecasts-to-2020-300261218.html SOURCE Reportlinker

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[May 03, 2016] Dell Expands Availability of Premium Support for PCs to Consumers in 110 Countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America

Dell (News - Alert) today announced it is expanding the availability of Premium Support, a service for consumer PCs that dramatically improves the customer experience through simplified, hassle-free support. Currently offered in the US and Canada, it is being made available in 110 additional countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Premium Support provides 24x7 anytime, anywhere phone access to expert technicians, onsite service after remote diagnosis and the first and only proactive automated support for consumer PCs and tablets.1,2 Powered by Dell's innovative, award-winning SupportAssist technology, Premium Support automatically detects both hardware and software issues and proactively alerts consumers when they occur. SupportAssist also enables Dell's technicians to initiate contact6 with customers and begin resolving the problem, often before they even know an issue exists. Key features: Premium Support was designed to meet the needs of today's consumers and significantly reduces the time it takes to resolve common hardware problems with up to 59 percent fewer steps in the support process and up to 86 percent less time on the phone compared to Dell's basic hardware support.3 Key features include: 24x7 support access by phone or online 2

Onsite service after remote diagnosis within 1-2 business days 4

Single resource for hardware and software expertise

Proactive resolution of issues automatically detected by SupportAssist technology

Comprehensive software support and collaborative assistance for preinstalled software titles like Microsoft (News - Alert) Office, Explorer, Oulook, and more

Help and "how to" for network connectivity, printer setup, back-up, anti-virus set up, operating system upgrades and more



Supporting quotes: "Through research we conducted, our customers told us their top priorities when it comes to support are timely and efficient service delivery, knowledgeable service staff, and coverage of both hardware and software issues," said Doug Schmitt, vice president and general manager of Global Support and Deployment at Dell. "With Premium Support we're serving customers on their terms with 24x7 support from highly trained technicians in the method they prefer and onsite support when they need it. They can rest easy knowing Dell experts stand behind them no matter where in the world they may be."

Availability Premium Support is available today in 109 countries on Dell Inspiron and Alienware systems and in Japan on May 10. Premium Support for consumers buying XPS systems will be available on July 12. The support service will also be available for purchase at participating retail stores later this year.5 Europe, Middle East and Africa Premium Support replaces Premium Phone (News - Alert) Support in select countries in Europe and the Middle East, giving customers the enhanced benefits of 24x7 phone and online support2, comprehensive software support with collaborative third party assistance, and automated issue detection, notification and case creation with SupportAssist. In many EMEA countries, the service will be available as the first comprehensive support upgrade from Dell's basic hardware support. Latin America and Asia-Pacific Premium Support replaces ProSupport in Latin America and Asia-Pacific countries for Alienware and Inspiron systems. For more information, visit www.dell.com/premiumsupport. About Dell Dell Inc. listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com. 1 Based on a Dell analysis dated April 2016. Some Premium Support features are not available on all products. Remote diagnosis is determination by online/phone technician of cause of issue. If issue is not resolved remotely, technician and/or part will be dispatched. Onsite response times may vary depending on product's geographical location. See Dell.com/servicecontracts. 2 In EMEA, English-only support after local business hours. 3 Based on May 2015 Principled Technologies Test Report commissioned by Dell comparing tech support troubleshooting for hard drive failure. Testing conducted in the United States. Actual results will vary. Full report: http://facts.pt/DellPremiumSupport1 4 Onsite Service after Remote Diagnosis: Technician or replacement part will be dispatched if necessary following online or telephone-based troubleshooting. Subject to parts availability, geographical restrictions and terms of service contract. Response times may vary depending on product's geographical location. For details about Onsite Service, see dell.com/servicecontracts. 5 Availability varies by region and by retailer. 6 Dell does not make unsolicited calls asking to charge to fix an issue a customer did not report or previously request help with unless they have signed up for our premium support services like Dell Tech Concierge, Dell Premium Support or Dell ProSupport services. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005353/en/

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[May 03, 2016] The Great Courses and Mayo Clinic Jointly Create Health and Wellness Courses

The Great Courses, the leading global media brand for lifelong learning, is working with Mayo Clinic to create premium video courses in health and wellness. The collaboration, which will produce at least nine courses, brings together a worldwide leader in medical care, education, and research with the top producers of engaging educational media for personal enlightenment and enrichment. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005436/en/ "By sharing our knowledge through video, we can broadly deliver Mayo Clinic's health-care expertise to help people stay well or to find answers when they are ill," said Paul Limburg, M.D., M.P.H., medical director for Global Business Solutions at Mayo Clinic. "Through these courses, people can access our physicians' insights into current medical research and practice." The first course, The Science of Integrative Medicine, will be taught by Brent A. Bauer, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. The course focuses on complementary and integrative medicine practices and what science can - and cannot - prove about their effectiveness. Nearly 40 percent of all Americans report using these treatments, which include acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, herbal remedies, traditional Chinese medicine, hypnosis, meditation, biofeedback, and spinal manipulation. "Our highly educated, multifaceted customers enjoy learning from the best-in-class experts from our elite content relationships," said Ed Leon, chief brand officer for The Great Courses. "They learn photography from the bet photographers at National Geographic, cooking from The Culinary Institute of America, art and culture from the Smithsonian, and now they will have the top source for health and wellness information - the doctors of Mayo Clinic. We can't imagine a better resource, and we look forward to producing in-depth, cutting-edge medical education for our worldwide audience."



The course is available in multiple formats at www.thegreatcourses.com. On May 30 it will be added to The Great Courses Plus, the new subscription learning-on-demand platform from The Great Courses, which streams more than 6,000 individual video lectures covering a universe of subjects from the world's greatest professors. Future series already in development with Mayo Clinic include:

Mayo Clinic Guide to Pain Relief

Mayo Clinic Diet and Exercise for Weight Loss

Mayo Clinic Guide to Aging Well

Mayo Clinic Guide to Preventive Medicine The Great Courses services millions of lifelong learners and has delivered more than 19 million courses since 1990 via CDs, DVDs, digital downloads, and streaming apps. Each year the company hones its media production values, graphics, and animation, always aimed at creating learning experiences that ignite the minds and imaginations of its customers. The result is a global community of lifelong learners who include noted business and political leaders worldwide. Contact The Great Courses with questions, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube. #lifelonglearning #MayoClinic #TheGreatCourses About The Great Courses The Great Courses is the nation's leading developer and marketer of premium-quality media for lifelong learning and personal enrichment. Delivered in engaging, expertly produced video and audio (in convenient online, digital, video on demand, and disc formats), these carefully crafted courses provide access to a world of knowledge from the most accomplished professors and experts. The content-rich, proprietary library spans more than 575 series with more than 14,000 lectures designed to expand horizons, deepen understanding, and foster epiphanies in the arts, science, literature, self-improvement, history, music, philosophy, theology, economics, mathematics, business, professional advancement, and personal development. Creating unique learning experiences since 1990, The Great Courses is the premier brand of The Teaching Company Sales, LLC of Chantilly, Virginia, which is owned by Los Angeles-based Brentwood Associates. More information can be found at www.thegreatcourses.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005436/en/

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[May 03, 2016] National Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) Patient Registry Gains Momentum

Brainlab, a global leader in medical technology, today announced that it has enrolled 11, to date, of the expected 30 hospitals and healthcare systems in the national Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) Patient Registry. Launched in partnership with The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the patient registry will gather important patient data, aiming to define national patterns of care in radiosurgery, with an eye to improving health care outcomes, supporting informed decision-making and potentially lowering the cost of care for patients. To date, the SRS Patient Registry is gathering de-identified data on almost 400 patients at the diverse, high-volume enrolled facilities. The registry logs the de-identified SRS treatment information of patients affected by brain metastases, benign brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The SRS patient registry is set to prospectively collect data from 30 of the best hospitals in the United States over a three-year period, and under the banner of quality, generate a large clinical database, unlike any other. "This level of detailed patient data analysis can change the way we look at methods and patterns of care from a both a population database and personalized medicine perspective," said Brian Kavanagh, MD, MPH, FASTRO, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado. "The more patients we upload into the registry, the closer we can approach our ultimate goal of thoroughly understanding SRS best practices so that we can help improve patient outcomes." Brainlab, a major investor in and supporter of the SRS registry, transfers treatment and outcome information to the database through Quentry, a web-based image sharing service, which emloys advanced encryption and access-control technologies to ensure that all sensitive medical information is secure.



"Over the next two years, all 30 hospitals in the registry are expected to upload thousands more patients," said Jason Sheehan, MD, PhD, FACS, Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor & Vice Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery University of Virginia Health System. "In an era of evidence-based medicine, this SRS Registry offers the potential to provide concrete guidelines and process benchmarks that could change patient outcomes on a global scale." Current sites providing patient data via Brainlab Quentry:

University of Colorado Hospital

University of Virginia Health System

University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

Mayfield Clinic-University of Cincinnati

Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience

Norton Cancer Institute

Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

Penn State Hershey Medical Center

Northwell Health (formerly North Shore LIJ) By the end of the summer, five additional facilities are set to begin uploading data to the SRS Patient Registry: Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah

University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute

Yale New Haven Health System

University of Rochester Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital "We are excited to see the SRS registry gaining momentum, as more data will empower healthcare providers and administrators at participating facilities to optimize patient care," said Stefan Vilsmeier, CEO and Founder, Brainlab. ASTRO and AANS lead the Scientific Advisory Committee charged with providing strategic oversight for the registry. Analysis of the de-identified patient data will be scientifically published, and the fully de-identified data elements will subsequently be made available in the public domain. About AANS Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 8,500 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves. To learn more, visit www.aans.org. About Brainlab Brainlab, headquartered in Munich, develops, manufactures and markets software-driven medical technology, enabling access to advanced, less invasive patient treatments. Core products center on information-guided surgery, radiosurgery, precision radiation therapy, digital operating room integration, and information and knowledge exchange. Brainlab technology powers treatments in radiosurgery and radiotherapy as well as numerous surgical fields including neurosurgery, orthopedic, ENT, CMF, spine and trauma. Privately held since its formation in 1989, Brainlab has over 9,000 systems installed in about 100 countries. Brainlab employs 1,300 people in 18 offices worldwide, including 320 research & development engineers, who form a crucial part of the product development team. To learn more, visit www.brainlab.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503006272/en/

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[May 03, 2016] Step Into the Future With Yuemey's Revolutionary Social-Professional App Launching Live at Disrupt NY 2016

NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest buzz in the world of virtual networking and recruiting comes from Yuemey, a groundbreaking app created by Tejas Bodiwala, CPO/CTO (Philadelphia, PA) and Cary Weir Lytle, CEO (Boston, MA). Yuemey is revolutionizing today's $3.5 trillion talent management and professional networking markets by implementing innovative features and technology that truly disrupt today's one-dimensional recruitment platforms, including: visual profiles, location-enabled groups, A.I., interactive communication tools and virtual recruiting. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160502/362518 By skillfully blending features, each with more touch-points than any other platform, Yuemey inspires people to interact while also making self-promotion and managing new relationships easy. Meet, search, endorse, collaborate and refer; share your goals, talents, and interests; message, video-chat and more. There are no limits with Yuemey! Hacking Disrupt like never before, the app is scheduled to launch on the opening day of the conference, May 9th. Yuemey has created the official (unofficial) wayfor attendees from any Disrupt conference to stay in touch  you can use its dynamic, location-enabled group features to seamlessly connect while you're there. The app's unique visual profiles will help Disrupt visionaries foster relationships and share their ideas with each other, and communication features will make meeting the right connections easy.



Unlike other virtual networking and recruitment apps, Yuemey utilizes artificial intelligence to create advanced processes for communicating and hiring. By creating a more intelligent ecosystem anyone can access talent directly and serve as a brand ambassador, referral agent, and member of a recruiting team. Recruiters and companies also have visual profiles, interactive features and assessment tools  which drive a holistic approach to assessing fit and sparking the right relationships. This all-encompassing approach helps companies engage in transparent, relational hiring so teams can flourish and tackle their goals together. Yuemey is growing rapidly with vast opportunities for collaboration and involvement. With the support and generosity of advocates, industry influencers and forward-thinking partners, Yuemey will continue to encourage and connect today's visionaries by providing an outlet to showcase their story in ways as unique as they are. Chat with a representative at Disrupt NY 2016, and visit the app store on May 9th, to learn more about how you can connect with and through Yuemey.



Share your vision. Join the Yuemey movement. For more information, please contact [[email protected]] and visit www.yuemey.com. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/step-into-the-future-with-yuemeys-revolutionary-social-professional-app-launching-live-at-disrupt-ny-2016-300261654.html SOURCE Yuemey

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[May 03, 2016] ReadySpace Doubles Up on Cybersecurity

ReadySpace, a leading cloud service provider in the Asia Pacific region, has announced a slew of new cybersecurity services to better protect businesses against cyber threats. From today, selected ReadySpace Cloud Servers will come preinstalled and hardened with the necessary security features and services at no additional cost, making it easier for businesses, especially e-commerce companies, to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI (News - Alert)-DSS). PCI DSS provides a baseline of technical and operational requirements designed to protect financial account data. It applies to organizations involved in payment card processing, including merchants, processors, acquirers, issuers and service providers. The global standard was developed to enhance data security and encourage broad adoption of data security measures. "Payment card details are one of the most sought after data by hackers. With ReadySpace's award-winning cloud security, and now with our PCI-ready Cloud Servers, businesses are now assured that their customers' payment card data will remain secure," said Mr David Loke, Chief Executive Officer, ReadySpace. "To be PCI-ready, organizations typically have to spend time with a consultant to implement the PCI security safeguards for a huge fee. With ReadySpace's PCI-ready Cloud Servers, they can now do quickly for free," Mr Loke added. In terms of Web security, ReadySpace will also be providing SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates for ReadySpace Cloud Servers for free. SSL is a technology that secures encrypted communication between a browser and a Web server. "Besides securing Wb communications, SSL also helps organizations improve their visibility on search engines such as Google (News - Alert), which sees a need to have a more secure Internet, and as such it ranks websites with SSL certificates higher than others," Mr Loke said.



With the growing number of new and emerging cybersecurity threats, it has become harder for businesses to keep up with developments in the evolving cyber threat landscape. To help customers address this, ReadySpace recently became part of a server protection network that provides information on the latest security threats. With this information, ReadySpace will then block the impending threats before they strike customers. Mr Loke said: "We're now able to block access to malicious domains to limit the risk of infection, as well as prevent infected systems from connecting to command and control servers. Other new security services that we are providing include Web Application Firewall, Log Analysis, and Layer 7 DDoS mitigation."

Meanwhile, ReadySpace reported a 35% increase in total revenue during the last fiscal year 2015/2016. "Our stellar growth amid growing competition from large players in the cloud-hosting space shows that a regional cloud service player like ReadySpace can still deliver strong value for customers. We intend to build on our success and expand our footprint to markets like Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea," Mr Loke said. Said Tay Kunming, Far East Gems & Jewellery: "We have been with ReadySpace for the last 7 years and they have not let us down. With the introduction of strengthened security services on the ReadySpace Cloud, we would definitely be more daring to approach upcoming opportunities that were not possible before. We are proud to be a customer of ReadySpace as they are embody the Singapore spirit - to be cutting edge, competitive and reliable. ReadySpace is a great local brand with reliable international capabilities!" About ReadySpace ReadySpace is a Cloud Service Provider, offering a wide range of cloud hosting solutions, from Cloud Hosting to managed hosting services, Cloud Infrastructure, Dedicated Server, Cloud Servers and Cloud Apps. ReadySpace provides value-added pricing with above-industry level service and support. ReadySpace differentiates the competition through providing the highest service levels in Security, Availability and Scalability. With a presence in United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Australia, Taiwan and China, ReadySpace is positioned for the growth in Cloud Services demand in the Asia Pacific region. For more information please visit www.readyspace.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005038/en/

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[May 03, 2016] Bluefin's PCI-validated P2PE Solution to host Visa Data Secure Platform (DSP)

Bluefin Payment Systems, the leading provider of PCI (News - Alert)-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) solutions for retail, healthcare and education, today announced that they will provide the Visa Data Secure Platform (DSP) through their Decryption as a Service P2PE Solution. Visa DSP is a platform designed to help merchants prevent sensitive account holder data from being compromised by encrypting it in the PCI PTS approved Point of Sale hardware. "The EMV Liability Shift deadline passed in October 2015. With EMV, merchants now have a tool to combat fraud in the form of counterfeit cards," said Ruston Miles, Bluefin's Chief Innovation Officer. "According to the 2015 Verizon (News - Alert) Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), five malware events occur every second which totals 170 million malware attacks per year. With counterfeit card fraud in the rearview mirror, we are seeing merchants re-focus on data security to protect their POS systems from leaking card data to malware. Bluefin's PCI-validated P2PE Solution and Visa's DSP come together to provide an industry leading solution." Bluefin's solutions encrypt cardholder data within a PI P2PE ready device, preventing clear-text cardholder data from being available in an organization's system and network where it could be accessible in the event of a data breach. This process devalues the card data rendering it useless to hackers. Card data is not decrypted until it reaches Bluefin's decryption environment.



Approved encryption solutions listed on the PCI Security Standard Council website must adhere to strict device and chain of custody requirements. Companies that implement PCI P2PE throughout their POS environment are eligible for the 35-question SAQ P2PE - a significant reduction from the 332-question SAQ D. Bluefin will provide the Visa DSP with PCI P2PE security platform to merchants through its network of payment gateway partners including Merchant Link, USAePay, Echosat, 3Delta Systems (3DSI), WorldNet, Anywhere Commerce, TNS (News - Alert), and its more than 250 ISV, SaaS, POS and ERP partners.

About Bluefin Bluefin Payment Systems is the leading provider of secure payment technology for retailers, enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses worldwide. Bluefin specializes in PCI-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) integrated and stand-alone solutions for retail, mobile, call center and kiosk/unattended environments, and secure Ecommerce technologies including transparent redirect and tokenization. Bluefin is a Participating Organization (PO) of the PCI Security Standards Council (SSC) and is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in New York, Chicago, Tulsa and Waterford, Ireland. For more information please visit http://www.bluefin.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503006424/en/

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MATTOON -- Mattoon High Schools student journalists broke their own records in achievement in 2016 through both submitted publications and live contests.

The Mirror staff garnered 41 awards from the Illinois Journalism Education Association contest. The Riddle co-editor-in-chief was named to the IJEA All-State Journalism Team, and MHS journalists claimed 10 state spots in the 2016 IHSA Journalism Competition  with two going on to medal at State.

MHS Mirror wins first in state

The 2015 IJEA Newspaper Contest recently released winners in three categories. The MHS Mirror won first place in the Best Overall Newspaper category in its division for the state (500-1,200 enrollment).

The newspaper also received the following awards:

Best Hybrid Publication  first place

Best Front-Page Design  first

Best Overall Design  first

Best Newspaper website (mhsmirror.org)  first

Best Advertisement  second (Derby Roan); honorable mention (Abby James)

Best Alternative Storytelling  first (Victoria Leitch); second (Abby James)

Best Audio Podcast  first (JJ Bullock, Trey Skocy, Zack Black, Jacob Harris)

Best Blogger  first (Katie Ervin)

Best Editorial Cartoon  third (Derby Roan)

Best Feature Story  honorable mention (Victoria Leitch)

Best Headline  second (JJ Bullock)

Best Illustration  second (Taryn Kracinski); third (Derby Roan)

Best Infographic  first (Taya Quarles and Victoria Leitch); second (Abby James)

Best Multimedia Story Package  first (Katie Ervin and Gabriel Tomer)

Best News or Feature Photo  honorable mention (Derby Roan)

Best News Story  first (Gabriel Tomer); honorable mention (Derby Roan)

Best Personality Profile  honorable mention (Kayla Tolliver)

Best Photo Story  first, (Katie Ervin); second (Christin Watkins)

Best Review  third (Trenton Bitting)

Best Serious Commentary  first (Kayla Tolliver); second (Trenton Bitting)

Best Single-Page Story Package  third (Derby Roan); honorable mention (Trenton Bitting)

Best Sports Commentary  first and honorable mention (JJ Bullock)

Best Sports Feature Story  first (JJ Bullock)

Best Sports News Story  first (JJ Bullock); second (Sophie Collings)

Best Sports Photo  honorable mention (Sophie Collings)

Best Staff Editorial  first (Abby James); third (Victoria Leitch)

Best Video Story  1st place (Derby Roan); 2nd place (JJ Bullock)

MHS Yearbook Editor-in-chief named to all-state journalism team

Darien Harvey, senior and co-editor-in-chief of the MHS Riddle yearbook, was named to the IJEA All-State Journalism Team for 2015-2016. Along with 14 others in the state of Illinois, Harvey was nominated and chosen for her MVP status on the staff of the Mattoon yearbook  her skills, work ethic, and passion for quality journalism being among her many attributes.

According to yearbook adviser Amanda Bright, Harvey is someone who wants to learn and stretch herself, and she wants to bring out the best in others around her. Her responsibility and teachable nature are beyond compare, but it is her work ethic that makes her a great leader and role model to our growing yearbook staff.

Harvey is in her fourth year on the MHS Riddle staff, and she plans to continue doing yearbook journalism at Eastern Illinois University in the fall. Along with her family, Harvey will be honored at the IJEA Journalism Awards Banquet on June 4 in Springfield.

MHS Journalists compete at IHSA Journalism State

Nine Mattoon High School students also qualified and competed in 10 categories at the IHSA State Journalism Competition on April 29 at Eastern Illinois University. These students were among the 21 best in their category in the state of Illinois, and reached the state level after finishing in the top three spots at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale sectional on April 23.

At sectionals, Mattoon as a team competed at the highest level ever, as they took second place overall.

The two MHS students who placed at IHSA State:

JJ Bullock, senior, third in state in sports writing (second in sectionals)

Derby Roan, senior, sixth in state in headline writing (first in sectionals)

The other students who competed at IHSA State:

Brennan Tomer, junior, review writing (second in sectionals)

Gabriel Tomer, junior, editorial writing (third in sectionals)

Mattie Eaton, junior, yearbook copy writing (second in sectionals)

Victoria Leitch, junior, newspaper design (third in sectionals)

Abby James, sophomore, advertising (second in sectionals)

Taryn Kracinski, senior, editorial cartooning (first in sectionals)

Sophie Collings, junior, feature writing (first in sectionals) and infographics (third in sectionals)

The MHS students who participated in the IHSA Sectionals (in addition to those mentioned above):

Darien Harvey, senior, photo storytelling

Erin Anderson, senior, yearbook double-page spread

Abby Spidle, junior, yearbook caption writing

Emily Watkins and Chloe Anderson, juniors, yearbook theme development

Trenton Bitting, senior, headline writing

For MHS newspaper and yearbook adviser Amanda Bright, the increasingly impressive performance of the student journalists at Mattoon High School provides hope for the future.

We see so much negative and unethical media in the world. These high school students are doing it right," she said. "They are tackling tough issues, creating meaningful art, and developing in their readership a more contextual and authentic understanding of the truth. I cant ask for a more wonderful outcome that that.
MATTOON (JG-TC) -- Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Mutual Telephone Co. of Sioux Center, Iowa, and Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association to divest its Heartland Telecommunications Co. of Iowa in order for Consolidated to focus on its core regions.

Bob Udell, president and chief executive officer of Consolidated, said in a press release that both Premier and Winnebago are uniquely positioned to provide exceptional service to customers in the rural areas of northwest Iowa.

We expect this transaction will benefit customers, who can count on continued high levels of service and investment in their community from Premier and Winnebago, Udell said.

Premier will acquire the Iowa exchanges of Akron, Boyden, Doon, Hawarden, Hull, Ireton, Rock Rapids, Rock Valley and Sibley. Winnebago will acquire the Iowa exchanges of Bancroft and Lakota.

The closing of this agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals, which are expected to be completed in the second half of 2016.
MATTOON -- On Saturday, the Mattoon Public Library is slated to get into the superhero action of the annual nationwide Free Comic Book Day.

Library staff members plan to hand out comic books, help children create superhero crafts, and offer other activities during their new Nerdfest celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Midgard Comics of Charleston also plans to hold its annual Free Comic Book Day promotion on Saturday, with giveaways from noon to 5 p.m. while supplies last.

Stacy Fetters, an assistant at the library, said she has been a fan of Free Comic Book Day for some time and wanted to bring this annual event to Mattoon.

Consequently, Fetters said she sought and received Diamond Comic Distributors' approval for the library to take part. She said Diamond informed her that Mattoon is the first small-town library in Central Illinois to be a Free Comic Book Day location.

"It's something different for our community," Fetters said.

Diamond has provided the library with a box full of comic books including "Bob's Burgers," "Serenity," "Spongebob Square Pants, "Strawberry Shortcake," "Street Fighter" and more.

Fetters said the selection also includes Free Comic Book Day's first steampunk title, "Lady Mechanika," and "Junior Braves of the Apocalypse," which is "like a 'Walking Dead' for kids." She said this selection reflects the wide variety of graphic novels and mangas for all ages available at the Mattoon library.

"Our graphic novel selection is pretty big compared to other small libraries," Fetters said.

Sara Mood, who works in children's services at the library, said many community members may only think of the Mattoon library in terms of traditional books. She said Free Comic Book Day, in its 15th year, will help introduce people to the many other types of items that they can check out or order through the library.

Fetters said children will be able to make superhero toys, badges and other crafts on Saturday at Nerdfest, which also will offer prize drawings and giveaways. She added that organizers of the annual Cil-Con event at the Cross County Mall plan to bring superhero coloring pages and a costumed superhero to Nerdfest.

Midgard Comics co-owner Mark Waters said his shop, 102 W. Lincoln Ave. in Charleston, has been taking part in Free Comic Book Day for more than a decade as part of this national campaign to get new readers interested in comic books by giving out samples.

Waters said Free Comic Book Day is typically held on the first Saturday in May during the debut weekend of a superhero movie, with "Captain America: Civil War" being this year's focus. He said his free selection this year includes titles related to this movie, as well as "Archie," "Doctor Who," "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Suicide Squad" and more.

The comic book shop owner said Free Comic Book Day is their biggest single sales day of the year, adding that they kick off an annual two-week sale during this event.

"Free Comic Book Day is pretty popular," Waters said. "People start asking about it a few weeks ahead of time."
EDITOR'S NOTE: A former Sullivan and Charleston resident, Jerry Ginther writes a column the first Tuesday of each month in the JG-TC with his remembrances of years gone by in Charleston, Sullivan and the area.

From the second floor of the yard office I could hear the low rumble of diesel locomotives idling in the train yard below. One was the yard engine that a short time earlier had finished putting together a southbound freight. The other was the three-unit engine consist on the freight train readying for its departure from Wisconsin Street Yard in Indianapolis.

This was my first regular job for the Illinois Central Railroad. One of the telegraph operators had recently retired leaving an opening on the afternoon, 4 p.m. to midnight shift.

The blackness of night had settled over the yard two hours earlier. Now, all that was visible on the train was the lights along the sides of the coupled units as they sat motionless in the dark. The yard engine crew had come into the yard office to acquire updated switch lists from the yard clerk. After completion of the assembly of the outbound freight, the yard tracks would now be void of those cars. These changes made it necessary for the switch crew to get updates on what cars remained, their destinations, and on which tracks they were located. They surveyed the new lists as they waited for the outbound freight to clear the yard track it was occupying.

The outbound train crew had been in my office, picked up the train orders, clearances and messages of instructions, which I had stapled together in two sets for the crewmembers on both ends of the train. Each one had checked his watch with the standard clock on the wall and compared the time with each other. Finally, they checked the register to be sure that all superior trains due Wisconsin Street Yard had arrived or left.

The conductor had begun the entry for the departing train in the train register. I would enter the actual departure time when I saw the markers on the caboose enter the main track. Other items that were entered in the register were the schedule number of the train and the lead engine number. The word "extra" was written in the space for schedule no if it was an extra train. Signals also had to be registered and their colors. No signals were displayed for a freight train running on a timetable schedule. Green signal lights were displayed on the top front of the lead engine if that train was ordered to display signals for a following section of the same schedule. White lights were displayed instead if the train was an extra train.

At last, I saw the signal lights on the lead unit come on and I knew the departure was near at hand. Next, the brilliant headlight illuminated that entire end of the yard and I heard the conductor tell the engineer on the radio that the brakes had released. Two short blasts on the whistle made all within hearing distance aware that the train was about to move. The three GP9s came to life as the throttle was moved to the first notch and they broke out of the low idle and began to pull the slack out of the standing cars. Again the engines revved a bit soon after the engineer heard the conductor say on the radio, Youve got em all. Lets go to Palestine!

The engines moved out onto the switching lead, and continued to pull the rest of the train out of the yard track very slowly. When the caboose cleared the yard track switch, the conductor once again gave a report to the engineer. Although the engines were far in the distance, once again I could hear them rev up as the engineer began to widen on the throttle to increase the speed. Still I could hear the departing trains engines go through transition and whistle for the grade crossings for several minutes after it had disappeared from sight.

That was in the autumn of 1965, but I can remember being conscious of the fact that a string of cars standing on a yard track could, in a manner of speaking, come to life and become an animated thing with an identity. They became a train with a name such as Extra 9386 South or No. 391, no longer just railcars standing on a railroad yard track.
West Gate Bank is challenging a Nebraska Department of Labor ruling that it owes wages to an employee that it says stole client data and trade secrets last year.

According to a complaint filed last week in Lancaster County District Court, the Lincoln-based bank does not believe it should have to pay Stacy Svoboda her last two weeks' worth of pay as well as accrued time off.

West Gate says in court documents that Svoboda resigned on Oct. 6, but a routine check of her computer showed that on Sept. 28 she emailed thousands of pages of client documents to her personal email.

The bank alleges that action was criminal and effectively terminated her employment that day, even though she continued to work there until Oct. 6.

The Labor Department originally fined the bank $500 and ordered it to pay more than $3,400 in wages and accrued time off to Svoboda.

West Gate appealed that order, and last month the Labor Department reduced the fine to $100 and said the amount due was actually closer to $2,500.

Labor Department hearing officer Jim Titus said in his order that under Nebraska law, the only way pay can be withheld upon termination is if a state or federal law compels an employer to do so or if there is a written agreement between employer and employee to do so. In West Gate's case, neither conditions applied, Titus said.

In its court complaint, West Gate argues that Svoboda failed to satisfy the conditions of her employment, one of which was to keep client data safe, "and therefore was not due 'wages' ..."

The complaint says the Labor Department's ruling is "not supported by competent evidence (and) is arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable."

West Gate is seeking to have the ruling overturned, the fine rescinded and to be reimbursed for its court costs.

An attorney for West Gate Bank did not return a phone message Tuesday.

A Labor Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the case.
A man who was teaching dance in Lincoln and Crete has been charged with sexually assaulting two 14-year-old girls in Crete.

Police arrested 27-year-old Vinson Jenkins Thursday at Dynamic Dance Co., 1318 Main Ave., which he co-owns with his wife, according to court documents.

Both of the girls Jenkins is accused of sexually assaulting are students at Crete Middle School and at least one of them a student at the Dynamic Dance Co. studio.

One of the girls told police Jenkins sexually assaulted her in the basement of his home at 2025 Fairway Drive on the evening of April 25, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Crete Police Officer Dawn Jonas.

The other girl said Jenkins repeatedly sexually assaulted her from August through December 2015 at the dance studio, the affidavit says.

He also contacted the second girl on social media including SnapChat and Instagram, court documents say.

Jenkins also worked at Pure Movement Dance in Lincoln teaching a small group of students once a week for the past couple of years. A representative of the Lincoln studio said in an email that the families of the students he worked with have been informed of the charges and that none of the Lincoln students has come forward with a claim against Jenkins.

A spokeswoman said Pure Movement Dance did a criminal history and arrest background check before hiring Jenkins and was shocked by the allegations. He has been fired from the Lincoln dance company, she said.

Jenkins was charged Monday in Saline County Court with two felony counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of felony enticement by electronic communication device.

A message left at Dynamic Dance Studio seeking comment was not returned.

Jenkins remained in the Saline County jail in Wilber Monday.
An instructor at Dynamic Dance Company in Crete who is accused of sexually assaulting two 14-year-old girls also worked for Crete Public Schools.

Superintendent Kyle McGowan said Tuesday that Vinson Jenkins worked for the district as a paraeducator. Duties for the position may have included overseeing the lunchroom or helping teachers in a classroom, he said.

Police arrested Jenkins Thursday after two Crete Middle School girls said he had sexually assaulted them. One said the assault happened at Vinson's home, the other said he assaulted her at the dance studio he owned with his wife, Sagen Jenkins.

McGowan declined to say how long Jenkins worked for the district, when he stopped working there, how the district has dealt with the issue or whether parents have been informed of the accusations. He did say Jenkins, 27, is no longer employed by the school district.

Vinson Jenkins taught at Dynamic Dance at 1318 Main Ave. in Crete and at Pure Movement Dance Institute in Lincoln. A spokeswoman at the Lincoln studio said none of its students have reported being harmed by him.

His profile on Dynamic Dance's website, which has been taken down, said he also taught at churches and at the Arts are Basic program through Doane College in Crete. A spokeswoman for Doane said the college has no record of him as an employee.

The first girl told police on April 26 that Jenkins assaulted her the day before in the basement of his home, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Crete Police Officer Dawn Jonas.

She described the room as a home theater and told police Jenkins took off her clothes and raped her while holding her arms over her head with one of his hands and covering her mouth with the other, the affidavit says.

Jenkins denied the rape during an interview with police, according to court records.

The second girl told police Jenkins assaulted her repeatedly at Dynamic Dance from August through December 2015, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The affidavit says he sent her messages through social media and asked for pictures of her in her underwear, which she sent to him.

He has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child, each punishable by 15 years to life in prison. He also faces a charge of enticement by electronic communication device.

Vinson remained in jail Tuesday on a $200,000 bond.

Phone messages left at Dynamic Dance Company have not been returned.
Patrick Combs, whose voice once commanded the attention of Husker fans inside Memorial Stadium, sat silently at the defense table in a Lincoln courtroom Monday as his trial began on allegations he stole thousands of dollars from an elderly woman in the days before she died.

The state called it exploitation. The defense said he was just carrying out her and her husband's wishes.

"In this case what we're looking at is exploitation," Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Morgan Smith said in opening statements.

He painted Combs as a callous man who took advantage of Beverly Mosher, an 88-year-old Lincoln woman in failing health, by getting her to sign over control of her money after her husband, Harold, died in October 2014. Then, Smith said, Combs spent their money on things including a snow plow, carpet for his family's lake home, $44,000 for his son's education, a 2006 Lexus, a 2008 Volkswagen Beetle, a 1988 Chevy Corvette and a 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

In the end, the jury will decide whether Combs is guilty of four felonies: attempted theft, abuse of a vulnerable adult, theft by unlawful taking of more than $1,500 and unauthorized use of a financial transaction device.

Smith alleges Combs wrote $94,924.69 in checks on the couple's accounts and charged $2,239 on their credit cards between Aug. 13, 2014, and Feb. 15, 2015.

Lincoln police got involved after Combs tried to transfer $1.75 million from the Moshers' bank account two months after Harold died.

"Youre going to have to decide whether Mr. Combs exploited Ms. Mosher," Smith told the jury. "The state believes he did."

Then, defense attorney Bob Creager told the jury that everything the government had said about Combs using the Moshers' money was true.

"The remarkable thing about this case is that we don't dispute 95 percent of what the government says happened," he said.

Creager said the sole issue is why Combs spent the money and whether he had criminal intent. Creager argued he did not.

Beverly Mosher was a teacher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her dad worked for Combs dad, Woody, at a Lincoln car dealership years ago. Combs knew the Moshers from the day he was born and was like an adopted son to them, Creager said.

The couple, who had no living relatives, paid for Combs' education and wedding.

In March 2013, Harold Mosher, who had been a lawyer, told a probate lawyer he and his wife wanted their money to be split among three people: 15 percent between two young men who had done work for them over the years, and the rest to Combs.

Creager said there was no evidence Combs had cajoled him into doing it or even knew.

He said Harold Mosher told Combs he should spend the inheritance they were going to give him while they were still living, rather than wait until they died, when he'd have to pay an 18 percent tax because he wasn't a relative.

They had plenty of money to live on for the rest of their lives, he said.

Creager said Combs went to the Moshers' financial adviser and accountant, who told Combs he could gift the money and came up with the $1.75 million transfer amount. But then the bank became concerned, he said.

"In the end, there is no crime here," Creager argued.

On Monday afternoon, the jury saw a video of Beverly Mosher taken by the police investigator who met with her a year ago at a care center for people with Alzheimer's and dementia.

She seemed confused at times and kept asking the officer why she was there.

"The whole thing just baffles me," Beverly Mosher said in the video.

Investigator Cindy Koenig-Warnke asked if she let people use her money to buy jewelry or houses or gifts.

"Nobody's asked me," she said.

Beverly Mosher died last June.

The trial continues Tuesday and is expected to last for about a week.
A $5.8 million gift from Willa Cathers nephew will support ongoing initiatives dedicated to the study of the Red Cloud author at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Charles E. Cather, who was born in Nebraska in 1923 and died in California in 2011, left the gift to create an endowment to provide annual support for Cather studies, including the Willa Cather Archive and the Cather Project, UNL announced Tuesday.

The gift will enable the university to continue its focus on the work produced by Cather including novels, short stories and essays about living in Nebraska and other parts of the country.

Most importantly, the gift lets us build on the universitys tradition and enables us to grow in new directions, particularly in ways that bring the values and insights of the humanities into the broader community, said Andrew Jewell, editor of the Willa Cather Archive and a professor at UNL.

Cather is a writer who cared deeply about the human experience, in all of its diverse forms, and her work opens us up to the broader world and connects us to one another, he added.

UNL said Charles Cathers gift will provide support for digital resources, educational programs and community outreach, as well as providing Cather scholars with stipends or awards.

The gift also will be provide support for the Willa Cather Scholarly Edition, a publication of her work published in partnership with the Cather Project and University of Nebraska Press.

Charles Cather has previously donated manuscripts, including the beginning of her last novel, letters, medals and other items from his personal collection.

A winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her 1923 work One of Ours, Willa Cather also wrote O Pioneers! and My Antonia. She was an 1895 graduate of the University of Nebraska and a former writer for the Lincoln Journal newspaper.
Fences may make good neighbors in poet Robert Frosts famous poem.

But Lincolns leaders apparently thought that electric fences do not.

Electric fences have been banned within the city limits since at least 1963. In fact, having an electric fence is not a zoning violation but a criminal offense.

Now, a South Carolina company wants an exception to that ban for businesses, and the City Council is delaying a decision for two months so city administrators can make sure there are no unintended consequences.

There are potential safety concerns, particularly with children and elderly people and people with heart conditions, said Chad Blahak, Building and Safety Department director.

Electric fences have generally been used in rural areas to contain animals, he said.

We want to know how this impacts the bigger picture, what other communities are doing," said Rick Hoppe, chief of staff to Mayor Chris Beutler. "We feel like there are some questions that should be answered before we move forward,"

The proposed ordinance would allow an electric fence around businesses, with a special permit -- with signs and inside a separate perimeter fence.

The electric fence ban would continue for residential areas.

The fences in the proposed ordinance are aimed at large storage areas, with a lot of stuff outside that folks can walk by and steal, said Michael Pate of Electric Guard Dog, a security company based in Columbia, South Carolina.

The fence is an alarm system and a physical deterrent, he said during a City Council hearing Monday afternoon.

The Electric Guard Dog fence operates on a 12-volt battery connected to a capacitor that amplifies the battery's charge to 7,000 volts. The capacitor releases a charge every 1.5 seconds, Pate said.

An alarm goes off when the voltage drops substantially, notifying the parent company.

Touching the fence is like touching a door handle in your home and seeing a spark, said Pate.

its going to pop you. You are not going to do it again, he said.

There should not be any concern about safety, said Pate. The electric fences are tested and have been used in communities across the country.

Electric Guard Dog has been trying to get its product allowed in Lincoln for a year and has a contract with local automobile recycler LKQ Auto Parts to build an electric security fence around some of its salvage yard.
The public is invited to celebrate the three new Centennial Mall fountains as they are turned on May 24.

The free event, from 5-7 p.m., begins at the Capitol Fountain near K Street, moves to the Missouri River Fountain between L and M streets, and ends at the Imagination to Innovation Fountain just north of P Street.

Mayor Chris Beutler will welcome the crowd at the Capitol Fountain, and music will be provided by the Lincoln Boys Choir and the Lincoln Southwest High School Pep Band. Activities at the Missouri River Fountain include a performance by Wo-Xete-Hire Native American Dance Troupe. Activities at the Imagination to Innovation Fountain include music by PANgea. This site will also feature games provided by Lincoln Childrens Museum as well as food trucks.

Originally constructed in 1967 to commemorate Nebraskas centennial, the mall had fallen into disrepair, was unsafe and needed to be rebuilt. Three of the original fountains were decommissioned by 2003, and the fountain north of K Street was turned off in 2014.
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Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly deserves a salute for pushing ahead with a plan to set up a veterans court similar to the successful drug courts that have been set up across the nation.

The Lancaster County Board approved the request earlier this month. The proposal now goes to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Kelly said the court would be available only to veterans who sustained a traumatic brain injury or who developed post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of service in a combat zone.

Participants would be required to plead guilty to the charges, which could include felonies such as domestic assault, alcohol and drugs, road rage, and terroristic threats. If they successfully complete the court's program, the charges would be dismissed.

Because of the success that drug courts have had, the same sort of approach involving counseling and regular contact with court system officials is being tried with other crimes.

Advocates say the problem-solving courts cost less and that participants have a better chance of resuming a productive life after they are discharged.

Nationally there are more than 250 veterans treatment courts operating in 37 states, according to the advocacy organization Justice of Vets. These veterans-only court dockets combine structure, rigorous treatment and peer mentoring from volunteer veteran mentors to connect veterans in crisis with local, state and federal benefits, the organization says on its website.

Kelly said he plans to use services from the Veterans Administration almost exclusively with some assistance from the county community correction program. He said he believes the veterans court can be created and operated within the existing budget. He estimated that the court would handle only five to 10 people a year during the trial phase.

Kelly said the idea met with an enthusiastic response from personnel at the Veterans Affairs office in Lincoln when he, Lancaster County District Judge John Colborn and others met with them last week.

The proposed local veterans court differs from one that the officials hope to set up in Douglas County. The legislature this year approved the expenditure of more than $450,000 to set up with court for a three-year pilot program, pending approval of the state supreme court. That court would utilize the state probation office.

Kelly said that if both courts are approved as expected, the state Supreme Court would be able to evaluate the two different concepts.

The new veterans court has the potential to be better for taxpayers, veterans who are charged with crimes and society as a whole. We hope it succeeds.
Nebraska was knocked out of the Republican presidential race Tuesday night just one week before its presidential primary when Indiana Republicans chased Sen. Ted Cruz out of the GOP contest.

Cruz had scheduled a noon rally in Lincoln on Wednesday to launch his Nebraska primary battle with Donald Trump.

But Trump's landslide victory over Cruz in Indiana prompted the Texas senator to end his candidacy, in effect clearing the path for Trump"s nomination at the Republican national convention in July.

"I want to thank Ted Cruz for his willingness to serve our nation," state Sen. John Murante of Gretna said Tuesday night.

Murante, chairman of Cruz's Nebraska campaign, said Cruz "has a bright future leading the conservative cause (and) it was an honor to work with Senator Cruz," his family and his campaign team.

For Nebraska Republicans, the sudden end of their presidential contest at a moment when they finally were about to have a voice in the selection of their party's nominee was a clear disappointment.

Normally, the relatively late date of Nebraska's primary election means the party's presidential race has been settled long before Nebraska Republicans get to vote. But this year they almost got to be part of the choosing process.

Almost.

Cruz already was battling math and momentum when Indiana voters went to the polls, but his overwhelming loss to Trump effectively closed any pathway to victory and he pulled the plug on his uphill campaign.

Although Trump has continuously outperformed expectations, Nebraska appeared to be a state where Cruz might have won. Gov. Pete Ricketts may have been prepared to endorse the senator at the Lincoln rally.

Nebraska has "the makings of a stumbling block" for Trump, the Wall Street Journal suggested on Tuesday, with local officials "hostile toward his campaign."

Trump already had opened his Nebraska campaign with a direct-mail appeal, roughly $200,000 in TV ad reservations and the expectation of an appearance in Omaha later in the week, although it was unclear whether that event will occur now.

The TV ad buy was reported by The New York Times.

The Trump literature that began showing up in Nebraska mailboxes argues that "Donald Trump in the White House means jobs in Nebraska."

The mailer states that "your Nebraska community has been hit hard by disastrous trade deals cut by DC politicians" and describes Cruz as "the DC job destroyer."

Thirty-six delegates to the Republican national convention are at stake in Nebraska's primary election with their votes bound to support the primary victor for the first two ballots at the GOP convention.

Neither Sen. Deb Fischer nor Sen. Ben Sasse has endorsed either of the two candidates, although Sasse has argued strongly against Trump's nomination since the primary season opened in Iowa.

Fischer endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at an earlier stage of the Republican contest.
Voter registration in Nebraska has jumped in advance of Nebraska's May 10 primary election, Secretary of State John Gale reported Monday.

But that, he said, does not guarantee a large voter turnout on Election Day.

This year's competitive presidential race may be a factor in boosting registration numbers, Gale said, but "there's been a lot of talk about the outcome of the Indiana primary on May 3 (as a factor) that could be very influential" in shaping voter turnout in Nebraska.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump could be in position to land what might be a knockout blow against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the Indiana presidential primary race, but a Cruz win could breathe new life and enthusiasm into Nebraska's May 10 presidential primary contest.

The winner here can lay claim to 36 winner-take-all delegates to the GOP national convention.

Democratic voters in Nebraska will be choosing between Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on May 10, but Democratic delegate commitments already were determined by a statewide party caucus won by Sanders in March.

So far, 1,165,189 people have registered to vote in Nebraska's May primary.

That's 13,045 higher than 2014 and 28,824 more than were registered in 2012, the last presidential primary election.

"Examining early voter turnout, it appears a lot of people are still sitting on their ballots," Gale said in a news release. Early voting is done by mail.

"Normally, we see about a 90 percent return on early voting ballots," he said.

With a week to go, Gale said, counties are reporting about half of those ballots have been returned by voters.

"That's pretty significant," the secretary of state said.

Ballots cast by mail must be received by Election Day.

In-person early voting continues until Monday.

Lancaster County Election Commissioner Dave Shively predicted an Election Day turnout of approximately 53,000 voters, which would represent 29 percent of the county's 182,045 registered voters.

Registration figures in the county: 75,772 Republicans, 66,709 Democrats, 38,210 nonpartisans.

Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse reported that registration figures as of April 29 showed an almost even distribution of Democrats and Republicans in his county.

Figures for Douglas County: 126,975 Democrats, 126,220 Republicans, 75,834 nonpartisans.
OMAHA  No major changes resulted from the Nebraska Tourism Commission's first public meeting since last week's release of a damning state audit on the agency.

But John Chapo, chairman of the nine-member commission, said Tuesday that a group of commissioners will "very quickly" dive into the financial and management issues which the audit brought to the public's attention.

"We intend to get to the bottom of this, and we assume full responsibility for that process," Chapo said. "It is our job to fix this and to regain the public's trust."

Chapo's comments came in response to a 79-page audit, released Friday, which criticized the agency for over-obligating its budget, allowing the advertising firm Bailey Lauerman to overrun its state contracts by $4.4 million and engaging in "questionable" spending, such as hiring pricey convention speakers and reimbursing the ad firm for alcohol and cigarettes.

Auditors said Kathy McKillip, the commission's executive director, "exercised unilateral control" over many of the agency's activities.

McKillip attended Tuesday's public meeting at the Omaha zoo but was among two dozen people told to step outside for about 35 minutes while commissioners held a closed session to discuss the audit. Chapo refused to say whether part of their talk focused on McKillip's job status.

State law allows public bodies to meet in closed session to prevent "needless injury to the reputation of an individual."

That includes but isn't limited to evaluating a person's work performance.

"They've been nothing but amazingly supportive," McKillip said of the commissioners following the meeting. She said the audit gives her the opportunity to "tighten things up in the office."

"Who wants this type of press? It's National Tourism Week."

The commission agreed Tuesday to appoint four of its members to a subcommittee that will review the audit results and recommend possible fixes. Those could include personnel changes, Chapo said.

Action could come during the commission's next quarterly meeting in August, perhaps sooner, he said.

"I cannot look into a crystal ball and determine what they will bring." However, he said, "The commission has done everything it can today."

The subcommittee will also help craft rules and regulations the commission is required to have under state law but never adopted after being spun out from under the Department of Economic Development in 2012.

That move, which was overwhelmingly approved by the state Legislature, took Tourism out from under the governor's direct control. While the nine commission members are gubernatorial appointees, all were in place before Gov. Pete Ricketts took office and must be selected from specific options outlined in state law.

Ricketts has said "people would be held accountable" if Tourism reported to him.

McKillip's daughter and husband attended Tuesday's meeting, which included a presentation by Craig Kubicek, an assistant deputy state auditor who managed the Tourism Commission audit.

Part of the audit questioned why the daughter, Emma McKillip, was chosen by Bailey Lauerman and paid $550 to work as a model for a nine-day, cross-state, expenses-paid photo shoot last June.

Auditors raised questions about numerous costs from the trip, including reimbursing the advertising firm for bottles of hard liquor, beer, wine and cigarettes. A Bailey Laurman official says that money has since been returned to the state.

While the trip itself was discussed during Tuesday's meeting, Emma McKillip's participation was not.

After the meeting, Emma McKillip, who is 19, said media outlets have implied she consumed alcohol during the trip.

"That is not true," she said.
The Marine Corps has begun investigating whether it mistakenly identified one of the men shown raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima in one of the iconic images of World War II after two amateur history buffs began raising questions about the picture.

The Marines announced the inquiry more than a year after Eric Krelle of Omaha and Stephen Foley of Wexford, Ireland, began raising doubts about the identity of one man. In November 2014, the Omaha World-Herald published a story about their claims.

Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo on Feb. 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi amid an intense battle with the Japanese. Rosenthal didn't get the names of the men, but the photo immediately was celebrated in the U.S. and President Franklin Roosevelt told the military to identify the men.

After some confusion, the Marines identified them as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley. All were Marines except Bradley, who was a Navy corpsman.

Block, Strank and Sousley were killed in fighting at Iwo Jima before the photo was distributed in the U.S.

On Monday, the Marines issued a statement saying, "The Marine Corps is examining information provided by a private organization related (to) Joe Rosenthal's Associated Press photograph of the second flag raising on Iwo Jima.

"Rosenthal's photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 US servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation and it is representative of the more than 70,000 US Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that took part in the battle. We are humbled by the service and sacrifice of all who fought on Iwo Jima."

Iwo Jima, a tiny island 660 miles south of Tokyo, was the site of an intense battle that began Feb. 19, 1945, between about 70,000 Marines and 18,000 Japanese soldiers. Capturing Iwo Jima was deemed essential to the U.S. war effort because Japanese fighter planes were taking off from the island and intercepting American bomber planes.

Hal Buell, a retired AP executive news photo editor, had long discussions with Rosenthal about the flag-raising picture and in 2006 wrote a book about the famous image. It's hard to understand the photo's power in 1945 to Americans, who were weary of the war and horrified by the incredible number of deaths of servicemen, especially in places most had never heard of, Buell said.

"People were just tired of the war, and all of a sudden out of nowhere came this picture that encapsulated everything," he said. "It showed that victory was ultimately possible."

After Rosenthal shot the photo, the flag-raisers quickly moved on to other tasks, and it was impossible for him to get their names, Buell said. That task was left to the Marines after the picture prompted an overwhelming response and the government decided to use it in an upcoming sale of war bonds to finance the continued fighting.

Rosenthal died in 2006.

The identification of the six servicemen has been accepted for decades, but the World-Herald reported that while recovering from an operation Foley had lots of time on his hands and began noticing possible discrepancies in the picture. He enlisted the help of Krelle, who maintains a website dedicated to the Marines' 5th Division.

After examining the famous photo along with other pictures taken that day of the men, they concluded that the man identified as Bradley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, a private first class from Detroit. Schultz died in 1995.

Krelle declined to comment on the Marine's investigation, saying in 2014 he had signed a confidentiality agreement with a third party.

"People can hold onto what they have always known in the past. But to me, the photos are the truth," he said then.

Discrepancies identified by Krelle and Foley included these.

* Bradley wore uncuffed pants in the famous photo but other pictures shot that day show him in tightly cuffed pants.

* The bill of a cap is visible beneath the helmet in the flag-raising picture but not in other images of Bradley made that day.

* The man identified as Bradley is wearing a cartridge belt with ammunition pouches, and a pair of wire cutters hangs off of it. But as a Navy corpsman, Bradley would typically be armed with a sidearm, not an M-1 rifle, and he'd have no need for wire cutters. Other photos that day show him wearing what appears to be a pistol belt with no ammo pouches.

Bradley's son, James Bradley, wrote a best-selling book about the flag raisers, "Flags of Our Fathers," which was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

James Bradley said he was shocked to hear the Marines are investigating the identity of the men.

"This is unbelievable," said Bradley, who interviewed the surviving Marines and Rosenthal before writing his book. "I'm interested in facts and truths, so that's fine, but I don't know what's happening."

The Marines didn't give a timeline for the investigation.
Last week - Material World exhibition by Fiber Works opened April 19, continues through May 15 at International Quilt Study Center & Museum, 2nd floor Beavers Terrace Gallery, 33rd and Holdrege streets. Fiber Works members include Jo Drueke, Sheila Green, Merrilee Hansen, Dorothy Heidemann-Nelson, Cynthia Levis, Karen Murphy, Roxann O'Hare, Lynne O'Rourke, Cindi Pape, Peg Pennell, Marilyn Rembolt and Pat Stava. Quilt House hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Info.: contact Sheila Green (402) 483-0453.

Saturday - Nebraska Herbal Societys annual plant sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Shepherds Hall at the New Hope (formerly Warren) United Methodist Church, 1205 N. 45th St. Plants for sale, tasting table and bake sale featuring food items made from various herbs.

Saturday - St. Leger Cowley Chapter of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) meets at 1 p.m. in the Flanagan Room at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, 5401 South St. Program: "Teaching in Today's World," by Janet Stephenson. More info.: call Jennie at (402) 975-9447.

Tuesday - Women's Welcome Club of Lincoln meets 11:30 a.m. at the Country Club of Lincoln, 3200 S. 24th St. Program: style show, presented by Christopher & Banks. (Club sponsors social activities for members including a travel group, volunteer opportunities, book club and card games.) Reservations due Thursday, May 5. Luncheon costs $13. New women interested in attending may call Karen at (402) 488-5364. More info.: see womenswelcomecluboflincoln.org.

Tuesday - Bethany Womens Club, a city-wide service organization, monthly meeting 1:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Bethany Christian Church, 1645 N. Cotner Blvd. Officers for the 2016-2017 year to be installed. Program: Chair Tai Chi Demo, by Traci Foreman of Aging Partners. Please join us for an entertaining afternoon and sharing of delicious refreshments. Guests welcome. Yearbooks will be printed in July; to be listed in the roster, the $5 annual dues must be paid by May 10. Questions: call Jeannette, (402)476-2466.

Tuesday - American Legion Auxiliary, Lincoln Unit 3, meets at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Elks Lodge #80 in the Lincoln Trade Center. Poppies to be distributed; members to make centerpieces for the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home. Memorial service to be held for deceased Auxiliary members. Everyone is invited to join in the hamburger supper at 6 p.m. prepared by the Elks for a nominal fee.

Wednesday - Women in Sales and Business (WISB) monthly meeting 11:30 a.m. at The Venue, 4111 Pioneer Woods Drive. Guest speaker: Monica Kuhns, owner of the Lincoln office of Home Instead Senior Care for nearly 20 years. Topic: "Becoming a Person of Influence." Meeting starts with lunch at 11:30 a.m.; presentation 11:55 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost: $18 (includes lunch; $10 for the meeting only). Register at www.wisblincoln.org or email wisblincoln@gmail.com to RSVP.

Thursday - Home Economists in Home and Community meeting begins at noon, catered spring luncheon at Gateway Vista, 225 N. 56th St., with Hazel Anthony. Meet in the Pub Room on first floor of Gateway Vista. Cost of the luncheon will be under $10, payable at the door. Program to follow will be "Members Sharing" and installation of officers.

Thursday  100s of Women Who Care event begins 5:30 p.m. at Harre Orthodontics (Paula Harre L DDS), 6825 S. 27th St. Registration: Eventbrite (search for local events). More info.: contact AshLea Allberry at ashlea.allberry@gmail.com

Next Sunday  Angels Playwriting Collective monthly meeting 2 p.m. May 15 at Lincoln Arts Council, 1701 S. 17th St., Sowers Building. More info.: contact Judy Hart at info@angelscompany.org

Coming soon - AAUW meeting 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 16 at Bryan College Health Sciences, 5035 Everett St., Room 200. The second session of the "So That Women May Acquire a Voice" initiative. Teresa Harms to discuss the Clinic with a Heart Survey results. (AAUW members helped conduct the survey.) More info.: contact Kathie Court, kcourt@email.fielding.edu or Arlene Rea, arlenerea36@yahoo.com.

Coming soon - Lincoln Womens Connection South (affiliated with Stonecroft Ministries) to meet 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 17 at the Country Club of Lincoln, 3200 S. 24th St. Continental breakfast and program, $8. Featured speaker: Malinda Oeding, a Lees Summit, MO, registered nurse who worked through drugs and divorce. Topic: Clean Up Your life No Matter How Messed Up Youve Been. Special feature: Twins Jill and Julie Harvey, owners of Merry Maids, discuss Spring Cleaning Tips and Hints. Reservations due Friday, May 13; call Leslie at 402-484-8842, or Emily at 402-464-4593.

Please email Womens Calendar items to dbuckley@journalstarcom
This week's questions:

Q: How long has Leons Gourmet Grocer been located in Rathbone Village?

Q: What television icon traveled from California to Lincoln in 2006 to help the Seniors Foundation of Lincoln & Lancaster County celebrate its 25th anniversary?

Q: What confectionary and fruit store on Eleventh Street claimed robust annual sales of $250,000 as early as 1882?

Answers to last week's questions:

Q: In what year was CEDARS founded?

A: It was founded in 1947 by the Reverend Charles and Alberta Danner. CEDARS has provided care for children and youth in crisis for nearly 70 years

Q: What caused Leons to be closed for a time in the 1940s?

A: Leon A. Adelson, the stores founder, and his business partner, Sam Davidson, both fought in World War II.

Q: What added attraction helped fill seats in Memorial Stadium back in the 1920s?

A: Band Day started in 1924. About 15 high school and municipal bands performed the first year, expanding to over 50 in the 1940s. As World War II ended and seats once again filled, bands had to be limited. The event was canceled in 1971.

Q: What clothing store anchored the southeast corner of 12th and O streets in the early 1900s?

A: Magees Clothing Store was built in 1918. The terra-cotta-clad building was designed as the base of a taller building, but the upper floors were never built.
Thank you for your coverage of the National Telephone Day event at the Frank H. Woods Telephone Pioneer Museum. We had a great turnout.

We were excited to have Alexander Graham Bell on hand to provide some historical details about his invention. He was portrayed by Justin Minchow, a Nebraska Wesleyan theatre student and Lincoln Pius X High School graduate.

The 1954 "Milestones of Service" video about Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph proved to be so popular that we have decided to continue showing it during our regular hours each Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

The telephone museum will continue to operate at 2047 M St. for the next year, so visitors are welcome to stop by and enjoy our many exhibits. Admission to the museum is free, but donations to the 501(c)(3) organization are welcome. For more information, contact Wally Tubbs at dt44829@twc.com or call 402-436-4640.

Diane Walkowiak,

Frank H. Woods Telephone Pioneer Museum board member
RACINE  Mi Jacalito Restaurant plans a dramatic facade restoration that should give the building at 1318 Douglas Ave. the look of a traditional building in Mexico.

Restaurant owner Jose Sanchez-Navarro submitted his plans to the City of Racine and intends to ask for a $10,000 facade grant.

That request was supposed to have been taken up by the Redevelopment Authority Monday afternoon, but the RDA deferred the item when no project representative appeared at the meeting. Ed Malacara, who acts as Sanchez-Navarros business manager, said he was told by a city staffer it was not necessary to attend the meeting, and because a medical appointment went longer than expected, he arrived too late.

However, Malacara later said they expect the project cost to fall between about $40,000 and $50,000. They hope to start the work this spring and finish later this year, he said.

Interim city Development Director Matt Sadowski said Monday the applicant will be eligible for a grant of up to $10,000. The request goes to the RDA because there is no design review body for the Douglas Avenue corridor, he explained.

Sanchez-Navarros daughter, Alejandra Sanchez-Flores, also an employee at Mi Jacalito, said the family wants to upgrade the facade just to renew the building, because its been the same for the past 20 years. Her father has owned the business for the past five years.

They also want to give it a new look, she said, because that stretch of Douglas Avenue is tentatively slated to be reconstructed in 2018. The two projects combined should help ease some peoples fears of coming to the restaurant because of what they consider to be a bad neighborhood, Sanchez-Flores added.
RACINE  A week after snaring a $470,800 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to help transform the riverfront near Machinery Row, city staff members are hoping to get approval from aldermen to apply for another DNR grant from the same program.

The state Joint Committee on Finance signed off on the $470,800 grant on April 19. The money, which comes from the DNRs Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program, is designed to help governments return privately held lands to public use.

On Tuesday, the City Council will be asked to give city staff permission to apply for another Knowles-Nelson grant for the project; this one for $400,000. The previous grant paid for the purchase of the riverfront land. If awarded, money from the new grant would pay for the design and construction of a promenade.

The grant requires a $400,000 local match, but city staff has said that money should be available in the tax increment finance district set up for the area, or the citys intergovernmental revenue sharing fund.

Machinery Row is a redevelopment plan for 20 riverfront acres east of Marquette Street and north of Water Street. It takes the name of the area designated as Machinery Row in the RootWorks redevelopment plan for Root Rivers urban corridor. The area includes two three-story former Case Company buildings and the former Azarian Marina. Iowa-based Financial District Properties plans to redevelop the larger of the two buildings into about 100 market-rate loft apartments, space for commercial tenants and likely some indoor tenant parking.
RACINE  A Milwaukee woman silently cried during her almost hour-long sentencing on Tuesday for a drunken-driving crash that injured six members of a family.

At times, Araceli E. Espino-Ramirez, 28, stared at the ceiling in the courtroom. Through an interpreter, she apologized for the accident that I caused. The only thing that I ask you is give me freedom so I can be with my kids. If the victims family could be in my shoes right now and understand what Im suffering because I do have kids.

But another family was injured in the Sept. 6 crash, Racine County Circuit Judge Michael Piontek said as he read off the names of the 7-year-old girl who received a concussion, fractured nose and broken bone near her eye; the 15-year-boy cut by glass; the 16-year-old girl with a fractured nose; a 32-year-old woman who received bruises; and the 33-year-old man who had cuts. A 2-year-old wasnt injured, Piontek said.

Our state has been notoriously light, or non punitive, on alcohol-related offenses. Were the only state that looks at (a first drunken-driving offense) that way, Piontek said before sentencing Espino-Ramirez to 18 months in prison plus three years on extended supervision.

Espino-Ramirez will receive credit for time shes already served in jail, which Espino-Ramirezs defense attorney, Scott Winkler, said is 240 days.

This was a family who was in a minivan out attempting to buy school supplies when Ms. Espino struck their minivan, Assistant District Attorney Bridget Brave said in calling for prison time for the mother of two boys, but not recommending an amount.

Espino-Ramirez didnt have a drivers license, Brave said. The family injured in the crash had health insurance, she said, but because they didnt have car insurance the health insurance company wouldnt pay their medical claims, Brave said during the hearing.

Aside from the 7-year-old girl, who was hospitalized for four days, the other family members were treated and released, Winkler said in calling for four more months in jail, probation and an imposed and stayed prison term.

Espino-Ramirez pleaded guilty on Feb. 19 to two charges: intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and knowingly operating a vehicle while suspended.

About the crash

Officers were called to the intersection of 16th Street and South Memorial Drive just before midnight on Sept. 6 for a report of a hit-and-run crash involving the silver Dodge pickup truck Espino-Ramirez was driving.

Witnesses told police the truck driven by Espino-Ramirez struck the minivan after she drove southbound on South Memorial Drive through a red light at 16th Street, according to her criminal complaint. The minivan was eastbound on 16th Street, trying to turn onto Memorial Drive when it was struck, the complaint states.

A 33-year-old man riding with Espino-Ramirez told police he drank about five beers earlier that evening and Espino-Ramirez had six to seven, the complaint states.

During the sentencing, Winkler said Espino-Ramirez blew a 0.14 breath-alcohol concentration after the crash. Piontek said her blood-alcohol concentration two hours later registered at 0.156. The legal limit to drive in Wisconsin is 0.08.

Winkler said Espino-Ramirez was driving a mans pickup because they had been visiting his sister in Racine, where they were drinking, and he handed her the keys to drive them home. That man blew a 0.12 breath-alcohol concentration, Winkler said, and already had one drunken-driving offense.

She was a somewhat depressed and abused spouse working at a day care when this happened, Winkler said, adding Espino-Ramirez has a temporary visa to remain in the U.S. legally through at least 2017 through the federal Violence Against Womens Act.

The 33-year-old man riding with Espino-Ramirez suffered a broken bone in his neck, a cut to his forehead, and bruising. A 25-year-old man also riding with Espino-Ramirez received cuts and bruises, the complaint states.
RACINE COUNTY  A Kenosha County prosecutor brings to three the number of candidates running for Racine County district attorney.

Thomas Binger, 45, of Caledonia, is running as a Democrat for the seat that will be vacated in fall by Rich Chiapete, who last week said he wont seek re-election to another four-year term.

Binger said he has worked as a prosecutor or business and civil lawyer for 19 years in Kenosha, Milwaukee and Racine counties. The Kenosha County assistant district attorney said Monday that his diverse legal background means he has a very broad view of the legal system and how it affects cases.

He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1996 and passed Wisconsins bar exam that same year, according to State Bar of Wisconsin records.

For three years, he worked for the Milwaukee firm Reinhart Boerner, where he said he handled civil litigation. From 1999 to 2005, he served as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County. He practiced business law from 2005 to 2014 with the Racine firm Demark, Kolbe & Brodek, he said, before moving to the Kenosha County District Attorneys Office in 2014.

Throughout it all Ive been a trial lawyer, Binger told The Journal Times. I love being in the courtroom. I love the trial work the most.

Binger said the D.A. needs to have more respect for everyone involved in a criminal case, including the victim and defendant. Through his civil work, he said he has gained a measure of respect for how daunting the process can be for regular folks.

Crucial to help law enforcement

If elected, Binger said he will make changes to target the heroin epidemic, reduce staff turnover in the District Attorneys Office, and increase communication between prosecutors and staff in the Racine County Victim Witness Assistance Program, who work with crime victims and witnesses in criminal cases.

Implementing the drug Vivitrol, a monthly injection that addicts may take to reduce their dependency on opiates, should begin to help divert addicts away from the legal system. Often times we see addicts committing thefts to get money to buy drugs, Binger said. But when in recovery, police and prosecutors may focus on nabbing and prosecuting drug dealers, he explained.

Heroin is channeled up from Illinois on Interstate 94, Binger said, and he wants Racine County prosecutors to work closely with law enforcement, as he said they do in Kenosha County. There, prosecutors are on scene for take-downs so they quickly may draft warrants and trap and trace lines on phones, Binger said.

I think this hands-on approach is crucial to help law enforcement do what they need to do, he said.

Binger is married to Nicole Gustafson-Binger, a mental health counselor at Gateway Technical College. They have three children, ranging in age from 2 to 13.

Others seeking DA spot

Deputy District Attorney Tricia Hanson plans to run as a Republican. Hanson, of the Town of Norway, has served as second-in-command of the District Attorneys Office for the past four years.

In between serving as a prosecutor, Hanson worked for about two years in private practice, handling estates and trusts. The married mother of two also has worked as a deputy family court commissioner.

Racine lawyer Eugene B. Loftin, 34, owns Loftin Legal, at 209 Eighth St., where his practice includes criminal defense and civil law, estate planning, and business and tax work. Hes worked in Racine since 2009.

Loftin also is an adjunct faculty member in the criminal justice program at Carthage College in Kenosha. The married father of two lives in Mount Pleasant.

The general election is Nov. 8. With more than one Democratic candidate seeking the office, Binger and Loftin will face off in a primary on Aug. 9.
RACINE  Gateway Technical College was named one of nine colleges to receive a grant from the Goldman Sachs Gives Community College Fund.

The $100,000 award to the Gateway Technical College Foundation Inc. is part of an overall $1 million donation from Goldman Sachs Gives, a donor-advised fund, and will be matched by donors in each of the nine communities.

Gateway Technical Colleges specific award will provide scholarships for Gateway Technical College students in each of three areas: graduating high school students who have committed to Gateway Technical College, new adult learners and continuing Gateway Technical College students.

Gateway Technical College is the only college in Wisconsin to receive a grant, selected through a competitive application process.

Foundation executive director Jennifer Charpentier said her group anticipates four to five scholarships will be made available annually after the funds have generated sufficient income to disburse.

Students will be able to apply for the Goldman Sachs Gives scholarships through the Foundations regular application periods: winter/spring for high school students; summer for new adult learners; and fall for continuing students.

In selecting the nine colleges, Goldman Sachs noted that each community college was required to demonstrate both need and the ability to raise matching funds. The community colleges selected have demonstrated a record of successful partnership-building, exemplary leadership and a commitment to ensuring that students from all backgrounds and socioeconomic levels have access to educational opportunities through a robust financial aid program.

For more information on Gateway Technical Colleges Foundation, contact Charpentier at 262-564-2822.
BURLINGTON  Strategies for Managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a program featuring Dr. Mervin Langley, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19, in Conference Rooms B and C at the Aurora Wellness Center, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington.

Langley is a psychotherapist at Clinical Psychology Associates in Burlington, where he provides therapy to individuals and families regarding a number of different mental health disorders/concerns. Langley was also associated with a major research study to develop motivational strategies through the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and has published journal articles and book chapters in the United States, Spain and South Africa.

Langley will share information about how to parent and support a child with ADHD. This presentation will focus on helping children overcome difficulties with impulse control, distraction and time management. Also included in this presentation will be ways to help children improve their motivation, and teach effective coping skills, homework skills and anger-control skills.

This free program is for adults only and child care is not provided. For more information or to register, contact Lori Radtke at 262-763-0180, ext. 2224.
SOMERS  The University of Wisconsin-Parkside will host thousands of middle and high school student musicians from across southeastern Wisconsin during the Wisconsin School Music Association District Solo and Ensemble Festival from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Road, Somers.

Students must earn a starred first rating in Class A (which consists of the most difficult music) at a WSMA District Music Festival to qualify for WSMA State Music Festivals. The participants, in grades six through 12, can choose from a variety of instrumental and vocal solo and ensemble categories for their performances in district festivals.

Over the past six months, WSMA has held more than 225 such events, involving more participants than any other student activity.

Nine other university campuses will host performances by more than 32,000 students, making this event one of the largest of its kind in the nation.

The festival is open to the public and free of charge. For more information about WSMA State Music Festivals and other programs, visit the website www.wsmamusic.org. Festival information, including schedules and results, will be posted as available.
WATERFORD  A public meeting on the plans for redeveloping Ten Club Park in downtown Waterford will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the community room at Waterford Public Library, 101 N. River St.

After renovating highways 20 and 83, the state Department of Transportation will give the former River House tavern property to the village. The land will be incorporated into Ten Club Park, at the corner of East Main Street and First Street along the Fox River. The village is seeking public input on how to use that land.

At Wednesdays meeting, village staff will be joined by representatives from Kapur & Associates, designer of the preliminary concept design, to provide a brief presentation on the project. Residents will learn why the village initiated this process, and see the concept design and discuss the results of the online public survey about the project. A question-and-answer session will also be held.
ADB and AIIB sign a major infrastructure deal for Pak

In a landmark announcement, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said here on Monday that it will partner with the newly formed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to finance a major highway project in Pakistan.
ANNFSU disrupts traffic in the Capital to protest attack on its member

CPN-UML-aligned All Nepal National Free Students' Union (ANNFSU) caused one-hour disruption to traffic in front of Amrit Science Campus at Lainchaur in the Capital today, demanding prompt arrest of those behind the attack on its member
Child marriage, abortion cases high in Dang

Women in Dang district who were married in early ages are likely to undergo abortion more than once a year till they reach the age of 20, say experts.
CNP marks 2nd zero rhino poaching year

The Chitwan National Park (CNP) completed a second year of zero poaching of endangered rhino on Monday.
Dixit released on SC order

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to release Sajha Yatayat Chairman Kanak Mani Dixit.
Drug dealer arrested with Rs 5 million

Police have arrested Purna Bahadur Pakhrin Tamang of Satyadevi of Dhading district along with Rs 5 million. Police arrested Tamang, trader of the drug Amphetamine, while he was trying to bribe police.
Govt to present policy and programme in House on May 8

Government is all set to present its policy and programme in the parliament on May 8. President Bidya Devi Bhandari will present the government's policy and programme at 4:00 pm the same day.
Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets.
Journalists' jamboree in Chitwan; president to inaugurate assembly

Journalists from across the country have gathered at Ratnanagar of Chitwan to take part in the central general assembly of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ).
Karnali lawmakers express concern

Lawmakers representing the Karnali Region have said their serious attention has been drawn over the governments action to ban chartered passenger flights by single-engine aircraft.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesBrooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda is suing the New York City Police Department claiming a false arrest on gun and drug charges, the rapper's lawyer Alex Spiro tells Billboard.

The "Hot Ni***" rapper, whos been locked up since December 2014 when he was charged with a variety of drugs and weapons offenses, claims the false arrest has caused him nervous shock and mental anguish.

Shmurda, whose legal name is Ackquille Pollard, says he was at a friends house on June 3, 2014 when police showed up, according to legal documents cited by the New York Daily News. The suit alleges that police officers kicked in the door and illegally entered the residence without a search warrant.

The New York City Law Department did not comment for the Daily News report.

Shmurda is currently facing weapons possession charges in both Manhattan and the Bronx and is being held on $2 million bail. The rapper has spent more than a year in jail with his newest trail date set for May 11.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Keeping hope alive

Let us let them live, let them smile and let them dream, said Siddhant Shrestha, Founder/ Executive Director of Rose Foundation at the event Shivangis Night for Charity, held at Moksh, in Jhamsikhel, on Sunday night.
Migrant crisis: EU 'to back' visa-free travel for Turkey

The European Commission will give conditional approval for Turks to travel without visas to Europe's passport-free Schengen area, sources have told the BBC.
MJF-L conclave gets under way

Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Loktantrik Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar is likely to face criticism during the party jamboree for flip-flopping on Madhes issues.
NC to highlight government follies in parliament

The meeting of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party has decided to strongly voice the failure of the government and the difficulties faced by the people in the parliament. The Nepali Congress is the main opposition party in the parliament.
Ncell applies to raise authoriased capital

Amid controversy over whether Swedish-Finnish telecom operator TeliaSonera, which sold Ncell to Malaysias Axiata, has to pay capital gains tax (CGT) to the government, Ncell has applied with the Department of Industries (DoI) to raise its authorised capital.
Not so free

Although Nepal recognises the right to information, journalists are not able to investigate issues properly
Pact moves closer to implementation

The transit transport agreement (TTA) signed between Nepal and China more than a month ago has moved a step closer to implementation with the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) completing an action plan to prepare the protocol to the TTA.
Panel to study possible oil imports from China

The government has formed yet another committee to study the feasibility of importing oil from China after a succession of previous panels vanished into thin air without the plan of buying petroleum products from the northern neighbour being realised.
Poverty and gender

Households headed by females have a lower poverty rate than those headed by males
President Bhandari opens FNJ assembly, calls for dignified media

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that the media sector had a major responsibility for the social and economic change in the country.
Robert Penners visa cancelled, ordered to leave Nepal within two days

The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered Canadian national Robert Penner to leave Nepal within two days. He was arrested on Monday on charge of inciting disharmony through social media. The Ministry has cancelled his visa.
Saarc countries to formulate common standards on facilities to migrant workers

Concerned authorities of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have joined hands to formulate minimum common standards regarding facilities to migrant workers.
Siraha village blames NEA for transformer installation delay

Residents of Hanuman Chowk in Dhangadhimai municipality-7 of Siraha district have accused the Lahan-based Nepal Electricity Authoritys (NEA) office of delaying the transformer installation work.
Spend it

Without sensible SOPs, Nepal risks entrenching its low absorption capacity
Student unions to tighten screw on schools charging random fees

The student unions on Tuesday decided to strictly monitor the schools charging random fees to the students from Wednesday onward.
Tom Hanks loves his job

Actor Tom Hanks thinks he has the "greatest gig in the world" because he loves acting and is in a position to pick and choose the roles he wants.
UN pledges intl support to Nepal for reconstruction

Visiting United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General Jan Kenneth Eliasson has pledged the support of international community to Nepal for the reconstruction of quake-damaged infrastructure.
Water getting more scarce for Valley folk

As the water crisis in Kathmandu Valley worsens, desperate people have started protesting in front of the offices of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL).
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then becoming mostly clear and windy after midnight. Low 53F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Yes, its hard to to tell when one enters the city limits

Yes, they will make the city more inviting

Maybe ... does it really matter?

No, the signs in place are fine

No, it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars

Vote

View Results
The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga has dismissed claims that she has been encroaching on funds of committees to do her work.

This follows reports that have been circulating on social media accusing Kadaga of abusing office by using funds from other parliamentary committees whenever her budget would be used up.

She further dismissed allegations that she engineered the law calling for taxation of MPs allowances.

Addressing newly elected legislators from western Uganda, Kadaga described the reports as mere propaganda and urged the team to disregard such talks.

Kadaga also used the meeting to lobby for support from these MPs despite earlier calls by the NRMs Central Executive Committee barring the candidates from campaigning.
Residents of Terego County in Maracha district have rejected hoes that were promised by President Museveni saying the district leadership is not distributing the promised number.

Luigi Candini, the district secretary for production and the Resident District Commissioner, Peter Debelela labored to convince the residents to accept the offer in vain.

President Museveni had told the people of Uriama Sub-county during campaigns that each household would get three hoes, befitting over 4,000 households.

However, the officials had only taken 36,000 hoes for distribution with each village meant to receive 100 hoes but the residents argued that theirs was a special consideration from the president for lagging behind for long.

Led by Lonjino Etrima, the LC3 chairman Uriama Sub-county, the residents have now resorted to seek the presidents intervention.
North Korea has beefed up its surveillance near Pyongyang and along its border with China ahead of its key party congress slated for late this week, a source familiar with North Korean affairs said Tuesday.



On Monday, North Korea announced a special surveillance week to monitor people in the capital city and border areas as the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) plans to hold the first party congress in more than 30 years on Friday, according to the source.



It said that the North provided special compensation to servicepersons and workers last year to mark the 70th anniversary of the WPK's founding, but there has been no sign of such move this year ahead of the party event.



The upcoming event will be the first party congress since October 1980 and also the first under the regime of leader Kim who assumed power in late 2011 following the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il.



The source said that the party congress is expected to run for three to four days in Pyongyang. It is highly likely that the North's regime will hold it without high-profile foreign guests, it added.



The party congress, the WPK's highest-level political guidance body, comes amid nagging concerns about advances in North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs.



North Korea is pressing ordinary citizens to boost production results and has forced them to offer money to authorities, inviting growing discontent from North Koreans, according to a South Korean government official.



North Korea completed the 70-day campaign designed to press its people to work harder on Monday, saying that people and groups have surpassed their production goals.



Officials in Seoul, however, said that the North's claim of success appears to be overblown as it is hard to expand production due to a lack of investment and funds. (Yonhap)




The La Crosse Plan Commission denied a request Monday to allow a sober-living facility on Caledonia Street and approved the demolition of two Rose Street properties after a pair of public hearings.

The commission voted 5-2 to deny Driftless Recovery Inc. a conditional-use permit, which would have allowed the private, for-profit company to operate a sober housing complex for men in substance abuse recovery in the former St. Claras Convent building at 1120 Caledonia St. Mayor Tim Kabat and council member James Cherf cast the dissenting votes.

Driftless Recovery Inc. co-owners Brett Knutson and Austin Reinhart proposed renovating the eight-bedroom single-family home into a 16-bed facility to serve as a voluntary halfway-house for men between the ages of 18 and 25 who are recovering from substance abuse problems, which would supplement their current counseling services offered at their downtown La Crosse location, 444 Main St.

The facility would provide a necessary service, giving those in recovery a safe, structured home while they transition into their normal lives after completing a recovery program.

These are not bad people. These are people that are looking for a fresh start, Reinhart said.

The facility would require a conditional-use permit as it is within 2,500 feet of a similar facility, which would violate city ordinance.

One of the reasons we have this 2,500-foot distance between (community living arrangements) is to make sure we dont have too many of the same types of facilities, city planner Jason Gilman said. That starts to create an issue with the neighborhood.

Neighborhood residents were sensitive to those potential issues, objecting to a facility that would place recovering alcoholics across the street from a bar, as well as next to a church and its connected school. Neighbors were also concerned about the proposed house manager position, which was listed as an unpaid position designed to be filled by a tenant in recovery who has proven to be reliable in the permit application.

Neighborhood resident Tiffany Trimmer argued that the facility would not be the best use of the historic convent, built in 1893.

Its privileging the economic interest of one private company over common interest of the North Side, Trimmer said. Please dont do this to my neighborhood.

Commission member Elaine Yager supported the idea of opening the facility, but said Reinhart and Knutson should search for a better location.

River Bank, located at 1232 Rose St., took a step toward replacing a neighboring duplex and single-family home with additional parking and green space after the commission unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for the demolition.

It would be continuous parking on the 1216 parcel and the rest would be green space at this time for either future expansion of the bank or for sale to somebody else, said Brian Spreuer of River Bank.

The planning department recommended approving the application with the condition that the bank provide payment in lieu of taxes for 1214 and 1216 Rose St., assessed at $33,000 and $90,000, respectively, limiting parking to the 10 spaces included in the site plan and the bank maintain the green space.

With what were trying to do with our great master plan for this corridor, this could eventually be prime real estate for a redevelopment site that can be identified and redone, senior planner Tim Acklin said.

The properties will need to be rezoned and the permit must be approved by the council to move forward with the parking lot.
Two years ago, the Fond du Lac School District unveiled new guidelines requiring administrative review and approval before the publication of any student media. The reaction by students was swift, democratic and effective.

Within days, they had publicized the change online, presented their case at a school board meeting, appeared on local media, and gathered several thousand signatures on a petition calling for student publications to be returned to the students. During the next several months, they highlighted the districts use of these guidelines to block the publication of particular photos and information.

These efforts succeeded. The district agreed to convene a group of student journalists and educators to craft a new policy. By the next school year, the restrictive guidelines were gone.

The passion for the free flow of information and Constitutional rights displayed by these students stands as a prime example of the power of a journalism education based on student responsibility and ownership. But efforts to stifle student speech remain.

Recently, a principal in Chicago censored a story about the schools new starting time, at one point threatening to kill the publication entirely. Student journalists in Missouri were told they must submit a story about their superintendents resignation to the principal for editing. A student journalist in West Bend, Wis., reports being barred from writing about certain topics.

And in many schools, the looming possibility of administrative overreach leads students to censor themselves, back down when challenged, or abandon student publications entirely.

This should not be happening. While schools must maintain an effective learning atmosphere, they do not have the right to suppress information they simply do not like. Court cases have made clear that students maintain their First Amendment rights of free speech at school.

Unfortunately, a 1988 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier) established that schools could review and possibly restrain speech if related to legitimate educational purposes. Many school districts have over-applied this highly subjective standard.

Once a principal is allowed to pre-approve student journalism, it is inevitable that he or she will find things to change to make the expression more positive or more aligned with what the principal wants to say. This does not teach journalism or citizenship. It teaches that authority figures  government officials, in the case of public schools  decide what ideas can be discussed.

Since Hazelwood, eight states have passed laws clearly establishing that student publications belong to students, who are themselves responsible for deciding what to publish. North Dakota passed one such law unanimously last year, and more than 20 other states are looking to join them.

These bills, termed New Voices laws, do nothing to limit a schools ability to prohibit illegal or harmful speech. But they do let students perfect the power of their own voices and explore the benefits of the free flow of information in a democracy.

Students in Wisconsin deserve a New Voices law of their own. The effort to do so here, known as Supporting New Voices of Wisconsin, has been getting media attention and editorial support.

In the next legislative session, we hope state lawmakers will help ensure that the rights of student journalists are clear and that schools are using student publications for student learning, rather than to promote the agenda of government officials.
Professors at UW-Madison declared Monday that they have no confidence in the leaders of the University of Wisconsin System to uphold their cherished outreach mission in the wake of budget cuts and changes to tenure policies that weakened faculty protections.

The UW-Madison Faculty Senate approved the no-confidence resolution, which lays out a litany of problems that professors have with the work of UW System President Ray Cross and the Systems Board of Regents over the past year, after more than an hour and a half of debate.

The resolution primarily focuses on new tenure policies the Regents approved this spring, arguing those changes threaten professors ability to pursue risky or controversial research that could benefit students and the state as a whole. It ends by stating professors have no confidence in Cross and the Regents to defend the UW Systems mission of benefiting the public, known as the Wisconsin Idea, and calling on them to recommit to strengthening public universities with adequate state funding.

The significant, if only symbolic, rebuke of administrators comes as faculty at other UW System institutions consider similar votes.

Professors at Mondays meeting said they needed to send the strongest message possible in the wake of state funding cuts and changes to tenure protections.

Its time for all supporters of the university to stop thinking meek acquiescence is a winning strategy, said professor Bill Tracy, one of the resolutions supporters.

In a statement released after the vote, Regent President Regina Millner defended Cross, saying the board has total confidence in him. Millner also criticized the faculty members response to the new tenure policies.

Most Regents will be disappointed by this overreaction to the boards decision to put in place very reasonable and fair tenure and layoff policies, Millner said. The new policy brings an enhanced degree of accountability, something that is long overdue, and codifies a new level of fiscal responsibility.

Disagreement over no co

nfide

nce

Several members of the Faculty Senate  the 220-person governance body for just over 2,000 UW-Madison professors  said they agreed with the resolutions complaints about Cross and the Regents, but questioned its conclusion.

The real issue here is the words no confidence, said Brian Mayhew, a business professor who proposed an amendment stripping that provision from the resolution.

Mayhews concern spoke to the heart of the debate Monday: That many faculty members doubted a vote of no confidence in UW System leaders would help change the political situation that led to the budget cuts and new tenure policies. Critics instead argued the resolution could prompt a backlash from legislators or the public, who could see it as faculty complaining about changes to their tenure protections.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank made a similar warning when she publicly opposed the no-confidence vote last week, saying she believed Cross has forged good relationships with the lawmakers who will soon consider the UW Systems funding again.

Supporters of the resolution responded that removing the provision would in effect say faculty members support the weakening of tenure and shared governance, and a political climate that has seen legislators slash hundreds of millions of dollars from the Systems funding in recent budgets.

After everything weve been through this year  what would it take to get you to vote no confidence in their actions? sociology professor Chad Alan Goldberg, the resolutions author, asked its opponents.

Mayhews proposal to remove the no-confidence provision failed by a nearly two-to-one margin. The resolution ultimately passed the Senate on a voice vote.

Cross defends work with legislators

Though many faculty members have accused Cross and the Regents of being too closely aligned with Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans in the Legislature, Cross said his work advocating for the UW System and Madison campus is critically important.

My role also requires me to work in partnership with an array of stakeholders, including faculty and the state Legislature, he said.

Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, who last week said taking up a no-confidence vote showed faculty members arrogance, said Monday that the vote was disappointing.

It seems counterproductive to issue a vote of no confidence in leaders who have shown that they are willing to work together to address areas of concern, Steineke said.

Blank did not join the debate over the resolution Monday. After the meeting, Blank said that while she does not personally embrace language in the resolution, We can all agree on the need for support for the universitys mission, continuing to make this a place worthy of our energy and passion.
After more than an hour of debate by University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty representatives Monday, it was a graduate student whose words most galvanized them to vote no confidence in university system leaders.

The time has come to be fearless and united, Cynthia Burnson told a packed meeting of the Faculty Senate.

Burnson, co-president of the Teaching Assistants Association, urged faculty to stand up and say enough is enough.

UW-Madison faculty held the opportunity to lead a statewide uprising against leadership that has failed to protect adequate funding and academic freedom, she said.

Faculty governance bodies across the state are watching. Green Bay is watching, Eau Claire is watching, Superior is watching, Milwaukee is watching. The time has passed for quiet submission, she said.

Burnsons words were met with a standing ovation.

The Faculty Senate then voted overwhelmingly in support of a resolution of no confidence in UW System President Ray Cross and the Board of Regents.

Cross released a statement in which he said he disagrees with the resolution.

It is critically important that I advocate for UW-Madison and all UW System institutions. My role also requires me to work in partnership with an array of stakeholders, including faculty and the state Legislature. I take these duties very seriously. This state and its people are counting on us, working together, to help improve and expand quality of life and economic prosperity," he said.

I will continue working with faculty at UW-Madison and other institutions and partners throughout the state to advance the UW System for the good of all of Wisconsin, Cross said.

Board of Regents President Regina Millner released a statement articulating the board's total confidence in Cross.

Most Regents will be disappointed by this overreaction to the Boards decision to put in place very reasonable and fair tenure and layoff policies  something the legislature directed us to do as part of the state budget, Millner said.

UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank did not make her usual remarks at the start of Mondays meeting, but last week released a statement in opposition to the no confidence resolution, saying it would put campus faculty in opposition to our governing board, with which we work closely and must have a positive relationship. After Monday's vote, she called on everyone to continue to work to fulfill the university's mission.

UW-Madison sociology professor Chad Goldberg, author of the original resolution, said after the vote that the most likely immediate impact with be the consideration of no confidence resolutions at other UW System campuses.

I would expect to see a wave of no confidence resolutions that would show that it is not only the UW-Madison faculty who are frustrated and concerned about the harm that is being done to the UW System, but very much also our colleagues on the other campuses," he said.

The weight of a series of no confidence votes might bring real influence to the non-binding votes, he said.

Goldberg said he was hopeful Cross and regents respond in a constructive way and understand they cant just continue to do things the way they have been if they want to improve their relationship with faculty.

That might mean working with faculty to improve shared governance and to oppose budget cuts, to join us in standing up for students and the people of Wisconsin, whom we serve.

AFT-Wisconsin, a union representing UW System faculty, last week said that no-confidence resolutions have been introduced at UW-Milwaukee and UW-River Falls and were under discussion at many other UW institutions.

Given that amendments to the resolution from the floor Monday sought to makes its focus less about changes to tenure by the Board of Regents and more about the continued ability of the institution to serve its constituencies, it was fitting that the final statement in support came from a graduate student.

Burnson recapped faculty concerns about the responses by Cross and the Board of Regents to continuing budget cuts by Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-dominated Legislature, as well as the impact on academic freedom and excellence that changes to tenure and shared governance in Walkers 2016-2017 budget would bring.

A no confidence resolution sends the message the university is hurting and its no longer possible to absorb the cuts quietly. It sends the message to Wisconsin families that the quality of the education of their children is imperiled. It sends the message that faculty will stand together to protect the university when the Board or Regents and the presidents wont, she said.

There was opposition voiced Monday by several members of the Faculty Senate, a 220-person governance body representing more than 2,000 faculty members.

Opponents to the no confidence resolution said it would do little to protect the university and might stir backlash from the Legislature or public to faculty perceived as whining.

The real issue here is the words no confidence, said business professor Brian Mayhew, who proposed an amendment removing those words from the resolution.

The amendment was rejected.
The southeastern Minnesota senate district I have the honor of representing includes three higher education institutions: Minnesota State College  Southeast Technical, Saint Marys University, and Winona State University. As a result, I often get feedback from students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members regarding ways to improve our higher education system.

By far the most frequent complaint I hear from students is about the inconsistent credit transfer policy within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. Many times, credits will not transfer from one MnSCU institution to another or if they do transfer, the credits will transfer as electives but wont always count toward a degree.

The reason for this was that each individual campus created their own degree requirements. While this independence was healthy, it also led to students wasting time and money on courses they ended up needing to take again. It just didnt make sense that some credits werent transferring from one MnSCU institution to another, especially when the coursework was the same or very similar, often with the exact same textbook.

Students have been understandably frustrated, so we set out to fix it.

In an effort to find a resolution, I brought together students, faculty and MnSCU representatives to have a conversation about concerns, barriers and potential solutions. After a series of meetings over the course of two legislative sessions, we came up with a long-term solution, MnSCU Transfer Pathways, which became law in 2015.

Its a fancy name, but the goal was clear: experts and stakeholders within each discipline from various campuses would get together and write a curriculum that would apply consistently throughout the MnSCU system. Our goal was to have credits from specific programs easily transfer from one MnSCU institution to another, leading to fewer lost credits, less attrition and more affordable higher education. In addition, we wanted students to know prior to enrolling in a class if the credits would transfer.

The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee recently heard an update on the progress of the Transfer Pathways program. The news was terrific. By spring of 2016, four degree disciplines will be part of the program. By fall, there will be another 12. By early 2017, there will be 12 more. And soon after that, every credit in every area will transfer seamlessly within the MnSCU system.

During the update, a business professor from Bemidji State University mentioned they are already exceeding their goals in his field and that Transfer Pathways could lead to two to four times as many associate degrees in Business Administration. He also testified that Transfer Pathways may eliminate the equivalent of four duplicate courses for each student  thats a semesters worth of time, money and energy students can save.

A more transparent credit transfer policy within MnSCU is one of the most important policy changes the legislature has made to help students save time and money. The problem of soaring student debt seems to get worse every year. Fixing the inconsistent credit transfer policy within MnSCU gives students a clear idea of the credits they need to complete, helps them graduate faster, and helps them avoid duplication.

Many bills get introduced each session, but few actually pass and get signed into law. It often takes multiple sessions for an idea to make any progress. One thing I have learned is that it doesnt just happen; you have to work hard and bring people together to get things done.

In the case of Transfer Pathways, the key to success was to earn buy-in from faculty, from students, and from MnSCU by bringing everyone together early in the process. And that was only the beginning. These stakeholders have put in a tremendous amount of time over the past couple years to get us to this point and I applaud them for their efforts.

I often write about how much more effective we are when we work together. MnSCU Transfer Pathways is an example of why. While each of the stakeholders shared a similar objective, each had different ideas of how to achieve it. By working together early in the process toward a common goal, we were able to come up with a suitable solution and as a result, students are already experiencing the benefits.
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The population of the City of Los Angeles has topped four million for the first time ever. According to a new report from the California Department of Finance, L.A.'s population grew by more than 50,000 persons since last year, and now totals 4,031,000 people. The department's annual state population report, which was released Monday morning, includes data for all of California's cities, counties, and the state. The state's overall population grew by 0.9 percent in 2015, adding 348,000 residents to total 39,256,000 as of January 1, 2016. L.A. remains California's most populous city, as well as, objectively, California's best city.

San Joaquin County was the fastest growing county in the state (over 1.3 percent), closely followed by Yolo, Riverside, and Santa Clara counties all slightly below 1.3 percent.



Source: California Department of Finance, Demographic Research Unit, 5/2016 (Graphic by Julia Wick)

California Department of Finance demographer Walter Schwarm told LAist that the renewed growth of inland cities reflects California's economic recovery: in the beginning of the decade most of California's growth was concentrated in the coast counties (the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Orange County and to some degree, San Diego), but "as the recovery has continued, we find ourselves with more balanced growth. It's not just in the coastal communities, it's now in other parts of the state."

"There's [now] a little bit [of growth] in the Central Valley, a little bit in Sacramento, and the Inland Empire is certainly back, in terms of housing growth as well as population growth," Schwarm told LAist. "In 2010 and 2011, Riverside and San Bernardino really didn't post much growth."

The report also analyzes housing growth, which has remained relatively flat even as the state's population has continued to grow at a moderate but consistent clip.

"The continued gap there helps to explain the rising housing prices and the rising rental rates in California," Schwarm told LAist, explaining that housing stock continues to lag significantly behind population in terms of growth. "If supply is not keeping up with the demand, then the prices are the ones to take up the slack," he said.

Of particular interest is the continued growth of multi-family housing over single-family housing in both the city and the county of L.A.

According to Schwarm, there has been more multi-family housing than single-family housing built in the area for the past four years, but prior to thatexcept for a single year in the 1970sL.A has always seen a majority of single-family housing being built. Perhaps things are finally a-changing.

The population data is tabulated from births, deaths and net migration. The migration data is collected using two different methods: demographers look at the IRS migration file to look at the difference between two years tax returns to look at how many people have moved in and out, and they also get information from Homeland Security to look at visas, since those residents might not be included in IRS data.
You have the power to keep local news strong for the coming months. Your financial support today keeps our reporters ready to meet the needs of our city. Thank you for investing in your community.

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A group of protestors decided their time was best spent railing against gender-neutral bathrooms at a South L.A. school on Monday.

The 'Official Street Preachers,' as they're called, gathered across the way from Santee Education Complex in South L.A. Monday afternoon to scream and complain about the school's new gender-neutral restroom, which took the place of a multi-stall women's restroom on the school's second floor in mid-April.

This is the second time the group has protested the school. They showed up on April 20 and a brawl broke out between students and protestors. A bearded preacher stressed to KTLA that the students started it, turning their protest into "a Donald Trump rally."

"We're here to address the issue of morality," claimed a fedora-wearing preacher to the station. "This will bring a rise to sexual predators and it's opening the bathroom door to sexual offenders and pedophiles." This was said by a grown man standing outside a school to offer his opinions on where students pee.

Perhaps you've seen these gentleman before. We have! They show up every year to Go Topless Day on Venice Beach, an annual demonstration during which people advocate for women's rights to be topless in public, just like men. We were present one year and witnessed them telling the women that they were "whores" whose parents hated them, so they're a real peaceful bunch.

Curious, I begrudgingly became the 23rd person to like them on Facebook so I could see what they're all about. This is where I learned that the group is "about one thing: preaching the raw, uncensored, unadulterated word of God." This seems to involve marching around with a megaphone and signs that read things like, "Homosex is a threat to national security," and "Ask me why you deserve Hell." Yawn.
On 2 May Mexico Citys attorney generals office (PGJDF) confirmed that the human remains found in various locations in the capital and the neighbouring Estado de Mexico (Edomex) belonged to two young male residents of the Mexico City municipality of Azcapotzalco.

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This is Whats Trending Today:

Do you know who Craig Wright is? Have you ever heard of Satoshi Nakamoto?

Well, if you are a Twitter user, you probably saw both of those names trending on Monday.

But who are they?

Craig Wright is a real person. He is an entrepreneur  someone who invests in businesses  from Australia.

Satoshi Nakamoto is not a real person. But Satoshi Nakamoto is the name many people have used when talking about the person who started the electronic currency called Bitcoin. Names people use to protect their true identities are called psuedonyms.

People have tried for years to find out the real person behind Bitcoin.

Newspapers and magazines have written articles investigating Bitcoin. Reporters have tried to put together clues that might lead to discovering Bitcoins founder.

But on Monday, Craig Wright told three media organizations that he was the founder of Bitcoin. He talked with the BBC and The Economist and GQ magazines.

During the meeting with the BBC, Wright did something that no one else but a person involved in the creation of Bitcoin could do. He used something called a cryptographic key to sign some documents.

If you do not know a lot about Bitcoin, that might not seem like a big deal. But, each Bitcoin user has a special, encoded key. No one else can have the same key.

And, the key that Wright used in his messages is connected to a very early collection of Bitcoins created by the mysterious Nakamoto.

Some people who are Bitcoin experts are saying they believe Wright is the person who invented the currency. But others, like The Economist, have said questions remain about Wrights claim.

People who use Bitcoins do not have to use traditional banks, credit cards or other financial services when they use the electronic currency.

When they were introduced in 2009, Bitcoins were worth just a few pennies each. Now the price of one bitcoin is over $400. New Bitcoins are created, or mined, when people with powerful computers solve difficult math problems.

The BBC reports there are now about 15 million Bitcoins in the world.

Wright said he went public about his identity because hiding was becoming too stressful.

I don't want money. I don't want fame. I don't want adoration. I just want to be left alone, he said.

Many people and media organizations are still looking for more details before they believe Wrights claim.

The Economist posted a poll on its website asking people whether they believe that Wright is the Bitcoin creator. More than 5,000 people have voted. Forty percent of people who voted are still not sure they believe what Wright has said.

And Thats Whats Trending Today.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

Do you believe Craig Wright was the founder of Bitcoin? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

cryptography  n. the process of writing or reading secret messages or codes

currency  n. something that is used as money

entrepreneur  n. a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money

pseudonym  n. a name that someone (such as a writer) uses instead of his or her real name


Housing costs are rising in northern California because of a small supply of rental apartments and growing demand for them by technology workers.

A strong economy and the technology industry have been blamed for a housing crisis in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The industry pays high wages to many of its workers. Because the area is home to many high-tech companies, the workers are willing to pay more for housing.

The average cost for a one-bedroom rental apartment in San Francisco is nearly $3,590 a month, according to the website Zumper. Prices are similar in many nearby communities.

That rent is even higher than New York City, the second-most costly market in the United States. Zumper reported this month that the average rent in New York for a one-bedroom apartment was $3,340.

California renters can expect to pay a lot to live in places like San Jose, which is about 80 kilometers from downtown San Francisco. Across the bay in Oakland, some investors are buying up buildings and then turning them into high-priced apartments.

While rental costs go higher, evictions from rental housing is also a problem. Activists say some landlords have forced people to move from rental units so they can be offered to tech workers, who will pay a higher price.

Erin McElroy is with a group called the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project.

Because landlords know that people can pay $3,000 or $4,000 a month, who work in these [technology] industries, affordable housing is being neglected and lost, she says.

The mapping project keeps records of evictions as longtime residents are forced out of rental properties.

Some groups and San Francisco Bay Area neighborhoods are looking for ways to control the rising cost of rental housing.

San Francisco officials and activists agreed to keep rental housing costs under control in the citys Chinatown neighborhood.

The International Hotel was home to many Philippine and Chinese-American residents. The old hotel was torn down in 1981, but rebuilt in 2005. Local Roman Catholic officials worked with community groups to create affordable housing in the area.

Some local governments are reacting, too. Oakland stopped rate increases for three months on its older housing in April. San Francisco activists want a similar law to help renters who are struggling with rental payments.

Tourism is another reason for the high real estate prices. San Francisco is a popular stop for both U.S. and overseas travelers. This puts a high demand for hotel, apartments, single-family homes and office space.

After San Francisco and New York, the top of most expensive U.S. cities for renters are Boston and Washington, D.C., says the Zumper website.

The worlds most expensive city for housing is Singapore, according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Im Dorothy Gundy.

VOAs Mike OSullivan reported on this story for VOANews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

apartment  n. a rented room or set of rooms that is part of a building and is used as a place to live

realtors  n. people who act as agents for the sale and purchase of buildings and land

eviction  n. the act of forcing someone to leave a place

real estate  n. property consisting of buildings and land

landlord  n. a person who owns a house or apartment and rents it to other people


Malia Obamas decision to wait a year before going to college is bringing new attention to Gap Years.

A gap year is when a student takes a year off after high school to do volunteer service, travel, or work before starting college.

The White House announced on Sunday that President Barack Obamas oldest daughter will wait until the fall of 2017 to start classes at Harvard University in Massachusetts.

The announcement led to lots of news stories about gap years. Some observers think her decision might lead other high school graduates to wait a year before continuing their studies.

It is going to be the biggest thing ever for gap year programs in the United States, said Joe OShea, director of undergraduate research at Florida State University.

Harvard University urges students to consider taking a gap year to get some much-needed rest before entering college.

Many of us are concerned that the pressure on todays students seems far more intense than those placed on previous generations, said a message on Harvards website.

President Obama said that he and his wife Michelle are facing up to the day when their daughter Malia leaves for college.

The president said he decided not to speak at Malias high school graduation because it would be too emotional.

Im going to be sitting there with dark glasses, sobbing, Obama recently told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Obama has said his family will remain in Washington, D.C., after his presidency ends in January so his youngest daughter, Sasha, 14, can finish high school. Both Obama daughters attend Sidwell Friends, a private school in the city.

The White House did not provide details of what Malia, 17, will do during her gap year.

Harvard said many students divide up their gap year with work, travel, study and volunteering.

Joe OShea wrote the book How Delaying College Changes People in Ways the World Needs. He said that delaying college is generally a good thing.

He said the year off give students a chance to get a better sense of what they want to study when they begin college.

But a gap year is not for everyone, noted Sally Rubenstone, a former admissions counselor at Smith College in Massachusetts.

For many, she said, it is a way to explore activities near home or afar that you never had time to experience before. Her comments appeared on the website collegeconfidential.com

But Rubenstone said some have been known to spend their gap year watching television shows or cooking French fries at the local McDonalds restaurant.

The American Gap Association estimates that between 30,000 and 40,000 U.S. students a year are taking a gap year.

According to OShea, gap years started in Britain during the 1960s and spread to other European nations, Australia and New Zealand. There are also gap year programs in Japan and, recently, wealthy Chinese started signing up for them.

But taking a gap year can be costly.

A group called Where There Be Dragons offers international gap year programs. It lists a price of $14,900, not including airfare, for a three-month gap year program in Nepal, for example.

Chris Yager is the groups founder. He admits families that do not have the resources might find some programs out of reach. He says his and other programs offer some financial aid.

Were finding that students completing high school are looking for a really big adventure, doing something they know that they may never have a chance to do again, Yager said.

Im Bruce Alpert.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you think its a good idea to wait a year before starting college?

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

graduate  n. a person who has completed a study program at a high school, college or university

previous  adj. existing or happening before the present time

sob  v. to cry noisily

activity  n. things people do for work or pleasure

resources  n. a supply of something, such as money, that someone has and can use when it is needed

adventure  n. an exciting or dangerous experience
Pirates have been active in the waters of West Africas Gulf of Guinea for many years. West Africa has some of the worlds most dangerous waterways.

Navies in the area have improved their ability to answer robberies on the ocean. However, pirates are changing tactics. They are abducting sailors and holding them for ransom.

The International Maritime Bureau reports on crimes at sea. It recently said two of three ship hijackings reported around the world in the first three months of 2015 took place in the Gulf of Guinea.

Pirates have kidnapped 44 sailors in the Gulf of Guinea this year. Although piracy is decreasing worldwide, the IMB says it is increasing in West Africa.

In its yearly security report, anti-piracy group Oceans Beyond Piracy says pirates in the Gulf of Guinea are increasingly taking hostages. Matthew Walje is the lead author of the report. He says hostages are often taken to Nigerias Niger Delta area and held there until ransom is paid.

That is a change from past years, he says. Pirates used to steal ships cargos and fuel. Walje says one reason for the change is that taking cargo takes too much time. Navies in the area have improved their ability to deal with ship hijackings.

The time that it takes means that it is more likely to be interdicted, which then reduces the possibility of success.

Kidnapping sailors, he says, appears to be faster and less risky for the pirates.

It takes a little bit longer from start to finish, but the actual incident itself is shorter, and the likelihood of success is higher.

Hostage taking, however, involves more violence. Last year, 23 people were killed in incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

Walje says that navies are getting better at dealing with piracy. He gave the example of an incident last February when the navies of Ghana, Togo and Nigeria tracked a hijacked ship off their coasts.

The ship was eventually raided, and most of the sailors rescued by the Nigerian navy.

The response is getting better and this may be a temporary uptick.

Walje said a long-term solution to the issue would be for governments to do more to prosecute arrested pirates.

Im Mario Ritter.

Chris Stein reported this story for VOA Learning English from Lagos. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

What do you think about piracy? Please leave us a comment, and post on our Facebook page, thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pirate  n. someone who attacks and steals from ships at sea

tactics  n. methods leading to a goal

abduct  v. to seize or take someone against their will

ransom  n. money demanded for the release of a person being held captive or kidnapped

interdict  v. to isolate, to cut off from others

track  v. to follow as in a hunt

uptick  n. an increase


The Republican and Democratic U.S. senators who have served the longest in the current Senate disagree about whether they should take action on President Barack Obamas nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.

President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February. Garland is currently an appeals court judge for the District of Columbia.

Both political parties believe the nomination is important because whoever is confirmed will be able to influence the courts decisions. Currently, the court is split: four justices are considered liberal, four are considered conservative.

When Scalia was alive, conservatives won important cases because five conservative justices sat on the court. Republicans are worried -- and Democrats are hopeful -- that Garland will vote with the liberals now on the court.

Patrick Leahy is the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which examines nominations of federal judges. He has been in the Senate longer than any current senator. He said we need to do our job and debate and vote on the nomination.

Orrin Hatch has been in the Senate longer than any current Republican. He is also a member of the Judiciary Committee. He says the Senate does not approve a nominee just because a president wants that person to be on the Supreme Court. He and other Republicans believe Scalia should not be replaced until a new president is sworn in next January. But the Constitution does not limit when in a presidents term he or she can make a nomination.

On Tuesday, Hatch said conducting a heated, divisive confirmation fight in the middle of an ugly presidential election -- and that certainly describes our presidential election season that is well under way -- would do more harm than good.

Hatch spoke at a recent meeting about the Supreme Court nomination, in Washington. At the same meeting, Leahy said weve had numerous, numerous Supreme Court nominees confirmed in an election year.

The disagreement about whether the Senate should consider a Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year has caused a debate about what the U.S. Constitution requires the Senate to do.

The document says the president shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appointJudges of the Supreme Court.

Hatch said, The Constitution gives the Senate the power of advice and consent, but does not specify how the Senate ought to exercise that power. Claims that the Constitution dictates when and how the confirmation process must occur -- immediate committee hearings or timely floor votes -- are false.

Leahy said, What would be historic is to deny Judge Garland a public hearing and a vote. The Senate has considered controversial nominees. But in every one of those instances, the nominee received a public hearing and a vote.

But Hatch noted that the Senate has never confirmed a Supreme Court nominee to a vacancy occurring this late in a presidents tenure.

Legal experts at the meeting also disagreed on what should take place.

Martin Gold has served as a legal aide to several Republican senators. He said, The Senate has a duty to consider a nominee, but how it exercises that duty is a matter of dispute. In a sense, [Senate] inaction is also action.

Jeffrey Blattner was a legal aide for Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, who died in 2009. Blattner noted that, in 1988  when the Senate was controlled by Democrats  it confirmed Anthony Kennedy to the Supreme Court during Ronald Reagans last year as president. It was also a presidential election year.

Blattner said, It did not occur to us [Democrats] Well, its an election year -- [the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee] Michael Dukakis could win, and we dont have to consider the nomination.

People at the meeting agreed that Republicans, who now control the Senate, can refuse for an unlimited period of time to replace a Supreme Court justice who resigns or dies. The Constitution does not limit the amount of time the Senate can take to act on nominations.

But Leahy says considering the nomination, even this late in Barack Obamas presidency, is something the Senate has a duty to do. He said it is also in the best interest of the country.

We are elected to vote yes or no, not maybe. You should demand your senators do their job by providing this nominee a public hearing. We are called to fulfill our constitutional duties. We are called to lead, he said.

But Hatch said the Constitution leaves the judgment to senators to decide when and how -- or even if -- it should consider a judicial nomination.

A recent public opinion survey found that fewer than half of Americans understand the Senates role in confirming presidential nominees. Other surveys find that a majority of Americans believe the Senate should at least debate and vote on the nomination of Merrick Garland to be a justice of the Supreme Court.

Im Christopher Jones-Cruise.

VOA Senate Correspondent Michael Bowman reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

conduct  v. to plan and do (something, such as an activity); to behave -- especially in a public or formal situation

vacancy  n. a job or position that is available to be taken

tenure  n. the amount of time that a person holds a job, office or title


For the first time in almost 40 years, a U.S. cruise ship has arrived in Havana, Cuba.

The Carnival Cruise Lines ship Adonia and its 700 passengers left Miami on Sunday, arriving the next day on the island nation.

Hundreds of Cubans gathered to watch the arrival of the Adonia. They cheered and took photographs as the ship docked.

AP news agency spoke to Mercedes Lopez in Havana. She is a 54-year-old nurse. She waited for hours to see the Adonia arrive at Havanas cruise terminal.

This is history, she said. This is a little step forward, a little step towards normalization, peace, family unification.

The passengers of the Adonia were welcomed with live music and dancing inside the cruise terminal. A crowd of Cubans waited in Old Havanas Plaza to take tourists on walking tours.

Tens of thousands of Cubans have tried to cross the Florida Straits on homemade boats. Thousands are believed to have died in that process. Cruises and other ships often rescue those stranded in homemade boats.

The cruise ships arrival marks another step in restoring U.S.-Cuba relations. But, the voyage almost did not happen. Cuban officials wanted to ban Cubans who had left the country from sailing back to their birthplace. The officials feared they would cause political problems. U.S. and Cuban officials settled the matter during talks.

U.S. cruises are expected to bring Cuba tens of millions of dollars. More than 10 other cruise lines have announced plans to run U.S.-Cuba cruises. If they all begin operations, Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, says the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.

But, environmental scientists fear that a major increase in cruise travel will seriously damage the island. For now, Cuba has the healthiest marine life in the Caribbean Sea. Experts from the Environmental Defense Funds Cuba program say that an increase in large ships in Cubas coastal waters will harm coral reefs and marine life, and reduce water quality.

Air service between the two nations also is expected to restart later this year. The U.S. and Cuba agreed to permit 20 flights a day from the U.S. to Havana, and 10 daily flights to Cubas nine other international airports.

Cuba received a record 3.5 million visitors in 2015, according to Reuters news agency. That is a 17 percent increase from 2014. Reuters says the number of American visitors in 2015 rose 77 percent from 2014.

Experts worry that the island is not yet ready for the growing number of American visitors. The Cuban government is seeking foreign investment to develop its tourism industry.

Im Kathleen Struck.

Ken Bredemeier reported this story for VOA News. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English, with additional materials from AP and Reuters news services. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Will you be going to Cuba? Let us know in the comments below and post on our Facebook page!

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

cruise - n. a journey on a boat or ship

dock - v. to bring a ship into a port or area of water where ships are unloaded

terminal - n. a building where passengers can wait and get on and off (of a ship, train, bus, etc.)

tourists - n. people who travel to a place for pleasure

voyage - n. a long trip, usually on a boat
3 American slackliner Heather Larsen crosses a high wire between two towers at the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem's Old City. Wearing a harness attached to the line, Larsen walked across a 35-meter span and then a 20-meter line inside the courtyard of the ancient museum of Jerusalem's Tower of David, named after the Biblical king.
One year after the North Platte nearly filled Lake McConaughy in two months and the South Platte and Platte Rivers flooded across western and central Nebraska, the rivers are running high again.

Nebraskas Platte basin is likely to see water coming in from everywhere in Colorado and Wyoming this spring, said Cory Steinke, the civil engineer who monitors snowmelt runoff and inflows to McConaughy for the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District in Holdrege.

The water is coming into Nebraska, he told the board Monday. At this point were not sure how much or exactly when, but the combination of snowmelt and the recent precipitation in Wyoming suggest that its likely to be well above average.

Last years flooding was caused by heavy late-spring snow and rain in Wyomings eastern desert plains. Then the rain continued. Lake McConaughy rose 5 feet in May. At peak flows in June, the North Platte delivered about seven times more water than normal into Big Mac.

The reservoir rose nearly 2 feet during the first week of June. White sand beaches prized by campers, anglers and families were underwater.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says snowpack accumulation is above average in Colorado and Wyoming.

Most of the water you see today in the central Platte River is coming from the South Platte, Steinke said. We expect higher flows in that river to continue for some time.

Lake McConaughys storage level was at 86.4 percent of capacity Monday, with North Platte inflows of about 3,400 cubic feet per second, which is about 225 percent of average for this time of year. A year ago McConaughy was 76 percent full and inflows were 854 cfs.

Its likely that we wont see any shortage of flows in the Platte as we move into the summer months, Steinke said.
ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz slung mud at each other on Tuesday, as Indiana voters headed to the polls for the state's primary.

It all began in the morning, when Trump was discussing the elder Cruzs pitch to evangelicals with the hosts of Fox and Friends. Rafael Cruz has exhorted Christians to vote for his son, to avoid what he said would lead to the destruction of the country if Trump becomes president. Trump called his efforts disgraceful."



"It's disgraceful that his father can go out and do that. And just  and so many people are angry about it, Trump said. And the evangelicals are angry about it, the way he does that. And you know, there's a whole thing and, you know, his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being -- you know, shot.



I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody brings it up. They don't even talk about that, Trump said on Fox.



He added, "I mean, what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death, before the shooting? It's horrible.



Ted Cruz then responded while speaking to reporters in Evansville, Indiana.



"I'm going to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar, Cruz began. He went on to call him utterly immoral and a serial philanderer.



And then he delivered the final stab.

"This is not a secret, hes proud of being a serial philanderer.  The [would-be] president of the United States talks about how great it is to commit adultery, how proud he is, describes his battles with venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam," Cruz said, referencing radio interviews from the 1990s.



Trump responded to Cruzs comments in a statement Tuesday, calling him a "desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign.



The statement added, "Over the last week, I have watched Lyin Ted become more and more unhingedTodays ridiculous outburst only proves what I have been saying for a long time, that Ted Cruz does not have the temperament to be President of the United States."



The Cruz campaign told ABC News Tuesday in a statement, "Trump is detached from reality, and his false, cheap, meaningless comments every day indicate his desperation to get attention and willingness to say anything to do so," adding, "It's a garbage claim - let Donald talk about garbage, Ted will talk about jobs, freedom and security for the American people."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN  One candidate describes himself as the true conservative in the race.

Another says hes running to represent working families.

The third holds up his professional background in both the public and private sectors.

Gregg Neuhaus, Dan Quick and Zachary Zoul are competing to represent Grand Islands District 35 in the Nebraska Legislature. The two top finishers in the May 10 primary election will advance to face each other in November.

None of the three has held public office in Nebraska before, but each has raised in excess of $12,000 in donations so far.

Quick is a registered Democrat, while Zoul and Neuhaus are both Republicans seeking election to the officially nonpartisan Legislature.

They are aiming to fill a seat held by Sen. Mike Gloor, a Republican who reached his two-term limit this year.

Neuhaus ran against Gloor in the 2008 general election and finished with 43 percent of the vote, despite being outspent $86,000 to $38,500. Neuhaus said he decided earlier this year to run a second time, after concluding he was more conservative than the other Republican in the race.

A lot of people tell me to be a Republican is to be a conservative, and thats not true, he said. We see a lot of that in Washington, and we see a lot of that in Lincoln.

Neuhaus, a 63-year-old private practice attorney, said he supports the death penalty and supports keeping mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain violent offenses. He opposes abortion and providing benefits to immigrants who entered the country illegally.

To help cut state spending, he said, he likes the idea of zero-based budgeting, which would require every agency to justify every line item of spending before it is approved. Building budgets from scratch in this manner would free funds for tax relief, Neuhaus said.

He would try to cut state taxes on Social Security income while adjusting the school funding system to reduce reliance on property taxes.

Neuhaus also took a shot at the record of Zoul, a real estate broker who worked as Grand Islands city administrator from 1991 to 1994, helping guide construction of a $6 million City Hall and a $2 million water park.

Holding up such projects as accomplishments should paint someone as a tax-and-spend liberal, Neuhaus said.

Zoul replied that by Neuhaus definition, government would accomplish nothing. He defended both projects as assets to the community that were paid for without raising taxes or taking on bonded debt.

The projects were not without controversy, including a dispute over how donations were raised for the City Hall dedication. In the course of an investigation into the matter, Zoul was charged with three misdemeanors, which included lying under oath. He was acquitted of that charge, and the two other charges were dropped.

I wear it as a badge of honor, Zoul said of the episode. The charges were without merit and I refused to plead to them.

Zoul eventually left the public sector and pursued a career in real estate and resort management. In 2005 he was accused of sexual harassment by a woman he hired while general manager of a waterfront property in Georgia called Hampton Island Preservation LLC.

Zoul denied the allegations, and the case was settled out of court. On Monday, Zoul said the terms of the settlement prevented him from commenting.

Zoul, 58, returned to Nebraska in 2010. He is owner-broker of Grand Island Realty and Zoul Properties and leads Hospitality Advisors Group, a consulting firm serving hotels and resorts.

Ive been in management for 37 years, and Ive got a record Im proud of, he said. When youre in senior executive positions, whether its the public sector or the private sector, people take shots at you.

Zoul supports the death penalty and opposes abortion. He would vote against Medicaid expansion in Nebraska, he said, because he opposes adding to the federal debt.

To help lower property taxes, Zoul said he would urge state leaders to push for federal law to enforce the collection of sales taxes on Internet purchases. He also would consider repealing some sales tax exemptions, he said.

Quick, the registered Democrat, said that during months of door-knocking, the message he hears most often is how working people are struggling to make ends meet. Parents often work two jobs, and family time suffers as a result, he added.

Quick, 58, is a welder and maintenance mechanic at Grand Islands city-owned power plant. He has been a union leader, both in his trade union and in statewide labor organizations.

He said he favors Medicaid expansion so that the working poor dont have to choose between putting food on the table and going to the doctor. He also would support legislation to make job skills training programs better and more affordable.

Quick calls himself a moderate Democrat who opposes abortion and the death penalty but would support efforts to keep taxes as low as we can. He said he grew up on his familys farm near Hordville, which helped him understand the importance and challenges of agriculture.

I have friends who are Republicans, and we think a lot alike, he said. We might disagree on an issue here or there, but nothing major.

Contact the writer:
North Platte Giving Day is today. For 24 hours, citizens and businesses contribute to more than 50 causes in the community.

Visit northplattegivingday.org to see the full list of causes, including everything from schools to animals to the arts. Contributors can donate to as many causes as they choose online and keep track of todays progress. Check in with the Telegraph and Facebook for real-time updates throughout the day.

Contributors can also drop off a check at the following sites, and request that the check be split among as many causes as desired:

- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation, 121 N. Dewey St., No. 112

- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., North Platte Catholic Schools Endowment Trust, 601 S. Tabor Ave.

- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., St. Patricks High School, 500 S. Silber Ave.

- 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Pop Corner, 1847 West A St.

- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Prairie Arts Center, 416 North Jeffers St.

- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Senior Center/North Platte Area Ready to Serve Volunteer Program, 901 E. 10th St.

Participants can enjoy a grilled lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the NebraskaLand National Bank branch parking lot at Bailey and Second streets. They can also can enjoy snacks, music and a cash bar from 4:30-7 p.m. at the Sandhills Convention Center in the Quality Inn & Suites.
A U.S. Senate field hearing, Keeping Goods Moving in Americas Heartland, was held by the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security Subcommittee in Scottsbluff Wednesday to discuss the FAST Act, a 5-year federal highway bill approved by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 4, 2015.

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and committee chairman heard from stakeholders about the impact the act has on rural Nebraska. The FAST Act includes provisions to improve the nations infrastructure and establish a national freight policy. The hearing focused on the economic impact of freight transportation in rural areas, how the act will be implemented and ways in which transportation networks can be strengthened.

Fischer said without a robust transportation system the U.S. cannot offer products domestically or around the world. One of her goals in the Senate was to pass a long-term highway bill.

For nearly a decade, Congress passed 36 short-term extension, Fischer said. Im proud to see this achieved.

The FAST Act provides more career opportunities for veterans, allows younger people with a Commercial Drivers license (CDL) to operate commercial freight across state lines and creates work opportunities for veterans.

Kyle Schneweis, director Nebraska Department of Roads, said most concerns are impacted by rural challenges.

The emphasis on access and connectivity stresses our understanding of our rural landscape and commitment to growth through partnerships and economic opportunity, Schneweis said.

Deb Cottier, executive director, Northwest Nebraska Development Corporation, said freight movement and roads are critical. She said the Heartland Expressway is the missing link in the highway network.

Western Nebraska is isolated from major highways. The only way to get there is on two-lane roads, Cottier said. The prosperity of Americas heartland depends on four lanes.

Without the Build Nebraska Act, Cottier said she didnt think the Nebraska Department of Roads would complete it, despite the economic benefits.

For every dollar invested in road improvements, we see two dollars return in economics, Cottier said.

The expressway from Kimball to Scottbluff is currently four lanes. The other parts include East on Highway 26, 92, 385 and Alliance through Chadron to the South Dakota state line.

Right at the Nebraska/South Dakota state line, it drops to two lanes.

Its a visual we can all see, Cottier said. It creates this bottleneck and traffic hazard.

Don Overman, chairman, Western Nebraska Regional Airport Authority Board, said FAST is critical for rural airports across the country. Overman said the airport is important in serving airlines as well as businesses, such as FedEx and UPS, who also use the states roads to travel 120-150 miles nearly every day.

Good roads are essential for the economic development of our entire area, Overman said.

Overman said from an economic standpoint, the airport is needed otherwise large businesses will not consider coming to the area. Overman also said FedEx and UPS deliver the items people want or need.

Were an overnight society now, Overman said. People order from companies all over the United States and want it tomorrow.

Its never there soon enough, said Brent Holliday, chief executive officer, Nebraska Transport Company. Holliday said businesses dont warehouse or stock merchandise like they used to, leading to a more urgent need.

They need to have freight that can get from Chicago to Denver in two days, they rely heavily on that, Holliday said. Their inventory is so low, if a customer needs something, they may not have it in stock.

Holliday was also concerned about the 48,000 truck driver shortage nationwide because trucks represent the first and last mile in a worldwide freight train.

In Nebraska, there are 13,500 carriers. The majority are small carriers, Holliday said. For an effective network, you have to have an ample supply of carriers large and small.

FAST attempts to make sure drivers are competent. Drivers are required to have 30 hours of instruction and most companies, Hollidays included, have eight hours of additional mandated classroom instruction.

Holliday said FAST was a good start and hopes it leads to different industries interacting more, but wants enforcement to be more consistent from state to state.

Regulation is not a bad thing, Holliday said. Its made the industry safe and drivers physically and mentally fit to share highways with our families.

David Freeman, senior vice president of transportation, BNSF Railway, said the act has provided BNSF with some positives in relation to railroad crossings. BNSF has 24,000 crossings, which dont include pedestrian crossings, overpasses or underpasses. Freeman said BNSF wanted to do whatever is helpful for the overall system of business,

The other side for us is the ability to generate modes of transportation having a consistent timely process, Freeman said. We want to do stuff that is helpful for the overall system of business, but realize there is an effective environmental and economic process and we want to be a part of that.

Schneweis said accommodations take eight to ten years to deliver, especially when discussing roads expanding from two to four lanes.

We understand the economic impacts, Schneweis said. Its the build Nebraska Act, not the build eastern Nebraska act.
KEARNEY  Tyson Fresh Meats has received the University of Nebraska at Kearney College of Educations Excellence in Community Service Award.

The award is given in recognition of a business that has shown excellence in its dedication and funding for education and youth programs in its community. Tyson was acknowledged for its passion for children and education by inspiring and encouraging future generations in meaningful ways.

The 2016 Excellence in Community Service Award represents a commitment to guiding and supporting our children and future leaders. In the spirit of UNK, they are difference makers, said Sheryl Feinstein, dean of the College of Education.

Tyson Fresh Meats has made a significant difference in the community of Lexington. The company is a continual source of financial backing to Lexingtons YMCA youth programs, which offer active and fun programming for children in the community.

Annually, the company awards seven $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors to continue their education.

Additionally, Tyson assists in tuition reimbursement for its employees who return to school, and gives financial assistance to employees who seek their GED.

One of Tysons most outstanding contributions was the prominent role they played in starting a migrant pre-school. The companys vision in this program, which is overseen by Lexington Public Schools, was to create a meaningful way to welcome and educate early childhood students, getting them started in the right direction.
Finnish startup Jolla may have given up on plans to continue producing its own smartphones and tablets. But the company is continuing to develop the Sailfish OS operating system for mobile devices, and Jolla has just announced that its raised $12 million to continue working on Sailfish OS and to pursue licensing deals with hardware partners.

This is the second time in about half a year that Jolla has secured funding from investors to keep the company afloat. The company says its also been able to reach an agreement with its main creditors and has canceled its debt restructuring application in Finland.

One of the things the company hopes to do with its new funding? Refund customers who placed orders for a tablet they never received.

Looking to the future though, Jolla is hoping to continue to work with companies like Intex and Turing Robotics Industries, which already plan to license Sailfish OS for use on their devices.

I suspect the future of the Linux-based mobile operating system depends on the success or failure of those phones.

To date, only a few products running Sailfish OS have shipped. The first was Jollas own smartphone, and the second was the ill-fated tablet, which was only produced in limited quantities.

There are also unofficial community-supported builds of Sailfish for a handful of other devices, including the Sailfish OS for the Fairphone 2.
The Bombay High Court today refused to extend the stay granted on trial against actor Sooraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan suicide case.

The High Court had on February 25 stayed trial against Sooraj while hearing a petition filed by Jiah's mother Rabia Khan challenging the investigating agency CBI's charge sheet terming Jiah's death as a suicide.

Rabia had petitioned the High Court against CBI categorising Jiah's death on June 3, 2013 as suicidal and not homicidal. Rabia sought the High Court to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case afresh.

When the petition came up for hearing today before a division bench of justices N H Patil and A M Badar, Rabia's lawyer Subash Jha sought for the stay to be extended pending hearing of this petition.

The bench, however, refused to extend the stay on the trial and posted Rabia's petition for hearing on June 7. "You (Rabia) were not happy with the state police probe and approached the high court which directed CBI to probe the case. CBI has filed its chargesheet and has concurred with the findings of the police and charged the accused under section 306 (abetment). Now you (Rabia) want SIT probe. What if tomorrow your are not satisfied with the SIT also ? This has to end somewhere," Justice Patil said.

The trial court is scheduled to frame charges against Sooraj Pancholi on May 5.

CBI counsel Hiten Venegaonkar today told HC that the agency was planning to file a petition challenging the government's notification appointing a special public prosecutor in the case.

Rabia in her petition pointed out various anomalies in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in December last year and sought directions to enable the Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist the SIT as Jiah was a US citizen.

Jiah's boyfriend-actor Sooraj Pancholi was arrested for abetting her suicide on June 10, 2013 but released on July 2 after the HC granted him bail.

The petition alleged that the CBI concluded in haste that the case was that of suicide; that it did not bother to counter question concerned people and that it did not bother getting important evidence on record.

"The CBI has not concluded the investigation in its real spirit and have closed the investigation without making any serious efforts to unearth the issues as are involved in the death of the deceased. In fact, they have been misleading both the petitioner and the US Consulate about the direction of the investigation," the petition alleges.
New Delhi: Cynicism runs high with brands. Large number of consumers believe that brands are not open and honest. Notwithstanding the corporate social responsibilities undertaken by companies and talking about it ad nauseum, even that does not cut much ice with consumers, as revealed by the Authentic 100 survey.

The Authentic 100 survey is an annual index of global brands ranked by consumer perception of authenticity.

A recent survey has revealed that only 7 percent in Western Europe of those surveyed in the UK, France, Germany and Spain and a five percent in Sweden believe brands are `open and honest. The least cynical are China and Indonesia at 36 percent and 35 percent respectively. Less than a quarter of Americans (23 percent) see brands as honest.

The 2016 study on authenticity defines for the first time what consumers believe are the individual attributes of authentic behavior and whether a brand displaying these attributes will affect the actions of consumers.

The study identifies a large authenticity gap between brands and consumers, with 75 percent of nearly 12,000 consumers surveyed across 14 markets indicating that brands and companies have a credibility problem.

The top 20 brands in the global Authentic 100 are Disney, Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Lego, Ford, Google and Coca-Cola.

Privacy concerns are now seen as a core component of what makes a brand authentic in the eyes of the consumer. The recent public standoff between Apple (#5 on the global Authentic 100) and the United States FBI over encryption technologies is a case in point.

The fourth most important attribute of authenticity globally, is protecting customer data and privacy. When a brand is authentic and genuine, nearly nine out of 10 consumers are willing to reward in by recommending it (52 percent) to others and being loyal to it (49 percent).

Social responsibility measures and environmental responsibility steps don't resonate much either with consumers. Only 57 percent were impressed by CSR and 55 percent by environment friendly measures.

The rules of communication have irrevocably changed, and were seeing consumers reward brands that understand how to engage with them openly and honestly. In fact, consumers will forgive the occasional corporate misstep if a company is upfront, and addresses the issue head-on, said Donna Imperato, CEO, Cohn & Wolfe, who released the survey.

The full Authentic 100 is available at Authentic100.com
New Delhi: The government has so far collected 2.8 tonnes of gold under the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS), which has been in force for a little over six months, Parliament was informed today.

"Gold Monetisation Scheme which was announced in the Union Budget 2015-16, was launched on November 5, 2015, and a total of 2.8 tonnes of gold have so far been deposited by 105 depositors under this scheme," Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

"Temples and trusts have so far deposited a total of 1,512 kilograms of gold under the scheme."

The scheme is intended to mobilise idle gold held by households and institutions of the country and facilitate its use for productive purposes, and in the long run, reduce the country's reliance on the import of gold.

The scheme, which did not pick up initially, was fine-tuned to make it more attractive and convenient to encourage entities holding idle gold to come on board.

Currently, there are 46 assaying and hallmarking centres that are qualified to act as collection and purity testing centres (CPTCs) for handling gold under GMS.

India imports about 1,000 tonnes of gold every year and the precious metal is the second-highest component of the import bill after crude oil. An estimated 20,000 tonnes of gold are lying with households and temples.

Replying to a separate query, the minister said that till April 20, 2016, 21.61 crore accounts have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), of which 9.62 crore accounts are Aadhaar-seeded.
By Devanik Saha, IndiaSpend

On 29 April 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcedfor the first time ever in Indiathe release of income-tax data, which follows economist Thomas Pikettys call for income-tax data transparency.

The data revealed by Central Board of Direct Taxes have five highlights:

1. Only 3.81% of Indians pay income taxes

As many as 48 million individuals were tax assessees* in the assessment year 2014-15, or 3.81 percent of Indias population.

The data further reveal that there are just over 1.33 million income-tax assessees in India declaring income of more than Rs 10 lakh per year.

2. Women get 34% of new PAN cards

Of 27.6 million Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards allotted to individuals in financial year (FY) 2013-14, 9.3 million (34 percent) were given to women, indicating the gender disparity in Indias organised workforce.

Men and women between the ages of 20 and 30 were issued the most PAN cards.

Only 27 percent of Indian women participate in the labour force, the second-lowest rate in South Asia after Pakistan; India could boost its gross domestic product or GDP by $700 billion (Rs 46 lakh crore) or 16 percent more than its business-as-usual growth within ten years by putting women on par with men, as IndiaSpend reported.

3. Direct tax collections up, but declines as overall share of total taxes

The government earned Rs 7.42 lakh crore ($114 billion) as direct taxes in 2015-16, a 66 percent increase from Rs 4.45 lakh crore in 2010-11.

However, the share of direct taxes as a percentage of all taxes has fallen from 60.78 percent in 2009-10 to 51 percent in 2015-16.

4. Maharashtra and Delhi account for 53% of direct tax collections

Just two of the 29 states and seven union territories account for 53 percent of Indias direct tax collections. Maharashtra paid Rs 2.7 lakh crore as tax in FY 2014-15, 40 percent of all tax collections, followed by Delhi, Rs 91,247 crore, about 13 percent of total.

5. Direct-tax to GDP ratio lowest in eight years

The direct-tax to GDP ratio has decreased from 6.3 percent in FY 2007-08 to 5.47 percent in 2015-16, the lowest in eight years, which should be a matter of concern as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed to curb black money. This indicates the opposite may be happening.

Endnotes:

Population of India has been taken as 1274,239,769 in July 2015.

The figure 3.81 percent may vary minutely depending upon the population changes but we have taken the number as on July 2015.

Indiaspend.org is a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit
Shares of Tata Motors gained over three percent per cent after the company reported a 9.9 per cent growth in

sales at 39,763 units in April against 36,190 units during the same month last year.

After a positive opening, the shares of the company climbed 3.57 per cent to Rs 421.85 on BSE. At NSE, it rose by 3.5 percent to Rs 422.

The company announced the monthly sales volume data after market hours yesterday.

Domestic sales of Tata Motors' commercial and passenger vehicles rose 11 per cent at 35,978 units during the month as against 32,404 in April 2015.

Sales of passenger vehicles in the domestic market last month stood at 11,161 units as against 10,341 a year ago, up 7.9 per cent, Tata Motors said in a statement.

As for passenger cars, the sales read 5.9 per cent at 9,451 units in April compared with the year-ago period.

In the commercial vehicles segment, the company's domestic sales came in at 25,138 units, up 13.3 per cent over April 2015.
Bengaluru: The tea industry is under pressure due to factors including increased cost of production and climate, the United Planters of Association of Southern India (UPASI) said.

"The tea industry is under pressure, there is no denying in that. The prices are below cost of production, wages are

increasingly getting determined politically without reference to the economic health of the industry, exports are being stagnant since many years," UPASI President N Dharmaraj told reporters.

"Now the climate effect as the last straw on the camel's back is adding to the pressure", he added.

Dharmaraj said the India International Tea Convention will be held between 22nd to 24th September at Nilgiris.

Stating that very few tea estates have made profit last year, Dharmaraj said in states like Kerala many tea estates have closed. "Due to high labour cost going up and the price issues, about seven or eight estates closed in the central Travancore area last year," he added.

India roughly produces 1,200 million kg of tea, out of which 230 million kg is exported. Out of 240 million kg

produced by south India, about 90 million kg is exported. Stating that 40 per cent of south Indian tea is

exported, UPASI officials said exports is a critical element of south Indian Industry.

Dharmaraj said the present drought situation is affecting the production "significantly". "....by April I think south India alone to be lower by around 10 million Kg; ....for the full year we expect 10 per cent decline. Normally the pattern in tea is April, May is big month, if we loose out, it is difficult to make up," he said.

Indian Tea Association Secretary S Patra said, at all India level in March there was bumper crop, but in April there

is loss due to unfavorable climate, so up to May it will be "somewhat so so like last year." About 22 per cent of India's tea production is from southern states, Patra said.

Pointing out that China is emerging as an "important" consumer of black tea, Dharmaraj said, "There is emerging

interest for black tea in China; it is more of a life style kind of a change that we are seeing in China."

India last year (2015 calender year) exported 3.93 million kg to China, which in value terms is about Rs 76.43 crore. Out of India's tea production about 80 per cent consumed by the domestic market.

"We have a very large domestic market, but the quantity of exports is very crucial for maintaining the price line, because the difference of even five to ten million kg impacts the domestic price. From the producers perspective increasing exports is very crucial," Dharmaraj said.

The 7th edition of India International Tea Convention with the theme "Let's 'Tea'm up for sustainability" will see

participation from USA, Iran, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. It is for the first time happening in a plantation district.
New Delhi: The top 50 defaulters of public sector banks had an exposure of Rs 1.21 lakh crore as on December 2015.

Giving this information in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said the number of wilful defaulters of PSBs rose from 5,554 to 7,686 in three years to December 2015 while the amount involved more than doubled to Rs 66,190 crore from Rs 27,749 crore.

"The total exposure of top 50 defaulters of PSBs as on December 2015 was Rs 1,21,832 crore," he said in a written reply in the Upper House.

In another reply, Sinha said there were 1,365 borrower accounts having funded outstanding loans of Rs 500 crore and above at the end of December 2015.

He further said government has taken specific measures to address issues in sectors such as infrastructure, steel and extiles, where incidence of non-performing assets is high. To another question, Sinha said Union Bank has informed that its Chitbaragaon branch has sanctioned KCC loan to certain borrowers as per bank's norm and completed required formalities.

"Branch has obtained No Dues Certificate from the earlier bankers i.e SBI before disbursement of loan and taken No Encumbrance Certificate from the Panel Advocate to avoid multiple financing," Sinha said.

He was asked why the Union Bank branch had extended loans against five accounts before expiration of five years in 2014 to "fraudsters" against whom "multiple cases of banking frauds" had been registered in 2013 by SBI and Purvanchal Bank.

"The SBI had not mentioned anything abut fraud in their NOC. The present status of these accounts is standard," Sinha added.
Institutions and individuals respond differently in similar situations.

At times, the former could think and act stupid because, well, they are institutions. They can be disdainful of common sense and everyday pragmatism of the private individual.

Vijay Mallyas stand-off with banks is a case in point.

Lets elaborate on this: As private individuals, we lend small amounts to friends and relatives. Trust is the only collateral here. The consideration of interest or compounding interest is mutually agreed upon and again, trust is the basis of such arrangement. When the lender realises, after repeated reminders, that the other person is not in a position to repay, either due to mala fide intent or other reasons, the sensible thing would be to forget the interest and get back the principal amount first. If it requires engaging him continuously, through persuasion or pressure, he has to do it.

Taking him to the police is an option but never a wise one.

The lender, if he has all the proof in place, may put the borrower behind bars, but it wont serve the primary purpose. Chances are he will never get the money back.



The best option for the private individual is to keep the conversation going. If the borrower is willing to discuss paying back at least the principal amount, it is accepted. Its not an ideal solution, but getting back some money is better than getting nothing. Pushing the other guy into a position where he decides not to pay at all is not smart thinking.



But in Mallyas case, it appears, banks think quite differently from common lenders. They have taken the all-or-nothing approach to recover dues from him, which they claim amounts to around Rs 9,000 crore. When Mallya offered Rs 4,000 crore to banks as a partial resettlement, they rejected it in undue hurry. He had assured the clearance of the money by September this year. Of course, given his track record its obvious that they would be suspicious of such an offer.

Its possible, like they and several media commentators claimed, that the Kingfisher boss was only buying time; his real intention was to find more technical reasons to evade payment. But in the bargain, they have almost lost  a five-month wait could not have hurt banks more than it has already.



After slipping up badly on the loan deals, they were trying to be brave as a face-saver.

An influential section of the media crying itself hoarse over Mallya, painting him as a criminal, cheat, fugitive and what not could have spurred their action. But the reality in this case is they are on the receiving end. By burning bridges with Mallya, they have encouraged him not to return to the country and of course, to forget the money altogether.



After the revocation of his passport, threats of action from enforcement agencies and punitive action from the political class, it might be extremely difficult to bring him back. He might convince the British courts that his was a case of business failure and not fraud as being made out in India, and he might never get extradited. Even if he is extradited, made to face the legal process and convicted, chances of banks getting back the entire sum of money are slim.

Thus, any way you look at it, the banks end up losers.

Their course of action could have been more pragmatic. But then they are not us. They deal with public money, we deal with our own. They can get away with lapses on their side, we cannot because the loss of money hits us directly. They are institutions; they can afford to have egos, we cannot.
Liquor-baron, Vijay Mallya, may have resigned from Rajya Sabha to save himself from a certain ignominy of being expelled, but the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has gone on a different trip.

The agency has been looking for a French translator in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who can translate letter rogatory on the Vijay Mallya case to three French-speaking nations- France, Switzerland and Mauritius. In the last case, even Bhojpuri would do though sleuths are sifting though Interpol protocol to do it correctly.

Given the international dealings shown in the accounts of Vijay Mallya, the CBI would be sending letter rogatory to France, Switzerland, Britain, Virginia Island, Bermuda, Hong Kong and United States of America (USA). Nearly 40-odd accounting entries that showed transfer of money to these countries are to be examined to arrive at a conclusion.

Official sources said the top brass of the CBI is still grappling with the translation problem. As per the international protocol, the letter rogatory has to be served in the official language of the nation. Given the involvement of many firms across the globe, the letter rogatory is a mandatory step to initiate sound, legal proceedings. This process is getting delayed inordinately commented officials involved in the case.

On the other hand, the CBI seems determined to pursue the objective of getting media hype. For instance, an effort is being made to freeze the account of Airbus which has declined to release around Rs 120 crore that the banks deposited with them as surety for the deal. Since the deal fell through, Mallyas own money and the banks contribution got stuck in the bank.

What appears to have amazed investigating team is the ingenuity of top brasses to come up with ideas that can catch medias attention. There is no way we can freeze accounts of the Airbus in France or Switzerland, they point out. Similarly it is next to impossible to freeze accounts of Vijay Mallya without proving his criminality in the suspected bank fraud case.

Apparently, the manner in which the Vijay Mallya case is being dealt with exposes the fault line of the government. After sifting through 8 lakh accounting entries, the CBI is still in no position to prove the culpability of Mallya. Till date, the CBI has not been able to find any diversion of funds. This is the reason why sleuths in the CBI are relying more on letter rogatory to initiate investigations by other countries. Even the CBIs own investigation into the Rs 90 crore deal of two Euro copters came to nought.

While the CBI has been maintaining a low profile on the issue, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seems to have come with startling revelations about money laundering by Mallya. If one goes by the EDs assertions, it means that Mallya had laundered a huge of sum of money to foreign countries where he has assets and business. This is certainly at odds with the findings of the CBI. Significantly, the ED has still not revealed the basis on which the money laundering charges were slapped against Mallya.

Given Mallyas image of a flamboyant tycoon who allegedly escaped defaulting Rs 9,000 crore (including the interest accrued on principal) of Indian banks, the EDs story is getting exciting traction in the media and popular imagination. However, there are serious doubts if the governments efforts to nail Mallya will stand legal scrutiny and set an example for other defaulters.

By all indications, it seems well nigh impossible to extradite Mallya by raising a din in the media. So far, our record of bringing criminals to justice from foreign lands has been dismal. Nadeem (part of the famous music directors in Bollywood, Naddem-Shravan ) and Lalit Modi have been cocking a snook at our efforts and show Europes scant regard for India's legal system.

This is the context to which the Mallya episode assumes significance. A vilified Mallya safely ensconced in Britain would not only belie Indias self-assumed grandiosity internationally but also make a caricature of our infirm criminal-legal system. The cavalier manner in which the Mallya episode is being dealt with exposes a serious drift in governance, which may end up with the government having egg on its face.
Vijay Mallya, not definitely the King of Good Times these days, isnt a happy man with so many recent developments. One such is the media trial against him since 2 Marchthe day when he left the country with seven bags, an unidentified woman, Rs 9,000 crore loan obligation, a wilful defaulter notice and charges on financial irregularities.

The tycoon, currently at his Ladywalk bungalow in the suburbs of UK, tweeted on Tuesday.

In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter.

In another tweet Mallya said, Agree Kingfisher Air owes money to Banks. I am neither a borrower or a judgement debtor. Why am I a defaulter inspite of a settlement offer ? (sic)

The arguments Mallya seems to make in both tweets make no sense. Heres why:

Argument 1 : Check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter/ I am neither a borrower or a judgement debtor.

True, it was not Mallya, but the Kingfisher Airlines that originally borrowed close to Rs 7,000 crore from a clutch of 17-banks. But, as this Firstpost story highlights, Mallya is being chased by banks because he furnshied personal guarantees against the loan and, for fresh facilities Kingfisher received before the loan turned into a non-performing asset (NPA).

Typically, personal guarantees are not given on specific assets of the promoter but on all his personal assets. If it is against a specific asset, it becomes collateral. In that backdrop, Mallya indeed is a defaulter and is liable to pay back the dues to the 17-banks.

Secondly, banks wouldnt have extended loans to Kingfisher but for the big name of its promoterVijay Mallya. Remember, the airline never made any profit in its eight-year-old life, nor had anything else that offered comfort to its lenders as a liquid collateral. It was only because the man who was seeking money is one of the country's top industrialists that banks had faith in him. As one banker said who would have dared to refuse loan to Mallya?

In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 2, 2016

Agree Kingfisher Air owes money to Banks.I am neither a borrower or a judgement debtor.Why am I a defaulter inspite of a settlement offer ?  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 2, 2016

This is not to argue that banks have done all the right things. Kingfisher is clearly a case of banks failure to see what is coming, act early on recovery and their overreliance on the name of the airlines flamboyant owner. By stating he is not a defaulter, is Mallya trying to distance himself from the airline?

Also, why did three banks (though one of them had to reverse the decision following a court order) tag Kingfisher and Vijay Mallya as a wilful defaulter if it is not a case of default and alleged misuse of funds borrowed from banks? Mallya indeed is the borrower and the defaulter of Rs9000 crore loans to 17-banks.

Argument 2: Not in defiance as they report

Media has no business to accuse any individual for months on end, unless there is a clear case of guarding public interest. As this website has argued for long, the Mallya-Kingfisher case is important since the Rs 9,000 crore lent to Mallya is indirectly public money. Banks run on deposits mobilized from the public. In other words, they are the guardians of public money. If banks lose money on account of defaults, banks profitability takes a hit. In the case of state-run banks, the onus to recapitalize banks yet again falls on the taxpayer.

Secondly, the Kingfisher case will set a trend for other similar cases in courts. Kingfisher is only one such case. Hence, media interest in this case is logical.

Mallya has been defiant in this case throughout, evident from his statements in courts and in his interviews. The tycoon said banks have no business in seeking his foreign asset details on account of his NRI status. despite the personal guarantee submitted by him. He even warned that government actions, including revoking of his passport, would not get any money to the banks.

More importantly, Mallya was never willing to appear before the court despite the Supreme Court asking him to do so. Arent these acts of defiance? If Mallya is indeed not guilty of default and fund diversions, he should have returned to the country and seek justice.

Argument 3: Why am I a defaulter in spite of a settlement offer?

A borrower is tagged as a defaulter when he defaults on his loan and gets rid of that tag only when he repays the outstanding loan amount through a mutually agreed proposal between him and the lenders. In Mallyas case, the Rs 4,000 crore offer submitted by Mallya was never acceptable for banks for their own reasons. How does one cease to become a defaulter by merely promising repayment? Moreover, Mallya doesnt agree that he owes Rs 9,000 crore to banks (including the interest accrued on principal). He has always contested the figure as unfair, saying banks have charged compounded interest on the principal amount. What if all borrowers in India say the same and refuse to pay the interest component?

Mallya is an industrialist, who was once the poster boy of Indian aviation and someone who introduced luxury flying experience in the domestic aviation sector. At one point of time, he used to be, certainly, the pride of many Indians and all that represented luxury in life. Why did he let himself fall to where he is now?

If Mallya wants to clear his name, he should return to the country, pay his dues and fight the charges against him in a court of law.

The questions to Mallya are:

If you are not a loan defaulter and not guilty of the charges raised against you, then why are the banks after you? Why do the courts, the government, and banks find fault in your conduct? Can all of them be wrong? Why arent you returning to your home land with the determination to fight your case in court?

Over to you Mr Mallya.
The AgustaWestland scam continued to haunt the Congress as CBI sources on Monday told the media that former Air Chief SP Tyagi met AgustaWestland middlemen seven times between 2004 and 2007. Quoting CBI sources, a report in the NDTV said, "Sources say it was in 2004 that a representative of Agusta's Italy-based parent company Finmeccanica first came and met with SP Tyagi, who was then air vice chief."

Tyagi has been named in the FIR in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal along with 13 others, including his cousins, Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep and European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. He will be questioned again on Tuesday.

Delhi: Former IAF chief SP Tyagi reaches CBI Headquarters for questioning in the #AgustaWestland matter pic.twitter.com/jmZs611bY4  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

Gurgaon: Former IAF chief SP Tyagi leaves from his residence,will be questioned by CBI in the #AgustaWestland matter pic.twitter.com/LmDHbcXKHC  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

It was for the second time in three years that the retired Air Chief Marshal was being questioned in connection with the VVIP chopper deal, but it was for the first time he was quizzed after an order of the Italian court on the matter. He was earlier quizzed in 2013.

The former Air Chief Marshal met AgustaWestland middlemen for the first time when he was the then air vice-chief and then again as the chief of Air Force. According to DNA, Finmeccanica met Tyagi in 2004 for the first time and after the announcement that Tyagi would be the next Air Force chief, Agusta middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa met him a few more times.

They met him at an air show in Bengaluru in 2005 and in 2006, a meeting with middlemen took place at Tyagi's cousin's office in Delhi who has been named in the FIR. The CBI sources alleged that three more meetings took place and in the meeting held on 7 March, 2005, Tyagi tailored the specifications for the choppers, reported NDTV.

The CBI alleged that Tyagi had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres (15,000 feet) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids. Tyagi has claimed that the decision was taken in consultation with officials of the Special Protection Group (SPG) and the Prime Ministers Office. He told the CBI that he had travelled to Florence, Milan and Venice in Italy after his retirement in 2007. The CBI is investigating the reason behind these visits.

The Tyagi brothers, who will be summoned in the next few days by the CBI, made acquaintances with Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa in 2004 and according to the DNA, signed a contract with Gordian Services Sarl, their registered company in Tunisia. The report added that in 2005, around 1,26,000 euros and 2 lakh euros were paid to Tyagi brothers as consultation fee and some of the money went to the air chief.

According to The Times Of India, Tyagi's was codenamed 'Giuli' which means gorgeous girl in Italian. The report also mentions that on 25 March, 2012, Haschke and Haschke met Tyagi at the Milan-Malpensa airport.

The chopper deal resurfaced after an Italian court last month referred to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh among others in connection with the chopper deal but gave no details of any wrongdoing by the two leaders.

The CBI, which has received a copy of the Milan court order, has now prepared a fresh set of questions for Tyagi, who has denied the bribery allegations.

The Milan court has also given details of how alleged bribes were paid by AgustaWestland's parent company Finmeccanica as well as AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal.

Firms Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland, IDS Infotech Ltd (India) and Aeromatrix India were also booked as accused in the case.

With inputs from IANS
New Delhi: Coming to the defence of the beleaguered Air India, the government on Tuesday rejected the perception about the state carrier being the "leader in emergency landings", and asserted that there has been "zero accident" due to maintenance.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told the Rajya Sabha that every safety procedure is being followed in Air India as "no deficiency" would be allowed in flying Indian aircrafts. He said the performance of Air India has improved and it is making profit for the first time in 10 years.

"It is unfair to say that Air India is the leader in emergency landings... I do not go into Air India bashing at all. It is unfair to say this," Raju said while replying to questions in which opposition members voiced concern over emergency landings by the planes of the state carrier.

"During the last two years and the current year, a total of 120 incidents of emergency landing due to medical emergency and technical reasons have been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Out of the 120 incidents, 102 were due to medical emergency and 18 due to technical reasons," the minister said. Of the 120 incidents of emergency landing, 23 are attributed to Air India and the rest to other airlines, he said.

"We follow every safety procedure for all airlines, including Air India. We can't risk people's life. No deficiency will be allowed in flying Indian aircrafts in the sky," he said.

Replying to a question by Congress leader Ambika Soni, the Civil Aviation Minister said all incidents due to technical reasons are investigated by DGCA and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and safety recommendations emanating from the investigation reports are followed up for implementation, with the concerned agencies so as to prevent recurrence of similar incidents in future.

He also asserted that Air India is making profit "for the first time in last 10 years" even as he stated that the aviation safety rating of India was downgraded during the UPA regime, a remark which drew sharp reaction from Congress members.

"Air India's all-time performance has increased. This year it is making profit, which is the first time in last ten years. It is making an operative profit. Air India is doing good work," Raju asserted.

Repeatedly deprecating what he called the "bashing" of Air India, the Civil Aviation Minister asserted that maintenance is "not neglected" in aviation in India, and the country has a proper audit system in place to take care of the safety parameters.

"There has been zero accident due to (any) poor maintenance. Emergency landings have happened and the main reason for it is medical reason," he said asserting that "no deficiency" will be allowed to fly aircrafts.

Raju said India's sky is safe but acknowledged the existence of congestion in a few regions.

The minister's reply about the proceedures of safety norms being carried out was criticised by members from Congress, who felt that the reply was not adequate and did not answer their queries.

Chairman Hamid Ansari also intervened two-three times to clarify to the minister what the Opposition members wanted to know.

Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan said there is a perception that every emergency landing of Air India is due to technical reasons and not medical ones as the minister said. She asked Raju whether had made any attempt to dispel this notion.

There was also a brief altercation when Bachchan objected to Congress members making noise while she was speaking. "You first finish your shouting. I will speak after that," she said.

As Congress member Bhubaneswar Kalita expressed annoyance at her remarks, Bachchan reacted "you please mind your own business."

Ansari intervened to pacify them and directed asked the SP member to address the Chair only and not the members.

Tarun Vijay (BJP) backed the minister saying he has frequently travelled by Air India and its facilties have improved, a contention with which Bachchan disagreed.
Pune: Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra Kainthola on Tuesday assumed charge as the new Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), which saw a long-drawn agitation by students last year over appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as its Chairman.

Kainthola replaced Prashant Pathrabe, who served as interim Director during the 139-day long strike by students opposing appointment of Chauhan and four other members on the FTII Society on ground of "merit".

The 1989-batch IIS officer will have a three-year tenure at the premier film and TV training school, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

After assuming charge, Kainthola said he will strive to maintain glory of the 56-year-old institute. "FTII has a long tradition of nurturing the finest talent in film-making and television. I shall make all the endeavor to maintain glory of the institute," he told PTI.

"I have come here with an open mind and clean heart and I am sure all my students, faculty and staff-members will extend their full cooperation in my efforts."

Asked about his stand on withdrawing a police case against the students, registered by Pathrabe during the agitation, he said, "It is too early to comment on this issue as I am not very conversant with this matter."

The case relates to Pathrabe being confined in his office for several hours by the agitating students in August last year.

Kainthola said he has so far met the staff and faculties and will later meet with the students. The premier institute offers courses related to acting, film-making, video editing, direction and production.
After an Italian court's judgment mentioning Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh in relation to the AgustaWestland scam, the issue has already become a full-blown political controversy. Now, in a development which could be a further source of worry for the Congress' first family, Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the deal, may have expressed his willingness to turn an approver in the case, as reported by Times Now. While the claim about his willingness was made by his lawyer, Michel himself has unequivocally denied the possibility as of now.

In an interview with the news channel, his lawyer Rosemary Patrizi said that while Michel would like to travel to India and make the truth known, but not with an arrest warrant against him.

However, Michel, in an interview to India Today strongly denied this possibility, saying that turning approver "was out of the question." However, he said that he is willing to submit proof related to the case through the Indian embassy.

This means that he could share inside information with India's investigation agencies on who is involved in the alleged bribery scandal, in exchange for immunity from prosecution in India. Whether this will mean skeletons tumbling out of the closet will be seen in the time to come.

India has sought the extradition of Michel, and is also pursuing the extradition of other middlemen Carlo Geruso and Guido Haschke Ralph.

Michel is accused of having played a major role in clinching the deal, which is said to be worth Rs 36,000 crore. According to a report in Economic Times, Finmeccanica executives paid Michel 26 million to help finalise the deal. He serves as a director in three companies as of now, including Global Oil Ltd, Global Trade and Commerce Ltd and Fitness First (Curzons) Ltd.

In December last year, Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice against Michel, two months after a Delhi court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him. Michel is facing charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, illegal gratification and abuse of official position.

CBI officials had then said that immigration authorities had been requested to issue a lookout circular against Michel in view of the Interpol notice.

With the AgustaWestland controversy reverberating in Parliament, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is at the centre of a political storm because of the reference to "Signora Sonia" as the "driving force" behind the purchase of the helicopters in a letter written by a middleman, James Christian Michel, to the India head of AgustaWestland, Peter Hulet.

An Italian court has also noted that there is "reasonable belief" that the helicopter deal was not fair or above board. Two former chiefs of the Indian Air Force, SP Tyagi and NAK Browne are under the scanner in relation to the case.

AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force was scrapped by the then UPA government over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents.

In January 2013, India cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate the matter.

With inputs from IANS
Meerut: Minors lodged at an observation home in Meerut created a ruckus and pelted stones at police officials after their demand for a DJ to celebrate the birthday of an inmate was turned down by authorities even as 12 of them tried to escape from the premises taking advantage of the commotion.

Following the incident late last night authorities deployed additional police personnel to bring the situation under control.

The protest broke out when the agitated inmates were denied permission permission for playing a DJ and raised slogans against the Surajkund observation home authorities, police said, adding the inmates beat up two observation home staff.

When police personnel intervened, the inmates started pelting stones at them. To bring the situation under control, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells. In the melee, 12 minors, tried to escape from the observation home but they were later nabbed, a senior police official said.

SHO of Nauchandi police station Harsharan Sharma that 61 minors are lodged in the observation home at present.

There were unconfirmed reports that 24 juveniles escaped from the observation home. Counting of inmates is on.

The situation in the observation home has been brought under control this afternoon, ADM (city) S K Dubey said. The district magistrate has ordered an magisterial inquiry into the incident and asked to submit a report within seven days, he added.
New Delhi: The Delhi University on Tuesday told a court in Delhi that the documents pertaining to Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani's BA course in 1996, as purportedly mentioned by her in an affidavit filed during 2004 Lok Sabha elections, are yet to be found.

The university's response came in pursuance to the court's earlier order summoning documents from its School of Open Learning department on the allegation that in her affidavit for April 2004 polls, Irani had claimed that she completed her BA in 1996.

"1996 documents related to her (Irani) BA are yet to be found," Assistant Registrar of School of Open Learning, Delhi University (DU), O P Tanwar, told Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh.

Tanwar also brought some documents related to Irani's education, including admission form for B.Com (H) of 1993-94 and its result and further her enrollment cum admission form in BA (H) Political Science first year for 2013-14.

He said that Irani's class 12th documents, submitted with the admission form of B.Com (H) course were yet to be found. He, however, added that "verification must have been done before the admission."

The court also asked SDM of north Delhi to bring documents filed by Irani with the affidavit for contesting 2004 polls from Chandni Chowk constituency here and fixed the matter for further hearing on 6 June.

The court had earlier directed the Election Commission and DU to bring the documents related to educational qualification of Irani on a complaint filed against her for allegedly giving false information in affidavits to the poll panel.

The court had on 20 November last year allowed the plea of the complainant Ahmer Khan, a freelance writer, seeking a direction to the officials of EC and DU to bring records of Irani's educational qualification after he said he was unable to place them before the court.

During the hearing, Vandita Srivastava, SDM of Gauriganj in Amethi, filed original and certified copies of documents filed by Irani during Lok Sabha elections 2014 and said "as per record, no document for(Irani's) educational qualification was collected with nomination form".
Sumitranandan Pant, prominent poet of Chhayavaad era and a native of Kausani near Ranikhet, called the blossoming of beautiful rhododendron flowers in the mountain forests the fire of the forest. This season, there are no rhododendrons in sight. They have been devoured by the real fire that has ravaged almost all of Uttarakhand, and entered neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

According to the reports, at least 2000 hectares of the forest lies in embers. Tourist places, small hill towns and villages are suffocating in smoke. The tourism industry, one of the biggest sources of income during the peak season, has come to a standstill and environmentalists are concerned over the eventual damage to the glaciers which have started melting at an alarming rate. Defence personnel and disaster management brigades have been busy dousing the fire but they are up against a Herculean task. As there is no elected government in Uttarakhand, everything depends on the bureaucratic machinery under the Governor. One does not know how Union Minister Prakash Javadekar claims that ninety percent of the fire has been put out, even as the Uttarakhand High Court has taken a suo motu cognizance of the tragedy and asked the central government to file a reply.

What or who caused the forest fire in the hills remains a mystery till date. There are many versions to the story. Some call it an act of vagabond local boys and negligent village folks. Some blame it on the forest departments annual exercise and some say it is the handiwork of the timber mafia which is in a nexus with forest officials. After the promulgation of new Forest Act in 1981, which put a ban on the felling of trees above a height of 100 meters, forest fires have been on the rise but nobody has been held responsible yet.

Earlier, the forest adjoining a cluster of villages belonged to people  to their panchayats rather  who were dependent on it for fuel wood, fodder and timber for building houses. I still remember my boyhood days when people, particularly women, would set the fences of their fields on fire so that rich nutritious grass could grow when rains came. When fire spread beyond the fields and reached nearby trees, the women would extinguish them with the help of a green branch of pine or oak or some other tree. One of the Hindi short-story writers, Suresh Uniyal has written a beautiful story on extinguishing such fires.

Some people believed that the fire in the jungle was ignited by forest officials in order to get green patches after the rains and the nomadic tribes also set the forests on fire but always doused it if it threatened to spread on a vast scale. It was a time when the timber and land mafia were nowhere in the hills. When people got alienated from their collective or panchayati forests, they started ignoring the fire, became disinterested in dousing it, and now with the massive migration and dislocation from the villages, there are not many people who have the traditional wisdom of putting out fires. The irony of the situation is that our learned environment minister has put the onus on the poor village folks rather than looking into the mafia angle to it, and highlighted the need to tell them that such activity is destructive!

It is true that todays Uttarakhand is a parched land because of scarce rains, dried up perennial or seasonal water sources and loss of humidity in the forest land. Some environmentalists believe that less broadleaf trees and the overgrowth of pine trees have also contributed to the problem. Their needles and cones can easily catch fire; the fire situation has been worse in the areas where pine trees are in abundance. All this has definitely to do with the development model adopted all over the country without considering specific local or native needs.

Scientists and environmentalists will go on debating this for long, but what is clear is the fact that the fires have astonishingly increased after the villagers were deprived of their forests. When the jungles were in the hands of the villagers, they were managed with a fine balance between the daily needs and the environmental necessities. Once this relationship was broken, a conflict of the nature and the people sprang up, resulting in massive human migration. Forests took over agricultural land and deserted villages.

It took a long time for the people of Uttarakhand to overcome the disastrous floods of Kedarnath valley in 2013. Now the great waves of fire and the mountains of smoke hovering around the valleys threatens to have a greater impact on the ecosystem of the state. Mighty trees ablaze with their ponderous branches and ancient tree trunks crashing to the ground make for disturbing visuals. The fury of waters may bring geo-ethnographic changes in certain areas, but the ravaging fires destroy the core of the earth, its water, air, habitat and environment as a whole.

The author is a Hindi laureate from Uttarakhand and has written many books.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over slow progress of investigations into the murder cases of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and activist Govind Pansare.

A division bench, headed by Justice S C Dharmadhikari, after perusing the probe reports submitted by CBI probing the Dabholkar case, and the state CID which is investigating the Pansare case, said the investigations were not satisfactory.

The bench directed both the agencies to continue their probe and sought progress reports on 23 June.

"We hope that at least now the agencies will show real and concrete progress in the probe," the high court said.

"We expect the agencies to show promptness while investigating such cases. Both are premier agencies and should demonstrate vigilance. If you (CBI and CID) are facing any difficulties or any direct or indirect obstacles, then be candid and say so," the court said.

The high court also suggested both the agencies get in touch with the victims' families as they might have some valuable information and also the police officers who were first probing the cases before they were transferred to independent agencies.

Public prosecutor Sandeep Shinde, appearing for CID, told the HC that it has already filed chargesheet against the lone arrested accused Sameer Gaikwad in the Pansare case.

Dabholkar was killed in August 2013.

Pansare was shot at on 16 February last year. He succumbed to his wounds four days later on 20 February.

CBI and CID have been submitting periodical progress reports to HC.

Earlier, CBI had told the high court that it was probing the role of right wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha in the murder of Dabholkar.
India's Members of Parliament want a hike in their salary. However, they might have hit a roadblock in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. The Prime Minister is said to be against this practice in principle, DNA reported.

A joint parliamentary committee on salaries and allowances, headed by Gorakhpur MP and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, recommended raising the salary of MPs from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh, while also increasing the constituency allowance and secretarial allowance from Rs 45,000 to Rs 90,000. It also recommended raising the pension from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000, the report added.

The Parliamentary affairs ministry examines such matters. It has taken note of the recommendations, which may be finalised only after the ongoing budget session, DNA quoted ministry sources as saying.

"The Prime Minister has said in the past that the decision on increase in salary of MPs should be linked to the hike in pay of certain posts (say that of the Cabinet secretary or President and vice president). MPs should not decide their own salaries and allowances," The Economic Times quoted a senior minister as saying.

Many MPs feel that the salary they draw is meagre when compared to the expenses they incur. This is the main reason why they feel the need for a pay hike, The Economic Times reported.

The last salary hike took place in 2010, when Meira Kumar was the speaker of the Lok Sabha. Back then, the salaries of MPs was hiked from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000, which was a three-fold rise, The Hindu said.
"Something is seriously wrong with the country's counter- terror security establishment." These were the scathing observations on Tuesday of the Parliamentary Standing Committee which discussed the Pathankot terror attack, which took place on 2 January.

The panel criticised the home ministry, pointing out the flaws in the security arrangement of the 'most secure airbase' in the country. According to an NDTV report, the panel said that despite fencing, floodlights and patrolling by the BSF personnel along the border, the terrorists were able to sneak in. "Pathankot airbase's security cover was not robust and had a poorly guarded perimeter wall," the panel is further reported to have observed. They also recommended that the airbase be kept out of bounds for the public.

Six terrorists had attacked the Pathankot airbase in early January. The operation lasted three days and seven military personnel were killed.

The committee said it is constrained to note that despite concrete and credible intelligence inputs received from abducted and released SP of Pathankot and through interception of communication between terrorists and their handlers by the terrorists disclosing that they were planning an attack on a defence establishment, the security agencies were so ill-prepared to anticipate threats in time and counter them swiftly and decisively, reported PTI.

According to a report by the DNA, Pradip Bhattacharya, the Chairman of the Standing Committee said security agencies were ill-prepared to counter the terrorist attack in time.

Bhattacharya noted that the militants could reach the airbase despite terror alerts being sounded well in advance. He accused security agencies of not being adequately prepared to anticipate and counter the threats.

The DNA report quotes Bhattacharya as saying that there continue to be unsafe conditions at the strategically important Pathankot airbase.

According to a Zee News report, Bhattacharya questioned who passed on the information to the Air Force authorities.

The committee had interacted with the officers posted at the Indian Air Force Base, could not state how Pakistan-based terrorists managed to sneak inside the IAF base.

The panel said there cannot be two opinion on the fact that Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group was behind this ghastly attack which was established through interception of calls between terrorists and their handlers based in Pakistan, thanks to their use of robbed mobile phones from Pathankot SP and his friend.

Besides, weapons, ammunition and many items found in the possession of killed terrorists are also said to be having 'Made in Pakistan' marking.

"In view of the ease with which the terrorists sneaked into our side from Pakistan, the Committee understands that the attack cannot take place without active support from the security and intelligence agencies of Pakistan as four armed men cannot easily pass through heavy Pakistani defence establishment situated near border area," it said.

"The Committee understands that in this attack, the role of Punjab Police is also very questionable and suspicious as even after abduction of Punjab Police SP, the Punjab Police took long time in arriving at the conclusion that their abduction was not just a criminal robbery but it was going to be serious national security threat," it noted.

The panel said it failed to understand why the terrorists let the SP and his friend off, which should be thoroughly examined by National Investigation Agency.

"Besides, the Committee is of the view that the role of narco-syndicate active in border areas of Punjab should also be investigated as the terrorists might have taken help of channels or networks used by smugglers to infiltrate the border, shelter and carry out terror attack," it said.

The committee recommended that in view of the serious attacks from across the international border in the area, the government should pay attention to effectively sealing the border through enhanced patrolling, fencing, flood lighting

etc.

"The Committee recommends that the Pathankot airbase which is very close to border should be declared high security zone and should be properly secured through round-the-clock patrolling and making it out-of-bounds for general people residing around the airbase," it said.

The panel noted that the submission of the Home Ministry that the NIA is handling the investigation of this case and terrorists belonged to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, led by Maulana Masood Azhar, were found to be behind the attack but the Committee would like to be apprised what made the government of India to seek help of Pakistan into probe of this terror attack and invite a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan to India.

A five-member JIT from Pakistan had visited India in March, to review and collect physical evidence. They had also interviewed key witnesses through the NIA.

But in April, the JIT claimed that India had staged the Pathankot attack and hence denied NIA permission to enter Pakistan and carry out their investigations.

With inputs from PTI
Imphal: The tribal students' union of Manipur University on Tuesday locked the main gate of the campus as part of its agitation against the reduction of reservation to 7.5 percent.

The gate was later opened by security personnel at the university. There were no arrests, though police were on stand-by.

The Manipur University Tribal Students' Union (MUTSU) has been agitating on campus for quite some time against reduction of the admission reservation for tribal students from 31 percent to 7.5 per cent.

Terming it "highly objectionable", MUTSU president M Joute said the university should cancel the new policy and maintain the earlier reservation pattern.

On Tuesday morning, the tribal students took out a rally on the campus, and after a while locked the main gate.

A union spokesperson told IANS that the agitation would continue till the quota policy is reviewed.

The union said the university authorities would be responsible for any untoward incident during the protest.

On 4 April, the Deans Committee of the university took a decision to slash the admission reservation of tribal students.

The MUTSU had earlier launched agitations on 30 April and 1 May, demanding a review of the admission reservation policy.

The union spokesperson said that as there was no positive response from the university authorities, the union decided to intensify the agitation from Tuesday.

The main gate will be locked and academic activities disrupted on Wednesday too, the spokesperson said.
Panaji: The Sindhudurg administration is keeping a strict watch on boats to check any 'blast fishing' in view of the mysterious sounds reported by locals at Nivati beach in the district.

Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography had on Monday said the sounds may be due to existence of geographic fault (crack in the earth's crust) or gas emission.

"A team of scientists from Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) travelled to Nivati beach yesterday and went up to 25-30 nautical miles," Sindhudurg District Collector Anil Bhandari told PTI on Tuesday.

Locals had informed the district administration that explosion-like sounds were heard along the coast on 7 April, 10 and 26, which scared the people in the nearby areas.

Bhandari said several reasons are being attributed to the sounds, but only a scientific study will help know exact reason.

"Some people also suspected that the noise may be due to blast fishing which is done using dynamite. We have kept a strict watch on the boats. Blast fishing is a criminal offence," he said.

"The magnitude of the sound reported on 28 April was high. People came out of their houses fearing it was an earthquake. But the earthquake is ruled out," Bhandari said.

The district administration along with Maharashtra Fisheries Department, Indian Coast Guard, and others held an emergency meeting in last week of April to discuss the issue.

Bhandari said the district administration has not asked the locals to vacate the village or stopped the fishermen from fishing, pending scientific investigations.

"There are no warnings issued. We are waiting for the report from NIO which is conducting detailed study on this unusual phenomenon," he said.

NIO's chief scientist Dr Rajiv Nigam had told PTI on Monday, "it looks like minor geographical fault (crack in the earth's crust) has got activated in the area."

"We would like to allay people's fear. There is nothing related to tsunami or any other natural disaster. People should not get panicky," he had said.

"Or it might be due to existence of small gas pockets. It might also be due to eruption of gas. The gas gets accumulated in the mud and when it comes out it makes sound," he said.
It seems the controversy around his World Culture Festival was not enough for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

The spiritual leader on Saturday gave the perfect example of how to put your foot in your mouth when he said that Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for women's education, did not deserve the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, according to Hindustan Times.

"Nowadays, there is no value to the Nobel Prize. When you award it to a 16-year-old girl who hasnt done anything, what value is left? It has become a political prize," HT quoted Sri Sri as saying.

Sri Sri made these remarks in Latur while he was on a visit to the drought-ravaged region of Maharashtra, according to NDTV.

Reporter: Malala ko puraskaar mila to kya galat thaa?

SriSri Ravi Shankar: Aur kya? Uss ladki ne kuch bhi nahin kiya pic.twitter.com/961EKb9d5e  ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016

Sri Sri then went a step further and claimed that he had, in fact, rejected the Nobel Peace Prize. "I was in the past offered the Nobel Peace Prize, but I had rejected it as I only believe in working and not in being honoured for my work. We should always honour only to those who deserve it and I am totally against honouring Malala Yousafzai with the prize and it is of no use, Deccan Chronicle quoted him as saying.

Malala Yousafzai has always stood up for education for women and girls in her native region of Swat Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, a region infamous for being controlled by local Taliban where girls had been banned at times from attending school.

She was also shot by the Taliban in the head due to her activism.

But of course, standing up for women's rights in a region where doing that can get you killed is doing "nothing", according to Sri Sri.

When you make a statement as stupid and petty as Sri Sri's remark on Yousafzai, you can almost guarantee that Twitter will explode with reactions, some of them being quite hilarious.

By saying that Malala got the Nobel for politics, Sri Sri has done some (flood)plain speaking  Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) May 3, 2016

And the 'grapes are sour' award goes to .... Sri Sri Ravi Ravi Shankar Shankar  Salil Tripathi (@saliltripathi) May 3, 2016

With his jealousy for 18 yr old Malala, 59 yr old Sri Sri has once again proved: No amount of 'Art of Living' can make you a better person.  Shirish Kunder (@ShirishKunder) May 3, 2016

Inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's refusal to accept a Nobel Prize, I have just rejected the Lifetime Achievement Oscar for 2016.  lindsay pereira (@lindsaypereira) May 3, 2016

Sri Sri should continue to refuse Nobel Prize till they call it Nobel Nobel Prize  Joy (@Joydas) May 2, 2016
New York: Mothers who take flu vaccinations during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of their babies acquiring influenza during their first six months of life, finds a new study.

The findings showed that infants six months and younger whose mothers were vaccinated when pregnant had a 70 percent reduction in flu cases and an 80 percent reduction in flu-related hospitalisations compared with babies whose moms weren't immunised.

Health records showed that 97 percent of flu cases occurred in infants whose mothers were not immunised against the disease while pregnant.

"Babies cannot be immunised during their first six months, so they must rely on others for protection from the flu during that time," said lead author Julie H Shakib, assistant professor at University of Utah in the US.

"When pregnant women get the flu vaccine there are clear benefits for their infants," she added.

Influenza, or the flu is a common viral infection that can be deadly, especially in high-risk groups and can cause a variety of symptoms including aches, chills, fevers, nausea and diarrhea.

Pregnant women are not at greater risk for getting the flu, but because of changes that occur to their bodies during pregnancy, are more likely to be severely affected, explained one of the researchers Michael W Varner, professor.

The study, published online in the journal Pediatrics, emphasises the need for getting more pregnant women immunised as a public health priority.

The team examined more than 245,000 health records of pregnant women and more than 249,000 infant records for nine flu seasons from December 2005 through March 2014.

Approximately 10 percent of the women -- 23,383 -- reported being vaccinated while pregnant compared with 222,003 who said they were not vaccinated.

The researchers found stark difference between the two groups in the number of influenza cases and influenza hospitalisations within six months of birth.

Among the 658 infants identified with influenza, 638 cases -- 97 percent -- occurred in babies whose mothers were not immunised.

A total of 151 of the 658 infants were hospitalised, with 148 being born to non-immunised pregnant women.
During the course of the hearing on Presidents rule in the state of Uttarakhand, the honourable high court suggested recently that the President of India is not God, because he too can commit a mistake. However, yet another recent judgment by the honourable Supreme Court of India makes us wonder if the Supreme Court is in fact, God.

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)  A single entrance test conducted all over India for admission to MBBS courses in government-run medical colleges, private colleges, deemed universities and minority institutions  is no doubt a welcome step. It is a huge relief to thousands of aspiring doctors and anxious parents who were earlier made to run all over the country in order to appear for the entrance tests conducted separately by different medical schools. This process imposed a massive financial burden on the parents apart from causing enormous anxiety.

So, when the Medical Council of India (MCI) put forth the proposal before the Supreme Court, student and parents were sure that NEET would be implemented.

But, after months of deliberations involving different stake-holders like private colleges, minority institutes and different state governments, a three-judge bench of the SC declared in July 2013, that the MCI cannot hold NEET, dashing the hopes of hapless students. This was a judgment mired in controversy because it was delivered on the very day the honourable Chief Justice Altamas Kabir retired.

The headline in a leading English daily the next day said it all: Last judgment of Hon CJ Kabir is a boon for private medical colleges

In addition, the fact that a senior advocate had predicted this judgment in advance added to the controversy. Since it was a Supreme Court judgment, the poor students accepted it; they simply did not have any option. They continued criss-crossing the country in pursuit of a coveted medical seat in the college of their choice.

However, just when the dust was settling down, the Supreme Court suddenly revoked its own earlier verdict in April 2016. The reason given for this sudden U-turn was that the concerned judges did not get enough time to consult among themselves prior to the delivery of their judgment in 2013. The judgment in 2013 was delivered after many months of hearing during which thousands of concerned students and their anxious parents waited for the verdict with bated breath.

In the meantime, the number of postgraduate medical students in government-run and private medical colleges dwindled  resulting in a further strain on the already overstretched and impoverished healthcare system in the country.

This argument  lack of time for consultation  if offered by other professionals, doctors for instance, would amount to criminal negligence in the eyes of law. I am sure no court of law will accept as a valid reason if a doctor argues that he made a wrong diagnosis leading to wrong treatment because he could not find adequate time to deliberate and consult fellow doctors. But, if a bench of Supreme Court judges says that it could not get sufficient time for deliberations, the ordinary citizens have no option but to accept and move on.

The honorable Supreme Court not only revoked its earlier judgment, but in surprising haste, ordered for the immediate conduction of NEET in the current academic year itself.

If the 2013 judgement was a mistake (by the judges' own admission), the April 2016 judgement is a blunder.

After burning the midnight oil for two long and gruelling years, the students are being told that this examination is of no use when it comes to admission to a medical college. Now, they have to prepare for a new ordeal involving another three months of hard work and appear for yet another unfamiliar examination. For many students in states like Maharashtra, the new examination system (NEET) means studying a new syllabus (CBSE) rather the state board syllabus that they have studied for the past two years.

These students face the uphill task of preparing for the new examination in just over a couple of months. For these students, it's not only the syllabus (CBSE) that is new, but even the pattern of the examination is different. For instance, the system of negative marking is entirely unfamiliar terrain for them. Again, since it is a Supreme Court verdict, what option do these hapless students have other than accepting it and doing their best?

In states like Tamil Nadu, the system of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) is simply non-existent. For them, admission to a medical college depends entirely on their performance in their Class XII examination.

But they have to accept NEET because it is a Supreme Court verdict.

Many students all over India study and write their answers in their vernacular languages. One can only imagine their anguish because NEET is going to be in either English or Hindi.

Even they have to accept NEET because it is a Supreme Court verdict.

Besides, diiferent states have spent months of preparation utilising huge manpower and money to conduct their individual entrance exams. While some are over, as in Andhra Pradesh (30 April), some are just around the corner as in Maharashtra (5 May). With the single stroke of a pen, years of students hard work, aspirations, and months of preparation of different states, are under threat of going down the drain.

There is another important but perhaps not well-thought out aspect to NEET.

Since the honourable court has ordered the examination (NEET) in July, there is very little time left for the examination board to get its act together. What if some students dont get their admit-cards on time? What if some others dont find their names in the candidates list? I shudder to imagine that scenario.

I wonder, by implementing the NEET in such a tearing hurry, what the honourable court has achieved and to whom justice has been done. This NEET was meant to benefit the aspirants to a degree in medicine and relieve their anxiety. Has it been achieved this year?

If the intention of the honourable Supreme Court was to rein in the errant private medical colleges and deemed universities, it could have simply ordered them to admit students taking into consideration the marks obtained in their respective state-board examinations or their performance in the existing All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT). Alternatively, the court could have directed the Central government to conduct a single examination all over India but only after sufficient advance notice.

Recently, the honourable Chief Justice of India became emotional and even shed a few tears while asking the prime minister to increase the number of judges in high courts and the Supreme Court.

Now that thousands of aspirants to a degree in medicine are staring at a probable disaster in their career due to a hastily-ordered examination, I hope a similar type of sensitivity will be on display while reviewing the latest judgment.

The judiciary must remember that after being let down completely by the political class, the entire citizenry and particularly the youth of this country looks up to it as the last beacon of hope. We can only hope and pray that the judiciary will not fail us  the hapless students and harassed parents  this time around.

The President of India may not be God but we consider the Indian judiciary almost next to God and hope it will right the wrongs during its next hearing.

Dr Gurunath Parale is a senior cardiologist and a helpless parent
The fifth day of the Budget Session started with three back-to-back adjournments in the Rajya Sabha as the Congress-led Opposition protested over scores of issues, including CAG report on Gujarat's KG basin gas project.

The Rajya Sabha was forced to adjourn the House three times pre-lunch, when the Opposition Congress demanded a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress sought a discussion on the latest report of CAG listing irregularities in Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation's KG basin gas project.

While the government said CAG reports are examined by Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of state assemblies and there was no convention to discuss those in Parliament, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said their notice seeking a discussion was under examination of the Chairman.

This did not satisfy Congress members who rushed into the Well of the House raising slogans "Pradhan Mantri jawab do,

jawab do."

Kurien first adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes till 11.30 am, then till noon and therafter till 12.32 am hours as similar scenes were repeated when the House reassembled after the brief breaks.

Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2005 had announced that GSPC had struck 20 Trillion cubic feet of gas reserves in its

KG basin block. But recoverable reserves have proved to just one-tenth of that and GSPC's borrowings shot up to Rs 19,716.27 crore as of March 31, 2015, according to CAG report. Kurien said if notice is given, Chairman will examine it and called Sukhendu Shekhar Roy to speak on his notice.

Congress members did not relent and moved into the Well shouting slogans.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said PAC of state assemblies go into CAG reports and Parliament does not discuss them. "This is diversionary tactics. They are trying to divert attention from AgustaWestland (helicopter) deal," he said.

Leader of Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley rejected Congress demand for a discussion on a CAG report pointing to anomalies in Gujarat's KG Basin gas project, saying this was a "diversionary tactic" of the Opposition party by raising a "non-issue".

Jaitley said the CAG report was being considered by the Public Accounts Committee of the Gujarat Assembly and hence it would be a wrong precedent to raise the subject in the House. He accused the Congress of raising the issue "as a diversionary tactic" to counter the Trinamool Congress (TMC) notice to have a discussion on the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter issue.

Countering this, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said "this allegation is not true. We had given notice for this 4-5 days ago." Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma said his party wanted a discussion on the AgustaWestland issue also and was "not running away".

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also took a dig at Jaitley saying that the Leader of House has "characteristically" made a series of misleading statements. Azad said it was a question of thousands of crores worth loans taken from nationalised banks for the project that has now gone down the drain.

The Congress members trooped into the Well shouting slogans like "Now it is clear, Modi government is corrupt". Countering them, BJP leaders also shouted slogans saying "Sonia Gandhi is corrupt".

As the pandemonium continued, Vice Chairman P J Kurien adjourned the House till 3 pm.

Seeking to corner Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress raked up the issue of AgustaWestland helicopter scam and insisted on identifying of the 'Gandhi' and 'AP' mentioned in the alleged bribery case, inviting punitive action.

Trinamool member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who raised the issue and persisted with the matter despite rejection of his notice for adjournment, was asked by Chairman Hamid Ansari to withdraw from the House for the day. His party colleagues then staged a walkout to protest against the Chair's decision.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Roy wanted to know who has taken bribe in the Rs 3600 crore deal to buy 12 VVIP helicopters.

"Defence Minister has to give a statement. Why is the government silent," he asked. "Who is this AP (named as alleged bribe taker in the deal)? Who is Gandhi? Who is Shashikant." He wanted the defence minister to make a statement on the issue after suspending regular business and matter discussed. " Government has to disclose the identity (of bribe takers)," he said.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said there is no rule for suspension of business during Zero Hour and disallowed his notice.

Roy again raised the issue during Question Hour, demanding that government come out with a statement on who were the bribe-takers in the chopper deal.

Chairman Ansari asked him not to speak "unauthorisedly" as nothing was going on record. However, the Trinamool member did not stop.

Angry over this, Ansari invoked a Rule under which a member is asked to withdraw from the House for the entire day.

"You are speaking without authorisation. It is unbecomming of a member. This is not the intervention of a member. Sit down...I will have to invoke Rule 255. This is unauthorised. It is not going on record. You will not make this kind of

statement," he said, adding "Shall I invoke Rule 255? I will give you the choice."

As Roy kept speaking, Ansari said, "I invoke Rule 255.Will you please leave the Chamber."

Even this did not deter Roy, who kept on speaking on the issue asking, "Who has taken bribe in AgustaWestland deal. Who

is this Gandhi? Who is AP?"

As Roy kept on speaking, Ansari told him to leave, saying, "Will you leave the Chamber? Please leave the Chamber. Rule 255 has been invoked."

Rule 255 of Rajya Sabha on withdrawal of member says, "the Chairman may direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Council and any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day's meeting."

Roy left the House raising slogans "Yeh ghooskhor Gandhi kaun hai? (Who is this Gandhi involved in bribery?) Soon TMC members rose, with Vivek Gupta saying all TMC members are walking out in protest.

After Roy and other TMC members left, Congress members were on their feet raising the issue of Gujarat Petroleum Corporation and wanted a discussion on it.

"We are prepared to discuss the matter listed (AgustaWestland), but GSPL issue should also be listed," said Anand Sharma (Cong) amid uproar by Congress members.

They also started raising slogans like "Modi Sarkar Bhrashtachar, bhrashtachar (Modi government is corrupt).

Amid the uproar, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari rose to say that since the Chairman has sent one member out of the House invoking Rule 255, why was he not invoking the same Rule with regard to other members who are creating pandemonium in the

House.

To this, the Chairman said the Rule applies to one member and if the government wanted it can bring a motion against Congress members.

Amid continued uproar by Congress members, Ansari adjourned the House.
Tuesday's Budget Session in the Parliament started out peacefully. Grants for Ministry of civil aviation and Ministry of Housing in the Lok Sabha and workings of the Health and HRD ministries, among others, were a few things to be discussed in the Parliament on Tuesday. From TMC members staging a walkout to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement on the Italian Marines case, here's what has happened in the Parliament so far:

Trinamool Congress walks out of Rajya Sabha

A day after its leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy was asked to withdraw from Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress on Tuesday walked out of the House questioning why no action was taken against 33 Congress members who were named for "gross disorderly conduct" for protesting in the Well.

Raising the issue when the House met for the day, Derek O'Brien (TMC) said rule 255 was invoked by the Chairman Hamid Ansari on Monday, which his colleague Roy complied with.

"We have no issue with that," he said, adding Roy had at no point left his seat and was raising an issue from there. He then went on to read the Rajya Bulletin of Monday which named 33 Congress members for "gross disorderly conduct in violation of rules and etiquette of Rajya Sabha."

"The members "entered the 'Well' of the House, shouted slogans and presistently and willfully obstructed the proceedings of the House", forcing the Chair to repeatedly adjourn the House, the Bulletin said.

He said one member was making a point from his seat, whereas 33 members were in Well. The TMC leader sought a ruling from the Chair if action against one member and sparing 33 others "violates Article 14 of the Constitution."

Article 14 provides for right to equality before law.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the ruling was given by the Chairman and he cannot say anything on it. "Ruling of Chairman cannot be questioned, ruling of the Chair cannot be discussed," he said.

Derek O'Brien said "we are saddened... and are walking out of Rajya Sabha." The TMC and CPM were mum about the VVIP chopper until the BJP questioned their silence. The TMC even sent a notice to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, seeking a discussion on the AgustaWestland scam.

While the VVIP chopper scam has been haunting the Congress, the party vice-president on Tuesday told reporters that he was always targeted and he was happy. "

I am happy to be targeted, says Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi #AgustaWestland pic.twitter.com/9bJ7XzVkUp  ANI (@ANI_news) May 3, 2016

Pension for jawaans

Rajya Sabha member from BJD, AU Singh Deo raised the issue of pension for jawaans in the Armed Forces. The law says that Jawaans are eligible for pensions after they complete 15 years of service, as opposed to Members of Parliament, who are eligible for pension just after 2-3 years into service.

Deo's thoughts were echoed by Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha PJ Kurien, who posed a question to the Upper House and asked, "MPs are getting pension after completing 2-3 years. A jawaan, working for 14 years and 364 days, is not getting pension. Is it fair?" He also asked minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to convey this to the Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Italian Marines

Government on Tuesday asserted in Lok Sabha that the United Nations arbitration tribunal's order allowing a murder-accused Italian marine to return home from India pending its proceedings has "affirmed" the Supreme Court's authority and not questioned it.

Making a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Finance Arun Jaitley said the tribunal has confirmed Italy's obligation to return Sergeant Salvatore Girone to India in case India's jurisdiction over him is established.

The tribunal has also left it to the Supreme Court to fix precise conditions of his bail, he said amid unhappiness expressed by Congress over the way the case is being handled by the government.

"We see the tribunal's order not just as a recognition of India's consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India," said Jaitley, speaking on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is unwell.

Congress members, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a walkout, expressing unhappiness after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow them to ask questions.

Their protests invited criticism from Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who accused Congress of doing so because of the Assembly polls in Kerala as media would cover it even though the Speaker has expunged their remarks. "It's match-fixing," he said.

The two Italian marines are accused of killing two fishermen of Kerala four years back.

Jaitley said the issue of jurisdiction, which is "at the heart" of the case, is yet to be even argued before the tribunal and the "limited relief" given on humanitarian considerations has been made contingent to the clear cut undertakings provided by Italy that Girone will return to India in case its jurisdiction is established.

"The tribunal noted that while Italy had earlier made a far-reaching request that, if granted, would have removed Sergeant Girone entirely from the reach of India's legal system. This time Italy was only requesting India to relax the bail conditions to enable him to return to Italy.

"In doing so, Italy was prepared to accept that he remained under the jurisdiction of the courts if India. In essence, they proposed to change the physical location of Sergeant Girone's bail without prejudice to the authority of India's courts," he said.

With inputs from PTI
Chandigarh: Congress, on Tuesday, alleged that the Parkash Singh Badal government in Punjab was responsible for the "misery" of farmers in the state and that their "plight worsened" due to the "delay" in release of payment.

The state government had "failed" to get remaining amount of cash credit limit from banks, a situation that is "unprecedented", Congress Legislature Party chief Charanjit Singh Channi said.

Terming the meeting of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "media stunt", he said the meeting was held just to "divert the attention of the farmers and the people of Punjab from the core issue".

Channi claimed that the Punjab government had so far released payment for only about 40 percent of wheat procured by the state agencies.

"This is a reflection of the scandalous functioning of the Badal government, which is now not being trusted by the Centre, despite the fact that Akali Dal was the alliance partner of BJP, and part of the government at the Centre," he said.

He expressed concern over suicides by farmers and farm workers and said that the unfortunate trend had become "unstoppable". Their "harassment" in mandis was adding to this otherwise "hopeless situation", Channi said.

"These suicides reflects the magnitude of the crisis that was confronting the farm sector and the state government had failed to take even a single step to improve the situation," he said.

He claimed that farm incomes grew the fastest from 2004-05 to 2011-12 when the UPA was in power at the Centre, which used to take "good care" of farm sector by appropriate hikes in the minimum support prices.

Channi alleged that due to the "utter neglect" of the health sector by the Badal government, the rural health scheme has "totally collapsed" in the absence of adequate staff at some places.

On the other hand, the government had been encouraging private sector players thereby making treatment out of the reach of the common man, he added.

Channi said, Congress, after coming to power in 2017 elections, would give top priority to health and education sectors while coming out with a long term policy for the farm sector.
Thiruvananthapuram: With campaign intensifying for the 16 May Assembly polls in the state, rebel candidates and namesakes are posing a threat to winning prospects of candidates, especially to those of Congress-led UDF, in some constituencies in Kerala.

While UDF candidates face rebel threat the most, including on many seats they currently hold, CPM-led LDF and BJP-led NDA seem to have less number of rebels as per the final candidates' list. The last date for withdrawing nominations ended on Monday and 1,203 candidates are in the fray for 140 seats. Even though the main battle is between UDF and LDF, the NDA has made the electoral contest triangular in many constituencies.

KC Joseph, state's Minister for Rural Development and a close confidant of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who is seeking eighth term to the Assembly from Irikkur, is among the prominent UDF candidates facing rebel threat.

It is significant that Joseph's candidature had been objected to by local Congress workers. However, ignoring the protest, the party leadership decided to field him.

Rebel Congress leader Binoy Thomas is taking on Joseph under the banner 'Save Congress'. Sitting MLAs PC Vishnunath (Chengannur), KM Shaji (Azhikode), and Domenic Presentation (Kochi) are also facing the rebel threat. Former MLA Shobhana George, who was denied ticket this time, is actively campaigning against Vishnunath.

Once a strong loyalist of former chief minister late K Karunakaran, Shobhana had filed her nomination papers in the last Assembly polls also. But she withdrew at the last minute following the intervention by senior party leaders.

However, Shobhana refused to budge to the party leadership pressure this time. She said she has decided to contest this time as the party leadership "failed" to meet the promise that she would be given a ticket this time.

KM Shaji, who is contesting against CPM's journalist-turned candidate MV Nikesh Kumar, is facing a huge threat from PK Ragesh, who came into the limelight after winning as rebel against the official candidate in the last civic polls.

Former district panchayat member KJ Lenus is threatening the winning prospects of Kochi MLA Domenic Presentation while Kerala Congress (M) leader CF Thomas is facing stiff challenge from Youth Congress leader K Suresh who is contesting as an Independent in Changanassery.

Namesakes, who ensured many prominent candidates did not win in the previous polls, are in fray in some constituencies this time as well.

RMP candidate in Vadakara and widow of TP Chandrasekharan, KK Rema, is one of the contestants facing such a threat.

UDF's K S Sabarinathan and K Babu, LDF's Antony Raju and M Swaraj are also facing similar threats in their respective constituencies.
The number of multi-millionaires contesting elections in Kerala has gone up with parties fielding more and more moneyed men and celebrities in the coming assembly election in the state.

Analysis of the affidavits filed before the Election Commission shows that all major parties, including the Communist party, that champion the cause of proletariat, have candidates with wealth worth several crores.

Candidates in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state were mostly career politicians, who rose from grassroots. The trend saw a change in 2006 Assembly polls with 20 multi-millionaires entering the fray.

The number of multi-millionaire candidates increased to 68 in the next elections in 2011, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) that analysed the election affidavits filed before the Election Commission.

The Congress-led the list of crorepati candidates in 2011 with 14 multi-millionaires. Its second largest ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), came a close second by fielding 13 multi-millionaires. The BJP was in the third position, with 11 of its candidates figuring in the list. Even the CPM had six candidates on the crorepati list in 2011.

The ADR analysis showed that 33 of the 68 crorepati candidates in 2011 made it to the assembly. In 2006, eight of 20 won the election.

The Lok Sabha elections held in 2014 had 39 candidates figuring in the crorepati club. Shashi Tharoor of the Congress, who won from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, was the richest among the candidates with assets worth Rs 23 crore.

Anitha Prathap, writer and senior journalist, who contested from Ernakulam as the Aam Aadmi Party candidate, held the second position with Rs 20 crore.

NRI businessman Thomas Chandy led the crorepati candidates club both in 2006 and 2011 Assembly polls with a declared asset of Rs 16 crores and Rs 45 crores respectively. However, he has been pushed down to second place this time.

The richest candidate this time belongs to a party that has no base in the state. According to the affidavits filed before the Election Commission, Biju Ramesh of Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (AIADMK) tops the list of wealthiest candidates with a total asset of Rs 161 crores. Apart from this, his spouse and two children together hold assets worth Rs 116.82 crores.

Biju, who heads the Rajdhani group of companies, which included a chain of liquor bars having an annual turnover of over Rs 2,000 crores had added teeth to the corruption issue figuring prominently in the campaign by levelling bribery charges against two ministers in the Oommen Chandy Cabinet.

However, his contest is not against KM Mani, who resigned as finance minister following the allegation, or Excise Minister K Babu, against whom a court ordered registration of a case based on his revelation. The bar owner is contesting his maiden election from Thiruvananthapuram constituency.

Thomas Chandy, who has entered the fray at Kuttanad for a third stint as a Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, has declared a total asset of Rs 92.37 crores. This includes movable assets worth Rs 65.8 crores. His wife and dependents together hold movable assets to the tune of total Rs 32.87 crores.

The CPM that heads the LDF itself has fielded several wealthy candidates this time. Leading the list is its Beypore candidate V K C Mammad Koya, who heads a business empire with a total turnover of Rs 1,500 crores.

Founder of Kozhikode-based VKC Group, the largest producer of footwear in South India, Koya is currently the Mayor of northern city of Kozhikode. The CPM does not consider him a capitalist as he had launched his business after he was thrown out from a matchstick manufacturing company for leading a struggle for better wages to the workers. They call him a born Communist.

CPM leaders believe Koya could prosper as an entrepreneur because he held the Communist ideology close to his heart. The 73-year-old leader has been active in the party even while pursuing his business. He had contested and won the election from Beypore in 2001.

The other wealthy candidates of the CPM are in Malappuram district. The party has fielded at least three businessmen with assets worth crores in the Muslim-dominated district as independents to end the hegemony of the Indian Union Muslim (IUML) in the district.

However, the credit for fielding maximum number of rich candidates in the current poll goes to the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). The Congress and its allies have more than 30 crorepati candidates. They include Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, Urban Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali, Education Minister P K Abdurabb, Public Works Minister Ibrahim Kunju, Industry Minister P K Kunhalikutty and MLA K Muralidharan.

Excise Minister Babu, who was accused of receiving bribe worth Rs 10 crores, has shown a total asset of Rs 99.04 lakhs in his name and Rs 1.63 crores in his wifes name. The bar owner had alleged that Babu had amassed wealth worth Rs 200 crores after he became a minister in the current Oommen Chandy government.

Mani, who was accused of receiving bribe of Rs 1 crore, has shown movable assets worth Rs 15.08 lakhs and immovable assets worth Rs 1.74 crore in his name. His wife is shown to have movable and immovable assets worth a total of Rs 1.8 crores. The current market value of the property in the name of Mani is Rs 3.62 crores and that of his spouse is Rs 10 crores.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was accused by solar scam accused Saritha S Nair of receiving bribe of Rs 1.92 crore, has no immovable assets in his name. His movable assets come to Rs 3.21 lakhs. His wife, who retired as a bank employee, holds total asset, which includes a house in the state capital, worth Rs 78 lakhs and son Rs 14.39 lakhs.

CPM chief ministerial prospect Pinarayi Vijayan is better off compared to Chandy. The senior leader, who has been heading the party till February 2015, has immovable assets worth Rs 52 lakhs besides movable assets to the tune of Rs 2.78 lakhs in his name.

His wife has movable and immovable assets worth Rs 52.41 lakhs, according to the affidavit. However, she has a loan of Rs 7.95 lakhs. Vijayan, who served as power minister for two years in the 1996-E K Nayanar ministry, is contesting assembly election after a gap of 17 years.

His senior colleague and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan has no immovable assets in his name. The 93-year-old leader, who had headed the last LDF ministry, has movable assets worth Rs 1.02 lakhs. His wife, however, has a house valued at Rs 44.66 lakhs and movable assets worth Rs 16.70 lakhs.

The analysis of the affidavits shows even career politicians improving their wealth after winning elections. Many have bought land, built houses and acquired movable assets after they were elected.

The house built by Pinarayi Vijayan in 2009 had become controversial with a section of the media projecting it as a palatial building. While a Qatar-based youth was arrested for forwarding an email with a picture of a house said to be that of the CPM leader, some party members were suspended from the party after they went to see the house without the consent of the party.
Panaji: Rubbishing media reports that Manohar Parrikar would return as Goa's Chief Minister, state BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar on Tuesday, said that the Defence Minister may lead the party's campaign for state Assembly polls next year.

"There is a strong possibility that he might lead the election campaign for 2017 polls in Goa. He is required to counter the agenda put forth by Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) on Medium of Instruction (MoI) issue," Tendulkar told PTI.

Notably, the BBSM is propagating the mother tongue as the MOI in elementary education in Goa, and stopping of grants to schools teaching in English medium. RSS state unit chief Subhash Velingkar has also been criticising BJP and Parrikar for their alleged failure to protect the interest of regional languages in Goa's MoI policy.

On reports in a section of local media that Parrikar may return as Chief Minister before the state Assembly polls, Tendulkar said, "There are no such discussions at party level over the issue. The possibility of him returning seems to be bleak as we are almost nine months away from the elections and Parrikar's return to the state as CM would necessitate the by-election within six months," he said.

"Then there would be state elections due in March next year. I don't think he will allow so many elections," Tendulkar said.

Parrikar rode the BJP to victory in the 2012 Goa Assembly elections but had to resign from the post of Chief Minister when he was elevated as Defence Minister at the Centre.
The title may be irreverent but it is not irrelevant. If you have doubts about its relevance, please do read on. It may not be as far-fetched as you think.

Let us begin with the opening remarks Bernie Sanders made in the last Democratic Debate for the Democratic Party nomination for the US Presidential election with Hillary Clinton, held by CNN in Brooklyn in New York on 14 April. An excerpt from the full transcript put out by CNN says the following:

And the truth is that this country is not going to move forward in a significant way for working people unless we overturn this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision...

(Applause)

... and unless we have real campaign reform so that billionaires and super PACs cannot buy elections.

Wikipedia describes the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision as follows:

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, No.08-205, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a U.S. constitutional law case dealing with the regulation of campaign spending by organizations. The United States Supreme Court held (54) that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by a nonprofit corporation. The principles articulated by the Supreme Court in the case have also been extended to for-profit corporations, labor unions and other associations. By allowing unlimited election spending by individuals and corporations, the decision has re-shaped the political landscape of the United States.

The essence of the Citizens United judgment is to allow unlimited election spending by individuals and corporations". While there has been a lot of critical comment on the decision and several influential people, including President Obama, have called for its review and removal, the US Supreme Court has not moved and the law stands.

Staying with Sanders opening remarks in the last debate, he also said, Over the last year, we have received almost 7 million individual campaign contributions, averaging  guess what  $27 apiece, more individual campaign contributions than any candidate in American history at this point in a campaign.

Sanders cited the figure of $27 apiece, presumably, to distinguish himself from Hillary Clinton who is supposed to be backed by big money. One example of this is reported to be a fundraiser hosted by actor, George Clooney, and his wife for Hillary Clinton in California charging $33,400 to 353,400 for tickets". George Clooney himself is reported to have said, Yes, I think its an obscene amount of moneyThe Sanders campaign when they talk about it is absolutely right. Its ridiculous that we should have this kind of money in politics. I agree, completely.

Where does Vijay Mallya come into all this? The answer is simple: At the other end of the spectrum. If Sanders is one end of the money in politics continuum, Mallya epitomises the other end, a blatant example of the use and, sadly, effectiveness of big money in politics. Mallya was elected to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka twice, in 2002 and in 2010, as an independent candidate. It does not need to be said that no one can get elected to the Rajya Sabha without the active support of political parties in the state who have significant representation in the state assembly.

Why did political parties support the candidature of Vijay Mallya for Rajya Sabha? is a no-brainer.

This is exactly what Bernie Sanders was referring to when he talked of billionairesbuying elections. There has been, and continues to be, hue and cry over Mallya having left the country owing thousands of crores of rupees to several banks. There are vociferous demands for Mallyas deportation, arrest, and prosecution. When it dawns on people that Mallya is not alone and the non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks run into many times multiples of what Mallya owes and that almost all other defaulters are still in the country, then come the slightly less strident demands for reforming the banking sector.

Even the Supreme Court is moved to ask the government to reform the banking system to prevent huge write-offs of bad loans and also to ensure people are not allowed to run away after default in repaying the loans". A bench headed by none other than the Chief Justice of India himself is reported to have said that a sensible and sensitive approach is required to overhaul the entire system, which today has scores of people and entities with outstanding to the tunes of crore of rupees.

It is a strange situation that the highest court in the land is required to tell the government that people should not be allowed to run away after default in repaying the loans". The hue and cry led to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament to take suo motu cognizance of the issue and to examine the non-performing assets of the public sector banks, which touched Rs.3.61 lakh crore at the end of December 2015. The state-owned companies had first refused to appear before PAC, but agreed later and made their submission. The PAC also asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan to explain the real causes of ballooning bad loans at public sector banks. The RBI Governor is reported to have put the blame on overall economic downturn, among other reasons, in his submission to the key Parliamentary panel.

The RBI Governor is reported to have listed six primary reasons for the increase in bad loans: domestic and global economic slowdown, delays in statutory and other approvals especially for projects under implementation, aggressive lending practices during upturn as evidenced from high corporate leverage, laxity in credit risk appraisal and loan monitoring in banks, and lack of appraising skills for projects that need specialised skills resulting in acceptance of inflated cost and aggressive projections, and wilful default, loan frauds and corruption in some cases. He is also reported to have added, However, based on responses, it was not possible to specifically derive how much of the NPA (quantum) were attributable to which specific reason.

It is worth recalling that the same Governor of RBI said on 11 August, 2014, while delivering the Twentieth Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture in Mumbai, said: The crooked politician needs the businessman to provide the funds that allow him to supply patronage to the poor and fight elections. The corrupt businessman needs the crooked politician to get public resources and contracts cheaply. And the politician needs the votes of the poor and the underprivileged.

It is intriguing why the RBI Governor stops at what can at best be called technical reasons while explaining the increase in bad loans, and confines his analysis to only the borrower and the lender, and does not make the obvious extension from the borrower to the banker to the politician. It does not seem possible that he has already forgotten the views that he expressed in August 2014 or that he is suffering from what Peter Hamby, Snapchats head of news is reported to have referred to as "a lack of attention span in our politics.

Be that as it may, unless we do what Bernie Sanders refers to as real campaign reform so that billionairescannot buy elections, which in other words means that the likes of Mallya cannot reach Parliament, this country is not going to move forward in a significant way.

Are we, in this country, willing to learn anything from the Vijay Mallya episode?

(The author is former professor, Dean, and Director In-charge of IIM, Ahmedabad. Views are personal.)
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya sent a resignation letter to the Rajya Sabha. However, Chairman of the Upper House, Hamid Ansari rejected the resignation letter as it did not conform to the "prescribed procedures" and did not bear Mallya's signature in original, said Gurdeep Singh Sappal, Ansari's Officer on Special Duty on Twitter. "As per Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine," he said.

Hamid Ansari, Chairman, Rajya Sabha does not accept the resignation of Vijay Mallya.  Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) May 3, 2016

SG, RS writes to Sh. Mallya that his resignation letter does not conform to prescribed procedures & does not bear signature in original.  Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) May 3, 2016

As per Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine.  Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) May 3, 2016

Earlier, the ethics committee of the Rajya Sabha has recommended expulsion of independent member, Vijay Mallya, a day after he sent his resignation to Chairman Hamid Ansari. "We met today (Tuesday) but it will not be appropriate for me to disclose what transpired in the meeting. Hopefully, the report of the committee will be submitted on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha," a member of the ethics committee told IANS on condition of anonymity.

However, sources said the committee has recommended Mallya's expulsion.

The panel reportedly wants Mallya's resignation to be rejected, and his expulsion initiated through due procedure.

After the report is submitted in the Upper House, a final decision rests with the Rajya Sabha chairman.

Mallya sent his resignation to Ansari on Monday, a day before the ethics panel was to meet.

He later tweeted: "In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter."

Another tweet on Tuesday said: "7686 Wilful Defaulters Owe PSU bank Rs.66,190 cr  easy to blame only Mallya."

He asserted that "the allegations against me are blatantly false and baseless". "I am shocked that the Department of Financial Services,

Ministry of Finance, Government of India has provided

factually wrong information to a Parliament committee," he had

added.

Mallya is wanted for defaulting bank loans to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.

He is an independent member from Karnataka, and his term ends on 30 June. This is his second term in the Upper House.

According to Parliament sources, during his tenure of almost 10 years as member of the Rajya Sabha, Mallya was declaring his assets and liabilities as "nil".

The panel members also expressed dissatisfaction with his reply about his loan default. Panel members were of the view that Mallya's action was "unbecoming" of a Rajya Sabha MP.

The union government revoked Mallya's passport after he failed to turn up for a probe into the loan default. This set in motion the process for the billionaire's possible deportation from Britain, where he is staying at present.

His case was referred to the ethics panel by the Rajya Sabha chairman, after he fled the country.

The Enforcement Directorate had a fortnight back written to 17 banks and a clutch of probe agencies to prepare a water-tight case against Mallya who is being probed for money laundering charges in the IDBI alleged loan fraud case.

In a step closer to initiating his deportation, the government had over a week ago revoked the passport of Mallya who is believed to be in the UK after leaving India on 2 March.

with inputs from agencies
Although there are no visible trends in Kerala elections this time, the general impression one gets in every conversation with a group of people is that its going to be the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPM thats going to rule the state. A few pre-poll surveys with unknown or dubious methodologies have also said the same.

The next question is who will be the chief minister. And there lies a major problem.

Till some time back, there was no doubt about who will lead the CPM and the LDF in the state assembly if the Left parties come to power  Pinarayi Vijayan; but now, its not as unequivocal as it had been a few weeks ago. His ex arch rival and 92 year old VS Achuthanandan has also thrown his hat into the ring. He may be old, and may have had his fill both as the chief minister and the opposition leader while Vijayan was toiling for the party, but he still wants his dream run to continue. This will be the biggest challenge for the CPM after the elections.

Its not just the people that throng Achuthanandan's public rallies and watch him on Live TV (many of his campaign speeches are telecast live by Malayalam news channels - something that they dont do for other leaders this frequently) who want him back. Its he himself. Every step he takes these days is obviously aimed at two things - one help LDF win and two, help himself.

He and his propaganda think-tank have always played the peoples card while keeping theirs close to their chest. Whenever the veteran leader was in trouble within the party, almost as in a thermochemical reaction, people spontaneously rose up in support. And it happened many times, including when he was denied an assembly ticket by the Vijayan-controlled state unit of the party. Needless to say, these uprisings helped him big time.

Since Sitaram Yechury became the party General Secretary, Achuthanandan seemed to have mellowed down and reconciled to Vijayan's rightful claim to the leadership. To be fair to Vijayan, two situations had unjustly kept him away from parliamentary roles at the prime of his political life - a suspicious corruption litigation by the ruling party in which he was finally discharged by a court, and the party secretaryship for three terms. Now that he is free and his party is ready for him to lead the LDF government, Achuthanandan doesnt want to give it away that easy.

Not that the nonagenarian is making any overt claims or counter-moves, but he and his people are vigorously encouraging his personality cult that has once again begun to loom large over Vijayan. In front of the Achuthanandan cult, Vijayan looks dwarfed. Achuthanandans speeches are electrifying, imaginative and replete with filmy punch-lines, while Vijayan is pale, longwinded and boring. Campaign speeches of the former clearly betray a strategy, while the latter seems to be going through the motions. The men who bat for him, both party beneficiaries and proxies, look irritating and plain offensive in TV debates.

Besides his trademark platform speeches, two recent moves that gave Achuthanandan the extra-edge are his Facebook page and and an exclusive App that packages him as a star. In no time, he (obviously his advisors) has made the Facebook page a potent weapon of mass destruction. He uses both his speeches and his Facebook messages in continuum - sometimes he starts his attack on the opposition on his Facebook page and takes it to his speeches, and sometimes, he starts off from the rallies and continues it on Facebook. Its an extremely volatile mixture of allegations, innuendos, derision and half-truths delivered in a form that the people are addicted to.

Unable to match his never ending arsenal and personality cult, the opposition is literally running for cover.



Oomen Chandy, his target number one, has already lost this publicity battle and looks extremely vulnerable with his counter-moves provoking more virulent attacks. If this duel continues to escalate, Chandy will be left with no option but to back out. The veteran has also taken on the state unit chief of the the Congress VM Sudheeran, another boring speaker, and the leader of the newly formed BJDS, the principal ally of the BJP, Vellappally Natesan, known for his vituperation. Achuthanandans plan is extremely precise - pick on a few strategic targets and pummel them. Nothing scares him or dissuades him. Obviously, popular support eggs him on.

This popular support, which is comparatively nothing short of phenomenal, will continue even after the elections when the CPM and the LDF meet to choose their Chief Minister. There will be enormous public pressure on the CPM state and central leadership to choose Achuthanandan as the Chief Minister, but they cannot overlook Vijayan.

Although the CPM swear by rule, Leninist discipline and coalition ethics, Vijayan had been groomed for this role for some time and there couldnt have been any obstacle, but for the surge in popularity for his senior rival. The biggest challenge for both Pinarayi and the CPM will be from the states electronic media, which of late seemed to have been eating out of their hands. With Oomen Chandy of little consequence, the entire media block (except for the party channels and lone crony-channel) has to look for something sensational to keep their TRP high.

And the only newsworthy issue that will keep their studios noisy will be the chief ministerial tussle. Their opinion-surveys have already shown that on the leadership question, Vijayan has lost out to Achuthanandan by a big margin. So soon, we will see the big duel back on TV while the CPM sweats it out to find a compromise that doesnt hurt.
12:43 (ist)

Manohar Parrikar explains AgustaWestland deal:

"AgustaWestland chopper was 100 cCore. We had to test the helicopters in Indian conditions. The other two vendors didn't agree to do so and conducted the test outside the country. this was against the clause in the country. Out of the 6 vendors who were given tenders, AgustaWestland Italy was also one of the vendors. But AgustaWestland UK took over the tender.

Only AgustaWestland got the concessions. They created a single vendor situation. In 2008, the price oh AW101 was 15 million Euros and oin 2010, it was listed as 27 million. Benchmark cost given by CNC(Contract negotiations committee) was 6 times higher than that of AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) There was no explanation for this.In 2012 February, then the government had written to the embassy through the MEA. The government even went to the investigating agency but nobody wrote to the company. This deal should have stopped in 2012. But yet, 3 helicopters were delivered in December 2012 and we accepted it.

In January 2013, Chief exec of Finmenccancia was arrested, Within hours our defence minister wrote to CBI immediately. If he wasn't arrested, they would not have taken this up.

After the CBI took it up, in Feb 2013, there was a notice issued to stop the deal.

Legal action forced the termination of the deal, it was not a proactive step, it was forced. Bank guarantee needed to be revoked and that was done.

When the Milan Court argued, they said that 166 Euros could be returned and the money for the 3 helicopters will not be returned.

I am not making allegations, but it is our Endeavour that we will take action. Defence Ministry initiating procedure to blacklist AgustaWestland. If that is our job, why is the Congress worried? "
Over the past decade, Rahul Gandhi has been launched and relaunched, packaged and repackaged several times over.

Yet, the brand has failed to move off the electoral shelf.

A smart company that knows the dynamics of the market and understands consumer behaviour would have by now cut its losses and decided to phase out the product from the market. But, trust the Congress to step up production and make yet another attempt to push his acceptability among voters. Over the past week, Congress state units have been reportedly competing with each other to have Rahul Gandhi declared as their leader and chief ministerial candidate.

On Sunday, the local Congress committee put up posters in Gorakhpur depicting him as a cop who would decimate the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

In the posters, Opposition leaders were asked to get ready to witness a government of good governance in the state that they looted for 27 years. Morphed images of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, BJP state president Keshav Prasad Maurya and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi are shown with folded hands, seeking forgiveness, The Indian Express reported.

By sheer happenstance or coordinated strategy, reports of the Congress considering Rahul Gandhi as its chief ministerial candidate in the state were attributed to Prashant Kishor, the poll strategist burdened with the responsibility of reviving the Congress in UP. Rahul as the face of the UP Congress is not a new idea. It has been tried and tested in the past with similar results: Rejection.

In 2007, the Congress contested the polls with Rahul Gandhi as the face of the campaign. The party did not project a chief ministerial candidate and went to the voters seeking votes for Rahul bhaiyya. The outcome: Twenty-two seats.

In 2012, the buzz around the Congress was louder. In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the party had unexpectedly won 20 seats. So, the expectations from the Assembly polls were higher. Yet again, Rahul bhaiyya was the face of the campaign. He started in November, much before the schedule was announced, travelled extensively and even managed to win the endorsement of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. The crowds at his road shows indicated the party would pull off a miracle, others expected it to double its tally. The result: Only 26 seats with 11.6 percent of the votes.

How many more times can the Congress hard-sell Rahul to voters in UP?

The problem with the Congress is not that it is losing elections because Rahul Gandhi is not being projected as the leader. The party is shrinking by the day because of its insistence on projecting him as the leader. Indian voters have shown several times they want less, not more, of him.

Ideally, after being decimated in 2014, the Congress should have been looking at life beyond Rahul Gandhi. Its leaders should have realised they have no future under their current vice-president and should have looked at alternatives. Now, with two vital years wasted, the time to groom a new leader has passed them by.

Speak to any Congress leader and worker in private and their only hope is that the BJP will self-destruct by 2019 and hand over power on a platter to the Congress. Others live on the perennial hope that Priyanka Gandhi will soon replace her brother and lead the Congress. Finding a Rahul Gandhi supporter, discovering workers who think he will lead them to a win in 2019 is like hoping Kamal R Khan will someday deliver a Rs 100-crore hit.

For a very brief period, after he returned from his sabbatical last year, there was a glimmer of hope that he may have finally taken the leap from mediocrity to electoral greatness. His speeches appeared sharp, the barbs lethal and body language more confident. But, he soon relapsed into his guerrilla politics  suddenly surfacing at stirs and public movements, attacking the government and then retreating  indicating that he has no strategy of his own. Much to the voter's chagrin and frustration, he has not offered a single original idea. He has always been keen to benefit from the struggles and politics of others.

His hyperbole about reinventing the Congress as a party of workers, ridding it of dynasts has also been exposed as a farce. Notice how he jettisoned the idea of party primaries, organisational polls after choosing Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada, Milind Deora as key state leaders.

On Monday, when he was being talked about as the face of its UP campaign, party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh rejected the argument. "He can't be the CM candidate for 29 states," Ramesh said.

The current political scenario suggests Ramesh is right. Rahul Gandhi, in his current avatar, is unlikely to be accepted as chief minister of any of the Indian states  not UP, not MP, not even Goa, Meghalaya or Pondicherry.

Strategists like Kishor can continue to create artificial demand for him. But the truth is India has moved beyond Brand Rahul Gandhi.

Several other electoral products like Arvind Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar are looking promising and smart buyers are watching them closely.
New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday attacked the Congress over the gruesome rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Kerala, saying its Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was quick in rushing to different states over Dalit issues but has refrained from making a comment on the incident.

It also targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and said as a woman, she was expected to be more sensitive towards such a crime, but she did not even enquire Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy about it.

"The president of the party is concerned only about states not ruled by Congress. She has neither visited nor taken cognisance of it," BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi told the media.

She said the incident was a reminder of the 2012 Delhi gangrape case, which triggered massive public outcry leading to the enactment of a tough rape law. There has been little police action in the case even six days after the incident took place, she said.

Targeting Rahul, she said, "He had time to go to Hyderabad, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. When such a horrific incident has happened in Congress-ruled Kerala, then he is conspicuous by his absence."

Kerala police has taken two persons into custody in connection with the matter.

She also took a dig at those who had criticised the Centre over Rohith Vemula's suicide in Hyderabad Univeristy.

There are people who talk about Dalit rights and "political suicide" but have not said anything on this incident, Lekhi said.
Coimbatore: Congress President Sonia Gandhi will share the dais with DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai on 5 May in support of DMK-Congress candidates, while Vice President Rahul Gandhi will address election meetings in three cities on 7 May to drum up support for the combine for the 16 May Assembly polls.

Sonia will share the dais with Karunanidhi at a meeting scheduled in Chennai on 5 May, TNCC President EVKS Elangovan told reporters in Coimbatore.

Rahul would address an election meeting at Chennai on 7 May and in Coimbatore and Madurai the same day, he said.

The TNCC President and Congress candidates and senior leaders were in Coimbatore to inspect the VOC Grounds where Gandhi is scheduled to address the meeting.

There was also a proposal for him to campaign in Tirunelveli and Nagercoil, he said.

Asked about the prospects for the alliance, he said this election would prove to be the 'death knell' of AIADMK.

With massive support from people from all sections of society, there was no doubt that the alliance would have a landslide victory, winning more than 210 seats, he said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, asked the central government to consider the possibility of a floor test to ascertain the legislative strength of ousted chief minister Harish Rawat of Uttarakhand, which has been under the President's Rule since March 27.

The apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to take instructions from the government and intimate the court about it. The court said that even on an earlier occasion it had asked about resolving the political imbroglio in the hill state through a floor test.

It adjourned the hearing on Uttarakhand till Wednesday that was scheduled to commence at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The matter was to be heard by the bench of Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Misra. However, Justice Singh is now a part of a special bench that will hear NEET at 2 p.m.
Erode: CPI on Tuesday demanded that the Election Commission ban opinion polls, alleging that it is taken to favour a particular political party and there is no genuine opinion poll.

Party's state secretary R Mutharasan told reporters in Erode that some newspapers and visual media are telecasting and publishing such polls, which he said, was totally wrong.

Asked about the prospects of the four party People's Welfare Front in the 16 May assembly polls, he said he is optimistic they would secure all 234 seats and form a coalition Government, "as the youth and women are backing the PWF candidates."

Referring to the GAIL project to lay pipelines across seven districts of the state, which will reportedly affect farmers, he said that the Prime Minister during his visit to Tamil Nadu for campaigning, should explain the Union Government's stand on it, as the Supreme Court had given the nod to GAIL.

Since lakhs of farmers would be affected, the Centre should instruct GAIL,a Government sector unit,to lay pipelines on National Highways, so that farmers' lands would be saved, he said.

The PM should find a permanent solution to the fishermen's issue in Tamil Nadu and also announce conduct of the bull sport Jallikattu, he said.
Vijayawada: The annual conclave of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be held in the temple town Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh from 27 to 29 May.

The TDP politburo, which met here under the chairmanship of party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, decided to hold the three-day 'Mahanadu' in Rayalaseema region, following requests made by local leaders.

"Besides political issues, we will discuss development and welfare programmes that are being implemented in Andhra Pradesh where the party is in power. We will also discuss steps to strengthen the party in AP and Telangana," TDP politburo member and AP unit president K Kala Venkata Rao told reporters after the meeting.

The politburo discussed the prevailing drought conditions in the state and the steps being taken to mitigate them, he added. The issue of Central assistance to AP in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act also came up for discussion.

By attracting more MLAs from the lone opposition YSR Congress, the TDP hopes to clinch the fourth seat as well.

The TDP so far admitted 16 MLAs of YSRC into its fold and is looking at the possible defection of some more in the coming days.
Dhaka: A special tribunal in Bangladesh on Tuesday handed down death penalty to four men for committing war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War by siding with Pakistani troops as the court directed authorities to seek help from Interpol in nabbing three of them who are on the run.

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) in the capital also awarded "imprisonment until death" to a fifth war criminal for carrying out atrocities in northern Kishorganj.

The five were found responsible for abductions, torture and killings to help Pakistan to abort Bangladesh's birth in 1971.

All the convicts were former members of Razakar Bahini, a Bengali-manned auxiliary force of the Pakistan army in 1971.

Seven charges were brought against them including mass killing, murder, confinement, torture, arson and looting committed in their locality in 1971.

Gazi Abdul Mannan, 88, said to be a commander of Razakar camp, Nasiruddin Ahmed, 62, his brother Shamsuddin Ahmed, 60, and Hafiz Uddin, 66, have been given death, while Azharul Islam, 60, has been given imprisonment until death.

Only one of them, Shamsuddin, faced the trial in person while the rest, including a former Bengali captain of the Pakistani force, were tried in absentia.

Witnesses said the three-member special tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque sentenced one of the fugitives the imprisonment until death.

The court, in its 330-page verdict summary, ordered their immediate arrest and directed authorities to seek help from Interpol if necessary.

The verdict came as Bangladesh Supreme Court said it will pronounce the final verdict on 5 May on the death sentence it handed down to chief of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, Motiur Rahman Nizami, deciding his fate over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Bangladesh has so far executed four war crimes convicts since the process began to try the top Bengali perpetrators of 1971 atrocities in line with the electoral commitment of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2008.

Two others have earlier been handed down "imprisonment until death" penalty instead of capital punishment on grounds of their old age as they exceeded 80.

They subsequently died in the prison cells of a specialised state-run hospital due to old age ailments.
You give an F-16,

You block an F-16;

You give an F-16,

And you shake it all about.

You do the hokey pokey,

And you turn yourself around.

That's what it's all about!

The case of eight F-16 Block 52 aircraft that were at one point set to be sold to Pakistan by the US has had more turns and U-turns than this playground rhyme.

This just in... Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has threatened that Pakistan will buy F-16 fighter jets from some other country if the US does not arrange funding for the sale. In other words, "Hand over the jets and pay the manufacturer" seems to be the message from Islamabad. While in most situations, you'd expect the selling country to ask the buying country to take a running jump, US-Pakistan relations are a bit more complex, and the F-16 occupies a very special place in Islamabad-Washington ties.

But first, a bit of background

Before Aziz' show of defiance, the latest development in the US-Pakistan F-16 deal on Tuesday was that the eight jets for $700 million offer was only going to be valid until the end of this month. Further, as was made clear at a US State Department press briefing on Monday, Islamabad will be expected to dip into its own finances and stump up the moolah for the deal.

(W)hile Congress has approved the sale, key members have made clear that they object to using FMF (the US own foreign military financing) to support it. Given congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose, said state department spokesperson John Kirby.

Also, should Pakistan miss this end-of-month deadline, its very likely the cost of these jets  which at one point was $270 million  will increase again.

There's been a fair bit of movement on this front over the past few months.

Just last week, top American lawmakers during a Congressional hearing openly shared their fears with the Barack Obama administration about arming Pakistan with these jets. Notably, Congressman Brad Sherman said, We need to offer to Pakistan those weapon systems well-crafted to go after terrorists and not crafted for a war with India (emphasis added).

This came after both the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson and the Pakistan government's insistence that the F-16 is an important tool in the fight against terrorism and urging the US Congress not to withhold these jets from Islamabad.

It was in February that Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had written to US Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to stop the sale of F-16s to Pakistan. His contention was that members of the terrorist organisation, the Haqqani Network, "still enjoy freedom of movement, and possibly even support from the Pakistani government". It was this letter that voiced the opposition of the committee to using FMF to finance this sale.

Letter - Kerry Pak F16 - 09Feb2016 by John Hudson

F-16s in US-Pakistan relations

The history of the potential American sale of F-16s to Pakistan goes back to Jimmy Carter's term as US president. As some commentators have pointed out, the fighter aircraft is something of a metaphor for US-Pakistan relations for the past 40-odd years.

In 1979, Carter was not a huge fan of the Pakistani government  particularly the displacement of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by Zia ul-Haq, the country's human rights and its efforts to go nuclear. Bhutto's hanging added to the US' displeasure with Zia and Pakistan. But after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, all bets were apparently off and Zia requested Carter for F-16s.

Sensing Pakistan's strategic importance, Washington offered $400 million in military and economic aid to Islamabad  something a disgruntled Zia dismissed as 'peanuts'  but no F-16s. A brief chill ensued.

By 1981, Zia had found a friend in the White House in the form of Ronald Reagan, whose generous offer of $3.2 billion in military and economic aid was accepted by Pakistan. From 'peanuts' to coconuts? But that's not all.

A $1.1 billion deal for 40 F-16 aircraft had also been ironed out, with Saudi Arabia expected to help pay for the planes.

And the first jet was shipped out soon after.

Today, the Pakistan Air Force has 76 F-16 aircraft  including those provided by Jordan.

After the dissolution of the USSR and the end of the Cold War at the end of the decade, Pakistan had more-or-less outlived its usefulness to the US and another chill set in. Unwilling to refund Pakistan for the undelivered F-16s Islamabad had already bought, it was during Bill Clinton's presidency that the US began paying Pakistan 'food aid' as some sort of compensation for the money that had already changed hands.

And then came 11 September, 2001.

Pakistan became an important ally in the Global War on Terror and among then president Pervez Musharraf's first demands of George W Bush were more F-16s. Presumably after weighing up the pros and cons, and quickly giving into the return of warmth to bilateral ties, another batch of jets were on their way to Pakistan. By 2005, defence relations between the two countries had deepened considerably and the F-16 Peace Drive Aircraft Programme was underway.

The following year, both governments signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) agreeing to the purchase of 18 Block 52 F-16s  a figure that was halved following the 2005 earthquake that ate into Islamabad's coffers.

Islamabad has long contended that these fighter jets are critical to its anti-Taliban efforts in the country's northern parts, and that the aircraft will not be used to antagonise India. Sure enough, the anti-terror line seemed to have worked, because in February 2014, a few months before launching the anti-Taliban Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan, Pakistan received 13 F-16s from the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) with the US' blessings.

Interestingly, highs in US-Pakistan relations have in past four decades nearly always been marked by some sale/transfer of F-16s, while lows have been punctuated by refusals to hand over the jet.

Which brings us neatly to the present day.

What this means to India

A few days after Corker's letter to Kerry, India's Ministry of External Affairs expressed its own disappointment at the idea of selling F-16s to Pakistan, summed up by a succinct statement on its official website:

"We are disappointed at the decision of the Obama Administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan. We disagree with their rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism. The record of the last many years in this regard speaks for itself. The US Ambassador will be summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs to convey our displeasure"

Ideally, India would not like to see the deal go through, and this is not necessarily linked to the strengthening of Pakistan's military might.

It's worth recalling that in the Kargil war of 1999, India's squadron of MiG aircraft was sufficient to repel the threat of Pakistan's F-16. Also, it's not as though New Delhi will lose sleep over Islamabad acquiring eight additional F-16s. As an article in The Indian Express points out, Indias defence budget is nearly seven times as much as that of Pakistan. In GDP terms too, India's economy is nine times bigger than its Pakistani counterpart. And if India gives the go-ahead, Lockheed Martin  the F-16's manufacturer  seems ready to shift the production line to India.

What will be of concern to India is the precedent that the US will be setting by making the sale and thereby, wittingly or unwittingly, endorsing the way Pakistan is being governed and its perceived reluctance to crack down on terrorist outfits. This will be particularly so since the US has been making all the right noises on terrorism, as far as its 'defining partner of the 21st Century' India is concerned, and these 'noises' risk ringing hollow if Washington caves in.

Nevertheless, prepare for plenty more statements, notifications and random bluster over the coming weeks as this F-16 hokey pokey continues.

With inputs from agencies
United Nations: Decrying the "out of date" structure of the UN Security Council, G4 nations including India have said the problem of "imbalance of influence" in the Council cannot be corrected if only non-permanent members are added to the powerful world body as part of its reform.

"We have heard some oft-repeated arguments that expansion in the permanent category would be 'undemocratic'...in our view, expansion in both categories particularly in the permanent category is essential to reform the Security Council and make it democratic, legitimate, representative, responsive and effective," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said in a statement on behalf of the G4 group at the United Nations on Monday.

Besides India, other G4 nations are Brazil, Germany and Japan.

Akbaruddin stressed that the Security Council's present structure is not reflective of contemporary realities and "not fit for purpose."

Expansion in only the non-permanent category will not solve the problem presented by a Council whose structure and composition is "out of date" of the present day realities and not representative of the major shifts in geo-political and economic order, he said at the informal meeting of the General Assembly on Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform.

"We do believe that the problem lies in the imbalance of influence within the Security Council between the permanent and non-permanent members. Expanding only in the non-permanent category is not going to solve the problem.

"It will actually widen the difference between permanent and non-permanent members even more, tilting further the scales in favour of a dispensation that was valid in the special situation in 1945 but is no longer now," he said in the meeting, convened on the issues of 'Categories of Membership' and 'Regional Representation'.

Akbaruddin said the decision-making process in the Council must be more participative and democratic and expansion in both categories is the "only way" to ensure an equitable distribution of influence and equilibrium that reflects the current situation.

"A larger permanent membership will ensure enhanced representation and say in the decision making from the regions and members which are currently not represented or under represented compared to their role and input so far.

"This would increase the legitimacy and effectiveness and responsiveness of the Council by ensuring that the decisions taken reflect the interest of the broad membership and thus will be better implemented," he said.

Taking the opposite view, Pakistan's UN envoy Maleeha Lodhi said more permanent members would diminish and not enhance the Council's democratic credentials and effectiveness.

Italy's UN envoy Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, speaking on behalf of the 'Uniting for Consensus' group, of which Pakistan is a part, proposed establishing a new category of longer-term non-permanent seats with the possibility of an immediate re-election.

He said focus should be on an increase in non-permanent members as they will foster a "new dynamic between elected and existing permanent members within the Council, contributing to decision-making, representativeness, transparency, working methods and, ultimately to the effectiveness of the Council."

On the election process for additional permanent seats in a reformed Council, Akbaruddin underlined the G4s view that new permanent members should be elected "obviously" by a vote of two-thirds of the General Assembly members through a secret ballot in line with the provisions of the UN Charter.

Outlining the G4's position on the issue of categories of membership, Akbaruddin said it is evident from the positions submitted in the text circulated by former UNGA President in July 2015 that an overwhelming majority of member states support expansion in both categories. In all, 129 member states out of a total 152 or about around 85 per cent support expansion in both categories.

He urged the IGN chair to consolidate the names of those in favor of the expansion as well as those proposing additions of 5-6 countries in the permanent category.

On expansion in the non-permanent category, he said there is significant convergence and no member state opposes the idea of adding non-permanent members through the currently followed procedure.

On the key issue of regional representation, he said it is "untenable" that entire continents such as Africa are not represented or underrepresented in the permanent category of the Security Council.

The UN, which had 51 founding members, saw its membership increased to 193 in the last seven decades, he added.

"The Security Council as the crucial and deciding forum of the UN needs to reflect these changes. The Security Council is also not representative of the geo-political and economic realities 70 years after its inception," Akbaruddin said adding that new major powers have emerged and the voice of all regions needs to be heard in international security policy.

A majority of member states have called in their submissions for equitable geographical representation and voiced support for developing and small states.

Akbaruddin repeated G4's call for a consolidated and shortened negotiating text reflecting the convergences and delineated divergent positions that have emerged so far.

He told the meeting it is "unfortunate" that nations have been discussing the "crucial matter" of UNSC reform for more than two decades without any concrete outcome.

"The world has undergone a sea change while we are engaged in the same discussions which started in 1993. While we were busy in our debates, around 1.7 billion people were added to 'we the peoples'- in whose name the Charter was adopted and the UN membership increased from 184 to 193.

"Change is the only constant everywhere else over these two decades and therefore the Security Council has become less and less representative and more and more out of date with current realities thus eroding its legitimacy and

effectiveness," he said.
Frankfurt: A 21-year-old German jihadist went on trial on Tuesday for war crimes in Syria after allegedly posing for photographs next to the severed heads of two victims of the conflict.

The trial in Frankfurt is the first in Germany for war crimes committed over the course of Syria's five-year war.

The photographs in which Aria Ladjedvardi appears were taken in the spring of 2014 and posted on Facebook.

Federal prosecutors believe he and two fellow fighters took the pictures to belittle their victims, whom they considered infidels.

Ladjedvardi, a German of Iranian origin, was arrested in October 2015 in the Frankfurt region, after police raided his apartment. He has since been in custody ever since.

He travelled to Syria in early 2014 to join one of the jihadist groups engaged in the fight against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

In Syria, he received weapons training, according to prosecutors.

German federal prosecutors are currently investigating 10 cases of alleged atrocities in Syria or Iraq, along with more than 30 cases of suspected membership of a terrorist group involving jihadists returning from the Middle East.

The investigations have gained momentum with the arrival last year of over a million asylum seekers, about 40 per cent of whom fled the wars in Syria and Iraq.

Authorities dealing with their asylum requests have picked up and forwarded on average of 25 to 30 tip-offs a day to prosecutors, in line with a German requirement that asylum applicants provide information on any war crimes they may have witnessed.
India-Italy ties have been in a tailspin ever since the arrest of Italian marines for murdering two Indian fishermen, off the coast of Kerala in 2012.

The situation has not eased with India determined to ensure that justice is done for the families of the fishermen, and Italy insisting that the incident took place in international waters and the marines be tried under Italian law in their own country.

After years of wrangling, the case went up to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague last year. The foreign ministry in Rome has said that the UN Court has ruled that Salvatore Girone, one of the marines who is now spending his days at the Italian mission in the capital, can return home. The other marine, Massimiliano Latorre, suffered a stroke while in India and was allowed to travel back home on health grounds in 2014.

The Italian government which has received much flak from both the opposition and the general public for not being able to protect its own, is relieved Girone can return home and await the final verdict of the UN tribunal.

The arbitral tribunal has merely given a ruling on bail and not on the actual issue, which is whether the case will be tried in India or Italy. Yet, India seems to be on the defensive. Insisting again and again that India's Supreme Court will have the final word. That is true, but the bail to Girone cannot be denied either.

"We believe that government's consistent positions and key arguments in this particular case have been recognised by the tribunal. The authority of the Supreme Court has been upheld. We remain confident that the issue of jurisdiction will be determined in our favour," MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup said in a statement released on Monday evening.

According to the statement, the arbitral tribunal's simple order was to further relax bail conditions of Girone. But the decision on his bail would be the prerogative of India's Supreme Court. The order recognises that "Girone is under India's authority alone" and that "the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over him", the MEA statement said. The two countries have been asked to approach the SC for relaxation of bails with conditions put down by the Indian court.

The condition for his return to Italy is subject to Rome's guarantee that he will come back when he is recquired here. He will further have to report periodically to any authority in Italy to be laid down by the Supreme Court. Girone will also have to surrender his passport and not leave Italy while he is on bail. He can travel only when the Indian court gives him permission. These are guarantees that Rome has to give.

Every three months Rome will have to report on Girone's whereabouts.

Italy has already indicated that if Girone is allowed to travel back home, "he will remain under the jurisdiction of the courts of India."

The arbitral tribunal has been approached to decide on the simple question on whether India or Italy has the jurisdiction to try the two marines. The trial of the marines will begin only after the tribunal decides which country has the legal right to do so. Italy insists that the MV Enrica Lexie, the oil tanker which was guarded by the two marines, was on international waters when the marines opened fire on the Indian fishermen. Two Indian nationals were fired upon as the marines believed they were pirates.

Since that incident, there was outrage in India over the "murder" of its fishermen.

These four years had been spent on arguments between the two countries on where exactly the shooting took place. India insists it is in its territorial waters and so it has the right to try the two marines. India calls it a cold-blooded murder as one of the victims was shot in the head and the other in the stomach.

It was clearly a question of misunderstanding. The Italian marines insist that they had issued necessary warnings before shooting.

It is possible that the language barrier played a part and the unfortunate fishermen did not understand the command. The incident happened at a time when Somali pirates unleashed a reign of terror in international waters. Merchant ships were hijacked and huge ransoms demanded for the release of the personnel on board. The situation was so bad that ships had sailed with armed escorts. Girone and Lattore were escorts for the oil tanker.

Incidents of hijacking have come down drastically following joint patrols and action by national navies.

The incident caused a furore both in India and in Italy. In Kerala, there was outrage that unarmed fishermen could be arbitarirly gunned down while fishing on coastal waters. There were protests by fishermen and calls for the arrest and trial of the two marines.

The Italian government faced similar outrage at what was considered high-handed action against the marines. The matter should have been solved quickly without allowing sentiments to cloud political judgment and letting it flare into a highly emotional nationalist issue. As a result, relations between India and Italy have taken a nosedive.
Baghdad: The Islamic State group broke through Kurdish defences in northern Iraq on Tuesday and killed an American service member of the US-led coalition fighting the jihadists, officials said.

The service member, whom the Pentagon confirmed was American, was at least the third killed by enemy fire in Iraq since Islamic State overran swathes of the country in 2014.

President Barack Obama hailed the 2011 withdrawal of American troops from Iraq as a major accomplishment of his presidency, but US forces have been drawn back into combat in the country against Islamic State.

"On 3 May, 2016, a coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire," the coalition said in a statement.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the death occurred during an IS attack on a peshmerga position north of Iraq's jihadist-held second city Mosul.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said from Germany: "Our thoughts and prayers are with that service member's family."

A coalition military official said on condition of anonymity that the service member was killed at 9:30 am (0630 GMT) by "direct fire" after "enemy forces penetrated" the Kurdish peshmerga forces' line.

Kurdish forces are deployed in Nineveh province, which is centred on Mosul, IS's main hub in the country.

IS attacked the peshmerga in multiple areas of northern Iraq on Tuesday in an attempt to "thwart the plan to liberate Mosul," said Jabbar Yawar, the secretary general of the autonomous Kurdish region's peshmerga ministry.

Iraq's Joint Operations Command said IS overran the Tal Asquf area and that the group was employing suicide bombers in the ongoing fighting.

Tal Asquf is a small Christian town whose population fled when IS overran the region in the summer of 2014.

The United States announced last month that it was deploying additional forces to Iraq, bringing the official total to more than 4,000.

Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said the forces would be authorised to advise Iraqis at the battalion and brigade level as opposed to larger divisions, potentially exposing them to greater risks closer to the front lines.

The coalition military official said the service member who was killed on Tuesday was involved in advising and assisting forces, and was three to five kilometres (two to three miles) behind the front line.
JERUSALEM Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian driver who rammed his vehicle into three Israeli soldiers, injuring them, on a road in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the army said.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the dead man as Ahmed Reyad Shehada, 36, a resident of Bitunia near the town of Ramallah, close to where the incident took place.

One of the three injured soldiers was in a life-threatening condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

In the last half year, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two visiting U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 192 Palestinians, 131 of whom Israel says were assailants. Many others were shot dead in clashes and protests.

Factors driving the violence include Palestinian bitterness over stalled statehood negotiations and the growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, increased Jewish access to a disputed Jerusalem shrine and Islamist-led calls for Israel's destruction.

It was the first violent fatality in the region since a suicide bomber died on April 20 of his wounds after he detonated a device on a Jerusalem commuter bus two days earlier.

Suicide bombings on Israeli buses were a hallmark of the Palestinian revolt of 2000-2005 but have now become rare. With Palestinians carrying out less organised stabbing, car-ramming and gun attacks since October, Israel has been braced for an escalation.

(Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New Delhi: India on Tuesday asserted that it has "jurisdiction" over the case relating to Italian Marine Salvatore Girone and that the government will continue to fight the case in an "unwavering" manner in the Supreme Court of India.

"We will fight for the rights of the victims," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha in the absence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Sushma Swaraj is in hospital undergoing treatment for congestion.

"India has jurisdiction in the case," Jaitley said, adding that the government will move the Supreme Court in the matter.

Several Congress members wanted to ask questions on the issue which was disallowed by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who said: "There is no rule to allow questions on (suo moto) statements from a minister."

Making a brief intervention, even as Congress members raised slogans about "match fixing" between the Indian and Italian government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu denied any such thing, and added, "We as government condemn sloganeering."

"There is no match fixing and it is improper for senior members to raise such slogans," he said, and sought to point out that it was a matter between two countries and the Supreme Court of India is already seized of the matter.

The Speaker also ruled that no sloganeering should go on record.

The international tribunal at the Hague has ruled that Girone, facing a murder charge along with marine Massimiliano Latorre for the 2012 killing of two Indian fishermen, could return home.

The verdict was seen as the first big pronouncement of the PCA (Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague), after Italy approached it in June 2015.

While Latorre is in Italy since 2014 following illness, Girone is staying at the Italian embassy here.

The Indian government maintains that the Hague Tribunal has "left" it to the Supreme Court of India to fix the precise conditions of Girone's bail.

"This could include him reporting to an authority in Italy designated by our Supreme Court, surrendering his passport to Italian authorities and not leaving Italy without the permission of our Supreme Court. Italy shall apprise our Supreme Court of his situation every three months," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.
Islamabad: Chief of Pakistan's banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Hafiz Saeed, has said his organisation will not allow destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country.

It was Muslims' responsibility to safeguard holy places of their Hindus brethren, he said while addressing a meeting in Matli town of Sindh province yesterday. "We will not allow destruction of temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country," he warned.

The JuD chief rejected allegations that his organisation is promoting extremism in the Thar area of Sindh, which borders India, by opening seminaries in the poverty-stricken arid region.

Saeed also pledged support for Kashmiri Muslims, according to a Dawn report.

He said that the law enforcement agencies were sincerely trying to fight against anti-state actors and RAW agents, but the Nawaz Sharif government remained silent over it.
NAIROBI Two men are seeking a Kenyan court ruling declaring enforced anal examinations unconstitutional after they were subjected to such tests last year to see if they had been involved in gay sex, the men's lawyer said on Tuesday.

Rights activists have condemned the examinations as inhuman and humiliating. New York-based Human Rights Watch said such coerced examinations might amount to torture under international law.

Kenya, like many African nations, outlaws homosexuality. The law calls for jailing those involved in homosexual acts, but violations are rarely prosecuted.

In court papers filed in September, the two men, whose names have not been made public, alleged they were coerced into undergoing anal examination by security personnel and a public hospital in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa in February 2015.

Sande Ligunya, the men's lawyer, told Reuters a court in Mombasa would conduct the case's first hearing on Wednesday.

Police said they could not comment on the men's claims since they were a subject of court proceedings.

In the petition, the men say they want the court to declare that forced anal examination "amounts to degrading treatment" and "a violation of the human and constitutional rights".

On a visit to Kenya in July last year U.S. President Barack Obama equated discrimination against gays to treating people differently because of race, adding: "That's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode."

Human Rights Watch senior researcher Neela Ghoshal said the medical procedures "accomplish nothing, other than humiliating and demeaning people who are considered moral outcasts.

(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Los Angeles: Two lawsuits filed in California claim that Muslim women were discriminated against in separate incidents because of their religion and for wearing the hijab.

One of the suits filed on Monday claims that police in Long Beach forcibly removed a suspect's headscarf while another suit alleges that a group of women were kicked out of a Laguna Beach coffee house for being Muslim.

According to the complaint against the city of Long Beach and its police department, Kirsty Powell and her husband were pulled over by two officers while driving home in May of last year.

She was subsequently arrested on two outstanding warrants - one linked to her sister allegedly falsely using her identity and one in relation to a 2002 shoplifting incident at a grocery store.

Powell, who is African American, alleges that while being booked at the police station, one of the officers forcibly removed her headscarf in view of other male officers and inmates, telling her she was "not allowed to wear her hijab" and that policemen were "allowed to touch women."

The suit states that Powell "suffered and continues to suffer extreme shame, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress" as a result of her experience.

"The actions taken by the Long Beach police officers were unwarranted and a serious violation of Mrs Powell's bodily integrity," said Yalda Satar, attorney for the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on behalf of Powell.

"The manner in which Mrs Powell was treated by LBPD officers was simply a show of authority over a woman of colour who was unable to protect herself, and is another example of the type of discrimination faced by women who wear a hijab."Kicked out of coffee house for being Muslim, California women sue over hijab discrimination

The Long Beach Police Department said in a statement late on Monday that Powell's hijab was taken off in line with the department's policy to remove certain items from inmates -

including belts, shoe laces and head coverings - for their own protection.

"We respect the religious rights and beliefs of all people and understand the sensitivity of this matter," police chief Robert Luna said. "The policies we have in place are for the safety of the individual, other individuals and police employees.
STUTTGART, Germany The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behaviour by Russia.

The Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which joined NATO in 2004, have requested greater presence of the alliance, fearing a threat from Russia after it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Carter acknowledged NATO deliberations included the deployment of the four battalions to the Baltic states and Poland. The Wall Street Journal said this would likely total about 4,000 troops split between the United States and its allies.

"That's one of the options that's being discussed," Carter told reporters travelling with him at the start of a three-day trip to Germany, declining to enter into details about the deliberations by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"We're obviously involved in those discussions. I just dont want to get out in front of where that goes."

U.S. officials say the goal in Europe is to move increasingly from efforts to reassure allies to broader activity to deter any aggressive moves by Russia.

The United States has already budgeted to sharply boost military training and exercises and last month announced it would deploy continuous rotations of U.S.-based armoured brigade combat teams to Europe.

Carter's trip to Germany will include meetings with Army General Curtis Scaparrotti as he takes over as the next NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, succeeding U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove.

Scaparrotti told a Senate hearing last month that a resurgent Russia was displaying "increasingly aggressive behaviour that challenges the international norms, often in violation of international law."

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Pyongyang: North Korea stepped up its calls Tuesday for South Korea to return 12 waitresses whom Pyongyang says Seoul abducted from a restaurant in China.

Seoul says the waitresses willingly defected to the South.

North Korean authorities on Tuesday presented the colleagues and parents of the waitresses to North Korean and international media in Pyongyang. North Korea says the women were tricked into thinking they were being transferred to work at another restaurant in Malaysia.

On April 8, South Korean authorities announced the arrival of 13 North Koreans in the South  the 12 waitresses and their manager. Since then, North Korean authorities have issued repeated statements calling on Seoul to return the waitresses or let their parents go to Seoul to meet them.

Colleagues of the waitresses said their manager told them they were moving to Malaysia to work in another restaurant there and that the waitresses who got on a bus from their restaurant to go on the journey thought Malaysia was their final destination.

Waitress Choe Rye Yong said that as the waitresses were being organized to leave she overheard her manager refer to a man with him as "team leader" from the South Korean National Intelligence Service. That made her warn her colleagues, who had not yet gotten on the bus, to stay away.

The waitresses were all working at a restaurant called the Azalea Friendship Restaurant in Ningbo, China.

They said they had previously worked at another North Korean-run restaurant in Yanji, in the northeast of China.
Washington: For the first time, President Barack Obama has given an insight into the covert US raid that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan, saying that during the tense operation nobody cheered or high-fived as they were unsure about the outcome.

"One thing about having been through a lot of this previously, and everybody sitting around this table had been through the ups and downs of any wartime situation. It's interesting the degree to which nobody cheered or nobody high-fived, because we couldn't be sure at that point," Obama told CNN about the raid which took place on 2 May, 2011.

Obama said he took the decision despite the odds being "probably 50/50."

"The kinds of Special Forces and intelligence-gathering that we saw in the bin Laden raid is going to be, more often than not, the tool of choice for a President in dealing with that kind of threat," he said.

In response to a question, Obama acknowledged while bin Laden has been killed, the ideology has not been extinguished. "The world is still dangerous. In many ways, the Middle East is in a more chaotic situation," he said.

According to the special CNN report, Obama and his team said that now, any future terror-fighting formula will have to include working with allies to address the political resentment and economic frustration that give extremist groups such fertile ground.

"It was uniquely complicated because the stakes were so high, and we were operating inside of Pakistan. But these guys had been through a lot of harrowing moments," Obama said recollecting the days that led to the bin Laden raid.

Obama said this was the best opportunity the US ever had to kill bin Laden.

"It was not an ideal start," he said. "We came in here at the point where the helicopters were about to actually land. It's here where we observed, for example, that one of the helicopters got damaged in the landing...I was thinking that this is not an ideal start," Obama said.

Everyone was worried, the President said. "The good news was it didn't crash. Our guys were able to extract themselves. The bad news was that the helicopter itself had been damaged," he noted.

"Even though we had the best helicopter operators imaginable, despite the fact that they had practiced these landings repeatedly in a mock up, we couldn't account for temperature, and the fact that helicopters start reacting differently in an enclosed compound where heat may be rising," he said.
Washington: Pakistan has time till May end to avail the American offer to procure eight F-16s at an estimated cost of USD 700 million after Obama administration told Islamabad that it should put forward national funds to buy these fighter jets.

On Monday the State Department told reporters that it has told the Pakistani leadership that "they should put forward national funds" for the purchase of F-16s given that key members of the Congress have made clear that they have objections to using foreign military financing  American tax payer's money  to support.

In the absence of Pakistani taking any tangible action against the Haqqani network, the Senators have said they would not let the Obama Administration use tax payer's money to give F-16s to Pakistan as notified to the Congress on February 11.

Sources here told PTI that the May deadline for Pakistan to respond to the new development from the US is based on "offer validity and (Lockheed's) production process" point of view.

Any delay in the acceptance of the offer, would result in increase in cost of F-16s. However, speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Pakistani official told PTI that Pakistan is unlikely to buy F-16s at its full price as being told by the United States now.

The US offer of eight F-16s, officials said, might still be there in paper, but it might go in for a long pause and price escalation if Pakistan decides against buying it, sources said.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday returned home after wrapping up his six-day official tour of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand where he met top leaders of the two countries and inked a few important deals as part of India's 'Act East' policy.

Concluding the three-day visit to New Zealand as part of the second leg of his two-nation tour, Mukherjee talked about cooperation in agriculture, dairy, food processing, education and skill development as well as high technology between the two countries.

During the course of the visit, India and New Zealand also signed a deal that opens the door for direct flights between the two countries with an aim to boost tourism and trade sectors.

Mukherjee's trip was the first high-level visit from India to New Zealand since Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's tour to the island nation in 1986.

Prominent among whom he met included New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae and Prime Minister John Key.

Earlier, as part of his two-day maiden state visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG), the President had sought freedom of navigation saying sea lanes of communications should be devoid of tension and rivalry.

The two nations, as part of measures to strengthen bilateral ties and ensuring energy security, signed a few agreements even as India offered a USD 100 million line of credit for development of infrastructure in PNG and agreed to jointly develop new avenues of cooperation to explore and develop the Pacific nation's vast oil and gas resources.

India also offered the country its technology, financial wherewithal, skilled manpower and institutional support to harness the mineral-rich country's abundant natural resources and establish mutually beneficial economic and commercial ventures.

The President also met his PNG counterpart Sir Michael Ogio.
Colombo: Four former LTTE operatives have been arrested by police in Sri Lanka on suspicion of trying to revive the banned group's separatist activities.

The police's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on Monday issued a receipt acknowledging the arrest of one Krishnapillai Kaileshan who allegedly operated as the LTTEs eastern Batticaloa district intelligence senior. He was being questioned, police sources said.

It was also said that three more intelligence seniors from the eastern districts of Ampara and Batticaloa and Jaffna in the north had also been arrested in the recent days.

Northern Tamil media sources said that since March 29, some 23 former LTTE operatives had been arrested in the north and east.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said the government would not permit the revival of the LTTE and it was investigating possible attempts by individuals to organise themselves to form a new terror group.

The LTTE fought for three decades with the government to carve out a separate Tamil homeland. It was defeated by the government troops in 2009.
Oslo: "The children are afraid when there's a knock at the door. They fear they'll be taken away again," says Jaquline tearfully in broken Norwegian, recounting her battles with Norway's child welfare services which have been accused of unduly tearing families apart.

Known as Barnevernet, the agency provides a host of services to parents in need.

But more controversially, it also removes children from their homes, placing them in institutions or foster families due to perceived shortcomings in their care, or if they are subjected to child-rearing methods perceived as violent.

This has led to misunderstandings with ethnic minorities, who often have different cultural codes and are overrepresented in having their children taken away, in a move some have branded "state kidnappings".

In this Scandinavian country of five million people, 1,665 children were removed from their parents' care in 2014, among them 424 with foreign-born mothers, agency figures show.

Jaquline Joseph and her husband Joe, both from Sri Lanka, suddenly had their three children taken away on November 14, 2011, while they were living in Bergen, Norway's second-largest city.

Instead of coming home from school as usual that day, their two daughters, aged eight and 12, and their six-year-old son, were placed in emergency care after an anonymous tip about violence in the home.

Norwegian law bans all forms of corporal punishment of children, including slaps and spankings.

The Josephs found themselves accused of beating their children with a flag and a wooden ladle, of calling their eldest a "little shit" and "a bloody idiot", and of cutting their son's hand with scissors, court documents show.

They insist they have only ever given the children an occasional slap.

'Kidnap our own kids'

"Barnevernet has a tendency to make sweeping generalisations about all foreigners. According to them, because we're not Norwegian, we all beat our children with sticks or belts," Jaquline fumes.

At the end of a lengthy legal battle, the court largely sided with the Josephs, dismissing all the more serious allegations made by the agency and handing the pair a two-week suspended sentence for the slaps.

Ruling that the violence was a "cultural" issue which was "correctible", the court approved the "gradual" return of the two younger children.

But six months after the ruling, and frustrated that social services were dragging their feet, the Josephs fled Bergen for Oslo with the two younger children, leaving their jobs and their home behind -- and their third child in a foster home.

"We had to kidnap our own kids," said Joe Joseph, who had been employed as a machinist, while his wife did occasional work at a child daycare centre.

Stories like theirs make the headlines regularly, with their impact prompting protests around the globe.

On April 16, thousands of people from Melbourne to Bucharest and even Hawaii came out to protest over the November removal of five children, including a three-month-old baby, from their Romanian-Norwegian parents.

Marius and Ruth Bodnariu, who belong to Norway's Pentecostal movement, are accused of using corporal punishment on their children.

But the idea took hold that their children had been removed as a result of "Christian radicalism and indoctrination", prompting widespread protests by Christians around the world.

It's not always easy to discern fact from fiction.

While families can freely lay out their defence in the media, authorities must respect confidentiality, even when faced with far-fetched allegations.

"They say we kidnap the children of foreign parents because we want to increase the genetic diversity of the population. It turns my stomach to read some of the statements," said Kai-Morten Terning, secretary of state at the ministry for children and equality.

"Some criticisms deserve to be heard... but others are just untrue," he added.

Officially seen as a last resort, the decision to remove children from a family is not taken by Barnevernet, but by a three- to five-member social welfare board comprising a judge, a social worker and a lay person.

The board acts on the basis of Barnevernet's recommendations, but its decisions can be appealed within a regular court by family members who also have access to free legal help.

'A dysfunctional organisation'

Nonetheless, more than a hundred lawyers, psychologists and social workers wrote an open letter last year criticising Barnevernet as "a dysfunctional organisation that makes many erroneous evaluations with severe consequences".

Barnevernet fears a vicious cycle in which it gets a bad rap from high-profile cases sometimes based on false claims, which then leads to some foreign parents shying away from seeking help when they really need it.

The disputes have on occasion sparked diplomatic tensions.

In February 2015, Czech President Milos Zeman compared Barnevernet to the "Lebensborn", the welfare centres set up by the Nazis in order to boost the "Aryan race".

And relations between Norway and India soured several years ago over the case of an Indian couple who claimed their two children were taken away because they ate with their hands and the family slept in the same bed.

"It's not just about whether you sit on a chair or not, or whether you eat with your fingers or not," said a Barnevernet employee speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Very often, what it boils down to is that it's illegal in Norway to hit or slap, whereas it's not necessarily the case in other cultures," she said.
Geneva: The UN said on Monday it had enlisted Oscar winning Australian actress Cate Blanchett to help raise awareness about the plight of refugees, amid a massive global displacement crisis.

The United Nations refugee agency said it had appointed Blanchett as its newest Goodwill Ambassador, a role long famously held by US film star Angelina Jolie.

"I am deeply proud to take on this role," Blanchett said in a statement, stressing that "there has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity."

"We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide," she added.

Last year, a record 60 million people worldwide were displaced from their homes, and more than one third of them were living as refugees, according to the UNHCR.

But solidarity has recently appeared to be in short supply in Europe for instance, which is facing surging xenophobia as it reels from its worst migration crisis since World War II.

"It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance?" Blanchett said.

"As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path," she added.

Ahead of the announcement, Blanchett had gone to Jordan to see for herself the massive operation there to help people displaced by Syria's brutal five-year conflict and to meet refugee families first hand and hear their stories, UNHCR said.
There are several challenges to the freedom of the media in India, including threats of violence from vested interests and pressure from political parties, experts have said. They have called for greater involvement of civil society in cases pertaining to journalists. The World Press Freedom Day celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, and is an occasion to assess the state of press freedom throughout the world. It is observed on the anniversary of Declaration of Windhoek  a statement of free press principles put together by newspaper journalists in Africa during a Unesco seminar held in the Namibian city in 1991.

Vulnerable journalists

Sevanti Ninan, Editor, The Hoot, a website which undertakes research pertaining to the media to strengthen its independence, said there has been a decline in press freedom in the last few years.

The greater vulnerability is for journalists in districts and small towns. One reason for this that many of them are now using RTI to investigate local scams and they pose a threat to the powerful in government and in politics, Ninan told IANS.

She cited instances of death of three journalists covering investigative stories over the last year and said there should be a law guaranteeing press freedom, which is different from free speech.

She said committees comprising journalists and civil society members should be kept informed of police action against journalists.

Ninan said the media community in India has been remiss in protecting its counterparts in the regional press. There is no pressure group at the national level which maintains pressure on the central and state governments in cases regarding journalists. The Editors Guild and other bodies are not really proactive in this regard. The Press Council publishes reports, but they have no impact, she said.

Ninan said that it states like Chhattisgarh, where the state is battling Maoists, journalists who try to report on incidents involving the ultras were becoming victims of state oppression.

There have been four arrests of journalists in Chhattisgarh since July 2015, Ninan said.

Defamation and lawsuits

Ninan said the other issue is defamation. The state government of Tamil Nadu is very active in filing defamation cases against journalists. There have been several already this year, she said.

Ninan said threats to editorial independence come from proprietors and advertisers among others while physical threats come from a variety of sources including the state police.

Senior journalist and political commentator S Nihal Singh said the political atmosphere was not very conducive to freedom of press.

There are the usual suspects in terms of the bureaucracy being overzealous on occasions. That is one danger and the other is that the whole climate is not really conducive to press freedom. Because, if you narrow down the national ideal to things like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and other things in a similar vein, you are constricting the room for free opinion, he said.

Nihal Singh said "There is a greater amount of self-censorship in India today than before the BJP came to power."

In the current instance, it is not so much what you do but what you imply. So in overall terms I think, the outlook is not so bright, he said.

Nihal Singh also said that media was not writing as forthrightly as it normally does or it can do. Because if you feel these are vindictive characters in power, you would want to be on the safe side. (There is) that impulse, he said, adding that journalists themselves have to pull up their socks because there is no substitute for journalists standing up.

Senior journalist and political commentator Kuldip Nayar said the terms of employment of journalists have changed and this "does not allow journalists to be free". The "sword of the contract system hangs over the head of journalists," he said.

Nayar said there were attempts to politicise the news and evils such as paid news had cropped up. He said journalists should make use of tools of such as RTI and face the challenges boldly.

AS Narang, who taught political science at IGNOU, said civil society should be more vocal in taking up cases of journalists who face any form of state pressure.

Oligarchs, Press freedom index

A leading journalism advocacy group says media freedom experienced a sharp decline around the world over the past year, citing increasing government restrictions in places like Turkey, Poland, Tajikistan, and Egypt.

In its 2016 World Press Freedom Index released on 20 April, Reporters Without Borders said that there had been a deep and disturbing decline in freedom of information in many places around the world. The organisation, also known as Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), said independent media was also increasingly at risk from religious ideologies as well as large-scale propaganda machines. Throughout the world, oligarchs are buying up media outlets and are exercising pressure that compounds the pressure already coming from governments, the Paris-based group said.

The media in India continues to be under stress as the country figures low at 133 out of 180 nations in the latest press freedom index, an international watchdog said on Wednesday, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "indifferent" to threats against scribes.

The damning report also painted a sad picture of the world media freedom that has suffered a "deep and disturbing decline" due to pressure from "governments, ideologies and private-sector interests".

About India, the 2016 report said that journalists and bloggers are attacked and "anathematised by various religious groups that are quick to take offence", referring to growing right wing extremism in the country. "At the same time, it is hard for journalists to cover regions such as Kashmir that are regarded as sensitive by the government." The report alleged that "Modi seems indifferent to these threats and problems, and there is no mechanism for protecting journalists". "Instead, in a desire to increase control of media coverage, Modi envisages opening a journalism university run by former propaganda ministry officials," the report said.

with inputs from IANS
On April 9, retired IPS officer D.G. Vanzara, 60, returned to a hero's welcome in Gandhinagar, nine years after he had been arrested in the alleged fake encounter killings of Ishrat Jahan in 2004 and of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in 2005. All through his stint in jail, he had blamed "dirty politicians" for his plight, saying they are "the real anti-nationals" and alleging that he and his colleagues were pawns in their games.

Yet it's politics, he hinted, that will be his ultimate refuge. That perhaps explains his presence at the RSS meet in Ahmedabad on April 11, where Sangh volunteers apparently jostled with each other to shake hands with him, with one volunteer even touching his feet. He was greeted with a similar response three days later, when on the occasion of B.R. Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary, Dalit leaders, and even a few Congressmen, swarmed around him near the Ambedkar statue in old Ahmedabad where everyone had gathered to pay their respects to the Dalit icon. He ended up visiting nearly a dozen tents of different Dalit organisations that had set up camp there.

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Vanzara's imminent arrival on the political scene, on the eve of the 2017 Vidhan Sabha polls, at a time when the BJP seems to be losing its hold on the state, is significant. Though he has dropped enough hints about joining politics, he is still enigmatic about details. "Let's see where destiny takes me," he said, when asked if he would join a political party. One would think he burnt his bridges with the BJP when in his September 1, 2013, resignation letter from Sabarmati jail, he said there was "no reason to trust this government and its ace strategist Shri Amitbhai Shah, who convincingly proved himself to be completely self-centred". But when Gujarat BJP chief Vijay Rupani was asked if Vanzara would join the BJP, he first said there was no such move yet, and then hastened to add, "But who can tell the future?"

Chief of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Vanzara was arrested on April 24, 2007, as a key accused in the Sohrabuddin case. He was in Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad till 2012, when the trial was shifted to Mumbai and he was sent to Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai. In 2013, he was arrested for the Ishrat Jahan case and brought back to Sabarmati jail. The Bombay High Court granted him bail in 2014, and the next year he was released on bail in the Ishrat Jahan case too, but not allowed to return to his home state. This April, the CBI court relaxed this restriction too, enabling Vanzara to return to his Gandhinagar home after nine long years.

"Now my second innings has begun," Vanzara said on his return. "I fielded in the first inning, but in the second innings, I will bat and those who were after me will field. I mean the anti-nationals, traitors and political conspirators who acted against me."

Vanzara at an RSS camp in Ahmedabad. Photo: Shailesh Raval Vanzara at an RSS camp in Ahmedabad. Photo: Shailesh Raval

Popular support for Vanzara is palpable in Gujarat. The day he landed at the airport, in a red tee and white trousers, a crowd of ex-colleagues, family and members of his community, BJP, RSS and VHP activists and ordinary folk gathered to greet him, some wearing t-shirts emblazoned with his photograph and wearing saffron caps. They showered rose petals on him, waved the tricolour, even chanted 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. He was then taken to the Town Hall in Gandhinagar, where Gujarat DGP P.P. Pandey, who is also an accused in the Ishrat Jahan case, said it was Ram Navami but it felt more like Vijaya Dashmi, and conferred on him the title of Rajarshi for "the penance he [Vanzara] has done in jail and his exploits against anti-nationals earlier".

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His supporters see Vanzara as someone who has made sacrifices for a bigger cause. He could easily have come out of jail, they say, had he deposed against Modi under Congress pressure by just saying that it was the Gujarat chief minister who had ordered him to bump off Ishrat and Sohrabuddin. His statement would have carried weight as Modi held charge of the home portfolio at the time while Shah was minister of state for home.

"Few can deny Vanzara's popularity," says political analyst Vidyut Thakar, "not just in Gujarat but in many other parts of India. He is seen as a victim of the machinations of anti-national forces under the cloak of politics."

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RSS worker and businessman Haresh Thakkar concurs: "Apart from being a victim of UPA's political conspiracy, hatched by enticing some Gujarat police officials, Vanzara was also a victim of a conspiracy hatched by pro-radical Muslims or anti-national elements." He also insinuates that the CBI investigation into the Sohrabuddin case was hurriedly ordered as a quid pro quo deal with the then UPA government.

Human rights activists and members of the minority community are not so convinced. "Vanzara's entry into politics will be a low in Indian politics. A villain will turn into a political hero," says Gautam Thakar, a civil rights activist.

Adds veteran journalist Prakash Shah, "My worst fears about deteriorating standards in our public life stand confirmed." Vanzara remains an accused in the Ishrat Jahan and Sohrabuddin Sheikh cases. He is among the 28 accused in the Sohrabuddin case and around a dozen in the Ishrat Jahan case. Vanzara claims that under section 197 of the CrPC, the CBI should be asked not to prosecute him and all other police officers as they had acted in the "national interest". "The UPA government had denied CBI permission to prosecute four Intelligence Bureau officers in the Ishrat Jahan case in 2013. The same should be done in our case. The entire world knows that we were victims of a political conspiracy. So it needs a political but legally sound response," he told India Today.

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While in jail, Vanzara apparently lectured inmates on Hindu philosophy. He also authored three books in Gujarati: Vijay Path (Victory March), Sinhgarjana (Roar of a Lion) and Rann Tankar (Battle Cry), the last one a collection of poems released in 2012 by Gujarat DGP Shabbir Hussain Khandwawala.

His current resolve is to dedicate himself to public life. It's what he said the day he landed in Gandhinagar: "I am in public life from today itself. When in [police] service, I served the nation by targeting anti-nationals and terrorists. Scarcely any terror attack took place in Gujarat till I and my police colleagues went to jail. Now I will serve the people by being in public service." It will all depend, of course, on whether his past will let go of him.

Follow the writer on Twitter @UdayMahurkar

--- ENDS ---
The Marxists were down and out, but are now on a late surge, thanks to a jhot in the arm from Surjya Kanta Mishra.

As morning breaks on the horizon, Amdanga in North 24 Parganas, some 50 km away from Kolkata, is awash with the orange red of a rising sun. On the ground too, it's soon a sea of red-red bandanas, caps, flags and festoons. A couple of months ago, the colour would have been a no-no-it could get you into serious trouble with the ruling Trinamool Congress in this part of the state-but it's now being flaunted with flourish, throwing a challenge, as it were. For the Left has finally found a leader who is willing to take the fight to the TMC and its supremo Mamata Banerjee's "inch by inch" revenge call.

"I tell her (Mamata), you may go on measuring inch by inch, but by then the jote (the people's alliance) will have travelled far and wide," Surjya Kanta Mishra says assuredly, and the 10,000-strong crowd bursts into loud cheers. Mamata's infamous speech about taking revenge on her opponents "inch by inch" drew the Election Commission's ire, but it's also getting lots of negative traction here.

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The reason for all this, of course, is daaktar babu, as Surjya Kanta Mishra is fondly called (he is a qualified medical professional). He has given a new lease of life to the CPI(M) which had gone on life-support since its poll debacle in 2011. The chief minister-in-waiting-that's how the Left's jote-sangi (alliance partner), the Congress, prefers to address him-steps out of his white Mahindra Bolero and is soon engulfed in a sea of red heads.

Flashes from selfie sticks and mobile phones shine like little stars as people cross over the bamboo barricades and jostle to get close to him.

Surjya Kanta had travelled for over an hour, quietly with just one pilot car, for the meeting. The low-key campaign speaks volumes about this composed and slightly shy leader who, in his 39-year-long political career, was never known to raise the pitch, even as his more flamboyant and popular peers strode the stage.

"I remember when he was a doctor practising in Midnapore. He used to visit patients on a second-hand motor-cycle. He could afford a car, but he hated flamboyance. He had a good practice, though in a majority of cases he treated patients free of cost. I have seen ailing people waiting at rallies to speak to daktar babu and get a prescription," says friend and CPI(M) leader from West Midnapore, Anil Patra.

Surjya Kanta's emergence in the political arena happened in the late 1970s, when party stalwart Biman Bose heard the then SFI leader deliver a speech in Midnapore. "Bimanda was so impressed he wanted Surjya to join politics full-time. In the late 1980s, he became the zilla parishad sabhadhipati of Midnapore and continued in the post for 12 years before shifting base to Kolkata. Bimanda has continued to back him. He was the happiest man the day Surjya stepped into his shoes and became state secretary," says a CPI(M) leader.

Surjya, known to be a hardliner, was initially not well-received in the party as a mass leader. "He was part of the team that voted against Jyoti Basu becoming prime minister of a Left supported Congress-led government in 1996 (the "historic blunder", in Basu's own words). Again, Surjya babu was the one who, like the Karats and other hardliners, thought withdrawing support to UPA-I in 2008 over the US nuke deal was right, even though it turned out to be a political blunder for the party in Bengal, creating space for TMC," says the same CPI(M) leader.

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Naturally, some comrades were sniggering when former CPI(M) chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee promoted Surjya in the cabinet, giving him plum portfolios like panchayat, rural development and health and lauded him for being the "party's asset" on the floor of the House.

It was the rout of the Left Front in the 2011 assembly elections and fall of high-profile leaders such as Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Asim Dasgupta, Nirupam Sen and Mohammed Salim and the leadership vacuum it created in the assembly that brought Mishra to the fore. By default, he became the leader of the Opposition. Even his own party colleagues had doubts on whether the reticent and gentlemanly Surjya could match up to the rabble-rousing politics of the treasury benches.

But Surjya Kanta grew into the role, targeting the government on specific issues, taking on Mamata at the slightest slip. So much so, he forced the chief minister, a habitual absentee, to attend the Assembly during sessions, at least on the days she was supposed to face questions of the Opposition.

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Around 2013, the Left Front chairman, Biman Bose, who was doubling up as the CPI(M) state secretary, sought to retire from the latter post, citing his advanced age. Which is how, in March 2015, Surjya Kanta became a consensus candidate for the party's top post in the state. "His name was decided on in a snapshot's time," Left Front chairman Biman Bose had said on March 14, 2015, indicating how the entire party was behind him.

Hard line to soft

Meanwhile, Surjya was evolving. As party secretary he made it a point to hit the streets, reach out to people, stand beside the cadre, victimised and facing the brunt of the ruling party. "The Communist theoretician realised the need to be flexible, to be amenable in practical life, if it served the interests of the people at large," says a central committee member of the party.

Incidentally, in 2016, when the hardliners and the south Indian lobby of the CPI(M) put their foot down on a possible Left-Congress tie-up to take on the "anarchist TMC", it was Surjya who reasoned out the need for the coming together of the two parties, not just as a political compulsion or a battle for survival in Bengal but for the sake of the thousands of cadre who were being relentlessly hounded, charged with false cases and fined. He argued at the central committee and politburo that not being with the people at this hour of crisis and not respecting their demand for a coalition would be suicidal.

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"We have lost 175 comrades, over 2,000 are permanently disabled and several thousands are facing false political charges. Enough is enough, it's time to face them head-on," Surjya was reported to have said. "He is the reason the Kerala unit, despite being in a majority, gave in," says a politburo member, asking not to be quoted.

The alliance architect

Justifying the tie-up of the five decade-old enemies, Surjya had said: "Such has been Mamata's misrule that a massive alliance of people had to take shape. Nobody wants to be on her side, even her own men are leaving her. This is her biggest achievement," the doctor says with a smirk as the audience breaks into peals of laughter.

No wonder, then, that Mamata has pleaded with the voters of Narayangarh, Surjya Kanta's home turf where he is contesting, to ensure his defeat! "If you vote Surjya out of power, I will give you whatever you want. If I come back as chief minister, my victory rally will begin from here. I will be your guest and have the special daaler-bora (lentil fritters),"the TMC chief said at her campaign meet here. (Surjya, in turn, has welcomed Banerjee's wishes and said that he would love to play host and arrange for a treat, but only if she shows up in Narayangarh after losing the polls.)

Mamata Banerjee's wrath is understandable. As an "architect of the alliance which is breathing down the neck of the Trinamool" (in terms of vote share from 2014, the Left-Congress combine got 38 per cent, the TMC 39 per cent), Surjya babu is naturally at the receiving end of her barbs. Banerjee has been unrelenting, hammering away at the "unethical alliance". "This is no jote (alliance), it's a ghont (gang-up). The CPI(M) have lost their ideology, their direction and now having befriended the Congress, they will lose even their address," she says.

Playing to the gallery

Surjya too has upped his game. From the shy leader of yesterday, he's now even picking up catchy lines from popular Hindi songs and turning them into slogans-"One-two-three-four/ Trinamool e shob chor (Everyone in the Trinamool is a thief)." Even Mamata's pet slogan, "Thanda matha, cool-cool, abar ashbe Trinamool", has not been spared. "Thanda matha cool-cool, jaile jabe Trinamool," is his take on the alleged involvement of TMC leaders in the Narada and Saradha scams.

And the people are lapping it up. In tea stalls, local trains, the people are riffing, "Thanda-thanda cool, cool/ ebar harbe Trinamool." "We never thought Surjyada could play to the gallery so well, something the hysterical Trinamool chief does so well," says a senior state committee member of the CPI(M), requesting anonymity.

As the star campaigner of the Left, Surjya Kanta Mishra is criss-crossing the state and will be covering close to 100 rallies. "Leaders come and go, but the people are sovereign. I am here because you are here," the leader keeps exhorting the crowd rally after rally. And with each rally, the buzz gets a little louder, a little stronger.

Surjya has also made the "People's Alliance" (Left Democratic Secular Front got too complicated, hence the new name) a lot more open, sending an open invite to everyone, irrespective of their political colour, to come under its roof. Poll analyst and professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University, Biswanath Chakrabarty, says Surjya Kanta's acceptability as a leader can be gauged by the spontaneous response he evokes at rallies. "The Left cadre who had gone into a shell following the attacks on them by the TMC are again coming out in large numbers. They are not scared anymore. The huge turnout, despite the heat and the terror only goes to prove that people are desperate for change," says Chakrabarty. The jote will be hoping this holds true on counting day too.

The doctor is in

The quintessential Marxist Bhadralok, Surjya Kanta is known for his simplicity and refined tastes

As a medical student in Cuttack University, Surjya Kanta had dabbled in politics, but it was nothing serious. "He was a good writer and would draft matter for political pamphlets and journals. His interest in politics grew gradually when he was a practising doctor in Midnapore and came under the influence of freedom-fighter Sukumar Sengupta," says an old friend in West Midnapore.

Surjya Kanta Mishra

Once on the Assembly floor, deputy speaker Sonali Guha, who is known for bad-mouthing the Left MLAs, fell unconscious. Surjya was the first to rush to the well and give her preliminary treatment. So there is this quintessential Bengali bhadralok hold-no-ill will image about him. Even after shifting base to Kolkata and becoming a heavy weight minister in Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee cabinet, Surjya stuck to his roots. He would take long puffs of the bidi, savour a simple meal of rice and leafy vegetables or muri-chop, the quintessential snacks of Midnapore, and move around in loose fitting kurta-pajama or bush-shirts and trousers.

Old friend and comrade from West Midnapore Anil Patra says, "Surjya has the head of a computer. He can recollect things 30 years back as if they happened just the other day. He also loves to hear poems and songs and catch up on good films and books. In fact, he's interested in everything under the sun, provided the subject matter is of a refined taste." For the People's Alliance, he's certainly been a class act.



--- ENDS ---
The two Democratic lawmakers on the board of the state's jobs agency are asking the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to explain what it's doing to recover state funds from companies that have outsourced jobs.

Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, and Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, sent a letter to WEDC Secretary and CEO Mark Hogan on Monday requesting a report on the agency's "clawback" efforts for incentives given to companies that later outsourced positions or violated otherwise violated their agreements.

The legislators asked WEDC staff to detail those efforts in a report at the agency's July board meeting.

"As you are well aware, the public perception that taxpayer dollars are going to companies which are not creating jobs, or which are actually reducing their employment in Wisconsin, is one of the significant challenges WEDC faces in rebuilding public confidence," Lassa and Barca wrote.

Discussing clawback efforts at the July meeting would give the board a chance to understand and offer input, they wrote.

In an emailed response, Hogan said the board will add an update from its October 2015 discussion on the issue to its July meeting.

The WEDC board discussed stages of its award process in the October meeting, including specific examples of outsourcing that have drawn public interest.

Their letter comes after a report from WKOW-TV last week that Grainger Industrial Supply had outsourced six jobs to Panama from its Janesville facility after receiving $50,000 in WEDC tax credits. Grainger is the third company reported to have shipped jobs from Wisconsin after receiving state funds from WEDC.

The state hasn't yet recovered any of those funds, although Gov. Scott Walker has called for clawbacks.

In his letter to Barca and Lassa, Hogan said WEDC has revoked the $50,000 in credits from Grainger and "they will be paid back."
ABC radio staff have been instructed to tackle unconscious bias about who they put on air by throwing out "old ideas and assumptions about the average Aussie" and making sure their election broadcasts contain a "healthy mix of ethnicities and accents".

The advice, in an email to staff by ABC head of radio Michael Mason, came just hours after new Managing Director Michelle Guthrie used her first official day in the job to say boosting diversity at the public broadcaster would be one of her top priorities.

Ms Guthrie's predecessor Mark Scott and said one of his regrets from his 10 years in the job was that the ABC still did not reflect the ethnic diversity of modern Australia and women were under-represented on air.
Woolworths chief Brad Banducci's turnaround plan for Australia's biggest supermarket chain is yet to translate into sales, with the grocery giant losing share to competitors Coles, Aldi and Costco across the third quarter.

Same-store food and liquor sales for the period tracked backwards by 0.9 per cent, adjusted for Easter, and analysts have warned the Woolworths chief executive might have to spend more to bring the shoppers back to the embattled supermarket brand.

Food and liquor sales at the Wesfarmers' owned Coles chain jumped 5.9 per cent in the third quarter, with the chain calling out a record number of transactions over Easter.

This latest result from Woolworths gifts Coles with its 27th consecutive win in the quarterly sales battle.
Ricardo Francis Herman Dasilva beat his former partner so savagely she was left nearly unrecognisable before trying to burn her house down with her body inside, a jury has heard.

In his opening address to Newcastle Supreme Court on Monday, Crown Prosecutor Lee Carr said Mr Dasilva's behaviour became increasingly erratic after his break up with Wyong High School maths teacher, Amanda Carter, 46.

Real estate agent Ricardo Dasilva, accused of murdering his estranged fiance in the bedroom of her Central Coast home. Credit:Newcastle Herald

The real estate agent is alleged to have entered Ms Carter's Woongarrah home in May 2010 and delivered a number of blows to her head using a blunt object, while she lay sleeping in her bed.

The court heard she was discovered by her daughter the next day, with no signs of forced entry to the house.
Paris: Frenchman claims his employer gave him so little to do that he suffered from "bore out" and is now demanding 360,000 ($541,000) in compensation.

The term "burn out", when employees collapse due to stress and overwork, is well-known but Frederic Desnard, 44, from Paris, has accused his ex-employer, a prestigious perfumes company, of subjecting him to something far worse: being bored stiff.

Lawyer says company tried to bore employee to death.

He said bosses at Interparfum stripped him of his real managerial role and instead foisted mind-numbingly dull tasks on him over a four-year period.

Mr Desnard described the process as "an insidious descent into hell, a nightmare" that led to him suffering from a host of health problems, including "epilepsy, ulcers, sleep problems and serious depression".
The Kenyan Red Cross has located the father of a baby who was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building Tuesday, more than three days after the building came down.

The father, Ralson Saisi Wasike, identified the baby as 6-month-old Dealeryn Saisi Wasike.

The Red Cross reported the early morning rescue, saying the baby girl was taken to a Nairobi hospital with dehydration but no sign of physical injuries.

Rescuers have said there is little hope of finding anyone else alive in the ruins of the building in the Huruma neighborhood. But the discovery of the baby has given hope to those awaiting word of their missing loved ones.

About 135 people have been rescued from the apartment building. Dozens are still missing, five days after the building collapsed following heavy rains.

On Monday, authorities arrested Samuel Kamau, the owner of the six-story residential building. He is expected to appear in court this week.

The residential building, located in a low-income, highly populated Huruma neighborhood in Nairobi, had been condemned by authorities. There has been no official explanation from government officials as to why the evacuation order went ignored.

The building, which was close to a river, collapsed following heavy rains that caused flooding and landslides in many areas of Nairobi. Nearby homes also were declared unsafe.

On Saturday, President Uhuru Kenyatta called for the arrest of the building's owner.

Kenyatta had ordered an audit of every building in the country last year after eight buildings collapsed, killing at least 15 people. A report from the Architectural Association of Kenya estimates that half of the structures in Nairobi are not up to code.

Kenya's growing middle class has caused an increase in demand for housing in the city, but building materials used in Nairobi's recent construction boom have come into question.
North Korea, the worlds last great master of Cold War-era spectacle, is likely to deliver a big one when its ruling party holds its first congress in 36 years later this week.

What exactly is in store during the congress, which opens Friday and will be presided over by leader Kim Jong Un, remains a well-kept secret. But North Koreas advances toward becoming a truly credible nuclear power are sure to be touted along with claims of economic advances in the face of the toughest global sanctions it has been hit with in decades.

Also not in doubt: Pyongyang wants the event to grab headlines around the world.

The normally well-sealed country has invited a horde of journalists from around the world to give the congress an international spotlight. The North has been promoting it relentlessly for months in its own state media and is vowing to make it a showcase of socialist success  both on the military and economic fronts.

The Rodong Sinmun, mouthpiece of the ruling Workers Party of Korea, said in an editorial Saturday that since the last congress in 1980, North Korea proudly joined the ranks of advanced nuclear and space powers while demonstrating the might of the invincible politico-

ideological, military and youth power and is now dashing ahead toward to a socialist economic power and highly civilized nation.

But while the congress promises to be a big moment in front of foreign cameras for Kim, who has yet to venture abroad or meet with any world leaders, its larger significance may be domestic.

Delegates for the congress will be brought in from all over the country for the political theater aspect of the event. They will likely generate a seemingly endless series of speeches hailing the party and its accomplishments, and will be tasked with formally appointing members of some key leadership committees. That will provide Kim the chance to get their formal stamp of approval on the lineup of lieutenants he has almost certainly already decided upon.

The North has worked hard over the past several months to keep the event foremost in the minds of the nation.

Even more so than usual, Pyongyang has been decked out with new posters, placards and decorations along its streets paying homage to the motherly party and the party of victors.

A 70-day loyalty campaign was held in which North Koreans from all walks of life were called on to demonstrate their devotion to the regime by boosting productivity and joining in ideologically charged group events.

The campaign ended on Monday, but masses of Pyongyang citizens are still practicing in squares across the city for rallies to mark the congress, another typical way for the government to mobilize carefully orchestrated and highly photogenic shows of popular support and national unity.

Internationally, Kim has already gotten a lot of coverage lately as the Norths propaganda machine churned out a heightened barrage of bluster and threats as the U.S. and South Korea massed for annual joint military exercises just south of the Demilitarized Zone. The war games, the biggest ever, followed North Koreas latest nuclear test in January and a consequent new round of U.N. sanctions.

Much of the Norths verbal attacks were what Pyongyang watchers have come to expect every spring when the exercises are underway. But some of the propaganda, including photo ops with Kim standing beside a small nuclear warhead mock-up and gleefully watching missiles being launched from submarines, has prompted foreign military analysts to wonder if the North has made more progress with its nuclear and missile capabilities than previously thought.

South Korea, meanwhile, has warned another nuclear test may be in the offing, though open-source satellite imagery is inconclusive and Seouls predictions are often wrong.

Details about the congress, the seventh in North Korean history, are frustratingly few.

The last congress in 1980 lasted four days and was held in the ornate February 8 House of Culture, now called the April 25 House of Culture, both dates referring to North Korean military anniversaries.

More than 3,000 delegates attended. Representatives from friendly parties abroad were also invited.

The House of Culture now appears to be under construction, suggesting it is either being prepared for the convention or that the venue might be moved elsewhere this year.

The last congress opened with a speech by North Koreas founder an eternal president, Kim Il Sung, and was used primarily to install his son, Kim Jong Il, as the next in line to rule. That succession didnt actually take place until the elder Kims death in 1994, though Kim Jong Il had a primary position under his father in running the country.

Unlike his famously reticent father  Kim Jong Il almost never spoke in public  Kim Jong Un is expected to address the congress as his grandfather did. Eric Talmadge, Tokyo, AP
The Society for the Protection of Animals (Anima) criticized the Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome, for failing to respond to Animas call for a televised public debate over the closure of the greyhound-racing stadium.

Albano Martins, president of Anima reiterated that only three dogs have been adopted since the Canidrome introduced the adoption scheme back in 2012 following an order from the government.

During Animas press conference yesterday, Martins publicizes the content of his letter to Lei Chi Man, executive director of Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Company Ltd., which included his request for the discussion of the Canidromes historical values and importance to the citys economy, community and animal welfare.

The letter we sent to them was tough and straight to the point. If you have your reasons, please discuss [them] with us. You know better than us but were not afraid to discuss with you, said Martins.

The animal protection group has repeatedly asked the government to reduce the importation of greyhounds into Macau to avoid the number of animals that get killed, however the group claims that the authorities did nothing.

This should be a good opportunity for them to inform us, to discuss freely with us their arguments. [] They think this is useless, said the president.

Meanwhile according to Animas president, 260 to 280 underperforming dogs were killed last year at the Canidrome, but claims that only five or six were euthanized this year between February to April.

When the animal begins to lose races, theyre going down to the lower levels, and after that they are killed. Then, [the Canidrome] will buy another one. [] Buy then kill, buy then kill, explains Martins.

He recalled that the Canidrome used to buy the greyhounds from Australia, which would then be sold in public auctions to gamblers mainly from China, until Australia blocked such exports.

In the beginning, we only asked for adoption. We didnt want to close the track. But they only produced four dogs for adoption. Who adopted them? Some vets, stressed Animas president.

He added that it is time for the government to give the Canidrome land to the surrounding community, as the area is the most populated zone in the region.

Martins stressed that the Canidrome only makes little money, stating that the income they earn over a year is only equivalent to five hours of casino earnings. He added that the government had already lost around MOP300 million over the past few years on the Canidrome after reducing the income tax of the company to 25 percent.

Anima claims that their strategy to reduce the number of dogs being euthanized is to block the importation of greyhounds as the local government fails to have an animal protection law.

No courage at all, they [the Canidrome] are cowards, Martins expressed. If they have reasons, show us.

Conversely, Anima claimed that its organization supported the regional animal welfare march on Sunday, which was organized by another animal rights group, the Abandoned Animals Protection Association of Macau (AAPAM).

We were not invited as co-organizer but we asked our members and friends to be there and we told them not to bring anything regarding the Canidrome, he said. Now we see that they [AAPAM] are supporting the closing [of the Canidrome].

Earlier, Anima accused AAPAM of collaborating with voice of the industry, claiming that the association has been co-organizing events with the Canidrome company. Staff reporter
Atlantic City made USD1.8 million in interest payments, averting what would have been New Jerseys first municipal default since the Great Depression as state lawmakers bicker over how to assist the troubled gambling hub.

Mayor Don Guardian, who last week hadnt decided whether to meet the citys obligations on tax-exempt debt sold in 2012, said at a press conference that the payment was made yesterday [Macau time]. Because May 1 fell on a Sunday, the city had an extra day to come through. Guardian said a default is still possible next month, predicting that the city will be out of money in June.

Financially, were running on fumes, the mayor told reporters.

The brush with default underscores the severity of the citys long-building fiscal crisis and may put pressure on New Jersey lawmakers and Governor Chris Christie to come to its aid. Christie, a Republican, and the Democrat-led legislature this year have been at loggerheads over how to rescue the 39,000-resident seaside town, whose gambling industry has been battered by competition from neighboring states.
The British ship HMS Sheffield has been hit by an Argentine missile fired from a fighter bomber. It is not clear how many of the 268 crew have perished.

The sinking has shocked the British nation and foiled any possible diplomatic solution to the current dispute over the Falkland Islands between Britain and Argentina.

The ship caught fire when a French-made Exocet missile penetrated deep into HMS Sheffields control room. The blaze caused a poisonous smoke and most of the crew abandoned ship.

A major rescue operation has been launched in the South Atlantic as relatives thousands of miles back in the UK wait for news of their loved ones.

The 4,100-ton destroyer was struck as it carried out a scouting mission off the Falkland Islands, although its exact position is a secret.

Announcing the news on television, the spokesman for the Ministry of Defence Secretary, Ian McDonald, said the ship was in the course of its duty within the total exclusion zone around the Falkland Isles.

Two missiles were fired by a Super-Etendard fighter bomber. One missed but the other scored a direct hit and ignited a fire.

The Exocet missile is designed to skim the sea to avoid radar detection. It has its own radar that guides it to its intended target.

The attack follows yesterdays sinking of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano. An Argentine diplomat in the United States said the destruction of HMS Sheffield was justified after the massacre that the English have done shelling our men and our ships.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

Twenty men died and a further 24 were injured in the sinking of the HMS Sheffield, the first British warship to be lost in 37 years.

It was the first of four Royal Navy ships sunk during the Falklands War. The others were the frigates Ardent and Antelope and the destroyer Coventry.

The Royal Fleet Auxillary vessel Sir Galahad and the British Merchant Navy ship Atlantic Conveyor were also lost.

After a bloody land battle, Argentine forces surrendered to the British and peace was declared on 20 June.
Graham Colclough is a British city planning specialist and city transformation expert, who was invited last week by the Macau government to be the keynote speaker at the Smart City Seminar 2016, hosted at the Macao Science Center.

His presentation centered on how cutting-edge cities around the world are focusing on improving themselves through technology, data, urban planning and city resources all of which contribute to improve the quality of lives of their residents.

Taking the example of London, which has made great improvements in terms of mobility over the last 15 years, Colclough discussed what he terms the vertical improvement of making cities smarter, or enhancing the existing resources of the city.

The Times sat down with Colclough to find out whether he regards Macau as a smart city, and what he thinks the MSAR should focus on in the near future.

Macau Daily Times (MDT)  What are smart cities and what does it means to transform into one?

Graham Colclough (GC)  The idea of transforming a city into a smart city is about asking the question: how can you integrate systems within a city? We are no longer working in silos [within different areas of city planning], we are trying to understand how we can work across them. What are the characteristics that lead to this success? Leadership. Leadership doesnt refer to the mayor of the city, it is a collection of community leaders and influential people.

At the same time there is a seeming contradiction between the two concepts that we are striving to achieve: standardization and innovation. We want to build a common framework that will allow for cross-sectional collaboration and input from the private and public sectors. [In Britain] the idea of British standardization is not new, but we can bring a new modern perspective to it.

MDT  How does Asia compare to leaders in Europe like London and Barcelona?

GC  Big cities are almost always on top in the comparison lists worldwide. Its good in a sense that they [the cities], are competitive but not necessarily good that they compete. There are well over 200 indicators to calculate whether a city is doing well.

In Asia, smart cities tend to focus mostly on technology, but our cities also have to be human cities. We have to remember that smart is not the end goal in itself, it is the means.

MDT  What are your thoughts on making Macau smarter?

GC  I have already had a meeting with representatives of the tourism office. I think that the engine of the economy  tourism  can be changed to transform the experiences of tourists by engaging with them before they come and after they visit. We can find out what they want and optimize offerings.

We can also use data gathering and technology to analyze their spending behaviors and this may give us some insight. Another thought I had relates to the congestion issues, environmental concerns in such a small city, and Macaus population density, which I believe is the highest in the world.

Imagine if we could make Macau the capital of autonomous cars? This would be a very ambitious objective, but it could be good for tourism, the economy and the environment. It might be difficult, but industry might come here to experiment [as a result]. In Macau all the decision-makers can be in one room at the same time. That can have a significant effect. That is why it is so much about leadership. But those are just my thoughts.

MDT  Does the regions population density and scarcity of land pose a greater challenge than in other cities?

GC  Macau is indeed a city where space is constrained, but densification is actually happening everywhere right now so we tend to go up. () The world population has tripled in my lifetime. That has never happened before and will never happen again. What we should try to do is to make assets last longer. Whatever space you have you can always use it in a more efficient manner. Systemic thinking (like that) is absolutely key to the future of cities. But densification also leads to greater economic output as studies have shown.

MDT  Are there any cities that Macau should look to for inspiration?

GC  Every city and the context of that city is different. Monaco might be worth considering because some things may be quite similar, but I wouldnt suggest that Macau look at every state that is small. It should look to pockets of excellence in individual areas, wherever they are. We can all ask ourselves, what can we learn from London in mobility?, for example. Macau needs to set its own ambitions and deliver on these ambitions, but we can collaborate and build on our respective strengths.

MDT  Could Dubai be a meaningful comparison for Macau, given the preponderance of oil and gaming wealth, respectively?

GC  Dubai? Not sure. Gaming is not something that can last forever; it can turn on a dime. However, what is interesting about Dubai is that they use happiness as the top indicator of progress in their development. If smartness is the means, then happiness could be a very good goal. Macau might like to focus on this too. Happiness is something that everyone understands even if it is difficult to measure.

MDT  What do you see as the trend for future smart cities?

GC  I think that there is a long journey ahead of us. The world is urbanizing massively and the question is going to remain: how do you engage with people? There are certainly challenges in this area. We are probably going to see a lot more focus on localization and cities in the future will be more important than nation states. Daniel Beitler
Japans foreign minister announced a multibillion-dollar initiative yesterday to promote development in Southeast Asias Mekong region, which encompasses parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand through which the river flows.

In a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Fumio Kishida affirmed the importance of Southeast Asias economic prosperity to Japan. He pledged 750 billion yen (USD7 billion) in funding during the next three years to support development and growth in the region.

The initiative will help promote connectivity within Southeast Asian countries and Japan, through funding in infrastructure and development of human resources. Thailand has become a key manufacturing and export hub for Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda.

Invigorating the flow of goods and people by connecting the region through roads, bridges and railways is indispensable for promoting economic development, he said, adding that Japans cooperation will go beyond just building infrastructure.

Over the next three years, we will make use of funds amounting to 750 billion yen toward cooperation with the Mekong region, Kishida said. Specific details have not been announced but he said Japan would like to work together with the Mekong countries to create a framework to support the various efforts, including regional issues and theme-oriented support, in a detailed manner.

I am expecting the day when, as a result of these efforts, I can depart from Bangkok eastward in the morning and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at night and enjoy pho for dinner, he said.

Kishida also renewed his call for the establishment of a code of conduct in the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines and others have competing territorial claims, and that prosperity can only achieved if there is peace and stability in the region.

In this region, there are issues of terrorism, extremism, and ensuring maritime safety and security, he said. There are multitudes of issues now facing our ASEAN partners. We need to face these issues together, and maintain stability in this region. What is necessary is respect for diversity, and what is fundamental for that is the rule of law.

Referring to Thailands current political situation and its military government, Kishida said he hoped that the people of Thailand will overcome the current difficult challenges and play more active role in the region and international community.

The visit to Thailand is part of his regional tour that includes stops in China, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Tassanee Vejpongsa, Bangkok, AP
Taiwanese officials have protested Malaysias deportation of 32 of the self-ruled islands nationals to China this weekend to face wire fraud charges, the latest in a series of disputes that has raised new friction between China and Taiwan.

The deportation follows the sending of nearly four dozen Taiwanese from Kenya to China last month, a case some experts and observers see as an attempt by Beijing to bully the island that it claims as its own territory.

Chinese authorities have said they need to crack down on perpetrators of phone scams that have resulted in an estimated 10 billion yuan (USD1.5 billion) of losses each year. Scammers posing as officials from the police, government, banks or insurance companies convince their victims to transfer funds or provide personal information that can be used to steal from them.

Taiwanese Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun said that China had invited a delegation from the island to come to the mainland for talks on the Taiwanese detained in the investigation. Sun welcomed Chinas move, according to Taiwanese media.

In a statement late Saturday, the Cabinet said that China had pressured Malaysia to deport the Taiwanese suspects to the mainland against Taiwans wishes.

The islands foreign ministry lodged a protest with Malaysia for taking that action despite Taiwanese officials efforts to negotiate, and said the deportations would hurt relations. In April, Malaysia sent 20 Taiwanese wire fraud suspects back to Taiwan despite Beijings request that they be sent to China.

China claims jurisdiction in these cases because it says the victims of the alleged fraud were residents of mainland China.

The Taiwanese were part of a group of 97 phone fraud suspects Malaysia deported to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Saturday night. The other 65 among them were mainland Chinese citizens, Chinese state media reported.

Malaysian government officials confirmed Sunday that the Taiwanese were sent to mainland China.

A Malaysian official, who declined to be named because he isnt authorized to speak to the media, said the decision came after Beijing made further appeals to the Malaysian government after the earlier group of Taiwanese suspects were repatriated to Taiwan.

Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said all the suspects arrived in Guangzhou bound by shackles and wearing black hoods.

Officials and state media have complained that Taiwan doesnt punish such crimes harshly enough, encouraging others to try their luck at such relatively low-risk, low-overhead scams that can potentially lead to massive payouts.

Taiwan says Beijing violated a tacit understanding under which both sides agreed not to interfere in the legal affairs of their citizens abroad. AP
An airplane powered only by sunlight has arrived in a Phoenix suburb after completing the latest leg of its global trip.

The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 landed shortly before 9 p.m. PDT Monday at Phoenix Goodyear Airport after a 16-hour flight from Mountain View, California, south of San Francisco.

It began the 10th leg of the trek  thats now over a year old  just after 5 a.m.

Flying without fossil fuel makes for a long trip.

The planes solar power is captured by 17,000 cells mounted on its wings, which are larger than those of a 747 jetliner. Some of the solar energy is stored in batteries, allowing the plane to fly at night.

Ideal flight speed is about 28 mph, though that can double during the day when the suns rays are strongest. The carbon-fiber aircraft weighs over 5,000 pounds, about as much as a midsize truck.

Maybe slow going isnt so bad when youre flying over some of the most scenic places in the U.S., including the Hawaiian islands and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

After arriving in the Phoenix area, pilot Andre Borschberg called the trip from California a beautiful flight.

And he added: It was a special flight; not a long flight.

For several minutes after arriving, Borschberg remained aboard as powerful winds buffeted the aircraft, forcing the ground crew to hold it down with straps.

Sometimes it is more difficult to handle the airplane on the ground than in flight, he told reporters later.

Video from cameras aboard the aircraft as well as on the ground at the Goodyear airport showed the Solar Impulse as it flew through the night sky enroute to its safe touch down southwest of Phoenix.

Co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, flew the previous leg, a three-day flight to from Hawaii to California.

Inventors wanted to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation

Pilots have used layovers between flight legs to engage with people along the way to explain the project, and project officials said Monday in a statement released to The Associated Press that they will decide in the next few days whether public view of the plane would be possible while it is in Arizona.

The overall project is estimated to cost more than USD100 million and began in 2002.

The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It stopped in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan en route to the United States. AP
Transmac, one of Macaus three public bus operators, purchased 25 new buses. The new vehicles are equipped with USB ports at the back of the bus, which are available for passengers who wish to charge their mobile phones. It has been said that Transmac is the first bus company in Asia to include this feature in their vehicles. Some of the buses will commence operation on Saturday on route MT4. The company invested approximately MOP30 million in these vehicles. An additional 40 buses were ordered and will arrive at a later date, including two electric and two 18-meter-long buses.

Events commemorate May Fourth Movement

The University of Macau (UM) is commemorating the 97th anniversary of the Chinese May Fourth Movement with a series of events, which will end tomorrow, according to a report by Macao Daily News. The four-day event is organized by the UMs Student Union. Haydn H.D. Chen said that the event allows youth leaders of universities of Greater China to expand their international perception and their cognitive abilities. On May 4, 1919, Chinese students protested against the Versailles Conference (Apr. 28, 1919) that awarded Japan territories in Shandong Province.

HK police officer under suspicion of fleeing to Macau

A Hong Kong police sergeant in command at the Wan Chai Police Station disappeared after taking HKD1.07 million-bail money from the office on Monday, according to reports by Hong Kong media. The male officer, surnamed Cheung, 43, reportedly stole the money while on duty. He arrived at the station around 7 a.m., and left four hours later. The unusual behavior drew the attention of one of his colleagues, who immediately reported the situation to his superior. Cheung reportedly came to Macau, according to Apple Daily. Late evening on the same day, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said that it had not received any requests for assistance from the Hong Kong police to search for the suspect. Cheung joined the Hong Kong police force in 1992, and was promoted to officer in command last June. He was living with his wife and 21-year-old daughter in married police quarters before his disappearance.

SJM lose GGR market share

SJM Holdings has released its selected unaudited first quarter results detailing the key performance indicators for the company. Gaming revenue of the group in the first quarter of 2016 fell by 22.8 percent year-on-year to about HKD11.02 billion, while the adjusted EBITDA of the group decreased by 32.5 percent over the same time comparison to HKD838 million. In terms of Macau gross gaming revenue (GGR) market share, the groups GGR accounted for 20.2 percent of the market in Q1 2016, as compared with 22.7 percent in the same quarter last year. Profit attributable to owners of the company in first quarter dropped 44.1 percent in the first quarter over Q1 2015 to HKD561 million, mainly caused by the 22.8 percent fall in gaming revenue, a statement from SJM noted.

Cross-country telecom swindlers detained in Zhuhai

Zhuhai detained 97 suspects on Sunday, including 32 Taiwanese, who were repatriated from Malaysia after being convicted of having committed telecom-based frauds, according to a report by Macao Daily News. The swindlers, comprising 71 men and 26 women aged 16 to 52, were involved in more than 100 fraudulent schemes. Their scams varied with them claiming to be from the police, the Procuratorate, or the courts. The Chinese police requested their extradition from Malaysia to the mainland because they are all mainland residents. Zhuhai deployed 210 police officers to Malaysia in order to escort the group back to China. The suspects will be prosecuted within a month.
SOUTH CHINA SEA The Philippine defense chief Voltaire Gazmin said yesterday his government has agreed in principle to lease five Japanese surveillance planes to be used in patrolling disputed areas of the South China Sea and in search-and-rescue missions during disasters.

MIGRANT CRISIS The European Commission will back visa-free travel for Turkish citizens inside Europes passport-free Schengen area, sources have told the BBC. Visa liberalization was offered in return for Turkey taking back migrants who crossed the Aegean Sea to Greece. But Turkey must still meet EU criteria.

IRAQ The Turkish military says its warplanes have pounded Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq, killing 18 militants. The airstrikes targeted Qandil, the mountainous stronghold of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Ankara and its Western allies designate the PKK as a terrorist organization.

SYRIAN opposition fighters yesterday shelled government-held parts of Aleppo, killing at least 12 people, as the army claimed it was repelling a wide offensive by the rebels in the city. Meanwhile, the U.N. envoy for Syria met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

NATO The NATO alliance this week is getting a new supreme commander, a former top-ranking U.S. military officer in Korea hailed by Defense Secretary Ash Carter as a proven warrior-diplomat and a soldiers general. U.S. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti was installed as head of U.S. European Command (EUCOM) at Stuttgart, Germany.

PUERTO RICO The spiraling debt crisis reaches a milestone as the territory defaults on its largest bond payment yet, missing nearly USD370 million of $420 million that was due today, and warns of an even greater default to come if the U.S. Congress doesnt approve a restructuring bill.

SERBIA reacted with outrage against UEFAs decision to accept the former province of Kosovo as its 55th member, saying yesterday it will fight the decision by all legal means. UEFAs 28-24 vote in favor of Kosovos acceptance is a warning that we live in the world of interest and politics, and not justice and rules, Serbias Foreign Ministry said.
BELLEVUE  The Bellevue Chamber of Commerce says it plans to disband because of low participation of its members.

The decision came a few months after Janet Duffy said she would like to resign as president during the January meeting. It was also suggested that the chamber consider combining with the Hailey Chamber, and transfer the Labor Day Parade to another group.

Chamber members are encouraged to join the Hailey Chamber of Commerce instead.

The volunteer nature of our board and staff makes it difficult for us to maintain momentum, Bellevue Chamber board member Erin Crawford said in a statement.

As part of the transition process, the Hailey Chamber of Commerce is offering all current Bellevue Chamber members a one-time, 2016 introductory membership for $60.

Were hoping the Bellevue business community will take advantage of this great deal and learn about all the benefits a Chamber membership brings their business, said Hailey Chamber Membership Director Jeff Bacon. Our goal is to help build a vibrant business environment in all our communities.

The Hailey Chamber of Commerce reported in March that membership has grown continuously over the last decade, up 89 percent from 2006. The Chamber represents organizations from all over Southern Idaho, including Hailey, Ketchum, Sun Valley, Bellevue, Boise and Twin Falls.

Bellevues Labor Day festivities will continue to be produced by an entity within Bellevue. For information about the celebration, call Bellevue City Hall at 208-788-2128.
RUPERT  A car door ding in a parking lot at Maverik Country Store escalated to a gun threat Wednesday, police say.

James Anthony Knighton, 48, of Rupert, is charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault and a misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident after police say he pulled a gun on the cars owner who called the cops and was trying to prevent him from leaving. Police say he also tried to hit the car owners father with his pickup before fleeing the convenience store.

Police say a man driving a 2011 Black Ford Mustang called police after Knighton parked next to him and his father in a handicapped parking place and opened the door to his GMC pickup truck striking the car with his door.

Store surveillance video showed the two arguing, Knighton going into the store, the man calling police and attempting to make Knighton stay at the scene.

The video showed the car owner running after Knightons pickup and hanging onto the pickup bed, Knighton pulling out the Ruger Blackhawk .41 caliber magnum revolver, but police could not tell by the video whether he pointed it at the man, court documents said. The video also shows Knighton putting his pickup in reverse and driving towards the mans father.

Knighton told police he drove towards the mans father because the mans father punched his truck with keys in his hand. Police say the surveillance video did not confirm that.

Knighton said he put the pickup in reverse like I was going to hit him, court documents said.

He acknowledged that he retrieved the gun from the pickup console but denies pointing it at the man.

Police found two rounds in the guns cylinder and a few more on the dash.

When police asked him why he fled the scene he said I had things to do.

Police say Knighton also told the two men to go back to Mexico.

But Knighton told police he served two tours of duty in Desert Storm and he is not racist.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for May 11. Knighton is held at the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center in lieu of $2,500 bond.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story included a paragraph with the incorrect last name for Knighton.
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COEUR DALENE (AP)  A city in northern Idaho has settled a lawsuit brought by wedding chapel owners who oppose same sex marriage.

Coeur dAlene agreed Friday to pay the Hitching Post $1,000, but not to change its non-discrimination ordinance, reported The Coeur dAlene Press. The citys ordinance makes it illegal to discriminate because of sexual orientation but includes an exception for religious organizations.

The Alliance Defending Freedom sued Coeur dAlene on behalf of Hitching Post Weddings owners Donald and Evelyn Knapp, who say the ordinance violated their right to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.

The Hitching Post filed paperwork declaring itself a religious organization shortly after Idahos same-sex marriage ban was struck down by an October 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision. The Knapps sued the next day.

The majority of the case was dismissed last month. The court, however, denied a motion to dismiss the Hitching Posts standing to bring a claim for economic injuries that occurred when it closed on October 15, 2014.

Rather than using the taxpayers money on defending our ordinance, we felt spending $1,000 was worth it to get out of it, said City Attorney Mike Gridley said on Monday. One of the things they wanted was for us to amend the ordinance, but that wont happen now. The ordinance will remain unchanged.

But Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jonathan Scruggs said he thinks his side ended up with the better deal.

From my perspective, its definitely a win, said Scruggs. I equate the defendants offer of judgment to a forfeit.
TWIN FALLS  In letters to the editor and online comments from supporters of county commissioner Leon Mills, two charges have cropped up more than once  that his opponent, Don Hall, moved into the district to run, and that the cost of the new Twin Falls City Hall, which was largely planned out during Halls time as mayor, has gone up by a lot.

Both accusations are true  Hall did rent a house in District 2 early last year, previously having lived at the eastern edge of the city in District 3. And the City Council voted in February of this year to raise the maximum budget for the City Hall/Public Safety Complex project from roughly $7.1 million to $9.5 million.

But whether the barbs are fair is a matter of opinion. Hall says his years of living and working in Twin Falls make him better suited to represent District 2, which includes much of the city, than District 3, where most of the people live in the smaller communities east of Twin Falls. As for the City Hall cost, Hall and others involved in the project on the citys end say the cost went up because the design changed to accommodate what the city needed in its future City Hall after the site was chosen.

Estimating project value without knowing what the actual need is, is difficult, said Clint Sievers, associate architect at Hummel Architects, the firm designing the project.

County commissioners need to live in the district they are running to represent but are elected at large by voters throughout the county. Hall and the incumbent Mills are facing off in the Republican primary on May 17, and nobody else has filed to run, meaning unless there is an upset write-in campaign, the winner will be the next commissioner. Hall is on the City Council and has said he plans to step down should he be elected commissioner in November.

Mills said he doesnt know why Hall moved, especially since the District 3 commissioner seat is also on the ballot this year.

Im not really sure why he didnt just run there, Mills said.

George Urie, who lives in Hansen, is the District 3 incumbent, and Jack Johnson of Murtaugh is challenging him in the GOP primary. The winner will face Democrat Jill Skeem of Kimberly in the fall.

Mills said he has lived in District 2, which covers most of the city of Twin Falls, his entire life, except for some brief periods as a young child. He wondered why Halls campaign signs, unlike his, dont specify the district, and said he suspects Hall would move back to District 3 should he lose the primary.

Its not really an issue to me, Mills said of Halls residence. I just dont really understand it from a point of view (of) still making a house payment and renting a house.

Hall says he moved both to run and to be closer to downtown, and that his years of experience in Twin Falls as a police officer, City Council member and in other roles make him better suited to represent District 2 than District 3.

I felt a calling to move and run for county commissioner, Hall said. I didnt feel that I have the knowledge that those individuals that live in those specific communities have about their issues.

Hall said he doesnt consider his moving to be an issue.

I think its just something that if you can place doubt in peoples minds when they go into the voter booth, thats what theyre after, he said.

As for City Hall, the City Council voted in December 2014 to make the former Banner furniture building downtown Twin Falls next City Hall. The city is in the middle of the project, which will end next year with most city offices in the Banner building and the police station and City Hall being renovated into a new Public Safety Complex.

One of the main arguments in favor of the Banner building option was that it would be cheaper than buying and renovating the former Twin Falls Hospital and Clinic, which was the second option. The citizens committee that recommended the Banner building option was working with an estimate that buying and renovating the Banner building would cost about $5 million total, compared with almost $10 million for the clinic option.

We need to remember, it was a community group of citizens that recommended that location, Hall said. Frankly, we got a screaming deal on the building.

Hall took issue with the characterization of the project as being over budget, as some of Mills supporters have said.

Obviously, its more than we anticipated at the beginning, he said. But that was prior to doing any programming on the building.

Mills said that the cost strikes him as high  he said he is a little more conservative personally when it comes to spending  but that its the City Councils call.

They want to do that, thats what theyre elected to do, Mills said. And thats the choices they make.

So why did the estimated project cost jump more than $2 million? The initial estimates, Sievers said, were allowances based on assumptions. He compared it to an individual trying to work a new car into their personal budget before they know exactly what kind of car they want.

The updated plans include several things that werent part of the original estimate, such as sinking the new City Council chambers into the basement of the Banner building, a new roof on the police department and another 1,000 square feet for an interview room.

And, the architects found the second-floor mezzanine at the Banner building would have to be extended into a full second floor to accommodate the building, planning and zoning and engineering departments on that floor, adding about 6,000 square feet and $800,000 to the project  still cheaper, Sievers said, than trying to expand it down the road instead of up front. And, Sievers said, the $9.5 million number could drop.

Were not going to know the exact numbers of these costs until we bid the project, he said.

Almost $1 million for the City Hall/Public Safety Complex project is coming from building permit impact fees, with the rest to come from city reserves.
TWIN FALLS  Some supporters of the challenger in the race for Twin Falls County Sheriff are drawing attention to lawsuits filed against the sheriffs office over the past few years.

Those arent going to go away, Cliff Katona, who is looking to unseat incumbent Tom Carter in the Republican primary on May 17, told the Times-News editorial board. So why has there been so many sexual harassment lawsuits and cost Twin Falls County money? ICRMP almost dropped the county.

Katona said he would demand a respectful workplace free of intimidation, free of harassment and free of rumors, and that he wouldnt tolerate harassment or intimidation of employees if elected.

If you wouldnt say it to your wife, your mom, your daughter, your grandmother, you shouldnt say it, he said.

Carter, who is running for his third term, said he couldnt comment on pending cases, but that there is nothing he can do about people filing lawsuits.

Mr. Katona can say whatever he wants about my character, Carter said. Ive got 30 years in this business right here, and Im confident the citizens know what my character is.

Two lawsuits have been filed by women who used to work at the sheriffs office within the past few years alleging patterns of gender-related harassment and discrimination, according to federal court records. One was settled three years ago, and the second, involving two former deputies, is still in court, with a civil trial scheduled for August.

Im not a racist and Im not a sexist, Carter said. Say what you want about me other than that, but (those) two things I am not.

Federal court filings show one lawsuit was filed by an inmate in 2015, two in 2014 (another suit was quickly dismissed because the allegations were similar to another suit the same inmate had filed), two in 2013 and four in 2012. Of them, court records show two are pending and the others were settled or dismissed.

Carter said lawsuits go with the territory at the jail.

Jail is the biggest liability you have in this business, he said.

Under federal law, the county must pay the plaintiffs legal fees even if only a token settlement is awarded, which Carter said can drive up costs. The biggest settlement from a jail-related case in his tenure, he said, stemmed from an excessive force suit. He said that, while the allegations were not true, the county decided to settle because the camera system hadnt been working at the time in the section of the jail where the alleged abuse took place.

Thats why they settled is what they told me, Carter said.

Carter is likely referring to a suit Kody Gambrel filed in 2012, alleging he was assaulted by several deputies  court filings in the case and news stories from the time refer to missing audio and video footage  although the sheriffs office couldnt confirm this on Monday.

As for the sex discrimination lawsuits, one filed in 2014 by former deputies Becky White and Susan Stringer is set to go to trial in August. The suit alleges a pattern of discrimination against them in particular and against women who work there in general. The county is fighting the allegations in court.

The suit says White was bypassed for promotion and that Stringer was demoted from a staff sergeant position and replaced by a man; that they were paid less than the men and denied training opportunities the men had; and that there was a pervasive atmosphere of sexual harassment by Carter and other male managers, such as comments at staff meetings about menopause, about women being crazy and emotional, that they didnt need shotguns because they were females, that females, including themselves, were lying bitches, and offensive remarks about their sex lives, getting laid and whoring around, according to the complaint.

Both women say they were forced out of their jobs in retaliation after White was named in a complaint Gerlyn Sam Walker filed with the Idaho Human Rights Commission and after Stringer filed a complaint with the IHRC herself.

Walker, who was named chief deputy in 2009 but was demoted in 2011 and subsequently resigned, sued in 2012. She made numerous allegations of sex-based harassment and discrimination, such as that Carter left her out of administrative meetings that men attended, gave men perks she didnt get such as letting them leave work for personal reasons regularly, and that he made sexist comments himself and refused to discipline other employees who also did.

Walker and the county settled out of court in January 2013. The county also settled, in 2013, a lawsuit filed by Joanne Hom, a former administrative secretary in the sheriffs office who said she changed to an earlier 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. schedule because of a disability but was pushed out when her bosses tried to force her back to an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift that she said would have been harder for her to work because of her condition.

Exactly what suits involving the sheriffs office have cost the county is difficult to ascertain. The Idaho Counties Risk Management Program, the countys insurer, pays both settlement costs and legal fees, said county Commissioner Leon Mills. Cases that are settled usually include confidentiality clauses, and, Mills said, he couldnt comment on them.

Mills did say lawsuits were a factor in an increase in the countys insurance premiums a couple of years ago. While the countys premiums have gone up significantly in recent years, litigation costs are only one of a number of factors there  the biggest jumps were in the period from the 2012 to 2014 fiscal years, which overlaps with a couple of settlements but also with the move to County West. ICRMP also insures the countys buildings.

The size of the countys payroll is also part of the formula, so insurance costs will go up as the number of employees and their wages increase. Overall, premiums were $350,639 in the 2012 fiscal year, $389,934 in 2013, $481,959 in 2014, $496,418 in 2015 and $531,663 for the current fiscal year, according to county Clerk Kristina Glascock.
We dont use monetary policy and we dont use energy policy and we dont use economic policy for political purposes. When we invest, we invest as investors. When we sell oil, we sell oil as traders.

The statement was made by Saudi foreign minister Abdel al-Jubeir in reaction to a report published last month by the New York Times claiming that Saudi Arabia threatened to sell up to $750billion worth of its assets in the US if a controversial law is passed. The law would remove immunity from foreign governments and allow victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to sue the Saudi government for any contingency involvement in the attacks.

The Saudi Foreign Minister said the report was ridiculous and nonsense as he denied that Riyadh threatened Washington. He however warned that the passing of the bill would cause an erosion of investor confidence in the US and would not only push away Saudi investors but all investors.

The bill, if passed, would turn the world international law into the law of the jungle because it would be stripping the principle of sovereign immunities.

US president Barack Obama is against the bill and has been lobbying against it. Minister Jubeir claimed that every country in the world is opposed to it.

One of the key principles of international law is covering diplomats and government representatives with immunity and the most drastic sanction against them is the declaration of personae non grata, which obliges a forceful departure before a given timeframe or else the concerned person is considered as any other ordinary migrant in the country.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and the US have been under test in recent times as pressure increases for the 28 censored pages of the US government report of the September 11 attacks to be made public as some believe that it highlights the Saudis role as 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens.

John Brennan, the director of the CIA, warned against making conclusions because this chapter was kept out because of concerns about sensitive source of methods, investigative actions adding that it was a preliminary review that put information in there that was not corroborated, not vetted and not deemed to be accurate.
By Emmanuel Vitus, Accra.

An Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) integrated oil and gas project undertaken by ENi Ghana, would generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity daily, the West African nations president said on Sunday.

The Italian oil giant ENi would also produce a non-associated gas of 180 standard cubic feet per day for a period of not less than 20 years.

According to President John Dramani Mahama, ENi Ghana, the operator of the OCTP oil and gas project, in collaboration with Vitol Upstream Ghana Ltd and the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), which were non-operating partners, had joined forces to deal with the energy crisis in the country.

The Minister for Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said the project had the potential to develop and change lives of residents of the region where the project is setting up.

The Managing Director of ENi Ghana, Fabio Cavanna, said the facility would generate 80,000 barrels of oil a day and provide 1,500 indirect jobs to Ghanaians.

Ghanas energy crisis has worsened in recent times, hitting businesses hard, with authorities blaming the situation on low water levels in the Akosombo Dam and lack of gas to power the countrys thermal plants.

Industries are laying-off workers, domestic power consumers are complaining of destruction of household appliances, while cold store operators are grouchy over their rotten fish and meat products due to persistent erratic supply.

Economic growth in Ghana, once investors favorite in Africa, has been slowed by a fiscal crisis that has forced the government to seek International Monetary Fund support and undermined its reputation abroad for financial mismanagement.
President Alassane Ouattara of Cote dIvoire, on Sunday, called for a breakup of electricity and water monopolies to reduce prices in the country.

The move comes amid growing public concern over price increases in the west-African nation.

In January, electricity prices jumped by 5 percent, but some customers saw rates rise by as much as 40 percent, according to the government.

This situation reminds us of the need to open up the water and electricity sectors to competition, President Ouattara said in a Labor Day speech.

It is competition that will lower the price of electricity. Im calling on all who wish to invest in this sector to do it so we can have a healthy competition that will allow to control prices and bring the cost of electricity down, he said.

Electricity distribution is controlled by Cie Ivoirienne dElectricitee, or CIE, a unit of Eranove SA which is 56 percent-owned by private equity firm Emerging Capital Partners and 19 percent by Axa SA.

Ive asked the prime minister to plan for a distribution of electricity by many companies, Ouattara said.

President Ouattaras chief accomplishment in his first term was an economic turnaround that has made the country the second fastest growing economy in Africa over the past three years.

The World Bank has rated Cote dIvoire in the top 10 most improved places to do business for the past two years.
Kuwaiti telecom firm Zain has agreed to buy 92.3 per cent stake in Sudanese fixed line operator Canar from Abu Dhabi-listed Etisalat.

Under the agreement, the Sudanese subsidiary of Kuwaits Zain will buy Etisalats 92.3% stake in Sudanese operator Canar Telecommunication Company Limited for $95.2m, Reuters reported on Monday.

The transaction remains subject to certain conditions, including the approval of the Sudanese National Telecommunications Corporation and the Sudanese competition authorities, Etisalat said in a statement.

The agreement will help enhance Zains presence in Sudan, where it is among the top mobile operators by number of subscribers and has been looking to add a fixed-line license.

Sudan accounted for 19 percent of Zains revenue and 26 percent of its subscribers in 2015.

It reported a 77 percent rise in 2015 profit to 1.04 billion Sudanese pounds. In dollar terms, the profit rose by 66 percent.

Two years ago, Etisalat, which operates in 16 countries, bought an additional 45 percent stake in Canar. Like other Gulf Arab telecom firms, Etisalat has been hunting for foreign assets as it faces growing competition in the home market, where its monopoly was broken last year.

In October 2015, it took over Tanzanias fourth operator Zanzibar Telecom and in September bought an additional 40 percent stake in a new telecom firm in Nigeria.
Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday said about $15 billion  equal to about half the countrys foreign currency reserves  was stolen from Nigerias public purse under the previous government through fraudulent arms procurement deals.

Osinabjo who spoke at the book presentation of the Ibadan-based elite group, House of Lords said the total sum lost to corruption related to the provision of security equipment to the military amounted to around $15 billion.

The Africa most-populous nation is going through its worst economic crisis in decades due to the drop in global crude prices.

In January, the government have arrested 55 people who were government ministers, state governors, public officials, bankers and businessmen involved in corruption and fraud cases of about $6.8 billion.

Also, corruption charges have been levelled against former military chiefs and companies accused of involvement in an alleged arms procurement fraud during the tenure of Buharis predecessor Goodluck Jonathan. They have pleaded not guilty.

Osinbajo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said: When you look at the sheer amount of money that have been embezzled, the sheer amount of money lost from any of these various cases of corruption, you will find that far too much has been lost.
Eight young Georgians compete at Cannes Young Lions Competitions

Eight Georgian "young lions are ready to compete at the worlds biggest advertisement festival in France.The "young lions were selected after winning special domestic competitions for the Cannes Young Lions Competitions. The competitions are regarded as one of the worlds most prestigious events in the communication and marketing industry.Earlier this month, dozens of aspiring Georgians took part in a series of local Cannes Young Lions Competitions, which ended with eight "young lions being selected to represent Georgia at the international Cannes Lions festival in June to compete alongside some of the worlds best young creative minds.This year, Georgia will send four groups of two people to the competition. The winning teams were chosen by a 30 person jury.The winners were revealed in the following categories: Category Print  winner ABK  Levan Melikishvili and Irakli Asatiani; Category Young Marketer  winner Bank of Georgia  Ana Markozashvili and Nino Ungiadze; Category Design  winner ABK  Mikheil Todua and Sandro Laliashvili; and Category Cyber  winner Leavingstone  Giorgi Avaliani and Anano Miminoshvili.In June these eight people will depart for Cannes with the support of Georgias Innovation and Technology Agency.In total, 232 applicants from 33 local advertising agencies and 45 marketing companies registered for the Cannes Young Lions Competition in Georgia.Last year, pioneering Georgian advertising company Leavingstone was recognised at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the most notable event in the creative communications industry.Last year Georgia and the Cannes Lions signed a cooperation agreement, which gave the country the right to be an official representative of all events under the umbrella of Cannes Lions. These events are: Cannes Lions, Eurobest, Lions Health, Lions Innovation, Spikes Asia, Dubai Lynx and the Asian Marketing Effectiveness and Strategy Awards.Georgias Ministry of Economics explained last year that Georgia participated in only one category as a pilot regime while this year the country was involved in all four categories.
WB allocates $1B, EIB 1B to TANAP

The World Bank plans to allocate $1 billion for The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), APA-Economics reports citing to the Hurriyet newspaper.At the same time, the European Investment Bank will allocate 1 bln to TANAP.According to a source in the bank, the World Bank intends to be a part of TANAP: Well provide financial assistance to BOTAS to the amount of $1 bln. At the same time, we are also collaborating with the European Investment Bank. SOCAR has 58% equity in TANAP, BOTAS 30 and BP 12%. These shareholders fund the project in accordance with their equity. EIB is going to invest in TANAP. Under the sharing, BOTAS is to invest $3 bln in TANAP. For this purpose, BOTAS will attract $1 bln from WB, 1 bln from EIB.The first gas transportation via TANAP is planned to be carried out in 2018. The 1,850 km pipeline will deliver 10 bcm to Europe once it is connected to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) by 2020. By 2023, TANAP's capacity will rise to 23 bcm per year and then to 31 bcm by 2026.The construction of the Trans Anadolu Gas Pipeline (TANAP) has been estimated to cost $10-$11 billion,TANAP shareholders: SOCAR (58%), BOTAS (30%), BP (12%).
Georgias Ambassador to US highlights importance of PMs American trip

By Messenger Staff

The Ambassador of Georgia to the United States, Archil Gegeshidze, says that Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvilis visit to the United Nations will strengthen the Georgian-American relationship and will be a strong stimulus for its expansion.According to him, during this visit, relations between the two countries will be discussed and new perspectives will be devised.Gegeshidze said that Georgian-American relations are exemplary in the region."We can proudly say that our relationship is exemplary in the region. The ongoing efforts for the development of our cooperation can be seen in the results achieved. More commitment and motivation will further strengthen these relations," said Gegeshidze.Prime Minister Kvirikashvili will stay in the US until April 28.The PMs Press-Service reports Kvirikashvili will hold a meeting with U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, along with meetings in the Senate and House of Representatives.In addition, Giorgi Kvirikashvili will meet representatives of leading U.S. businesses and NGOs. He will also hold meetings with the World Bank President and the IMF Deputy Director.He will then deliver speeches at the U.S. Institute of Peace and Illinois University. The PM will also hold a meeting with Georgian students living in Boston.Prior to the upcoming parliamentary elections, this type of trip to a strategic partner nation is of the utmost importance.Americas support in various directions, especially in terms of NATO integration and boosting Georgias self-defence capabilities, has been vital.Prior to the NATO Warsaw summit and amid Russias aggression on Georgian soil, Georgia requires attention and open support from its strategic partners.At this stage, Georgia requires more international attention, as the United States is involved in pre-election campaigning of its own, which has shifted Washington's focus to domestic issues.
The News in Brief

U.S. Envoy to NATO Sees No Expansion of Alliance in Next Several Years or Even Longer



There is no way of reaching consensus among NATO members on extending membership to Georgia or Ukraine any time in the near future, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, said on April 22.



Responding to a question at the Aspen Security Forum in London if Russia now has a veto on NATO expansion, Lute responded: I think Russia plays an important part in the strategic environment, and the strategic environment will put a brake on NATO expansion.



If you accept the premises that weve heard here [during panel discussion] about Russias internal weakness, and perhaps steady decline and so forth, it may not make sense to push further now and maybe accelerate or destabilize that decline, so in practical terms I dont think there is going to be much additional room over the next several years, or perhaps even longer, for additional NATO expansion, he said.



The policy line, of course, is that the open door remains open in policy terms it wont go away, we wont set it aside, but in practical terms I dont think there is much chance of expansion over the next several years, the U.S. ambassador said.



Noting that the decision on expansion requires the consensus of all 28 member states, Lute also added: Theres no way were going to get consensus any time in the near future on adding Georgia or Ukraine.

(Civil.ge)







Abkhazian exposition in Montenegro shuts down on Georgias request



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia filed an official complaint with the authorities of Montenegro, as a result of which Montenegrin police shut down an Abkhazian tourism exposition.



The Abkhazian exposition was a part of an international tourism fair called the International Tourism Exchange, Tourism Fair, Equipment for Hotels and Catering (METUBES 2016) in the seaside town of Budva in Montenegro.



According to the president of Abkhazias Chamber of Commerce, Gennadi Gagulia, Montenegrin police covered the exposition with tarp following Abkhazias refusal to remove it from the fair.



By the end of the day, police surrounded our pavilion. The government of Montenegro instructed them to immediately close our exposition. They said that Montenegros MFA received a complaint from the MFA of Georgia. After we categorically refused to comply, they realised that they couldnt remove us by force, so they brought a tarp and covered the exposition with it from all sides, Mr Gagulia told Sputnik Abkhazia.



Abkhazia already participated this year in international tourism fairs in France, Hungary and Russia.



Georgia habitually tries to prevent Abkhazian participation in international political, cultural, and sporting events, where it is presented as an independent state.



Georgia considers Abkhazia a territory occupied by Russia and does not recognise its independence, which has only been acknowledged by four UN member states. All other states consider Abkhazia a de jure part of Georgia.

(DF WATCH)







Up to 150 Georgian soldiers return from Afghanistan



Georgian soldiers are soon to return from Afghanistan, IPN was told by the Ministry of Defense.



According to the agency, 150 servicemen of the 22nd battalion of II Infantry Brigade were met by the Deputies of the Chief of General Staff, Colonel Omar Begoidze and Colonel Nicholas Agladze, as well as the Western Command Commander, Colonel Shalva Dzhabahidze.



"We are implementing a planned rotation. Within this rotation 150 servicemen have just come back to Georgia. The rotation will end by late April. They performed their tasks at Bagram Air Base with a great deal of professionalism. The task was to protect the security of the base, and a new unit has already started performing this task," said the First Deputy Chief of General Staff, Colonel Omar Begoidze.



The 22nd Battalion was replaced by the 52nd Battalion of the V Infantry Brigade. In a few weeks the 22nd Battalion will completely return to the homeland.

(ipn)







Expert says UNM may stage provocations



"It depends on society as to how realistic this plan is. If voters are passive during the elections (it is already visible), a certain percentage may support the United National Movement. If voters do not participate in the elections, their percentage rate will increase. The UNM will not be able to gain the majority of votes in order to completely control Parliament, but, more or less, a competitive political situation may be created. This is one way. In my opinion, the UNM is also thinking about another tool, which Saakashvili heavily relies on. If the UNM gains the same number of votes or less than the Georgian Dream party does, depending on the NDI and IRI's studies, it will say that the elections were rigged and will try to destabilize the situation in Georgia. After that, the election results will be useless. If they fail to arrange destabilization, they will still continue to struggle abroad with the same logic in order for the government to be under duress. The UNM has conceived such a revolutionary way to fight. In this case, Saakashvili's arrival in Georgia, of course, will be more logical, because it will not matter whether or not he is a citizen of Georgia, political expert Sakvarelidze told PirWeli. Yesterday Mikheil Saakashvili told Rustavi-2 that the UNM would win the elections and after which he would return to Georgia.

(Pia.ge)




@ByKristenMClark

The Legislature's approval of a massive education bill and other innovative policies this spring has reinvigorated the "school choice" movement in Florida, a key Miami-Dade lawmaker said Tuesday.

In the past few years, "there was a complacency," state Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, said. "What I heard from my colleagues was, 'so much has been done, we have to see what works.' Im saying, 'we don't have time for that.'

"I was pleasantly surprised this session," he added. "The stars aligned and we were able to push some things through... a lot of revolutionary things."

And Floridians can expect that wave of policies to continue in upcoming legislative sessions, said Diaz -- who's in line to be the next chairman of either the House Education Committee or the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee under incoming speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes.

"It's clearly awoken," Diaz said of the push for school choice. "There is a political will you see in the incoming leadership; there is a fire burning. Were headed in that direction and theyll be a charge led from the top."

Diaz's remarks came during a luncheon in downtown Miami on Tuesday about the benefits of school choice in Florida. The discussion was sponsored by the James Madison Institute -- a Tallahassee-based free market think tank, which supports school choice policies.

More here.

Photo credit: Republican State Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., center, speaks during a panel discussion about educational choice, sponsored by the James Madison Institute, on Tuesday at the the InterContinental Miami Hotel. (Sabrina Paz Riesgo / Influence Communications)
Three former chief justices of the Florida Supreme Court and a group of legal scholars and death penalty opponents want the state's highest court to overturn hundreds of death sentences in Florida.

Former chief justices Harry Lee Anstead, Rosemary Barkett and Gerald Kogan issued a friend-of-the-court brief in the pending case of Timothy Lee Hurst, a death row inmate from Pensacola whose precedent-setting case resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court declaring Florida's death row sentencing system unconstitutional. Justices will hear oral arguments Thursday on Hurst's petition to have his death sentence reduced to life without parole for first-degree murder.

The former justices write that "a straightforward application" of Florida's death penalty law should now be interpreted to mean that "persons previously sentenced to death for a capital felony prior to the decision in Hurst v. Florida are entitled to have their death sentences replaced by sentences replaced by sentences of life without parole." If the court agrees with that argument, all 390 inmates currently awaiting death for capital crimes would spend the rest of their lives in state prison.

Anstead, Barkett and Kogan were all appointed by Democratic governors and were widely considered to be liberals on the seven-member court.

In their brief, the justices were joined by Sandy D'Alemberte, a former American Bar Association president, FSU president and state legislator; Martha Barnett, a retired senior partner of the Holland & Knight law firm; Henry (Hank) Coxe, a Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer and former president of the Florida Bar; the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Florida Capital Resource Center; and Florida Center for Capital Representation at the FIU College of Law in Miami.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, on behalf of Florida's 20 million residents, has taken the position that executions in Florida should continue.
BILLINGS  Millions of patients each year in the United States suffer from chronic wounds  those that haven't healed long after they should have  and caring for them accounts for billions of dollars in annual spending.

And with obesity and diabetes rates skyrocketing in recent decades, the need for such services has only grown, while the field of caring for chronic wounds has become its own specialization, with centers and departments popping up across the country, including in Montana.

"Ten years ago we didn't have wound care specialists, and a lot of these patients just fell through the cracks," said Dr. Tim Dernbach, a cardiovascular surgeon and medical director of St. Vincent Healthcare's Wound Healing Center.

Chronic wounds are characterized by hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen reaching the surrounding tissue, which in turn leads to bacteria thriving in the affected area and keeping the wound from healing, even over a period of months.

Common chronic wounds include ulcers  including diabetic, pressure, arterial, atypical and a number of other types  as well as radiation injuries, problematic skin grafts or flaps, osteomyelitis and other wounds that haven't healed after 30 days or so.

Dernbach said that people who just go to an emergency department or get a short inpatient hospital stay for chronic wounds usually won't get the continued care and treatment they need and that 90 percent will return to the hospital if they're only admitted to the ED.

"There are people who've had these wounds for two, three, four years and they wouldn't heal," he said. "It markedly devalues the quality of life. These wounds, without appropriate care, will never heal."

***

At centers such as St. Vincent's Wound Healing Center in Billings, there are a number of treatment options. They include: extended time in hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which forces oxygen into the areas not getting enough to promote healing and the growth of new blood vessels; advanced dressings; removal of dead tissue; vascular work; reconstruction; or skin substitutes or grafts in the affected area.

Mark White, director of wound care and hyperbarics, said that the center employs a team of experts  including two plastic surgeons, a general surgeon, an interventional radiologist, an infectious disease doctor, three vascular surgeons, a primary care doctor, a podiatrist and numerous support staff  to treat a growing number of patients.

"It has just exploded," he said of the chronic wound care industry.

Chronic wounds affect as many as 6.5 million patients per year in the U.S., with more than $25 billion spent on treatment.

With drastic increases in both obesity and diabetes  a recent World Health Organization said that diabetes rates nearly quadrupled worldwide between 1980 and 2014, from 108 million adults living with the disease to 422 million  the number of patients with chronic wounds is expected to increase in the coming years as well.

One of the most common wounds seen at the St. Vincent Center is diabetic ulcers. The American Podiatric Medical Assocation says they form in an estimated 15 percent of diabetes patients, most often on the bottom of the foot.

Due to what Dernbach called "diabetic foot neuropathy," some patients might lose feeling in their feet, making it tough to know if there's a wound right away.

But, interest in the field is increasing to meet the demand. Both Billings hospitals have wound care centers, and a number of other health care facilities across the state offer at least some related services as well.

When the Wound Healing Center first opened in 2012, it had 2,500 patient visits in its first year.

In 2015, it saw 8,100 visits.

***

Last year, St. Vincent presented its first wound care conference, drawing more than 100 medical professionals and students from the region to spend two days learning about the issue.

This year's conference on April 14 and 15 drew even more people, and Dernbach said that more than 100 people have visited the center during the past year to observe.

"It's really exciting for us to see this many people here," he said.

Among the attendees  both at the conference and visits to the center  are students in Rocky Mountain's Master of Physician Assistant Studies program.

For the last two years, staff from the center has been providing guest lectures to the students, who in turn spend a day shadowing staff during day-to-day operations.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for them to get out in the community, to see what our Billings medical community has to offer," said Heather Heggem, the PA program's director. "Each student gets a very individualized approach."

It's also a field that brings together a number of the program's modules  including infectious diseases, endocrinology and vascular disease  while allowing the PA students to get out and interact with patients.

"It really does combine a lot of great medicine," Heggem said.

White said that it's important for those learning medicine to get some experience with chronic wound care, but that many newly graduated doctors, nurses and PAs might not have done so.

Students like those in Rocky's PA program, as well as physicians on rotation as part of residency programs, who do spend time there are important throughout Montana because of that growing need.

"They're the tip of the spear for Eastern Montana," he said. "If a PA or a doctor didn't have an understanding of what they're looking at, what they're diagnosing, it can make care more difficult."

Wound care can be complicated and can take a while, but Dernbach said that early treatment with advanced techniques can save time and money in the long run.

If left untreated, he said, it can have lasting effects on a person's life, from keeping them from going out and socializing to affecting their personal relationships, not to mention constantly dealing with an often painful wound.

"We're all just doing the best we can to make the patient better," he said. "If you've got a wound that's still there three or four weeks later, come in and get it evaluated. Don't wait six or eight months."
Springtime in the Flathead with its bright sunlight, a glittering Flathead Lake, snow-capped mountain peaks, blossoming cherry trees, and cattle and calves grazing in green pastures is always welcome after the cold, often gray days of winter. Its a soul-stirring sight to behold, and to be appreciated.

Is it any wonder that water is such an item of interest far beyond this valley, reservation and state?

But it is envied  particularly in downstream, populated areas. During World War II, the federal government wanted to add two feet to the height of Kerr Dam with the intent of increasing hydroelectric power, flood control, etc.

Considerable lake-area flooding would result as the lake elevation rose to affect not only Polson and other lake communities but also Kalispell.

Western Montanans sent delegations to Washington, D.C., where they were successful in persuading Congress to abandon the idea. Mike Mansfield was an effective voice for those protesting the project.

Maynard Nixon of Polson drew a cartoon for the Flathead Courier depicting a man fishing from the light tower on top of the Beacon Tire Company building.

Post-war project ideas that would have affected Flathead Lake included proposed major dam constructions  Paradise, Knowles. Only Hungry Horse Dam and Libby Dam were successful.

About 1964, the Ralph Parsons Co. of Los Angeles proposed the gigantic North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA), which proposed adding height to Kerr, which would create a 500-mile-long reservoir along the Rocky Mountain Trench into Canada. A system of canals and tunnels would carry water to dry lands in the southwest United States as far as Mexico. That project never reached serious hearing stage.

Also in the 1960s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a dredging project that would remove the natural block at the outlet of Flathead Lake at Polson. The obstruction prevents the lake level from going below 2,883 feet elevation. Flathead Lake area residents twice protested loudly locally, in Helena and in Washington, D.C.

Fear was expressed that it would enable downstream states in dry years to supplement their water resources for industrial and other purposes to drain Flathead Lake and create virtual mud flats bordering this popular resort area.

The present operating agreement between local, state, tribal, federal and Bonneville Power authorities seems to be a reasonable solution. The lake elevation is maintained between 2,883 and 2,893 feet. The level is drawn to near the minimum mark in the spring to allow for snow runoff, and is allowed to raise to about 2,890 feet by Memorial Day. Lake level is then brought up to full pond of 2,893 feet for the tourist season.

Area residents still must keep a close eye on things. The effects of global warming and climate change, increases of population, downstream demands for power, flood controls, drought conditions, etc., could influence persons and groups concerned with those possible threats.

Flathead Lakers, Inc. is a year-round sentinel keeping watch on developments. The Lakers is more than a group of lakeshore property owners. Its membership includes residents and groups from a much wider area.

There are other watchdogs, too, including area chambers of commerce, the confederated tribes, the University of Montana, service clubs and outdoor sporting groups. Keep alert.

***

Paul Fugleberg is a former editor and co-publisher of the Flathead Courier of Polson and the Ronan Pioneer. His freelance articles and photos have appeared in numerous national and regional magazines and newspapers, and he has written several books. He may be reached at pfugleberg@bresnan.net.
April showers did make an appearance, but April sunshine may have a bigger effect on May flowers and the rest of summers bounty.

April was not what Id call a good month, National Weather Service hydrologist Ray Nickless said on Monday. It was the hottest since we started taking records at the (Missoula International) Airport in 1948. And what started off as a nice April snowpack quickly melted off, especially at the low and mid-elevations.

Season-to-date snowfall in the Missoula area is 30.2 inches. Thats 7.7 inches less than average and about 4 inches less than the valley got last year. Kalispells snowfall for the year is 13.8 inches below average and 18 inches below April of last year.

Missoula tied a record high daily temperature on April 22, when the 82-degree mark matched the mark from 1934.

Kalispell notched two record highs during the month. The temperature on April 10 was 76 degrees, breaking the old mark of 71 from 1925. And on April 4, the high of 70 broke the old record of 69 set in 1987.

El Nino conditions are expected to weaken as the summer progresses. That should keep the Northwest warmer than average. Late winter and early spring got several abrupt weather patterns that delivered heavy rain followed by extended hot spells. That left drought conditions in parts of south-central Montana, according to the National Interagency Fire Centers May 1 outlook. The center called for slightly wetter than average conditions for the remaining spring and early summer months. Fire season should shift from grass-fuel blazes in eastern Montana in late June to heavy-fuel forest fires in western Montana starting in late July.

Those watching the rivers around western Montana may not see much spring flood potential.

Without a big rain event it will be tough to get any flooding, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Kitsmiller. Weve lost so much snow already, there isnt much left to come down.

This week will see whats possible for some of that melting, as a high-pressure ridge settles over western Montana for the next several days. The system could push temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal through Wednesday. While little moisture is in the forecast, theres a growing possibility of thunderstorm conditions developing by Thursday.
Sen. Steve Daines has co-sponsored a bill to push more research and development on using wood for tall building construction.

The Timber Innovation Act, S. 2892, was authored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan. It will be heard by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Fellow Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho and Democratic senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Maria Cantwell of Washington also co-sponsored the bill.

The bill would look for ways to use timber framing in buildings more than 85 feet or seven stories high. State and federal building codes typically call for concrete or metal framing for structures that tall.

The National Forest Products Lab and several U.S. colleges and universities would be asked to explore methods of designing wood beams and designs that could meet those codes.

There are many sound reasons why we support this bill, said Julia Altemus, executive director of the Montana Wood Products Association. Supporting the expansion of mass timber in commercial buildings creates jobs, while growing a market for timber products. It provides an incentive for private forest owners to keep their timberlands in private ownership and for timber resource managers to sustainably manage their resources.

American Forest Foundation President Tom Martin said the act would benefit about 35,000 private woodland owners in Montana who control more than 3 million acres of forest.

Techniques currently under consideration include a Canadian firms cross-laminated timber panel, which uses polyurethane glues and small timber pieces to make sheets stronger than concrete but one-fifth as heavy. The University of British Columbia has a project underway to build an 18-story student dorm out of wood.
Sam Resurrection. Mary Ann Coombs. Victor Vanderburg. Sackwoman.

A generation of Montanans who may have otherwise never heard those names and learned their places in Salish tradition have reference points thanks to Louis Adams.

The stories used to roll off his tongue with something akin to reverence. They wont any more.

Adams, as fit a man at 82 as youll ever see, passed away last Monday night, April 25, en route by ambulance to Missoula after suffering a heart attack.

It was one of those days that you know is going to come, but my dad had an aura of invincibility about him, Jason Adams said Monday. His kids and grandkids just thought Dad and Grandpa was going to be with us forever.

A Salish elder, cultural leader and tribal historian, Adams was one of the most imporant remaining window into a world that bridged cultures on and off the Flathead Indian Reservation in the early and middle 20th century.

I remember a Father was giving a sermon one time, Adams said in 2014 as he sat in St. John Berchman Catholic Church at the old Jocko Agency near Arlee. I was sitting over there with my folks. He said, In quietness and dignity shall be their strength.

And I looked around and thats who I saw, all these old people. Because they never spoke much, but when they did, youd better listen.

A group of Missoula teachers videotaped and interviewed Adams at sites that were especially important to his life, and Cheryl Hughes high school students at Missoula Sentinel edited the clips into a 15-minute video.

He was sort of a Buddhist spirit almost, Hughes said Monday. He had no vendetta, no anger. He was just wanting to share stories with these kids. I think he had such an impact with my students that theyre never going to forget him. Indian Education for All is Louis Adams.

Thompson Smith, who spoke at Adams funeral at the Arlee Community Center on Friday on behalf of the Salish Pend d'Oreille culture committee, said Adams talked about being beaten for speaking Salish in school and remembered the sign in the Park Hotel in Missoula next door to his fathers Christmas tree sales that read, No Indians or Dogs Allowed.

On a number of occasions, Adams also described in detail the forced removal of the Salish from their ancestral Bitterroot Valley in 1891.

But, said Smith, I dont remember Louie ever using the word racist or racism.

Smith, like fellow eulogists Earl Old Person and Smoke Elser, noted that most of Adams' stories focused on the old way of life of the Salish people, the closeness of the traditional community, and their respect for the land.

Hes been a hit with the students, said George Price, whose invitations to Adams to speak to Prices Introduction to Native American studies class at the University of Montana were routinely and gladly accepted. They really enjoy him and respect him. He could reach out across cultural and ethnic lines.

Kind of one of his core philosophies was that, I guess one of his elders taught him to see good in everybody, that everybody has goodness in him or her. He really believed that goodness could overcome the negative.

"He was one of my all-time favorites," said historian Hal Stearns, who was on the national Lewis and Clark, Montana and Nebraska bicentennial commissions. "We traveled together, we talked Lewis and Clark together. He was just such a delightful guy."

***

Adams retired in 2002 after 42 years in forestry, first with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and then as it transitioned to tribal management. He was active in affairs of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, serving on the tribal council off and on for more than 20 years starting in the mid-1970s. For the past decade or more Adams became a go-to source for school talks and history presentations.

We just relied on him, said Joe McDonald, co-founder and former president of Salish Kootenai College in Pablo. He was so immersed in Salish culture and he could tell the stories. He got very good at that. I wish Id had a tape recorder running. You take for granted things like that.

McDonald remembers the University of Montana calling him two years ago and asking who hed recommend to present a prayer and message at the dedication of the new Missoula College on East Broadway. He suggested Adams, who at the ceremony gestured to the UM campus across the river where his grandmother was born during the bitterroot harvest season.

He did such a nice job, before long he got an honorary degree from UM, McDonald said with a laugh.

As a young man, Adams was a jockey at area horse races. After he married he worked at the Diamond Match mill in Superior until the family house burned down. Jason Adams said his mother, Nadine, whom Louis had married after returning from the Navy and the Korean War, was pregnant with an older brother and barely escaped the flames and smoke.

He returned to his beloved Jocko area and soon launched his career in forestry, which included surveying work high in the mountains of the Jocko. It was and remains a magical country for the whole family, Jason said.

As McDonald understands it, Adams was well into his late 70s and was always the first one into this lake or that lake in the spring, cutting trail through the windfall.

The Bitterroot had a different kind of hold on Adams.

Two weeks ago, Louis called Jason and asked if hed accompany him to the Medicine Tree in the upper Bitterroot. Jason said he took the day off work and is glad he did.

The whole day was just a great day, he said. As soon as we got out of Missoula and into the Lolo area, boy, he just came alive. He started talking about what place name that mountain had, the area all his people used to go work.

As they made their way up the valley they passed the family land where Louis great-grandfather and his family used to go.

Id seen it before, Jason said, but this time we stopped along the road and he shared the story. "All the way down and all the way back, he was just telling stories and talking.

Growing up with seven siblings, Wed hear the same stories, but they were always new and rich, he added. Thats whats going to be the hard part, just missing stories like that.

***

In 2011, Adams accompanied Hughes class of freshmen up the West Fork of the Bitterroot, over Nez Perce Pass and into the rainy Selway River corridor.

The swollen Selway River roared past as Adams began drumming on a large hide drum inside a ranger station supply room and sang in a language foreign to the students who sat mesmerized in camp and lawn chairs.

Whenever something good is going to happen, we sing the honor song, he told them.

While the Selway was a traditional hunting ground for his people long before he was born, this was his first visit there.

When I come to places where my ancestors have been, I feel them, he said before he left. I feel at home, because when I look at this meadow I know this was a campground, and I imagine theres more of these through this area. Thats what it means to me. Its just like goin home.

Adams returned with the Sentinel class each of the succeeding four Junes, hiking with them at the top of the pass to the grave of his great-grandfather Francis Adams and telling the touching story of how the man came to be buried there in 1900.

Last year was the final time, Hughes said. Often family accompanied Adams, but this time they werent able to. At age 81, he drove from his home near Arlee the 100 or more miles by himself, gave his usual talk at Fales Flat on the Montana side of the pass, then made the steep hike to the grave at the top.

It was the last time she saw him, Hughes said, so it was a shock to learn from a friend last Monday night that Adams was gone.

Dad was a very eloquent public speaker and at those talks and around us hed always joke, Jason Adams said. Hed say, You know what I want my people to say about me in 50 years? He sure looks good for his age.
A Ronan man who is currently awaiting sentencing for a sexual assault was arrested in Missoula after prosecutors allege he tried to hit a woman with his car.

Samuel Bixby, 20, was booked into jail around 4 a.m. Saturday. He faces a felony charge of assault with a weapon, as well as misdemeanors for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license.

In court on Monday, Deputy County Attorney Selene Koepke said Bixby is currently waiting to be sentenced in Lake County for felony sexual assault after pleading guilty as part of an agreement with prosecutors. In that case, Bixby had sexually assaulted a young girl he had been babysitting in 2014.

According to a court affidavit related to Saturdays arrest, police responded to a report of a disturbance on the 2300 block of West Broadway shortly before 3 a.m., April 30. A woman at the scene said a man had tried to break the rear windshield of her car with a bottle near the Laughing Grizzly casino before kicking and bending her license plate.

She told police the assailant then got into the passenger seat of a nearby car, which drove at her as she was standing next to her car, nearly hitting her.

Another officer stopped a car on Broadway that was driven by Bixby and matched the description the woman had given. The officer reported a strong smell of alcoholic beverage coming from the car and saw multiple open cans of alcohol inside.

Bixby refused to provide a breath sample, and denied having been at the Laughing Grizzly, telling the officer they had been coming from a hotel. The policeman noted the car was traveling the opposite direction of the motel. A passenger of the car said they had been at the restaurant, and that the woman who called police had been banging on their windows calling them cheaters who had been with her man.

The passenger, Richard Brown, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear, as well as misdemeanors for criminal mischief and obstructing a police officer.

Justice of the Peace Karen Orzech set Bixby's bail at $2,000, lower than the $5,000 Koepke had asked for, and said if released he is not to have contact with the woman or his passenger, and that he will be monitored for alcohol.
Montana ranchers depend on the health of their land and its resources to make a living and support their families. That means that to most of us, working to protect and improve the environment just makes sense.

But we ranchers often just think of it as good business rather than a particular brand of environmental stewardship.

As the chair of our states Environmental Stewardship Award Program task force, were working to showcase how innovative stewardship and good business go hand-in-hand to support our states top business: agriculture. This program is a place to start an open, honest dialogue in ranching communities and Montana cities about how we care for our land and livestock.

Historically, the Environmental Stewardship Program has been focused on sharing ideas between ranchers on how to improve the management of our resources. Now, we want to focus on reaching out to our customers and consumers so you can see for yourselves what we do on our ranches and how we manage our resources to provide safe, healthy, environmentally friendly food for your families and ours.

Each year, the Environmental Stewardship Award honors Montana ranchers dedicated to going the extra mile in the conservation, preservation and enhancement of the natural resources of their land. In short, the award celebrates ranchers who have a story to tell about caring for their land and livestock. To do that, we need your help. Ranches can be nominated or apply for the award before June 1. We would love to see every county in Montana represented in the pool of nominees to showcase the variety of ways ranchers care for our diverse resources.

That includes a wide range of potential nominees: any rancher who is actively working to leave the land better for the next generation would be an ideal candidate.

Now, heres where we often run into problems with this program. Ranchers in general are often humble, behind-the-scenes kind of people; we dont want to brag or pat ourselves on the back. But thats not what this award is about. Its about sharing the facts about environmental stewardship and the story behind why it matters so much to us. We know its imperative for our livelihoods that we reach out to our customers and share what we do and how we do it, and we want to encourage our fellow ranchers to do the same.

Winners of the Environmental Stewardship Award are often honored for their innovative grazing practices, a focus on water quality and range monitoring, working to enhance fish and wildlife habitat, riparian restoration, native plant restoration, erosion control, cooperative partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, improving cow production while lowering input costs or hosting education tours or other outreach from the ranch.

These may be conservation practices you've been working toward for decades, or building on for generations. Or, maybe you're implementing new, innovative ideas to turn a piece of land around after a flood, fire or drought or protecting yourself from natural disaster.

The award nomination process is also a good opportunity for county conservation districts, water districts, wildlife organizations or other local and state agencies focused on conservation and multiple land use to recognize partnerships with ranchers who help them accomplish mutual goals.

The award is sponsored in a partnership between the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Montana Beef Council and beef producers with Check-off dollars, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Nominations and applications can be submitted online at www.mtbeef.org before June 1. The winning ranch will then have the assistance of a professional writer and photographer to capture their ranchs story  their familys legacy of caring for the land and livestock  to use in promotional materials and to represent Montana in the regional Environmental Stewardship Award competition. The winner will be recognized at the Montana Stockgrowers Annual Convention and Trade Show in Billings this December.

To learn more, visit mtbeef.org, where youll find contact information for myself and other Environmental Stewardship Award Task Force members. We look forward to hearing and sharing your stewardship stories.
May 8 is Mothers Day, when we should love and respect our mothers. American women have the same rights as men in America.

America has followed the teachings of Christ and has given our treasures and our precious blood to all nations, regardless of their religion, in time of need. Because America follows the teachings of Christ, stand tall and say to the world, follow our example and the world be a much better place to live in.
We have been noticing a disappointing trend in many of our favorite restaurants in town, and have heard the exact same thing from a large number of our friends. Sadly, the number of eateries we choose to frequent is declining.

Both of us have a background working in restaurants: as waitstaff, cooks and managers, and we do know what quality service looks like, but it is getting harder to find. It appears few places are properly training employees.

In our experience, tipping is based on service, and when we are well-attended, we tip 20 percent. Now however, we rarely do, as it seems we are more an inconvenience to the waitstaff than a necessary part of their jobs.

The quality of the food depends in large part on the timing in which it is served. It is obvious when our plates have been sitting under a heat lamp. We've stopped going to what used to be our favorite Mexican restaurant, our favorite Italian place and also our favorite locally started burger/steak/breakfast place because of poor service.

The bottom line is that management needs to hire quality employees who care about the job, train them well and monitor them, and reward quality behavior. It is up to us as customers to report unsatisfactory food and service to the management, and to vote with our wallets when we are dissatisfied.

One bad experience disappoints us. The second means we never go there again. We now frequent places that are quality eateries, that care about their customers and adequately train their employees. We wish all restaurants were in this category, but sadly few are.

Kimberly and Jim Dredger,

Missoula
BILLINGS - Authorities used dental records to identify the body of a man found in a ditch near Shepherd in March. His name could be released as early as Tuesday morning.

Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said he did not know the mans age or where he was from. His parents live in different states and his mother, who lives in Utah, has not been notified.

The man was last seen about a year ago but it was not clear how long hes been dead. Information previously released was based solely on the autopsy, Linder said.

The body was discovered March 15 in a canal off of Mailbox Road, north of Billings and east of Highway 87 North. An autopsy revealed the body could have been decomposing for as long as a year.

At the time of the autopsy Linder told The Gazette the man appeared to be in his 20s and was white or Hispanic. There were no indications of foul play.
What Every Voter Should Know to Make the Montana Disclose Act a Success is the topic of a free public forum sponsored by the Missoula League of Women Voters and Missoula Moves to Amend scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine.

Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl and former statehouse reporter Chuck Johnson will be on hand to present information about the new rules and the role of voters in reporting violations.

The rules were formulated to carry out the Disclose Act passed by the 2015 Montana Legislature. While Montanas laws are now among some of the most comprehensive in the country, they require vigilance on the part of voters to recognize and report non-compliant campaign practices.

For more information, call Sue Kirchmyer of Missoula Moves to Amend at 543-3254.

Missoulian Staff
Sino-Italian police patrols launched in Italy 2016-05-03 09:58 By (Xinhua)

Chinese police officers patrol during a joint effort with Italian police in Rome May 2, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

Police officers from China are to collaborate with police officers from Italy in two joint patrols in Rome and Milan in a program based on a Sino-Italian agreement launched here on Monday.



According to the program, police who patrol touristic areas of Rome in central Italy and the business city Milan in northern Italy will include two Chinese officers each, who can speak Italian and English besides Mandarin, for two weeks starting from Monday.



"Today it is an important day because we are strengthening collaboration with China in a very special field," Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told a press conference in Rome in the presence of the two countries' authorities.



Alfano said Chinese uniformed police would work together with Italian uniformed police in Rome and Milan to reinforce the sense of safety for the many Chinese tourists visiting Italy.



The interior minister said he hoped the bilateral collaboration would then be deepened with further agreements, and also extended to other Italian cities, because "China has a fundamental role in the world's destiny."



"Through this initiative, we are telling Italian citizens that their state is joining hands with a great country, in a team work to ensure the safety of everybody, including Italian citizens and Chinese tourists in Italy," Alfano also told Xinhua.



Liao Jinrong, director-general of the international cooperation department at China's ministry of public security, and deputy head of Interpol's national central bureau in Beijing, praised the initiative as "the result of a very positive collaboration between Chinese and Italian police forces."



Liao stressed that the initiative, also a question of good faith between the two countries, was the first one of its kind carried out by Chinese police in Europe. The program, he explained, stemmed from a bilateral agreement reached in 2014.

Liao said that in recent years, the business and cultural exchanges between China and Italy had become very frequent, and smooth communication with police forces was a fundamental ingredient to ensure safety.



Thanks to the joint patrols, the two countries would also be able to further deepen knowledge of their legal systems, Liao said, expressing hope the program would set an example for more initiatives with other European countries.



Gennaro Capoluongo, head of the international police cooperation service in Italy, told Xinhua Italian police had already carried out similar initiatives with other countries including the United States and Spain, especially during peak tourism periods. "We feel proud to be the first one in Europe to undergo such an important collaboration program with China," he said.
KALISPELL (AP)  A trial is underway in a lawsuit over whether the city of Columbia Falls is responsible for a man's death in a skateboarding accident on a subdivision trail system.

The Daily Inter Lake reports Sara Kent sued the city in 2011 seeking damages for its role in the design and construction of the trail system, which includes a 24-degree slope on which Casey Kent suffered a fatal head injury in 2008.

Kent argues the city had been notified about potential hazards with the trail system during construction.

Marcel Quinn, the attorney for the city, said the city didn't design or construct the trail, that Casey Kent accepted the risk when he chose to ride a skateboard down the path and that the accident occurred on private property.

___

Information from: Daily Inter Lake, http://www.dailyinterlake.com
Larry Gianchetta, Dean of the University of Montanas School of Business Administration, was named Export Advocate of the Year by Gov. Steve Bullock during a celebration of Manufacturing and International Trade Day 2016 on Monday at the Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown.

The event connected Montana business owners with experts who can help expand their reach outside the state, bringing dollars back home.

Larry has done a lot for Montana, Bullock told the crowd.

The governor delivered a speech and presented awards to several other individuals and businesses.

Greg Thayer, the CEO of Montana Milling in Great Falls, won Small Business Person of the Year. John and Courtney McKee of Headframe Spirits in Butte won Small Business Champion of the Year and Rachel and Dustin Rising of Bibs & Binkies in Bozeman won the Millenial Entrepreneur Award.

Lena Wharton of Wharton Asphalt in Billings won the Women-Owned Small Business award, and Jim Markel and Perry Jones of Red Oxx Manufacturing in Billings won the Veteran-Owned Small Business Award. Manufacturer of the year went to Plastic Design and Manufacturing, Inc. in Manhattan, and Exporter of the Year went to Resonon, Inc. in Bozeman. Paddy Flemming, the director of the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, was named Manufacturing Advocate of the Year.

Gianchetta currently serves as a board member of the Montana World Trade Center and a member of the Montana District Export Council. Hes also a member of the Montana Ambassadors, a trustee of the Community Medical Center Foundation, a trustee of the William and Rosemary Gallagher Charitable Foundation and a board member for Blue Cross Blue Shield Montana.

Gianchetta said hes a strong advocate for exports because of how important they are to economic growth.

Four percent of the worlds population lives in the United States, Gianchetta said after the awards ceremony. So if you want to access the other 96 percent, just from a marketing perspective, it makes a lot of sense.

Bullock said that Montana has a great business climate, but he is focused on initiatives that will diversify the economy and support innovation.

Good is not good enough and we need to do a little bit more, he said.

He said other states, such as Kansas and New Jersey, have had to close schools early and suffer credit downgrades because they havent done enough to support small businesses.

The driver in Montana of industry certainly is small business, Bullock said.

Senator Jon Tester spoke to the crowd via video conference to say he is supporting legislation to end the trade embargo with Cuba, which would benefit Montana farmers and ranchers in the states top industry, agriculture.

Congressman Ryan Zinke spoke in person to say that the next president of the United States will inherit the strongest military thats ever been assembled and that new technology is leading to an increase in the global production of energy sources. Sen. Steve Daines spoke via video conference and congratulated all the award winners as well.
Polls now show that Mr. Trump has a clear advantage in Indiana, where 57 delegates are at stake. A survey conducted by Marist College for NBC News and The Wall Street Journal found Mr. Trump leading Mr. Cruz by 15 points there, and close to capturing an outright majority of the vote. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio was in a distant third place.

Mr. Cruz has signaled that he intends to forge ahead irrespective of the outcome in Indiana in a bid to block Mr. Trump from winning the 1,237 delegates required to claim the nomination. He spent part of the weekend campaigning in California, which is among the last states to vote, on June 7, and collected the endorsement of former Gov. Pete Wilson, who warned that Mr. Trump would doom the party as its nominee.

But Mr. Wilson conceded in an interview on Monday that a defeat in Indiana would imperil Mr. Cruzs path forward. To win California, Mr. Wilson said, the first thing he needs to do is win in Indiana.

Without such a victory, Mr. Wilson said, I think its much more difficult. The nearer that Trump gets to having the magic number, the more difficult it is.

Republican strategists opposed to Mr. Trump acknowledge that losing Indiana could break the back of the organized resistance to his candidacy and relegate Mr. Cruz to the role of a symbolic dissenter on the right. Mr. Trump has said that a victory in Indiana on Tuesday would effectively resolve the race in his favor.
Western notions of first and last names dont really apply in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Burmese people generally dont hand down family names from one generation to another, or change a birth name upon marriage. And theres no particular pattern to the number of syllable elements, except that very short names like U Nu are becoming a bit less common.

Image Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the opening of a school near Yangon, Myanmar, in 2014. Credit... Tomas Munita for The New York Times

Burmese people use courtesy titles to convey social status, and consider them a more essential part of the name than Mr. or Ms. would be in English. Daw is one such prefix; it translates literally as aunt but means something more like madame, and denotes an older or married woman of substance. (U is the equivalent for a man.) When she was a girl, her name would have started with Ma instead of Daw.

Parents can draw elements of a childs name from wherever they like, and in Daw Aung San Suu Kyis case, hers came from theirs  her father was the independence leader Gen. Aung San and her mother the diplomat Khin Kyi  as well as from her grandmothers (the Suu part, which also refers to the day of the week when she was born).

Her brothers names also start with Aung San, so thats not ideal for a nickname. Instead, Burmese people tend to shorten her name using the Suu part, to Daw Suu or Amay Suu (Mother Suu) or to Dr. Suu Kyi (she has an honorary doctorate from Oxford).

Thats also the route Hillary Clinton followed when she was secretary of state: In 2012, for example, Mrs. Clinton referred to her familiarly as Suu Kyi.
ONE-MAN RUCKUS AT FAIRMONT

Police arrested a Butte man Monday night after he caused a scene at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort then wandered off into a field with a young woman.

Officers were called around 9:20 p.m. after Cole Lee Turk, 20, tried to rent a room at the hotel but was denied because he was too drunk, police said. They knew he was wanted on a probation violation.

Turk was seen walking away from the hotel and officers found him and a 20-year-old female lying in a nearby field. He took off running and when he was caught, struggled with officers, knocking a body camera off of one.

He was taken to the ground and driven to jail, where he continued to cuss at officers and say he would have them all fired. He was booked on misdemeanor complaints of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and for a felony probation violation.

He was still in jail as of early Tuesday afternoon. The female in the field was not detained.

BLUETOOTH BUST

A young man from Green Bay, Wisconsin landed in the Butte-Silver Bow Detention Center on a shoplifting complaint.

Travis Jon Gerondale, 19, was seen hiding a Bluetooth speaker and walking out of Walmart with it around 2 p.m. Monday. He was arrested and booked on a misdemeanor shoplifting complaint with bond set at $1,085.
A 60-year-old Butte man who was last seen early Saturday camping on the banks of the Jefferson River north of Twin Bridges is still missing, authorities said Monday.

Madison County Sheriffs Office and county search and rescue personnel got off the river about 8 p.m. Monday after a third day of scanning miles of river and adjacent land with no sign of the man whereabouts, according to Sheriff Roger Thompson.

Thompson said the search will resume Tuesday morning.

The man may have owned the property near Hells Canyon about 6 miles north of Twin Bridges on which he and family members had set up camp, Thompson said.

The mans wife and others were to join him on Saturday, the sheriff said. But the man disappeared sometime after 1:30 a.m. when he was last seen at the camp, possibly sitting around a campfire.

Thompson said there was no sign of foul play at the campsite and no evidence indicating the man was depressed or that a wild animal had visited the site. The missing man had no known medical issues; it was unknown if he was taking prescription medications.

The twice-daily searches have focused on a several-mile stretch of the river downstream from the campsite to a bridge in the Waterloo area using two motorized boats, the sheriff said.
Recently in a podcast with hunter Randy Newberg, GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte was asked whether he'd veto bad wildlife and hunting bills if they made it to his desk as governor. Gianforte displayed his usual ignorance to sportsmen's issues and said as governor, he'd provide the leadership to keep those bills from coming forward in the Legislature. He also dodged the question and refused to answer.

That's pretty cheeky, because Gianforte has given money to the very groups that want to privatize our fish and wildlife. That includes the free market Political Economy Research Center in Bozeman, which sued to overturn our stream access law, has pushed for years to sell off public lands and has called for private landowner bull elk and buck deer tags.

Make no mistake, a Gianforte governorship would mean landowner tags, private trout streams and ultimately less hunting and fishing for the average Montana sportsmen. We have a governor there now who has shown that he's willing to veto these bad wildlife bills  the same bills that Gianforte's buddies are bringing forward.

-- Austin Turley, Molt
ORIGINAL NOTICE OF PUBLICATION

(Dissolution of Marriage)

Upon the Petition of

Carol Barrios,

Petitioner,

and Concerning

Ivan Barrios,

Respondent.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED RESPONDENT:

You are notified that a petition has been filed in the office of the clerk of this court naming you as a respondent in this action, which prays for dissolution of marriage. The attorney for the petitioner is Nathaniel Jones of Muscatine Legal Services, whose address is 122 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761. That attorney's telephone number is 563-263-8663; facsimile number 563-263-8667.

You must serve a motion or answer within 21 days of receiving this notice and within a reasonable time thereafter, file your motion or answer with the Clerk of Court for Muscatine County, at the courthouse in Muscatine, Iowa. If you do not, judgment by default may be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

YOU ARE ADVISED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE AT ONCE TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS.

If you require assistance of auxiliary aids or services to participate in court because of a disability, immediately call your district ADA coordinator at 563-263-6511. (If you are hearing impaired, call Relay Iowa TTY at 1-800-735-2942).
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Paul and Carolyn Brooks, who have dedicated many years of their retirement to the Flickinger Learning Center in Muscatine, were recognized at the 2016 Iowa Impact After School Conference held April 27-29 in Des Moines.

A luncheon honoring the 2016 After School Champions recognized the couple as Advocates of the Year.

The Brooks were nominated by a former FLC volunteer. I believe that the growth of the Flickinger Learning Center network would not have been so successful without the Brooks leadership and dedication, the volunteer stated in the nomination. I do not believe there is an afterschool program in the state that can compare with the Learning Centers effectiveness in improving students reading levels.

The ArtHaus Program in Decorah was recognized as the Afterschool Innovator. Congressman Dave Loesbsack was recognized as the Legislative Friend of Afterschool Programs.

Also attending the Iowa Impact After School Conference where staff from the Flickinger Learning Center including Danni Zumwalt, Kimberly Bowman, Angelina Dees, and Diane Kochneff. The conference is sponsored by the Iowa Afterschool Alliance.
WAPELLO, Iowa  In another eight days, most Louisa County secondary roads will be open to all-terrain/utility vehicles, following the approval Tuesday by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors of an ordinance allowing ATV/UTVs on the countys road system.

The board approved the ordinance following its third public hearing on the issue. During the public hearing, local resident Paul Gustison, Wapello, who had attended the initial public hearing on April 21, continued to press for a provision in the ordinance to require a lighted headlight at all times.

The initial ordinance proposal had required a lighted headlight only when conditions limited visibility to 300 feet. After listening to Gustison during the April 21 hearing, which supervisor Randy Griffin was unable to attend, supervisors Paula Buckman and Chris Ball had informally agreed to include Gustisons headlight proposal in the ordinance.

However, Griffin attended the second public hearing on April 26 and argued against Gustisons headlight suggestion, as well as a proposal from John Cherry, Conesville, to require a flag on the vehicles.

Griffin said he objected because the ordinance needed to remain simple to aid county law enforcement officers. He also pointed out during Tuesdays hearing that the supervisors intended to review the ordinance in a year and changes could then be made.

We are going to take a hard look at this ordinance at that time, he assured Gustison, who remained skeptical.

I think I would need to disagree, Gustison said, suggesting he felt requiring a lighted headlight would reduce the potential for accidents.

I really think its one of the most important factors and thats why Im still here fighting for it. I think it is important enough not to wait a year, he said.

Buckman said one of the reasons for not adding the lighted headlight or Cherrys flag suggestion was the potential confusion between identifying farmers using vehicles for farming operations and non-farmers. Farmers would not be subject to the new county ordinance - provided they are operating the vehicles as part of a farming operation - but if the countys ordinance was amended to include lighted headlights, law enforcement officers would likely begin stopping everyone without a lighted headlight, she said.

According to state law, farmers must have a lighted headlight when visibility is less than 500 feet, but the supervisors agreed that discrepancy with the county ordinance was not significant.

Im not in favor of it right now, Griffin said, and Buckman and Ball agreed.

Although the board approved the ordinance, it actually will not go into effect until it is published in the countys official newspapers. Auditor Sandi Elliott said the publication would be on May 11.

In other action, the supervisors reviewed a letter from Louisa County Medical Examiner Dr. Robin Plattenberger, Washington, announcing her retirement, effective June 1, 2017.

Plattenberger was the Washington County Medical Examiner, but began serving both counties in 2015 after the Louisa County supervisors opted not to re-appoint Dr. Eugenio Torres, Keokuk.

In her letter, Plattenberger wrote Dr. Paul Towner would assume her duties in Washington County and she also reported that she had asked him to consider working in Louisa County.

Buckman said Griffin would meet with Towner and report back to the board on his interest in the Louisa County position.

The board also approved the one-lot Wessley Subdivision near Fredonia.
"And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain."

Those are, of course, the opening lyrics to Frank Sinatra's immortal recording of "My Way." They are also a succinct description of the state of Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign.

Last week, the candidate announced he was laying off hundreds of staff members after a series of bruising primary losses to Hillary Clinton. She increased her lead in the delegate count and Sanders, who was already walking a narrow pathway to the Democratic nomination, now walks a high wire in a high wind.

Though the campaign spun the layoffs as forward-leaning strategy, it was difficult not to read them as a tacit acknowledgment that "the Bern" has all but burned out. Indeed, Sanders has begun to openly ponder -- though he still rejects -- the idea of losing.

It may not be over yet, but the fat lady is running the scales. Now, how to break that to Bernie Nation?

Once in a while, a politician leads not a campaign, but a movement. Think Obama in 2008, Reagan in 1980, Bobby Kennedy in 1968, John in 1960. Such candidates catch the Zeitgeist in a bottle. They have not voters, but believers, receive not support, but faith. That's Sanders in a nutshell.

Small wonder people love him. He has spoken against the corporate hijacking of American government and dreams. And he has pulled the Democratic Party back toward progressive values of which the party has seemed vaguely ashamed ever since the Reagan tsunami rendered "liberal" a four-letter word.

But Sanders is not going to win the Democratic nomination. As this sinks in, many of his believers are declaring their intent to boycott the fall election. A recent McClatchy-Marist poll tells us that one in four citizens of Bernie Nation will refuse to support Hillary Clinton if she is nominated.

It was recently suggested on "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore" that this may not be the smartest strategy in an election where the specter of a Donald Trump presidency looms. In response, Sanders believer Susan Sarandon invoked John F. Kennedy -- "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

"This was our peaceful revolution," she warned.

They sound like Republicans did in 2008 and 2012.

They sound like the kid who snatches his ball and storms out of the park after losing a game.

But worse than churlish and childish, they sound Cruz-ish, as in Ted, who is hugely unpopular not just for his harshly conservative ideology, but even more for his hardline absolutism, his willingness to drive the nation off a cliff rather than bend. He, too, is unafraid "to blow (expletive) up." Wasn't that the takeaway from 2013's disastrous government shutdown and multiple iterations of the manufactured debt ceiling crisis?

It comes, then, to this. The extreme left now mirrors the extreme right, each reflecting the anger and unbending rigidity of the other. And the idea that politics is the art of compromise, where everybody gets something but nobody gets everything, seems a lost artifact from a distant age.

How ironic that the Sanders campaign, conducted mostly on the high ground of ideas and ideals, descends to cries of boycott and even revolution as it nears its end. Granted, nobody likes to lose. But the loss was fair and square and those citizens of Bernie Nation who can't deal with that, who want to opt out of the system or take up arms against it, should be ashamed of themselves. One feels sorry for them.

The nomination is the least of what they've lost.

Readers may contact Leonard Pitts via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
4 Rules for Wide Shoulders by Ben Pakulski

Written by Ron Harris

09 March 2019

4 Rules for Wide Shoulders by Ben Pakulski

Delts the top of the X-frame

Having what are among the biggest and best legs of all time in bodybuilding can be both a blessing and a curse. The blessing part is obvious as all of you reading this who struggle, week after week, to build substantial wheels of your own would quickly attest to. The curse aspect of having a freakishly developed lower body is that unless your upper body matches, you are going to have one unbalanced, bottom-heavy physique. The most important factor to create that even balance upstairs is a pair of wide, round shoulders. I wont sugarcoat or avoid this next part because its not my style nor MDs you need to have above-average clavicle width as the structural foundation to build those deltoid muscles on top of. Anyone can build thicker delts, but if you were born with narrow clavicles, you just wont ever be a very wide man. Ben Pakulski was fortunate enough to have that ideal bone structure in place, which is why hes a top IFBB star. But make no mistake about his shoulders. The Canadian pro they call Pak-Man may have been born with the proper skeletal framework in place, but the muscles didnt sprout on their own. Years of intense yet intelligent training created those boulders you see today.

An Early Lesson on Shoulder Training

As youngsters in the gym, most of us look to the bigger, older guys in the gym and emulate whatever they are doing. We assume they are training properly, and surely they at least know a lot more than we do. Often, this turns out to be a mistake, because older doesnt always mean wiser. Rather than fast-tracking your progress by emulating your gym elders, you may inadvertently just pick up all their bad habits and find yourself making lackluster gains forever. Luckily for Ben, when he was 17 years old he learned a valuable lesson about shoulder training that would serve him well for the rest of his lifting days.

There was a guy at my gym with massive, round shoulders, he recalls. He was maybe 220 pounds, but he had very full and complete development in all three heads. You might assume this man was hoisting great monstrous dumbbells, and bars bending with plates to build his shoulders, but quite the opposite. The majority of his shoulder workouts was a tri-set. He would do bent laterals, stand up and do side laterals and then do front raises, all with the same pair of dumbbells. And I never saw him use more than 15 pounds in each hand. He just did a ton of volume, sets and reps, and his form was impeccable. You would literally see his shoulders swell and pump up as he did set after set like that.

Watching this man train shoulders taught Pakulski early on that the amount of weight one used wasnt nearly as important as how you used it, and how hard you were able to make the target muscle work. From the start, Ben was inquisitive, and sought out as much knowledge as possible about exercise, the form and function of the human musculature and finding the optimal methods to build the physique he dreamed of. Here are the exercises that form the core of his delt workouts.

1) Lateral Raises

Because its the medial or side head of the delts that gives shoulders the appearance of roundness and width, Ben starts off every shoulder workout with not one, but two types of lateral raises. First comes what he feels is the more productive of the two in terms of stimulating growth, dumbbell lateral raises. To avoid cheating, Ben does these seated. Since this is one of the most abused exercises in terms of form, heres how he breaks down the right way to do your dumbbell laterals.

Sit as though youre in a standing, relaxed pose onstage, so your lats are flared as big as they can, he begins. This will prevent you from going all the way down to the side, which is primarily moved by the rotator cuff anyway. Start the movement there and only go so high that your hands are parallel with your shoulders. Use only a slightly bent elbow. This should keep tension on your delts, and prevent swinging and momentum from shifting it to your traps.

Pakulski also recommends keeping the abs tight and the torso slightly crunched down to avoid elongation. Shortening the abs helps keep him focused on the prime movers, and prevents both swinging and poor form.

After hes completed two to three warm-up sets and five to six work sets, Pak still isnt done with lateral raises. From the dumbbell rack, he moves on to a machine or cable lateral raise. I do these in addition to the dumbbells because I get that range of motion at the bottom of the rep that the dumbbells miss.

Ben varies using both arms at the same time or focusing on just one shoulder at different workouts. Like most top bodybuilders, its rare to see him doing the exact same workout for any body part from week to week. Once his side delts are fully pumped, its finally time to move on to a press.

2) Overhead Press

After discovering that military presses with a barbell inevitably kept leading to lower back pain, Ben switched to using a Smith machine. I dont have to worry about a spotter, so I can go heavy and just focus on the delts, he tells us. Other shoulder machines he has tried turned out to be problematic, as he doesnt fit well inside most of their confines. In Bens DVD All About the Benjamins, we see him go up to good reps with 315 using a Smith, and keep in mind thats after all the lateral raises. He prefers a thumbless grip, meaning his hands and thumbs are on the same side of the bar. Pak will also do things like drop sets, slowing the rep speed down or varying the rep ranges from as low as six to eight to 20 or more, all in the name of achieving that deep burn in the muscle hes after. Over the last couple of years, Ben has moved away from the Smith machine and has been using dumbbells instead. In years past, I would go as heavy as 160s or even a few reps with 180s, but doing them later in the workout after two different lateral raise movements allows me to get the feeling Im after with a good bit less than that.

3) Rear Cable Laterals

For rear delts, Ben does two seemingly similar movements just as he does for the medial delts. First up is the tried-and-true bent rear lateral raise using dumbbells. He likes to start with these, since they provide resistance in the strongest part of the range of motion, near the contraction.

At first glance, it might seem as if Ben is going against his own admonition to use a full range of motion, since he doesnt go too far back. I always preach full range of movement for a particular muscle, he agrees. Thats why I stop at the point where my rear delts are fully contracted. Going back further involves a lot of rhomboids and traps. There is no scapular retraction when I train rear delts. In other words, if your shoulder blades are pinching together at the end of your reps, youve gone past the point of the rear delts function and are now working your upper back.

Ben also does rear lateral raises on a cable, as shown here. As with the standing cable laterals, he may use both cables simultaneously, or opt for one at a time. He usually removes any grip attachments and holds on just to the rubber stoppers, and will vary from workout the location he sets the pulleys at: high, shoulder level or down near the floor. All work the rear delts slightly differently.

4) Dumbbell Front Raises

MD keeps it real, so you should know that Ben does not normally train his front delts specifically. In years past, he would work them on rare occasions when he feels his shoulders need to be shaken up with something shocking. If I really wanted to burn my delts or help break through a sticking point, I would lie facedown on a 75-degree incline bench and do lateral and front raises with dumbbells, he says. Typically these were done at the end of my shoulder workout. Im already tired, so I dont use much weight. Four to five sets of 12-15 reps does it.

5) Cable Front Raises

You will see Ben doing front raises with cables in the final weeks before his contests. I prefer cables over dumbbells because they do a much better job of emphasizing the top of the strength curve, he explains. Rather than do them on their own, Ben usually performs them as the second half of a superset with presses.

Bens Delts Are Good for Now, How Bout Yours?

As far traps Ben trains them with back. Ben isnt specifically trying to build his delts up any larger. I would like to have better caps to them, but first I need to focus on improving my back and arms so they match everything else. Once thats done, I will get to work on them again.

What about you, my faithful MD reader? Are your delts as full, round and wide as you would like them to be? Since just about all of us can answer that with an emphatic, Hell no, put some of Pakulskis methods into practice in your own shoulder workouts. Its not the exercises you do or even the weight you use, its all about how well youre able to work the target muscle. Ben is a man dedicated to mastering that art, so take his advice and get WIDE!

Bens Four Rules for W-I-D-E Delts

1. Form Is Key

The thing I would recommend if youre trying to get huge delts is perfect form. Weights are important, but without good form, youll end up recruiting everything but your delts. Its absolutely imperative that you initiate the movement with the muscle youre intending to work. Never go so heavy that you lose that critical connection.

2. Dont Be Afraid of Volume

Many bodybuilders are wary of doing much for their shoulders, because they assume the delts are already getting so much residual work from training other muscle groups. As a result, they never give their shoulders as much direct work as they need to respond and grow. I will do 30 sets or more in a shoulder workout. As long as your nutrition and rest are being addressed properly, you dont need to be worried.

3. Get Intense

Shoulders respond very well to drop sets, and they are one of my absolute favorite techniques. So much so that one of the foundations of my M140 program is NOS, or Neurological Overload Sets, in which you drop the weight three times in one set. Thats how you force the muscle to work its hardest and get the best pump possible.

4. Vary Your Rep Range

Using the same rep range all the time, even if its touted as the optimal range for hypertrophy, isnt the best long-term strategy. Instead, you should incorporate a variety of rep ranges. I will go as low as six to eight reps at times, 15-20 at others and a NOS set can wind up with a total of 30 or more reps.

Bens Shoulder Routine

Seated Dumbbell Laterals 5 x 10-12

Cable Lateral Raises 5 x 10-12

Seated Dumbbell Press 5 x 10-12

Bent Dumbbell Laterals 5 x 10-12

Bent Cable Lateral Raises 5 x 10-15

Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPNs American Muscle Magazine show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 3,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989, and maintains the popular website www.ronharrismuscle.com, most notable for its blog The Daily Pump. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area.



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Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
I bet President Uhuru can dance the Tango better than you.

When our politicians take to the stage, the comedy is more than the skills. But on Friday night, Uhuru helped cleanse his buddies image by pulling some pretty decent Tango steps.

It was on Friday night at the Giants Club Summit in Nanyuki.

Watch him display his skills.


GOODYEAR, Ariz.  An airplane powered only by sunlight has arrived in a Phoenix suburb after completing the latest leg of its global trip.

The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 landed shortly before 9 p.m. PDT Monday at Phoenix Goodyear Airport after a 16-hour flight from Mountain View, California, south of San Francisco.

It began the 10th leg of the trek  that's now over a year old  just after 5 a.m.

Slow going, but what views

Flying without fossil fuel makes for a long trip.

The plane's solar power is captured by 17,000 cells mounted on its wings, which are larger than those of a 747 jetliner. Some of the solar energy is stored in batteries, allowing the plane to fly at night.

Ideal flight speed is about 28 mph, though that can double during the day when the sun's rays are strongest. The carbon-fiber aircraft weighs over 5,000 pounds, about as much as a midsize truck.

Maybe slow going isn't so bad when you're flying over some of the most scenic places in the U.S., including the Hawaiian islands and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Latest stop: The desert

After arriving in the Phoenix area Monday night, pilot Andre Borschberg called the trip from California "a beautiful flight."

For several minutes after arriving, Borschberg remained aboard as powerful winds buffeted the aircraft, forcing the ground crew to hold it down with straps.

"Sometimes it is more difficult to handle the airplane on the ground than in flight," he told reporters later.

Video from cameras aboard the plane as well as on the ground at the Goodyear airport showed the Solar Impulse as it flew through the night sky en route to its safe touch down.

Co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, flew the previous leg, a three-day flight to from Hawaii to California.

Why a solar plane?

Inventors wanted to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation

Pilots have used layovers to engage with people along the way to explain the project, and project officials said Monday in a statement released to The Associated Press that they will decide in the next few days whether public view of the plane would be possible while it is in Arizona.

The overall project is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002.

The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It stopped in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan en route to the United States.

The crew was forced to stay on the island of Oahu in Hawaii for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its flight from Japan.

Where next?

After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey.

But project officials say it hasn't yet been decided exactly where the plane will go next in the United States.

"The team is examining a wide range of potential destinations in the mainland to leave a maximum flexibility for route planning," project officials said in a statement.

The team has flexibility in choosing destinations because it uses an inflatable mobile hangar and because of "the support and openness of the various airports."

It also isn't known yet known when the plane will take flight again.

On its previous layover, the plane landed late the night of April 23 in Mountain View, and departed a little over eight days later.
OSCEOLA, Ind.  Ted Cruzs conservative crusade for the presidency fought for new life Monday ahead of an Indiana vote that could effectively end the GOPs primary season. The fiery Texas senator hinted at an exit strategy, even as he vowed to compete to the end against surging Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

I am in for the distance  as long as we have a viable path to victory, Cruz told reporters after campaigning at a popular breakfast stop.

The entire country, millions of Americans, are praying for this state, he later added. The entire country is depending on the state of Indiana to pull us back from this cliff.

With his supporters fearing Cruz could lose a seventh consecutive state Tuesday, the candidates formulation hinted at a time when he may give up.

Like Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Cruz is already mathematically eliminated from reaching a delegate majority before the Republican Partys national convention in July. He retreated to Indiana more than a week ago, hoping a win could at least help him deny Trump an outright primary victory and lead to a contested convention.

But a recent poll of likely Indiana voters showed Trump holding a commanding lead.

At a stop in Monday in Marion, Indiana, Trump supporters confronted Cruz.

Lyin Ted! yelled one, using Trumps pet name for his rival.

What do you like about him? Cruz asked the man. Name one thing.

Everything, the protester replied.

After six straight victories across the Northeast late last month, math and momentum are on Trumps side. The anti-Trump movements only hope is to deny the billionaire businessman a 1,237-delegate majority by defeating him in Indiana and the handful of contests remaining over the next month. Then, Cruz or another candidate would have to beat him when delegates gather in Cleveland in July.

Trumps team sensed an Indiana knockout.

Indiana is Ted Cruzs firewall. Its where he says that its make-or-break for him, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said. And if he loses tomorrow night, he has to once again try and articulate why he is still in this race.

Tuesday features a primary on the Democratic side, too. New signs emerged that front-runner Hillary Clintons chief rival Bernie Sanders is fading as well.

Clinton announced $26 million in new fundraising in April, narrowly beating Sanders. His total of $25.8 million last month marked a steep decline from $46 million he collected in March.

Sanders also refused to report how much money he had in the bank, raising questions about whether he can sustain his online fundraising dominance as his path to the nomination becomes less likely.

Shrugging off the numbers, Sanders, like Cruz, vowed to fight hard as hard as we can for every vote.

He called the Democratic primary process rigged, noting that he has won 45 percent of the pledged delegates awarded after primaries or caucuses, but only about 7 percent of superdelegates, the Democratic officials and party leaders who can support the candidate of their choice.

Still, Sanders showed no signs of letting up on Clinton, pointing to differences with the former secretary of state over fundraising, Goldman Sachs speeches, the Iraq war, fracking and the minimum wage.

Polls show a close vote is likely.

With Sanders struggling for traction, Cruz barnstormed Indiana with five stops on Monday alone in a desperate sprint for support alongside his latest high-profile supporter, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

We need every single vote, he declared at Bravo Cafe in Osceola, where he predicted a tight finish the next day.

Trump led by 15 points in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll conducted last week. Thats even after Cruz took extraordinary steps to boost his chances in the state.

He announced his pick for vice president last week, unveiling former businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate at an Indiana stop that appeared rushed. Days earlier, he declared alliance of sorts with Kasich in which the Ohio governor agreed to pull his advertising from Indiana airwaves.

The strategy seemed to unravel even as it was announced. And it may have backfired. The NBC poll found nearly 6 in 10 Indiana primary voters disapproved of the Cruz-Kasich arrangement.

Trump, for his part, held a pair of rallies in the state Monday. But he was already looking past Cruz and setting his sights on his likely Democratic opponent.

Indiana is very important, because if I win thats the end of it, Trump said at an unscheduled stop at Shapiros Delicatessen in Indianapolis.
Dutch Bros annual Drink One for Dane Day is Friday, May 6. On this day, all Dutch Bros locations will donate proceeds from the days sales to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that affects the parts of the nervous system that control muscle movement. There is no cure for ALS and the disease is fatal.

The company lost one of its co-founders, Dane Boersma, to ALS.

I hope everyone will join us and stand together against ALS, said Travis Boersma, Dutch Bros co-founder. In the words of Dane, Lets make this day bitchin!

All 262 Dutch Bros locations in seven states will donate proceeds from May 6 to support those affected by this disease.
Napa Valley College Chief of Police Ken Arnold has been named Administrator/Confidential of the Year by the Administrative Senate.

Arnold was selected for his ability to interact with all people, his organizational skills, behavior that positively reflects on the college community and showing leadership and problem-solving skills, said a news release.

He has been chief of police since 1991.

Arnold earned his bachelor's degree in management from Saint Mary's College and two associate degrees from NVC.
So many UpValley customers were driving south to Napas Computer Engineering Group for phone and computer repair service that the business owner, Jorge Zetina, decided it was time to expand northward.

Computer Engineering (CE) Group will mark the companys 11-year anniversary on Friday, May 6, with A grand opening celebration from noon to 2 p.m. at the new St. Helena outlet at 1080C Main St.

The expansion is part of a growth pattern that accelerated over the past year, as the company doubled from seven employees to 14 and added several new services.

Our customers are happy with us, said Zetina, a resident of Napa, where he and his wife Angelica raise their family.

Zetina said the celebration, open to the public, will feature a free barbecue, a 50 percent discount on all in-house repairs at the St. Helena location, and a business card raffle for a chance to win tickets to see the San Francisco Giants. There will also be a live broadcast by Napa Valleys FM radio station, KVYN, the Vine.

The new stores assistant manager, John Shedlock, said opening the St. Helena store is going to reduce Calistoga and St. Helena customers travel time.

We have a lot of clients from St. Helena who need our service but dont need to be in our Napa shop for two hours, Shedlock said.

Shedlock came to Northern California four years ago to run a cellphone repair business with his brother-in-law. He opened new stores in Santa Rosa, West Covina, San Jose and Fairfield.

A year later, he met Zetina, who hired him as a mobile device technician.

Ive never seen a clientele base so eager to spread the word about our business, said Shedlock. There are few communities as close-knit as Napa and St. Helena, where word gets around, which is why we have been so successful in growing the business.

Jordan Madison, a Napa native and a 2007 graduate of Vintage High School, will be the St. Helena stores lead technician for computer repairs. He worked at Office Depot for nine years before he came to work for Zetina last year.

CE Group has a huge clientele of busy St. Helena residents, said Madison. Arranging computer and phone repairs can be inconvenient and time-consuming. But now theres a good place where they know its going to be done right, and they dont have to drive all the way to Napa.

The crew at CE Group works to repair and restore all types of residential and commercial computers, phone, tablet and mobile devices, offering services including computer and mobile device repair and IT consulting.

Coming from more than 20 years of retail experience, I can honestly say that Computer Engineering Group is hands-down the greatest place for both internal employees and external customers, said Ron Bello, CE Groups regional manager for the Napa and St. Helena offices.

This companys first priority is giving each employee the tools they need to ensure that every customer is completely satisfied. When customers and employees are both happy, it makes for an exceptional experience, said Bello, a former Office Depot manager.

Zetina said the new stores main focus will be customer service for UpValley residents.

Following the devastating Lake County fires of 2015, CE Group was called upon to restore files and data from computers burned in the inferno. Customers dropped off their damaged hard drives to CE Group experts, who restored about 75 percent of the data, Zetina said.

The company specializes in IT service for businesses large and small, acting as the internal outsourced IT department for businesses that are too small to afford a full-time IT staff but have full-time needs.

CE Group also makes house calls for residents who are Apple and PC users. The company services and repairs Apple and Windows computers, hardware, software, desktops, laptops, cellphones, tablets, iPods, iPads and Samsung devices. CE Group experts also back up data, install new operating systems, monitor networks, manage web hosting and email, and provide security and anti-virus protection for personal and business users. Zetina warned of a new CryptoLocker bug, which requires computer owners to pay to regain control of their devices.

We can prevent this devastating bug from installing, Zetina said.

CE Groups corporate Napa office can be reached at ce-group.com or 257-9701. The St. Helena office is at 968-5101.
Amelia Moran Cejas career as president of Ceja Family Vineyards has her often traveling the world. Still, she said the invitation to the nations capital was pretty special.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History invited Ceja, an avid cook and advocate of Mexican cuisine, to participate in its Cooking Up History program.

The museum installed a demonstration kitchen in 2015 to connect food programming to its many objects and research initiatives surrounding foods place in history.

Food is what unifies us, said Ceja, who took the stage on April 8 to show the crowds of visitors dishes that are part of her heritage and an important part for her family table today  as well as for many others in California.

Ceja immigrated to the U.S. in 1967 to join her father, a farmworker in Californias vineyards. She, her husband, Pedro, and Armando and Martha Ceja, founded their own winery in 1999, dedicating it not only to making premium wines, but to sustainable farming that protects both farmworkers and the environment.

Since then, her dauntless entrepreneurial drive and independent spirit have garnered her a collection of awards, including Woman of the Year from the state Legislature in 2005.

But food is at the heart of everything, said Ceja, who has created more than 140 video blogs on preparing Mexican cuisine and serving it with wine. I learned to cook from my grandmother, and my children learned to cook with me.

At the Smithsonian, Ceja said, It was important to them to start at the roots. I was duplicating what I probably helped prepare when I was 3.

Growing up in Jalisco, Mexico, she and her grandmother were up at 5:30 in the morning to prepare breakfast for the workers on her grandfathers farm, she said. We had no electricity, no running water, and we made everything from scratch. But everything was fresh, healthy and so delicious.

When we returned from breakfast with our empty baskets, we were already planning what we would fix for lunch.

Her demonstration began with making tortillas.

Mexican cuisine is all about the tortilla, she said. And it is so simple to make. The people who came to the demonstration couldnt believe when I said that all you need is masa (ground corn) and water. And something hot to cook them on. You dont add oil or salt. You can use a tortilla press but you dont really need it. If you dont have one, you can flatten the tortillas with your hands.

Many people told me they had no idea you can make your own tortillas.

In Mexico, tortillas are made fresh every day, Ceja said. Day-old tortillas became the inspiration for chilaquiles, a dish that is popular for breakfast, lunch or anytime, Ceja said. Its one of my favorites; all of my family love it.

Its one of those dishes that you make with whatever you have on hand, she said. It can be vegan, vegetarian or filled with all your favorite things.

The basic ingredients for chilaquiles are leftover tortillas and the red chilaquile salsa she prepared from fresh and dried chilies.

As the tortillas are reheated in oil in a saute pan, you can add Mexican-style chorizo  authentic chorizo is not as fatty as some styles you find locally, she noted. Eggs, too, are optional, but can be beaten and poured into the pan. When the eggs have cooked, she ladles in the chilaquiles salsa that has been simmering on a nearby pan.

Thats it, she said, except for the garnishes.

These can include chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, along with a sprinkling of queso fresco, fresh white cheese, and Mexican-style creme fraiche, both of which are available at local Mexican markets.

What was really wonderful, too, at the Smithsonian, Ceja said, was that while I was cooking and talking to the adults, there was a whole area for children all set up for them to try making tortillas. They loved it.

Cejas recipes were also added to the menu in the museum cafe.

One of the things many people asked her about was serving wine with Mexican food.

With the chilaquiles, she said, she serves the Ceja pinot noir. Most people dont realize pinot noir is a real workhorse, she said. Our Carneros pinot goes with so many things. But I love it with chilaquiles. The dish brings out the fruit for me.

This is what life is all about, Ceja said. Sitting down to eat with your family, good food, great wine.

Ive embraced the best in both cultures and tossed away what doesnt work, she said. I dont want to be homogeneous; my experience is enhancing my adopted country. Why not share what is wonderful  and keep it?

She returned home having left behind her tortilla maker, which will become part of the Smithsonian collection. But, after all, you can make tortillas with your hands.
ST. HELENA  Culinary Institute of America officials plan to remodel the interior of the landmark Greystone building on Highway 29 and expand dorms on Pratt Avenue.

The CIA doesnt plan to change the exterior of the 128-year-old building, but it wants to reconfigure the kitchens and other rooms to better meet the nonprofit schools needs.

The more visible component of the project would be on Pratt Avenue, where the CIA wants to tear down one dorm  which was previously the Marlinda Convalescent Hospital  and build four new three-story lodges for a net increase of 135 beds.

The move would help address the high cost of housing for students who live off campus and sometimes have to go far afield to find housing they can afford, said Tom Bensel, managing director of the CIA at Greystone.

We want to take students out of the housing market, he said, adding that the CIA also rents out a few houses around town, a practice he would prefer to end.

To reduce traffic and make life easier for students, the CIA wants more students to live in the Pratt Avenue dorms, where a shuttle continuously runs to and from campus.

The expansion would result in a total of 236 beds at the Pratt dorms, plus an additional 38 existing beds on the main campus. The school eventually wants to increase enrollment from about 200 to 320 students, Bensel said.

During a pre-application review on March 22, City Council members agreed that the projects impacts on water, sewer and traffic will need extensive analysis. The CIA hasnt filed an application with the city, so no public hearings have been scheduled.

CIA representatives are confident the project can meet the citys water-neutrality policy, since water savings at the Greystone campus will help offset the increased water use at the dorms. Bensel said 42 staff members will be moving from Greystone to Copia in Napa, which the CIA acquired last year and plans to use for many of the events and conferences it currently holds at Greystone.

During an April 20 meeting between the CIA and its neighbors, nearby residents expressed concerns about the number of new beds proposed on Pratt, the height and mass of the new buildings, their proximity to the street, and parking.

Its just too many students in one spot, said neighbor Rusty Hinds. Id counsel you to find more sites and spread them out.

The tentative plan includes 85 parking spaces at the dorm property, up from 70 there already. Bensel said many students dont have cars, and he assured neighbors that the overflow parking that occurs on Pratt is related to events at Greystone that will eventually be held at Copia instead.

Bensel said the CIA had investigated other sites, including ones adjacent to the Greystone property, but the existing dorm property was the only one that was both available and financially viable.

However, Bensel said he wants to be amenable to neighbors, and based on the negative feedback he wouldnt be comfortable proposing to the city the same design he showed to neighbors.

We dont want to shove this down peoples throats, Bensel said. Well go back and start discussing elements that were brought up here tonight.
Napa County visitors spent a record $1.27 billion in the county in 2015, an increase of 8.9 percent over the year before. Thats the highest percentage gain among all nine Bay Area counties.

The data came from Visit Californias annual economic impact report, released on Monday.

Napa County tourism brings the area a total of $115 million in tax revenue, said the report.

Napa Countys percentage increase is pretty darn good, said Clay Gregory, CEO and president of Visit Napa Valley. Were in really good shape in terms of growth.

Luckily most of our growth is not in numbers of people, its in rates and getting more folks to be here in weekdays, which is one of our priorities, he said.

As for 2016, Gregory said he expects revenue to continue to grow in the 6 percent range.

In the last Visit Napa Valley fiscal year, which ended in June, Napa County lodging revenue rose more than 10 percent, he said. However, its hard to sustain double-digit growth indefinitely.

It will be interesting to see how new hotels like the Hampton Inn and others, along with properties adding rooms, will impact local hotel economics, Gregory said.

For 2016, I think the occupancy will be flat, because there are more rooms but we should go up in revenue for the same reason, he said.

Travel spending in Napa County has more than doubled since 1998, when the total reached $622 million. Tourist spending directly impacts employment. Napa County visitor-related jobs topped 13,680 in 2015, a 3.7 percent increase from 2014, according to the state report.

Bay Area-wide, travelers spent more than $33 billion in 2015, which supported 248,300 jobs for residents and provided $2.8 billion in state and local tax revenue, Visit California said.

The Bay Area was the largest regional contributor to a statewide tourism economy that topped $122 billion, sustained 1,064,000 jobs and generated $9.9 billion in state and local tax revenue  all record figures.

Tourism is a significant and growing piece of the Bay Areas economy, said Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta. As the region plans for future growth, it is important to keep the continued success of the travel industry top-of-mind as a source of benefits for the entire community.

A Dodge Market Research report found that from 2006 to 2015, new building and renovation projects in California that related to tourism reached $20 billion, with an average of $2 billion infrastructure investments per year. This includes airport modernizations, new shopping and dining experiences and cultural and civic amenities that both visitors and residents can enjoy.

Visit Californias report demonstrates a sixth consecutive year of growth for the tourism industry, outlining the economic benefits of leading tourism sectors such as hotels, rental cars and retail as well as the statewide and county-by-county benefits. Out of Californias 58 counties, 51 saw an increase in direct travel spending compared with 2014, including:

 Alameda: $3.89 billion in traveler spending, up from $3.71 billion (4.9 percent increase)

 Contra Costa: $1.58 billion in traveler spending, up from $1.56 billion (1.3 percent increase)

 Marin: $803 million in traveler spending, up from $777 million (3.3 percent increase)

 Napa: $1.27 billion in traveler spending, up from $1.16 billion (8.9 percent increase)

 San Francisco: $14.29 billion in traveler spending, up from $13.91 billion (2.7 percent increase)

 San Mateo: $3.36 billion in traveler spending, up from $3.18 billion (5.5 percent increase)

 Santa Clara: $5.40 billion in traveler spending, up from $5.08 billion (6.2 percent increase)

 Solano: $662 million in traveler spending, up from $643 million (3 percent increase)

 Sonoma: $1.82 billion in traveler spending, up from $1.78 billion (2.3 percent increase)
WHATS HAPPENING AT CAMEO CINEMA

The Jungle Book is the featured film at the Cameo Cinema Friday, May 6, through Thursday, May 12. Raised by a family of wolves since birth, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) must leave the only home hes ever known when the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) unleashes his mighty roar. Guided by a no-nonsense panther (Ben Kingsley) and a free-spirited bear (Bill Murray), the young boy meets an array of jungle animals as his epic journey of self-discovery leads to fun and adventure. Showtimes are Friday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, May 12, at 3, 5:45 and 8:30 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m., 5:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; and Tuesday at 5:45 and 8:30 p.m. Rated PG (1H 51M).

A Hologram for the King concludes its run Thursday, May 5, at 3, 5:45 and 8:30 p.m. Rated R (1H 30M).

Local fashion designer Karen Caldwell will curate a Couture Fashion Show before a showing of Women Hes Undressed, a documentary about enigmatic Hollywood costume designer Orry-Kelly, at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7. Orry-Kelly was responsible for Oscar-winning costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood, including Ingrid Bergmans jet-set noir from Casablanca, Bette Davis dowdy-to-demure transformation in Now, Voyager, and Marilyn Monroes strategically tightened nude dress from Some Like It Hot. Caldwell lives in St. Helena, and when Spotlight producers Blye Faust and Nicole Rocklin stepped onto the Oscar stage in February they were wearing her designs. Tickets are $20, and include wine. Not rated (1H 39M).

Film titles and times may change. Call to verify. Tickets for regular showings: $10 general; $8 students, seniors and military; $6 for art films and matinees before 5 p.m.; $5 for family films.

CALISTOGA THEATER COMPANY PRESENTS ...

The Calistoga Theater Company will present A.R. Gurneys play Black Tie, directed by Sharie Renault, through Sunday, May 8, at the St. Helena Presbyterian Church, 1428 Spring St. The charming comedy is set in an Adirondack resort suite and told from the perspective of the grooms family on the eve of their only sons wedding. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, May 6 and 7; and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 8.

Tickets: $15-$25.

VINIFERA TRIO PERFORMS ON MOTHERS DAY

The Vinifera Trio will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at the White Barn, 2727 Sulphur Springs Ave. Consisting of Rachel Patrick on violin, Ian Scarfe on piano and Matthew Boyles on clarinet, the trio will perform selections from works by Poulenc, Stravinsky, Mozart and Gershwin.

Tickets: $30.

CHRIS PERONDIS STUNT DOG EXPERIENCE

Chris Perondis cast of performers and pound pups will entertain audiences of all ages with two shows at 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center on the main campus in south Napa. Witness comedy antics, dancing dogs, the Extreme Canines Triathlon, and the Golden Bone Showdown, a series of five challenges that test each dogs intelligence, speed, accuracy and leaping ability. Each show includes crowd participation.

Tickets: $30.

MIKE GREENSILL AT SILOS

Pianist Mike Greensill of St. Helena will perform from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, at Silos, 530 Main St. in Napa. Starting May 18, he will play every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Admission: Free.

Details: SilosNapa.com or 251-5833.

HECHO AQUI IN NAPA VALLEY

The St. Helena Public Library will hold a special artist reception at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12. Hecho Aqui is a photography exhibition and collection of biographies featuring 20 Latino entrepreneurs  their lives, businesses and dreams made here in the Napa Valley. It was created by the Napa Valley Latino Heritage Committee in honor of the 4th Annual Napa Valley Latino Heritage Month in 2015. The photographs were taken by Adriana Arriaga, Juan Diaz, Arturo Ramos, Mari Martinez Serrano, and Richard Ybarra. Maija Starr wrote the biographies, and Juan Diaz curated the exhibition. Refreshments will be served, and a talk will follow the reception.

Admission: Free.

Details: SHPL.org or 963-5244.

STRING QUARTET PLAYS BEETHOVEN

The Beethoven String Quartet Series concludes with the Cypress String Quartet performing at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Jarvis Conservatory, 1711 Main St. in Napa. The quartet will perform the String Quartet in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2; and String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132. The quartet consists of Cecily Ward, violin; Tom Stone, violin; Ethan Filner, viola; and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello.

Admission: $40 general admission.

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD

Vocalist Wesla Whitfield will perform accompanied by Mike Greensill on piano and John Wiitala, followed by a showing of the classic film Casablanca at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at the Cameo Cinema. The event, celebrating the Cameos 103rd birthday, will transform the Cameo into Ricks Cafe Americain.

Tickets: $25  includes concert, film, birthday cake and a drink at Ricks.

SPRING INTO STRINGS

Napa Valley Music Associates will present Spring Into Strings at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at Jamieson Ranch Vineyards, 1 Kirkland Ranch Road in Napa. The show features Trio Seven with Matthew Grasso, Matthew Foley and Harry Stoddard on seven-string extended guitar, plus Laura Simpson (harp), Helen Newby (cello) and Erica Zappia (viola).

Tickets: $20 in advance/$25 at the door.

RSVP to 252-8671, 322-8402 or info@napavalleymusicassociates.org.

CAPOEIRA AT THE LIBRARY

Brazil comes to St. Helena with a demonstration and talk about capoeira (cap-o-era), a martial art that combines acrobatics, dance and music at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at the St. Helena Public Library. Refreshments will be served. The program is made possible by the Friends & Foundation, St. Helena Public Library.

Admission: Free.

Details: SHPL.org or 963-5244.

ICONIC IMAGES OF SANTANA

An exhibit featuring 40 photographs by Jim Marshall of Carlos Santana and some of his bandmates continues through May at Mumm Napa, 8445 Silverado Trail in Napa. Jim Marshall Seen Through the Eyes of Carlos Santana is curated by Santana himself, and coincides with the release of Mumms Santana Savor sparkling wine. A portion of the proceeds from the wine will go to Santanas Milagro Foundation, which benefits underserved and vulnerable children in education, health and the arts.

SHAKESPEARE AT THE CAMEO

NapaShakes 2016 season of Shakespeare on Screen at the Cameo Cinema continues with the Globe on Screen production of The Duchess of Malfi at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 19. All productions are captured live in digital high-definition.

The season continues with:

Aug. 21: Romeo and Juliet (starring Lily James, Richard Madden and Derek Jacobi)

Sept. 11: The Comedy of Errors (Globe on Screen)

Oct. 16: Titus Andronicus (Globe on Screen)

Nov. 20: The Entertainer (starring Kenneth Branagh)

NAPA VALLEY COLLECTS CONTINUES

Napa Valley Collects, honoring the regions private art collectors, continues through June 26 at the Napa Valley Museum, 55 Presidents Circle in Yountville. Presented in partnership with Arts Council Napa Valley and Visit Napa Valley for Arts in April, the exhibit includes significant works from outstanding art collections throughout the Napa Valley.

Details: NapaValleyMuseum.org or 944-0500.

NONSENSE AND VERSE WITH DAN GOODMAN

Dan Goodman will present Nonsense and Verse, a one-man show full of witty puns, musical numbers, reflections and recitations at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, at Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive in Yountville. The doors open at 2:06 p.m., with the show starting at 3:01 p.m. sharp.

Tickets: $18.

PAUL KOS SOLO EXHIBIT AT DI ROSA

Equilibrium, an exhibit at di Rosa exploring the work of Bay Area conceptual artist Paul Kos, continues through Oct. 2 in di Rosas Gatehouse Gallery, 5200 Sonoma Highway in Napa. Considered a leading figure of Bay Area conceptual art, Kos was among the first artists in Northern California to create performance-based film and video works as well as participatory installations. The exhibit features sculpture, film, video, photography and works on paper.
Kiki and Carlo Antonini, owners of AF Jewelers in St. Helena, are hosting a special event that features an exclusive 60-piece Buccellati collection as well as Champagne to toast. The event at their store, 1309 Main St., began Saturday, April 30, and continues through Saturday, May 21, during their business hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.

Buccellati is an Italian family company dating back to 1919 and is one of the top five luxury brands in the world, according to a news release. Buccellati designs have graced the royal families of Italy, Spain, Egypt, the pope and cardinals of Rome.

AF Jewelers is featuring many one-of-a-kind pieces, including diamond-encrusted necklaces, unique honeycomb rings and earrings, as well as their most iconic cuff bracelet in this exclusive museum-quality 60-piece collection. For information call 967-9138 or visit AFJewelers.com.
So many Upvalley customers were driving south to Napas Computer Engineering Group for phone and computer repair service that the business owner, Jorge Zetina, decided it was time to expand northward.

Computer Engineering (CE) Group will mark the companys 11-year anniversary on Friday, May 6, with a grand-opening celebration from noon to 2 p.m. at the new St. Helena outlet at 1080C Main St.

The expansion is part of a growth pattern that accelerated over the past year, as the company doubled from seven employees to 14 and added several new services.

Our customers are happy with us, said Zetina, a resident of Napa, where he and his wife, Angelica, raise their family.

Zetina said the celebration, open to the public, will feature a free barbecue, a 50 percent discount on all in-house repairs at the St. Helena location, and a business card raffle for a chance to win tickets to see the San Francisco Giants. There will also be a live broadcast by Napa Valleys FM radio station, KVYN, the Vine.

The new stores assistant manager, John Shedlock, said opening the St. Helena store is going to reduce customers travel time.

We have a lot of clients from St. Helena who need our service but dont need to be in our Napa shop for two hours, Shedlock said.

Shedlock came to Northern California four years ago to run a cellphone repair business with his brother-in-law. He opened new stores in Santa Rosa, West Covina, San Jose and Fairfield.

A year later, he met Zetina, who hired him as a mobile device technician.

Ive never seen a clientele base so eager to spread the word about our business, said Shedlock. There are few communities as close-knit as Napa and St. Helena, where word gets around, which is why we have been so successful in growing the business.

Jordan Madison, a Napa native and a 2007 graduate of Vintage High School, will be the St. Helena stores lead technician for computer repairs. He worked at Office Depot for nine years before he came to work for Zetina last year.

CE Group has a huge clientele of busy St. Helena residents, said Madison. Arranging computer and phone repairs can be inconvenient and time-consuming. But now theres a good place where they know its going to be done right, and they dont have to drive all the way to Napa.

The crew at CE Group works to repair and restore all types of residential and commercial computers and phone, tablet and mobile devices, offering services including computer and mobile device repair and IT consulting.

Coming from more than 20 years of retail experience, I can honestly say that Computer Engineering Group is hands-down the greatest place for both internal employees and external customers, said Ron Bello, CE Groups regional manager for the Napa and St. Helena offices.

This companys first priority is giving each employee the tools they need to ensure that every customer is completely satisfied. When customers and employees are both happy, it makes for an exceptional experience, said Bello, a former Office Depot manager.

Zetina said the new stores main focus will be customer service for residents of St. Helena.

Following the devastating Lake County fires of 2015, CE Group was called upon to restore files and data from computers burned in the inferno. Customers dropped off their damaged hard drives to CE Group experts, who restored about 75 percent of the data, Zetina said.

The company specializes in IT service for businesses large and small, acting as the internal outsourced IT department for businesses that are too small to afford a full-time IT staff but have full-time needs.

CE Group also makes house calls for residents who are Apple and PC users. The company services and repairs Apple and Windows computers, hardware, software, desktops, laptops, cellphones, tablets, iPods, iPads and Samsung devices. CE Group experts also back up data, install new operating systems, monitor networks, manage web hosting and email, and provide security and anti-virus protection for personal and business users. Zetina warned of a new CryptoLocker bug, which requires computer owners to pay to regain control of their devices.

We can prevent this devastating bug from installing, Zetina said.

CE Groups corporate Napa office can be reached at ce-group.com or 257-9701. The St. Helena office is at 968-5101.
Monday, April 25

1306  Police were told to be on the lookout for a blue BMW containing a couple who had allegedly used a fraudulent credit card at a resort.

1618  Report of possible threats made by a man toward his ex-wife and her mother. The ex-wife declined to seek a restraining order, but asked for extra patrol.

1730  Police received multiple reports of a green Lexus weaving on Highway 29. Police arrested the 38-year-old Santa Rosa woman on suspicion of DUI, probation violation and felony child cruelty because she had a 2-year-old in the car.

1847  Report of a fence down at a construction site on Grayson Avenue.

Tuesday, April 26

0309  Report of a prowler on Hunt Avenue. Police checked the area.

0802  A black and gold Harley-Davidson ring was found in Angwin on Monday morning. The sheriffs department will hold it for safekeeping.

0927  A caller from Charter Oak Avenue reported that dogs at a neighboring property were being allowed to bark incessantly at workers painting a building next door.

1253  Report of a woman asking for help on Pope Street near Church Street. An officer talked to witnesses who said shed been wearing an apron.

1400  Police cited a red Hyundai parked the wrong way and taking up two spaces on Adams Street.

1926  CPS investigated a child abuse report and determined the allegations were unfounded.

2140  A silver Dodge Neon reportedly almost collided with other cars and trash cans on Main Street.

Wednesday, April 27

0003  Report of three large dogs running loose on Stockton Street. A neighbor asked for help getting them back into their owners yard.

1016  Report of an ongoing problem with delivery trucks parking in a red zone and blocking a driveway on Fulton Lane.

1521  Report of a gray Mercedes parked near Stockton Street and Pine Street for at least a week and a half.

1544  Noninjury accident at Main Street and Deer Park Road.

1739  A foster dog was reported missing from a backyard on Chiles Avenue. Its a black female lab/pit mix named Dolly, about 35-40 pounds, 6 or 7 months old, wearing a black collar.

Thursday, April 28

0921  Report of a dog left inside a Mercedes on Adams Street near Oak Avenue.

1059  A Vineyard Avenue resident asked for help with a snake in a backyard, possibly a juvenile rattlesnake. Police responded and contacted Advanced Animal Wildlife Control.

1431  Report of a suspicious man on Madrona Avenue pushing a stroller containing a little girl and catcalling to a passerb-y.

1544  Police and fire units responded to a small vegetation fire on Sulphur Springs Avenue.

2010  Medical aid for an employee whod fallen down some stairs on Main Street.

2144  Report of a car unable to maintain its lane on Main Street near Madrona Avenue.

Friday, April 29

0536  A car hit a tree, causing it to fall and block both lanes of Main Street near Pratt Avenue. Police provided traffic control while the scene was cleared. Nobody was hurt.

0850  Report of a suspicious man with an approximately 3-year-old girl at Meily Park. Police checked the area.

0918  An officer responded to Vidovich Avenue while a rattlesnake removal company removed a rattlesnake.

0927  Medical aid for a man with a diabetic problem on White Lane.

1209  Report of a van abandoned on Church Street, possibly because its owner had been arrested.

1307  Medical aid on La Cuesta Court.

1414  A man was seen drinking vodka, then driving away from Crane Avenue. Police checked the area.

1717  Police cited a bus that was taking up multiple spots, occupying a red zone, and partially in traffic on the west side of Main Street just south of Adams Street.

Saturday, April 30

0205  A father reported his adult son was having a breakdown on Allyn Avenue. Hed been yelling in the street and was now standing on the porch. Police arrested the 37-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs.

0316  Following a traffic stop on Highway 29 near Zinfandel Lane, police arrested a 17-year-old St. Helena resident on suspicion of DUI and underage possession of tobacco or smoking paraphernalia.

1120  A neighbors 600-pound pig was on the loose on Bella Vista Court. An officer responded to help and the animal was coerced back into her pen, only to escape again into a dilapidated enclosure that was unfit for an animal of her size.

1158  A caller asked that his adult son be taken into custody again because hes making threats again. Police determined the incident had occurred earlier, and there was no longer a problem.

1349  A caller reported that power lines were sparking on Oak Avenue.

1353  Report of a dog barking inside a locked car on Oak Avenue.

1458  Several limbs fell from a large heritage tree named Bob and damaged a parked car on Allyn Avenue.

1545  A callers car had just been hit and damaged by a white Subaru that was heading north on Main Street. Police contacted both parties.

Sunday, May 1

0902  A pedestrian asked an officer for legal advice involving divorce. The officer advised him to seek a family law attorney.

0910  A Sony video recorder, as well as a black shirt, were found at the skate park.

1747  Report of two parked cars occupying more than two spaces on Crane Avenue, with bocce starting in about 30 minutes.

1916  A resident had an injured duck that he wanted to drop off at the police department. He was transferred to a wildlife rescue agency, which arranged for the male mallard to be dropped off at their hospital on Silverado Trail.

Monday, May 2

0212  Report of a man and woman trespassing on the roof of a Main Street building.

1721  Report of a man acting obnoxious and causing a disturbance at a Main Street business.

2146  Medical aid for a person with a diabetic problem on Hunt Avenue.

Tuesday, May 3

0010  Report of a domestic dispute on Main Street. Police confirmed it was verbal, not physical.


Taylor Swifts Red tour made a stop in San Diego on Thursday night where Taylor was greeted by these stunning concert posters. She wrote about them on Facebook saying:

About to play a show in San Diego, and the arena has even made posters! How festive!

The Valley View Casino Center posted on Facebook about the poster saying it was created by San Diego artist Mel Marcelo. Marcelo in turn posted a photo of Taylor receiving one of the posters before the show.

Not sure if the artwork was sold as a souvenir or not during the show, but it definitely should have been. These would make some awesome wall art.

If youd like to see pictures from Taylors concert at the Valley View Casino Center free spins, you can find some great shots on their Facebook.
Last night (5/2) was the night for celebrities of all shapes, sizes, and famousness to head to New York in their finest, weirdest, and occasionally most painful for the annual Met Gala. The Gala raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute in New York City and every year has a theme for the celebrities to follow when picking their outfits. This years theme was Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which means that most of the celebrities showed up wearing every bit of metal and metal-like material they could muster in wearable form.

Keith Urban doesnt hit me as the type who would normally attend a function like this, but being that hes married to Hollywood starlet Nicole Kidman, he donned a completely dapper tuxedo, put on his best smile, and hit the red (and pink and cream colored) carpet.

Dashing.
On Wednesday 4 May, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will attend the change of command ceremony for NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Mons, Belgium.

Media Advisory

14:00 Start of Change of Command Ceremony

14:50 NATO Secretary General and General Curtis M. Scaparrotti will jointly meet the media.

NEW  Ceremony and press point will be streamed live on the NATO website.

Still and video imagery will be available on NATO website.

If there are any questions, please contact SHAPE Public Affairs at shapepao@shape.nato.int or by calling +32 (0) 475 77 31 05 or +32 (0) 65 44 35 49

Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg)
YEREVAN.  At this phase it is too early to speak about sending military servicemen, who were wounded as a result of the Azerbaijani aggression, for treatment abroad, Minister of Health of Armenia Armen Muradyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Given that there will be a need for such treatment primarily in rehabilitation, at this phase we dont have cases that Armenias resource is not enough and [the given wounded soldier] should be sent abroad, Muradyan said.

He recalled that the government decision, which was adopted on April 21, refers to cases where Armenia is unable to provide the given medical treatment.

We still have no specific person who needs [such treatment], the minister added. There are military servicemen who will need rehabilitation treatment, but it is early to speak about it.

At the Cabinet meeting on April 21, the Government of Armenia approved the procedure for sending military servicemen abroad for medical treatment.

The respective funds will be allocated to the soldiers who were affected while carrying out their duties at the frontline.

Sending these military servicemen abroad, however, will be intended for cases when the necessary medical treatment cannot be provided in Armenia.

The respective allocations will include medical examination and treatment costs as well as travel and housing expenses.
STEPANAKERT.  The adversary continued violating the arrangement to cease fire along the Line of Contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces, from late Monday night to early Tuesday morning.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces breached the truce by using rifle weaponry and mortars.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that the Defense Army vanguard units, however, are in command of the operational situation, and they continue confidently conducting their military watch.
Artificial intelligence leads political party in Denmark

Rishi Sunak to become UK PM

Armenia official: Defense sector expenses will increase the most, state budget allocations will increase by 160bln drams

Iranian president congratulates Xi Jinping: Tehran is determined to expand comprehensive relations with Beijing

Russian MOD: Work on Ukraine's 'dirty bomb' comes to end

Dollar drops, euro goes up in Armenia

Fly Arna planning to conduct 2 weekly flights between Yerevan and Beirut

Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan doubles gas and oil exports to Europe via Georgia

Two quakes hit near Tbilisi

Aliyev: Azerbaijan-Armenia agreement signing will be guarantee of peace in entire South Caucasus

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Milliyet: Turkey has tightened control over the Bosphorus Strait due to mines in the Black Sea

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Komsomolskaya Pravda: PM Pashinyan is handing over Karabakh in order to take Armenia to the West

Vedomosti daily: Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia leaders to hold face-to-face talks

Russia to evade G7 plan to cap oil prices, export 90% of its oil?

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Armenia official: Terms for buying, building houses for those displaced from Artsakh have improved

Saudi Arabia forum set to draw American business leaders despite existing tensions

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Iran army ground forces holding exercise in West Azarbaijan Province

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2 pilots killed in Russia fighter jet crash

Russia, France defense ministers discuss Ukraine

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150 residents of 3 Karabakh settlements handed over to Azerbaijan get compensation certificates

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Armenia envoy presents credentials to Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency chair

Hungary to approve by years end Sweden, Finland petitions to join NATO

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Iranian MP: Iran will conduct military exercises wherever it deems necessary

Finnish delegation to visit Ankara to discuss NATO membership

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Lithuanian President Nauseda is named most popular politician in country

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Deputy Director of Institute of Oriental Studies of RAS: Baku's goal is that Karabakh has no Armenian population

Hurricane Roslyn in Pacific Ocean intensifies to third category

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Telecom fraud suspectes are escorted off a plane by Chinese police from Kenya. [Photo/Xinhua]

Scammers could get life on the mainland, compared with up to 5 years in Taiwan

Considering the comparatively lighter punishments that convicted telecom swindlers face in Taiwan, repatriating Taiwan suspects to the mainland and trying them according to the mainland's laws will better help in fighting crime and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of people on both sides of the Straits, experts have said.

In Taiwan, people found guilty of conducting telecom fraud face a maximum prison sentence of five years, while the maximum on the mainland is life, said Fan Chongyi, a professor at the Procedural Law Research Institute at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing.

"Suspects who were sent back to Taiwan were given lenient sentences or even acquitted. Many of them later resumed swindling," Fan said.

The comments came after 97 suspects, implicated in more than 100 major telecom fraud cases across the mainland, were repatriated from Malaysia on Saturday, including 32 who were originally from Taiwan.

As all of the alleged victims were from the mainland, that means the mainland has territorial jurisdiction over the cases, regardless of where the alleged perpetrators were from, said Li Juqian, deputy head of the International Law School under the CUPL.

"It was in accordance with international law and mainland law that Malaysia deported the suspects to the mainland. The move is unchallengeable in terms of the law," Li said.

The 97 repatriated suspects are now being held at a detention center in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, said Zhang Jun, a senior investigator from the Ministry of Public Security.

The fact that the suspects were sent back to the mainland ensures that the police stand the best chance of obtaining evidence and investigating the case thoroughly, Zhang said.

Criminals could face harsher penalties on the mainland than they might in Taiwan and that is likely to deter others from carrying out similar crimes, Zhang added.

A Taiwan resident surnamed Hsu, who was one of the telecom fraud suspects deported from Kenya to the Chinese mainland earlier in April, said the main reason he was attracted to telecom fraud was that "money comes easy and punishment is light", Xinhua News Agency reported.

Hsu was sentenced to seven months in prison the first time he was caught by Taiwan authorities.

"If I had have known I could have been deported to the mainland this time, I would definitely have been too afraid to have done this," Hsu said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.
YEREVAN.  The Azerbaijani side continued shooting toward the northeastern sectori.e. Tavush Province of Armeniaof the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, from late Monday night to early Tuesday morning.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces mostly fired irregular shots at the Armenian position-holders, and by way of rifle and sniper weaponry.

The Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that the Armenian armed forces, however, confidently control the situation along the border, and they take appropriate actions solely in cases of targeted violations by the adversary.
The expansion of US economic and military assistance to Armenia is in the interests of the two countries, US Congressman and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence member Adam Schiff stated, according to Voice of America Armenian service.

In his view, Armenia has come under a serious influence of Russia in recent times, and this cannot be considered a positive impact. As per Schiff, it is in Armenias interests to develop close relations with both the US and Russia.

He added that Azerbaijan shall not be permitted to carry out provocations along its line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh.

The US Congress member stressed that he would want very much for Armenia to become the Silicon Valley of the Caucasus and to attract the entire intellectual potential, and that the high-tech sector is very promising for the country.

He noted that despite the US budget cuts, the American assistance to Armenia will continue.

Also, Adam Schiff stated that the Armenian diaspora needs to actively participate in shaping the future of Armenia.
The European Commission plans to consider potential financial payments for countries that refuse to accept refugees under the quota program. The amount of the fine will make about 250 thousand euros per person, reports RIA Novosti with a reference to the Financial Times.

On Wednesday, the European Commission plans to make a new proposal on making amendments to the current Dublin asylum system in the EU. According to the preliminary plans, the European Commission within the framework of the reforms will suggest to establish fees for countries that refuse to provide temporary asylum for refugees. However, this is still controversial.

According to one of the sources the Financial Times referred to, the amount of fine will make 250 thousand euros for per person. This number may change though. Another source says that the price for refusing to accept refugees could reach hundreds of thousands of euros.

The Financial Times reports that the Eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary , will welcome an alternative to the mandatory placement of refugees. However, if the European Commission does not change the plans , Poland, for example, will have to pay more than one billion euros to escape to place 4.5 thousand refugees under the quota program who arrived in Italy and Greece.

Today Europe has the biggest migration crisis since the Second World War ,which is caused due to a number of armed conflicts and economic problems in the Middle East and North Africa . According to Frontex, in 2015 1.8 million migrants came to the European Union. Most of them sneaked through Turkey to Greece and then were sent to the other EU countries.
YEREVAN.  The Karabakh conflict will definitely be solved, it is a matter of time, and the solution cannot be achieved without the participation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh).

Member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia National Assembly (NA) Faction, Artak Davtyan, who is also Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, stated the aforesaid at a press conference on Tuesday.

In his words, restraining Azerbaijan suggests additional security guarantees.

Only we [i.e. the Armenian party in the Karabakh conflict] can rein in Azerbaijan; the Armenian sides will do their utmost to ensure that, Davtyan stressed. We shall be strong, so we may impose peace to the adversary.
STEPANAKERT.  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) President Bako Sahakyan and First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who is also founding chairman of the opposition Armenian National Congress Party, held a talk Tuesday in the NKR capital city of Stepanakert.

Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that the large-scale military actions, which Azerbaijan unleashed from April 2 to 5 against Artsakh, were discussed at the meeting.

President Sahakyan underscored the consolidated stance of the Armenian political forces during these days of ordeal, and their role in resolving the issues the nation faces.

Ter-Petrosyan also met with NKR National Assembly Chairman Ashot Ghoulyan, Prime Minister Arayik Haroutyunyan, and leadership of the Defense Army.
YEREVAN.  Russia advertises its weaponry on the account of the blood of Armenian military servicemen.

Former MP and ex-chairman of the Republic of Armenia (RA) National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, analyst Hovhannes Igityan, noted the above-said at a press conference on Tuesday.

As per Igityan, Russia continues claiming that its selling of arms to Azerbaijan is only business.

The sale of [Russian] weapons to Azerbaijan continues, he stated. Strangely enough, after President [of Armenia] Serzh Sargsyans respective statement in the US, the RA foreign minister, in an interview with the BBC, said that this is normal.
Prior to Hrant Dinks 2007 murder on the streets of Istanbul, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) repeatedly - but, ultimately, unsuccessfully - called on the U.S. government to condemn the political prosecution, persecution and threats directed against this courageous Armenian journalist for his crime of speaking honestly about the Armenian Genocide, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hambarian said in a statement.

His statement came after threats voiced against Armenian MP from the Kurdish Party Garo Paylan who spoke about the Armenian Genocide in Turkish parliament. The video published on Monday showed a scuffle that broke out in the Turkish parliament. Paylan struggled with his fists against the attacking Turkish MPs until his party members hurried for help.

Mr. Hambarian emphasized that American presidents like calling for a "full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts," as long as they're not the ones doing the acknowledging.

It was Hrant - living under Erdogan's dagger - who demonstrated the courage that U.S. leaders lacked, he said.

Despite all our efforts and the clear facts on the ground, the U.S. Department of State and The White House could not find their way to utter even one public word in his defense. One expression of concern. One word on his behalf. That is, until his death.

It was only after Hrant Dink was murdered in cold blood that the U.S. government found its voice, condemning a murder it did nothing to prevent.

Let us work to ensure that the same fate does not befall Garo Paylan - a truth teller and peace maker who deserves the support, not the silence, of the elected representatives of the American people.
YEREVAN.  The Government of Armenia will consider the bill On Recognizing the Republic of Artsakh; i.e. Nagorno-Karabakh.

The proposal is put on the agenda of Thursdays Cabinet meeting.

The Armenian governments conclusion on this draft law states that the government conditions the adoption of this bill on the results of the Armenia-Artsakh discussions, and considering the future developments, including the external factors.

Shavarsh Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, will present a supplementary report during the National Assembly debates on this bill.
Turkey has cautioned the German Bundestag (parliament) not to use the word genocide in its resolution regarding the massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Rheinische Post daily newspaper of Germany reported the aforesaid citing Huseyin Avni Karsloglu, the Ambassador of Turkey to Germany.

This is not a matter for the national parliament to decide, the Turkish ambassador said. Giving assessments to history is not the task of the Bundestag.

Also, he warned that the use of the term genocide in this resolution may jeopardize the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process.

Genocide is clearly defined by the Geneva Convention; only the international court can make a decision on it, said Karsloglu. Politicians work with political or religious motives.
YEREVAN. -- Ten years have passed since the airliner A-320 owned by Armavia crashed near Sochi. The airliner, flying from Yerevan to Sochi, crashed on May 3 at night, while approaching the airport of Adler.

The plane crashed into the Black Sea at a distance of 5-6 km from the coast. There were 113 people on board: 105 passengers, including 6 children and 8 crewmembers. They all died.

The prosecutors office of Krasnodar region initiated a criminal case related to the disaster under article 263, part 3 of the Criminal Code (violation of safety rules and operation of the air transports which entails deaths of two or more people). The tragedy occurred at about 2 am. The plane was approaching the airport in bad weather. According to the IAC, the reason of the crash was the crew error. The company did not agree with that version.
YEREVAN.  Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian, who is in Finland on an official visit, on Tuesday met, in capital city Helsinki, with Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland), President of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that Nalbandian presented to the OSCE PA president the consequences of the aggressive actions which Azerbaijan unleashed against Nagorno-Karabakh in early April, and the efforts by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to address these consequences.

Also, the Armenian FM drew the OSCE PA presidents attention to the Azerbaijani armed forces gross violations of international humanitarian law. The minister added that Azerbaijan continues disregarding the international communitys calls to honor the ceasefire, and violating the trilateral and open-ended agreements of 1994 and 1995 with respect to establishing and strengthening ceasefire.

In this connection, Kanerva noted that the use of force is unacceptable. He noted that the OSCE PA fully supports the Minsk Group Co-Chairs efforts to achieve a pacific resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and through negotiations, and the enhancing of the capacities of the team of the Personal Representative to the OSCE Chairman in Office.

The interlocutors also discussed several other matters that are on the OSCE agenda.
Former President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Jean-Paul Costa has completed the work on drawing out the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial in France, co-chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), Murad Papazian, told Armenian News  NEWS.am.

Now we are already holding working consultations. By the end of the expert work, it will become clear whether we will be able to introduce this bill in the parliament or not. We must be sure that this bill will have a constitutional power, Papazian noted, stressing that they will complete this stage by the end of May.

French President Francois Hollande earlier raised the issue on adopting a law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.
YEREVAN.  Situation at the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan is different from that in early April, spokesperson for the Armenian Defense Ministry said.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan emphasized that Azerbaijan is accumulating much more forces now.

The intelligence hears and sees everything. There would be no statements unless it was so. I cannot speak about figures, he said, adding that re-deployment of forces is of permanent character.

He noted that Azerbaijani Armed Forces did not dismiss these reports in their statement.

Nevertheless, Hovhannisyan believes it is too early to make certain predictions about opponents actions.
The president and general manager of KABC-TV Channel 7, the local ABC affiliate, issued a statement on Monday saying the station regrets the inclusion in our story of a short bite from the interview denying the existence of the Genocide on historical grounds, which is counter to the position of a majority of historians today who do call it a Genocide, Asbarez reported.

Last week ABC7 said they would not use a cameraman that insulted Armenians while shooting the interview with Ergun Kirlikovali, the former president of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations and another Turkish Genocide denier Nur Hostetler. However, in a statement addressed to Asbarez the company said their coverage of the April 24 events was fair and accurate.

In response to the communitys anger over the incident, the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region along with the Armenian Youth Federation and the Armenian Bar Association reached out to KABC TVs leadership and met with the Disney-owned stations president and general manager, Cheryl Kunin Fair, to discuss the incident and to sensitize ABC7s leadership about inclusion of Armenian Genocide deniers on their air.

After Asbarezs article was published, Kunin Fair issued a statement, in which she assured the public about the stations decision not to use the cameraman in question. Mondays statement by KABC-TV goes a step further and pledges that the station would work with the three organizations to better report on the Armenian Genocide.

We are gratified that ABC7 responded promptly and effectively to the legitimate concerns raised by our community as a result of both its on-air reporting and the off-air derogatory comments by its former cameraman about the Armenian Genocide and the Rally for Justice on April 24th, said ANCA-WR Chairwoman Nora Hovsepian.
YEREVAN.  The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, and by way of negotiations.

Brazilian Ambassador to Armenia Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro stated the above-said at a press conference on Tuesday, the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informed.

In the diplomats words, the Karabakh conflict is a delicate matter, and it is not the case that Brazil may be included in its resolution.

It is a task that everything be solved with cooperation, through negotiations, the ambassador stressed. As the foreign minister of Armenia said, in the talks, the claims that need to be announced are not at all important, but the actions that are carried out.

In my opinion, and Brazils state position is that, the Minsk Group is in charge of the settlement of the problem. And I believe the conflict should be discussed and resolved within the framework of the Minsk Group itself.

Photo by Emma Asatryan
YEREVAN.  The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, on Monday held a working meeting with Bradley Busetto, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator/UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Armenia.

Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that the ensuring of human rights protection guarantees, both in legislation and in practice, as well as matters pertaining to further development of the capacity-building of the Human Rights Defenders Office, more specifically the capacity-building of its regional offices, were discussed during the talk.

Busetto stressed the importance of the Human Rights Defenders Office in ensuring the rights and freedoms, and expressed readiness to implement projects within the framework of bilateral cooperation.

Tatoyan, for his part, highlighted the role of the UN, more specifically that of UNDP, and confirmed his readiness to launch joint projects along the lines of human rights and his willingness to expand the domains of cooperation.
The speaker of the Finnish Parliament Maria Lohelan during her meeting on 3 May in Helsinki with the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, condemned the use of force in the Karabakh conflict zone.

The parties discussed the promotion of cooperation of the Armenian and the Finnish parliaments, emphasizing the importance of the parliamentary diplomacy, Foreign Mnistry's press office reported.

The parties discussed possibilities of decentralized cooperation in the sphere of culture, science, and education. They also exchanged views on options of stimulating trade; talked about the economic cooperation and the Armenia-EU relations. The Armenian Foreign Minister informed the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament about large-scale aggression performed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh and the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group to overcome the consequences of the Azerbaijani actions. The speaker condemned the use of force and violation of the international humanitarian law, stressing that Finland unambiguously promotes the settlement of the conflict through negotiations.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who is on an official visit to Helsinki, had a meeting with President of Finland Sauli Niinisto Tuesday.

FM Nalbandian presented the agreements reached in the framework of his visit to Helsinki, stressing that Armenia wishes to deepen and strengthen its centuries-old cooperation with Finland.

The sides also discussed issues related to enhancing cooperation in a number of areas, stressing the need to expand the legal framework thereof. Specifically, the importance of developing cooperation in the sphere of economy and promotion of business ties was underscored.

Apart from this, FM Nalbandian briefed the Finnish President on the details of the Azerbaijani aggression, the ensuing situation, as well as the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group towards stabilizing the situation.

Mr Niinisto expressed unconditional support to the efforts towards the peaceful settlement of the conflict, stressing that it should be reached through negotiations.

The sides also discussed Armenian-EU relations and exchanged views on a number of international issues.
No opportunity of positive progress can be traced in the normalization of Karabakh conflict, political expert of the Polish Institute of International Relations (Warsaw), Konrad Zasztowt told 168.am.

According to the expert, his expectations in regard to the fact that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a frozen one, as many experts tried to present it, came true. Moreover, in his words, the conflict will not be normalized for a long time - or there will be no progress in the normalization process - as long as Russia has priority positions due to its leverages over the conflicting countries in the conflict zone.

The conflict settlement isnt beneficial for Russia and thus the conflict will not be settled. I dont see fast solution here as long as these leverages are preserved and EU isnt more active. I agree to the criticism addressed to the EU in this regard, according to which EU isnt active in the Karabakh conflict zone. More initiating policy should be manifested, but here a question arises as to whether the conflicting sides will want this, Konrad Zasztowt noted.
YEREVAN. - If Azerbaijan launches new military aggression, the issue on the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh will be included in the agenda, Armenian Deputy FM Shavarsh Kocharyan said in response to the question of Panorama.am.

Asked whether its true that the Armenian Government is going to approve the draft law on recognizing the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the Deputy FM said: No, its not so. The government agenda includes not approving the draft law, but the Government conclusion. And according to that conclusion, the recognition depends on the further developments of the situation. If Azerbaijan launches new military aggression, the issue on the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh will be included in the agenda.
YEREVAN. - The Deputy Chairman of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon Zurabyan met with the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Piotr Switalski Tuesday.

The meeting addressed the situation in Armenia and political developments related to the adoption of the new Electoral Code, as well as issues concerning the new opportunities for reaching consensus between the political forces and authorities.

Apart from this, views were exchanged on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau issued a statement on the occasion of the unveiling of the Armenian Genocide memorial n St. Catharines, Canada.

A monument was unveiled on April 30, Horizonweekly reported.

In his statement Mr. Trudeau said the monument commemorates the tragic loss of life of the Armenian population during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Both the Senate of Canada and the House of Commons have adopted resolutions referring to these events as a genocide.

This monument will help preserve the memory of those who lost their lives, and those who suffered during this genocide and pay our deepest respects to their descendants, including those who now call Canada home.

Canadians of all backgrounds and faiths stand together in reaffirming our collective commitment to the values of pluralism, human rights, and diversity.

As we dedicate this monument, please join me in my hope for a peaceful future based on tolerance, respect, and reconciliation, the statement reads.
YEREVAN. - Upon the request of Armenian News  NEWS.am, Spokesperson for the Armenian President, Vladimir Hakobyan, referred to the statements of the Azerbaijani Presidential administration, MFA and other officials regarding the inclusion of the draft law on recognizing the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the agenda of the Armenian Government session.

Alas, Azerbaijan has lived in tyranny for such a long time that even the highest governmental circles have forgotten about the existence of people outside prisons in other countries, who constitute opposition. And can you imagine that the opposition which is outside prison in other countries has the right to advance legislative changes. And what a surprise  in other countries the governments are obliged to include the oppositions initiatives in their session agendas and discuss them.

Currently Armenia is watching the parade of delirious statements of Azerbaijans different high-ranking officials, which besides surprising can only amuse. One gets an impression that even books on democracy, which can be read in order to get informed, have disappeared from Azerbaijan, he said.

Hakobyan also added: Let no one doubt that in case of the official recognition of the NKR, everyone will first hear about this from the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. 

The Armenian Government will discuss the draft law on Recognizing the Republic of Artsakh, which the Armenian National Assembly (NA) opposition MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan have introduced as a legislative initiative.
VIERA, FLORIDA  A Brevard County, Florida teacher has plead guilty to having sex with her then-14-year-old student.



34-year-old Irene Isabel Khan of Melbourne, Florida, who was arrested by West Melbourne Police on June 13, 2012 on sex-related charges involving a 14-year-old student, plead guilty to two counts of lewd or lascivious battery against a child 12 to 16 years of age  a second degree felony. According to court records, Khan had been initially charged with eight felony counts.





Brevard County Circuit Court Judge James H. Earp sentenced Khan to two years of community control and ten years sex offender probation. Both the State Attorney and Khans defense attorney, Richard W. Austin, Esq., of the Melbourne law firm Kernan & Austin, L.L.C., acknowledged to Judge Earp that Khans sentence was a downward departure from Floridas sentencing guidelines.





Khan was a science teacher at Imagine School in West Melbourne when she was alleged to have engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old male student of hers over a period of several months during the 2011-2012 school year.





According to statements made by the student to police, he and Khan engaged in sexual activity several times including in her car, her apartment, and several hotels and motels in the local area.




MERRITT ISLAND, Florida  A Brevard County Public Schools drama teacher accused of having a sex with a student while he was employed at Edgewood Jr/Sr High School plead guilty to the crimes on Monday.

56-year-old Dennis Turner, of Merritt Island, Florida was accused of having a three-year sexual relationship with a female student beginning when she was 15. The victim told law enforcement that the sexual encounters occasionally occurred during school hours and on school property. The sexual encounters continued until the teen graduated from the school.





Turner was charged with 126 counts of Sexual Battery of a person under 18-years-of-age while in custodial authority. Court records show that all counts in the case were disposed by Turners guilty plea to 10 counts on Monday.

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His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Friday, May 6, 2016 before Brevard County Circuit Court Judge James Earp at the Moore Justice Center in Viera, Florida.





Turner has remained in custody at the Brevard County Jail since his arrest in 2012.













SIMILAR STORIES:





Cops: Brevard Teacher Traveled To Meet Minor For Sex
A theme of service  to campus, community and the world  was woven throughout Emorys 171st Commencement ceremony, featuring a keynote address by William Foege, a renowned epidemiologist and former Emory public health professor who is credited with creating the global strategy to eradicate smallpox.

The Class of 2016 gathered on the Emory Quadrangle on Monday morning for the university-wide Commencement, which drew a crowd of about 15,000 and was steeped in time-honored traditions of pomp and pageantry, from colorful academic regalia to the spine-tingling skirl of bagpipes and the rumble of drums, which signaled the opening procession.

The Class of 2016 represents a diverse field of graduates, with 4,494 students from 49 states and 76 nations abroad, receiving a total of 4,585 degrees.

Among this years graduates, 58 percent are women and 42 percent are men, ranging in age from a 20-year-old bachelors degree candidate to a 77-year-old candidate for a masters degree in religion and public life. Some 28 are veterans of military service.

A class committed to caring"

As Emorys graduate and undergraduate students advance to their next phase of life, they are joined this year by Emory President James W. Wagner, who presided over his last Commencement ceremony in that role.

Last year, Wagner announced plans to retire at the end of August. His successor is expected to be named this summer.

Reflecting upon 13 years of service at Emory, Wagner noted that it has been a joy to experience the extraordinary nobility of this community, which demonstrates again and again that a university can have a soul.

Emory truly endeavors to be both great and good, he said before Commencement. That experience has changed me, and I will graduate on May 9th with gratitude for my own education in this place.

As Wagner considers the qualities that distinguish this years graduating class, the phrase that comes to mind is entrepreneurs of care, he said.

Its extraordinary to reflect on how many initiatives this class has launched to look after each others needs and those of communities beyond our campus, Wagner said. The list is long and impressive.

I think of Emory Campus Kitchens, which delivers extra food from our dining halls to Atlanta food shelters; or Emory Seeds for Knowledge, which helps educate children in Africa; or Freedom at Emory, which advocates for access to higher education for undocumented students; or TableTalk, which fosters conversation across barriers and differences," he continued.

The Class of 2016 also has kept our attention focused on issues of justice  from their first year, when they helped create the Campus Life Compact, to this past year and the work leading to and from our Racial Justice Retreat, Wagner said. These students demonstrate that compassion, justice and critical intelligence dont cancel each other out, but actually inform each other.

Foege honored for smallpox eradication

During the ceremony, Wagner also recognized the humanitarian service and lifetime achievements of William Foege, a physician and epidemiologist who received the Emory Presidents Medal, one of the two highest honors granted by the University.

Bill Foege combines greatness of heart with a first-rate mind and a commitment to improve the well-being of humanity, Wagner said.

Driven by an interest in health since childhood  he was inspired both by the life of Albert Schweitzer and the missionary work of an uncle in New Guinea  Foege served as an epidemiology intelligence officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, eventually signing on with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help eradicate smallpox in Nigeria.

Recognizing that the virus would likely be concentrated in crowded settings, Foege strived to inoculate every person he could find, effectively creating a human shield against the spread of the virus  a strategy that was later adopted globally, eventually leading to eradication of the disease.

Foege was appointed director of the CDC in 1977. In 1984, he and several colleagues formed the Task Force for Child Survival, a working group for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, The World Bank, the United Nations Development Program and the Rockefeller Foundation. The task force, headquartered in nearby Decatur, was renamed the Task Force for Global Health and is affiliated with Emory.

Winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and recipient of an honorary degree from Emory in 1986, Foege previously served on the faculty of Emory, where he was the Presidential Distinguished Professor of International Health at the Rollins School of Public Health.

He also served as executive director and fellow for health policy at The Carter Center and as a senior medical adviser for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Honorary degree recipients

Emory also conferred three honorary degrees at the Commencement ceremony:

Raymond Danowski , an American-born fine arts dealer who collected more than 75,000 rare books, posters, periodicals and recordings over several decades, compiling a nearly complete record of all published English-language poetry in the 20th century as well as valuable earlier materials. These materials now reside in Emory's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.

, an American-born fine arts dealer who collected more than 75,000 rare books, posters, periodicals and recordings over several decades, compiling a nearly complete record of all published English-language poetry in the 20th century as well as valuable earlier materials. These materials now reside in Emory's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. Temple Grandin , a noted researcher in the field of animal science and the humane handling of livestock and a leading advocate for the autism community who has shared her own life story through speaking engagements, books and the film "Temple Grandin."

, a noted researcher in the field of animal science and the humane handling of livestock and a leading advocate for the autism community who has shared her own life story through speaking engagements, books and the film "Temple Grandin." Amartya Sen, awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 in recognition of his groundbreaking research into welfare economics and how economic policies affect nations and communities.

Editor's note: Preliminary numbers for the Class of 2016 were accurate as of May 9, 2016.


Washington wants the all-encompassing TTIP trade deal with Europe to go through, but is unwilling to budge on many points, jeopardising the entire talks, Frances trade minister has said a day after negotiation papers were leaked by Greenpeace. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership has been discussed behind closed doors since 2013. It will affect a trade zone inhabited by 850 million people, and has received strident criticism from many Europeans who believe it was not in their best interest, RT news reported. "In view of the United States' state of mind today, that seems to be the most likely option," French Trade Secretary Matthias Fekl said on Europe 1 radio on Tuesday, when asked if he thought the negotiations were in danger of halting. "We want reciprocity. Europe offers a lot and gets very little in return. This is not acceptable," Fekl said. "It is an agreement which, as it would be today, would be a bad deal... It can not be agreed without France and even less against France," he added. "Trade is not an end in itself, it is a tool," Fekl said, adding that "It would make no sense to have held the COP in December in Paris, this superb deal for the environment, and sign a few months after an agreement that would unravel it." Fekl's warning comes a day after Greenpeace leaked 248 pages in negotiation documents which the environmental group says confirm that the TTIP was really about a huge transfer of power from people to big business. According to Greenpeace, the deal threatens to do away with a whole series of protections, such as those relating to the environment, consumer protection and food produce. The documents reveal some wide rifts between the US and EU in these areas. The American authorities, however, do not seem worried by such exposure. The US Trade Representatives office has shrugged off the revelations, declining to comment on the validity of alleged leaks, a spokesperson said, adding that the interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat-out wrong at worst. Greenpeace wants the talks to stop. But the TTIP is Obamas last chance as US president to get a deal in before his term ends in January, the report said. While the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and Europe was set to create the world's largest free trade zone, many Europeans worry that the agreement would elevate corporate interest above national interest. TTIP opponents say that cheaper goods and services would only hurt the EU and help US corporations. Europeans argue that international corporations would be given power at the expense of small and medium-sized businesses. The secrecy surrounding the negotiations has also come under fierce criticism. People have been coming out on the streets to voice their protest to the deal, the latest such one being in Germanys Hannover. --IANS ahm/dg ( 497 Words) 2016-05-03-17:52:03 (IANS)
The electoral scene in Tamil Nadu will gain further momentum, when top BJP leaders, including Party National President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be visiting Tamil Nadu on May four and six to address a series of meetings ahead of the May 16 Assembly polls. BJP sources told UNI here today that Mr Amit Shah would be arriving tomorrow and would address four election meetings in the southern districts. He would first address a public meeting at Pattukkottai at 1000 hrs tomorrow, followed by election rallies at Tenkasi (1400 hrs), Nagercoil (1600 hrs) and Madurai (1900 hrs). The sources said Mr Modi would arrive in the State on May six and address a public meeting at Hosur at 1600 hrs. Later, he would reach the Chennai city and participate in an election meeting at YMCA grounds in Nandanam at 1800 hrs after which he would leave for Palakkad in Kerala. Already top party leaders and Union Ministers, including Nitin Gadkari, M Venkaiah Naidu, Prakash javadekar and Ms Nirmala Seetharaman had addressed election meetings in various parts of the state. The BJP, which was left isolated in the electoral battle after all its erstwhile allies had quit the NDA, was virtually facing the elections on its own, with no major ally. It has a couple of minor parties as its alliance partners and was contesting in more than 160 of the total 234 seats in the elections. The BJP has been projecting itself as an alternative to the ruling AIADMK and the Opposition DMK and has been banking on Mr Modi's charishma and the two-year corruption-free rule and achievements of the BJP-led NDA regime at the Centre. The party has been facing the polls with the promise of implementing total prohibition, corruption-free and transparent governance and development. The BJP has been accusing both the AIADMK and the DMK, which has been alternatively ruling the state for the last five decades and said Tamil Nadu has not seen any development over the years. It said the people were yearning for a change in this elections and the BJP would provide that change.UNI GV 1235 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-712621.Xml
The Ministry of Urban Development today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS), for developing and implementing a vehicle tracking and monitoring system, to track and monitor all vehicles engaged in collection and transportation of solid waste across the country.Similar to the agreements reached with BSNL and MTNL, DIMTS had agreed to develop an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) platform under Swachh Bharat, for enabling effective reporting, monitoring and control of individual municipalities and on-ground workers through an innovative web application, a statement said here.In February, an agreement was signed between the Urban Development Ministry and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for developing a mobile-based solution, to track and monitor all vehicles engaged in collection and transportation of solid waste in 4,041 urban local bodies in the country. The Ministry also recently entered into an agreement with MTNL to prepare a similar solution focusing specifically on implementing it in the eight municipal areas of Delhi and Mumbai. The ICT platforms being developed by the respective partners would allow the centre to monitor fleet status by GPS based vehicle tracking system, offer MIS for waste collection and transportation, notify urban local bodies about vehicle breakdown and maintenance, and hence bringing about a higher level of transparency in civic administration.Speaking on the occasion, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development & Mission Director - Swachh Bharat Mission Praveen Prakash, said, "We want to enroll different technological partners under the Swachh Bharat Mission for them to individually innovate towards making ground level processes technologically driven and simpler. ''Agreements like the one signed with DIMTS will help the ministry to connect the centre with vast network of municipalities across the country, and further monitor the work undertaken by them. ''I want to thank DIMTS for collaborating towards the mission and we will strive to ensure that municipalities from across the country enter into an agreement with them for this work."Solid waste management had been one of the most crucial aspects of Swachh Bharat Mission, with a budget outlay of Rs 37,000 crore. This included leveraging modern technologies for solid waste management, capacity augmentation of urban local bodies, involving private sector, and bring behavioural and social change to encourage residents to reduce or recycle their own waste. The mission targets the achievement by 2018-19 of scientific solid waste management in 4,041 cities and towns, impacting 30.6 crore people.UNI RBE PR1255 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-712644.Xml
Two CID personnel, who were injured during defusing live bombs in West Bengal's Malda district, succumbed to their wounds today taking the toll to six, officials sources said.Assistant Sub-inspector of Police Bisuddananda Mishra and constable Subrata Chowhdury of CID bomb squad died while they were being shifted to a Kolkata hospital from Malda Medical College and Hospital. With two more casualties, the death toll rose to six in yesterday's bomb explosion at Baishnabnagar, Malda. The four wounded seriously are undergoing treatment in a local hospital. Another constable who also sustained serious injuries during disposal of bombshas been shifted to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. The personnel had gone to defuse the bombs covered with a heap of straws in an open area. Earlier, four people -- Kalam Sheikh, a Trinamool Congress panchayat member, Simu Seikh, Israel Sheikh and Sukhu Sheikh were killed in the incident. All of them were engaged in making bombs which suddenly exploded. Meanwhile, senior CID officials from Bhawani Bhawan visited the spot and the SSKM Hospital to investigate the matter. A report said kins of the killed CID officials assembled at the Malda Medical College and Hospital and demanded information on the circumstances under which the personnel died. In another blast at Budge Budge Railway colony in South 24 Parganas, Milan Naskar (32) was killed while making bomb inside a houseon Sunday night. His companion Tarun Mondal (35) was critically wounded in the explosion and was admitted to a private hospital, police said.UNI XC-PC AD PR NS1313 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-712613.Xml
Altogether two Assam based abducted businessmen were rescued and one of the kidnappers has been arrested. According to an official statement here today, two Harmoti, Assam based businessmen Basat Nayak and Kamal Kishore Joshi -- were abducted from Nirjuli, about 16 km from here. The businessmen duo came here to attend pre - May Day celebration on April 29. Acting on an FIR lodged in Nirjuli PS, a team of police led by SDPO Jummar Basar swung into action and trapped the miscreants, the next day. One of the accused was arrested while two of his accomplices managed to escape.Police informed that the abductors made a call from Mr Joshi's mobilephone, demanding ransom of Rs 3 lakh. After intercepting the calls, the City Police zeroed down the location of the abductor and arrested him from near Bage Tinali, Nirjuli. ''The arrested accused has been remanded into Police custody and investigation is on to trace his accomplices, it added. UNI PB PR PM1324 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-712655.Xml
Gold biscuits worth Rs. 60 lakhs were seized from a passenger at the Mumbai's Chatrapati Shivaji International (CSI) airport on Tuesday. 19 biscuits weighing 2204 gms were found inside a washing machine motor belonging to a passenger landing from Riyadh. The said individual has been detained for questioning. Further details are awaited. (ANI)
The Government today told the Rajya Sabha that as many as 120 emergency landings had taken place during the past two years of which 102 were due to medical emergency. Replying to a question by Ambika Soni, Congress, on the number of technical reasons like lack of maintenance for passenger aircraft, including Air India, making an emergency landing, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, however, maintained that of the 120 unscheduled landings, only 18 were due totechnical reasons according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). ''All incidents due to technical reasons are investigated by DGCA/AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau). Safety recommendations emanating from the investigation reports are followed up for implementation with the concerned agencies so as to prevent recurrence of similar incidents in future,'' the Minister said during Question Hour, adding that safety audits were conducted periodically by DGCA. Dissatisfied with his reply, the Congress member insisted that he was not replying to her question about the reasons for emergency landings due to technical snags. The Minister mentioned that of the 18 cases, eight investigations had been completed , two were under DGCA and five were under investigation. There were zero incidents due to poor maintenance in the past two years, he maintained much to the Opposition benches dismissing this claim. Asked by Jaya Bachchan, SP, on the perception that Air India was losing popularity among fliers, the Minister said, ''I don't go into Air India bashing at all.'' This prompted several members to state that they still preferred to fly in the national carrier. Mr Raju said Air India was a ''good airline'' and had done the country proud this year. ''It has made profits after ten years. We do not do Air India bashing. It has made operational profits,'' he told the Opposition members.UNI SD SB/AE 1430 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-712751.Xml
Making a suo motu statement on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the House, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asserted that the authority of the Supreme Court has not been questioned but affirmed in the order of the Hague based tribunal that was constituted under annex VII of the UN Convention on the Law of Sea.

However, the Opposition Congress members were not convinced by the Minister's assertion and expressed apprehensions about accused Italian marines surety of returning, if allowed to leave India.

Members like Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi made some accusations against the present government but the Chair ruled that their statements would not go on records.

Annoyed over the Chair's denial for permission to speak, they staged a walk-out.MORE UNI SS SB 1333

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Railway police sources said miscreants attacked the passengers on board Patna ghat-Digha ghat passenger train and stabbed them when they resisted their robbery attempt near Kathpulwa between Ragendranagar terminal and Patna railway station.

While one of the injured succumbed to his injuries at Patna Medical College Hospital, another victim with multiple stab injuries was battling for survival at the hospital.

Police have launched a man hunt to nab the miscreants on the basis of statement of one of the injured who has been identified as Devnandan Kumar, a resident of Halsi village under Shirkhandi police station in Lakhisarai district.

As it is, the incident has raised security concerns since a lot of important trains including Rajendranagar New Delhi Rajdhani express emanate from Rajendra Nagar terminal.UNI IS AD SW BL1417

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The Supreme Court asked the Delhi government to submit a detailed suitable plan in connection with phasing out of diesel taxis in the national capital and NCR by 1600 hrs today. The Delhi government today moved to the apex court seeking more time to phase out diesel taxis running in the capital, saying that it is causing a lot of inconvenience to the people as the top court had refused to extend the deadline for conversion of private diesel taxis into CNG plying in the national capital and NCR. An three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and comprising Justices Arjan Kumar Sikri and R Banumathi after hearing the plea of the Delhi government asked it to file a detailed road map as to what were its plans and file a roadmap how it would phase out the diesel taxis. The Delhi government had told the apex court that due to the banning, taxi owners and operators blocked the roads against the order causing huge traffic jams across the city. The Delhi government also prayed that the court should hear the matter and modify its order. The top court had earlier on April 30 refused to extend the deadline for conversion of private diesel taxis into CNG plying in the national capital and NCR. "Extensions have been granted earlier, you should have thought about alternatives by now," the apex court observed, while refusing to extend the deadline.On March 31, the apex court had extended the order, by one month till today, asking private diesel taxi owners plying to switch over to the CNG for reducing the level of pollution. Taxi owners, in their defence, pleaded that there is no technology available in the market to convert diesel car into CNG. UNI XC PS SW 1541 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-712972.Xml
A truck, carrying 1,010 boxes of illegal foreign liquors worth more than Rs 68 lakh, was seized at Balsamud under Nagalwadi police station limits, police said. "Acting on a tip-off, police chased the truck during a regular vehicle checking last night and found it was carrying the illegal liquor which were hid under the sacks of white flour," Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Sendhwa) Sampat Upadhayay said today. He said that the truck, owned by one Shivlal Chouhan of Indore, was heading towards Gujarat from Maharashtra. The driver managed to flee during checking, Mr Sampat said, adding that the case was under consideration.UNI XC-BDG SW NS1532 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-712901.Xml
Bahaujan Samaj Party(BSP) supremo Mayawati today hit out at the NDA government at the Centre saying that the ' Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala programme' should also include free LPG gas along with the connection to the poor. " Only giving free LPG connection would serve nothing to the poor and only if free gas is supplied then only it will give some purpose to this scheme," Ms Mayawati said, adding that LPG gas is a necessary item of every household. In a statement here, Ms Mayawati said the number of free connection of LPG should also be increased as five crores connections would only cover just a few per cent of the poor. Under the Ujjawala scheme, the Central government will provide free LPG connections with regulator to 5 crore poor families of the country. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ballia in UP on May 1. She said only providing free LPG connections and not giving free gas shows the indifferent attitude of the BJP government towards the poor. The BSP president also criticised the Prime Minister for distributing e-rickshaws in his parliamentary constituency and ignoring the remaining 79 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. " The mindset of the BJP PM is similar like the Congress and Samajwadi Party. While Congress during their regime only worked in Rae Bareli and Amethi,with ignorning rest of the state and presently the Samajwadi Party was only doing work in Etawah and its adjoining districts,'' she alleged. Ms Mayawati charged that the funds deposited in the Jan Dhan Yojna of the poor, are being misused by the industrialists and others while the poor are not getting any help from their money. She also accused the Centre as well as the UP government of ignoring the plight of the farmers in view of the prevailing drought-like situation in UP particularly in Bundelkhand region.UNI MB SW BL1525 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-712863.Xml
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will tour the severe droughtaffected Latur, Osmanabad and Beed district of Mararthwada region tomorrow. Mr Thackeray will arrive tomorrow morning at Latur airport and will interact with the affected Laturkar at Town hall ground. On behalf of Sena, he will distribute water tanks to the affected 100 villages and will inaugurate 50 water tankers along with distributing 250 dustbins for Latur city.Later, he will proceed to Bhandgaon village in Parenda taluka in Osmanabad district at 1130 hrs along with state environment minister Ramdas Kadam and guardian minister Dipak Sawant and will dedicate the work of 'Shivjalkrnathi ' and around 1300 hrs he will distribute water tanks to the affected villages and distribute school and essential items to the kin of at suicide farmers.In final stage, Mr Thackeray will move to Beed district, at Chousala he will interact with affected farmer.Thereafter, he will move to Talegaon and Gawalwadi in Beed taluka where he will inspect the work of water conservation which is in progress under the 'Shivjalkranthi' scheme.At 1630 hrs, he will address at Sambhajiraje Mahanatya Maidan and distribute water tanks to the affected villages in Beed, the sources added.Marathwada region has been experiencing drought situation for last four consecutive years.Mr Thackeray used to visit frequently in the region since past two years to meet affected farmers and provide them financial help, grains, essential commodities and agriculture equipments to the affected farmers.This year, Shiv Sena organised mass wedding at Parbhani, Aurangabad and Beed in which all the sections of communities from affected farmers and kin of suicide farmers participated in mass marriage. UNI VKB NV SW SB1630 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-712966.Xml
A survey conducted in 10 Indian cities found that there is a wide gap between perception and reality due to limited knowledge on physical health.The survey conducted by Cigna, says around 85 per cent respondents claimed to be healthy but were 37 per cent were found overweight/obese based on their BMI. With 3021 respondents from metro and non-metro cities, the survey was based on five key indices - physical, social, family, financial and workplace well-being. It also claimed that India leads the overall well being score in the region which includes 11 countries including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK and India. The findings from the United Nations and the European Union suggested that the middle age group (40+) are relatively less happy than the young and old. However, in India the 60+ generation seems to feel the bulk of the strain where the overall well-being score drops. The study also says that almost 1 in 3 respondents said they cannot live without their smartphones. The survey also revealed workplace statistics where employees in non-metro cities are happier than those in metro cities. It also says that rising economic growth leads to early signs of stress. UNI SF SW SB1642 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-713107.Xml
An undertrial, accused of murdering a youth in Jalpaiguri, allegedly today hacked to death another prisoner inside the cell of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, police said. Siliguri Police Commissioner Manoj Verma said Nagen Roy (42), accused of murdering a youth, hacked to death Upen Burman (72), who was arrested during Rail Roko movement by the Greater Cooch Beahar People Party in February. The two were undergoing treatment at the state government run NBMCH near here. Police said Nagen Roy used the iron stand, meant to hold saline water,at the ward to kill the septuagenarian, a Greater Cooch Behar activist. Police said the killer concealed the body in a toilet and locked himself in. Fire brigade personnel were called to break open the door to arrest the killer, who could not flee due to a leg injury. UNI XC-PC PL SW BL1655 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-713136.Xml
Mizo Students' Union has demanded an apology from six non-tribal students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) hostel, Aizawl centre for "spreading rumours" against Mizo students. After finding that the allegations were baseless, the MSU had filed an FIR to Aizawl police station to take necessary action against the six students whose allegations could stir up communal violence. Prompted by the police's "inaction" on the case, the MSU leaders today met NIT Aizawl director Prof U C Ray at his office during they expressed strong disapproval to the allegations made by the students which the MSU felt as an attempt to create disharmony among the students from different communities and religions. The MSU demanded the six students to make a joint press statement of apology and circulate it to the local media and post it on the PMO webpage within this week. The students on March 17 posted about an "incident" on the previous night in which the Mizo students alleged harassed them and even "threatened to kill" them on grounds and "spoke ill" of their religion. An internal inquiry conducted by the institute has served showcause notice to six non-Mizo students and two Mizo students. Sources said there are two Mizo students and the rest are from other states.UNI ZS AKM SW BL1750 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-713219.Xml
Journalists, representing different organisations, today said Freedom of Press should not be at the interest of nation's security. "Freedom of Press is required and necessary but it should be clear and they have to be very particular while performing their professional duties that national security must be kept in consideration,'' Senior journalist and Assistant Director, News Doordarshan, Sanjit Khajuria said while addressing the fraternity on 'World Press Freedom Day' function organised by the Press Club of Jammu here. He said that freedom doesn't means that media men are free to go upto any extent but they should remain abide to their ethics and professionalism while performing duties. Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Kavinder Gupta, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion expressed that though under Article 19 of the Constitution, there is an absolute freedom to press but it should not be misused. ''There is mushrooming of newspapers across the state but the media houses should maintain high standard of professional journalism,'' he asserted. Meanwhile president, Press Club of Jammu, Ashwani Kumar proposed if journalists from neighboring countries in South Asian region are allowed to converge freely under one roof it will help bridge the divide between the countries. ''SAARC countries must share bond with each other and to further improve ties as it is imperative for all the countries to take one step forward to forge cultural unity among the people by encouraging people to people contact and promoting cultural integration,'' said the president. He further said that decision on visa on arrival should be taken between India and Pakistan to accredited and working journalists representing Jammu and Kashmir and PoK. The Press Club of Jammu on the occasion also adopted an unanimous resolution seeking free movement of journalists hailing from South Asian region to the neighbouring countries including Pakistan.UNI VBH DJK SW 1951 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0107-713728.Xml
The United States Consulate General, Hyderabad and the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) are organising a " Round Table Discussion on Explosive Growth of Media and Ethical Issues for Journalists" in connection with commemoration of World Freedom of the Press Day here on May five. US Consulate General (Hyderabad) Consul-General Mr Michael C Mullins will inaugurate round table discussion, IJU said in a release here today. The Speakers, who participate in the event are Vinod Pavarala, UNESCO Chair on Community Media, Hyderabad Central University, M Somsekhar, Resident Editor, The Hindu Business Line, K Srinvias, Editor, Andhra Jyothi Daily, K Amarnath, Member Press Council of India and N Ramachander Rao, Executive member, Bar Council of India and BJP Member of Telangana Legislative Council. IJU Secretary-General mar Devulapalli will moderate the discussion.UNI KNR KVV AK 2027 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-713659.Xml
: Telangana IT and NRI Affairs Minister K T Rama Rao has urged the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to intervene in the situation connected with Telangana labourers working in Bin Laden Group Company, Saudi Arabia to solve the problems enmeshing them. In a letter, addressed to Ms Susma Swaraj, copy of which was released to the media here today, Mr Rama Rao said a largest construction company in Saudi Arabia called'Bin Laden Group Company', owned by the family of Osama Bin Laden, have branches In Riyadh, Jeddah, MaCca, Medina, Dubai and other countries, in which nearly 2.5 lakhs people are working as labourers and engineers. Among those, most of the employees belongs to India, and more so, most of the migrants are from Telangana. In the last two to three months, the company was removing the employees. Nearly 50,000 employees were removed and their visas were cancelled, as the company was not getting new contracts and projects. They were now jobless and not having any source for livelihood and were not in a position to come back to India as well as they became illegal migrants due to non-possession of t visa. They have approached the company, but the company authorities were not responding properly. Even they were not settling the PF, Insurance and other benefits. Due to which the other country labourers were resorting to agitations and the situation is going from bad to worse. Hence, the family members of Telangana immigrants were worrying about their safety and security. Further, some of the Telangana Labour Migrants were not getting their salaries far the last six months, due to which they were facing considerable hardships finacially. Mr Rama Rao has urged Ms Swaraj to take steps to redress the ventilated grievances of the labourers soon. UNI VV KVV AK 2050 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-713798.Xml
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said the villagers should be given work and they would themselves be ensuring that the work is completed on time. Chairing the Sidhi Baat Programme at the Suchana Bhawan here he said the officials should take stock of all the pending projects and give full attention on their completion. The instructions from the Chief Minister followed after a complain in this regard was made by one Ajay Jaiswal of Sikni village of Ramgarh district who complained about non-completion of a building of a panchayat bhawan despite five years the construction work was on. One Ranjit Kumar Singh of Palamu district lodged a complaint against the working of the drinking water and sanitation department and alleged that despite work being done payment was not made to him after which the Chief Minister directed to clear his payment. Several other complaints from Simdega, Bokaro, Chatra, Deoghar,Dhanbad, Koderma, Palamu and Ranchi were brought before the Chief Minister who after listening to complaints directed the officials of the concerned department to solve them accordingly.UNI AK KK SW AN1947 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-713626.Xml
Bihar Human Rights Commission (BHRC) today directed the state government to pay compensation to women who were operated for removal of uteruses without having valid medical reasons as it isa serious violation of human rights. Justice Bilal Nazki, Chairman of BHRC, directed the state government to pay compensation to women who were operated for removal of their uteruses without any medical urgency under Rashtriya Swasthya Beema Yojna (RSBY) in various districts of Bihar. The commission noted that ladies were operated in the year 2012 for removal of their uteruses under RSBY, which was serious violation of human righs as there was no apparent medical reasons for surgeries. "Commission directs that a compensation of Rs 2.50 lakh eachbe paid to the women between 20 and 40 years while Rs 1.50 lakh to ladies above 40 years," Justice Nazki observed and added that deprivation of a part of body of any person was shocking and it turned out to be tortuous as the exercise was carried out in utter negligence for dishonest purposes. The commission appreciated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had ordered a thorough investigation into the irregularities committed in execution of RSBY which also involved a large number of doctors who played their own role in siphoning the fund meant for the scheme. All those found guilty in the scam must be brought to the justice, the commission noted.UNI KKS KK SW AS1954 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-713660.Xml
: The city Police and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad toady have entered into an Agreement for collaboration in the areas of Advanced Technology for enhancing the safety and security of citizens of Hyderabad city. U B Desai, Director IIT Hyderabad and M Mahendar Reddy, Commissioner of Police,Hyderabad City have exchanged the copies of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in thepresence of Mr Anjani Kumar, Additional Commissioner (Law & Order), Kiran Kuchi, Bheemarjun ReddyProf. C.Krishna Mohan and Jeevan Reddy, Technology Consultant, Hyderabad City Police, a police statement here said. The MoU will be in existence for a period of three years initially and likely to be extended later, on mutually agreed terms. Areas of collaboration, including Technology intervention deliverables based on Video and Data streams from various sources across locations as per the Hyderabad City Police need/requirements, seamless Integration and Interoperability of deliverables with other technology solution stacks, comprehensive search engine to provide the exact and possible results from single or multiple video streams; innovative technological interventions in the areas of Integrated Traffic Management Systems to enhance the value proposition to the citizens, enhancement of recorded video image quality. The MoU will go a long way in improving the standards of Police Service Delivery to all citizens in Hyderabad City with the use of high end technologies supported by the research, innovation and technical expertise of IIT, Hyderabad. The IIT, Hyderabad in turn would be able to make use of the facilities, infrastructure anddata/information available with Hyderabad City Police in furthering its goals of research,development, innovation and excellence in all areas of technology related to public safety, the statement added.UNI VV KVV AK 2058 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-713829.Xml
:Telangana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao will lay the foundation stone for "Giant Amar Veerula Stupam" on the banks of Hussain sagar in the city on June 2, the second anniversary of Telangana formation day in memory of those who scarified their lives for the sake of getting statehood to the region. The decision was taken in a review meeting conducted by Mr Rao at his camp office here with the concerned officials on arrangements for the formation. Along with 'Amar Veerula Stupam,' the government also decided to develop Amar Veerulu smrithi vanas in 12 acres land near Hussain sagar in memory of who had liad down their lives for the sake of getting Telangana statehood and works are endorsed to Roads and buildings department Engineer In-Chief Ganapathi Reddy. All departments, including Tourism, Buddha Poornima,, electricity and other departments situated currently on the banks of Hussain Sagar near Secretariat, would be shifted to other places. The government also decided to celebrate formation day officially at all district headquarters in the state , State capital along with Telangana Bhavan at New Delhi. A giant national flag will be hoisted on Secunderabad side of Hussain Sagar on the occasion.UNI KNR KVV AK 2100 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-713842.Xml
Rail police said here today that Deputy Train Superintendent B C Sharma was caught carrying two bottles of liquor in Dibrugarh - New Delhi Rajdhani Express. He was arrested soon after recovery of liquor from his possession.

The arrested Deputy Train Superintendent was sent to jail in this connection, Rail police said, adding that a massive drive had been launched in all trains to check smuggling of the liquor after total prohibition in Bihar.UNI KKS BM SHS RJ AS2137

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Exporters dealing in engineering goods today made a strong plea with the West Bengal government for release of "considerable amount of money" blocked with state exchequer due to VAT related issues. The issue was raised at a meeting of the engineering exporters' apex body, EEPC India, which was presided over by principal secretary, MSME, West Bengal government Rajiva Sinha in the city. Regional Chairman (ER) EEPC India Arun Kumar Garodia said, " Exporters have mentioned that considerable amount of money is blocked with the West Bengal Government which should be refunded on time. The main issue is pertaining to Pre and Post export assessment of VAT." Besides, he said, there exists 15 per cent government duty on gross amount of power bill which should be waived off for exporting companies. Mr Garodia said for pollution control, the factories should be encouraged to set up more and more solar power related equipment and installations towards the Green Energy initiative. " The government should extend 75 per cent incentive on such equipment and installations," he maintained. The engineering exporters, based in West Bengal, mostly relate to the MSME sector. As on March 31, 2015, there were about 1.46 lakh registered Micro and Small Scale Enterprises, employing nearly 14 1akh people. There are significant number of MSMEs in metal casting, ferro alloys, iron and steel, electrical equipment and appliances manufacturing. According to a study done by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, there is a good potential of value addition thrust in precision instruments, publishing and printing, leather tanneries, automobile components and non-metallic minerals. Similarly products like metals and basic metals are lagging behind currently, but there is significant scope of enhancing their manufacturing and exports through value addition. Mr Garodia also pointed out the infrastructural impediments such as reduced river draft was a critical problem for the Kolkata and Haldia ports. Due to this, mother vessels can not come to these ports and feeder vessels are the only help. Therefore both transportation time and costs are getting increased for the unit setting up such equipment. Most of the small and medium enterprises of engineering units are located in Howrah belt along the Hooghly river. This belt is slowly converting into residential one. These factories need shifting to newer areas with adequate infrastructure such as power, drainage and sewerage, Proper service roads with government assistance these factories to relocate smoothly and also extend certain incentives to combat the cost to beincurred for relocation. Exporters also made a plea that containers should not be stopped at Kalitala Parking, rather it should be allowed to go straight up to warehouse at Bongaon in North 24 Parganas. This facility could be at least allowed for Super Star Trading House like Telco, Tinplate and others. This will help in avoiding congestions and facilitate timely exports. Exporters are prepared to pay the charges at the warehouse instead of at Kalitala.UNI XC-PC BM SHS RJ AS2145 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-713851.Xml
Police said here that Manager Jyotish Kumar was returning to his office in a private vehicle after withdrawal of Rs 15 lakhs from main branch of Canara Bank when motorcycle borne criminals intercepted him near Durlakh village. They looted the cash and managed to escape from the spot.

Meanwhile, Police Superintendent said it appeared to be a suspected case as how the manager was carrying such a huge cash of the bank in a private vehicle without informing the police.

The case was being investigated from all possible angles, he added.UNI XC KKS BM RJ AS2158

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The junior doctors association (JDA) of the VSSIMSAR at Burla today called off their agitation following a discussion with the senior government officials on their demands Revenue Divisional Commissioner of Northern Division NBS Rajput, the District Collector, authorities of the VSSIMSAR including the new principal Prof. BK Mishra and the office bearers of the junior doctors' association discussed the solution to the current crisis that has crippled the activities in the medical college and hospital. The junior doctors have resorted to indefinite cease work strike from May 1 last on their nine point charter of demands . However, at the instruction of the State government, the administrative officials here in presence of the VSSIMSAR authorities and JDA decided to install the most demanded MRI machine by May 31 at any cost. It was decided that 14 different kinds of medical tests will be done in the hospital very shortly. Further the authorities assured to solve the electricity and water supply problem within seven days. JDA president Dr Sankar Ramchandani said the JDA called off the agitation in the assurance of the administration to solve all the demand.He however said if the government failed to keep their promise, we will be compelled to chalk out harsh action in future.UNI XC DP BM SHS RJ AN2205 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-713917.Xml
Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today charged dubbed as 'unconstitutional' the committee constituted by Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary to monitor the execution of schemes under special package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during last state Assembly polls.

Mr Modi told mediapersons here that it was a totally unconstitutional committee constituted by Speaker to monitor the schemes listed under special package announced by PM.

As per article 246 of the constitution, no committee of the assembly could monitor the schemes related to National Highway, Aviation and Railways, he noted.

"The committee has been constituted with ulterior motive to settle political score with present dispensation at the Centre," Mr Modi charged adding that instead of such committee, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should have constituted a committee to monitor execution of seven resolves of the state government.

BJP members would boycott the meeting of the committee, venting its ire over the extra constitutional decision taken by the Speaker, he stated.UNI KKS BM SHS RJ AN2246

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Shivakumaraiah, the suspected kingpin behind the pre-university course (PUC) chemistry question paper leak in Karnataka, has been arrested after a month-long hunt, a top police official said on Tuesday. "We found him hiding in an under-construction building on Monday night and took him into custody under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Prevention Act (KCOCA)," state criminal investigation department (CID) Director General of Police H.C. Kishore Chandra told reporters here. A special court sent Shivakumaraiah to 10-day judicial custody for further investigation, as he was found to be involved in leaking question papers of other exams held by the state secondary school board and universities in the state. Investigations revealed that the suspect was on the run for a month and fled to neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu, after his co-accused named him during custodial interrogation following their arrest in mid-April. "We are on the lookout for his son Dinesh, and relative Kiran, who were also involved in leaking the chemistry paper on March 21 and again on March 31, leading to the cancellation of the exam twice," Chandra said. The PU board held the re-scheduled exam on April 12 without a hitch across the state. Fearing imminent arrest, Shivakumaraiah sought anticipatory bail on April 7 in a court, which rejected it after the CID invoked the stringent KCOCA on April 21. Probe into Shivakumaraiah's past also revealed that cases were registered against him for his alleged role in the leak of question papers between 2008-2014 in the city and Tumakuru, about 70 km away from the city. Among the dozen suspects arrested in the paper leak scam include Oblaraju, personal assistant (PA) to state Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, Rudrappa, a PWD officer, and Manjunath, a teacher in a city private college. The paper leak for the second time also led to the suspension of 40 officials in the PU board exam division from joint director to class four employee (peon) on the same day (March 31) and transfer of board director Pallavi Akurathi, a 2009 IAS batch officer, to another state department on April 1. --IANS fb/pm/ ( 360 Words) 2016-05-03-23:20:10 (IANS)
The Women India Movement (WIM) today demanded resignation of Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on moral ground, following murder of an LLD student after sexual assault at Kuruppampady near Perumbavoor in Kerala, few days ago. In a statement here, the organisation said Mr Chennithala should step down from the two-week ministerial post in the state, which is going to polls on May 16. The movement would launch a statewide agitation, if the authorities failed to bring the culprits to book immediately, it warned.UNI PCH RJ 2300 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-714030.Xml
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government needs to live up to its commitments to a cessation of hostilities, the White House said today, adding that "safe zones" are not a practical alternative now."The Assad regime needs to live up to the commitments that they've made, and we would like to see the Russians use the influence that they have with the Assad regime to get them to do it," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. REUTERS SHS AS2300 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-712305.Xml
A former Los Angeles sanitation worker charged with murdering nine women and a teenage girl was a serial killer who quietly blended into his community to in order to kill, prosecutors said as closing arguments began in the so-called "Grim Sleeper" case.The arguments bring to a close the nearly three-month trial in Los Angeles Superior Court of Lonnie David Franklin Jr, 63, who could face the death penalty if convicted of the 10 counts of first-degree murder against him."The defendant is a serial killer who was basically hiding in plain sight," Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told jurors, according to an account of the proceedings by City News Service. "He blended in."But defense attorney Seymour Amster countered that the prosecution's case against his client was based on circumstantial evidence and that there were questions that had not been answered at trial."The government must show there are no reasonable interpretations (of the evidence) pointing to innocence," Amster said, according to the City News report.Franklin, who was arrested in 2010 and has pleaded not guilty, stands charged with the shooting deaths of seven women between August 1985 and September 1988, and the strangulation deaths of a 15-year-old girl and two other women when the killings resumed between March 2002 and January 2007.Prosecutors say the victims were sexually assaulted before their deaths, their bodies were found dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles, an area gripped by rampant drug abuse, prostitution and other crime at the height of a crack cocaine epidemic that engulfed impoverished neighborhoods during the 1980s.He is charged with the attempted murder of an 11th victim, Enietra Washington, who was shot in the chest, raped, pushed out of a car and left for dead in 1988. Washington testified during the trial that Franklin was the man who attacked her.The gap of more than 13 years between the two spates of killings earned the mass murderer the nickname "Grim Sleeper."REUTERS DS PR0640 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0137-712379.Xml
After weeks of sometimes violent protests, France's socialist government sent a bill to parliament today that seeks to soften labour laws despite every chance that rebels within President Francois Hollande's ruling party will shoot it down.Defeat would deliver a further blow to the deeply unpopular Hollande a year from elections. Only weeks ago, in the face of widespread opposition, he was forced to abandon plans to strip people of their French citizenship if convicted of terrorism."The time has come to allow parliament to embellish the text. Should we give in to street protests and pull this text? No," Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri told France's Le Parisien newspaper as the National Assembly prepared to open the debate.France has some of the most extensive and protective labour regulations in the euro zone. The government argues that France needs to cut red tape and some of the more cumbersome regulations that deter employers from hiring.At stake for Hollande is a second crack at the presidency. He has said he will not run for re-election unless the unemployment rate, stuck stubbornly above 10 per cent, falls.El Khomri acknowledged the bill might be as many as 40 votes short of the support it needs to become law when put to a vote later this month. She said she hoped that would change.The government, facing thousands of formal demands from lawmakers for amendments, could override opposition via a special constitutional clause - known as 49:3 - to force the reform through by decree. It has not indicated it will do so.Unions argue that by broadening recourse to deals on pay and conditions at company level, the proposed legislation would effectively provide employers with an opt-out from national obligations on basic labour rights.The government has already watered the bill down.El Khomri backed down on capping the financial settlements that labour tribunals can impose on employers for breach of obligations. But the bill retains other measures that would make it easier for firms to lay off workers in hard times.Unions and other opponents of the bill were planning more protests in Paris and other cities later today. REUTERS PS VP1542 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-712985.Xml
Medical aid charity Medecins Sans Frontieres on Tuesday slammed four of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for ties to attacks on hospitals in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan as the council demanded an end to such strikes.The 15-member council unanimously adopted a resolution reminding states that under international law they must protect medical and aid workers, but the text does not impose any new obligations and does not single out any conflicts.Joanne Liu, president of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), appealed to the council to lead by example, particularly the permanent veto-wielding powers - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China."Four of the five permanent members of this council have, to varying degrees, been associated with coalitions responsible for attacks on health structures over the last year," she said. "These include the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, the Russia-backed, Syrian-led coalition."More than 50 people were killed last week in an attack on a hospital in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "by all accounts" was carried out by the Syrian government. Russia backs the government.In Yemen, a Saudi-led coalition strike hit an MSF hospital in October, leaving 200,000 people without healthcare. The United States, Britain and France supply arms to Saudi Arabia.In Afghanistan, the United States carried out a deadly October 3 air strike that destroyed an MSF hospital. Washington said last week it had taken disciplinary action against 16 service members over the strike."Such attacks must end. When so-called surgical strikes end up hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong," Ban told the council. "Explanations ring hollow to parents burying their children and communities pushed closer to collapse.""All too often, attacks on health facilities and medical workers are not just isolated or incidental battlefield fallout, but rather the intended objective of the combatants," he said. "This is shameful and inexcusable."The UN resolution "strongly condemns the prevailing impunity for violations and abuses committed against medical personnel and humanitarian personnel ... as well as hospitals and other medical facilities in armed conflict."Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, described the UN resolution as "a momentous step in the international community's effort to draw attention to a problem that we otherwise risked getting used to through the sheer frequency of its occurrence."REUTERS SHS AN2326 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-714045.Xml
By CAI HONG in Tokyo and ZHANG YUNBI in Beijing (China Daily)

In the wake of his visit to China over the weekend, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is apparently moving to lobby Southeast Asian countries to contain China on the South China Sea issue, experts said.

Kishida left Beijing on Sunday and began visiting Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam through Friday.

In a policy speech delivered in Bangkok on Monday, Ki- shida addressed maritime security and renewed a call for countries to respect the "rule of law". He gave a briefing on the statement of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Hiroshima last month regarding the maritime issue.

Additionally, Japan's Fuji Television said that, because attitudes differ among ASEAN countries toward China's maritime presence, Kishida emphasized that "it is important for ASEAN to demonstrate uniformity".

He made the remark on Monday while meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday that China-Japan ties are "still vulnerable and complicated", and China hopes Japan will "make substantial efforts" to improve the relations.

The ministry did not respond to Kishida's comment about the ASEAN countries and the South China Sea.

Zhong Feiteng, an expert on Asia-Pacific affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Tokyo likely will continue stirring tension in the South China Sea, since it will host the G7 leaders' summit later this month.

"Against such a background, the Southeast Asian countries  traditionally friendly with China and economically connected with Japan  will feel Japan's high pressure to take sides on sensitive issues. They don't want to offend either side," Zhong said.

Kishida's high profile on maritime issues "showcases Tokyo's impulse to seek greater development of its defense capabilities after the country adopted radical new security bills," Zhong added.

Contact the writer at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
Congress Approves Federal Protection for Trade Secrets



What Is a Trade Secret?

Trade secrets could now get broad federal protection under the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (S 1890) , which was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 87-0 on April 4, 2016, and passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 410-2 on April 27. The act would allow, for the first time, companies whose trade secrets have been appropriated by others to sue in federal court. Under the current law, trade secrets are protected and have to be enforced in the stateswhich has been seen as an ineffective measure in an increasingly global economy.

Trade secrets are often called the fourth category of intellectual property, after copyrights, patents, and trademarks. They cover a broad range of information and have actual or potential economic value to the holder. They can include formulas, products, software, manufacturing processes, compilations of data, customer lists, and financial information. To be legally protectable as a trade secret, however, a piece of information must not be generally known or easily determined by others. That is a significant part of its economic value. The formula for Coca-Cola and the famous 11 herbs and spices of Kentucky Fried Chicken are two popular examples in which the value is in the secret itself.

Trade Secret Laws

Trade secret law often works side by side with patent law in that it allows a company to protect its R&D activities that might lead to a patentable invention. Trade secret law can also allow a company to protect a product that might not otherwise be patentable or when it is to the advantage of the company to keep information about its product a secret. Patents must be disclosed publicly in return for patent protection lasting only 20 years. By using trade secret law to protect the formula for Coca-Cola, rather than patenting it, the Coca-Cola Co. indefinitely retains its exclusivity over the formula.

Trade secrets must be kept secret to maintain their legal protection. One of the issues explored in a trade secret theft case is what efforts the owner made to protect its information. The efforts can be physical (e.g., Coca-Colas famous vault), in the form of locks and keys or boxes and enclosures, etc. The protections can be contractual, such as nondisclosure agreements, or they can be electronic, such as password protection or firewalls.

A trade secret theft case would also explore the methods that the person who obtained the secret used. Were they legitimate or unscrupulous? Methods such as outright theft, coercion, fraud, inducement to breach a contract, or outright breach of a contract are generally seen as creating an assumption that the secret was stolen or misappropriated. However, reverse engineering (of a legitimately obtained item), independent research or information gathering, or the common knowledge of the industry likely will create an assumption that either the secret was legitimately determined, or it wasnt really a secret.

Currently, trade secrets are largely protected by state law, which means that each state determines what is and is not a trade secret, what steps are required to protect and enforce a trade secret, and the legal procedures for recovering from the loss or theft of a trade secret. This state law jurisdiction largely arose from the idea that trade secrets and their protection are more of a business practice issue than an intellectual property issue. In an effort to streamline the approaches of 50 different states, over the last 30 years, most states have adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, a model statute developed by a commission of legal scholars and legislators.

The Uniform Trade Secrets Act helped, but companies continued to struggle to enforce trade secrets across state lines. Many states that adopted the act did so with modifications to suit their own political or economic interests. Even without modifications, states often interpreted the law differently, making it challenging for companies to enforce their trade secrets nationally, much less internationally.

The Defend Trade Secrets Act

The Defend Trade Secrets Act is intended to resolve those problems by providing a single, national standard at the federal level that would be evenly enforceable for all 50 states and would allow trade secret owners to seek recovery in the federal courts. This act largely follows the Uniform Trade Secrets Act in its definitions of what are and are not trade secrets and what constitutes misappropriation of trade secrets, but goes well beyond it in standardizing claims that cross state lines, establishing the penalties and remedies for trade secret violations, and creating new federal enforcement mechanisms.

Three areas of the act are generating particular interest for holders of trade secrets. First, it provides an entirely new mechanism that allows for government seizure of property necessary to prevent the propagation or dissemination of the trade secret  [to prevent] an immediate and irreparable injury. Previously, the best that a business could hope for would be a legal injunction preventing the use of the secret. With this new proposal, the property could be physically seized and held by the court, pending a resolution of the claim. This could include products or prototypes, documentation or other written information, or manufacturing equipment or tools, as well as digital information that could be seized via a hard drive, server, or other storage mechanism.

Second, the act largely replicates the Uniform Trade Secrets Act in providing for damages, injunctions to prevent the use of misappropriated trade secrets, or royalties when use takes place, but it also provides for a standard of triple damages for willful and maliciously appropriated trade secrets. It places a standard 3-year statute of limitations on any claim for theft or misuse.

Third, a particular challenge in managing trade secrets is how to handle the mobility of employees who know about them. When employees work for a particular company, they gain knowledge of the companys trade secrets, but also gain knowledge and experience in their particular field. When they leave to go to a competing company, they have the right to use their full range of knowledge and experience, but not the right to use any trade secrets gained from the former employer for the benefit of the new employer. Keeping those competing interests balanced is tricky. The act addresses this issueit encourages employee mobility by limiting injunctions to only when the use of an employees knowledge of his former employers trade secrets is inevitable.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a co-author of the Defend Trade Secrets Act, described it as a critical victory for the intellectual property and business communities. Also expressing support of the act are the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a number of industrial and technology companies. Some concerns developed, however, that the proposal doesnt go far enough in protecting against global, cyber-based industrial espionage and hacking.

Following the approval of both the House and the Senate, the act was sent to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law. It would go into effect immediately.
Cops believe teen killed by stray bullet

While relatives were not available for comment yesterday, police sources indicated that one of the theories detectives are pursuing is that Baptiste was walking on the street when gunmen emerged from a car in Printeryville, Arima, at about 9 am on Saturday and began firing indiscriminately.

Baptiste tried to escape harm by scaling a wall but was hit by stray bullets, fell into a nearby drain and died. Police are now searching for the gunmen.

An autopsy done at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, Port-of-Spain, indicated that Baptiste died from haemorrhaging and shock due to a gunshot wound. Investigations are ongoing.
Dancers at Yinchuan Hedong Airport in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region welcome a Boeing 777 from the Middle East on Tuesday, when Emirates Airline launched its first direct flight between Dubai and Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia. ZUO MINGYUAN / FOR CHINA DAILY

Clad in traditional clothing and holding the sweet tea that local Hui people serve guests, a group of dancers welcomed a Boeing 777 from the Middle East to Northwestern China on Tuesday.

Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region and home of one of China's largest Muslim communities in the landlocked region, has eagerly awaited the landing of the first-ever Emirates flight.

The Dubai-to-Yinchuan flight is scheduled for every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

"Ningxia is joining hands with Emirates Airline to launch China's westernmost logistics center on the Silk Road to develop itself into a strategic highland in the country's westward opening-up and a strategic transit point on the Silk Road Economic Belt," said Li Jianhua, Ningxia's top official, at the opening ceremony.

He said China and Arab countries have great potential for cooperation in trade, finance, tourism and real estate, and this flight serves as a good start.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of the airline and Emirates Group, said the route provides fast and convenient connections to Middle Eastern, African and European destinations via Dubai.

"We are confident that this air link will also help boost the flow of trade and tourism to growing central and western parts of China," he said.

After landing at Yinchuan Hedong Airport, the flight will continue farther east to Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, before returning.

The Dubai-based carrier already flies to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. New routes have been scheduled to make seamless connections to destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, helping local Chinese to travel to most cities in the world, via Dubai.

The new flight is the latest factor boosting Ningxia's positioning of itself as a gateway from China to the Arab world and a strategic point in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Contact the writers at dujuan@chinadaily.com.cn
Sat: Look at age children having sex instead

Maharaj made the comments during an interview with Newsday, when asked to comment on comments made by Chief Justice Ivor Archie about the minors marrying.

Archie made the comments as a panelist at the NGC Bocas Lit Fests human rights seminar held at the National Library on Saturday.

The CJ said at the seminar,We cant talk about the rights of children and have laws which allow people to marry minors. He was also reported to have said a lot of the conversation on gender and child marriage required an open societal conversation about religion.

In response to comments made by Archie, Maharaj said under the Hindu Marriage Ordinance a Hindu Girl can be married at the age of 14 with parental consent. If you look at the statistics you will see that none of this took place this year nor last year. The discussion instead should focus on sex outside of marriage, he said to Newsday.

Maharaj further said as it currently stands in the legislation it is simply a safety net for the young Hindu girls and boys. Many politicians, he said, were following international organisations who have made similar calls abroad. Instead, Maharaj said, the society needed to focus its attention on the age at which young people commence sexual activity and, encourage our young people to restrain themselves. He added that any change in legislation required a consultative process.

A similar sentiment was echoed by Inter-Religious Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (IRO) head, Brother Harrypersad Maharaj in a phone interview with Newsday. He too said the focus of Governments attention should be on the high divorce rates and the disintegration of family life. He said, Each of the different religions have an age at which they allow marriage. It is something that has to be dealt with between the religious bodies and Government. The religious bodies, he added, held fast to their doctrines. There are obvious and specific reasons why people choose to marry at a particular age. That is not the practice today.

All cultures practiced arranged marriages, he said.

Maharaj said many young people in TT today were choosing who they wanted to marry and that it often resulted in quick divorces as many married for lust.

Soon after marriage they have to wait six months to a year before they get a divorce, he said. He, too, said that it there werent many child marriage occurring in TT today. Maharaj said he would not support any move that is irrational. Any legislative change, he said, required due process and consultation.

Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General, Stuart Young, said in an interview with Newsday that any such change required consultation.

I have not seen the comments attributed to the honourable Chief Justice. However, before addressing any issues related to religion there would have to be a consultative process in part with the religious authorities, from the religious authorities of the respective religions.

This process under the current administration has not yet been invoked.

But this Government would have such a consultative process considering the addressing of the specific legislation.
Wives to attend mans funeral

It was revealed yesterday in the San Fernando Assizes that a private post mortem done by Professor Hubert Daisley concurred with the findings of an initial autopsy done by Forensic Pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov that the 55-year-old man died as a result of suicide via hanging from a length of rope.

Attorney Gerald Ramdeen acted on behalf of Donna Francis and petitioned the High Courts in Port-of-Spain last Friday, to stop Francis common-law wife of 20 years, Chandrawatee Nanlal, from cremating his body following final rites. Yesterday, Ramdeen withdrew the injunction before San Fernando judge, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh who accepted and discharged the injunction after the court was furnished with a copy of Daisleys post mortem report.

In the court yesterday, Mrs Francis and Nanlal sat in the courtroom during the proceedings.

After Ramdeen produced Prof Daisleys report, Mrs Francis agreed to have the injunction withdrawn and further agreed to attend Francis funeral. Francis was found hanging from a rafter in his Couva home 13 days ago. He was recently retrenched from his job at Centrin.

Mrs Francis and the deceased mans brother Sheldon Francis, filed an affidavit in an ex-parte injunction which was filed last Friday by Ramdeen, that Prof Daisley had identified a laceration to the head and abrasions to the abdomen. When the matter came up for hearing yesterday before Justice Boodoosingh, attorneys Subhas Panday and Mikela Panday, filed an affidavit on behalf of Nanlal.

Nanlal, in the affidavit, stated that she and Francis lived in a common-law relationship for over 20 years and nine days after his death, she made arrangements to cremate him. Nanlal further stated she had agreed to the second autopsy which concluded that no foul play was involved in his death.

The woman further stated that she was shocked when CNC 3 Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne and attorney Ramdeen, turned up at her home last Friday together with police and served her the injunction.

The Nanlal family has been holding nightly wakes at their home, but the woman in an interview with Newsday, said she had been forced to stop holding the wakes because it was too expensive.

Yesterday, attorney Ramdeen told Justice Boodoosingh that he was withdrawing the injunction.

Panday instructed by Panday (Mikela), said that he had been given the undertaking by Nanlal, as she had indicated before, that first wife Donna and her relatives, would be allowed to participate in all funeral proceedings.

Boodoosingh said he was happy relatives on both sides had agreed to cooperate for the funeral but he told Nanlal that she must apply for a new fire permit at the police station, to conduct the cremation.

A television crime show host had recently alleged foul play in Francis death stating he had the rope found at the hanging scene. But Pathologist Dr Alexandrov insisted the death was as a result of suicide and that he (Alexandrov) had to rope Francis used to kill himself since the rope was still around Francis neck when the body was brought to the Forensic Science Centre.
PM flies out to US, London and Ghana

Finance Minister Colm Imbert is acting as Prime Minister.

At a press conference, before his departure, at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport, Rowley said his first stop was in Washington DC, to participate in a Caricom/ US government interaction over security and energy. US Vice President Joe Biden will lead the US Government team in that meeting.

As you know Trinidad and Tobago has responsibility for matters of security at the level of Caricom.

We lead the security portfolio and energy. I need not tell you how important that is to TT so we have some very important matters to engage in this arrangement, Rowley said. Before leaving Washington, the Prime Minister will meet with potential US investors on Thursday.

Its all about attracting persons who are in a position to invest to look at TT as a place to make that investment that is what those kinds of meetings are about. You meet people who are in the investing business and you try to sell TT as one of the competing places and hopefully we can win some of those interests, he said. After the meeting on Thursday, Rowley will travel to New York to give a keynote address at Medgar Evers College at its inaugural convocation.

On Friday, he travels to London for meetings at BPs head office to be held on Saturday. On Sunday, he departs London for Ghana on invitation by its president John Dramani Mahama. The Ghanians have looked to TT and our model of development and had been very impressed with it and wanted us to get involved in helping them develop it in an arrangement where TT can benefit and Ghana can benefit from our experience and our technical capacity, he explained. He said this country needs to look for a life beyond its energy resource base which is depleting.

The Prime Minister will leave Ghana next Wednesday to return to London for an anti-corruption meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron which will be held next Thursday until Friday.

Rowley will return to Trinidad on May 14. Energy Minister Nicole Olivierre and Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses accompanied the Prime Minister on the trip.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young will join the Prime Minister in London for the anti-corruption meeting.
Smoke and mirrors

This is what the prosecution has. reduced to, the accusations of the. defence that the case against the. ten men before the court for the. murder of Vindra Naipaul-Coolman. were concocted by the police.

At the start of the prosecutions. closing address to the jury, co-lead. prosecutor Gilbert Peterson SC,. rubbished the defence claims and. urged the jury not to get distracted. by some of the closing addresses. from the defence, but focus on the. evidence in the case.

This was a simple case that. lasted long. It comes down to very. few pieces of evidence, Peterson. said. Dont get side-tracked by the. smoke and mirrors of the defence.

You have to focus on the evidence,. Peterson said.

The case, he further noted,. was historical only because of its. length. The case has been before. the jury for close to two years, having. started in 2014.

Since the trial began in March. 2014, prosecutors have claimed. that she was held captive in a house. at Upper La Puerta, Diego Martin,. before she was killed and her body. disposed of.

It has been advanced by the. prosecution that the Xtra Food. chief executive officer was sawed. up like a piece of meat and her. dismembered body disposed at. sea by her kidnappers who grew. frustrated that their demands for. money were not being met. Naipaul-. Coolman was abducted from. her home at Lange Park, Chaguanas,. on December 19, 2006. A. $122,000 ransom was paid by her. family but she was not released and. her body has never been found. It. is alleged she was killed three days. after Christmas of 2006.

Peterson said the key ingredients. in the case was the testimony. of British forensics expert Mike. Moulden, the defence witness Rita. Garcia as well as the discovery of. a Glock firearm which was found. in the home of one of the accused. persons and which was traced. back to spent shells found at Naipaul-. Coolmans home, the discovery. of blood belonging to the murdered. woman on a roll of duct tape. found at the house in Diego Martin. where she was allegedly held. captive and killed and the scientific. evidence presented in the case.

While admitting that the administration. of justice system was not. perfect, he was adamant that it was. fair.

In fact, Peterson agreed with the. defence that the jury ought not to. attach any weight to the prosecutions. witness PC Darryl Hunte,. who was discredited during the. trial. But he noted, that although. the defence claimed Hunte planted. the Glock pistol at the accused. home in La Puerta, Diego Martin,. it was the sole defence witness Rita. Garcia who provided evidence that. the police officer could not have. done so.

You can rely on the compelling. evidence of the gun. Pay attention. to the science, Peterson said. He. also urged them to assess with a. critical eye, the testimony of the. prosecutions main witness Keon. Gloster, who claimed in statements. to the police, that he witnessed. Naipaul-Coolmans killing as well. as that of the womans husband,. Rennie Coolman, as he said both. had their own interests to serve.

Of Coolmans testimony, Peterson. noted that while he may or. may not have been involved in his. wifes abduction, he was no before. the court on trial.

Treat his evidence cautiously as. he may have an interest to serve,. but, Rennie Coolman is not on trial. here.

There is no evidence he kidnapped. his wife, held her or participated. in the disposal of her body.

If there is evidence he was involved,. his day will come. The major. issue which still remains is how. Vindra Naipaul-Coolman met her. death, he said.

There is a case to convict these. accused persons which you look at. the evidence, and the exhibits and. the scientific evidence, he said.

Dont be attracted by the claim,. police plant, police frame, he. said, as he likened the contentions. of the defence to mystery stories.

When the trial resumes today, Peterson. will continue his closing address. to the jury.
Cabinet not on ganja issue

Asked if it was something government will look at, he said, Whats published there is that we are doing that and Im simply saying we are not doing that at this point in time. What happens in the future...we will deal with that when we get to it. Speaking to reporters later, Al-Rawi  who was at Piarco airport to see off the Prime Minister  said the question was asked by the reporter in the context of the issue raised by Archbishop Joseph Harris on pardoning remand prisoners worthy of such consideration. He stated that he told the reporter, the Attorney Generals (AG) office was looking at the statistics behind that.

Because you cant engage in the exercise of maximum sentence application or treatment of remandees through the system for possession matters without looking at the statistical impact, Al-Rawi said, adding that Cabinet had not been invited to consider decriminalisation of marijuana but it was well fit for the AGs Office to be doing the work they were doing.

We have started within the domain of remand and secondly we are looking at it in the criminal justice reforms that we have and thirdly that statistical information will then be factored and considered and only then will a policy of a Government be taken and obviously policies are taken at the Cabinet level after you present a note, Al-Rawi explained. Asked if the AGs Office was examining an issue, would it not be fair to say that the Government was examining the issue, Al-Rawi said he does not report to the Prime Minister, everything that goes on in his office, in terms of examination or material or case by case aspects.
Drivers: Raise speed limit

Drivers said that while they are happy about the implementation of LIDAR speed guns, saying it will help curb reckless driving and consequent accidents, they asked that government consider increasing the limit, to avoid unnecessary traffic and delays.

Harrypersad Jaikaran, a taxi driver who works the San Fernando to Port-of-Spain route said he was happy to know speed guns are in effect given the high number of reckless driving taking place. However, I wish that as the speed gun is instituted, they look at the speed limit and raise it to 120kmph. Nobody ever drives at 80kmph, he said. He added that 120 kmph is a more reasonable speed. Going over the speed limit of 80 kmph would draw a fine of $1,000 and going over 120 kmph, defined as dangerous driving, would attract a fine of $4,000. On the latter fine, Jaikaran felt this would help safeguard drivers and their passengers from speed-related accidents.

Driver Allison Pivot of Chaguanas, had similar feelings about the need for the speed limit to be increased. She said though that not increasing the 80 kmph limit will hurt the pocket of taxi drivers who now may have to either work longer in order to make the same amount of money they would usually make driving over 80 kmph.

It means that we will pull less trips a day if we are mandated to drive at 80 kilometres, as this is slowing down a bit. I mean, 80 kmph? Not on the highway. 100 to 120 is more reasonable. About 100 to 120 kmph is fine. In certain areas where the limit is 50, you could go up to 60 or70. Imagine driving at 80 kmph from Port-of-Spain to San Fernando. How long will you take? We normally take about an hour when we drive at 120 kmph.

Now if we doing that at 80, we might take two hours, she said.

Another driver, Patrick Job, advocated for a higher speed limit.

I have no problem with the speed guns and fines. But they need to increase the speed limit to at the very least 100, because 80 kmph is outdated. Driving on a highway at that speed makes no sense. In fact, if we all drive at 80 kmph, this will cause miles of traffic.

But the speed guns are a great idea, because too many accidents are taking place especially with reckless youths, Job said. Oladele Thomas said he had no problem with the speed guns.

I have a problem with the speed limit; because that was set when the country was built on two-lane highways with backward cars.

Eighty kilometres will get you into second gear. It is either we upgrade the system (speed limit) or we downgrade vehicles that are imported.

Everything is evolution, so we need to move forward instead of staying in one place, he said, Coordinator of the Police Road Safety Project, PC Brent Batson, yesterday confirmed the order for the use of the speed gun was gazetted yesterday and takes effect from today. As of now, the TT Police Service has six speed guns to monitor the over 300,000 vehicles on this nations roads.
Speed at your ri$k

Yesterday, permission for the official use of the speed guns was gazetted making it lawful for police officers to use the six speed guns to monitor speed from motorists on the nations highway.

Newsday understands that 20 officers of the Police Traffic and Highway Patrol branch were trained in the use of the speed guns ad it expected that the training will be extended to other officers in the other nine divisions. Yesterday, Ag Supt Mathura Singh of Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch said that two officers will be in receipt of the speed guns while another two will be utilised to stop vehicles.

He noted that the 20 officers were trained for one week by L & W Engineering together with foreign partners who supplied the guns. He made it clear that initially only Traffic and Highway Patrol will be doing speed checks. Ag Supt Mathura advised the public that there is no need to panic...just comply with law. He added that the speed guns will also be utilised in built up areas and secondary roads which have their own speed limits.

The maximum speed on the nations high ways is 80 kilometres.

Last Friday Minister of Works and Infrastructure Fitzgerald Hinds revealed that, We in Trinidad and Tobago, the traffic management branch, we instituted and installed a stop speed camera along one of the highways in this country, and the statistics coming from that pilot project is a very grave revelation indeed. For example, when we put the legal speed limit up, 80kmph, we find that on a daily basis, an average of 550 persons exceed that limit...at a single location,.

He said data shows that 55 percent of fatalities result from speeding, 30 percent as a result of alcohol impairment; ten percent as a result of failure to use ones seatbelt and five percent as a result of behaviours like red light running.
Security at PMs residence unaffected

It has in no way affected the operations, Garcia told Newsday, after attending a meeting of the Parliaments Joint Select Committee on State Enterprises.

He was one among many guards. We took note and we extended our condolences to his family and as far as we are concerned, the police will do their work from here on.

Udecott has management control of the Prime Ministers Official Residence so we would have been concerned as we would have been concerned when anybody loses their life. On Friday last, an autopsy revealed that 28-year old security guard Michael Dennis was chopped more than 25 times after being abducted sometime last week.

According to reports, he was a guard at the PMs Official Residence and also worked as a private- hire taxi-driver.

Some aspect of Udecotts role in matters related to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) engaged the attention of the Parliament committee yesterday.

The Committee heard that while Udecott handed over the San Fernando Teaching Hospital to the Ministry of Health last July, one storey of the facility  the 18th floor  remains under Udecott control as it was previously used by the OPM. In the prior administration that floor was used by the Office of the Prime Minister, said Abena Richards, Udecotts chief operating officer. And since the new administration has taken office, we are awaiting instruction as to how to treat with the 18th floor going forward. Among many loans still being serviced by Udecott is one at the HMB (Home Mortgage Bank) for $108 million for a project at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair Avenue, Portof- Spain. Udecott has also worked closely with the OPM and Parliament in relation to the restoration of the Red House. That matter, as at yesterday, remained under the purview of the OPM.

The committee heard that the construction cost related to this project was estimated at $241 million.

About $100 million has already been spent over a period of years. Udecott has split the project into 15 packages and is aiming to keep costs down. Opposition UNC Senator Wade Mark warned that current arrangements were a recipe for disaster.

You will experience a nightmare in short order as it relates to past contractors who are still there and their experience is almost nil, Mark said. Garcia replied, We are going to have a fresh start and are confident we will not repeat the errors of the past. He said the necessary consultation will take place in relation to the concerns of the indigenous Amerindian population in relation to the discovery of bones on the site.

Whatever consultation is required we at Udecott are prepared to undertake the necessary consultation, Garcia said.
$122M revamp for Hyatt

The management will do all in its power to ensure that the hotel maintains it standards by constantly reviewing the maintenance and ensuring that the necessary works are carried out. Under examination by the committee members, including UNC Senator Wade Mark, Garcia said under the hotels management agreement, every five years a refurbishment must take place. Additionally, there is a $51 million reserve fund for maintenance or capital development and a $280 million fund for similar purposes.

Notwithstanding that, the board recently awarded a refurbishment contract to Bouygues Batiment to undertake major refurbishment and upgrade works to the Hyatt Regency in the sum of $122 million, Garcia said.

In a later interview with Newsday, Garcia said a lot of the revenue earned by the hotel through functions comes from various government agencies holding events there.

Asked how much profit Hyatt makes, the Udecott chairman said, I cant give the figure right now but what I could say is Hyatt is very profitable.

The investment has more than paid back for itself. Yes, a lot of the functions there are government-related.

But those functions would have gone elsewhere. Garcia said Hyatt is popular with local and foreign tourists.
Colm wants Colmans report ASAP

Imbert said the findings of the commission would be relevant to his course of conduct in relation to the Clico bailout. The inquiry was initiated by the former Prime Minister and Attorney General, so the AGs office would have had conduct of the matter, Imbert said when asked for word on the long-awaited report. The country spent a lot of taxpayers money on this enquiry and the report needs to be published as soon as possible without any unnecessary delay. On reports that lone commissioner Sir Anthony Colman had reportedly complained about a lack of competent staff, Imbert could not say whether this was addressed by the Cabinet. I think the issues were resolved, the Finance Minister said. I will check. He could not say when the report will be released.

saying, I cannot set a timeline since I am not in charge of this matter. It is under the AGs office. He said he will check with the Ministry of the AG on the report. Asked if, as Minister of Finance.

the findings of the report will be essential to his course of conduct.

Imbert said, With respect to the money pumped into the Clico bailout, definitely. The inquiry was set up in November 2010. Over the course of 85 sitting days, it examined the collapse of both the Hindu Credit Union (HCU) and CL Financial/ Clico. In July 2014, Sir Anthony released a portion of his findings, relating only to HCU, and expressed concerns about the volume of work which the inquiry had to cover
Ameen urges unity among UNC women

I want to share with everyone of you, as a woman who has found herself in politics, that we will not go far by pulling each other down. You will not go further by pulling down your sister, Ameen told a gathering of the UNC Womens Arm Mothers Day function at the Divali Nagar auditorium in Chaguanas.

In a brief address to the small gathering at the function held on Sunday, Ameen said UNC women must ensure the next cadre of female leaders come from within the party as she called for more women to become involved in the process of serving both at the Local Government level and in Parliament. She said the women of the UNC continue to play an integral role in keeping the party strong.

Many of our women have built themselves in their respective careers and spaces, but we must continue to build our network with each other. It doesnt matter how well you do on your own, you are not a force on your own and women in particular, you are as strong as the network of women who support and surround us, when we offer ourselves to serve. In making a call for women to come forward, Ameen added: I want you to put a woman and stand with that woman the way we stood with Kamla Persad-Bissessar. At the event, Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie, Miranda Roopchan, Yasmin Baksh-Comeau and Christine Westmass offered advice to the audience on ways to survive in times of recession.

Womans Arm chairman Dr Catherine Ali and J-Lynne Roopnarine addressed the women on child abuse with the latter reminding parents to be ever vigilant when it comes to their childrens safety. Also in attendance was party Chairman Dr David Lee. Party political leader Persad-Bissessar was not in attendance.
What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames

news
Iran schedules major test of ICBM shortly after next presidential inauguration

(NationalSecurity.news) In what may be an early test of resolve for the next administration, Iran appears to be planning a major test of an ICBM within a month of the presidential inauguration, serving notice to whomever wins the Oval Office that the Islamic republic continues to be a threat to global peace.

The February 2017 test was announced in a timetable issued by Iran, the Washington Free Beacon reported, signaling that Tehran will continue to work on advanced missile technology even as it conducts other tests to perfect its work.

Earlier in April Iran conducted a test launch of its Simorgh space vehicle, which analysts believe is a key component of Tehrans goal of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that is capable of striking the U.S. with a nuclear warhead.

The most critical test of this system will take place shortly after the next U.S. president takes the oath of office, when Iran is scheduled to undertake a full launch of the system, according to research by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The test is viewed by American analysts and defense experts as another provocation by Iran, which has, of late, tested missile systems, captured and held hostage U.S. sailors and continued its bellicose rhetoric towards the U.S. and Israel. International provisions ostensibly prevent Iran from undertaking ICBM testing but they have done little to deter the Islamic republics leaders.

The WFB reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran is working in conjuction with North Korea on ICBM technology, which has also raised even more concerns about illicit trade between the two nations.

The Simorgh launch [has] been anticipated since February 2016, says an FDD policy brief. The head of Irans space agency told the media in March that the launch would have three phases: One test launch in spring, another between August and September, and then a full launch February 2017, probably to coincide with the anniversary of the 1979 revolution.

And that just happens to be very close to a U.S. presidential inauguration as well, other analysts have noted. That will immediately put the new U.S. president in a difficult diplomatic position; a number of Republican frontrunners, including the frontrunner, billionaire Donald Trump, have pledged to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran negotiated by the Obama administration.

The full planned launch of the Simorgh space-launch vehicle in February 2017, which coincides with the 1979 revolution, would likely be the next U.S. administrations first major test with regard to the Islamic Republic, said Amir Toumaj, an Iran expert at FDD, according to the Free Beacon.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will face his own elections in June 2017, Toumaj said. There may be a temptation to focus U.S. policy on strengthening the hands of Rouhani as if he or elections over time can overcome the state run by the more hardline elements of the regime. The next U.S. president should have a comprehensive Iran policy ready at hand.

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Government to sign a pact with WHO in the field of traditional medicines

New Delhi, Tue, 03 May 2016 NI Wire

The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 17th February 2016 approved the signing of Agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Agreement, however, is yet to be signed. As per Cabinet approval, as a first step in the long term collaboration, India would assign to WHO activities for development of the following WHO Technical documents/publications which will help in better international acceptability of Indian Systems of Medicines:

 Benchmarks for training in Yoga

 Benchmarks for practice in Ayurveda

 Benchmarks for practice in Unani Medicine

 Benchmarks for practice in Panchkarma

For enhancing the acceptability and branding of AYUSH systems internationally, in the recent past Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for undertaking collaborative research have been signed with Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, UK and National Centre for Natural Product Research (NCNPR) University of Mississippi, USA and Letter of Intent (LoI) with University of Strasbourg, France. The long term collaboration with WHO would help in improving international acceptability and branding of AYUSH systems.

The areas of cooperation would help to facilitate awareness regarding AYUSH systems of medicine by means of education, training, skill development, workshops, publications and exchange programmes between AYUSH and WHO for capacity building to facilitate advocacy and dissemination of information on AYUSH systems amongst the member states and collaborations with third parties for creating synergies in implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023.

The Ministry of AYUSH has also launched a scheme for Voluntary Certification of Yoga Professionals on 22nd June, 2015 in collaboration with Quality Council of India (QCI). The scheme aims at promoting authentic Yoga as a preventive and health promoting drugless therapy and involves certifying the competence level of the professionals to help their deployment within and outside the country. Besides signing of Country to Country MoUs for cooperation in the field of Traditional Medicine with Mongolia, Turkmenistan and China, MoUs for setting up of AYUSH Academic Chairs have been signed with Universities in Russia, Indonesia, Slovenia, Thailand and Armenia. AYUSH Information Cells have been set up to disseminate authentic information about AYUSH Systems of Medicine at Dubai, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Argentina, Serbia and Sweden.

This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Source: PIB
Manoj Bajpayee gifts Reflective Jackets to the Mumbai Police Traffic Department

Bollywood, Tue, 03 May 2016 NI Wire

Manoj Bajpayee is not just a critically acclaimed actor but also a man with a golden heart. The actor, who in his upcoming film will be seen portraying the role of a traffic constable has also won the hearts of his traffic police brethren. Manoj will be giving neon coloured florescent jackets a.k.a. reflective jackets to traffic constables.

Speaking about this gesture, Manoj said, Traffic constables lead really difficult lives and have a very hectic schedule. During Ganpati or any festivals, they don't come home for 5 to 7 days straight and do not get to see their families. Paying respect to all the constables, this is a small gift from my end. I hope that these jackets help ensure safety of the man who is out there in the middle of the road controlling the Traffic, so you can reach home on time.

Moved with this generosity, lady constable Rashmi Uttekar, came up on the stage as she was so emotional about how the industry is coming forward to help the traffic police. Manoj feels emotionally connected to the life of a traffic police after showcasing the hard life of a constable in the film, especially when the Green Corridor is on.

The film is based on a real life incident that occurred in Chennai. This incident caught the attention of the Green Corridor initiative, which is introduced by the traffic police across the nation, where in times of medical emergencies ambulances are used for Organ Transportation.

With stupendous performances by an ensemble cast including Manoj Bajpayee, Jimmy Sheirgill, Divya Dutta, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Kitu Gidwani, Sachin Khedekar, Parambrata Chatterjee and Amol Parashar, 'Traffic'  an Endemol Shine India production presented by Fox Star India is slated to release on 6th May, 2016.
The Indian Navy has finalized a plan to acquire 100 cutting-edge technologies in the next 15 years to build its war-fighting capabilities, but how realistic that will be is a million-dollar question.

The 15-year prospective plan unveiled last month calls for acquiring a range of futuristic technologies. These include naval missiles and guns, propulsion and power generation, surveillance and detection systems, torpedoes and directed energy weapons, submarines and anti-submarine warfare systems, naval aviation, network-centric warfare and combat management systems.

By 2027, we want 200 warships and around 600 aerial assets, hypersonic and loitering missiles, and laser weapons, said Rear Adm. Dinesh Tripathi, the Indian Navys assistant chief of naval staff for policy and plans.

The navy has 138 warships and submarines and about 230 aerial assets, he said.

Highest on the Indian military technology wishlist is

reduce foreign dependence for sensors and weapons

high-definition radars, sonars, infra-red seeker and electronic warfare

develop a high-range of hypersonic and loitering missiles

develop lasers and directed energy weapons

electromagnetic rail guns and kinetic energy projectiles

spaceplanes

autonomous advanced drones and unmanned combat vehicles that are truly autonomous

fusion-based power sources.

India immediately wants larger-caliber guns, 127mm and anti-missile guns (Vulcan Phalanx type), extended range and guided munitions. They will try to get foreign licenses to allow for domestic production.

India is working with Russia to develop a short range hypersonic missiles. BrahMos-II is a hypersonic cruise missile currently under joint development by Russias NPO Mashinostroeyenia and Indias Defence Research and Development Organisation, which have together formed BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. It is the second of the BrahMos series of cruise missiles. The BrahMos-II is expected to have a range of 290 kilometres (180 mi; 160 nmi) and a speed of Mach 7. During the cruise stage of flight the missile will be propelled by a scramjet airbreathing jet engine. Other details, including production cost and physical dimensions of the missile, are yet to be published. It is expected to be ready for testing by 2017

BrahMos-II mockup

In 2015, Indias navy had released a Naval Indigenisation Plan (INIP) 2015-2030

The current indigenous content of the three categories of Indias warship equipment is depicted in the graph below

SOURCES  Wikipedia, Defense News, India Navy
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The Moroccan Government has deplored the stand of the United States, tasked with drafting the first resolution on the extension of the mandate of the MINURSO, the UN peace-keeping mission in the Sahara, which was contrary to the spirit of partnership existing between Rabat and Washington.

Without mentioning the USA, but in barely veiled terms, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said Morocco regrets that the member of the Security Council, which is responsible for the formulation and presentation of the first draft resolution, has introduced elements of pressure, constraints and weakening, and acted against the spirit of partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco.

This came in a statement issued Friday evening following the adoption by the Security Council of a resolution on the Moroccan Sahara.

The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its thanks to the permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and brotherly Arab countries, which acted with discernment and responsibility in a constructive and friendly spirit to achieve the adoption of a resolution that allows for the serene pursuit of the UN action in this issue, said the Foreign Ministry.

The statement was alluding to Egypt and more particularly to France and Spain, which made sure that the US draft resolution, in its first version, was modified.

In this context, the Foreign Ministrys statement recalled that King Mohammed VI had denounced, in his speech during the historic first Morocco-GCC Summit in Riyadh (April 20, 2016) the insincerity of some who show you expressions of friendship and alliance on the one hand, and stab you in the back, on the other.

The Sovereign who had denounced the continuing plots against Moroccos territorial integrity had pointed out that the month of April, which coincides with the Security Council meetings on the Sahara issue, has become a bogeyman used against Morocco and a tool to exert pressure on my country at times, and blackmail it at others.

In its statement, the Foreign Ministry also said that Morocco welcomed the Security Council vote renewing the MINURSO mandate for a year till April 30, 2017 because it reiterated the fundamental parameters of the negotiations, based on realism and a spirit of compromise to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the conflict.

This years UN Security Council resolution again took note of the Moroccan proposal presented on 11 April 2007 to the UN Secretary General and the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco to move the process forward towards resolution.

The resolution also recognized that achieving a political solution to this long-standing dispute and enhanced cooperation between the Member States of the Maghreb Arab Union would contribute to stability and security in the Sahel region.
The American government and Senegal on Monday signed a cooperation agreement to ease the deployment of American troops to the West African nation to counter humanitarian crises, natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

The accord will give US troops access to areas in Senegal, such as airports and military installations, in order to respond to security or health needs, according to officials, who did not talk about US bases in the country.

The accord allows for the permanent presence of American soldiers in Senegal and aims to face up the common difficulties in security in the region, said Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye.

Security analysts say following attacks on foreigners in Burkina Faso, Mali and recently in Cote-dIvoire, Senegalese capital Dakar is an obvious next hit because of its popularity with expats.

Major hotels that host foreigners have been told to improve their security measures or face closure, and the police presence in Dakar has markedly increased.

Senegal is a beacon of peace and stability in West Africa and a strong economy in the region but it also shares borders with Mali, where AQIM is principally based in the Sahara Desert.

Senegalese President Macky Sall has warned that extremism has no place in his nation, where Muslims and Christians coexist peacefully.
Spanish security authorities Tuesday announced the arrest of four IS propagandists among whom three Moroccan nationals.

A statement from the Spanish Interior Ministry pointed out that the four men were promoting the terrorist group and recruiting militants on social media.

Two of the three Moroccans were arrested in Pinto, in the south of the autonomous community of Madrid. The third was nabbed in Ciempozuelos, south of Madrid along with a Spanish citizen.

They have been handed over to justice authorities who accuse them of sending IS propagandist messages on social media to hundreds of people.

Spanish authorities have raised anti-terrorism security level following Paris November attacks and Brussels twin attacks in March.

Authorities have increased cooperation with Moroccan authorities in the area of information sharing. Several foreign nationals and local citizens known as IS sympathizers have been arrested since last year.

According to Spanish authorities figures, more than 82 alleged jihadists have been arrested in Spain since the beginning of 2015 and 19 people have been arrested in 2016 in connection with jihadism.
Egypt could soon be entangled in another round of territorial dispute with Sudan over the Halayed Triangle overlooking the Red Sea as Sudans Foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour told the parliament that Khartoum has taken necessary legal and political measures to preserve its rights and sovereignty.

Sudan raised new concerns over the territory after Egypt and Saudi Arabia reached a maritime border agreement under which the Red Sea islands of Teran and Sanafir were handed over to Riyadh.

Sudan said it wants to review the agreement after it surfaced that the Halayed Triangle was recognized as an Egyptian territory by the document.

Ghandour, while acknowledging that the relationship between the two countries is at its best, stressed that they want to figure out the impact on their maritime borders because Sudan wouldnt abandon its national sovereignty. Khartoum wants to take the dispute to international arbitration but Cairo has not encouraged such moves. Egypt settled the dispute over the Taba area with Israel at an international arbitration.

The Sudanese foreign ministry released a statement last month calling for direct negotiations in order to reach an agreement with Egypt as the latter has just done with Saudi Arabia.

The spokesperson of the Egyptian foreign ministry Ahmed Abu Zaid replied that Halayed and Shalateen are Egyptian territories and fall under Egyptian sovereignty and that Egypt has no additional comment on the statement issued by the Sudanese foreign ministry.

The dispute over the territory has been ongoing since 1958 but it has been under Egypts full military control from the mid 1990s after Sudan has allegedly supported an assassination attempt on former president Hosni Mubarak.

There are reports that Egypt would soon begin the construction of its first court in Halayeb.
The latest historic visit made by King Mohammed VI to the Gulf region has yielded positive results at the strategic and security levels, and also at the financial scale.

The royal tour has prompted Kuwait to speed up its due financial contribution to Morocco within the frame of the GCC pledges made to the North African Kingdom and Jordan, two observer members of the Gulf regional grouping.

According to press reports, Kuwait has granted to Morocco $250 million. This contribution comes few days after King Mohammed VI took part at the 1st summit meeting held in Riyadh on April 20 between Morocco and the rich-oil members of the Gulf Cooperation Council gathering Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

The summit was convened at a time the Arab world and particularly the six member States of the GCC are facing huge security challenges and serious terror threats.

Relations between Morocco and Arab Gulf countries gained momentum thanks to the special ties King Mohammed VI has with all the Gulf leaders who invited, in 2011, the North African country to join the powerful regional group.

Jordan was also invited to the elite group in a move seeking to enhance joint Arab action to counter common regional and international threats.

In his speech before the Riyadh summit, King Mohammed VI had warned against the conspiracies seeking to destabilize the few countries, which have managed to safeguard their security, stability and political systems, saying he was referring to the Gulf countries, Morocco and Jordan.

These countries are oases of peace and security for their citizens and a factor of stability in their respective regions, the Sovereign had said.

We are all facing the same perils, the same threats, though their origins and manifestations may differ. Therefore, to defend our security is not only a shared obligation, but it is also a collective, indivisible one, the King had said, adding that Morocco has always perceived the security and stability of Gulf countries as an intrinsic part of its own security and stability. What hurts you hurts us, and what affects us affects you.

Although it is geographically remote from the hotspots rocking the Middle-East, Morocco has always supported Arab causes such as the Palestinian cause. King Mohammed VI is chairman of Al Quds Committee, the only body set up by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to defend the city and its holy sites.

Moroccos diplomacy spearheaded by the Sovereign contributed to welding Arab ranks during the Arab Spring turmoil, enabling the Kingdom to expand its influence and gain new friends.

Moroccos growing influence in the Arab world can thus be seen clearly in the Libyan crisis, as the Kingdom hosted the inter-Libyan talks that led to the adoption of the Libyan Political Agreement in December 2015.

Moroccos role as a key partner was likewise evidenced in the Yemeni war as the North African country stood by its GCC allies to restore the legitimate government, overpowered by Iran-backed Houthi Shia militias.
Bienvenidos. Photo: Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

Relations between Cuba and the United States hit another milestone Monday, thanks to a bunch of tourists decked out in cruisewear. Those approximately 600 travelers were aboard Carnival-owned Fathoms Adonia, the first cruise ship to voyage straight from the U.S. to Cuba in 50 years.

The Fathom Adonia. Photo: Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

The cruise ship reached the waters of Havana around 9:30 Monday morning and, per the Miami Herald, officially docked just before 10:30 a.m. The Adonia will stick around in Cuba for about a week, also visiting Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, until heading back to Miami. Carnival plans to make this Miami-Cuba trip every other week at a kind of pricey $1,800 a pop. Plus, the Cuba visit must still center on educational and artistic activities, so think more Spanish lessons and fewer beachside tropical drinks.

Cubans watch as the first US-to-Cuba cruise ship arrives after 50 years. Photo: Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

About 16 Cubans were aboard for the historic trip  another victory in U.S.-Cuba relations. Carnival at first wouldnt let some Cubans book trips because of a long-standing Cuban government rule that barred Cuban-born people from returning to the island by sea routes. Those exiles sued Carnival for discrimination, and the cruise ship delayed its journey until Cuba changed its policies  which Havana did on April 22, when it ended the travel ban for commercial boats.

From our crew aboard the US cruise ship arriving now in Havana... pic.twitter.com/3wisGBEyHM  Patrick Oppmann CNN (@CNN_Oppmann) May 2, 2016

Here are more scenes and selfie documentation from the U.S.-Cuba journey.

Cuban pilot boat greeted w squeals & waves from @FathomTravel passengers arriving in Havana #traveldeep HOLA #CUBA! pic.twitter.com/lxFGiJ6g1U  Chris McGinnis (@cjmcginnis) May 2, 2016

Cubans on Havana's Malecon seawall to welcome arriving US cruise ship. pic.twitter.com/SA47At8T25  Patrick Oppmann CNN (@CNN_Oppmann) May 2, 2016

That's Havana - I'm on a US cruise ship. #traveldeep History made 2day as Adonia docks in communist Cuba @TODAYshow pic.twitter.com/0B3SBHUuMi  Kerry Sanders (@KerryNBC) May 2, 2016
The Mississippi Capitol building. Photo: Suzi Altman/Bloomberg

Good morning and welcome to Fresh Intelligence, our roundup of the stories, ideas, and memes youll be talking about today. In this edition, Mississippis same-sex adoption ban is dead; senators are, in fact, hardly working; and Ted Cruz has a spanking problem. Heres the rundown for Tuesday, May 3.

WEATHER

Rain will keep falling from the Gulf Coast clear across the Eastern Seaboard today, with the wettest weather reserved for the mid-Atlantic states and some serious thunderstorms in the South. While New York will be rainy and gray, most of the country from the central states to the West Coast should stay dry. [USA Today]

FRONT PAGE

Same-Sex Adoption Now Legal in All 50 States

Mississippi had until midnight last night to appeal a federal court ruling that found the states laws forbidding gay couples from adopting children unconstitutional. The state chose not to pursue an appeal, meaning that as of today, for the first time, adoption for same-sex couples is legal in all 50 states. One of the plaintiffs in the case was Susan Hrostowski, an Episcopal priest who says she has been waiting 16 years to adopt her son. She and her wife, Kathryn Garner, brought the case along with the Campaign for Southern Equality, the Family Equality Council, and a group of other same-sex couples. [Buzzfeed]

EARLY AND OFTEN

Senate Weekend Longer Than Week

When it comes to paid leave, the U.S. Senate is a step ahead. According to Politico, this year, the Senate will spend just 124 days actually in session  less time in session than at any point in the past 60 years. Gawker points out that this amounts to a 2.9 day work week and that the body has not held a Friday vote in a year. [Politico]

Obama Speaks Directly to the American People

President Obama appeared on six separate local television stations yesterday where he made his case for the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. The president appeared on stations in Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Arizona, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Wait, dont those states all have Republican Senate incumbents? What a coincidence. [Politico]

Threats to Shut Down the Coal Industry Fail to Endear Hillary Clinton to Miners

Hillary Clinton spent the day yesterday campaigning in West Virginia where she was dogged by protestors. Why wouldnt Hillary be popular in coal country? Maybe it has something to do with that time she said she would put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. Now that shes actually in the same room with coal miners, she explained that her comments had been taken out of context. [NYT]

Ted Cruz and Spanking: Now Officially a Thing

Were no public-relations expert, but if we were, we might tell Ted Cruz to lay off threatening to spank everyone. Yesterday, it was a young protestors turn  when the rabble-rouser shouted, You suck! Cruz responded by saying, You know, in my household, when a child behaves that way, they get a spanking. [Politico]

THE STREET, THE VALLEY

You May Now Add Talc to the List of Things That Can Kill You

Yesterday, a jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $55 million to a woman who claims that the companys talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer, and in February, a jury awarded $72 million to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer. However, scientists say theres still no definitive evidence that talc causes cancer. [Reuters]

Sumner Redstone Must Testify in His Own Competency Trial

Sumner Redstone, the 92-year-old billionaire media mogul behind Viacom and CBS, will be deposed in a hearing to determine his mental capacity. The trial stems from his firing a former girlfriend as his caretaker, but it could have huge repercussions for companies in which he has voting stakes. [Bloomberg]

Solar Plane Captivates World Despite Taking 16 Hours to Fly From San Francisco to Phoenix

The solar-powered Solar Impulse 2 landed in Phoenix last night after a 16-hour flight from San Francisco as part of its trip around the world. Like everything futuristic and off-limits to all but the very rich, the plane was a huge hit in the Bay Area where it stayed for almost a week. [CNet]

Canadian Says What Everybodys Thinking

Barrie Kirk, the co-founder of a Canada-based consulting group that works with self-driving cars, is concerned that in the driverless future, passengers will occupy themselves with more adult activities. As fun as that sounds, Kirk says sexing passengers might pose a danger to other cars if they dont notice when they need to take over from the computer. [CNet]

MEDIA BUBBLE

Philandering Wrestler Now Wants World to Remember His Racism

It turns out $140 million was just a start. Retired wrestler Hulk Hogan was back in court yesterday to sue Gawker Media again, this time not for publishing his sex tape but for leaking a transcript from a different video in which Hogan uses racial slurs. The slurs were made on a taped conversation with Bubba the Love Sponge Clem, the man whose wife Hogan was sleeping with in said sex tape. [NYT]

In the Future, Newspapers Will Apparently Be Virtual-Reality Robot Cars

Get ready for Story[X]  thats the name the New York Times is giving its re-branded R&D lab. Story[X] will be joining more closely with both the newsroom and the marketing department under Kinsey Wilson, the Times editor for innovation and strategy. Apparently the department will focus on things like augmented reality, messaging apps, bots that work with the Amazon Echo, even connected cars. Remember when newspapers were freaking out over e-readers? [Politico Media]

Medium Editor to Helm Periscope

Evan Hansen, Mediums senior editor who previously held the editor-in-chief position at Wired, is moving on to Periscope, the real-time streaming-video mobile platform. What role an editor-in-chief will play at a company thats basically Twitter for first-person video streaming remains unclear. [Medium]

PHOTO OP

Head Held High

Eighty-one-year-old Paul Gatling was finally officially exonerated yesterday for a 1963 murder that he did not commit. He spent more than ten years in prison after he was pressured to plead guilty.

81 yr old Paul Gatling arriving in court in Bklyn to be exonerated in 1963 murder. #1010WINS pic.twitter.com/rMYJJLJ00q  Sonia Rincon (@SoniaRincon) May 2, 2016

MORNING MEME

Vibes.

Vibes.



not only the right answer to this incomprehensibly redundant question but also to any question pic.twitter.com/vw03cCSjm5  dodai (@dodaistewart) May 3, 2016

OTHER LOCAL NEWS

Florida Man Half-Asses Extremely Creepy Job

A man in Orange County, Florida, has been arrested for illegally dumping hundreds of dead goats, pieces of dead goats, and a few dead sheep thrown in for good measure. The man was working for a halal meat company when he decided to cut a few corners, plunging a Florida neighborhood into a still-lingering hell of rotting goat stench. [News13]

Those Kids Never Had a Chance: High-School French Teacher Does Not Speak French

Houstons Energy Institute High School is in the spotlight after it emerged that it had hired a French teacher who does not speak the language  except for bonjour. The sad thing here is that the teacher didnt con the school. Instead, with his one year of high-school French, he was actually the most qualified candidate they could find. [Fox]

HAPPENING TODAY

The Circus Comes to Indiana

Today, all eyes are on Indiana, where a primary could prove decisive in determining the future presidential candidates. Trump is expecting a big win, which would increase the pressure on Ted Cruz to drop out, while a tight race between the Democratic contenders has analysts saying this could be Sanderss last, best chance to win the nomination. [WSJ]

Georgias Schools Could Go From Cash-Strapped to Just Strapped

Georgias governor, Nathan Deal, has a tough decision to make today as he mulls signing legislation that would allow people to carry guns in his states public colleges. If he vetoes the bill  especially after vetoing a recent anti-LGBT bill  people may think hes some sort of liberal. [AJC]



Experts Agree Hamilton Just Might Get a Tony Nomination

The Tony Award nominations will be announced today, and much of the public expects Hamilton to pretty much sweep everything. Many believe the hip-hop bio-musical about Alexander Hamilton could break the record for 15 nominations. Other productions are nominated, too, but their names escape us. [CBS]
Probably another good day for Trump and Clinton, and a potential disaster for Cruz. Photo-Illustration: Daily Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

Indiana has been looming on the Republican presidential-nominating-contest calendar for a while now as a potential stop Trump state, thanks to its relatively high-income and highly educated conservative demographics and its winner-take-most delegate-allocation system. A good, solid ten-point win for Ted Cruz over Trump might sweep up a big majority of the states 57 delegates and keep the Donald on a losing trajectory all the way into June. That was certainly supposed to be the Texans big payoff from his deal to divide up three states with John Kasich: Indiana was to be all Teds.

Alas, its not looking so sunny for Cruz in the land of the Hoosiers. Late polls are showing Trump pushing out to a double-digit lead even though Kasichs numbers are declining enough to give Cruz a chance  if Cruzs own numbers werent declining, too. There seems to be a national dip in support for the Texan that none of his recent gambits  the deal, the Fiorina veep choice, the attacks on Trump as friendly to transgendered folk in search of restroom facilities  has arrested. And Indiana, where Trumps thunderbolts about manufacturing jobs being stolen by Mexicans have actually struck a chord, is turning out to be yet another good state for the Donald. Aside from the general climate, its an open-primary state where Trumps accustomed levels of support from independents will come into play. FiveThirtyEight sets the odds of him winning at 83 percent.

Cruz actually could do pretty well in the statewide vote in Indiana and still get clobbered on delegates, partly because over half (30 of 57) go to the statewide winner, and partly because his best performing areas are concentrated in a single congressional district, which awards just three delegates like the other eight do. Nobodys going to give Cruz a lot of credit for coming close in the statewide vote if hes losing the delegates 54-3 or 51-6.

For Trump, that kind of win would put him fewer than 200 delegates away from pay dirt, with 51-delegate winner-take-all New Jersey, which everyone expects him to win, and 172-delegate winner-take-most California, where hes led every poll this year, still ahead.

The Democratic results arent likely to produce that kind of drama, but a win for Hillary Clinton would add to her steadily increasing lead (currently standing at 327) over Bernie Sanders in pledged delegates. Shes up by 6.8 percent in the RealClearPolitics polling averages, and FiveThirtyEight rates her odds of winning at 91 percent. As always with Democratic primaries, margins are what counts since the delegates will be allocated proportionately (27 statewide and 56 by congressional district).

Indianas demographics are actually pretty good for Bernie Sanders, with only 17 percent of the primary electorate being African-American in 2008, the same percentage as under-30s; 23 percent of 2008 voters were also independents. If he were to pull a Michigan-style upset, it would represent a reversal of Hillary Clintons narrow win in 2008. It might also reflect its futility: Clintons win in 2008 was offset by Obamas in North Carolina the same day, which led a lot of observers to conclude that the race was over.

The state is also holding down-ballot primaries tomorrow. The marquee contest is the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Senator Dan Coats, featuring two conservative members of Indianas House delegation. Todd Young is heavily favored over his slightly more tea-partyish colleague Marlin Stutzman. Ex-representative Baron Hill is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Paul Gatling. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP

Paul Gatling served nine years in prison and lived more than 50 years with a conviction for a 1963 Brooklyn murder he did not commit. But in a Brooklyn courtroom Monday, the Brooklyn district attorney officially exonerated the now 81-year-old Gatling.

Paul Gatling was accused of murdering Brooklyn artist Lawrence Rothbort  an expressionist artist who often painted New York scenes and gained more recognition posthumously  during an apparent botched armed robbery in 1963. Gatling had an alibi (he said he was paying his rent, a fact verified by his landlord, reports the New York Times), and the victims wife identified Gatling as the killer only after she saw him being interrogated by cops. Gatling ended up pleading guilty to the murder mid-trial to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and though he almost immediately tried to withdraw his plea, the judge denied that request. Finally, a Legal Aid attorney took up his case, and Gatling had his sentence commuted after serving nine years in prison.

Paul Gatling after becoming the 20th person exonerated in two years by @BrooklynDA. '64 murder conviction dismissed. pic.twitter.com/Yl7rAzuKoG  Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) May 2, 2016

Commutation reduces or cuts a sentence short, but doesnt clear someone of his or her crimes. Gatling, a Korean War vet, moved to Virginia for a fresh start, says NBC News, and worked as a landscaper until his retirement. But he remained a convicted killer. Then Gatling read about Brooklyns Convictions Review Unit, set up to investigate just these kinds of cases. He ended up contacting Legal Aid again  and got the same attorney who helped free him from prison decades ago.

Most of they key witnesses are dead, but the Brooklyn D.A. uncovered enough evidence to determine that Gatling never got a fair trail, reports DNAinfo  including details never disclosed to the defense, such as that the victims wife had been overheard threatening to kill her husband. These look like charges that should never have even been brought, a Brooklyn prosecutor said in court Monday. He was subject to some of the worst violations of due process that we have ever seen. For that reason, the people of the district attorneys office humbly and profoundly apologize.

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson has invested heavily in his offices Convictions Review Unit, a branch he rebranded  it had been called the Conviction Integrity Unit under his predecessor, and focused on convictions tied to one insanely dirty Brooklyn cop  after taking office in 2014. Right now about 100 potential wrongful cases are pending review. Gatlings conviction is the units 20th overturned or nullified, so far.
Paradise lost. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Puerto Rico just defaulted on a $422 million debt payment. Thats the largest default yet in a debt crisis that already has schoolchildren suffering, bondholders sweating, Paul Ryan beating back a mutiny, Democrats feeling good about their chances in Florida this November, and you searching the internet for an explainer on this whole mess.

Here, then, is everything you need to know about the Puerto Rican debt crisis:

How did Puerto Rico get into this fiasco?

The short answer is that the island has been in recession for ten years and, during that decadelong downturn, its government papered over budget shortfalls by borrowing gobs of money from foreign investors.

Whats the long answer?

Laws passed by the U.S. Congress inflated a massive manufacturing bubble in Puerto Rico, then popped it, while simultaneously encouraging investors to buy the islands debt, even when the territorys economy was in distress.

For over 80 years, the federal government used tax breaks to coax corporations into operating in Puerto Rico, so as to boost the islands industrialization and keep tax-allergic companies on American soil. The most significant of these was section 936  a provision of the tax code which gave U.S. companies an exemption on all income originating from American territories. After the provision was passed in 1976, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies flooded the island with jobs. Manufacturing became the single most important sector in Puerto Ricos economy.

But the islands competitiveness rested on those tax breaks  Puerto Rico has the same minimum wage as the United States and its workers are less productive. In the 90s, anger over outsourcing and corporate tax evasion led Congress to phase out section 936. (If Puerto Rico were a state, with two senators and a congressional delegation, its possible the island would have retained some version of the benefits.)

By 2006, the exemptions were history and so was Puerto Ricos manufacturing boom. The territory has been in recession ever since. But the island did see continued growth in one of its prime exports: debt. Mutual funds were still eager to buy Puerto Rican bonds, even as its economy languished, because those bonds are triple tax exempt, which means their interest payments go untaxed by federal, state, and local governments.

So why dont they just declare bankruptcy, like Detroit did?

Unlike U.S. municipalities, Puerto Rico isnt covered by chapter nine of the U.S. bankruptcy code.

Gotcha. So, thats why were bailing Puerto Rico out: Our laws are partially responsible for their plight.

Yes and no. The federal government is partially responsible for the islands financial distress but no one is asking U.S. taxpayers to bail Puerto Rico out.

But I saw a bunch of ads 

A dark-money group called the Center for Individual Freedom has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on television ads that paint the Houses current plan for restructuring Puerto Rican debt as a bailout. But the bill that Paul Ryan is desperately trying to rally his caucus around will cost U.S. taxpayers absolutely nothing. Instead, the legislation would empower a federal oversight board to oversee debt-restructuring agreements and approve or reject local budgets on the island.

Basically: You cant collect money from an island of broke, starving people. So, its in the interest of the creditors themselves to get Puerto Ricos debt load down to a point where it can still fund the basic services necessary for economic growth. But some creditors with low-priority debt are likely to lose out on any restructuring agreement. And others would like Puerto Rico to hand over its retirees pensions and then collapse into a failed state if it has to. Under the current bill, the oversight board could force creditors to accept a restructuring agreement if two-thirds of their peers say yes or with judicial affirmation. So a lot of money is being channeled into fearmongering ads and strong-arming lobbyists. And a lot of Republicans are reluctant to sign onto Ryans bill.

But there are Democrats in Congress, too. Couldnt Ryan pass it with their votes?

Yes, but thats just the sort of maneuver that forced John Boehner into early retirement. Ryan wants to pass this thing with a majority of his own caucus.

What happens if they dont pass anything?

This July, Puerto Rico will stare down a $1.9 billion bill, much of which is composed of payments on general obligation bonds. Unlike the bonds Puerto Rico failed to pay on Monday, general obligation bonds are constitutionally protected  if the island defaults on those, it would be forced into legal purgatory. With no bankruptcy process in place, Puerto Rico and its creditors would battle out their disagreements in court, possibly for years. That legal limbo would scare off new investment, plunging the territory into a deeper recession. As it is, the Puerto Rican government cant finance basic services, like fuel for school buses and police cars.

Wait: Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. If things get really bad there, wouldnt they all just move to Florida or something?

Yes. The island lost nearly two percent of its population in 2014 alone, as 84,000 Puerto Ricans emigrated to the mainland. The highly educated are fleeing in disproportionate numbers; according to Puerto Ricos Institute of Statistics, the island lost 17,000 residents with a post-secondary degree in 2014.

Lets say I view all news through the narrow prism of partisan politics: Could the suffering of the Puerto Rican people potentially benefit Democrats this November?

Yes. Politicos Marc Caputo lays out the case here.
The aftermath of Sundays fire at the Cathedral of Saint Sava. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The FDNY says that Sundays four-alarm fire at the historic Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava on 25th Street wasnt suspicious, but the Post reports that some in the Orthodox community fear that the blaze was part of a coordinated attack on the religion. The fire was one of four at Christian Orthodox churches around the world on Sunday, which was Easter for Orthodox Christians. The Post reports that theres worry the fires were set in retaliation for the religions role in blocking the canonization of Croatian cardinal Aloysius Stepinac.

Too many churches have burned to call it an accident, Dr. Dusan T. Batakovic, a former Serbian ambassador and the director of the Institute for Balkan Studies in Belgrade, told the paper. It is very strange that it happened, that the fires all took place on Easter, the greatest Christian Orthodox holiday. Some kind of terrorist action cannot be excluded.

The FDNY said Sunday that the fire did not appear suspicious, and on Tuesday a department spokesperson said it probably started when a caretaker didnt properly extinguish candles after an Easter service.

Two Orthodox churches in Australia and one in Russia were also engulfed in flames on Sunday, the Post reports.

This is a terrible tragedy, and the thought that this is an attack has not escaped us, Barry Lituchy, executive director of the Jasenovac Research Institute, a Brooklyn-based human-rights nonprofit, told the Post. Lituchy said hes also been bombarded with calls from worried members of the Orthodox community.

This post has been updated with additional information from the FDNY.
Owen Labrie Photo: Jim Cole/AP

Last year, Owen Labrie  who was accused of raping a 15-year-old while he was a senior and she was a freshman at St. Pauls School  was found not guilty of the alleged felony sexual assault. He was, however, convicted of misdemeanor sexual assault charges for being involved with a minor, as well as felony computer charges, and was sentenced to a year in jail. Ever since, he has broken his court-ordered curfew time, thus resulting in his bail being revoked. In April, he asked for a new trial.

On Friday, his lawyers went to the New Hampshire Supreme Court to argue against his bail revocation. Defense attorney Jaye Rancourt included a letter from one of Labries professors in her brief, and it certainly takes enabling to a new level, by comparing Labrie to Joan of Arc and Simone Weil and chalking up the whole sexual assault thing as a lesson from God. From the letter:

So, Owen, here you are now, twenty years old and having been put through (because of the extraordinary and generous providence of God) extreme affliction and malheur. And this is why you must continuously seek to understand why God has done this to you, and ask what His judgment is upon your past thoughts and behavior and His intentions for your future vocation.  Its so amazing to me how much God loves you  because God doesnt usually bother to wizen up ordinary kids who get involved in teen-age sex play. He just lets them gradually outgrow it. But, obviously, God intends something more from you than a staged normal life. God intends that you (like Joan of Arc and Simone Weil) take on a higher task. So God has afflicted you with the enormous suffering that you have had to bear (and that you will always have to bear). This suffering is your condemnation (better, your consecration!) to a higher calling. [Emphasis the professors.]

Labrie was convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and penetration of a minor, yet managed to escape the felony rape charge he was accused of. Joan of Arc was a teenage girl burned at the stake after leading the French people to a victory in the Hundred Years War, after answering what she believed was a calling from God. The analogy seems a little thin.
I want to follow for more than just the Finale! :( But we have BBC so I guess I'll watch it there.

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YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

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Here for it

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Graham Norton is the only reason I watch this although I like Australia's entry this year maybe I'll actually care

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I liked Australia's choice last year too, though I feel like they didn't get that you weren't supposed to send genuinely talented people.

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Watch them choose Ross Matthews to commentate or some shit

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He's like a squeaky chew toy in human form ugggghhhhhh

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Do the US actually care about this?

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Yes

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I'm surprised, when I talk to most people in the US they think Eurovision is like a sporting event or something.

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lol no they do not. 95% of americans don't even know what it is.

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This is a bad place to ask bc more people here would give a shit bc we love gossip, drama and graham norton, but I don't think anyone I work with for instance has ever even heard of it

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I've only heard of it because of this site and tumblr, otherwise I'd say most Americans probably don't care about this. And I'd be surprised if there aren't some sort of complain from 'muricans that don't know why US don't have a representative there.

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most don't even know what the fuck it is

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not at all lol

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i had to explain to someone a few weeks ago that eurovision isn't our metro.........

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if it was aired we probably would. America loves shit like that, especially if people are embarrassing themselves or look silly

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Vast majority haven't heard of it and don't care, but it's got a small-but-devoted fanbase.

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I watched it for the first time last year because of my Polish friend. I think it's fun.

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i'm pissed that it's taken them so long, but i'm more pissed that this on a channel that i still don't have! they should have put it on MTV, or at least MTV2 or VH1 or something.

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I remember when the only way to watch in the U.S. was on TVE, so you had to have the spanish channels (which we did), but it was just an inconvenience because the channel was so shitty with what they aired and their schedule leading up to it (it wouldn't show up in the guide).

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BBC America would be a good choice.

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Right?! Out of all the fucking channels, they choose Logo? Disappointing.

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it'll be exciting that i can have it on a big screen finally but i'll still be watching a stream for graham's commentary

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I can't wait! I feel like it's aired really early this year. The last couple of years it has been early June.

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isn't the competition always in May?

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I went to look at the dates and yup, it's always May, but last year was later in May so that threw me off. Maybe I just associate Eurovision with vacations, and this year it so happens to be taking place while school is still on, lol.

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this is literally the only thing that british people seem to enjoy about being european

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the only thing european people seem to enjoy about being european imo. I mean everyone goes crazy over here in France when it comes Eurovision even tho we always end up in the last spots. Embarassing!

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why the fuck can't we get the entire thing

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"guys for anyone wondering why you can't get the whole thing is bc the finale is the whole thing. Well the show that is on TV is what the general public see. The before is done but not shown on tv"

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Finally!! I'm pretty sure I don't have this channel though. And even if I do, I doubt my family will let me use the TV to watch it. But I hope it gets good ratings.

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this is cool i wish i would have seen when tatu was on too bad they turned out shitty human beings

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Yulia maybe but poor Lena tho. I still like Yulia even if she is a mess.

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I'm pretty sure there is a low quality video of their performance but Yulia's voice sounds awful.

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guys for anyone wondering why you can't get the whole thing is bc the finale is the whole thing. Well the show that is on TV is what the general public see. The before is done but not shown on tv.

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no?

They show both semifinals and the grand finale in Europe (Tuesday and Thursday the semi-finals, Saturday the grand finale). Otherwise how could we vote for the songs to place in the finale? o_O

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Lol no, WTF are you talking about??

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lol is France seriously in the running to win? It sounds like a rip off of Sweden's song from last year. I feel terrible for Romania though, with being disqualified from the contest. It's been a while since I've listened to all the songs tho.



What sucks about this is that they're apparently disabling the youtube stream for US residents. I love having the audio of Grahamn Norton's commentary playing while watching it on youtube because the quality is so much better.

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When I first looked at odds I couldn't believe my eyes that France was second and didn't think I was looking at things in the proper order. I'm going to need to bring my miniature French flag to the arena

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Nah France maybe ends up 2 or 3, top 5 for sure but not going to win

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i mean... same.

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lol mte

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Lol me, too.

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ikr they are pretty amazing

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Reminds of when Tom Hiddleston checked out Jaimie Alexander's boobs during the Thor press tour, lol

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I feel like he's kind of known for looking at his coworkers boobs. I'm pretty sure there pics of him checking out the girl off Two Broke Girls and a few others, too.

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I think they were dating back then I think they were dating back then

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Yeah, he basically just appreciates big boobs, lol

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Well he dated the girl from Two Broke Girls, so that might be more explainable than just "BOOBS!"

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Lmao



I love them together tho, I wish she did promo with him instead of getting stuck with Renner uggggh 

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goddamn, I never found him hot before but ur icon is making me fan myself.

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he's so hot as T'Challa, it's ridiculous

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I'd be doing the exact same trying to she doesn't deserve renner

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It was five days ago too, lmao

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omg hahaha

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lol I was thinking the same thing too.

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mte

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mte lol

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ikr?



At least have more than one picture for a post...

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She's stunning

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lol I love how one pic of him looking means he "couldn't keep his eyes off her cleavage" (not to say he didn't look more I'm sure he did, articles these days are just funny to me)

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holy shit, Emily Van Camp is morphing into Connie Britton in that photo

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I'm so not a fan of Emily VanCamp as Sharon tbh. Something about her just irks me idk

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i like emily vancamp and i like sharon but ia that she's miscast in the role :/

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It doesn't help they really didn't give Sharon depth.

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She's a complete miscast. They haven't given Sharon any depth admittedly but even then, I don't think EVC was right for the role. The Russos and Chris are not here for the character (and I don't think they particular wanted EVC) so it makes me wonder if ABC/Disney forced them since Revenge was very big at the time of casting. They totally wasted the character.

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lol at this reach!

She had auditions with them and then she even had a chemistry audition with Chris.

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She has a kind of thankless role tbh, I hope in CW they actually give her something to do/a reason to root for her as a love interest but none of the reviews I've read have even mentioned her so \_()_/



Edited at 2016-05-03 05:57 pm (UTC)

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she sux lbr.

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she's ridiculously bland

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mte she's bland. My mom loves her so I know she's vanilla.

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lol like Clark Gregg had any more personality as Agent Coulson, yet fandom still sucked his dick



please

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is the image supposed to be moving? I see it's a gif, but I don't see it move, I'm confused, is it only me?

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idk what's funnier tbh, the fact there's a pic of this or that this is an actual post

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When will this movie show in America, I need new good fanfic pls of the Tony/Steve/Bucky variety.

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Comes out on Friday in the US

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WHAAAT why is it coming out so late in the US?

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US always premieres marvel movies a week after everywhere else, it's so annoying

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I'm kinda wanting some WinterIronShield my damn self.

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I read an amazing Steve/Tony fic about Civil War last night

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If it had been Renner you all would posted that in a minute.







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OMG I miss this user!!!



She's right though.

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I don't know how I forgot this comment. Hahaha

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lol

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who gives a fuck about jeremy renner

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Renner was off his gd head at the London premiere so I'm extra surprised there hasn't been anything about that.

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Why are they still trying to make these shows happen? No one cares about them.

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Agent Carter was great for the first season. I could not get into the second season. Most Wanted was Dead on Announcement.

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seriously, this and agents of shield are just crap lol

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I just want Oded back on my screen. I don't care what in. Still bitter this is the only thing Marvel appatently considered him for, but still.

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Agent Carter never really lived up to its potential imo and idc about Most wanted so this is whatever to me.

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Season two of AC was such a disappointment. I wish I could excise Peggy, Jarvis, Howard and Dottie, who are perfect and deserve better, and leave behind the rest of the shitty characters.

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meh idgaf



all the abc shows can go. They should have just done anthology type shows, to cover the bits before/after big MCU events, do exposition on historical events like the first season of Agent Carter.

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For weeks, large gatherings of protestors have roiled the political establishment in Iraq, forcing the government to scramble to address their concerns while also holding onto a dwindling sense of legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

Political protests in Iraq have grown in strength and size, and over the weekend protestors burst through the walls of the Green Zone in Baghdad where many government buildings are located, and some even entered the parliament building. Hundreds chanted, waved Iraqi flags, and took photographs of an area of the city that they have long been prohibited from entering. The protests recalled images of the Arab Spring, and raised questions about the integrity of the governments control over the country.

On Sunday, however, the protestors filed out of the Green Zone on orders of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has been at the forefront of the protest movement for months. He seemed to somewhat condone the storming of the Green Zone, although whether or not he played a lead role in the events is unknown. But he ordered his followers to clean the space and leave. The result was a vivid display of al-Sadrs power and influence, which he is using to demand political reforms from the Iraqi government. He said that the protestors would return in a few days following the end of a religious holiday. The Shiite cleric made it clear that the only thing standing between the government and the pitchforks was his word. Related: North Sea Oil Town Hit Hard By Low Prices

Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is trying to put together a cabinet made up of technocrats amid pressure to crack down on corruption, but has faced opposition among some lawmakers in parliament who fear losing influence. If Iraqs parliament fails to approve a new cabinet, Moqtada al-Sadr has threatened to fight to disband the government and call for elections. The protests came just hours after the Islamic State took credit for a truck bombing that killed at least 21 people.

The political instability is worrying the Iraq governments American backers, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden swooped in for sudden visit last week to assess the situation, the highest ranking official to visit Iraq since most American troops left five years ago. The Pentagon and the White House are increasingly worried that the Prime Ministers grip on power is deteriorating.

The implications for the oil sector are still a bit unclear. Political unrest is never good for oil production. Of course, Iraqs large oil fields in the south are located far away from Baghdad. And Iraqs oil minister even wrote on Facebook this weekend that no oil output was affected by the events in the Green Zone. But the latest wave of protests inject another degree of uncertainty into Iraqs future, and the breach of the Green Zone highlights the anger across the political spectrum from the Iraqi public. Related: The Merger That Could Create a New Oil Major

The political instability comes as Iraq faces a long list of other problems threatening its oil sector. Iraq produced 4.2 million barrels of oil per day (mb/d) in March, and exported about 3.28 mb/d through its southern terminals near Basra. Southern exports rose slightly in April to 3.36 mb/d and are not far off from a record high. But the uptick in output masks a lot of problems in Iraqs oil sector, problems that could yet grow worse.

Plunging oil prices have cut into government revenues at a time when it can ill-afford it, which is reducing earnings for international oil companies who are paid for investment in and production of Iraqs oil fields. Politically, things have worsened dramatically in Iraq, Richard Mallinson, an analyst at Energy Aspects Ltd., told Bloomberg. Its a negative for the countrys oil industry over the medium term. Were going to see production plateau and start to decline later this year. Private companies are cutting back investment, which could hamper the countrys ability to boost production from todays levels. Related: Halliburton-Baker Hughes Merger Officially Dead

A separate political standoff with the semiautonomous region of Kurdistan has impacted oil flows in Iraqs north. Kurdistan depends on oil exports through Turkey for nearly all of its revenues, and because of the interruptions, as well as its stalemate over revenue sharing with the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, the Kurdish Regional Government is facing a fiscal crisis.

Meanwhile, the fight against ISIS continues to gain ground. The purely military aspects of the campaign appear to be progressing well, finally beginning to hit on all cylinders, Kenneth Pollack of the Brookings Institution wrote in late March after a trip to Iraq. But, military success is not being matched with the commensurate political-economic efforts that will ultimately determine whether battlefield successes are translated into lasting achievements. In other words, Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition could continue to beat back ISIS, but unless the Iraqi government can put together a political process and advance an agenda that addresses a lot of the countrys problems  admittedly a very difficult proposition  the Iraqi government will continue to lose legitimacy. That will destabilize the country even more.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Russian Deputy Energy Minister Alexei Teksler said a couple of weeks ago that Chinese state giant CNPC is interested in participating in the partial privatization of Russias top oil company, Rosneft.

Rumors that companies from the Chinese energy sector will take part in the Kremlins privatization plan for 2016 first started emerging late last year when the plan was announced. Yet oil prices fell so low that there were doubts as to whether such a deal or deals are still viable. Related: Should Exxon Mobil Shareholders Be Worried About a Ratings Cut?

Prices are now recovering and some analysts believe that this is just the start of a longer, massive rally that will eventually see oil trade in three-digit territory again. The fundamental reason: less investment in new E&P projects will inevitably tighten supply and once it does, the energy sector wont have the manpower and equipment to expand it.

The Chinese, however, may be a step ahead of the rest of the world, if indeed CNPC takes part in Rosnefts IPO, as it reportedly confirmed it would.

China needs secure long-term oil supply. Forget about the much talked-about switch from an industry-based to a service-based economy. Service-based economies also need fuel (a lot of it) and even with a blooming solar power sector, China remains a huge oil consumer, which is unlikely to change anytime soon. Related: Why China Is Really Dictating the Oil Supply Glut

For now, its biggest supplier is Saudi Arabia, but Russia is contesting the top spot, actively and with some marked success. The two countries, Russia and China, already have strong ties in the energy field, which is a point for Russia. But there have also been some extravagant messages coming from Riyadh: The country has impressive ambitions in solar power and general economic diversification in a bid to reduce its reliance on oil.

Ambitions are a good thing but how realistic they are is a different matter. Riyadh believes its state oil company could be worth $2 trillion if it goes public  something that is being worked on at the moment under the kingdoms Vision 2030 plan. Yet, as the Economist reminded us in January, Aramco is the opposite of transparent and investors dont like secrecy when they decide to spend their money.

Besides, whats true for Russias oil assets  or anyone elses, for that matter  is its a buyers market at the moment. Finally, a total switch to solar power takes a lot of time, to put it mildly, even for a not-so-oil-reliant country. Related: Lets Stop Pretending Nuclear Power Is Commercially Viable

Russia, on the other hand, is engaged with its own diversification (and a $21-billion deficit this year to deal with) but is guarded as to bold statements about the medium- or long-term. Commodities are Russias major strength  or weakness, depending on the market environment  and they have always been its major attraction and source of power. The country, therefore, is not in a rush to move away from them. Instead, its looking to make the best of what it has with what partners it has.

With the geopolitical chessboard as it is right now, with Saudi Arabia clearly and consistently digressing from its once common interests with the West by supporting Islamist groups in Syria and waging its own war in Yemen, and with Russia focused on survival (and expansion of its geopolitical significance), China is the natural focus of attention for its northwestern neighbor.

The next step in solidifying this strategic relationship  Chinese involvement in Rosneft. It wont be the last step, and this is where all geopolitical eyes should be focused right now.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
When looking at some of the key figures for oil and gas this week, we see that oil prices have hit the ceiling at $48, while the U.S. rig count keeps o on falling.

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)



Chart of the Week

(Click to enlarge)



Related: Gazprom Wants to Turn Bahrain Into A Gas Hub

 A decade ago Fed Chair Alan Greenspan warned of the financial pressure that would grow in the U.S. because of a shortage of natural gas and the resulting rise in imported gas.

 But skyrocketing shale gas production caused the trajectory of imports to abruptly reverse course in 2007. Net imports continue to fall, hitting 2.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2015. That is roughly one-fifth of what the U.S. was importing ten years ago.

 In the meantime, exports are growing, as demand from Mexico increased. Also, the first LNG export terminal came online this year. LNG is only a small sliver of the export pie right now, dwarfed by pipeline exports to Canada and Mexico. But several more terminals are under construction.

Market Movers

 Statoil (NYSE: STO) stopped production at its Gullfaks B platform in Norway after a helicopter crash led to the death of at least 11 workers, likely 13, last week. "This is one of the worst accidents in Norwegian oil history," said Arne Sigve Nylund, Statoil's head of production in Norway.

 Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP) is considering a sale of its U.S. natural gas business, a unit that saw revenues fall by 51 percent in the first quarter.

 Anadarko (NYSE: APC) reported a quarterly loss of $1.03 billion. The results were worse than expected and the companys share price fell by about 2 percent on the news. Anadarko said that it improved its financial position by $800 million by cutting its dividend and laying off workers.



Tuesday May 3, 2016

There are early signs that the three-month rally in oil prices, up from a low of $26 per barrel in February, might be reaching its limits for the time being. Oil prices retreated at the start of the week as OPEC reported higher production levels. Iraq saw oil exports rise slightly, and there are rumors that Saudi Arabia is ramping up production in the wake of the failed Doha agreement. "There are enough supply stories out there to slow or temper any gains," Energy Aspects analyst Richard Mallinson told Reuters.

Also, from a technical trading standpoint, oil is facing fierce resistance at $48 to $50 per barrel. The sharp run up in prices is now staring down a textbook retracement, Todd Gordon of TradingAnalysis.com said on CNBC. Backing that up is the fact that hedge funds and other money managers have amassed a huge pile of net-long bets on crude prices. Whenever positions increase by such a large amount, the chances that the pendulum swings back in the other direction rises. In other words, because oil prices have rallied so quickly, there is a good chance that they will correct and fall back again. Related: The Merger That Could Create a New Oil Major

Oil companies step up hedging. E&P companies are also not sure that the oil price rally is here to stay. When oil prices rose to $45 per barrel, a flurry of dealing kicked off according to Reuters, as companies scrambled to lock in prices for the rest of this year and next.

IEA sees oil prices past the bottom. For its part, the Paris-based International Energy Agency believes that the worst is over for oil prices. Provided that the global economy fares well, oil prices should continue their upward trajectory, although in fits and starts. "It may well be the case, but it will depend on how the global economy looks like. In a normal economic environment, we will see the price direction is rather upwards than downwards, the IEAs Executive Director Fatih Birol told reporters on the sidelines of the G7 energy ministers meeting. "We believe under normal conditions towards the end of this year, second half of this year but latest 2017, markets will rebalance." At the same time, the IEA has consistently warned that todays cutbacks in investment could set the markets up for a shortage several years from now. Birol and the IEA have cautioned the industry not to slash investment too much. "What we would like to see is, after a big decline in 2015 and 2016, there will be a rebound in investments (in 2017), and bringing (investments) to the level of $600 billion once again," Birol said.

Oilprice.com recently interviewed the head of the IEAs Oil Markets Division, Neil Atkinson. To read that interview, click here.

Gasoline demand up. U.S. gasoline demand jumped to its highest rate in 40 years in February as motorists take to the roads to take advantage of cheap prices at the pump. The EIA released monthly figures for February, which showed that the U.S. consumed 9.2 million barrels per day of finished motor gasoline, very high for this time of year. With summer months approaching, gasoline demand could continue to rise.

Demand from Chinese refineries could fall. Chinas oil imports jumped in recent months as a cadre of small teapot oil refineries were given licenses to begin importing oil. That led to a surge in demand, which helped push up global demand and increase oil prices. But storage for the teapot refineries is running out, leading to long lines at sea of oil tankers waiting to unload their cargoes. "Everybody's storage is full and it takes time to digest the inventories, maybe 2-3 months, Zhang Liucheng, vice president for trading and marketing at Dongming Petrochemical, the largest teapot refiner in China, told Reuters. Slowing Chinese demand could put downward pressure on crude prices.

The Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) and Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI) merger fell apart. The deal, originally valued at $35 billion but would have more recently been worth $28 billion, came under scrutiny from antitrust regulators in Europe and the United States. The two companies announced the termination of the merger on May 1. Halliburton is required to pay a $3.5 billion breakup fee to Baker Hughes, cash that Baker Hughes already said it would use to improve its balance sheet. Baker Hughes announced $500 million in cuts to its costs, as well as $1.5 billion in share repurchases and paying down $1 billion in debt. Related: Why Irans Shale Oil Discovery Wont Add To The Glut

Colorado Supreme Court shoots down local fracking bans. In recent years, several towns and cities in Colorado implemented local bans on hydraulic fracturing. The industry pushed back, suing to overturn them. The state Supreme Court handed drillers a victory by ruling that municipalities cannot pass fracking bans as they are preempted by state law and, thereforeinvalid and unenforceable. The Colorado Oil & Gas Association hailed the victory as a win for industry and for the states economy.

Two more oil and gas companies go bankrupt. Ultra Petroleum Corp. and Midstates Petroleum Co. filed for bankruptcy in recent days, putting about $5.8 billion in combined debt into the bankruptcy process. The casualty list continues to grow  67 oil and gas E&P companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since the beginning of 2015.

Iraq political situation deteriorates. Protestors broke through the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad over the weekend, storming into the parliament building. By many accounts the protests were peaceful, and the protestors dispersed on the orders of a powerful Shiite cleric. But the events illustrated the very fragile political situation in Iraq, as the Prime Minister desperately tries to hold onto his position. Oil production is not expected to be affected, but low prices and a shortage of government revenues are expected to sap investment this year, halting the countrys impressive ramp up in output over the past several years.

By Evan Kelly of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Big news in energy project finance this week, with a mega-project that no one thought could succeed coming through with a massive finance package.

Thats the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in northern Russia. A multi-billion dollar development that appeared dubious just a few months ago  as sanctions against Russia seemed to be preventing project financing from going forward.

But Yamals Russian owners confirmed over the weekend that they have just put together a significant portion of the funds needed to build the terminal. These funds have come from a place where sanctions have little meaning  China. Related: Lets Stop Pretending Nuclear Power Is Commercially Viable

Yamals Director General said that the project consortium signed a loan agreement Friday with China Exim Bank and the China Development Bank. With these banks offering to extend a 15-year loan to the project in the amount of 9.3 billion euros.

Thats about 75 percent of the estimated total funds that Yamal needs to get into production and represents a major step toward getting the project off the ground.

One of the most interesting stories here is the increasing involvement of China in the Russian energy sector. With LNG projects like Yamal having been a particular target of Chinese interest recently  evidenced by Chinas Silk Road fund agreeing to take a 9.9 percent stake in the project last December. Related: Oil Rallies On As Traders Ignore Red Flags

The emerging importance of the new Silk Road trade area is a theme were going to see more and more in natural resources, with Russia clearly in Chinas sights as an energy and trade corridor. Likely being particularly attractive due to the lack of competition here in the wake of Western sanctions.

The other interesting part of the Yamal deal is currency. With the Chinese loan package being denominated in euros rather than dollars  showing the players here may be making a concerted effort to move beyond the reach of America. Related: The Merger That Could Create a New Oil Major

The project still needs to raise more funds  with project partner Total saying last week that another $4 billion could be coming from Russian banks. Watch for more news on financing for this key project, and for other deals between China and Russia in the energy space.

Heres to bringing in the money,

By Dave Forest

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
As post-sanction Iran moves forward quickly with the development of its oil and gas resources, South Korean state-owned energy giant Kogas has secured an MOU with the National Iranian Oil Company (NICO) to work on the Balal gas field in the Persian Gulf.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Sunday by National Iranian Gas Company Managing Director Hamidreza Araqi and the President of Korean Gas Corporation (KOGAS), Seung-Hoon Lee. The document is designed to boost cooperation in the gas industry.



Related: Why China Is Really Dictating the Oil Supply Glut

Following technical studies in the Balal perimeter, one of Irans key gas fields in the Persian Gulf, Kogas will present its proposals for the fields development to the NIOC. The proposals, Hamidreza Araqi explained, will also consider the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The deal was signed during South Korean President Park Geun-hyes three-day state visit to Tehran, during which the two countries signed 19 cooperation agreements after meetings between Park and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Kogas has made other inroads into Iranian gas since sanctions were lifted. Earlier, Kogas signed a basic agreement with the NIOC concerning the production and marketing of LNG.



Related: Why Irans Shale Oil Discovery Wont Add To The Glut

Following previous deals, the South Korean enterprise will also provide engineering services for the construction of two key gas pipelines for Iran: The Iran Gas Trunk-Line 7 (IGAT 7) and the Iran Gas Trunk-Line 9 (IGAT 9).

IGAT 7 will transport natural gas from Assaluyeh in southern Iranan energy hubto Hormozgan, Kerman and Sistan-Balochistan provinces in the countrys southeast. IGAT 9 will bring gas from Assuluyeh to Irans border with Turkey, from wheresignificantlyit can make its way to Europe and help reduce dependence on Russian gas.

By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com

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Tonight, at the annual James Beard Awards in Chicago, Paul Berglund of The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis was named best chef in the Midwest.

Some might consider this a loss for Milwaukee. After all, among the finalists for the award were Milwaukee's own Justin Carlisle, chef and owner of Ardent (a restaurant which was named semifinalist for the Nation's Best New Restaurant Award 2014 after being open only four months).

Disappointed, sure. But, Milwaukeeans needn't be distraught.

A win for Milwaukee

Although Carlisle didn't bring home the prize (this year), his contributions to our culinary scene are by no means lessened. In fact, his second and latest nomination  which follows closely on the heels of Justin Aprahamian's 2014 win  reflects an increasing respect for the chefs and dining in both Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

Its also a tribute to Carlisle's efforts  not only in the kitchen, but also in the public eye  as he works to advance the reputation of the city's fine dining scene. Most significantly, he has instigated collaborations with other nationally and internationally renowned chefs, who travel to Milwaukee to both share their knowledge and gain a first-hand look at the culinary innovation happening here.

These collaborative experiences offer Milwaukee diners an opportunity to both get to know Carlisles work more intimately, as well as to experience one-of-a-kind dining with chefs who rarely set foot in our city. In fact, forthcoming events include collaborations with Matthias Merges of Yusho in Chicago and James Knappett and Sandia Chang of Kitchen Table and Bubbledogs in London.

As Carlisle posted on Facebook earlier today: "Today I get to represent my home and one of the greatest cities  Milwaukee and my home state Wisconsin  at the James Beard Awards. Couldn't be more honored and happy to be able to promote and have people see how wonderful it is. No matter what happens tonight, we won and my Ardent family won. Thank you to everyone for the support. Here is to Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Now let's celebrate!"

Our James Beard history

Milwaukee has played a significant role in the storied history of the James Beard Awards, the first of which were granted in 1991.

Sanford DAmato, chef and owner of Sanford, blazed new territory when he broke into the New York scene and make a name for himself in New York, a city largely ruled by French-born chefs in the 1970s. Years later, after moving back to Milwaukee, he also made his mark as the first chef in Wisconsin to win the prestigious James Beard Award, which he did in 1996, earning the title of Best Chef in the Midwest.

And DAmato is not alone. Milwaukee chef Adam Siegel of the Bartolotta Restaurants has also won the Beard award. Bartolottas co-owner Paul Bartolotta, is also a James Beard Award winner and the only chef in the U.S. to have won the award in two separate regions, Best Midwest Chef in 1994 and Best Chef Southwest in 2009.

Justin Aprahamian, Milwaukees most recent Best Chef Midwest Award winner, was nominated four times before achieving his win in 2014. In 2015, he was among the chefs who cooked for the awards.

And the award winners are among the ranks of even more chefs who have been nominated for semi-finals over the years. That list includes names like David Swanson of Braise, Thomas Hauck of c.1880, Peggy Magister of Crazy Water, Jason Gorman of Dream Dance Steak (now Milwaukee Art Museum), Dan Van Rite of Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub (and now DanDan) and Jan Kelly of Meritage.

In addition to chef-based awards, restaurants like Watts Tea Shop and Three Brothers have brought home the prize for American Classics and Bryant's Cocktail Lounge was a 2013 semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program.

With all of this in mind, I propose a toast to this year's awards, and a big wish for our next win in 2017!
By David Swanson, American Herald Tribune

Here's a condensed version of Donald Trump's recent speech that I'm considering offering on gold-ish plating for $19.98:

Nationalism, World War II mythology, and militarism must go unquestioned. But when they've been used in the past 25 years the results have been disastrous. We're all ready now to admit that Iraq was a horror, and we can do that more comfortably by lumping it with the horrors of Libya and Syria, and by pretending that people in our government meant well. But U.S. militarism created ISIS.

Here's how we fix this. First, pretend that the most expensive military in the history of the world has been skimping and struggling, and blame that on the economy, rather than recognizing that the economy is staggering under the weight of the military machine. I'll fix the economy using magic, and that will fix the military.

Second, while I haven't explained how more or different spending could have transformed disastrous wars into successes, let's have future wars more heavily paid for by others. But I'm not really threatening to close bases or end NATO, because I'm all talk. In fact, let's just fuel a global arms race by requiring other countries to buy more weapons. That U.S. weapons are already the top supplier to so-called friend and foe alike, including ISIS, shouldn't worry you, because at least you won't have to hear that phony humanitarian in the White House calling ISIS "ISIL" anymore, and because I'm planning to use magic.

Third, if you think Hillary can tell whoppers and demonize Iran at Israel's bidding, wait till you see how fast I can fall in line. I can get so scared of Iranians that my hair blows off. In fact, I'll start a war to out-do the last dozen disastrous wars, including the Iraq war that I pretend I opposed, and I'll do it at the slightest slight to my honor as a noble duelling jackass in deep romantic love with the holy state of Israel which I may have spoken about with a slight tinge of honesty a month ago, but that was then.

Fourth, the North Koreans are coming to get us! And the Chinese! Let's ignore the fact that Obama is to all appearances trying to start World War III in the South China Sea while I'm yammering on, he is in fact weak! Weak!

Lastly, we need a plan for something different from endless counterproductive war, and I have no idea what such a thing might look like, so here's what I propose: more endless counterproductive war, with possible lapses as I fail to get countries to pay for their own bombings, and combined with a major increase in hatred and persecution of immigrants and minorities within the United States. As a result of this new approach, and magic, ISIS will cease to exist. So, trust me when I lie to you that military spending has been shrinking and leaving the U.S. behind other militaries. Elect me and, exactly as if you elected Hillary Clinton, you can expect every dime possible and more to be dumped into militarism.

It comes back to this: we must be more selfish, more jingoist, more nationalist, and -- if that's even possible -- more militarist than ever. We must treat all of this sh*t as if it were a new idea that I just had. And yet I will hold out a tiny olive branch of hope that I might actually risk nuclear apocalypse a teensy bit less than Hillary, since I'm willing to talk about the slight possibility of peace with Russia. If Russia does what I want!

The key word is slight. I once talked about ending NATO, and now I've been so brought into line that I'm talking about inventing some new purpose for NATO to exist. Don't feel too sorry for whatever poor country becomes that purpose -- perhaps I'll just keep it as Afghanistan, a place I haven't even mentioned in this speech. Or perhaps I'll just keep it Russia.

But I'll drop all the Clintonian pretenses of humanitarian murder and respect for, while violating, the rule of law. So, at least with me, the summer peace activists and partisan sunshine war opponents will act as if they oppose wars again. How much of a difference will such a movement make in a nation with its leadership demanding fascistic hatred and greed? Probably not much. Perhaps a bit more if it were to get a head start by opposing Obama's seven existing wars now. Of course, Democrats won't do that. So, I'm not worried. Believe me.
If the bombing occurs when the bombs that have been dropped from U.S. airplanes explode, then the United States just bombed Germany and has been bombing Germany every year for over 70 years.

There are still over 100,000 yet-to-explode U.S. and British bombs from World War II lying hidden in the ground in Germany. Notes the Smithsonian Magazine:

"Before any construction project begins in Germany, from the extension of a home to track-laying by the national railroad authority, the ground must be certified as cleared of unexploded ordnance. Still, last May, some 20,000 people were cleared from an area of Cologne while authorities removed a one-ton bomb that had been discovered during construction work. In November 2013, another 20,000 people in Dortmund were evacuated while experts defused a 4,000-pound 'Blockbuster' bomb that could destroy most of a city block. In 2011, 45,000 people--the largest evacuation in Germany since World War II--were forced to leave their homes when a drought revealed a similar device lying on the bed of the Rhine in the middle of Koblenz. Although the country has been at peace for three generations, German bomb-disposal squads are among the busiest in the world. Eleven bomb technicians have been killed in Germany since 2000, including three who died in a single explosion while trying to defuse a 1,000-pound bomb on the site of a popular flea market in Gottingen in 2010."

A new film called The Bomb Hunters focuses on the town of Oranienburg, where a huge concentration of bombs keeps up a constant menace. In particular the film focuses on one man whose house blew up in 2013. He lost everything. Oranienburg, now known as the city of bombs, was a center of nuclear research that the U.S. government did not want the advancing Soviets to acquire. At least that's one reason offered for the massive bombing of Oranienburg. Rather than possibly speed up the Soviet acquisition of nukes by a handful of years, Oranienburg had to be rained on with blankets of enormous bombs -- to explode for decades to come.

They weren't just bombs. They were delayed-fuse bombs, all of them. Delayed-fuse bombs were usually included along with non-delaying bombs in order to terrorize a population further and hinder humanitarian rescue operations after a bombing, similar to how cluster bombs have been used in recent U.S. wars to extend the terrorizing of a population by blowing up children for months to come, and similar to "double taps" in the business of drone murder -- the first missile or "tap" to kill, the second to kill any rescuer bringing aid. Delayed-fuse bombs go off some hours or days after landing, but only if they land the right way up. Otherwise they can go off some hours or days or weeks or months or years or decades or god-knows-when later. Presumably this was understood at the time and intended. So, that intention perhaps adds to the logic of my headline above. Perhaps the United States didn't just intend to bomb Germany, but it intended 70 years ago to bomb Germany this year.

A bomb or two goes off every year, but the greatest concentration is in Oranienburg where thousands and thousands of bombs were dropped. The town has been making a concerted effort to find and eliminate the bombs. Hundreds may remain. When bombs are found, neighborhoods are evacuated. The bomb is disabled, or it is detonated. Even during the search for bombs, the government must damage houses as it drills test holes into the ground at evenly spaced intervals. Sometimes the government even tears down a house in order to conduct the search for bombs beneath it.

A U.S. pilot involved in this madness way back when says in the film that he thought about those under the bombs, but believed the war to be for the salvation of humanity, thus justifying anything. Now, he says, he can see no justification for war.

Also in the film, a U.S. veteran writes to the Mayor of Oranienburg and sends $100 to apologize. But the Mayor says there's nothing to be sorry for, that the United States was only doing what it had to. Well, thanks for the codependency, Mr. Mayor. I'd love to get you on a talk show with Kurt Vonnegut's ghost. Seriously, Germany's guilt is immensely admirable and worthy of emulation in the guilt-free United States, which grotesquely imagines itself forever sinless. But these two extremes build on each other in a toxic relationship.

When imagining that you've justified a war involves imagining that you've thereby justified any and every atrocity in that war, the results are things like nuclear bombings and bombings so intense that a country remains covered with unexploded bombs at a time when almost nobody involved in the war is alive anymore. Germany should strengthen its peace-identity by shaking off its guilt-ridden subservience to the United States and putting an end to U.S. warmaking from bases on German soil. It should ask the U.S. military to get out and to take all of its bombs with it.
This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

[Note for TomDispatch Readers: The newest Dispatch Book, Nick Turse's riveting reportorial trip into a war-crimes zone, Next Time They'll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan, is now officially out. I can't tell you how proud I am that we're publishing such a personal and unsettling work. It's powerful and -- believe me -- unforgettable. Noam Chomsky writes of it: "A vivid, gripping account of inhuman cruelty, laced with rays of hope and courage and dignity amidst the horrors." Adam Hochschild calls it "searing reporting." I simply call it moving and horrifying. As always, with Nick's books, for a contribution of $100 or more ($125 if you live outside the U.S.), you can get a signed, personalized copy and in the process help ensure that more Dispatch Books appear in the world. Check our donation page for the details. Above all, I urge every TomDispatch reader to buy a copy, if not for yourself, then for someone else (maybe that college student you know who might someday be the next great investigative reporter). Help make the latest Dispatch Book a genuine success.

With that in mind, I've asked Haymarket Books, the fantastic publisher of our imprint, to offer TD readers a discount on it. Here's all you have to do: click on this link, which will take you to the Haymarket website. Then click "add to cart," select the number of books you want, and click on "checkout." After you've filled out your shipping and billing information, you will be asked to enter a "coupon code." To purchase one book, enter TURSE25 and you'll get 25% off the cover price; for five or more books, enter TURSE40 and you'll get 40% off. Tom]

Every now and then, I teach a class to young would-be journalists and one of the first things I talk about is why I consider writing an act of generosity. As they are usually just beginning to stretch their writerly wings, their task, as I see it, is to enter the world we're already in (it's generally the only place they can afford to go) and somehow decode it for us, make us see it in a new way. And who can deny that doing so is indeed an act of generosity? But for the foreign correspondent, especially in war zones, the generosity lies in the very act of entering a world filled with dangers, a world that the rest of us might not be capable of entering, or for that matter brave enough to enter, and somehow bringing us along with them.

I thought about this recently when I had in my hands the first copy of Nick Turse's new Dispatch Book, Next Time They'll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan, and flipped it open to its memorable initial paragraph, one I already new well, and began to read it all over again:

"Their voices, sharp and angry, shook me from my slumber. I didn't know the language but I instantly knew the translation. So I groped for the opening in the mosquito net, shuffled from my downy white bed to the window, threw back the stained tan curtain, and squinted into the light of a new day breaking in South Sudan. Below, in front of my guest house, one man was getting his ass kicked by another. A flurry of blows connected with his face and suddenly he was on the ground. Three or four men were watching."

Nick, TomDispatch's managing editor and a superb historian as well as reporter, spent years in a war-crimes zone of the past to produce his award-winning book, Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam. It was a harrowing historical journey for which he traveled to small villages on the back roads of Vietnam to talk to those who had experienced horrific crimes decades earlier. In 2015, however, on his second trip to South Sudan, a country the U.S. helped bring into existence, he found himself in an almost unimaginable place where the same kinds of war crimes were being committed right then and there in a commonplace way, where violence was the coin of the realm, and horrors of various sorts were almost guaranteed to be around the next corner. In his new book, he brings us with him into such a world in a way that is deeply memorable. Ann Jones, author of They Were Soldiers, calls him "the wandering scribe of war crimes." And she adds, "Reading Turse will turn your view of war upside down... There's no glory here in Turse's pages, but the clear voices of people caught up in this fruitless cruelty, speaking for themselves."

Next Time They'll Come to Count the Dead is, I think, the definition of an act of generosity. Nick has just returned from his latest trip to South Sudan and today's post gives you a sense of the ongoing brutalities and incongruities of life there (and here as well). Tom

Donald Trump in South Sudan

What Trumps the Horrors of a Hellscape? The Donald!

By Nick Turse LEER, South Sudan -- I'm sitting in the dark, sweating. The blinding white sun has long since set, but it's still in the high 90s, which is a relief since it was above 110 earlier. Slumped in a blue plastic chair, I'm thinking back on the day, trying to process everything I saw, the people I spoke with: the woman whose home was burned down, the woman whose teenage daughter was shot and killed, the woman with 10 mouths to feed and no money, the glassy-eyed soldier with the AK-47. Then there were the scorched ruins: the wrecked houses, the traditional wattle-and-daub tukuls without roofs, the spectral footprints of homes set aflame by armed raiders who swept through in successive waves, the remnants of a town that has ceased to exist. And, of course, there were the human remains: a field of scattered skulls and femurs and ribs and pelvises and spinal columns. And I'm sitting here -- spent, sweaty, stinking -- trying to make sense of it all about 10 feet from a sandbagged bunker I'm supposed to jump into if the shooting starts again. "It's one of the worse places in the world," someone had assured me before I left South Sudan's capital, Juba, for this hellscape of burnt-out buildings and unburied bones that goes by the name of Leer. A lantern on a nearby table casts a dim glow on an approaching aid worker, an African with a deep knowledge of this place. He's come to fetch his dinner. I'm hoping to corral him and pick his brain about the men who torched this town, burned people alive, beat and murdered civilians, abducted, raped, and enslaved women and children, looted and pillaged and stole. Before I can say a word, he beats me to the punch with his own set of rapid-fire questions: "This man called Trump -- what's going on with him? Who's voting for him? Are you voting for him?" He then proceeds to tell me everything he's heard about the Republican frontrunner -- how Trump is tarnishing America's global image, how he can't believe the things Trump says about women and immigrants. Here, where catastrophic food insecurity may tip into starvation at any time, where armed men still arrive in the night to steal and rape. ("They could come any night. You might even hear them tonight. You'll hear the women screaming," another aid worker told me earlier in the day.) Here, where horrors abound, this man wants -- seemingly needs -- to know if Donald Trump could actually be elected president of the United States. "I'm really afraid," he says of the prospect without a hint of irony.

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by Dan Lucas

A recent report on the Status of Oregon Marijuana Programs from the State of Oregons Legislative Fiscal Office contained this interesting note There are currently 24 states plus the District of Columbia that have legalized medical marijuana.

The report also notes As of November 2014, Oregon became one of 4 states (as of the time of this writing), plus the District of Columbia, that have legalized recreational marijuana.

I have put the word legalized in italics because those states cant actually legalize marijuana. Marijuana is still very much illegal in the U.S.

Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level  illegal for states to regulate

Last September, the Washington Post reported Marijuana, of course, remains illegal under federal law.

As Ive noted before Even though marijuana use will be legal at the state level [in Oregon], it remains illegal at the federal level per the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. At the federal level, marijuana is still a Schedule I drug, along with drugs like heroin and LSD. Anyone growing, selling or possessing marijuana is still committing a federal crime punishable by at least up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

A year ago, I also noted According to the Thomson Reuters legal website FindLaw: State legislatures must create drug laws that are in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act. This means that the state drug laws may be more narrow than federal drug laws, but may not override them or be in conflict with them. The Huffington Post reported in 2013, states regulation of marijuana is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act. Regardless, Oregon, along with a number of other states, has created drug laws that conflict with federal law with regard to marijuana.

USA Today reported in March of last year federal law makes no distinction between medical and recreational marijuana  its all illegal.

In Colorado, where marijuana has also been legalized at the state level, the state solicitor general has acknowledged, No one contends that Colorado law trumps the federal marijuana ban or immunizes anyone from federal prosecution.

New president may choose to enforce federal drug laws

As I stated a year ago The current administration in Washington, D.C., has determined that they will not make enforcing existing federal drug laws a priority in the case of marijuana. In August 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice sent out the Cole memo as guidance on how it would prioritize enforcement of federal marijuana drug laws.

And just because theyre not making it a priority doesnt mean theyre not still enforcing federal drug laws relating to marijuana in some cases.

But what if the next president decides to start fully following federal law?

What if Republican candidate Donald Trump wins and then chooses to repay NJ Gov. Chris Christies endorsement of him by making former federal prosecutor Christie the new U.S. Attorney General? Christie has already said that hed return to prosecuting in states with legalized marijuana.

What if Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton wins and makes anti-marijuana activist and former congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) the new U.S. Attorney General? Kennedys uncle Robert F. Kennedy was the U.S. Attorney General in the 1960s under another uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

While Clinton has said she supports reclassifying marijuana from schedule 1 to schedule 2, that would still keep it illegal at the federal level  in the same category as cocaine or methamphetamine.

In addition to resuming prosecution of individuals, could a new U.S. Attorney General also begin prosecuting state officials who are supporting legalized marijuana in violation of federal law? Oregons state Attorney General, Ellen Rosenblum, was elected with the help of hundreds of thousands of dollars of marijuana lobby money.

Since states regulation of marijuana is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, could a new administration in Washington D.C. begin prosecuting Oregon officials at the Oregon Health Authority who regulate medical marijuana? How about other Oregon officials (OLCC?) or even Oregon legislators who have regulated marijuana?

To read more from Dan, visit www.dan-lucas.com

UPDATE (Jun 2016)  Last year, federal prosecutors charged 2,349 people with marijuana possession in the US  its still a federal crime
Pakistan and India had agreed on a no-war treaty: India former External Affairs secretary

NEW DELHI  Indias former External Affairs secretary Maharaja Krishna (MR) Rasgotra revealed that Pakistan and India had agreed on a peace and no-war treaty and were on the verge of signing it in July 1984 before President Zia-ul-Haq, who had even dismissed any need to discuss Jammu Kashmir, backtracked on advice of American lawmakers.



In his autobiography  ALife in Diplomacy, Rasgotra recalls then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was leaving on a visit to the US, gave him a free hand ahead of his visit to Islamabad. You know it all and you can talk to them about any subject they want to talk about, including Kashmir and the no war pact they are so keen about, he quoted Indira as saying.



She (Indira) only wanted to know if there is a grain of sincerity in General Zia, said Rasgotra, who served as the secretary since 1982 to 1985. The former secretary called on him (Zia) at the Presidents House in Islamabad, President Zia, with the humility and charm he was known for, was standing in the verandah close to where he would get out of the car and welcomed him with a big hug.



He claimed that during the talks, to Indias willingness to talk about Jammu Kashmir, Zias response was noteworthy. RasgotraSahib, what is there to talk about Kashmir? You have Kashmir and we cannot take it. I want you and (then foreign affairs secretary) NiazNaik to work on a treaty of peace and good neighbourliness including a no war pact, he quoted the then Pakistani president as saying.



He said that progress was made in discussions on the agreement, to the extent that in March 1984, Niaz Naik himself proposed that the Indian draft of a treaty of peace and friendship and Pakistan's draft of a 'no war pact' should be merged. By May 1984, there was full agreement on all the six or seven clauses in the draft treatys preamble and also on nine out of the 11 articles of the treaty's operative part, and both the sides reached agreement on these two too.



Accordingly,Naik announced in the final plenary meeting of the two delegations that on clauses IV and V, he and I had reached an understanding to which he would obtain the presidents approval on his return from the UAE and we would all meet in Delhi in July to initial or sign the treaty.But the July meeting never took place."According to Rasgotra, there were two reasons why Zia changed his mind  andthe primary one was the advice of his American well-wishers.



While awaiting the presidents return from the UAE, Naik had telegraphed the text to (then) Foreign Affairs Minister Sahabzada Yaqub Ali Khan who was on a visit in Washington DC. Yaqub shared the text with his friends in Senates Foreign Relations Committee and in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, who strongly advised him against signing a treaty of that kind with India, he wrote.



Rasgotra says he learnt of this from a congressman friend of his, from his earlier stints in the US, and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee "asking me why we were coercing Pakistan into signing an anti-American treaty!"The other reason was India's current troubles in Punjab in which Zia-ulHaq saw an opportunity to weaken India by supporting a violent secessionist campaign by Sikh community lead by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, he said.



On Zia himself, Rasgotra said that he reported to Prime Minister Indira after his first visit and meeting that he had seemed anxious to win India's goodwill, I had my doubts about his sincerity, he said. Ina report of his meeting with (another) then president Pervez Musharraf in 2000 (attached as an appendix to this book), said that this ruler was shrewd, and perhaps also not without cunning but he was not wily like Gen Zia.



Nor does he (Musharraf) possess the bluff exuberance of Gen Ayub Khan, he said. On his recommendations, he said that his gut impression was that Pakistan will give up sponsorship of violence only when India can demonstrate, in actual deeds, that we can hurt them in (Azad) Jammu Kashmir the same way they are hurting us in our side of the disputed state.
This graphic illustrates an engineered nitrogen vacancy in aluminum nitride. Credit: H.Seo, M.Govoni and G.Galli, University of Chicago

Quantum computers have the potential to break common cryptography techniques, search huge datasets and simulate quantum systems in a fraction of the time it would take today's computers. But before this can happen, engineers need to be able to harness the properties of quantum bits or qubits.

Currently, one of the leading methods for creating qubits in materials involves exploiting the structural atomic defects in diamond. But several researchers at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory believe that if an analogue defect could be engineered into a less expensive material, the cost of manufacturing quantum technologies could be significantly reduced. Using supercomputers at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), which is located at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), these researchers have identified a possible candidate in aluminum nitride. Their findings were published in Nature Scientific Reports.

"Silicon semiconductors are reaching their physical limitsit'll probably happen within the next five to 10 yearsbut if we can implement qubits into semiconductors, we will be able to move beyond silicon," says Hosung Seo, University of Chicago Postdoctoral Researcher and a first author of the paper.

"Our community has been looking at diamond for some time, but it is interesting to study a less expensive material; our motivation is to find a practical and affordable replacement for silicon in semiconductors. Aluminum nitride is a perfect candidate because it is much cheaper than diamond and there are a number of technologies that can be developed starting from aluminum nitride wafers," says Marco Govoni, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory. He is also a co-author of the paper.

In addition to Seo and Govoni, Giulia Galli is also a co-author on the paper. Galli is Liew Family Professor in Electronic Structure and Simulations at the University of Chicago's Institute for Molecular Engineering.

The Strange World of Quantum Bits

Quantum mechanics describes the laws of nature on the scale of individual atoms, nuclei and electrons. At the quantum scale, physics gets strange. Take for example quantum entanglement: this occurs when pairs or groups of particles interact in such a way that the state of each particle cannot be described individually, instead the state must be described for the system as a whole. In other words, entangled particles act as a unit.

Another peculiar phenomenon of quantum mechanics is superposition, which occurs when two quantum states are added together to make another valid quantum state. So whereas a conventional computer bit encodes information as either zero or one, a qubit can be zero, one, or superposition of states (both zero and one at the same time). And, if these qubits could be linked or entangled in a quantum computer, problems that cannot be solved today with conventional computers could be tackled.

Today, one of the most promising solid-state qubits is created when a nitrogen atom occupies a place near a vacant site in a diamond's carbon lattice; this defect is called a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. The presence of nitrogen is actually what gives the diamond its yellowish tint.

Using NERSC's Edison supercomputer, the researchers found that by applying strain to aluminum nitride, one could create structural defects that may be harnessed as qubits similar to the one seen in diamond. Their calculations were performed using different levels of theory and the WEST code developed at the University of Chicago by Govoni, Galli and other researchers in Galli group.

"The WEST code allowed us to accurately predict the position of the defect levels in the band-gap of semiconductors," says Seo. "Ideally, we want to have defect levels in the middle of the band-gap of materials because this means that that the defect's electronic structure is well isolated from that of the host material. This is important for the qubit's stability, to avoid de-coherence"

"We couldn't have done this work without NERSC resources. In order to simulate these quantum defects you also need to accurately simulate the surrounding environmentthis requires a lot of computational power," says Govoni. "Basically you have a lot of atoms and a lot of electrons, and then in the middle of your simulation there is a defect which is the one you want to focus on, but it interacts with all the rest."

The next step for Seo, Govoni and Galli is to work with experimentalists to see if their theoretical predictions can be confirmed in a laboratory.

Explore further Feedback technique used on diamond 'qubits' could make quantum computing more practical

More information: Hosung Seo et al. Design of defect spins in piezoelectric aluminum nitride for solid-state hybrid quantum technologies, Scientific Reports (2016). DOI: 10.1038/srep20803 , Journal information: Scientific Reports Hosung Seo et al. Design of defect spins in piezoelectric aluminum nitride for solid-state hybrid quantum technologies,(2016). DOI: 10.1038/srep20803 , www.nature.com/articles/srep20803
Michael Douglas (left) and Marlis Douglas hold a rattlesnake skin in their lab at the University of Arkansas.

A combination of drought and fire has put the Arizona black rattlesnake on an "extinction trajectory," according to University of Arkansas researchers.

The research team, led by U of A biologists Marlis Douglas and Michael Douglas, published its findings in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

The researchers recommend that the rattlesnake be designated as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act. This would allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop regulatory protections adjusted to the needs of the species.

The Arizona black rattlesnake is found at higher elevations in Arizona and western New Mexico. The researchers collected DNA from 118 specimens of the rattlesnake and analyzed its genetic structure. They found both a shrinking population and a reduction in its movement across an already limited range.

"Wildfire, which is occurring more frequently due to drought in western North America, has greatly reduced the forest habitat within which this snake lives," said Michael Douglas, professor of biological sciences and Twenty-First Century Chair in Global Change Biology.

The forested area of the Colorado Plateau has shrunk by 27 percent in the last 13 years. The researchers recommend that the plateau should be promoted as an example of ecosystem vulnerability.

"The rattlesnake is an apex predator so if it isn't doing well it is often an indication that other levels of the ecosystem are not doing well either," said Marlis Douglas, associate professor of biological sciences and Bruker Chair of Life Sciences.

Explore further Biologists identify six new unique species of the western rattlesnake

More information: M. R. Douglas et al. Anthropogenic impacts drive niche and conservation metrics of a cryptic rattlesnake on the Colorado Plateau of western North America, Royal Society Open Science (2016). Journal information: Royal Society Open Science M. R. Douglas et al. Anthropogenic impacts drive niche and conservation metrics of a cryptic rattlesnake on the Colorado Plateau of western North America,(2016). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160047
Top: Aspartic acid molecules embedded in a crystalline lattice. Middle: A dislocation in the crystal, represented by the black line, gets hung up on the molecules. Bottom: The dislocation cuts one of the molecules. The strength of a covalent bond in the molecule ultimately determines the hardness of the crystal. Credit: Nicole Wiles

No self-respecting construction engineer would ever choose pure calcite  a weak, brittle mineral found in chalk  as a building material.

But what if you could somehow strengthen calcite by a factor of two or more, the way a mollusk has done through the evolutionary process to protect itself from sharp-toothed predators?

Well, you still might not choose hardened calcite to build your home, but it might have other applications that, by virtue of its availability, could make it an attractive option for low-strength fabrication needs.

Cornell researchers, together with a team from the University of Leeds (U.K.), have jointly led an expansive, years-long international collaboration that has resulted in a paper detailing the ability to control and increase resistance to deformation in pure calcite through the introduction of amino acids.

The paper, "Tuning hardness in calcite by incorporation of amino acids," is published on May 2 in Nature Materials.

"Why is it that a mollusk at the bottom of the ocean can make a single crystal of calcite that's solidly twice as hard as a naturally occurring, pure geologic calcite?" asked Shefford Baker, Cornell associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

That was the question he and colleague Lara Estroff, also an associate professor of materials science and engineering and a member of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, had sought to answer through approximately six years of research.

Estroff and Baker worked with an international team. Fiona Meldrum and Yi-Yeoun Kim from Leeds co-led the study; additional collaborators included current Cornell graduate student Joseph Carloni and former grad student Miki Kunitake, both jointly advised by Estroff and Baker, and nine others from the United Kingdom and Israel.

"I don't think there's any way that all of these teams, having done their parts in isolation, could have come up with this paper," Baker said. "I don't think all the connections would have been understood."

The answer lies in aspartic acid (Asp) and glycine (Gly), amino acids that  when added in precise, controlled amounts  increased single-crystal calcite's hardness to values equivalent to biogenic calcite.

To create the model biominerals, the Meldrum group grew single-crystal calcite samples in a solution containing either Asp or Gly, the amount of amino acid present in the mineral dependent on the concentration of molecules in the solution.

"This was really a breakthrough," Estroff said, "to be able to have controlled and very well quantified amounts of amino acids within single crystals."

The structural characterization of these crystals required highly specialized techniques and the expertise of multiple researchers. Kirsty Penkman's group (University of York) precisely quantified the concentration of amino acids within the calcite crystals, and Melinda Duer's group (University of Cambridge) demonstrated that the molecules were distributed individually rather than in clumps.

In parallel, a group led by John Harding (University of Sheffield) conducted atomistic computer simulations to determine how the amino acid molecules were fit into the calcite lattice, and Kim, along with Boaz Pokroy (Technion) and researchers at the Diamond Light Source (U.K.), characterized the distortions the molecules induced in the calcite lattice.

Using this data, the Cornell team determined how far apart in nanometers the molecules were from each other. Then by comparing hardness measured by nanoindentation, they showed hardness was determined by the force needed to cut, or break, the covalent bonds within the amino acids.

The hardness of the model biominerals were the largest reported to date in man-made synthetic calcite and are consistent with those measured in naturally occurring biogenic calcites.

"This certainly opens up the door for us to think about how hard calcite could be made," Baker said. "Now that we're starting to understand the control mechanisms, the question is, could we make a system in which we go further than this?"

Explore further Microscopy reveals structure of calcite shells

More information: Yi-Yeoun Kim et al. Tuning hardness in calcite by incorporation of amino acids, Nature Materials (2016). Journal information: Nature Materials Yi-Yeoun Kim et al. Tuning hardness in calcite by incorporation of amino acids,(2016). DOI: 10.1038/nmat4631
In this April 17, 2005, file photo, the replica of the ship, the Endeavour, lies at anchor after it was removed from a sandbar in Botany Bay, Sydney. Researchers are set to announce on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 that they believe the original Endeavour is submerged somewhere in Rhode Island's Newport Harbor. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

Researchers believe they have found the ship that legendary explorer Captain James Cook used to sail to around the world submerged somewhere in Rhode Island's Newport Harbor.

The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, which is leading the search effort, said in a statement posted on its website that it is 80 to 100 percent sure that the remains of the HMS Endeavour is one of five sunken wrecks in the harbor.

Kathy Abbass, founder and executive director of the group, said on Tuesday she would not comment further until Wednesday, when she has scheduled a news conference in Providence to outline plans to confirm the wreck.

Cook used the Endeavour to claim Australia for the British during his historic 1768-71 voyage.

In 2014, the Australian National Maritime Museum signed an agreement to help the Rhode Island group find the lost vessel.

"To be able to find the last resting place of the Endeavour would truly be a nationally significant event, if not internationally," Kevin Sumption said at the time. Sumption is the director of the Australian museum, which features a replica of the Endeavour.

The roughly 100-foot vessel was part of a fleet of 13 ships that the British scuttled during the Revolutionary War in 1778 to blockade Newport Harbor. It had been listed in the records under a different name, the Lord Sandwich.

The Rhode Island group used documents in London to map and then analyze sites where the ship may be found in the harbor. It said remote sensing data suggests that the suspected Endeavour shipwreck may still exist.

Explore further French oceanographer Cousteau's iconic ship to sail again

 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
A satellite image shows the center of a developing Nor'easter off North Carolina's Outer Banks. Credit: NASA/NOAA Goes Project

A North Carolina State University study of middle schoolers found that concern about climate change was linked to whether students had a personal belief in human-caused climate change and how often they discussed the topic with family and friends  even those who disagreed.

Adolescence is a key time in forming environmental views, says Kathryn Stevenson, a postdoctoral researcher with NC State's College of Natural Resources and lead author of the study in Environmental Education Research.

"Kids in middle school can understand climate change science but they haven't developed strong political ideologies yet, so they aren't polarized in the same way adults are," says Stevenson, a former North Carolina science teacher. "We wanted to identify factors that influence how kids think about climate change and the relative importance of each factor."

Studies of adults show a link between climate change concern and willingness to take action individually or as a group, Stevenson says. "Adolescents will reach adulthood as the brunt of climate change impacts arrive, so their willingness to support ways to adapt to and mitigate climate change will matter."

Researchers surveyed more than 400 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade from 24 middle school classrooms in coastal North Carolina.

The strongest factor predicting climate change concern was a personal belief in human-caused climate change.

A second strong predictor of climate change concern was how frequently students discussed the topic with friends and family.

"Talking about climate change with a peer or family member made a difference," Stevenson says. "Surprisingly, it was the number of conversations that mattered, not whether the friend or family member shared the same view as the student.

"It's possible that families who talk about climate change are more likely to seek out information. It may be that discussing the issue in and of itself builds concern about climate change among adolescents."

Students' perceptions of how friends and family members viewed climate change also predicted whether students had climate change concern, but the relationship was not as strong as that of personal beliefs and frequent discussions.

The study found a higher level of climate change concern among female students. Results mirror previous studies that show adult women are more likely to be concerned about climate change than men and to have more pro-environmental attitudes, Stevenson said.

Explore further What makes us care about climate change?

More information: Kathryn T. Stevenson et al. The influence of personal beliefs, friends, and family in building climate change concern among adolescents, Environmental Education Research (2016). Kathryn T. Stevenson et al. The influence of personal beliefs, friends, and family in building climate change concern among adolescents,(2016). DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2016.1177712
This graphic illustrates where Mars mineral-mapping from orbit has detected a few minerals -- sulfates (blue) and iron oxides (pink) -- that can indicate where a volcano erupted beneath an ice sheet. The site is far from any ice sheet on modern Mars, in oddly textured terrain where the shapes of flat-topped mountains had previously been recognized as a possible result of ancient subglacial volcanism. Researchers used the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) to check surface composition in the area, and their findings strengthen the evidence for volcanic eruptions that burst through a cover of ice. These mountains are in a region called Sisyphi Montes. In this graphic, the base image shows a portion of the region about 130 miles (230 kilometers) across, centered at 17.73 degrees east longitude, 63.46 degrees south latitude. Red outlines indicate possible subglacial volcanic structures. CRISM data are presented in the overlay box at upper right, with an indication of the ground area covered by this CRISM observation. The color key at upper left shows how the spectrometer data correspond to presence of sulfates and iron oxide minerals, which are characteristic of subglacial volcanism sites on Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/JHUAPL/ASU

Volcanoes erupted beneath an ice sheet on Mars billions of years ago, far from any ice sheet on the Red Planet today, new evidence from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter suggests.

The research about these volcanoes helps show there was extensive ice on ancient Mars. It also adds information about an environment combining heat and moisture, which could have provided favorable conditions for microbial life.

Sheridan Ackiss of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, and collaborators used the orbiter's mineral-mapping spectrometer to investigate surface composition in an oddly textured region of southern Mars called "Sisyphi Montes." The region is studded with flat-topped mountains. Other researchers previously noted these domes' similarity in shape to volcanoes on Earth that erupted underneath ice.

"Rocks tell stories. Studying the rocks can show how the volcano formed or how it was changed over time," Ackiss said. "I wanted to learn what story the rocks on these volcanoes were telling."

When a volcano begins erupting beneath a sheet of ice on Earth, the rapidly generated steam typically leads to explosions that punch through the ice and propel ash high into the sky. For example, the 2010 eruption of ice-covered Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland lofted ash that disrupted air travel across Europe for about a week.

Characteristic minerals resulting from such subglacial volcanism on Earth include zeolites, sulfates and clays. Those are just what the new research has detected at some flat-topped mountains in the Sisyphi Montes region examined with the spacecraft's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), providing resolution of about 60 feet (18 meters) per pixel.

"We wouldn't have been able to do this without the high resolution of CRISM," Ackiss said.

The Sisyphi Montes region extends from about 55 degrees to 75 degrees south latitude. Some of the sites that have shapes and compositions consistent with volcanic eruptions beneath an ice sheet are about 1,000 miles (about 1,600 kilometers) from the current south polar ice cap of Mars. The cap now has a diameter of about 220 miles (about 350 kilometers).

Explore further Farming water on Mars
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds talks with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa, Dec 2, 2015. [Photo by Ma Zhancheng/Xinhua]

South Africa greatly values its comprehensive strategic partnership with China in its quest to achieve the dream of a prosperous society, said Dolana Msimang, South Africa's ambassador to China.

Msimang spoke at Friday's celebration of her country's 22nd Freedom Day. The event is observed annually to celebrate freedom and democracy and also to commemorate the first post-apartheid elections, which were held on April 27, 1994.

Msimang says that South Africa has achieved great progress in all aspects of society in the past few decades. According to the Open Budget Index 2015, South Africa has the third most transparent budget in the world. South African Tax Revenue has increased from 100 billion rand in 1994 to over 1 trillion rand for the 2015 tax year. The South African stock market is ranked second in terms of regulation in the 2015-2016 Global Competitive Report. South Africa is now one of the world's top 10 countries harnessing renewable energy from the sun.

She says that in the 18 years of diplomatic relations, China and South Africa's friendship and collaboration have strengthened and deepened. South Africa and China engage bilaterally and through different multilateral forums, such as the United Nations, the G77, the G20, BASIC, FOCAC and BRICS.

In December 2015 President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to South Africa, during which 23 agreements to the value of 94 million rand were signed. This was followed by the 1st FOCAC summit to take place on African soil, the Johannesburg Summit, which was co-chaired by South Africa and China and attended by 48 African heads of State and government. The highlight of the summit was the pledge of $60 billion in financial support underpinning the 10 measures announced by Xi to address the bottleneck issues holding back Africa's development.

"As co-chair of FOCAC South Africa, we will continue to work closely with African countries and China on the implementation of the FOCAC declaration and action plan and ensure that they dovetail with our national plans, regional plans and the African Union's Agenda for Regional and Continental Integration and Development," she said.

"I am also happy to note that the success of our ever-increasing trade and investment, coupled with closer bilateral and multilateral co-operation with China, is increasingly anchored by our people to people relations," Msimang says.

She says that South Africa is home to more than 300,000 Chinese nationals and South Africans in China are continuing to make their presence felt, enlarging their footprint and finding a second home here. The 2015 student intake registered 2,148 South African students at universities across China, and she expects to see this number grow in the coming years. South Africa already has five Confucius Institutes, a growing Chinese business community and a Chinese media presence.

As the first female ambassador from South Africa to China, she says that she is very impressed by Chinese women's social status at the moment and what China has achieved in improving the rights of women. She says women should always be brave to expand the space that is given to them and make better improvements.
MMF Point-of-Sale Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mount Addresses ADA Concerns

Major retailers have recently faced litigation for alleged National Federation of the Blind and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) violations. Claims include inaccessible or unusable payment keypads for wheelchair users or visually impaired customers.

In most cases, the person with the disability often gives their payment card and PIN to the cashier or another shopper to complete the transaction. This also opens up opportunities for security breaches and fraud as customers relinquish control of their payment cards and PINs.

In response, MMF POS has launched a line of Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mounts for the most popular EMV-Ready payment terminals. The design has a unique adjustable arm that enables those in wheelchairs to complete payment transactions without relinquishing payment cards and PINs. The new mounts also have the standard Triple Security feature found in other MMF POS payment terminal stands, supporting PCI DSS v3.0-Requirement 9.9 compliance.

There is no requirement, as we understand it, which allows a business owner time to remedy claimed non-compliance, according to Anne Gray, Senior Product Manager for MMF POS. The plaintiffs attorney can choose to file a lawsuit at any time, which can include fines up to $75,000, added Gray.

This will be a growing concern as more litigation becomes public knowledge, said Larry Greenberg, Director of Sales and Marketing for MMF POS. According to Greenberg, With so much attention being paid to EMV adoption, this issue has yet to receive the attention it should. But its building. A prudent approach would be to tackle accessibility as part of EMV conversion, said Greenberg.

Unlike many payment terminal stands, which only tilt slightly, the MMF POS Wheelchair Accessible Payment Terminal Mount has additional positioning angles to accommodate those who use a wheelchair. Its arm also lowers up to 10 inches below standard counter height for easier wheelchair access. The smooth tilt and rotation provide continuous positioning adjustments as needed; from cashier to customer and back. This patent-pending design is truly unique.

Deploying the new mounts will help merchants better serve this customer base and avoid potential costly lawsuits related to wheelchair access. Note: Wheelchair Accessible Mounts help support ADA height guidelines but cannot completely ensure compliance as other aspects need to be considered.



Other Point of Sale blogs that may interest you:
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The group that is pushing for Warren County officials to look into whether a Legislature is the best form of government for the county is giving county supervisors an ultimatum: Take us seriously or we are headed to court.

Queensbury resident Travis Whitehead sent a letter to county Attorney Brian Reichenbach on Friday that included an analysis of the legal issues for a possible switch to a Legislature.

Whitehead said there is a group of about a half-dozen people who are ready to foot the bill for a legal challenge if it gets to that point. He said there is public support being shown for the move as well.

"It is our hope that you will recognize that if we are forced to put this in a legal format and file a federal lawsuit, that there is good reason to believe that the Courts will respond favorably to our arguments and ultimately issue an order for a reorganization," Whitehead wrote.

Pasted below is the position paper sent to Reichenbach. The next county Board of Supervisors meeting is May 20.

Here is a link to the last story on the board's action on the issue.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

It has long been held that the "one person-one vote" principle enunciated in Reynolds v. Sims (US Supreme Court 1964) is applicable to local legislative bodies as well as to State Legislatures. Prior to 1965 most of the 57 Counties outside of New York City were governed by Boards of Supervisors which almost overnight were forced to comply with the one person, one vote principle in the United States Constitution. While most Counties adopted a legislative districting system, the majority without being directed by a court order, 16 Counties continue to have a Board of Supervisors today with the equal protection issue purportedly satisfied due to weighting the votes of the Town Supervisors that makeup the Board in proportion to their share of the County population.

There is no shortage of case law from Federal and NY State Courts to reference in regards to both the preservation and the disqualification of Boards of Supervisors in New York Counties. The Courts have consistently affirmed the desirability of attaining a system based on legislative districts of equal population, but also have been averse to impose change upon systems that do not clearly violate the one person-one vote principle.

What is clear after reviewing case law is the Courts have ruled based on the individual circumstances of each particular county that has come before the courts. A few rural Counties that happen to have Towns that are similar in size will probably never be challenged. Others have added at-large Supervisors, some of which have been struck down for their efforts. Others are following weighted vote practice for only some meetings and not for others and been challenged for that practice. Warren County has adopted both of these modifications.

WARREN COUNTY

Warren County is comprised of 11 Towns and 1 city that vary widely in size. The largest town is Queensbury with a population of 27,901. The smallest town is Hague with a population of 699. There is a 40:1 ratio between the largest and smallest towns in Warren County that present challenges when trying to develop a weighted voting system.

Specifically, Queensbury makes up 42.5% of the county population. To prevent giving that much voting power to one Supervisor, Warren County has added 4 additional at large supervisors to Queensbury. The next largest municipality is the city of Glens Falls with 22.5% of the county population. Glens Falls has 5 Ward elected supervisors, but the Mayor of the city does not sit on the Board. The balance of the towns range from 1.1% - 6.2% of the population and each have one supervisor on the board.

This system originated in 1966 when Warren County adopted Local Law No. 2 which established a weighted vote. In those days Glens Falls accounted for 42% of the population and Queensbury had 22.5% of the population. Local Law No. 2 established 5 individuals would be elected by Ward in Glens Falls and Queensbury would add 2 at large representatives along with the Town Supervisor. The other 10 Towns would continue to be represented by their Town Supervisor. In 1971 an additional at large supervisor was added to Queensbury and another in 1981.

Since 1966 the County population has increased by about 50% and Queensburys population by nearly 100%. Queensburys population is still increasing. It was 22.5% of the population in 1960, 38.2% in 1990, 40.2% in 2000, and 42.5% in 2010. Geographically constrained, Glens Falls retains 5 representatives despite the fact that its population now represents only 22.5% of the County total. The relatively high rate of growth can probably be attributed to the opening of the Northway which directly connects Queensbury and Glens Falls to the State Capital, while the rest of the County remains rural in character. Warren Countys system of government has not been previously challenged in Court.

NASSAU COUNTY

Nassau County is comprised of 3 Towns and 2 Cities that vary in size with a 28:1 largest to smallest ratio. The largest Town is Hempstead at 56% of the population. Prior to 1994 it retained a weighted Board of Supervisors but as a result of Jackson v. Nassau Cty Bd. of Suprs (E.D.N.Y. 1993) reapportioned to equal population legislative districts.

DELAWARE COUNTY

Delaware County is comprised of 19 Towns that vary in size with only 9:1 ratio between the largest to smallest town. Each town is represented by the single Town Supervisor. There are no at large or Ward Supervisors. There are no cities with Mayors in Delaware County. The largest Town is Sidney at 12% of the population. Delaware County was allowed to keep their weighted Board of Supervisors after challenges were heard in Federal Court Delaware County. Roxbury Taxpayers Alliance v. Delaware County Board of Supervisors (N.D.N.Y.1995).

SCHOHARIE COUNTY

Schoharie County is comprised of 16 Towns that vary in size with a 14:1 ratio between the largest to smallest town. Each is represented by the single Supervisor of that town. There are no at large or Ward Supervisors. There are no cities with Mayors in Schoharie County. The largest Town is Cobleskill at 20% of the population. Schoharie County was allowed to keep their weighted Board of Supervisors after challenges were heard in Federal Court Reform of Schoharie Cty. v. Schoharie Cty Bd. of Suprs (N.D.N.Y. 1997).

ROCKLAND COUNTY

Rockland County is comprised of 5 Towns that vary in size 7:1 largest to smallest. There are 19 Villages and 16 Hamlets within these 5 towns. In 1971, after a NY Supreme Court appeal to an earlier NY Court decision, the larger Towns added 13 at large representatives to approximate weight of population with each carrying one vote. In 1997 a Federal lawsuit Abate v. Rockland County Legislature, (S.D.N.Y. 1997)was filed owing to inequities in the system that worsened over the years. The Court ruled in favor of the Plaintiffs leading to its current county legislature.

WARREN COUNTY: Efforts to date

In 2015, recognizing the large population disparity between the largest and smallest towns in Warren County which we feel is far closer to the situations in Nassau and Rockland Counties than between Delaware and Schoharie counties, a Petition of Redress was filed with Warren County which asked the Supervisors to consider alternate organizational systems based on a perceived violation of equal protection granted under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

We feel the time has come for Warren County to join the movement to instituting legislative districts of equal population and giving each legislator an equal vote as it is unfair to voters residing in both the large and the small Towns. As a final example of why we believe that the individual voter is unequally represented in the present system, representatives to the Board were elected this past year with as few as 118 votes to as many as 4,230 from their constituents, yet each representative in committee had the same voice. When looking at the weighted voting system for the Board of Supervisors the Queensbury Supervisor weighted vote was less than 3 times as great as the Glens Falls Supervisor despite the fact that 35 times as many people supported him. As we have attempted to raise these issues locally without success to a Board that is satisfied with its own existence, we ask the Courts to rule that a reorganization plan be submitted for its approval, after renewed discussions at the local level, and that the status quo is not acceptable.

While we do not ask the Court to choose an alternate form, we will present one possibility to show that reasonable alternatives do exist. We found a way to divide the County into 9 districts. Ideally that would require each district to contain 11.1% of the total population, but standard policy urges that the actual not deviate from the ideal by more than 10%. This would require all districts to fall within the range of 10% and 12.2%. It is also required that each district be either a subset of a Town or City, or contiguous areas. Ideally there are an integral number of smaller Towns that border each other where no new voting lines need be drawn. We are pleased to report that we can propose such a division.

District 1: Towns of Lake Luzerne, Stony Creek and Lake George with 11.6% of the population.

District 2: Towns of Hague, Horicon, Bolton and Chester with 11.8% of the population.

District 3: Towns of Warrensburg, Johnsburg, and Thurman with 11.7% of the population.

Districts 4 and 5 each half of Glens Falls, each being 11.2% of the County total.

Districts 6 to 9 each with one quarter of the population of Queensbury, each being 10.6% of the County total population.

Not only are all Towns contiguous, but all present voting boundaries are maintained as well, and the maximum deviation from the ideal population size is less than 5%.

Under the new arrangement all representatives will carry equal weight and represent equal numbers of constituents. There will be fewer representatives, more in keeping with other Counties, but the existing representatives will not be pleased with the prospects of losing personal power. We ask the Court to force consideration of plans that the existing Supervisors have refused to consider by considering the rights of the voters over and above the desires of their existing representatives.
FORT EDWARD  A Washington County grand jury has filed a 20-count indictment against a former state correction officer who police found to have numerous illegal guns and gun magazines in his Whitehall home.

The indictment against Joseph P. Webb, 35, includes 18 felony counts of criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of a weapon as well as lesser charges related to the seizure of 54 marijuana plants from his county Route 11 home.

The charges stem from a March 19 visit to his home by state troopers that was prompted by a call to 911 by relatives concerned about his mental health. Troopers seized more than a dozen firearms, including an illegal AR-15 assault rifle as well five handguns for which Webb did not have permits.

Twelve illegal high-capacity magazines for the guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were in the home as well, police said.

The indictment against Webb includes four felony counts of criminal possession of a firearm for four of the handguns, and criminal possession of a weapon for the AR-15. Twelve felonies pertain to the magazines, and a misdemeanor count of unlawful growing of cannabis was filed for the plants found growing in a room.

Police were sent to the home after relatives became concerned about the content of conversations with Webb. Police said he fought with responding officers, and an electronic stun gun was used to get him into custody. No injuries were reported.

Court records show that Webb was prescribed medication for an unspecified mental condition, but he had burned his medication as well as a Bible and claimed he was Jesus Christ.

He claimed to have magical powers, Jennalee Webb told police, according to court records.

Webb had worked as a state correction officer at Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Fort Ann for 11 years before leaving the department in April 2015 after he was fired by the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, according to the state agency.

Webb has pleaded not guilty and is free on bail pending further court action.

He is being represented by the Washington County Public Defenders Office, and Public Defender Michael Mercure had no comment on the case Tuesday.
GLENS FALLS | A Kingsbury man was arrested this week for illegally receiving workers' compensation benefits even though he was self-employed, authorities said.

James S. Scally Jr., 42, of Powhida Way, was charged with felony counts of grand larceny, workers' compensation fraudulent practices and falsifying business records after an investigation by the state Inspector General's Office, the agency said in a news release.

He was accused of receiving $2,536 in benefits after making a claim for an injury suffered while working at a home improvement store that was not identified, but did not notify the state Workers' Compensation Board that he was self-employed as a plumber. The plumbing income would have made him ineligible for workers' compensation.

Scally was arraigned in Glens Falls City Court and released pending prosecution. He was arrested by State Police.
BALLSTON SPA | A 64-year-old Moreau man who had sexual contact with a teen younger than the age of 17 last summer was sentenced to 10 years on probation.

John J. Ploof, of Route 9, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual act, a felony, in Saratoga County Court.

The charge was brought because he had sexual contact with a child who was too young to legally consent last August. The age of consent in New York is 17.

He was arrested after an investigation by State Police.

Ploof will have to register as a sex offender as part of his sentence.
LONG LAKE | A team from Long Lake Central School is heading to Lime Rock in Lakeville, Connecticut, on Friday to race its electric car in the spring Electrathon competition.

Students had to construct an electric car. Six students are participating  seniors Emily Porter, Maddy Penrose, juniors Ethan Bush and Austin Pierce, sophomore Calvin Seaman and freshman Chandler OBrien-Brown.

Four of them will drive the car in two race heats, while the other two serve as pit crew, according to a news release.

This is the teams fourth electric car and its design was built upon last years engineering students: Bush, Pierce, Seaman and Sienna Wood.

The teams adviser, Duane Finch, gave the students the task of designing the car with as few welds as possible, while still providing a safe and energy-efficient vehicle.

To prevent the tubing from collapsing rather than just bending, the students filled it with sand that they had made.
QUEENSBURY  It is a conflict of interest for the Warren County Board of Supervisors to determine the future of county government structure on its own, said Queensbury 3rd Ward Councilman Doug Irish.

The Town Board, by a 4-to-1 vote on Monday, approved a resolution Irish brought from the floor to recommend the county Board of Supervisors appoint a citizen advisory committee to recommend whether the county should replace the Board of Supervisors with a legislative form of government.

Supervisor John Strough, the only no vote, said the resolution was pointless because the Board of Supervisors had already rejected a similar resolution at the county level.

Id just rather see energy be put in to things that really make a difference, he said.

Irish said it is important for Queensbury, the municipality with the largest population in the county, to be on record.

Earlier in the meeting, a similar version of the resolution was rejected by a 3-2 vote.

First Ward Councilman Tony Metivier and 4th Ward Councilman William VanNess switched their votes from no to yes after Irish agreed to add language specifying the Board of Supervisors would appoint the committee members.

Metivier said he was concerned the committee would be made up primarily of residents who had already determined the county should change its government structure.

If you can add that language (specifying the Board of Supervisors would appoint the committee), I would be fine, Metivier said. But it has to have more clarity.

Irish and 2nd Ward Councilman Brian Clements, who voted yes on both versions of the resolution, said they dont necessarily support a change in county government structure, but feel an objective panel should research the options.

I think its something that needs to be studied, Clements said.

Clements said the committee also should recommend whether county board members  supervisors or legislators  should be subject to term limits.

The county Board of Supervisors voted in April to cease consideration of a change from the current system to a county legislature with an elected county executive.

The current board comprises supervisors from the 11 towns in the county plus four at-large supervisors from Queensbury and five supervisors representing Glens Falls, one from each of the citys voting wards.

The Board of Supervisors appoints the county administrator.

Under a legislative system, a yet-to-be determined number of legislators would be elected to represent legislative districts, and a county executive would be elected from the county at large.

Town supervisors would serve only at the town level and would not have a role in county government.

Supporters of a legislative system say county government officials would have more expertise if they could focus just on county issues, and the legislative structure would be more accountable to voters.

Irish said many residents feel the current system is unfair, because every board member has an equal vote at the committee level, regardless of the population of the municipality.

VanNess, the 4th Ward councilman, disputed the notion that Queensbury is not fairly represented at the committee level.

I dont know where you got your information from, but thats not the way it works, said VanNess, who previously was on the county board for eight years.

VanNess said county board matters pass through a series of committees, all of which have Queensbury representatives.

Even if a committee rejects a matter, Queensbury supervisors combined have almost enough weighted votes to force an issue to the floor at the full board meeting, said Strough, who spoke at length in support of retaining the Board of Supervisors structure.

Probably no one understands that towns needs and that towns issues better than a town supervisor, he said.

Irish said state legislators and members of Congress seem to be able to understand town issues by communicating with town supervisors.

Irish said the issue needs to be studied by an objective committee that does not have a stake in the decision.

Nobody wants to hear that their babys ugly, he said.

Irish and Strough also disputed at length a separate resolution Irish brought from the floor to endorse the Queensbury school board decision not to participate in a state tax exemption for solar energy projects.

Irish said the exemption shifts the tax burden to other property owners.

Strough, who disagrees with the school board decision, said developing solar energy systems helps the environment.

The board delayed voting on the resolution until a future meeting so Town Attorney Robert Hafner can research whether the exemption would have applied to residential solar energy units.

The disputes between Strough, a Democrat, and Irish, a Republican, come as officials are gearing up for town elections in 2017.

Strough has said he intends to run for re-election to a third two-year term.

Queensbury at-large Supervisor Rachel Seeber, a Republican, has said she is exploring a challenge to Strough for the town supervisor job.

Irish, a political ally of Seebers, said Tuesday the two resolutions he introduced from the floor, without advance notice, were not politically motivated.

Irish said he has not endorsed a candidate for supervisor.

I havent committed to doing anything for anybody, he said.
Katherine "Kay" Tomasi has been chosen as the recipient of the annual Liberty Bell Award given by the Washington County Bar Association for public service.

Tomasi was presented the award by retired Washington County Judge Philip Berke during a ceremony Monday at the Washington County Courthouse to celebrate Law Day.

State Supreme Court Justice Stan Pritzker said Tomasi's work in the restoration of the former Salem courthouse was particularly noteworthy. She has been involved with numerous community groups, including Washington County Historical Society, Daughters of the American Revolution and Salem Woman's Club.

"She has done so much for the town of Salem," Pritzker said. "She really is Mrs. Salem."

Also honored Monday was court attendant Gary Ackley, who worked as a Washington County sheriff's deputy and state court officer before transitioning to court attendant. He was given the James Murphy Award, named for the longtime court attendant who died in 2012.

Greenwich High School student Laurel Becker received the annual oratory award.

Law Day is an annual celebration of the legal system and the law.
Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether 

Read more
Kenneth Bae, who was born in South Korea and became an American citizen at the age of 16, felt a lifelong calling to help those in North Korea, known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). It was this calling that led to Baes arrest on November 3, 2012, when he accidentally brought an external computer hard drive into the DPRK and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Nearly two years after his release on November 8, 2014, Bae is opening up about his grueling experience in Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea (May, Thomas Nelson/W Publishing), co-written with Mark Tabb.

Baes story begins with a visit to North Korea in 2010 when he made a vow to become a blessing and a bridge to the nation. A year later, he moved to China and started a tour company that led excursions in and out of the neighboring DPRK. After 18 trips there, Bae was detained.

First it was the external hard drive, and then they realized I was a missionary, Bae told PW. They said I was the worst American criminal, the most dangerous [they] ever apprehended in North Korean history, [and they saw me] as the mastermind to a terrorist attack.

Bae said he was treated as a threat to the North Korean government because, as a Christian missionary, his message was that there is more to life than the nations system and ideology. While imprisoned, Bae endured hard labor, constant surveillance, and failing health. He was forced to answer to the name prisoner 103 and was told repeatedly that his country had forgotten him.

Obviously I was never in prison before, he said. To be called prisoner 103 was devastating, to see that Im actually locked in as a prisoner.

By interacting with his guards and nurses, and by watching television, Bae learned what life was like in North Korea.

Nightly I was forced to watch their TVup to six hours a dayand I saw how most people got information about the outside and about themselves through their own media, he said. It was mostly propagandatheir version of the truth about life.

Despite the odds against him, Bae maintained hope and purpose by remembering heroes of the Bible who were also held prisoner. Part of my email address has 103 in it as a daily reminder not to forget the time I was in North Korea, he said.

With help from organizations such as the U.S. State Department and church leaders around the world, Bae was released735 days after his arrest. Continuing his lifes calling, Bae hopes to reach readers with his story in Not Forgotten.

Through this book I want to highlight ordinary North Koreans daily lives so that people can have more understanding of what life is like there, to have more compassion for [their] isolated, forgotten lives, said Bae. The more we care, the more changes we can bring to North Koreans.

Further, the book does not alienate secular audiences, according to Bae. This message is not just for Christians, and its not only about North Korea; but about Gods faithfulness.
GE knows employees are its greatest asset, and the biggest contributors to company success.

To commemorate International Workers Day, below is a round-up of stories about GEs extensive skills development programmes in place throughout Africa.

Investing In Local Content in Nigeria, From The Ground Up

GE provided training to 14 engineers in Nigeria, training them to refurbish subsea wells and other technical engineering skills. Upon completion of the two-year programme, they were offered full-time positions at GE.

Skills Training For Engineers Helps Develop Mozambique

This story dives into detail about the graduates of GEs Graduate Engineering Training Programme (GETP) which took place in Mozambique. This programme educates engineers on specific, valuable skills such as thermal engineering and trains engineers with the goal of joining GEs Global Field Service Engineering team.

Tackling Ghanas Skills Shortage Head On

Ghana is one of Africas fastest growing economies. GE along with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and the Ashesi University signed a Memorandum of Understanding acknowledging that training of professionals in Ghana was a priority. Initiatives include setting up a scholarship for students studying engineering in the country.

Simple Tech Training Fuels LNG Sector in Angola

GE contributed to a donation of 11 computers to the MAPESS Vocational Training Centre in Soyo, Angola. These computers were donated to assist students with practical training for their electricity and welding courses, vital skills for the LNG industry. The Centre was built to educate Angolan students about the oil & gas industry, preparing them for jobs in one of Angolas biggest employment sectors.

Enriching Tanzania: Local Engineers Attend GE Oil & Gas University
The phenomenon, according to the Business Day, is encouraging a growing number of property companies from Dubai to see Ghana as their destination in targeting buyers across West Africa, especially Nigeria.

Dubai has long been the regional hub for the oil-rich Gulf States, but the ambitious city state is never one to rest on its laurels.

Some banks, such as Standard Chartered, have chosen to cover some business lines in sub-Saharan Africa from its regional headquarters at Dubai's financial centre.

Luring talent to the comfortable Dubai lifestyle is easier than some African postings, while reaching various outposts of the continent can be easier from the citys thriving airport than other hubs, such as Johannesburg and Nairobi.

As Chinese and Asian firms chose Dubai for their regional headquarters, often these businesses are not only targeting the Gulf, but looking to use the city as a launch pad into sub- Saharan Africa as well.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Joyce Bawa Mogtari, in the company of officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) and officials from the Ghana Embassy in that country called on the president to intervene in the matter.

The minister also reached an agreement with Burkinabe authorities to produce a blue print on the harmonisation of the transit trade between the two countries.

Ghana borders Burkina Faso to the north and is heavily dependent on its neighbor for agricultural products. Trade between the two nations has been ongoing since pre-colonial times.

Data from the Burkinabe Ministry of Commerce showed trade volumes between the two countries have been increasing over the years. This is mainly because of the proximity of Ghanas Upper East Region to Burkina Fasos South.

According to the data, Ghanas imports of grains, fruits and related products from Burkina Faso rose from about GH64.25 million (11.49 billion CFA) in 2011 to about GH82.63 million in 2012 (14.9 billion CFA). It further indicated that Burkina Fasos exports to Ghana were valued at GH129.12 million (23.3 billion CFA) in 2011 but rose to about GH170.2 million (30.72 billion CFA) in 2012 on the back of Ghanas increased importation of grains, vegetables and fruits, among others, that year.
Wonder went into the race without his running mate who was disqualified at the vetting committee, raising suspicion among his followers that the committee may have been compromised.

Backed by his political clout as a National Democratic Congress communications officer, Azourka prosecuted a lavish campaign, including hiring the Zulu community from Accra Polytechnic to cheer his campaign ahead of the elections and distributed customized T-shirts in a school with a population of about 1,500.

A week to the election, a third contended in the race dropped, a strategic decision students say may have helped Azourka win the election.

Azourka made sweeping promises such as buying a school bus to convey students to their destinations after lectures, changing the face of the lecture halls and promising to tackle the swelling fees of foreign students.

He went into the race as a good communicator who was very clear about the message he was pushing across.

He also got the backing of influential student activists.

Students Pulse.com.gh spoke to welcome his election but said they will hold him to his promises. Others said they expect nothing spectacular from him since the outgoing president did not deliver on most of his promises.
Seriously, I don't have a manager. Why should I have a manager after seeing it all in the movie industry? I have passed the stage of having a manager. From acting, directing and into producing... Yes, Im too big to have a manager In Ghana, we don't comprehend the work of a manager. The role of a manager is to get me roles, gigs etc. which Im able to do by myself so why get a manager? Hotfmonlinegh.com quoted him to have said.
The event which was organised by Twentyplus Group of Companies and Youth Web Ghana saw top young achievers who shared their experiences with young entrepreneurs who are eager to make a change and achieve success in their respective business careers.

The speakers who were present to empower over 70 people include Blogger, freelance journalist, TV /radio host, Monte Collins OZ, CEO of Youth Web Ghana, Richmond Amofa-Sarpong, CEO of Platinum Africa Solution, Derrick S. Vormawor, CEO of Axel Advertising, Allure Africa Group, photographer, Pharez Aouad, among others.

The annual Young Achievers Summit (Y.A.S) aims to inspire, empower and educate young adults to unleash their entrepreneurial potential. This event will continue to provide participants with the skills to setup their own business that grow and have a positive impact on society.

Young Achievers Summit 2016 was sponsored by Pulse.com.gh, WAGCOL (West Africa & Gulf Company LTD) , Top Bright Consultancy, Campuscrashtv and CampusPluzz.

Media partners include Connect TV, Smylesgh, Saybrakay, GhanaNdwom, Hypeoracle, 360 ConnectAfrica, EmpireRepublik, HyperActivegh, Cypressghana, BrandzAfrica RosseyMedia, Preshakrewgh, Ghkwaku, Campusbase TV, Sosocial Multimedia, Viva Ghana, Eventsghera, Ikez Multimedia, Talk Media Ghana, Maison de Modelesgh, Georgebrittongh and Tmghlive.
Kwame Anane Crane found out very early in life how dangerous fires can be, his mother suffered severe burns as a young girl.

On a recent visit to the Korle Bu Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, Crane was moved by the sheer number of people, especially children, who were in the same position as his mum, decades later.

Inspired to help already, Crane was further propelled to do something when thinking of the dozens of people who sustained various degrees of burns in the June 3 flood and fire disaster in Accra.

The result is the Burns Support Run, a 200 kilometre charity run from Aflao (on Ghanas border with Togo) to Accra.

After four months of training, the 35 year old father-of-one is spending 16 days running through several communities in southern Ghana, stopping over at schools and town centres with the aim of educating and raising the publics awareness of fire safety and burns prevention.

Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, director of the Burns Centre, says about 75 percent of all burns are preventable and so for Kwame, getting people to reflect on their own practices and thinking of ways they can be safer is a huge effort towards reducing the number of cases the country records.

When the Burns Centre was established 1997, outpatient department (OPD) cases were 1,656. Sixteen years later, 8,066 OPD cases with 79 deaths were recorded.

This was a 2.4 percent decrease from the 8,262 cases and 126 deaths recorded in 2012 according to Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals 2013 annual report.

A total of 662 deaths had been recorded by the Burns Centre alone since its inception. There are two other centres in Ghana; at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital and as such figures may be higher.

At the time of this interview, Kwame was in Tsokpoli, a town which is 32 kilometres away from Tema. Some of the major towns he has passed through since he began his journey on April 24 include Agbozume, Abor, Akatsi, Agbakofe, Sogakope, Ada and Sege.

The target of the run is to speak to at least 5,000 people about ways to prevent burns and the use of proper first aid. So far we are almost through to 4,000 people after week one of the challenge.

He has been to seven senior high schools and hopes that the message of burns prevention will be passed on by students when they go home to reach many more Ghanaians.

In Akatsi Secondary Technical School, over 1,000 students gathered around Kwame for an interactive session while at Ada Secondary School, he spoke in the rain, to over 650 basic school teachers. He says the keen interest the people have shown for his message has been really inspiring and has been keeping him going.

Some simple tips he has shared include keeping young children away from fire and hot liquids such as soup, water and porridge, ensuring that gas cylinders dont leak and putting out fires when they are not needed.

The highlight for Kwame has been the generosity and support he has enjoyed from ordinary people he has met along the way. Some people, including law enforcement officers have joined him for a few kilometres to express their support for this cause.

However, there have been some challenges on the way. Chief among them is what Kwame describes as the worst enemy: the heat.

It makes a kilometre feel like five. So we try to start the run much earlier in the morning. Unfortunately, the last two days have seen us battling temperatures of up to 31 degrees.

Another hindrance has been an injured left foot; the pain which Kwame says is indescribable. However it was not stopping him from completing the task. The focus remains the completion of this challenge and changing perceptions of safety and raising awareness of burns prevention.

He cites Kak Dees six day walk from Axim to Accra, to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghanas first president, as a major inspiration.

After his run, Kwame will return to work as Africa Regional development adviser for the British Foreign Office where his colleagues describe him as a social change activist.

He attended Accra Academy School and moved on to study, live and work in England and France. He has a son called Leo and has been living in Accra for just over a year. He describes himself as one that is driven by causes that change the human experience, however small and lives by the mantra; acta non verba; action not words.
Regarded as the most featured veteran Yoruba actress she said,

Nobody has ever asked me out, maybe I wasnt destined to have many toasters. But to be frank with you, there is no how you will be in that industry that such harassment wont surface but it depends on you as a person. Someone like me is now a big fish in that industry and there is nothing you can do again than to face your job and the well-being of your children."

When asked her opinion on why many Nollywood marriages are crashing almost everytime, she said, It is a bad thing to follow your colleagues steps to define your own life. If someone like me had tried that in the past, I wouldnt have gotten to where I am today, and I always advise them that we came to this world with different purposes.

Most of them want to belong, this is one of the reasons many marriages are crashing in the industry, may God change their mind for better so as to have a stable marriage. My fellow colleague has done this and I must do my own at all cost, do you know where he/she got the money? As a result, they involve themselves in things they are not meant to do which will cause crisis in the union.

Balogun starred as Mama Saje in a 1990 television series titled 'Erin Kee Kee', and has gone on to feature in over 80 movies since then.

She is married to fellow actor Rafiu Balogun, who was her boss before they married.
ALSO READ:5 things to know about Cameroon International Film Festival 2016

"Making good films is very important to every film maker," Noah said at the event. "One of the major challenges we face is finance and real skill at acting, script writing, directing... so any help from anyone who believes in the vision is most needed."

ALSO READ: Ramsey Nouah laments over insufficient cinema houses in Nigeria

Noah, who recieved a serious backlash for his 'poor look' at the opening ceremony of the event in Buea, South West Region on April 25, explained to DECODED TV, Cameroon:

"It's a film festival not an award show," Nouah said. "I knew I had to move around a lot, greet and meet people and network so I didn't think I was wrong with what I chose to wear," he continued.

ALSO READ:Ramsey Noah rates Nigerian movie industry high

However, the actor spent six straight days at the event holding talks with young film makers and actors, encouraging the art and promoting Nollywood.
The talented act took to her Instagram page yesterday, Monday, May 2, 2016 to call out men disturbing her on Instagram.

According to her, when she was single men weren't coming, but now that she is taken, everyone wants her.

She wrote, "When I'm single I can't find anyone. But when I'm taken everybody wants me."

"See me see local trouble!!! Smh!!! #ironyoflife free me mbok!! #youknowyasef."

The undefined actress got married to her Dutch sweetheart, Dr. Koen in October 2015.

Peters recently celebrated her three months wedding anniversary with words of prayer.

The actress is popular for her role in productions like "Dominio," "Husbands of Lagos," "Bursting Out," "While You Slept,"among others.
According to eyewitnesses, the serial thief who has been robbing and raping the female students in the past two years, usually drove to the school in his Toyota Camry car from Kwara State where he would rob the students, especially the females, of their phones, laptops, money and ATM cards.
The annual celebration produces an avenue to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom all over the world; shiled the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

For this year's celebrations which runs from 2 - 4 May, in Helsinki, Finland, here are few things you need to know:

1. This year's celebration coincides with three important milestones:

- the 250th anniversary of the worlds first freedom of information law, covering both modern-day Sweden and Finland- the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration of press freedom principles- the year 2016 is also the first year of the 15 year life-cycle of the new Sustainable Development Goals

2. The event focuses on three different aspects of press freedom:

- freedom of information as a fundamental freedom and as a human right- protecting press freedom from censorship and surveillance overreach- ensuring safety for journalism online and offline

3. UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.

4. The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a journalist of Colombian nationality who was murdered in front of the news house where he works, El Espectador, in Bogota, on 17 December 1986.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
For example, the report states that Lagos state housing deficit is 2.9million units, and that 71% of Lagosians default in their rents. Furthermore, as many as 66 percent of respondents surveyed across the length and breadth of the city-state, disclosed that they yet preferred traditional brick and mortar constructions to houses made with alternative building technologies.

Entitled "The State of Lagos Housing Market Report, Vol 2", it is a sequel to the first edition that had been published and launched in 2009.

Delivering his address as royal father of the Day, the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, who is himself a notable player in the Lagos and Nigerian housing market called on stakeholders in the industry to cooperate more amongst themselves and with government to ensure that Nigeria moves from housing construction to housing manufacturing, affirming that this was the only way the present colossal housing deficit in the country which is put at about 20million can be reversed.

On his part, Lagos Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by the State Commissioner for Housing, Honorable Gbolahan Lawal disclosed that the state had presently commenced a rent-to-occupy scheme to enable more of the teeming numbers of its population be able to access and afford houses of their own. Later in the event, the Ooni of Ife and the Executive Governor (represented by Honorable Gbolahan Lawal) unveiled the report.

Speaking on how the report will impact the economy, Newton Jibunoh, chairman of the foundation noted that through the publication of the book, they have given support to a fledgling sector of the economy, thereby contributing to the process of effecting a small change.

Running through a brief of the report that was said to have taken four years (2012 to 2016) to gather, Roland Igbinobia, the founder of RIRFHUD began with the Lagos HOMS project, which he says has about 10,000 units, both completed and uncompleted.

He spoke about the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC); the amount so far accessed from the NMRC and mortgage institutions involved. We looked at the impact of the NMRC because there has been a lot of conversation around the setting up of this secondary mortgage institution. About N1.8billion has been accessed from the NMRC. These comprise Imperial Homes, N970million; Home base Mortgage Bank, N492million, and Trust Bond Mortgage Bank, 300million. There is a lot to be tapped from NMRC. We just feel that a lot needs to be done.

Giving further insight into the content of the research work, Igbinobia noted: We decided to look at luxury residential market, this became important because if you look at Bourdillon, Eko Atlantic City, Churchgate, we were taken aback as to why investors are doing luxury real estate when there is a huge clamour for low and medium income housing.

Interestingly, what we found out is that people are moving away from the 1000sqm and 1,500sqm of houses to some three bedrooms four bedrooms luxury fully serviced apartment. You see people moving from the Ikoyi/Banana Island areas to do some off plan projects for luxury development.

For copies of the report please visit www.rirfhud.org; www.pisonhousing.com; www.reic-ng.com; a copy of the report sells for N75, 000. You can also call 07066572300; 08105342058; 08023076551
According reports, Sebineza was caught pants down by a hidden camera, pulling his trouser down and giving himself ahand job till he ejaculated.

The 54-year-old Sebineza, who is said to be a notable Tutsi of the Congolese Banyamulenge community has been a President of his community (SHIKAMA) and for many years assumed important responsibilities in the province of South Kivu, was caught in the four minutes and 27 seconds video, causing a great scandal with many calling on the president to sack him, something Kabila finally carried out reluctantly.
Usman said troops of the 22 Brigade Garrison were on a routine operation to clear the terrorists' hideouts in Cinga, Mallum Maja, Bosuma and Murye villages, when they found the terrorists hiding in foxholes.

He also revealed that 400 hostages were rescued during the operation.

He said In compliance with the military high commands directive which is to ensure that all villages and towns are cleared of the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 22 Brigade Garrison in Operation Lafiya Dole, on Sunday May 1, 2016 cleared four villages of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the area.

The terrorists hibernating in Cinga, Mallum Maja, Bosuma and Murye villages, were armed with dangerous weapons and have been terrorising the communities. During the operations three Boko Haram terrorists were killed while nine of them who tried to hide in foxholes and dugouts were identified and captured alive.

Members of the Boko Haram sect reportedly murdered 30 Fulani herdsmen during a raid in Alau village in Borno State.
Samoura told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that the UN was doing everything possible to ensure that the IDPs resumed their normal lives.

Samoura, who is also the UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of UN Development Programme, urged the Boko Haram insurgency victims not to give up on their current condition.

"For the IDPs, I just want to encourage them that their sufferings will be a thing of the past very soon.

She said apart from directing the immediate relocation of the UN Humanitarian Coordination Centre to Borno, she had taken steps to improve access to IDPs through dialogue with humanitarian actors.

Samoura said there were people who had still not been reached due to the insurgency, calling for the presence of more security personnel to enable access to those people.

"There is the need to enhance the security of the humanitarian actors based in Maiduguri through more regular flights in and out of Maiduguri.

"There is also the need to secure the roads leading to the different capitals of the States in the North East region, she urged.

Samoura said she was undertaking a robust advocacy strategy with international donors.

"I have an upcoming trip to Istanbul where I will be attending the World Humanitarian Summit from May 23 to 24.

"I am going to really establish special working group to attract the world attention to the appalling situation to the IDPs and host communities in the North East of Nigeria.

"We are advocating for NGOs working on food security, nutrition and also in health, water and sanitation to augment the exiting capacity in IDPs camps and within the host communities.

Samoura said many UN agencies and international organisations had already started helping the women IDPs to undertake income-generating activities.

She said such activities included embroideries to make traditional caps, perfumes, knitting and tailoring in the camps.

She encouraged the IDPs to continue to be vigilant so as to preserve their safety within the camps.
The President of the Conference, Ignatius Kaigama, stated this while speaking to newsmen after leading 16 bishops to a meeting with Buhari on Monday, May 2.

Since 1960, the Catholic bishops have been talking against corruption, telling people to avoid it, he said.

It is a cancer, it is dangerous, it is a sickness and it is a social disease. We have assured the president that we are 100 per cent with him in his fight against corruption.

With corruption, we cant progress. With corruption, everything goes wrong, immorality takes over, retrogression takes place. So corruption is a huge obstacle that has to be dismantled.

Kaigama commended the President's strategies to improving the country and mobilising all Nigerians to selflessly put in their best.

We assured the president of our prayers, moral support and our desire to cooperate. In Catholic Church, whether it is education, healthcare or social services, we have done quite a lot over the years, he said.

With the willing disposition of the president and his attitude of embracing everyone, we felt we should spell out some areas of closer collaboration.

We found him a sincere man with great sense of dedication. He wants the best of this nation. We also want the best for this nation.

He agrees that not everyone is working as he expects. There are some who are clogs in the wheel of progress. We are praying and hoping that such people will see that Nigeria is greater than all of us, that we should develop patriotic disposition and our aspiration should be to put this country first.

With that, criminalities and other things that are anti-social will give way. We have every hope. We only need to be a little more patient.

He said the President also highlighted the difficulties and challenges his administration is facing.

We understood him fully. We equally call on Nigerians to give the president a chance. He is sincere, he is dedicated, he is committed and together, we shall make on wonderful progress, he said.
Tanko, was reportedly sitting for his West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations.

The residents of the area allege that the killing was carried out by Fulani herdsmen.

They claim they have been under siege by the herdsmen since the 2011 elections in the state.

According to Governor El-Rufai, security agencies in the state are investigating the killings.

He said It is a sad development. But we will not relent in our duty of protecting our people.

We shall continue to strengthen the security agencies to do a better job, as well as encourage harmonious coexistence across our communities.

The gains made in recent months to eliminate violent communal clashes in the area must be upheld.

We must all be vigilant and do our best maintain the peace in our communities.

The Kaduna Governor also promised to end incessant cases of kidnapping in the state.
MCBAN earlier said nobody can stop its members from grazing in the South, adding that it was their constitutional right to move freely.

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MCBAN) is the umbrella body of the Fulani herdsmen.

Punch reports that the Secretary-General of Afenifere, Chief Sehinde Arogbofa, said That cannot be the solution to the problem; it would rather aggravate it. Some people are domiciled in the South and if there is an element of inconvenience from the people living with them, it should be resolved in a peaceful atmosphere so that nobody is taken for granted.

I dont believe a serious person can say that.

Also the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide (IYCW) has slammed the umbrella body of the Fulani herdsmen for making such comments.

Mr. Eric Omare, spokesman of the IYCW also said the Fulani herdsmen situation might lead to a breakdown of law and order if not checked.

Omare said The insistence by Fulani herdsmen to continue their cattle grazing in the South despite reservation expressed by southerners is an invitation to anarchy.

They cannot rely on the freedom of movement to be killing people outside Fulani land. The IYC thinks that the President and the northern political leaders support that the herdsmen enjoy is responsible for their arrogant insistence to continue to graze cattle in the South.

Meanwhile, a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of protecting the Fulani herdsmen.
This has prompted various ethnic groups and militia to sit up and protect their region from any form of attacks by the dreaded cattle rearers, whom reports say are more ruthless than Boko Haram.

Punch reports that he Yoruba farmers pressure group and ethnic militia, Agbekoya Farmers Association of Nigeria has threatened to retaliate any attack from the Fulani herdsmen.

The National Publicity Secretary of the farmers group, Mr. Olatunji Bandele said they have issued a 14 day ultimatum to the Federal Government to stop the violent actions of the herdsmen in the South.

Bandele said We have alerted Agbekoya South West warriors across Yorubaland to be battle ready in case the Fulani herdsmen do not heed our warning because this thing has continued for the past four to five years now.

We have other security measures that we are taking but keeping to ourselves. If the Fulani herdsmen failed to heed our warning and they dare enter Yorubaland, they will be doing so at their own risk. We are waiting for the Federal Government to take decisive action.

Also, the National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Mr. Gani Adams said the Fulani herdsmen are killing people without provocation.

Adams also warned that the herdsmen, if unchecked might turn to a serious security threat in the country.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar lll, has also condemned the attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen on various communities in Nigeria.
The minister said that the administration is concerned about the several uncompleted buildings across the Federal Capital City, Abuja and a number of unidentified persons squatting in such places, which may pose security risk.

Malam Bello noted that his administration has been able to tackle some of the people using the under-bridges as their abode and that the operation would continue until the city is rid of such activities.

He revealed that the administration had earlier spoken to the Muslim community on the unfortunate cases of street begging in some areas of the city and urged the residents to join hands with the FCTA to eradicate that menace.

The minister disclosed that his administration intends to take the issues of rehabilitation very seriously to give those with such social problem a sense belonging, thereby making them useful to themselves and the entire society.

His words: In the 2016 fiscal year, the FCT Administration will upgrade Rehabilitation Centre for effective skill acquisition to make the rehabilitated persons independent and self sustenance.

Malam Bello reiterated that the FCT Administration also intends take them back to their families for re-absorption into the society after successful rehabilitation.

According to him, the current FCT Administration will make Abuja friendlier to the populace by making them own all government policies and programmes.

He added that his administration would encourage religious and moral education in its schools to give re-orientation to the younger generation.

The FCT Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),Rev. Israel Akanji who led the delegation appealed to the Minister for land for church groups and for FCT Administration to spare church buildings where possible.

Rev. Akanji also asked that the government to re-consider its stance on sponsorship of pilgrims to Israel.
The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, gave the directive on Tuesday, May 3, at the swearing-in of 342 foreign trained medical doctors and six dentistry graduates in Abuja

The foreign graduates were successful in the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) assessment held from April 6 to 8, which enables them to practice in the country.

He further advised them to continually practice within the limit of their competence and imbibe global best practice to better their lots in the profession.

Hospitals are sanctuary for the sick and injured, never must our hospitals be closed for whatever reasons; even in war time situations, hospital must remain open," he said.

Doctors must show no restraint in treating emergencies, even with gun-shot wounds you must treat them, thereafter raise questions.

You must also treat emergencies before asking for money because life is more precious than money."

Adewole, who noted some of the challenges in the profession to include lack of adequate places for internship programmes, however, assured of government commitment to fund the programme.

The ministry said that the nation is in dire need of more human resources to cater for the health needs of the increasing population.

He, however, assured of governments efforts at collaborating with key parties to ensure effective distribution and financing the training programme.

The Federal Ministry of Health has strategically identified and mapped out a number of key activities to ensure that Nigeria reverses the ills and failures in the healthcare system.

Training of prospective and qualified healthcare professionals is one of the key agenda of the present administration.

On receiving your registration certificates and licenses, you will proceed to your internship training at any of the MDCN accredited centres.

We are not unaware of some of the challenges some young doctors experienced in securing placement for internship.

We are working assiduously to ensure that doctors eligible for internship training will no longer wait endlessly searching for centres to enrol for their training.

With over hundred MDCN accredited internship centres among others, the ministry will work with key stakeholders to ensure effective distribution and financing of the training programme within the country," the Minister said.
Though a matter for the executive arm of government, Oyegun said the executive at federal and state levels would still have to consider the demand in line with their ability to pay.

That is always what happens (the demand) but this must be based on the economic realities on the ground, the ability to pay," Oyegun said.

Perhaps to even demonstrate that this is not a central but a federal matter, that states should be allowed to make their decisions based on their ability to pay.

The cost of living is not the same in every part of the country."
Id like to say sorry for lying to everyone. Im glad that people were upset that he died. I think my biggest fear was that people were not going to care. Or it would just be, Fine, Jon Snows dead. But it seems like people had a, similar to the Red Wedding episode, kind of grief about it. Which means something Im doing or the show is doing, is right, the actor said.
The flagship show anchored by award winning Forbes Africa and Forbes Woman correspondent, Peace Hyde, premiers on Wednesday, May 4, on the CNBC Africa platform at 12:00 WAT.

The first episode will feature an explosive interview as Hyde takes viewers on a journey through the higher echelons of Power, as His Highness Emir Sanussi, recounts the day in business that changed everything.

ALSO READ:

The show brings the unique Forbes journalistic style and glitz to the silver screen and focuses on the most challenging day in the lives of some of the most successful and enterprising business leaders of our time. "My Worst Day" features Africas business powerhouses in a way never seen before.

ALSO READ: undefined

The Pan African show is set to have its global release across the continent on May 4, 2016.
Speaking at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) World Press Freedom Day lecture held on Tuesday, May 2, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Fayose said Buhari being his grandfather however does not stop him (Fayose) from criticising him (Buhari) when going in the wrong direction.

Fayose, who spoke on the topic Journalism and Politics : Two Sides of A Coin, said he will rather die than conceal the truth.

He said criticising the President is healthy for Nigeria and Nigerians to achieve economic and political development, noting that it would be dangerous for all to watch Buhari stray and keep quiet.

On the alleged illegal arrest and unending detention of Nigerians without evidence, Fayose said that it is against the rights of any citizen to be detained for several weeks without any proof.

The Governor pointed that his criticism of Buhari is not borne out of bitterness or hatred.

I dont abuse Buhari because he is my grandfather. But we all must not sleep and face the same direction in this country. The people voted for him because they wanted change and I agreed with that because we really needed change.

They told Nigerians that when they get into power there will be no subsidy and there will be no queues again but today full subsidy and queues are here.

In the last 12 months, Nigerians have never had it so bad. Most generators have been exhausted.
The Half of a Yellow Sun author will be conferred this honorary degree at the universitys commencement ceremony on the 18 of May, 2016.

The author will be honoured alongside seven other recognized individuals. Filmmaker Spike Lee, the founding director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, Laurie Zabin, Nobel Prize winner, Richard Axel, amongst others will be recognized.

President of the Johns Hopkins University, Ronald J. Daniels said that this was a group of people who have made a difference and changed the world. Daniels added that these people have made lasting impact on the arts, public health, the law, neuroscience and the resilience of communities here in Baltimore and across the globe.
TheNation reports that ASUU directed its members to vacate the campus and to suspend all academic activities till further notice this past weekend.

On Friday, April 29, lecturers reportedly did not show off for work, leading classrooms to be empty. Ongoing examinations were suspended and students were seen leaving the campus and the university community for their various homes.

ALSO READ: ASUU Union accuses Dickson of being inhumane

The ASUU Chairman in NDU, Stanley Ogoun confirmed the situation to TheNation and said lecturers could no longer be discharging their duties without money to run their daily expenses.

He said: We have started the sit-at-home action and this means suspension of all academic activities relating to teaching and examination of students.

The Bayelsa State Government has, however, appealed to ASUU and other workers not to despair over the economic crisis facing the state insisting that clearing their backlog of salaries remained the first-line charge of Dickson.

In a statement, the state government revealed that it is going through sleepless nights to pay the workers.

A Financial Management Committee chaired by the deputy Governor, Mr. John Jonah, to review monthly financial obligations and satisfy the basic ones.

To this effect, paying workers salaries always come first before other financial obligations. Steps are already being taken to ensure the payment of salaries within the shortest possible time.
This is contained in a statement by the Deputy Registrar, Information Unit of the institution, Toyin Adebule and issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

According to the statement, a total of 19,373 students had downloaded the indemnity forms as at 12.30 p.m. on Friday, April 29.

It said that contrary to the resistance put up by the proscribed students union leaders of the institution, the students had been besieging their faculties to sign the necessary forms ahead of resumption.

NAN reports that the senate of the University had, on April 25, announced that the institution would resume full academic activities on May 2.

It had earlier been shut on April 7 following students unrest due to poor electricity and water supply in the community.

The senate, announcing the reopening, had, however given the students some conditions to comply with.

One of the conditions given to them was to visit the universitys website and download the undertaking and indemnity form.

The students were also asked to submit the forms at the various departments and obtain clearance.
According to him, about 240,000 cars in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria are not roadworthy, PM News reports.

Speaking at the 2016 Bi-Annual Safety Week of the Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Services, themed Unroadworthy (Rickety) Vehicles: Threat to Life on our Roads, Dr. Mobereola said rickety cars lead to high fatality rates for Nigeria.

"Our efforts at ensuring security include rehabilitating the roads, improving drivers competence, insisting through monitoring the state of vehicles and promoting attitudinal changes.

Of the 45,037 vehicles apprehended last year, 8,012, about 20 percent were not roadworthy. This extended further means that about 240,000 of the 1.2 million are not roadworthy. It is in this wise that we say safety is not just a government thing, rather, it is for all citizens.

When you maintain a vehicle you are guaranteeing a life. There are no economic arguments for allowing rickety vehicles just simply because we cannot place a premium or value on any life. The consequences outstrip the gains, he said.

ALSO READ: FRSC boss stresses the need to preserve lives

The commissioner also pointed out the health challenges caused by the emissions from rickety vehicles, adding that people need to take of their cars because of other road users.

Our focus will be to bring people to the realisation that there is a need to maintain their vehicles. It is not only for themselves but for all other road users. It is then and only then that we can say we are ready for business. It is pertinent to say that for sanity to prevail on our roads, everyone of us must consider ourselves as stakeholders, he said.
The government decided in June last year to increase electricity prices by 16 percent over three years to keep pace with production costs.

Under the arrangement electricity prices were scheduled to increase by 5 percent in January. But some customers saw rates rise by as much as 40 percent, according to a government investigation, prompting Ouattara to cancel the January increases and call for a more competitive industry.

"This situation reminds us of the need to open up the water and electricity sectors to competition," Ouattara, a former senior International Monetary Fund official, said in a Labour Day speech on national television on Sunday.

The West African nation has emerged from a decade of political turmoil and civil war as one of the continent's rising stars economically, with growth averaging around 9 percent for the past four years.

However, critics of the government complain that most Ivorians have not benefited from the new-found prosperity.

During his re-election campaign last year Ouattara promised to make economic growth more inclusive.

The Companie Ivoirienne d'Electricite (CIE), majority owned by Africa-focused public utilities manager Eranove Group, has supplied electricity to the Ivory Coast since 1990 under an agreement with the government. The deal, which puts CIE in charge of the distribution of power to homes and businesses, is not due to expire until 2020.

It is unclear how the utility markets will be liberalised or if it can be done before the agreement between CIE and the government ends in 2020.

But it is likely to be a major issue in French-speaking West Africa's biggest economy where power producers are struggling to keep pace with growing consumption.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said seven people were killed in heavy rebel shelling of government-held areas of Aleppo, which was not one of areas where temporary truces were announced last week. An air strike south of Aleppo meanwhile killed at least three people, it said.

Local ceasefires were announced late last week in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus and in northern areas of Latakia province. Washington and Moscow said on Monday they were working hard to extend the truce to Aleppo.

Jaish al-Islam said in a statement overnight that government forces had taken ground around the town of al-Marj in Eastern Ghouta. The rebel group said the loss had been made easier because of in-fighting with rival rebel groups.
The famously blunt-spoken real estate mogul holds a double-digit polling lead over U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has been campaigning in the Midwestern state almost non-stop since mid-April. Cruz has trumpeted Indiana, one of the last big states left in the fight to get onto the November ballot, as his golden moment to force a brokered nomination at the party's July convention. But it appears to be shaping up as his Waterloo.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast states last week, Trump hopes a win in Indiana will put him within reach of the 1,237 delegates required to lock up the Republican presidential nomination before the convention.

Cruz has been Trump's strongest rival but still trails him considerably in the delegate race. He has been struggling to keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 threshold and force a brokered contest, which, after a string of big losses in April, is Cruz's only chance of securing a spot on the Nov. 8 ballot.

A loss in Indiana would be particularly crushing for Cruz, who has argued that his brand of religious conservatism is a natural draw for heartland Republicans. He won the endorsement of Indiana's conservative Governor Mike Pence.

In addition, Cruz was looking for smoother sailing in Indiana after he and Ohio Governor John Kasich, a distant third in the Republican nominating contest, reached a "stop-Trump" deal in which Kasich would steer clear of Indiana while Cruz would do likewise in Oregon and New Mexico.

But the waters are looking choppier for Cruz, with the senator losing considerable ground against Trump in opinion polls as voting has neared.

Cruz last week also announced his choice for a prospective vice president, the former presidential contender and Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, during an event in Indiana that some criticized as premature.

"I trust the people of Indiana to differentiate," Cruz said on Monday at a campaign stop. "We are not a bitter, angry, petty, bigoted people. ... I reject that vision of America," he added in a swipe at Trump.

Trump now has 996 delegates, compared with 565 for Cruz and 153 for Kasich. Another 57 delegates are up for grabs in Indiana, a state that has voted Republican in nine of the last 10 presidential elections.

NEW BLOOD

Trump has drawn both passionate support and vitriolic condemnation with his hardline stands on immigration and national security - including a call to build a 1,000-mile wall along the Mexican border that he says Mexico would pay for and a bid to temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country.

Julie Blackwell Chase, a clerk treasurer of Bedford in southern Indiana, said she voted early for Trump in part because she appreciated his willingness to break with conventional politics. "We need new blood," she said.

But the outcome in Indiana may also ride on the votes of evangelicals, after Trump offered praise for Planned Parenthood family clinics and signaled support for gay and transgender rights, views that rankled some Christian conservatives.

Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, chair of the county's Republican party, said he is voting for Cruz.

Jeff Cardwell, chairman of the state's Republican party, said Tuesday's primary marked an exciting day in Indiana politics, mainly because White House nominations are usually locked up by this late in the election cycle.

"This is the first time in my lifetime where Indiana has really had an opportunity to make a difference," said.

Indiana is the second most populous state of the 10 remaining to hold nominating contests on the Republican side, behind California, which holds its primary June 7.
On the surface, the city of Bettendorfs plan for its downtown is simple: Walkable and landscaped streets and sidewalks, loft-style apartments atop multi-story buildings and a visitor-friendly riverfront.

But those improvements take time, especially while crews construct a new Interstate 74 bridge through the middle of downtown, according to city officials who have been working with consultants and engineering firms for years on a downtown vision.

So, although the city released a master plan for its downtown in 2009, it unveiled a revamped plan Monday that takes the bridge project into consideration.

"Today, we dont have a very walkable downtown along State and Grant streets, Jeff Reiter, Bettendorfs economic development director, said during the City Councils committee-of-the-whole meeting. "We wanted to work in harmony with the I-74 project to consider how we can make this a destination-driven downtown."

In doing so, the city broke up what it considers its downtown  from 6th Street to Devils Glen Road  into five districts or neighborhoods:

 West Bridge: 6th Street to Interstate 74 from the riverfront to Grant Street.

 East Bridge: Interstate 74 to 26th Street from City Hall to Grant Street.

 Village: 12th Street to 27th Street from Grant Street to Central Avenue.

 Riverfront: Interstate 74 to 26th Street from the river to the Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center.

 Industrial: 26th Street to Devils Glen Road from the river to U.S. 67.

Specifics included plans to widen sidewalks, turn State Street into a two-way roadway and implement design standards for downtown businesses.

Bill Connors, Bettendorf's community development director, expects aldermen to adopt the plan within the next two months.

"I'm like a nervous mother," Alderwoman Debe LaMar, 3rd Ward, said. "This is what we've been talking about for years, and I just cannot wait to see this come to fruition."

Bob Lee, who has been recognized by the state of Iowa for his volunteer efforts with the Hilltop Campus Village and the Downtown Davenport Partnership, also spoke on behalf of the Bettendorf Business Network.

Lee said hes helping create a private nonprofit downtown organization in Bettendorf, which should go live this summer.

Despite some opinions out there, we have businesses downtown that provide services to people above and below the hill, said Lee, who also is assisting the business network investigate the Main Street Iowa program. We have a real niche.

Meanwhile, Reiter also briefly touched on the city's negotiations with Russell Companies, which hopes to develop a 2.5-acre block in downtown Bettendorf, coined Town Square.

Tuesday night, aldermen are expected to authorize city officials to extend negotiations with the developers for an additional 90 days.

Jim Russell, president of Russell Companies, said Monday his company is appraising land owned by its team of partners, including the Goldstein family, which owns more than 45 acres along the citys riverfront.

We dont know exactly what it will be yet, Reiter said. Weve targeted it as a potential development site, and hopefully Russell helps with that.
Three people were transported to hospitals from the scene of a motor vehicle accident Monday in rural Scott County.

First responders from several area agencies were called shortly before 3 p.m. to the intersection of 60th Avenue and 295th Street, where a collision sent one vehicle into a ditch, according to a news release issued by the Scott County Sheriff's Office.

Joseph Staner of Cascade, who was traveling east on 295th Street in a Ford F-250, failed to yield at the intersection and struck a Ford Escort that was traveling south on 60th Avenue from Dixon, the release stated.

Michael Lafrentz, 26, the driver of the Ford Escort, and two other occupants were able to get out of the vehicle, but Dixon's volunteer fire department had to extricate a fourth passenger who was trapped.

Two of the occupants were transported to Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport, for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Medforce airlifted the trapped passenger to University Hospitals, Iowa City, where she also was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.

The Ford Escort's occupants, all of Wheatland, included Danika Schnede, 18, Katelyn Paul, 17, and Joshua Wenger, 19.

Following the on-scene investigation, authorities cited Staner, the 79-year-old driver of the Ford F-250, for failing to yield at the intersection.

Iowa State Patrol, Walcott Police Department, Medic Emergency Medical Services, Bennet Ambulance Services and Wheatland Ambulance also responded to the scene.
The David and Marcia Duncan family of Mercer County have received the Illinois Association of Home and Community Educations American Family Award for their years of volunteering in the county, state and the world.

The Duncan family has a long history of hosting local and international visitors through 4-H, Rotary, colleges and other connections. Both David and Marcia have been 4-H leaders, elders of Center Presbyterian Church and participants on an adult mission trip to Glacier Presbyterian Camp.

David has served on the Extension Board, Farm Bureau Board, State Young Farmers, Aledo School Board, Mercer County Historical Society Board and as treasurer and president of the Aledo Rotary Club.

Marcia has been a member of Mercer County Home and Community Education Association for 47 years and is on its board. She has taught Sunday school, Bible school and communicants classes and was a youth leader for many years. During her time as a youth leader, the group went to Kemmerer Village, Rapid City, S.D., with Habitat for Humanity and visited the Lakota Indian Reservation. She is now clerk of session.

Their son, Bill, is an elder, on the Ohio Grove township board and helps with Pheasants Forever. Daughter, Denise Ganpat, went with her mother on a mission trip to Romania, and the Ganpat family went to Jamaica to help with devotions and Bible camps in elementary schools. Son, Jeff, has participated in both domestic and international mission trips and spent more than two years serving in Haiti after the earthquake. He is treasurer of The House - A Local Church.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was the not-so-veiled butt of a presidential joke Saturday, a shot taken during the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington.

From "comrade" Bernie Sanders to the slow demise of print media, President Barack Obama's 30-minute roasting of all things Washington spared almost no one.

Obama never mentioned Sen. Mitch McConnell or Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, by name, mind you. But they were there in spirit, when Obama heckled Republicans about the Senate's refusal to hold a hearing for Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

"I think we got Republican senators, Tim Scott and Cory Gardner. They are in the house, which reminds me: Security, bar the doors. Judge Merrick Garland, come on out. We are going to do this right here and right now. It's like the Red Wedding."

Grassley and McConnell are the architects of the Senate majority's plan to deny Obama any semblance of a nomination process, even while the Supreme Court struggles with just eight sitting justices. Hostile Senates traditionally hold the confirmation hearing and vote against the nominee. Refusing to convene even a kangaroo court is, one some ways, unprecedented.

And the maneuver is a risk on several fronts.

It could energize Democrats in November. It could further handicap Senate Republicans already facing a tough year, just ask Mark Kirk. It very well could result in President Hillary Clinton sending a significantly more liberal nominee to a Democratic Senate for a seat that would otherwise be filled by the centrist Garland.

And then, there's the Trump factor.

Donald Trump's domination of the GOP presidential race is built on a dearth of specifics. He's tapped into working-class America's frustration with politicians using nuance to dodge strident policy. But Trump's hyper-vague approach poses problems for everyone involved.

Grassley's bid to save a vacant Supreme Court seat for a man without clear policy is tantamount to wagering with house money. Iowa's senior senator admitted as much Thursday, during an appearance on KNIA/KRLS radio.

I would have to admit its a gamble," he told host Robert Leonard.

Trump's biggest rival, Sen. Ted Cruz, is the probably the most hated man in Washington. Former Speaker John Boehner lit into the Senator from Texas last week, calling him the most "miserable son of a bitch" with whom he's worked. Boehner isn't alone in his disdain for the only Republican candidate that poses a threat to the Trump train. Cruz has been likened to blacklister-in-chief Joe McCarthy with some regularity in his short time in Washington.

These are the men for whom Grassley is has gone all in.

And yet, Garland still won't get those hearings anytime soon. At least he won't until a November bloodbath predestines a Clinton White House working with a Democratic Senate. Suddenly, Grassley could be Garland's biggest fan.

But, as it stands, Grassley is saving a Supreme Court seat for Donald Trump, a man whose only statement on the issue indicated he'd lean heavily on right-wing special interests.

Obama got a laugh from those in attendance Saturday night with his shot at Grassley and McConnell. Days earlier, Grassley himself admitted the precarious position into which he's backed himself.

It's all fun and games until we're all holding the tab for Grassley's "gamble."
Im proud to be a nurse. I spent over 20 years caring for the most critically ill patients in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. I know how demanding and stressful being a nurse can be.

On May 6-12, here in Iowa and around the nation, we will honor registered nurses (RNs) during National Nurses Week. But its not necessarily a time for celebration.

Nationwide, the health care industry estimates we will need between 250,000 to one million nurses by 2024. A 2015 Iowa Workforce Development report identified RNs as one of the top three highest demand jobs in the state.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more patients are receiving health care than ever before. This is great news, but Iowans need to understand this puts pressure on the health care system and affects the care they receive.

The Iowa nursing shortage is the result of a number of factors, including the aging of the existing workforce, the fact that Iowas most experienced nurses rank dead last in the nation for pay, according to 2015 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and nurses are burning out and leaving the profession due to under-staffing and stressful conditions.

This is a serious wake- up call for Iowans who will need health care services in the coming days, months, and years. Its time for the states hospitals to raise wages, improve staffing and listen to what nurses need so we can provide the highest quality of care.

Cathy Glasson

Coralville, Iowa
The declining use of Quad-City International Airport in Moline is disappointing, but not surprising. Our local airport is professional, courteous and efficient. The experience of parking, checking-in, getting through security and boarding your flight is first-rate. However, it seems there is a high incidence of late or cancelled flights in or out of Moline.

If you book the last flight out of Chicago OHare International Airport to Moline, you take the risk of a cancellation that forces you to either stay overnight or rent a car for a late drive home.

If you book an international flight out of Moline that connects in OHare, you take the risk of missing your connecting flights. Over the past seven years, this has happened to several of my students who take my annual class in Croatia.

When my son Zach and I were flying to Argentina, we sat in sunny Moline for four hours waiting for thunderstorms to subside in Chicago. When OHare finally allowed Moline to board our flight, our connecting flight to Buenos Aires was already boarding in Chicago. International flights have first priority.

The airlines have instituted several rules and extra charges that discourage you from booking a flight that would depart out of Chicago, but arrive back in Moline.

The people working in Moline are doing everything in their power to make flying a positive experience. But the system seems rigged against the smaller airports.

Dan R. Ebener

Davenport
Chicago police say three men were killed and two more were seriously wounded when gunfire broke out as about 100 street racers took over an intersection in a caravan of vehicles. Chicago police Cmdr. Don Jerome said during a news conference that the shooting happened about 4 a.m. Sunday in Brighton Park on the Southwest Side. Jerome says those killed were between the ages of 15 and 20 and that the two who were wounded are expected to survive. Police have made no arrests. Alderman Raymond Lopez says police and city officials must act aggressively to prevent the caravans, which are promoted on social media ahead of time. Jerome says the caravans block streets to facilitate illegal street racing.
DEADWOOD | Police officers are often required to make a split-second decision to use deadly force, while after the fact, attorneys are afforded the luxury of months debating whether the shooting was justified, attorneys general from throughout the U.S. were told Monday.

At a meeting in Deadwood, 140 members of the National Association of Attorneys General, discussed legal issues surrounding one of the hottest topics in contemporary law enforcement  officer-involved shootings.

Meanwhile, just steps away in a nearby conference room, participants were encouraged to make use of an active shooter simulator to get a glimpse of the brief time frame police officers have to make a decision that sometimes proves fatal.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, president of the national association, noted that every state has a different process to investigate officer-involved shootings. Some involve concurrent jurisdictions, district attorneys and grand juries, and all involve independent assessments of law enforcement actions and the need for effective media relations that bring transparency to the probes.

Jackley noted that he had dealt with 24 officer-involved shootings since becoming attorney general in 2009.

Former Oklahoma Attorney General Michael Turpen told his audience that being a police officer today, is the hardest job in the world, if you do it right, because members of law enforcement need to be a lawyer, a doctor, a sociologist and a philosopher simultaneously.

In the unofficial attorney role, police officers need to make split-second legal decisions in terms of justifiable use of force. As part-doctor, theyll need to deal with 25 percent of their calls involving mental health issues. As social workers in blue, they must content with another quarter of their calls involving domestic violence disturbances. And finally, as philosophers, theyll have to work to bring meaning to a system that attracts widespread public scrutiny, suspicion and criticism, Turpen said.

Theyre the last strand of wire between the foxes and the chickens, Turpen said. But most police officers never fire their weapon in their whole lifetime.

Nonetheless, there were 990 fatal shootings by police last year and only in about 20 percent of the cases when an officer shoots a gun does the bullet actually hit its intended target, he said.

Efforts beginning with the invention of Tasers, following the introduction of mace, bean bag projectiles and pepper-spray to the arsenal of police weapons, as well as additional training, were evidence of law enforcements desire to decrease the number of officer-involved shootings, Turpen explained.

Police officers are the safety valve on the pressure cooker of society, he said, noting that 15 officers had already been killed in the line of duty in 2016. Theyre doing work that matters.

Former Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, the states first female attorney general and now a law professor at Boston University, admitted that she was a huge fan of the HBO Deadwood series and pledged not to leave town until she had visited Calamity Janes grave at Mt. Moriah Cemetery.

Coakley also said that law enforcement has never been under greater scrutiny than it is today and noted that when police use lethal force, the price tag for bad action can be much higher than the costs of adequate training.

Theyre under incredible scrutiny, Coakley said.

Training ensures police officers are prepared, not only to make the spur-of-the-moment decision to use lethal force, but for what comes afterward, she said. Coakley encouraged every state attorney general to have a template prepared for investigations of officer-involved shootings.

Finally, she encouraged law enforcement to add body cameras to their array of equipment, which can often change public perceptions, dispel myths and prevent protests.

Its the color of the day, Coakley said of digital recordings. The community is demanding it.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, who previously was a police officer for 24 years, said he recently went to the wake for a female Massachusetts police officer who was killed on her first day of duty. The solemn occasion emphasized that training and protocols should constantly evolve and improve.

We want to move forward and not take steps backward, Kilmartin said. The goal for every police officer should be that everybody goes home safely at the end of the day.

The summit continued Monday afternoon with a visit to Crazy Horse Memorial and panels on internet gambling, mental health and substance abuse, active shooter situations, and body cameras, followed by a dinner at Mount Rushmore National Memorial with U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as keynote speaker. The conference concludes in Deadwood at noon today.
or the second time in three months, a St. Louis jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay a huge award over claims that its talcum powder causes cancer.

The jury deliberated eight hours Monday before ordering the company to pay $55 million to a South Dakota woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on years of talcum powder use.

In February, another St. Louis jury awarded $72 million to the family of an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer, which she said was caused by using Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and other talcum products.

New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson will appeal the latest ruling.

"Unfortunately, the jury's decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc," Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said in a statement.

"For over 100 years, Johnson & Johnson has provided consumers with a safe choice for cosmetic powder products and we will continue to work hard to exceed consumer expectations and evolving product preferences."

But Jim Onder, attorney for the plaintiff, Gloria Ristesund, said researchers began linking talcum powder to ovarian cancer in the 1970s, and he said internal Johnson & Johnson documents showed that the company was aware of those studies.

"The evidence is real clear that Johnson & Johnson has known about the dangers associated with talcum powder for over 30 years," Onder said. "Instead of giving a warning, what they did was targeted the groups most at risk for developing ovarian cancer," specifically marketing to overweight women, he said.

Talc is naturally occurring, mined from the soil and composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen. It's widely used in cosmetics and personal care products, such as talcum powder, to absorb moisture, prevent caking and improve the product's feel.

In February, a St. Louis jury awarded $72 million to the family of Jackie Fox of Birmingham, Alabama. Her son took over as plaintiff after his mother death in October at age 62. She had used the talcum powder for decades.

Johnson & Johnson faces at least 1,200 still-pending talcum powder lawsuits, including about 1,000 in St. Louis and 200 in New Jersey, Onder said.

Johnson & Johnson previously has been targeted by health and consumer groups over possibly harmful ingredients in items including its iconic Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo.

In May 2009, a coalition of groups called the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics began pushing Johnson & Johnson to eliminate questionable ingredients from its baby and adult personal care products. After three years of petitions, negative publicity and a boycott threat, the company agreed in 2012 to eliminate the ingredients 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, both considered probable human carcinogens, from all products by 2015.

___
A Rapid City man was arrested after leading Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers on a long chase that reached speeds of 110 mph near Gillette on Monday.

The chase lasted for 70 miles and included several attempts to use spikes to stop the fleeing vehicle, a Jeep that had been reported stolen in Rapid City on Monday.

Nino Montreal, 23, of Rapid City, was arrested on charges of possession of stolen property, eluding and speeding after the chase.

According to the Wyoming patrol, a trooper pulled over a 2005 Jeep for speeding on I-90 about 13 miles west of Gillette at 5:30 p.m. Monday. The trooper discovered the Jeep was stolen, but the driver fled the scene.

After two failed attempts at spiking the fleeing vehicle's tires, and blocking all interstate exits into Gillette, the Jeep was finally disabled and forced to stop, and Montreal arrested without incident, the highway patrol said.
A proposal to offer financial incentives to private property owners in Rapid City to get rid of dead or diseased trees will get more study by city officials before a formal program is put in place.

The Rapid City Council on Monday night delayed action on a proposed expansion of the city's dead, diseased and hazardous tree removal program. The delay came after some council members said only homeowners, and those in need of financial assistance, should benefit from the program.

The proposed expansion would make it so any type of tree that needs to be removed is eligible for reimbursement by the city, and at a reduced rate.

As put forward by the city forestry department, the city would pay for 75 percent of removal costs, not to exceed $175 per tree, for up to four trees. That would give each property owner a $700 maximum price break through the cost-sharing program.

All qualifying trees must be inspected and approved by city forestry staff and properties must lie within city limits. Bids for tree removal must be from city-approved contractors and two bids are required before approval.

Under the method now in place for the past several years, only Mountain Pine Beetle affected trees are eligible.

The number of problem trees in the city is insurmountable, Andy Bernard, urban forester for Rapid City, said Monday night. He said the code enforcement department finds dead, diseased and hazardous trees daily.

Alderman John Roberts expressed concern that the program could be used by business owners and homeowners who are otherwise capable of removing trees on their property without and financial help from the city.

Rapid City Fire Chief Mike Maltaverne expressed support for the program, noting that damaged trees pose fire and safety hazards no matter where they are located.

After much discussion, the council voted unanimously to send the proposal back to the Public Works Committee.

Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Biegler said the staff will work on fine-tuning the language, and the new version will be presented to the Public Works Committee on June 14.

Also Monday night, the council denied a request from business owners Lee and Mai Ozbirn for a $20,000 reimbursement for water damage that occurred after a city water main broke in the middle of the night.

Lee Ozbirn told the council that both insurance companies involved denied their claim, but that they had thousands of damage done to their year-old business located at 2255 N. Haines Ave.

I can understand the city not wanting to set a precedent, Ozbirn told the council.

Alderwoman Amanda Scott said she was sorry the water damage happened to them, but said the issue is that the city doesnt have a fund available for that cause.

Alderman Chad Lewis said there should be some happy medium in this situation, and expressed interest in creating a fund that could help when things like this happen to businesses.
PIERRE | Dozens of finance officers from throughout state government and some managers met with South Dakotas new State Board of Internal Control for the first time Monday.

The Legislature created the board at the request of Gov. Dennis Daugaard using a model suggested by Lt. Gov. Matt Michels and the state Bureau of Finance and Management.

The board will monitor grants that flow through state government. Grants havent been closely tracked on a regular basis in the past.

Starting July 1 grants will be posted for the public on state governments open.sd.gov website, similar to contracts.

The board, chaired by state Finance commissioner Jason Dilges, is working on the code of conduct and the conflict of interest policy that will be used.

He asked the participants Monday to look at their specific situations and offer adjustments to the draft versions.

Disclosure is paramount, Dilges said about potential conflicts of interest.

Grant recipients and sub-recipients will receive forms on which they must report whether they meet requirements under the new state law.

Those include whether they enforce a conflict of interest policy, have an effective system for internal financial control, have their federal 990 tax report publicly available, have complied with the federal audit requirements and display those audits.

The law requires the seven-member board to meet monthly during its first year and at least quarterly after that.

Michels took part in the meeting. He used the examples of families. We all have experience with codes of conduct. We just might not view it that way, he told the group.

The boards establishment comes amid the unfolding financial problems at Mid Central Educational Cooperative at Platte. The cooperative had been managing a federal program known as GEAR UP for the state Department of Education.

South Dakotas auditor-general found problems regarding the grant. The financial and criminal investigations are continuing. Three people are under state indictments.

A family of six, including the business manager and an assistant business manager for Mid Central, died Sept. 17, 2015, after the state contract wasnt renewed.
Devastation from the wheat stem sawfly is taking hold in winter wheat acres in states like Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska.Producers and university researchers there are trying to deal with this million dollar pest, and asked Montana researchers for their expertise at the recent International Wheat Stem Sawfly Conference held in March in Colorado.The wheat stem sawfly seems to be increasing in winter wheat acres in these states, so they wanted an overview of our program, said Jim Berg, researcher in the Plant Sciences Department at Montana State University.Other Montana presenters were Hikmet Budak, MSU plant sciences professor in genetics; Luther Talbert, MSU spring wheat breeder; Andrea Varella MSU plant sciences grad student; Dayane Andrade dos Reis, MSU Land Resources and Environment; Tatyana Rand, ARS Center in Sidney; and Lochiel Ward, wheat producers in Big Sandy. David Weaver, MSU Land Resources and Environment professor was an on-line video presenter from MSU-Bozeman.MSU has been working on the mystery of the sawfly for decades, and has conducted groundbreaking research that has made inroads into figuring out how to manage the pest. MSU has had the only public winter wheat breeding program dedicated to developing solid-stem cultivars. In the private sector, WestBred has released a few solid-stem winter wheat varieties.This year, MSU will release Loma, a high-yielding winter wheat solid-stem variety.In Kansas, they dont plant spring wheat, only winter wheat. By the time spring wheat would be ready for grain fill, the heat would destroy the crop, Berg explained.In Montana, there is enough relatively cool weather throughout most of the state that winter wheat grain fill occurs over a longer period of time resulting in good protein.Historically, the sawfly was noticed in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada, in the 1880-90s, so it has been around for awhile.In the 1930s, agronomists started noticing the devastation, but they did not release a solid-stem variety until the 1940s, Berg said.Solid-stem varieties actually kill sawfly larvae when they come out of the eggs, and in addition, there is a chemical in solid-stem varieties that hinder the larvae, according to David Weavers research.In the 1940s, Canada released its first winter wheat variety with a solid-stem, called Rescue, developed from parents from Saskatchewan and Portuguese varieties. However, producers found lower yields than with hollow-stem varieties.During the 1950s-60s, MSU developed a number of sawfly resistant varieties, but they gained very little traction with the growers, Berg said.MSU, along with the ARS, came out with its first sawfly resistant variety in 1956, a winter wheat called Rego. The two agencies followed Rego with Sawtana spring wheat in 1961; Sawmont winter wheat in 1965; Fortuna spring wheat in 1966 and Tioga spring wheat in 1974.Up to that point, the sawfly was mainly a problem in spring wheat, but it began to be a bigger problem in winter wheat in the 1980s, Berg said.In 1995, Vanguard was released by MSU and in 1996, Rampart came out.Rampart was the number one variety in the early 2000s (2003-2006), he said.MSU then developed Choteau, one of the best solid-stem winter wheat varieties producers had seen, and it was released in 2003.Choteau had a high level of stem solidness and it yielded well.North Dakota started having problems with the sawfly, as well, and producers started using Choteau in North Dakota, too.Judee, a solid-stem winter wheat was released by MSU in 2011 and was the number one solid-stem variety in 2014 and 2015.During those years, the sawfly invaded some 4 million acres in Montana and North Dakota, Berg said.Now, private breeders are entering the picture and WestBreds WB-Quake has gained some acreage in the state since its release in 2011. The variety Ledger accumulated 1 million acres since its release in 2004, but had low stem-solidness. The variety Carter, released in 2006, had a more solid-stem.Since 2011, the varieties Judee and Bearpaw from MSU, and WB-Quake have been the most popular winter wheat solid-stem varieties in Montana. Warhorse, another solid-stemmed winter wheat, released by MSU in 2013, is gaining in acreage.The newest solid-stem variety being released from MSU, Loma, is being increased at Bozeman and at Moccasin, Berg said, adding it will be a couple of years before certified seed is widely available for growers.In drier years in Colorado and Kansas, the sawfly began to become more noticeable, and started to devastate acres over the last few years.The wheat stem sawfly is beginning to take on a global scope, and more states are involved than ever before, Berg said.Because of that, Colorado and other states with the sawfly problem would be looking for winter wheats that could work across a lot of environments. Montana winter wheats, whether hollow- or solid-stemmed, generally do not perform well in the Great Plains area. Montana varieties tend to do better, here, in cooler, wetter years.In Nebraska, wheat stem sawfly infestation rates were found to be lower in Montana winter wheat varieties Bearpaw, Judee, and Warhorse.Colorado found a 33 percent yield reduction in Montana solid-stem varieties over locally adapted hollow varieties.Warhorse and Bearpaw performed better in Kansas. Across five locations, in 2014 and 2015, there was only a 13 percent reduction over locally adapted varieties.Wyoming has found a 25-40 percent yield drag using Montana solid-stemmed varieties (over adapted varieties) and would like taller varieties for snow retention.We have to make sure we have both quality and yield with any new winter wheat variety released, Berg said. My guess is it will be five to six years before Colorado will have a solid-stem winter wheat variety of their own to release.However, MSU will share their germplasm with the states, so they can fast-track a release.
Montana producers had been worried about moisture but nearly all stations had at least some rain from April 14-18.Terry Angvick, a producer in northeastern Montana, said soil moisture conditions had been deteriorating rapidly before the rains in mid April.Rain Thursday evening (April 14) and Friday was very timely, Angvick said, adding that producers in his region were just starting to put in pulse crops and durum.Meanwhile, planting and fieldwork has been underway across Montana, with most all the malting barley planted in the northern regions.Producers in the Yellowstone Valley in northeastern Montana have all their malting barley in, said Jerry Bergman, director of North Dakota State Universitys Williston Research Extension Service.Mild daytime conditions have allowed producers to get out into the fields with 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending April 17 and planting is well ahead of last year at this time, according to the USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service Montana field office.In south central Montana, Curt Droogsma, WinField crop advisor, said sugarbeets in the Billings area have been in the ground for some time due to very warm weather in March.In addition, southern Montana producers finished malting barley planting and the crop is up and looking good.In most parts of eastern Montana, peas and some wheat have been planted, Droogsma said.Droogsma said there would be Answer Plots for producers this summer in Great Falls and Vida, Mont., but dates havent been solidified yet. In addition, there will be a new Answer Plot in Trenton, N.D., just southwest of Williston, N.D.Answer Plot shows producers different crops and agronomics, as well as how to take tissue samples and utilize fertilizer, herbicides and other chemicals.In Choteau County in the Golden Triangle, Lochiel Edwards said after a very dry winter and spring, April 14-15 brought an aggressive rain/snow event to the northern edge of our county.Winter wheat looks very good, and spring wheat is about 60 percent seeded in the Big Sandy area. Much of the barley and pulses are in, with some of that up already, Edwards said.The earliest winter wheat is already jointing and some acres were sprayed for powdery mildew a couple weeks ago.Montana experienced mostly warm days and freezing nights during the week, along with much appreciated moisture, according to the NASS report.Zortman received the highest amount of precipitation for the week with 2.80 inches of moisture, and all weather stations reported receiving moisture ranging from .06 of an inch to 2.80 inches.High temperatures ranged from the upper 60s to the low 80s with a state wide high temperature of 81 degrees recorded at Ridgeway.Across the state, topsoil moisture is adequate and surplus is 61 percent compared with 65 percent last year and the five-year average of 75 percent. Subsoil moisture was 55 percent adequate and surplus compared to 71 percent last year and the five-year average of 72 percent, according to the report.Days suitable for fieldwork were 1.1 days compared to 4.4 days last year due to wet fields and cold nights.Winter wheat has 85 percent come out of dormancy but there are no condition reports yet.According to the NASS report, producers began seeding canola, corn, dry edible beans, durum wheat, flaxseed, and mustard seed with 12 percent of canola, 3 percent of corn and dry edible beans, 9 percent of durum wheat, 14 percent of flaxseed, and 5 percent of mustard seeded by the weeks end.NASS reported conditions of pasture and range was 21 percent poor, 48 percent fair, 19 percent good and 2 percent excellent. Calving was 79 percent completed, and 72 percent are still receiving supplemental feed.Some 76 percent of lambing is completed and 81 percent of sheep are receiving supplemental feed.Early spring grazing conditions are 70 percent open, the same as last year, and the five-year average of 64 percent, according to the NASS report.
When it comes to the wheat stem sawfly, no one wants to see the pest flying around wheat fields, especially in large enough numbers to cause economic losses.But with the sawfly on the move from Montana to Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and into northwest Kansas, there is growing concern as the pest has been showing up and damaging acres.The 2016 International Wheat Stem Sawfly Conference at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins brought in researchers, producers and others from several states and Canada to talk about making inroads into the ever-increasing problem.Last year, there was greater than 50 percent infestation in a few fields in northeast Colorado, along with several fields of lesser infestation, according to Darren Cockrell, CSU entomologist.After the wheat stem sawfly laid its eggs, we visited 100 wheat fields across eastern Colorado and eight in Kansas, Cockrell said.Cockrell presented a map to the group that showed the percentage of infested tillers from wheat stem sawfly larvae found after dissecting plants from the various sites.Terri Randolph, an independent ag pest consultant, and CSU researchers organized the event and invited Montana scientists, as well as those from states affected by the sawfly.She also organized a grower panel which included Lochiel Ward, a wheat producer in the Golden Triangle of Montana; Keith Kennedy, a wheat producer from Wyoming; and Cole Mertens, a wheat producer in Colorado.Ward said his area around Big Sandy, Mont., was more suited to the standard wheat/fallow/wheat rotation than other rotations.He pointed out he has cut some good quality winter wheat by swathing his crop before it lodges as a result of the wheat stem sawfly.Dr. Scott Haley, wheat breeder at CSU, said the economic losses have been increasing in Colorado.Haley consulted with wheat breeders at Montana State University, who have provided Montana solid-stem varieties to use as parents in his sawfly tolerant breeding program.Since 2012, the CSU Crops Testing Program has tried growing a number of solid-stem winter wheat varieties from MSU in their Extension variety trials.All the MSU varieties were at the bottom in terms of yield and they are late-maturing, too late for our needs, Haley said. These MSU varieties also seem to respond differently to our heat and drought.Haley has developed 100 experimental lines that came from Colorado winter wheat varieties crossed with solid-stem MSU winter wheat varieties. He used DNA markers and doupled haploid technology to cut down on breeding time.We have some material in the field, but it will probably be three to four years before we will know if any of the lines are adapted to our environment, Haley said.Lucas Haag, Northwest Kansas Extension area agronomist, has evaluated some solid-stem material to see how suitable the lines would be for Kansas producers. While they were fairly late-maturing varieties, they did produce grain in Kansas over the past two years.Haag said the lines do have a yield disadvantage when compared to Denali winter wheat and other varieties that have been well adapted for northwest Kansas.In Nebraska, lower wheat stem sawfly infestation rates were found in Montana winter wheat varieties  (Bearpaw, Judee, and Warhorse)  that were grown in Nebraska, compared to locally-adapted varieties.Haley said Frank Peairs, CSU entomologist, conducted some trials evaluating using insecticide to control the wheat stem sawfly.One year, the insecticide was effective, but last year, the insecticide was not effective, he said.Peairs and his team believe the insecticide did not work last year because they received 20 inches of rain in May, when they usually dont receive anywhere near that amount in spring.CSU will conduct more insecticide trials next month.We dont believe there is one silver bullet to handle the wheat stem sawfly. We are going to have to try a combination of different approaches, Haley said.Parasitoid wasps, natural predators of the wheat stem sawfly, are one approach that has been proven to work in Montana.Colorado researchers have found some parasitoids in the fields, but so far entomologists have said the numbers are not high enough to help with sawfly control, according to Haley.Montana researchers talked about biological approaches  pheromone trapping, and population modeling to predict and potentially control the sawfly.Randolph said producers in Colorado wanted to know how they could obtain parasitoids as a management tool to help in the sawfly fight.We heard about how fast the sawfly has spread and how parasitoids could help. There has been significant sawfly damage in some wheat growing areas, especially in southeast Wyoming and northeast Colorado, she said.Colorado found sawfly in its wheat fields in 2010, and in 2011 already saw some major damage.Producers were dealing with lodging when they harvested their crop, she said.Randolph said many producers in Colorado do not want to swath their wheat crop, which could save the wheat crop before lodging.Producers were encouraged to use rotations of wheat, corn and millet, or other crops such as sorghum, as one method to stop the sawfly.Researchers in Colorado and in the other states are anxious to fast-track answers to the sawfly before it devastates many wheat acres in the region.We are hoping to collaborate with Montana as we tackle the wheat stem sawfly. They have decades of experience with the pest, Randolph said, adding she believes a lot of positive things came out of the conference. Producers in Colorado who attended the conference told me they were more hopeful now after the conference ended.Randolph said the 2016 winter wheat crop in Colorado looks pretty good right now, and there hasnt been any frost damage.
Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to mainly clear skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 56F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
 "Prosecutorial Analytics" | Main | "Do Public Defenders Spend Less Time on Black Clients?" 

The Clarion-Ledger is starting a series of articles titled "Blinded Justice" that will "examine how justice and punishment are dispensed across Mississippi in wildly varying ways." This first piece, headlined "50 years for first-time felon? Tyler Moore's story," tells an interesting tale of a troubled youngster seemingly getting slammed on felony burglary charges because local prosecutors seemingly got tired of his many (misdemeanor-level?) crimes. But the article does not really explore just why prosecutors ultimately were so eager to throw the book at this particular offender. Here are excerpts from the lengthy piece which, for me, raises more state sentencing questions than answers:

Tyler Moore is serving 50 years in prison. It was the first felony conviction for the 24-year-old man, struggling to beat a drug addiction and his bipolar disorder. According to the Mississippi Department of Corrections, his tentative release date is 2061. Ill be dead and gone by then, said his mother, Lisa. So how does a first-time offender who pleaded guilty to burglary get 50 years in prison? This is his story....

[In] 2010 ..., [after a charge of] misdemeanor possession of marijuana paraphernalia, Brandon police knocked on the door one morning about 5 and took him to jail on a hit-and-run charge. The charge against him arose from a party where a young man claimed Moore had run his car into him. Moore denied the claim, saying the young man jumped on his hood.

On April 1, 2011, the judge reduced the charge to leaving the scene of an accident, and Moore was fined. While walking out of the courtroom that day, he muttered to someone, You lying sack of s---. The judge sentenced him to 10 days in jail.

The misdemeanors kept coming  contributing to the delinquency of a minor and then shoplifting when he walked out of Belks with a pair of sunglasses. Moore apologized to the judge and admitted he had a drug problem. He spent two days in jail, and the judge ordered drug tests for the next six months.

In August 2011, Moores family opted for a change in scenery, moving to Branson, Missouri.... He passed all the court-ordered drug tests. What his family didnt know was his drug addiction now included spice, which couldnt be detected by the tests....

As months passed, Moore grew homesick, and an old girlfriend wanted to see him. He made it back to Mississippi before Christmas. I return and have like no money, so what do I do? he wrote in a sworn statement. I decide to steal out of some cars to get some money. In a Reservoir neighborhood, he went from car to car, stealing University of Alabama floor mats, an iPod, a University of Florida gator decal and other items.

On Feb. 2, 2012, the Rankin County Sheriffs Department arrested him and charged him with breaking into six cars.... After two weeks in jail, the judge released him on bond with the understanding he would go to a drug rehabilitation center, where he stayed 30 days. He admitted using crack cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.

A day after his release in April 2012, deputies responded to a call, where they questioned Moore about a mother saying he had sex with her 15-year-old girl. They arrested him, and he sat in jail for two weeks on a statutory rape charge. He insisted on his innocence, but he failed his polygraph test. Once again, the judge sent him for 30 days to drug rehab.

After his release, his mother witnessed an improvement. He got a job at a car dealership... [but] when his employer learned of his burglary arrest, he was fired. Devastated, he sank into depression. A psychiatrist diagnosed him with bipolar disorder and prescribed medication. His mother said her son continued to struggle and began hanging out with the wrong crowd....

On a Thursday morning, Jan. 10, 2013, Moore discovered he had 21 missed calls on his cell phone. When he talked with his mother, she told him deputies were looking for him. They say youve been breaking into houses.... That evening, deputies showed up a second time, jailing his mother, father and 14-year-old brother on accessory after the fact charges after learning he was in Louisiana.

Moores grandmother decided to turn him in to the Rankin County jail on Sunday, a day before his court appearance. When they arrived in Brandon, he bolted. Deputies pursued him and caught him in a Reservoir subdivision, charging him with five counts of house burglary. With his family behind bars, he confessed to the burglaries.

In a March 4, 2013, memo, the district attorneys office gave Moore two options: He could plead guilty to auto and home burglaries and receive 50 years, or he could plead guilty to the burglaries and statutory rape, and receive 30 years. Moore refused to plead guilty to statutory rape.

Ten days later, his new defense lawyer, John Colette of Jackson, proposed to prosecutors an alternative of 25 years in prison, with 25 suspended.... In response to the 50-year offer from prosecutors, Colette told them in a July 26, 2013, email, Nobody was killed.

The district attorneys office didnt budge. Moore faced a new charge, this time of escape, after his bunkmate tried to pry open a window in the Rankin County jail. Colette spoke with the sheriff and prosecutors, who agreed to dismiss the charge.

On Aug. 5, 2013, Moore pleaded guilty to five counts of auto burglary and one count of house burglary. I just wanted to tell everyone I hurt Im sorry, and my family, he told the judge. Im not a bad guy. Ive made some mistakes and Im on drugs and I ran with the wrong crowd.... He confessed, I dont understand anything anymore, and I need help.....

In keeping with the plea bargain, the judge sentenced him to 60 years in prison, suspending 10 of those years, with each sentence running consecutively. Circuit Judge John Emfinger dismissed the other burglary charges and the statutory rape charge. Because authorities recovered nearly all of the items, the judge ordered less than $300 in restitution.

Moore thought his sentences would run concurrently. It did not seem real, he wrote, and to this day, it does not seem real.... When Moore arrived at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, a correctional officer thought the 50 years of time were a mistake and double-checked with Rankin County Circuit Court to make sure the burglary sentences were indeed consecutive, not concurrent....

Moore's new lawyer, veteran defense attorney Tom Fortner, said the 50 years seems like an awfully harsh sentence for a young person without a prior felony. There are a lot of people convicted for worse crimes who arent getting 50 years in prison. Fortner asked Judge Emfinger to reconsider his clients case, saying his then-defense lawyer, Colette, failed to make clear to Moore how soon he would be eligible for parole. Moore initially believed he would be eligible for parole as early as 2017, but it turned out he wont be eligible until at least 2025. His tentative release date is 2061.
 An (unhelpful?) exploration of how a troubled young man gets 50 years in Mississippi prison for first felony convictions | Main | Some Dostoevsky-inspired insights on the death penalty delay canard 

May 3, 2016

"Do Public Defenders Spend Less Time on Black Clients?"

The question in the title of this post is the headline of this interesting new Marshall Project piece. Here are excerpts (with a couple of key links highlighted):

[There is a] rising awareness among public defenders that they may harbor the same hidden biases about race and ethnicity that are frequently attributed to police and prosecutors. A growing body of research has attempted to draw links between implicit bias  beliefs that unconsciously drive decisions and behavior  and the racial disparities that cut across every stage of the criminal justice system, from arrest to charge to incarceration to release. One study found that black defendants in Connecticut had bail amounts 25 percent higher than comparable white defendants, and another found black defendants drew sentences 12 percent longer in federal courts. Much of that research is focused on prosecutors, jurors, and judges, the triad that puts people away. But scholars are beginning to discuss how it also affects the work of public defenders, to the surprise of many. I figured: we understand racism, we know our clients, we get it, says Jeff Adachi, the elected public defender of San Francisco. But now Adachi is one of the converted, running twice-yearly all-day sessions for his staff in which they discuss how unconscious prejudices can sneak into their work. Its like waking up from a dream, Jacobs recalled. Discovering research that correlated skin tone with the harshness of sentences just made me sick. He remembered times in the past when he defended immigrants. Id think, well this case isnt as important as that of an American kid. It was a feeling of, theyre just going to plead guilty so why should I bother? [Bias] might manifest in whether the defender believes in the guilt or innocence of the person theyre representing, says Phoebe Haddon, the chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden. Or their assessment of their fellow counsel, the credibility of witnesses, whether to take a plea bargain. Haddon and the American Bar Association are developing videos to push judges, prosecutors, and defenders to discuss bias, and the first features a string of judges in a rare show of penitence. William Missouri, a black retired circuit court judge from Maryland, says he studied his own sentencing patterns and found I was biased against my own people. He looks stricken. Being accused of bias is like a knife slicing your skin; the cut may be shallow, but the hurt is deep. It goes beyond race: Cheryl Cesario, a former Chicago judge, admits that being Catholic meant that when a Catholic defendant came before her, I would expect more from them. Data is scant, since multiple factors create sentencing disparities, but many defenders believe one of the main consequences of implicit bias is how much time they spend on cases. Their offices tend to be poorly funded and inundated with far more cases than they have time to handle. They may expend more effort on cases in which they believe their client is factually innocent, professors Song Richardson and Philip Atiba Goff wrote in a 2013 article for the Yale Law Journal [available here]. If they are interpreting ambiguous evidence, a judgment of guilt may be cognitively easier to make because of the strong implicit association between blacks and crime. The surrender to implicit bias is exacerbated by stress, exhaustion, and speed  exactly the context in which public defenders find themselves. The research is still mostly theoretical, and the concrete suggestions tend to be vague. The video for judges suggests that they try to be more humble, slow down their work, and do more self-examination. Videos and other materials for public defenders and prosecutors will be released by the American Bar Association later this year. The association encourages all lawyers to take the Implicit Association Test, an online tool developed at Harvard University [available here].

I have long considered implicit bias to be a huge issue in he operation of the criminal justice system, but I also think there are lots and lots of (not-quite-so-controversial) biases that impact the work of defense attorneys (both public and private). In particular, based on my own experiences and watching a lot of defense attorneys at work, I often see and surmise that the involvement of passionate family members and/or firends can have a potentially huge impact on how much time a defense attorney will spend on efforts to secure a better plea deal and/or develop more mitigation arguments at sentencing. For most overworked lawyers, squeaky-wheel clients will often get more grease; but criminal defense attorneys can grow a bit numb to their clients' squeaks. But I suspect when the squeaks are coming from a defendant's family and friends, especially if those "squeaks" are respectful and help identify sound mitigating matters, it can really impact defense efforts.

May 3, 2016 at 11:44 AM | Permalink

Comments

Unfortunately, this is high on speculation, low on facts. It may very well be true, but it's hard to quantify (particularly since many Public Defenders are not the best at keeping accurate time since there's no need to bill for that time). The theory that defense attorneys spend more time on cases they believe to be innocent may be true, but, in my experience, it's certainly not the first reason to spend more time. The complexity of the case and the chance of success are the biggest factors. Whether there's an offer accepted early on is probably a factor as well (since most attorneys aren't going to keep working on a case they want to resolve).

Posted by: Erik M | May 3, 2016 1:14:29 PM

For both sides -- prosecution and defense -- a significant part of the job is triage and risk assessment. This triage/assessment involves multiple factors: 1) how undisputable are the "facts"; 2) do the facts support an alternative theory of the case; 3) how serious is the offense; 4) does the defendant have any prior offenses (and what were those priors); 5) can any of the State's evidence be kept out of court? Based on this information, both sides attempt to guess at what is likely to happen at trial -- will the jury find the defendant guilty as charged, guilty of a lesser-offense, or not guilty -- and what the court is likely to do at sentencing (either after trial or on an open-plea). If both sides come to roughly the same conclusion, a plea bargain is likely and neither side will spend much time on the case. If both sides are too optimistic (the State seeing a higher sentence on a higher charge and the Defense seeing solid chances of a lower charge or even not guilty) -- or the Defendant is unwilling to accept counsel's advice -- a quick plea bargain becomes less likely and the two sides will ultimately spend more time on the case.

Unless a study has good controls (e.g., putting to the side "quick" pleas, taking into account the complexity of a case and the seriousness of the offense), it is likely to misstate whether race has a latent impact on the work done by defense attorneys.

Posted by: tmm | May 4, 2016 10:25:26 AM

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While the five hunger strikers demanding that Mayor Lee fire Chief Suhr have been planning to visit City Hall tomorrow and demand parley with him according to 48 Hills, it appears that the mayor visited the site of their protest today and was confusingly rebuffed in his attempt to engage the protestors.

Led by local rapper Ilych "Equipto" Sato and his mother Maria Cristina Gutierrez, who is 66 years old, the hunger strikers, now calling themselves the Frisco Five, have spent 12 days without food. Their demand for Suhr's removal stems from a number of SFPD shooting that have taken the lives of black and brown men, most recently that of Luis Gongora, homeless man living in the Mission. Their outrage is further accentuated by the ongoing racist police texting scandal.

They have announced their plan to go to City Hall Tuesday, and 48 Hills guesses they may do so in wheelchairs for full dramatic effect.

According to Mission Local's coverage, Lee entered the Mission District police station unannounced via a side door just after noon Monday. Inside, Gutierrez, who has apparently been granted access to the station's bathroom, which was previously a sticking point, spotted Lee on her way out, suggesting he was trying to "sneak" on them.

I did not let him talk because I need the five together in order to meet with him, she tells Mission Local. Per that publication, "the strikers said they would not meet with the mayor on his terms," and instead plan their effort for tomorrow.

#Frisco5 say #SF mayor Ed Lee just came and tried to meet with them at Mission station; he went away empty handed. pic.twitter.com/lfnTZFQd0w  Jonah Owen Lamb (@jonahowenlamb) May 2, 2016

Ed Lee is here at the station! 17th & Valencia! We told him we demand to meet tomorrow 2pm! Everyone come here if you can!! He's inside now!  Equipto (@EQUIPTO) May 2, 2016

"The mayor went out there, he rearranged his schedule today, wanted to make himself available, and they refused to meet with him, mayoral spokesperson Christine Falvey said. He really wanted to go out and offer to meet with them one-on-one or as group with no conditions, to hear them out, and to tell them about [police] reform efforts.

The mayor stayed in the station, attending meetings for about half an hour, before leaving as he came in, through a side door to the parking lot.

"You let us starve out here for 12 days," Sellassie Blackwell, who is among the hunger strikers, reportedly shouted. How dare you, blood?

Were 12 days into starvation," Edwin Lindo, another striker and a District Nine supervisorial candidate, shouted through a bull horn. "You know what that says to us? You didnt care,

According to Falvey, Lee has been monitoring the hunger strike since its announcement, and had gotten wind of the plan for tomorrow, thus attempting the meeting Monday.

Update: The mayor's appearance at Mission Station is looking more and more like political theater of his own, as this (apparently staged) photo appears with a C.W. Nevius column Tuesday, trying to suggest that the activists have won, police reforms are happening, and that they're all just stubbornly calling for Chief Suhr to still be fired.

Previously: Protesters Block Valencia Street After Police Cut Short Community Meeting
One of the three suspects accused of two murders this past October has pleaded guilty and will testify against the other two. According to CBS 5, Sean Angold will testify against his co-defendants, Morrison Lampley and Lila Alligood. Angold pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder.

As you surely remember, the three stand accused of killing and robbing a 23-year-old Canadian backpacker in Golden Gate Park before murdering a 67-year-old man in Marin two days later. They were later found and arrested near a Portland soup kitchen. At the time, they were discovered in possession of a car belonging to one of the victims, well-liked yoga instructor Steve Carter, as well as what is believed to be the murder weapon.

The backpacker, Audrey Carey, was apparently found tied up. "She wanted to travel," The Chronicle reports a relative of Carey's as saying at the time. "It was her first trip.

Later, Haight Street neighbors and other local street folk said in a community meeting that that three drifters had been doing hard drugs around the Haight in the weeks before their spree, and "acting so edgy they even spooked the street folks."

In what is a new development in the case, KRON 4 reports that prosecutors are now saying they believe 23-year-old Lampley was the trigger man in both murders. He also stands accused of animal cruelty in the shooting of Carter's doberman, the dog he was walking at the time of his murder.

The three are all being prosecuted in Marin County, where prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. If found guilty, Lampley and 19-year-old Alligood could be sentenced to life without parole.

Previously: No Death Penalty Sought In Case Of Alleged Drug-Addled Drifter Murderers
Afeni Shakur Davis, a political activist perhaps best known to the public as the mother of slain rapper Tupac Shakur, died Monday night following reports that she suffered a cardiac arrest in her Sausalito, California home. She was 69 years old.

According to a spokesperson with the Marin County Sheriff's Department, deputies were called to Davis' home around 9:30 Monday night. She was transported to an area hospital, and was declared dead at 10:28 p.m.

The Marin County Sheriffs Coroners Office will lead an investigation to determine the exact cause of death, the spokesperson said.

Sheriff's Coroners Office will lead investigation to determine exact cause & manner of Afeni Shakur's death.  Marin County Sheriff (@MarinSheriff) May 3, 2016

Born Alice Faye Williams in 1947, Davis changed her name when she joined the Black Panthers in the early years of the movement. According to the New York Daily News, in 1969 Davis and several other members of the Black Panthers were imprisoned in New York for a conspiracy to "bomb multiple, busy city landmarks." Davis successfully represented herself in court and had her case acquitted in May 1971, shortly before Shakur was born.

After leaving New York, the family eventually settled in the Bay Area. In his youth, Shakur lived in Marin City's public housing projects and attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, before rising to fame with the East Bay-based Digital Underground.

Davis was the subject of Shakur's 1995 hit Dear Mama, and her work as an activist was frrequently cited as an inspiration by her son.

The following year, Shakur was killed at age 25 when shot by an unknown suspect as he rode in a car on the Las Vegas strip. After his death, Davis founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation in his honor and managed the late rapper's estate, which has been estimated to earn between as much as a million dollars a year. Most recently, Davis had greenlit Shakur biopic All Eyez On Me , in which The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira portrayed Davis. Shooting on the film reportedly wrapped this week.

TMZ reports that Davis recently separated from her husband of 12 years, Gust Davis. According to a Marin County Sheriff's Department spokesperson, more information on her death is expected to be released on Thursday, if not before.


If you haven't heard about Sudden Oak Death, it's a fungal disease that can wipe out a variety of California's tree species, it's spread by wind and rain, and after first becoming an epidemic here in 2002, it's now gotten to the point where any efforts to stop it will likely not help. SFist first wrote about the problem in 2004 (in the first year this site existed) when the disease, with the Latin pathogenic name of Phytophthora ramorum, was first recorded in Golden Gate Park, killing trees in the AIDS Memorial Grove. As the Washington Post now reports in a disturbing update, California's coastal forests, especially those north of Monterey County, are all affected now, with whole areas of California bay laurel, oak, and tanoak trees either dead or dying  and becoming crispy tinder for potential wildfires in the process.

Fortunately, not all trees are susceptible, but it's still an upsetting site and a major threat to Northern California as another fire season approaches.

Per the Post:

The pathogen is a fungus that affects different trees differently, and not all are susceptible. It will tear through a forest and kill some trees while leaving others standing. But in some trees, the pathogen causes tree trunks to crack open a canker and literally bleed out sap. The disease is actually related to the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1800s.

Experts say that while some extremely costly and unprecedented efforts could have been taken to clear out affected trees back in 2002, the time for that is long past, and no similar effort would be likely to stave off what is now a "phase 3" epidemiological state covering millions of acres of forest.

Adding to the anxiety over this is a different problem, connected with our ongoing drought: the bar beetle. As we saw in this drone footage last month, bark beetles, which are a part of the ecosystem in California's pine forests, are doing severe damage across large areas near Yosemite and elsewhere, killing trees in large numbers that could similarly create a fire hazard. The cause is a lack of sufficient sap coming from the trees, as a result of the drought, the sap being the natural enemy of the beetles and the trees' only defense against them.

The P. ramorum pathogen, meanwhile, is an invasive species of fungus that, as UC Davis postdoc fellow Richard Cobb told the Post, was barely seen as a threat before making its way from Europe to here. "It was known as this minor pathogen of Rhododendron in the Netherlands prior to arrival in California," he said.

The new alert about California's trees and Sudden Oak Death comes via some new research published Monday by Cobb and his colleagues in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

And even though the pathogen can't be eradicated at this point, efforts by foresters and others can at least contain it and save trees in certain areas of the state.


After four years of fighting back and forth, with the City of Oakland, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and many others on the side of the dispensary, the federal government has apparently dropped its lawsuit that sought to shut down Oakland's Harborside Health Center and seize the landlord's property on which it was housed. The massive dispensary, in business since 2006 and often cited as the largest in the country, became one of multiple targets of former U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag during a bizarre crackdown on the medical marijuana industry around the Bay Area in 2011 and 2012. But today, Oakland officials including Mayor Libby Schaaf and City Councilperson Rebecca Kaplan gave a press conference on the steps of City Hall, as CBS 5 reports, announcing that the U.S. Attorney's Office had dropped the suit, despite the fact that a spokesman for that office denied that the suit was dropped.

"We have a great victory to celebrate and now folks dont have to worry about a federal raid," said Kaplan, suggesting that all dispensaries were now free and clear.

Said Mayor Schaaf, "The city of Oakland is celebrating today because we believe in compassionate care and public health and the wise expenditure of public funds."

Harborside had become a bit of a favorite target for the federal government, likely because of its size. It was said to be doing $22 million in business each year as of 2012, and serving up to 800 patients per day. In 2011, the IRS came after the dispensary for $2.5 million in back taxes, and not long after, in July 2012, came the threat from Haag that the government would be seizing the dispensary's property, setting off the four-year legal battle that seems to have ended today.

The City of Oakland had tried to appeal to the Supreme Court this year to participate in the lawsuit on Harborside's behalf, but SCOTUS passed on the case, letting a lower court ruling stand that disallowed the city's participation. The city had been arguing that shuttering the huge operation could lead to a boom in illegal drug sales, and put a dent in the city's tax revenue in the process.

The crackdown of five years ago, which was joined by U.S. Attorneys representing all regions of California, focused on what the government saw as overstepping by the state's medical marijuana industry, violating even the state laws that had sought to provide regulation and limitations to its growth. Creating some of the outlines of what will sure be more local battles if recreational marijuana is legalized in this year's election in California, the various crackdowns focused on dispensaries in SF that were too close to schools and playgrounds, in violation of local laws, and some in southern California in municipalities that had already voted them illegal. By making exceptions in federal law that would have called for a wholesale shutdown of all the businesses, and only focusing on local enforcement, the crackdown seemed confused from the outset, and was mostly the feds' efforts to tamp down an industry that they saw as growing out of control.

Impending legalization of recreational marijuana, of course, would have made the Harborside suit look all the more insane, so today's news was inevitable, but still welcome.

Previously: Make No Mistake: The Feds Are Coming After Medical Marijuana

Supreme Court Won't Allow Oakland To Protect Massive Medical Pot Dispensary


The "Oscars of the Food World" happened last night as the chef and restaurant portion of the annual James Beard Foundation Awards took place in Chicago  on the traditional night off for chefs, a Monday. And while San Francisco was honored with a number of spots and talented people making the list of finalists this year, it was Los Angeles's turn to sweep the awards in many of these categories  this despite the fact that SF has been consistently named the best food city in the country over the last couple of years, as Eater is quick to point out.

As noted earlier, Liholiho Yacht Club was nominated in the Best New Restaurant category, but that prize went to chef Alon Shaya's Shaya in New Orleans. State Bird Provisions took home this award a couple years ago, and its chefs, Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krazinski won in the Best Chef: West category in 2015.

Beating out our own Michael Tusk of Quince, longtime LA chef Suzanne Goin of the restaurants Lucques and A.O.C. took home the Outstanding Chef prize.

And in the Best Chef: West category, which typically oscillates between SF and LA winners, multi-year nominees Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, co-chefs at Animal, Son of a Gun, and Jon & Vinny's, took home the prize this time, beating out SF's Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn, Petit Crenn), Matt Accarrino (SPQR), and Corey Lee (Benu).

Dahlia Narvaez, of LA's Osteria Mozza, also took home the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef, a category in which SF had no finalists this year.

The big prize for Outstanding Restaurant in the nation, which in recent years has gone to Boulevard and Slanted Door in SF, went to Alinea in Chicago this time around.

Despite multiple years getting nominated in the Outstanding Bar Program category, Bar Agricole lost out this year to Brooklyn's Maison Premiere.

The James Beard Awards are, much like the Oscars, an insular and political affair in which, unlike at the Oscars, finalists/nominees tend to be re-nominated year after year until they win  and cities that haven't gotten enough love in recent years, like LA, will see their fortunes turn all at once, as they did this year. So chances are SF will once again have a fine showing next year, and we just had to give this one to LA.

If you're a traveling foodinista and want to see all the awards, the full list is here.

Previously: Liholiho Yacht Club Tops SF Finalists For 2016 James Beard Awards
Cinco de Mayo (literally the fifth of May) is a day celebrating Mexican heritage and, more importantly, a perfect excuse to enjoy south-of-the-border food and drink.

However, it is not Mexican Independence Day.

As a way to get you in the mood for Thursday (which is, of course, Cinco de Mayo) as well as a preview of Wednesday's Journal food centerpiece (which profile Paola and Ruben Aguinaga, owners of the new Le Mars, Iowa's La Juanita), we'll list five things you may not know about Cinco de Mayo.

1. It's not the equivalent of our Fourth of July

Mexico's official Independence Day -- which celebrates the country's independence from Spanish rule -- is actually held on Sept. 16. Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's victory over the French army during 1862's The Battle of Puebla.

2. Cinco de Mayo is not a big holiday in Mexico

Ask most native Mexicans about Cinco de Mayo and they'll tell you it's like any other day. Unless you live around Puebla -- about 100 miles east of Mexico City -- Cinco de Mayo celebrations are practically unheard of south-of-the-border.

3. However, Cinco de Mayo is a big in America

Americans look upon Cinco de Mayo as they do St. Patrick's Day or Oktoberfest or the Chinese New Year. It's simply a time to sample food and drink from a different country. Indeed, many communities host an Cinco celebrations on the actual day or hold off on the festivities until the closest weekend.

4. 'Tequila': The song for Cinco de Mayo?

This is just a guess, but the Champs' 1958 song -- whose entire lyric ("Tequila") is spoken three times during the course of the song -- will probably be heard at most Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Yet, our favorite rendition of "Tequila" occurred in Paul Reuben's 1985 classic "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."

5. Margarita: The unofficial drink for Cinco de Mayo?

The exotic cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, lemon or lime juice and served on a salt-rimmed glass is certainly popular on Cinco de Mayo.

But the drink -- invented by a Mexico City bartender named Willie in 1934 -- already has its own holiday. National Margarita Day is celebrated on Feb. 22.

That shouldn't prevent you from enjoying this festive drink (along with a festive meal) on Thursday. Just be sure to toast the brave Mexican soldiers who fought valiantly in the Battle of Puebla 154 years earlier.
At Liberty Elementary School Art teacher, Karla Grigg had students create birds using clay to build clay birds. After the birds had been kiln fired, the students worked with an oil pastel coloring method. Once colored, the birds were dunked in black ink to create an oil pastel resist. The students added handles and legs using pipe cleaners and beads. The artistic birds make wonderful decorative hanging art for the window, hallways, or walls. Students learned more about a multi-media approach to art, along with the potters clay experience. KUDOS to Ms. Grigg at Liberty Elementary!

Second grade artists showcased for this issue from Liberty: Cadynse Franklin, Dominick Torres, Kaleb Kopple, and Layla Saul

Annika Kolbo is the art instructor at Lincoln and Crescent Park Elementary schools. London Vergiths self-portrait demonstrates an understanding of facial proportion and Rembrandts use of light and dark. Kaden Nguyens Matisse vase sculpture shows the student use of solar power machines to create a sculpture inspired by Henri Matisse. Ashley Les printmaking art is designed to share the art period of Fauvism with readers. Multiple media creates a dimensional sense to the piece. All three of these pieces were designed by Crescent Park students.

Lincoln Elementary third grade students learned the art of weaving. Christian Spencers piece showed weaving from a circular loom and the design generates possibilities for all kinds of use.

First grade student Stella Durr created a Japanese bento box, a collage that demonstrates a very healthy lunch for the diner! Kindergarten student Eyan Kilberg learned about ancient Egyptians and manipulated clay into a creative scarab necklace. Eyan learned that scarabs were placed on the heart to protect a mummy in the afterlife!

Nicole Nelsons art students at Leeds shared a variety of mixed media and integrated study projects. Working with a Native theme alongside multicultural settings, the students created a variety of art pieces. The Inuit culture is depicted in the Bear Claw necklace by Ben H. Turtles, which are honored in a number of cultures including these Russian tortoises, were designed from a pinch pot clay piece and rolled into coils to create the legs, head and tail. Artist Christian C. shares his piece with our readers. Artists in the third grade looked at a variety of Native American storytellers and learned about artist Hellen Cordero.

Earthenware sculptures were fired and details added by artists such as Mason A. from the third grade. Pueblo Black Pottery is noted throughout the world. Maria Martinez, a well- known Pueblo potter created Black Pottery and students from the third grade selected designs to decorate their own versions. Artists Joshua M. and Shaylee I. demonstrate a rounded vase and a taller vase in their versions.

Fourth grade artists learned about paper from Mexico that is made by hand from the bark of a mulberry tree. Special paper was used as a base for the wolf (Olivia L.) and the frog (Emily J.) fourth grade students who used bright paint to colors simulate the authentic amate paintings.

Colorful parrots were colored in detail by fourth grade students and Gavin B. added the environment to authenticate his creation from a tropical perspective.

Last, but never least, Fifth grade artists learned about tapa cloth made in the Pacific Islands. Women pound the pulp of a mulberry tree to qualify the tapa cloth. Stencils are applied to create patterns on the tapa. Jaidyn M., fifth grade student, then glued layers of paper and drew a border using more traditional colors.

As we know, earth may not be the artistic planet in the universe sothrowing in a little alien design from outer space, third grade students Alivia C. and Anthony S. combined different shapes to create sketches of aliens. Using chalk and special painting techniques, they traced and jazzed up their aliens for the Kid Scoop News Siouxland show.
Christian Spencer Grade 3 Lincoln Elementary School

In this project, students learned how to weave on a circular loom to create something new. Each student used old yarn that was donated from another art department. Some students turned their weaving project into a Frisbee, a coaster, and even will use it for a Barbie house!

Stella Durr 1st Grade Lincoln

Bento Box Lunch

In 1st grade the students have been learning about Japanese art and culture. A bento box is basically a lunch box that is used by many people in Japan. Students used collage to create their very own bento box.

Eyan Kilberg Kindergarten Lincoln Elementary

In Kindergarten, students learned about the Ancient Egyptians. Students learned how to manipulate clay and how to paint a real clay sculpture. Students used clay to create a scarab necklace. In Ancient Egypt, scarabs were placed on the heart to protect a mummy in the afterlife.
MILFORD, Iowa | An Okoboj teacher who failed police alcohol tests while chaperoning the high school prom Saturday night agreed to resign Tuesday.

Royce Van Roekel, who taught business education and coached cross country, pleaded guilty Monday to a public intoxication charge. The charge is subject to a fine and court costs totaling $225.

Milford police responded to the Boji Bay Fun House & Event Center, where Van Roekel was serving as a chaperone at the prom dance Saturday night. Van Roekel, 33, failed a field sobriety test. His blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, police said.

At a special meeting Tuesday, the Okoboji school board accepted Van Roekel's resignation effective June 1. Superintendent Gary Janssen said Van Roekel will be suspended for the rest of the current school year and will be required to pay the cost of a substitute teacher.
SIOUX CITY | A teenager faces several charges after being caught with drugs, knives and a gun early Tuesday, according to authorities.

Court documents state Quisean Ingram, 19, of Sioux City, was driving near Helen Street and Leech Avenue at about 1:40 a.m. when a traffic stop revealed he did not have a valid drivers license.

After three other occupants in the car were removed, a .22 handgun fell to the ground when police officers opened the driver side rear door.

During a search, officers found .1 grams of meth in the center console, .3 grams of meth in the back seat, a meth pipe in the glove box, a large, five inch blade knife between the drivers seat and center console and a folding knife with a 3.5 inch blade under the radio.

Ingram said all the items were his in a post-Miranda interview with investigators, documents state.

Ingram faces charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, carrying weapons knife over five inches, manner of conveyance loaded gun and carrying a concealed weapon.

It is a misdemeanor to be armed with a knife longer than three inches in Sioux City except when the person is on their own property.

Ingram was booked into the Woodbury County Jail, where he is being held on $6,200 bond.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY | Dale Barnett, national commander of the American Legion, will visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at Siouxland Freedom Park May 16.

Barnett will participate in a commemorative ceremony at 11:30 a.m. with members of the South Sioux City American Legion Post #307.

A color guard and firing party will observe the occasion with a flag presentation, 21-gun salute, and playing taps.

The party will retire to a noon luncheon at the Legion post, 109 E. 19th St.

Barnett was elected national commander of the American Legion last year. A West Point graduate with a degree in international relations and public affairs, he earned an MBA at Boston University and is a graduate of the Armys Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Barnett served as an infantry officer from 1974 to 1996, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He served in combat command positions in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

For more information, contact Mike Newhouse at 712-253-0063.
SIOUX CITY | DuWayne Allen Rich Jr., 70, of Sioux City passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, at his home after a 16-year battle with cancer.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home, 1801 Morningside Ave., Sioux City, Iowa 51106. Private family graveside services will be in Graceland Park Cemetery, Sioux City. Visitation with the family present will be 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1101 S. Cornelia, Sioux City. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.christysmith.com.

DuWayne "Dewey" was born Jan. 1, 1946, in Sioux City. He was the son of DuWayne and Margaret (Tolmie) Rich. Dewey began his passion for auto mechanics early in his life, spending hours at his father's gas station, Rich Brothers Conoco on South Lakeport Road. He attended Sioux City Schools, graduating from East High School in 1964, and went on to attend Universal Trade School in Omaha. Dewey returned to Sioux City after graduation and went to work for Dallas Hall Ford, where he met and made many lifelong friends.

On April 27, 1968, he married Laurie Simmons and started working for Terra Chemical the same week. Together DuWayne and Laurie celebrated 48 years to the date and had two daughters.

Dewey was devoted to his family and Grace Lutheran Church, where he was a member and served as a trustee and an elder. He removed snow and cut grass for over 30 years voluntarily.

He also loved working for Terra Chemical, where he was the mobile equipment technician, working on everything from bicycles to a railroad switch engine. Even after the explosion of 1994, his desire was to return and help with the rebuilding of the plant, which he was able to do, and he continued to work for another five years.

Dewey never met a person he couldn't talk to and will be missed by many good friends. He will always be remembered for loving God, his family, his church, hard work and having a spirit of servanthood.

Survivors include his wife, Laurie Rich; two daughters, Robyn Rich and Jody and Scott Wilcox; two grandsons, Noah Rubida and Caleb Wilcox; a granddaughter, Alexis Wilcos; a brother, Jerry and Sue Rich; dear friend, Jeff and Sundee Anderson; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, DuWayne and Margaret Rich; and a granddaughter, Gracie Ann Wilcox.
Hulse is doing what she believes to be right. If you want to call her something, call her an example to landowners whose property is along the route of Navigator's proposed CO2 pipeline. She wants others like her to know they're not powerless.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY | Once Indiana primary voters have their say on the presidential race Tuesday, attention will turn to Nebraska.

Democrats in the Cornhusker State had their turn during the March caucuses, but Nebraska Republicans will vote in the May 10 primary as front-runner Donald Trump looks to solidify his status.

Trump won all five Republican state contests on April 26. The big contest ahead is the California primary on June 7, as Trump aims to wrap up the needed 1,237 delegates to seize the nomination. Trump needs to win 47 percent of the remaining delegates to prevent a contested Republican National Convention.

Trump and fellow Republican candidates Ted Cruz and John Kasich are after the 36 Nebraska delegates up for grabs. The public schedules of those three through Monday didn't show events beyond Tuesday or any planned for Nebraska, but political observers expect they will swing through.

"Our people want to see these folks," Nebraska Republican Party Executive Director Bud Synhorst said, adding that he has heard all three Republicans will be in the state in events to be determined.

Also on the Nebraska primary ballot will be Republican candidates who dropped out, including Ben Carson and Marco Rubio.

Dakota County Republican Party Chairman Randy Meyer said he hasn't heard that any of the three candidates may campaign in Northeast Nebraska. Synhorst said Cruz has been the only candidate who has held campaign events in the state prior to May. Cruz's wife, Heidi, was in Norfolk and other towns a week ago.

Wayne State College political science professor Mark Leeper said Cruz is best positioned in Nebraska, as Trump's campaign team has only lately gotten started in the state.

"The race is Cruz's to lose -- he gained the endorsement of (U.S. Sen.) Ben Sasse, has trotted his wife across the state and enjoyed victories in neighboring Kansas, Colorado and Iowa," Leeper said.

Leeper said Trump's speeches about making American great again play well with lower-middle-class people, but "Trump's bluster and basic misogyny is not a good fit for Nebraska's Republicans."

Meyer said Siouxland people he speaks to seem to narrowly favor Trump over Cruz, with Kasich in third.

"I think (Trump) will probably take Nebraska. I don't think it will be a landslide by any stretch," Meyer said.

Meyer said people are passionate in their support of Trump since he speaks against the status quo, even if they may have problems "with how he says things." He said the appeal of Cruz is that he is "not neck-deep in politics," while Kasich has a more moderate set of stances that some Republicans like.

Synhorst said Nebraskans in 2016 are interested in hearing candidate positions on pocketbook issues and defense.

"The fear of the unknown on what could be next (in terms of) terrorism is out there," Synhorst said.

Leeper said the 2016 race has been more personality-driven than issue-oriented.

"The candidates take the same basic stands on immigration, Obamacare, providing jobs and economic stimulus, reducing government, and obliterating ISIS (the Islamic State terrorist group). This is a campaign that is notably personality-driven. Voters who simply like a candidate more will project their policy preferences onto that candidate, given both Trump and Cruz have been short on specifics," Leeper said.

The other state with a primary on May 10 is West Virginia.

The Iowa caucuses were held as the first-in-the-nation contest on Feb. 1. The final Siouxland state gets in the presidential nominee selection process when the South Dakota primary is held June 7.
SIOUX CITY | It's not unusual to hear military veterans boast about how the particular branch of the service in which they served is better than the others.

Hang around them often enough, and you'll hear them engaged in (usually) good-natured banter about who's tougher, smarter or did a better job.

But when it comes to working on something that honors their country and other veterans, all those rivalries are quickly put aside.

So it was no surprise when on Friday, four veterans, one each from the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force, met at Sioux City's Memorial Park Cemetery to brainstorm about what could be done to fix up a World War I cannon dedicated many years ago in an area where many veterans are buried.

The cannon, more than 100 years old, was used in France in 1918, and the U.S. War Department awarded it to the Sioux City chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart in 1942.

Just when it was dedicated in the cemetery isn't known, but a Journal photo taken in 1954 shows the cannon in the cemetery.

What's certain is the 4-ton cannon has seen better days.

The wooden wheels and spindles are rotting, and several spindles in one of the wheels are missing. There's some rust under the peeling paint on the metal.

"The wheels have slowly gotten worse over the years," said cemetery superintendent Danny Kuhlmann, who began working here in 1977.

Kuhlmann said a tight budget has prevented the privately owned cemetery from making repairs.

The veterans, all from Kingsley and Le Mars, decided it wasn't right that something this special has deteriorated.

"Not that it is our responsibility, but it is our responsibility as veterans," said Kie Ahrens, commander of American Legion Nash Post 140 in Kingsley. "To me, it's something to be proud of. If somebody doesn't take care of it, it's going to be gone before long."

Ahrens, an Air Force veteran, noticed the cannon on Memorial Day last year, and mentioned it to Curt Moodie, an Army veteran from Kingsley who's also a Plymouth County Veterans Service commissioner. He agreed something must be done.

On Friday, the two, along with Wayne Schipper, a Navy veteran and fellow Veterans Service commissioner from Le Mars, and Wayne Thieman, a Marine veteran and Plymouth County Veterans Service director from Le Mars, walked around and around the cannon, poring over every inch, discussing how the wheels might be replaced, finding someone to sandblast the rust off the cannon and how to go about getting the money to do it.

"Something just needs to be done with it," Ahrens said.

The Kingsley veterans are no strangers to restoring antique cannons. On Memorial Day, they rededicated a refurbished Civil War cannon at Kingsley's cemetery. For years, the cannon barrel had rested on a concrete base that had begun to crumble. They raised $13,000 to have a Virginia craftsman build a replica of the cannon's carriage. It was a costly project, but the cannon is now a proud reminder of the service to the country by many of those buried there.

Though they don't live in Sioux City or Woodbury County, these Plymouth County veterans would like to see the same thing done in the Sioux City cemetery.

They'd also like to know more about the cannon itself. There are few records on Sioux City's chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The chapter's charter, found at the Sioux City Public Museum, says the group was chartered on March 4, 1938. The chapter no longer exists, but the group's national office and adjutants from chapters in Sioux Falls and Des Moines said they couldn't find any records indicating when it disbanded or became inactive.

Thieman, a lifetime member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter in Sioux Falls, plans to do more research and see if the national office, as well as local chapters, might donate toward the cannon's restoration.

Moodie said he hoped that other veterans' organizations and individuals from Sioux City and the area would help with the project.

"We want it to be a Siouxland project. Everyone should care about this," Moodie said.

He's right, of course.

If guys from all the service branches can get together to support it, it's surely a project that everyone can get behind.
WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump's damage to the Republican Party, although already extensive, has barely begun. Republican quislings will multiply, slinking into support of the most anti-conservative presidential aspirant in their party's history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the party's reconstruction. For example, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's ignominious straddle during his state's primary -- agnosticism about Trump's serial absurdities and indecencies -- perhaps served his re-election prospects but certainly made his former conservative admirers consider his continuance in office unimportant.

Ted Cruz's announcement of his preferred running mate has enhanced the nomination process by giving voters pertinent information. They already know the only important thing about Trump's choice: His running mate will be unqualified for high office because he or she will think Trump is qualified.

Hillary Clinton's optimal running mate might be Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a pro-labor populist whose selection would be balm for the bruised feelings of Bernie Sanders' legions. Running mates rarely matter as electoral factors: In 2000, Al Gore got 43.2 percent of the North Carolina vote. In 2004, John Kerry, trying to improve upon Gore's total there, ran with North Carolina Sen. John Edwards but received 43.6 percent. If, however, Brown were to help deliver Ohio for Clinton, the Republican path to 270 electoral votes would be narrower than a needle's eye.

Republican voters, particularly in Indiana and California, can, by supporting Cruz, make the Republican convention a deliberative body rather than one that merely ratifies decisions made elsewhere, some of them six months earlier. Republicans should understand that Trump would be the most unpopular nominee ever, unable to even come close to matching Mitt Romney's support among women, minorities and young people. In losing disastrously, Trump might create down-ballot carnage sufficient to end even Republican control of the House: Ticket splitting is becoming rare in polarized America: In 2012, only 5.7 percent of voters supported a presidential candidate and a congressional candidate of opposite parties.

At least half a dozen Republican senators seeking re-election and Senate aspirants can hope to win if the person at top of the Republican ticket loses their state by, say, only four points, but not if he loses by 10. A Democratic Senate probably would guarantee a Supreme Court with a liberal cast for a generation. If Clinton is inaugurated next Jan. 20, Merrick Garland probably will already be on the court -- confirmed in a lame duck Senate session -- and justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer will be 83, 80 and 78, respectively.

The minority of people who pay close attention to politics includes those who define an ideal political outcome and pursue it, and those who focus on the worst possible outcome and strive to avoid it. The former experience the excitements of utopianism, the latter settle for prudence's mild pleasure of avoiding disappointed dreams. Both sensibilities have their uses, but this is a time for prudence, which demands the prevention of a Trump presidency.

Were he to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One is to help him lose 50 states -- condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life. Second, conservatives can try to save from the anti-Trump undertow a saving remnant of senators, representatives, governors and state legislators.

It was 32 years after Jimmy Carter won 50.1 percent in 1976 that a Democrat won half the popular vote. Barack Obama won only 52.9 percent and then 51.1 percent, but only three Democrats -- Andrew Jackson (twice), Franklin Roosevelt (four times) and Lyndon Johnson -- have won more than 53 percent. Trump probably would make Clinton the fourth, and he would be a tonic for her party, undoing the extraordinary damage (13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governorships, 913 state legislative seats) Obama has done.

If Trump is nominated, Republicans working to purge him and his manner from public life will reap the considerable satisfaction of preserving the identity of their 162-year-old party while working to see that they forgo only four years of the enjoyment of executive power. Six times since 1945 a party has tried, and five times failed, to secure a third consecutive presidential term. The one success -- the Republicans' 1988 election of George H.W. Bush -- produced a one-term president. If Clinton gives her party its first 12 consecutive White House years, Republicans can help Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, or someone else who has honorably recoiled from Trump, confine her to a single term.
Five years ago (3/2/11) a column by Dean Krenz appeared in The Journal in which he drew parallels between our country and the Roman empire before its fall, prompting Krenz to question whether we are headed for a Roman-like fall. In November 2015, a Journal editorial was captioned "Rising debt will, eventually, crush this country."

Now Pat Buchanan (April 27) adds another dimension to the subject of survival by quoting Dennis Prager who accuses the secular conservatives of thinking that America can survive the death of God and religion.

Linda Holub's Regulars column on sex trafficking (April 24 Journal) makes the connection in her statement: "This is a huge cultural shift and evidence of a spiritual problem."

Our founding fathers repeatedly averred that the republic they fought and died for could be sustained only by a religious and moral society. John Adams said: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the governing of any other.

Buchanan opines "when faith dies, the culture dies, civilization dies, and the people begin to die." The founding fathers were weaned on the Bible and Christian teachings from childhood, whereas most children today have no knowledge of the Bible or Christianity. Instead of dismissing the Bible as obsolete and irrelevant, perhaps we should see if the "sickness of our soul" can be healed with restored faith as taught in Scripture.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." (Psalm 33:12) - Shirley Anderson, Sioux City
DICKENS, Iowa | Two people were seriously injured Tuesday when two vehicles collided about four miles east of Dickens, Iowa.

According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Jane Turner, 73, of Sherwood, Oregon, was westbound on U.S. Highway 18 at about 10:40 a.m.

Dale Noll, 83, of Emmetsburg, Iowa, was southbound on 310th Avenue, approaching the highway, the sheriff's office said.

Authorities said Noll failed to obey the stop sign and entered the intersection, colliding with Turner's vehicle. Noll's vehicle ended up in a creek, whicle Turner's vehicle came to a rest on the southwest shoulder of the intersection.

Turner and Noll were taken to Spencer Hospital. Their conditions were not available Tuesday evening.

Noll will be cited with failure to obey a stop sign, the sheriff's office said.

The Iowa State Patrol, Dickens Fire and Rescue and area emergency responders assisted with the crash.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa | On a blustery day with gusts up to 45 miles per hour, the tender tulip shoots trembled in the wind while people lined up outside of Stadscentrum like a Hollanders Black Friday.

Many were hoping to snap up new outfits for their fast-growing grandkids at the annual Dutch Costume Exchange. They needed to move fast. Within 30 minutes of the doors opening, about 40 costumes, priced at $35 to $150 or more, were pretty picked over.

Jeanine Oolman and her three daughters brought nearly half of them  22 new, authentic Dutch costumes  to the exchange.

In the last few years, theyve sewed 45-50 costumes a year. As soon as the Christmas tree goes away, her Dutch costume fabric comes out.

At the beginning of April, she had six weeks to fill orders for a dozen adult costumes. She gets the most requests for kids wear so they can participate in the Volksparade or Dutch-themed games and dancing.

Some of the most popular patterns seen on the streets during the Tulip Festival represent the provinces of Friesland and Gelderland for the girls and the town of Volendam for the boys. Generally, these patterns are simpler to sew and the fabrics are easier to find, which keeps the cost down.

Theyre expensive even to buy here, said Nancy Zeutenhorst, Dutch costume exchange coordinator. I think thats why people are hanging onto them yet. I know I do because Ive got grandkids that are going to start fitting into those smaller ones.

She still needed to make a couple costumes for a grandson and a granddaughter who had outgrown their outfits from last year.

Her family is from Gelderland, and unlike others who pick whats prettier or easier to sew, she stays true to her origins and makes the everyday wear outfit which features a black or blue tiny floral-patterned top with a black-and-white checked apron worn over a black or navy skirt. The look is completed with a ruffle-rimmed bonnet.

Zeutenhorst only constructs costumes for her family but at least half a dozen local seamstresses make authentic Dutch costumes for anyone willing to pay the price. Depending on the province, a custom-made outfit can cost $300 to $600.

Those who are handy with a needle and thread can go to the Orange City Library to find some of the simpler patterns while the more complicated ones are kept under lock and key in the Little White Store, where poffertjes are served during the Tulip Festival.

Oolman, who has been making authentic Dutch costumes for 20-some years, sticks to sewing the simpler ones like her mother did before her and now shares in the activity with her grown daughters.

I thoroughly enjoy sewing, she said. Some people get stressed out from sewing. If Im having a stressful day, I go sit by the sewing machine and I love sewing. Otherwise, you wouldnt keep it up.


MOTHER TONGUES Ever since I was a teenager I've bought used books. I like them clean, not marked up, but I also enjoy, somehow, knowing that this paper has been touched by other hands and these words have flowed into other minds. If the book has an interesting signature on the flyleaf, a "discarded" stamp from some rural library, or an odd bookplate, so much the better. When I was younger, I'd buy them at the local thrift shop, so they mostly were from close to home. Most were old novels or story collections -- I got my Dumas, Scott, Poe, Hawthorne that way. But with time my interests have grown more arcane, and with Internet resources like Alibris and Powells, I buy a book now because usually it's the only copy available, and I get it from wherever it comes from. I've bought several older, thorough, obscure language dictionaries in the last 10 years or so. Not the kind of thing most people would want to load down on their shelves: Thick blocks of book, mostly in German, published in the early 20th century. Really fine books, if you enjoy a well-made book. Their provenance, where they've been before they arrived in my hands, began to interest me the other night when I was looking something up in a German-language dictionary of French etymology printed at the university press in Heidelberg in the 1920s. The bookplate was a pen-and-ink sketch of an idyllic tropical scene, with dark-skinned people diving in calm waters beside a hut and under a palm tree. And the name was like something from Waugh: Peter Antony Lanyon-Orgill. It occurred to me that the Internet which brought me this book might tell me who he was. I looked over my shelf for other names to research, and realized I had two of his books -- the massive Oxford Sanskrit-English dictionary (by the delightfully named Monier Monier-Williams) also has his nameplate on it. As I suspected, he wasn't hard to find. To my delight, he was a sort of brilliant, bold, and controversial Cornwall character, characterized as a "fringe" figure in some quarters, cited as an authority in others. Peter A. Lanyon-Orgill (1924-2002) made himself a place in every bibliography of Pacific linguistics without, it could be argued, ever making any original contribution to the field. At one extreme his publishing activities verged on fraud and plagiarism, but from another point of view he made available work which otherwise might have languished unknown in manuscript form. Throughout it all, in parallel with his real life as a schoolmaster, he constructed an apparently imaginary scholarly career, complete with field research, advanced degrees, and learned colleagues, all largely of his own invention. His ancestor had sailed with Captain Cook, but his own writings elicit dire warning in scholarly books about the mysterious Easter Island writing systems. Apparently his library was broken up and sold when he died, which is how I came to own a little part of it, which I cherish more today than I did yesterday. Before I bought that Sanskrit-English dictionary, I bought a small Sanskrit-English dictionary online from Powells.com. When I got it, I realized it was going to be useless to me, because all the Indic words are in the Devanagari script, which I do not read sufficiently to transliterate. It looks to be an older book, possibly 19th century, originally published in India and reprinted in the 1990s in England. Still, I find myself sitting up at night, thumbing through it, scanning the columns of strange script and familiar definitions. A dictionary half in an unknown language is a fountain of inspiration. Delightful connections are expressed there, along with conceptions that convince me that, in ancient India, the world had a civilization that has hardly been matched in subtlety and sophistication. A man who does not cook for himself; a bad cook [a term of abuse].

A mouse; a miser.

Licked; surrounded.

m. A bee; a scorpion. f. A woman's female friend.

A whirlpool, a crowded place.

Inaccessible; unfit for sexual intercourse; difficult to understand. There are whole sermons and life lessons in a single word: Repentance, intense enmity, close attachment.

Fire; appetite; gold.

A great danger; a desperate act.

Supported; haughty; near; obstructed.

Touched; violated; judged; endured.

Relaxation; independence. There are mysteries fit to be taken whole as a poem by Wallace Stevens or William Carlos Williams, or to inspire a Borges ficcion: A benediction; a serpent's fang.

Homeless, imperishable.

Ungovernable; necessary.

Painting figures on the body; feathering an arrow. I meet words I wish I had; that is, words for which there is no single word in English that covers the same territory. Every language has such words. One of my linguistics books lists some examples of this from the Sye language of Micronesia: livinlivin - the top of something that is teetering over an edge and about to fall; orvalei - to complain, unjustly, that something is insufficient or not enough. Among the words in the Sanskrit dictionary I wish we had in English were ones meaning: Pleasure arising from sympathy.

One who has suppressed his tears.

An illustration of a thing by its reverse.

A practice not usually proper to the caste but allowable in time of distress.

A figure of speech dependent on sense and not on sound. INDEX - AUTHOR
There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to
In 1882, the Prospect House, a sprawling lodge overlooking a remote lake in New York's Adirondack Mountains, became the first hotel in the world to have electric lights in every room. Last month, a Quality Inn overlooking the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers became the first hotel in West Virginia to be powered by electricity drawn from the sun.



Each circumstance was remarkable, but of the two, the odds against a solar-powered hotel in a state so heavily devoted to coal were probably far longer. If historians a century from now are looking to pinpoint the day that the sun conquered coal, the ribbon cutting of the Mountain State's first solar hotel just might be it. Owned by the watersports company River Riders Inc., the hotel represents a transition in both energy and economics.



And it almost didn't happen. Last year, the West Virginia Legislature came within a filament of passing a bill that would have crippled the state's clean-energy concerns. Only an 11th-hour counterattack by friends of solar energy beat back the coal-friendly initiative. That the bill failed last year was curious enough; politicians of all stripes must kiss the ring of coal or kiss their electoral hopes goodbye. But this year, the issue didn't even come up, indicating that a page has turned.



This circumstance is part of a growing body of evidence that coal's tipping point may have been reached. Consider that in early April, Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was sentenced to a year in jail and fined $250,000 for conspiring to violate mine safety laws after a 2010 disaster that killed 29 miners. A piddling sentence perhaps, but it hasn't been that long that the idea of convicting any West Virginia coal executive of anything would have been unthinkable.



Even more telling, one coal company after another is beginning to file for bankruptcy. In January, Arch Coal Inc., the second-largest coal company in the United States, sought bankruptcy protection, and the largest, Peabody Energy, filed in April.



In Appalachia, the politicians like to blame President Obama's "war on coal" for the industry's misfortunes, but Obama can only wish he were that powerful. In truth, the story is written in the language of economics, not public environmental policy. Coal companies have run out of veins that can be easily and cheaply mined at the same time that the planet is awash in oil and natural gas. Fracking, an avert-your-eyes technology used to wring gas from the depths of the earth, might have its own issues, but this added production has been more damaging to coal than the EPA.



In 2010, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association, coal was used to generate 46 percent of the nation's energy. Last year, coal had been caught and exceeded by natural gas, its share of electricity production having plunged to 33 percent.



At a recent Audubon Society gathering in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle Colin Williams, whose Mountain View Solar and Wind LLC transformed the Harpers Ferry Quality Inn, said he no longer considers coal to be an enemy or a villain. It is merely another energy provider against which he expects solar to competeand win. While the 289 solar panels won't meet the hotel's total electricity needs, the $100,000 project is expected to pay for itself in six years, after tax credits and federal grants are factored in. According to the West Virginia Department of Commerce, The 82-kilowatt system will produce enough energy to offset an estimated $10,000-plus annually in electricity costs.



Williams believes solar is important not just for energy, but for the jobs it will create as we transition away from fossil fuels. Outsiders marvel that the people of Appalachia have remained fiercely loyal to coalafter more than a century of labor strife, mine disasters, indifference about miners' health, a flagrant disregard for the law and catastrophic environmental impacts. The simple explanation for that loyalty is that, economically speaking, for decades there was little else. Alternative energy can be that something else. Former miners can be trained to install and maintain solar panels, a technology that will provide decades of work.



This is appearing increasingly possible. In 2016, 26 gigawatts (1 gigawatt can power 700,000 homes) will be added to the U.S. grid, 16 of which will come from solar and wind power. When Tesla offered a $35,000 electric car for sale, commentators scoffeduntil 325,000 people plunked down a $1,000 deposit for a car that won't be delivered for another two years.



Obviously, there's a lot of punch left in coal. But those interested in reducing the flow of carbon into the atmosphere will discover that the end will come faster if advocates of alternative energy can sell their product not just as an environmental issue, but a jobs and gross domestic product issue as well.



Tim Rowland is a newspaper columnist and author of " Maryland's Appalachian Highlands: Massacres, Moonshine and Mountaineering."
(EDGE) -- The Los Angeles-based artist who made headlines this year for her unflattering portrait of GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said she was attacked by one of his supporters, the Daily Mail reports.

Illma Gore took to social media and posted selfies, showing a black eye. She said a man got out of his car and punched her in the face while chanting "Trump 2016."

Gore, who hails from Australia, became an Internet sensation after painting a naked portrait of Trump, depicting the businessman with a tiny penis.

"Today I was punched in the face by a man who got out of his car and yelled, 'Trump 2016!' in Los Angeles, just days after I returned home from London just down the road from my house," the artist wrote on Instagram. "This type of violence makes creatives feel like we live in a world where our individual creative input isn't safe. Though I encourage passion, opinion and emotion, especially though art, I think violence is disgusting...Please stop glamorizing and perpetuating violence. Make America Decent Again!"

She wrote on her Monday post that she is encouraging anyone who "saw anything on La Cienega on Friday" to speak with authorities. She added that her alleged attacker fled the scene and has not been caught. She filed a police report about the incident.

Last month, Gore said she's received plenty of negative attention for her artwork and even death threats. She also claims someone saying to be part of Trump's legal team threatened to sue her.
(AP) -- Laws in North Carolina and Mississippi that restrict the rights of transgender Americans are hateful and should be repealed, Education Secretary John B. King Jr. said Monday.

Asked about the laws at the Education Writers Association national conference in Boston, King called them hateful and said gender identity should be protected.

He said the laws send a problematic message to students and he is calling on state legislatures to repeal them.

"My hope is legislators will realize they've made a terrible mistake," he said.

The North Carolina law requires transgender people to use bathrooms in state government buildings and public schools and universities that correspond to the gender on their birth certificates. It also established statewide anti-discrimination protections that exclude LGBT people, and it bans communities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances that go further.

Last month, President Barack Obama called for the law to be overturned.

Transgender advocates and the Obama administration have argued federal anti-discrimination law requires that transgender students be able to use the restroom and locker room that correspond with their gender identity.

A federal appeals court ruled last month in a Virginia case that a high school discriminated against a transgender teen by forbidding him from using the boys' restroom. The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to a lower court for trial rather than issuing a definitive decision.

In a court filing in that case, the U.S. Education Department and the Justice Department argued that preventing students from using restrooms that correspond with their gender identity violates Title IX of federal law.

"Treating a student differently from other students because his birth-assigned sex diverges from his gender identity constitutes differential treatment on the basis of sex under Title IX," the departments said in a friend-of-the-court brief.

The Mississippi law allows religious groups and some private businesses to deny services to same-sex couples and transgender people. It takes effect July 1. Any employer or school could refuse to allow transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice.

Bathrooms have been a focal point as schools around the country grapple with how to balance the rights of transgender students with privacy issues.

Students at Santee Education Complex worked to establish the first multi-stall, gender-neutral restroom at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest. Adults protested the move.

In Ocala, Florida, the Marion County School Board voted to limit restrooms to students based on their birth sex.
Coffee and art have intersected in a host of interesting ways, but perhaps none quite as striking as these. As CNN reports, Ivory Coast artist Mederic Turay uses coffee to create his moving works, and they are fetching a pretty penny, upwards of $13,000.

Coffee is one of the main exports of the Ivory Coast, and Turay uses it a medium to celebrate his birthplace. A former nominee for Best Rap Artist at the Ivory Coast MTV Music Awards, Turay see his art rooted in an African tradition but blended with more modern stylings:

I have those two combinations of cultures struggling in my soul. I think my paintings reflect that because you can see something very African in them, but also a very contemporary style, like street art.

In order to use the coffee, Turay adds glue to it, creating something more akin to acrylic paint. He then adds colored paper to work it into layers until the face beings to appear by itself. The results are undeniable gorgeous.

14 of Turays pieces can be seen via the CNN slideshow and another handful are up at the webiste for Londons Saatchi Gallery.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
Luanda, May 1, 2016 (SPS) - As part of his farewell visits at the end of his duty as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the S.A.D.R to Angola , MALAININE SADIK, was received in audience by Mr. FERNANDO DA PIEDAD DOS SANTOS, President of the Angolan National Assembly.







After expressing the profound gratitude of the people and Government of SADR to the Republic of Angola for its continued solidarity with the just cause of the Sahrawi people, the Sahrawi Ambassador informed the Angolan Speaker of the latest developments of the struggle of the Sahrawi people.



For his part, Mr. FERNANDO DA PIEDAD DOS SANTOS, reiterated the unwavering support of Angola and its people for the legitimate struggle of the Sahrawi people, under the leadership of its sole and legitimate representative-the POLISARIO Front- for his imprescriptible right to self-determination and independence and for the completion of the liberation of his Homeland, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Appreciating the commitment of Africa alongside the Saharawi people, the Angolan High Responsible expressed the wish to see the international community showing more solidarity with the Sahrawi people and intensifying its efforts to enforce the rights of the latter to live free and independent in his Homeland.







Highlighting the historical ties of friendship and solidarity between the two peoples in their common struggle under the leadership of their vanguard - the POLISARIO Front and the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), Mr. DA FERNADO PIEDAD DOS SANTOS stressed the urgent need to strengthen them further in the common interest of both countries, for the progress and prosperity of the two brotherly peoples and for peace and development of our continent.

At the conclusion of this meeting, MALAININE SADIK made a statement widely reported by the Angolan media, in which he renewed recognition to this brother country for its solidarity with the Sahrawi people and expressed satisfaction of the Government of the S.A.D.R regarding the existing fraternal relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples. (SPS)

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Oran (Algeria), May 1, 2016 (SPS) - Prime Minister of Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) Abdelkader Taleb Omar, on Sunday, urged all those who support Moroccan regime, especially France, to review their unjust positions towards Saharawi people.

In an address at a ceremony marking the Labour Day, whose official celebration has taken place in Oran (432-km west of Algiers), in the presence of Algerian and Saharawi ministers, Taleb Omar said Morocco and all those who support it, mainly France, has to assume responsibility for the standoff and the hindrances to the efforts made by the United Nations to reach a fair solution to Western Sahara issue, calling them to review their unjust position towards Saharawi people.

The Saharawi premier said France, which stands as an obstacle to the implementation of UN resolutions, must assume its historical responsibilities over Saharawi people's tragedy and suffering.

He called the international community to speed up the return of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to organize a referendum on Saharawi people's self-determination, inviting UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to ensure the required resources for MINURSO to resume its mission.

Abdelkader Taleb Omar urged the European Union to side with the international legitimacy concerning Western Sahara issue.

He invited it to refer to European Court's latest decision about the trade agreement with Moroccans as well as to internation court's which denounce Morocco's attempts to plunder Western Sahara's natural resources under the pretext of investment. (SPS)

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On April 24, Equatorial Guinea held presidential elections. On Monday, the country's Constitutional Court unveiled the results, with incumbent President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo collecting 93.5 percent of the vote.

"Moscow expects that the presidential election in Equatorial Guinea, which we have friendly relations with, will encourage the republic's further advancement on the path of stable political, social and economic development," the ministry said in a statement released on its website.
After interviewing 50 journalist, editors and media directors working across the country, HRW discovered that 10 journalists have been killed, four  in targeted attacks.

New @hrw report on killings, threats & arbitrary detention of journalists in Somalia https://t.co/nX6AnVpJK9 pic.twitter.com/drjDyBOnOt  Elaine Pearson (@PearsonElaine) May 3, 2016

HRW also discovered that six had survived assassination attempts, others had been detained, received threatening phone calls and sent text messages warning them to change their reporting or face the consequences.

In an interview with HRW, researcher Laetitia Bader, said these killings are not just a threat to Somali media coverage but also mean that young journalists' lives are constantly at risk if they do not report "favorable" news.

"News is important in Somalia. Somalis are ardent consumers of news and like to listen [to it] and discuss it. As a result journalists on the ground who report on news issues, and we are not even talking about investigative journalism, just basic coverage, face serious threats, not just from the Islamist armed group, but also the new regional administrations as well as national federal government. All sides are trying to silence them," Laetitia Bader said.

For Somalia, the media is an important resource to the people as well as those in power.

"The media is important to the people, so the government want to use the media to put forward a positive message about themselves. We are talking about anyone looking to stay in power," Bader said.

HRW investigations revealed that the risk of writing and reporting on issues in Somalia are huge. These young, fresh reporters are putting their lives in danger for a story they may not be paid for.

"I like my profession and I will not give up working for my people." #WPFDay2016 #Somalia pic.twitter.com/2qXyNvsf5e  AMISOM (@amisomsomalia) May 3, 2016

"What we have seen recently is four targeted killings and only one of these has been investigated. The problem is the way prosecutions are happening, the intelligence agency does their investigations in a worrying manner and these cases appear before the military court where we have documented a whole range of serious violations such as limited access to lawyers, questionable evidence, and speedy processes.

"Defendants in recent cases have also subsequently been executed."

The number of news outlets who have reported on issues and ended up getting into trouble with the government is also increasing.

On #WPFD2016, recognise importance of #press freedom and safety in #Somalia. Especially in conflict situation & run up to elections.  Harriet Mathews (@HarrietLMathews) May 3, 2016

"There are dozens of radio stations on the ground and the reality of those working on the ground is that they have to make sure that when they report on issues it will not get them into trouble. What is alarming is that journalists told us, on issues that are controversial such as elections, they often have to cut stories as they get threatening messages from authorities," Bader said.
"When Ronald Reagan met with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik in 1986, Putin was in his mid-30s, and the Soviet Empire stretched from the Elbe to the Bering Strait and from the Arctic to Afghanistan. Russians were all over Africa and had penetrated the Caribbean and Central America. The Soviet Union was a global superpower that had attained strategic parity with the United States."

"Now," the analyst writes, "consider how the world has changed for Putin, and for Russia. By the time he turned 40, the Red Army had begun its Napoleonic retreat from Europe and his country had splintered into 15 nations. By the time he came to power," Russia, the USSR's successor, "had lost one-third of its territory and half its population. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan," among others, "were gone."

"The Black Sea, once a Soviet lake, now had on its north shore a pro-Western Ukraine, on its eastern shore a hostile Georgia, and on its western shore two former Warsaw Pact allies, Bulgaria and Romania, being taken into NATO."

"For Russian warships in Leningrad, the trip out to the Atlantic now meant cruising past the coastline of eight NATO nations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Great Britain."

Moreover, "despite solemn US assurances given to Gorbachev," Putin saw NATO "incorporate all of Eastern Europe that Russia had vacated, and three former republics of the USSR itself." And now, the Russian leader also "hears a clamor from American hawks to bring three more former Soviet republics  Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine  into a NATO alliance directed against Russia."
"In its own time," the journalist recalled, "Huxley's writings, just like those of George Orwell, another famous warrior against utopias, were widely used in the propaganda war against the Soviet Union. It was the USSR, it was said, that dreamed of a world government, the unification of humanity, and the building of heaven on earth. The Soviet vision was branded and ridiculed, compared either to the Gulag Archipelago, or to an 'Animal Farm'."

But it's today, Syomin notes, "25 years after the destruction of the Soviet 'animal farm', that it's becoming more and more difficult to perish the thought that the prophecies of Orwell and the narcotic-laden tales of Huxley" are actually slowly becoming a description of our time.

During his Germany trip, in his 'address to the people of Europe', Obama made an observation, saying that "we are fortunate to be living in the most peaceful, most prosperous, most progressive era in human history. This may surprise young people who are watching TV or looking at your phones," the president remarked. "It seems like only bad news comes through every day. But consider that it's been decades since the last war between major powers."

The simple truth, Obama noted, was that "if you had to choose a moment in time to be born, any time in human history, and you didn't know ahead of time what nationality you were or what gender or what your economic status might be, you'd choose today"

The president's address, Syomin noted, was not without a logic of its own. "If Obama convinces Europe to sign the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, then the 'Brave New World' will maintain and strengthen its economic position amid a global crisis."

However, "it would be interesting to know what moment in time the 250,000 citizens of Syria who didn't live to see this Brave New World would choose to be born, or the 650,000 citizens of Iraq, or the 140,000 citizens of Yugoslavia, or 30,000 Libyans. What year would the residents of Donbass, Odessa, Mariupol, Kharkov, Kiev," or much of the rest of the former Soviet Union "want to find themselves in?"
We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide, the actress said.

According to the press release, Blanchett has been working with the UNHCR for over a year to raise awareness about the forcibly displaced. In 2015, she travelled to Lebanon to meet Syrian refugees as part of her support for a UN humanitarian campaign. She has also reportedly supported the World Refugee Day and represented the UNHCR in discussions on the global refugee crisis at the Women in the World Conference in New Delhi.
The four Chinese lawmen handpicked for this assignment were trained by Italian instructors in Beijing and will be wearing their usual uniforms while patrolling the streets of the Italian cities theyre assigned to.

Italian Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano said that the experiment which was announced on Monday and will be conducted until May 13 is aimed at helping Chinese tourists feel safe and will hopefully strengthen the bond between China and Italy, La Repubblica reports.

"It is an experimental project, unprecedented for Italy and the first of its kind for Europe. Today we once again demonstrate that Italy can efficiently cooperate with agencies from other countries," Alfano said.
The HMS Endeavour reportedly passed through a number of hands before finally being renamed the Lord Sandwich and used in the British blockade of the rebellious American colonies.

It was tracked by the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) which said that they found the wreckage at a site that included five other vessels and that is located off the state of Rhode Island in Newport Harbor.

"We know from its size, dimension and these records that the Sandwich was the Endeavour," RIMAP said, adding that they plan to launch a campaign to finance the construction of a storage facility for accommodating possible artifacts which might be found at the site.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn called on the local military to remain vigilant amid allegations that North Korea could hold new nuclear test later in the week.

"The military should thoroughly be ready for any kind of North Korean provocation to ensure the safety of the people," Hwang said as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.
"Given congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

He added that he believes cooperation with Islamabads counterterrorism effort is "critical" to promoting stability.

Without funding assistance, Pakistan may be forced to seek the money, and the weapons, elsewhere.

"We will examine this with the suppliers to see there is an alternative source of financing," Sartaj Aziz, Pakistans foreign policy chief, told reporters.

"So if any arrangements can be made, we will buy them, otherwise obviously we will have to look for planes from somewhere else."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A blaze broke out in Myanmars western city of Sittwe, wounding at least 14 refugees at a Muslim camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced Tuesday.

"A fire swept through Baw Du Pha 2 Muslim IDP camp in rural Sittwe in Rakhine State today just after 9:00am [02:30 GMT] Based on the current information available, at least 14 people were injured by the fire," the UN coordinating body said in a statement.

Around 440 households sheltering some 2,000 Muslim refugees have been affected by the incident, OCHA added.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Indian government has decided to request the country's Supreme Court to reconsider its decision to ban all diesel taxis from driving in New Delhi from April 30 amid growing protests, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said Tuesday.

"The government has decided to request the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision on ban. The ban has created an unprecedented situation of thousands of taxis getting off road and people facing severe hardships," Gadkari said, as quoted by The Times of India newspaper.
Medical reports have also confirmed that a sexual attack had taken place. The suspect is thought to have been between 25 and 30 years of age. The police have taken at least two people into custody in connection with the incident.

The victim and her mother lived in an isolated area; her mother was said to be mentally unstable. They were 'untouchables', the lowest group in India's caste hierarchy, or 'Dalits' as they prefer to call themselves; the word Dalit means "oppressed." There are currently 201 million Dalits living in India, comprising over 16% of its population.

Speaking to Sputnik, Giri Shankar, one of the victim's professors at the Government Law College in Ernakulam, said the girl was silent and mostly introverted. He said: "She was not that much talkative and had a limited number of people in her circle. She had just one or two friends who have now enrolled as advocates."

The incident has come at a time when the state of Kerala is heading for crucial assembly elections. While the local opposition parties have attempted to capitalize on the incident by blaming it on government ineffectiveness, local authorities have pledged to severely punish the perpetrators.
New Delhi (Sputnik) - Sputnik understands from sources near the incident that the Uttarakhand forest fire is man-made was created to satisfy the greed for land. This opinion has been endorsed by the Principle Conservator of Forest, Mr Rajendra Mahajan, when he stated that most of these fires are intentional and man-made.

Some reports claim that cultivators and shepherds started the fire to create grassland for their herds. As there is illegal construction near to the forest areas, it may be that the construction lobby fueled the fire to encroach the land for further illegal construction in the hilly areas.

Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar told Sputnik in an exclusive interview that, "There are many things going in the social media regarding the fire but our prime concern is to douse the fire and then we will analyze."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The European Commission will recommend a conditional visa-free regime introduction between Turkey and the European Union on Wednesday, media reports said Tuesday, citing EU sources.

The EU will officially give Turkey visa-free access to the EU this week. We must get out the EU now https://t.co/iB3PRlGXwT  David Jones (@DavidJo52951945) 3 May 2016

The European Commission will grant a conditional approval of a visa-free regime with Turkey demanding that it improves its record on the freedom of speech, fair judicial practice and minority rights protection, the BBC reported.

European Commission to propose visa liberalization for Turkey even though it's failed to meet significant benchmarks it was meant to meet.  Andrew Neil (@afneil) 2 May 2016

In mid-March, the European Union and Ankara agreed on a deal under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. In return, the 28-member bloc pledged to accelerate the Turkish EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and Europe.
On Monday, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said that the European Union would not reduce its consumer protection as a result of the TTIP agreement, while US Trade Representative Michael Froman said that interpretations of the leak had been misleading and incorrect. Later, the White House stated that the leak would not impede the agreement's signing by the end of the year.

The TTIP deal has drawn severe criticism for the lack of transparency in the negotiations as well as for the tremendous power it would potentially give to international corporations.

Moreover, the TTIP has also been slammed for bypassing the framework of the World Trade Organization and excluding the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries.
Last week, the leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, criticized US presence in Chisinau on May 9 and march of the US vehicles via the Moldovan territory.

"Carrying out a march of NATO vehicles in Moldova can only be described as the military occupation of the country. It is a rough slap to the Constitution of the Republic and to the Parliament that adopted the declaration on permanent sovereignty and neutrality of Moldova," Dodon told Sputnik.

While crossing the Moldovan border, the column of US military vehicles has been temporarily blocked by the lawmakers from the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova and civil activists, earlier in the day Dodon told reporters earlier in the day.
According to the 24 Horas TV channel, the king announced the signing of the decree earlier in the day to the president of the Spanish parliament's lower house, Patxi Lopez.

The decree is expected to be published on the website of the official gazette of the Government of Spain later on Tuesday, and then the document will enter into force officially.
'Storm In a Teacup'

However, the split has been denied by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, who said the leaked documents: "Reflect each side's negotiating position, nothing else. And it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are areas where the EU and the US have different views. As I pointed out on this blog last week  there are areas in the TTIP negotiations where we have come a long way, but in others we are simply not in agreement.

"It is only normal that both parties in a negotiation want to achieve as many of their own objectives as possible. That does not mean that the other side gives in to those demands. That does not mean that the parties will meet halfway. In areas where we are too far apart in a negotiation, we simply will not agree. In that sense, many of today's alarmist headlines are a storm in a teacup."

#TTIPLeaks comments are wrong about excluding the precautionary principle: We're standing by it, in fact, it's mentioned in the text. #TTIP  EU TTIP Team (@EU_TTIP_team) May 2, 2016

"No EU trade agreement will ever lower our level of protection of consumers, or food safety, or of the environment. Trade agreements will not change our laws on GMOs, or how to produce safe beef, or how to protect the environment," Malmstrom wrote on her blog.

However, Greenpeace retorted:

"Commissioner Malmstrom is being disingenuous. Malmstrom may well promise not to undermine environmental and consumer protection, but the evidence tells a different story. In several areas the US proposes to lower EU standards, but there are no EU proposals in the leaked consolidated documents to counter this."

"The leaked documents also show the influence of industry lobbies on trade negotiators. The leak mentions several times that negotiators regularly consult with industry and are prepared to represent their positions," Greenpeace said Tuesday (May 3).

French minister of state for trade Matthias Fekl told French radio: "Europe is offering a lot and we are getting very little in return. This is unacceptable. It is a deal that, in the state it is in today, would be a bad deal."
The EUs Eastern Partnership initiative with Ukraine was supposed to ease the visa travel restrictions between the two.

Instead, Ukrainian citizens are facing refusals of their EU visa application due to their financial insolvency, according to Gazeta.ru website.

Schengen visa requirements for Ukrainians include the necessary confirmation of their own funds by a bank statement confirming their account balance.
The Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan has been at the heart of a territorial dispute between the two neighbors since late 1980s.

"The bill will be passed after consultations between Armenia and Karabakh that will look at further developments and external factors," the governments explanatory note reads.
Along with the depictions of various historical figures, the exhibition will apparently include photographs and replicas of personal belongings of brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El-Bakraoui who carried out the recent suicide bombing attack in Brussels airport, as well as Foued Mohamed-Aggad, who was responsible for a similar act committed during the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015.

According to The Local, the exhibits related to these characters will be displayed along with those of notable characters who died for their cause, like Joan of Arc and Socrates.

"Our exhibit is really about describing the term 'martyr' from as many different angles as possible and through history," said Ida Grarup Nielsen, a representative of the artist collective called The Other Eye of The Tiger which intends to hold the exhibition.
MOSCOW(Sputnik)  The European Commission is planning to financially charge the states which refuse to welcome refugees under the EU migrant quotas, media reported Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the initiative.

The charge may amount to some 250,000 euros ($290,000) per refugee, The Financial Times reported, underscoring that the plans are part of the Commissions upcoming revision of the so-called Dublin asylum regulation.

"The size of the contribution may change but the idea is to make it appear like a sanction," an official told the newspaper.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A deadlock in the EU-US negotiations on Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement is possible if environmental campaigners and the public keep up the current stance against it, a representative of the Friends of the Earth international network of environmental organizations told Sputnik on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Greenpeace said it had obtained 248 pages of classified TTIP documents representing around two-thirds of the draft EU-US free trade deal. The documents detail the leading role of corporate interests in the agreement, as well as policies threatening the environment and public health, according to Greenpeace.

"A deadlock in US-EU trade talks is very possible but only if environmental campaigners and the public keep up the pressure," Bill Waren, a senior analyst at Friends of the Earth, said.
"Together with the Germans, the French, the Austrians and the Swedes I have today sent a letter to the EU commission asking for the possibility to extend the border control for the next two years," said Inger Stjberg, Danish minister of immigration and integration.

"I have done so because we need to look out for Denmark. We have to protect ourselves against the Islamic State group, who are trying to take advantage of the situation where there are holes in borders. But also as protection against the influx of refugees coming through Europe," she said.

The Commission has admitted struggling to keep the Schengen zone open as more and more countries put up border controls and wire fences amid the migrant crisis, which was exacerbated when German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared Europe's doors open to refugees.
Polls generally put Scottish Labour ahead of their nearest rivals by 2-3%, but it's a narrow lead and Labour's popularity has been waning in Scotland ever since they backed a No' vote in the 2014 independence referendum.

Since the late 1950's, the Labour Party dominated Scottish politics, coming in first place nationally for about 60 years. The Scottish National Party (SNP) however  under the leadership of Alex Salmond  began to eat away at that lead, culminating in the 2011 Scottish election result, wherein the SNP became the first ever party to win an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament.

That the SNP are now on course to increase their numbers is highly significant, because the probability of achieving an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament is extremely low.

Indeed, the voting system was specifically designed to make it very difficult for a single party to dominate, but the sheer popularity of the SNP has led many to suggest they have "broken the system".

Scotland's future is about to be a debate between an SNP self Government vision and a Tory continued Westminster rule. SLab will be nowhere.  Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) May 1, 2016

The European Question

Following the SNP's anticipated victory Thursday, all attention will likely turn towards the European question.

The EU referendum holds a special significance in Scotland, having been touted repeatedly as a potential trigger for a second independence referendum. If the UK as a whole were to vote for "Brexit" but Scotland did not, such a scenario has often been referred to as the "significant and material change in circumstances" that could allow the SNP to justify a second referendum on Scottish independence.

In case of #Brexit, Scotland would be offered fast-track membership?? pic.twitter.com/7DIyL8WpZA  Gergely Polner (@eurocrat) April 29, 2016

The Scottish National Party under Nicola Sturgeon is not committed to holding a referendum on independence within the lifetime of the next parliament (5 years), but neither have they ruled it out.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Ms Sturgeon said:

"I want Scotland to be independent, I think it's the best future for our country so clearly I would like to see a second referendum, I would like to see Scotland be independent and I would like to see that sooner rather than later But it's not just a decision for me, it's a decision for the majority of people in Scotland and there will only be a second referendum and there will certainly only be independence if a majority of people in Scotland want that."

Sturgeon  "UK leaving EU will be damaging."



And yet she thinks Scotland leaving UK wouldn't be damaging.



What's she drinking?#Marr  The Honest Man (@19AYR10) May 1, 2016

Following the independence referendum defeat of 2014, huge numbers of disaffected 'Yes' voters threw their weight behind the Scottish National Party, whose membership has increased by a massive 90,000 in the intervening period, making it the third largest party in the UK.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  France would oppose a proposed EU-US free trade pact at the current stage of negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, known by its acronyms TAFTA or TTIP, French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday.

"#TAFTA: 'We will never accept putting into question the essential principles. That's why, at this stage, France says no," Hollande was quoted as saying by the Elysee Palace on its Twitter account.

#TAFTA: "Nous n'accepterons jamais la mise en cause de nos principes essentiels. C'est pourquoi a ce stade, la France dit non" #3mai  Elysee (@Elysee) May 3, 2016

Paris is not going to undermine the core principles Frances agriculture and culture are based on, Hollande explained.
"At that time, US policymakers came to an awareness of the limitations of the resources of the American empire, and decided to create a system of balances in which some powers that would obey them would also represent them in certain regions of the world. Germany fits this strategic paradigm perfectly and, importantly, has increased its global weight thanks to its Euro-Atlantic cooperation."

"Washington and Berlin," Rak emphasizes, do not flaunt the 'Partnership in Leadership' concept, "since their political elites have long claimed that a policy of balancing of forces and a 'concert of powers' is generally a bad practice, whose demonstration would have a negative impact on the image of the two countries."

For this reason, the analyst adds, Warsaw usually overlooks the US concept for Germany. "Besides, the Polish political elite have never been known for an excessive sense of political realism. For them, it is more comforting to believe in the ideology of American leadership, the purpose of which is allegedly only meant to spread good, peace and prosperity throughout the world."

Russia: 'A Peripheral Power of the West'?

Poland's "dependence on Russia," Rak writes, "is a taboo topic" among the country's foreign policy establishment. Furthermore, "it's something that does not fit into the minds of naive Poles. After all, the logic goes, 'if the West, that is, the Americans and the Germans, are fighting tirelessly in the international arena for freedom and democracy, then they will certainly also protect Poland from the [Russian] 'evil empire' and will not allow it to pursue their murky interests in our region."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Hungary's supreme court, Curia, decided on Tuesday to give a green light to a migrant quota referendum, which will be held in September or early October, the prime minister's office said.

In February, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban decided to hold a referendum on the EU mandatory quotas on refugee relocation, under which the country would be obliged to take in 2,300 refugees.

"In September-early October, the referendum may take place. the government wants to inform people so that more people are able to make a decision," Head of Cabinet of the Prime Minister Antal Rogan was quoted as saying by the Heti Vilaggazdasag newspaper to a news conference, as he passed the Curia's decision to the National Electoral Committee.
France has been paralyzed by a series of nationwide strikes  particularly by students  against French President Francois Hollande's proposed reforms to the highly codified French labor laws  known as the Code du Travail  in order to give employers more flexibility.

The labor reforms were largely directed at making companies take on more workers on permanent contracts, rather than temporary ones, to bring down the unemployment rate from ten percent. The proposals would give employers more scope to lay-off workers and cut costs and allow some employees to work far longer than the current 35-hour week.

Other reforms include a cap on severance pay for workers dismissed by a company. The current uncertain cost of laying-off workers mean that companies are risk-averse to doing so, leaving them less flexible and  in some cases  less productive. The government has now relented on that point, making the proposed cap non-binding.
The online group launched a Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attack against the bank's website, forcing its servers offline for six hours.

Earlier in March 2016, the hacktivist group declared it would target the global financial system and relaunch #OpIcarus because: "Like Icarus, the powers that be have flown to close to the sun and the time has come to set the wings of their empire ablaze."

In a statement released on May 2, 2016 Anonymous said:
Later in the day, the hugely unpopular labor reforms will be put to the vote in the lower house of the French parliament. The draft law will make it easier for companies to lay off staff and cut payment for overtime work.

According to Le Monde newspaper, rallies against the draft bill entitled "New freedoms and protections for companies and assets" are being held in several cities across France, including Rennes, where some 250 people called for dismissal of the labor legislation.
Nevertheless, the proposed changes have been met with skepticism from right-wing political groups, during what is a sensitive time for the European Union.

Anti-EU campaigners in the UK for example, have been critical of the proposals for some time  suggesting that they are open to abuse. The UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader, Nigel Farage said last month: "The EU is negotiating visa free access for all Turks, all 77 million But the reality is that a lot of people will disappear or when they get to Germany claim their rights of family reunion.

"The real problem isn't people trying to get to Britain illegally; the real problem is that in a few short years all of the people that came will have German passports, Dutch or Belgium passports."

'@David_Cameron supports visa-free access to Europe for 77 million Turks & EU membership for Turkey. Those who don't must vote to Leave EU.  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) March 21, 2016

Human rights organizations have raised concerns over the proposals too, given Turkey's recent record on press freedom, and general freedom of speech under President Erdogan.

Approximately 2000 instances of legal cases have been triggered in response to "insulting the President," including the recent case of German satirist Jan Bohmermann. Turkey ranks at 151 in the Reporters Without Border press freedom index.

European delegation meeting in #Turkey today must face reality of human rights abuses against refugees #Dealbreaker pic.twitter.com/px0FOLuzyE  Amnesty Ireland (@AmnestyIreland) April 23, 2016

Opponents of President Erdogan argue that further integration by the European Union could send the wrong message, effectively endorsing a regressive regime in exchange for the easing of immigration numbers in the rest of the EU.

The granting of visa-free travel to Turkey is part of a wider move by the EU which could see controls eased with the likes of Kosovo, Georgia and Ukraine. Given that those countries are not even candidates for EU membership at the moment, it would undoubtedly be politically difficult to exclude Turkey.
On World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2016, the High Representative of the EU Federica Mogherini said in a statement:

"The right to freedom of opinion and expression includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information. It is a key component of democratic governance and development. People need to be fully informed to be able to form an opinion and participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives."

"Freedom of information also contributes to better governance as it enhances transparency in public affairs and can be used as a tool to make governments accountable for their actions, in particular when access to information results in the exposure of human rights violations or corruption practices.

"The EU is committed to continue promoting and protecting freedom of opinion and expression worldwide. It condemns the increasing level of intimidation and violence that journalists, Human Rights Defenders, media actors and other individuals face in many countries across the world when exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression online and offline," she said.

Media Clampdown

However, many critics of the EU-Turkey deal point to the clampdown on media freedoms within Turkey and say the deal is immoral and should not be implemented until Erdogan's government conforms to EU principles on the freedom of the press.

Campaign group Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said:

"The European Union must not settle for just reminding the Turkish authorities of the principles of media freedom. It must exercise all of its potential leverage. There can be no question of resuming EU accession talks while Ankara visibly tramples on basic European values. If the EU continues to yield to blackmail regarding migrants, it will give the impression of abandoning the principles on which it was founded."

"Until now, the European Union has demonstrated culpable weakness in response to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attacks on the media. But business as usual' would be incomprehensible after he seized control of the main opposition media group in such a brutal manner while Donald Tusk was in Ankara. Is the EU determined to let itself be humiliated?" he said.
The move follows a EU-Turkey deal aimed at stemming the flow of immigrants and refugees from the Middle East entering Europe via Turkey. According to Woolfe, who also serves as the UK Independence Party (UKIP)'s frontbench spokesman on migration and financial affairs, the decision to allow Turks free visa travel to Europe, will become an important issue in public debate ahead of a Brexit referendum, scheduled for June 23.

"Granting Turkey visa free access to the Schengen zone is another step to Turkey's membership of the European Union. As Turkish membership edges closer, this should be a central focus for the UK Brexit debate. Turkey joining the EU will have serious impacts on the United Kingdom, if we vote to remain in June," Woolfe told Sputnik.

The lawmaker also warned that based on official Turkish and UN figures, if admitted to the European Union Turkey would eventually have the largest population of any member state in the European Union.

In mid-March, the European Union and Ankara agreed on a deal under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union through its territory in exchange for Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis. In return, the 28-member bloc pledged to accelerate the Turkish EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime between Turkey and Europe.

Turkey has yet to meet EU requirements on human rights, press freedom and minority treatment before qualifying for the free travel deal.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A court in the home city of German anti-Islamization group Pegida fined its founder on Tuesday for inciting hatred against migrants, local media reported.

The district court in Dresden said Lutz Bachmann would have to pay 9,600 euros ($11,000) for insulting refugees on Facebook, the German daily newspaper Bild said.

The controversial comments were allegedly posted on the social networking website back in 2014 and were reprinted by Anonymous News Germany. The 43-year-old far-right activist denied making any xenophobic remarks.
The airport was originally set to open in 2010, but a series of delays following poor planning, management problems and corruption, has put back the opening date to at least 2017.

English ExPat in Germany?

Your bets, please. Which will happen first? The Chilcot Enquiry concludes, or Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens?  Ben Green (@VeganBen) May 2, 2016

Prosecutors are currently investigating accusations of Grievous Bodily Harm, in light of reports that a "deadly substance" had been mixed with an engineer's coffee during 2015.

The 50 year old engineer's reaction  which caused him to be off sick for three months  was blamed at first on circulation problems, but medical reports have since claimed it was caused by poison.
YEREVAN (Sputnik)  The process of arms supply from Russia to Armenia under a credit agreement is underway, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said Tuesday.

On April 15, the Armenian government approved a draft protocol on implementing provisions of the agreement signed with the Russian government in 2015 on providing Yerevan with a state export loan in amount of $200 million to finance deliveries of military products.

"The process of weapons delivery to Armenia under the credit agreement in the amount of $200 million has been underway for a long time, but I cannot say what exactly has been delivered," Hovhannisyan told journalists, without specifying the terms of delivery due to "national security interests."
However, in response to the allegations Hasanbegovic maintains that since university he has not been a member of any political party, condemned fascism and rounded on critics for "using selective absolutely peripheral statements taken out of context from more than 20 years ago."

Der Spiegel also reports that at the beginning of March, the Croatian government dismissed the director and several editors of state broadcaster Croatia Radio Television (HRT), a decision which was criticized by ambassadors from the US and several EU countries who saw that as a hindrance to free speech.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic rebuked their intervention, responding that ambassadors "can't and must not interfere in the internal affairs of their host country."

The newspaper's concern is not the first time the German media has shed light on far-right elements in Croatia. Last month the French-German channel Arte aired a documentary entitled, "Right one, two, three  is Europe drifting to the right?" which devoted a third of its film to Croatia and mentioned Hasanbegovic and parliamentary vice-president Ivan Tepes as political representatives of increasing right-wing extremism.

The film also visited nationalist celebrations held last year during the anniversary of the "Oluja" (Storm) operation in August 1995, the Croatian military's offensive to retake Serb-held areas of Croatia.

Arte reported far-right supporters there "singing fascist songs and selling nationalist memorabilia," and described Croatia as one of the worst examples of European neo-fascism.

"It's like someone in Berlin going round with a swastika on a national holiday," Croatian journalist Slavenka Drakulic told the program.

Minorities in Croatia have also expressed their concern about the authorities' failure to punish extremism, including last month when representatives of the Serb and Jewish minorities in Croatia boycotted the memorial to the victims of the NDH's WWII Jasenovac concentration camp.

Der Spiegel spoke to Croatian intellectuals about the country's political development, who sought to reassure readers that despite its social problems, Croatia is not headed for conflict with the EU in the same way as Poland and Hungary.

The governments in Warsaw and Budapest have received several warnings from the EU Commission and Parliament over legislative decisions which conflict with EU policy, including the freedom of the press.

"The danger that Croatia develops in this way is real, but we are far from Hungarian or Polish relations," political scientist Sandro Knezovic told Der Spiegel.

Zarko Puhovski, professor of political philosophy at the University of Zagreb, said that the government's controversial moves are the result of its inability to effectively carry out the economic reform program it had promised to implement.

"In this way nationalism and right-wing extremism that were previously only present in one part of society, have now been taken on by the political elite and therefore become politically relevant and acceptable," Puhovski said.
Discussing the necessity of the memorial, Wilayto observed that the unarmed protesters killed in the Odessa massacre at Kulikovo Square were not denying the government's legitimacy, but were instead seeking the federalization of Ukraine; a system in which specific regions of the country would receive a different status and a certain degree of autonomy.

"They did not call themselves revolutionaries, they did not try move away that government, that's the important point."

He noted that the Maidan coup did not bring an entirely fascist government to power, and that there are still controversies with this government."
Gordon elaborated that prior to Britains accession to the European Economic Community (the precursor to the EU) in 1973 and before rise of Thatcherisms deregulatory mandate in 1986, Londons finance sector was a heavily regulated "cut-by-custom" environment that prevented highly-leveraged speculative investments and cross-border trading through derivatives.

Since then, Londons finance circle has been overrun by tens of thousands of senior US banking employees. "For these employees and the corporations they work for, Britains role and status within the European Union and the European single market is absolutely critical for their investment strategies. That is why Obama was in London," commented Gordon.

How did President Obamas comments linking EU membership to TTIP impact public opinion?

"What we had been saying all week and which a lot of people have been responding to is that if you are against TTIP and you are against Britain being part of a global free trade agreement that is going to tie our public services to the interests of global corporations then you should vote to get out of the European Union on the 23rd of June," said Gordon.

"Obama just confirmed that what we were saying is right, if you are against TTIP, if you are in favor of public services and in favor of popular democracy then you should vote to get out of the EU because Obama just told you that you wont get TTIP if you leave the EU," remarked Gordon.

What is the broader public opinion of the TTIP?

"It is controversial because the negotiations have taken place in complete secrecy with no legislative or public oversight of the negotiation terms," said Gordon, speaking of the unusual secrecy in which the trade pacts has been created and negotiated.
Boehmermann, who found himself a geopolitical casualty, alongside with the Western tradition of free speech, broke several weeks of silence in an interview with the weekly Die Zeit magazine.

"The Chancellor must not wobble when its a matter of freedom of opinion," said the comedian.

"But instead, she filleted me, served me for tea to a highly-strung despot and made me into a German Ai Weiwei," he said referring to the Chinese dissident artist.

Public support for Germanys Merkel cascaded following the decision to prosecute Bohmermann under an obscure libel law, as members of her own governing coalition called for a reversal of the statute.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Rescue teams started recovering bodies of the shipwreck victims on Sunday, according to the EFE news agency. The boat was reportedly en route from Gonaives in northern Haiti to Bombardopolis, when the incident happened.

It is not known exactly how many people were on board the vessel, the media reported.

According to Haitis Civil Protection officials. Some of the survivors of the shipwreck have been hospitalized. The national maritime service is continuing the search for survivors and the recovery of bodies from the shipwreck area, the media reported.
The Nusra Front terrorist group has launched 60 missiles in an attack on the Syrian city of Aleppo over the past hour, killing nine people, an Aleppo militia source said on Tuesday.

"Nusra Front fighters and their allies have launched 60 missiles on Aleppo in the past hour. Tishreen, Masaken, Al-Sabil and Al-Nil streets have sustained the most damage. Nine civilians have been killed and 45 have been injured," the source told RIA Novosti.

The militants began by firing at Christian areas of the city, the source said, adding that the missiles were launched from the Bani Zeid, Kafr Hamrah and Bustan al-Basha districts.
Those arrested have been brought for questioning, the spokesperson added as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

Israel has experienced a wave of violence since early September 2015, which has left several hundred people dead. Most of the victims are Palestinians who have been killed in knife, firearm and car attacks on Israelis.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not think twice before using captured materiel for a whole array of purposes, including those related to combating terrorism and increasing Tel Aviv's assertiveness beyond its hotly contested borders, Israeli expert Shay Levy said in an article which was published by the news website Mako

In the past few decades, Israeli soldiers have managed to seize tons of enemy hardware, including tanks, armored vehicles, aircraft and missiles, which were then used in various military operations by the IDF.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US service member killed by enemy fire in Iraq was a Navy Seal, local media reported on Tuesday.

The rank of the military member killed in combat remains unclear, CNN reported citing an anonymous US defense official.

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter confirmed that enemy fire killed a military man in combat near Iraqi city Erbil.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  About 1,000 individuals, including minors, are held in appalling living conditions in counter-terrorism centers in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, a human rights watchdog said Tuesday.

"More than 1,000 detainees, including some as young as 15, are being held without charge in horrendous conditions at makeshift holding centres in Anbar governorate, west of Baghdad," Amnesty International said in a statement.

In one of the facilities, run by the province's counter-terrorism agency, some 680 detainees were "packed together like sardines in a tin" without enough space "to stretch or lie down to sleep" and they were rarely allowed to go outside for a breath of fresh air, the rights group added.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)  More than 250 medical facilities have been attacked in Syria since the start of civil war, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday, referring to data provided by Physicians for Human Rights, a watchdog advocating against persecution of health workers.

Earlier in the day, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution, condemning the attacks on medical and humanitarian personnel in war-torn countries and urging the parties to armed conflicts to provide humanitarian personnel with protection.

"Since the beginning of the conflict [in Syria], Physicians for Human Rights has documented more than 360 attacks on some 250 medical facilities, more than 730 medical personnel have been killed," Ban said.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US authorities are concerned by the situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo as the ceasefire in the country continues to wear out, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a briefing on Tuesday.

"The United States is concerned by the continued escalation of violence in and around Aleppo," Earnest stated. "The security situation thereis deteriorating. It is an indication that the cessation of hostilities is continuing to fray."
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The deterioration of the ceasefire in Syria has urged the US government to work through diplomatic channels on its refreshment, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a briefing on Tuesday.

"The cessation of hostilities is continuing to frayThats why The United States has been working so tenaciously through diplomatic channels to try to refresh the cessation of hostilities," Earnest stated.

The spokesman added the United States hopes that Syrian political talks can build a momentum amid the renewed commitment to the ceasefire.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation at the Hmeymim airbase registered a total of 10 violations of the ceasefire regime in Syrian western province of Latakia in the last 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

"In general, the ceasefire has been observed in most provinces of the Syrian Arab Republic. Within last 24 hours, 10 ceasefire violations have been registered in the Latakia province," the ministry said in a daily bulletin posted on its website.

The ceasefire in Syria, worked out by Moscow and Washington, took effect on February 27, but does not include groups that have been designated as terrorist by the United Nations, such as Daesh and the al-Nusra Front, which are outlawed in many countries, including both Russia and the United States among others.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Officers at the Russian center on Syria reconciliation discuss the possibility of introducing the so-called silence regime in the war-torn country's Aleppo province in the near future with their US colleagues from the similar center based in Jordan, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

"Leaders of the Russian Center for reconciliation and the US Center in Amman (Jordan) discussed observing of the "Silence regime" in northern regions of the Latakia province and Eastern Ghuta as well as establishing the regime in the Aleppo province in the nearest time," the ministry said in a daily bulletin.

A ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington has been in place in parts of Syria since late February. De Mistura said last week that the truce was holding but barely and urged the two powers to save the peace process. A new truce was hammered out last Friday for Damascus and the northern Latakia province.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Al-Nusra Front extremist militant group attempted to disrupt the so-called silence regime in Syrias province of Aleppo by shelling the Syrian army positions and residential neighbourhoods, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday, adding that six civilians died as a result of the hostilities.

"Formations of Jabhat al-Nusra [al-Nusra Front] terrorist grouping took efforts to violate the ceasefire regime in Aleppo by continuing shelling against the government troops and living city sectors," the ministry said in a daily bulletin posted on its website.

According to the bulletin, terrorists shelled the residential areas of Sheikh Maqsood, Meydan and al-Suryan using makeshift rocket systems.
YEREVAN (Sputnik)  Azerbaijani forces have violated the ceasefire in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh early on Tuesday by shelling enemy positions, the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's (NKR) Defense Ministry said.

"Early on May 3, the enemy has violated the ceasefire agreement and used various firearms and 82mm mortars to fire along the line of contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijani forces," the ministry said in a statement.
Despite a number of agreements already put in place, a French deal to sell 36 Rafale fighter jets to India is encountering difficulties.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that, "Except for the financial aspects, we have an inter-governmental agreement on the 36 Rafale jets. We will resolve the financial aspects soon," during a joint briefing with French President Francois Hollande when the later visited India in January this year. However, Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar's statement in the Parliament on Tuesday revealed that while the financial aspect continues to be shrouded in controversy, even the technical aspect of the agreement is yet to be fully sorted out.
The competition between the SB-1 Defiant and the V-280 Valor are part of the US Armys Future Vertical Lift program, an effort to replace all Army helicopters including the Black Hawk, Apache, Chinook, and Kiowa choppers. The replacement of the entire fleet of US Army helicopters is projected to cost over $100 billion.

Despite the development of next generation combat choppers, the US Army announced that it will not buy new rotorcraft until after 2030, citing steep cuts to the military branchs modernization and acquisition budget. Last September, NATO colleague Netherlands criticized the Armys decision to delay helicopter acquisition, arguing that delays imperil the military alliances ability to succeed in future conflicts.

Bell Helicopters hopes to exploit the Armys current ambivalence to skip ahead of the Lockheed-Boeing team, projecting that the V-280 Valor will be combat-ready and operational by 2024, long before the expected preparedness date of the SB-1 Defiant.

"Theres no real technology that needs to be further developed for us to be able to design and develop an aircraft that meets these requirements," said Bells Vice President Vince Tobin, about the V-280s advanced tiltrotor design. "Our big push now is that, after we fly this and prove out that we can build this aircraft that we are ready to go into engineering and manufacturing development."
Sergei Lavrov said that the stance of some Syrian opposition forces, specifically the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), has been very "unconstructive" and "arrogant." HNC has been demanding that a transitional government be formed in Syria, defying alternatives tabled by Damascus.

"We are calling on all our international partners  mostly the United States as a co-chair of the International Syria Support Group  to use its influence on all members of the coalition to put an end to such ultimatums that aim to torpedo the talks and justify a brute-force scenario," Lavrov said.

Moscow calls for the ceasefire regime in Syria to be expanded and consolidated, so daily contacts between Russia and the United States are aimed at reaching it, Lavrov added.

"There are some specific groups willing to undermine the cessation of hostilities [in Syria], to provoke an escalation. We cannot afford them to do so. Our efforts together with our US partners are focused on expanding the number of participants of the ceasefire regime and [ensuring] the regime to be broadened and consolidated," Lavrov said.

"Now the Russian and US military are finalizing an agreement for a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo. I hope that the decision will be announced soon, maybe even in the next few hours," the minister added.
"Erdogan is quite determined to create a new society where there is no principle of the separation of powers," he said.

Pamuk won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006, a move that the Turkish government viewed as politically motivated. During his acceptance speech, the novelist spoke on the relationship between Eastern and Western civilizations.

"We have often witnessed peoples, societies and nations outside the Western world  and I can identify with them easily  succumbing to fears that sometimes lead them to commit stupidities, all because of their fears of humiliation and their sensitivities," he said.

"I also know that in the West  a world with which I can identify with the same ease  nations and peoples taking an excessive pride in their wealth, and in their having brought us the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and Modernism, have, from time to time, succumbed to a self-satisfaction that is almost as stupid."
"We received no notifications, warnings or other messages from the competent authorities," Turkish bureau chief Tural Kerimov said at the time.

One week later, Kerimov was forbidden from entering the county and had his press credentials stripped at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.

"[Authorities] gave me a paper that says that I'm a passenger whose entry is prohibited in Turkey. The paper doesn't contain any explanation. My press card and residence permit were also seized, and I was asked to go to Russia on the next flight," he said.

In Janurary 2015, the Turkish government earned the authority to block any type of internet resource without a warrant on the grounds of "national security, protection of social order, or for the prevention of crime." In 2015, 14 Turkish journalists were imprisoned, and Zaman, one of the country's largest opposition newspapers, was shuttered by the government.

Days before Ankara's decision, Radio Sputnik's Liston to This program won an award from the Turkish Journalists' Association.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US government is extending its state of emergency imposed against the actions of the government of Syria, President Barack Obama wrote in a letter to the heads of both chambers of Congress, the White House announced on Tuesday.

"The Syrian regime's actions and policies, including pursuing chemical and biological weapons [and] supporting terrorist organizations continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security of the United States," Obama stated.

Obama wrote that he had therefore determined that it was necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to this threat as well as to maintain in force the sanctions to address the issue.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement is unlikely to put the United States in a better position than countries like China to write and enforce the rules of the global economy, Coalition for a Prosperous America CEO Michael Stumo told Sputnik.

On Monday, President Barack Obama said in an op-ed piece published in the Washington Post that the TPP agreement would allow the United States  and not China  to write the trade rules for the world economy.

"Americans were told when China joined the WTO in 2000 that we were writing the rules of trade for the world," Stumo stated on Tuesday. "China did not follow the rules, we did not enforce them, and our pre-existing trade deficit with China exploded by 390 percent."
A team of researchers from Cambridge University have developed the world's tiniest engine, which could form the basis of future nanomachines that can travel in water, sense the environment around them, or even enter living cells to fight disease.

Scientists have dreamt of nanomachines that can navigate in water, sense their environment, communicate, and respond, says the description of the device published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) magazine.

However various power sources and propulsion systems which have been proposed earlier lacked speed, strength, and control.
Building walls to isolate ourselves from the global economy would only isolate us from the incredible opportunities it provides. Instead, America should write the rules. America should call the shotsThats what the TPP gives us the power to do, Obama said in his column for The Washington Post newspaper.

According to Obama, other countries should play by the rules that Washington and its partners set.
According to the paper, Scheindlin was not allowed to hand down a sentence less than 25 years because of a US law that allocates minimum sentences to various crimes. At the time, US prosecutors asked the judge to hand down the maximum sentence for Bout, which was life in prison.

Bout was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 in a joint operation between Thai and US authorities, who accused him of conspiring to kill US nationals by allegedly agreeing to supply Columbian militants with weapons. Undercover agents posing as members of Columbias FARC rebel group were used as part of the operation.
The US has invested more than a decade and nearly $70 billion in taxpayer funds to develop the Afghan security forces, officially known as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), says an article on the website of the US-based Breitbart News Network.

However, it notes, an ever increasing number of ANSF operatives trained by US instructors is defecting to the Taliban to share their newly acquired knowledge to earn the living.

In Iraq, the US spent $25 billion training and equipping a large Iraqi force, which then threw down its weapons and abandoned two key cities, Mosul and Ramadi, to Daesh militants, according to an earlier report by Reuters.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal will travel to Bangladesh this week to discuss security issues, the US Department of State said in a statement on Tuesday.

"While in Dhaka, the Assistant Secretary [Biswal] will meet with government officials to discuss the broader bilateral relationship and issues of shared concern regarding security," the statement said.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Investors seeking hints on where to place their money consider the US presidential contest as one of three top factors to consider, a Harris poll commissioned by the investment group Jefferson National revealed on Tuesday.

"In a primary season that has been characterized by the unexpected  and the unprecedented  this years presidential elections are seen as a key driver of greater volatility and a leading influence on advisors and investors approach to investing," Jefferson Nationals CEO Mitchell Caplan said in a press release describing the survey.
The woman from South California was ordered to provide her fingerprint to open the cell phone after the authorities obtained a search warrant compelling her to unlock the device, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The case of the fingerprint comes on the footsteps of the biggest public battle between tech giant Apple and the US Justice System who eventually withdrew its order for Apple to develop software capable of breaking its own security settings to unlock the iPhone belonging to the San Bernardino killer, Syed Farook.

However, this latest case involving the girlfriend of an alleged gangster adds another dimension to the legal debate surrounding personal data held on smartphones and tablets and who should be able to access it.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The popularity of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has reached a new high above 50 percent throughout the United States, a NBC News poll revealed on Tuesday.

Fifty-six percent of Republicans said they would support Trump for the nomination for president, the poll revealed.

However, 67 percent of Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, said the real estate mogul does not have the personality to serve as US president.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US Department of Justice should launch a criminal investigation into the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over alleged neglect of necessary water tests before excavating a mine tunnel on Navajo Nation land, US senators John Barrasso and John McCain said on Tuesday.

"[W]e believe that sufficient information exists to warrant an investigation by the Justice Department of whether EPA employees or contractors may have committed crimes in connection with the spill," the senators said in a request to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  US President Barack Obama has been briefed on the death of a US military member in Iraq, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

"President Obama has been briefed on this incident," Earnest told reporters.
The amount of child porn I see is just unbelievable," Payne exclaimed to Nextgov, regarding what he finds on government-owned devices.

NSA Director of Security Kemp Ensor believes that since national security workers go online when at home, they need to be monitored there as well. Currently, intelligence and security employees are only continuously monitored on their work computers.
NEW YORK (Sputnik)  A Russian national died while in the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

"A Russian national in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) passed away Sunday night at the Otay Mesa Detention Center after facility staff and emergency personnel were unable to revive him," the statement said.

ICE identified the Russian national as 46-year-old Igor Zyazin, and
Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, the famed Olympic swimmer who uses a wheelchair following a 2014 ATV crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down, took to Instagram on Sunday to detail an incident at the Denver International Airport where she was subjected to a full body search, despite having Pre Check.

With the positive in my journey, there is also negative. Need to make changes for all in . @denairport @tsa pre check officer was rude, and incorrect. Said every airport in country BUT Den is doing it wrong. Had a full body pat down, and was humiliated by him as well. Thank you STSO Keith Rogers!!! I'm going to find out if the rest of the country is wrong, or if HE is wrong. I'll get back to you, Van Dyken-Rouen wrote in the Instagram caption.

She also spoke to the Denver ABC affiliate, explaining that, they go around your breasts, they basically go under your butt and the just grab things, not grab, they touch things that are not appropriate and it's really embarrassing.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton took a strong 27-point lead over her challenger Senator Bernie Sanders in early results from the primary election in the US Midwestern state of Indiana.

With one percent of the vote counted, Clinton had 63.8 percent of the vote compared to 36.2 percent for Sanders, according to official results.

Clinton retains a clear lead over Sanders both in the popular vote and the number of delegates she has won in the contest to become the Democratic presidential candidate at the partys national convention in Philadelphia in July.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)  The document was prepared by non-permanent members of the UNSC  Egypt, New Zealand, Spain, Uruguay and Japan. This proposal was made after a series of attacks on medical facilities in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and South Sudan. The submitted draft is not directed against any specific country.

Russias Permanent Envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said Monday that the Russian delegation would support the draft resolution.
BEIJING (Sputnik)  Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev proposed on Tuesday the establishment of a Russia-China business council in the agricultural sector to enhance bilateral cooperation in this sector.

"In order to intensify interactions in investment and cooperation between the state bodies of the two countries and the agricultural business community, I propose to consider the establishment of a Russian-Chinese business council in the agricultural sector," Tkachev said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Han Changfu.
BEIJING (Sputnik)  Russia offers to China to discuss a project on the delivery of fresh water from Russia's Altai Territory through Kazakhstan, the Russian agricultural minister said.

"We are ready to propose a project for the transfer of fresh water from the Altai Territory of Russia through Kazakhstan to the arid Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. In the near future, we will hold consultations with our colleagues from Kazakhstan on this issue," Alexander Tkachev said during the meeting with Chinese counterpart Han Changfu.
ANKARA (Sputnik)  The Turkish government's official journal T.C. Resmi Gazete on Tuesday published a government decree to introduce a visa-free regime for EU citizens.

The decree will come into force once the European Union adopts a reciprocal measure, providing visa-free entry into the Schengen Area for Turkish citizens. Interestingly, nationals of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden can already visit Turkey without a visa for 90 days within a 180-day period. Latvians are allowed to stay for 30 days and all other EU citizens must either purchase a 20 USD visa in advance or buy one upon arrival for 30 USD.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)  More than 1,350 migrants died on their way across the Mediterranean Sea to the European states only this year, International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement on Tuesday.

"International Organization for Migration reports an estimated 184,546 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea in 2016, arriving in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain, through 1 May. Latest fatalities stand at 1,357," the statement reads.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Any calls for launching a ground operation in war-torn Syria should be stopped, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

#Lavrov held talks with Staffan de Mistura | #    . https://t.co/bHDazJudxI  MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) 3 May 2016

The top diplomat said that Russia was concerned about Turkey's shelling of the Syrian territory and the increasing calls for a ground operation in the country.

#SYRIA Report of the Russian Centre for reconciliation of opposing sides (May 2, 2016) https://t.co/Ufy8ASzUre pic.twitter.com/pVZAixDpHl    (@mod_russia) 2 May 2016

"We strongly believe that such calls are made by those who are not interested in the real political settlement, who rely on a military solution. We are convinced it will lead to a catastrophic situation, and such appeals should be stopped," Lavrov said following a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.
The summit, which will be held in Turkey's Istanbul, is expected to be attended by some 5,000 government officials from around the world, as well as by representatives from business and non-government organizations, according to the OCHA.

The World Humanitarian Summit is a valuable opportunity for international solidarity to halt the terrible suffering of people affected all over the world by conflict and disaster, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Marta Ruedas said, as quoted by the statement.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The European Commission announced on Tuesday it would provide 3 million euros ($3.5 million) to the polio vaccination campaign led by the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) all across Syria.

"Today we are announcing concrete support for Syrian children who are the first to suffer from inadequate access to healthcare. The EU is committed to supporting the most vulnerable victims of the Syrian conflict. Our support can make a real difference. It can save lives and improve conditions," Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said in a statement.

He called on the parties to the Syrian conflict to cease targeting the civilian population and medical facilities, in accordance with international humanitarian law, and to allow medical items through the aid convoys.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)  The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted the resolution condemning the attacks on medical, humanitarian personnel of hospitals in war-torn countries, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

The resolution has been prepared by Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Uruguay, which are the UNSC non-permanent member states.

The resolution calls on all the parties to armed conflicts to fully comply with the international humanitarian law and to provide the humanitarian personnel with protection.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States could introduce a travel ban preventing US citizens from visiting North Korea, following the sentencing of two Americans to hard labor and long prison terms, media reported on Tuesday.

"If a travel ban is compelled anywhere, its compelled in a country like North Korea, which is under a series of UN Security Council resolutions for being a dire threat to its neighbors, and is responsible for crimes against humanity,", a lawyer who helped draft sanctions against North Korea, Joshua Stanton, told the Wall Street Journal.

At least three foreigners have been sentenced to long prison terms or hard labor since March when the United Nations passed tougher sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons program.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States is considering a South Korean proposal to make the five-party framework for denuclearization talks on the Korean Peninsular a permanent diplomatic fixture, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel said on Tuesday.

"President Park [Geun-hye of South Korea] herself has proposed convening the five parties as its own process, which is certainly an idea we are considering," Russel said at a Center for Strategic International Studies conference on the future of the Korean Peninsula.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday called for consolidation of efforts in ensuring safety and security of journalists.

Lavrov's comments published on the Foreign Ministry's website coincide with World Press Freedom Day celebrated annually on May 3 after it was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in late 1993.

"The need to consolidate efforts on a global scale to ensure the safety and security of journalists is currently more than ever relevant," Lavrov stressed.
In addition to thanks from the president, the couple say that they had been inundated with an avalanche of gratitude, both from Russia and across Europe.

Everything began in late March, when Russian media announced the death of Prokhorenko, a young officer serving in Syria, who called in airstrikes on his position when it became clear that he had been surrounded by Daesh militants outside Palmyra.

In their letter to the Russian ambassador, the Magues complained that the story hadn't been covered in French media. However, the couple's act of generosity soon made up for that, and their story quickly spread around the world after it was revealed that they would send the National Order of the Legion of Honor (the highest French order for military and civil merits) and the War Cross 1939-1945, medals bestowed on two members of their family for their feats of heroism in the Second World War.

Speaking to Sputnik, Jean-Claude and Micheline Mague explained why Prokhorenko's story struck a chord with them. "We remembered our own son, who was killed in Sarajevo, in Bosnia, although he did not die on the battlefield. We learned of his death just like that, by a phone call."
Both India and Italy are attempting to interpret the verdict of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague to suit their own viewpoint regarding the detained marine.

The naval officer, Salvatore Girone, was arrested in 2012 along with his colleague Massimiliano Latorre for inadvertently fatally shooting two fishermen off the coast of Kerala in southern India. The incident sparked a diplomatic row: Italy argues that they mistook the local fishermen for pirates and that they were in international waters. However, India has contested these claims. While Latorre had already reached Italy by 2014, citing medical conditions, Girone is still sheltered in the Italian embassy in India.

Following the bilateral spat, the UN tribunal ruled: ""Italy and India shall cooperate, including in proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, to achieve a relaxation of the bail conditions of Sergeant Girone so as to give effect to the concept of considerations of humanity, so that Sergeant Girone, while remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, may return to Italy during the present arbitration."
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Colombian national Jose Bayron Piedrahita Ceballos for providing material support to the drug cartel La Oficina de Envigado, the Treasury said in a statement on Tuesday.

"As a result of todays action, all assets of [Piedrahita Ceballos] that are based in the United States or that are in control of US persons are frozen, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them," the statement said.

OFAC also sanctioned seven other Colombian nationals and 11 entities based in Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala and Panama for their alleged ties to Piedrahita Ceballos.
The audit asserts that the system is failing to weed out those who have been convicted of serious crimes, submitted fraudulent paperwork, or married solely for citizenship.

The information gathered in the report is from an audit which was conducted from July 2014 through October 2015.

This comes at a time when many in the US are already skeptical of the Canadian governments decision to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees, all of whose paperwork would be handled by the IRC department. The subject of the possibility of terrorists mixing in with refugees and crossing the border to the US from Canada was a topic of discussion within the Senate Homeland Security Committee in February.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Insufficient water supply could lead to a decline in the gross domestic product (GDP) in at least four parts of the world if governments do not make water management changes, according to a World Bank report released on Tuesday.

"If countries do not take action to better manage water resources, our analysis shows that some regions with large populations could be living with long periods of negative economic growth," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said in a release about the report.

The report noted the regions of concern include Central Africa and East Asia, which do not have water scarcity problems at present, and the Middle East and the Sahel of Africa, where water is already in short supply.
An upcoming hearing with a federal bankruptcy judge could result in Balmoral Park being sold to Rick E. Heidners Balmoral Holdings.

According to an article on chicagotribune.com, Heidner has offered $1.8 million for the harness track and all of its assets.

Heidners bid surpassed the $1.6 million offer made two days earlier by Horse Shows in the Sun Inc. of New York.

Balmorals assets fetched bids in excess of $770,000 in an online auction last week, but they would be included in the acquisition by Heidner if approved in Tuesdays meeting with the federal bankruptcy judge.

Should the deal fall through or be nixed, those assets would be sold and a separate auction of the real estate would take place next month.
This Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono will provide top action for three-year-old racehorses -- whether pacing, trotting, or running -- during a doubleheader card at the northeast Pennsylvania oval.

First post for the first card will be at 11:00 a.m.; after those ten races are completed, the thoroughbreds will take center stage for their Bluegrass classic via simulcasting; and immediately after the Derby is completed (approximately 7:00 p.m.), there will be a second card of 14 live races at The Downs.

Sticking to the Standardbred side, the Saturday highlights will come during the evening card, as The Downs hosts the inaugural edition of the $561,500 Pennsylvania Classic Final for the best Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, with their filly counterparts going for $313,800 in the first Miss Pennsylvania Final. The sophomores earned their way into the open-draw Finals through high finishes in elimination races this past Saturday, and there are no coupled entries in either event.

Trainer Ron Burke sent out both Pennsylvania Classic elimination winners, JK Will Power and Check Six, and that pair drew beside each other in posts three and four respectively. Both are sons of Somebeachsomewhere who ran their 2016 records to 2-for-2 in the eliminations: JK Will Power won in 1:51.1 for owners the 3 Brothers Stables, while Check Six edged his stablemate Big Top Hanover in 1:50.4 for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, William Switala, and James Martin.

Something will have to give between these two fast colts in the Pennsylvania Classic; an early indication may come Tuesday morning, when Yannick Gingras, who guided both of them to victory, will have to pick between the two at scratch time.

Big Top Hanover, as mentioned before also a Burke trainee, drew post one Saturday; Manhattan Beach is the fourth member of the Burke barn to make the Classic Final, but he drew the outermost post nine. Trainer Chris Ryder qualified three horses for the Classic Final, but they also had poor luck at the draw: Western Dynasty, JJ Flynn, and Duke Of Delray will start from posts six, seven, and eight, respectively.

The Pennsylvania Classic is race 12 of the Saturday evening card; a race earlier, the top locally-sired fillies will have their turn in the spotlight in the Miss Pennsylvania Final. There were three eliminations for the filly final last Saturday, and the fastest winner was Darlinonthebeach, who won in 1:50.4 to remain unbeaten in two seasonal starts, and she drew post four for driver David Miller, trainer Nancy Johannson, and owner White Birch Farm.

Call Me Queen Be, like Darlinonthebeach a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, will start just to that foes right in post five after winning her seasonal bow in 1:51.3 for driver Scott Zeron, trainer Ross Croghan, and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc and Dana Parham. Not so fortunate at the pillshake was the other Miss Pennsylvania elim winner, the Well Said filly I Said Diamonds, who won her elim in 1:51 in her seasonal bow but Saturday must solve the difficult outermost post nine for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Matias Ruiz, and owners Little Bapa LLC.

The Miss Pennsylvania Final will also be interesting to watch to see if two Jimmy Takter trainees can bounce back from thirds in their elims. Pure Country, undefeated in ten starts at two and voted national divisional champion, was caught in the stretch in her elim -- her seasonal debut. That fast filly will be looking to regain her winning ways from post six for driver Brett Miller. Ivy League, a daughter of former Takter champion mare See You At Peelers who also was third in her elim, drew the rail with Yannick Gingras taking over her sulky seat after last week's pilot David Miller picked Darlinonthebeach for this race.

Also on the outstanding Saturday night card will see a showdown of the top free-for-all pacers on a 'neutral site' in the race six $50,000 Van Rose Memorial Invitational, named after the former area harness racing writer. Pocono is a 'neutral site' because of the leading free-for-all duo have enjoyed success at separate racetracks. Rockeyed Optimist has as of late been unstoppable on the mile track at The Meadowlands, while Bit Of A Legend N won all five Levy Series prelims over the half-mile Yonkers oval and then came back to take the $609,000 Levy Final.

Rockeyed Optimist got an advantage at the post draw, landing post six for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Steve Elliott, and the ownership combine of Anthony Perretti, Virginia Berkner, A And B Stable, and Joe Battaglia. The five-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding has six wins and two seconds in eight 2016 starts including a 1:48.2 seasonal best at Dover, and a 1:48 lifetime mark.

Bit Of A Legend N, a seven-year-old son of Bettors Delight, had already earned $650,000 racing in New Zealand before being brought to these shores for this campaign by owner Harry Von Knoblauch. The Kiwi import has started off his North American career in, well, legendary style, with two wins and two seconds before going on his six-race Levy tear which gave him the biggest bankroll in North American harness racing this year: $451,250. But between the quality of this field and the difficult post nine, this may be the toughest test yet for Bit Of A Legend N, who will be driven by Jordan Stratton for trainer Peter Tritton.

To show the overall quality of the Van Rose field, one could cite facts like five of the entrants are millionaires -- including double millionaire JK Endofanera, and that their average lifetime mark is 1:49.2, with ironically the possessor of the least-speedy mark being Bit Of A Legend N at 1:51h ... but remember that he has only raced ten times on this contintent, and only over the Yonkers half-miler; so itll be interesting to see how he stretches his game out over the five-eighths-mile Pocono oval. And the field clashes at Pocono in good form: of the 51 charted lines shown without qualifiers or scratches, the field boasts of 25 victories showing, despite the fact that several made one or more starts against each other in the Levy Series.

The field, from inside post position to out, is Take It Back Terry, P H Supercam, Hall Bro, Luck Be Withyou, JK Endofanera, Rockeyed Optimist, Cooperstown, Bushwacker, and Bit Of A Legend N.

But wait: theres more! The first card also has a trio of stakes events, as the Pennsylvania All-Star Series for state-sired horses opens its 2016 stand at Pocono with three $30,000 divisions of the three-year-old trotting colt and gelding event, carded as the last three events on the ten-race curtain-raising card.

The final of the trio of contests looks the most interesting in terms of returning horses with accomplishments, as the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisional champion Lagerfeld makes his first 2016 start from post two for trainer Jimmy Takter and driver Yannick Gingras. Also in this heat is Make Or Miss, who deadheated for the win in the Valley Victory Final at The Meadowlands at the end of last season (post four, trainer Ron Burke, driver Joe Bongiorno), and Pennsylvania Stallion Series champ Mr Right (post six, trainer Leigh Raymer, driver George Napolitano Jr.); these two will make their first starts in 2016 as well in this contest.

(with files from PHHA/Pocono)
Veteran horseman Per Henriksen celebrated a major milestone Monday evening at Mohawk Racetrack thanks to a win with a well-bred youngster who broke his maiden in style.

Henriksen racked up his 1,000th training win after guiding Bee In Charge  a Manofmanymissions brother to Bee A Magician  to a 1:58 triumph in a $14,000 conditioned event.

Henriksen got away second with the heavily-favoured three-year-old, but he had the trotter on the move in the backstretch. Bee In Charge cleared to the top without a tussle and wound up drawing clear to win by 3-3/4 lengths after trotting his final quarter in :27.

A native of Norway, Henriksen worked for some of the best horsemen in Europe before moving to the U.S. in 1980. He relocated to Norwood, Ont. near Kawartha Downs, in the early 2000s.

Some of Pers outstanding horses over the years include Hambletonian winner Nuclear Kosmos, Hambletonian Oaks winner Oolong, Breeders Crown winner Southwind Serena and $800,000 winner Clerk Magistrate among many others.

Exemplar captured Mondays feature race  the $34,000 Preferred Trot  in come-from-behind fashion for driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Richard Moreau.

Filion got away fifth with Exemplar while Charlie Is A Joker and Fearless Man battled to the quarter pole in :26.3. Charlie Is A Joker worked his way to the top, but was quickly overtaken by Fearless Man. The middle panels were set by Fearless Man in :56.2 and 1:25.1, but he couldnt seal the deal. Exemplar, who was still sixth heading into the final quarter, fired home in :28 and prevailed by a neck over O Narutac Perfetto in 1:54.1. Race favourite Fearless Man was third.

The six-year-old son of Andover Hall-Southwind Serena is owned by Andrea Lea Racingstables Inc of Lakefield Gore, QC and ASA Farm of Norwood, Ont. The 12-time winner pushed his lifetime earnings to $227,893 with the win.

Can I Say and driver Jody Jamieson pulled off a front-stepping shocker in the $24,000 Fillies & Mares Trot. Sent off at odds of 26-1, she fired to the lead from Post 7 and never looked back after doling out splits of :27.1, :56 and 1:24.2. She used a :29.2 closing quarter to win by a length over odds-on favourite Muscle Baby Doll in 1:53.4. Stormont Kate was a hard-closing third.

The seven-year-old daughter of Fourth And One-Emerald Eclair hangs her harness bag in the barn of trainer Jim Whelan, who co-owns the OSS graduate with Terry and Clarence Devos of Langton, Ont. She owns a 2-2-0 record from six starts this season, and shes banked $23,000 in the process. The 28-time winner pushed her lifetime earnings over $400,000 with the win.

(With files from Kawartha Downs)

To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results  Mohawk Racetrack.
Trot Insider has learned that Brian Arthur Burton, known to friends as Heavy, passed away on Monday, May 2 in Summerside, PEI at the age of 68.

The native of Guelph, Ont. was the trainer of 2006 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Armbro Emerson, and several other notable Standardbreds.

Brian is survived by his two sons, Brad and Dale Devine. Those who so desire may make memorial donations in the memory of Brian to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Trot Insider will update this notice with additional information regarding arrangements when it is received.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Brian Burton.
UNSC Extends MINURSO Mandate One Year

Contact: K. Drawi, 240-994-2476

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 30, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ --The UN Security Council extended, on Friday, the mandate for MINURSO, the United Nations' (UN) peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, for one year until April 30, 2017.

In its resolution n2285, adopted by the majority of the council members with three abstentions and two votes against, the UNSC takes note of the proposition submitted by Morocco to the UNSG on April 11, 2007, and of the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco seeking to make headway with the process of finding a solution to the conflict.

The Council also hailed Morocco's achievements in human rights, notably through the National Human Rights Council (French acronym CNDH) and its branches in Laayoune and Dakhla, as well as the interaction of the Kingdom with the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council.

Morocco takes note of the resolution n2285 adopted by the UN Security Council on the Sahara issue, which constitutes a "severe setback for all the maneuvers of the UN Secretariat General", said the Moroccan Foreign Ministry in a statement released few hours after the vote of the resolution.

"This resolution reaffirms the parameters of the political solution, as defined by the Security Council since 2004 and clarified, in operational terms, in 2007. It is, as such, a severe setback for all the maneuvers of the UN Secretariat General, notably those operated during the visit of the Secretary General and those inserted in his latest report", the ministry said , noting that "these maneuvers were aimed at altering the parameters of the political solution, reviving outdated options and introducing elements that are unrecognized by the Security Council".

"The Kingdom of Morocco, which had responded at the time to the excesses of the visit of the Secretary General, expressed, in an official letter, its reservations on the latest report upon its publication, and its total rejection of some statements contained in this document. Similarly, the resolution of the Security Council confirms the mandate of MINURSO as it has evolved in recent years, taking into account the subsequent developments in the case", the same source recalled.

"The Council has decided on all attempts to change the mandate of MINURSO and its extension to non-agreed missions and foreign actions to its purpose", the Foreign Ministry said, noting that "it is in the context of this renewed mandate that the resolution calls for the full functionality of MINURSO".

In this regard, the Kingdom of Morocco will continue, "in full compliance with the decisions it made, dialogue to reach a solution that allows for the mitigation of the severe slips of the Secretary General during his visit to the region, and the proper functioning of the MINURSO, mainly in its core tasks of monitoring the cease-fire and demining in the buffer zone east of the defense wall".

"The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its thanks to the permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and brotherly Arab countries, which acted with discernment and responsibility in a constructive and friendly spirit to achieve the adoption of a resolution that allows for the serene pursuit of the UN action in this issue", the same source said, adding that the Kingdom of Morocco "regrets, however, that the member of the Security Council, which is responsible for the formulation and presentation of the first draft resolution, has introduced elements of pressure, constraints and weakening, and acted against the spirit of partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco. "

In this context, the Ministry recalled that HM the King had denounced, in his important speech during the Morocco-GCC Summit in Riyadh on April 20, 2016, the sources of inspiration, action and objectives of the parties hostile to the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, which seek to cause regional destabilization".

"Armed with its rights, unity and solidity of its internal front, the Kingdom of Morocco will continue, in good faith and with determination, its involvement in the political process of the settlement of this artificial regional dispute", the ministry underlined.

It concluded that "the Kingdom of Morocco will remain committed to peace and regional and international stability, as it will remain vigilant to all slips or attempts to infringe its legitimate high interests".
Constitutional Scholars May Not Agree with What Daleiden Says, But Defend His Right to Say It

Thomas More Society Welcomes Broad Coalition Defending Undercover Journalist's First Amendment Rights

SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- To date, eight amici curiae (friends of the court) briefs have been filed in connection with the appeal of an injunction entered against undercover citizen journalist David Daleiden prohibiting him from releasing videotapes that he filmed at two abortion industry conferences. Thomas More Society attorneys representing Daleiden are grateful for this broad support for Daleiden's constitutional rights on the part of so many amici.

The appeal arises out of a lawsuit in which Daleiden has been sued by the National Abortion Federation for alleged violations of the federal racketeering law, known as RICO, because of his internet postings of videotapes and research exposing Planned Parenthood's and other abortionists' involvement in trafficking body parts of aborted babies as well as other violations of federal law. This includes evidence that partial birth abortions are still being used to harvest "intact fetal cadavers," which command premium market prices. The amici filings come from diverse groups, including those who do not share Daleiden's prolife views, an alliance of state attorney generals, a coalition of U.S. Congressmen, and others.

Thomas More Society attorneys Thomas Brejcha, Peter Breen, Matt Heffron and Corrina Konczal represent Daleiden, together with California based cocounsel, in the appeal filed with the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The appeal prays for reversal of a preliminary injunction entered by District Judge William H. Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which bars Daleiden, his company, Center for Medical Progress, and his confederates from publishing or disclosing undercover videos taken at National Abortion Federation annual conventions in 2014 and 2015. Daleiden argues, among other things, that the lower court decree constitutes an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech that wrongfully deprives American citizens of access to otherwise hidden facts at the pinnacle of newsworthiness and of surpassing public interest.

The friend of the court briefs filed in the appeal include the following:





Law faculty from Harvard, Stanford, Cornell and other public and private university law schools have joined in filing a brief insisting that federal courts do not have the power to prohibit the distribution of information relevant to controversial matters of public concern  a brief which quotes extensively from another amicus brief previously been filed in the lower court by the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press, attacking the district court's earlier entry of a temporary restraining order as an illicit prior restraint banning dissemination of the National Abortion Federation videotapes.

The law professors' brief asserts that while they "do not agree with one another on all aspects of the controversial issue of abortion," they nonetheless "are united in insisting that all Americans  no matter what their views on abortion  have an unfettered right in our society to have access to important information about controversial matters, including  but by no means limited to  abortion." The constitutional concerns expressed include a disagreement with the district court's analysis that Daleiden had engaged in "fraud."



Rather, the brief affirms Daleiden's role as a member of the press, as the composition of the Fourth Estate is now "broadly understood at this moment in the digital revolution" and as citizen journalists, equally as so-called mainstream media, play a "vital role" in providing crucial information to the general public.

The Attorney Generals of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin have also filed a brief in support of Daleiden, asking for a reversal in the case. An additional amicus filing by the Susan B. Anthony List was also filed on behalf of six U.S. Congress Representatives. This amicus brief notes that, although a Congressional committee had subpoenaed the suppressed National Abortion Federation videotapes, and even though the district court ultimately permitted Daleiden to comply with that Congressional subpoena, viewing of those videotapes was restricted to a very limited audience and were inaccessible to the rest of the American public.

Read the appeal brief appeal filed on April 19, 2016 for David Daleiden in National Abortion Federation's RICO lawsuit here

About the Thomas More Society
Declaring TSA Passenger Screening & Whole Body Scanners to be Ineffective & Unlawful, Rutherford Institute & CEI Mount Renewed Legal Challenge

Contact: Nisha Whitehead, Rutherford Institute , 434-978-3888 ext. 604, nisha@rutherford.org



WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- The Rutherford Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) have joined forces to continue to push back against the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of whole body scanners, which have been likened to virtual strip searches, in the nation's airports. In mounting a legal challenge to the TSA's protocol for subjecting travelers to whole body imaging technology (WBI), attorneys with The Rutherford Institute and CEI have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to declare that the TSA acted arbitrarily, capriciously and contrary to law in promulgating its rules on the use of WBI technology at airports.



The Rutherford Institute's legal challenge to the TSA's passenger screening procedures as ineffective and unlawful coincides with reports that TSA agents using WBI scanners failed to detect explosive material smuggled through by undercover Homeland Security units at some of the nation's busiest international airports, most recently at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The petition in CEI et al v. DHS is available at www.rutherford.org.

"We are the unwitting victims of a system so corrupt that those who stand up for the rule of law and aspire to transparency in government are in the minority. This corruption is so vast it spans all branches of government, from the power-hungry agencies under the executive branch and the corporate puppets within the legislative branch to a judiciary that is, more often that not, elitist and biased towards government entities and corporations. The whole body imaging scanners are a perfect example of this collusion between corporate lobbyists and government officials," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. "'We the people' have not done the best job of holding our representatives accountable or standing up for our rights. But something as invasive and seemingly ineffective as these scanners certainly shouldn't be foisted on an unsuspecting American populace without the absolute assurance that it will not harm our health or undermine our liberties."

The TSA began using WBI technology at airports for security screening in 2007. WBI generates a highly-detailed image that exposes intimate details of a person's body to government agents. In 2009, the TSA began using WBI as a primary means of screening passengers, deploying the scanners at airports throughout the country, but without the support of any legislation or agency regulation. In May 2009, The Rutherford Institute and 30 other organizations sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding the DHS implement rulemaking procedures in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), which requires the agency to give formal notice to the public of proposed actions and an opportunity to comment on the proposed action, in connection with the deployment of WBI scanners. When the TSA failed to notify the public of its decision to deploy the scanners or ask for public comments on use of the use of WBI technology as required by federal law, a lawsuit was brought alleging that this failure violated the APA. In July 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the TSA's implementation of WBI scanners without conducting rulemaking proceedings did violate federal law and ordered the agency to begin such proceedings. When the TSA failed to issue a proposed rule for over a year, the matter returned to the court, which directed that the TSA issue a proposed rule on WBI scanners by March 2013. The TSA issued its rule on March 3, 2016, but CEI and The Rutherford Institute filed a challenge asserting the rule is arbitrary and capricious.

Hans Bader and Sam Kazman of CEI are helping to advance the legal arguments.
One incumbent is running in the five-candidate race for two open seats.
Agnes Staggs, who was known for her graciousness and warmth as a Daily News features writer for 27 years, died Sunday at an adult care facility in Longview. She was 95.

Staggs was born in Tennessee and lived in Eastern Washington before moving to this area.

She joined The Daily News as assistant editor of what was then called the womens page in 1952.

She was a Southern lady in the very finest tradition, said Suzanne Martinson, who worked with Staggs as the newspapers This Day features editor. She was always kind to anyone who called, even if they were critical of us, Martinson said.

For 22 years, Staggs wrote a column called Stagglines, which included community news and her personal stories about raising three children.

The column was one of the best read items in the paper, Martinson said.

In the old days, it was called the society column, Martinson said. But Agnes was certainly not a snob. She liked to give credit to people who did good things to the community. Thats how she changed the paper.

When Staggs retired in 1979, she wrote, Each time I have written a column, it has been like having a conversation with friends. It may sound sentimental (that wont be a new thing for this writer) but writing a column such as this is a little like having a finger on the communitys pulse.

Staggs welcomed the newspapers expansion of the society pages into a full feature section  called This Day  with a variety of stories that appealed to both men and women, Martinson said.

After retiring from the newspaper, Staggs and her late husband, Ray, traveled extensively, and she wrote occasional travel articles for the paper. Ray Staggs died in 2004.

She is survived by three children, Marilyn Walstead of Gig Harbor and Gary Staggs and Bruce Staggs of Longview; four grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Bruce Staggs said his mother was appreciated by other care facility residents until her last days. She was well-liked no matter where she went, he said.

Plans for a memorial service are pending.
A five-time convicted sex offender from Oregon who masqueraded as a surrogate grandfather and repeatedly raped a Longview girl will now likely die in prison.

James Eldon Breedlove, 74, was sentenced in Cowlitz County Superior Court on Tuesday to more than 15 years for raping and molesting the 6-year-old girl.

Breedlove absconded from Oregon in 2008, did not register as a sex offender, established a false identity as Sam Pruitt, and befriended a local family, according to court documents.

For years, he was, as the victims mother described in court Tuesday, a surrogate grandfather to the familys son and daughter, even helping out with the sons Boy Scout activities.

The girls father discovered Breedlove climbing off of his daughter in January, and Breedlove told him he was tickling the girl.

According to a court document, he had been raping the girl for a year before he was discovered.

The girls mother said at a sentencing hearing that every member of her family has since started counseling, her husband had a stress-related stroke and suffers post-traumatic stress disorder. He lost his job as a result, she said.

This has been one of the hardest things my family has had to endure, the girls mother said. He betrayed us in the worst way possible.  This event has caused us to question the sincerity of anyone we come into contact with.

The packed courtroom fell silent as the audience waited for Breedloves statement before he was sentenced. After a long moment, Breedlove spoke.

Theres very little I can say other than Im grievously sorry for the things Ive done, he said. The one thing I know Ive lost, which is one of the greatest things, is the friendship thats been extended to me.

Judge Michael Evans sentenced him to the highest end of the standard sentencing range.

Theres not enough words to describe the evil nature of your acts, Evans said. Theres nothing short of the highest range possible to keep you off the streets and away from any child.  If I had my way, youd die in prison because I think thats whats best for society.

The victims mother said she wont let Breedlove ruin her daughters life.

On the day of arraignment one of the pastors made the comment that hes ruined this girls life, she said. He has affected it, but he hasnt ruined it.
Tami Phan has an uncommon business goal: She wants to stay small.

Her new nail salon, Tamis Tips & Toes, is a one-woman show open by appointment only so that she can give her customers individual attention. And other than potentially hiring one employee, she wants to keep it that way.

Im okay with my size now, and I dont think that will change anytime soon, Phan said.

Tamis Tips & Toes will serve a different purpose than Phans former business, D.T. Nails. After Phan started D.T. Nails when she was 25 years old, the salon grew into a busy business. But after a divorce, Phans desire to have a less stressful career motivated her to sell D.T. Nails last April. She opened Tamis Tips & Toes in January.

I want this to be a smaller, more relaxing place, said Phan, 34, who moved to Washington from Vietnam in 1992. I have many clients come back to me and say that they feel very comfortable here.

The boutique-sized salon is decorated to soothe. Purple walls are adorned with canvas prints of the Eiffel tower, and crystal-style beads sparkle behind a bouquet of silk blue, white and green flowers in the window display. Two plush pedicure massage chairs. There's a kitchenette with hot tea and snacks and a private room in the back that offers a space for small parties and a waxing table.

The salon offers waxing, acrylic nails, gel nails, eyelash extensions, manicures and pedicures. Phan has a big emphasis on cleanliness: Each customer receives new pumice stones, buffers and nail files; clippers are sterilized and kept in a hot oven to hospital standards; and pedicure tubs are lined with plastic.

I do everything by the books, Phan said. She learned the trade a decade ago while studying business at DeVry University in Federal Way. Between classes, she found herself spending time with a friend who worked at a nail salon, and eventually she started working there.

It just comes naturally to me, she said. I think God gave that to me. Phan attended business and beauty schools at the same time, graduating from DeVry in 2005.

She moved to Longview shortly thereafter and began working at U.S. Nails.

Thats when I fell in love with Longview. ... It's such a small town, but it fits my personality, she said.

Early on her career she met customers Maggie May and her daughter, Lydia, and the three became close friends.

Its such a friendly atmosphere, Lydia May said of the new shop. Its really more like a family.

Phan beams looking around her shop. It really is my dream, she said.

Bottom Lines

 Estetica Day Spa consolidated its business to one location at the Riverwoods shopping complex at 812 Ocean Beach Highway, closing its Commerce Avenue location. The spa had been at Commerce Avenue attached to Pals For Hair salon for about 14 years. Owners Kim Schlais and Barb Sudar opened the second location at Riverwoods last year, adding a clothing and accessories boutique to the spa.

 The Package Depot on Hemlock Street closed April 30 after a little over a year of business. Owner Cindy Riner said business was too slow, and she also plans to move to Forks, Wash.
Weyerhaeuser Co. announced Monday its selling seven of its pulp mills to International Paper Co. for $2.2 billion as part of broader move to steer away from the pulp industry. The companys Longview liquid packaging plant and NORPAC were not included in the transaction, but theyre still up for sale.

Union officials representing Weyerhaeuser pulp mill workers in Longview werent surprised by Mondays announcement.

We were expecting it and have been preparing for Longview to sell. All indications are that it will happen and an announcement may even come in the next week or month, said Greg Pallesen, vice president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers.

AWPPW represents about 450 of Weyerhaeusers 950 pulp mill workers in Longview.

Weyerhaeuser remained guarded about whether there are any potential buyers lined up for Longview.

The strategic review is still ongoing for the Liquid Packaging Board and NORPAC businesses ... These are great businesses, a fact validated throughout the review process. We do not know the timing for decisions, but we will provide additional details when we conclude the strategic review, Anthony Chavez, a Weyerhaeuser spokesperson, said by email.

The forestry company announced in November its plan to potentially shed its cellulose fiber business, including its Longview mills. In February, Weyerhaeuser nearly doubled its U.S. timber acreage when it finalized a $8.8 billion merger with Plum Creek, creating the worlds biggest timberland and forest products company. The Federal Way-based company will use most of the proceeds from Mondays sale to pay off debt from the merger.

Paul Latta, industry analyst with Glacier Peak Capital, said the pulp mill sales makes sense as Weyerhaeuser sharpens its focus on timber.

Their hands are fairly full already (with the merger) and so their emphasis is on just trying to make the timber side of the business work. If they can simplify their portfolio (by selling off pulp making assets), I think theres merit to that.

Before Mondays sale, Weyerhaeuser had 24 percent share of the fluff pulp market, second to Georgia-Pacific LLCs 28 percent share, according to industry analyst RISI.

International Papers purchase includes five fluff pulp mills in Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina and Alberta, with a combined total capacity of nearly 1.9 million metric tons. Two modified fiber mills in Mississippi and Poland also were included.

Unlike newsprint and book industry, the fluff market is growing at about 3 to 4 percent a year globally. Fluff pulp is a soft, white material used in diapers, feminine products and some bandages.

The fluff pulp assets were sought-after assets. I would guess the newsprint business is a bit of tougher sell, Latta said. Newsprint has steadily declined for more than a decades as more newspapers close and consolidate.

Anti-trust laws may require International Paper to sell off two mills, bringing down the purchase price by about $50 million, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, International Paper makes paper and packaging and said the deal will expand its product offering to businesses.

The company will get a $300 million tax benefit for the deal, bringing its total cost for the mills down to $1.9 billion.

International Papers stock rose 19 cents to $43.46 a share Monday, and Weyerhaeuser nudged up by 16 cents to $32.28 per a share.
Aditya Madanapalle

Bitcoin trading is in its highest volumes ever, Steam just started accepting Bitcoin as payment, and Australian security researcher Craig Wright just confirmed his identity as Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious and elusive creator of Bitcoin. This is a quick recap of the history of Bitcoin.

1997: Adam Back conceptualises hashcash. This is underlying technology for Bitcoin mining. Hashcash is a proof of work system that uses random computer processing, or burnt CPU cycles for different applications. The main use of this technology is to prevent excessive spam and restrict the damage caused by denial of service attacks. Hashcash is most notably and widely used for the Bitcoin mining algorithm.

2008: The early phase of Bitcoin, just before the introduction and implementation. The domain Bitcoin.org is registered at this time, through a service that allows users to anonymously register web domains. Satoshi Nakamoto publishes a paper titled bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System (PDF). This gives an outline of the the peer to peer cryptocurrency, based on artificial digital scarcity.

2009: The genesis block is mined, the first block of Bitcoin ever, and the start of the Bitcoin blockchain. It has 50 Bitcoin. The Bitcoin Project hits SourceForge. The first Bitcoin transaction takes place between Satoshi Nakamoto and Hal Finney. The latter is going to be important years later. Pizza is one of the first things purchased with Bitcoin. Late in the year, an exchange rate is established, based on the amount of computer resources and electricity that is needed to mine Bitcoin.

2010: A major vulnerability in the blockchain used to verify transactions is spotted, and promptly exploited. The vulnerability is patched, the network forked to a new version, and the billions of Bitcoins generated by the exploit erased from the record. The first Bitcoin transaction on a mobile device happens. Nakamoto's involvement with Bitcoin reduces considerably.

2011: Bitcoin reaches parity with the US dollar early in the year, but the bubble bursts and the prices remain low for the rest of the year. Mike Caldwell starts minting physical Bitcoin, called Casascius coins. Nakamoto releases a statement, saying that he has moved on to other projects. The hunt for Satoshi Nakomoto starts in earnest. The New Yorker speculates that Nakamoto is a cover for Dr. Vili Lehdonvirta, a social economist working with virtual economies and Michael Clear, a researcher of cryptography and internet security. Both deny that they are Nakamoto, in singular or in plural. A Fast Company article speculates that Neal King, Vladimir Oksman and Charles Bry are together Nakamoto. This guess is based on similar wording in the Bitcoin whitepaper released by Nakamoto, and a patent application filed by the three "suspects". The timing of the patent application is also suspiciously close to the date of registration of the Bitcoin.org domain. All three deny that they are Nakamoto, and the search continues. Block 157235 has the largest ever fee, 171 Bitcoin is exchanged in a single transaction.

2012: An FBI report showing concerns over use of Bitcoin for illegal activity, including trafficking of drugs and weapons, gets leaked. WordPress starts accepting Bitcoin as payment. Bitcoin value slowly rises throughout the year because of European economic troubles. The largest block, 181919 tracks 1,322 transactions.

2013: The University of Nicosia in Cyprus begins to accept Bitcoin as fees from students. China bans Bitcoin. Ted Nelson, information technology pioneer and sociologist uploads a YouTube video, where he theorises that Japanese mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki is Nakamoto. There are unreliable reports claiming that Mochizuki also denies being Nakamoto. There are clues based on the analysis of the kind of words and phrases used in the Bitcoin Whitepaper, that Nakamoto is not Japanese. Vice notes in an article listing all the suspects till, that Nakamoto alternates between US English and UK English words and phrases, which could mean that Nakamoto is deliberately masking his identity, or that it is a moniker for a group of people. Vice's lists of suspects includes those associated with Bitcoin in various ways, including Gavin Andresen, the lead developer of Bitcoin and Jed McCaleb, the founder of Mt. Gox, one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges. Studying the language and style of Nakamoto becomes a favorite passtime for sleuths on the hunt for the elusive Bitcoin founder. Skye Grey uses these techniques, to guess that the Bitcoin creator is Nick Szabo. Szabo is a developer who has posted articles relating to cryptocurrencies before the advent of Bitcoin. Szabo frequently and repeatedly denies he is Nakamoto.

2014: Zynga announces that it is testing Bitcoin for in game purchases on seven of its titles. Casinos in Las Vegas also start accepting Bitcoin. Efforts to find Nakamoto continue in 2014, with Newsweek identifying Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto as the same person who used the name Satoshi Nakamoto. The article has a long and in-depth profile of the wrong man. The same article carries a denial from Dorian S Nakamoto. Hal Finney, the first person to engage in a Bitcoin transaction with the unknown Satoshi Nakamoto, and who confusingly lives close to Dorian S Nakamoto, is also suspected to be Nakamoto. Investigations by Forbes reporters shows a good match between Finney's writings and Nakamoto's whitepaper.

2015: Law enforcement authorities are accused of stealing Bitcoin as part of Silk Road investigations. EU rules that bitcoin transactions are exempted from VAT. The Bitcoin network is forked, with an update that allows for blocks larger than 1MB in size. This tackles a scalability issue in the system. Wired follows the digital trail of Satoshi Nakamoto, and ends up identifying Craig Steven Wright as the creator of Bitcoin. The article uses blog entries, and archived copies of deleted posts that seem to have prescient knowledge of Bitcoin developments.

2016: Steam starts letting users buy games using Bitcoin. The move is aimed at gamers from emerging markets without access to traditional payment methods. Australian Craig Wright claims to be Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. The Wired article from 2015, has another tantalizing possibility, that Wright is leaving around clues in a deliberate effort to confuse people into thinking he is Nakamoto. For those unconvinced by his demonstrations, the search continues, and may never be over.

There never was any doubt over the secret identity of Shibetoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Dogecoin. It is Billy Markus, a developer from the US.
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A Brazilian judge ordered wireless phone carriers to block access to Facebook WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout Latin America's largest country, the second such move against the popular messaging application in five months.

The decision by the judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects WhatsApp's more than 100 million users in the country. The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court.

In a statement, WhatsApp said the company is "disappointed at the decision" after doing the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals.

The decision "punishes more than 100 million users who depend upon us to communicate themselves, run their business and more, just to force us hand over information that we don't have," the statement said, without elaborating.

It was the second time since mid-December that the text message and internet voice telephone service for smartphones has been the target of a blocking order. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered the service be shut down for 48 hours on December 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order, although another court interrupted that suspension shortly afterward.

Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao of Sergipe state is the same judge who in March ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive for failing to comply with an attempted block on WhatsApp. He was jailed and subsequently freed.

Executives at the five carriers - Telefonica Brasil SA, America Movil SAB's Claro, TIM Participacoes SA, Oi SA and Nextel Participacoes SA - did not have an immediate comment.

Reuters
tech2 News Staff

A new leaked benchmarking screenshot has revealed that Samsung might expand its budget segment lineup and launch a new device under its J series, called Galaxy J2 (2016).

According to a report by Priceraja, the new smartphone may include a 5-inch display with a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution. It is expected to be powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor (Spreadtrum SC8830) along with 1.5GB of RAM. The device is shown to be running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and will come equipped with an 8MP rear camera along with a 5MP front facing camera.

Recently, we saw new 2016 models of the Galaxy J5 and the Galaxy J7 series that were announced in China. What was not revealed back then, were the price tags. These are mid-range smartphones that pack in quite a punch when it comes to their hardware, and now we know their price tags as well. Samsung Korea has put out a release, which reveals that KT Corporation, Koreas largest telephone company will be selling both devices and in the process, revealed their price tags for China too.

The Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) is priced at KRW 290,000 (approximately Rs 17,000), while the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) has been priced at KRW 363,000 (approximately Rs 21,000). Last year, Samsung launched the 2015 models of the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 in India at Rs 11,999 and Rs 14,999 respectively.
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By Asheeta Regidi

Facebook recently stated that it has changed the way it handles requests to remove illegal content in India. ET reports that Facebook will now remove illegal content only if it gets a legal government or court order directing it do so. It will continue to remove content that violates its Community Standards, and it is only in the case of content that does not violate its Community Standards, but violates local laws, then Facebook will not remove the content without a government or court order. This change in policy was in view of the judgment of the Supreme Court given in the landmark 2015 case of Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, known more famously as the case that quashed Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

What Indian laws are applicable to removal of content?

Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 gives the government the power to issue directions for blocking public access of any illegal content. This section is used, for example, to block websites in India. A direction under this section can only be passed under certain special circumstances, such as a security threat or if the content can incite communal violence. Detailed procedure is prescribed for the passing of such an order under the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.

Section 79 of the IT Act provides immunity to intermediaries (for example, websites like Facebook) for any illegal content posted by third parties. Under this section and the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) 2011, if an intermediary receives actual knowledge of any illegal content posted on it, it is obligated to remove such content within 36 hours. On failing to do so, the intermediary will lose its immunity from being sued. Illegal content under this section is much broader than that under Section 69A. It can include, for example, content that is offensive, obscene or defamatory.

What did the Shreya Singhal judgement change?

In the Shreya Singhal case, in addition to questioning the legality of Section 66A of the IT Act, it also questioned the validity of Section 69A and 79 of the IT Act. The court upheld the validity of Section 69A. It noted that there were adequate procedural safeguards in place, such as the requirement of a hearing of all parties involved, which includes the person putting up the content before passing the order. These will prevent any arbitrary decisions from being made.

In the case of Section 79, the court upheld its validity, but with a few changes. Formerly, the actual knowledge received by an intermediary under this section could come from anywhere, be it the government, a court, an NGO or a person. For example, a Facebook user reporting offensive content will be taken as giving Facebook actual knowledge, imposing the obligation to remove the offending content within 36 hours. The court changed this, and interpreted actual knowledge to be received only when the take down request is accompanied by a court order or government direction. If on receiving a court order, the intermediary fails to remove the content within 36 hours, then it will lose the immunity granted to it under Section 79, making it open to be sued.

The purpose of this change to Section 79 is not to protect users from arbitrary removal of content, but to protect intermediaries from the liability arising from non-removal of illegal content within 36 hours. Intermediaries are under huge pressure to remove content. Facebook reports 14,971 take down requests from India alone, in the July-December 2015 period, which is the second highest number of requests in the world. Similar laws have also been passed internationally in countries like Chile, Brazil and Argentina.

Can Facebook continue to remove content based on its Community Standards even without a court order?

Under Section 79, unlike under Section 69A, an intermediary is required to apply its own mind in assessing if the content is indeed illegal or not. The only thing that the Shreya Singhal judgment affects is Facebooks immunity if it refuses or fails to remove content on the basis of a court order within 36 hours. It does not, in any way, prevent an intermediary like Facebook from removing illegal content or from applying its own mind to decide whether to remove content. Therefore, Facebook does not need a court order to be able to remove content. Its removal of content based on violation of its Community Standards, even in the absence of a court order directing it to do so, is perfectly legal.

Is a person affected by wrongful removal of content entitled to compensation?

It can happen that content was removed wrongfully, or that the removal caused loss to the person who posted the content. Take for example, a painter who puts up a painting for the purpose of gaining publicity, and this is removed by Facebook because it is illegal. If the painting was removed by Facebook in pursuance of a court order or government direction, the painter can file a writ challenging this order. He will have to prove that the removal of the painting violates his fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. If he wins, the order can be set aside and the painting can be put back online. Apart from this, he will have no other remedy and no claim to compensation.

In the case of removal of content by Facebook itself based on a violation of its Community Standards, the painter may be able to appeal to Facebook and argue his case for the legality of the content. However, as per Facebooks terms and conditions, users have granted Facebook permission to remove any content which Facebook feels violates any of its terms and policies, including the Community Standards. While a user can sue Facebook in a US court, it is unlikely that he will receive any compensation whatsoever in view of this authorisation.

What is Facebooks liability if it refuses to comply with a court order?

A refusal to comply with orders will make Facebook liable as an intermediary in India. In the case of a government order passed under Section 69A, Facebook will be punishable with imprisonment of upto seven years and a fine. In the case of a court order or government direction to remove content under Section 79, Facebook will lose its immunity as an intermediary, and will be liable to be sued. The suit can be by anyone, including people affected by the removal or non-removal of the content.

Is there scope for a stand-off between Facebook and the Indian Government?

Facebooks Community Standards are quite extensive in their rules against illegal content. It prohibits, for example, threats, bullying, criminal activity, graphic content and hate speech. It appears that such extensive restrictions will not leave much scope for content which falls outside of the ambit of the Community Standards, and violates local laws. However, in reality the scope of such content is quite large. For example, standards for obscene or offensive content vary from one country to another, and also one individual to another. Take for example, M.F. Hussains controversial Bharat Mata painting. This may not violate Facebooks Community Standards, but may be considered offensive in India (Note: The example of the Bharat Mata painting is only an illustration. The painting has been held to be legal in India by the Delhi High Court ). It is possible that Facebook may take a stand against a court order and refuse to comply with it, similar to Apples refusal to comply with the FBIs requests. Facebook, in fact, as per its Community Standards, reserves the right to review such requests, and only if Facebook itself finds that the content is illegal under local laws, will it comply with directions. The results of a stand-off between Facebook and the Indian government will have to be seen.

The author is a lawyer with a specialisation in cyber laws and has co-authored books on the subject.
tech2 News Staff

Seems like it is the end of the road for Micromax's Yu devices that exclusively run the Cyanogen OS made by Cyanogen Inc in India. Lenovo now claims that its soon to be launched Zuk Z1 will also feature Cyanogen's software as told to Gadgets360.

Cyanogen, Micromax and Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus went through a rough phase last year, when Cyanogen suddenly decided to give exclusive rights to Indian smartphone maker Micromax for its Yu-branded smartphones. This took place when OnePlus had already started selling its smartphones with the Cyanogen OS. Just before the launch of its Yu smartphones, Micromax took OnePlus to court which led to OnePlus stepping down and building its own Oxygen OS for its handsets in order to keep selling them in the country. Post the legal tussle, only the OnePlus One smartphone was allowed to get Cyanogen OS updates.

Today, it is PC maker Lenovo who has taken over and claims that Cyanogen is no longer exclusive to Micromax smartphones in India. The company's new Zuk brand will feature the Cyanogen OS that is identical to the software you get on Micromax's Yu-branded handsets.

Turns out the exclusive deal with Micromax existed in the past. Cyanogen apparently confirmed to Lenovo that the software is no longer exclusive, which is why Lenovo is now going ahead with the launch of its Zuk brand in the country.

The same was confirmed by Anuj Sharma, Head of Product Marketing - Lenovo. So now that the deal is done, we can now begin to expect more manufacturers to use Cyanogen OS in the smartphones.
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Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp announced a settlement of a patent dispute with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Monday, hours before a US trade agency was due to rule on a complaint that could have blocked importation of some of Nvidia's products.

The settlement puts an immediate end to the tit-for-tat battle between the companies, each of which had claimed the other used its processor technology without permission.

The US International Trade Commission case will be dismissed as a result of the deal as well as all litigation between the companies in federal court and at the US Patent and Trademark Office, Nvidia said in a statement.

The sprawling litigation illustrated how important graphics processing units are becoming in mobile devices as consumers demand more sophisticated games and video-playing functions.

Both companies will license a small number of patents to each other but there will be no broad cross-licensing of patents or other compensation, Nvidia said in a statement. Spokesman Hector Marinez declined further comment.

Samsung said in a statement posted to its website, "We are happy to resolve this dispute through a fair settlement."

The trade commission, which has the power to block the import of products it finds infringe a US patent, had been set to issue its final decision in its review of a ruling by a commission judge that Nvidia infringed three Samsung's graphics-related patents.

Samsung filed its trade complaint against Nvidia in November 2014, alleging infringement by Nvidia's chips and Shield tablet computer. The South Korean electronics company also filed suit in Virginia federal court. Nvidia won one trial in that case, while another was scheduled for this month.

Samsung's legal actions came after Nvidia, which is based in Santa Clara, California, but manufactures chips abroad, filed complaints of its own against Samsung.

The case is In re Certain Graphics Processing Chips, in the U.S. International Trade Commission, No. 337-941.

Reuters
Sensational murders on rise

Cops fail to unearth grounds of killings: Victims' families worried over justice

Joynal Abedin Khan :The incidents of sensational murders, including the bloggers, rights group activists, teachers and professionals, have increased across the country in the last few years.As a result, a sense of insecurity, triggered by miscreants' attack on the one hand and police access on the other, has been created among the people. According to intelligence sources, at least 150 gruesome murders have taken place in the country in last several years by the militants and unknown miscreants. Since 2013, more than 29 secular activists, publishers, minorities and advocates of free thinking have been killed in grisly attacks, which are believed to be works of the militants, they said. Besides, Sagor-Runi murder, Narayanganj seven-murder, Tawki murder, killing in Hoseini Dalan attacks, Dinajpur temple attack, Italian and Japanese nationals killing, city police killing, Tanu murder, Kalabagan murder, RU professors killing, have drawn the concentration of the domestic and world media, they said. After committing such incidents, at least two probe bodies were formed by cop personnel to investigate the murder incidents in the shake of justice. The members of law enforcing agencies, including Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Detective Branch (DB) of Police, and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), took the responsibilities to probe the incidents. Meanwhile, a good number of murder cases have been transferred to the CID and the DB from the general police stations. The police have arrested many suspect miscreants regarding the incidents, but they have failed to arrest the killers from spots. Even they could not unearth the grounds behind such gruesome murders after passing long times. The family members of the victims are still waiting for the justice. Of them, some are also passing insecure lives in fear of further attack on them by miscreants or militants. Also they are worried for justice after delaying of declaration of verdict based on charge sheets. In this back drop, the DB has been given the cases over the recent murders of gay-rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his theatre activist friend Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy after police's failure. But the CID also failed to fine the clue of killings, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Maaruf Hossain Sarder. Assailants also hacked to death Rajshahi University English Department Professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee in last week of April. The investigators could not trace the motive behind the killing, said Sushanta Chandra Roy, Assistant Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police. Also, Nazimuddin Samad, who was critical of Islam on facebook writings and a law student at Jagannath University, was hacked and shot to death near the university on his way home after attending evening classes on April 6.But the police could not arrest anybody in this connection even after passing almost one month of the killing. On the other hand, the Investigation Officer of Sohagi Jahan Tonu murder and CID Inspector Gazi Ibrahim said that he is busy collecting information. The investigation into the case was earlier assigned to the local police station and then the DB of police. CID Assistant Superintendent in Comilla Mozammel Haque said they have to investigate the matter carefully and it needs some more times to conclude the probe. Police also could not unearth the killers of the 66-year old Japanese national Hosi Koniyo, who was killed by miscreants in Rangpur in October last year, while the law enforcers also failed to trace the motive of killing of Italian national Tavella Cesare in the city's Gulshan diplomatic zone on September 27 in 2015.Narayanganj City Corporation Councillor Nazrul Islam, advocate Chandan Sarkar and five others were abducted on April 27, 2014 from Lamaparha at the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road. Their bodies were found in a local river after three days of abduction. The investigators still could not fine the clue of the sensational murder.Meanwhile, two years into the sensational murder of Tanvir Mohammad Tawki, the A-level student and son of cultural activist Rafiur Rabbi, law enforcers have yet to submit the charge sheet. The RAB is investigation the murder, but could not make any tangible progress in their probe either.Tawki was killed at the office of Azmeri in College Road area of the city on March 6, 2013, and his body was put in a sack and dumped in the Shitalakkhya river at Charargope. The body was found on the bank of the Shitalakkhya on March 8 in 2013.In the meantime, though about four years have already been elapsed, the investigation into the gruesome murder of journalist couple Sagar-Runi could not see the light of the day. The investigation officer of the case has approached the court to extend the time for investigation in 40 times over the last four years. They have made no headway in the sensational murder probe. The families of these two murdered journalists-Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi-have nothing to do but wait while the investigations remain dormant. They couple were killed at their rented flat in the capital's West Razabazar on February 11 in 2012. A high official of Home Ministry said, law enforcers are investigating into the all sensational murders with an extra importance. "But they could not detain the killers as they are well-trained from militant organizations." Nazrul Islam, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police said the law enforcers are trying to unearth all murder incidents. The submitting of the charge sheets of sensational murder cases will take comparatively long time for the shake of proper investigation, the DIG said. Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan, Director (Legal and Media Wing) of RAB headquarters, told The New Nation, "We attached the highest priority to unearthing mystery of the sensational killings."
Nizami`s review verdict on Thursday

The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on the review plea filed by Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman Nizami against his death sentence on May 5 (Thursday).



A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order on Tuesday after hearing on the petition filed by the Jamaat leader seeking review of the top courts verdict that upheld the death sentence given to him by International Crimes Tribunal-1.



On March 29, Nizami filed the petition mentioning 46 grounds in a 70-page appeal praying to acquit him of all charges on which he was found guilty and awarded the death penalty.



For committing crimes in 1971, the SC upheld his death sentences on three charges and life term imprisonment on two other charges on January 6, 2016.



Earlier, Nizami was awarded the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 on October 29, 2014. He was awarded life imprisonment on four other charges. --Risingbd.com:
4 Karimganj war criminals to die, another to serve jail unto death

UNB, Dhaka: The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Tuesday awarded death penalty to four people and jail unto death to another for committing crimes against humanity during Liberation War in Karimganj upazila of Kishoreganj district. ICT found all the seven counts of charges, including mass killing, murder, confinement, torture, arson and looting, pressed against them proved. Prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Shimon expressed his satisfaction with the verdict. Abdus Shukkur Khan, counselor for the death convicts, said that his clients were denied justice and they will file petition against the judgment. Earlier on Monday, the ICT led by its Chairman Justice M Anwarul Haque fixed today for delivering the judgment against the five. Advocate Shamsuddin Ahmed, his brother Captain (retd) Nasiruddin Ahmed, Razakar commander Gazi Abdul Mannan, Hafiz Uddin got death penalty while Azharul Islam was given jail unto death. Of them, all but Shamsuddin Ahmed have been on the run. On April 11, the three-member tribunal kept the case on CAV (curia advisory vault) for delivery of its judgment any day after closing the law-point arguments from both sides. The five accused face seven counts of charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, mass killing, torture, abduction and arson, during the Liberation War . Public Prosecutors Zaed Al Malum, Sultan Mahmud Shimon and Rezia Sultana Chaman placed the closing arguments before the tribunal while Advocate Shamsuddin, Masud Rana and Abdus Shukkur submitted their arguments on behalf of the accused. The prosecution sought highest punishment for the accused while the defence lawyers said the prosecution failed to probe allegations brought against the accused. This will be 23rd verdict in war crimes case in the country. On May 13, 2015 , the tribunal took cognisance of the charges against the five accused. The accused reportedly committed crimes against humanity in Bidyanagar, Ayla, Fatergup beel and Piratan beel in Karimganj upazila of Kishoreganj district during the 1971 Liberation War. Ataur Rahman, investigation officer of the case, submitted a report against the five accused on October 12, 2015.
7 dacoits held





Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) arrested seven dacoits from new railway station area under Kotwali thana in the early hours of Sunday.

Police also recovered one shabal, three knives , 3 mobiles and iron rods from them. The arrested dacoity gang members identified as Md. Sukkur, Sajib, Mansur Ali, 22, NabiHossain, Bahadur, Rubel and Moktar. Earlier on Friday night, 4 dacoits were also arrested from KEPZ area under Karnaphuli thana, sources said.

On information, a team of Kotwali thana police arrested them from new railwlay station at early dawn of Sunday while they were taking preparation to commit robbery.

A case filed with the concerned police station, sources said.


Mohiuddin asks Ctg Mayor for restrained talk

Alhaj A B M Mohiuddin Choudhury, President, Chittagong City Awami League speaking at a discussion meeting at Laldighi Maidan marking the Historic May Day on Sunday.





President of Chittagong City Awami League and former Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury called upon city Mayor AJM Nasiruddin to talk with more restrained and to give up colonial thinking.

Former mayor said it while addressing a public meeting on Sunday at Laldighi maidan as arranged by city Sramik League on the occasion of May Day as chief guest. Former Mayor said no remarkable development in city is traced during last one year and ask city mayor to work for city development first then comes question of increasing city taxes and I never against the payment of city taxes .

Elderly AL leader also requested the city mayor to give up the mentality of colonial rule . He said the people of Bangladesh are the citizens of a independent sovereign country, not of a colonial country. Former Mayor also alleged that the incumbent Mayor sometimes threats councilors and asks him to stop such behavior with the elected councilors . Mohiuddin Chowdhury further said 'I know city Mayor has some emotions in his heart' and he should not move with this emotions for better development of the city .After series of indirect allegations, counter statements in between former and the incumbent mayor , Mohiuddin

Chowdhury first ever openly delivered speech aimed at city mayor in a public meeting on Sunday. General secretary of City Sramik league Kazi Mahbubul Hoque chowdhury Atli presided over the meeting . Among others, convenor of Chittagong Nagorik Mancha AKM Belayet Hossain, Vice President of city AL Altaf Hossain Chowdhury Bachchu, and former councilor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury spoke on the occasion.
Efforts intensify to protect Syria`s Aleppo

UN Chief appeals for re-launch of ceasefire

Agencies, Dubai :Bombardment of the northern city of Aleppo shows no sign of ending even as the Syrian military extends a unilateral ceasefire around Damascus and opposition strongholds nearby for another 48 hours.The Aleppo fighting threatens to scuttle the first peace talks in Geneva between President Bashar al-Assad's representatives and opposition groups which are due to resume at an unspecified date after breaking up in April.Between 350,000 and 400,000 people are believed to remain in rebel-held parts of Aleppo, once a city of two million.Meanwhile, in Geneva, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said on Monday that "several proposals", aimed at finding a way to restore at least a partial truce in Syria, were being discussed."We're getting closer to a place of understanding, but we have some work to do, and that's why we're here," he said at the start of a meeting on Monday with Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister.After meeting Jubeir and Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, Kerry said he hoped for more clarity in the next day or so on restoring the nationwide ceasefire."What is happening in Aleppo is an outrage. It's a violation of all humanitarian laws. It's a crime," Jubeir said."It's a violation of all the understandings that were reached."De Mistura, for his part, said he would travel to Moscow for talks.The US and Russia had agreed to keep extra staff in Geneva to work on the ceasefire. "Both sides, the opposition and the regime, have contributed to this chaos, and we are working intensely in order to try to restore the cessation of hostilities," Kerry said.The peace talks in April in Geneva failed to make any headway, but De Mistura has said he hopes they can resume "during the course of May".On Monday, France also called for a ministerial meeting of the international group supporting Syria to "restore the ceasefire".UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Russia and the United States to put Syria's ceasefire back on track and stressed that new truce arrangements in place for two areas must be extended to Aleppo.Heavy air strikes hit rebel-held east Aleppo in the early hours of Monday, days after the United States and Russia announced plans to reinforce the February 27 truce in Latakia and Damascus regions.Ban is "profoundly concerned about the dangerous escalation of fighting in and around Aleppo and the intolerable suffering, counted in mounting deaths and destruction, it is causing among civilians," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.The UN chief noted the re-launch of the cessation of hostilities in Damascus and Latakia and stressed "the need to expand these arrangements to other parts of Syria, with a special urgency for Aleppo."The appeal came on the eve of talks between Ban's envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on the collapsing ceasefire.
NATO weighs four battalions in Eastern Europe to deter Russia: US

US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter testifies on operations against the Islamic State on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Reuters, Germany :

The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behavior by Russia.

The Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - which joined NATO in 2004, have requested greater presence of the alliance, fearing a threat from Russia after it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Carter acknowledged NATO deliberations included the deployment of the four battalions to the Baltic states and Poland. The Wall Street Journal said this would likely total about 4,000 troops split between the United States and its allies.

"That's one of the options that's being discussed," Carter told reporters traveling with him at the start of a three-day trip to Germany, declining to enter into details about the deliberations by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"We're obviously involved in those discussions. I just don't want to get out in front of where that goes."

U.S. officials say the goal in Europe is to move increasingly from efforts to reassure allies to broader activity to deter any aggressive moves by Russia.

The United States has already budgeted to sharply boost military training and exercises and last month announced it would deploy continuous rotations of U.S.-based armored brigade combat teams to Europe.

Carter's trip to Germany will include meetings with Army General Curtis Scaparrotti as he takes over as the next NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, succeeding U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove.

Scaparrotti told a Senate hearing last month that a resurgent Russia was displaying "increasingly aggressive behavior that challenges the international norms, often in violation of international law."

Defense Secretary Ash Carter is criticizing Russia for aggression in Europe and is promising to continue a military buildup to deter war on NATO's eastern flank.

In remarks Tuesday at a ceremony installing a new commander of U.S. Forces in Europe, Carter said he is particularly troubled by what he called Russian "nuclear saber-rattling."

Carter also held out hope for a more cooperative relationship with Russia. He's said it's up to Moscow, which should know that Washington does not seek war.

Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti took command of U.S. European Command, succeeding Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who is retiring.
Tanjin Tisha works with Champa for first time

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :For the first time National Film Award winner actress Champa worked with promising model and TV actress Tanjin Tisha in a special play which has been made on the occasion of ensuing International Mothers Day, on May 8. Directed by Biswajit Preety title of the play is Zerin O Joler Golpo. But the play will be aired on NTV before Mother's Day, on May 6. Tariq Anam Khan and Shyamal Mawla also acted two important roles in the play.While talking about the play Champa told this correspondent, It is a very nice story based play. Its theme is absolutely appropriate to the Mothers Days concept. I have really enjoyed working in the play. As a newcomer, Tanjin Tisha performed well. She is so cute and pretty. I think if she works in big screen she may become a successful actress.Tanjin Tisha shared her feelings by this way, While working with Champa Madam I could not realise that it was my first work with her. She is very cordial about me. In fact, while working with her in Mothers Days play I thought I was working with my mother. I worked sincerely and cordially in the play. I believe viewers will enjoy the play.Meanwhile, Champa has already finished shooting of movie Nakshi Kanthar Math under the direction of Hossain. On the other hand, Tanjin Tisha has returned from Kolkata recently after taking part in shooting of two new TV commercials. But elsewhere there is a buzz about her working in the big screen Tisha totally refused the matter. If I work in the big screen I will officially give an announcement before working, Tanjin Tisha commented in this regard.
Stalemate at Ctg Port disrupting cargo handling must end





LOADING and unloading at Chittagong Port remains disrupted since April 20 because of workers' strike at the beginning demanding wage hike and when their demand was met cargo vessels owners have stopped operating their vessels in protest against the government unilateral rise in wage which they oppose. The situation is not coming to an amicable end while export-import are facing setback and businesses are incurring huge losses.

The government's decision to increase workers pay to at least Tk 9000 per month following work abstention by workers has made the situation volatile. Meanwhile, unloading and transporting of some 14 lakh tonnes of goods from over 60 mother vessels at the outer anchorage of the Port remain uncertain impacting industries from power generation to unloading of perishable goods. The Shipping Minister who is a powerful labour leader has not taken any visible action, either by accepting the workers demand or by taking disciplinary steps to return workers to work. We believe that nobody should be allowed to take hostage of the situation, the issue must be talked out while loading and unloading must continue unabated.

Following a meeting between workers, owners and Ministry representatives on April 26, the workers called off their strike as the Shipping Ministry proposed Tk 9,000 as minimum wage. But Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association rejected the award saying after the 2009 wage hike, the next rise was due in 2014. But in 2013, workers forced owners to give a 20 percent increase. Now they demand a 150 percent hike, which is illogical and impossible for the owners to pay. Leaving the issue unsolved, the government's delay has resulted in losses of trade and business.

Meanwhile, over hundred mother vessels remained stranded in the outer anchorage as around 700 lighter vessels are not operating from the Port. For each day's overstay, mother vessels have to pay $15,000 in demurrage. Around 7.8 lakh tonnes of goods including wheat, raw sugar, poultry feed, urea, gypsum, raw materials like cement clinker, limestone, iron rod and scraps are awaiting unloading. Such a deadlock would disrupt the entire supply chain. The trouble continues.

Power and cement productions have already been hit by the stalemate. State Minister for Power and Energy on Wednesday said the non-cooperation of water vessels owners is hampering countrywide supply of fuel oil, affecting electricity generation at oil-based power plants. According to Cement Manufacturers' Association, production in at least 10 cement factories remains fully or partially suspended. A hurried consensus among the interest groups is a must where the government must work as an honest broker, there is no alternative to it.
Terror plots

Singapore detains 13 BD suspects, sends back five to Dhaka: ISIS related documents, fund seized

The eight Bangladeshi nationals who have been detained by Singapore under Internal Security Act (clockwise from top left) Islam Shariful, Mamun Leakot Ali, Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, Miah Rubel, Rahman Mizanur, Sohag Ibrahim, Sohel Hawlade

Staff Reporter :

Thirteen Bangladeshi militants have been detained in Singapore for allegedly plotting terror attacks in Bangladesh. Of them, five have been sent back home while the rest eight were undergoing interrogation by the security agencies in Singapore.

Disclosing the matter, Chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit Monirul Islam on Tuesday said, "Thirteen suspected Bangladeshi militants were detained in Singapore last month [in April]. Of them, five were sent back home. All of them were working in Singapore as labour for the last seven years."

Dhaka Police arrested the five persons conducting raid in the city's Banasree area at about 11:00am on Tuesday. The arrestees are: Mizanur Rahman alias Galib Hassan, 38, Mia Pilot, 29, Alamgir Hossain, 31, Tanjimul Islam, 24, and Masud Rana alias Santu Khan, 31.

"We've nabbed the five suspects in Dhaka. Eight others arrested by Singapore police are still at their custody. We're verifying whether the five arrestees have any connection with the militant network. We suspect they believe in militancy. They will be produced before court on Wednesday," said Monirul Islam, who is also Additional Police Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Earlier in the morning, the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement announced that eight Bangladeshi men working in Singapore, who were planning to stage terror attacks back home, have been detained under the Internal Security Act [ISA].

The men, aged between 26 and 34, called their group the Islamic State in Bangladesh [ISB] and intended to join terror group ISIS as foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq.

But as it was difficult to travel to the Middle East, they focused on returning to Bangladesh to topple their government through violent means, set up an Islamic State there, and bring it under the self-declared caliphate of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria [ISIS].

As part of the crackdown on ISB, another five Bangladeshi workers were investigated under the ISA. The ministry said investigations showed that they were not involved in ISB.

But they "possessed and/or proliferated jihadi-related materials, or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause". All five have been repatriated to Bangladesh.

According to The Straits Times [of Singapore], the eight Bangladeshis were detained last month [April 2016], in the first ISA detentions involving a terror cell of foreign workers.

Late last year, a closed religious study group of 27 radicalised Bangladeshi workers who had a significant amount of extremist material in their possession were arrested under the ISA, and deported. Their deportations were made public in January.

But in the latest case, the ministry said its investigations found that the men had identified possible targets for attack back home at the time of their arrest.

They also had documents on weapons and bomb making, and raised funds to buy firearms to carry out the attacks in Bangladesh. An undisclosed amount of money has been seized from them.

The group's ringleader, Rahman Mizanur, 31, was an S-Pass holder in construction who set up ISB as a clandestine group in March this year.

He recruited the other seven, all Work Permit holders employed in the local construction and marine industries.

They are: ; Islam Shariful, 27; Mamun Leakot Ali, 29; Md Jabath Kysar Haje Norul Islam Sowdagar, 30; Miah Rubel, 26; Rahman Mizanur, 31; Sohag Ibrahim, 27; Sohel Hawlader Ismail Hawlader, 29, and Zzaman Daulat, 34.

"ISB poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas," the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement on the detentions.

"The detained ISB members are still under investigation for their activities in Singapore. Rahman Mizanur has said that he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS to do so, though there are no specific indications that Singapore had as yet been selected as a target," the ministry added.

Several of those detained may be liable for prosecution for terrorism financing, it said.

The detentions come at a time of mounting concern that ISIS is winning recruits from Bangladesh, which has recently seen radicals carrying out deadly attacks on minorities.

The ministry said a document titled "We Need for Jihad Fight" was recovered from Rahman Mizanur, which contained a list of Bangladeshi government and military officials who could be targeted. It included "media people" and "disbelievers".

He also possessed documents on weapons and bomb making, as well as a significant amount of ISIS and Al-Qaeda radical materials which he used to recruit ISB members in Singapore from January 2016.

"The ISB members planned to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore to grow the group," the ministry added.

It said the Singapore Government takes a very serious view of any form of support for terrorism.

"Any person, foreigner or otherwise, who engages in any activity that is inimical to Singapore's national security and racial and religious harmony will be firmly dealt with under the law. In this connection, foreigners should not import their own domestic political agenda into Singapore and carry out activities here in pursuit of such an agenda," it added.

The ministry said anyone who knows or suspects that a person has been radicalised, or is engaging in terrorist activities or propagating extremist teachings, should promptly inform the Internal Security Department on 1800-2626-473 or the police on 999.

Later on Tuesday, Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin said the arrests are a reminder that Singapore has to take terrorist threat seriously.

In a Facebook post, Mr Amin said, "The detainees and their likes pose a security concern to Singapore because of their support for ISIS and their readiness to resort to violence. Though there are no specific indications that Singapore had been selected as a target, one of the detainees has said he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was so instructed by ISIS.

Thank you to our security agencies for their decisive handling! Stay alert, stay united and stay strong! ?#?SGSecure?," he posted. Bangladesh High Commissioner in Singapore, Mahabub Uz Zaman, said, "Singapore authority arrested a total of 13 Bangladeshi nationals in suspicion of involvement with militant network. Of them, five persons have been sent to Bangladesh and eight are kept in the custody of Singapore police."

"Two countries [Bangladesh and Singapore] are working very closely over the militancy issue. Bangladesh never supports militancy or extremism. So, Bangladesh is cooperating Singapore over the issueEarlier, the Singapore authority detained 27 suspected Bangladeshis in connection with militant linkage," the envoy said.


9 killed in road accidents

Three people were killed and ten others injured in a tragic road accident involving a bus and two cars near Gabtali area on Tuesday. Banglar Chokh

Staff Reporter :At least nine people were killed and 20 others injured in separate road crashes in Dhaka, Cox's Bazar and Gazipur on Tuesday.The bodies were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and Dulahazra Christian Memorial Hospital for autopsy. The injured were also taken for treatment at hospitals in their respective areas.In Cox's Bazar, five people, including two women, were killed and several others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup van in Chakoria Upazila in the morning.The deceased were identified as Tarek Mia, 16, Ahmedul Karim, 18, Abu Syed, 60, Nurunnahar, 55, and her daughter Ayesha Begum, 13.The accident took place at Fasiakhali area on Cox's Bazar-Chittagong highway about 11:30am when a Cox's Bazar-bound bus of 'Unique Paribahan' collided with a Chakoria-bound pickup van, locally known as 'Magic vehicle', leaving four dead on the spot, said Anwar Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Malumghat Police Outpost.Nurunnahar succumbed to her injuries after she was rushed to Chakoria Upazila Health Complex.The other injured were admitted to Chakoria Upazila Health Complex, Chittagong Medical College Hospital and Malumghat Christian Memorial Hospital. The number of people injured is yet to be known.Meanwhile, police seized the vehicles.Three people were killed in separate road crashes in Kaliakoir and Sreepur upazilas of Gazipur district, on Tuesday.Abdul Motaleb, officer-in-charge of Kaliakoir Police Station, said two unidentified pedestrians were killed when a North Bengal-bound bus ran over them while crossing road in Kaliakoir Bypass area at noon.Meanwhile, Moly Begum, 35, wife of Ismail Hossain of Bhaluka Upazila in was killed when a pick-up van knocked her down on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at MC Bazar in Sreepur Upazila around 11:30 am, said Helalul Islam, officer-in-charge of Mawna Highway Police.In Dhaka, a man was killed and five others were injured in a road crash in the capital's Gabtoli on Tuesday.The deceased was identified as Hannan, a manager of a restaurant. Police said that a bus and two cars rammed each other about 10:45am. Hannan was rushed to the Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital before being shifted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where the doctors declared him dead.
Police probing hit list

Staff Reporter :

The Police Department on Tuesday launched an investigation into the new hit list that includes the head of a university, journalists and ruling party men.

"We have taken the matter seriously as a plot to murder a list of people cannot be underestimated." Shymal Kumar Mukherjee, Superintendent of Police (SP) in Natore told The New Nation on Tuesday. "We have already launched an investigation into the matter," he added.

Islamic Liberation Front (ILF), an extremist out which aims to establish Islamic Khilafat in the country, issued the hit-list on Monday, naming 10 renowned people, including Rajshahi University Vice Chancellor M Mizanuddin and former mayor Khairuzzaman Liton.

Others named in the list include Rajshahi lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, Rajshahi district unit Awami League Secretary Asaduzzaman and journalist Anu Mostafa.

ILF sent the hit list in a letter to the President of Natore Press Club from Rajshahi amid a series of gruesome murders of secular bloggers and intellectuals in the country.

Natore Press Club President Rezaul Karim Reza said that an envelope containing a computer-composed letter on an ILF pad reached the club by post.

When asked, the SP said the letter bearing the name of Islami Liberation Front said that it has launched a mission to kill the 10 people.

"We do not know anything about this group as it did not previously claimed responsibility of any killing. No matter we have any information about the group but we have taken the matter seriously," he added.

He further said that police have beefed up intelligence activities in the district following the death threat.

"We are giving special attention to the people who have been included in the hit list," Md. Shamsuddin, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Commissioner told The New Nation on Tuesday night over phone.

He said the RMP has already arranged security measures for those whose names appear on the list.

The RMP Commissioner also said that they are taking the matter seriously and investigating the authenticity of the threat.
2 UGC officials sent on forced leave for seeking bribe

Staff Reporter :Two officials of the University Grants Commission (UGC) have been sent on forced leave for demanding Tk 10 lakh as bribe from Khulna University (KU) Vice-Chancellor, the UGC sources said. The officials are Dr Nasima Rahman, Acting Director of Planning and Development Division, and Md Atower Rahman, Senior Assistant Director of the same Division. The UGC took the decision in an emergency meeting on Tuesday. KU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Fayek Uzzaman submitted written complaint to the UGC Chairman against Nasima Rahman and Atower Rahman for demanding Tk 10 lakh from him as bribe for many reasons recently. Primarily the UGC found the complaint for truth and took the decision. The UGC also formed a three-member committee with its member Professor Md Akhtar Hossain as its Convener to inquire into the matter. Other members of the committee are Professor Mohammad Yousuf Ali Mollah, member of the Commission, and Shamsul Alam, Director of Research Support and Publication Division. Shamsul Alam will act as the member secretary of the probe committee.The committee has been asked to submit the report within two weeks.
Trial of one militant case out of 37 completed

Staff Reporter :

Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque on Tuesday said that trial of one out of 37 cases filed in connection with militant-related attacks in the country since 2013 has been completed so far.

Of the 36 cases, charge sheets were framed in five cases and investigations are on in 31 cases, he said.

The police chief came up with the information in a press conference at Police Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon, arranged for briefing on the latest development and investigations in the cases filed in connection with the militant attacks in the country in last four years.

Talking about militant cases, he said: "From 2013 to till Monday (May 2) a total of 37 militant attacks and murders were reported in the country. We have detained 144 people in connection with the cases. Around 49 detainees have made confessional statements before the courts."

Of the cases, 25 were filed following alleged attacks by banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and eight filed in connection with the attacks by Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). The rest four cases did not mention the name of any specific militant outfit, the IGP said.

Replying to a query about the rise of such crimes, the IGP said, "Incidents like these that take place abroad are inspiring local militants. But this does not mean that foreign militant groups are operating here."

Replying to another query about the rise of such crimes, Shahidul said: "Incidents like these that take place abroad are inspiring local militants. But this does not mean that foreign militant groups are operating here.

"These claims are being made on the internet as a form of propaganda. We have not yet been able to tackle these online propagandists."

In the lone case, a Dhaka court on December 31 in 2015 handed down death penalty to two persons and different jail terms to six others, including the chief of Ansarullah Bangla Team, for the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in 2013.

Asked, the IGP denied existence of Islamic State or al-Qaeda in the country, saying the attacks were made by home-grown militants.

According to information provided by Police HQ, two militant incidents were reported in 2013, 25 in 2015 and nine in the first four months of 2016.
Bangladesh Extra Moharar Association organised a grand rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday demanding inclusion of their job in National Pay Scale.
Red carpet welcome to Kuwaiti PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina receiving the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday. PID photo

A red carpet was rolled out as Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah arrived here on Tuesday on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.A special Emiri Aircraft (KUG005) carrying the Kuwaiti Prime Minister and his entourage landed at Hazarat Shahjalal International Airport at 5.09 pm. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the Kuwaiti Priem Minister near the VVIP Tarmac of the airport at 5.22 pm, while a tiny tot presented him a bouquet. Accompanied by the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak then proceeded towards the makeshift 'Saluting Dais' set up near the VVIP tarmac of the airport. A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force gave a guard of honour and state salute to the Kuwaiti Prime Minister. He then took the salute from the decorated dais. The national anthems of the two countries were played on the occasion.Later, the Kuwaiti Prime Minister inspected the guard. The Bangladesh Prime Minister then introduced her cabinet colleagues and other dignitaries to the Kuwaiti PM at the presentation line. He also introduced his entourage to Sheikh Hasina. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam BSc, PM's Energy Advisor Dr Towfique-e-Elahi Chowdhury, State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid Bipu, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam were present on the occasion.Besides, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, the chiefs of the three services, the PM's principal secretary, inspector general of police, the dean of the diplomatic corps, the Kuwaiti Ambassador in Dhaka, the Bangladesh ambassador to Kuwait, the PM's press secretary and high civil and military officials were also present at the airport. After the warm reception at the airport, the Kuwaiti Premier was taken to Hotel Le Meridien Dhaka at the Airport Road through a ceremonial motorcade where he will be staying during the visit.During his three-day high-profile visit, the Kuwaiti PM will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday afternoon. The talks would be followed by signing of a number of agreements between the two countries. Before the talks, the two Prime Ministers will have tete-a-tete for 15 minutes at the same place. Different bilateral and multilateral issues, including enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, manpower and defense sectors between the two countries would be the main focus in the talks. Besides, three agreements relating to increasing Kuwait investment in Bangladesh, military cooperation and easing visa procedures for diplomatic and official passport holders are expected to be signed after the talks. The Kuwaiti Prime Minister will pay a courtesy call on President Md. Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Wednesday evening. Before the meeting, he will witness the parliament session at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak will join a banquet to be hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Hotel Sonargaon on Wednesday. During his stay in Dhaka, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak will lay wreaths at National Mausoleum in Savar on Wednesday morning to pay homage to the martyrs of country's War of Liberation. The Kuwait PM will place wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city's Dhanmondi area on Thursday morning to pay tributes to the architect of Bangladesh's independence. Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Begum Raushan Ershad will call on the Kuwait Prime Minister on Thursday at his hotel suite. The high-profile entourage of Kuwait Prime Minister includes First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance and Acting Minister of Oil Anas Khaled Al-Sabah, Education Minister Dr. Bader Hamad Al Eissa and Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Khaled Sueliman Al-Jarallah. A high-powered trade and commercial delegation is also accompanying the visiting Kuwait Prime Minister to exchange views with the Bangladesh business leaders. Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak will leave Dhaka on Thursday afternoon.
Religious freedom violated in BD

bdnews24.com :

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its annual report for the year 2016 that hardly paints a flattering picture of Bangladesh.

The growing cases of persecution of differing voices, views and faiths resonate almost loudly in the report that says the country should also be the 'focus of concern' alongside Bahrain, Belarus, Horn of Africa, Kyrgyzstan and Western Europe. The international religious freedoms watchdog released the report on Monday.

The report reveals that a USCIRF team had visited Bangladesh to take stock of the situation prior to the making of the report. The 2016 report makes mention of incidents of religious persecution of minorities, acts of land grab and other excesses that the minorities are subjected to. It says many people such as bloggers Avijit Roy and Ananta Bijoy Das had to lose their lives for speaking up for secularism, communal

and religious tolerance, and transparency in governance. But the report has praised the government's efforts at providing security during the festivals of the minorities and for arresting those responsible for incidents of violence against the minority community.

Speaking of the status of religious freedom in the rest of the world, the report observes, "By any measure, religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault since the release of our commission's last Annual Report in 2015. "From the plight of new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, to the dramatic rise in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, to the continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, and to the other abuses detailed in this report, there was no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide." In the report, the USCIRF recommends that the US State Department add eight more nations to its list of 'countries of particular concern', or CPCs, where particularly severe violations of religious freedom are perpetrated or tolerated. These countries are: Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan and Vietnam. The independent US federal government advisory body has also recommended that the State Department redesignate nine countries as CPCs and take additional actions to promote religious freedom. Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are those countries. Bangladesh's neighbour India features in the "Tier 2" list, a Commission category for governments that engage in or tolerate violations that are serious but not CPC-level.

The USCIRF has urged increased US government attention to these countries. This list includes Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia and Turkey.

The list in which Bangladesh features does not fall within either the Tier 1 or the Tier 2. However, it forms a separate club of nations where the instances of violations of religious freedoms are a cause of concern, nonetheless.


Demand for arresting killers is easy, saving lives is not

India's assurance from time to time to be at the side of Bangladesh government is understandable, but our people expect constructive help from India in building people to people relationship. Other countries including the USA and UK have been expressing concern at the rise of brutal killing one after another in the country. The US Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offering help to catch the killers. But the main urgency is not for catching the killers of the dead ones - it is the need of good governance for saving lives of those still alive.The real tension lies in the design to ignore the people and uproot democracy by bureaucratic authoritarianism. The election politics has ceased to be effective for getting people's government or changing government. One-house parliament has assumed the power of impeaching judges of the Supreme Court. Opposition in the parliament is farcically part of the government. These are the stepping-stones being laid for the goal of authoritarianism. Such a goal is confrontational politics and violent response is not surprising.The hopeful side is the government is still tolerating suggestions not of its liking. The police are not rushing to arrest under wrong pressure whenever a sensational murder takes place. If the police do not behave with a sense of responsibly it is the easiest thing for them to arrest a person. Whether the arrested person is innocent or not will take a long time to know. In free Bangladesh safety and amity among us should have been the easiest thing to maintain after the Pakistan's occupation army; which caused extensive brutalities was defeated to leave our soil.But soon Bangladesh turned into a hotbed of power struggle. Intolerance for democracy became evident in Awami League now in power. This is the party that led the liberation war for democracy. Democracy is now dying seemingly under its leadership, causing crisis of governance and anger among the people. BNP failed to grow as a democratic party for defending democracy. So no political solution to save democracy is possible at party level.Bangabandhu was anxious to maintain the unity among the people forged behind the liberation struggle. But after his death the nation was divided introducing a non-issue but a sensitive one, like pro-liberation and anti-liberation elements among our people.Anybody with foresight will see how suicidal it is to encourage disunity by the few against the many. This is like declaring war against our own people.It is unbelievable that a nation of over sixteen crores will remain helpless and there will be no outburst of reaction.They are puzzled to find the Indian government assuring our government every now and then that India is at its side when the people need help to establish good governance. Indian government has not been heard to talk about our people's safety or the chaos of disunity and hatred making life dangerously unsafe for all. It will also be a failure of India, if the liberation of Bangladesh ends up as a fight against democracy. The rest of the world is worried by the bloodshed going on unhindered in the country. The government on its part is relying not on their own leadership but on police power to do their politics. There is chaos not only outside but also within the government.The government's party men are among the most corrupt and the most unruly ones. For the intimate relationship we have with India, its government is fully aware of the internal situation in Bangladesh. The killers are doing their ghastly work of killing people defying the government's ability to protect people's life and property. The political atmosphere is rife with frustration for extremists to exploit. It is a surprise to many that although India is the closest ally of our government yet it is not being helpful either to our people or the government for organising a peaceful atmosphere in which there will be tolerance and not antagonism in our politics. So it continues as a puzzle what message the Indian government is passing on to the people of Bangladesh when it reminds them from time to time that India stands by Bangladesh government. The reality in Bangladesh should make any sensible man eager to help overcome the crisis. It should be known both to India and Bangladesh that it was the military and civilian bureaucracy that made the division of Pakistan unnecessarily such a human catastrophe, while denying political solution.
In Brief For the second time in past five months, a Brazil court ordered local telecommunications companies to block the popular messaging app WhatsApp for 72 hours, afterFacebook-owned WhatsApp company refused to hand over information requested in a drug trafficking investigation. The WhatsApp's shutdown is affecting more than 100 million users throughout the country. Moreover, if Brazilian telecommunications companies do not comply, they could face a fine of $143,000 per day.

Penalty of $142,000/Day for Not Complying

Brazil just blocked its roughly 100 Million citizens from using WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Facebook, for 72 hours (3 days).A Brazilian Judge ordered the blackout after WhatsApp failed to comply with a court order asking the company to help a branch of civil police access WhatsApp data tied to a criminal investigation.This is for the second time in last five months when a Brazil court ordered local telecommunications companies to block access to the popular messaging service across the country.The ruling came into effect at 2 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET), after which an estimated 91 percent of Brazilian mobile users nationwide could not be able to send or receive any messages on WhatsApp, Local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported How to access WhatsApp in Brazil? Use Orbot app from Tor project.Moreover, if any service provider found violating the court order, it would subject to aWhatsApp is very disappointed by the move, saying the decisionWhatsApp recently enabled complete End-to-End encryption for its text, image and voice messages, which means that even the company would not be able to access any message exchanged between users. This made matter even worse for the Brazilian police.In December, a Sao Paulo state judge ordered the shutdown of WhatsApp across the country for 48 hours after Facebook failed to comply with a criminal investigation, although the court ruling was overturned by another court the next day.The blackout comes courtesy of Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao of Sergipe state, the same judge who in March ordered the imprisonment of a Facebook executive for not turning over private data from a WhatsApp account tied to a drug trafficking investigation. He was jailed and subsequently released the next day.
The case has broadened such that attorneys for not only Pope and Castille were present, but also lawyers representing Scott Police Chief Chad Leger, the city of Scott and Lafayette Consolidated Government.

Political consultant Joe Castille, left, and his attorney, Clayton Burgess, outside the Lafayette Parish Courthouse Monday Photos by Robin May

[Editor's Note: This story has been updated to indicate that attorney Joy Rabalais represents Chad Leger individually, not in his capacity as chief of Scott.)

As The Independents pursuit of City Marshal Brian Popes public records widens into a criminal case, multiple attorneys were on hand at various times Monday in the courtroom of Judge Jules Edwards as Clayton Burgess, the attorney for political operative Joe Castille, argued that his client should not be deposed in the case because Castille is a private citizen, not a public figure. The case has broadened such that attorneys for not only Pope and Castille, principals in the scheme to cook up a fear of Hispanics leading into the October primary election for sheriff in Lafayette Parish, were present, but also attorneys representing Scott Police Chief Chad Leger, the city of Scott and Lafayette Consolidated Government.

In the courtroom during the hearing, in addition to Burgess, were Gary McGoffin for The Independent, Katherine Guilbeau Guillot, Kevin Stockstill and Charles Middleton for Pope, Joy Rabalais for Leger (she represents him individually, not in his capacity as chief), who might also be exposed to criminal charges for using his public office for political pursuits similar to Pope; Bill Babin for the city of Scott, which is the custodian of Legers office emails; and Steve Oats for LCG. There was even an assistant district attorney in courtroom. Thats nine total  a lot of skin in the proverbial game.

Before Judge Edwards Monday were related issues: did The INDs subpoena to Castille for the April 15 deposition at McGoffins office give Castille enough time to prepare and is Castille is a public figure subject to deposition in the case? The latter, Burgess argues, raises the issue of whether emails between Pope and Castille obtained through The INDs public records request in December to LCG should have redacted Castilles name and email address. Burgess cited a Louisiana Supreme Court decision, Shane Versus Jefferson Parish, in which a Jefferson Parish businessman became embroiled in a public records dispute between The Times-Picayune and the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission. The Shane decision, which states that there must be a weighing of the publics right to know with a private persons right to privacy, specifically does not apply to elected officials, public employees and candidates for political office who have qualified.

Edwards granted Popes motion to quash the deposition subpoena and told the newspaper it would have to re-subpoena Castille and the records it is seeking from him. (Read more about that here).

Edwards didnt rule on whether Castille is a public figure (or, more accurately for this case, a limited purpose public figure), instead setting a June 27 hearing for argument on the merits of Burgess claim. Popes legal team, in fighting the release of the email records between Pope and Castille sought by The IND, did not raise the issue of Castille being a private citizen until the newspaper sought to depose the political operative.

As The Independent investigates through public records requests and related court hearings over the last several months the degree to which Pope, in his public role as city marshal for the city of Lafayette, used his offices resources to conspire with Castille, who was Legers campaign manager last year, to sew out of whole cloth a law enforcement crisis in the parish related to the parishs enforcement of federal immigration laws, the case has become a potential criminal probe of Pope. Judge Edwards opined in his March 24 judgment finding Pope in contempt of court that Pope may have committed multiple felonies including malfeasance and perjury.

In April, District Attorney Keith Stutes acknowledged that prosecutors were investigating possible criminal charges against Pope; and if the hundreds of emails obtained through The INDs public records requests to Pope, LCG, Leger and the city of Scott show that Leger was part of the scheme, he could ultimately face criminal charges as well.

This entire chain of events was launched Oct. 7 with a press conference by Pope, surrounded by a handful of his deputies (all on the clock and being paid) announcing what has since been determined to be a manufactured investigation into the Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Offices sanctuary policies regarding compliance with federal immigration laws. Emails obtained through this newspapers public records requests to Pope and LCG have since shown beyond a doubt that there was no actual investigation and that the press conference was part of an elaborate ruse to scare voters away from then-candidate/now Sheriff-elect Mark Garber, who had been endorsed by incumbent Sheriff Mike Neustrom, and to the Leger campaign.
A group of vocal LHS alumni and families is urging the Lafayette Parish School Board to abandon plans to move one of the school-of-choice academies and half the Gifted Program from LHS to Comeaux High.

Wikipedia

A group of vocal Lafayette High School alumni and families, with an assist from a beloved former teacher in the Gifted Program, is urging the Lafayette Parish School Board to abandon plans to move one of the school-of-choice academies and half the Gifted Program from LHS to Comeaux High.

The issue is set to be discussed Tuesday evening during a joint meeting of the Facilities and Finance committees, and Melinda Mangham, the former Gifted Program teacher, says opponents of the plans hope to present board members with a petition signed by more than 500 people urging the board to vacate the plans.

The LHS supporters posted the petition at the website Change.org. The TLDR (Too Long Didnt Read) version of the petition states (to read the long version and/or sign the petition, click here):

The members of the Lafayette Parish School Board should vote against concurrent proposals to move Lafayette High Schools health or performing arts academy to Comeaux High School and to divide the high school gifted program between Lafayette High and Comeaux. There is no sound educational policy that supports moving these programs or justifies the significant consequences to Lafayette Highs national standing or students access to quality educational programs. Instead of dismantling the very popular schools of choice and gifted programs at Acadianas flagship school the school board should responsibly redraw attendance boundaries to even out the student body populations in area high schools.

A second petition, also found at Change.org, focuses on keeping the Performing Arts Academy at LHS.

In a letter to the editor emailed to The Independent on Monday, Mangham, who now works as an education consultant, writes:
Pooyie! 09.09.2009

CEST BON Three cheers for the calendar, people. We live for two seasons here in Acadiana  gumbo and crawfish. One is upon us and it feels great. The cool fronts are beginning to roll in from the...
Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes.

What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection?

Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were.

Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property  there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection:

You get to see exactly what will happen to your money

When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor.

Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on.

A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with.

You find out about potential major repairs

Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing.

If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately.

You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on

One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home.

Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly.

You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for

While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best.

This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit.

Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home.

You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price

If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home.

You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price.

You can sell your home faster and for more money

If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are.

In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price.

Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for.

Your home will hold its value longer

As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property.

When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home.

You can make smart decisions about property investments

Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property.

If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal.

There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about.

If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage

If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing.

They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit.

You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors

If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for.

For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money.

You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition

Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building.

You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure.

Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so.

As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process.
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

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I have never been a member of a union, but once came perilously close to being asked to augment my advertising sales representative role with being a scab reporter. It was at my very first job, I was making very little money and members of the newsroom guild were talking about a strike. As soon as management was reminded that I had a degree in journalism, they started being extraordinarily nice to me.

The labor situation was settled long before I would have needed to make any sort of decision about crossing a picket line, and I like to think that they would have let me continue to sell advertising even if I had refused to become a temporary replacement in the newsroom. Of course I was in my early twenties at the time, so naivete was like one of my primary characteristics.

Although never a union employee, I am married to a public school teacher who has been a member of the Wisconsin Education Association, the National Education Association and is currently a member of the Illinois Education Association. Every month I benefit from the salary and benefits negotiated by her union. Too frequently, I take that pay and future pension for granted. I certainly shouldnt.

Despite what were tempted to think, the absence of a fiscal year 2016 Illinois budget is not the most troubling financial issue facing the state. The biggest issue  the 800-pound gorilla  is the states unfunded pension liability that tops $115 billion.

Unions will play a central role determining how this issue is addressed and, hopefully, solved. Unions have evolved just as the primary concerns of their members have also changed. Working conditions as that primary concern gave way to length of work day and work week. And then to pay. And benefits. And pensions.

The coverage of business in Southern Illinois is not complete without considering the past, present and future roles that labor unions play. This edition of the Southern Business Journal addresses the issue, but to some degree merely scratches the surface of the role that unions play in our lives. As you read business stories in The Southern over the next month, take note of how many involve unions; the number will likely be higher than you think.
Federal and state labor laws extend various rights to employees regarding union representation. That includes the right to attempt to form a union in a workplace without one, and the right to attempt to decertify a union that employees no longer support.

Employee rights

Other employee rights, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), include that workers may join a union whether or not it is recognized by the employer, may assist a union in organizing fellow workers, or may refuse to participate in some or all of these activities.

On its website, the NLRB explains the two ways that private-sector workers can go about forming a union. One way is for at least 30 percent of workers to sign cards or a petition saying they want a union.

Those cards or a petition are then to be filed with the nearest NLRB Regional Office. After that, NLRB staff is to work with the employer and union to set a date, time and place for balloting. The NLRB also works with the parties to determine who is eligible  generally, employees whose duties are primarily managerial cannot be part of the bargaining unit  as well as other factors, which can include the language(s) in which the ballots must be made available.

Workers have the right to a secret ballot. Neither the union nor the employer is allowed to disclose how individual workers voted. The union must be recognized by the employer if a simple majority of voters cast a ballot in favor of representation.

Mark Conner, a union organizer with the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers District 9, said one of the primary challenges that worker's face in attempting to unionize is the time lapse between when petitions are submitted and when the election is held. Until recently, the time between petitions being filed and the election was about 40 days, which Conner said gave the employers time to meet with individual employees and spread half-truths about ways unionization might harm them.

Rules govern both what unions and employers can say, but Conner said that false whisper campaigns about employees losing all their benefits or the plant closing over unionization can be difficult to track to a source.

"The scales are so tilted toward the employer it's pitiful," he said. "Our job is to educate and do our best to stay on the offensive rather than the defensive."

The NLRB recently changed the rule resulting in an expectation for elections to take place much sooner, within about 10 days or so, or as soon as possible. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposed the change.

In an online article for World of Employment, a blog of Stoel Rivers LLP, a law firm in Portland, Oregon, attorney Terry Briscoe stated that the result of the so-called "quickie rule" would be the union "getting a quick vote before the employer can make its case against unionization."

"This means that employees will be voting based on the information provided to them by the union, which is less than complete and sometimes less than factual," she wrote.

The path to unionization

Another path to unionization, though it is less common, is that an employer may voluntarily recognize a union based on evidence, such as signed union-authorization cards, that the majority of workers are in favor of representation. Conner said he would like to see the law changed so that employers are required to recognize the union when a petition is returned signed by a majority of employees, negating the need for an election. That is how the process works for public-sector workers in Illinois, he said.

Bill Looby, spokesman for the Illinois AFL-CIO, an umbrella organization that represents labor organizations in the state, said that if employees are interested in unionizing, its important that the process is done democratically. It can start with a committee meeting after work, he said, and if theres interest, a worker or workers can reach out to a union that has a history of representing people in their line of work.

Looby said he believes that collective bargaining brings an element of fairness into a workplace that can benefit both employees as well as the employer. The contract is a guide by which everybody works off of, Looby said. Theres not elements of favoritism. Everybody knows this is how this works. These are the wage increases. This is the duration of the contract.

Looby said union contracts often go beyond wage scales and benefits for employees. For instance, teachers may negotiate class size ceilings, and workers in high-risk jobs may negotiate for safety features, he said.

While Looby said that employers often benefit from the unions prescribed rules, avoiding favoritism claims in some cases, some business owners and chamber organizations argue that unions also can become too powerful, negotiating wages and benefits that the company cannot afford over the long haul  and essentially negotiating themselves out of a job. In some cases, employers also have argued union contracts prevent flexibility in responding to the ebb and flow of business. In more recent years, large-scale manufacturers have sought to locate in right-to-work states in the South, where unionization is more difficult, to avoid these concerns.

Regardless, the NLRB states that once a union has been certified by one of these two means, the employer is required to bargain over workers terms and conditions of employment with the union representative. Employees who do not support the union cannot be forced to join. But the collective bargaining agreement between the employer and employee must cover all applicable employees  whether or not the employee wishes to join the union.

Of note, the NLRB covers most private-sector workplaces. Public-sector workplaces in Illinois are similarly governed by the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

Fair share dues

In some states, such as Illinois, workers who decline to join the union but who work in a unionized workplace can still be required to pay fair share dues. These dues are intended to cover the unions administrative costs given that the collective bargaining agreement must cover all employees. In Illinois, where someone has a religious objection to joining a union or paying fair share dues, he or she can be required to make a comparable donation to a non-religious charity.

These fair share dues have been a hot-button political issue of late, particularly as it relates to public-sector unions. Conservative political leaders such as Gov. Bruce Rauner have argued that requiring people to pay something when they object to representation is a violation of First Amendment free speech rights. Unions are not allowed to use the fair share dues on political activity, where there is more flexibility with union dues. But Rauner and others have argued that the line there is so thin  particularly in regards to public-sector unions  that there may be people who are being unwittingly forced to support political candidates and activities to which they are opposed. Early in his term, Rauner filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the fair share requirement, but it was dismissed by a federal judge. But a case brought by three Illinois workers with the same challenge is proceeding.

Also, the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on the debate earlier this spring, deciding in late March by a split 4-4 vote to leave fair share fees intact for public-sector unions. The ruling upheld a previous one by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, covering Western states. And court watchers say the issue is very likely to come up again before the U.S. Supreme Court, and could have a different outcome depending on who is appointed to the high court to replace the late justice Antonin Scalia, who likely would have tipped the decision he other way.

Union officials argue that attempts to challenge fair share are a backhanded approach to weaken labor unions, and that the restriction on the use of funds for political activity is an adequate protection of the rights of workers who decline to join their workplaces unions.
CAIRO  At the headquarters of the Alexander County Housing Authority, where a public housing scandal has brought federal authorities to town and prompted a criminal investigation, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Illinois lawmakers should rewrite the statute that governs the appointing process for local housing authority board members.

While the process differs across the state and is more diverse in some larger cities, in the more rural parts of the state and Southern Illinois, including Alexander County, the appointing power for the board members rests with their respective countys board chairperson.

That can centralize too much power, Durbin said, speaking to residents on Monday evening at a gathering at the ACHA board room.

When you look at Alexander County and Cairo, it really raises a question about whether we can avoid some of the terrible things that happened in the past just by changing the way these housing authorities are established, Durbin said. You just dont want a power grab where one group controls it."

Prior to taking over the housing authority in Alexander County, HUD officials in Chicago had attempted to work with County Board Chairman Chalen Tatum to convince him to remove some board members. Tatum stalled for months, saying he was waiting for the board members identified as problematic by HUD to resign on their own. At the point HUD took over on Feb. 22, those board members in question had not been removed, though HUD's takeover cleared all sitting members.

Tatums father, Bill Tatum, worked for the housing authority and was among several employees who received questionable retirement deals. An agreement signed by Tatum and then-Executive Director James Wilson, called for Tatum to receive a $15,000 cash buyout with all benefits paid upon his retirement in late 2012 or early 2013. The exact date of Tatums retirement under the agreement is difficult to discern as the original date is scratched out in ink pen, with a corrected date hand written on the typed memo. It also called for Tatum to receive continued health insurance benefits for two years, until he reached age 65, or a cash equivalent equal to insurance costs, as well as employment for one day a week for two years.

Bill Tatums was one of several golden-parachute retirement agreements Wilson, the executive director from 1989 to early 2013, approved on his way out the door, according to documents the newspaper obtained. Wilson told the newspaper in August the agreements were designed to save the housing authority money as federal cuts were handed down, as well as take care of loyal employees.

But HUD stated in a 2014 review that these and various other payouts to employees  totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars  amounted to an inappropriate allocation of federal dollars that were earmarked for improving residents living conditions and instead spent on employees. This is alleged to have happened while residents were forced to live in substandard housing that became hotbeds for infestation and crime.

Alleged nepotism, favoritism and discrimination by white managers of African-American employees also have been cited as concerns by HUD.

Durbin, without making any statements about the local politics that were at play as the housing authority fell into disrepair, said that one possible change Illinois lawmakers should consider is that where there are local housing authorities that serve a county-wide area, the appointing power for board members is shared with the cities located within the countys boundaries.

In Alexander County, that could mean sharing appointing authority between the county board chairperson and mayor of Cairo, he said.

So the question is, how do you make sure that in the future you have political accountability and transparency, not a political power grab? Durbin said.

But while Durbin, a powerful Democratic federal lawmaker, called for changes to state law, he stopped short of calling for any changes to federal law, or for a need for more oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the primary funding source of local housing authorities.

Durbins counterpart, Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, has requested in detailed letters to the agency answers as to why HUD continued to allocate millions of dollars to the housing authority  about $20 million over an seven-year period  while it was aware of issues of mismanagement and misuse of funds dating back to at least 2010, according to HUD review documents provided to Kirks office that were shared with the newspaper.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Durbin did say it appeared that circumstances that led to the steady decline of the Alexander County Housing Authority were amiss at a lot of different levels." But he didn't directly answer a question as to whether he believed HUD was derelict in its oversight duties. Durbin instead noted that he joined U.S. Rep. Mike Bost months ago in co-writing a letter to HUD Secretary Julian Castro asking for a complete and thorough investigation into allegations of mismanagement as spelled out in The Southern Illinoisans Chaos in Cairo series that began in late August.

The letter asked for a review of whether federal funds were spent appropriately, but did not specifically speak to what HUD knew about mismanagement issues in Cairo, and when HUD knew about those issues. Still, Durbin assured he is on record with those concerns, and continuing to seek answers.

Taxpayers lost money in the process, and it appears the poor people here suffered as a result of it, he said. That would be something we need to follow through on and we will follow through on.

At the start of the meeting, Durbin told the residents that some terrible things have happened here, things that should have never happened.

And what were doing is looking forward in terms of where were going next and what were going to do next, Durbin said, praising the HUD Recovery Team assigned to clean up the mess in Cairo past local administrators left behind. He called the health and safety issues expressed by residents, including crime, infestation, and chipping paint that could be lead based, very serious concerns that are being discussed from Cairo to Washington, D.C.
To the Editor:

April 20, 2016 was a day of infamy for every Catholic parent with a student at Georgetown University (GU). The Catholic Education Daily of the Cardinal Newman Society exposed that the GU student-run lecture fund hosted as guest lecturer Cecil Richards, President of Planned Parenthood of America.

Richards is president of the largest abortion provider in the United States and president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, a leading advocate for reproductive rights. The event was closed to the public; open only to valid GU id's. No live stream was available and attendees went through a security check before entering Lohrfink Auditorium.

Some co-sponsor listed for the event included GU College Democrats, United Feminists and GU Women of Color.

Will leaders of the Ku Klux Klan, the Nazi Party or the Communist Party be invited to a lectern in a christian college? Is Georgetown University run by Jesuits or grants from government agencies? Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. GU as a Catholic University - a private school - should lace more values on the teachings of Jesus Christ vs. a culture of death that emanates from Cecil Richards.

Sometimes pro lifers care called bible thumpers, so please join us with your bible in private prayer or at a peaceful vigil at the nearest abortion clinic.

Esther Koch

Breese
After receiving overwhelming support in the S.C. House, Rep. Justin Bamberg is hoping his bill forbidding the use of police ticket quotas will become law.

The law enforcement community has been supportive of the bill, and I think a 99-0 vote in the House is pretty convincing, the Bamberg Democrat said.

I think it sends a clear message that in South Carolina were not going to allow things like that to happen, he said.

Bamberg said House approval is one giant step forward for the bill that he hopes will strengthen community-police relations and make law enforcement officers jobs a little less stressful.

I think this is a very big step in sort of fixing that relationship ... and reinstilling a certain degree of trust between the citizens and law enforcement and vice versa, he said.

The bill would forbid departments from requiring law enforcement officers to write a certain amount of tickets in a set amount of time. It also includes a whistleblower provision.

If you speak out against something not just in law enforcement, but in any profession, there could be a degree of backlash or retaliation towards you, he said.

So the whistleblower provision in the bill protects officers from that. If they come forward and say, Hey, weve got an illegal quota system, that officers protected through the provision. So thats another very positive thing, Bamberg said.

The legislator said he is hopeful the bill will also be approved by the Senate.

I have spoken with a couple of Senate members who are on board to try to help me usher the bill through the Senate. I think we can get it passed this year, Bamberg said.

Bamberg said the bill will go a long way in helping to make law enforcement officers feel a little bit happier on their job in not having to write a certain number of citations within a set period of time. Under the bill, officers could still be judged on their points of contact.

It just outlaws a mandate stating that you have to write X number of tickets per shift or per week. Youre still going to see officers writing tickets, but what it doesnt do is penalize people who police in other ways, he said, including patrolling communities, speaking to the elderly and maintaining visibility in high-crime areas.

He said, Law enforcement has a very difficult job. Its a very stressful and dangerous job and if you add arbitrary requirements ... all it does is add unnecessary pressure on these individuals. The General Assembly bears a share of responsibility for the use of tickets for revenue creation for municipalities.

I say that because the state has historically underfunded law enforcement just like theyve underfunded education and all these other key aspects, including health care in rural areas.

Bamberg says he will continue to seek other changes.

There are a couple of other bills, and I know I have one that I will probably end up having to refile next year that is tailored at the use of ticket revenue, Bamberg said.

But this is a start, and a very big start. This quota myth has existed for my whole life, so Im just excited that I could play a part in it for positive change, he said.
Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump, said in a recent interview that he thinks the business mogul "will make sure he's surrounded by nothing but the highest-caliber talent if he occupies the West Wing ... I'm convinced he will have the best Cabinet that's ever been assembled by a president."

This is a mantra frequently recited by Trump supporters who seem oblivious to his serial business failures and habitually fraudulent business practices. They confuse Trump's branding success, which can be attributed to his impressive marketing skills, with business management skills.

So let's test Collins' theory that President Trump can be expected to fill his administration with only the "highest-caliber talent" by examining the track record of the man Trump recently hired to oversee the management of his presidential campaign: Paul Manafort.

Manafort has made a fortune representing some of the worst people in the world during his four-decade career as a Washington, D.C., fixer and lobbyist. His clients have included a sordid assortment of kleptocratic dictators, corrupt narco states, Mafia-connected oligarchs and African warlords who use child soldiers, systemic rape and mass starvation as weapons of war.

A recent article in The Daily Beast by Betsy Woodruff and Tim Mak, "Top Trump Aide Led the 'Torturers' Lobby,'" noted that "a 1992 report from the Center For Public Integrity listed (Manafort's firm) as one of the lobbying firms to profit the most by doing business with foreign governments that violated their people's human rights."

Threats to U.S. national security and the integrity of the political process aren't obstacles to Manafort's personal enrichment. Yahoo News' Michael Isikoff reported this week that Manafort was investigated by the FBI for his representation of an American front organization of the ISI, Pakistan's notorious intelligence service. According to Isikoff, FBI and court documents show that Manifort's lucrative lobbying contract was approved at the highest levels of the ISI, whose goal was "to secretly influence U.S. policy toward the disputed territory of Kashmir."

Isikoff quotes a former Pakstani official who met with Manafort and says the lobbyist knew that his fees were being paid by the Pakistani government (which would have required Manafort to register with the DOJ as an agent of a foreign government). The official also told Isikoff he discussed with Manafort funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to members of Congress.

Isikoff noted the irony of Manafort being selected to lead the campaign of "a presidential candidate who repeatedly decries the influence of Washington lobbyists and denounces the manipulation of U.S. policy by foreign governments."

Manafort was also at the center of the Reagan administration's Housing and Urban Development scandal in the 1980s.

A 1989 article in The Washington Post reported that during testimony before a congressional committee, Manafort grudgingly admitted that he engaged in influence peddling to obtain millions of dollars in low-income housing rehabilitation grants to fund real estate projects in New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia and Puerto Rico.

Manafort used his connections as a Republican Party insider to obtain the grants by simply calling a high ranking HUD official. Then-Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) would later observe that "(f)or some (well-connected) individuals, obtaining these scarce rent subsidy funds was as easy as phoning in an order to Domino's for a pizza."

A 1989 United Press International article reported that Manafort formed a partnership to purchase a dilapidated 326-unit apartment complex in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey, two weeks before the New Jersey Public Housing Authority was notified that HUD had approved funding. Manafort admitted he received advance notice that HUD would fund his project, which the township's mayor described as "a horrible waste of taxpayers' money."

The partnership eventually made $31 million on this project and an additional $3.3 million by selling the federal tax credits to investors. Manafort also took $326,000 in personal fees for obtaining the grants, which amounted to the equivalent of more than $1,000 an hour for the time he expended.

While Manafort and his partners got rich, the low-income tenants the program was supposed to benefit had their rents doubled and saw no improvement in their living conditions. A 1989 article in The Los Angeles Times reported that more than two years after being acquired by Manafort and his partners, the apartment complex "still resembles a slum."

The abuse of the program by Manafort and others was so rampant that HUD Secretary Jack Kemp was forced to suspend the program. Although Manafort and his insider cronies rigged the HUD grant system in their favor, he defended his actions by claiming he followed the rules. Such a defense should sound familiar to Trump supporters. The irony should give them pause.

The question everyone should be asking is, will this be the way President Trump's appointees administer government programs? Put another way, will Trump's appointees be channeling the spirit of Abraham Lincoln or Gordon Gekko?

-----

Nat Hentoff is a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. He is a member of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Cato Institute, where he is a senior fellow. Nick Hentoff is a criminal defense and civil liberties attorney in New York City.
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/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

A booklet on Azerbaijan was published in Los Angeles through the support by Azerbaijans Consulate General.

Titled Azerbaijan: Land of Hope, Tolerance and Inspiration, the booklet contains information about Azerbaijans history, rich musical and cultural heritage, long-standing traditions of multiculturalism and interfaith tolerance, economic opportunities, energy strategy and diplomacy, as well as tourism potential.

The publication highlights the development and remarkable achievements of South Caucasus nation as an independent nation under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, and informs the readers about the important role the country plays in the energy security of Europe, United States and Israel. In this regard, it mentions the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline as well as the Southern Gas Corridor, which will benefit both the producing, transit and consuming countries.

Highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan with concrete facts, the publication stresses the substantial contributions by Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva - Azerbaijans First Lady and the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation - to the promotion and protection of the Azerbaijani culture in the world.

The booklet also speaks of the illegal military occupation and brutal ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territory by Armenia.

Speaking of the special importance attached by the Government to education and social innovations, the publication mentions the construction since 2004 of more than 3,000 new schools, the Study Abroad program, as well as notes the successful work of the ADA University, which is considered the most modern and innovative university in the entire region. It also deals with the unique experience of the ASAN Service centers, which provide public and private services from one single space, thus substantially reducing red tape and increasing transparency in government services.

The Consulate General plans to send the booklet to members of the U.S. Congress, state officials in Western U.S., public figures, business circles, mass media, as well as academic research centers and universities.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has accepted the credentials of newly-appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia Husnan Bey Fananie.





Ambassador Husnan Bey Fananie reviewed the guard of honor.





Husnan Bey Fananie handed his credentials to the head of state.





President Ilham Aliyev then had a conversation with the Ambassador.





Noting that the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia are developing successfully, the head of state hailed good cooperation between the two countries within international organizations, including the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The head of state expressed his gratitude to Indonesia for supporting Azerbaijan.





Pointing to the partnership relations between the two countries, President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is interested in establishing closer ties with Indonesia.





Highlighting the cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, educational, cultural, investment making and other fields, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his hope that these relations would continue to develop successfully.





Stressing the importance of the activity of embassies in both countries, the head of state wished Husnan Bey Fananie success in his activities.





Ambassador Husnan Bey Fananie conveyed the greetings of President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo to President Ilham Aliyev.





Pointing to the fact that both countries' peoples share the same religion and similar cultural values, the Indonesian Ambassador expressed his hope that the bilateral relations would continue to develop in a variety of fields.





The Indonesian Ambassador said he would spare no efforts to contribute to the expansion of ties between the two countries during his diplomatic tenure.





Husnan Bey Fananie stressed the significance of the Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Azerbaijan in 2017.





President Ilham Aliyev thanked for the greetings of President Joko Widodo, and asked the Ambassador to extend his greetings to the Indonesian President.




Creating a successful partnership between private sector investors and the government will be the critical factor in shaping Saudi Arabias development over the coming five years, according to a new research report.



Under the ambitious reform agenda being driven by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and the Economy and Planning Minister Adel bin Mohammed Faqih within its recently announced Vision 2030 framework, Saudi Arabia is seeking to drive the non-oil economy and stimulate private investment in state activities.



In its Vision 2030 strategy, Riyadh has set itself the target of increasing the private sectors contribution to GDP (gross domestic product) from 40 per cent today to 65 per cent by 2030, and growing non-oil government revenues from SR163 billion ($43 billion) to SR1 trillion ($267 billion) by the end of the next decade.



The report, "Saudi Arabia Strategies 2016: Adapting to a new economic reality" from Meed, examines how the Vision 2030 strategy will change the business landscape in the kingdom, the government's priorities and the strategies of businesses seeking to take advantage of the new opportunities being created in the kingdom.



The report identifies new and emerging opportunities for investors and companies in the regions biggest market. It also highlights the challenges that companies need to be aware of as the kingdom forges ahead with its economic development plan for the next 14 years.



The reports provide detailed news and analysis of Saudi Arabias $1-trillion project market, by far the regions biggest market. Construction is the largest sector with a pipeline worth $442 billion, followed by transport with $228 billion and power with $170 billion in the pipeline, it said.



Construction and transport have traditionally been the largest sectors in Saudi Arabia, awarding $155 billion and $98 billion of major contracts respectively between 2006 and 2015. Nearly $89 billion of power contracts were awarded over the period, said Meed editorial director Richard Thompson.



With government debt rising sharply in the wake of the collapse in oil prices, Riyadh is exploring using public-private partnerships (PPP) for its most important infrastructure projects. And with a raft of road, rail, port and airport projects planned, the report looks at how PPP and other financing models will be used to deliver transport projects, the report said.



Saudi Arabia needs to install nearly 48 GW new electricity generation capacity by 2024 in order to meet demand, which is growing by seven per cent a year, said Thompson. To deliver this, Riyadh will return to building power and water capacity using the private developer market. It will take the same approach to deliver the estimated $25 billion of planned water and wastewater projects over the next five years."



The reforms involve rolling back the state as an economic actor in the kingdom and will be painful in the short term. But they are much needed and if implemented properly will provide the basis for sustainable growth and development for the next generation of Saudis, he said. -TradeArabia News Service
The banks to advise the Saudi Stock Exchange on its initial public offering (IPO) will be selected in the coming days, the bourse's CEO said on Tuesday, suggesting that it could opt for both local and international banks to provide broader expertise.



Reuters reported in March that the exchange known as Tadawul had asked banks to pitch for the advisory mandate on the IPO of the Gulf region's biggest bourse.



"We need the local experience, meaning those that are familiar with the process and with the regulator, as well as the process of taking an exchange public," Khalid Al Hussan told Reuters on the sidelines of a finance event.



"Few IPOs in the world have been concluded to take an exchange public, so we want to ensure the team engaged on the ground to take Tadawul public is what is required."



Tadawul has said the IPO is expected to take place in 2018.-Reuters
The Saudi city of Jeddah has witnessed a general slowdown across all its real estate sectors in the first quarter due to demand-supply mismatch and the countrys overall macroeconomic scenario, according to a report.



The existing demand-supply mismatch is expected to widen as more retail and office supply is expected to enter the market with the easing of backlog projects, stated property iexpert JLL in its Q1-2016 Jeddah Real Estate Outlook.



The report assess the latest trends in the office, residential, retail and hotel sectors across Jeddah in the first three months of the year.



On the residential market, JLL said the villa market saw a 5.4 per cent decline in sale prices and 2.5 per cent fall in rentals over the quarter.



The decline in prices reflects the continued loss of buyer sentiment as a result of the previous 70 per cent loan-to-value ratio, while rents also decreased as they are generally considered less attractive than apartments due to their higher cost.



The apartment sector fared somewhat better than the villa sector, with both prices and rents remaining basically stable over the quarter, it added.



According to the latest survey by the Eskan Committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, current supply stands at 793,000 units.



A total of 4,000 units (consisting of standalone villas and apartment buildings) entered the market in the first quarter. The most notable project completed was Daem Residences, which added 120 apartments to the market.



Saudi Arabias Central Bank announced that it will allow specialised mortgage companies to increase their maximum contribution to home financing to 85 per cent.



This is a positive step towards increasing access to home loans and is expected to stimulate demand and will also likely change the current performance rates for villas and apartments, stated JLL in its report.



However, it is still too early to anticipate what impact this will have on the market. The developers of Jeddah Tower (previously known as Kingdom Tower) have announced that the tower is currently 20 per cent complete and scheduled for completion in 2018, it added.



Jamil Ghaznawi, the national director and country head of JLL Saudi Arabia, said: "In the residential segment, sales prices continued to decrease marginally while rents started slowing down in Q1 after continuous growth in 2015. It is also interesting to see that higher quality residential developments are being launched in response to buyer demand for additional amenities."



On the other hand, the office market witnessed a further slowdown in the growth of lease rates, which is expected to continue due to demand constraints throughout 2016, noted Ghaznawi.



Historically, the government and public sector have led demand for office space in Jeddah, but going forward we expect a shift in demand towards private firms as there is hardly any new project announcements, he added.



During the first quarter, about 33,000 sq m of gross leasable area (GLA) was added. This included the completion of Al Andalus Crown Tower on Madinah Road, which added 12,000 sq m of GLA, as well as a smaller office building called Strek located on Prince Sultan Street.



The total supply surged to 925,000 sq m of GLA. Further completions are expected throughout the year, including the Al Khair Tower which will add approximately 43,000 sq m of GLA to the market, stated the JLL in its report.



On an annual basis, average lease rates increased by two per cent. However, the quarter on quarter (Q-o-Q) lease rates decreased marginally by one per cent. Vacancy rates have remained relatively stable at five per cent as of Q1 2016; down from six per cent in the previous quarter.



Looking ahead into 2016, demand for office space from the public sector is expected to decrease after the Ministry of Finance restricted new hires, said the property expert.



In addition to the ministry's announcement that no new projects will be introduced, demand for office space from the construction sector is expected to decrease as well. This will shift the demand from the public sector to the private sector.



Office spaces located north of Madinah Road and Sultan Street have increased lease rates ahead of the completion of the new airport. This should increase demand for office space within close proximity, it stated.



Meanwhile, in the retail market lease rates have showed signs of stabilisation in Q1 as vacancies are absorbed. With more projects materialising over 2016/2017, lease rates are expected to remain stable or decrease marginally, said the JLL in the report.



But with a year on year (Y-o-Y) reduction of nine per cent in the value of retail sales, it could affect retail footfall which in turn will impact demand for retail space.



On the hotel market, JLL said the sector has been impacted by the general economic slowdown as a result of lower oil revenues affecting various demand drivers. With declining visitors, the hotel sector has begun to show signs of weakening across Jeddah.



Interestingly, new supply is expected to be added as a number of hotels are set for completion later this year, and it remains to be seen how they will perform in this economic scenario, he added.



JLL report pointed out that there have been no new additions to the market over the last quarter and supply remained at 8,600 keys.



With a number of projects in the pipeline, 2016 should see a faster pace of hotel delivery with around half of the 3,200 keys forecasted for 2016 expected to materialise.



The key projects include: Radisson Blu Al Salamah, the Ritz Carlton, Movenpick City Star, Assila Hotel and Elaf Galleria. YT February occupancy rates have decreased to 68 per cent; 5 per cent lower compared to the same period in 2015.



Consequently, YT February Available Daily Rates (ADR) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) have decreased by five per cent to $229 and 11 per cent to $156 respectively. The likely reason for this is declining business visitors amid an economic slowdown.



According to JLL, the economic slowdown has already impacted performance rates for Jeddahs hospitality sector. Should the planned projects for 2016 materialise, it is expected to cause further declines in hospitality performance rates over the next two years, it stated.



With the development of the new airport, Prince Majed Road will become the new gateway to Jeddah and a number of hotels are already under construction or planned in close proximity.



The area surrounding the Jeddah Haramain Railway station, which will be used to transport pilgrims to Makkah and Madinah, should also see increased demand, and consequently supply, for hotel rooms in the future as the station nears completion, it added.



On the retail sector, JLL said the first quarter saw two key completions: Al Khayyat 3 and Yasmin Mall. These added just over 70,000 sq m of GLA to the market. The total supply of retail space currently stands at approximately 1.2 million square meters of GLA.



While Y-o-Y lease rates have increased for both regional and super regional centres, changes in Q-o-Q lease rates suggest that they have peaked as super regional rates remain stable and regional centres decreased marginally by one per cent as of Q1 2016.



Higher materialisation is expected over the next two years after 2015 saw a slowdown in the number of projects entering the market, said the report.



A further 56,000 sq m of GLA is expected to be delivered in 2016, while 2017-2018 is expected to add over 900,000 sq m of retail space to the market in Jeddah. However, some delays and cancellations are expected, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Ras Al Khaimah-based Julphar (Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries) recorded sales totalling Dh1.47 billion ($400.11 million) in 2015, an increase of 6 per cent compared to the previous year, it was revealed at the companys general assembly recently.



The companys gross profit totalled Dh908.9 million, up 11.1 per cent on 2014, when it was Dh818.4 million. The operating profit stood at Dh249.7 million, an increase of 7.7 per cent over 2014 and the net profit was Dh226.65 million, an increase of 12.2 per cent.



Revenues from seven main markets accounted for 80 per cent of Julphars total sales last year, with Saudi Arabia contributing 35 per cent, UAE 16 per cent, Egypt 9 per cent, Iraq 8 per cent, Lebanon 5 per cent, Kuwait per cent, and Libya 3 per cent.



Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, chairman of Julphar, said the company recorded a number of achievements last year. In the middle of the political crisis that affected some countries, Julphar maintained its stability and its commitment, at the same time raising Julphars reputation for pharmaceutical preparations that are respected in more than 40 countries around the world, he said.



He was highly optimistic about the companys future and its ability to achieve further growth. He said the Saudi Arabian Julphar factory will go into production before the end of 2016, becoming the third plant owned by Julphar outside the UAE after the Ethiopian and Bangladeshi facilities.



The general assembly approved distribution of 11 per cent of profits in cash, in addition to 4 per cent in shares to shareholders. - TradeArabia News Service


The Omani government has planned to set up in Sur a major bio-marine industrial cluster, anchored by the nations first ever land-based fish farm, as part of its efforts to kick-start the development of a successful aquaculture industry in Oman, said a report.



The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), which administers the nations industrial parks and logistics hubs, has earmarked an 8,000 sq m plot at Sur Industrial Estate for the establishment of the project, which unlike conventional aquaculture farms, will be developed onshore for the rearing of marine fish, said the Oman Daily Observer report.



Significantly, Shumookh Investment & Services, the investment arm of PEIE, is supporting the venture in line with its mandate to stimulate private investment inflows into the industrial parks, it added.



A subsidiary named Knowledge Advance Technology (Kat), with Shumookh Investment (10 per cent) and local investor Advance Business Solutions (90 per cent) as shareholders, will develop the proposed integrated aquaponics project.



The centrepiece of the Sur venture, according to PEIE officials, is a Recirculating Aquaculture System (Ras), which is expected to be the first of its kind in the sultanate. Ras are essentially land-based fish farms that allow for all year round control and delivery of fish.



Additionally, the project is expected to stimulate investments in an array of upstream and downstream processing and value-added opportunities, notably in pharmaceutical related ventures.



Officials envision the eventual growth of a full-fledged bio-marine industrial cluster emerging from these activities and investments, added the report.
Samsonite, the worlds leading travel luggage brand, has announced plans to acquire luxury brand Tumi for $1.8 billion.



The acquisition is expected to significantly expand Samsonites presence in the premium business and luggage segment by leveraging Tumis best-in-class products, said a statement.



Tumi, launched in 1975, is known for its premium business, travel and lifestyle products and accessories. The group creates high-end amenity kits for airlines including US carriers United and Delta, among others.



With the acquisition, Samsonite aims to boost its growth by expanding global distribution of Tumi, launching flagship retail stores across the globe, enhancing the brand presentation at retail and revitalizing the product offering, it said.



Ramesh Tainwala, Samsonites CEO, said: Tumi is a perfect strategic fit for our business. The brand is loved by millions of loyal customers for its high quality and durable premium business and luggage products. We are excited about the tremendous opportunities this combination provides us to further diversify our product and customer portfolios.



Shaheen Jamil, business head at Samsonite covering the Middle East, Africa, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Saarc countries, said: The acquisition of Tumi is a landmark development for Samsonite, particularly in the Middle East which has an eye for luxury products. The consumer demand for luxury luggage is growing at a fast pace and we are confident that this new acquisition will help us further boost our market presence and leadership in the region.



While North America accounted for around 70 per cent of Tumis sales last year, Samsonite will look to tap into the premium market on offer in Asia, Middle East as well as Europe, the statement added. - TradeArabia News Service


Globe Express Services (GES), a leading logistics services firm, said it plans to enhance its business processes and capabilities globally by implementing CargoWise One software across 56 of its offices located in 20 countries.



CargoWise One is one of the most integrated and comprehensive end-to-end logistics solutions that forms an integral link in the global logistics industry. It is an operating system that streamlines processes, integrates business with customers and partners, and improves communication with the supply chain, said a statement from the company.



The deployment of the next-generation CargoWise One technology will help GES in improving its visibility, efficiency, quality of service, and profitability, it added.



Mustapha Kawam, president and CEO, Globe Express Services, said: As logistics becomes increasingly global and complex, the competition gets stiffer and business-changing acquisitions take place more frequently.



In such a dynamic environment, companies that are capable of meeting or exceeding the standard specifications definitely have an edge over competitors and therefore, it is important for businesses to innovate and streamline their supply chain to optimise productivity, he said.



We felt that CargoWise Ones highly flexible and feature-rich system software has the capability to offer unmatched functionality to address the demands of the global logistics. We are upbeat that its single-platform technology will ensure increased productivity, better integration, and enhanced profitability once the implementation is complete. Implementing advanced technology is a worthy investment as it brings increased visibility and improved accountability, ensuring a stronger competitiveness and better control of supply chain, he added.



Participants in the supply chain have witnessed gradual changes, including electronic invoicing, computerised shipping, and tracking and automated notifications with the advent of new technology. Many logistic companies have adopted and advanced these technologies for business-to-business interactions before offering tracking and accountability facility to consumers. However, it was apparent even in the early days that the ability to send notification to everyone along the chain was vital and would gradually become an integral part of the supply chain management, said the statement.



While supply chain management has been around since the assembly line, its role has evolved in the recent times to become complex. Full of risk, it is subject to regulations, fines, competition, and international shipping restrictions. Technology, however, has provided logistics sector with several new capabilities, redefining the role of supply chain management as a profession and discipline, it stated.



Gene Gander, vice president of business development  Americas, WiseTech Global, the technology development company behind CargoWise One, said: We are pleased to be partnering with GES. CargoWise One is a broad and deep solution that offers unique advantages to a variety of customers depending on their specific workflows.



With GESs broad product offering, they will have a comprehensive module for every touch point along the supply chain they manage. Additionally, with CargoWise Ones single-file platform solution, Globe Express expect to boost to their productivity gains across all the countries where they operate. Its a truly global solution for a global operation, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) is targeting North America for the shale gas needed to fuel growth at one of the world's largest petrochemicals groups, its chief financial officer said on Tuesday.



The company has said previously that a shortage of natural gas was stifling its domestic growth and forcing it to look at foreign investment opportunities.



The US shale gas industry has increased output in recent years and Sabic signed its first deal for US shale gas last year for use at its Teesside petrochemical plant in Britain.



"In terms of industry growth, we see growth chasing where feedstock is competitive, and the US is top of the list," Mosaed Al Ohali told Reuters.



Saudi petrochemicals businesses have benefited in the past from feedstock subsidies that are being phased out as the government looks to bridge a substantial budget deficit after oil's two-year downturn.



The Saudi government raised gas prices for petrochemicals feedstock from $0.75 per million British thermal units (BTUs) to $1.75 for ethane and $1.25 for methane, which some industry watchers say is not far from US natural gas prices.



US natural gas prices for April at the Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana fell to their lowest level for the month since 1995, averaging $1.90 per million BTUs.



Sabic is also focusing on oil-to-chemicals operations, with Ohali saying that the company views its planned $30 billion Yanbu project as a "fertile opportunity".



He added that Sabic was also looking at technologies such as coal-to-chemicals in China but gave no further detail.



The Saudi firm will stick to its main chemicals products, Ohali said, but it will support small and medium enterprises (SME) to move further downstream through Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company (SAIIC), its joint venture with Saudi Aramco and the Public Investment Fund.-Reuters
A Russian man who spent about three years behind bars in the United States for creating the computer malware known as Gozi was ordered on Monday to pay $6.9 million to cover losses to bank customers but spared further US prison time.



Nikita Kuzmin, 28, could have received more prison time but was sentenced to time served at a hearing in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said in a statement. He was jailed in August 2011 and held for 37 months before authorities released him, for reasons that remain unclear.



A probation office had recommended a sentence of 84 months, although it said it was not taking into account any assistance Kuzmin provided to investigators, prosecutors said. An explanation of how much assistance he has provided remains under a court seal, along with many other papers in the case.



Kuzmin's attorney, Alan Futerfas, confirmed the sentence and said Kuzmin was glad to put the episode behind him and move on to the next stage of his life. He declined to say what Kuzmin's plans were.



Prosecutors described Kuzmin as an innovator in online crime, saying he not only created Gozi but rented it out to criminals who used it to steal tens of millions of dollars from bank accounts.



The malware was disguised as a .pdf file, and security experts identified it around 2007, prosecutors said.



Kuzmin was arrested in 2010 after he traveled to a conference in the United States. He pleaded guilty in May 2011 in a cooperation agreement with US prosecutors.



In January, a Latvian man who admitted to having written some of the computer code was also sentenced to time served. He served 21 months in prison.  Reuters
Dubai-based Workz Group, a leading mobile products and solutions provider, was accorded the Best Experience Support Partner from Vodafone Qatar the during the telcos 2016 CXO Awards ceremony held recently in Doha, Qatar.



Vodafone Qatar and Workz, whose partnership dates back to the operators launch in Qatar in 2008, have jointly developed many innovative products for the telecoms industry.



Last year, the companies pioneered the introduction of a scratch and win promotion for the operators recharge cards. The campaign saw a revenue increase of approximately $360,000 in the month of promotion, this lead Vodafone Qatar to adopt scratch and win promotion for all its upcoming recharge card projects.



Vodafone Qatar also introduced the first-ever dual country telecoms plan which was launched at a VIP London event with an exclusive gift box designed in collaboration with Workz.



During the nine-year partnership, the companies have also brought to market smart recharge cards that allow users to quickly add phone credit by scanning a QR code with their smartphone.



Other projects include an enhanced demand planning and optimised inventory management which resulted in logistic savings of $500,000 and more environmentally friendly transportation methods that reduced the operators CO2 footprint by over 92 per cent.



Commenting on the win, Brad Taylor, CEO, Workz Group said: The award is a source of great pride for our team. We have been working together for almost 10 years now and I think we have a great success story.



Here at Workz, we feel part of the Vodafone Qatars family and I believe it is the strength of the relationship and trust that has allowed us to achieve what we have together. We are working hard to continue this record with Vodafone Qatar and in every project we undertake we strive to offer winning, innovative solutions that overcome market challenges and make a difference to our clients businesses, he added.



Commenting on their long-term relationship with Workz, Asim Mirza, director of Customer Experience Operations, Vodafone Qatar said: It gives me great pleasure to present Workz Group with the Best Experience Support Partner Award for playing an important role in our success.



The success of a business can be summarized into 3Ps: product, process and people. At Vodafone Qatar, however, we have 4 and the 4th p is a partner. For the past nine years, theres one partner who has been a key to new product launches, loyalty programs, green initiatives and cost optimisation, Mirza added.



They have been very instrumental in implementing and bringing into market innovative ideas to make Vodafone Qatar the first. We were the first operator to develop QR Codes on recharge card; the first to launch a scratch and win card concept and first to launch environmental friendly SIM packs in the region.



They also never fail to amaze us with their flexibility in delivering orders at the shortest turnaround time possible. Their work ethics and the quality of service provided enable us to give the best customer experience. Workz is not just our vendor but they have been our partner in writing our 9-year success story, Mirza concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, has created a private cloud IT environment in partnership with Red Hat solutions. The platform will enable the company to monitor and analyse online conversations about it.

As part of this project, Gulf Air has deployed Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (JBoss EAP), and Red Hat Storage as the platform for its innovative big data solution, Arabic Sentiment Analysis.

Gulf Air has developed a sentiment analysis solution based on big data technologies that is capable of addressing social media posts in both Arabic and English for Arabic Sentiment Analysis. The solution is based on an open source Hadoop big data framework running across a server cluster in Gulf Airs private cloud environment and using Red Hat products including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, JBoss EAP, and Red Hat Storage.

Gulf Airs private cloud encompasses 200 servers running more than 100 core applications and holds more than 50 terabytes of data. The scalability that Gulf Air achieves in this environment with Red Hat solutions provides sufficient capacity to host the big data solution, which in turn helped Gulf Air avoid additional infrastructure investment including hardware expenditure, said a press release.

Today, Arabic Sentiment Analysis processes social media posts and provides easy-to-understand reports on what customers are saying about Gulf Air. Gulf Air's IT team also uses them as the basis for a wider analysis of the state of the market and actions taken by their competitors.

Commenting on the investment, Dr Jassim Haji, director of information technology at Gulf Air, said:

As an airline, it is crucial to know what our customers are thinking. We want to know who is satisfied with Gulf Airs service, who is not and why, and what Gulf Air can do to improve its services to passengers.

The big data solution deployed is an open source one, which meant no special license fees to pay, while the infrastructure where it runs is based on our existing open source-based cloud environment and virtual servers, which meant no hardware investment was required, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Sony has introduced a new 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) television range which is designed to deliver a greater brightness range and higher contrast. The new 4K HDR TV line makes the best use of 4K HDR content with its unique technologies in a slim design.

HDR is a burgeoning video standard that greatly expands the range of possible visual expression by reproducing higher brightness, higher contrast and more vibrant colours. Sonys new Slim Backlight Drive technology with a new grid-array backlighting structure, which was previously only available with full-array backlighting systems, further allows X-tended Dynamic Range PRO technology to boost peak brightness and black levels more precisely and enhance contrast levels, while maintaining a slim form factor.

The 4K Processor X1 and its precision colour mapping technology allows Triluminos Display to reproduce a wider colour range with accurate colour details at any brightness level. The X1 also improves the streaming quality of 4K HDR images provided by Internet video services.

Satoru Arai, head of Sony Middle East, said: Sony will continue to focus on 4K and large screen TVs. We will redefine this fast growing segment by introducing six new 4K HDR models that will deliver enhanced viewing experience with our unique technologies. This combined with the advanced usability of Android function truly makes our 4K HDR TVs the future of television.

Sonys 4K HDR TV series also runs on Android TV with Sonys exclusive user interface. From live TV broadcasting to Internet video services, the seamless user interface content bar includes enhanced content navigation along with voice search.

The 4K HDR TV series ranges in screen size from 55 class to 75 class.  TradeArabia News Service
Oil fell on Tuesday as rising output from the Middle East and North Sea renewed concerns about a global supply overhang while economic data painted a negative outlook for the demand outlook.



Brent crude futures were trading 44 cents lower at $45.39 a barrel at 1101 GMT, retreating from earlier gains.



US crude futures were down 54 cents at $44.24 a barrel.



Iraq said its oil shipments from southern fields averaged 3.364 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, up from 3.286 million in March.



Production from top exporter Saudi Arabia was 10.15 million bpd in April, but sources said that it could soon return to a near-record level of 10.5 million bpd.



Iran is also raising output after its emergence from Western sanctions in January and has increased exports to almost 2 million bpd from a little more than 1 million bpd at the start of the year.



Daily supply of North Sea Brent crude oil, which contributes to the futures benchmark, will rise in June to its highest in four months, up 17 per cent from May, according to monthly loading programmes provided by trading sources.



"There are enough supply stories out there to slow or temper any gains," Energy Aspects analyst Richard Mallinson said, though he added that lower supply from the United States should support prices in the longer term.



Demand worries are also back on the horizon, stoked by a 14th straight months of decline in Chinese factory activity in April. British manufacturing output, meanwhile, dropped to a three-year low and euro zone growth was forecast to be slower than previously this year.



US production has dipped from a peak of about 9.6 million bpd in June 2015 to less than 9 million bpd now, government data shows.



That had helped to lift crude by nearly 70 per cent from decade lows hit early this year and analysts said that further sporadic price falls are likely given the spike, including Brent crude's biggest monthly gain in seven years last month.  Reuters
The more protectionist trade policy being pushed by US presidential candidates could lead America to renege on global trade agreements and deal a blow to the world economy, Mexico's economy minister said on Monday.



While not naming candidates, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo referred to a proposal by Republican front runner Donald Trump to levy a 35-percent tariff on many Mexican goods, which Guajardo said would violate World Trade Organization agreements and spark chaos if enacted.



" will mean that you are willing to depart and break with the world trading system," Guajardo told Reuters in an interview.



"If that is the case then the world is in trouble," added Guajardo, who was in Washington for meetings with US and Canadian trade officials.



The United States is the world's largest economy and its trade partners are concerned by an anti-trade rhetoric that is "more intense" than normally seen in US presidential campaigns, Guajardo said.



Trump has vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) binding the US, Mexican and Canadian economies. Trump and Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton oppose a trade deal with the Asia-Pacific region recently negotiated by the Obama administration.



Guajardo said it was unclear if the candidates would follow through on their proposals if elected because trade wars would damage US exporters, including agriculture and auto parts companies.



"Eventually they would start to speak," he said.



Mexico has been among the world's most enthusiastic supporters of free trade since joining NAFTA in 1994. It subsequently signed trade deals with the European Union and Japan.



Mexico and the EU will likely launch talks in June to expand their trade deal, Guajardo said. Mexico wants better access for agricultural exports like bananas and hopes new rules can boost trade in services.



The EU is currently negotiating a trade deal with the United States while European parliaments are in the process of approving a deal with Canada.



Mexico would have liked to negotiate a larger pact between the North American countries and the Europeans, rather than a series of bilateral accords, Guajardo said, arguing that Mexico, Canada and the United States already function as an economic bloc.



The idea never got serious traction, however, so for now Mexico is keeping an eye on its NAFTA partners' dealings with Europe and hopes to strike similar agreements.



"It will be feedback more or less for our negotiating objectives," he said.  Reuters
R Hotels, the hospitality management division of UAE-based R Holding, and City University College of Ajman (CUCA) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement for internship and job placement of students graduating from the college's hotel and tourism management programme.



Sumair Tariq, managing director for R Hotels, and CUCA President Imran Khan signed the agreement during the Arabian Travel Market 2016 exhibition, where the college was invited to showcase its HTM programme at the R Hotels Stand.



Tariq said: At R Hotels, we constantly invest in human capital. This agreement with our academic partner CUCA further strengthens our resolve in attracting best talent of hospitality professionals to fuel our development plans.



Speaking on the occasion, Khan said: We strive for strategic relations with our industry partners. Alliances like this one, not only improve our students employability by providing them better real-world experience, but also give them better opportunities for permanent employment.



Both organisations agreed to establish industry-academic collaboration in areas of students placements for internships and employment.



R Hotels currently owns and operates five hotels across the UAE namely Ramada Hotel and Suites Ajman, Ramada Beach Hotel Ajman, Ramada Downtown Dubai, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham and ibis Styles Jumeira. The group has two more properties under construction  a resort and spa in Palm Jumeirah and a new hotel in Ajman Corniche. - TradeArabia News Service


The Casper College Admissions Office will be holding a special Go To College information session from 6 to 8 p.m today.

We created this event to help those caught in the economic downturn in Wyoming. During these times of transition individuals might have the opportunity or the need to go to college to get their degree, finish their degree or receive specialized training to improve their job prospects, said Kyla Foltz, admissions director.

People who are thinking about going back to school are encouraged to stop by anytime during the two-hour session. Those attending will receive job and career planning and learn about degree and certificate programs available as well as admissions and financial aid.

The free session will be held in the Chapman Lobby located on the second floor of the Nolte Gateway Center on the Casper College campus. For more information email explore@caspercollege.edu or call 268-2121.
Theres still more than a year until a total solar eclipse darkens Casper, but local leaders are getting closer to finding a coordinator for the citys festivities.

Months after deciding against hiring an outside firm to run the multi-day eclipse festival, Caspers City Council is set to vote Tuesday night to pay more than $36,000 to the Wyoming Eclipse Festival to hire an event coordinator. The nonprofit festival group is also receiving money from the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance ($37,000), the Downtown Development Authority ($7,000) and the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (a $50,000 commitment over three years).

Brook Kreder, the visitors bureau CEO, confirmed the figures this week. Sharing the hiring costs makes sense for the local groups supporting the festival, she said. The position will cost $101,516 over 16 months, according to city documents. Another $8,100 will cover other administrative costs.

I think its a more fiscally responsible way to go, where were sharing costs, Kreder said.

At a news conference Monday, Kreder and Casper Mayor Daniel Sandoval touted Caspers strength as a tourist destination and cited recent data showing that the Oil City has become more popular in the Cowboy State. The event helped kick off national travel and tourism week.

While he doesnt see tourism overtaking energy as Wyomings leading industry, Sandoval said that it could help stabilize the Cowboy States economy. Sandoval also noted that events like the eclipse festival, if handled well, can help people appreciate Casper as a destination.

Its going to take money to put on a good eclipse, Sandoval said.

The mayor also noted that Casper is still financially healthy during the downturn. The city will pay for its part of the eclipse festival using the general fund reserves from fiscal year 2016, according to city documents.

I think were going to be OK, Sandoval said. And yes, there have been some purchases that made the City Council look like they were spending like drunken sailors, but thats just timing. Its comfortable to say that massive purchases are going to be not even considered for awhile.

Sandoval did not elaborate on the purchases.

The city has bought property downtown recently in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood.

City Manager V.H. McDonald has said that the city could handle between 10,000 to 20,000 people attending the festival. Earlier this week, Kreder said that shes preparing for 20,000 people in town, with the idea that more people might come to Casper on Aug. 21 for the eclipse.

There were 44 applicants for the event coordinator, Kreder said, and the field has been whittled to five. Though Kreder said she didnt expect to ask for more money from the local groups, she also didnt close off the option.

Its not my intention, but Ive left the door open, she said.
Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies will distribute food at mobile pantries in Gillette and Douglas in the coming days in response to the March 31 layoffs of nearly 500 coal miners in northeast Wyoming.

The food bank will distribute food from noon to 3 p.m. Monday at the Home Depot parking lot in Gillette. Supported by a grant from I:61 Ministries, the food bank is planning to have enough food for 600 families.

The Douglas distribution will be held from noon to 3 p.m. May 16 in the northeast corner of the Wyoming State Fairgrounds, with support from Wyoming Community Gas and Kings Portion Pantry. The food bank is planning to have enough food for 500 families.

Items included will be fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, canned goods and other food and personal products from the distribution center in Mills.

The organization will be distributing approximately 36,000 pounds of food equivalent to 28,500 meals at the two events.

The WFBR took a mobile food pantry to Gillette days after major layoffs at the North Antelope Rochelle and Black Thunder mines. There, 472 families were provided with food.

WFBR is the only food bank in Wyoming. It provides access to food in partnership with 254 pantries, ranging from small churches to community centers. Its on track to distribute 9 million pounds of food  7.5 million meals  throughout the state in this fiscal year.
A Gillette man who allegedly fired at law enforcement officers Sunday on a state highway may face attempted murder charges, the Campbell County sheriff said.

Brandon Daly, 20, is accused of shooting at a Wyoming state trooper and a Campbell County sheriffs deputy. Officers returned fire, but no one was injured.

Sheriff Scott Matheny said Monday he had spoken with county prosecutors about filing charges. No charges had been filed in Campbell County Circuit Court as of Monday afternoon.

Law enforcement initially responded Sunday for a report of a possible suicidal person, according to Highway Patrol. The incident took place about 2 a.m. along Wyoming State Highway 59 about 10 miles north of Gillette.

Daly fired at officers as soon as they arrived, the Highway Patrol reported.

A highway patrol car was struck by gunfire, and the trooper shot back, Highway Patrol said. Daly soon surrendered and was taken into custody by the sheriffs office.

Daly was being held in the Campbell County jail as of Monday morning, Matheny said.
Police arrested a man for robbing an Evansville bank at gunpoint Tuesday morning, locating him in downtown Casper about two hours after the heist.

The man, whom police did not identify, was found with money that authorities believe he stole from the Platte Valley Bank, Evansville Police Chief Tom Laughrey said. Police were still determining if they had recovered all the money. The man is middle-aged, Laughrey said.

Laughrey did not disclose how officers found the man, but did say his department received help from several agencies including the FBI.

It went smooth, he said. Im highly impressed with the other agencies around here, coming to my aid and my departments aid, and getting the job done. It was fantastic.

The suspect was being held Tuesday in the Natrona County Detention Center. Criminal charges are pending.

The robbery took place at about 9:45 a.m. A man armed with a pistol and wearing a black mask entered the bank and demanded money from workers, according to details offered by police and bank officials.

No customers were inside the business at the time. The suspect made off with an unknown amount of money and fled the scene in a white SUV.

We have officers throughout the entire county, Laughrey said Tuesday morning, before the suspect was apprehended. We are hunting down leads.

Officers from multiple agencies remained at the bank, which is at Luker Lane and Curtis Street, a few hours after the crime. Laughrey said he wasnt sure when it would reopen.

We are grateful that no one was injured in the incident, our associates did the right thing by handing over the money to the perpetrator, Platte Valley Bank Community President Ron Wright said in a statement to the press. There is no amount of money that is worth putting our associates in danger, we want to express our gratitude to the Evansville Police Department and all other agencies involved for their quick and thorough response.

The robbery took place a day after a bank heist in Douglas, about 45 minutes east. Douglas-area schools and businesses went on lockdown while authorities searched the area. The suspect was arrested while fleeing on Interstate 25. He has been identified as 52-year-old Charles Mathis.

Mathis was being held Tuesday in the Converse County Detention Center. Charges against him are pending.

Laughrey said he didnt believe the two robberies were linked in any way.
A Wyoming man serving a life sentence behind bars for murdering a prison guard died Friday, according to the Wyoming Department of Corrections.

Bryan Patrick Collins died at an out-of-state prison, though the Department of Corrections did not specify where the prison was.

The Department of Corrections is waiting to receive investigation results and a final autopsy report. Foul play is not initially suspected. Collins, who was originally from Cheyenne, was 45.

Collins was sentenced in 1999 in Carbon County to a life term for first-degree murder and attempted escape. He and two other inmates at the Wyoming State Penitentiary beat and fatally stabbed prison Cpl. Wayne Martinez in 1997 during a botched escape attempt.

Martinez sustained 14 stab wounds and later died at Memorial Hospital of Carbon County.

After attacking Martinez, the inmates climbed over a chain-link fence topped with razor wire. Collins then hijacked a prison truck and attempted to drive it out of the penitentiary but crashed it.

James Harlow was sentenced to death for his role in the incident. He later pleaded guilty to murder after being awarded a new trial and was sentenced to life in prison. Richard Aaron Dowdell was also sentenced to life in prison.
An Evansville Elementary teacher is heading to Peru for education research this summer.

Dirk Andrews is one of 31 teachers in the country chosen by the National Education Association to be a Global Learning Fellow. In addition to his visit to Latin America, he will spend a year training and researching on global education issues.

The foundations fellowship is aimed at making teachers better equipped to educate students with a worldwide perspective and understanding.

Andrews teaches kindergarten and first grade. He will spend ten days in Lima and Cuzco, observing Peruvian classes and collaborating with local educators. The fellows will also meet with business owners to learn about the countrys economy. The teachers, from 30 different states, recently launched a crowd funding campaign to buy books for Peruvian students.
The original study was from the 1970s, in the sagebrush-peppered hills near Gillette. A group of scientists wanted to know if they could move the breeding grounds of a finicky Western bird, the sage grouse, to locations safely distant from a coal mine to protect the imperiled grouse while continuing with the energy development crucial to Wyomings economy.

Eighth-graders Maggie Majhanovich and Nora Legerski read all about that research before they began their work last year recreating the original study.

The two Pinedale Middle School students were conscripted by their science teacher, Retta Hudlow, to help Bureau of Land Management and Wyoming Game and Fish biologists Theresa Gulbrandson and Therese Hartman, respectively. The scientists were trying to find ways to offset the negative influence of energy development outside Pinedale on the grouses mating areas.

The scientists mowed down sagebrush in locations that were similar to places the birds naturally choose for their breeding grounds. The areas needed to be surrounded by sagebrush, so the birds could run there for shelter, but have a clear center for visibility. They also needed to lie atop a slight rise in the ground, so the birds could spot predators. Then the scientists played the sounds of local grouse on a recorder to lure birds to the area.

The girls helped build 16 papier-mache decoy sage grouse to stick in the ground. They also went out early in the morning for weeks with the biologists and counted how many birds had been tricked into using the artificial breeding grounds, or leks.

The research showed positive results  some grouse chose to use four out of five of the artificial leks. The highest number of birds per lek was 19 in one day. A high-volume lek could see as many as 100 birds in a day, leading Hartman to call the project a modest success.

***

Sage grouse are sensitive to disturbance, and they are loyal to their breeding grounds, returning year after year to mate. The low frequency of their calls is the same frequency as drilling rigs, Hartman said. The birds cant hear the mating calls, and sometimes mothers cant hear their chicks. The result is less mating. And in many cases, juvenile birds flee the area, she said.

Essentially, the problem was that oil and gas development was scaring away the birds, explained 14-year-old Maggie.

And its a dilemma all over Wyoming, a challenge that must be remedied to some degree.

Wyoming led the charge over the last few years to keep the sage grouse from being listed as endangered, which could have had created serious challenges to the energy industry, and to many of the states ranchers. Though Wyoming avoided a listing through its work to protect habitats, the state has to keep the birds population from rapidly declining or risk such a designation in the future.

Under new guidelines in Wyoming for protecting the grouse, federal land management agencies like the BLM are tasked with finding ways industry and the bird can coexist.

Hartman said she would not sell this study as an ideal situation, rather a potential alternative when development is unavoidable and leks are imperiled.

I would caution with big red letters, this would not be my go-to, she said. This was our last recourse. We knew the gas pads were going to be built, and we had no choice. Thats why we elected to do this.

The biggest takeaway from the study is not that development and the grouse are simpatico. The takeaway is that when development scares birds away, there may be a way to bring them back post-development, she said.

***

For the 14-year-old girls who rose before dawn to count birds in the chilly spring air, the study was a success. They used it as a science fair project in January that qualified for the state competition. But it was also simply satisfying to learn about this way of addressing a problem, Nora said.

We found that we can continue to have gas development, and still be able to have the sage grouse, Maggie added.

Students in Pinedale often get the opportunity to take part in these kind of projects or studies, said one of the middle schools two science teachers, Ron Ruckman.

The chance to work with real scientists on a legitimate project helps kids buy into their studies. In many cases, the information they learn appears to stay with them longer, he said.

They are finding out something that scientists didnt know already, Ruckman explained. Its a big motivator for kids.

One of the things students find very hard, but is an invaluable lesson from the teachers perspective, is explaining their work, Ruckman said.

That exactly what this research project offered the girls, he said.

Being able to communicate your findings is a huge struggle for a lot of these kids, the teacher said. They start to realize that in the real world you have to justify what you say.

The entire experience was rewarding for the girls.

Maggie may look into the sciences as a career path when shes older, and for Nora, the feeling of being useful left an impression.

Its cool to work with the animals, she said. Just to make a difference is cool.
Emails sent to many Wyoming schools Tuesday regarding missing PAWS booklets had principals worried that some third-grade exams hadnt been received by the Educational Testing Service, the vendor that facilitates the states standardized test.

The Wyoming Department of Education has investigated the matter and confirmed all tests are accounted for, said the agencys chief of staff, Dicky Shanor.

The most important distinction in this moment in time is the testing materials in question are all what would be called unscorables, he said.

The missing tests were extra booklets, and all materials must be returned to the testing service for security reasons, according to the Department of Education.

The education agency has requested records of the testing vendors inventory, and will run manual recounts of districts or individual schools if necessary, Shanor said.
A Wyoming Foundation, started by a former senator and his wife, is providing scholarships for laid-off energy workers.

The Craig and Susan Thomas Foundations new program, Retrain to Gain, will offer money for workers to go back to school, gain new certifications or finish an interrupted education. Applicants must be former energy workers, Wyoming citizens and attending a Wyoming school, according to the foundation's website.

Applications for the fall semester are due June 15. In a letter to potential scholars, Susan Thomas offered mentoring to those awarded the scholarship as they consider other career options. Former Sen. Craig Thomas died in 2007.
The No. 2 ranking Republican in the Wyoming House is seeking re-election, and if Rep. Rosie Berger wins, she said shell run for the top position  potentially becoming the first woman speaker of the House in nearly 50 years.

Berger, a resident of Big Horn, is a Republican who has served in the Legislature since 2003. Berger, 61, represents House District 51, a mostly rural district from Story to the Montana line, including Big Horn, the west side of Sheridan and Burgess Junction.

That would be my intention, is certainly to seek the role of speaker, Berger said. But my first priority right now is to get re-elected in House District 51. If I win the primary and move onto the general, I will certainly look at that. I think I have the experience to run for that position.

Speakers wield much power in Wyoming politics.

They assign the committees on which each House member serves.

Speakers accept lawmakers bills for introduction on the floor and influence the schedule of bills up for discussion each day. Speakers can sit on a bill they dislike. They decide which committee each bill is sent to for further consideration. They can send bills they dislike to committees where they know they will be killed. They appoint representatives to conference committees, which negotiate when a bill passed by the House and Senate have differing amendments.

Practically, speakers are the first face people in the House gallery can see. They spend much of their time during the session at the front of the chamber  reading bills, calling on lawmakers to speak for and against them and counting bills.

Wyoming has not had a woman speaker of the House since 1969, when Republican Verda James from Casper served in the role, said Joan Barron, a longtime Capitol observer who covered the Legislature for the Casper Star-Tribune from 1969 to 2014.

In 1966, Edness Kimball Wilkins, a Casper Democrat, became Wyomings first woman House speaker, when Walt Phelan died suddenly of a heart attack. But she ran and won a state Senate seat the following fall and never actually served as a speaker, Barron said.

A statement announcing Bergers re-election bid said she leveraged her current leadership position to move forward key priorities for Sheridan County, including advocating for Sheridan Community College and expanding business and job growth opportunities.

Bergers agenda is a conservative, low-tax budget that prioritizes Wyoming people and communities, she said. Revenues from coal, oil and gas are all down.

Shes pushed for the state to sock away revenues into a $1.8 billion rainy day fund. The savings paid off, she said.

In the session that ended in March, lawmakers helped fill a revenue gap by adopting a budget that will spend $221 million from the fund.

Her efforts in the House helped increase savings to the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund by about $7 billion, she said. The state takes investment income from the fund, and a larger fund means more money.

We need to make sure our community is the yardstick for good decisions. For instance, our community wants fiscal responsibility through tight budgets, and Ive worked vigilantly to deliver that, she said. And people want to keep taxes low, and Im proud to say Wyoming people have low taxes that will stay that way under my watch.

For years, Berger worked in the travel industry as a consultant and business owner, and in various business management, film location and event coordination positions.

In the Wyoming Legislature, she has served on the Judiciary, Local Government Finance and Management Audit committees.

Berger is on the executive board of the National Conference of State Legislatures. She is past president of the organizations Womens Legislative Network.

In 2008, Berger helped create the Wyoming Womens Legislative Caucus to improve members leadership skills and potential. Each year the organization hosts the Leap into Leadership conference, which has groomed women across the Equality State to serve in public office.
Rep. Kendell Kroeker, a Republican from Evansville, announced he is seeking re-election to House District 35 and vowed to fight for smaller government, transparency and accountability.

The district includes the east side of Casper around Eastridge Mall and Casper Country Club, as well as unincorporated Natrona County areas with Evansville zip codes. Kroeker, 43, has served since 2011.

Kroeker, who owns Casper Mountain Motorsports, is one of the most conservative members of the Wyoming Legislature.

In the session that ended in March, he sponsored a bill that would have allowed people to carry concealed guns into state legislative hearings and other government meetings. The bill passed the House but died because it was never debated in the Senate.

Kroeker also championed reform of Wyomings civil asset forfeiture law. Current law allows police to seize cash, cars and other property of people suspected in drug crimes, even if theyre never charged in court. A law adopted by the Legislature in February, which goes into effect July 1, institutes a number of changes, including requiring a hearing scheduled within 30 days of seizure before a judge who decides whether there is probable cause for the state to proceed with the forfeiture process.

I was very happy that we were able to reform Wyomings civil asset forfeiture laws, Kroeker said. An individual is now guaranteed a date in court and the burden of proof was shifted to the state before an individual can have his property forfeited. This is a big step in protecting individual rights, and I was proud to be a leader in the fight to reform our civil asset forfeiture laws.
CHEYENNE  The first statewide debate in Wyomings U.S. House race took a testy turn Monday, with a candidate who has lived in Wyoming only a few years criticizing Liz Cheneys frequent proclamations about how her family has deep, multi-generation ties to the state.

Cheney always glosses over the fact she lived in Virginia for decades, Rex Rammell said.

Youve got to quit with the lies, Liz. You are pure establishment. You have been all your life and it needs to stop, Rammell said to a mix of boos and cheers.

The debate in Laramie was subdued  touching on everything from Social Security to commodities prices  until Rammell piped up in his closing remarks.

Rammell is a Gillette veterinarian who ran unsuccessfully for governor and U.S. Senate in Idaho before moving to Wyoming in 2012, the same year Cheney moved to Wyoming from Virginia. Cheney, a former State Department official and Fox News commentator, is the elder daughter former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Liz Cheney briefly ran for U.S. Senate in Wyoming in 2013. This time around, she leads all challengers in fund-raising by far, bringing in $740,000 in just the first couple months of her campaign.

Her powerful financial position makes her a popular target. State Rep. Tim Stubson opened the door to criticizing Cheney in his closing remarks.

If you think Washington is working well, then I think its a logical decision to send somebody who has made their whole career in the Washington bureaucracy, like Liz Cheney, Stubson said.

Cheney said in her final statement she was a fourth-generation Wyomingite who was proud to be raising a fifth generation here.

When my relatives came here first in 1907, they were among the folks who came because they cared deeply about freedom, because they understood what it meant to live in a place that self-determination was honored, she said.

Those values now are under attack from regulatory overreach by the federal government, she said.

Moments later, Rammell skipped any summary of his campaign, launching straight into attack.

Liz, you need to stop feeding us a line that youre a fourth-generation Wyoming person. Everybody in Wyoming knows that you spent 30 years in Virginia. You can stop with that line that you know anything about Wyoming, he said.

Cheney retorted, chuckling: When did you come to Wyoming, Rex? Im trying to remember. Was it last year?

Rammells family comes from far eastern Idaho. He has said his family has longstanding ties to communities in far western Wyoming.

Nine of the 10 Republican candidates running for seat took part in the debate hosted by Republican students at the University of Wyoming.

Who knew that closing arguments would be so much fun? debate moderator Bob Beck of Wyoming Public Radio said in closing out the event.
A Laramie High School senior hoping to give students a greater say in their education is running for a seat on the Albany County School District No. 1 Board of Education.

Last week, Rihanna Kelver, a transgender female student, formally announced she is vying for a School Board seat in Area A, which represents the city of Laramie. Three School Board members in Area A seats are up for reelection this year: Trish Penny, Lawrence Perea and Julie Radosevich.

Throughout my high school career and my other grades, Ive gained so much from this district, Kelver said. I felt maybe its my time to give back to it. And I felt that was an excellent way to be involved with the district still and be able to do my part and my service for the district.

Kelver is the president of LHS SALLY, or Safe Area for Laramie LGBT Youth, and worked on a School Board task force, along with board members, principals and parents, to research a potential policy for transgender and gender-nonconforming students in the district. She was recently designated a Daniels Scholar, an award granted to students who demonstrate strong leadership skills.

Kelver intends to stay in Laramie after graduating from high school and will attend the University of Wyoming. If elected, her primary goals as a School Board member would be to give a voice to students in the district, she said.

As I worked with the transgender policy and the public comment, I think a lot of the times, when one of the students, especially younger students, came to voice what they felt, they were kind of brushed off, she said. And it was more like, Well, theyre just a kid. And I think those voices are the ones we still need to hear, because those policies and what happens in the district is going to directly affect them. So, I think any opportunity that we can have to have student voice in policy and meetings  we can definitely grow off of whatever that looks like.

Her first year in office would be spent strengthening outreach  getting community members more involved in schools and board meetings  and working to implement a version of the transgender policy or incorporate its protections for students. During an April work session, Superintendent Jubal Yennie recommended the board hold off from implementing a policy until seeing how the matter is handled nationally.

Other priorities include reaching out to parents and other district stakeholders, continuing to examine the districts nondiscrimination and bullying policies and ensuring as much funding as possible goes directly toward student education. As far as individual school departments are concerned, Kelver hopes to see an expansion in arts, music and theater for students  programs she said are often overlooked.

Not that any of the other departments arent just as important, but I think right now, we need to give those students the opportunity to grow their creative skills and be able to use those creative skills and their creative thinking to enlighten themselves  Id like to see some expansion, or at least more attention to those, she said.

At 18 years old, Kelver recognizes her age makes her an unconventional candidate. But her leadership and prior experience with the School Board demonstrate she is qualified for the office, she said.

Its going to be something new, she said. We havent had anybody as young as me on the board, but I have had significant experience in working with the board and working with the students, and being able to problem-solve and work in that professional environment.
CHEYENNE  A succession of spring snowstorms over the last two months has boosted Wyomings snowpack to slightly above normal as the state heads into its annual snowmelt cycle.

The statewide snowpack this week measured 102 percent of median, according to Lee Hackleman, water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. In mid-April, the snowpack was at 84 percent statewide.

We might have been around average way back last fall, but this year I dont think we have been since January anyway, Hackleman said Tuesday.

Generally, the snowpack right now is greatest in central and southern Wyoming while the northwest part of the state has the lowest remaining snowpack.

Hackleman said the eastern and southern halves of Wyoming have received the most precipitation this spring, mainly because of storm systems moving slowly through the region.

While Wyoming typically receives its greatest snowfalls during spring, Hackleman said the state usually doesnt see this many.

Hydrologist Jim Fahey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Riverton said another system is expected this weekend to bring up to 2 inches of rain to lower elevations in Fremont and Natrona counties and more snow for the mountains.

Its a warmer system coming through than weve had the last three or four weeks, Fahey said. Snow levels can still be kind of tricky because were still in early May.

The new rain and snow comes at a time when some snowmelt is expected to start this week at lower elevations.

The main concern for this event I think will be the smaller creeks and streams in the basins, Fahey said. Well see some rises in the big streams and big rivers, like the North Platte and the Wind and the Little Wind, but mainly this weekend the small streams and creeks could fill up with some rainfall runoff and low level snowmelt runoff, he said.

Fahey said the main snowmelt and runoff that affects the big river watersheds in the state usually begins around Memorial Day and lasts into June.

The current runoff forecast predicts the Laramie River watershed in southeast Wyoming has the highest potential for spring flooding, while there is a moderate to high potential along the North Platte, especially around Saratoga, he said.
RENO, Nev.  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Nevada director wants to free up more federal rangeland for livestock grazing this summer by rounding up 4,000 wild horses in Elko County.

That's more mustangs than were gathered across 10 Western states combined last year.

BLM Nevada Director John Ruhs, Gov. Brian Sandoval and state wildlife officials say removing the horses from four herd management areas in Elko County near the Utah line would also benefit the greater sage grouse.

Conservationists say the call for more roundups is a misguided attempt to placate ranchers at the expense of horses and grouse.

They say cattle do far more damage than mustangs to the drought-stricken range and the imperiled bird.
TEMPE  Arizona State University has teamed up with PayPal and a nonprofit, Education at Work, to help students gain real-world experience and lower their debt.

Students can earn up to $6,000 of tax-free tuition assistance as well as an hourly rate of $9 with room to advance, according to Education at Work.

This is a unique innovative partnership because students will start with earning a competitive wage and they will also learn skills that will help them be successful, said Anita Verdugo Tarango, ASUs director of outreach partnerships.

Dave Dougherty, chief executive and founder of Education at Work, said the nonprofit began the program to put a dent in student debt.

Through this partnership, ASU students will reduce their student loan debt and build skills that 21st century employers need, such as teamwork, collaboration and problem-solving, Dougherty said.

Students will work in a PayPal call center at the University Center on the Tempe campus.

Verdugo said the goal is to hire as many as 400 ASU students by the time the fall semester starts in August.

Nearly 70,000 students are enrolled at the university.

ASU freshman Jeremy Farina, a business-communication student, said he heard about the program through an ASU email.

Farina said he accepted student loans this year and is expecting to owe about $10,000 when he graduates.

I think it would definitely be something Id consider. I mean, nine bucks an hour is a pretty solid wage, Farina said.

Most jobs are customer-service positions, with employees responding to PayPal customers social-media and email questions. PayPal, founded in 1998, gives customers a way to make online payments to businesses.

According to Education at Works website, the program has served students attending the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Mount St. Joseph University and Northern Kentucky University.

ASU is the first university outside Ohio to partner with PayPal and Education at Work. PayPal plans to hire more students at ASU and expand nationally to other universities.

Verdugo said ASU chose to partner with Education at Work because they have similar missions.
State regulators want to move ahead with Tucson Electric Power Co.s renewable-energy plan for 2016  after separating out two controversial proposals to expand TEP-owned solar installations.

The Arizona Corporation Commission is scheduled to consider the plan Tuesday at its regular open meeting in Phoenix.

TEP filed its required annual renewables plan last July, seeking a program budget of $56.6 million, including $9.4 million for company-owned renewable-energy projects and expansion of an energy-storage pilot project.

Under TEPs request, a monthly surcharge that pays for renewable-energy programs would increase to an average of $4.02 per month for the typical TEP residential customer, up from $3.22 per month.

But controversy soon arose over two provisions of TEPs renewables plan.

One would expand a program launched last year in which TEP installs utility-owned solar photovoltaic systems on customers rooftops in exchange for fixed energy charges for 25 years  something many solar companies vehemently oppose.

The other proposal would allow TEP to launch a new community-based solar program, by which customers would essentially buy energy from an offsite, TEP-owned solar installation with an energy charge fixed for 10 years.

The commissions staff recommended against expansion of the TEP-owned rooftop solar program on the grounds it may not be cost-effective. The staff recommended that the community solar program be considered as part of TEPs pending rate case.

In April, a commission hearing judge ordered the Corporation Commissions utilities staff to file a plan to separate the two TEP-owned solar proposals from the annual renewables plan and present the remaining budget and plan for consideration by the full commission.

TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said the company plans to push ahead with the new rooftop and community-solar programs in its larger rate case, which is schedule for initial hearings in Tucson in late August.

Were still supportive of these programs and are very excited about offering them to our customers, Barrios said.

TEPs pilot rooftop-solar program, approved as part of its 2015 renewables plan, cost $10 million and filled quickly, with 600 customers signed up and thousands on a waiting list, according to TEP.

The solar industry and some of its supporters object to TEP providing rooftop systems to customers, arguing that it allows a state-regulated monopoly to compete unfairly with private-sector providers.

TEP wants to count company-owned installations under a new community-based solar program toward its mandatory goals for distributed generation  systems sited at a customers premises like rooftop photovoltaics.

As part of the larger renewables plan, the utility is seeking to double the size of a proposed energy-storage demonstration project at no additional cost. After receiving bids for a 10-megawatt storage project, TEP found it could do two projects that size for less than the initial budget of about $15 million over 10 years.

TEP also has applied for a waiver to the state requirement that distributed generation must make up at least 30 percent of the renewable energy the utility counts toward its state-mandated renewable-energy goals.

TEP says it can no longer obtain enough renewable-energy credits for rooftop solar installations to reach its goals, since the up-front customer incentives it had traded for such credits were phased out several years ago.

In its pending rate case, TEP is asking for a 7 percent increase in revenues in a rate case that would boost the average home customers bill by $12 a month by 2017.
Caterpillar Inc. is coming to downtown Tucson, bringing hundreds of six-figure jobs to the region, Arizonas governor and local officials announced this morning.

The regional headquarters of the manufacturer of construction and mining equipment will bring more than 600 jobs to Tucson over five years with employees in executive management, engineering, product development and support positions.

The majority of the jobs will be relocated employees from around the globe. The state estimates the economic impact to Southern Arizona at $600 million.

This is a huge win for Tucson and the entire region, Gov. Doug Ducey said today. In addition to bringing jobs and capital investment to Southern Arizona, a project of this level will have a ripple effect throughout the community and state.

Moves are set to begin in the coming weeks.

Between 40 and 60 employees will relocate into the county-owned building at 97 E. Congress St., while a new facility is built for Caterpillar, also be in the downtown area.

Caterpillar has a proving ground near Green Valley that opened in 1990. The company also has a large plant in Monterrey, Mexico, and suppliers throughout Northern Mexico.

The ability to get closer to our customers and tightly collaborate across all aspects of the business is at the center of our strategy, said Tom Bluth, Caterpillars vice president, who oversees the Surface Mining and Technology division. "Southern Arizona is a growing region known for a workforce rich in mining, technology, and engineering expertise as well as an attractive quality of life for both families and young graduates.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said the buzz in downtown Tucson was a big draw for company officials who visited several times.

"Caterpillar has chosen downtown Tucson because of the UAs and Pima's ability to supply a workforce of designers and engineers, our proximity to Mexico, and the excitement they saw in our downtown," he said. "I couldn't be more thrilled."

John Moffatt, Pima Countys director of strategic planning, praised the teamwork between state, county and city officials to land the deal.

This was really a community effort, he said. I cant emphasize enough how well the city and county worked together on this.

The pay level of the incoming workforce will have a big impact on Tucson, Moffatt said.

Theyll bring a lot of new money into town, he said.
Have you recently enrolled in Medicare, or will you soon? If so, let me be the first to say welcome! What should your first step be as a new Medicare beneficiary? I recommend taking advantage of the Welcome to Medicare preventive-care benefit.

During the first 12 months that you have Medicare Part B, you can get a Welcome to Medicare preventive visit with your doctor.

This visit includes a review of your medical and social history related to your health. Your doctor will also offer education and counseling about preventive-care services, including certain disease screenings, shots and referrals for other care, if needed.

When you make your appointment, let your doctors office know that youd like to schedule your Welcome to Medicare visit.

You pay nothing for this if your doctor or other qualified health-care provider accepts Medicare payment rates.

If your doctor or other health-care provider performs additional tests or services during the visit that arent covered under this preventive benefit, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply.

Heres what your doctor will do during your Welcome to Medicare visit:

Record and evaluate your medical and family history, current health conditions and prescriptions.

Check your blood pressure, vision, weight and height to get a baseline for your care.

Make sure youre up to date with preventive services such as cancer screenings and shots.

Order further tests, depending on your general health and medical history.

After the visit, your doctor will give you a plan or checklist that includes free screenings and preventive services that you need.

You should do a little preparation before you sit down with your doctor. Pull together your medical records, including immunization records. Even if your current physician does the visit, gather as much medical information as you can to make sure nothing is overlooked.

Try to learn as much as you can about your familys health history before your appointment. The information will help you and your doctor understand what screenings you should get and what to watch for in the future.

Bring a list of any prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements that you currently take, how often you take them, and why.

If youve had Medicare Part B for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly Wellness visit to develop or update a personalized plan to prevent disease or disability based on your current health and risk factors.

Medicare covers this visit once every 12 months.

Your doctor or other provider will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, called a Health Risk Assessment, as part of this visit. Answering these questions can help you and your provider develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy and get the most out of your visit. The questions are based on years of medical research and advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When you make your appointment, let your doctors office know that youd also like to schedule your yearly Wellness visit for later on. Your first Wellness visit cant take place within 12 months of your enrollment in Part B or your Welcome to Medicare preventive visit. However, you dont need to have had a Welcome to Medicare preventive visit to qualify for a Wellness visit.

You pay nothing for the yearly Wellness visit if your doctor or other qualified health-care provider accepts Medicare payment rates.
If you have ever wanted to leap tall buildings in a single bound or increase the chances of career success for low-income children in a single night, heres your chance to be a superhero.

The Great Comic Con Caper  A Chic Geek Affair, staged by the Centurions, will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson.

We are expecting lots of cartoon and superhero-types of costumes, and it should be a lot of fun, said Joe Dhuey, chairman of the annual fundraiser for the nonprofit organization comprising businessmen and community leaders.

Founded in 1968 as an associate support group of St. Marys Hospital in order to raise funds for the St. Marys Burn Center, the Centurions went on to raise more than $7 million over the next 45 years for Carondelet Health Network when it was the regions largest Catholic nonprofit health-care system.

The Centurions became synonymous with grand, charitable theme parties designed to transport guests to exotic destinations or bygone eras. The money raised went to equipment, facilities and a wide range of programs and outreach for St. Marys and St. Josephs hospitals in Tucson and Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales.

When Carondelet was sold to Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Dignity Health in 2015, the Centurions became an independent nonprofit organization. Its mission now is to support Southern Arizona causes dedicated to health care, education and mentorship, with a special emphasis on children.

The 2015 beneficiary of the newly formed nonprofit was Tu Nidito; this year it begins a $207,500 commitment to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson with the express purpose of launching the new Mentor2.0 program this fall.

Dhuey said the Centurions are excited about the program, which will provide one-to-one mentoring, technology and a special curriculum to assist high school students with planning for secondary education and future careers.

The essence is that it will help guide kids into a career path  whether that may be going on to college or into some vocation  as they prepare for the next stage of life after high school. This will give the kids focus, purpose and direction and hopefully create opportunities for them to be successful in their lives, Dhuey said.

Marie Logan, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, credits the Centurions with underwriting the technology platform, training and other expenses associated with the start-up of Mentor2.0.

The program will launch with 50 to 100 freshmen and follow those students throughout high school with innovative online technology, in-class curriculum and mentoring. Each year the program will double in size as a new class begins; it will expand to serve 400 students over the next four years.

The students are from low-income families and most will represent the first generation to attend college.

The schools take care of basics like reading, math and science, but we want to teach these kids the soft skills they will need to be successful in college and the workforce: things like how to advocate for themselves; how to plan for education expenses; how to make long-term goals; concepts like delayed gratification, perseverance, and critical thinking, Logan said.

As the students progress through the program, they will receive assistance in researching, choosing and applying for schools, learn about financial aid and gain other life skills necessary for secondary education. Mentors also provide real-life advice and conversations about personal college experiences.

Logan said Mentor2.0 has proven very successful in other communities; it has been shown to boost college enrollment for low-income students from 50 percent to 75 percent.
A second man has been arrested in connection with last week's shooting on the UA campus that injured another man, the school's police said Monday.

UAPD said Tuesday that Jahron David Francis, 29, turned himself in at the Pima County jail. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery.

On Monday, Christopher Eugene, 29, was arrested without incident at his residence, UAPD said in a news release. The Tucson police SWAT team assisted in the arrest.

He was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of aggravated robbery, all felonies.

Police said one man was shot Wednesday night near the Keating/BIO5 building, in the 1600 block of East Helen St. The suspect and victim are not affiliated with the University of Arizona, campus police said.

Officers responded to a call of shots fired shortly after 7:30 p.m. near the corner of Helen and North Warren Avenue, department spokesman, Sgt. Filbert Barrera, said last week.

Police found shell casings and a small amount of blood, but were unable to locate a victim or suspects.

A hospital told police that at about 9 p.m., a 23-year-old man came in seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his buttocks.

The victim told investigators he'd ridden the Sun Link streetcar to the Warren Avenue stop, and was approached by three males when he got off, Barrera said.

One of the men shot at the victim multiple times, striking him once in the buttocks, before the suspects fled in a dark colored SUV, Barrera said.

Detectives believe the victim and the suspects previously had an altercation off campus, and the victim was targeted in the shooting, Barrera said.
PHOENIX  After a week of delays, Republican legislative leaders say they now have the votes lined up for a $9.58 billion spending plan for the coming budget year.

Plans are to begin debate Tuesday, May 3, on the package. But the actual go-ahead is contingent on the approval of lawmakers who have been holding out  and stalled the process for  to restore funding for public schools.

Rep. Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, said legislative leaders had made a verbal commitment to remove all the cuts that had been in the plan crafted by those same leaders and Gov. Doug Ducey. But Carter said she and other Republicans concerned about K-12 finances were holding out for specifics.

"I am just waiting to see some final language,'' she said, language which is supposed to be ready in the morning. More to the point, she wants the numbers that leadership is promising to be verified by legislative budget analysts.

"If that language represents the conceptual agreement related to K-12 education, I believe we can move forward.''

Those numbers are important.

The spending plan advanced by the governor and GOP leaders proposed to implement a change approved last year which distributes state aid to schools based on current year enrollment. Until now, schools got money based on the number of students they had last year.

That difference is significant, to the tune of $31 million less overall.

Carter said the deal keeps the prior-year funding in place, albeit for only one more year. But she said that gives a special gubernatorial panel studying the overall school funding formula a chance to finish its work and make recommendations to the Legislature.

She said the same is true for plans to cut aid to charter schools sponsored by traditional school districts as well as a scheduled reduction in funding for small charter schools. The agreement would keep the current financing in place.

And a proposal to make it harder for some districts to qualify for state-financed new schools also would be tabled for a year.

The budget plan does include new money for some programs, including more than $26 million for a new Border Security Strike Force the governor is setting up in the Department of Public Safety.

There also is funding to widen Interstate 10 to three lanes in each direction near Picacho as well as improve a road near the new Mariposa port of entry at Nogales.

And there's even money for two new Supreme Court justices.

But not everyone is enthusiastic about new spending.

Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, pointed out that the only way the state met the constitutional requirement to balance the books in prior years was through a series of accounting gimmicks. Most of those involved deferring payments due in June, the last month of the fiscal year, until the following month, effectively booking those expenses in a different budget year.

Finchem said no individual would try to get away with that.

"I don't post-date and check and say, 'I'm going to mail this to you, just don't cash this check until next Friday,' '' he said.

On top of that, the state took what amounts to a mortgage on many of its buildings. In fact, both the House and Senate chambers technically have been "sold'' to investors, with the state buying them back over several years.

The new budget does use the state's surplus to eliminate some of the "rollovers'' of spending from one year to the next. But it leaves in place a $1 billion payment deferral to public schools.

Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, has her own specific problem with the budget: an immediate extra $35 million for the Department of Child Safety, plus another $24 million on top of that next fiscal year.

Townsend pointed out that the agency was given $23 million extra last year with the promise it would decrease the backlog of "inactive'' cases.

These are open cases where no social worker or staffer has look at the file  or looked in on the child  in at least 60 days. But Townsend said the number, about 13,000 in 2014, actually has increased.

She said the budget proposal is like giving more money to a teenager who has blown through his or allowance.

Other elements in the budget plan include:

$26 million in tax cuts. The largest share of this, about $8 million immediately and $16 million annually after that, would increase the amount of new equipment purchases that businesses can immediately deduct from their state income, thereby reducing their taxes;

$32 million for state universities, though $19 million of that is one-time funds. And of the remainder, $5 million is earmarked for "economic freedom schools'' that were set up with seed money from private donors, including the Charles Koch Foundation;

$17 million in payments to a private contractor to operate 1,000 prison beds. The contract was authorized last year. The budget also includes a provision allowing the state to contract for another 1,000 private prison beds if inmate population grows by 1,000 by November.

$1.6 million for a new community correction center in Maricopa County to give inmates who violated their parole conditions another chance, complete with drug treatment and housing services. There already is one of those in Pima County.
PHOENIX  State senators voted Monday to expand Arizonas Supreme Court in what one Democrat lawmaker called a power grab by Gov. Doug Ducey.

HB 2537, approved on a 18-12 party-line vote, would add two more justices to the current five-member panel. A final roll-call vote will send the measure to the governor.

Ducey, who made one high court appointment earlier this year, has not discouraged the move to give him the opportunity to select two more justices  even if that means increasing the cost to taxpayers of running the judiciary.

We have made our government more efficient, the governor said Monday when asked about the move to increase the size of the court.

Justices are paid $155,000 a year, plus a package of fringe and retirement benefits that probably brings the cost close to $200,000. And each justices has a judicial assistant and two law clerks who also are paid.

But the governor sidestepped the question of why it makes sense to spend more tax dollars on the court, saying only there certain services that need to grow because of the increasing size of the state, things like K-12 education.

Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, sees something more sinister in the maneuver, saying no one  including the current justices on the court  is asking for the expansion.

The only reason why you would add justices to the court is to pack the court for political reasons, he said.

This is the executive making a power grab over the judiciary, Farley continued. If you dont like the decisions the Supreme Court is making, you dont pack the court.

Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix, said the numbers do not justify an expansion.

He said Arizona has one justice for every 1.3 million residents. By contrast, Quezada said California, with seven on its high court, has one justice for every 5.5 million residents.

But Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, had his own set of figures.

He said Vermont, with just 626,000 residents, has the same number of justices as Arizona. Based on that, Kavanagh said, Arizona would need many more justices to keep the same ratio.,

But were only going to add two, he said.

Four of the five justices were named by Republican governors, though Ducey, in his first pick, chose Clint Bolick, who was a registered political independent. Chief Justice Scott Bales, selected by Janet Napolitano when she was governor, is the courts lone Democrat.

Republican senators who supported the move denied it had anything to do with putting more Republicans on the court.

Senate President Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, said additional justices are needed not just because of the growth of the state but due to increased litigation. And Sen. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, said more justices will lead to more justice.

In a multitude of counselors, there is wisdom, he said.

But Farley said thats just a convenient excuse by GOP lawmakers to give the GOP governor additional influence on the court.

Justices technically serve for six-year terms, at which time they stand for a re-election, not facing any other candidate but on a retain-or-reject basis.

No Supreme Court justice who has sought a new term has been turned out of office since that system was put in place by voters in 1974.
Pima County agencies and nonprofit organizations striving to end homelessness received more than $1 million in federal funding out of $6.5 million total awarded in Arizona.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday announced its most recent round of Continuum of Care grants, totaling $355 million nationwide. The funding builds on an earlier round of grants announced in March, when local agencies received about $7.4 million.

The grants are highly competitive and applicants must prove their programs effectiveness to be funded, said Steve Nelson, who oversees the Continuum of Care grant process for the county.

Were not in the business of managing homelessness anymore, he said. Were in the business of ending it, and the plans reflect that goal.

Four of the five grants awarded locally went to programs within Pima Countys Community Services, Employment and Training Department. In addition, Old Pueblo Community Services received $64,000.

Many of the local programs focus on rapid rehousing: getting homeless clients into a stable environment while providing employment support services, Nelson said.

Rapid rehousing program allows clients to transition in place, initially relying on rental assistance then incrementally taking over the full rent themselves. This approach is far better than asking clients to move to another place  and have to come up with first and last months rent  once they are stabilized, Nelson said.

Between June 2014 and June 2015, Pima Countys Project Advent  which just secured $418,000 in HUD grant funding  was able to house and transition in place 158 people, including 36 children, Nelson said.

The Continuum of Care grants are meant to further the Obama administrations goal, set in 2010, to prevent and eradicate homelessness. Since 2010, veteran homelessness has fallen by 36 percent, chronic homelessness is down by 22 percent, and family homelessness declined by 19 percent, according to HUD.

We know how to end homelessness, and these grants support local programs that are proven to prevent and end homelessness as weve come to know it, said HUD Secretary Julian Castro. As we continue to make progress toward ending homelessness in this country, HUD is challenging communities to use more cost-effective solutions to help those experiencing homelessness.
Why: For creating a kind and caring environment at the school. His values clearly flow from him to the staff to the students, Nebeker wrote in her nomination letter. Students clearly observe the examples of kindness and respect, she also wrote. Abrams is retiring at the end of the school year, she wrote, and he should be acknowledged not only for the contribution and commitment to student education and working with other educators ... but also for his kindness, caring and compassion.
Reporter

Joe has been with the Star for six years. He covers politics as well as the city of Tucson and other municipalities in Southern Arizona. He graduated from the UA and previously worked for the Arizona Daily Sun.
After missing their original goal of ending veteran homelessness in Tucson by the end of 2015, community groups and local agencies have set a new target date: this summer.

Roughly 300 homeless veterans remain to be housed, according to Mayor Jonathan Rothschilds office. The new goal, set for July 4, is to reach functional zero, which means there are fewer homeless veterans in a city than the city houses in a given month, according to Zero: 2016, a national initiative aiming to end veterans homelessness.

The agencies working to that end are still in the process of making changes to how they operate in order to achieve the citys goal, said Karla Avalos, community organization and development director in the Mayors office.

Trying to change what organizations and entities have done for decades is not easy to achieve overnight, said Avalos, who focuses on ending veteran homeless. But weve made remarkable progress in housing these veterans as weve learned these new processes.

A partnership comprising community groups and local government agencies  including the city of Tucson, Pima County, Old Pueblo Community Services, the Primavera Foundation, the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and the American Red Cross of Southern Arizona  has worked toward a goal of ending veteran homelessness in Tucson and Pima County since 2013. So far, the partnership, called the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness, has managed to house more than 1,600 homeless veterans.

To achieve its goal, the agencies use the Homeless Management Information System, which tracks the homeless population in Tucson and Pima County.

Last year, it appeared on track for its target of reaching functional zero for veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.

The collaboration, however, misjudged how quickly it would be able to house the remaining veterans and how many veterans were still being added to its list, said Linda Kot, program manager for Project Action for Veterans at Primavera.

We thought we had a better handle on our numbers than we actually did, she said.

REMAINING VETERANS

When housing becomes available for veterans through Old Pueblo Community Services, outreach specialist Cliff Wade is responsible for going out in the field to find them. On a recent Tuesday morning, he set out in his truck through patches of desert in southeast Tucson.

Wade drove around to camps hidden in the brush looking for homeless veterans who might fill the 14 beds he has available. The first veteran he came across was Raye Parrish, who served in the Air Force.

You ready to go in? Wade asked in the small camp shaded by mesquite trees. We have an opening.

Parrish motioned to his trailer and his possessions. I cant lose all this stuff, he said.

For homeless veterans, housing is not something theyre always eager to get into, said Jodi Frederick, homeless veteran outreach coordinator with the Tucson VA.

For the homeless veterans who have been living in the desert for years and years, its often difficult for them to adjust to being housed, she said. It almost seems like the longer theyre out there, the harder it is for them to adjust.

Wade drove to a few other camps, talking to both homeless veterans and nonveterans about their situations and options available for them.

One veteran signed paperwork for housing during the outing.

Its not simply a matter of having beds available for them to sleep in, Wade said. Homeless vets have different needs based on their circumstances, he added, and they need to be matched with housing that will work for them.

Its one thing to get them into housing, Wade said. Its another to get them into housing where theyll be successful.

BETTER COORDINATION

The agencies are working to better collaborate on homeless veterans through case conferencing, which involves agencies and community groups working together on individual cases to determine what housing and resources are called for to address their needs, Avalos said.

The system in place also prioritizes homeless veterans based on their vulnerability, which is determined through a questionnaire.

The agencies are also in the process of creating a comprehensive list with the names of all known homeless vets that will allow the groups to better track their housing status, Avalos said.

Among the challenges that still remain for the collaboration in getting the remaining veterans housed is the influx of those coming into Tucson from other places, said Wade, of Old Pueblo Community Services.

The warm weather in particular is a draw , Wade said.

Were getting them from West Texas, from Phoenix, from Prescott, from Oregon, he said.

That makes it more difficult to track people coming in, Kot said.

There are more vets in need of housing than when the agencies first set out to end veteran homelessness three years ago.

Were always adding more names to our list as they come into the community, but were also getting them quickly housed, Kot said.

NATIONAL INITIATIVES

Tucson is part of two national campaigns aimed at ending homelessness.

A campaign called 25 Cities seeks to end veteran homelessness in major American cities.

Zero: 2016 aims to end both veteran homelessness and chronic homelessness in 75 cities by the end of this year.

These campaigns came after the Obama administration launched the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness, which is a collaboration of the VA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, as well as cities and community groups around the country.

The national initiatives set forth at the national level have pushed cities to end homelessness in ways they hadnt before, said Adam Gibbs, communications manager for Community Solutions, a New York-based group that manages the two campaigns.

Before, it was really about managing the problem, and now its about finding a solution, Gibbs said.

During 2015, about 30,000 homeless veterans and about 16,000 chronically homeless people were housed under the national initiatives.

The Obama administration originally called for ending veteran homelessness across the country by the end of 2015.

Gibbs said that goal helped get communities moving toward ending homelessness.

We wouldnt be where we are today if we hadnt set that goal, he said.

Twenty-three communities throughout the country and two states  Virginia and Connecticut  have reached the goal of ending that homelessness, according to HUD.

HOUSING OTHER HOMELESS

While Tucson has worked for the last three years to house its homeless veterans, the city also has its sights set on housing other homeless populations in the area.

The Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness has set a goal for housing chronically homeless people by the end of 2016.

About 285 remain, according to the last count completed, Avalos said.

In order for someone to meet that definition, the person must have a disability and have been homeless for at least a year or have been unable to hold down housing in the past few years.

Were going to take what weve learned with the veteran population and apply that to the chronically homeless, recognizing that the chronically homeless population is different, Avalos said.

Theyre more vulnerable and have more expedient needs.

Housing this population is different from the veteran population due to the availability of resources.

For example, many homeless veterans in Tucson could be housed through HUDs Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, or HUD-VASH, program. Chronically nonveteran homeless cant access the program, Avalos said.

Many homeless vets could also receive treatment through the VA, which isnt available to nonvets.

Some homeless veterans also dont qualify for VA benefits.

In those cases, they would be referred to other agencies, said Frederick, of the Tucson VA.

Chronically homeless veterans would also need to be referred to local health-care providers through Cenpatico Integrated Care, the regional behavioral health authority for Southern Arizona.

Additionally, some of the housing programs that have been successful in housing homeless vets are funded only for veterans.

Old Pueblo, for example, can house up to 150 veterans in transitional housing and another 16 in Bridge housing, which serves veterans with more needs, said Nancy Jones, director of development at Old Pueblo.

These programs are funded through grants meant for homeless veterans.

The goal for the city is to house other remaining homeless populations, including family and youth homeless, by 2020, Avalos said.

It is going to be an opportunity to see what our community offers and where we might be lacking, she said.
BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP)  A Bellevue businessman who has yet to pay a campaign violation fine is back on a public ballot as a candidate for City Council in the Omaha suburb.

Patrick Shannon was fined by the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission for eight campaign disclosure violations stemming from his failed 2004 race for the Legislature, the Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1W1F61S ) reported.

The fine and interest now total more than $16,000, according to Frank Daley, executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Shannon says he won't pay.

The head of the Disclosure Commission says the violations and unpaid fine don't bar Shannon from seeking office.

Shannon faces Jack Bangert and Rob Klug in the May primary, and only two of the three will advance to the November general election. Carol Blood, the incumbent, is running for the state Legislature.

Gov. Dave Heineman appointed Shannon to the Legislature in 2013, but Shannon resigned the same day after questions emerged about the outstanding fine and liens against his business. Shannon said he had resigned because his father had a heart attack and needed assistance.

The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission fine stemmed from an anonymous flier handed out during Shannon's 2004 legislative race that alleged domestic abuse by his opponent, who was in the middle of a divorce.

Shannon has said he didn't write the flier, which was signed, "Nebraskans for Decency." But U.S. postal inspectors found that the flier was sent with a bulk mail permit held by a business owned by Shannon. Shannon admitted that he made copies of the flier and stuffed about 7,300 of them into envelopes, according to the commission.

Shannon said his business was paid to do the work by one of his campaign workers, which the person denied. A hearing officer heard the matter and concluded that Shannon had made the flier.

"The totality of the circumstances and pattern of egregious behavior require the assessment of a significant civil penalty," the commission wrote after voting against Shannon 8-0.

Daley said the commission has tried to collect on the fine, but couldn't find any assets that could be seized.
LAS VEGAS  The two men killed when a stunt plane crashed near Las Vegas were performing "air combat" maneuvers as part of a paid flight experience provided by a tourism company catering to extreme adventure-seekers.

Benjamin Anderson Soyars of Las Vegas, and Steve Anthony Peterson of Rohnert Park, California, died Saturday of blunt force injuries, according to the Clark County Coroner's office.

The company, Sky Combat Ace, on its website describes Soyars, 37, as a veteran pilot with a background in competition and airshow flying. The company allows customers to fly stunt planes with instructors' supervision.

The company didn't identify the two men by name but said it was a student passenger and an instructor pilot.

It's unclear who was flying the plane at the time of the crash.

"I cannot say who was in control at the time of the accident, as that would be speculation," company spokesman Megan Fazio said Monday. "We won't have the results until the FAA releases them following the completion of the investigation."

The company said it has been providing instructional aerobatic airplane rides since 2011 and has had 15,000 incident-free flights in the past five years.

Fazio said the passenger paid for and had performed the "Sky Combat" experience and that the accident happened as they were returning to the hangar. The website indicates the tour package allows the student to fly the plane while the instructor teaches "the art of aerial dogfighting." No other planes were involved.

The parent company, Vegas Extreme Adventures LLC, said in a statement that the fixed-wing single-engine plane took off from Henderson Executive Airport at 4 p.m. Saturday but didn't return from its outing on time. They learned of the crash about 4:45 p.m., after calling air traffic control to report the missing Extra 300 airplane. No distress calls were made before the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it's investigating. Records show the aircraft's airworthiness was classified standard and categorized for normal and acrobatic flights. It was built in 2011 and had up to date certification.

The National Transportation Safety Board was also called to investigate but couldn't immediately provide details.
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Hugh Dancy, Claire Danes, Zac Posen

Hugh Dancy, from left, Claire Danes and Zac Posen arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York.
Help India!

By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: In an attempt to make himself a pan-national leader, Narendra Modi is not the only one, who is wooing Muslims in Gujarat as well as across the country. With less than a year to go before UP elections, even Modis party, BJP is trying to court Muslim groups to ensure minority votes in the state, which has around 18 % of Muslim populace.

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In accordance with this election strategy, the saffron party has no hesitation in courting and seeking the support of a cleric based party, the Rashtriya Ulema Council (RUC), which was established in Azamgarh after the Batla house fake encounter in 2008.





DR. JK Jain addressing Ulema Council rally at jantar Mantar



I have the mandate from my party to tell you that I have come here to seek your support for BJP. My party supports you and supports your demands but we want you to be with us. Only we and you together, can throw away the Congress party, which has been killing Muslim youths on the name of fighting terror, said Dr. JK Jain, national in-charge of the BJP Minority Morcha.

Jain was addressing the crowd of hundreds of people during a national rally by RUC protesting against the denial of judicial enquiry into Batla House fake encounter by the Congress government. Interestingly anti-Congress tirade was common in the speeches of both RUC leaders and Dr. Jain, the prominent minority leader of the saffron party.

The RUC leaders, who had specially invited Dr. Jain, were taken by surprise and had no idea how to respond to Dr. Jains offer of alliance with the BJP. When this correspondent asked Maulana Amir Rashadi, RUC chief about the BJP leaders offer, he became furious.





R-L: Ulema Council chief Amir Rashadi, party General Secretary Maulana Tahir Madani and others at Delhi rally on 19th Sep. 2011  the third anniversary of Batla House encounter



Jain was frank and bold in explaining the logic of an alliance between BJP and RUC, What else did you call me here for? Did you expect me to just come here and support your demands? I have come here to seek your support also for my party, Jain further added.

Jain pitched his offer of support to the RUC, on a scathing criticism of Congress, calling the Congress party as the party which has only harmed Muslim interests on the name of its pro-Muslim policies.

Maulana Rashadi on his part was no less strong in his anti-Congress speech. He regarded Congress to be the main culprit behind the Batla House fake encounter. Demanding immediate judicial enquiry into the fake encounter, Maulana Rashadi warned the Sonia Gandhi led party, of dire consequences in a situation otherwise.







Rashadi predicted that RUC will overthrow the Congress party from the state in 2012 and from the center in 2014 general elections. When this correspondent asked him about his party plans to do this when it cant even win the parliamentary seat of Azamgarh in the last general elections in 2009, Rashadi boasted of increased party base in the last three years.

At far as the present political standing of RUC is concerned, it could get only 1.73 lakh votes together in Azamgarh and four other neighboring Lok Sabha constituencies in 2009. It proposes to cover each of the 403 assembly constituencies in 2012 assembly polls.

The party had polled 1,08,000 votes in Azamgarh Zila Panchayat election in 2008. The number has now shot up to 4,60,000. The RUC bagged eight seats, lost 13 seats by a whisker and stood second in rest of the seats.







Among other demands of the RUC is constitution of a special commission, comprising of retired judges of Supreme Court, to probe all the acts of terrorism in India.

In Batla house encounter, Atif and Sajid, two youths from Azamgarh, were killed by the Special Cell of Delhi police. The Indian intelligence establishment alleged them to be Indian Mujahideen operatives, whereas a large section of the Muslim community, civil rights groups and a section of media regarded them to be innocent youths who were killed in a fake encounter.
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, Twocircles.net

New Delhi: In a major blow to Indias Secular image globally, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) annual report has categorized India as Tier 2 country where religious violations engaged in or tolerated by the government are serious.

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The report says that religious tolerance has deteriorated and religious freedom violations have increased in India in 2015.

The commission has blamed Hindu nationalist groups for intimidation, harassment, and violence on minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs.

The commission has blamed members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of tacitly supporting the fringe Hindu groups and using religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions.

Since the BJP assumed power, religious minority communities have been subject to derogatory comments by BJP politicians and numerous violent attacks and forced conversions by affiliated Hindu nationalist groups, such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), reads the USCIRF annual 2015 report.

These issues, combined with longstanding problems of police bias and judicial inadequacies, have created a pervasive climate of impunity, where religious minority communities feel increasingly insecure, with no recourse when religiously-motivated crimes occur, the report adds.

Emphasizing over the condition of Muslims in India, the report says, The Muslim community in India reported increased harassment, violence, and targeted hate campaigns. Muslims often are accused of being terrorists; spying for Pakistan; forcibly kidnapping, converting, and marrying Hindu women; and disrespecting Hinduism by slaughtering cows.

Citing examples of BJP parliamentarians Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj, the report accuses them for stoking religious tensions by claiming that Muslim population growth is an attempt to diminish the Hindu majority.

The report also alleges BJP of tactically supporting harassment and attack on Christians.

Labelling India on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom, USCIRF said that it will continue to monitor the situation closely during the year ahead to determine if India should be recommended to the U.S. State Department for designation as a country of particular concern, or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) for systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.
Help India!

By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam for TwoCircles.net,

Recently there was a talk about how people have been killed in fake encounters. The police have claimed that the victims were terrorists, but courts found no proof of terror against them. Yet they got no compensation. Well, the dead cant be compensated for the life that was unjustly taken away from them.

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By compensation we mean compensation to the next of kin. They were Muslims. The policemen guilty of the crime were not punished, which encourages other policemen to break the law.

This brings us to the Union governments acceptance in Parliament recently that the Muslim population of the country is 14 percent, but in jails their population is over 21 percent, which is one-third more than their population. The figures come from the National Crime Record Bureau. Hence they should be reliable.

The figures are from the end of 2014. Earlier studies by Tata Institute of Social Sciences with National Commission on Minorities showed that the number of Muslims in jails was 26 percent, only two percent less than double their share in national population. However, according to that study their conviction was far less, even less than their share in the population.

How to account for this? There is only one plausible explanation. They are arrested and jailed merely on suspicion. The police are biased and ever ready to imagine the worst case scenario when it comes to Muslims. They arrest first and concoct charges later, which the courts dismiss, often after censuring the police.

One of the most gruesome facts is that there are thousands of prisoners languishing in jails without trial. Such people are in jail merely because they cannot hire lawyers to work for their release. Their offences are so insignificant, or even non-existent, that they can be out of jails within weeks instead of languishing there for years. All that they need is some money to hire a lawyer. It is here that Muslim organisations and well-off individuals can be of great help. A sizeable number of prisoners come under this category.

Also consider: The other day eight Muslims from Malegaon were released from jail after 10 years of imprisonment on the charge of involvement in 2006 Malegaon blasts. Over the years such blasts had been carried out in mosques with heavy casualties. They were the handiwork of Hindutva terrorists, which was known to everyone. Yet, Muslims were framed by the police for these mosque blasts. They were kept in jail even after Hindutva terrorists accepted their guilt.

Recently the NIA said it had no evidence against them and they were acquitted by the court. So, how do we explain this? And who will compensate them for the 10 years they were forced to waste behind bars?

(The author is a Chairman Institute of Objective Studies and General Secretary of All India Milli Council.)
Chinese sounding rocket launches Updated: 2016-04-27 15:55 (Xinhua)

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HAIKOU - Chinese scientists launched a sounding rocket from south China's Hainan Province in the early hours of Wednesday.



Kunpeng-1B was launched from Danzhou City at 2 a.m. by the National Space Science Center (NSSC).



The rocket fulfilled its mission of taking measurements in the upper atmosphere that will help with research of rocket sounding, high-speed flight and space tourism, said the NSSC.



Peaking at 316 km, the whole flight took about 10 minutes.



NSSC head Wu Ji said sounding rockets are an efficient tool for space exploration and scientific experiments, able to study physical phenomena including geomagnetic fields, cosmic rays and ultraviolet light.
NASA views China as 'potential partner' in civilian space Updated: 2016-04-28 10:29 (Xinhua)

The SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule approaches the International Space Station prior to installation in this NASA picture taken April 10, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - US space agency NASA views China as a "potential partner," not a threat, in the civilian space area, said its head Wednesday.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden made the remarks at an event hosted by the Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he discussed his agency's role in US international affairs.

"Since I only views civilian space, I see them as a potential partner," he said. "They're already a partner in some areas" such as Earth and lunar science, including collaborative research with the Chinese Academy of Sciences on geodetics and glacial characterization in the Himalaya region.

"So there are potential areas of partnerships there, but because of congressional restrictions right now, we are limited to merely multilateral activities," he said. "Engagement always beats isolation. Engagement always beats trying to do things on their own."

US Congress passed a law in 2011 that prohibits NASA from hosting Chinese visitors at its facilities and working with researchers affiliated to any Chinese government entity or enterprise.

On Sunday, China said it's open to space cooperation with all nations including the United States, since cooperation between major space players will be conducive to the development of all mankind.

"China will not rule out cooperating with any country, and that includes the United States," said Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut, on the occasion of the first China Space Day.
Senior officer expects moon visit by 2036 Updated: 2016-04-29 08:09 By Zhao Lei(China Daily)

China plans to send astronauts to the moon before 2036, a senior People's Liberation Army officer said in the country's first confirmation of a manned lunar exploration program.

Lieutenant General Zhang Yulin, deputy commander of the China Manned Space Program and deputy head of the Central Military Commission's Equipment Development Department, said it will require 15 to 20 years to land astronauts on the lunar surface using technologies and know-how acquired through the nation's space projects.

Zhang made the remarks on Saturday at a conference that marked the first China Space Day, according to a news release on the program's website on Thursday.

It is the first time a Chinese space official has publicly talked about the nation's aspiration to undertake a manned lunar mission. Many scientists have been calling on the government to launch such a program for years.

Pang Zhihao, a researcher of human space activity at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, said that engineers must develop a super-heavy carrier rocket, a manned lunar spacecraft and a space suit suitable for a lunar mission.

"The United States accomplished its manned lunar missions because it had the powerful Saturn V, while the former Soviet Union failed because its N1 rocket wasn't up to the task," he said. "To send our astronauts to the moon, we will need a mighty rocket capable of lifting a payload of at least 100 metric tons into low Earth orbit. That is why our scientists have begun to develop the Long March 9."

He also said a manned lunar spacecraft will be much different from China's existing satellite-based manned spacecraft. It must be able to conduct in-orbit docking and separation as well as make a soft landing, followed by an ascent from the lunar surface.

Moreover, the astronauts' suits for lunar missions will be lighter but technologically sophisticated compared with those used for extravehicular activities, Pang said.

He said the Chang'e-5 unmanned lunar probe, which is scheduled for launch in 2017, will help test technologies and equipment for the manned lunar mission.

Zhang Bonan, chief designer of China's manned spacecraft at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said China has had the economic and technological ability to send astronauts to the moon, and it won't take long for the nation to achieve its goal once the government approves the mission.

However, he said Chinese engineers should not underestimate the difficulty of such a project.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/29/2016 page4)
Premier Li urges Japan to put bilateral relations on right track Updated: 2016-05-01 09:04 By Hu Yongqi(chinadaily.com.cn)

Premier Li Keqiang urged Japan to stick to peaceful development, as well as take positive policies toward China to improve bilateral ties when meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Beijing on Saturday.

Premier Li said a healthy and stable tie between China and Japan is consistent with both countries and both peoples and contributes to regional and global stability and prosperity.

China-Japan relations, which have had some fallbacks over the past few years, are improving but on a fragile basis, the premier said. China is willing to strengthen political trust with its neighbor and promote bilateral relations back to a normal track of development, he said.

"China hopes Japan can keep on with peaceful development and take real actions to fulfill its consensus about opportunities created by China's peaceful development," Li said.

He also said Japan should appropriately manage sensitive factors that will substantially affect bilateral relations, as well as create a positive atmosphere to resume bilateral dialogues and the trilateral leaders' meeting of China, South Korea and Japan.

Kishida said Japan is willing to show mutual respect, strengthen political trust and manage disputes. He also said Japan will strengthen cooperation with China in various fields to accumulate positive factors that may boost bilateral relations.

From Friday to Sunday, Kishida is paying his first official visit to China since taking office more than three years ago, and he is the first Japanese foreign minister to visit China after Shinzo Abe was reelected as the country's prime minister in 2012.

Earlier Saturday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Kishida before the visitor had a chance to meet with State Councilor Yang Jiechi and the premier in the afternoon.
Relationship building between China and the US should be carried out in practical, down-to-earth terms by people who cherish the idea that healthy and strong US-China collaboration across all sectors will benefit not only the worlds' two biggest economies, but the whole world.

Happily, visionary political and business leaders are joining hands and advocating for more and better exchanges and communications between China and the US, even amidst US politicians' election-year China bashing and highly publicized worries over China's economic slowdown.

China's top diplomat in San Francisco  Consul General Luo Linquan  on April 5 hosted some 30 senior executives from leading American corporations, chamber of commerce leaders and elected officials at his residence. Luo expressed his sincere hopes that all parties and individuals involved would work together to deepen bilateral economic and trade ties.

"A prosperous and strong US-China relationship participated in by American and Chinese companies will help build a new model of major country relations between the world's two largest economies," Luo said.

Guests included San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee; president of Bay Area Council Jim Wunderman; Gary Dickerson, CEO of Applied Materials; Ken Wilcox, President of Silicon Valley Bank; Alan Siqueira, executive vice-president of Wells Fargo; Andy Sherman, executive vice-president of Dolby; Ed Baker, vice-president of Uber, among others.

Deputy Consul General Ren Faqiang said each guest was asked to complete a survey of their opinions about China's economy and doing business in China.

"Through this questionnaire, we'd like to gather first-hand information about how foreigners think about China, and how we governmental organizations might help them operate more smoothly in China."

In his remarks, Luo highlighted Chinese President Xi Jinping's successful state visit to the US last September and his recent meeting with President Obama at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 31.

"The two countries have carried out effective communication on various issues. Although there are always disagreements, I believe China and the US at the same time will cooperate and go forward together," said Luo.

According to US Department of Commerce, China became America's biggest trading partner last year with a total bilateral trade volume of $598 billion. Chinese investment in the US has grown sharply by 60 percent, reaching a total of $8.4 billion.

All five states in Luo's jurisdiction  California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Alaska  have been leaders in business cooperation and exchanges with China.

"Trade volume of the five states with China in 2015 was $202 billion, accounting for a third of the total China-US trade volume," said Luo, adding that Chinese investors injected $3.6 billion in the five states last year.

The two-way economic exchanges would not be possible without the cooperation mechanisms initiated by the top leaders of both countries, said Luo.

Back in 2013, President Xi Jinping during his visit to California signed with California Governor Jerry Brown and seven Chinese provinces the Trade and Investment Cooperation Joint Working Group, the first institutional platform for promoting local economic and trade investment cooperation between China and US.

In his visit to Seattle last September, Xi also facilitated establishment of similar mechanisms between Washington State and Chinese provinces.

Through these platforms, participants in both nations can expand trade and investment cooperation, strengthen communication and trust, boost economic growth, as well as create jobs together.

Gary Dickerson, CEO of Applied Materials, said the world's largest semiconductor materials engineering solutions provider is to expand in the China market through investments and other projects with a combined value of $616 million in the next few years.

"China's pro-innovation environment for high-tech industries has given the semiconductor and display industries tremendous opportunities for companies such as Applied Materials," said Dickerson.

Uber's Ed Baker said China remains the fastest-growing market for the ride-sharing company.

The huge and rapidly increasing Chinese market brings incredible opportunities to American multinational enterprises, said many attendees at the dinner, and they believe their company's development outlook in China and the overall Chinese economy was stable and bright.

Contact the writer at Junechang@chinadailyusa.com.
Neighbors face tough challenge of building trust Updated: 2016-05-03 08:06 By CAI HONG(China Daily)

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida gestures during a press conference at the International Media Center in Hiroshima, Japan on April 11, 2016 after Foreign Ministers meeting of G7 countries visit the Peace Memorial Museum. [Photo/IC]

On Saturday, while Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida was visiting Beijing, Japan announced it was relaxing its multiple-entry visa requirements for Chinese citizens.

The new rules will extend the validity of multiple-entry visas for Chinese visiting Japan for business purposes and Chinese academics from 5 years to 10 years, and will encourage a larger influx of Chinese visitors.

Also, students from 75 Chinese higher learning institutions will find it easier to get a visa to go to Japan.

Japan's foreign ministry said the easing of restrictions is intended to further broaden people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The push for Chinese visitors is a part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth strategy, which seeks to promote tourism as a source of economic stimulus.

But some Japanese internet users have expressed concern about the inflow of more Chinese into their country. China is already Japan's largest source of foreign tourists, and some of their Chinese counterparts said the visa relaxation won't induce them to visit Japan.

It is not difficult to see the dearth of trust on both sides.

Still, any efforts to promote mutual understanding are commendable as the deficit is a serious issue for the two neighbors.

Before his China trip, Kishida told business leaders in Tokyo that without support of their people relations between states are fragile.

In the first two decades after the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1972, China and Japan prioritized building a friendly relationship by setting aside political and other differences.
The tiger's walk into the sunset continues Updated: 2016-05-03 08:15 By OP RANA(China Daily)

Seven Manchurian tigers and four African lion cubs play in the nursery at Forest Wildlife World in Qingdao, Shandong province. The playgroup is a little overcrowded after the sudden influx of 11 newborn cubs. The lions tend to spend most of their time resting, while the baby tigers are constantly on the move and even scream occasionally, attracting a great number of visitors.[Photo by Yu Fangping/Asianewsphoto]

The number of tigers across the globe (read Asia) is on the rise for the first time in a century. Tigers in the wild, according to the most recent data, number about 3,890, up from an estimated 3,200 in 2010. The increase, a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature says, can be attributed to improved surveys and strengthened protection of the iconic species in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan.

The news certainly calls for celebration, especially if you care for the environment, biodiversity or simply wildlife. Any such celebration, however, would be premature.

The WWF report was issued on April 10. But just four days before that, a report that went almost unnoticed (despite the prominence given to it by The Guardian) said tigers are "functionally extinct" in Cambodia. Conservationists said the last tiger in Cambodia was seen on camera trap in the eastern province of Mondulkiri in 2007. "Today, (however,) there are no longer any breeding populations of tigers left in Cambodia, and they are therefore considered functionally extinct," conservationists said in a statement.

Perhaps the highest increase in the number of tigers was seen in India: about 30 percent in the past four years. Indian authorities now claim the country is home to as many as 2,226 tigers, or almost three-fourths of the global total.

But the number, ever since it was released, has seen the scientific community challenge the claim of the India government. No, environmentalists and conservationists are not challenging the number of tigers in India; instead, they are questioning the rate of increase in the number of tigers.

Conservationists say the number of tigers may have increased from the historical low, but a good deal of that increase can be attributed to better counting methods in countries like India.

In fact, Anurag Danda of the WWF, one of the groups that took part in the tiger census, said: "I'd prefer to say there are 30 percent more known tigers rather than say there is actually an increase in (the number of) tigers. We might not have counted them all earlier."
Hawking answers ancient Chinese philosophical question Updated: 2016-05-03 10:35 (Xinhua)

Does the man dream that he is a butterfly or is the butterfly dreaming that he is a man: Can we really tell our dreams from reality?

This question, asked by a netizen on China's most popular microblog site Weibo on Thursday, was directed at the official account of world-renowned British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.

Hawking replied, "We don't or perhaps can't."

The question was discussed by influential ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, who was known for his philosophy of skepticism. It was Zhuangzi who had dreamed of being a butterfly, or perhaps it was the butterfly who dreamed he was Zhuangzi. Either way, it has been the starting point for discussions on reality, self, illusions and more for over 2,000 years.

In his fourth posting on the microblog, Hawking, who has 3.6 million followers on Weibo - more than the population of Wales - selected the question from comments left on his previous updates.

"Zhuangzi dreamed of being a butterfly - perhaps because he was a man who loved freedom," he said.

Hawking said, in his case, he might dream of the universe and wonder if the universe dreamed of him, "but we humans just don't and perhaps can't know if we are living in our dreams or reality, at least not until we start to understand more about consciousness and the universe."

The era in which Zhuangzi lived is considered by many Chinese thinkers to be a time "when a hundred schools of thought contended."

Chinese philosophers argue that Dao (the Way), from which Daoism gets its name, is the most indefinable of them all.

The Way of the universe is change: Night into day, joy into sorrow, life into death. Nothing is fixed, nothing definable. Moreover, everything is connected. No one knows where the Way leads.

Over 40,000 web users had commented on or forwarded the post within 24 hours of it being published. One follower said Hawking's answer was "a historic conversation."

Since Hawking opened his Sina Weibo account on April 12, his four posts have been forwarded 572,000 times, received 620,000 comments and been liked by over two million users.

In a previous post, Hawking introduced his Chinese followers to his latest project - Alpha Centauri, an astonishing space mission to our nearest star system.

Hawking said that the project, a collaboration with Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milner and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, would revolutionize space travel as it would use tiny nano-spacecraft able to travel fast enough to relay information to humans within a life time. It means humans would learn more about the galaxy, and ultimately themselves.
Clinton courts Appalachian voters to counter Trump on trade Updated: 2016-05-03 10:49 (Agencies)

WASHINGTON/CARMEL, Ind. - US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton met with coal and steel workers in the Appalachian region on Monday in an effort to win over blue-collar voters in a part of the country with strong support for Republican Donald Trump.

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to Bo Copley about a photograph of his children during a campaign event in Williamson, West Virginia, United States, May 2, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The real estate mogul made his own pitch on Monday to voters in areas struggling from the loss of industry, telling a crowd in Indiana he would create "clean coal" jobs.

Clinton has increasingly turned her attention beyond the Democratic Party nomination fight with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and is making early moves to try to siphon support from Trump ahead of a possible match-up in the Nov. 8 election.

On Monday, she met union leaders and some of the 600 workers who were laid off last year when AK Steel Holding Corp announced it would idle a furnace in eastern Kentucky.

She said jobs losses in manufacturing and the coal industry in the area had been a heavy blow.

"Talk about a ripple effect. It's just devastating communities," Clinton told workers around a table at an Italian restaurant in the town of Ashland.

While the Republican presidential candidates focus on Tuesday's primary contest in Indiana, Clinton launched a trip to Appalachia this week that will include events in Ohio and West Virginia.

She has a large lead over Sanders for the Democratic nomination. Unions typically back Democratic candidates, and union leaders have endorsed both Clinton and Sanders in the 2016 presidential race.

But Trump's pro-coal, anti-trade message and outsider status has resonated with some blue collar union members frustrated with Washington politicians. He and other Republicans also accuse President Barack Obama's administration of waging a "war on coal" by imposing strict environmental regulations.

"I'm a free-market guy, but not when you're getting killed," Trump said at a rally in Carmel, Indiana. "Look at steel, it's being wiped out. Your coal industry is wiped out, and China is taking our coal."

The New York businessman won the Republican nominating contest in Kentucky in March, sweeping most of the counties in the economically struggling east of the state.

Parts of Appalachia, a region that spans multiple states across the eastern United States, have struggled with poverty and job losses. West Virginia's unemployment rate of 6.5 percent in March was well above the national rate of 5 percent, according to Labor Department data. Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, while the figure in Kentucky was 5.6 percent.

It will be an uphill struggle for Clinton there if she wins the nomination. She has pledged more than $30 billion to help regions that depend on coal, but her promise was overshadowed when she said in March that the country would "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."

And her husband, former President Bill Clinton, campaigned on Sunday in West Virginia, encountering protests from Trump supporters.

West Virginia last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996, when Bill Clinton was running for his second four-year term. He is the only Democrat who has won Kentucky since 1980.

TRUMP IN INDIANA

Trump will take a leap toward winning the Republican nomination if he comes out ahead in Tuesday's Indiana primary. His success in the race for the White House may well ride on the support of Republican evangelicals.

Top rival Ted Cruz planned stops to greet voters across the state on Monday, running into a group of Trump supporters in Marion, Indiana who berated him. He deployed his wife, Heidi, and Carly Fiorina, the ex-candidate who Cruz has chosen as his running mate if he gets the Republican nomination, to a coffee shop and art gallery in Carmel, Indiana.

Cruz, who lags Trump in delegates to the Republican National Convention in July, told reporters on Monday he would stay in the race "as long as we have a viable path to victory."

Republicans plan to tie Clinton to what they say is an anemic economy under President Barack Obama. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Monday cited data released last week that showed economic growth slipped in the first quarter to its slowest pace in two years.

"Struggling Americans will never get ahead under Hillary Clinton. They are going to keep getting taken to the cleaners," Priebus said in an opinion piece for RealClearPolitics.
Are water problems in Asia's future? The computer says maybe Updated: 2016-05-04 06:13 By Chris Davis(China Daily USA)

Water. Leonardo da Vinci called it "the elixir of life". Yet worldwide, at least a billion people live with no nearby source, according to the World Health Organization, and of the remaining 6 billion people, only 42 percent have either running water in their homes or at least a tap in their yard.

A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) suggests that things could get even more stressed out in parts of Asia by 2050.

It's a perfect storm of the mixed blessings of economic and population growth in tandem with climate change that modeling says could lead to serious water shortages across a broad swath of Asia.

The study grinded out what researchers think is a full range of possible what-if's of water availability and use down the road. Their conclusion: There's a "high risk of severe water stress" in a large part of an area that about half of humanity calls home.

Based on their numbers, a billion more people could be "water stressed" in the next 35 years compared to today.

"It's not just a climate change issue," saidsenior research scientist Adam Schlosser, deputy director at MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and a co-author of the study.

"We simply cannot ignore that economic and population growth in society can have a very strong influence on our demand for resources and how we manage them. And climate, on top of that, can lead to substantial magnifications to those stresses," he said.

The paper, Projections of Water Stress Based on an Ensemble of Socioeconomic Growth and Climate Change Scenarios: A Case Study in Asia,was published last month in the journal PLOS One.

To build their study, the team used a tool previously developed at MIT called the Integrated Global Systems Model (IGSM) that takes advantage of high-powered computer muscle to take into accountlayers of parameters like the probability of projected population growth, economic growth, climate changes, and carbon emissions from human activity. It also takes into account the wonderfully phrased "cascading uncertainties", which we all know the real world is full of.

Into this crucible they fed the availabledata on water use for the large portion of Asia that encompasses China, India and many of Mainland Southeast Asia's smaller nations.

With the program booted up, they then asked about a range of different scenarios. In the Just Growth run through, they held climate conditions constant and watched how just the effects of economic and population growth would affect water supply. In the Just Climatescript, they held growth constant and sized up climate-change effects alone. And in the Climate and Growth set-up, they could see the effects of all three.

Schlosser explained that this approach givesusthe "unique ability to tease out the human and environmental" factors leading to water shortages and to assess their relative significance.

"For China, it looks like industrial growth [has the greatest impact] as people get wealthier," said lead author Charles Fant, a researcher at the Joint Program. "In India, population growth has a huge effect. It varies by region."

The study shows that evaluating the future of any area's water supply is not as simple as adding the effects of economic growth and climate change, as much depends on the networked water supply into and out of that area. As Schlosser put it: "What happens upstream affects downstream basins."

If climate change lowers the amount of rainfall near upstream basins while the population grows everywhere, then basins farther away from the initial water shortage would be affected more acutely.

The authors say their study "results do not necessarily imply an insurmountable future for this region" and stress the need for more research, which they are already working on.

But it drives home the findings of an earlier MIT study in Morocco looking into how much access to clean water really means to people. Nearly 70 percent of those questioned said they would take out loans and pay double what they paid for water every month to have clean water pumped into their homes.

We don't have to go any further than Flint, Michigan to back that up.

Contact the writer at chrisdavis@chinadailyusa.com.
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HA NOI -- Rally Indochina is Southeast Asias largest annual charity motorcycle adventure to raise money for the Blue Dragon Childrens Foundation to combat trafficking of children in Viet Nam.

This is the rallys sixth year and the first time the route will head north from Ha Noi.

Twenty riders from around the world will hop on Minsk and Ural motorbikes to traverse scenic roads to ien Bien, stopping at places, such as Mu Cang Chai and the Sin Ho Plateau.

This motorbike ride is important because it contributes funds to fight against trafficking. It is also a great way for participants to see Viet Nams beauty and areas off the normal tourist routes, Glenn Phillips, one of the organisers of the rally, said.

Although there is greater awareness of trafficking in Viet Nam, communities which are living in remote areas remain vulnerable to traffickers who take advantage of their poverty.

Every year, we rescue children and young women who have been trafficked and we find it is often the people they trust who sell them. It could be an aunt, a neighbour or a boyfriend, Michael Brosowski, founder of Blue Dragon, said.

Rally Indochina helps fund our work to stop human trafficking and pay for the rescue of people who have already been trafficked.

The rally zooms out of Ha Noi on May 3 and will return to the city on May 11.

Its an adventure of a lifetime, and it also saves many lives in the process. What more can one ask for? Phillips said.

Trafficking is a global problem, but we are trying to combat this in whatever way we can. Blue Dragon is doing a fantastic job and we are really happy to support the work it does.

For more information, please contact info@bdcf.org - VNS
A NANG  US Ambassador Ted Osius and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, the deputy minister of Defence, announced yesterday the successful treatment of dioxin-contaminated soil at a Nang International Airport under a project managed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of National Defence.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am attended the event.

Scientific sampling of the approximately 45,000 cubic metres of treated soil established that it is well within the treatment goal.

Completing the first phase of treatment marks a significant milestone for the project and our two nations, Osius said. We did this in partnership, learning from each other, to accomplish a historic scientific and diplomatic achievement. This project shows how much we can accomplish in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect.

At the event to announce the successful completion of the first phase, treated land and soil from the project site was formally accepted by the Government. The Airport Corporation of Viet Nam will use the land to construct a new taxiway and plane parking area to support the a Nang International Airport expansion planned in preparation for the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

The US and Viet Nam launched the project to address dioxin contamination at the airport in 2012. Treatment of the first phase of contaminated soil was initiated in 2014 with an event attended by a US congressional delegation led by Senator Patrick Leahy; Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Viet Nams deputy minister of National Defence; and other senior US and Vietnamese officials. The announcement reflects the strength of co-operation over the course of the project. The second and final phase, which will start later this year, will treat approximately 45,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil and sediment.

Using an In-Pile Thermal Desorption (IPTD) system, batches of contaminated soil and sediment are placed in a container and heated to a temperature of 335 degrees Celsius, which destroys 95 per cent of dioxin contamination.

The soil is later removed from the container and tested for traces of contaminants before being put back.

a Nangs former US air base has high levels of dioxin contamination. Bien Hoa in the southwestern province of ong Nai is another hotspot.  VNS
A UN arbitration tribunal has ruled in favour of Italian marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, by allowing him to return home pending the arbitration proceedings at The Hague. However, government sources in New Delhi said the order has clearly recognised that the marine is under Indias authority alone and the Supreme Court exercises jurisdiction over him.Two Italian marines  Massimiliano Latorre and Girone  are facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast. Latorre is back in Italy after a stroke in 2014, while Girone is on bail and is staying in the Italian embassy in New Delhi. India and Italy had agreed to an arbitration by the UN court.

There is no appeal process against UN tribunal and its order cannot be challenged. In India, any new political turn will add grist to the raging political controversy over the issue. The Congress has alleged that the government has done a quid pro quo with Italy by promising to release the marine in return for revelations that target its leadership in the AugustaWestland issue. The government has denied this. The Supreme Court will set Girones bail conditions. Source said Italy has accepted that if Girone is allowed by the Supreme Court to return to Italy, he will remain under the jurisdiction of the courts of India. According to sources in New Delhi, the order also says that India must be assured, unequivocally and with legally binding effect, that Girone will return to India in case the tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him in respect of the Enrica Lexie incident.

Italy in March had asked the judges to order India to release its detained marine Girone, saying otherwise he risks four more years in India without any charges being made which would amount to "grave violation of his human rights".

Italian news agency ANSA quoted Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi as saying that he was sending a message of "friendship and cooperation to the great people of India and to his Indian counterpart (Narendra Modi)" after the news that marine Salvatore Girone will return to Italy. "We are always ready to cooperate," Renzi said in Florence.
Japan's foreign minister Fumio Kishida has announced a multi-billion dollar initiative to promote development in the Mekong region, which encompasses parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand through which the river flows.

In a speech at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok today, Kishida affirmed the importance of Southeast Asia's economic prosperity to .

He pledged 750 billion yen ($7 billion) in funding during the next three years to support development and growth in the region.

Read more from our special coverage on "JAPAN"

Kishida also renewed his call for the establishment of a code of conduct in the South China Sea and that prosperity can only achieved if there is peace and stability in the region.

The visit to Thailand is part of his regional tour that includes stops in China, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
Reggio Calabria (Italy), May 3 (IANS/AKI) Anti-mafia investigators impounded suspected Calabrian mafia property worth 30 million euros during raids in southern Italy and the central city of Florence on Tuesday.

Tax police seized assets valued at 27 million euros from a businessman in Reggio Calabria and his four sons, who are all currently serving prison sentences for mafia membership and fraud.

The impounded assets included five companies, 14 buildings, 20 plots of land, 43 vehicles and several bank accounts, according to police.

The jailed businessman and his sons allegedly belong to the Calabrian mafia or 'Ndrangheta's Fontana di Reggio Calabria clan.

In a separate operation in Florence, anti-mafia police impounded two well-known restaurants and an apartment worth more than two million euros in total from a 66-year-old 'Ndrangheta suspect named as N.C.

N.C. was earlier convicted of buying drugs from suspected members of the 'Ndrangheta's Arcoti clan, police said.

Anti-mafia police have impounded over 800 million euros of assets since March from businessmen with suspected links to the 'Ndrangheta.

Drug trafficking, extortion and money-laundering rackets have in recent decades made the 'Ndrangheta Italy's wealthiest and most powerful international crime syndicate.

--IANS/AKI

vd
Is India back to its old stance of ignoring the



Actually, people forget that was all but out of the India-Pakistan equation when Gen Pervez Musharraf came to India for the Agra summit.
Labor warned energy prices to rise by up to 50 per cent in 2023 A source told Sky News Australia in the lead-up to Tuesday's federal budget the conflict in Ukraine was "99 per cent" responsible for the looming increases in the cost of energy.

Sydney soaked by wettest October ever recorded A Sky News Australia meteorologist has predicted how much rain Sydneysiders can expect for the rest of 2022 as two weather systems lash almost every inch of New South Wales.

Jurors in rape trial make request amid ongoing deliberations The 12-member jury of the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial have requested extra time to come to a unanimous decision on whether the former Liberal staffer sexually assaulted Brittany Higgins.

Lambie prays for Netball Australia after sponsorship mess Senator Jacqui Lambie has thrown her support behind Gina Rinehart as she slammed Netball Australia for losing a major sponsor while local sports clubs struggle to stay alive.
WATERLOO  Administrators last year started closely tracking Waterloo high school students who werent earning enough credits to advance to the next grade or graduate.

The focus was on freshmen and seniors, said Superintendent Jane Lindaman. Those found to be lagging behind were offered options to get back on track.

She said that personalization of our efforts helped Waterloo Community Schools increase its graduation rate by more than 6 percent to 80.3 percent for the class of 2015  the combined rate for East, Expo and West high schools. Of 746 Waterloo high schools students who started four years earlier as freshmen, 599 graduated last spring. The graduation rate for the class of 2014 was 74.2 percent.

The increased graduation rate is really a direct result of a lot of people focusing on one goal, said Lindaman. Im really proud that so many people worked together and that were continuing to do that.

She announced last week the district had cracked the 80 percent threshold for the first time. The Iowa Department of Education on Tuesday officially released statewide graduation statistics for the class of 2015.

Cedar Falls High Schools graduation rate dropped 2 percent, to 95.2 percent. Of the 336 students who started four years earlier as freshmen, 320 graduated last spring. The 2014 four-year graduation rate was 97.2 percent.

We knew that would go down a little bit, just because we knew of kids that would go into a transitional program to help them graduate, said Superintendent Andy Pattee. The hope is those Transition Alliance Program students, who have unique or special needs, will graduate in the next year.

He noted students in the program boosted the 2014 five-year graduation rate, which was 98.6 percent. To have 98.6 percent graduate with that transitional program is exciting, said Pattee. It provides the supports and education to be successful in whatever they move into in the next fall.

Even with a drop for the class of 2015, Cedar Falls remained well above the statewide rate of 90.8 percent, an increase of 0.3 percent over 2014.

Most other public high schools across the Cedar Valley saw small decreases in their graduation rates: Denver 97.7 percent (0.5 percent), Dunkerton 96.9 percent (0.1 percent), Hudson 96.4 percent (3.6 percent), Janesville 97.1 percent (2.9 percent), Jesup 93.8 percent (4.1 percent), Waverly-Shell Rock 94.2 percent (1.2 percent). Dike-New Hartford, with a 100 percent graduation rate, had a 3.1 percent increase and Union, with a 95.9 percent rate, had a 0.1 percent increase.

Lindaman said the biggest correlation for graduating on time is really freshmen who stay on track. As a result, Waterloo district officials are continuing to monitor student progress, including this years freshman class.

We want to make sure this isnt just a one-time stat, she said. Were really looking to change the pattern and change the trend. Really, now, our next steps will be looking at middle schoolers.
DES MOINES  Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he will sign a bill restricting the investment of state funds in companies that boycott Israel.

The bill  similar to restrictions on the investment of public funds in Iran and Sudan  was intended to counter the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement encouraging countries, governments and companies to boycott Israel and Israeli companies.

Critics of the bill say it will create bureaucratic headaches for state retirement funds that will have to research thousands to companies connected with mutual funds to comply with the bill.

According to the Legislative Services Agency, the bill will not impact the state general fund. The impact on the retirement funds cannot be determined.

Tourism benefits

Travelers visiting Iowa in 2014 generated $8.06 billion in expenditures and nearly $375 million in state tax receipts while supporting 66,500 jobs.

That information comes from Shawna Lode, manager of the Iowa Economic Developments Iowa Tourism Office, which is marking National Travel and Tourism Week this week. Travel-related expenditures in Iowa have increased by an average of nearly 6 percent over the last five years, said Lode. She said visits to her offices traveliowa.com Web site topped one million for the first time last year.

Medical settlements

The State Appeal Board on Monday approved two medical negligence settlements involving University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

The panel approved an $800,000 agreement with Rodger and Susan Cline to settle a claim the hospital failed to diagnose spinal fractures resulting in a permanent back injury. University of Iowa Physicians will pay 60 percent, or $480,000, while the state will pay $320,000, according to board documents.

The board approved a $300,000 award to settle a lawsuit relating to a hernia surgery that resulted in chronic pain and disability for Hassanali Espahbodi, a university professor. The settlement was divided equally between the state and the UI Physicians group.

Economic indicators

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index increased 0.2 percent to 105.2 in March, the first monthly increase since December 2014, according to the state Department of Revenue. However, officials say the six-month measures continue to signal a coming contraction.

Residential building permits and average manufacturing hours were the only components to show growth over the past six months.

Iowas nonfarm employment index continued in its fifth year of growth in March. But officials said it will take months of consistent positive growth to emerge from metrics signaling a coming contraction.

The index still suggests weaker employment growth into the summer.

Medical cannabis

Gov. Terry Branstad said he is keeping an open mind on expanding Iowas limited medical cannabis program after the issue stalled this legislative session.

Proponents hoped to form a partnership with Minnesota so Iowans with qualifying medical conditions could access to cannabidiol. However, the effort failed. A plan to allow production and sale of cannabidiol in Iowa also failed.

Branstad said he would consider looking at a manufacturing system limited to oil only.

Salary money

Gov. Terry Branstad said legislators reached a reasonable compromise in providing $4.85 million in new salary money to the state Department of Transportation  about half of what the agency requested.

The DOT said the money was needed heading into a busy construction season fueled by a 10-cent per gallon increase in the states gas tax. But opponents said the money should go to address transportation needs.

The governor defended the practice of not enacting a separate salary bill and requiring agencies to eat employee pay increases ordered via arbitration.
DES MOINES  The future of Iowas first-in-the-nation Democratic caucuses will be discussed when a statewide panel of party leaders begins its work with a meeting this weekend in Des Moines.

Convened by state party chairwoman Andy McGuire and led by former congressman and party chairman Dave Nagle, the review panel will discuss the 2016 caucuses and any potential changes needed before making recommendations to the state partys leadership committee.

The committee will meet periodically, also hosting listening sessions across the state to gather input from grassroots Democrats. Those events are still to be scheduled.

As we have always done, we want to improve upon the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses to make them more inclusive and a better experience for all involved, McGuire said in an emailed statement. No suggestions are off the table. We always want the Iowa caucuses to be inclusive, accessible and help us build a stronger party.

Roughly 171,000 Democrats caucused Feb. 1; it was the partys second-largest turnout ever. The Democratic caucuses also were historically close: Hillary Clinton edged Bernie Sanders by a mere quarter of a percent.

The high turnout led to long lines in some precincts, and the razor-thin margin placed a heightened focus on the results, some of which were called into question by the Sanders campaign, although a post-caucus review yielded only miniscule changes.

Those issues and others  like how to make the caucuses easier to attend and run more smoothly  will be discussed when the committee meets over the coming months.

Some Democrats in the immediate wake of the caucuses called for dramatic changes to the partys caucus system, in which people express support for a presidential candidate by grouping together in a room. Some said the Democratic caucuses should become more like a straw poll vote.

Nagle said the review committee will consider any suggestions, but he cautioned against making dramatic alterations.

Its very important when we look at what to do about it, that we dont allow one presidential election  this one  to override the success weve had over the years, said Nagle, who now practices law in Waterloo. Theres a strong tradition here, and we have to make sure we preserve the basic character of the caucus in any changes we make. 

Theres been suggestions, for example, that we abolish the Iowa caucus and move to a June primary.  The closer we move to a primary, the more we destroy the character of our state. Im not into straw polls.

Chris Hall, a review committee member and state legislator from Sioux City, said he comes to the process with an open mind and willingness to suggest changes that improve the process.

Hall noted the Democrats system of caucusing for presidential candidates was designed in the 1970s for neighborhood-sized gatherings and has grown to where hundreds are now caucusing in some precincts.

Some precinct venues across the state proved insufficient for unexpectedly large crowds on caucus night.

Hall said he would like the committee to find a way to sustain the colloquial qualities of the caucuses while not cramming hundreds of people into a small space.

There has to be a happy medium, he said.

Evan Burger, a review committee member from Ames, agreed.

This system was really not designed for this number of people, Burger said. Any stress we can take off the system is going to make it run a little bit better.

Burger said he is the only review committee member who supported Bernie Sanders for president before the caucuses, and he hopes the committee will consider ways to make the caucuses more inclusive to people new to the political process.

For example, he believes the party should consider holding caucuses on a weekend or allowing Democrats to caucus via absentee ballot, something the party has resisted in the past because it would be too much like casting a traditional vote.

Its a great opportunity to make the caucuses a lot more accessible to a lot more people in a number of ways, Burger said. I think as great as the caucuses were this year, they showed a lot of room for improvement, a need for review and taking a look at how we can make them more accessible.
WATERLOO  A single no vote has jeopardized the citys plan to seek a federal funds for a downtown white-water course.

Waterloo City Council members voted 3-1 Monday in favor of submitting an application for $750,000 from the National Park Service to build a white-water project on the Cedar River.

But City Clerk Suzy Schares said the action failed because resolutions require a majority vote of the full council, or four votes, to pass.

Councilmen Ron Welper, Bruce Jacobs and Pat Morrissey supported the action; Steve Schmitt abstained for a perceived conflict of interest; Jerome Amos Jr. was absent; David Jones resigned his council seat last week; and Tom Lind voted against the grant application.

Ive been consistently voting against this project, said Lind. Its way too expensive; we cant afford it.

Everybody Ive talked to says dont get involved in another white elephant downtown, he added. Theres wants and theres needs, and this isnt a need.

Despite City Attorney Dave Zellhoefers opinion Schmitt did not have a conflict of interest, Schmitt declined to vote on the grant because he owns a building along the banks of the proposed course.

Should that thing pass it would enhance the value of my building, Schmitt said. I dont want to be accused of that.

Schmitt did agree to call for reconsideration on the resolution, opening the window for Amos to potentially cast the necessary fourth vote. But the grant application deadline is next Tuesday.

The Waterloo Development Corp. and former Mayor Buck Clark were spearheading the proposal for a $2.6 million white-water course along the east banks of the river between the Park Avenue and Fifth Street bridges. The WDC earmarked more than $300,000 from its share of Black Hawk County Gaming Association funding to design the project.

Lind noted the proposed $750,000 grant requires a 50 percent local match, while Clark had promised no taxpayer funding would be used for the course.

Leisure Services Director Paul Huting said he hoped other grants and additional gaming revenue could be used to cover the match requirement. Council members would have an opportunity to reject the grant, assuming its awarded, if those dollars were not identified.

The Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments had been planning on writing and submitting the application on the citys behalf, earning a $2,000 fee if the grant was awarded.

INRCOG Executive Director Kevin Blanshan said the agency would continue preparing the grant in good faith if the city believed it could wrangle the fourth vote before next week.

Mayor Quentin Hart said he would broach the question with Amos.

That $750,000 of grant money will go a long way, Hart said.
DENVER  Authorities have identified that man who died in a construction accident in Denver on Monday.

Denver police said 56-year-old Henry William Gray of Clarksville became trapped when part of a foundation wall tipped over, trapping him underneath and killing him.

At the time, crews with Snelling Construction were digging along the foundation of 102 W. Main St. Denver firefighters and Snellings owner freed Gray. His body was taken to the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office for autopsy.

Iowa Occupational Safety and Health officials are investigating the accident.

Denver Ambulance, Denver Fire Department, Denver Police, Bremer County Sheriffs Office and the Iowa State Patrol assisted at the scene.
WATERLOO  Authorities think they know what was behind a fire that claimed the life of a Waterloo man in February.

Ray Reed, a 53-year-old truck driver and independent contractor, died when his home at 1686 Mount Carmel Drive caught fire late Feb. 12 during a spate of fatal fires across the state.

So far this year, fires have killed 24 Iowans, according to the State Fire Marshal Division. That compares to 31 fatalities in all of 2015. There were 42 fatalities in 2014.

The latest death was in Mason City on Sunday morning. Ackhasenh Cavan, 24, died as the result of a blaze that began with unattended food cooking on a stove, Mason City Fire Department officials said.

In Reeds case, Waterloo officials suspect smoking was to blame.

We found him pretty much right away, said Fire Chief Pat Treloar with Waterloo Fire Rescue. The fire was coming out the front window, and we knocked it down quick and were able to find Mr. Reed quickly and got him out.

Reed was discovered on his kitchen floor near the back door. He died of smoke inhalation and burns, according to authorities.

Officially, the cause of the fire is listed as undetermined, Treloar said. But investigators suspect the fire started with a discarded cigarette.

We knew the occupant did have smoking materials, but we couldnt, 100 percent, pinpoint that. Especially when theres a death involved, you have to be spot on, Treloar said.

Reports indicate Reed had a working smoke alarm in the home.

The resident of an apartment at 1720 Jefferson St. almost suffered the same fate a week later when a fire broke out in the early morning hours of Feb. 19. Neighbors called 911, and firefighters worked their way through the smoke before finding the man and carrying him to safety. He was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the Jefferson Street fire hasnt been determined, but official said it appeared accidental, Treloar said.

Reeds death came amid a spike in fatal fires during the first two months of 2016. By the end of February, the state already had 17 fire deaths.

Fire officials said such fluctuations in the statistics arent odd, and point out nine of the 2016 deaths came from three fires.

Rebecca Ferrall, 33, and her two sons died when their mobile home in Montrose caught fire Jan. 11. Then on Jan. 17, Angela Sorenson, 27, and her three children perished when their home in Boxholm caught fire. Ronald and Karen Jacobs died when fire broke out in their Cedar Rapids mobile home Feb. 15.

The Boxholm fire was determined to be accidental, according to the Iowa State Fire Marshal Division, and media accounts said a space heater was suspected. The cause of the Montrose fire is undetermined. Both homes had smoke alarms that werent working, according to the State Fire Marshal Division.

The cause of the fatal fire at the Cedar Rapids home also hasnt been determined. It didnt have smoke alarms.

In another fatal fire in Waterloo, the State Medical Examiners Office ruled Janeen Beiers death was accidental, according to her death certificate. Beier, 55, died of smoke inhalation and burns, and her body was found in a burned car in a garage behind her Locke Avenue home on Dec. 1, according to fire officials. Authorities said the fire had burned itself out before it was discovered.
The United States dysfunctional relationship with Saudi Arabia has reached new heights of tension with the kingdom insulting a U.S. president and threatening Congress.

When President Obama visited Riyadh on April 20, ostensibly to smooth over differences, Saudi King Salman refused to meet him at the airport, although he greeted other regional dignitaries.

The Saudis are peeved Obama called them free riders on the backs of the U.S. military, ended sanctions against Iran and said the Sunni kingdom should share the Mideast with its hated Shiite rival, failed to check the rise of the Islamic state and vetoed the Saudis entry into the Syrian war to oust Alawite (Shiite) President Bashar Hafez al-Assad.

They also are unhappy with Congress, which is considering legislation to assist families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks who are suing members of the Saudi royal family, banks and charities. Bipartisan legislation would amend the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act stipulating the courts of one country will not sit in judgment on the acts of the government of another done within its own territory unless the entire tort is planned in that country.

The Saudis are threatening to sell $750 billion in U.S. treasury bonds rather than having those assets frozen if the bill is enacted.

Fifteen of the 19 al-Qaida hijackers were Saudis. The complicity of the government has been a matter of conjecture, which the families believe could be answered in the 28 pages of a 2002 congressional report on the attacks redacted by President George W. Bush.

Wahhabism, the militant Islamic strain that begat Al Qaida, the Taliban and Islamic State, was a homegrown anomaly with barely a blip in followers until wealthy Saudis sowed its seeds in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia while funding madrasas schools. The royal family did nothing to stop that or extremist clerics at home.

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., the committee co-chair, told 60 Minutes the Saudi government, wealthy citizens and charitable fronts bear some responsibility. But Phillip Zelikow, director of the 9-11 Commission, told the New Yorker magazine the redacted findings couldnt be vetted.

Obama foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes said, There were a number of very wealthy individuals in Saudi Arabia who would contribute, sometimes directly, to extremist groups, sometimes to charities that  ended up being ways to launder money to these groups.

Fahad al Thumairy, an official at the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, supposedly helped two hijackers find housing and transportation. Omar al Bayoumi, a suspected Saudi spy, may have aided hijackers. No evidence yet links the highest levels of the Saudi government to the attacks.

Obama has promised to have the redacted pages reviewed for possible release, an action the Saudis support, but would veto the legislation if it opens the U.S. government, servicemen, corporations and individuals to legal action overseas in cases now protected by immunity. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has similar concerns.

In another terrorism case, the Supreme Court recently ruled, 6-2, Americans could sue Iran for its links to the Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in the 1983 truck bombing of the Multinational Force barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 241 U.S. and 58 French servicemen, six civilians and two suicide bombers. U.S. courts have held Iran ultimately responsible, which it denies despite erecting a statue to the martyrs.

The families are seeking funds from $1.75 billion in Iranian assets frozen in a U.S. bank and have the support of Obama and Congress. The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act isnt applicable since it occurred overseas.

The U.S.-Saudi relationship has been based largely on oil. The Saudis threw the U.S. under the bus during the 1973 oil embargo, but the U.S. has lately weaned itself from Saudi petrol, thanks to fracking and Canadian imports. It is now only 5 percent of U.S. consumption (1 million barrels daily). The Saudis countered by undermining fracking  and Iranian oil after sanctions were lifted  by keeping production high and prices low.

Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to sell the Saudis weapons  $11 billion in ships and $1.29 billion in assorted bombs last year  while the U.S. military safeguards oil routes.

Saudi Arabia is the most influential Sunni (the majority Islamic sect) nation, so better to have it as an ally than foe, even with some reprehensible baggage. Yet its time to completely lift any veil masking its possible ties to terrorism. The redacted 28 pages should be released to help clear the air with whatever caveats are necessary.

However, caution is advised on legislation regarding the 9-11 suit. It may play well politically, but could come with unintended consequences.
Thanks to Justin

MARLENE RUSSELL

TRAER  Thank you to Blaines Farm and Fleet, Cedar Falls, for showing me excellent attention after I had missed my ride home. Justin, the assistant manager, was very protective and stayed beside me until my ride was located. He made certain I was safe. The cashier workers were equally concerned and helpful.

My sincere thank you to Blaines Farm and Fleet. Great folks work there. The assistant manager, Justin, was outstanding.

Miller praise

THEODORE S. LEDERMAN

WATERLOO  Ive know Dr. Kent Miller for more than 30 years and had been a partner of his during his employment at Covenant Clinic for about 10 years. During those years I got to know Dr. Miller intimately and found him to be a caring and knowledgeable physician of high moral character.

Im not personally familiar with the cases listed by the Iowa Medical Board, however I am confident Dr. Millers patients can continue to feel secure in his care, along with other physicians. I meet with Dr. Miller regularly and know he is current in the study of medical literature and it advances. His patients should continue to feel confident with his care.

University Avenue

GLADYS CASHMAN

WATERLOO  Hooray Erik Walker! Your letter to the editor April 24 hit the nail on the head. How could that much money (now reaching $38 million instead of $32 million) be spent on the University Avenue project that is so unnecessary? The Avenue of the Saints (new highway) was built to direct traffic through the area. Therefore University Avenue is basically used for local traffic. Resurfacing is all that was needed.

I understand that decision was made in Des Moines, but then I question who is making these decisions? Roundabouts are unnecessary and may prove to be dangerous. Once again, wasting money at our expense.

Beach Boys music

STEVE KAPLER

WATERLOO  In 1966, 23-year-old Beach Boy Brian Wilson had a sudden depression episode while boarding a plane en route to begin another group tour. He dropped out. He told the rest of the band to go out and sing the music, but not to worry. Hed stay home and write some really great songs for them. He sure did.

In the bands absence, Wilson collected some crack studio session musicians to play the music he and lyricist Tony Asher had written and arranged. Among them, drummer Hal Blaine, jazz base guitarist Carol Kaye and a young session guitarist named Glen Campbell, to name just a few. Add the incomparable Beach Boys vocal harmony, and the rest is music history.

That year, the Beach Boys put out what many consider to be their definitive masterpiece, Pet Sounds. Some classics from the album are Wouldnt It be Nice, God Only Knows and Sloop John B. How good was it? Fifty years later Wilson is performing Pet Sounds concerts, including Council Bluffs this July. Hats off to a true musical genius. Wouldnt it be nice if the UNI Mens Glee Club performed A Beach Boys Music Tribute? It would be a great concert to attend.

Against fracking

DOROTHEA JURGENSON

DENVER  In a recent syndicated column, Stephen Moore of The Heritage Foundation celebrated the value of fracking in lowering greenhouse gas emissions, denouncing objections to this process as mostly lies. He ignores the fact fracking uses astronomical amounts of water, to which is added a mix of toxic chemicals that is then forced under great pressure into the rock, cracking it and releasing gas.

Much fracking occurs in the arid west, so water must be pumped from wells, driving water tables down, or be trucked in. Many report sick cattle and dead vegetation; some can light on fire gas from their water taps. Much of Oklahoma is experiencing seismic activity, some of it severe, which the companies actually admit is caused by their activities. And in eastern Pennsylvania, fracking on the Marcellus Formation is damaging the water supply of millions.

Fracking is simply not benign. We all want a cheap, abundant, clean replacement for dirtier fossil fuels, but the environmental damage inherent in this method of extracting natural gas should not be acceptable to anyone. It would be far better to apply money, time and creativity to scaling up nonpolluting energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press May. 02, 2016 | 05:55 AM | LOUISVILLE, KY

A judge has temporarily barred the city of Louisville from removing a 70-foot-tall Confederate monument near the University of Louisville campus.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman signed a restraining order Monday morning forbidding the city from moving the 121-year-old obelisk honoring Kentuckians who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

Mayor Greg Fischer and University President James Ramsey announced Friday that they would remove the monument, marking the latest government effort to reconsider displaying Confederate symbols following the massacre of nine black churchgoers in South Carolina last summer.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans and Everett Corley, a Republican running for Congress, filed for the restraining order on Monday. The judge scheduled a hearing Thursday morning.
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If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino

 Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first.

 Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well.

 What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that.

The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players.

 How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long!

 Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package  which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up.

 Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home.

Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice

It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices

 Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves.

 Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino.

 Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information.

 Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead.

With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks

Betway:

Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway.

Coral Casino:

Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account.

Ladbrokes Casino:

Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

Paddy Power Casino:

Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. New players can receive a massive 100% match bonus up to 200, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

William Hill Casino:

William Hill Casino is one of the biggest names in the industry, operating in Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1984, this online casino has more than 400 games to choose from, including slots and table games, with a wide array of software providers like WagerLogic, Big Time Gaming and Rival.

Bonus: 100% Match Bonus up to 100  Register Now

Betway: 100% Match Bonus up to 100  Claim Now

Coral Casino: 25% Cash Back on Deposits  Claim Now

Ladbrokes Casino: 35% Cash Back on First 3 Deposits  Claim Now

Paddy Power Casino: 100% Match Bonus up to 200  Claim Now

William Hill Casino: 100% Match Bonus up to 200  Claim Now

If youre interested in trying out an online casino but arent quite ready to commit to one, why not try out one of the many no deposit casinos weve reviewed? You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit.
HARTFORD, CT, May 03, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Today in Hartford, Connecticut, Health Tactics announces immediate availability of The Health Tactics Social Network, a social network focusing exclusively on each member's health. The Network enables members to create groups of friends, family and caregivers , who are concerned solely with the health of that member.



"In today's health care environment, much is left to the individual, even if you have insurance", says Health Tactics' CEO Steve Yergan. "The Health Tactics Social Network aims to address this by putting people together with the free resources they need to find each other and to become more self-sufficient in managing their health."



The site makes available:

-The Health Tactics Social Network

-Our own simple to use, secure, online medical record, known as MediPilot

-A survey capability

-A Blog and a Discussion Forum

-A resource section of valuable health care related links

-An online store, where useful products of 3d party vendors are made available.



These services are designed to help users become more self sufficient in managing their health. Much of the site can be used without joining or registering for anything, though some sections, for privacy reasons do require registration. Give it a try! Visit the site at www.healthtactics.com.



Health Tactics has been leading change in the health care industry for over twenty-five years. Our cumulative experience has taught us that the health care industry, by itself, will not reduce costs. Consumers must find each other, and help each other, to break the hold that this for-profit industry has on all of our lives. This is why we have created the Health Tactics Social Network.



For more information about Health Tactics, please visit our website at www.healthtactics.com



To see the full launch announcement and complete description, visit www.healthtactics.com/Blog



Health Tactics is a registered trademark.



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MOSCOW, RUSSIA, May 03, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- According to experts' assessments, in 2015, 35% of the total global venture investments were directed towards regions other than America, among them Europe, Asia, Russia and other countries.



"This tendency speaks to that fact that potential investors are considering Russia to be a strategic partner and they are ready to refocus their funds," Marvin Liao, partner at 500 Startups, said.



According to MoneyTreeTM's annual review, which was prepared by PwC together with Russian Venture Company, the Russian venture market in 2015 demonstrated a definite margin of safety.



"Having stimulated the main development trends of the Russian venture sector in 2015, it is possible to make the conclusion that, despite the unstable macroeconomic situation, the Russian venture market demonstrated a good safety margin," Director of Association of Innovative Regions of Russia Ivan Fedotov said. "As a whole, the level and dynamics of investor activity on the market allows for making optimistic forecasts."



The IT sector maintains its leading positions for investment volumes and its share amounts to 88%. The industrial technology and biotechnology sectors demonstrated confident growth and increased their investment share to 12%.



The biotech sector underwent an almost seven-fold increase in the number of deals.



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May 3, 2016 | By Tess

3D printer company Formlabs, responsible for some of the most popular desktop SLA 3D printers on the market, has been gradually rising to the top of the desktop 3D printing industry since its founding in 2011. With over $19 million secured in investor funding, and the overwhelming success of their most recent product the Form 2 3D printer, heralded as the most advanced SLA desktop 3D printer to date, there has been little doubt of the companys growth and staying presence within the 3D printing industry. Now, with the announcement that Formlabs has officially acquired online 3D printing marketplace Pinshape, their growing presence in the industry is even further cemented.

Pinshape, the Vancouver, Canada based online marketplace, which has called itself the iTunes for 3D printing, has provided makers and designers from all over the world with a platform for selling and sharing their 3D printable designs. Earlier this year, however, the small company, which was founded in 2013, announced it would be shutting down its 3D design services to the dismay of its many users. Fortunately, the termination was only a brief hiatus as the company announced just a day later that their services would continue thanks to the takeover by a like-minded company.

That company, as it turns out, was Somerville, Massachusetts based Formlabs. As Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs expresses, Pinshape is a company that shares the same passion and drive as Formlabs in making sophisticated 3-D printing technology widely accessible. Pinshape is one of the fastest growing 3-D design marketplaces, and Formlabs wants to make sure Pinshape stays that way. Formlabs is building the biggest desktop 3-D printing company in the world, and we want to grow the collaboration part of the ecosystem to the same level. The take over, for which the terms have not been disclosed, marks Formlabs first acquisition.

Lucas Matheson, CEO of Pinshape, says of the mutually beneficial business deal, We had a chance to speak to a lot of companies around the industry and for us it was clear that Formlabs was the best positioned company to take Pinshape to the next level. They have a great team over there. Leaving the community in good hands is a number one priority for us.

Currently, Formlabs employs more than 160 people in its Somerville and Berlin offices, and Pinshape is made up of 8 employees at its Vancouver location. And though Pinshape will continue to run more or less autonomously under Formlabs, the company will have to begin its transition to Massachusetts. Matheson explains, were a team of eight, and the priority right now is working closely with FormLabs to help them understand technology, the platform and the community and to eventually decide in the coming months have we can ultimately transition the platform to the Formlabs team out in Boston.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Morgan Meis in The Easel:

This year is shaping up to be downright Boschian. We are speaking here of Hieronymus Bosch, the painter. 2016 happens to mark the five-hundred-year anniversary of Boschs death. So, Boschs home and eponymous town, Den Bosch (or, more correctly but much harder to say, s-Hertogenbosch), has assembled the largest retrospective of Boschs work ever to be exhibited. The exhibit (Jheronimus Bosch  Visions of a Genius) is at the Noordbrabants Museum through May 8th. Such is public demand to see the show that this normally sedate regional museum has extended its opening hours until past midnight. And Bosch mania will not end there. The Prado in Madrid, for example, is hosting its own blockbuster Bosch exhibit beginning at the end of May and running into September. The crowds at the Noordbrabants Museum and the activity in the global press suggests that Bosch is more relevant, more interesting to the public mind than ever. Bosch mania is set to peak at the same time as the heat of the Northern summer, with festival events scheduled throughout the summer.

This extraordinary level of interest is generated by the simple fact that whosoever sees the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch does not soon, it is safe to say, forget them. Thats because they are fantastic works of art. Theres so much going on in a typical Bosch painting (more on that later) that the eye cannot but dart around, taking in the strange imagery. For that reason, Boschs work was popular from the very beginningthat beginning being the 15th century, when Bosch was alive and painting away in the lands of Northern Europe we now call The Netherlands. Throughout the ensuing years, Boschs star waxed and waned, but his work never passed out of public consciousness completely. Then, in the early part of the 20th century, he was rediscovered in full force. The 20th century public loved the outrageous scenarios to be found in Hieronymus Boschs paintings, artists especially. Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Leonora Carrington explicitly referenced Bosch in their own work, just to name a few.

More here.
Willibald Sauerlander at the New York Review of Books:

But let us turn to the most important work that has survived from Pieros oeuvre, the frescos of the Legend of the True Cross in the church of San Francesco in Arezzo. They were the donation of a rich family, the Bacci, and took a long time to be completed. Piero joined the project in 1452 at the latest and created one of the most imposing fresco cycles of the early Renaissance. In fourteen scenes he depictsprobably following the text of the Legenda Aureathe Legend of the True Cross from the death of Adam to the Crosss entrance into Jerusalem. Again it is perspective in its interplay with light that gives the scenes their vivid presence. He places his powerful figures near the front edge of the pictures, so that in their statuesque physicality and colorful garments they move as if on a stage. Piero is a gripping narrator who never diverts our attention from the main figures and the predominant events.

In the depiction of emotional agitation, emphatically recommended by aesthetic theories of the time, Piero is restrained. For him, it is gesture and especially gaze that are most important. We encounter only one figure who is emotional in the expressive sense defined by the art historian Aby Warburg: the mourning woman at the burial of Adam who raises her arms and opens her mouth in a wail. The gracefulness Vasari praises in Piero is evident in the female figures surrounding the Queen of Sheba and the Empress Helen. Pieros sensitive feeling for light culminates in the scene of the slumbering Constantine, where the dark of night is wonderfully illuminated by the heavenly messenger bringing the dream in which he is shown the True Cross by an angel.

more here.
Big offensive night boost Wolves to third-straight NSIC victory

The Wolves picked up their fifth win of the year, 49-20 over winless Concordia-St. Paul, improving to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the NSIC North Division.
Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX:GXY) (OTCMKTS:GALXF) is an international S&P / ASX 200 Index company with lithium production facilities, hard rock mines and brine assets in Australia, Canada and Argentina. It wholly owns and operates the Mt Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe Western Australia, which is currently producing spodumene and tantalum concentrate, and the James Bay lithium pegmatite project in Quebec, Canada.

Galaxy is advancing plans to develop the Sal de Vida lithium and potash brine project in Argentina situated in the lithium triangle (where Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet), which is currently the source of 60% of global lithium production. Sal de Vida has excellent potential as a low cost brine-based lithium carbonate production facility.

Lithium compounds are used in the manufacture of ceramics, glass, and consumer electronics and are an essential cathode material for long life lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as mass energy storage systems. Galaxy is bullish about the global lithium demand outlook and is aiming to become a major producer of lithium products.
Frontier Securities is to hold a conference "Mongolia: Capital Raising and Investment", on June 6th-10th, 2011 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The conference provides a perfect opportunity for those who are interested in exploring the latest developments in Mongolia's business environment from key direct sources. Investors will be able to discover lucrative investment opportunities and Mongolian companies will benefit, learning various methods of raising capital from abroad.
Vicinity Centres (ASX:VCX) is one of Australia's leading retail property groups with a fully integrated asset management platform, and over $23 billion in retail assets under management across 95 shopping centres, making it the second largest listed manager of Australian retail property. The Group has a Direct Portfolio with interests in 85 shopping centres and manages 38 assets on behalf of Strategic Partners, 28 of which are co-owned by the Group. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the trading code 'VCX', Vicinity has over 24,000 securityholders. For more information visit the Group's website vicinity.com.au.


Enters Into Agreement for New DFO Development at Perth Airport

Sydney, May 3, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Vicinity Centres ( ASX:VCX ) is pleased to announce it has entered into agreements for a joint venture (Agreements) with Perth Airport Pty Ltd (PAPL) to develop a new world-class Outlet Centre at Perth Airport in Western Australia (WA). This transaction enables Vicinity to deliver an outstanding product to the Perth market utilising its unique management and leasing expertise in the Australian outlet sector. The centre will be branded as a DFO, Vicinity's brand for its Outlet Centre portfolio, and will be managed by Vicinity.



Development of the Perth DFO is expected to cost approximately $145 million and is to be jointly funded by Vicinity and PAPL through the development. Subject to planning approvals, construction is expected to commence in mid-2017, with completion of the project forecast for 2018. The project is forecast to generate an initial yield on cost of greater than 8% and a 10-year internal rate of return (IRR) of greater than 13%.



The completion of this development will increase Vicinity's DFO portfolio to five assets. Vicinity's existing DFO portfolio is made up of DFO Homebush in New South Wales, and DFO South Wharf, DFO Essendon and DFO Moorabbin in Victoria.



Mr Angus McNaughton, CEO and Managing Director of Vicinity, said: "Vicinity's strategic focus is to create value, and drive sustainable growth, from a quality portfolio of Australian assets across the retail spectrum. In line with this strategy, Outlet Centres remain a key focus and opportunity for Vicinity. The existing Outlet Centre portfolio has generated an IRR of 14.5% since acquisition in 2010.



"We had identified Perth as a prime location for a new DFO asset with its low representation of Outlet Centre space. The Agreements provide a unique and exciting opportunity for Vicinity to further solidify its market leading position in Outlet Centres."



Mr Steve Holden, Executive General Manager Property of PAPL, said: "For our cornerstone retail development we wanted to partner with the best in the brand outlet space. Vicinity has a highly successful track record in operating its DFOs and was considered to be the ideal development partner."



Vicinity has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with PAPL, the airport operator of Perth Airport, which has a head lease over the airport land from the Commonwealth of Australia until 2047, with an option to extend for a further 49 years. Vicinity and PAPL will enter into a sub-lease over a 9 hectare site designated for the DFO with expiry dates and options which line up with the head lease.



Mr McNaughton added: "Vicinity will be the property and development manager of this project and we are delighted to have the opportunity to create a world-class Outlet Centre on this well-located green-field site for Perth residents and visitors. The asset will be built in a desirable 'race track' configuration to facilitate easy access and navigation, with the design allowing for connectivity with, or expansion into, surrounding sites as the airport land is developed over time. The development will be designed in line with current best practice standards for environmental sustainability.



"The proposed Outlet Centre development will include over 110 stores across 24,000 sqm of gross lettable area and there will be parking for over 1,600 cars.



"The site is in a prominent location which will directly benefit from a number of state government initiatives including the $1 billion Gateway project, the Northlink project and the Forrestfield airport link. Strong arterial access is a key feature of a successful DFO asset and this site's location will provide easy and convenient access for a broad catchment across Perth's metropolitan area."



A map showing the location of the proposed DFO site is attached in Appendix 1, refer to link below.



To view release including Appendix 1, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/6JZ1UJ97





About Vicinity Centres Re Ltd





Vicinity Centres (ASX:VCX) is one of Australia's leading retail property groups with a fully integrated asset management platform, and over $23 billion in retail assets under management across 95 shopping centres, making it the second largest listed manager of Australian retail property. The Group has a Direct Portfolio with interests in 85 shopping centres and manages 38 assets on behalf of Strategic Partners, 28 of which are co-owned by the Group. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the trading code 'VCX', Vicinity has over 24,000 securityholders. For more information visit the Group's website vicinity.com.au.
ACAs library of educational tools help members improve their business practices. ACA also holds the most popular industry conferences and offers credentialing for collectors, attorneys, and more. ACAs Training Zone subscription gives agencies access to almost all of our education for one low cost.
College Choice, an online resource for college search and rankings, recently published their ranking of the top fifty online master's degrees in accounting in the United States for 2016.

The University of Virginia, University of Texas at Austin, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan, and New York University top the list. The rankings considered factors such as the cost of attendance, the college program's reputation, and return on investment into their rankings.

College Choice's top 10 master's degree programs in accounting are as follows:

1) University of Virginia

2) University of Texas at Austin

3) University of Notre Dame

4) University of Michigan

5) New York University

6) University of Pennsylvania

7) Miami University Ohio

8) Texas A&M University

9) Baylor University

10) Michigan State University

"Accountants are visible in every business, every major corporation, and even in government agencies," said Robert Hand, lead editor for the ranking, in a statement. "Some go into private practice for themselves, helping people do their taxes, while others work in law firms, helping to discern off-shore practices and other related services that pertain to the accounting practices of their businesses. Right now, accountants rank as number three in the best jobs to have in the current market. And spending one extra year in school is enough to make a salary jump by $10,000 per year just starting out."

For the full ranking, head to College Choice's site here.
Paychex reported a modest increase in small business employment in April for the fourth consecutive month.

The Paychex | IHS Small Business Jobs Index, which the payroll giant compiles with the research firm IHS, ticked up modestly in April, increasing to 100.77, compared to 100.74 in March. Following a 0.28 percent one-month gain in January, the national index has increased in the following three months by 0.12 percent.

With the April index were up about 0.4 percent in the first few months of 16, so were seeing a nice stable improvement over the first four months, and its probably the best stability that its had in the 10 years that weve done the index, said Paychex president and CEO Martin Mucci. Its also just half a percentage point off the high of two years ago in 2014, so were continuing to see good moderate employment growth from small businesses, and it seems to be pretty steady.

At 101.87, the Mountain region continues to be the leading regional index in the survey. Washington State expanded its performance as the top state by moving to an index level above 104, while Seattle again ranks as the top metropolitan area for small business job growth.

Seattle continues to accelerate and is doing well over last year, said Mucci. Dallas comes in second, but it has really dropped off. I think the low cost of oil is driving down not only Houston now but Dallas as well to some degree.

There was little movement among regions in April as the Mountain region remained at the top of the index, gaining 0.13 percent from March. Both were under 100 at this time last year. The Middle Atlantic and New England regions saw the best 12-month growth rates, at 0.77 percent and 0.57 percent, respectively. The Mid-Atlantic has increased 0.74 percent in 2016 and has moved up from last place at the end of 2015 to sixth place among regions. The West North Central was the only region below 100, likely due to the struggling energy sector.

Washington jumped above 104 on the index, with another sizable increase in April as it remains the top-ranked state index. Ranked third among states, North Carolina saw small business employment conditions continue to improve, as its index has climbed 1.72 percent so far in 2016. Up 2.29 percent from last April, New Jersey has the best 12-month growth rate among states, as its index is trending near a three-year high. Illinois has fallen to the bottom of the state ranking, with its fifth drop in the last six months and the largest year-over-year decline, of -1.82 percent, though the states total employment situation has improved this year.

The Mountain and Northwest regions, and the South, continue to be pretty good, said Mucci. Housing in Florida and states in the South is still pretty strong. New York, New England and the Mid-Atlantic had a nice bump up over last year, but they had kind of a low point last year, particularly in the Atlantic City, New Jersey area. While theyve had the nicest increases in the Northeast, in the Middle Atlantic, I think its been more of a recovery than anything.

Specific industries showed little movement in April compared to March, with leisure and hospitality posting the strongest month, up 0.24 percent. Construction had the lowest one-month growth rate at -0.15 percent, but employment growth in that sector remains strong with an index level above 102. Education and health services maintained a solid start in 2016 as its index ticked up slightly to 101.16. Besides the top-ranked Other Services (except public administration) industry, Education and health services is the only other industry to show a positive year-over-year growth rate, 0.44 percent. At 98.84, manufacturing is down 0.63 percent during the last quarter and 1.14 percent during the last year, faring worst among the various industry sectors.

Other Services still seems to be the strongest, which is personal care, including pet care and other discretionary income items, said Mucci. Leisure and hospitality had the best increase. The good news is that people feel like they can spend more. Lower gas and fuel prices probably help on that. Thats been very positive. Manufacturing is still at the bottom, and I think the strong dollar continues to hurt there.

Paychex also found that part-time employment is up about 4 percentage points in recent years, making up nearly 10 percent of employment now. From three years ago, its up 4 percentage points, so its a pretty big jump in part-time, said Mucci.

Part-time job growth may be due to the rise of the so-called gig economy, along with a desire by many employers to avoid the extra cost of benefits such as health insurance and 401(k) matches.

Were still seeing, both by choice and not by choice, people are taking multiple jobs to give themselves flexibility in their work hours, but its also probably easier to find those jobs, said Mucci. The negative side of multiple part-time jobs is youre not getting enough hours in one place to get the full benefits. Some businesses are doing that to avoid having the health care costs and some of the requirements from the Affordable Care Act.

Accountants can advise their small business clients about how to deal with the impact of these trends, including new overtime rules that are expected from the U.S. Department of Labor this year. The Labor Department has reportedly lowered the salary threshold from $50,440 in the proposed rule to $47,000.

Were waiting for the final words to come out, but it looks like the threshold has now dropped down from $50,440 to $47,000, he said. That will help save some businesses from having the full increase of those costs in overtime. I think this is where accountants can help when the rules change like that. Many small businesses would not be aware at all as to what the rule change is, that theres been a last-minute change. That could have a real impact on them. Weve also seen that theres a lot more enforcement of rules like that. There also appears to be increased regulatory scrutiny of employee schedulinghow are you scheduling people, are you giving them adequate time, do you have them come in but then make them go home because you dont have enough work? A lot of those rules are starting to be scrutinized by the state attorneys general. I think small businesses could really use their accountants help on what are the rules, where do I have flexibility, and where do I not have flexibility?

Other areas to watch for small business clients include minimum wage increases along with paid sick leave and family leave laws that are starting to be approved in various states and cities.

[IMGCAP(1)]
(Bloomberg) The man who uncovered secret Luxembourg deals that helped companies slash tax rates was actually looking for training documents when he stumbled upon the files on his computer at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

On the eve of his departure from the accounting firm in 2010, Antoine Deltour wasnt fully aware of what he had discovered. He copied the folder and within half an hour had about 45,000 pages detailing confidential tax agreements that became known as the LuxLeaks.

Deltours discovery triggered the first in a wave of scandals over how thousands of international companies, including Walt Disney Co., Microsoft Corp.s Skype and PepsiCo Inc., moved money around the globe to avoid taxes. It also landed him in trouble after PwC sued and prosecutors charged him and two other men with theft and violation of business secrets.

I had discovered gradually the administrative practice of these deals, Deltour, 30, told a three-judge panel at his trial in Luxembourg Tuesday. The opportunity to have stumbled over this folder led me to copy it at that moment without a clear goal in mind, knowing about the sensitive and highly confidential nature of these files.

Isolated, Alone

Deltour felt a bit surprised by the volume of the files and didnt immediately do anything with this mass of information, he told the court. He felt isolated and alone and unsure of who to turn to.

Months later he was contacted by journalist Edouard Perrin, who was working on a documentary about tax practices. The pair met only once, at Deltours home in Nancy, France, where Deltour said he needed a moment before handing over the files.

Of course I hesitated, Deltour told the judge. I went to smoke a cigarette on the balcony to think a few moments about this.

The resulting 2012 documentary by Perrin, who is also a defendant in the case, led to interest from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The group put the documents online in 2014, triggering the LuxLeaks scandal.

Perrin, 44, another French citizen, was charged in April 2015 with being the accomplice of Raphael Halet, another ex-PwC staffer who is accused of stealing 16 corporate tax returns from the accounting firm and giving them to the journalist. Perrin is also accused of having urged Halet to search for specific documents, a charge both men rejected.

Perrin faced questions Tuesday about how exactly he had found Deltour and under what circumstances they met. A recurring theme in all three cases was whether at any point anyone received money. The answer was always no.

It was clear to me that he had very strong convictions about the impact of these fiscal practices on the system in Luxembourg and other countries, Perrin told the judge after being asked about Deltour. He realized how this was all about a systematic plundering of fiscal resources which was exactly the topic of the documentary he was working on.

Halet, who didnt know Deltour, had access to tax files that were already in Perrins possession. Halet then said he could provide additional documents, and offered tax returns by big companies. Perrin said in his 2012 documentary, he only used files concerning Amazon.com Inc. and ArcelorMittal.

EU Probe

The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc.

Global attention has switched to the discovery of documents known as the Panama Papers. The same group of investigative journalists who published the LuxLeaks data published files from a Panamanian law firm that disclosed how billions of dollars are hidden in tax havens.
We all know how wed like to begin our days: lounging in a plush bathrobe, a latte in one hand, a good book in the other.

Whether or not someone in your family has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), thats not likely to happen. Especially on school days, when you have to make sure everyone wakes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, and gets to school and work on time.

Did he have enough to eat? Did she remember her homework? Did you grab your cell phone?

You wont be able to avoid busyness at the beginning of your day, but you can start working towards happy mornings by creating an island of calm in your daily routine. Heres how:

Ask for Help!

Call a family meeting to decide who will be responsible for which tasks each morning. For example, Dad will make sure the kids get dressed and brush their teeth, and Mom will take care of breakfast and the carpool. Dont forget to assign tasks  like loading the dishwasher  to the children, too.

[Free Download: Sample Schedules for Reliable Routines]

Draw up a schedule, and post it for all to see. If you have young children with ADHD, include photos or illustrations representing the tasks that they need to do, so that they will understand their responsibilities.

Use a timer to move things along, if necessary. One family I worked with tape-recorded their morning schedule, splicing in various songs as accompaniment, and played the tape each morning.

They knew that when they heard When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, everyone should head to the breakfast table.

Shift Tasks to the Night Before

The more you do before you go to bed, the less youll need to cram into the following morning. Switching from a morning to an evening shower is a great way to ease the morning crunch. Ditto for running the dishwasher (so youll have clean dishes in time for breakfast) and doing the laundry (just be sure not to leave wet clothes in the washer overnight).

What else can you do the night before? Quite a lot, actually

Lay out tomorrows clothing, for yourself as well as for your children. Do you often have trouble deciding what to wear? Hang complete outfits together in your closet, or list all the components of outfits youve enjoyed wearing in the past on index cards and keep the stack by your closet. Keep your childrens matching shirts and pants in the same drawer or on the same hanger, so they can find them without your assistance.

[Personal Story: Morning Is My Sons Nemesis]

Gather everything that youll take with you the next day  briefcase, umbrella, dry cleaning, letters to mail, library books to return on your lunch hour, and so on. Assemble them in one place, near the door you exit from in the morning. A box, basket, or shelf designated for this purpose will help everyone stay organized.

Make lunches, distribute lunch money, and pack your childrens backpacks. Teach your kids to get everything ready for the next day before they go to bed. This will help you avoid last-minute searches for shoes or homework  and the announcement from a tearful child that I dont have any clean clothes.

Give Your Brain Time to Wake Up

If you take stimulant medication in the morning, keep your pills in a bedside drawer and a glass of water on your nightstand, so you can take one before getting out of bed. Some people take the pill upon waking, then spend another 20 minutes or so in bed. You can set the snooze alarm and doze off again  or simply relax.

Be sure youre out of bed at least 30 minutes before its time to wake the kids. Steal a few moments for yourself. Scan the newspaper. Gaze at the birds in the back yard. Once your children are up, you may be able to enjoy an actual conversation with them, rather than simply yelling, Hurry up, its time to go!

Grab-and-Go Breakfast

Maintain a ready supply of breakfast foods that you and your kids can eat quickly. No matter how carefully you plan your morning routine, there will be days when you and your children are running behind schedule. When that happens, it helps to be able to go to a single drawer or cabinet in your kitchen to find bread, cereal, syrup, coffee, sugar, tea, mugs, bowls, and so on.

In addition to maintaining a breakfast drawer, its a good idea to keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with nutritious, easy-to-grab foods. Some favorites include: orange juice, protein bars, low-fat muffins, bananas, hard-boiled eggs, single-serving cartons of yogurt, and individually wrapped sticks of mozzarella.

Aim to Be Ahead of Schedule

Sounds impossible, I know. But think about it: If your childs school or your employer announced that your day would begin 15 minutes earlier than usual, youd make the adjustment somehow.

Last-minute departures make your commute not only more stressful but also more dangerous. When you cut things too close, getting stuck behind a bus or missing a green light tempts you to make up for lost time by darting into another lane or speeding through a yellow light.

But if youve got 10 minutes to spare, you can go with the flow in the carpool lane and get to work with your peace of mind intact.

[The Secret to No-Nag, Never-Late Mornings]
Diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit are keys to moving forward. Accepting your diagnosis and having the courage to own your symptoms and to discover your strengths will push you across the finish line. These inspiring women did just that  and were able to meet their goals and achieve career dreams.

Read how each of these women with ADHD handled their diagnosis, developed workable treatment strategies, and had the resilience to get back up when life had her down.

Michelle Rodriguez

A self-described scatterbrain who forged ahead to become a top actress in Hollywood

Michelle Rodriguez is known for playing tough, sexy women in the TV series Lost (#CommissionsEarned) and in the Fast & Furious (#CommissionsEarned) movies. In 2006, Rodriguez admitted she had ADHD in an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine. She said she decided against taking medication, but she was afraid that her attention deficit would thwart her career dreams. I want to write and direct, but its not easy with ADHD. I have a hard time focusing when Im alone. Im a scatterbrain. As it turns out, Rodriguezs concerns were unwarranted.

During her childhood, Rodriguezs family moved around a lot. She was born in 1978, in Texas, and she lived in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic before her family settled in New Jersey, when she was 11 years old. She dropped out of high school, but later went back to get her GED.

Any problems she had in school didnt keep her from a successful acting career. After several jobs as an extra in movies, Rodriguez saw a notice for an audition in Backstage and took a chance, even though she had never before auditioned for a speaking role. She landed the lead in Girlfight (#CommissionsEarned), beating out 350 other women for the part. She received the 2001 Best Debut Performance Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.

[Self-Test: ADHD Symptoms in Women and Girls]

When Rodriguez went on her second audition, she walked away with a part in The Fast and the Furious. She hasnt stopped acting since, appearing in over 20 films and several TV series since 2000, as well as doing voice work for several video games. In 2005 she was in the cast that won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Rodriquez has had rough times in her life, like many people diagnosed with ADHD. In 2006 she was charged with a DUI and, in 2009, she attempted to attack a photographer who got too close to her. By her own admission, she partied hard. Rodriguez discovered a pattern about herself: She rebels, realizes that she is hurting herself, and works to get her life back on track.

In 2013, Rodriguez told Cosmopolitan Latinas that she planned to take a break from acting to try her hand at writing and directing. Sometimes you gotta believe, she said. And sometimes you may be wrong. But until you try it and put it out there, you cant let anybody have an opinion about it. Thats how you get it done.

Brookley Wofford

A shy, withdrawn ADHD student who turned into a beauty queen and advocate

Brookley Wofford builds brand awareness through social media, public awareness campaigns, and multimedia platforms. She has worked with small start-up firms, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies over her career. In addition, Wofford was the first columnist for Kaleidoscope Society, an online magazine created to empower women with ADHD.

Wofford was diagnosed with ADHD in second grade. Before the diagnosis, teachers had suggested that she be screened for autism. She was in the gifted program, read well above her grade level, but preferred spending recess in a quiet corner reading a book rather than playing with her classmates. Doing group projects made her so fearful that she sometimes had her mother pick her up from school rather than face them.

Wofford daydreamed when taking tests, doodling as if she had no control over her pencil, even though she knew the answers. She did better on tests when taking them alone in a quiet room.

Woffords mother wanted to know why her daughter struggled at school. When she found that her daughter had ADHD, many of her behaviors made sense. Wofford remembers feeling happy during the months after her diagnosis, and she blossomed socially and academically.

Wofford blossomed in other ways, as well. In 2012, she won the title of Miss Mississippi International, and, in 2015, she was crowned Miss Minnesota United States. Her program, Unlocking Confidence Through the Arts, is an effort to bridge the educational gaps of students with ADHD, especially those in low-income schools and in schools without art programs. She is also involved with Art Buddies and is a national spokesperson for Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD).

Wofford believes now that her ADHD gives her a roadmap for success. She uses medication, on a limited basis, and exercise and nutrition to curb symptoms. What helps her the most is art: being creative, helping others through Art Buddies, and being an advocate for the ADHD community. These activities relieve the stress that often accompanies her efforts to manage her own ADHD symptoms.

Wofford keeps a notebook of her success stories and photos of past moments that make her feel proud. When she doubts herself, she looks through the book to remember what she has achieved. This helps her look to the future with confidence.

[Read: Leading Ladies with ADHD]

Marta Bot

A makeup artist to the stars whose goal is to accept, not hide, her own ADHD

Modeling in New York City led Marta Bota down the path of makeup artistry. She is a freelance makeup artist whose career has spanned more than two decades. She has done makeup for the on-air talent and celebrity guests on CNN, FOX News Channel, CNBC, MSNBC, and HBO. Working with makeup uses Botas creative gifts. Artistic expression has always been therapeutic for me, says Bota.

Botas diagnosis came about when her son was being evaluated for attention deficit. The doctor handed her a questionnaire about her sons behaviors. As she read over the questions, she recalled having the same challenges as a teen.

Several months later, after her mothers death, Bota found her old report cards stored in boxes. On the back of them, were comments such as Trouble paying attention and Needs to learn to focus. She was in the gifted and talented program, but she struggled to keep up with the work and to stay on task. That was her Aha moment. She decided to get tested for ADHD and to find ways to cope with the condition.

Bota had developed coping strategies before her diagnosis. She knew that a 9-to-5 career wasnt for her, so she started her own makeup firm, MB Face Design. What she likes most about it is that there is no routine  every day is different. She taught herself how to get things done by moving among several projects to avoid being bored by one of them.

Bota focuses on the positives of ADHD. She has more energy and gets more done in a day than many neurotypical people do, she says. She is creative and resourceful. Most of all, she learned to forgive herself and accept her condition.

In 2014, Bota received the title of Mrs. DC DuPont Circle America. Her platform was ADHD Awareness, Diagnosis, and Treatment. She also runs the ADHD Help and Hope Network on Facebook, giving inspiration and information on managing symptoms to thousands of fellow people with ADHD.

Jenna Knight

An ADHD coach who guides other women to overcome their own ADHD

Jenna Knight is an ADHD coach who works with women diagnosed with the condition. Her own struggles help her understand what other women are going through.

Knight was diagnosed with a learning disability in early elementary school. Her teachers noticed that it was hard for her to focus, but they didnt suspect she had ADHD. During her school years, Knight struggled with organization. She remembers when her mother was asked to come in to look at her desk at school. Among many other items, there were half-eaten sandwiches stuffed inside the desk. The look of disappointment on her mothers face remains with Knight.

Her teen years werent much better. She hung out with the wrong crowd and used alcohol and drugs. She was in frequent fights and, at 16, was placed in foster care. A year later, she returned home and graduated from high school. After graduation, Knight left home and drifted from job to job.

In 1995, Knight got sober. She enrolled in a community college, where she was diagnosed with ADHD. When she first took medication, she said, Wow, I can finally focus, and I can sit still. It was a few years, however, before she made progress in her life.

Knights epiphany came after going back to school, and receiving her bachelors degree in urban studies. Knight got involved with an LD/ADHD Task Force in Massachusetts and learned more about ADHD and how to manage symptoms. She realized that medication alone wasnt enough.

In time, Knight became an advocate for adults with LD and ADHD, working with the Massachusetts Statewide Rehabilitation Council, in Boston. There she met an ADHD coach, pursued a coaching career, and started her own firm, Never Defeated Coaching, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

She struggles to keep track of the details of her business, but she cant imagine a line of work that would bring her more satisfaction.

Margaux Joffe

A consultant and producer who believes that ADHDers can help create a better world

Margaux Joffe is an award-winning producer, creative consultant, and advertising professional. Her goal is to use media to inspire and educate others. She has produced, among other projects, public health campaigns, a documentary to raise awareness of human trafficking in India, and a campaign for prevention of sexual assault.

Joffe spent years believing that her difficulties with organization and time management were personal flaws. She tried living like neurotypical people do and suffered periods of depression and anxiety when she couldnt pull it off.

One day, as Joffe strolled through IKEA with her mother, she found the noise, crowds, and lights overwhelming. She shut down emotionally. Her mother called her a few days later to discuss the possibility of ADHD. As her mother ticked off the symptoms, Joffe had a watershed moment. She made an appointment with a psychiatrist, who diagnosed her as having ADHD.

After her diagnosis, at the age of 29, Joffe had mixed feelings. The diagnosis explained many things about her life, but she didnt want to think of herself as disordered or having a deficit. Understanding ADHD freed her to find a path to success.

Owning attention deficit. Joffe works with a psychotherapist and uses traditional treatment methods to manage ADHD symptoms. Self-care is essential for her overall wellbeing and daily functioning. She makes sure she gets enough sleep and she exercises regularly. Yoga improves her focus, memory, and mindfulness. Because Joffes brain is always racing, she follows her 24-hour rule: She waits a day before committing to working on any new idea or project.

To help herself and other women with ADHD, Joffe started the Kaleidoscope Society, an online magazine that shares positive stories of women living with the condition, and offers resources to help them manage their lives, relationships, and careers.

The key is to own your ADHD and to stop trying to please others, says Joffe. Those of us with ADHD have a sensitive heart, a creative mind, and incredible energy. We have the power to lead our generation to do things in a better way.

Caitlin DAprano

An entrepreneur who empowers other women to believe in themselves and their ideas

Caitlin DAprano is a business consultant and the founder of WillPowered Woman, which gives support, encouragement, and opportunity to single women who are experiencing violence or abuse from partners in the San Francisco area. She also founded and runs a womens accessory company, WPW, which sells products made from fish leather.

DAprano was diagnosed with ADHD in 2015, and this gave her a new perspective on life. It helped explain why she impulsively decided to give up her life and job in London and move to San Francisco a year earlier. The diagnosis allowed her find the solutions and strategies to help her succeed.

DAprano went to high school in Australia. She struggled with the schools narrow teaching methods. When giving tests, teachers preferred that students answer math problems in order  no skipping around. DAprano broke the rules one year by answering the questions she knew and circling back to tackle the tougher ones. She earned top of the class that year. When her teachers found out, they forced her to follow the rules, and DAprano didnt complete any math test after that.

DAprano attended the University of Melbourne, in a three-year program, but it took her five years to complete, because of her inability to focus and her impulsiveness.

ADHD helps DAprano think creatively as a business consultant. It allows her to see challenges from different angles and to offer creative solutions to clients. Having more than one business helps keep her focused. Says DAprano: I get bored working on the same things, so I have several different projects I work on.

Living with ADHD is a challenge for DAprano. To get things done, she uses to-do lists, blocks out time on her calendar to focus on a particular task, and gives herself strict deadlines. With these strategies in place, she finds that ADHD hasnt gotten in the way of success or happiness.

DApranos mission is to empower women. She thinks that many women who have been diagnosed with ADHD hold themselves back. Her advice? Be kind to yourself, believe in yourself, surround yourself with people who believe in you, and quiet those negative voices that tell you that you are never going to get anywhere.

[Read: 75 Tricks By (and For!) Women with ADHD]

#CommissionsEarned As an Amazon Associate, ADDitude earns a commission from qualifying purchases made by ADDitude readers on the affiliate links we share. However, all products linked in the ADDitude Store have been independently selected by our editors and/or recommended by our readers. Prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication
From job opportunities to personal income to marital relationships, theres hardly an area in which American women havent made great strides in recent decades. But when it comes to getting diagnosed with and treated for ADHD, women still have a long way to go.

ADHD in Women

Women are as likely as men to have ADHD, and the latest research suggests that ADHD in women causes even greater emotional turmoil. Despite widespread improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, some professionals still may harbor the belief that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is something that primarily affects boys and men  not girls and women. Consequently, women with ADHD are more likely than men to go undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed), and less likely to receive appropriate treatment.

ADHD is still presumed to be a male disorder, says Fred Reimherr, M.D., director of the University of Utah Mood Disorders Clinic and the lead author of a recent study that found that ADHD has a disproportionate impact on women. The women had a much more frequent history of having been diagnosed with other emotionally based psychiatric illnesses, such as a mood disorder or anxiety. I think those symptoms are often the things that a physician treating adults focuses on. A woman might come in presenting emotional symptoms, and the ADHD thats underneath might be missed.

Girls Versus Boys

Underdiagnosis of ADHD in women has its roots in childhood. Girls with ADHD tend to try harder than their male counterparts to compensate for and cover up symptoms. To keep up their grades, girls are often more willing to put in extra hours of studying and to ask their parents for help.

In addition, girls are more likely to be people pleasers, doing all they can to fit in  even when they know they are different.

[Self-Test: ADHD Symptoms in Women and Girls]

Teachers are often the first to identify the signs of ADHD in children. Yet because some teachers still think of ADHD as a male disorder, they tend to suspect the disorder in boys but not girls. This is true whether girls exhibit the hyperactive (cant sit still), the inattentive (daydreaming in a corner), or the combined version of the disorder.

Most people have a misperception that ADHD is a disorder of hyperactive elementary school-aged boys, says Patricia Quinn, M.D, a developmental pediatrician in Washington, D.C., and a leading expert in gender aspects of ADHD. When they see behaviors in girls, even disruptive behaviors, the girls still go undiagnosed.

Clinical psychologist Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D., runs a private clinic in Silver Spring, Maryland, that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and learning disorders. She says that she sees many cases in which women come to suspect that they have ADHD after struggling for years to balance the responsibilities of a job, a home, and child rearing.

Some women come to suspect whats at the root of their problems after seeing a report of ADHD in the media. Other women begin to suspect they have ADHD after a child of theirs has been diagnosed with the disorder.

In any case, many of the women who consult Nadeau do so only after months or years of frustration during which doctors were unable to provide relief for their problems.

The most common diagnosis of a woman before she receives her ADHD diagnosis is depression, says Nadeau. So many women have come in to my office and said, Ive been in therapy for years and Ive been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I am still having problems. Its maddening, and its such a treatable disorder. Theres no excuse for that.

According to Nadeau, many women go undiagnosed because the criteria doctors use to diagnose ADHD are outdated. For example, the criteria indicate that ADHD is to be considered as a potential diagnosis only if the patient has experienced significant symptoms from an early age. Yet, as doctors are starting to realize, many girls with ADHD fly under the radar during early years with the disorder.

[Read This: The Gender Gap in ADHD Diagnosis]

One Mothers Story

Rachael Hall, a 26-year-old mother of three from Sandy, Utah, spent years struggling with anxiety and depression  and never knew why. Whenever anything went wrong in her life, she overreacted.

Hall, a patient at Reimherrs clinic, recalls falling apart during her honeymoon because she couldnt decipher a set of driving directions: I told my husband, Why dont you just leave me? Im worthless. One little thing would just blow out of proportion. And then I would start to feel guilty afterward, and the more guilt I felt, the more depressed I got.

The stresses of motherhood made things even worse for Hall. While she was expecting her third child, she broke down and was hospitalized for depression. Doctors prescribed an antidepressant. It didnt work at all, she says. It made it like I didnt care. It took away everything. I didnt feel happiness. I didnt feel sorrow.

After the birth of her daughter, Hall began experiencing frequent outbursts of anger. One second I would be fine, and the next second Id be a raging banshee, she recalls. I was so mean to the people I cared about. I couldnt do it anymore.

Hall thought she might be suffering from postpartum depression. But her obstetrician ruled that out, saying it was too long past her delivery date for that to be a possibility.

One day, Hall saw an ad for a mood disorders study at Reimherrs clinic. She decided to enroll.

I got frustrated at first, she recalls. I told my husband, Well, I must be on a placebo, because its not working. Then as soon as I started into the second five weeks, I noticed a difference.

She didnt know it at the time, but during the second five weeks, she was taking the ADHD medication Concerta. The medication seemed to make her thinking more logical. She was less forgetful, less edgy. Im just generally in a better mood, she says. I feel happy. I dont blow things out of proportion.

Since continuing with treatment, Halls relationship with her family has improved, and she no longer feels awkward in social situations. Ive always been the hyperactive, talkative, center-of-attention type, she says. Im a very friendly person, but to the point where I would embarrass myself. Now Im able to be the center of attention and be funny and have people like me, but not to the point that I become obnoxious.

Pressure to Perform

Nadeau says Halls experience is far from unique. The pressure on women to be organized, self-controlled, to be the one whos keeping everybody else organized, is a societal expectation thats very deeply ingrained, she says. Women feel very much a failure if they cant keep their house in order. There is a tremendous toll of having to keep up appearances, struggling, having embarrassing moments. Things like, I forgot to pick my kids up after soccer practice, and they were the only ones left standing out there. Its a very public failure, and women are often not forgiven for these types of things. With a man, theyll say, Oh hes so busy, of course he forgot.'

Quinn agrees, adding that the very fact that a woman senses that she is different from her peers is often difficult to bear.

She may, for example, develop anxiety, demoralization, low self-esteem, and looks depressed, says Quinn. So shes painfully aware. She really does suffer, but she suffers silently.

Financial Costs and Missed Opportunities

As if emotional problems werent enough, ADHD may also bring significant financial costs.

Youre constantly paying for your disorganization and forgetfulness, says Nadeau. Youre losing your glasses, so you have to buy a new pair. You get a parking ticket because you lost track of time and the meter ran out. Things like that may happen frequently in the life of someone with ADHD.

Lyle Hawkins, a 59-year-old mother of three, long suspected that she had ADHD, but didnt get diagnosed or treated until age 40. She regrets all those years of being misperceived as lazy and careless. But most of all, she laments lost opportunities. Hawkins married right out of high school, but she feels that she likely would have gone to college instead if she had been effectively diagnosed and treated in her early years.

I was from a very educated family, where education was really important, says Hawkins, a patient of Dr. Reimherrs, who is also from Sandy, Utah. But college would have been too stressful. When you have attention deficit, everybodys on page 10 and youre on page three.

Hope for the Future

The medical community is waking up to the fact that ADHD is a big problem for girls and that the condition often persists into adulthood, says Nadeau. For now, she says, any woman who suspects she has ADHD should educate herself about the condition  and consult a mental-health professional who specializes in the field.

Quinn says a doctors credentials matter less than his or her understanding of, and experience with, treating ADHD in women.

Many women find that their general practitioner, if he treats ADHD in older adolescents, can be helpful, Quinn says. Usually a psychiatrist or a therapist is the best equipped to diagnose the disorder in women.

If a woman is feeling depressed, it makes sense for a doctor to diagnose her with depression and treat her for it. But if she has reason to believe that there is more to her problem (or if procrastination, time management problems, and forgetfulness persist, despite treatment for depression), it may also make sense to question the diagnosis  and to persist in questioning until she gets relief for her symptoms.

Should she switch doctors? Says Quinn, She should switch if she is not being listened to, if her point of view is not being acknowledged or respected.

Even when the diagnosis comes late in life, women know how to use their new awareness to their advantage. Lyle Hawkins, the 59-year-old mother of three, recognized many of her ADHD behaviors in her children. Not wanting them to go through the same thing, Hawkins made sure they got diagnosed  early. If they had not had me for a mother, she says, they would have fallen through the cracks.

[A Symptom Checklist for ADHD in Women]

Resources for Women with ADHD

Our website contains a wealth of information for women and girls with ADHD. Other valuable sites include:

addresources.org, helpful information and a list of professionals who specialize in ADD.
Why Am I Always Late?

Time management is a big problem for people with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD). Everyone is late on occasion, but many with ADHD run behind schedule more often than not. They are late to meetings. They stand up their friends. They pick up the kids late from school. They leave others waiting as they scramble to finish last-minute tasks or find misplaced wallets, cell phones, or keys.

People with ADHD dont intend to be inconsiderate or disrespectful. Its not an attitude. But because of chronic tardiness, theyre often perceived that way. That misperception is one of the reasons why people with ADHD have trouble maintaining good relationships with friends, family members, and co-workers.

What It Means to be On Time

Adults with ADHD often think they should arrive at the scheduled start of an appointment or meeting. Big mistake. Its always safer to plan on arriving 15 minutes early. That way, if you run into traffic or experience some other delay, theres a good chance you will still make it on time.

When setting a time to get together, take a lesson from effective salespeople: Underpromise and overdeliver. That is, say youll be there by such-and-such a time, but get there early.

If youre worried that you might become bored if you have to wait, bring along a book or magazine  or plan on using the time to write a letter, make a phone call, or take a walk.

[Get This Free Guide: Be On Time, Every Time]

How Long Does It Really Take?

Time yourself on frequently traveled routes. You may be surprised to find that your 10-minute trip to the grocery store really takes 20 minutes. Stop underestimating your transit time.

If youre planning a trip youve never made before, look up the route on an online service, like Google Maps, to find out how long the trip will take. If youll be traveling during rush hour, add an extra 20 percent to your estimate.

Not One Alarm, But Two

Starting with the time of your appointment, work backward until you figure out when you need to leave your home or workplace. Set an alarm clock or watch (or a cell phone or computer) to go off five minutes before that time  and a second alarm to go off five minutes later.

When the first alarm sounds, stop whatever youre doing and jot a quick sentence or two on a sticky note indicating where you left off. Try to be out of the door before the second alarm sounds.

[Click to Read: Hate to Wait? Heres Help]

Getting Out the Door

If youre among those who suffer from I-cant-find-it syndrome, the best remedy is obvious: better preparation. Think about what youll wear, and lay out your clothes in advance. Place everything youll need to take along by the door in cubbies labeled by day. Think about where youre going, and make sure you have good directions and the telephone number of the person youre meeting  in case you get lost or run into traffic.

Because theyre so distractible, its almost impossible for many with ADHD to make it out the door on time. It can help to develop a system that stops you from doing just one more thing.

Some of my clients find that they can avoid being sidetracked on their way to the car by reminding themselves of what theyre doing, out loud and repeatedly: Im going to the car, Im going to the car, Im going to the car. Other clients use some sort of visual cue, such as the dial of a Time Timer device. Find what works for you.

Imagine Failure  and Success

Those with ADHD often underestimate the consequences of showing up late to important meetings. To counter this tendency, spend a few seconds imagining what the waiting person would think and feel. What would she say? What sort of facial expression would she have?

Now imagine the look of approval and the friendly greeting you get when you show up on time. Bask in that feeling of success as you move toward your goal.

[Read This Next: Are You Time-Blind?]

Michele Novotni, Ph.D., is a member of the ADDitude ADHD Medical Review Panel.

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Leading Consumer Brands Collaborate To Launch The Womens Online Shopping Festival #WOSF

Taking place from May 1 to 8, 2016, at www.wosf.in, WOSF has been conceptualised by Velvetcase.com and is bringing together vertical leaders from various categories, ranging from beauty, jewellery, electronics, innerwear, eyewear, accessories to apparel and bridal, addressing the needs of today's women.

 Upto 4x growth in visitor traffic on individual brand sites

 Spike in sales for brand partners

 WOSF site traffic more than doubling each day - run rate of 5.5 million annualized now

The Womens Online Shopping Festival (WOSF) is a flagship annual online shopping event conceptualized by VelvetCase.com, that has been brought together by a collective of brands that are vertical leaders in various categories - A first in India. Culminating on Mothers Day (May 8, 2016), this collaboration includes t Lenskart, Voonik, Titan Raga, Uber, Yes Bank, Croma, Yatra, Purplle, FirstCry, Clovia, MissMalini Publishing, Weddingz, Mobikwik and FirstPost among others, and aims to provide their curated collections at the best promotional prices.

VelvetCase.coms Founder and CEO, Kapil Hetamsaria says, I am super-excited to see how an idea born over a dinner conversation a few months ago has snowballed into an event that has the potential of becoming a premier annual property driven by leading brands. It has truly been a gratifying experience, seeing the level of collaboration and enthusiasm across all the participating brands, be it Croma with a dominant offline presence or a Lenskart and Voonik who are killing it in the e-comm space or then leading content players - MissMalini.com and FirstPost - who already influence buying behaviours thus helping market upstream in the customer acquisition process. With all brands unified by one common factor - to bring the best and widest range of products and offers to the woman shopper - I look at it as a win-win-win situation. One for the brands, one for the consumer and one for the overall online eco-system.

This shopping festival will be introducing special deals and offers, to provide great basket value to the Indian female consumer. WOSF will include all the essential categories such as apparel and fashion, beauty, jewellery, eyewear, lingerie, Bridal, moms & kids, electronics, home & kitchen, and travel. Apart from the discounts, several brands will also be launching new product lines as well at WOSF 2016.

Manish Taneja, Founder & CEO of beauty brand Purplle has this to say, WOSF is off to a fantastic start, bringing not only all the e-commerce giants together, but also making it women-oriented - just in time for Mothers Day. Purplle.com is proud to be associated with WOSF and is eagerly looking forward to its amazing success!

Leading consumer brands that have been thriving in the e-commerce ecosystem, are coming together for the first time, to work side-by-side and develop this one stop shopping destination for todays modern women in India. This integrated approach has allowed this collective of non-competitive vertical leaders with similar target audiences, to lower cost of acquisition while providing more choices to consumers, all in one destination. With each company deploying their own assets for the greater good of the collective, the organic marketing reach multiplies manifold.

Sujal Shah, CXO at MissMalini added, Women play an integral part in the continuing growth story of e-commerce in India. For years, MissMalini has served women engaging content from Bollywood, Fashion, and Lifestyle; content that directly and indirectly influences purchasing decisions. We are always looking to support innovative ideas that benefit our readers. WOSF is a great example of this mantra. Its a collective of like-minded companies, working together to deliver more value to women shoppers in India. Were excited to play a lead role in evangelizing this one of a kind event organized by Velvetcase.

Upasana Taku, Co-founder, MobiKwik said, "It's exciting to be a part of WOSF. We are happy to join the festival as the exclusive wallet partner. MobiKwik will ensure that women face no hassles when making payments for their shopping purchases. With cashbacks on offer, we will also sweeten the deal for many!"

Sujayath Ali, CEO & Co-Founder, Voonik.com added, "At Voonik, we've always believed that women need a separate platform for fashion discovery as their shopping needs are different from that of men. We see a similar vision behind WOSF and are delighted to be the apparel partner. We want to celebrate the spirit of mother's day by making festive offers available across categories."

Following the week-long festival, 2% of the total GMV will be donated to Smile Foundation, the NGO partner of WOSF, to help fund their efforts in child education, women empowerment and supporting girl child. #ShopForASmile.




Samara Capital announced that Sanjay Purohit, currently Managing Director, Levi Strauss India Pvt. Ltd., will be joining them as Partner - Consumer / Retail practice. Sanjays career spans 28+ years across strong consumer / retail companies, like Levi Strauss & Co., Cadbury India Limited, Mobil Gas and Asian Paints, where he has built and grown great brands and businesses. In his role at Levi Strauss India Pvt. Ltd., where he has been the Managing Director for the past 6 years, Sanjay has played a key role in transforming the business, driving both growth and profitability, while building a strong organizational culture and team.

We are delighted to have Sanjay come on board and join Samara Capital. We believe that Sanjay is one of those rare business leaders who is able to combine deep consumer understanding and strong strategic orientation with execution bias, focus on cash flows and team building to create valuable businesses. With Sanjays addition to our leadership team, Samaras consumer / retail capability will move to the next level, says Sumeet Narang, Founder and Managing Director, Samara Capital. He shares the Samara vision and belief that value-added private equity capital can transform and grow businesses rapidly while creating significant stakeholder value.

I am very excited to join Samara Capital, which has been one of the most active consumer / retail investors in India, with investee companies including Flemingo Duty Free, Monte Carlo Fashions, Guardian GNC, Paradise Foods and Sapphire Foods (KFC / Pizza Hut). Samara Capital believes in unleashing the power of human capital and entrepreneurship, to create superior stakeholder value, and this has been the principal factor in my decision to join their team. As an immediate task, I will assume responsibilities as CEO of Sapphire Foods and Board member on Paradise Foods and will work with the respective teams to grow these powerful brands profitably so as to take advantage of the immense opportunity in the food services space, says Sanjay Purohit.

Samara Capital is an entrepreneurially run, India focused private equity firm. Samara invests in emerging Indian companies (EICs), businesses that have the potential for rapid growth and transformation, when run by an entrepreneurial minded management team backed by sound processes and systems. Samara values the importance of building trust in all their business relationships and emphases medium to long term value creation, nimbleness, agility while running the businesses they invest in.
Supplier of wireless solutions, power supplies and electronics assemblies, Stadium Group, today announced the opening of its latest regional design centre, located at the Kista Science City in Stockholm, Sweden.

The new design centre supports the Groups customer-focused, design-led technology proposition and will focus primarily on serving its fast-growing wireless business. It will be steered by a team of high calibre wireless electronics design engineers and technical sales specialists whose combined experience brings expertise in the areas of mobile connectivity, machine-to-machine (M2M) and the Internet of Things (IoT).



The Kista design centre is the fourth to be introduced by Stadium over the past twelve months following the launch, in 2015, of three regional design centres in Shanghai, China and in Southampton and Norwich in the UK. The 200m office space and laboratory at the Kista Science City was chosen as the primary location for Stadiums wireless design activity, and as the hub for the Groups Technology Board, due to its recognised status as one of the worlds leading high-tech clusters, often referred to as Europes Wireless Valley.



Charlie Peppiatt, CEO at Stadium Group, commented: Stadiums wireless business pipeline continues to grow in this fast moving sector of M2M connectivity. By establishing a network of regional design centres in key locations across Europe and Asia, along with first-class manufacturing and fulfilment facilities, we are creating the right operating model to manage the scale of our existing design-led business and to harness future growth.



As an increasingly important player in the design of IoT and M2M technologies, Stadium has evolved as a go to integrator in certain specific vertical markets, including: aftermarket automotive, usage-based insurance (UBI), asset tracking, smart home, energy management, and wearables. Sizing its business with additional design engineering capability to address the growth in these and other markets is a priority for the Group, and has been a key factor in the selection of highly skilled engineers to head up the Kista design centre, providing extensive know-how across the wireless electronics sector.



Stadium Group plc is a leading supplier of wireless solutions, power supplies and electronic assemblies with design and manufacturing operations in the UK and Asia. Established for over a century, the company employs more than 700 people worldwide. Stadium specialises in providing niche electronic technologies to leading OEM customers in the healthcare, defence, aviation, marine, security, industrial, transport, energy and smart home markets.




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Yellow Ribbon honors children

Deploying Air Force reservists who are parents brought their children to military training here during the Month of the Military Child to interact with other youngsters in the same circumstances.



Its his second deployment so I know what to do and what to expect, but were still going to have a hard time without him and we will miss him, Olivia Ledezma, 15, said of her stepfather, Master Sgt. Ken Knight, an in-flight refueling technician with the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana.



They were among participants at April 22-24 training sponsored by the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, which promotes the well-being of reservists and their families by connecting them with resources before and after deployments.



This is my second event and I feel like its a great opportunity to meet new people, meet families that are going through the same thing, said Ledezma.



Yellow Ribbon began in 2008 following a congressional mandate for the Department of Defense to assist reservists and National Guard members in maintaining resiliency as they transition between their military and civilian roles. Each year, Yellow Ribbon trains 7,000 Air Force reservists and their loved ones in education benefits, health care, retirement information and more.



I think it difficult sometimes for families unless they understand exactly what we do on the Reserve side, said Knight. People (who) work in the Reserve, including my base, are spread all over. We have people that travel (to Grissom ARB) from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois and its amazing the community we have on the base but sometimes the families dont get to have that like the service member does.



Children received certificates of appreciation during a short ceremony, as did those attending a Yellow Ribbon event in Denver the same days. Ensuring every child in attendance was honored was the responsibility of Senior Master Sgt. Jackie Zawada, a Yellow Ribbon project manager at Air Force Reserve headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and a reservist with the 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base near Atlanta.



I love kids and I think they should be recognized, said Zawada, who runs youth programs for Yellow Ribbon. As April is the Month of the Military Child, we try to encourage families to really reach out and appreciate their kids.



Sometimes in the deployment process the needs of children can be marginalized because of the importance of the upcoming duty and all the details that accompany it, she said, while parents communicate to ensure daily functions can be accomplished during the reservists absence.



The children are not the ones that raised their hands, theyre not the ones that asked to be enlisted, said Zawada, a mother of two. Yet they still go through these deployments simultaneously with their family members.



According to the Military Child Education Coalition, nearly 2 million military-connected youths live with perpetual challenges presented by career moves, parental deployments, and a host of life transitions that include reintegration and dealing with profoundly changed parents. The well-being of these children depends heavily on a network of supportive adults.



For most Yellow Ribbon attendees, a military child is someone whose parent is either preparing to deploy or has recently returned from a deployment. However, one thing that makes the Air Force Reserve Command unique is the opportunity for some Airmen to serve in the communities where they grew up and still support the militarys global mission. Sometimes young deploying Airmen are accompanied to Yellow Ribbon events by their parents, who have the opportunity to hear some of the information firsthand, perhaps for the first time.



This is his first deployment and Im very excited for him, said Katie Foley, mother of Senior Airman Kevin Foley, a flight engineer with the 328th Airlift Squadron at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in New York. This is what hes wanted to do since he was very little. He joined the Air Force Reserve right out of high school and its been red, white and blue since he was 4 years old.



Katie Foley said she understands that this experience will make her have to say goodbye for awhile.



We live close to the base so we get to see him fly over the house in the C-130 all the time, she said. So Im going to miss that for the next few months. Its always that letting go thats hard.


The May issue of Airman magazine is now available to download and is viewable through a Web browser.In the cover story, titled We Chose This, youll go behind the scenes of the challenging training course required to become a Phoenix Raven at the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.In the next feature, you will read about the efforts of an officer and her spouse to support the wounded warrior support program through the care of 45 sled dogs for the Iditarod in Alaska.Lastly, youll read about flight attendants on Air Force One.You can download Airman magazines May issue for your tablet here:Airman magazine provides an interactive experience for tablet readers and a limited interactive version is viewable in Web browser format. To read this issue on your PC/Mac, click here For more stories, visit Airman Online , the website for the official magazine of the U.S. Air Force.
While growing up Kangana Ranaut, was stubborn and rebellious. If my father would gift my brother a plastic gun and get a doll for me, I would not accept that. I questioned the discrimination. These were her own words. She did not subscribe to the stereotypes that were expected of her and experimented with fashion from a young age, often pairing up accessories and clothes that would seem bizarre to her neighbours. The girl, who always lived on her terms and made it big to the world, suddenly come in limelight for unwanted controversies, this is not her first Bollywood affair. She is lady of many men in this industry. Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranauts nasty separation and subsequent court battle are hogging the limelight like their films. With new facts being reported almost every day, here is a compilation of the events and how people have reacted to this. Kangana and Hrithik have worked together twice, first in Kites (2010) and then in Krrish 3 (2013). During Kites, Hrithik was rumoured to be involved with his co-star Barbara Mori. Reports of Hrithik-Kangana affair started doing the rounds after Krrish 3. They are said to have come close to each other during the shooting of this film. The Hrithik-Kangana affair rumour gained momentum after the actor officially separated from his wife Sussanne in December 2013. Whatever is the reason for their separation but both are very much established and well-known actors and these rumours are really not in good taste. Moreover, why media is giving too much importance to such issues is big question on its credibility.

In Delhi, Ranaut was unsure which career to choose; the Elite Modelling Agency were impressed by her looks and suggested that she model for them. She took on a few modelling assignments, but generally disliked the career as she found no scope for creativity. Ranaut decided to shift focus towards acting and joined the Asmita Theatre Group, where she trained under the theatre director Arvind Gaur. She participated in Gaurs theatre workshop at the India Habitat Centre, acting in several of his plays, including the Girish Karnad-scripted Taledanda. During a performance, when one of the male actors went missing, Ranaut played his part along with her original role of a woman. A positive reaction from the audience prompted her to relocate to Mumbai to pursue a career in film and she enrolled herself for a four-month acting course in Asha Chandras Drama School.

Ranaut struggled with her meager earnings during this period, eating only bread and aachar (pickle). Refusing her fathers financial assistance led to a rift in their relationship which she later regretted. Her relatives were unhappy with her decision to enter the film-making industry and they did not correspond with her for several years. She has established a career in Bollywood and is one of the highest-paid actresses in India. Ranaut is particularly known in the media for expressing her honest opinions in public and is frequently credited as one of the most fashionable Indian celebrities. She is the recipient of several awards, including three National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards in four categories.

Ranaut has stated that her initial years in the film industry were marred with difficulties as she was unprepared to be an actress. She was conscious of her poor command of the English language and struggled to fit in. During the struggle, Ranaut found support in the actor Aditya Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab and considered them her family away from home. She became embroiled in a well-publicised scandal when the media speculated on the nature of her relationship with Pancholi. She declined to speak about it openly, although she made several public appearances with him. In 2007, it was reported that Ranaut had filed a police complaint against Pancholi for physically assaulting her under the influence of alcohol. The following year, Pancholi confirmed the affair in an interview, saying that he had been cohabiting with Ranaut in the past and accused her of owing him Rs. 25 lakhs. In response, Ranauts spokesperson said that after physically assaulting her in the middle of a road, he has no right to expect anything from her, adding that she had already given Rs. 50 lakhs to him as a goodwill gesture. Ranaut later said that the incident had left her physically and mentally damaged. The affair saga did not stop here.

While filming Raaz, The Mystery Continues in 2008, Ranaut began a romantic relationship with co-star Adhyayan Suman. On Sumans insistence that he focus on his professional career, the couple separated the following year. From 2010 to 2012, Ranaut was involved in a long-distance romance with Nicholas Lafferty, an English doctor, she described the relationship as the most normal she ever had, but the couple split amicably as she was not ready for marriage. She has since maintained that she will never get married, and has expressed a desire to not be bound by a relationship. Now, Hrithik Roshan, her co-star from Krrish 3, filed a lawsuit against Ranaut accusing her of cyber stalking and harassment. Denying the charges, Ranaut filed a counter-charge against Roshan, claiming that his lawsuit was an attempt to cover-up their affair for the benefit of his divorce proceedings.

Ranaut lives in Mumbai with her sister Rangoli, who was the victim of an acid attack in 2006. She makes yearly visits to her hometown of Bhambla. A practicing Hindu, Ranaut follows the teachings of the spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda and considers meditation to be the highest form of worshipping God. However, she never found at peace. Is this some filmy gimmick or she as a person still in search of inner reconciliation, no one knows?

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a US jury on Monday to pay $55 million to a woman who said that using the companys talc-powder products for feminine hygiene caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

The verdict, which J&J plans to appeal, was the second straight trial loss for the company, which is facing about 1,200 lawsuits accusing it of not adequately warning consumers about its talc-based products cancer risks.

Following a three-week trial in Missouri state court, jurors deliberated for about a day before returning a verdict for Gloria Ristesund. She was awarded $5 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.

J&J spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said the verdict contradicted 30 years of research supporting the safety of cosmetic talc. The company intends to appeal and will keep defending its products safety, she said.

Ristesund said she used J&Js talc-based powder products  which include the well-known Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder  on her genitals for decades. According to her lawyers, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had to undergo a hysterectomy and related surgeries. Her cancer is now in remission.

Jere Beasley, whose firm represents Ristesund, said his client was gratified with the verdict. The jurys decision should end the litigation and compel J&J to settle the remaining cases, he said.

J&J shares were down 18 cents in after-hours trading to $112.57.

The verdict followed a $72 million jury award from the same court in February to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after years of using talc powder for feminine hygiene.

That verdict, which J&J is appealing, sparked renewed interest in talc-powder lawsuits among plaintiffs lawyers, as well as consumers familiar with J&Js powder products. But scientists have told Reuters the evidence of a real danger is inconclusive.

Plaintiffs in talc litigation, which is concentrated in Missouri and New Jersey state courts, have accused J&J of failing for years to warn that talc was linked to an increased risk for ovarian cancer. J&J has said it acted properly in developing and marketing the products.
Rajesh Ranjan is the one of the most important figure of Localization Movement in India. He started his career as a mainstream Journalist with reputed national Hindi daily Jansatta. During DotCom boom days of last decade in 2000 he joined a California based portal Literate World as Content Coordinator of its Hindi section. Later he joined Red Hat for the localization of Red Hat Enterprise Linux in Hindi. Currently he is working as Open Source Community Manager at NeGP, Govt of India. He is the founder of FUEL Project, a project having largest repository of linguistic resources in open domain. Canada based journalist and a Punjabi localizer Amandeep Saini discussed with him recently about his project and passion related to language and localization in India. Here are excerpts of the interview:

You have worked a lot to make computer available in Hindi and some other languages on Linux platform. After more than 10 years, how do you see the presence of Indian languages on different devices?

Thanks. Yes, more than 10 years have passed. I remember, I started to work with some language enthusiasts Karunakar, Ravikant and Ravi and did some very good work during those days. Hindi along with some Indian languages like Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati were introduced for the first time on Linux platform. At that time, Red Hat wanted to have its operating system in Hindi and some important Indian languages. This is how I joined Red Hat in 2004. Before joining Red Hat I looked after and coordinated the operation of Hindi site of California based multilingual portal. I enjoy working with new technology and joining Red Hat was another great opportunity for me after the portal.

Lot of development happened in the field of the presence of languages on desktop and different devices. Everything is localised now, operating systems, desktop environments, browsers, Office Suits. You can use even Linux desktop end to end in Hindi and some other Indian languages now. See, things have changed a lot. All mobile devices are now available in Indian languages. Check all major serious players of ICT domain, every important things are available in Hindi. I am proud that I am able to contribute something valuable in this development.

You have started a project called FUEL. How and why it is important for localization world?

I think, this is the most important community project from India that is working on localization issues. I started it in 2008 to overcome the problem of inconsistency and lack of standardization in the localization field. Over the years, inspite of being driven by few volunteer contributors only, FUEL project has acquired big community support and now it is working with sixty plus languages worldwide. FUEL has won Manthan award in e-localization category (2014) for exceptional digital content creation and also been included as a standard in Govt of India eGovernance standard.

The unique idea of FUEL attracted huge support from industry leaders, organizations and government bodies like Red Hat, CDAC, Govt of India, Wikimedia Foundation, Mozilla, Govt of Maharashtra to name a few. This project is one of the best example of how a standard free and open knowledge resources can be created with the help of communities and organizations in a collaborative manner. Over the period, FUEL Project became successful in creating standard terminology, style and convention guide, Unicode Text Rendering Reference System (UTRRS), Translation Quality Assessment Matrix etc. The most important aspect of this effort is that before the FUEL, there was no single place where people of FOSS can take reference of standard linguistic resources as nothing was available under open license. Translation Quality Assessment Matrix released by FUEL is the first translation assessment matrix in open domain. UTRRS is first of its kind in FOSS domain and widely used at so many places for rendering reference. With the help of different like minded organization FUEL became successful in organizing more than 30 events. In software field, it is real example of Make in India as it is born in India and spread over whole world, probably one open source project started in India and later got support from different part of the world. Lot of great and passionate people are contributing for the success of FUEL for example, Aman, Ankit, Satyabrata, Jaswinder, Felix, Chandrakant, Chandan, Krsihna, Ani, Biraj, Nishant and Neha, to name a few. Mahesh Kulkarni of CDAC, Satish Mohan, Karunakar, Ravikant, Harshad Gune, Sudhanwa and several others have supported the FUEL with their great advice. Without these great support it was not easy to get success for FUEL. We have contribution from several European and Asian languages too.

What does GILT stands for? What do you mean by GILT in Curriculum recently discussed in gnuNify 2016 and on FUEL mailing list?

GILT stands for Globalization (g11n), Internationalization (i18n), Localization (l10n) and Translation. As per wikipedia, to globalize means to plan the design and development methods for a product in advance, keeping in mind a multicultural audience, in order to avoid increased costs and quality problems, save time, and smoothening the localizing effort for each region or country. Localization is an integral part of the overall process called globalization. While internationalization encompasses the planning and preparation stages for a product that is built by design to support global markets, localization refers to the actual adaptation of the product for a specific market. In general localization addresses significant, non-textual components of products or services in addition to translation. All these combined together is called GILT industry.

For any person outside, I18N/L10n community, topics in GILT are alien, there being little understanding of it beyond literal meaning or definition. Any new person venturing into this domain are coming in this domain due to their passion, since there is no formal course taught in India around it, though there may be learning material on specific topics. But as a whole there is no single curriculum which covers key topics in GILT, so learner can get good grip on it and further work in one of the specializations in it. Since first FUEL-GILT conference in 2013 a need for formal GILT curriculum was felt. Karunakar of Indlinux and Harshad Gune of Symbiosis Institute of Computer Science and Research, Pune gave a talk on the topic as well. We are working on developing a curriculum for GILT industry and hopefully we will do it soon under the coordination of G. Karunakar.

Every year FUEL Project is organizing a conference. What is the plan for 2016 conference?

Under FUEL, we started an annual conference called FUEL GILT Conference in 2013. Now, this conference is the largest conference of FOSS localization world. Again it attracted huge support from community, industry and organizations. Inclusive and transparent approach are adopted in the design of the conference. This year we are planning to do it in Delhi and in the month of September.



You are working for languages spoken by minimal population. What motivates you to do the same?

I tried to motivate so called smaller language community to contribute in different open source field for their languages. I tried to create a group called Bhasha Ghar that works for less resourced locales. Under this project, I worked with Maithili language community and now it is present on all OSS platform. I started working with Angika community also  one of the endangered language of India. Recently work for Garhwali also has started. Do you know Marie Smith died on Jan 21, 2008. Her death was not just a loss of one human being, she was the last speaker of the Eyak language. Eyak was spoken in southern, central Alaska. We permanently lost one colour from the mosaic of our limited linguistic diversity. With a language, not only a language dies, but with it a part of a communitys history, intellectual and cultural diversity, and cultural identity also dies. In India, 197 languages are on the verge of dying. I have helped more than seven communities to file locales at glibc. I think more people should come forward to digitally archive the languages before it dies. I remember a poem by Alitet Nemtushkin, If I forget my native speech/And the songs that my people sing/What use are my eyes and ears?
A well-known businessman-politician Pankaj Parakh called The Man With The Golden Shirt by his friends  has earned a place in the Guinness World Records(GWR).

The GWR certificate issued on Tuesday cites Parakh, 47, as the man with the most expensive gold shirt in the world costing Rs.98,35,099 ($161,354/GBP 95,856) as on August 1, 2014.

This is simply unbelievable. I am a small man from a remote area in Maharashtra. I am happy that this achievement had catapulted my village name into the whole world, said an emotional Parakh

The school dropout, who made his fortunes from a garment fabrication business is also the Nationalist Congress Partys Deputy Mayor of Yeola town in Nashik district, around 260 km from Mumbai.

The shirt, weighing exactly 4.10 kg, is currently valued at over Rs1.30 crore. It is supplemented by other golden paraphernalia including a gold watch, several gold chains, large gold rings, a gold mobile cover and golden-framed spectacles  the total weight of this opulence being a whopping 10 kgs!

Whenever Parakh steps onto the streets of Yeola in his full shining golden gear and his licensed revolver worn discreetly, he admits that women stare and men glare at him, while two stern private security guards manage to keep everyone at a safe distance.

I had stitched this special gold shirt with seven golden buttons for my 45th birthday two years ago. I have been fascinated by gold since my school days and over the years it became a passion, almost an obsession, Parakh smiled.

The shirt was designed by Bafna Jewellers, Nashik, 85 km away, and meticulously executed by Shanti Jewellers at Parel in Mumbai.

A team of 20 select artisans spent 3,200 hours over two months to craft the 18-22 carat pure gold strands, to the last thread and stitch it, and the deal was fully billed  to keep tax sleuths at bay!

Though made of gold, the shirt is fully flexible and comfortable, absolutely smooth and harmless and with a thin cloth lining the inside to avoid rubbing or chapping the body, washable and even repairable with a lifetime guarantee, Parakh said.

Barely three decades ago, the poor, young Parakh could ill-afford his school education and dropped out after Class VIII to enter the familys small garments business in Yeola.

In 1982, he branched out to an independent business and a decade later even entered politics to be elected as a municipal councillor in Yeola.

At my marriage 25 years ago, many guests considered me an embarrassment as I wore more gold than the bride, he recalled.

Progressing and prospering over the years, he took care of all his familys needs  a good house looked after by wife Pratibha and higher education for his two doting sons Siddharth (24) and Rahul (21).

Then, he indulged in his passion and invested his excess incomes to acquire a gilded edge that helped him enter the GWR.

However, his unimpressed family does not share his passion for gold, they ignore it as a necessary evil, but all his relatives think he has gone bonkers, Parakh guffawed.

Parakh remembers how, when the entire family attends weddings or important social occasions, he adorns himself with around three-and-half kg gold ornaments while his wife looks bare and stark with just 40-50 grams gold jewellery!

Yeola is renowned for its Paithani silk saris and the Shalu and Pitamber varieties of saris, considered nationally-recognised brands.

Despite his gilt-edge, Parakh is a down-to-earth and caring human being, deeply involved in a variety of social and educational activities.
Govinda says that he had won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections through the support of fans instead of underworld.

One more loose mouth leader of BJP made shocking allegation against opponent after a span of 12 years. The incumbent Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has alleged that Bollywood actor Govinda had taken assistance of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and builder Hiten Thakurs to defeat him in Mumbai North in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

When AV spoke to a voter Vinod Dube from North Mumbai he said, Those days, Hitendra Thakur did not oppose Govinda as he was a leading actor and was adored by everyone. Apart from that the anti-incumbency factor played a vital role. During Ataljis government Indian shining campaign was a big failure. Naik was three times MP from this constituency. People wanted a change in leadership as he failed to meet their expectations.

Another voter from Naigaon, Suresh Jain a builder said, Govinda was a popular actor and had much more fan following than Ram Naik. If he had taken Dawoods assistance that means the voters of Naik had voted against him? BJP leader needs to realize, that people chose the popular leader among the available choice of candidates.

Ram Naik, in his memoir Chaireveti, Chaireveti (Keep Moving) written in Marathi, mentioned that despite being a three-time MP, he was unable to digest his defeat by a margin of only 11,000 votes. There was thin margin because the conservative voters voted for him but the youth was more inclined towards the actor which resulted into the latters victory.

The memoir, which was released in Mumbai on April 25, mentioned that Govinda was friends with Dawood and Thakur and the Bollywood actor used them to terrorise voters.

Former Thane Gramin police officer said, Voters are smart and no one can actually terrorise them and there was no such incidence which came to our notice during that time, all these allegations are baseless. If Dawood or Thakur were kingmakers then BJP would have never come to power in Maharashtra. Now the saffron party is in power and they have failed to deliver the promises made by them. They may not retain power in the next election so you cannot keep blaming opponents. No one used their muscle power to poll votes against Naik.

Govinda said, Why would I need anyones support at that time, when I was at the peak of my film career? I trust my fans and people those who love me. By saying such things, does Ram Naik mean that voters of the constituency were sold into the hands of the underworld? Naik doubts the integrity of voters, he should not insult anyone by saying such things.

At this juncture when I am making a comeback into films, I humbly request Ram Naik not to tarnish my image and create hurdles in my work, the actor added.
I started reading your Ebola book last night. Wow, you have evolved a lot in your thinking on vaccines in a VERY short period, based on your definition of antivaxxers at bottom of 206, top of 207. Have you written up how your views evolved so quickly? It might be a helpful roadmap towards turning others around. Was this all in connection with the autism book, or did your views changing precede that book?

We invite you to visit IPAK and read about the CDC Accountability Project. " The Institute for Pure and Applied Knowledge is a not-for-profit organization* which exists to perform scientific research in the public interest. We use the principles and practices of scientific research to help individual researchers, research teams, consortia, and companies push their project through roadblocks, or map their way around them via evidence-based alternatives." ### WHILE RETURNING from the United Nations building where I heard NYU Professor Mary Holland (School of Law) nail the issues of constitutional and international law on the right to informed consent to the floor, to a standing ovation. To my delight, I received an email from Mary, which read, in part:

Looking at my book this morning, I turned to page 206, with trepidation, to find the younger, knowing me, trying to save the world by chiding and deriding people whom I have come to learn much more about in the past two years:

Again and again with Ebola we see, from Guinea to the US, societies struggling with the ethical problem of the needs (and wants) of a few vs. the safety (and lives) on the many.

Ok, thats not too bad. A bit uppity, but I cannot disagree. But it gets worse.

With over 100 cases confirmed, the US is, at the time of this writing, at high risk of an epidemic of measles because the herd immunity is lacking due to a dogmatic antivaccination movement.

I warned you.

Deplorably, I continue:

The efficacy of the measles vaccine in protecting children against terrible diseases should be reason enough for parents to insist on vaccinating their children, but the so-called anti-vaxxers (people who believe vaccines place their children at risk of developing autism) fail to consider the greater good: They put others at risk by not participating in national programs for the greater good.

I really do not like my former self. Naturally, I continue, because I knew SO much before I actually looked into the studies and the data:

This perspective is more than mere 20:20 hindsight; such occurrences of cultural and institutional amnesia are certain to recur as our society becomes more reliant and trusting in technology, and we forget to respect the awesome power of biology and Nature.

I really dont know this guy, I swear.

Mary Holland will certainly be remembered as one of the most staunch defenders of human rights, well, in the history of abuses in medicine. So back to Marys question:

Have you written up how your views evolved so quickly? It might be a helpful roadmap towards turning others around. Was this all in connection with the autism book, or did your views changing precede that book?

Heres how and why my views have changed. First, I was really rather upset about the fact that CDC Director Thomas Freiden stated in his testimony to Congress that there were no mutations in the Ebolavirus that was driving the epidemic. I was upset because I had the 396 mutations on my laptop at the very moment he testified to Congress. I capture that moment in Ebola. My anger at the CDC increased when I attended a secret White House conference call, held by the Ebola Czar, in which I asked about the 396 mutations  whether they influenced the ability of tests to detect Ebola, or altered its virulence or transmissibility. In that call, the entire scientific community was lied to again by a CDC Scientist who claimed that the virus was 99.9999% identical to the strain from Zaire in 1995, which was not true at all. I capture both of those events in Ebola, as well as how the White House then asked the Associated Press to stop covering potential cases of Ebola in the US. I even ask in that book whether that was fascism.

Fast forward a couple of months to where I had decided to write Cures vs. Profits. I felt that we had bungled our response to Ebola so badly that I wanted to cheer myself up and write a book on the successes in biomedical research. Having participated in so many studies over the past two decades, I knew of many reasons that the public should continue to support biomedical research, and I was going to share all that I knew, and discover more. The first two chapters deal with the bad stuff  the doctors who cheat at medicare fraud, which robs other patients of needed funds for real medicine  and the biomedical researchers who cheat at their research studies.

I wrote my chapters out on grapefruit, on cancer vaccines, on prostate cancer robotic surgery, and then something happened: I wrote a chapter on ADHD overdiagnosis. I tell the story of the destruction of a promising career of Dr. Gretchen Watson. Pharma sent a Key Opinion Leader to EVMS to debate her over her study, and the next day she was told her case load was canceled, that her colleagues were told that she no longer worked at EVMS, and that she was to expected to resign. She refused, and won an appeal to HR. But then someone floated a rumor that she manipulated her data in the 1996 study showing overdiagnosis.

The investigation revealed no flaw  well, a typo in an appendix  but the damage to her career was done. The good news is that Dr. Watson has decided to write of book of her own after reading my chapter on ADHD. She now also serves on the Board at IPAK.

When I finished writing the rest of Cures, including chapters on the history of hormone receptor status in breast cancer, chemosensitivity assays, characteristics of good research scientists, and cancer vaccines, I found the book missing something.

So I decided to write a chapter on Vaccines.

Ill let the chapter on vaccines speak for itself- it begins with tales of how wonderful vaccines are, how they save lives. I went back to review the autism/vaccine link, fully expecting to review the Andrew Wakefield issue briefly, how his claims that MMR were linked to vaccines. I read the retracted study.

I found that Andrew Wakefield never claimed that the MMR might cause autism. Instead, I found the study to suggest that it was a question worth looking into.

My digging around then led to my discovery of reports that someone at CDC had revealed that CDC had manipulated data on the studies designed to disprove Wakefield by omitting results with a positive association.

The more I dug into the issue, and then into the literature, the more I found the science of vaccines falling far short of the science needed to insure public health via any medical procedure given to millions. And this is where I leave the issue in Cures. I added an addendum that reviews four open controversies in vaccines that cause me to question whether vaccines can be called an unmitigated success in translational research.

In retrospect, I see that position as something of an understatement.

My understanding of vaccines was (obviously) limited, and I needed to grasp the risks involved. I needed resolution. So after I completed Cures, I began writing about what I had learned. I spoke with people with an open mind. I started to listen not only to what these evil, selfish anti-vaxxers had to say, I started to really think about the consequences of the additives. I began to question the over-arching claims of safety.

And via some new contacts, I made connection with Tony Lyons of Skyhorse Publishing. After a few chats, he, Louis Conte and I agreed that I should write a book on the Genetics of Autism. (I love Louis  and knowing what I know of him now, my bet is that he thought I was a good prospect  but somehow I can hear him telling Tony that Jack has a way to go, but I think hell get there. Thank you Louis for the confidence.

So in I dove, into 3,000 research articles on autism. Not on vaccines  on autism. I wanted to know if the basic science could in any way reasonably support a hypothesis that vaccines or their additives cause autism. The answer is a resounding Yes, yes, and yes. Other articles in this blog will give you an idea of some of the evidence that exists on the role of chronic microglial activation and autism, for example.

To the readers of Ebola who feel confused or hurt by my, and others ignorance, please remember that there is a Great Unknowing, even among professionals. Think about it  all Anti-vaxxers with vaccine-injured children were once pro-vaccine. As I advised some 500 participants at the VIALs Health Summit in Atlanta, GA, do not argue with them  educate them. Your anger and frustration is warranted, but help them move from ignorance to awareness and understanding.
WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the launch of USDAs newest private capital investment fund for rural America at a White House event on Tuesday.

The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, the fourth Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) USDA has launched since 2014, has the potential to invest as much as $100 million into rural food and agricultural businesses with high growth potential, USDA said.

What excites me about this particular fund is (that) one of its focuses is on precision agriculture and data management, Vilsack said in his address to attendees of the Rural Opportunity Investment Conference. As we become more sophisticated in agriculture, we need to become more precise, and we need information and data to be collected and analyzed properly.

The Open Prairie Fund will be making investments in the future of production agriculture, he said.

In a USDA release, Patrick Morand, partner and president of Midwest-based private equity fund manager Open Prairie, said the fund was unique among other licensed RBICs in that it has broad support from the Farm Credit System, commercial banks and strategic limited partners who care deeply about the success of rural communities.

In 2014, USDA granted Advantage Capital an RBIC license for its $150 million Advantage Capital AgriBusiness fund. And in 2015, USDA approved the Innova and Meritus Kirchner Capital RBICs.

We live, breathe and believe strongly in rural America and are pleased to be working with USDA, the Farm Credit System and other entities that share our passion for building successful companies that have a meaningful impact on the communities in which they do business, Jason Wrone, Open Prairie partner and vice president, added.

Not an Agri-Pulse subscriber? Get our Daily Harvest email and Daybreak audio Monday through Friday mornings, a 16-page newsletter on Wednesdays, and access to premium content on our ag and rural policy website. Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.





Vilsack said in his speech that USDA has invested over $224 billion in loans and grants in rural communities since the beginning of the Obama administration.

Weve done over a million home loans. Weve helped to finance over 11,000 community facility projects. Weve worked on a variety of water, electric and broadband projects, and weve helped nearly 24,000 businesses create, support or retain over 400,000 jobs, he continued. But thats simply not enough to do the job the president has instructed us to do.

This new RBIC fund is the next big step in reenergizing the rural economy, he said.

#30

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Religious Minorities in the Middle East and Their Struggle for Survival

A conference on the endangered religious minorities in the middle east will be held on May 10 at Fordham University in New York. According to conference organizers, "Persecution, fear of genocide, and even cultural extinction threaten minority faith communities in the Middle East as never before. In a region once rich in religious and cultural diversity, Christians, Yazidis, and other marginalized communities now face surging intolerance." The speakers are:

Eliza Griswold, Journalist and Author of The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches from the Fault Line Between Christianity and Islam

Douglas M. Padgett, Foreign Affairs Officer in the Office of International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State

The Reverend Gewargis Sulaiman, Assyrian Church of the East, Diocese of the Eastern United States

Haider Elias, Founder and President of Yazda: A Global Yazidi Organization

Sarhang Hamasaeed, Senior Program Officer for Middle East and Africa, U.S. Institute of Peace

The conference date and location are: Tuesday, May 10, 2016, 6 P.M.12th-Floor Lounge, Corrigan Conference Center, 113 W. 60th St.Lincoln Center Campus, Fordham University, New York City
Brussels Airlines says its cargo traffic in March was sharply down, due to the terrorist attacks on its home airport on March 22.

The Lufthansa Group subsidiary said that cargo traffic was largely interrupted after that date and that the total of 2,609 tonnes reflected a decrease of 21% compared with March 2015.

Until March 21, cargo load factor amounted was 69%, it added.

March passenger figures also reflected the events of 22 March, which was followed by a 12-day total closure of the airport.

Brussels Airlines total of 455,599 passengers was down 19.1% compared with last year and the first time in more than two and a half years that it had recorded a passenger decrease.

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May 2, 2016

Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) estimate, with great caution, that the wave of terror that broke out in October has been stopped. There are many reasons for the significant decline in terror attacks against Israelis and the motivations of would-be attackers. The most significant reason is Israels approach of restraint. This is an essential difference compared with the approach that led Israel to use excessive military force at the beginning of the second intifada (2000-2005), which exacerbated the situation by increasing the motivation of Palestinian organizations to gather forces and respond, and the support of residents of the Gaza Strip and West Bank for acts of revenge against the Israelis.

Israel and the PA dont talk much about the successful security cooperation between the two sides, which has also helped to stop the wave of terror, at least for now. Most of the security cooperation focuses on the field of intelligence.

Unlike the past, these efforts arent targeted at the armed Palestinian organizations and terror activists in the territories, but at locating the individual assailant. Most of the recent attacks, excluding the attack on bus No. 12 in Jerusalem, which was attributed to a Hamas cell in Bethlehem, have been carried out by young people who did not belong to any organization.

At first, Israel and the PA believed that it would be difficult to impossible to foresee the intent to attack on the part of unaffiliated youths, and therefore also difficult to formulate an effective warning system.

Despite these assumptions, in recent months the Palestinian security services have examined Facebook pages of young people who carried out attacks and those of young people who planned an attack but backed out at the last minute. The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center has worked in a similar fashion. And so it became clear that most attackers gave a broad hint on social media of their intention to carry out an attack. There are many examples.

For instance, there was Mohand Halabi, who carried out an attack in Jerusalem in October where Rabbi Nehemiah Lavi and soldier Aharon Bennett were murdered. Halabi wrote on his Facebook page before he went out to attack, Whats happening at Al-Aqsa [Mosque compound] is whats happening to our holy sites and the path of our prophet  I dont think the people will accept the humiliation. The people will go on intifada.

Or, for instance, Fouad Abu Rajab al-Tamimi, who carried out an attack on Saladin Street in Jerusalem in March where two policemen were injured  one fatally, the other moderately. Tamimi left a goodbye letter for his parents, where he wrote, Dont think of the reason for my action, I did it in solidarity with the martyrs. A few days before he set out to attack, he shared on his Facebook page the ten commandments for every martyr  a document written by another terrorist, Bahaa Aliyan, who carried out a shooting and stabbing attack at the Jerusalem neighborhood Armon Hanatziv in October.

On April 26, Israeli security forces arrested three Palestinians in an apartment in East Jerusalem on suspicion that they intended to carry out an attack. A Palestinian security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor that their arrest was aided by the Palestinian security services having established a monitoring system for suspicious profiles of young people from the West Bank.

Some of the youths praise martyrs, said the source, but qualified this statement by saying that not every Palestinian who posts a photo of a martyr or praises a martyr is planning an attack. There needs to be another hint [for the intent to attack] that would light the red warning signal for us.

About a month ago, said the source, unusual activity was identified on the part of two young women from Ramallah who exchanged suspicious messages. They spoke about protecting the Palestinian people, their wish to end the humiliation of Zionist occupation and their desire ''to contribute to the future of the exalted people in its homeland Palestine.'' In this case, the girls were not arrested.

The Palestinian security services work to prevent attacks through what they call the educational approach. It takes place in two steps, according to the level of determination to carry out an attack as it has been identified on social networks.

The first, and preferred step, is instruction in the classes attended by the young Palestinian who was identified as interested in carrying out an attack. Representatives of the PA are sent to the classrooms, where they pleasantly explain to students why they shouldnt carry out an attack. They mostly speak to the young people on the emotional plane and note that they would cause great pain to their families, and that their acts would not bring the liberation of their homeland.

We also explain to them that the PA is working on the diplomatic level and intends to achieve a Palestinian state with the support of the world, the Palestinian source said. We further explain that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas opposes violence and that the Palestinians must prove their maturity and responsibility. Even when young people claim that they have experienced violence and pain from the Israelis, the response they get is that we must show that we are better than [the Israelis] and that we dont act in violence. We tell them Dont die, live in order to create change, and that they will determine the future of the Palestinian people.

A hint at the educational activity that has brought, according to sources in the PA, a significant decrease in the motivation of young people to attack, could be heard in what Abbas said in an interview with Channel 2 journalist Ilana Dayan on March 31, telling about searches in Palestinian schools, followed by the message ''We want you  Palestinian youth  to live.''

The second, and less preferred step, is to personally approach the parents of youths who Palestinian security is convinced are planning an attack out of despair, after it becomes clear that the talks at school have not helped to tone down their Facebook messages.

Were working hard to save the lives of our young people, said the Palestinian source. We know that because of the right-wing Israeli government and the incitement in the Israeli media the huge effort were making is not appreciated [by Israelis]. We are not waiting for your thanks or for your appreciation, but at least dont accuse us of incitement, he concluded angrily.

If the relative quiet will continue and the educational approach will turn out to be effective, we could be convinced that an intifada can be stopped with wisdom and with judgment, and not only through massive aggression.
April 28, 2016

GAZIANTEP  Most Syrian cities are reeling under the effects of the ongoing civil war, which has naturally dealt a blow to the local and national economies. Amid the conflict, the Kurdish-controlled areas of Jazira, Kobani and Afrin in the north are attempting to become economically self-sufficient, but receiving goods, including raw materials and medicines, from inside Syria is a struggle. Traders control the market entirely, deciding on shipments and setting prices at will, which has resulted to high prices. Also, border crossings with Turkey have been closed since 2012, because Ankara accuses the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which administers the Syrian Kurdish areas, of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party.

The Kurds have been in control of some areas in Hasakah province and Kobani and Afrin in the Aleppo countryside since 2012, after the forces of President Bashar al-Assad abandoned most of their positions and stations there. Subsequently, the Kurds established popular councils in a move toward political autonomy and economic development.

Jamal Hamou, deputy head of the Economic Body, the equivalent of a Ministry of Economy under the democratic autonomous administration in Syrian Kurdistan, told Al-Monitor that the Kurdish areas rely on goods, including vegetables, medicines and relief items, delivered through the Simalka border crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan. Hamou said that these items are considered relief goods because their importation is not officially approved by both Baghdad and Damascus. The government in Baghdad is, however, facilitating their entry. Hamou noted that the lack of sea access is a drawback, stating, The absence of a sea outlet or a port affiliated with the Kurdish region of Rojava is exacerbating the blockade on the region, especially since Turkey is preventing the entry of goods to the area because of the PYDs control.

In January 2014, the Syrian Kurds established autonomous rule for the territory they control, with Kurdish, Arab and Christian areas all taking part. According to Hamou, the Trade, Economy, Oil Resources and Customs Bodies contribute to the salaries of some 3,700 employees. The bodies revenues amount to 175 million Syrian liras [$350,000] per year, and they form part of the autonomous administration's budget, Hamou said.

Hamou said that autonomous rule has encouraged investment by traders from the region as well as those displaced to it to create an economic structure and increase the areas' revenues. The democratic autonomous administration has also put money into implementing a corn oil project and cheese and dairy operations as well as wheat and flour mills.

Hasakah province was once considered Syria's bread basket, given the abundance of wheat and cotton grown there. Production of both has decreased in recent years because of fighting between Kurdish and Islamic State forces and the resulting migration of residents from the area. According to farmer Mohammed Khalil, Jaziras wheat output previously had reached some 1.8 million tons a year, but in the last year did not surpass half a million tons.

Hamou attributed this decline to the reduced agricultural season due to the reluctance of farmers to risk investing during wartime, the lack of basic materials including compost and high costs. Fertilizer and seeds were imports before the war, and with quantities now low, prices have spiked. Also, diesel and electricity are not always available because of the war. The regime is still buying wheat from farmers [in Hasaka] in order to provide flour and bread to other provinces, Hamou said.

Asked how goods are flowing in Kurdish and other areas as the war drags on, Hamou said that they are being moved through war brokers, also called war traders. One of the officials in charge of the Simalka crossing to the Syrian side told Al-Monitor, The crossing prioritizes the entry of basic foods, in addition to vegetables and energy drinks. Sheep are also being exported to the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Ahmed Yousef, head of the Economic Body and chairman of Afrin University, claimed that the Kurdish-controlled areas' economic output, which includes agriculture, industry and oil, accounts for about 55% of Syria's gross domestic product. Jaziras agriculture accounts for 17% of Syrian production. In a bid to secure our initial needs, we have come to develop plans adapted to the [realities of the] war, so we have used the resources of our area, especially agricultural ones, Yousef said.

One big challenge for the Kurds is that goods from abroad are usually priced in foreign currencies, which are high compared to the Syrian lira. Yousef noted, This leads to higher prices. Added to this is the lack of some essential items, such as medicines, sugar and rice.

The Syrian Kurds held a conference in Afrin last October, followed by another conference that month in Rmelan with the aim of developing an economic plan for the Kurdish areas. The two conferences discussed agriculture, trade, electricity and the development of an advanced program aimed at easing the blockade and developing an agricultural [plan], said Yousef. The plan contributed to moving about 50% of the industrial factories and workshops from the destroyed city of Aleppo to Afrin, and the [Kurdish authority] is securing the needs of those workshops and providing shipping companies, which total 20 in Afrin. Yousef also said there is a plan to establish an industrial zone for traders in Afrin.

The Kurdish areas experience sporadic shortages. In April, tomatoes were scarce and their price soared. At the beginning of the year, no sugar was to be found. As a result, on April 19, the customs administration in Jazira province scrapped the tariffs imposed on food entering the Kurdish areas to encourage the entry of more products.

Asked about Afrin's ability to become self-sufficient, overcome the economic blockade and serve as a model for the other Kurdish areas, Yousef said that the idea dates back to 2012, when a group of Kurdish traders and industrialists in Aleppo formed the Producers Union in Syrias Western Kurdistan. That step was followed by the establishment in April 2014 of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Afrin, which includes about 300 traders and industrialists. In 2014, the Council of Investment Management was established by the democratic autonomous administration, according to Yousef, to organize work in Afrin and approve the implementation of several projects.

Yousef pointed to the production of 32 tons of laurel soap and its exportation to Syrian cities and Turkey as one of the economic successes of autonomous rule in Afrin, in addition to this is the garment industry. Two million pairs of jeans are produced per month and exported across Syria, he said.

One of the major difficulties for the autonomous administration is providing reliable power. The Kurdish regions have been plagued by power outages for three years now, resulting in reliance on generators.
May 3, 2016

CAIRO  On May 1, just two days before World Press Freedom day, Egyptian police raided the Press Syndicate in Cairo and randomly detained a number of journalists as they were working. This measure against media workers represents a dangerous escalation in the security services campaign targeting journalists in a country that the Committee to Protect Journalists describes as among the worlds worst jailers of journalists.

The crisis between journalists and the security services escalated against the backdrop of April 25 demonstrations protesting the maritime border demarcation agreement that included handing over control of Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia. The security forces had prevented journalists and photographers from covering the protest, and 46 journalists were arrested that day. Members of the Press Syndicate board were also intimidated by groups of pro-government thugs who attacked and surrounded the syndicates headquarters and prevented journalists from entering the building April 25.

In response to the random arrests and intimidation faced by journalists, the Press Syndicate and journalists filed a total of 17 motions with the public prosecutor against the interior minister and head of the Cairo Security Directorate. In addition, on April 28, protesters organized marches in which they carried pens and cameras and headed toward the office of the public prosecutor with signs that read Journalism isnt a crime, condemning the polices recent actions against journalists.

Yet despite the journalists "uprising" against these detentions and random arrests, police campaigns targeting them continued. During the May 1 raid on the Press Syndicate, security forces arrested Amr Badr, editor-in-chief of the privately owned online news site Yanair Gate, as well as Mahmoud al-Saqa, a journalist for the same outlet. At the time of their detention, they were participating in a sit-in at the syndicate to protest against the storming of their homes by security forces last month and accusations they face of inciting protests against the state.

Just hours after the raid and arrests, hundreds of journalists headed toward the Press Syndicate headquarters to protest the measures. The syndicates board held an emergency meeting at 2 a.m. May 2, which ended with a demand for the resignation of the interior minister, a call for an open-ended sit-in and an emergency meeting of the syndicates general assembly on the afternoon of May 4 to consider the decisions they should take to maintain the dignity of the journalism profession.

In a statement issued following the emergency meeting, the board noted, The calamity of the aggression against the syndicate's headquarters  in violation of the law, the constitution and all political, national and international norms  can't be erased without the dismissal of the interior minister."

Yehia Qalash, head of the Press Syndicate, told Al-Monitor, There are several legal tracks and measures the syndicates board will take to respond to the security services deliberate escalation against the journalistic community. This incident was not a measure against two journalists alone, rather it was intended to be a threat to all journalists through the raid of the syndicate headquarters.

He said, This issue must be dealt with at the political level, not through security [measures]."

Qalash added, We will start meetings with various editors-in-chief to discuss the possibility of withholding the issuance of newspapers or other means to express objection to what happened.  We will not negotiate directly with the Ministry of Interior or its representative, since they wont even acknowledge what happened.

The morning after the raid, Egypts major daily newspapers carried headlines condemning the raid. Al-Shorouk described what happened as Black Sunday, while daily Al-Masry Al-Youm had a front-page article titled Press under siege. Even state-owned Al-Ahram published an editorial condemning the raid. Under the headline Raid among journalists, it said, [The Interior Ministry] will not succeed in its malicious goal of gagging mouths and stifling the freedoms of opinion and expression, which are outlined in the constitution that has yet to be read by security leaders, who try to portray to the political leadership that they are protecting the state and its security. They dont realize, however, that if the people rise to take their freedom, no one can stop them  not even the mightiest security barricades and weapons.

Amid the absence of an official response from the government concerning the raid, the press office of the Ministry of Interior accidentally sent out on May 2 an internal memo to public newsletter subscribers on how the ministry plans to deal with this crisis. Most notably, the memo proposed accusing journalists of wanting to manufacture their own state and not implement provisions of the law in an attempt to vilify journalists among the public.

As angry reactions escalated, the attorney general issued on the evening of May 3 a decision banning the publication of any news reports about the facts of the syndicate raid or the detention of the two journalists until the conclusion of the investigation. The statement announcing the decision stressed that the procedures taken to arrest the journalists were under the order of the attorney general, and that arrest orders can be carried out at the Press Syndicate headquarters. The statement accused the head of the syndicate of committing a crime punishable by law by agreeing to let the two journalists participate in a sit-in within the headquarters, even though orders had been issued for their arrest.

The Press Syndicates Freedoms Committee issued its annual report in February in which it documented many cases of violations of press freedom by the Egyptian authorities. The report noted 782 documented violations against journalists in 2015, including imprisonment, pre-trial detention, arrests, raids of homes, fabricated charges, draconian rulings, prohibition from practicing the profession, destroying equipment and cameras, writing bans, legal prosecution, raids of newspaper or news website headquarters, disabling publication of print newspapers and confiscation of already printed copies. The report also noted that 14 gag orders had been issued in 2015  12 by the public prosecutor and two by courts  violating the publics right to knowledge and free circulation of information.

Sherif Mansour, the coordinator of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Committee to Protect Journalists, told Al-Monitor that the raid against the syndicate was an unprecedented escalation against the press in Egypt. Since 2013, journalists in Egypt have been subject to escalating attacks that contributed to the country being classified as one of the most dangerous states for journalists. A large number of independent and opposition media organizations have been eliminated, he said.

Mansour stressed the importance that press laws are activated and the political administration changes its escalating rhetoric against journalists. He said the state should provide safeguards and legislation that ensure journalists can carry out their work, in accordance with the constitution.

As the crisis escalates, other professional syndicates, political parties and opposition currents have joined the journalists sit-in protesting the security forces practices. The Egyptian administration is now in a bind  it must find a way to contain the anger of the press, following condemnations from foreign organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, while at the same time face other economic and political crises.
May 2, 2016

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt  In 2012, Egypt's president issued an extraordinary decision giving Syrians access to public schooling in Egypt and facilitating registration. Under the new conditions, students were able to enroll using only their passports and a copy of their transcripts from Syria. The process, however, has presented numerous challenges.

Sami al-Ahmad is the founder of Khatwa, a group that helps displaced Syrian students finish their education in Egypt. He told Al-Monitor that although the decision to provide free education to Syrians in Egypt was renewed for 2013-15, some changes were made. In 2014, post-graduate education was excluded from the decision, while some institutes and so-called open education were excluded in 2015, said Ahmad, himself a Syrian refugee. "Open education" in Egypt refers to a program that grants students flexible schedules to take courses in the evening or on weekends.

In 2016, however, the Ministry of Education failed to issue an updated decision, so some colleges assumed free education for Syrians had been canceled. Now, Syrian students at those institutes or applying there are treated the same as other foreign students, Ahmad said.

According to the pricing schedules available on Egyptian university websites, fees for foreign students start at about $1,400 per year and must be paid in foreign currencies.

The registration process for public primary and secondary schools is handled by various governmental agencies. When Syrian students apply, they receive a paper that allows them to obtain a one-year residency permit from immigration authorities for themselves and their parents.

Ahmed al-Homsi, an 11th-grade student, told Al-Monitor that he submitted a residence application, "but the slow procedures prevented me from obtaining this permit" before the school registration deadline.

Numerous Syrian parents complained to Al-Monitor about the slow pace of administrative procedures inside the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration and the small number of schools accepting the enrollment of their children.

According to these parents, school principals often refuse to enroll new students, citing overcrowded classrooms. Some parents believe that is just a ploy by the state to avoid issuing permits.

Omar, a Syrian father residing in Damietta, told Al-Monitor, I went several times to one of the schools to enroll my son. During the last meeting with the school principal, he asked all parents of Syrian students to submit their applications on a specific date and when we did, he told us that no more applications were being accepted since classes were full.

Hesham Elsangary, services division director at the Ministry of Education, claimed no Syrian students had been rejected from public schools. Any Arab student with a residency permit in Egypt is allowed to enroll "in accordance with the law, he told Al-Monitor.

Fatima Khadr, head of the Directorate of Education in Cairo, told Al-Monitor, We have instructions to facilitate the Syrian students school enrollment procedures. If students have lost their transcripts, they can take placement exams to determine their level so they can be enrolled in the appropriate classes.

But placement exams don't always work well, said Suheib Aswad, services director at the Tadamon Center for Refugees and a teacher at a Sudanese high school in Cairo. The placement exam covers all subjects and must be completed in only two hours," Aswad told Al-Monitor. "This means that students [often] receive low scores and are placed in classes below their actual level.

Aswad added that according to surveys conducted by the center, these exams are a major problem for many students. He also noted that many students face violence in schools when they do get in.

Marwa Hamdi, the mother of two children from Alexandria, told Al-Monitor her 8-year-old son has been suffering from urinary incontinence as a result of being repeatedly beaten by teachers.

Ikhlas, another mother who lives in the same city and requested that only her first name be used, told Al-Monitor that when she was dropping off her 11-year-old son at school on his first day, she witnessed a fist-fight between a number of students. She said, One student hit his peer with a piece of brick on the head, causing him a severe injury." Her son "was terrified," she said, "and I decided not to take him back again to this school.

A Ministry of Education official denied that children face physical abuse from teachers. We cant say that there is a violence problem in schools based on one or two accounts," Rida Hegazy, head of the ministry's Public Education Department, told Al-Monitor. "Ive received complaints in the past, but these are individual cases. Moreover, there are counselors in the schools that address these types of issues. Also, the ministry provides oversight in the form of inspection committees that take action if complaints are received. They also provide periodic monitoring and assess the performance of each school."

Rasim al-Atassi, a leader in the Syrian community in Egypt, told Al-Monitor 8,000-9,000 Syrian children have dropped out of school due to insufficient financial resources.

Marwa Hashem, an assistant public information officer at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, told Al-Monitor that 25,000 education grants in public schools were dispersed to Syrian students.

She added, The UNHCR is cooperating with the Egyptian government. In the academic year of 2014-2015, a grant of 10 million Egyptian pounds [$1.13 million] was made to improve and establish new classrooms in schools hosting the highest numbers of Syrian students.

The UNHCR said that in August, about 85% of the 41,500 registered school-age Syrian children in Egypt were enrolled in school.

Affluent Syrian refugees prefer enrolling their children in Libyan and Sudanese schools in Egypt. Al-Monitor talked to a group of 10 Syrian high school students in the Sudanese school in Alexandria. They reported that the classrooms in their school are not overcrowded and they are well treated by their instructors. They also recalled being verbally harassed by their previous public school instructors and accused of invading the country or depleting its resources.

The female students in the group said they had been bullied by their peers because one of the instructors showed them special interest, given their difficult conditions as foreign students. Both male and female students in this group said they had been offered marijuana at least once.

Hegazy rebutted these claims, telling Al-Monitor, If I received a specific complaint with the name of the school or students [doing or selling drugs], I would immediately file a report to have those involved charged."

The Syrian students Al-Monitor spoke with worry that their graduation certificates will not be accepted at Egyptian universities. Aswad told Al-Monitor, The university admission of Syrian students, in particular those graduating from Sudanese schools, varies from one year to another.

The Education Ministry's Elsangary told Al-Monitor that public diaspora schools  such as those serving Sudanese and Libyans in Cairo  are meant to serve those of a specific nationality, and other nationalities are not permitted to enroll.

Ahmed from the Khatwa group said Syrians with high school diplomas from private Sudanese and Libyan schools were accepted into Egyptian universities until last year, when a decision was issued that prevented them from doing so.

Yet the 2015 graduates were exempted from this decision and allowed to enroll. Mohamed Khir al-Halabi, director of public relations for the Syrian Agency in Egypt, a group that helps refugees, told Al-Monitor, The agency got in contact with the concerned authorities and these students request to be exempted was approved, so they were able to enroll. About 500 such students enrolled last year.

However, when contacted by Al-Monitor, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education would not clarify the legal status of such students.

Many Syrians living in Egypt believe the optimal solution to the education crisis is to establish a Syrian school that provides accredited certificates, unlike the current Syrian educational institutions in Egypt that are merely "learning centers."

Binaat Al-Hidara School on the outskirts of Cairo is one such facility. Hani Bakhsas, the center's public relations officer, told Al-Monitor that the Syrian students who attend classes there are also enrolled in Egyptian schools.

We have classes for all educational stages, where we explain the Egyptian curriculum, but the center does not give certificates and is not an official authority to administer exams, he said.

These learning centers address the difficulties Syrian children face in understanding instructions given in the Egyptian dialect of Arabic. The centers appoint Syrian instructors to teach elementary classes. This practice gives Syrian teachers job opportunities, as they are not legally allowed to teach at public schools and the salaries in private schools are comparably low.

Regarding the establishment of a Syrian school similar to the schools of other diaspora communities in the country, Bakhsas said, "Licensing the construction of a school requires the building to have a large surrounding space, in addition to a playground. This is a huge financial burden and we cannot afford it."

Editor's note: This article has been updated since its initial publication.
May 3, 2016

TEHRAN, Iran  Riyadh is engulfing Cairo  this was the perception when King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud visited Egypt for five days early last month. During the visit, many treaties and agreements were signed, including the transfer of Egypts sovereignty over the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets to protest the island transfer. More broadly, many questions were raised about the timing and the meaning of the visit.

Saudi policy toward Iran is currently making up the core of its foreign policy. As such, Riyadhs regional diplomacy and maneuvering should be seen in that context, which is supposed to widen and enhance its regional strategic choices. Egypt is, meanwhile, more focused on combating terrorism and instability in the Sinai Peninsula and Libya, while enhancing its economy.

With a partnership between a wealthy and aspirant Riyadh and a weak and needy Cairo  like any sort of partnership between a weak and a mighty actor  it can be assumed that there will be an even more assertive Saudi regional role followed by Egypt. But is there a regional partnership between the two? Given Egypts regional priorities and its policy toward the Syrian and Yemeni crises, it is hard to say that Cairo is complying with its assumed role. Moreover, what would any change in the Saudi-Egyptian relationship mean for Iran?

Tehran favorably perceives Egypts potential role in the Middle East. For Iran, a more independent and active Egypt that can squeeze the Saudis is nothing to be worried about. History tells Tehran that Egypt's assertive role in the region is not tolerated by Saudi Arabia. That in turn tells Tehran that a more active Egypt would mean a more balanced Middle East  or at the very least, more balanced Arab politics.

Although Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has focused on domestic affairs, he has been eager to demonstrate his different approach toward regional crises compared with President Mohammed Morsi, whom he ousted. Trying not to be so vocal, Sisis government's stance toward the Yemeni and the Syrian crises bear such differing tones that it has made the Saudis nervous in their endeavor to bring Egypt within their track. That is to say, Egypt has been trying to balance its rapprochement with Gulf Cooperation Council member states on the one hand and its independent policy toward Yemen, Syria and Turkey on the other. This balancing act is far from standing at odds with Iran's regional policy. In fact, Egypt has never been so close to Iran on Syria since Sisi became president.

Within this context, the Saudis are trying to bring Egypt onboard against Iran. They want Sisi to prioritize the so-called Iranian threat in his regional agenda. The Saudis believe this will change the regional balance of power in favor of Saudi Arabia against Iran. There have been plenty of reports indicating Saudi attempts to forge a triangle with Turkey and Egypt to counter Iran. While this is supposed to be bad news for Tehran, it has not received that much attention. Yet this does not mean that Tehran is not concerned with any sort of change in the regional balance of power. Rather, it suggests that Iran does not take SaudiEgyptian rapprochement seriously. There are four reasons for this posture.

Maintenance costs: Having Egypt onboard against Iran would mean huge Saudi investment and bailouts offered over a long period in return for Cairo refraining from opening up to Tehran and to adhere to Riyadhs line  or at least to keep silent on controversial issues. In addition to the huge amounts that the Saudis are assumed to continue spending, Riyadh has to focus a good part of its foreign policy on managing Egypts differences with other Saudi partners, and especially with Turkey. Along with other implications, this means an even lesser focus on confronting Iran in favor of managing Egypts regional rivalries and conflicts.

Internal preoccupation: The Egyptians are more concerned with their domestic challenges rather than Saudi Arabias regional aspirations. As such, they are less inclined to back the Saudis. Additionally, the Egyptians have made it clear that they have their own agenda when it comes to the Middle East. Thus, they can only go along with the Saudis on understandings made by agreements. These sorts of regional understandings cannot however survive in the long run. Cairo knows its value for the Saudis and will thus ask for a dear price for even something such as not going in the wrong direction in the view of Riyadh. Indeed, Sisi needs to swap something for getting more Saudi investment and funding. Accordingly, this dynamic leaves Tehran with little to be worried about.

Avoiding confrontation: Does Egypt even want to confront Iran? There is no clear cut answer to this question, although its regional policy and strategic choices toward Middle Eastern hotspots  such as Syria and Yemen  show a tendency for rivalry with Riyadh and especially Ankara rather than any sort of inclination to confront Tehran. Although there is no such thing as regional cooperation between Egypt and Iran, confronting Iran is not on Sisis agenda. The Egyptians are reflecting Riyadhs rhetoric toward Iran obviously for economic reasons, but the economic dimension has its limits in shaping politics, especially when it comes to strategic choices.

Limited potential: What can Egypt add to Saudis regional effort against Iran? The answer is not much. In fact, Egypts strategic potential in the Middle East is so limited that it couldnt stop Qatar from backing the Egyptian opposition. Although having Cairo within its anti-Iran camp would have some political ramifications, Riyadh is putting a lot of effort into getting more than just political backing from Sisi. Faced with a lack of a much-needed strategic  and effective  ally, Riyadh is struggling to create one out of Egypt. Yet on a cost-benefit analysis, Egypt is perhaps too much of a cost for Saudi Arabia to raise any concern in Tehran.

In general, any attempt to create a major Arab coalition against Iran in the Middle East hits a sensitive nerve in Tehran. Nevertheless, Iranian strategists are more concerned with the practical ramifications of a rapprochement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia rather than its political propaganda. For the reasons explained above, it is hard to imagine that any anti-Iran coalition headed by a Saudi-Egyptian alliance will be effective. The Saudi-led war on Yemen has shown the limits of the Saudi alliance-building potential. As such, the Saudi maneuvering toward Egypt is not expected to bring about a tangible change in the regional balance of power.
May 3, 2016

Since the implementation of the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers in January and the removal of international sanctions, Irans old trading partners from Europe and Asia are seeking to re-establish economic ties. The arrival of South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Tehran May 1, the first visit of a South Korean president since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1962, not only held promising prospects for future economic relations, but could possibly have ramifications for each country's relations with North Korea.

An article headlined "Tehran, the bridge of reconciliation between the two Koreas," in Reformist Shargh Daily told about Park's historic May 2 meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The South Korean delegation reportedly included more than 200 government officials and business leaders. The two countries signed deals and memorandums of understandings in the fields of infrastructure building, energy exploration, banking and technology. Rouhani said that business and economic ties would increase by threefold from the current $6 billion a year to $18 billion.

Park also met with Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who praised the agreements between their two countries and called for "sustainable cooperation."

What attracted attention even in South Korean news agencies was Rouhanis comments about nuclear weapons. "Security in the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East is important for both countries," Rouhani said. "We want peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, and on principle we are opposed to any type of weapons of mass destruction. [Iran's] desires are a world free of weapons of mass destruction, especially a Korean Peninsula and the Middle East free of weapons of destruction, especially nuclear."

While Rouhani did not mention North Korea in his speech, his reference to a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons leaves little doubt to which country he was referring. After years of touting its nuclear weapons, North Korea claimed to have tested its first nuclear device in 2006. In January, Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

Rouhani, who was secretary of Iran's Supreme National Supreme Council for 16 years, certainly must have understood the significance and sensitivity of his comments about nuclear weapons. South Korean officials welcomed the comments. "We believe that the message that Iran, a traditional partner of North Korea, sent at a leadership level probably communicated a strong warning to the North," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said during a press conference, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Iran's military relations with North Korea date back to the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, and they are believed to have continued to this day. Yonhap News Agency claimed that as recently as March, a North Korean firm sanctioned for arms trade visited Tehran.

While other officials have discussed Iran-North Korea military relations during the Iran-Iraq War, Iran's current ambassador to South Korea, Hassan Taherian, said that claims about North Korea helping Iran's missile industry are untrue. Regarding North Korea's nuclear tests, he also said, "Iran recommends to North Korea to learn a lesson from the comprehensive nuclear deal [between Iran and the six world powers] and to capitalize from it."

Despite South Korea's close relationship with the United States and Iran's close relationship with North Korea, Iran and South Korea have in the past been able to maintain economic ties, and these ties are now likely to increase. Iran's oil minister, Bijan Zanganeh, told reporters May 1 that since the international sanctions on Iran have been removed, oil exports have jumped from 100,000 barrels a day to 400,000 barrels.
May 3, 2016

Twice a year, during the holidays of Passover and Sukkot, the public bulletin boards that line Israels ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods undergo a dramatic transformation. A colorful, eye-catching set of posters pops up alongside the ubiquitous black-and-white death notices. These posters announce special screenings of a wide range of films over the course of the two weeklong holidays. The mainstream ultra-Orthodox press also promotes these films, which are shown in municipal community centers, synagogue halls and schools.

These films are unique in Israel, and perhaps the entire world. The cast consists entirely of women, as does the audience, and the writing and directing is almost completely done by women, too. The plots do not deal with tangled romances or crime. They are mostly family and historical dramas or comedies of various sorts.

Films like "Fill the Void," made by ultra-Orthodox filmmakers about their communities, have been screened in cinemas and festivals around the world. In contrast, these Israeli films by and for women are produced by a shadowy industry and are not marketed outside the ultra-Orthodox community. The industry does not receive any funding from Israels various film foundations and the films do not participate in competitions. Nor are they sold on DVD. It is almost impossible to find pirated copies of them online.

Al-Monitor spoke to a non-ultra-Orthodox video editor who has worked on quite a few of these films for ultra-Orthodox directors. The editor, who asked for anonymity, said, There are two reasons why these films receive no exposure outside of ultra-Orthodox circles. First of all, I dont think that the plots meet commonly accepted cinematic standards. Second, [the cast members] speak in very ultra-Orthodox language. As an editor who has seen just about everything, even I dont always understand the nuances.

Ultra-Orthodox film critic Marlene Wennig is the author of a book on ultra-Orthodox cinema. She claims that movies produced by ultra-Orthodox filmmakers over the past few years have improved significantly and are now of quite high quality. In terms of effects, costumes, cinematography, directing and editing, todays batch of ultra-Orthodox films is nothing like what there was 10 years ago. They are Hollywood quality in every way, Wennig told Al-Monitor. Nevertheless, these films are still ultra-Orthodox films and they have their own unique language. Anyone who comes to see this type of cinema knows what to expect, just like anyone going to see American movies knows what to expect.

The economics of these films is one of the biggest challenges facing ultra-Orthodox filmmaking. As far as the producers are concerned, they are a kind of financial roulette. Failed films have caused enormous financial damage to their producers. Some of them were even forced to sell their apartments and declare bankruptcy, said Wennig.

The price of tickets to an ultra-Orthodox film starts at 40 shekels ($10) and can go as high as 80 shekels ($20) for a premiere. Compared to the cost of tickets to movies intended for the general public (about 43 shekels [$11] per ticket when ordered online), the price of tickets to ultra-Orthodox films is not much cheaper, even if production costs are much lower. Wennig said, The cost of producing an ultra-Orthodox film is only about 1 million shekels [$266,000], and Ive seen cases of producers making a film with just 700,000 shekels [$186,000]. On the other hand, the fact that there is hardly any support from the film funds is harmful to the industrys development.

There have been several attempts over the past few years to cast men in ultra-Orthodox films, but all of them have failed. Wennig describes how attempts to include men on the set ultimately resulted in much smaller audiences. Over the past few years, several ultra-Orthodox directors tried to incorporate male actors, but women voted against that with their feet. Ultra-Orthodox women have fallen in love with films featuring women only, so it will apparently stay that way, she said. ''There is no doubt that ultra-Orthodox film is very gender-specific. In that sense, it is a unique phenomenon in the world of film. It is all about women making movies for an exclusively female audience, without the slightest nod to a male audience, even subconsciously. There is something very pure and clean about it.

While womens films have entered mainstream ultra-Orthodox society, not everyone is so accepting of the phenomenon. Wall posters denouncing the movies still appear every now and again. The ultra-Orthodox extremist group Edah Haredit, for instance, supports a separatist, isolationist lifestyle and openly opposes these films. A source within the group candidly admitted to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that its fight against these movies has failed. In hindsight, our struggle did not achieve its objectives because it wasnt vociferous enough from the outset. Now it really is much harder to combat the phenomenon, he said.

He added, There are many problems concerning modesty in these films. They present a slippery slope, which can lead in very problematic directions. Anyone who deals with these films knows exactly what we mean.

Nevertheless, it seems as though ultra-Orthodox cinema is on the verge of a major upgrade of another kind. The various planning committees of the Jerusalem municipality are currently advancing the creation of the Beit Yaakov Center for Performance Arts, which will serve as a kind of home for ultra-Orthodox cinema, theater and dance, as well as for art galleries. The institution is expected to do much to formalize theater arts among the ultra-Orthodox sector.

If anything can turn performance arts in the ultra-Orthodox community into a stable and genuine institution, it is this, said Wennig, who is pleased by this development. It will establish a canon and change the habits of consumption. For the first time ever, ultra-Orthodox culture will be available throughout the year, not just on holidays. Ultra-Orthodox women will be able to go there to watch movies.

Nevertheless, she makes it perfectly clear that she does not think such an institution will have any influence whatsoever in opening the ultra-Orthodox community to the wider world. On the contrary, Wennig was careful to emphasize, an institution such as this will only bolster ultra-Orthodox autonomy. For many ultra-Orthodox Jews, it will send a message that you can love the stage and still remain ultra-Orthodox.
May 3, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  For the first time in nine years, Israeli authorities allowed the entry of new taxis into the Gaza Strip on April 13. After Hamas won the legislative elections in June 2006 and came to power, Israel imposed an embargo on taxis as part of a tight blockade restricting a wide range of goods.

Six out of 36 Skoda 2002-model taxis have already entered Gaza while the rest will follow once their registration papers are completed. The entry via the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza is being coordinated with the Palestinian ministries of transportation in the West Bank and Gaza.

Khalil Zayyan, the head of the public relations department at the Ministry of Transportation in Gaza, said the number of taxis approved for entry by Israeli authorities is nothing compared to the actual number needed, which is estimated to be double the existing 4,000-5,000 dilapidated cars in the Gaza Strip.

In his interview with Al-Monitor, Zayyan explained that the new taxis were introduced as alternatives to those destroyed during the Israeli war on Gaza in the summer of 2014, which are estimated at 1,173 civilian cars (taxi, private and commercial vehicles).

Zayyan hopes that Israel will allow the entry of more taxis in order to accelerate the process of renewal of public transport vehicles, as the transportation system in Gaza relies on internal public and private cars rather than taxis and buses, due to the shortage of taxicabs.

Jamal Abu Jarad, the head of the syndicate of public transportation workers in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, "The Gaza Strip is going through unusual circumstances compared to the rest of the world. We are unable to renew Gaza's car fleet, which counts nearly 70,000 vehicles varying between taxis, private and commercial cars, including around 4,000 to 5,000 taxis."

Abu Jarad argued that the Israeli siege on Gaza, as well as the internal disagreements between the ministries of transportation in Ramallah and Gaza, made it impossible to bring taxis into Gaza. The Palestinian Authority (PA) refuses to request Israel  which previously opposed the idea  to allow the entry of taxis into Gaza in an attempt to deprive its Gazan counterpart of the purchase and value-added taxes it is already collecting in the West Bank, equivalent to almost 25% of the price of the car. The disagreement between the ministries of transportation in Ramallah and Gaza would make the car owner liable for a 50% tax on his car price.

Abu Jarad stressed that Gaza's Transportation Ministry promised the syndicate and car dealers that it will not collect taxes on the cabs slated to enter Gaza, as the ministry wishes to renew the taxi fleet without imposing more expenses on the people. Abu Jarad's claims were confirmed by Rayan, who revealed that his ministry is currently discussing the matter with its counterpart in the West Bank in a bid to overcome the barriers that could halt the entry of cars into Gaza, such as the dispute between the two ministries of transportation over the tax to be collected.

The head of Gaza's association of car importers, Ismail Nakhala, told Al-Monitor, "Only six of the 36 taxi cars approved for entry into Gaza by Israel have indeed entered, while the remaining 30 await the completion of registration formalities by owners."

Nakhala stressed that the whole taxi fleet in Gaza needs renewal, especially 7-seater vehicles that are no longer suitable to transport passengers. He added, "The government is incapable of putting these vehicles out of service due to the deteriorating economy and the difficulty of finding alternatives."

The owners of public 7-seaters and 12-seaters that date back to the 1980s expressed their indignation toward the entry of the new taxis into Gaza. They staged a protest April 14 in central Gaza in which dozens of taxi drivers participated.

Al-Monitor interviewed Mansour Chehaibar who has been a taxi driver for nine years, driving a 1985-model 7-seater Mercedes. He said, "The entry of new 4-seater taxis into Gaza will harm us drivers of medium-duty vehicles because passengers will prefer to ride in new and smaller cars overtaking rickety medium-duty cars."

Chehaibar held the Transportation Ministry responsible for the losses he and his fellow drivers will suffer, as their cars are licensed and allowed to move from one city to another despite Traffic Law No. 5 of 2000 issued by the PA, which restricts small 4-seater cars from operating outside of their respective cities.

Another taxi driver, Jamal Abou Saoud, who operates a 1982-model 7-seater Mercedes, criticized the government, saying, "Our government only seeks to collect taxes from old and new taxi drivers without concern for their situation. These drivers pay their dues to a government that's unable to provide a proper work environment."

He asked, "How could the government allow small taxi cars to operate inside and outside cities?" adding, "No one will ride in my rickety car after the government allows taxis to operate outside cities. This means I'll soon be put out of business."

Gazans rejoiced at the entry of new taxis, hoping that the whole fleet will be renewed. Younis Radih from Bayt Lahia in north Gaza, told Al-Monitor, "I prefer transportation in small, modern cabs because they save time and provide more comfort compared to small- and medium-duty dilapidated cars that I no longer find convenient."

Teacher Walaa Mohammad from the Gaza Strip said, "In the past, I used to ride in medium-sized cabs, but recently I started taking small, new ones because they are more comfortable, and this way I don't have to wait for the driver to fill the seats  let alone the poor quality of these seats and the dizzying smell of burning fuel."

Drivers started using their new cars just days after their entry to Gaza Strip. Those looking forward to owning and operating taxis can remain hopeful, especially since the taxi driver job has become popular amid rising unemployment and lack of job opportunities. For this occupation, one only needs a driving license and a vehicle.
May 3, 2016

The remarks of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the recent summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, where he urged unity among Islamic nations against what he considers to be a perfidious West, and the threat of terrorism from radical Islamic groups, left many with the impression that he was vying for the leadership of the Islamic world.

There are few indications to suggest, however, that the Islamic world wants Turkey to play such a role. The Islamic world also appears to be as far as ever from the unity that Erdogan has been calling for. Much to Erdogan's disappointment, relations between Islamic countries have proved to be more complex than he imagined.

Turkey's relations with Arab countries have also been problematic due to its historic baggage that harks back the time of Ottoman rule in the Middle East. Remarks out of Turkey about Arabs and the Arab world have usually been evaluated against this backdrop by Arab politicians, academics and analysts. Not surprisingly, accusations of "neo-imperial designs" have been leveled against Turkey as a result.

During his address to the Turkish-Arab Congress on Higher Education in Istanbul last week, Erdogan, in a rare outburst of this kind, blasted at the Arab League, accusing it in effect of being an exclusive and divisive organization preventing Islamic unity.

Lamenting the growing Sunni-Shiite divide, Erdogan said, "No one has the right to harm Islam in this way," adding that Turkey would never contribute to sectarian divisions. His remarks come at a time when Ankara continues to be accused by non-Sunni regimes and groups in the region of fanning sectarian divisions by backing Sunni groups in Syria and Iraq.

"We always talk about Turks and Arabs. I am saddened by this. They talk about the Arab League. So does this mean we should put a Turkish League in front of this?" Erdogan said. "You talk about Islamic cooperation on the one hand and about an Arab League on the other. What kind of business is this? Why don't we just call it the 'Islamic League' instead of the Arab League?"

"The Arab is not superior to the non-Arab, and the non-Arab is not superior to the Arab," Erdogan went on to declare in what appeared to be a criticism of the Arab sense of exclusivity. "I look and see that my Arab brother looks on me differently. If the Turk looks on the Arab differently too then we are in trouble," Erdogan said, exhorting the Islamic world to return to its origins.

While criticizing the Arab League in this manner, Erdogan appears to be forgetting that the Arab League, while comprising Islamic countries only, is essentially a political organization whose members share a common language and culture.

He also appears to have forgotten that Turkey is a founding member of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, also known as the Turkic Council, which was established in 2009. The aim of that council  like that of the Arab League  is to enhance cooperation on all levels between its member states Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey, all of which are predominantly Muslim countries.

Turkey's political relations with the Arab League, on the other hand, were enhanced when the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum was established in November 2007 in Istanbul. What we appear to have here, therefore, is another example of Erdogan speaking right off the bat without considering the background to as well as the potential pitfalls in his remarks.

Murat Yetkin, the editor-in-chief of Hurriyet Daily News and a well-known commentator on domestic and international affairs, noted that Erdogan's remarks about the Arab League "were almost as strong as the criticism he levels against terrorist organizations."

Yetkin wrote in his column, "Erdogan may be envisioning a political ideal where the world's 1.5 billion Muslims can act in unity under proper leadership, but he is suffering the disappointment of understanding better  with each passing day  the impossibility of this expectation."

Yetkin also noted that the bulk of the problems faced by the Islamic world today originate from Arab countries, suggesting that what lies underneath Erdogan's frustration is the Arab world's inability to overcome its shortcomings and act in the name of Islam.

Although Erdogan may be yearning for Islamic unity where Turkey plays a key leadership role, Yetkin also underlined the fact that many Arabs hanker after the modern lifestyles that they see in Turkish soap operas, which are highly popular in the Arab world, and which Erdogan has indicated he does not approve of.

A source close to the Foreign Ministry in Ankara, who is critical of the government's Middle East policy and therefore spoke on condition of anonymity, believes that Erdogan has consistently underestimated factors such as Arab nationalism in his approach to the Arab world.

"His view is simplistic and Islamist. He believes that since we are all Muslims there should be no problem in establishing a unified Islamic world that has overcome national considerations, and which acts to secure the collective Islamic interests," the source told Al-Monitor.

Pointing to the recent outrage in Egypt over Cairo's transfer of the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, the source said, "National pride and rivalries along this line remain a potent force in many Arab countries. They are no different than Turkey in this respect."

There are also those who suggest that Erdogan's annoyance with the Arab League may stem from the fact that it has always criticized Turkey's military incursions into Iraq, as happened a few months ago when Ankara deployed added forces to its military presence in Bashiqa near Mosul.

The fact that the Arab League's Secretariat is in Cairo may also be another reason that contributes to Erdogans annoyance, given his declared distaste for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the traditional regional rivalry between Turkey and Egypt.

Whatever the case may be, Erdogan is not known to come out so strongly against a key organization of the Arab world, and the fact that he chose to do so this time could be an indication of just how angry he is that his dream of leading the Islamic world is so unrealistic, especially when it comes to the Arab world.
May 3, 2016

The rumors and subsequent denials of competition between Russia and the United States over Syrian Kurds are beginning to resemble a game of Clue: Who did what, with what, to whom and where?

Some recent reports have Russia providing ammunition and coordination to the Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) armed forces, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG). Other reports beg to differ.

Mohamed Ala, YPG press spokesman at Afrin, told Al-Monitor, "Russia has not sent any troops or ammunition to Afrin. During recent attacks by jihadi groups at Tell Firat, we didnt get any assistance from regional and international parties. Here, I am talking of Russia and the Syrian regime. Is it logical for that regime to help us out at Afrin when the Syrian army is fighting us at Qamishli and Hasakah?

Yet according to information reaching Al-Monitor, Salih Muslim, co-chair of the YPG-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD), met Russian officials in Geneva last week and complained that Russia has been constantly saying it will support the YPG but to this date hasn't done so.

Al-Monitor contacted sources in Rojava who did not deny earlier Russian support, but they did not want to comment on the recent reports. Some Kurdish sources noted that even if there had been Russian support, Kurdish officials wouldn't acknowledge it, so as not to jeopardize their developing relations with the United States.

Also according to Kurdish sources, the additional 250 military advisers US President Barack Obama spoke of reached Rojava April 27.

The Americans recently prepared a military base near Rimelan in northeast Syria; now a smaller base at Kobani is nearly ready, which raises questions about what Russia might do to counter the American moves. The Wall Street Journal reported April 21 that Russian soldiers had arrived in Afrin to fight alongside the Kurds and maintain a presence in the region by making weapons, ammunition and oil deals with some Kurdish groups. The paper said the Kremlin also acknowledged providing weapons to Kurds in Iraq.

Regardless of whether Russia has provided ammunition to Kurds in Afrin, it is undeniable that Russian air attacks have opened the way for the Kurdish reinforcements to advance. Russian involvement since Sept. 30 has allowed the Kurds to improve their defensive lines at Afrin and Aleppo, which were under severe pressure. Kurdish sources said last year that while the YPG and Jaish al-Suwar were capturing Menagh air base east of Afrin, Russian planes hit the positions of Ahrar al-Sham and its allies. The Syrian villages of Aqlamiyah, Deir Jamal and Mareanar, which were abandoned by Jabhat al-Nusra and its allies under Russian aerial attacks, were taken over by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by the YPG. Also, Russia's bombardment in the SDFs capture of Tell Rifat is widely known.

Earlier, the Syrian army had recaptured the Shiite towns of Zahra and Nubul abutting Afrin that had been besieged by the opposition for three years, thus opening a corridor toward the east. The YPG, on its side, advanced from west to east and established Kurdish control of some villages.

I dont know the latest situation, but Russians delivered weapons to Afrin before the Zahra-Nubul offensive. Russians had already admitted delivering 5 tons of ammunition to Sheikh Maksoud [a neighborhood of Aleppo]. No doubt there is coordination between the YPG and Russian forces in all fronts including Jazeera, Aleppo and Afrin," a humanitarian relief worker in Rojava told Al-Monitor.

Intelligence information on Russias airdrop of ammunition to Afrin was discussed in the Jan. 27 meeting of Turkeys National Security Council. According to information leaking from that meeting, Russia and Iran in January had delivered ammunition to Afrin seven or eight times. Their goal was to enable the Kurds to advance from Afrin toward Jarablus by ignoring Turkeys red line against Kurds crossing to the west of the Euphrates River.

But there were countermoves to the Kurds' expansion of their control over the area the Gulf countries and the West wanted to dominate. There has been no letup since February in attacks against Kurdish-populated Sheikh Maksoud and Afrin by the opposition forces supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Russia helped ease the pressure on Kurds by bombing the positions of opposition forces encircling Sheikh Maksoud. The Kurds are not denying this assistance.

Just as reports were increasing that the Syrian regime was assisting the Kurds, in a totally unexpected development the Syrian army attacked the Kurds in Sheikh Maksoud April 23. Kurdish sources said the army attacked either by mistake or in retaliation for clashes between YPG security units and army-backed National Defense Forces in Qamishli.

Another reason for increasing pressure on Sheikh Maksoud and Afrin is the Kurds' plans to open a corridor through that area. Kurds who cannot open a corridor that would link Kobani and Afrin because of Turkeys red lines now seek to create a safe route between Sheikh Maksoud and Afrin. Such a safe route would also serve to sever the logistics connection between the opposition forces in Aleppo and Turkey. For the time being, the Syrian regime is inclined to see the Kurdish resistance in the region as serving its interests. Just like the Syrian regime, Russia is not disturbed by the YPG and its allies taking over areas abandoned by groups supported by the West and Gulf states  as long as they dont initiate fighting against the Syrian army.

According to field reports, counterattacks by Jabhat al-Nusra and its allies are delaying the Kurdish corridor plan. In the latest clash between the two sides at Tell Rifats Ain Dana, 11 SDF and 60-80 Jabhat al-Nusra militants were reported killed.

In short, in Syria there exists a rare configuration of war. This makes it difficult for the fighting parties and their foreign sponsors to implement their plans. Simply put, while the Pentagon is supporting Kurdish groups fighting the Islamic State around Kobani, Qamishli and Hasakah to the west, in the northeast of the country some CIA-equipped and trained opposition groups are attacking the Kurds and Salafi groups. Russia hopes that the YPG-PYD group it is helping will enable the Kurds to get closer to Damascus. US hopes are totally to the contrary. As for the Kurds, their game plan is to assist the United States and its allies in one place, Russia and the regime someplace else and other rebel groups elsewhere.
May 3, 2016

GENEVA AND WASHINGTON  US Secretary of State John Kerry, shuttling to Geneva for consultations with the United Nations, said he hoped that an announcement could be imminent as early as May 3 that a partial Syria cease-fire would be extended to Aleppo, after the United States and Russia agreed to expand a joint Syria cease-fire monitoring and enforcement operation out of the UN in Geneva. But even as Kerry and UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura consulted with the Russians on plans for an expanded, 24/7 Syria cease-fire monitoring mechanism, fighting raged on in Aleppo as Syrian state media accused rebels of an attack on a hospital a week after the regime was accused of attacks on three medical facilities; one of those attacks last week killed one hospitals last pediatrician.

"The bottom line is, there is no justification for this horrific violence that targets civilians or medical facilities or first responders, no matter who it is," Kerry told journalists at the State Department May 3. "We condemn any of these attacks no matter who commits them."

Also on May 3, de Mistura said after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, We all hope  and we have to be cautious  that  perhaps in the next few hours, we will be able to have a relaunch of the cessation of hostilities. If that takes place, then we are on the right track again, and we have been preparing for that.

Plans for a joint US-Russian Syria cease-fire monitoring operation, to include as many as 18 US military, intelligence and diplomatic personnel and their Russian counterparts and to be based at UN-provided offices in Geneva, were worked out on a whirlwind 36-hour Kerry shuttle to Geneva on May 1-2 and in phone calls with the Russians. Lavrov praised the idea of American and Russian personnel jointly staffing such a monitoring operations center, working out of the same offices, even as it was unclear exactly how joint US-Russian monitoring would mitigate against violations of the struggling Syria cessation of hostilities, which went into effect Feb. 27, but has deteriorated significantly in the past month.

I think it will be much more efficient in terms of the day-to-day exchange of information, assessments and day-to-day [elaboration] of response measures, Lavrov said at a news conference with de Mistura May 3. The United States and Russia have been video conferencing between centers in Amman and Khmeimim (a Syrian air base Russia uses), and only on several occasions have the heads of those centers met face to face.

Right now we will have a permanent monitoring center where United States and Russian counterparts will be sitting at the same table, Lavrov said. They will be looking at the same maps. They will be analyzing proposals and they will work together to make sure that any violations are nipped in the bud. Probably this is a major step forward toward a more intensive coordination of the efforts by Russia and the US and with the US-led anti-terrorist coalition generally.

De Mistura acknowledged that the Syria cease-fire would be imperfect, but said that the joint monitoring mechanism could help in containing violations and preventing them from escalating.

I have seen many cessation of hostilities or cease-fires taking place in many conflicts, much less complicated sometimes than this one. And very rarely they are perfect, de Mistura said. There has been and there are constant infringements, but the secret is actually to be able to contain it and to avoid it to become a bush fire, which has been the case the other day in Aleppo  that's why it needs to be contained.

And an operations center as effective as the one we have been working on can and must do that, and becomes immediate, real-time containment operation, through the influence each side can have, de Mistura said.

But in a sign that agreement on a joint monitoring mechanism may not shift divergent American and Russian views of culpability in the civil war or on the role of Bashar al-Assad in Syrias political future, Kerry laid the blame squarely on the Syrian regime for unconscionable attacks on three Aleppo-area hospitals and clinics last week that killed dozens of people, and said it had to stop.

There are three (Aleppo-area) health clinics now, one major hospital, that have been attacked from the air by bombs, Kerry told journalists at a media stakeout with de Mistura outside Genevas Hotel President Wilson May 2. There are only two air forces flying in that particular area, and the Russians are clear that they were not engaged or flying at that time.

The regime has clearly indicated the willingness, over a period of time now, to attack first responders, to attack health-care workers and rescue workers, Kerry said. And the attack on this hospital is on unconscionable, under any standard anywhere. It has to stop.

Whether Americans and Russians working out of the same Geneva offices to monitor the cease-fire with the same maps increases the pressure on them, and their leverage over their respective proxies and allies to bring a halt to such atrocities, remains to be seen. Or it could be that the operations center will just become another forum to engage in tit-for-tat sniping between two sides that have fundamentally different views of the Syrian civil war.

Lavrov, for his part, made little secret that he had been resisting a call by de Mistura to hold another meeting of the 20-member International Syria Support Group, and sought to turn blame for the recent fraying of the Syria cease-fire on the other side. As the United States repeatedly calls on Russia to pressure Assad to stop such atrocities as air attacks on hospitals, and to let more humanitarian aid be delivered, Lavrov said Washington should press the Syrian opposition to return to intra-Syrian political talks they walked out of in Geneva last round, in protest to the regime hindering aid access in several areas, not releasing detainees and mounting violations of the cessation of hostilities.

We call upon  the United States first of all  to use their leverage with the US-led coalition to make sure that there are no ultimatums like this aimed to undermine the peaceful talks, Lavrov said. Every decision must be on consensus basis between the opposition and the government, otherwise we will see more risks in this key part of the region.
A new aerospace manufacturing facility slated to open in 2017 is expected to bring 260 jobs to southwest Alabama.

UTC Aerospace Systems officials said in a statement Tuesday that the company is developing a new 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Foley, about 40 miles southeast of Mobile. Construction is expected to take about a year and the new plant is slated to open in the second quarter of 2017, officials said.

Plant employees will assemble aerodynamic jet engine covers primarily to support the Airbus A320 and deliver propulsion systems from the facility to the Airbus assembly line in Mobile, officials said.

Airbus recently presented an aircraft assembled in Mobile to JetBlue and officials said the company plans to deliver four A320 family aircraft per month from Mobile by the end of 2017.

The new plant will also provide support for other aircraft including Bombardier, Embraer and Mitsubishi, UTC Aerospace Systems, officials said. The North Carolina-based company already operates two facilities in Foley that collectively employ about 800 people.

"We chose Foley to expand because of its proven track record of performance, our desire to be near a key customer, and the tremendous cooperation we've had from the state, county and the city," Marc Duvall, president of UTC Aerospace Systems' Aerostructures business, said in a statement.

Gov. Robert Bentley praised the company in a statement and said its Foley facility is one of its most innovative and productive operations.

"Creating new jobs remains my top priority, especially in the aerospace industry which we identified as strategic in our Accelerate Alabama growth plan," Bentley said. "I commend the leaders at UTC Aerospace Systems for their investment in our state and confidence in the Alabama workforce."
Did you know that in the 1950s and '60s, two Alabama politicians and Martin Luther King used comics to publicize their points of view in the civil rights movement? It's true.

A comic book about the 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott was published in December 1957, followed by a 1958 comic book used as campaign material for John Patterson in his successful bid for Alabama governor against George Wallace, marking the only time Wallace was ever defeated. The following election, Wallace hired the same comic book creator who had made Patterson's book and created his own campaign comic, one that promoted segregation as the logical choice. He won that election in 1962.

Here's a look at the vintage comic books of Alabama's civil rights movement:

"Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story," 1957.

Tagline: "How 50,000 Negroes Found a New Way to End Racial Discrimination."

This 16-page comic book about the Montgomery Bus Boycott cost 10 cents when it was published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. In it, King says (with same emphasis used in the comic), "In Montgomery we used this nonviolent Christian action to get Jim Crow off the buses."

According to a synopsis of the book on MyComicShop.com, "it went unnoticed by the mainstream comic book industry, but spread like wildfire among civil rights groups, churches, and schools, helping to mobilize a generation to join the global fight for equality - nonviolently. Personally endorsed by Martin Luther King, Jr. himself, over time this comic book has reached beyond his time and place to inspire activists in Latin America, South Africa, Vietnam, Egypt, and beyond ..."

The comic, by Alfred Hassle and Benton Resnik, was reissued in 2014 by Diamond Comic Distribution.

The Life of Martin Luther King Jr., 1972

In a 1972 comic biography, King says (with same emphasis used in the comic), "This is a nonviolent protest against injustice. Our chief weapons are moral and spiritual forces. We depend on love! Love and goodwill toward all men must be at the forefront of our movement if it is to be successful."

"Alabama Needs John Patterson for Governor," 1958

Tagline: "A Fearless Fighter Dedicated to the Service of the People of Alabama; A Man of Action Who Gets Things Done - That's the Candidate for Governor John Patterson."

This comic book was the first of its kind in Alabama. According to mycomicshop.com, the 16-page comic was published by Malcolm Ater's Commercial Comics Co. for the 1958 Alabama gubernatorial campaign between Attorney General John Patterson and Judge George Wallace. The campaign would "go down as one of the greatest dogfights in Southern Political History," MyComicShop.com wrote.

"Both men desperately wanted the governorship, and nothing was spared in their campaign to get elected. For John Patterson, it meant hiring a Yankee from up north to come down and write the first pro-segregation comic book in U.S. political history! So how effective was this comic book? Well, this was the only election that George Wallace ever lost."

The book largely focused on Patterson's cleanup of Phenix City, Alabama's "Sin City" filled with organized crime and vice that led to the murder of Patterson's father, Albert Patterson. However, segregation was not an issue that could be overlooked in Alabama in 1958.

Two pages of the Patterson comic mention Patterson's investigation into the NAACP. An example:

Panel 1

White business owner 1: "Mr. Patterson, all he merchants in Tuskegee are mighty grateful to you for helping us fight that conspiracy to boycott our stores!"

White business owner 2: "And we know you've been working with schools, bus companies and park officials all over the state to keep segregation!"

Panel 2

Patterson: "Any time there's a segregation problem in Alabama, it's caused by northern henchmen of the NAACP imported here to stir up trouble. This group of organized race baiters must never be given another foothold in our state!"

Alabama Needs the Little Judge George C. Wallace for the Big Job, 1962

When Wallace ran for governor again in 1962, he took a lesson from his former opponent John Patterson. Wallace was "so impressed with the Patterson comic that he hired the comic's creator, Malcolm Ater, to work for him in the 1962 Alabama Governor's election when state law did not allow John Patterson to run for a second term. Not only did Malcolm Ater help elect Patterson as Governor in this 1958 election, his 1962 book for George Wallace helped propel Wallace into the Governor's mansion," according to MyComicShop.com.

The comic says the (presumably white) people of Alabama knew: "The little judge is a strong segregationist and he'd throw a monkey wrench into their plans to take over the state if he became governor ..."

Wallace's conversation bubble while talking with a group of old white men in a country store: "If we folks in Alabama want segregation, we'll have segregation. Nothing in the Constitution tells us who we have to go to school with, sit down with or eat with. We'll handle our own problems in our own way."

Click here to read the entire book on the Alabama Department of Archives and History online collection.

Join al.com reporter Kelly Kazek on her weekly journey through Alabama to record the region's quirky history, strange roadside attractions and tales of colorful characters. Find her on Facebook or follow her Odd Travels and Real Alabama boards on Pinterest.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office is asking for the public's help in trying to find family members of three men who died last month.

The bodies of all three men, who died of natural causes, are ready to be released for burial but authorities have not been able to find their next of kin. If family isn't found, they will be buried in a pauper's grave at the county cemetery.

Augustus Charlie Bobo, a 61-year-old white male, was found dead on April 14, 2016. Bobo was laying on his bed in a boarding home, at 3228 Beech Ave. S.W. in Birmingham, where he had lived for the past five months, said Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. The owner of the boarding home and the other tenants have no knowledge of Bobo's family, and Yates said there is very little known about his past.

On April 26, 67-year-old David M. Tompkins was found dead on a bed in a Birmingham motel room. The 67-year-old white male had been leasing the room at the motel at 7941 Crestwood Blvd. in the Eastwood area. Yates said a check of all listed emergency contacts and past listed addresses has failed to find family. Tompkins had previously lived in Hoover and Vestavia Hills.

Thomas Hollis, a 67-year-old white male, was also found dead on April 26. He, too, was laying on his bed in a boarding home at 301 Avenue T in the Pratt City area of Birmingham. Yates said the boarding home tenants believe Hollis had a brother, but didn't know his name or how to get in touch with him.

Yates said coroner's officials checked out all of his emergency contacts and past listed addresses but weren't able to find family. Hollis was traced back to a phone number in Talladega, but that number has since been disconnected.

Anyone with information is asked to call the coroner's office at 205-930-3603.
Press photographers go to great lengths and brave great dangers to be first at the scene of a bombing or shooting.

The first danger is the traffic  be it the lorries that indicate left before pulling out right, the speeding SUVs of Karachis playboy elite or the donkey carts that bring everyone to a sudden, screeching halt.

If Athar Khan, a photographer with the Express Tribune newspaper, can weave his motorbike around such hazards he is in with a chance of a scoop, being one of the first journalists to the site of a bombing or targeted shooting.

But once he arrives on the scene, he knows he faces another danger.

If you go to cover a blast, there might be a second blast. We all know that. We have all seen it happen once the journalists and emergency services arrive, he says.

Khan is one of Karachis small band of motorcycle photographers. Mounted on their Hondas they can navigate the citys choked streets with ease, racing past the rush-hour gridlock to be the first on the scene.

But in a megacity of almost 20 million people, riddled with insecurity, their motorbikes can keep them out of danger or put them right in the line of fire.

Speaking quietly above the keyboard jingle of a city centre hotel coffee shop  secured behind layers of barbed wire, bomb-sniffing dogs and guards armed with AK-47s  he describes his morning routine: how he joins his colleagues at the citys Press Club to drink tea as they wait for their phones to ring.

At the first warning of an attack, they are off.

Its a double risk, he says. You are riding on a bike in undisciplined traffic. You dont know who will hit you: it might be that truck or a bike, even a donkey cart. But you have to rush as soon as you can. Thats the commitment to my profession. We have to be there before anyone else.

During the past decade the Pakistani government has loosened its strict control over media houses. More than 100 TV channels, many dedicated to rolling news, now compete for viewers in rambunctious manner. Politicians decry their sensationalist coverage of attacks, broadcasting hours of coverage from bombing sites and even interviewing spokesmen for the groups alleged to have carried them out.

That means journalists frequently find themselves in the firing line.

Karachis darkest day

Khan left for the United States during the 1990s, spending a decade out of harms way while the government launched a brutal operation against Karachis MQM party, which was effectively running a state within a state. He returned in 2004, leaving his wife and child behind in Atlanta.

He had a ringside seat during Karachis blackest day in 2007. Benazir Bhutto, the countrys former prime minister, had just returned home from years in self-imposed exile. Corruption charges against her and her husband had been dropped as part of a general amnesty to allow politicians to return and help ease Pervez Musharraf, who had seized power in 1999, from office.

With a band of other photographers, Khan was watching her convoy from a footbridge, all the better to get a sense of the crowds who had gathered in their thousands. Then came the first blast.

It was not a big one  like a fire cracker or even a tyre exploding. So we ran over there. Then the second blast happened, not far away. That was the big one, his voice trails off.

The attack killed at least 130 people. Khan was only about 100 yards away when it struck, killing many of Bhuttos police escort. The photographers did what they were there to do and documented the carnage in photographs that Khan says haunted him for weeks.

The dead lying there, the body parts, he recalls. There was the smell of burning flesh. I cant really describe it.

Targeted by the Taliban

He tells his story at the Karachi Press Club, a solid stone building in the centre of the city where journalists drink tea on plastic chairs beside a well-watered lawn, waiting for the call to another blast or demonstration.

In 2014, a black flag flew here for 10 days as a memorial to three employees of Express News .

Their satellite van had been parked close to the Matric Board Office for a routine story on the citys education system when four men rode up on a pair of motorbikes. According to police reports, they carried 9mm handguns. They leaned into the news van and opened fire, pumping 17 bullets into the vehicle.

Waqas Aziz Khan, a technician, Muhammad Khalid, the driver, and Muhammad Ashraf, the teams security guard, were all hit and were dead by the time they reached hospital.

Not only are motorbikes used by the citys journalists; they are also used by their killers.

It did not take long for the Pakistan Taliban  or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in Urdu  to claim responsibility, telephoning one of the channels hosts when he was live on air.

The attack was the third on Express Media Group in no more than six months and prompted sit-ins and demonstrations by other journalists, who blamed the provincial government for failing to provide security to all citizens  not just the men and women of the press.

It is a losing battle in Karachi.

At the same time that the city mourned the Express News employees, it also mourned one of its most senior police officers. Chaudhry Aslam, who led Karachis Anti-Extremism Cell, had survived at least nine assassination attempts.

He died in January 2014, the victim of a suicide attack on his armoured car, prompting an outpouring of grief  and a number of tributes  from political leaders and ordinary residents alike.

More important than life

Then there are the other dangers. Demonstrations can rapidly turn violent. Religious and political groups frequently vent their frustration on the media, who are sometimes perceived as biased.

They think certain news channels or newspapers might not be reflecting their views properly, or they dont cover us, Khan explains. Or they accuse [us] of reporting with angles. It makes them mad. They might get mad with one organisation and blame all of us.

During the floods of 2010, trips into the surrounding region occasionally had to be cut short as angry villagers who had lost everything tried to rob journalists of their vehicles or cameras.

And then there are government agencies, which have in the past been accused of intimidating and even killing journalists.

The result of all this is that Pakistan is consistently ranked as one of the worlds most dangerous countries for reporters and photographers. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 57 have been killed in Pakistan since 1992.

Yet there is no shortage of young men  and increasingly women  joining the journalists ranks.

Around the corner from the Press Club stand rank after rank of battered motorcycles. Hondas are the favoured ride, usually a 70cc version which is cheap and easily maintained. Incidentally, the Taliban also prefers Hondas. In one edition of its English-language magazine, Azan, it profiled the higher powered Honda 125, calling it a steed of war.

This is mine, says Saeed Lashari, a photographer with Ibrat, a regional newspaper, pointing out a 30-year-old Honda City that has seen better days. Both indicators were long ago lost to close scrapes. The chrome, which must have once sparkled in the sunlight, is pockmarked and reddened with rust.

Theres not much we can do to stay safe, he tells me. We travel together, so that we can watch each others backs and spot signs of danger but its the nature of the photographer. You have to be at the hot spots and you have to be there when the light is right.

Its more important than life.

Khans Honda, which he proudly says has never let him down on the way to a job, was lined up nearby.

Im addicted to this life. Sometimes I like the adventure but I suppose really I dont know why I do it, he says before chuckling at the thought of using his talents in a safer environment.

Im not interested in taking photographs of weddings.

An earlier version of this article first appeared in the March 2014 issue of the Al Jazeera Magazine.
Hamburg, Germany  Larry Macaulay first arrived on Italys shores in May 2011 after taking a dinghy from wartorn Libya.

Having fled Nigeria a few years earlier during fighting between armed groups, he was forced to pack his bags and search for security yet again when the uprising against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi broke out in Libya that year.

Sitting in his studio, he recalls the long journey from Nigeria and how he ended up in 2014 as the founder and editor-in-chief of the Hamburg-based Refugee Radio Network (RNN), a project that has expanded with several sister initiatives in a number of cities across Germany.

Made possible by contributions from its audience and fundraising, RNN operates in the studio of a local left-wing radio station.

I've been invited to a lot of mainstream media discussions and it's always them wanting to tell us what to do. by Larry Macaulay, founder of Refugee Radio Network

Inspired by Radio Democracy, a pirate radio project in Nigeria, he says the idea was to get the news, pick it up in different places, adapt it to our local content and share it with the community and also with the refugee groups.

Between January and April of 2015, RNN started by taking phone calls from refugees and broadcasting an hour-long Refugee Voices show, a radio magazine programme.

The phone lines became congested and we couldnt keep up with the demand, so I told the guys we needed to stop the phone thing now and go more into the field to get more reports, he tells Al Jazeera.

It is now a mixture of news, gossip, politics and poetry, he explains. We try to bring positive reports because the negative [topics] are already in the mainstream [media].

The programmes include discussions and stories about human rights, self-organising, health, education, migration and others.

Macaulay says the project only grew more relevant as the weather warmed up in the spring of that year, when the refugee influx exploded. By the end of 2015, more than a million refugees and migrants arrived on European shores by boat, according to UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency.

By refugees, for refugees

RNN has expanded from an initial team of three people to a 15-person squad of broadcasters, hosts and technicians. By refugees, for refugees  thats our motto, Macaulay says.





Though they work in Hamburg, Macaulay and his team now take reports from across the country and some from elsewhere in Europe. Our philosophy is not the mainstream type, he adds. Ive been invited to a lot of mainstream media discussions and its always them wanting to tell us what to do.

Macaulay argues that much of the mainstream media is dominated by supremacist voices that dictate to refugees or try to coopt their voices. We need to start interpreting our stories for ourselves.

RNN is one of several refugee-launched initiatives to take their narrative into their own hands.

Along with more than 1,000 refugees and migrants, the RNN team participated in a large conference organised by refugees in Hamburg in late February.

The conference was a highly successful attempt to organise and discuss the most pressing issues across Europe at a time when borders have been closing for many fleeing from wars and economic devastation.

Macaulay recalls the conference as an important learning experience. I had never even thought of deaf refugees until I went to the conference. They were also represented there. Thats good  everyone must be included.

READ MORE: Refugees in Germany launch paper for fellow newcomers

Right-wing surge

While the media was flooded with images of German solidarity with refugees in 2015, the influx of arrivals has not come without complications.

Like many European countries, Germany has experienced a sharp surge in right-wing, anti-refugee sentiment as thousands of people continue to arrive in the country every day.

In early March, the hardline rightist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made huge gains in regional parliamentary elections in three German states.

Originally founded in 2013 as a Eurosceptic party, the AfD took the lead as the most aggressive anti-refugee voice in the country while more than a million asylum seekers arrived in Germany last year.

Critics accuse AfD of Islamophobia and incitement to violence against refugees and migrants. Frauke Petry, the leader of the AfD, in January proclaimed that officers should use firearms if necessary in order to prevent illegal border crossings.

No policeman wants to fire on a refugee and I dont want that either, she told the regional newspaper Mannheimer Morgen, arguing that police must stop refugees entering German soil in any case.

The rhetoric of groups such as the AfD is not divorced from reality. In 2015, an estimated 159 attacks or incidents of vandalism targeted refugee centres across Germany, according to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, an organisation that tracks racially motivated violence.

READ MORE: The rise of Germanys anti-refugee right

Macaulay asks: Why must we always blame everything on the refugees?

He argues that Germany must be criticised for its failure to ensure the protection of desperate people fleeing for their lives, but we must also give them a thumbs-up.

There were a lot of grassroots creations, social projects that sprung up from the bubble Some of them are good; most of them are not. But that shows a society that wants to be part of the change  and these are mostly driven by young people.

Broadcasting expansion

The radio project aims to provide refugee communities with a platform to broadcast their news in their own languages, as well as in German and English.

Hoping to expand, RNN has recently launched Afghan Voices, a programme that airs in Dari, Pashto and German to report on news relevant to the Afghan refugee community in the country.

Local Afghan community leaders approached Macaulay earlier in the year hoping to start the project. They told me they wanted to do it because they want to tell the story of what they are facing here and what they faced in Afghanistan, Macaulay remembers.

READ MORE: Greek anarchists organise for refugees as state fails

It conforms with our ideology of bridging the camp between the local community and the refugees.

Today, several refugees participate on a voluntary basis, coming from the nearby camps to the studio twice a week to record their shows.

Elsewhere, RNNs shows are syndicated on local radio stations in Berlin, Munich and elsewhere, while refugee groups from across the country share content with RNN.

Asked about the RNNs next step, Macaulay says the team is now in the nascent stages of launching a television project based on the same principles.

You have to erase it from your mind that [refugees] are zombies. They are human beings  they can create stuff, he concludes, laughing. We are from earth. We are human beings; we have blood in us.

Follow Patrick Strickland on Twitter: @P_Strickland_




Heavy bombing in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo has killed more than 250 people in less than two weeks, and threatens to derail planned peace talks aimed at ending the countrys five-year-old civil war.

Up to 400,000 people were believed to still remain in rebel-held parts of Aleppo, the largest city in Syria. Regime forces and rebel groups were locked in battle throughout the city.

Meanwhile, politicians in Geneva were discussing potential options to restore a truce.
The assault on Aleppo has exposed the shallow foundations of the Geneva peace process.

James Denselow is a writer on Middle East politics and security issues and a research associate at the Foreign Policy Centre.

The citadel that dominates the Aleppo city skyline gives the place a sense of timelessness and permanence, yet Syrias biggest city is currently facing an existential challenge. If, or more likely when, the opposition-controlled areas are cut off from the outside world it will signal not just the biggest siege in the country to date but also a new chapter in the five-year conflict.

The Geneva process, which contained so much hope and promise, gathering the main players and backers into an ambitious series of deadlines for transition and constitutional reform, will surely not survive the siege or fall of Aleppo.





The cessation of hostilities, the main positive to emerge from the talks, saw a huge reduction in mortality rates and 3.7 million Syrians receive food aid in March alone.

Increasingly, however, it could be seen not as a genuine space for peace to emerge but rather a period for redeployment before this latest offensive was launched.

Heart of Syrian commerce

Once Aleppo was the bustling heart of Syrian commerce. In 2013 some two million people lived in and around the city.

Today that number is down to 400,000. In opposition-controlled areas the medical infrastructure has been so badly hit that according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), 95 percent of medics have fled and there are only between 70 and 80 doctors left.

READ MORE: Aleppo can be a turning point in Syrias civil war

Wounded Syrians are reportedly being treated by vets without painkillers as hundred of air strikes and artillery shells pour down.

Wounded Syrians are reportedly being treated by vets without painkillers as hundred of air strikes and artillery shells pour down. by

According to the Syrian civil defence team the White Helmets, a strike on a water-pumping station has taken out the clean water supply.

The assault on Aleppo has exposed the shallow foundations of the Geneva peace process. While it may have appeared to have finally secured the right peoples engagement with a process, it was ultimately divorced from the higher priorities that were being played out on the ground.

The Russian rhetoric and Janus two-faced approach to the conflict has been starkly exposed.

On one hand the Deputy Foreign Minister, Gennady Gatilov, declared that we are not going to put pressure on [Assad] because one must understand that the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat.

Regime of silence

Then, on the other hand, Lieutenant-General Sergei Kurylenko was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies that currently active negotiations are under way to establish a regime of silence [ceasefire] in Aleppo province.

Either the Russians are complicit in the attacks or they have created a monster in the regime that cant be controlled. In each scenario Aleppo will continue to burn.

Meanwhile the regime in Damascus has been much more consistent when outlining its intentions. It announced at the start of the month that it was inflicting heavy losses on terrorists across the country, while in April Syrias Grand Mufti Ahmed Badr al-Din al-Hassoun urged the complete destruction of insurgent-held areas in Aleppo from which shells were being fired.

If Geneva is the only game in town, what will be played once Aleppo reveals its failure?

The collapse of collective international efforts is likely to mean the start of a new chapter of the conflict characterised by increased support for the non-ISIL linked Syrian opposition.

Already there is talk of more and better quality weapons being delivered into the country, and Foreign Policy magazine reported that continued efforts are being made in the US to develop surface-to air-missiles that can be contained and controlled in the region.

READ MORE: Aleppo is symbolic of the coming apart of Syria

Yet the loss of Aleppo is not solely symbolic. Its strategic importance will make opposition activity in the north a much more difficult prospect.

Yet the fall is unlikely to be a dramatic moment that will occur any time soon. As weve seen in places such as Yarmouk and Darayya, urban areas with opposition fighters present are softened up through starvation and the tactics of siege attrition. So the humanitarian picture, already mind-boggling in its sheer size and tragedy, will worsen further.

The international community will need to again assess its humanitarian norms and practices to face this new chapter of catastrophe. Serious discussions will need to be rebooted and re-energised about how to deliver aid to besieged civilians.

In areas where the regime is not in control, more thought to supporting civil first responders with early-warning systems and assistance in constructing underground shelters and hospitals can again mitigate the damage of war while a peaceful solution remains off the table.

Aleppos reckoning has already begun and the darkness that has enveloped Syria continues to offer no sign of hope for its future.

James Denselow is a writer on Middle East politics and security issues and a research associate at the Foreign Policy Centre.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Let us develop the press sectors of our countries to protect us from the dangers of contamination from whatever source.

Lonnie Isabel is a reporter, editor and journalism instructor who is covering US politics and foreign affairs.

One of the most stunning developments of the internet age is that nations may share more quickly the richness of their poets, artists, musicians and journalists  almost in a flash across cultures, geography, beliefs and political systems.

For journalists, the power of instant communication has created new and exciting ways to dispense vital news and analysis. With it have come heightened levels of danger journalists face worldwide.

Each year on World Press Freedom Day we hear the horrific stories of those endangered journalists. In addition to news, the internet brings us dispatches of attacks on journalists in disparate places but all with the same intent to silence those who report uncomfortable truths.

Colombian reporter Jineth Bedoya Lima wrote recently of her kidnapping and rape while pursuing a story; in Ethiopia, respected editor Eskinder Nega has been in prison since 2011 serving an 18-year term under the countrys repressive anti-terrorism act; and, in Egypt, reports come weekly of journalists arrested or disappeared.

Under pressure

On Press Freedom Day, we have the sad duty of commemorating the journalists killed each year. In 2015, 110 were murdered.

On this day, May 3, diplomats, United Nations officials, politicians, news executives and journalism advocacy groups all pledge to do better to protect journalists because we believe in the essential mission of journalism: To expose injustice, human rights violations and corruption. Then the day passes and the press of news goes on.

Ten years ago in a conversation with Elisabeth Witchel, then of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), we decided it was time to do something to assist journalists under attack.

American journalists are seldom murdered in the United States or put in prison to stop publication or the broadcast of a story.

Journalism in the US has its challenges, from government secrecy, anti-whistle-blower laws and the disruption of the advertising business model that has sustained it for several generations.

But it has been a rewarding life for most of us who came during the golden age of the 1980s and 1990s.

Freedom of expression, and in the heart of it press freedom, represents the natural immune system of any society. In human bodies, the first thing viruses target is the immune system. Exactly like in human bodies, dictatorships first target freedom of expression and more specifically press freedom. by Yehia Ghanem

What Witchel and I decided to do was work to combine the efforts of CPJ, the leading press freedom organisation in the country, and the public graduate school I taught at in New York City.

The International Journalist in Residence programme was born, granting one journalist a year a chance to recoup, reconstruct, revive and resuscitate their careers in exile. It has been the most rewarding effort Ive undertaken in my journalism career.

Positive results

In the 10 years since, journalists have come to New York from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sri Lanka.

Some have come as refugees, some had served time in prison, some had little hope of ever working as a journalist again, some were being sought on trumped-up charges, and some hadnt seen their families in months.

All were seeking the warm embrace of fellow journalists and journalism students, looking for a way to get back into what they loved most: reporting. Several are working as journalists now, but not in the countries of their birth.

On this World Press Freedom Day, there are some small encouraging signs. I first met Sonali Samarasinghe a short time after her husband had been assassinated on January 8, 2009, in his car on the streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on his way to work.

OPINION: The Arab media paradox

Her husband, Lasantha Wickrematunge, was a well-known and influential editor of an independent newspaper that was particularly critical of the policies of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

His murder has still not been solved but suspicions have centred on the government in power at the time.

The next year, Samarasinghe was a Journalist in Residence at the City University of New Yorks Graduate School of Journalism. I recently talked with her about that time after her husbands death.

We felt hopeless, she said of Sri Lankan journalists then. We experienced the anguish of being under attack.

Now a minister counsellor in the Sri Lankan mission in New York, Samarasinghe is working for the new president, Maithripala Sirsena, who was elected after the end of a horrific war with the Tamil Tigers.

She has been allowed back into the country recently after having to flee for her life in 2009. She is pleased that reporters have more freedom now and that Sri Lanka may adopt a Right to Information Act for the first time. Press in Sri Lanka has really opened up. Certain groups that were on blacklists were removed.

OPINION: Another dark moment for the Turkish media

Others have found their journalism niches here in their adopted country. Roozbeh Mirebrahimi, an Iranian journalist and blogger, was the first of the journalists in residence.

He had spent time in Irans worst prison for his reporting when he arrived in New York. Now he and other Iranian journalists are reporting on events online for readers in Iran.

Others like Ethiopian Kassahun Yilma, a former reporter with Addis Neger, a newsmagazine that closed after government intimidation. Yilma is now working again as a journalist after spending his first months in the US doing manual labour. He is reporting on Ethiopia.

Dim picture

Sadly, this has not been the experience of all of the journalists in residence. Charles Kabonero, a Rwandan journalist charged by the government after investigating corruption, is in exile.

Agnes Taile, of Cameroon, used her own money to start a website and hire reporters in that country to cover issues ignored in the press there. She ran out of money.

Yehia Ghanem, the distinguished Egyptian journalist, was convicted of ridiculous charges after he attempted to set up a training programme for Egyptian journalists covering the 2012 election of Mohamed Morsi, whom the military deposed a year later.

Sign an Al Jazeera petition for journalists to protect themselves

Ghanem cant go back to the Egypt that he speaks of so fondly and whose history he recites from memory. He is mocked in the government press and has not seen his family there since. Ghanem is writing a book about his ordeal.

At a World Press Day event at the United Nations two years ago before diplomats, aid workers and UN officials, Ghanem spoke eloquently of the struggle for journalism freedom in his country:

Freedom of expression, and in the heart of it press freedom, represents the natural immune system of any society. In human bodies, the first thing viruses target is the immune system. Exactly like in human bodies, dictatorships first target freedom of expression and more specifically press freedom.

Let us continue to feed and develop the press sectors of our countries to protect us from the dangers of contamination from whatever source.

Lonnie Isabel is a reporter, editor and journalism instructor who has covered US politics and foreign affairs for three decades.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Australian minister accuses refugee advocates of inciting self-harm after second incident of self-immolation in a week.

A refugee has set herself on fire at an Australian-run detention centre on the Pacific island of Nauru, just days after an Iranian man died in a similar act in protest against his treatment.

Australian officials said a Somali woman was in a critical condition after she set herself alight on Monday.

The incident sparked debate on social media with the hashtag #Only19, the purported age of the Somali woman, trending in Australia, with users uploading and tweeting photos of when they were 19.

Peter Dutton, immigration minister, acknowledged there had been a rise in cases of self-harm in the camps and accused refugee advocates of giving the asylum seekers false hope that they would one day be settled in Australia.

Some advocates were encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way, he said on Tuesday.

However, the top UN body for refugees said such incidents in the camps, which hold asylum seekers fleeing violence and hardship in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia, were a result of Australias tough offshore detention polices.

These people have already been through a great deal. Many have fled war and persecution, some have already suffered trauma, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Australia said in a statement.

The consensus among medical experts is that conditions of detention and offshore processing do immense damage to physical and mental health, it said.

Political protest

Last week, a 23-year-old Iranian man known as Omid set fire to himself on Nauru during a visit by UN representatives, an act the Nauru government said was a political protest.

Under Australias immigration policy, asylum seekers attempting to reach the country by boat are intercepted and sent to camps on the Nauru, about 3,000km northeast of Australia, or on Manus island in Papua New Guinea.

READ MORE: A glimpse of Australias Manus Island refugee prison

The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism inside and outside Australia and have become a major headache for Malcolm Turnbull, Australias prime minister, during campaigning for July national elections.

The government argues that the approach, which also includes turning back boats, has prevented drownings by stopping people from making the dangerous journey, often from Indonesia.

Papua New Guineas Supreme Court last week found its centre on Manus Island, which has some 850 detainees, to be unconstitutional, prompting the government in Port Moresby to order it closed.
Five accused appear in Punjab court after Sikh man says they desecrated his religious symbol, turban, during scuffle.

Five people have appeared in a Pakistani court accused of blasphemy after a Sikh man complained they had desecrated his turban during a scuffle over a delayed bus.

The men, all Muslims, appeared for the first hearing on Tuesday in Chichawatni in northern Punjab province, police said.

Mahindar Pal Singh, 29, said he went to police after the incident on Sunday during a journey from Faisalabad to Multan.

He said the disturbance arose after he and other passengers complained when their bus broke down.

Singh told Pakistans Dawn newspaper that the driver managed to start the bus but the vehicle took more than five hours to reach the next terminal.

Due to the slow speed of the bus, Singh said, he and other passengers, complained to the companys staff and demanded an alternative vehicle for the onward journey.

The staff misbehaved, pushed me and threw my turban, which is very sacred, away, he told AFP news agency.

They desecrated my religious symbol, so I decided to lodge a blasphemy case.

According to Pal, the police station officer repeatedly requested [him] not to make the complaint and was acting like the lawyer more than the policeman.

READ MORE: Campaigning to reform Pakistans deadly blasphemy law

Blasphemy carries the death penalty and is an extremely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where people generally from the minority community have been targeted under the controversial law.

Rights activists have criticised the countrys blasphemy laws, which they say are often used to carry out personal vendettas against minorities.

Salman Taseer, a provincial governor who backed a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, was gunned down in 2011 by his bodyguard, who was hanged for the crime in February this year.

The Pakistan government has been under intense pressure from religious groups not to change the law that has been criticised as biased against minorities.
Activists accused of obstructing justice during 2014 Umbrella Revolution say trial is politically motivated.

Four Hong Kong pro-democracy activists accused of obstructing justice in a case dating back to 2014 have appeared in court.

The activists behind the so-called Umbrella Revolution of 2014 said on Tuesday that the case was politically motivated.

Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Albert Chan and Raphael Wong were protesting against Chinese interference in Hong Kongs electoral process before a vote for a new chief executive in 2017.

All four defendants have denied the charge of obstruction, an offence that can carry sentence of up to two years in prison, Al Jazeeras Rob McBride reported from outside the court.

Q&A: The Hong Kong teenager who confronted China

Their supporters came to the court chanting political slogans, he said.

Wong, 19, was the face of the 2014 movement that lasted 79 days to demand free elections for the Chinese-controlled citys top leader.





The movement caught the worlds attention but did not result in any substantial change, as China wants to keep its control on the territory it inherited from the UK in 1997

In an interview with Al Jazeera last year, Wong said he was afraid to go to prison.

I know that greater power will result in greater responsibility, and greater responsibility will result in a greater price. I need to pay the price. If Im in prison, its a chance to show whats really behind myself, to motivate me to fight for three or four years, he said in September.

Last year, Wong was attacked when he came out of a cinema after watching a film.

Beijing would like to see tough sentences handed down but the court will be conscious of the potential backlash, Al Jazeeras McBride said.

There is simmering political tension here ever since the Occupy Movement of two years ago. It doesnt take much for that to spill over into violence on the street.
Yosef Haim Ben-David and other defendants had confessed Abu Khdeirs killing was revenge for Israeli youths murder.

An Israeli court has handed down a life sentence to the ringleader of a Jewish gang who kidnapped, attacked and burned alive a Palestinian teenager in 2014.

Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was handed a life sentence for killing 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir and was given a separate 20-year sentence for other crimes.

Prosecutors said that he organised the killing of Khdeir. The court also ordered him to pay 150,000 shekels ($39,000) to Abu Khdeirs family.

Two other Jewish youth who helped him abduct Khdeir were sentenced in February, one to life in prison and the other to a 21-year term.

All three defendants had earlier confessed and said that the murder was revenge for the killing days earlier of three Israeli youths by Hamas, the Palestinian group, in the occupied West Bank.

Al Jazeeras Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from West Jerusalem, said the verdict did not come as a surprise even though it had taken quite a long time to reach.

It was a high-profile case and it took a long time for it to get to this point. The trial was very much in the focus of the media and rights groups, he said.

Even though the judgment gave a closure to the case and the family, Ben-David still has the right to appeal.

READ MORE: Abu Khdeir  It is like Mohammed is being burned again

Members of Abu Khdeirs family cursed Ben-David as he was taken away from court.

Ben-David, wearing a burgundy yarmulke and a black shirt, earlier told the court he was sorry.

I am sorry for the family. This is not me. I wasnt in control, he said.

Ben-David, 30, lodged an insanity plea that held up his formal conviction and sentencing.

After receiving psychological assessments, the court ruled he fully understood his actions and found him guilty.
Hundreds still in detention after nearly 2,000 were held before anniversary of Papuas incorporation into Indonesia.

Nearly 2,000 people were arrested over the past week by police in Indonesias Papua province for illegal pro-independence demonstrations before most of them were released, reports say.

The mass arrests coincided with the run-up to the anniversary of the resource-rich territorys controversial incorporation into Indonesia in 1969.

Veronica Koman, a lawyer based in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, told Al Jazeera dozens of people were arrested on Tuesday, with at least 19 children detained in the town of Fakfak, about 1,500km from Jayapura, the provincial capital of Papua province.

Six have been admitted to hospital today, she said, citing sources on the ground but providing no reasons for the hospitalisation.

In the largest mass arrests known so far, 1,449 people were arrested on Monday in Jayapura, 200 in Merauke, 45 in Semarane, 42 in Makaffar, and dozens more across the region, Koman said.

Victor Yeimo, chairman of the West Papua National Committee, which organised the pro-independence rally, told Al Jazeera that most of the nearly 2,000 people arrested had been released but hundreds were still in detention.

Papua province and West Papua make up the western half of an island north of Australia, with independent Papua New Guinea to the east.

Foreign journalists have been banned from reporting in Papua and local journalists barred from covering the latest protests.

Police told Al Jazeera there were no reports of violence but that the protesters did not have a permit to hold the rally.

At least two people were arrested while handing a petition to the police, Koman said.

Its unclear what legal justification the Indonesian authorities could have for the arrests. We are currently investigating what the reasons could be.

Separatist conflict

Papua has seen a long-running and often violent separatist conflict since being incorporated into Indonesia after a widely criticised UN-backed referendum in 1969. Dutch colonial rule ended on May 1, 1963.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has made several trips to Papua since taking office in 2014 and has promised to bring development to the impoverished region after decades of neglect.

His government has also released several political prisoners and pledged to resolve cases of human rights violations.

But security forces still maintain a strong presence in the restive region and are often seen as taking a heavy-handed approach to peaceful demonstrations, activists say.
A Canadian living and working in Nepal has been ordered to leave the country within two days after criticising the government on social media, according to a Nepali official.

Robert Penner, a computer programmer working for CloudFactory, an outsourcing company, was arrested at his office on Monday and taken to the immigration department for questioning.

He criticised the Nepal government on social media during unrest that followed the passing of Nepals constitution last year and also denounced the recent arrest and detention of Kanak Mani Dixit, a prominent journalist and civil rights activist.

Dixit was released from detention on Monday on the orders of the Supreme Court.

Nepal Immigration released me after 26 hrs in custody, cancelled my working visa & gave me 2 days to leave Nepal. Thanks to all supporters.  Robert Penner (@robpenner) May 3, 2016

Robert Penner must leave Nepal voluntarily within two days, Kedar Neupane, director general of the Department of Immigration, told Reuters news agency.

If he fails to leave within this timeframe, he will be considered as staying here illegally.

Neupane said there was no provision for Penner to appeal against the decision but the Canadians legal representative said his client had broken no laws and would appeal against the decision.

The decision was made based only on his tweets, but such allegations cannot be substantiated just by his tweets and personal opinions, he told AFP news agency.

There is no evidence of any crime committed linked to what he has said.

The deportation order was issued after government officials received numerous complaints about tweets and online writings that Penner had posted, said Neupane.

He declined to elaborate on exactly who and how many had complained.
Illegal trade of type of giant sea snail on the rise as smugglers make $440m annually through trafficking.

Cape Town  The illegal trade of abalone, a type of giant sea snail, has increased in South Africa in recent years.

It is estimated that about 4,000 tonnes of abalone is caught in South Africa annually, which is about 20 times over the legal limit.

Poachers are making $440m a year by trafficking these giant sea snails into Asia, according to the government, where they are valued as a delicacy.

Cape Towns specialist marine and environmental law-enforcement unit patrols waters regularly to catch abalone poachers.

But their job is not easy. Poachers are linked to organised crime syndicates and are using sophisticated methods to avoid detection.

Theyre always a step or two ahead of us, a marine law-enforcement officer told Al Jazeera.

Most of the time they manage to get away.
Local sources say regime attempts to advance in Damascus outskirts as region sees intense fighting between rival rebels.

Syrian government forces have launched air strikes in the Eastern Ghouta region of the Damascus countryside despite a temporary ceasefire, while rival rebel groups are gripped in violent clashes between one another, local sources have told Al Jazeera.

Government forces are attempting to advance in several towns in Eastern Ghouta, including Deir al-Asafir, Zabdin and al-Rakabia, the sources said on Tuesday. Much of the region is besieged by government troops or pro-government armed groups.



Syrias Ghouta residents burn garbage to warm their homes

Regime forces targeted [these towns] with heavy artillery and mortars in clear violation of the truce announced by Bashar al-Assads regime, Ward Mardini, a Ghouta-based journalist, told Al Jazeera.

There has been a large exodus of people from the southern part of Eastern Ghouta due to the regimes shelling, while many people have been displaced in Beit Sawa because of fighting between Jaysh al-Islam and Rahman Corps, she said, referring to rival rebel factions.

On Monday, the Syrian army announced a 48-hour extension of a truce with rebel factions in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta that first was supposed to take effect at 1am on Saturday.

SANA state news agency has made no mention of violence in Eastern Ghouta since the ceasefire was announced.

READ MORE: How the Syrian revolution changed my life

Hamza Mustafa, a research assistant at the Qatar-based Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, said the governments attacks have been concentrated on areas far from the factional infighting between rebel groups.

The regime partially applied the ceasefire, he told Al Jazeera. But it launched an operation in recent days in Deir al-Asafir and other nearby villages.

Although the Syrian conflict started as a largely unarmed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, it soon morphed into a full-on civil war between government forces and rebel factions.

United Nations special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura recently estimated that 400,000 had been killed during the war.

Rebel infighting

In Ghouta, clashes were ongoing between the powerful Jaysh al-Islam, on one side, and the Rahman Corps and its allies, on the other.

Jaysh al-Islam commands an estimated 8,000 fighters and is one of the most powerful and organised armed groups in the Syrian opposition, said Mustafa.

Several rebel groups have challenged Jaysh al-Islams control in the Ghouta region since its leader was assassinated in a Russian air strike in December. Among them are al-Nusra Front, the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaeda, and the Rahman Corps, a breakaway group from the Free Syrian Army.

READ MORE: Hundreds of Syrians renew pledge to oust Assad

Jaysh al-Islam has a lot of support in Ghouta, but they have tried to control every aspect of life, Mustafa said. They wanted to turn it into a semi-autonomous territory like Hezbollah did in southern Lebanon. It wants to be the sole power in the region.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Rahman Corps killed Abu Bakr al-Zubayr, a high-ranking member of the Jaysh al-Islam, in a shelling attack over the weekend.

Muhammad al-Abdullah, a media activist and journalist based in Saqba, in Eastern Ghouta, said the clashes have been very violent in recent days.

The fighting between the factions happened because there have been many arrests and assassinations targeting [rival opposition leaders] in Eastern Ghouta, he told Al Jazeera.

Dozens of fighters from both sides were injured in battles over the weekend and at least two civilians were shot and killed, according to the Observatory.

Journalist Mardini said there have been large demonstrations every day calling for unity between opposition groups in towns and villages across Eastern Ghouta.

Follow Patrick Strickland on Twitter: @P_Strickland_
Government forces reportedly surround prison as warden and guards taken hostage by detainees.

Government forces have encircled a prison in the central Syrian city of Hama as prisoners reportedly took captive the warden and several guards during heavy clashes.

The prison uprising broke out in response to the governments plans to forcibly transfer several detainees to Sednaya, an infamous prison near Damascus, sources inside the jail told Al Jazeera.

Government forces have surrounded the prison and fired tear gas in an effort to quell the unrest, according to sources in the jail and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.



Thousands of photos prove crimes against humanity in Syria

The Observatory said the prisoners, many of whom are detained without charge, demanded basic rights, including a fair trial or release.

In response, the Ajnad al-Sham rebel group vowed to attack government forces and armed groups loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if the prisoners demands were not met.

In a statement released on Monday night, Ajnad al-Sham claimed the government had threatened to storm the prison and execute all the prisoners without a trial.

The group added: Our brothers inside the prison are still carrying out the uprising and have taken complete control of the building. We in Ajnad al-Sham declare our full readiness to strike [government-allied] militias in Maharda and al-Suqaylabiyah.

READ MORE: Speaking out on sadistic Syrian jails

The state news agency SANA said an official in the interior ministry had dismissed claims in some media about an uprising in the prison.

The Syrian conflict started as a largely unarmed uprising in March 2011, but it quickly morphed into a full-on civil war between government forces and rebel groups.

United Nations special envoy to Syria Steffan de Mistura recently estimated that more than 400,000 people had been killed throughout the fighting.

International and Syrian human rights organisations have decried conditions inside Syrian prisons before and during the war.

Between March 2011 and the end of 2015, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the arrest and detention of more than 117,000 people.

READ MORE: Up to 7,000 Syrians tortured or killed in detention

In a December 2015 report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said its researchers had found evidence of widespread torture, starvation, beatings, and disease in government jails and detention centres.

Many of the former detainees who were held in these nightmarish conditions told us they often wished they would die, rather than continue suffering, said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at HRW.

They begged countries involved in seeking a peace process to do everything they can to help the people still being held in Syria.
Ambassador Martin Indyk on whether the US has been an honest and neutral broker in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

In this episode of Head to Head, Mehdi Hasan challenges Martin Indyk on the US-Israel relationship.

Formerly the United States ambassador to Israel, assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs, and US special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 2013-2014, Martin Indyk has been at the heart of US-Israel relations for several decades. He worked as adviser to US President Bill Clinton and was a member of his negotiating team at the Camp David talks in 2000.

We are not neutral. We don't claim to be neutral. by Ambassador Martin Indyk

We challenge him on whether the US has been an unbiased mediator in peace talks, whether its role has been to play Israels lawyer, and the consequences for peace in the Middle East.

We also examine the dynamics of the US-Israel relationship, exploring recent tensions between the countries leaders.

Is the US a roadblock to Middle East peace? Or is it the only viable broker?

We are joined by a panel of three experts:

Ghada Karmi , a Palestinian activist, author of Return: A Palestinian Memoir, and research fellow at the University of Exeters Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies

Rachel Shabi , an award-winning journalist, and author of Not the Enemy: Israels Jews from Arab Lands

Alan Johnson , senior research fellow at BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre, and former professor of democratic theory and practice at Edge Hill University

Should the US be neutral on Israel-Palestine? with Martin Indyk will be broadcast on May 13 at 20:00 GMT and will be repeated on May 14 at 12:00, May 15 at 01:00, and May 16 at 06:00.

Head to Head is Al Jazeeras forum for ideas, a gladiatorial contest tackling big issues such as faith, nationalism, democracy and foreign intervention in front of an opinionated audience at the Oxford Union.

Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/AJHeadToHead; and @AJheadtohead

Watch previous Head to Head shows here.
The history of jazz has been one of fusion. Its musicians and composers have continually drawn upon a huge range of different musics to create the rich and diverse tapestry that is world jazz today. Jazz is an evolving tradition of music-making. And how often, in the life stories of individual jazz musicians, do we see these same patterns operating at microcosm?When it comes to the music of Turkish-born pianist-composer, we might define it broadly as "jazz fusion," given its nods in the direction of Corea, Hancock and Metheny. But even a cursory listen reveals so much more. Atakoglu's fourth album, Live at Umbria Jazz came out recently and it is a tour de force of jazz piano trio art.Here, a heightened sense of the dramatic replaces the bombast all too often found in jazz fusion. Its tunes are melodically complex but filled with clever hooks and delivered with a joyous abandonment by Atakoglu and Cuban drummerand electric bassist. The pianist's fearsome technique is never deployed as an end in itselfit always serves the music. This is music that ebbs and flow organically. It is music of tension and release. But most of all, it is the sheer range of different musical experiences that Atakoglu's brings to bear that really sets his music aside from the pack.The album draws extensively on the pianist's second CD, Istanbul in Blue, a beautiful set of tunes with exceptional contributions from guitaristsandand saxophonist. The music on, both records, shifts easily between Anatolian and Cuban rhythms delivered with a combination of precision and freedom. The underlying rhythmic pulse is built upon eights rather than fours and a constant sense of movement underpins some truly lovely melodies.The opening track "Beyoglu" in 5/8 and "Black Sea" in 7/8 are perfect examples of how Atakoglu crosses the globe from the Balkans and Black Sea to the shores of the Caribbean and the Atlantic. "ESS," which is taken from East Side Story a ballet Atakoglu wrote for the Turkish State Opera and Ballet Company, is a wild, swirling number in 14/8, which contrasts successfully with the 5/4 groove of "Gypsy in Me" and the late night jazz feel of "Connection" which precede it. Recorded in the Teatro Morlacchi, Perugia's wedding cake of an opera house, Live is one of those records that makes you wish you'd been there.Atakoglu's journey has taken him far from his birthplace but his homeland remains a major part of his musical vision and inspiration. Turkey is a country where East and West meet, where the music of the Black Sea meets that of the Arab and Muslim worlds and where the music of Anatolia connects with the European classical tradition. Atakoglu emigrated to the USA twenty-two years ago but these influences remain a source of pride and a strong element in his art."Look at the South East of Turkey, some amazing music has come out because it is there that it meets with the music of the Arabic peoples," he tells me. "Go to the North and the Black Sea. That 7/8 rhythm comes from there. That is their rhythm, like the Cubans move to 12/8. And there are influences from Russia. Look at the art of Turkey. Look at religion. Every religion has passed through Anatolia. Even Buddhism. They have found Buddhist places in the mountains in Turkey." Atakoglu's own musical development was similarly diverse. His family home was always full of music."My mother loved classical music," he says. "When I was in high school, my music teacher introduced me to one of the great Turkish composers, Cemal Resit Reyone of the "Turkish Five" composers, who were the pioneers of classical music in Turkey. He was a friend of Debussy, Ravel and everything. At the same time, in high school, I started listening to, Blood Sweat and Tears,and. You can hear it in my music. It just comes out naturally. That is how I got into improvising. I was always improvising when I was writing, though then I did not know that is what it was. For me, that was composing."The richness of Turkish music and culture sometimes seems at odds with its turbulent and cruel history. In 1979, when Atakoglu was seventeen, the country suffered its third military take-over in thirty years. "It was a bloodbath," he says. "My family had to send me away to England."Atakoglu attended Croydon College in S.E. London and started meeting jazz musicians and playing with them in wine bars. He entered South London Jazz Federation's jazz competition and came second. Despite his father's wishes to the contrary, a career in music already beckoned. At the time, the life of a musician in Turkeywith a few exceptionsmeant little. As he explains, this was in large measure due to the contradictions in Turkish society and its culture."It was not like we didn't know jazz. Every kind of music was in Turkey at that point. But it was not appreciated. To understand the culture of the country, with those three military takeovers, Turkey could not go anywhere. Musically, it was very difficult. But things were beginning to happen."This was to prove an important period in Atakoglu's musical career. Drawing on a fertile combination of traditional Turkish and European classical musics, he began writing for films and documentaries. It was this experience that gives his work in jazz its particular filmic, narrative character. His first album came out in 1994 and featured music he had written for these documentaries, several of which focused on the country's history and which included his highly evocative theme for the film Sari Zeybek. That film was about the last year in the life of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey."The melody I wrote for that film is still being played all over Turkey every 10th November, the day that he died," Atakoglu tells me. "It became like one with his name and that is how my name became known in Turkey and then came the films and dramas."In turn, these films offered the pianist and composer the chance to find new modes of expression in his music and a way of articulating his own experiences of exile and disgust at the horrors perpetrated by the Turkish military. One senses in Atakoglu both a profound love for his homeland but also a frustration with the obstacles, many self-imposed, that it faces. It is as if Turkey is a country in waiting."It has so much potential and with a potential for even greater music," he says. "If only Turkish musicians, composers and artists could just start expressing themselves as they should. But they are not allowed to. They are not allowed to. They are called criminals, if they say something. So, it is very difficult at this moment. I just wish that things had been better in Turkey these last ten years with this government. Before that we had these military takeovers. It is just that to find your own voice you've got to have something to say and I do believe Turkish people right now have lots to say, man. Especially with jazz music they could say a lot and a lot of good music could come out of Turkey. But you know, if you look at the country, your hopes may die."Hearing Atakoglu speak in this way offers insights into his music. There is a real passion, of frustrations released, but it is always coupled with a capacity for tenderness and affection. One can also understand his decision to relocate to Washington DC, where he now lives with his Turkish actor wife and children. Not only does it offer greater musical opportunities but it has allowed him to play with some of the USA's finest players.If, his first album and first jazz release, came out in 2005. Featuring the talents of Horacio Hernandez on drums,on electric bass and on two trackson saxophones, If made for a very impressive opening statement. At times, there is almost a Mozart-like quality to some of the melodies but then the Austrian had been influenced, to a degree at least, by the Turkish music of the Mehter, the elite Turkish military bands of the Ottoman empire. The sheer pace and exuberance of the playing on If is at times quite frightening but the trio's handling of complex time signatures like the 10/8 of "Ten Eight" and the 14/8 of "Andolu" makes these seem natural and effortless. Yet, it is Atakoglu's harmonic gifts that catch the attention on "Two Ways" and "Beyoglu," even when the tempos threaten to combust.Traditional Turkish music is essentially monophonic, rich in melody and rhythm but with little by way of harmony. The contrast with western music, with its beautiful harmonies but rhythmic weaknesses, could not be more marked. And Turkish musical scales are microtonal, unlike Western equally-tempered scales."In Turkey, we are born into monophony," Atakoglu says. "I saw myself as at an advantage because, studying piano, I knew polyphony but I started out learning all those Turkish scales and how they could shape the minor scale. We all know the minor scale but, in Turkish music, there are maybe ten or more of them. And in our culture, we break the melodies into eights. When you break the music into eights, you could really understand these odd tempos. My point is that (in Turkey) we come from such a culture that embraced the music and the tempos and rhythms in a different way from the Christians in Western Europe."For Atakoglu, it was jazz rather than Debussy, Chopin or Beethoven, that allowed him to bring these different influences together in his music. "Listening to jazz music, to the freedom of the melody and the freedom of how the melody is delivered," Atakoglu tells me, "meant I could implement what I had in my heart, what I heard as I was growing up. Jazz was for me that channel."Istanbul in Blue was released in 2007 and took full advantage of the possibilities of the expanded line-up. Atakoglu was able to share unison melody lines with Wayne Krantz, Mike Stern or Bob Franceschini and this inevitably brings to mind's. It is a comparison that neither flatters, nor diminishes Atakoglu's achievement here. The melodies and rhythms are his own conception and when the pace slows with "Connection," its title referencing the Galata Bridge which crosses the Golden Horn linking the east and west of Istanbul and at a figurative level East and West, the subtle rhythmic and harmonic variations are both a personal signature and emotionally affecting. With "Four Corners," the fact that this slinky, alluring tune would seem perfectly right on an album byor, is a genuine compliment. The music pulses and vibrates and ebbs and flows with its own sense of completeness. The record finishes elegantly with the title track, a romantic, affectionate ballad to the composer's birthplace.Given the strong Turkish influence on his music, I wonder how Atakoglu communicates what is required to musicians schooled in jazz or Latin music but outside this other aspect of his musical world. Take the unusual tempos, for example. "In some parts of the world, especially in Cuba, in Latin music, they know those," he tells me. "They grow up working with eights. I always worked with Horacio "El Negro" HernandezI worked with other drummers, toobut with Horacio there is this chemistry between us. We understand those odd tempos."And when it comes to bringing these different traditions together, Atakoglu does what jazz musicians have always donejazz is, after all a "how" and not a "what." It is, as Atakoglu explains, a case of doing what comes naturally."Not all Turkish musicians explore those tempos and rhythms," he says. "Sometimes, however, they force themselves to bring something Turkish to the music. I never do that. When it comes naturally, then it is successful. Not if you force it. If you look at my life, I left Turkey when I was seventeen, though I went back again and again. I thought of myself as a musiciannot as a Turkish musician. When I bring all those melodies and tempos, I want the musicians I play with to give their own understanding without me explaining to them what it is all about. We can get into the science of it but I just to make music. It's not a hybrid. It shouldn't be like that.told me this and "El Negro" told me thisthey said, when they play my odd tempos, because my melodies are so strong, if they follow the melody they get the beat and the groove."To be honest, I am less enamored with Faces & Places, Atakoglu's third record which came out in 2009. It is a matter of personal taste but, for me, it is one of those examples when more is less. The CD features a number of hard-hitting guests, including Wayne Krantz, bassist John Patitucci,on saxophones, trumpeterand flamenco guitar from Rene Toledo, as well as additional percussion and strings.Atakoglu's core abilities lie in his melodies, the harmonies he constructs around the Turkish-inspired scales from which his melodies are derived and the way he uses eights to create unusual rhythmic patterns. These are found here but sometimes seem buried beneath too many musical layers. That said, there is no faulting the playing or the innate strength of the compositions on offer here. This makes Live at Umbria Jazz all the more important. It is a summation of Atakoglu's career to date and a complete expression of his virtues and values in music.Twenty-two years ago, Fahir Atakoglu came to the USA and he has made a life for himself and his family there. As he says, "America is still the place for musicians from all around the worldit is like a melting pot. When I came here, I was still doing things in Turkeyand I still dobut I felt that in the States I could really do something with my music. I could get people to listen to my music. I saw that potential. In Turkey, it wasn't like that. Especially with the music I wanted to do."Like his tune, "Gypsy in Me" from Istanbul in Blue, Atakoglu carries home inside him and Turkey will always be a part of that home. So, what does the future hold?"My next album will have songs on it that will be sung in their own language," he tells me. "There is this wonderful African-Spanish singerand she sings and has written lyrics for one of my tunes. I also have another brilliant singer from Brazil,, on the record. I want the music to have a natural, organic flow and feel. And I'm just going to keep on playing and compose my music and whatever comes, comes. Of course, I'd love to do a movie in the United States but it is very competitive. There are a couple of things. One of them is a High School Movie. (Laughing) I don't know why but they thought I would do great music for that!"
The theme of this year's annual Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute GalaManus vs. Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technologyhad everybody wondering what the A-lister attendees and their respective glam squads would come up with. Our imaginations ran wild with thoughts of LED nail art, 3-D-printed hair accessories, and loads and loads of glitter. And while we didn't see any light-up manicures on the red carpet (we did see a couple of light-up dresses), the actors, musicians, and models definitely stepped it up when it came to their beauty looks, even if it was a seemingly simple look like a dark lip or a classic chignon. Keep reading to see our picks for the best, most inspiring and imaginative hair and makeup moments of fashion's biggest night out.

Never one to shy away from a strong beauty look, Ciara stepped out with a silver-gray bob sculpted into soft finger waves (shown above).

2016 Kevin Mazur

Zendaya made a convincing case for the bowl cutand reminds us why bronze smoky eyes are so incredibly sexy.
           2005     ..        




AR's Editor Joe Shea Talks About Elections On Iranian TV Bear Stearns Saved By Fed As Lehman Bros. Falters; Major Bank

Failure Looms Over Wall Street, Sends Markets Into 200-Pt. Dive Lie Upon Lie Five Years Into the Iraq War

The Administration Still Churns Out Lies by Randolph Holhut A Small Tragedy Even at 90, As Friends Turn Cool

She Knows the Show Must Go On by Joyce Marcel I'll Take Me Imagine John Wayne or Arnold

In Heels, Silk and a Girdle by Elizabeth Andrews Sen. Nelson Calls For New Fla. Primary; Gov Crist Backs 'Do-Over' Who'll Win? Ask Spock Spock.com Engine Predicts Winners

By Site Searches; It Can be Wrong by Jay Bhatti Chatting Up The Cat God Gave Me Dominion Over Him

But I Think He's a Non-Believer by Constance Daley Death of a Thug The Life and Horrors of Suharto by Andreas Harsono ___________________________ This Just In Sierra Club: McCain Ducked All 15 Key Votes On Green Laws (AR) A Work By AR's T.S. Kerrigan Is Chosen As 'Best Poem' By Wordpress Site Murder At Mile 63

The Deadly Assault and

Bush Administration Cover-Up

by S. Eben Kirkesby

and Andreas Harsono 5427 14th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207 $6.99 Fish Fridays! Manatee Co.'s Only 24-Hr.

FREE Wi-Fi Paid Advertisement On Native Ground

AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE STILL LIED TO ABOUT IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Next week is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. And it is likely that sometime in the next couple of weeks, the 4,000th American soldier will die in Iraq. [MORE] Momentum

OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - It's 1931, and a 14-year-old girl is standing alone on a stage. She's small and lively with dark curly hair, widespread hazel eyes, slender wrists and an open, eager face filled with the wonder of performing. Her name is Rose, and one day she will be my mother. But now she is performing an Eugene O'Neill monologue called "Before Breakfast" for a ladies' club in a wealthy suburb of Long Island. [MORE] One Woman's World

COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I'm not sure but I think I may be socially incorrect. [MORE] On Native Ground

ENOUGH FOR A WAR, NOT FOR A PEOPLE by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Last week, the National Governors Assn. met in Washington, D.C. One of the tasks the NGA had on its agenda was to ask President Bush to increase federal spending on roads, bridges and other public works projects as a way to stimulate the economy. He rejected their pleas out of hand, claiming that infrastructure projects wouldn't offer any short-term economic boost. [MORE] Brasch Words

BEWARE THE SELF-REVERENTIAL PRESS by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Shortly before the primary votes this past week, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter called Sen. Barack Obama's surge to the Democratic nomination "inevitable." It also called for Hillary Clinton to "start her campaign for Senate majority leader." [MORE] Constance

A CONVERSATION WITH MY CAT Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Normally, when the cat starts his evening rant of meowing continuously until he makes his point, I just take it as long as I can, pick him up, and put him in the garage for the night. He doesn't want to go, but the meowing stops and I don't care if he likes it or not. [MORE] Momentum

OUT OF STRUGGLE, ART by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Here we are again at the crossroads of art and social change, having the opportunity to watch good and great films about the lives of women in support of the Women's Crisis Center. [MORE] Campaign 2008

HOW TO PREDICT SUPER TUESDAY II WINNERS? ONLINE SEARCH by Jay Bhatti NEW YORK, March 4, 2008, 7:00PM ET -- With the outcomes of the Texas, Vermont, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries to be decided tonight, how possible is it that online searching can predict who will win tonight's primaries? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T VOTE; IT ENCOURAGES THEM by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Call me angry and disgusted but don't call me un-American because I won't be voting come November. [MORE] On Native Ground

BUSH AND THE KEYBOARD COMMANDOS by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- As the days tick down toward the eventual departure of President George W. Bush from the White House, it's a hopeful sign that most Americans are no longer moved by his Administration's constant exploitation of terrorism for political gain. [MORE] Momentum

WHICH AMERICA DO YOU LIVE IN? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's a little confusing. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] On Native Ground

FIDEL RETIRES: NOW THE COLD WAR IS REALLY OVER by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe now, we can finally say the Cold War is over. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] One Woman's World

POLITICS IS NO PARTY by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Are you having a hard time focusing your eyes? Do you have faint red spots all over your body? Is there a ringing in your ears and do you see wavy lines when you look at your television set? Do your hands shake when you try to hold a cup of coffee? And have you recently been forgetting what day of the week it is - or what year? [MORE] Make My Day

FOR BETTER OR WORSE ... A LOT WORSE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- "Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse." [MORE] Constance

YOU CALL THESE RIGHTS? by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When you express an opinion you hope to persuade others to your point of view. It doesn't always happen but still, opinion writers try. [MORE] Momentum

THE BRIDGE WOMAN by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Out there in America - yes, still - is a generation of women who were born in the 1940s, raised in the 1950s, and who came to radical consciousness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am one of them. Hillary Clinton is one of them. [MORE] On Native Ground

OBAMA AND MY GENERATION by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- I originally planned on voting for Dennis Kucinich in the Vermont Primary on March 4. [MORE] The Willies:

WARNING: THIS MEDICATION MAY MURDER YOUR FRIENDS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla. -- You've heard the warnings, haven't you? Stop Prozac and you may take a shotgun, an Uzi or an AK-47 and mow down your family and friends, or even a whole classroom full of your fellow students. You didn't? Well, that warning is not on the bottle, but like countless mass-murder incidents before it, Friday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, as well as the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 last year, was probably precipitated by the effect of stopping medications that suppress anger and other powerful emotions but do not relieve the underlying cause. Isn't it time we started warning people - or stopped prescribing these medicines? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T KNOCK ON MY DOOR by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I wish I could feel delight in my poet's mansion being like Grand Central Station all the time, but I can't. And I wish my place was such a place that someone would one day write: "Her door was always open and she always made you feel all fuzzy and warm in her presence. She could make a cup of coffee seem like a banquet." [MORE] Reporting: Panama

PANAMA'S VIOLENT LABOR UNREST INTENSIFIES Mark Scheinbaum PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb, 15, 2008 -- After just one day of relative calm, wildcat construction strikes by some members of Panama's largest union flared up again Friday morning, four days after a police sniper shot one worker. More than 140 demonstrators have been injured and at least 500 arrested, authorities say. [MORE] Brasch Words

TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day

THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum

THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies

AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance

CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida

SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World

PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground

VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day

REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies

FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum

SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies

ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008

AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World

STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special

SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum

TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt.  Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground

IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008

CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies

WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto

DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance

I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE]
Three leading banks are testing the bounds of controversial credit card add-on services, even as the government gears up for a second round of related crackdowns on the products.

The continuing sales efforts come after regulators hit Capital One (COF) for $210 million in fines and refunds to consumers and Discover (DFS) $214 million for improperly marketing payment protection and identify theft protection services to credit card customers. Regulators followed shortly thereafter by charging American Express (AXP) $112.5 million in fines and refunds to consumers for similar lapses across its credit card operations.

Several banks have since halted sales of such credit card add-ons, and the industry is now bracing for additional enforcement actions relating to the products.

Undeterred, American Express, Wells Fargo (WFC) and Citigroup (NYSE:C) appear to be testing how much wiggle room regulators have left them in the lucrative but oft-criticized business.

The sale of such add-on products is "something we thought was going to go away, but has not," says Doug Miller, an analyst with Corporate Insight, which tracks financial companies' customers communications.

Specifically, American Express has swapped one add-on service for another, while Wells Fargo (WFC) and Citigroup (NYSE:C) are continuing to offer forms of payment and identity theft protection. All other top-tier U.S. credit card lenders have stopped marketing add-ons credit card services online to new customers, Corporate Insight says.

American Express has halted sales of identity theft protection. However, in recent months it has been offering customers a similar "credit monitoring" service provided by Experian. Customers are charged a $1 sign-up fee and $14.99 per month. In exchange, the service provides customers with versions of their credit scores from the three largest credit bureaus and email alerts about any "key changes" to their credit files.

Amex cautioned in the footnotes on email messages and in letters sent to customers this spring that the credit scores provided "are not used by lenders" and that "in some instances we may not be able to begin monitoring information from all three bureaus."

American Express and Experian each declined to comment.

The credit monitoring that American Express is now marketing appears to be a variation on the identity theft protection that it and many other major credit card lenders have discontinued. Most big banks, with the exception of Wells Fargo and Citibank, have also abandoned payment protection; the product provides consumers with a form of insurance that suspends or cancels out credit card payments in the event the borrower suffers an illness, certain other hardships or dies.

Such add-on products have been sharply criticized by consumer advocates, who argue that they provide poor value; for every dollar of premiums that customers pay, banks dispense just 21 cents on average to cover their suspended or cancelled debts, according to a 2011 report by the Government Accountability Office. Banks have also been criticized for sales practices that critics claim include: targeting the add-ons toward low-income customers who can least afford them; unfairly denying benefits; and selling customers plans for which they are ineligible to receive benefits.

Regulators have thus far focused their crackdown on such marketing practices, rather than on the substance of the offerings themselves. Specifically, the enforcement actions against Discover and Capital One involved how the lenders and their third-party vendors communicated with customers.

The CFPB's fines "have set a clear expectation that deceptive marketing practices will not be tolerated. Deceptive marketing is not unique to any one class of financial product, and identifying and stopping these harmful practices will continue to be a priority for the Bureau," said spokesman Sam Gilford in an email.

In continuing to sell the add-ons Amex, Wells and Citi appear to be betting that the government will remain focused on marketing practices rather than on the products' underlying utility and pricing. It's a gamble that could pay off. The nine largest credit card issuers brought in an estimated $1.3 billion in net profits from debt-relief products in 2009, the GAO calculates. The products are also one of the few remaining sources of credit card fee income for banks in an era when Dodd-Frank and the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act have reduced or eliminated many other sources.

"Once the dust clears on this, the banks will be back if they can strike the right balance, because it can be a place of profit for them," says Mercedes Tunstall, a partner with the law firm Ballard Spahr.

Wells Fargo in the past year has cut the cost of its card add-ons, ended waiting periods before certain benefits kick in and simplified disclosures, according to spokeswoman Natalie Brown.

"We offer this product because customers who choose it tell us they feel the service offers them value," she says.

Citigroup still pitches payment and identity-theft protection to its cardholders online, but in October 2012 it discontinued phone and point-of-sale marketing, according to spokeswoman Emily Collins. The bank altered its sales practices due to "reviews in light of new regulatory guidelines," she added. "We believe these products offer distinct value."

Other banks appear to have largely abandoned card add-ons. Capital One, Bank of America (BAC) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) have stopped selling their versions of identity theft and payment protection to new customers. A Discover spokesman says it has "suspended" sales of the product and hasn't "scheduled a relaunch date."

A year ago, "the pace at which these [regulatory] orders came out was a one-two-three punch," says Linda Gallagher, head of the consumer protection practice at Promontory. "Banks had to stop and assess. Some felt that maybe they could make certain tweaks. Others said maybe the revenue isn't enough to override the concern and the risk."

Enforcement Action Ahead

The industry is now bracing for a second wave of enforcement action. Both Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase are in regulators' crosshairs, according to regulatory filings released last month. Bank of America said it may be required to pay restitution and penalties related to its payment and identity-theft protection products. JPMorgan Chase said regulators are focused on its discontinued identity-theft protection offering.

Regulators have also investigated both banks' oversight of third-party vendors of the add-on products, their filings indicate. JPMorgan Chase could be fined as early as this week, Bloomberg reported.

Looking for Wiggle Room

Some industry insiders say that regulators' focus on marketing practices provides an opportunity for lenders to continue offering add-ons  carefully.

"It's possible to offer these products within the constraints that the CFPB is pushing," says Hank Israel, a partner at the banking consultancy Novantas.

But predicting how those constraints will evolve is likely to prove a challenge. Industry observers say that even after the first wave of enforcement actions, they remain unsure what sales practices or products will be considered acceptable by regulators.

"Banks still don't have a clear roadmap as to what the regulators will accept. ... The orders themselves do not provide a lot of guidance," says Anand Raman, a partner with the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Given the heightened regulatory scrutiny, and the related risks it poses to banks' reputations, some industry members question the wisdom of continuing to offer credit card add-ons.

"In the current environment, and in light of how regulators are viewing these products, there may be more risk than reward," says Teresa Epperson, a managing director at the consultancy AlixPartners.

Acceptable Cost?

For banks willing to run the reputational risk, the economic appeal of add-ons is clear--even if they incur regulators' wrath. At Discover, for example, the CFPB's $214 million card add-on settlement was eclipsed by the $234 million it made from the products in 2010 alone. If American Express, Wells or Citi are eventually fined similar amounts, that would likely be far less than each has earned from add-ons.

"I think the companies are gaming this thing out as long as they can," says Ed Mierzwinski of U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a federation of state-level consumer groups.

"If they make $500 million over the next two years, and then they pay the CFPB $100 million, they make $400 million."

Between the two products, credit monitoring is generally regarded in the industry as offering more value to customers than payment protection. That's partly due to consumers' skittishness about their credit scores, which has made credit-monitoring the most popular add-on among bank customers. It's especially popular with older people and those who have been victims of identity theft, according to Novantas' Israel.

However, consumer advocates charge that credit monitoring involves selling something consumers have a legal right to receive for free, given that they can obtain annual credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) at no charge.

"You don't need to pay for credit monitoring. You can just do it yourself by ordering your credit report," says Chi Chi Wu, a lawyer with the National Consumer Law Center. "You can stagger them and check your report every [four] months [without] a need to pay for an expensive monthly product, and a credit monitoring product won't stop an identity theft."

Experian spokesman Michael Troncale says credit monitoring provides additional value to customers by tracking mid-year changes, which can flag identity theft.

"We offer assistance that can help determine if a change is identity theft or not," he says. A TransUnion spokesman made similar points. Equifax declined to comment.

The credit bureaus are also facing mounting regulatory scrutiny over how they and the lenders that supply them with consumer data handle disputes over customers' credit scores. That controversy is not directly related to card add-ons, but mounting pressure on data reporting agencies could eventually dissuade them from offering the controversial credit card products, says Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates.

"There will be a lot of enforcement actions and rulemaking" in this area, he says.
OnDeck Capital reported a quarterly loss of $12.6 million as revenues fell short of expectations. At the same time, the New York firm sharply reduced its earnings projection for the rest of the year.

The disappointing results led to a rapid sell-off of OnDeck's shares. The firm's stock price fell by 29% to $5.90 in after-hours trading Monday.

OnDeck, a digital lender, attributed the worse-than-expected quarterly results to its decision to hold more of its small-business loans on its own balance sheet. That decision came at a time when online lenders are having a harder time selling their loans to investors at favorable prices.

"We will see greater financial benefits from our decision beginning in 2017," OnDeck Chief Executive Noah Breslow said in a press release.

OnDeck reported gross revenue of $62.6 million during the first quarter. While gross revenue was up 11% from the same period a year earlier, it fell short of the $66 million to $69 million that the firm projected three months ago.

The quarterly loss of $12.6 million compared with a $5.3 million loss in the first quarter of 2015.

OnDeck reduced its gross revenue guidance for the full year to between $278 million and $288 million, down from $320 million to $328 million three months earlier.

The firm also sharply reduced its full-year projection for one measure of earnings  adjusted earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortization. The firm now projects a full-year loss of between $41 million and $49 million, down from projected full-year earnings of $10 million to $14 million.

OnDeck originated $569 million in loans during the first quarter, up 37% from a year earlier. The effective interest yield on the company's loans fell to 34.5%, down from 37.6% in the same period of 2015. The percentage of loans that were at least 15 days delinquent fell from 8.4% to 5.7%.

OnDeck said that it had $44.6 million in operating expenses, up 33% from the same period in 2015. The firm attributed some of that increase to efforts to license its technology to banks such as JPMorgan Chase.


First National Bank of Santa Fe in New Mexico has sold its insurance business to Hub International, a brokerage based in Chicago.

The $1.7 billion-asset First National said in a press release Monday that it sold First Santa Fe Insurance Services. The price was not disclosed.

"First National is exiting the insurance business  to focus on our core banking businesses in which we have deep expertise," John Asbury, the bank's chief executive, said in the release.
"Show, don't tell," is what writing instructors always tell pupils. So I will try to live by that ethos. Below are several emails that arrived in my inbox at CSU Northridge, which tell a revealing story.

First, an email that went from Latino artist Harry Gamboa, Jr. to Rudy Acuna, a Chicano Studies professor at CSU Northridge (where I work).

A writer for College Fix wrote a column about how several Latinos in California agreed with white veterans who had, in an earlier column in College Fix, stated their objections to a large mural in Jerome Richfield Hall. Said mural was painted by Chicano students in 1999 and includes, among its various colorful images, a fang-toothed white border patrol agent clubbing a helpless Mexican man, totemic portraits of famous people who played legendary roles in founding the Department of Chicano Studies (turning, in essence, a hallway into a shrine for individuals working in that building), an upside-down American flag, rows of marching militants looking like totalitarian shock troops, and a large sign saying, "REPRODUCTION RIGHTS NOT GENOCIDE, A CHICANO'S CHOICE" (an obvious celebration of abortion).

The main objections raised by white veterans were that the mural demonized white people, disrespected the flag, and seemed to glorify one side of the illegal immigration debate.

Seeing this controversy unfold around April 1, 2016, when the story was picked up on Fox News, I decided to record a podcast interviewing two Latino men. Like me, they didn't believe that the mural reflected the way all Latinos on campus thought. This was an important thing for us to do, because otherwise whatever ongoing debate might arise from the Fox News-inspired commentary could potentially become a false dichotomy of Monolithic Latino Radicals versus Monolithic White Veteran Trump Supporters, which I thought would be unhelpful.

The College Fix thought the podcast was interesting enough to run a second article about the mural controversy, this time focusing on what Latinos thought. So Gamboa forwarded the link to Rudy Acuna (though I have strong suspicions that someone put Gamboa up to this for malicious motives).

Then came this:

Why send such a reply merely to Gamboa when you can CC 20 of the top Latino professors on campus, too? That's what Rudy Acuna, author of Occupied America, saw fit to do. Because nothing elevates Latino humanity and fulfills the mission of Chicano Studies like telling the only Latino male on the English tenure track  a polyglot Yale graduate who gave up a career in New York to teach Virgil and Melville to first-generation Mexican college students in Los Angeles  that he "does not exist" and might as well hurry up and die.

The text of Prof. Acuna's thought-provoking reply speaks volumes without my having to translate the phrase referring to the fact that "even his own family does not know him." I would like to clarify for the reader who some of the people were on the distribution list: it was a who's who of radical Latino professors en la lucha. Noticeably absent is Dean Elizabeth Say, the white woman who has been the dean of humanities for as long as I have worked at CSU Northridge.

In the podcast I recorded with James Lopez and Carlos Flores, which prompted the article in College Fix, I should note that I stated the following:

It opens up the question of, you know, who really benefits from that representing Latinos on campus, and who's really pushing that to be the consensus about what Latinos think on campus. I don't want to jump and blame the Chicano Studies Department because I know oftentimes these ethnic studies departments are full of people who are in terror of the administration. I think the biggest responsibility would fall on the Dean of the College of Humanities, Elizabeth Say, who is a white woman who came from Gender and Women's Studies.

I explicitly stated that Chicano Studies itself was not what I had a problem with, because I knew, from a long history at CSUN, that white liberals were often eager to get Latinos fighting with each other to deflect attention from the structural racism in the hierarchy. One only needs to look at an article in the Los Angeles Times about the violent riots in Costa Mesa, California, in which Latinos senselessly destroyed property and beat people up over out-of-context Trump quotes. Who benefits from Mexicans stomping on cars and swinging their bare breasts before national news crews while 30,000 orderly Trump fans applaud The Donald in a nearby auditorium?

It would seem that Mexicans and/or Latinos in general do not benefit from anything of the sort. Hillary Clinton does. Who benefits when a Republican Latino with a Yale degree who can teach Virgil and Homer on a Hispanic-Serving Institution's campus gets driven out of his job? I don't think Mexicans and/or Latinos benefit from that, either. Wouldn't you know  Hillary Clinton would seem to benefit from that, too! Latinos riot, and Hillary Clinton wins. Latinos teach Virgil, get fired, hear that they might as well drop dead from aging Chicano militants, and bingo  Hillary Clinton wins again. Latinos end up being more heavily policed, more poorly educated, and making less money. But that's all in a day's work in L.A.

About that Chicano Studies mural and the podcast I recorded about itin some senses, I was thinking like a good leftist and rather focusing on deep institutional structures, aiming at the elite 1% rather than the 99%. This point of clarification was so important that I reiterated it in a blog post, which went up on Friday, April 22, at 1:00 PM, over 24 hours before Rudy Acuna sent me his email:

My main objection to the wall mural in Jerome Richfield Hall is not some small detail but the entire false, even deceitful, premise that the mural somehow honors the Latino community and reflects an ongoing commitment by the College of Humanities and larger campus to racial justice.  I am involved in ongoing efforts to diversify the literature curriculum to include more black and Latino writers, and part of this is motivated by a desire to get more black and Latino professors to come to CSUN to teach literature. I have been involved with these efforts for several years, and most resistance has come from white liberals who do not want to see that their own management of affairs can be and often is racist.  My gripe is not with Chicano Studies, it is with the racist white managers who use Latinos as human shields and then divide and conquer us.

There are few conceivable ways that I could have been clearer that I did not seek a fight with Chicano Studies but did want to challenge the racist practices of "white deans and other administrators." My dean would be a prime issue.

As the years went by, it became clear to me that Dr. Say was influencing the College of Humanities in ways that harmed Latinos. The English Department's curriculum has a glaring lack of literature courses devoted to Latinos, which is unusual for a campus on which 42% of the 35,000 undergraduates are Latino and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. There was such ignorance and neglect of classics like Homer and Virgil that I inferred that everyone at CSUN assumed that Latinos weren't smart or curious enough to read the great books. I had made efforts to diversify the curriculum, but the bureaucracy kept blocking them, and meetings with the dean went nowhere. It is no surprise that undergraduates majoring in English dropped from 617 to 488, and the number of black/Latino English faculty fell from five to two (and if I leave, one). As dean, Dr. Say bears ultimate responsibility for that.

I wonder why Dean Say was not included on Rudy Acuna's distribution list. Those who were included people I have known and worked with; I organized readings of Latino poetry, art, and performance in the Chicano Studies house on campus. None of the more than twenty people on that distribution list came forward to ask Dr. Acuna to temper himself.

The next email was this one:

And then Rudy sent two more emails to Harry Gamboa, Jr.

And:

From: Rudy Acuna

Date: Sat, Apr 23, 2016 at 6:16 PM

Subject: Re: Latinos blast controversial Chicano Studies campus mural: 'It doesn't represent us'

To: "Harry Gamboa Jr." Blurb comes from the English Dept Bio section on Lopez: Since receiving tenure in 2013, Dr. Lopez has been an active writer and commentator in conservative circles, publishing extensively in venues such as American Thinker, Public Discourse, Daily Caller, Ethika Politika, The Federalist, and most recently, the peer-reviewed publication Humanum Review. His focus shifted to concern for children's rights, a topic on which he wished to combine his personal experience as an early product of same-sex parenting and the broad interdisciplinary research he has conducted into the history of family structures.He has delivered numerous lectures on this topic, to groups at Stanford, Notre Dame, Princeton, UCLA, Catholic University, and others. He has also delivered lectures on such topics in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and Italy. Many of his speeches are accessible at English Manif. In 2014, he was appointed president of the International Children's Rights Institute. ... Dr. Lopez is an active member of the Southern Baptist Convention and has sought to give support to conservative Christian students struggling to reconcile their faith and the demands of university life. He speaks or reads eight languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Greek, and Latin. Rudy

It would almost seem as though Rudy Acuna had assumed from my name "Robert Lopez" that I was just a little nobody  a "lecturer" (sic)  who could be pushed around and curb-stomped with impunity. And then he read my bio and suddenly figured out that he was embarrassing himself by telling me I did not even exist, like a tree falling without a sound.

Strangely, I never replied to any of Prof. Acuna's emails, and I would have said nothing about them, even as they continued and became ever more abusive, until finally this one rolled in:

This why I respond. Received email.

My understanding of Bobby Lopez when I was there in the English department was that he was mostly suspected of being a CIA operative who once held a campus event where he invited and hosted the CIA for recruitment purposes. I figure everyone is already aware of the guy's background and history over there but just in case, I thought I should pass that along as well. Professor Rick Mitchell is a good point of reference who has been dealing with Lopez and his government backed agitation in the department for years.

from "Ruben Mendoza"

Yes, dear reader, you read the above correctly. In the minds of the Los Angeles progressives, a Latino man who flies around the world delivering speeches in many languages can't be a scholar; he must be a spy for the CIA. Hence, on Sunday, April 24, 2016, Prof. Rudy Acuna emailed about fifty people at CSUN to claim that according to Ruben Mendoza, who heard it from Rick Mitchell, I, Bobby Lopez, am a "CIA operative" sent to engage in "government backed agitation" such as proposing courses like "Homer to Dante" and "Literature of Racial Minorities."

I'll leave it at that, and you can draw your own conclusions.

Robert Oscar Lopez can be followed on Twitter @baptist4freedom.
For months now, Donald Trumps campaign for the U.S. presidency has seduced tens of millions with the cry of Make America Great Again!

Theres a good reason for this. Tens of millions of Americans -- myself included -- are convinced that America is off course. The Real Clear Politics polling average on the direction of the country reveals that over two-thirds of Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track. Polling reveals that this has been the case for years. (Click the link at the end of the recent average to view years of polling on the direction of the country.)

A track implies something singularly linear, the implication being that if we simply elect the right sort of people from the right kind of party, we will turn the country in the right direction. Few things are further from the truth. Dwight Eisenhower once said, Never let yourself be persuaded that any one Great Man, any one leader, is necessary to the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 158 million followers, it will no longer be America.

The responsibility for the direction of America lies in the hands of individual Americans, especially American Christians. In the late 1970s, in their seminal book The Light and the Glory, authors Peter Marshall and David Manuel wrote, It is the most dangerous kind of corporate self-delusion to think that a President, regardless of how much he heeds God, can reverse the bent of the national will, once it is set in a certain direction which seems to put the responsibility directly upon each of us who has a personal relationship with our Savior -- much as we might like to blame the immorality of others for the precipitous rate of decline. But the responsibility is ours, and it always has been.

The reason the responsibility is ours is because more than any other single factor, the decline of America is the result of decades of attack on the Judeo-Christian worldview. As renowned Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias noted in the fall of 2008, in the race for President of the United States, Mike Huckabee was almost always described as a former Baptist minister. Whenever he would speak of his faith, Mitt Romney was described as a Mormon.

However, as Zacharias himself puts it, It is fascinating that the media, in a calculated way, does not mention Barack Obamas middle name -- Hussein -- lest society see this as religiously prejudicial toward him. This is a clear attack on the Judeo-Christian worldview, the only worldview that could justify the existence of a nation like America.

As documented in my soon-to-be-published book, The Miracle and Magnificence of America, in an election day sermon on April 25, 1799, Jedidiah Morse -- noted American geographer, pastor, theologian, and the father of Samuel Morse -- warned Americans:

The foundations which support the interest of Christianity, are also necessary to support a free and equal government like our own To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoy. In proportion as the genuine effects of Christianity are diminished in any nation, either through unbelief, or the corruption of its doctrines, or the neglect of its institutions; in the same proportion will the people of that nation recede from the blessings of genuine freedom, and approximate the miseries of complete despotism.

In other words, its the foundations of Christianity that support life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we all enjoy in America, and the quickest and surest way to turn the United States of America into a nation unrecognizable to those who lived only a few generations ago is to destroy these foundations.

As King Saul sought to kill David, Psalm 11 records David lamenting, When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3) On this, legendary biblical commentator Matthew Henry concludes, The principles of religion [here, of course, Henry is referring to Christianity] are the foundations on which the faith and hope of the righteous are built. These we are concerned, in interest as well as duty, to hold fast against all temptations to infidelity; for, if these be destroyed, if we let these go, What can the righteous do?

An old adage (sometimes wrongly attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville) often referenced (at least the final sentence) by politicians of the last several decades (among them Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton) declares that,

I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers -- and it was not there in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there in her rich mines and her vast world commerce -- and it was not there. in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution -- and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.

In other words, to any degree that America has lost her greatness, she has lost her goodness. Any lofty claims about making America great again -- especially by biblically-illiterate, adulterous, strip-club owning, casino magnates like Donald Trump -- that arent accompanied by a corresponding commitment to goodness -- to truth and righteousness -- are mere hyperbole rooted in vain folly.

Trevor Grant Thomas

At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.

www.trevorgrantthomas.com

Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com
Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who held the April UN Security Council presidency, announced last week that the status of the Golan Heights remains unchanged. That is, of course, true -- like the old "Saturday Night Live" running gag, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.



He meant it belongs to Syria, and he was responding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told a meeting of the Israeli Cabinet on the Golan, The Golan Heights have been an integral part of the land of Israel since ancient times; the dozens of ancient synagogues in the area around us attest to that. And the Golan is an integral part of the state of Israel in the new era. I told [Secretary of State John Kerry] that I doubt that Syria will ever return to what it was.

That is, of course, also true and entirely unremarkable. But thus begins another round of UN condemnation of Israel resting on silly propositions. In this case:

That Syria -- ruled by a war criminal in the midst of a civil war with other groups that include war criminals -- has a valid claim to anything; and

That Israel is wrong because the UN is miffed.

A bit of relatively recent history is useful here.

An Israeli was raised in the Galilee sleeping every night in a bunker to avoid Syrian shelling from the Golan Heights -- Hamas and Hizballah are latecomers to the war crime of indiscriminately firing at civilians. As a child, he helped on the family farm. While riding the tractor, his father couldnt hear the mortars fired by the Syrians down into the fields. The childs job was to be within eyesight of the tractor along the edge of the field near some trees. When the mortars began, he would wave a large red flag to catch his fathers attention, at which his father would slip off the tractor and hasten for shelter. Not exactly milking the cow.

Things changed in June 1967 when, after intensified shelling by the Syrians, the IDF captured the Golan. Israeli soldiers stood on the Heights and looked down into Israels Jezreel Valley. Their new understanding of the dire circumstances at the bottom shocked them, and they left a marker that remains today. From here, it reads, You look ten feet tall.

At great cost in the lives of military personnel, Israel retained the Heights in 1973 after Syria launched an offensive on Yom Kippur.

Israel would have been within its rights to annex the Golan Heights -- in 1967 or in 73. The UN line about the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force (ever applied only to Israel) to rational observers means the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by offensive force; otherwise defense would have no meaning. Israel acquired the Golan in defense, and retained it in defense.

It was understanding that insecure boundaries could result in additional wars -- in the case of Israel, not least because the Arab countries were/are still working to overturn the 1948 independence of Israel by force -- that the 1967 UN Resolution 242 contained the security promise to Israel of secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

Although Israel could have annexed the territory, it did not. In 1981, the government did end the application of military law on the Heights and institute Israeli civil law; the change in status applied to people, not to rocks. Even in its frenzy to condemn, the 1981 Security Council correctly described Israels actual actions as less than annexation, calling it a decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and said that anyhow it was null and void and without international legal affect.

It may not have had international legal affect but for the 12,000 Druze living there, it had enormous economic and social affect, allowing them to live and prosper along with Jews, while Israel created its most peaceful border. Even now, during the horrific Syrian war -- complete with barrel bombs, chemical weapons, starvation, beheadings, crucifixions, and ethnic cleansing -- the Israeli side of the Golan remains so secure that Israel has been able to open its border, cautiously, to some casualties from the Syrian side for treatment in Israeli hospitals.

But still it is the Israeli part of the Golan that transfixes the UN.

One could not do better to make Israels case than to cite Moshe Arens -- retired Israeli diplomat, Defense Minister, and aeronautical engineer. According to the second law of thermodynamics there are no reversible processes in nature. Nothing can return exactly to its original state. This law may not hold in international relations, but the exceptions are few and far between.

Syria is unlikely to return to its original state which, in fact, was only its state determined by colonials and held for a few decades in the middle of the 20th Century. The UN, however, may believe it has a better chance of reversing the laws of thermodynamics than of bringing the war of Syrians and others parties to an end.
Did you know that the Jewish victims of the Holocaust were partners of Adolf Hitler, who was a Zionist? Members of the British Labour Party have told us that this was the case. This is the most recent manifestation of the anti-Semitism that has reared its ugly head in Britain. It evokes the thought that this disease may have entered the ideological bloodstream of the British left.

There is a vital need for a strengthening of the political immune system before the infection worsens. It is a particular cause for concern, though the fact is avoided, that the virus has recently appeared in Labour Party officials, most of whom are Muslims who are highly critical of the State of Israel.

There is presently an intensive battle in Britain today, the skirmish for votes in the forthcoming referendum on June 23, 2016 between those who want the country to remain a member of the European Union and those who want Brexit  a British exit. At the moment there is a close division of opinion over the merits of the case and on whether the British economy would be better off inside or outside the EU.

The effect on the British economy of the decision has become a hotly disputed, but rationally argued, battleground. However, more vicious and unpleasant is the continuing civil war within the Labour Party over the outbursts of anti-Semitism by some of its officials and the denials of the significance or even the very existence of the disease of anti-Semitism by prominent members of the Party.

It comes as no surprise to read that the extreme leftist Diane Abbott, the opposition International Development Secretary in the House of Commons, and unrelenting fierce critic of the State of Israel, has dismissed any problem of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party as smears, and asserted that the party was not riddled with it. Neither was it surprising that Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, the largest UK Trade Union and Labours biggest donor, said that Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the party, was the victim of a cynical attempt to manipulate anti-Semitism for political aims, presumably to depose Corbyn as leader.

Amazingly, the comments of Abbott and McCluskey came just two days after Corbyn, who had denied that the party is facing a crisis of anti-Semitism, was in essence forced by the more moderate members of his party to launch an independent inquiry into the issue of anti-Semitism and to act against its perpetrators. No one is suggesting that the whole Labour Party is institutionally anti-Semitic, and Corbyn has declared there is no place for anti-Semitism or any form of racism in the Labour Party or anywhere in society. Yet, it is troubling that in the last four weeks seven members of the party have been suspended for allegations of anti-Semitism.

The most recent disgraceful happening were incendiary remarks by Ken Livingstone, a prominent left-wing member of the Party, former mayor of London, and chair of a foreign policy commission for the party. As a result of those remarks 39 Labour MPS condemned him. John Mann MP for Bassetlaw called him to his face a disgusting racist, rewriting history, and a Nazi apologist in front of TV cameras.

Even more disgraceful are three consequences: Mann received specific threats of physical violence from left-wingers in his own party; the supporters of Corbyn want to disciple Mann for bringing the party into disrepute; and Mann was summoned to the Chief Whip of the party to explain his own actions in confronting Livingstone.

The more sensible members of the Party called on Corbyn to expel Livingstone, but he refused. Only reluctantly did Corbyn agree to suspend Livingston. The tragedy is that some senior members of the party think their leader had a point in not expelling Livingstone.

Livingstone is no shrinking violet in his personal behavior, nor is he inhibited from making outrageous and insulting remarks. One need examine just a few of his contributions to intellectual discussion. In 2004 he invited the controversial Muslim cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi., prominent within the intellectual leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, to London. In February 2005 he accused a Jewish reporter, Oliver Feingold, of behaving like a concentration camp guard for asking him a question. In 2006, while mayor of London, he told two wealthy Jewish businessmen that they should go back to Iran and try their luck with the ayatollahs. For a few years in the 1980s, Livingstone was in charge of the extreme left-wing paper Labour Herald that published cartoons of Menachem Begin wearing a Nazi uniform.

In the first place, Livingstone appears politically stone deaf and historically ludicrous. In his 47 years in the party he said he never heard anybody make anti-Semitic remarks. His historical analysis is bizarre in claiming that the policy of Adolf Hitler in 1932 was in favor of moving German Jews to Israel [sic], 16 years before it was created. Hitler, he said, was supporting Zionism before he went mad.

Hitler now seems the favorite reference of the left-wingers in the party. In April 2016, there were three instances. One was Vicki Kirby, former parliamentary candidate for Woking, who said that Britain invented Israel when saving the Jews from Hitler, who now seems to be the teacher of Jews.

The second person was a party councilor in the town of Luton, Aysegul Gurbuz, who was suspended from the party for referring to Hitler as the greatest man in history. A third is a local councilor Khadim Hussain, former Lord Mayor of Bradford, who informed us that the school system only tells you about Anne Frank and the six million Zionists (sic) that were killed by Hitler.

Perverse history, pertinent to Hitler, was related by another Labour MP, a Muslim woman Naseem (Naz) Shah representing Bradford West who, before she became an MP, had posted the solution to the Middle East conflict on Facebook. It had been posted in August 2014 but only made public in April 2016. It called for Jews in Israel to be sent to the United States. She compared Israels policies with those of Nazi Germany. Curiously though Shah later apologized, Livingstone still supported her. He declared that Shah was a victim of a well-orchestrated campaign by the Israeli lobby to smear anybody who criticizes Israeli policy as an anti-Semite.

Lunacy continues. Most recently on May 2, 2016 two members were suspended from the party. One was Salim Mulla, former mayor of Blackburn who suggested that Israel was funding ISIS regarding the attacks in Paris in November 2015. The other was Ilyas Aziz, local councilor in Nottingham, whose fantasy involved an Israeli conspiracy for the Sandy Hook school shooting and a call, like that of Naz Shah, for Israel to be relocated to the U.S.

Once again Jews have been made the center of a political battlefield. The Labour leader was slow to suspend those guilty of outrageous behavior. For the sake of the party, as well as for human decency, Corbyn should do more. Offenders should be expelled from the party. Cleansing is good for the soul.
Have you heard of Josiah Walls or Hiram Rhodes Revels? How about Joseph Hayne Rainey? If not, youre not alone. I taught history and I never knew half of our nations past until I began to re-educate myself by learning from original source materials, rather than modern textbooks written by progressive Democrats with an agenda.

Interestingly, Democrats have long ago erased these historic figures from our textbooks, only to offer deceitful propaganda and economic enticements in an effort to convince people, especially black Americans, that its the Democrats rather than Republicans who are the true saviors of civil liberties. Luckily, we can still venture back into Americas real historical record to find that facts are stubborn things. Lets take a closer look.

An 1872 print by Currier and Ives depicts the first seven black Americans elected to the U.S. Congress during the Reconstruction period of 1865 to 1877-- and theyre all Republican!

From left to right:

Sen. Hiram Rhodes Revels, R-MS (1822-1901) : Already an ordained minister, : Already an ordained minister, Revels served as an army chaplain and was responsible for recruiting three additional regiments during the Civil War. He was also elected to the Mississippi Senate in 1869 and the U.S. Senate in 1870, making him Americas first black senator.

Rep. Benjamin Turner, R-AL (1825-1894) : Within just five years, : Within just five years, Turner went from slave to wealthy businessman. He also became a delegate to the Alabama Republican State Convention of 1867 and a member of the Selma City Council in 1868. In 1871, Turner was even elected to the U.S. Congress.

Rep. Robert DeLarge, R-SC (1842-1874) : Although born a slave, : Although born a slave, DeLarge chaired the Republican Platform Committee in 1867 and served as delegate at the Constitutional Convention of 1868. From 1868 to 1870, he was also elected to the State House of Representatives and later Congress, serving from 1871 to 1873.

Rep. Josiah Walls, R-FL (1842-1905) : Walls was a slave who was forced to fight for the Confederate Army until he was captured by Union troops. He promptly enlisted with the Union and eventually became an officer. In 1870, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, harassing Democrats questioned his qualifications until he was officially expelled. Although he was re-elected after the first legal challenge, Democrats took control of Florida and Walls was prohibited from returning altogether.

Rep. Jefferson Long, R-GA (1836-1901) : Long was also born into slavery, and he too became a successful business man. However, when Democrats boycotted his business he suffered substantial financial loses. But that didnt stop Long, who in 1871 became the first black representative to deliver a congressional speech in the U.S. House.

Rep. Joseph Hayne Rainey, R-SC (1832-1887) : Although born a slave, : Although born a slave, Rainey became the first black Speaker of the U.S. House for a brief period in 1870. In fact, he served in Congress longer than any other black America at that time.

Rep. Robert Brown Elliot, R-SC (1842-1884): Elliot helped to organize the Republican Party throughout rural South Carolina. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1870 and reelected in 1872. In 1874, he was elected to the State House of Representatives and eventually served as Speaker of the House in the State Legislature.

Clearly, the latter half of the 19th Century, and for much of the early half of the 20th Century, it was the Republican Party that was the party of choice for blacks. How can this be? Because the Republican Party was formed in the late 1850s as an oppositional force to the pro-slavery Democratic Party. Republicans wanted to return to the principles that were originally established in the republics founding documents and in doing so became the first party to openly advocated strong civil rights legislation. Voters took notice and in 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President along with a Republican Congress. This infuriated the southern Democrats, who soon afterwards left Congress and took their states with them to form what officially became known as The Slaveholding Confederate States of America.

Meanwhile, Republicans pushed full steam ahead. Take, for example, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution that officially abolished slavery in 1864. Of the 118 Republicans in Congress (House and Senate) at the time, all 118 voted in favor of the legislation, while only 19 of 82 Democrats voted likewise. Then theres the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments guaranteeing rights of citizenship and voting to black males. Not a single Democrat voted in favor of either the Fourteenth (House and Senate) or Fifteenth (House and Senate) Amendments.

In spite of this, in almost every Southern state, the Republican Party was actually formed by blacks, not whites. Case in point is Houston, Texas, where 150 blacks and 20 whites created the Republican Party of Texas. But perhaps most telling of all with respect to the Republican Partys achievements is that black men were continuously elected to public office. For example, 42 blacks were elected to the Texas legislature, 112 in Mississippi, 190 in South Carolina, 95 representatives and 32 senators in Louisiana, and many more elected in other states -- all Republican. Democrats didnt elect their first black American to the U.S. House until 1935!

Political Gangs With Pointy Hoods

By the mid-1860s, the Republican Partys alliance with blacks had caused a noticeable strain on the Democrats struggle for electoral significance in the post-Civil War era. This prompted the Democratic Party in 1866 to develop a new pseudo-secret political action group whose sole purpose was to help gain control of the electorate. The new group was known simply by their initials, KKK (Ku Klux Klan).

This political relationship was nationally solidified shortly thereafter during the 1868 Democratic National Convention when former Civil War General Nathan Bedford Forrest was honored as the KKKs first Grand Wizard. But dont bother checking the Democratic National Committees website for proof. For many years, even up through the 2012 Presidential Election, the DNC had omitted all related history from 1848 to 1900 from their timeline -- half a century worth! Now, for the 2016 election cycle, theyve scratched even more history. Apparently, they believe its easier to just lie and claim to have fought for civil rights for over 200 hundred years, while seeing fit to list only a select few distorted events as exemplary, beginning as late as the 1920s. Incredibly, the DNC conveniently jumps past more than 100 years of American history!

Nevertheless, this sordid history is still well documented. Theres even a thirteen-volume set of Congressional investigations dating from 1872 detailing the Klans connection to the Democratic Party. The official documents, titled Report of the Joint Select Committee to Inquire Into the Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States, irrefutably proves the KKKs prominent role in the Democratic Party.

One of the most vivid examples of collusion between the KKK and Democratic Party was when Democrat Senator Wade Hampton ran for the governorship of South Carolina in 1876. The Klan put into action a battle plan to help Democrats win, stating: Every Democrat must feel honor bound to control the vote of at least one Negro by intimidation. Democrats must go in as large numbersand well-armed. An issue of Harpers Weekly that same year illustrated this mindset with a depiction of two white Democrats standing next to a black man while pointing a gun at him. At the bottom of the depiction is a caption that reads: Of Course He Wants To Vote The Democratic Ticket!

This is reminiscent of the 2008 Presidential election when members of the New Black Panther Party hung out at a Philadelphia precinct wielding big batons.

The Klans primary mission was to intimidate Republicans -- black and white. In South Carolina, for example, the Klan even passed out push cards -- a hit list of 63 (50 blacks and 13 whites) Radicals of the legislature pictured on one side and their names listed on the other. Democrats called Republicans radicals not just because they were a powerful political force, but because they allowed blacks to participate in the political process. Apparently, this was all too much for Democrats to bear.

By 1875, Republicans, both black and white, had worked together to pass over two dozen civil rights bills. Unfortunately, their momentum came to a screeching halt in 1876 when the Democratic Party took control of Congress. Hell bent on preventing blacks from voting, Southern Democrats devised nearly a dozen shady schemes, like requiring literacy tests, misleading election procedures, redrawing election lines, changing polling locations, creating white-only primaries, and even rewriting state constitutions. Talk about disenfranchising black voters!

There were also lynchings, but not what you might think. According to the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, between 1882 and 1964 an estimated 3,446 blacks and 1,279 whites were lynched at the hands of the Klan.

Today, the Democratic Party no longer needs the help of political gangs wearing pointy hoods to do their dirty work. Instead, they do it themselves. You may recall the case of black Tea Party activist Kenneth Gladney, who was brutally beaten by two SEIU members during a 2009 health care town hall meeting. In February 2011, a union thug with Communications Workers of America was caught on tape physically assaulting a young female FreedomWorks activist in Washington, DC. Then in 2012, Michigan Education Association President Steve Cook jumped on the protest bandwagon against the states new right-to-work legislation stating, Whoever votes for this is not going to have any peace for the next two years. An even worse threat was issued on the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives the next day by Democratic Representative Douglas Geiss who charged, There will be blood!

As we forge ahead into this critical 2016 election season, let us not forget the real history of America when blacks and whites, primarily Republicans, worked side by side defending the rights and dignity of all Americans. Its a history that has been kept out of the history books--a history that todays Democrats routinely lie about while promptly pointing their finger at Republicans, calling white Republicans racists and black Republicans Uncle Toms. This is because Democrats have a secret past that must be protected and an agenda that must be fulfilled. If history is any indication of what the future might hold, brace yourself. There will be some in the Democratic Party who will be prepared to do whatever it takes to silence any opposition.

Kimberly Bloom Jackson is a former actress turned teacher who holds a doctorate in cultural anthropology. Her many writings on Hollywood, education, and culture can be found at SnoopingAnthropologist.com.
Several times over the last few years, President Obama has pledged that there would be no ground forces deployed in Iraq and that they would not take part in combat operations.

According to recent reports, there are now about 5,000 U.S. servicemen in Iraq  far more than previously reported. They're there ostensibly to train Iraq forces to take on the Islamic State in the fight for Mosul.

But events over the last few months have shown that U.S. soldiers are moving closer to the front line and are now in harm's way. In March, a U.S. Marine was killed by a rocket fired by ISIS into a secret firebase located in northern Iraq. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the death of another U.S. serviceman. He was working with the Kurdish Peshmerga when ISIS forces broke through their lines near Irbil.

Washington Post:

It is a combat death, Carter said at the outset of a news in Stuttgart, Germany where he has been consulting with European allies this week. The defense secretary provided no other details, other than to tell reporters that the serviceman lost his life in the neighborhood of Irbil. A Coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. Further information will be released as appropriate. The CENTCOM statement noted it is the policy of the military to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities. A U.S. military official said the American was killed while performing his duty as an adviser to Kurdish Peshmerga troops. He was killed by direct fire after Islamic State forces penetrated the Peshmergas forward line. The American was three to two to three miles behind that front line, the official said Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad last week to exhort leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat the Islamic State group. Carter, likewise, visited Baghdad recently. The Obama administration has been pressing the effort against IS, which has been slowed down in its quest to overrun Iraq.

The president is escalating our involvement by stealth, trying to hang on to his "legacy" of quitting two wars and bringing American servicemen home. It's not working, largely because Iraq is close to a political meltdown, and Afghanistan security forces have shown themselves to be unable to stop the Taliban from advancing across the country.

The Iraq political crisis came to a head over the weekend, when protesters egged on by the anti-American Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed the parliament and occupied the building for several hours. The government is gridlocked and unable to enact the reforms desired by Prime Minister Abadi. Meanwhile, the great spring offensive to take back Mosul, the largest city in the north, is sputtering and hasn't gotten off the ground yet  hence the increase in American troops who are now directly supporting the Iraqis.

The death of the U.S. serviceman highlights the continued strength of the Islamic State and the difficulty Iraqi forces will have in pushing them out of Mosul by themselves.
Great news for the Colorado economy and residents who need cheaper energy alternatives.

The Colorado supreme court has lifted local bans on fracking in several cities, opening the door for an energy boom.

Washington Times:

Dan Haley, president and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, which challenged the bans in court, called the decision not just a win for the energy industry but for the people of Colorado who rely on affordable and dependable energy and a strong economy.

It sends a strong message to anyone trying to drive this vital industry out of the state that those efforts will not be tolerated at any level, Mr. Haley said in a statement.

Meanwhile, opponents of fracking decried the ruling, saying it flies in the face of a communitys ability to safeguard its health.

Todays decision deals a devastating blow not just to Longmont residents, but to all Coloradans who have been stripped of a democratic process that should allow us the right to protect our health, safety and property from the impacts of this dangerous industrial activity, said Lauren Petrie, Rocky Mountain region director with Food & Water Watch.

Colorado moved to the center of the anti-fracking movement with measures approved by voters in a half-dozen communities, primarily liberal college towns with little or no energy-industry ties, to stop oil and gas development, starting with the fracking ban added to the Longmont city charter in 2012.

Applying well-established preemption principles, we conclude that an operational conflict exists between Longmonts fracking bans and applicable state law, said the courts decision. Accordingly, we hold that Article XVI is preempted by state law and, therefore, is invalid and unenforceable.

Environmentalists have attempted for several years to place an anti-fracking measure on the statewide ballot, so far without success. Several signature-gathering efforts that would allow communities to halt oil and gas development within their borders are underway.

The measures have been opposed by Colorado Republicans and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, a former geologist who famously drank fracking fluid to demonstrate its safety.

Fracking foes said the ruling would galvanize their campaigns to qualify initiatives for the November ballot.

In a politically motivated decision, the court agreed with Governor Hickenlooper in ruling that were not allowed to protect our backyards and schoolyards from fracking. This is shameful, said Food & Water Watch Colorado in a statement. And its exactly why we need to pass the Coloradans Resisting Extreme Energy Development ballot measures this November.
In what Monica Alba of NBC News called a rare candid moment (I love it that even NBC News acknowledges that Hillary is such a phony), Hillary Clinton apologized to a man who confronted her over comments made earlier this year about putting coal miners out of business.

Yesterday:

Bo Copley, a West Virginian who recently lost his job at a coal company, teared up as he told the former secretary of state that he didn't know how to explain his situation or her comments to his young children. Seated beside his wife, Copley slid over a photo of his kids to Clinton, who was sitting a just few feet from him at the community round-table discussion.

He questioned how she could say what she said at a CNN forum in March "We're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business"  and then "come in here and tell us how you're going to be our friend."

He also told her he was representative of the angry crowd who had assembled outside hours before.

"Those people out there don't see you as a friend," he said, referring to the dozens of protesters within earshot.

Clinton then engaged in a very frank conversation about her comments, apologizing repeatedly and calling her prior remarks a "misstatement."

"What I said was totally out of context from what I meant because I have been talking about helping coal country for a very long time," she said. "What I was saying is that the way things are going now, we will continue to lose jobs. That's what I meant to say."

She later admitted that her comments on coal miners meant her chances in the upcoming West Virginia primary are "pretty difficult."
City of Louisville Democrat Mayor Greg Fisher and University of Louisville president James Ramsey  currently engaged in a battle with the schools Board of Trustees  want a memorial commemorating Confederate veterans in their city removed.

As reported by a Louisville newspaper, a court order has temporarily halted the monuments removal:

Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman issued the order Monday morning against Mayor Greg Fischer and metro government, barring them from moving, disassembling or otherwise tampering with the 70-foot-tall monument.

This is one of many monuments to Confederate soldiers across the United States.

But theres only one statue of a well-known post-bellum Louisville business man standing, and the mayor and university president are not suggesting that it be removed from public display there.

James Graham Brown (1881-1968) was a prominent citizen of Louisville, known for his successful real estate development projects, including a hotel named after him. Later in life, he was recognized for philanthropic ventures.

But before the philanthropy,

Brown was an opponent of organized labor, once threatening to sell his hotels to the highest bidder if employees organized. Brown would not desegregate his hotel and theater until public accommodation laws forced change. When "Porgy and Bess" which had an all black cast was playing at the Brown Theatre, local blacks were barred from attending. During the early 1960s, civil rights sit-ins were held in front of the Brown Theatre.

So how come His Honor and the president are not demanding that the Brown statue be removed?
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has issued its annual report, and it contains very worrying information about the state of religious freedom in the world.

The report claims that faith groups are under serious and sustained assault in places like China, North Korea, and the Middle East and that the situation has worsened substantially.

Washington Times:

Regrettably, the situation is that things have not improved, and in some places things have gotten worse, said Robert P. George, who chairs the bipartisan federal commission. Mr. George added that there has been a continued gap between rhetoric of the regime and the situation on the ground in recent years. While we welcome the rhetoric, rhetoric doesnt really matter unless its accompanied by action, he said. The report itself faulted such usual suspects as North Korea, Iran, Sudanand Saudi Arabia, but departed from past years by leveling sharp criticism at some key U.S. allies and nations with whom the Obama administration has recently sought warmer relations. The report called on the State Department to add eight nations to its existing list of countries of particular concern, which the commission defines as countries whose governments either engage in or tolerate particularly severe violations of religious freedom. There were already nine on the list  Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The commission said Monday in its 2016 annual report that Egypt, Vietnam, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Tajikistan should be added. Ten other nations  including Afghanistan, Cuba, India, Russia and Turkey  were listed as so-called Tier 2 countries, where violations engaged in or tolerated by the government are serious. USCIRF, which has provided annual policy recommendations to the White House, State Department and Congress since its inception in 1998, also highlighted the horrific global refugee crisis, with religion being a factor in humanitarian crises worldwide that have forced millions to flee. In a conference call with reporters, Mr. George said American officials should be doing more to make the protection of religious freedom a focal point of dealing with the refugee crises. While he took care not to directly criticize the Obama administrations handling of the situation, Mr. George, a professor at Princeton University, said that the right to religious freedom deserves a prominent seat at the table.

Egypt is one of those nations whose rhetoric about religious freedom sounds sweet to the ears, but where reality for Coptic Christians is a nightmare. Police look the other way as Coptic clergy are murdered and churches burned.

China has been on a church-closing rampage. They recently tore down 400 crosses in a bid to drive Christians underground.

Of course, the focus of religious intolerance is the Islamic State. The muted response by the West to the savage attacks on non-Muslims is shameful and must change.

The State Department should take the advice of the commission and expand the list of countries of particular concern, shining a light on these nations that persecute Christians and others.
For my money, San Francisco is the most beautiful city in America. But that hardly matters to residents fighting sky-high housing costs, traffic gridlock, and a quality of life that has been declining in recent years.

A survey by the Bay Area Council reveals that 34% of residents would leave the city if they could. Surprisingly, those who have moved to the city in the last five years are more likely to look for greener pastures.

CNBC:

"We can whine about this, or we can win by solving our traffic and housing problems," Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, told The Mercury News. "The last time the Bay Area had seemingly solved its traffic problems was the worldwide recession of 2008. A recession is not how we want to solve our traffic and housing problems." People who have lived in the area for five years or less are those most likely to start packing their bags, according to the report. San Franciscans with lower income and those putting more of their income toward housing expenses were also listed among those prepared to leave. Residents noted that the most serious problems facing the Bay Area included high cost of living, poverty and income inequality, crime rates and homelessness. The biggest concern for the Bay Area is the potential loss of its young labor force, though. "These younger folks, millennials, are our future workforce; this is our labor market; this is our talent pool," Rufus Jeffris, vice president of communications for the Bay Area Council, told CNBC. "So, our economy is fueled by our talent and when folks are saying that they are going to leave, that can create a real problem for us in terms of attracting and retaining the workers and talent that we need to succeed." "This is our canary in a coal mine," said Jim Wunderman, CEO of the Bay Area Council, in a statement. "Residents are screaming for solutions. Do we expect to see more than 2 million residents up and leave? Of course not. But losing even a fraction of that number and the talent they represent because we failed to deal with our most pressing issues would be very bad." Some 54 percent of the local population said they would remain in the area.

With housing costs so high, only the poor (who receive subsidies) and the very rich can afford to live in the city. The middle class is fleeing and the city government is doing little to address the housing crisis to stem the flow.

San Francisco is the blue model writ large. It has generous everything  salaries, pensions, and subsidized arts and leisure activities, to name a few. But the underside of the city is as ugly as it gets. There is a crisis of homelessness that has led to vagrants wandering the city, urinating anywhere they wish, accosting citizens. It has made life miserable for the middle class who often find their neighborhoods overrun with homeless people.

As the most prominent sanctuary city in the country, San Francisco has seen its share of illegal alien criminals murdering and raping citizens. Is it any wonder that so many want out?

You might question why anyone would move there in the first place.
The Great Wall of China is one of the most amazing piece of architecture and the most ambitious building project ever attempted in the history of mankind. Construction of this formidable defensive structure, built to ward off invasion and to protect the Chinese Empire, goes back by more than two thousand years to the the 7th century BC during the Chunqiu period. Especially famous is the wall built between 220206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained and fortified. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (13681644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure.

One of the more interesting places to visit The Great Wall is where it meets the Bohai Sea near Shanghaiguan in Qinhuangdao City about 300 kilometers east of Beijing. Shanhaiguan or Shanhai Pass is one of the major passes of the Great Wall of China located south of Yan Mountain, and north of the Bohai Sea. The Wall extends 5 kilometers north of Shanhai Pass where it juts into the sea. This is where The Wall starts (or ends depending on how you look at it) and from here it stretches to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia  a length of approximately 8,850 km.

The end of the Great Wall of China. Photo credit

This part of the wall is known as Laolongtou or the Old Dragons Head, because it looks like a long dragon dipping his head drinking water from the sea. This section of the Wall extends about 23 meters out into the Bohai Sea, and it is possible to walk out onto the Wall and look over the edge directly down into the water below. Laolongtou was built in 1579 in the Ming Dynasty.

In July 1904, Japanese troops landed at Shanhai Pass, prior to marching on Peking to relieve the siege of the legations during the Boxer Uprising. A pre-landing bombardment of the area, which was totally unnecessary as few Chinese troops were present, destroyed this section of the wall. What stands today is a 1980s effort by the authorities to replicate the original. By the shore, the Changtai Tower, and the Temple to the Sea Goddess that sits in its center, was originally built in 1579, but is now covered with replica soldiers in Qing Dynasty costumes. Most interestingly, the original wall was built using a mixture of glutinous rice soup mixed with sand, earth and lime.

The Laolongtou Great Wall is mainly formed by 7 parts, which are the Estuary Stone City, Chenghai Tower, Nereus Temple, Jinglu Beacon Tower, Nanhaikou (Southern Estuary) Pass, Ninghai City and Binhai (Seafront) Walls. Among them, Chenghai Tower is the most celebrated structure. Chenghai Tower is a two-storey building built with wood and bricks, which functioned as a defensive arrow tower. Emperors of the Qing Dynasty once visited it while on their way to Northeast China, worshipped their ancestors and left many poems and inscriptions. There are also poems by famous literary figures inscribed on the tablets embedded on the walls.

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Watchtower on the wall, Shanhaiguan. Photo credit

Stairs to the Old Dragon's Head. Photo credit

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Aerial view of Laolongtou and the surrounding area. Photo credit

Sources: Wikipedia, Wanderlustandlipstick, Chinahighlights, Thegreatwall
Paul Jacobs, executive chairman and former CEO of Qualcomm, was one of the people on the front lines of the mobile revolution as it first picked up steam in the early 2000s. Jacobs is directly responsible for many of the technologies we use today, as well as transforming Qualcomm into the company that would eventually become a mobile silicon juggernaut and dominate the flagship smartphone scene with their Snapdragon chipset offerings, such as the Snapdragon 820 present in the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5. Dropbox, meanwhile, was among the first to populate the then-niche space of consumer cloud storage and sharing, a space that was, until then, dominated for years by names like Megaupload and Mediafire.

While Dropbox managed to shake up the space when they hit the scene, they wound up being surpassed by the likes of Amazon, Google Drive and iCloud. Facing the very real possibility of being forced into irrelevance by bigger fish in the pond at a time when consumer cloud storage was just beginning to hit its stride, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston announced that Paul Jacobs would be joining Dropboxs board as a director. This comes at a time when Dropboxs half-million strong userbase isnt netting them quite the kind of profits they need. While their profit margin in the business sector is a bit higher, they only have about 150,000 customers, most of whom are small and medium-sized businesses. Jacobs will be tasked not only with helping to increase profit margins and signups in the consumer space, but also with bringing more businesses on board.

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Speaking on the hiring, Houston said that Jacobs had been through a lot of what we are going through, and that is going to help. Jacobs, meanwhile, has said that he was quite enamored with Dropbox, mainly the company culture and the talent of their engineers. While a fish that was once small in a pond that was once small may sound like a classic tale of a business fizzling out, Houston assured that We were the first unicorn to get a big valuation, so we have gotten the first hits with concerns about the market, asking the industry to focus less on Dropboxs fading valuation and more on their potentially bright future. Bringing Jacobs in at such a time and in such a high-ranking position speaks volumes about Houstons trust in Jacobs talent and experience, but only time will tell if that trust is well-placed.
Samsung is offering its Gear VR virtual reality headsets at throw-away prices to customers who purchase its Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge phones in India between May 1 and May 31. If you buy either of these phones, then you will be able to get your hands on a Gear VR headset for just INR 990 which equates to a mere $15 in the United States. Samsung has, however, put in some eligibility norms for customers to avail the offer. Those who will purchase Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge phones from offline retail stores will need to activate their devices by May 31 to avail the offer. Buyers of the new flagship phones on Samsungs online store will get until June 7 to activate their phones and claim the offer. Once a customer makes a purchase, they will receive a unique coupon code from Samsung which allows the purchase of a Gear VR for INR 990. Customers will be able to redeem such coupons only on Samsungs online store in India.

This isnt the first time that owners of Samsungs Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge handsets will be able to own and try out Gear VR headsets. When Samsung made these handsets available for pre-orders following their launch at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, it offered a free Gear VR headset with every purchase during the pre-order period. Owners of existing Gear VR headsets were also pleasantly surprised to find Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge handsets featuring good old MicroUSB ports instead of USB-C standards which was implemented by every other premium phone manufacturer. The presence of MicroUSB ports ensured that they could use their existing Gear VR headsets with the new phones without having to upgrade their headsets. This also meant that they didnt have to go for new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge handsets during the limited pre-order period to avail a brand new Gear VR headset.

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Apart from Samsung, major network operators in the United States also made efforts to cash in on the instant popularity of Samsungs new handsets following their launch. Even though customers who ordered these handsets during the pre-order period received new Gear VR headsets for free, Verizon went a step further and offered free Samsung Gear S2 smartwatches along with the handsets for those who considered smartwatches more handy than virtual reality headsets. The deal seems even sweeter in hindsight considering that a Gear S2 smartwatch costs around $300, twice as much as a Gear VR headset.
Curved display smartphones are a thing these days. Samsung has released quite a few such smartphones thus far, starting with the Galaxy Note Edge which was introduced in September 2014. Since then, the company has announced the Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and the Galaxy S7 Edge, all of which sported curved displays. It is also worth mentioning that Vivo released a smartphone with the Dual Edge display recently as well (Xplay 5), and it resembles Samsungs S7 Edge handset in many ways as far as the design is concerned, mainly because of that display.

Weve seen a number of reports surfaced in the last couple of months claiming that a number of China-based smartphone manufacturers plan to release smartphones with curved displays. Well, a new report has surfaced in China earlier today, and it claims that Xiaomi and Huawei plan to use Samsungs and LGs panels in order to release their very own curved display smartphones. As you probably already know, Huawei and Xiaomi are the largest smartphone manufacturers in China at the moment, the two companies are battling it out hard for the market share in their homeland. It seems like the two companies believe that smartphones with curved panels would speak to consumers and help them move forward.

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The report claims that Huawei is planning to release a smartphone called Mate Edge, which will sport Samsungs curved display. The device is also expected to ship with the Kirin 950 64-bit octa-core processor, and 4GB of RAM. As far as Xiaomi is concerned, the report claims that the company is working on the Snapdragon 820-powered Mi Edge or Mi Note Edge smartphone which will also ship with 4GB of RAM. Now, both Huawei and Xiaomi-branded smartphones with curved displays are expected to arrive in September this year, if this report is to believed that is. It is possible that both companies plan to unveil these handsets during IFA in Berlin, but were only guessing at this point, the timing fits though. Either way, stay tuned, well report back as soon as more info surfaces, as always.
Motorola seems to have the public on the edge of their seats awaiting the next lineup of handsets, which will be the 4th generation of the Moto X, the Moto G, and the Moto E, slated for a release sometime later on this year. Yesterday Motorola sent out a teaser image on their Motorola India Twitter account which is thought to be talking about the new Moto G slated for launch later this year, and today some other teaser images have been discovered which suggest more details about the upcoming device, although it is worth mentioning that none of the details actually give out any specifics on specs or hardware.

Its also worth noting that the teaser images focused on here seem to have been posted prior to the teaser image from yesterdays post, one having been from May 1st and another from April 30th, and one more from April 29th. When it comes to the other tweets, one suggests that the new Motorola device will come with improved battery life for consumers, complete with the missing hashtag that was seen on yesterdays tweet, and reading with better battery, no more missing out! Improved battery life is always an important factor to users these days as smartphones have become the single connected device for many people, so they need it to last them all day and then some.

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Another tweet posted hints at better performance on this upcoming Motorola device while one final tweet (the one from April 29th) seems to hint at better security for the device, which could suggest a fingerprint sensor as an added layer of security. That is just speculation of course. While these teasers do paint a picture of what users may be able to expect from whatever new Motorola device is to launch next, they are vague enough to leave a little mystery. Motorola India has also announced an event that is set to take place on the 17th of this month, which is likely when they will unveil the new device that theyre currently teasing via Twitter. Whether or not it will end up being the 4th gen Moto G is still unclear, though.
Theres been a lot of talk about the future of Virtual Reality recently, or VR as its quickly become known, and its no surprise to see why. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive have just gone on sale, YouTube is awash with funny gameplay videos and some more in-depth coverage  not unlike our own  and a little game about building things out of blocks made its way to an affordable and accessible VR headset last week. Virtual Reality is, without doubt, one of the coolest new things in tech, and while theres a long way to go before anyone gets close to shipping a 1.0 product, its pretty cool to be pushing products that might be 0.5 or 0.75 versions. For Samsung, this cool new technology could be their silver bullet against Apple.

Recently, I upgraded to a Galaxy S7 Edge, and I wont lie; the Gear VR was certainly a deciding factor for me. It wasnt the driving force behind the decision, but it was certainly something that made me think a little harder about going the Samsung route for the first time since the Nexus S was new. Sure, I could use a pretty decent Cardboard-compatible headset with any Android smartphone out there, but Samsung has made smart partnerships with the likes of Oculus  an industry leader, whether you like it or not  and content creators to offer up more content than most other VR solutions out there. Ive had a Gear VR headset for about a month or more now, and Ive not really used it all that much, but the times I have used it Ive thought this is pretty damn cool and has a hell of a lot of potential. That word, potential, is something that is constantly banded around when talking about Virtual Reality, and 9/10 the people saying it are those in the industry or in the media world looking at an emerging technology.

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Showing the Gear VR to my friends and family, who are mostly the same age as myself (my friends, that is) in their twenties, made me think differently about Gear VR and indeed virtual reality. Gamer friends of mine, who inevitably spend a lot of time on YouTube, know all about it and one friend in particular had pre-ordered PlayStation VR already, without ever trying the technology. This is what being wrapped in that sort of world can do, make you feel as if you know it all and have seen everything, and I was guilty of this as well. Needless to say, playing EVE: Gunjack and Minecraft in VR over the weekend changed his mind and made him see why VR was really that big of a deal, but he still wasnt all that excited, after all new technology is just more of the same to him. My fiancee and her family and friends however, thought that VR was amazing, and they were really excited to see it. My father-in-law to be, a builder by trade, has little interest in technology, but was blown away and instantly asked me who the technology was from and how he could get something similar. I told him it was from Samsung, and as an iPhone user hed have to use something like Google Cardboard, with limited apps and games available on iOS. This is when it hit me.

For Samsung, who seem to be playing the long game with VR in general, this isnt so much about launching another long term moneyspinner for them, but about being first and being seen as cool, and theyre winning that fight. New technology  whether its really or that useful or even that polished  has always been a way of getting people to pay attention to your brand and what else you have to offer. Lets take the iPod as an example, when it was first launched it was a pretty big deal, but at the time Apple was a brand that was only just recovering from the poor 1990s the firm endured. They were viewed as a sort of offbeat brand for weirdos and those who just had to be different, or for very specific industries and tasks. Now look at them. The iPod was cool, it was new and it was far more useable than the other disk-based MP3 players on the market, and when the iPod Mini was launched, consumers were very much interested in what Apple had to offer not just the iPod, but the MacBook and the iMac as well. You could perhaps consider virtual reality to the iPod, are either necessary? No. Were they new and exciting at the time they were introduced? Absolutely.

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Shipping a complete product is difficult right now when it comes to VR, after all not everyone is as comfortable with the false motion and frame rates as others, but that doesnt really matter for Samsung. Theyve done more than most have done when it comes to virtual reality. The Oculus app works great to deliver great games and content, such as the excellent theater that gives you your own private showing of your own home movies or whatever else you can put on to your device. Samsungs own MilkVR has a lot of content on offer to get people sucked in to the world of VR, and now with the arrival of Minecraft, Gear VR is firmly put on the map as something thats cool and something to be interested in. Regardless, Samsung has done 100% more than Apple has with virtual reality, and thats a big deal.

They continue to do more than most people, too. With the launch of Minecraft VR, Samsung now have one of the biggest mobile games which is always big in YouTube views and such and they have plans for even more. Samsung is using VR as a sort of playground to explore new things in terms of whats next for the mobile industry, theyve been attending film festivals promoting the technology, and theyve got big plans for more beyond film and games as well. This is how you become a leader in a certain category, you start by getting an initial product into peoples hands and then you start to nurture the platform into maturity. Someone might come along after you offering something better, but this is a risk worth taking. Theyve started to empower people on their own as well, by offering up the tool to create their own VR content with the Gear 360, just one more piece in the puzzle to complete Samsungs jigsaw of cool.

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The recent launch of the iPhone 5S, I mean the iPhone SE, has not only shown that Apple is out of ideas, but that theyre just not interested in producing anything new. I should say risky here instead of new, because Apple no longer does risky, even the Apple Watch was a couple of years late to the party. Apple might not need to get into the VR game in terms of gaming, because Apple computers have never been about playing games, but when the everyday consumer starts to ask where the Apple VR headsets are kept in an Apple store, the Cupertino firm will have a problem on their hands. That moment is a long way away, without a doubt, but Samsung is slowly but surely turning heads away from Apple devices to their own. Virtual Reality might not be a finished product, it might not even be something most users want to spend time with, but thats mostly irrelevant. All people know is that Virtual Reality is cool, its new, its the in thing right now and they know that Samsung has it, and Apple doesnt.
When it comes to the phablet market, Samsung was first and pretty much owns that market. Although weve seen a great bit of competition coming into the phablet space recently, and the latest is the Shark 1 from Leagoo. The Shark 1 is perhaps the cheapest 6-inch device under $200, but is it the best? Thats what well be trying to answer throughout this review.

The Leagoo Shark 1 is definitely an interestingly named handset from the Chinese manufacturer. But does it have what it needs to steal some of that phablet market share from the big players like Samsung, Xiaomi, and even Lenovo? Lets find out.

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Specs

The specs on the Leagoo Shark 1 are pretty respectable. We have a 6-inch 19201080 resolution IPS display which gives you 368 pixels per inch, which is powered by an octa-core processor in the MediaTek MT6753 that is clocked at 1.3GHz. Were also looking at 16GB of storage inside, which can be expanded via a microSD card up to 64GB. Paired with 3GB of RAM for all of your multi-tasking needs.

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Camera-wise, we have a 13-megapixel camera around back with a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. For GPS we have GLONASS, Galilio & BeiDou. It also has Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n. The battery is a pretty hefty 6300mAh, which Leagoo states can get you about 770 hours of standby time.

As far as network connectivity goes, it is a dual SIM device, and supports the following bands

GSM 850/900/1800/1900

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WCDMA 900/2100

FDD-LTE 800/900/1800/2100/2600

In the Box

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Inside the box, Leagoo provides us with the smartphone right there on top. Beneath the Shark 1 we have the earbuds, as well as the wall adapter  which this particular one is a EU plug. And finally we have the paperwork and the micro USB to USB Type-A cable. Its pretty much your standard contents inside the box, of course the box does remind me of Huaweis packaging, specifically for the Huawei Mate models. It is a cardboard box, but everything is laid out nicely.

Display

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As mentioned in the specs section, the Leagoo Shark 1 has a 19201080 resolution IPS panel that is 6-inches (measured diagonally). Not the most pixel dense panel out there, but not too shabby either. With a PPI of 368, you can see the pixels. Especially after using so many QHD displays. The pixels are there, but for the most part I couldnt see them, and better yet, they didnt bother me.

I was actually pretty impressed with how well this IPS panel performed. After having owned my fair share of LG flagships in the past few years, Ive spent plenty of time with IPS displays, and this one looked really nice. The colors were really accurate, and didnt see as warm as the LG G5s panel can tend to be. Leagoo does use Miravision to enhance the display picture quality. With Miravision, Leagoo allows you to change the display to work for you. You can adjust the picture contrast, saturation and brightness. As well as the sharpness and temperature. By default, its set to Vivid. But you do also have Standard and User Mode. Its great to have these types of options available to the user, because not everyone likes the same temperature display. As weve seen with many recent flagships.

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The digitizer is something that usually suffers in these Chinese smartphones. But no issues here. The digitizer is what recognizes your finger. Whether you are swiping, making a gesture or what not, thats all the digitizers job. And there were no problems here. Every time we swiped between home pages, it worked just as expected. Pressing buttons, and even doing some of the built-in gestures. All of them worked as they should.

To be honest, I was quite impressed by this display. Being a full HD display at this size, I was expecting it to be a bit mediocre. But Id definitely use this device as my daily driver. No complaints whatsoever on the display, which isnt a common phrase when talking about smartphones under $200.

Hardware and Build

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When it comes to the hardware, the Leagoo Shark 1 is actually a bit surprising. Its made of metal and of course the front is glass. But being a 6-inch phone made of metal  and with a massive 6300mAh battery inside  its one heavy smartphone. The Shark 1 is made of metal, and its not that metal thats been painted, like the LG G5 either. When you pick it up in the morning, its nice and cold. The back is curved a bit here, which makes it easier to hold onto the Shark 1. Thats definitely necessary given the size of this smartphone.

If you look at the back of the Leagoo Shark 1, youll notice that everything looks so small. Theres the 13-megapixel snapper in the upper left-hand corner along with your two-tone flash. Below that section there is the fingerprint sensor  more on that in a moment  with the Leagoo logo in landscape in the center and your FCC stuff below that. And yes, there is a speaker on the back. Definitely not our favorite place for a speaker. The left side houses the SIM card tray, with the right having the volume rocker and power button. Up top is the 3.5mm headphone jack and the bottom has the micro USB port.

The build quality here is quite impressive. It does feel like a rather solid phone. Almost like a phone that should and normally would cost more money. While it is a metal phone, its not as slippery as a typical metal smartphone. That could be due to the darker color on our model (usually the darker colored metal phones arent as slippery). Like most smartphones these days, the Shark 1 comes in black, silver and gold.

The SIM card slot which is found on the left side, is a dual micro SIM card slot. However one slot will double as a micro SD card slot. Allowing you to expand the storage. This is something that weve seen a lot more, recently, among smartphones. Especially unibody designed smartphones. As it means that they can have just one slot instead of two. Its a great idea, although we would prefer Leagoo to go with a nano SIM card, like most other flagships that are available these days.

Fingerprint Sensor

The back of the Shark 1 has a fingerprint sensor. While its nice to see this on a smartphone in this price range, there are some glaring issues with it. For one, its a bit too far up on the back of the device. Which means I need to shimmy my hand up the device to actually use it. That may be an issue only for me, because not everyones hands are the same size. But more importantly, the sensor is just too slow. It never fails, every time I go to unlock the phone with my finger, it takes at least 5 seconds or longer. Thats just too long for a fingerprint sensor to take to read a finger. Its almost faster to just swipe to unlock, and most users will probably opt for that.

Something that will most definitely be fixed with a software update, is being able to use this fingerprint sensor for apps and such. The Leagoo Shark 1 is running on Android 5.1 Lollipop. This means that you arent getting support for the Fingerprint API that Google announced for Marshmallow, because youre behind that update. Now theres no telling when or if that update is coming to the Shark 1, but it should make the fingerprint sensor much more usable.

Performance and Memory

With the MediaTek MT6753 octa-core processor inside which is clocked at 1.3GHz, youd think its slow compared to any of Qualcomms Snapdragon 800-series processors, right? In that case, youd be wrong. While this is clocked slower, it can still keep up with flagships like the Galaxy S7 and LG G5. One big reason for that is the fact its pushing less pixels. Not to mention the fact its doing less in the background than those two smartphones. The MediaTek MT6753 is a 8-core processor. And all eight cores are Cortex-A53 clocked at 1.3GHz. That is paired with the Mali-T720 GPU and 3GB of RAM. Pretty respectable in terms of gameplay and multi-tasking.

Through our usage of the Leagoo Shark 1, we never ran out of RAM, nor needed to close the apps in recents. That shouldnt be a surprise anyways, since Android is great at managing RAM and making sure you dont run out. We were able to use all of our normal apps and games, without seeing so much as a stutter. Speaking of Gameplay, the Leagoo Shark 1 excelled at that as well. We played Riptide GP 2, Subway Surfers and Crossy Road on the Shark 1, and all three performed beautifully. Of course that Mali-T720 GPU definitely helped out there. Providing some stunning performance in games with amazing graphics like Riptide GP 2.

Sound & Speakers

As mentioned already, there is just one speaker and its on the back. Now the back is not removable, so its tough to tell whether the speaker is the full length or if its just in the center, and the speaker grill is there to fool us. Nevertheless, the speaker is quite good. The speaker can get nice and loud without sounding all distorted. Leagoo also added a couple of nipples on the back of the phone, on either side of the speaker. What this does is it raises the bottom of the Shark 1 just a little bit. But it does make a difference and keeps it from being muffled when sitting on a desk.

Leagoo does have a few audio enhancements available here. Theres BesAudEnh which is an audio enhancer for the earphone. Theres also BesLoudness which is a volume booster for the speaker and then BesSurround, which you can choose to turn on Movie Mode or music mode. It does make quite a difference, to be honest. And while it is nice to have these features, we would prefer a traditional EQ that the user could adjust at their own will. Some like a higher bass, some like it lower, etc.

All in all, the speaker was pretty impressive for being a rear-facing speaker. Although with the device being so large, its nice to see that when youre holding the phone and playing a game, you arent muffling the sound from the speaker. Which can be an issue on other smartphones these days.

Benchmarks

We ran Geekbench 3, AnTuTu and 3DMark on the Leagoo Shark 1, which you can see all of the results in the gallery below.

Phone Calls and Network

This is a dual SIM smartphone, so you could use two micro SIM cards at the same time and switch between network at will. We used just one SIM card, which was tied to T-Mobile. During the review phase, we made plenty of phone calls with the Shark 1, and the experience was about what youd expect. Others said that we came in nice and clear  remember theres no HD Voice here, at least for T-Mobile. And we didnt experience any dropped calls.

Now, unfortunately, the Shark 1 does only support 2G or EDGE data in the US, due to the different bands. So our speeds are much, much slower than usual. But the Shark 1 did seem to work quite well. There were times where it would drop connection to the T-Mobile network, but if it supported their HSPA+ or LTE networks, that likely wouldnt be an issue.

Battery life

One of the main advantages to having such a large screen smartphone, is the fact that there is usually a hugebattery inside and keeps the thing going for quite a long time. Leagoo managed to fit a 6300mAh battery in the Shark 1. Now with it having a 6-inch FHD display, we were unsure what to expect in terms of battery life. But we are happy to report, that battery life is quite stellar here on the Shark 1. We were typically able to get through two full days of normal usage, and around 5-6 hours of screen on time. Now this included the display being on Adaptive Brightness as well as playing plenty of Riptide GP 2.

Leagoo does have a Standby Intelligent Power Saving mode which can be disabled if you wish to do so. But it does provide some pretty amazing standby battery life. Overnight (around 8-9 hours) we lost about 1% of battery from standby. Thats actually quite good. Many others would lose around 2-3% if they were running Marshmallow, and around 5-10% if they arent. Where the Shark 1 isnt running Marshmallow, wed expect to see even better standby when and if it does get its update to Marshmallow.

With such a large battery, youd expect it to take a long time to charge, right? Wrong. It takes about 3 hours to go from around 10% to 100%. And thats due to Leagoos own version of Quick Charge. It can do 3A, which is the same current that Quick Charge 3.0 uses. While its still slow compared to Quick Charge 3.0 with the LG G5, its still about the same pace, considering this battery is about 3x the size. Nice to see them putting something like this in there, because charging a 6300mAh battery could take quite a long time.

Now we did run the PC Mark benchmark for battery life on the Shark 1, and it did quite well. Giving us Work battery life results of 8 hours and 22 minutes. Thats about 32 minutes better than the HTC 10, and about twice as good as the Bluboo X9. Both of which we recently reviewed.

Software

The software here is a bit interesting. Were running Android 5.1 Lollipop, along with Leagoos own skin on top. Our review unit here has the March 1st, 2016 security patch as well. Now the reason why I say its a bit interesting is for the fact that the software looks and feels like stock Android in some respects. Now looking at it, youll know that it definitely isnt stock Android. For starters, theres no app drawer. But looking at the notification shade, it behaves the same as stock Android. If not a bit better. So when you pull down the notification shade, you get your notifications along with the bottom row of quick settings (which are customizable) and a brightness slider. Pull down again and you get all three rows. Very similar to stock Android, just with a different greenish color scheme here. With this being a 6-inch display, this set up works really well on the Shark 1.

The UI is nice and bright and vibrant. Theres plenty of color here, Im actually a big fan of that. Leagoo does have a few themes included, but weve found that all it themes is the wallpaper and icons on the Shark 1. Its cool that you can change up the icons without slapping on a custom launcher here, but it would be nice to theme the entire OS, sort of like what Cyanogen and CyanogenMod allow you to do. A couple other additions here is the fact that you have a vinyl widget to the left of the main home screen, which controls your music. So locally stored music can be controlled without opening the music app. Pretty neat. The very first screen, to the left of the music screen, you can use to take pictures without opening the camera. Given the small viewfinder, Im not sure why anyone would want to use this instead of the camera app.

Youll find a lot of gestures in the Shark 1. So you can choose to enable the double-tap to turn on the Shark 1. Unfortunately, it cant be used to turn off the display. Other gestures that you can use from the lock screen include swiping up to open the phone, swiping down to open messages, drawing an M to open music, a C to open the camera and many others. In the gallery, you can also move your hand over the screen to swipe between pictures, like the Galaxy S4 used to do back in the day. If youre looking for a phone with gestures, then look no further, as there are plenty of gestures available here on the Shark 1.

One of the issues I have with Leagoos software is in the screenshot above. Sure the navigation keys look like they are perfectly fine right? With a down arrow to hide the navigation bar, and buttons for back, home, recents and a notification pull down (definitely helpful on a smartphone this size). But wait, that square, its not a recents or overview button. Instead its a menu button. Yes, its a menu button and not a recents button. Instead long pressing the circle (aka home) opens up the recents button. That really caught me by surprise and forced me to get used to that (especially since Im using it side-by-side with the LG G5 as my daily driver).

The software here on the Shark 1 is pretty decent. While wed love to see stock Android or even Android 6.0 Marshmallow on the Shark 1. Its still very usable. While not everyone will love the idea of not having an app drawer. You can easily fix that, since this is Android after all. There are plenty of third-party launchers available in the Google Play Store that you can install, along with plenty of icon packs.

Camera

Now the camera, to put it plain and simply, its not good. Not at all. The pictures continually come out pretty bad, while they arent as bad when used outside, a lot of pictures taken inside with decent lighting turned out really bad looking. Almost like we took it with that blurry cam you see with a lot of leaks of upcoming smartphones. At first I thought this was due to the camera being dirty, so I wiped it down and cleaned it up. Still, the pictures came out pretty bad. Went through all of the settings  thinking maybe it was on some filter. But nope, this is just how the camera is. Which is a bit unfortunate, as this is really the only downside on the Shark 1.

The camera, while taking not so great photos, does have a few neat features included. A few of the modes included are HDR, Panorama, Multi-Angle, Motion Track, PIP Mode, Face Beauty and Watermark. Otherwise, you have your typical options included, like face detection and color effect. Whats interesting here is that you can use the viewfinder in 4:3 or at full screen. But it still is in the 13-megapixel size. Leagoo does have a Pro mode available here, allowing you to adjust the white balance, ISO, and much more. Its a pretty simple UI, and great for those that may be professional photographers.

In the gallery, youll be defaulted to the Photos section, which provides your images that youve taken with the camera (only) and they are separated by date. You can also view by folder, and see all of the images you have on your Shark 1. Including screenshots, downloads, Instagram pictures and more. All of your usual editing tools are here. So you are able to use different filters, frames, crop the images and so much more. And as youd expect you can also view the details. For those wondering, most of the files came in between 1 and 2 megabytes in size.

We took plenty of images from the Leagoo Shark 1. Which you can view on our Flickr account by clicking the image below. These are the full resolution, unedited versions of these images.

The Good

The Display is freaking amazing. I honestly did not expect a 1080p display to be that good.

The speaker is also fairly good, while it may not be a selling point for Leagoo, it can definitely get the job done.

Battery Life was pretty decent. It can always be better though.

Price. Coming in at just $189, its definitely worth the cash, unless you cant get around that camera quality.

The Bad

The camera was easily the biggest and only disappointment of the Shark 1.

The size may be a bit too big for some users (including myself), but some  a very small group  will love having a 6-inch display.

The fingerprint sensor is just too inaccurate to be relied on day in and day out.

Final Thoughts

The Leagoo Shark 1 costs just under $200, coming in at $189. So were going to treat it as a relatively cheap smartphone. For that price, theres a lot to like here. A big screen, with a great display, amazing battery life, and quick charging capability. But the big downside here is the camera. The only way that we could recommend this phone is if you take zero pictures with your phone. Otherwise, it might be best to go elsewhere. Which is pretty tough to say because everything else about the phone was pretty much perfect. Sure there were a few small things that wed change. But for the most part we loved the phone. Were not sure if there is a software update that can fix the camera or not, but we sure are hoping it can. If you can get around how the camera is, then its a great phone to pick up, no doubt.
Reports emerged last week suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7  model number SM-T815  released in September last year has started receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in Germany. Fast forward to the present day and fresh reports targeting the smaller counterpart  the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0  reveal that the Wi-Fi only variant is now being updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow in the UK.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 series was announced in July 2015 and was first released in September running Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. The series consists of two main tablets, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 featuring a 9.7-inch display, and the smaller 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0. Now, according to a SamMobile report, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is beginning to receive Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow in the UK. Apparently the update is currently rolling out for the Wi-Fi-only variant, which is identified by model number SM-T710. Owners of the said tablet who happen to reside in the UK should receive an update notification any time now  assuming that they havent already  but as is generally the case with OTA (over the air) software releases, users can also try to trigger the update process manually from the tablets Settings menu under About device > Software update. As for the update itself and the changes introduced, the software package bumps the firmware version to T710XXU2CPD9 and also includes the April 2016 security patch said to fix a number of critical issues. Otherwise, the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update includes a series of new native features such as Doze, Google Now on Tap, as well as a new app permissions manager just to name a few. It should also include a newer version of Samsungs proprietary TouchWiz user interface which should be both faster and lighter.

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 features an 8-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536, an Exynos 5433 SoC, a Mali-T760 MP6 graphics chip, 3 GB of RAM, a microSD card slot which can read up to an additional 128 GB of external memory, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera coupled with a 2.1-megapixel front-facing sensor. The tablet has already been refreshed by a 2016 LTE model running Android 6.0, which was previously spotted online in Germany along with a price tag of 479.
Most people dread getting up to go to work  especially if it is a Monday, and rainy at that. The thought of facing the world that is your workplace can be quite daunting to some. Whether they simply hate the commute, their job, the people they work with or the company they work for, it can make your life simply miserable. So many people have a degree or interest in something entirely different from what they are doing. That can make going to work even more frustratingbut if you work for Google, you will not have that problem. Google topped the Business Insiders 2016 list of the 50 best companies to work for in America, based on exclusive data from PayScale. Google knocked Facebook from the number one spot in 2015  they are ranked at number five this year.

PayScale does employee surveys, and the US employees that work for Google gave it high marks in a number of areas, including compensation. We all know that money is usually the driving force behind going to work  but if you are miserable every day, is it worth it? Many will take a pay cut for other inward benefits, including peace of mind or job satisfaction. Some employees want a job where they can feel that their job has some meaning or offers a chance to make the world a better place to live. According to PayScale, Google offers that opportunity and more to their employees.

Employers hope that their employees are satisfied with their jobs  no problem at Google. According to PayScale, 86-percent of Google employees are either extremely satisfied or fairly satisfied with their job. Google HR boss Laszlo Bock explains in his book, Work Rules! the key to Googles success, as a workplace is constantly innovating, experimenting, and keeping things fun. Whats beautiful about this approach is that a great environment is a self-reinforcing one: All of these efforts support one another, and together create an organization that is creative, fun, hardworking, and highly productive. Googles unique work environment is highlighted by all of the perks the Googleplex has to offer its employees. More than 64,000 Google employees can take advantage of free healthy and gourmet-like meals. Many companies offer a gym or free exercise room, but how many allow their employees to do their laundry? Google also provides generous paid parental leave and on-site child care. When a company treats their employees great, you get back a motivated and happy employee.

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Googles employees also believe that what they are doing makes the world a better place. According to the study, 73-percent find that their jobs are meaningful, but after all, Googles company mission is to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. Bock writes, This creates motivation to constantly innovate and push into new areas. A mission that is about being a market leader, once accomplished, offers little more inspiration. The broad scope of our mission allows Google to move forward by steering with a compass rather than a speedometer. Google employees feel that meaningful, challenging products attracted them to Google in the first place, and that is what keeps them there.

Competitive salaries are also a driving factor in employees happiness. According to PayScale, the median salary of an experienced Googler is $140,000  the second highest on the list. Employees with less than a years experience are averaging $93,000. One thing that Google does is pay employees doing the same job, drastically different salaries. While that may seem unfair, Bock explains that if they have an employee that has real talents or potential, they want to compensate them and give them a reason to stay. If you have ever worked somewhere, where there is a strict pay scale, and you are a hard worker and getting paid the same as a slacker just because they have put in the time, it can be very frustrating.

How would you like to have a free WiFi enabled shuttle to take you to and from work? That is another perk that Google deploys for their employees. That is one of the reasons that only 28-percent of the employees work from home  why would you, when you get a free ride to work and a gourmet lunch once there? Employees claim that Google is flexible, and nobody stands over you while you are working. One employee said, [But] dont get me wrong  youll work a lot. But you dont have to do all of it chained to your desk.

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Googles employees report that 12-percent feel their job is not stressful  while that number seems small, only 53 of the Fortune 500 companies report low-stress levels. On-site massages, free fitness classes, free gym memberships and a generous vacation policy help employees to relieve their stress. While Google does have a more laid-back and less competitive work environment, that is not to say that Google does not expect high goals from their employees  however, the managers do not expect them to meet them, but use them as a learning process.Google offers many benefits to its employees, but you are always going to have personality conflicts or disagreements. Google tries to help with those problems, as well, by keeping a transparent workplace. If you have a problem with somebody, dont bother going to your boss  email, call or meet the person and discuss your differences. It takes care of the backstabbing that can go in a work environment. Maybe we should all go to our bosses and ask for a raise, more vacation, free massages, gym memberships and gourmet meals.
Accounting Degree Adds Up To Success Courtesy Photo

For Angelo State University alumna Denise Lunsford Stewart, becoming a woman in management for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts was more about opportunities than obstacles.

Stewart graduated from ASU in 1987 After graduating from ASU in 1987 with a degree in accounting, the Kermit native was hired as a sales tax auditor for the Texas Comptroller, the elected official who is chief steward of the state governments finances and in charge of collecting taxes and estimating the state governments revenues for the budget process.

As auditors, we go out to taxpayer locations, businesses big and small, and audit, for example, for sales tax compliance, ensuring the right amount of state tax was collected on sales and remitted, Stewart said. It hasnt always been easy. When I was going into some of the mom-and-pop oil-related companies, there was still the attitude of it being a mans world.

I just kept at it, and in 2007, I was named regional manager for the Odessa area, she added. In July 2010, I was promoted to assistant manager of the state comptrollers Audit Division, the first woman in that role, and in August 2013, I was named the first woman director of the Audit Division.

As director, Stewart manages 23 field offices with more than 700 employees.

Denise Stewart, who graduated from Angelo State with an accounting degree in 1987, works for Texas Comptroller Glen Hegar as director of the Audit Division.

My employees are like family to me, she said. I just want to make it better for the employees, as well as for the taxpayers. And its challenging to work toward more consistency and efficiency.

With our taxpayers, customer service is important, she added. You have to take care of your customers. We do a lot of educational things with the companies we audit. We want to make sure they get the education about what is taxable and what is not and how they can take care of their customers.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar values Stewarts relationships with her employees and with the taxpayers.

We rely on Denises judgment and dedication daily, as she directs one of our most important functionsensuring that Texans pay their fair share of state taxes and not a penny more, Hegar said. As an auditor and a manager, shes proven that she can work with staff members and taxpayers alike honestly and fairly. Shes a trusted asset to our agency and all of state government.

ASU provided the education that I needed to pursue a career in accounting. It also taught me to grow up and become independent. Denise Stewart, Director of the Texas Comptrollers Audit Division

Working for the state government, however, wasnt on Stewarts radar when she arrived at Angelo State.

My goal growing up in the Kermit area was to get a job with one of the oil companies, Stewart said. It was ASUs Career Development Office that allowed me to interview with the State.

Graduating high school in 1983, it seemed like there were more women going to college, and business was the big thing to go into, she added. I had taken accounting classes in high school and I continued with accounting at ASU.

With other college choices available to her, Stewart chose Angelo State because it was close enough to her West Texas hometown to visit on weekends and not so large that you got lost in the crowd as just a number.

Angelo State alum Denise Lunsford Stewart met her husband, Bob Stewart, on the job. A Kermit native, she was auditing his family business in Andrews for the Texas Comptroller's office. The West Texas natives love to spend their leisure time at a beach. ASU provided the education that I needed to pursue a career in accounting, Stewart said. It also taught me to grow up and become independent.

Its a very competitive world, especially in the big accounting firms, she added. You have to be determined and stick to your goals and keep working at it.

Stewarts job also introduced her to her husband, Bob Stewart, who she met while auditing his familys Andrews-based oil-related business. Thats a huge bonus to the job she loves.

Its been a great career, she said. I took the steps and moved up. Im flattered that they had enough confidence in me to put me in the place Im at. It just makes you more dedicated, especially when you have good support from the people below you and from the people higher up.
Focused on Experience

In 2012, Angelo State University alumnus Deok Hwan Choi made the momentous decision to leave his hometown of Ulsan, South Korea, and head to West Texas to finish his college education at ASU.

Little did he know that the choice he made as a sophomore at the University of Ulsan would lead to such a successful outcome in the U.S. Choi recently landed a job as a user experience (UX) designer at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., with an impressive six-figure starting salary.

Firstly, I would like to say thank you for all the help from ASUs Center for International Studies, Choi said. They always helped to advise me how I could get internships and jobs as an international student. Also, the Career Development Center helped me to have a great resume and cover letter by giving me one-on-one advising.

Chois American Experiences











ASU also gave me so many opportunities to have work experiences, not only on campus but also off campus, he added. ASU has so many great places and people to work with, and they are always very happy to help however they can. It was very easy to just raise my hand and ask any questions.

Deok Hwan will definitely be an inspiration for future international students. Meghan Pace

As part of a 2+2 student exchange agreement between ASU and the University of Ulsan, Choi completed his first two years of college in Ulsan and then finished up at ASU in 2014, earning bachelors degrees from both universities. His ASU degree is a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing.

According to the Microsoft job description, as a UX designer Choi will craft clear, concise user-interface text for products; collaborate with designers, researchers, prototypers, product managers and engineers to define user stories, scenarios, requirements and work flowsand then craft user-interface content; develop concepts for early-stage products; and develop creative briefs and solution strategies, user research and testing, product and feature name development, and information architecture, terminology and taxonomy.

Deok just landed a job at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash.

Deok Hwan is a great example of the quality of our South Korean students, said Meghan Pace, director of ASUs Center for International Studies. His hard work at both the University of Ulsan and Angelo State is paying off, and we all wish him continued success as he starts his career at Microsoft.

As the number of students coming to ASU from South Korea and other Far East countries continues to increase over the coming years, she added, we are looking forward to more of this type of success story. Deok Hwan will definitely be an inspiration for future international students.

ASU currently has 185 South Korean students on campus.

Deok Hwan ChoiI Chose Angelo State

Why did you choose to attend ASU?

I decided to attend ASU because I had a chance to get in a dual-degree program through the University of Ulsan. I thought it would be very helpful to get two degrees in four years.

Name a professor who made a difference in your education.

Dr. Rex Moody

Dr. Gayle Randall

My favorite marketing professors were Rex Moody and Gayle Randall. I learned basic marketing knowledge and skills through Moodys lectures. He always gave me various case studies in order to make me understand difficult marketing theories. I was able to think how I should approach the work assigned to me by analyzing the purpose and scope of the projects. Also, preparing for Dr. Moodys mid-term and final exam was very helpful to organize what Ive learned from his lectures. My favorite parts from Dr. Randalls lectures were team projects. Throughout team projects, I was able to work cooperatively and efficiently with more than two people. Also, she always concentrated more on process than results. So I learned how important preparation is in teamwork.



Where was your favorite place on campus and why?

My favorite place was the University Center. I love the UC because my first paid job in the U.S. was there.



What student groups or activities were you involved with as a student?

I was a part of the Korean Students Association, which was led by Dr. Won-Jae Lee and Dr. Mansoo Ko. Through the group events, I didnt experience any homesickness.



What was one of your most memorable experiences as a student?

I did a marketing internship at Chartwells for nine months. It was my first official job in the U.S., and I learned a lot of marketing and graphic design skills from Richard Gonzalez and other members of the Chartwells family at ASU. Also, it was very helpful to understand American work culture and environment, which is very different from Korean.



What was your favorite thing about being an ASU student?

My favorite thing was the people at ASU. All of the students, professors and employees are willing to help if they think they can do something for you. So I also tried to improve myself in order to become a person who can help other people.



Was there anything about ASU that surprised you when you became a student?

I expected that there were not that many chances to communicate with big corporations in big cities. However, ASU always tried to host events that connected current students with alumni. I was able to ask many questions about how they prepared to get into big companies and how they spent their time in college.



What would you say to prospective students who are considering attending ASU?

If you want to make your dreams come true, you should register at ASU now. There are so many opportunities you can have if you are ready to raise your hand and ask.
(ANSAmed) - Rome, May 3 - Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told CNN Tuesday that the EU should make deals with African countries along the lines of the one it has made with Turkey to stem migrant flows.

He also said that, in Libya, the mistakes of five years ago should be averted.

"Without a stabilisation of Libya it will be very difficult to defeat Daesh (ISIS) and combat smuggling and migrations," he said, adding "we should not repeat the same mistakes we made five years ago".

Now that a national-unity government has been installed in Libya we must support stabilisation, he said, noting that on migration, "there is no easy solution but I think a solution is possible".

"What we should do," he said, "is what we have done on the Balkan route with Turkey. We should do the same with several African countries where migrations originate".

"European money can be invested to get deals with countries like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and other African countries to cut the flow.

"We need the same effort on Africa and the centre of the Mediterranean that we had with Turkey for the Ballan route".


(ANSA) - Rome, May 2 - Italy and Chile are closer to each other thanks to Alitalia which, after 15 years, is connecting the two countries again, with a new intercontinental direct flight between Rome and Santiago.

The new connection was inaugurated on Monday evening at Rome's Fiumicino airport.

Alitalia's management stressed that the new service is not just part of the company's strategy to strengthen its presence on the long-haul market, it is also designed to help reinforce the economic ties between the two countries. It is the first time that the two countries have been connected with a direct flight: the 'old' Alitalia flew to Santiago up to 1999 with a Boeing 747, but there was a stop at Buenos Aires on the way. The first flight took off from Rome on Sunday and landed in the Chilean capital on Monday morning.

The inauguration took place with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Fiumicino airport featuring executives from Alitalia, the Aeroporti di Roma (AdR) airport company and the Chilean Ambassador to Italy, Fernando Ayala. ENEL CEO Francesco Starace was present too and he said he was "happy and grateful" to Alitalia for having brought Chile "closer". Alitalia President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo stressed that the Rome-Santiago connection was just one of three new intercontinental services that the company is launching - with a flight to Mexico City starting on June 16 and a service to Beijing kicking off on July 18. "With this new route, the first of three that we will open in 2016, we are reinforcing the economic ties between Italy and Chile and we will continue to grow our presence in South America," Montezemolo said.

He added that the recently revamped company was "starting to see the first results in economic and customer terms" and he confirmed the target of being profitable in 2017. CEO Cramer Ball said that the new service made Alitalia "the company of reference for connections to Latin America". He added: "the direct Rome-Santiago flight also entails important economic benefits in terms of trade between the two countries because it will facilitate Italian investment in Chile and Chilean investment in Italy". AdR CEO Ugo De Carolis revealed that the 11,877 Km, 15-hour flight is the longest non-stop service running from Fiumicino airport.

"The launch of this connection by Alitalia is part of a broader strategy perused by Aeroporti di Roma to grow in the long-haul markets," said De Carolis. The new connection features 5 flights a week with a Boeing 777, the flagship of the Alitalia fleet.

It is a 293-seat aircraft, split into three classes, with a completely renovated cabin.


(see related)(ANSA) - Rome, May 3 - Italy has the highest volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the eurozone, European Central Bank (ECB) oversight board member Ignazio Angeloni told the Senate Tuesday. Deteriorated loans held by "significant Italian banks" amounted to 274 billion euros at the end of 2015, and the total including those held by smaller banks reached 360 billion euros, he said. "In nominal terms, Italy's NPL volume is the highest among eurozone countries by far," Angeloni said. "A mitigating factor is that the NPLs are partially covered by guarantees, which potentially offer an additional security margin...(however) this margin only exists if the guarantees can be speedily realized and liquidated - which happens a lot less in Italy than in other European countries".


FIUMICINO - Another 101 Syrian refugees from Lebanon arrived Tuesday morning in Rome thanks to the humanitarian corridor. It's the third group that has reached Italy since February through an agreement between the Italian government, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, the Community of Sant'Egidio and the Waldensian Round Table (Tavola Valdese).

Immediately after their arrival at Fiumicino airport at 7 a.m. on an Alitalia flight from Beirut, the refugees were accompanied by border police to a dedicated area in the arrivals terminal where each of them would begin the long process of entry procedures, including identification with digital fingerprinting. The refugees will be taken to a special area in the airport where they will then be transferred to various locations throughout Italy, where they will be hosted in reception centres.



After the little Syrian girl Falak, who had cancer, arrived in Rome last February 4 with her mother, father, and younger brother - which opened the first legal gate into Europe - another group of 93 Syrians came to Rome on February 29. In all, about a thousand refugees are expected to arrive over the next two years, not only from Lebanon but soon also from Morocco and Ethiopia.

The arrivals are part of a pilot project that allows people escaping from war or who are in a "vulnerable condition" (victims of persecution, torture, and violence; families with children; single women; elderly; sick; disabled) to legally and safely reach Italy without risking their lives on the Mediterranean.


Migrants: Sabir festival heading to Pozzallo in Sicily May 13 meeting with president of Italian lower house Boldrini

(ANSAmed) - PALERMO, MAY 3 - The Sabir festival celebrating Mediterranean culture and citizenship is set to be held this year from May 12-15 in Pozzallo in southern Sicily.



The fest began as a broad cultural event to be held in locations symbolising the doors to Europe. Following a first edition in 2014 in Lampedusa, the second edition is set to include shows, debates and international meetings.



The president of Italy's Lower House Laura Boldrini is set to attend on May 13, when she will meet students from schools in Pozzallo to talk about the challenges and changes underway in Europe. Later in the day different trade unions from around the Mediterranean are scheduled to hold a meeting.



Sabir was a lingua franca spoken in the ports of the Mediterranean area from the Middle Ages up to the 19th century.



It included words from several languages in the region, and made it possible for seamen and merchants to communicate.



Sicily is a symbolic place for the festival to be held to draw attention to the migrant crisis in the region, which has led to thousands of deaths in tragic boat accidents. Only in 2015, more than 3,500 people lost their lives in Mediterranean sea crossings, including many children. (ANSAmed).




ROME - A Rome photo exhibition by Riccardo Venturi looks back at Libya during the uprising against Muammar Gadaffi, when the courage and hopes for freedom that have been thwarted by subsequent tragedies and chaos were still strong.



Venturi is an author and reporter with 20 years of experience of major world stories including war zones such as Kosovo and Somalia. He was winner of the World Press Photo in 1997 and 2011. His "Chaos Libya" pictures, on show until May 22 at Rome's Palazzo Velli Expo, put the focus on the feelings of the people who were fighting against the dictatorship.



The selection also includes portraits of dissidents that were killed, and images of torture and prison sites. These also highlight emotions, but more in terms of painful memories.
101 Syrian refugees in Rome with humanitarian corridor Third group to reach Italy since February

(ANSAmed) - FIUMICINO, MAY 3 - Another 101 Syrian refugees from Lebanon arrived Tuesday morning in Rome thanks to the humanitarian corridor. It's the third group that has reached Italy since February through an agreement between the Italian government, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, the Community of Sant'Egidio and the Waldensian Round Table (Tavola Valdese). Immediately after their arrival at Fiumicino airport at 7 a.m. on an Alitalia flight from Beirut, the refugees were accompanied by border police to a dedicated area in the arrivals terminal where each of them would begin the long process of entry procedures, including identification with digital fingerprinting. The refugees will be taken to a special area in the airport where they will then be transferred to various locations throughout Italy, where they will be hosted in reception centres.



After the little Syrian girl Falak, who had cancer, arrived in Rome last February 4 with her mother, father, and younger brother - which opened the first legal gate into Europe - another group of 93 Syrians came to Rome on February 29. In all, about a thousand refugees are expected to arrive over the next two years, not only from Lebanon but soon also from Morocco and Ethiopia. The arrivals are part of a pilot project that allows people escaping from war or who are in a "vulnerable condition" (victims of persecution, torture, and violence; families with children; single women; elderly; sick; disabled) to legally and safely reach Italy without risking their lives on the Mediterranean. (ANSAmed).




ROME - Some 113 people drowned in four separate shipwrecks off the coast of Libya between Friday and Sunday, the International Organisation for Migration said Tuesday. It said some 1,357 migrants have died in the Mediterranean since January. Arrivals in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Spain have been 184,546 since January, compared to 55,750 in the same period last year.



More and more migrants and refugees are expected to set off from North Africa for Italy as the summer weather sets in. The flow into Greece has slowed to a trickle after a deal for returning migrants between the EU and Turkey.
Syria: Damascus, 14 dead in attack on Aleppo hospital

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MAY 3 - Fourteen people died and dozens were injured in the bombing by Syrian rebel forces of a hospital in the area of Aleppo controlled by loyalist forces, government agency Sana reported.



The Syrian National Observatory for Human Rights (Ondus) said 19 people had died and 80 were injured in rebel strikes on various districts of Aleppo, without clarifying the number of victims in the Al Dbait hospital. (ANSAmed).




88,000 unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in 2015, Eurostat In Italy 56% of applicants under 18 were unaccompanied

(ANSAmed) - Brussels, May 3 - There were 88,000 unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the European Union in 2015, European statistics agency Eurostat said on Monday.



This compares to between 11,000 and 13,000 from 2008 to 2013 and 23,000 in 2014. In Italy 56% of minors seeking international protection were unaccompanied. The countries receiving the highest number of asylum requests from unaccompanied minors were Sweden with 40% of the total, followed by Germany with 16%, Hungary with 10% and Austria with 9%.(ANSAmed)
ANSAmed - Tomorrow's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 4 - These are the main events scheduled for tomorrow in the Euro-Mediterranean area: WASHINGTON - Visit by EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini.



ANTALYA - regional conference on the 'Agenda 2030' organized by FAO, wit EU commissioner Phil Hogan (also May 5) GENOA - Cycle of meetings between young Muslims to discuss identity.



MILAN- First edition of the Festival of Human Rights, event organised by Reset-Diritti Umani and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (running until May 8) ROME - Presentation of Geopolitical Atlas of the Mediterranean 2016, created by the Institute of Political Studies of S.Pio V and Ce.Si- International Studies Centre. SIDI BOU SAID (TUNISIA) - 4th edition of "Meetings between European-Maghreb region writers" (until May 6) (ANSAmed).




Avramopoulos, possible legal action on relocations 'Disappointed by slowness and lack of political will'

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, MAY 3 - "The decision to relocate is binding and Member States have a moral and legal obligation to do so. For now we haven't taken any legal steps - my persuasion methods have been political - but that doesn't mean that we won't," said EU Migrant and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos in an interview with ANSA. Avramopoulos said he is "disappointed" for the slow pace of relocations and the "lack of political will". (ANSAmed).




Egypt: interior ministry publishes secret media plan Says was sent by error, concerned arrest of 2 journalists

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, MAY 3 - The Egyptian interior ministry released a "secret plan" by mistake to the media outlining how to deal with the crisis unleashed by the arrest of two reporters inside the head offices of the journalists' union, the daily Al Masry Al Youm reported on its website.



The ministry then sent a second email underlining that the plan had been published due to a "technical error". Citing ministry sources, the site reports that the incident reflects the state of confusion in the ministry. The plan was supposed to be drawn to the attention of General Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, and now "wide investigations" are underway into "some employees of the department of information of the ministry".



The note sent to the media provided indications on how to deal with the repercussions of the case of the two journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud el Sakka, who were arrested on Sunday evening in the head offices of the union, accused of publishing false news and trying to overturn institutions. It describes the "premeditated" escalation of the union, aimed at "obtaining electoral advantages" and speaks of a "ferocious campaign against the ministry". It calls for a "fixed, unchanging position", and threatens to punish anyone who moves away from it. It also said retired security experts should be contacted to appear on television programmes and talk about the viewpoint of the ministry.



The ministry has been under scrutiny following the torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni. It was criticised by the main government paper Al Ahram on Tuesday, which opened its editorial with "the interior ministry has made many errors in this period and the most recent is its deplorable behaviour towards journalists". (ANSAmed).




ROME - Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said Tuesday that the European Union was facing unprecedented challenges. "Europe is experiencing an exceptional situation in which it is at risk perhaps like never before since it was created" he said, citing the migrant crisis and the possibility Britain may exit the union. Padoan added that the threat of the Schengen border-free system collapsing was a bigger danger than that posed by the eurozone crisis. "The Schengen treaty is in doubt with the refugee emergency and that is more dangerous than the euro crisis of a few years ago," Padoan told a conference on the future of the EU at Rome's La Sapienza University.

EU: costs up to 10 bn per year if Schengen ends

The systematic reintroduction of internal border checks in the European Union's Schengen Area would have costs ranging between five to 18 billion euros per year, according to a hypothetical estimate made by the European Commission contained in the spring economic forecast.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the sign of victory of his humbled love and gives meaning to our lives, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church said in his sermon for the Easter Vigil on Saturday night.

"Christ's love is stronger than death, meaning He did not respond to evilness by evilness, to violence by violence. He did not respond to sin by sin, but won over sin through holiness and prayed even for those who crucified Him, saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' This crucified love proves victorious through the resurrection," the Patriarch told the faithful at the Patriarchate Cathedral in Bucharest after the Mass, also attended by President Klaus Iohannis and his wife and broadcast by Romania's public television and some private stations.

Deeds in the name of love for God never perish, the Patriarch reminded Romanians, among which Orthodox Christians are the overwhelming majority.

"The Resurrection gives a meaning to our lives, showing us that this life on earth, although ephemeral, has infinite value. Each human person, called to resurrection and immortality, has a unique and infinite value. This is God's love to humans; not the mere forgiveness of sin, but the rising of Man to the glory of eternal life, in love for the Holy Trinity," he explained.

He urged everyone to spread acts of charitable love, and also mentioned Romanians abroad, for whom the faithful should also pray. "There are many children without parents in some villages, and many parents are helpless because their sons or daughters are far away, not near them as they had hoped, to give them support in their old age," he insisted.

In 2017, Orthodox and Catholic Christians will again celebrate Easter on the same day, as it happened in 2010, 2011 and in 2014, but not last year and this year.

Source: Agerpres
Rahul Shah, the companys Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, (pictured right) said the company is looking to increase its international portfolio from its current 35% of its total business to 50% within three years. The expansion, he says, will include an MRO joint venture, as well as joint ventures for landing gear and component overhaul services.

We are in dialogue with various airlines and facilities, he said.

Shah says the company is looking to leverage its success in supply chain initiatives achieved through its contract with Abu Dhabis Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center (AMMROC). AAR has supported the design, outfitting and integration of key areas of AMMROCs state-of-the-art facility in Al Ain, the emirates second city. The US $38.6 million contract saw AAR design support areas including hangars, work stations and machine and special process shops for the military maintenance center which will open later this year. AAR last year relocated its Middle East regional office to Abu Dhabis World Trade Center.

The Middle Easts defence industry is a key target for AARs planned growth, particularly in the Gulf where defence budgets are the worlds fastest-rising notching up 8% growth a year. The company has also just begun work on a five-year, US $72 million Complete Logistics Support (CLS) Foreign Military Sales contract to sustain a C-130H aircraft fleet on behalf of the Afghan Air Force.

Shah says AAR will focus on delivering performance-based logistics for the military sector and developing OEM distribution as an integrator for the civil sector focussing on power-by-the-hour contract for airlines in the Middle East and Africa. We are currently bidding on three contracts in the region, he said.

We are in dialogue with various airlines and facilities. We have to, to stay competitive and to reach our aim of becoming number one in the business by leveraging our expertise in planning and forecasting for inventory management.
After posting total revenues of  3,312.4 million in 2015, Alitalia was able to report a net result of  -199.1 million for 2015, a significant improvement on the  580 million loss recorded in 2014. This performance is in line with the targets set in its Industrial Plan.

The chairman of Alitalia, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said: Reducing our losses is a first important step, together with the relentless commitment to improve our services, our fleet and our network with the opening of new strategic intercontinental routes. This has been made possible due to the determination and passion of Alitalias men and women to whom I want to extend my heartfelt thanks. Return to profitability in 2017 remains our goal. Todays results show that Alitalia has become more efficient in controlling costs and is on track for profitability by 2017. All our efforts are focused on reaching that target. Few airlines have undergone such radical change as the new Alitalia. We are delivering on our promise to create a world class airline.

During 2015, Alitalia met or exceeded a wide range of performance indicators, as it moved forward with its extensive restructuring programme.

The airline carried a total of 22.1 million passengers with a load factor of 76.2 per cent.

There was also a strong and growing contribution of  235.4 million from its codeshare partnerships. Its partnership with Etihad Airways has played a major role. Since January 2015, Alitalia and Etihad Airways have shared more than 450,000 passengers between their networks, while more than 1.2 million passengers have been shared between Alitalia and Etihad Airways Partner airlines.

Alitalia continues to deepen its existing cooperation with airberlin to strengthen further air connections between Italy, and Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Customers benefit from up to 25 per cent more weekly non-stop flights from Italy. The deeper cooperation with airberlin paves the way for enhanced competitiveness, and our common passengers are already benefitting from greater travel comfort, improved connections and a much more attractive route network.

Alitalias relationship with SkyTeam, and in particular Delta Air Lines, allows its passengers to enjoy a seamless and consistent travel experience to its extended network in America.

The airline has also achieved significant synergies, operational efficiencies and cost reduction across all areas of the business as a result of increased scalability, systems integration, joint procurement, and the implementation of best practice with its partners.

The airline also started a major fleet upgrade, including new interiors and inflight Wi-Fi being rolled out across all 122 aircraft. Its inflight product has been upgraded, with an enhanced service style to improve quality in all cabins. Investment in lounges will see the new Casa Alitalia concept introduced in Rome and Milan Malpensa, while refurbishments are in track for Rome, Milan Linate, Naples, Venice, Catania and New York. A new alitalia.com opens in a new window mobile app has been introduced, as well as the new Ulisse inflight magazine.

More than 6,000 cabin crew and airport staff have undertaken a new Customer Excellence training programme, with leadership training also being run for 600 Senior Cabin Managers and Airport Managers. The airline has also created a new Guest Response Team to provide faster and more efficient customer service.

The new operational procedures resulted in an average 80.2 per cent on time performance in 2015, with mishandled baggage down 50 per cent and technical reliability at 99.5 per cent.

The new changes have already had an impact with guests. Alitalias market share to and from Italy increased by four percentage points in 2015, to 30 per cent. In April 2016, overall guest satisfaction was 87 per cent, the highest figure recorded since the start of the new on-board survey in 2012.

Cramer Ball, Alitalia chief executive officer, said: There is still much to do to reach our long- term goals, but this year has seen our team achieve many significant milestones. The next phase of our investment strategy will see 400 million being committed to fleet, cabins, technology and infrastructure in 2016. Our most important investment to date, and the one bearing most fruit, has been the investment in our people. It is the people of Alitalia who are bringing this brand to life and creating a new force in European aviation. I thank each and every one of the Alitalia employees for their hard work and dedication.

The airlines strong results were achieved despite some significant challenges. The fire at Rome Fiumicino airport on 7 May 2015 caused significant disruptions and is estimated to have cost the airline around  80 million. Alitalia also suspended its Rome-Caracas route due to the Venezuelan governments decision not to allow the repatriation of US dollars from the country, and like other airlines, it also experienced a negative impact on passenger traffic after the Paris terrorist attacks.

Cramer Ball added: As an airline, we face many macro-economic challenges. However, the Alitalia of today is ready to face the challenges, moving forward as a commercially successful business. While investment is a key part of our strategy, our management will continue its forensic focus on cost and leverage every opportunity to achieve further efficiencies on our journey to profitability."
The airports 13,300-foot (4,050-meter) altitude tested the MAXs capability to take off and land at high altitudes, which can affect overall airplane performance.

The engines and other systems performed well, as expected, under extreme conditions. Thats exactly what we wanted to see, said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of the 737 MAX program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Flight testing for the 737 MAX is on schedule with three test airplanes having completed more than 100 flights combined. The fourth and final test airplane will make its first flight in the coming weeks. The program remains on track for first delivery in the third quarter of 2017.
The award is organised by the Dubais Department of Economic Development (DED) and recognises organisations in the UAE.

We continuously strive to achieve business excellence within our organisation for both our customers and our employees. We are proud to be awarded the esteemed Dubai Quality Award today. It serves as a testament to the teams hard work, but also a reminder to continuously improve in our pursuit of excellence and innovation, said Dr. Abdulla Al Hashimi, divisional senior vice president, Emirates Group Security.

The Dubai Quality Award recognises EGS pursuit of excellence and is the second progressive achievement having received the Dubai Quality Award Appreciation (DQAP) in 2012.

Following successful implementation of DQA Criteria model on the day-to-day operation, EGS received the honour today. The model is based on the Excellence framework by European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) which encourages learning, creativity and innovation to improve organisation results. The Department of Economic Development (DED) evaluated and scored the organisation using the RADAR Assessment as the management tool.
Li will lead the development of Etihad Airways commercial strategy and represent the Abu Dhabi based airline in China. He will be responsible for further strengthening Etihad Airways partnerships with travel trade partners and corporate customers.

With an extensive amount of experience in Commercial aviation, Li has over 20 years of experience in senior commercial management roles for Air New Zealand and China Eastern Airlines.

Etihad Airways senior vice president global sales, Danny Barranger, said: We are delighted to welcome Peter to the China leadership team at an exciting time for the airline when we are seeing tremendous growth in the region.

China is, and will continue to be one of the most important markets for Etihad Airways globally. The airlines unique geographic position serves as a significant hub in the global aviation network, and allows Abu Dhabi to closely link China with the GCC region, Middle East, Europe, Africa and South America.

Furthermore, Etihad Airways innovative and award-winning products and service will help to meet Chinese travellers increasing expectations for greater comfort, higher standards, more choice and better convenience. Etihad Airways codeshare flights with China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines provide Chinese consumers with more destinations to choose from, a more flexible flight timetable and frequent flyer programmes. Peters wealth of knowledge and experience will be instrumental in further expanding Etihad Airways presence in the China market.

The airline business in China has never been more dynamic, along with its strong growth in outbound tourism. But the competition is fierce, said Peter. I am delighted to take up this role at what is a truly exciting time for Etihad Airways. It will be a great honour to lead our experienced local team and to work closely with our partner airlines and the industry to continue to grow the airlines business in this key market for Etihad Airways and to offer a best-in-class travel experience to more business and leisure travellers to a growing number of guests.

The role of general manager for China reports to Etihad Airways vice president for Asia Pacific South and Australia, Lindsay White.
Audited by KPMG, these financial statements also reflect growth in passenger traffic and strong cargo volumes. A total of 522,873 passengers travelled with the airline in 2015, 22 per cent more than in 2014.

Air Seychelles passenger carrying capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs), increased by 7 per cent to 1.7 billion by the end of 2015. Despite this increase the airlines seat load factor rose by 6 percentage points from 60 per cent in 2014 to 66 per cent in 2015.

Cargo services continue to be a major area of growth for Air Seychelles, with the airline carrying 4,415 tonnes of freight, primarily driven by wide body operations on Johannesburg and Paris routes.

Roy Kinnear, chief executive officer of Air Seychelles, said: We are proud to have been able to deliver on our mandate, which was to achieve strong growth, to become the regions leading carrier and, most importantly, to do so as a commercially viable and profitable enterprise, while remaining one of the key drivers of economic growth in Seychelles.

The profit we have delivered in 2015 is, above all, a great sign for the future. We have the right foundations in place going forward.

We owe thanks to our two shareholders  the Government of the Republic of Seychelles and Etihad Airways - for their ongoing support. I would also like to thank our staff for their contribution and hard work, without which none of this would have been possible.'

Joel Morgan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport and chairman of Air Seychelles, said: "The profit is another wonderful result for our national airline and for the future of aviation in Seychelles and the Indian Ocean region.

Air Seychelles has enhanced the image of our country. Our national airline is often the first contact for visitors who come to Seychelles. The level and quality of service, as well as the look and ambiance of the aircraft, are the images of the exotic destination Seychelles we would like to send to the world.

We will continue to consolidate Air Seychelles position by making investments that will allow the airline to continue on its current trajectory of further growth.

James Hogan, president and chief executive officer, Etihad Airways, said: Air Seychelles is delivering on both levels of our equity investment strategy. It has extended our network, adding new revenue opportunities and sharing in the economies of scale our grouping of airlines can achieve.

Importantly, it is also delivering on its own commercial and business goals, with another year of profitability. We are delighted with the progress Air Seychelles has made.

Since July 2015 the airline has undertaken a number of initiatives outlined in its turnaround plan to transform and bring efficiencies into the national carrier and turn it into a profitable, stable, reliable and strong airline to serve Seychelles and the broader Indian Ocean region.

The airline brought onto its own registry three new generation Airbus aircraft, with two A320s and one A330 added to the fleet. As a result, it was able to tap into new markets and grow the number of frequencies in its regional network.

In October 2015, a brand new DHC-6 Twin Otter landed in Mahe. Isle of Denis is the final of three DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft to be delivered to Air Seychelles as part of an order placed with Viking Air Limited in 2013. The first two aircraft joined the domestic fleet in 2014, one year ahead of schedule, replacing the DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300 and Shorts SD-360. Today, Air Seychelles domestic fleet counts six Twin Otter aircraft that are perfect for the operational demands of island hopping in Seychelles.

During 2015, Air Seychelles network of codeshare destinations rose from 30 to 61, through partners including airberlin, Alitalia, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, NIKI, South African Airways and Air France. Partnerships, coupled with the induction of the jet fleet, introduction of direct flights to Paris and increase of frequencies in the region, have been a key driver of the significant growth in passenger numbers in 2015.

Of the total passengers carried, 30 per cent were contributed by partner airlines, generating 41 per cent of Air Seychelles passenger revenue, demonstrating the importance of growth through partnerships.

Air Seychelles growth has created a significant number of new jobs for Seychellois nationals. During 2015, the airline increased its workforce by 128 new professionals. With the focus remaining on providing an excellent guest experience, the Ground Services department of Air Seychelles has employed 55 service professionals at Mahe International Airport.

Air Seychelles continued to place much emphasis on personal development and succession planning, investing significantly in the development of its workforce and introducing a range of training programmes for its employees, who have access to some of the most advanced educational facilities in the world through the airlines partner, Etihad Airways.

Hundreds of Air Seychelles staff have now completed these programmes and are building strong careers at the airline.

Equally committed to its community, Air Seychelles was proud to make a significant contribution to Seychelles culture, health, children and other community programs, through more than 500 gifted tickets and free cargo transportation.

Kinnear said: While the 2015 results are a sure sign that we are on the right path, we must not rest on our laurels and, in 2016, we are committed to accelerating our growth. We will do this by continuing to grow our route network both organically and through an expansion of our codeshare partnerships. We will also continue to invest in our products and services to ensure that we provide the best possible guest experience both in the air and on the ground.

"Air Seychelles is proud to play an increasingly important part in supporting the further growth of the Seychelles economy, particularly in developing tourism and trade, while creating employment opportunities for Seychellois nationals across the broader economy."
When operators receive their A350s next year they will be able to serve direct non-limiting routes.

The FAA approval also includes provisions for ETOPS up to 300 minutes, corresponding to diversion distance of 2,000 nautical miles at one-engine-inoperative speed under standard atmospheric conditions.

This will allow for more fuel-efficient flight paths and allowing access to more en-route diversion airports.
Adelaide is the fourth city in Australia to be served by Qatar Airways, which has been flying to Melbourne since 2009, to Perth since 2012 and to Sydney since March this year. The new route is expected to generate an estimated 228 jobs across the state and contribute more than AU$41 million to the local visitor economy.

The airline is the first to fly the new-generation Airbus A350 to Australia, connecting Australian passengers to more than 150 destinations on its route map on board one of the youngest and most modern aircraft in the skies.

The A350 was built first and foremost to provide the ultimate passenger experience with wider seats in both Business and Economy Class, the lowest twin engine noise level of any aircraft in its class, advanced air conditioning technology and full LED lighting, all working together to enhance the comfort of passengers while reducing fatigue after a long-haul flight.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, who was on board the inaugural flight, said: We are proud to be the first airline to fly the Airbus A350, for which we were the global launch customer, to Australia. Adelaide is an important addition to our route map giving Qatar Airways its fourth gateway into Australia, and we are pleased to offer the people of South Australia the most modern aircraft in the industry to connect them with 38 countries in Europe, 21 destinations in Africa and 27 destinations in the Middle East.
Ch-aviation has revealed that the carrier plans to launch service to Kuwait: Assiut, Alexandria Borg el Arab and Sohag on board two B737-800s.
Ramzi Mansour, Director Business Development & Strategies of Joramco, said that Millennials, with less than five years experience, now account for 67% of total voluntary attrition in the industry with 14% of them leaving the sector completely due to frustration with the pace of career advancement. This is a troubling factor for an industry seeking to hang on to its young! said Mansour.

Yet Mansour said Millennials will be crucial and the driving force to regional MRO growth - now said to be rising at 6.7% a year, twice the global average and likely to account for 11 million man hours a year within the next half decade, even with the use of technology.

The Millennial attrition is at odds with the industrys modest retirement rate which accounted for only 1.7% of the sector in 2014. Mansour pointed out that the industry has, at 35%, a higher-than-average ratio of Baby Boomers  those born 1946-1964 - but rates low, at only 17%, for Millennial employees and that mixing and managing three generations of employees  Baby Boomers, Generation X (1966-1976) and Millennials is critical to ensure business continuity and knowledge transfer. Millennials are shunning aerospace in favour of jobs in financial services, communications, media and banking. This, said Mansour, posed a big question: Is the aviation marketplace aspirational enough for the next generation?

Mansour says experts estimate that the Middle East will require some 66,000 new technical personnel over the years to 2034, which accounts for 11% of the industry total and sourcing the skills wont be easy. Industry stakeholders and strategists, he says, need to address hidden issues beyond the regular concerns on difficulty to access qualified talent. He said the industry needs to acknowledge its workforce demographics and produce strategies to adequately address the changing landscape. Millennials today account for a third of the global labour force at 50 million and that will rise to 50% of the worldwide workforce by 2020. It boiled down, he said, to a key issue: How can we build and guarantee an adequate pipeline of labour?

Mansour said attracting the best Millennial workers is critical to the future of the labour-intensive MRO sector in the Middle East and globally and that they will shape the culture of the 21st century labour force. We need to identify, understand and accommodate the characteristics and aspirations of the millennial generation specially in an industry of highly complex regulations which impede young talent from entering the profession. He said.

The first task, said Mansour, is for the industry to understand Millennials, an IT-savvy, techno generation which values a flexible approach to work. They tend to be uncomfortable with rigid corporate structures and expect rapid progression, very regular feedback and encouragement, explained Mansour. It is a generation that values development and a work/life balance over financial reward, looks for employers with CSR values that match their own, have a strong desire to work overseas and is loyalty-light.

They want fulfilment from work, a collaborative leadership, digital real-time communications and a balanced work/family lifestyle, said Mansour. We should encourage cross-mentorship, galvanise through inspiration and information. Organizations need to think meritocracy, not hierarchy.

The Millennials also want access to the best technology and great training opportunities. Embrace emerging technology, mobility, virtual teams and online platforms and revisit training and development approaches, suggests Mansour. Offer apprenticeships and collaborate with educational and training institutions.

Airlines and MRO organisations will have to tap into the right motivators with Mansour advising: Think creatively about reward strategies. Is it time to shift focus from cash bonuses to other things that matter most to them? Incentivise through learning and training. Companies will also have to develop a more free culture with flexible work regimes, mobility opportunities and virtual working models. And employers will also have to help Millennials grow with job rotation. Introduce a steady stream of new assignments and learning opportunities, suggests Mansour.

But even if all the advice is taken on board, employers should expect their investment in Millennials to have a shorter life-cycle than to date. Its inevitable that the rate of churn among Millennials will be higher than among other generations, said Mansour. Answers could be in attracting foreign talent, developing cross-industry and public/private collaboration and establishing global mobility programmes to import and deploy talent wherever it is needed, he said.

Suggesting that the aviation industry has lost some of its lustre since the 20th century, Mansour said the industry needs to do a better job of selling itself to Millennials who are drawn to the allure of the technology and lifestyle of Silicon Valley. We need to tweak our business approach so that we look and operate more like Facebook and Google.

Our capacity to attract, retain and manage talent in the coming years does not depend on the compensation packages, but rather on our ability to create a sense of belonging to an industry that offers a long-term relationship and a professional development opportunity for the new generations.

The industry does, however, said Mansour, have one trick up its sleeve. One of the biggest advantages that the aviation industry has is its mission. It is all about Connecting People, and this appeals heavily to Millennials.

Developing capacities and capabilities on next-gen aeroplanes and next-gen engines in the absence of a next-gen workforce is probably not a smart thing for airlines and MROs to do!




The Agreement was signed by Zouhair Mohammed El Aoufir, ) Director General of ONDA (Office National Des Aeroports), and Mr Frank Brenner, Director General of Eurocontrol at the Airshow which ended on Saturday.

In his speech for this event, El Aoufir said With the signature and entry in force of this agreement, it is not only that our country achieves a global first  in that Eurocontrol has never before signed such an agreement with a country outside Europe  but it also recognises the performance of the Moroccan air traffic management services and is consolidating a mutually desired and beneficial partnership between ONDA and Eurocontrol.

Brenner (pictured below) explained that the European agency had been working closely with the Morocco for many years, We are delighted that this excellent working relationship is now being strengthened through the signing of a comprehensive agreement, he said. With over 850 flights a day moving between Europe and Moroccos airspace, it is a logical step for us to increase our level of integration and cooperation for the benefit of the airlines and the travelling public.

The agreement is a clear sign of Morocco moving closer to Europe and becoming part of the European aviation system. It means that Morocco will participate from now on to the working structures of E Eurocontrol and that it will be able to benefit from all services that the Agency provides, Brenner added.

Morocco and the EU had previously signed an Open Skies agreement which opens the two air traffic markets for unlimited access. Therefore it is logical and obvious that bigger volumes of air traffic need to be catered for. For these technical provisions, common airspace design and common air traffic procedures are prerequisites. Eurocontrol is about ensuring that an effective and efficient network is available Bremmer said.
SITA will install and manage six new AirportConnect S4 Kiosks at the airport, with four kiosks to be introduced in the economy check-in area and two in the first and business class check-in area. The new S4 kiosks provide a vastly improved passenger experience with large 19-inch multi-touch screens.

Along with the new kiosks, SITA will provide its AirportHub shared connectivity platform, enabling airlines to migrate their back offices from legacy or direct connections systems to a cloud-based communication link.

Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, chief executive officer of BAC said: This project is the first step towards the companys vision of implementing IATA Fast Travel Initiative which will significantly enhance the passenger experience at Bahrain International Airport. This initiative will offer benefits of self-service check-in to passengers to facilitate the passenger journey.

Hani El-Assaad, SITA president, Middle East, India and Africa said: Kiosks have proven to be an extremely versatile interface for a wide range of airport functions and services. Having worked with airlines, airports and governments around the globe has allowed us to develop kiosk products across all touch points in the airport journey and SITA has already delivered more than 10,000 kiosks to airports and airlines globally.
Olmustur said the carrier is set to achieve US $12.2 billion in overall sales this year  up 16% on last year - on an estimated passenger turnover of 72.4 million and with some 25 new aircraft due to join its fleet.

The CMO said the Middle East and GCC capacity rose as travellers from the region looked at 24 new routes that were added last year to the airlines network of 285 destinations and promised more to come this year.

With growing market presence and phenomenal customer uptake, we plan to increase our capacity this year by offering more flights, destinations and increased frequencies to our growing loyal customer base, he said.

We have witnessed growth in the GCC and the Middle East last year has been very good, as we ramp up utilisation and add new aircraft to our fleet. Our capacity increase in the GCC was mainly driven by growth from Oman and the UAE.

We are excited about our expansion plans as we aim to increase our existing market share of 2 percent in the global aviation industry to 5 percent by 2023, he added.

The 25 new planes the carrier is expected to take delivery of this year include B777-3ERs, A330-300s, A321s, B737-800s and Cargo A330-200Fs which will take its total fleet to 336 aircraft.

Turkish Airlines is also expanding its route network in 2016, starting May, with Atlanta, its ninth US destination, and Bogota and Panama, to further reach into Latin America and to Dubrovnik in Croatia. The airline will also start flying directly to Hanoi in June 2016.

TK now has 482 weekly flights from the Middle East of which 193 are from the GCC.


Le CBD, cette molecule active du cannabis a aujourdhui le vent en poupe. Et cela est en grande partie du au fait quil permet...
Ding Cuimei died on 14 April defending the Beitou church from demolition. The authorities acknowledge they have no legal claim to the land, which belongs to dead womans husband, Rev Li Jiangong. Local Christians demand justice.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  Less than two weeks after a Christian woman died after she was buried alive at a forced church demolition, local authorities ruled that the disputed land where the incident took place belongs to the Beitou Church and its pastor.

Parishioners welcomed the news with both "joy and sorrow" since we had to mourn one of our sisters to have justice.

Ding Cuimei, wife of Rev Li Jiangong (pictured), suffocated to death after she was pushed into a pit and covered with soil. The murder took place on 14 April.

The incident began when the couple tried to stop bulldozers sent by local authorities to demolish the Beitou church in Zhumadian, Henan Province.

A local developer had made an offer to the authorities for the land, but he wanted the site cleared.

When the pastor and his wife stood in front of heavy machinery to prevent them from carrying out their task, a member of the demolition team said, Bury them alive for me. I will be responsible for their lives. Subsequently, a bulldozer shoved Li and Ding into a pit and covered them with soil.

Crying for help, Li was able to dig his way out, but Ding suffocated before she could be rescued.

On 25 April, the authorities issued a report that designates the site for religious use. Although pleased, Rev Li is still upset that the investigation into his wifes murder is slow.

Two demolition team members were arrested after the incident, but they have not been charged yet.
by Paul N. Hung

Tens of thousands of dead fish litter central coast of the country. The government has not yet given an answer to causes, but independent experts blame local steel company. An underwater pipe uncovered, it had polluted the coast for years. Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City: "Let us pray for our brothers and sisters affected by the tragedy."

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - thousands of people have been demonstrating peacefully for days against the government's inefficiency in dealing with the fish deaths that have brought the central provinces of Vietnam to its knees and its inhabitants, who live mostly of marine resources, to the brink of starvation.

In the capital Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and in major cities across the country parades and demonstrations are taking place under the slogans "save our seas, save our children", "we are the next to die for the sea", " government corruption is polluting the sea".



As of April 6 last hundreds of thousands of dead fish have been washed up on the countrys coasts: the cause of the massive fish death is still unknown. The most serious charges, however, have repercussions on a Taiwanese steel company, which is accused of having illegally polluted the inshore marine waters.

The worst damage is concentrated in the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.. For weeks the government has been discussing the possible reasons for the ecological disaster without giving a clear answer. Many independent experts in the field attribute responsibility to Hung Nghiep company, based in Ha Tinh province. The steel group is directed by Taiwanese and Chinese businessmen under the flag of the former Formosa.



According to the local newspaper TuoiTre News, a fisherman of the province Ha Tinh discovered a long underground pipe belonging to the company that pipes pollution into the water 17 meters below sea level. The Hung Nghiep admitted that 12 thousand cubic meters of toxic liquid is dumped every day. Recently, also, the industry has used 300 tons of chemical material to "cool" the ducts of its aquifer system.



Founded in 2012, Hung Nghiep received 2 thousand hectares of coastline and 1200 hectares of marine space to build their own facilities from the Vietnamese Government. For the next 70 years, the company will pay just 4 cents per square meter for rent. Executives have brought in tens of thousands of Chinese workers as cheap labor.



3 thousand families had to evacuate their homes because of air pollution along the coast and damages have involved at least 20 thousand people. For fear of poisoning thousands of fishermen remain ashore and their families are on the brink of starvation. Unofficial estimates say the fishing industry has already lost 5 billion dong (about 200 thousand euro).

On April 30, Msgr. Bui Van oc, archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City and president of the Vietnamese bishops' conference, issued a statement on the ecological disaster: "This situation could be called an 'environmental catastrophe', such as those the Pope speaks of in his encyclical Laudato si.

The prelate called on all citizens to join in prayer for our "brothers and sisters of the central provinces, who face an extreme situation, and participate in Caritas activities to help those affected." Msgr. Bui Van oc asked all demonstrators not to use "excessive actions".
Beirut (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Corruption is a growing phenomenon, with particular incidence in Lebanon, a nation immersed in a serious political crisis, and in Yemen, battered by a bloody conflict with Islamic extremist tendencies. This is shown by a study carried out by experts of Transparency International (TI), released this morning and conducted in nine countries and territories in the Arab region.



The study by the NGO based in Berlin (Germany) shows that 61% of respondents in nine states (Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Lebanon, Algeria, Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Jordan), believes corruption is "on the rise" . However, the data varies - and a lot - from one territory to another.



In fact, 92% of Lebanese, 84% in Yemen and 75% of respondents in Jordan believes that corruption is growing; in contrast, only 28% in Egypt and 26% in Algeria believes that the situation is getting worse. In addition, 77% of Yemenis and 50% of Egyptians have admitted to having paid a bribe to receive a public service, compared with 9% of Tunisian and 4% of Jordanians.



Added to this is the discontent of public opinion against their respective governments, accused of not doing enough in the fight against corruption: here the data is very negative in Yemen (91% of dissatisfaction with the government) and 58% in Egypt.



According to experts of Transparency International 'dissatisfaction with corrupt leaders and regimes" was one of the catalysts "of the desire for change in the region ", in particular it was the engine of the various Arab Springs, although most largely failed. "Five years later  the report reads - the study shows that governments have done little or nothing in the field of anti-corruption laws."



Particular concern emerges for Lebanon, immersed in a serious political crisis, without a president for two years, and laws since 2009. The data emerged in the Land of the Cedars is very similar to those that emerged in Yemen, a nation swept by a bloody civil war.



The only note of hope comes from Tunisia, the only nation where the Arab Spring did not result in chaos or dictatorship. 71% of respondents believe all residents may contribute to the fight against corruption and "ordinary people can make a difference". However, the majority (62%) say that the government's action is unsatisfactory and corruption continues to increase (64%).
Some Christians guarding the village are wounded, and rushed to hospital. Residents had fled in August 2014 when Daesh stormed the region. Lately, the village had been under the control of Peshmerga and Christian volunteers. The Chaldean Patriarchate fears Jihadi attacks will drive out more people.

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  Early this morning, Islamic State (IS) fighters launched a heavy attack against a Christian village near Alqosh, in the plain of Nineveh, causing serious damage.

The village of Teleskuf is north of Mosul, a Jihadi stronghold ever since IS took control of the region two years ago.

In a statement sent to AsiaNews, the Chaldean Patriarchate noted that Christian guards wounded in the assault were rushed to hospital.

Like in other Christian villages in Nineveh Plain, Teleskuf residents fled their village in the summer of 2014 when Daesh (the Arab acronym for IS) swept through the region, and found refuge in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.

In late 2014, the Jihadi group withdrew from the village, which ended up under Kurdish Peshmerga control. More recently, Christian guards were post to watch over the village, some of whom were wounded in todays attack.

We are worried that todays presence of IS in this village and its destruction will disturb people in the nearby villages and force them to leave, a Chaldean Patriarchate source told AsiaNews.

Furthermore, it is unbearable to have displaced families more than we already have. We rely on people of goodwill to stop such acts of terrorism, the source said.

As evinced by todays attack by Caliphate fighters against Christians, the situation in Iraq does not seem to be improving.

As recently as yesterday, Chaldean Patriarch Mar Raphael Louis Sako harshly criticised Iraqs leaders for failing to agree on a plan to rebuild the country.

Previously, the Auxiliary Bishop of Baghdad, Mgr Shlemon Warduni, said that Iraq had reached a low point" in its history.
by Shafique Khokhar

Dewan Bahadur S P Singha is on new 10-rupee stamp. He opted for Pakistan in a critical vote in the Punjab legislature at the time of partition. Christians and Muslims welcome the recognition, a sign that Pakistan is trying to promote interfaith harmony.

Islamabad (AsiaNews)  Pakistan Post issued a commemorative postage stamp honouring Dewan Bahadur S P Singha, a Christian leader who, as a Member of the Punjab Assembly, supported the partition of British India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Christian and Muslim leaders welcomed the initiative, calling it an important step towards recognising the role played by minorities in nation building.

A mock-up of the postage stamp was unveiled last Saturday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the official residence of the President of Pakistan.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain said that dynamic nations always remember those who serve their country. He said Dewan Bahadur had rendered unforgettable services for the establishment of Pakistan for which the nation was thankful to him.

The 10-rupee stamp (US$ 0.10) is the fourth of its kind, and was created to mark the anniversary of independence. The first was released in 1948 with the approval of the founder of the country, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, also known as Quaid-e-Azam, or great leader.

It is very important to acknowledge the contribution made by minorities in the creation of Pakistan, Suneel Malik, director of the Foundation Peace and Human Development, told AsiaNews.

We need to raise awareness about historical facts, because there is a wrong perception among the masses that only Muslims made sacrifices during partition, and that Pakistan came into being in the name of the Islam, which means protecting the interests of Muslims and glorifying only one religion rather than respecting all religions practiced by its citizens.

Shazia George, a Christian feminist and member of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women, praised the decision to recognise a Christian national hero. Issuing a postage stamp is an olive branch at a time when intolerance and extremism are rife in Pakistan, and the Armed Forces are cracking down on elements sowing hatred, prejudice, and terror.

Even for Zakir Shaheen, a secular Muslim human rights activist and regional manager at the South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP-PK), this is great news. At this point in time, I really appreciate the step taken by the government. We must acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices made by minorities in the foundation and progress of Pakistan."

This way, "we can promote religious harmony, tolerance and the spirit of nationalism, as well as promote the vision of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who dreamt of equal rights for all citizens without any discrimination."
by John Ai

A young man, suffering from synovial sarcoma, trusts medical advice found on most popular search engine and dies after spending hundreds of thousands of yuan. His death unleashes public ire against companies that pay to obtain "best result" in the online searches. Hospitals also under fire; now entire departments are outsourced to private health companies.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Chinese regulators have opened an investigation into the national web giant, online search engine Baidu, and the methods by which it offers medical advice to the public. Their inquiry was sparked by the death of Wei Zexi, 21 (see photo), who suffered from a rare synovial sarcoma. This form of cancer is very difficult to cure, and the Xidian University student decided to try an experimental therapy found on Baidu. Despite the more than 200 thousand yuan spent (about 27 thousand euro), he died on 12 April.



The terminal diagnosis was communicated to the young man in 2014. His parents sought desperately for a some sign of hope for their only son, and through an online search discovered that the Hospital of the Armed Forces of the Beijing Contingent was carrying out an experimental therapy for the disease. Wei met with the hospital doctors who assured him: "The latest technologies developed by Stanford University have 90% effectiveness. You can live for another 20 years".



To dispel any remaining doubts, Wei did a further search on Baidu for more information. After reading that the hospital was ranked among the best in the country and that the doctors were even interviewed by state television, he decided to trust them. After a short time, however, the cancer reached his lungs and his general condition worsened: The doctor claimed that it was a "possibility" and asked Wei to continue treatment in that hospital.

Suspicious, the young student contacted the United States and confirmed all doubts: The so-called latest technology was outdated in US. Stanford also told media that they did not cooperate with any hospitals in China.

After Weis death, internet users began to attack Baidu. The web giant eliminated the online advertising and defended itself claiming that the hospital "is a state structure and therefore trustworthy." However, some surveys reveal that the management has outsourced entire departments to the private sector.

It is not the first time the search engine finds itself the source of public ire. In January, its management of health forums, entrusted to private companies who obviously were sponsoring their own care, was criticized. Previously in 2008, Baidu accepted money in exchange for the elimination of negative information on the poisoned milk scandal that affected 300 thousand children across the country, killing at least six.
by Sumon Corraya

The 24th edition of a creative writing workshop ended today, organised by the Bangladesh Catholic Students Movement along with the Bishops Conference. Some 35 students followed courses taught by professionals in literature and publishing. For organisers, these youths will play an important role in the life of the country and the Church.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  The Bangladesh Catholic Students Movement (BCSM) has organised an annual writers workshop for more than 20 years in cooperation with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB).

Some 35 college and university students attended this years edition, the 24th, at the CBCB centre in Dhaka. For five days, from 28 April until today, the budding writers took part in seminars on literature and creative writing.

Dipon Ghorama is one of them. "I learnt how to write more aptly fiction and poetry, he said. I also learnt the history of Bengali fiction and got some writing tips from prominent writers.

The BCSM is a lay group founded in 1991 that promotes faith in tertiary level Bangladeshi students through, among other things, cultural activities.

At the workshop, students took part in classes taught by professional writers and established journalists. They also visited a local newspaper.

A select number of Catholic youths came from around the country, said Br Ripon Gomes, secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Youth. They learnt how to write, and how to develop their passion. The goal is to train more skilled Christian writers so that they can contribute to mainstream media.

The workshop is divided in various courses, including the history of Bengali literature, and the responsibilities of writers and journalists.

I was not a serious writer, said Eshita Maghi, another of the students, but by taking part in the five-day workshop I was encouraged to write more by experienced writers."

More importantly, "I realised that being a Christian writer also involves writing about the values of Jesus and the Gospel. I shall take my cues from the Bible in my writing."

Being a writer carries responsibilities to our society and Church, said BCSM president William Norrek. For this reason, we have to teach what is right from what is wrong in literature.

Since its inception, the BCSM workshop has trained scores of students who later found work in publishing and journalism.

For workshop organisers, the Church wants to see young people educated to be good citizens capable of playing an important role in the life of the country. Only this way can they be free from the slavery of consumerism and materialism.
On April 28th 2015, Dos Caminos restaurant at the Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City is getting ready for Cinco de Mayo. (l-r) The Perfect Margarita, with Petron Silver and housemade Triple Lime mix, and the Mixed Berry Rose, with Petron Silver, muddled blueberry and strawberry, Rose liquer, and housemade Triple Lime mix.
McInnes Wilson is expanding its Queensland and New South Wales footprint, as part of a strategy to combat the threat of insourcing by in-house teams and outsourcing by larger firms.



Chairman Paul Tully said the firm strongly believes that middle-market firms will continue to add value to their clients.



We still believe there is an opportunity for legal businesses to provide legal advice at a good price and for good value in the middle there, he told Australasian Lawyer.



We dont believe that disrupters are going to disrupt our business.



The firm announced yesterday that new offices will open in Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide this month, with a particular focus on government, education and insurance.



The opening of new offices across three capital cities is not only an important step towards achieving a national presence, it also enables the firm to grow its capabilities and provide better value services to meet our clients needs and expectations, Tully said.



A lot of international firms are expanding and coming into the Australian market and for us, we can provide legal services to that market at a better price and for better value.



McInnes Wilson is a Queensland firm, with offices in Brisbane, Maroochydore and the Gold Coast. It first expanded into NSW in 2013, opening up its doors in Sydney and Parramatta.



Expansion means the firm will be able to better utilise its wealth of experience in a broad range of specialised legal services; providing a more comprehensive, accessible and valuable service to its interstate and international clients, Tully said.



While our roots lie in insurance law, McInnes Wilson is a full service firm and the Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne teams will maintain the firms well-known insurance expertise while also focusing on other areas of practice.


A Sydney barrister, who pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice in 2014 after he was investigated by ICAC for judge shopping, has lost his appeal.



He was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison, expiring on June 21, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.



An inquiry by ICAC found that John Peter Hart gave false evidence about his clients addresses to have cases transferred to courts where he regarded the magistrate as more lenient.



What was done was a form of 'judge-shopping' which has the potential ... to completely undermine the efficient, orderly and transparent administration of justice, ICACs 2010 report stated.



He was caught by a recorded phone call telling a client hed have a case transferred to Camden Local Court, Ive obviously got to check that the right blokes at Camden. So leave it with me, he said.



At a hearing in March, Hart asked the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal to reduce his sentence on the basis that ICAC had acted outside its powers in investigating him, pointing to Margaret Cunneens battle with the corruption watchdog, which narrowed the commissions powers.



The Court found that Cunneen could not be investigated by ICAC over allegations she perverted the course of justice because the conduct was not corrupt conduct. Though some examples may have fallen within the definition of corrupt conduct, the NSW Solicitor-General advised that criminal charges should not be laid against her.



Hart argued that as result of the Cunneen decision, the inquiry which lead to the criminal charges against him was illegal, and though he pleaded guilty, there was no lawfully obtained evidence on which to charge him.



There was no impropriety in what led to [Hart's] admissions and pleas, said Justice David Davies.



The court added that the laws passed by the NSW Parliament after the Cunneen decision had validated ICACs past actions.



The result is that anything done by the commission that led to the investigation and the subsequent admissions and plea of guilty by [Hart] is taken to be validly done, the court said.


Former High Court judge Michael Kirby has spoken out about privacy breaches, pushing for laws allowing people to sue for damages for invasions of privacy.



In a speech in Sydney, Kirby said hes been fighting for such laws for 40 years, describing the fact that no adequate laws currently exist in Australia as unacceptable.



The conduct of relentless personal campaigns against individuals is a feature now of much contemporary Australian media, not only in the print media and not only in tabloids, Kirby said, adding that the emergence of social media has made the problem worse.



Media and other publishers become judge and jury of their own abuses. They decide whether any correction or redress for breaches of privacy will be granted. The law is effectively silent for those who want to challenge such self-interested decisions.



A NSW parliamentary committee recently examined the issue and recommended creating new legal action for serious invasion of privacy, according to a report by the ABC.



Kirby criticised the federal Parliament for not acting on recommendations, despite four reports by the Law Reform Commission.



I think our politicians have been bamboozled by the media and maybe even bullied into doing nothing in these cases, he said in an interview with the ABC.



I'm not saying it should be open slather because someone's upset that their privacy has been invaded but I believe most Australians would be offended by instances of serious invasion of privacy, and they would be surprised and shocked that those privacy laws don't exist.



So we need laws, preferably federal laws, but because the federal Parliament has messed around with this for over 40 years, we remain in the position that there really are no adequate laws.



The time has come, I think, for the NSW Parliament to step in and provide protection for its citizens.



Complaints could be heard informally by the privacy commissioner, Kirby said.



It's not expensive to go to the privacy commissioner so presumably most people would opt to go there in the first instance, he said.



It's not that there are going to be thousands of people coming to bring action when they just get offended because it's extremely expensive to mount a legal action in court and people don't have that sort of money.



The ABC reported that the NSW Government will respond to the committees recommendation to bring in privacy laws in September.



This is just about little people who are insulted, humiliated, belittled and have their privacy invaded ... and they have no remedy under the law of Australia, Kirby said.



If the Federal Government won't do it, then it's up to the state governments to look after the citizens of their state.




Australias attorney-general George Brandis made a statement on Friday in response to a 2014 report calling for additional funding to offset cuts in every state and territory in recent years, which have denied people of legal representation.Mr Brandis said: "The Australian government is committed to doing what it can to increase funding levels for legal assistance in a tight fiscal environment.The federal governments position has been criticized by co-chair of the Law Council of Australia s campaign on access to justice, David Neal SC. He told The Age: "Budgets are about priorities, and for this and previous governments, equality before the law has no priority." Lawyers are set to stage rallies across Australia.The partner headcount at Norton Rose Fulbright in Australia has been boosted by 7. The firm has hired Samantha Kelly from DLA Piper where she was a senior insurance partner. She will be based in Sydney and her appointment follows that of former DLA Piper colleague Jacques Jacob in March.NRF has also announced its latest round of promotions with 6 new Aussie partners among the 39 globally. They are: Jeffrey Black (financial restructuring & insolvency), and Meriel Steadman (litigation) in Perth; Ben Davis (litigation) in Melbourne; and Georgina Hey (IP), John Moran (insurance) and Tim Mornane (banking & finance) in Sydney.With the world increasingly tech-driven, two academics from very different disciplines want greater co-operation. Lawyers and engineers should work together say Julio M. Ottino, dean of Americas McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and Daniel B. Rodriguez, dean of the Pritzker School of Law, at Northwestern University.The academics say that innovation in technology is opening up an endless list of legal issues and that as lawyers and engineers meet at university, education is where the stronger bonds should be formed.Writing at chronicle.com they call for an expansion of the burgeoning mixed-learning of lawyers and engineers; ensuring that lawyers understand innovation and engineers understand risk management.The deans conclude that for the innovation ecosystem to thrive the engineering/law divide must be bridged by a more nuanced approach to educating lawyers and engineers.
By Benjamin J. Eggleton, Professor; ARC Laureate Fellow, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Ultrahigh bandwidth Devices for Opt

Shutterstock

Twenty fifteen was UNESCOs International Year of Light and Light based Technologies. It was a celebration of past milestones in optics and photonics and a look forward into its future.

We celebrated 1,000 years of Arabic optics, 150 years since James Maxwells electrodynamics, 100 years since Albert Einsteins general relativity and 50 years since the invention of optical fibres. This year we celebrate 100 year since Claude Shannon, who introduced the theory of information, was born.

Optics began with the development of lenses by the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians, followed by theories on light and vision developed by ancient Greek philosophers.

The basic principles of optics are familiar: we wear glasses that rely on refraction to bend light in ways that magnify and sharpen images, use microscopes to see into microscopic worlds and telescopes to look to the stars.

We are probably less familiar with photonics. Photonics deals with the generation, detection and manipulation of photons, the building blocks of light. The field sprang from the invention of the laser and fibre optics in the 1960s.

Optical fibres are silica glass wires the size of a human hair that transmit vast amounts of laser-generated information, forming the backbone of todays internet.

The smartphone also exemplifies the importance of photonics: we use lasers to machine the casing; optics are used in the lithography that manufactures the microelectronic circuits; and the display and the network that connects the phones are both photonics based.

The next milestone will be when the photonics is integrated into the smartphone itself.

Dawn of nanophotonics

The 21st century will be the century of photonics and nanotechnology  nanophotonics  which deals the study of the behaviour of light on the nanometre scale, and of the interaction of nanometre-scale objects with light.

It is worth noting that the nanoscale is usually cited as 1100 nanometres, so a nanometre is a billionth of a metre. In photonics, we are dealing with light waves that have a wavelength around a micron (one thousand nanometres).

However, these light waves interact at around the nanometre scale. So too are the structures that matter when it comes to manipulating this light.

At the University of Sydney we have been creating a new optical processing technology based on nanophotonics. This research is being undertaken by the CUDOS ARC Centre of Excellence, which is headquartered in the School of Physics and the Sydney Nanoscience Hub at the University of Sydney with nodes at ANU, RMIT University, Macquarie University, Monash University, Swinburne University and UTS.

At CUDOS we want to take the next step in the evolution of this technology. We want to build a truly photonic chip that will essentially put the entire optical network on to a chip the size of your thumbnail.

By doing this, we can leverage the massive semiconductor industry to harness the processing power of light on a length scale that can be mass produced and integrated into smart devices.

Fortunately silicon  which is the basis of microelectronics  is compatible with photonics. Most silicon chips today, such as the one in your computer and smartphone, use electrons to transmit information and perform computations. The trick has been getting these chips to work with light as well as electrons.

We now can build photonic circuits into the same silicon, although we are not talking about replacing the transistors in conventional chips with optical transistors. Photonics complements and interfaces with electronics.









Photonic chips, or photonic integrated circuits (PICs), represent a new paradigm in information processing. Over the past decade, CUDOS and other researchers around the world have created PICs for a range of applications spanning communications, computing, defence and security, medicine and sensing.

In communication systems, photonic chips can increase the capacity of our communications networks. In data centres, they are reducing the energy consumption, which matters because every Google search today consumes the energy required to boil a cup of water.

In defence photonic chips can enhance radar technology that helps protect our assets and personnel. And in health, we can reduce the scale and complexity of medical devices that are used to diagnose disease.

Another benefit is in switching, which is central to all communications networks. At the new Sydney Nanoscience Hub, we are building nanoscale switching technologies that can switch at the speed of light, thousands of times faster than current switching technology.

We are using state of the art lithography, such as the tools in the Nanoscience Hubs clean room, to fabricate nanoscale circuits and structures. Lithography literally means printing, but in this context we are printing circuits on silicon wafers with nanometre scale features.

Bright future

So whats next? We need to transform PICs into active devices that sense and interact, analyse, respond to and manipulate their environment.

We are already building photonic spectroscopy techniques into the same silicon chip that performs electronic processing in your smartphone. This will potentially enable your smartphone to perform tasks such as medical diagnosis, including analysing blood or saliva, or sense pollutants in the environment via spectroscopy technologies.

But photonics is not well suited to some of these tasks.

So we need moving parts that can manipulate the microscopic world; we need mechanical actuation at the nanoscale, and we really would prefer a chip with no moving parts.

Our approach is to use sound waves that can be generated on the chip. These are not the traditional sound waves that we hear or use in ultrasound, but ultrahigh frequency sound waves. We refer to them as phonons, which are particles of sound, just as photons are particles of light.

We are talking about hypersound, phonons with frequencies from 100 megahertz to tens of gigahertz. We are building a completely new chip that incorporates a photonic circuit for these hypersound phonons.

Harnessing hypersound on a chip enables the manipulation of microscale biological and chemical elements, which means we can mix, sort and select and even create a centrifuge on a chip. This is a laboratory-on-a-chip that can be integrated into the smart phone.

This represents a new paradigm for information processing. The speed of sound is about 100,000 times slower than the speed of light. We can couple information from the light wave to hypersound and store information.

The phonon frequencies coincide with the radio frequencies that are important in next generation mobile communications and radar, which allows us to process these microwave waves via the interaction between optical and phonon waves.

Australia has always punched well above its weight in photonics research and commercialisation. We now have the nanoscience and nanotechnology infrastructure and capacity to take the next big step, which is to bring photonics on to the chip where it will transform our lives.

Ben Eggleton receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the NSW Department of Trade and Investment and The US Air Force Office of Research. He is on the Council of the Australian Optical Society and the Board of Governors for IEEE Photonics Society.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Doing trade with Australia is set to become faster and more streamlined with the unveiling of a $70 million programme creating a trusted trader environment.The Australian Trusted Trader (ATT) programme, a partnership between Government and private industry, is aimed at enhancing trade by improving the international competitiveness of Australian businesses.The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton, announced funding of $69.9 million over four years and revealed that the first businesses to enter into an Australian Trusted Trader agreement include IKEA Supply, Pacific Brands Holdings, Techwool Trading and Australia Beenleigh."This is an important investment that will help Australian businesses remain economically competitive on the world stage, while also strengthening international trade and security," Dutton said.He pointed out that the volume of goods crossing into Australia is growing, with an expected increase of 14% in sea cargo and 26% in air cargo between 2014/2015 and 2018/2019."In our globalised world, we need to ensure Australia's border and supply chain management is as efficient as possible to maximise the benefits to business and the economy," he added.The Australian Logistic Council estimates that as much as $1.5 billion can be saved for every 1% increase in efficiency of transport and logistics supply chains. These savings will flow directly and indirectly to industry and the Australian economy.Under ATT, businesses that meet or exceed international supply chain and trade compliance standards will receive priority treatment and other incentives. Benefits include a dedicated account manager, faster cargo clearances at the border, and Mutual Recognition Arrangements with key trading partners."By offering incentives to ATT businesses, a growing proportion of international trade will become secured to an internationally recognised standard. This will allow Australia's border agencies to focus their intelligence and operational capabilities on high risk activities and will help combat transnational crime at our borders," Dutton said."ATT is an example of how the Australian Government is delivering innovation in border management and demonstrates our commitment to developing programmes through partnerships with industry," he added.ATT is being implemented as part of Australia's G20 growth strategy. Australia joins 64 other nations as having Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) initiatives.The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has been working closely with industry throughout the design and development stages of the ATT pilot programme. It will be implemented from 01 July 2016.
I need sources for the job market in Australia any help ?# of people in the age of work .# of unemployed people (All-male-female)Top industries with job openings .. etcHottest and new jobs ..etc
I complained anonymously to DIBP about Moscow embassy regarding refusal of visitor visas when partner visas have been submitted and they confirmed that when partner visas have been submitted and sufficient evidence submitted with it, that this satisfies the intention to return part of the visitor visa application.



However, this isn't happening at Moscow embassy. Now that we have had a clear response from DIBP stating that Moscow embassy should not have refused our and many others' visas for reasons of incentive to return, what should be the next step? Should I respond unanonymously and say well, please personally investigate my situation as it is clear our relationship is genuine so fills that criteria, or have we just been given an irrelevant response?



Also note that they weren't made to respond to this as they did, they already gave the "we have received your complaint and will not respond further unless the secretary deems it appropriate to do so" or something similar so it was completely their choice to elaborate on the entire thing, so it might be worth it to take it further?



This was the response:



Regarding your concerns around case officers at the Embassy in Moscow, the First Secretary has reviewed your comments and can advise that, in all cases, post undertakes initial assessments of partner applications where there have been accompanying visitor visas lodged. If there is sufficient evidence on file that the parties appear to be in an ongoing and genuine relationship, the embassy would consider that an incentive to return has generally been met. The First Secretary has confirmed that this occurs regularly.







In cases where applicants do not have sufficient evidence that they are in an ongoing and continuous relationships to the exclusion of all others at the time of the visitor visa lodgement, applicants must evidence that they have strong incentives to return to their home country in their own right, that is, independent of any relationship that they may claim to have with an Australian partner.







If applicants cannot satisfy a decision maker that they have strong incentives to return in their own right, applicants will most likely be refused.
Carmakers start the new fiscal year on a positive note, with most posting a double-digit growth in sales over last year.

Most automakers in India registered a growth in passenger vehicle sales in April 2016 as consumer demand remained upbeat despite a rise in prices. Last month, companies passed on the additional burden of infrastructure cess to car buyers almost instantly, following an announcement made in Budget 2016-17.

At the top, the trio of Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Mahindra saw a rise in dispatches as they registered double-digit growth. Renault Indias volumes continued to see a spectacular gain and Ford, too, saw an expansion in volumes.

Toyota and Honda, however, saw its sales volumes slackening in April. The Supreme Courts decision to extend the ban on registration of vehicles above 2,000 cc in Delhi-NCR weighed on Toyota's volumes, whereas Honda grappled with the shift in consumer preference  from diesel to petrol.

Gainers

At Maruti, passenger vehicle volumes grew 16 percent year-on-year to 1,17,045 units during the month, up from 1,00,709 units last year, on the back of expansion in volumes of cars like the Dzire Tour, Baleno and the Ciaz. Sales of the entry-level duo, the Alto and Wagon R, however, declined 10 percent to 31,906 units.

Hyundai Motor India registered sales of 42,351 units in April 2016, up 10 percent, on the back of the continuing upbeat demand for the Creta, i20 and the Grand i10.

Mahindra & Mahindra saw growth of 16 percent in its passenger vehicles sales to 22,655 units, aided by the new launches, such as the KUV100, TUV100 and the NuvoSport. With respect to the ongoing diesel ban in Delhi, Pravin Shah, President & Chief Executive (Automotive), said, We do hope that the Supreme Court, while taking a decision on diesel vehicles ban in NCR region on May 9, will take cognizance of all the facts including the role that the automotive industry plays in the countrys industrial growth.

French carmaker Renaults Indian subsidiary saw volumes rising significantly, driven by its entry into the hatchback segment and the astounding response for the Kwid. Renault India registered sales of 12,426 units in April 2016, up from 4,001 units last year.

For home-grown carmaker Tata Motors, the fiscal year started on a buoyant note as its passenger vehicles segment witnessed a growth in sales (11,161 units, up 7.9 percent on-year), after many months of decline. Tata Motors is banking on the recently launched Tiago to drive sales in the segment. Ford Indias domestic sales grew to 6,531 units (up 32 percent year-on-year) in April.

April 2016 passenger vehicle sales - Gainers Carmaker April '16 April '15 Sales Growth Percentage Growth Maruti 1,17,045 1,00,709 16,334 16.22 Hyundai 42,351 38,601 3,750 9.71 Mahindra 22,655 19,464 3,191 16.39 Renault 12,426 4,001 8,425 210.57 Tata Motors 11,161 10,341 820 7.93 Ford 6,531 4,931 1,600 32.45

Losers

Passenger vehicle sales at Toyota remained under pressure due to the ongoing ban in its key market of Delhi-NCR. Commenting on the performance, N. Raja, Director & Sr. Vice President, Sales & Marketing - Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, "We are hopeful that the court in the next hearing on May 9, 2016 will lift the ban on registration of diesel vehicles, which is impacting only our sales efforts." Toyota has just launched the new Innova Crysta, a successor to its hugely popular Innova MPV, and is hopeful of seeing a growth in sales.

Hondas domestic sales in April fell to 10,486 units, down 17 percent as against the 12,636 units of last year. The shift in consumer preferences from diesel to petrol due to the diesel uncertainty has impacted sales as there is a mismatch in demand and availability of required variants, according to Jnaneswar Sen, senior vice president of Marketing & Sales at Honda Cars India. Sales of the Jazz dipped considerably to 869 units in April, from an average of around 4,300 units since its launch.
Perhaps such a driving aid would've prevented the 650S Spider in the image above from being crashed right after its owner grabbed the keys.While the first day of ownership is usually the most dangerous for fresh supercar and hypercar owners, the man who had ordered this 650S didn't want to wait, so he completed the crash chores within 10 minutes of the delivery moment.As The Telegraph writes, the British McLaren owner, who lives in Essex, celebrated the arrival of the supercar with a bottle of champagne. Alas, the joy didn't last too much, as the driver got behind the wheel and quickly managed to plow into a tree.The nose-first adventure took quite a toll on the Mac, as you can see in the image above. Nevertheless, judging by the details visible here, we expect this 650S Spider to return to the road after the mandatory servicing attention.It's amusing how supercar builders strive to keep the engine in the middle for the perfect handling balance, but this feature ends up sparing the powerplant from being blown to pieces by inexperienced users who get more intimate with the gas pedal than they should.Oh well, there are plenty of driving games involving the McLaren 650S, so let's hope this guy works on his skills in the virtual world before hurting his British supercar again.Come to think of it, he might just be one of the fastest supercar crashers out there, but it's difficult to keep track of all the ridiculous high-octane accidents , so we can't talk about a record here.
The bike in question is a 750cc Brough Superior BS4, a most spectacular vintage machine that has two wheels in the rear and was owned by Hubert Cantrey, one of George Brough's friends.Auction house Bonhams expected the BS4 to sell for anything between 110,000 and 165,000 ($121,000-182,000), but their wildest expectations were completely wrong, and in a good way. The four-cylinder 1938 Brough Superior BS4 was sold to a German bidder for 331,900, which, by Google's exchange rates, translates to 422,495 or $488,810.The "Broughs of Bodmin Moor" collection was sold in its entirety, with the eight machines fetching more than double of what Bonhams estimated. The auction house hoped to get 340,000 ($500,740 or 432,810) for these bikes, but the final sum was as high as 752,625 ($1.108 mil or 958,065).Included were seven more Brough Superior motorcycles, all discovered last December in barns around Bodmin Moor. The very existence of these motorcycles was a questionable subject, as they had been lost for around half a century. Also in the lot, the Bonhams auction has a 1938 982cc Brough Superior SS100 and one manufactured even earlier, in 1926.The Broughs of Bodmin Moor are regarded as "the motorcycle discovery of the decade" by Ben Walker, International Director for Bonhams Collectors' Motorcycle Department.There is no information as to whether the buyer intends to restore these bikes to a form that's as close to the original one or has plans only to put them into conservation. Some of these machines are in an advanced state of decay, and maybe restoration would yield better chances for them to celebrate their 100th anniversary. Either way, it appears that their resell value just won't go down.
According to Mexicos environmental prosecutor Profepa, Fords 4,690 vehicles related to the penalty were missing the required certificates for gas emissions and noise levels.For the moment, it is unclear why Ford has ended up in this situation, as automakers usually have teams of people who are taking care of paperwork of this kind for every model they sell in every country. Automotive News reached out to Fords spokesperson in Mexico, but the official did not have any immediate comment on the matter. We expect Ford to publish a press release explaining the situation.Until then, it is clear that this situation is just a mistake, judging by the rather small number of vehicles involved. Looking at the quantum of the fine, we do not see Ford in any jeopardy from a financial point of view either.Most likely, the Ford vehicles that led to the penalty did not obtain the certifications on time. If this is the case, Ford Motor Company will have to overhaul their procedures to ensure this human error is not repeated in any other country, as a million-dollar fine is something any company wants to avoid.Profepa is in charge of enforcing environmental laws in Mexico, and the name stands for Procuraduria Federal para la Proteccion del Ambiente. The organization also oversees the federal voluntarily environmental audit program, in addition to performing inspection visits and prosecuting environmental non-compliance.Unlike Volkswagens Dieselgate situation, Fords vehicles were fully compliant with Mexicos legislation. However, the penalty was issued because the Blue Ovals Mexican division did not file the required papers for environmental certifications on time for the affected vehicles.The customers who purchased the 4,690 Ford products do not have anything to worry about, as the company will not have to make a recall action of any kind. Most likely, the entire situation will be resolved shortly between Ford and local authorities.
However, we got to see a patent rendering of the Bulldog showing a bike that looks ready to hit the market. We cannot help thinking about Honda's recent takes on the utility vehicle design and how it was mixed with a dash of adventure, and the Bulldog concept is entirely coherent with the likes of the City ADV scooter or the incredibly affordable Navi The Bulldog is more about function and less about form, with Honda not making a secret that they are envisaging a model whose functionality extends beyond the point where almost any bike would get.Compact and unassuming, the Bulldog's tank is flanked by plastic covers that serve as panniers, making this model a very interesting option for commuters, too.Not an adventure wannabe, the Bulldog comes with cast wheels (seemingly 17" units), yet they are shod with knobby tires that can easily take on hard-packed and gravel roads, and even moddy trails. The high front fender is yet another indication that Honda expects the Bulldog to tackle rough terrain, too.Cue crash bars, headlight protection in the form of a cage whose upper part also serves as a mini luggage rack, and tall handlebars that make steering easy even when the going gets tough.While Honda is dead-silent as to when and where the Bulldog will arrive, we can guess that the Japanese OEM will want this bike in the western and North-American markets as well.The initial Bulldog was intended for Honda's domestic market and built on the CB400F platform, so maybe dreaming about seeing a CB500F spin-off in Europe and America is not THAT far-fetched. It would also comply with A2 license limitations in the EU, while still being highway-worthy and plenty of fun for more experienced or returning riders.Not sure if there's such a thing as a "farming bike," but the Honda Bulldog might definitely be one of the machines in the niche. If the price is right, the Honda Bulldog could be a very nice do-it-all bike for both tarmac and mud, and for almost everyone.
Before we move any further, though, we have to explain this Rennsport Neunelfer isn't actually Tiffany Blue, but a Paint To Sample hue that seems to match the famous color perfectly.The Black elements of the car, most of which have to do with the aero package that makes the GT3 RS such an attention magnet, create a strong contrast with the hue mentioned above, turning this track-savvy Zuffenhausen machine into even more of an attention magnet.The images in the gallery below, which come from US-based Porsche aftermarket specialist BBi Autosport, show the machine at the 15th Annual California Festival of Speed, which took place back in April.As you'll be able to notice on the license plate, this GT3 RS comes from Walter's Porsche, a Riverside, CA dealer that was happy to showcase its pride and joy at the velocity-dedicated event. Speaking of which, we can only imagine the mixed feelings the salesman who helped this car come to life must experience during the customer delivery process.Since comparing the 911 GT3 RS to the Ferrari 458 Speciale is inevitable, despite the Prancing Horse having retired, we'll remind you the world has already welcomed a Tiffany Blue Speciale.In fact, the Maranello Machine uses the actual color mentioned here, while also featuring this on its wheels. We talked about the Italian temptress last fall and, in case you missed it, you can find it here Returning to the GT3 RS we have here, only children believe these huge-winged Porsches sell for their MSRP. In fact, Paint To Sample units such as this one could end up getting close to $400,000 , so perhaps that sales guy won't miss the machine that much.
While the former was already known through spyshots, the latter was confirmed by Klaus Zellmer, Porsche Cars North America CEO.Nonetheless, it is important to note that Porsche will not launch the Shooting Brake version of the Panamera in the USA at the same time as the rest of the world.Instead, as Porsche USAs chief suggested, the German brand will wait a while until it launches the new body style of the second-generation Panamera. Most likely, the new Panamera Wagon or Shooting Brake will come to North America in 2018.Klaus Zellmer stated that the brand is confident about the way this car will be received in the USA, in spite of the fact that hatchbacks or wagons are not that popular in the country. The Porsche official revealed the information regarding the Panamera Shooting Brake in an interview with Automotive News The Panamera will receive a second generation at this years Paris Motor Show. The first body style will come to market in 2017, and the wagon will follow it in the same year. However, US customers will first be able to buy the Panamera sedan, while those interested in the Shooting Brake will have to wait some time.With the addition of a second body style in the Panamera range, Porsche will enhance sales and earnings without the dilution of the brand. Moreover, the company will have the chance to answer older customer requests. The Shooting Brake version of the Panamera will bring enhanced luggage room and improved head space for the rear passengers.The second-generation Porsche Panamera is built on the MSB platform. It will share its technical architecture with the future Bentley range and will feature reduced weight and enhanced fuel economy. Furthermore, Porsche has improved the Panameras concept so that the vehicle will be ready for electrified powertrains. One should not exclude the possibility of Porsche building a full-electric Panamera.
These war machines exert an unexplainable attraction force over most of us that is stronger than our brain's ability to reason. It could be that fighting is so deeply entrenched in our subconscious that we can't seem to do anything about it. At least not without consuming a great deal of energy and considerable amounts of willpower.That's why we know way too many names of military vehicles and equipment, things we've never touched or even seen in real life. Knowing these things doesn't benefit us in any way, and yet our brain chooses to remember the name of an attack helicopter instead of our wedding anniversary. Whoa, speaking of fighting, there's one good reason right there to go to war.The U.S. military has plenty of nice gadgets to play with, and thanks to Hollywood and the video games industry, we're pretty familiar with most of them. Still, even though their general dimensions are one of the few things made public, we've never been able to realize just how they stack up one next to the other. This animated video uses 3D renderings to do just that, starting with a .45 caliber bullet and ending with a Gerald R. Ford-Class aircraft carrier.There are a few surprises to be had here, one being the CH-47 Chinook, which is just humongous, or the Ohio-Class submarine that measures 170 meters (558 feet) in length. The author of this video - Alvaro Gracia Montoya - very cleverly placed an M1 Abrams right next to it, so that we can get a better look. It only takes two minutes, and if you're a warfare equipment fan, it might help put some things more accurately into perspective.
A co-worker was planning his vacation to Mexico and told me he was seeing car rental rates as low as $3 a day. Whats the deal? he asked me. That cant be right. His Spidey sense was tingling, and for good reason. No car rental company makes money at that price.



Put on your body armor, I told him, explaining that theyll make it up at the rental counter with various forms of insurance-type coverages. Ive seen it myself, actually  a tourist at a rental counter in Mexico getting hammered to buy the full package. After a 10-minute argument, he took the package. But he was not happy.



These coverages have real value to travelers, but when they are used as the car rental companys main revenue source  and pushed on a customer like a Hulk Hogan body slam  who wouldnt become downright distrustful of the whole process?



This low-rate problem seems to be focused on a few summer holiday leisure destinations with demand peaks and valleys. Forget $3 a day. In these markets, rates of $3 a week are common during off-peak times. Its not endemic to the industry, but tell that to the people reading the article Holiday Car Hire: 10 Ways to Avoid Being Ripped Off online. Its easy for ethical operators to be wallpapered over with the same brush.



To say this has to stop is a bit naive to the realities of the situation, but it does have to stop. Of course, there are no easy solutions.



Leisure travelers are price sensitive, to be sure. The percentage of repeat customers in leisure destinations is lower than those with more business rentals or a local customer base, so in theory that guy that got hammered wouldnt be back to the same rental desk anytime soon. But who wants to run a car rental company that way?



How do you get one company to publish a reasonable rate when others above and below it on the search-result matrix are luring customers with $3 a week? One way is to show the correlation between price and customer service, which actually matters in the so-called commoditized world of car rental.



Brokers such as Auto Europe and CarTrawler have implemented ratings systems; they publish customer reviews and showcase them when displaying rates. Some online travel agencies (OTAs) are about to follow. Yet most meta-search channels, at least in Europe, dont yet differentiate based on quality.



This almost forces the supplier to give an unrealistic lead price, said Bobby Healy, chief technology officer for CarTrawler, during the keynote panel at the 2016 International Car Rental Show (ICRS).



The $3 car will sell to a certain market segment that will never understand the relationship between price and quality, said Healy. But the other 60% or 70% will absolutely walk out the door if they see a low-quality score. No amount of low pricing fixes a bad rating.



In CarTrawlers system, 62% of the cars rented are not from the cheapest supplier within the category. CarTrawlers market is 85% leisure, invalidating the theory that the leisure customer always leads on price.



Imad Khalidi, CEO and president of Auto Europe and co-panelist at ICRS, concurs: A higher rating on his site has a direct correlation to a higher price.



More technology is needed. Healy put forth the idea that revenue management systems need to evolve to measure the effect of a rating or review on price elasticity.



More education is needed. The Brazilian car rental association (ABLA) recently convened seminars in 27 Brazilian states to demonstrate proper expense-to-revenue ratios and how drastically low rates become unsustainable for profitability.



More transparency is needed. Perhaps the OTAs and brokers would be better served by publishing ancillary fee pricing online for each company? Could local car rental associations or groups come up with a set of customer service standards that include greater transparency on rates and fees?



Better customer education is needed. Southwest Airlines is using transparency as a competitive edge in a marketing campaign called Transfarency, which touts a lack of extra fees. Could a car rental company take the lead with a similar campaign?



The free market doesnt seem to be correcting this issue by itself, therefore it is unlikely to in the near future. So its up to the folks who deliver the rates and the car rental companies themselves to be proactive. But whats pushing them? For the brokers, theyd benefit from a fee increase with a higher base rate. For car rental companies, there is the potential to be kicked off an OTA or broker site. And there is always the specter of regulation.



But those threats may not be enough. The consumer may just choose an alternative form of transportation. And at that point, its too late.

Originally posted on Business Fleet
Avis Budget Group Inc. has been selected as one of "America's Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities for 2016."

Presented by DiversityBusiness.com, a multicultural business-to-business online website, the "Div50" is comprised of organizations that have provided opportunities to women- and minority-owned businesses.

Avis Budget Group is the only car rental company on the annual ranking, and 2016 marks the sixth year that Avis Budget has earned a spot on this list, according to the company. Other companies recognized include Apple, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

"Our procurement process benefits greatly from engaging and supporting a wide range of suppliers," said Larry D. De Shon, CEO of Avis Budget Group. "We're honored to be recognized as a leader for our long-standing commitment to providing opportunities to diverse business owners."

This year's Div50 was based on a survey of more than 1.5 million diverse business owners. Responses were based on factors such as volume, consistency, and quality business opportunities granted to women- and minority-owned companies.
Gregory Duconge is Vulog's new CEO. Photo courtesy of Vulog.

Vulog, a provider of carsharing technology, has named Gregory Duconge as its new CEO. Vulog offers in-car technology, a software platform, and mobile applications.

Following an 8.4 million euros ($9.55 million) growth financing in 2015 from Ecotechnologies Fund (managed by Bpifrance) and London-based Environmental Technologies Fund, Duconge will be responsible for leading the company into the next stage of its growth, according to Vulog.

I am very happy to welcome Gregory as the new CEO of VULOG, said Georges Gallais, Vulogs co-founder and director of innovation. He is bringing fantastic experience from the tech industry as well as knowledge of the global market.

Duconge previously served as chief financial officer for the Powertrain Systems Business Group at Valeo, an automotive supplier. Between 2009 and 2013, he served as chief operating officer of Miyowa, a mobile networking and messaging software business that was sold to a large American technology company in 2012.

Vulog is a recognized technology leader in the rapidly-growing carsharing industry, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to join the company as CEO at such a pivotal moment, Duconge said. I am excited to work alongside Georges and the team at VULOG, establishing VULOG as a key player in new generation carsharing worldwide.
The recent Auto China Motor Show brings the best and worst cars on the market for a showdown. It has been noted that Audi TT RS is bringing the frontline against Porsche. As the mark begins, anticipation on which car to win and which car will fall arise.

A report from The Star says China's market is one of the largest in the world. The Auto China Motor Show is one of the means to showcase car segments that aims at dominating the road and the sales. Although there are modifications to meet the criteria for the Chinese market, buyers are still looking for the main elements such as brute force, strength, reliability, formidability, comfort and horsepower.

Along that line, during the event, three major debuts were witnessed. One came from Audi as it unveiled its latest salvo, which is the 400 hp TT RS. The segment is formed to take an aim against segments created by Porsche.

The 400 hp TT RS features five-cylinder and it can also attain 60 hp boosts and has 354 lbs.-ft. of torque. Moreover, the TT RS is set to hit Europe's shores during the fall season. Also, much to the dismay of the buyers from Canada, TT RS is slated for release in that region by 2017.

It is indispensable that both Audi's 400 hp TT RS and Porsche's 718 Cayman, which is the hardtop version of the four-cylinder Boxster showcased brute horsepower and strength. On a different note, Porsche 718 Boxster may lose the dominance and the battle against Audi's 400 hp TT RS. Mirror reports Porsche 718 Boxster is letting some of its cylinders go and with that in mind, it might lose the race against 400 hp TT RS.

Although it remains uncertain on which car will dominate the world of business and trade, what is certain is that Audi TT RS has waged war against Porsche and it remains tentative on which car will win and which car is the best bet of all.
At the recently concluded Automotive Innovation Awards, three automakers went head to head in competing for the event's major awards. Audi came out on top as the night's best in those categories.

TopSpeed reported on German brand Audi's win as the "Most Innovative Premium Brand" of the year, and two other awards, "Vehicle Concepts/Body", and "Connected Car". Also, Audi beat out Mercedes-Benz for the Innovative award, followed by BMW. The Audi Q7, however, finished third in the "Innovation Strongest Model" division.

The awards were highly regarded as a moment of praise and motivation, especially for Audi, according to Dr. Stefan Kirsch. Kirsch, a key member of the AUDI AG Technical Development Management Board, had been the Audi powertrain head since 2013 and has continued Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg's work after the latter resigned following the Dieselgate scandal, as per the news agency.

Kirsch also highlighted the company's strong efforts in being an innovation driver in different driver systems, for both classic and the alternative, in a Volkswagen AG news release. He added that the company continues to uphold its ideals of Vorsprung durch Technik' (Progress through Technology), with its driver assistance systems, piloted driving, connectivity, and lightweight construction as well production processes.

The Automotive Innovations Awards was held in Frankfurt am Main and was concluded on Wednesday evening. This year, the event was presented by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG and The Center of Automotive Management for the 5th time running, as per the publication.

On the other hand, major rival Tesla fell short and got second place in the "Connected Car" class, whereas Mercedes-Benz finished last in the "Vehicle Concept/Body" category after Tesla, according to Auto Motorsport News. An impressive finish for Au, although its awards come in second to fellow German automaker Volkswagen. The VW Group proudly claimed 4 awards during the said event.
It appears that GM has outsmarted Tesla's plan for direct selling in Connecticut. The thwarted plan has been in motion for two years but the bill never got past the Senate's table.

Electrik reports that Tesla has been trying to lobby the bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk in Connecticut. If the bill is passed, it would then grant direct access and allow the sale of electric vehicles right into the consumers' hand without linking with franchise dealerships in the region.

It has been expected that the bill would be passed since it was entering the consideration stage and awaiting a vote in the state Senate but it appears that the remarkable lobbying campaign spearheaded by GM and the local dealership association has thwarted Tesla's plans.

Moreover, it is undeniable that Tesla is bombarded by all kinds of issues and challenges and is entrenched in varying melee regarding segment models and sales to consumers.

It stands to reason that Tesla is not to keen in third-party dealership and although it is not uncommon in some regions, for Tesla, the carmaker is not allowed or is under boundaries in terms of selling its segments in areas such as Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan, Utah, Texas, and West Virginia.

On a different note, a separate post from Telegraph revealed the potential of Tesla and its segments into the world. It is irrefutable that Tesla's technology is not in this time and that it has the power to shape travel and trade. Although it is a day of reckoning for Tesla and for its technology, the underlying issue of making money for investors rises on the horizon.

To prove the latter, the issue that has been raised against them and the revolution that GM has imparted by lobbying to prevent Tesla's direct selling goal is one of the hurdles that investors are looking into.

As GM successfully thwarted Tesla's plan for direct selling, it remains uncertain on how Tesla would conquer Connecticut market and would it continue to lobby for the approval of its plan.
Completing Leg 10 of its round-the-world flight, Solar Impulse 2 landed in Phoenix, Arizona, about 9 p.m. local time on Monday. Pilot Andre Borschberg launched from the airplanes first U.S. stop, in Mountain View, California, about 5 a.m. local time on Monday, and flew for nearly 16 hours, crossing 720 miles. Strong tailwinds helped boost the airplanes groundspeed for the leg to 115 mph. Borschberg flew close to Elon Musks SpaceX headquarters and above the Mojave Desert, where many American heroes pushed the limits of aviation, according to the Solar Impulse website. Individuals including Burt Rutan, Charles Yeager, Paul MacCready, and Richard Branson have all inspired Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg to build a solar-powered aircraft.

The next goal for the airplane is to get to New York as quickly as possible, according to the teams website, in order to allow us enough time to find a good weather window to cross the Atlantic Ocean. How long they will stay in Phoenix is still unknown, and the next date of departure and destination depends on the weather forecast. Two interim stops in the central U.S. are expected before New York, but the team has not said where they might land. Piccard recently flew the airplane to California, after it laid over for nine months in Hawaii, where the battery system got an upgrade. The team ultimately will reach Abu Dhabi, where the expedition launched last year. Solar Impulse 2 has 17,000 solar cells to power its four motors and to recharge lithium batteries for use at night.
3 May 2016 10:47 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

Moscow and Washington stressed a need to continue efforts to restore calm between the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The issue was mulled during a telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Spokesman of the U.S. State Department John Kirby said during a briefing.

"They also spoke about Nagorno-Karabakh and the conflict there and the need to continue trying to restore a better sense of calm between the sides," he said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

The OSCE Minsk Group, representing the U.S., Russia and France, acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles.

The Minsk Group could not arrange for a meaningful pathway forward to end the conflict and start moving toward the end of the occupation. The very attitude ruined confidence in success of the mediators.

The co-chairs together with the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, traveled to the regions shortly after the April hostilities provoked by the Armenian side.

Following the talks with Azerbaijans officials, the co-chairs noted that the negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh problem should become intensive and decisive step should be taken towards a peaceful settlement. Baku once again showed its commitment to the negotiation process.

However, Armenian President recently openly voiced his disregard to holding negotiations thus demonstrating his unwillingness to return back to the negotiating table.

---

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3 May 2016 15:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Moldova's former ombudsman believes that Azerbaijan should demand persistently the international community to take definite measures with regard to Armenia, which has occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory.

Aurelia Grigoriu, Chairman of the Moldavian Public Chamber, made the statement after visiting the frontline of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops on May 2. Her visit coincided to the recent violation of armistice breach by Armenia on the contact line of troops on April 27-28, killing 2 civilians and injuring 7 others.

The impressions after visiting the frontline are very hard and complicated, as we saw the damage, committed by Armenian attacks to Azerbaijani civilians  not only material damage, but also physical, she said.

Armenian army shelled the Azerbaijani districts from large-caliber weapons and artillery damaging 256 houses, four schools, two medical places, one kindergarten only in Terter district. They fully destroyed 32 houses here.

Some people were hospitalized with wounds and contusions. This fact, of course, makes a very bad impression," Grigoriu noted, adding that people are deprived of secure life on the frontal zone.

Despite an agreement to follow the armistice reached in 1994 Armenia continues to breach ceasefire and targets Azerbaijani civilians in contravention of international documents, in particular the Geneva Conventions.

"It is clear that these attacks target to scare the local people and make them leave their native lands. However, people stay very firm and nobody is going to leave. Only women and children were evacuated, but men stated that they will not leave their lands, Grigoriu said.

She believes that Azerbaijan must use all levers of pressure not only to convey Azerbaijani realities to the world, but also to achieve the justice to be restored.

Until today, the international community has not taken any measures against Armenia. We see that they are allowed to hang the so-called flag of occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, allowed to present information about Nagorno-Karabakh as a tourism place. All this should be initially suppressed, Grigoriu noted.

The measures are provided by international law but not all of them are used, she believes. They could be economical or political impacts, blockade, as well as boycotting of the aggressor country's government. All these methods have not been used yet. "The measures can be assumed by UN, United Nations Security Council, European organizations and institutions," she stressed.

Armenia fought a lengthy war with Azerbaijan in 1990s, subjecting over one million of people to the ethnic cleansing. Armenia continues its aggressive policy ignoring the international calls to withdraw from the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries, while frequent provocations amid a fragile truce results in human causalities.

---

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3 May 2016 17:39 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

Yerevan could surprise not only regional countries, but other nations familiar with the region with statement on holding nuclear weapons.

"Armenia has a nuclear weapon," said at a briefing Ex-Prime Minister of Armenia Grant Bagratyan. Being asked to explain the confused journalists, Bagratyan said that he would not explain anything. "We have the ability to create nuclear weapons," he said, adding: "We have nuclear weapons."

For country where aggression and deception is the ordinary phenomenon, twaddle should be a no-brainer. As long as the government and political elite in Yerevan continues to deceive its people and even the international community, the future of this nation will be under threat.

The question is not whether, but how much, such lies can be told.

The statement by Bagratyan, who stated the need for the use of nuclear weapons against Azerbaijan, shows how much the political elite of this country failed to accept the result of its frontline provocations and Azerbaijans repulse attacks.

Earlier, speaking in Parliament, Bagratyan called for use of a nuclear weapon, considering it the only way to prevent Azerbaijan and Turkey, to secure Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh from the aggression of the two neighbors.

This is not the first such statement by Armenia. Yerevan has repeatedly spoken about "revenge weapons" and weapons, "which Baku cannot even dream". But announcement about a nuclear weapon is more serious.

Of course, Armenia has neither nuclear bomb nor the possibility of uranium enrichment. The only thing it has is an outdated nuclear power plant, which truly represents a great danger to the region.

Experts believe that by such statements Yerevan tries to calm down Armenians after the failure on the frontline and its losses.

To restore the image of its army, the Armenian leadership has earlier reshuffled the Defense Ministry and dismissed a number of generals, blaming them for the failure. The recent development revealed the poor state of the Armenian army, which cannot even ensure its soldiers with descent food and such simple items as raincoat.

A number of social projects were recently launched in Armenia to provide the soldiers fighting in the occupied territories with the essentials, while the governments ministers were buying luxury cars and houses.

The Armenian provocation at the front, which has become almost a test fight for the Armenian army, showed that the strong Armenian army exists only on paper and dreams of its leadership. The Armenian soldiers not only lack "Iskander" and nuclear warheads, but also basic items of equipment.

But most importantly, what the aggressor country lacks is the strength of spirit and motivation, which cannot be bought. Armenian soldiers do not want to die for the occupied lands, for the dreams and egos of the Sargsyan regime. That is the reason why the number of deserters, runaways and suicides in the Armenian army increases day-by-day.

In fact the failure of the Armenian army stands in core of the state policy of Armenia, its aggression against the neighbor country and its belief in impunity for its crimes against the people of Azerbaijan.

--

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3 May 2016 11:00 (UTC+04:00)

The situation on the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces is very complicated, and this is a great human tragedy, Arye Gut, Israeli expert on international relations and specialist on the South Caucasus, told Trend on May 2.

Gut, who is also a doctoral candidate at the Haifa University, visited the frontline area to review the consequences of the damage caused to civilian population as a result of the intensive shelling of settlements by the Armenian armed forces.

The expert stressed that the people living in the frontline area are virtually deprived of a normal life.

"The residents of the frontline villages can not live a normal life and bring up their children," the expert said. "These people are constantly subjected to rocket and artillery attacks."

"As an Israeli, I understand these people," he added. "We experience this situation every day and know firsthand about rocket and artillery shelling. Of course, the situation should be changed."

The expert stressed that Azerbaijan side is right when it says that the status quo can not be kept.

"Today, Azerbaijan has a high geopolitical heft in the region, as well as one of the most powerful armies in the South Caucasus," said the expert. "I think if a peaceful solution is not achieved, Azerbaijan will be fully entitled to resolve the issue on its own according to the rules of international law."

The expert regretted that the international community demonstrates a policy of double standards towards Azerbaijan.

"When the matter rests in Ukraine, the international community immediately begins talking about respect for human rights and the territorial integrity of the country," he added. "When the matter rests in Azerbaijan, everybody is trying to keep quiet about it, these are double standards."

Gut also said that Azerbaijan, having a powerful army and more technological support from Israel, must act in the direction of resolving the conflict.

"If the Armenian side is not ready to resolve the conflict peacefully, Azerbaijan has all the opportunities, as well as geopolitical, military and economic means, to force Armenia to make peace," he added.

Starting from April 27 evening until 04:00 (GMT + 4) April 28, the Armenian armed forces were firing at the Azerbaijani settlements and the Azerbaijani army positions in the Terter and Aghdam districts of Azerbaijan.

Two people were killed and many more wounded as a result of the Aghdam shelling. At least 84 houses in the district were heavily damaged, while some of them completely destroyed.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

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3 May 2016 12:51 (UTC+04:00)

By Gulgiz Dadashova

President Ilham Aliyev has visited residents of the Azerbaijani regions injured and suffered as a result of the Armenian attacks on the frontline zones.

Despite an agreement to follow the ceasefire agreement reached in 1994 Armenia continues to breach truce and targets Azerbaijani civilians in contravention of international document, in particular the Geneva Conventions.

President Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva visited Tartar, Barda and Aghdam regions, which are located on the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces, on May 1.

The head of state first visited a military unit in Tartar, where Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov informed Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev about the current situation on the front line.

The president visited the headquarters, canteen and barracks of the military unit. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief met with servicemen, and gave presents to those of them who displayed valor while repulsing Armenian armed forces` provocation on the line of contact.

Then, President Aliyev and his spouse visited the city of Tartar, Gapanli village, located in 200 meters of the line of contact, as well as Mahrizli village in Aghdam region, which were damaged as a result of Armenian army`s shelling from large-caliber weapons and artillery on the night of April 27 to 28.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief viewed the destroyed houses, and talked to local residents. The head of state gave instructions to restore the houses as soon as possible.

Later, the presidential couple visited Barda Treatment and Diagnostics Center to see civilians, who were wounded as a result of Armenian armed forces` shelling.

The visit came as Armenian authorities refused to continue peace talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh and violated ceasefire killing two and injuring 7 Azerbaijani civilians on April 28.

President Aliyev, addressing the meeting with the personnel of a military unit in Terter, stressed that when the international pressure on Armenia over the conflict increases, it even more violates the ceasefire and stages armed provocations.

"The international community has already been fully informed about the conflict. Over these years, we managed to prove to the whole world that we are the aggrieved party," the president added.

"Armenia is the aggressor, has committed genocide against the Azerbaijani people, occupied our lands and continues this occupation," said President Aliyev. "The [OSCE] Minsk Group co-chairs, who are engaged in this issue, have repeatedly said in recent times that the status quo is unacceptable and should be changed."

It means that the occupation should be ended, President Aliyev said, explaining that it is a signal directly addressed to Armenia.

Armenia has occupied 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory in the early 1990s. As an outcome of the war, more than one million of people have been subjected to the ethnic cleansing by Armenia. The occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years which resulted in the renewal of hostilities in early April.

The Armenian-staged provocation made the international community think in depth about the real threat that exists in the region. The hostilities showed the world that the status quo, which Armenia is keen to preserve, is categorically unacceptable in this situation.

Therefore, as President Aliyev stressed, when Armenians see that Azerbaijan gains more support worldwide, they periodically stage armed provocations in order to disrupt the negotiations and continue the policy of occupation.

We witnessed this in the recent past. They attacked our positions in the summer of 2014. Our army gave an adequate response that time as well."

In November of the same year when there emerged certain hope in the negotiations, Armenia, as it said, held large-scale exercises in the occupied Aghdam region with participation of the personnel consisting of 47,000 people, said the president, noting that it was a purely provocative move.

"The Azerbaijani side showed high restraint for several days. But afterwards, two military helicopters of Armenia attacked our positions," said Ilham Aliyev. "Azerbaijani army destroyed one of them. Taking the advantage of this, Armenia accused us and the negotiation process came to the deadlock again."

President Aliyev once again emphasized that Azerbaijan wants the problem to be resolved peacefully, but it should be settled.

"Holding negotiations just for the sake of negotiations makes no sense," he said. "Thus, on April 5, it was agreed to restore ceasefire. We adhered to the ceasefire, and continue to do so today as well. But, unfortunately, Armenia once again shows an insincere approach," Aliyev said, adding that not a single day has passed without the ceasefire violations by Armenia since April 5.

President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani army have never been at war with civilian population.

"We just destroy the enemy's firing positions when we are shot at," Azerbaijani president said. "But, at the same time, the Azerbaijani army must protect, protects and will protect its citizens. The settlement of the conflict will allow the Armenian government to build an independent state. I still hope that their aggressive policy will come to an end, because there is no other way."

President Aliyev stressed there will be sought ways to put Armenia on the right path through negotiations. "We will strengthen diplomatic, political, economic pressure and intensify positions of the contact line of troops. If another Armenian armed provocation is committed against us, the necessary answer will be given again, and the result will be the same, because today the Azerbaijani army is among the strongest armies on a global scale, he added.



Army building is the priority of Azerbaijan's policy and it is natural, as the country is in a state of war, the war hasn't ended yet. He Azerbaijani army is among the strongest armies in the world both for its logistics and equipment, and in terms of its combat capability.

President Aliyev further stressed that everything necessary will be done for the construction of the army.

Noting that a new situation has emerged on the line of contact after the Armenian armed provocations, the president said now Azerbaijan has full advantage on the line of contact.

"Certainly, from now on, we will even more strengthen our positions on the line of contact," he said, adding that necessary measures are taken in order to achieve that.

"All the efforts are in vein. In order to restore peace in the region, it is simply necessary to put an end to the aggression. I believe that it will be so," he added.

Zakir Hasanov, voicing deep gratitude to Azerbaijan's president on behalf of the whole personnel, said that the personnel of the armed forces are ready and able to fulfill all orders in a short time.

The presidents visit once again highlighted that state does not diminish attention to the issues of military construction, that military reform will continue, and shelling of front-line villages will not go unpunished. Azerbaijan is peace-loving nation, but peacefulness should not be confused with the fear.

The Azerbaijani army is strong enough to protect its civilians and liberate the occupied lands. No wonder, those residents of frontline villages voiced belief in Azerbaijani army.

The visit also revealed no signs of panic or confusion, proving that Azerbaijanis do not plan to leave their homes and will not tolerate the ever-lasting occupation of their historical lands.

It has become clear message that the President pays the highest priority to the situation on the front line and keeps the issues relating to these regions, under the close personal supervision.

President Aliyev signed an order on May 2 to eliminate the damages caused to civilians as a result of the Armenian armed units' intensively shelling the Aghdam and Tartar regions.

Under the presidential order, 3 million manats will be allocated to the Aghdam Region Executive Authorities and the Tartar Region Executive Authorities each from the 2016 Contingency Fund of the President for eliminating the damages caused to civilians.

--

Follow Gulgiz Dadashova on Twitter: @GulgizD

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 14:53 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will take part in the meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the Visegrad Group (V4) and of the Eastern Partnership countries to be held in Prague on May 4, 2016.

Mammadyarov will deliver a speech at the meeting and hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines, the foreign ministry reported.

The Visegrad Four (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) was founded in 1991 as a regional club aimed at strengthening cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe.

Azerbaijan is also included in the EU Eastern Partnership program adopted on the initiative of Poland and Sweden and approved at the EU summit in Brussels in 2008.

The program's aim is the rapprochement between the EU and Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova, Georgia and Belarus. It envisages a significant increase of the level of political interaction and large integration of former Soviet republics into the EU economy, increasing the volume of financial aid to them and strengthening energy security.

---

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3 May 2016 15:02 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev accepted the credentials of the newly-appointed ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Husnan Bey Fananie, on May 3, Azertac reports.

The ambassador reviewed the guard of honor, and handed his credentials to the head of state.

President Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador.

Noting that the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia are developing successfully, the head of state hailed good cooperation between the two countries within international organizations, including the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The head of state expressed his gratitude to Indonesia for supporting Azerbaijan.

Pointing to the partnership relations between the two countries, President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is interested in establishing closer ties with Indonesia.

Highlighting the cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, educational, cultural, investment making and other fields, the president expressed his hope that these relations would continue to develop successfully.

Stressing the importance of the activity of embassies in both countries, the head of state wished Fananie success in his activities.

The ambassador conveyed the greetings of President of Indonesia Joko Widodo to President Aliyev.

Pointing to the fact that both countries' peoples share the same religion and similar cultural values, the Indonesian ambassador expressed his hope that the bilateral relations would continue to develop in a variety of fields.

The envoy said he would spare no efforts to contribute to the expansion of ties between the two countries during his diplomatic tenure.

Fananie stressed the significance of the Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Azerbaijan in 2017.

President Aliyev thanked for the greetings of President Widodo, and asked the ambassador to extend his greetings to the Indonesian president.

---

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3 May 2016 10:21 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Women's ICT Club FEMMES DIGITALES celebrated traditional International Girls in ICT Day established by International Telecommunication Union.

The conference called "DigiGirls of Azerbaijan: A Bright Future in ICTs. Opportunities for a new generation of women" conducted by "FEMMES DIGITALES" in co-operation with Microsoft was supported by Ministry of Education, Ministry of Communications and High Technologies, ADA University - SITE (School of Information Technologies and Engineering), and other companies including Azercell Telecom.

Before the conference the participants got great opportunity to get personally acquainted with women succeeding in ICT in Azerbaijan and receive answers to various questions. Khavar Babazada, Head of Technologies Department at Azercell Telecom, and co-founder of the club, gave an account of her career history in ICT and explained the specific nature of working in this industry.

The event mainly discussed the importance of increasing awareness in information and communication technologies among Azerbaijani girls and women and encouraging professional engagement, facilitating educational and career opportunities in ICT companies and educational institutions for women and other related topics.

Ramin Orujov, Head of Information Services Unit of IT Department at Azercell, also took the floor at the event speaking about the role of women in ICT sector and women who have successfully managed to achieve professional development and deal with family obligations in their daily life at the same time.

The FEMMES DIGITALES is the first professional structure in the country, bringing together over 100 women engaged in information and communication technologies. The club is aimed to encourage Azerbaijani women and girls to study and build careers in this exciting and rapidly developing area by various meetings and hands-on workshops. Azercell, one of the leading Azerbaijani companies in ICT industry, continues to support the youngsters in this field.



For more information, please contact [email protected]

Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996 and since the first years sustains a leading position in the market. Azercell introduced number of technological innovations in Azerbaijan: GSM technology, advance payment mobile services, M2M,MobilBank, GPRS/EDGE (mobile internet), 24/7 Customer Care, full-time operating Azercell Express offices, mobile e-service "ASAN imza" (ASAN signature) and others. With 48.2 percent share of Azerbaijan's mobile market Azercell's network covers 99.8 percent of the country's population. In 2015, the number of Azercell's subscribers reached 4.5 million people. In 2011 Azercell deployed 3G and in 2012 the fourth generation network - LTE in Azerbaijan. The company is the leader of Azerbaijan's mobile communication industry and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector. Azercell is a part of Telia Company Group of Companies serving 186 million subscribers in 17 countries worldwide with 27,000 employees.
3 May 2016 16:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, intended to turn Azerbaijan into a transport hub between East and West, could bring benefits to the country.

The cargo transportation by railway from Ukraine to Azerbaijan, running through this corridor has increased.



Azerbaijan Railways Chairman Javid Gurbanov said that for the past three months the amount of trucks has tripled.

A total of 650 trucks functioned through this route last year, while in the first three months of this year their number reached 260.

If we continue at this rate in the next eight months, we can achieve an increase by 40-50 percent. We believe the rate even grow. There are many factors influencing it. The main factor is ferries, whose prices are not regulated. So, we together with Georgia have taken a step and try to attract Greeks to the route. In case we succeed, the prices will twice decrease, Gurbanov said.

The Trans-Caspian international transport route runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and onward to Europe via Turkey and Ukraine. This is a multimodal corridor using railway, maritime and roadways for transporting goods.



Earlier this February, Ukraine signed a memorandum on joining the Viking container train to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route that will transport goods from China to Europe.

On January 14, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine signed a protocol on the establishment of competitive preferential tariffs for cargo transportation on this transport route.

Next day, Ukraine sent its first test train on the Ukraine-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan-China route via the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. The train reached China on January 31.

The route continues to be of significant importance for Kiev, after the country was forced to seek alternative routes for delivering its goods to consumers following tensions with Russia.

Once the transport corridor will run at its full capacity, it will have a positive impact both on economic growth of Azerbaijan and other members, which include regional countries.

The Trans-Caspian route enjoys an opportunity to become attractive and profitable for consignors from European countries. This route will transport approximately 300,000-400,000 containers by 2020.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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3 May 2016 17:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijans Economy Ministry plans to organize land auctions to lease plots of land for creating large farms.

After the reconstruction of Samur-Absheron irrigation system new lands of plot have been available for agriculture.

In this regard, the Ministry is going to rent 4.320 hectares in Khizi and 1.334 hectares of lands in Siyazan regions to use under large farms.



These areas will be used for production of plant products. Expanding cultivated area will increase agricultural production and improve food security of the country, according to the Economy Ministry.

Developing agricultural sector is one of the main tools for energy-rich Azerbaijan to diversify its national economy and develop its non-oil sector.

Agricultural sector plays an important role in providing the 9.6-million population's food security in a best way and increasing the country's export potential.

The agrarian reforms carried out in Azerbaijan guarantees the dynamic development of agriculture. The agriculture sector improved significantly, the new economic and property relations were formulated and the regulatory framework was improved.

The state has set a number of benefits for farmers as well. The producers of agricultural products were exempt from taxes other than for land.



To further develop agriculture, Azerbaijan needs modern equipment and a number of foreign countries are ready both for importing their production and creating joint enterprises in the country.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 14:12 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova

YARAT Contemporary Art Space and BUTA Dance School Baku invite everyone to become one with the rhythms of different dance styles and open up new opportunities.

The studios professional dancers and teachers are ready to create driving dance ambience for you and help to make your first steps in such the following dance classes: Argentine Tango, Breaking, Salsa, Bachata, Zumba, Latin Dance, Yarat reports.

The event is scheduled for May 7 at YARAT Contemporary Art Centre, Multifunctional Room.

The event organized in frame YARAT Freestyle project, an open platform for everyone who looks to engage creatively with a broad and diverse audience.

YARAT Freestyle aims to set up a scene for creative groups and individuals and is open to actors, dancers, performance artists, musicians and other cultural practitioners. Anyone with a project or an idea can reach out to us.

A series of lessons will be held for Free! Places are limited, hurry up! You can sign up for one or several lessons at once.

Specify the name of the class that you'd like to join, your age and height and send email to: [email protected] Applications will be accepted until May 5. Age restrictions: +17 (except Breaking +12)

Come along with a bottle of water, comfortable shoes and a good mood.

Schedule:

12 a.m.  Latin Dance Classes.

Instructor: Ilham Osmanov

1 p.m.  Zumba Dance Classes.

Instructor: Nargiz Osmanova

2 p.m.  Salsa Dance Classes.

Instructor: Aydin Gasimzada

3 p.m.  Bachata Dance Classes.

Instructor: Aydin Gasimzade

4 p.m.  Argentine Tango Dance Classes.

Instructor: Ilham Osmanov

5 p.m.  Break Dance Classes.

Instructor: Javid Aslanov & Farman Lazimov

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 11:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

A booklet on Azerbaijan was published in Los Angeles through the support by Azerbaijans Consulate General.

Titled Azerbaijan: Land of Hope, Tolerance and Inspiration, the booklet contains information about Azerbaijans history, rich musical and cultural heritage, long-standing traditions of multiculturalism and interfaith tolerance, economic opportunities, energy strategy and diplomacy, as well as tourism potential.

The publication highlights the development and remarkable achievements of South Caucasus nation as an independent nation under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, and informs the readers about the important role the country plays in the energy security of Europe, United States and Israel. In this regard, it mentions the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline as well as the Southern Gas Corridor, which will benefit both the producing, transit and consuming countries.

Highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan with concrete facts, the publication stresses the substantial contributions by Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva - Azerbaijans First Lady and the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation - to the promotion and protection of the Azerbaijani culture in the world.

The booklet also speaks of the illegal military occupation and brutal ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territory by Armenia.

Speaking of the special importance attached by the Government to education and social innovations, the publication mentions the construction since 2004 of more than 3,000 new schools, the Study Abroad program, as well as notes the successful work of the ADA University, which is considered the most modern and innovative university in the entire region. It also deals with the unique experience of the ASAN Service centers, which provide public and private services from one single space, thus substantially reducing red tape and increasing transparency in government services.

The Consulate General plans to send the booklet to members of the U.S. Congress, state officials in Western U.S., public figures, business circles, mass media, as well as academic research centers and universities.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 18:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

A festival "American Days" will be held in Baku on May 14-21, the U.S. embassy in Baku reports.

The festival aims at presenting diversity of American culture to Azerbaijani people, as well as at promoting mutual understanding between the two nations.

The festival will include American Bluegrass Band, Broadway Medley, Contemporary Dance group, a DJ and a Chef all visiting Azerbaijan during this week with lots of public programming.

Programming will take place in Baku with some events in the regions in Azerbaijan.

All events are free and are open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Since Azerbaijan's emergence as an independent nation in 1991, the U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship has evolved into a strategic partnership based on mutual interests and common values. The two countries cooperate in various fields including, energy, economy, agriculture, culture, education and security.

----

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 14:06 (UTC+04:00)

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Azerbaijans state oil fund has issued $718.6 million to fund construction of a new generation floating drilling rig in Azerbaijan since the project launch.

The Fund told Trend that $22.6 million was issued for the project in the first quarter of 2016.

The project cost hits $1,117 billion. The drilling operator is "Caspian Drilling Company" (CDC), in which SOCAR owns 92.44-percent share. The Singaporean Keppel FELS Limited was chosen as the contractor of the drilling rig's construction.

SOFAZ owns 90 percent share in "Azerbaijan Rigs" LLC, created for the construction of a new platform, while the state oil company SOCAR owns the remaining 10 percent share.

The new rig will be designed to drill wells up to 8,000 meters at the depth of 1,000 meters. The new rig can be commissioned in early 2017.

The rig will be used for drilling of prospective structures and fields in Azerbaijan, such as the Umid field and such perspective structures as Babek, Karabakh, Ashrafi and others.

Azerbaijan needs to construct four new floating drilling rigs, taking into account the implementation of big projects in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan needs to construct four new floating drilling rigs, taking into the consideration the extensive projects in Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, in particular drilling at the perspective Babek structure, the development of Absheron gas and condensate field, implementation of the second phase of development of Shah Deniz gas and condensate field and implementation of other projects.

SOFAZ was established in 1999 with assets of $271 million. In accordance with SOFAZ's regulations, its funds may be used for the construction and reconstruction of strategically important infrastructure facilities, as well as, solving important national problems of Azerbaijan.

So far, SOFAZ has funded many strategic projects for Azerbaijan including the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Southern Gas Corridor, Oil and Gas processing and Petrochemical Complex, as well as, Samur-Absheron irrigation system, Oguz-Gabala water pipeline and State Program on education Azerbaijani youth abroad.

--

Follow Gulgiz Dadashova on Twitter: @GulgizD

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

Azerbaijan and the Asian Development Bank discussed the opportunities for financing the project on Southern Gas Corridor, the Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan told on May 3.

The discussions were carried out during the meeting between Azerbaijans Finance Minister Samir Sharifov and the ADBs president Takehiko Nakao, vice-president Diwakar Gupta and other officials of the bank within the framework of the 49th annual meeting of the ADB Board of Directors which is held in Frankfurt Germany on May 2 to 5.

During the discussions, the sides emphasized the importance of the joint implementation projects, as well as, progress of the project on improving energy supply within Azerbaijan and restoration of the water supply systems in the regions of the country.

The development of the second phase of the Shah Deniz field was also mulled.

The SGC is included to the list of priority projects for the EU. It envisages the provision of more than 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region to Europe annually.

The pipeline network will stretch across 3,500 kilometer area from the Caspian Sea into Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Greece.

The SGC is comprised of three main pipelines. The existing South Caucasus pipeline will be expanded with a new parallel pipeline through Azerbaijan and Georgia. In addition, with the construction of Trans-Anatolian and Trans-Adriatic routes, the pipeline network will be further expanded to the EU.

TANAP will pass through Turkey to join TAP pipeline in the Greece border which will cross Greece, Albania and southern part of Italy.

First gas delivery to Georgia and Turkey is targeted for late 2018. Gas deliveries to Europe are expected a year after first gas is produced in offshore Azerbaijan.

After the completion of the TAP pipeline, the Azerbaijani gas will be transported to Europe roughly at the beginning of 2020.

Other gas sources can be connected to the pipeline at the later stages.

It is worth to mention that the SGC is one of the biggest construction projects of our times with a value of $45 billion.

Moreover, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank are expected to allocate more than $2 billion loans together for the construction of TANAP pipeline.

The realization of this pipeline project will contribute to enhancing the EUs energy security and diversification of its gas supply routes.

---

Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 11:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatma Babayeva

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has arrived in Tehran for an official visit.

It is the first ever visit in the history of the bilateral relation when the South Korean president visits Iran, IRNA news agency reported.

The South Korean president is heading a large business delegation of over 230 executives during his three-day visit to Tehran.

Iranian and South Korean officials signed 19 memorandums of understanding on the sidelines of the meeting between Iranian and and South Korean presidents on May 2, Iran's state-run IRINN TV reported.

Overall cost of the contracts signed between the two countries is expected to amount from $13 to $17 billion.

The two countries plan to cooperate in various fields including oil, gas and petrochemical, energy, transport, technology, insurance and banking, construction, health system, as well as, custom, legal and cultural issues.

Moreover, the Islamic Republic and South Korea have decided to sign 15 MoUs in the areas of water and power systems. It is worth mentioning that South Korea is among the largest importers of Iranian oil.

Overall, trade turnover between Iran and South Korea stood at $6.1 billion in 2015 while the figure was $17.4 in 2011 before sanctions were imposed against Iran by the Western countries.

In addition, Iran and South Korea plan to increase bilateral trade from current $6 billon per year to $18 billion, President Hassan Rouhani said to IRINN TV during the press conference with his visiting South Korean counterpart on May 2.

He stated that Iran and South Korea will upgrade the mutual trade ties to strategic economic relations.



In this regard South Korean firms will invest in Iran and their activities in the Islamic Republic will be accompanied with transfer of technology into the country.

Under the newly signed documents, the South Korean entrepreneurs will work in Iran's energy, mining and infrastructure sectors.

Peace wanted for Korea peninsular



The Iranian president stressed that the Islamic Republic wants peace and stability in Korea peninsula.



Security in the peninsula, as well as, in the Middle East is important for mutual ties between Seoul and Tehran, he added. Iran is against production of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, especially in the Middle East and Korean peninsula.

President Rouhani further mentioned that they negotiated regional issues including crisis in Yemen and Syria with his South Korean counterpart.

Iranian official says South Korea will finance 1 billion euros steel projects in the country, said Mehdi Karbasian, Iranian Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines and Trade to the Tasnim news agency on April 30.

Iran eyes to import the new technology for directly convert of iron ore into steel based on the MoU, Karbaisan said by adding that two plants in South Korea are currently using the technology.

What's more, a direct flight will be launched by the end of this year, according to Kang Ho, South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Moreover, South Korean energy giant KOGAS signed 3 deals with National Iranian Oil Company to explore development opportunities in the gas fields of the Persian Gulf.

Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei believes that the bilateral ties with South Korea should be independent from sanctions, influence and sabotage of the U.S.

The cooperation and exchange of experience between the two countries in various scientific, technological, political, social and security domains will benefit both sides, he added.

---

Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
3 May 2016 17:32 (UTC+04:00)

A seminar titled "Turkmenistan-China: interrelation and interaction within the revival of the Silk Road" was held in the Chinese city of Lianyungang, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry reported on May 3.

The seminar was organized by the Turkmen embassy with the support of the local administration.

Participants of the seminar highlighted the key issues of transport and logistics development and made a number of proposals and recommendations aimed at the implementation of transit and export-import potential of the railway corridor China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran.

A trilateral meeting of the Turkmen railway transport minister and the heads of JSC "NC" Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan Railways) and Iranian Railways was held in Ashgabat in March 2016. Container traffic from China to Iran through the territories of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan was one of the issues on the agenda.

Turkmenistan, which has a favorable geographical location, has recently strengthened its position of an important transit and transportation hub for regional and continental importance. The commissioning of the new railway Uzen-Gyzylgaya-Bereket-Etrek-Gorgan (Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran) in December 2014 can be noted as the last one of these steps.

The North-South corridor aims to provide transit opportunities to Nordic countries and Russia with the countries of the Persian Gulf basin, the Indian Ocean and Southeastern Asia through Iran. As an alternative to the sea route through the Suez Canal, the International North-South transport corridor (INSTC) claims primarily to container traffic.

This project was implemented on the basis of an agreement signed by Turkmenistan, Iran and Kazakhstan in 2007. Initially, up to 3-5 million tons of cargo per year will be transported via the corridor, and the volume will increase up to 10-12 million tons in the future, according to preliminary estimates.

The project was implemented with financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
 

       3.0 (      -       -         ): editor [at] bahrainmirror.com
Managing Debt

Whether you are looking to consolidate credit card debt or are looking for complete debt relief, get the advice and tools you need to manage your debt.
Good drivers pay more for auto insurance if they rent, rather than own their home, according to new research by the non-profit Consumer Federation of America.

I dont think its fair, renter Autumn Yoakum said. Theres no difference between me and a homeowner, besides a mortgage.

If youre a good driver, your insurance should be lower, agreed renter Karim Maghaaoui.

The average increase in 10 states surveyed showed renters were charged 7% more for their premiums; an average of $112 a year.

Thats a huge tax to pay simply because youre a renter, said Doug Heller with the Consumer Federation of America. It makes no sense that if youre a good driver, if you have a perfect recordno tickets, no accidents, but you rent, rather than own your home, that you should pay a dime more. There is no sense and no logic to it, and more importantly, its not fair.

Renters Pay More

To do the research, Consumer Federation of American used the same profile to get online quotes from the nations largest insurance carriers, including State Farm, Geico, Allstate, Progressive, Farmers, Liberty Mutual, and Nationwide.

CFA submitted these criteria: a 30 year old, single, female, working as a secretary, driving a 2005 Honda Civic, no accidents, moving violations or license suspensions. The only difference: one profile was submitted as a homeowner; the other as a renter.

In Tampa, the only Florida city sampled, Allstate charged renters 19% more and Liberty Mutual charged 23% more.

The highest increase was in Louisville, Kentucky. Farmers charged renters there an average of 47% more.

Even Liz Fay, who is a homeowner in Tampa, was shocked to hear of the practice and the amount of disparity in premiums. Well, Im happy for me, but thats not fair, she said, How can they do that?

While most of the insurance companies surveyed used homeownership as a factor, not all did. CFA says Geico, for example, did not ask whether applicants were homeowners. To see the results of the research, click here.

Low & Moderate Income Penalty

CFA says the practice penalizes low and moderate income people.

The average income of a renter is about half of that of a home-owner, so people who are already struggling financially on average are now asked to pay more for their auto insurance, despite their perfect driving record, Heller said.

Instead of homeownership, CFA and renters say the fair thing to do is to base rates on your driving.

What are you using your car for? How far are you going? What are you doing? Do you tour with a band or do you just go to and from work, said Yoakum, who is a renter.

Changing the Law

CFA is calling for lawmakers and regulators to do more to help consumers.

Regulators and legislators are supposed to be there for us, but right now, what we find is theyre just letting the insurance companies charge whatever they want to whomever they want, even though they all require us to but the product, Heller said.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the renters disadvantage, theres not much you can do about it, unless the law is changed to prohibit insurance companies from considering homeownership as a factor in determining rates. So far, two states have already done that: California and Massachusetts.
For years, the Tampa Bay area was known as the unofficial lightning capital of the United States."

New lightning capital of the world is Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela

Lake gets lightning about 300 days a year

New lightning hotspot for US is about 30 miles SE of Fort Myers



But now, thanks to new satellite technology, researchers at the University of Alabama-Huntsville have found a new lightning hotspot for the U.S. and the world.

The satellites are able to detect all lightning strikes around the globe, which is better for this type of study than old school lightning detection systems which use a method similar to AM radio to detect lightning strikes.

The older method might be fine for watching local storms, but is severely limited over the oceans and in many other regions of the planet because of the lack of sensors. Satellite lightning sensors can cover all regions.



Globally, a location in Central Africa was historically known as the lightning capital of the world. But the UAH researches now way the honor belongs to a location in South America.

The new hotspot is Lake Maracaibo on the coast of Venezuela. The river running into the lake is the Catatumbo River.

Lightning here is known to locals as Lighthouse of Catatumbo, The Never-Ending Storm of Catatumbo, or simply Catatumbo lightning.

The lake region gets lightning about 300 days a year! Or I should say nights a year because the lightning is mainly at night with very little during the day.

The region is well known to lightning researchers and now displaces Africa as the lightning capital with the new satellite data.

Why here? It is an unusual combination of warm water, humid air, and lake/land breezes (similar to our situation in Florida). The storms form and last for hours over or near the lake during the night.



In North America, no location in the U.S. is even in the top 10 for most active lightning spots. The lightning hotspot for North America is Patalul and Catarina, in Guatemala. Also islands such as Cuba and Jamaica were lightning hotspots.



But the lightning capital of the United States is shifted slightly south to a location about 30 miles southeast of Fort Myers. This spot ranks 14th in North America and 122nd Globally for lightning activity.

This area receives more lightning due to the sea breeze collisions during the warm and humid summer months, slightly more lightning per year than the former hotspot between Tampa and Lakeland.
Central Florida activists are now fighting to get a local elephant out of her cage and into a sanctuary, just like the recently-retired Ringling Bros. elephants.

Nosey the elephant is at a petting zoo in Kissimmee

Animal activists say Nosey is being mistreated

FWC says Nosey is OK, although there have been citations over the years

Nosey the elephant is 34 years old. Her owners say she loves eating hay and posing for pictures. For Cathalina Liebel, Nosey the elephant is like family.

I actually learned to walk holding her trunk. I held her trunk, took my first steps I cant make this up, Cathalina said.

Nosey and her circus family travel all over. Right now she is at a petting zoo behind the Gator Motel along U.S. 192 in Kissimmee, where she gives rides. But some believe Nosey should be free.

Kissimmee resident Malinda Burian went from starting a petition online called Save Nosey the Elephant, to protesting on the streets.

Lets put you in a cage. I wanna ride on your back then, $5, Burian said. Protesters like her claim Nosey is mistreated.

The United States Department of Agriculture said they dont have any open investigations into Noseys license at the moment. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it has conducted several unannounced inspections, the most recent one being two weeks ago.

FWC said Nosey was deemed to be in good physical condition.

However, through the years the Liebels have received a number of citations for things like rusted metal bars and overgrown toenails.

Citations are small things like a little bit of rust on an outer perimeter fence, not even where she is, Cathalina explained. Its just a small thing that the inspector sees. Its not really a problem but they would like to have fixed in the future.

In 2011, the Leibels were fined $7,500 by the USDA for violating the Animal Welfare Act with regard to Nosey.

Nonetheless animal activists say Nosey deserves better. So not only is it animal cruelty, its just immoral, said protester Kai Rivers.

This is not the first time protesters have rallied for Nosey.

A group of activists protested in Port Richey, Pasco County back in January. They say Nosey is old, sick and mistreated. Nosey's owner, Hugo Leibel, said Nosey was an orphan the family had raised -- and Leibel was used to protesters.

Meanwhile, after 145 years, the Ringling Brothers elephants performed their last act Sunday.

The elephants of the famed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed for the final time in Providence, Rhode Island. The elephants will retire to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk County.
Astronomers searching for life beyond our solar system may need to look no farther than a little, feeble nearby star.

3 Earth-sized planets orbit dwarf star less than 40 light-years away

1st time planets have been found around this type of star



Star is barely the size of Jupiter and in constellation Aquarius

A Belgian-led team reported Monday that it's discovered three Earth-sized planets orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star less than 40 light-years away. It's the first time planets have been found around this type of star  and it opens up new, rich territory in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Because this star is so close and so faint, astronomers can study the atmospheres of these three temperate exoplanets and, eventually, hunt for signs of possible life. They're already making atmospheric observations, in fact, using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope will join in next week.

Altogether, it's a "winning combination" for seeking chemical traces of life outside our solar system, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Julien de Wit, a co-author of the study, released by the journal Nature.

The star in question  named Trappist-1 after the Belgian telescope in Chile that made the discovery  is barely the size of Jupiter and is in the constellation Aquarius.

Other exoplanet searches have targeted bigger, brighter stars more like our sun, but the starlight in these cases can be so bright that it washes out the signatures of planets. By comparison, cool dwarf stars that emit infrared light, like Trappist-1, make it easier to spot potential worlds.

University of Liege astronomers in Belgium  lead study authors Michael Gillon and Emmanuel Jehin  built the Trappist telescope to observe 60 of the nearest ultra-cool dwarf stars. The risky effort paid off, de Wit noted in an email.

"Systems around these tiny stars are the only places where we can detect life on an Earth-sized exoplanet with our current technology," Gillon said in a statement. "So if we want to find life elsewhere in the universe, this is where we should start to look."

The two inner exoplanets take between 1.5 and 2.4 days to orbit the Trappist-1 star. The precise orbit time of the third planet is not known, but it falls somewhere between 4.5 days and 73 days. That puts the planets 20 times to 100 times closer to their star than Earth is to our sun, Gillon noted. The setup is more similar in scale to Jupiter's moons than to our solar system, he added.

Although the two innermost planets are very close to the star, it showers them with only a few times the amount of energy that Earth receives from our own sun. The third exoplanet farther out may receive significantly less of such radiation than Earth does.

The astronomers speculate the two inner exoplanets may have pockets where life may exist, while the third exoplanet actually might fall within the habitable zone  real estate located at just the right distance from a star in order to harbor water and, possibly, life.

Spitzer and Hubble should answer whether the exoplanets have large and clear atmospheres, according to de Wit. They also might be able to detect water and methane, if molecules are present.

Future observatories, including NASA's James Web Space Telescope set to launch in 2018, should unearth even more details.

Gillon and his colleagues identified the three exoplanets by observing regular dips in the infrared signals emanating from the Trappist-1 star, some 36 light-years away. A single light-year represents about 6 trillion miles.

The astronomers conducted the survey last year using the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope, or Trappist. It's considered a prototype for a more expansive European project that will widen the search for potentially habitable worlds to 500 ultra-cool stars. This upcoming project is dubbed Speculoos  short for Search for Habitable Planets Eclipsing Ultra-Cool Stars.
An American serviceman killed in Iraq by fire from the Islamic State group has been identified as a Navy SEAL.

American serviceman killed in 'combat death' and by 'direct fire'



Official: American was killed while as adviser to Kurdish fighters



A U.S. official says the SEAL was killed during an attack on Iraqi Kurdish positions outside the Islamic State-held city of Mosul on Tuesday morning.

It was the third death of a U.S. service member in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition launched its campaign against IS militants in the summer of 2014. Defense Secretary Ash Carter called it a "combat death."

The official identifying the serviceman as a SEAL was speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the incident publicly.

Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.
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A Houston teenager who died in a hotel bed after prom in 2014, was killed by an overdose of drugs and alcohol, not because of rough sex, her boyfriend's lawyer said Monday.

Eddie Herrera, 20, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted of seriously injuring Jacqueline Gomez, his date to the senior prom for Aldine school district's MacArthur High School.

"They were happy," said defense attorney Doug O'Brien. "There's no reason for him to choke his prom date to death."

DETAILS EMERGE: Texts hint girl may have overdosed after prom

During opening statements in Herrera's trial, prosecutors said he was 18 when he, with help from his mother, rented a hotel room, bought two large bottles of whiskey and obtained pharmaceutical painkillers on May 17, 2014.

"You're going to learn about the web of lies and deceit propagated by Eddie Herrera and his mother," said prosecutor Justin Wood. "(Herrera's mother) doles out 10 hydrocodone pills each and sets them up for one heck of a fantastic prom night."

THE CRIME: Girl's death morning after prom ruled homicide

In front of a jury of 10 men and two women, Wood focused on the hours before 17-year-old Gomez was found, including conference calls from Herrera's mother to Gomez's mother so the two teens could secretly spend the night at the hotel.

Herrera, then 18, woke up to find Gomez, dead in bed and called his mother. She was in the hotel lobby, waiting for the teens to get up so she could take them home.

MORE CHARGES: Mom arrested and charged in prom night death that included sex, drugs and alcohol

After she found her son with Gomez's body, she and her son put clothes on the teen's body before calling 911, prosecutors said.

Paramedics pronounced her dead on arrival at the hotel. She was found with elevated levels of hydrocodone in her system and a blood alcohol level of .26, more than three times the legal limit to drive. She also had bruising around her neck.

Herrera told investigators he had choked her during consensual sex.

LAWSUIT: Mom's lawsuit claims daughter's prom date choked her to death

Her death was ruled "undetermined" after medical examiners could not decide whether she died from an overdose or from being choked.

More than six months after the incident, investigators interviewed Herrera again and filed criminal charges, saying his stories were inconsistent. They also charged his mother with drug possession. Her criminal case is pending.

Herrera is not charged with murder, and prosecutors do not have to prove that he killed Gomez. Instead, he is charged with the first degree felony of domestic violence, so prosecutors have to prove that he caused serious bodily injury.

The trial, in state District Judge Vanessa Velasquez's court, is expected to last less than a week.

brian.rogers@chron.com

twitter.com/brianjrogers
Administrators and clinical staff are preparing to celebrate the reopening of Moore (Okla.) Medical Center, which shut down after a massive tornado ripped through the building on May 20, 2013, according to NewsOK.

The new $32 million, four-story facility will celebrate its reopening with a free community open house on May 7. Physicians will begin seeing patients there later this month, according to the report.

Moore Medical Center will again provide the community with a 24/7 critical care emergency department, physical therapy services, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and physician offices for family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology and more.
The Indian Health Service has entered into a systems improvement agreement with CMS to prevent two of its hospitals from losing Medicare funding.

The agreement covers Pine Ridge (S.D.) Indian Health Service Hospital and Rosebud (S.D.) Indian Health Service Hospital.

In early April, CMS warned Pine Ridge that its Medicare contract would be terminated May 16 unless the hospital entered a systems improvement agreement with CMS by April 29. In an April 8 letter to the hospital, CMS said an Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act revisit survey conducted at the hospital Feb. 25 revealed the facility was in violation of certain Medicare requirements, including anti-dumping provisions and appropriate medical screening examination policies.

CMS identified a number of patient safety issues at the Rosebud hospital last year, including broken sterilizing equipment and reports of a woman giving birth to a premature baby on a bathroom floor. The hospital subsequently closed its emergency room and submitted an action plan to CMS to address the deficiencies.

The systems improvement agreement between the hospitals and CMS covers a 12-month period. During that time, Indian Health Service is able to continue billing Medicare. Prior to the end of the agreement, IHS will have to show that the two hospitals are in compliance with Medicare requirements to return to good standing with the Medicare program.

IHS said it intends to make the best use of the technical assistance and resources available under the terms of the agreement to improve quality of care at the two hospitals.

A CMS spokesperson declined to elaborate on the agreement.

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Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems' saw earnings drop significantly in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016.

CHS said revenues increased 1.8 percent year over year to nearly $5 billion in the first quarter of FY 2016. However, the hospital operator saw operating income drop nearly 87 percent to $12 million.

Total admissions were down 2.6 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period the year prior. When adjusted to include outpatient activity, admissions increased 0.7 percent year over year.

CHS recently completed its spinoff of Quorum Health Corp., which includes 38 hospitals across 16 states as well as CHS' hospital management and consulting business. Chairman and CEO Wayne T. Smith said CHS intends to use net proceeds of $1.2 billion from the QHC spinoff to reduce debt. He also said CHS plans to drive down debt further through 10 other divestitures this year. After those transactions are completed, the proceeds should reduce CHS' debt by about $530 million.

"As we refine our portfolio into what we anticipate will be a more sustainable, higher-margin group of hospitals, our resources and future investments can be targeted into markets where we have the greatest opportunity to achieve performance improvement in our operations and financial results," said Mr. Smith.

CHS ended the first quarter with net income of $11 million, down 86 percent from $79 million in the same period a year earlier.

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More than 240 Congress members penned a letter Monday to CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt outlining six chief concerns with the agency's Medicare "Part B Drug Payment Model" proposed rule.

Concerns over the drug pilot have been stated on both sides of the aisle, though just four Democrats signed the letter, according to coverage in The Hill. Democrats have previously voiced support for adjusting the proposal, but those who wrote the letter called on CMS to scrap the proposal altogether.

The proposed pilot would cap Medicare Part B drug reimbursements. Instead of paying the average price of a drug plus 6 percent, Medicare would pay the average price of a drug plus 2.5 percent and a $16 flat fee.

"CMS's proposed Medicare drug experiment would unnecessarily disrupt care for the sickest seniors who depend on Medicare, including those with cancer, macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, neurological disorders, rare diseases and primary immunodeficiency diseases," the letter reads.

Here are the lawmakers' primary concerns in brief.

1. The cuts could "severely harm patient access to needed drugs," presenting physicians with acquisition costs for certain drugs that are higher than reimbursement levels.

2. The proposal could negatively impact seniors, particularly those who rely on smaller practices or who live in rural areas. According to Congress members, the proposal would require nearly three-quarters of the country to participate.

3. It could lead physicians to refer more patients to hospital outpatient departments, which the lawmakers say are less convenient and more costly than physician practices.

4. The policies were developed without input from outside experts and stakeholders, such as physicians.

5. The Congress members also believe the drug pilot would hinder physicians from participating in new models of care, such as the Oncology Care Model and various alternative payment models incentivized by the new Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.

6. Lastly, the lawmakers are concerned the proposal fails to address issues of quality of care and access.

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As of 12:01 a.m. on April 30, Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center is officially an independent, nonprofit health system, capping nearly three years of planning for the financial and legal restructuring for its separation from Vanderbilt University, according to The Tennessean.

Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, president and CEO of VUMC, has a positive outlook on the health system's independence, saying its newfound agility will help it realize an "exceedingly bright" future. Dr. Balser also serves as dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Separating itself from the university gives VUMC greater nimbleness and ability to respond to changes in the healthcare industry without having to involve the university in an approval process, according to Dr. Balser.

"The medical center, as an employer, is better positioned to succeed in a very competitive and dynamic healthcare economy," Dr. Balser told The Tennessean. "The long-term future of the medical center is exceedingly bright."

With approximately 20,000 employees, VUMC is the largest employer in Tennessee behind the state government. According to Dr. Balser, the number of VUMC employees could grow as the organization looks to expand its research and educational programs.

VUMC clinicians are still faculty at Vanderbilt's medical school and its name will not change, according to the report. The governance structure of the independent health system will include an 11-person board.
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare reported a net loss of $59 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, down from a net profit of $47 million in the same period a year prior.

Tenet recorded revenue of $5 billion in the first quarter, up 14 percent from $4.4 billion in the same period the year prior. Fueled by 2.2 percent growth in adjusted admissions, same-hospital patient revenue grew 6 percent year over year.

The hospital operator posted strong results in its ambulatory segment in the first quarter of FY 2016. On a pro forma basis, Tenet said net operating revenue increased to $429 million, up 45.4 percent from $295 million in the first quarter of the year prior.

"I am delighted with Tenet's very strong start to 2016," said Tenet Chairman and CEO Trevor Fetter. "Our hospitals and outpatient centers generated strong growth, and the benefits of our diversified strategy are becoming increasingly evident."

However, after accounting for an increase in operating expenses and litigation reserves, Tenet ended the quarter in the red.

The for-profit hospital operator previously disclosed it is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice. The criminal lawsuit arose out of a civil lawsuit filed under the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act. The suit alleges four Tenet hospitals paid illegal kickbacks to clinics that referred undocumented pregnant patients to them for Medicaid-paid deliveries. Undocumented patients are not eligible for regular Medicaid coverage. However, they typically qualify for emergency medical assistance when they deliver their babies.

In the first quarter of FY 2016, Tenet increased its reserve for the litigation from $238 million to $407 million.

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The Affordable Care Act changed all aspects of the healthcare industry, forcing leaders of all stripes to adapt to remain effective, and hospital and health system nursing executives are no exception. "A chief nurse, in order for us to stay relevanthas to evolve," said Nancy Gaden, DNP, RN, senior vice president and CNO of Boston Medical Center.

Dr. Gaden shared her thoughts on how the ACA has changed CNOs' jobs during a panel at the Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual Meeting on April 28 in Chicago. Joining her on the panel were Gemma Rama-Banaag, RN, CNO of Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, Calif., and Catherine Whelchel, RN, former CNO of Spartanburg (S.C.) Regional Medical Center and current clinical content and quality leader for McKesson Technology Solutions.

Most of the evolution focused around data analysis and interpretation, panelists said. "I think the chief nurse today, what we're seeing is a real need to understand the data analysis," Ms. Whelchel said. "Not just the data, you have so much data, but understanding how to make it meaningful and getting that information to the front lines."

Ms. Rama-Banaag echoed similar concerns around data. "Data management is [a] real key," she said. "Hospital-acquired conditions and infections are all data and, when converted into information, can be very powerful."

The ACA also helped spark the industrywide move toward population health management, which provides nurse executives a unique opportunity to leverage their knowledge and gain influence in their organizations.

"A lot of other leaders in the organization [are] thinking about stuff that used to be uniquely ours" when it comes to managing the health of a population, Dr. Gaden said.

For instance, CNOs may be one of the only members of the C-suite or leadership team that had experience on the front-lines, directly caring for patients, and this perspective has become even more valuable in the post-ACA world.

"In a system that's evolving toward population health, there's a big role for the nurse leader, and it could take off without us if we're not really thinking about [it] and [being] careful," Dr. Gaden added.

Ms. Whelchel also advocated for nurse executives speaking up and offering their unique perspective more. "I do think the CNO has the heart of the patient at the center of that boardroom table, and I think that gives the opportunity to help really drive decisions in that way," she said.

If CNOs can harness this time of disruption to grow their influence, it can benefit the industry and patient care in the long run.

"I really do see nursing being more involved," said Ms. Rama-Banaag. "If you ask me, I really would like to see more nurses getting to the right table, the table where big decisions are made. I think we can bring a lot of value and a lot of meaningI don't believe there are enough nursing voices at those tables. That's my wish."
Carlos Migoya didn't need a new job.

A retired banker and former city manager, he had no healthcare experience when he got the job as CEO of Miami-based Jackson Health System in May 2011. But what he did have  a track record of turning organizations around  proved to be enough. Now, five years later, Mr. Migoya has led the system through a complete 180, according to the Miami Herald.

Back when Mr. Migoya first took the position, Jackson had recently lost $419 million over the course of three years. The system's outlook was far from positive, but Mr. Migoya had a bright outlook: "If I could turn around Jackson Memorial, it would be the biggest legacy I could leave for the city," Mr. Migoya recalls thinking, according to the report.

So he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Mr. Migoya created a plan to cut costs. Before starting his position, he traveled to Tallahassee, Fla., to attempt to obtain state funds. To guarantee a fresh start, he replaced Jackson's management team.

Months later, he made a new proposal, which included benefit and pay cuts; a $52 million reduction in Jackson's affiliation with University of Miami Health System; and a workforce reduction of 11 percent  or almost 1,200 full-time jobs. The idea went over well with Florida leaders, but not with hospital staff. Still, the proposal went through, and Mr. Migoya later restored pay and gave a one-time bonus to employees.

The benefits of Mr. Migoya's turnaround are nearly palpable. By implementing a tighter screening process of patients on Medicaid, Jackson Health System is caring for more patients with health insurance. Most astoundingly, Jackson reported its fourth consecutive year of budget surpluses in 2015, most recently with a $62 million surplus.

Mr. Migoya hasn't stopped yet. In 15 or 20 years, he hopes Jackson can be a completely independent system.

But for now, he's happy to have made his mark on Jackson's legacy. "Everybody looks at the pretty buildings and they say, 'That's the legacy,'" Mr. Migoya said, according to the report. "To me, it's what's in the buildings that's the legacy. It's the ability to provide world-class healthcare in those buildings that's going to be the important piece."
Healthcare is constantly discussed as being in the midst of great change. The way providers deliver care is changing, the way providers are reimbursed is changing, the way patients approach care decisions is changing  the changes are endless. But this era of change shouldn't come as much of a surprise because the industry has forever been evolving.

"We are changing rapidly, but we've always changed," said Joel Allison, president and CEO of Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health, in his April 28 keynote address at the Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual Meeting in Chicago. "We're in constant change.You've got to embrace change."

Mr. Allison elicited the quote from President Abraham Lincoln to embody this sentiment:

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.

In today's healthcare environment, there are four key drivers of change that are moving healthcare toward the industry of the future. The four disruptors, as Mr. Allison called them, are regulation, demographics, economics and technology.

Regulatory. "We, next to banks, are the most regulated industry in the country," Mr. Allison said. As such, healthcare organizations are tasked with getting physicians and their teams in line and on board, especially as regulations change.

Demographics. As characteristics of the patient population evolve, so will the way in which care is delivered. "I call that consumer disruption," Mr. Allison said. "All the way from us baby boomers who look at it one way, down to the millennials. They're the ones who are going to start changing life."

Economics. The way economics in healthcare are functioning now is not sustainable, or efficiently distributed, according to Mr. Allison. "We spend $3 trillion a year on healthcare in this country," he said. "The problem I submit is we don't spend it the right way. $3 trillion is enough to cover every man, woman and child with good quality healthcare."

The shift to the outpatient arena will be critical for healthcare organizations, as will engaging in a multifaceted strategy including cost management, improved quality, market coverage, retail healthcare and care coordination, Mr. Allison said.

Technology. Technology of the future will eliminate clinical waste and variation, Mr. Allison said, adding this will largely be achieved through standardization, big data and predictive analytics. He also mentioned how Baylor Scott & White Health appointed the system's first chief digital officer, Nick Reddy, who is helping initiate digital initiatives to better engage with patients with projects like booking appointments from smart phones and piloting video visits.

These disruptors are accelerating the pace of healthcare's change, which presents challenges and opportunities for industry stakeholders, but Mr. Allison said it is incumbent upon providers to be the ones to take the reins and steer the industry to where they want it to go.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it," Mr. Allison said.

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At the helm of their organizations, hospital and health system CEOs are charged with setting the strategic direction, inspiring innovation and making practical business decisions. However, it is often difficult to pace these long-term duties with the rapid pace of change occurring in the healthcare industry.

"We are going through one of the most disruptive periods of healthcare ever," Chuck Lauer, former published of Modern Healthcare, said at the Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual Meeting in Chicago. "I'm asked all the time, 'Where are we headed?' Sure, I can describe certain trends, but I don't really know where we're headed."

In a panel discussion, which Mr. Lauer moderated, five leaders from hospitals and health systems across the country offered their takes on some of the greatest factors impacting their organizations' strategies and how they envision the industry's future.

1. Consolidation should be driven by community benefit. Tom Sadvary, CEO of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth, noted that consolidation is impacting every facet of healthcare. However, the impetus behind mergers must always center on improving quality and access to healthcare services for communities, not just to improve a hospital's bottom line.

"Both organizations were very strong and could have remained independent," Mr. Sadvary said of the merger between Scottsdale Healthcare Hospitals and John C. Lincoln Health Network North in October 2013, which produced HonorHealth. "But we did the merger because we saw it as a way to better serve the needs of our populations and to embark on the population health management journey together."

2. CEOs aren't overly bullish on bundled payments. Bundled payments and other risk-based models are gaining speed in several markets across the U.S., but not all healthcare leaders are convinced of their effectiveness.

Michael Wiechart, president and CEO of Capella Healthcare in Franklin, Tenn., sees one major issue with bundled payments  the lack of connectivity. "The issue is, the continuum isn't connected, and I'm responsible for pre- and post-discharge activity, structurally I see a flaw," he said. "Call me a cynic about the effectiveness of it."

Steve Little, president and CEO of Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac, Wis., echoed similar sentiments about bundled payments and the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model, or CJR, which CMS implemented in 67 metropolitan statistical areas. "We love the CJR project," he quipped. "Why? It doesn't affect us."

But not all healthcare leaders are cynics when it comes to bundled payments. Chicago-based RushUniversityMedicalCenter has directly contracted with employers around spine and joint procedures, and is participating in CMS' Oncology Care Model, according to President Peter Butler. "There's a lot of money there," he said. "While I was skeptical, I think it may in fact have quite a big impact going forward. I wouldn't say I'm bullish, but I would say that it is an important tool that will be part of the spectrum of ways that providers will assume risk."

3. Insurers, like health systems, are trying to redefine themselves  and this can come at a cost to providers. The shift from volume- to value-based care and its emphasis on population health management are priorities for payers as much as they are for the providers delivering care, according to Nancy Schlichting, CEO of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

"All payers are in an existential period of redefinition," Ms. Schlichting said. "We work in partnerships around many of their initiatives to improve value. [Insurers] come up with new schemes to try to pay differently, but in some cases, these aren't acceptable levels of payment to drive change."

Henry Ford Health System's health plan, Health Alliance Plan, is small compared to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the dominant payer in the Detroit metropolitan area, according to Ms. Schlichting. However, she said Henry Ford's health plan has had success driving value by being agile to market forces, focusing on delivering a great customer experience and "thinking of novel ways to improve the cost of care."

4. The federal government overburdens healthcare providers with regulation, but it comes from a good place. The problem underlying regulation in healthcare is the lack of evaluation on the complexity and administrative burden it poses, according to Ms. Schlichting. "We also need to focus on evaluating if some of the regulations we deal with actually contribute to improving value and quality and reducing costs." New policies are constantly added and few are rarely terminated, she added.

Mr. Sadvary noted the ceaseless addition of policies and regulations often results in conflicting rules. "On one hand, they're telling us to create integrated networks, and on the other, they're telling us not to integrate with others systems," he said.

While some regulations may seem pointless or poorly executed, Mr. Wiechart his colleagues to put them in perspective. "If you step back and think about it, if there was ever an industry that needed to be regulated, it's an industry designed to take care of human life, wellness and safety."

5. Despite challenges, healthcare leaders are optimistic. As she prepares to cap off more than 35 years in healthcare, Ms. Schlichting said she is optimistic about the future, mostly because of the inspiring people who work in the industry. "We are blessed to be working with people who are energized and motivated to take care of people, whether that's at the bedside or in support roles," she said. "As long as we keep learning and innovating, healthcare will be in a much better spot in five years than it is now."
As the healthcare industry weathers the turbulent waters of change, hospital and health system leaders are tasked to set their ship's course before the clouds clear. With this seemingly unassailable task, leaders must craft strategy from tried-and-true concepts and make adjustments as needed.

In a panel at the Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual Meeting in Chicagotwo health system CEOs and a healthcare consultant discussed their strategies to navigate the various changes impacting the healthcare industry over the next five years.

Panelists included:

Thomas "Tim" Stover, MD, president and CEO of Akron (Ohio) General Health System

Anthony Armada, CEO of Swedish Health Services (Seattle), affiliated with Providence Health & Services

Don Barbo, managing director of VMG Health (Dallas)

Moderated by Chuck Lauer, author, consultant, speaker and former publisher of Modern Healthcare

Here are the top soundbites from their discussion, lightly edited for clarity.

On strategic planning for the next five to 10 years:

Dr. Stover said, "Having become part of an organization like Cleveland Clinic, our strategic thinking as changed. There is no question about thatIn our market at one time, one doctor could make a difference whether we lose or gain revenue. That's not the case nowWe now have the ability to think bigger."

Mr. Armada said, "First and foremost we can't lose sight of the basics of healthcare. We call that strengthening the core. It's improving operations, developing and recruiting great peopleand the last thing is the importance of cash flow." He named three top things on the horizon for Swedish Health: a focus on the total customer experience, the use of big data and establishing market power though partnerships and alliances.

Mr. Barbo said VMG tries to make it simple for clients by recommending a strategic focus on cash flow, growth of cash flows and risk of those cash flows. "When we are looking ahead, whether its next month, or three, five, even 10 years out, we want clients focused on those three things."

On customer service in the healthcare industry:

Dr. Stover said, "It's not what we do for our patients and our potential patients, it's how we do the what. Customer service is important not only because we need to be competitive, but because every one of us in this room will eventually be a patient, including me. The expectation of quality care in this country is a givenBut how you deliver care is as important or potentially more important [than quality] because that is what the patient remembers. It's not where you went to medical school, it's how many times they were stuck with an IV or if the ceiling tiles were dirty."

Mr. Armada said, "At Providence we have a promise to folks we serve, 'Know me, care for me, ease my way.' This guides us in our overall consumerism platform and experience."

Mr. Barbo said, "In terms of customer service, I would say we are getting there and making improvements." With more high deductible health plans and consumers paying out of pocket, the industry has been forced to pay more attention to customer service, and as a result, transparency has increased, according to Mr. Barbo.

On IT budgets:

Dr. Stover said IT is "No. 2 on our spend list and I'm sure it is everywhere elseThe main reason [hospitals are closing] is they can't afford these systems we all have to buy. Frankly, if we weren't part of Cleveland Clinic, we couldn't afford Epic. It's a major expenditure."

Mr. Armada said, "Our Epic platform is a key strategic imperative for us. Everything we get into we try to understand how the connectivity of it will work. We have a partnership with Walgreens and the IT platform is Epic there. The Epic platform is also a key foundation for us as we look at big data."

On the Affordable Care Act and physician responses to change:

Dr. Stover said, "We have been talking about health and wellness for 20 years and keeping people out of the hospital. The problem is the only entity that doesn't benefit from that is us. If it had gone a couple steps further, the ACA could have dealt with that, but it does not."

Mr. Armada said, "The physician response is very mixed. We do think there is a lot on physicians' plates right now in terms of the types of performance required of them. The patient experience has to be great, they have to hit scorecards relative to accountable care and stay engaged, and at the end of the day, they still have to connect with the patientWe try to partner with them to create the avenues and resources they need."

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The biggest problem with millennials
Although generational differences are often overstated, millennials do face a set of challenges that were not as pronounced or did not yet exist for preceding generations. Thanks to the ceaseless communication and social media made possible by digital technology, millennials are subject to "ruthless comparison" with their peers.

In an article published by the Harvard Business Review, Emerson Csorba, a director of Gen Y and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, found that social networking sites and the media at large lead millennials to constantly compare themselves to their peers and mentors, creating anxiety, uncertainty and self-doubt.

After interviewing hundreds of millennials across the United Kingdom, Mr. Csorba narrowed his findings down to the three reasons millennials are so hard on themselves.

1. They are constantly exposed to misrepresented achievements on social media. Millennials often feel pressured to keep up with their peers' achievements that they see posted on social media sites. Although most of them acknowledge that these posts highlight successes while ignoring failures and shortcomings, the vast amount of time millennials spend on these platforms makes comparing oneself  and the deflated feelings that follow  inevitable. Mr. Csorba cites a recent study by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor that suggests a positive correlation between the time a person spends on Facebook and their level of negative emotions.

2. The media favors hypersuccessful millennials. The media's enthusiasm for young people realizing huge success creates unrealistic ideas of success and unattainable expectations among the general population. Mr. Csorba calls lists like Forbes "30 under 30" a "double-edged sword," because while such publications help celebrate their peers' successes, they also tell millennials that they aren't doing enough.

3. Innumerable options for career paths and constant striving to realize potential. Mr. Csorba cites the book Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life, in which author and psychologist Adam Phillips writes, "We are always haunted by the myth of our potential." While many millennial interviewees indicated they believe it is possible to achieve their dreams, the growing ability to seek and try new experiences also increases the opportunity of missing possibly important chances.
Chief experience officers, or other similarly titled leaders, are one of the newest members of the hospital and health system C-suite, tasked with managing and improving patients' experience within the healthcare system. CXOs have gained scope and respect in the C-suite as studies show how experience affects all aspects of care.

"Experience does relate closely to things like quality, to safety," Liz Boehm, director of Vocera Experience Innovation Network, said during the Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual Meeting in Chicago on April 29. "We know that generally when there's a better patient experience, you see better safety outcomes."

Ms. Boehm shared key points from a 2016 survey and study by Vocera's Experience Innovation Network covering the evolution of the CXO. Since the position is still relatively new, the study uncovered some growing pains the position is going through at various organizations in the industry.

Five points from the study are highlighted below.

1. Experience is now a highly strategic position, but governance structure varies significantly. Thirty-nine percent of experience leaders in healthcare organizations report directly to the CEO or president, up from 32 percent in 2015's survey. Ms. Boehm cited Sutter Health in Sacramento, Calif., as a unique example of structure. "Sutter Health said experience really is the overarching umbrella. If somebody has a bad clinical outcome, they've had a poor experience. If somebody has a hugely disrupted or inefficient process, they've had a bad experience," Ms. Boehm said. As a result, Sutter put its senior vice president of patient experience as the top leader on the patient safety side of things, with the CNO and others in roles related to patient safety reporting directly to him.

2. CXO responsibilities still focus within the hospital, as 40 percent of experience leaders are not responsible for primary care settings. That means experience leadership is still catching up with accountable care. However, "the more mature organizations get in terms of managing experience, the more likely they are to look across that continuum," Ms. Boehm said. For example, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health created an office of patient experience that addresses experience across the care continuum, including primary and specialty care, urgent and emergency care, hospital and acute care, and post-acute care.

3. Experience leaders are still focusing on scores, not innovation. While 64 percent of survey respondents said creating or improving the experience culture was one of their top three priorities, 63 percent still said a priority is to improve patient experience scores. "To chase scores is a very different thing than [implementing] something into your culture," she said. "That can be something of a conflict."

Meanwhile, just 13 percent said a priority is to create innovative new care models and experiences that drive differentiation. "In my mind, that is the ultimate goal of experience," Ms. Boehm said.

4. Physicians are still missing from the experience conversation. "Experience doesn't have to be led necessarily by the physician, but physicians need to be part of the conversationThey are the leaders of the healthcare team, and if they're not leading what the experience should be, it won't get very far," Ms. Boehm said. However, just 12 percent of survey respondents said they have a medical degree. Additionally, just 4 percent of respondents said physicians are active leaders of experience improvement efforts in their organizations. Ms. Boehm said when organizations have at least a physician ally for patient experience improvement, they are the most successful.

For example, Meridian Health in Neptune, N.J., uses a dyad partnership between its CNO and CMO who are passionate about experience to drive engagement.

5. The role of the patient and family voice is still growing. According to Ms. Boehm, having a single patient/family advisory council is a great place to start, and 54 percent of organizations reported having such a council. Even better would be to have patient/family partners dedicated to every improvement project, which 28 percent of organizations reported having in place. "The thing that scares me is that 7 percent of respondents think they can do patient experience or experience improvement without patients and families," Ms. Boehm said. "That just doesn't make any sense to me."

She used the example of University of Colorado Health in Aurora to illustrate her point. UCHealth changed its policy, without consulting patients, to match cancer patients with a familiar nurse during each visit. However, patients reported their top priority was to get in and out of their chemotherapy appointments as quickly as possible, the health system changed protocol to match patients with the next available nurse, thus shortening wait times and improving patient experience.
The emphasis on population health management and increasing proliferation of accountable care initiatives is changing the structure of healthcare organizations. While traditional leadership roles will continue to manage hospitals' operations and employees, new positions designed to guide organizations as they traverse from volume- to value-based care models have already begun to emerge.

"Just look at the variety of titles of folks presenting at this conference," Mark Laney, MD, president and CEO of St. Joseph, Mo.-based Mosaic Life Care, said at Becker's Hospital Review's 7th Annual Meeting in Chicago. "There's a chief patient experience officer, chief of business intelligence, director of strategic performance, chief of network integration, chief of population health, chief of market solutions. The list can go on."

As hospitals and health systems set out to navigate the new demands and influences impacting the industry, the need to create new roles becomes evident. However, developing and embedding new roles comes with its own challenges, according to David Bjork, PhD, senior vice president and senior advisor at Integrated Healthcare Strategies.

"These new jobs are often developed on the fly," Dr. Bjork said. "The accountabilities of the jobs are vague because they are invented as they go. There is no existing labor market to compare to and the jobs aren't standardized  often the people who are doing it are learning on the job."

It takes a certain type of person to fill a newly created role, Dr. Bjork added. They must have a strong entrepreneurial drive, be flexible and be a strong collaborator but also a team player. Many organizations set their sights on individuals in leadership roles in other industries, such as health insurance or retail. But regardless of where the individual comes from, a key element of creating a new leadership role is designing the job functions around the individual's talents and skill sets, not the other way around.

On top of recruiting, the other principal challenge associated with creating new leadership roles is determining the appropriate level of pay. Because new positions like chief patient experience officer or chief of population health are just beginning to surface, there is little to no data available for boards to use as a basis for setting compensation.

According to Dr. Bjork, this is up to the board to decide, but it must approach the process carefully.

"There isn't a right rate of pay for [a newly created role]," he said. "It must be tuned for the person based on his or her competencies, skills and experience they bring to the job  you're not just matching medians."

Anthony Bohn, system vice president and chief human resources officer at Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare, emphasized that ultimately, the pay must be sensible.

"At the end of the day, you must be able to say, 'This is reasonable,'" he said. "Even though it may be hard to clearly outline responsibilities and data is lagging for people in these new roles, you have to be able to prove reasonableness." Additionally, documenting precisely how a salary is decided upon will be critical if there are every compensation-related issues down the road, as well as for recording data.

And like all change in healthcare, overcoming hurdles during the creation of new leadership requires a concerted effort, education and patience.

"All of these new and evolving positions take time," said Dr. Laney. "It takes time to develop the person and the new program they are heading. As an industry, we need to be able to put teams together that will work three or four years from now. You can't just flip a switch and turn these programs on."
Stanford (Calif.) Health Care teamed up with private real estate firm Irvine Company to open on Monday the San Francisco Bay Area's first express care clinic in an apartment community.

The clinic, open every day 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., is housed in the River View Apartment Homes in San Jose, Calif., a luxury apartment community with 1,308 units. It has a staff of 10 primary care physicians and additional nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who will provide consumers with same- and next-day appointments for minor illnesses and injuries, as well as lab services and referrals.

The goal of the partnership is to make care easily accessible and convenient for consumers.

"Modern life is busy and hectic, and convenience and access is really important to people, so offering healthcare to people closer to where they live or work is part of our vision for the future," Sang-ick Chang, MD, associate dean for primary care at Stanford School of Medicine, said in a statement announcing the partnership. He added, "This new partnership will increase access to Stanford's world class faculty and cutting-edge treatments not only for River View residents, but for the entire San Jose community."

Irvine Company has launched similar partnerships with San Diego-based Scripps Health and St. Joseph Hoag Health in Orange County, Calif.

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Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services has completed its acquisition of bankrupt Saint Michael's Medical Center in Newark, N.J.

Financially troubled Saint Michael's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last August. The state began reviewing the sale of the hospital to Prime in December 2012, and Saint Michael's said the extended consideration of the transaction is the chief reason it filed for bankruptcy.

Prime has agreed to buy Saint Michael's for $62 million and invest $50 million to modernize the hospital. In addition, Prime has hired "substantially all" of Saint Michael's employees and has reached agreements with the hospital's three labor unions.

With the addition of Saint Michael's, Prime operates 43 hospitals, five of which are in New Jersey.

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UPMC, Jameson Health System finalize merger
Jameson Health System, a single hospital system in New Castle, Pa., has merged with Pittsburgh-based UPMC and changed its name to UPMC Jameson.

The UPMC-Jameson merger has been in the works for nearly two years. The process of joining the two began in September 2014, when Jameson signed a letter of intent to merge with UPMC. They signed a definitive merger agreement last February.

The organizations had hoped the deal would be approved by the state attorney general and close last spring, but the decision was delayed due to antitrust concerns. The transaction was issued another setback last August, when the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office recommended Jameson look for other buyers before finalizing the deal with UPMC due to the potential antitrust issues associated with the deal. In January, the state attorney general said she would not oppose the proposed merger.

Under the final agreement, UPMC will take over Jameson's pension obligations and make capital improvements at the hospital over the next two years. UPMC will also dedicate $10 million to physician recruitment in the region.

UPMC Jameson President Doug Danko expressed excitement about the transaction.

"The strongest solution for a healthy future for our communities has been achieved through our proud affiliation with UPMC," he said. "We are now positioned to become stronger than ever."

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Rocky Allen, a former surgical technician, worked at several hospitals across the U.S. before being arrested and indicted on drug diversion charges earlier this year. Now, many of the hospitals that employed Mr. Allen are facing lawsuits of their own.

For instance, Englewood, Colo.-based Swedish Medical Center  which fired Mr. Allen in January and was the last place he was employed prior to his February arrest  was sued in March by former patients. Their suit claims Swedish was negligent in hiring and improperly supervising Mr. Allen and caused distress for thousands of patients, because drug diversion can put patients at risk for bloodborne infections.

Swedish Medical Center isn't the only former employer of Mr. Allen now facing lawsuits. Also in March, Denver-based attorney James Avery filed suits on behalf of patients against Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Ariz., and HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center in Phoenix, according to the Glendale Star.

Most recently, several patients sued Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., a hospital that employed Mr. Allen in 2013. They are suing for pain and suffering, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Scripps, for one, issued a statement to the Union-Tribune, saying "the case has no merit" and that "Scripps acted responsibly both in its supervision of Mr. Allen and in responding to the information it received long after his employment was terminated."

Mr. Avery, the attorney, told the Union-Tribune there are six plaintiffs in San Diego, 20 in Arizona, 150 in Colorado and 12 in Washington  where Mr. Allen was employed at Northwest Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle  tied to the debacle with Mr. Allen.
Eugene Litvak claims to have the answer to overcrowding in hospital emergency rooms, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Mr. Litvak, a former Soviet mathematician and systems engineer, is CEO and co-founder of the Boston-based Institute for Healthcare Optimization. He is regarded by some hospital executives as a genius and a pioneer of hospital operations management improvement.

Clients who have adopted Mr. Litvak's methods said they have seen millions of dollars in added revenues and avoided unnecessary construction costs, while reducing medical errors, overtime pay and ER waiting times, according to the report.

The beginnings of Mr. Litvak's methods can be traced back to his time working at Boston University. While there, he found that hospital patient occupancy rates are extremely variable, according to the report.

"I learned that the cause of these patient spikes wasn't the overcrowded emergency rooms, but hospital operating rooms where surgeries are performed," Mr. Litvak told the Chicago Tribune. "That was an 'Aha moment' for me."

Hospitals attempt to resolve their overcrowding problem by adding more emergency room beds and building new patient wings, rather than exploring patient flow, at a cost of $1 million to $2.5 million per bed, according to the report. But Mr. Litvak discovered that the real problem was OR schedules, rather than bed shortages, the report notes.

"We found that OR surgery schedules compete for the same hospital beds as ER patients," he told the Chicago Tribune. "Surgeries are among the most lucrative hospital procedures. So hospital CEOs cultivate surgeons and allow them to perform all of their surgeries on one day per week to accommodate their busy schedules."

With these findings in mind, Mr. Litvak eventually left Boston University and co-founded IHO in 2009 to consult for hospitals. According to the report, he has since had his methods validated by the Oak Brook, Ill.-based Joint Commission, several state hospital associations and published studies.

"What Litvak recognized  and that is the true genius of his approach  is that variability of patient flow is in our control," Ellis "Mac" Knight, MD, CMO and senior vice president for the Atlanta-based healthcare consulting firm The Coker Group, told the Chicago Tribune. "We can't control how many people get sick or get in car wrecks and come into the ER, but we can control the number of elective surgeries. He showed that if you can smooth out the number of elective surgeries scheduled throughout the week, you can eliminate the peaks and valleys and dramatically impact the efficiency and safety of hospital operations," he explained.
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics is notifying the families of 124 pediatric patients after discovering they may have been given more nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, than is recommended.

According to The Gazette, pediatric patients who visited the Iowa City-based Pediatric Dentistry Clinic between March 1 and April 20 may have been affected. The problem stems from a tube that was improperly installed after a remodel.

Some patients "had no problems at all," Michael Kanellis, DDS, associate dean for patient care at the UI College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, told The Gazette. However, some patients did exhibit problems, such as not responding as would be expected, feeling nauseated or falling asleep during the visit.

The problem was uncovered after providers reported adverse reactions to the department chair and administrators then notified the building staff. When the root cause of the problem was discovered April 20, dentists stopped all use of laughing gas for roughly two days until it was fixed.

The letter sent to families of potentially affected children warn of the issue and ask to confirm if the children are doing well, according to The Gazette.

"As always, the safety and health of our patients is our first concern. We are focused on helping them understand the risk and seek the appropriate evaluation and treatment if needed," Dr. Kanellis told The Gazette.
Morgantown, W.Va.,-based West Virginia University Medicine is looking for new hires to support its expanding facilities, according to Metro News.

The opening of a new 10-story, 114-bed hospital tower in January 2017 will create at least 750 jobs. Deveran George, WVU Medicine human resource manager, said the health system is already starting to look for employees to add to its ranks.

"We know that it's not too early to start hiring for those expansions," said Ms. George. "It takes time to orient and train new employees."

Additional employees will also be needed to support a new outpatient surgery center in Fairmont, W.Va.

WVU Medicine is hosting an open interview event May 2 to find approximately 500 new workers, according to the report.

"Folks can be interviewed on the spot for opportunities or even for those just wanting to learn more about a potential career with WVU Medicine, we'll have folks there onsite to talk through that process," said Ms. George, according to the report.
Spineology launched its Palisade Pedicular Fixation System in the United States market.

Here are four key notes:

1. The system is designed to minimize surgical invasiveness and enhance efficiency.

2. The system features integrated break-off screw extensions and quick start screw design.

3. Neurosurgeons Peter Liechty, MD, and Deepak Awasthi, MD, of Thibodaux (La.) Regional Medical Center, were the first surgeons to use the system.

4. Spineology will be showcasing the Palisade system at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting, April 30 to May 4 in Chicago.
Of the 10 most profitable U.S. hospitals, seven are nonprofits, based on a Health Affairs study, according to wdtn.com. However, many nonprofits may risk this profit margin if states require them to pay taxes.

Here are six takeaways:

1. Of the hospitals studied, only 12 percent made profits of more than $1,000 per discharged patient from insurer, government or patient payments.

2. Fifty-five percent of hospitals lost money from patient care, and nearly 33 percent made up to $1,000 per patient.

3. Nonprofits, including the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Ill., made the list of hospitals earning money from patient care. In January, an Illinois appeals court ruled a state law permitting hospitals to avoid taxes was unconstitutional. Carle Foundation Hospital made an appeal and the Illinois Supreme Court is expected to review the court's decision.

4. When the Carle Foundation Hospital stopped paying $6.5 million a year in property taxes, the city of Urbana lost 11 percent of its assessed tax value, according to Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing. A hospital spokesperson countered the hospital provided $25.8 million in charity care in 2013.

5. If states implement taxation for hospitals, those hospitals operating on relatively thin margins may have to decrease offered service, lay-off staff and delay equipment purchases or facility upgrades.

6. Health Affairs study authors said because hospital care comprises a large portion of U.S. healthcare spending, it is imperative to understand which hospitals make money and how public policy impacts them. For instance, hospitals affiliated with larger healthcare systems and who had less competition made more of a profit margin, disproving the notion consumers should be concerned about consolidation.

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Employers have a "significant" reliance on workers from the EU and any barrier to free movement would be "detrimental to Northern Ireland's manufacturing renaissance", it's been claimed.

One study has said the UK is reliant on EU workers, especially in manufacturing, accommodation and food services.

EU employees are generally educated to a higher level than UK-born staff, with only 15% having left formal education before the age of 17 compared with 44% of those born in this country, it was found.

And it's Northern Ireland's food manufacturers and processors which have the most to lose from a Brexit, according to Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI.

EU employees represent 5% of occupations such as managers, directors and professionals, although high numbers also work in jobs requiring no formal qualifications such as cleaners and shelf-fillers, according to research by the Social Market Foundation and Adecco.

There are currently 1.6 million EU workers employed in the public or private sectors, making up 6% of all UK employees, said the report.

Stephen Kelly of Manufacturing NI said: "Our food processing in particular has enjoyed the benefit of having workers from other parts of the EU, working on processing lines.

"In addition, the growth of some of our engineering firms has been supported by the arrival of talented, experienced and productive welders.

"The free movement of labour has also helped our companies in Northern Ireland with work across Europe, and any barrier to that, in our view, would be detrimental to Northern Ireland's manufacturing renaissance.

"I'm sure the likes of the big processors would have a lot of EU labour, as do other parts of manufacturing."

And he said it was a "two-way street" with workers from Northern Ireland moving to other parts of the EU for employment.

Many Northern Ireland manufacturers have plants elsewhere in the EU, including Delta Packaging in west Belfast.

The company - which makes packaging for firms including McDonald's, Kellogg's and KFC - opened a new factory in Poland last year.

Speaking about the new report, Adam Hawkins, managing director of the Adecco Group, said: "This research raises serious questions about the potential impact of Brexit. With 1.6 million EU workers currently working in the UK, making up 6% of all UK employees, thousands of businesses could be left in limbo for years following a vote to leave.

"Uncertainty is bad for business, particularly those looking to hire and invest in the future.

"The recruitment industry has seen a significant slowdown in the number of businesses looking to hire permanent staff as we draw nearer to the referendum.

"Any change to the UK's relationship with the EU could hinder UK businesses' ability to attract the workforce needed for our industries."

Nigel Keohane, director of research at the Social Market Foundation, said: "This new research shows the extent to which UK organisations employ workers from the EU."
Pictured announcing the investment are (l-r): John Dolan, Managing Director, Cardinal Capital Group, Paul McElvaney, CEO, Learning Pool, Jonathan Cosgrave, Managing Director, The Carlyle Group.

A major Irish investment fund has bought a stake in Londonderry tech firm Learning Pool.

Learning Pool, which produces e-learning software, employs 80 people in Londonderry, along with a handful of others across the UK.

But it's understood the Carlyle Cardinal fund has made its first Northern Ireland investment in the business, but it thought to be worth seven figures.

Neither party has disclosed the financial terms of the investment.

The group's equity investment normally range between 3.4m) and 34m.

Founded in 2006 by CEO Paul McElvaney, the firm services clients in the UK, Ireland and internationally.

It claims that every day a community of 1.25 million learners across 350 companies and government bodies uses its products and services to meet compliance requirements.

Mr McElvaney said that his firm had doubled its turnover over the last three years.

"This investment will fast track our growth and allows us to build out our technology and content at a quicker pace for our customers benefit," he said.

"Im excited about the next phase of Learning Pools growth that will see us deliver more product innovation and significant expansion of our customer base and our team.

And The Carlyle Group said that it was looking for more investment opportunities in Northern Ireland.

Jonathan Cosgrave, managing director, The Carlyle Group said:

Learning Pool is well positioned to continue growing its share of the estimated 675m UK e-learning market, he said.

"Were also delighted to complete our first investment in Northern Ireland and we continue to look at other potential investments in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Last year, another home-grown Londonderry software firm was taken over in a deal worth almost 27m.

Cambridge-based Aveva acquired 8over8 for 27.9m.

Based at the North West Regional Science Park in Londonderry, home-grown firm 8over8 sprang up as a spin-out from the city's university.
Bombardier's largest single order for its new passenger jets could be worth around 400m to the aerospace giant's Belfast workforce, it's been claimed.

The Canadian-owned firm secured a deal to sell 75 of its CS100 jets to Delta Airlines, with the potential for a further 50 orders.

It's a much-needed contract, valued at close to 4bn.

And the deal is worth anywhere between 300m and 400m for Bombardier's Belfast operations, according to Martin J Craigs, former Shorts/Bombardier worker and ex-chief executive of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

Bombardier employs around 5,000 staff here. And it has grown its team working on the C Series. It was originally producing just the wings for both the CS100 and CS300 jets. But it has grown to building the fuselages for the planes.

Mr Craigs said the latest deal would be worth around 10% to 15% of the total contract for Bombardier in Belfast.

But he said that secrecy due to "intense competition from airlines" often means there is no official breakdown in costs.

"Bombardier Belfast will not see all those deal details. They are effectively a sub-contractor who gets allocated a slice of the cake as the head cook sees fit," he said.

But Mr Craigs said the latest deal was "vindication for Bombardier".

"The US airlines are going through what some people have called hyper-consolidation, and are making much higher profits," he said.

"Naturally, for Bombardier, that's a good customer to have. An order from Delta is a strong vindication for Bombardier."

And it comes at a key time for the business, after the company revealed it was cutting 1,080 jobs here over a two-year period.

Bombardier said the deal was a "watershed moment". Belfast boss Michael Ryan said it was "a further endorsement of the aircraft's excellent operating economics and environmental credentials, to which we in Belfast are contributing with the production of the advanced composite wings."

"We believe the unique, patented process we've developed represents a step change in aircraft wing technology, and is strengthening the UK's strategic goal of being the world leader in aircraft wing design and manufacture."

Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly said the deal was another "sign of confidence in the company" and highlighted the "ingenuity" of the workers in Northern Ireland.

Last year, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that the workforce here had made between 15 and 20 fuselage mid-sections for the aircraft after work was transferred from the company's manufacturing partner in China to Northern Ireland.
American Airlines - the biggest carrier in the US - takes delivery of new premium economy seats made in Northern Ireland later this year, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

The company launches its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in August - featuring seats made by B/E Aerospace, a global company employing 800 people in Kilkeel.

While the exact seating plan for the new 787-9 is a closely-guarded secret, its understood there will be 21 premium economy seats on every craft.

And with a total of 22 on order, B/E Aerospace would be making a total of 1,386 for American Airlines. B/E Aerospace also confirmed last night that it would be making seats for all three seating classes on Amercian Airlines' new A350s.

David Thomas, the airline's regional director for the UK/Ireland, Middle East and Africa, told the Belfast Telegraph it started working with B/E Aerospace after problems with former supplier Zodiac Aerospace.

American Airlines is the first US airline to introduce a full premium economy product.

B/E Aerospace in Kilkeel has made economy and business-class seating for airlines including British Airways, Emirates, Qatar, Air France, Qantas, Continental, United, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Cathay Pacific.

Mr Thomas also said air passenger duty is "stifling" the travel industry in Northern Ireland.

And he said US Airways - now part of American Airlines following a merger last year - had actively considered Northern Ireland for a route.

American Airlines has nine US hubs and carried 201,249,000 passengers in 2015. From Dublin, it flies to JFK, Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte and from Shannon to Philadelphia.

It has an agreement with British Airways and its fellow IAG airlines to share access across their networks as part of the One World programme - and he said that arrangement could be extended to cover Aer Lingus, now a sister company of British Airways after the Irish airline was taken over by IAG.

He said the company looked at opportunities in Northern Ireland but added: "I think there are some things that stifle demand here such as the APD and that's a problem across the UK.

"The demand out of Dublin is much greater because there's no tax and we also have pre-clearance. I think the UK needs to look at aviation in a bit of a different way to promote demand rather than stifle it.

"We have investigated Belfast and will continue to do so. Right now there's no plans, but that could change.

And he said his main concern with APD was that it was not ploughed back into the industry. "If you're going to charge a tax back into the aviation system, that's okay with us, but when you have such a large tax that stifles demand and isn't used for aviation, that is different."

And Mr Thomas said the airline was concerned about the implications of a Brexit but was taking no stance on it. "It's really difficult to say because there are so many unknowns. People speculate it won't affect trade and others that it will.

"There's no hard facts. Our business revolves around the movement of business and cargo.

"We are a little nervous about what will happen and will it stifle growth. Will we have to make adjustments to fly cargo over the UK? Will there suddenly be a border here in Ireland?

"We have so many employees from various parts of Europe, including Irish employees from the Republic employed in London.

"That will be complicated - will we need visas, work permits?"

He said that American Airlines may consider the C Series from Bombardier at some point.

"It will be interesting to see how reliable and how comfortable it is - because for us, those are the two main things. But it's still fairly new and there's just not enough of them out there to know," he said.

Its pipeline of new orders was already stretching out into 2019, with firm orders from Boeing and Airbus and options for after 2019.

"We want small to medium sized business to know that we have some great product for them," said Mr Thomas. "We have two salespeople on the ground in Northern Ireland, so it's not always easy to reach everyone."
Belfast International Airport's passenger numbers have increased by 16%  rising to 400,000 last month.

The provisional figure for April traffic includes the first month of operation of Ryanair on the London Gatwick route.

The airport handled almost 400,000 passengers in April. It comes after numbers also increased by 12% a month earlier.

Belfast International boss Graham Keddie said passenger numbers could soon push the airport back into the top 10 in the UK.

Speaking about the latest figures for April, Mr Keddie said the performance was strong and getting stronger.

Our airlines, easyJet, Jet2, Wizz, Ryanair and United put in impressive performances. Charter activity is also picking up and we expect that aspect of the business to make a significant contribution this month.

Our summer season is set to be the one of the busiest ever. Weve got the return of Virgin and, of course, the green and white army exodus next month for Euro 2016. We have thirteen charters signed up to airlift the fans and, when you add the number of passengers who will use scheduled services to get to match venues, were gearing up to handle an additional 5,000 or so passengers.

This level of activity will see the airport easily break the five million-mark this year. Our performance is strong and getting stronger.

We have new Ryanair routes coming on-stream in the autumn which will drive passenger numbers up by well over one million.

Ryanair says it could have 40 routes operating from Belfast International Airport and four million passengers in the next two to three years.

It made a grand return to Belfast in March, launching its Gatwick route. A further seven routes followed, and there are now 11 locations it flies to from Belfast.

Mr Keddie said: Looking ahead, 2017 will be a bumper year for us and its when we will also host the international Routes Europe Conference. Were still trying to develop new long-haul services to Canada, in particular, and the Middle East, and that is where the new 4 million Air Development Fund can play a major part.
The London market sank into the red as weak economic data from China sparked fresh fears of a global economic slowdown.

The FTSE 100 Index hit a three-week low, down 56.3 points to 6185.6 points, as negativity spread across European markets after Chinese manufacturing data for April showed activity shrank for the 14th month in a row.

The economic update from the Far East took its toll on commodity stocks, with mining giant Anglo American leading the market lower, plummeting nearly 13% or 97.7p to 665.7p.

Miners Antofagasta and Rio Tinto were also among the biggest fallers, dropping 35.5p to 447.7p and 146p to 2154.5p respectively, amid concerns that China's consumption of commodities will fall if its economic growth starts to slacken.

Brent crude also heaped pressure onto commodities as it slipped 1.6% to 45.1 US dollars a barrel, with Royal Dutch Shell down 24.5p to 1761.5p ahead of its first quarter results tomorrow.

Across Europe, Germany's Dax was nearly 2% lower and the Cac 40 in France slipped 1.6%, as they felt the force of the manufacturing update from China, which came in below market expectations at 49.4 last month, according to the Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI).

Banking stocks also came under fire after HSBC posted a sharp drop in profits for the first three months of the year after it was hit by "extreme levels of volatility" in financial markets in January and February.

The banking giant was more than 1% down after reporting an 18% fall in underlying pre-tax profits to 5.43 billion US dollars (3.7 billion) for the first quarter.

On a bottom-line basis, profits fell 14% to 6.11 billion US dollars (4.2 billion).

Standard Chartered was down 31.8p to 520.3p, while Barclays slipped 6.8p to 164.8p and Royal Bank of Scotland dropped 7.5p to 222.5p.

On the currency markets, the pound was down 0.8% against the dollar at 1.453, as Britain's manufacturing sector saw activity contract for the first time in more than three years in the latest sign that the EU referendum is hurting the UK economy, according to a survey.

The closely watched Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing purchasing managers' index showed a reading of 49.2 in April - the first time the index has fallen below the critical 50 mark since March 2013. A reading below 50 signals falling output.

Sterling was also down 0.6% against the euro at 1.264.

In stocks, HSBC fell 7.5p to 445.1p as the bank said it put in a "resilient" performance in difficult market conditions, with the entire investment banking sector suffering after stock markets tumbled at the start of 2016 amid an oil price rout.

Aberdeen Asset Management was more than 7% lower after the fund group saw interim profits nearly halve as it continued to suffer amid an emerging markets rout.

The firm said pre-tax profits tumbled to 98.8 million in the six months to March 31, down from 185.4 million a year earlier after investors continued to head for the exit.

Shares were down 22p to 276.7p.

RSA Insurance Group was the best performer on the London market, as it stepped up nearly 3% following an upgrade from Barclays to overweight from equal-weight.

Away from the top tier, o nline takeaway firm Just Eat soared nearly 4% or 18.8pp to 402.3p as upped its full-year profit guidance after increasing the amount it charges restaurants in the UK.

The biggest risers in the FTSE 100 Index were RSA Insurance up 12.9p to 472p, Carnival up 86p to 3483p, Admiral Group up 46p to 1903p, Sage Group up 11.5p to 603.5p.

The biggest fallers were Anglo American down 97.7p to 665.7p, Glencore down 13.1p to 149.8p, Antofagasta down 35.5p to 447.7p, Rio Tinto down 146p to 2154.5p.
A Co Tyrone businessman who once employed around 100 people in Omagh says his companies have been forced to close their doors by US vulture fund Cerberus.

The businesses run by the Daly family are thought to have been former clients of Ulster Bank whose loans were sold to Cerberus.

The family operates a number of businesses in the town, including Culmore Service Station, Daly's Bar on High Street and the Embankment in Old Market Place.

The Vault nightclub was also closed over the bank holiday weekend - traditionally a busy time for the hospitality industry.

However, Sean Daly, who runs the businesses, said he was "very hopeful" they would reopen soon.

"The Daly family have made a major financial investment in Omagh pre-2007, employing approximately 100 people across all three businesses," he told the Ulster Herald.

"Like all families and businesses we were hit very hard by the recession and downturn in trade." Cerberus was not available for comment.

Ulster Bank sold two portfolios of loans to Cerberus under Project Rathlin in 2015 and Project Aran in 2014.

In March, Ulster Bank confirmed it had written to some small businesses andfarmers in Northern Ireland giving them two weeks to refinance problem debts or risk their loans being sold off by the bank.

One source has said the Daly loans may have been part of an earlier batch sold by the bank.

The bank would not say how many businesses were affected by the March's proposed sale. It said that the move affected just a small number of businesses in Northern Ireland, with the majority of businesses affected based in the Republic of Ireland.

Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill said many of the organisation's members were worried about the potential sale of loans.

"With our members, it's mainly property debt, and most of it can be worked through if the businesses are given the opportunity to do so," he said.

"The worry is that the loans could be sold to someone who just wants to realise the assets and not work with the businesses.

"The concern is not just about the loans which have already been sold but what the bank might do with the loans it still has."

Omagh Independent councillor Sorcha McAnespy said there would be a "massive knock-on effect" caused by the closure of the businesses.

"One of the biggest travesties is that they are very decent people. They are part of the community and they employ a lot of local people too and they look after their employees," she said.

"Here in Omagh, we are quite isolated and there's not many jobs about, so when you have a person giving proper full-time jobs with their businesses it's very welcome."
The purchase of Junction One retail park was one of several big transactions

Investment in commercial property in Northern Ireland exceeded 120m during the start of the year, buoyed by vulture fund Cerberus clearing out their loan book.

And it is London investment firm Tristan Capital which has made the biggest inroads into Northern Irelands property market, accounting for 150m in investment during 2015, according to a new report from commercial property agency Lisney.

It took on a number of high-profile retail parks and businesses, including part-financing the 32m deal to buy Junction One and The Outlet.

The largest investment of the year so far has been the 54.2m purchase of Bangors Bloomfield Shopping Centre by Elandi with Tristan Capital.

Other notable sales included Capital House in Belfast, which was sold to Dublin-based Melcorpo, and Wirefoxs purchase of Oxford House and Gloucester House.

And there is around 140m worth of property on sale across Belfast and Northern Ireland.

That includes Citi Groups Belfast headquarters, Damolly Retail Park in Newry and Riverside Retail Park in Coleraine.

Declan Flynn, managing director of Lisney Northern Ireland, said: The Northern Ireland commercial property market has enjoyed a buoyant 2016 thus far, driven largely by sustained investment transaction volumes and private equity funds selling out their loan books.

Cerberus has been particularly active in this period, agreeing the 15-acre Sirocco site opposite Belfasts Waterfront Hall, the Castlebawn development site in Newtownards and the long-awaited Royal Exchange development site in Belfast city centre.

Encouragingly, demand remains strong for assets which are currently on the market and priced correctly.

The purchase of Bloomfield shopping centre at a net initial yield of 7.66% provides an indication of the opportunities which the region currently offers, while illustrating a tightening of the yield gap with comparable UK product.

But while Lisney says the beginning of the year has remained strong, it expects investment to decline in the second quarter, as the UK gears up to vote on whether to exit, or remain part of, the EU.

Mr Flynn said: While this encouraging start to 2016 paints a positive picture for the market for the rest of the year as a whole, we predict the number of investment transactions will decline in the next few months before recovering again towards the end of the year.

The reason for this is the uncertainty which abounds ahead of the European Referendum, about the potential impacts of Brexit.

We expect that most investors will take stock and await the outcome of the EU vote, as well as local elections, before making any further investment decisions.

Speaking about the office, retail and industrial markets, Mr Flynn highlighted the challenges facing the sector, chiefly the lack of top-end grade A office space got continually worse throughout 2015 and this has been compounded further in recent months.

In the absence of new developments coming to the market, the gap between demand and supply will undoubtedly grow, he said.

Our research tells us there are a number of active requirements which the current supply cannot fulfil, notably that of Her Majestys Revenue & Customs (HMRC) seeking 100,000 sq ft of grade A space.

This shortage will put further pressure on rents, which have been rising steadily since 2014.

Demand continues to be strong for prime city centre retail pitches and we are aware of a number of occupiers with either active requirements or deals currently at the legal stage.

Looking ahead, we expect prime locations to carry on performing strongly with secondary pitches benefiting as a result  and regional towns continuing their slow revival.

Mr Flynn added: The industrial market also continues to experience low levels of noteworthy transactions, due largely to the lack of availability of space over 50,000 sq ft, while demand is suffering from low oil and commodity prices.
British firm Reckitt Benckiser has apologised and has pledged to compensate hundreds of those killed or injured by deadly disinfectants it sold in South Korea.

The move came five years after the government ordered the company to remove the offending products from shelves for health risks.

Ataur Safdar, head of Reckitt Benckiser's Korean division, said the company accepted responsibility and wanted to make amends.

He spoke at a news conference where he was interrupted by angry and tearful victims and family members who swore and hit him.

A teenager using an oxygen tank, and four other people who were apparently victims or their families, walked to the stage to confront Mr Safdar.

"Can you save the child? What are you going to do?" said a woman, in a scene broadcast live on television. "Why did it take so long?" a man said.

Mr Safdar said the company, based in Slough, Berkshire, will come up with a plan to compensate victims. It will also provide 10 billion won (6 million) to a humanitarian fund for them, including 3m it had previously pledged.

He called the day "an important milestone in achieving progress for victims".

But the victims and families rejected the apology, appealing to the South Korean public to punish Reckitt Benckiser with a boycott.

In a press conference outside the prosecutors' office, victims and campaigners lined up the products made by Reckitt Benckiser and asked the public not to buy them.

The apology came as South Korean prosecutors were investigating Reckitt Benckiser and about a dozen other companies for selling or manufacturing unsafe disinfectants. Earlier the company had refused to take responsibility.

In a separate statement after the press conference, civic groups representing the victims said they planned to file a complaint against Rakesh Kapoor, the British company's chief executive officer, and the company's seven other board members for failing to conduct safety tests before the disinfectants' launch in 2001 and until sales were discontinued in 2011.

The victims have already filed a complaint against 10 disinfectant manufacturers and 19 companies that sold the products.

The health risks from the disinfectants came to light in 2011 with mysterious lung ailments that killed pregnant women. Later that year, authorities said the chemicals PHMG and PGH in the disinfectants that many South Korean households used to cleanse humidifiers were to blame.

Nearly all households in South Korea use a humidifier during the dry winter season. Most victims were children and pregnant women who had the most exposure to the chemicals emitted by their home humidifiers.

South Korea's government said it would compensate 221 confirmed victims, 95 of whom died. Another 309 people were denied government compensation on the grounds they had not proven their sicknesses were linked to the chemicals.

Civic groups said the government tally understates the number of victims. They estimate that the disinfectants killed 239 and injured 1,289. Officials are investigating and expect more applications for compensation.

Reckitt Benckiser sold millions of bottles of disinfectants containing the harmful chemicals for about a decade.

A report posted by the US National Institutes of Health says the chemical PHMG can pose a "impose a critical health hazard when inhaled in the form of droplets". The NIH has also recorded acute toxic effects for both PHMG and PGH
The cast of Smock Alley leave the Lyric Players Theatre in 1967 for a festival in Wexford. From left to right are Sam and Joan McCready, Maureen Ashe, Louis Ralston and Chris Raphael

Sam McCready isn't ready to join the pipe and slippers gang just yet. Now approaching 80, the Belfast man is embarking on a week-long run at The Lyric in a play about Percy French, one of Ireland's foremost songwriters.

Actor, writer, director, teacher and transatlantic traveller Sam McCready, who even on the cusp of 80 makes the Duracell Bunny look like a slacker, reckons they should take the word 'retirement' out of the vocabulary.

And he certainly shows no sign of slowing down just yet as he prepares for a week-long run at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast in his newest play about Percy French, the writer and painter who immortalised the Mountains of Mourne in song.

Sam's enthusiasm for living and for working is boundless, even at a time when most people his age have settled for the quiet life. "I am full of energy and ideas," he says. "My imagination is as powerful as ever.

"I recently went for my annual physical check-up with my doctor and he said he had seen 30-year-olds who weren't as healthy as I am.

"My passions for work and life are central to who I am. I love being the age I am. It's an adventure and I feel terrific. But I am also interested in conquering all those things about getting older and retiring.

"I think we need to keep going on. Obviously if you have a catastrophic illness, you can't do that. But for me, I am on top of the world. And I have a wonderful wife, Joan, who has always been by my side."

The McCreadys, who met at Stranmillis College in 1958, have also experienced grief in their lives after their prison chaplain son Julian died six years ago at the age of 47.

Sam has spoken of the terrible gap that Julian's passing left in the family, but he and Joan are still extremely close to their other son Richard who lives in the States where he is an award-winning music teacher.

Sam's latest show Percy French: Melodies of Unforgotten Years, was commissioned by the Newcastle Arts Festival as a celebration of the life and music of the composer who put the town and its mountains on the world map.

But the festival organisers were pushing on an open door when they asked Sam to take on the job.

For he has been a Francophile from his earliest days in east Belfast when he ended up as the only boy in an all-girl choir.

"Let me explain," he laughs. "My interest in Percy French's songs started when I was a member of a mixed choir at Strand Presbyterian Church near my home in Connsbrook Avenue in the 1940s.

"The leader, Irene Browne, later set up the Ulster Girls' Choir and co-opted me as a soloist to sing French's Eileen Oge and other Irish songs at big concerts in Belfast.

"My love of French's music never waned and when I was approached to write the one-man show about him, I immediately wondered why I hadn't done it earlier."

The production features affectionate anecdotes about French as well as some of his best-known songs like Slattery's Mounted Fut and Phil the Fluter's Ball which are sung by Sam and his accompanist Kyle Riley, who was a student of McCready's in America.

Ironically Kyle, who later went to drama school in London, has now moved to live in Co Cavan with his family, not far from Ballyjamesduff, another Irish town which French made famous in Come Back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff.

But Kyle doesn't sing the French songs the way that people are used to hearing them.

"They're totally different interpretations and he gives the songs some welly with punk influences. I just love it when they take off with a fresh energy. Brendan O'Dowda he is not," says Sam, who is sometimes surprised by the popularity of Percy French across the globe.

"My wife Joan and I go to Hong Kong for five weeks every year to judge competitions there and after one of them I sang Phil the Fluter's Ball and everyone at the social event went mad for it.

"People mightn't recognise the name of Percy French but they certainly know the songs. In America, for example, I found out that one of his compositions Abdul Abulbul Amir is a favourite of many people because it was popular with their ancestors.

"And, of course, The Mountains of Mourne is undoubtedly French's most iconic song.

"The fact that Don McLean of American Pie turned it into a massive hit opened it up to new generations."

Sam says that French wrote the song after visits to Co Down where his first wife's aunt was the Dowager Countess Annesley of Castlewellan.

"The first time he wrote those lines about the Mountains of Mourne sweeping down to the sea was when he was down south and looking right up the coast towards the north.

"He said he saw the mountains sliding into the sea and the song was born. But he also sketched the mountains over and over again during trips to see his wife's family after she died in childbirth."

On one of his painting excursions to the Mournes, French was told that a young father from Downpatrick whom he'd met earlier in the day had drowned while he and his family were on the beach in Newcastle.

Sam says: "Percy took a painting which he had just done to the manager of the Slieve Donard Hotel and asked him to raffle it for the family and it brought in more than 15 which was quite a sum back in those days. That demonstrated the kindness of the man."

Sam says he feels a close affinity to French because they have so much in common, including a love of art as well as music.

But Sam's research into French uncovered a picture of a man who was disorganised and forgetful.

"He would lose his luggage when he went on a journey and he would arrive in Cork when he had set off for Galway. How on earth he got round the country is astonishing. But he did tour every town and village on the island of Ireland as well as performing his music on stages in London for the Prince of Wales and distinguished members of the aristocracy."

Roscommon-born French who was a boarder for a time at Foyle College, Londonderry, graduated as a civil engineer from Trinity College Dublin before working as an inspector of drains in Cavan.

French and the drains were not well-matched, however, and he decided to launch himself fully into a musical career. "During his concerts he would also call people on stage and dash off lightning sketches of them before returning to the songs," says Sam.

One of the venues for French, who lived from 1854 to 1920, was the intimate Annesley Hall in Newcastle and Sam staged his show about the musician there last year. Another emotional setting for the production was the Strand Arts Centre in east Belfast during the Eastside Festival.

"That was like coming home for me," says Sam.

"I was a frequent visitor as a boy to what had been the Strand Cinema where I would spend so many happy hours watching the movies."

Sam went on to become a teacher and was a highly-regarded member of staff at Orangefield Boys School in east Belfast where he nurtured a number of young actors who would later establish themselves as leading lights in the theatre and television, like the late John Hewitt, Brian Munn and Colin Lewis.

Van Morrison had left Orangefield by the time Sam started there but he did teach former Beirut hostage Brian Keenan and the poet Gerald Dawe who have both acknowledged his influence on them at the school.

Sam was also responsible for mentoring young actors in his time as artistic director of the Lyric Theatre and after he spread his wings to America his most famous discovery was Kevin Spacey, the star of movies like American Beauty and the Usual Suspects and the TV series House of Cards.

Sam cast Spacey in a play about WB Yeats in the States where he was to take up a teaching job at the University of Maryland.

Before that he'd been on the staff at the University of North Wales where film-maker Danny Boyle and actress Frances Barber were among his students.

But Sam McCready is not one for resting on his laurels and he's already looking forward to another major creative project after the Percy French show.

"I have adapted a book called No Surrender by the late Robert Harbinson who was born in Dee Street and who wrote a series of autobiographies about growing up in east Belfast.

"He was brought up in the Orange tradition and he was fed a lot of anti-Catholic stuff before he went to England and became a part of the highly elite set there where he experienced a wonderful enlightenment. I will be reading my adaptation of No Surrender as part of the Eastside Arts Festival in August and what is interesting for me is that I came from exactly the same background as Harbinson. I know precisely what he was talking about and I make the same connection with him as I did with Percy French."
First Minister Arlene Foster meets voters at the May Day celebrations in Holywood yesterday

The UUP has branded "despicable" a letter circulated by the DUP claiming unless people voted for it, we could "go back to the bad old days" of the Troubles.

With just 48 hours left to polling in Thursday's Assembly election, the main unionist rivals continued to snipe at each other - in contrast to last year's Westminster race when a pact saw the UUP take two seats and the DUP regain East Belfast from Alliance's Naomi Long.

The latest row came as Mike Nesbitt hit out over "shocking" scaremongering by Arlene Foster's party.

He was referring to a letter circulated by the DUP, particularly in the North Belfast and Newry and Armagh constituencies.

"The DUP leader may have changed, but it's still the same old DUP selling the politics of fear and attempting to hold the electorate to ransom," Mr Nesbitt claimed.

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"However, the latest letter from the DUP leader goes lower than any of the previous DUP communications by claiming that this country could 'go back to the bad old days' unless people vote for them.

"It is a shocking claim to make, even by DUP standards, who are so desperate to hang on to power they will stoop to making even more outlandish claims than before. The people of North Belfast and Newry and Armagh, where some of these letters have been distributed, suffered horribly at the hands of terrorists, and for the DUP to claim that we could 'go back to the bad old days' unless people vote for them is absolutely despicable." Mr Nesbitt added he did not believe the electorate would be "fooled", and would see through the letters.

However, East Antrim DUP candidate Alastair Ross hit back.

"We thank the UUP Press office for publicising our election material," he said.

"The 'bad old days' in the letter were when the UUP was in the lead but Sinn Fein set the agenda, prisoners were released wholesale and the RUC was abolished.

"Mike has said he wants to take us back to those days of (former UUP leader) David, now Lord, Trimble in 1998.

"Clearly Mike Nesbitt is feeling the pressure because Arlene Foster has a positive five-point plan to deliver a stable and secure Northern Ireland.

"If the DUP is not the largest party on May 6 then the next Executive will have a nationalist majority and a Sinn Fein First Minister.

"That will take Northern Ireland in the wrong direction.

"Unionists are right to be fearful of Martin McGuinness's vision for Northern Ireland's future."
A woman charged with a spate of burglaries in which pensioners were targeted is already on bail for similar offences, a court has heard

A woman charged with a spate of burglaries in which pensioners were targeted is already on bail for similar offences, a court has heard.

Kathleen Alice Connors (43) is accused of two counts of burglary, an attempted burglary and numerous motoring offences, all in the last week of April.

Connors, who stood in the dock at Newry Magistrates Court flanked by police officers, confirmed she was aware of the charges.

A detective constable said she believed she could connect the accused to the charges, adding that she was objecting to bail amid fears that Connors would reoffend.

She described to the court how one incident happened in a Fold housing development, while in another a child pinned an elderly man's arms to his side while Connors stole his wallet.

The officer revealed that Connors was on bail at the time for similar offences in March.

The latest incident, at around 8pm on April 28, involved an 87-year-old man from Crossmaglen in south Armagh.

The detective told the court how the man was in his living room when a woman and a female child appeared from his bedroom.

The officer said the man, believing they had sneaked in the back door, challenged them, and the female said they wanted a cup of tea. The detective said the man believed they where homeless and took them into the kitchen to make tea.

When he did so, she told the court, the child wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug, pinning them to his side.

The officer said it was then that Connors put her hand in his right pocket and took his wallet containing 350, before she and the child ran out.

The pensioner followed them onto the street and saw them running away. He gave police a description of the woman being around 45 years with a stocky build, 5ft 7ins tall, dishevelled in appearance, and with a southern Irish accent.

During police searches of Connors and her caravan, police seized a total of 440 in cash.

When she was arrested Connors admitted driving with neither a licence, insurance nor a MOT.

District Judge Greg McCourt remanded her into custody to appear again on May 18 via video-link.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has clashed with the Tory Home Secretary over her call for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) regardless of the outcome of June's referendum

Theresa May used her first major intervention in the debate over the UK's place in Europe to argue that the ECHR ''makes us less secure by preventing the deportation of dangerous foreign nationals''.

The Home Secretary said: "Regardless of the EU referendum, my view is this: if we want to reform human rights laws in this country, it isn't the EU we should leave, but the ECHR and the jurisdiction of its court.''

However in an interview with PinkNews, the Scottish Conservative leader said: "I think it's a little bit more complicated than Theresa May is trying to push out there."

Ms Davidson stated: " I take a slightly different view from Theresa May - I think we should recognise that the ECHR was in large part drafted by people from Britain, and it's British values that are enshrined there.

"In terms of a Scottish context, the ECHR is written into the original Scotland Act, so it would be up to the Scottish Parliament to decide whether we changed the basis of that. There's nothing at a UK-wide level that would be able to change that without Holyrood's consent."

Ms Davidson spoke out ahead of Thursday's Scottish Parliament elections, in which she is hoping her party can oust Labour from its role as the official opposition at Holyrood.

And she said she has a "pretty big job in Scotland" as she again ruled out standing for the leadership of the Conservative Party across the UK.

Ms Davidson, who has been an MSP for five years and Scottish Conservative leader for more than four of those, has been praised by the Prime Minister for her efforts in the campaign to keep Scotland in the UK in 2014, as well as in last year's general election.

But she dismissed any suggestion she could leave Holyrood for Westminster in the future, saying: "In terms of being the UK party leader or a future Prime Minister, I'm going to pass on that one if that's alright - I've been very privileged to see behind the door at Number 10 and it looks like a pretty lonely job. I 've got a pretty big job in Scotland so I'm going to stick with that for now."

Ms Davidson, the first openly gay leader of the Scottish Tories, revealed she believed the Church of Scotland would allow same-sex within her lifetime.

She also said she was "prepared to step up" to encourage politicians in Northern Ireland to back gay marriage, highlighting the area as being the only part of the UK where this is not yet legal.

Ms Davidson said: "I've been invited by Amnesty International to give their annual Pride lecture in Belfast this year, to talk about the situation in Northern Ireland, and I'm going to take my Irish partner with me."

She added: "I think we've come a really long way - but we shouldn't forget there's still a part of the UK where our citizens do not share the same rights, just a few miles away."

When asked if Scottish and UK Governments should do more to encourage Northern Ireland to introduce similar legislation, she said: " I would like to see people right across the UK take a more active role - I'm certainly prepared to step up myself."

The Tory, who is a member of the Church of Scotland, said it had "come a really long way in a short time already" adding that "we already have practising ministers in Scotland who are openly gay".

She said allowing same sex marriages to conducted by the Church is "issue that the Church will take in its own time".

Ms Davidson stressed the decision is one for the Church's governing body the General Assembly, but she said: " I believe I'll see it in my lifetime, absolutely. I certainly hope so.

"The Church has come a long way very fast. It still has a long way to go but it's absolutely going in the right direction. I'm very hopeful I'll be able to see gay church weddings in my lifetime."
An alcoholic who pushed a doctor as he attempted to treat him for head injuries has been remanded in custody

An alcoholic who pushed a doctor as he attempted to treat him for head injuries has been remanded in custody.

Gerald Patrick Mullen (30) appeared at a special sitting of Londonderry Magistrates Court yesterday.

District Judge Peter King was told by a defence solicitor that Mullen, whose address was given as Springfield Road in Belfast, had been taken to Altnagelvin Hospital's A&E department following a heavy fall.

The solicitor said Mullen, an alcoholic, came round when he was being treated by the doctor and in his confusion he pushed the doctor away.

The court heard that Mullen was also verbally abusive to the doctor, and that he was due to be sentenced on Friday for two other assaults. Mullen was remanded to appear before the same court on Friday for sentencing in the two other assault cases.
Entries must be in by Tuesday May 10

Are you a budding literary star?

Well Eason want you to share your imagination through short stories in a creative writing competition aimed at secondary school students in Northern Ireland.

The competition is open to all second level students by submitting a short story, on a subject of their choice, by Tuesday, May 10.

A shortlist of all entrants will be finalised by a panel of book experts in May including Belfast born award winning author Sheena Wilkinson and acclaimed young author Dave Rudden.

The best stories will then be published online and put forward for a public vote.

A panel of book experts will then judge this shortlist and their scoring combined with the public vote will determine one overall winner for each of the categories.

Author and panel judge Sheena Wilkinson had the following advice for entrants.

Speaking at the launch she said: "If you are an aspiring writer you need to read constantly and to write as much as you can. Ive always been a devourer of books and as a child I just loved sitting down with a good book. I was always reading or dreaming up my next plot. Much as I am now. I would encourage any young writer to take inspiration from everything around.

"Whether I'm walking in the forest near my home in County Down, or in city streets, I'm always open to ideas for stories and characters. People ask where ideas come from: they come from having your eyes, ears and mind open.

Eason Creates Writing entrants are divided into three groups and can write on any subject matter with an agreed maximum word count.

Category 1: Years 8-10 (maximum word count 1,000 words)

Category 2: Years 11-12 (maximum word count 1,500 words)

Category 3: Years 13-14 (maximum word count 2,000 words)

All first prize winning contestants from each category will receive 500 worth of books for their school.

All overall winners will receive an Eason gift card worth 250 and the shortlisted finalists from each category will win an Eason gift card worth 50.

The shortlisted & winning students will also be presented with a printed copy of the 2016 Eason Creates Writing short story collection for their school.
Gerry Adams had no greater friend in Congress than Donald Payne Snr.

He introduced Congressional Bills calling for inquiries into the murders of Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson; he turned up at Sinn Fein fundraisers; he had the most pro-Irish (read pro-Sinn Fein) record in Congress; he travelled to Northern Ireland to monitor the Orange marches on the Garvaghy Road, which he loudly condemned. He even delivered a guest lecture in Belfast in which he warmly congratulated Adams on bringing peace to Ireland.

The only problem for Gerry is that Donald Payne was black and proud of it. He was the first African-American member of Congress for New Jersey and he was a member of the black caucus in Congress.

He passed away in 2012 and his seat was filled by his son, Donald Payne Jnr, who, like other members of the Congressional black caucus, will be less inviting to the Sinn Fein president following his description of himself on Twitter as a "Ballymurphy n*****" after watching anti-slavery film Django Unchained.

Sinn Fein, and more specifically Sinn Fein's US fundraising wing, Friends of Sinn Fein, has already relied on African-Americans to come to its events, mostly through Congressmen like Donald Payne, and through black union officials who attend Sinn Fein events.

It's impossible to explain the importance of unions to Sinn Fein's US operation until you are in the thick of it, surrounded by black women offering you cups of tea. I attended one such event, organised by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 in New York, which was to celebrate Adams in the middle of the controversy about the IRA killing of Belfast man Robert McCartney.

Gerry came into the room, led by a pipe band playing The Minstrel Boy and The Wearing Of The Green. Local 100 president Roger Toussaint, a Caribbean immigrant, spoke about the struggle to overcome British colonial oppression shared by the Irish and Caribbean people.

Toussaint wished Gerry well in his continued struggle against foreign occupation. Both the black women in the room and the Shinners loved it. In his speech Gerry spoke about how the founder of the union, Michael J Quill, a former IRA man, had helped both Irish and black workers.

Artfully, he linked British oppression to black people and to the people of west Belfast, ending with the Bobby Sands quote, aimed at impressing the downtrodden blacks as much as the Irish-Americans: "Our revenge will be the laughter of our children."

As he was getting down from the stage everyone was on their feet cheering. The black women were waving their hands in the air, as if they had received the spirit at a gospel revival. I spoke to Darlyne Lawson, an African-American Local 100 union employee, who loved every word.

"For a mother like me, the bit about the laughter of the children was beautiful," she said.

She had not heard about the killing of Robert McCartney, and said she believed Adams was an honest politician and can overcome his difficulties, and indeed he has.

This time, things are different. In the racially-charged environment of American politics, where every word is analysed for signs of racial bias, Gerry's clumsy and shocking use of the n-word will be very badly received by the Congressmen and blue collar unions from which he has received so much support.

Having attended so many of these events, I know what Gerry was thinking. He is used to pulling the "our shared oppression" line with American black people and they genuinely love it. By now he actually believes it and, as a "Ballymurphy n*****", he genuinely thought it was just another step on Sinn Fein's unstoppable foray for the hearts of black people.

Already his comments are being tweeted all over America with great glee by white racist groups.

The laughter of our children may be our revenge, but the next time Gerry returns to New York to express his common oppression with black people, the only one laughing may be him.
Gerry Adams has said he has "never seen myself as white" as he continues to explain why he felt it necessary to use the N-word in a tweet.

The Sinn Fein president sparked an uproar on Sunday night as he took to social media after watching the Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained.

The movie starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo Dicaprio is set before the American Civil War and documents Django's struggle to free his wife from slavery.

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After watching the film, Mr Adams compared the struggle against slavery in the US to the plight of Irish nationalists, on the social media site Twitter.

He wrote : "Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N*****!"

Although it was quickly removed, it was screen grabbed and was shared across the internet prompting accusations of racism.

Mr Adams apologised for using the word, but said there were similarities between the struggle of black Americans and Irish nationalists.

On Tuesday morning his continued to justify his argument.

Speaking on Drogheda radio station LMFM, in his Louth constituency Mr Adams said he did not identify himself as white.

He said: "I was comparing the African Americans to people in Ballymurphy. So if anybody should be offended it's the people from Ballymurphy. Because if you read the tweet, I was describing Django, who was the main character as a 'Ballymurphy n-word and an uppity fenian.

"It was inappropriate, I'm sorry that I used it.

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Mr Adams continued: "I saw a parallel as I have for a long time between the plight and the struggle for African Americans and people back here at home. I tweeted about that.

He added: People of my own home district, Ballymurphy, have stood up for themselves. And people in Louth whether its water protesters - not trying to compare like with like - or demanding health services, or fighting for the hospital to be returned to Dundalk or better services in Drogheda, people standing up for themselves or their neighbours.

And while they may not be like with like because obviously if youre being horsewhipped or hanged thats a different matter. But in terms of the dignity of human beings.

Ive never seen myself as white. Thats only skin deep. Im a human being, Were all human beings, whatever our skin colour, whatever our gender, whatever our ability or disability.

The fact is were all human beings and we all deserve to be treated properly. And its all about rights and what was happening in America."

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Mr Adams said: If people want to attack me over the use of the N-word, fair enough but on all of the other issues if people want to have a debate, Im happy to have that debate.

Mr Adams said that if anyone should be offended by his tweet, "it should be the people of Ballymurphy".

"We all make mistakes and I'm as stupid as anyone else at times, but it distracts from the substantive point I was trying to make" he said.

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A statement issued by Sinn Fein in the very early hours of Monday morning said that the use of the word was "ironic" and denied racism.

Later on Monday the Sinn Fein president faced the media on his own to say he "acknowledged" the word was "inappropriate" and apologised for its use.

He said: "But I stand over the context and the historic parallels between what was happening in Ireland and the struggle of the people from Africa America.

"There is ample evidence in history of the parallels including the penal laws, the partition of Ireland and even in our own times like in North America, the discrimination over jobs and so on."
Detectives investigating the murder of Mark Gourley who went missing from Glengormley seven years ago have arrested a 50-year-old man in Carrickfergus.

Mark (36) was reported as a missing person on March 7, 2009.

He was last seen in the Burneys Lane area of Glengormley at around 2.30pm.

Police said Mark was a vulnerable individual and was on medication at the time of his disappearance and launched a murder investigation in 2013.

His body has not been located.

A 50-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday morning in Carrickfergus and has been taken to a police station in Belfast for questioning.

Detective Inspector Darren McCartney said: I am appealing to anyone who may have information about Marks disappearance or who may have seen Mark on or after 7 March 2009 to contact police.

Previous appeals for information did generate reports of sightings but the last definite sighting of Mark was at 2.30pm on 7 March 2009 in the Burneys Lane area of Glengormley. Mark did not have a mobile phone or a significant amount of money with him when he disappeared.

Although Mark was last seen in the Glengormley area, he was from Castlemara in Carrickfergus and he may have returned to that area on 7 March 2009.

Police are asking for anyone who may have noticed vehicles or individuals acting suspiciously in either the Burneys Lane area of Glengormley or in the Castlemara area of Carrickfergus around 7 March 2009 to contact police on the non-emergency number 101.

Mark was 5ft 9ins tall, weighing between 10-11 stone and described as well-built. Mark had short dirty fair cropped hair and an eyebrow bolt in his right eyebrow. He was wearing a black zipped jacket with a grey motif on the back of the shoulders, dark Umbro tracksuit bottoms, black trainers and may have been wearing a blue Glasgow Rangers woollen hat.

DI McCartney added: I believe there are people in these communities who have knowledge of what happened to Mark. Todays police activity is proof that police are continuing to investigate what happened to him.

"Additionally, people may have heard rumours about what happened to Mark. I would appeal to them to share this information with police. If anyone has information about him, I would ask them to examine their conscience and come forward to police. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers by telephoning 0800 555 111.
Sister Clare Crockett, the nun killed in the earthquake that devastated Playa Prieta in Ecuador, "died doing what she believed was beautiful" the congregation gathered at the Long Tower Church in Londonderry for her Requiem Mass was told.

A large wreath of white flowers lay on top of the coffin of the 33-year-old as it was lifted onto the shoulders of her family, including her sisters Shauna and Megan.

Dozens of other floral tributes lined the inside of the hearse that brought Sister Clare's remains the short distance from her family home in Derry's Brandywell.

Students from St Celia's College where Sr Clare had been a pupil braved the wind to provide a guard or honour outside the church.

Among the many relatives and friends gathered were three members of her religious order the Home of the Mother, which she joined so she could dedicate her life to God.

Sr Karen, Sr Kelly and Sr Rachel accompanied Sr Clare from Madrid during repatriation from Ecuador to the home of her parents, Gerard and Margaret.

Chief celebrant at the service was Fr Eamon Graham, who was joined on the altar by Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown; Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin in Co Sligo, and retired Bishop of Derry Edward Daly, as well as nine other priests and Rev David Latimer from First Derry Presbyterian Church.

In his homily Fr Graham recollected that on the day the Catholic Church prayed for vocations, an earthquake hit Ecuador that would be felt deeply by the Crockett family in Derry and would leave many people asking questions of God.

He said: "Little did we realise the sadness that would descend on the Crockett family and this community. That sadness has touched people from near and far, peoples of all faiths and of none.

"You are having to deal with an unimaginable cross. In many ways these weeks and these awful events have given us an insight into Clare's life and motivation.

"We have all been inspired by her faith and witness."

Bishop McKeown paid his own tribute to Sr Clare and the courage of her family over the past two weeks. He said: "From the cries of anguish and relief last Friday night as Sister Clare's coffin came round the final corner after her long journey home, I know that there are many people - both here and in Ecuador - who hunger for peace in the face of this earthquake and the deaths it caused.

"Sister Clare's family here in Derry and her religious family wonder why on Earth a young, generous woman should be plucked from our midst. Couldn't she have done so much in the aftermath of the earthquake? But she had felt called to a religious community that has three aims with the Church: the defence of the Eucharist, the defence of the honour of Our Mother, and the conquest of the youth for Jesus Christ.

"She was crazy enough to believe that this was the best possible way to live her life and she died doing what she believed was beautiful, and, like Jesus, she died young."

He added: "Sister Clare had seen heroism and idealism alongside loss and betrayal in the city where she grew up.

"What held - and still holds - communities together in terrible times were the strong men and women and the strong community ties that could not be crushed by violence, loss and a seemingly hopeless future.

"We have seen that solidarity over the last two weeks as Clare's family was supported during the long wait and the weekend wake. Stories were told and retold and tears were mingled with laughter.

"In their distress they knew that the faith that Sister Clare has espoused so radically was not a flight from anything but an embracing of the pain of the world and loving it like Jesus did on the cross."

To read Fr Graham's full homily go to www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
A retired police officer has hit out at a decision to remove firearms from some cops as he said he's had a personal protection weapon for 16 years since quitting and has had no training in that time

A retired police officer has hit out at a decision to remove firearms from some cops as he said he's had a personal protection weapon for 16 years since quitting and has had no training in that time.

The Belfast Telegraph revealed yesterday that hundreds of officers face having their weapons withdrawn because their training has lapsed and there are fears if an officer accidentally injured him or herself with a weapon, the PSNI could be sued.

The move is despite the dissident terror threat being officially classed as severe.

The officer received the weapon in 2000 when he left the force. He said: "I found the news item about withdrawing firearms from PSNI officers who have missed training unbelievable.

"Like other RUC/PSNI officers who have retired, I have a personal protection weapon on licence since 2000. I have never fired this weapon in 16 years and I never took any training in its use.

"It seems a ridiculous decision to remove a firearm from a serving officer who has missed training, with hundreds of retired members of the security forces in possession of personal weapons and, like me, never trained in the weapon.

"Something must be done to enable serving officers to process their weapon for their protection while off duty."

There is concern among those left without a personal protection firearm. A serving PSNI officer said: "The firearms are being removed with no immediate training for the officers in question. The officers aren't being trained through no fault of their own.

"Some of them might have restrictions, for example, on their duties - injuries and so on - and therefore aren't able to attend firearms training.

"What it comes down to is a balance for police management about where they see the risk factor as being greatest. Someone hurting themselves because they haven't been trained, and therefore suing the police service, or someone going out this evening, being attacked and not being able to defend themselves.

"They see the former as being the higher risk factor, because obviously it's a corporate risk."

Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris confirmed the PSNI was aware of officers whose training had lapsed.

He said: "Officers are obliged to maintain their competence and to continue to demonstrate proficiency and safety in use of the service pistol through refresher training. Where an officer's training has lapsed, their continued retention of a service pistol is considered by a senior officer."
The big question hanging over Gerry Adams is whether he believes that the experience of life in Ballymurphy was comparable to the suffering of African American slaves - or whether he has just over-reached himself in familiar propaganda.

He has certainly been saying as much for a long time, though not previously using the offensive n-word.

In his pamphlet, Peace In Ireland, which he wrote in 1977 in Long Kesh, he described British rule in Northern Ireland as "one of the most corrupt imperial manifestations that humanity has ever known".

He wrote that the suffering caused by imperialist oppression and conquest included unemployment and bad housing and he offered Ballymurphy as an example of this.

He should have known that 'humanity' had known worse conditions than those in Ballymurphy under imperialist oppression, say in Bengal or the Warsaw Ghetto, on plantations in the American south, or in South African townships. He appeared not to.

He wrote that the demands of the people of Ballymurphy were for "freedom from heavy rents for homes they will never own". They wanted "employment, better housing, play centres, facilities for the aged, the handicapped and the young".

Without these, peace could not be expected, for these very deprivations made violence inevitable.

He seemed not to notice that similar estates had been built in England and the Republic.

Now he has been at it again, absurdly exaggerating the grievances of nationalists, primarily to justify an IRA campaign which inflicted its own horrors on them.

He was speaking yesterday, in an effort to patch up the damage caused by his use of the n-word.

"In our own time, like African Americans, nationalists in the North, including those from Ballymurphy and west Belfast, were denied the right to vote; the right to work; the right to a home; and were subjected to draconian laws."

This is all nonsense. There is a huge case to be made for the denial of rights to people in Northern Ireland under the old Stormont regime, but this is not it. It is so easily refutable that the trouncing of this nonsense risks giving the impression that there was no problem at all, but whose fault is that but the myth-maker's, the dissembler's, the propagandist's?

It is simply a lie that Northern nationalists were "denied the right to vote". Had that been the case there would have been no nationalist MPs in Stormont. There would have been no Republican Labour MP in Westminster.

The incendiary moment which brought many of Gerry's peers into the IRA - the rioting during the election campaign of October 1964 - would not have happened, because neither Billy McMillan nor any other nationalist would have been campaigning for votes.

Yes, there was a restriction on the franchise to local government to householders, graduates, business people, but unfair as that was, it was not targeted at nationalists. Gerry says it was.

He says nationalists were "denied the right to work". They were discriminated against by some employers but they were not refused the right to work. Nor does Gerry seriously believe they were, surely? Surely he is only spouting such nonsense to appease foreign supporters who might not know any better.

And where people could not get jobs, they were paid unemployment benefit. Indeed, whether employed or not, they received Family Allowance for their children. That system could be criticised as inadequate, it cannot be compared to slavery.

He says people were "denied the right to a home", but Ballymurphy, where the Adams family lived, was built by the local authority Housing Trust.

Ballymurphy was not salubrious but it was a lot better than the cramped redbrick terraces of the lower Falls. It was also a mixed estate at first.

There was segregated schooling, of course, at that time, as there still is; but it was not imposed by the state. The Catholic Church insisted on segregation. When the Executive proposed last year to desegregate the training of teachers, Sinn Fein opposed that. Try explaining that in Arkansas or Mississippi.

Despite all these anomalies in Adams's attempt to conflate the experience of African American slaves with that of Irish nationalists in Ballymurphy under "one of the most corrupt imperial manifestations that humanity has ever known", I suspect he believes what he says.

He has been indicted of racism, and yet argues plausibly that he has long had friendships and allegiances with black people. He was a special guest at Nelson Mandela's funeral, and that would not have happened if the ANC had taken him for a racist. But his defence of his decision to compare Ballymurphy with Mississippi, is that he is right; that he suffered just as much there as slaves suffered on the plantation. This indicts him of naivete, ignorance, not knowing what he is talking about.

It disqualifies him from being taken seriously as a politician.
Looser travel restrictions for Turkish citizens will create a visa-free travel zone from the Syrian border to the English Channel, a former Cabinet minister has warned.

Brussels is expected to back the move for the passport-free Schengen area, which does not include the UK, after Turkey agreed to grant visa-free travel to the citizens of all 28 EU member states, including Cyprus.

Leave campaigner Iain Duncan Smith branded the plans "alarming" and warned that the move would undermine security.

Mr Duncan Smith said: "It is quite clear that further EU expansion is inevitable - meaning more money and power for Brussels, but increased pressures for member states. For the UK, this deal will mean a visa free travel zone from the Syrian border to the English Channel.

"I am sure I am not alone in finding that prospect alarming. The EU's own border agency has said that the lack of border control is undermining our security.

"Further erosion of the EU's external borders - and the corresponding impact on the UK - is a serious concern that should not be left in the hands of Brussels. On 23 June it is safer for the UK to take back control and Vote Leave."

Turkey won EU agreement to accelerate visa liberalisation for its 75 million nationals in return for agreeing to take back migrants arriving into Greece by boat.

But the country has to meet a raft of rules set by Brussels and the plans have to be backed formally by MEPs and member states.
Camilla and Charles watch traditional dancers performing in Tvrda, the old town of the city of Osijek in eastern Croatia

Prince Charles asked the head of the Environment Agency to "look into" a decision

Prince Charles has again been lobbying government officials over public policy, it has been revealed.

In one of a series of letters sent to the Environment Agency, the Prince complained about unreasonable cuts to maintain flood defences on private land.

The published letter asked Sir Philip Dilley, then head of the Environment Agency, to look into this decision.

The Prince himself owns vast swathes of land, much of it in Cornwall, but it was claimed he was communicating with the Environment Agency on behalf of other private landowners. Critics have said the letter was a self-serving attempt to influence policy.

The letter, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Mail on Sunday, was written by Michael Whitehead, assistant private secretary to the Prince, on 18 November 2015 and addressed to Sir Philip.

The major flooding in Great Britain began on 5 December with Storm Desmond, and heavy rain continued into January 2016.

Mr Whitehead wrote:

Dear Sir Philip,

Thank you so much for having spared the time to see me last Wednesday afternoon when you visited Clarence House. I must say that it was a great pleasure to meet you in person, and to understand more about the work of the Environment Agency in these challenging times.

You will recall that we briefly spoke about the difficulties that some private rural landowners are facing with the withdrawal of Environment Agency support and, in acceptance of your kind invitation to follow-up about this, I did just want to convey some of the concerns that The Prince of Wales has heard recently, particularly with regard to

[redacted]

[redacted]

[redacted]

I therefore wonder whether you might look into this decision, because, if nothing else on a strictly moral basis, it would seem to be rather unreasonable.

Out of courtesy to His Royal Highness, perhaps you could let me know your thoughts about this as and when time permits, so that I might brief him accordingly.

There is also a paragraph which requests a policy paper with Sir Philip's background thoughts on it and talk of a possible trip to the Thames Barrier. It is unclear how long the redacted sections were or what they referred to.

Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic reacted angrily to the revelations.

Whatever the rights or wrongs of flood defence policy Charles needs to keep out of politics  thats the deal if he wants to be King, Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, told The Independent.

He is directly lobbying for public money to be spent in support of major landowners when public services are stretched and facing serious cuts.

"These self-serving attempts to influence policy are why we need a change to the Freedom of Information laws, so we can see the extent of Charless lobbying and the impact it is having.

A Clarence House spokesperson told The Independent: The Prince works hard to support flood-hit communities around the UK, often visiting them at times of crisis, listening to their concerns and lending vital support through his Countryside Fund and Business Emergency Resilience Group (BERG).

The letters warned against the unintended consequences which may result from the Environment Agency transferring liability for flood defence maintenance and flood damage to individuals.

The Environment Agency denied Prince Charles had been given any preferential treatment and said flood risk maintenance work was carried out in accordance with where it would benefit people and property most at risk, irrespective of land ownership.

A spokesperson told The Independent: The Environment Agency will spend 1 billion on flood risk maintenance work between now and 2021. The Government has made changes which makes it easier for landowners to carry out maintenance of smaller rural watercourses on their land, enabling us to focus on flood risk management where it will have the most benefit to people and property.

Prince Charles has an extensive history of attempting to contact government officials regarding policy and procedure. In 2013, it was revealed he had privately met with cabinet ministers at least 36 times in three years.

At the time, Clarence House said it was the Princes right to communicate privately with the Government on any matter he chooses.

More recently, the Black Spider Memos caused further controversy. So-called because of the distinctive handwriting, the collection of letters and notes were written by Prince Charles to serving British politicians.

The correspondence raised concerns over issues such as public health - after he argued in favour of homeopathy- wildlife, nature and architecture.

Independent
Parents across England are planning to keep their children off school in protest over tests for six- and seven-year-olds

The chief inspector of schools has spoken out in support of Sats for six and seven-year-olds as children across England went on "strike" in protest at the controversial exams.

More than 40,000 people signed a petition supporting a boycott of Year 2 Sats, while two children's laureates hit out at the exams which they said left youngsters stressed and in tears.

But Sir Michael Wilshaw said the tests are crucial in identifying children who are struggling with English and maths and helping them improve.

He said: "As I have long argued, children who fall behind in the early years of their education struggle to catch up in later years.

"If by the age of seven, a child has not mastered the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics, the odds will be stacked against them for the rest of their lives. This is especially the case for poorer children.

"All the evidence shows that social mobility does not start at the age of 16 or even 11 but at a much earlier age. That is why it is so critical to lay solid foundations from the start of a child's education.

"I understand testing can sometimes be stressful but I am also confident that most schools do everything they can to minimise the stress that children experience in preparing for and sitting these tests."

He said England's "mediocre" position in international education rankings underlines the need for the assessments.

The Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign organised the day of action in protest at children being "over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning".

Children's laureate Chris Riddell and his predecessor Michael Rosen added their voices to the protest, warning that youngsters are being tested on complicated grammar that risks crushing their love of learning.

In an open letter to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan published in The Guardian, Mr Rosen said children are going through "hell" with testing.

He wrote: "One ex-headteacher and now school governor wrote to tell me of 'six to seven-year-old pupils who, during the testing period, were crying, visibly shaking and reportedly waking up at 4am unable to sleep'.

"Any parent of children undergoing these tests has seen how it works. Children sit in school or at home with pre-tests. Then teachers, children or parents mark these tests and we see the looks on our children's faces as we mark this or that question with a zero.

"The child is wrong. It's a fail. And no matter how kind and encouraging we are, it's still a fail. And another fail. And another."

Mr Riddell joined hundreds of parents and children at a demonstration in Brighton, where fun and educational activities were laid on to show ministers schooling does not have to be all textbooks and tests.

He told the Press Association: "My feeling is there should be more trust in teachers and their ability to assess children at this age rather than through testing.

"The children are being put under undue stress and my argument is, what is the value of what comes from this testing? I think it is questionable."

He added: "We should be turning children into readers with the pleasure that gives rather than relying on a testing culture."

Sats are taken by children aged six or seven in Year Two and then again in Year Six, aged 10 or 11, before a third set in Year Nine, aged 13 or 14.

Parents and teachers have warned that a "hothousing" culture is seeping into primary school classrooms which has left children stressed and put off school.

Ben Ramalingam, from Brighton, kept his five-year-old son off school.

He told the Press Association: "There is an experiment being run on our children and there is no proof it works. It is really inappropriate and, I think, unethical to do it.

"We are concerned parents taking a stand, we don't want our kids to be stressed out by the time they become teenagers because they have been inappropriately taught. Our children are being pushed towards rote-based learning.

"It is like something out of Charles Dickens."

The Government defended Sats, insisting a strong grasp of English and maths is crucial to a child's prospects.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "These tests are vital in helping schools to ensure that young children are learning to read, write and add up well.

"The truth is, if they don't master literacy and numeracy early on, they risk being held behind and struggling for the rest of their lives."

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said: "It's not a new concept to test in primary school. What this Government has done is look at how to make sure those tests are truly reflecting the more rigorous standards we have sought to introduce in schools."

Currently one in five children - around 115,000 a year - leave primary school without a good grasp of reading, writing or maths, down from one in three in 2010, said the spokeswoman.

She said the PM's message for parents keeping their children away from school would be: "This is about improving the curriculum, improving the education of our children in schools. It's part and parcel of how we want to make sure that their child is getting the best education the Government can offer."

She added: "Taking a child out of school even for one day can harm their education. We've got clear guidance it should only be done in exceptional circumstances."

The spokeswoman said it was "a matter for schools to handle" whether any sanctions should result from unauthorised absences by pupils.

Asked whether Mr Cameron was concerned about his own children becoming stressed by tests, the spokeswoman said: "When it comes to the Prime Minister and his own children, like all parents I think this is part of supporting your children as they go through education."
Pope Francis has used his weekly Sunday message to denounce paedophilia, following the emergence of new details surrounding the alleged rape and murder of an Italian girl in 2014.

This is a tragedy. We should not tolerate the abuse of minors, said Pope Francis, in his message and blessing to St Peters Square.

We must protect our minors and severely punish abusers.

The Popes comments followed new revelations in the case of a six-year-old girl who died in June 2014, after allegedly being thrown from an eighth-story balcony in Naples.

A 43-year-old man is being held in a prison in Rome charged with throwing the girl from a housing block in a deprived area of the city after raping her, following a re-opening of the case. He has denied the charges.

The case has dominated Italian media coverage in recent days and on Saturday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella called for an ample, rapid and severe judicial process during the case.

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For decades, the Catholic Church has been shaken by its own abuse scandals and has been reluctant to admit culpability in the widespread abuse by priests in its orders.

Scandals have been discovered around the world and tens of millions of dollars have been paid in compensation.

The film Spotlight, which won the 2016 Oscar for Best Picture, focuses on the investigation by journalists at the Boston Globe in 2002, which exposed a cover up of sexual abuse by local church authorities.

The Pope has vowed a zero tolerance for abusers in the Church, however victims groups have accused him of not doing enough.

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In March, Cardinal George Pell, the Vaticans treasurer and the highest-ranking official called the violation of more than 50 children by one priest a subject that wasnt of much interest to him, while testifying in an Australian inquiry into historic child abuse within the clergy.

The Australian Cardinal was a priest in the city of Ballarat in the early 1970s and was questioned on his knowledge of widespread sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy in the area over a period of decades.

Independent
MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 04: People wearing signs against the TTIP free trade agreement take a break during a protest march against the upcoming G7 summit on June 4, 2015 in Munich, Germany. The leaders of the G7 nations are scheduled to meet at nearby Schloss Elmau June 7-8. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 04: People demonstrating against the upcoming G7 summit carrier a banner that decries the TTIP free trade agreement during a protest march on June 4, 2015 in Munich, Germany. The leaders of the G7 nations are scheduled to meet at nearby Schloss Elmau June 7-8. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Two women carry signs against the TTIP free trade agreement during a protest march against the upcoming G7 summit on June 4, 2015 in Munich, Germany. The leaders of the G7 nations are scheduled to meet at nearby Schloss Elmau June 7-8. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Obama's trip to Europe has been seen as an effort to drum up support for TTIP before the end of his time in the White House AFP/Getty Images

Talks over the hugely controversial TTIP agreement are likely to stop according to officials.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership could be about to fail because of the huge disagreements between the US and the EU  many of which were revealed in a Greenpeace leak over the weekend  according to the French President and other senior politicians with the power to end the talks.

After those leaks, campaigners said it was unlikely the deal would be able to survive. Now senior politicians have said that the deal is likely to collapse and that they refuse to accept the deal as it stands.

French President Francois Hollande has said that his country is unable to accept the deal at the moment because of the rules that it enforces on France and the rest of Europe.

We will never accept questioning essential principles for our agriculture, our culture and for the reciprocity of access to public [procurement] markets, Hollande as saying at a meeting of left-wing politicians in Paris. At this stage [of the talks] France says No.'

And the French foreign trade minister, Matthias Fekl, has said that it is likely that the deal is going to break down and talks be suspended. Mr Fekl had already said that France would bring a halt to the talks if no progress was achieved before September  but he has now said that is the most likely option, as disagreements continue.

Mr Hollandes opposition comes amid a very weak position in public polls and ahead of a presidential election next year. Public opinion of the TTIP deal has been plunging in recent months and so it will likely serve as a way of winning around voters who remain suspicious about the agreement.

Supporters of the deal argue that it gives useful help to business by harmonising the regulations that govern partnerships between the US and the EU. But campaigners against it argue that the partnership gives too much power to corporations and that it could have disastrous affects for consumer rights.

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Exclude NHS from TTIP appeal signed by Peter Robinson, Martin McGuinness, Jeremy Corbyn, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon and Natalie Bennett

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What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you

The comments came just days after Greenpeace leaked hundreds of pages of documents about the talks, showing the discussions had run into irreconcilable differences. The US and EU are locked in arguments about the ranging powers over European law that the deal would hand over to US companies.

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Mr Fekl said those problems were likely to lead the deal to break down, "in view of the United States' state of mind today". He said that the deal as it is today would be a bad deal and that it could unravel the climate change agreement that was agreed in Paris and signed last month.

If France walked out of the deal, talks on the agreement between Europe and the US would almost certainly come to an end since it must be approved by each of the 28 countries in the EU. "It cannot be agreed without France and even less so against France," Mr Fekl said.

Independent
The Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has once again made the wrong headlines by using the racist n-word in a most ill-advised remark in a tweet which he quickly deleted.

Already there are signs of division in Sinn Fein over the issue. Martin McGuinness was given an opportunity to back Adams, and he pointedly refused to do so. Meanwhile, Mary Lou McDonald tweeted that he was wrong to use such an offensive term.

First Minister Arlene Foster, admittedly no friend of Gerry Adams, led a chorus of condemnation across the political spectrum.

Adams' use of the offensive word is bad enough, but by suggesting that the life of his constituents in West Belfast was comparable to that of African slaves in America, he shows lamentable historical knowledge and a gross lack of judgment.

This latest Adams gaffe calls into question Sinn Fein's claim to be a modern, progressive party. If any unionist politician indulged in similar myth-making he or she would rightly attract widespread condemnation.

Gerry Adams' tweets have long been a divisive issue in his party.

Some supporters believe they are clever diversionary tactics, while others claim that such behaviour suggests evidence of Adams' wavering judgment.

This impression was compounded when Adams recently published a book of his tweets, which also provided evidence of a large ego.

While opposition from political opponents may merely persuade Adams to dig in as president, the lack of support from within his ranks is very significant at this stage. He cut a lonely figure while facing the media after his latest comment. Normally he is flanked by supporters, and his online backers are also noticeably quiet.

Adams has been president of Sinn Fein for 33 years, and he has successfully brushed off many major criticisms during that time. These include his constant denials of Provisional IRA membership, the abduction and murder of Jean McConville, and covering up for his brother Liam when he faced serious charges of child sexual abuse.

Many people are asking how long Sinn Fein can tolerate the reputational damage which its 67-year-old president trails in his wake. If he loses the support of his American backers over this latest n-gate incident that answer may come sooner rather than later.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Maeve McLaughlin and Caitriona Ruane in Derry after the launch of Sinn Feins election manifesto

Sinn Fein is seeking your vote on May 5 as a mandate to continue the process of building prosperity and consolidating the peace.

We should never take for granted how far we have come in this society and your support, your engagement with the democratic process, is vital as we continue to build a better future for our children.

There is no denying that we have come through a difficult time in terms of the Executive. We have had five years of political instability as a result of Tory austerity and also negativity and blatant opportunism by some political parties.

However, we worked hard to come up with alternatives to offset the worst excess of the Tory cuts agenda. We did this by creating jobs, reducing unemployment, protecting essential public services and securing more than 500m to support those in need, including vulnerable children and adults. We also prevented the return of direct rule and delivered stable, functioning power-sharing institutions. The Fresh Start negotiations last year were about drawing a line in the sand and changing how we do business.

And I am proud of Sinn Fein's record in government. Our ministers - John O'Dowd, Michelle O'Neill and Caral Ni Chuilin - have led from the front in terms of protecting front line services and bringing equality to the heart of government.

We have led the way in decentralising an entire department to the north west. We have directed additional funding to the most disadvantaged schools, we are revitalising the Irish language community through investment in Irish-medium education and the Liofa project, unemployment in the North has fallen by 26,000 and levels of foreign direct investment are at an all-time high.

We have led on the progressive measures taken by the Executive, ring-fenced health spending, transformed the schools estate across the North, created 40,000 jobs, as well as blocking water charges, keeping student fees affordable and protecting free prescriptions and pensioners' travel.

We achieved this in spite of the relentless negativity of smaller parties who opposed the Fresh Start agreement and which, only days from the election, can't tell the electorate if they want to be in the Executive or in the Opposition.

Parties which have set out endless uncosted and unfunded election promises they will never deliver. Parties which call for joined-up government, while voting negatively at every opportunity.

It's long past time to move beyond this narrow, self-serving point-scoring. We need a more responsible, a more mature approach to politics in the Assembly, because we know when we have worked together collectively we have made progress.

I am certainly determined and committed to providing the positive and experienced leadership that will deliver more progress. Progress on jobs, on improving our health service, on gender equality. We need to eradicate sectarianism, racism, homophobia and bigotry and deliver equality for every one of our citizens.

We must also continue to face down the extremes within loyalism and so-called republicanism, which would seek to drag us back to the dark days of the past.

All they have to offer is fear, intimidation and pointless bloodshed. We have seen that in recent days and weeks with the murders of Michael McGibbon and prison officer Adrian Ismay in Belfast and the shooting of Harry Boyle in my own city of Derry.

The people who carried out these acts are a blight on our communities. They have been rejected by the people of Ireland, because it is the Sinn Fein national and democratic project which citizens are embracing.

We are the only party on the island which is serious about achieving the Ireland of equals that was declared to the world from the steps of the GPO in Dublin a century ago.

That Ireland, the new Ireland, threatens no one. It had a place for everyone.

We are absolutely committed to developing all-Ireland co-operation and implementing practical proposals that are to the mutual benefit of everyone.

We are committed to campaigning against Brexit, as it would be bad for Ireland politically, economically and socially. Sinn Fein's vision is of a changed Europe, which properly serves the sovereign and democratic needs of its member states.

My priority is to bring forward and implement a Programme for Government that grows the economy, provides proper public services and promotes equality and inclusion.

The peace process remains one of the most important dynamics in modern Irish history and it shows us what is possible when we show positive leadership. Sinn Fein has a strong track record on delivering for you.

We have set out in our manifesto what Sinn Fein intends to deliver, building on the work of the last five years. You know that you can trust Sinn Fein with the political institutions, trust us with peace process and trust us to deliver. I am asking for your support so that Sinn Fein can build on the success of the general election in the South, where we achieved 23 TDs and have now seven seanadoiri.

We are delivering for all the people of Ireland.

My commitment to you for the next five years is to build on the enormous progress already made and to deliver a better future for all.
The scoreline is now looking slightly one-sided, so this week Wood v Food went back to its roots by taking on a mammoth version of our national dish  the Ulster fry.

With my form in the series now at a point that would shame Aston Villa, I headed to my next culinary showdown with all the hope of a Christian with a pulled hamstring going out to face the lions.

This weeks venue was the Newton Cafe on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast, home to a cooked breakfast which has already earned legend status in its short existence.

The Goliath XXL is a notoriously unconquerable 34-piece collection of Ulster fry staples the like of which has never been, and probably should never be, assembled.

Expand Close 34-piece fry at the Newton cafe on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. Picture: Mark McCormick / Facebook

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Take the ingredients of your average weekend fry-up treat and start multiplying; not just the bacon and sausages  everything.

Add to that a large serving of chips plus mushrooms, beans, tomato, hash browns and two lorry tyre-sized slices of black pudding and youre there.

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The architect behind this 15 supertanker of cholesterol is the Newtons owner David Gough.

David created the Goliath about four years ago as a way of drumming up publicity for the restaurant, but he now admits the Biblical breakfast titan has become a celebrity in its own right.

Waste

One bizarre example of the Goliaths notoriety, David recalled, was the day a bus-load of Chinese tourists arrived at the cafe, all wanting to have a crack at the renowned Ulster fry having read about it online.

Expand Close Wood V Food. Sunday Life reporter Chris Woodhouse takes on his latest eating challenge as he attempts to eat a 34-piece fry at the Newton cafe on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. Picture: Mark McCormick / Facebook

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Whatsapp Wood V Food. Sunday Life reporter Chris Woodhouse takes on his latest eating challenge as he attempts to eat a 34-piece fry at the Newton cafe on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. Picture: Mark McCormick

He duly obliged, but none of his Far Eastern visitors came anywhere near to finishing everything in front of them. It was such a waste, David lamented.

However, the ladies and gents from the Peoples Republic need not feel quite so ashamed at the size of their leftovers, as the Goliath has seen off all but five of the roughly 700 diners that have so far attempted it.

More people have walked on the Moon. What was I thinking?

The dishs namesake was felled with a slingshot, whereas I was only armed with a slight feeling of midday peckishness.

Having ordered what I expected to be my last meal in April, I checked that all my affairs were in order and picked my spot in the pocket-sized eatery.

A couple were all that was left of the lunchtime rush and, when asked to predict the outcome, said they would happily put the house on the Goliath.

Expand Close Wood V Food. Sunday Life reporter Chris Woodhouse takes on his latest eating challenge as he attempts to eat a 34-piece fry at the Newton cafe on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. Picture: Mark McCormick / Facebook

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Whatsapp Wood V Food. Sunday Life reporter Chris Woodhouse takes on his latest eating challenge as he attempts to eat a 34-piece fry at the Newton cafe on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. Picture: Mark McCormick

Vision

Despite having a culinary cast larger than an all-food version of a Broadway musical, David had the behemoth ready in not much more than 10 minutes.

It arrived on a rectangular steel platter so large it must have been snuck out the back door of the nearby Harland and Wolff shipyard.

David placed it on the two-seater table and I had to move my chair back to get all of it in my field of vision.

All joking aside, I have never seen so much food served up to one person in my 25 years on the planet.

The Goliath had the upper hand straight away because I had absolutely no idea where to start.

Expand Close Wood V Food. Sunday Life reporter Chris Woodhouse takes on his latest eating challenge as he attempts to eat a 34-piece fry at the Newton cafe on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. Picture: Mark McCormick / Facebook

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Whatsapp Wood V Food. Sunday Life reporter Chris Woodhouse takes on his latest eating challenge as he attempts to eat a 34-piece fry at the Newton cafe on the Newtownards Road in Belfast. Picture: Mark McCormick

On the left flank was the bread  massed ranks of toast, pancakes, soda and potato bread. On the right, a mound of chips combined with what must have been a full tins worth of baked beans.

Thinking back to the first round of Wood v Food, I knew I could at least put away a respectable amount of meat in fairly short order, having managed 34 ounces of steak in 30 minutes.

I resolved to attack at dead centre and charged at the bacon, sausages and eggs with all the confidence of the Light Brigade galloping towards the Russian guns.

After cutting up the sausages to let them cool I made for the bacon.

Despite the lack of room on the sizeable sheet of stainless steel doubling as a plate, I was able to trim the fat off each piece without throwing chips all over the place.

I care not a jot if you call me a wimp or a fusspot, but there is not a prize or glory great enough that could convince me that eating fat is anything but disgusting.

Fat aside, the rashers were good thick slices of back bacon and went perfectly with the fried eggs.

Heap

I quickly made my way through the first two pieces of bacon and most of the eggs and decided to try and kill two birds with one fatty stone by pressing a couple of chips on to the end of each subsequent forkful.

All this achieved was to convince me that the Goliaths slag heap of fries was likely to be the main obstacle to sweeping all before me.

The bacon and eggs were an easy starter, the rashers were not as salty as I had feared and before long I was on to the pork sausages.

Smuggling further chips in with each segment proved a poor tactic as the bangers put up more of a fight than the bacon.

By this stage I had consumed my monthly quota of fried meat in around 15 minutes and I had to move on to something different to break up the flavour log-jam in my mouth.

I stabbed away at the chips and beans combined with the odd piece of the two crumbly hash browns in a bid to get them out of the way.

However, with each bite the lumps of hash brown exploded like greasy depth charges coating everything on the way down with a layer of cold vegetable oil.

I was now growing weary of the heavy fried food flavour and desperately needed something to cut through it.

Opting for the sweet soft bread of the pancakes, they immediately revealed themselves to be false friends, hiding a surprising amount of fat beneath their gentle brown surface.

The toast was the only option left, fortunately served without butter, and it proved a successful but filling palette cleanser.

After polishing off the five slices I resembled a pregnant seahorse and had to discretely open my belt by a notch.

Grease

I tried a piece of soda followed by potato bread, but now anything with even the slightest hint of grease produced a deep and profound shudder.

A stabbing pain had begun to shoot up and down the left hand side of my chest and even the by-now cold chips proved too much of a task.

I spotted the black pudding languishing at the far right hand corner of the plate and convinced myself I would make one last gallant stand against the Goliath by finishing the pitch-black discs.

But it was not to be. The metallic tang of the pudding sent a flash of nerve to my stomach which threatened to cause an embarrassing mess if attempted a second time.

I threw in my napkin and wept to myself at the thought of the several coats of fat I had just painted on to my organs  for nothing. Goliath had thrashed David.
Updated at 5:35 p.m. ET on 2016-05-03

Singaporean authorities said Tuesday they had arrested eight radicalized Bangladeshi nationals who were part of a group plotting terror attacks back home and calling itself the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB).

The eight Bangladeshis who worked in Singapores construction and marine industries were arrested in April and were being held under the island-states Internal Security Act, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced in a news release.

ISB was set up in March 2016 by one of the eight suspects, identified as 31-year-old Rahman Mizanur, and the group was plotting attacks in Bangladesh including targeting government and military officials for assassination, the MHA said.

The ISB members had intended to join the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as foreign fighters, the Singaporean ministry said, using another name for Islamic State (IS).

However, as they felt that it would be difficult for them to make their way to Syria, they focused their plans instead on returning to Bangladesh to overthrow the democratically elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic state in Bangladesh and bring it under ISIS self-declared caliphate.

The arrests of the eight suspects came more than three months after Singapore announced it had arrested 27 Bangladeshis late last year on suspicion of links to al-Qaeda and IS, and deported 26 of them.

Officials in Bangladesh have consistently denied that IS has a presence in their country, where secular writers, religious minorities, foreigners, intellectuals and gay rights activists have been killed since last year in machete-attacks by suspected Islamic radicals. Such attacks have escalated sharply in recent weeks.

Plans for recruitment, growth

According to Singaporean officials, at least two more members of ISB were in Bangladesh, and investigators also seized a document from Mizanur, titled We Need to Fight for Jihad, along with documents on weapons and bomb making as well as propaganda materials from al-Qaeda and IS.

The ISB members planned to recruit other Bangladeshi nationals working in Singapore to grow the group. The group had also raised money to purchase firearms to carry out their planned terror attacks in Bangladesh, MHA officials said, noting that Singaporean authorities had since seized the cash.

In March, Singapore announced that it was beefing up security and counter-terrorism measures to protect the city-state from a threat posed by ISs rising influence in Southeast Asia.

ISB poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas, the MHA said.

The ministry noted that another five Bangladeshi workers who were investigated under the Internal Security Act for possible links to Islamic State Bangladesh were sent home.

Investigations showed that they were not involved in ISB but nevertheless possessed and/or proliferated jihadi-related materials, or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause, the ministry said.

In Dhaka on Tuesday, Bangladeshs police chief acknowledged that five Bangladeshis had been expelled from Singapore, but he did not say when they were sent home.

They are in the custody of the detective branch, and we will question them extensively about their links with the militant groups. We have cooperation with Singapore on counter terrorism issues, Police Inspector-General A.K.M. Shahidul Haque told BenarNews.
Protesters demand speedy action against the unknown perpetrator who raped and killed a Dalit woman in Kochi last week, May 3, 2016.

Police in the south Indian state of Kerala said Tuesday they were questioning three suspects in connection with last weeks gruesome rape and killing of a woman from a lower caste that sparked nationwide outrage.

Police Superintendent Yathish Chandra told BenarNews that his investigating team had reason to believe that only one man, between the age group of 25 and 30, was involved in the assault of the Dalit victim, a 30-year-old student at the Government Law College in Ernakulam district. Her name was withheld.

The victims neighbors saw one person leaving her house minutes before her body was discovered by her mother, Chandra said.

The body of the victim, who belonged to a community placed at the bottom of Hinduisms hierarchical caste system, bore more than 30 stab wounds, police said. And, in a grisly reminder of the 2012 gang rape and murder of a paramedic student aboard a bus in New Delhi that caused a national uproar, the Dalit womans intestines had been gutted, police said.

It is a gruesome murder, Chandra said of the assault, which took place last Thursday while the victim was alone in her house in Ernakulam districts Perumbavoor town.

While refusing to confirm if one of those detained was the prime suspect, Chandra said: We are working on the case. More details can be revealed only when we are done with the interrogation of the three suspects, one of whom is the victims neighbor.

Even as police were investigating the incident, hundreds of activists belonging to womens groups and right-wing organizations protested outside Kerala state assembly building Tuesday, demanding speedy action against the perpetrators.

Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Womens Association, said the incident had again raised questions on the safety of Dalit women in the country.

It is a ghastly reminder of how vulnerable women, especially Dalit women, continue to be to sexual violence. Perpetators still continue to enjoy a sense of impunity, she told BenarNews.

Rights body calls for report

On Tuesday, Indias National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) demanded a detailed report of the incident within two weeks.

The crime is so spine-chilling and gruesome that words fall short and expressing anguish and shock appear meaningless and mere ritualistic, the NHRC said in a statement. It is a matter of utmost concern that womens security is facing grave threat in spite of several measures taken in the recent times.

About 63 of every 100,000 women are raped on average every year in Kerala, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. The figure is significantly higher than the national average of 56.3 rapes per 100,000 women. About 93 women are sexually assaulted each day in India.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who is preparing for state assembly elections, said his government would spare no effort in bringing the culprit to justice.

[We are] shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to them, Chandy told reporters.

G. Shankar, a professor at the Government Law College who briefly taught the victim, said she was an introvert who always kept to herself.

She never really opened up, he told BenarNews. She didnt have many friends and always stayed aloof.

Dalit community faces violence

The historically marginalized Dalit community, which forms the lowest rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy, continues to be subject to violent attacks.

In March, a 22-year-old engineering student from south Indias Tamil Nadu state was attacked and killed by three machete-wielding men while out shopping with his wife. She was critically injured in the assault, which was caught on closed-circuit cameras, as dozens of onlookers stood by.

Police said they were investigating the attack as a likely incident of honor killing, in which couples are targeted because their families disapprove of their relationships over caste or religion.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi greets the freed sailors freed in the ministry office in Jakarta before they are returned to their families, May 2, 2016.

A day after Abu Sayyaf militants freed 10 Indonesian sailors from captivity, the Indonesian Seafarers Union leader called for ships to hire armed guards to protect them against piracy in busy sea lanes linking their nation with the Philippines and Malaysia.

Its better to provide armed guards on board, but they should be listed as crew and the company of the ship owner must pay for it, union chairman Hanafi Rustandi told BenarNews on Monday.

Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who greeted the freed sailors at her office in Jakarta on Monday, said no ransom had been paid to secure the sailors release and that it occurred because the government instituted a total diplomatic strategy.

The release is a long process, the situation in the field is also very dynamic with a very high complication level, Retno said.

Retno said the government was working to free four other sailors who were snatched from the Indonesian tugboat Cristi as it sailed near the maritime boundary between Malaysia and the Philippines on April 15.

The government will see all the possible options to free the four Indonesian citizens. We monitor the location of them from time to time, she said.

Meanwhile, Hanafi of the sailors union called for tugboats to be manned with armed guards, because of their small crews. He also called on shipping companies to insure crew members.

Companies have to pay for insurance. Moreover these are dangerous waters, if necessary, they must also provide insurance for the crews families, he said.

He said he hoped that these concerns by the union would be discussed during a trilateral maritime security meeting between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines scheduled for Thursday in Jakarta.

The meeting will bring together the foreign ministers and military chiefs of the three countries. Officials intend to ensure that cooperation and economic activity among the three countries are not disturbed by militants based in the southern Philippines, according to Arrmanatha Nasir, a spokesman for Indonesias Foreign Ministry.

Crew members healthy

The 10 crew members arrived at the Jakarta Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base at 11:30 p.m. Sunday. They were taken to a military hospital in Jakarta for a medical examination, where they were reported to be healthy.

Crew member Peter Tonsen said he and the nine others were not harmed even though Abu Sayyaf occasionally threatened them if a ransom was not paid.

We slept on palm leaves under the open sky, just like them, he told reporters on Monday in Jakarta.

Another crew member, Wendi Rakhdian, said they ate the same food as their captors.

His family rejoiced over news of his freedom.

We are very happy, very excited. When he arrives home, we will make a celebration for him, Wendis mother, Asmizar, told BenarNews from her home in Padang, West Sumatra. It is up to him if he wants to go sailing again. If not, it is fine too. Hes been sailing for three years.

Her husband, Aidil, could not hide his excitement. He said he learned about Wendis release from the shipping company on Sunday afternoon.

Now we are waiting because we still have no detailed information when my son will be sent home. If we must go to Jakarta to pick him up, we are ready to as we cannot wait to see him, Aidil said.

Sutomo, the father of crew member Bayu Oktavianto, said he heard the news on TV, and two hour later, around 4 p.m. Sunday, the shipping company called him confirming his sons release.

"That made me feel sure," Sutomo told BenarNews from his home in Klaten, Central Java. "Previously I was concerned after learning the hostage from Canada was killed."

The shipping company thanked those involved in securing the release.

We are grateful our employees can return to Indonesia safely and hopefully can soon gather with their families. On behalf of our company, we thank all the parties for the diplomacy and moral support, said Loudy Irwanto Ellias, representing the company.

Freedom

Hanafi Rustandi does not know whether the crew members were released because a ransom of 50 million pesos (U.S. $1.07 million) demanded by Abu Sayyaf was paid.

But former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri offered her own take to reporters in Jakarta.

Obviously, the hostages were released because the ransom was paid, Magawati said, according to Indonesian media.

However, Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan told reporters at the presidential palace on Monday that the government remained committed to a policy of not paying ransom for hostages. On April 19, he said the company employing the hostages snatched on March 26 had agreed to pay for their release.

In the Philippines, Abu Sayyaf holds four Malaysians and citizens from Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, and China as well as seven from the Philippines. Last week, the militant group executed a Canadian it had held since September 2015 after its ransom demand was not met.

Kusumasari Ayuningtyas in Central Java and Sulthan Azzam in West Sumatra contributed to this story.
The Bible has been under attack in the western world for over 200 years but never more intensely than today. These attacks have taken different forms and have come from many different corners of the academic world, from philosophers, to scientists, to textual critics. In the specialized world of archaeology the attacks have increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Once a specialization filled with Bible believing individuals, the field of archaeology is now overrun with atheists and skeptics, agnostics and those committed to the destruction of the Bible as a source of true historical information.

These attacks on the Bible are a part of a sweeping movement in western culture. Spearheaded by academic elitists in the university and the public educational system, the news and popular media, and the entertainment industry, these revisionists cloak themselves with supposed objectivity, purity of motives, and the superiority of science over the "uninformed", "unscientific", religious community.

They regularly mock those who question their world-view and their conclusions by name-calling and the worst forms of anti-Bible and anti-Christian propaganda. They have powerfully infected the church by turning Bible believing Christians against the very Scripture which is the foundation of truth and life in this world. Instead of contending for the Bible, Christian academics, pastors, and lay-persons are making egregious accommodations to these destroyers of faith and truth.

In these days of intense spiritual battle, God has called ABR to step into the gap to contend for the truth and to assist the church in this critical hour. ABR is a non-profit ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible and to give answers to questions being asked by believers and non-believers alike. We do this by using original archaeological fieldwork and research along with studies in other apologetic disciplines. We take on the bold claims of skeptics and critics. We challenge the bizarre anti-biblical propaganda that is purveyed upon the public as gospel through television and print media. We uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God's message for the salvation of all mankind!




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In December 2015 an international group of scientists convened in Austria to discuss the imminent extinction of the northern white rhinoceros and the possibility of bringing the species back from brink of extinction. The discussions of this historic meeting appear in the international Journal Zoo Biology. The publication of this work is designed as part of the ongoing effort to raise awareness for the extinction crisis facing rhinos and many other species while also reaching out to the scientific community to share and gather information.

"The effort to save the northern white rhinoceros will need new technologies, new approaches and problem-solving in order to avert its imminent extinction." Said Joseph Saragusty, D.V.M., Ph.D., andrologist from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin, Germany. "The productive engagement of an international multidisciplinary team of experts will be essential to accomplish the ambitious goal of bringing back the northern white rhinoceros from its otherwise certain path to extinction."

The discussion to save the northern white rhinoceros touches on genetics and cell biology, scientific ethics and the importance of long term strategic thinking and ongoing communications. A key element of these discussions was the need to maintain genetic banks of frozen tissue, spermatozoa and oocytes to use as materials in this fight against extinction.

"Cryobanked genetic resources from this unique form of rhinboceros have been saved in San Diego and in Europe." Said Oliver Ryder, Ph.D., geneticist for San Diego Zoo Global. "The genetic resources in the form of banked viable cell cultures, tissues and spermatozoa, together with the capability to establish induced pluripotent stem cells are the basis for hope that a viable population of northern white rhinoceros can be produced."

With some genetic tissue from northern white rhinos available the group is looking at advanced reproductive technologies as the hope for the future of the species.

"It was a long way from the idea to the roadmap created in Vienna. I am glad that we found so many competent supporters in the scientific community who believe in the application of advanced cellular and reproductive technologies for the genetic rescue of the northern white rhinoceros. Now we have to demonstrate that this novel strategy can make a difference" Said Thomas Hildebrandt, Prof. Dr., head of the Reproduction Management department at IZW.

The last three northern white rhinoceroses reside in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya where they were transported from ZOO Dv?r Kralove, Czech Republic. "Although we were able to breed the northern white rhinoceroses in our zoo, their health status does not allow them to breed naturally anymore. We are now optimistic that the cutting-edge research outlined in Vienna will give these very last specimens a chance to see an offspring of their own kind." Said Jan Stejskal, Director of International Projects of ZOO Dv?r Kralove.

In addition to sharing information about reproductive technologies the group of experts discussed the ethics of spending resources to save one species. The paper voices the hope that the information gathered through this effort would be applied towards other species facing the threat of extinction in the future.

The Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research (IZW) is an internationally renowned research institute of the Leibniz Association. With the mission of "understanding and improving adaptability" it examines evolutionary adaptations of wildlife and its resilience to global change, and develops new concepts and measures for conservation. To achieve this, the IZW uses its broad interdisciplinary expertise in evolutionary ecology and genetics, wildlife diseases, reproductive biology and management in a close dialogue with stakeholders and the public.

Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is made accessible to children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the Internet and in children's hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global.

ZOO Dv?r Kralove has been one of the most important breeders of African ungulates in the world since the late 1970s. The zoo is dedicated to conserving African wildlife through both ex situ and in situ efforts as well as promoting African culture and wildlife conservation. Four northern white rhinos have been born in the zoo and in 2009 it collaborated with its partners to transfer then four northern white rhinos from Dv?r Kralove to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya, in hope to further prompt their breeding.

Source: Zoological Society of San Diego
Is social entrepreneurship the new face of development? A recent impact report released by Reach for Change suggests it might be.

James Kofi Annan

Social entrepreneurs across Africa are contributing to advances in education, healthcare, financial inclusion, environmental protection and other social issues. This was highlighted in the Reach for Change Africa 2015 Social Impact Report, which shared impact numbers and stories from social entrepreneurs supported in Reach for Changes programs.

In 2015, over 100 African social entrepreneurs were supported through the organizations Accelerator and Incubator programs.

Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions for social challenges their communities face. Social entrepreneurship is seen as an alternative to traditional development projects, by empowering local entrepreneurs to come up with grassroots solutions that are scalable, financially sustainable and can ultimately contribute to permanent, positive changes within societies at large.

Reach for Change Africa partners with corporations, non-profits and individuals to find, support and develop some of the best social entrepreneurs Africa has to offer. Through its Accelerator and Incubator programs, Reach for Change supports high-potential social entrepreneurs to build sustainable, scalable organizations that achieve social impact and contribute to systemic change.

In 2015, Reach for Change Africa received 1,953 ideas for tackling social challenges from prospective social entrepreneurs from its innovation competitions in Ghana, Senegal, Chad, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Our 2015 Social Impact Report really emphasizes how much social entrepreneurship has grown in Africa, said Amma Lartey, Reach for Change Africas regional director. In 2015, the quality of ideas submitted to our innovation competitions improved substantially which tells us that the sector is growing and social entrepreneurs are finding creative ways to respond to social challenges through scalable innovations that have the potential to deeply impact societies.

Change leaders

James Kofi Annan is a Ghanaian social entrepreneur working to end child slavery who is featured in the 2015 Social Impact Report. His organisation, Challenging Heights rescues children from slavery in the fishing industry, providing them with rehabilitation centre, and runs numerous programs to help prevent child slavery, through education and livelihood programs geared towards parents of children vulnerable to trafficking.

Annan is just one of the 57 Change Leaders that Reach for Change Africa supported in 2015 through its Incubator program, and Lartey says the organisation plan to support even more social entrepreneurs through various programs and initiatives in 2016.

Other social entrepreneurs featured in the report include Dominique Uwase Alonga who is helping thousands of children in Rwanda develop reading and creative writing skills every year; Evelyne Ines and Jean Luc Semedo of Senegal who were supported to develop a web and mobile application platform promotes blood donation; Faraja Nyalandu, who is providing the best educational content online to children in Tanzania; Didier Lalaye of Chad who is bringing mobile health solutions to thousands of rural children; and Naomi & Yvette Kuseyo who provide education for hospitalised children in the DRC.

We really look forward to investing in more social entrepreneurs this year, and supporting them to take their innovations to scale Lartey said. Already this year we have welcomed an additional seven entrepreneurs - five in Ethiopia and two in Chad - and we will be working with these and our existing social entrepreneurs to improve their impact, operations, financial sustainability and communications.

To further support the burgeoning social entrepreneurship sector across Africa, the report also highlights the creation of the African Social Entrepreneurship Network (ASEN), spearheaded by Reach for Change Africa. ASEN was designed to build strong national ecosystems for social entrepreneurship by establishing national networks of social entrepreneurs and the organizations that support them across Africa. These national networks aim to increase learning and innovation, funding, research and drive policy to promote further growth of the social enterprise sector. The first national network,SE Ghana, had its first general assembly in 2015.

To read the full report, visit africa.reachforchange.org/impact.
#AfricaMonth: Van Schaik Bookstore expands into Southern Africa

The expansion of Van Schaik Bookstore into neighbouring countries dates back to 2006 when it opened its first store in Windhoek at the University of Namibia. The second Namibian store was opened in 2012 at the Oshakati Campus. More recently, the bookstore opened a branch in Gaborone, Botswana at Fairgrounds Mall, followed by four shops in Swaziland - three at the local university and one at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, in July and October, respectively. This affords Van Schaik the opportunity to service students from the respective universities, tertiary learning institutions and schools in surrounding areas, as well as those studying through correspondence.

Here, Stephan Erasmus, MD of Van Schaik Bookstore, shares his vision for education in Africa and how he believes providing access to textbooks in other disenfranchised markets is a step in the right direction... Why did you expand into Southern Africa as opposed to further afield? Comment on your expansion strategy. Why did you expand into Southern Africa as opposed to further afield? Comment on your expansion strategy. Van Schaik decided to expand due to the limited bookshop opportunities remaining in the South African higher education market. Van Schaik services most of the 26 higher education tertiary institutions in South Africa and had to look outside South African borders for expansion.

It is easier, logistically, to expand to the countries around South Africa, compared to African countries further north.

Things we look at before deciding on any possible location for a bookshop are:

Market size;



Ease of doing business;



Availability of funding;



Adoption of textbooks; and



Language of instruction.

In a press release you mentioned that its Van Schaiks mission to supply academic resources to all students in Africa via retail stores and digital channels. In a press release you mentioned that its Van Schaiks mission to supply academic resources to all students in Africa via retail stores and digital channels.

Van Schaik plays a role by opening a bookshop on, or close to, the campuses of academic institutions. These bookshops service the needs of students by supplying academic prescribed textbooks as well as supplementary academic materials like stationery, computers, lab coats, calculators, tablets, stethoscopes, dissection kits, etc.

Van Schaik bookstores, together with publisher's representatives, introduces the latest books from leading international authors to academics at institutions. Van Schaik assist the bursary departments at institutions by opening accounts per student, applying credit limits, and reporting back to the institution on a per-student basis.

Comment on the infrastructure required to achieve this.

Van Schaik has a central head office infrastructure supporting stores in various functions. We also use an in-house developed IT system that supports the unique requirements of the academic market. Comment on the opportunities and challenges youve experienced thus far. The expression Africa is not for sissies is also true in business. Opportunities are few and any business must be careful to pick viable ones. Challenges include transport of stock, setting up companies, internet connectivity, availability of bursary funding, exchange rates, etc.

What is your vision for education in Africa, and how do you believe providing access to textbooks in other disenfranchised markets is a step in the right direction? What is your vision for education in Africa, and how do you believe providing access to textbooks in other disenfranchised markets is a step in the right direction?

I believe that education opens up a new world for people. This world is filled with opportunity, fulfilment, satisfaction, the ability to earn a living and provide for your family.

The role of textbooks in achieving a proper standard of education is indispensable.

Textbook publishers dont regurgitate unedited manuscripts. They undertake careful research into the market needs of students, commission the right academics and pedagogical experts to write the required works, introduce the valuable aspects of textbooks highlighted below, ensure the books meet the standards of peer reviewers prior to publication, and the requirements of local students and lecturers, and then distribute them via booksellers to ensure that students have access to them.

Textbooks support lecturers in delivering higher education. Lecturers fulfil multiple roles including teaching. Textbooks help them teach themselves where necessary, and to prepare content and application for lectures and tutorials. They have more time for other value-added activities, such as research. Textbook publishers create additional materials, such as exercises, tutorials, case studies, questions and answers, and test banks.

Textbooks create capacity for academics. Academics who dont write textbooks and have to teach students can rely on textbooks for their lecture preparation. They therefore have more time and energy for original knowledge creation and research in their disciplines or consulting work.

By utilising textbooks, written by international experts in their specific fields, an institution ensures teaching of an international standard. Publishers ensure that the latest technologies are incorporated in new, updated editions of textbooks. By adopting the latest editions of textbooks, academics ensure that students are exposed to the latest international technological developments.

This year saw the launch of Van Schaiks rewards card programme into Africa. What does this entail? This year saw the launch of Van Schaiks rewards card programme into Africa. What does this entail?

The card allows members to earn points on purchases that can be redeemed against future purchases. It also allows Van Schaik to offer unique deals and benefits to members of the rewards programme.

Why do you think such programmes have become fundamental to customer retention? A relationship with your customer is fundamental to retaining a customer. The rewards programme is just the tool we use to build this relationship.

You sell academic textbooks in both electronic and print format. Have you noticed an increase in electronic purchases over the last few years? You sell academic textbooks in both electronic and print format. Have you noticed an increase in electronic purchases over the last few years?

Yes, we have seen a slight increase in sales of e-books, but it has not been adopted by a large portion of the market. At the moment e-books is less than 1% of our book sales.

Which medium is generally preferred, and why do you think so? Currently, print is preferred. I think the main reason is that students are used to studying on print medium in school and do not change their behaviour at university. Once more learners become used to e-books at school level, we will probably see an increase in student use.

Van Schaik has been awarded the Sefika Academic Bookseller of the Year Award the last five consecutive years. Comment on this achievement. Van Schaik has been awarded the Sefika Academic Bookseller of the Year Award the last five consecutive years. Comment on this achievement.

This is a great achievement for everyone working for Van Schaik as it recognises our efforts to bring books to the market and the quality of our service.
Botswana appears to have achieved very high rates of HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression - much better than most Western nations, including the United States - according to a new study from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and colleagues in Botswana.

The findings suggest that even in countries with limited resources where a large percentage of the population is infected with HIV, strong treatment programmes can help make significant headway against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

 Dominic Chavez

The study was published online March 23, 2016 in The Lancet HIV.

Great progress in reducing infection

By now, we hoped to have an HIV vaccine. That hasnt happened. Ironically, treatment of HIV-infected persons may be our most effective, efficient way to prevent new infections. These results show that Botswana has made great progress in reducing the number of people who are infectious to others, said Max Essex, Mary Woodard Lasker professor of health sciences, chair of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Aids Initiative, and chair of the Botswana Harvard Aids Institute Partnership.

Providing ART can help

Global HIV programmes have continued to face challenges in achieving the high rates of testing and treatment needed to optimise health and reduce new infections. Mounting evidence suggests that providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all people living with HIV, regardless of the stage of their disease, can help. In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS) proposed new testing and treatment targets: that 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status; that 90% diagnosed with HIV be given ART; and that 90% who receive treatment have virologic suppression - very low blood levels of HIV - by the year 2020.

Botswana close to UNAIDS targets

The researchers looked at the achievability of the UNAIDS targets in Botswana - a middle-income African nation where 25% of the population aged 15-49 is HIV positive but which also has a mature public ART programme - by directly measuring HIV status, treatment, and viral suppression among 12,610 people from 30 communities across the country between October 2013 and November 2015. Study participants were drawn from a large, ongoing HIV prevention study in Botswana. The participants responded to a questionnaire, had their blood tested for HIV if their status wasnt known, and, if they were infected with HIV, their viral load was checked.

Out of the 12,610 participants, 3,596 (29%) were HIV infected and 2,995 (83,3%) of these individuals already knew their HIV status. Among those who knew their status, 2,617 (87,4%) were receiving ART.

Significantly, the study authors called it remarkable that of the 2,609 people receiving ART who had their viral load checked, 2,517 (96,5%) had viral suppression.

Until now, there has been considerable uncertainty as to whether the ambitious targets proposed by UNAIDS can be achieved, especially in countries with limited resources where the HIV burden is highest, according to the study authors. But the new findings suggest that Botswana could meet and even exceed the targets well before 2020, especially if ART eligibility is expanded - and that other countries could do the same.

90-90-90 treatment target realistic

This is significant work as it provides further evidence that the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment target is both realistic and achievable, said UNAIDS executive director, Michel Sidibe, who was not involved in the study.
Of the 387 jurors selected for the Cannes Lions 2016, nine are South African and they will serve on the Design, Direct, Film, Media, Mobile, Print & Publishing, Promo & Activation, Outdoor and Radio juries.

The juries, selected from 40 countries, are made up of 40% women, a significant increase on last years 31.5% and a record number for the Festival. The juries will meet in Cannes to judge live throughout the Festival, with the winners of the Lions being announced and honoured at awards ceremonies taking place across the eight days.

SA's Cannes Lions 2016 judging contingent: Emma Carpenter, Eoin Welsh, Fran Luckin, Jonathan Beggs, Jenny Glover, Marc Taback, Nathan Reddy, Suhana Gordhan, Rob McLennan

Philip Thomas, CEO, Lions Festivals, highlighted the importance of putting together balanced juries to ensure fair judging of the awards, while adding that the juries had a significant responsibility in determining the future path of creative communications.

Terry Savage, chairman, Lions Festivals, said that he was delighted to be welcoming such an array of global talent that spanned the wide spectrum of creativity. The 2016 juries have been announced as:

Creative Effectiveness Lions:

Andrew Robertson, CEO, BBDO, global  Jury president

Martin Sorrondegui, head of marketing, Volkswagen, Argentina

Michele Teague, GM, marketing, Kmart, Australia

Cristina Duclos, marketing director, Telefonica Vivo, Brazil

Melanie Johnston, president, DDB Toronto, Canada

Bertille Toledano, president, BETC Paris, France

Naomi Troni, global chief growth officer, MullenLowe, global

Jennifer Breithaupt, md, advertising, media and global Entertainment, Citi, global

Anthony Wong, worldwide effectiveness director, Ogilvy & Mather, global

Saurabh Varma, CEO, South Asia, Leo Burnett, India

Adrian Farina, SVP marketing, Latin America, VISA Inc, Latin America

Emily Cho, senior VP, Korean Air, South Korea

Martin Weigel, head of planning, Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Tracey Follows, chief strategy & innovation officer, The Future Laboratory, UK

Matt Gladstone, planning partner, Grey Worldwide, UK

Colleen Leddy, head of communication strategy, Droga5, US

Cyber Lions:

Chloe Gottlieb, SVP, ECD, R/GA, US  Jury president

Ignacio Zuccarino, head of creative, Google, Argentina

Bob Mackintosh, ECD, Host, Australia

Kris Hoet, chief innovation officer, Happiness, Belgium

Igor Puga, innovation & Integration VP, DDB, Brazil

Sylvain Thirache, ECD & Founding partner, SID LEE Paris, France

Dirk Kedrowitsch, COO, Publicis Pixelpark, Germany

Ravi Deshpande, founder & chairman, Whyness, India

Fumitaka Takano, creative director / communication Architect, ADK Tokyo, Japan

Gavin Becker, head of digital, Technology & innovation, Colenso BBDO, New Zealand

Brent Choi, chief creative officer, J. Walter Thompson Canada & New York, North America

Charlie Blower, co-founder, managing partner, Blak Labs, Singapore

Jongpil Kim, head of digital Division, Innocean Worldwide, South Korea

Teresa Galante, digital creative Supervisor, Shackleton, Spain

Bjorn Hoglund, ECD, Crispin Porter & Bogusky Scandinavia, Sweden

Kelsie Van Deman, head of interactive production, Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Sacha Reeb, ECD, Critical Mass, UK Victoria Buchanan, creative director, Tribal Worldwide, London, UK

Frederic Bonn, chief creative officer, Mirum, US

Megan Skelly, Group creative director, 360i, US

Design Lions:

Tristan Macherel, ECD, Landor, France  Jury president

Andrew Simpson, design director, Vert design, Australia

Verena Panholzer, art director, Es, Austria

Margot Doi Takeda, founder - VP, creative director, design, lg2boutique, Canada

Shen Yiwen, co-founder and chairperson, Beijing Jamewish Brand Consulting Firm, China

Linda Stannieder, managing partner, Graft Brandlab, Germany

Elsie Nanji, managing partner, Red Lion, Publicis, India

Haruko Tsutsui, creative director, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Nathan Chambers, creative director, 485 design, New Zealand

Vlad Ermolaev, co- founder, creative director, Ermolaev Bureau, Russia

Komal Bedi Sohal, chief creative officer, Y&R, Singapore

Nathan Reddy, chief creative officer & founder, Grid Worldwide Branding and design, South Africa

Matthew Atchison, creative director, Saffron Brand Consultants, Spain

Candice Madrid-Dahlqvist, design director, Identity Works, Sweden

Tienchutha Rukhavibul, Graphic design director, TBWA\Thailand, Thailand

Jochem Leegstra, founder / creative director, ...,staat, The Netherlands

Karen Welman, founding partner & chief creative officer, Pearlfisher, UK

Sue Daun, ECD, Interbrand, UK

Tim Allen, president, North America, Wolff Olins, US

Keri Elmsly, ECD, Second Story, US

Digital Craft Lions:

Wesley ter Haar, founder / COO, mediaMonks, global  Jury president

James Noble, founder & md, Carter digital, Australia

Seb De Roover, creative director, &KOO, Belgium

Luciana Haguiara, digital creative director, AlmapBBDO, Brazil

Eric Cruz, ECD, AKQA Shanghai, China

Joanna Pena-Bickley, global chief creative officer, IBM Interactive Experience, global

Qanta Shimizu, founder / chief technology officer, PARTY, global

Sean MacDonald, global chief digital officer, McCann Worldgroup, global

Kyoko Yonezawa, creative technologist, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Jakob Stenqvist, creative developer, Department, Sweden

Yaprak Gultay, Service design Lead, FJORD design and innovation from Accenture Interactive, Turkey

Henry Cowling, creative director, UNIT9, UK

Helen Fuchs, ECD, Digitas LBi, UK

Tony Snethen, ECD, VML, US

Katie Dill, head of experience design, Airbnb, US

Direct Lions:

Mark Tutssel, global chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide / creative chairman, Publicis communications, global  Jury president

Gonzalo Vecino, ECD & co-founder, Nina, Argentina

Dave King, ECD, Innocean Worldwide, Australia

Lukas Grossebner, owner/ECD, Merlicek&Grossebner, Austria

Dries de Wilde, creative director, Duval Guillaume, Belgium

Rodrigo Jatene, chief creative officer, Grey, Brazil

Steph Mackie, owner. thinker. doer, Mackie Biernacki, Canada

Peter Shen, chief creative officer, Cheil PengTai, China

John Raul Forero, creative VP, Ogilvy & Mather, Colombia

Pauline de Montferrand, creative director, Fred & Farid, France

Cosimo Moeller, ECD, Serviceplan, Germany

Nicoletta Stefanidou, ECD, Isobar, Hong Kong

Ramesh Iyengar, chairman & md, Select Direct marketing communications, India

Ben Sever, partner & chief creative officer, Inbar Merhav G, Israel

Jack Blanga, creative & digital director, TBWA \ Italia, Italy

Masako Shimizu, Copywriter, Hakuhodo Inc., Japan

Tony Bradbourne, ECD / founder, Special Group, New Zealand

Jon Loke, ECD, Publicis, Singapore

Suhana Gordhan, creative director, FCB Africa, South Africa

Pilar de Giles Lopez, creative director, Proximity Madrid, Spain

Josefine Richards, creative director, INGO Stockholm, Sweden

Olivier Girard, founder & ECD, M&C Saatchi, Switzerland

Richard Yu, chief creative officer, ADK, Taiwan

Patrick van Haperen, creative lead, Red Urban, The Netherlands

Sophie Lutman, creative director, BrandPie, UK

Julia Neumann, creative director, Mullen Lowe NY, US

Film Lions Jury:

Joe Alexander, chief creative officer, The Martin Agency, global  Jury president

Anita Rios, general creative director, J. Walter Thompson, Argentina

Justin Drape, chief creative officer, The Monkeys, Australia

Dieter De Ridder, creative director, Air Brussels, Belgium

Rodrigo Castellari, creative director, F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Brazil

Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, VP, creative director, FCB Toronto, Canada

Alexander Kalchev, ECD, DDB Paris, France

Oliver Frank, ECD, VCCP Berlin, Germany

Zenobia Pithawalla, ECD, Ogilvy & Mather, India

Polina Zabrodskaya, associate creative director, Publicis, Italy

Miwako Hosokawa, creative director, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Ariel Soto, VP & chief creative officer, BBDO, Mexico

Egil Pay, senior Art director / partner, TRY, Norway

Rob McLennan, creative Founding partner, King James II, South Africa

Jose M Roca de Vinals, chief creative officer, DDB, Spain

Sophia Lindholm, art director, Forsman & Bodenfors, Sweden

Lars Jorgensen, partner & ECD, Anomaly, The Netherlands

Ash Chagla, ECD, Science & Sunshine, UAE

Ana Balarin, ECD, Mother London, UK

Leslie Sims, chief creative officer, Y&R North America, US

Duncan Milner, chief creative officer, TBWA\media Arts Lab, US

Andreas Dahlqvist, chief creative officer, Grey New York, US

Film Craft Lions:

Laura Gregory, CEO, Great Guns, UK  Jury president

Karen Sproul, producer, Exit Films, Australia

Mateus De Paula Santos, director / partner, Lobo / Vetor Zero, Brazil

Erinn Lotthe Guillon, executive producer, Insurrection, France

Steffen Gentis, chief production officer, BBDO, Germany

Amit Sharma, director, Chrome Pictures, India

Laerke Herthoni, film director, Folke Film, Sweden

Stephanie Oakley, director of production, 72andSunny, The Netherlands

Lise McQuillin, head of original production & partnerships, Grey, UK

Kerstin Emhoff, co-founder, executive producer, PRETTYBIRD, US

Benjamin Davies, head of Broadcast Production, Droga5, US

Glass Lions:

Madeline Di Nonno, CEO, Geena Davis Institute for Gender in media, global  Jury president

Su-Mei Thompson, CEO, The Womens Foundation, Asia

Claudia Colaferro, CEOLatin America, Dentsu Aegis Network, Brazil

Mary Whenam, president, Women in PR, Europe

John Gerzema, CEO, BAV Consulting, global

Josy Paul, chairman & chief creative officer, BBDO, India

Zainab Salbi, host and creator of The Nida'a Show and founder of Women for Women International, ADIN Productions, MENA

Vicki Maguire, ECD, Grey, UK

Mark D'Arcy, VP, chief creative officer, Facebook, US

Wendy Clark, president & CEO, DDB North America, US

Media Lions:

Nick Waters, CEO, Dentsu Aegis, Asia Pacific  Jury president

Chris Stephenson, head of strategy and planning, PHD media, APAC

Sebastian Civit, CEO, Midios, Argentina

Sophie Price, chief strategy officer, UM, Australia

Tom Lemaitre, client service director, mediacom, Belgium

Luis Padilha, media VP Latam, Havas, Brazil

Ann Stewart, president, Maxus, Canada

Mykim Chikli, North Asia CEO, ZenithOptimedia, China

Paulina Parra, CEO, mediaCom, Colombia

Maria Garrido, global head of insights & analytics, Havas media Group, France

Christian Zimmer, chief digital officer, OMD, Germany

Jodie Stranger, president global Network Clients, Starcom mediavest Group, global

Mat Baxter, global chief strategy & creative officer, IPG mediabrands, global

David Reid, global strategy director, PHD media, global

Jez Jowett, global head creative technologies, Havas media, global

Pele Cortizo-Burgess, global chief creative officer, MEC, global

Dan Hagen, chief strategy officer, Carat, global

Ashish Bhasin, chairman & CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network, India

Dubi Spector, deputy CEO, media Interaction, Israel

Emanuele Giraldi, head of business development, Omnicom media Group, Italy

Riichiro Nakamura, executive director, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Lilia Barroso, CEO, Mindshare, Mexico

Kath Watson, CEO, OMD, New Zealand

Lawrence Teherani-Ami, media director, Wieden+Kennedy, North America

Maria Isabel Mesia, CEO, Vivaki, Peru

Maryana Sheynina, media director, Articul media, Russia

Marc Taback, CEO, Initiative media, South Africa

Jaewoo Kim, media planning director, TBWA Korea, South Korea

Angeles Escobar, GM, Arena media Barcelona, Spain

Jochum Forsell, COO, IUM, Sweden

Neslihan Olcay, CEO, Maxus, Turkey

Phil Georgiadis, global chairman, Optimedia Blue 449, UK

Euan Hudghton, managing partner, PHD media, UK

Kasha Cacy, president, UM, US Phil Cowdell, CEO, North America, mediaCom, US

Chris Boothe, CEO, mediavest | Spark, US

Mobile Lions:

Malcolm Poynton, global chief creative officer, Cheil, global  Jury president

Arthur Policarpio, CEO, Mobext Philippines, APAC

Brendan Forster, head of creative technology, Clemenger BBDO, Australia

Domenico Massareto, innovation director, TBWA, Brazil

Amber Liu, VP, LEO digital Network, China

David Raichman, ECD, OgilvyOne, France

Donna Bedford, global digital lead, Lenovo, global

Ben Phillips, global head of mobile, mediacom, global

Szabi Szekely, co-founder, CEO, Halcyon Mobile, Romania

Claire Waring, ECD, SapientNitro, SE Asia

Emma Carpenter, creative director, Accenture Interactive, South Africa

Zelia Sakhi, head of creative / partner, Mobiento / Deloitte digital, Sweden

Milton Elias, head of Mobile & Tech Futures, OMD, UK

Thea Frost, CEO, Somewhat, UK

Winston Binch, chief digital officer, Deutsch North America, US

PR Lions:

John Clinton, Chair, Canada: North American head of creative and Content, Edelman, North America  Jury president

Veronica Cheja, CEO& founder, Urban communication Group, Argentina

Scott Kronick, president & CEO, Ogilvy Public Relations, Asia Pacific

Amanda Galmes, co-founder & md, Fuel communications, Australia

Laure Miquel-Jean, head of PR, Pride / TBWA, Belgium

Edson Giusti, CEO, Giusti communications, Brazil

Ingrid Wobst, CEO, Colectivo, Colombia

Marion Darrieutort, CEO, Elan Edelman, France

Hanning Kempe, general md, FleishmanHillard, Germany

Valerie Pinto, CEO, Weber Shandwick, India

Stefania Mercuri, partner  GM, MY PR, Italy

Kazuaki Hashida, creative director, Hakuhodo Kettle, Japan

Leticia Mar, partner, Alterpraxis, Mexico

Kelly Bennett, founder & md, One Plus One communications, New Zealand

Heidi Holm, client service director & partner, Dinamo, Norway

Barbara Pleban, co-owner & VP, Multi communications, Poland

Isabel Jorge de Carvalho, CEO partner, global Press, Portugal

Almudena Alonso, md, Cohn & Wolfe, Spain

Hannes Kerstell, senior partner & executive media director, Prime  A Weber Shandwick Company, Sweden

Kat Thomas, founder / global ECD, One Green Bean, UK

Erin Gentry, EVP, global co-Lead, Client Services, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, US

Print & Publishing Lions:

Joji Jacob, Group ECD, DDB Group, Singapore  Jury president

Fernando Sosa, ECD, La Comunidad Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hugo Rodrigues, CEO, Publicis, Brazil

Norman Tan, North Asia chief creative officer, China chairman, J. Walter Thompson Shanghai, China

Alvaro Becker Padruno, ECD, Prolam Young & Rubicam, Chile

Jamie Standen, creative director, Rosapark, France

Ralf Zilligen, ECD, managing partner, McCann, Germany

Swati Bhattacharya, chief creative officer, FCB Ulka advertising, India

Yuri Alvarado, president & Cofounder, Alvarado Molina, Mexico

Jonathan Beggs, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, South Africa

Isabel Sanchez, creative director, *S,C,P,F, Spain

Nisa Mujjalintrakool, ECD, Dentsu, Thailand

Ilkay Gurpinar, chief creative officer, TBWA\Istanbul, Turkey

Fadi Yaish, Regional ECD, Impact BBDO, UAE

Richard Denney, ECD, MullenLowe London, UK

Shelley Smoler, creative director, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, UK

Corinna Falusi, chief creative officer, Ogilvy & Mather, US

Product design Lions:

Amina Horozic, lead industrial designer, fuseproject, US  Jury president

Jaakko Tammela, partner | head of creative Empowerment, Questto|No, Brazil

Lars Larsen, founder & head of design, Kilo design, Denmark

Jessica Nebel, senior Industrial designer, Steelcase, Germany

Cinzia Cumini, founder & designer, Garcia Cumini Associati, Italy

Anna Loskiewicz, owner/chief designer, Beza Projekt, Poland

Tanja Soeter, creative director, HEMA design, The Netherlands

Paul Cocksedge, designer, Paul Cocksedge Studio, UK

Shujan Bertrand, founder, aplat inc, US

Promo & Activation Lions:

Rob Reilly, global creative chairman, McCann Worldgroup, global  Jury president

Ignacio Ferioli, VP, David Buenos Aires, Argentina

Iggy Rodriguez, creative group head, Leo Burnett, Australia

Geert De Rocker, creative director, Publicis Brussels, Belgium

Maria Laura Nicotero, president, Momentum Worldwide, Brazil

Philippe Meunier, chief creative officer, Sid Lee, Canada

Carlos Andres Rodriguez, ECD, Mullen Lowe SSP3, Colombia

Jakob Stiegler, MD Nordics, Be On, Part of AOL Platforms, Denmark

Olivier Apers, ECD, BETC, France

Jo Marie Farwick, founder & creative, Uberground, Germany

Manuel Musilli, creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi, Italy

Takahiro Hosoda, senior creative director, TBWA\Hakuhodo, Japan

Leonardo Varela, ECD, Marcel, Mexico

Gemma Ross, co-founder & director, Hustle & Bustle, New Zealand

Enrique Renta Davila, chief creative officer, DDB Latina, Puerto

Rico Mihai Fetcu, creative director, Geometry, Romania

Mikhail Elagin, chief creative officer, TWIGA communication Group, Russia

Cinzia Crociani, creative director, Grey Group, Singapore

Eoin Welsh, chief creative officer, Havas Worldwide Johannesburg, South Africa

Pablo Perez-Solero, CEO and chief creative officer, Bungalow25 Circus, Spain

Malin Wikerberg, creative director, Garbergs Malmo, Sweden

Peter de Lange, founder/creative director, LEMZ, The Netherlands

Paul Shearer, chief creative officer, Memac Ogilvy & Mather, UAE

Hollie Newton, ECD, Sunshine, UK

Nadja Lossgott, creative director, AMV BBDO, UK

Karin Onsager-Birch, chief creative officer, FCB West, US

Outdoor Lions:

Ricardo John, chief creative officer, J. Walter Thompson, Brazil  Jury president

Rafael Santamarina, ECD, Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi, Argentina

Nancy Hartley, creative partner, Rumble creative & media, Australia

Nils Andersson, president & chief creative officer, TBWA, China

Fabien Teichner, chief creative officer, Marcel Paris, France

Bettina Olf, md Creation, thjnk Hamburg, Germany

Pradyumna Chauhan, national creative director, McCann Erickson, India

Kosuke Takeshige, creative director, Dentsu Inc., Japan

Alvin Ng, creative director, FCB Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Alvaro Zunini, creative VP, Havas Worldwide Vale, Mexico

Aaron Koh, ECD, GOVT, Singapore

Fran Luckin, chief creative officer, Grey Africa, South Africa

Munia Bilbao, creative director, Sra Rushmore, Spain

Park Wannasiri, creative director, BBDO Bangkok, Thailand

Leigh Reyes, president & chief creative officer, MullenLowe, The Philippines

Pemra Atac Aciktan, partner, ECD, Rabarba, Turkey

Richard Brim, ECD, adamandeveDDB, UK

Jeanie Caggiano, EVP/ECD, Leo Burnett, US

Radio Lions:

Tom Eymundson, CEO, director, Pirate Group Inc., Canada  Jury president

Marianne Harvey, creative director, Clemenger BBDO Brisbane, Australia

Thierry van Durme, partner, Sonicville Sound & Music, Belgium

Rafael Urenha dos Santos, chief creative officer, DPZ&T, Brazil

Tony Sarroca, partner & ECD, Simple Chile

Sergio Leon, ECD, Glue, Colombia

Oscar Meixner, managing partner, Hastings Audio Network, Germany

Fanny Vaager, senior copywriter, Saatchi & Saatchi, Norway

Andrew Hook, Group ECD, Havas, Singapore

Jenny Glover, ECD, TBWA Hunt Lascaris, South Africa

Tomas Ostiglia, global creative director, LOLA Mullen Lowe, Spain

Teeny Gonzales, CEO& chief creative officer, Seven A.D., The Philippines

Kalpesh Patankar, ECD, Y&R Dubai, UAE

Robert Abel, managing partner, Somethin' Else, UK

Jo McCrostie, creative director, global media and Entertainment, UK

Luis Miguel Messianu, creative chairman, CEO, Alma, US

Titanium and Integrated Lions:

Sir John Hegarty, founder creative, BBH, UK  Jury president

Ted Lim, chief creative officer, Dentsu Aegis, Asia Pacific

Luiz Sanches, partner & chief creative officer, AlmapBBDO, Brazil

Graham Bednash, Consumer marketing director, Google, EMEA

Jeremy Craigen, global chief creative officer, Innocean Worldwide, global

Per Pedersen, chairman of global creative Council, Grey, global

Judy John, CEO& chief creative officer, Leo Burnett, global

Lori Senecal, global CEO, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, global

David Kolbusz, chief creative officer, Droga5, UK

Pete Favat, chief creative officer, Deutsch North America, US

For more information, go to www.canneslions.com.
Last week, Jhb-based agency TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris was announced as top Individual Agency of the Year for all of 2015's award shows, including Cannes Lions, One Show, D&AD, Loeries and Creative Circle's Ad of the Year. Chief creative officer Peter Khoury explains their secret to consistent excellence.

The agency is a member of the Creative Circle which recently released the list. The rankings are compiled each year according to performance at both local and international creative award shows, and Khoury says, While we knew we would be up there, it was great to find out that we topped the list once again.

Khoury

Its proof of the agencys dedication to excellence and exceptional creativity with another robust year of competition, with Khoury quick to also congratulate the agencies that placed second and third. He explains that the rankings are a holistic representation of an individual agencys performance as all categories and media are considered at each show, with points awarded for a shortlist, bronze, silver, gold and grand prix. The total number of awards is then tallied and the agency that has the most points is ranked first for that particular show. So to achieve best individual agency, you have to excel consistently at every award throughout the year.

Explaining how a local award win differs from bringing home an international title, Khoury says its always an honour to represent South Africa on the global stage as: Were a small country and punch way beyond our weight every year, even at the current exchange rate, as entering in euros and US dollars means you have to be selective and confident that your work is world class.

In addition he says South Africas ideas have always been bigger than our budgets and that we generally take more than our fair share of the awards on offer every year, with radio the countrys sweet spot; accounting for 25% of the shortlist at Cannes Lions last year.

But winning locally is of equal importance as it shows that our creative work is locally relevant and breakthrough. South Africas biggest impediment to national unity is the language barrier and I am proud to say that this year, the Loerie Awards have extended vernacular across many different categories. This kind of work doesnt win much in global award shows, but it wins the hearts and minds of South African people every day because it speaks to us in our own language, with our own nuance and insight, clarifies Khoury.

That radio sweet spot

Khoury adds that while the agency was consistently great across award shows and categories, picking up points in the social media, print, outdoor, television, and radio categories, their biggest winner was radio and, according to Cannes Lions, theyre currently ranked the best radio agency in the world. Little wonder as some of the best radio writers in the world work in the agency, specifically Jenny Glover, whos been selected to sit on the Cannes Lions 2016 Radio Jury panel.

Thats why Khoury says TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris has an unfair share of South Africas A-grade talent. They consistently create iconic work at the speed of culture, which makes it that much easier to seek the iconic in everything they do.

We dont only want to be the best creative company in the country or continent, but the world. We will only get there by living, breathing and producing iconic every day.

Watch out, world! Click here for a reminder of the Creative Circles full agency ranking lists and here for more on the agencys excellence.
As part of Shoprite's 'Class of 2016' initiative, over 420 young South Africans will have their school fees paid for this year.

This is an annual competition open to learners from Grades 1- 12 across the country, inviting them to submit a short essay or drawing that best describes what they want to be when they grow up. Winners are chosen through a random draw by representatives from every Shoprite store across the country, with the winning learners school fees paid up in full for the entire year. Additionally, each winner receives the equivalent amount in vouchers that they can use for school stationary and other necessary educational items.

Gift of education

Now in its 10th year, the Class of initiative has already paid more than R3.5m in school fees, empowering learners and their families each year with the gift of education without having to worry about the burden of rising school fees.

Neil Schreuder, marketing director at Shoprite, describes the companys view on education as being a liberator. It creates economic freedom and enables people to reach their full potential in life. As an organisation we recognise the enormous value of investing in education and giving young people the opportunity to learn, to obtain a qualification and to acquire the skills needed to gain employment. Shoprites Class of competition is really more about inspiring learners to dream than anything else. We challenge them to dream big because we believe that if we nurture those dreams and create the educational opportunities by providing the necessary financing, these children can realise those dreams.

Commitment to education in local communities

The initiative is part of Shoprites broader commitment to education in local communities across the country that also includes an extensive bursary programme. Over the past 20 years, the group has awarded more than 2700 one year study bursaries to the value of over R110m.

Interestingly, 70% of these bursaries have been allocated over the past five years alone as the need for student financial support became greater. In 2016, the group is awarding bursaries to the value of almost R20m to deserving students across the country. These efforts are further complemented by an initiative to foster education that provides hot meals for children in need called the Feed a child, nourish a mind initiative.
South Africans' desire for new shopping centres has been insatiable, and another mall has entered the fray.

After months of anticipation, the R4.9bn Mall of Africa, located next to the N1 highway in Midrand, opened on Thursday. The 131,038m shopping centre is the largest first-phase completion of a mall in SA to date. It is still far smaller than malls in many developing Asian countries, which tend to average around 300,000m.

"The opening of this iconic mega mall marks a significant strategic milestone for retail in SA and indeed takes the African retail experience to a totally next level," said Morne Wilken, CEO of listed property fund Attacq.

"As the 80% owner of Mall of Africa, the opening of the Mall of Africa marks a significant business milestone for Attacq and our business environment. Mall of Africa is a world-class lifestyle and retail destination, bringing significant value to the offering of the Gauteng province as the southern African sub-continents commercial powerhouse," he said.

By 1.30pm, 70,000 people had walked into Mall of Africa. Wilken said many customers were taking advantage of opening sales by large stores such as clothing retailers H&M and Cotton On and electronics group Dion Wired. Starbucks had also opened its second branch in the country and was "trading extremely well".

"We are really excited about what this mall can do. It is located in an extremely good position. Shopping mall culture is very much entrenched in South Africans. In Gauteng, we hang out at malls. Families go to malls. Its what we do. We feel we have built a centre which has a strong choice of tenants, more space and more facilities than any other shopping centre in SA," said Wilken.

He added that the mall would act as a strong catalyst for demand for premises in the surrounding Waterfall City, which had a further 663,815m of bulk available for development.

"Waterfall City is seen as one of the most significant South African commercial developments of the decade. We feel all of its components will support one another and it will be a very successful development for decades to come," said Wilken.

Mall of Africa has around 300 stores and Attacq plans to extend it by about 25,000m, depending on market demand. Mr Wilken said the malls size meant it could support a variety of tenants.

The new mall, however, is not nearly as big as malls in many other developing continents.

In comparison, SM Prime Holdings owns the Mall of Asia, which is in Pasay, Philippines. This super mall is being extended from 400,000m to 700,000m and will have 1,300 stores.

Stanlibs head of listed property funds, Keillen Ndlovu, said the Mall of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was about 502,000m.

Other malls in Africa, however, tended to be smaller  aside from the Cairo Festival City Mall in Egypt, which was 168,000m. The Mall of Arabia, also in Cairo, had about 180,000m of gross lettable area.

There are about 40 shopping centres sized 20,000m or more that have been announced or are in production in SA, according to the Southern African Shopping Centre Directory of 2015.

Patrick Flanagan, head of development company Flanagan & Gerard, said developers must be careful where they build malls in an already saturated market.

"I think developers need to be careful. There are many shopping centres that have been announced which just wont be sustainable in certain areas. Quite a few smaller centres are difficult to tenant in a slow-growth economy. We are also not a nation of shopowners like in the UK. We tend to rather shop at large retailers, so bringing more convenience centres to market can be risky," he said.
Workers demanding recognition of their trade union at JSE-listed dairy producer Clover on Thursday downed tools at the company's Clayville factory in Midrand.

Clover CEO Johann Vorster says the group will be exporting products to Nigeria on a cash basis only.Photographer: Martin Rhodes

They also maintained that other national distribution sites have also been affected.

About 500 members at the Olifantsfontein facility were picketing, with significant negative effects and idled delivery vehicles, General Industries Workers Union of SA (Giwusa) organiser Clarence Debeila said on Thursday.

The union, along with the #outsourcingmustfall movement, on Wednesday announced the industrial action, which pertained to grievances about the recognition of Giwusa at Clover.

"For over three years, sick of the cosy sweetheart relationship between existing unions and management workers have been building their new union (Giwusa) and demanding recognition; for three years, management has frustrated workers legitimate efforts," read the statement from Mr Debeila.

He said the union, having organised at Clover since 2013, had received certification of nonresolution from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) earlier in April.

The union gave notice of indefinite strikes on Monday, and was expecting Clover to seek a court interdict.

The company's arguments for the interdict that arbitration be pursued was likely to fall flat, as Giwusa had been the applicant in the CCMA proceedings, he said.

Clover said in a statement on Thursday it had received a court interdict against the strike on Thursday afternoon, with arbitration date now scheduled for May.

Contingency plans had been in place with a limited impact in Limpopo and at Clayville. The company remained committed to resolving the matter through appropriate channels, the statement read.
South African universities are midway through the first semester, fresh out of the first series of tests for the year.

As the term grinds along and grade cut-offs rear their heads, student failure and drop-out rates are drawing due attention. In particular, the student housing shortfall that sparked the #Shackville protest in February will have had a toll on student adjustment and success this year - here is why.

Back in 2010, only 20% of enrolled students in South Africa were accommodated in university housing. A 2011 report by the Department of Higher Education and Training concluded that, given the home situation of most students in South Africa, universities should be providing at least 50%-80% of enrolled students with accommodation, and some institutions up to 100%.

Yet, in February 2016 the University of Cape Town was pushed to announce that it has the means to accommodate 6,680 students, while 27,000 require accommodation. This dramatic and to-date unresolved shortfall has and will contribute directly to poor pass rates.

Capacity to adjust

Studies conducted locally and abroad have shown that throughput of students in residences is better than those who live off campus. When a student is placed in temporary accommodation or is required to stay with family or friends in crowded private homes, their capacity to adjust to and excel in the academic year is significantly disrupted, says John Schooling, director of student accommodation group, STAG African.

We have a situation in which only 20% of first years in lower income institutions are passing their courses, demonstrating that we are not meeting students academic needs, says Schooling. It is estimated that over 60% of learning at the tertiary level occurs outside of a lecture hall, confirming that well-designed living spaces are crucial to student performance.

University curricula in the 21st century require greater connectivity and flexibility than ever before. Best-practice models for student housing globally have adopted the idea of creating living-learning spaces in recognition of this, notes Schooling.

Students in developing economic contexts are at even higher risk of falling behind if not properly accommodated. Many have full or part-time jobs in order to cover their study and living costs. They fit their coursework around shifts, and require safe, conveniently located and connected housing in order to do so successfully.

Far from home

Most students in South African residences originate from KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape or neighbouring SADC countries and study far from home. Seventy one percent receive some form of financial aid, for which a lack of household income is a key consideration.

Building adequate, low-cost student housing facilities are achievable if we think innovatively about how we design, construct and maintain these developments. The best means of doing so is if the private sector gets involved, says Schooling.

STAG African was established on the principle that university residences are social communities, and that their design can advance or detract from our academic and societal goals. Addressing the crisis of pass rates begins with providing students with the living environment that 21st century student life requires, concludes Schooling.
ExpoRSA recently brought the American Museum of Natural History's award-winning travelling exhibition, The Power of Poison, to Cape Town for the first time. When ExpoRSA presents an exhibition, it always has a focus on education and usually comes with additional educational material and benefits for teachers. After attending the exhibition, we wanted to know more about ExpoRSA and the exhibitions they bring to our country from Nick Dreyer, director of ExpoRSA.

Nick Dreyer

Tell us about your latest/current exhibitions.

Nick Dreyer: We are currently hosting Terracotta Army and the First Emperor of China and the Power of Poison exhibitions in South Africa for a year-long national tour.

The Terracotta Army And The First Emperor of China: The Exhibition, is an extraordinary voyage in ancient China of 2,200 years ago. It is, undeniably, the most complete exhibition ever created on the Terracotta Army, the necropolis, and life of the First Emperor. In an incredible staging, this exhibition brings together more than 300 life-size reproductions of statues, chariots, weapons and objects from the daily life of the first emperor of China, such as they were discovered in the more than 100 pits of the necropolis.

The Power of Poison: This striking exhibition explores poisons paradoxical roles in nature, human health and history, literature, and myth. Whether as a defence against predators, a source of magical strength, or a lethal weapon used as lifesaving medical treatment, the story of poison is surprising at every turn.

Discover the toxic species that live in a remote Colombian forest, where poisons are just one of many tools in organisms struggles to survive. Learn about a variety of evolutionary strategies that serve animals and plants and see live animals up close

The Power of Poison exhibition is unique. Why did you choose to exhibit on it?

Dreyer: It was an easy choice, I am a life long fan of the Museum of Natural History in New York, it is simply spectacular. The opportunity to bring one of their award winning exhibitions to South Africa was a rare opportunity that we had to seize. The subject matter is fascinating as well and resonates so well here in South Africa. It is incredibly educational and entertaining in the fields of biology, science, and cultural history. Our commitment to bringing educational exhibitions is strong and this may be the best exhibition on that front.

What do you think makes it especially attractive to teachers and students?

Dreyer: This exhibition (and all our others) come complete with sophisticated school curriculums, in this case, designed by the American Museum of Natural History. We provide these for free on our website. We believe that a curated learning experience that is delivered in an entertaining and interactive way is richly rewarding for students. A visit to the exhibition armed with a comprehensive curriculum is a strong draw for educators and students of all age levels. Our Teachers enter for free campaign has been a big success and is crucial in our efforts to expose educators to our exhibitions and their purpose.

ExpoRSAs exhibitions has a focus on educational enrichment for learners. Why is this focus important?

Dreyer: I was very lucky in life to have visited museums all over the world and my memories of those experiences are vivid and rich. When travelling exhibitions sought to reach markets outside of Europe and America I felt it important and opportune to bring them to South Africa. We wanted to bring world-class learning experiences to South Africa where the majority of learners would not have the opportunity to travel abroad to see them.

Would you say that visual learning is more impactful? What does ExpoRSA do to ensure that students are left with memorable experiences?

Dreyer: Providing a multi-dimensional learning experience is refreshing, especially when most learning takes place on 2D computer screens. Learners that visit our exhibitions get to see, touch, feel and listen their way through a subject matter that is important and fun. We provide audioguides, curriculums, and live performances to enhance the exhibition experiences.

How many professionals in the education industry visit the exhibitions and make use of the curriculum material that you provide free access to?

Dreyer: We have had almost a hundred thousand learners visit our exhibitions, more than a thousand teachers and our curriculums have been distributed to hundreds of schools.

What do you do to reach out to teachers and educational institutions to make sure that they are aware the resources you offer?

Dreyer: We have a very strong schools program that we have built up over the last three years. We have gained the trust and support of a big schools base and we now communicate directly with them regarding our exhibitions. We are also partnered with the D6 Communicator, the largest communication tool for parents and schools in South Africa.

Any parting words to educators out there who should be using/visiting ExpoRSAs resources?

Dreyer: Expo RSA is committed to bringing world-class museum exhibitions to South Africa, we choose only the highest quality exhibitions with a proven track record and strong educational program. Educators will find value in our exhibitions and our doors are open to engaging with schools and universities to ensure that a visit to one of our exhibitions is rewarding and memorable.
Tourism development is viewed as a key pillar for African development and a major reflection of economic activities that directly or indirectly stimulate its growth. Global tourism has continued to grow prodigiously to 1.133 billion arrivals in 2014 according to ADB's Africa Tourism Monitor 2015 , a 4.3% increase over 2013 and further indicates that Africa saw 65.3 million arrivals, representing 5.8% of total international arrivals in 2014. With $ 43.6 billion in receipts, Africa holds 3.5% of this market share.

Inna Felker via 123RF

With vital contributors that influence tourism in Africa (both positively and negatively), we cannot fail to acknowledge the fact that when tackling the tourism hype, various economic factors have to be put into consideration.

Consumer demand

Prevalently, consumer demand by far determines tourism trends not only in Africa but also globally. Tourists are the basic consumers in the tourism market, thus, their preferences go a long way in determining, for instance, the cost of goods in the various destinations. If the cost of lets say accommodation is affordable in destination A, it is likely to attract an influx of tourists, which means more money coming into the continent. This leads to higher production of even more affordable products and services and the consumption cycle repeats itself.

Infrastructure development

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the international tourism sector accounted for 8.1% of Africas total GDP in 2014. Sustained infrastructural development has also contributed to this solid growth. Economic expenditure by governments into the continents infrastructure including road and rail networks, rehabilitation of airports and seaports, has attracted investments both locally and internationally into the tourism sector such as developments of world-class hotels.

E-commerce

The uptake of e-commerce in Africa cannot be left out when discussing economic influencers of tourism. If the ability for travellers to conveniently book their flights as well as accommodation online is anything to go by, then the entry of online travel agents such as Jovago and Expedia among others is just the genesis. According to a market-research firm, Euromonitor, 2013 saw online travel agents (OTAs) with combined bookings of $278 billion.

A report by Regional Economic Outlook forecasted growth in sub-Saharan Africa to remain strong, at about 5 percent in 2014 and 5 percent in 2015. This general economic growth has played and continues to play a major role in the industry. Jovagos managing director, Estelle Verdier notes that tourism and economy should also be seen as a two-way street with Africas economic road map anticipating tourism as an indispensable contributor, which will lead to revamping the continents economy in futurity.
With local prices of electricity and bandwidth being so high, cloud-based services are becoming more and more attractive to businesses of all types and sizes.

Companies who are trying to lower licensing costs, avoid having to find more technical staff, and focus on their cores businesses, are looking to the cloud for a cost-effective alternative to on-premise storage, particularly as the amount of data flooding the business on a daily basis is growing exponentially.

However, moving everything to the cloud is not always the best idea, as there isnt a one-size-fits-all model with cloud technologies. Businesses should rather look at ways to make the most of the benefits they enjoy from their existing set-up as well as those that a cloud-based service can offer.

By using both, and adopting a hybrid model, companies can enjoy the benefits that both have to offer, without unnecessary expenditure, long-term commitments or the drawbacks that inevitably come with each approach.

Cloud changed the world

Cloud computing is far from new, and grew hand-in-hand with the internet, which changed the world, forever altering the way business was conducted. At a time when computing capacity reached a threshold where savvy providers could offer organisations their services on a pay-per-use model, cloud came into its own. Instead of the vast outlays needed to set up entire IT departments, businesses could get storage from cloud providers instantly, and only pay for what they used.

It is easy to understand why cloud storage is an attractive proposition for businesses looking to harness the power of the latest and greatest technologies, without having to fork out large sums of money. The initial investment is small, they dont need to physically buy hardware or software, TCO is lowered, and they pay for what the need, and adding more is simple and instant.

Companies weighing the pros and cons of whether they should opt for a hosted or an on-premise solution need to consider several factors. Businesses need to carefully assess their business needs and existing infrastructure before making up their minds. At the heart of the matter, is the point that not all solutions work best in the cloud or on-premise and the choice often sees a trade-off between security and lowering operational costs.

There are definite advantages and disadvantages with both platforms and these will change according to the type of service and software that is needed.

Lack of resources

Organisations often consider a move to the cloud because they lack the resources needed to build their own infrastructure, they lack IT and technical resources, and they dont have the technical knowledge to maximise their current systems. In addition, software licensing costs can be prohibitive, particularly for smaller businesses, which is one reason SMEs view the cloud as a very appealing proposition.

However, bigger entities, particularly those operating in highly regulated industries such as financial services or healthcare, where a lot of confidential data is handled, need to factor in other issues. These include the fact that with the cloud, there will be third parties handling confidential data, the possibility of redundancy should the cloud provider experience a failure and of course, lack of total control over both data and processes.

At the end of the day, the question of whether cloud or on-premise storage is best, can be answered by saying neither. The best solution is finding a balance between both models and adapt these according to what the organisation needs, juggling the issues of cost, security and technical/business sense.
Effective 30 April 2016, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) suspended SA Express' air operator certificate (AOC) following a failure to comply with the applicable civil aviation regulations.

Bob Adams via Wikimedia Commons

It is critical to note that this suspension is precautionary and taken in the interest of safety and preventing incidents that can be catastrophic. The suspension, which is in terms of Part 185 of the Civil Aviation Regulations, pertains to the operators AOC - N399D, S370D, I/N002, and I/S001.

Inefficient safety monitoring

The suspension follows a series of non-compliances and the SACAAs dissatisfaction with the operators safety monitoring systems, which are meant to monitor and address any safety deficiencies. The regulator also found the operators proposed corrective action plan inadequate as it does not satisfactorily address the findings raised.

The SACAA wishes to point out that recent inspections and audits on the airlines operations have pointed to inefficient safety monitoring systems, and some level of failure by the operator to satisfactorily address concerns raised by the regulator. The SACAA views the inefficiency of the safety monitoring systems in a serious light as it poses serious safety hazards and risks to the crew, passengers, and the public at large. For this reason, the regulator cannot allow the operator to continue with operations until such time that the identified safety concerns are adequately addressed.

As much as the SACAA has a duty to help operators comply with applicable regulations, the primary responsibility is on operators to ensure that their operations are safe and secure at all times. Failure to do so is a contravention of the applicable civil aviation regulations. Moreover, aviation safety and security are of paramount importance in this industry; and passengers require some form of assurance that once they board an aircraft they will automatically land safely and hassle-free at their intended destination.

Safety ahead of gain

The SACAA wishes to emphasise that it is receiving full cooperation from SA Express and will provide any assistance possible, and within the regulators mandate, in order to ensure that the matter is resolved as soon as possible.

As much as the SACAA is fully aware of the effect and disruptions the suspension has on passengers, it is equally important to note that the decision was not taken lightly and is, in fact, in the interest of ensuring that the operators safety systems are beyond reproach and can offer an acceptable level of safety for passengers and crew.

The SACAA will always remain committed to meeting its obligations and keeping South Africans and those that use the countrys airspace safe. The regulator is also dedicated to upholding the countrys impeccable zero percent accident fatality rate in terms of scheduled operations. Unsafe operations have the potential to undermine the growth and development of the aviation industry, as well as the countrys highly regarded civil aviation safety and security standards. Aviation safety and security must always be prioritised ahead of commercial gains.

In terms of Part 185 of the civil aviation regulations, the operator has the right to appeal the decision with the director of Civil Aviation within 30 days from the date of receipt of the suspension notice.
The 8th annual MOST Award will be held on 13 September 2016 at the Wanderers Club in Illovo. Johannesburg.

Image source  TheMediaOnline

The overall goal of the MOST Awards is to inspire media owners and media agencies to improve the efficacy of their businesses through service performance. After seven years of collecting data, trends indicate the MOST Awards initiative has positively influenced the media sector.

The awards celebrate excellence in the media industry and encourage healthy competition, and as a result better performance. Competitiveness in the media industry has increased, but there is also better cooperation and communication between media owners and media agencies. Each year a series of focus groups to evaluate the survey ensures the robustness of the research.

There are a few key sponsorship opportunities remaining, which should be filled before the research goes live in May. SABC Commercial Enterprises has renewed the Silver Sponsorship (which includes Media Agency Africa Award). Ads24 has the Bronze Sponsorship and the following companies have renewed individual categories:

Vizeum - Media Owner of the Year Award

Initiative Media - Media Owner Lamb Award

The Mediashop - Media Owner Legend Award

Carat - Media Owner Rising Star Award

DStv Media Sales - Media Agency Lamb Award

The SpaceStation - Media Agency Rising Star Award

Mediamark - Media Agency Legend Award

The following opportunities are available for sponsorship:

Gold Sponsorship (which includes Media Agency of the Year Award)

Shepherd Award

Full-Service Media Agency Award

Specialist Media Agency Award

For more information, call Sandra Gordon on +27 (0) 11 447 7241 or email az.oc.puosenots@nodrogs.
The growth of the black middle class has prompted SANParks to build luxury hotels in Kruger National Park. The latest is a luxury lodge near Malelane, to be operated by the Radisson Blu hotel group.

Derek Keats via Wikimedia Commons - Pel's Fishing Owl

Threat to the environment

But the development is dogged by controversy, with environmentalists outraged that the lodge is to be built in a sensitive biodiversity area along the Crocodile River. The site is home to several species of endangered birds and plants, including the Pel's fishing owl and the Swazi lily.

It will be the latest in a string of commercial ventures to open in the park. Others include chain restaurants such as Wimpy, Debonairs and Cattle Baron at several camps.

Developments a result of demand from new market

SANParks spokesman Rey Thakuli said of the commercialisation of the park: "It's as a result of demand. The new hotel is a response to demand for a certain kind of accommodation.

"There are people who come to the park who appreciate self-catering. A survey revealed that there is, however, a new market, which is looking for a full-service holiday." This new market, he said, was middle class, particularly the black middle class.

Thakuli said international guidelines prescribed that only 10% of a protected area such as Kruger National Park could be developed. "The park has the lowest commercial development of any national park in the world, below 4%."

He said the hotel, which would be built in the park's southern section, in Malelane, would be on an "already disturbed environmental area, occupied by the original Malelane hotel, which burned down".

The latest commercial development did not presage much more to come, Thakuli said. "We are not losing out on our mandate, which is conservation and tourism. Malelane Safari Lodge is one of two hotels to be developed in the park, with another being built at Skukuza camp."

Thakuli said the park's "customer satisfaction index" showed that visitors were happy. "They enjoy having access to certain amenities and restaurants. It makes sense that we commercialise these operations. "We can assure visitors that we will not erect coffee shops at waterholes."

Between a rock and a hard place

Morgan Griffiths, manager of the governance programme of the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA, said SANParks was under pressure to cater to new markets.

"The 'black diamonds' and newly wealthy want the bars and the nightlife, as opposed to the traditional Kruger National Park visitors, who go for camping and self-catering. "Although we understand what is driving SANParks to do this, our concerns are that these developments are on environmentally sensitive areas. There are other, less sensitive, areas available.

"The area where this lodge is to be built is one of the few breeding grounds of the Pel's fishing owl and is home to the Swazi lily." He said the hotel would operate after normal park entry times, with increased traffic, especially at night.

Griffiths said his society was worried that the quest for profit would compromise SANParks' biodiversity conservation priorities. "SANParks is caught between a political rock and a hard place. They have to raise funds and show that the park is generating jobs, and at the same time protect the environment."

Environmental impact assessment

Mandy van der Westhuizen, of Nuleaf, an environmental assessment company, which conducted the lodge's environmental impact assessment, said that during the assessment some issues had been raised.

"Before development can begin the developer must conduct a traffic-impact assessment, which is under way."

"It's impossible that the southern parts of the park will be turned into an N1 highway. Guests will be able to view game only on game drives organised by the lodge."

Van der Westhuizen said every Swazi lily in the area had been mapped and there would be a buffer zone around each of them. "No endangered species or breeding grounds will be disturbed," she said.

Source: The Times
For the first time since 2004, SA has become a net importer of white and yellow maize due to the drought, which has resulted in lower production during the past growing season. In the next marketing year, starting next month, SA will import 2.7-million tonnes of yellow and 1.1-million tonnes of white maize. The country is traditionally a net exporter of maize, producing an annual average of 12.5-million tonnes.

MaximusTaken via pixabay

Data from SA Grain Information Service (Sagis) show that SA already imported white maize from the US earlier this month, the first time since 2004, amounting to 1,330 tonnes.

CJS Securities trader Piet Faure says SA needs up to a million tonnes of white maize in the coming marketing season. "Fortunately, there is an oversupply of maize in the world at the moment. However, the danger is rising prices in the US, rain in Argentina, and dryness in Brazil," he says. White maize is imported from the US and Mexico, while yellow maize has been secured from Argentina, and Paraguay as well as Brazil.

Yellow maize, used mostly for animal feed in SA, makes up about 95% of world production, while white maize, which is preferred for human consumption in the country, comprises 5% of global production. White maize is, therefore, not as widely produced as yellow maize, which limits its availability on the world market and makes it more expensive than yellow maize.

Maize production

Wandile Sihlobo, an economist at producer group Grain SA, says the drought has led to huge crop damages and lower yields, with SA now expected to produce only 7.1-million tonnes this year, a 28% decrease from last year's crop. Last year's crop was already 30% less than the 2014 crop of 14.3-million tonnes.

He says SA will have to import about 3.8-million tonnes between next month and April 2017 if production projections remain at 7.1-million tonnes. SA has 3.2-million tonnes of maize in stock, comprising 2-million tonnes of white and 1.2-million tonnes of yellow maize.

None of the white maize imports will be genetically modified because US genetically modified traits do not correlate with the genetically modified white maize grown in SA. Yellow maize from South America is genetically modified, as this correlates with the traits of maize produced here.

Sihlobo says about 80% of South African maize is genetically modified.

Maize prices

In domestic trade, maize prices have fallen from highs in January due to a stronger rand. The average price of white maize contracts has declined from about R5,200 a tonne in January to about R4,500. This price is still 66% higher than a year ago. Yellow maize, at R3,200 a tonne, is up 30% year on year.

Sihlobo says the negative news surrounding the domestic maize crop due to the drought has, to some extent, already been factored into prices.

Farmwise trader, Rudi Swanepoel says they are keeping an eye on the rand-dollar exchange rate. "A stronger rand makes imports cheaper, and local maize producers have to compete with these prices."

CJS Securities trader Joss Moss says SA's white maize prices overreacted to the upside early this year once it was clear that summer rains had come too late for optimum plantings and that the harvest would be poor. A maize surplus is important for any country and for the world as a whole, he says. It takes a season - about seven months - to produce a crop.

Supply-and-demand interrelationships

The split between northern and southern hemisphere growing seasons means farmers in opposite hemispheres will try to take advantage of higher prices when a poor harvest is expected in a major growing area.

Important information to look at in world stocks is the stocks-usage ratio, which is a measure of supply-and-demand interrelationships or the carryover volume of maize used in a year as a percentage. The global ratio is about 15%-20% or about two months of carry-over stocks. The US, the world's biggest producer, has a 13% stocks-usage ratio, or about 47 days. SA usually maintains an 11% stocks-usage ratio.

Imports

The first of the white maize from the US is being offloaded in East London, Moss says.

Meanwhile, Zambia lifted the ban on the export of its maize last week after verification showed the country had enough to last until August. Between May last year and now, SA has imported 21,491 tonnes of white maize from Zambia, and might import more, Sihlobo says.

"Most of the deals have been done by big international trading houses. Margins are very low and there is a lot of risk of quality, demurrage and transport," Moss says. "No one (in SA) is benefiting. Farmers do not have a decent crop to sell at high prices, consumers are paying more for food, milling companies are keeping their margins as low as possible, and traders are taking on risk on low margins."

Source: Business Day
The CIA marked the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden by live-tweeting -- with a five-year delay -- the raid by US special forces on the Al-Qaeda founder's compound in Pakistan.

WASHINGTON - Using the hashtag #UBLRaid, the CIA blasted out updates of the May 2011 strike as if it was unfolding in real time -- in a highly unusual move for the secretive spy agency.

"To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today.

#UBLRaid," @CIA said in announcing its social media blitz.

Tweets included the now famous picture of President Barack Obama and other high-ranking US officials watching matters unfold from the White House's Situation Room.

"1:51 pm EDT - Helicopters depart from Afghanistan for compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan #UBLRaid," read one tweet.

"3:30 pm EDT - 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury #UBLRaid," read another.

That was followed just minutes later by: "3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed #UBLRaid."

The CIA's Twitter move got quite a bit of attention, with not everyone enthused.

"@CIA Are we tweeting Hiroshima on August 6th too? Or is THAT in bad taste?" tweeted one user, Kris Knight.

Another who identies as Amber V tweeted: "Don't you have better things to do, like catch living and breathing bad guys, or secretly invade our privacy, or something? @CIA#UBLRaid"

But others reacted positively.

"Watching the @CIA relive on Twitter the #UBLRaid today reminds me of how proud I am of the men and women who do what they do. Thank you," tweeted Toby Knapp.

With 1.33 million Twitter followers, the Central Intelligence Agency has sent 1,662 tweets since it joined the social media service in February 2014.

"We are the Nation's first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go," reads the Twitter bio.

Previous @CIA tweets in recent days have featured a video about the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine and a counterfeit Nazi stamp.

Amid the tweetstorm, CIA chief John Brennan said Sunday that taking out the head of the Islamic State group would have a "great impact."

He also warned that Al-Qaeda remained a threat, and that IS was not just an organization but a phenomenon.

"We have destroyed a large part of Al-Qaeda. It's not completely eliminated. So we have to stay focused on what it can do," Brennan told NBC's "Meet the Press" talk show.

"Now, with the new phenomenon of (IS), this is going to challenge us for years to come," he added.

Asked if removing IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from action was as important as the Bin Laden get, Brennan, who does not often do interviews, was direct.

"If we got Baghdadi, I think it would have a great impact on the organization. And it will be felt by them," he said.

Source: AFP
The Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group's Cape Town office recently held an Exporters Club seminar, which highlighted the role and challenges of the Ports Regulator of South Africa (PRSA).

 Chris Van Lennep  123RF.com

The enabling legislation for PRSA and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is the National Ports Act. Since its inception, the Regulator has developed directives for people interacting with PRSA, devised tariff assessment methodologies and compiled regulatory principles, which describe the approach that PRSA will generally adopt.

Some issues with the legislation, however, have confused matters and limited the power of PRSA, explained Andrew Pike, Bowman Gilfillans head of the Ports, Terminals and Logistics Corridors sector group. For instance, the TNPA and PRSA report to different government ministers. The shareholding minister of the TNPA is the Minister of Public Enterprises while PRSA reports to the Minister of Transport.

In addition, in terms of the NP Act, as soon as this Act took effect, the shareholding minister should have ensured that the necessary steps were taken for the incorporation of the National Ports Authority as a company.

The TNPA, however, has never been corporatized, meaning that the Minister of Public Enterprises has effectively breached his obligations under the NP Act and is operating in a non-compliant environment. The consequence of this is that certain sections in the Act do not make sense. This makes it difficult for PRSA to interpret and to carry out its mandate.

PRSA main functions

The main functions of PRSA include the economic regulation of the ports system, the promotion of access to ports and monitoring the activities of the TNPA.

In this regard and on a positive note, over R5 billion has been saved over the past five years, thanks to the activities of PRSA. The latest decision by PRSA involving a zero per cent increase on cargo dues at the ports, but that still allows ZAR 2 billion profit to TNPA, has also been very well received.

In addition, there have been several valuable determinations made by PRSA, most notably the Columbus Steel case, which concerned the cargo dues payable on the export of stainless steel.

There have, however, been some cases that have been slow to conclude, for example the case concerning the charges raised for operation of a helicopter at Richards Bay, which has already taken six years. The delays to this and several other matters can most probably be attributed to the cumbersome structure of PRSA, coupled with delaying tactics adopted by lawyers acting for parties in these matters.

Decision-making

PRSA must also hear appeals and complaints; consider proposed tariffs of the TNPA; promote regulated competition; and regulate the provision of efficient port services. Port services include things such as stevedoring, terminal operations and cargo storage.

The problem with this mandate is that PRSA only regulates TNPA tariffs and it is not clear if there is in fact jurisdiction over other port service providers, especially terminals. There is possibly indirect jurisdiction but it has never been made clear. There is also concurrent jurisdiction with the Competition Commission, which has caused more confusion.

When it comes to running the PRSA, up to 12 members must meet to make a decision for the Regulator. The problem with these member appointments is that with the exception of the CEO, they are all part-timers. The CEO thus has difficulty getting decisions made and it is very difficult to get everyone together. PRSA needs some full-time members and a full time tribunal in order to be effective.

The challenge here is that PRSA has to convene a meeting, even for a tribunal hearing, and has to have a minimum of half the Regulator members present. Arguably, this means the CEO cant make a decision of any significance on his own.

In terms of appeals and complaints, the primary challenges are that they are limited in their scope and unenforceable other than by way of a court order affirming a decision of the Regulator.

In addition to its other powers in terms of the Act, PRSA may make an appropriate order in relation to any complaint, such as an interdict.

The challenge here is that the order is not enforceable and parties have to go to court to make it enforceable against TNPA. In this regard, how do orders of the Regulator compare with Public Protector remedial orders for instance? Arguably, they will be binding in light of recent Constitutional Court Nkandla judgment.

Funding

In terms of funding PRSA, most of the money comes from Parliament. Other funding comes from interest on investments and fees charged for the filing of complaints or appeals with PRSA.

The problem with funding for PRSA is that it compromises its independence because it is beholden to the Department of Transport and the Treasury. In addition, it means it only gets what it is given, which is a fraction of the regulatory budget of TNPA. PRSA requires additional funding to carry out all of the compliance reviews with which it is charged. It has also challenges with unfunded posts and insufficient capacity.

Possible solutions might be to impose a levy on all cargoes and Transnet, or use some other industry funding model but one has to be careful not to compromise independence or create regulatory capture situation.

It is clear that PRSA requires an independent and sustainable funding model to increase its resources and to enable it to carry out its full mandate. Corporatizing the TNPA should also be a priority. Amending the Act to give PRSA more powers of enforcement and make it more user-friendly would also be a welcome move. Ensuring that that TNPA is properly regulating Transnet Port Terminals (and indeed other terminals and port service providers) and that PRSA is monitoring and ensuring that TNPA implements its powers effectively would also be a welcome move, concluded Pike.
Rights such as freedom of expression and access to information are often associated with journalists, but they belong to everyone. It takes strong commitment to ensure they become reality, not just words on paper.

2016 is a significant year for Africa. It marks the 30th anniversary of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the 25th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom. The African Union (AU) has also declared 2016 as the Year for Human Rights with an emphasis on womens rights.

As we celebrate these milestones, its important to reflect on our achievements while looking at the challenges still ahead  particularly around the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

Both the African Charter and the Windhoek Declaration provide a sound framework for the realisation of freedom of expression and information as well as press freedom.

The Charter grants every individual the right to receive information and the right to express and disseminate his or her opinion within the law. The main thrust of the Declaration is to promote an independent and pluralistic media. It stresses that freedom of expression and information are fundamental aspects of human aspiration and recognises that an independent press is essential for a participatory democracy.

Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa

In 2002, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) adopted the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa, in collaboration with civil society organisations led by Article 19. It was meant to expand the scope of the right to freedom of expression and access to information in the African Charter. A few years later, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa was established to monitor its implementation.

..."In commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, all of us should double our efforts to ensure that the right to freedom of expression and information becomes a living reality for all the people of Africa"...

Over the years, the Declaration of Principles has been used extensively on the African continent and elsewhere. Its principles serve to promote and protect the right to freedom of expression and access to information. Principle IV of the Declaration says: Public bodies hold information not for themselves but as custodians of the public good and everyone has a right to access this information.

This statement debunks the idea that the right to information is meant only for journalists. It is a right for all of us, playing a vital role in fostering democracy, good governance, transparency and accountability. It is a prerequisite to the enjoyment of economic and social rights.

Without information, people cannot access government services or exercise their right to vote. Without information, the cultures of secrecy embedded in many governments across the globe remain in place.

Free expression  a critical foundation

Like the right to information, the right to freedom of expression is necessary for the enjoyment of all other human rights. In addition, it enables the media and others to shine a spotlight on corruption, poor administration and service delivery, and mismanagement of public funds.

Unfortunately in most countries, a number of laws limit the right to free expression, and journalists who exercise this right still sometimes must flee their countries, and are harassed, arrested and intimidated  even murdered.

The African Commission has over the years adopted a number of resolutions regarding freedom of expression and press freedom. They include the 2010 Resolution on the Deteriorating Situation of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa and the Resolution on the Safety of Journalists and Media Practitioners in Africa, from 2011.

The Commission has also adopted a number of country resolutions condemning violence against journalists, including resolutions around freedom of expression and elections in Zimbabwe, regarding attacks against journalists and media practitioners in Somalia, and on freedom of expression in the Kingdom of Swaziland.

Of course, resolutions are not enough. In commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, all of us should double our efforts to ensure that the right to freedom of expression and information becomes a living reality for all the people of Africa.

Resolutions vs reality

But it takes time to translate declarations, not matter how forceful, into action. So far, very few countries in Africa have adopted laws that strengthen the right to information.

To assist African states in drafting national legislation, in 2013 the ACHPR adopted the Model Law on Access to Information. It reinforces the principle that the right to information is a right for everyone in the country  not only citizens. It calls for transparency in public administration and with regards to private organisations financed publicly or which perform a public function, such as private water or electricity providers.

Currently, 17 countries have adopted access to information laws, but this is only a third of the countries in Africa. And the implementation of these laws remains a struggle even in countries where theyve been adopted.

Reason to celebrate

While a lot still needs to be done, we have to celebrate our achievements. On 17 November 2015, the UNESCO General Conference declared 28 September the International Day for Universal Access to Information. African civil society organisations played a crucial role in this major initiative.

We must lobby the AU to endorse this declaration at its summit in June this year. This will be a fitting commemoration of 2016 as the Year for Human Rights.

We should use this milestone to recommit ourselves to living the ideals of the African Charter, which provides in its preamble that freedom, equality, justice and dignity are essential objectives for the achievement of the legitimate aspirations of the African Peoples. This will be a fitting tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives to keep us informed.

*African Free Press publication by Media Institute of Southern Africa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on a work at whk25.misa.org.
All too often, declarations remain simply pieces of paper filed away and forgotten. But the Windhoek Declaration is different, and its impact is still being felt today.

Credit: Article 19 East Africa

In 1991, the winds of change were blowing for a second time after the liberation from colonial rule as many countries in Africa embarked on a path toward more democracy. Until then, efforts at independent, professional journalism had been a rarity and come at a huge price. African journalistic outlets have a history of being reverential of authority in order to protect themselves and remain economically viable.

But the situation has been changing fast, not least thanks to the Windhoek Declaration, which has contributed to changing the media landscape in Africa.

The gathering in Windhoek marked the beginning of a solidarity movement of journalists, editors and media owners and the emergence of media development organisations across the continent.

Catalyst for new organisations

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), with chapters in 11 countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and which promotes independent and pluralistic media, was formed in 1992.

One of its first projects was an email alert system to make Africa and the rest of the world aware of violations of media freedom as soon as they occurred. Regular conferences were held to share experiences about setting up and maintaining newspapers against all odds.

Similar organisations were initiated in Eastern and West Africa with mixed levels of success. The Media Foundation for West Africa has emerged as a strong sub-regional actor on media freedom advocacy. The Media Institute of Kenya and the East African Media Institute took off but became moribund not long after their infancy. Discussions on forming a global coalition started at the Windhoek conference and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) was established a year later. IFEX is now a worldwide actor on freedom of expression.

The UNESCO conference in 1991 described the Declaration as a catalyst in the process of encouraging press freedom, independence and pluralism in Africa and resolved to extend such declarations to other regions of the world.

It also recommended to the United Nations General Assembly that 3 May be declared International Press Freedom Day. The UN did so in 1993.

Global impact

The Declaration has left its mark around the world in other ways as well.

In 1992, a UNESCO media conference in Kazakhstan adopted the Declaration of Alma Alta, declaring full support for the Windhoek Declaration and acknowledging its importance as a milestone in the struggle for free, independent media around the world.

The Declaration of Santiago (Chile), in 1994, expressed similar support. Two years later, the Declaration of Sanaa (Yemen) stated that the establishment of truly independent, representative journalists associations, syndicates or trade unions and editors and publishers associations was a priority. Finally, in 1997, the Declaration of Sofia (Bulgaria) urged all parties concerned that the principles enshrined in this (Windhoek) Declaration be applied in practice.

The celebrations on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Declaration  also held in Windhoek  were used by activists to propose and adopt a new document that would address issues specific to broadcasting, the African Charter on Broadcasting.

The worldwide recognition of the Windhoek Declaration and the solidarity of African journalists made it possible to use both documents as powerful lobbying tools. They kick-started the liberalisation of media laws in Africa and encouraged many journalists to start independent newspapers, for example The Post in Zambia in 1991, MediaFax in Mozambique in 1992 and The Monitor in Malawi in the same year.

The demand for truly public broadcasters has become a common call around the continent  although with mixed success so far. Community radio stations are flourishing in many countries  even though many struggle financially.

The Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression, adopted in 2002 by the African Union, was influenced by the spirit of Windhoek. The AU Declaration demanded that all state and government-controlled broadcasters should be transformed into public-service broadcasters.

The Windhoek Declaration also informed the Midrand Declaration on Press Freedom in Africa, adopted by the Pan-African Parliament in 2013, as well as the Midrand Call to Action on Media Freedom in Africa, also adopted by the PAP in the same year.

Still wrestling for control

Twenty-five years after Windhoek, there has been some progress regarding media freedom in Africa countries, but an independent, pluralistic and free press, as the Declaration demanded, is still far from being a matter of course.

Politicians still want to control the breadth and depth of coverage given to issues. They do this through political edicts, deployment of state advertising, complacency when cronies intimidate and attack journalists, and the forced closure of media houses.

The media still have to tread a very tight rope lest they be accused of being foreign mercenaries or political and economic saboteurs. They can be prosecuted under pre-independence laws that penalise journalists for publication of false news, sedition, insult and/or criminal defamation.

The Midrand Call to Action deplored this state of affairs: Since the turn of the century the building of democratic institutions in many parts of Africa, and with it the promotion of freedom of expression, has been stagnating, or even regressing. It accused governments of not living up to the expectations created by documents such as the Windhoek Declaration or the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression.

Is the Windhoek Declaration now just another piece of paper, merely of historical interest? It is not. Given its impact over the last 25 years, its legacy lives on. Windhoek has proven that journalists can come together in solidarity and change the world, at least the media world.

*African Free Press publication by Media Institute of Southern Africa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on a work at whk25.misa.org.
Can the rise of private media in Africa scale back the dominance of state-owned media on the continent? That is the hope of many, but the current state of media pluralism and diversity in Africa is not as healthy as it might be.

Things look good  at first glance. In nearly all countries in Africa, the once monopolistic state-owned media are now facing competition from private media organisations.

A 2014 UNESCO report found that in 1990s private newspapers started flourishing and increasing deregulation of the broadcasting sector led to the establishment of private and community radio and TV stations in many countries. Today, these are complemented by news websites, blogs and other channels of communication made possible by the internet and mobile phones.

There is no doubt that in terms of numbers, Africa now has a pluralistic media landscape. But the essence of media development in Africa is not just about increasing the number of media outlets.

That was also not the spirit that drove the Windhoek Declaration 25 years ago. It envisioned a vibrant, pluralistic, professional and sustainable media landscape that featured a diversity of content and voices as well as fair competition between state-owned and private media.

The state still dominates

The UNESCO report provides evidence that state-owned media continue to dominate the African media landscape, both in terms of numbers and market opportunities. The report cites a 2002 study, Who Owns the Media?, which revealed that on average, governments in Africa controlled 61% of the top five daily newspapers by circulation, and reached 85% of the audience for the top five television stations.

Evidence from more recent publications corroborates this finding. A 2014 publication by the telecoms, internet and broadcasting consultancy firm Balancing Act concluded that private participation in the broadcast media remained a big challenge in Africa.

In some countries such as Ethiopia, The Gambia and Cote dIvoire, private broadcasting  television in particular  is still not allowed. In Zimbabwe, community radio stations have yet to be licensed.

State-owned media are financially supported through government subsidies. At the same time, they operate commercially and enjoy overwhelming advertising patronage from the government and the private sector. Government ministries, departments and agencies constitute the biggest media advertisers.

Governments largely tend to use their advertising influence to manipulate and control the media landscape. Many do so by starving critically minded private media of advertising. At the same time, the private sector, which doesnt want to be seen as anti-government, sometimes hesitates to advertise on private outlets that are critical of the government.

In 18 out of 30 countries, such advertising was reportedly used for purposes of partisan political support, while the threat of withdrawal on a non-partisan basis has been used to pressure certain media outlets, the UNESCO report said.

This denial of advertising has the effect of censoring critical coverage. And it creates unfair market competition, which stifles the growth and financial sustainability of the private media sector.

In too few hands

Privately owned media are facing another problem  of their own making  concentration of ownership.

A pattern has emerged in which a small number of individuals  often government officials, members of governing political parties and a few business people  own the majority of media outlets. Such outlets are often politically aligned to government interests.

However, there is a lack of clear legislation on media concentration. As noted by UNESCO this has allowed radio owners with substantial capital to buy out smaller competitors or expand in other areas.

The growing phenomenon of concentration of ownership therefore results in pluralism in numbers, but not in diversity of content and audience.

In countries like South Africa and Kenya, the big private media companies are accused of being monopolies, representing the interests of the middle class and the wealthy at the expense of the poor.

Those few media houses owned by politically non-aligned individuals struggle to survive.

Advertising not enough

African media houses are, of course, part of nations overall economies, and many of these remain weak. A lack of money in the economy translates into a lack of money for advertising.

In most African countries, the advertising market alone has not been sufficient to support a robust, independent and pluralistic media sector, with little indication that this situation is likely to change, in part due to the lack of audience surveys and market research, says the UNESCO report.

This applies equally to online media that are also struggling for advertisements. According to the Balancing Act report, digital advertising on the internet as a percentage of total advertising spend (which is low in any case) is currently below two per cent in most sub-Saharan African countries.

The situation is worsened by high taxes on newsprint and broadcasting equipment as well as a generally poor infrastructure for distribution, especially to rural areas.

For a pluralistic media landscape and market to thrive, people must be able to buy newspapers. But readership is dwindling, not least because the majority cannot afford them. In Botswana, for example, a paper costs more than a loaf of bread. In Ethiopia, a privately owned newspaper sells for double the price of a serving of the staple food, Injera.

Online innovation could be key

An increasing number of people are finding their news online, including on social media sites. But this does not mean the demise of the old media. The Balancing Act report found that all forms of social media serve as a source of news and information alongside more traditional media.

There seems to be a trend towards a healthy co-existence of old and new media. Many people indicate that they want to receive news alerts from traditional media by liking them on Facebook.

So, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Private, not state-controlled media are usually more innovative when it comes to the use of new technologies. If private print, radio, television and internet outlets entered into a happy marriage, then together they could beat the dominance of state-owned media.

*African Free Press publication by Media Institute of Southern Africa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on a work at whk25.misa.org.
Community radio stations have profoundly changed how people perceive radio in Africa. The stations empower citizens by making them both producers and consumers of information, but they also face serious challenges to their long-term survival.

Credit: Breeze FM

The number of community radio stations in Africa has skyrocketed since the passing of the Windhoek Declaration 25 years ago and the African Charter on Broadcasting in 2001.

In 1985, the World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC) counted fewer than ten independent radio stations on the continent. Today, South Africa alone boasts 156 community radio stations and the Democratic Republic of Congo an amazing 450.

Community radio in many ways became a critical game-changer on the continents media landscape: for the first time we had a medium that directly catered to the interests and needs of Africas voiceless majority rural populations.

Underpinned by three core principles  community ownership and management, non-profit status, and community participation  community radio stations have helped overcome the communication challenges that most countries on the continent faced, and often still face today.

Producers as well as consumers

Community radio provides new opportunities for participatory and horizontal forms of communication. It thus empowers citizens by making them both producers and consumers of information  rather than mere listeners.

At the same time, these stations help promote diversity at the national level. They allow communities to engage in dialogue and address national issues that affect them. They serve both geographical communities and communities of interest, and act as platforms where discussions are held on local issues including gender equality, health, education and agricultural challenges, and income-generating projects.

Stations ability to reach people in their local languages and in accordance with the local culture and traditions, allows them to promote citizen participation in democratic and developmental processes. Where public broadcasting is weak, community radio stations have taken over that role  informing, educating and entertaining.

Community radio allows for a greater sense of belonging to the broader imagined community of the nation-state they are a part of. It has also been a critical tool for peace building in post-conflict areas.

The evolution of the community radio sector has been accompanied by some exciting innovations. Radio listening clubs connect isolated rural communities with officials; bold programming promotes transparency, accountability and good governance; education programming enhances school performance in under-resourced schools; and radio can be become an instant messaging system in the wake of a natural disaster.

With increased access to the internet, more community radio stations are downloading information on health, development, agricultural markets and prices, and other topics to share with their audiences. They have become intermediaries in opening up the internet to communities that would otherwise not have access.

Legal frameworks vary

The enabling environment for community radio varies widely. In some countries, the idea has been well received, with governments creating the necessary regulatory and policy frameworks for licensing and operation, such as in South Africa and Mali.

But in others, there has been disinterest, mistrust and even hostility towards community broadcasting. There have been strict regulations prohibiting news programming (as in Niger) or, any discussion of politics (as in Zambia). Some stations have tried to push the limits  but not without consequences (Zambian community radio stations have often been shut down for addressing political topics).

In some countries, fear of the unknown among authorities has led to a tightly controlled licensing regime, with licences given to trusted party loyalists, such as in Rwanda and Uganda.

This is in total disregard of the principles of independence, fairness and transparency in regulatory bodies and licensing procedures laid out in the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa as well as the African Charter on Broadcasting. Worse still, in some countries a colonial legacy persists in which regulatory authorities are either appointed by or fall under the Ministry of Information. This has serious implications for their autonomy.

The idea of people talking freely among themselves on the radio can put fear in the hearts of the authorities. Worries of balkanisation, the fanning of ethnic conflict, or having a repeat of Rwanda, where radio played a critical role in whipping up ethnic violence, are often given as justifications for the delayed licensing of community radio. These are legitimate concerns. But with a sound regulatory system in place, such dangerous developments can be anticipated and prevented.

Struggle for survival

Community radio stations face numerous challenges that threaten their survival. Foremost among these is sustainability, which goes beyond the financial to include sustaining relevance, community interest and participation. The fact that most stations have been established with and rely upon donor funding is perhaps the single biggest threat to the sector.

As donor priorities and interests shift, many community radio initiatives face collapse. With the exception of South Africa, where the Media Development and Diversity Agency is mandated to support community and other alternative media, most governments have done nothing to support the sector beyond establishing the enabling legal framework.

As the cost of producing quality local programmes soars and budgets shrink, some community radio stations have ended up operating like juke boxes, providing endless foreign music content. NGO-sponsored programmes are also extensively used  often at the expense of relevant local content  as a means of not only filling up time, but also generating income.

Other challenges include high staff turnover as well as fights over ownership and station control. Often there is a lack of skills, particularly concerning financial management and fundraising or income generation, and a lack of capacity regarding equipment maintenance and audience research. This means that stations are unable to fully understand listeners needs and interests, and thus do not have a strong basis for courting advertisers who could potentially replenish their coffers.

Government support could be crucial but must not translate into a loss of independence. Greater attention needs to be paid to ensuring clear regulatory and policy frameworks that allow community radio to flourish.

Despite all these challenges, the advent of community radio has brought profound changes. It has disrupted the dominant state monopoly on broadcasting and its top-down approach. It has shifted the power dynamics in the relationship between (marginalised) communities and elected authorities.

And in many areas where community radio has taken root, elected officials today ignore their constituencies at their own peril, as communities have been empowered through radio to demand accountability. People will not easily forget the experience or allow themselves to be deprived of this democratic right.

*African Free Press publication by Media Institute of Southern Africa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on a work at whk25.misa.org.
Top rated municipal bonds were stronger in early activity, according to traders, with yields on some maturities falling by as much as three basis points.

The yield on the 10-year benchmark muni general obligation was as much as two basis points weaker from 1.62% on Monday while the 30-year muni yield was as much as three basis points weaker from 2.58%, according to an early read of Municipal Market Data's triple-A scale.

U.S. Treasuries were stronger on Tuesday as stock prices fell on worries about global economic growth. The yield on the two-year Treasury dropped to 0.74% from 0.79% on Friday, while the 10-year Treasury yield declined to 1.79% from 1.86% and the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond decreased to 2.66% from 2.72%.

The 10-year muni to Treasury ratio was calculated at 86.9% on Monday compared with 88.5% on Friday, while the 30-year muni to Treasury ratio stood at 95.0% versus 96.6%, according to MMD.

MSRB Previous Session's Activity

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board reported 35,008 trades on Monday on volume of $9.98 billion.

Primary Market

Municipal bond traders are set to see the start of a big new issue calendar hit the market on Tuesday. The supply slate consists of $6.45 billion of negotiated deals and $1.72 billion of competitive sales.

RBC Capital Markets is set to price the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York's $219.29 million of Series 2016 A, B, C and D school district revenue bond financing program revenue bonds for institutions after holdimng a one-day retail order period.

The $193.440 million of Series A bonds were priced for retail to yield from 0.75% with a 2% coupon in 2017 to 3.14% with a 3.125% coupon in 2036. A term bond in 2039 was priced to yield 3.26% with a 3.25% coupon. The 2016 maturity was offered as a sealed bid. The 2034-2036 and 2039 maturities are insured by Build America Mutual, totaling roughly $735.5 million.

The $14.770 million of Series B bonds were priced to yield from 0.54% with a 2% coupon in 2016 to 1.67% with a 5% coupon in 2024. The $7.465 million of Series C bonds were priced to yield from 0.54% with a 2% coupon in 2016 to 1.67% with a 5% coupon in 2024. The $3.610 million of Series D bonds were priced to yield from 0.58% with a 2% coupon in 2016 to 1.72% with a 5% coupon in 2024.

The Series A bonds are rated A-plus by Standard & Poor's and AA-minus by Fitch Ratings except for the 2034-2036 and 2039 maturities which are rated AA by S&P. The Series B bonds are rated Aa3 by Moody's Investors Service and AA-minus by Fitch; the Series C bonds are rated AA-minus by S&P and Fitch; and the Series D bonds are rated A-plus by S&P and AA-minus by Fitch.

In the competitive arena on Tuesday, Seattle, Wash, is selling three deals totaling $151 million. The sales consist of $107.54 million of Series 2016A limited tax general obligation improvement and refunding bonds; $37.75 million of Series 2016 unlimited tax GO improvement bonds; and $6.04 million of Series 2016B taxable limited tax GO improvement bonds. The Series 2016A and Series 2016B bonds are rated Aa1 by Moody's and triple-A by S&P and Fitch and the Series 2016 bonds are rated triple-A by Moody's, S&P and Fitch.

Also on Tuesday, the Dallas Community College District, Texas, is competitively selling $123.50 million of Series 2016 limited tax GO refunding bonds. The deal is rated triple-A by Moody's, S&P and Fitch.

The Missouri Board of Public Buildings is competitively selling $100 million of Series 2016A special obligation bonds on Tuesday. The deal is rated Aa1 by Moody's and AA-plus by S&P and Fitch.

In the negotiated sector, Citigroup is expected to price the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority's $150 million of revenue bonds for the Ochsner Clinic on Tuesday. The deal is rated Baa1 by Moody's and A-minus by Fitch.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is set to price Whiting, Ind.'s $120 million of Series 2016A environmental facilities revenue bonds for BP Products North America, Inc., on Tuesday. The deal is rated A2 by Moody's and A-minus by S&P.

Citi is set to price on Tuesday for retail investors the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's $112 million of residential housing mortgage revenue bonds under the mortgage-backed securities program. The institutional pricing is scheduled for Wednesday. The deal is rated triple-A by Moody's.

The biggest deal of the week is coming on Wednesday from the North Texas Tollway Authority. JPMorgan Securities is expected to price the NTTA's $947 million of Series 2016A system first tier revenue refunding bonds.

The deal is rated A1 by Moody's and A by S&P.

Since 2006, the NTTA has sold more nearly $14 billion of debt, with over $1 billion of bonds sold in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2015. The smallest issuance year was 2013, when the authority did not sell any bonds.

Bond Buyer Visible Supply

The Bond Buyer's 30-day visible supply calendar increased $1.81 billion to $14.62 billion on Tuesday. The total is comprised of $6.13 billion of competitive sales and $8.49 billion of negotiated deals.




JAMMU (PTI): The armies of India and China has expressed resolve to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with their senior commanders holding two border meets in Chinese and Ladakh region as part of efforts to build cordial ties.



Both the armies, which met on the occasion of the International Labour Day, agreed to uphold the treaties and agreements signed between the governments of the two sides during two ceremonial Border Personnel Meetings (BPM) on the Chinese and the Indian side on Sunday, a defence spokesman said here.



The meetings took place at Chinese BPM Hut of Moldo and TWD Garrison in Eastern Ladakh, the spokesman said.



"The delegation parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the LAC.



"Both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling to uphold the treaties and agreement signed between the governments of the two sides to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC," he said.



At Moldo, the Indian delegation was led by Major General Sudhakar Jee and the Chinese delegation by senior Col Zhan Peng Zhung and at TWD, Lt Col RC Barthwal, SM and Col Song Zhan Li led the Indian and Chinese delegations respectively.



The border personal meeting was marked by saluting the National flags by both the delegations members.



It was followed by the ceremonial address by both delegation leaders which reflected the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level at the border, the spokesman said.


Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

(Special)  Canadians in and approaching retirement are dipping into their RRSPs prematurely to replace missing income and help them meet short-term financial needs, two recent BMO studies show.

Fifty nine per cent of Canadians say they miss or expect to miss employment income from their working life in retirement and 67 per cent believe the most significant challenge in retirement is ensuring they do not run out of money to live comfortably.

According to the studies, Canadians on average have withdrawn almost $16,000 from their RRSPs. One third of them have paid the money back but 25 per cent expect they never will pay it back.

The top reason for making premature RRSP withdrawals include to buy a home, pay off debt, help pay living expenses and to cover the costs after an emergency, such as a car accident or a house flood.

Withdrawing funds early from your RRSP can have some tax and financial penalties.

If you withdraw up to $5,000 you pay a 21 per cent withholding tax in Quebec and 10 per cent in all other provinces. Withdrawals between $5,001 and $15,000 are taxed at 26 per cent in Quebec and 20 per cent in other provinces and early withdrawals over $15,000 are taxed at 31 per cent in Quebec and 30 per cent in all other provinces.

The money withdrawn is considered income and will be added to your total income and you are taxed on that as well.

Once youve withdrawn the money it is removed from the contribution room available to you. Once the money is out you have to start over again to save it and you lose the compounding growth that you could have gotten if it had stayed in.

Two exceptions are withdrawing funds and investing in the first-time home buyers and the lifelong learning plans, which allow you to withdraw certain amounts from your RRSP to buy your first home or go back to school and repay it within a certain time without paying tax.

Although it is not advisable to make withdrawals from an RRSP its clear some Canadians have had to do so in order to meet short-term needs, says Chris Buttigieg, senior manager of wealth planning strategy with BMO Wealth Management. There are tax consequences so its a good idea to speak with a financial professional to see if you have any other options before doing so.

More than 80 per cent of Canadians who have made early RRSP withdrawals said they did it as a last resort and three quarters said they were concerned about the potential consequences such as loss of retirement income, withholding tax, not being able to save effectively for retirement and loss of contribution room in the future.

One way to avoid raiding your RRSP is to build up a contingency fund in a short-term savings vehicle such as the Tax Free Savings Account or a savings account. Its best to only make premature RRSP withdrawals for the purpose of buying a new home or paying for continuing education as these withdrawals may qualify for the Home Buyers Plan or the Life Long Learning Plan respectively, Buttigieg says. These plans allow you to remove money from your RRSP tax free and repay it later.

There are other things Canadians can to do help them prepare financially for retirement such as pre-retirement investment strategies, critical illness insurance, registered retirement income funds and life income annuities, and universal life policies.

A financial adviser can help you determine the right strategies and investments for both the pre-retirement and retirement phases of your life.

The most common concerns Canadians (have about retirement) tend to be around finances, Buttigieg says. Its never too late to sit down with a financial professional who can help you develop a comprehensive financial plan with a retirement savings component.

Talbot Boggs is a Toronto-based business communications professional who has worked with national news organizations, magazines and corporations in the finance, retail, manufacturing and other industrial sectors.

Copyright 2016 Talbot Boggs
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This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL  Molson Coors says it is weeks away from announcing the fate of its original brewery in Montreal.

The company is reviewing the feasibility of a building a new brewery on its site in Old Montreal and is expected to make a decision in early summer, Molson Coors Canada CEO Stewart Glendinning said Tuesday.

If its better to invest in the current one, we will, he said in an interview. If its better to build a new one, we will, but either way its good news for the province.

Molson Coors received $110 million in net proceeds from the $185 million sale of its operations in Vancouver in the first quarter. The company will continue to produce beer at the B.C. site for up to five years until it finds a location to build a more efficient-production facility, it said.

The Denver and Montreal-based company (NYSE:TAP) beat expectations as its net profit almost doubled to US$158.8 million or 78 cents per diluted share in the first quarter, helped by the sale of the Vancouver brewery. That compared to US$81.1 million or 43 cents per share a year earlier.

Molson Coors, which reports in U.S. dollars, saw its underlying net income grow 28 per cent to $110.3 million or 54 cents per share after excluding one-time items. Net sales fell six per cent to $657.2 million including currency fluctuations.

Sales in Canada fell to $268 million from $313.5 million due to termination of an agreement to sell Miller brands, increased competition and weak economic conditions in Western Canada and a $27.8 million negative impact from a weaker dollar.
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EDMONTON  Alberta is revamping how it delivers medical laboratory services and the health minister says the bar is going to be higher for any private companies.

Sarah Hoffman says the government is moving towards an integrated, publicly run system.

She says private labs can still participate, but must show they can provide a service that has a clear benefit to patients and taxpayers.

In those cases where private companies are considered, they will need to demonstrate there is a clear benefit to Albertans, Hoffman said Tuesday.

The decision reverses policy that was being pursued by the former Progressive Conservative government.

The Tories decided 18 months ago to consolidate almost all private lab services in the Edmonton region under an Australian company for 15 years at a cost of $3 billion.

Hoffman cancelled that plan last fall. She said she was not convinced that privatization provides the best level of care at the best price.

Instead, there will be an extra $2 million to address lab demand pressures in the capital region.

A report delivered by the Health Quality Council of Alberta said the original plan to outsource to the private sector was risky and had a lack of clarity about the true cost of transition, capital and operations.
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TORONTO  A tenacious German shepherd cross who pulled his sleeping owner to the door amid a house fire is among five heroic hounds being inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame.

Noreen Lucas credits nine-year-old Rex with saving her life last December.

Lucas had been visiting her son and his family in Aberdeen, Sask., when pneumonia struck. While the rest of the clan headed to Saskatoon for Christmas Eve dinner, Lucas took a sleeping pill and went to sleep on the couch.

Kayla Aolick and her seizure-response dog, Shadow, seen in a handout photo, were the inaugural recipients of the Better Together Award, presented for the first time at the 2016 Purina Animal Hall of Fame. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Purina Animal Hall of Fame

Lucas was roused briefly by Rexs barking at one point but returned to sleep. She says she only woke after Rex latched on to her leg, pulled her off the couch and dragged her across the room towards the front door.

The duo made it safely outside but by the time firefighters arrived, fire had engulfed the house.

Other inductees include a B.C. Labrador retriever-Norwegian elkhound cross who kept a bear at bay when his owners went for a walk, a Toronto Labradoodle who barked for help when his owner suffered a heart attack, and a Toronto police dog who withstood a machete attack in the line of duty.

Purina also awarded its inaugural Purina Better Together Award  recognizing the difference a pet has made in the daily life of its owner  to a six-year-old Golden retriever from Port Alberni, B.C. who is also a seizure response dog.

Since 1968, the Purina Animal Hall of Fame has inducted 172 animals, including 144 dogs, 27 cats and a horse.

A look at this years inductees:

Raya, a four-year-old black Labrador retriever-Norwegian elkhound cross from Fort St. John, B.C.

 Brent Cote was elk hunting last September with Raya and his mom Trudy when a bear suddenly charged, apparently to protect her young cub.

Raya ran out in front of Brent  something she was trained not to do  and barked and snapped in a way Brent had never seen before. The bear retreated, allowing Brent and Trudy to back up while Raya stayed in front.

But they were still too close and the bear charged again and again, with Raya holding her ground. Eventually the bear retreated, and all three returned safely to their truck.



Zola, a seven-year-old chocolate Labradoodle from Toronto

 Matthew Church returned from a long bike ride complaining of pain in his shoulder and elbow. His wife Patricia gave him a couple of Aspirin pills and he headed upstairs to watch television.

Patricia was reading with Zola resting at her feet when she heard a heavy thud. Zola suddenly began growling and barking, and urged Patricia to follow her up two flights of stairs. When they reached the top floor, they found Matthew lying face down, immobile and turning blue. His heart had stopped. Patricia immediately began CPR while their daughter called 911.

Paramedics restarted his heart and rushed Matthew to hospital where he made a full recovery.



Lonca, two-year-old German Shepherd police dog from Toronto

 This dedicated police dog withstood repeated machete strikes to the head, neck and body while apprehending a suspect fleeing from a home last November. Throughout the struggle, Lonca positioned himself between the suspect and the officers until the suspect finally surrendered.

Blood streaming from his mouth, Lonca then led police to the rear of the premises where they found a second suspect. Lonca was rushed to the emergency veterinary hospital and made a full recovery.

The suspect who attacked Lonca is the first in Canada to be charged under Quantos Law, enacted in July 2015 to hold those who hurt law enforcement animals accountable.
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CALGARY  The Calgary police elder abuse unit is investigating after some rental-home tenants fled in the middle of the night, leaving a brain-damaged senior alone in the house without any food or water.

CTV reports that the 69-year-old woman was taken to hospital for a checkup after she was discovered by the landlord in the northeast-area residence on Monday.

Officials say they did not know the unidentified woman was in the house, and that her family did not contact anyone about her after they left.

The landlord, Sandy Ert, says she had recently served the tenants an eviction notice after they got behind in their rent.

Ert says the people who fled  two women who had a baby  left the house littered with household items, garbage, rotting food and dirty diapers.

Its believed the seniors relatives may have gone to British Columbia, but attempts to contact them have not been successful.

Ert said despite the homes condition and being out thousands of dollars in rent, the biggest shock was finding the woman in bed with no one else in the house.

Shes a very sweet old lady. Shes naive. What kind of family would leave her behind?

Ert said she visited the home earlier in the weekend to show it to some potential renters. The tenants were in the process of packing, but nothing for the senior appeared to be packed.

Erts relatives helped her clean the home all day Monday. There was no immediate word on whether the tenants caused any damage to the house. (CTV Calgary)
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TORONTO  It was the sight of what appeared to be a homeless man in medical distress that caught filmmaker Helene Choquettes attention.

But it was his frantic dog that held her gaze  the dog freaked out as onlookers walked passed without stopping, Choquette recalls.

Then city workers came and took the animal away, even before an ambulance could arrive.

A scene from the documentary "A Dog's Life," is shown in a handout photo. The film explores the bond between the homeless and their devoted pets. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

I was thinking about this for many days, of how this young boy would feel when he would wake up and not have his dog at his side, says Choquette.

The incident inspired her to begin working on her new documentary, A Dogs Life, which explores the emotional support and inspiration homeless people receive from pets.

Most of them have addictions to drugs or have mental (health) issues and the dog is what makes them (persevere), says Choquette from her home just outside Montreal.

They know they have to take care of themselves because of the dog. Because the dog reminds them of their basic needs.

The documentary profiles several people and pets, including Dan, who credits his pooch with giving him self-confidence and the strength to curtail his drug habit. Genevieve declares that animals are the best therapists in the world because they dont judge you: Id rather have my dog than a home, she says in the documentary.

Unfortunately for many, its often a choice between one or the other, says Choquette.

Animals are generally banned from shelters, and its often much harder to find long-term accommodation for low-income pet owners.

Choquette says she met many people who wouldnt even take advantage of small social services  the opportunity for a hot shower or a chance to meet a social worker  because it would force them to leave their dog alone on the street.

Its an issue Danielle Ashby knows well.

The program manager at Torontos Fred Victor Bethlehem United Shelter says they get about 25 calls a day for pet owners needing help.

Her facility is billed as the only one in Toronto that permits pets. She says theres clearly demand for more.

Its pretty in your face. If you go in the core theres a lot of homeless people that are on the streets, laying down on the sidewalk and they have their pet with them, says Ashby.

Thats something that probably needs to be looked at and assessed.

Many pets at the facility are considered emotional support animals, guide dogs or specially trained service animals for conditions such as post-traumatic stress, she said.

The shelter  a joint project between the charitable organization Fred Victor, Bethlehem United Church (Apostolic) and the City of Toronto  has room for 70 residents and 15 animals, but often goes over capacity.

People seem to think, Why do homeless people have pets if they cant even take care of themselves? But theres a lot of times when people come to us where theyve just lost everything, the sheriff has put the lock on their door. Are you going to part with your pet? No, says Ashby, whose facility also offers access to cheaper veterinary care and vaccinations.

Just because a person is homeless it doesnt mean they cant take good care of a pet, adds Tegan Buckingham of the Toronto Humane Society.

A lot of them will put their pets first before themselves, says Buckingham.

A millionaire could treat their pet far worse than people without a home. Money and financial (means) is a not a way that we distinguish how people are treating their pets.

The Humane Society offers low-cost services for vaccines, spaying and neutering, and runs a pet food bank that functions much the same way the human ones do.

But sad stories abound.

If someone is forced into hospital or jailed, they often must surrender their pet for possible adoption, says Buckingham.

Such cases are evaluated individually, but the society cant provide short-term care for an owner unable to hold onto their pet, she says.

In some cases, the society will consider admitting the pet as a stray, which permits a five-day holding period before the animal is put up for adoption.

Choquette says shed like to see more services for down-on-their-luck animal lovers.

When youre homeless and you get into problems and you go to jail, you need to know the dog is somewhere (safe). Its very important, says Choquette.

Ive been told a lot of stories of people who went to jail and when they have the permission to phone they call the person who is in charge of the dog and they talk to the animal on the phone.

A Dogs Life screens Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at the Hot Docs film festival in Toronto. A French-language version, Chienne de Vie, will be broadcast on Radio-Canada on May 28.
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Some rural areas of Westman are hopeful a change in ownership at Manitoba Telecom Services will result in improved services.

Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) has signed a deal to buy MTS  one of the few regional independent rivals to Canadas three main national telecom companies  for $3.9 billion in an agreement announced on Monday.

While the sale is contingent on approval from the federal government, RM of Roblin-Cartwright economic development officer Dustin Mymko said there is cautious optimism for better coverage in the area.

Wayne Glowacki/Winnipeg Free Press Bells western operation would operate as Bell MTS, headquartered in Winnipeg.

Everyone has their fingers crossed, Mymko said. Its hard to know if it is going to help us. On one hand, they are a large company from Montreal which might have less concern for rural Manitoba, but on the other hand, maybe they have the technology and money to make a positive impact here.

Municipal leaders have long argued that shoddy and non-existent cell service has put the public at risk near Cartwright. Mymko said he knows of people who have been forced to spend the night in their vehicles after hitting the ditch in stormy winter weather.

Weve always said we hope that it isnt a tragedy that affects some change, he said. But one of these days, something terrible is going to happen out here.

Mymko said several businesses have paid several thousands of dollars out of pocket to get boosters for their employees to ensure communications.

The RM believed it had found a solution to the problem after enlisting the help of a Florida company that was willing to sell a commercial repeater that would have provided coverage for Cartwright and an area approximately two kilometres in diameter surrounding the community.

The plan was to mount the repeater to the grain terminal in the heart of town.

The plan needed the approval of service providers Rogers and MTS.

While Rogers was quick to green-light the plan, MTS put up roadblocks, according to Mymko.

Maybe Bell will be of the same mindset and we can move ahead with that plan, Mymko said, adding the repeater would cost approximately $25,000.

Its a small price to pay.

The deal would bring MTS under the BCE umbrella, which also owns CTV, the former Chum and Aztral radio chains and Bell Canada.

This is a huge deal for MTS as well as the telecom industry in Canada, MTS CEO Jay Forbes said. This is the highest multiple ever paid for an integrated telecom in North America. Clearly, BCE recognizes the value of the franchise we have built here.

In January, MTS sold its Allstream division, which was believed to be the final impediment to this deal to be done.

Under the terms of this transaction, MTS will achieve much more than it could have as an independent company, Forbes said in a conference call with analysts.

BCEs commitment to invest $1 billion over five years into Manitobas telecommunications infrastructure will also contribute greatly to the prosperity of our province and the quality of our customer experience.

BCE has also agreed in principle to sell about one-third of Manitoba Telecoms monthly contract wireless customers and one-third of the MTS stores in Manitoba to Vancouver-based Telus Corp.

Clearly, Teluss position in the wireless industry is significantly enhanced in this transaction, as is Bells, BCE president and CEO George Cope said.

So youd expect, I think, the market to continue to be as competitive as it has been  if not maybe even more  as a result of all this.

While it may be too early to say how it will all shake out, there seems to be cautious optimism in Winnipeg that the deal will not result in significant job losses. Forbes said while there may be some overlap in services, employees may have the opportunity to do other things in the company, especially in light of Bells commitment to substantial capital investment in the next five years.

MTS CEO Jay Forbes

The deal requires approval from the Competition Bureau, the CRTC and the federal department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development  formerly called Industry Canada.

A spokesman for Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said in an email that the departments priority is ensuring competition for Manitobans while investment in rural service continues.

While the government does not comment on individual companies plans, such transactions would be subject to all relevant regulatory approvals, the email said. We will be looking carefully to make sure the concerns of Manitobans are addressed.

Aravinda Galappatthige, an analyst with Canaccord Genuity, said the deal could lead to further consolidation in the wireless industry.

If BCE-MBT is approved, we believe this would set a significant precedent, as it would reduce Manitoba to a three-player wireless market from four, Galappatthige said in a note to clients.

Bell trails Toronto-based Rogers and Telus in terms of wireless customers, but BCE is by far the largest of the three in terms of overall market value at more than $51 billion, compared with $23.7 billion for Telus and $19.7 billion for Rogers.

Rogers had nearly 9.9 million subscribers to its various wireless services as of Dec. 31, compared with 8.45 million at Telus and 8.24 million at Bell. MTS Mobility had 483,000 subscribers.

Under the deal, Manitoba Telecom would need to sever its commercial ties with Rogers Communications, which has been providing it with wholesale access to the national market.

The network sharing arrangement with Rogers is underpinned by a complex set of agreements that we plan to work through in the coming months as we work to closing, Forbes said.

But neither Forbes nor Cope provided details on what it might cost to unwind the Rogers relationship or what Telus would pay to acquire its share of the MTS wireless subscribers.

The acquisition would add 2,700 employees from Manitoba Telecom to BCEs Bell phone business. Bells western operation would nearly double to 6,900 people and operate as Bell MTS, headquartered in Winnipeg.

While often allies, BCE and Manitoba Telecom have occasionally had a competitive relationship.

At one time, BCE was a large shareholder of Manitoba Telecom and there was widespread speculation that it would buy full ownership of the company.

But Manitoba Telecom took a different path to remain independent and decided to buy Allstream, a Toronto-based company that competes directly with BCE nationally for business customers. MTS completed the sale of Allstream to Zayo Group of Boulder, Colo., for $465 million earlier this year.

 ctweed@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press and The Canadian Press

 Twitter: @CharlesTweed
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Hotter summers, shorter winters, floods, drought and storms are just a few examples of potential climate change impacts on the Prairie provinces.

With this new reality, communities need to be able to identify risks and the need for resilience planning, according to Roger Rempel, senior environmental engineer and climate change impacts specialist with MMM Group. Rempel presented to Brandon City Council on the topic on Monday ahead of tonights public engagement session.

My purpose today is just to talk  about ways you can start assessing those risks and building steps to respond to them so you can cope better, Rempel said. We all have this infrastructure challenge. Weve been trying to build it before it wears out, but a lot of people dont realize that the challenge is even more significant in the sense that the way engineering codes are set up is that we are to design to historical climate, and the codes havent been updated to ask us to design to future climate as well.

File photo An uprooted tree on Balmoral Bay rests on a convertible following a severe thunderstorm that wreaked havoc across Brandon in this July 2014 photo. Climate resiliency will be the focus of a public event at Brandon Design Studio on Princess Avenue this evening.

The shifting climate means more extreme weather more often and Rempel spoke about how that impacts both the natural and built environments, as well as services the buildings provide  hospitals, jails, schools, etc.

Theres a lot of things that have to work, and if they dont, then those critical services stop happening the way they should, Rempel said.

Only a handful of construction and engineering codes have begun to integrate climate change, specifically in the Arctic communities where some schools are being closed due to heavy snow loads that the buildings werent designed for.

Its a super long, laborious, tedious process to upgrade  so they started with the most urgent ones, he said. Itll be a long time  decades  before they get through all the other ones that we rely on here in more southern regions of Canada.

Louisa Garbo, director of the citys planning and building safety department, said the public event on climate resiliency is part of their effort to build a sustainable city.

As a city planner when we talk about sustainability, were going to promote more green buildings, so we can reduce the carbon emission, she said. Were going to look at electric car, hybrid  anything that helps us reduce our reliance on non-renewable energy and so forth.

Garbo is working with all city departments to develop a sustainability strategic action plan from a social, economic and environmental perspective.

The biggest thing is the community. We want the community to own this plan, so there is still going to be a lot of public outreach youre going to see, Garbo said.

Climate change and resiliency is one major aspect of the plan, and as Garbo says, this is just the beginning of their outreach.

illian Austin/The Brandon Sun Roger Rempel, senior environmental engineer with MMM Group, speaks to Brandon City Council on climate resiliency on Monday.

The topic is really focused on how can we plan for it, she said. Its not to get everybody all nervous, because we all know, we saw it on TV, the East Coast is still getting snowstorms and rainstorms. Its the shift in the climate pattern.

It is predicted that southern Manitoba will see significantly more days above 30 C in the coming decades, and by the 2080s, will have a climate more like Kansas and North Texas.

Thats tornado alley, so you have that kind of heat and that energy in that region, thats going to be up here too, Rempel said. So these are issues weve got to keep our eye on the radar to make sure were preparing for those, and we dont just wait until were hit to see what happens.

The public event, Climate Resiliency for Brandon, takes place tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Brandon Design Studio, 638 Princess Ave.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @jillianaustin
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A man who stabbed his stepfather has been sentenced to four months house arrest.

During sentencing on Monday, Crown attorney Ron Toews said that Brandon police responded to a 911 call from a home on the 800 block of 13th Street on Oct. 23, 2015.

Officers arrived to find that a man had been stabbed in his upper shoulder with a paring knife.

He was taken to hospital where the knife was removed, and he received one stitch to close the wound.

The stabber, Brenden Lee Crate, was arrested. The victim is Crates stepfather, who told police that he was stabbed after he intervened because his stepson had disrespected his mother.

Defence lawyer Philip Sieklicki said the dispute led to shoving between the two men, which led to the stepfather hitting the accused, who then lost control and stabbed his stepdad.

Sieklicki said both men had been drinking heavily before the argument.

In fact, Toews said, a number of witnesses were intoxicated and they may not have been reliable witnesses if the case went to trial.

That led the Crown and defence to reach the plea bargain for four months house arrest for 23-year-old Crate, who also breached his release order on Jan. 9 by drinking.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @IanHitchen
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OTTAWA  The Arms Trade Treaty wont mean an immediate end to controversial arms deals like Canadas $15 billion sale of light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, says the United Nations disarmament chief.

Kim Won-soo, the UNs High Representative on Disarmament Affairs, offered that assessment in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press following his Monday meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion.

Kim stressed he was not taking any position on the controversy that has seen a coalition of peace and human rights organizations pressing the Liberal government to cancel the sale of the LAV3s to Saudi Arabia because of the countrys poor human rights record.

The new upgraded Light Armoured Vehicle is unveiled at a news conference at a General Dynamics facility in London, Ont., on January 24, 2012. The Arms Trade Treaty won't mean an immediate end to controversial arms deals like Canada's $15 billion sale of light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, says the United Nations disarmament chief. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Spowart

The Liberals are honouring the deal, agreed to by the previous Conservative government in February 2014, because they say they have no legal basis to cancel it, and doing so would harm the countrys international trading reputation.

Kim made clear he didnt want to discuss the controversy, saying he hadnt waded into the details of it.

But Kims analysis of the limitations of the Arms Trade Treaty undercut the criticism levelled at the government last week in an open letter by Amnesty International and Project Ploughshares, among others.

Your governments authorization of this deal also casts serious doubt over Canadas readiness to abide by the legally binding obligations and intent of the Arms Trade Treaty, which Canada has announced it will join in the near future, the coalition said in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet.

Kim rejected a suggestion that the ATT would put a damper on country-to-country arms exports when one of the countries has a less than stellar human rights record.

The Arms Trade Treaty will not solve all the problems at once, but it is a kind of first step in the right direction, he said. We cannot solve all these problems with one step.

The Liberal government pledged to make Canada a signatory to the UN treaty during last years federal election. The previous Conservative government refused to sign it, saying it would compromise the lawful rights to Canadian recreational firearms enthusiasts.

The United States signed the treaty, despite its ferocious domestic pro-gun lobby, but Saudi Arabia has not.

Kim said the treaty would place additional burdens on countries that export small arms and military equipment to ensure the weapons are not diverted to third parties, or misused by the actual recipients for nefarious purposes.

He said the exporting countries need to show due diligence that the military goods they are selling are not used by the wrong people, for the wrong reasons.

The Arms Trade Treaty is about regulating the arms trade with the particular emphasis that arms sales will not end up in the wrong hands, and also will not be used for bad purposes.

A human rights assessment released by Dions office acknowledged that Saudi Arabia has a poor human rights record, including cracking down on dissent and subjugating women. But it concluded there is no evidence the armed military vehicles would be used by the Saudi government against its people.

The assessment concluded there was nothing to suggest the armed vehicles would be used for anything but their intended purpose  helping Saudi Arabia defend itself against the same Islamic State militants that Canada and its allies are fighting in the Middle East.
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KATHMANDU, Nepal  A Canadian man has been ordered to leave Nepal within two days after authorities said he posted messages on social media that could disturb social harmony.

Home Ministry official Yadav Koirala says Robert Penners work visa was revoked because a report prepared by authorities suggested his critical posts on Twitter threatened national unity.

Penner, who has worked for a software company in Nepal for three years, was detained on Monday for questioning and spent the night in detention.

The government made the decision to expel him late Tuesday.

Koirala says Penner was released from detention and handed over to a local family friend on the condition that he leaves the country in two days.

Penner has criticized the new constitution adopted last September and the governments handling of violent ethnic protests.

Members of the Madhesi minority have opposed the constitution, saying it gave them a small state that did not cover their population. Protests by the group left more than 50 people dead and blocked the border with India, creating severe shortages of fuel and medicines all over Nepal.

Kedar Neupane, head of Nepals Immigration Department, said Penner had violated the terms of his visa, which say he cannot become involved in any activities against Nepal or its government and will be expelled if found doing such activities.

Penner could not be reached for comment.

Nepal Immigration released me after 26 hours in custody, cancelled my working visa and gave me 2 days to leave Nepal. Thanks to all supporters, Penner said on Twitter.

The constitution guarantees freedom of speech and it is rare for foreign citizens to be expelled from Nepal for criticizing the government.
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OTTAWA  A scathing auditor generals report Tuesday shows Canadas army reserve is in dire straits, with only a fraction of its troops properly trained, equipped and fit for international operations and domestic emergencies.

Michael Fergusons latest audit conducted a detailed examination of the problems faced by the militarys part-time branch and found that even though there are 21,000 positions on the books, only 13,944 reservists are considered active and ready for service.

The federal governments stated goal is to have a reserve force of 27,000.

Members of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group (Reserve) are silhouetted as they march during a ceremony at the Seaforth Armoury in Vancouver, B.C., on May 27, 2012. Canada's auditor general has released a scathing report that shows the country's army reserve is in a more dire condition than previously thought, with only a fraction of its troops properly trained, equipped and fit for international operations and domestic emergencies. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The audit goes into detail about how National Defence has not only failed to recruit for the part-time force, but also how reservists are quitting at a rate faster than they can be replaced  and are doing so before they are fully trained.

In late 2015, National Defence set a goal to increase the army reserve by 950 soldiers (five per cent) by 2019. In our opinion, this goal will be difficult to achieve given the present rate of attrition, said the audit.

The sweeping review also looked at training and found that many reservists dont receive certain basic weapons training, such as the use of a pistol or grenade launcher.

They have been woefully unprepared for some duties in combat zones, such as convoy escort and force protection, and ill-equipped for missions at home like responding to forest fires and floods.

When there is a domestic emergency, reserve units are expected to assemble trained units of up to 600 soldiers, but Fergusons report noted that they were thrown into the field over the last few years  specifically in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba  without everything they needed, including essential items.

When we reviewed these reports, we found many instances of key equipment lacking, such as reconnaissance vehicles, command posts, and communications equipment, the audit said.

We found that the Canadian Army has not defined the list of equipment that all army reserve units should have for training their soldiers and teams for domestic missions. This means that army reserve units may have to rely on other Canadian Armed Forces units to provide this equipment, but we were told that it is often not available.

The former Harper government was keen on highlighting the participation of reservists, notably the Canadian Rangers, in annual Arctic exercises. In 2013, it staged a series of photo-ops with then-prime minister Stephen Harper shooting rifles and mingling with the troops, who are drawn from indigenous northern communities.

The audit says the army made a special effort to equip them, but even there Fergusons report found support wanting.

Following recent training exercises, these groups reported that they did not always have access to the equipment they needed to be self-sufficient, such as reliable communications and vehicles larger than light snowmobiles, said the report.

National Defence, in its response, agreed with the criticism and said it is working on the equipment issue.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the Liberals have already started investing in the reserves, but didnt explain how. He said he recognizes recruiting and retention as long-standing problems, and that the department is looking at ways to make training more engaging.

Lt.-Gen. Marquis Haines, the commander of the army, says theyre putting in place measures to ensure that reservists are more prepared to deploy, both at home and abroad.

Any gaps in training will be assessed and resolved before deployment and the completion of army reserve training objectives will be confirmed annually, he said in a statement.

Ferguson also tore a strip off the government over how it balances and pays for reservists, some of who are being called up to full-time duty. Under the law, a part-time soldier can be converted to full-time status for periods of between 180 days and three years.

But those jobs can be and often are  renewed for longer periods of time. It was one of the criticisms in retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslies 2011 report, which was meant to overhaul administration at National Defence.

Fergusons report goes a step further, showing that as many as 1,704 part-time soldiers are on full-time duty, but are financed out of the reserve budget.

This means that the Canadian Army spent about 27 per cent of its overall army reserve pay and operating expenses on these full-time contracts, leaving less available for other army reserve activities, said the report.
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This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Immigration officials are looking at revoking the Canadian citizenship of about a dozen people after the auditor general found the government isnt doing enough to root out fraud in the citizenship system.

Michael Fergusons report uncovered instances of people with serious criminal records and others using potentially phoney addresses among those who managed to secure Canadian citizenship thanks to holes throughout not just the Immigration Department but the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency as well.

The cases flagged represent just a fraction of the nearly half a million people whove become Canadian citizens in the last two years, but that doesnt mean improvements arent necessary, Immigration Minister John McCallum said Tuesday.

Canada's Auditor General Michael Ferguson holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, regarding the 2016 Spring Reports of the Auditor General. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The vast majority of the cases are clear but we are not happy if even one case is fraudulently obtained and that is why we are vigorously implementing the recommendations of the auditor general, McCallum said.

Recommendations related to improving information sharing between departments will be implemented by the end of the year, McCallum said. Another suggestion  that officers be given more power to seize fraudulent documents  is currently in a bill being debated in the House of Commons.

Among the cases caught by Michael Fergusons team: four people who were granted citizenship despite having criminal records that would render them ineligible, and two who were approved despite having committed crimes after passing a criminal background check.

The audit also revealed it took seven years for officials to cotton on to the fact a single address had been used by at least 50 different applicants during overlapping time periods. Of the 50, seven became Canadian citizens.

A review of 49 cases where an individuals address had been flagged as problematic concluded that in 18 instances, citizenship officials didnt follow up to see if the applicant actually met residency requirements.

The issues Ferguson included everything from officers seeming to ignore existing information about applicants, data entry errors that meant problems were missed, a failure on the part of security agencies to share information with the Immigration Department and officers not following their own procedures, like checking an applicants paperwork against a database of known fake documents.

This finding matters because ineligible individuals may obtain Canadian citizenship and receive benefits to which they are not entitled, Ferguson wrote in his spring report, tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons.

Revoking citizenship that should not have been granted takes significant time and money.

The auditor generals office reviewed files from July 2014 to October 2015  three years after the previous Conservative government launched a public crackdown on citizenship fraud by announcing it was going after 1,800 people it believed lied to lay claim to the Maple Leaf.

In 2012, the government expanded that number, saying nearly 11,000 individuals had been linked to residency fraud investigations.

While the issue of revoking citizenships from dual citizens convicted of terrorism has been a political hot potato in recent years, thats only happened to one person  a man convicted in connection with a plot to launch a terrorist attack in Toronto.

Its far more common for people to lose their citizenship because of fraud related to residency, identity or not declaring criminal proceedings and there were about 700 revocation cases pending as of January.
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OTTAWA  A senior Conservative senator who was labelled as the guru of Senate rules by Mike Duffys judge says the widely held view of his role in the whole affair is more fiction than fact.

As Duffy resumed his seat in the upper chamber on Tuesday, Sen. David Tkachuk insisted he never advised him on questions about housing and travel allowances, despite Duffys criminal trial having been told otherwise.

Tkachuk said the only advice he gave during a January 2009 meeting of new senators was about caucus responsibilities, since he hadnt yet been appointed to the executive of the Senates internal economy committee, which oversees expense rules.

Senator Mike Duffy returns to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, May 2, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Duffy testified at his trial that he spoke with Tkachuk one-on-one after the meeting and asked whether he could or should claim expense against his Ottawa-area home as a secondary residence.

The question came amid media reports that raised questions about Duffys constitutional eligibility to sit as a senator from Prince Edward Island.

Duffy testified Tkachuk told him the claims were essential to quell eligibility questions and that Duffy should claim for daily meal allowances in the capital, even though Duffy said he personally didnt believe in them.

Tkachuk said the meeting never happened.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Tkachuk said he would have told Duffy to speak with Senate lawyers or someone on the internal economy committee if he faced questions on Jan. 7, 2009, about Senate rules. Tkachuk said he didnt join the internal economy committee until Feb. 10, 2009.

Its important that people know I wasnt sitting there advising Sen. Duffy about how he should conduct his residency claims at a meeting that I never had with him and that I had no right to be at because I wasnt a member of internal economy, Tkachuk said.

Duffy has not responded to a request for comment. He left the Senate Tuesday without saying a word to reporters.

Late last month, Ontario Court Justice Charles Vaillancourt dismissed 31 criminal charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery against Duffy, all them related to his Senate expenses. Vaillancourt called the Senate rules vague and ruled that Duffy was forced to take a $90,000 payment from Nigel Wright, Stephen Harpers then chief of staff, to pay off his politically problematic housing expenses even though Duffy contended he had done nothing wrong.

Tkachuks role in the affair related to his position on the internal economy committee, which oversaw the audit of Duffys expenses and subsequent changes to spending rules and his move to end the audit after the repayment of Duffys housing claims.

Tkachuk wasnt called to testify and he says the Crown never contacted him, even though he was available to take the stand. He said he was surprised he wasnt called as a witness.

He said the facts in the criminal trial skewed his role in the matter and he wants to tell his side of the story.

I know what the truth is, as far as Im concerned, and the facts bear me out, he said.

Duffy returned to Parliament Hill on Monday for the first time since his acquittal and he took his seat Tuesday among the colleagues who voted to suspend him without pay in late 2013.

The main debate of the day was about whether the appointment of two partisans-turned-independent senators  former Conservative Diane Bellemare and former Liberal Grant Mitchell  as assistants to Peter Harder, the government leader in the Senate, violated rules and the laws governing Parliament.

Duffy sits near the front door, in the back row close to Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin, former Conservatives who were also suspended without pay over questionable expenses.

Duffy still has supporters.

Sen. John Wallace said the suspension process was a debacle and a breach of due process.

He said the Senate should give Duffy back the almost $270,000 in salary he lost during his suspension.

There was a rush to judgment and some would say a rush to political judgment and he paid the price for it, Wallace said.

To get the money back would require passing a motion, which any senator could put forward.

Sen. Don Plett, the Conservative whip, wouldnt say whether Duffy deserved the back pay.

His pay was not deducted because of any criminal charges. They were deducted because of a disciplinary action, well before there were any criminal charges. The two are not related, Plett said on his way into the Senate chamber.
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OTTAWA  A prominent Canadian victim of abuse behind bars in Syria is calling on the government to cancel controversial directives that allow for the sharing of intelligence that could lead to torture.

Abdullah Almalki, a Canadian who was imprisoned and tortured in Syria for almost two years, said Tuesday it is time the Liberals ditched the policy that was enacted by the previous Conservative government.

Almalki said the current government must end Canadas previous complicity in torture.

Amnesty International Canada Secretary General Alex Neve and journalist Mohamed Fahmy take part in an anti-torture protest on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The Liberals say they are reviewing the directives as part of a broader security review.

Almalki and other human rights activists said cancelling the directives is the next logical step for the government after it announced Monday it was prepared to join a key United Nations anti-torture agreement more than a decade after it was first passed.

Almalki was part of a group of human rights activists that praised Mondays surprise announcement by Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion.

But they said the government must go further, and cancel the torture directives.

Many of the prisoners Ive interviewed have reverted to saying things that necessarily didnt happen or they were told to confess in order to avoid the torture, said Mohamed Fahmy, the Canadian journalist who was imprisoned in Egypt.

Alex Neve, the head of Amnesty International Canada, said his organization has been campaigning for years to get the controversial torture directives thrown out.

It certainly would be very much in keeping with the spirit of what we heard yesterday  to rescind that very troubling ministerial direction and bring our intelligence sharing practices into line with our international obligations, said Neve.

Fahmy and warned Dion and the provinces not to dither and to bring Canada into full compliance with the anti-torture convention within one year.

The federal government must now consult with the provinces on the legal way forward for Canada to formally join the UN anti-torture convention.
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MONTREAL  Various health groups have joined forces to launch legal action against the federal government to ensure it applies the Canada Health Act in Quebec and across the country.

The goal is to obtain a court order that would force the federal health minister to fulfil a statutory duty to prevent overbilling through extra fees.

With the legal proceeding, the federal government can no longer ignore the thousands of Canadians who are being robbed of their rightful access to free and quality health-care services, Danis Prudhomme, director general of a group that represents Quebecers 50 and over, told a news conference Tuesday.

Lawyer Jean-Pierre Menard speaks to a press conference in a January 15, 2013, file photo at the legislature in Quebec City. The well-known Quebec lawyer is representing various health groups as they become involved in legal action aimed at making sure the federal government enforces the Canada Health Act in the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

The plaintiffs say the Quebec government instituted a two-tier medical system last November when it passed Bill 20, which they argue violates the Canada Health Act by permitting and regulating add-on fees.

According to Jean-Pierre Menard, the lawyer who filed a petition for a writ in Federal Court on Monday on behalf of the plaintiffs, Quebecers are paying $50 million to $70 million a year in extra fees.

The groups say the is type of legal action for a matter pertaining to the federal health legislation has never been attempted before.

A doctor who represents Canadian Doctors for Medicare said extra billing and user fees are precisely the kind of barriers the act was designed to eliminate.

When doctors begin charging accessory fees, it creates a two-tier health-care system one for those who can afford it and one for those who cannot, Dr. Brian Hutchison told the news conference.

Hutchison said extra billing has been on the rise across the nation.

In Saskatchewan, for example, patients can pay to skip waiting lists for MRIs, while he added the Supreme Court of British Columbia will hear a case this fall where the plaintiff, Dr. Brian Day, co-owner of the Cambie Surgery Centre, will argue the Canada Health Act is unconstitutional.

Menard noted the lawsuit will target all types of extra billing in Canada, although he said Quebec is clearly the worst offender.

In Ottawa, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott said the government would absolutely uphold the Canada Health Act.

Although she would not address the situation in Quebec specifically, she said she would discuss the matter with the attorney general of Canada.

I simply want Canadians to know that we will uphold this act, we will make sure Canadians will have access to medically necessary care, said Philpott.

I look forward to addressing what barriers to access have been in place.

The petition was filed under various sections of the Canada Health Act which stipulate the conditions the provinces must meet in order to collect the full amount of the Canada Health Transfer.

Basically, Sec. 18 stipulates a province is not entitled to full compensation when there is overbilling, Menard said. Sec. 20 indicates that the amount of the overbillings is deducted from the federal contribution.

Menard estimates the case could be heard in about nine to 12 months.
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HALIFAX  A couple who fell in love over long distance were married the same way: Over Skype.

Megan Radford and Rolando Barrientos were together in Bolivia for the ceremony, but most everyone else was in Nova Scotia, including the man officiating: her ordained father.

We talk all the time about how Skype, WhatsApp and instant messaging made our relationship possible, Radford says.

Megan Radford and Rolando Barrientos are shown in a handout photo from their wedding day. A couple who fell in love over long distance were married the same way: Over Skype. Radford and Barrientos were together in Bolivia for the ceremony, but most everyone else was in Nova Scotia, including the man officiating: her ordained father. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

Radford, 28, met Barrientos, 31, during a work-related trip to Bolivia in September.

Radford, who was born in Newfoundland and lives in Toronto, was in the church relations department at World Vision, while Barrientos, a pilot and MBA student from Cochabamba, Bolivia, worked as a translator for the group part-time.

The attraction between the devout Christians was immediate.

Driving back from a rural project, we began to talk  really talk  about our values, families and dreams, Radford writes on the couples GoFundMe page. Something was sparked, and continued that night over Facebook messenger.

Dolled up in a skirt and lipstick, Radford gave Barrientos two lingering hugs as she boarded the bus to the airport. She says thats what sealed the deal for her.

When Radford checked her phone during a layover en route to Toronto, she saw a message from Barrientos: Dont go. Stay with me.

The relationship escalated quickly, in part, thanks to their high-speed online connection.

We couldnt really do the normal things that people who starting to date do, Radford says. All we could was talk  it was such a concentrated way of getting to know each other.

Skype just helped us know a little more about how we live, our conditions and how to express our minds, Barrientos says.

That Thanksgiving, after a month of online courtship, Barrientos asked Radfords parents for permission to ask for her hand in marriage  again, over Skype.

I was a little surprised, Radford says. I guess never say something is crazy. I would have said this was crazy before.

They say Barrientos family was initially taken aback  they had never heard of anything like it  but friends and family were supportive because their shared faith and love were obvious.

In February, Radford journeyed to Bolivia to tie the knot. Barrientos met her at the airport.

We were sitting together in the taxi on the way back, and I kept thinking, Wow. Hes really, like, solid, she says. He had been a virtual person for so long.

I saw her, and I immediately fell more in love, Barrientos says. You just get to smell that person and grab her.

The young couple exhausted their limited resources on flights, vendors and immigration fees, only to have their nuptials postponed by paperwork delays and bureaucratic red tape.

With Radfords visa expiring and the couples bank accounts depleted, they feared it could be months until they finally said their I dos. The brides mother, Sharon Radford, proposed a creative solution.

On Feb. 14, Barrientos and Radford held a small wedding ceremony officiated by the father-of-the-bride, Willard Radford, over Skype from Nova Scotia, where he teaches at the Halifax Christian Academy. Radfords mother and sister, and her sisters fiance, served as virtual witnesses.

In the eyes of God and the World Wide Web, Barrientos and Radford were husband and wife.

But their digital vows had no legal bearing under Bolivian law, so Radford returned to Toronto alone.

Its a lot harder than the first time, Radford says. We finally got to do the things that other couples do that you take for granted. Things like watching Game of Thrones together. Or going out to lunch.

The couple is now raising money to fly Radford to Bolivia so the two can complete their legal marriage. A GoFundMe account seeking $5,500 was set up by a friend of the family, and has raised $4,575 from 41 donors.
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OTTAWA  The latest report from the federal auditor general urges Veterans Affairs to get a grip on its medical marijuana program for injured ex-soldiers, which is expected to cost taxpayers a startling $25 million this year.

Michael Ferguson says its just one of the programs where the federal government has critical data available to it thats either not usable, not used or not acted upon at all.

The report tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons also looked at the dire condition of the army reserves, the federal governments inability to detect and prevent refugee fraud and the uncertain impact of the former Conservative governments $400-million venture capital action plan.

Canada's Auditor General Michael Ferguson holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, regarding the 2016 Spring Reports of the Auditor General. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

But with medical marijuana for veterans, Ferguson paints a picture of program out of control.

He says the federal department long ago recognized the need to contain the prescribed pot program by imposing a limit on how much the government is willing to pay per gram, but usage levels and costs continue to climb.

Veterans Affairs has covered medical marijuana costs since 2008, but more vets have applied since the regulations were overhauled three years ago, sending the cost through the roof  Ferguson says it will soon account for almost one-third of all federal drug coverage for ex-soldiers.

Tuesdays report finds that officials saw the tidal wave of higher medicinal pot expenses coming, but did little to prevent it.

We found that before these new regulations were passed, department officials had identified that they would likely cause an increase in the number of veterans requesting marijuana for medical purposes, increasing the departments expenditures, said the audit.

Officials had documented that commercial suppliers were charging up to $14 per gram, almost triple the federal governments estimate, it notes.

Despite acknowledging this in advance, it did not establish a dollar limit for covering marijuana for medical purposes.

In 2013-14, there were 112 veterans taking prescribed pot at a cost of $408,000, but by the end of December 2015 some 1,320 ex-soldiers were enrolled at a cost of $12.1 million. That adds up to an average of $9,600 per veteran.

Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr said he accepts the auditors criticism, but noted hes already ordered a review of the delivery of the program.

He did not explain why the department refused to take action, but instead focused on consulting with veterans groups and medical experts about the way forward.

Were taking the time to get this right, he said. Were going to consult on this and come out with a policy directive in the coming months.

The audit also found the department does not effectively monitor high-risk drug utilization among veterans.

The criticism unnerves some veterans advocates, such as long-time critic Mike Blais, who worries that more monitoring could lead to officials snooping in our files to see who is using marijuana.

He said there are going to have to be privacy safeguards.

Veterans Affairs says its willing to pay for up to 10 grams of marijuana a day, per veteran  twice the threshold recommended by Health Canada. Ferguson questioned whether the department was doing the right thing and warned the policy could lead to some ex-soldiers getting hooked.

According to an internal departmental briefing document, Health Canada indicated that more than five grams per day may increase risks with respect to the drugs effect on the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and immune systems, and on psychomotor performance and may increase the risk of drug dependence, said the report.

Despite the awareness of these potential risks, we found that the department had set the limit at 10 grams per day per veteran, and that in rare circumstances it could increase this limit after consulting with a veterans health-care provider.

The department agreed with the auditors concerns and said it had hired a pharmaceutical adviser to development guidelines in conjunction with other departments.
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TORONTO  Ontario says it will use advanced technology to crack down on smuggling of contraband into jails and detention centres, becoming the first province in Canada to install full-body scanners at all of its facilities.

Correctional Services Minister Yasir Naqvi said Tuesday that correctional officers have recently seen an increase in non-metallic contraband that evades the existing technology at the provinces 26 adult jails and detention centres.

So as the times change and technology becomes more advanced, it is imperative that we change with them in order to keep our staff and inmates safe.

The scanners will be installed over two years at a cost of $9.5 million, including maintenance over 10 years.

The move follows a six-month pilot project at the Toronto South Detention Centre, which Naqvi said resulted in a reduction in contraband and fewer incidents with weapons.

During that project 16,427 scans were done and 86 inmates were found with ceramic blades, pills, marijuana and other contraband.

The union representing correctional workers has told Naqvi that inmates are now using Kinder Surprise packages to smuggle in contraband, he said.

Current methods of contraband detection  including a Body Orifice Scanner chair that detects metal, hand-held and walk-through metal detectors, strip searches and dogs  cant always detect items that are non-metallic or hidden internally.

Monte Vieselmeyer, with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, called the body scanners a game changer.

Its going to make it much safer for staff and the offenders we supervise, he said.

Six offenders have died from overdoses at the Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre in approximately the last three years and the Toronto South Detention Centre as well as other facilities have seen an increase in ceramic knives, Vieselmeyer said.

Guards, unions and opposition politicians have been pressing the government for much-needed reforms to address what they call a crisis in corrections. Ontarios correctional facilities are understaffed and overcrowded to the point that it is jeopardizing guard and inmate safety, they say.

The Liberal government recently announced it would hire 2,000 correctional officers over the next three years. The new hires along with the body scanners are building blocks toward addressing issues, though a crisis still exists, Vieselmeyer said.

At Toronto South the scanner was installed in the admission and discharge area, so offenders being dropped off or returning from courts are scanned. There is no plan to require everyone, such as staff and lawyers, go through the scanners, Naqvi said.

The facilities that correctional staff have sounded some of the loudest alarms over  including the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, the Thunder Bay jail and the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre  will be among the first 11 to get the scanners in 2016-17. The rest of the facilities will have scanners installed the following year.
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CORNER BROOK, N.L. - Police and the chief medical examiner are investigating a so-called "reportable death" at a hospital in western Newfoundland.

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Six stories in the news today from The Canadian Press:



TEEN WHO KILLED REENA VIRK SEEKS DAY PAROLE

Manitoba Premier-designate Brian Pallister speaks with media outside the legislature in Winnipeg on April 20, 2016. Manitoba's incoming premier, Brian Pallister, has a balancing act on his hands today as he names the first Progressive Conservative cabinet in Manitoba since 1999. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

A British Columbia woman who murdered 14-year-old schoolgirl Reena Virk near a Victoria-area bridge in 1997 is asking for release from prison. Kelly Ellard is seeking day parole in her first bid for some freedom since the Supreme Court of Canada reinstated her second-degree murder conviction in 2009.



NEW MANITOBA CABINET TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY

Manitobas incoming premier, Brian Pallister, will today name the first Progressive Conservative cabinet in Manitoba since 1999. Having won a modern-day record 40 seats in the April 19 election, Pallister may leave many caucus members disappointed because he has promised a cabinet one-third smaller than the outgoing NDPs, which had 19 members.



SEN. MIKE DUFFY BACK ON PARLIAMENT HILL

Sen. Mike Duffy will sit in the Red Chamber today for the first time in more than two years since he was suspended over expense claims. Duffy, who was recently cleared on 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery, appeared on Parliament Hill yesterday. Once he takes his seat in the upper chamber, Duffy can say whatever he wants under the blanket of parliamentary privilege.



UN OFFICIAL SAYS TREATY WONT STOP BIG ARMS DEALS

The U.N. disarmament chief says the Arms Trade Treaty wont mean an immediate end to controversial arms deals like Canadas $15 billion sale of light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. Kim Won-soo offered that assessment in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press following his Monday meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion.



LIBERALS GET A LEADERSHIP LECTURE FROM PANEL

Three former political heavyweights ended up giving the Trudeau government some unsolicited advice on leadership and trade issues at a meeting about foreign policy and defence. John Manley, a Liberal former deputy prime minister, Jean Charest, the ex-Liberal premier of Quebec, and Bob Rae, a former NDP premier and interim federal Liberal leader, spoke in front of a high-power audience at a Canadian Global Affairs Institute symposium late Monday.



DONALD TRUMP COULD BECOME UNSTOPPABLE TONIGHT

Donald Trump could become unstoppable on his path toward the Republican presidential nomination if he wins todays Indiana primary. Victory would give him a valuable haul of delegates, and vastly increase the likelihood that he will crack the magic number of 1,237 on the final day of primary voting on June 7.



ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

 The Auditor General of Canada will release the 2016 Spring Reports in the House of Commons.

 Activists and survivors of torture hold a rally on Parliament Hill to call on Canada to help prevent torture around the world.

 Finance Minister Bill Morneau will attend Question Period in the Senate.

 Information commissioner Suzanne Legault will give the keynote address at the annual World Press Freedom Day luncheon in Ottawa.

 Statistics Canada will release a study on family income mobility of Canadian tax filers from 1982 to 2012.

 Quarterly results out today from Encana, WestJet, Tembec, Cineplex, Aecon Group, Centerra Gold, Iamgold, Agrium among others.

 In Halifax, a 36-year-old woman who teaches at a junior high school will be in court to face sexual assault charges involving a student.
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Highlights from the news file for Tuesday, May 3:

ALBERTA WILDFIRE EVACUATIONS: Residents were ordered to flee several neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray as flames from a growing wildfire whipped by winds threatened homes and businesses on Tuesday. Crews had seemed to be making progress controlling the blaze, burning since the weekend, but the situation worsened quickly. By mid-afternoon people from three neighbourhoods were told to leave immediately. Sandra Hickey lives in a neighbourhood that was still under voluntary evacuation, but she was anxious nonetheless.When I got in the shower earlier today the sky was blue. When I got out, the sky was black, Hickey said.

___

Smoke from a wildfire fills the sky in downtown Fort McMurray looking southeast on Sunday, May 1, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS-Greg Halinda

MILITANTS IN PHILIPPINES RELEASE VIDEO: Muslim militants in the Philippines released a video showing the beheading of Canadian hostage John Ridsdel, an American group that monitors jihadi websites reported. Ridsdel, 68, of Calgary, was one of four tourists  including fellow Canadian Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Marites Flor  who were kidnapped last Sept. 21 by Abu Sayyaf militants. In a series of tweets, Rita Katz of the SITE Intelligence Group cited the video as saying Ridsdel was beheaded on April 25 due to non-compliance of the Canadian government. Another video released by the militants shows the three remaining hostages, with the militants threatening to behead them if their demands are not met, she said.

___

KELLY ELLARD DENIED PAROLE: A British Columbia woman who killed a 14-year-old girl almost two decades ago has been denied day parole. But Kelly Ellard has admitted for the first time that she was responsible for the death of Reena Virk. Ellard told the board during her parole hearing today that Virk would still be alive if she hadnt participated swarming and drowning her. The now 33-year-old woman told the board she wanted day parole so she could be treated for substance-abuse issues after getting contraband crystal meth inside prison.

__

SEX-HARRASSMENT SUIT AGAINST RCMP SETTLED: A British Columbia Mountie whose sexual harassment lawsuit against the RCMP prompted similar cases across the country has reached an out-of court settlement with the force. Cpl. Catherine Galliford says she was mentally prepared to face a court battle next year and was blindsided by the settlement, which she couldnt discuss. She says she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after two decades of sexual harassment and bullying on the job and will now focus on her health. Galliford launched court action four years ago after going on sick leave in 2006.

__

REIN IN POT-FOR-VETS PROGRAM: AUDITOR: The latest report from the federal auditor general urges Veterans Affairs to get a grip on its medical marijuana program for injured ex-soldiers, which is expected to cost taxpayers a startling $25 million this year. Michael Ferguson says its just one of the programs where the federal government has critical data available to it thats either not usable, not used or not acted upon at all. The report tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons also looked at the dire condition of the army reserves, the federal governments inability to detect and prevent refugee fraud and the uncertain impact of the former Conservative governments $400-million venture capital action plan.

___

LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS GENETIC DISCRIMINATION: Legislation designed to address fears about genetic discrimination has made its way to the House of Commons after receiving unanimous support in the Senate. If passed, Sen. James Cowans bill would protect patients from third parties, such as insurance companies, seeking the results of genetic testing. Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, who supports the legislation, says Canadian laws have not kept pace with science, escalating the risk of discrimination based on a persons genetic profile.Oliphant says this fear makes patients more hesitant to pursue genetic testing, despite recommendations from their doctors.

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SENATE RULES GURU SAYS HE DIDNT ADVISE DUFFY: A senior Conservative senator who was labelled as the guru of Senate rules by Mike Duffys judge says the widely held view of his role in the whole affair is more fiction than fact. Sen. David Tkachuk insists he never advised Duffy on questions about his housing and travel allowances, despite Duffys criminal trial having been told otherwise. Tkachuk says the only advice he gave during a January 2009 meeting of new senators was about caucus responsibilities, since he hadnt yet been appointed to the executive of the Senates internal economy committee, which oversees expense rules.

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GOVT NEEDS TO DO MORE TO FIGHT CITIZENSHIP FRAUD: AUDITOR: Immigration officials are looking at revoking the Canadian citizenship of about a dozen people after the auditor general found the government isnt doing enough to root out fraud in the citizenship system. Michael Fergusons report uncovered instances of people with serious criminal records and others using potentially phoney addresses among those who managed to secure Canadian citizenship thanks to holes throughout not just the Immigration Department but the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency as well.

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TRUMP AND CRUZ TRADE INSULTS: Assailing each other with no letup, Republican front-runner Donald Trump and challenger Ted Cruz traded insults, charges and more Tuesday while Indiana voters went to the polls in a presidential primary election. Texas Sen. Cruz unleashed an attack against Trump, calling the businessman amoral and warning the country could plunge into the abyss if he is elected president. Trump responded by saying Cruz does not have the temperament to be president of the United States. Earlier Tuesday Trump had rehashed unsubstantiated claims that the Texans father, Rafael Cruz, appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedys assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald  citing a report first published by the National Enquirer.

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Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I am sure many citizens concerned about tax loads in the city must have wondered about the logic of Mr. Patrick Pulaks statement, Its not to say our treatment process and our drinking water supply isnt safe  it is. (City Awaits Word On Infrastructure Cash, April 27)

Why spend the enormous amount of $60 million if that is the case? The best argument the city can make with respect to these limited federal dollars is that the evidence from quarterly testing for trihalomethanes indicates that Brandon cannot meet the outdated federal standards set back in 1992 and Health Canada and the World Health Organization report that ongoing research strongly links the potentially 600 byproducts of chlorination to a variety of human cancers and effects on the developing foetus and stillbirths.

It should also be pointed out that the raw water supply in the Assiniboine River for most of the year would not be permitted for drinking water use in much of the world.

Recent evidence on toxic lead in homes in the city indicates that problem cannot be addressed at the treatment plant because of environmental regulations in the use of phosphates and high salt, organic matter and chlorine/chloride in the drinking water supply.

It should be noted that Brandon will be competing with Winnipeg and many other communities for the meagre $95.3 million available to the province.

Dr. Bill Paton

Brandon
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

That Laura Secord is not one of the 12 women finalists considered to appear on our currency is not just a blatant omission of epic proportion, it is an absolute insult to history!

Forget the fact that she was Canadas Paul Revere, sounding the alarm of enemy invasionary tactics to the victorious military defenders of Canada and also forgetting that she was recognized, honoured and rewarded by King Edward Vll while he was in Canada as the Prince of Wales. This notwithstanding that her father, Thomas, founded the town of Ingersoll (her maiden name) in present-day Ontario on the advice of the great aboriginal chief and general, Joseph Brant.

In 1812, that woman, that wife, that pioneer climbed up the hill at Queenston Heights, while Gen. Isaac Brock lay dying on her kitchen table and witnessed by the great Chief John Norton and commanders of both warring armies in the middle of a pitched historic battle, dragged her beleaguered, wounded husband to the safety of their household and the pall of losing there, such a leader as Sir Isaac Brock!

It was around that bloodstained table that the waning U.S. conquerors conspired their failed attack, overheard and acted on by our Laura. One would be hard-pressed to find a hero or heroine anywhere in human history to match that muster, that beauty of passion and tungsten will of pure determination.

Perhaps we should march her Bank of Canada detractors along Lauras circuitous route to Beaver Dams in the dead of night, asking them all the while why they insist on boring Canadians to death with less drama, less pride and yes, of course, the traditional  lack of identity!

Michael John Charette

Oakville, Ont.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canadians who are feeling the annual sting of tax season have a little something to cheer about this year. The feds are finally cracking down on tax dodgers who finagle their way out of paying their fair share as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau puts it.

The Canada Revenue Agency has been on a tear in recent years to root out tax evasion and aggressive avoidance by wealthy people and corporations, and the results are impressive. CRA has recovered billions that would otherwise have been lost to the federal treasury. These efforts are putting tax dodgers on notice that the days of impunity for those with deep pockets and overly artful accountants are coming to an end.

Recent reporting on the Panama Papers by the Toronto Star and other media organizations  exposing crime, corruption and wrongdoing enabled by secretive offshore companies  has sparked public outrage over the scourge of tax dodging and has fuelled a sense of injustice and inequality.

One of the things that weve seen around the world, and not just with the Panama Papers, but with the various concerns about the one per cent or the 0.1 per cent (of the wealthiest) not paying their fair share, is that there is an increasing desire for transparency and accountability and making sure that everyone is participating to a fair degree, Trudeau said recently, referencing the corrosive effect.

The Canadian government, finally, is beginning to tackle the problem.

To their credit, Stephen Harpers Conservatives began to address the so-called tax gap, and their efforts have succeeded beyond expectations.

Back in 2013, the Harper government was stung by criticism that it had been winking at Daddy Warbucks scofflaws who had been parking undeclared money offshore, and otherwise dodging taxes. The Tories gave the CRA a sharp prod, and new funding, and compliance improved dramatically.

Canadians have $200 billion in declared assets offshore, costing governments $8 billion in foregone revenues. At the time, Ottawa anticipated recovering about $700 million between 2013 and 2015 through beefed-up monitoring of tax compliance. Since then, the CRA has recovered more than $2.7 billion, nearly four times the expected tally, CBC reported. Last year alone, the feds brought in $1.57 billion, three times what they had expected. And all for a relatively paltry $15-million outlay to fund a CRA swat team that was tasked with chasing down evaders.

Clearly, Ottawa doesnt have to spend a fortune to recover money that should be

funding federal programs including health, infrastructure, higher education and social supports.

With that success in mind, the Liberal government has just boosted CRAs funding by $444 million over five years to deploy 100 more auditors and improve vigilance. That should take enforcement to the next level.

The compliance crackdown, beginning with the Isle of Man, is expected to generate an extra $2.6 billion over five years. And Ottawa aims to recover $7.4 billion more in outstanding tax debts.

As well, CRA is creating a panel on offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax planning, with an eye to measuring the tax gap, discouraging offshore non-compliance, improving criminal investigations and other measures.

This comes as Statistics Canada reported that Canadian corporations and individuals poured almost $40 billion into offshore tax havens last year, more than four times the year before. And that was just the money that was declared.

CRAs crackdown, coupled with the data on offshore investment, show the value of tightening the tax laws and stepping up enforcement to curb erosion of the tax base. Every dodgy dollar recovered is a win for Canadians who play fair and pay their share.

 Toronto Star
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 03/05/2016 (2365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON  Conspiracy-peddler-in-chief  Donald Trump might claim that title, if he doesnt get the presidency. Hes used his public platform to elevate apocryphal stories into national debate topics.

He did it again Tuesday. Trump has used a similar modus operandi in most cases: take an outlandish story thats popped up somewhere, raise it publicly and say you cant confirm whether its true.

Some examples:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop Monday, May 2, 2016, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Suggesting Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia might have been murdered:

Its a horrible topic. But they say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow.  To a radio host earlier this year



Suggesting President Barack Obama is secretly a foreigner or a Muslim:

He doesnt have a birth certificate. He may have one, but theres something on that, maybe religion, maybe it says he is a Muslim I dont know. Maybe he doesnt want that.  To Fox News in 2011



Falsely claiming he saw thousands of Muslims on TV in New Jersey celebrating the 9-11 attacks:

Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering. So somethings going on. Weve got to find out what it is.  To a rally in Alabama late last year



Telling a fake story about U.S. Gen. John Pershing squashing a Muslim rebellion in the Philippines:

He took the 50 terrorists and he took 50 men and dipped 50 bullets in pigs blood. You heard about that? He took 50 bullets and dipped them in pigs blood. And he has his men load up their rifles and he lined up the 50 people and they shot 49 of those people. And the 50th person, he said, you go back to your people and you tell them what happened.  To a rally in South Carolina



Linking Sen. Ted Cruzs father to John F. Kennedys assassin:

His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswalds being  you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They dont even talk about that I mean, what was he doing  what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?.. Its horrible.  To Fox News, on Tuesday
New car registrations went up 10% in April, when compared to the same month last year.

Over 10,400 new cars were registered.
Ever been disappointed you couldn't combine your love of dance with a career in the police?

If, for some reason, yes, then this recruitment video from the New Zealand Police Department is for you.
A former Republican prisoner has defended the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams after he used the N-word on Twitter.

Gerry Adams was forced to apologise yesterday after posting the tweet on Sunday night, in which he compared the treatment of Irish nationals in the North to the struggle of black slaves in the United States.

He posted the tweet on Sunday night while watching the film 'Django Unchained'.

Mr Adams removed the tweet a short time later after it provoked a furious reaction, tweeting:

Any1 who saw Django would know my tweets&N-word were ironic.Nationalists in Nth were treated like African Americans.  Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) May 2, 2016

The next morning Mr Adams issued a statement, saying he had either been misunderstood by those who had taken offence at his use of the term, or they were misrepresenting the post.

While speaking in Belfast yesterday, Mr Adams said: "Django Unchained is a powerful film which highlights the injustices suffered by African Americans through its main character Django.

"In my tweets I described him as a 'Ballymurphy n****' and 'an uppity Fenian'. I have acknowledged that the use of the n-word was inappropriate.

"That is why I deleted the tweet. I apologise for any offence caused.

"I stand over the context and main point of my tweet about the Django which were the parallels between people in struggle. Like African Americans Irish nationalists were denied basic rights.

"The penal laws, Cromwell's regime, and partition are evidence of that.

"In our own time, like African Americans nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy and west Belfast, were denied the right to vote; the right to work; the right to a home; and were subject to draconian laws.

"This changed because we stood up for ourselves. We need to continue to do that.

"The civil rights movement here, of which I was a founding member, was inspired and based its approach on the civil rights campaign in the USA.

"I have long been inspired by Harriet Tubman; Frederick Douglass; Rosa Parks; Martin Luther King and Malcolm X who stood up for themselves and for justice."

Former Republican prisoner, Tim Brannigan, told Newstalk Breakfast he thinks the context of Mr Adams' message was misunderstood.

He said: "The fact that Gerry used the N-word was a surprise to say the leastThe difficulty with the slave analogy is that, yes, people in Belfast suffered under Unionist domination, but they weren't slaves. They weren't wearing chains and that's where black people would identify the problem (wit the analogy).

"There's a problem of degree, of proportionality I think.

"I absolutely understand what Gerry was attempting to stay. We Republicans have always identified with liberation movements around the world.

"I think (Gerry) had a moment of serious misjudgement, but I wouldnt like to comment further than that.

"The N-word is very racist, but Gerry Adams is not."
Gardai in Dublin are investigating after a man was shot in the legs in Clondalkin last night.

The man who is understood to be 27 years old was shot shortly before 9pm and was taken to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The head of the Construction Industry Federation Tom Parlon has said that fixing the housing crisis needs a lot more than just building the required amount of homes.

Mr Parlon is appearing before the Dail's special housing and homelessness committee, which has been asked to come up with solutions to the housing crisis in a matter of weeks.

He said the solution did not lie in merely building more housing units.

"We cant just build without substantial infrastructural investment in the roads, water and new schools," he said.

"There has been debate about a Minister for Housing. We feel it's imperative that somebody has overall responsibility."

Meanwhile, the opening quarter of 2016 saw more than 160m worth of development land sales close across 34 sites in the greater Dublin area, Galway and Cork, according to DTZ Sherry FitzGerald.

The same period in 2015 saw only 92m transacted across 27 sites.

Director DTZ Sherry FitzGerald Donal Kellegher said: The performance of the market is very encouraging in the opening quarter with over 300 million worth of sales either closed or agreed.

"Furthermore, we have seen a healthy uplift in stock coming to the market, which should help in some way to satisfy the growing appetite for development land. That said, there is still a shortage of well-located sites with optimum planning permission granted."
A total of 20 people have been killed as battles dragged the contested city of Aleppo in northern Syria deeper into chaos for a 12th straight day.

The new bloodshed came as the diplomatic focus moved to Moscow, where the UN envoy for Syria raced to restore a partial ceasefire in the civil war that would include Aleppo.

The envoy, Staffan de Mistura, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a day after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva.

Aleppo has been at the centre of the conflict for the past two weeks, shattering a limited ceasefire that began in late February.

Tuesday's attack on the Dubeet hospital in the government-held central Muhafaza area that killed four people echoed an airstrike on a hospital on the rebel-held side of the city that killed about 50 civilians nearly a week ago.

About 280 civilians have died in the city in the last 12 days, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group of local activists.

Rebel shelling of the government side of the city killed 20 people and injured 100, according to Mohammad Hazzouri, head of the city's Health Directorate. The Observatory said 19 had died.

Activists reported government bombardment killed two civilians and wounded several others on the rebel side.

Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoubi warned rebels they would face harsh retaliation for shelling civilian areas.

Direct clashes between government and rebel forces on Aleppo's outskirts accompanied the shelling inside, foreshadowing a full-scale conflict unless a ceasefire is negotiated.

An opposition media activist outside Aleppo said rebels were waging a counter-offensive against pro-government forces on the western side of the city.

Nazeer al-Khatib said government forces attacked the rebels first, prompting rebel factions, headed by the Nour el-Din al-Zinki brigade, to retaliate.

He could not confirm reports the rebels had taken over the compound, a former mall that has turned into a frontline position in the suburb of New Aleppo.

Major Jamil Saleh, leader of Tajammu Al-Ezzah army, said his group was fighting in Aleppo.

The rebel group, which falls under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and has been vetted and receives support by the US, ordinarily wages battles in the central province of Hama and in rural Latakia.

"Most of the FSA factions are taking part in the battle in the heart of Aleppo," he said.

"The city is important for all Syrians. It is important economically, militarily and is the commercial capital of Syria. Letting go of Aleppo is a treason to the revolution."

An official with the ultra-conservative Ahrar al-Sham group said the Fatah Army, or Army of Conquest coalition, has been revived to carry out military operations in the near future against government forces and their allies in northern Syria, mostly in Aleppo province.

The coalition, which includes Ahrar al-Sham, al-Qaida's branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front and the Salafi-Jihadi Jund al-Aqsa faction, was one of the most effective forces against President Bashar Assad's troops last year. It captured wide areas in the northern province of Idlib from government forces.

The Ahrar al-Sham official told Associated Press via text message that the Fatah Army will carry out an act in Aleppo but added that the coalition had no role in Tuesday's attacks.

The coalition was suspended before Syria's indirect, UN-sponsored peace talks resumed in January in Geneva because it included extremists groups such as the Nusra Front that oppose the peace process and the UN considers terrorist organisations.
A helicopter accident in western Norway which killed 13 people last week was caused by technical failure and not human error, investigators have said.

The Accident Investigation Board said on Tuesday that its probe and visual evidence, including video of the helicopter's rotor propelling into the sea moments before it crashed, indicated sudden mechanical failure.
Spain has missed the deadline for its politicians to form a new government following inconclusive elections held on December 20 so King Felipe VI must now dissolve parliament before a new election on June 26.

Since no political party had enough support to form a government and all parties failed to reach coalition agreements by midnight Monday - the deadline - the stage is set for an unprecedented repeat of general elections, six months after the previous ballot ended Spain's two-party system.
Republican Ted Cruz faces a high-stakes test for his slumping presidential campaign in Tuesday's Indiana primary, one of the last opportunities for the Texas senator to halt Donald Trump's stunning march toward the GOP nomination.

Mr Cruz has spent the past week camped out in Indiana, securing the support of the state's governor and announcing retired technology executive Carly Fiorina as his running mate.

Yet his aides were pessimistic heading into Tuesday's voting and were prepared for Mr Cruz to fall short.

With polls predicting a loss, campaign officials were bracing for immediate staffing cuts "at a minimum", according to one aide.

The aide said the campaign was preparing for "a very sombre" address on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

Publicly, however, the senator has vowed to stay in the race, regardless of the results.

"I am in for the distance, as long as we have a viable path to victory," Mr Cruz told reporters on Monday during a campaign stop.

Mr Trump devoted more time to campaigning in Indiana than he has to most other states, underscoring his eagerness to put his Republican rival away and shift his attention toward Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

While Mr Trump cannot clinch the nomination with a big win in Indiana, his path would get easier and he would have more room for error in the campaign's final contests.

"Indiana is very important, because if I win that's the end of it. It would be over," Mr Trump said during a lunch stop Monday in Indianapolis.

Republican leaders spent months dismissing Mr Trump as little more than an entertainer who would fade once voting started. But Republican primary voters have stuck with the billionaire businessman, handing him victories in every region of the country, including a string of six straight wins on the East Coast.

Mrs Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also faced off in Indiana's Democratic primary on Tuesday, though the stakes were lower than in the Republican race.

Mrs Clinton holds a commanding lead over Mr Sanders - she's secured 91% of the delegates she needs to win the nomination. That means she can still win the nomination even if she loses every remaining contest.

Mr Sanders has conceded that he faces a difficult path to overtake Mrs Clinton, one that hinges on convincing superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favour Mrs Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin.

Neither Mrs Clinton nor Mr Sanders planned to spend Tuesday in Indiana. Mr Sanders was making stops in Kentucky, which holds a primary in mid-May, while Mrs Clinton moved on to Ohio, a key general election battleground.

Mrs Clinton's team has started deploying staff to states that will be crucial in November and is also raising money for the fall campaign. Even as Mr Trump hires more staff to round out his slim team, he already lags far behind Mrs Clinton in general election preparations.

A showdown between Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump would pit one of Democrats' most popular and highly regarded figures against a first-time political candidate who is deeply divisive within his own party.

Mr Cruz and other Republicans have argued that Mr Trump would be roundly defeated in the general election, denying their party the White House for a third straight term.

But Mr Trump is the only Republican left in the race who can secure the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination through regular primary voting. Mr Cruz - as well as Ohio governor John Kasich, who trails significantly in the delegate count - must try to block Mr Trump in Indiana and the handful of other remaining states to push the race toward a contested convention.

In an abrupt strategy shift, Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich announced an alliance of sorts in Indiana. The Ohio governor agreed to stop spending money in Indiana to give Mr Cruz a chance to compete head-to-head with Mr Trump. Mr Cruz has pledged to do the same for Mr Kasich in Oregon and New Mexico, which vote in the coming weeks.

But that strategy, which appeared to unravel even as it was announced, may have backfired. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll found that nearly six in 10 Indiana primary voters disapproved of the Cruz-Kasich alliance.

"After they made the alliance, their numbers tanked," Mr Trump said on Monday. "That's what happens when politicians make deals."
An American serviceman has been killed in Iraq, US defence secretary Ash Carter said, describing it as a "combat death".

The defence secretary, who spoke to reporters in Stuttgart, Germany, where he has been consulting with European allies this week on fighting the Islamic State group, provided no other details.

It was not immediately clear when the serviceman died but Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said he was killed near Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city that has been in the hands of IS militants since they overran large swaths of northern and western Iraq in the summer of 2014.

"A Coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire," the US Central Command, (CENTCOM), said in a statement.

"Further information will be released as appropriate." The statement noted the military's the policy "to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."

Meanwhile, a US military official in Iraq said the American was killed while performing his duty as an adviser to the Kurdish peshmerga troops.

The soldier was killed by "direct fire" after Islamic State forces penetrated the peshmerga forces' forward line, the official said.

The American was two to three miles behind that front line, the official added.

Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad last week to exhort leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat the Islamic State group.

Mr Carter, likewise, visited Baghdad recently. The Obama administration has been pressing the effort against IS, which has been slowed down in its quest to overrun Iraq.

Mr Carter presided earlier at a ceremony installing a new commander of US European Command, Army General Curtis Scaparrotti.

This is the third death of a US service member since the US-led coalition's operation against the Islamic State group began in the Summer of 2014.

The last killing of a US service member in Iraq was in March, when a US Marine stationed at Makhmour base outside the IS-held city of Mosul was killed by an IS rocket attack.

The first US service member killed in Iraq was a special operations solider killed in a firefight in October 2015 during a raid on an Islamic State group prison.
NEW YORK: Gold prices rose more than 1% on Friday, on track for a weekly rise, as the dollar turned negative, with...
MANILA: The use of LNG imports for power generation in the Philippines next year should not be a disincentive for...
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways was likely to resume its service towards Karachi during the first week of October that...
ANCA Gallery: It's All About Eve. An exhibition of new paintings by Canberra-based artist Emma Beer. Until May 15. Open Wednesday to Sunday, noon-5pm. 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson. See: anca.net.au .

Tim Burke's Storm Cloud is among the exhibits on show as part of Underneath at the Watson Arts Centre.

Belconnen Arts Centre: Here and There. A trio of artists present textile works that respond to the concept of time and place. Constructure. Jewellery pieces by Ashly Kark, inspired by the exposed structural framework found in Belconnen Shopping Centre. BioMetric. Ceramicist Skye Gallagher presents a new body of work inspired by a recent artist residency in New York. Remember When... Canberra Region Feltmakers and Gabrielle Hegyes celebrate Canberra's centenary with a sculptural installation on display in the Belconnen Arts Centre's Outdoor Gallery. All until May 22. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm. 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen. See: belconnenartscentre.com.au.

Canberra Grammar School Gallery: Short Stories. An exhibition displaying the recent body of work by artist Jenny Hull. Until May 14. Open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 11am-4pm. CGS Gallery, 40 Monaro Crescent, Red Hill. See: cgs.act.edu.au.

Canberra Museum and Gallery: Glass Alphabet. This exhibition uses a variety of glass techniques to creatively reimagine individual letters of the alphabet. Until July 10. William Yang: Breathing the rarefied air of Canberra. An exhibition featuring 35works that depict aspects of Canberra's arts and academic life and evocative landscape images from the region. Until July 17. Open Monday to Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday noon-5pm. Corner of London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City. See: cmag.com.au.

goulburn.art Regional Gallery: The Art of Wool. Both an art exhibition and a fashion show, the collection features more than 30 Australian artworks from across the country as well as 30 high couture garments from the International Woolmark Prize archive. Until May 21. Open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 1pm-4pm. Civic Centre, corner of Bourke and Church streets, Goulburn. Ph: 02 4842 3494 or see: grag.com.au.

Nancy Sever Gallery: Etched in the Sun II. A selection of prints by Indigenous artists living in remote communities, featuring collaborations from printmaker Basil Hall and artists throughout Australia. Until June 5. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am-6pm. 4/6 Kennedy Street, Kingston. See: nancysevergallery.com.au.
A finance manager will spend at least three years behind bars for stealing $1.4 million from vulnerable Indigenous Australians and using it to fund a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars, designer fashion and overseas holidays.

Nicholas Schofield, 46, abused his position as the manager of Indigenous Business Australia's finance systems to steal taxpayers' money, which was supposed to fund business and home loans designed to reverse Indigenous disadvantage.

Nicholas Schofield stole more than $1.4 million in federal funds.

Schofield's actions were calculated and his methods sophisticated. He managed to copy previous loan transfers to legitimate vendors, but changed details to funnel the money to himself. He then used his seniority and experience to cover his tracks.

The money was used to buy an Aston Martin, a Mini Cooper, expensive clothes, jewellery, and a $10,000 custom doll house Schofield wanted for himself.
Canberra residents are warned more than 22 hectares of grassland will be burnt near the National Arboretum on Thursday.

The controlled burn on the north side of the Molonglo River between the National Arboretum and Forest Drive is part of Territory and Municipal Services' schedule of hazard reduction burns, which have been taking place across the city this autumn.

A hazard reduction burn will take place near the National Arboretum, in Coombs, on Wednesday. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

A spokesman from the ACT Emergency Services Agency said that while every effort was made to conduct the burns in weather conditions that would minimise the impact of smoke, the area may be temporarily blanketed.

The Health Directorate warned people with asthma, other chronic respiratory or chronic cardiac diseases to avoid strenuous exercise and to stay inside if affected by the smoke.
Steel and iron ore futures in China fell more than 4 per cent on Tuesday, again recoiling after big gains in the prior session as Chinese steel producers boost output and exchanges keep a closer eye on commodity markets after recent wild swings.

China's securities regulator on Friday urged commodity futures exchanges to curb excessive speculation following a surge in prices that has sparked fears markets were heading for a dangerous boom-and-bust cycle.

Surging commodity prices have sparked fears markets were heading for a dangerous boom-and-bust cycle. Credit:Bloomberg

The most-traded rebar, a construction steel product, on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was down 4.3 per cent at 2456 yuan a tonne by the midday break, just off the session low of 2454 yuan.

Rebar climbed more than 20 per cent in April in its biggest monthly gain ever, with volume on the most-active contract hitting a record 1.4 billion tonnes, enough to build San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge more than 15,000 times over.
The sale of the world's biggest cattle station, S. Kidman & Co, is in doubt after it was caught in a "political crunch that was unworkable", its chief executive says.

Kidman's preferred bidder, Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Pengxin Group, withdrew its bid on Tuesday, days after Treasurer Scott Morrison blocked the sale for a second time, saying it was not in the national interest.

Mr Morrison on Friday gave Pengxin and its Australian partners 96 hours to revise their bid, but Kidman chief executive Greg Campbell said that timeframe was "ridiculous" and the only option was to withdraw the offer entirely.

"Given that there are four sizeable companies involved with directors and shareholders in four continents and four time zones, it was a ridiculously short timeframe to do anything," Mr Campbell said.
And that's excluding the rapidly expanding national disability insurance scheme; if that's taken into account, the government's running costs will increase, on average, by more than 8 per cent a year over the coming budget cycle.

Ebbs and flows in federal departmental expenses tend to match the ACT's economic growth. They're not a perfect predictor of this city's prospects but, as long as these expenses continue to grow, the capital will be inured from a slump.

So while Labor-voting Canberra, as ever, will not benefit directly from election-year pork barrelling (the only ACT-specific nugget this budget offers is a few hundred thousand dollars for transport-related technology), the city will likely benefit in other ways. There might not be a rush on public service recruiting, but money will be spent via other channels: the government will employ contractors, hire consultants and enter into contracts for other services  the work in which much of the ACT's private sector specialises. Indeed, the Commonwealth's increased spending over the past 10 months explains, in part, why Canberra's jobless rate has fallen even though the bureaucracy's workforce didn't grow.

This isn't to underplay the consequences of the Coalition's retreat on the so-called "efficiency dividend". Last year, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann effectively acknowledged what everyone else had: that the dividend was reaching its expiry date. The government's own audit commission called it a "blunt instrument" that caused harm as much as it promoted efficiency.
The Turnbull government has dumped one of the most controversial measures in the Coalition's politically toxic 2014 budget  the full deregulation of university fees  but opened the door to other potentially unpopular changes such as a new two-tiered fee system.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham shelved the plan to allow universities to set their own fees late last year, but has now officially consigned the policy to the scrap heap following an effective "$100,000 degree" scare campaign by the Labor opposition.

The government, which had already announced a $1.2 billion boost for school funding, hopes the backdown will allow it to neutralise education funding as a policy battleground in the upcoming federal election.
It all comes down to how separate official costings have calculated expected revenue from taxing smokers based on (clearly differing) forecasts of the decline in Australian smoking rates.

A federal budget document has revealed a possible shortfall in the expected revenue from taxing smokers  making whether or not Labor has a $20 billion black hole in its policy costing, a much talked about issue ahead of the budget's release on Tuesday.

The government will adopt Labor's tobacco tax hike of 12.5 per cent a year for four years, which the Parliamentary Budget Office estimates will raise $3.8 billion over four years and $47.7 billion over 10 years.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison in the Prime Minister's suite on Monday. Credit:Andrew Meares

Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh says Labor used these costings and will provide updated figures closer to the election. "This is a desperate government that has adopted a Labor policy and that is now looking to fearmonger about it," Dr Leigh told ABC radio on Tuesday.

But Treasury modelling of the tobacco tax hike predicts the increase will raise only $2.3 billion over four years and $28.2 billion over 10 years.

A smiling, confident Treasurer Scott Morrison pointed to the policy-costing issue as he answered his first question from a reporter after arriving at Parliament House. "All I know about Labor's plans is that they plan to tax people more to chase their higher and higher levels of spending," he said.
About 870,000 small businesses will have their tax rate reduced from July 1, as the Turnbull government looks to lock in the small business vote before the federal election.

As Treasurer Scott Morrison had promised in the lead-up to the budget, small businesses were a focus, with more tax cuts and more generous tax breaks thrown their way.

From July 1, 870,000 businesses, employing 3.4 million Australians, will get a 1 percentage point tax cut. The small business tax rate will be lowered to 27.5 per cent and the turnover threshold for small businesses able to access it will be increased from $2 million to $10 million.
There's no topic more fashionable in the US and other Anglo-centric countries than diversity, or rather the lack of it. Institutional bias against minorities and women was the talk of this year's Academy Awards presentation, and last year too. Complaints about the lack of diversity in British dramatic arts are almost a media staple  to the extent that both public broadcasters, the BBC and Channel 4, have instituted diversity strategies.

So there was a degree of inevitability in the subject that Michelle Guthrie chose to air in a email to staff introducing herself as the ABC's new managing director. "Australia is changing and we need to change with it," Ms Guthrie wrote. "Shaped by my background and work experience, I passionately believe that the ABC should be relevant to all citizens ... we must extend our reach and our relevance into areas where we are under-represented [meaning] more diversity in both our staff and our content".

The Canberra Times

Ms Guthrie faces a Senate Estimates hearing on Thursday where questions about funding and efficiency are expected to dominate proceedings. An unequivocal commitment to extending the public broadcaster's reach and relevance would seem to be an astute way to approach that hearing, even if such a pledge would seem to be a statement of the obvious.

Large publicly funded organisations have always been susceptible to charges of insular thinking and resistance to change. That's particularly the case with the ABC, whose broadly worded public charter is open to nit-picking by those with ideological wheelbarrows to push. Bureaucratic and cumbersome it certainly is, but the ABC is not especially hidebound in using presenters and journalists from non Anglo-Celtic backgrounds  as it demonstrated when it hired Trisha Goddard as a current affairs presenter in the mid 1980s.
Otherwise engaged: Malcolm Turnbull is investing much political capital in the idea that he's going to help fix our cities. Credit:Robert Peet This is the shift: in the past, governments planned new train lines based on how many people might use them. But in the future, they might plan new lines based on how much money property developers can make from them. That sounds mercenary and outrageous and another example of the debasement of life and society to concrete and mammon. Angus Taylor, the Assistant Minister for Cities. But there are people who have grown so frustrated with the seeming impossibility of governments doing something serious about public transport in our fast-growing cities that they have started to throw in their lot, at least intellectually, with the developers.

Foremost among these is Peter Newman. Newman, who Turnbull calls his "tutor" on matters urban rail, is a train nut. Give him half a minute and a quarter of your attention and he'll show you slides demonstrating how the civilised world outside Australia is busy shifting its cities away from the car to steel-on-steel rail. Commuters travelling on the Bankstown Line will face significant disruptions. Credit:Simon Alekna Newman is also a former sustainability commissioner of NSW. He's a professor at Curtin University in Western Australia. His career has been spent fighting the good fight, trying to convince governments that as our cities become denser they need to give us more options to avoid driving our cars when possible. And Newman wants to throw the keys to the property developers. Or, more exactly, he has a model that he calls "the Entrepreneur Rail Model" that seems to have been embraced by Turnbull and others. The Entrepreneur Rail Model is, at its core, that train lines should be built where people can make money. And when people make money from the train lines, by building apartments and shopping strips and office buildings, the government should collect a portion of that money to recoup its expenses and do it all again.

The nub, though, is that this thinking would replace the idea rail lines should be built based on where existing people might use them. The Newman concept isn't altogether new. The South West Rail Link to Leppington, which opened last year and which still largely runs through cow paddocks, reflects this sort of thinking. But there are a couple of recent examples that show the NSW government may be doubling down on the developer approach. One is the recent decision to build a new rail station at Waterloo as opposed to at Sydney University. Thousands more people every day would have used a Sydney University station. From a transport planning perspective, a Sydney University station would have been better than a Waterloo station. But it wouldn't have triggered new apartments.

Another example is the decision to build a tram line through Olympic Park and the old industrial suburb of Camelia. If it was running tomorrow about five people would use the line. But the line has been openly championed by developers and, perhaps, once built and surrounded by development, the area will be a useful addition to the mix of the city. There are of course some risks with the developer-led model. One is that the government will do a poor job of getting its share of the spoils from the property industry. Another is that the model will favour public transport to new areas, where new housing can be built, leaving under-serviced the public transport in existing corridors. This tension could become apparent if Turnbull follows through on his rhetoric and commits serious resources to a rail line in western Sydney.
It doesn't matter how skilled you are as a teacher  if you have a class with vastly different levels of literacy, it is impossible to adequately meet everyone's needs  let alone educate them. One group will suffer.

So how do you choose which group will suffer?

It was a choice I had to make  which students to sacrifice?  while teaching a master's-level writing subject at university. An hour into the first class, it was apparent that owing to the university's hunger to tap the international full-fee-paying student market, 80 per cent of the students in a master's-level journalism class could barely read or write English. I left the class close to tears, with no idea how I could possibly teach to their level, while still engaging the local students. In the end I defaulted to pragmatism, and taught to the level of the majority, which meant slowing the class down to the point where I had to have private, unpaid, sessions with local students just so they wouldn't miss out.

Like Roald Dahl's Matilda, smart kids will always find a way to continue learning. Whether they're from the local state school in downtown Crapsville, or are recently arrived in Australia with not a book in the house, experience teaches them that many schools operate as a glorified baby-sitting service, and if they want an education, they'd best get it themselves.

The idea that it's the so-called "high achieving" kids' social responsibility to sacrifice their own education to somehow drag up the level of their peers (by osmosis?) is obnoxious and entitled. How do I know? After being bored witless for most of my school years, I decided to leave. The principal called me into his office and told me I couldn't go because "we can't afford to lose students like you in the senior levels because you bring our scores up".
Actress Sarah Snook has come to the rescue of a controversial documentary after legal action forced its makers to cut 15 minutes of footage before the world premiere.

The star of The Dressmaker and The Beautiful Lie will narrate over a black screen during Hollie Fifer's The Opposition, which has its first screening at North America's biggest documentary festival, Toronto's Hot Docs, this week.

Providing narration ... Sarah Snook. Credit:Melissa Adams

The documentary focuses on the battle over the eviction of 3000 people from a squatter community in Papua New Guinea to make way for an Australian-backed property development.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has affirmed her commitment to regional schools arts touring as the organisation responsible for delivering the program battles extreme financial hardship.

Artslink Queensland, formerly known as the Queensland Arts Council, has entered voluntary administration with the first creditors meeting held on Tuesday morning.

Performer and director Clint Bolster of Homunculus Theatre Company has a tour through Queensland schools which was due to commence next week.

The organisation is responsible for managing the extensive in-school arts touring program for both primary and secondary schools, offering performances that match school curriculum.

Artslink began as the Queensland Arts Council and generations of students sat in school halls watching performances delivered by them over five decades.
Every year, hundreds of Australians suffer delirium after surgery but the frightening episodes are dangerously under-diagnosed, a senior anaesthetist warns.



Delirium is a sudden spell of intense confusion and inattention, which can last hours, days or weeks and has recently been found to signal longer-term, catastrophic outcomes for patients, such as dementia.



Associate Professor David A Scott, the head of Anaesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, said it affects more than 40 per cent of elderly surgical patients.

The group most likely to become delirious are older people, or those already with cognitive impairment, who undergo common heart, vascular or hip surgery, he said.

Delirium after anaesthesia can lead to death Credit:Mario Borg

Associate Professor Scott, who is also the incoming president of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists is urging his peers to look out for the signs of delirium and take precautions with high-risk patients.



"Everyone thinks they know what delirium is but 75 per cent of delirium is missed post-operatively," Associate Professor Scott said.



"We need to know much more about it because it's common, it's damaging [and it's] definitely associated with longer term outcomes.

"Is it a cause or an indicator? In reality it probably is a bit of both. The delirium may be a sign that they're deteriorating or it may be a trigger."



It is often missed because most delirious patients don't exhibit characteristic agitation and restlessness but are quiet, albeit confused, "perfect patients", he said.



"Both sorts of delirium are associated with a range of impaired outcomes: increased hospital stay, inhibited recovery, decreased return to previous cognitive function and even a higher mortality," he said.



Those who experience delirium after surgery have also been shown to be more likely to develop dementia, Associate Professor Scott said.



While doctors don't yet know how delirium is linked to death and dementia  whether it's the chicken or the egg - researchers in US have found that shortening the duration of a delirium spell does have a positive impact on longer term affects, he said.



"We need to measure and assess delirium as part of standard hospital care," Associate Professor Scott said.
He was most proud of the way he had created an immigration policy that was "supported by the Australian people as a whole", and which restored integrity to a program that had been driven by fraud and family reunion.

"I've had some difficult policy issues to deal with from time to time," he said in his valedictory to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

After 43 years in Parliament, Philip Ruddock  the Howard government's controversial immigration minister who gained notoriety for the children-overboard scandal in 2001  proved he was also master of the art of understatement.

"When we introduced screening, the applicants fell by half," he said. For example, one man had sponsored nine partners from the Philippines.

Some of Philip Ruddock's grandchildren watching his valedictory speech. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"I believe we have to be as humane as possible about the way we do it, but if we do not manage our borders we can't manage an immigration program in the national interest, " said Mr Ruddock, the member for Berowra. "But if we do not manage our borders we can't manage an immigration program in the national interest."

Although he received fierce criticism as immigration minister in the Howard government, his interest in non-discriminatory policies, immigration and multiculturalism was the enduring theme of his valediction.

He announced in March that he was retiring from politics  the second-longest-serving member of the Australian parliament in its history after William Morris Hughes' 51 years  to become Australia's first special envoy for human rights to the United Nations, a difficult decision that he had agonised over. But the job of getting an Australian elected to the Human Rights Commission "built on his personal areas of interest in a way I couldn't have dreamt of".
NSW Greens MLC John Kaye is being remembered by colleagues as a politician of "enormous principle, energy and commitment" following his death from cancer at age 60.

It was revealed in February that Dr Kaye, who was elected to the upper house of the NSW parliament in 2007, had been diagnosed with cancer and would be unable to return to Parliament to resume his duties before the end of March.

The Greens announced the public education and renewable energy advocate passed away on Monday night after a battle with cancer.

"John passed away after a struggle with an aggressive cancer which developed in recent months. He died peacefully in his home surrounded by friends and family," fellow Greens MLC David Shoebridge said in a statement.
A former Sydney barrister investigated by the corruption watchdog for giving false evidence and "judge-shopping" has lost an appeal against his jail sentence for perverting the course of justice.

John Peter Hart, formerly a barrister from Heathcote in Sydney's south, pleaded guilty in 2014 to perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to a minimum of one year and 10 months in prison, expiring on June 21.

Barrister John Peter Hart arrives at the ICAC in Sydney in 2009. Credit:Jon Reid

It followed an Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry which found Hart gave false evidence about clients' addresses to have cases transferred to courts where he regarded the magistrate as being "lenient".

"What was done was a form of 'judge-shopping' which has the potential ... to completely undermine the efficient, orderly and transparent administration of justice," the ICAC said in its March 2010 report.
An elderly American couple holidaying in Australia have gone missing on the far north coast of NSW.

Dale and Cavell Lawlor, both aged 78, left Kingscliff on Monday afternoon on their way to visit family at Durack, in Brisbane's south.

Dale and Cavell Lawlor were travelling in a vehicle like this Toyota four-wheel-drive.

They were expected to arrive at around 8pm but never made it.

Queensland Police are concerned for their safety as they're not carrying a mobile phone or GPS device and haven't contacted anyone.
Mother and daughter duo Pauline and Sarah Williams run two arms of a property management company that works a 12-kilometre ring of Brisbane's CBD.

Their company, Project Property Sales, provides consultancy, sales and marketing for small to medium developers constructing 20 to 40 unit complexes.

They are now working on private sector townhouse and apartment construction projects in Bulimba, Woolloongabba and West End and employ 13 people, putting on "two newbies" last week.

Now, after the company tax cuts and incentives to take on new employees in Tuesday night's budget, they are optimistic about hiring another staff member in 2017.
Notorious two-time prison escapee Brenden Abbott is on his way to Western Australia after being paroled from a Queensland jail where he has spent the past 18 years.

Abbott, dubbed the postcard bandit after his habit of taunting police while on the run, will fly to Perth by private jet from Brisbane airport on Wednesday morning, a day after a judge ordered his extradition to face charges over his infamous 1989 Fremantle jail break.

Abbott faces a further 16 years in jail in Western Australia, after his legal team failed to convince Queensland Supreme Court Justice David Jackson his extradition to the west would be tantamount to an abuse of process.
A central Queensland sex predator who pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography will spend the next nine months behind bars.

Gavin John Lloyd, 37, appeared in the Rockhampton District Court on Tuesday, where he was sentenced to three years' jail.

A central Queensland man will spend less than one year behind bars after being convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography.

That prison term will be suspended after he serves just nine months.

Lloyd, who was arrested by the Australian Federal Police in October 2014, pleaded guilty to six child pornography offences, including the transmission or publishing of material and indecent communications with a person under the age of 16.
A hanging red lantern, recycled fortress-like timber doors, and lively music intrigues passersby and invites them into a world of modern Japanese izakaya dining on the Gold Coast.

Opening as the first restaurant of its kind in South-East Queensland in 2014, Etsu Izakaya has already rocketed through the ranks of Queensland's growing culinary scene and has landed a place in this year's Australian Financial Review Top 500 Restaurants.

Stepping into the dimly-lit aromatic space, featuring cracked concrete and curved timber walls, local artist murals, and an old tree adorning the centre of the room, the cultural dining experience is already set on a high.

The long bar boasts a specialised range of Japanese whisky, sake, cocktails, draft beers and a range of wine to compliment the intricate flavours of the menu. But the main attraction is the share-style traditional Japanese menu featuring a superb range of sushi, sashimi, tempura dishes, salads, teriyaki, and fresh meat and seafood cooked on the Robata grills.

After introducing your tastebuds to the distinct and delectable dishes, like their popular Kushiyaki skewers cooked on the Japanese robata grills, it's a no brainer that this unique social restaurant has swiftly made it to the top.

Owner Mitchell McCluskey said he was inspired by his regular trips to Japan and the communal culture that influences izakaya dining, which is a typical Japanese after-work drinking bar that allures guests to stay longer through the share-style menu.

"It's fun, chaotic, interesting and a very local restaurant," Mr McCluskey said.

"The food is basic izakaya style with a modern Japanese fusion, and it just keeps getting better and evolving into something we never expected," he said.

Mitchell and his wife Nerissa originally entered the Gold Coast foodie scene in 2011 with the popular Burleigh cafe Commune, and they wanted to get creative in another area and fill the gap on the Gold Coast for a modern Japanese dining experience.

"We're extremely overwhelmed and excited to be up there in the Top 500 restaurants. It's very humbling as a local Gold Coast couple to be recognised with restaurants we admire and look up to," he said.

As a part of the Australian Financial Review dining program, Etsu will be hosting an exclusive whiskey and dining event on May 3 with renowned whiskey ambassador Dan Woolley. With Japan's new status as a whiskey powerhouse, Dan will be showcasing seven Japanese whiskies matched to special courses in an open style forum event. For the fanatics, another 45 Japanese whiskies will be there to taste.

Where: 2440 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, QLD 4218

Cost: $145, including matched whiskies

When: May 3 from 7pm-10pm

Bookings: 07 5526 0944
Sandra Mayer was in her early 20s when she fell into an abusive relationship.

"I didn't value myself much," says the Frankston councillor, 41, at her home in Skye.

"I didn't have a lot of self-respect, which is often how you end up in a situation you don't deserve."

Things turned sour quickly but  perhaps manipulated and controlled  she felt determined to accept the apologies and stay the course.
Participants are told to bring enough for themselves, as well as some extra to survive a week in the harsh conditions of Kulin.

Blazing Swan is an annual festival held in Kulin, 300 kilometres away from Perth, during the Easter long weekend. It's an official Australian counterpart of the American 'Burning Man' event and attracts people from all walks of life - challenging their collective survival.

Right from the get go, I knew that this experience was going to be unlike anything I had ever come across in my mere 22 years of existence. I bought my ticket knowing that there was no big name line-up, no set lists, no ATM's and not a single rubbish bin.

Upon arriving at Jilakin Rock City (the land where the festival is held) our car was stopped by a bunch of smiling strangers wearing bright, colourful costumes. They ushered us out of our car and lined us up amongst a handful of strangers and welcomed us to Blazing Swan.

We were taught their ten principles; Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification, Radical Self Reliance, Radical Self Expression, Communal Effort, Civic Responsibility, Leaving no Trace, Participation and Immediacy.

As we lined up on the edge of the gate, between the land of Blazing Swan and the default world (the world as we know it) we were encouraged to leave anything that had been plaguing us behind. After taking a moment to commit to leaving our mental and emotional baggage behind I took a huge jump into the land of Blazing Swan.

To describe how incredibly beautiful and unbelievably fascinating the playa is to someone who has never experienced it before is almost impossible, it truly is one of those things you have to experience to understand.
Another South Perth building that will 'entomb' neighbours has been approved, despite policy to stop such developments is merely awaiting a rubber stamp.

Recently, South Perth residents have complained about living in 'coffins', as high-rise buildings with zero setbacks wall them in.

The side of the building from the north as it is now and the way it will be. Show only the shadowing effect of the podium - not the rest of the nine-storey building that will be built above the podium.

Taken aback by the storm of development that resulted from its new town planning scheme, South Perth council said it was an oversight the scheme could not prevent, but a scheme amendment would stop such situations recurring.

It passed the amendment last Tuesday and it is now awaiting ministerial approval, but a state development assessment panel on Thursday approved a Charles Street development without regard - despite regulations that state any amendment is automatically relevant and should be given 'due regard'.
Never one to shy away from discussing unsubstantiated tabloid fodder, Donald Trump told the Fox News Channel on Tuesday morning that Ted Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, was spotted with Lee Harvey Oswald around the time of the murder of President John F. Kennedy.

"His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald being, you know, shot," Mr Trump said during a telephone interview. "I mean the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this? Right? Prior to his being shot. And nobody even brings it up. I mean, they don't even talk about that - that was reported. And nobody talks about it."

Mr Trump seemed to be talking about a photo published last month by the National Enquirer that shows Oswald and another man distributing pro-Castro leaflets in New Orleans in 1963. The tabloid claims that the second man is Rafael Cruz, the Republican presidential candidate's Cuban-born father, an explosive accusation that has not been corroborated, according to the Miami Herald.

At the time, the Cruz campaign told the Miami Herald: "The story is false; that is not Rafael in the picture."
Seoul: North Korea has started welcoming delegates from around the country to its first ruling party congress in 36 years, state media reported on Tuesday, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the event.

The isolated North has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers' Party congress starting in Pyongyang on Friday.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking at a successful test this week as a crowning achievement. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test might come before or around the time of the opening of the congress.

"North Korea's goal is to be internationally recognised as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing."
For Mr Trump, the victory adds to an incredible political story. When he entered the race, last summer, Mr Trump was such a long-shot that his campaign had to recruit tourists off the street to fill out his crowd, handing them T-shirts and pre-written signs. But he quickly took the lead, drawing on voters' resentment of illegal immigration and of manufacturing jobs shipped overseas.

Along the way, the braggadocious mogul knocked off Jeb Bush, the scion of a Republican dynasty; Rand Paul, the heir to Ron Paul's liberty movement; Florida senator Marco Rubio, the face of his party's future; plus four governors and famed neurosurgeon Ben Carson. He broke the rules of American politics: insulting his opponents' looks, repeating conspiracy theories (on the eve of the primary, Mr Trump repeated a report that Senator Cruz's father had a connection to John F. Kennedy's assassin), and once bragging about the size of his genitals in a televised debate.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Credit:AP

But Mr Trump's style, substance and business resume resonated with voters, and he benefited from rivals who took Mr Trump lightly, and blasted each other until it was too late.

Mr Trump's victory was an extraordinary moment in American political history: He is now on course to be the first standard-bearer of a party who has not served in elected office since Dwight Eisenhower, a five-star general and the commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War II.
If Trump takes Indiana then he's probably off to stare down the Democrat's Hillary Clinton in a general election.

The Indiana primary vote has long been held out as the make-or-break finish to the GOP pre-selection battle, and Trump leads in more than half-a-dozen polls taken in the last two weeks  by an an average of 9.3 per cent.

Washington: Tuesday in the US will likely be the day when the inevitability of Donald Trump winning the Republican presidential nomination finally catches up with his last battle-scarred challenger  Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

Yes, there are about a dozen other state primaries to go, including the big enchilada in California on June 7. Cruz seemingly has long accepted that it all would come down to how Indiana votes, but on Monday, Cruz argued that he could still prevail without a win in Indiana.

Senator Ted Cruz talks with Elizabeth Craig's children during campaigning in Osceola, Indiana. Credit:AP

But politically, Cruz has been curling up and dying since as far back as April 5  his last victory, when he won in Wisconsin. At that point the pundit class made clear that Cruz needed to capitalise on the Trump stumble  the nation needed to hear that Trump was a loser.

Instead Trump has been turbo-charged, racing through a succession of eastern states  New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island and Connecticut  with close to 60 per cent or more of the vote.

On Monday, Cruz was like the proverbial headless chook, as he bolted from one end of Indiana to the other  10 stops in all. Trump was more measured  just two stops.
Sao Paulo: A Brazilian judge has ordered wireless phone carriers to block access to Facebook Inc's WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout Latin America's largest country, the second such move against the popular messaging application in five months.

Monday's decision by the judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects WhatsApp's more than 100 million users in the country.

Blocked in Brazil: Facebook's WhatsApp. Credit:Bloomberg

The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court.

In a statement, WhatsApp said the company is "disappointed at the decision" after doing the utmost to co-operate with Brazilian tribunals.
Latest News NAB reveals six market megatrends for brokers More opportunities for investors, first home buyers

Firstmac shifts up a gear on auto loans National sales manager appointed to pursue growing market

A range of developers and real estate financiers have criticised the three major banks that have stopped lending to foreign buyers, suggesting the move is an overreaction that could result in the banks shooting themselves in the foot.The UDIA Victoria lunch saw a number of senior figures commenting on the recent trend, in which banks have stopped lending to foreign buyers in order to protect themselves from a perceived more volatile area of the market.Managing director of property at Wingates, Mark Harrison, said the policy could end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy" and that it could lead to defaults due to banks previously willing to provide development finance to foreign buyers now refusing to provide financing to the same buyers to settle apartment purchases.Also critical was Gersh Investment Partners director Tom Roe, who described the moves by ANZ Westpac and CBA as a complete overreaction to the world economy".The focus needs to be on the regulators [APRA and the Reserve Bank], he added. Tough questions need to be asked of the regulators.Chief investment officer at Maxcap, Brae Sokolski, described the banks decision as unwarranted.However, Martin North, principal at Digital Finance Analytics (DFA), played down such concerns, citing that the new policy from the three banks will have minimal impact on both their and the wider property markets economic health.Australian banks have not lent that much to overseas investors  maybe 3-4% of their portfolios, so their decision to withdraw will not have a material impact on their loan books or profitability one way or the other, North told Australian Broker. It wont move the property market either.The big banks decision was a reasonable one, stated North.Overseas borrowers taking a local loan could be a higher-risk proposition, because if rental income is insufficient to service the loan, banks would need to get payment from overseas, and this could be tricky.In addition, if house prices were to slide, overseas investors might be more willing to cut and run, and we also know that some investors from China are finding it harder to get funds out of the country.I dont think it was that significant a decision, because prospective foreign investor borrowers can still get loans from foreign banks here, and other sources. Its not that big a deal in my view.
latest news

October 3, 2022

Dee Gambit

Hundreds  if not thousands  of new and returning TV shows and movies are released every month  your options of what to watch are endless. Variety, they say is ...
Moorestown honors Percheron that helped build the town

Percheron Park opened in downtown Moorestown with a tribute to the horse of yesteryear and its owner, who first brought the breed to the U.S.
ALIBABA

The House That Jack Ma Built

Duncan Clark

Read more from our special coverage on "JACK MA" Jack Mas Ant Financial said to be in talks for Caixin stake

HarperCollins264 pages; Rs 599This is not just the story of Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce major that has outsmarted internet giants and entrepreneurs at home and in Silicon Valley since its inception in 1999; it is also an engaging account of the country's economic restructuring - from "a Made in China past to a bought in China present".

Duncan Clark has drawn on his long experience of China, where he has lived since 1994, his stint as advisor to the company in its early years and his access to the top management to produce this authoritative account. Mr Clark met Jack Ma a few months after Alibaba was founded in a small apartment in Hangzhou. As an investment banker, a fluent Mandarin speaker and an internet expert, the writer helped Mr Ma and his right hand man, Joe Tsai (a Taiwanese investor), with the company's international expansion strategy. But the former Morgan Stanley banker clarifies that this is an independent account since he has never been an Alibaba employee and has no professional relationship with it now.

Often described as the Rockefeller of his age, the 51-year-old Jack Ma, who started life as an English teacher, is courted by business tycoons, political leaders and Hollywood stars. Shirley Lin of Goldman Sachs, one of the first to back Alibaba, tells the writer about her meeting with Mr Ma in September 1999: "I went up to the apartment, where they were all working twenty four/seven..'' She didn't think the ideas were entirely original but it "was all about Jack and his people," she says.

Mr Ma and his wife toiled away "like revolutionary comrades", Ms Lin recalls, and that impressed Goldman Sachs enough to invest $5 million. Goldman subsequently reduced its investment to $3.3 million and sold out for seven times the value of its funding five years later. Mr Clark underlines the misjudgement: had Goldman held on till the 2014 IPO - the world's largest at $25 billion - the value of its investment would have been more than $12.5 billion.

Softbank founder Masayoshi Son, however, stuck with Mr Ma from the start. The two were kindred spirits -"both short in stature and known for their outsize ambitions". As Mr Ma told the author, "We didn't talk about revenues, we didn't even talk about a business model we just talked about a shared vision." As for Mr Son when asked by the media at the time of Alibaba's IPO what had prompted him to bet on Mr Ma in 2000, he said, "It was the look in his eye, it was an animal smell It was the same when we invested in Yahoo I invested based on my sense of smell."



Mr Ma's nose for success encouraged him to master English, a language he happened to love (Mark Twain was a favourite). Mr Ma's great opportunity came as China reformed its economy and foreign tourists started arriving in larger numbers. "Every morning from five o clock I would read English in front of the hotel [where tourists from the US and Europe stayed]... I would give them a free tour of West Lake and they taught me English. For nine years! And I practised my English every morning, no matter if it snowed or rained," Mr Ma told the author.

It was a shrewd move. As he explained later, "English helps me understand the world better, helps me to meet the best CEOs and leaders in the world, and makes me understand the distance between China and the world." Born Ma Yun, he anglicised his name, as many Chinese did at the time, at the request of an American pen friend. It was his knowledge of English that took him to the US in 1994 and resulted in his first, life-changing exposure to the internet (he was searching - unsuccessfully - for Chinese beer).

Although the internet gave him a high, Mr Ma frequently talked about the lack of a tech background. Math was one of his "earlier foes" - he failed an entrance exam for higher education (called gaokao), scoring 1/120 in the subject. He passed on the third attempt - doing a series of menial jobs in between memorising formulas and equations - with scores good enough only to make it to the less prestigious Hangzhou Teacher's College. When Deng Xiaoping famously declared that "to get rich is glorious", Mr Ma and his wife, fellow student Zhang Ying (who took the anglicised name of Cathy), started dreaming of entrepreneurship.

Mr Ma tried his hand at other things first - a translation agency (called Hope) and an "uncomfortable" stint with the government. Alibaba was named after the Arabian Nights character because Mr Ma saw a similarity between the "open sesame" imagery and his ambition of providing an opening for small and medium enterprises. He also reckoned it would travel well and starting with the letter "A" would put it at the top of most searches.

He knew he was late to the portal game dominated by others such as Sina, Sohu, NetEase. But while others were trying to tap individual users, Mr Ma wanted to stick to what he knew best: small businesses. As Mr Clark writes, "Jack decided to focus on the shrimp." Mr Ma's theory, which has made Alibaba bigger than Walmart and Amazon, has been that 85 per cent of the fish in the sea are shrimp-sized. And the inspiration came from his favourite movie Forrest Gump, where the protagonist makes a fortune fishing for shrimp after a storm. His challenge now may be coping with Alibaba's undoubted status as a whale in the world of e-commerce.
Ltd. registered a 14.40 per cent dip in its standalone net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 at Rs 357.96 crore, as compared to Rs 418.21 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, the company said in its filing on BSE.

The company's standalone income for Q4 of fiscal 2015-16, however, rose by 45.15 per cent to stand at Rs 3,762.82 crore, up from from Rs 2,592.28 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2015.

For the financial year ended March 31, 2016, came into black from red, posting a standalone net profit of Rs 5.62 crore as against a net loss of Rs 68.63 crore for the year ended March 31, 2015. As per its filing on BSE, Adani Power's standalone total income for the year ended March 31, 2016 grew by 20 per cent to stand at Rs 13,227.01 crore, up from Rs 11,037.01 crore from the previous year.

Commenting on the results, group chairman Gautam Adani, said, "With power sector continuing to be an essence for growth of the Indian economy and announcement of revised tariff policy by the government, we anticipates further growth opportunities in the sector.

The company remains committed to expanding towards the goal of achieving a thermal power generation capacity of 20,000 Mw by 2020 to bridge the power deficit in the country."

On consolidated basis, posted a net profit after taxes & minority interest of Rs 1,173.39 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 as compared to Rs 715.05 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, registering a growth of 64.09 per cent. For the year ended March 31, 2016, however, APL posted a net profit after taxes & minority interest of Rs 488.48 crore for the year ended March 31, 2016 as compared to net loss of Rs 815.63 crore for the year ended March 31, 2015.

However, the company stated that pursuant to the stake sale in Adani Transmission (India) Limited by the Company in the previous year, the merger of Solar Power Undertaking of Adani Enterprises Limited with APL with effect from April 01, 2015 and the acquisition of 100 per cent stake of UPCL by Adani Power with effect from April 20, 2015, the figures for the current quarter and year were not fully comparable with the figures of corresponding quarter and previous year.

"UPCL PAT during the quarter and year ended March 31, 2016 was Rs. 107.82 crores and Rs. 119.13 crores respectively," it further stated.

According to Vneet Jaain, Chief Executive Officer of Adani Power, the company's Mundra plant's generation of 33.1 billion units during the year was the highest by any thermal power plant in the country.

Going forward, the company expects implementation of the recent APTEL order to improve the cashflow for APL. In its order dated April 7, 2016, APTEL decided that the promulgation of Indonesian regulations as also the non-availability / short supply of domestic coal constitute a Force Majeure event under the PPAs, and has directed the CERC to assess the extent of impact of such Force Majeure events on the project, and give such relief as may be available under the respective PPAs.
Systems has executed an agreement with Hitachi, Japan and Hitachi Power Europe GmbH (HPE), Germany to settle their disputes. The company also decided to withdraw all pending litigation and legal proceedings filed by BGR.

The agreement provides for certain payments to be made by HTC to the company in a phased manner over a period of time on achievement of number of ,ilestones/events/transactions so as to realise the objectives mentioned here in above, informed BSE.

The agreement has come into effect and has become legally binding with effect from April 29, 2016 upon fulfilment of the conditions mentioned therein, said the company.

The company said the company has filed relevant applications for withdrawal of all pending litigations and other legal proceedings filed against HTC, HPE, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Ltd. and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Europe GmbH, in fulfillment of the conditions of the agreement.

The agreement provides for execution of NTPC contracts for Solapur (2x660 MW) and Meja (2x660 MW) of supercritical Steam Generators (Boilers) and Lara (2x800 MW) Supercitical Steam Turbine and Generators (STG) (collectively referred to as NTPC projects) and for certain arrangement with respect to the future of the JV partnership between HTC, HPE and the company in respect of the existing joint venture viz, BGR Boilers and BGR Turbines Company after completion of NTPC projects in compliance with the NTPC contract and other related conditions. The total value of these contracts are around Rs 7,900 crore.

BGR set up two JVs  BGR Boilers Private Limited and BGR Turbines Company Private Limited  with Hitachi in 2010 to carry on the business of design, engineering and manufacture of supercritical steam generators (SG) and supercritical steam turbine and generators (STG) of 660 MW, 800 MW and 1000 MW capacity.

These JVs have not witnessed significant progress in setting up of manufacturing facilities. Until 2014-15, these acquired substantial land for manufacturing facilities and also made significant progress towards purchase of capital equipment.

BGR and Hitachi together were planning to invest around Rs 2,325 crore to set up a boiler, turbine and generators manufacturing facility at Cheyyur, near Chennai. The fate of joint venture between the two is not known. When contacted, BGR's spokesperson declined to comment.

On February 1, 2014 the global integration of thermal power businesses of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited (MHI) and Hitachi, Ltd. (HL) through a joint venture viz., Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Limited (MHPS) was brought into effect. In the light of this global integration, Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Power Europe GmbH (HPE) have ceased to be Qualified Manufacturers (QM) of steam turbine and generators and steam generators respectively. This, as a consequence, has impacted setting up of manufacturing facilities and carrying on future business.
Baby care major (J&J) was ordered by a US jury on Monday to pay $55 million (Rs 363 crore) to a woman who said that using the company's talcum powder for feminine hygiene caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

While J&J plans to appeal against the verdict, which is the second straight trial loss for it in three months, there are India implications for the company, according to experts tracking the company.

J&J is the leader in the baby care products market in India. A report by Research & Markets, a global market insights agency, pegs the size of the baby care market in India at $14 billion (Rs 92,400 crore), which is slated to touch $30 billion (Rs 1.98 lakh crore) by 2019. This includes everything from diapers to talcs, creams, lotions and soaps.

While J&J's presence is limited to baby skin care products in India, it has in recent years attempted to transition to a larger baby care platform in the country in keeping with its 2022 growth strategy, which targets all-round development of the child, as opposed to healthy and glowing skin alone.

"A product that is perceived as being cancer-causing will certainly raise alarm bells in the minds of its consumers everywhere. J&J products are used by middle and upper middle class households in India, and most of them will come across this lawsuit in the US since it has been widely published. They are bound to be cautious," says Bejon Misra, a consumer affairs expert and founder of Consumer Online Foundation.

In response to a mail, a J&J spokesperson said, "The jury's decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc. has always taken questions about the safety of its products extremely seriously. Multiple scientific and regulatory reviews have determined that the talc is safe for use in cosmetic products and the labeling on Johnson's Baby Powder is appropriate. We will appeal the recent verdict and continue to defend the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder."



The last time J&J had suffered a trial loss, in February 2016, it was asked to pay $72 million (or Rs 475 crore) to a family of a US woman who died of cancer. Indian regulators had subsequently conducted an investigation of J&J's factory in Mulund in the city's northeast.

The investigation came after samples of Johnson's baby powder were picked up for testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra. This was done to weed out chances of contamination in the wake of the US verdict, FDA officials had told Business Standard.

A HISTORY OF PENALTIES

2016

J&J faces two trial losses after it was established that the users suffered from cancer (one died) after using its talcum powder for many years. Penalty amount $72 million and $55 million, respectively



J&J faces two trial losses after it was established that the users suffered from cancer (one died) after using its talcum powder for many years. Penalty amount $72 million and $55 million, respectively 2013

Fined $2.2 billion for criminal and civil liabilities for paying kickbacks to doctors and over-marketing anti-psychotic drugs



Fined $2.2 billion for criminal and civil liabilities for paying kickbacks to doctors and over-marketing anti-psychotic drugs 2012

Recalled 2,000 tubes of Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort lotion because of excessive levels of bacteria in samples



Recalled 2,000 tubes of Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort lotion because of excessive levels of bacteria in samples 2011

Recalled 57,000 bottles of epilepsy drug Topamax over foul smell Five lots of insulin pump cartridges recalled because of possible contamination

Sources: reports
Indias apex food regulator, FSSAI, and the ad regulator have asked Ramdevs Ayurved to explain the advertising campaign for its mustard oil.

The Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA), a body of domestic edible oil makers, had written to the Food Safety and Standards Association of India and the Advertising Standards Council of India last week saying was denigrating rival brands even as it promoted its product.

Read more from our special coverage on "PATANJALI" Complaints filed against Patanjali at FSSAI, ASCI

We have no issue if comes out with a good-quality product. They are free to do it and we welcome it. But, saying that other brands in the market are sub-standard is incorrect. We had written to Patanjali a month-and-a-half ago to withdraw the ads because it was misleading. But, we did not hear from them. We were then compelled to bring this issue to the attention of the regulators, said B V Mehta, executive director, SEA.

Sources in the know say Patanjali will respond to the notices received from the two regulators shortly.

Officials of Patanjali said its campaign was based on facts and that it had no intention to mislead consumers.

Edible oil contest this claim, though. Our kachhi ghani mustard oil is 100 per cent kachhi ghani and not blended with any other oil or solvent extraction as indicated in the ad (by Patanjali). Commercials like this create confusion in peoples minds. SEA has explained in detail in its letter to the regulators why a campaign like this is misleading. Im sure they will take cognizance of it, said Atul Chaturvedi, chief executive officer, Adani Wilmar, the producer of the Fortune brand of edible oil.

This is not the first time that Patanjali has had run-ins with the regulators over its products. In the past, it was pulled up for selling noodles and pasta without licence.
Indian Angel Network and start-up Zippr on Tuesday denied Pune-based entrepreneur Srikant Kundens allegations of breach of trust and unauthorised sharing of his intellectual property.Zippr has built its proprietary location encoding technology independently to solve the core address infrastructure challenges of the country. Zippr has never spoken to the company in question or its representatives, nor was it aware of their work until we received a clarification request from them in June 2015. The lawyer evaluated the case and found it factually incorrect, stated an Indian Angel Network (IAN).Founded in 2013 by Aditya Vulchi, Hyderabad-based Zippr creates eight-digit alphanumeric codes as alternatives to traditional addresses to provide precise locations on a digital map. It raised $1 million (Rs 6.6. crore) in the first round of funding from IAN.Kunden, the founder of LastMile Digital Solutions, has filed a criminal complaint against IAN and Zippr for breach of trust and misuse of confidentiality. In the complaint, he alleged that IAN passed on his intellectual property to Zippr. However, Zippr claimed they had never spoken to the company.In a statement, founder Vuchi said: The allegations are completely baseless. Zippr has built its location-encoding technology independently and has never spoken to the company representative nor was aware of his work.He added: Subsequently, our legal team reviewed the matter, evaluated the merit of this accusation and found it to be devoid of any substance. We have also filed a pre-grant opposition questioning the company representatives novelty and sent the required notice to him in September 2015 to which there was no response. We intend to pursue the matter seriously and take necessary legal action.Over telephone, Kunden told Business Standard the patent for his technology named Digital Locational Solutions was filed in October 2010 at the Indian patent office.He said he had started working on the technology in 2009. The rule is that post the synopses published at the patent office there is a 120-day window for objection to be raised.

No one raised any objection then. After that, the company entered the India Innovation Initiative competition organised by the government and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Of the 650 participants LastMile Digital won the fourth prize. Incidentally the event is sponsored by IAN. After the event a representative of IAN approached me and asked me to if we were looking for funds, said Kunden. Kunden said he then corresponded with IAN. After a few days they wrote back asking for the technical and commercial details of the project. We submitted all that he asked for. We spoke only once after that and then they stopped corresponding. I thought they are not interested in funding, which was fine with me, he added. The correspondence reportedly started in December 2012 and ended sometime in January 2013. While IAN did not fund Kunden, he claims that in a few months after that Zippr was founded and IAN invested Rs 6 crore. Kunden also said he wrote an informal mail to IAN and Zippr in June 2015. In July, Kunden received was from lawyers of Zippr asking for four weeks time to respond. I have been working on this technology since 2009. Because I have not got my patent, I have not filed for IPR infringement. It will take six to nine months for us to get the patent. Till then I choose to file a criminal case against IAN and Zippr," he said.
TVS Motor, the countrys third largest two-wheeler maker, reported a 24 per cent growth in profit at Rs 432 crore in 2015-16. The company is bullish that it will report double-digit growth as there are expectations of good monsoon and the infrastructure sector is getting a booster. Chief Financial Officerspeaks to T E Narasimhan about the companys plans. Excerpts:A comprehensive product portfolio with good market acceptance of new products and steady growth in sales enabled TVS Motor to post good sales numbers. We had set three targets two years ago, including increasing market share from 11.5 per cent to 18 per cent in the next 2-2.5 years. The growth will be portfolio-driven. TVS is the only company in all the three segments of the two-wheelers. We will leverage this. Market share has now increased to 14 per cent and the company will achieve 18 per cent market share.We dont speak about competition. TVS continues to be third largest in the domestic market.Double-digit Ebitda will be achieved in two years.

With top line growing, we will be able to bring down costs. By leveraging the complete portfolio, sales will go up. Total overhead as a percentage of sales will come down. What are your capex plans? Around Rs 400 crore in 2016-17 for capacity expansion and products. Capacity will be increased to 4.5 million units from 3.5 million units across all the three plants (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh). What is your outlook for 2016-17? Everything depends on the monsoon, which is expected to be good. Industry is expected to do well. With the direct benefits transfer scheme, finance commission recommendations and focus on infrastructure, economic growth would return. We hope the industry will come back strongly and TVS will grow by double digits. We have to grow ahead of other players to achieve our two per cent market share increase every year. Any new products in the pipeline? When is your tie-up with BMW expected to come out with a product? There will be some upgrades in the pipeline. I cannot comment on the BMW tie-up.

What can you say about the company exports? Exports are a key focus area for the company. Currently, to over 45 countries TVS products are being exported. Currently, 23 per cent of revenue comes from exports.
India is unlikely to benefit much from the opening up of Russian markets for hard cheese exports due to a sharp fall in prices in international markets.

Against the current price of Rs 350 a kg in Indian markets, skimmed milk powder (SMP) is being quoted at Rs 180 a kg in international markets, including Russia. Hard cheese is also quoted in Indian markets at around Rs 400 a kg compared with Rs 200 a kg in the global market. Similarly, butter is quoted at $5000 a tonne in Indian markets against less than $3000 in the world.

Over the past 16 months, since Russian president Vladimir Putin announced opening up of Russian market for Indian dairy products in December 2014, prices of cheese and skimmed milk powder have slumped by 50% due to the global economic slowdown. In that sense, the delay in the opening up of the Russian market has proved a blessing in disguise for Indian exporters. Since global dairy markets are now recovering, Indian dairy exporters are likely to see a big opportunity going forward.

Currently, Indian exporters would see no benefit from Russian markets due to sharp decline in realisation from exports. Since, realisation is better in domestic markets then international markets, exports of cheese would remain in backburner. However, opening up of Russian market would offer an opportunity for Indian dairy producers to expand capacity for future exports, said R S Sodhi, chairman of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), which produces the popular Amul brand of dairy products.

Sensing this, Amul has already trebled its cheese production capacity to 120,000 tonnes per day now from 40,000 tonnes per day at an investment of Rs 600 crore. Amul, with around 96% of market share in butter through aggressive pricing, plans to capture more through a similar strategy.

Indias Ministry of Commerce had signed the protocol, the mandatory procedural requirement to commence exports, on April 28 which marked the approval for Indian to start shipment of dairy products, primarily hard cheese, to Russia. GCMMF has initiated dialogues with a couple of Russian cheese importers for future deals.

However despite reports of unviable prices, Govardhan brand dairy products producer Parag Milk Foods aims to dispatch the first consignment of hard cheese to Russia by the end of June.

We have lined up a number of Russian buyers for hard cheese exports. We were waiting for the Indian government to sign the protocol to finalise terms of trade with Russian buyers. Since the government of India has already signed the protocol, we expect the Russian government to reciprocate in two weeks. We would start negotiating terms of trade after that. So, we hope the first consignment to leave India in two months from now, said Devendra Shah, managing director, Parag Milk Foods.

Indias dairy exports to Russia had been made tough after Rosselkhoznadzor approved only Indian farms that owned at least 1,000 cattle. While the objective of Rosselkhoznadzor was to ensure the quality of milk procurement and traceability of cheese plants, only two farms  Parag Milk Foods and Schreiber Dynamix  conformed to these norms. Most large dairy farms in India including Amul brand dairy products producer GCMMF, work on a co-operative model in which farmers remain the owners of cattle.

Consequently, India sought relaxation in this norm, which Russia has honoured.

According to Shirish Upadhyay, senior vice-president at Parag, Russia has now focused on sourcing of milk instead of number of cattle earlier to accommodate more exporters from India.

Russias annual cheese consumption is estimated at 230,000 tonnes which is met largely through import from the Americas and its own neighbouring countries.
Tata Communications, a global telecom solutions provider, has won a multi-million dollar contract from Air France-KLM, Europe's second largest airline, to provide next-generation network connectivity to 170 sites.

The network will form the backbone for the company as it embraces the latest mobile, cloud, big data analytics and wearable technologies to enhance and personalise passenger experience.

This investment underpins the airline's growth strategy, driven by organisation-wide digital transformation, delivery of next-generation aircraft, and expansion in emerging markets.



The multi-year contract will see roll out an intelligent network, which will power Air France-KLM's mission-critical systems, including passenger check-in, flight operations and departure control applications, as well as corporate programs in Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.



Air France-KLM, which carried 87.4 million passengers in 2014, is the first major European airline group to move away from the legacy networks widely used in the airline industry.



The global network of will help Air France-KLM offer a range of digital services in regions that have been identified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as future growth drivers of the industry.



Currently eight of ten fastest growing airline markets are located in Africa. By 2034, IATA expects 1.3 billion passengers to touch China - up from 850 million at present - and India is set to see an additional 260 million passengers.



Europe will act as a key transfer hub to these emerging markets, with 1.4 billion passenger journeys in 2034 - nearly 600 million more than today.
Italy will have to return its Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, in case the court finds Indian jurisdiction over the case, the UN tribunal said Tuesday.

"Italy and India shall cooperate, including in proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, to achieve a relaxation of the bail conditions of Sergeant Girone so as to give effect to the concept of considerations of humanity, so that Sergeant Girone, while remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, may return to Italy during the present arbitration," the order said.

Girone, along with another Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre, is facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast. Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy here. The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN court.

"The Arbitral Tribunal confirms Italy's obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case the Arbitral Tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him in respect of the 'Enrica Lexie' incident," the order said.

It further said that the Arbitral Tribunal has decided that Italy and India each shall report to it on "compliance with these provisional measures and authorises the President to seek information from the parties if no such report is submitted within three months from the date of this order and thereafter as he may consider appropriate."



Yesterday, Italian Foreign Ministry said that the UN tribunal has ruled in favour of Girone by allowing him to leave for Italy while India maintained that the tribunal left it to the Supreme Court to fix the precise conditions of Girone's bail and noted that while the may return to Italy during the present arbitration, he would remain under the authority of India's apex court.
Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has ordered the relocation of a secret facility used to train the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) team responsible for the terror attack at the Pathankot airbase in India, reported The Indian Express.

According to Indian intelligence sources, the base, which is located near Pakistan's Fort Maujgarh, close to the India-Pakistan border across from Rajasthan, is believed to have been used to train selected Jaish-e-Muhammad units for special missions. These training units have now been moved, albeit without their weapons, 62 km away, to the Jaish-e-Muhammads main seminary at Bahawalpur, said the newspaper.

The report also said that Fort Maujgarh has been used in particular for tactical training in cross-border infiltration. Flash floods create a network of gullies and ravines which are not dissimilar to the terrain along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab and Jammu. In the winter months, theres also decent scrub vegetation in the desert, and fields that are quite similar in their character, an Indian military official was quoted as saying.

The official added that Pakistani counter-intelligence also believed the region to be less vulnerable to Indian espionage than Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Despite Pakistan's acceptance that at least one number publicly tied to Jaish-e-Muhammad's leadership was used for the purpose of instructing the attackers at Pathankot, the group's seminary at Bahawalpur seems to continue to operate normally.

During the intervening night of January 1 and 2, the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab was attacked, leading to a gunbattle that lasted for more than 80 hours. The attack left seven security personnel and the intruding terrorists dead.

Investigations by the Investigation Agency (NIA) revealed the involvement of banned terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad in the attack. Evidence collected, including DNA of the slain terrorists, their identity and call records, tied the terrorists to the organisation based out of Pakistan.

Pakistan sent a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to Pathankot to join in the investigation process.

The five-member team, which also included an ISI officer, was given a detailed presentation on the probe done by Indian agencies and evidences that showed that the attack was planned in Pakistan, official sources had said. The JIT also visited the site of the attack at the airbase, to carry out their own observations.

After their five-day visit however, the Pakistan JIT denied India's claims with regards to the attack, questioning the accuracy of the investigation. The JIT further said that Indian authorities were aware of the possibility of an attack and had prior information about the attackers.

The Pakistani JIT in their report also went on to claim that the attack was staged by India.
Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief SP Tyagi has "substantial share" in three companies with "suspicious flow of funds", according to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Times of India reported on Tuesday.

According to the ToI report, the three companies to which Tyagi has been linked have been identified with their initials: 'Vanshi', 'Anuras' and 'Shavan'. These companies have been registered in India, adds the report.

The report quotes CBI sources as saying that the investigating agency has written to the Financial Intelligence Unit "to gather more details about the financial transactions of these companies in India and abroad".

On Monday, the CBI had examined Tyagi in connection with alleged corruption in the euro 556 million (currently Rs 4,195 crore) deal to buy AgustaWestland VVIP choppers.

Tyagis role in the deal has come under renewed focus after the Milan Court of Appeals  the equivalent of an Indian High Court  gave details of how alleged bribes were paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal.

Additionally, the ToI report said, the investigating agencies found that Tyagi was in Milan, Italy, in 2012, allegedly to meet two European middlemen  Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Tyagi's visits to Italy, twice after his retirement, are also under the scanner of the CBI.

Tyagi's visit, the report says, came even as Italian authorities were probing the alleged irregularities.

Tyagi has told interrogators that he travelled to Florence, Milan and Venice, in Italy, in 2008 and 2009, after his retirement in 2007.

According to reports, it was in 2004 that a representative of Finmeccanica first met Tyagi, who was then the IAF vice-chief.

Only months after the government announced that Tyagi would be the next IAF chief, in January 2005, Haschke and Gerosa met him again.

According to agency reports, Tyagi met the two middlemen the next month during an air show in Bengaluru and in 2006, right after becoming IAF chief, Tyagi met them again, this time at a cousin's office and home in Delhi.

According to the reports, it was during his meetings with these middlemen that Tyagi changed the specifications of the prospective VVIP chopper.

According to the ToI report, during his 2012 Milan trip, Tyagi was "really agitated" about the probe being conducted by Italian authorities into the matter.

Citing documents shared with India by Italy, the report says that Tyagi, referred to as "Giuli", was in Haschke and Gerosa's company at the Milan-Malpensa airport on March 25, 2012.

Additionally, the report cites a recorded conversation  sent to Indian authorities  as saying: "...On 25-03.2012, Haschke and Gerosa accompany Tyagi (aka Giuli) to the airport of Milan/Malpensa and on the return trip, they make a general summary. They agree that Giuli is agitated about the (Italian) investigation."

According to the report, investigators have said that "Giuli", which means a very gorgeous girl, was most likely a codename used by the middlemen for Tyagi.

Meanwhile, the political furore over the chopper scam refuses to quiet down, especially given the government's stated focus on bringing the guilty to justice.
Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief SP Tyagi has found the wreckage of the AgustaWestland chopper deal hanging around his neck like the proverbial albatross.

On Monday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) examined Tyagi in connection with alleged corruption in the euro 556 million (currently Rs 4,195 crore) deal.

Tyagi is scheduled for another round of questioning by the agency on Tuesday.

Additionally, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also issued summons for Tyagi last month and he is reported to have been asked to "appear in person" and meet the investigating officer some time this week.

Official sources said the summons to Tyagi have been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had registered a PMLA case in this regard in 2014 and named 21 people, including Tyagi, in its money laundering FIR.

Here is a short timeline of Tyagi's alleged involvement and how things have progressed.

1) First meeting:

According to reports, it was in 2004 that a representative of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company, first met Tyagi, who was then the IAF vice-chief.

2) Tyagi's involvement deepens:

According to an agency report, just months after the government announced that Tyagi would be the next IAF chief, in January 2005, Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, the two out of three alleged foreign middlemen in the scam, met him again.

Tyagi, the report adds, went on to meet the two middlemen the very next month during an air show in Bengaluru and in 2006, right after becoming IAF chief, Tyagi met them again, this time at a cousin's office and home in Delhi.

It was during his meetings with these middlemen that Tyagi changed the specifications of the prospective VVIP chopper.

3) Tyagi's Italy visits:

Tyagi's visits to Italy, twice after his retirement, are also under the scanner of the CBI.

Tyagi has told interrogators that he travelled to Florence, Milan and Venice, in Italy, in 2008 and 2009, after his retirement in 2007.

According to reports, it has not been ascertained whether he met any of the alleged middlemen in the scam during these trips.

4) The initial rumblings:

According to a Times of India report, the investigating agencies have found that Tyagi was in Milan, Italy, in 2012, allegedly to meet Haschke and Gerosa.

Tyagi's Monday interrogation has thrown up more details about his trips and meetings.

According to the ToI report, during his 2012 Milan trip, Tyagi was "really agitated" about the probe being conducted by Italian authorities into the matter.

Citing documents shared with India by Italy, the report says that Tyagi, referred to as "Giuli", was in Haschke and Gerosa's company at the Milan-Malpensa airport on March 25, 2012.

5) The lid is blown off:

On February 12, 2013, the Italian police arrested Giuseppe Orsi, the head of defence group Finmeccanica SpA, the parent company of AgustaWestland, on a warrant alleging that he had paid bribes to win the Indian VVIP chopper deal contract, reported Reuters.

This, and the subsequent Indian and Italian investigations into the matter, spelt the beginning of Tyagi's troubles.

6) Tyagi's name pops up:

In March, 2013, the CBI said that it had found evidence against Tyagi that suggested that he had extended favours to AgustaWestland by changing specification requirements for the VVIP choppers. The agency registered a first information report (FIR) against Tyagi, besides 12 others.

The FIR also named three of Tygai's relatives  Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep.

Even as the CBI registered the FIR, reports said that the agency's preliminary inquiry had revealed one of the middleman in the deal, Haschke, had entered into several consultancy contracts with AgustaWestland through his Tunisia-based company Gordian Services Sarl. Between June 2004 and March 2005, he made two remittances  of euro 126,000 and euro 200,000  in close succession, to Tyagi's brothers, in the name of consultancy contracts.

7) The ED turns on the heat:

In September of 2015, the ED attached assets worth about Rs 7 crore alleged to be in the name of Tyagi's cousins.

Sources said that the properties attached under the provisions of the PMLA are located in and around the capital region and the estimated book value of the assets is about Rs 7 crore.

8) AgustaWestland and Tyagi back in focus:

In April this year, the Milan Court of Appeals  equivalent of an Indian High Court  gave details of how alleged bribes were paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal.

According to an Indian Express report from April, 2016, the Italian Court of Appeals has observed that there are unmistakable indications regarding corruption of an Indian officer.

The observation pointed at then Air Chief Marshal Tyagi.
Coming to the defence of the beleaguered Air India, government Tuesday rejected the perception about the state carrier being the "leader in emergency landings" and asserted that there has been "zero accident" due to poor maintenance.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajpathi Raju told the Rajya Sabha that every safety proceedure is followed in the as "no deficiency" would be allowed in flying Indian aircrafts.

He said the performance of has improved and it is making profit for the first time in 10 years.

"It is unfair to say that is the leader in emergency landings. I do not go into Air India bashing at all. It is unfair to say this," Raju said while replying to questions in which opposition members voiced concern over emergency landings by the planes of the state carrier.

"During the last two years and the current year, a total of 120 incidents of emergency landing due to medical emergency and technical reasons have been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Out of the 120 incidents, 102 were due to medical emergency and 18 due to technical reasons," the minister said.

Of the 120 incidents of emergency landing, 23 are attributed to Air India and the rest to other airlines, he said.

"We follow every safety procedure for all airlines including Air India. We can't risk people's life. No deficiency will be allowed to in flying Indian aircrafts in the sky," he said.

Replying to a question by Congress leader Ambika Soni, the Civil Aviation Minister said all incidents due to technical reasons investigated by DGCA and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and safety recommendations emanating from the investigation reports are followed up for implementation with the concerned agencies so as to prevent recurrence of similar incidents in future.

He also asserted that Air India is making profit "for the first time in last 10 years" even as he stated that the aviation safety rating of India was downgraded during the UPA regime, a remark which drew sharp reaction from Congress members.

"Air India's all-time performance has increased. This year it is making profit, which is the first time in last ten years. It is making an operative profit. Air India is doing good work," Raju asserted.

Repeatedly deprecating what he called the "bashing" of Air India, the Civil Aviation Minister asserted that maintenance is "not neglected" in aviation in India and the country has a proper audit system in place to take care of the safety parameters.

"There has been zero accident due to (any) poor maintenance. Emergency landings have happened and the main reason for it is medical reason," he said asserting that "no deficiency" will be allowed to fly aircrafts.

Raju said India's sky is safe but acknowledged the existence of congestion in a few regions.

The minister's reply about the proceedures of safety norms being carried out was criticised by members from Congress, who felt that the reply was not adequate and did not answer their queries.

Chairman Hamid Ansari also intervened two-three times to clarify to the minister what the Opposition members wanted to know.

Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan said there is a perception that every emergency landing of Air India is due to technical reasons and not medical ones as the minister said.

She asked Raju whether had made any attempt to dispel this notion.

There was also a brief alteraction when Bachchan objected to Congress members making noise while she was speaking.

"You first finish your shouting. I will speak after that," she said.

As Congress member Bhubaneswar Kalita expressed annoyance at her remarks, Bachchan reacted "you please mind your own business."



Ansari intervened to pacify them and directed asked the SP member to address the Chair only and not the members.
As many as 64 central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) witnessed capital erosion to the tune of Rs 74,000 crore during 2014-15, according to a financial audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on CPSEs.

The CAG audited 157 CPSEs, which have accumulated losses of Rs 1,10,285 crore, while 113 incurred losses during 2014-15 amounting to Rs 15,397 crore. The net worth of 64 government companies (out of 157) had been completely eroded by accumulated loss and their net worth was negative, said the report.

Read more from our special coverage on "CPSES" Government tightens standards of PSU review

The report noted that the number of CPSEs that earned profit in FY15 was 205. However, the profit earned reduced to Rs 1,37,338 crore in 2014-15, from Rs 1,54,484 crore in 2013-14.It also said that out of the 301 CPSEs whose net worth was positive, the net worth of 24 was less than half their paid-up capital of Rs 14,815 crore at the end of March 31, 2015, indicating potential sickness.

In 28 out of 64 CPSEs whose capital eroded, government loans outstanding as on March 31, 2015 amounted to Rs 16,221 crore. The firms included five listed companies with outstanding government loan of Rs 2,769 crore, the CAG noted.

The CAG audit also observed that nine out of 36 CPSEs were not required to issue bonus shares as their paid-up capital was less than three times their reserves. The CAG noted that no directives were issued regarding bonus shares to 11 CPSEs  Balmer Lawrie & Co, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, BEML, Coal India, NMDC, National Buildings Construction Corporation, Power Finance Corporation, Power Grid Corporation of India, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers, Rural Electrification Corporation, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

BEML did not issue bonus shares though its board had given its in-principle approval in May 2012. The audit, which also covered composition of the board in major CPSEs, noted that 29 companies did not have the requisite number of independent directors on their boards. Out of this, 16 firms did not have any independent director on their boards. These include Maharatna PSU Coal India Limited, Shipping Corporation, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, GAIL India, Rural Electrification and Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam.
The government has drawn flak from the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) of India for unauthorizedly parking unspent government funds in personal deposit accounts.

The latest report of CAG on state finances for the year ended March 31, 2015 says there were 856 personal account holders in the state with a closing balance of Rs 1,146 crore operating as personal accounts.

During 2014-15, Rs 2,461.03 crore transfer-credited from the consolidated fund of the state to these personal deposit accounts and expenditure of Rs 2,601.87 crore was incurred thereof, resulting in net decrease of Rs 140.84 crore in the cumulative closing balance at the end of the year.

All such drawals had the approval of the concerned officers of the finance department.

The practice resulted in erosion of legislative control over expenditure as drawals from personal deposit accounts in the subsequent years neither required legislative approval nor was the expenditure incurred subject to legislative authority through the appropriation mechanism, the CAG report rued.

The state government, in its reply to the central auditor, in November last year said the concerned administrators are being reminded to furnish the proposal for closure of inoperative account.

Rule 141 of the Budget Manual provides that money should neither be withdrawn from the treasury unless it is required for immediate disbursement nor is it permissible to draw money from the treasury under revenue heads of accounts, which form part of the consolidated fund of the state and for placing it in deposit head under public account of the state in order to avoid lapse of allotment.

Parking of funds in personal deposit accounts adversely affects the transparency of state accounts as it inflates the revenue expenditure to that extent and locks up resources, which otherwise can be utilised elsewhere for development. Besides, according to the provisions of the treasury Code, personal deposit accounts remaining inoperative for three full financial years are to be closed automatically and the unspent balances are to be transferred to government account for which the treasury officers are to furnish detailed information to the accountant general immediately after March 31 of each financial year.
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Gujarat might be headed for a water crisis. Already, 65 per cent of the 500 dams and reservoirs in the state are either empty or about to go empty, say government officials.
The fields by the side of the Kana river in Dhaniakhali, an administrative block in Hooghly, are generally lush green this time of the year. But this year brown has replaced green, a sight uncommon in West Bengal.
Like previous years, India has failed to mark its presence in the 100 most reputable universities in the world list for 2016, too.

This year's Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings saw Harvard University take the top spot for the sixth consecutive year. The other top four positions were taken up by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford.

Launched in 2011, THE World Reputation Rankings offer a definitive list of the world's most prestigious universities based on their global reputation. India continues to be one of the few nations not to have featured even once in the list.

Among the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations, only South Africa and India failed to mark their presence in the 2016 list.

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) had set up a committee to look into improvement of their global reputation. However, according to the director of one of the older IITs, who did not wish to be quoted, there hasn't been much headway.

"We have been working on improving research and international linkages to enhance our global reputation as a brand. However, this will take some time and cannot be achieved overnight," the director said.

China led the BRICS nations in the World Reputation Rankings with five universities ranked this year. "Russia has three institutions in this year's ranking, up from two last year. However, the top two, Lomonosov Moscow State University (30th place) and Saint Petersburg State University (81-90 band) have both dropped since last year. Brazil's single entry has also dropped this year, with the University of Sao Paulo dropping from the 51-60th band to the 91-100th," said a Times Higher Education statement.

Commenting on the rankings, Phil Baty, Times Higher Education rankings editor, said, "Reputation is the global currency of higher education. It may be subjective, it may not always be fair, but it matters deeply. The clear lesson, in the sixth year of this annual list of the world's most prestigious universities, is that we have a firmly entrenched elite group of six global university super brands. The six, two from the East Coast of the US, two from the West Coast and two from the UK, have topped the list - standing head and shoulders above the rest of the pack - every year since we started back in 2011."



According to Baty, outside of the US and the UK, the global higher education world has been changing, with universities in China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea all making progress. "We now have a Chinese university in the world top 20 for the first time, and another right behind it in the top 30."



Despite India's absence on the list, Asia's strong performance in this year's ranking of the world's most reputable universities, based on an invitation-only survey of top academics, follows the continent's growing presence in the flagship THE World University Rankings in recent years.
India earned about $16.5 billion from the export of non-industrial diamonds, the top exported commodity in April-January 2015-16. It imported petroleum and crude oil worth $57.67 billion in the period.

This was revealed on Tuesday after the commerce ministry unveiled an online portal aimed at analysing foreign trade statistics.

Developed by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), the portal is aimed at providing easy access to foreign trade data. "The ministry has drawn a lot of flak over falling exports, the figures for which need to made available to the public in an easy manner," a ministry official said on conditions of anonymity. The official said the initial plan was to put up data for five years.

The portal can be accessed by public.

India's cumulative merchandise exports for 2015-16 fell to $261 billion - a five-year low. The figure was $310 billion in the previous financial year, which had also seen a decline in exports. The cumulative export target, initially set by the government at $300 billion, was revised downwards to $260-270 billion last month after merchandise trade remained negative throughout the year. Exports had last recorded growth in November 2014, rising 7.2 per cent y-o-y. The website showed that the US was the top destination for Indian merchandise exports, with $33.67 billion worth of goods finding their way to the country, followed by the UAE ($25.10 billion) and Hong Kong ($9.67 billion).
Fifty-eight and counting... the number of farmer suicides in Punjab during the last three months due to agrarian distress is alarming and among the highest in the country. Even as Union minister of state for Agriculture, Mohanbhai Kundariya, was divulging details on farmers suicides in India and said that Maharashtra topped with 57 suicides during the past three months, followed by 56 in Punjab, a farmer and his mother in village Jodhpur of district Barnala consumed pesticide in the presence of the police and revenue officials in broad daylight.

Maharashtra, Punjab and Telangana top the list for farmer suicides in India, informed the Minister in Parliament. Rain-fed states may be in grip of an agrarian crisis due to drought in the last two years, but Punjab is an irrigated state that pioneered the green revolution in India. Nonetheless, it is grappling with high debts and dwindling farm income.

Despite assured purchase of crops in Punjab (wheat, paddy and cotton), the farmers are neck deep into debt. According to a study conducted by RBI Chair Professor at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Satish Verma, the debt-to-income ratio in Punjab is 96.77 per cent for the period ending December 2013.

The debt-to-income ratio is the highest among low-income farming families and keeps decreasing with increase in income. A joint study conducted by PAU Ludhiana, GNDU Amritsar and Punjabi University Patiala has calculated the estimated farm debt of Punjab at Rs 69,000 crore. Of this, RS 54,000 crore is attributed to the institutional sector. The study also incorporates data on farmers suicide from year 2000-2010 in the state and reports 3,954 farmers deaths in the given period.This study has been approved by the state government. A survey is going on in the Universities of Punjab on period post 2010 and this is yet to be compiled.

While the minimum support price of the grains has been revised by 4-5 per cent year-on-year, the cost of cultivation has been rising by 8-10 per cent y-o-y (labour cost, diesel, pesticides, deepening of tube well bore) so the gap has been widening in the past few years that has accelerated the incidents of suicides in Punjab, told G S Kalkat, Chairman, Punjab Farmers' Commission.

Rural indebtedness and debt-income ratio in Punjab as on December 2013 Household income* No. of households Annual income per household* Debt outstanding per household* Debt outstanding per household as %age of income Up to 0.50 8 0.22 0.86 390.91 0.50-1.00 28 0.66 1.29 195.45 1.00-2.50 44 1.67 2.47 147.90 2.50-5.00 38 3.49 5.36 153.58 5.00-7.50 19 5.86 6.49 110.75 7.50-10.00 15 8.26 6.50 78.69 10.00-20.00 23 13.62 10.61 77.90 20.00 and above 4 28.13 9.45 33.59 Total 179 4.95 4.79 96.77 * Rs lakh; Source-Study conducted at CRRID Chandigarh

According to National Sample Survey Data released in December 2014, the average debt per household in India is Rs 47,000 per annum and on all India basis more than 60 per cent of rural households are under debt. A survey conducted by ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Sciences Research) released in January 2016 pegged the average debt per household in Punjab at an average 5,52,064. The state average of household under debt as per the survey is 85.9 per cent.

The data on rural indebtedness and farm distress are sourced from different surveys because no comparable data from same source are available.

A disturbing trend in Punjab agriculture is indicated in Punjab census 2011 which pints that number of small farmers (having a land holding of up to 5 acre) dipped from 5 lakh in 1991 to 3.60 lakh in 2011 census. The high cost of cultivation in Punjab due to mechanization and low water table has turned small land holding unviable for cropping.

An average income of Rs 3000 per acre (after meeting all expenses) gets an income of Rs 15000 per crop for a small farmers. This amount is not sufficient to meet his daily needs and he borrows from one source to repay the other and gets into a debt trap, reveal the studies.

The high cost of cultivation due to increasing cost of inputs and declining water table incur higher burden y-o-y on farmers undermining the profitability in agriculture in Punjab, says Sukhpal Singh, a Professor at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.

The farmers avail interest subvention from the nationalized bank but need to repay the principal and interest at the end of the year to be eligible for the loan next year. He borrows at a higher rate (24%-36% from commission agents) to repay the bank to maintain the good credit record. One year income is needed to pay off debt in rural areas but at low income levels it is almost four times of the income, and such households comprise two-third of rural households, examines Verma's study.

Despite liberal lending by the nationalized banks, the grip of commission agents in Punjab has become stronger over the period of time.

Farmers in Punjab cannot sell in open market as they are entitled for various schemes (like health insurance scheme for farmers) of state if they produce J Form which is a receipt of sale of grain to the commission agent. The law of the land allows them to do so but the tacit network of moneylenders and procurement agencies makes it impossible for him to sell in open market.

In order to regulate unorganized farmer credit and debt market, Punjab Assembly recently passed The Punjab Settlement of Agriculture Indebtedness Bill, 2016 to provide relief to the agriculturists by creating a mechanism for fair settlement of their debt related disputes. In the absence of a ceiling on the rate of interest charged by the money lender from farmers, tenet farmers and farm labourers, the bill remains a paperwork. The maximum rate of interest, says the bill, would be fixed each year by the government based on repo rate by the Reserve Bank of India and interest charged by the banks.

The private banks, in order to achieve target, lent aggressively against the collector rate of land to the farmers. The loan amount was spent on consumption. The farmers in Punjab borrow from unorganized private moneylenders to repay bank loan. In years to come, the situation will become more precarious when the amount raised to repay the private banks debt would grow beyond farmers means, said a banker who did not wish to be quoted.

Efforts by the state government to diversify agriculture did not fructify as market for crops other than wheat-paddy-cotton are not available to Punjab farmers.
Every summer, Mohan Bapna, 40, and 20,000 people in Gangapur town of Bhilwara district, some 300 km from the state capital, Jaipur, would get drinking water supply once in three days. This year, they are getting water once in eight days.
With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) finally publishing estimates of gross value added (GVA) derived from the MCA database, it is now possible to examine whether the criticism levied against the new gross domestic product (GDP) series is justified or not. Of particular interest is the rather contentious issue of just what has been driving GDP growth?



Both T C A Anant, chief statistician of India and Pronab Sen, former chairman, National Statistical Commission have argued that during this period, growth was driven largely by small and medium-sized companies. But their claims have been vehemently contested by economists.

The data released by the RBI can now finally put this controversy to rest as they clearly show smaller companies have fared better than their larger counterparts during the past few years. But doubts remain about the manner in which these estimates have been blown up to arrive at consolidated GVA estimates of non-government non-financial corporate sector.

Before proceeding, it is important to first describe the data sets released by the RBI. The central bank has released two data files. The first details value added by 239,398 non-government non-financial private limited companies. These companies form the so-called micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. The second data set pertains to 16,923 non-government non-financial public limited companies, which are predominantly the big companies.

According to these data sets, GVA by smaller companies grew at a staggering pace, estimated at 16.9 per cent in 2014-15. By comparison, GVA of larger companies grew at a modest 10.5 per cent. For the manufacturing sector, GVA by the MSME sector grew at a scorching pace of 16.2 per cent in 2014-15, though GVA by the public limited companies also grew at a robust 12 per cent.

Economist Surjit Bhalla, one of the few vocal supporters of the new GDP series, has taken these growth rates to buttress his claim that the controversy surrounding the new GDP series is completely unwarranted.

On the face of it, Bhalla's claims do seem justified. Even R Nagaraj, professor at Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, a vociferous critic of the new series, concedes that the smaller companies have, in fact, grown at a faster pace.

But the problem that Nagaraj highlights is the contribution of smaller companies to GVA is minuscule. "The share of the small companies is really minuscule: 2.1 per cent of domestic output, or 6.5 per cent of non-financial private corporate sector output. So, the question is: Can the long tail of small companies really wag the economy? Surjit Bhalla (and others like him) thinks it can. I really doubt it," he says. If these small companies really account for a fraction of the total non-government non-financial corporate sector, then their growth rates, no matter how high, will not push up overall growth rates by that magnitude.

Data from the MCA site show that at the end of 2012-13, there were a total of 705,454 private limited companies and 49,727 public limited companies. Currently there are over a million active companies.

The difference between the numbers of companies is largely because not all the companies in the MCA database regularly file returns. So the Central Statistical Office (CSO) takes data of the companies that has been updated and blows it up to arrive at an estimate of the whole universe.

This is where it gets fuzzy. The exact blowing-up factor used for this is not available in the public domain. Conversations with ministry of statistics and programme implementation officials reveal that the factor used to blow up is the ratio of the paid-up capital all active companies registered with the MCA to that of the companies actually used for GVA calculations.

Let us for a moment assume that these 705,454 private limited companies and 49,727 public limited companies form the entire universe of companies that CSO refers to. Then using data released by the RBI, the blowing-up factor for smaller companies works out to 4.48, while for the larger ones it is 3.35.

But this process is contentious. And as that in turn would affect growth rates, scepticism about growth rates under the new series persists.

"The official number (of companies) is spurious because, large swathes of small companies are fictitious/bogus/shell companies which rarely, if ever, submit their audited balance sheet to MCA. Therefore, "blowing up" for the imaginary universe of active companies could cause an over-estimation of the size and growth rates of private corporate sector," says Nagaraj.

But Anant rebuts these claims. "The principle of active companies is a moving average of three years. If you file in the MCA once during the three years, you are considered active. The purpose of GDP is to give an estimate of the whole," he says.

Theoretically, it is possible for some of these firms, registered with the MCA, to cease production. Thus, blowing up for them may not be correct. But, it is possible that many simply delay their filings. This does not mean they have ceased production.
Tuff Drilling, the Delhi-based contractor of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), has defaulted on loans of over Rs 120 crore to three public sector banks.

The little-known supplier of rigs, Tuff and its Gujarat government-owned client GSPC, are at the centre of a political storm as the Opposition led by the Congress is demanding a detailed probe in to what they have codenamed the "new KG scam."



Congress leaders have alleged kickbacks and other irregularities, which merits a Joint Parliamentary panel probe. Tuff Drilling was awarded the contract to supply platform rigs to GSPC for its ambitious field development plan (FDP) in the offshore block it had won in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin.

The CIBIL list, updated till December, named six directors as reported by the banks Om Prakash Yadav, Vivek Yadav, Vinay Yadav M G Mohan Kumar, Prakas Ladhani and S N Ladhani.

Separately, Tuff Drilling and two directors Om Prakash and Vivek Yadav were named willful defaulters by United Bank of India for a sum of Rs 21.5 crore in September 2015, according to watchoutinvestors.com, an independent public service portal supported by NSE, BSE and Sebi.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) data showed that the company had not held AGMs since 2010 and has not filed balance sheet since.

Tuff, which had its registered office at the Jeevan Tara building on Parliament Street, had a paid up capital of Rs 30 crore, but its current status showed that it was under the process of liquidation. Charge documents filed with the MCA showed the three banks had a total exposure of close to Rs 200 crore created between 2008 and 2010. An email seeking comments sent to the official email id of the company did not elicit any response.

Between 2007 and 2009, several companies with similar names such as Tuff Energy, Tuff Infrastructure, Tuff Mining, were floated with the Yadavs as directors. While some were based out of Parliament Street, others had a Bangalore address. Unlike Tuff Drilling, these companies continued to be "active" but had paid up capital of Rs 1 lakh each.

In a press note issued in 2011, then opposition leader in Gujarat Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil mentions a Rs 3,930-crore Memorandum of Understanding signed between Gujarat government and Tuff Energy among 31 such deals inked in Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2009, which did not translate into "anything for the state and people of Gujarat." A press note by Gohil dated January 2011 had alleged, "Rather, these companies have used Vibrant Gujarat as a platform to inflate their share values and attract financial institutions for more funding."



Few months after inking the MOU, in March 2010, Tuff Drilling won the tender for platform rigs from GSPC. The CAG report on GSPC said, "For implementation of the FDP for the KG block (DDW), the Company issued (April 2009) tender for Platform rigs and the Company awarded (March 2010) the contract to Tuff Drilling (Consortium of Tuff Drilling Private Limited and Spartan Offshore Drilling)."



The CAG observed that the contractor did not have enough experience in the work it was awarded and the shortcomings were overlooked by GSPC.

"Tuff Drilling had not designed, engineered or constructed a modular platform rig on its own. Further, on the clarification sought by the Company while evaluating the bid documents, Tuff Drilling replied that their subcontractor had relevant experience, which was accepted by the company despite the tender condition for considering the experience of individual consortium members in case of Special Purpose Vehicle or joint venture companies."



The government auditor concluded that the technical qualification of Tuff Drilling was not according to the tender conditions. Further, Audit observed that the well head platform from which the platform rig was to operate was expected to be ready for drilling (RFD) by March 2011 and the rig was to be mobilized by that time.

As Tuff failed to mobilize the rig by the stipulated time (February 2011), the Company awarded (April 2011) the work to Nabors Drilling International (L-2 of the tender) and their rig was mobilized by February 2012.

"As the Well Head Platform was RFD by May 2011, the Company had to deploy a costlier Jack-Up rig for drilling the development wells during the period September 2011 to January 2012, which resulted in an additional expenditure of $6.812 million," the CAG report said.

An email sent to top GSPC officials seeking comments on the CAG report findings did not elicit any response.

According to the GSPC's management response recorded in the CAG report, the technical qualification was based on the experience of Spartan Offshore Drilling (SOD), a Consortium partner in designing, constructing and operating offshore rigs and that of the members of its senior management in modular rig construction. "It was also considered that the Consortium had constructed eight rigs and that the Consortium gave the option of buying back the rig at a reduced price," the management told CAG.

But, the CAG pointed out that the tender conditions stipulated experience in both operating offshore rigs and building and operating offshore modular platform rigs. "Neither of the Consortium partners had experience in designing, constructing and operating modular platform rig. The experience of individual members of senior management was not a consideration relevant to the tender and the eight rigs constructed by the Consortium as stated above were by a subcontractor and not a Consortium member," the CAG report said.
There were 7,686 owing Rs 66,190 crore to state-owned as of December 2015, Jayant Sinha, minister of state for finance, told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Sinha also said that the total outstanding amount in top 100 non-performing accounts (NPAs) with public sector (PSBs) was Rs 1.73 lakh crore as of December 2015.

Sinha said the number of of PSBs rose from 5,554 to 7,686 in three years to December 2015 while the amount involved more than doubled to Rs 66,190 crore from Rs 27,749 crore. "The total exposure of top 50 defaulters of PSBs as of December 2015 was Rs 1,21,832 crore," he said in a written reply in the Upper House.

Read more from our special coverage on "WILFUL DEFAULTERS" Sebi to dry fund-raising taps for wilful loan defaulters

In another reply, Sinha said there were 1,365 borrower accounts having outstanding of Rs 500 crore and more at the end of December 2015. He said government has taken specific measures to address issues in sectors such as infrastructure, steel and textiles, where instances of NPAs are high.

Vibha Batra, head of financial sector ratings at ICRA said while such information is useful, such disclosures should happen frequently more for meaningful analysis and action. "This information would help to identify where instances and amounts involved in wilful default are high for further probe. There could be more questioning about credit underwriting practices adopted by banks," Batra said.

The immediate benefit is limited as cases are mired in delays at various legal forums including Debt Recovery Tribunal and courts. In most cases, banks are saddled with bad loans because of economic downturn. But laxity in credit risk appraisal, loan monitoring and lack of appraising skills for projects have also landed lenders in problem.
The total extent of land acquired for Mahajan Field Firing Range in Bikaner District of the State of Rajasthan was 5,39,901.5 bighas, out of which 2,73,392.65 bighas was private land located in 33 villages. .

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As responsibility for allotment of land to the persons displaced due to acquisition of land for Mahajan Field Firing Range lies with the State Government, information on this aspect is not maintained by the Ministry of Defence. .

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This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Ram Narain Dudi in Rajya Sabha today. .

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DM/NAMPI/RAJ ?
During the visit of Honble Prime Minister to Malaysia in November, 2015, both sides agreed to strengthen defence cooperation including enhancing defence exchanges through regular dialogue at various levels as also through Service-to-Service Staff Talks. .

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Both sides have also agreed to upgrade the bilateral joint Army exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI to company level and to set up SU-30 Forum for cooperation in training, maintenance, technical support and safety-related issues, etc. Setting up of the Forum was also discussed during the Air Staff Talks in April, 2016. .

.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Mohd. Ali Khan in Rajya Sabha today. .

.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ ? /RAJYA SABHA/
Various foreign companies, including Boeing, have expressed their interest for manufacturing fighter aircraft under Make in India. .

.

India and France have agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement on the supply of 36 Rafale Aircraft. Negotiations on the terms and conditions of the said supply, including total cost, actual delivery timelines and guarantee period have not been concluded. .

.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri AW Rabi Bernard in Rajya Sabha today. .

.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ
Mangoes prices are unlikely to "soar" this year as production is expected to be 2.1% higher at 18.91 lakh tonnes (LT) in the 2015-16 crop year ending June, Parliament was informed today.

Production of was 18.52 LT in the previous year.

"In view of higher production in the current year, it is unlikely that the prices of will soar in the domestic markets," Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

According to the information received from the states so far, "there is likely to be an increase of 2.1% in production in the current year 2015-16, as compared to the previous year," he said.

Except for Telangana which has reported decrease in mango production due to unseasonal rains and hot weather, the output in other states is likely to be "either normal or better" than previous year, he added.

Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh together account for about half of the total mango production in India. Of over 1,300 varieties of mangoes grown across the world, India alone cultivates over 1,000 varieties of the fruit.

The UAE is the top export destination for India's mangoes accounting for over 50% share followed by UK and Saudi Arabia.
have turned weak in the late trades owing to profit booking in the bluechips at higher and attractive valuations amid losses in the global peers.

At 2:20 pm, the S&P BSE Sensex dropped 156 points to trade at 25,281 and the Nifty50 shed 45 points to quote at 7,759.

Globally, European stocks took a hit with the major indices declining owing to weakness in mining and auto stocks as earnings from major banks including UBS and Commerzbank hurt the investor sentiments. FTSE 100, DAX and CAC 40 dropped between 1%-2%.

Meanwhile, major Asian indices barring Chinas Shanghai Composite closed lower amid dip in oil prices and strengthening of the US dollar. Chinas Shanghai Composite ended higher by 1.8% while Hong Kongs Hang Seng and Singapores Straits Times lost between 1%-2%. Japanese are closed today on account of a public holiday.

Back home, the combined output of eight crucial infrastructure sectors jumped to a 16-month high of 6.4 per cent in March due to a double-digit growth in refinery products, fertilisers, cement and electricity.

STOCK TRENDS

Shares of Tata Motors gained 1.5% after the company reported a 9.9% growth in sales at 39,763 units in April against 36,190 units during the same month last year. On the flip side,

Capital Goods major L&T climbed 1% after the combined output of eight crucial infrastructure sectors jumped to a 16-month high of 6.4% in March. Meanwhile, the government has granted infrastructure status to the shipyard industry, a move that will help the sectoral players get long-term financing at cheaper rates. Tracking the development, Reliance Defence and Engineering and ABG Shipyard surged between 1%-2.5%.

Another notable gainer in todays trade was Adani Ports up nearly 1.5% ahead of the quarter results due today.

Among the prominent losers, Coal India slipped over 2% after the company said its coal production for the month of April stood at 40.09 mt as compared to target of 44.48 mt.

Meanwhile drug maker Sun Pharma dropped over 1.5% after its subsidiary Taro Pharmaceutical ceased commercial sales for Keveyis which is used to treat periodic paralysis. Among its peers, Lupin, Cipla and Dr Reddys Lab dipped up to 2%.

Auto stocks which witnessed a spectacular rally on posting good sales figures declined in the late trades on account of profit booking. M&M, Maruti Suzuki and Bajaj Auto and Hero Motocorp shed up to 1%.

Defensive stocks took a hit on the back of an appreciating rupee on selling of the American currency by exporters amid foreign fund inflow. Infosys, TCS, Wipro, ITC and HUL lost between 1%-2%.

State Bank of India (SBI) slashed by five basis points its marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR), the new benchmark to which the pricing of loans are linked. The stock is trading with modest losses.
are likely to open the session on a negative note with the early indicator SGX Nifty showing weakness. Meanwhile, stock specific action is likely to dictate the trend on the bourses with some of the majors including Adani Ports, MRF, TVS Motor and Adani Power are due to slate the results today.

Drop in the crude oil prices on signs that production in the Middle East is continuing to rise is likely to influence sentiments.

GLOBAL MARKET

Asian stocks are trading mixed amid dip in oil prices and strengthening of the US dollar. However, rebound in the US equities has capped the downside. Chinas Shanghai Composite is trading higher by 1%. However, Hong Kongs Hang Seng and Singapores Straits Times have lost over 1% each.

Japanese are closed today on account of a public holiday.

Overnight, US stocks rebounded as financials gained with Berkshire Hathaway and dollar weakness eased concerns over corporate earnings.

CORPORATE NEWS

Auto stocks are likely to hog limelight as the sales of passenger vehicles  cars, vans and utility vehicles  surged over 12% in April, thanks to the popularity of newly-launched models and a low base effect.

Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor and M&M reported double-digit growth in domestic sales to dealers. Tata Motors reported a growth of eight per cent after months of decline, thanks to the newly-launched Tiago.

Further, Life Insurance Corporation (along with its schemes and funds) increased its stake in all the three listed automobile companies: Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra and Hero MotoCorp.

Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), the city gas distributor in the Delhi-NCR region, has set up 72 CNG filling stations in the first four months of the current calendar year to meet the rising fuel demand.

HDFC posted a 40% rise in net profit at Rs 2,607 crore for the March 2016 quarter on the back of sale of investments. The housing finance company had posted Rs 1,862 crore profit in the year-ago period.

State Bank of India (SBI) slashed by five basis points its marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR), the new benchmark to which the pricing of loans are linked.

Motilal Oswal Financial Services reported a 10% year-on-year growth in consolidated net profit to Rs 47 crore. Consolidated revenues for the financial services firm increased 30 per cent to Rs 316 crore.

L&T Finance Holdings posted a 15% increase in its consolidated net profit for the March 2016 quarter at Rs 237 crore. It had posted a net profit of Rs 206 crore in the January-March 2015 quarter.
finished the session on a weak note owing to profit booking at higher levels tracking losses in their global peers.

The S&P BSE Sensex dropped 207 points to end at 25,230 and the Nifty50 shed 59 points to finish at 7,747.

Read more from our special coverage on "MARKETS"

"The Indian indices finally managed to come in line with the recent global market corrections, and probably trying to even out that outperformance. We believe that Nifty is still in a range of 7,700-7,950 approx on closing charts, and till the time we dont break the band convincingly, its going to be a tricky market, especially in terms of calling a decent trend in the index," said Kunal Bothra, Head-Advisory, LKP Securities. "There is a lack of coherent pattern in the correction of the stocks and sectors, which could probably indicate that its too early to call for an uptrend reversal. Many stocks in the large cap spaces are still trading above their 200 DMA and short term swing breakouts as well, and hence indicating that once the global market stabilizes a lot of these stocks could start seeing buying activity again," he added.

Globally, European stocks took a hit with the major indices declining owing to weakness in mining and auto stocks as earnings from major banks including UBS and Commerzbank hurt the investor sentiments. FTSE 100, DAX and CAC 40 dropped between 1%-2%.

Meanwhile, major Asian indices barring Chinas Shanghai Composite closed lower amid dip in oil prices and strengthening of the US dollar. Chinas Shanghai Composite ended higher by 1.8% while Hong Kongs Hang Seng and Singapores Straits Times lost between 1%-2%. Japanese are closed today on account of a public holiday.

Back home, the combined output of eight crucial infrastructure sectors jumped to a 16-month high of 6.4 per cent in March due to a double-digit growth in refinery products, fertilisers, cement and electricity.

STOCK TRENDS

Shares of Tata Motors gained 0.5% after the company reported a 9.9% growth in sales at 39,763 units in April against 36,190 units during the same month last year.

On the flip side,

Capital Goods major L&T climbed 0.2% after the combined output of eight crucial infrastructure sectors jumped to a 16-month high of 6.4% in March. Meanwhile, the government has granted infrastructure status to the shipyard industry, a move that will help the sectoral players get long-term financing at cheaper rates. Tracking the development, Reliance Defence and Engineering and ABG Shipyard surged between 1%-2.5%.

Another notable gainer in todays trade was Adani Ports up 1% ahead of the quarter results due today.

Among the prominent losers, Coal India slipped 3% after the company said its coal production for the month of April stood at 40.09 mt as compared to target of 44.48 mt.

Meanwhile drug maker Sun Pharma dropped over 1.5% after its subsidiary Taro Pharmaceutical ceased commercial sales for Keveyis which is used to treat periodic paralysis. Among its peers, Lupin, Cipla and Dr Reddys Lab dipped up to 2%.

Auto stocks which witnessed a spectacular rally on posting good sales figures declined in the late trades on account of profit booking. M&M, Maruti Suzuki and Bajaj Auto and Hero Motocorp shed up to 1%.

Defensive stocks took a hit on the back of an appreciating rupee on selling of the American currency by exporters amid foreign fund inflow. Infosys, TCS, Wipro, ITC and HUL lost between 1%-2%.

State Bank of India (SBI) slashed by five basis points its marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR), the new benchmark to which the pricing of loans are linked. The stock declined by 1%
Seems like Zarina Wahab and her daughter is not happy with Aditya Pancholi speaking up on Adhyayan Suman's statement that Aditya had warned him about Kangana Ranaut.

Reportedly, Zarina with her daughter have flown down to Hyderabad till things cool down.

After giving comment like "Who is he?" when asked about the 'Jashn' actor, Aditya, in a statement to a leading daily clarified that his statement was misinterpreted.

According to him, the question on Adhyayan came out of blue when the camera lights were flashing on his face.

So when he said 'Kaun hai woh? Usko leke aa re tu!' he meant the camera person who was disturbing him while he was trying to talk.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday dubbed US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USIRF) report on religious intolerance in India as uncalled for and futile, saying the foreign commission should look in to their backyard where religious tolerance is on a negative trajectory.

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli told ANI this report does not reflect the correct position.

"And I don't know how they have arrived on these conclusions. If they are raising BJP president Mr Amit Shah's name with regard to nationwide law of cow slaughter, they should only refer to the Constitution of India, they can get a copy of it online and they should read Article 48, the state shall strive towards it. In any case this matter is to be decided by the state governments, it is not an imposition," he added.

Kohli said this is not an agenda of the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is working on the lines of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'.

"And before commenting on the internal issues or internal dynamics of the country, perhaps they would do well to look into their own backyard and practice what they preach. In the U.S. also, in the past couple of years there have been incidents of desecration of temples, gurudwaras, Indians being hit, Muslims suffering," he added.

The BJP leader further said even one of their own presidential candidate is making utterances that may not be seen as promoting religious tolerance.

"So, I think it is uncalled for, it is an unnecessary comment on India's internal matter. And as far as it is Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Jews or anyone, there is no agenda of the government. The government protects what the constitutional mandate is, that is the only thing which the Prime Minister Modi's government does," he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress Party used the USIRF report to taunt the government.

"This is nothing new. We have been saying this for a long time," said former union minister and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury.

A U.S. government agency, which monitors religious freedom, says that religious tolerance in India deteriorated in 2015 and religious freedoms of minorities were violated by Hindu nationalist groups.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rubbished US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report on religious intolerance on the rise in India, saying New Delhi does not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like the former to pronounce on state of Indian citizens' constitutionally protected rights.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including the right to freedom of religion.

"Our attention has been drawn to the recent report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which once again fails to proper understanding of India, its Constitution and its society," Swarup said.

"India is a vibrant pluralistic society founded on strong democratic principles. The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens including the right to freedom to religion. The government does not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens' constitutionally protected rights. We take no cognizance of their report," he added.

According to the annual report of the USCIRF, religious tolerance deteriorated in India last years and incidents of violation of religious freedom increased.

"In 2015, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India. Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups,"the report said.

"These issues, combined with longstanding problems of police bias and judicial inadequacies, have created a pervasive climate of impunity, where religious minority communities feel increasingly insecure, with no recourse when religiously-motivated crimes occur," the report added.

"USCIRF will continue to monitor the situation closely during the year ahead to determine if India should be recommended to the U.S. State Department for designation as a 'country of particular concern,' or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) for systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom," the report further said.
The 'Equals' actress Kristen Stewart was a total badass at the red carpet of the 2016 Met Gala in New York City on May 2.

The 26-year-old Chanel's brand ambassador rocked one of its Fall 2016 ready-to-wear looks with her bleach blond hair in a messy updo, reports E! Online.

The 'Twilight' actress struck a series of confident poses at the event.

The actress made her Met Gala debut in 2010 wearing Chanel. She returned in 2011 wearing Prozenza Schouler, in 2012 wearing Balenciaga, in 2013 wearing Stella McCartney and in 2014 wearing Chanel.

Though Stewart skipped last year's event, 'China: Through The Looking Glass,' she readily embraced 2016's theme 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which has its political base in Pakistan's Sindh province, has called on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign and subject himself to a judicial commission completes inquiry in connection with the Panama Papers leak case.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have already demanded Sharif's resignation, citing that he has lost the 'moral authority to stay in power'.

The MQM Rabita Committee, which is the third largest opposition party in parliament in a statement issued late Monday night said that the Prime Minister should resign till investigations into the Panama Papers expose was completed.

"If Nawaz Sharif continues to stay in power, then his political opponents will raise questions on the impartiality of the investigations," the Express Tribune quoted him, as saying.

The statement added that in a civilised society, people holding top offices resigned voluntarily and waited for inquiry findings.

A massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents on April 3 revealed secret offshore dealings of leaders and celebrities, including three of his children for owning London real estate through offshore companies.

The leaks revealed that three of his children own offshore companies - identified as three British Virgin Islands-based companies Nescoll Ltd, Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Hangon Property Holdings Ltd, incorporated in 1993, 1994 and 2007 respectively - and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement.
Taking a jibe at political parties who have called on him to step down in the wake of leak case, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked his rivals to "wait until 2018 or even beyond because the people of Pakistan support progress and not anarchy".

"I've ordered a judicial inquiry to clear the matter once and for all. I'll continue to serve the masses after the inquiry clears me of all baseless charges," the Express Tribune quoted him, as saying while speaking at the launch of the National Health Programme in Quetta yesterday.

His remarks comes a day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said 'Mian Sahib' would not only have to quit but go to prison if proven guilty in the inquiry.

Without naming the PTI chief, Sharif criticised the of agitation.

"Our government is committed to changing the political culture of Pakistan - from one of confrontation to that of serving the masses," he said.

Apart from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Rabita Committee, which is the third largest opposition party in parliament has also demanded Sharif's resignation.

Sharif said that his administration was working towards a transparent and corruption-free system in the country.

"Not a penny of corruption has ever been established against our government, neither in the present nor in the previous two tenures," he said.

He appreciated Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri who had warned political opponents of the Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) of a befitting reply, if they do not cease from hatching conspiracies.

He endorsed the views of Zehri who said his political opponents need to wait patiently until 2018 or even beyond because the people of Pakistan supported progress and development undertaken by the PML-N government.

A massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents on April 3 revealed secret offshore dealings of world leaders and celebrities, including three of his children for owning London real estate through offshore companies.

The leaks revealed that three of his children own offshore companies - identified as three British Virgin Islands-based companies Nescoll Ltd, Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Hangon Property Holdings Ltd, incorporated in 1993, 1994 and 2007 respectively - and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement.
Speaking candidly about the severity of the risks involved in the operation to take out 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, United States President Barack Obama said that it was only after the terrorist's dead body landed on Afghan soil safely did the celebrations begin and states that it was a 'uniquely complicated' operation with high stakes.

Speaking exclusively to CNN on the fifth anniversary of bin Laden's death, Obama said that his advisors had raised the issue of the major risks involved in the top secret operation but added that he didn't consider aborting the mission, even when it started with a downed helicopter.

"My initial concern there was extraction. That if something happened to the helicopter that we could make sure that we got our guys out," he said, pointing to the backup helicopters that had been prepared as part of their "plan B."

"Nevertheless, it gave you a little jolt. I think it reminded you that no matter how well you plan, there's always going to be something that comes up. And we were operating inside of Pakistan. But these guys had been through a lot of harrowing moments," Obama said.

Asserting that it was a uniquely complicated operation because the stakes were so high he added that the entire episode was so high strung that nobody cheered or nobody high fived, because they couldn't be sure at that point.

He stated that it wasn't until the helicopters had landed in Afghanistan with bin Laden's body "that all of us breathed ... a sigh of relief."

However, the alleged involvement of Pakistan of hiding bin Laden remains a mystery even though there has continued to be speculation that the government was aware of bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made strong claims that senior officials in Islamabad knew about the hideout location bin Laden in Pakistan, asserting that it was too much of a coincidence that the 'unusual-looking house' where the wanted terrorist was hiding, was surrounded by retired military professionals.
The new Toyota Prius has achieved a five-star rating in the crash test conducted by Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system. The Baleno is the second model to have been tested by the Euro NCAP for the same.

The tested version of the Prius was fitted with standard Toyota Safety Sense technology, which is able to recognise pedestrians and avoid contact with them. The AEB feature helped the Baleno score an extra star in the safety rating. While the standard variant got three stars in the test, the one equipped with the safety pack (with AEB) received four stars.

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general, said, The inclusion of AEB Pedestrian in the rating is a key milestone in the development of automotive safety that will help the proliferation of the crash avoidance technology into all segments of the market. Elaborating on the dual rating system adopted by the NCAP, Ratinger added, At the same time, to provide accurate and clear information to consumers about the latest systems and what benefit they might bring, is becoming more challenging. The dual rating will simplify the choice for the safest car. The NCAP initially tests a normal trim and then a more advanced variant to see the disparity amongst the two. While the former might receive a lower rating, the latter with its additional safety features will surely attain a better score.

While we are happy to see the cars score four/five star rating in the crash tests, the concept of an advanced version with a safety pack might not work in India. Though there has been increased awareness in the country, we are still ignorant regarding car safety. A better approach would be to make safety features standard across the variants of the car.

If you think there is another way we can make cars safer in India, do share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Read More on : Prius

Source : CarDekho
Coal India declined 1.02% to Rs 285.75 at 11:55 IST on BSE after the company's production and sales on provisional basis fell short of target in April 2016.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 2 May 2016.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 119.33 points, or 0.47%, to 25,556.30.

On BSE, so far 74,110 shares were traded in the counter, compared with an average volume of 4.48 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 289 and a low of Rs 284.50 so far during the day. The stock hit a record high of Rs 447.25 on 5 August 2015. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 272.05 on 12 April 2016. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 2 May 2016, rising 0.31% compared with 0.66% gains in the Sensex. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one quarter, dropping 9.5% as against Sensex's 3.66% gains.

The large-cap company has an equity capital of Rs 6316.36 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Coal India and its subsidiaries on provisional basis achieved 90% of targeted production at 40.09 million tonnes in April 2016. Coal India and its subsidiaries on provisional basis achieved 83% of targeted offtake at 42.45 million tonnes in April 2016.

On consolidated basis, Coal India's net profit rose 14% to Rs 3718.25 crore on 6.8% growth in net sales to Rs 18971.48 crore in Q3 December 2015 over Q3 December 2014.

Coal India is an organized state-owned coal mining corporate. The Government of India held 79.65% stake in Coal India (as per the shareholding pattern as on 31 March 2016).

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Moody's Investors Service says that emerging-market Asian high-yield bonds provide stronger investor protection in five of six key risk areas when compared with Latin American bonds.

"During 2011-15, the average covenant quality score for 137 full-package Asian bonds scored was stronger than that for the 47 full-package Latin American bonds, with better scores in five risk areas: restricted payments, risky investments, leverage, liens subordination and change of control," says Jake Avayou, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Covenant Officer.

"Protection against structural subordination risk is the one area of relative weakness, with Asian bonds showing the lowest average score globally of 3.92, and the reason is mainly the significant risk existent in Chinese bonds," says Avayou. "But, if we exclude Chinese bonds, the average for Asia is 2.13, stronger than all other regions".

"At the same time, both Asian and Latin American bonds provide more protection than those issued in North America, as well as Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), faring better in restricted payments, risky investments and leverage risk," adds Avayou.

Asian bonds show an average covenant quality (CQ) score of 2.55 versus 3.00 for Latin America, with a lower score denoting stronger covenant quality on our scale from 1.0 to 5.0.

Moreover, a higher percentage of Asian bonds fall in our strong and good categories (56%) than bonds from any other region. No Asian bond has ever scored in our weakest category and only 4% fall in our weak category compared to 9% and 17%, respectively, for Latin American bonds.

Adding to the weakness of Latin American bonds -- relative to Asian bonds -- is their significantly higher proportion of high-yield lite bonds, which receive an automatic CQ score of 5.00, the weakest level possible on the Moody's scale.

From 2011 to 2015, 14 of 61 (23%) high-yield bonds issued in Latin America were high-yield lite, while, in Asia, 12 of the 149 (8%) bonds issued fell under this category.

In North America and EMEA, the focus by investors on yield has resulted in a proliferation of weak covenant structures with a considerably higher percentage of deals falling in our weak and weakest categories.

Moody's summarizes its assessment of the six key risk areas as follows:

Restricted payments (RP) protection is strong in Asia except for pre-dating. Asian bonds have fewer RP carve-outs and stronger objective checks on affiliate transactions.

Asian bonds provide stronger protection against risky investments. Asset sales covenants are stronger in Asia, but restricted investments covenants are weaker because Chinese property bonds have large carve-outs for investments in joint ventures.

Leverage scores are stronger in Asian bonds as issuers have less capacity to incur additional debt due to high fixed-charge coverage ratio (FCCR) thresholds under the $1 debt test. But more Latin American bonds require companies to satisfy two leverage ratio tests, rather than one, which is a protective feature for investors.

Asian bonds allow for less potential liens subordination.

Permitted liens carve-outs are smaller in Asian bonds, averaging 0.58x adjusted EBITDA versus 1.38x in Latin America. Latin American bonds also contain higher general liens baskets than Asian bonds, and more contain a carve-out for liens securing any debt under the debt covenant if a secured leverage ratio test is satisfied.

At a regional level structural subordination risk is Asia's - and specifically China's - one weak area. By contrast, in the case of Latin American bonds, a substantial majority of group assets and/or cash flows are at the issuer level, or with subsidiaries that guarantee the bonds, thereby minimizing structural subordination risk.

Change of control protection is much stronger in Asian bonds; nearly all contain all five of the standard events that trigger the change-of-control put option versus 19% of Latin American bonds. However, 85% of Asian bonds contain a double trigger, further requiring a negative ratings action to trigger the put versus 53% of Latin American bonds.

Separately, Moody's also notes that Latin American bonds provide issuers with more flexibility for mergers. The merger covenant, which provides event-risk protection against increasing leverage, in Asian bonds provides investors with more protection than Latin American bonds.

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Rolta India jumped 12.96% to Rs 86.70 at 12:55 IST on BSE after the company won multi-year multi-million pound geographical information system contract from UK Power Networks.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 3 May 2016.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 132.92 points, or 0.52%, to 25,569.89.

Surge in volumes was witnessed on the counter. On BSE, so far 13.22 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with an average volume of 1.2 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 88.60 and a low of Rs 76,60 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 131 on 6 August 2015. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 66.90 on 25 February 2016. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 2 May 2016, falling 0.32% compared with 0.66% gains in the Sensex. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one quarter, dropping 8.25% as against Sensex's 3.66% gains.

The mid-cap company has an equity capital of Rs 162.77 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Rolta India said that it has been awarded a new contract by UK Power Networks, a major utility company that delivers electricity to London, the South East and the East of England. The 7 year, multi-million pound contract was established to manage and update their spatially-enabled network asset information.

On a consolidated basis, Rolta India's net profit rose 10.77% to Rs 46.87 crore on 0.91% fall in net sales to Rs 980.56 crore in Q3 December 2015 over Q2 September 2015.

Rolta India is a leading provider of innovative IT solutions for many vertical segments, including federal and state governments, defense, homeland security, utilities, oil & gas, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare.

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To Felicitate Employees of his Ministries, PSUs & Statutory Bodies for their Path Breaking Work towards Lighting Up India

Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy will launch 'Contract Labour Payment Management System'- a portal of Coal India.

On the occasion, Shri Goyal will also felicitate employees of his Ministries, Public Sector Undertakings and organization/Statutory bodies for their path breaking work towards lighting up India in last two years. CMDs of all the PSUs, Head of the Statutory Body/organizations and senior officials from the Ministries of Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy will be attending the event.

The 'Contract Labour Payment Management System' web portal is created for monitoring compliance of labour payment and other benefits to the contract workers under the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act. 1970. It is an integrated system for all subsidiaries of CIL. The in-house developed application will maintain a comprehensive database of all contract workers engaged by different contractors in CIL and all its subsidiaries. Central Mine Planning and Development Institute (CMPDI) the Ranchi based consultancy subsidiary of Coal India Limited shall maintain the portal.

The system has in-built mechanism to validate minimum wages paid, generate wage slips and employment card etc. of contract workers as required under the Act. The portal provides access to all contract workers, through a Workers Identification Number (WIN), to view their personal details and payment status. Contract workers can also register their grievance through this portal. The system extends facility to all citizens of the country to view a snapshot of contract works in CIL and subsidiaries, number of contract workers engaged, payment status, minimum wages paid etc. The Nodal Officer at different locations in the company will monitor the process and ensure compliance by all contractors. It has been planned to make payment to the contractors only after submitting a system generated declaration of compliance.

This will enhance proper monitoring of legal compliances under Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, especially the payment of correct wages to the contract workers and PF deductions and deposit and other statutory obligations.

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Rolta India, BGR Energy Systems, Gateway Distriparks and Persistent Systems are among the other stocks to see a surge in volumes on BSE today, 3 May 2016.

Trent clocked volume of 1.04 lakh shares by 13:25 IST on BSE, a 71.17-times surge over two-week average daily volume of 1,000 shares. The stock rose 0.66% at Rs 1,714.

Rolta India notched up volume of 14.92 lakh shares, a 16.31-fold surge over two-week average daily volume of 91,000 shares. The stock surged 12.25% at Rs 86.15 after the company won multi-year multi-million pound geographical information system contract from UK Power Networks. The announcement was made during market hours today, 3 May 2016.

BGR Energy Systems saw volume of 5.26 lakh shares, a 14.88-fold surge over two-week average daily volume of 35,000 shares. The stock jumped 13.42% at Rs 120.

Gateway Distriparks clocked volume of 4.28 lakh shares, a 9.04-fold surge over two-week average daily volume of 47,000 shares. The stock rose 3.38% at Rs 283.20.

Persistent Systems saw volume of 1.3 lakh shares, a 7.98-fold rise over two-week average daily volume of 16,000 shares. The stock fell 0.94% at Rs 730.65.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News
Superstar Aamir Khan has become a proud owner of the new Bajaj V, a motorcycle which contains metal of India's de-commissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

Aamir was inspired to buy the V15 when he learnt that the new launch from Bajaj contains metal from INS Vikrant, which played a role in the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

When Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, got to know that Aamir, a personal friend, had placed an order for a V15, he contacted Aamir and decided to have a unique customisation done for his Bajaj V.

The new V made for Aamir has a customized embossing of the initial A on the fuel tank and one-off graphic design of "Chote Lal" affectionately inscribed on the rear seat cowl.

Bajaj met Aamir at his residence here and personally handed over his customised V15 to him.

The "Dhoom:3" star was delighted to receive his new bike. He said in a statement: "The V is a special bike and I wouldn't compare it with anything else. It has a piece of history ingrained into it. For me, it's a proud moment to own a piece of metal from INS Vikrant which was the military pride of India for decades."

The launch of V was announced by Bajaj in February this year. V is a 150cc commuter bike differentiated by its solid form and stand tall proportions.

--IANS

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Efficient functioning and reduction in operational costs has helped national carrier Air India turn from a loss-making airline into an "operational profit unit", the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

The government also asserted that with regard to safety issues for air travellers, it will be the endeavour of the government "to keep our airports and skies absolutely safe" through foolproof adherence to prescribed international standards.

"By cutting its operational expenses by almost 11 per cent, Air India has turned from a Rs.2,636 crore loss making unit in 2014-15 to a Rs.8 crore operational profit unit in 2015-16," Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said while replying to the debate on demand for grant for his ministry.

He also pointed out that Air India joined Star Alliance in 2014, "which has helped it to integrate better with the international civil aviation market".

The minister also recalled the unique contribution of Air India in the "hour of crisis -- evacuating about 6,000 nationals from Yemen, 1,300 from Iraq and Libya and 17,500 passengers from quake-affected Nepal".

The minister told members that by 2020, Air India's fleet size is likely to grow, by about 100 aircraft to about 232, and of this 28 more aircraft will be added by January 2018.

Responding to members who during the debate on Monday raised issues concerning air passengers, the minister said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has decided to use technology as an "enabler" and that a comprehensive e-governance project will be launched to offer 160 services online to stakeholders.

"This system will promote transparency, increase efficiency and service delivery, leading to greater ease of doing business. The first set of such services will be launched in May 2016," Raju said.

Among other innovative schemes, the minister said Cochin airport has become the "first in the world to exclusively run on solar energy with a total installed capacity of 12 megawatt".

Delhi and Hyderabad international airports also have eight and five megawatt solar plants respectively.

With regard to safety issues, Raju said it will continue to be the endeavour of the government "to keep our airports and skies absolutely safe through foolproof adherence to prescribed international standards".

He said there was a "high degree of satisfaction" that in a very recent survey it was found that passenger and cargo security satisfaction level were assessed to be 99.25 per cent against a world average of 66 per cent.

To a specific issue raised by Congress member K.C. Venugopal on the fate of the request by Kerala government for an airline between Kerala and the Gulf countries, the minister said, "It (such a demand) is an imagination. No government or any airline in the name Kerala Airline has applied with the government of India."

"I tried to make my enquiries and no airline of Kerala government is pending with the

government of India. They have not even applied," he said amid repeated interruptions from Congress members including Venugopal.

The minister's contention was supported by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Dushyant Singh, who also said the Kerala government has not made any such request to the centre.

At one point Venugopal was heard asking the minister and the treasury bench, "what happened to you, it is my right to ask the question".

The minister said all registered airlines will have to follow the Indian rules and the Route Dispersal Route guidelines.

The demand for grant was later passed by voice vote after the cut motions were either rejected or withdrawn.

--IANS

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned teachers in the party school against spreading "Western capitalist values", it was reported on Tuesday.

Instead of making groundless comments about national policies, the teachers must emphasize the leadership of the Communist Party of China in party schools, Global Times quoted Xi as saying.

Xi made the remarks in a speech aiming at consolidating the Communist Party's leadership after coming to know that some disseminated the Western values during lectures at party schools.

Some made groundless comments about the party and the government's policies, he said. Some even took part in "nondescript" social activities, Xi said.

Ye Qing, a deputy director of the statistics bureau of Central China's Hubei province, who has attended several lectures, admitted that some opinions expressed at the lectures "crossed the line".

"Before Xi took office, some party school teachers were pessimistic and tended to exaggerate social problems. Some tried to make themselves conspicuous by advocating the Western democratic system," Ye told the Global Times.

--IANS

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The issue of getting the Kohinoor back from Britain figured in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as members cutting across party lines voiced support for it. Even house Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said everyone would be "happy" if the gem is brought back.

The issue was raised by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) member Bhupinder Singh during zero hour. He said: "Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, in his last will, said he wanted to give it (Kohinoor) to Lord Jagannath in Puri."

He said the will was fished out when India was observing 50 years of its independence.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) member urged Leader of House Arun Jaitley to take action in the matter, adding: "We would urge the Leader of the House to show some action... What you said in the Supreme Court is not right. Duleep Singh was taken to Dalhousie and converted, and they said he offered it (Kohinoor)... It is wrong."

Several members from the ruling and opposition benches backed the BJD member's zero hour mention.

"All will be happy if the Kohinoor is brought back... Every member will be happy if it is brought back," Kurien then said.

--IANS

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A traffic head constable was critically injured here on Tuesday when a 19-year-old youth rammed his car on him after being intercepted for speeding, police said.

The incident occurred around 1.15 p.m. when Head Constable Yogendra Singh was on duty along with a traffic interceptor team to check speeding vehicles near Taj Enclave on Pusta Road in east Delhi.

"Yogendra was hit when he tried to stop the over-speeding Honda City car (HR51 M 4554) driven by a teenager, who was later identified as Nikhil," a police official told IANS.

According to traffic police, the youth was driving towards Pusta Road from Shakarpur when police tried to flag him down.

After hitting the policeman, the driver sped away but was intercepted by a police team.

The head constable was first rushed to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital with serious head injuries and later shifted to Max Hospital.

Police said the teenager was a resident of Geeta Colony.

--IANS

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Cessation of hostilities in the Syrian city of Aleppo will be announced in the coming hours, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday after talks with UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

Lavrov said the US and Russian militaries were currently holding talks on the Aleppo ceasefire.

"I hope that in the coming hours such an agreement will be announced," the minister was quoted by RT after the meeting in Moscow.

Lavrov also announced the creation of a new Russian-US monitoring centre in Geneva, Switzerland, which will oversee ceasefire violations in Syria.

"We are grateful to the UN for its help in solving logistical issues on the creation of this centre in Geneva where the militaries of the two countries will discuss face-to-face specific developments on the ground," he said.

Moscow is also urging Washington to distinguish between extremists and the Syrian opposition, Lavrov added.

"To make the ceasefire work and make it inclusive, our partners must do everything possible to remove the moderate opposition, which relies on foreign support, from the positions occupied by the terrorists."

Lavrov also called for an extended ceasefire in Syria. "Of course, there are separate groups who would like to undermine the cessation of hostilities, to provoke an escalation (of the crisis). We can not let them do it," he said.

--IANS

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For Andy Liang, 32, the sharp fall in global crude oil prices has taken a toll on his business. And what he is enduring is also what is playing out at a much larger level at China's largest trade exposition here -- the 119th edition of Canton Fair, on since 1957.

"I hope that oil prices go up and so does my business. This time around business at the fair will not be that great," Liang, whose company Kebo Electricals sells voltage stabilizers and inverters, told IANS at the fair, which began on April 14 and will end on May 5.

"Our main buyers are from the Middle East and Africa. Not many (buyers) have come so far. Those who have, have placed small orders. Low oil prices have affected their countries' economies and their power to purchase," added Liang, who depends on oil-rich countries for exports.

The low global appetite for Chinese goods -- a result of world economic downturn and China's own production glut -- has manufactures worried at the fair.

The twice-yearly affair covers 1.18 million sq mts of space to host 60,233 stands set up by as many as 24,512 companies from across the world, the organisers said of the event, dubbed as China's bellwether for boosting exports.

The Chinese economic growth slowed to a 25-year-low of 6.9 percent in 2015. The fall in the crude oil prices has triggered concerns among economists, who say the country's lower demand for oil is one of the reasons for plummeting oil prices that tanked to a 12-year low of $27 a barrel in January.

The fair is also being held against the backdrop of a fall in foreign capital inflows to China -- fDi magazine, think tank of Financial Times, says India is now the top-ranked nation in the flow of foreign direct investment in 2015, beating China on the very turf it dominated for a few decades.

The trade fair offers myriad products that range from home appliances to bicycles and skin care products to bottle openers. Your made-in-China shoes or light bulb could have been sourced from here and sold to you in your neighbourhood market.

Kevin Feng, employed at a bicycle-making firm, is not very optimistic about the sales this time. "Sales may not be great this time, but responses have not been that bad either," said Feng, whose Glory Business mainly exports bicycles to Eastern European countries.

Hebe Chen, salesperson at the stall of Guangdong Senhat Sporting Goods, also says the response so far has been tepid. She mistakes this correspondent for an Asian businessman and offers a visit to her company's'nearby manufacturing unit of ice skates, skate boards and inline skates.

Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong province, is located on the Pearl River. The bustling city accounts for two percent of China's land and contributes 12 percent of its GDP.

The deputy director general of Guangdong's foreign affairs, Luo Jun, told IANS that he was quite hopeful exhibitors will not return disappointed from the fair. He has a ray of hope as well. Even though the slowdown has the sellers worried, some buyers said it has been in their favour.

"This time we can bargain with them as the demand for their products is less," said a businessman from Pakistan. "Earlier, they wouldn't even talk to us properly."

(Gaurav Sharma is IANS correspondent based in Beijing. He can be contacted at gaurav.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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Congress went into a huddle to chalk out a strategy ahead of Defence Minister Manohor Parrikar's statement on the AgustaWestland deal in parliament on Wednesday.

The senior Congress leaders went to party president Sonia Gandhi's residence on Tuesday evening to discuss how to counter the BJP in parliament on the AgustaWestland issue.

Parrikar will make a statement in the Rajya Sabha at 2 p.m. on Wednesday during a debate on AgustaWestland issue.

Parrikar is likely to respond once the issue comes up, a BJP source told IANS.

Congress members have also threatened to raise the CAG reports on the alleged mismanagement in the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) during the tenure of Narendra Modi as chief minister.

--IANS

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Michael Dell announced at the casino capital of the world that the biggest merger in tech history will be called Dell Technologies.



"It has a nice sound to it," the Chairman and CEO of Dell, which last year announced the $70 billion dollar merger with EMC, said at the Venetian Convention Center where he was giving the keynote address on Monday at the annual EMC World Conference.

"The brand equity of Dell PC is irreplaceable," he said, adding that he was partial to the family name. Dell Technologies will comprise Dell, EMC - the leading global computing storage provider -- VMware, Pivotal, Secureworks, RSA and Virtustream.

The combined enterprise business, though, would go by the name of Dell-EMC, he announced. The merger is awaiting regulatory approval from the US and Chinese authorities as well as a green light from shareholders.

Several countries have already given an assent to the marriage, with the actual merger likely to happen in the next few months.

Taking a dig at rival HP, Dell said that his competitor was trying to grow by downsizing.

"You cannot do that. But HP is trying to grow by investing less in R&D and less in software, all the while losing shares to Dell," he said, adding that his company was doing just the opposite.

"We are investing in speed, agility and innovation, and creating the essential infrastructure for the next industrial revolution," the tech celebrity said, pointing out that he was making the announcement just one day short of the 32nd birthday of his company.

Little later, Dell told the media that although Information Technology did disrupt existing businesses and structures, they also created more possibilities.

Answering a question about many people being "left behind" by the changes in the IT world, Dell said that it was a challenge to cope with the coming changes, right from the time the wheel was invented.

It was up to the people and countries to anticipate and work towards it.

"The future doen't pay attention to which people are ready for it or not," he said late at night India time.

He said when he started out, he believed that IT was going to be a force for change. Over the years, he said, it had democratised information, helped cut poverty by half globally and created a huge global middle class in most countries.

"I am more energised and optimistic today about IT," he added.

Dell said that in tomorrow's world "speed, agility and innovation" would be essential for the next industrial revolution taking place.

He said the combined company, Dell and EMC, would stand at the centre of innovation and the next big growth in IT.

"Today, we stand at the centre of human progress, and there is no other place I'd rather be," Dell said.

Joe Tucci, 69, Chairman and CEO of EMC, who tried out his balancing act on a "hover board" because he was dissuaded from doing so "because of my age," also announced that this would be his last annual conference with EMC.

He got a prolonged standing ovation from hundreds of EMC and Dell employees who came to witness announcements of their merger.

Tucci said that "something great and something truly special" would emerge out of the two giants coming together.

Saying that everyone had to be prepared for the coming digital revolution, he said that it would "dwarf the industrial revolution" in terms of innovation and change.

More than 10,000 visitors, including vendors, employees and media are expected to come for the EMC Word, which first held its annual expo and conference in 2001 with just 2000 attendees.
French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday said he was "at this stage" opposed to the free trade accord between the European Union and the US -- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) -- unless rules to protect domestic businesses were respected.

"At this stage of negotiations, France says no to TTIP because we are not for free trade without rules," Xinhua quoted Hollande as saying.

"We will never accept questioning the essential principles for our agriculture, reciprocity in access to public markets," he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said a collapse of the trade talks was "now likely".

"Given the approach being taken by the US today, it is the most likely option," Fekl told the local broadcaster Europe 1.

In a recent interview, Fekl said he would block TTIP negotiations if there was no progress on improving transparency, guaranteeing food safety and facilitating access of European small and medium-sized companies to US markets.

--IANS

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As part of its plans to scale training offerings, Google has acquired Synergyse Training, a business technology start-up founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur, the California-based search engine giant announced on Monday.

Toronto-based Synergyse that puts a virtual guide into Google Apps, training you to be productive and stay up to date with changes was founded by Varun Malhotra and his business partners.

"We're happy to announce Synergyse will be joining Google, and we intend to make the product available as an integral part of the Google Apps offering later this year," Peter Scocimara, senior director, Google Apps Operations, said in a blog post.

"In 2013, we launched Synergyse Training, with a mission to teach the world how to use Google Apps. Synergyse Training for Google Apps puts a virtual guide into Google Apps, helping users get the most out of their Google Apps experience and training them to be more productive," Synergyse founders said in an official statement released on Monday.

"We're proud to have served more than 4,000,000 people and 3,000 organisations globally," the statement added.

"By joining the Google Apps team, we can accelerate our mission because we will be working even closer with the teams that build Google Apps," the statement noted.

With the new acquisition Synergyse Training for Google Apps will be free, enabling all Google Apps customers to take advantage of the solution, the company said.

Malhotra specialises in training and strategy and has over 10 years of experience in the enterprise space.

Scocimara said Synergyse will be joining Google, and the company intends to make the product available as an integral part of the Google Apps offering later this year.

"By providing the right help at the right time, Synergyse will help our customers with the critical task of change management in the enterprise, and bolster the training and support programs we already offer today," he said.

--IANS

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As the ruling NDA completes two years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday directed his ministers to highlight the government's achievements before the nation and asked BJP MPs to campaign about the ongoing welfare schemes.

The Modi government completes two years on May 26.

"Prime Minister said it is high time that we should work towards taking all the schemes initiated by the government to the people as it is completing a second year in office," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary party meeting.

"The prime minister also said that it is time to make our countrymen aware about the achievements of the government. People should be aware of schemes that are pro-common man," Rudy quoted Modi as saying.

Modi also asked ministers to prepare a list of the achievements of their ministries so that the good work can be publicised.

Rudy said a review was also done at the meeting of the business in both the Houses of Parliament.

During the past two years, the Modi government has launched programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna, Deen Dayal Gram Jyoti Yojna, LPG 'Give it Up', Crop Insurance Scheme, Digital India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Mudra Yojna, Start up India and Stand up India.

BJP president Amit Shah also attended the meeting.

--IANS

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Hrithik Roshan will be seen shaking a leg with the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band, touted as India's first transgender band, in their latest track "Ae Raju' .

The song salutes the unabated spirit of the transgender community, and the actor says he was compelled to be part of the song as it addresses a "meaningful" message in a "fun and entertaining way".

The actor, who has himself successfully battled stammering and more, also shared that "we cannot just reject them just because they are different from us".

Brooke Bond Red Label tea in association with Y-Films, the youth films' wing of Yash Raj Films, is back with another song by the band.

In the song the members of band are inspired to fight discrimination and break all social barriers.

The song and its chorus are a lighter take on the trademark 'Ae Raju', a term used by the Hijra community. In the video, Hrithik motivates the members of the band to unleash their inner superheroes. The video went live on Y-Films YouTube channel on Tuesday, read a statement.

"I've been following the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-pack Band and when I heard that the band is creating a meaningful message in a fun, entertaining way, I had to be a part of it. Shooting with them was an amazing experience," Hrithik said.

The "Bang Bang!" star added: "I think that one of the main causes of anxiety in the society as a whole is the feeling of differentiation between people. It's important to feel connected to people around you and we cannot just reject them just because they are different from us."

Through the association with the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band, the brand aims to encourage everyone to be more accepting, overcome social prejudices and make the world a more welcoming place.

Shiva Krishnamurthy, Brooke Bond Red Label spokesperson and Category Head - Tea, Hindustan Unilever Limited, said: "It is a wonderful feeling to see the overwhelming response and accolades that the Brooke Bond Red Label 6 Pack Band has received to date.

"The band has been welcomed with open arms by music lovers. Through our association, we want to spread the message of inclusiveness and encourage people to become more accepting, break barriers and bond over a cup of tea."

The band rendered hits via collaborations with Sonu Nigam, Zanai Bhosle and Arjun Kapoor.

--IANS

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India on Tuesday asserted that it has "jurisdiction" over the case relating to Italian Marine Salvatore Girone and that the government will continue to fight the case in an "unwavering" manner in the Supreme Court of India.

"We will fight for the rights of the victims," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in a suo moto statement in the Lok Sabha in the absence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Sushma Swaraj is in hospital undergoing treatment for congestion.

"India has jurisdiction in the case," Jaitley said, adding that the government will move the Supreme Court in the matter.

Several Congress members wanted to ask questions on the issue which was disallowed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who said: "There is no rule to allow questions on (suo moto) statements from a minister."

Making a brief intervention, even as Congress members raised slogans about "match fixing" between the Indian and Italian government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu denied any such thing, and added, "We as government condemn sloganeering."

"There is no match fixing and it is improper for senior members to raise such slogans," he said, and sought to point out that it was a matter between two countries and the Supreme Court of India is already seized of the matter.

The Speaker also ruled that no sloganeering should go on record.

The international tribunal at The Hague has ruled that Girone, facing a murder charge along with marine Massimiliano Latorre for the 2012 killing of two Indian fishermen, could return home.

The verdict was seen as the first big pronouncement of the PCA (Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague), after Italy approached it in June 2015.

While Latorre is in Italy since 2014 following illness, Girone is staying at the Italian embassy here.

The Indian government maintains that The Hague tribunal has "left" it to the Supreme Court of India to fix the precise conditions of Girone's bail.

"This could include him reporting to an authority in Italy designated by our Supreme Court, surrendering his passport to Italian authorities and not leaving Italy without the permission of our Supreme Court. Italy shall apprise our Supreme Court of his situation every three months," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.
Rome, May 3 (IANS/AKI) One of two Italian marines facing trial for the killing of two Indian fishermen will return home "in a few weeks", Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said on Tuesday.

Salvatore Girone "will come back to Italy in a few weeks, but there are still bureaucratic procedures to go through", Pinotti told Corriere della Sera daily after a Hague court ruling on the Italian marine's bail conditions.

"The Hague tribunal recognised what we were asking and that is that Girone should return to Italy and live with his family," Pinotti said.

She was referring to Tuesday's ruling by the Hague-based arbitration court that stated: "Italy and India shall cooperate, including in proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, to achieve a relaxation of the bail conditions ... so that Sergeant Girone may return to Italy."

Italy and India dispute jurisdiction over the drawn-out case and an arbitration verdict is not expected before August 2018 at the earliest.

"It's not over and we'll have to wait for the outcome of the arbitration. A lot more could happen, but I'm sure Italy will be vindicated in the end," Pinotti said.

Girone and fellow marine Massimiliano Latorre allegedly shot dead two unarmed fishermen in 2012 after mistaking them for pirates while guarding an Italian oil tanker off the coast of India's southern state of Kerala in February 2012.

The case sparked a diplomatic row between Italy and India and has strained bilateral ties. It prompted Italy to seek international arbitration last June amid fears that an Indian court could convict the marines and sentence them to death over the fishermen's killings.

Rome claims the marines are immune to prosecution since they were serving on a United Nations-backed anti-piracy mission and the vessel they were guarding was in international waters at the time of the incident.

India remains convinced that jurisdiction in the case "is our right", Information Minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.

Latorre has been in Italy for the past 18 months, where he had heart surgery after suffering a stroke. He and Girone have not been charged over the fishermen's deaths but were barred from leaving India and were ordered to stay at the Italian ambassador's residence and report regularly to police.

--IANS/AKI

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The BJP on Tuesday alleged that JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar's visit to Bihar was funded by the state's liquor mafia.

"Kanhaiya Kumar's visit to Bihar was funded by the liquor mafia," former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi told the media here.

Modi said the organisers had no money to book the hall for Kanhaiya Kumar's programme on Sunday. "The programme was funded by the liquor mafia," he said.

Kanhaiya Kumar, who is facing sedition charges and is currently out on bail, was on a visit to his home state for two days, and addressed a meeting in Patna where he criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'failing' to fulfill his promises.

--IANS

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Maharashtra's well-known businessman-politician Pankaj Parakh called 'The Man With The Golden Shirt' by his friends - has earned a place in the Guinness World Records (GWR).

The GWR certificate issued on Tuesday cites Parakh, 47, as the man with "the most expensive gold shirt in the world costing Rs.98,35,099 ($161,354/GBP 95,856)" as on August 1, 2014.

"This is simply unbelievable. I am a small man from a remote area in Maharashtra. I am happy that this achievement had catapulted my village name into the whole world," an emotional Parakh told IANS on Tuesday.

The school dropout, who made his fortunes from a garment fabrication business is also the Nationalist Congress Party's Deputy Mayor of Yeola town in Nashik district, around 260 km from Mumbai.

The shirt, weighing exactly 4.10 kg, is currently valued at over Rs.1.30 crore, is supplemented by other golden paraphernalia including a gold watch, several gold chains, large gold rings, a gold mobile cover and golden-framed spectacles - the total weight of this opulence being a whopping 10 kgs!

Whenever Parakh steps onto the streets of Yeola in his full 'shining golden gear' and his licensed revolver worn discreetly, he admits that women stare and men glare at him, while two stern private security guards manage to keep everyone at a safe distance.

"I had stitched this special gold shirt with seven golden buttons for my 45th birthday two years ago. I have been fascinated by gold since my school days and over the years it became a passion, almost an obsession," Parakh smiled.

The shirt was designed by Bafna Jewellers, Nashik, 85 km away, and meticulously executed by Shanti Jewellers at Parel in Mumbai.

A team of 20 select artisans spent 3,200 hours over two months to craft the 18-22 carat pure gold strands, to the last thread and 'stitch' it, and the deal was fully billed - to keep tax sleuths at bay!

Though made of gold, the shirt is fully flexible and comfortable, absolutely smooth and harmless and with a thin cloth lining the inside to avoid rubbing or chapping the body, washable and even repairable with a lifetime guarantee, Parakh said.

Barely three decades ago, the poor, young Parakh could ill-afford his school education and dropped out after Class VIII to enter the family's small garments business in Yeola.

In 1982, he branched out to an independent business and a decade later even entered politics to be elected as a municipal councillor in Yeola.

"At my marriage 25 years ago, many guests considered me an embarrassment as I wore more gold than the bride," he recalled.

Progressing and prospering over the years, he took care of all his family's needs - a good house looked after by wife Pratibha and higher education for his two doting sons Siddharth (24) and Rahul (21).

Then, he indulged in his passion and invested his excess incomes to acquire a 'gilded edge' that helped him enter the GWR.

However, his unimpressed family does not share his passion for gold, they ignore it as 'a necessary evil,' but all his relatives think he has gone bonkers, Parakh guffawed.

Parakh remembers how, when the entire family attends weddings or important social occasions, he adorns himself with around three-and-half kg gold ornaments while his wife looks bare and stark with just 40-50 grams gold jewellery!

Yeola is renowned for its Paithani silk saris and the Shalu and Pitamber varieties of saris, considered nationally-recognised brands.

Despite his gilt-edge, Parakh is a down-to-earth and caring human being, deeply involved in a variety of social and educational activities.

For instance, he has fully financed 150 polio operations in the past seven years through the renowned Narayan Seva Sansthan Hospital of Udaipur in Rajasthan, the country biggest 1,000-bed polio hospital.

He spends a week each year to offer voluntary services, financing poor patients, providing food, medicines and other requirements.

Maharashtra has had other 'gold-men' including Datta Fuge of Pune, Jagdish Gaikwad of Navi Mumbai (Thane), the late Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader from Pune Ramesh Wanjale, and to a certain extent, famed music director Bappi Lahiri of Mumbai.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in

--IANS

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Memoranda of Understanding envisioning investment of thousands of crore rupees in Uttar Pradesh have been signed at the 'UP Investment Summit' held in Dubai recently, a senior official said here on Tuesday.

Infrastructure and Industrial Development special secretary Kanchan Verma said these deals include a Rs.18,000-crore MoU inked with the Bin Zayed Group for the Samajwadi Poorvanchal Expressway and a Rs.1,000 crore MoU with Alana Sons Pvt. Ltd. for a theme park.

Another MoU, for investment of $100 million (around Rs.665 crore), has been signed with the Sharaf Group and pertains to setting up a logistics park.

Other MoUs are for a cold chain and air freight station, and IT and skill development sectors.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said Uttar Pradesh has emerged as an attractive investment destination for people the world over due to his government's industry-friendly policies.

--IANS

md/tsb/vt
The brutal murder of a poor law student in this district last week has galvanised politics in election-bound Kerala as Chief Minister Oomen Chandy promised a thorough probe while the opposition alleged "inaction".

Jisha, a 27-year-old woman, was found murdered on April 28 at her home near a canal in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam by her mother who works as a casual labourer.

Her body was badly mutilated; there were injuries on her private parts, according to the police.

The police are waiting for forensic reports to find out if the victim was raped and then murdered.

The possibility that Jisha might have been sexually assaulted and the mutilation that her body bore has led some to compare the case with that of Jyoti Singh 'Nirbhaya' who was gang-raped and brutalised on December 16, 2012 in a moving bus in Delhi.

Sensing that it could lead to a political backlash, the state government has ordered a high level probe to be led by Kochi Range Inspector General of Police Mahipal Yadav.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters on Tuesday: "We have asked the probe to be led by a very senior official and nothing will be left to chance to bring the culprits to justice.

The State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala is also closely watching the probe, said Chandy.

Women activists and the opposition CPI-M, however, said the handling of the case so far was proof of abject inaction.

"It has come to a stage that women are now no longer safe in their homes. The police here are not allowed to do their job and the state government is also not doing anything," said CPI-M politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan.

In the state capital women journalists took out a march demanding police act with speed in its investigation.

"The police appears to be soft and silent in the probe and there has been a violation of Justice Verma Commission guidelines in such cases. It's five days since the incident took place and nothing seems to be happening," said lawyer and women's rights activist Ginakumari.

The students' wing of CPI-M expressed impatience and anger over the alleged delay in investigation of the case; it took out a march to the police station near here demanding quick action.

The victim's mother said: "Our neighbours did not come to our help even after coming to know of the murder. We want the law to come to our aid to arrest those who have done this."

Jisha's sister Deepa said the neighbours were unkind to them and trying to evict them from the place.

"They did not come to her rescue even while she was brutally assaulted," said Deepa.

With assembly polls to take place on May 16, the Left opposition, led by CPI-M, is now determined to take this case up as an election issue to hit at the Chandy government.

--IANS

sg/kb/vm
Myanmar's upper house has agreed to debate on a motion to end fighting between the military and the ethnic Arakan Army (AA) in the country's western Rakhine state, parliament sources said on Tuesday.

The motion, which was approved in the house on Monday, also called for bringing the Arakan Army into political dialogue, Xinhua news agency reported.

A military-appointed member of parliament suggested that talks with the Arakan Army should be conducted in accordance with the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA).

There have been armed clashes between the military and the Arakan Army since the end of last year, especially in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state.

The Arakan Army is among those remaining groups not included in the NCA deal signed between the government and eight ethnic armed groups in October last year.

At a meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) for Ceasefire, held after the new government took office on April 1, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi called for continued peace process already initiated by the previous U Thein Sein's government.

She said work on bringing those deemed appropriate for inclusion in the ceasefire efforts, should be done simultaneously.

--IANS

py/
A top Pakistani foreign affairs advisor on Tuesday expressed deep concern over India's growing military power, media reported.

Adviser to prime minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that if India's growing military power was not checked, Pakistan will be "forced to increase its strategic power" too, Dawn online reported.

"The international community should avoid steps which may disturb the strategic balance in South Asia," Aziz warned.

--IANS

ahm/dg
Pakistan has condemned US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's remark that he would ensure Pakistani physician Shakil Afridi, who has helped the US kill Osama bin Laden, is freed from jail within two minutes.

Afridi, who is known in Pakistan as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) doctor and has been described as a hero in the US, is serving a 33-year-long imprisonment for treason.

Trump on Monday in an interview with Fox news said: "I think I would get him out in two minutes. I would tell them (Pakistan) let him out and I'm sure they would let him out," Trump said.

Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said Afridi's fate will be decided by Islamabad and not by Trump even if he becomes the US president.

"Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani citizen and nobody else has the right to dictate us about his future," Khan said.

Khan said it was not only about Afridi but Trump's perception and comments about Pakistan were highly misplaced and unwarranted.

"Contrary to Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the US. He should learn to treat sovereign countries with respect. Trump seems to be ignorant, historically, of the huge sacrifices Pakistan have made in standing with or supporting US policies over the years."

Trump also said he plans to leverage US aid "because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money to Pakistan."

Khan said the "peanuts" that the US gave to Pakistan in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat the country into following Trump's misguided vision of foreign policy.

Khan said the cost Pakistan had to pay in supporting US over the years was mind-boggling.

Trump's statement shows not only his insensitivity but also his ignorance about Pakistan, he said.
The ethics committee of the Rajya Sabha has recommended expulsion of independent member, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, a day after he sent his resignation to Chairman M. Hamid Ansari.

Sources said the panel wants Mallya's resignation to be rejected, and his expulsion initiated through due procedure.

A final decision rests with the Rajya Sabha chairman.

Mallya sent his resignation to Ansari on Monday, a day before the ethics panel was to meet.

He later tweeted: "In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter."

Another tweet on Tuesday said: "7686 Wilful Defaulters Owe PSU bank Rs.66,190 cr -- easy to blame only Mallya."

Mallya is wanted for defaulting bank loans to the tune of Rs.9,000 crore.

He is an Independent member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, and his term ends June 30.

This is his second term in the upper house.

According to parliament sources, during his tenure of almost 10 years as member of the Rajya Sabha, Mallya had been declaring his assets and liabilities as "nil".

The union government had revoked Mallya's passport after he failed to turn up for a probe into the loan default. This has set in motion the process for the billionaire's possible deportation from Britain, where he is staying at present.

His case was referred to the ethics panel by the Rajya Sabha Chairman, after he fled the country.

--IANS

ao/rn/vt
The rape of a 25-year-old Russian woman at a beach resort in Goa last week and the inability of the police to nab the culprit was a matter of shame, state Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a tourism event, Parulekar also criticised the functioning of the home ministry, headed by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

He said police were reluctant to investigate "certain cases" and the government needed to crack the proverbial whip.

"The rape of the Russian woman is a matter of shame. Police should have acted quickly. I do not look after the home department and I, as tourism minister, will move a note to the home department seeking that the inquiry be conducted as soon as possible and taken to the logical conclusion," Parulekar said.

Five days after the rape of the tourist in her hotel room at the beach village of Morjim, 30 km from Panaji, police have been unable to nab the accused.

The woman accused the owner of the beach resort in the police complaint.

Speaking to IANS, officials from the Russian consulate in Mumbai as well as the honorary Russian consul in Goa have maintained that police had not formally contacted them and informed them about the rape.

Parulekar said the rape dented the image of Goa as a beach tourism destination.

"Definitely our name will be spoilt, there is no doubt about it... If such an incident occurs, our home department should be alert. In certain cases, they are reluctant. If police is reluctant, we need to crack the whip," he said.

Goa is one of the top beach tourism destinations in the country and attracts nearly half a million foreign tourists, of which a large chunk are travellers from Russia.

--IANS

maya/pm/dg
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday sought "exemplary punishment" to those who brutally murdered a young woman in Kerala.

"One feels sick. Give exemplary punishment to guilty. But we all need to work together to prevent such incidents," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader tweeted.

The 27-year-old was found murdered on April 28 at her home near a canal in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam by her labourer-mother. Her body was mutilated, according to police. Activists say she may have been raped.

--IANS

mr
Washington wants the all-encompassing TTIP trade deal with Europe to go through, but is unwilling to budge on many points, jeopardising the entire talks, France's trade minister has said a day after negotiation papers were leaked by Greenpeace.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership has been discussed behind closed doors since 2013. It will affect a trade zone inhabited by 850 million people, and has received strident criticism from many Europeans who believe it was not in their best interest, RT news reported.

"In view of the United States' state of mind today, that seems to be the most likely option," French Trade Secretary Matthias Fekl said on Europe 1 radio on Tuesday, when asked if he thought the negotiations were in danger of halting.

"We want reciprocity. Europe offers a lot and gets very little in return. This is not acceptable," Fekl said. "It is an agreement which, as it would be today, would be a bad deal... It can not be agreed without France and even less against France," he added.

"Trade is not an end in itself, it is a tool," Fekl said, adding that "It would make no sense to have held the COP in December in Paris, this superb deal for the environment, and sign a few months after an agreement that would unravel it."

Fekl's warning comes a day after Greenpeace leaked 248 pages in negotiation documents which the environmental group says confirm that the TTIP was really about "a huge transfer of power from people to big business".

According to Greenpeace, the deal threatens to do away with a whole series of protections, such as those relating to the environment, consumer protection and food produce. The documents reveal some wide rifts between the US and EU in these areas.

The American authorities, however, do not seem worried by such exposure.

The US Trade Representative's office has shrugged off the revelations, declining to comment on the "validity of alleged leaks", a spokesperson said, adding that "the interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat-out wrong at worst".

Greenpeace wants the talks to stop. But the TTIP is Obama's last chance as US president to get a deal in before his term ends in January, the report said.

While the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and Europe was set to create the world's largest free trade zone, many Europeans worry that the agreement would elevate corporate interest above national interest.

TTIP opponents say that cheaper goods and services would only hurt the EU and help US corporations.

Europeans argue that international corporations would be given power at the expense of small and medium-sized businesses. The secrecy surrounding the negotiations has also come under fierce criticism.

People have been coming out on the streets to voice their protest to the deal, the latest such one being in Germany's Hannover.

--IANS

ahm/dg
US President Barack Obama does not believe that his country owes Japan a formal apology for the 1945 nuclear bombing of Hiroshima city, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

"No, he does not," Xinhua news agency quoted Earnest as saying on Monday when asked whether Obama thinks Japan deserves an apology for the bombing in 1945.

Earnest also said Obama is yet to decide whether to officially visit Hiroshima when in Japan in late May for a Group of Seven (G7) summit.

In April, US Secretary of State John Kerry visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, along with other G7 foreign ministers.

Kerry was the first US secretary of state to visit the A-bombed city, and Tokyo hopes Kerry's visit could spur a visit by Obama.

The US bombed Hiroshima city on August 6, 1945, and another nuclear bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki three days later, killing tens of thousands of people.

The bombings, which remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history, were thought to be instrumental in forcing the Japanese surrender in World War II.

--IANS

py/dg
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday said an American service member has been killed in Iraq.

"It is a combat death, of course. And a very sad loss," the senior official told reporters at a press conference in Germany.

According to Carter, the serviceman was killed "in the neighbourhood" of Irbil, in northern Iraq.

However, no further details were available.

Carter arrived in Stuttgart, Germany, to preside over a ceremony that sees a new commander of US European Command, Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, installed. Scaparrotti will replace Air Force General Philip Breedlove.

--IANS

ahm/dg
This is one thing that Punjabis don't mind wearing on their sleeves - 'Punjabiat'. Even the younger generation of Punjabis, be it in India or abroad, are quite inclined to do so.

With the demand for traditional Punjabi things, which are packaged in tune with the times and latest demand, increasingly in the last few years, stores dealing with traditional items and even catchy Punjabi one-liners are creating business out of the demand.

In a leading mall in Chandigarh, where top brands vie with each other for maximum footfalls and selling trendy and latest stuff, a new store has taken up the challenge of offering the vibrant tradition and culture rooted in Punjab.

From the signboard at the entrance, which proudly proclaims 'Theka Khushiyaan Da' (Vend of happiness), the store, 'Urban Theka', is an amalgamation of Punjab's colourful, humorous and vibrant life.

This 'mini Punjab' guarantees you a true and raw taste of Punjab. Located on the second floor in Elante Mall, this store can be spotted from a distance, thanks to its bright ambience, handmade figurines and 'phulkaris'.

"Our opening coincided with Baisakhi -- Punjab's colourful festival. The happiness surrounding Baisakhi goes well with the theme of 'Urban Theka'," I. P. Singh, an entrepreneur, who along with his wife, Sunny Thakral, has painstakingly put together the concept, told IANS.

The husband-wife duo say that the "idea is to merge Punjab's age- old rural culture with its modernity".

The trend was started over a decade ago by popular brand '1469' which cashed on the demand for 'anything Punjabi'. Its 'Pure Punjabi' brand of T-shirts have been a runaway hit among youth and even the older ones.

The 'Urban Theka' store reminds one of the Punjabi folklore and traditions with ladies weaving and embroidering dupattas in phulkaris, men and women doing the 'bhangra' and men with 'dhols', 'chimtas' and 'sapps' (traditional musical instruments).

"You get a feel of rural Punjab. One can see beautifully chiselled figurines of Punjabi women churning butter using 'madhaani' (traditional butter-making equipment), women using the 'charkha' and the like.

The store also takes you to the times of 'Bhai Kanhaiya', a Sikh sevadar who served water to the Mughal enemy forces injured in the war against the Sikh forces. Punjab's history is highlighted through figurines and busts of personalities like 'Mai Bhago', 'Banda Bahadur', a life size statue of 'Maharaja Ranjit Singh' and many more," Singh said.

Other items in the store like 'bantey' (marbles), 'gulli danda' and 'gulail' are sure to take you down memory lane and revive childhood memories.

To catch the fancy of the youth, the store sells funky T-shirts with quirky text like "Dheet (stubborn) by Nature" and "Installing muscles - Bass Vekhi chall". The price ranges from Rs.500 to Rs.1,500.

The outlet has been curated with accessories that incorporate a good, humorous style, so typical of Punjab, which makes it a "must own".

Miniature trucks have an authentic look with mis-spelt one-liners like 'Use Diaper at Night' imitating the ones to be spotted on the highways. 'Drink Responsibly - Dullann na Deyo' (Don't let it spill).

Pre-stitched parnas and turbans make it one of the only shops to be selling turbans in malls. Also, phulkari dupattas, artistically embroidered by women in the villages of Patiala, are displayed. The store directly deals with the craftsmen embroidering phulkaris and designing juttis, eliminating the middlemen.

"Urban Theka is not only displaying the culture of Punjab in a unique way but is also helping in reviving the diminishing art and craft in Punjab. It is quite a refreshing store," Anuradha Kumar, a shopper who happened to cross the store and got attracted to have a "look in".

The statement outside the trial room says 'Try Maar Lai'. A car sticker 'Caution - Peg Lagga' for the back-screen. Coasters are no less: 'Aao Bhaino Chugli Kariye' (Come sisters, let's gossip).

The brand '1469' has been the pioneer in promoting traditional items, especially clothes and accessories, to the youth in a big way through its stores and online sales.

In Chandigarh's Sector 17, the '1469' store attracts many customers who want to wear their 'Punjabiat' on their sleeve, literally!

The store and some other shops like this sell traditional ware in Punjab and Haryana.

While these stores have been around for nearly a decade, earlier it was the Punjab government-run 'Phulkari' stores which sold traditional items - from Punjabi juttis to phulkari duppattas and suits.

With bright, colourful items being sold, there's never a dull moment in 'Urban Theka', '1469', 'Phulkari' or other places with traditional stuff for sure.

(Aastha Ahuja can be contacted on aasthaahuja14@gmail.com)

--IANS

aastha/vm/tb
BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday demanded to know why Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi had not spoken on the rape-cum-murder of a young woman in Kerala.

Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Lekhi said: "These people who politicise suicides have no time to visit the state.

"The Congress president herself is a woman but their concern for women and Dalits comes up only if the incident happens in a non-Congress state."

A 30-year-old law student from a poor family was brutally murdered, after being allegedly raped, in Ernakulam in Kerala five days ago.

--IANS

ao/rn/mr
A 'gram sansad' (village parliament) meeting in this district of Madhya Pradesh saw the state's Rural Development Minister Gopal Bhargav using strong language against bureaucrats.

"Agar gaon mein 24 ghante bijli nahin aai to afsaron ko ulta latka doonga. (If the village doesn't receive 24-hour electricity supply, I'll have the officials hung upside down)," he said on Monday at Magrana village in Guna district.

Bhargav was in the village to attend a 'gram sansad' under the 'Gram Uday se Bharat Uday' campaign.

The minister made the comment after people complained that they were not able to get even drinking water because of shortage of electricity.

The Madhya Pradesh government has promised round-the-clock electricity supply in 23,000 villages of the state at subsidised rates.

--IANS

pauranik/kb/dg
With reference to the editorial, "Murky defence deals" (May 3), the alleged involvement of some top leaders of the Congress in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal has to be impartially investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). But the revelation of some prominent names by an Italian court has put the Opposition party on the back foot.

There's an old saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire". The Congress can't douse this fire by taking political shelter in its usual stance of being a victim of "vindictive" government policies. It will have to defend itself with some incontrovertible documentary evidence.

The editorial comments on the past performance of the CBI by citing some defence deal cases it failed to crack. Regarding the editorial's remark that the "failures point to weaknesses in CBI's sleuthing abilities", it appears that it was largely at the mercy of the powers that be at that time.

The CBI is probing into the alleged bribery "facilitated" by Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's Italian parent, of some bigwigs in India. The first person on the list is former Air Force chief S P Tyagi.

Just the fact that arms dealing is scarcely transparent and pay-offs mostly involve complex deals in offshore tax havens does not imply that money laundering should be legalised in India.

I agree with the editorial's suggestion that instead of pursuing political vendetta, the government should "empower" the CBI to investigate the AgustaWestland deal without fear or favour. What about granting full statutory autonomy to the CBI?



Vinayak G, Bengaluru



Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
On Monday, Nitish Kumar threw a slipper at Nitish Kumar. At the receiving end was Bihar's chief minister; the aggressor - and the CM's namesake - was a disgruntled visitor at the janata durbar.

At the monthly meeting, the CM was talking to a few visitors, when a slipper was thrown at him. "It hit me on the shoulder," said the CM, who later called his belligerent namesake to find out what the problem was.

The slipper-thrower said he was angry with the state government's move to ban cooking during the day even for religious ceremonies. More than 300 people have died in stray fires, prompting the state to impose a punishment of two years in jail on violators. The chief minister asked the police to release his disgruntled aggressor as soon as possible.
At a time when Indias Grand Old Party is waiting for the dust from the ongoing Assembly elections to settle down before the Congress scion takes over its reins, the Rahul for UP CM talk has set the proverbial cat among the pigeons. While senior Congress leaders were at a loss for words not knowing how to tackle this googly, the more voluble ones angrily questioned the credibility of the man who is purportedly behind the idea, Congress UP election strategist Prashant Kishor. There are still those who see beyond the obvious, perceiving this as a ploy by the strategist to test political temperatures.



An angry young politician, when asked about this described Kishor (who has changed political camps with every election) as a mole of Nitish Kumar, who has given him Cabinet rank minister status in Bihar. He (Kishor) wants to contain to UP while he clears the way for Nitish Kumar at the Centre in 2019.



Raj Babbar, a Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member from UP, termed the suggestion laughable, a joke.



While several Congress party members tried to outdo each other in proclaiming their loyalty to the Gandhi scion, angrily dismissing it through on the record soundbytes, the more seasoned ones differed.
The next time you get an email from the Income Tax (I-T) department stating that it wants to refund you some money, dont be delighted  be cautious.

In all likelihood it would be from cyber criminals trying to trick you into revealing your bank details.

Taking a note of such cyber frauds, the I-T department have sought help from the countrys premier cyber security agency, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), to block these hackers lurking in the e-world. The department is particularly worried after taxpayers recently brought to its notice certain emails which have very cleverly spoofed the departments identity by using almost resembling addresses to cheat gullible taxpayers.

Email spoofing helps them change their email address to any that they wish. In some cases, victims received emails even from the noreply@incometaxindia.gov.in.

Theres a rise in such emails lately and they are often sent during the tax filing months, said Amit Jaju, executive director, fraud investigation and dispute services, EY India. He explains, the victims usually receive an email that informs individuals of an unclaimed refund. It, then, asks the person to click on a link to verify his details and processing of the fund. Once the person clicks on the link, he is taken to a website that looks like it belongs to his bank. An HDFC Bank or an SBI Bank customer will be taken to the respective fake websites.

Surprisingly, in many cases, people are taken to the actual bank they use. This means, the fraudsters have a database of targets email address and the bank account, says Jaju.

In some cases, when the person clicks on the link, he is taken to a fake I-T website thats identical to the original, according to Saloni Verma, associate director, IT security, risk advisory, BDO India. Gullible taxpayers end up giving all their bank account details. You can also receive a fake I-T notice asking to pay up outstanding tax demand and be redirected to the fake I-T website.

But, recognising such fraudulent emails is not difficult. You just need to be alert. The first thing to look at is the email address, according to Jayant Saran, partner and national leader for forensic technology at Deloitte India. He explains the email might seem to be originating from incometaxindia.gov.in but many service providers, such as Gmail, inform the user if it actually originates from this website or not. You will see that such emails will have via right after the email address and then the name of the server. This means that the email was sent via another mail service. Never download file attached in such emails as it can also install malicious software, says Saran.

If you happen to the link provided in the email, which takes you to the fake website of the bank or I-T department, check the address of the website. It will not be the same as your banks or I-T departments. Whenever you are transacting online, check if the address starts with HTTPS rather than HTTP and should have a closed lock sign. This means that the website is secure and verified. The best way to cut risk is to use a licensed antivirus software.

Bank account details should never be sent through an email and one should contact the respective organisation in case of any such requests. There are even provisions to report the phishing attempts at organisations websites such as the I-T department website.
A day before the Rajya Sabha is slated to debate the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, the Congress attempted to target the government on the huge setback at the UN Arbitration court, which ordered the return of the Italian marines to their home country. What is the quid pro quo? demanded Congress spokesperson and chief whip in the Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia. Accusing Narendra Modi government, Scindia said, the adverse arbitration ruling confirms the claim that the Modi government has entered into a conspiracy to falsely accuse the Congress leadership in Agusta Westland in return for a weak defence in Italian marines case.



The Congress said, Prime facie it appears to be a case deliberately lost... without giving a credible and suitable fight.



Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad had earlier attempted to put the government on the mat, quoting a news report in The Hindu, which alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met the Italian PM at the UN in September 2015 and reportedly attempted to cut a deal on the Italian marines issue. The Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had rejected this allegation on the floor of the House.

An unrelenting Scindia on Tuesday, however, culled out Modis tweet from March 31, 2014, where he had targeted Congress President Sonia Gandhi saying, Italian marines mercilessly killed our fishermen. If Madam is so patriotic, can she tell us in which jail are the marines lodged in? Hitting back at the BJP in the same vein, Scindia questioned Modi, If you are so patriotic can you tell the people of Kerala and India that one marine is already in Italy and another, who is not even in jail and staying at the Italian embassy, will soon be escorted to Italy by India because we are settling political scores with the Congress party.



Discussion on the AgustaWestland deal will be held in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked his party's members of Parliament (MPs) to highlight the governments policies and programmes to the people. In a veiled rebuke, the PM reminded his partys Lok Sabha MPs that it wasnt just the government that completes two years later this month, but so do they.

The underlying message at the weekly parliamentary party meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party leader said, was obvious. MPs will get reelected only if voters believe the government has performed, the leader, who didnt want to be named, said.

After the meeting, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the PM identified schemes such as MUDRA loans, electrification of 18,000 villages, bringing around 30 million poor families under the LPG network and distribution of cheap LED lights as major successes.

If you dont spread the word who would, Modi asked party MPs. The Modi government will complete two years of its five year term on May 26, 2016. Apart from MPs, the governments publicity officers have also been asked to highlight its achievements.

Consistent with the governments recalibrated approach to project its pro-farmer, pro-poor face and village-centric face, the celebrations will not be centred on Delhi or any other big city. Unlike last year, when ministers and MPs fanned out across some of the bigger cities across India to hold press conferences, the focus this time will be districts, smaller towns and blocks. The issue of Augusta Westland VVIP chopper scam, over which the BJP has targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, was also taken up at the meeting. The Rajya Sabha will debate it on Wednesday and the Lok Sabha on Friday, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said after the meet.
There is no evidence linking Congress President Sonia Gandhi to the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, Judge Marco Maigo, the president of the Court of Appeals in Italy, told NewsX television channel on Tuesday.

Maigo, who pronounced and signed the 225-page judgement in the scam, added that there was only one mention of Gandhi's name in a translated fax which had originally been sent to James Christian Michel  one of the alleged middlemen in the scam.

Maigo also said that Gandhi had only "been indicated as someone who will fly in the VVIP helicopters" and that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was mentioned in the same context. The manuscript, Maigo told NewsX, was found in the possession of Giuseppe Orsi, the head of defence group Finmeccanica SpA, the parent company of AgustaWestland.

Late last month, the Bharatiya Janata Party had picked up on reports in the Italian media, based on Maigo's judgement, which cited notes from middlemen, to attack the Congress president.

One particular note from a middleman reportedly described Gandhi as the "driving force" behind the deal for 12 AW-101 helicopters worth euro 556 million (currently Rs 4,195 crore).

Here is what Maigo had to say to NewsX on a host of issues connected to scam and the judgement:

1) On United Progressive Alliance (UPA) cooperation in probe: Maigo said that the Government of Italy had sought co-operation from the then UPA administration in conducting the investigation. However, the relevant documents were not provided.

2) The abbreviations: When asked to explain the meaning of the abbreviations used in the notes, Maigo revealed that "AF" stands for Air Force, "BUR" is Bureaucrats, while the rest are initials of Indian agencies like CAG (Comptroller and auditor general of India), CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) etc. He added that "AP" refers to the initials of Ahmed Patel and "FAM" stood in for former Indian Air Force chief S P Tyagi and his family.

3) Tyagi's connection: Maigo explained that there is a manuscript of businessman Guido Haschke, another alleged middleman in the scam, which talks of his relationship with the Tyagi family (the 3 brothers).

4) If Indians were paid: When asked if other than the Tyagi brothers, any more Indian suspects were involved, Maigo said, We have traces of several Indians who could be involved and Indian agencies should investigate into the matter.
As many as 1,020 families, who were hit by the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and migrated to Punjab from different parts of the country, will be given Rs 2 lakh as part of a centrally-sponsored rehabilitation scheme.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has approved reopening of the scheme for providing rehabilitation grant of Rs 2 lakh each to 1,020 families who had migrated to Punjab from Delhi and other parts of the country following 1984 riots, a Home Ministry official said.

These cases will be reopened only for a limited period of six months from the date of sanctioning of the scheme.

The move came following a recommendation of Justice (retd) G P Mathur Committee, which was set up by the Narendra Modi government in December 2014 to look into various grievances related to the 1984 riots.

Government has also approved the recommendation of the Committee to provide skill and upgrading of skill for members of the affected families to the Ministry of Skill Development and government of Punjab with the request to formulate a scheme in this regard.

Following assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, anti-Sikh riots took place in Delhi and other places. Altogether 3,325 people were killed in the riots. Of them, Delhi alone accounted for 2,733 deaths and the rest deaths were in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states.

Government had already set up a Special Investigation Team, as suggested by the Mathur Committee, for conducting a fresh probe into all cases relating to the pogrom in Delhi and some other states.

The Justice Nanavati Commission had recommended reopening of only four of the 241 cases closed by police but BJP wanted re-investigation into all the other 237 cases.

However, it was not clear as to how many anti-Sikh riot cases have been recommended for reopening by the Justice Mathur Committee.

Of the 241 related cases, only four were reopened and re-investigated by CBI. In two of the cases, CBI had filed a charge sheet and in one of the cases five persons, including a former MLA, were convicted.

On December 10, 2014, the government had approved a proposal to give an additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Eleven "hardcore" Pakistani Taliban militants have been handed down the death penalty by military courts for committing heinous terror offences and the army chief today confirmed their sentences, the military said.

The army said that the "11 hardcore terrorists" were "involved in committing heinous offences related to terrorism", which included killing and kidnapping civilians, attacks on the armed forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and destruction of schools and communication infrastructure.

Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif today confirmed the death sentences of the 11 convicts tried by military courts, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The details of trial and conviction dates, venue etc were not fully shared by the military authorities.

Army courts were established after Peshawar school attack in December 2014 that killed over 150 people, mostly school children, and so far several militants have been convicted and some of them have already been hanged.

The 11 terrorists whose death sentence was confirmed today belonged to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan which has been carrying out attacks against the military and the government.

Pakistan army has been engaged in a full-scale offensive against Taliban and other militants in Pakistan's tribal belt of North Waziristan and Khyber since June 2014.
Two persons have been taken into custody in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old dalit woman at Perumbavoor that sparked protest marches by students and rights activists across Kerala today condemning the incident.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described the crime as "shocking" and said the culprits will be brought to book.

Police said two persons were taken into custody and were being questioned by a police team, headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav. However, it was not yet known whether they are the real culprits. No details of the ongoing investigation have been revealed by police.

According to police, the woman, a law college student, hailing from a poor family was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM on April 28 by her mother when she returned from work.

The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries.

Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Tribes registered a suo motu case into the incident and asked police to submit a report on the progress of the probe by May 28 while the Kerala Human Rights Commission ordered that the probe be handed over to the Crime branch.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, state Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.

"Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to those who involved into the incident," Chandy said.

Condemning the crime as a 'heinous one', chairman of the state commission for scheduled castes and tribes, Justice P N Vijayakumar said he has sought formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident.

"The commission suo-motu registered a case into the incident based on the reports of the vernacular and national dailies. I asked DGP to form a SIT to probe into the case. I also asked police to submit a report of the progress of the case by May 28," Justice Vijayakumar told PTI in Thiruvanathapuram.

The commission also suggested that special mobile squads such as those operating in Wayanad, Palakkad and Kasaragod be formed for the safety of SCs and STs, in all districts of the state for the security of women and children irrespective of caste barriers.

Women's rights activists and political leaders, cutting across party lines, have voiced concern against the murder which they believe was a first of its kind in the state for the sheer brutality of the crime.

The brutal murder has shocked the state, with women



activists and students taking to the streets, demanding justice for the woman.

Students and rights activists took out protest marches in various parts of the state condemning the incident.

Students of Kerala University at Thiruvanathapuram broke pots, considering it as the symbol of cruelty shown by society towards women, to mark their protest. Protests were also held by Law college students at Ernakulam.

State Women's Commission Chairperson K C Rosakutty said she would take all necessary steps to pressure police to nab all those behind the brutal act at the earliest.

Terming the incident as 'devilish', CPI(M) leader and Lok Sabha MP, P K Sreemathi said no other women in the state should be subjected to such a cruelty any more.

"It is one of the most brutal attacks against a woman in the state. It is the same as that had happened to the hapless Nirbhaya in Delhi. It is shocking that the public and media came to know about the incident only five days after the incident," she told

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Meanwhile, Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav, who is supervising the probe, told reporters outside the DySP office at Perumbavoor, "This is a murder. A murder has taken place. As per our information and as per our investigation, the accused is only one person. Some people have seen one person coming out of the house (of the woman)."



He dismissed suggestions that it was similar to the gangrape and murder of a Delhi student in 2012 as the accused in the case is one person.

The senior officer said police were examining two persons who have been brought to the DySP office this afternoon.

"They are not in custody. They have been brought here for examination. We are examining them. We are verifying their movements on April 28," Yadav said to a query.

He said the woman, a law student, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house on April 28.

"There is sign of strangulation, there is sign of smothering and 13 injuries on neck, chest and several other places," he said.

Meanwhile, braving a scorching sun, hundreds of youths, mostly under the banner of Left wing youth organisations, gathered at various places in Perumbavoor condemning the incident and seeking justice.

Raising slogans, the activists even prevented state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala from entering the Government Taluk hospital at Perumbavoor where the victim's mother has been admitted for treatment after the incident.

Activists belonging to AIYF and DYFI jumped in front of Chennithala's car as he reached the hospital. The protesters shouted slogans condemning delay in arresting the culprits.

Chennithala, who could not meet the victim's mother, accused the opposition of politicising the issue.
The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) today arrested an alleged SIMI activist, who is an accused in the 2008 Jaipur serial blasts.

Acting on a specific tip-off, ATS officials today apprehended Mohammad Suvel from Palanpur in Banaskantha district, an ATS statement said.

He was brought to the Gujarat ATS headquarter here this evening.

Suvel, a resident of Jodhpur in Rajasthan is associated with banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India(SIMI), officials said.

Suvel was on the run ever-since he was named as an accused in the 2008 Jaipur serial blasts case in Rajasthan.

He was part of a group formed by another key accused Sajid Mansoori, who was arrested by Rajasthan police after the blasts, it said.

"Mansoori belongs to Surat and he fled to Kota in Rajasthan in 2002, where he formed a group to carry out anti-national activities. Though Mansoori and 13 others were arrested by Rajasthan police in connection with the 2008 blasts, Suvel and two others remained at large," the statement added.

ATS has informed the Rajasthan police to take Suvel's custody for further investigation.

Jaipur was rocked by eight serial blasts in a span of 12 minutes in May 2008.
Swan Telecom Promoter Shahid Balwa, facing trial along with former Telecom Minister A Raja and 15 others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, today told a special court that there was shift in the stand of CBI in the case and it only played to the gallery.

"We have been prosecuted wrongly... There was shift in the stand of CBI in the case. The main charge sheet, filed by CBI, has gone for a toss and they (probe agency) are roaming around only Rs 200 crore.

"Earlier they said my firm (Swan Telecom) was ineligible but later they confined themselves only to Rs 200 crore," Balwa's counsel told special judge O P Saini while advancing final arguments.

The agency has alleged that Rs 200 crore was bribe which was paid to the DMK-run TV channel in return of 2G licence granted to Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL).

Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for Balwa, further said, "They only played to the gallery, even called Anil and Tina Ambani, only because they had no case against me."



He said while questioning the witnesses, the agency did not even clarify about the ineligibility. "This was not a mistake but a sinister design," he said, adding that "as per their own case, no ineligibility was claimed by CBI on my part. They lack the basic claims to prove allegations against me."



Earlier, the counsel had told the court that there were several contradictions in prosecution's story which defy the existence of conspiracy and the CBI has made those persons accused in the case who have not toed its line.

Raja had earlier claimed that there was no evidence to show he was aware of the Rs 200 crore transaction between DMK-run Kalaignar TV and DB Group firm.

He had also said that the agency failed to produce any evidence that he had helped in any way in the transaction.

Besides Raja and Balwa, DMK MP Kanimozhi, former Telecom



Secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Unitech Ltd Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, STPL promoter Vinod Goenka and three executives of Reliance ADAG - Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair - are facing trial in the case.

Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Kalaignar TV Director Sharad Kumar and Bollywood producer Karim Morani are also facing trial in the case, besides three telecom companies -- Reliance Telecom Ltd, STPL and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Ltd.

In its charge sheet, CBI had alleged a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum, which was scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012. All these accused, who are out on bail, have denied the allegations levelled against them by CBI.
Rebel fire on a hospital in a government-controlled neighbourhood of Syria's second city Aleppo killed three women and wounded another 17 people today, state media reported.

The rockets hit Al-Dabbeet hospital in the Muhafaza district, state agency SANA said.

Rebel rocket fire on other government-held neighbourhoods killed another 11 people, it added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels had fired rockets and shells on government-controlled western districts of the city throughout the day.

After a lull through the morning, regime air strikes on rebel-held eastern areas resumed in the afternoon, an AFP correspondent reported.

Moscow has faced mounting pressure from Washington to rein in air raids by its Damascus ally after a hospital and three clinics were hit.

The northern metropolis has been hit by a wave of violence that has killed more than 250 civilians since April 22, sparking a diplomatic push by Russia and the United States to end the carnage and restore a teetering truce.
As many as 614 policemen committed suicide in the country between 2012-14 with 40 per cent taking the extreme step due to marriage and family problems and only 10 per cent due to job related stress, the government said today.

Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary informed the Lok Sabha that altogether 214 policemen committed suicide in 2012, 235 policemen in 2013 and 165 policemen in 2014.

"Among the suicide reasons, 25 per cent committed suicide due to marriage-related problems, 15 per cent for family-related problems and only 10 per cent for job-related stress. The suicide rate in the country is just 0.001 per cent," he said during Question Hour.

Chaudhary said a number of steps have been taken to reduce the stress of police and paramilitary personnel that include providing housing, extra allowance, leave, preferred postings after a hard area posting and imparting yoga training, for which the central government keep sending advisories to state governments.

Intervening in the debate, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said there is a need for improving the working conditions of paramilitary personnel.

"We keep sending advisories to state for improving the working conditions of state police personnel. The central government also tells the state governments time to time what kind of steps should be taken for improving the working conditions of the police personnel.

"For personal problems, we have suggested personal counselling of such policemen. There should be more improvement in personal counselling system. Personal counselling should be more effective. We have sent this advisory too. But still we are trying to improve the working condition of police personnel to check such suicide trend," he said.

Singh dismissed the suggestion that only police personnel commit suicide in large scale, saying it is almost same as for the civilians across the country.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner and BJP member Satyapal Singh said as per police manual, 100 per cent housing should be given to police personnel but most of the state governments could provide just 30 to 50 per cent and they work 12 to 14 hours a day in comparison to eight hours job in normal cases.

Chaudhary said this has been happening as there are large scale vacancies in police forces, which is around 24 per cent in most states.

"There were around 22 lakh vacancies of which 17 lakhs were filled up while around 5.6 lakh posts are yet to be filled. Because of this, policemen have to do longer duty hours," he said.

Chaudhary said when the central government provides funds to states, it keep telling them that they should provide housing to the policemen and police stations should be good.

"We had sent an advisory in September to fill up the vacancies in police," he said.

The Home Minister said it is true that the housing



satisfaction level of policemen is not satisfactory and there is a need for improving the facility.

For this, he said, the central government is seriously thinking and the state governments should themselves also ponder over it.

"I am happy to inform the House that some states have already taken certain steps for improving the housing satisfaction level," he said.

Following a remark of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge that the central government has discontinued a housing scheme under which 75 per cent funds were provided by the Centre while states used to provide 25 per cent, the Home Minister said police modernisation funds are not given to states only for construction of houses for policemen.

"I want to tell the House that it is not correct to say that many state governments run housing schemes through the funds given by the Centre. Police modernisation fund is not given only for housing. It is possible that some state governments use the funds for housing. But police modernisation funds are not given for housing," he said.

However, the Home Minister was countered by former Union Home Secretary and BJP member R K Singh who said there was a component of housing under the police modernisation funds given to the state governments, which was perhaps stopped now.

The Home Minister said, "We have prepared a cabinet note for reviving the police modernisation scheme. We will soon approach the cabinet for it."



"We will revive the scheme again. We have already allocated Rs 595 crore under non plan. I believe that more funds will be allocated for it in future," he said.

Chaudhary said as far as central paramilitary is concerned, sanction was given for construction of 21,000 houses in 2013, 13,000 houses in 2014 and funds were allocated in 2015-16 for construction of some more houses.

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BJP member Satyapal Singh said it was unfortunate and a matter of deep concern that police personnel who provide security to people often commit suicide.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge sought urgent intervention of the Centre to improve the housing conditions of police.

"A scheme was sought to be prepared when L K Advani was Home Minister when the Centre provided 75 per cent of expenses for police housing," he said.
Seven Naxals, including two women, were arrestedfrom separate places during joint search operations by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said today.

A composite squad of Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) 230th battalion and district force had yesterday launched a search operation in the interior forests, located around 450 kms away from here, Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police, Santosh Singh said.

While cordoning off Durma-Baddesatti villages, security forces nabbed four suspects who later admitted to their involvement with the outlawed Maoist movement, he added.

Podiyam Ayta, Rawa Bheema, Rawa Ayta, all belonging to Dandakarnya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangthan (DAKMS) - a frontal wing of the Maoists, and Rawa Ganga - a militia member, were apprehended, the ASP said.

They were allegedly involved in looting polling materials during the last years panchayat elections in Sirsitti village of the region, Singh said.

Similarly, three militia members were nabbed by a joint team of CRPF's elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) 208th battalion and district force from Dubbakonta village of Chintagufa police station limits.

They were identified as Madkam Hurra (35) and two women - Madvi Payke (19) and Madkam Jogi (24), he added.
Noted transgender rights activist and actress Laxmi Narayan Tripathi has donned the role of Acharya Mahamandleshwar of the Kinnar Akhara at the ongoing Simhastha Kumbh mela here by performing several religious rituals.

"Laxmi Narayan yesterday donned the role of Acharya Mahamandleshwar by performing several religious rituals amid chanting of hymns," Kinnar Akhara's (eunuchs' camp) patron, Rishi Ajaydas said.

On the occasion, the activist extended invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit their Akhara and said, "Though Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has not visited the camp (kinnar akhara) yet, we have lot of hopes from the Prime Minister."



Laxmi also demanded that a 'Kinnar Protection and Welfare Board' be constituted by the government.

Akhara's patron Ajaydas said three peethadheeshwar at Delhi, Vadodara, and Jaipur were also appointed.

"The Akhara has declared 'talwar' (sword) as its trademark weapon. They (members) will wear white robes and don ekmukhi rudraskh mala. It will be headquartered in Ujjain," he said.

The akhara will work on the issues of environment conservation, cow protection, prevention of female foeticide and child marriage, Ajaydas said.

Transgenders are taking part in the month-long Simhastha Kumbh for the first time in the history of the mela, one of the biggest religious congregation of Hindus.
Another Delhi High Court judge today recused from hearing a petition filed by DPS World Foundation, floated by a group of Delhi Public School alumni including former Union minister Salman Khurshid, challenging an interim order restraining them from using 'DPS' name or the trademark crest of the schools.

This is the third time when another bench of the high court has recused from hearing the plea, which came up for hearing before a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva.

"It (DPS World Foundation's appeal) will go before another bench," the court said and listed the matter for May 5.

On April 26, a division bench headed by Justice Pradeep Nandrajog had transferred the matter to another bench.

Later, on April 28, another bench headed by Justice Gita Mittal recused from hearing it.

DPS World has moved the court challenging a single judge's April 18 decision on the ground that the DPS has no trademark of the logo or the crest.

It also claimed it had not hidden anything from society as it has clearly mentioned on its website that it is not associated with the Delhi Public School in any manner.

The single judge, in its order, had held that using DPS name would amount to trademark infringement of DPS Society.

It had directed the foundation to refrain from using the DPS name and its registered mark or any other crest identical or deceptively similar to the registered mark of DPS Society.

The order had come on a suit filed by DPS Society against the use of words "DPS World" by the foundation, claiming the defendants had misappropriated the name and distinctive crest with a firelight held in a hand inside a shield, which had been used by the DPS schools since 1948.

The suit, filed last year, had stated that the foundation was opening schools using the name DPS World School, which amounted to infringement of the Society's copyright.

The court had barred the trustees, members, franchisees, officers, employees, agents, delegates, representatives, associates and all others acting for DPS World Foundation from using or dealing in any manner with the DPS name or crest till the disposal of the suit.
Argentina's President Mauricio Macri said today he was willing to cooperate with a court investigating his alleged links to offshore companies named in the Panama Papers tax evasion revelations.

A judge yesterday sent requests to Panama and the Bahamas on Monday for evidence of Macri's role in companies registered in those territories, a judicial source said.

The conservative president, 57, was one of the most senior figures implicated in the worldwide Panama Papers leaks, just four months after he took office.

The court is investigating whether Macri deliberately withheld relevant information about his role in two offshore firms -- a tax offense punishable by two years in jail.

He has said he has "nothing to hide."



"I am available to the judge to provide the information," Macri told a conference today.

"Let the courts act with independence and precision."



The judge yesterday asked authorities in Panama and the Bahamas to confirm whether the two offshore companies, Fleg Trading LTD and Kagemusha, had bank accounts in Macri's name.

Separately yesterday, judicial sources said the courts were investigating fresh allegations against Macri's leftist predecessor, Cristina Kirchner, and her son.

The case, brought by Kirchner's rivals, targets alleged irregularities in the running of a real estate company owned by her family.

Kirchner was already under investigation over suspect dollar transactions by her government. She alleged that case was politically motivated.
As part of its expansion plans, Australian pizza chain Eagle Boys is looking to add another 300 stores to its network in the next four years.

"We plan to open a chain of 300 stores over the next three to four years. In Australia, has around 200 outlets," India director and CEO G B Singh said.

He further said that India sales could be around Rs 150 crore over the next 3-4 years covering the top 50 cities of the country.

By the end of this fiscal, the number of stores would be 50 from the current 18 in the country, he added.

The current outlet base is spread across Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad and Kolkata.
will pronounce the final verdict on May 5 on the death sentence it handed down to chief of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, Motiur Rahman Nizami, deciding his fate over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

"The decision will be pronounced on May 5," Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha said today, wrapping up the hearing on the 72-year-old death row convict's review petition at the four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

During the over three-hour review hearing, the court heard both attorney general Mahbubey Alam and Nizami's chief counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

In another development, Bangladesh's Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) in the capital handed down death penalty to four 1971 war criminals and "imprisonment until death" to another for carrying out atrocities in northern Kishorganj during the Liberation War, siding with the Pakistani troops.

Only one of the convicts - former members of Razakar Bahini, a Bengali-manned auxiliary force of the Pakistan army in 1971 - faced the trial in person while the rest, including a former Bengali captain of the Pakistani force, were tried in absentia.

Witnesses said the three-member special tribunal led by Justice Anwarul Haque sentenced one of the fugitives the imprisonment until death.

In the apex court, Nizami's chief counsels appealed to the court to reduce his client's punishment, saying despite being the then chief of the notorious Al-Badr militia force and of Jamaat's student wing, he was not "directly involved" in mass murders, arsons and rapes.

Attorney general Alam opposed the argument, saying Jamaat had sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out the atrocities during the Liberation War and being the chief of the Al-Badr militia force manned by the party activists, Nizami could not avoid the responsibility.

Legal experts said if the apex court upheld its January 6 judgment confirming Nizami's capital punishment, the top leader of Bangladesh's biggest Islamist party would be left with the only option to seek presidential mercy.

President Abdul Hamid, however, has earlier rejected two such prayers by 1971 war crimes convicts, including Nizami's top aide then, who were subsequently executed late last year.

ICT-BD originally sentenced Nizami to death on October 29, 2014 and after an appeal hearing, the apex court in its January judgment found the punishment appropriate for him.

The prison authorities served Nizami the death warrant on March 16 as the apex court's decision reached them in writing through the ICT-BD following which the Jamaat chief preferred to seek review of the Supreme Court judgment.

Nizami was a minister in the past BNP-led four-party alliance government with Jamaat as its crucial ally.
When Bangladeshi blogger and social activist Ashif Entaz Rabi hosted a TV talk show about a slaying of a publisher by Islamic extremists, he faced a torrent of threatening phone calls.

He says young men with earpieces started loitering outside his workplace, and a militant website urged followers to "send this Ashif to Allah."



But Bangladeshi authorities told him they couldn't protect him, saying he'd need the kind of security usually reserved for the prime minister to keep him safe. Instead, they told him to take care of himself, and write something good about Islam and the government.

Rabi, 37, is in Washington at the invitation of a human rights group, calling attention to the dozens of writers and bloggers who fear they could be the next victim of a wave of savage attacks on liberals and religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The violence has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the traditionally moderate Muslim nation. today marks World Press Freedom Day, and a coalition of rights groups are calling for a UN-backed inquiry into the killings because Bangladesh's government has failed to address the situation.

They say "an atmosphere of complete impunity" in the South Asian nation is emboldening the killers. Since the beginning of 2015, at least nine intellectuals, academics, writers, bloggers, and activists have been hacked to death in targeted assassinations.

Rabi attended the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the weekend, and is due to meet today with a top State Department envoy on human rights, Tom Malinowski, to discuss the deteriorating climate of tolerance in Bangladesh.

He'll also be hoping to find a way to secure sanctuary in the US for himself and his immediate family.

"It's better that the international community do something rather than just make statements. It's no use just issuing letters, as the prime minister (of Bangladesh) does not care," Rabi told The Associated Press yesterday.

Secretary of State John Kerry called Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, urging Bangladesh to protect those at risk.

He also offered US support for the investigation into the slaying last week of Xulhaz Mannan, a US Agency for International Development employee and gay rights activist.
West Bengal will soon come out with a state level export-import policy after the new government is in place.

"An exim strategy paper (for the state) has been submitted by Exim Bank during the last investment summit.

"We will shortly prepare the draft after consultation with the stakeholders," West Bengal's MSME Principal Secretary Rajiv Sinha said in an interactive session with Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) members.

Meanwhile, engineering exporters have made a strong pitch to the West Bengal government for release of "considerable amount of money" blocked with the state due to VAT-related issues.

Regional Chairman (ER) EEPC India, Arun Kumar Garodia said, "Exporters have mentioned that considerable amount of money is blocked with the West Bengal government which should be refunded on time. The main issue is pertaining to pre and post-export assessment of VAT."



Besides, the 15 per cent duty on gross amount of power bill should be waived off for exporting companies, he said.
The Bihar Human Rights Commission today directed the state government to pay compensation, totalling around Rs 15 crore, to 703 victims whose uterus were removed purportedly to gain incentive money under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna four years ago.

BHRC directed the state government to pay the compensation to victims within three months, the Commission said in a statement here.

Removal of uterus deprives a woman opportunity of being a mother and attaining complete womanhood. Right to procreation is a facet of right to life and therefore involves human rights, the commission observed.

BHRC directed the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 2.50 lakh each to victims in the age group of 20-40 and Rs 1.50 lakh to those above 40 year.

The commission had suo motu taken up the matter of removal of uterus in 2012 particularly in districts like Saran, Sitamarhi, Samastipur, Jamui, Sasaram, Begusarai, Katihar and Supual, on the basis of media reports.

Following repeated queries by the commission, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar set up an expert committee in October 2012 to look into the issue.

The expert committee submitted its report to the commission in February last.

The committee found that uterus of women were removed in different parts of the state to get incentive under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna for BPL families women.

It also found that in some cases money was passed without surgery and the booty distributed among the beneficiaries while in some other cases, operations were performed by unqualified doctors, the statement said.
Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra Kainthola today assumed charge as the new Director of city-based Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), which saw a long-drawn agitation by students last year over appoinment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as its Chairman.

Kainthola replaced Prashant Pathrabe, who served as interim Director during the 139-day long strike by students opposing appointment of Chauhan and four other members on the FTII Society on ground of "merit".

The 1989-batch IIS officer will have a three-year tenure at the premier film and TV training school, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

After assuming charge, Kainthola said he will strive to maintain glory of the 56-year-old institute. "FTII has a long tradition of nurturing the finest talent in filmmaking and television. I shall make all the endeavor to maintain glory of the institute," he told PTI.

"I have come here with an open mind and clean heart and I am sure all my students, faculty and staff-members will extend their full cooperation in my efforts."



Asked about his stand on withdrawing a police case against the students, registered by Pathrabe during the agitation, he said, "It is too early to comment on this issue as I am not very conversant with this matter."



The case relates to Pathrabe being confined in his office for several hours by the agitating students in August last year.

Kainthola said he has so far met the staff and faculties and will later meet with the students.

The premier institute offers courses related to acting, film-making, video editing, direction and production.
Strongly opposing the wheat "dumping" on a rice consuming state like Odisha, ruling BJD MLAs today sought President Pranab Mukherjee's intervention to ensure that the rights of poor beneficiaries and tribal people under the National Food Security Act, 2013 are protected.

"We are forced to knock the President's door as the Centre has ignored the state government's demand," said Panchayati Raj minister Arun Kumar Sahoo.

The ruling party MLAs including ministers today walked down to Raj Bhavan in a rally and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President.

Besides the minister of the department concerned and state Chief Secretary, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also approached the Centre requesting them not to "dump" excess wheat on the people of Odisha, he said.

"Although, the Government of India is insisting for the implementation of NFSA in one hand, on the other hand it is imposing unfair and unjust allocation of food grains to this state. With 24 per cent of the tribal population, the state government may not be able to ensure food security as per the needs of the poor people of Odisha," the memorandum said.

While identifying the beneficiaries under the NFSA, the



state government provided a choice to beneficiaries to select the combination of five kg of food grains basket (five kg rice or four kg rice and one kg wheat... To one kg rice and four to five kg wheat).

All beneficiaries under NFSA have indicated their choice and after collecting the choice of the beneficiaries under priority households (PHH) and that of Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries, it was found that the rice wheat ratio was 85.82:14.18 for all NFSA beneficiaries, the memorandum said.

Under AAY, which has been continuing under NFSA, all beneficiaries were being provided 35 kg rice in Odisha prior to NFSA. So it was decided by the state government to provide them 35 kg of rice if they were otherwise eligible under NFSA.

But, the Centre was also making wheat allocation for them, the BJD MLAs said.

Notwithstanding the people's food choice, the Centre has been allocating rice and wheat at the ratio of 78.83:21.17 on the ground, which was the ratio of allocation and lifting prior to the NFSA implementation.

"But the reality is, in the last three-and-half-years since April 2012, the ratio of lifting of rice and wheat has been 85:15 at 70.60 lakh tons of rice and 12.41 lakh tons of wheat by Odisha," they pointed out.

As the people of Odisha prefer rice than wheat, the ruling party demanded that the Centre not dump wheat on the state.
Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot today accused the state's BJP government of turning a blind eye to scarcity of water and fodder, terming it as the cause behind the death of numerous cattle.

"BJP takes political advantage in the name of cows but when it comes to serving them, the party ignores and turns its back," he alleged.

Pilot, who visited villages in Sawaimadhopur and Karauli districts, said many bovines were dying in those places due to lack of water and fodder.

He alleged animal deaths were caused by the "insensitivity" of the government, and demanded that proper arrangements be made.

"Heat is at its peak but the government has taken no step to provide relief to people as well as cattle. No arrangement of water and fodder has been done in Sawaimadhopur which is causing death of around 100 cows every day," he alleged.

He claimed that in Barmer and Jaisalmer, nearly 20,000 bovine animals have died in summer.
Blaming the former Congress government for the raging forest fires in Uttarakhand, BJP today alleged the that Rawat dispensation didn't properly utilise the fund provided by the Centre to save forests leading to the current crisis.

"Crores of rupees were sent by the Centre under different heads to save the forests every year but (Harish) Rawat was too busy serving the ends of mining and liquor mafia to utilise them for the purpose.

The previous Congress government alone is to be entirely blamed for a crisis of this scale," Pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt alleged.

Claiming that the issue of a dry winter which could lead to forest fires on a higher scale was raised by the party repeatedly in the state Assembly, he said Rawat paid no attention to the problem.

"Now when the Centre is taking all measures to control the situation, Rawat is trying to divert public attention from his own failures by saying that the Union government did not provide funds," Bhatt said.

He alleged that for the past four years no work had been done by the state government on fire lines which delimits spread of forest fires or making waterholes for wild animals.

Rs 16 crore were provided to the state government through Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to build waterholes for wildlife but the money remained unspent and Rawat could not produce utilisation certificate.

On the issue of Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker, Govind Singh Kunjwal, rejecting BJP's petition seeking disqualification of Bhimlal Arya for defying party whip in the state assembly, Bhatt said this kind of verdict was expected from the Speaker.

"The speaker disqualified nine rebel Congress legislators for defying party whip but did not disqualify Arya who was guilty of the same offence," Bhatt termed the verdict as "partisan" and said the party will challenge it in the court.

The Speaker had yesterday rejected BJP's petition seeking Bhimlal Arya's disqualification saying the evidence provide by the party were not adequate.
The Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhakam would show black flags against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, when they arrive in Tamil Nadu for election campaign, over the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils, TPDK General Secretary K Ramakrishnan today said.

Congress-led UPA government remained a mute spectator and had not taken any efforts to stop the war between the Lankan army and LTTE in the final phase in 2011 and innocent Tamils were killed, TPDK General Secretary, K Ramakrishnan alleged at at a press meet here.

To condemn this act, th activists would stage a black flag demonstration against Sonia Gandhi, when she arrives at Chennai on May five, he said.

Similarly, black flags will be shown to Rahul Gandhi, during his visit here for poll campaign on May seven, Ramakrishnan added.
A hoax call about a bomb planted at a school today created panic among students and staff with management evacuating them to a safer place.

Police rushed to Chabeel Das Public School with a bomb disposal and dog squad along with a firefighting team and launched a search operation but found no bomb in the premises, Ghaziabad SP Salman Taj Patil said.

The unidentified caller called up the school twice and warned against taking the information lightly. He said a bomb had been planted on the ground floor of the school.

Several parents also reached to the school as the spread.

We are trying to identify the caller and hopefully the culprit will be nabbed soon, Patil said.
A Christian family in Bangladesh was today attacked by unidentified miscreants who hurled crude bombs at their house, injuring at least two persons, amid growing incidents of deadly assaults on minorities in the country.

The attackers stormed the house in Girjapara of Baghadanga under Damurhuda upazila around midnight while Alam Mondol, head of the family and a cattle trader, was sleeping in the veranda, said Liakat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Damurhuda police station.

The attackers also hurled a crude bomb targeting Alam which left him injured, Prothom Alo newspaper reported.

Hearing the sound of the explosion, locals rushed to spot but by that time, the miscreants exploded three more bombs and escaped. Some reports said that the blasts injured another person also.

Later, police visited the spot and the injured was admitted to a hospital.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months, especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last Saturday, a liberal professor at Rajshahi University was hacked to death by ISIS militants. Two days later, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.
Unidentified miscreants today hurled homemade bombs at the house of a Christian family in western Bangladesh, injuring two persons, amid a string of Islamist attacks on minorities and secular activists in recent weeks.

The attackers stormed the house of 45-year-old cattle trader Alam Mondol in Chuadanga around midnight while he was sleeping in the veranda, said Liakat Hossain, officer-in- charge of Damurhuda police station. They also hurled a crude bomb targeting Mondol which left him injured.

Hearing the sound of the explosion, villagers in the neighbourhood rushed to the spot and tried to chase the miscreants but they exploded more homemade bombs and managed to escape. Some reports said that the blasts injured another person also.

Later, police visited the spot and Mondol was admitted to a hospital.

Police, however, described the incident an "act of ordinary robbers".

"Our initial finding suggests that robbers raided the home and threw the homemade bomb as they failed to enter inside after midnight yesterday... We have launched a manhunt for the miscreants," Chuadanga's police chief Rabiul Hossain told PTI over phone.

He added that Mondol earned some cash yesterday after selling a few cows at a local village market.

"The robbers initially tried to break into the house and as they failed to enter they hurled the bomb which wounded Alam," the officer said, adding that Mondol was staying in the house with his father, who was unhurt.

Asked what made police to think the attack to be an attempt of ordinary robbery, Hossain said the houses of Mondol and other cattle traders were frequent targets of dacoits, who tried to snatch his money nearly two months ago as well.

Today's attack came four days after suspected Islamists hacked to death a 50-year old Hindu tailor in central Tangail as three similar murders in the past two weeks triggered international uproar over the situation in Bangladesh.

Concern is rife that religious extremism was taking hold in the traditionally moderate Muslim-majority country.

Systematic assaults in Bangladesh, especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners, have witnessed at least 30 killings in the past three years.

Last Saturday, a liberal professor at Rajshahi University was hacked to death by ISIS militants. Two days later, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

A homegrown Islamist group Ansar Al Islam has claimed earlier attacks, identifying itself as the Bangladesh- affiliate of Al Qaeda Indian Sub Continent, while authorities have repeatedly denied presence of any foreign terrorist outfit in the country.
U2 frontman Bono made a surprise appearance onstage at Lupita Nyong'o's Broadway play Eclipsed and paid tribute to missing African girls.

The show centres around a group of captive wives of a rebel officer in the Liberian Civil War, and "12 Years a Slave" star portrays a semi-literate 15-year-old who becomes the fourth wife of the commanding officer.

Following her performance on Saturday, Lupita and her co-stars paid tribute to 219 schoolgirls, who went missing in Nigeria in 2014. They were joined by Bono, who called out the media for failing to report the item.

"They were taken from their high school 747 days today. "If they were American or Irish girls, we'd get a daily report," he said.

"In our story, we witness the power," Lupita added.

The missing girls were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Borno State by Islamist extremists Boko Haram.

Last month, their captors released a video showing 15 girls who appeared to be some of the girls. The video was apparently taken in December, 2015.
"Lord Of The Rings" star Ian McKellen is all set to visit India as part of 'Shakespeare Lives on Film', a global programme to celebrate the Bard's works and his influence on culture, education and society, coinciding with his 400th death anniversary.

Launched by the British Council and GREAT Britain Campaign, as a part of this programme, the BFI (British Film Institute) has curated a special international touring event of British Shakespeare adaptations, spearheaded by 76-year-old McKellen.

Mumbai is the first stop on McKellen's global tour as the BFI's ambassador for 'Shakespeare Lives on Film'.

As part of the international tour, McKellen will be presenting "Richard III", a film he co-adapted for the big screen and starred in.

"I have been aware of India's passion for Shakespeare ever since I saw 'Shakespeare Wallah' (1965) and more recently the outstanding Bollywood versions of the plays. This is my first visit to Mumbai when I look forward to hearing local reaction to the Shakespeare on Film season and to meeting with colleagues in the Indian film industry," McKellen said in a statement.

MAMI Film Club is partnering with the British Council, the BFI, GREAT, NCPA and Fountainhead MKTG to bring the programme to India.

"I am a great admirer of sir Ian's work, and it is an honour for the Jio MAMI Film Club to be able to partner in this master class... This is a chance for film lovers to hear one of the most iconic actors of Shakespeare speak in our city. We could not have asked for a better launch for our Film Club," Kiran Rao, Chairperson, MAMI said.

McKellen will be part of a public conversation with an Indian superstar, scheduled on May 23, and will mark the debut of MAMI Film Club.

The 'Shakespeare Lives On Film' screenings will be held on May 24 and McKellen's "Richard III" is also a part of it.

During his visit, McKellen will also be the guest of honour at the launch of the 7th Kashish Mumbai International Queer Festival, besides being a guest of honour at the Queen's Birthday Party, organised by the British High Commission.
A British woman today lodged a complaint with city police against a 65-year-old film editor for allegedly molesting, assaulting and stealing her 1,300 pounds.

The 42-year-old complainant, an actress who was born in India, lodged the complaint at Malwani police station, police said.

According to police, the accused is a resident of Marve Road in Malwani.

"The accused had invited the victim to his place on the pretext of giving her break in Bollywood through his contacts. During her stay with him between April 9 and 13 at his residence, the accused allegedly assaulted her with intent to outrage her modesty," police added.

The complainant, who had earlier worked as an air hostess in an international airline, alleged that the accused stole her 1,300 pounds from her belongings, during her stay with him.

The accused is yet to be arrested and investigation is on, police said.
A 37-year-old builder was shot dead outside his office in north-east Delhi's Welcome area by two unidentified persons, police said today.

Mahender Chand, who was also involved in property dealing, was in his office late last night when two assailants came and pumped four bullets into his head, chest and abdomen, a senior police officer said adding the incident could be a fallout of business-related disputes.

When locals tried to intervene, the attackers threatened them with their arms and fled away from the spot. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.

He was involved in property dealings and dispute over some property has come to light which is being investigated, police said.

Mahender is survived by his wife and two children.

Police is examining footage of nearby CCTV cameras to obtain clues about the assailants.
C Raja Mohan, a foreign policy strategist, has been named as the inaugural Marshall Bouton Asia Fellow of the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

The Chicago-based Council established this fellowship in recognition of Marshall M Bouton, who was president of the Council from 2001 to 2013.

Mohan will visit Chicago from May 9 to 13 during which he will deliver the Council's first Marshall M Bouton Lecture: "American Retrenchment: Implications for India and Asia."



He would also meet with civic leaders, corporate executives and local scholars to build relationships and share knowledge about critical issues facing Asia and the US.

"America's future is increasingly linked to Asia's, and Dr. Mohan has a unique vantage point from which to assess the importance of this relationship," said Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder, president of the Council on Global Affairs.

In addition to his position at Carnegie India, which opened in April 2016 as the sixth international center of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Raja Mohan is a visiting research professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore and a columnist on foreign affairs for the Indian Express.

He was previously a member of India's National Security Advisory Board and was a non-resident senior associate with Carnegie before he became director of Carnegie India.
Government auditor CAG has stressed on strengthening of oversight mechanism for management of cash surplus by PSUs and compliance of norms on payment of dividend and issue of bonus shares.

The CAG's report, covering accounts of the CPSEs for the years, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, was tabled in Parliament today.

As per the guidelines, all profit making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) should pay dividend amounting to 20 per cent (30 per cent in case of Oil, Petroleum, Chemical and other infrastructure companies) of PAT or 20 per cent of equity, whichever is higher.

Out of 36 listed CPSEs selected for audit, 30 have paid total dividend of Rs 1,27,078 crore during 2012-15 period.

Four CPSEs, including GAIL and NTPC, did not disburse minimum dividend of Rs 1,718 crore as required under the Department of Public Enterprise (DPE) guidelines, despite having sufficient profit after tax.

Also, three CPSEs did not disburse minimum dividend of Rs 5,237 crore, due to insufficient PAT, despite having large free reserves, the report said.

"Oversight of Board and the Administrative Ministry may be strengthened over management of surplus cash held by the CPSEs and compliance to DPE guidelines ensured," the report said.

Cash and bank balance (CBB) of 46 listed CPSEs as on March 2015 was Rs 1,62,970 crore.

"An effective cash management system would balance the need to have adequate cash and cash equivalents with the need to channelise surplus cash into income yielding investments to maximise wealth for the shareholders," the report said.

Government is banking on dividend and share buyback from cash rich PSUs to meet its budgetary deficit target.

"High cash balances with the CPSEs raises the two issues: Are the CPSEs paying appropriate amount of dividends to their shareholders (mainly the GOI)? and Do the CPSEs have effective capital expenditure plans in place?" it said.

Utilisation of surplus cash is not included as a financial parameter to monitor performance in Memorandum of Understanding of 23 CPSEs.

The report notes that in case of 27 CPSEs, free reserves were in excess of thrice of their paid up capital.

However, bonus shares were not issued as required by DPE in case of 24 CPSEs, the report said. In case of three CPSEs, Balmer Lawrie & Co, Container Corporation of India and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, even after issue of bonus shares their reserves remained more than three times of their paid up capital.

They did not consider issue of bonus shares as per DPE guidelines, it said.

The total market value of shares of 46 listed government companies (including four subsidiary companies) which were traded during 2014-15 stood at Rs 13,27,781 crore at end March 2015.

The total profit earned by 205 government companies and corporations was Rs 1,37,338 crore of which, 66 per cent was contributed by 48 government companies and corporations under three sectors -- petroleum, coal and lignite, and power.

(REOPENS DCM107)



The CAG report also said mandatory guidelines of the DPE/SEBI on corporate governance were not being complied with by some of the CPSEs.

It noticed representation of independent directors in 29 CPSEs was not adequate. There was no independent director on the Board of Directors in 16 CPSEs.

In 18 CPSEs, the post of independent directors and functional directors was not filled up even after lapse of three and six months respectively. In two CPSEs less than four meetings of Audit Committee were held.

On Corporate Social Responsibility, the report said that during the year 2014-15, the provisions of CSR applied to 185 CPSEs.

Of these 55 CPSEs did not have a CSR committee or a CSR policy. Of these, 100 CPSEs had earned profit during 2014-15 and 64 had spent the full amount earmarked for CSR activities and 36 CPSEs had an unspent amount of Rs 977 crore.
Telecom companies today told the Supreme Court that entire sector is under huge debt and they have to pay big price for spectrum, therefore zero tolerance on call drops should not be imposed on them.

Refuting the allegations of TRAI that the telecom service providers are making huge gains in the sector, the companies told the apex court that they have been investing hugely on the infrastructure.

"They (TRAI) said that we have been making Rs 250 crore a day but what was not specified was that we are under huge debt. We have to pay over Rs 3.8 lakh crores as debt. We are buying spectrum at Rs 45,000 crore, which was earlier Rs 1,658 crore.

"We are not gaining anything and our rate of return is less than one percent at the end of a year," senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for telecom operators, told a bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman. The bench reserved its verdict on the issue.

Sibal said that TRAI had compared India with China but in that country the spectrum is given for free to the top three telecom companies which are state run.

Sibal said that like TRAI worries for consumers, so do the telecom companies and no one wants the call drop to happen but the factors responsible are beyond their control.

"Our tariff is lowest in the world. We are serving over one billion subscribers in India and we are one of the largest contributor to FDI and provide a million of jobs," Sibal said.

He said that although Telecom companies have largest subscriber base in India but have the lowest revenue and also the Industry's revenue is gradually going down.

Sibal refuted the allegations of TRAI that Telecom companies are not investing on technology and towers and said that in past 15 months over two lakh towers have been installed.

"We have installed over two lakh towers in past 15 months and every third minute a tower is being installed. What has been done in past fifteen months has not been done in past 20 years," he said.

COAI, a body of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India and 21 telecom operators, including Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and Reliance, have challenged the Delhi High Court order upholding TRAI's decision making it mandatory for them to compensate subscribers for call drops from this January.
Sandeep Garg, an IAS officer of 1991 batch, was convicted by a Special CBI court here today for amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 3.18 crore.

The officer has been sentenced to four years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25 lakh imposed on him, a CBI spokesperson said.

Garg, the then Regional Director (Northern Region), Anti Adulteration Cell, Ministry of Petroleum and four others have been convicted in the case, she said.

"Atul Jindal has been sentenced to four years RI with fine of Rs two lakh; Suman Sarin to four years RI with fine of Rs two lakh; Swami Saran Garg to two years RI with fine of Rs two lakh and Rajiv Garg to four years RI with fine of Rs two lakh," she said.

The spokesperson said Garg was apprehended while accepting Rs 12 lakh from a businessman of Panipat at his residence.

"The money had been given by the accused to the businessman for getting it changed into higher denomination of currency notes. The subsequent searches carried out by CBI had resulted in detection of cash and assets worth crores," she said.

The spokesperson said after thorough investigation, CBI had filed a chargesheet on July 28, 2006 against Garg for possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 3.36 crore (approx) during the period of April 01, 1999 to April 16, 2004.

"It was further alleged that the said officer had acquired huge assets during a short period from January 1999 to April 2004. These included a plot in Panchkula (Haryana); two flats in Vasant Kunj and one flat in Maya Enclave, Hari Nagar (Delhi). Movable assets consisting of huge cash as well as Bonds, shares, FDRs and bank balance in crores were also unearthed," she said.
A special court today granted permission to CBI to question Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, in Byculla women's prison here.

Special CBI court Judge H S Mahajan gave permission to the central investigative agency.

"We had sought permission to interrogate Indrani in jail as we have got some more material and we need to confront her with that," a CBI official said.

The official added that they had sought permission to question Indrani for four days, to which the court granted.

Meanwhile, CBI opposed former media baron and Indrani's husband Peter Mukerjea's bail application stating that he was involved in the conspiracy.

"Indrani gave full information to Peter about the conspiracy. He had knowledge and he was part and parcel of the conspiracy," special CBI prosecutors Bharat Badami and Kavita Patil argued.

Badami also told the court that Indrani was giving "running commentary" to Peter about the crime.

However, the court sought to know from the agency about the motive of Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani's former husband, in the criminal conspiracy with Indrani when Peter was also there.

Rahul Mukerjea, Peter's son from previous marriage, and Sheena were in a relationship. CBI had earlier told the court that Indrani and Peter were unhappy with their relationship.

Badami said that when Peter came to know that Sheena was Indrani's daughter, everything changed and it resulted in the murder.

Badami also told the court that at the time of disposal of Sheena's body, there was a conversation of 15 minutes between Indrani and Peter. "After that, there were no calls at odd hours and not even before that," he argued.

The prosecutor also told the court that if Peter was on good terms with certain top police officials then why didn't he help Rahul in finding Sheena after her "disappearance".

The court will continue to hear the arguments tomorrow.

The bail application of Peter, who was arrested in November last year, had been rejected once earlier. Besides, Indrani and Peter, Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamvar Rai are also accused in the case.

Indrani, Rai and Khanna allegedly strangled Sheena (24), Indrani's daughter from earlier relationship, inside a car in April 2012. The crime came to light last August.
The Centre today assured Himachal Pradesh government of all assistance to control the forest fire that engulfed some parts of the state.

During a telephonic conversation with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his concern and assured all required help to contain the fire which hit some parts of the hill state, official sources said.

The central government may send teams of National Disaster Response Force to Himachal Pradesh to assist the local administration contain the fire, sources said.

A massive fire has already devastated a large part of forests in neighbouring Uttarakhand.
Chinese police joined patrolling the streets of Rome and Milan to protect tourists from the country as part of a "groundbreaking" programme in which China for the first time has sent its security officers to Europe.

Four Chinese officers received special training in Beijing before their assignment and can speak Italian as well as English.

Each has been paired with a local partner and they will be deployed at the busiest tourist attractions in Rome and Milan.

It was the first time China had sent officers to Europe to protect tourists, Liao Jinrong who heads up international cooperation at the Ministry of Public Security was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua agency.

The initiative stems from an agreement between the two countries first reached in 2014 and confirmed last year.

Italian police have carried out similar collaboration with countries such as the US, Spain and Poland.

In Milan's Chinatown, located in the northern part of the Italian business capital, between 70 and 80 per cent of shops are run by Chinese owners, but around 80 per cent of residents are Italian.

The teams can offer language assistance and explain local laws and procedures to visitors who run into trouble.

The programme will last until May 13 and Italian police will later head to Beijing and Shanghai to offer a similar service, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

About three million Chinese visit Italy every year, making the mainland the fourth biggest source of tourists for the southern European nation in 2014.

There have been media reports in recent years that thieves were increasingly targeting Chinese because they had a reputation of carrying more cash than other tourists.

Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said at the launch he expected to deepen law enforcement cooperation with China and expand the joint patrols to other Italian cities.

A plan to have Chinese officers deployed in Paris was scrapped in 2014, reportedly over concerns they might have difficulty operating in a legal environment that was so different from that in China.

Countries world over including India have tried to woo Chinese tourists as last year over 120 million tourists from China travelled abroadbecoming largest outbound tourists registering a 11 million increase over the last year.

Chinese government tourism statistics say that Chinese outbound tourists spent a record USD 164.8 billion overseas in 2014.

Considering the potential, India has announced e-visas for Chinese tourists.
Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal, is ready to come to India and face investigators provided he gets an assurance he will not be arrested, his lawyer Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos said today.

Anjos also said that Michel is living in Dubai and is willing to speak the "truth".

"He has arrest warrant and that is why he can't go to India. He is not free to go. He would like to go and answer everything and tell the truth but not with arrest warrant," Anjos told Times Now channel from Milan.

She said Michel is available to answer all questions in front of a judge but he must be assured that he is not going to be arrested.

Anjos said if her client gets formal invitation from Indian authorities and assurance that he will not be arrested then he will have to go to India and answer all the questions.

The controversial deal and the alleged bribes to the tune of Rs 120 crore paid in clinching it for AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica, has triggered a political slugfest between BJP and Congress.

CBI questioned former IAF chief S P Tyagi for the second day today in connection with the VVIP chopper deal.

CBI had in 2013 registered a case in connection with alleged bribes paid by the firm to Indians to clinch the deal for 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs including the President and Prime Minister.
Twelve global artists have voiced their concerns about climate change through varied paintings, focusing on carbon, a fundamental element for life and the primary cause for the greenhouse effect - that is seen to be a detriment for the future survival of human beings.

Titled "Carbon-12," after the most common natural isotope of the non-metal, a two-day-long exhibition of the artworks beginning today, attempts to offer a unique intersection of art and science by shedding light on man's relationship with earth while highlighting the impact of his carbon footprints.

One of the artworks titled 'The Sun' is of a dark-skinned Egyptian woman donning a crimson red bindi, who looks back at her viewers with teary-eyed rage, as if in rhetoric.

"My idea was that she is the sun but she is sad and a little bit angry because she does not like what she sees - what people are doing to the planet," Lithuanian artist Dovile Norkute, who has two of her artworks on display said.

Her works are also symbolic of a peaceful amalgamation of cultures with her subject, who at first glance appears to be African, but wears a familiar Egyptian hairdo with the quintessential red Indian bindi.

Norkute's works are an effortless mix of oil, graffiti, calligraphy and photo on collage.

The selling art show was inaugurated last evening at the Egg Art Studio here by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who termed it as one that "easily touches your heart."



"The topic is carbon footprint which we are experiencing today in the form of climate change. This is a beautiful exhibition which makes people aware of the dangers and artists have come out with various good concepts and they easily touch your heart," he said.

The minister who was part of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris last year and later at the UN Climate Summit in New York, said that the only way to face the challenge of climate change was "common will, collective wisdom and joint efforts."



"The challenge can be met by common will, collective wisdom and joint efforts. And therefore, what we decided in Paris and later in New York is about mitigating the challenge of climate change.

"I believe that if human intervention has caused climate change, now human intervention in positive way will help mitigate the challenge and we can deliver or hand over a better earth to the future generation," he said.

In layman's language, carbon footprint can be essentially termed as impact of human beings on the environment measured by the greenhouse gases they are responsible for creating.

Meanwhile, the artworks displayed at the exhibition are the outcome of a 2-week long residency held in Jaipur earlier this year. The artists were joined by a science writer, Adam Voiland, from NASA, whose works are also a part of the show.

Claudie Dimbeng hailing from Ivory Coast uses the concept



of 'mixed art relief' to drive home the message of how carbon footprints are affecting the planet.

Her work titled, "We are life, We are earth" is a textured piece of abstract art in myriad colours often rendering a 3-dimensional effect. Its relevance to the theme of the exhibition lies in how she has created the artwork.

The artist uses locally available materials, often found objects - marble powder, tree bark, leaves, handmade paper and recycled paper from factories, natural dyes and ceramic paste - all of which are "ecological."



"My artistic concept is mixed art relief which is mixed media technique and also a way to the mix of cultures, but it is very ecological and organic. The purpose for me was to produce a green organic artwork which will be nature friendly because it is all about our impact on the planet.

"I also wanted to produce an artwork with a mix of cultures. So this is inspired by the colours of India matched with the colours of Africa," said the artist, who has been living in Paris for the last three decades.

Dimbeng says her work which is a splash of hues across a horizontal canvas, is symbolic of, "life, power and energy and can be seen a piece of earth. It shows the power that we have to make a change."



For Indian-born artist, Premila Singh, the element of carbon has both positive and negative, and the focus should not be on eliminating it from the environment altogether, but to strike a balance.

Her work in oil, showcases, the "carbon crying for help. Not the earth, but the carbon, because even they feel saturated."



Various 'grey' gas emissions from the 'green' earth rise up to disturb the nature, making the background 'black' with pollution as "carbon tears" fall on to the earth crying for help.

The artist who is currently based out of South Africa said "In everything there is a presence of carbon. The negative goes with the positive. We can't live only on oxygen. We need the content of carbon to balance. If you think that you are going to rid the environment of carbon and live in paradise, that is also a fallacy."



Other artists participating in the show include Joan Belmar (USA), Grete Marsten (Norway), Roya Delkhush (Iran), Katherine Mann (USA), Lithuanian artists and Giedre Riskute, Audrius Grazys, Margarita Chacon (Mexico) and Bo-Suk Lee (South Korea).

Artworks in the exhibition that ends on May 4 are priced between Rs 4 lakh to 8 lakh.
In a bid to check its preparedness and response measures in crisis situation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) today conducted a Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise (SAREX) near here today.

As part of the drill, a mass rescue operation was held after a mock aircraft accident.

The SAREX-16, which focussed on Mass Rescue Operation (MRO) post an aircraft accident also activated real time satellite-based distress communication mechanisms such as Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) from the aircraft so as to check the efficacy of distress alert relay mechanisms.

After receipt of distress message, search and rescue operations simulating 'Mass Rescue' through a coordinated and synergised SAR operations was demonstrated.

Ten ICG Ships, Dornier aircraft, three Chetak helicopters, one indigenous Advance Light Helicopter from Coast Guard, one Indian Naval Ship, one Indian Air Force helicopter, one ship of Shipping Corporation of India participated in the exercise.

Besides, other resource agencies like Airline Operator Committee, Mumbai International Airport Limited, Air India, Airport Authority of India (MB), Indian Mission Control Centre(INMCC) Bangalore, Maharashtra State administration, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Police, JNPT and MbPT also participated.

The exercise assumes significance in the wake of recent operations like rescue of 20 crew from MV Jindal Kamakshi, 14 crew of MV Coastal Pride and others.

A total of 25 international observers from nine maritime nations - Australia, Bangladesh, Japan, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and United Arab Emirates - witnessed the exercise at sea.

Besides, members from National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board from various Central and state Departments, resource agencies and other maritime stake holders also participated in the exercise.
Aligarh Muslim University, which conducts its own medical entrance test for admissions to medical courses, has decided to file an appeal before the Supreme Court on the issue of the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET).

The varsity had already held the first phase of its two- tier medical entrance exam and announced its results before the apex court gave the green signal to CBSE to conduct a common national entrance test for medical and dental courses.

The second phase of AMU's medical entrance test is now scheduled for June 1, AMU spokesman Rahat Abrar said.

He said a decision to approach the Supreme Court on the NEET issue was taken at a meeting of the University's Academic Council, presided over by the AMU Vice Chancellor Lt Gen (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah, on April 30.

Since the matter relating to the minority status of AMU is pending before the apex court, any decision regarding AMU's right to conduct its own medical entrance test will be directly linked to the verdict on its minority status, according to senior AMU officials.
Days after diesel price was hiked by close to Rs 3 a litre, a Congress member in Rajya Sabha today attacked the government for adding to the "miseries" of drought-hit farmers who will have to shell out more for buying the fuel to run tractors or pump sets.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Pramod Tiwari (Cong) said the previous UPA government sold petrol at Rs 60 when the price of crude oil (raw material for making petrol and diesel) was ruling at USD 120 per barrel.

Now that the international crude prices have dipped to USD 40-45, petrol in Delhi costs Rs 62.19 a litre and diesel Rs 50.95 per litre, he said.

Petrol price was on late Saturday night hiked by Rs 1.06 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.94 a litre.

Costlier fuel, he said, will add to the miseries of drought-hit farmers who would now have to pay more to run their irrigation pump sets and tractors.

"Why increase the prices when we are facing drought and water crisis," he questioned.

Tiwari said sugar prices have shot up to Rs 50 per kg and that of dal to Rs 170-180 a kg. In Kashmir, dal is being sold at Rs 235 per kg, he said.

"If the increased price of commodities had gone to farmers, we would have been content. But the benefit is being robbed by blackmarketers and hoarders flourishing under the patronage of the present government," he said.

He wanted to know who are the middlemen who are looting the common man and killing farmers.
Congress MLA Ajay Rai, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the violence during a march on October 5, 2015, was given a warm welcome by his partymen when he arrived here today.

Rai was arrested in connection with violence and arson during the march by seers and other local leaders against police action on protesters opposing ban on immersion of Ganesha idols in the Ganga river.

He was later booked under National Security Act for allegedly conspiring the violence.

The Allahabad High Court on March 29 quashed the order of Varanasi district magistrate invoking stringent NSA against Rai, terming the imposition as "illegal", and granted him bail on April 12.

Following which Rai was released yesterday after being lodged in Fatehgarh jail in Farrukhabad districtfor 208 days.

Rai had fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as Congress candidate from Varanasi. He finished third and lost his deposit in what turned out to be a virtually one-sided contest in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi defeated his nearest rival Arvind Kejriwal by a margin of 3.7 lakh votes.
Bradley Cooper and director Todd Phillips are facing a lawsuit over their new movie "War Dogs".

Efraim Diveroli is suing Cooper, 41, who is a producer on the film, Phillips and executives at Warner Bros, claiming they had unauthorised access to his "Once a Gunrunner" manuscript and could have used elements from it in the film, reported Contactmusic.

The movie centres on a pair of drug users who become arms dealers after they win a hefty amount contract to supply American allies with weapons in Afghanistan.

The screenplay is reportedly based on a 2011 Rolling Stone article and a subsequent book written by Guy Lawson, while Diveroli was in jail serving a four-year sentence after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy.

In 2008, he was accused of infringing upon the terms of his contract with the US Government and being in violation of a pre-existing arms embargo.
CPI(M) has urged the Election Commission (EC) to ensure security to stop "post-poll violence" in the state and alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress has "unleased a reign of terror" on its workers.

"There has been widespread appreciation both among the people and the media for the manner in which the polls were conducted in the fifth phase on April 30 ... But the post-poll violence continues unabated, even leading to fatalities," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a letter to the EC.

"A most obnoxious feature of these post-poll violence is that even children of the family are not being spared for their elders having gone to polling booths to exercise their franchise, despite threats by the miscreants of the ruling party. The earlier pattern of violence being directed to opposition polling agents also continue," the letter said.

The party said the abrupt withdrawal of the Central Armed Police Force on the completion of polling is being utilised by the attackers and therefore some post-poll security management planning was needed.

"Since the interregnum between the final phase of polling and the counting of votes is almost two weeks, special measures need to be planned and implemented," the letter said.

The CPI(M) state leadership has accused the TMC of letting loose a reign of terror on CPI(M) workers and their family members after the polls.

TMC has, however, denied the allegations.
A Parliamentary panel today suggested that the central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) should spend money under the CSR obligations on development of the remote backward areas of the country.

The committee is also of the view that as provided by the Companies Act 2013, it is an obligation of a company to be concerned with the well-being of its local populace and environment, the resources of which are being directly utilised by them.

"...The committee also holds the view that CPSEs should take into account the development of remote backward areas of the country," the panel, in its report presented in Parliament today, said.

These are areas where the pace of industrial development has been slow due to their geographic location, it added.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry, headed by K C Tyagi, reviewing the provisions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) under the Companies Act, 2013 recommended that NGOs through which CSR programmes are run should furnish their utilisation certificates on time.

"While neighbourhood community and local area with reference to company's work have first claim on CSR projects, Schedule VII should also provide for development by individual company or jointly with other companies, in backward areas like North-East, Andaman & Nicobar islands and Lakshadweep, which do not have much industrialisation and are in need of development," the panel said.

The committee suggested that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) should issue guidelines as to how can the CPSEs extend their CSR oversight to entire supply chain network to ensure that vendors comply with principles of CSR as per DPE guidelines.

"DPE should also allow CPSEs to join in the central and state government's schemes like Mid-day meals, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan as per Schedule VII," it recommended.

For this, the DPE should evolve a model arrangements framework between CPSEs and the nodal government agency, which should ensure timely release of utilisation certificates to the CPSEs so that it can reflect the CSR expenditure in its annual accounts, the panel suggested.

"Similarly, the company or NGO, through which CSR projects are to be implemented, too should furnish the utilisation certificate in time. It must be ensured that such NGOs and companies should actually use the funds in time," it said.

During its interactions with CPSEs, the committee said it needed greater clarity over the clarifications regarding CSR obligations of holding companies like Coal India considering that earning in form of dividend were not included while computing net income.

"There is confusion whether PSUs can set up professional/ skill development institutions as per Schedule VII in their respective area of usual business and core competence," it said.
The Delhi government today launched a drive with an aim to seal illegal water bottling plants in the national capital and nab their operators.

As part of the drive, coordinated between the Delhi Jal Board and the Divisional Commissioner's office, two such units operating in Sitapuri and Uttam Nagar were sealed by this evening, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said.

"We sealed two illegal units and arrested as many people. The Delhi Government will not tolerate any water mafia in the city. We have initiated strong proceedings against the violators and charged them under the Environment Protection Act (EPA)," Mishra said.

Under the Section 15 of the EPA of 1986, contravention is punishable with imprisonment for upto five years, with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees or both.

Crackdown on "water mafia" is one of the key poll promises of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
Authorities in this district remained on the alert today, a day after panic gripped Lawrence School, Sanawar with a blaze in a nearby jungle advancing towards it forcing shifting of students to a safer open area in the residential institution.

Residents in the area accused the Forest Department of having a "lackadaisical" attitude and not taking steps to prevent forest fires including carrying out controlled fire exercises ahead of the summer season.

They said forest fires were causing "massive" damage to the environment in the region.

"There has been no major incident of fire that has been reported today" in the Kasauli-Solan area, Deputy Commissioner, Solan, Rakesh Kanwar told PTI.

However, smoke could be seen in certain forest areas along the Kalka-Shimla highway.

The fire which caused panic yesterday here near 169-year-old Lawrence School here had been brought under control.

There was no damage caused to the institution and students and staff had been taken to a safer open area in the boarding school premises, Kanwar said.

Ashu Kapil, a teacher from Kasauli working in another school here, said the situation was much better as compared to what it was yesterday.

State government officials maintained the blaze occurred as highly inflammable dry pine needles caught fire.

Authorities in the hill state are keeping a close vigil on forest fires and have taken steps as there has been a concern among the people with such fires occurring in several parts including areas through which railway lines like the 113-year-old Shimla-Kalka toy train corridor, pass.

The British-era toy train, which runs along a 96-km narrow gauge track, and other trains in the state chug through chir, oak and pine forests.

Sanjay Kumar Gera, a station superintendent, said railway personnel are on alert but the main task of handling forest fires is that of the disaster management wing of the state government.

"We are in touch with them," he said.

The officials said the frequency of forest fires this year has not been alarming and with periodical rains, they have got naturally extinguished.

Showers in Shimla and Solan districts have helped in putting out the fires in some forest areas, they said.

A major tourist attraction, the Shimla-Kalka toy train was made operational in 1903 and the track has 102 tunnels. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

(REOPENS DEL55)



Headmaster Singh said a Brigadier-rank Army officer had called him up and offered help. "But we said there is no such situation. Had there been any such situation, we would have taken their help," he said, adding that forest fires were a natural phenomenon and they occurred frequently during summer.

However, he blamed the "rumour mongers" for creating "unnecessary panic" about the safety of the children.

"There was a huge amount of misinformation about the safety of our school children as rumour mongers created panic with false information," he said.

Singh said he had been attending to calls from panicked parents since yesterday from within the country and abroad.

"We are telling the worried parents that there is no need to worry as the children are safe," he said.

Set up in 1991, Pinegrove School is located in the hills. The school has another branch in Subathu in Solan.

"Sometimes, dry pine needles catch fire which is common in summer. There is a thick growth of pine trees in the area of Solan, Kasauli and Kandaghat," Kanwar said, adding, the forest officials along with police and local villagers carry out awareness campaign to prevent such fire incidents.

He maintained that forest officials were conducting controlled fire exercises by digging trenches to check forest blazes from spreading.

Kanwar, however, also blamed negligence of people who sometimes throw burning cigarettes or butts which become a reason for fire alongside roads.

The Deputy Commissioner said forest officials and police were on alert to prevent any fresh fire incident.

Jaikishan, a local resident, alleged, "This year, forest officials were careless as they did not burn the pine needles so as to prevent any major fire incident".

Yesterday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had said forest fires are "not comparable" with those raging in neighbouring Uttarakhand and the situation here is "fully under control".

Nearly 400 forest fire incidents have been reported from different parts of Himachal Pradesh in this summer apparently caused by inflammable parched pine needles, dry weather and rising mercury.
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) was today taken to task over construction of a sewage treatment plant by the National Green Tribunal which warned its officials not to play a "smart game" on the issue concerning pollution in river Yamuna.

"For the past one-and-a-half years, we are grappling with this problem which has been generated by your client (DJB). Tell your officers not to play smart game with us. This is causing us lot of concern. Your client is causing suspicion," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar told the counsel appearing for DJB.

The bench was irked that it was not informed earlier that the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Delhi Gate drain was not working properly.

"Why we were not told about all this? This is very unfair. Should the tribunal rely on you (DJB)? You have frustrated the tribunal. We went out of the way to help the DJB but everytime DJB is found to be wrong," the bench said.

Senior counsel H S Phoolka, who appeared for DJB, told the NGT that when this STP was constructed, it was not anticipated that it would have so much load.

He also said that flow of waste water would be diverted to other STPs.

The bench, however, directed DJB to furnish details about work covered under phase one of their projects and also budget expenditure plans by May 9, the next date of hearing.

The tribunal had yesterday come down heavily on DJB over construction of the STP at Delhi Gate drain here and had also directed it to provide details of planned expenditure in the current fiscal with regard to water and sewage sector.

The bench is monitoring the implementation of its 'Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project'. In order to keep the Yamuna river clean, DJB had last year started trial run of its newly constructed 15 MGD waste water treatment plant at Delhi Gate Nalla.

According to the DJB, the plant, which is odourless and functions on clean fuel, has been constructed at a cost of Rs 204 crore. The waste water treatment plant aims to tap highly polluted water from old Delhi areas.

The tribunal had earlier rapped DJB for spending money on Yamuna without its permission and had directed it not to spend a "single penny" on rejuvenation of river without its nod.

It had also directed DJB not to surrender the amount allocated to it in the last fiscal for rejuvenation of Yamuna to the Delhi government and asked it to spend the funds for implementation of its 'Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project'.
BJP today asked Rahul Gandhi to not play a "victim" and said it was not targeting him or Congress president Sonia Gandhi but corruption.

BJP said it was the Congress vice president's responsibility to answer questions over "scams" that occurred during his party's rule.

"Our target is corruption not individuals. Congress has been a champion of corruption and it is natural that it will be held accountable.

"Charges have been framed in many such cases like coal scam and 2G scam and he is himself an accused in the National Herald case. He should not play victim and rather answer questions," party's national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

Sharma said Rahul Gandhi brushed aside a BJP MP's letter to probe agencies that his alleged links with accused in the CWG and VVIP chopper scams be checked, saying "I am always being targeted, happy to be targeted."



The BJP, he said, came to power on the plank of making India corruption-free and is now working to eradicate corruption.

He claimed Congress stood "exposed" in AgustaWestland deal after bribe-givers were convicted by a court in Italy. Sharma said the Congress government was forced to cancel the deal after corruption in it was exposed in 2012 and now the party will have to answer questions about it.
The Election Commission today took stock of the preparedness for May 16 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and expressed satisfaction over it.

A team of officials led by Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha, Director Dhirendhra Ojah, arrived in the city today and conducted a meeting with various officials and poll observers.

"We had a discussion on preparations for the election with poll observers and police officers. We found the work taken up to be satisfactory. We will be continuously monitoring the preparations," Sinha told reporters here.

Meanwhile, 275 companies of paramilitary forces began arriving here for poll duty.

The second batch of 5,000 personnel arrived here from various parts of the country including Kolkata and Jharkhand.

They would be deputed in constituencies in the state which has about 65,000 polling stations and 5.82 crore voters.

Election Commission has initiated several steps for ensuring free and fair polls.

Recently top police officials, including City Police Commissioner T K Rajendhran who was replaced by Ashutosh Shukla, were shifted.
The UAE's flag carrier Etihad Airways has started flying its Airbus A380 aircraft, the world's biggest passenger airliner, to Mumbai with the launch of a new daily service.

Flight EY204 from Abu Dhabi landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai on Sunday on the occasion of Maharashtra Day, the 56th anniversary of the state's formation.

Mumbai became the UAE's second-largest airline's fourth A380 destination following London, Sydney and New York, with Melbourne set to join on June 1.

Etihad Airways senior management team led by Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice President Commercial UAE, flew on the inaugural flight, arriving to a traditional lamp lighting ceremony attended by officials from the airline and Mumbai airport operator, GVK. The airline did not provide information as to how many passengers travelled from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on the inaugural flight.

The A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner with the seating capacity of 853 passengers.

The choice of Maharashtra Day to launch the world's largest passenger jet to India reinforced the airline's commitment to the country; to meet an increase in demand for air services; and to support growing trade and tourism in India, company officials said.

With the aircraft upgrade, Etihad Airways is able to offer an all-A380 daily service in both directions between Mumbai and New York John F Kennedy International airport with a seamless connection over Abu Dhabi, along with the unique USA customs border protection which enables passengers to pre- clear US customs in Abu Dhabi, they said.
Former IAF Chief S P Tyagi was today questioned by CBI for the second consecutive day as part of the probe into the controversial AgustaWestland helicopter deal with the agency claiming he has accepted having met a senior functionary of the firm's Italian-based parent company Finmeccanica.

Tyagi, who has been named in the CBI case registered in March 2013, was summoned to the agency headquarters again today during which he was shown some visitor diary entries and other documents. He was questioned for nearly nine hours.

While the CBI was not willing to come on record on today's questioning, sources in the agency claimed that Tyagi has accepted that he had a meeting with Chief Operating Officer of Finmeccanica Georgio Zapa in Delhi on February 15, 2005 when he was the IAF chief after he was shown various documents including diary entries and visitors register.

The sources claimed that Tyagi was evasive yesterday when asked about his meetings with representatives of Finmeccanica or AgustaWestland but after "persistent questioning" he accepted that a meeting did take place.

The sources did not clarify if it was an official meeting but their reference to visitors diary suggested it was in the records.

The deliberations to alter specifications of the VVIP chopper--flying ceiling of 6,000 metres and a cabinet height of 1.8 metres--started from March, 2005 in which senior officials of Indian Air Force, Prime Minister's Office and Defence Ministry had participated, according to Government records.

These deliberations continued till September 2006 and suggestions to reduce the flying ceiling were acccepted which brought Finmeccanica's subsidiary AgustaWestland's helicopter in contention for the deal to sell 12 VVIP choppers to India.

Tyagi, who has been acquitted by an Italian court last year in June, was not immediately available for comments. However, he has always denied any involvement in the case.

CBI, which started investigations in 2013, is also claiming that it is still examining travel details of Tyagi and his meetings besides sources of funding for his travels.

The sources claimed that while the agency had come to know about three Noida-based companies owned by the former air chief he has accepted ownership of one more company by him and his wife.

All these companies were allegedly incorporated after 2011--four years after Tyagi retired from service. On February 8, 2010, a contract was signed with AgustaWestland for the supply of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopter.

The sources said Tyagi has been called again tomorrow when another accused Gautam Khaitan will also be questioned.

CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.

The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft)which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.

Tyagi has denied allegations against him claiming innocence and that the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved.
Indicating a serious security lapse, a fake identity card bearing the designation of a joint secretary of Home Ministry was recovered from a Textiles Ministry officer, who was arrested by CBI and huge wealth allegedly acquired by him unearthed.

CBI sources said the identity card was among the many cards which were recovered from the possession of Ashutosh Singh, a Deputy General Manager in the Textile Ministry.

They said a forensic examination of the card will reveal how it was forged, adding it is a serious security issue as a genuine looking I-card bearing designation of a Joint Secretary (an All India Service officer like IAS, IPS) will give unprecedented access and a serious security risk.

The agency has also recovered an identity card in his name bearing designation as official on Special Duty to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

CBI spokesperson said during searches the agency has recovered Rs 1.37 crore in cash from one of his flats in Mumbai, Rs 1.5 lakh cash from his car and FD investment to the tune of Rs nine crore. A sum of Rs 40.5 lakh (approx) in cash was also earlier recovered from his premises.

Later, the sources said documents showing his ownership of a bungalow and a flat in one of the costliest localities in Mumbai -- Versova, Andheri (West), five flats in Mira Road locality of Mumbai, one in Noida among others were found.

They said the questioning of Singh who was arrested while allegedly bribing a Delhi Police official has thrown up a glimpse of the lavish lifestyle which the official in his late forties had.

The sources claimed he allegedly used to maintain two high end Mercedes cars which were used to ferry high profile people and bureaucrats.

Singh has purportedly worked in the personal staff of



various political leaders during his service tenure which he allegedly "exploited" to liaison for various people like settling of private disputes, transfers, postings and other service related matters of bureaucrats, the sources said.

They said the agency has also gathered information that Singh was allegedly in contact with about five-six young girls besides there are three woman who have claimed to be his wife.

"CBI had arrested an Inspector of Delhi Police, posted at Police station Janakpuri, New Delhi and a Deputy GM of the Handicrafts and Handloom Export Corporation of India Ltd, Ministry of Textile (Govt of India) in an alleged bribery case of Rs three lakh," the spokesperson said.

She said the complainant had lodged his grievance with Delhi Police alleging that Singh had duped him of Rs one crore which he had taken from him for releasing of pending arrears/ wages from FCI.

The police inspector had allegedly demanded a bribe to settle the matter. CBI laid a trap and the Inspector (Investigation) of Delhi Police was caught while accepting the bribe, the spokesperson said.

She said identity/visiting cards in the designation of Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Sabha Secretariat, OSD to MoS (Home Affairs), OSD to Chief Minister (Government of Uttarakhand) and Secretary (P&A), Prasar Bharti, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have been recovered from the residence of Singh.

"During investigation, it has also come to light that he had earlier worked as OSD/ Additional PS to few then MoS including Labour, Home, Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs," she said.
Amitabh Bachchan was today accompanised by his family members to the 63rd National Film Awards ceremony here where the megastar will receive the best actor honour for his role of a hypochondriac father in "Piku".

It will be Bachchan's fourth National award and son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, wife Jaya Bachchan and daughter Shweta Nanda turned up at the ceremony to cheer for the actor.

The star, 73, will receive the honour from President Pranab Mukherjee here.

His previous National awards were for his performances in "Agneepath", "Black" and "Paa".

One of the most sought after stars in Bollywood, the actor will next be seen in "Te3n" and Shoojit Sircar's "Pink".
Farmers are earning less than workers in industrial and services sectors because of lower farm output, Parliament was informed today.

"Income from the farm sector is less as compared to income from industrial and services sector," Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told the Lok Sabha.

"Less income is due to low productivity in the agriculture sector, on account of preponderance of small and marginal holdings coupled with uncertainty of weather, lack of market access and lack of access to irrigation," he added.

The minister said that although the share of agriculture sector in total Gross Value Added in 2015-16 is only 15.3 per cent at 2011-12 prices, the share of agriculture workers in the total workers is 54.6 per cent as per Census 2011.

However, he said the industry and services sectors together account for 84.7 per cent of the Gross value Added and only 45.40 per cent of the total workers are engaged in these two sectors.

"As per the Census data, the total number of agricultural workers in the country increased from 234.1 million in 2001 to 263 million in 2011. Therefore, it cannot be categorically stated that farmers are leaving the profession of agriculture," Singh said.

The minister informed that the government has taken various steps to increase the income of farmers.

He said the government has formulated various schemes, including Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna, to increase production and productivity of crops, reducing input cost and initiating market reforms.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Tota Singh today reviewed the arrangements of the agriculture department regarding the cultivation of kharif crops such as paddy, cotton and basmati rice in the state.

During a high-level meeting, Singh issued instruction for the adequate availability of river water and electricity to the farmers.

He categorically asked the Chief Agriculture Officers (CAOs) to complete the task of cotton sowing within week by all means.

He directed the officers to persuade the farmers not to use un-recommended and hybrid seeds of cotton crop.

He said that farmers be sensitized to use the verities of seeds recommended by Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.

The Minister also instructed the Chief Agriculture Officers to send weekly crop cultivation progress report to the department so that the department, after compilation of reports of all the districts, could inform the Chief Minister, Punjab on routine basis.

During the meeting, Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) directed the officers to aware the farmers regarding the latest cultivation techniques and technology so that the state might not face any eventual untoward situation of crop failure.

Kalsi asked the officers that any problem faced by famers must immediately be brought to the notice of higher authority so that problems could be redressed without any delay.

He also asked the officers to use multimedia means of communication like Doordarshan/Radio for reaching out to more and more farmers in a bid to sensitize regarding the cultivation process and techniques besides producing special documentaries casting progressive farmers unrevealing their success stories in farming.

Jasbir Singh Bains, Director, Agriculture informed the minister that for the coming kharif season, the state had fixed the target of 27.10 lakh hectare paddy cultivation, 2 lakh maize and 5 lakh hectare for cotton cultivation.

He informed that all the arrangements of pesticides, seeds and fertilizer have been completed.
As AgustaWestland remains mired in controversy, the Finance Ministry has sought inputs from the Defence Ministry about a FDI proposal from the Italian company for its joint venture with Tata Sons to assemble helicopters in India.

The Finance Ministry yesterday said that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its meeting on April 8 had deferred decision on the 'post-facto approval' sought by the JV, but did not give any reasons.

"We are waiting for the Defence Ministry to finalise the definition of state-of-the-art. For majority (beyond 50 per cent) FDI that definition is necessary. Once the Defence Ministry finalises the definition we will review the proposal once again," a Finance Ministry source said.

When asked if there was any political motive for deferring the proposal, the official reiterated that FIPB had not received inputs from the Defence Ministry.

There is need to understand the status of the Agusta, the official added.

Indian Rotorcraft, a joint venture of AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) and Tata Sons for setting up an assembly line for the AW119Ke helicopter, had sought post-facto approval of the FIPB for increased FDI inflow of Rs 19.64 crore as against Rs 17.6 crore approved in September 2011.

Besides the increased FDI inflow, it had also sought approval for "change of the foreign investor from AgustaWestland S.P.A, Italy to Finmeccanica S.P.A by way of merger of AgustaWestland S.P.A, Italy into Finmeccanica S.P.A."



Tatas have previously said Indian Rotorcraft has "no connection whatsoever with AgustaWestland's (AW) supply of AW101 military helicopters to the Government of India". It is alleged that bribe was paid for securing the contract for supply of 12 AW101 military helicopters during the previous UPA regime.

"Indian Rotorcraft's (IRL) business proposition is to assemble AW119ke helicopters, at a facility in Hyderabad, for exports to AW for it to sell them to its customers. IRL's business remit does not include any selling activity for defence related entities," Tata Sons said on its website.

Tata Sons and Italian Defence major AgustaWestland had in February 2010 signed an agreement for formation of a joint venture company to establish a final assembly line for AW-119 helicopters for the Indian Army and the global market.
A former Jammu and Kashmir Minister and senior Congress leader Romesh Chander Sharma today died after brief illness at a hospital in New Delhi.

He was 64.

Sharma, who was elected MLA from Nowshera Assembly constituency of Rajouri district, served as a Minister of State in the PDP-Congress government in 2002.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

The cremation is expected to be held at his native place in Nowshera this evening.

Several senior Congress leaders, including Chief Spokesman of JKPCC Ravinder Sharma, have condoled the demise of Romesh Chander Sharma.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, in a condolence message, said Sharma was devoted to the welfare of the people and lived an exemplary public life.

Meanwhile, the state unit of the Congress held a condolence meeting which was attended by senior state party leaders including former ministers.
Four former LTTE operatives have been arrested by police in Sri Lanka on suspicion of trying to revive the banned group's separatist activities.

The police's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) yesterday issued a receipt acknowledging the arrest of one Krishnapillai Kaileshan who allegedly operated as the LTTEs eastern Batticaloa district intelligence senior.

He was being questioned, police sources said.

It was also said that three more intelligence seniors from the eastern districts of Ampara and Batticaloa and Jaffna in the north had also been arrested in the recent days.

Northern Tamil media sources said that since March 29, some 23 former LTTE operatives had been arrested in the north and east.

Prime Minister on Saturday said the government would not permit the revival of the LTTE and it was investigating possible attempts by individuals to organise themselves to form a new terror group.

The LTTE fought for three decades with the government to carve out a separate Tamil homeland. It was defeated by the government troops in 2009.
Four Indian naval ships including two stealth frigates will take part in a trilateral exercise next month near the South China Sea which will see India, US and Japan playing war games in East of Okinawa.

Defence sources said the two frigates along with a tanker and a corvette with integral helicopters will take part in Malabar Exercise which will be held from mid-June to the end of the month.

Reacting sharply to India's move in December last year of including Japan in the Indo-US Malabar naval exercises on a permanent basis, China had said that Tokyo will not "provoke confrontation" and "heighten tensions" in the region.

China is in a territorial dispute with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam over the South China Sea issue. There are overlapping claims over the waters in that maritime region.

The US, which had been pushing for Japan's inclusion, has said the exercise is an important element for assessing the maritime capabilities of all the three countries.

The US has in recent months ramped up its warnings over what it calls China's growing "militarisation" in the South China Sea.

American warships and aircraft have undertaken number of operations in the region to challenge China's moves even as the US hopes to stitch Asian military powers into a closer cooperation.

The US has also been pushing for a quadrilateral security dialogue involving itself, India, Japan and Australia.
The French government's contested labour reform bill finally reached parliament today, having sparked two months of mass protests, but neither employers nor unions are happy.

The government says the bill is designed to unlock France's rigid labour market and cut stubbornly high unemployment of around 10 percent -- the issue that has dogged Socialist President Francois Hollande's four years in power.

But since March 9, hundreds of thousands of people in cities around France have demonstrated against what they see as a reform weighed in favour of businesses.

With 12 months until the presidential election, the bill is likely to be the last of its size to be introduced by Hollande's government.

It also has the unenviable record of being the reform that has brought the most Socialist supporters onto the streets during Hollande's rocky time in office.

On Tuesday, as lawmakers begin to examine the bill, unions and student organisations held another demonstration outside the National Assembly parliament building.

Unions fear it will erode the cherished rights of workers on full-time contracts, while student organisations -- who have been at the forefront of the protests -- believe it will fail to create "real" jobs for young people.

In response to the opposition, the government has watered down its original proposals, with the result that employers are now worried.

Pierre Gattaz, the head of the employers' federation Medef, said the reform worried his members and "will fail to create jobs".

"In its current state, the bill really scares us," he told RTL radio.

"I would really like the lawmakers to go back to the initial spirit of the bill.

"This labour market needs to be unlocked. The whole world says so, Brussels says so and all the international organisations say so," he said.

Labour Minister Myriam El Khomri will attempt to address those concerns when she speaks to parliament at the start of the debate around 1500 GMT.

Police are bracing for fresh clashes with protesters after many of the demonstrations against the bill descended into violence.

Authorities believe troublemakers -- the so-called "casseurs", or breakers -- have mingled with protesters to foment clashes with riot police.
Negotiations for a vast US-EU trade pact, which aims to create a free-trade zone covering 850 million people, are likely to grind to a halt because of Washington's reluctance to make concessions, a top French trade official warned today.

"In view of the United States' state of mind today, that seems to be the most likely option," minister of state for trade Matthias Fekl told French radio when asked if the talks on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which began in 2013, could stop.

Fekl's comments reflect deep suspicion in Europe that the deal will erode ecological and health regulations to the advantage of big business.

Washington and Brussels want the mega-deal completed this year before US President Barack Obama leaves office, but it has faced mounting opposition on both sides of the Atlantic.

Yesterday, environmental pressure group Greenpeace released a trove of leaked documents about the closed-door negotiations, charging that a deal would inflict a dangerous lack of standards on US and European consumers.

However, the European Commission, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of the 28 EU member states, said Greenpeace was "flatly wrong" in its interpretation of the documents.

The Greenpeace leak was a "storm in a teacup," Brussels said.

US officials also hit back at Greenpeace with the US Trade Representative saying: "The interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat out wrong at worst."



Fekl said that Europe was pushing for "reciprocity."



"Europe is offering a lot and we are getting very little in return. This is unacceptable," said Fekl, who negotiates trade deals on behalf of France.

"It is a deal that - in the state it is in today - would be a bad deal," he said.
A German couple lured women to their village home with personal contact ads, then trapped, tortured and killed at least two of them, authorities said today.

Police said they were not ruling out more deaths from what one newspaper dubbed the "house of horrors", where one woman's body was cut up and burnt in the fireplace.

The 46-year-old man, identified by Bild daily as Wilfried W., and his ex-wife, Angelika B., 47, were arrested last week, accused of tormenting a woman through almost two months of captivity.

The couple was caught after their car broke down with the badly wounded 41-year-old woman inside. She died hours later in hospital from a head injury.

On Tuesday prosecutors and police said the female suspect had admitted to at least one more killing by the couple, and to trapping several more women over the years.

The second victim was a 33-year-old woman, whose body the couple had stored in a deep-freezer, then cut into pieces and incinerated in their fireplace.

The woman had died on August 1, 2014 as a result of "severe physical abuse", in the village house in the western town of Hoexter, said chief prosecutor Ralf Meyer.

Meyer stressed that investigators could not rule out that more people were killed, although police at this stage had no evidence of further deaths.

"We are looking for more victims" who survived, said Ralf Oestermann, chief of the homicide division in the nearby city of Bielefeld.

He also told a press conference that the male suspect had denied all charges of abuse and torture and had placed all the blame on his ex-wife.

Meyer said police had no evidence of sexual abuse in the case.

The couple married in 1999 and filed for divorce in 2013, the same year the man married the 33-year-old woman who later died, police said.

Oestermann said the male suspect had also "massively abused" his co-accused ex-wife.
Italian marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, will return home "in a few weeks", Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said today.

Girone "will come back to Italy in a few weeks, there are still bureaucratic procedures to go through," Pinotti was quoted as saying by the Italian agency ANSA.

Girone, along with another Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre on board ship 'Enrica Lexie', is accused by India of killing two of its fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.

He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident.

Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying at the Italian embassy in New Delhi.

Pinotti said a UN tribunal in The Hague allowing Girone back to Italy for the duration of arbitration was "nice news" but the process is long with a verdict not expected before 2018.

"It was nice we were hoping for and for which we worked silently in close contact with the team of lawyers that handles the international dispute on the two marines," she said.

"The Hague tribunal recognised what we were asking and that is that Girone should return to Italy and live with his family." But the process will still be long, Pinotti said.

"It's not over. We'll have to wait for the outcome of the arbitration, but I'm sure we'll get the right result," she added.
Power Ministry is preparing a new framework to boost hydropower development in the country by lowering the cost and removal of long-drawn clearances, a senior official said today.

"We are preparing a framework for hydropower development in the country, very soon we will take it up to the highest level in the government, so the focus is going to be back on hydro," Additional Power Secretary B P Pandey said at a conference on hydropower here.

Hydropower is much cleaner, greener and sustainable option, he said, adding that water security is an issue in India and there is a need for storages as well.

Highlighting that reducing the cost of hydroelectric power is one of the major challenges in the hydropower sector, he suggested for financial restructuring together with innovative financing instruments.

"How do we bring down costs or tariff of hydro projects, can we overcome and remove some of the long-drawn clearance processes taking into account environmental safety as well and basin studies, can we also devise some innovative financing models in our instruments which may help to restore the investor confidence which as of now has gone down and people are really not investing apart from PSUs," Pandey said.

Speaking at the conference Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Kalikho Pul invited private players to install hydropower plants in his state and assured all necessary support.

"We will provide all support to private developers for installing and commissioning of hydropower plants with facilities of single-window clearance.

"All requirements of local coordination will be fast tracked and we will ensure that there are no barriers to investors. State is examining various options available for funding the equity participation of state including the option to exit from the same," he said, solar and hydropower should simultaneously be promoted.

He further said projects between 50-100 MW should be promoted and taken up and there is need to source subsidy funding for the same.

"With a view to raising the share of hydropower in electricity-mix of the country, the Ministry of Power may set up a green energy corridor to evacuate hydropower generation from Arunachal Pradesh and north-eastern region," he said.
The government raised Rs 8,152 crore in 2015-16 by selling bonus debentures of NTPC to EPFO, Parliament was informed today.

Disinvestment in central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) is undertaken as per the extant disinvestment policy of the government, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

He said the government raised as much as Rs 23,997.29 crore in 2015-16 by diluting its stake in various CPSEs.

"Further, the government has raised Rs 8,152 crore on account of sale of bonus debentures of NTPC to EPFO," Sinha said in the reply.

Besides, an additional amount of Rs 1,023 crore (approximately) was realised as buyback tax on account of buyback transactions undertaken by unlisted CPSEs during 2015-16, he added.

Buyback helps a company reduce equity by using idle cash and hence, provide better returns to shareholders.

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has helped the exchequer garner Rs 4,500 crore through buyback of shares by Hindustan Aeronautics and Bharat Dynamics in March.

In the Budget 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government will leverage the assets of CPSEs for generation of resources for investment in new projects.

The NITI Aayog will identify the CPSEs for strategic sale.

"We will encourage CPSEs to divest individual assets like land, manufacturing units, etc to release their asset value for making investment in new projects," Jaitley had said.
Government targets a revenue of Rs 64,580.92 crore in the current financial year from spectrum auction proceeds, a Parliamentary panel has said.

"For the year 2016-17, the Ministry of Finance have set the target of Rs 98,994.93 crore, which is inclusive of 64,580.92 crore as spectrum auction revenue," a report by the Standing Committee on Information Technology said today.

The inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission on Saturday agreed to base prices of various frequency bands recommended by the regulator Trai for the auction to be held in July this year.

At the Trai-suggested base prices, auction of all spectrum would fetch Rs 5.36 lakh crore to the exchequer.

The frequencies put on the block include spectrum in premium 700 Mhz band (4G and advance), 800 Mhz (2G,4G), 900 Mhz (3G, 4G), 1800 Mhz (2G,4G), 2100 Mhz (3G), 2300 Mhz (4G) and 2500 Mhz (4G).

As per payment rule suggested by the panel, The panel has favoured that companies winning spectrum in higher frequency bands -- above 1Ghz like 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz, 2300 Mhz -- should make 50 per cent upfront payment and rest in 10 years after a 2-year moratorium. In earlier auctions, companies were given option to make 33 per cent upfront payment.

For spectrum below 1Ghz band such as 700 Mhz, 800 Mhz, 900 Mhz, companies will require to pay 25 per cent upfront and rest in 10 years after a 2-year moratorium. It is in line with practice of earlier auctions but differs from Trai suggestion.

Telecom Ministry will seek approval of cabinet on base price and auction terms.

As per the rule approved by the inter-ministerial panel chaired by telecom secretary J S Deepak, a company interested in buying spectrum in 700 Mhz band will need to shell out a minimum of Rs 57,425 crore for a block of 5Mhz on pan-India basis. This band alone has the potential to fetch bids of over Rs 4 lakh crore.

If all spectrum in 700 Mhz band gets sold at even Trai recommended base price, then successful bidder will need to pay over Rs 25,000 crore after auction.

Leading operators have requested to defer sale of 700 MHz spectrum, saying that ecosystem for providing services in this band was not developed and sale would lead to underutilisation of the spectrum for several years and block industry's fund.

The total potential revenue of Rs 5.36 lakh crore from the spectrum sale is more than double of telecom services industry gross revenue of Rs 2.54 lakh crore reported in 2014-15 financial year.

As per the report, the government earned Rs 54,072.48



crore in 2015-16 from telecom services sector.

The committee noted that licence fee and spectrum charges collected by the Department from telecom service providers are a major source of non-tax revenue to the government.

"Under these items, the Department (of Telecom) earned an amount of Rs 30,693.58 crore in 2014-15 which increased to Rs 54072.48 crore, provision up to March 2015, in 2015-16," the report said.

The other source of revenue for government from the sector are dividends from public sector units, guarantee fees and pension contribution.

"Under these items, the Department has earned Rs 940.7 crore during 2012-13, Rs 907.03 crore during 2013-14 and Rs 961.26 crore during 2014-15," the report said.

Further, the committee has sought report from the DoT on loss of Rs 12,489 crore to the exchequer due to the reported understatement of revenues by six telecom operators including- Airtel, Idea and Vodafone.

The DoT has informed the committee that a special audit has been ordered for the six major telecom operators for the financial year 20008-09 to 2010-11.
Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal will tomorrow roll out Contract Labour Payment Management System, a portal of Coal India (CIL), to keep a tab on compliance of labour payment and other benefits to contract workers.

The minister will also felicitate employees for their "path-breaking work" towards lighting up India in the last two years, the Coal Ministry said in a statement.

The Web portal is created for monitoring compliance of labour payment and other benefits to contract workers under the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970.

It is an integrated framework for all subsidiaries of CIL. The in-house developed application will maintain a comprehensive database for all contract workers engaged by different contractors in CIL and all its subsidiaries.

The Central Mine Planning and Development Institute (CMPDI), the consultancy arm of CIL, will maintain the portal.

The system has in-built mechanism to validate minimum wages paid, generate wage slips and employment cards, among others, for contract workers as required under the Act.

The portal provides access to all contract workers through a Workers Identification Number to view their personal details and payment status. Contract workers can also register their grievances through this portal.

The system extends facility to all citizens of the country to view a snapshot of contract works in CIL and subsidiaries, the number of contract workers engaged, payment status, minimum wages paid and the like.

The nodal officer at different locations in the company will monitor the process and ensure compliance by all contractors. It has been planned to make payment to the contractors only after submitting a system-generated declaration of compliance.
A group of secretaries has recommended resolving regulatory issues of genetically modified (GM) crops, Parliament was informed today.

Bt cotton is the only GM crop allowed for commercial cultivation in the country.

"A group of secretaries has recommended fast tracking of Biosafety Regulatory Level 1 (BRL1) trial and for resolving regulatory issues of GM crops," Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya said in a writen reply to the Lok Sabha.

These recommendations have been shared between the ministry and other departments including the Ministry of Environment and Forest, he added.

The minister was replying to a query whether a group of secretaries has recommended promotion of chickpea and pigeon pea as GM pulses.

He informed that the ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur has developed transgenic events for resistance against gram pod borer in chickpea and pigeonpea.

"Application has been submitted to Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) for event selection trials of four transgenic events, two each in chickpea and pigeonpea," Kundariya said.

"After the selection of appropriate events and clearance of RCGM, transgenic events will be submitted to GEAC for further observation and approval of BRL1 trial," he added.

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) is a biotechnology regulator.

Meanwhile, the GEAC is looking into a proposal for commercial cultivation of a GM hybrid variety of the mustard plant. It had asked for testing of GM-mustard seed to address safety concerns before taking a final decision on commercial cultivation.

This is the first proposal that has come up before the NDA government after the previous regime had put a moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal in 2010.
Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela today said a Gujarat Congress delegation would meet President Pranab Mukherjee and would raise the KG Basin issue with him.

Vaghela said the party delegation is hoping to meet the President on May 5 and would raise the issue with him strongly.

"At present, our Central leadership has taken up the issue of KG Basin in Rajya Sabha. Now, Gujarat Congress has decided to meet the President on this issue. We are hopeful that President would give his time to meet us on May 5," Vaghela said, adding the delegation would leave for New Delhi tomorrow.

The senior Congress leader alleged the country was misled by false claims that huge amount of gas was found in KG basin.

"Gujarat Congress has been raising this issue since long at various forums. This country was grossly misled by false claims that huge amount of gas has been found in the KG block. In reality, they never found anything and yet spent crores on the exploration," claimed Vaghela.

He alleged the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) went ahead with the gas exploration work despite knowing that the project would yield nothing.

"This project was used as a tool to create unnecessary hype (by then Gujarat Government). Government used to claim that the gas from KG block would satisfy India's energy need for 10 years. There should be a limit of making people fool. They (government) should be ashamed of such blatant lies," said Vaghela, also the leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly.

Vaghela reiterated that state government misled the agitating Patels by granting 10 per cent reservation to poor among upper class, including Patidars.

"This EBC quota is nothing but a lollipop to Patel as well as other general castes. This government very well knows that the quota will not survive the legal test when challenged in the court," said Vaghela.
Gujarat Government today said the investment of Rs 19,716 crore made by the state-run Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation for oil and gas exploration in the Krishna Godavari (KG) basin was not a "wasteful expenditure".

Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, in a statement, also pointed out the project was approved when the Congress-led UPA Government was in power in the Centre.

Congress has alleged irregularities in the project.

"People who are making allegations lack understanding of oil exploration sector. Congress has once again showed its anti-Gujarat mentality....GSPC is doing a commendable job in the KG Basin project," the Minister said in the statement.

"Investment of Rs 19,716 crore made by GSPC is not a wasteful expenditure but it is an investment towards making India self-sufficient in petroleum sector," he added.

"There are three phases in any oil exploration project - exploration appraisal, development and production. At present, GSPC is in the project development phase. So the actual production will start in future," said Patel.

"During the UPA rule the Director General of Hydrocarbons not only certified the project as viable but also gave approval to the field development plan," he said.

Commenting on the CAG report on GSPC cited by Congress, Patel said of the 25 points raised by CAG in 2010, 19 points were already settled by the Gujarat Assembly committee on the state PSUs at that time.

"Congress should refrain from damaging Gujarat's image by raising this issue in the Parliament," said Patel.

"Instead of appreciating GSPC's performance, Congress is condemning it for political mileage. If such practice continues, companies engaged in oil exploration business in India will get demoralized," the Minister said.

Due to the efforts of Narendra Modi when he was the Chief Minister and the present Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, Gujarat was the only state in India which built a gas-based economy by setting a gas-grid to cater millions of households, he said.
The Kerala Human Rights Commission today ordered that the probe into the brutal murder of a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor be handed over to the Crime branch.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, Commission Chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.

The crime branch should submit the progress of the probe to the commission on May 30 by 11 AM, the commission said in the order marked to State DGP, Kochi Range IGP and Ernakulam Rural SP.

Efficient police personnel should be entrusted with the investigation of the case like it was carried out in the murder of a Delhi student in 2012, the commission said in a release.

The commission also directed the DGP that since the May 16 elections are only days away the investigation in the case should be completed as early as possible before the evidence is lost.

Police had said as per the post mortem report, she was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her small wayside house in Ernakulam district on April 28.
The Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to process applications and pass orders on planning permission for building constructions.

In its order, the Court said "expeditious processing also would be required because these applications have been unnecessarily kept pending in respect of the aforesaid plea. CMDA to ensure due compliance and we are sure that no cause would be given for initiation of contempt proceedings."



The matter relates to a PIL filed by Confederation of Real Estate Developer's Association of India (CREDAI) seeking a direction from the court to direct the Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Commissioner of Town and Country Planning , CMDA, to pass orders on applications submitted for planning permission for building constructions.

CREDAI further submitted that processing of planning permissions for building constructions have been brought to a standstill "on the specious plea of impending elections."



When the matter came up before the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, last week, it inquired with the respective counsel for Chief Electoral Officer (Public) Elections Department, the state government and the Chief Election Commissioner of India.

On inquiry, counsel stated that with regard to the matter, "once it does not concern any policy issue, the normal processing has to be done and the Election Commission is no way concerned with it."



Counsel for CMDA said the applications will not be kept in abeyance and would be processed expeditiously as per the Provisions of Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971.

Recording the above submissions, the bench disposed of the PIL.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court here has refused to entertain a PIL seeking a direction for a ban on liquor in the state.

A division bench of the High Court, comprising Justices Rajendra Menon and A K Shrivastava, while disposing off the petition recently, observed that since the matter is directly related to revenue, the state government has to decide whether to ban liquor or not.

The court also told the petitioner, Madan Mohan Shakargayen, that he was free to make a representation to the state government in this regard.

The petitioner, a local activist, said in his PIL that Gujarat, Bihar and Kerala have banned liquor due to its bad effects on the society and hence it should be banned in Madhya Pradesh as well.

"Liquor consumption is increasing in Madhya Pradesh. The shops across MP remained opened till 12 o'clock in the night as per the state government decision and there is a surge in criminal activities during night hours as shops remain open till midnights," it said.

Heavily-drunk people pose a threat to women, the petitioner said citing cases in which drunkards had assaulted women.

Shakargayen told reporters today that he would approach the state government and request it to ban production, transport and sale of liquor in Madhya Pradesh by November 2016.
The Bombay High Court today expressed dissatisfaction over slow progress of investigations into the murder cases of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and activist Govind Pansare.

A division bench, headed by Justice S C Dharmadhikari, after perusing the probe reports submitted by CBI probing the Dabholkar case, and the state CID which is investigating the Pansare case, said the investigations were not satisfactory.

The bench directed both the agencies to continue their probe and sought progress reports on June 23.

"We hope that at least now the agencies will show real and concrete progress in the probe," the high court said.

"We expect the agencies to show promptness while investigating such cases. Both are premier agencies and should demonstrate vigilance. If you (CBI and CID) are facing any difficulties or any direct or indirect obstacles, then be candid and say so," the court said.

The high court also suggested both the agencies get in touch with the victims' families as they might have some valuable information and also the police officers who were first probing the cases before they were transferred to independent agencies.

Public prosecutor Sandeep Shinde, appearing for CID, told the HC that it has already filed chargesheet against the lone arrested accused Sameer Gaikwad in the Pansare case.

Dabholkar was killed in August 2013.

Pansare was shot at on February 16 last year. He succumbed to his wounds four days later on February 20.

CBI and CID have been submitting periodical progress reports to HC.

Earlier, CBI had told the high court that it was probing the role of right wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha in the murder of Dabholkar.
Delhi University's Hindu College, which had announced it will not take students in its newly constructed girls' hostel from this year following protests over fee and a set of rules, has now decided to reconsider it.

"There were protests by a section of students against the fee and the rules. I discussed the issue with the Governing Body (GB) and we decided to not make any enrollments from this year and meanwhile resolve the concerns of students. However, this resulted in protest by another set of students," college principal Anju Srivastava said.

"We have decided to reconsider the matter and have formed a committee which will include student representatives and members of teaching and non-teaching staff. If there is a consensus on a new plan, including fees and hostel rules in time for the new session, the college may make enrollments from this academic session itself," she added.

Hindu College has been providing on-campus hostel facilities to male students for decades. However, the girls' hostel, which has been constructed, was supposed to be functional from the 2016-17 session.

The prospectus for admissions to the hostel triggered an outrage among the girl students who alleged that the rules laid down were "discriminatory" and amounted to "moral policing".

The prescribed fee also irked the girl students as the male students of Hindu College pay Rs 47,000 as hostel charges while the girls were asked to pay more than Rs 82,000.

Taking suo motu cognisance, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had issued a notice to the college last week seeking an explanation about the hostel rules for girls which have been termed as moral policing by students.

The rules listed in the hostel prospectus have asked students to dress as per "normal norms of the society", made it clear that no visitors will be allowed without prior permission "including girl students", the residents will be allowed only one night-out in a month and there was a provision for random checks by the warden at any time.

Some of the other rules included mandatory presence of all residents in the hostel by 8.30 PM and a bar on roaming inside the hostel after 11 PM. The prospectus also said a dress code may be notified for residents, if deemed necessary.

Students have been protesting against the alleged discrimination between girls and boys while deciding the rules and the fee for the hostel.

Following protests, the college authorities had announced there will be no admissions to the girls' hostel. Students who had taken the prospectus were asked to return those and get their fee refunded.
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India today launched the 2016 edition of its scooter model Dio priced at Rs 48,264 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

In line with the company's strategy to refresh product portfolio regularly, the new Dio is Honda's sixth new model of 2016, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) Senior Vice President - Sales & Marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria said in a statement.

To mark Dio's entry into the million club, HMSI said it also introduced a new Matt Axis Grey colour of the scooter model with a premium 3D emblem.

*** *** ***



Tanishq opens 5 stores in Mumbai



* Tata Group's jewellery brand Tanishq today opened five outlets in Mumbai taking the total number to 17 in the city.

The Tanishq stores house the latest collection Niloufer, a studded diamond collection inspired by the timeless Lotus flower and also offers a wide range of best quality diamonds and studded solitaires, the company said in a statement.

"Mumbai has always been an extremely important market for Tanishq. With increasing demand, we decided to expand and enhance our retail presence in the city," Titan Company CEO - Jewellery Division C K Venkataraman said.

*** *** ***



Edelweiss appoints Randhir Singh as Head - structured finance * Diversified financial services conglomerate Edelweiss Group today said it has appointed Randhir Singh as Head - Structured Finance to further expand the credit and fixed income business.

Singh will oversee the structured credit, sales and syndication for the credit and fixed income business and will report to Ravi Bubna, Managing Director and CEO, ECL Finance, the NBFC arm of Edelweiss Group.

"...Singh brings on board deep relationships, knowledge and expertise, which will further enhance these offerings," Bubna said.

*** *** ***



Lodestar UM bags media mandate for Simplilearn * Media agency Lodestar UM today said it has bagged media mandate for professional certifications company Simplilearn.

The agency will take care of the brand's media duties in domestic and international market, it said in a statement.

An online education platform, Simplilearn, creates course programs, exams, and lab projects for professionals across the world, with presence in US, Australia and Singapore, apart from India.

*** *** ***



Future Generali partners Saraswat Bank for bancassurance * Future Generali India Life Insurance (FGILI) today entered into bancassurance partnership with Saraswat Bank.

Under the agreement, Saraswat Bank will offer FGILI's customised solutions to its customers, through its extensive network of over 250 branches, its sales force across the country as well as through their digital platforms, FGILI said in a release issued here.

"We are extremely excited with our partnership with Saraswat Bank. This partnership is in line with our strategy to grow our business on the back of simple, customer-centric solutions and need-based sales process.
Delhi government today asked the Centre to increase the number of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act in the national capital to 80 lakh.

Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain placed the demand in a meeting with Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today, saying that the targeted figure of 72.78 lakh was achieved last year in September itself.

The existing ceiling, arrived at on the basis of census figures of 2011, was inadequate to provide cheap food grains to all the targeted sections of society, Hussain told Paswan.

"The national capital receives a lot of migratory population from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal every year and majority of such population being poor becomes eligible for the benefits under Food Security Law," Hussain said.

He emphasised that given these circumstances, the Delhi Government is in a pressing need for enhancement of the targeted figures of the beneficiaries under Food Security Law.

"Paswan endorsed the concern of Delhi Government and assured that the matter will be examined and all possible help in this regard will be extended, within the existing provisions," an official statement said.
Reflecting abysmally poor healthcare facilities in rural India, government today informed the Rajya Sabha that the availability of physicians and surgeons fell 83 per cent and 83.4 per cent short of requirement in 2014-15.

"According to Rural Health Statistics, 2014-15, there was a shortfall of 83.4 per cent of surgeons, 76.3 per cent of obstetricians and gynecologists, 83.0 per cent of physicians and 82.1 per cent of paediatricians in the country," Health Minister J P Nadda said in a written reply.

The National Health Mission (NHM), which supports states and UTs in strengthening their healthcare systems, provided about 1.88 lakh additional health human resources to states/UTs, Nadda said.

"This included 7,263 general duty medical officers, 3355 specialists, 17362 paramedics, 73154 ANMs, 40847 staff nurses, 24890 ayush doctors, 6005 ayush paramedics etc, on contractual basis," the Minister said.
Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit today said India and Pakistan have a "long way to go" in normalising relationship but they cannot give up as they must work together to ensure peace and prosperity for posterity.

Addressing the Sixth Meeting of Pakistan-India Joint Business Forum here, Basit also underlined that opportunities between India and Pakistan are abound and the two countries need to embark on a process that is both sustainable and mutually beneficial, according to a Pakistan High Commission release.

"Pakistan is committed to normalising relations with India in line with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood. The High Commissioner added that we have a long way to go but we cannot give up. We must work together to ensure peace and prosperity for posterity," it said.

He also emphasised on having a level- playing field to help creating interdependencies, saying this was also necessary in the context of promoting regional connectivity and integration, he said.

Appreciating the Forum's work towards augmenting bilateral economic and trade relations, the High Commissioner said its work and recommendations would come in handy whenever the comprehensive dialogue between the two countries commences.

(REOPENS DEL37)



The Pakistan India Joint Business Forum is headed by Sunil Kant Munjal of Hero Corporate Services from India, while the Pakistani side is led by Syed Yawar Ali Shah, former CEO of Nestle Pakistan.

Other business leaders who participated in the two-day meet included Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises Ltd and Medanta - The Medicity Chairman Naresh Trehan.

From Pakistan's side, the participants included Bank Alfalah Chief Executive Officer Atif Aslam Bajwa and Gatron Industries Director Shabbir Diwan.

Bilateral trade between the countries declined to USD 2.35 billion in 2014-15 from USD 2.7 billion in 2013-14.
The government today said it is working towards finalising an agreement to share intelligence and terrorist activity-related information with the US.

"Government of India and the USA have agreed to finalise an agreement to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information, after several rounds of detailed discussions, between the two countries.

"The details of the agreement are being worked out," Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
A 25-year-old Indian-origin trainee pilot with Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) was killed when his aircraft crashed in a remote field in the West Midlands region of England.

Aj Sandhu, with a fellow RAF student, 21-year-old Cameron James Forster, were both stationed at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, an elite 'Top Gun' style academy 15 miles from the scene when they crashed on Saturday.

Paramedics declared them dead at the scene and RAF released the names of the student pilots yesterday.

"We were very saddened to hear of the deaths of Aj Sandhu and Cam Forster in a civilian flying accident at the weekend.

"They were both exceptionally talented young men in the prime of their lives. The thoughts of everyone at RAF Linton-on-Ouse are with their family and friends at this difficult time," said Group Captain Ian Laing, the station commander at Royal Air Force Linton-on-Ouse.

Sandhu graduated with a first class degree and Masters in Geoscience from Durham University, was selected from 3,000 cadets to accompany the Lord Lieutenant of London on royal duties throughout 2010, the Evening Standard reported.

While at Durham he was a member of the Northumbria Universities Air Squadron, an RAF Volunteer Reserve unit, and was named best all-round cadet during officer training at RAF College Cranwell.

"Ajvir, you were inspirational. You were one of the most compassionate, determined and focused human beings that I ever had the pleasure to share time with," one of his friends wrote on Facebook.
Indian-origin businessman Sanjeev Gupta's Liberty House group will today submit its letter of intent to acquire Tata Steel's loss making units in the UK.

Central to the Indian steel giant's assets in the UK is the Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales, which is the UK's largest and employs around 4,000 workers.

"We can confirm that Liberty will submit a letter of intent to Tata Steel today (Tuesday) and has put in place a strong internal transaction steering committee and panel of leading external advisers to take the bid forward," a Liberty spokesperson told PTI.

Tata's remaining assets include sites at Newport, where more than 1,300 people are employed, and Rotherham, which employs 1,200.

Tata also has operations at Corby, Shotton and Teesside.

Liberty had recently completed its acquisition of two Scottish plants earlier owned by Tata Steel.

The Tata Group has indicated that it is ideally in search of a buyer that can acquire all its remaining assets in the country.

"We would not deal with somebody saying leave alone Port Talbot and give us the rest. That is not a solution that's acceptable,"Tata Steel UK CEO Bimlendra Jha had told a House of Commons hearing last week.

Australian bank Macquarie is advising Liberty and is also considered a potential financial backer of any takeover.

State Bank of India, Deloitte and Grant Thornton are among other firms involved which, among other issues, will advise Liberty House on dealing with the nearly 500 million pound funding deficit in Tata's pensions scheme, considered the biggest stumbling block in clinching a sale.

Gupta, a Punjab-born graduate in economics and management from Cambridge University, has said in the past that he hopes to save as many jobs if his firm was to go ahead with a bid.

"If heavy job losses comes out to be the price to pay, we would not be the ones undertaking that exercise. We will undertake this exercise if we can sustain jobs, which we feel is possible at this stage," Gupta had told PTI in early April, when he was dubbed the saviour of the UK's steel industry.

Other potential bidders for the remaining Tata Steel UK assets include Albion Steel, a UK start-up business with industry veteran Tony Pedder on the board.

It is believed to be eyeing Tata's specialty steels unit based in Sheffield, northern England.

A Tata management team buyout is seen as the other serious contender at this stage.

The Tata Group had acquired its UK steel operations as part of a 6.7 billion pound acquisition from Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus in 2009.

The firm has blamedstructural disadvantages in the UK, such as extremely high energy costs, as the reason for the crisis in the steel industry.
Iran has stopped placing orders to import US-made cars after criticism from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, agencies in the Islamic republic reported today.

The industry, mining and trade ministry had previously allowed 24 models manufactured by the General Motors-owned Chevrolet to be brought in via a third country.

"Import order placement for American Chevrolet cars has been disabled since Sunday" on the government's online imports website, Farhad Ehteshamzadeh, head of the Association of Auto Importers, told the Fars agency.

"After Chevrolet order placements were removed from the system, no orders will be allowed for (Chevrolet) cars," he said, without giving figures for the number of vehicles imported previously.

The order to halt the imports came from Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, following a call by Khamenei last week, the Mehr agency said.

"Americans themselves don't use US-made cars," Khamenei said on Wednesday during a speech related to Labour Day on the importance of domestic production.

"We have seen this reflected in American media. They argue that fuel consumption is high and the cars are heavy."



If this is the case, why import vehicles from America, Khamenei asked.

"Who should stand against them? Officials themselves, respected ministers."



The United States and Iran have no diplomatic relations since 1980.

A tentative rapprochement within the framework of nuclear talks enabled a historic agreement to be reached between Iran and the major powers in July 2015.

The deal came into force in January, lifting international sanctions in return for limitations on Tehran's nuclear programme to ensure it cannot manufacture an atomic bomb.

There are very few American cars in Iran other than those made before the 1979 Islamic revolution.

US-made vehicles can be bought in free trade zones, but their owners face restrictions on where they can be driven.

Since the nuclear accord, Tehran has been in talks to set up joint manufacturing plants inside Iran with major European and Asian companies including Fiat, Mercedes Benz, Peugeot, Renault and Volkswagen.

Because of the sanctions, domestic auto production fell sharply from 1.65 million units in 2011 to 740,000 in 2013.

It increased to 1.1 million in 2014, and Iran is now hoping to make 1.6 million cars in 2018 and two million in 2022.

In November, before the sanctions were lifted, Nematzadeh also banned the import of US consumer goods to "prohibit products that symbolise the presence of the United States in the country" and to "boost national production".
Insurance regulator Irdai has approved as many as 16 proposals amounting to Rs 14,591.9 crore as foreign investment, Parliament was informed today.

"Post notification of the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2015, Irdai has approved 16 proposals amounting to Rs 14,591.89 crore as foreign investment in the insurance sector," Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2015, provides for an increase of foreign investment cap in an Indian insurance company to 49 per cent from 26 per cent with the safeguard of Indian ownership and control, he said.

The government had notified the Indian Insurance Companies (Foreign Investment) Rules, 2015, to facilitate foreign investment in the insurance sector.

"Indian Insurance Companies (Foreign Investment) Rules, 2015, have been amended on March 16, 2016, to allow foreign investment up to 49 per cent through automatic route in the insurance sector," Sinha said.

To bring clarity on 'Indian owned and controlled', the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has issued guidelines on the same.

In December, Irdai chief T S Vijayan had said higher foreign participation in the insurance sector will attract more capital and increase sectoral penetration in India.
Israel's opposition Labour party said today that it was weighing severing ties with its British counterpart after fresh allegations of anti-Semitism in its ranks.

More than 50 British Labour party members have been suspended in the past two months over comments deemed racist or anti-Semitic, according to The Daily Telegraph, including former mayor of London Ken Livingstone.

After the latest suspensions of three local councillors on Monday over comments posted on social media, a spokesman for the Israeli party said breaking off relations with British comrades was "one of the options that is being considered."



He told AFP that the Israeli party was looking for assurances from British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that he was treating the allegations with the necessary gravity.

In the most high-profile case, the former London mayor was sanctioned on Thursday after saying that Adolf Hitler "was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".

Livingstone's comments were in defence of Labour MP Naz Shah, who was suspended last Wednesday for sharing posts on social media two years ago suggesting that the solution to the Palestinian conflict was to move Israel to the United States.

Corbyn has announced an independent review into the allegations, saying there was no place for "anti-Semitism or any form of racism in the Labour Party."



The dispute has been simmering for months -- ever since the left-winger was elected party leader by grassroots supporters last September despite opposition from many MPs.

Corbyn has been criticised in the past for referring to Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah as "friends" and urging dialogue with Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, as well as meeting representatives of both organisations.

Israeli lawmaker Oren Hazan of the ruling right-wing governing Likud party said Corbyn ought to focus on the "real front of Islamic terrorism playing a lead role in Europe... instead of focusing on a peace-seeking country like Israel."



The head of the opposition Yesh Atid party, former finance minister Yair Lapid, said: "The disease of antisemitism has taken root inside the British Labour Party and the leadership seems both incapable and unwilling to tackle the problem."



The Israeli foreign ministry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment, saying it was a domestic British issue.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will tomorrow leave for an official visit to Frankfurt to attend the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In his speech at the First Business Session of ADB, Jaitley would focus on performance of the Indian economy in global slowdown and also highlight micro and macroeconomic indicators of the economy.

Co-operation with ADB in development will also be on his agenda, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

Later, Jaitley will have a bilateral meeting with Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary to German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Jaitley will also meet Lyonpo Namgay Dorji, Finance Minister of Bhutan, and discuss about economic assistance packages from India to Bhutan, progress of work of hydropower projects funded by India and sub-regional co-operation in the region.

He will also attend roundtable and bi-lateral meetings, including interaction with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation President and CEO Takeshi Kunibe.

In a debate on theme 'Asian Economic Outlook-2016' later, Jaitley will be joined by Indonesia Finance Minister Bambang PS Brodjonegoro, Pakistan Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Regional Head for Greater China and ASEAN, Commerzbank AG, Agnes Vargas and ADB President Takehiko Nakao.

The 49th Annual General Meeting of ADB is being held from May 2-5 at Frankfurt, Germany.

The Asian Development Outlook 2016 predicts softening in the region's growth rates to 5.7 per cent each in 2016 and 2017, from 5.9 per cent projected last year.

India continues to maintain a high growth rate with rising real incomes and domestic demand and is projected to grow at 7.6 per cent in 2015-16 compared with 7.2 per cent in the previous year despite a decline in exports and two consecutive years of unfavourable monsoons.

India is going to play a major role in the development of the region and in this context, role of India gets significant importance in the AGM where Jaitley will be representing India along with Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das.

Jaitley will return to India on May 5.

On the suggestion of Economic Survey on creating a



state-owned asset reconstruction company - Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency (PARA) - to address the festering Twin Balance Sheet (TBS) problem, Jaitley said such ideas are there for discussion and eventual implementation.

"The Economic Survey always carries ideas for discussion and eventually implementation even if you cannot do it immediately. And we take that suggestion on board," he said.

With festering bad loan problem taking a heavy toll on the health of public sector banks, the Survey suggested creation of a PARA entrusted with working out the largest and most complex cases loan resolution.

"Even otherwise the whole suggestion that has moved in of the bad bank, even earlier, we take this suggestion on board for consideration. But, eventually what emerges out as a solution I won't be able to comment at this stage," he said.

Finance Minister said he would not like to get into a situation where eventually it becomes a government issue and the whole thing had to be supported out of the budget and not otherwise.

"Let that sectoral activity, which has expanded, move on...We take that suggestion on board, it's also a possible solution," he added.
Japan will lease military aircraft to the Philippines in another sign of deepening security ties between the two former foes to counter Beijing's increasing regional influence.

The agreement was made last afternoon during telephone talks between Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Voltaire Gazmin, the ministry said.

Tensions in the South China Sea - through which one third of the world's oil passes - have mounted in recent years since China transformed contested reefs into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities.

Under the accord, Tokyo will lease up to five TC-90 training airplanes and help Manila train pilots and aircraft mechanics, the ministry said. The planes can be used as surveillance aircraft, according to local media.

It will be Japan's first lease of its Self-Defence Forces' aircraft to another country after it recently lifted a self- imposed ban on weapons exports.

"We agreed that it is important for all the countries in the region to strengthen cooperation in order to maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea," Nakatani told reporters.

"We believe that improving the Philippines' capability will lead to stability in the region," he added.

The TC-90 is capable of flying some 1,900 kilometres, roughly double the flight range of the Philippine navy's aircraft, Kyodo said.

The Philippines has been seeking to strengthen ties with Japan, its former World War II rival, as tensions mount over disputed South China Sea waters, almost all of which are claimed by China. The southeast Asian country has a severely under-equipped military.

Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the contested waterway.

Japan has its own dispute with China in the East China Sea over uninhabited islands that it administers but that are also claimed by Beijing.

A Japanese warship last month sailed into a Philippine port near disputed South China Sea waters while Tokyo agreed in February to supply Manila with military hardware, which may include anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft and radar technology.
An Israeli court today handed down a life sentence to the ringleader of a Jewish gang that kidnapped, beat and burned alive a Palestinian teenager in 2014.

Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was sentenced for killing 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and was also given 20 years for other crimes. He was also told to pay 150,000 shekels (USD 39,000) to Abu Khdeir's family.

After the verdict was read out, angry members of Abu Khdeir's family cursed Ben-David as he was taken from court.

Ben-David, wearing a burgundy yarmulke and a black shirt, earlier told the court he was "sorry".

"I am sorry for the family. This is not me. I wasn't in control," he said.

Abu Khdeir was kidnapped by Ben-David and two young accomplices from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on July 2, 2014 and beaten.

His burned body was found hours later in a forest in the western part of the city.

A forensic report showed smoke in his lungs, indicating he had been alive when set alight.

Ben-David was found in November to have led the assault, but his lawyers submitted last-minute documents saying he suffered from mental illness.

A court rejected the appeal last month, finding him sane.

A court in February sentenced Ben-David's two Israeli accomplices to life and 21 years in prison for the killing, but he was seen to be the ringleader.

Abu Khdeir's father Hussein, speaking ahead of the verdict, said no punishment would be enough.

"Whatever they decide, our wounds will not heal -- the boy will not come back," he told AFP.

The brutal murder in 2014 shocked Israelis and Palestinians alike, and helped contribute to the escalation in violence that culminated in the 50-day Gaza war that summer in which more than 2,000 Palestinians and 73 Israelis died.

Israeli authorities said the suspects had decided to kill an Arab and equipped themselves with cables, petrol and other materials before randomly choosing Abu Khdeir.

They had tried to kidnap a child in east Jerusalem the day before, but were thwarted by the youth's mother.

His murder was seen as revenge for the killing of Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrach, who were abducted from a hitchhiking stop near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.

"This is an evil and cruel man who does not represent our civilised society," state prosecutor Uri Korb said at the hearing, adding that the killing "brought shame upon our society and offended our values".
Greeting all the journalists on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Jharkhand Minister Saryu Roy today called upon the media to play a role that would ensure keeping promises by the governments and organisations.

"More and more responsive and responsible role by the journalists will deter the governments and other organisations...Eliminating the gap between saying and doing (by them)," Roy, a journalist-turned-politician, said.

Roy, who is the Parliamentary Affairs, Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Minister in the Raghubar Das Cabinet, wished all the people connected with the press on the occasion.
A Sri Lankan court today extended the judicial custody of 13 fishermen, hailing from Nagapattinam and Rameswaram, till May 16, a senior functionary of a local fishermen organisation said. Rameswaram fishermen organisation president S.Emerite said the fishermen were arrested in batches by Lankan navy personnelat Neduntheevu on April 5 and April 7 for allegedly fishing in Lankan waters.

Later, the fishermen were lodged in Jaffna prison.

The Oorkavalthurai court magistrate extended their judicial remand when they were produced this morning, he added.
Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut's mother today came out in support of her actress daughter, saying the controversy surrounding her alleged relationship with actor Hrithik Roshan is "nonsense".

Asha Ranaut today turned up at the 63rd National Awards to cheer for her daughter, who was honoured with the best actress recognition for her dual role in "Tanu Weds Manu Returns".

Asha said amid Kangana's personal turmoil, her rise in Bollywood is remarkable.

"I am proud of her and her achievements. I am very happy that she is at the peak of her career and has got till here only with her hardwork.

"The whole controversy is nonsense. We wouldn't want to comment on it. Our lawyers will only talk about it. She is coming out stronger in these testing times," Asha told PTI.

Also present at the awards were Kangana's father, sister and brother.

The 29-year-old star's father Amardeep Ranaut said it was a proud moment to see his daughter receive her third National Award from President Pranab Mukherjee here.

"... I am very happy. I am a proud father and it is a matter of great pride," he said.

The actress stood out in an off-shoulder shimmery dust blue gown.

She teamed her gown with a classic bob, which is similar to the look that she will be seen sporting in her upcoming film "Rangoon".

Unlike the traditional attire opted by Indian celebrities for such events, Kangana usually goes for international cotour. She had opted for a dust pink gown by India-born designer Bibhu Mohapatra in the 2014 National Awards where she was honoured for her role in "Queen".

Her first National award was in the best supporting actress category for "Fashion".

As she arrived, Kangana greeted Amitabh Bachchan, who was seated next to her and later met his family.

Bachchan won the best actor honour, his fourth National Award, for his role in "Piku".

The ceremony was a welcome respite for the actress, who is engaged in a bitter fight with her "Kites" co-star Hrithik Roshan. Both the stars have slapped legal notices on each other besides engaging in a public row.

Hrithik says he never had a relationship with Kangana after she referred to him as a "silly ex" in an interview. The actor claims that the actress was corresponding with his imposter.

Kangana, however, maintains they had a relationship while accusing the actor of engaging in slut-shaming by releasing her private emails to him.
Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut today turned up with her father, mother, sister and brother to receive her third National award here.

Kangana's father Amardeep Ranaut said it was a proud moment to see his daughter receive her third National Award from President Pranab Mukherjee here.

"... I am very happy. I am a proud father and it is a matter of great pride," he told PTI.

The 29-year-old actress stood out in a pink off-shoulder gown from Beirut-based Lebanese designer Georges Chakra.

She teamed her gown with a classic bob, which is similar to the look that she will be seen sporting in her upcoming film "Rangoon".

Unlike the traditional attire opted by Indian celebrities for such events, Kangana usually goes for international cotour. She had opted for a dust pink gown by India-born designer Bibhu Mohapatra in the 2014 National Awards where she was honoured for her role in "Queen".

Her third National award was in the best supporting actress category for "Fashion".

As she arrived, Kangana greeted Amitabh Bachchan and his family who were sitting in the front row. Bachchan won the best actor honour, his fourth National Award, for his role in "Piku".

The ceremony was a welcome respite for the actress, who is engaged in a bitter fight with her "Kites" co-star Hrithik Roshan. Both the stars have slapped legal notices on each other besides engaging in a public row.

Hrithik says he never had a relationship with Kangana after she referred to him as a "silly ex" in an interview. The actor claims that the actress was corresponding with his imposter.

Kangana, however, maintains they had a relationship while accusing the actor of engaging in slut-shaming by releasing her private emails to him.
A Kashmiri family, which lost its four members including the bread winner in a road accident in Saudi Arabia last week, today accused the Centre and the state government of showing no concern to provide a helping hand to them.

Bashir Ahmad Mir (40) along with his wife, daughter and father died in a road mishap while returning from the holy city of Mecca after performing 'Umrah' on April 28.

His mother and minor son were also injured in the accident and are undergoing treatment in a Jeddah hospital where their condition is stated to be "critical".

"We received the about the tragedy from the friends of my deceased brother and there has been no communication from the Indian Embassy so far. The state government too showed lack of concern and did not lend any help to the family," Mir's younger sister, Nusrat said here.

Mir, who hailed from Banipora locality of Batmaloo in central Srinagar, was working as a HR manager in Alkho-bar-based Saudi KAD.

His friend Rouf Bhat said the government left them with no option but to arrange a visa for one of the family members.

"We utilised our contacts to arrange the visa for Mir's younger brother, Irshad Ahmad, who left for Saudi Arabia yesterday as the bodies of the deceased were laid to rest at Mecca today," he said.

Bhat alleged that the Centre as well as the state governments have "failed" to fulfill their responsibilities in the aftermath of the accident.
Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) today announced opening of its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to meet the requirements of offshore banking operations from India.

KMB has joined a clutch of peers who have opened IBUs at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) of GIFT City.

"This is our first international branch at GIFT City. We have set aside USD 20 million to start our international banking unit from GIFT City," said K V S Manian, Kotak Bank President (Corporate, Institutional and investment Banking).

"In absence of an international branch, we were not able to cater to our customers overseas, but our GIFT City branch will change things for us," Manian said.

Gandhinagar-based GIFT City, India's first and only IFSC, has been developed and designed to meet the growing demand of Indian corporates for financial funding and services in overseas markets.

"Until now, banks which aspired to service clients for their foreign capital requirements had to set up branches abroad. Setting up a branch in GIFT-City helps banks to meet these requirements by undertaking offshore banking operations from India," Manian said.

"Indian corporates are increasingly looking at financing to fund their global and domestic expansion plans. In the last few years, raising funds from overseas markets has become increasingly attractive because of liquidity. As per RBI data, India Inc raised over USD 1.52 billion from overseas markets in March 2016," a statement by the bank said.

"What this branch will do is it will allow us to make over balance sheet in dollars. We can borrow in dollars and we can lend in dollars. Important thing is we will be regulated by one regulator only as our international branch will operate from India," Manian said.

Through the IBU, the fourth largest private lender will be able to offer foreign currency loans and deposits to corporates. It will also offer external commercial borrowings, buyers' credit for imports and factoring/forfaiting of export receivable for Indian corporates in international markets.

He said KMB is looking at building a balance sheet of about half a billion dollars in a year through the IBU.

"The major tax incentives announced in the last Union Budget have made the IFSC at GIFT a globally competitive player and many BFSI players are swarming to this new global financial hub," GIFT Company Managing Director and Chief Executive Ajay Pandey said.
A Sri Lankan lawmaker was today hospitalised after a violent clash inside the parliament over the removal of army from the security detail of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The clash broke out between at least three MPs of government and opposition when the Minister Sarath Fonseka made comments about the personal protection of Rajapaksa.

The opposition complained over the removal of Army protection to Rajapaksa to replace them with the police.

Sandith Samarasinghe an MP representing the government had received blows as he had fallen to the ground having caught in the middle of an exchange of blows between two others, sources said.

He was admitted to the National Hospital. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya condemned the incident and called for a probe.

The house sittings were adjourned by Jayasuriya until tomorrow.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the Law Ministry has made certain "observations" which will be "adequately taken into account" while finalising the Inter-Government Agreement for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France.

In two separate written replies in Rajya Sabha, he said negotiations on the terms and conditions of the supply, including total cost, actual delivery timelines and guarantee period have not been concluded.

Parrikar said that the Indian negotiating team is carrying on its meetings with the French side.

"Ministry of Law & Justice has made certain observations and the same will be adequately taken into account while finalizing the IGA, which is still under negotiations," he said without elaborating.

Sources said the Law Ministry has cautioned the government that certain clauses in the draft inter- governmental agreement, including the one on material breach, are not in India's interest.

It has advised the Defence Ministry to reconsider certain clauses while finalising the deal.

Sources said one of the issues flagged by the Department of Legal Affairs is that in case of material breach by French companies of their obligations under the supply protocol, the Indian side would first have to take legal recourse against them but cannot involve the French government.

It also suggested that the liability clause should be more stringent and include the French government. The clause would come into force in case of any deficiency in completion of the deal by the companies.

In case of a commercial dispute, the arbitration proceedings should take place in India and not Switzerland as suggested in the draft, the Law Ministry has opined.

Sources have said that the differences between the two dies have narrowed down a lot. The final deal could be signed this month itself.
Popular TV actor Vishal Singh of "Saath Nibhana Saathiya" fame says he learnt a lot by observing his co-star Manoj Bajpayee while working with him in the upcoming film "Traffic".

The movie marks the big screen debut of the actor, best known for playing Jigar Modi on the daily soap.

"I am a big fan of Manoj sir. Just by looking at him perform I learnt so much. He is a brilliant actor. On set, he would be talking to you normally but as soon as the camera rolled he would completely switch into his character which was very inspiring," Vishal told PTI.

Directed by late Rajesh Pillai, "Traffic" is the remake of a 2011 Malayalam film of the same name. The 30-year-old actor, who has featured on shows like "Kasamh Se", "Kuchh Is Tara", plays a character very close to his real life but wants to live up to the expectations of the audience.

"I am generally a nice guy. Even the character I played in 'Saath Nibhana...' was good. Here too, the character is quite close to who I am as a person so I didn't have to go out of my way to understand it.

"But, there is a general nervousness that I have, that I need to live up to the expectations. I am quite confident the way the film has turned out."



The drama-thriller is inspired from an actual event that happened in Chennai, where a doctor couple donated organs of their 15-year-old son who died in a road accident.

The young boy's heart was transported to another hospital for a girl who required heart transplant. The journey, which would've taken close to 45 minutes with traffic, was completed in 11 minutes as the police cleared the way and gave green signal for the ambulance to pass.

Vishal says there were other films before "Traffic" which were offered to him but he rejected them because the roles were not as strong.

"I had no plans of becoming an actor in the first place. There were other films which were offered to me before Traffic but I didn't take it because the roles did not really excite me. But as far as TV goes, it is very important for me, I will not leave it completely.
An Israeli court today handed down a life sentence to the ringleader of a Jewish gang who kidnapped, beat and burned alive a Palestinian teenager in 2014.

Yosef Haim Ben-David, 31, was sentenced for killing 16- year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and was also given 20 years for other crimes.

Abu Khdeir was kidnapped by Ben-David and two young accomplices from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on July 2, 2014 and beaten. His burned body was found hours later in a forest in the western part of the city.
The Lok Sabha today approved amendments to the two bills passed by the Rajya Sabha to repeal 1053 outdated and redundant laws.

The amendments to Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill 2015 that seeks to repeal 758 old appropriation acts which have lost relevance and The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015 to repeal 295 enactments were passed by the Lok Sabha today by voice vote.

The Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill 2015 was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on May 11, 2015, while the Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015, was cleared on August 6, 2015.

Both the bills were passed by the Rajya Sabha with certain amendments on April 27.

Appropriation Acts are intended to operate for a limited period of time -- authorising expenditures for the duration of one financial year.

Though these Acts are not usually included in any list of Central Acts, either by the Law Ministry, or elsewhere, these laws still technically remain in the books.

The bill is also in consonance with the recommendations of the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha to have a repeal clause in the Appropriation Acts.

The Legislative Department of the Law Ministry had also proposed that the repeal mechanism in vogue in the United Kingdom to systematically repeal Appropriation Acts usually two sessions in arrears may be followed.

The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, 2015 seeks to repeal 295 Acts and make minor amendments to two laws.

The 295 laws that have been listed in the First Schedule of the Bill. This includes over 20 Acts that were passed prior to 1947. Further, around 200 laws are amending Acts, where the changes made by these laws have already been incorporated into the relevant principal Acts.
The Maharashtra government today approved handing over of 15.40 hectare of land to the aviation department for extension of the MIHAN project at Nagpur.

The Cabinet approved exchange of land between Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited (MADC) and Indian Air Force to pave way for development of Nagpur Airport and Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) project.

The Cabinet also approved the exchange of 2.30 hectare land between MADC and Central Reserve Police Force.

"MADC to get 278.158 hectare land from the Air Force and in return MADC to give 400 hectare land to the Air Force," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said after the meeting.

The Cabinet also decided to send a proposal to the Governor seeking permission for releasing Rs 41.78 crore as a special case for repair works of 22 lift irrigation projects of Tapi Irrigation Development Corporation (eight in Dhule and 14 in Nandurbar).

It also decided to give non-salary grants as per the 6th pay commission to 555 Adivasi Ashramshalas of Tribal Development Department.

The Cabinet also approved 22 posts for this tribal construction management cell and appointment of one engineer for every 200 Gharkuls.

It also decided to set up dedicated construction management cell in tribal development department to construct and maintain houses, government ashramshala, and hostels.

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Meanwhile, the Cabinet also decided to allot 20 acres of land to Goregaon Film City in suburban Goregaon for setting up National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Visual, Effect, Gaming and Comics.

Approval was given to implement the Babasaheb Ambedkar Krushi Swavlamban Yojna, under which Scheduled Caste farmers will be given various incentives.

The incentives include 100 per cent grant for digging or repairing wells, boring, drip irrigation, farm ponds or other facilities for agriculture and irrigation, the CMO official informed.

'Krushi Mahotsav' (agriculture fair) will be organised in each district to spread awareness about new technologies, market management and agri-allied businesses among farmers.

The Cabinet approved Rs 2,178 crore for Bodwad lift irrigation scheme in Jalgaon district. It will irrigate 53,449 hectares of land in two phases, the official added.

It also cleared the way for implementation of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Swadhar Yojna under which SC students will be provided hostel, food and other educational facilities.

The scheme is applicable for students appearing for Class 11 and above and who have not got any hostel accommodation. The amount under it will be credited in students' bank account directly, he added.
Members in Rajya Sabha today made a strong case for making healthcare affordable and improving facilities, saying it had become a business and virtually out of reach for the poor.

Participating in a discussion on the working of Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the government to focus on providing free facilities to the poor rather than go in for an insurance scheme which will not cover people in remote villages.

Azad, himself a former Health Minister, said everyone knows that what is the actual bill of a patient and what it becomes when there is insurance involved.

He said the Health Ministers of UK and the US had approached him to study the Indian system as the insurance scheme that they had was bleeding them.

"If it has not been a success in UK or US, how can it be a success in India? Insurance will not be able to reach the remote villages," he said, adding that the UPA government had ensured that the poor get free treatment and for this various schemes were launched.

"The government should focus on providing free facilities to the poor rather than insurance," the senior Congress leader said and asked the government to update the Opposition about various schemes launched during the UPA rule, most which were completed or mid-way.

He also sought information on National Rural Health Mission, various initiatives for the healthcare of mothers and child, creation of new AIIMS and medical colleges.

Members of several parties also sought steps to make the health system more affordable. Ravi Prakash Verma (SP) claimed that a lobby of allopathic medicines was trying to influence public representatives and governments as healthcare and treatment has become "a big business".

He also said the government's expenditure on healthcare in percentage terms of GDP was even less than that of many countries including Nepal and Bangladesh.

While the government had set up many missions, they were not leading to desired outcome and favoured a result oriented approach.

Kahkashan Perween (JD-U) expressed concern that there was a shortage of doctors at AIIMS, which she said forced people to go to private hospitals. She sought an increase of seats in medical colleges and deputation of senior doctors in the emergency departments.

Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena) said that health has become a



business and companies make money with the outbreak of diseases like dengue.

Emphasising the need to increase budget allocation for health sector, he sought more funds for research in cancer as the disease is expected growth at 21 per cent by 2020. Research need to be conducted on zika virus, he said and asked the government to focus on high mortality rate of children below 5 years.

Veer Singh (BSP) spoke about the challenges of malnutrition. He also said that private hospitals should not be allowed to charge exhorbitant fees and suggested that charges for services provided by hospitals should be fixed.

He also sought to know why the prices of the same medicine varied when manufactured by different companies and sought price control of medicines to benefit consumers.

C P Narayanan (CPI-M) said if the government wanted to leave the people at the mercy of private insurance companies, it will lead to a great disaster.

Terming the government expenditure on health as inadequate, he also said because of the way the government hospitals were being treated by the government, 70 per cent of the population was dependant on private hospitals.

Narayanan alleged corruption in the country's health system and said the Supreme Court had to intervene to pave way for the NEET exam as there were instances of corruption relating to seats in a vast number of private colleges.

Bhupinder Singh (BJD) said the budget allocation for the National Health Mission should be increased from the 60:40 ratio to 75:25 and allocation of adequate funds to set up central institute of yoga for which the state has already identified the land.

Renuka Chowdhary (Cong) talked about how patients have become victim of private hospitals and emphasised on the need to establish public medical facilities using MGNREGA.

She also expressed concern over lack of adequate facilities for aged patients in hospitals and unethical practices being practiced by private hospitals. She also sought more fund allocation for health sector.

D Raja (CPI) lamented that while the country faced severe crunch of professionals in the health sector, the condition of health facilities in the country were lagging behind nations Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Demanding adequate spending on health sector, Raja also sought to know whether there was any regulatory mechanism to regulate private hospitals and check commercialisation of health services.

"You cannot throw people at the mercy of private hospitals ... Medical Council of India has become a centre of corruption....Successive governments have failed to root out corruption," he said.

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Agreeing with the CPI leader, Meghraj Jain (BJP) said the Medical Council had become "a hub of corruption" alleging that huge bribes were taken for recognising medical colleges. "Such Medical Councial should be dissolved. If need be, a bill should be brought to effect this," he said.

He also demanded training for doctors in rural areas to ensure medical services in remote areas where qualified MBBS doctors are not keen to practice and urged the government to consider ways to provide drugs at cheaper rates.

Vandana Chavan (NCP) asked the government to allocate more funds for health sector. She stressed the need to focus on states having children suffering from malnutrition stunts growth.

She also expressed concerned over rising mental illness in the country and lack of awareness about the treatment and sought for posting of psychiatrists at medical centres.

Ram Kumar Kashyap (IND) expressed concern over costly medical services in the country, while Md Ali Khan (Cong) demanded a regulatory authority for the sector in line with real estate.

Satyanarayan Jatiya (BJP) stressed the need to control private medical colleges saying they were charging Rs 50 to 60 lakh for a berth.

Ranjib Biswal (Cong) said there was an urgent need to enhance budget allocation for public health as the spending in India was much lower than China, Brazil and the US.

Unfortunately the government is pruning the budget for the sector despite that the fact that India ranked 112 out of 190 in a WHO ranking on health segment, he said, adding "out of pocket spending on helath in India has risen to 78 per cent."



Ramdas Athawale (RPI) said private hospitals were charging abnormally high from people and demanded that steps be taken to augment health infrastructure in the country.

In the same vein, Vijaylaxmi Sadho (Cong) said sadly India was becoming a house of major diseases and commercialisation of health sector was rampant. She demanded that basic health infrastructure right from primary health centre be strengthened to provide relief to the poor.

K P Ramalingam (DMK) said the sordid state of affairs of health system in the country was such that a person lost his life every minute due to stroke here.

"Health Ministry is in the ICU here...Medical education has been privatised...Right of states were being encroached upon," he said and demanded immediate intervention of the governemnt to ensure proper health facilties.
A 52-year-old gangster has been held from Siddharthnagar district of UP in connection with a 2009 murder case here, police said today.

Nizamuddin alias Alimuddin Nasibdar Fakir, a member of Raju Ismail's gang in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested from Siddarthnagar by a team of Thane crime branch on April 29, Thane Police PRO inspector Sukhada Narkar said in a release issued here.

Fakir was one of the three accused in the murder case of 40-year-old scarp dealer Pramod Sharma, from Khopat, Thane, who was found dead in Shil Daighar area here in February,2009.

A case under sections 302 (murder), 201 (disappearance of evidence of offence) rw 34 (common intention) of IPC and under relevant sections of Arms Act was lodged in connection with the crime, the release said.

Police had arrested one Asiruddin Khan on February 23, 2009, while two others - Fakir and Rafiullah alias Rafique Jaituallah - both residents of Uttar Pradesh, were absconding.

Thane police team had information that the duo intermittently visited their villages and had been keeping vigil along with local police.

On a tip off, police nabbed Fakir from Siddharthnagar railway station last week and brought him here.

He was produced before the local magistrate on May 1 which remanded him in police custody till May 7, the PRO said.

During interrogation, police got to know that the motive behind the murder was some monetary issues and the accused had dumped his body near a nullah.

Police said hunt was on to nab the third accused.

The Raju Ismail gang operates in Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, the release said.
A 55-year-old man was found dead while a pregnant woman staying with him was found unconsious in Salmabad village here, police said today.

Satyavir, who was a 'sadhu', and Phoolmati, a resident of Allahabad, were living together for sometime and had gone to stay in a temple on the outskirts of the village yesterday, they said.

Villagers informed the police about the duo, police said, adding, Phoolmati, who was eight months pregnant, was taken to the district hospital.

While Satyavir might have been hit by a sharp weapon on his head, Phoolmati was found to be in a mentally-disturbed state, they said.

Phoolmati alleged that two persons killed Satyavir, police said, adding, investigation is on in the matter.
The Met department today predicted rainfall in north and eastern Bihar for the next two days, bringing a much needed respite from the scorching sun which has singed the entire state.

"There are chances of rainfall in north and eastern Bihar for the next two days. But, there are little chances for south, central and western parts of Bihar receiving rainfall," IMD Patna, Director, Ashish Sen told PTI.

As per the Met prediction, the people of Patna and Gaya may not witness the rainfall immediately.

Sen said that people will have much respite from the scorching sun as the temperature will be lower than normal due to rain, cloudy sky in most parts of the state.

But the temperature will again start increasing after two days i.E. Since Friday, he said while adding that there is no immediate danger of another spell of heatwave sizzling the state till May 8 and 9.

Easterly wind has brought down the temperature with moisture, the director said.

Gaya remained the hottest place in the state with maximum temperature recorded at 39.1 degree Celsius, one degree below normal while the minimum temperature was recorded at 26.7 degree which was a degree above normal.

Patna today recorded 35.9 deg C and Bhagalpur recorded a maximum of 35 deg C, while Purnea recorded a maximum of 34.6 deg C, the Met department said.
The issue of release of water from Khadakwasla reservoir to Indapur and Daund tehsils in the district today hotted up, with MNS staging a violent protest and corporators from various parties opposing the decision saying it would aggravate the water shortage in Pune city.

A case of rioting and damaging the property was registered



against MNS activists who vandalised Sinchan Bhavan, state Irrigation department's office here, this afternoon.

They protested the District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat's decision to release 1 TMC of water from Khadakwasla reservoir near here to Indapur and Daund.

"We have registered a case against MNS corporator Ravindra Dhangekar and 10 to 12 others," said an officer of Samarth police station. No arrests have been made yet.

Bapat, a senior BJP leader from the city, had said the decision would not result in further water cuts as there was enough water stock for Pune city to last till July.

But the Mayor Prashant Jagtap (NCP) criticized the decision, saying the civic body was not consulted.

Eleven corporators from various parties including the Mayor today approached the Collector and requested a rethink.

"We submitted a memorandum and cautioned that this will aggravate the water crisis in the city," said Jagtap.

The memorandum said the corporators had no objection to release of 0.5 TMC of water to Indapur and Daund, which is their reserved quota. But giving 1 TMC water will plunge Pune city in a water crisis, and "responsibility will be completely of district administration and the Guardian Minister".

Jagtap also said he had written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis, asking him to intervene.

Pune city is currently getting the water from Khadakwasla every alternate day.
Mobile wallet company Mobikwik today said it has raised USD 50 million (about Rs 330 crore) in funding, led by Japanese payments firm Gateway and Taiwanese chip maker MediaTek.

Its existing investors such as Sequoia Capital and Treeline Asia also participated in the current round of funding.

The company said it will use the proceeds for product innovations, team building and user growth.

"Despite the current business climate when funding has become challenging, unit economics, sustainable growth and a sound business model are what investors are focusing their attention on. We are very excited to live up to the investors' expectations and raise the funding where even larger players are failing to raise funds," Mobikwik founder and CEO Bipin Preet Singh said in a statement.

MobiKwik's growth has been promising as the company's GMV has grown drastically by 250 per cent, he added.

With about 30 million users in the country, Mobikwik is one of the biggest wallet companies in India. It competes with the likes of Paytm and PayU.

"MobiKwik is a dominating player in the Indian mobile payments space and continues its consistent growth trajectory while staying true to its DNA of rapid product innovation and capital efficiency. Our valuation too has increased significantly," Singh said but did not disclose the details.

Lack of profits has raised concerns over valuations of startups globally, leading to many of these businesses facing difficulty in raising fresh funds.

In the recent past, mutual fund T Rowe Price cut back its valuations in many of its tech startup investments, including India's Flipkart. Morgan Stanley, too, made a similar move earlier this year.

MobiKwik has previously raised close to USD 30 million (about Rs 195 crore) in funding from Sequoia Capital, American Express, Tree Line Asia and Cisco Investments.

MobiKwik has partnered 75,000 retailers, including the likes of Big Bazaar, WHSmith India, Cafe Coffee Day and Store King in the offline space.

In online space, it has partnered firms like OYO Rooms, BookMyShow, Grofers, Big Basket, eBay, ShopClues, Myntra, Jabong, Pepperfry and MakeMyTrip, among others.
Congress today alleged that Modi government "entered into a conspiracy" to "falsely accuse" the party leadership in AugustaWestland chopper case and made a "weak defence" in the Italian marines case as "quid pro quo".

"Recent order of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague confirms the claim that Modi government has entered into a conspiracy to falsely accuse Congress leadership in AugustaWestland case in return for a weak defence in Italian marines case," party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters.

He claimed that even if one takes a cursory glance at the series of events that preceded this Arbitration order, it becomes abundantly clear that "this is nothing but a ruse to logically effect the quid pro quo conspiratorial agreement that the Prime Minister entered into with Italian authorities."



"A charge clearly reflected in reports that claimed that a conspiracy was hatched with a latent promise by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the release of these marines which has been surreptitiously denied by the government," he said, insisting that this is a "huge setback for India and prima facie appears to have been a case deliberately lost."



"Modi government apparently fought a weak case and provided diluted defence so as to facilitate the release of accused marine," he said.

Scindia claimed that it was a "massive blow" to India's efforts since 2012 to bring the culprits, who innocent Kerala fishermen, to justice.

Raising a number of questions, he asked the Prime Minister as to what are the details of the "secret deal" and "quid pro quo" between Modi government and Italian authorities to release the marines.

He said why didn't Modi government pursue the strong legal case filed by Kerala government and take it to its logical conclusion?



Scindia said the justification given by the Ministry of External Affairs is "vague".

He alleged that the political road to "harm" adversaries taken by Modi and his government has "compromised" national interest and national security.

Congress, he said, would continuously fight to seek justice for those who are victims in this case and also expose Modi government's "reprehensible ploy in trying to seek revenge" against Congress leadership.
MTR Foods today said it will invest about Rs 200 crore in the next three to five years to scale up its manufacturing infrastructure.

The company also announced the opening of its new e-commerce platform, which will give consumers access to its entire range of products.

"Another big thing that we are doing is around operations and manufacturing, which is really in preparation for the future. If we have to grow... We will need additional capacity, we will need additional investment," MTR Foods CEO Sanjay Sharma told reporters here.

"We have put together a plan internally, based on our growth plans, to invest close to about Rs 200 crore in the next three to five years.

"This will be on increasing our capacity from close to about 45,000 tonnes to about 72,000 tonnes with state-of-the- art equipment and high quality infrastructure," he said.

In 2007, Norwegian conglomerate Orkla took over MTR Foods, which has been serving authentic Indian food for about 90 years.

Stating that MTR's capacity was about 18-20,000 tonnes when Orkla took over, Sharma said since then "we have doubled it."



"We have invested close to about Rs 220 crore just in capital investment and improving the standards of the factory, and took the capacity to about 45,000 tonnes," he added.

The company has a facility at Bommasandra in the city.

MTR today has a size of about Rs 700 crore with a compounded annual growth rate of 18 per cent. It has over 140 products.

"We have very high expectations out of MTR, we expect touching close to Rs 2,000 crore as we go ahead into 2020," he said.

Pointing out that MTR has retained number one position in all categories it serves, the company officials said exports form about 10 per cent of the business.

On its e-commerce initiative, Sharma said, "MTR was



working on an e-commerce store. Last week, we launched our e-commerce store. We have launched now only in Bengaluru and we will launch it in several other cities."



He said the inspiration for the e-commerce portal came from 'Namma MTR' (Our MTR) stores, launched in April 2004.

MTR products are also sold on e-commerce sites like BigBasket.

MTR today also announced the launch of its new brand identity with a new logo and packaging, stating that it personifies the transition to an innovative and relevant brand.

Karnataka is the largest segment for MTR, accounting for 45-46 per cent business, while the combined Andhra Pradesh and Telangana contributes about 18-20 per cent, followed by the rest of the country.

US is the biggest overseas market for MTR, accounting for 45-50 per cent exports. It also has strong business in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Middle East.

Ready-to-eat forms the biggest segment of its export.

Announcing the company's next growth strategy, Sharma said it includes innovation, distribution, manufacturing and operations, among others.

MTR as a brand has introduced 44 innovations in its product line in the last three years, officials said.
A team from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council will visit Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences here from May five, to assess the academic and research progress of the institute for the last four years.

The three-day visit by the NAAC peer team gains significance in the light of the recent ranking by Human Resource Development Ministry under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), where KITS was given 44th rank among the 1,438 Engineering Institutes and 48th among 233 Universities in India, a release said today.

The expert team, comprising eight academic experts headed by Prof. H.P. Khincha, Professor Emeritus, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, will assess various aspects of KITS pertaining to teaching-learning, research outcomes, co-curricular activities, extension activities, infrastructure facilities, governance, best practices and innovations, Dr C Joseph Kennady, Registrar, Karunya University, said in the release.
The National Conference Students Union, youth wing of the opposition National Conference, today accused the state government of "sowing discord among" the youth in a bid to polarize the situation in Jammu and Kashmir for petty politics.

"PDP and BJP are pursuing a definite agenda to divide the people on the basis of region and religion", President National Conference Students Union (NCSU) Jammu ,Iftikhar Chowdhry, said while addressing a rally here.

Chowdhry referred to the incidents which took place at NIT Srinagar and Rajouri and blamed the government for its "wrong handling".

He said the forward looking, progressive and secular youngsters of the state will not allow such "machinations" to succeed and fight elements "inimical" to unity and tranquillity.

The NCSU President also expressed grave concern over growing unemployment, saying the government had no policy to tackle this problem.

He referred to the job policy of the coalition as "ill-conceived" and "anti-youth", which he said spoke volumesabout the sincerity of the government in solving problems faced by the young people of the state.
Nepal today revoked the visa of Canadian national Robert Penner who was arrested for allegedly posting provocative and anti-national comments on social media and visa violations.

Penner, who tweeted in favour of the Madhes movement and also on the arrest of veteran journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, has been charged with spreading messages through social media, disturbing social harmony in the country.

A Home Ministry spokesperson said Penner has been asked to leave the country within 48 hours and if he did not obey the government's order he will be put into the prison.

Penner, 37, who has been working in Nepal for about four years, was arrested from Lalitpur district yesterday.

The government has already cancelled his visa.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian origin, have been demanding that Nepal's Constitution be amended to include their concerns over inadequate political representation and redrawing of federal boundaries.

They had enforced months-long blockade of Nepal's all trading points with India, creating huge shortage of essential commodities in the country.

Penner recently tweeted criticism of Nepal's anti-graft watchdog for its handling of arrest of journalist Dixit.
A new hit-list naming 10 people, including the head of a university and ruling party officials, have been released by a Bangladeshi extemist outfit amid a series of gruesome murders of secular bloggers and intellectuals in the Muslim-majority country.

Islamic Liberation Front (ILF), an organisation that aims to establish Islamic Khilafat in the country, yesterday issued a hit-list naming 10 renowned people, including Rajshahi University Vice Chancellor M Mizanuddin and former mayor Khairuzzaman Liton.

The ILF sent the letter to the president of the Natore Press Club from Rajshahi. Natore Press Club president Rezaul Karim Reza said that an envelope containing a computer- composed letter on an ILF pad reached the press club by post, Independent Bangladesh newspaper reported.

Apart from Mizanuddin and Liton, others named in the list include Rajshahi lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, Rajshahi district unit Secretary Asaduzzaman and journalist Anu Mostafa, it said.

Natore Superintendent of Police Shyamol Mukherjee said they have beefed up intelligence activities in the district and are investigating the matter.

The threat to the Rajshahi University vice chancellor comes weeks after professor from the same university AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, was attacked by motorbike-borne assailants and his throat was slit on April 23.

Siddiquee's murder led to widespread protests by teachers and students from the university who condemned the attack and voiced concerns of their colleagues' security.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.

In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.
The National Human Rights Commission has issued notice to the government of Kerala over the gruesome rape and murder of a Dalit law student in Ernakulam.

The Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports about yet another Nirbhaya-like rape and murder of a Dalit law student whose body was found by her mother on April 29 evening, in Ernakulam.

"The crime is so spine-chilling and gruesome that words fall short and expressing anguish and shock appear meaningless and mere ritualistic.

"It is a matter of utmost concern that women's security is facing grave threat in spite of several measures taken in the recent times including amendment in Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Evidence Act," the Commission said in a statement.

The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, government of Kerala as well as the Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam Rural at Aluva.

They have been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident and action taken in the matter within two weeks.

According to media reports, the 29-year-old woman was murdered, after being raped inside her home, near an isolated stretch, at Vattolippidi Canal Bund near Perumbavoor in District Ernakulam, Kerala.

Her body, found lying in a pool of blood, had at least 30 injuries, including in the private parts.
The Nigerian military said it has arrested the alleged mastermind of the murder of a civil war hero by Boko Haram in the northeastern city of Maiduguri more than three years ago.

Retired major general Mamman Shuwa, who played a key role in the conflict against Biafran separatists from 1967 to 1970, was shot dead outside his home in the Gwange area of Maiduguri on November 2, 2012.

The suspect -- 35-year old Mohammed Sani Nafi'u, alias Malam Yaro -- was arrested on Sunday in the Hotoro outskirts of the northern city of Kano, said Brigadier General Hamisu Hassan.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed that Mohammed Sani Nafi'u... Had aided the terrorists that killed late General Mamman Shuwa," Hassan told reporters at a military base in Kano on Monday.

Nafi'u was paraded with another suspect accused of heading the Islamist group in the town of Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad, and playing an active role in the 2009 uprising in Maiduguri.

The rebellion in the Borno state capital saw hundreds of Boko Haram members killed, including the group's founder, Mohammed Yusuf.

Nafi'u is alleged to have fled Maiduguri after Shuwa's murder and was presumed killed in an encounter with troops until his arrest, said Hassan.

But Nafi'u denied any involvement, telling reporters in the local language, Hausa: "When General Shuwa was killed I was in the market conducting my business.

"I only heard about his death through a friend. I'm no doubt a member of Boko Haram, I was a disciple of late Mohammed Yusuf and I studied in his school for a very long time but I did not lead our members to the scene where late Shuwa was killed."



Nigeria's military in May 2013 claimed to have killed or arrested all but one of those allegedly involved in Shuwa's murder.
There is no official estimation of amount of black money that has been sent to foreign countries by India persons, government said today.

"Determination of black money sent to foreign countries by Indian persons is subject matter of investigation and other follow-up actions by relevant law enforcement agencies, including Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, CBI etc, which is on-going.

"However, details regarding the amount of money involved in such cases are not maintained centrally," Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

Asked whether Indian share in black money stashed in tax havens across the world is at USD 152-181 billion, as per the recent estimate by economists from Bank of Italy, he said there seems to be no empirical evidence to suggest that the figures arrived at on the basis of certain assumptions and presumptions, necessarily represent Indian's share in black money stashed in tax havens.

These economists have reportedly analysed data from IMF and the Bank of International Settlement (BIS) and applied certain assumptions to arrive at the estimation, he added.

The minister pointed out that by applying another set of assumptions, the same economists have reportedly estimated Indian share in black assets at USD 4-5 billion.

"In the context of these estimation, they have reportedly put the caveat that these estimations have to be considered with great care and in no way can represent firm data," Sinha said.
The crash of a Super Puma helicopter off the coast of Norway last week that killed all 13 people on board was due to a technical failure, Norwegian investigators said today.

"Based on the facts we have, it was a technical failure. It was not human error," a director of the Norwegian accident investigation board, Kare Halvorsen, told a press conference held in a hangar in the western city of Bergen, where debris from the wreck was visible.

The EC225 Super Puma built by Airbus Helicopters crashed Friday on a small island off Bergen, en route from a North Sea oil platform. The 13 killed included 11 Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian.

While investigators seemed to be in no doubt about the helicopter's technical failure, they did not disclose the exact cause of the accident -- the deadliest helicopter crash in Norway since 1978 -- adding the investigation was still ongoing with French and British assistance.

Eyewitness accounts and footage captured on cell phones indicate that the rotor detached just before the crash.

On Friday, Norwegian and British aviation authorities announced they were grounding the EC225 until further notice.

"We have taken note of the announcements" from Norwegian investigators, a spokesman for Airbus Helicopters, Guillaume Steuer, told AFP.

"They have reported technical causes. That can be several things: conception, production or maintenance," he said.

On Sunday the company advised all EC225 owners to continue flights as normal in countries where they were authorised.

"The fleet is safe," Steuer reiterated Tuesday.

Older model Super Pumas have been involved in several accidents in the British oil sector, some of them deadly. The most serious dates back to 2009 when a helicopter crashed off of Scotland, killing its 16 occupants after its rotor detached.
For the first time, President Barack Obama has given an insight into the covert US raid that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan, saying that during the tense operation nobody cheered or high-fived as they were unsure about the outcome.

"One thing about having been through a lot of this previously, and everybody sitting around this table had been through the ups and downs of any wartime situation. It's interesting the degree to which nobody cheered or nobody high- fived, because we couldn't be sure at that point," Obama told CNN about the raid which took place on May 2, 2011.

Obama said he took the decision despite the odds being "probably 50/50."



"The kinds of Special Forces and intelligence-gathering that we saw in the bin Laden raid is going to be, more often than not, the tool of choice for a president in dealing with that kind of threat," he said.

In response to a question, Obama acknowledged while bin Laden has been killed, the ideology has not been extinguished.

"The world is still dangerous. In many ways, the Middle East is in a more chaotic situation," he said.

According to the special CNN report, Obama and his team said that now, any future terror-fighting formula will have to include working with allies to address the political resentment and economic frustration that give extremist groups such fertile ground.

"It was uniquely complicated because the stakes were so high, and we were operating inside of Pakistan. But these guys had been through a lot of harrowing moments," Obama said recollecting the days that led to bin Laden raid.

Obama said this was the best opportunity the US ever had to kill bin Laden.

Remembering the moment when the first US helicopter crashed inside the Abbottabad compound.

"It was not an ideal start," he said.

"We came in here at the point where the helicopters were about to actually land. It's here where we observed, for example, that one of the helicopters got damaged in the landing...I was thinking that this is not an ideal start," Obama said.

Everyone was worried, the president said.

"The good was it didn't crash. Our guys were able to extract themselves. The bad was that the helicopter itself had been damaged," he noted.

"Even though we had the best helicopter operators imaginable, despite the fact that they had practiced these landings repeatedly in a mock up, we couldn't account for temperature, and the fact that helicopters start reacting differently in an enclosed compound where heat may be rising," he said.
One person was killed and 24 others injured when a bus overturned in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh today, police said.

Vikram Singh, a resident of Tundi, was killed, while 24 were injured when a Dalhousie-bound private bus overturned and rolled down a road near Pataka (Sinhuta) in the district, they said.

The injured were admitted to Tanda Medical College hospital in Kangra, police said.

An ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 has been given to the kin of the deceased and Rs 5000 to the injured by Amit Mehra, SDM Sihunta who had come to visit the accident site.
President Barack Obama had decided the US would go alone in the raid that killed because Pakistan's trustworthiness was questionable due to their "close relationship" with various terrorist networks, former CIA director Leon Panetta has said.

"Pakistan was difficult because they had a close relationship to various terrorist networks, and you were never quite sure just exactly where their loyalties would lie," Panetta, the head of the CIA operation that killed al-Qaeda leader bin Laden at his Abbottabad hideout in Pakistan, said.

"It was for that reason, very frankly, that when we were looking at the bin Laden operation, which we would have preferred, frankly, to have worked with Pakistan. But there are so many questions raised about whether or not we could trust them that the president decided that we should do it alone," he told PBS news yesterday on the fifth anniversary of Osama's killing.

Panetta, also the former US defence secretary, said it has been a challenging period to develop the relationship with Pakistan.

"Obviously, Pakistan was helpful in being able to work with us in many areas. Certainly, in the intelligence area, we worked together. On military efforts, we worked together," Panetta, who was the head of the CIA at the time of bin Laden operation, said.

He said five years after the killing of bin Laden, reality is that terrorism remains a threat.

"It's metastasised into ISIS. It's metastasised into Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. And so it continues to be very much a threat that the US and other countries in the world have to focus on. This is a long-term effort. We have had some success, there is no question about it. We have gone after their leadership.

"We have done well to prevent another 9/11- type attack, but there remains an awful lot more work to be done in order to protect this country. We have done a very good job at decimating al-Qaida's leadership particularly in Pakistan. And obviously, the bin Laden operation was kind of the primary effort to go after the spiritual leader of al-Qaida," he said.

"At the same time, Al-Qaida's probably metastasised, as we have seen with other terrorist operations in the Middle East. There are variations of Al-Qaida that are still operating very much in the Middle East and North Africa," Panetta added.

The US Navy Seals' raid killed bin Laden in 2011 in his compound in Abbottabad town near Pakistan army's elite training school.

Bin Laden was the founder of Al-Qaeda, the group that claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Pakistan has dismissed Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's assertion that it could be pressurized into releasing a jailed doctor who allegedly helped the US track down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, saying that the country is not an "American colony".

Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan rejected the demand of Trump to free Shakeel Afridi who allegedly helped CIA locate bin Laden presence in Abbotabad which led to his killing on May 2, 2011 in a covert US raid.

Afridi, in his 50s, was arrested after a leak in the US that he carried out a fake vaccination campaign to get blood samples of bin Laden and family members.

He was first tried for treason but later convicted for his alleged links with the terror groups in hometown in tribal district of Khyber.

The US authorities have been pushing for his release and repatriation to the US ever since his arrest.

Trump, in a recent interview had said he would ensure Afridi is freed from jail 'within two minutes' if he gets elected as US president.

"The government of Pakistan and not Donald Trump would take a decision about the fate of Shakeel Afridi," Nisar said.

"Contrary to Mr Trump's misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America. He should learn to treat sovereign countries with respect," he added.

"Trump also seems to be ignorant, historically, of the huge scarifies Pakistan and its people have made while standing with or supporting US policies over the years," Nisar said.

Trump had also said he planned to leverage US aid, "because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money to Pakistan."



But the interior minister said the 'peanuts' the US had given in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat Pakistan into following Trump's misguided vision of foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan had withstood the pressure by the US on the issue of release of Afridi.

"We have rejected American pressure on Pakistan regarding Afridi, who helped the US trace Osama bin Laden. For the US he is a hero but for Pakistan he is a criminal," he said.
A parliamentary panel today asked the government the reason behind seeking the help of Pakistan to investigate the terror attack on Pathankot air base as it was found that terrorists belonging to JeM based in that country were involved in the strike.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs noted the submission of the Home Ministry that NIA is handling the investigation of the January 2 terror attack in the strategic air base in Punjab.

"...Terrorists belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad, based in Pakistan, have been found to be behind this attack but the Committee would like to be apprised what made the government of India to seek the help of Pakistan into investigation of this terror attack and invite a Joint Investigation Team from Pakistan to India," the Committee noted.

Its report was tabled in Parliament today.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Pakistan had visited India for five days in March to collect evidence on terrorists who carried out the January 2 attack on Pathankot air base.

India has also sought a visit of NIA to Pakistan in connection with the probe.
The committee formed by the government to look into the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) will submit its report by month-end, Health Minister J P Nadda informed Rajya Sabha today.

Replying to a debate on the working of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, he said the committee formed at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also suggest measures for improvement in the overall functioning of the the medical education regulator.

"The Supreme Court has given its judgement. We had one and a half months ago formed a committee to look into the activities of MCI and suggest measures for improvement and what needs to be done there. The committee has to give its report by May-end," he said.

The government had formed a four-member committee, headed by NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Pangariya, to suggest an implementation framework for restructuring of MCI and bring an improvement in its functioning.

A Parliamentary panel had earlier also suggested restructuring the medical education regulator in the wake on increased complaints about corruption in MCI.

On the contentious National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to all medical colleges, Nadda said the government's stand has been in favour of holding the single entrance exam and steps will be taken to address concerns of the students.

"It has been our stand to hold NEET. It will keep a check on private medical colleges. We will proceed with NEET and take corrective measures on what needs to be done to take care of student's concerns," the Minister added.

On concerns over the issue of health insurance, Nadda said the model is in "question".

"There are questions over the insurance model and we are thinking of going for the trusts model," he added replying to concerns raised by members over health insurance not reaching the common man to provide free health services to them.

On health insurance, Nadda said the government is working



towards making it cashless and moving over to digital as well as ensuring its security.

"We are working towards cashless health insurance and making it digital. We are working on ensuring its security so that money can be directly sent to institutions. We also want to link it to Aadhaar card and we are trying to work this out," the Health Minister said.

On affordable medicine, Nadda said the government has decided to open 390 AMRUT shops across the country this year, a move that will help in providing affordable medicines to the common man.

"We are ready to open AMRUT shops if states want to set them up. We have decided to open 390 such shops this year," he added.

The Minister claimed that government has helped bring down the prices of medicines used for cancer treatment by 60-90 per cent and of implants by 60-70 per cent.

Talking about the pharma industry, he said government has ensured that the industry grows well, but steps have been taken to ensure that production of fake medicines should stop.

"We have stopped production of 344 fixed dose combinations... Indian pharma industry has saved African nations from HIV. We have tried to ensure that our pharma industry should grow and they have become a challenge to the West," Nadda said.

Speaking on the government's efforts, the Minister said India's record in the rate of decline of Infant Mortality Rate, Mother Mortality Rate and Total Fertility Rate is better than the global standards.

He, however said there are challenges related to the health services in North India, human resources in health sector, issue of non-communicable diseases as well as the rising incidence of lifestyle and environment-related diseases.

On TB treatment, Nadda said to ensure that the treatment is more effective the government is conducting a nationwide anti-TB drug resistance survey.
A Parliamentary panel today rapped the government for not inking the Rafale deal despite "considerable time" even as the government said the original contract for 126 planes could not be concluded because Dassault Aviation did not agree to certain tender clauses and its own bid.

Expressing its unhappiness, the Standing Committee on Defence, which submitted it report to the Lok Sabha, also asked the government to ensure that the IAF achieves it authorised strength of 42 squadrons as against 33 presently.

"The Committee are unhappy to note that although a considerable time has elapsed, negotiations with France on Rafale could not be taken to a logical end," the report said.

It was in April last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his trip to France, had announced the decision to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets off the shelf in view of the critical operational necessity for multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

However, a contract is still to be signed due to the hard price negotiations. While the cost of the 36 Rafale fighter jets, based on the the original Request For Proposal (RFP) price while taking into account the foreign exchange and others, comes to about Rs 65,000 crore.

India is bargaining hard to bring down the price to about Rs 59,000 crore.

Talking about the earlier tender, the government told the committee that "contract negotiations in the procurement case could not be concluded because Dassault Aviation did not confirm agreement with certain terms of the RFP and its bid".
A Parliamentary panel has pulled up the Ministry of Textiles for not utilising funds allocated to it and delay in several projects meant for creation of more jobs and welfare of weavers.

The standing committee on labour in its report on the Textiles Ministry tabled in Parliament today observed that the ministry was allocated Rs 15,215.37 crore for the 12th Plan and it could spend only Rs 12,933.80 crore from FY 2012-13 to FY 2015-16.

"The Committee is deeply anguished to note the abysmally low cumulative utilisation of funds by the Ministry of Textiles during the last four years, especially the first two years of the 12th Plan period," it said.

The main reasons for shortfall in utilisation was mainly because of procedural delays as non-receipt of viable proposals, delay in receipt of utilisation certificate, it added.

"The committee is therefore of the firm view that it is high time the ministry ironed out the deficiencies/anomalies and worked out concrete measures so as to ensure optimal utilisation of the plan outlays in the coming years," it said.

It also noticed that the ministry has failed to achieve the targets during FY 2015-16 in schemes as National Handloom Development Programme, Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme, Research & Development Programme, Ambedkar Hastshlip Vikas Yojna, Powerloom Group Insurance etc.

"The committee, therefore, calls upon the ministry to singularly focus on removing the chronic malaise that has been affecting implementation of the plan schemes," it said.

It also noted that the ministry has fixed no targets for some schemes and the relevant columns for has been left blank without adequate reasoning.

"The committee is dissatisfied to note that no target has been fixed for some schemes and for some other schemes, achievement has been stated to be 'not quantifiable', as is revealed from the documents furnished," the committee said.

Moreover, the ministry also failed to complete its target to organise 400 domestic exhibition cum sales events to promote the handloom and weavers. The committee noted that it has completed its all nine targeted international events.

"The committee urged the ministry to take requisite corrective measures so that the targeted 350 domestic and 22 international events during 2016-17 are organised and weavers are suitably benefited," it added.

It also noted that due to less awareness and lack of interest, enrollment of weavers for the life insurance scheme is very low.

However, the panel appreciated the ministry for extending loans to weavers under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojna to the entrepreneurs and suggested the ministry to "remain vigilant and strengthen their coordination mechanism with the banks" to ensure it is actually availed by the weavers.

It has also suggested the ministry, which is setting up a Rs 281 crore Trade Facilitation Center and crafts Museum at PM's constituency Varanasi, to set up similar centres in other parts of the country.
Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar today slammed the state police over the alleged rape of a Russian national by a guesthouse owner saying "police are reluctant to take action" when cases involving tourists are reported to them.

Expressing his unhappiness over Goa police's failure to nab the accused, James D'Souza, till now, he said, "In this case, I will deal with them (the police) strictly."



Terming the alleged rape of the 25-year-old woman a "shameful act", Parulekar said such incidents taint the image of the coastal state as a tourist destination.

"It is a shameful incident. I will move a note to the (state) Home Department today to expedite inquiry and bring the case to a logical conclusion," he told reporters.

On April 29, Pernem police had said the Russian national was allegedly raped the day before by the owner of the guesthouse she was staying at and the incident took place while she was asleep.

"No doubt such shameful cases taint Goa's image as a tourist destination. It should not happen and the (state) Home department should be alert," the Minister said.
Actor Paul Rudd was starstruck while filming "Captain America: Civil War" opposite Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans.

Rudd, 47, reprises his role as thief-turned-Ant-Man hero Scott Lang in the third installment of the Captain America trilogy, and told The Graham Norton Show that he felt like a 10-year-old boy while on set, reported Contactmusic.

"We shot Ant-Man - but I was alone in a bubble. And all of a sudden I'm standing around seeing Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man suit, and seeing Chris Evans," Rudd said.

"And they're all there. I've seen the movies. I felt like I was 10 years old. It was crazy. It was pretty cool.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das who turned 61 today.

Several central ministers like Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda, Mines and Steel Minister Narendra Singh Tomar also greeted Das, senior officials said here.

Several chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje Sindia, Raman Singh and M L Khattar also wished Das.

The day also marked completion of one year of 'Jan Samvad Kendra', a programme introduced by the state government to connect with the people directly and find solutions to their problems.

Chairing the programme, Das, who hails from a 'mazdoor family', said this was the first time that he celebrated his birthday, an official release said.

Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Nilkanth Singh Munda, Urban Development Minister C P Singh, Education Minister Neera Yadav, Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh and Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi were among those who greeted him.
The Gujarat High Court today stayed the arrest of two students who were named by police as accused in an FIR related to the Patel quota stir without following due process and investigation.

The two - Ashish Patel and Dhaval Patel - were not even in Gujarat (one of them was abroad) when the FIR was filed, their lawyer told the Court.

The reprimand came after the police accepted before Justice Sonia Gokani that Ashish and Dhaval were named "mistakenly" in an FIR filed on April 18, a day after the "jail bharo" agitation by Patidars, who are demanding reservation in jobs and education under OBC category, at Visnagar in Mehsana district, about 70km from here.

The 'fill-the-jail' agitation had turned violent, leading to imposition of a curfew in Mehsana town and suspension of mobile internet services in a few cities.

The HC also stayed the arrest of Ashish and Dhaval who were booked, along with 12 others, on charges of attempt to murder, loot and rioting.

The police told the HC a third accused, Prakash Patel, may also have figured mistakenly in the FIR as he can't be traced.

After their names figured in the FIR, Ashish and Dhaval filed a petition in the HC seeking its quashing. On the day of the agitation, Ashish was in Hyderabad, where he is studying medicine, while Dhaval was in Australia where he is pursuing engineering, their lawyer Rohit Patel told HC.

Rohit said the duo's local residential addresses were mentioned in the FIR. The police filed the FIR at 1 pm, just two hours after a clash between protesters and police at 11 am on April 18, during Gujarat bandh called after the April 17 agitation, he said.

This means the police had little time to investigate before naming his clients, Rahul said.
There is a proposal to ensure that only Rs 2,500 is charged per ticket for one-hour flights, the government told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid concerns expressed by members over exorbitant airfares.

The government also said it will hold consultations with airlines to explore the possibility of curbing the practice of charging exorbitant airfares.

The ministry will commence the process of consultations with stakeholders, including airlines, to explore possibilities ... of containing fares, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said while replying to a debate on Demand for Grants for the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism which was approved by the House later.

During the debate, members voiced concerns over steep airfares during emergency situations like unprecedented floods in Chennai and Srinagar and the recent Jat agitation.

Raju said that during the Chennai floods, the airlines did help the government to evacuate stranded people by operating flights from Arakonam air base to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

He said airlines also came forward to operate additional flights during floods in Srinagar, earthquake in Nepal and the Jat agitation in Haryana.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said the government is working on strengthening regional air connectivity and in this regard, there is a proposal to ensure that only Rs 2,500 per ticket is charged for one-hour flights.

Raju said a comparative study undertaken by the Ministry for January-March 2013 and the same period during 2016 showed a reduction of 18.10 per cent in airfares.

This shows that the airlines are passing the benefits from lower ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) costs to the passengers, he added.

Reacting to the government's move, a senior executive of a private airline said: Airfares in India cheapest in the world, though we pay more than other countries for aircraft, parts, fuel, maintenance, and taxes. If the Govt puts arbitrary fare caps, it will just push some airlines out of business and cause other fares to rise for everyone. If the Govt is serious about this, then they should work on the cost side too or provide a subsidy for airlines in exchange for the fare cap. And fare caps will always result in shortages as it interferes with the market driven demand supply equilibrium that market pricing drives.



In recent times, concerns have been expressed in various quarters about rising airfares despite fall in fuel prices, which account for over 40 per cent of a carrier's total operating costs.

Raju denied knowledge of any proposal from Kerala government for starting an airline by the state government.

"There has not been even an application...Imaginary questions are being asked," the Civil Aviation Minister said, adding "We have not denied any airline that has applied... Four airlines have got permission (in the last two years)... No such Kerala airline has applied."



During the debate, Congress member K C Venugopal had said the Kerala government had proposed to launch an airlines Air Kerala that would mainly cater to people from the state living in Gulf countries. He asked the Centre to expedite the proposal.

On the purchase of 68 aircraft by Air India during the UPA regime, Raju said the matter is before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which has taken oral evidence and the matter is going to come up before the panel this month.

The Minister said that Air India has reported operating profit of Rs 8 crore in the last financial year (2015-16) as against the loss of Rs 2,686 crore in 2014-15.

Raju said there has been robust growth in the civil aviation sector which has grown by 21 per cent and at present, India is ninth in the world in terms of passenger traffic. The aim is to become the third largest civil aviation economy by 2022, he added.

The last two years have witnessed substantial growth in the civil aviation sector where the seats in flights have grown from 66,758 to 74,499 on daily basis, which is a 12 per cent rise, he said.

The Minister said civil aviation regulator DGCA will soon provide as many as 166 services online and the first set in this regard will be launched this month.

According to Raju, all airlines are strictly adhering to the route dispersal guidelines and performace of all of them was in "excess of target".

The national civil aviation policy is being formulated in consultation with all stakeholders.

With regard to problems faced by Air India in its Boeing 787 fleet, Raju said some bottlenecks have been sorted out as spares were available.

He also said the Ministry is working on setting up no-frills airports.

Sharma said despite the country's huge potential, it is getting only around 0.68 per cent of the world's overall tourist arrivals.

India received about Rs 1.35 lakh crore from foreing tourist arrivals last year, the Tourism Minister said, while noting that the sector provides about 12 per cent of the employment in the country.

To promote medical tourism, Sharma said the government is looking to provide electronic visa (e-visa) for medical purposes. "This is our effort," he noted.

According to him, e-visa is being extended to people from 150 countries and the facility has helped in increasing the number of tourist arrivals.

He also said that e-visa systems need reforms such as extending the validity and providing multiple entries.
Congress today virtually dismissed reports that Rahul Gandhi would be projected as the party's CM candidate in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, stating that he is the leader of Congress all over the country.

"All discussions with regard to Uttar Pradesh will be done by Congress Working Committee and the leadership. The Congress Vice President, along with the Congress President leads the party all over the country," party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters.

Asking speculators "not to make any hasty judgement", he said the strategy for Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly polls are due next year, would be decided soon.

Scindia was reacting to reports of party poll strategist Prashant Kishor's suggestion that Rahul Gandhi be made Congress' face in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Yesterday, party spokesman Jairam Ramesh had said that Congress expected Rahul to take over as party chief during the current year.

As per party sources, there are likely to be changes in the Uttar Pradesh Congress this month. Nirmal Khatri is the PCC chief while Pradip Mathur is the CLP leader.

Congress has been in political wilderness in Uttar Prdaesh since 1989, which saw the emergence of Mayawati-led BSP and rise of issues like 'Mandir and Mandal'. The party has been reduced to a marginal force in the state where it was in power for a long time after independence.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi's supporters are pitching for his takeover as party chief sooner than later.

He was made the party Vice President at the Jaipur Chintan shivir in January 2013.
With Sutlej Yamuna Link canal turning into a major political issue in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said Rajasthan was given a share in Punjab's waters in an "unjustified and arbitrary manner".

"Rajasthan was given Punjab's waters in an unjustified and arbitrary manner and the then Central government never took Punjab into confidence while deciding this crucial issue," Badal said addressing a gathering on the last leg of his three-day Sangat Darshan programme here.

He said as per the Riparian Rules, Punjab has exclusive rights over its waters and not even a drop will be shared with any other state.

The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid the foundation stone of the project and Captain Amarinder had welcomed this step amid great fanfare and gaiety, the Chief Minister said.

At that time too, the Akali Dal strongly raised its voice against this "apathetic attitude and discriminatory treatment" meted out to Punjab and now same sequence of events are happening once again, he said.

Attacking the Aam Aadmi Party for its stand on the issue, the Chief Minister said the real face of AAP has been exposed with the affidavit it filed in court.

He said the Delhi government in its affidavit had stated Punjab's stand on the issue was unconstitutional and against the interests of the nation and that it may lead to disintegration of country.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal belonged to the state of Haryana and his affinity for the state was natural, Badal said.

Terming the river water as the "lifeline of the people" of the state, he said the issue of river water is not merely restricted to the farming community but is associated with the overall development and prosperity of the state.

He said if the state was robbed of its water, its fertile land will turn into desert and not only the farming community, the entire economy of the state would be in doldrums.

Describing agriculture as the backbone of state's economy, Badal said farm labourers, commission agents, traders and even industrialists would be adversely affected. He appealed to the people to leave no stone unturned to safeguard the state's legitimate right over its river waters.

The Chief Minister alleged the Congress-led governments never missed any opportunity to deny the people of Punjab their rightful share in the river waters and the incumbent chief of state party unit Captain Amarinder Singh played a "pivotal role" in it.
A Somali refugee was critically injured when she set herself on fire at an Australian immigration camp on the Pacific island nation of Nauru three days after an Iranian refugee died of injuries sustained in a similar apparent protest, officials said.

The 21-year-old woman was flown 4,500 kilometres from Nauru to the Australian city of Brisbane today after setting herself on fire yesterday, the Nauru and Australia governments said.

A 23-year-old man died in the same Royal Brisbane Hospital on Friday after setting himself alight two days earlier in an apparent protest over Australia's strict asylum seeker policies.

His actions were a protest intended to coincide with a visit to the island by representatives of the UN refugee agency, Nauru's government said.

"Both patients have received the utmost care, treatment and consideration both in Nauru and in Australia," Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told reporters.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said that in November the woman had suffered serious head injuries on Nauru and had been flown to Brisbane for treatment.

She was among three refugees who were taken from a Brisbane immigration detention centre where she was recuperating on Wednesday last week and flown back to Nauru, Rintoul said.

"She was on 24-hour mental health watch because of a number of attempts at suicide inside the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation," Rintoul said. "It raises particular questions about the duty of care."



Australia refuses to accept asylum seekers who try to reach its shores by boat and pays Nauru and Papua New Guinea to hold them in immigration camps instead.

The divisive policy has faced fresh criticism in the wake of the man's death and a court decision last week that dubbed Australia's detention of asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island as unconstitutional.

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said he would close the Manus centre after the island nation's Supreme Court ruled that detaining asylum seekers and refugees there was a violation of their constitutional right to personal liberty.
Armed criminals killed a woman and her daughter when they resisted their dacoity bid and decamped with jewellery and other valuables in Kamalganj area, police said today.

They said, the brigands barged into the house of Shamim Ahmed in Ziragir village late last night and beat him up when he resisted them. When his wife and daughter joined him, they too were mercilessly beaten up resulting in their death.

Ahmed, who received serious injuries, has been hospitalised in Kanpur.

The matter came to light when Ahmed's son, who was sleeping on the roof, came downstairs this morning and found blood splattered on the floor, police said, adding efforts were on to nab the culprits.
In an audacious heist, two motorcycle-borne persons allegedly shot at as many bank employees, injuring one of them, before snatching a bag containing Rs 8 lakh near Bitkuli village in the district.

"The incident occurred at around 11:30 AM when the two employees were carrying cash to Central Bank of India at its branch in Senwar village under Bilha police station limits," said Bilaspur Additional Superintendent of Police GR Thakur.

Bank's Assistant Manager Govind Singh and cashier Mohanlal left with cash from Central Bank of India's Bilha branch to deposit it at Senwar branch on a motorcycle.

When they reached near Bitkuli village, two robbers, wearing scarves, arrived there on bike and fired upon them from behind, following which Singh and Mohanlal lost control over their motorcycle and fell down, the ASP said.

Before fleeing with the bag, one of the robbers fired at Singh with the bullet hitting him in his leg, the officer said.

A police team was rushed to the spot and shifted Singh to a local health centre from where he was transferred to Apollo Hospital in Bilaspur, he said.

The ASP said the victims could not see the robbers as their faces were covered.

An FIR has been lodged and police teams have been dispatched to trace the duo, he added.
A group of dacoits looted Rs 15 lakhs after injuring the manager of a PSU bank branch near Bikrampur Bande village in Bihar's Samastipur district today.

The incident occured when the branch Manager of the bank was going to office after collecting Rs 15 lakh from the main branch of the district and four dacoits on two bikes intercepted his car, Superintendent of Police Nawal Kishore Singh said



The dacoits brandished pistol and asked for the bag containing the money. When the manager resisted, they beat him up severly and took away the money forcibly, the SP said.

The dacoits also damaged his mobile and took away his wrist watch before fleeing.

The injured manager is undergoing treatment in a private hospital and search is on for the dacoits, the SP said.
After winning a Rs 166-crore after-sales service delivery contract with the IAF for Russian-origin helicopters and planes, Technodinamika is in talks with state-owned companies in India for a joint venture to fully localise the maintenance process.

Technodinamika, a Rostec State Corporation company, has announced that it has concluded after-sales service delivery contracts to the tune of Rs 166 crore (1.6 billion ruble) with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the period 2016-2017.

At present, around 900 aircraft produced in Russia (and the former Soviet Union) are in use by the IAF.

"India is one of the largest after-sales service markets for us. By 2018, we plan to cover 15 per cent of the demand in India for repairs of assemblies and components for the aircraft produced in Russia," Head of Technodinamika, Maxim Kuzyuk said.

An end-to-end service centre set up in Delhi will be used to conduct repairs of Russian equipment used by the IAF, he said.

The service centre will be responsible for procuring hardware and ground equipment as well as supply components for Russian-made planes and helicopters.

The intention is that the process of maintenance will be fully localised in India. Technodinamika is currently in negotiations with its Indian counterparts to create a joint venture in this regard, the company said.

In 2015, Technodinamika won contract for delivery of components to the IAF and also, its Aviation Service Centre got registration.

The company has since then started delivery of relevant components to the air force under the concluded contract.

Technodinamika specialises in design, production and after-sales service of aircraft systems and equipment.

The company also produces equipment and components for industries in the oil and gas, automotive, transport, and energy sectors. Technodinamika consists of 36 companies located all over Russia, including in Moscow, Moscow Region, Ufa, Samara, Yekaterinburg and Archangelsk Region.
Russian military planes regularly violate Estonian airspace, the former Soviet state's defence minister said today, describing such behaviour as "incredibly reckless".

"They violate our airspace on a fairly regular basis, they fly across the Baltic Sea with the transponders switched off," Hannes Hanso told a small group of reporters on a visit to Paris to meet his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

While military radar can detect a plane even when its transponders are switched off, radar designed for civilian aircraft cannot, Hanso said.

"It is incredibly reckless and it is an accident waiting to happen," the minister said.

"Imagine a collision between a Russian plane and a civilian plane.

"Normal countries don't do this sort of thing. So it is just to provoke and to challenge us, it is unacceptable."



Baltic countries want a NATO summit in Warsaw in July to send a clear message to Russia, the Estonian minister said.

"We want to make sure that the regime in Moscow gets a very clear message that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable and territories of alliance will be defended no matter what.

"So it is about deterrence."



Relations between NATO and Russia have deteriorated since Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine and eastern European countries are worried that they too might be targets of Russian aggression.

In response, NATO has deployed additional military resources on its eastern flank. At its previous summit in 2014, the alliance decided to reinforce its presence along the Russian border, angering Moscow.

In April, Russian jets deliberately flew low over a US naval destroyer in the Baltic Sea.

Russia claimed the planes were conducting test flights and said the ship was in the vicinity of the Russian navy's Baltic fleet base.
In view of the prevailing drought conditions in various parts of Maharashtra, the Saraswat Bank has donated of Rs one crore towards relief work.

The Bank has donated Rs 50 lakh each to the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Drought Relief Fund, and to the NAAM Foundation, an NGO started by actors Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure, specifically aimed at alleviating the impact of drought, a release issued here said.

Gautam E Thakur, Vice Chairman of the bank handed over a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Kishore Rangnekar, Director, handed over another cheque of Rs 50 lakh to Nana Patekar, Founder, NAAM Foundation.
Ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena today flayed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for keeping mum when a flag of a separate Vidarbha state was recently hoisted in Nagpur on Maharashtra Day.

Sena's comments come a day after the Raj Thackeray-led MNS singled out Fadnavis for "favouring" creation of a separate Vidarbha state.

"It is due to such people (those who unfurled the Vidarbha flag) that the country's integrity is damaged. Maharashtra CM saw the goings-on with eyes open. The BJP CM of Maharashtra and other ministers should have at least condemned the act," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.

"No state can have a separate flag. All have only the tricolour. By unfurling a separate flag, the supporters of a separate Vidarbha have insulted the tricolour and the Constitution," it said.

The Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti, Vidarbha Pradesh Vikas Parishad and a few other organisations during a programme led by former Advocate General of Maharashtra Shreehari Aney had hoisted flag of separate Vidarbha state in Nagpur on May 1.

Hoisting of the specially prepared multi-colour flag was seen as a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central Provinces and Berar into Maharashtra on May 1, 1960.

Aney, whose comments on separate Vidarbha had sparked a controversy, had said the flag of separate Vidarbha was being raised on May 1 from the last three years.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray had yesterday sought Fadnavis' resignation for favouring formation of a separate Vidarbha state.

"A person who espouses the cause of splitting Maharashtra, while simultaneously being its CM, has no right to continue in that post and should quit," Raj had said.
Small Finance Banks (SFB) will be major suppliers of priority sector lending certificates to help commercial banks meet their shortfalls and will constitute up to 40 per cent of the PSLC market by 2019-20, rating agency India Ratings and Research said today.

"SFBs are likely to be the major suppliers of PSLCs and this will increase their returns on managed assets by 0.3 per cent to 0.6 per cent," Ind-Ra said in a note.

Further, by financial year 2019-20, the SFBs - the first of the ten banks started functioning last month - will supply between Rs 9,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore in loans which can be bought by the banks, it said.

Non-banking finance companies, which currently sell securitised portfolios to banks, can be impacted by lowering of spreads by an effectively priced PSLC market, it added.

The agency expects the PSLCs to be priced between 1 per cent to 3 per cent annually, of amount of the certificates issued, depending on the PSL sub-segment deficit of the buyer.

The loans of Rs 9,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore supplied to the PSLCs will constitute between 11-23 per cent of the SFBs' assets under management estimated in 2019-20, it said.

As against regulatory requirement to have 75 per cent of their assets in the PSL segment, India Ratings said as of the existing entities loan portfolios in 2014-15 -- most of them are microfinance lenders -- over 90 per cent qualify as PSL.

The scheduled commercial banks, which meet their overall PSL targets but fall short of sub-targets for specialised segments like direct agriculture, will be the buyers of PSLCs, it said.

The agency said it expects the total PSL shortfall to touch Rs 3.1 trillion in 2019-20 from Rs 1.9 trillion in 2014-15.

As the PSLC grow, it said the share of the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) in the deployment of the shortfall will moderate to 53 per cent in 2019-20 from 68 per cent in 2014-15, while the securitisation/inter-bank participation certificates and business correspondent arrangements will remain steady at 32 per cent.

The urban co-operative banks can also be important PSLC suppliers of up to Rs 300 billion, given the PSL norms for urban co-operative banks and that there is no transfer of credit risk to PSLC buyers, it said.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said he will quit if corruption worth a single penny is proved against him amid growing demands by the opposition parties to probe the premier's family first in the Panama Papers leak.

Panama Papers, a massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents that reportedly exposed the secret offshore dealings of around 140 political figures globally, named three of Sharif's four children -- Maryam, Hasan and Hussain -- listing them as owners of offshore companies.

Sharif had formed a high-level judicial commission which will be led by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the leak.

Sharif has vowed to quit if proved guilty of graft or misappropriation.

"If corruption worth a single penny is proved against me, I will not wait for a moment to quit," he said while addressing a public gathering in Bannu town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, major opposition parties met here to decide how to launch the probe, after Sharif last month asked the chief justice of the Supreme Court to set up a commission to probe allegation of corruption against those mentioned in the leaked documents.

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) senior leader Aitzaz Ahsan said after the meeting that opposition parties had prepared the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the commission.

"The process of accountability needs to be initiated, and the prime minister and his family should be the first to be probed by the inquiry commission set-up to probe Panama Papers," said Ahsan.

He also said that all opposition parties already rejected the ToRs presented earlier by the government.

However, in a relief to Sharif, the opposition parties could not agree on the issue of demanding resignation of Sharif.

"There are just allegations against prime minister and why we should ask him to resign unless he is proven guilty," said Asadullah Bhutto of Jamaat-i-Islami.

(Reopens FES 30)



Later, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa while paying tributes to two soldiers killed in a gun battle with militants, said, "Nothing is nobler than laying one's life in defence of the motherland."



"Our life and blood is for Pakistan," he said.

Hundreds of suspects have been arrested in Radd-ul-Fasaad operation, which is an effort by the army to clear the urban areas of militants.
Five of the six men booked under the blasphemy law for throwing a Sikh man's turban to the ground during a scuffle at a bus terminal in Pakistan's Punjab Province have been arrested with a court today remanding them into police custody.

Police had registered an FIR against six people under blasphemy law on the complaint of Mahinder Paal Singh, a resident of Multan district of Punjab.

Rashid Gujjar, Baqir Ali, Faiz Alam, Shakeel and Snawalwere produced before a district court in Chichawatni and police obtained a three-day physical remand.

"The sixth suspect --Haji Riyasat -- is at large and we are carrying out raids at his whereabouts for his arrest,"Khaizer Hayat, Chichawatni city police incharge, said.

Police on Sundayhad registered an FIRunder sections 295 (blasphemy), 506 (hurling threats) and 148 of Pakistan Penal Codeagainst the six suspects under blasphemy law.

Singh told police thathe was travelling last week from Faisalabad to Multan by a bus owned by Kohistan-Faisal Movers when it developed a fault near Dijkot.

The driver fixed the fault but the bus' speed was very slow and it took five hours to get to Chichawatni bus terminal.

"The arguments over the issue led to a scuffle between the company's staff and the passengers. During the fight a bus terminal hawker, Rashid Gujjar, threw my turban on the ground and others manhandled me. Turban is considered sacred in the Sikh religious code and throwing it on the ground is tantamount to desecration," Singh had said.
Emphasising that small businesses are lifeline of economy, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant today asked them to focus on upgradation and modernisation and adopt latest technologies to be competitive against global firms.

A delegation of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), led by its Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal, met Kant here today, a press release issued by CAIT stated.

Speaking to the delegation, Kant also discussed the National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and said he will talk to the Ministry of Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) in this regard.

Kant said "small businesses are lifeline of economy and as such needs a special focus on the policy front whereas the traders and other small businesses should also understand that change is inevitable and as such they also need to upgrade and modernise their existing business format and adopt technology to accelerate growth in their trade which will culminate into growth of economy as well".

He further said that if Indian firms adopt technology then no one can beat them.

Kant also advocated a simplified and rationalised tax structure in the country and said the GST will certainly relieve traders from various taxes and their paper formalities and will convert into ease of doing business in India.

The CAIT delegation sought government's support to incentivise cashless payments for broader acceptance.

It is critical to note here that CAIT announced its commitment last year in May to help the self-organised sector move towards advanced means of payments and adoption of technology to ease way of handling cash inflows for all traders and merchants.

This initiative is aimed at empowering small and medium businesses with knowledge, tools and access to equip themselves with better forms of transacting currency with end customers in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme 'Digital India'.

This partnership, with global technology leader in electronic payments MasterCard, has achieved significant success across key states and has outlined an ambitious agenda for 2016.
The Delhi University today told a court here that the documents pertaining to Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani's BA course in 1996, as purportedly mentioned by her in an affidavit filed during 2004 Lok Sabha elections, are yet to be found.

The university's response came in pursuance to court's earlier order summoning documents from its School of Open Learning department on the allegation that in her affidavit for April 2004 polls, Irani had claimed that she completed her BA in 1996.

"1996 documents related to her (Irani) BA are yet to be found," Assistant Registrar of School of Open Learning, Delhi University (DU), O P Tanwar, told Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh.

Tanwar also brought some documents related to Irani's education, including admission form for B.Com (H) of 1993-94 and its result and further her enrollment cum admission form in BA (H) Political Science first year for 2013-14.

He said that Irani's class 12th documents, submitted with the admission form of B.Com (H) course were yet to be found. He, however, added that "verification must have been done before the admission."



The court also asked SDM of north Delhi to bring documents filed by Irani with the affidavit for contesting 2004 polls from Chandni Chowk constituency here and fixed the matter for further hearing on June 6.

The court had earlier directed the Election Commission and DU to bring the documents related to educational qualification of Irani on a complaint filed against her for allegedly giving false information in affidavits to the poll panel.

The court had on November 20 last year allowed the plea of the complainant Ahmer Khan, a freelance writer, seeking a direction to the officials of EC and DU to bring records of Irani's educational qualification after he said he was unable to place them before the court.

During the hearing, Vandita Srivastava, SDM of Gauriganj in Amethi, filed original and certified copies of documents filed by Irani during Lok Sabha elections 2014 and said "as per record, no document for(Irani's) educational qualification was collected with nomination form".

The court also took on record the original and certified



copies of documents filed by Irani pertaining to Irani's Rajya Sabha nomination in Gujarat in 2011.

Deputy Secretary of Gujarat Assembly, S M Menon, filed the documents summoned by the court regarding Irani's Rajya Sabha nomination and informed it that "a candidate need not to file supporting documents at the time of filing nomination."



"However, if any objection is raised by anyone, candidate can be asked to file such documents," he said.

The court had earlier declined the complainant's prayer seeking direction to the CBSE to bring Irani's class 10th and 12th records.

The complainant had claimed that Irani had deliberately given discrepant information of her educational qualification in affidavits filed before the poll panel and not given any clarification despite concerns being raised on the issue.

Khan had alleged that Irani had knowingly furnished misleading information about her educational qualification in affidavits filed before EC and that a candidate deliberately giving incorrect details can be punished under the provisions of IPC and under section 125A of Representation of the People Act (RPA).

Section 125A of RPA deals with penalty for filing false affidavit and entails a jail term of upto six months or fine or both.

The court on June 24 last year had taken cognizance of the complaint which accused Irani of furnishing false information about her academic qualifications in the affidavits filed before the EC in 2004, 2011 and 2014.

The complainant had earlier claimed in court that in her affidavit for April 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Irani had said she completed her BA in 1996 from DU (School of Correspondence), whereas in another affidavit of July 11, 2011 to contest Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat, she had said her highest educational qualification was B.Com Part I from the School of Correspondence, DU.

He had also alleged that in the affidavit filed for nomination of April 16, 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Irani said she had completed Bachelor of Commerce Part-I from School of Open Learning, DU.
With AgustaWestland chopper issue coming up for debate in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow, Congress President Sonia Gandhi held a strategy meeting with senior leaders this evening.

The consultations were significant in view of the fact that BJP member Subramanian Swamy had dragged her name in the issue in the Upper House last week amid sharp protests from Congress members.

A section of party leaders have been emphasising on a foolproof strategy so as to send home the message that the party was all for debating the issue but at the same time would not countenance muck-raking at the leadership.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the party was all for debate on the issue in both Houses of Parliament to clear the air on the matter.

In the Lok Sabha too, Congress has given notices for a short duration discussion on the issue as also for a calling attention notice.

Congress' strategy of attacking Modi government over the Italian marines issue during the debate came to the fore with the party today coming down heavily on the Centre in the matter.

AICC alleged that Modi government "entered into a conspiracy" to "falsely accuse" the party leadership in AugustaWestland chopper case and made a "weak defence" in the Italian marines case as "quid pro quo".

"Recent order of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague confirms the claim that Modi government has entered into a conspiracy to falsely accuse Congress leadership in AugustaWestland case in return for a weak defence in Italian marines case," Scindia told reporters.

In the past one week, the party has raised several questions for the Prime Minister in the matter and declared that it has nothing to hide.

Former Defence Minister A K Antony, who was in poll-bound Kerala, returned here today to participate in the discussion. Besides Antony, Congress' Deputy leader Anand Sharma and party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, who is a senior advocate, are expected to participate.
For the second time in three months, a St. Louis jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay a huge award over claims that its talcum powder causes cancer.

The jury deliberated eight hours yesterday before ordering the company to pay USD 55 million to a South Dakota woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on years of talcum powder use.

In February, another St. Louis jury awarded USD 72 million to the family of an Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer, which she said was caused by using Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and other talcum products.

New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson will appeal the latest ruling.

"Unfortunately, the jury's decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc," Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said in a statement.

"For over 100 years, Johnson & Johnson has provided consumers with a safe choice for cosmetic powder products and we will continue to work hard to exceed consumer expectations and evolving product preferences."



But Jim Onder, attorney for the plaintiff, Gloria Ristesund, said researchers began linking talcum powder to ovarian cancer in the 1970s, and he said internal Johnson & Johnson documents showed that the company was aware of those studies.

"The evidence is real clear that Johnson & Johnson has known about the dangers associated with talcum powder for over 30 years," Onder said. "Instead of giving a warning, what they did was targeted the groups most at risk for developing ovarian cancer," specifically marketing to overweight women, he said.

Talc is naturally occurring, mined from the soil and composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen. It's widely used in cosmetics and personal care products, such as talcum powder, to absorb moisture, prevent caking and improve the product's feel.

In February, a St. Louis jury awarded USD 72 million to the family of Jackie Fox of Birmingham, Alabama. Her son took over as plaintiff after his mother death in October at age 62. She had used the talcum powder for decades.

Johnson & Johnson faces at least 1,200 still-pending talcum powder lawsuits, including about 1,000 in St. Louis and 200 in New Jersey, Onder said.

Johnson & Johnson previously has been targeted by health and consumer groups over possibly harmful ingredients in items including its iconic Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today issued strict instructions to the police to register cases against drug lords operating in state and attach their properties.

He gave deadline of a month to the police to break supply chain of drug smugglers and put them behind bars.

Sukhbir also announced an incentive of Rs 10,000 cash prize to people who give information about drugs and instructed that their names be kept confidential.

Chairing a review meeting of SSPs of all districts here, the Deputy Chief Minister said it should be ensured that no cases are registered against innocent people and corruption should be rooted out at thana level.

He said that as part of a specialized campaign against drugs, people must be made aware at village and ward-level in urban areas and police officers from ADGP to SP rank should hold public meetings and exhort people to co-operate in eliminating the drug menace.

Badal further asked for total diligence and devotion to duty on the part of police personnel to put a complete stop to the cross-border infiltration of narcotics.

He instructed that the names of people giving information about drugs should be kept confidential and be rewarded with Rs 10,000 cash prize.

The Deputy CM instructed the SSPs to form five-member police-public co-operation committees at village and city-level to create awareness and curb anti-social activities.

He gave a target of covering 3000 villages of the state in six months for this purpose.

Sukhbir also laid stress on conducting awareness camps in educational institutions to keep youth away from drugs and anti-social forces.

Regarding the Ludhiana Safe City Project, he said that 139 high resolution cameras would be deployed under the project.
A Delhi Police official, who was suspended for allegedly trying to extort Rs 10 lakh from two Delhi University students by threatening to trap them in a false case of drug peddling, has been granted bail by a court here which said the prosecution's story was "not fool proof".

The court released head constable Raj Singh on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and noted that the complainant's statement has been recorded.

It said rest of the collection of evidence appeared to be documentary in nature i.E. CDR etc., to know the call details/ connectivity between persons involved and their locations.

Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Pandit said that as per the prosecution, the accused was handed over to the police around 6 PM on April 10 and was medically examined at 10 PM.

"He was having injuries...No plausible reason forwarded by prosecution as to how these injuries came on Raj Singh.

"Now all these suggest that the story of prosecution is not fool proof/without any inconsistency," the court said.

The court also granted anticipatory bail to suspended Assistant Sub Inspector Mukesh, another accused in the case, and directed him to join the probe and not interfere in the investigation or create pressure on the witnesses.

Apart from them, the other two accused in the case are head constable Harjinder and their civilian accomplice Vipin.

Advocate Rajesh Sharma, who appeared for Singh, sought bail on the ground that the official was having many enemies on account of his police duty and that he was abducted by the complainant and his companions for murdering him.

He argued that when a call was made by an independent person stating that some persons have abducted Singh and there was no escape for the complainant and his companions, they cooked up this story of extortion.

According to the prosecution, the three police officials allegedly picked up two boys, who are pursuing B.Com from a DU college in Janakpuri area on April 10.

They allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh from the two boys, threatening to implicate them in a case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, it said.

Prosecution said the boys paid the officials Rs 28,000



and told them they would pay another instalment of Rs 50,000 in a few hours.

On the evening of April 10, Raj Singh and Vipin came to south Delhi's Satya Niketan to negotiate with the boys.

A scuffle broke out at the spot during which Vipin fled but the men overpowered Raj Singh and brought him to the South Campus Police Station where a case of extortion and criminal conspiracy was registered against the accused, it said.

While Raj Singh, posted in southwest, was attending Police Training School for a course, the other two officials were posted in the vigilance wing of west district. All three have been suspended, pending investigation.

The court, in its order, said the alleged series of acts started at around 10 AM and the complainant and his friend was with the accused at that time and thereafter, they allegedly went to arrange money.

"However, no effort was made to call police (this behaviour is expected from prudent person because it cannot be said that both were afraid since later on also they were having accused Raj Singh and going towards police station to hand him over to police)," the judge said.

The court also raised question on change of vehicle in which Raj Singh was brought to police station by complainant.

"No plausible explanation came forward from prosecution as what was the need for this switch over, as Skoda car is more spacious, more speedier than auto rickshaw and is a more effective mode of transportation.

"This makes the explanation of counsel for accused more probable that since applicant Raj Singh was abducted by these persons and a public call was already made informing the make and registration number of this car and someone was giving information to these persons from police channels, they abandoned the car and went towards the auto," it said.
More than 140 kms of pipeline manufactured by Tata Steel has achieved an industry first by becoming the deepest to be laid in the Mexican section of the Gulf of Mexico, the company has said.

The company was awarded a contract to supply 457mm OD x 28.6mm WT API 5L PSL2 X65MO line pipe from its large diameter 42" Double Submerged Arc Welded (DSAW) mill in Hartlepool, UK for the development.

The project marked the first where a pipeline had been laid at water depths greater than 3,000 feet in the Mexican section of the Gulf.

Tata Steel was selected for the project due to its extensive experience in the manufacture of small diameter and thick wall deepwater line pipe. The mill has been the focus of significant recent investments to enhance technology and processes and increase power efficiency. More than 125 improvements were completed in 2015 to strengthen its overall operational and performance capability.

Richard Broughton, Commercial Manager, Energy and Power, Tata Steel said: "Our investment in the DSAW mill and our continuous improvement discipline enables us to offer extremely high integrity solutions to our clients for the most challenging of offshore and onshore projects."



He added that the overall benefit of the investments can be seen in the welding quality performance achieved during the project in the Gulf of Mexico where small diameter and thick wall pipe is typically more challenging. "On this project, a combined repair rate of 0.25 per cent was achieved. This was delivered not only due to the investment in welding technology but also through a programme of continuous improvements in the welding area which has seen similar developments across many sizes of pipe," said Broughton.

Tata Steel is exhibiting at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, United States from May 2-5. Visit stand 2173 to find out how they can help you.
The annual conclave of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be held in temple town Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh from May 27 to 29.

The TDP politburo, which met here under the chairmanship of party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, decided to hold the three-day 'Mahanadu' in Rayalaseema region following requests made by local leaders.

"Besides political issues, we will discuss development and welfare programmes being implemented in Andhra Pradesh where the party is in power. We will also discuss steps to strengthen the party in AP and Telangana," TDP politburo member and AP unit president K Kala Venkata Rao told reporters after the meeting.

The politburo discussed the prevailing drought conditions in the state and the steps being taken to mitigate them, he added. The issue of Central assistance to AP in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act also came up for discussion.

By attracting more MLAs from the lone opposition YSR Congress, the TDP hopes to clinch the fourth seat as well.

The TDP so far admitted 16 MLAs of YSRC into its fold and is looking at the possible defection of some more in the coming days.
The Telangana government today urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help migrants from the state, who are allegedly removed from their jobs by a construction company in Saudi Arabia.

"The company has removed nearly 50,000 employees in the last three months," Telangana Industries and NRI Affairs Minister K T Rama Rao said in a letter to Swaraj.

The visas of the removed employees are also being cancelled, he said.

"They are now jobless and not having any sources of livelihood and are not in a position to come back to India as well, as they became illegal migrants without visa. They are approaching the said company, but the company authorities are not responding properly," Rama Rao said.

The family members of said Telangana migrants are worried about their safety and security, he said.

"Hence, I humbly request you, to kindly intervene in the situation with regard to Telangana labourers working in the company in Saudi Arabia to settle all the problems which are being faced by them," Rama Rao added.
China today called the Dharamsala- based Tibetan government-in-exile "unpopular" in Tibet and its recent election for the post of Prime Minister a "political farce" as no country has recognised it in the world.

"The so-called exile government is not popular with people in Tibet," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing while answering a question on allegations of harassment and torture of people in Tibet.

"The so-called government-in-exile is illegal," Hong said when asked to comment on the re-election of Lobsang Sangay as Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

"No country and government acknowledges such organisation. The so-called election is a political farce staged by this organisation," he said.

Sangay, the 47-year-old 'Sikyong' or Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile was recently re-elected, defeating his lone rival Penpa Tsering, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, by a margin of 9,012 votes and receiving about 58 per cent of the 58,740 votes cast.

Tibetan election officials announced the result on April 27 in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the government-in-exile.

Sangay had said the election sent a message to China where people are "deprived of exercising their democratic rights" and termed it as a message of hope for Tibetans in Tibet.

The Tibetan government-in-exile was set up by the 14th and current Dalai Lama who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and is shunned by Beijing as a die-hard separatist.

(Reopens FGN5)



About 320,000 people in Tibet work in tourism, 97,000 being farmers and herdsmen. The regional government aims to receive over 30 million tourists in 2020, with an annual tourism revenue of over 55 billion yuan (USD 7.9 billion), it said.

Tibet's distinctive culture and the tourists it attracts have been vital in turning the region into the main trade channel between China and South Asia, the report said.

Besides, Tibet is adjacent to Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Xinjiang - all deeply important to Chinese President Xi Jinping's multibillion dollar Belt and Road (Silk Road) initiative.

The establishment of a free trade zone on the border which is under discussion will also be regulated, Wang said.

Tibet, a plateau region has a lengthy border with Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal.

In 2015, China and India vowed to step up collaboration in fields such as drug control and illegal immigration, the illicit arms trade and other cross-border crimes, the report said.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy today said he will file a "petition" in the Rajya Sabha against Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for "deliberately" misleading the House on AgustaWestland chopper issue.

"I am going to file a petition within a week demanding strong action against Azad for deliberately misleading the House on AgustaWestland chopper scam," Roy said here.

According to Roy, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said on April 27 that AgustaWestland had been blacklisted by the UPA government which is not "true".

"The fact of the matter is that the then Defence Minister AK Antony said on December 11, 2013 that AugustaWestland has not been blacklisted in the House. So Azad is wilfully misleading the House," TMC leader said.

Chairman Hamid Ansari had yesterday asked Roy to withdraw from Rajya Sabha for the day as he raised VVIP chopper deal issue, despite his notice having been rejected.

Meanwhile, a day after Roy was asked to leave the House, TMC members walked out of the Rajya Sabha questioning why no action was taken against 33 Congress members who were named for "gross disorderly conduct" for protesting in the Well.
A top Indian-American diplomat will be visiting Bangladesh to discuss broader bilateral relationship and issues of shared concerns regarding security amid a series of gruesome murders of secular bloggers and intellectuals in the Muslim-majority country.

The State Department did not give the exact dates for the travel of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal to Bangladesh.

"She will also meet with the embassy community and hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organisations," the State Department said.

The move comes days after the Secretary of State John Kerry had a telephonic conversation with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister to express his concern over recent killings of bloggers and human rights activists in the country.

The US asked Bangladesh yesterday to ensure secure environment to all its citizens.

"Our focus remains on urging the Government of Bangladesh to provide a more secure environment for all of its citizens, one that nurtures the spirit of the people of Bangladesh and the pride with which they guard their own traditions of tolerance, peace, and diversity," State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

The US has raised concerns with the Bangladeshi Government on the killing of bloggers and rights activists, he said.

"We're going to continue to do that, and I don't have more specific initiatives to lay before you, but I can tell you we're watching this very closely and we are in touch," Kirby said.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.

In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.

Former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said



he was saddened to learn that one of the victims was Abinta Kabir, a college student from Miami in Florida, who was visiting family and friends in Dhaka.

"From Paris to Brussels to Istanbul to now Dhaka, terrorists continue to answer the call to murder innocent civilians in the name of the Islamic State," the Florida Senator said.

"Under President Obama's watch this scourge has metastasised due to failed policies that insufficiently address the root cause of this problem. Without a substantial change in posture, I fear we will only see more attacks like we have today," Rubio said.

Senator Ted Cruz, another former Republican presidential candidate, said the horrific events are a sobering reminder of the radical Islamic terrorists who seek to destroy them.

"This isn't just a wake-up call anymore - it is a screaming siren of an alarm that demands our urgent attention.

"Just as the Bangladesh attack was a demonstration of the Islamic States' determination to take their war on civilisation to another Muslim-majority nation, the recent attacks in the United States from San Bernardino to Orlando demonstrate US is not immune," Cruz said.

Strongly condemning the horrific terrorist attack by gunmen reportedly aligned with ISIS, Senator Mark Kirk commend Bangladeshi security forces for their efforts to save the lives of hostages.

"As our thoughts and prayers go to those who lost their lives and their families, we are reminded of the growing threat of ISIS terrorists, who in recent months have killed innocents in Paris, Brussels, Orlando, Ankara, El Arish, and now Dhaka," he said.
A traffic head constable was today criticially injured after being hit by a car, allegedly driven by a teenaged law student, in east Delhi's Geeta Colony area, police said.

The incident occurred at around 1.30 PM when head constable Yogendra, deployed with a traffic police interceptor, tried to stop the speeding car on Pushta road near Shamshan ghat area, a senior police official said.

The driver of the car, identified as 18-year-old law student Nikhil Kumar, instead of stopping the car hit the constable, flinging him away.

The injured constable was rushed to LNJP hospital from where he was shifted to a private hospital for treatment of his critical injuries, the officer said.

The car driver was detained by the police and sent for medical examination. The accused will turn 19 on May 22 this year, said the officer.

Nikhil lives in Geeta Colony and is pursuing a Law course from an institute in Sahibabad, they said.

Last month, a 32-year-old marketing executive Siddharth Sharma was killed while trying to cross a road in central Delhi's Civil Lines area when he was hit by a Mercedes driven by a juvenile.
A Turkish businessman who flew into Hong Kong from Dubai has lost USD 257,730 in cash and other valuables in an in-flight theft, police said.

Turkish watch merchant Mustasa Saci, 39, was flying aboard an Emirates flight from Dubai to Hong Kong when the money and valuables were stolen from his carry-on luggage stowed in an overhead compartment.

Hong Kong police said the passenger alerted Emirates airline staff early on Monday, who then called the authorities.

It was understood Saci was seated in economy class and came to Hong Kong for business.

Police said the man had lost two watches, a Rolex and a Patek Philippe, and foreign currency.

A spokesperson for Emirates, the airline the man took to Hong Kong, said: "Emirates is working closely with the police department and providing information to assist with their investigation."



Emirates spokesperson told the BBC that the airline would not be providing further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Police were treating the case as theft. So far, no one has been arrested, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported.

There have been increasing reports of mid-air thefts around the world, some of which are said to involve organised gangs, the report said.
Two persons have been taken into custody in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman at nearby Perumbavoor even as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described the crime as "shocking" and said the culprits will be brought to book.

Police said the two were taken into custody and were being questioned by a police team, headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav.

However it was not yet known whether they are the real culprits. No details of the ongoing investigation have been revealed by police.

Police said the post-mortem report revealed that the woman, a law student, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house on April 28.

She was found dead in a pool of blood at 8 PM that day by her mother when she reached home from work. Her distraught mother is bedridden after the incident.

"Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to those who involved into the incident," Chandy said.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has left for Perumbavoor from his constituency Harippad in Alappuzha to visit the victim's mother.

The brutal murder has shocked the state, with women activists and students taking to the streets, demanding justice for the woman.

Soon after details of the murder came to light, CPI(M) had attacked the state government for the "inaction" in the case.

"Police have failed to get any lead about the culprits even five days after the incident," CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had said yesterday.

Rejecting the charge, Chennithala had said a "scientific" probe was on into the incident and asserted that the culprits would be brought to book.

Police have launched a rigorous manhunt to nab the culprits.
UK's senior-most Indian-origin minister Priti Patel today asked British-Indians to vote to leave the EU in the June 23 referendum, saying the membership of politico-economic union puts barriers in trading with nations playing increasingly important role in the world.

Patel, who has a seat in the UK Cabinet as minister for employment and who also serves as Prime Minister David Cameron's 'Indian Diaspora Champion', has been one of the most vocal campaigners for Brexit - an abbreviation for "British exit" from the 28-member European Union.

"British-Indians and Asians should feel confident about voting to leave the EU in the forthcoming referendum," she said in a statement.

Using the long-pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as an argument in favour of her 'Vote Leave' camp, she said: "While the UK remains a member of the EU, we are unable to work closely with India and other countries who are playing an increasingly important role in the world. The EU puts up barriers to trade and restrictions on imports.

"The EU has spent nearly a decade trying and failing to negotiate a trade deal with India. We want to work with these countries to share expertise and exchange goods and services, but the EU's protectionist attitude and vested interests are blocking progress.

"After we Vote Leave, the UK would be free to negotiate its own far-reaching trade deals with India and dozens of other growing economies. Our own connections and ties to those countries would mean we could use the expertise of the diaspora to negotiate a far better mutually beneficial deal than anything that the EU's out-of-touch bureaucrats in Brussels could achieve."



The 44-year-old Gujarati-origin Conservative party minister made a personal reference to how "parents and grandparents" established communities in the UK.

"They worked hard to give us a good future and play a positive role in British life. But while we remain a member of the EU, the businesses that we have worked hard to establish are at risk from costly red-tape and regulations from Brussels... By leaving the EU, we can replace EU red-tape with sensible rules that promote the entrepreneurial spirit that we have in abundance. We send 350 million pounds a week to Brussels, this is money that could be spent on our priorities like the (National Health Service)," she said.

Patel is in direct conflict with a group of around 15 British-Indianparliamentarians, led by Alok Sharma MP and including Keith Vaz, Shailesh Vara, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Virendra Sharma and Seema Malhotra, who launched their own campaign as "British-Indians for IN" last month.

(Reopens FGN 18)



One of the most contentious issues in the EU debate in the lead up to the referendum has been immigration. As latest opinion polls indicate a knife-edge result, it is expected to be the aspect that could swing votes for either side.

"The pressures being put on our services by immigration from the EU has meant that tough limits have been put in place on immigration from outside the EU. This means that our relatives struggle to get visas to come to the UK for family celebrations, restaurants cannot employ skilled chefs from abroad, our temples cannot bring in priests, and we cannot bring people in for business, cultural or sporting events - as well as the thousands of talented professionals like doctors, teachers and engineers.

"Once we take back control of our borders and Vote Leave, we can have an immigration system that is fair to all and allows us to bring in the brightest and the best from across the world," Patel said, tapping into this emotive issue.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti today assured the Maharashtra government that 132 projects worth Rs 7,188 crore in 14 districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions would be treated as 'special projects' and promised adequate funding for them.

She was speaking at a meeting here today with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to review projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).

Out of the 132 projects, 98 are in Vidarbha (Rs 4,098 crore) and 34 in Marathwada (Rs 3,090 crore) region, she said.

The PMKSY is a national mission to improve farm productivity, achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, and expand cultivable area.

Bharti also agreed to take up 67 drought-prone area projects and Tapi Mega Recharge Project on priority basis, Fadnavis said.

"She also agreed in principle to complete 26 Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme projects of the state under PMKSY in 60:40 ratio, for irrigation," the CM said.

A special joint team of the Union and state government will be set up to prepare a plan for Gosikhurd project and report will be submitted within 15 days, Fadnavis said.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan were also present during the meeting.

Fadnavis also extended birthday greetings to Bharti.
The UN Security Council today demanded that hospitals and clinics be protected in war zones, in a resolution that draws attention to the rise in attacks on medical workers in conflicts worldwide.

Less than a week after air strikes on a hospital in the Syrian battleground city of Aleppo killed at least 30 people, the council unanimously adopted a measure that strongly condemned the targeting of health facilities and recalled that such attacks are war crimes.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre described the measure as a "major resolution" that sent a strong message that there will be "no impunity for the authors of attacks perpetrated against medical installations and medical personnel."



The resolution does not break any new legal ground. But British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft stressed that it was "shining a spotlight" on the increase in attacks and serves as a reminder that hospitals, ambulances and medical workers cannot be targets in war.

It was the first-ever resolution adopted by the council specifically on the need to protect medical facilities in war zones.

According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), there were 94 attacks in Syria against hospitals and clinics supported by that NGO and three MSF-managed or supported health facilities in Yemen have been bombed over the past six months.

Hospitals and clinics in South Sudan have been pillaged repeatedly over the past three years.

The resolution "demands that all parties to armed conflicts fully comply with their obligations under international law... To ensure the respect and protection of all medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities."



"Such attacks must end," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council.

"When so-called surgical strikes end up hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong."



The resolution was drafted by five non-permanent Security Council members: Egypt, Japan, Spain, New Zealand and Uruguay.

It was presented at a time when four of the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, Russia and the United States -- are backing parties in the Syria conflict.

Syria's state media reported that rebel fire on a hospital in the government-controlled area of Aleppo had killed three women and wounded another 17 on Tuesday.

The vote came days after the United States said its troops involved in the bombing of a MSF-run hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz would not face war crimes charges.
Government today asserted in Lok Sabha that the UN arbitration tribunal's order allowing a murder-accused Italian marine to return home from India pending its proceedings has "affirmed" the Supreme Court's authority and not questioned it.

Making a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Finance Arun Jaitley said the tribunal has confirmed Italy's obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case India's jurisdiction over him is established.

The tribunal has also left it to the Supreme Court to fix precise conditions of his bail, he said amid unhappiness expressed by Congress over the way the case is being handled by the government.

"We see the tribunal's order not just as a recognition of India's consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India," said Jaitley, speaking on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is unwell.

Congress members, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a walkout, expressing unhappiness after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow them to ask questions.

Their protests invited criticism from Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who accused Congress of doing so because of the Assembly polls in Kerala as media would cover it even though the Speaker has expunged their remarks. "It's match-fixing," he said.

The two Italian marines are accused of killing two fishermen of Kerala four years back.

Jaitley said the issue of jurisdiction, which is "at the heart" of the case, is yet to be even argued before the tribunal and the "limited relief" given on humanitarian considerations has been made contingent to the clear cut undertakings provided by Italy that Girone will return to India in case its jurisdiction is established.

"The tribunal noted that while Italy had earlier made a far-reaching request that, if granted, would have removed Sergeant Girone entirely from the reach of India's legal system. This time Italy was only requesting India to relax the bail conditions to enable him to return to Italy.

"In doing so, Italy was prepared to accept that he remained under the jurisdiction of the courts if India. In essence, they proposed to change the physical location of Sergeant Girone's bail without prejudice to the authority of India's courts," he said.

The government, Jaitley asserted, strongly believes that



India has jurisdiction in the marines' case and this position has been and will be our unwavering stance.

As a nation that respects international law, India will pursue its case vigorously before the tribunal and fight for the rights of the victims, he told the Lok Sabha.

The tribunal has prescribed that India and Italy will approach the Supreme Court for relaxation of bail conditions of Girone who, while remaining under the court's authority, may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration, he noted.

He assured the House that the government in due course will approach the court for its directions on the matter.

"The tribunal also placed on record undertakings given by Italy in regard to Sergeant Girone's return to India. India is assured unequivocally and with legally-binding effect that he will return to India in case of a tribunal finding that we have jurisdiction over him in case of the incident concerned.

"It noted that Italy's undertakings constitute an obligation binding upon it under international law... The tribunal considers that provisional measures should not alter the situation where the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over Sergeant Girone," Jaitley said.

He noted that the case has been contested in various courts since 2012 and the two Italian marines obtained bail in the same year.

The bail conditions have been relaxed on numerous occasions and India's jurisdiction in the case has been challenged by Italy since the occurrence of the incident, he said.

"Members would recall that we even had a situation where the sovereign undertaking given by Italy to the Supreme Court of India was sought to be repudiated," he said.
Unaccounted money to the tune of Rs 20 lakh was today seized from a car near here, police said.

A police team headed by Superintendent Rachna Singh intercepted a car coming from neighbouring Markanam village in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu on ECR road.

On checking, Rs 20 lakh was found inside the vehicle, police said, adding, the driver could not provide proper documents for the cash.

Police said the cash and the car were seized.

It was later handed over to the Income Tax department, they said, adding, the car driver is being questioned.
A Parliamentary committee today expressed concern over the "unending continuation" of Department of Heavy Industries' (DHI) flagship project NATRiP, saying it indicates "mismanagement and and lack of oversight".

The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry, chaired by K C Tyagi, expressed concern over the fact that a project which has already seen three extensions is looking for further extension.

"In the view of the committee, this unending continuation of the flagship project of DHI, which was originally intended to be time-bound, is a pointer to mismanagement along with lack of oversight and accordingly recommends that a performance audit of NATRiP with specific focus on lapses in project management shall be conducted," the panel noted in the report which was tabled in Parliament today.

Last year, the government had extended the timeline for completing the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infra Project (NATRIP) by three years.

NATRIP which plans creation of facilities at seven locations such as Ahmednagar, Silchar, Raebareli, Pune, Manesar, Chennai and Indore had faced hurdles at various stages of implementation on account of delays in acquisition of land, clearances and shifting of utilities besides, contractual complications and foreign exchange variation.

Further, the committee said it would have found it more appropriate if the government would have atleast by now decided the manner in which funds to NATRiP are to be provided, either as loan or as grants.

"Such uncertainties can affect the lucidity of the demand and the transparency with which allocations are made, it said.

The committee also noted the explanation given by the DHI on how it is to utilise the plan loan of Rs 300 crore allocated to the project during 2015-16 over a period of three years ending 2017-18.

"In this regard the committee recognises that this spread of expenditure warrants yet another extension of NATRiP beyond currently extendable period up to December 2017," it said.

Terming the FAME-India scheme as one of the most forward looking schemes of the government in the face of heightened environmental concerns and depleting fossil fuel reserves, the panel pointed out complaints of shortage of funds.

"Though the scheme is picking up, the committee while examining the submissions of the department finds that in respect of R&D and creation of charging infrastructure there has already been complaints of shortage of funds extending up to Rs 25.63 crore and Rs 87 crore, respectively," it said.

The committee would want the department to submit the reasons for the said shortages and the curative action plan, it added.

"It is imperative that such teething problems are to be eliminated at early stages itself to preclude them from developing into systematic deficiencies," the panel said.

Further, the panel while examining demands of Department



of Heavy Industries felt that there was a need for more impetus on R&D, specifically related to the development of original technology in the field of electrical vehicles.

"The committee also feels that DHI should draw a roadmap with the help of industry experts in the field of electrical vehicles with a definite time-frame so that the objectives set up by the DHI are achieved to justify the money spent and also to reduce the emission of carbon in the environment," it said.

The committee asked the auto industry to start looking for export markets in the face of saturating, domestic arena while formulating business expansion plans.

"Also they should earnestly try and develop indigenous technology in the field of electric vehicles," the panel said.

Calling the creation of different heads for allocation and expenditure of funds under a single umbrella scheme ironical, the panel said it is against the government vision of simplification of procedures.

"It is not ironical that while on the one hand the government is moving towards integration of of small schemes under larger umbrella schemes for the benefit of simplification of procedure and facilitating financial flexibility, on the other hand it is complicating matters by adding more heads for allocations and expenditure of funds under a single umbrella scheme," it noted.
Raising concerns over the recent spate of attacks on secular bloggers and minorities, the US has asked Bangladesh to ensure a "secure environment" to all its citizens.

"Our focus remains on urging the government of Bangladesh to provide a more secure environment for all of its citizens, one that nurtures the spirit of the people of Bangladesh and the pride with which they guard their own traditions of tolerance, peace, and diversity," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday.

"We are going to continue to do that (raise concerns), and I don't have more specific initiatives to lay before you, but I can tell you that we are watching this very closely and we are in touch," he said.

In a recent spate of attacks, a liberal professor, an editor and gay activist, a student and a Hindu tailor were killed and in most of the cases Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian sub continent have claimed the attacks.
The Obama administration has asked Pakistan to "put forward" its "national funds" to buy the eight F-16 fighter jets as some top American Senators have put a hold on use of the US tax payers' money for this purpose.

"While Congress has approved the sale, key members have made clear that they object to using FMF (foreign military financing) to support it. Given Congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose," US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily conference yesterday.

Kirby, however, did not say when this decision was taken and when was it communicated to Pakistan.

On February 11, the State Department had informed the Congress about its determination for selling eight the fighter jets to Pakistan at an estimated cost of USD 700 million. The move was opposed by the Indian government as it summoned the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, to lodge its protest.

Here in the US, top American lawmakers led by Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, put a hold on the sale arguing that it would not let the Obama administration use tax payers' money for sale of the fighter jets to Pakistan given that Islamabad was not taking enough action against terrorist organisations, in particular the Haqqani network, and there was continued existence of terrorist safe havens inside its territory.

Several Indian American organisations reached out to lawmakers expressing their concern over such a sale, which they argued is nothing but rewarding a bad actor.

Last week, top American lawmakers during a Congressional hearing openly told the Obama administration that they feared Pakistan would be using these F-16 fighter jets against India and not against terrorists.
The NATO alliance is considering establishing a rotational ground force in the Baltic states and possibly Poland, reflecting deepening worry about Russian military assertiveness, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said.

"That is one of the ideas that's under discussion," Carter told reporters yesterday flying with him from Washington to Stuttgart, Germany, where he is to preside Tuesday at a ceremony installing a new commander of US European Command.

Army Gen Curtis Scaparrotti is to replace Air Force Gen Philip Breedlove, who has frequently and publicly cautioned that Russia poses a potential threat to European stability.

Carter said the allies are considering a rotational ground force of four battalions, which would mean about 4,000 troops. That would be in addition to, and separate from, a recently announced unilateral US decision to send a US armoured brigade of about 4,200 troops to Eastern Europe next February.

Carter said the idea of a separate NATO rotational ground force is likely to be further discussed at a NATO meeting in June.

Russia has accused the US and NATO of returning to a Cold War mindset of mutual suspicion and military competition, even as it continues to buzz US ships and planes in the Baltics.

Speaking more broadly of US and NATO relations with Russia, Carter said Moscow has chosen to move away from integration with the West. "Therefore, we have no alternative but to do what we're doing, which is stand strong," by improving the US military posture in Europe and collaborating closely with NATO allies, he said.

At the same time, Carter said, the US is willing to "hold the door open if Russian behaviour should change" and to work with Russia in areas where the two countries still have mutual interests, such with the Iran nuclear deal.

In his remarks en route to Stuttgart, Carter also called the buzzing of US Navy ships and aircraft in the Baltics "unprofessional," adding that it seems to be happening more frequently.

"This kind of unprofessional behaviour by its nature creates a dangerous circumstance," he said.

At the Pentagon on Monday, the Navy's top officer said the Russian actions in the Baltics are escalating tension between the two nations.

"My hope is that we can stop this sort of activity," Adm John M Richardson, the chief of naval operations, told reporters.

"I don't think the Russians are trying to provoke an incident. I think they're trying to send a signal," he said.

"I think it's pretty clear that they are wanting to let us know that they see that we are up there in the Baltic.
For the first time in Madhya Pradesh, the ISO Award 9001-2015, a quality certification certificate, was given to a city-based government veterinary hospital.

The certificate was given to the Government Veterinary Hospital, Sardar Manzil here for developing modern medical facilities for treatment of domestic and other animals.

"The Government Veterinary Hospital, Sadar Manzil, Bhopal, has been independently assessed and is complying with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 certificate for providing quality treatment for domestic and others animals," an official release said today.

The certificate, issued on April 30 by the certifying agency VRC Quality Excellence, was today handed over to hospital's in-charge Anil Sharma.
activists today allegedly vandalised state Irrigation Department's office here protesting against the sharing of water in city reservoirs with neighbouring towns reeling under water shortage, police said.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists barged into 'Sinchan Bhavan' and the damaged office furniture, shouting slogans against Pune District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat's decision to release in phases one TMC water from Khadakwasla dam to Daund and Indapur talukas, effective today.

"None of the protesters have been detained as they fled the scene after the sudden demonstration," an officer in city police control room said.

Although Bapat has maintained that the decision would not result in further water cut applicable to Pune, city Mayor (NCP) Prashant Jagtap criticised the measure saying the civic body was not consulted before the announcement on water sharing that would aggravate the water crisis in the city.

"The Guardian Minister himself has made things difficult for people and announced his decision to share water without taking Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) into confidence," Jagtap said.

The residents of Pune are at present getting municipal water supply from Khadakwasla dam every alternate day.
A 28-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by jumping before a moving train along with her two daughters in Jalore district, police said.

Pawni Meghwal (28), who was married to Koola Ram five years ago, ended her life along with two daughters aged 4 years and 6 months on Jodhpur-Ahmedabad railway line today, SHO Gumanaram said.

The bodies were taken to a hospital and the families have been informed, he added.
A drug peddler has been arrested and 4.8 kg marijuana recovered from her house in south Delhi's Neb Sarai area, police said today.

Santosh Devi (50) was arrested in a police raid at her house where CCTV cameras were installed to desist beat constables and local police, yesterday. Marijuana weighing 4.8 kg was seized during the raid, said Ishwar Singh DCP (South).

During interrogation, Santosh admitted peddling marijuana procured from her distant relative, in small pouches among the addicts in Sangam Vihar and surrounding areas, police said.

Several criminals in south Delhi areas who indulge in sale of illicit liquor, run betting rackets and sell drugs, have installed CCTV cameras in their houses to keep check on the movements of beat constables of the area, the DCP said.
The youth arrested for hurling a slipper at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that hit him on his chest was granted bail from police station today.

City Superintendent of Police Chandan Kushwaha said the accused who also goes by the name Nitish Kumar was granted bail by Sachivalaya police station under Section 41-A of CrPC.

The youth was then handed over to his family.

The youth had hurled the slipper at the CM during a public interaction to protest against a government advisory on lighting fires yesterday.

He was kept at Sachivalaya police station last night after arrest.

Son of a farmer, the youth, a matriculate has acquired training as a fitter from ITI but was not doing any job, police said.

Though the photo journalists present at the programme could not record the incident, Kumar had himself told reporters the slipper struck him on the right side of his chest.

He said the youth was angry over the government's advisory to people asking them not to light fire for cooking and puja between 9 AM and 6 PM in a bid to check incidents of fire due to the heatwave sweeping the state.

Kumar had said he had asked the DGP to let off the offender.

"I told him (DGP) that even if somebody throws stones or fires bullet at me for working for the welfare of the citizens, no case should be lodged against the attacker," the CM had said.
By Sarah Marsh

HAVANA (Reuters) - Chanel, the world's second largest luxury brand, said on Monday its efforts to curb the grey market have been successful and are helping boost revenue in China despite weaker overall demand for luxury goods.

The company narrowed its price gaps between the United States, Europe and Asia last year to prevent smugglers buying goods in one region to re-sell to another in the grey market.

"We reduced quite a lot the parallel market, mainly in Asia, and we have double-digit growth in our boutiques in mainland China," Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel's president of fashion, said in an interview in Havana.

Chanel will unveil its latest Cruise collection in Havana on Tuesday, in Cuba's first major fashion show since the 1959 revolution and another sign of warming relations between the Communist-ruled island and the West. The United States and Cuba formally agreed to restore diplomatic relations last July.

Despite the success in curbing grey market sales, the privately owned company expects slower sales growth this year, Pavlovsky told in Havana's landmark Teatro Marti. He declined to disclose figures.

He noted that Chanel has an entire team, including external lawyers, that monitors the secondary market.

The luxury goods industry been plagued in the last few months as a drop in global tourist traffic due to recent terrorist attacks, slower economic growth in China, and record low oil prices have dented the purchasing power of important luxury buyers from Russia and the Middle East.

In April, industry leader LVMH said its fashion and leather goods sales were flat while Hermes said revenue growth slowed in the first quarter.

Pavlovsky said fewer Russians were travelling due to the weak rouble, and Brazil's recession has curbed demand there.

But Chanel was seeing solid growth in the United States, some parts of Europe such as Britain, Russia, China, Japan and Korea, he said. Chinese and Russians not travelling abroad as much were buying more at home.

"There is a slowdown but not such a big slowdown," he said.

Pavlovsky said Chanel was presenting its latest inter-seasonal Cruise line in Cuba because the country had inspired Karl Lagerfeld, the company's chief designer and creative director. Chanel, which began as a millinery store in 1909 in Paris, was also returning to its roots, he added.

Founder Coco Chanel designed early collections for wealthy and glamorous Americans holidaying on yachts and cruises in the Caribbean. Cruises to Cuba had been forbidden during the country's standoff with the United States.

Earlier on Monday, the first U.S. cruise ship to sail to the island in more than 50 years docked in Havana.

Chanel, which has fewer than 200 boutiques worldwide, will not be setting up shop in Cuba any time soon, Pavlovsky said.

"Why not, one day," he said. "But not in the coming years."

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Richard Chang)
State-run NTPC's bond issue was oversubscribed 2.8 times in just 10 minutes on Monday after hitting the market, raising a total of Rs 1,000 crore, which would be used for capital expenditure.

"NTPC 's bond issue oversubscribed by 2.8 times in 10 minutes today," the company said in a statement.

The company had called for offers to subscribe to its 60th series of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) for Rs 500 crore with a greenshoe option of another Rs 500 crore on a private placement basis.

According to the statement, bids amounting to Rs 1,400 crore were received from 17 applicants. Finally, nine arrangers were allocated Rs 1,000 crore based on their offers, the company added.

Under a greenshoe option, a company can sell more shares or bonds than originally planned by the issuer.

This is done if the demand for an issue proves to be higher than expected. The company said considering that the issue has a tenor of 10 years, the pricing was very competitive at 8.05% a year, translating to about 7.89% semi-annual.

The proceeds of the issue will be used for capital expenditure, the company said. NTPC is the largest power utility in the country with an installed capacity of 46,653 megawatt.
In an interesting turn of events, Rajya Sabha chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari has rejected liquour baron's Vijay Mallya's resignation from the upper house on procedural grounds.

The resignation letter does not bear Mallya 's signature in original, it has been stated, citing the ground for rejection.

Mallya resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha, several television news channels reported on Monday.

Mallya, 60, flew first class from Delhi to London on March 2 at a time when the government and mainly state-controlled banks are trying to recover $1.4 billion owed by his collapsed Kingfisher Airlines.

His resignation came exactly a week after a Parliamentary panel examining the matter related to his alleged loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore had unanimously favoured his expulsion from Rajya Sabha.



The Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha headed by veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, decided to give Mallya one week time to explain his conduct, which the members said is a procedural formality.

Asked whether the committee is unanimous in the view that Mallya should be expelled, Singh said, the committee is unanimous but we have to follow the procedures.




As AgustaWestland remains mired in controversy, the Finance Ministry has sought inputs from the Defence Ministry about a FDI proposal from the Italian company for its joint venture with Tata Sons to assemble helicopters in India.

The Finance Ministry on Monday said that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its meeting on April 8 had deferred decision on the 'post-facto approval' sought by the JV, but did not give any reasons.

"We are waiting for the Defence Ministry to finalise the definition of state-of-the-art. For majority (beyond 50 per cent) FDI that definition is necessary. Once the Defence Ministry finalises the definition we will review the proposal once again," a Finance Ministry source said.

When asked if there was any political motive for deferring the proposal, the official reiterated that FIPB had not received inputs from the Defence Ministry.

There is need to understand the status of the Agusta, the official added.

Indian Rotorcraft, a joint venture of AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) and Tata Sons for setting up an assembly line for the AW119Ke helicopter, had sought post-facto approval of the FIPB for increased FDI inflow of Rs 19.64 crore as against Rs 17.6 crore approved in September 2011.

Besides the increased FDI inflow, it had also sought approval for "change of the foreign investor from AgustaWestland S.p.A, Italy to Finmeccanica S.p.A by way of merger of AgustaWestland S.p.A, Italy into Finmeccanica S.p.A."

Tatas have previously said Indian Rotorcraft has "no connection whatsoever with AgustaWestland s (AW) supply of AW101 military helicopters to the Government of India".

It is alleged that bribe was paid for securing the contract for supply of 12 AW101 military helicopters during the previous UPA regime.

"Indian Rotorcraft's (IRL) business proposition is to assemble AW119ke helicopters, at a facility in Hyderabad, for exports to AW for it to sell them to its customers. IRL's business remit does not include any selling activity for defence related entities," Tata Sons said on its website.

Tata Sons and Italian Defence major AgustaWestland had in February 2010 signed an agreement for formation of a joint venture company to establish a final assembly line for AW-119 helicopters for the Indian Army and the global market.
The US manufacturing industry has appealed to the Obama administration to take up with India the removal of commercial and taxation barriers so that American companies can invest in the country's manufacturing sector in a big way.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) the largest manufacturing outfit in the US in a letter to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and US Trade Representative Michael Froman -- has sent a list of priorities which it said needs to be pushed with India.

"As detailed in the attached review of priorities, manufacturers in the United States are seeking tangible progress on India's stated goals of improving the ease of doing business in India and advancing manufacturing and innovation in its economy to increase investment and growth," Jay Timmons, NAM CEO and president said in a joint letter to Pritzker and Froman.

Timmons said NAM is writing this letter along with the document as the administration prepares for a major India-US bilateral summit during an expected visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June.

The letter along with the document NAM said provides a specific set of deliverables that, if achieved, would represent real progress toward addressing longstanding commercial barriers that manufacturers have faced in India and would also move India forward on the promises it made.

Stakeholders in both the US and India can benefit from policies that promote more open markets, eliminate discriminatory barriers and strengthen intellectual property protection, NAM said.

Progress on these issues is needed to foster a stronger, more productive and mutually beneficial commercial relationship between the two countries and pave the way to innovation and new economic opportunities, it said.

NAM said India is a global economic power with rising household incomes and a burgeoning middle class. It is the world's fastest growing large economy ahead of China and is ranked by the World Bank as the world's third largest economy by purchasing power parity (PPP) ahead of Japan.

"India's rapid growth represents an enormous opportunity to expand the US-India economic relationship, which has been characterised over the last decades by relatively low trade and investment levels," it said.

It said when Modi took office in 2014, manufacturers hoped his vision would be translated quickly to action as the government declared India "open for business", committed to boost foreign investment and sought to boost engagement with the US to address a range of economic and commercial challenges facing businesses in both countries.

Since that date, the US and Indian governments have restarted and expanded their commercial dialogue, including two critical forums to discuss economic and commercial issues the US-India Strategic & Commercial Dialogue (S&CD) and the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF), it said.
India will set up a National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) to domestically coordinate and implement the World Trade Organization's (WTO)'s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which it had ratified recently.

The NCTF would institutionalise the coordination mechanism between over 35 departments, private players and state governments that share international borders to see that uniform trade facilitation measures are implemented throughout the country.

Addressing a Parliamentary consultative committee on the topic of "implementation of TFA" in Delhi, Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry, said that TFA will result in faster clearances and reduction of red tapism at the borders and would thereby help in the ease of doing business.

She said that ratification of the TFA is bound to change the Indian trade and would bring more transparency in the trade process. "After TFA ratification, the worldwide best trade practices would be shared among the member countries. While we have made rapid strides in streamlining our processes on the line of international best practices, in several areas, we need to ensure speedy legislation so that there are visible beneficial outcomes," she pointed out. The minister said that industry and its various associations would be associated in the consultation process while implementing the different provisions of the TFA.

According to the minister, through trade facilitation member countries would seek to simplify trade procedures and help promote cross-border trade, bring greater predictability to traders, and help improve the overall climate for trade and investment. She said that TFA is supposed to enable domestic manufacturers, particularly small and medium enterprises, connect more easily to regional and global value chains.

She said that TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues.
As investments slow down, it has had an effect on hiring too.

Is that true?

Let's reel back to the last quarter of 2015. In November that year, industry estimated that the layoffs could be upwards of 3,000 across well-known internet start-ups such as Housing, Zomato, TinyOwl and LocalBanya. "Firings and shutdowns happen rather routinely among many 50-100-employee start-ups," one of the online media portals had said.

Traditionally, start-ups are deemed to be good paymasters, cool working places, with a lot of fun and freedom quotient. However, there's always the Damocles Sword of unpredictability swinging over these businesses - what if the app around which a business is, fails? What if investors refuse to put in any more money?

Business closures and layoffs have happened in well-funded companies such as Housing and Zomato. The issue at TinyOwl's Pune office added a new twist, as things went out of control. Overvaluation and overdependence on funding made the founders 'bloat' companies in an environment where revenues did not move at the desired pace. After all, revenue is the key

Why blame just the start-ups? For, layoffs are here to stay.

As a contrarian view, former Yahoo Tech Editor-in-Chief Dan Tynan strikes a chord. Tynan was axed in February after a three-year plus stint with the company. As a parting shot he said: "I am sure that bigger and better things await all of us."

Indeed. The key takeaways from Tynan are that there are "bigger and better" things waiting for all those who had to be at the receiving end of company's hard decision to let them go. For a start-up founder, particularly, such decisions are tough but have to be made to survive. After all, companies have to survive and create long term value for investors!

Nonetheless, this is not the story of missing the bus. As companies look for all kinds of additions and alterations to best use their limited resources sustainably, laid-off employees must take note of the positive 'flip-factor', in companies other than the one they bid adieu to. Particularly in the start-up-enthused environment in India today where small is the new-age big word of doing business.

One may ask what's the connection here between the laid-off and the start-ups. There is indeed a deeper connect as exemplified by the US experience following the financial meltdown of 2008.

The layoffs following the meltdown sparked of an uncertainty in the future. People jumped off ledges of financial skyscrapers across the world in despair and desperation. That's how grim it looked. At the same there emerged a quiet trend, almost a throwback.

Layoffs opened more opportunities for the third-party service providers (3PSPs). For example, when a major retailer was not able to hire temp workers for a holiday rush, they outsourced the work to 3PSP to be done with lesser number of the usual hands required for such a time in previous years.

A 3PSP, says Gailen Vick, ED, Reverse Logisitics Association in the US, is "designed to be much more efficient at amortizing cost across multiple product lines while keeping overhead fixed. So when a company has to layoff, most of the time they outsource a process in order to keep customer satisfaction high."

Now fast forward to the current scenario in India where the market is the fastest growing and third-largest start-up ecosystem. In more ways than one, there are similarities between the meltdown and start-up times. For one, in both the cases resources are limited and require optimum utilization to be cost-effective. Secondly, a crisis like the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008, splits the camp into the survivors and the 'busted'. A widely held notion is that even the start-up bubble - driven by technology - is floating towards an impending bust when consolidation will see the survivors remain. Again, this will result in layoffs such as it happened with TinyOwl, Housing.com and Zomato.

Employees, who have had to give up their jobs simply because of the inability of the company they were in to foot the bill, should look up to the eco-system to get back to work. And today, the choices are plenty given the robustness of the start-up market.

Across the stakeholders, the learning is all-new and not necessary to be viewed with a pall of gloom. And this is particularly significant for the emerging businesses in India, where layoffs have become a clear and present reality. Companies do understand that the staffs shed are not necessarily 'bad' -- they were kick-ass people hired to help an organization grow at a forecast speed.

Among the many forces that influence and shape start-ups, acquired and supportive talent is key. Such businesses are always about funding the brightest minds. And the right people on board can make all the difference. In fact, any mistake on this front can result in a direct hit on growth and capability perspectives. Another key point is that limitations of resources, including talent, is a given in any start-up, thus the need for optimal performance and use count all the time. Every hand in a start-up is directly connected to its growth prospects.

It is mandated that start-ups articulate roles more clearly. Even if an individual has many roles to handle, a start-up defines each one upfront and clearly so that a professional does not feel at a loss because of non-clarity.

The start-up bosses know this and realize this, yet the rigmaroles of funding, sometimes investor whims and wishes, and abject growth twist their arms to let even the brightest go. Similar situations occurred at Yahoo India. In fact, its R&D hub in Bangalore had to massively scale down since October 2014.

The great news, however, was that some of the best techies came out of Yahoo 'shedding' and a lot of them fed the start-up ecosystem. Many of them went on to become CTOs or senior tech leaders, fuelling the environment with diverse talent, and that was great news. These once-Yahoo-now-start-up talents paved the way to an absolutely new technology-backed ecosystem - they knew how to build and scale businesses, most often on free high-support products, skills that they were never known to have or the ecosystem never felt the need of, earlier. In fact, many of these techies went on to become the first heroes of the Indian start-up ecosystem, founding companies that have made technology on our fingertips a reality.

Therefore, it would be safe to conclude, that the brilliant minds some start-ups have had to let go, are poised to initiate a second coming, a fresh level of innovation and change within. Many of the UX staff once with the Housing.com, or the former business development personnel with TinyOwl.com, are out in the market ready to fuel another round of growth, given their experience, the hustling attitude and the ability to scale fast - sure recipe for the dawn of another stream of great companies.

(The author is Founder & CEO of Myrefers)


"Justice delayed is justice denied" is one of the accepted principles in all judicial systems. Seeking a fair trial and timely justice is not only one of the basic rights of a person in our democracy, but is also a guaranteed fundamental right enshrined under our Constitution; the same therefore has to be given the highest regard.

Currently, courts across India are facing an acute problem of high pendency of matters. The pendency of matters for years together not only weakens the outcome of the matter but also causes a great prejudice to parties involved in the same. Of the several reasons of high pendency, one of the reasons is high vacancies of judges in courts as against the sanctioned strength. The Law Commission of India on various occasions recommended improving the strength. However, the judicial strength till date remains one of the most neglected areas. Consequently, the wait for litigants becomes intolerable and frustrating.

Coupled with this, even the judiciary itself is disheartened due to the high pendency of matters across the country for want of judicial strength. This was evident from the recent speech of the Chief Justice of India, when he became emotional while addressing this issue. The CJI reiterated the law commission's recommendation of 1987, that we needed 50 judges for per million people, which is only 15 currently even after 30 years. His concern of high pendency of over 3 crore matters across all levels has already alarmed the State machinery to take up concrete steps in filling up the vacancies expeditiously.

One of the recommendations of the law commission was to increase the age of retirement of judges in subordinate courts to 62 years. As posts become vacant after retirement, the process to select and train new judges to replace the retiring ones takes a long time and in the meantime, the backlog piles up. Though the members from Bar are the best candidates for appointment as judge, I feel very often the members from Bar (not all, but some of them) are hesitant to accept the judgeship owning to low remuneration. Our judges in higher courts live in 'Hon'ble Poverty', and the State should consider increasing the remuneration of judges to encourage members from Bar to accept judgeship.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. In India, a lot time is spent by the litigants in lower courts. Thereafter, the aggrieved party prefers an appeal in higher courts. The issue of pendency the law commission suggested is not only in the lower courts but also in higher courts. If the number of judges in the trial courts increases significantly, the number of cases being disposed of by the trial courts will also rise sharply, thereby increasing the appeals in High Courts. If a corresponding increase is not made in the judge strength at the High Court level, the system as a whole is likely to remain backlogged. Most adversities are caused because of delay in justice delivery in criminal trials and petty offences. Undertrials are languishing in jails for years, which also cause unnecessary cost to the State. Waiting for a fair trial, languishing in jail for years and not found guilty after that is one of the major losses of the justice delivery system and it only substantiates the principle 'justice delayed is justice denied'. Moreover, the High Courts are also burdened with the matters due for final hearing. The High Courts are mostly occupied with hearings of writs and interim applications in new matters and the judges are therefore unable to devote their time to take up the final hearing matters.

With the introduction of Arbitration & Conciliation, Act 1996 ("Arbitration Act"), parties who can afford to have their disputes resolved by Alternate Dispute Resolution ("ADR") subject themselves to arbitration and other methods of ADR that are fast and also result oriented. However, having said that, the concept of "ADR" to my mind is only an 'urban concept' and the same is not yet very prevalent in all parts of India or business communities. However, ADR has by far helped reduce the filing in courts. Further, the new amendments in the Arbitration Act have further strengthened ADR. It mandates an arbitrator to make an award within a period of 12 months from the date of entering upon the reference. Such time-bound limits for disposal of matters are not only a boost to litigants to opt for ADR but also one of the passages to reduce the filings in courts. Apart from this, the law ministry has now set up ADR centres and Legal Aid Service Cells at all levels, who guide litigants in Lok Adalats either to settle their pending disputes in courts or not to file any new case. However, ADR doesn't and cannot answer the pendency of criminal trials.

Be that as it may be, to tackle this delay in justice delivery system and high pendency, the need of hour is to set up and have additional courts, fill up the vacancies expeditiously at all levels and appoint additional judges. Access to justice is a collaborative effort of the State machinery and the judiciary. Such measures though practically sound unrealistic but results can only be achieved with active judicial activism and State's endeavours to reform the judicial system at all levels in consultation with higher judiciary and all other concerns including the Bars.

The author is Senior Associate, JSA (Views expressed are personal)


Online doctor consultation platform Lybrate on Monday, announced the launch of its new chatbot, which will allow people to consult doctors and seek their opinion on health matters on Facebook Messenger.

Lybrate, which claims to be India's largest online doctor consultation service, informed that the bot will help people connect to over 10,000 doctors on this platform and get the answers for their health queries in real time.

"It is exciting to be India's first healthcare company to be on Messenger platform and be able to provide smooth doctor access to people and enable them to consume health information that is shared by doctors who have amassed a wealth of medical knowledge over so many years," said Saurabh Arora, Founder and CEO of Lybrate, announcing the development.

The company has also integrated a health quiz with the messenger bot to make it more engaging. Lybrate says it keeps identity of the users anonymous, helping people to even seek opinion on health subjects they are not comfortable with.

Founded in 2014, Lybrate claims to have over 100,000 doctors on its platform from more than 50 specialties from across India. The start-up had raised $10.2 million from Tiger Global, Nexus Venture Partners and Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons Ratan Tata in Series A funding in July 2015. It had received $1.23 million in seed funding in August 2014.
Keeping tabs on tweets may be an effective tool to help prepare for -- and prevent -- increases in asthma emergencies, say researchers, including one of Indian-origin.

"We live in the era of Big Data," said study co-author Sudha Ram, professor at The University of Arizona in the US, referring to increasingly immense sets of information that lends itself well to analysis revealing patterns of human behaviour.

"Our research is innovative and unique because it harnesses the power of Big Data from social media and other sources to address the problem of anticipating emergency department visits for a chronic condition, in this case asthma, in close to real-time conditions," she noted.

For the study, the researchers collected tweets posted between October 2013 and June 2014 and narrowed them down to the 3,810 that mentioned asthma attacks and that originated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

During the same time period, incidences of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalisations across the region area were recorded.

When the number of asthma-related tweets increased in a given week, the researchers found, the number of asthma emergency department visits or hospitalisations increased proportionally during the following week.

"If the number of asthma-related tweets increased by 20 in a given week, for example, we would expect asthma-related emergency department visits or hospitalisations to increase by 12 in the following week," lead researcher Yolande Mfondoum Pengetnze, medical director at Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI), a non-profit research and development corporation in Dallas, US, said.

The findings are scheduled to be presented at the ongoing annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore, US.

"This is an important finding that can change the way health departments and other healthcare stakeholders monitor asthma activity in a community," she said.

"By using real-time Twitter activity, health departments could actually anticipate asthma ED visits or hospitalisations in the following days and possibly intervene before some of them occur," she explained.
Final agreement has been reached on a deal structure between Fane Valley and Lakeland Dairies Co-operative Societies which has seen Lakeland acquire the Fane Valley Dairies business based at Banbridge, Co. Down.



This simplified deal structure is considered to be a better option than the originally proposed strategic joint ventures, announced previously in August 2015, which would have involved both the dairy and agri-business interests of the respective businesses.



Lakeland markets 230 high quality dairy foodservice and food ingredient products in over 77 countries worldwide, exporting close to 100% of its entire production capacity to global markets.



Chief Executive of Lakeland Dairies Co-operative, Michael Hanley said, "The agreement we have reached with our neighbouring co-operative, Fane Valley, represents a major step forward for the industry and for Lakeland Dairies, albeit not via the structure initially envisaged."

He added, "The move will reinforce our continuing commitment to pay the highest possible milk price to all our milk producers through continuing innovation, efficiency and excellence in everything we do. We look forward to working with our colleagues in Fane Valley to progress the mutual success of our milk suppliers in the years ahead."



Source: www.businessworld.ie
French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday that he was opposed at this stage to concluding the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union and the United States.

"As things stand in the international trade negotiations, the French position is 'no'," Hollande said in a speech in Paris.

Earlier on Tuesday French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said a halt to the trade talks was now likely. France has been particularly vocal about what it sees as a lack of movement on the U.S. side. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
A halt to trade talks between the European Union and the United States is now likely, French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said on Tuesday.

Negotiators have been battling to reach a deal before President Barack Obama leaves office in January but points of contention remain, ranging from food safety standards to support for small business.

France has been particularly vocal about what it sees as a lack of movement on the U.S. side. "Given the approach being taken by the United States today, (a halt) is the most likely option," Fekl said on Europe 1 radio.

Fekl said in April that the talks should be scrapped in the absence of further progress.

His intervention comes a day after Greenpeace called for the talks to stop, citing concerns a deal would compromise food safety. To support its case it published confidential documents it said showed entrenched positions on the two sides.

The environmentalist pressure group argues that the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would hand too much power to big business at the expense of consumers and national governments. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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The Irish Times yesterday reported that US investment firm Quadrant Real Estate Advisors is planning to raise as much as 500 million for a Dublin-based fund aimed at financing Irish and UK commercial property deals as banks largely eschew the market following the crash.



The fund would be financing office, hotels and apartment deals, offering finance of up to 75% of total costs at typical rates between 7.5% and 9%.

The establishment of the fund, which will target investors including pension funds in Ireland and overseas, is still subject to Central Bank of Ireland authorisation.

Quadrant is lining up Gerry Keenan, Chief Executive of Irish Life Investment Managers between 2005 and 2013 and current Chairman of stockbrokers Merrion Capital, and Alan Broxon, former Director of the Irish Pensions Trust, as Directors of the fund.

Last year, Quadrant entered a deal with the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, committing up to 100 million to finance office development and other construction projects in Ireland.

It also part funded the 29 million purchase of Clerys department store in Dublin last summer by Irish investment group D2 Private, led by Deirdre Foley, and Cheyne Capital Management in the UK.

The store was subsequently closed, pending redevelopment.

Furthermore, the US firm also gave finance to the new owners of Clerys to buy a portfolio of property adjacent to the former department store, which will feature in a broader redevelopment of the area.



Head of European operations at Quadrant, Linda Nel said, "Were very optimistic about the outlook for Ireland. The country has terrific fundamentals and the outlook for economic growth is excellent. We look at a lot of markets around the world and in Ireland we really like what we see."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
The Small Firms Association (SFA) have today called for the reintroduction of a dedicated Minister for Small Business in the next Government.

Announcing a new Programme for Government, the organisation called for "ending tax discrimination" against the self-employed and entrepreneurs, tackling the rising cost of doing business and boosting investment by improving the capital gains tax regime.

Furthermore, they have called for the Government to assist small firms to compete for and win public contracts and for access to high-quality broadband in all parts of the country.



SFA Director, Patricia Callan stated, "If our new Government puts small business at the heart of its policies, then we will see the small business sector respond with increased job creation, which means enhanced local communities in all regions of the country."

She added, "Above all else, small businesses want certainty. Therefore it is essential that all parties commit to allowing the Government to serve it's full term. This will unleash pent up investment potential, which will allow us to achieve a sustainable 4% growth per annum, which will deliver real national economic and social progress for all."

Source: www.businessworld.ie


Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan is likely to be reappointed to his position if, as expected, his Fine Gael party forms a new minority government, a senior government source said on Sunday.

Enda Kenny took a major step towards forming a government after nine weeks of deadlock on Friday when he secured the agreement of the country's second largest party to facilitate a minority administration.

Kenny just needs the support of six more lawmakers outside his party to reach the 58 required to pass legislation and could be in a position to be re-elected prime minister and name a new cabinet by next week.

Noonan, one of the longest-serving members of the euro zone's group of finance ministers, has suffered from ill health over the past two years but was a key part of the Fine Gael negotiation team that finalised the government framework deal last week.

He reiterated last month that he would be willing to serve again in government if Kenny asked him to and one of his first tasks would be to decide whether to go ahead with a stock market flotation of state-owned AIB this year.

The sale of a 25% stake in AIB would be one of Europe's biggest bank floatations since the 2009 financial crisis. Noonan said last month that a final call on the date would be made in the early days of the new government.

A number of newspapers also reported on Sunday that Noonan was expected to be reappointed. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Adding fresh content to your website will make auto-bot search engine crawlers happy  SEO - as they like to find new content and push it towards the top of the search engine results. Fail to update the content regularly and you will sink down the search pages rapidly!

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It was announced today that Corks Technology Network (CEIA) in collaboration with the Tyndall National Institute, has developed a work experience programme designed to give TY students a real insight into a high tech career.

HighTechElec is a unique structured one-week TY work experience programme for students genuinely considering a career in science or engineering.



Forty two students from 22 schools across Munster participated in the programme which includes a week of physics, electronics and technology based workshops, lectures, career talks and industry placement.

This will culminate in an innovation competition called TechnoDen. Industry partners include Tyco, EMC, Boston Scientific, Horner APG, Moog, Cork Internet eXchange, S3 Group, Sanmina SCI, Flextronics, Firecomms and Pilz.



Electrical and Electronic Engineering Promotion Officer at CEIA, Dr. Eamon Connolly says, "The HighTechElec programme provides students with invaluable experience across industry and academia. Through meeting and working with scientists and engineers, students get first-hand experience of the career choices available to them."



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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The more protectionist trade policy being pushed by U.S. presidential candidates could deal a heavy blow to the global economy, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Monday.

While not naming candidates by name, Guajardo referred to a proposal by Republican front runner Donald Trump to levy a 35% tariff on many Mexican goods, which Guajardo said would violate global trade deals and spark "chaos" if enacted.

"It will mean that you are willing to depart and break with the world trading system," Guajardo told Reuters in an interview.

"If that is the case then the world is in trouble," added Guajardo, who was in Washington for meetings with U.S. and Canadian trade officials.

The United States is the world's largest economy and its trade partners are concerned by an anti-trade rhetoric that is "more intense" than normally seen in U.S. presidential campaigns, Guajardo said.

Trump and Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton both oppose a major trade deal with the Asia-Pacific region recently negotiated by the Obama administration.

Guajardo said it was unclear whether any of the candidates would follow through on their proposals if elected because trade wars would heavily damage U.S. exporters, including agriculture and auto parts companies which would lobby against a protectionist stance.

"Eventually they would start to speak," he said. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

About us
This Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 photo shows the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah. Utah lawmakers are advancing a plan to relocate the state prison in southwest Salt Lake County. The Utah State Prison occupies about 700 acres in Draper where tech companies such as eBay and Microsoft have opened offices. Gov. Gary Herbert has called on lawmakers to fund the relocation so the corridor can develop as a technology hub. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A Utah lawmaker deeply involved in the state prison-relocation process was simultaneously building townhouses near the current prison site.

Rep. Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, served on the panel that recommended moving the prison and then led the group that chose a new location for the facility, reported The Salt Lake Tribune (http://bit.ly/26Lfs5m ).

Meanwhile, his company, Destination Homes, built the 29-unit Sunflower Crossing property slightly more than a mile from the existing penitentiary in Draper. The construction by Wilsons company never came up during debates about the facilitys relocation, although critics at the time argued that the effort was driven by developers who wanted to improve business.

Wilson said the property was not a conflict of interest because he sold all the homes months before the Prison Relocation Commission he co-chaired released details about potential new prison sites. The homes were also sold years before the jail will actually move.

Homes didnt sell faster there because the prison might move some day nor did they sell for any more, Wilson said. His company generally builds in South Jordan and the Layton area. I guess I would have thought more about it if I thought I would have benefited in any way. I didnt benefit, nor did my company benefit.

House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, said he doesnt know the details surrounding Sunflower Crossing, but he thinks the property would have been a legitimate part of the public debate. King is one of many lawmakers who eventually voted to move the prison to land west of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

When in doubt, when there is any question, disclose, King said. He argued Utahs part-time lawmakers should try harder to avoid legislation that could relate to their day jobs.

Its just remarkable, King said, how often people are convinced or suspicious, at the very least, that there are going to be legislators who profit personally.

House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, knew about the development and even visited it, although Wilsons co-chairman on the Prison Relocation Commission, Layton Republican Sen. Jerry Stevenson, wasnt aware of it. Both men said they see no way Wilson could have profited from his public position.

Hughes, a developer and property manager who lives in Draper, had tried to publicly distance himself from the prison relocation project. He said Wilsons development might have been a conflict if the land was directly adjacent to the prison or if Wilson planned to sit on the undeveloped land until the prison moved.

As things stand, said Hughes, I did not pause or go, Wait a minute, that could be a problem. 
Rule Britannia? Colonial language in the Brexit debate

Published on May 3, 2016

Story by Gemma Kentish

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The British Empire has long been a thing of the past. But the upcoming EU referendum has revived nationalist sentiment and postcolonial nostalgia. Cafebabel takes a look at the use of colonial rhetoric within the Brexit campaign.

During a whirlwind visit to the United Kingdom, US President Barack Obama spent the weekend focused on the subject of the upcoming referendum on the UK's position within the European Union, in a bid to convince the British people to vote to remain a member.

Persuasive and considered, Obama touched upon the strengths of a Britain inside the EU, warning that it would find itself at "the back of the queue" for trade deals were it to leave. Boris Johnson, heading the Brexit campaign and privately eyeing the Conservative leadership, launched an equally persuasive, although perhaps less considered, argument in rebuttal. In a piece for The Sun, he dismissed Obama as hypocritical and intrusive, pointing to the White Houses decision to move a Winston Churchill bust from the Oval office as a snub to the British State.

However, Johnsons nationalist outrage took a curious turn. Interpreting the removal of the bust as a decision based on the US Presidents ethnic origins, he went on to write: "Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan Presidents ancestral dislike of the British Empire  of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender."

Though an irrelevant and frankly baffling point to make, Boriss argument that Obama might have an inherent dislike of the British Empire nonetheless reveals the notion's political salience when working to invoke nationalist sentiment. Talking about the British Empire in the EU referendum may appear to be a trivial matter, but it's not an uncommon trait amongst those leading the Brexit campaign. Indeed, intertwining British colonial history with current debate appears to serve the Brexit campaign rather well.

Take the speech made at a recent conference by the leader of UKIP Wales, Nathan Gill: "Thank heavens Captain Cook didnt heed any advice not to take his great voyage of discovery because it was a leap into the dark Scott, Hudson, Drake, Livingstone, Riley, all helped shape the modern world we live in today, by taking giant leaps into the dark We are a people who have always taken brave leaps."

The imagery that Gill conjures up is one of colonial nostalgia: do you remember the days when we, the British people, set out on great imperial expeditions and ventured into the unknown? When we ruled the waves? Gills glorification of British explorers and their intrepid adventures washes over the darker history of the colonial period and instead paints a romantic image of the empire, one which appeals to the population and instils a sense of pride.

Then there's Conservative MP Liam Foxs assertion that "the UK is one of the few countries in the EU that does not need to bury its 20th century history". This staggeringly positive portrayal of British history reflects the nation's denial of atrocities committed by the State during the colonial period, and through the denigration of the rest of Europe reaffirms a sense of British pride that is advantageous for the Leave campaign.

Even the newly coined term "Brexiteer"  the name given to those in the Leave camp smacks of colonial rhetoric: the pioneering spirit of the British, voyaging into the unknown across the globe, without the help of the EU.

The issue, they say, is all about sovereignty. How could we, as great a nation as the United Kingdom, a nation that ruled over countless dominions stretching across all four corners of the Earth, surrender our sovereignty to an external power? The history of our empire seemingly serves to justify an exit from the EU.

The reality is that a significant majority of the British public believe that the colonial period was a positive period in our history: a recent survey by Yougov found that 59% thought that the empire is something to be proud of, and 34% wished it still existed. Shocking though those statistics may seem to outsiders, especially to those whose nations suffered as a direct result of British imperial rule, the remnants of imperial greatness still linger within the minds of many British people.

The Brexit campaign merely taps into this powerful latent force; by offering a compelling and overwhelmingly positive narrative of the British Empire, politicians and the media in the Leave camp are able to exploit the underlying currents of imperial nostalgia and nationalism, leaving no room for European identity alongside.

Boris Johnson may have received a great deal of criticism for his racialised comments about Obama and his ethnic origins, but his remarks were decidedly effective. In summoning the spectre of Churchill and lambasting the disrespectful US government, Boris acts as a noble defender of the British Empire, a champion of British sovereignty and identity. The outcome of the EU referendum in the UK may still be unclear, with everything to play for. But if anything is certain in this referendum, it is that Rule Britannia is far from dead.

Story by Gemma Kentish
Caller-Times File The Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center has helped more than 120 fledgling businesses since 2009 when it opened in a 35,000-square-foot building in Flour Bluff.

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By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

Small businesses and aspiring startups will get the chance to pitch their wares  and also rub elbows with potential financiers  during a workshop hosted by the region's top business incubator.

The Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center will host its inaugural "Where is the Money?" event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday. The event celebrates National Small Business Week. Admission is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required.

Located at 10201 South Padre Island Dr., Suite 100, the Business Innovation Center is operates as part of the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Its function is to help entrepreneurs with solid business plans get started. The event offers opportunities for local small businesses and startups to learn more about funding resources available to them and potentially connects them with organizations that can possibly support them financially. Panelists representing 20 traditional and non-traditional funding and financing sources will attend.

"We are excited to offer this first-of-its kind event in our community," said John Gamble, dean of the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. "The availability of reliable funding sources is essential to any rapidly-growing new business."

Facilitators include K. Mark Weaver, visiting professor of Entrepreneurship at the university, and Kent Byus, chair of the university's Department of Management and Marketing at the College of Business.

To register, log on to http://www.innovation4texas.com/WhereIsTheMoney/. Information: Chau Hoang at 361-825-3519 or email chau.hoang@tamucc.edu.

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
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By Kirsten Crow of the Caller-Times

A recent report by environmental groups asserts that malfunctions and maintenance at industrial sites sent 34,000 tons of largely unauthorized emissions into the state's atmosphere in 2015  including about 559,000 pounds in the Corpus Christi area.

The report by the Environmental Integrity Project and Environment Texas  Breakdowns in Air Quality: Air Pollution from Industrial Malfunctions and Maintenance in Texas  asserts the state isn't doing enough to police unauthorized emissions. It further suggests that emissions from maintenance work aren't being properly accounted for and that many malfunctions are "the result of operator errors, poor plant design and a lack of preventive maintenance."

"There is no question that occasional breakdowns and releases of air pollution can happen at even the most well-maintained industrial plant," the report states. "But companies should not be allowed to use malfunctions and maintenance as a blanket excuse to spew unlimited amounts of dangerous pollutants without any penalties or accountability."

The documents, released last week, have drawn criticism from industry associations and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state's regulatory agency, both of which termed portions of the report as mischaracterizing or misleading.

Oil and natural gas companies work to ensure safety and protect the environment, Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, wrote in an online statement. He argued that "the report's central premise is wrong in its claim that operators routinely release their product into the air on purpose." Unforeseen events are answered by "protocols designed to manage pressure, limit emissions and protect workers and the environment," he added.

The state's environmental quality commission contended the agency "consistently pursues administrative, as well as civil enforcement, against noncompliant regulated industries in accordance with a vigorous, clearly articulated regulatory framework."

"Contrary to the assertions in EIP's report, Texas does not allow industries to release excess amounts of air pollution when old and poorly controlled equipment breaks down and when facilities undergo maintenance work," states the email sent by Andrea Morrow, commission spokeswoman.

Other Texas coastal cities saw unauthorized emissions from malfunctions and maintenance in higher amounts than Corpus Christi, according to the report: Houston industrial companies reported nearly 5.2 million pounds, and Beaumont-Port Arthur, nearly 3.9 million pounds.

Using public reports maintained by the state's environmental commission, the Environmental Integrity Project and Environment Texas analyzed the records of Corpus Christi's industrial companies.

Equistar, an affiliate of LyondellBasell, was identified as having three of the five largest reported emissions events in 2015. All three were related to malfunctions, according to the reports submitted by the company to the state's environmental commission.

"Our Corpus Christi facility completed an in-depth investigation and implemented corrective actions as a result of these events," company representatives wrote in an email to the Caller-Times. "We shared these findings and actions, along with air monitoring data collected by the company, with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality."

Generally, levels of "air pollutants ozone and particulate matter have continuously declined over the past 10 years," according to an unrelated news release sent by the Regional Health Awareness Board on Monday.

Twitter: @CallerCrow
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By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times

A Corpus Christi man who posed as Santa pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography.

Reynaldo Ramirez, 38, entered the plea on Monday in U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos' court. He faces as long as 20 years in federal prison and as much as $250,000 in fines, according to a U.S. attorney's office news release.

Police successfully downloaded files containing child pornography from an IP address that was associated with Ramirez and he was arrested on Christmas Eve last year, the release states.

He admitted to viewing child pornography for nearly six years and told authorities he downloaded more than 1,000 images depicting child porn.

When authorities obtained a search warrant for Ramirez's residence, they found a Santa Claus costume. Ramirez told investigators he has performed as Santa for the past 15 years in South Texas.

His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 10. Along with the prison sentence, Ramirez faces a maximum of lifetime supervised released and special conditions to prohibit him from contacting children or using the Internet.

Twitter: @Caller_Fares
What has Gov. Abbott done about the six mass shootings on his watch?
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The Port of Corpus Christi recently announced that the U.S. Corp of Engineers did not budget $350 million as the Port requested to deepen and widen the port channel. The port wants to deepen the channel from 45 feet to 52 feet and widen it to 530 feet.

If the U.S. Corp of Engineers approves a project, typically, it will fund 60 percent of the cost and the port funds 40 percent. The port announced it will consider paying for 100 percent of the project. That would be a mistake. The project doesn't have significant economic benefits.

The refineries don't need a 52-foot channel for 2,500,000-barrel supertankers. Most of their imported crude comes from nearby countries in smaller 500,000-barrel tankers. When they move their crude by supertanker, it's off-loaded into one smaller 500,000-barrel tanker off shore and the supertanker takes the remainder to Houston, Beaumont-Port Arthur and Lake Charles.

Also, local refineries are processing less imported crude and replacing it with Eagle Ford crude.

The port says it needs the deeper, wider channel for supertankers to export Eagle Ford crude. The port currently ships about 1 million barrels of crude per day. However, much of that goes to other U.S. refineries in barges and 500,000-barrel tankers and the crude exported goes in 500,000-barrel tankers.

When oil prices go back up, Eagle Ford production will increase and export shipments will increase. However, it's hard to imagine shipments ever increasing enough to make supertankers economically justified.

Eagle Ford crude has caused a significant increase in channel traffic, but it has been mostly in barges and less in tankers. Increased traffic has caused channel congestion and somewhat greater risk of collisions.

Part of the port's proposed project is to widen the channel and dredge barge shelves on each side of the channel for barge traffic. Cost to widen the channel is about $30 million and the barge shelves is about $3.7 million. The port should do that and not spend $316 million to deepen the channel until it's needed and economically justified. That's unfair for the port customers for something they don't need.

The port is in great financial shape due to Eagle Ford oil shipments. Annual revenue has increased from about $42 million per year to about $90 million per year. When the Cheniere LNG plant is finished, revenue will increase another $20 million per year. The Voestalpine iron plant will create even more port revenue.

It would be a shame to waste all that port revenue on a deeper channel that's not needed and for which the U.S. government should pay 60 percent of the cost. Instead of a deeper channel, the port should use its new revenues to provide incentives for new petrochemical plants and expanded existing plants that will process Eagle Ford natural gas liquids and for new LNG plants.

Eagle Ford produces large quantities of natural gas liquids  ethane, propane and butane. Those are choice materials for steam cracker petrochemical plants that turn them into ethylene, propylene, benzene and butadiene. Those four intermediate raw materials pass through 47 downstream petrochemical processes, each requiring a large petrochemical plant to ultimately produce 28 end-use consumer or industrial products. Those end products are 15 to 25 times more valuable than the original four materials.

Many new plants will be needed to process Eagle Ford natural gas liquids. New local plants have major cost-competitive advantages by being close to Eagle Ford and the port. It's not unrealistic to visualize a cluster of at least 10 new plants and expanded plants each costing $1 billion, requiring 2,000 construction workers and creating 300 direct permanent jobs and 900 indirect and induced jobs. That would create 12,000 jobs, $600 million in annual payroll and $1.1 billion in annual gross area product. The end-use products would be shipped out through the port in liquid or solid form. The port could easily afford to give an incentive of 2 percent of each plant's initial capital cost. The port should also give incentives to new LNG plants which would create large new shipping revenues for the port.
When taking a long-term economic view, Indonesia has enjoyed considerable successes since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.

The worlds fourth most populous nation has the worlds 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, according to The World Bank.

The countrys gross national income per capita has steadily risen, from $560 in the year 2000 to $3,630 in 2014, and the poverty rate has halved since 1999, to 11.2 percent in 2015.

But in more recent years, weaker demand for commodities has seen Indonesias GDP slowing since 2012. Last year the figure was 4.79 percent, the lowest growth since the global financial crisis. Analysts expect it to nudge over 5 percent in 2016.

In terms of media consumption, Indonesia is another of the regions mobile-first nations, likely boosted by the fact that half of the countrys 250 million people are under the age of 30 and early technology adopters. More than 80 million people are using the internet, and there are 79 million active social-media users, according to We Are Socials Digital in 2016 report.

This is only roughly one-third of the countrys population, suggesting there is plenty of room for growth.

Indonesia also has one of the highest Facebook penetration rates in Southeast Asia, with 78 million users this year, according to eMarketer, and Jakarta has become known as Twitters unofficial capital city.

Throughout this week, well be taking a close look at brands, consumer trends and creativity across the country.

Our in-depth look at brands and agencies paints a picture of challenger and disrupter brands such as taxi firm Grab and courier service Go-Jek making significant inroads.

Powered by mobile, the Indonesian market is witnessing various innovations," said Eka Sugiarto, country media head with Unilever Indonesia. "While the traditional business model remains big, their share in the future may need to be secured with the right strategy.

The pressure is also on media and creative partners to keep up with consumer and business changes.

The dry ice and velvet curtain grand reveal of a traditional advertising agency is starting to look hilariously outdated, said Rajat Basra, CEO at Omnicom Media Group Indonesia.

On Wednesday we will look at how the chaotic pace of life and consumer impatience is driving big changes, especially in Jakarta.

According to VML Indonesias head of digital, Piotr Jakubowski, there are growing consumer expectations around brand responses to problems and customer service. Especially when problems or complaints arise, brands can no longer wait to provide responses, and many have beefed up their social strategies to address these issues, he said.

Telkomsel, for example, prides itself on having built the worlds fastest Twitter customer-service team, with a response time within minutes instead of hours, he added.

Patience is now the virtue of the dead, stated Pradeep Harikrishnan, technical advisor at IPG Mediabrands Indonesia. A truer description for urban upper-middle-class millennials, he said, is a generation that seeks instant gratification and is in a tearing hurry to accomplish something, be it success at work or acquiring a new gadget launched by Apple.

These consumers tend to shop online and avoid the pain of going out to the stores since traffic and pollution are unavoidable. Time is a precious commodity for this generation, Harikrishnan added.

On Thursday we will look at creativity in the country, which industry experts believe is still struggling to find its own voice.

According to Vishal Mehta, managing director at McCann Indonesia, despite having a unique and rich culture to draw on, outstanding creative work that reflects the country is few and far between.

India has Bollywood," he said. "Thailand has a distinct style and the culture shows, but for some reason Indonesias voice hasnt been depicted so far. The mainstream industries are also young and a bit shy of experimentation. There are traditional forms but they havent evolved enough to be noteworthy. And this impacts the work in advertising because advertising is part of the creative ecosystem.

In the PR sphere, which we will look at on Friday, most agencies report healthy levels of business, even if many brands do not yet fully understand the potential of the discipline.

Ong Hock Chuan, co-founder and partner at Jakarta-based Maverick, which works with brands including Sennheiser, Dyson, Netflix, Heineken, Airbus Group and Nissan, said the PR industry in Indonesia remains lucrative and busy but adds that the sector is not necessarily progressing.

"Clients tend to be the same ones already using PR but upgrading to better firms," Chuan said. "Like most other parts of the world, there is a shift away from brands using mainstream media as a channel to get messages across to target audiences."

This has resulted in increased key-opinion-leader and community engagement, but he believes that most efforts are still stuck in using social to promote brands, with few companies understanding the dynamics between paid, earned, shared and owned media.

Dont miss our in-depth features on Indonesia, which will run all week.
Ad Nut is not saying that the following campaigns are not 'real' campaigns (necessarily), nor that the agencies have done the following work with anything less than completely noble and altruistic intent (necessarily), nor that the work in question is not of high quality and emotionally powerful (necessarily).

Ad Nut agrees that the causes being addressed are worthy (more or less), and Ad Nut believes in the power of advertising to change people's minds, or at least to nudge them toward changing their minds. If not, Ad Nut wouldn't devote so much energy to ads in the first placeand would just be called 'Nut Nut' or perhaps 'that surprisingly literate squirrel'.

It's just that there's suddenly so much of this kind of thing arriving in Ad Nut's oak tree in recent weeks. So Ad Nut felt it was proper to round up all of the not-necessarily-award-bait into one place.

Feeling certain that the examples below are not the last we'll see this season, Ad Nut plans to continue adding to this trove, and invites you to help out by using the comment section below or hitting @CampaignAsia on Twitter.

Here we go!

Agency: AlmapBBDO

Client: HP

Title: Magic words

Cause: Literacy

Agency: Leo Burnett Sri Lanka

Client: Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society

Title: White Cane Day campaign

Cause: Eye donation

wide player in 16:9 format. Used on article page for Campaign.

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Bangkok

Client: PETA

Title: Behind the leather

Cause: Animal treatment

Full Ad Nut coverage: Gut bags and meat jackets: PETA Asia stages 'shock shop'

Agency: Cheil Hong Kong

Client: Hello Angel

Title: Nappy Notes

Cause: Postpartum depression

Full Campaign Asia-Pacific coverage: Diaper brand claims messages on wet nappies prevent postpartum depression

Agency: Leo Burnett London

Client: Action for Addiction

Title: The Dry/Clean Initiative

Cause: Professional clothing for former alcoholics/addicts who are now dry/clean (get it?)

Full coverage from Campaign UK

Agency: Cheil

Client: Samsung

Title: The last wish

Cause: Families separated by the Korea DMZ

wide player in 16:9 format. Used on article page for Campaign.

Agency: Y&R Paris

Client: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Title: If only they were this easy to reproduce

Cause: Endangered animals

Agency: Geometry Global Asia Pacific

Client: Voice of the Children

Title: Bring to light

Cause: Stateless children in Malaysia

Full Ad Nut coverage: Bringing Malaysia's stateless children to light

Agency: McCann San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Client: GFR Media

Title: Pepito

Cause: Legislation to increase the fine for texting and driving

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong

Client: Hong Kong Shark Foundation

Title: 'Congratulations'

Cause: Sharks (anti shark's fin soup)

Full Ad Nut coverage: Happy couple savagely murders sharks in wedding video

Agency: Leo Burnett Tailor Made (Sao Paulo)

Client: Animal Hope Project

Title: Ain't Cute

Cause: Puppy mills / dog adoption

Full Ad Nut coverage: Behind the scenes at a puppy mill, not a pretty picture

Agency: Grey Group Malaysia

Client: Webe (Telekom Malaysia)

Title: Dengue umbrella

Cause: Fighting Dengue

Agency: DDB Latina Group

Client: David Delfin

Title: Fashion to be free

Cause: Gender equality in fashion choices

Agency: J. Walter Thompson Bangkok

Title: Touchable ink

Cause: Life improvement for visually-impaired people

Discussion: The agency claims to have developed a special ink that can create 3D dots, like Braille, but using regular paper and printers rather than expensive Braille machines. The agency worked with Thammasat University and Thailand Association for the Blind on the project, with equipment support and R&D Consulting from Thai Samsung Electronics. Ad Nut notes that this may be the least award-baity piece of work on this list. It would make a direct and significant benefit if it comes to fruition. And it didn't even come with a slick case-study video.

Agency: Grey Group Singapore

Client: Workplace Safety and Health Council

Title: Shoelaces

Cause: Workplace safety

Agency: MullenLowe London

Client: OMO/Percil

Title: Free the kids

Cause: Physical activity for children

Bonus: The agency sent us a really weird PR kit including a child-sized prison jumpsuit

Agency: TBWA Istanbul

Client: Amnesty Internaitonal

Title: Gay turtle

Cause: Equality for LGBTI people

Full Ad Nut coverage: 'Gay' turtles push Turkey to confront homophobia

Agency: Grey Group

Client: Asiasoft, Impact Hub, Dragonfly

Title: Extra life

Cause: Blood donation

Agency: McCann Mexico

Client: L'Oreal

Title: Colour-blind men see red for 1st time

Cause: Colour-blindness

Full Ad Nut coverage: L'Oreal bravely confronts plight of colour-blind men

Agency: Grey Group India

Client: Radio City 91.1FM

Title: Candy Class

Cause: English literacy

Discussion: The agency equipped candy vendors with FM receivers and megaphones and had them station themselves in low-income areas in 10 cities at the same time the radio broadcaster aired lessons on spoken English. Kids who sat through the lessons got free candy.

wide player in 16:9 format. Used on article page for Campaign.

Agency: BMF

Client: Australian government

Title: Stop it at the start

Cause: Domestic violence

Full Ad Nut coverage: The Australian government wants children to know about domestic violence

Agency: Grey London

Client: WildAid

Title: Join The Herd's ivory burn

Cause: Elephant conservation

This fire won't extinguish until we've stopped elephant extinction. #JoinTheHerd WATCH LIVE NOW pic.twitter.com/rnV5Hyb1qZ  WildAid (@WildAid) April 30, 2016

Agency: MullenLowe Singapore

Client: PETA

Title: Huntsman Condoms

Cause: Animal rights

Full Ad Nut coverage: Huntsman Condoms prove to be PETA's punchy publicity prank

Agency: J. Walter Thompson Japan

Client: Sapporo City

Title: Soba Allergy Tattoo Checkers

Cause: The safety of foreigners who may not be aware of the risk of allergic reaction to buckwheat noodles while visiting Sapporo

Discussion:

This is definitely the most oddly specific project Ad Nut has ever seen. Here's an explanation, from JWT:

As thousands of foreign tourists are now flocking to Hokkaido for winter sports, a group of soba restaurants, located on Route 230 from the popular Niseko ski resort to downtown Sapporo, saw the need to raise awareness of soba allergies to keep tourists safe.



The group, known as the 230 Soba Street Promotion Committee, recruited J. Walter Thompson Japan, which developed the Soba Allergy Tattoo Checkera sticker decorated with a Japanese tattoo motifin cooperation with Dr. Mami Nomura, a dermatologist.



To check if you are allergic, apply soba-yuthe water that soba noodles have been simmered into the sticker and attach with the wet side to your skin. If you are allergic, your skin will turn red and the color will be visible through the clear plastic sections of the tattoo motif.



An initial 200 of the quick and easy Soba Allergy Tattoo Checkers were handed out an event last month at Koyo-tei, one by the oldest soba restaurants in Sapporo. That time, nobody was found to be allergic  and all were able to enjoy eating soba without worries.

In closing, Ad Nut will leave you with this "appeal to Cannes Jury members" from last year:

[Update: Thanks to 'Ankita Kedia' for sharing this year's satirical video from Icongotv, in the comments below]
Ad Nuts home is the woodlands, rich with trees and generous with nuts. So Ad Nut cant imagine being born to this land and yet being told by others that its not Ad Nuts home.

But that is the way of the humansrequiring something official on paper to grant access to things the species needs to thrive, like education, healthcare and protection under the law.

This campaign for non-government childrens organization Voice of the Children in Malaysia is trying to shine light on the plight of an estimated 50,000 to 150,000 unregistered children in the country.

According to Malaysias National Registration Department (NRD), a childs citizenship status is determined by the parents marital status and their citizenship status at the time of birth. The NRD also mentions that having a birth certificate is not an indication that someone is a Malaysian citizen.

The campaign, which aims to reduce the number of 'stateless' children and to raise awareness of the need for birth registration, is anchored around a blank electronic canvas, which comes to life as the face of a child emerges from the darkness.

Attendees at an event to launch the initiative were invited to sign their name on a succession of black canvases in solidarity with the cause. Conductive ink from a special pen completed a circuit, enabling the face of a child to come out of the darkness in LED lights.

These works of art are being auctioned, and proceeds from the sale will go toward efforts to get stateless children registered and on the path to citizenship.

Members of the public can also add their signatures in support of the campaign via the Bring to Light mobile website. Users simply sign with their finger to make the face of a child appear.

Ad Nut quite likes the concept and the symbolic gesture embodied in making signatures light up and subsequently, lighting up the state (or lack thereof) of these children.

Ad Nut is hopeful the proceeds from the charity auction will yield enough funds to change the lives of at least a few children.
| BY Ricki Green |

How will Australia perform at Cannes this year? In the lead up to the Festival, Campaign Brief will be showcasing the work we hope will impress the judges

Havas Worldwide Sydney

A series of commercials showing what it means to live lastminute  travelling on a whim, an urge, or a sudden idea.

Havas Worldwide Sydney

A series of commercials showing what it means to live lastminute  travelling on a whim, an urge, or a sudden idea.

Havas Worldwide Sydney

A series of commercials showing what it means to live lastminute  travelling on a whim, an urge, or a sudden idea.

Havas Worldwide Sydney

A smarter, more efficient App that helps you reach the fitness required to join the Australian Defence Force.

Havas Worldwide Sydney
| BY Ricki Green |

GoDaddy Inc., the worlds largest technology provider dedicated to small businesses, has unveiled a new global marketing campaign across all 53 GoDaddy markets, including Australia, marking the first time GoDaddy has launched a targeted international campaign. The campaign creative work was developed by Omnicoms TBWA/Chiat/Day New York and Sydney offices, with media buying through MEC Sydney.

The Australian installment of the marketing campaign includes television advertising, and also features local small business customers in advertisements across radio and on GoDaddys website and social channels.

The Inspirational international campaign centres on the resilience it takes to turn an idea into reality. The campaign speaks directly to Aussie small business owners aspiring to grow their ideas into successful ventures, and acknowledges the challenges along the way. The Australian radio and online ads feature real GoDaddy customers, who have been able to establish and grow their online presence with GoDaddy.

In Australia, the campaign features a new television commercial entitled GJB Excavations that features the story of a construction contractor whos just started an excavating business. His determination and resilience, assisted by GoDaddys online tools and 24/7 customer support, has helped his business grow online.

Having launched its Australian operations in July 2015, GoDaddy provides websites, ecommerce, search engine visibility capabilities and a diverse range of productivity tools designed to fuel small business growth.

Says Tara Commerford, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, GoDaddy: Given the current economic focus on entrepreneurship and innovation in Australia, start-ups and small businesses are increasingly important to our economy, already playing a crucial role. Our message to Australian small businesses is that establishing an online presence particularly a website should not be a daunting task, especially with GoDaddy by their side.

Gabrielle Lucas, co-founder of Daiquiri Isle Pty Ltd, a Tasmanian owned and operated small business providing food, beverages and party hire to private users across the state, is one of the GoDaddy customers featured in the ads.

Says Lucas: Im thrilled to be part of the new campaign for GoDaddy, it really connects with the challenge of starting a business, and growing it into something successful. For us, getting set up online was a crucial step for us to really take our business to the next level. Our business continues to grow and change, in line with the demands of our customers, and its important our digital presence reflects this  and GoDaddy is our go-to expert.

Says Commerford: Were passionate about helping Aussie small businesses grow and prosper, which is why were excited to have our real customers featuring in our ads. They are true success stories, and were thrilled weve been able to help them to build their brand online.
| BY Ricki Green |

On Sunday 8 May, Aussie mums around the country will wake to the standard cards, flowers, chocolates and unwanted electrical items. But are these boring presents what they really want to celebrate their special day?

This year, Groupon via One Green Bean, is launching a ban on breakfast in bed on Mothers Day, instead asking you to think outside the square and give your mum a gift thats worth getting out of bed for.

The online marketplace has turned Mothers Day on its head by showcasing a wide range of fun and exciting experiences  from Jet Boating and Go Karting to speedy Mustang car rides and Trapeze lessons  that will give mum the thrill of her lifetime.

To demonstrate just how memorable and exhilarating these anti-Mothers Day gifts are, Groupon has teamed up with four Bondi Lifeguards who, in the lead up to Mothers Day, have treated their mums to special adrenaline-pumping experiences.

Says Alistair Venn, CEO, Groupon: The Bondi Lifeguards were the perfect brand ambassadors to partner with for our #ExtremeMums Mothers Day campaign.

Weve worked very successfully with them in the past to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia through an exclusive life drawing class, so we were excited to be working with them again.

Not only are the Bondi Lifeguards Australian icons with broad appeal and global recognition, theyre all great adventure-seekers who adore their mums and were thrilled to treat them to a different experience this Mothers Day.

Watching the hilarious reaction of Reidys mum Trish jet boating or Maxis mum Jodie, who has never held a drivers licence, go karting around the track at Eastern Creek, its clear theres more to think about gifting mum this Mothers Day than the usual chocolates and flowers  and at Groupon, we have it all.

Partnering with key influencers like the Bondi Lifeguards to produce engaging, shareable digital content helps us showcase the depth and breadth of Groupons new marketplace website, where search and discovery is at the heart of our offering, and people search and buy almost anything.

Wed love for everyone to be able to find a Mothers Day experience for their mum on Groupon thats worth getting out of bed for.

See the full range of Mothers Day experiences here.

Creative: One Green Bean & Groupon
| BY Ricki Green |

LIA has announced the first stand-alone jury recognizing the importance of verbal branding. The 2016 LIA Verbal Identity Jury will focus on the assets of a brand that relate to naming, phrasing, and communications. It is being introduced as a medium for this years awards, after serving as a category under the Design medium in 2015.

The inaugural jury president will be Chris West, managing director of the London-based brand consultancy, Verbal Identity Ltd.

Says West: I am honoured to be the president of the Verbal Identity Jury at the 2016 LIA Awards, with a Jury that consists of some of the worlds most respected creators and users of powerful brand language today. Like Steve Martin said: Some people have a way with words, and other peopleoh, uh, not have way. 

West launched the verbal brand strategy consultancy Verbal Identity in 2013, accumulating a number of high-profile clients from the luxury goods, technology, cosmetics, brewing and automotive industries, including the House of Alexander McQueen, Fred Perry, SABMiller, Hunter and Staples. He started his career in the 90s as a highly-awarded copywriter working at Saatchi, BBH, Leagas Delaney, RKCR and Mother, and claims authorship of two Billion Dollar lines (You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation. and Pringles Once you pop, you cant stop.).

2016 Verbal Identity Jury:

Rachel Bernard, VP, Director of Verbal Strategy, CBX, New York

Sean Doyle, Owner, Panic, London

Amanda Liu, VP & Creative Director, Labbrand Brand Innovations, Shanghai

Steve Martin, Director, Eat Creative, Tokyo

Ben Zimmer, Language Columnist, Wall Street Journal, Jersey City

Categories in this medium include:

Campaign Tagline/Endline  The creation of a single line/phrase, that is consistently applied across all or most of the brands/products communications, and which is designed to sum up the communications so as to become a shorthand for the brands positioning.

Naming  The creation of a new brand or product name that suggests the soul and positioning of a new product or brand in an evocative and memorable way.

Tone of Voice  The development of a character-rich and relevant voice for a product or brand in its written and/or spoken communications.

Use of Copywriting

All companies and/or individuals involved in the creative process are eligible to enter.

For more information on submissions and eligibility: Eligibility.
| BY Ricki Green |

Clemenger Tasmania has created a powerful screen piece to encourage donations to the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, part of the University of Tasmania.

Highlighting the little-known fact that the diseases Menzies research are the diseases that directly or indirectly affect every Tasmanian, the piece dramatically demonstrates the reach and importance of supporting the Institutes highly relevant work.

Says Marcus Murphy, creative director of Clemenger Tasmania: The shared desire of both Agency and Client to create meaningful change has resulted in an incredibly strong piece in what traditionally is a very challenging category. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with Menzies has produced an outcome were both very proud of.

Agency: Clemenger Tasmania

Client: Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Creative Director: Marcus Murphy

Creatives: Jimmy Clough & Adrian Bell

Director: Adrian Bell

Agency Producer: Jane Binning

DoP: Joshua Lamont

Editor: Joshua Lamont
| BY Ricki Green |

FCB New Zealand has released an emotional and engaging piece of video content for Paper Plus in the lead up to Mothers Day, featuring those who find it hardest to express their emotions most  awkward teenage boys.

Based on this insight, FCB NZ interviewed teenage boys on how they told their mum she is special and found participants struggled to verbalise their answers, providing uncertain responses such as, I dont know, I dont really, and she just knows, I guess.

As part of the campaign, FCB NZ then gave the boys the opportunity to write their feelings into a book of their choice. In doing so, FCB NZ found the boys were able to express their thoughts more freely by writing them down, proving a universal truth that its often easier to express yourself through written form than it is to say it.

Says Tony Clewett, executive creative director, FCB: An inscription in a book can turn a good gift into something a lot more powerful. It lets us say things were often not comfortable to verbalise.

The video, which has been uploaded to Paper Plus Facebook page, has already received more than 1000 likes, 200 shares and more than 50 comments.

FCB general manager of retail Kamran Kazalbash said he is delighted with the videos positive reception so far.

Says Kazalbash: Were stoked with the outcome of this. Its good to show the emotional side of books, and making the client cry is a nice added bonus. So far, its been received extremely well.

Regional Executive Creative Director: James Mok

Executive Creative Director: Tony Clewett

Creative Services Director: Jenni Doubleday

Creative: Kimberley Torrie

Creative: Mitchell Crowe

Head of PR, Activation & Social: Angela Spain

Photography / Director Social Videos: Mike Braid

Social Media Campaign Manager: Jessica Edward

Content Producer: Marijana Hart

General Manager Retail: Kamran Kazalbash

Account Director: Hannah Downes

Account Manager: Priya Prasad

Digital Media Director: Steph Pearson

Senior Account Director, PR, Activation & Social: Joanna James

Client: Paper Plus

Campaign: Mothers Day
| BY Kim Shaw |

TheSweetshop is celebrating the nomination of writer director DylanPharazyns debut short, VOSTOK STATION for a New Frontier award atthis years Sundance.

Set in the arctic wilderness, theeight-minute film follows the single survivor of a catastrophicdisaster experiencing a mystifying moment of transitory beauty. Written and directed by New Zealander Dylan Pharazyn, it wasco-produced by The Sweet Shop and Richard Collins. Funding came fromthe Screen Innovation Production Fund, a partnership between NZ FilmCommission and Creative NZ, with post-production handled by the NZ FilmCommission.

Filmed on Mount Ruapehu, situated in the North Island of New Zealand,the film offers an almost paranormal, apocalyptic vision of beauty, inthe shape of a kaleidoscopic apparition featuring shards of brokenicicles. A wounded man trapped in an arctic wilderness finds renewedhope of survival when he spots a convoy of freight vessels at shore.When his survival hopes take another hit the line between reality andimagination become blurred as the sky descends into a flurry ofpoignant crystal beauty. Key influences for the director in makingVostok Station include Akira Kirosawa, Gus Van Sant, Stanley Kubrick,Akira and 2000AD.

Says Pharazyn: I guess the plan was to try and break the mould a bitwith the traditional short film format. I liked the idea of making anart film that utilised a heavy post component. A combination not thatcommon in short films.

He is passionate and indebted in speaking of the creative team: Working with Digital Post was amazing. They could see that we weretrying to make something really unique and totally got behind it. Stuart Bedford lead the visual effects and was excellent, absolutelytireless. The team worked day and night for months and I was stunnedat just how much support they gave us just to get behind something theybelieved would be a good piece of work.

Though the assemble edit was 11 minuntes longer than planned, with somegratuitous long shots, Pharazyn was ultimately happy with the finalcut. I really liked the indulgence of that longer cut, but it worksbetter as a short film the way it ended up.

With a shoestring budget of 10,000 (NZ), the aim was to film with 2k,leaving the rest for full noise and faultless visuals. Due to thisfinancial restraint, a locked-off camera was used wherever possible,making visual effects infinitely more achievable. Says Pharazyn, Itmeant that I could get anyone who was great at Photoshop, without themneeding a Flame or Shake and they could composite our backgrounds. Italso meant that for the destroyed container ship elements I could shootstills at ports around New Zealand and there were our sets, limitingCGI right down to a doable couple of boats.

Composer and sound designer Max Scott was responsible for all theaudio, a powerfully ambient score. Weve known each other since wewere kids and always work on each others stuff. Its always a dreamworking with him, were totally on the same page.
| BY Ricki Green |

Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO) has launched a new consumer campaign website this week via creative agency Circul8, designed to inspire Aussies and Kiwis looking for their next holiday escape, and to help travellers plan their holiday with ease.

The new, modern and mobile-friendly website features engaging destination content and a fresh new look that reflects the colours and natural environment of Vanuatu. It also functions as a single source of information, featuring event calendars, maps and partner deals, to further support visitors through the planning and booking process.

Vanuatu Tourism Offices general manager, Linda Kalpoi said that in this technologically savvy society we need to be on the front foot with our communication channels and how we deliver information that is not only continually up to date but also tailored to the needs of the audience.

Says Kalpoi: We of course want to make it as easy as possible for consumers to visit Vanuatu, and to achieve this we need to ensure that the information they seek and access is inspiring, interesting and at their fingertips. With our new DiscoverVanuatu.com.au website, their next holiday is within easy reach and just a click away.

With the spirit or Vanuatu at the core of the redesign, and VTOs Discover What Matters campaign values, the new website is also designed to encourage visitors to slow down, be in the moment and identify the tenets and experiences in life that matter the most to them.

Says Kalpoi: Our latest campaign and new website are established on what the people of Vanuatu believe in and practice every day. We want to share these important life values and encourage others to take a holiday that not only introduces them to new cultures, food and experiences, but that also encourages them to explore Vanuatu in a way that will help them to reconnect and discover what truly matters,

Whether its to slow down to a tropical pace; reconnect with friends and nature on a pristine, white beach; or share laughter with the friendly locals, Vanuatus new website helps visitors to uncover whats important to them and in turn, how to experience these important life tenets in Vanuatu. We want to bring friends, family, health and happiness to the forefront as these are the things that really make a holiday special.
Monday, May 2, 2016 at 9:27PM

If you use a Nexus device or opt to use the Google Keyboard on Android, then youre in for a treat. The app now has a one-handed mode for devices, like the Nexus line, that done come with one-handed accessibility. You can launch it by long pressing on the comma and then swiping right. The keyboard also gets other useful features like being able to remove words from your dictionary by long pressing on the suggestion as they appear; access the number pad and emoji right from the symbols menu; and delete entire words with a quick left swipe. You can also adjust the keyboard height and control the cursor with a left and right swipe on the space bar. The update is rolling out to the Play Store now and should be up soon.

Source: The Next Web
U.S. Rep. John Katko used one word to describe his reaction to two recent developments involving Harriet Tubman.

"Woo-hoo!" he said in an interview Tuesday at his Syracuse office.

On April 20, the U.S. Treasury announced Tubman, who spent the latter part of her life in Auburn, will be the new face of the $20 bill. She will replace former President Andrew Jackson on the currency.

Two days later, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch signed an agreement between the Harriet Tubman Home and National Park Service  an important hurdle both sides needed to clear in order to formally establish the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn.

Harriet Tubman film project finds its star in Tony winner A forthcoming film about the life of Harriet Tubman has found its lead.

Katko, R-Camillus, was one of several officials who urged Lynch to sign the general agreement, which was subject to a four-month review by the Department of Justice.

"I'm happy because it really feels like we're starting to pick up a lot of steam," Katko said. "When I started my campaign, (the Tubman parks bill) was kind of out there and it was kind of like a long, meandering thing. We've really made it a priority and together with a bunch of other people we've really kind of got the ball rolling in the right direction. I'm very excited about it."

The Treasury's announcement also put Katko in a celebratory mood.

The agency initially revealed last year that the $10 bill would be redesigned and a "notable woman" would replace Alexander Hamilton, the current face of the note.

That decision came after Tubman won a symbolic online poll held by Women on 20s, a group that advocated for putting a woman on the $20 bill.

Shortly after the vote's results were released, Katko attended the Tubman pilgrimage in Auburn.

"It was really inspiring to me," he recalled.

He said a lot of people at the event were talking about getting Tubman on the $20 bill.

After leaving the pilgrimage, Katko called his legislative director. A few days later, he introduced a bill that would put Tubman's face on a denomination of U.S. paper currency. The measure was cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat.

When Treasury announced that Tubman would be the new face of the $20 bill, he said it's "exactly what we wanted."

"I remember calling Elijah Cummings and telling him about it, and he was very excited," Katko said. "And I remember seeing (U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a longtime civil right leader) on the floor of the House and going up and telling about it and how proud he was of it. So, it was a pretty cool thing."
Monday, May 2, 2016 at 10:29PM

For the sixth year in a row, Nikon Canada is working with the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, which brings in over 1,500 artists in 200 exhibitions and events in the Greater Toronto Area. This year, Nikon has three different activities going on: one is its weekly photo contest, another is lectures hosted by Nikon Canada Ambassadors, and another is a youth project.

The Reflections Weekly Photo Contest is happening from April 29 to May 31, 2016. Winners stand a chance to take home a Nikon D5500 DSLR each week and the grand prize winner will get a limited edition print of BAU grid by Takashi Suzuki. You can get full contest rules and details here. As for the lectures, these will be happening during Tuesdays of the month of May with some of Nikons Ambassadors including Nick Didlick, Craig Minielly, Michelle Valberg, and Kristian Bogner. You can register here for the lectures happening at St. Pauls Bloor Street, Cody Hall (227 Bloor Street East, Toronto, ON, M4W 1C8).

Also happening is the inaugural youth project by Nikon Canada called Community. During April and May, the Arts Committee at West Region 6 of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is holding a digital photography contest for grade 1-8 students in 23 schools with the theme Community. The winning students get a chance to have their photos displayed as well as a Nikon DSLR camera. The culminating event for the contest will take place on May 11 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Islington Junior Middle Schools Community Gallery in Toronto (44 Cordova Avenue, Toronto). Each school will select three final images for display at the Gallery. A panel of judges  consisting of representatives from TDSB and CONTACT  will select three winners out of 69 finalists to become the grand prize winners.
"This is definitely something we would consider," he said. "As a small business we rely on younger workers coming out of university and schools and that's an incentive that will help someone employ them."
We learn that the asylum seeker Omid who died several days ago after setting fire to fuel he poured over himself on Nauru, had been "advised" shortly beforehand by UNHCR that he was to spend another 10 years on Nauru. Why would UNHCR act as the stalking horse for the Australian government? I don't know, except to say that they have done it before. In discussions that I was party to, UNHCR agreed not to classify Chinese women fleeing the one-child policy and claiming asylum in Australia. The deal on that occasion was increased regional funding for UNHCR by the Australian Government.
While Republicans are gathering for the party's national convention in July, U.S. Rep. John Katko will be spending those four days in central New York.

Katko, R-Camillus, said in an interview Tuesday that he won't be attending the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

The event will be held July 18-21. The party will nominate its presidential and vice presidential candidates at the convention.

"I'm going to stay in my district and work for my constituents," Katko said. "I'm far more concerned about that than the political theater there."

Katko hasn't endorsed a Republican presidential candidate. He previously said he intends to support the party's nominee.

The front-runner for the GOP nomination is Manhattan real estate developer Donald Trump. He has won 996 delegates entering Tuesday's primary in Indiana.

To secure the nomination on the first ballot, Trump needs to win 1,237 delegates before the convention. If he comes up short, there could be a brokered convention.

If that happens, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich hope to capitalize on opposition to Trump's candidacy. Both candidates can't win on the first ballot. They would need the convention to go to at least a second ballot  perhaps more  in order to get the nomination.

It will be close in the final month of the race, but Trump appears on track to win the nomination  a fact Katko acknowledged Tuesday.

"At the rate it's going, it looks like it's probably going to be a fait accompli as to who the nominee is," he said. "So, I'd much rather spend those days productively here in my district than there."
The heroin epidemic has claimed many lives across upstate New York and in the New York City area. And while voters surveyed by the Siena Research Institute view it as a serious problem, it's not the single-most important issue they want the state Legislature to address in the final two months of session.

A new Siena poll released Tuesday found 92 percent of voters say combating heroin addiction is a very important or somewhat important topic.

But when the same group was asked for the single-most important issue the Legislature should tackle before leaving in Albany in mid-June, nearly three-quarters of voters went in a different direction.

Thirty percent of voters said state legislators should pass new laws to address corruption in Albany. Nearly one-quarter of respondents  23 percent  said education issues should be at the top of the agenda. Another 21 percent believe creating more affordable housing must be a priority.

Coming in a distant fourth: Combating heroin addiction. Thirteen percent of voters said fighting the epidemic should be the single-most important issue Albany addresses at the end of session.

WILL THERE BE ANTI-CORRUPTION LEGISLATION?

The poll, which was released on the same day ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is scheduled to be sentenced on public corruption charges, found 97 percent of voters think passing new ethics laws is very important or somewhat important.

A similar number of voters  93 percent  view corruption in state government as a very serious or somewhat serious problem.

But there's not a lot of confidence that the state Legislature will act on ethics reform bills before the end of session.

When asked if they think Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislators will enact "significant anti-corruption legislation" before the end of session, 65 percent of voters said they're somewhat pessimistic or very pessimistic.

"Corruption even beats out education, affordable housing and combating the heroin epidemic as the single-most important issue," Siena pollster Steve Greenberg said. "The problem is clear but voters don't agree on all solutions and they are decidedly pessimistic that Cuomo and the Legislature will address the corruption issue before the end of session."

There are proposals voters support. By a 57 to 36 percent margin, they endorse a full-time state Legislature with a ban on outside income over keeping the current part-time system, which allows legislators to earn money from other jobs.

On Cuomo's proposal to keep a part-time Legislature and limiting outside pay to 15 percent of legislators' income, a plurality of voters  48 percent  say they oppose the plan. Forty-five percent of voters support it.

If the full-time state Legislature concept comes to fruition, that doesn't mean voters support the idea of a pay raise for elected officials. A majority of respondents  56 percent  said they would oppose giving legislators a raise.

State legislators currently earn $79,500 a year.
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It's time to pump up the tires, dust off the bikes and get out the bicycle helmets because Auburn students in fourth, fifth and six grades are joining students from around the country to celebrate National Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 4.

Auburn elementary schools have participated in every National Bike to School Day since its inception five years ago. Auburn is one of the leading New York state communities to participate, with six total schools and 300 riders. Students may ride bikes, scooters, skates or even skateboards to schools on the morning of the event to receive a special gift for wheeling to school. Students must wear bike helmets to school whenever they ride their bikes.

The Cayuga County Health Department and Governor's Traffic Safety Committee will provide riders with replacement bike helmets if damaged, poor fitting or noncompliant helmets are detected at the event. Representatives from the Cayuga County Health Department and Auburn Police Department will conduct bicycle helmet checks and greet riders at each school on the morning of the ride.

For more information on National Bike to School Day, visit walkbiketoschool.org.

If youre an adult who owns a bicycle, consider biking to work during the week of May 16-20. There are a variety of bicycle racks in downtown Auburn, so if you cant bike to work, try biking for errands or to grab a meal at a local restaurant. You will have plenty of places to secure your bike. Here is a listing of bicycle racks:

 Exchange Street mall across from the city parking garage.

 Exchange Street mall near Mesa Grande Taqueria

 Auburn Community Hospital

 Memorial City Hall

 The Cayuga County Office Building

 Market Street Park

Remember, whether you bike for fun or for sport, before you head out to our events or on your own, you should make sure you and your family are familiar with some safety tips.

Safety tips everyone should know include:

 Check your brakes, tire pressure and chain before you start.

 Properly put your helmet on  never ride without one.

 Be visible  wear light and bright colors during the day. At night, use a headlight and taillight and wear white or reflective clothing.

 Be heard fasten a bike bell to your handlebars to alert pedestrians and cars.

 Always give cars and pedestrians the right of way.

 Do not weave in and out of parked cars.

 Always stop and check traffic before riding into the street.

 Obey all traffic signs and signals.

 Always use hand signals.

 Ride on the right side of the street.

 Always be alert and pay attention  watch for traffic and obstacles.

For more information on biking, visit modelhealthychoices.com. We hope that you will join us and be a "super model" by riding your bike!
Three college students who first met while attending a Catholic high school in Florida have launched a scholarship fund to help others experience faithful Catholic education at a Newman Guide college. As we went off to different colleges, we kept in touch and found time to catch up whenever we returned []
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
BACKGROUND:

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a gateway to the most sought after courses such as MBBS, Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), post-graduate courses such as MD or MS in government and private colleges. NEET for undergraduate courses like MBBS and BDS is conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This eligibility cum entrance test has replaced the All India Pre Medical Test and MBBS tests the states or colleges used to conduct individually as per their own rules and regulations.

The test was supposed to kick start in 2012. However, CBSE and Medical Council of India (MCI) kept postponing the test for some or the other reason. Finally, NEET was held on 05 May 2013 for all the aspirants of undergraduate and post-graduate medicine. Nevertheless, the NEET has to face a phase of eclipse on 18 July 2013 when the Supreme Court upheld 115 petitions filed against NEET and cancelled the test.

The Supreme Court was of the opinion that MCI could not disturb the pattern of admission followed by colleges. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Guajarat, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu were the states who opposed NEET since their concern was the difference between their syllabus and the syllabus given by MCI.

PRESENT SCENARIO:

In a recent development, the Supreme Court has brought NEET back from oblivion by allowing MCI conduct the same for undergraduate medical and dental courses from the 1st of May. Reintroducing NEET instead of several individual medical exams conducted by states and colleges is a boon for meritorious students across the country since they will have an opportunity of entering a college purely on the basis of their knowledge and efficiency.

AIPMT 2016 (NEET Phase-1): Paper Analysis

Both MCI and Indian Medical Association (IMA) have welcomed the decision of Supreme Court. It is a decision of great significance since NEET would curb corruption and indisciplined methods of admissions. It will pave way for eligible students to study medical courses and maintain purity of the profession in future.

Even though the Supreme Court has shown a green signal to NEET, states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are still opposing it and have gone ahead with petitions against conducting the test in their colleges.
The British Council, UK's International organisation for educational and cultural relations announces Goa Education Trust scholarships to the UK. These scholarships will fund Indians to pursue a Masters in the UK in various disciplines including Journalism, Education, Ancient History and Law.

Goa Education Trust Scholarship (GET) is open to all Indian nationals with valid Indian passport. Interested candidates can apply and win financial assistance to study in the UK. The Scholarship will fund tuition fees and will contribute towards living expense up to a maximum of GBP 15,000.

The Goa Education Trust Scholarship (GET) has been conceptualised by the industrious Dempo and Fomento groups from Goa and is aimed to provide students an efficient medium to pursue the best available opportunities in education, in whichever academic fields they choose.

Gill Caldicott, Acting Country Director, British Council India said, "Goa Education Trust scholarship is an initiative through which we support the Indian students to enhance their skills by studying in the best UK universities. The scholarship has already benefitted a lot of students and we are positive towards receiving a higher number of applicants this year as well."

Deadline for applications to the Scholarship is 15 May 2016. Further details on the eligibility criteria and application are available on https://www.britishcouncil.in/study-uk/scholarships/goa-education-trust-scholarships.

Eligibility:

Candidates should have applied for a Master's programme in the UK beginning in September / October 2016 (Proof of admission / application will be required at the time of the interview

Candidates should be Indian national with valid Indian Passport and must be in India at the time of applying for the Scholarship

Candidates must be not more than 30 years of age when applying for the scholarship

Candidates should have an excellent track record in academics and extra- curricular achievements

Any queries on the Scholarship may be directed to mumbai.enquiry@britishcouncil.org or call the British Council on 0120 4569000 (toll-free)

Application Guidelines:

1. Download the application form from the website

2. Fill the complete application form

3. Along with the application form please submit scanned copies of the following documents:

Documentary proof of birth certificate of the applicant

Documentary proof of residence of the applicant

A copy of your conditional/ unconditional admission letter from the UK institution

One academic and one professional reference letter, although recent graduates may submit two academic references of not more than one A4 size page each

4. Mail in the filled in application form along with the scanned documents to

get.scholarship@britishcouncil.org
NEW YORK (AP)  Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday, capping one of the steepest falls from grace in the state's lineup of crooked politicians for a consummate backroom dealer who wielded power for over two decades.

A stern Judge Valerie Caproni announced the sentence months after the 72-year-old Manhattan Democrat was convicted in a $5 million corruption case.

She also imposed a $1.75 million fine and a $5.3 million forfeiture.

The conviction represented a stunning plunge for a man who was one of the state's three most powerful political figures for two decades. And it was more pronounced given the conviction at a separate trial of his former Senate counterpart  Republic ex-Majority Leader Dean Skelos. Skelos was found guilty of using his position to arrange payments and a job for his son.

Silver and Skelos comprised two of the so-called "three men in a room" who control state government, and their cases produced marquee convictions in Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's ongoing quest to clean up a state government he has called a "cauldron of corruption." More than 30 other state lawmakers have left office under a cloud of criminal or ethical allegations since 2000.

The third man in the room, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, promised sweeping reforms to New York's anti-corruption laws after last year's convictions. But so far, there has been no significant action.

Bharara also is investigating Cuomo's office, looking into potential conflicts of interest and improper bidding in a signature state economic development program in Buffalo. The prosecutor also is examining consulting work done by one of Cuomo's former top aides in 2014, when the aide spent eight months on leave. In response, Cuomo's administration is conducting an internal review.

The gray-haired, bespectacled Silver was first elected in 1976 and served as speaker for 21 years, becoming the classic Albany insider with the power to control bills and state spending singlehandedly in backroom negotiations. Known for his often inscrutable comments and wary, phlegmatic demeanor, Silver gained the nickname "the Sphinx."

Prosecutors had asked Caproni to sentence Silver to well over a decade in prison while defense lawyers requested leniency, citing his age, health and good deeds including efforts to improve lives after the Sept. 11 attacks and Superstorm Sandy.
Doug Selby, who served for more than four years as Auburn's city manager until resigning just weeks ago, now serves as the interim director of the Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority.

Selby said Tuesday that he started his new position on April 22 as the replacement for the authority's former director, Michelle Baines. Baines stepped down from her position in mid-March, said Paul Dudley, chair of the authority's board of directors.

Selby had previously served on the authority's board, he said, for around three years, but vacated his seat about a month after announcing his resignation as city manager in January. He stepped down as city manager on April 15.

Auburn Mayor Michael Quill replaced Selby on the board upon his recent appointment by the Cayuga County Legislature, according to the water authority board's March meeting minutes. Quill declined to comment Tuesday.

Dudley said the board approached Selby about serving as interim director when Baines stepped down. There were three individuals considered for the position, but the board picked Selby in consideration of his "vast" experience in municipal government as well as water and sewer issues, Dudley said.

Beyond his time spent as city manager for both Auburn and Las Vegas, Selby said he has a background in engineering that also includes around 10 years as the director for a regional water authority in Nevada.

Selby similarly described the circumstances of his new position as coincidental.

"I didn't intend to retire and just sit at home," he said Tuesday. "I was hoping to find something that would keep me occupied. This kind of fit in with my schedule and my needs, and I'm happy to help them out, as well."

For the next several months, Selby will "steer the ship" as the authority's board of directors searches for a full-time hire, Dudley said.

The chairman added that Selby will work around 20 to 30 hours per week on a part-time basis and his pay rate was unavailable. His responsibilities, Dudley said, include directing the daily operations involved with the authority's staff of five individuals as well as meeting with municipal government officials on water and sewer issues.

"I think we're very fortunate to have him," Dudley said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. I wish he could be here full-time forever, but I know that's not going to happen."
As Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to wrap up the development of the new E-Class Coupe, another prototype of the two-door executive car was caught in the open.



While previous examples were trying to trick car spotters with a fake plastic boot cladding, mirroring the one of the previous, Chris Bangle-era BMW 6-Series Coupe, the latest tester looks more production-ready, but its still not ready to drop the vinyl wraps.

Its front fascia will mirror the one of its four-door sibling, while at the rear, it will probably be similar to the C-Class Coupe. The interior will be carried over from the sedan and it will include the twin-screen digital instrument cluster. However, the Germans will swap the rear bench for two individual seats, as is the norm in this category.

With an engine lineup shared with the new E-Class Sedan, joined later on by the range-topping AMG sporting a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in two outputs, 571 PS (563 HP) and 612 PS( 604 HP), the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is expected to debut by the end of the year and reach dealerships Stateside in early 2017.

VIDEO
In Egypt, an election monitor gives an up-close view of ELMO. This tool of election observation has replaced the paper-and-pencil checklists used for years. (Photo: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes)

Voters, such as this Kenyan couple outside a Nairobi polling station, are the ultimate beneficiaries of quick and detailed aggregation of polling data. (Photo: The Carter Center/ P. Munene)

Events can move quickly on election day, but The Carter Center has developed the technology to stay on top of them.

For decades, election observers used paper checklists to assess conditions at polling places. They would mark boxes asking whether the voting location opened on time, whether all the poll workers were present, whether the ballot box was shown to be empty before voting began, whether the environment outside was peaceful, and so forth. At the end of the day, all the observers would return to Carter Center election headquarters and submit their checklists or dictate their data over the phone. Then the slow process of collecting and crunching all the data would begin. The process could take a full day or more to complete, and even then analysis of trends was preliminary at best.

But that's changed now. ELMO (short for Election Monitoring) is a Carter Center created electronic data collection and analysis system. Since its introduction in 2011, ELMO has gradually rendered paper checklists obsolete. Equipped with ELMO, observers can submit their checklist data  with more detail than ever before  to headquarters in real time using touchscreen tablets or smartphones. Computers continuously aggregate the data for staff to analyze.

"The scope of data that we can meaningfully analyze quickly has exponentially increased," he said.

That speed is important in tense election environments where delays stoke voter suspicion, said Connie Moon Sehat, who leads the ELMO initiative.

"Citizens themselves know about the speed of data, and that has changed their expectations," Sehat said. "They want more and deeper analysis, sooner."

Depending on a country's communications infrastructure, observers using ELMO can send in their data using Internet or wireless connections, or even SMS (text messaging), which is old technology in Silicon Valley but the best available in some parts of the world. Where internet or wireless networks are weak or absent, satellite phones can be used. And there remains the option of saving data on physical media such as memory cards or USB drives.

To use ELMO, Carter Center teams prepare in advance of elections to develop checklist questions, determine the kinds of data that will be needed, and build electronic forms to guide their assessment.

"While election observers always refrain from interfering in the process, if a situation develops for which we want to get information, we can be more dynamic," Sehat said. "Printed forms required everything to be set in advance. With ELMO, we can actually change what we're investigating in real time during an election."

The Carter Center has made ELMO's technology open source, meaning anyone can use it for free. The command interface is available in English, French, and Spanish; an Arabic version is under development. Election observer forms can be translated into other languages.

ELMO's data-gathering ability could be adapted for other types of projects, including those for monitoring human rights abuses or mapping armed conflicts; health programs tracking the incidence of diseases and the progress of mass drug administration; and environmental groups tracking animal populations or pollution sources.

In Burundi, civil society groups are conducting a pilot program using ELMO to collect data on the human rights environment. Freedom House, an international nongovernmental organization, plans to use ELMO technology in partnership with The Carter Center to help protect human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"It'll be interesting to see where it goes in the next few years," Sehat said.
Photo: TaskeZ

Dogs must answer the call of nature. And when you add up all the poop from all the dogs in Kelowna, you get a whole lot of doo-doo.

But how much is left behind by owners who don't pick up after their pets?

According to the City of Kelowna, about 38 per cent of Kelowna residents own dogs, and given there are about 120,000 residents in Kelowna, that puts the number at about 45,000.

But, the Regional District of Central Okanagan says there are approximately 36,000 dogs in the RDCO, 22,000 of which are registered.

For the sake of argument, let's say there are 40,000 dogs in the Central Okanagan.

The average doggy deposit is said to weigh 0.17 of a kilogram, and the average dog does so twice a day.

Over the course of a year, that equals 5,000,000 kg of poop  or 5,000 tonnes.

That equals the weight of a decommissioned Royal Navy Trafalgar-class submarine each year.

While most dog owners are responsible and pick up after Fido, many do not.

If you believe a claim that states 40 per cent of dog owners don't pick, that's more than 2,000 tonnes of canine calling cards left to ruin your day. (Note: numbers are a best guess based on statistics provided)

Both the city and RDCO are fed up with the party poopers.

It's not that this year is any better or worse than a typical year, but we do get quite a few calls and concerns from people about dog feces and owners not picking up, says city park services manager Ian Wilson.

Every year, it is a problem. When we did our survey for dog parks, we asked people why they don't use dog parks, and the main reasons were dogs that are not well behaved and the mess, owners not picking up.

We've taken steps in the last number of years to promote responsible dog ownership, and most people are responsible," adds RDCO communications officer Bruce Smith. "Unfortunately, the ones that don't tar all owners with a bad brush.

Smith says bylaw officers have written 15 warning tickets in 2016 and given just one fine for failing to poop and scoop.

Wilson and Smith say the waste can cause problems.

There have been studies done, especially in the States, where they look at the impact on a watershed basis and they show it can be quite significant. If you look at the amount of dog feces that can eventually wash into the storm sewers and into the creeks and into the watershed, it can be significant. If you multiply it by the thousands of dogs, it can add up, says Wilson.

Dog feces can be a health hazard, Smith adds. It only takes a few dog owners not picking up in public places to negatively reflect on all dog owners. As well, please dont leave your bagged poop beside park trails or sidewalks or hanging in a bush. Thats just doing half the job. Please drop it in the nearest garbage can or take it home and properly dispose of it there.

In a recent Castanet poll, 71 per cent of respondents felt the RDCO is not doing enough to enforce poop-and-scoop bylaws.

Dog owners can face warnings and fines if they are caught leaving behind Fido's feces.
Photo: B.C. Tree Fruits

B.C. Tree Fruits is forecasting a record cherry crop this year.

And, for the second consecutive year, an early harvest is predicted.

"Because of another early and very warm spring ... cherries will be in stores (in) early June," B.C. Tree Fruits marketing manager Chris Pollock said in a press release, Monday.

Fruit lovers will be able to indulge their sweet tooth with an estimated 12-million pound harvest this summer.

That's up up from 10.5 million pounds in 2015.

And that's not all. Across other tree fruits, an estimated 20 to 25 per cent increase in yield is forecast throughout the Okanagan.

Mother Nature has provided our growers with very warm spring days leading up to bloom, resulting in another early start to the summer fruit season this year, said Pollock. We expect to start harvesting early season varieties of B.C. Tree Fruits cherries in early June, with the fruit hitting retail shelves very soon after.

Meanwhile, the grower co-op will celebrate orchard families behind the harvest with two video advertisements starting in late June that tell the stories of two of the 500-plus grower families in the Kelowna-based co-operative.

The primary market for B.C. Tree Fruits cherries remains Western Canada and the United States. The remainder is marketed to off-shore markets.

Co-op members grow a variety of tree fruits, including apples, cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, prunes, plums and grapes.
Photo: The Canadian Press

It's not only drones and driverless cars that may become the norm someday  ocean-faring ships might also run without captains or crews.

The Pentagon on Monday showed off the world's largest unmanned surface vessel, a self-driving 132-foot ship able to travel up to 10,000 nautical miles on its own to hunt for stealthy submarines and underwater mines.

The military's research arm, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, in conjunction with the Navy will be testing the ship off the San Diego coast over the next two years to observe how it interacts with other vessels and avoids collisions. Unlike smaller, remote-controlled craft launched from ships, the so-called "Sea Hunter" is built to operate on its own.

"It's not a joy-stick ship," said DARPA spokesman Jared B. Adams, standing in front of the sleek, futuristic-looking steel-grey vessel docked at a maritime terminal in the heart of San Diego's shipbuilding district, where TV crews filmed the robotic craft.

"Sea Hunter" relies on radar, sonar, cameras and a global positioning system. Unmanned ships will supplement missions to help keep service members out of harm's way, Adams said.

Besides military leaders, the commercial shipping industry will be watching the ship's performance during the trial period. Maritime companies from Europe to Asia have been looking into developing fleets of unmanned ships to cut down on operating costs and get through areas plagued by pirates.

During the testing phase, the ship will have human operators as a safety net. But once it proves to be reliable, it will manoeuvr itself  able to go out at sea for months at a time. With its twin diesel engines, it could go as far as Guam from San Diego on a mission, developers say. There are no plans at this point to arm it.

"There are a lot of advantages that we're still trying to learn about," program manager Scott Littlefield said.

The idea in the commercial sector has sparked debate over whether it's possible to make robotic boats safe enough. The International Transport Workers' Federation, the union representing more than half of the world's more than 1 million seafarers, has said it does not believe technology will ever be able to replace the ability of humans to foresee and react to the various dangers at sea.

Others have expressed concern about hackers taking control. Military officials have been working on hacker-proof protections and say it's possible to make ships cyber-secure.

The "Sea Hunter" was built off the Oregon coast, and it moved on a barge to San Diego's coastline. The prototype can travel at a speed of up to about 30 mph and is equipped with a variety of sensors and an advanced optical system to detect other ships.

The program to develop the ship cost $120 million, though DARPA officials say the vessels can now be produced for about $20 million.
Photo: The Canadian Press - AP

Calgary-based Encana Corp. has reported a US$379-million net loss for the first quarter as revenue fell 40 per cent compared with the same time last year.

Encana is adjusting to persistently low commodity prices and recorded $607 million in asset writedowns and $22 million for restructuring charges during the quarter ended March 31.

Its operating loss was $130 million or 15 cents per share  three cents worse than analyst estimates from Thomson Reuters.

Net loss including the writedowns amounted to 45 cents per share, compared with $1.71 billion or $2.25 per share a year earlier and an estimate of 20 cents per share.

Revenue after royalty payments fell to $753 million from $1.25 billion in the first quarter of 2015. Analysts had estimated about $657 million of revenue, according to Thomson Reuters.

A year earlier, Encana had an operating profit of $19 million or three cents per share after eliminating the impact of $1.2 billion in asset writedowns and other items.

The quarterly results were issued several hours ahead of Encana's annual shareholders meeting today in Calgary.

Although dismal, Encana says the latest financial report showed some signs of improvement in operating efficiency.

"Our teams are drilling some of the fastest, highest performing and lowest cost wells in our core four assets and we continue to find greater efficiency in every part of the business," Encana chief executive and president Doug Suttles said.

"We are on track to deliver $550 million of year-over-year cost savings."
Photo: WestJet

WestJet Airlines Ltd. says the fundamentals of its business remain strong despite the impact of economic weakness in Alberta, the airline's home base.

The Calgary-based company says it had an $87.6 million profit, or 71 cents per share, in the first quarter.

Revenue was $1.03 billion, including $145.2 million from additional fees and other non-ticket sources.

The results were down from the first quarter of 2015 when WestJet had a record net profit of $140.7 million or $1.09 per share with $1.08 billion of revenue.

However, the results were in line or better than expected, according to Thomson Reuters estimates.

The financial results were issued ahead of today's WestJet annual meeting in Calgary, where an activist group says it will call on shareholders to vote against reappointing Gregg Saretsky as CEO.

The results come weeks after a former flight attendant filed two lawsuits against the airline  one alleging that the company failed to provide a harassment-free workplace for its female employees, the other accusing it of not taking proper action after she reported being sexually assaulted by a pilot.

WestJet has rejected the allegations, saying it encourages staff to report inappropriate behaviour in confidence and it would not put its reputation at stake by inadequately dealing with complaints. The allegations haven't been tested in court.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A tenacious German shepherd cross who pulled his sleeping owner to the door amid a house fire is among five heroic hounds being inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame.

Noreen Lucas credits nine-year-old Rex with saving her life last December.

Lucas had been visiting her son and his family in Aberdeen, Sask., when pneumonia struck. While the rest of the clan headed to Saskatoon for Christmas Eve dinner, Lucas took a sleeping pill and went to sleep on the couch.

Lucas was roused briefly by Rex's barking at one point but returned to sleep. She says she only woke after Rex latched on to her leg, pulled her off the couch and dragged her across the room towards the front door.

The duo made it safely outside but by the time firefighters arrived, fire had engulfed the house.

Other inductees include a B.C. Labrador retriever-Norwegian elkhound cross who kept a bear at bay when his owners went for a walk, a Toronto Labradoodle who barked for help when his owner suffered a heart attack, and a Toronto police dog who withstood a machete attack in the line of duty.

Purina also awarded its inaugural Purina Better Together Award  recognizing the difference a pet has made in the daily life of its owner  to a six-year-old Golden retriever from Port Alberni, B.C. who is also a seizure response dog.

Since 1968, the Purina Animal Hall of Fame has inducted 172 animals, including 144 dogs, 27 cats and a horse.

A look at this year's inductees:

Raya, a four-year-old black Labrador retriever-Norwegian elkhound cross from Fort St. John, B.C.

 Brent Cote was elk hunting last September with Raya and his mom Trudy when a bear suddenly charged, apparently to protect her young cub.

Raya ran out in front of Brent  something she was trained not to do  and barked and snapped in a way Brent had never seen before. The bear retreated, allowing Brent and Trudy to back up while Raya stayed in front.

But they were still too close and the bear charged again and again, with Raya holding her ground. Eventually the bear retreated, and all three returned safely to their truck.



Zola, a seven-year-old chocolate Labradoodle from Toronto

 Matthew Church returned from a long bike ride complaining of pain in his shoulder and elbow. His wife Patricia gave him a couple of Aspirin pills and he headed upstairs to watch television.

Patricia was reading with Zola resting at her feet when she heard a heavy thud. Zola suddenly began growling and barking, and urged Patricia to follow her up two flights of stairs. When they reached the top floor, they found Matthew lying face down, immobile and turning blue. His heart had stopped. Patricia immediately began CPR while their daughter called 911.

Paramedics restarted his heart and rushed Matthew to hospital where he made a full recovery.



Lonca, two-year-old German Shepherd police dog from Toronto

 This dedicated police dog withstood repeated machete strikes to the head, neck and body while apprehending a suspect fleeing from a home last November. Throughout the struggle, Lonca positioned himself between the suspect and the officers until the suspect finally surrendered.

Blood streaming from his mouth, Lonca then led police to the rear of the premises where they found a second suspect. Lonca was rushed to the emergency veterinary hospital and made a full recovery.

The suspect who attacked Lonca is the first in Canada to be charged under Quanto's Law, enacted in July 2015 to hold those who hurt law enforcement animals accountable.
Photo: Jim Beam

Jim Beam has filled and sealed its 14 millionth barrel of bourbon since the 1933 repeal of Prohibition, achieving a first in the bourbon industry.

Seventh-generation master distiller Fred Noe and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin sealed the barrel Monday at the company's flagship distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, about 20 miles south of Louisville.

The milestone comes two years after the distillery filled its 13 millionth barrel.

Noe said in a news release that the achievement speaks to the success of the company's whiskey and the increasing worldwide enthusiasm for bourbon.

Bevin said Kentucky bourbon is now an international symbol of the state's heritage and craftsmanship.
A Keams Canyon man will spend more than two decades in prison for sexually abusing multiple children over the course of nearly 30 years.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Arizona, U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi sentenced Kenneth Parker to 23 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release Monday. Parker had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse of a minor.

The case involved multiple victims who reported being sexually abused between 1987 and 2015.

Parker and his victims were all Navajo Nation members and all the acts of sexual abuse occurred within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Navajo Nation Department of Law Enforcement.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A prominent Canadian victim of abuse behind bars in Syria is calling on the government to cancel controversial directives that allow for the sharing of intelligence that could lead to torture.

Abdullah Almalki, a Canadian who was imprisoned and tortured in Syria for almost two years, said Tuesday it is time the Liberals ditched the policy that was enacted by the previous Conservative government.

Almalki said the current government must end Canada's "previous complicity in torture."

The Liberals say they are reviewing the directives as part of a broader security review.

Almalki and other human rights activists said cancelling the directives is the next logical step for the government after it announced Monday it was prepared to join a key United Nations anti-torture agreement more than a decade after it was first passed.

Almalki was part of a group of human rights activists that praised Monday's surprise announcement by Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion.

But they said the government must go further, and cancel the torture directives.

"Many of the prisoners I've interviewed have reverted to saying things that necessarily didn't happen or they were told to confess in order to avoid the torture," said Mohamed Fahmy, the Canadian journalist who was imprisoned in Egypt.

Alex Neve, the head of Amnesty International Canada, said his organization has been campaigning for years to get the controversial torture directives thrown out.

"It certainly would be very much in keeping with the spirit of what we heard yesterday ... to rescind that very troubling ministerial direction and bring our intelligence sharing practices into line with our international obligations," said Neve.

Fahmy and warned Dion and the provinces not to dither and to bring Canada into full compliance with the anti-torture convention within one year.

The federal government must now consult with the provinces on the legal way forward for Canada to formally join the UN anti-torture convention.
Photo: Facebook

A couple who fell in love over long distance were married the same way: Over Skype.

Megan Radford and Rolando Barrientos were together in Bolivia for the ceremony, but most everyone else was in Nova Scotia, including the man officiating: her ordained father.

"We talk all the time about how Skype, WhatsApp and instant messaging made our relationship possible," Radford says.

Radford, 28, met Barrientos, 31, during a work-related trip to Bolivia in September.

Radford, who was born in Newfoundland and lives in Toronto, was in the church relations department at World Vision, while Barrientos, a pilot and MBA student from Cochabamba, Bolivia, worked as a translator for the group part-time.

The attraction between the devout Christians was immediate.

"Driving back from a rural project, we began to talk -- really talk -- about our values, families and dreams," Radford writes on the couple's GoFundMe page. "Something was sparked, and continued that night over Facebook messenger."

Dolled up in a skirt and lipstick, Radford gave Barrientos two lingering hugs as she boarded the bus to the airport. She says that's what sealed the deal for her.

When Radford checked her phone during a layover en route to Toronto, she saw a message from Barrientos: "Don't go. Stay with me."

The relationship escalated quickly, in part, thanks to their high-speed online connection.

"We couldn't really do the normal things that people who starting to date do," Radford says. "All we could was talk  it was such a concentrated way of getting to know each other."

"Skype just helped us know a little more about how we live, our conditions and how to express our minds," Barrientos says.

That Thanksgiving, after a month of online courtship, Barrientos asked Radford's parents for permission to ask for her hand in marriage -- again, over Skype.

"I was a little surprised," Radford says. "I guess never say something is crazy. I would have said this was crazy before."

They say Barrientos' family was initially taken aback  they had never heard of anything like it  but friends and family were supportive because their shared faith and love were obvious.

In February, Radford journeyed to Bolivia to tie the knot. Barrientos met her at the airport.

"We were sitting together in the taxi on the way back, and I kept thinking, 'Wow. He's really, like, solid,' she says. "He had been a virtual person for so long."

"I saw her, and I immediately fell more in love," Barrientos says. "You just get to smell that person and grab her."

The young couple exhausted their limited resources on flights, vendors and immigration fees, only to have their nuptials postponed by paperwork delays and bureaucratic red tape.

With Radford's visa expiring and the couple's bank accounts depleted, they feared it could be months until they finally said their "I dos." The bride's mother, Sharon Radford, proposed a creative solution.

On Feb. 14, Barrientos and Radford held a small wedding ceremony officiated by the father-of-the-bride, Willard Radford, over Skype from Nova Scotia, where he teaches at the Halifax Christian Academy. Radford's mother and sister, and her sister's fiance, served as virtual witnesses.

In the eyes of God and the World Wide Web, Barrientos and Radford were husband and wife.

But their digital vows had no legal bearing under Bolivian law, so Radford returned to Toronto alone.

"It's a lot harder than the first time," Radford says. "We finally got to do the things that other couples do that you take for granted. Things like watching Game of Thrones together. Or going out to lunch."

The couple is now raising money to fly Radford to Bolivia so the two can complete their legal marriage. A GoFundMe account seeking $5,500 was set up by a friend of the family, and has raised $4,575 from 41 donors.
Photo: CTV

A man has admitted to killing three men in a case that sent chills through Winnipeg's homeless community.

John Ostamas pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder for the deaths in April 2015.

The 40-year-old faces an automatic life sentence. A judge is to decide his parole eligibility on June 27.

Court heard Ostamas attacked Myles Monias, 37, in a downtown bus shelter and left him for dead.

Two weeks later, Donald Collins, 65, was killed in a back alley. Within a few hours, 48-year-old Stony Bushie was killed in a parkade.

Police at the time warned people living on the streets to be careful.

Ostamas, originally from Thunder Bay, Ont., had also been staying at a Winnipeg homeless shelter, investigators revealed after his arrest. They said Ostamas knew both Collins and Bushie, although they weren't friends.

Ostamas has a criminal record that includes multiple assaults in the Thunder Bay area dating back to 2002, said police.

They also said they were alerting other jurisdictions to see if Ostamas could be a suspect in other crimes.

Defence lawyer Greg Brodsky said his client told police that the Winnipeg killings were out of revenge, but that's not the case.

"Hes claiming, in the agreed statement of facts, that what he did was vengeance for people who raped his girlfriend," Brodsky told reporters outside the courthouse.

"If he did exact vengeance and went out to find the people that did that, and kill them as a result, that would be first-degree murder. We're not pleading to first-degree murder. Thats him puffing himself up."

Brodsky said his client has mental-health issues, but it would have been inappropriate to argue he was not criminally responsible for the murders.
UPDATE: 11:10 p.m.

Emergency officials confirm whole neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray have been destroyed by a raging forest fire that sliced through the middle of the northern oilsands hub city.

Tens of thousands were sent fleeing in both directions, and the entire community of 80,000 was ordered evacuated.

Fire chief Darby Allen did not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed, but said the fire is burning in several areas in the city's south end and had razed a mobile home park.

There have been no reports of serious injuries and Allen said the priority is keeping everyone safe.

"Everybody here ... has given everything today to do the very best they could," Allen told a conference call with reporters late in the day. "We will continue to do the very best for you. We appreciate that some of you have lost properties. We have people working here right now that have lost property, too."

He also said they are trying to maintain crucial infrastructure in the city, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south.

"It's in the city. It's impacting communities as we speak. Homes are on fire as we speak. It's not a question of how far away it is anymore  it's here."

UPDATE: 9:25 p.m.

The leader of Alberta's Opposition says that much of the downtown in the northern oil hub of Fort McMurray is being destroyed by fire.

Brian Jean, who is also the member of the legislature for the area, said late Tuesday that flames are encroaching on the city centre.

"Our hospital is on fire, where my children were born," a sombre Jean told The Canadian Press in an interview. "My home of the last 10 years and the home I had for 15 years before that are both destroyed.

"I'm just hoping that the home I grew up in isn't, but I'm afraid it probably is."

He said businesses that have been in his family for three generations have been destroyed.

"It is a devastating impact but I'm hoping that we've had no loss of life," he said.

The raging forest fire whipped up by shifting winds sent tens of thousands fleeing in both directions and prompted the evacuation of the entire city.

The blaze, which had burned since Sunday but seemed on its way to being neutralized Tuesday morning, overwhelmed firefighters when winds shifted quickly and drastically in the mid-afternoon to the southwest of the city.

Officials said flames stormed along a ravine and roared into the city and the race was on to get out.

Pictures and video on social media depicted a hellish scene of fountains of flame.

There was fire jumping roads, burning debris pitched into the paths of cars as frantic residents, lined up bumper to bumper, scrambled and fumbled to find their way through the thick grey haze.

"It became chaotic with vehicles trying to swerve and pull out into the ditch," said resident Jordan Stuffco.

Air tankers and helicopters buzzed overhead.

"(With) the heat from the oncoming smoke and the flames, you could see mini-tornadoes forming near the road. It was something out of an apocalyptic movie."

The blaze razed homes on the city's western edge, though it was unclear how many. Officials confirmed some homes in a trailer park were torched.

As the afternoon wore on and the fire intensified, more and more sections of the city were ordered evacuated until the entire community, an estimated 80,000, was ordered out after 6 p.m.

Resident Carol Christian drove to an evacuation centre with her son and cat.

"When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," she said, her voice breaking.

"It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time.' "

Highway 63, the main way into Fort McMurray from the south, was closed after flames jumped the road. Those who had headed south were told to stay away while those who couldn't head south headed north.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, speaking to reporters in Edmonton, said the province was doing all it could to ensure everyone's safety. She said she was looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues.

"As frustrating and as scary as it is to leave your home, it's not as frustrating and scary as to find that you're trapped," said Notley.

"It is absolutely important that people follow instructions and evacuate as requested."

She said 160 Mounties were on scene trying to get people out.

Officials said there was no word of any injuries or people laid up by smoke inhalation.

Resident Sandra Hickey said the situation changed quite quickly.

"When I got in the shower earlier today the sky was blue. When I got out, the sky was black," said Sandra Hickey, who had to leave her home. "It was fast. The wind picked up and changed direction."

Fire officials had already warned earlier in the day that rising temperatures and low humidity could help the fire grow.

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranged from very high to extreme.

Government spokesman Bruce Mayer said a cold front was expected to come through the region by mid- to late-day Wednesday, which would bring with it shifting winds gusting to 50 km/h. He said to expect "a more intense burning day."

North of Fort McMurray, work camps associated with oilsands projects were being re-purposed to house evacuees.

Notley said the camps have secured spaces for 6,000 people, "but we know we need to find more."

John Henderson of Edmonton, a scaffolder who was staying at a camp about an hour north of Fort McMurray, said he and the other workers were going to be flown out to make room for the evacuees, most of whom had arrived on buses and were staying in the gymnasium.

"Let's face it, if things go south  and by south I mean move more north  this isn't a place you want to be anyways."

Evacuee Roscoe Sleeth arrived at the Mount Logan Lodge camp with his wife, two children and their two dogs.

He described a harrowing journey trying to get out of their city in a car packed full of their belongings. They first tried to go south on Highway 63, but when they got to the overpass "the flames were right down to the highway and cops were turning people around."

A third son had managed to make it through before the fire jumped the highway.

"I would guess 30,000 to 70,000 people are going north," he said. "It was wall to wall traffic going north."

Sleeth has been through evacuations before, and said it's "just part of living in the north."

He shrugged off the possible loss of his home back in Fort McMurray.

"It's just wood, hay and stubble," he said. "I got my family out."

Hayley O'Malley, a construction worker from Edmonton, said Tuesday she was going to head up to Fort McMurray with a group of about 100 friends to help out, adding they would load up with water and food to take to the evacuees.

"I'll drive north, help out where I can and see what happens," she said.

However, the Alberta Fire Fighters Association sent out an urgent tweet, pleading with people to stay home.

"We all want to help but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU SELF DEPLOY!"

Fort McMurray is the capital of Alberta's oilsands region and sits about 435 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

It was five years ago this month that wildfires destroyed about one-third of the community of Slave Lake, Alta. More than 500 homes and buildings were damaged at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Notley said the Fort McMurray situation rivals the Slave Lake catastrophe.

"In terms of fire this is our biggest fire evacuation," she said. "This is bigger than Slave Lake."

UPDATE 5:36 P.M.

Tens of thousands of people from the northern Alberta oilsands city of Fort McMurray were forced from their homes by a raging wildfire Tuesday that engulfed buildings, pushed billowing dark clouds of thick smoke into the air and spit ash down on residents.

The wildfire, whipped by unpredictable winds on a day when the temperature reached 32 C, worsened dramatically in a short time and many residents had little notice to flee. Towers of bright-orange flames cut through the clouds and skipped over tinder-dry forest.

Almost 30,000 people were under a mandatory evacuation order.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the province was doing all it could to ensure everyone's safety. She said she was looking into the possibility of an airlift for residents with medical issues.

"As frustrating and as scary as it is to leave your home, it's not as frustrating and scary as to find that you're trapped," Notley said in a late-afternoon update.

"It is absolutely important that people follow instructions and evacuate as requested."

Scott Long of Alberta Emergency Management said the flames had burned a number of structures, but he couldn't say how many.

Carol Christian's home was in one of the neighbourhoods under the order to leave. She said it was scary as she drove to an evacuation centre with her son and cat.

"When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," she said, her voice breaking.

"It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time."

Work camps associated with oilsands projects well north of the city were being re-purposed to house evacuees.

"We've made our work camp available to staff and their families who have been evacuated and need a place to stay," said Cameron Yost of Shell Canada.

Resident Mark Durocher, 25, described the air as "thick."

"If you just walk outside, you feel it (ash) falling on you. You see it floating in the air. I can take a broom and brush it off my deck," said Durocher.

"You can taste it and feel it when you're walking around. It feels really heavy and you can taste just how 'woody' it is in the air."

A local radio reporter said a trailer park that had been evacuated on Monday was on fire and flames were advancing toward businesses.

"It's chaos on the roads. People are panicking. It's gridlock on the roads. Flames are right next to a gas station," said Carina Van Heerde with radio station KAOS.

Highway 63, the main way into Fort McMurray from the south, was closed after flames jumped the road.

Coun. Keith McGrath described the situation as "dire."

Another radio reporter, J.D. Deraadt, said the fire flared up suddenly.

"I'm feeling nervous. It's a bit of a surreal thing to see it go from nothing to big. It's very disheartening."

Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads.

Fort McMurray is the capital of Alberta's oilsands region and sits about 450 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, had an overall population of 125,000 in 2015. That included a temporary "shadow" population  many of whom live in work camps  of 43,000.

It's five years ago this month that wildfires destroyed about one-third of the community of Slave Lake, Alta. More than 500 homes and buildings were damaged at a cost of almost $1 billion.

Crews had seemed to be making progress controlling the Fort McMurray blaze, burning since the weekend, but the situation worsened quickly.

Sandra Hickey, who lives in a neighbourhood under an evacuation order, said the situation changed quite quickly.

"When I got in the shower earlier today the sky was blue. When I got out. The sky was black," said Sandra Hickey, who had to leave her home. "It was fast. The wind picked up and changed direction."

Fire officials had already warned earlier in the day that rising temperatures and low humidity could help the fire grow.

"Don't get into a false sense of security," fire chief Darby Allen said during a media briefing before things worsened. "We are in for a rough day."

Crews were busy cutting down a line of unburned trees in the path of the flames to deny the fire fuel. Air tankers were dropping carpets of fire retardant while other aircraft released water.

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranging from very high to extreme.

Forestry spokesman Bruce Mayer said a cold front was expected to come through the region by mid- to late-day Wednesday, which would bring with it shifting winds gusting to 50 km/h. He said to expect "a more intense burning day."

UPDATE: 3:40 p.m.

At least half of the city of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta was under an evacuation notice Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds engulfed homes and sent ash raining down on residents.

"If you just walk outside, you feel it (ash) falling on you. You see it floating in the air. I can take a broom and brush it off my deck," said resident Mark Durocher.

Durocher, 25, described the air as "thick."

"You can taste it and feel it when you're walking around. It feels really heavy and you can taste just how 'woody' it is in the air."

Fort McMurray has a population of more than 61,000 people.

UPDATE 3 p.m.

Parts of downtown Fort McMurray in northern Alberta were under an evacuation notice Tuesday as a wildfire whipped by winds began engulfing homes on the outskirts.

The Rural Municipality of Wood Buffalo said people should leave immediately and head for a lodge about 20 kilometres north of the city.

Residents were ordered to flee several neighbourhoods and a trailer park that had been evacuated on Monday was on fire, said Carina Van Heerde, a reporter with Fort McMurray radio station KAOS.

She said the fire was advancing towards a Super8 motel and a gas station.

"It's chaos on the roads. People are panicking. It's gridlock on the roads. Flames are right next to a gas station," she said.

Radio reporter J.D. Deraadt said the fire flared up suddenly.

"I'm feeling nervous. It's a bit of a surreal thing to see it go from nothing to big. It's very disheartening."

Pictures posted on Twitter showed long lines of traffic and skies darkened by thick smoke as flames licked the edges of roads.

Photo: CTV

UPDATE: 2 p.m.

Residents of three more Fort McMurray neighbourhoods in northern Alberta were ordered from their homes Tuesday as crews battled a growing wildfire threatening the city.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued a mandatory evacuation notice as the 26-square-kilometre fire spread.

"Residents should evacuate to MacDonald Island Park," read the order sent on Twitter.

About 200 people previously told to leave their homes in a trailer park also remained on mandatory evacuation.

Fire officials had already warned earlier in the day that rising temperatures and low humidity could help the fire grow.

"Don't get into a false sense of security," fire chief Darby Allen said during a media briefing before things worsened. "We are in for a rough day."

Unseasonably hot temperatures combined with dry conditions have transformed the boreal forest in much of Alberta into a tinder box. The wildfire threat ranging from very high to extreme.

The Alberta government banned all open fires except in designated camping sites in forested areas due to the threat. There were about 30 fires burning in the province.

The province was calling in more reinforcements to Fort McMurray, including 100 more firefighters and a giant helicopter that can dump more than 2,000 litres of water at a time.

Crews were busy cutting down a line of unburned trees in the path of the flames to deny the fire fuel. Air tankers were dropping carpets of fire retardant while other aircraft released water.

Bernie Schmitte, an Alberta wildfire manager, said spruce and pine trees growing in the area burn easily and hot. He said changing wind conditions were also a concern.

"It is going to challenge us throughout the day," he said. "At this point we cannot say that there is any part or portion of the line that is 100 per cent secure or contained."

About 500 residents from a different neighbourhood who had been ordered out on the weekend were allowed to return home Monday.

Allen warned that people shouldn't let their guard down if they didn't see flames.

Officials were also keeping a close eye on the situation in Saskatchewan. The wildfire threat in forested areas ranged from moderate to extreme. About a dozen fires were burning in remote areas.

Several communities in Saskatchewan had fire bans, including Saskatoon and La Ronge.

Duane McKay, Saskatchewan's emergency management commissioner, called on people to be extremely cautious with fires.

"If conditions rise very rapidly over the next few days, then I'm sure that the province will consider putting a (fire) ban in the northern parts of the province," he said.

Wildfires in Saskatchewan last year forced about 13,000 people from their homes and burned 17,000 square kilometres of forest.

ORIGINAL

The wildfire threatening Fort McMurray in northern Alberta has grown in size as crews work to shield part of the city from the flames.

Crews and bulldozers kept the fire from spreading overnight east toward a camping area and two neighbourhoods.

Fire officials say the challenge today will be rising temperatures and low humidity that could cause the flames to spread north toward the city.

Darby Allen, fire chief of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, says just because people can't see flames doesn't mean they should let their guard down.

He says it is safe for people in the community to go about their normal lives, but they should have a plan in case the fire gets worse.

The wildfire danger for forested areas in much of Alberta and Saskatchewan ranges from high to extreme.
Photo: Contributed

City staff in West Kelowna are in the process of vetting more than 3,000 'no' forms which could, for the time being, scuttle the city's plans to build a new city hall.

Registered voters in the city have until 4 p.m. today to drop off Alternative Approval process forms, effectively registering their opposition to the city's plan to borrow up to $10.5 million for construction of a new city hall on Elliott Road.

In order to defeat the borrowing bylaw, 10 per cent of eligible voters, 2,603, must register their disapproval.

A group which organized a vigorous no campaign, turned in about 3,000 forms Tuesday morning. Prior to that, the city had already received 694 forms.

Staff are in the process of verifying the validity of each form to ensure those who signed them live in the city, have signed only once and are confirmed registered voters.

To be eligible, people must be 18 or over, a Canadian citizen, resident of B.C. for at least six months and a West Kelowna resident for at least 30 days.

It will likely be Wednesday before an official tally is complete.

If the 10 per cent threshold is met, the city will have two choices: scrap the idea altogether or go to a full referendum.

Opposition spokesman Ian Graham said they are not against a new city hall.

"It was the fact that the city council wanted to use a back door, and from our point of view, an undemocratic, Alternate Approval Process to borrow the money rather than do what most of the citizens wanted, which is a proper and full citizens referendum vote at election time. Graham said.

The citizens of West Kelowna have watched their sister city, Kelowna, borrow approximately $150 million through the Alternate Approval Process and do not want that happening to their own young city. The taxpayers are the ones that ultimately have to pay for all the borrowing and it can add up very quickly.

Graham said the city should look for an alternative space for city employees, until sufficient funding can be saved.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 3:35 p.m.

A young woman convicted of second-degree murder has for the first time taken responsibility for the brutal killing of a 14-year-old girl almost two decade ago, but Kelly Ellard's confession wasn't enough to earn her day parole.

In her first parole hearing since the Supreme Court of Canada reinstated her conviction, Ellard told a parole board panel she had omitted details about Reena Virk's death from her testimony during trial.

She admitted to the board on Tuesday that if she hadn't been there Virk would probably be alive today.

When asked by a board member who was responsible for Virk's death, Ellard said "I believe I am."

She also agreed that without her participation the murder wouldn't have happened.

A board member commended her for accepting more responsibility, but noted her admission didn't come close to the level of murder she was convicted of in court.

"I was 15 years old. I was a child," Ellard told the parole board. "I'm not that child anymore."

In November 1997, Ellard and a crowd of mostly girls swarmed Virk under a Victoria-area bridge. After the beating, Virk limped across the bridge, followed by Ellard and Warren Glowatski. The pair then continued the beating and held Virk's head underwater until she drowned.

Glowatski, who was also convicted of second-degree murder, was given full parole in 2010.

The now 33-year-old Ellard told the board she wanted day parole so she could get treatment for substance-abuse issues after using contraband crystal meth inside prison.

Her parole officer discouraged the board at the start of the hearing from granting Ellard day parole because of those very same substance troubles.

Ellard was given a chance to make a last statement to the board.

"I've done everything and then some. Enough is enough," she said. "It's time for this to be done."

She believes there's nothing left for her in prison that would help her move forward and make progress, she added.

But it was her own words that cemented the parole board's decision.

While the board emphasized the progress Ellard had made in accepting responsibility for the murder, it also said she came across as entitled in expecting to be released.

The next time Ellard will be allowed to ask for full parole is February next year.

ORIGINAL

A British Columbia woman who killed a 14-year-old girl almost two decades ago has been denied day parole after a board said she is too entitled.

But Kelly Ellard has admitted for the first time that she was responsible for the death of Reena Virk.

Ellard told the board during her parole hearing today that Virk would still be alive if she hadn't participated in swarming and drowning her.

The now 33-year-old woman told the board she wanted day parole so she could be treated for substance-abuse issues after getting contraband crystal meth inside prison.

But the parole board ruled that Ellard wasn't ready to be released and that her comments to the board that "enough is enough" and there is nothing in prison to help her move forward showed she is entitled to release.

After several trials that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, Ellard was eventually convicted of second-degree murder for drowning Virk in a Victoria-area waterway.
Photo: Contributed

Friends and family are mobilizing in their search for Ashley Simpson.

Simpson had been living in Salmon Arm, but has not been seen or heard from since April 28.

Simpson's father, Sindal Simpson, said she might be heading to Ontario, but has no money and no car and is possibly hitchiking to Eastern Canada.

She hasn't been in contact since leaving boyfriend's house last Thursday, Sindal posted.

Sindal said pictures of Ashley have been posted everywhere and his niece and co-workers are looking around Salmon Arm and my youngest is on her way from Ontario to help hand out flyers. We would really like a sighting so at least we know she is still in good health.

Relatives say it is out of character for the 31-year-old to be out of contact.

People have taken to Facebook to spread the news she is missing and urging everyone to keep an eye out for her.

Simpson is approximately 5-feet-5-inches tall, 119 pounds with brown eyes and hair.

Her aunt, Amanda Haveman, said Simpson also has the word 'Gypsy' tattooed on her left arm and a hummingbird and strawberries on her right arm.

Simpson is the second woman to go missing in the North Okanagan region this year.

Caitlin Potts has not been seen for two months.

Potts was last seen on Feb. 22, and made contact with friends on social media Feb. 26, but has not been heard from since.

Last week, Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy said police do not suspect foul play.

There was some speculation Potts, who was living in Enderby, had moved back to Calgary where her mother lives, but Noseworthy said there is no indication she did so.

Potts is described as approximately five-feet-three-inches tall, 150 pounds with brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information on the location of Simpson or Potts is urged to call the local police department.
The Right to Life campaign is supporting all unborn children who, on their own, cannot exercise their right to live. A Fetus is simply the stage of life the child is in, a prenatal human growing in the mother's womb until birth.

To say that a Fetus is not considered alive because it cannot survive unaided is like saying a newborn child should not be considered alive because it too cannot survive unaided. If someone was to kill a newborn child it would be considered murder. Why then would a child killed at the Fetus stage not be considered murder?

Both cannot survive unaided, both have a heartbeat and both can feel pain.

The billboard may be graphic, but it depicts the truth - thousands of babies are being put to death every year in Canada. I don't know about you, but that makes me disgusted at the nation we have become.

Sabrina Fedorak
Photo: The Canadian Press

The combat death Tuesday of a U.S Navy SEAL who was advising Kurdish forces in Iraq coincides with a gradually deepening American role in fighting a resilient Islamic State, even as the Iraqis struggle to muster the military and political strength to defeat the militants.

The SEAL, who has not been further identified, is the third American serviceman to die in combat in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition launched its campaign against the Islamic State in the summer of 2014. Seven months ago, a special operations soldier, 39-year-old Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, was killed during a Kurdish-led raid on an Islamic State prison in northern Iraq. In March, a Marine artilleryman, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, was killed when the militants launched a rocket attack on a newly established U.S. firebase outside Mosul.

Over the course of the campaign, the Pentagon has slowly expanded the American military role. The strategy, criticized by some as incremental and inadequate, aims to ensure that the Iraqis do the ground combat, supported by U.S. airpower, special operations advisers and others. As the Iraqis have gained competence and confidence and prepared an assault in hopes of retaking Mosul, the Pentagon has announced plans to put more U.S. troops in Iraq and place them closer to the front lines.

In Defence Secretary Ash Carter's view, that means a greater chance for success. It also means more risk to U.S. troops, as he acknowledged Tuesday in announcing the latest death.

"It shows you it's a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq," Carter said.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama had been briefed on the incident and extended condolences to the family of the service member killed in northern Iraq. Earnest said the incident was a "vivid reminder" of the dangers facing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.

"They are taking grave risks to protect our country. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude," Earnest said.

Tuesday's U.S. death coincides with diverging trends in Iraq. On one hand, Iraqi forces trained and advised by Americans have scored significant battlefield gains in recent months, including the recapture of Ramadi and other advances against IS-held towns in Anbar province. On the other hand, political conflict in Baghdad fed by sectarian rivalry is threatening to derail the entire effort.

Carter said on Monday that as the Iraqis gain battlefield momentum the Pentagon will pursue additional ways to support them,. Recently that has meant adding more U.S. troops to advise Iraqi brigade and battalion commanders closer to the fight. Inevitably that means the likelihood of more U.S. combat casualties, even though the White House insists there are no U.S. "boots on the ground" in Iraq or Syria.

The risk can be expected to grow if, as planned, the U.S. sends Apache attack helicopters into battle in support of an Iraqi assault on Mosul in coming months. The U.S. also has committed to sending more mobile artillery as part of that effort and to providing up to $415 million in support of the Kurds in northern Iraq. Obama recently authorized an increase in the number of troops that can deploy to Iraq to advise and assist Iraqi forces. The cap was increased last week from 3,870 to 4,087.

The U.S. also has announced it will increase the number of special operations forces in Syria from 50 to 300.

As described by an Iraqi Kurdish intelligence officer, Lt. Col. Manav Dosky, Tuesday's Islamic State attack was launched on Teleskof, about 14 miles north of Mosul, just after 6 a.m. The Islamic State broke through the Kurds' front-line position with a barrage of armoured Humvees and bulldozers, Dosky said, and clashes killed at least three Kurdish peshmerga fighters. The SEAL was among Americans advising the peshmerga during that battle.

Maj. Gen. Jaber Yawer, a Kurdish peshmerga spokesman, told The Associated Press that the American was killed by IS sniper fire during an IS attack that also involved a number of car bombs.

A U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the incident publicly, said the American was killed with small arms fire, suggesting that Islamic State fighters likely came within a few hundred yards of the U.S. forces.

The Americans were two to three miles behind that front line before the attack was launched, the official added.

American forces will continue to stay behind the front lines, the defence official said, but he acknowledged that the U.S. expects more ground fighting as the Iraqi and Kurdish militaries, backed by the U.S., push farther into Islamic State-controlled territory.
Gun arrest outside gun store

Flagstaff police arrested a man outside a local gun store on armed robbery charges after witnesses said he pointed a gun at the owner of a truck the suspect appeared to be attempting to burglarize.

According to the police report, an employee of Ruffs Sporting Goods, located at 2 South Milton Road, flagged down an officer at about 3:40 p.m. Thursday saying there was a fight involving a firearm behind the store. The victim told police he was inside the store when a woman came in saying someone was climbing under a truck matching his vehicles description in the parking lot.

Surveillance footage showed the suspect jiggling the handle on the vehicle and looking underneath it until the victim came out and confronted him. The suspect claimed the victim's truck belonged to a friend who had left him the keys.

The victim put the suspect in a headlock. Surveillance footage showed the two men fighting until the suspect knocked the victim to the ground, pulled a gun out of his waistband and pointed it at the victim. The gun turned out to have been stolen out of New Mexico.

The victim took shelter behind a dumpster and the suspect hid behind another vehicle until the police arrived. Officers found more than $1,000 in damage to the victims truck.

Bryan Loretto, 37, was arrested and charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of stolen property. He was booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Charged with DUI

 Raeshannon Slowtalker, 19, of Leupp was arrested by Flagstaff Police Department and charged with DUI at 8:15 p.m. Thursday.

City and county residents who want to report a crime but wish to remain anonymous may call Silent Witness at 774-6111 or (877) 29-CRIME, submit a tip online at www.coconinosilentwitness.org, or text the word Flagtip along with your information to 274637 (CRIMES). Rewards of up to $2,000 are given for information that leads to an arrest.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Springtime at Lake Powell. A bit chilly for wake boarding but the fishing should be hot according to the Western Outdoor Times.

The resurgence in the shad population the past few years has resulted in an explosion in the numbers of 3- and 4-pound stripers in the lake.

If there is a third consecutive shad boom  rare, according to Western Outdoor Times - the stripers will spread out, making them harder to find. If things are normal, the stripers will be hungry and waiting for your bait.

As for the other bass in the lake, the small and largemouth bass like brush for shelter, food and spawning. According to the Bureau of Reclamations April forecast, Lake Powell should come up 20 feet or so by July. This is just enough rise in the water level to cover the brush that is currently high and dry along the lakeshore. But the watershed is not exactly flush with snowpack. Some predictions are for 74 percent of normal flow. This, along with other needs far away from Lake Powell, could leave that brush high and dry.

May is the month for walleye at Lake Powell, perhaps one of the best tasting fish and there is no limit. Bass jigs and live worms are your best bet.

So, what are you waiting for?

You should be waiting for a bit warmer and more settled weather. Just be aware that Lake Powell has sunk more than a few boats over the years. Strong spring winds and the dreaded outflows from thunderstorms during the summer can create havoc for the unprepared.

For boating, take a class. Check out the Coast Guard: http://www.uscgboating.org/ and the Arizona Game and Fish Department: http://www.azgfd.com/

For fishing, perhaps the most used information source on Lake Powell is: Waynes Words. Just search that and you will find his website. Wayne Gustaveson, a long-time Lake Powell fishing guide, covers everything from fishing tips to recipes.

While you are in the area, think about a side trip to Lees Ferry. The walk-in area has picked up and the spawn is subsiding, meaning more of the deep-water spawning fish are moving about. That makes them more susceptible to being caught.

If this is your first trip to Lees Ferry, hire a guide. Three reasons: You will catch more fish, you wont damage your boat and you can learn what equipment you need to survive the Colorado River and you can learn how to read the water so you dont end up stuck on a gravel bar in the middle of the river.

Speaking of sinking boats: here are the six key coverages for your boat insurance policy, according to Boat U.S.

--Consequential coverage. If your outboard bellows rots out and your boat sinks while moored at the dock  are you covered? Does it cover the failed part or only the consequential damage from a fire or explosion?

--Fuel spill liability  are you covered up to the policy limit or up to the federal law limit of $939,000?

--Towboat coverage. Broke down at Gunsite Bay on Lake Powell? Who is going to come tow you and how much out of your pocket?

--So you sank your boat or ran it aground. Who pays for the salvage job? You might want a separate policy.

--Is the boat trailer covered?

--If you opt for liability only  make sure it covers salvage and fuel spills

Now go have fun and catch a stiper.
The following editorial was written by Bloomberg View editors:

More than two months after the White House asked Congress for more than $1.8 billion to fight the Zika virus, Congress has yet to provide it. President Barack Obama, Republicans claim, has failed to explain in sufficient detail how his administration would spend the money.

Perhaps his 25-page proposal, sent to House Speaker Paul Ryan in February, got lost in interoffice mail. If so, no worries: Theres also a summary on the Web. Most of the money  about $1.5 billion  will go to the Department of Health and Human Services to help states control the mosquito that carries the virus, expand programs to test for it, and work on developing a vaccine.

The case for action now is overwhelming. The virus is active in central and South America, and come summer, the Zika-bearing Aedes aegypti mosquito will begin to spread the disease across much of the continental U.S. Pregnant women who contract the disease are at greater risk of giving birth to children who are stillborn, have microcephaly, or experience eye and brain lesions. Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults, which can lead to paralysis.

Among the questions Republicans say remain unanswered is what portion of the money is needed for the current fiscal year. That level of detail wasnt necessary in 2005 when President George W. Bush requested and received emergency funding from Congress to combat avian flu. Nor was it necessary in 2014 when Obama sought and received emergency funding to fight Ebola.

Republicans also argue that the federal government has enough money left over from the fight against the Ebola virus to deal with Zika, since Ebola is no longer a public health emergency. But the administration has already transferred $600 million in Ebola funds to fight Zika, and it claims that taking more from that effort could leave Americans exposed to another outbreak; there have been Ebola cases recently in Guinea and Liberia.

Finally, House Republicans say that any request for new money to combat Zika should come through the regular appropriations process, rather than through an emergency request. That approach would delay any new money until the end of the year  at the earliest. But emergency requests are called that for a reason. If a disease that could endanger newborns across the southern half of the U.S. by July doesnt qualify as an emergency, its hard to say what does.

Whatever the explanation for Republicans truculence  and opposition among some factions of the party to any new spending undoubtedly factors into it  its a delay that could endanger lives. There have already been 891 cases of Zika in the U.S., including 81 pregnant women. Republicans need to move, and quick.

GOP convention city in spotlight after Rice case

The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday, April 28:

Clevelands proposed $6 million settlement with the family of Tamir Rice is a reminder that its Police Division needs to get its house in order for the Republican National Convention, to be held there in late July.

Tamir Rice was the black 12-year-old fatally shot in 2014 by a white police officer while holding a pellet gun outside a recreation center. His death was one in a string of incidents damaging police-community relations in Cleveland. Two weeks after Tamirs death, the U.S. Justice Department released a report  in the works well before the youths shooting  concluding that the Police Division engages in a pattern or practice of the use of excessive force. Last year, Cleveland agreed to take corrective action.

The $6 million settlement with Tamirs family, which is pending court approval, would include no admission of wrongdoing by the city. That itself is a crime. But lessons learned from Tamirs death and other incidents should be ingrained in officers in time for the GOP convention, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors. Those numbers likely will include protesters of various stripes, and the risk of more violence in a campaign season already punctuated by it is very real.

Managing a political convention would be a mighty challenge even for the most respected police department, let alone a troubled one that plans to supplement its ranks with hundreds of officers rented from other communities.

Political conventions are quadrennial celebrations of our political system, and that system guarantees the right to free speech and other civil rights. If protesters are violent, police must restrain them while showing restraint themselves. Cleveland police can regain a measure of public trust by demonstrating professionalism no matter what the Republican convention throws at them. The nation  and much of the world  will be watching.

Who deserves to vote?

The following editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, April 26:

Some values are so ingrained in American society that we have developed cliches to describe them. We know immediately, for example, what it means to say a person has done his time or has paid his debt to society: That person was convicted of a crime, completed a prison sentence and returned home to restart life with a clean slate. The rights and privileges of full citizenship that may have been revoked while the sentence was carried out  the right to vote, for example  ought to be returned when the term is completed.

Isnt it quite a coincidence, then, that most of the states that flout this American value by denying the vote to ex-inmates (unless they win a pardon from the governor or approval from a judge) just happen to be those same states that for much of their history denied or severely restricted voting rights to African Americans?

Virginia, for example. Until two years ago, a Virginian who had done his or her time still couldnt vote without petitioning the governor and winning back the franchise. It was a racially discriminatory policy because black Virginians, like their counterparts in other states, are disproportionately charged with and imprisoned for crimes, and are therefore disproportionately disenfranchised, just like in the bad old days.

In 2014, Gov. Terry McAuliffe took the wise and welcome step of restoring the vote to designated nonserious offenders. But others still had to jump through hoops that dont exists for most former inmates, including those in California.

So when McAuliffe followed up last week by granting clemency to Virginias more than 200,000 ex-felons, restoring their voting rights and sweeping away all those hoops, it was a good thing  right?

It would have been  were it not for the fact that it comes just when those voters might be needed to carry Virginia in the November presidential election for (the increasingly likely nominee) Hillary Clinton, who just happens to be a close friend of McAuliffe, who in turn just happened to have been national chairman of the Democratic Party, and just happened to have chaired Hillary Clintons 2008 presidential campaign and Bill Clintons 1996 presidential campaign.

The movement to restore voting rights for former inmates has long suffered from partisan political resistance from Republicans, who were too willing to accept the racial discrimination that comes with voting restrictions because it helped keep the lid on the turnout of African Americans, who are overwhelmingly Democratic voters. McAuliffes move plays that same partisan card from the other side of the table.

Shady Pentagon testimony on sexual assault bill

The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday, April 24:

In war, the confusion generated by fighting and killing is often referred to as the fog of war at the Pentagon. According to records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by Protect Our Defenders, an advocacy group committed to changing how the military handles sexual misconduct allegations, a fog of lies has been standard operating procedure at the Pentagon, too.

Protect Our Defenders uncovered an effort by the Pentagon to undercut support for a Senate bill that would strip military commanders of their authority to decide which sexual assault complaints go forward to trial. According to internal government records used to buttress the Pentagons argument, civilian authorities are less likely to hold people in the military responsible for sexual assault than military prosecutors are.

Not so. The number of cases brought by local district attorneys and police against those in the military was either dramatically low-balled or omitted completely. This shady data even alleges that military authorities aggressively prosecute sexual assaults where civilian authorities refuse to, which is the opposite of what happens in reality.

The Pentagons testimony before Congress was a series of untruths designed to undermine efforts to move jurisdiction for prosecuting sex crimes from the military to civilian authorities. Protect Our Defenders wasnt able to find one case of sexual assault that was prosecuted over the objections of civilian authorities.

The military stands by its characterization of the data, which is a standard response. Someone in the Pentagon hierarchy should be held responsible. Even if the military wasnt consciously lying during its testimony, this episode doesnt bode well for its ability to interpret straightforward data.
Cemex intends to reduce its US exposure to reduce debt

ICR Newsroom By 03 May 2016

In a further effort to reduce its high gearing, which stood at 180.1 per cent at the end of March, Cemex has agreed to sell assets worth US$400m to a US subsidiary of the Mexican Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua.

The deal includes two cement plants  a 0.76Mta integrated plant in Odessa, Texas and a 0.57Mta integrated plant in Lyons, Colorado  as well as three cement terminals and building materials businesses in Texas and New Mexico. Plans are in hand, however, to increase the capacity of the Odessa works to 0.9Mta and a contract has been awarded to FLSmidth, but all the permits are not yet in place.



The Wall Street Journal reports that after the deal, Cemex will still have 10 US plants with a combined capacity in excess of 10Mta. At present, GCC has a capacity of 4.6Mta, which will increase to around 6Mta with Cemexs assets. The companys first US cement works, a 0.5Mta plant in New Mexico, was acquired in 1994 and was followed by a distribution terminal later that year. A further cement works was acquired in South Dakota in 2001 and a new cement works was built at Pueblo, Colorado, in 2008 with a 1Mta.

Last year, the US operations accounted for a turnover of US$535.4m, or 71.1 per cent of the group total, with cement volumes increasing by two per cent, but ready-mixed concrete deliveries were five per cent lower. During the 1Q16, the US turnover improved by 5.5 per cent to US$87.7m, with volumes being two per cent lower in cement but 25 per cent higher in ready-mixed concrete.

Cemex is currently working towards reaching an investment grade rating. To this end it has been selling off assets and reducing debt. Since 2009, the companys stock of debt and perpetual securities has fallen by US$6.9bn. In the past two years, Cemex has sold assets in Germany, Spain, Austria, Hungary Bangladesh and Thailand and will also look to dispose of its Croatian operations in 2016.

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Pakistan: Cement exports rise to 0.53Mt in March

ICR Newsroom By 03 May 2016

The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has welcomed the news that cement exports rose to 0.53Mt in March 2016, up 20.6 per cent YoY.

Exports have risen for two months in a row, bringing to an end a long run of disappointing figures, including a YoY fall of 34 per cent in September 2015. Despite the present turnaround, exports for the year to March are down 19 per cent on the preceding 12 months.

The Nation reports APCMA Chairman, Muhammad Ali Tabba, as stating that the industry has full faith in the economy of the country and it has kept on increasing its capacity on regular basis, while further increase in capacity to the tune of around 26,000tpd is expected to be available after the commencement of DG Khan, Lucky, Cherat and Attock Cement expansions.

He said that despite utilization of around 95 per cent capacity the industry is being accused of not using their idle capacity and of forming a cartel to keep the rates high.

Published under
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TVA's 2015 Integrated Resource Plan calls for an increase in both solar and wind capacity by adding up to 3,800 megawatts of large-scale solar and up to 1,750 megawatts of wind energy by 2033. This week, TVA announced a formal Request For Information to collect information about the capabilities of various suppliers specific to increasing its renewable energy resources.

Southern Alliance for Clean Energys executive director, Dr. Stephen A. Smith, issued this statement in response to this announcement: SACE applauds TVA's interest in collecting up-to-date information on renewable energy. TVA recently completed its integrated resource plan, a long-term planning analysis, which found a need for up to 2,550 megawatts of near-term renewable energy purchases.

"TVA's request for information on renewable energy will allow wind energy and solar power companies to submit low-cost, domestic clean energy solutions. Recent extensions of crucial federal tax incentives will produce all-time low prices for wind energy and solar power resources. Those tax credits will soon begin to phase out, however, and utilities potentially risk losing billions of dollars in ratepayer savings if they delay renewable energy purchases.

"TVA should move swiftly to procure substantial quantities of renewable energy in order to diversify its energy portfolio and secure low-cost energy for decades to come.
LINCOLN -- More than 1,800 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students were honored during individual college celebrations and the All-University Honors Convocation April 24 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

Students were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements. Honorees included:

Chancellor's Scholars: students who graduated in December or who will receive their degrees in May or August and have maintained 4.0 grade-point averages on all collegiate work at UNL and elsewhere.

Superior Scholars: seniors graduating in the 2015-2016 academic year who are in the top 3 percent of their college's senior class or who have been recognized at Honors Convocation each year of their enrollment.

High Scholars: students other than Chancellor's Scholars and Superior Scholars who are in the top 10 percent of their class.

The following is a list of area Chancellor's, Superior and High scholars by hometown. Information includes honor type, year in school and college(s).

Adams

Claire Rhea Richardson, High, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences.

Beatrice

Alexandra Nicole Goossen, High, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Allison Marie Carothers, High, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences.

Chauncey Kate Kleveland, High, freshman, Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.

Elizabeth Ann Cowan, High, junior, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Emily Erin Hoffman, High, junior, Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.

Hunter Dean Zarybnicky, High, sophomore, College of Business Administration.

Laura Amalia Suzanne Munn, High, junior, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Logan Alese Husa, Superior, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Neely Jorge Sutter, High, senior, College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Rachel Leigh Genrich, Superior, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Rachel Ruth Hoffman, High, freshman, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Torian Kathleen Sutter, High, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Burr

David Lee Moss, High, junior, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Lauren Joy Klaasmeyer, High, sophomore, College of Engineering.

Cook

Lindsay Marie Weber, High, freshman, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Cortland

Samuel Joseph Murray, Superior, senior, College of Engineering.

Terrill William Murray, High, junior, College of Engineering.

Crab Orchard

Benjamin Logston, High, freshman, College of Business Administration.

Elk Creek

Amzie Augusta Dunekacke, High, junior, College of Arts and Sciences.

Endicott

Kara Dawn Riggle, High, sophomore, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Fairbury

J'Nan Elaine Wittler, High, freshman, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Madison Sue Schlake, High, freshman, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Filley

Jeffrey John Wallman, High, junior, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Humboldt

Casey Jo McNealy, High, freshman, College of Business Administration.

Johnson

Kelsey Bohling, High, sophomore, College of Engineering.

Samantha L Teten, High, freshman, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Stephanie Ann Teten, Superior, senior, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Odell

Jordie Nichole Theye, High, junior, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Pickrell

Megan Correne Gronewold, Superior, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Plymouth

Amber Lynn Collins, High, junior, College of Education and Human Sciences.

Sterling

Allison Paige Porter, High, junior, College of Engineering.

Tecumseh

Grant William Badertscher, High, sophomore, College of Business Administration.

Lucas Daniel Kahnk, High, senior, College of Business Administration.

Tyler William Speckmann, High, sophomore, College of Business Administration.
Eurofins Scientific announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire EAC Corporation Ltd. from Asahi Industries Co., Ltd. in Japan. As part of the acquisition, Asahi and Eurofins will enter into an exclusive supplier contract for a period of 3 years. The transaction is expected to close by the end of May.

EAC provides environment testing services nationwide, with a strong competence in water and dioxin testing, and is one of the leading laboratories in the Northern Kanto region of Japan. Established in 1972, EAC employs about 70 staff and generates revenues of about EUR 5m.

The acquisition of EAC reinforces Eurofins' local footprint, as well as its platform to further deploy the Group's analytical expertise, especially in water and dioxin testing. With a leading position in Radioactive Material Analysis (RMA) following the acquisition of Nihon Kankyo (2012) and Nihon Soken (2015), the acquisition of EAC should allow Eurofins to also strengthen its service offering in water and dioxin testing. Furthermore, EAC's site location is a strong geographic fit with Eurofins' existing presence in the Southern Kanto region. Therefore the operational and geographic fit of this acquisition should allow the Group to become a reference laboratory for environment testing in Japan.

Comment from Dr. Gilles Martin, Eurofins CEO: "EAC is a good strategic fit to the Group's existing activities in Japan. This

acquisition reinforces the Group's growing Asia Pacific footprint, and is a further demonstration of our commitment in the region. We look forward to giving EAC access to the full capabilities of the Eurofins network."
Uber plans to bring a new accessibility-focused platform to Chicago riders later this month. (John Shepherd / Getty Images)

Uber is launching new options for Chicago passengers who use wheelchairs or need other types of assistance.

The rideshare giant plans to bring a new accessibility-focused platform to city riders later this month, Marco McCottry, Uber general manager for Illinois and Indiana, told Blue Sky.

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The new rides, offered through a two-tiered product called UberAccess, will let customers request wheelchair-accessible vehicles or rides helmed by drivers with special training.

Both Uber and Lyft have drawn discrimination lawsuits claiming the company does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Uber has said that drivers are required to follow accessibility laws as independent contractors. It has also argued that it is a tech company and not a transportation company and therefore isn't subject to the act.

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One branch of its new product, UberWAV, will let riders request accessible vehicles. The other, UberAssist, connects riders with drivers who are trained to help people with disabilities.

The company said it's finalizing partnerships for UberWAV, its wheelchair-accessible vehicle service. Uber plans to work with local companies who own or rent accessible vehicles and says its rides will be cheaper than a taxi. McCottry said the company hopes the fleet of contracted vehicles will be joined by drivers who have their own suitable vehicles and want to make some extra cash.

For its UberAssist rides, the company will pay for drivers to train with the Open Doors Organization, a Chicago-based nonprofit disability advocacy group. Those drivers will be trained to help riders from their door into the vehicle or assist vision-impaired riders. Fares through UberAssist will be equal to UberX, the company said.

The company plans to launch the services first within city limits, then expand into the suburbs. The company launched the accessible vehicle service in Austin, Texas, last summer, and said ride wait times for rides there are now about 14 minutes.

UberAssist is available in more than 30 markets and UberWAV in more than 10, the company said.

Options for Chicagoans who need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle currently include Pace's paratransit system, which requires customers to schedule trips a day in advance. They can also request wheelchair-accessible taxis through Open Doors, which runs a centralized dispatch.

Open Doors founder Eric Lipp said his service arranged more than 40,000 rides last year, letting passengers order on-demand rides via text, a phone call or through an app.

Uber and Lyft do have some options for special-needs riders.

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McCottry said all Uber vehicles on the platform can accommodate folding wheelchairs.

A spokeswoman for Lyft pointed to the company's wheelchair policy, which says the platform's drivers should accommodate passengers with wheelchairs that can "safely and securely fit in the car's trunk or backseat without obstructing the driver's view."

As both Uber and Lyft look to expand their offerings for people with disabilities nationwide, Pace officials say they've met with both companies about partnering on paratransit services.

The bus and paratransit agency's spokesman Patrick Wilmot said the service has held introductory meetings with rideshare services to get an understanding of how those companies could be integrated into Pace's service model.

"We want to get an understanding of what our potential options are so that we can decide how  or if  we want to proceed with a partnership," he said in an email.

McCottry said Uber is already working with public transportation providers in other markets to fill in holes.

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"I think there's a lot of opportunity here to offer the same thing within the city of Chicago, and that applies for paratransit as well," he said.

mgraham@tribpub.com

Twitter @megancgraham
A new study suggests resumes with names traditionally held by blacks and Hispanics are as likely to get callbacks from potential employers as resumes bearing white-sounding names. (Jim Jurca / iStock)

New research on hiring bias found resumes bearing names traditionally held by blacks and Hispanics are just as likely to lead to callbacks and job interviews as those bearing white-sounding names.

The findings, announced last week by the University of Missouri, diverge from the results of a famous study from more than a decade ago that found Lakishas and Jamals were far less likely to get job interviews than Emilys and Gregs.

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But study co-author Cory Koedel, an associate professor of economics and public policy at the University of Missouri, cautions that it would "be crazy" to interpret the results to suggest hiring discrimination is a problem of the past.

"People should not overreact to this study, but I think it is a data point to be considered when thinking about discrimination in the labor market today," Koedel said.

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The study is the first to apply the resume test to Hispanic applicants, Koedel said, but most of the attention it is getting is fixated on the black-white test.

The new study, which is forthcoming in the journal Applied Economics Letters, has important differences from the research published in 2004 by University of Chicago professor Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan, then at MIT and now at Harvard.

Namely, they used different names.

In the original study, Bertrand and Mullainathan sent nearly 5,000 resumes to 1,300 job ads they found in newspapers in Boston and Chicago from fictional applicants with "very white-sounding names" like Emily Walsh and Greg Baker and "very African-American sounding names" like Lakisha Washington and Jamal Jones. The names were randomly assigned to higher-quality and lower-quality resumes and submitted for administrative support, clerical, customer service and sales openings.

The white names got 50 percent more callbacks than the black names, regardless of the industry or occupation.

One of the criticisms of that study was that Lakisha and Jamal can denote socioeconomic status, and that employers may have made assumptions about education and income rather than race.

Hoping to capture the effect of race alone, Koedel and his co-author, Rajeev Darolia, conducted their experiment using surnames that the U.S. Census shows overwhelmingly belong to whites, blacks and Hispanics, while using first names to signify gender.

In the new experiment, the researchers sent nearly 9,000 resumes to online job postings in seven cities for positions in sales, administrative assistance, customer service, information technology, medical assistance and medical office/billing. The resumes from the fictional black applicants bore the last names Washington and Jefferson, while those from white candidates bore Anderson and Thompson, and those from Hispanic candidates bore Hernandez and Garcia.

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On average, 11.4 percent of resumes received a response from an employer, and there were no statistically significant differences across race, ethnic or gender groups.

The study, which only measured the very first step in the hiring process, could suggest that racial discrimination is less prevalent than it was a dozen years ago, the researchers say in a policy paper.

But it also could indicate that last names are a weak signal of race.

Though 90 percent of people with the last name Washington are black and 75 percent of those named Jefferson are black, "there is the fair criticism that maybe no one knows that," Koedel said.

The first names likely didn't help strengthen the connection. Megan and Brian were used for the white candidates, and Chloe and Ryan for the black candidates.

"If I got a resume in the mail for Chloe Washington or Ryan Jefferson it would be hard for me to imagine that I would have interpreted that differently from Megan Anderson or Bryan Thompson," said Northwestern University professor David Figlio, director of the school's Institute for Policy Research, who was not involved in the study.

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Doing a search on a database he has of 2 million names of kids born in Florida between 1994 and 2002, Figlio found that 90 percent of Ryans and 89 percent of Chloes are white.

"This new study is interesting and worthwhile but I don't think it changes my view in how important race is in subconscious decision-making," Figlio said. He points to a 2010 study by Stanford University researchers, titled "The Visible Hand," that showed racial bias without the complications of names and other indicators that could influence people's decisions.

That experiment found that an iPod being sold online got 13 percent fewer responses and 17 percent fewer offers if it was shown held by a black hand than by a white hand, "strong evidence that race really makes a difference when people are talking about trustworthiness," Figlio said.

"Am I willing to buy an iPod from somebody  that's exactly the same thing employers are thinking when deciding to hire someone," Figlio said.

To Figlio, the most valuable findings from the Missouri resume study relate to the Hispanic names, which to his knowledge have not been put to such a test before.

The researchers paired the first names Isabella and Carlos with the last names Garcia and Hernandez, all strong indicators of Hispanic origin. So a finding that employers didn't treat those resumes any differently is significant, he said, "and a bit reassuring."

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Careem Gladney, who works in supply chain at Cargill Industries and is black, said he doesn't know if he was ever passed up for a job because of his first name. But he believes hiring managers are conscious of it, which isn't always a bad thing. It can help a candidate's prospects if the company values diversity.

"I believe people are conscious of it, and they definitely make a decision," Gladney said.

aelejalderuiz@tribpub.com

Twitter @alexiaer
A widespread voluntary recall of frozen fruits and vegetables possibly contaminated with listeria expanded late Monday night to include products sold at several major grocery retailers in the Chicago area after seven people in other states became sick and two died.

The expanded recall issued by CRF Frozen Foods, a Washington-based company, now includes more than 350 products sold under 42 different brands, including some sold at large chains like Wal-Mart, Costco, Jewel-Osco and Trader Joe's in the Chicago area. The recall applies to stores in all 50 states.

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Any frozen or conventional fruits and vegetables processed at the company's Pasco, Wash., facility since May 1, 2014 are being recalled, according to the CRF Frozen Foods news release. The expanded recall comes after CRF issued a recall last week for 15 frozen vegetable products.

CRF said it had been contacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and informed that seven people in three states  California, Maryland and Washington  had become ill and hospitalized because of listeria, possibly from eating CRF products. Two of those people died, though not directly from listeria, the company said.

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Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by consuming food contaminated with the microscopic organism Listeria monocytogenes, according to the CDC website. It primarily affects infants, pregnant women, elderly people and adults with weakened immune systems.

"We apologize for any concern or inconvenience this expanded recall has caused our customers and consumers who enjoy our products. We are issuing this release to alert consumers not to eat these products," CRF Frozen Foods said in the news release.

All affected products have a "best by" or "sell by" between April 26, 2016, and April 26, 2018, the release said. Customers can return the products to the store where they were purchased for a refund or throw them away.

The recalled products include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables: organic and nonorganic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, green beans, Italian beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes, various vegetable medleys, blends, stir fry packages, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries and strawberries.

To determine whether you may have purchased the recall items, click here for the complete list on the Food and Drug Administration website.
Washington  Job prospects for college seniors about to graduate are looking up this year following an overall hiring boom, but lackluster wages and the burden of student debt might make new hires feel like they are still at a disadvantage.

The nation has more job openings and higher demand for college graduates than in years past, and students are certainly motivated to work, especially if they are saddled with thousands of dollars  or tens of thousands of dollars  in school loans. Nearly 75 percent of employers surveyed by CareerBuilder, a job search engine, say they plan to hire graduates fresh out of college this year, the highest it has been in nearly a decade.

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"Most industries, outside of energy, are really doing quite well, and that makes the environment much more receptive than in times of higher unemployment or in times of recession," said John Challenger, chief executive of consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "The market is generally strong, companies are filling their pipeline with new grads and they have strong recruiting programs out there."

Job vacancies are at near historic highs, hovering around 5.4 million at the end of February, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Openings are on the rise in educational services and the federal government, though positions in health care, finance and insurance have started to contract.

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"There are still pretty promising opportunities for the graduating Class of 2016," said Nicole Smith, a research professor and chief economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. "But they need to be concerned about their majors because the market is very picky about competencies," she said, noting that employers "want students to demonstrate what they know above and beyond the credential they earned."

Many companies are favoring graduates with internships under their belts, she said. Researchers at the Georgetown center found that 63 percent of college graduates who completed a paid internship received a job offer, compared to 35 percent who never interned during their time in school. Those graduates with paid internships also scored an average starting salary of $52,000, 28 percent higher than their peers without internship experience.

Colby Bender, 22, did not pursue internships as a student, pouring all of his free time at Virginia's Radford University into student government and campus activism. The political science major figured that all of his trips to the state capital to advocate for students and his interactions with local politicians would impress potential employers. But of the 65 jobs for which he's applied, just five have resulted in interviews, and none of those have proved fruitful.

"While they say entry-level, if you don't have internships, they don't end up choosing you. It's frustrating because if it's entry level, it's entry level," said Bender, who graduates May 7. "I'm looking for any possible job I can get. I'm not too good for anything. I'm willing to do whatever I can to try and get some income."

Bender said many of the politicians and advocates with whom he's worked are helping in his job search, but few local lawmakers are hiring, and the ones who are want students who have interned for them in the past. Though Bender is studying to take the LSAT in June and hopes to enter law school, he feels pressure to find work before he has to start repaying his $60,000 in student loans this fall.

Looming loan repayments also are making Guadalupe Triana, 21, uneasy about her job prospects. Finishing up a semester abroad in Paris, she has perused a few listings, but wants to wait until she gets back to Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., to really dive into the search. As much as she wants to enjoy her last few weeks studying overseas, Triana said it's hard not to worry about how she's going to repay $30,000 in school loans.

"Student debt got scary after I hit $20,000," said Triana, who is majoring in rhetoric and media studies. "I just want to pay it off as quickly as possible. I won't be able to do that with any job I get now, which is why I started thinking about the military. The military helps you pay back student loans."

If the last few years are any indication, the average Class of 2016 graduate will leave school with five-figure debt. That albatross likely will force graduates to accept jobs without long-term prospects for career or wage growth, according to a new study from the Economic Policy Institute. Analysts at the think tank say that despite the rosy overall employment picture, graduates actually face a tougher labor market than they would have before the 2008 recession. Degree-holders, they say, still contend with elevated levels of unemployment and underemployment, and a large share are neither employed nor pursuing advanced degrees  in other words, they are idling.

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"Although there have been small improvements, there is still a lot that's problematic about this economy for young college grads," said Teresa Kroeger, a research assistant at EPI who co-authored the study. "Wages are still performing poorly. And we see still disparities between genders and racial groups."

While there is only a tenth of a percentage point difference in the unemployment rate for college grads these days than before the recession  5.6 percent now compared with 5.5 percent in 2007  the number of degree-holders in low-paying jobs is much higher. Nearly 13 percent of young college graduates are currently underemployed, compared with 9.6 percent nine years ago.

"This recovery is unlike any other we've seen," said Smith, of Georgetown. "It has taken such a long time for us to get back on track. But you have to bear in mind that the initial recession was so deep. The number of jobs lost, we've regained that and more in terms of totals."

Of the 11.6 million jobs gained in the economy in this recovery, she said 8.4 million have been for workers with at least a bachelor's degree.

Analysts at EPI say unemployment for young black college graduates hovers at 9.4 percent, higher than the peak unemployment rate for young white college grads during the recession. And gender wage inequality has grown, with male college grads earning 8 percent more this year than in 2000, while young women with degrees earned 6.8 percent less than in 2000.

Perhaps the most troubling prediction from the institute posits that newly minted grads as a whole likely will earn less and have more spells of unemployment during the next 10 to 15 years than if they had graduated before the downturn.

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"If your wages are starting lower than they would have been in the past, the potential for growth moving forward is diminished," said Tanyell Cooke, a research assistant at EPI who co-wrote the report. "What's happening now could effect these young workers into the future because they're starting at a point of weakness."

Wages have crept up during the past year, with average hourly earnings rising 7 cents to $25.43 in March, according to the Labor Department. There also are promising signs that employers are ready to set aside a few more dollars for entry-level positions. More than a third of employers told CareerBuilder that they plan to offer newly minted grads higher pay than last year's class, with 27 percent saying they will pay a starting salary of $50,000 or more.

Demand, according to the survey, is highest for students with business and technical degrees, something to which James Madison University senior Jessica Reed can attest. Practically all of the job listings advertised on campus are for business majors, she said.

"I don't want to be a burden on my parents by living at home, but I'm not financially sound without them," said Reed, 22, who is studying French and international affairs and graduates May 6. "I'd really like to be able to provide for myself."

Reed said she has spent most of the semester looking for full-time work and applied for approximately 30 different jobs. She hasn't yet landed an interview, but Reed has secured a summer internship at a French academy. It's not what she wants to do full time, but at least it will keep her working on her French language skills. Reed is studying for the foreign service exam, but was hoping to get some work experience first.

"It's always tough coming out of school to get your first job because you don't have too much experience," Challenger said. "Companies are more careful than other periods of time, they don't want to over do it, so they keep a tighter control. There are concerns about a global slowdown, but most companies focus not on what might happen two years from now, but more on what their needs are right now, and right now the job market is relatively hot."
As an online petition to boycott Target continues to attract signatures, an American Family Association leader said the organization has sent men into women's bathrooms at Target.



The petition, which launched April 20 in response to Target's statement that transgender individuals can use the bathroom and fitting room that corresponds with their gender identities, has surpassed a million signatures. As of Tuesday morning, it had more than 1,155,000 signatures.



"We believe that everyone  every team member, every guest, and every community  deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally," Target's statement read. "Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination."



Now, in an interview on Breitbart News Daily, a conservative website, Sandy Rios, director of Government Affairs for the American Family Association, said the organization has sent men to Target to attempt entry into women's bathrooms. She did not mention the gender identity of these men.



"I think there's no question that when you say that there are no barriers in the bathroom and that if men or women feel like they are men or women, the (opposite) of however they are equipped, and you have no restrictions, the net effect will be that people will not be stopped," Rios said. "We've already had people testing this, going into Targets and men trying to go into bathrooms. There is absolutely no barrier."





While there is no evidence of American Family Association-affiliated men entering women's restrooms in Target, YouTube has filled with videos of men doing just that. Many of the videos include the men protesting the policy.



The boycott has affected Target, USA Today reported. According to data compiled by YouGov BrandIndex, a research company focused on brand perception, Target suffered a loss of 4 percent of people who say they would consider shopping at the store. Before the statement regarding its bathrooms, 42 percent of people said they would consider the retail giant. After, that number had dropped to 38 percent, a shift YouGov CEO Ted Marzilli called "significant."



One Target employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told WFTS in Tampa Bay, Fla., he's worried about the boycott's potential effects on the company's staff.



"I'm worried that it will cost jobs. I'm wondering if they care about families or they care about families of team members that lose their jobs," he said.

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Melissa Arnoff, on the other hand, doesn't see cause for worry. The senior vice president at crisis communications firm Levick told USA Today that she didn't think the boycott will hurt Target in the long run. In fact, it could actually help the brand as it upholds its self-curated identity.



"I don't think they stand to lose much at all," Arnoff said. "This isn't unusual for them. It's actually very true to who they say they are as a brand. I think the people who shop there loyally know that."
District 64 Board of Education board members were not in favor of a proposal to start a district-run hot lunch program. (Hans Pennink / AP)

A proposal to start a district-run hot lunch program at all Park Ridge elementary schools received a lukewarm response from the District 64 Board of Education.

Board members on April 25 voted 6-1 against an administrative recommendation that the district institute a hot lunch program at all five K-5 schools. Board member Bob Johnson cast the only vote in favor.

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Under the most current proposal, District 64 had planned to spend $90,000 in start-up costs in order to bring in an outside food service company to serve meals four days per week. The fifth day would be reserved for a pizza fundraiser organized by each school's parent-teacher organization or association, according to a FAQ sheet on District 64's website.

The company that administrators had selected to prepare the food was Arbor Management, which already provides lunches at the district's two middle schools, Superintendent Laurie Heinz said.

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Based on food sales at these schools and an anticipated 50 percent student participation rate, the district could see an annual surplus of about $69,000 if each elementary school student is charged $3.75 per meal, a memo to the school board from Chief School Business Official Luann Kolstad said.

Heinz told the board that, according to a March survey of parents, 65 percent of just over 1,000 respondents said they would like a district-run hot lunch program offered three to four days per week.

"We are doing this as a service to parents," she said of the proposal.

But board members expressed opposition, citing the cost of the program, the need for more school staff coordinate it and the potential for food waste.

"I just haven't been convinced this is the right time to do this," said board member Scott Zimmerman, explaining that there are capital projects and other initiatives the district is currently tackling. He added that he would rather see the administration and teaching staff "focus on other objectives," like "studying all-day kindergarten or something along those lines."

Board President Anthony Borrelli said that while he thought a district-led hot lunch is a "great idea," his primary concern was cost. Many of the survey responses, he said, indicated that parents favored a hot lunch program for the convenience of it.

"That's an awful lot of money that we're putting out for convenience factors," Borrelli said.

Board member Bob Johnson said he saw district-provided lunches as beneficial.

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"It could result in better nutrition than what they're bringing to school today," he said.

Currently, parent-teacher organizations or associations at each elementary school conduct their own hot lunch days, which take place once or twice each week, Heinz said.

Bridget Arena, co-president of the Washington School PTO, said the programs are paid for by parents through the cost of meals, and parent volunteers help serve the food. Craig Rutherford of Kids Healthy Kitchen said he supplies food to Roosevelt, Washington and Franklin schools twice each week and to Field School once a week.

But District 64 officials threatened that changes in state health regulations could impact this voluntary meal program during the next school year. The FAQ sheet put out by the district in April said that beginning July 1, the Illinois Department of Public Health will "require a certified food handler to be present when food is being served. The elementary PTO/PTAs do not have the consistent volunteers available to satisfy this requirement to the satisfaction of the city of Park Ridge Health Department."

City Health Inspector Tim Schwarz said the district has an annual license, allowing lunches to be served as many days as the district wishes. If this license is kept for another year, one certified food manager will be required for each school, he said, though the manager will not need to present during every food service.

"They just need to have someone who is certified, but they don't have to be on site all the time," Schwarz said.

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There are no changes in the health codes at this time, he added.

In an email to school principals and PTO/PTA presidents following the school board's vote, Heinz wrote that during the 2016-17 school year, "the expectations will be that each school will design its own program to meet the particular desires of your local parent community as they align to the realities of the health code."

Arena and Chandra Kearney, co-presidents of the Roosevelt School PTO, had both urged the school board to approve the district program during the April 25 meeting and expressed unhappiness with the vote.

"I think we'll get backlash from many parents," Kearney said, explaining that many wanted the district to offer a hot lunch program.

"It's disappointing because you had three principals who stood up and said they want the program, and then [the board] says 'no,'" added Arena.

Arena was referring to Brett Balduf, principal of Carpenter School; Kevin Dwyer, of Roosevelt School; and Katie Kelly of Field School, all of whom expressed support for daily hot lunches.

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"If this is what the families want, I want to do it," Kelly said.

The board also heard from two speakers who expressed their concerns about a lunch program.

Michelle Fiore-Cwiertniak, a teacher at Field School, said there was not enough support at each individual school to justify the expense.

"I just don't think there's a need for it at this time," she said.

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Pioneer
This image released by The Public Theater shows Lin-Manuel Miranda, foreground, with the cast during a performance of "Hamilton," in New York. (Joan Marcus / AP)

"Hamilton" got a record 16 Tony nominations Tuesday morning, one more than former champs "The Producers" and "Billy Elliot." All those nominations for the diversely cast musical have a side effect: They're making the Tony Awards exceptionally inclusive just months after the Oscars were ridiculed on social media for nominations that were conspicuously monochromatic.

For the second year in a row, all 20 actors and actresses up for Academy Awards were white. An uproar ensued and boycotts followed. Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, promised changes.

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Compare that to this year's Tony Awards, in which 35 percent of the nominees are people of color.

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Are the Tonys always more diverse than the Oscars? We looked at the years since 2010, comparing acting nominations for Tonys, Oscars and Primetime Emmys, to get a sense of how television compares. This chart shows what we found when looking at the percentage of acting nominees who were white.

Chart shows percentage of acting nominees who are white compared to U.S. population. (Source: www.census.gov) (The Washington Post )

No medium is as diverse as the U.S. population, as you can see from the green line, which looks at the percent of the population identifying as non-Hispanic white. But the Tony Awards have consistently come closest, especially this year. In 2015 they were almost as homogeneous as the Oscars, as more than 90 percent of acting nominees were white. That was an outlier, however, as they're usually just under 80 percent white.

As expected, since stories being told on television have grown more diverse, so have the actors and actresses being singled out for their stellar performances over the last few years. In 2015, it was more inclusive than the Oscars or the Tonys: Of 77 Emmy nominees for acting, 16 were people of color. Three of six actors up for best supporting role in a comedy were black: Titus Burgess ("Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"), Andre Braugher ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine") and Keegan-Michael Key ("Key & Peele"). (Tony Hale of "Veep" won.)

It wasn't always that way. In 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Oscar nominations were actually more diverse than the Emmys. But with peak television has come a greater acceptance of a wide variety of programming. The standard Nielsen ratings chase isn't nearly as important as it used to be.

Of course there's also the question of who's voting. Do awards shows really reflect the industry as a whole? Acting Oscars are determined by an 1,100-person branch of the Academy, and Tony nominations come from a 50-person committee, made up of those in the industry. In other words, the winners aren't based on the feelings of the general public. If that were the case, maybe Michael B. Jordan would have been nominated for his role in "Creed" over, say, Bryan Cranston in "Trumbo" -- a movie that few people saw. Even so, we know from recent research at USC, among other places, that people of color are egregiously underrepresented in movies.

As Viola Davis noted when she won her Emmy for "How to Get Away With Murder" last year, "The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there." And these days, in television and theater, the roles are increasingly there.

"Hamilton" wasn't the only stage production to make this a banner year for theater actors of color. "Shuffle Along," "The Color Purple" and "Eclipsed" all had predominantly non-white casts, and all landed nominations in multiple categories.

Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is a nominee for her leading role in the play "Eclipsed," which also has an entirely female cast. The show, written by Danai Gurira, follows a group of African women trying to survive civil war in Liberia. In the most recent Lenny newsletter, Nyong'o wrote that journalists sometimes ask her why such a big star would take a part in a "small play," which made her wonder why people would assume a Hollywood role would be worth more than a Broadway one -- especially considering how uninteresting so many movie roles are for women of color.

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She talked about performing "night after night, with four incredible actresses, telling a powerful story about women who are rarely given a complex rendering," and wrote, "I look out at the diverse audiences who come to full houses and experience our performances, and feel proud of being a part of sharing this important story with the world. I see a work of incredible power that is transforming lives by daring to offer women of color fully rendered narratives, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. I look at this play and see nothing about it that is 'small.'"

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LGBT inclusion in films static, diversity drops, study says

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Oscars aren't the diversity problem - moviemaking is







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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
It has been far too many years since the Woke theology interlaced its canons within the fabric of the Indoctrination Realm, so it is nigh time to ask: Does this Representative Republic continue, as a functioning society of a self-governed people, by contending with the unusual, self absorbed dictates of the Woke, and their vast array of Victimhood scenarios?

Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything.

No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their self-anointed pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now.
Nothing in "Civil War" takes your breath away. All the exteriors are shrouded in the same overcast, indistinct light. Little in story terms is what you'd call daisy fresh. But almost everything in it works on its own prescribed terms, and the quiet moments register. It's telling, I think, that for all the epic, scowly intensity on screen in "Civil War," the moment that got the spontaneous applause at the Monday night Navy Pier IMAX screening belonged to Rudd's Ant-Man and a sudden transformation followed by a swell reaction shot, proving that it's always a plus to be able to see an actor's eyes. Rudd's Ant-Man is my kind of underdog in this universe, happy and a little bit stunned to be called up to the majors.
Former Chicago meteorologist Ginger Zee had nothing left to give Monday on "Dancing with the Stars."

After falling to the bottom of the leaderboard last week, Zee redeemed herself by earning the first perfect score of Season 22. She danced a Viennese waltz with professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy to Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" for the "icons" theme.

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"Ginger, that was incredible. Halfway through the dance, I burst into tears," judge Carrie Ann Inaba said.

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Judge Bruno Tonioli called the performance Zee's best dance so far. Each of the three judges gave the duo a 10.

"Oh my god, I'm overwhelmed. That is awesome," Zee, who worked for WMAQ-Ch. 5 from 2006-11, said after hearing her score.

Later, the contestants performed group dances to James Brown and Beyonce medleys before the double elimination was announced.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 19 Ginger Zee and professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy danced a fusion routine of the Argentine tango and foxtrot for their final performance on "Dancing with the Stars." The pair placed third overall this season. (Adam Taylor / ABC)

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Fields, her professional partner Sasha Farber, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and his pro partner Witney Carson were sent home.

Six couples are left to compete for the mirror ball trophy on "Dancing with the Stars," which airs 7 p.m. Mondays on ABC.

RELATED STORIES:

Ex-Chicago forecaster 'someone to watch' on 'Dancing with the Stars'

Ex-Chicago meteorologist Ginger Zee is Belle of the ballroom on 'DWTS'

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Ginger Zee talks being a role model while balancing motherhood, 'DWTS'







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
Bernie Sanders speaks to the media during a stop for breakfast at Peppy Grill in Indianapolis on May 3, 2016. Indiana voters went to the polls today in the state's presidential primaries. ( Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

Reporting from Indianapolis  Sen. Bernie Sanders remains on track to lose the Democratic nomination race, but he nonetheless managed to keep his agenda at the center of it with a victory in Indiana over the front-runner, Hillary Clinton.

The lone state that voted Tuesday was a test of the continued potency of Sanders' fight as the Vermonter sought to maintain his political revolution as a force with which Clinton will need to wrestle.

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The win in Indiana will help with that effort.

"I sense a great deal of momentum," Sanders told reporters in Indiana after the results were in.

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"We understand -- and I do not deny it for one second -- that we have an uphill battle in front of us," he said. But there is a "path to victory, although it is a narrow path."

Nonetheless, because the Democrats distribute delegates proportionately according to each candidate's vote totals, the primary results will have little impact on the actual race.

The two candidates will split Indiana's 83 pledged delegates roughly in half. That result benefits Clinton, who is closing in on a delegate majority.

Clinton's campaign clearly signaled its lack of concern about the outcome here, spending no money at all on television advertising, in contrast with the roughly $1.5 million that Sanders spent.

Clinton has built a lead of roughly 300 pledged delegates over Sanders. Combined with the super-delegates who have vowed to support her at the party's nominating convention in Philadelphia in July, the front-runner has already secured 90% of what she needs to lock up the nomination.

Sanders needs overwhelming victories in the remaining primaries to overtake the former secretary of State.

Those daunting odds, however, did not worry some Sanders voters as they lined up to cast ballots for him here.

Harry Pai, a 50-year-old in Noblesville, a suburb northeast of Indianapolis, works as a caregiver to his elderly parents. He said he voted for Sanders even though he doesn't think the Vermont senator can win.

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"I need to see more progressive views from Hillary Clinton," he said.

Pai said Sanders should be in no hurry to exit the Democratic primary. "He's OK to stay in the race, so long as he doesn't get too antagonistic," he said.

On the north side of Indianapolis, Kathy Dickerson said she, too, was not ready to give up on Sanders. The 59-year-old waitress has a younger child suffering from a chronic and costly illness and older children hamstrung by student debt. The healthcare system and free public colleges Sanders envisions are a big draw for her.

"Seeing a woman in office would be great," she said. "But Bernie would represent the working class better than anybody else."

However, Dickerson also said that at some point, the two candidates need to overcome their differences.

"I think it's getting down to the wire, and they need to join forces," she said of Sanders and Clinton. "I'm terrified of Donald Trump."

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The exit poll showed Sanders continuing to enjoy strong support from younger voters and also revealed that in Indiana, as in other states, the overwhelming majority of Democratic voters felt the spirited primary campaign had energized their party.

About half of those polled wanted a continuation of President Obama's policies, while roughly a third wanted a more liberal agenda in the White House.

The demographics of the Indiana electorate, which is heavily white, were particularly favorable to Sanders, who does best in states with smaller minority populations. The rules in Indiana, a state where independents can vote in Democratic primaries, also helped the insurgent candidate.

Sanders also benefited from his arguments against U.S. trade agreements; the state's workforce has been hit hard by the offshoring of manufacturing jobs.

Despite a string of setbacks in recent weeks, Sanders kept up the unrelenting pace here that has defined his run. He campaigned vigorously throughout the state, speaking at the kind of large rallies at college towns that initially sparked his movement and set in motion the fundraising machine that until recently had been outperforming Clinton's.

He vowed to continue racking up delegates and to use them to push the Democratic Party in a more progressive direction, regardless of whether he is the nominee.

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"We are going to create an economy that works for all of us, not just the 1%," Sanders said at a campaign rally in Louisville, Ky., Tuesday night.

Clinton has largely ignored Sanders in the past week while turning her attention to Trump, the Republican front-runner. She was not even in Indiana on election day, nor was she there the day before.

Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Indiana primary election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter

"I'm really focused on moving into the general election," Clinton said Tuesday on MSNBC, while campaigning in West Virginia. "I think that's where we have to be, because we're going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally say or do anything. And we're going to take him on at every turn on what's really important to the people of our country."

She also campaigned in Ohio, a state crucial to the general election, before returning to her home in Chappaqua, N.Y., for the night.

After crushing Sanders in New York last month and then scoring victories in four of the five Eastern states that voted the week after -- including Pennsylvania and Maryland -- the Clinton campaign declared the Democratic primary all but over and shifted its focus toward road-testing strategies for battling Trump.

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Those included rolling out an official "Woman's Card" in response to Trump's remark that "the only thing she's got going is the woman's card" and that Clinton would not even garner 5% of the vote if she were male.

Clinton's strategy has been to avoid getting drawn onto Trump's turf of personal insults. Her campaign's carefully crafted response was met with enthusiasm by donors. The "Woman Card" online fundraising effort was Clinton's most successful yet.

Sanders, meanwhile, is looking to regain his footing and, at the very least, mount an aggressive fight at the party's national convention to seek reforms in the primary system and to insert into the party platform his signature agenda of free public university tuition, government run healthcare for all and a $15 federal minimum wage.

In recent days, Sander's fundraising, while still impressive, has plummeted. His campaign laid off more than 200 workers late last month. The senator has sought to boost morale of supporters -- and keep the donor dollars flowing -- by outlining an improbable road map for victory that would involve a contested national convention, something more commonly associated with this year's chaotic GOP primary.

Even under such a scenario, which assumes a mass defection of superdelegates away from Clinton, the math would still work in Clinton's favor. Sanders would need to beat Clinton in California and each of the other remaining states by some 30 points to overtake her lead in pledged delegates at this point.

Even as the two candidates continue jousting, fear of Trump is pulling many of their supporters together. Worry about the likely Republican nominee was partly what propelled Indianapolis mechanic Joel Dent to cast a ballot for Clinton on Tuesday.

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Dent, 33, initially thought about voting for Sanders, but decided not to after he saw Trump employing a Sanders critique of Clinton that she was "unqualified."

"He lost me when he started turning real ugly," Dent said of Sanders. "He's basically giving ammo to Donald Trump."

Dent said he thinks it's fine for Sanders to continue to campaign until the Democratic convention and try to influence the party platform, but only if he softens his critiques of Clinton and stops indicating that he has a path to victory in his fundraising emails, something Dent believes is dishonest.

"He needs to stop attacking Hillary and focus on the issues that are important for him. He cannot keep running in such a divisive manner," Dent said.

"To me, it's over, and I'm just ready to have everybody on the Democratic side come together."

But his wife, Karhma, 41, disagreed. A stay-at-home mom, she cast her ballot for Sanders. While she said she would certainly support Clinton against a Republican in November, she said she wants Sanders to fight to the end.

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"He's like a real person," she said. "I like everything he stands for."

Halper reported from Washington and Linthicum reported from Indianapolis. Staff writer Melanie Mason in Noblesville, Ind., contributed to this report.

evan.halper@latimes.com

Follow me: @evanhalper

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Sorry, Trump, Cruz and Kasich: These high-profile Republicans are just not that into you

UPDATES:

7:02 p.m.: This story was updated with quotes from Sanders' news conference.

6:26 p.m.: This story was updated with Sanders' projected victory and other information.
In Thursday's A+E section, an article on an emerging exhibition at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center misstated the cost for developing a new technology and recording survivors' testimonies. The figure should be $6 million.

An April 22 Nation & World article about strained U.S.-Saudi relations mistakenly referred to the 9/11 Commission Report in a story about the potential declassification of 28 pages in a document. The pages are from a 2002 congressional report.

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The Tribune regrets the errors.
CPS formalized a plan that has been in effect for a while.

Transgender and gender nonconforming students will be able to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity under updated guidelines announced Tuesday by Chicago Public Schools.

Students who do not identify as male or female, and students who are questioning their gender identity should receive special accommodations, the guidelines state. Students who have "a need or desire for increased privacy" should be provided with "reasonable alternative arrangements" that can include the use of a private area or a single-stall restroom.

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The district's update of guidelines it first established in 2014 provide "clear guidance on restroom, locker room and overnight trip accessibility," the district said. The guidelines also offer the district's first protocols for transgender employees and adults who otherwise volunteer or participate in CPS activities.

The guidelines land amid a national furor over restroom access for transgender and gender nonconforming people that has sparked debate in the Republican presidential race, religious disputes and a federal legal battle in suburban Palatine.

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"CPS, like much of the country, has become far more aware of the needs and experiences of the transgender community," CPS Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson said in a statement. "It's crucial for CPS guidelines to reflect our commitment to promoting safe and inclusive schools."

CPS said it developed the updated guidelines with the help of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Mikva Challenge, Lambda Legal, and Lurie Children's Gender and Sex Development Program.

"This is a great step toward a truly equal and inclusive public school system for transgender students in Chicago," Christopher Clark, Lambda Legal's youth program strategist, said in a statement. "At a time when we are seeing attacks on the most vulnerable members of our community, Chicago is instead taking steps to protect and affirm transgender people."

A representative for the Thomas More Society, a religious liberty group that has worked with a Palatine parents' group to call for using only a student's biological sex when determining the appropriate locker room, said the organization was unable to comment Tuesday.

Under the updated guidelines, students and employees have a right to be addressed by the "name and pronoun" that corresponds with their gender identity.

Students and employees also won't be required to obtain court orders or gender re-assignment to modify their official records to correspond with their stated identities, and students' requested names and genders will be added to other information contained in a district database.

"Information about the student's legal name and biological sex shall be kept confidential in the 'legal alert' field" of a district student database, the guidelines say.

Transgender CPS employees are allowed to decide how to share private information, the district said, and information about an employee's birth gender qualifies as confidential medical information. The guidelines prohibit district managers from sharing information that "may reveal an employee's transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others."

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Roughly the same privacy guidelines apply to students, but CPS staffers are barred from disclosing a student's transgender or gender nonconforming status  including the student's preferred name or gender pronoun  to "other staff members, parents, guardians or third parties" without a student's permission or legal authorization.

"Inadvertent slips or honest mistakes in the use of preferred names or pronouns" will not be an issue under the guidelines, but "intentional or persistent refusal by students or school staff to respect a student's gender identity" will not be tolerated.

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"Such violations will result in appropriate consequences for offending staff and students," the district's policy for students says. Discrimination or harassment complaints are to be handled though the district's existing nondiscrimination and sexual harassment policies.

CPS' 2014 guidelines on the issue affirmed students' rights to wear clothing, attend classes, and use names and pronouns that reflect the gender they identify with. Restroom and locker room use were to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Then a case in northwestern Cook County prompted an intervention by the U.S. Department of Education, which found Palatine-based Township High School District 211 violated civil rights laws with its policy on locker room access for a transgender student.

The Department of Education's civil rights office concluded the district violated Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex. The district risked losing millions of federal dollars and a possible lawsuit if it failed to reach a resolution.

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The school board later settled the case and allowed the student to use the locker room after tense negotiations and rancorous board meetings attended by hundreds of parents.

jjperez@tribpub.com

Twitter @PerezJr
The following items were taken from the official reports and press releases of the Winnetka and Northfield police departments. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

Winnetka Graffiti

A lifeguard station building at 299 Sheridan Road was defaced with spray paint, according to an April 25 report. The repair cost is unknown.

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Fraud

A resident in the 900 block of Forest Glen Drive reported April 26 that their "personal identifiers" were used to make unauthorized purchases on a Kohl's credit card account, and there were attempts to open other store credit cards. The amount of loss $986.

A resident of the 1000 block of Spruce Street reported April 27 that an unknown person attempted to purchase a pair of Adidas shoes from the victim on Ebay by opening a fraudulent PayPal account. The amount of loss is unknown.

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Traffic

Miledy Reyes, 33, of the 6400 block of N. Fairfield Avenue in Chicago, was charged with not having a valid driver's license and cited for speeding in the 200 block of Hibbard Road on May 25.

Mark Clark, 38, of the 7100 block of Ridge Avenue in Chicago, was charged with driving with a suspended driver's license and cited for no rear registration light in the 200 block of Green Bay Road on May 2.

Domestic Battery

Christopher Gallagher, 29, of the 900 block of Pine Tree Lane was charged with domestic battery subsequent to a 911 call made from the residence reporting a battery in progress.

Northfield Hit and Run

Zackary Barabasz, 27, of the 6200 block of N. Keystone Street in Chicago, was charged with failure to give information and render aid following an accident, failure to give immediate notice of an accident and disobeying a red light in connection with an April 24 hit and run accident at Willow Road and Lagoon Drive.

Barabasz allegedly passed a vehicle at a stoplight then struck a cyclist, who flew over Barabasz's hood. Barabasz then fled the scene, but witnesses were able to get a description of his vehicle and plate number. The cyclist, 17 and from Chicago, was taken to Evanston Hospital and released after a few days. Barabasz, accompanied by his father, turned himself in at the Northfield police station on May 2.

A resident in the 2300 block of Clover Lane on May 1 reported that their new fence had been struck by a vehicle that fled. Police saw tire marks leading to the fence. Damages are estimated at $700.

Excessive Speeding

Dennis J. Lashoff, 34, of the 00 hundred block of Mulberry East Road in Deerfield, was charged with excessive speeding and having an expired registration on May 1 in the 2100 block of Willow Road, after police stopped him for driving 57 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone.

John Perez, 23 of the 4000 block of W. Concelia Road in Chicago, was charged with excessive speeding, driving on a suspended license and driving without insurance on May 2 after police stopped him for driving 52 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone.

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Lara N. Keira 30, of the 8100 block of Knox Drive in Skokie, was charged on April 28 with driving on a suspended license and failure to wear a seatbelt at Three Lake Road and Willow Road.

DUI

William Agnello, 25, of the 00 hundred block of Keswick Road in Elk Grove Village, was charged with DUI, possession of cannabis and traffic offenses on April 30 after police saw him driving in the wrong lane, making a U-turn and driving over a raised median in the 300 block of Walnut Drive. Police recovered a bottle of cognac and pot from his vehicle.

Briarly Ancell, 44, of the 900 block of Skokie Ridge Drive in Glencoe, was charged with DUI, improper use of a turn signal, uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane use and driving while on a cell phone on April 29. Police received a call of an erratic driver and saw Ancell's vehicle stopped in the middle of Forest Wake Drive blocking traffic. She drove off when police arrived, but stopped a short time later.

Fraud

A resident of the 300 block of Sunset Ridge Road on April 28 called 911 and reported she had been called by security at Nordstrom's department store, which told her someone was trying to open an account in her name. The person was denied, but tried again on the phone. Nordstrom's security told her to report it to police.

Theft

Dealer tags and I-Pass transponders were reported taken from two vehicles at Fields BMW in the 700 block of W. Frontage Road on April 25. The amount of loss is $100.

Brian Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
A man who served more than 15 years in prison for murder before winning his freedom has filed a federal lawsuit against the law enforcement officials in Lake County who built the faulty case against him.

Jason Strong was found guilty of murdering a woman whose body was discovered in a Waukegan-area forest preserve in 1999  and prosecutors and police won the conviction years before the victim would be identified as Mary Kate Sunderlin, a mentally disabled woman from Kane County.

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But Strong, who was sentenced to 46 years in prison, was freed last year after the case collapsed amid new evidence that raised doubts about his guilt. Strong, 40, alleges in his suit that law enforcement officials  including several Waukegan officers and other members of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force  conspired to wrongfully convict him, violated his due process rights and coerced a false confession through an "unconstitutional interrogation."

Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim agreed to clear Strong last year after new pathologists' reports undermined crucial elements of authorities' account of the murder, including when Sunderlin died and the nature of her wounds. Strong had been prosecuted under Nerheim's predecessor, Michael Waller, whose office saw several other murder and rape cases fall apart after forensic evidence pointed away from suspects who had been convicted and imprisoned or held for years before trial.

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Last month, Strong received a certificate of innocence from Lake County court.

"He continues to suffer as he struggles to integrate into the free community and repair his shattered life," the lawsuit says.

Strong seeks damages from Lake County and its major crime task force, several communities whose officers worked on the task force, former Sheriff Gary Del Re and 14 current and former officers. The lawsuit highlights the Waukegan Police Department's involvement not just in the investigation of Sunderlin's murder but in many other cases that collapsed in Lake County.

Lake County and Waukegan officials declined to comment on the pending litigation. Del Re could not be reached.

Strong was 24 in late 1999 when he was arrested after police burst into the transient motel where he had been living. According to his lawsuit, investigators ignored his request for an attorney and, after numerous hours of questioning and threats by police, Strong broke down and made a false confession, with information he said was furnished to him by police.

Officers invented a false narrative about the circumstances of Sunderlin's death and fed the information to two purported "witnesses," both of whom later attempted to retract their statements, according to the lawsuit.

In putting the case into what Strong's lawyers said has been a larger pattern of injustices in Lake County, the suit asserts that there was "a widespread practice among City of Waukegan police officers under which officers fabricated evidence, coerced criminal suspects and (aided) witnesses in the creation of fabricated statements that falsely incriminated themselves or others in crimes, and suppressed and failed to disclose exculpatory evidence and information."

The suit contends that Waukegan did not discipline officers who worked cases that led to wrongful convictions but instead "rewarded and promoted" officers. Those practices "infected" the task force, according to the lawsuit.

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A Tribune investigation last year found that no city police agency in Illinois other than Chicago's shares responsibility for as many known wrongful convictions as the Waukegan police. Since 2010, six major felony cases built largely by Waukegan police have collapsed after DNA or forensic evidence indicated the wrong man had been imprisoned, in some cases for decades.

That problem  and the agency's tendency to attract lawsuits alleging brutality  led the city and insurers to pay about $27 million for claims against police from 2006 through last year, outpacing other towns with large police forces. City officials have promised reforms, and the U.S. Department of Justice agreed last year to try to improve relations between police and the city's residents.

Several of the defendants in Strong's suit are Waukegan officers implicated in other cases that fell apart. William Valko helped take Strong's confession, police reports show, and he was the commander of the task force when it built the case against Jerry Hobbs, who spent five years in jail before being cleared of killing his daughter and another girl in Zion in 2005. An officer who helped take Hobbs' confession, Domenic Cappelluti, helped take witness statements against Strong, police reports show.

Records show another Waukegan officer, Lou Tessmann, helped take witness statements against Strong. Tessmann was key to getting the confession of Juan Rivera, who spent 20 years in prison for an 11-year-old girl's murder before DNA cleared him and he was freed in 2012. Another officer who helped take Rivera's confession, Donald Meadie, helped take Strong's statement, according to police reports.

Valko, Tessmann and Meadie are all retired from the agency, though Valko is now a Waukegan alderman. Cappelluti remains a Waukegan detective, according to the city's website. None could be reached for comment Tuesday.

The evidence against Strong eroded slowly until little remained to suggest he had killed the woman whose badly beaten body was found in a forest on the Waukegan-North Chicago border.

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A short time later, investigators turned toward a Wadsworth transient motel after a man who lived there, Jeremy Tweedy, talked about the woman's death with an officer posing as a prostitute. Police had publicized the body's discovery in hopes of identifying it.

Tweedy said he had seen Strong torture and beat the woman at the motel before the two, along with a third man, put her in a van. Strong's confession said he invited her to his room but became angry when he caught her looking through his things, and prosecutors said he beat her and then dumped the body.

In 2006 the victim was identified as Sunderlin. She was disabled and did not drive or generally travel far from the Carpentersville area, where she lived, according to court records. That raised questions as to how she would come to be alone in Lake County, where Strong had supposedly met her.

A second man besides Tweedy also implicated Strong, but he later signed a statement saying police physically intimidated him and threatened him with a long prison stay if he didn't cooperate. Tweedy also said under oath in an affidavit that police fed him details of the crime, and prosecutors told him he would face serious charges if he didn't blame Strong at trial. After testifying against Strong, Tweedy pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and spent two years behind bars.

Authorities agreed to clear Strong after pathologists' reports indicated prosecutors had been wrong about the time Sunderlin died and the nature of her wounds. Prosecutors originally contended that Sunderlin was beaten badly the night before her body was found, a contention that matched the witness statements and confession. The recent medical evidence, however, indicated she likely died days before she was found and that some of her injuries were weeks or months old, suggesting chronic abuse before her death.

tbriscoe@tribpub.com

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dhinkel@tribpub.com
SHATI REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip  Each day, millions of gallons of raw sewage pour into the Gaza Strip's Mediterranean beachfront, spewing out of a metal pipe and turning miles of once-scenic coastline into a stagnant dead zone.



The sewage has damaged Gaza's limited fresh water supplies, decimated fishing zones and, after years of neglect, is now floating northward and affecting Israel as well, where a nearby desalination plant was forced to shut down, apparently due to pollution.



"It's certain that Gaza Strip's beaches are completely polluted and unsuitable for swimming and entertainment, especially in the summer," said Ahmed Yaqoubi of the Palestinian Water Authority.



Environmentalists and international aid organizations say that if the problem isn't quickly addressed, it could spell even more trouble on both sides of the border.

It's certain that Gaza Strip's beaches are completely polluted and unsuitable for swimming and entertainment, especially in the summer.  Ahmed Yaqoubi, of the Palestinian Water Authority





But while Israel has a clear interest in Gazans repairing their water infrastructure, that would likely require it to ease restrictions on the import of building materials  which it fears the territory's Hamas rulers could divert for military purposes  and increase the amount of electricity it sells to Gaza.



Poor sewage treatment in Gaza is the result of a rapidly expanding population, an infrastructure damaged during wars with Israel and a chronic shortage of electricity to run the wastewater plants that still function. In 2007, a sewage reservoir overflowed in a village in northern Gaza, drowning five people.



An Israeli blockade that has restricted imports, coupled with Palestinian infighting and mismanagement by the Hamas-run government, has compounded the problems for the enclave's 1.8 million residents. Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade of Gaza since Hamas, an Islamic militant group committed to Israel's destruction, seized power in 2007.



Nasser Abu Saif said he was once happy to live in a beachfront apartment in Shati refugee camp. Now, he avoids swimming in the fetid water near his house.



"There are mosquitoes in the summer and even in the winter," he said. "It makes our lives unpleasant."

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Sewage flows from an outlet into the sea in front of Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on April 12, 2016. (Khalil Hamra, AP)





Several aid groups have attempted to solve the sewage problem.



Steen Jorgensen, country director for the World Bank in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said the fatal sewage flood spurred his office to build a $73 million sewage treatment plant nine years ago. He said the facility, meant to treat at least one-fifth of Gaza's sewage, would already be operational if it had a reliable power supply.



Disagreements between Hamas and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority over fuel taxes have left Gaza's only power plant functioning at reduced capacity. Electricity from neighboring Israel and Egypt help alleviate the shortages, but usually there are only six to eight hours of power each day.



"That's just not reliable enough for a sewage plant," said Jorgensen. He said foreign donors, including the United States, have offered to fund a power supply to the plant, but he said Israel has not agreed to run a dedicated electricity line. Other options have not been found.



COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian affairs, said Israel supplies 125 to 140 megawatts of power a day to the Gaza Strip. "The decision of distributing the electricity falls under the responsibility of the Palestinians," COGAT wrote. In all, Gaza needs some 400 megawatts for its daily needs.

A Palestinian man sells drinking water in Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip on April 16, 2016. (Khalil Hamra, AP)



Jorgensen said the World Bank plans to start running the plant in the coming months using backup diesel generators, which will increase the cost and leave sewage treatment vulnerable to fuel shortages. He said the plant will also have solar panels, but they will only generate a fraction of the needed power.



"If we don't get this operational, then I think it's going to be very hard to raise money for other necessary projects in Gaza," Jorgensen said.



The German state-owned development bank KfW has funded the $20 million rehabilitation of an older sewage plant in Gaza, according to Jonas Blume, director of its West Bank office. Blume said the plant can only run half-days due to lack of power.



Construction is scheduled to begin in August on an additional facility in central Gaza that could handle the sewage of up to 1 million people, Blume added. But he said Israeli security restrictions have slowed the work.



"At the end we get most of the material in, but it's a struggle, it takes time, and it causes delay, which leads to extra costs," he said.

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A Palestinian boy uses a homemade wagon made from a plastic crate to wheel bottles full of drinking water in front of a water supply station in Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip on April 16, 2016. (Khalil Hamra, AP)





COGAT said deliveries of cement and wood have been suspended or slowed because Hamas diverts materials for "terror" purposes.



The delays in sewage treatment are exacerbating a water crisis. Years of overdrawing Gaza's underground aquifer have allowed seawater to infiltrate into its only source of drinking water. Sewage flows into the aquifer as well.



"We can say that 100 percent of the water is not potable," said the Water Authority's Yaqoubi. More than 150 private water purification businesses have proliferated across Gaza to offer clean drinking water, he said.



Eitemad Abu Khader lives with her four daughters in a cinderblock home surrounded by corrugated zinc north of Gaza City. Sewage collects in huge ponds next to their neighborhood. Abu Khader said she cannot afford purified water. Instead, she and her daughters drink tap water and bear the consequences.



"I spend my time from doctor to doctor, hospital to hospital," she said. "My daughters always have rashes."

I spend my time from doctor to doctor, hospital to hospital. My daughters always have rashes.  Eitemad Abu Khader, Gaza Strip resident



On a recent afternoon, her oldest daughter, 6-year-old Fayza, sat scratching her arm as insects hovered around them.



There are signs that the problem is now beginning to affect Israel.



Israeli Water Authority spokeswoman Ilana Keren said a desalination plant near Ashkelon, about 6 miles north of Gaza, was shut in January and February "because of the quality of the raw water."



In a statement, Israel's Environment Ministry said it closely monitors the Gaza sewage situation. Most of the waste is consumed by algae but a buildup of algae can block filters at the desalination plant, it said, adding that a recent check of the water quality off Ashkelon found the beaches suitable for bathing.



Gidon Bromberg, the Israeli director of the environmental group EcoPeace Middle East, said "there's no doubt" that waste from Gaza caused the plant's problems. "There's no other source," he said.



Bromberg warned that cholera, typhoid or other pandemic diseases could easily cross into Israel via the shared underground aquifer and the sea.



"It's a single shared bathtub," Bromberg said. "There's 101 different ways for these bacterium to be transferred."



Ashkelon deputy mayor Yoram Shefer said he fears that without a wider political settlement, the sewage issue will not improve, even though he said the water is safe enough to swim in.



"The Mediterranean sea is big. Not all (sewage) goes to Ashkelon," he said.

Associated Press
Joan Mullins co-owned Mullins Food Products with her husband for more than 50 years, working behind the scenes as the west suburban company grew from selling barbecue sauce in local grocery stores to providing sauces and condiments for companies including McDonald's.

In addition to keeping the books for most of those years as the company worked to stay ahead of the curve in the growing restaurant supply industry, Mullins raised 11 children, all of whom work for the company, now headquartered in Broadview.

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"From the time we were young, mom made our business part of our family's culture," said her daughter Jeanne Gannon. "She taught us how to be a team and showed us how we're all in this together. And she did it by example."

Mullins, 85, died April 24 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in her Oak Brook home.

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Born Joan P. Strain in Chicago, Mullins was a graduate of Providence High School. In 1952, she married Jack Mullins. His parents owned a saloon on the Northwest Side, where patrons got a free roast beef sandwich with homemade barbecue sauce when they bought a beer.

The barbecue sauce became the launching pad for Mullins Food Products, which was started in 1945, after the saloon closed, as a separate retail business selling the sauce in Chicago-area grocery stores.

Over the next three decades, the company had its share of struggles, but Mullins kept spirits high both at home and in the office.

"She brought a lot of who she was, particularly as a mother, to the workplace. She cultivated a family kind of atmosphere like no other company I had ever worked for," said Mike Mazur, retired plant manager at Mullins Food Products. "She brought her own special touch to how she ran the business."

Mullins and her husband lived for many years in a small Northwest Side apartment before purchasing their first home in 1957, a split-level in Westchester.

"She was at my dad's side during some really low points," her daughter said. "She was the one always looking on the bright side."

A pivotal moment for the company came in the late 1970s, when the decision  considered risky at the time  was made to invest in new equipment to become the maker of sauces for what was then McDonald's newest product, Chicken McNuggets.

"All our lives changed from that point on," her daughter said.

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In the years that followed, Mullins and her family made it a priority to donate their time and resources to many charitable causes. One of her favorites is known as Joan's Angels at Notre Dame Catholic Parish in Clarendon Hills, where every holiday season she spearheaded the effort to purchase, wrap and deliver gifts to hundreds of needy families.

"No matter how busy things got, she went out of her way to help those struggling," her daughter said. "She didn't just find the time, she made the time."

Jack Mullins died in 2004.

Other survivors include five sons, Michael, Edward, William, James and Thomas; five other daughters, Marianne Vivirito, Judy Lucas, Jacqueline Stent, Kathryn Burke and Shannon Smith; 34 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Services were held.

Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes, right, with Trustee Thomas Glasgow, was honored by village officials this week for his 25 years of public service. (Karen Ann Cullotta / Pioneer Press)

Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes was honored by village officials this week for his 25 years of public service.

Trustee Thomas Glasgow, who surprised Hayes at a Monday night village board meeting with a proclamation honoring his 25 years of public service, said that during Hayes' 22 years as a trustee, "he didn't say a lot, but when he did, it meant something."

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"He speaks more softly than some, but his actions speak far louder than his words," Glasgow said.

Bill Dixon, the retired former village manager, agreed with Glasgow, adding, "he chooses his cards carefully, and picks his spots carefully."

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"Even if he does not agree with someone, he listens," Dixon said. "He embodies the Arlington Heights quality of public service we've seen over the decades. People expect good government here, and you provide good government."

Hayes, 59, a graduate of West Point, U.S. Army veteran and attorney, served as a village trustee from 1991 through 2013. A married father of two and grandfather of one, Hayes was elected mayor in April 2013.

"I'm speechless  I really am," Hayes said. "You know I'm a man of few words, but these 25 years have gone by very quickly. All of our village employees have made it very special, and there's a number of people I've had the privilege of working with for 25 years."

kcullotta@tribpub.com

Twitter @kcullotta
Pastors and church members gathered before the East Aurora school board meeting Monday to pray for better communication. They also said they were praying over a possible policy that could affect which bathrooms transgender students are able to use. May 2, 2016. (Sarah Freishtat / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

A group of pastors and community members gathered outside the East Aurora School District 131 board meeting Monday to pray for the school board and district leaders.

The goal was to pray that the school board communicate better with one another, said Dan Haas, an Aurora pastor who worked with other pastors to organize the gathering and said he is an East Aurora High School graduate.

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"This board needs to learn how to work together," he said.

Haas said the residents, who he estimated came from about eight or nine Aurora churches, also gathered to pray over a possible policy that could affect which bathrooms transgender students are able to use. No discussion about the policy had come up before press time late Monday, and the policy was not listed on a meeting agenda.

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Families and residents gathered outside the district office, held hands, and prayed aloud in English and Spanish. They prayed that district leaders have "concern for young people and concern for this district," and "they have the agendas of these children." One said they "decree there is peace, there is love, there is unity."

Pastors and community members pray before the East Aurora board meeting Monday. (Sarah Freishtat / The Beacon-News)

In addition to calling for board members to talk more, Haas said one board member threatening another has "no benefit" to students and does not help them get an education.

Recently, school board member John Laesch created a petition calling for board President Annette Johnson to resign and posted a recording that depicted Johnson "screaming and verbally assaulting staff members," according to an online copy of the petition. Johnson said the recording is four years old.

At the meeting Monday, Laesch said he did not seek to disparage Johnson, but continues to believe Johnson should resign.

"I think that, as we look at past patterns and behaviors and the communications that have gone on and the behaviors of the board, especially as it comes to threatening, we have current examples that have come before us," Laesch said. "So this is not just something that happened four years ago."

Board member Ken Darby said he, too, saw a pattern of verbal abuse. Dick Leonard said the call for Johnson's resignation was "ridiculous" and "inappropriate," particularly because Laesch had not attended several meetings in recent months.

Johnson said during the meeting the tape recorded a moment of "great frustration." She said she followed board protocols when she joined the board, but said those entrusted with finances failed the district. She cited past problems with the district's insurance for retired staff that she said led to financial issues years later and other past controversial policies and actions in the district.

She said she would apologize for being harsh, but not for "fixing the insurance" and "everything that our teachers have suffered for many, many years."

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"If you don't have the passion to be on the board and dig in, you probably should not be on the board," she said.

sfreishtat@tribpub.com

Twitter @srfreish
Tracy Czaczkowski was on her way home with her family from the Wisconsin Dells May 2, 2016, when shots were fired on Interstate 90/94 in Sauk County, Wisconsin, striking Czaczkowski in the neck and killing her. (CBS Chicago)

Tracy Czaczkowski and her family were on their way home to Buffalo Grove after a weekend in the Wisconsin Dells when police said another motorist randomly opened fire on their car.

The shooter had been on the run after killing another man in a Milwaukee suburb, authorities said. Czaczkowski  with her husband at the wheel and her two young children in the back seat  was struck in the neck. The 44-year-old, described by her brother as an "awesome mother," was pronounced dead Tuesday at a hospital in Dane County, Wis., two days after the shooting. Her organs were being donated, officials said.

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Authorities couldn't explain why the alleged shooter opened fire on the Czaczkowskis' vehicle after fleeing the Milwaukee area with his two brothers. The suspect, who had not yet been identified, was later shot and wounded by authorities while he was being apprehended.

The Czaczkowski family released a statement saying in part that Tracy had six siblings who were traveling to the area from several states to mourn her.

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"We are all extremely proud of what Tracy accomplished in life, the wonderful family she created and the joy she brought to everyone around her. We ask for prayers for her loving husband and children," the statement read.

One of Czaczkowski's brothers, Wayne Ebersohl, set up a GoFundMe campaign in support of the Czaczkowskis' children, who attend St. Mary School in Buffalo Grove, a school official confirmed.

"We're feeling a mixture of shock and sadness," Ebersohl said. "She was an awesome, awesome mother, wife and daughter."

Czaczkowski worked as a dental hygienist, her brother said, adding her children are 8 and 5.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, where Czaczkowski's husband, Greg, has worked for 11 years, released a statement Tuesday calling her "a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all," the DEA statement said. "The family would like thank everyone for their prayers and outpouring of support for Tracy."

Tracy Czaczkowski, bottom left, was shot and killed along this stretch of Interstate 90/94 in Sauk County, Wis., while returning from a trip with her family to the Wisconsin Dells. Zachary Hays was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in her death. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune, Handouts)

"All we can say right now is that the entire St. Mary's Parish and community is praying for Tracy Czaczkowski and her family, and the family has asked for privacy," a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago said Tuesday before Czaczkowski's death was announced.

Authorities said the events leading to Czaczkowski's shooting began about 7 a.m. Sunday, when police in West Allis, outside Milwaukee, received a report of a man forcing his way into two apartments. Responding officers found 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez fatally shot, authorities said. The 20-year old suspect also had made threats to a member of Epikos Church, which canceled Sunday evening services in Milwaukee.

The suspect and his brothers later drove in a Chevrolet Blazer to Wisconsin Dells, a city known for its theme parks. They were traveling south on Interstate 90/94 toward Madison on Sunday afternoon when Czaczkowski, her husband and children passed them on their way back to Illinois after a weekend in the resort city.

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The 20-year-old man was driving the Blazer and opened fire on the family's BMW sedan while it headed southbound on the interstate in Sauk County, Wis. Police said the shooter struck the car three times, hitting Czaczkowski in the neck, authorities said. Another round struck a Nissan sedan, but the Florida woman driving that car wasn't hurt.

Other motorists called 911. Officers from multiple agencies chased the Blazer into Dane County, where deputies stopped the SUV with a spike strip.

The 20-year-old man then emerged from the vehicle holding a revolver. He ignored orders to drop the weapon, and two Columbia County deputies shot him, authorities said.

Both Czaczkowski and the suspect were taken to the University of Wisconsin Hospital. The suspect's brothers, ages 30 and 34, were taken to the County Jail.

The suspect had been formally charged and authorities had not released his name as of late Tuesday.

Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney couldn't explain why the man decided to attack the family, saying only that it appeared to be random and the investigation continues.

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Other authorities said they do not believe the Czaczkowskis were targeted or that the shooting was in any way related to Greg Czaczkowski's work with the DEA. An agency spokesman declined to say what type of work Czaczkowski does for the DEA.

The state Department of Justice is investigating the deputies' decision to shoot the suspect. They have been placed on administrative leave, Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards said during the news conference. One of the deputies has been with the department for 9 1/2 years, Richards said. The other has worked as a deputy for 4 1/2 years.

Cathy Maskalunas, lives at the opposite end of the block from the Czaczkowskis but did not know the family.

"It's crazy that it happened to someone down the street," Maskalunas said. "You feel bad for the family."

Robert McCoppin is a Chicago Tribune reporter; Ronnie Wachter is a Pioneer Press reporter. Associated Press contributed.
Hayley Borgia, a senior at Andrew High School in Tinley Park, sits in the school's college center. Boria has decided to put off going to a four-year university and will attend Moraine Valley Community College next year. Boria is part of a continuing trend among area students, high school counselors say. (Patricia Trebe / Daily Southtown)

Monday was National Decision Day, where high school seniors around the country cemented their college decisions and formerly decided on where they want to spend the next several years furthering their education.

For many, that means leaving home in a few months to embark on a four-year experience at a college or university. Others, like Hayley Borgia, a senior at Andrew High School, have decided against attending a four-year school and will instead be starting their college careers at a community college before they head off to a big university.

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"I do not have a major and I am undecided," Borgia said. "I never had a dream school. I just thought it was best to stay at home, take my general education courses, and then figure out what I want to do and then find the perfect college."

Borgia isn't alone. Area counselors continue to see significant numbers of students who are putting off paying thousands of dollars at four-year schools and are, instead, starting their college careers closer to home at a fraction of the cost.

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Indeed, according to a report released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 46 percent of students who graduated with a four-year degree during the 2013-14 school year had been enrolled at a two-year institution at some point in the previous 10 years. Of those students, 65 percent enrolled for at least three semesters at a community college.

In Illinois, 54 percent of students who completed a four-year degree had some education at a two-year institution, according to the same report.

Kelly Kenny, a college and career counselor at Oak Lawn Community High School, helps her students make the big decision by doing a comparison sheet.

"We have them look at what it is going to cost you out of pocket, and once they see that number they are shocked," Kenny said. "Many of our students don't want to take on that debt, or have their families go into debt either."

The number of students attending community college has gone up, Kenny said.

"I just had a conversation with a student who thought all along she was going away, but when she got all the information she decided not to. We are very lucky in this area to have a very good community college system to help these students make smart choices," Kenny said.

Tom Fabrizio, Borgia's school counselor at Andrew High School, is also seeing a slight increase in the numbers of students attending community colleges.

"It is becoming much more common for a student to start their college career at a community college," Fabrizio said. "It is just the way the economy is. Just trying to go a four-year school and paying for it is a big commitment for families. I feel like Moraine Community College or any community college is a smart choice."

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Andrew Sarata, director of admissions and recruitment at Moraine Valley Community College, has seen an increase.

"Particularly this year, we have had a very good year," Sarata said. "This spring semester, we are up 5.9 percent in (students taking courses for credit), up from last year's spring.

"Going to a community college, students receive a huge discount on their education, and there is not a drop off at all in the quality of education. In fact, they are more prepared with smaller class sizes and support services," he said.

Governors State University in University Park is partnering with 17 area community colleges in the Dual Degree Program.

Linda Uzureau, assistant to the president for community college partnership, explained that the focus is on the student finishing their associate's degree at one of the local community colleges with the advising and assistance of GSU staff. Once they receive their associates' degree, they are automatically accepted into the GSU bachelor program.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Simply going to a community college for two years and taking courses does not guarantee success down the line. Many times, courses won't transfer to the program a student is looking at from a four-year institution.

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"When students first start community college, they have the challenge of working through the system of the community college, and at the same time making sure the courses they are taking enable them to graduate with an associate's but also transfer to a four-year to get their bachelor of arts," Uzureau said. "Sometimes, some of the students wait until it is too late. They have accumulated all these credits, but they aren't designed to transfer."

More than 300 students have participated in the Dual Degree Program at GSU since its launched in 2010. While the majority of the students have continued their education at GSU, others have transferred to other institutions, Uzureau said.

"We tell students that we have a lot of incentives for them to come to GSU to help them finish their education, but we want them to go to a college that best fits their academic needs. We work with students on finding their four-year pathway, whether or not it is at GSU or another accredited four-year university," she said.

It's that fit that Kim Borgia, Hayley's mother, wants for her daughter. With a son at DePaul University, she expected her daughter to go away to school as well.

"I wanted her to have that experience, and we saved for their college our whole life. She could have gone to any college she wanted," Borgia said. "But she doesn't want to waste any time, and she wants to find the right school for her and then transfer. I think she's really smart about it. She is taking the pressure off of her, and I think that is fine. It gives her time to figure it all out."

Patricia Trebe is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
It's hard to believe that the Palos Community Hospital's South Campus has occupied the property at 151st and West Avenue in Orland Park since 1985. Many changes have occurred since its opening, including tripling in size of the original facility and the addition of physicians and sophisticated medical technology.

Now, the hospital wants to bring a new "healthy" facility to the area that will serve the needs of many at a local level both now and into the future, said Tim Brosnan, Palos Hospital vice president for planning and community relations.

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Hospital officials had indicated that a $133 million expansion project was in the works. There were concerns that the nearby Palos Health and Fitness Center would have to close because of the project.

But officials recently said the center will stay open.

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In a recent interview, Brosnan said the overall plans for the site are to "update, modernize, and improve access to the community for diagnostic and treatment services. . . This will be a significant benefit for patients."

Brosnan said original costs for the project are now expected to be less.

"We are finalizing the design plans for the building, cost, and timeline," Brosnan said. "The cost is expected to be lower."

Hospital officials hope to have details hammered out by August, when they hope construction starts.

The South Campus will be able to help provide treatment of cancer, cardiovascular issues, aging, orthopedic, and neurological problems, Brosnan said.

Orland Park officials said there also is possibility for a retirement center.

"We had a need to expand," Brosnan said. "Current facilities are at capacity and this project will expand physician presence and access to specialized services, including cancer care. And while future land use plans are not solidified, our goal is provide care across a broad continuum, including the opportunity for post-acute care facilities and services."

Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin said: "I am excited for Orland Park and our aging population when I hear about future plans for the Palos Hospital Primary Care site. To possibly include a post-operative rehab center, along with the possibility that this site may include a retirement center and assisted living all on one campus with the primary care facility and cancer center will make this one of the more unique campus settings for health care in the state. And, I feel good that keeping the fitness center as part of this campus just adds to its unique character and draw. All surrounded by hundreds of acres of park land."

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Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

The Palos Hospital's South Campus has a large home health care service with skilled nurses providing care to more than 600 patients per day  along with their hospice and private duty programs. They also are able to provide telemonitoring services  where they can monitor patients in their own homes.

They have recently opened a Congestive Heart Failure and Cronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Clinic focused on keeping people well. The facility also is working with area skilled nursing facilities to better facilitate the care and outcomes for discharged patients. Chronic illness is not a reason to be hospitalized, but it needs to be managed so that patients can actually have an improved quality of life.

Of course, a project of this size does not happen overnight, in close proximity to utilities and roads, there is a lot that will happen before the "unveiling."

And likely, some shifts and changes are also along the way. Facility and Orland Park officials are working closely together to assure that the needs of the community and the project can both be addressed.

Creating a healthy campus includes the physical attributes for landscaping, use of property, placement  making this a safe, beautiful, accessible campus. Utilities and roads have to be coordinated in an orderly fashion; while maintaining the current busy campus  and taking into account their neighbors.

Both Palos Community Hospital's South Campus personnel and Orland Park officials are very excited about how things are progressing. Brosnan said how pleased the hospital was to work with the village to preserve some of the facility and also expand services.

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"Working with the village will be a great opportunity to make this project the best of all worlds," Brosnan said. "We wish to provide for a healthy lifestyle and better access to health care as a whole."
Jim Ostdick, 64, continues his cross-country walk at the Erie-Lackawanna trail head in Crown Point, along the American Discovery Trail while raising money for Reach Across America in his hometown of San Benito, Calif. (Handout - Mitch Barloga / HANDOUT)

Jim "Palomino" Ostdick had already walked 940 miles when he strolled into Northwest Indiana last weekend.

I looked for a noticeable limp with his 64-year-old body. He didn't have one. I expected complaints about his arthritic knees or his long hours of solitude in strange locales. He didn't have any.

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I listened for a wisp of regret for offering to walk across our country  eventually more than 4,000 miles  from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. I heard nothing of the sort.

Ostdick was cheerful. Upbeat. Relaxed. Well informed. Highly experienced. And appreciative for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cross the country one step at a time. Meeting new strangers every day. Sleeping different places each night. Thinking fresh thoughts each new morning.

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Jim Ostdick, 64, heads west from Crown Point on Saturday, April 30, during his cross-country walk along the American Discovery Trail while raising money for Reach Across America in his hometown of San Benito, California. - Original Credit: Post-Tribune (Handout - Mitch Barloga / HANDOUT)

"It's been very rewarding so far," he told me over dinner while taking a break on his trek.

Ostdick is walking the American Discovery Trail  dubbed the "ADT" by long-distance hikers  from Delaware to California. He started Feb. 21 and hopes to finish by Oct. 21. If he doesn't make it by this projected date, it's no big deal. He's confident he'll finish sometime this fall.

As this retired teacher is learning anew each day, it's about the journey, not the destination.

"But I'm looking forward to getting back home later this year," said Ostdick, who's barely been home in his retirement years.

From 2001 to 2009, he hiked 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. He also twice bicycled the length of the Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico. And in 2014, he bicycled nearly 8,000 miles around the United States.

Ostdick agreed to take this latest bucket list-type pilgrimage to raise money for maintaining a hiking, biking and equestrian trail that will soon be built near his home in San Benito County, Calif. (To make a donation, visit http://www.reachacrossamerica.org.)

"Communities build trails, trails help build communities," states a business card he hands out.

Jim Ostdick, 64, continues his 4,800-mile walk along the American Discovery Trail while raising money for Reach Across America in his hometown of San Benito, California. - Original Credit: Post-Tribune (Handout - Mitch Barloga / HANDOUT)

On Feb. 21, Ostdick dipped his toes into the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Henlopen State Park near Lewes, Del., to begin his coast-to-coast trek. He will finish by stepping into the Pacific Ocean at Point Reyes National Seashore north of San Francisco, Calif.

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The American Discovery Trail is billed as providing the most adventurous site-seeing tour of the heartland of our country. Ostdick, who carries all his gear in a runner's stroller, can now attest to this claim.

The ADT connects five national scenic, 12 national historic and 34 national recreational trails while passing through urban centers such as Cincinnati and San Francisco. It also leads to 14 national parks and 16 national forests while visiting 10,000 sites of historic, cultural and natural significance.

It's truly the backbone of the National Trails System, according to Mitch Barloga, transportation planning manager for The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. He met with Ostdick last weekend when he first arrived to this area, in Hebron, and offered him a place to sleep.

"It was a pleasure to host Jim, and I applaud him for his mission to bring better health choices to his county in California," Barloga said. "The more people understand the ADT, the more people like Jim will take the chance and make the hike, or bicycle the route themselves."

"Hopefully they will read about Jim's positive experience in the northern part of the Hoosier state and be encouraged to make the trek up here," Barloga said. "I am looking forward to meeting more cross-country travelers as they discover the beauty of our region."

Ostdick writes a daily blog of his experiences on the Reach Across America website, serving as a window into his walking journey. For example, this blog update on the day he arrived in Northwest Indiana.

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"In Hebron, I ate a delicious breakfast at three in the afternoon at The Country Kitchen. For dessert, I had a slice of cherry pie a la mode, which was free of charge thanks to a friendly, generous waitress named Pamela. Ain't she cute?" he wrote, along with posting a photo of the waitress.

"Then came the Big Surprise," he wrote. "Mitch drove me to the nearby Indiana National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. That lake is so huge! And the dunes/lakeshore have been nicely restored after years of abuse by steel mills. I had been missing the beach a lot lately, so seeing the water and sand dunes was a real pick me up. Cool! Thanks, Mitch!"

During my chat with Ostdick, he mentioned that he missed seeing the Pacific Ocean or any other large bodies of water. He had no idea Lake Michigan was so vast from our vantage point.

"I can't believe my good fortune sometimes," Ostdick wrote on his blog. "This surprise visit to magnificent Lake Michigan made my day. That and the cherry pie. Can't forget that. Peace and Love A La Mode, Palomino."

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Ostdick's updates are often entertaining and always educational.

It's like you're taking the walking trek alongside him. And the photos he posts serve as a tease to try the trail yourself, even if it's contained to only our state or select counties. (To view a copy of NIRPC's current trail map in this area, visit www.greenwaysblueways.com and click on G & B map.)

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During our hourlong chat over dinner, he answered all the obvious questions. No, he doesn't get lonely. No, he's never been in danger. No, he's never gotten lost.

He also told me something I typically hear from people who journey across our country on foot, on a bike or on their own.

"Americans are good people," Ostdick said. "We tend to forget that when watching the nightly news, reading daily newspapers, or during this presidential election. But we're a good people. We should never forget this."

jdavich@post-trib.com

Twitter @jdavich
Howard Reich, left, jazz critic of the Chicago Tribune, was interviewed last month by Ed Tracy before and after a showing of "Prisoner of Her Past." The documentary follows Reich's journey as he searches to learn more about his mother, a Holocaust survivor with a late onset of post traumatic stress disorder. (Mike Isaacs / Pioneer Press)

It was a telephone call that would change the life of Howard Reich and lead him on a quest to find answers to questions that he never knew to ask.

But when Reich  the award-winning jazz critic of the Chicago Tribune  first received it, there was only immediate concern. His mother, Sonia Reich, had been found on the streets of Skokie, determined not to return home because she thought someone was trying to kill her.

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A Holocaust survivor, Sonia Reich suffered from late-onset post-traumatic stress disorder, her son soon learned.

Reich recently told an audience inside the Skokie Theatre about the front-page Tribune article, the book and the movie documentary that followed that transformative call. The latter, "Prisoner of Her Past," which was shown at the Skokie Theatre that day, airs at 10 p.m. May 5 on channel 11, the sixth consecutive year PBS is presenting the documentary on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

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"A secret childhood trauma resurfaces 60 years later to unravel the life of a Holocaust survivor," reads the PBS description.

When Reich's Tribune article originally ran Nov. 30, 2003, he said he could hardly have imagined its far-reaching resonance.

"Thirteen years later, I'm still telling this story around the world really," Reich said. "What makes it even more remarkable, I think, is up until about age 49, I never talked about this subject at all."

His parents never talked to him much about it either. Through his research, Reich learned that many Holocaust survivors did not share their experiences with their children, he said.

"I think that's understandable," he said. "They often would say that they didn't want to relive it. They didn't want to place the burden of this story on their children. And then they'd say there are no words to describe what happened anyway."

But Reich went on a long journey aiming to do just that  understand and describe what happened. His quest to discover his mother's harrowing childhood escaping Nazi persecution led him to different locations including Eastern Europe and to meeting with relatives and other survivors.

"My own mother was having a breakdown," he says in the film. "I had to find her story."

Keeping past away

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Throughout his journey and ever since, Reich said, Sonia Reich has remained steadfast in trying to keep the past locked away  not only from those she loves but even from herself. Doctors in the film talk about her coping mechanism for surviving and moving forward in her life.

During Reich's upbringing in Skokie, the film recounts, his mother would sleep with an ax nearby; she would sometimes sit on the floor, looking out the window to keep "guard duty"; the family only took baths, never showers.

Reich said he always knew his parents and others in the family were Holocaust survivors, but never fully what prompted his mother's behavior or how different it was. After his journey, he knows a lot more.

Sonia Reich grew up in Dubno, Poland, now part of the Ukraine. In 1939, her childhood changed forever when the Russians took over her town and then her house, Reich said.

In 1941, the Nazis invaded and began executing the Jewish population by machine gun, he said. Jews who survived, including Reich's mother, were herded into a ghetto, many of them eventually killed there. Between April and June, 1942, Reich said, his mother somehow managed to escape. She was 10, maybe 11.

"She spent the next three years from 1942 through 1945 as a child alone on the run," Reich said.

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Before the war, 12,000 Jews lived in Dubno, almost half the population, according to Reich. After the war, fewer than 100 people survived the mass executions there.

This history  how his strong-willed mother survived unimaginable atrocities  left buried scars and trauma, according to doctors interviewed in the film. Sonia's case isn't a matter of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, they say, but a kind of post-traumatic stress disorder that accompanies victims of the worst experiences.

"To my mother, it was my fault that she was in this situation," says Reich in the film after she moves to a care center. "She did not understand the situation. I did not understand the situation. And the doctors did not understand the situation."

As a journalist, Reich is seen covering the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. He has the epiphany that survivors there were left with the same kind of post-traumatic stress that plagues his mother.

Skokie Theatre program

Reich's recent reflections about his mother's story and the life it has taken on were made in April during a regular monthly program at the Skokie Theatre  Conversations with Ed Tracy. Tracy, the former president and program host of "Pritzker Military Library Presents" and "Medal of Honor with Ed Tracy," chooses a different guest to talk to  someone who inspires and educates, he says.

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It's been six years since Reich made "Prisoner of Her Past," longer since his book and original article were first published. Reich said his mother continues to soldier on; she just turned 85, living at a nursing home in the suburbs.

"She's incredible," Reich said. "She's very much like she is in the film  feisty, still funny, still wickedly hilarious, still trapped in the mixes of the present and the past, still persecuted, still fighting."

He added "delusional" to that description, but then pulled it back.

"I decided I don't even like calling them delusions anymore because they really did happen," he said. "She's fighting what happened before, and in her own heroic way, keeping up that fight."

misaacs@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @SKReview_Mike
Ten cartoonists from seven countries were invited to make illustrations of Beijing for the event "World's Artists Illustrate Beijing," launched on April 28 and lasting till May 3.

Their production process includes trips to the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Central Business District (CBD), the Olympic Park and other famous landmarks. They will also attend Peking Opera performances and have a bite of Beijing's local food.

French artist Emmanuel Lepage draws a Chinese woman sitting on the Great Wall at the opening ceremony of "World's Artists Illustrate Beijing," launched on April 28. [Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]

Elaborating on the purpose of initiating the activity, Yan Liqiang, vice head of the Beijing Municipality's publicity department, said at its opening ceremony on April 28 that it will not only be a trip of creation, but also a trip of friendship and communication.

"A trip of friendship and communication," as Yan defined, is directly embodied in a scheduled one-on-one day trip each cartoonist will take with a Chinese peer. By comparing each other's picture of the same object, the Chinese and international cartoonists can develop the idea of a "cartoon without borders" and "art without borders."

"In the world's history of cartooning, there are many cases in which a country's scenery and a nation's spirit are illustrated in the form of cartoon, said Yan. "We got to know Paris through the works of Jean-Jacques Sempe and travelled across Europe by reading Tintin."

French artist Emmanuel Lepage expressed high expectations for working with Chinese peers. He said that the different cultural backgrounds, perspectives and ideas shall all serve as "positive spirits and elements" to facilitate the creation.

"We have discovered a lot about China and its people. We look forward to working with Chinese artists and hope that this opportunity will have a positive yet different influence on our creative work in the future," Lepage said.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
Some 12.45 million train trips are expected to be made in China on Monday, the last day of the three-day May Day holiday, buoyed by a return flow of holiday travelers.

The figure is smaller than that of Saturday, the first day of the three-day May Day holiday, when a daily record of 12.9 million trips were made in China, but much larger than the 10.35 train trips made on Sunday.

According to the China Railway Corporation, nearly 600 extra trains were put into service on Monday to cope with demand.

Major tourist destinations including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu saw huge passenger flows.

Railway authorities have temporarily prolonged the operating time for online ticketing systems during the holiday, and travelers can check vacant seat information and book tickets at www.12306.cn half an hour before departure time, the corporation said in a statement Sunday.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has reported its first co-financing project in Pakistan, a choice that a financial chief said is not related to close ties between China and Pakistan.

[By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

The China-led multilateral development bank has identified a series of co-financing projects with the Asian Development Bank, according to a statement released by both banks on Monday.

The statement came after AIIB President Jin Liqun and ADB President Takehiko Nakao signed a memorandum of understanding in Frankfurt on the sidelines of the ADB's 49th annual board of governors meeting.

The first of these projects is expected to be Pakistan's M4 highway, a 64-kilometer stretch of motorway connecting Shorkot to Khanewal in Punjab province.

The financing level will be $300 million, with the two banks contributing roughly an equal amount, Nakao said.

The statement said: "The agreement sets the stage for jointly financed projects. The AIIB and ADB are already discussing projects for co-financing in the roads and water sectors."

Responding to questions on whether the project in Pakistan had been chosen first as a result of close ties between China and Pakistan, Nakao said this had come about "just by chance".

"The Pakistan project is the most mature one. There is a series of forthcoming projects, which will probably be approved and announced in June."

The AIIB expects to approve about $1.2 billion in financing this year, including 12 projects with the World Bank and the ADB. Meanwhile, China is implementing its $46 billion plan for a China-Pakistan economic corridor.

A Financial Times report said earlier that besides the project in Pakistan, the AIIB is considering a road project in Tajikistan and a ring road in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The report said the ADB led the Pakistani project, while the AIIB participated later. The ADB said it will administer the project on behalf of the other co-financiers and that bidding must be carried out in accordance with the ADB's procurement guidelines and procedures.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Beijing, China, April 8, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua/Ding Lin]

Sri Lanka and China will hold high level discussions in June on the possibility of signing a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Sri Lanka's Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement on Monday.

"China is a promising market for Sri Lanka's select, premium products such as gems, and an important round of bilateral talks on Sri Lanka-China FTA is scheduled for next month," the statement quoted Rishard Bathiudeen, minister of Industry and Commerce, as saying.

The minister said that Sri Lanka was committed to pursuing an outward oriented trade regime following the principles of the World Trade Organization, with a view to enhancing overseas market access for its export products and achieving greater integration into the world economy.

Sri Lanka has already signed free trade agreements with India and Pakistan and both the agreements allow more than 4000 product lines to be exported to these markets at zero duty.

"Sri Lanka actively involves in Joint Economic Commissions and bilateral forums with a number of countries in order to enhance our trade and commercial relations," the minister said.

He added that trade between Sri Lanka and China crossed the 4 billion U.S. dollar mark last year for the first time in the bilateral trade history, surging by 17 percent from 2014's 3.58 billion U.S. dollars.

About 93 percent of last year's total trade was imports from China, mainly iron and steel, fabrics and fibres, cotton and urea fertilizer.
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File photo of Ren Zhiqiang [Photo: qianzhan.com]

Celebrity Chinese blogger and property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang has been given one-year probation within the party.

The decision was made by a Beijing district committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The CPC Xicheng district committee said Ren's remarks on online platforms and during public occasions have run counter to the party's basic policies on multiple occasions, and he has violated the political discipline of the party.

In late February, the top Internet regulator ordered closure of Ren's microblog accounts, accusing him of spreading illegal information.

The Cyberspace Administration of China urged celebrity bloggers with huge followings to use their influence correctly, obey the law and accept their due social responsibilities.
Police and netizens are opposing a Chinese real estate agency's decision to allow its outlets nationwide to be used as emergency alert stations for abducted or missing children.

Many people have described the move as a publicity stunt.

Beijing Homelink Real Estate Brokerage Co, also known as Lianjia, said on Saturday that its 6,000 outlets will help children who have lost contact with their parents to obtain police assistance.

The company said the decision forms part of a program launched by Child Safety Emergency Response, a nongovernmental organization that is devoted to helping missing children, including those who are abducted, kidnapped or run away from their parents.

However, the company's decision has not been supported by the authorities, with police in at least two provincial areas saying it is not wise for children to be asked to make detours to find one of the real estate agency's outlets.

The Police Internet Department at Chongqing Public Security Bureau said in a micro blog post on Saturday that it would be much better for the children to remain in the areas where they became lost, and wait for their parents to reach them.

"Please stop the publicity stunts," Chongqing police said.

Reports also suggested that the courier service SF Express Co would use its outlets for the same purpose. However, the company denied the reports on its social media account on Monday.

It said that delivery couriers would be willing to help any missing children who turn to them for assistance.

Zhang Yongjiang, secretary-general of Child Safety Emergency Response, confirmed that Homelink and several other companies will form part of a program by the organization that is devoted to helping missing children to get in touch with police.

Zhang said the main aim of the program is to help children in a way similar to national information database Amber Alert in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.

"We have seen from previous test results that many people will generally think twice before offering help to missing children. There is no such problem with institutions, be they commercial ones," he said.
China needs more professionals to conduct regular inspections of thousands of small-and medium-sized dams in rural areas, as an earlier-than-usual flood season is posing challenges to dam safety.

"Heavier rainfall caused by climate change poses threats to dam safety that have been ignored, especially in rural places in southern China," said Ni Guangheng, director of the Institute of Hydrology and Water Resources at Tsinghua University.

Inflow from the upper streams of the Yangtze River has hit an eight-year high, forcing the Three Gorges Dam to discharge more water and brace for floods earlier this month.

While the state-owned Three Gorges Dam and the Gezhouba hydropower plants will receive regular inspections, there might not be enough professionals to conduct inspections on the smaller dams, which were built in the 1950s and lack regular maintenance, said Wu Suhua, a senior engineer at the Dam Safety Management Center under the Ministry of Water Resources.

Dozens of small dams in Wenchuan county in Sichuan province were severely damaged and some collapsed in a 2008 earthquake, Wu said.

Even though the exact number of needed inspectors is hard to calculate, Wu said China must fill the gap left by a lack of training and attention to the hidden trouble.

"We hope that with well-planned designs and regular maintenance, the dams are able to tackle any future challenges that may occur hundreds of year after the project is done," Wu said.

Patrice Droz, coordinator of the Dam Safety Enhancement Program between China and Switzerland, said China should put more emphasis on maintenance and early identification of measures needed to address potential dangers.

The cooperative program between the two countries was created in 2009 and has helped train 300 professionals in China, Droz said.
China on Tuesday called on parties in Syria to maintain their hard-earned ceasefire, as it would help to create a positive environment for conflict resolution.

Hong made the remarks when asked to comment on a telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry on Monday, in which they discussed the cease-fire.

During the conversation, both sides stressed that the only hostility in Syria should be against the terrorist cells in the war-torn country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an online statement.

Moscow and Washington, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, vowed to take further steps to prepare for more talks on a political settlement of the five-year-long crisis, the statement added.

Hong expressed his concern over the deteriorating situation and violence in some parts of Syria, particularly civilian casualties.

The ceasefire is an important guarantee of the political process in Syria and peace talks in Geneva, Hong said.

The spokesperson noted that China would support those directly-involved parties to strengthen coordination and formulate concrete plans.

The latest round of negotiations, which ended on April 27 with some progress, were bogged down by the differences of those participating partners. The exact date for the next round of talks is expected to be announced later this month.

Peace talks are the only way to resolve the Syrian issue, Hong said.

Although there have been difficulties and setbacks, peace talks are the only path toward a solution that accommodates the fundamental interests of the Syrian people, as well as long-lasting peace and stability in the region, Hong said.

Hong called for confidence from international communities, patience from relevant parties and sincerity from negotiators to continue peace talks.

China supported the efforts from the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, Hong said, calling on the relevant parties to resume dialogue and peace talks in Geneva as soon as possible.

"China is willing to work with the international community to promote a political settlement for the Syrian issue at an early date," Hong said.
Police in central China's Hunan Province have detained 19 alleged members of an online gambling gang, in a case that involved transactions totaling in excess of 300 million yuan (46 million U.S. dollars).

Loudi City Police have frozen more than 200 bank accounts, and confiscated 11 limousines and over 100 computers in their three-month investigation, the city government said in a statement Tuesday.

The online gambling came to light in January, when two residents in Liudi informed police that they had lost money on an illegal lottery website. One of them had lost more than 80,000 yuan in just five days.

Investigators found that the three major suspects -- the webmasters, who hail from southeast China's Fujian -- started to make profits from their gambling websites in 2014. They first used servers and and financial management systems in Malaysia, and then transferred to the Philippines following a government crackdown. They also established more than 30 advertizing companies to promote their online gambling services.

The gang's websites had more than 10,000 users, according to police.
Luo Jie / China Daily

A recent policy document issued by the State Council, China's Cabinet, says "old industrial bases", meaning Northeast China, will make significant progress in the key areas of reform by 2020 and, revive by 2030.

The document says the northeast region's opening-up, which includes expanded and all-directional opening-up to advance reforms, will become a new driving force for its revitalization.

From 2003 to 2013, China launched the first campaign for the region's revitalization. As a result, significant and historical changes were achieved in infrastructure construction and the development of heavy chemical industries thanks to the support of the central government, as reflected in its growing economic strength, a better economic environment and a tangible rise in its economic aggregate.

However, the campaign has failed to achieve a breakthrough in structural adjustment and institutional innovation, and the region's structural and institutional contradictions and problems have been exposed once again vis-a-vis the country's economic transformation and upgrading.

The new campaign to revitalize Northeast China should, therefore, focus on structural adjustment and institutional innovation to transform the region into a base of advanced or upgraded manufacturing. For its revival, a modern perception of the service sector should be cultivated. The region could learn from the experiences of Germany, whose modernized service sector accounts for 70 percent of its GDP and production-related services account for 70 percent of its service sector.

Northeast China should also strive to realize the transformation and upgrading of its manufacturing sector in order to establish an industrial model in which its modern services, production-related services in particular, is the driver of the transformation and upgrading of its manufacturing.

The low proportion of modern services in its industrial structure has seriously restricted the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing in Northeast China, which, in turn, has slowed its broader economic transformation. And without key progress being made in restructuring of State-owned enterprises, the main force of the region's manufacturing sector, structural adjustment and institutional innovation will be difficult to achieve.

Another hurdle in the path of the region's revitalization is its low degree of opening-up, both its opening-up to foreign countries and the opening up of its market and industries. In 2015, the region's three provincesLiaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiangaccounted for 8.6 percent of the country's total economic aggregate, but their imports and exports accounted for only 3.4 percent of the country's total.

As far as market opening-up is concerned, the region's private sector accounts for more than 50 percent of its GDP, 10 percentage points lower than the country's average of more than 60 percent. According to a list published by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, of China's top 500 private enterprises, only nine are from the northeast provinces, compared with 138 from Zhejiang province and 91 from Jiangsu province in coastal China.

The northeast region's industrial opening-up is also at a low level. In 2014, the region's State-owned assets accounted for 50 percent of the total assets held by industrial enterprises above a certain scale, while the country's average was only about 10 percent.

To develop a new driving force for its rejuvenation, Northeast China should, therefore, make full use of the China-Russia-Mongolia economic corridor, advance cooperation on infrastructure investment and set up a Northeast Asian free trade network to strengthen its production-related service trade and open up its service market.

Such a driving force is essential for an innovative mode of development. In the region, the government's "invisible hand" remains very strong. So what it should do next is to take practical measures to allow the market to play a bigger role in economic activities. Also, the region should cultivate the concept of inclusive development in society.

Despite the difficulties it faces, the region is still expected to become an important base of China's advanced manufacturing in the next five to 10 years if it can cash in on the opportunities offered by the country's intensified efforts for economic transformation and upgrading and opening-up.

The author is president of the Haikou-based China Institute for Reform and Development in Hainan province.
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday underlined the importance of devising creative and coherent approaches in linking the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development as world leaders continue to work toward successfully implementing the UN sustainable development agenda.

"Now is the time for implementation," the secretary-general said at a three-day meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on promoting integration of the three pillars of sustainable development that opened Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The Sustainable Development Agenda, also known as the 2030 Agenda, is a set of 17 development targets approved by world leaders in September last year to serve as the blueprint for the global development efforts for the next 15 years.

"We now have a set of goals and targets that form the basis for a coherent, integrated and indivisible approach to eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development," Ban said. "We must pursue the goals with their complementarity and interlinkages in mind, and with the aim of breaking down silos and avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions."

While noting that the Monday meeting was the first such gathering since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, the secretary-general said it also followed other landmark conferences and agreements on disaster risk reduction, financing for development, and climate change.

"This Integration Segment focuses on the importance of implementation through policy innovation and integration. It is a reminder that we will have to be creative in linking the three dimensions of sustainable development," he said, referring to the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability.

The secretary-general also said that the financing requirements to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are "enormous," stressing mobilizing these resources will be a significant challenge, particularly at a time of continued economic uncertainty and financial constraints.

The inaugural Forum on Financing for Development two weeks ago had sent a clear message that the full realization of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda remains "a matter of urgency," he said.

"We must strive to continually assess challenges of integration -- whether they are policy and institutional questions, capacity or technological gaps or questions in programming and financing," he said.

Ban pledged that the UN system will do its "utmost to fully support" member states in transitioning to a sustainable development path, including in setting priorities, planning, implementing and assessing progress.

"We must ensure that actions at every level are concerted and coherent," Ban said. "In doing so, we have to work with all partners towards common country support objectives. Our aim to 'deliver as one' is finding broader translation in the way we work with all partners."
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Five years after U.S. Navy SEALs killed the most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the threat posed by violent extremists to global security is far from receding.

Though the death of bin Laden, nearly a decade after his group al-Qaeda attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2011, was then hailed by U.S. President Barack Obama as "the most significant achievement to date" in U.S. effort to defeat al-Qaeda, the U.S. counterterrorism effort in the post-bin Laden era got bogged down in another frontline.

From West and North Africa to South Asia, extremist groups have been lining up to declare allegiance to either al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS), once an al-Qaeda franchised group founded after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Moreover, hailing from at least 86 countries as of December, 2015, between 27,000 and 31,000 people had travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the IS and other violent extremist groups, according to data provided by New York-based security consultancy The Soufan Group.

In its initial report entitled Foreign Fighter in Syria, which was released in June 2014, The Soufan Group identified about 12,000 foreign fighters from 81 countries.

"The increase (in foreign recruits) is an evidence that efforts to contain the flow of foreign recruits to extremist groups in Syria and Iraq have had limited impact," said the consultancy in its latest report in December.

With the aid of modern information technology, the IS has also been reaching out to its sympathizers across the world for "lone-wolf" attacks at home.

"This is sort of the new normal," said U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey last year after ten people were arrested and charged in connection with plotting attacks inspired by the IS.

Echoing U.S. law enforcement and intelligence leaders, Obama also said last December in the wake of the shooting rampage in southern California which claimed 14 lives that the terrorist threat had already evolved into a new phase where "terrorists turn to less complicated acts of violence like the mass shootings that are all too common in our society."

The resurgence of extremist groups may seem puzzling to many, but the underlying reason is clear. While the goal of the war launched by the United States was supposedly to eliminate terrorism, the fear and hatred those foreign "meddlers" have fueled in the Middle East has created a breeding ground for extreme terrorism.

Nothing could serve as a better example than the free fall of Libya into chaos and another potential hotbed of extreme terrorism after the multinational military intervention mainly organized by then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Calling Clinton the "chief architect" of the botched U.S. Libya policy, Republican lawmaker Peter Roskam revealed last October at a high-profile hearing on the 2012 Benghazi attack that Clinton insisted on the U.S. involvement in Libya despite grim warning and opposition from senior U.S. diplomats.

"(Stephen Mull, then executive secretary of the State Department) said this, 'In the case of our diplomatic history, when we've provided material or tactical military support to people seeking to drive their leaders from power, no matter how just their cause, it's tended to produce net negatives for our interests over the long term in those countries,'" quoted Roskam from newly obtained communications from Clinton's private server.

"They (U.S. senior diplomats) were pushing back, but you overcame those objections," said Roskam, adding that Vice President Joe Biden, then Defense chief Robert Gates as well as the National Security Council also opposed military actions in Libya.

Unfortunately, Washington paid little attention to exploring the root causes of terrorism.

It would be a never ending war on terror if Washington fails to eliminate the root causes of terrorism and extremism.
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South Korea's military on Tuesday warned of possible nuclear test and missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ahead of the country's historic ruling party convention set to kick off on Friday.

Seoul's defense ministry submitted a report on recent DPRK situations to the parliamentary defense committee meeting, saying that the DPRK could conduct strategic provocations such as nuclear test and missile launch in and around the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) congress.

The ministry said another nuclear test can be carried out at any time in the DPRK's main Punggye-ri nuclear test site, noting that top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un may seek to praise his achievements with another nuclear test as South Korea has undervalued its fourth nuclear test.

The DPRK detonated what it claimed was its first hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6, which Seoul estimated to have been a boosted fission bomb rather than a H-bomb.

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo told lawmakers during the parliamentary meeting that there is a possibility for a boosted fission bomb to be tested in the DPRK's fourth nuclear detonation, saying that no clear difference could be found between Pyongyang's third and fourth nuclear tests.

Han also said no evidence has been found that the DPRK possessed a miniaturized nuclear warhead.

Pyongyang has claimed that the country possesses a nuclear warhead, which can be mounted on a long-range ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

The DPRK test-fired what were believed to have been three Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles on April 15 and 28, but South Korea's military considered all of the tests failures as the missiles exploded in mid-air or crashed in waters several seconds after liftoff.

The DPRK announced its successful test-launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine on April 24, but Seoul saw it as a partial success as the missile flew some 30 km, very short of 300 km required to secure a stable flight test for ballistic missiles.

Seoul's defense ministry said that the DPRK could test more ballistic missiles to recover credibility of its missile system as South Korean news organizations reported on the failed missile tests.

The DPRK test-fired two Scud short-range missiles on March 10 and two Rodong ballistic missiles on March 18 amid the ongoing U.S.-South Korea annual military exercises that ended late in April.
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Families and colleagues of the 13 nationals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) who were reported to have defected to Seoul said Tuesday that the alleged "group defection" was in fact "kidnapping."

Speaking at a press conference, they urged Seoul to immediately return the DPRK citizens.

On April 8, South Korea's Unification Ministry said a group of 13 DPRK nationals working in an overseas restaurant, including 12 waitresses and one manager, defected to South Korea.

South Korean media said this marked the first time that a group of DPRK citizens working at the same overseas restaurant defected to South Korea.

However, seven colleagues of those waitresses told the press that they were all tricked by the manager who had been bribed by officials with South Korea's National Intelligence Service and that 12 of them were lured and abducted to Seoul before finding out they were fooled.

The manager told them in mid-March that they would open a new restaurant in Malaysia and asked them to get ready so that they could leave at any time, said the maitre d'hotel.

At noon of April 5, the manager told them to get on a bus where she found the manager met with a suspicious South Korean contact, the maitre d'hotel said. So she persuaded her colleagues not to follow the manager. Still, some were kidnapped and sent to Seoul and the rest of them returned to the DPRK, according to her.

But the South Korean side said the seven waitresses were returned to the DPRK after their attempt to defect to South Korea failed.

South Korean media also reported that the 12 waitresses and one manager chose to defect to the South because they were pressured to turn in revenues to the DPRK.

Last month, the DPRK Red Cross Society said it would send the families of the "kidnapped" waitresses to Seoul via the truce village of Panmunjom, to let them meet with their children. But Seoul refused the request.

The families of the "kidnapped" waitresses said at Tuesday's press conference that they are desperate to reunite with their children and the South Korean government should not dismiss their reasonable request to meet with their children in Seoul. Otherwise, it would pay a harsh price, they warned.

Asked what message they would like to deliver to their colleagues now in Seoul, the waitresses said they are waiting for their early return and hoped they could keep fighting in Seoul until finally being sent back.
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U.S. President Barack Obama does not believe that his country owes Japan a formal apology for the 1945 nuclear bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday.

"No, he does not," said Earnest at a press conference when asked whether Obama thinks Japan deserves an apology for the bombing in 1945.

Earnest also said that Obama is yet to decide whether to officially visit Hiroshima when he is in Japan in late May for a Group of Seven (G7) summit.

In April, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, along with other G7 foreign ministers.

Kerry was the first U.S. secretary of state to visit the A-bombed city, and Tokyo is hoping Kerry's visit could spur a visit by Obama.

A U.S. bomber dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and another nuclear bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki three days later, killing tens of thousands of people.

The bombings, which remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history, were thought to be instrumental in forcing the Japanese surrender in World War II.

Japan has been ceaselessly emphasizing its identity as the world's sole victim of nuclear bombs, but has yet to thoroughly reflect on the root cause of the tragedy -- its militaristic aggression and brutal violence against other countries.
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A car bomb went off at a government-controlled district in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, leaving an unknown number of causalities, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

The car bomb tore through the Jamiyet al-Zahra' neighborhood in Aleppo, amid intensified clashes and attempts by the jihadi groups to storm that district.

The explosion came as rebels intensified their rocket attacks on government-controlled areas in Aleppo on Tuesday.

The state news agency, SANA, said at least 20 people were killed and dozens of others wounded on Tuesday.

The rebels have recently intensified their assaults by shelling on government-controlled parts of the city, trying to advance from eastern Aleppo to the western part of the city.

The Syrian army said it had repelled the attacks, but the rebel shelling continued, prompting government airstrikes on rebel-held areas.

The intensified violence reflects the gap between the government and the rebels, as well as the broader international differences between the countries that support different parties to the conflict.

The Syrian government side says that a truce backed by both the U.S. and Russia, which went into effect last February, has been violated by the attacking rebels in Aleppo.

Washington and Moscow agreed on Friday on a "regime of silence" to take place near the capital Damascus and the northwestern province of Latakia to shore up the falling truce.

Aleppo, however, was not included, and the civilians were the ones paying the price.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based watchdog group, over 244 civilians, including 43 children and 27 women, were killed by rebel shelling on government areas and government airstrikes on rebel-held areas over the past 10 days.
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Cote d'Ivoire's President Alassane Ouattara has appealed for an end to unrest in the public sector following a string of strikes over salary increases.

"Due to social unrest that threatens to cripple some sectors, I want to appeal for a truce and search for consensus to resolve disputes," Ouattara said on Sunday in Abidjan during celebrations to mark Labour Day.

Civil servants in the finance sector recently called off a three-day strike, while teachers in both higher learning institutions and secondary and primary schools have held repeated strikes to demand pay rises.

"Some workers and organizations have a tendency to abuse the right to strike, and they exercise this right to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of others and also outside of the authorized legal procedures," the president said.

I want to appeal to unions to sensitize their members to understand that strikes should not degenerate into violence or holding their employers or the community hostage, Ouattara said.

"Peace and stability are the prerequisites for maintaining and creating jobs," the president said, adding that "numerous strikes can disrupt proper functioning of the public sector, hinder economic activities and sometimes lead to closure and relocation of businesses."
Warren Buffett talks to reporters as he tours the exhibit hall during the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, US, April 30, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Billionaire Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said before the company's annual shareholders' meeting that he was still optimistic about China's economic development, and believed China's economic transition will be successful, the Sina Finance reported.

Although China's economic slowdown and fluctuation in stock market has spooked global investors, when talking about the prospect of China's economy, Buffett said in an exclusive interview with Sina Finance that he had confidence in the country and believed that China's development will be better over time.

Buffett has been interviewed by Sina Finance for fourth consecutive year, and his positive views have never changed.

Recently, George Soros, who founded Soros Fund Management and is now chairman of the New York-based firm, warned that a surge in China's debt is bringing the world's second-largest economy to the brink of a financial crisis similar to the one the US faced in 2007-08.

When asked whether he was concerned about China's credit growth, Buffett said, "Obviously, Soros is worried more than me."

China is deepening economic reforms and facing downward pressure during economic transition. When asked whether he had any advice on China's economic reform, Buffett said with good humor that he believed Chinese government knew more than him.

The annual shareholders' meeting, often known as Woodstock for Capitalists, was held at the CenturyLink Center in downtown Omaha in Nebraska. It was live-streamed to the public on Saturday for the first time in Berkshire's history and it was also translated into Mandarin in real-time, indicating the company's increasing interest in China.
A woman talks with a salesman at a property market fair in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/China Daily]

Actual outgo under the new system may be lower, but clarity is yet to emerge

In late April, Greenland Group, one of the largest developers in China, forwarded its staff a plan, proposed by a consultancy, to cope with the new 11 percent value-added tax or VAT, which is higher than the 5 percent business tax.

The plan suggested that developers should try their best to have their projects taxed as per the pre-reform rate.

VAT is supposed to replace business tax this month onwards in the real estate industry. But, tax authorities have allowed developers to apply for their projectsexisting as well as those under constructionto be taxed simply by the sale value, as an interim method.

Developers have long been levied a 5 percent business tax on their sales. Given the large amount of costs developers can deduct, the actual tax as per the VAT system could work out lower than before.

Developers' scrambling for the old tax rate underscores their worry over uncertainty over the new tax.

In late March, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation issued a circular clarifying that the cost of landthe biggest cost for developers that accounts for 30 to 70 percent of the project sale pricewould be considered while computing the tax outgo. It came as a relief for developers that long feared the land cost may not be included in tax computation.

However, many real estate developers are still uncomfortable with the new tax, and prefer the previous 5 percent flat rate, which they said was simpler to calculate.

It was recommended that developers should apply for their existing projects to be subjected to "easy taxation" before the deadline of April 30, Greenland informed its staff. "Old projects" are defined as those that got the construction permit before May 1, or whose construction started before.

"We are still awaiting more detailed implementation rules, which would enable us to conduct a thorough assessment of which taxation is better," said an accountant with a Changsha-based developer, who sought anonymity. "The new system might save some tax. But we just want to ensure there is no increase in tax outgo."

For major developers, getting invoices would not be difficult as they have bargaining power. The problem is for millions of small contractors that might not be able to get invoices from their upstream businesses, experts said.

Alan Wu, national indirect tax leader for PwC China, said in general the reform is positive for developers, but there are some pending technical issues. For example, whether demolition cost would be included in the "land purchase cost".

"Now most land developers bid for local government contracts. Those demolition projects have been completed. But developers typically don't pay that cost. But there are still some land parcels that developers have to pay for, and may not get the invoice," Wu said.

Besides, the reform will allow, for the first time, VAT incurred by all the enterprises on newly acquired immovable properties to be deducted while computing tax outgo. This has created speculation that enterprises would be incentivized to buy properties, especially commercial properties, to gain tax credit, and thus lower tax burdens. Greater demand for properties would buoy the market.
A worker installs signs on a giant rock in front of the headquarters building of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing, January 12, 2016.[Photo/IC]

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has reported its first co-financing project in Pakistan, a choice that a financial chief said is not related to close ties between China and Pakistan.

The China-led multilateral development bank has identified a series of co-financing projects with the Asian Development Bank, according to a statement released by both banks on Monday.

The statement came after AIIB President Jin Liqun and ADB President Takehiko Nakao signed a memorandum of understanding in Frankfurt on the sidelines of the ADB's 49th annual board of governors meeting.

The first of these projects is expected to be Pakistan's M4 highway, a 64-kilometer stretch of motorway connecting Shorkot to Khanewal in Punjab province.

The financing level will be $300 million, with the two banks contributing roughly an equal amount, Nakao said.

The statement said: "The agreement sets the stage for jointly financed projects. The AIIB and ADB are already discussing projects for co-financing in the roads and water sectors."

Responding to questions on whether the project in Pakistan had been chosen first as a result of close ties between China and Pakistan, Nakao said this had come about "just by chance".

"The Pakistan project is the most mature one. There is a series of forthcoming projects, which will probably be approved and announced in June."

The AIIB expects to approve about $1.2 billion in financing this year, including 12 projects with the World Bank and the ADB. Meanwhile, China is implementing its $46 billion plan for a China-Pakistan economic corridor.

A Financial Times report said earlier that besides the project in Pakistan, the AIIB is considering a road project in Tajikistan and a ring road in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The report said the ADB led the Pakistani project, while the AIIB participated later. The ADB said it will administer the project on behalf of the other co-financiers and that bidding must be carried out in accordance with the ADB's procurement guidelines and procedures.
A bellboy helps guests carry their luggage in a star hotel in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Photo/China Daily]

Tax authorities have said it is not right to raise hotel room rates citing the new value-added tax or VAT, which replaced the old revenue-based tax on Sunday.

The actual tax burden of the service sector under the new system will likely ease, authorities said.

International hotel chains, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corp and Marriott International Inc, have raised their room rates in the Chinese mainland, effective Sunday, by attributing the rise to VAT, which will be extended to several industries.

According to the Ministry of Finance, VAT will be levied at 6 percent on businesses with annual revenue of more than 5 million yuan ($769,000). Businesses with annual revenue of less than 5 million yuan need to pay only 3 percent VAT.

"Those hotels charged an extra VAT fee, without canceling the existing 5 percent business tax. Levying VAT on top of the business tax is a misinterpretation of the new policy," said the local taxation bureau in Shanghai.

Tax officials in Shanghai recently discussed the issue with some hotel chains. Inter-Continental Hotels Group Plc became the first hotel that canceled the price rise after the meeting. It will charge 10 percent service fee, and 6.6 percent VAT relative to the room rates.

But other hotels did not follow suit. For instance, Hilton posted on its website that the tax reform will cause customers to pay an extra 6 percent VAT on top of the existing 15 percent service charge, including 10 percent service fee and 5 percent business tax.

A room at the Hilton in Shanghai would thus cost about 1,500 yuan ($230) per night, in addition to a service charge of 225 yuan, and VAT of 90 yuan, according to the hotel's website.

The pricing authorities in Shanghai said hotel chains should apply a proper method to calculate the correct room rates. The pricing regulator will launch market inspections, and prosecute hospitality firms charging excess rates in the name of VAT.

Officials said the tax reform is expected to reduce burdens of businesses as it will end discrimination against the service sector.

Besides, companies will be able to deduct their input VAT, including procurements of materials, equipment and services, the purchase or renting of real estate properties, and office expenses.

Under the new system, hotels with annual sales revenues of less than 5 million yuan will pay 40 percent less tax.

People's Daily cited Finance Minister Lou Jiwei as saying that price adjustments are independent business decisions of hotels. Attributing the price rise to VAT is groundless, there is no direct link, he reportedly said.

Analysts said VAT may hurt sales revenues of enterprises, but overall, it will likely have a positive impact on businesses as their costs will decline, given the input VAT deductions.

The hike in hotel rates may well lower room occupancy levels, and the resulting loss in sales revenue may outweigh the gains from higher room rates, they said.
Chinese cosmetics maker Shanghai Jahwa (Group) Co Ltd has reached an agreement to acquire Mayborn Group, the parent company of the largest British nursing bottles producer Tommee Tippee.

Jahwa, wholly owned by Ping An Insurance (Group) Co, is acquiring the company from British private-equity firm 3i Group Plc, the group said. The proceeds to 3i from the transaction will be 135 million ($197 million)

The purchase is the first time that Jahwa made an overseas acquisition. It is also the company's first purchase of a non-cosmetics brand. Jahwa owns many well-known Chinese makeup brands, including Herborist and Maxam.

"Following China's new policy that encourages married couples to have two children as against one in the past, we are bullish on the long-term growth of the baby products sector in the China market," Jahwa said.

"Mayborn enjoys great reputation and regard among the peers, given its stable sales performances and strong R&D capabilities. The acquisition is a combination of strengths. The two sides will be able to create an international business platform of baby care products," it said.

Mayborn, a leading high-end maternal and baby products producer, was taken private by 3i in 2006. After the acquisition, Mayborn started to make further investments globally, said Alan Giddins, managing partner of 3i Group.

Tommee Tippee takes the top market share in terms of sales revenues in the United Kingdom, and the fifth-largest market share globally. After it entered the United States, Mayborn became the fastest-growing infant feeding bottles brand in the US market.

Jahwa's move is part of an ongoing trend by Chinese companies acquiring premium foreign consumer brands, expanding their businesses overseas and bringing high-quality foreign products to China.

Lu Jinyong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said: "A critical way for China to raise its competence and upgrade its industrial structure is through acquiring premiere overseas brands."

In April, Chinese leading textile company Yong Sheng, a Hangzhou-based privately owned enterprise, acquired French lace producer Desseilles Laces SAS, one of the oldest lace producers in the country, for 300,000 euros ($341,000).
Financial services leaders in China are expecting more detailed rules on the value-added tax reform to come out so that they could be better prepared for the reform, which is aimed at lightening their tax burden.

Matthew Wong, PwC China financial services tax leader, said: "We talked to a number of bankers and they cannot see how this reform can help banks reduce tax because the rate is higher and the amount of input VAT they can effectively credit is difficult to be estimated.

"Until the government can further clarify some of the uncertainty about the interpretation of the VAT rules, it's premature for us to say the VAT reform can save tax for the banking industry at this stage."

The financial services sector in China has been paying 5 percent business tax for many years, but starting from May 1 they will switch to a 6 percent VAT.

Many items still require further clarification from tax authorities, Wong said. For instance, the new VAT rules have exemptions on the interest in connection with interbank funding activities, but the scope of exemptions is narrower than that of the old business tax rules. As interbank funding is a normal activity for the banks to get the money to re-lend to customers, the change in the scope of non-taxable items will lead to higher costs of re-lending business.

"The VAT reform changes the overall operating environment of the banks. It changes the accounting and reporting format of the banks and other financial institutions. It also changes the pricing model and therefore, it will change the banks' relations with their clients," he said.

Generally speaking, large banks are less likely to be affected by the tax reform because they can shift additional tax burden to the clients. But smaller banks that do not have the discretion to raise their price may not be able to do so.

"Banks have to talk to their clients and see how their clients will think about the situation. They may revise their agreement in the new contract and need to test in the market whether or not the client will accept the new terms of the agreement," he said.

Kenneth Leung, EY greater China indirect tax leader, said: "Financial institutions need to communicate actively with the clients, tax authorities and IT vendors for VAT related matters. Reviewing terms and conditions is a 'must do' to ensure the implication of VAT will be fair and transparent to all relevant parties."

He emphasized that under the VAT rules, banks "will have to change their management system and mindset in various aspects of operation".
A customer selects a bottle of Australian wine at a supermarket in Beijing. [Photo/Getty Images]

The free trade agreement signed by Australia and China late last year is "delivering" for Australian businesses, the nation's minister for trade and investment said on Monday.

Steven Ciobo said the government's decision to sign the historic China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, also known as ChAFTA, had helped boost exports to China substantially.

He said the reduction and in some cases abolition of tariffs on agricultural products had led to a big increase in exports to China, something he said was greatly benefiting Australian businesses and would continue to do so for "years to come".

Among the best-performing items were wine, beef, seafood and vegetables.

"Between January and March 2016, Chinese imports of Australian bottled wine grew more than 60 percent compared with the same period 12 months previously, to reach $160 million, as tariffs were cut twice, from 14 percent to 8.4 percent," Ciobo said.

"With tariffs cut, China's $9 million worth of imports of fresh Australian lobster between January and March were triple those of 12 months ago, and exceeded China's entire 2015 imports of Australian lobster. Milk powder and fresh cherry imports more than doubled."

"Chinese imports of other productsincluding fresh mangoes, fresh abalone, fresh and frozen boneless beef, various types of cheese, and hay and chaffgrew impressively as ChAFTA cut tariffs and boosted Australia's competitive position."

Ciobo said the encouraging export figures would continue to rise as Asia's middle class grows, with increased demand not only from China, but from Japan and South Korea as well, after Australia signed free trade deals with both them earlier this decade.

"This positions Australia to continue to capitalize on the rapid expansion of Asia's middle classes and their demand for the high-quality produce and other goods we can provide," Ciobo said.

"This means exciting opportunities for Australian businesses and will drive jobs and growth in the Australian economy."
Purefine Nature, a fast-growing Australian family brand, announced it will officially launch its formula milk products in the Chinese market to cater to the demand for foreign products.

The first product will be on sale, both in supermarkets and China's largest e-commerce retailer Tmall, in July, and is expected to be available in 50 cities by the end of this year.

"We don't want to just sell baby formula here, but also redefine the home market in China, which now is now fragmented," said Ken Smith, chairman of Purefine Nature and also chairman of the Australia-China Business Council Victoria.

Smith was a member of the 1,000-strong business delegation, the largest to date, which visited China under the Australia Week China 2016 program, led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in April. The company planned to penetrate "the most important overseas market" starting with its milk powder and introduce at least six products, including infant supplements and diapers, within one year.

Having spent two years studying the market for infant formula, which has been dubbed "white gold" in China, the company, which is targeting mothers born after 1985, defined the new generation of Chinese parents as less price-sensitive and eager to learn about the manufacturing of products.

The formula offered by Purefine Nature under the brand Berex will retail at around 300 yuan ($46) per can, which is considered as the medium- to high-end category in the industry.

Earlier in April, 17,000 cans of fake-brand infant formula were found to have been manufactured and sold nationwide, according to the official website of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Following that, the tariff department of the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on April 13 that all infant formula sold in China, including that purchased through cross-border e-commerce, must be registered with the country's food and drug authorities.

The new policy will be effective from 2018.

Statistics from research firm Nielsen Holdings Plc estimated that China's infant formula market was 60 billion yuan in 2013 and would keep growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14 percent to reach more than 100 billion by the end of 2016.

Imported milk had a 54 percent market share, up from 30 percent before 2008, when a big food safety scandal broke out, in which some milk and infant formula were found to have been adulterated with melamine.

Song Ye, a dairy industry analyst with the Distribution Productivity Promotion Center of China Commerce, estimated that more than 80 percent of foreign infant formula brands entered the market after 2008.

Smith said the official implementation of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which was signed in June 2015, could also help the company better tap into the market, which boasts a large population of nearly 150 million wealthy middle-class consumers.
American International Group Inc raised $1.25 billion selling shares of Chinese insurer PICC Property & Casualty Co near the low end of a marketed range.

The largest commercial insurer in the United States and Canada sold 740 million shares of PICC P&C at HK$13.08 ($1.69) apiece, after earlier offering them at HK$13.06 to HK$13.35, according to terms for the deal obtained by Bloomberg. The price represents a 7.9 percent discount to the stock's last close.

AIG Chief Executive Officer Peter Hancock, under pressure from activist investors John Paulson and Carl Icahn to boost returns and simplify operations, announced in January he was creating a new legacy portfolio. That book includes about a quarter of the company's equity and is comprised of discontinued businesses and investments that AIG plans to exit. The PICC P&C holding is one of the easier ones to sell, given that the stock is publicly traded in Hong Kong.

"On the legacy portfolio, we think that the right metric for success is how quickly we can extract capital by either divestitures, reinsurance, or other efficient runoff methods without giving away too much of our book value," Hancock said in a Jan 26 presentation. The CEO plans to free up about $9 billion as part of a two-year plan to fund $25 billion of share buybacks and dividend payments.

AIG owned about 851 million shares in Beijing-based PICC P&C at the end of December, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. After the sale, AIG is subject to a 60-day lockup on its remaining stake, according to the terms. Morgan Stanley was among banks that arranged the sale, the terms show.

AIG bought about 1.1 billion shares at HK$1.80 each in the initial public offering of PICC P&C in 2003, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The US insurer also took part in PICC P&C's rights offerings in recent years at subscription prices of less than HK$8.

Last year, AIG pared its stake via two major transactions, selling 256.5 million shares at HK$15.15 each in March and then disposing of another 361 million shares at HK$16.14 apiece in December, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
SYDNEY - A Chinse-led consortium made up of Chinese-based Dakang Australia Holdings and ASX-listed Australian Rural Capital Ltd has decided to withdraw its A$371 million ($281.30 million) bid for S Kidman & Co Ltd (Kidman).

The consortium made the decision to withdraw its application from the foreign investment review board (FIRB) for Australia's largest landholder after Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison rejected the offer last Friday.

Kidman managing director Greg Campbell said that faced with such tight timelines, withdrawing the FIRB application and terminating the bid implementation agreement (BID) was really the only option available.

"Kidman is typical of many large agricultural pastoral holdings in that the value of the business comes from the strategic advantage in having a geographically spread portfolio of properties," Campbell said.

"A break up of the business to sell properties separately would result in significant reduction in Kidman's value, reduced production of up to 3,000 tons of beef per annum, the loss of 50 jobs from the present structure, and lower tax revenue for the country."

He noted the consortium's proposed A$46 million ($34.87 million) investment in new capital to support growing the herd to 220,000, and the addition of up to 50 new jobs in northern Australia, would not go ahead.

"In Dakang we lost an investor that was keen to grow Australia's beef industry," James Laurenceson, deputy director of the Australia-China Relations' Institute told Xinhua on Tuesday.

"Finding another as enthusiastic and willing to put their money where their mouth is may not be easy."

The company operates 10 cattle stations covering 101,000 square kilometres across regional South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Kidman was founded in 1899 and is Australia's fifth largest beef cattle producer.
A container ship is pictured docked at the Colombo South Harbour funded by China, in Sri Lanka March 30, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Sri Lanka encourages Chinese investment, especially in new technology, a government official of that country said.

Karunasena Kodituwakku, Sri Lanka's ambassador to China, made the remarks at a Dialogue in Tianjin Saturday and encouraged Chinese investment, especially in new technology.

The event was the fourth gathering of governors, journalists, scholars, businessmen, and citizens from Tianjin and beyond. The highlight of the afternoon was the ambassador's speech, during which he introduced Sri Lanka as a pearl and fast becoming a hub in the Indian Ocean.

He said that Sri Lanka would be open to all kinds of investment from China, but investment in new technology was most welcomed. "Youth today are more tempted to be engaged in new tech," he said.

Chen Weiming, vice chairman of the Tianjin Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, noted "We have built a formal platform between the two countries and offered our various sources to eliminate the risks of foreign investments."

Zhang Bin, founder and inheritor of Jade Zhang, a traditional Tianjin brand selling jade and jewelry, said, "It was such an endurance to deal with the officials directly. The tax preferential policy sounds attractive and I hope they could be more open to small business."

With 30 years' experience in the jade trade, Zhang noted that the jade market in North China is very large and suggested, "Sri Lanka should bring more jade fairs to the North China."

The ambassador also said that Sri Lanka places great importance on the "One Belt One Road" initiative, such as the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, a great opportunity for cooperation between the countries.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Beijing last month, seeking more investment possibilities.

More than 20 officials from Sri Lanka's Ministry of Agriculture visited an internet technology service provider in Beijing last Thursday, to gain better knowledge of mobile apps and easily accessible website-making software.

Sri Lanka has already collaborated with China in many ways, including education, infrastructure construction, import and export. In 2016, Sri Lanka expects 320,000 Chinese tourist arrivals, which is 1.5 times that of 2015.
SAIC Volkswagen booth is seen at Auto China 2016 in Beijing, April 25, 2016. [Photo by Liu Zheng / chinadaily.com.cn]

The gasoline- and diesel-guzzling passenger vehicle industry may be taking tentative steps toward producing new-energy vehicles or NEVs with a focus on small models, but SAIC Motor Corp Ltd, China's largest automotive company, is thinking, and making, big in this context.

At the ongoing Auto China 2016 in Beijing, SAIC Maxus, a group firm of SAIC Motor, has put on display two big-size zero-emission electric vehicles: the seven-seater EG10 and the 15-seater EV80.

What's more, the auto major is already thinking of exports, particularly to the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, even though the governments there are not as zealous as China in encouraging environmentally friendly surface transport technologies, senior officials of the company said.

"We are in this for the long term. If you invest a lot, you earn a lot eventually," said Shawber Guan, SAIC Maxus' overseas business sales manager.

Besides, SAIC Motor will step up efforts to increase sales of its NEVs in China, said Wu Fengjie, its regional deputy general manager for sales.

Three major initiatives will mark SAIC's efforts:

One, focus on urban families for the EG10, and travel firms and vehicle-based businesses like mobile coffee shops for the EV80. (To popularize the concept, SAIC Maxus put up a unit of the EV80 custom-built as a mobile coffee shop at the expo.)

Two, heavy investment will be made toward "changing the mindset" of peoples across its global market footprint. "We have already made a good start. Supportive government policies and advanced technologies are good but not enough. So, we'll increase our advertising budget to explain the advantages of NEVs to consumers in our target markets," said Guan.

Three, SAIC will support creation of the necessary infrastructure like charging points.

"It would be good if city-level governments emulate Shanghai where buyers of NEVs get free license plates that otherwise cost 86,000 yuan ($13,200) each. The city will install 10,000 charging stations in the coming three years," said Guan.

SAIC's NEVs, company officials said, can cover a distance of 150-200 kilometers on a full charge. That's adequate to take care of daily needs of city couples driving to office together, dropping their children at school, and weekend needs like shopping or short getaway rides for picnics and sightseeing, they said.

This year, SAIC is targeting to sell in China about 6,000 units of the EV80 priced around 500,000 yuan each, and about 1,000 units of the EG10 priced around 400,000 yuan each.

"Our electric vehicles can attain speeds of up to 200 kmph. We can use our manufacturing capacity to make up to 20,000 units per year," said Guan.

It is understood that a senior official of China's People's Liberation Army checked out SAIC's NEVs at the expo and was all praise for them.

"But we are not intending to actively seek government orders. We are proud of our quality and reputation. The government's support for NEVs itself is encouraging. Over and above that, if we also receive orders, we would be very glad."

In the markets in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is said to be keener than others to switch over to NEVs.

During the Dubai Motor Show in November, the UAE industry minister appreciated SAIC's NEVs. Local distributors in Dubai later requested SAIC to arrange a few sample vehicles for extended test runs, Guan said. "We are in the process of doing that."

The European Union regulations are moving toward the Euro 6 standard for emissions, which is expected to increase demand for electric vehicles. So, SAIC will target that market, including the UK, Guan said. "We have long-term plans to enter the US and Canada as well."
Surging appetite for online payments means tech firm has sights firmly set on larger rivals

China's growing appetite for e-commerce and mobile payments is offering an expansion opportunity to Hongda Hi-tech Group Co Ltd, one of the largest domestic firms that develop biometric verification technologies.

Hongda, the No 1 maker of identification card recognition equipment in China, is focusing on iris and voice recognition technologies to cement its position as global tech giants such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Apple Inc which are also rolling out identification technologies.

"The demand for bio verification services is set to soar because the exploding virtual economy needs background checks to stay valid," said Wang Xin, chairman of the Changchun, Jilin-based firm.

"Quickly increasing market demand gives us an unprecedented opportunity to grow."

Wang, a soft-spoken engineering-teacher-turned-entrepreneur, said his flagship product, a population data management system widely used by the Ministry of Public Security, took 60 to 70 percent of the market share. Hongda said the company also provides more than 60 percent of the fingerprint scanning machines used in Chinese embassies around the world.

Hongda is competing with an array of Chinese companies, including Beijing-based Techshino Technology Co and Miaxis Biometrics Co Ltd for government-funded bio-identification projects.

Because Hongda helps the government manage residents' ID information, it gets access to an ID pool that covers the entire Chinese population of more than 1.3 billion. The statistics are stored in a government data center, but the company is allowed to pair the ID information with its customers who only have the individuals' online ID.

The comparison work helps banks and internet companies to pinpoint the exact individual offline so they are able to evaluate financial risks before providing services to that person.

"The services we are offering help clients prove the individual with what he/she claims to be on the web," said Wang.

Chinese buyers spent 3.8 trillion yuan ($587.2 billion) on online shopping last year, a 21 percent increase year-on-year, according to iResearch Consulting Group, a Beijing-based industry research firm.

China's bio-identification sector has been experiencing a surge in demand for its services from 2014, when market turnover exceeded 8 billion yuan, according to a report from industry consultancy Bosi Data Research Center. It estimated the turnover in 2015 hit 10 billion yuan.

"The expansion rate will last for years as demand for information safety products increase among government, corporate and individual customers," said the report.

Zhu Jinsong, head of the information security control arm of Tencent Holdings Ltd, said telecom fraud and malicious apps are threatening Chinese shoppers' financial safety.

"The government is partnering with private companies to upgrade counter-hacking technologies. A more sophisticated verification process is expected to give customers better protection over data safety," according to Zhu.

Although Chinese internet companies and global hardware vendors such as Apple, are providing personal information safety services such as fingerprint verification, it is difficult for them to identify the user in the real world because they cannot access China's ID card databases.

Wang said Hongda will invest more in the internet sector and partner with key service providers on mobile verification systems.

"The internet is set to change our business," he said.

Wang refused to disclose the revenues for Hongda, which is a privately held company. But he said the company gets at least 20 percent revenue growth each year, thanks to growing business in the country.

Hongda is also targeting overseas market for growth amid a government-backed initiative to bring its technologies to neighboring countries. It has completed a project in Laos that develops digitalized population management system.

"China's Belt and Road Initiative will fuel the overseas expansion of Hongda," said Wang. The initiative, announced in 2013, is an attempt to expand trade with countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Eastern Africa. Technologies used to build nuclear power stations, high-speed trains as well as IT products are among items getting a boost under the program.

Wang sees no difference between his company's technology and those of international competitors and that helps when bidding for overseas projects.

"Residents' ID management is a very sensitive matter for every government. As a Chinese bidder, Hongda could get the deal because (the foreign authorities) trust China ... it was hardly a case before China's economic surge over the past decade," said Wang.
Zhang Xiangdong, co-founder and CEO of 700Bike, speaks during the special session "How is Technology Innovations Driving Changes in China" of the 10th "re:publica" internet conference in Berlin, Germany, on May 2, 2016. Over 700 speakers from 60 countries and regions and some 8,000 participants would gather at the 10th "re:publica" internet conference, which annually takes place in Berlin. [Photo/Xinhua]
Telecom fraud suspectes are escorted off a plane by Chinese police from Kenya. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Kenyan police are deporting 77 Chinese telecom fraud suspects, including 45 Taiwan people, to the Chinese mainland.

The first group of 10 people were repatriated on Saturday and the remaining 67 are due to be sent back on Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Security confirmed. It will be the first time that China has repatriated such a large group of telecom fraud suspects from Africa.

In recent years, syndicates led by Taiwan citizens and based in Southeast Asia, Africa and Oceania have been falsely presenting themselves as law enforcement officers to extort money from people on the Chinese mainland through telephone calls, according to Chinese police.

The MPS said in a statement that judicial organs on the Chinese mainland have legal rights of jurisdiction over the repatriated suspects.

Mainland police will investigate the Taiwan suspects in strict accordance with the law and keep Taiwan authorities informed, the statement added.
The reform of the housing registration, or Hukou system, has been under way in most regions in China. [Photo/IC]

After 11 years, a woman's Beijing household registration, or hukou, was nullified because authorities said she had used fake documents to obtain it.

The public security bureau of the capital's Dongcheng district canceled the Beijing hukou of Cheng Yuanyuan, saying she had used the university certificate of someone else, along with fake documents, to obtain her hukou in January 2005.

Liu Hongli, a teacher whose residence is in Xiangcheng, Henan province, said she found her hukou was void when she applied for a bank loan in September. She found that it had been moved to Beijing in the name of Cheng.

The two did not know each other, but Liu said that in 2004 a colleague had borrowed her university certificate to apply for a job for Cheng, the colleague's relative.

Beijing police said they looked into the matter and found that Cheng had used Liu Hongli's personal information and fabricated the household registration. An investigation is continuing.

Liu said the police in Xiangcheng issued her a new hukou and assured her they will do their best to solve any problems related to the matter.

A draft regulation of a points system was issued by the Beijing municipal government in December to allow migrants to get a household registration in the capital. Applicants must be under 45 years of age, have a Beijing temporary residence permit and have paid social security premiums in Beijing for at least seven consecutive years. No violation of the family-planning policy and a clean criminal record are also required.

Applicants who meet the basic requirements can accrue points based on their educational background, employment and property. The number of points needed will be determined on a yearly basis according to changes in the city's population.

Every Chinese citizen has a hukou, or household registration, which is also referred to as a residence registration account. It determines a person's access to education and other social welfare services in the place where their hukou is registered. A person cannot obtain certain social welfare benefits outside the registered locality.

Typically, for those who live and work in Beijing without a local hukou, their children can attend public schools if they pay a fee. But the children will not qualify to take the college entrance examination in Beijing when the time comes. They are required to return to the place of their hukou registration to take the test, where a higher score may be required based on different criteria and competition.
The People's Liberation Army has released a rap-style music video filled with masculine lyrics and advanced weaponry in an attempt to attract more young people to join the military.

The song, called Battle Declaration, was posted on 81.cn, the PLA Daily's website, on Thursday. It is the first hip-hop video made by the PLA.

Previous PLA songs have been sung to the accompaniment of orchestral melodies, and their lyrics were carefully worded to avoid being too aggressive. By comparison, Battle Declaration, in an unmistakable effort to cater to the taste of young people, features a popular hip-hop style, and the lyrics hide neither combativeness nor a desire to fight.

The video starts with a young PLA soldier touching his uniform and putting on his cap. Then a man's voice comes in and says, "There are always missions in soldiers' minds, enemies in their eyes, responsibilities on their shoulders, and passions in their hearts."

The song then continues: "There could be a war at any time. Are you ready for that?"

The video shows soldiers training and exercising, fighter jets conducting dogfights and missiles being fired, among other military activities.

Almost all of the PLA's best weaponry is displayed in the video, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, J-11 fighter jet, Type-99A tank and DF-11 ballistic missile.

Satellites and spacecraft also appear in the video, which indicates the PLA has placed unprecedented importance on its space force, said a PLA publicity expert who asked to be identified only as Jiao.

Moreover, the appearance of the military's space assets also intends to impress upon viewers that "the PLA is no longer the poorly equipped one that they saw from TV dramas, but a powerful force as modernized as the United States military," he told China Daily.

Jiao said the hip-hop video could be a big help in recruiting young people.

The PLA is striving to recruit more educated young people. An increasing number of media reports say some young people spare no efforts to avoid military service.

Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said at a news conference on Thursday that a man's youth is not only about being cool, but also about being responsible for the nation and its security.
Law enforcers must carry out their judicial duties strictly in accordance with laws, administrative governance professionals urged on Monday after an official resigned following a demolition case in Haikou, capital of Hainan province.

On Sunday, the Haikou government said it had accepted the resignation of Huang Hongru, head of the city's Xiuying district, as he had been negligent in supervising leading administrators to remove illegal houses in Qionghua, a village in Changliu township.

The case resulted in serious clashes on Friday and Saturday between law enforcers such as chengguan, or urban patrol officers, and villagers who refused to allow the demolition of their houses.

The clashes were announced by the government's Information Office on Monday through its micro blog.

The case triggered public outcry after a one-minute video clip of the attack was posted online during the weekend that showed some women and children being hit by demolition workers.

The government criticized the attackers, saying officers beating women and children cannot be tolerated. It also said seven of the officers had been administratively detained.

But it said the demolition of illegal buildings will continue, as it is part of the province's plan to become an international tourist island.

Wang Wanqiong, a criminal lawyer who observed the case during the weekend, said the key is to find the root cause of the conflict and how the attack happened.

Yang Weidong, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said, "Law enforcers should not curb violence with violence, no matter how serious the conflict is."

A villager surnamed Tan, 44, said he saw a two-floor building torn down on Friday.

On April 18, the government posted a notice to villagers, ordering them to remove the illegal buildings before April 26, or they would be demolished.

Tan said the demolition workers had not agreed that villagers could remove furniture during the weekend, which had intensified the conflict.

Yang suggested that governments think twice when some people refuse to cooperate with them on implementing laws "because some violence could also be attributed to their ignorance in dealing with administrative affairs in their daily work."

He added, "When finding someone has put up buildings illegally, it is better for government departments to stop this quickly instead of ... tearing down buildings in a violent way."
Baidu will fully support the family of a college student who died after he sought treatment at a hospital advertised on its online search engine, the information giant said.

"We will fully support the family of Wei Zexi ... if there is any misconduct by the hospital found during the investigation," according to Baidu Tuiguang, Baidu's pay-per-click management platform, in a statement on Sunday.

The company said it has sent its condolences to Wei's family.

Wei, a student at Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, died earlier this month after treatment at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps.

The hospital's Biological Treatment Center, where Wei received the therapy, was contracted to a private company owned by Putian (Chinese) Health Industry Association, according to a media report. It said the association has more than 8,500 members.

According to an internal letter made public on Sunday, Wang Zhan, a vice-president of Baidu, was fired on Friday for "violating professional ethics and jeopardizing the company's interest".

Wang was in charge of Baidu Tieba, which has been criticized for allowing unqualified private hospitals to advertise in an online forum. Baidu declined to comment.

Beijing-based Baidu has been scrutinized for its business model of auctioning off search keywords and then ranking results accordingly.

Earlier this month, Putian urged its members to stop advertising on Baidu, following Baidu's crackdown on what it said was false healthcare information in ads posted on its site. Prices for advertising on Baidu are increasing fast and are unfair, it said.

Baidu said in late March that it rejected ad requests last year from more than 7,800 hospitals affiliated with Putian.
The alleged outsourcing of some services at China's military hospitals has surprised people and stirred controversy, with many calling for intensified regulations following the unexpected death of a college student who had sought treatment at a military hospital in Beijing.

Wei Zexi, a 22-year-old who had been attending Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, died in April at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps.

In China, the armed police force is part of the military, and its hospitals, like all military hospitals in China, are considered to be of high quality.

Wei, who had synovial sarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer, was sent to the hospital by his parents in September so he could receive "immune therapy".

His parents did not realize at the time that the therapy was said to be unproven and that the hospital department where he would get treatment was not being run directly by the military but had been outsourced to a private company.

According to an online post student wrote in February, Wei's parents selected the hospital after using online search engines to find a quality institution.

Wei Haiquan, Wei's father, said a doctor at the hospital had claimed the immune therapy treatment offered by the hospital was developed in the United States and was very effective, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

However, the therapy proved ineffective, the report said, adding that it had not cleared clinical testing to verify its efficacy.

The Biological Treatment Center of the hospital that offered the treatment had been outsourced to the private sector, news portal ifeng.com reported.

The hospital declined to comment, and a visit on Monday found it temporarily closed.

A visitor, surnamed Chen, said he was shocked to learn from media reports that the department had been outsourced. Chen, from Hefei, Anhui province, said he was worried because his mother, who has cervical cancer, was still receiving treatment at the hospital.

He said he, too, had found the facility after conducting an online search. He said he chose it because he believed the therapy it offered caused less pain than chemotherapy.

"People usually have confidence in big hospitals, especially those owned by the Army," he said. "Who would expect them to subcontract their departments?"

An online survey by news portal qq.com that quizzed 51,000 people by Monday afternoon, found more than 47,000 against the practice of contracting out the services of departments at military hospitals.

Gong Xiaoming, a gynecologist at Beijing Union Medical College Hospital, said there was a lack of oversight that meant many military hospitals had quietly contracted out some departments.

"Military hospitals are not under the supervision of health administrative authorities," he said. "Many patients seeking treatment at such departments will think they have found a trustworthy hospital, but they may end up having unnecessary medical treatment offered by the contactors."

Such hospitals usually promote themselves through online search engines to attract patients, he added.

Public hospitals funded by the government are not allowed to contract out their departments to others, according to regulations of the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

According to a notice issued by China's top military authority in March, all military forces in China will stop providing for-profit services within three years.

It is not known how military hospitals might be reformed because of this.
All ambulances in Beijing will be fitted with taxi-style meters as required by the municipal government in an effort to regulate fee-charging for ambulances in the capital.

The measure, which took effect on Sunday, is aimed at unifying the fees charged for transporting patients, according to a regulation recently released by several government departments in Beijing.

This makes the capital the first city in China to rely on meters for such fees, according to the Beijing Municipal Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision.

A total of 580 ambulances in the city have been installed with meters, which have been tested by technicians to ensure they are accurate and reliable, the administration said.

Under the new pricing standard, patients can be charged up to 50 yuan ($7.70) for being transported by ambulance for up to 3 kilometers, and 7 yuan for every kilometer after that.

If an ambulance is called but not required, 50 yuan must be paid.

The cost of pre-hospital emergency treatment in ambulances will be covered by the city's basic medical insurance program, the regulation states.

Different standards are currently used to calculate transportation fees by ambulance in many areas of China, which has sometimes led to complaints of overcharging.

In February, a woman in Shandong province was asked to pay 3,600 yuan for an 80-km journey by ambulance to transfer his father to a hospital. This is more than 10 times the cost of taking a taxi, media reports said.

Ambulances in the capital are operated by the Beijing Emergency Medical Center, which uses 120 as its emergency telephone number and is affiliated to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, and the Beijing Red Cross Emergency Rescue Center (999), affiliated to the Beijing Red Cross.

Deng Liqiang, head of medical affairs at the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, said the decision to fit meters in ambulances is a step forward.

"Now we at least have a clear standard on such fees," he said.

Deng said he believes the rate set by the government is reasonable, although it is higher than taxi charges.

"Ambulances are not like ordinary vehicles, as emergency medical resources are also used when an ambulance is called," he said.

A netizen named Zuoxianseng said in an online comment: "In addition to the fee-charging measure, other standards on ambulance services are also needed, such as how many ambulances should be allocated to a certain area to ensure those in need can use the service."
Students read the Quran during a class at the China Islamic Institute, the country's top academy for Quranic studies, in Beijing. Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily

Recently graduated religious leaders are working to generate and reinforce positive images of Islam to help Muslims identify and avoid extremism. Cui Jia reports.

People often find it hard to reconcile Ma Jiacheng's youth with his status as the imam, or religious leader, of the biggest mosque in North China. They expect to meet a grave, elderly man, not a smiling 26-year-old who left college only last year.

Ma is one of a number of recently appointed young imams taking a new approach to religious teaching. They combine their understanding of Islam with new ideas in the hope of generating and reinforcing positive images of China's Muslims.

Ma first visited the Doudian Mosque in the Fangshan district of Beijing in 2013, when he was a student at the China Islamic Institute, the country's top center for Quranic studies. Now, he is entering his ninth month at the religious center, which features a prayer hall big enough to hold 2,000 worshippers.

He was appointed to the post after he graduated last year, replacing the previous incumbent, who had retired. Five of his classmates are now imams at mosques around China.

Young graduates of institutes across the country have become a major force in driving Islam forward in China, helping young Muslims to identify and reject extremism.

Ma, from Shihezi, a city in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, came to Beijing to study at his "dream school" in 2011. Last year, he was one of the first 26 students to be awarded a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies by the institute, which had only awarded plain certificates of graduation before then.

The member of the Hui ethnic group said he loves to speak in a loud voice, which he calls a characteristic of men from China's northwestern regions, and that helps when he's leading prayers.
Young girls attend a Peking Opera class. [IC]

Peking Opera is being introduced to primary and middle school students in an effort to promote the traditional art to the younger generation, Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

The country's first set of textbooks about Peking Opera was compiled and published by the Beijing Association of Promoting Quintessence of Chinese Culture and People's Education Press in 2015.

The textbooks for optional courses have been put on trial use in middle schools in Fengtai district and will be used in middle schools across the city. The textbooks for primary schools will also be rolled out.

Since 2008, Beijing has promoted a program to provide opera training at dozens of primary schools. Schools apply for funds from the city's education department to hire professional actors and actresses to work with students as young as 6 or 7.
The fifth China International Senior Service Expo opened in Beijing on Tuesday.

The three-day expo gathered representatives from more than 200 professional institutes in 10 countries and regions.

China has experienced a rapid increase in its aging population. By 2015, China had 222 million people above 60, about 16 percent of the total population.

"Older people's demands for senior service have increased sharply, and elderly care has become a major strategic issue to affect the national economy and people's livelihood," said Gao Xiaobing, vice minister of civil affairs.

"As the pace of population aging in China is much greater than has been the case in the past and for many countries, the necessary adaptations will have to be undertaken quickly," said Gregory Ross Shaw, director of international and corporate relations of the International Federation on Aging, adding that the trends demand innovative technology and products in the industry.

China's top leaders expressed their concerns about aging issues.

President Xi Jinping said in March that coping with an aging population concerns China's overall development and the interests of hundreds of millions of people.
The National Health and Family Planning Commission announced Tuesday that it would launch joint investigation into the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps over the incident involving Baidu and a young who died after receiving cancer treatment in this hospital with the health division of the General Logistics Department of the Central Military Commission and the health division of the General Logistics Department of the Armed Police Corps.

Yesterday, the central government set up an investigation team to probe search engine giant Baidu, after the company was accused by a hospital patient, who since has died, of providing misleading medical treatment information.

The team is made up of officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce - the regulator of online advertisement.
CHANGSHA - Police in central China's Hunan province have detained 19 alleged members of an online gambling gang, in a case that involved transactions totaling in excess of 300 million yuan ($46 million).

Loudi City Police have frozen more than 200 bank accounts, and confiscated 11 limousines and over 100 computers in their three-month investigation, the city government said in a statement Tuesday.

The online gambling came to light in January, when two residents in Liudi informed police that they had lost money on an illegal lottery website. One of them had lost more than 80,000 yuan in just five days.

Investigators found that the three major suspects -- the webmasters, who hail from southeast China's Fujian -- started to make profits from their gambling websites in 2014. They first used servers and and financial management systems in Malaysia, and then transferred to the Philippines following a government crackdown. They also established more than 30 advertizing companies to promote their online gambling services.

The gang's websites had more than 10,000 users, according to police.
URUMQI - As new graduates prowled an annual job fair at Hotan Teachers College last Friday, Zhang Wenying encouraged them to add fluency in the Uygur language to their skill sets.

Zhang, 29, a bilingual teacher at No 1 Middle school in Jiya county,Hotan prefecture in southern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, graduated from the college in 2010.

Zhang, who is of Han ethnicity, came from northwest China's Shaanxi province to Hotan and started learning Uygur at the college in 2007. He now speaks fluent Uygur and teaches Mandarin to Uygur students.

China has 56 ethnic groups. The Han are the majority group, and Mandarin is the official and most widely used language. In Xinjiang, however, many locals lack even basic Mandarin. The language barrier not only puts them at a disadvantage in the job market, but also impedes economic development in the region. The autonomous region encourages ethnic minorities to study Mandarin to enhance mutual understanding and open up career opportunities.

Learning the Uygur language is also helpful for Han students looking for jobs in southern Xinjiang, where bilingual education is in short supply, according to Zhang.

Hotan Prefecture is known for its harsh natural conditions and poverty. Hotan Teachers College had trouble enrolling Han students until it started recruiting them from other provinces and regions in 2005.

After more than a decade, the percentage of Han students and teachers at the college has increased from 5.5 percent in 2005 to 25 percent in 2015.

Zhang said when he was a college student, his class had 40 students. Twenty-five of them were from outside Xinjiang. After graduation, 35 of his classmates chose to find jobs in Xinjiang.

Since 2010, 526 of the college's 583 graduates recruited from other provinces have chosen to stay in Xinjiang.

Ababekri Ablet, president of the college, said Han students from inland provinces live, learn and communicate with Uygur students and teachers at the college. "After graduation, they are willing to start their careers here," he said.

To boost bilingual education, Hotan Teachers College started offering mixed classes for Han and ethnic minority students in September 2015. So far, the college has 40 such mixed classes, accounting for 29 percent of the total.

In the mixed classes, Han students not only have classes with ethnic minority students, but also can live with them in the same dorm.

Abliz Hekpar, 21, from Qira County, said he had no Han friends before he entered mixed classes at the college. Living and learning with Han students has helped him improve his Mandarin, he said.

Likewise, Han students have also made friends with Uygur students.

Every morning, Miao Lanxuan reads aloud in Uygur with the help of her tutor, Aynur Ghulkhazim, another student at the college.

Since 2005, the college has encouraged Han students to practice their Uygur in classes every morning, while Uygur students read aloud in Mandarin for Han students.

Miao, from Shihezi City in northern Xinjiang, came to study in Hotan last September. She said she hopes to learn Uygur well and make more Uygur friends at the college.

"I have four Uygur language classes each week, which is far from enough for me to improve speaking," Miao said."But my tutor did help me a lot. I can practice speaking and also learn grammar from her."

Miao also applied to live in a dorm with Uygur students. Miao likes dancing and is good at modern dance, while her roommate, Arazgul Turejan, likes folk dance. They always dance together in the dorm.

Thanks to the mixed living and learning environment, Miao said she can speak fluent Uygur and even bargain at local bazaars with a Hotan accent.

Cheng Bin, from northwest China's Gansu province, who is learning Uygur at the college, has developed a friendship with his roommate, Turghun Abduraziq, who comes from neighboring Kashgar Prefecture.

Cheng said he cannot forget last winter vacation, when he was invited to stay with Turghun Abduraziq's family for more than 40 days. He was warmly welcomed, and his friend's mother treated him like her own son.

Cheng said he will invite Turghun Abduraziq to his hometown during summer vacation.

The college will expand enrollment of students from inland provinces in the future to encourage more Han students and teachers to teach, learn and live with Uygur students, said Zhao Ming, secretary of the college's party committee.
Chinese police officers Shu Jian (right) and Sa Yiming patrol with their Italian counterparts near the Colosseum in Rome on Monday under a SinoItalian agreement launched on Monday. JIN YU / XINHUA

In Rome and Milan, Mandarin-speaking officers aid tourists, boost sense of safety

Police: 'Move to have positive effect'

Police officers from China have started joint patrols in Rome and Milan with their Italian counterparts to provide assistance to Chinese tourists who increasingly are choosing Italy as a vacation destination.

Two uniformed Chinese police officers will patrol for two weeks beginning on Monday at the city's popular tourist spots, including the Colosseum in Rome and Milan's Gothic cathedral.

The initiative stems from an agreement between the two countries reached in 2014 and confirmed last year. Italian police have carried out similar collaboration with such countries as the United States, Spain and Poland.

"Today is an important day, because we are strengthening collaboration with China in a very special field," Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told a news conference in Rome that was attended by officials from the two countries.

The interior minister said he hoped the bilateral collaboration will be deepened with further agreements and extended to other Italian cities.

Gennaro Capoluongo, head of the international police cooperation service in Italy, said: "We feel proud to be the first one in Europe to undergo such an important collaboration program with China."

Luca Sarais, owner of Cantine Isola wine bar in Milan's Chinatown, said, "I think this is a positive initiative."

The initiative is an intercultural response to local criminal gangs, he added.

Huang Feng, a professor of international criminal law at Peking University, said the four Chinese police officers will perform their duties according to Italian laws.

The four officers, who speak Italian and English along with Mandarin, received training from Italian officers in Beijing before they were sent to Italy.

"The command of the Chinese language is their strength in assisting law enforcement, and they know the customs of Chinese tourists and therefore are better able to explain legal regulations and procedures to Chinese when they are in trouble or in disputes," Huang said.

Wang Gang, head of the European Division of the Ministry of Public Security's International Bureau, said that under a memorandum signed by the two countries, China will send officers to Italy during the peak tourist season every year, and Italy can also send police officers to patrol in China if necessary.

This new mode of law enforcement cooperation is based on strengthened mutual trust and demonstrates closer collaboration of police departments of the two countries after years' of efforts, said Zhao Yu, deputy dean of the International Law Enforcement Institute at the People's Public Security University of China.

"This exemplary move is likely to have a positive effect on cooperation between China and other European countries," Zhao said.

He added that the patrols have symbolic significance as China increasingly works jointly with foreign countries on law enforcement.

Zheng Pengyuan, a Chinese national who has promoted education among Chinese-Italians in Milan since 2008, said Chinese police patrols are a timely action to ensure the safety of Chinese-Italians and Chinese students and tourists.

"The three groups of people are targets of wrongdoers in Italy who believe that we have the habit of carrying cash and buying luxury goods," said Zheng.

In Milan's Chinatown, in the northern part of the Italian business capital, between 70 and 80 percent of shops are run by Chinese owners, but around 80 percent of residents are Italian.

"My flower kiosk is in the open air, and it is very important for me to feel safe every day," said Nicola Leuci, owner of a flower shop.

Patrizia Facchinotti, owner of a fruit and vegetable market in the same district, said, "I think Chinese policemen can definitely help. And they speak Mandarin, which is a fundamental tool to communicate with many Chinese citizens here."

Contact the writer at zhang_yi@chinadaily.com.cn

Xinhua contributed to this story.
In the wake of his visit to China over the weekend, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is apparently moving to lobby Southeast Asian countries to contain China on the South China Sea issue, experts said.

Kishida left Beijing on Sunday and began visiting Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam through Friday.

In a policy speech delivered in Bangkok on Monday, Ki- shida addressed maritime security and renewed a call for countries to respect the "rule of law". He gave a briefing on the statement of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Hiroshima last month regarding the maritime issue.

Additionally, Japan's Fuji Television said that, because attitudes differ among ASEAN countries toward China's maritime presence, Kishida emphasized that "it is important for ASEAN to demonstrate uniformity".

He made the remark on Monday while meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday that China-Japan ties are "still vulnerable and complicated", and China hopes Japan will "make substantial efforts" to improve the relations.

The ministry did not respond to Kishida's comment about the ASEAN countries and the South China Sea.

Zhong Feiteng, an expert on Asia-Pacific affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Tokyo likely will continue stirring tension in the South China Sea, since it will host the G7 leaders' summit later this month.

"Against such a background, the Southeast Asian countries  traditionally friendly with China and economically connected with Japan  will feel Japan's high pressure to take sides on sensitive issues. They don't want to offend either side," Zhong said.

Kishida's high profile on maritime issues "showcases Tokyo's impulse to seek greater development of its defense capabilities after the country adopted radical new security bills," Zhong added.

Contact the writer at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
A woman identified only as Lu tells reporters at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps in Beijing on Tuesday she is seeking a refund for therapy received by her husband, who had liver cancer and died in March last year. WEI XIAOHAO / CHINA DAILY

Families of patients who are receiving or have received immunotherapy cancer treatment at a military hospital in Beijing are demanding an explanation and refunds, after media exposed details of a case involving the hospital and a young patient who died recently.

Three top government and military health authorities have jointly launched an investigation into the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Tuesday.

It said it would conduct the probe jointly with the health bureaus of the Central Military Commission and the national Armed Police Force.

The commission said on Monday that it and other ministries have set up a team to probe search engine giant Baidu to see whether misleading information regarding cancer treatment had led college student Wei Zexi, 21, to choose the hospital for treatment.

Wei, a computer science major at Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, died on April 12. He was diagnosed in 2014 with synovial sarcoma, a rare, terminal cancer of the soft tissue, and underwent surgeries and chemotherapy in other hospitals before turning to immunotherapy at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps last year. He turned to the hospital after searching on Baidu.

Two months before his death, Wei said in an online post that a doctor at the hospital told his father that the immunotherapy was developed in the United States and was very effective. However, tumors entered his lungs several months after he received the treatment at a cost of more than 200,000 yuan ($30,900), he wrote.

The hospital declined to comment on Tuesday.

The hospital and Baidu became the target of public criticism in the past few days after media reports raised questions about Wei's treatment and the search engine's paid listing practice. The reports also brought to light the hospital's contracting of treatment to a private company.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission prohibits public hospitals from contracting their departments to others.

However, military hospitals such as the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps are administered by military authorities.

Although military hospitals are likewise banned from contracting departments to other companies, according to regulations issued by military authorities, in practice many military hospitals contract some of their departments to others for profit, media reports said.

A man who revealed that one of his relatives was receiving the therapy at the facility, said on Tuesday, "The hospital promised us that the treatment is effective and we have spent a lot of money. After the media reports, we are very worried and demand an explanation from the hospital."

The man, who is from Beijing and requested that his name not be used, said he talked with a vice-president of the hospital on Tuesday, and learned that the hospital is investigating the case and will give the families an explanation and a response on Friday about whether it will provide a refund.

The man said about 20 people related to current or former immunotherapy patients at the hospital are joining a group seeking a response, a refund and compensation from the hospital for expenses they incurred during treatment, such as hotel costs.

He said they are waiting for the hospital's answer about whether the immunotherapy is illegal and whether the department offering the service had been contracted.

Meanwhile, in an internal statement issued by Baidu on Tuesday, the company said it would improve its background check and evaluation system to screen out any improper information.

"Baidu stands together with the people and won't compromise its integrity for economic profit," it said.

A 63-year-old woman, who only gave her surname of Lu, said she is also demanding a refund of about 30,000 yuan for the therapy that her late husband, who suffered from liver cancer, had received at the hospital in December 2014.

"I read from a newspaper that the immunotherapy in the hospital is very advanced," she said. "We trusted in military hospitals and did not have doubt."

Lu said her husband's condition worsened after the therapy, which lasted for less than a day.

Her husband was transferred to a private hospital for treatment, but he died in March last year, she said.

A man surnamed Zhao from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region said his wife, about 50 years old, had received the immunotherapy treatment in question at the hospital in the past few days for nasopharyngeal cancer and stopped the treatment after the media reports.

He added that they are awaiting the hospital's response on a refund.

Zhao said his wife had therapy in June last year, and the result was satisfactory, but the same therapy this year did not produce results.

Although the two therapies were the same, the price for the therapy last year was about 67,000 yuan, while the second round of therapy cost 37,000 yuan, he said.

The couple has spent nearly 150,000 yuan for the treatment, taking into account other expenses such as trip costs and renting hotel rooms, he said.

"We are very worried," he said. "As farmers, we borrowed almost all the money from others for the treatment, and we never expected it might be useless."

Contact the writer at wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn
Scrambling to resuscitate a nearly dead truce in Syria, the Obama administration has again been forced to turn to Russia for help, with little hope for the desired US outcome.

At stake are thousands of lives and the fate of a feeble peace process essential to the fight against the Islamic State group, US Secretary of State John Kerry has appealed once more to Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around city of Aleppo.

"We are talking directly to the Russians, even now," Kerry said on his arrival in Geneva as he began talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. "The hope is we can make some progress, but the UN Security Council Resolution calls for a full country, countrywide, cessation and also for all of the country to be accessible to humanitarian assistance. Obviously that hasn't happened and isn't happening.
[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

A farewell ceremony for Peking Opera master Mei Baojiu was held at a ceremetary in Babaoshan in Beijing on May 3. Dignitaries from all walks of life gathered to pay their final respects to a legend in Peking Opera.

Peking Opera master Mei Baojiu passed away due to respiratory complications at age 82 on April 25 in Beijing. As the ninth son of famed opera star Mei Lanfang, and an outstanding inheritor of the Mei School, Mei Baojiu devoted his life to promoting and innovating the traditional art of Peking Opera.

Mei Baojiu was Mei Lanfang's only child who performed as a nan dan, and Hu Wenge is the only nan dan apprentice of Mei Baojiu. It is a great pity that there are no more Mei family inheritors of the technique after him.
Shen Yaoyi's paintings depicting the historic Long March are now on display at Beijing's National Art Museum of China.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Elderly painter Shen Yaoyi's exhibition in Beijing marks both the end of the Long March and the 95th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. Lin Qi reports.

Chinese painter Shen Yaoyi has made the Long March the subject of his work over the past four decades.

His oil paintings, engravings and picture books re-create scenes from the tactical retreat of the Red Army to evade Kuomintang forces for two years starting in 1934. During the march, which included a series of movements through much of the country, the Communist troops traveled about 12,500 kilometers.

Shen, 73, a retired arts professor from the capital's Renmin University, is now showing dozens of his paintings at the National Art Museum of China.

In 2004, he had held a show of landscapes along the Long March at the same Beijing venue.
Gan Erke shows a lacquer piece he made.[Photo provided to China Daily]

From reviving skills to make lacquerware resembling rhino hide to drawing on porcelain plates, master craftsmen are tweaking their techniques to modern tastes. Wang Kaihao reports in Macao.

Gan Erke is not someone who agrees that Japan is the last word when it comes to lacquerware.

The 61-year-old from Huangshan, in East China's Anhui province, has spent years reviving a technique which gives lacquerware a texture resembling a rhino's hide.

"While Japan has very fine lacquerware, it's not acceptable that China, a big country with a rich culture, should not be a world class counterpart," Gan says.

Gan, certified as an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, exhibited around 30 of his finest lacquerware at the first International Exposition of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Ancient Art in Macao in late April.

The event, held by the China Cultural Relic Protection Foundation, was an opportunity for him to attract global attention to his craft.

"When overseas visitors come to our country, they want to see something of the highest-level craftsmanship," says Gan.

"So assembly-line products will not do. If we want to show them something, we need to show them the best," he adds.

But he admits that no one is sure what the best is. That is something which he has pursued for a lifetime.

"We don't have the right to judge anyone else, but we can try our best. Nothing more is needed."

For him, that is the sprit of a craftsman, something that was advocated by Premier Li Keqiang while presenting his government work report in March, and has stirred wide discussion, since.

In 2002, when Gan decided to re-create hide-like lacquerware, which can be dated back to 2,000 years ago, he faced huge difficulties, though he has been a lacquerware craftsman since his teens.
The bulgogi steak, cooked with South Korean barbecue sauce, is a signature dish at VIPS Steak& Salad Bar in Beijing.[Photo by Liu Zhihua/China Daily]

Not every restaurant would be comfortable describing one of its leading menu offerings as "stone steak". But VIPS Steak & Salad Bar, a popular South Korean restaurant chain owned by that nation's CJ Group, does so with pride.

Of course, that name doesn't mean you get a piece of meat that's hard as a rock. "Stone steak" is a Korean specialty: medium-rare steak presented on a hot stone slate, which diners can take and pan-fry at the table themselves to the level of doneness they like.

Chinese customers are often allured by lifestyles shown in South Korea soap operas and movies. The owners at CJ Group, which has business ranging from film, K-pop and food, have taken advantage of their cultural appeal and extended the company's success to China with two branches. The original customer base was South Korean expats, but now more than half are Chinese, says head chef Tian Yulong.

On my visit to the original branch on Jiangtai Road in Chaoyang district in Beijing, which opened in 2012 (the Solana-area restaurant opened in 2013) for a Tuesday lunch, I found the restaurant almost packed with diners.

Most customers come to enjoy meals with families and friends, and on weekends, it's advisable to book a table in advance, I'm told.

The restaurant's appeal seems rooted in its delicious and distinctive steaks, which are cuts of rib-eye, filet, sirloin and porterhouse are imported from Australia.

Some steaks follow original Western recipes to produce authentic flavors, while some, like the "stone steaks", are prepared with a South Korean twist.

I tried two recommended specialties, the bulgogi steak and "New York strip yum stone steak".
Tobacco Control Inspectors carrying out their duties. The government is making plans to enlarge warning signs on cigarette packaging in a bid to reduce the number of smokers. Provided to China Daily

THE TOBACCO MONOPOLY BUREAU in Dezhou in East China's Shandong province issued a letter calling on its employees to promote the sales of expensive cigarettes. Gmw.cn commented on Sunday:

The letter is well written, and the writers have obviously done their homework. But the letter goes too far. The bureau, as a government department, is in charge of administration and supervision of the tobacco production and sales, not sales promotion. The decline of tobacco sales, which is good news for public health, cannot justify the bureau's acting beyond its authority.

The letter demonstrates the head of the bureau does not know the limits of the bureau's ill-supervised power, and the government's hard-to-relinquish inclination to intervene in the market.

Also, the tobacco bureau system in China should not ignore its legal duty to control the use of tobacco, since China has the largest smoker population in the world, and many people die of illnesses related to tobacco use every year.

In many places, the tobacco bureau is actually the local State-owned tobacco corporation, which monopolizes the production and sales of tobacco. This double identity means, in most cases, the bureau will take sides with tobacco producers, for profit.
People talk in front of a Baidu's company logo at Baidu's headquarters in Beijing, January 16, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

BAIDU, THE WEB SERVICE COMPANY behind China's leading search engine, is facing a storm of netizen criticism after the death last month of Wei Zexi, a 21-year-old man who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Searching for a hospital that could help him on Baidu, Wei was guided to a hospital in Beijing that reportedly provided him with expensive treatment that it had allegedly misrepresented. It is Baidu's virtual monopoly of online searches that is behind such incidents, says Zhang Zhouxiang with China Daily:

Baidu has long been known to mix paid information among its search results, so as to guide users to the websites of those that pay for it to do so. Some who have paid for such "hits" have been found to be involved in fraud and there have been many victims.

As a business, Baidu has prospered. In 2015, Baidu made a profit of about 33 billion yuan ($5.23 billion), and it is said to now enjoy roughly 80 percent of domestic online search market.

Fundamentally, it is the loopholes in the law that have allowed it to prosper in this way. As yet, there are no legal stipulations regulating search engines that guide users to a particular website for profit, even if the claims or activities of that website subsequently prove fraudulent. And even if someone sues Baidu for violating the law covering business activities, the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed as it is difficult to provide evidence.

And should a lawsuit succeed, the penalties are not harsh enough to deter Baidu from continuing the practice. In 2008, Shanghai-based Dazhong Trackbacks Logistics won its litigation against Baidu, because those searching for the company on Baidu were misled to many fraudulent websites. The court ruled Baidu pay just 50,000 yuan in compensation.

In most instances, even if an enterprise is smart enough to harm consumers' rights "without breaking the law", they will eventually lose the public's trust and consumers will seek an alternative provider of the services or goods they want. However, there are few alternatives to Baidu such is its stranglehold on the market.

More importantly, given its virtual monopoly, Baidu can easily hide information unfavorable to it.

They only way to stop such harmful activities is to break Baidu's search monopoly.
Luo Jie / China Daily

A recent policy document issued by the State Council, China's Cabinet, says "old industrial bases", meaning Northeast China, will make significant progress in the key areas of reform by 2020 and, revive by 2030.

The document says the northeast region's opening-up, which includes expanded and all-directional opening-up to advance reforms, will become a new driving force for its revitalization.

From 2003 to 2013, China launched the first campaign for the region's revitalization. As a result, significant and historical changes were achieved in infrastructure construction and the development of heavy chemical industries thanks to the support of the central government, as reflected in its growing economic strength, a better economic environment and a tangible rise in its economic aggregate.

However, the campaign has failed to achieve a breakthrough in structural adjustment and institutional innovation, and the region's structural and institutional contradictions and problems have been exposed once again vis-a-vis the country's economic transformation and upgrading.

The new campaign to revitalize Northeast China should, therefore, focus on structural adjustment and institutional innovation to transform the region into a base of advanced or upgraded manufacturing. For its revival, a modern perception of the service sector should be cultivated. The region could learn from the experiences of Germany, whose modernized service sector accounts for 70 percent of its GDP and production-related services account for 70 percent of its service sector.

Northeast China should also strive to realize the transformation and upgrading of its manufacturing sector in order to establish an industrial model in which its modern services, production-related services in particular, is the driver of the transformation and upgrading of its manufacturing.

The low proportion of modern services in its industrial structure has seriously restricted the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing in Northeast China, which, in turn, has slowed its broader economic transformation. And without key progress being made in restructuring of State-owned enterprises, the main force of the region's manufacturing sector, structural adjustment and institutional innovation will be difficult to achieve.
Seven Manchurian tigers and four African lion cubs play in the nursery at Forest Wildlife World in Qingdao, Shandong province. The playgroup is a little overcrowded after the sudden influx of 11 newborn cubs. The lions tend to spend most of their time resting, while the baby tigers are constantly on the move and even scream occasionally, attracting a great number of visitors.[Photo by Yu Fangping/Asianewsphoto]

The number of tigers across the globe (read Asia) is on the rise for the first time in a century. Tigers in the wild, according to the most recent data, number about 3,890, up from an estimated 3,200 in 2010. The increase, a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature says, can be attributed to improved surveys and strengthened protection of the iconic species in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan.

The news certainly calls for celebration, especially if you care for the environment, biodiversity or simply wildlife. Any such celebration, however, would be premature.

The WWF report was issued on April 10. But just four days before that, a report that went almost unnoticed (despite the prominence given to it by The Guardian) said tigers are "functionally extinct" in Cambodia. Conservationists said the last tiger in Cambodia was seen on camera trap in the eastern province of Mondulkiri in 2007. "Today, (however,) there are no longer any breeding populations of tigers left in Cambodia, and they are therefore considered functionally extinct," conservationists said in a statement.

Perhaps the highest increase in the number of tigers was seen in India: about 30 percent in the past four years. Indian authorities now claim the country is home to as many as 2,226 tigers, or almost three-fourths of the global total.

But the number, ever since it was released, has seen the scientific community challenge the claim of the India government. No, environmentalists and conservationists are not challenging the number of tigers in India; instead, they are questioning the rate of increase in the number of tigers.

Conservationists say the number of tigers may have increased from the historical low, but a good deal of that increase can be attributed to better counting methods in countries like India.

In fact, Anurag Danda of the WWF, one of the groups that took part in the tiger census, said: "I'd prefer to say there are 30 percent more known tigers rather than say there is actually an increase in (the number of) tigers. We might not have counted them all earlier."
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida gestures during a press conference at the International Media Center in Hiroshima, Japan on April 11, 2016 after Foreign Ministers meeting of G7 countries visit the Peace Memorial Museum. [Photo/IC]

On Saturday, while Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida was visiting Beijing, Japan announced it was relaxing its multiple-entry visa requirements for Chinese citizens.

The new rules will extend the validity of multiple-entry visas for Chinese visiting Japan for business purposes and Chinese academics from 5 years to 10 years, and will encourage a larger influx of Chinese visitors.

Also, students from 75 Chinese higher learning institutions will find it easier to get a visa to go to Japan.

Japan's foreign ministry said the easing of restrictions is intended to further broaden people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

The push for Chinese visitors is a part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's growth strategy, which seeks to promote tourism as a source of economic stimulus.

But some Japanese internet users have expressed concern about the inflow of more Chinese into their country. China is already Japan's largest source of foreign tourists, and some of their Chinese counterparts said the visa relaxation won't induce them to visit Japan.

It is not difficult to see the dearth of trust on both sides.

Still, any efforts to promote mutual understanding are commendable as the deficit is a serious issue for the two neighbors.

Before his China trip, Kishida told business leaders in Tokyo that without support of their people relations between states are fragile.

In the first two decades after the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1972, China and Japan prioritized building a friendly relationship by setting aside political and other differences.
Sava and his students.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Upon being informed about this contest, I took few moments to contemplate the possibility of being perceived as a presumptuous or pretentious individual for recommending myself.

However, after exploring the issue more thoroughly, I came to the conclusion that I, rightfully, deserve to be included since I fit the criteria that are used to categorize an individual as a Lao Wai (positive energy) individual.

First of all, I am an optimistic person who always has a positive attitude towards the challenges of surviving the ups and downs of our hectic daily lives. Regardless of whatever setbacks that I suffered in my life, I was able to rationalize them and figure out their positive aspects.

Losing my wonderful father at an early age (I was 15 years when he died) taught me to appreciate life and become independent. Watching my younger brother at the age of 13 did not hamper my outlook and positive attitude toward life.

Having failing marriages led me to focus on developing my empathetic and sympathetic nature regarding the mishaps and errors of judgment of my fellow human beings. I began to acquire empathy and sympathy toward those who are less fortunate to suffer the hardships in life.

Early in my life, I embarked upon a journey of helping others whenever I had the chance. I began to seize every opportunity to do volunteer work helping the elderly and visiting patients at several hospitals in my hometown.

Helping others was the fundamental reason behind selecting education as my career of choice. Educating my students permitted me the chance to guide them toward achieving their objectives of securing prosperous futures for themselves.

I exerted and still exert every possible effort to facilitate their learning process. I referred to compassion, tolerance and patience to pave their route toward finishing their studies successfully.

I led them to tolerate the hardships of being a student by explaining the fact that they have two options in life.

The first option is to study hard which will lead to them finishing their studies successfully, land prestigious positions, have wonderful families and live happily for more than forty years.

The second option is to ignore their studies for the sake of having fun, which will result in being unable to finish their studies or do with poor grades, finding lousy jobs, having difficult time for find suitable spouses and leading miserable lives for more than forty years.

Fortunately for me, most of my students were, sufficiently wise to select the first option, which gave me a great deal of pleasure and pride.

Nothing was more rewarding than seeing most of my students land prestigious positions in various schools and organizations.

I have been adamantly active in protesting the injustices that people are, unfairly, subjected to by their fellow human beings. I used my gift as a writer to defend them through articles in different venues of the media including all English as well as Chinese newspapers.

I spent three years working with mentally and physically challenged youngsters in my hometown of Montreal, Canada. Being around them brought me nothing but appreciation of enjoying the luxury of having all my faculties intact.

Seeing them smile despite the fact that surviving every moment was a challenge for them geared me to acquire the attitude of greeting people with a smile regardless of my mood or circumstance. Fortunately, I realized that most of the time they reciprocated by smiling back at me.

I learned that most of my moods are influenced by my state of mind, which prompted me to start every day with a smile and self-praised compliment. Amazingly, I discovered that it is an effective means to alter my moods.

During my enjoyable stay in China, I attempted to rectify the Western misconceptions pertinent to my home away from home, China.

When CNN and Cafferty attacked Chinese characteristics, I wrote an article that was translated into Chinese and published by your distinguished newspaper, China Daily among other media venues.

Whenever natural disasters struck Chinese cities, I participated by donating funds to the victims and encouraged my students to follow suite. That led the Chinese Red Cross to award me with a certificate of honor in appreciation of my efforts.

Experiencing the exhilarating feeling of giving led me to financially help those who are in need whenever my budget allowed it.

From the above, one may wonder: Am I describing myself as an earthly angel? I must acquire that I am no angel. Actually, I do possess numerous shortcomings that I have no need to mention here. I also, ought to state that I was influenced to a great extent by my parents who did everything possible to educate me morally.

My late father repeatedly told me when I was a child that I should offer help whenever I can, bearing in mind that one day someone else will return the favor by helping me. That proves to be true through the span of my life so far.

Another wise man that is also, unfortunately, deceased, had great impact upon molding my personality. I can vividly remember his words of wisdom.

Life can be as tender as a flower, as hard as a rock, as free as a butterfly, as beautiful as the sight of a full moon or as painful as a toothache. It is all up to you.

Fortunately, for me, I chose mine to be full of optimism and to smile all the time regardless of my circumstances or moods, to acquire positive energy to spread around me, to have a generosity of spirit to help others whenever I can and become an exemplary model for my students to follow.

Finally, I must be gracious enough to thank you for permitting me the opportunity to participate.
Maria Isabel Osterloh Mejia with her panda in Lima, Peru, on April 27, 2016. Maria finds China Daily website a great source of information about China's economic and trade relations with Latin American countries. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An important part for being successful in the academic world is to find a good source or references. This source has to be prestigious, accurate, and reliable.

Research and writing are my biggest passions, and China Daily has been and continues to be a great website to find news about China, especially its economic and trade relations with Latin American countries.

But what I like most is that unlike other news websites, China Daily cares about their foreign readers by rewarding them for their loyalty by regularly holding essays, videos and photograph contests. Plus, they also have a friendly attitude as they always reply to emails.

I have been one of those rewarded happy readers, thanks to an essay contest launched last year named "Your impression of China in 2015". It required the contestant to write about their experience in China during the year, either by having visited for just a few days, by having spent a long time there or by just being involved with China in their own country.

I fitted in the last category as I haven't been to China yet. I titled the essay "China brought me happiness and great opportunities this year". Certainly it was a very good year as I won an essay contest organized by my faculty (I graduated from university last year), also it was the first time that an opinion piece I had sent to a Peruvian business newspaper was published ( both pieces were about China), and the first time I met and talked with Chinese after a conference in San Marcos National University. So it was a great opportunity to tell my story and win.

I never imagined that the essay I wrote was going to be published on China Daily's website. Actually it was the first time that a piece written by me was published in a foreign online media. And I also never imagined that after this, the Community of Chinese and Latin American Studies (CECLA), an academic institution I am a member of, was going to ask me to write an article about my experience with China to be published in May in China Hoy, a magazine that has a subsidiary in Mexico, and from there spread to the entire region of Central and South America. It will be the first article of mine to get published in other country in printed form.

Besides, winning this contest has helped me in part to have the opportunity to be invited by the University of Sichuan, located in Chengdu the land of pandas,to visit its campus in July this year.It will be a two-week summer course program. Including China Daily's name in your curriculum makes a good impression and a good reference.

The title is related to my gratitude to China Daily for being a great partner accompanying me on my way to develop as a professional. Besides keeping me informed, it makes me a happy reader by offering me great opportunities.

Happy anniversary China Daily! Wish the anniversaries and successes continue over the years!

If you also want to share with us your story with China Daily, please join us and click China Daily,35 years on: your memories.
Volunteers help sightseers in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

For sightseers, finding the best route to places they want to visit in central Beijing can be difficult sometimes, especially for those who can't access digital maps on smartphones.

During the May Day holiday, a team of about 100 volunteers established a service base on East Chang'an Avenue to offer free directions for visitors seeking such help.

The volunteers are staff members from Beijing International Hotel, a five-star hotel on East Chang'an Avenue, and staff members from management at the Zhaojialou Street community office.

Duan Xuefei, who works for the hotel and won the model worker of Beijing award last year, led the team with another national model worker, Zhang Queming.

Duan says she feels happy to be able to help visitors coming to Beijing, and the volunteer team will continue to offer the service on weekends and major holidays.

Related:

Actress earns fame for volunteer teaching
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer is meeting with leaders from various sectors to prepare himself for a possible takeover from President Dilma Rousseff, who is facing impeachment.

Temer on Monday met former Central Bank President Henrique Meirelles to mull economic policy of his possible administration, Agencia Brasil news agency reported.

Former Civil Aviation Minister Eliseu Padilha said the meeting between Temer and Meirelles aimed at finding out what might be the direction of an eventual Temer administration.

"If the Senate confirms the suspension (of Rousseff's office), there will be no time to think afterwards," Padilha said.

Temer has been meeting with several leaderships in recent weeks, in preparation for the aftermath of a possible suspension of Rousseff's role as president.

Rousseff is going through an impeachment process and her case is being analyzed by a Senate commission.

Should the Senate decide to begin an impeachment trial, Rousseff will have to step aside for 180 days for the trial to proceed, with the vice president taking over as acting president.
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama does not believe that his country owes Japan a formal apology for the 1945 nuclear bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday.

"No, he does not," said Earnest at a press conference when asked whether Obama thinks Japan deserves an apology for the bombing in 1945.

Earnest also said that Obama is yet to decide whether to officially visit Hiroshima when he is in Japan in late May for a Group of Seven (G7) summit.

In April, US Secretary of State John Kerry visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, along with other G7 foreign ministers.

Kerry was the first US secretary of state to visit the A-bombed city, and Tokyo is hoping Kerry's visit could spur a visit by Obama.

A US bomber dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and another nuclear bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki three days later, killing tens of thousands of people.

The bombings, which remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history, were thought to be instrumental in forcing the Japanese surrender in World War II.

Japan has been ceaselessly emphasizing its identity as the world's sole victim of nuclear bombs, but has yet to thoroughly reflect on the root cause of the tragedy -- its militaristic aggression and brutal violence against other countries.
The inaugural flight between Dubai and Yinchuan is greeted with a water cannon salute when it touched down at Yinchuan Hedong International Airport, May 3, 2016. [Photo by Guo Shaoyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

Emirates Airlines launched its first direct flight between Dubai and northwestern China's Yinchuan on Tuesday, aiming at boosting its connectivity to China as the Belt and Road Initiative continuously strengthens economic ties between Beijing and the Middle East.

The flight between Dubai and Yinchuan, the provincial capital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, is scheduled for every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

After landing at Yinchuan Hedong Airport, the flight will continue further east to Zhengzhou, provincial capital of central China's Henan province, before returning.

Currently, the Dubai-based carrier flies to three cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Emirates Airline is one of the busiest airline companies in the world.

The new routes have been scheduled to allow for seamless connections to several destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, which means local Chinese will be able to travel to most cities in the world by transferring in Dubai.

Yinchuan lies to the west of the Yellow River and to the east of Helan Mountain, serving as a gateway connecting China to Arab countries.

The region has wide potential in cooperating with Emirates in the aviation industry, Li Jianhua, Party chief of Ningxia, said in March when he met with the airline's senior vice-president.

"Ningxia has unique advantage in location and resources for developing an aviation industry," he said. "The two parties can work together on opening new routes, establishing a joint-venture airline and air service companies and expanding air logistics trading."

dujuan@chinadaily.com.cn
BEIJING - China on Tuesday called on parties in Syria to maintain their hard-earned ceasefire, as it would help to create a positive environment for conflict resolution.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks when asked to comment on a telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry on Monday, in which they discussed the cease-fire.

During the conversation, both sides stressed that the only hostility in Syria should be against the terrorist cells in the war-torn country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an online statement.

Moscow and Washington, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, vowed to take further steps to prepare for more talks on a political settlement of the five-year-long crisis, the statement added.

Hong expressed his concern over the deteriorating situation and violence in some parts of Syria, particularly civilian casualties.

The ceasefire is an important guarantee of the political process in Syria and peace talks in Geneva, Hong said.

The spokesperson noted that China would support those directly-involved parties to strengthen coordination and formulate concrete plans.

The latest round of negotiations, which ended on April 27 with some progress, were bogged down by the differences of those participating partners. The exact date for the next round of talks is expected to be announced later this month.

Peace talks are the only way to resolve the Syrian issue, Hong said.

Although there have been difficulties and setbacks, peace talks are the only path toward a solution that accommodates the fundamental interests of the Syrian people, as well as long-lasting peace and stability in the region, Hong said.

Hong called for confidence from international communities, patience from relevant parties and sincerity from negotiators to continue peace talks.

China supported the efforts from the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, Hong said, calling on the relevant parties to resume dialogue and peace talks in Geneva as soon as possible.

"China is willing to work with the international community to promote a political settlement for the Syrian issue at an early date," Hong said.
(Photo : ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images) The rate of the growth of migrant workers in China decreased marginally last year.

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China's National Bureau of Statistics released a report on Thursday, April 28 showing that the rate of the growth of migrant workers dropped by 0.6 percent in 2015. There was also a decrease in the rate of young workers under 40 years old, dropping 1.3 percent and ending with a 55.2 percent growth.



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The report showed that the average age of the workers is 38.6, around four months older than the average age of workers in 2014.



A migrant worker is a person who is registered in a rural area but works outside their hometown for more than six months.



The decreasing rate of migrant workers may be attributed to the slow growth of income. The report revealed that the average monthly salary of migrant workers is around 3,072 yuan ($472) with an annual growth rate of 7.6 percent, decreasing 2.6 points. Meanwhile, income in the manufacturing industry decreased by 6.7 percent and the construction industry decreased by 4.4 percent.



There was an increase of 0.3 percent in the rate of signing short-term contracts. Short-term contracts are job agreements that last less than a year. Also, 36.2 percent of migrant workers signed contracts with their employers last year, down from 38 percent in 2014.



"We have also noticed there are fewer young workers. Most of our workers are between 40 and 50 years old," Cui Hao, the Deputy Director of the Overseas Engineering Company of China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group Co told China Daily. "It seems that the younger generation is less willing to do heavy physical labor, even though income in the construction industry is higher."



Cui noted that small-scale construction companies do not have any contracts, increasing the risk of not getting paid on time.





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TagsMigrant Workers Decreases, Migrant Workers in China, National Bureau of Statistics, migrant workers, Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group Co
(Photo : Getty Images) Kenya burned $172 million worth of wildlife goods on Saturday.

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Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to a huge stockpile of ivory on Saturday to show the country's serious commitment to putting a stop to illegal ivory trade and saving Africa's elephants.



Over 100 tons of ivory and 1.3 tons of rhino horns were piled in pyres at the Nairobi National Park. The ivories, which amount to about 6,700 elephant tusks, represents the entire stocks seized by the Kenyan government.



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"The height of pile of ivory before us marks the strength of our resolve. No one, and I repeat, no one, has any business in trading in ivory, for this trade means death - the death of our elephants and the death of our natural heritage," Kenyatta said.



Africa's elephants could be on the verge of extinction within decades, experts said.



However, the move was not totally applauded, as some conservationists believed the burning will make the commodity rarer thus increasing its worth and at the same time increasing poaching activities.



Richard Leakey, a conservationist from Kenya, said he was "humbled, sad, and encouraged."



"We shouldn't have to burn 105 tons of ivory and 1.5 tons of rhino horns," he said. "It is a disgraceful shame this continues."



According to experts, a kilogram of ivory could be worth around $1,000. The burning on Saturday lit the most number of ivory in one fire. It represents between 6,000 and 7,000 dead elephants and was estimated to be worth over $105 million (excluding the rhino horns), according to New York Times.



This is not the first time the government has burned truckloads of ivory. In 1989, the government burned a created a huge ivory bonfire. Since then, countries were doing the same, implying that ivories are useless unless they are on elephants.



Illegal ivory hunting spiked between 2009 and 2012, killing nearly 100,000 elephants.



Currently, Africa has about 400,000 to 450,000 elephants left, which is one-third of the 1.2 million during the 1970s. The situation is worse for rhinos with only about 30,000 left across Africa. In Kenya specifically, its black rhinos now count at 650, a significant decline from the 20,000 in the 1970s and 400 in the 1990s.



One rhino specie called the Northern White Rhino is becoming a rare specie, and the last three of its kind are reportedly heavily guarded in Kenya as scientists race through time to look for artificial reproduction procedure.



Kenya's income come usually from tourism, attracting tourists with safaris and premium camps. In 2015, Both China and the United States resolute to totally ban ivory trade, and these have allegedly helped bring ivory prices down, Reuters reported.



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TagsKenya, illegal poaching, elephants, ivory, Rhino horns, Africa, wildlife
(Photo : Getty Images/Pool) Japan Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida meets Premier Li Keqiang.

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Japan and China are towards to strenghten their bilateral relationship following the recent visit of Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida to China. However, Beijing is taking a cautious stand and has cited conditions for agreeing to improve the relationship.



Following his meeting with Kishida, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that China will not tolerate any kind of ambiguity regarding the importance of principal agreements between the two countries. He stated that Japan should strictly follow the one-China policy, which stipulates that Taiwan is part of China.



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He called on Tokyo to look at the bilateral ties between both nations from a creative viewpoint and should stop considering China as a threat.



Wang said both countries should adopt a win-win approach where they cooperate towards mutual welfare. He said that the Japanese government needs to abandon the old notion of a zero-sum game where one party wins at the expense of other.



Wang also stressed that both sides should respect each other's genuine concerns and interests, and ensure smooth communication.



Kishida's visit to China was his first since his assumption to office three years ago. This was also the first visit of a Japanese foreign minister to China in over four and a half years. Kishida's visit is significant because the coming year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan political relationship. In two years, the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty will be 40 years old.



The Japanese foreign Minister stressed that China's development has opened up many opportunities for Japan. He said that both the countries should play a bigger role in the process of development of Asia and beyond by working side by side. Kishida called for China and Japan to collaborate on various issues such as youth exchanges, environment and economics. Japan is also likely to relax visa rules for Chinese visitors.



During his visit to China last week, Kishida also met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and State Councilar Yang Jiechi.



"We confirmed the importance of the Japan-China relationship through the series of talks with Minister Wang Yi [and other senior officials], and we agreed to make our efforts for further improvement," Kishida said about his meetings.





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TagsJapan, china, Fumio Kishida, Wang Yi, Le Kequiang, Yang Jiechi
(Photo : Getty Images) The study titled 'The Twitter Asthma Pulse: Using Real-Time Twitter Data to Prospectively Predict Asthma Emergency Department Visits or Hospital Admissions in a Population,' involved the analysis of social media posts dated between October 2013 and June 2014.

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Doctors can now accurately predict when asthmatic patients will seek emergency room consultation through clues found in their social media posts, according to research by the Pediatric Academic Societies.



The study titled The Twitter Asthma Pulse: Using Real-Time Twitter Data to Prospectively Predict Asthma Emergency Department Visits or Hospital Admissions in a Population, accurately gathered social media posts between October 2013 and June 2014, which were then collated into 3,810 posts about asthma attacks that occurred in the Dallas-Fortworth area of Texas.



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In the same time frame, the ER visits by asthma patients were also recorded per region.



During the same period, the incidence of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations across the region area were recorded.



Yolande Mfondoum Pengetze, a Medical Director at the Parkland Center of Clinical Innovation, said that Twitter can alert health departments to anticipate an asthmatic patient's visit or hospital admission in the following days and help medics know when to intervene before the condition gets exacerbated



Sudha Ram, a co-author of the study, stated that is the era of Big Data. He added that the information gathered, when subject to analysis, will enable experts to study the pattern of human behavior.



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Tagssocial media post, asthma, predict, er visits
(Photo : David Ramos/Getty Images) Microsoft's Cortana will now only use Bing and Edge to display search results.

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Tech giant Microsoft has announced that its smart digital assistant Cortana will only use Edge and Bing results in its search box. This means that other search engine and browsers like Firefox, Opera, Yahoo and Google will be completely restricted on Cortana.



In a statement posted on the company's official blog, Microsoft general manager of search marketing Ryan Gavin declared, "To ensure we can deliver the integrated search experience designed for Windows 10, Microsoft Edge will be the only browser that will launch when you search from the Cortana box."



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The Cortana search box, which is located at the lower left portion of the Windows 10 desktop, will now rely solely on Microsoft's flagship search engine, Bing.



Gavin defended the latest restrictions imposed by Microsoft saying that some third-party software have the ability to circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect users to search engines that are not fully compatible with Cortana. This incompatibility, Gavin added, could seriously affect user experience and the reliability of its products.



The latest changes imposed by Microsoft will not affect the basic functionality of third-party Internet browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera, Gavin promised.



Many tech analysts agree that Microsoft's latest rule will broaden the coverage of Edge, as well as boost the revenue generated from increased usage of Bing.



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TagsMicrosoft, Cortana, Microsoft Cortana, Cortana support, Microsoft Cortana support, Cortana search box, Bing, EDGE, Microsoft Bing, microsoft edge
(Photo : Getty Images) Gucci has warned Hong Kong shops to stop selling paper with its logos printed on it as offering for the dead.

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Famous Italian brand Gucci has sent warning letters to Hong Kong shops to stop selling paper items with its logo as offerings for the deceased.



Last week, the luxury firm sent letters to urge shops to quit selling paper products with the Gucci logo as these products violate its copyright.



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Paper products of items such as iPads and handbags are burned during funerals in Hong Kong in the belief that these items can be used by the deceased in the afterlife.



The shops were only sent letters, but Gucci has not suggested any legal actions against offenders.



"We fully respect the funeral context and we trust that the store owners did not have the intention to infringe Gucci's trademark," Gucci Hong Kong wrote in a statement. "Thus a letter was sent on an informational basis to let these stores know about the products they were carrying, and by asking them to stop selling those items."



According to the BBC, Gucci did not mention how many letters were sent and which shops received it. Some shops have allegedly removed the products bearing Gucci logos from their shelves, but others like Louis Vuitton and Burberry are still up for sale.



The news received a variety of reactions in Hong Kong. One shop owner said she has no idea that her products resembles a luxury brand as she has never owned one.



"I am neither the manufacturer nor the supplier, why are they picking on me?" she asked.



"We are burning it, not selling it. These products are offerings for the dead, not the living. How are we violating copyright?" another store keeper said.



Some people on social media joked about Gucci's move. One user asked, "Does Gucci want to open branches in the underworld?"



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TagsHong Kong, luxury brands, Gucci, offering, Copyright
(Photo : YouTube) Google is allegedly working with HTC to develop the Nexus 7.

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The Google Nexus 7 has arguably been the most talked about device in the Android community for the past few months. The flagship device from the tech giant has been the subject of several rumors and speculations. The latest of which claims that the device will be finally unveiled at the upcoming Google I/O Developers conference this month.



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With the past few models of the Nexus line, Google has been working with third-party manufacturers. The company has tapped into the services of Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, HTC and Asus to develop and build Nexus devices. Rumors have it that Google is now working with Taiwanese tech company HTC to build the upcoming Nexus 7.



Notable tech leaker Evan Blass, who goes by the handle @evleaks, revealed that HTC is working on a pair of Android devices for Google. The devices have an internal codename of M1 and S1.



Google has kept silent about the development status of the Nexus 7. However, there are speculations that the device will finally see the light of day this year and that it will support a feature that is similar to Apple's Force Touch.



Not much is known about the specs of the Google Nexus 7. However, based on the specs of the previous model, the device might sport the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset. There are also indications hinting at a possible 7-inch display for the premium model, and a 5-inch display for the entry level.



There are also talks that the Nexus 7 will have the Nvidia Tegra X1 processor. Based on the current trend in the market, the device might sport 4GB of internal memory or maybe even bigger and would support up to 2TB of expansion via a microSD card. As for its battery, the device is believed to have at least a 3,000mAh pack.



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TagsGoogle, Google Nexus, Nexus 7, Google Nexus 7, Google Nexus 7 specs, Nexus 7 specs, Nexus 7 release date, Google Nexus 7 price
(Photo : Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images) A group of young triplets, along with their father, are currently searching for their lost mom in Shenzhen.

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A group of 4-year-old triplets are currently traveling across China in a quest to find their mother who suddenly disappeared six months ago.



The triplets, who will turn five next month, were spotted handing out flyers that featured the face and contact number of their young mom named Han Xinghua, according to Peoples Daily Online affiliate Huanqiu. They were spotted on Saturday in the economic zone north of Hong Kong.



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Han, 27, left without warning in December according to the missing persons flyer that the triplets distributed. The flyer said that Han did not have any fight with her husband before leaving, and that she took her daughter with her.



Second Time Around



This is allegedly the second time that Han had left her triplets. She allegedly had her triplets out of wedlock with a certain man named Huang, whom she left to marry another man.



With this other man, Han gave birth to a child named Hanhan, now 2 1/ 2 years old. After this marriage with Hanhans father crumbled, Han returned and married Huang, the triplets father.



Looking for Lost Love



According to QQ, Huang has attempted to locate his wife several times. He took his boys to search for her in Shenzhen after having recently heard of the possibility that Han could be there.



The three boys, eager to find their lost mom, easily attracted the general public with their uniform clothes and young faces. In fact, some pedestrians even stopped to take photos of them, and then posted the photos online.



Although the triplets appear to be having fun while looking for their mother, some netizens could not help but express their sympathy to the children. Others, however, wonder if the story is true or is just another scam.



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TagsHan Xinghua, huang, Henan, triplets, Shenzhen, broken family
(Photo : China Photos/Getty Images) Food delivery personnel are able to deliver foods to students in a certain college in Hubei by climbing ladders.

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Students banned from going out of a certain school campus in Jinzhou city, Hubei province, have resorted to ordering takeaway foods from restaurants.



Students from Jingzhou Entrepreneurial Technical College have been banned from leaving the campus to eat at outside food joints during weekdays, according to Chutian Metropolis News. Instead, they are to buy and eat the food cooked in the school canteen. However, after growing tired of the food from the canteen, students have resorted to ordering takeaway food from nearby restaurants.



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If Theres A Will, Theres A Way



Responding to the requests of hungry students, restaurant workers deliver food by passing them through college building windows, reached by climbing ladders up to three meters high. A photograph posted by a passer-by on social media shows restaurant workers in action.



According to a student, they only do this because they are not permitted to leave the college campus during weekdays. Chen Jinkai, who is in charge of JETCs public affairs, said he will talk to students to resolve the matter.



College Problem



The current dilemma faced by students at JETC is similar to another school in Heilongjiang province. Last month, news surfaced that the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine had banned food delivery vehicles from entering its campus, but still, vendors found a way through it: up the wall.



Photos on social media show vendors perched atop the three-meter-high walls, handing dumplings and other food items to students who prefer these over the campus cafeterias offerings  as university officials do nothing but watch.



The university earlier issued the ban because of concerns about student's safety. School officials have discouraged students from consuming unhealthy delivery food and encouraged them to eat foods sold in the campus cafeteria.



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Tagsfood felivery, Jingzhou Entrepreneurial Technical College, Jinzhou, Hubei Province
(Photo : ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images) Visitors view the 3D printed replica of a dinosaur during the 3rd China (Hunan) Mineral and Gem Show on May 25, 2015 in Chenzhou, Hunan province of China.

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In China, the 3D printing industry is growing rapidly and the technology is becoming more and more popular in many areas over the years. From small 3D printed objects like jewelry and replicas of dinosaur bones, to large 3D printed structures like mansions and 5-story buildings. The technology has indeed attracted the attention of many other industries in China such as manufacturing, aviation, automobile, engineering, construction, medicine, education, and space exploration.



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China's 3D printing market size was estimated to value about $600,000 in early 2015, and is now expected to reach about $1.6 billion in 2016. The country currently owns about 8.7 percent of all 3D printers worldwide and is expected to overtake the United States in sales and shipments by the end of this year, with an annual growth rate of over 100 percent.



To support the adoption of 3D printing technology and innovation, the Chinese government recently launched the "Made in China 2025" initiative which aims to rebuild the industry over the next decades. The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, along with other authorities, have also established a project in which it will spend about $313 million in investment for research and development in 3D printing in the next three years.



Additionally, the government also announced plans to make 3D printers widely available in approximately 400,000 elementary schools in the next two years. Shenzhen-based company Weistek Co., which was founded in 2011, is apparently taking advantage of this opportunity by launching what it claims to be the world's first educational 3D printer for children called MiniToy.



MiniToy was first unveiled during this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and the printer also earned a "China Daily Innovation Award" at the recent Global Sources Electronics Show which took place in Hong Kong.



To take advantage of the growing consumer 3D printing market in China, one of the country's top technology brand Lenovo Group Ltd. announced its entry into the business in 2015. Now, the company has launched its very first product called the XiaoXin L20 smart 3D printer. According to Lenovo's 3D printing business manager, Mu Zhen, the 3D printing market in China has become the "third largest in the world", accounting for 13 percent of the global market's revenue.



As for 3D printing in space, following the footsteps of NASA, scientists from the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing have been working on a zero-gravity 3D printer along with the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology (CIGIT).



Their zero-gravity 3D printer is expected to help China build a space station by 2020, according to Duan Xuanming, who is the head of the 3D printing research center at the Chongqing Institute. Professor Wang Gong of CSU said, "3D printing has a very efficient and flexible character, and is expected to become one of the most important tools in spacecraft manufacturing technology."



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Tags3D Printing Technology News, 3D Printing China, 3D-printer, 3D Printing Industry Market, 3D Printing Construction Space Medical Industrial Manufacturing Aviation
(Photo : Getty Images) China has employed its fishermen to help in securing its territorial waters in the South China Sea and uphold its sovereignty on its controlled reefs and islands

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China is expanding its reach in the South China Sea by using a fleet of "fishing militia" to collect information on foreign vessels passing through the international waterway.



Navy officials in Beijing, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that they have been conducting maritime exercises using a fleet of fishing boats in the disputed waters.



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The fishermen, who have been military-trained, are deployed on tiny boats from Hainan island to spy on foreign ships navigating in the South China Sea.



GPS



The fishing vessels are equipped with Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) that will allow the fishermen to call the Chinese coast guard for help in case of emergencies. They also carry small weapons in case of a confrontation with foreign vessels.



"The maritime militia is expanding because of the country's need for it, and because of the desire of the fishermen to engage in national service, protecting our country's interests," a Hainan government adviser told Reuters.



The adviser said the Chinese government pays the fishermen after finishing the basic military training and subsidizes the costs of improving their vessels.



Search and rescue operations



Part of the military training includes search and rescue operations, disaster preparedness, and "safeguarding Chinese sovereignty."



Tensions between among China and other claimant countries have been escalating in the South China Sea following Beijing's construction of airstrips, outposts, and other military facilities in disputed territories.



Beijing built artificial islands in the contested Spratly group of islands which are also being claimed by Taiwan, Brunei, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.



Freedom of Navigation



The United States continues to conduct aerial and naval patrols near the Chinese-controlled territory in the South China Sea to challenge Beijing's territorial claims.



Washington said it will continue to uphold the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea despite China's protests.



International relations experts said that the increasing animosity between Beijing and Washington could trigger a naval war.



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TagsChinese fishing militia, china, South China Sea, spratly islands, maritime exercises
(Photo : Getty Images) Political observers said disputes between a host of countries laying claims on the disputed waters and China will likely intensify whichever the decision goes.

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All eyes are on China as the ruling on the South China Sea by The Hague's arbitration court is expected in the coming weeks. The Philippines filed the territorial case against Beijing in the international court.



The arbitration ruling will decide whether or not China's claims on almost the entirety of the South China Sea is in accordance with international laws, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).



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Political observers said disputes between a host of countries laying claims on the disputed waters and China will likely intensify whichever the decision favors.



International community



Although China has made it clear earlier that it does not recognize the jurisdiction of the Hague court and will reject the ruling once it is handed down, the international community is watching any signs of what China will do in response to the verdict.



Countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and others have called on China to respect the decision of the court once it is handed down but Beijing has been firm on its stance not to abide by the ruling.



Earlier reports said China will start reclaiming the disputed Scarborough Shoal this year to bolster its territorial claims and will build another airstrip and outpost in anticipation of the ruling which many believe will go against Beijing.



The reef, which is also being claimed by the Philippines and Taiwan, is a little less than 200 kilometers from Subic Bay, well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).



Despite protests from the Philippines, China continues to defend its claims to the Scarborough Shoal.



Chinese territory



"I want to reiterate that the Scarborough Shoal is an inherent part of the Chinese territory. No matter what kind of action that China may take or not, it is something within the scope of China's sovereignty," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a press conference.



China has long pushed for dialogues and bilateral negotiations with the nations involved in the dispute and has lambasted third party intervention, obviously referring to the US, in resolving the South China Sea row.



Beijing blamed the increasing US military presence in the region as the source of tensions between claimant states and China and not its claims to controlled territories.



China has reiterated that the US patrols in the disputed waters are "acts of provocation" that should be stopped immediately.



The US defended its maritime patrols by invoking the principle of freedom of navigation and said the patrols are not meant to provoke China.



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TagsHague arbitration court, South China Sea, United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea, Scarborough Shoal, Freedom of Navigation, Beijing
(Photo : Getty Images) People walk past a Baidu Inc. logo displayed in the reception area of the company's headquarters in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016.

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The Chinese government assigned a team to investigate search engine giant Baidu over the death of a college student last month who sought cancer treatment in a medical facility he found in Baidu.



Chinese netizens cried foul after a student identified as Wei Zexi died on April 12 after going through an experimental medical procedure that he only learned about because it topped Baidu's web search.



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Wei, 21, died of a rare soft tissue cancer called synovial sarcoma. Months before his death, Wei reportedly undergone four experimental and ineffective medical procedures at the Second Hospital of the Beijing Armed Police Corps. His family reportedly spent over 200,000 yuan.



Even before Wei was laid down to rest, he expressed rage over the hospital and Baidu.



"Baidu, we did not know how much evil it could do," state media quoted him as saying.



According to The Guardian, aside from netizen's anger, even the state-backed news agency People's Daily criticized Baidu for putting financial interest first before people's safety.



"There have been hospitals making profits at the cost of killing patients who were directed by false advertisements paid at a higher rank in search results," the newspaper said.



"With great power comes great responsibility... profit considerations shall not be placed over social responsibility."



The company, on the other hand, told BBC it is conducting its own investigation as well and extends its condolence to Wei Zexi's loved ones.



"Baidu strives to provide a safe and trustworthy search experience for our users, and has launched an immediate investigation of the matter. We deeply regret the death of Wei Zexi and our condolences go out to his family," the company said.



Baidu said on Tuesday that it will pay "particular vigilance" to its "healthcare vertical" and will "proactively clean up the customer base" to get rid of misleading promotions.



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Tagschina, Internet, search engines, Baidu, Wei Zexi, web search
(Photo : Getty Images) China's pharma exports to India reached $2.22 billion between 2014 and 2015.

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India posted a staggering $2.22 billion worth of pharmaceutical products imported from China between 2014 and 2015, Nirmala Sitharaman, India's Commerce and Industry Minister, said on Monday in a written response in Parliament.







China also managed to export $1.74 billion worth the bulk drugs or active pharmaceutical ingredients from April to December last year, a notable increase from the $2.11 billion worth of pharma goods exported from 2013 to 2014.



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The country is importing both raw materials and finished pharmaceutical goods and drugs from China to cater to the local market and exports.



Based on the report, India is heavily relying on imports from China for the production of 12 important drugs like Paracetamol and Amoxicillin.



"There is a significant dependence on imports of drug ingredients and substantial imports of these products are from China," Minister Sitharaman wrote in a reply in the Lok Sabha. "One of these reasons for imports from China is the price competitiveness of these products."



China currently supplies about 80 percent of India's bulk drugs ingredients, and the country is now attempting to cut down this dependence. To do this, the government plans to expand manufacturing facilities across India and to invest to build three bulk drug parks.



The Indian government has also formed a group led by former health secretary VM Katoch to draft and recommend manufacturing laws for bulk drugs.



"After examining the recommendations, the government is now looking into the financial viability of supporting the proposal for providing assistance for common minimum facilities for three greenfield bulk drugs/API parks to the extent of Rs. 200 crore each," Hansraj Ahir, minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, announced to Parliament on Friday.



The committee also plans to add perks to encourage investors including incentives and tax concessions. There are also talks of establishing storage, testing laboratories, among others.



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Tagschina, India, imported goods, pharmaceutical products, parliament, global trade
Nandamuri Balakrishnas landmark 100th film Gautamiputra Satakarni will have some of the best visual effects and battle sequences.

As per the latest update, a single episode of the historic battle in the film is going to cost a huge Rs 8 Crore for the makers. The film will be a high-budget visual extravaganza, and this one battle sequence itself is going to cost a bomb. 800 junior artistes would be part of this battle sequence.

To work on the visuals for the battle episodes in the film, 4-5 teams have been exclusively roped in. Four tonnes of material including weapons and war outfits have been shipped to Morocco.

All the films lead actors and technicians have already landed in Morocco to start the films shoot from May 7. Balakrishna will soon reach Morocco to begin the shoot. The movie is set for grand release on January 12, 2017.
Confused Savior? Lutheran pastor claims Jesus may have been externally male, internally female 03 May, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (Christian Examiner)  A Lutheran pastor and author is claiming that Jesus may have been "intersex," or externally male and internally female.

Clint Schnekloth, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, Ark., wrote on his blog April 27 that the church should begin considering "the relationship between Jesus Christ as the Incarnation of the Word, and intersexuality."

Since Jesus was clearly presented as male and only male in Scripture  he was circumcised on the eighth day, preached in a synagogue, was referred to as the "son" of Mary, as the "Son of God," and exclusively by the pronoun "him"  Schnekloth claims Christians have to read between the lines when it comes to lessons about Jesus's gender identity.

"What we know about Jesus' gender is rather complicated. Clearly, Jesus represented as male (his phenotype)," Schnekloth wrote. "But in terms of his genotype, frankly, we have no information."

I have been surprised by the confidence, and the vehemence, with which people say 'No!' I think sometimes they say 'No' because they know very little about intersexuality. Other times, I think it is simply very important to them that Jesus was a male both phenotypically and genotypically.

Phenotype is a biological term used to refer to an organism's external characteristics. Genotype is a term used to refer to the genetic makeup of an organism.

Schnekloth isn't arguing against the classic statement of the Christian faith that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully "man," in the sense that he was fully human as well as divine. But for Schnekloth, Jesus could have been internally female because "we do not know the structure of that genome."

While the Lutheran pastor admits he believes in the virgin birth because the church teaches it, he has raised questions about the end product of the child conceived in Mary's womb.

"We know a few more things about conception than they did back in the day. One thing we know: a woman provides the X chromosome, and the man provides a Y chromosome. In the case of parthenogenesis [reproduction without fertilization], an exceedingly rare occurrence among higher life forms, the chromosomal structure would typically be a duplicate of the X, or just a single X. The one thing that would not be present would be a Y," Schnekloth wrote.

"Now, of course, if we are allowing that the conception by the Holy Spirit is a miracle, which it is, then of course God could provide a Y chromosome. But if it is a miracle, which it is, then just as easily God could have had Jesus be phenotypically male but genotypically female."

Schnekloth claims "we don't know" if that is the case, but he posits it to examine the implications within the larger societal debate about transgenderism. He claims he supports those of "varying gender identities" and is against discrimination who are seeking theirs of those.

Schnekloth also argues that Jesus was "transgressive," or one who did not adhere to traditional boundaries in society  he never married and had no children. To him, that is proof that something may have been different about Jesus internally. In other words, the Savior could have been what he calls "Intersex."

"I have been surprised by the confidence, and the vehemence, with which people say 'No!' I think sometimes they say 'No' because they know very little about intersexuality. Other times, I think it is simply very important to them that Jesus was a male both phenotypically and genotypically," he wrote.

"Honestly, I don't understand why they are so vehement. I can't think of any way it matters doctrinally. The church is committed to the saying unequivocally that Jesus was fully human. I don't know anywhere in the tradition where the protein strands of his cell structure are the basis for a confessional position of some kind."

Because Schnekloth has no modern scientific study available to him about the person of Jesus who walked the dusty trails in Galilee 2,000 years ago, there is reason, he claims, to see Jesus in something other than as the traditional, male, masculine Savior  as an "intersex" person who can intercede for those of varying gender identities.

He also claims Jesus was "aware of a greater level of gender fluidity" because he taught that some were "eunuchs" from birth (Matthew 19:12). However, Old Testament and New Testament scholars alike generally agree that Jesus's reference to "eunuchs from birth" is a reference to physical deformity rather than internal psychological or genetic confusion  such as the modern psychological phenomenon known as Gender Dysphoria.

Schnekloth serves as an adjunct faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary and is on the editorial board for the Evangelical Luther Church of America's Youth Ministry Network Connect Journal. He is also a guest columnist for the Northwest Arkansas Times and was a key proponent for Fayetteville's "civil rights" ordinance which prohibits the firing or eviction of a person based on their perceived sexual identity.

Churches and religious organizations are exempted from the ordinance, for now.
Egyptian native Michael Youssef returns to homeland to preach while government protestors clamor outside church 03 May, 2016 by Tobin Perry , |

CAIRO, Egypt (Christian Examiner) Michael Youssef's Leading the Way ministry says at least 500 people came to faith in Jesus during a three-day evangelistic event in Cairo, Egypt, last month. According to the ministry's website, more than 5,000 people attended one of the services in person along with "millions more watching live via satellite television."

"Whatever your bondage may bewhether it's alcohol, gambling or pornography, sexual addictions or drug addictionsJesus can set you free tonight."

"My beloved friends, a day is comingand it may be sooner than we thinkwhen there will be only two lists, those who are saved and those who are lost, those who have received Jesus as their only Savior in life and those who had their own ideas of who God is and what He should be," Youssef told the audience on the first day. "Where will your name be?"

Youssef's messages, which were translated from English into Arabic, focused on "salvation in Christ and victory over sin and addiction," according the ministry website.

Youssef grew up in Egypt and later moved to Australia and attended Moore Theological College. In 1977 he moved to the United States where he received a master's degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Emory University. In 1987 he started The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta, an independent Anglican congregation.

Youssef's sermons at Cairo's Kasr El-Dobora Church were broadcasted on two satellite channels and reached 160 million homes worldwide, says Joshua Youssef, executive vice president of Leading the Way. He also added that people came to faith in Christ on the first evening of the event despite government protests outside of the church.

Yousef's messages directed at those struggling with addictions come during a critical time in the Middle Eastern country. The L.A. Times reported in 2013 that the social upheaval since 2011 has led to an increase in drug addiction in Egypt. GulfNews.com cites "official figures" claiming five million of the country's 90 million people are addicted to drugs.

Pornography, which Youssef spoke about multiple times during the four sermons over three days, has also increased in the Middle East in recent years. A 2015 article on Salon.com said that six of the eight highest porn-searching countries were predominantly Muslimincluding Egypt at number two.

During the fourth of Youssef's Cairo sermons he assured the people that he had come to Egypt to bring them Good News.

"Whatever your bondage may bewhether it's alcohol, gambling or pornography, sexual addictions or drug addictionsJesus can set you free tonight," Youssef said. "He is the God of power and might. If you don't allow Jesus to deliver you from whatever you are hooked on, you will end up being cynical in life."

Youssef asked Christians to pray for those who made commitments during the Cairo events and that those who came to faith will find opportunities for personal discipleship. He also asks Christians to pray that God will bring a mighty move of His Spirit to the city and country.
SBC leader: America is not a Christian nation providentially established by God 03 May, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

NASHVILLE (Christian Examiner)  America is not a Christian nation, but it is a nation of those who identify themselves as Christians, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty has said in a new social media video from The Gospel Coalition.

In fact, just how Christian the nation is may depend on who is asking and how the term "Christian nation" is defined, according to Russell Moore.

"If what you mean by that, is that a nation in which most of the people profess to be Christians, then, certainly, the United States of America was  and is  a Christian nation, based upon that sociological definition of a 'Christian nation,'" Moore said.

But that isn't what most people mean when they use the term. Instead, Moore said, the idea behind their perception is that God has created a special place in history for America  under a new type of "covenant" when it founded as a "new Israel."

"What they mean is the idea that God was in covenant with the United States of America in order to bless the United States of America as a special people, as a new Israel, as a group of people covenanted under Christianity," he said. "And the answer to that is, clearly, 'No.'"

What they mean is the idea that God was in covenant with the United States of America in order to bless the United States of America as a special people, as a new Israel, as a group of people covenanted under Christianity. And the answer to that is, clearly, 'No.'

That does not mean that the Founders of the United States were not "influenced deeply by Christian ideas" stemming from the Protestant Reformation. They were also influenced by the Enlightenment, which sought to dislodge many quarters of public life from Judeo-Christian ethical moors.

"But they did not found the country as a Christian nation, which is why there is, for instance, no religious test for office holders and why there is a separation between the responsibilities of the state from the responsibilities of the church or of worshipping communities in the United States," Moore said.

Still, there is much confusion among Christians who believe passages in the Bible, originally intended as references to Israel, are imputed to the United States.

"This shows up in people taking, for instance, Old Testament passages and applying those passages directly to the United States," Moore said. "The most common of these would be 2 Chronicles 7:14, [which says,] 'If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, repent of their sins, and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land.'"

Moore said it is an error to assign America a "providential place in history that the Bible never assigns."

"God did not promise that to a political body. He did not promise that to anyone apart from the mediation of Jesus Christ," he said. That is why Christians should see that those passages referred to Israel in its covenant relationship with God.

"So the idea that we're living in a Christian nation in that sense, is really a form of theological liberalism," Moore concluded. "It assumes the person or the nation can be a Christian apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, apart from new birth. That is contrary to the gospel that we have received in Jesus Christ."

"Instead, we must say that we are Christians who live in a nation among many people who profess to be Christians  some of whom are and some of whom aren't. And we must be the people to give a faithful gospel witness in those days."
A study conducted by LifeWay Research and sponsored by Charisma House Book Group found that most Protestant senior pastors believe Jesus will return in a second coming. However, the viewpoints on the end-times theology continues to be debated among those pastors, according to this study conducted on 1,000 pastors.

The study broadly focused on three parts of the end times, including the rapture, the Antichrist, and premillennialism, and found differences in opinion based on level of education, age, and denomination.

For example, regarding the rapture, the study found that 60 percent Lutherans, 48 percent Methodists, 49 Presbyterian/Reformed pastors, 6 percent Baptist, and less than 1 percent Pentecostal pastors claim the rapture isnt literal.

Pastors' perspectives on the rapture also differed depending on level of education and age, the study found. Preachers with a masters degree or a doctorate were more likely to say the rapture isnt literal as opposed to those with a bachelors degree or no degree. Furthermore, pastors who are below the age of 45 were more likely to believe in a pre tribulation rapture, in contrast to pastors who are above 45.

In terms of the Antichrist, almost 50 percent said an Antichrist in the form of a figure will emerge in the future. The other half say that Antichrist is only a personification of vile or the very few say the Antichrist has already dwelled amongst us.

However, again, differences emerged across denominations, as 75 percent Baptists and 83 percent Pentecostals strongly believe there will be a future Antichrist in a human form. 29 percent Lutherans, 28 percent Methodists and 31 percent Presbyterian/Reformed preachers think Antichrist comes as a characterization of evil.

In addition, education influenced pastors' takes on the Antichrist. Two-thirds who have a lower degree or no degree believe in a physical Antichrist figure, and one-third of those who have obtained a higher degree believe in a spiritual spirit of Antichrist.

Almost half of the pastors predict that Christ will return to rule as king for 1,000 years in the future, also known as premillennialism. The other half disagree and hold onto amillennialism, the belief that Christ will come back to reign for 1,000 years in the future.

Baptists and Pentecostals were more likely to agree with premillennialism; Lutherans, Presbyterian/Reformed pastors, and Methodists were more likely to favor amillennialism; and Methodists were more likely to align with postmillennialism. Premillennialism was also more likely to be favored by those with a bachelor's degree or no degree, while amillennialism was more favored among those with a master's degree.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the California Republican Convention near the San Francisco area to express their opposition to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday.

This is the second day in a row that protests have sprung up against Trump after protesters clashed with police outside Trumps rally in Costa Mesa, California on Thursday night. Approximately 20 people were arrested.

Protesters gathered outside of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where the convention was taking place, blocking the entrance, forcing Trump to enter the hotel through a side entrance to give his speech.

"That was not the easiest entrance I've ever made," Trump said in beginning his speech, "it felt like I was crossing the border."

Police barricaded the entrance to keep the crowds out with protesters having attempted to rush security gates at one point. Demonstrators waved Mexican national flags and signs with statements like "Get your hate out of my state and "Trump = Nazi."

Many of the protests that have occurred at Trump rallies are related to Trumps rhetoric regarding immigrants and minorities, accusing Mexico of sending criminals, drug dealers, and rapists to the United States and proposing to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.

In his speech, he emphasized the need for unity in our party. However, he added that he believes he can win without support from the party.

"Could I win without it? I think so, to be honest, I think so," he told the convention.
In a first conference on religious freedom in 15 years, Chinese president Xi Jinping provided his views on how to rein in religion.

The president directed the authorities to unite religious and non-religious people, and "guide those religious to love their country, protect the unification of their motherland and serve the overall interests of the Chinese nation," the Xinhua news agency reported.

His vision of unification included providing support to religious groups, and form a leadership which conforms to standards of Communist Party of China, and carries out its functions democratically and efficiently.

Xi said that Christians should "merge religious doctrines with Chinese culture, abide by Chinese laws and regulations, and devote themselves to China's reform and opening up drive and socialist modernization in order to contribute to the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation."

"We should guide and educate the religious circle and their followers with the socialist core values, and guide the religious people with ideas of unity, progress, peace and tolerance," he continued.

He said, the groups shall "dig deep into doctrines and canons that are in line with social harmony and progress, and favorable for the building of a healthy and civilized society, and interpret religious doctrines in a way that is conducive to modern China's progress and in line with our excellent traditional culture."

Xi maintained that foreign influence in the country through religion and extremism must be guarded against.

"We must resolutely guard against overseas infiltrations via religious means and prevent ideological infringement by extremists," he said.

The other six Politburo Standing Committee members, who attended the meeting and are regarded as high-serving officials in CPC, also spoke about the importance of religious freedom and rule of law.

The speech had many references to regulating religion through law. Since this was the first conference on "religious freedom" under President Xi, a new law on religion may be in the offing, experts say.

"China's constitution has long guaranteed freedom of religion, but that is something that has been difficult to realize, true religious freedom," Su Tianfu, pastor and leader of the Huoshi Church, was quoted as saying by VOA. "While [officials] talked about religious freedom at the meeting, it is something that we still find hard to be optimistic about."

China had always thought that religion should serve socialism, but under President Xi, calls for "sinification" of Christians have again taken precedence.

"They want to make sure that they have retained the reins of power," said Lauren Pfister, a professor of religion at Hong Kong Baptist University. China is "slowly tightening the grips" on religion, he said. "The question is how far will this go?"
An orthodox New York City church caught fire on the evening of May 1, hours after worshipers had celebrated Orthodox Easter. Huge flames could be seen coming out of its doors and windows, and triggered a four-alarm warning, requiring 170 firefighters who battled to douse the fire.

The fire started at about 7 pm and led to a near-complete destruction of the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava in Manhattan, which was designated a city landmark in 1968.

The church's priest, Father Djokan Majstorovic, tried to reach the scene but was blocked by the firefighters.

"I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now," he told reporters.

It took three hours to extinguish the main body of fire, but work continued until several hours later to snuff out small pockets of fumes. Fire officials have not yet disclosed what caused the fire.

"It was an advanced fire, already involving the entire interior," said New York's Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

Firemen poured water on the charred remains of the building, and tried to make sure that the vulnerable spots do not flare up again.

No major casualties were reported, but the church caretaker who was inside trying to put off the fire suffered minor smoke inhalation, and had to be rescued.

"No one has been injured, there is no one reported missing, and that's the good news for today. The bad news is this church has been destroyed by fire," Nigro said.

Parishioner Alex Velic, the caretaker's stepson lives adjacent to the church, said he ran outside when he saw the church on fire.

"My stepfather [church caretaker] was in there, but he's fine. He just has smoke inhalation so everybody left thank God," parishioner Alex Velic told CBS New York.

"Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy," he said. "I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad."

The roof of the Gothic Revival style building was extensively damaged, and the interior artwork and stained glass windows were completely destroyed as well.

Dex Pipovic, a regular attendant at the church for the last seven years told PIX11 News that the fire left him aghast. "I was just inside that building three hours ago," he said.

The Cathedral was earlier known as Trinity Chapel, first opened as an Episcopal Church in 1855.
The cause of religious freedom has suffered over the last several years, according to the 2016 annual report released on Monday by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

It referred to the mass displacements triggered by ISIS persecution of Christians and minorities in the Middle East, acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, imprisonment of Christian lawyers and pastors in China who protested against crackdown on churches and crosses, among several other "serious and sustained assault(s)," on freedom of religion all over the world.

"Regrettably, the situation is that things have not improved, and in some places things have gotten worse," said Robert P. George, who chairs the commission.

The report cited over 30 countries, where the religious freedom norms were being flouted, and listed "countries of particular concern" where the "governments either engaged in or tolerated 'particularly severe' violations of religious freedom."

The countries of particular concern (CPC) included Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

USCIRF did not rank the nations on the level of abuses committed against religious groups, but George told The Washington Times that North Korea was "one of the worst offending nations, if not the worst offending nation in the world."

According to the report, the North Korean regime gives no precedence to religious freedom, and continues to severely persecute those who practice religion.

"They arrest, torture and even execute those who are secretly engaged in religious activities," USCIRF said.

Since 2014, the Chinese government conspicuously took steps to suppress religious freedom in its efforts to maintain communal order based on socialism. Most of the persecution was directed towards Christian groups, as they sought to put pastors and Christian lawyers behind bars for protesting against government campaign of razing churches and taking down crosses.

"The incarceration of prisoners of conscience - people whom governments hold for reasons including those related to religion - remains astonishingly widespread, occurring in country after country, and underscores the impact of the laws and policies that led to their imprisonment," the report states.

Meanwhile, USCIRF said that religious freedom in India was on a "negative trajectory" since last year.

"In 2015, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India," the report noted, alluding to rising instances of violence reported against the minorities.

Last year, the USCIRF panel had wanted to come to India to assess the religious freedom situation in the country, but was denied visas by the Indian government on the grounds that a foreign third party had no standing to investigate religious freedom.

The USCIRF has asked the Indian government to hold officials and religious leaders accountable who violate religious freedom.

"Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups," the report alleged.

In Eritrea, about 3,000 people are imprisoned for their faith and receive harsh punishment at the hands of the state.

Pakistan, one of the countries on CPC, has the highest number of people on death row or life sentence for blasphemy.

Pakistan's "Religiously-discriminatory constitutional provisions and legislation, such as the country's blasphemy law and anti-Ahmadiyya laws intrinsically violate international standards of freedom of religion or belief and result in prosecutions and imprisonments," the report said.

The commission asked the world leaders to end the abuses rampant in different parts of the world.

There is "a continued gap between rhetoric of the regime and the situation on the ground... While we welcome the rhetoric, rhetoric doesn't really matter unless it's accompanied by action," George said.
Two American missionaries were found dead on May 1 in rural Jamaica, and appeared to have been shot. The official cause of death will be disclosed after post-mortem reports come out.

The body of 53-year-old Harold Nichols was found in St. Mary Parish about 24 hours after the body of 48-year-old Randy Hentzel was found in bushes.

Hentzel and Nichols were reportedly on their way to check on the foundation of a house they were building for an impoverished family before they were murdered.

Hentzel's body was found at 2 PM near his motorcycle, but Nichols's body was recovered the next day at about 5 PM some distance away from where his co-worker's body was found, according to Jamaican Constabulary force. The police also found Nichols' motorcycle.

They were serving at Jamaica through a Pennsylvania-based religious organization called Teams for Medical Missions, and had been in the country since 2002.

Both of them were involved in discipleship training and extensive community work, according to the Teams website.

"We don't understand any of what might have been the motive behind it at all," said Teams for Medical Missions Director Ray Shive. "It's hard to imagine anyone in that area not knowing who they were."

No arrests have been made as yet, and the police did not comment on any possible motives.

"Marks of violence were seen (on Nichols' body) ... . These persons are missionaries and they would have been in Jamaica for over 14 years doing a lot of humanitarian work. They were assisting people with houses and with a regular medical team that comes down from abroad," Dwight Powell, deputy superintendent of police, told The Gleaner.

"He spent all of his days building houses for people, taking people to the hospital, visiting the sick all the time," Nichols' wife was quoted as saying by the WKBW.

The United States Embassy in Kingston said it urged the local police to carry out a speedy investigation.

"We are saddened by the horrible deaths of the two American missionaries. They're not just visiting, but have been pillars of both communities for years," Joshua Polacheck, counselor for public affairs at the embassy. "The ambassador has been in contact with the highest levels of the Jamaican security apparatus, and we are hoping for a speedy resolution to this matter and that the killers are found and brought to justice."
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Constitutional Scholars May Not Agree with What Daleiden Says, But Defend His Right to Say It

Thomas More Society Welcomes Broad Coalition Defending Undercover Journalist's First Amendment Rights

SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- To date, eight amici curiae (friends of the court) briefs have been filed in connection with the appeal of an injunction entered against undercover citizen journalist David Daleiden prohibiting him from releasing videotapes that he filmed at two abortion industry conferences. Thomas More Society attorneys representing Daleiden are grateful for this broad support for Daleiden's constitutional rights on the part of so many amici.

The appeal arises out of a lawsuit in which Daleiden has been sued by the National Abortion Federation for alleged violations of the federal racketeering law, known as RICO, because of his internet postings of videotapes and research exposing Planned Parenthood's and other abortionists' involvement in trafficking body parts of aborted babies as well as other violations of federal law. This includes evidence that partial birth abortions are still being used to harvest "intact fetal cadavers," which command premium market prices. The amici filings come from diverse groups, including those who do not share Daleiden's prolife views, an alliance of state attorney generals, a coalition of U.S. Congressmen, and others.

Thomas More Society attorneys Thomas Brejcha, Peter Breen, Matt Heffron and Corrina Konczal represent Daleiden, together with California based cocounsel, in the appeal filed with the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The appeal prays for reversal of a preliminary injunction entered by District Judge William H. Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which bars Daleiden, his company, Center for Medical Progress, and his confederates from publishing or disclosing undercover videos taken at National Abortion Federation annual conventions in 2014 and 2015. Daleiden argues, among other things, that the lower court decree constitutes an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech that wrongfully deprives American citizens of access to otherwise hidden facts at the pinnacle of newsworthiness and of surpassing public interest.

The friend of the court briefs filed in the appeal include the following:





Law faculty from Harvard, Stanford, Cornell and other public and private university law schools have joined in filing a brief insisting that federal courts do not have the power to prohibit the distribution of information relevant to controversial matters of public concern  a brief which quotes extensively from another amicus brief previously been filed in the lower court by the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press, attacking the district court's earlier entry of a temporary restraining order as an illicit prior restraint banning dissemination of the National Abortion Federation videotapes.

The law professors' brief asserts that while they "do not agree with one another on all aspects of the controversial issue of abortion," they nonetheless "are united in insisting that all Americans  no matter what their views on abortion  have an unfettered right in our society to have access to important information about controversial matters, including  but by no means limited to  abortion." The constitutional concerns expressed include a disagreement with the district court's analysis that Daleiden had engaged in "fraud."



Rather, the brief affirms Daleiden's role as a member of the press, as the composition of the Fourth Estate is now "broadly understood at this moment in the digital revolution" and as citizen journalists, equally as so-called mainstream media, play a "vital role" in providing crucial information to the general public.

The Attorney Generals of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin have also filed a brief in support of Daleiden, asking for a reversal in the case. An additional amicus filing by the Susan B. Anthony List was also filed on behalf of six U.S. Congress Representatives. This amicus brief notes that, although a Congressional committee had subpoenaed the suppressed National Abortion Federation videotapes, and even though the district court ultimately permitted Daleiden to comply with that Congressional subpoena, viewing of those videotapes was restricted to a very limited audience and were inaccessible to the rest of the American public.

Read the appeal brief appeal filed on April 19, 2016 for David Daleiden in National Abortion Federation's RICO lawsuit here

About the Thomas More Society
Grieving Mothers Share Testimonies to Help Others Overcome Their Grief Contact: David Jeffers, 850-565-0993,



NAVARRE, Fla., May 3, 2016 /



This book is about fourteen women, some who will remain anonymous. Each has lost a child, either through early death, miscarriage, or abortion.



Jeffers says, "Although these women are all from one church, these testimonies could come from many women across America."



Jeffers continues, "I'm not actually the author; God is. My job was to put the puzzle pieces together. This is the most important work I've been privileged to be a part of."



All royalties will be donated to the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Milton, Florida.



Available at Amazon now.



Jeffers is available for interviews. Please contact him at 850-565-0993 or email

Share Tweet Contact: David Jeffers, 850-565-0993, jeffers221@bellsouth.net NAVARRE, Fla., May 3, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- In a groundbreaking new book, Amazon top-selling author David Jeffers is honored to announce the release of "Overcoming Grief: Comforting Others with the Comfort We Have Received."This book is about fourteen women, some who will remain anonymous. Each has lost a child, either through early death, miscarriage, or abortion.Jeffers says, "Although these women are all from one church, these testimonies could come from many women across America."Jeffers continues, "I'm not actually the author; God is. My job was to put the puzzle pieces together. This is the most important work I've been privileged to be a part of."All royalties will be donated to the Pregnancy Crisis Center in Milton, Florida.Jeffers is available for interviews. Please contact him at 850-565-0993 or email jeffers221@bellsouth.net
home World China detains pastor and family for defending house churches targeted for demolition

Authorities in Zhejiang province in China have detained a pastor, his wife and his son last week for reportedly meeting and contacting U.S. Consulate officials.

Wen Xiaowu, a pastor of a church in Wenzhou, had been defending house churches targeted for demolition. The authorities arrested him and his wife for allegedly "gathering a crowd to disturb social order," while his son was charged with "obstructing public service." Since they were arrested, their relatives have not been able to contact them.

Reports later surfaced that Wen had informed U.S. consulate officials in Shanghai and some foreign journalists about the Chinese government's campaign to remove crosses and demolish church buildings in the country.

Nonprofit organization China Aid said Wen's family members believe the accusation against him was just an excuse to have him arrested. For the last three years, Wen had actively participated in legal defense of churches against the government's cross demolition campaign. He and his wife had given legal counsel to more than 100 churches affected by the campaign.

"Family members believe ... the real reason for the arrests is most probably because of their contacts/meetings with US Consulate officials in Shanghai," China Aid said in a report.

Bob Fu, president of China Aid, called Wen and his family's arrest "a direct slap in the face to the U.S. government and the American people." He described Wen as a man of integrity who had provided legal counsel for persecuted churches even if they themselves faced the threat of persecution because of these activities.

"I urge the U.S. government to work with the Chinese authorities for the immediate release of the Wen family and other innocent church leaders who are under arrest," Fu said.

Wenzhou is home to the most number of Christians in China. In Zhejiang, an estimated number of 1,700 churches have had their crosses removed or their buildings demolished in the last two years, according to Christian Today.
home World Christians arrested in India; accused of trying to convert Hindu couple wanting to marry in a church

A member of India's Madhya Pradesh Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Department wants sedition charges filed against several Christians for allegedly "waging war against the country." This came after a Hindu couple was caught getting married in a church.

"The clerics and the faithful have waged a war against the state by trying to convert the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Hindu couple clandestinely and marry off a minor," said minister of state Laxmi Yadav, as quoted by DNA India. "I have sought legal opinion on whether sedition charge could be invoked against the Christians for waging a war against the country."

Arun and Subhadra Kushwaha were going to get married at the Church of God in Satna district on April 27 when Bajrang Dal activists entered the church. The couple reportedly said that they have not converted to Christianity but underwent a change of heart or "man parivartan." The Bajrang Dal questioned why they were going to wed in a church if they had not converted.

"A Christian network with a centre in Satna is working in the country to convert Hindus, a community which is on decline in India," Yadav said. "Ten people including four reverends and believers have already been booked for conversion and trying to facilitate a minor girl's marriage."

Kushwara is 24 and has studied up to Class XII, but Subharta was 10 days short of being 18 on the day of the ceremony; thus, the case against the Christians, according to CatchNews, was filed under the anti-conversion law as well as the prevention of child marriage law, and a section in the IPC on hurting religious sentiments.

"Her parents told me that she was 19 years old as per her birth certificate and 18 according to her school certificate," DNA India quotes Church of God pastor Sam Samuel as saying. "I personally did not check it given that the girl's parents were believers and coming to Church since last three years. I did not indulge in any conversion or wrongdoing."

Samuel was arrested, along with pastors Stephen Raj Kumar, Gyan Das. and Gaya Pratap.

"This is the first case in the country when Christians were caught red-handed converting and marrying OBCs," said Yadav, according to The Indian Express. "We will reconvert them, purify them after sprinkling Gangajal and hold a Hindu marriage for the couple."

He reportedly intends to file a petition to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, State Home Minister Babulal Gaur, and Director General of Police for the Christians to be charged with sedition.
home World Christians in India flee village after death threats to convert or die

Christians in a tribal village in India had to flee their homes after allegedly receiving threats from Hindus that they would be killed if they didn't convert.

According to UCA News, six Christian families, composed of 37 members, fled from the Katodi village in the Kanker district, Chhattisgarh state in late April, days after a village meeting was held where the Hindu villagers demanded that they give up their Christians faith.

"When they refused, they were beaten," pastor Moses Annel told UCA News. "Six of them suffered internal injuries and are still undergoing treatment in a government hospital."

The Christians complained to authorities, and district officials intervened. The Hindu villagers said that would not harm the Christians, but four days later, on April 29, their homes were demolished and they were not allowed to get water from the village's water source. According to the report, the villagers also threatened to kill them if the the police complaint is not removed. The Christians fled, journeying 70 kilometers to a hilltop forest.

Police inspector D.P. Shrivastava reportedly said that the conflict that arose on April 25 was due to a financial issue and not a religious one, as the Christians allegedly did not want to contribute money for a temple festival.

"It should not be seen as a religious issue," he said, as quoted by UCA News. "Both parties were tribal people and it was dispute over a donation and it was settled."

He is said to not have been aware that the families fled on April 29.

The incident, it appears, is not the first one. The report says that Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, revealed that there have been at least 20 cases of Christians having been attacked this year, although the Evangelical Fellowship of India recorded only four verified cases of hate crimes against Christians. Open Doors has reported last year of a church in Chhattisgarh having been attacked, allegedly by Hindi extremists.

According to the UCA News report, police have allegedly become indifferent to attacks on Christians and is said to support violence on religious minorities. The situation of Christians have reportedly gotten worse since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power in 2014. Modi is the leader of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Our life has become miserable," said Father Sebastian Poomattam, vicar general of Raipur Archdiocese, according to the article. "We see a sudden rise in the attacks against Christians in the past couple of years. These are all organized attacks."
home US Christians losing religious freedom battles in court, what can they do?

While members of the LGBT community say they are fighting against discrimination, Christians have said they are just trying to stand up for religious liberty. Lawsuits have been filed against those who refuse to provide services to gays because of their religious beliefs, giving rise to the question of how Christians can uphold their faith without being taken to, or losing in, court.

Political commentator Deroy Murdock of the National Review provides options on how conservatives can defend their stance. Religious liberty, without doubt, should be defended, but rather than focusing only on that, Christians can also go with other defenses, including freedom of speech and involuntary servitude.

The article says that Christians can perhaps stand against compulsory expression and coerced speech. It mentions, as an illustration, a fundamentalist Muslim calligrapher who is forced to write an invitation for a gay couple's wedding. This could be thought of as somewhat like making a Christian baker write the words on a same-sex couple's wedding cake using a frosting pen -- both may be rather oppressive for the concerned individuals if it goes against their firmly held religious beliefs. The same goes for Christian photographers who are forced to take photos of a gay couple during their wedding.

Moreover, they can perhaps cite involuntary servitude, wherein they are forced to do or make something against their will.

Christians have been losing the court battles against customers who cite discrimination as the basis for their respective lawsuits.

Christian baker Jack Philips of Masterpiece Cakeshop has lost his appeal for a case filed against him by Charlie Craig and David Mullins who, in 2012, asked him to make a wedding cake for them, to which he declined. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission has ruled that he discriminated against the couple, and the Colorado Supreme Court has denied to hear his case.

Christian photographer Elaine Huguenin was earlier sued for not wanting to take photos at a lesbian wedding, and New Mexico's Supreme Court ruled against her, and the U.S. Supreme Court has denied her appeal.
home US Donald Trump is a 'bully, pathological liar,' says Ted Cruz on day of Indiana primary

Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz lashed out at rival candidate Donald Trump on the day of Indiana's primary on Tuesday, calling him a pathological liar, narcissist and bully after the front-runner linked Cruz's father to John F. Kennedy's assassin.

"I'm going to tell you what I really think of Donald Trump. This man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies," Cruz told reporters in a scathing indictment.

"He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth. And...his response is to accuse everybody else of lying."

In a television appearance earlier, Trump linked Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, to Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, citing a report by National Enquirer, a supermarket tabloid known for celebrity gossip and alien sightings.

"You know, his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being a you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody brings it up," Trump said on "Fox & Friends."

Republicans in Indiana might give New York billionaire Trump an almost unstoppable advantage in his turbulent journey toward the party's presidential nomination.

The real estate mogul holds a double-digit polling lead in the Midwestern state over Cruz, a U.S. Senator of Texas.

Cruz denounced the Enquirer and its chief executive, David Pecker, who has endorsed Trump, for claiming his father, a Cuban immigrant to the United States, was pictured handing out pro-Fidel Castro literature with Oswald in New Orleans in 1963.

"Yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his back yard," Cruz said in a sarcastic retort.

Cruz also unleashed fury over Trump's earlier comment about his wife, Heidi.

"Donald has a real problem with women. Donald is terrified by strong women - he lashes out at them," Cruz said.

"The man is utterly amoral. Morality does not exist for him," Cruz said.
home Faith End Times, Doomsday Clock & the Apocalypse - Pastor Greg Laurie looks at Revelations

Pastor Greg Laurie tackled Revelations 6-19 last week and told the congregation of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California that these are the last days.

"We are living in the last days and, yes, the worst is yet to come," he said. "We have never been closer historically to seeing these events play out in real time before our very eyes than we are at this moment."

He first mentioned how common terror attacks are now that they don't really come as a shock anymore. There's the issue of global economy and instability, and therefore, fear. Citing scientists and Nobel Laureates, he discussed the metaphorical "Doomday Clock," which puts the probability of a nuclear apocalypse to just three minutes. (The possibility countdown was five minutes to midnight in 2012 -- midnight representing the time of doom -- 17 minutes in 1991, and seven minutes in 1947 during its inception.)

Laurie read the Biblical passage, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be when the Son of Man comes." The current times is similar to that before the great flood, which was filled with violence and killing, and he said it's going to get worse -- the antichrist is going to rise.

He discussed the showdown between Iran and Israel that the Bible predicted. The scenario, Laurie said, is in Ezekiel 37 and 38, wherein a large force comes from the north, named Magog, that attacks Israel.

"One of the allies of Magog is identified as Persia, which is the name of Iran until fairly recently," he said.

He said these are the signs of the end times. After quoting evangelist Billy Graham's book titled "Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," wherein Graham said he could hear the hoofbeats of the horses growing louder, Laurie said the sound is thundering now after the events that happened since the book was published in 1983. Among the things he enumerated are the computer age with the rise of global access to information, militant Islam emerging as the world's most dangerous force, escalating violence in the Middle East, and the increasing isolation of Israel.

There will be 21 judgements to be unleashed on the world during the seven-year Tribulation period, he explained, and the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bulls describe a series of events that will happen. Revelation 6 gives an overview of these events that will take place during the end times.

Laurie said the the period will begin with the arrival of the antichrist -- a charismatic world leader who would come during an economically difficult time and will bring stability and world peace. For the pastor, the time is ripe for the antichrist to emerge.
home World Miracle of the Holy Fire mystery embraced by Russian Christians

A huge number of Christians in Russia embrace a very old ritual that stems from the belief that a miracle happens on the eve of Orthodox Easter, but there are skeptics who don't believe the mystery.

"It's anyone's right whether to believe it or not, but it's an unquestionable thing for believers," Vladimir Yakunin, the head of the St. Andrew Foundation delegation that brought the Holy Fire from Jerusalem to Russia this year, told NBC News.

The miracle of the Holy Fire is said to have happened each year for the past 1,200 years, in which candles placed by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old Jerusalem would light up on their own the day before Orthodox Easter. It was first recorded in the ninth century, but only the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, who is locked up in a chapel, gets to see the igniting happen. He then comes out with a lighted candle.

"This is folk religion," said religious studies expert Sergei Filatov of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "The custom is akin to magic, to paganism."

According to the report, the Russian Orthodox Church has long embraced this mystery, with the flame in a sealed torch brought to Moscow -- by foot or by horse in olden times, then by plane in the modern age. It became quite popular after the country's resurgence from Soviet religious repression, with thousands gathered at the Vunukovo airport to greet its arrival. It will be taken to 45 cities in the country this year.

The event, however, has been questioned for quite a while, and there have been firm skeptics, including Pope Gregory IX who banned the practice in the 13th century.

"This 'miracle' is a load of hogwash," said Yury Yerofeyev of the Commission Against Fake Science, an arm of the Russian Academy of Sciences that debunks false claims. Muslim scholars in the 15th century seem to have shared the same view, having said that silk threads, sulphur, and igniting bombs were used.

Even Christians want scientific proof. Orthodox priest Fr. Gennady Zaridze, according to Catholic Herald, went to Jerusalem to receive the Holy Fire as well as to conduct an experiment. Being a member of the union of Orthodox scientists in Russia, he checked the temperature of the flame using a modern device, because the flame is said to be only slightly warm when it first descends. The temperature was initially 42 degrees Celsius, according to the report, but rose to 320 degrees Celsius after 15 minutes.

It's ritual worship, say experts, but because of the depressing life in Russia, people want a miracle to take place -- for the spiritual to manifest in a physical form. Whether it's real or not, it has an impact on the believers.

"Even if the Patriarch of Jerusalem carries a lighter, the Holy Fire has spiritual power," said Roman Lunkin of Sreda, a sociological research service, told NBC News. "A religious feeling can't be destroyed, even by a lighter in a pocket."
home US Satanists offended by 'Ted Cruz is Lucifer' comparison by John Boehner

Former House Speaker John Boehner has likened presidential candidate Ted Cruz to the devil, but Satanists reject the comparison.

In a statement, The Church of Satan high priest Magus Peter Howard Gilmore said, as quoted by ABC News: "Having a conservative Christian likened to Lucifer -- one who opposes equal rights for same sex couples and promotes the ability to deny services to any with different values -- we Satanists see as besmirching the positive, heroic aspects of that character as portrayed by Milton in his epic 'Paradise Lost.'"

Boehner, while speaking last week at Stanford University, said that Cruz is "Lucifer in the flesh." He also claimed that he gets along with almost everybody, having both Democrat and Republican friends, but he found it difficult working with the Texas senator, calling him a "miserable son of b****."

It seems like Boehner was trying to make Cruz into a representation of what is evil, and a Satanist spokeman said that it is backward-thinking.

"Christians can't just push Cruz off on Satanists," Lucien Greaves, a spokesman and co-founder for the Satanic Temple, told ABC News. "All he's trying to say is that Ted Cruz is some type of embodiment of evil. I think that's a rather destructive, backward mindset, because when you take clearly Christian individuals, clearly Christian activities, and things go sour, you pass them off as the influence of Satan. It really prevents you from thinking clearly."

For Boehner, he said that if Donald Trump is their nominee, he would vote for him; but if Cruz is their nominee, he would not. Trump, meanwhile, had called his presidential opponent "lying Ted" and a "dishonest" guy.

Satanists do not "want" Cruz, either, but it is because he, as Gilmore said, "is everything opposite of what we represent." However, they do not have a collective support for a specific politician.
home World South Korea megachurch has largest weekly attendance in the world, new study says

The biggest megachurches are located in Africa and Asia and not in North America, according to a study conducted by megachurch expert Warren Bird of Leadership Network.

"Accurate data allows us to see the larger picture of what God seems to be doing," Bird wrote in the Leadership Network website. "For starters, you'll observe that the world's biggest churches are not in the United States (and further, the United States did not even start the trend of megachurches)."

According to the list, the Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea has a weekly attendance of 480,000, while the Onnuri (All Nations) Community Church in South Korea and the Deeper Christian Life Ministry in Nigeria both have an attendance of 75,000. The Calvary Temple Church and the New Life Church, both in India, have 70,000, Victory Metro Manila in the Philippines has 65,000, while the Jesus Celebration Center in Kenya and Pyungkang Cheil Presbyterian Church in Korea have 60,000 each.

Meanwhile, Ministere du Combat Spirituel in Congo, Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) - main campus in Nigeria, Misson Cristiana Elim in El Salvador, Catedral Evangelica de Jotabeche in Chile, and Igreja de Paz in Brazil all have 50,000.

Lakewood Church in Texas in the United States has 43,500, Hillsong Church in Australia has 31,400, North Point Community Church in Georgia, U.S. has 30,629, while LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma has 30,000.

The churches in Europe with the biggest attendance are Faith Church in Hungary and Hillsong Church London in the United Kingdom with 8,000 each.

According to Bird, the list he compiled is based on "actual weekly worship attendance" in Protestant congregations, and not based "on membership, ministry impact, seating capacity, building size, media reach or even number people who call the church 'home.'" This includes both children and adults, with no duplicates, in all services and all physical campuses.

The churches listed, the researcher observed, "tend to be innovators and entrepreneurs." He also said that the list would help them network with each other, as well as be a starting point for additional research.

"A list like this invites a level playing field for helpful conversation about global movers and shakers," Bird wrote. "For good or bad, larger churches are influential, both in their communities and also in influencing other churches."
home Life Vatican hosts conference on regenerative medicine

The Vatican, through the Pontifical Council for Culture's office for Science and Faith and The Stem For Life Foundation hosted a three-day conference on regenerative medicine on April 28a30. The central theme of the conference was "Cellular Horizons: How Science, Technology, Information and Communication Will Impact Society."

In a press release by the Vatican Radio, the president of The Stem For Life Foundation, Dr. Robin Smith, said that the conference would bring delegates from all over the world together for a discussion on "a powerful idea a that the cells of our bodies hold the potential to vanquish disease, reduce global suffering and inspire hope for people around the world living with illness."

The conference allowed researchers, doctors, scientists, business leaders, politicians, and philantropists to discuss treatment and therapies for illnesses such as pediatric cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and other rare diseases. The delegates talked about the delivery of health care using the latest technology. Conference speakers tackled topics on stem cell research, building regenerative care models, cell therapy, and philanthropy as well as cellular innovation and distribution, among others. Research, regulation, and funding of such programs were also presented.

The Pope met with the delegates of the conference and talked about the morality of new research in regenerative medicine. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who lost his son to cancer last year, also spoke during the conference, urging governments and pharmaceutical firms to share resources and increase cooperation in order to accelerate development of new treatments for cancer.

Furthermore, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, stated, according to Vatican Radio, that in this Jubilee Year of Mercy, society should be challenged to search for cures for human illnesses, and that breakthroughs in regenerative medicine hold great promise for the future, especially for those who suffer around the world from these diseases.
2 U.S. missionaries brutally murdered in Jamaica; police clueless on suspects and motive

The "battered" bodies of two American missionaries were found in bushes near a church in Jamaica over the weekend, with authorities still seeking clues on the suspects and the motive behind the horrible crime, various news sources report.

The bodies were found in a rural area of the Caribbean island that has long struggled with high rates of violent crime, according to ABC News. With a population of about 2.7 million people, Jamaica has long been known as one of the most violent countries in the world. At least 1,192 slayings were recorded in Jamaica in 2015, about a 20 percent increase from the previous year's record.

In a statement, the Jamaica Constabulary Force identified the two missionaries as Randy Hentzel, 48, and Harold Nichols, 53. Their bodies were found in bushes in separate areas of St. Mary parish.

His Facebook page showed that Hentzel was from Donnellson, Iowa. Nichols' hometown remained unclear.

Both missionaries were members of a Pennsylvania-based religious organisation called Teams for Medical Missions. The two men, together with their families, engaged in evangelism and Bible ministry while at the same time helping build homes for the residents of the community.

"We do not know who would do this or what their motivation was. These men greatly loved the people of Jamaica and were greatly loved in return," said John Heater, executive director of Teams for Medical Missions.

On his Facebook page, fellow missionary Merlin Pratt said he received information that his two colleagues were killed on their way to check on the foundation of a house they were building for an impoverished family.

"Harold and Randy were both great men of God who just loved Jamaica," Pratt wrote.

Hentzel and Nichols were riding a motorbike before they were attacked and killed, according to sources quoted by the BBC.

Hentzel, married with five children, had been a missionary in Jamaica for several years.

His church in the U.S. appealed to the congregation to pray for him during "this time of shocking news and great loss."

"We as a body need to weep with them and wrap our arms around them," the church's statement said.

The U.S. embassy in Jamaica said officials were in touch with the victims' families, and the ambassador had contacted commanders of the island's security forces, emphasising the need for a speedy investigation.

"We are saddened by the horrible deaths of the two American missionaries. They're not just visiting, but have been pillars of both communities for years," Joshua Polacheck, counsellor for public affairs at the embassy, told The Gleaner.

Hentzel was found face down in bushes on Saturday with his hands bound to the back. The following day, Nichols' body was found in the bushes near the church, investigators said.

"Marks of violence" were seen on Nichols' body, one of the investigators said.
Anti-Extremism Bill may target Christians who oppose same-sex marriage, lobby group warns

Christians who oppose gay marriage could be targeted with "false accusations" of extremism under an upcoming bill, a lobby group has warned.

David Cameron will introduce measures to ban organisations, silence individuals and close down groups that "promote hatred" in legislation to be announced later this month. The bill will be the central focus of the Queen's Speech on May 18, according to The Times.

However Simon Calvert, deputy director of public affairs at The Christian Institute, told Christian Today the new powers could be used to target Christians

"The government talks about tackling extremism and preventing people promoting hatred," said Calvert.

"If those words had their ordinary meaning Christians would have nothing to worry about but unfortunately they don't. People routinely use the word 'extremist' to label Christians and they often falsely accuse them of hatred.

"If you put those two words into a statute how can you be sure they won't be interpreted in that same overly broad way to capture innocent Christians simply going about the business of preaching the gospel and declaring the council of God?"

A home office source, quoted in The Times, admitted: "Getting agreement about the thresholds for what constitutes extremism and what needs to be protected as free speech is not going to be easy or straightforward."

For Calvert, the problem in the government's approach is its "over emphasis on what it calls non-violent extremism".

He told Christian Today: "Sadly when the government says it wants to promote British Values it seems to mean gay rights.

"Trying to force Christians to sign up to LGBT rights won't do anything to stop Islamist terrorists murdering innocent civilians."

Most details of the bill are not yet known but it is understood the controversial extremist disruption orders (EDOs) will be a central aspect.

The Christian Institute has formed an unlikely campaign group with the National Secular Society and the Peter Tatchell Foundation to oppose EDOs which Calvert says would threaten free speech. "We are united in our belief that free speech is a vital civil liberty and must be protected," he said at the launch of their Defend Free Speech campaign group. "This legislation is badly conceived and will be bad for society."

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "Heavy-handed legal restrictions and sanctions on free speech undermine the democratic, liberal values that extremists oppose and that we cherish."

The revelations on Tuesday about the upcoming extremism bill came after the home office was forced to defend a counter-radicalisation programme by its research, information and communications unit (Ricu).

The scheme disguised the government's role in a number of propaganda campaigns aimed at young Muslim men, according to the Guardian.

Imran Khan, a human rights lawyer, told the paper: "If the government wants its Muslim citizens to listen to it, it needs to be trusted. And to be trusted, it needs to be honest. What is happening here is not honest, it's deeply deceptive.

"Furthermore, this government needs to stop thinking of young British Muslims as some sort of fifth column that it needs to deal with."
Archbishop of Westminster supports Polish bishops in call for total abortion ban

The Archbishop of Westminster has backed the Polish bishops in calling for a total ban on abortion.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols was preaching at a Mass at Ealing Abbey, west London, to celebrate the 1050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland, when the country's first ruler and his court converted from paganism to Christianity.

Nichols described abortion as "the destruction of an innocent human life and a tragic intervention into a woman's life".

He added: "Some want to argue that abortion can be a right in conscience. This cannot be so because abortion is always the destruction of innocent life. As Pope Francis says: 'Every child growing within the mother's womb is part of the eternal plan of God the Father, with a place in God's heart from all eternity... We need to see it with the eyes of God, who always looks beyond mere appearances'."

Abortion in Poland is currently banned except for when the woman's life or health is in danger, when the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act such as rape, or when the foetus has failed to develop properly.

The Polish bishops want these exceptions removed so abortion is banned altogether. This has prompted protests and rallies.

Nichols said: "We pray that the Catholic faith may continue to inspire your country and that the strength, generosity and sense of sacrifice which springs from the very heart of this faith may long be a fundamental part of your national characteristics. Certainly this country has benefitted from those qualities, at our greatest hour of need, just as our country continues to benefit, in these days, by your contributions in so many fields."

The Cardinal applauded the Polish bishops for urging the government and other leaders to launch programmes to help those with profoundly sick children, those with children who have severe special needs and those with children conceived "unwillingly", sometimes in violence.

"This appeal is so right. This is the work that we all need to do to create the circumstances in which recourse to abortion is recognised for what it is: the destruction of an innocent human life and a tragic intervention into a woman's life," he said.

Nichols said Pope Francis recognises that often difficult circumstances can cause a lack of freedom that leads a woman to the painful and agonising decision to undergo an abortion.

"This can never really be the best choice as it leads to a dreadful wound in the mother and the destruction of innocent human life. God's mercy can heal this wound, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation with repentance and desire for a new start.

"At this time, then, we work and pray, with your bishops, to overcome these terrible circumstances so that those trapped in them never think to include in their actions the destruction of innocent human life. This is a work worthy of this great anniversary."

There are thousands of Polish Catholics in the UK served pastorally by more than 200 churches in the Polish mission, which is considered part of the Polish Catholic Church. Many arrived after Poland joined the EU in 2004.
Australia blames refugee campaigners after asylum seeker sets herself on fire

Australia blamed refugee advocates on Tuesday for "encouraging" asylum seekers held in remote camps towards of self-harm after a woman set herself on fire, while the United Nations renewed its criticism of Australia's harsh immigration policy.

Australian officials said an unidentified 21-year-old Somali woman was in a critical condition after she set herself alight at an Australian detention camp on the tiny South Pacific island of Nauru on Monday, the second such incident in a week.

A 23-year-old Iranian man also set himself on fire last week in protest against his treatment on Nauru and later died. The Somali woman has been transferred to Australia for treatment, officials said.

Under Australia's hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia after paying people smugglers are sent for processing to camps on Nauru, which holds about 500 people, and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. They are told they will never be settled in Australia.

The Papua New Guinea government ordered the Manus Island camp, which holds about 850 people, closed last week after its Supreme Court ruled the facility illegal.

The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism inside and outside Australia and have become a major headache for Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during campaigning for July national elections.

Australia however has vowed there will be no change to the policy, which has been pursued by successive governments.

On Tuesday, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton acknowledged there had been a rise in cases of self-harm in the camps but accused refugee advocates of giving the asylum seekers false hope they would one day be settled in Australia.

Her said some advocates were "encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way".

"The recent behaviors in Nauru are not protests against living conditions. They aren't protests against health care, they aren't protests against the lack of financial support," Dutton told a news conference in Canberra.

However, the peak UN body for refugees said such incidents in the camps, which hold asylum seekers fleeing violence in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia, were a result of Australia's tough offshore detention polices.

"These people have already been through a great deal, many have fled war and persecution, some have already suffered trauma," the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Australia said in a statement.

"The consensus among medical experts is that conditions of detention and offshore processing do immense damage to physical and mental health," it said.
Bangladesh: Christian family attacked with homemade bombs

A Christian family were attacked with crude bombs at their home in Bangladesh on Tuesday morning.

Unidentified assailants targeted the family's house in a Christian-majority area of Baghadanga Girjapara with homemade bombs.

One man, Alam Mondol, 45, was injured outside his house and another man was wounded as he and other local villagers tried to force the attackers away.

"Mondol was injured after [wooden] splinters hit his left hand and hip," local police chief Liaqat Hossain told AFP.

"Both the injured are Christians."

Another officer, Chuadanga district chief Rashidul Hasan, said they suspect the attackers were trying to rob the family, as they "tried to break into the house and demand money."

This is the latest in a string of attacks on religious minorities in the Muslim-majority country.

A recent spate of extremist violence has challenged Bangladesh's status as a moderate Muslim country. ISIS and al-Qaeda have claimed a series of attacks on atheists and religious minorities since September.

Last week an English professor, Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, was hacked to death by Islamic extremists. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

Similarly, ISIS claimed to have killed Christian convert Hossain Ali, 68, on March 22 while he was walking in the town of Kurigram, saying it was a "lesson to others".

The government has denied that either of the groups are behind any of the recent attacks. It insists they have no known presence in the country and has blamed home-grown militants for the violence.

At least five Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen fighters have been killed in shootouts since November, as security forces have stepped up a crackdown on militants seeking to make Bangladesh a Sharia-based state.

Christians and Hindus make up just 10 per cent of the country's population of mainly Sunni Muslims.
Chinese priest who helped North Korean defectors found dead

A priest who helped North Korean defectors flee their oppressive country was found dead in north east China near the border on Saturday.

Human rights activists have suggested that Pyongyang's security services played a role in his death.

Han Choong-ryul was from Korea and had Chinese citizenship. He was a priest at Changbai Church and was known to support defectors once they had reached China.

The Korea Herald reported that Choi Sung-yong, an activist, said it is likely Han was killed by three North Korean agents dispatched to the Jilin province of China just before the incident.

"The agents are known to have returned to their country," Choi said. "The priest had long supported North Korea defectors. North Korea seems to judge that his church is being used as a hideout for such North Koreans."

Han's mobile phone is reportedly missing, according to the Telegraph, which has potentially placed defectors and those who have aided them in danger.

North Korean defectors that are caught in China are sent back by authorities to the country, so there are leagues of people co-ordinating safe houses for use until they can cross the border out of China.

North Korean agents are known to cross the border to capture defectors.

"We have reports of this sort of thing happening before and we have seen a sharp increase in the security on the border with China since Kim Jong-un came to power," said Robert Park, a former prisoner of North Korea and founding member of the Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide.

"American and South Korean citizens doing this sort of work in north-east China might be a little safer, but Chinese citizens are in danger because their own government does nothing to protect them," he added.
Fire destroys 160-year-old historic church in New York just hours after Orthodox Easter celebration

A four-hour fire gutted a historic church in Manhattan, New York City on Sunday just hours after Orthodox Easter celebration was held.

About 170 firefighters responded before 7 p.m. to put out the fire that destroyed the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava. The church was formerly known as Trinity Chapel which first opened its doors as an Episcopal church in 1855, according to the Cathedral.

It has been declared a national landmark by the National Register of Historic Places, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

"For this to happen on such a holy day, I don't know what to say," Alex Velic, a 31-year-old churchgoer, told the New York Post. "To see it burning like that is such a shock. It's just so sad."

No major injuries were reported but three firefighters and a church caretaker were treated for smoke inhalation.

"Nobody is hurt, everyone is safe," said Father Djokan Majstorovic, dean of the cathedral.

There were 700 people in the church earlier in the day for the Orthodox Easter service, said Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

"It's a very sad day today. They had their mass at 10 a.m. and then a luncheon. The good news is that there was no one inside when the fire started and there are no injuries. One man is being checked out for smoke inhalation," he said.

Slobodan Ljubenko, 69, was checked for smoke inhalation after he went inside the church to assess the damage.

The fire department have yet to pinpoint the cause of the fire, but Velic said many candles were used in the Easter ceremony.

"I can only imagine there were thousands of people coming to this church lighting candles. The candles may have caused it," he said.

The cathedral was purchased from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943 and consecrated in 1944, according to the church's website.

Trinity Chapel was sold to the Serbs as Serbian people had no church on the U.S. east coast and the project had the support of Yugoslav King Peter II.
'Forgive them': UN hears of horrific ISIS brutality at #WeAreN Christian persecution conference

"Forgive them."

These were the words of a young Christian girl from Mosul as she died in her mother's arms after ISIS militants torched their home.

Another couple, whose children had been captured by the Islamist terror group, discovered a plastic bag on their doorstep one day. The bag contained severed body parts of their daughters and a video tape of them being raped and tortured.

These were just some among a host of horrific stories told at a conference on Christian persecution in New York last week. The three-day #WeAreN event was held for the second consecutive year and was hosted by the Vatican's permanent mission to the United Nations as well as lobby groups CitizensGo and In Defense of Christians (IDC).

One 15-year-old, Samia Sleman, told of her experience as an ISIS captive for six months. The teenager spoke through a translator about how the men and women captives were seperated. Girls as young as seven were raped and forced to convert to Islam, she said. Some older women were killed because they were not considered worthy to be kept as sex slaves.

"Why are these innocent kids and these innocent people suffering this much in that region?" Sleman said.

"Why don't we see any action being taken? Even though it's been over a year and a half now, we've seen horrible things happen to us minorities, especially Yazidis and Christians, in that region, and we don't see the international community taking concrete actions against the Islamic State."

Archbishop Bernardito Auza, papal diplomat to the UN, opened the conference with words from Pope Francis: "I continue to urge the international community to address (the) needs and those of other suffering minorities, above all by promoting peace through negotiation and diplomacy, for the sake of stemming and stopping as soon as possible the violence which has already caused so much harm...

"How much longer must the Middle East suffer from the lack of peace? We must not resign ourselves to conflicts as if change were not possible."

Dr Thomas Farr, an IDC board member and director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, called for a safe zone to protect victims.

"Those of us with the resources and capacity must do something. Think of this as a field hospital, we must act to ensure the patient has a way to live," said Farr.

"The stakes involve the very survival of Christianity and pluralism in Iraq and Syria. To ensure their survival, the international community must consider the establishment of an autonomous, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic safe zone."

The US administration responded to a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives in March and labelled ISIS atrocities as genocide. However the UK government is yet to follow suit, despite a unanimous vote in the House of Commons.
Former foes Israel, Egypt and Hamas join forces to stop a deadlier menace in region: Advancing ISIS militants

Three Mideast combatants who once traded lethal blows against each other have now formed a stunningly unlikely alliance against what they consider as a far deadlier menace in their region: the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.

Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have tacitly agreed to close ranks to stop the ISIS from creeping into their territories, the Washington Post reports.

The move was prompted by the increasingly sophisticated and daring attacks by ISIS forces in the region.

Last week, Hamas deployed several hundred fighters to Gaza's border with Egypt's Sinai peninsula as part of a deal with Cairo to keep ISIS militants from entering Gaza.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded his country's decision to erect a new fence along the Israel-Egypt border, saying that without the new barrier "we would have been overflowed by thousands of ISIS fighters from Sinai."

The threats posed by ISIS have led to the biggest cooperation between Egypt and Israel since their 1979 peace deal, according to officials from both countries.

The Egyptian and Israeli forces, with support from Hamas, are up against a jihadist group that has grown bolder since it claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian charter flight over the Sinai Peninsula in October, killing all 224 people aboard.

The well-armed ISIS affiliate group known as Wilayat Sinai has been attacking Egyptian soldiers, overrunning military posts and targeting them with roadside bombs.

Egyptian intelligence sources say the group poses a serious challenge. "They have genius strategists," said Mohannad Sabry, an Egyptian journalist and author of a book on the Islamist insurgency in the Sinai.

In a recent tweet, the ISIS claimed responsibility for destroying an American-made Egyptian M60 tank near Gora airport, used by United Nations peacekeepers as a base.

On Friday, the ISIS militants claimed that they have cut off an Egyptian military supply route to the airport after they attacked a convoy carrying food and arms.

Fierce fighting between the militants and the Egyptian army has reportedly been occurring regularly in the Sinai.

The ISIS has hundreds of fighters based in the Sinai, analysts and military officials say. These militants do not hold major territory or stage large-scale offensives, preferring to work within small cells to carry out hit-and-run attacks, the officials say. Their weapons include antitank ground missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, many of which were smuggled in from neighbouring Libya in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution that toppled dictator Moammar Gaddafi.
Holyrood elections: What the Scottish parties say about faith

On May 5 Britain will go to the polls for the second time in a year.

This time it will not be for a general election but for a host of local and regional elections that, once every decade, fall on the same day. Scots will vote for the next Scottish parliament representatives. Voters in Wales and Northern Ireland will decide their assembly members. Londoners will vote for the next Mayor. And across the country people will pick their local councillors as well as police and crime commissioners.

Last week Christian Today examined what the manifestos for the Welsh Assembly elections said about faith communities.

Today we asked the parties that will stand for the Scottish Parliament what they have to say on the matter.

What is striking about all the manifestos is the absence of any real focus on religion.

The Scottish Labour manifesto is the only one to mention the importance of faith groups when it promises to work with "churches... to develop positive measures to stamp out sectarianism". Labour also says it will adopt a "zero tolerance approach to hate crime, particularly that which is motivated by religion".

A Labour spokesperson told Christian Today: "Labour candidates across the country are working with local faith groups on the issues that matter in their communities. Labour believes in a Scotland of all faiths and will work with faith groups to tackle sectarianism and hate crimes."

The Green Party gets the prize for referring to religion most often. It promises to tackle inequality including those disadvantaged because of their religion. It also vows to fight religious hate crimes. But these sporadic references to faith appear to be in terms of a negative, divisive force to be dealt with, rather than a tool to be harnessed.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) is currently on course for an overwhelming victory which raises the possibility of a second referendum on independence. The closest the party comes to mentioning religion in its manifesto is its promise to work with others to "combat the threat of global terrorism and extremism".

Nevertheless an SNP spokesperson told Christian Today: "Faith groups play an important role in Scottish society and the SNP respects how important religion is to many people in Scotland, as well as the significant role faith groups play in many communities.

"Over the next parliament we will continue to engage with faith groups as part of our wider engagement with civic Scotland. As First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has engaged regularly with faith groups and will continue to do so if re-elected."

In stark contrast to their Welsh manifesto, the Scottish Conservative manifesto makes no mention at all of faith, religion or churches.

A party spokeswoman told Christian Today: "Christianity and the Christian values of responsibility, hard work, charity, humility, tolerance and love have shaped our country and continue to do so today.

"Churches are at the centre of communities right across Scotland and play a special role in providing support and comfort to many people.

"If Scottish Conservative MSPs elected in May wish to support a cross party group on religious freedom, then the party would be more than happy to support them."

The Scottish Liberal Democrats' manifesto makes a passing reference to "opportunity for everyone... regardless of gender, sexualty, race, religion" but there is no other mention of faith.

This marked a noticeable difference to the party's general election manifesto which made frequent remarks on the importance of freedom of religion, faith schools and religious communities. However a party source told Christian Today the Holyrood manifesto was much shorter and the lack of references "to faith communities does not mean we will be stopping working with them".

Speaking more broadly, a party spokesperson said: "Scottish Liberal Democrats believe there should be opportunity for everyone whatever their background and regardless of gender, race or religion. That's why we stand against religious intolerance and will tackle discrimination by supporting faith communities in working together."

UKIP caused a stir at the 2015 general election by issuing a Christian manifesto in which Nigel Farage said: "Christianity plays a significant part in my vision for the future of Britain."

However in its manifesto for Scotland the party makes no mention of Christianity, faith, religion, or church.

Christian Today contacted UKIP for comment and were directed to the party's 2015 Christian manifesto.
ISIS sex-slave survivor names 'new Jihadi John' as her abuser

A Yazidi teenager who escaped ISIS sex slavery has said she was kidnapped and trafficked by the "new Jihadi John", British Muslim-convert Siddhartha Dhar.

Niham Barakat was just 16 when she and 27 members of her family were kidnapped by ISIS fighters after the fall of Sinjar, northern Iraq, two years ago.

She says she was beaten, raped and forced to marry a militant in Syria, before escaping, only to be recaptured and abused again, this time becoming pregnant.

"I was pregnant after the second rape," she said in an interview for a new documentary series, Hayat in Iraq, on the British Muslim TV channel.

"I tried to abort the child, but was unable to. My brother was with me and they said if anything happened to the baby they would kill us both.

"They told me I had to become a Muslim. I didn't want to have a baby that came from them and after what they had done to me."

London-born Dhar, who took on the name Abu Rumaysah after his conversion to Islam, is now one of the most senior foreign fighters in Mosul, according to Barakat.

He has been widely identified as the replacement for "Jihadi John"  Mohammed Emwazi  a British ISIS fighter who was killed in a drone strike in November 2015.

Baraket has named the jihadists who enslaved her, including Dhar.

The first man she was forced to marry was Abdul Salam Mahmoud, a notorious Australian extremist, a month and a half before he was killed in Syria.

Describing this initial capture, Baraket said: "They separated us into three groups, men, married women and single women, then took the single women and girls to Mosul.

"Sometimes they would come and take girls for their pleasure. They did everything to the girls."

She was beaten daily "for being Yazidi", and after Mahmoud's death, she took the opportunity to escape, but her freedom was short-lived.

"When I was captured near Kirkuk, they took me to another leader from Mosul. His name was Abu Dhar," she said.

"He also took Yazidi girls for himself. Every day he would tell me that I had to marry another man."

Although it is yet to be confirmed, her interviewer Joseph Hayat told The Independent that he was "very confident" Barakat was talking about the same Dhar.

"From the information I have, Dhar is deemed a leader in Mosul now, and she was very insistent on the name," he said.

"We asked her later if these were foreigners or ordinary Iraqis and she said they were foreigners.

"When we showed her pictures of Siddhartha Dhar she recognised them but went very cold," he said.

"She didn't want to go further and got very agitated."

Since her second escape, Barakat has been working with the AMAR foundation and is living in the Khanke refugee camp in northern Iraq.

"I managed to escape, but I had to leave the baby behind," she said, speaking at an AMAR event.

"It's not a life, we are not living a life until the rest of our people are released by Daesh."
Newly discovered tailless rocky comet can give clues as to how Earth was formed

When we think of comets, we usually picture a piece of rock with a fiery tail of light. Astronomers, however, recently discovered a comet that breaks this mould.

Using the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, a team of space scientists has discovered a comet that does not have any tail.

This unique space rock, known as "S3" for short, is a little more than twice as far away from the sun as the Earth is, and is said to be 100,000 times less active than typical comets.

What makes the S3 comet more extraordinary is the fact that it seems to be not rich in ice, unlike other space rocks. This explains the comet's low activity while approaching the sun. Ice-rich space rocks typically get fired up as it gets closer to the sun.

"We've found the first rocky comet," study co-author Olivier Hainaut, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory in Garching, Germany, said in a statement, as quoted by Space.com.

This newly discovered tailless comet is significant because it may provide clues as to how the Earth was formed. The S3 comet's lack of ice suggests that it came from the inner solar system.

"It is very exciting  S3 would have been kicked out while the Earth was being formed, possibly even by the early-days Earth," Hainaut told Space.com. "S3 would then be a planetesimal like those which formed the Earth, but preserved since that time in the cold of outer space."

In a separate statement, study lead author Karen Meech of the University of Hawaii likened the S3 comet to an "uncooked asteroid."

"We already knew of many asteroids, but they have all been baked by billions of years near the sun. This one is the first uncooked asteroid we could observe  it has been preserved in the best freezer there is," Meech said, as quoted by Space.com.
Orthodox Christians appeal for funds after four churches hit by fire on Easter Day

Orthodox Christians worldwide are in mourning today after an Orthodox Easter that saw church buildings in the United States, Australia and Russia go up in flames.

The gutted buildings included the beautiful and historic Cathedral of St Sava in Manhattan, New York, where an immediate appeal for funds has been launched.

In a statement online, the cathedral said: "Our church has burned down last night. As of 10:00 a.m. Monday morning (May 2, 2016), firefighters are still spraying the building with water. Police has sealed the area around the cathedral, and we don't have access to it at the moment. Investigation is in progress. We believe no one has been injured in the fire."

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America expressed "deep sorrow, concern and sympathy" to their Serbian Orthodox brethren.

Archbishop Demetrios of America said: "We stand together with our Serbian Orthodox brothers and sisters, who are saddened by this loss of their beloved cathedral, on the day of our Lord's Resurrection. We pray to the Risen Christ that the hope of His resurrection sustains them and strengthens them in the face of such adversity."

The New York cathedral, a former Episcopal Church buiulding, was one of four Orthodox churches that burned over the Orthodox Easter weekend.

Orthodox Christians now fear that their churches are being targeted because of objections that were made to the canonisation of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac, according to the New York Post.

The cardinal, Croatian Archbishop of Zagreb, who died in 1960, was tried by Yugoslavia after the war and served 16 years in prison and then under house arrest after being convicted of treason and collaboration with the Ustase. Controversially, in 1998 he was declared a martyr and beatified by Pope John Paul II.

However, his proposed canonisation has been postponed by Pope Francis and has created a rift between Serbia and Croatia. Both sides have lobbied the Pope.

Dr Dusan Batakovic, a former Serbian ambassador, told the New York Post: "Too many churches have burned to call it an accident. It is very strange that it happened, that the fires all took place on Easter, the greatest Christian Orthodox holiday. Some kind of terrorist action can not be excluded."

The Greek Orthodox Holy Church of Annunciation of Our Lady in Melbourne, Australia, was badly damaged by a blaze.

Fire at Melbourne Greek Orthodox church, a day after Orthodox Easter celebrations: https://t.co/XkbPjFL9u7 #9Newshttps://t.co/EKajwHsZSY  Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) May 2, 2016

The Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection in Sydney was gutted by fire.

A Greek Orthodox church in Sydney has been destroyed in a large fire, police are investigating if arson was involved https://t.co/v0RNHymA4G  7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) May 2, 2016

In northern Russia, a hotel in an Orthodox monastery caught fire.
Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter by sharing 'holy fire' from Jesus' tomb in Jerusalem to rest of the world

Christians worldwide belonging to the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrated their Easter on Sunday with a "holy fire" ceremony, roasted lamb, cakes and processions along the streets of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Their celebration of Christ's resurrection more than 2,000 years ago comes a month after the same occasion was celebrated in Roman Catholic and other Christian churches throughout the world.

The difference in dates is due to the fact that Eastern Orthodox churches follow the older Julian calendar while other Christian churches use the Gregorian calendar, USA Today reports.

At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalemthe place where biblical authorities believe Jesus was crucified and resurrected  priests came out from a small chamber marked as Jesus' tomb and emerged with "holy fire." The priests then shared the flames with the faithful who lit their candles from the "holy fire," passing the latter from person to person until the streets outside were lit by the candle flames. This was part of a ceremony that dates back at least 1,200 years ago.

Worshippers, some carrying crosses, walked the 14 Stations of the cross, along streets lined with scores of Israeli security forces, the Daily Mail reports.

Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos also passed on the flame to members of foreign delegations who brought it to Orthodox churches around the world. A Greek delegation took it to Athens earlier on Saturday, according to Greek news outlet Kathimerini.

On the eastern Greek Aegean island of Chios, two parishes staged a mock war marked with fireworks to celebrate the event, watched by visitors from across the country, according to the Associated Press.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attended midnight Mass, joining thousands of people at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the world's largest Orthodox Church, led the three-hour service, RT reports.

Orthodox Easter was also celebrated in Syria by Russian soldiers and airmen in a makeshift temple close to the Russian airbase in Hmeimim, Tass reports, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.

In Ukraine, Christians attended Easter service at the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev where they consecrated cakes and intricately painted eggs as children dressed up in colourful national costumes.

In Washington, President Barack Obama issued a statement extending his Easter greeting and offering support to Christians, including those belonging to the Eastern Orthodox Church "who have been persecuted for their faith and subjected to unspeakable acts of violence."

The Eastern Orthodox Church is considered as the second largest Christian Church in the world with an estimated membership of 225 million to 300 million faithful.

It is one of the oldest religious institutions in the world practicing what it understands to be the original faith passed down from the Apostles.
Pennsylvania church shooting: Suspect in killing of man over pew seat charged with manslaughter

A 46-year-old man who shot and killed a fellow worshipper in a church in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania last April 23 has been charged with manslaughter.

Mark Storms of Lansdale, Pennsylvania is facing charges of voluntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment in the death of 27-year-old churchgoer Robert Braxton III, NBC Philadelphia reports.

Braxton was shot during Sunday service at Keystone Fellowship Church in North Wales where hundreds of people were gathered.

Witnesses said Braxton arrived at the church angry and cursed at an usher in the back of the church. Staff members tried to quiet him but he refused and even sat at a pew reserved for other church members.

One church member tapped Braxton on the shoulder to tell him that the seats were reserved but was told by him, "Don't [expletive] touch me!"

Witnesses told the police that Storms walked over to Braxton and showed him his badge and motioned that he had a handgun under his shirt and that he had to vacate the seat. The badge was for concealed carry permit.

The two exchanged words before Braxton punched Storms in the jaw. Storms pulled out his gun and fired two shots.

Accounts of the shooting varied.

One church member said Storms showed his gun to which Braxton replied, "That's not a real gun."

Another said Braxton lunged at Storms before the shooting while a church member said Braxton asked Storms, "What are you going to do, shoot me?" before punching him.

Storms told the police that he shot Braxton as he felt his "person was in great danger" and that he was worried that other people in the church might get hurt.

He said he showed his badge to defuse the situation, recalling that he did it in the past and the man he accosted "walked away."

Braxton was rushed to the Abington-Lansdale Hospital where he died. Autopsy showed he was hit by a bullet in the chest and right arm.
Pope Francis to welcome 6,000 homeless pilgrims in Rome

Pope Francis will receive 6,000 homeless pilgrims in Rome in November to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy, one week before the close of the Holy Year.

"This pilgrimage and encounter with Pope Francis will give the most vulnerable in our society, who often experience marginalisation, the chance to discover that their place is in God's heart and at the centre of the Church," said the organisers of the event in a statement.

From 11-13 November 2016, homeless people and those involved in their day-to-day care will take part in the European Festival of Joy and Mercy, organised by the Fratello Association.

The Association was born out of a 2014 pilgrimage, where 150 homeless people from France journeyed and met Pope Francis briefly. It "organises and hosts events with and for people in situations of exclusion in partnership with associations assisting such people", according to its website.

The November event will be attended by Pope Francis, who will give Catechesis on November 11 and then close the three days with Mass on November 13. There will also be a prayer vigil held by the Archbishop of Lyon, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin.

The three days will focus on three themes: "God, source of consolation", "God, source of forgiveness" and "God source of hope". There will be opportunity to hear from "major witnesses", to be taken on tours around Rome and to meet Pope Francis.

The Jubilee Year of Mercy began on December 8, 2015 and is due to end on November 20 this year.
Students' plan to set up abortion clinic in University of California-Berkeley draws flak: 'It's devilish'

The University of California-Berkeley's student government has approved a resolution to install an abortion clinic on campus, drawing criticisms.

Student Senator Aanchal Chugh, who sponsored the Medicated Abortion Services Bill, told CBS SF Bay Area that she has been receiving hate messages since she came up with the proposal.

"[They're] saying it's against God, it's devilish, and the university should go to hell," she said.

Chugh said college-age women have the most abortions.

"We feel that student health is something that the administration has not been focused on. And it's important for students to do well academically," she said.

In the resolution, the Associated Students of the University of California is urging the University Health Services (UHS) "to implement medication abortion services and fulfill the needs and provide quality healthcare services to students seeking medication abortion."

It says, "There is an unmet need of medication abortion" and the UHS has the resources to provide the service.

The resolution added that since the abortion service is not available on campus, students face financial, time and travel constraints that impact their academic performance and mental health.

It described abortion as a "common health-care service" and is "relevant in student life."

"The Associated Students of the University of California recognizes that UC Berkeley students are mostly in the age range of 18-24 and deserve easily accessible legal, safe, medical abortions," the resolution read.

UC-Berkeley said there are medical professionals in the area who can provide abortion services to students.

Student Kylie Cherin is opposing the establishment of an abortion clinic on campus.

"Making it accessible to people kind of screams, 'hey, you can go do whatever you want, and just come here and we'll have it covered,'" she said.

Other students disagreed. "I think students should have something on the campus that they can go to and a safe place," said student Kylie Cherin.

Student government representatives said they plan to meet with university officials to push for the implementation of the proposal.

The resolution said 14,310 among 27,496 undergraduate students in the Fall 2015 are women.
The forgotten persecuted: 7 countries that abuse religious freedom

According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), religious liberty has come under "serious and sustained assault" across the globe in the past year.

USCIRF made the claim in its 2016 report, released yesterday. The report refers to new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, the rise in numbers of refugees and continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe.

USCIRF is a independent, bipartisan US federal government commission, dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad. It can make policy recommendations, but decisions are taken by the US State Department.

It identifies "countries of particular concern" (CPCs) or "Tier 1" countries, and also "Tier 2" countries  those with governments that engage in or tolerate violations that are serious but not CPC-level.

On its Tier 1 list there are 10 countries both designated by the State Department and recommended by USCIRF: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

But there are seven countries  Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Vietnam  that the State Department hasn't yet designated. The US isn't scared of upsetting allies like Saudi Arabia or global players like China by including them. So given what's happening in these countries, and why are they are still free from censure?

The answer lies with the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. It requires the US government to designate as a CPC country one whose government engages in or tolerates particularly severe violations of religious freedom that are systematic, ongoing and egregious. The problem with these seven countries is that it's often not their governments that are doing it, but "non-state actors"  terrorists, militias or private individuals. But USCIRF now believes the classification should be expanded to include countries where the government either doesn't exist or doesn't control its own territory.

1. Central African Republic

Christian and Muslim militias are both responsible for violence, with the Muslim community disproportionately affected. In the western part of the country Muslims are trapped in peacekeeper enclaves. The government's authority is limited to the capital, Bangui, and the country is highly volatile.

The current lawlessness arises from a coup in 2013, but CAR has suffered years of instability  though the religious element is new. A Muslim government took control in 2012 and became notorious for torture, disappearances and illegal detentions, particularly targeting Christians; fighters loyal to deposed President Bozize drove them out. By the end of 2014, 80 per cent of CAR's Muslims had been expelled and the majority of their mosques destroyed. A visit by Pope Francis last year was credited with helping to signal a change, but violence continues.

2. Egypt

Islam is Egypt's state religion, but Christians make up an estimated 10-15 per cent of the population. Attacks on Christians and churches in 2013 led to huge destruction and there are longstanding repressive laws and policies. Egypt's president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is a former army general who was elected following the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi in 2013. He has made public statements advocating tolerance for all religions and the 2014 constitution includes better religious freedom provisions, but these have not yet been implemented. Last year there was actually an increase in prosecutions for blasphemy and related charges. However, the education ministry is revising textbooks to remove hate speech and the Grand Mufti has publicly countered extremist fatwas. Attacks on Coptic Christians are decreasing and churches destroyed in 2013 are being rebuilt. But Christians are still very vulnerable. In February four teenage Copts and their teacher were found guilty of making a short video mocking ISIS and received prison sentences. Egypt also imprisons atheists and antisemitic material appears on state-controlled media; its once-thriving Jewish community is nearly extinct.

3. Iraq

According to USCIRF, Iraq's religious freedom situation continued to decline last year, especially in areas under Islamic State control. The chaotic internal situation means effective government control is impossible. Sectarian tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslims were restrained by Saddam Hussein, but his successors have failed to resolve them. The country's Christian population has dropped by more than half, to fewer than 500,000, since 2003. Yazidis and Mandeans have also suffered catastrophic decline. Islamic State has committed horrific crimes. USCIRF says: "ISIL [ISIS] has targeted all of Iraq's smallest religious minority communities; its ongoing actions could well mark the end of ancient religious communities in northern Iraq." But the Iraqi government supports and funds the Popular Mobilisation Forces group, which fights ISIS but also persecutes Christians and other minorities.

4. Nigeria

The Nigerian military has recaptured territory from the Islamist Boko Haram, but this has led to an upsurge of terrorist and suicide attacks. Christians have been forced to convert to Islam and Muslims have been forced to accept its more extreme form. The Nigerian government has also been accused of using excessive force against suspected militants.

Nigeria is a large (180 million) and diverse country, split evenly between Muslims (mainly in the north) and Christians in the south. But there are also more than 250 ethnic groups, which makes achieving harmony very difficult. Polling indicates that Nigeria is one of Africa's most religious nations and that there is a high level of distrust towards people of other faiths.

From May 2011 to December 2015, Boko Haram killed more than 15,000 people. Another 12,000 died in fighting between Boko Haram and Nigerian military forces. More than 2.2 million have been displaced.

In Nigeria's central belt there is religious violence between mainly Christian farmers and mainly Muslim herders; hundreds have died. These conflicts begin with battles about land and become identified as religious. Christian leaders in the Muslim north report systematic legal discrimination against them.

5. Pakistan

"In 2015, the Pakistani government continued to perpetrate and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations," USCIRF said. There are non-state actors including terrorist organisations but also discriminatory laws like the blasphemy law. USCIRF has recommended Pakistan be a CPC since 2002 and it is damning about Pakistan's failures: "For years, the Pakistani government has failed to protect citizens, minority and majority alike, from sectarian and religiously-motivated violence. Pakistani authorities also have failed to consistently bring perpetrators to justice or take action against societal actors who incite violence." The report refers to high-profile cases like that of Asia Bibi and Shahbaz Bhatti.

School textbooks portray Christians as Western oppressors and Hindus as Indians. Forced conversions are common and are not investigated by police. Hindu marriages are only recognised in one state.

US-Pakistan relations are strained. While Pakistan is important in the struggle against terrorism, relationships "have long been marked by strain, disappointment, and mistrust".

6. Syria

Religious identity is at the heart of Syria's conflict, which is largely sectarian. The Assad regime targets Arab Sunni Muslims. ISIS targets the regime, religious minorities like Christians and Alawites and any Muslim who doesn't sign up to its extremist form of the faith.

Security forces under both Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez have committed atrocious crimes. Aside from attacks on Christians by Islamist extremists, the regime has also targeted them; since 2011 more than half of Syria's Christian places of worship have been hit by government forces, Christian organisations have been shut down and at least 450 remain in detention. Many more have been murdered. Controversially, USCIRF calls for the US to commit to resettling 100,000 Syrian refugees in the country, subject to proper vetting. It also calls for refugees who may have fought for anti-ISIS forces or have been conscripted into terrorist groups to be considered for refugee status.

7. Vietnam

USCIRF's report refers to Vietnam's "continued heavy-handed management of religion" and says it leads to individuals being harassed, detained and targeted with physical violence. It says there is considerable religious diversity in Vietnam and a "positive trajectory" but that restrictions vary widely across the country.

Political considerations also come into play. One group that faces harassment is the ethnic minority Montagnards from the Central Highlands, many of whom are Protestant Christians. The government accuses them of seeking autonomy and they are pressured to cease practising their "poisonous" faith. Mennonites and members of the Duong Van Minh Christian sect have also been attacked and beaten. Evangelical pastor Nguyen Trung Ton was arrested at the end of 2015 and nothing more is known of him; Pastor Y Noen Ayun was arrested several times last year and threatened with jail because he refused to stop preaching. Catholics have been threatened with imprisonment and the demolition of their churches. A draft Law on Religion is regarded as a backward step, increasing government control on religion.

Christians are not the only people to suffer under the abuses of religious freedom documented by USCIRF. However, in many cases they are among the most vulnerable citizens and have very few resources in their own countries. These are places where the US could use its considerable muscle to much greater effect for religious freedom.
#TheBibleHasTaughtMe: Christian PR disaster or gospel opportunity?

Twitter is dangerous to sincere, well-meaning people who might not be terribly savvy about social media. A few years ago (prehistory in social media terms), upmarket food store Waitrose asked people to say why they liked shopping there using #WaitroseReasons. Its PR team lived to regret it. "I shop at Waitrose because... I don't like being surrounded by poor people"; " because Clarrisa's pony just WILL NOT eat ASDA Value straw"; "because their colour scheme matches my Range Rover". It was legend.

Now there's a Twitter hashtag doing the rounds which is also a bit double-edged, in terms of publicity: #TheBibleHasTaughtMe. Some tweets are sweet: "no matter what I'm going through, I can turn my eyes to Jesus and He will always accept me with open arms"; "to be fearless"; "that God can use anybody no matter what they've done in the past".

#TheBibleHasTaughtMe that no matter what I'm going through, I can turn my eyes to Jesus and He will always accept me with open arms.   Hilly Hindi (@HillyHindi) May 1, 2016

But it wasn't long before it went a bit dark. Referring to Kentucky clerk Kim Davis' complicated marital history, PoliticalGroove said: "#TheBibleHasTaughtMe you can get married as many times as you like, as long as you're not gay." David Baddiel said: "It was a struggle but #TheBibleHasTaughtMe not to covet my neighbour's ox."

#TheBibleHasTaughtMe you can get married as many times as you like, as long as you're not gay. pic.twitter.com/Qwq2iPiN4T  PoliticalGroove (@PoliticalGroove) May 1, 2016

According to Mayo, "#TheBibleHasTaughtMe that people are willing to blindly believe anything without question" while Kesha Tedder says: "#TheBibleHasTaughtMe fairy tales, not facts". There's lots of that kind of thing.

#TheBibleHasTaughtMe to know my place as a woman and not talk back to my husband for I am his property.  It's Meagan (@MeaganAldaine) May 1, 2016

Some of them are very funny: I liked Charles' "#TheBibleHasTaughtMe telling a girl that her hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Mt. Gilead isn't a good pick-up line" and Sara Mansford's "#TheBibleHasTaughtMe that even the greatest leaders like Moses are still stubborn men who won't ask for directions". Others, not so much: Dreamweasel's tilt at the sacrifice of Isaac with "disobeying God is a greater crime than murdering your own son, for some reason".

But it's thought-provoking, for sure.

The Bible is public property. We don't own it; it's out there and if people want to mock and misrepresent it they have every right to do so. If Christians venture onto social media imagining that they're entering a safe, friendly space in which the only people to engage with them will be like-minded people who get what they're doing and wish them well, they'll very quickly find out they're mistaken. Some social media spaces are quite kind and gentle; Twitter is a bear-pit.

But an exercise like this can be very valuable in helping us see our faith as others see it and read the Bible as others read it. If we don't do that we're likely to be trapped in a small and cosy world of our own in which the hard questions never get asked. Or if they are asked, they're answered with woolly appeals to faith or a vague, "It's all a bit mysterious" or, "We'll all find out one day." Preachers who can talk about the story of Noah's Ark and not admit there's something rather problematic about the extermination of large numbers of people, or about Jephthah's sacrifice of his daughter and not say straight out that he was wrong to do it, are not doing their congregations any favours. A faith that only works if it's never challenged isn't much of a faith.

But then: the Bible is not public property. It is, we believe, a revelation from God and a gift to the Church. This means that the right place to interpret it is in the context of the life of the Church and a commitment to discipleship. In other words, we don't read it to criticise it or to pick holes in it. We read it to find out what God is saying to us through it. So our reaction when we find something that's difficult or unsavoury isn't to say, "I don't believe that" or, "That's ridiculous"; it's to say, "I don't understand that, so I need to think about it a bit harder and pray about it more."

Anselm of Canterbury, a great saint and Christian thinker, said: "I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand" ("credo ut intelligam"). He didn't mean that Christians should switch off their brains, but that our approach to Scripture should start with faith rather than doubt. And if we do that, we very often find we're able to find uplifting and God-honouring things to say about even the hardest passages.

CH Spurgeon, the great 19th-century Baptist preacher, is often quoted as saying: "Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion. Let it loose and it will defend itself." The actual quote is hard to track down, but he certainly used the illustration, and more than once. Spurgeon believed that positively preaching what the Bible actually says, rather than paying too much attention to its detractors, was the most effective way of evangelism. He wrote: "Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries."

#TheBibleHasTaughtMe is only a Twitter hashtag. It offers a snapshot of how the Bible's perceived, often among people who haven't thought about it that much. But Scripture really does teach us, and God really does speak to us through it.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
Two US Christian missionaries found slain in Jamaica

Two American missionaries in Jamaica have been found dead, apparently murdered.

Harold Nichols (53) and Randy Hentzel (48) went missing in the northeastern parish of St Mary this weekend.

According to The Gleaner, police found the men's bodies almost 24 hours apart in the Albion Mountain region.

Marks of violence were seen on Nichols' body, according to the police. Hentzel's body was found face down in bushes with his hands tied behind his back.

Harold and Teri Nichols and Randy and Sara Hentzel worked with missionary organisation TEAMS for Medical Mission. Their role was to support churches in their outreach and run medical mission programmes involving volunteers from the US.

Teri Nichols told RJR News her husband had left on a motorcycle on Saturday to examine the foundations of a house.

"He's building a house for a woman in a week," she said. "And he went to check to see if the foundation was finished and to check on the woman it was being built for. I believe Randy wanted to take care of somebody that was in his Bible college who was in dire need of a house.

"They went and they just never came back."

Dwight Powell, deputy superintendent of police and acting head of the St Mary Police, told The Gleaner: "The kind of support that [Nichols and Hentzel] got from local residents, especially from Huddersfield [and] Mango Valley, was overwhelming. We had a search party and over 70 residents came out and assisted with the search. I was really heartened."

"We are saddened by the horrible deaths of the two American missionaries. They're not just visiting, but have been pillars of both communities for years," said Joshua Polacheck, a spokesman for the US embassy. "The ambassador has been in contact with the highest levels of the Jamaican security apparatus, and we are hoping for a speedy resolution to this matter and that the killers are found and brought to justice."

TEAMS for Medical Missions told Christian Today in a statement: "We do not know who would do this or what their motivation was. These men greatly loved the people of Jamaica and were greatly loved in return.

"TEAMS for Medical Missions remains committed to serving the people of Jamaica and demonstrating the unconditional love of Christ. Our T4MM family is grieving and we covet your prayers. We serve an amazing God who is able to bring beauty from ashes and it is in Him that we put our trust."
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Every sentient being knows that Obi-Wan Kenobi said "May the Force be with you" in "Star Wars."

CHOLO CON: Vato Man and Super Cholo costumes go viral

But (possibly) not everyone knows that because of that, May 4 is celebrated as Star Wars Day by geeks and slightly off people everywhere.

Before that geek flag starts flying, however, here are some facts about the day.
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Authorities are searching for a suspect in a recent aggravated robbery at a northeast Fort Bend County grocery store.

The robbery occurred April 14 at the ALDI store in the 10400 block of Texas 6 South near West Bellfort, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.

A woman told investigators she was sitting behind the steering wheel of her car when a man opened the passenger door, pulled out a gun and snatched her purse. He left, with the woman unhurt.

A short time later, deputies said, one of the woman's credit cards was used at a Fuel Depot in Houston. Surveillance video captured at the time the credit card was used recorded images of a 2005 to 2007 black Ford Escape with body damage on the driver's side near the rear wheel.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers Inc. at

281-342-TIPS or online at http://www.fortbend.crimestoppersweb.com/. Tips can also be submitted by text message. Text FBCCS and tips to CRIMES.

Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers Inc. will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or charges being filed against him.

All tipsters remain anonymous.
A 69-year-old man has been found safe Tuesday morning hours after he went missing from a southwest Houston nursing home.

John Matthews left about 10 p.m. Monday from the facility at 5201 Willow Drive near Ricecrest, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police have identified a man who was shot to death Monday night outside his family home in northwest Houston.

The shooting happened about 9:15 p.m. in the 7000 block of Cole Creek near Bitternut, according to the Houston Police Department.
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Manvel city and business leaders are thrilled that German chemical company Haltermann Carless Solutions is slated to remodel and operate a local plant it purchased.

The company will invest $15 million in an initial expansion in the next 18 months, and city leaders expect that the project will add a total of $75 million in taxable value to the city by 2021.

"This is a big event for the city," Manvel Mayor Delores Martin said on a planned May 10 dedication ceremony for the plant off Texas 6, adding that the company will fill 20 high-paying engineering and plant operation jobs at the facility, which will produce solvents - liquids or gases that can dissolve or extract other substances.

The mayor said the company is expanding a plant previously operated by Shu-Chem Holdings Inc. at 22102 Texas 6, to make chemicals for the pharmaceutical and printing industries.

Martin said Frankfurt-based HCS found the site through an ad by Shu-Chem and that company officials told her the city would be a good fit by helping cut production costs.

The plant will be closer to the raw materials that the company uses, eliminating need to ship them to a plant across the Atlantic Ocean.

"With the acquisition, we are not only creating a production base in North America but are also consistently expanding our product range for the U.S. market," HCS CEO Uwe Nickel said in a statement.

The plant has existed since the late 1970s or early 1980s, City Manager Kyle Jung said.

"For HCS, this is their first plant in the U.S.," he said. "It's not just good for retail business in the area but it's creating top jobs that will really have a strong economic impact for Manvel."

The company, which owns about 100 acres on the site, plans to build an industrial park in the next two to five years.

"We're looking at $75 million of assessed value on 100 acres of land in about five or six years," Jung said. "It diversifies our tax base. That reduces the tax burden on our families and businesses already here."

Martin is excited at other potential benefits from the company.

"This will be building a bridge between the country of Germany and the city of Manvel," Martin said, noting that the company helped support a local Christmas tree lighting ceremony in December.

Jung expects HCS to support Alvin ISD schools and local businesses.

Johanna McWilliams, president and CEO of the Alvin-Manvel Chamber of Commerce, said the coming plant fits Manvel's strategy for growth. The city's current population is about 8,000.

"We're really going to see a change in the dynamics of the town," McWilliams said, "I think Pearland was caught a bit off guard when growth came as fast as it did, Manvel has the infrastructure in place."

City officials said they aren't concerned about any potential safety hazards from plant operations, saying the company will equip the facility with a foam fire-extinguishing system and secure an emergency water supply.

Manvel Fire Chief Steve DelBello said he doesn't foresee any major concerns and is impressed with what he's heard about the company's safety record in Europe.

"The plant had three explosions when it was run by Shu-Chem," he said, "These guys (at HCS) are working to be able to resolve any issues from within the plant. They'll be getting back to us when they're further along; so we're just waiting for that."

The 2 p.m. May 10 dedication event will feature local and state elected officials and a representative from Houston's German consulate.

"We're a small town waiting to grow," Martin said, "to have such an opportunity fall in your lap; it's incredible."
This week, the Fort Bend Independent School District started serving some students cold lunches.

It's part of a new policy to address $400,000 in unpaid student lunch bills this year that drains money from the district's general fund.

"It has become apparent that immediate action is needed to assist in collection efforts," Fort Bend ISD Chief Finance Officer Steven Bassett said in a letter sent to families. "And we can no longer allow students to charge hot meals indefinitely and without limits."

Students who have an outstanding balance of at least $35 will be served a free meal of cereal and milk for breakfast and a cheese sandwich and milk for lunch.

"These meals will prevent additional charges to the student's account until the outstanding balance is paid, but even more importantly, it will ensure that our students do not go with an empty stomach if they do not have money to pay for a meal," Bassett said in the letter.

The new rule will apply to students who pay full or reduced prices for lunch but will not apply to those who qualify for free meals.

Students can purchase lunch either with cash or by charging it to a personal account.

Breakfast is $1.25 for all students, and lunch is $2.25 for elementary students and $2.50 for middle and high school students. A la carte items such as fries and salads are also available.

Houston nonprofit founder disagrees

Kenny Thompson, who founded a Houston nonprofit called Feed the Future Forward that helps districts find ways to fund unpaid meal balances other than serving meager breakfasts and lunches, doesn't think the change is for the best.

Thompson suggests approaches such as warning parents when students' accounts are low or helping parents load lunch money onto a school account.

The $35 deficit "tells me they are willing to work with their students and their families," Thompson said of district officials. "But they need to find other ways to do that."

Fort Bend ISD isn't the first district to serve cold meals to students who have outstanding balances.

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District serves students a cheese sandwich and milk for lunch if they have an outstanding balance of $15, district spokesman Phil Sulak said. The policy has existed for some time, but the district started more vigorous enforcement two years ago, when the total for unpaid meals reached $140,000.

Policy in place about 5 years in Katy ISD

In Katy Independent School District, elementary school students can charge up to 20 breakfasts that cost $1.25 and 20 lunches that cost $2.25 on their accounts. Once they exceed the limit, they are served a breakfast of milk and a lunch of a cereal and milk, district spokeswoman Denisse Coffman said.

Katy ISD junior high and high school students can borrow funds for up to one breakfast, also $1.25, and one lunch, $2.50, only in an emergency. There is no alternative meal for junior high and high school students.

Katy ISD's policy has been in place for at least five years, Coffman said.

Fort Bend ISD's rule change came after letters mailed home to families last month, Bassett said.

Fort Bend ISD has served similar cold lunches in the past. The debt related to meal accounts has been rising since the district stopped its previous courtesy meals policy just under 10 years ago.

Parents and guardians can set up emails to alert them if their student's balance is low. They can also check online through the district's Skyward Family Access or by calling the cafeteria manager at their student's campus.
Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers says a badly needed project to extend Katy's Cane Island Parkway to FM 1463 has been delayed.

Meyers is negotiating with Hilcorp Energy Co. to move an oil-and-gas drill site and pipeline in the area because it is in the way of the planned route.

The extension, which would be near the Firethorne community, would also pass through three properties, two of which contain houses. The county and owners are far apart in negotiations, Meyers said.

Now, he is hoping to complete the road by the end of 2017.

"It's essential that we have another connection to Interstate 10 because the traffic on (FM 1463) is getting horrendous," Meyers said.

In 2015, 16,000 cars traveled FM 1463 daily, Meyers said, citing information from the Texas Department of Transportation.

The county needs to purchase small parts of each property that don't include the houses. One owner refuses to sell any land and another has not accepted an undisclosed offer by the county, Meyers said. The third is seeking $1 million more than the county's offer.

The three property owners could not be reached for comment. They have asked the county to move the planned route west, according to Meyers, but he said that doing so would take the road into other properties and multiple wetland areas.

The county will be forced to use eminent domain, a legal process that gives governments the right to forcefully acquire private property for public use while providing compensation.

"Nobody wants a major road next to their house; so I totally understand. That's why we tried to negotiate," Meyers said. "They're angry with me. But I still have to provide some kind of relief for (FM 1463), and this is the only alternative I can come up with."

The county and Hilcorp are discussing where the drill site and pipelines should be relocated. Meyers said he's confident an agreement will be reached.

Justin Furnance, director of external affairs at Hilcorp, said in an email that the company has no comment on the issue.

The extension will cost more than $5 million to build, of which the county will pay an approximate $3.5 million from 2013 bond funds. Other cash will come from the city of Katy, which will contribute $1 million because it shares a portion of the proposed route for the road, and area developer Bruce Grover.

Other delays have hindered the project. The county spent six months resolving how to narrow the road's footprint over wetlands.

When completed, the extension will extend almost 1 miles in two lanes north from FM 1463 to the Cane Island overpass on the interstate, which feeds into Katy's new master-planned community, Cane Island. Meyers said the road will eventually include four lanes.

The overpass opened in March following months of its own delays as the city awaited approval from the state for the project and dealt with inclement weather, City Administrator Byron Hebert said.

The 1,100-acre Cane Island development had a grand opening in March. It includes a three-acre entrance lake with seven 30-foot waterfalls and an amenities village that has a two-story fitness center, yoga studio, pools, conservatory, theater and cafe. It will hold more than 2,000 homes when completed.

The planned county road "should help with mobility," Hebert said. "It would also provide a way for commuters to go through Cane Island."
The first application to the city of Houston for a Green Corridor designation along a portion of Yale Street in the Heights was presented to the city's Quality of Life Committee on April 27.

The Houston Heights Association and Urban Forestry Committee documented support from commercial property owners who hold 76 percent of the frontage along the proposed Green Corridor on a 1.6 mile stretch of Yale.

The committee strives to educate and build awareness on trees in the Heights area.

The HHA said of the 24 percent who did not give their support, it received no statements of opposition.

If granted, the designation would protect trees that have a diameter of at least 15 inches that are on commercial property setbacks.

Single-family residential properties are unaffected by the designation.

The corridor's proposed location is along 14 city blocks of Yale from Sixth to 19th streets.

This includes the crossing section along the MKT hike-and-bike trail.

Seven of Houston's 11 council members serve on the Quality of Life Committee, and many expressed enthusiasm about the application - a historic first for the city.

The code allowing for a Green Corridor dates to 1991 and is under Sec. 33-104 of Houston's ordinance code.

The committee will decide whether to recommend council support for the petition before June 23, which is the 90-day marker on the petition timeline laid out in the ordinance code.

On or before that date, City Council will make a final ruling on the corridor designation.

At the April 27 meeting, committee chair and Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen commended the Houston Heights Association and the Urban Forestry Committee on efforts to keep Houston verdant.

She recalled the flight that first carried her to Houston when she and her family relocated from her husband's native Canada in 1977.

"I remember seeing just how green it was down there," she said.

"We need anything we can do to keep that going."

Committee vice chair David Robinson, who serves in at-large Position 2 on City Council, said the petition effort was "Herculean" and could benefit other districts by publicizing a little-known designation available for 25 years.

"I am excited in thinking of others who might catch wind of this," he said.

Planning and Development Director Patrick Walsh and Assistant Director Mike Kramer said protections exist for trees that are 20 inches in diameter throughout the city but that a Green Corridor extends protection to trees with a diameter of at least 15 inches.

Turner said that violation fines within a Green Corridor would remain at the same level as the current city tree protection ordinance.

Those fines start at $111 per inch cut, with no charge for trees deemed unhealthy by the Urban Forestry Committee.

For a Green Corridor, such fines would only apply to commercial properties.

Kramer said that a Green Corridor would not restrict capital improvement projects, as any city projects would override the designation.

The corridor would not result in additional administrative costs, he said.

An added benefit of the designation is that it places a Green Corridor location at the forefront of considerations for future city-funded tree plantings, which typically focus on areas with few trees, Kramer said.

HHA spokesman Jonathan Smulian, a 30-year resident of the Heights, said he hopes other districts will notice the Yale Street effort and petition for their own Green Corridors.

"This is a demonstration project," he said.

"We hope to locate potential corridors in other districts, creating open-space linkages between districts using the corridors, and creating a 'cache' for developers."

Smulian said his background in urban planning includes working on projects in San Diego, California and London, England.

The HHA holds that the trees along Yale Street not only beautify and reflect the historic character of the area but provide a buffer against noise for nearby residents and aid water retention and storm drainage.
Katy police officer Jim Lieberman was the first to volunteer for a patrol vehicle dash camera when his department began using them about 20 years ago.

Now that it seems likely the department will buy body-worn cameras this year, he's eager to be among the first Katy officers to use one.

"Everything we do is scrutinized in so many ways," said Lieberman, who works in the motorcycle unit. "This is a way to show not only our personal supervisors but also the general public everything that we do when we do it. It keeps us in check and documents everything that we do firsthand."

The department will budget for officer body cameras, which it expects Katy City Council to approve in the 2016-17 city budget. The department has done months of testing through cameras worn by motorcycle officers.

Katy anticipates ordering 52 cameras - one for each of its officers, according to Michelle Miller, an information technology specialist with the police department.

Each camera will cost $500 to purchase or about $26,000 total, and another $300 annually per camera or $15,600, for replacement coverage through insurance.

Katy police say the cameras will record situations occurring out of view of patrol car dash cameras.

The Houston and Manvel police department and Galveston County Sheriff's Office are among local law enforcement agencies that have body cameras on officers. HPD began equipping its officers with body cameras in April.

A national push for police body-worn cameras occurred after high-profile cases such as one in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 in which a white police officer fatally shot an unarmed black man and no footage existed.

Concern related to such cases reached Katy, said Lieberman, who recalls many traffic stops in which drivers recorded him with cameras on their cell phones.

Lieberman said body cameras will improve public trust in police and provide evidence that reduces lawsuits against the department.

When patrol vehicle dash cameras were implemented at the department, most officers didn't favor it, Lieberman said. That's different this time around.

"Back then, there was still that old-school mentality that they didn't want an eye over their shoulders," Lieberman said. "I think that's changed in law enforcement in general.

"The guys I work most closely with here seem to welcome them."

Officers will clip the cameras on their uniforms to either their chest, shoulders or uniform chest pocket. Each camera will record high-resolution images and the camera's charge can last for an eight-hour shift, Miller said.

Police Capt. Byron Woytek will write a policy directing officers to turn on the cameras any time they interact with the public.

The cameras are manufactured by Coban Technologies.

The department's four motorcycle unit officers tested the cameras for six months because the cameras on their bikes are dated and need replacement.

Body cameras have not previously been implemented because the technology for them is fairly new and many departments didn't consider their use until high-profile cases caused a national outcry for them, Woytek said.

"The body cameras have come a long way from when they first started," Woytek said. "In the last five years, they've come a long way into making them a small, compact unit that will be able to record an entire shift instead of just a little bit of video  enough to actually be able to be used by an agency."
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The storms and high waters that greater Houston experienced April 18 hit the Humble, Kingwood and Lake Houston areas hard.

Some of the worst home flooding occurred along around the lake off Hamblen Road in the 77338 ZIP code, Humble Area Assistance Ministries reports, but homes throughout the area were affected.

And for the residents whose homes took in water, the impacts are ongoing.

Sadler family

More Information Need help? FEMA: 1-800-621-3362 City of Houston Recovery: 2-1-1 Harris County Recovery Network: 713-696-1998, www.harrisrecovery.org American Red Cross Greater Houston Chapter: 1-866-526-8300 Humble Area's First Baptist Church: 281-446-8168 Lone Star Legal Aid, disaster assistance hotline, 800-504-7030 Lone Star Veterans Association: 832-390-1249 Area animal shelters: (via HSPCA website): http://hspca.convio.net/site/DocServer/Animal_Control_Reference_Map.pdf?docID=4001 See More Collapse

When Kyle Sadler's 7-year-old daughter, Zoe, overheard him tell their insurance adjustor that their Northcrest Ranch house in New Caney was on the verge of flooding April 18, she naturally became alarmed.

Sadler told her and her 9-year-old sister, Kyli, that while they would be safe, that they probably would be one of many families enduring flooding that Monday morning. And when it all was over, maybe their family's story of perseverance could encourage others.

"I told them, 'Let's let our story be a testimony to others," Sadler says. "They were scared after that, but they were calm."

The Sadler family did stay safe that day, though their house filled with 21 inches of water.

It has been difficult, Sadler says, but there also have been moments of blessings. Many of them have involved the support of others, from fellow members of Humble Area's First Baptist Church to neighbors who rushed to the family's assistance.

"People really stepped up to help us."

Sadler says he's been thinking a lot about a letter he received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency nearly two years ago to inform him the that the family's flood plain designation had changed. He would have to buy flood insurance.

"I was spitting nails," said Sadler, who resented the purchase being forced on him. But he did go ahead and buy the maximum coverage available.

Now, he says, that advanced warning and opportunity to get coverage is one of the things he's grateful for.

On the morning of April 18, around 7 a.m., he and wife Denise awoke to find water behind their house, filling their on-site horse arena. They estimated the water would come up to the house if it rose another three or four feet.

From there, the family started moving photos and important papers to the house's second floor. When flood waters reached the garage, they started moving furniture.

But Sadler wasn't able to provide much help with the heavy items. He sprained his ankle when he stepped in a hole left by washed-away dirt outside of the house.

That was around the time when neighbors rushed over to help. Some moved the Sadler's four horses to their home. Others moved the family's travel trailer and helped with furniture.

And a neighbor who's also an insurance adjustor, offered advice on documenting the situation.

The group got the Sadlers' last piece of furniture upstairs at 11:30 a.m.

"That's when water started coming through the door," Sadler said.

Since that day, the family has continued to receive help and support from others, from friends who helped them line up fans and contractor services for their house to church members who came over to help rip out flood-damaged sheetrock and flooring.

"That Saturday there was probably a flood of sweat here, instead of water," Sadler said. "We had friends of friends here. It was so neat to see neighbors we hadn't met before coming over to help."

For the Sadlers, one of the most emotional experiences took place the Sunday after the flooding, during a church service about joy in the midst of trial. "I'm so grateful no one got hurt," Sadler said. "We could have woken up with flood waters in the house."

As of the last week of April, the Sadlers were bracing themselves for about three to four months of contractor work to get their house back to pre-flood condition. For now, they're living in their trailer, until they're able to replace the house's submerged air conditioning units.

Then they'll be able to sleep in the second floor, but they'll do their cooking from the trailer or grill.

Now Sadler is finding ways to help others affected by others.

"I want people in despair to know there is help from the community around them.

"And I want people who weren't affected by the flooding to know there are still so many opportunities out here to help people."

Nelson family

One example of area residents who still need the community's help is Josephine and Norman Nelson of Humble.

Their difficulties began last November, when Norman, 70, had a stroke that left one side of his body paralyzed.

After his hospitalization and a period of rehab, Josephine, 64, has been caring for him.

A few weeks ago, Norman was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Since then, one of his lungs collapsed.

The day the flooding hit Houston, he was in the intensive care unit at Kingwood Medical Center.

Josephine, on the other hand, was in their house behind Deerbrook Mall.

Initially, the water seeped into the bedrooms through the baseboards, she said. But the water later rose high enough to come in through the front door.

"That's when the fire department showed up and said I had to evacuate," Josephine said.

Josephine found an animal shelter that agreed to take in three of the family's pets.

Then she and the fourth, a 13-year-old Chihuahua, stayed with a friend in the U.S. 59/Little York Road area for three days, until a neighbor informed Josephine that the water in the streets surrounding her home was down.

Josephine, who has no car, took a cab back to Humble, but her homecoming was a painful one.

"The smell of mildew and standing water hit me full in the face," she said.

Her mattress and couches were soaked, but Josephine felt she had no choice but to stay there.

She lives within walking distance of two motels, she says, but can't afford to stay in them.

Plus, she wanted to be home to meet with insurance adjusters and FEMA representatives, and she wants to be near Norman.

She's been relying on an area bus service for senior citizens to take her to his hospital for visits.

The Nelsons do have flood insurance, but as of late April, Josephine says, but getting an adjustor to the house has been slow going.

Josephine says representatives from Red Cross and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services have promised help.

Her children, who live out of state, are not able to help.

But there have been rays of light.

Humble Area Assistance Ministries helped her the day she approached the organization with groceries and promises to supply a new mattress and pay for one night of hotel assistance.

"They've been wonderful," Josephine said.

Her most urgent need, she said, is help paying for a hotel room or a place to stay on a long-term basis, until the condition of her house is addressed.

She needs clothes and replacement glasses, which she lost in the flooding, and ongoing help with food. Josephine, who also has diabetes and high blood pressure, also needs some of her medication replaced.

And soon, she'll need a solution for Norman. On April 28, he was moved from intensive care to a regular hospital room.

"I don't know how long they'll keep him, and I don't know what we'll do when he's released."

The mildew-filled house is not a good place for Norman, and even a hotel room could be a problem because of his paralysis. He really needs to be in a hospital bed, Josephine said.

Sadler, since hearing about the Nelsons last week, spent April 29 making calls for assistance on the family's behalf.

He was able to connect Josephine with a possible resource from Harris County, and he also is hoping his church can provide help.

"That's what we're here for," he said. "We're not here for ourselves, we're here to help others."

Places to turn

Residents in the Humble, Kingwood and Lake Houston areas have several sources of help available.

HAAM, 1302 First St. in Humble, is providing clothes, food, cleaning supplies and online benefit application assistance for people impacted by flooding.

The nonprofit assistance organization provides basic needs finding for residents in 12 area ZIP codes, but crisis assistance generally covers all areas.

"We have applied for some storm recovery funds and hope to know soon," Executive Director Millie Garrison said.

As HAAM helps others, it is asking community members to support its efforts with donations.

"We live in a great community with wonderful neighbors to always join us in helping others," Garrison said.

To reach HAAM (for assistance or to make donations): www.haamministries.org, 281-446-1314
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What Mother Nature didn't destroy when 18 inches of flood water filled the home of Lennie and Amber Ambrose, looters stole less than 24 hours later. Heirlooms, jewelry and electronics - all were gone.

Months earlier they had planned to move a block away into their dream home, but the flood claimed that residence as well, and the sale was canceled.

Located in Houston's Greater Inwood area, Candlelight Forest is a neighborhood of about 150 homes along White Oak Bayou, northwest of Heights and Oak Forest, between U.S. 290 and Texas 249.

Candlelight Forest is one of 30 neighborhoods that make up the 6.7 square mile Greater Inwood Super Neighborhood.

More Information Still need help? The American Red Crossrecommends that those affected call, in this order, flood insurance provider, FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 and the American Red Cross, 1-866-969-6027 See More Collapse

Kevin Bell, president of the Greater Inwood Partnership, a nonprofit community organization, said about two-thirds of the area was impacted by the April 18 flood.

Aside from the Ambrose family's isolated looting incident, Bell said he's witnessed a coming together of those in the Greater Inwood area in the face of this disaster.

"What we've got is neighbors helping neighbors to tear out sheet rock and make repairs," he said.

"We have seen people offering their spare rooms and opening their doors to one another.

"This is one strong community."

Neighbors helped

In the throes of recovery, Lennie, 39, and a marketing director with St. Arnold Brewing Co. and Amber, 34, and a communications strategist, smile as they talk about the generosity of their "family" of friends and neighbors.

"People have been so good to use, it's erasing the terrible things that have happened," Amber said.

It was a neighbor who first offered the Ambroses and their two young children, Blythe, 10 months, and Rosslyn, 6 years, refuge from the rising waters, and another neighbor who lent a water pump to remove the stagnant water from their home when the storm subsided.

As they count their losses, the family has taken up temporary shelter in a nearby vacant home that didn't flood - offered to them by yet another local.

The couple had lived in their single story Candlelight Forest home along the White Oak Bayou for seven years, and had never experienced flooding.

In fact, Amber said that two years earlier the neighborhood was written out of the flood plain so flood insurance was no longer a requirement for residents.

"I believe the home flooded during Allison in 2001 before we lived here, but that's all I am aware of," she said.

Day of the flood

The morning of the flood, Amber had trouble sleeping. The last tornado warning she remembers before falling asleep read 4:30 a.m.

About an hour later, Lennie woke her.

"He woke up to use the bathroom," Amber said. "I heard him say 'I don't think the floor is supposed to make this sound.' "

With each squishing, splashing step across the room, Lennie realized the house was flooding.

The couple woke up their house guests at 5:45 a.m., family visiting Houston for the first time from Brazil, and began moving furniture up and away from the rising water.

As the storm water continued to rush in from the overflowing banks of the White Oak Bayou along the back of the home, the Ambroses realized their efforts were futile.

Amber grabbed underwear, lots of underwear, diapers, bottled water and baby formula; Lennie remembered a wedding album, now one of few remaining momentoes.

"I was running around searching for the kids' underwear, telling everyone to grab underwear," Amber said. "It's funny the things you do when you're in flight mode."

They headed across the street to a neighbors home, where the water would stop just shy of the front door.

When they returned to inspect the damages on their own property, they found 18 inches of water covering the floor, reaching above the fireplace hearth.

They could see their newly purchased sofa set and vintage spinet piano under the murky water, ruined.

Among the waterlogged clothing and toys Amber found her wedding dress, destroyed.

Around 7 p.m., after the water stopped rising, the family headed out to a hotel and called their insurance company. They were one of the lucky ones who kept their flood insurance even though it was no longer required.

At around 11 p.m., a friend with a water pump stopped by to begin to pump out the water for the family, but instead found that someone else had gotten there first.

"The flat panel TVs were gone, the computer was gone, and jewelry including my engagement ring, which was an heirloom from my husband's family, was gone," Amber said. "We were only out three hours."

The Ambroses don't yet know the value of the total stolen property, but said the ring was worth over $2,000.

Their stolen computer contained five years of family photos, none of which were backed up. They fear that personal information may be stored on the computer as well.

"We've had to look into some identity theft protection now, which isn't covered by insurance," Amber said.

As repair work commences on their residence, the family still aren't certain what the future will hold.

Lost dream home

Just four months prior to the storm, they had planned to move a block away, in the same neighborhood, to a larger home, their "dream home."

That home was also damaged by the flood waters.

Their buyers contract allowed the Ambroses to get out of the sale, though there is also someone under contract to buy their current home, and they're waiting now to see what the buyers will decide to do.

Whether the buyers proceed with the sale, or whether they're are stuck in the house, the Ambrose family is not certain about their future.

"It's too much to think about right now," Amber said. "We would love to stay in this neighborhood, but who knows. Right now, we just need to think of one thing at a time."

Mounds of molded furniture, ripped sheet rock and water-stained wood now line the lawns of the neighborhood.

In front of the Ambrose residence, a few bleach jugs punctuate the piles of rubbish stacked higher than their entry door.

Peacocks are back

Amber said the neighborhoods' free-ranging peacocks are back, and people are starting piece their lives back together. One thing she's learned from the experience is the value of "just doing."

"People offer you help, but when you're in the midst of a disaster, you don't know what you need, you don't know what the next hour will hold," she said.

"I am so grateful for the people who just came by and said 'here, I am bringing you food, or I am helping you move this.'"

"Now I know what to do for others - don't ask, don't offer, just do."

Service center

The American Red Cross has set up a Service Center at the White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive, to assist those affected by flooding in the area.

To make an appointment, call 202-969-6027 or 1-866-526-8300.
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Houston is a smart city.

The Bayou City ranks No. 1 among the top metros for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates, and our workforce of well-educated employees keeps the economy pumping.

But are all our smarty-pants workers as smart as their own kids?

Beginning Monday, March 28, fifth grade students from across the city will begin taking their required fifth grade State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam.

We grabbed 20 fifth grade math questions a recent test. None of them should require a calculator or scratch pad for most adult minds. Get half of them right, and you might be qualified to run an international oil conglomerate based in downtown Houston.

Or at least pass fifth grade.

RELATED: Could you answer these STAAR social studies questions correctly?
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If STAAR was a Texas student, it would probably receive bad marks for behavior in class.

Last month, superintendents in Region 4 sent a letter to Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath stating that the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test has been a headache for students and teachers.

In one test, students were told to leave a question unanswered because a correct answer wasn't listed in the options.

See also: Problems reported with online state exams

Educational Testing Service took over administering the test this year.

Other complaints listed in the letter are:

Testing materials were either shipped late or not at all to some campuses

Some student data disappeared from the system after weekend computer maintenance on servers connected to the tests. Superintendents say there was no follow up from TEA and ETS

 In response to computer glitches, the TEA and ETS gave conflicting answers on how to deal with them.

Superintendents from Katy ISD, Houston ISD, Katy ISD and Alief ISD are among the school officials who signed the letter.

Related: Ed commissioner says testing glitch affected 14,220 kids

Morath condemned TEA in a March 29 statement, calling the the testing vendor's mistakes "unacceptable."

"Kids in the classroom should never suffer from mistakes made by adults," the release states. "TEA also shares in the responsibility in the proper administration of these assessments.

As an agency, we did not live up to that commitment. TEA will continue working with our school districts, charters and ETS to address these and any other outstanding issues."



Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Waller, Galveston and Liberty school districts make up region 4, which has more than 1 million students.

Click here to read the full copy of the letter obtained by the Dallas Morning News.
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A soldier stationed at Fort Hood admitted to Army supervisors that he fatally shot a former Marine on Monday who tried to keep him from fleeing from a Walgreens after he shot his own wife.

RELATED: Sextet of alleged child predators arrested in Central Texas sting operation near Fort Hood

Arlington police allege that Ricci Bradden, a 22-year-old Army private, told his commanders at Fort Hood that he shot and killed Anthony Antell Jr., 35, outside of the store, The Associated Press reported.

Bradden shot at his wife's feet and struck her once during an argument outside of the store, according to the Associated Press report. The private then ran to his truck.

RELATED: Former San Antonio-area teacher charged again after 2nd alleged victim comes forward

Antell, who held a license to carry a concealed handgun, then grabbed a gun from his car but Bradden slapped it away before shooting Antell in the head, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Antell's wife was with him when he was killed, the newspaper reported.

RELATED: Officials: New Mexico couple shot son with pellet gun, stomped on daughter's stomach

Bradden later confessed to Army supervisors at Fort Hood that he shot Antell after the 35-year-old ran up to him and told him to drop his weapon, according to the newspaper.

The Army private has been charged with murder and is being held at the Hill County jail, according to The Associated Press.

RELATED: North Texas man recaptured after mother, girlfriend allegedly helped him escape from jail

Antell owned the CrossFit Abattoir gym in Arlington, The Dallas Morning News reported. According to the Associated Press, he had three children.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
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Presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz is biting back at Donald Trump on Tuesday after Trump hinted that Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, could be in some way be connected to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Trump was on Fox News this morning when he referred to a "National Enquirer" story from April alleging that the elder Cruz was in league with suspected Kennedy gunman Lee Harvey Oswald.

The "National Enquirer" story claimed Rafael Cruz appeared in a 1963 photo in New Orleans with Oswald and others as Oswald distributed pro-Cuba leaflets.

This of course set the younger Cruz off  as it should  and while talking to reporters in Evansville, Ind., he tore into Trump, who is on track to win Tuesday's primary vote in that state.

RELATED: Did Ted Cruz's father kill JFK? Of course not

Now, lets be clear, this is nuts. This is not a reasonable position. This is just kooky, Cruz told reporters, including Politico.

He wasnt done dismissing Trumps comments, according to Politico.

And while Im at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit, yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard, Cruz added.

Cruz called out Trump for being dishonest.

RELATED: JFK motorcade members: What happened after the assassination?

Im gonna tell you what I really think of Donald Trump: This man is a pathological liar, Cruz said. He doesnt know the difference between truth and lies.

BuzzFeeds Andrew Kaczynski pointed out via his Twitter account Tuesday that Cruz had said earlier this year he believes Oswald acted alone in Kennedy's assassination, which also entailed then-Governor John Connally being seriously wounded.

Oswald, of course, never stood trial for killing Kennedy and wounding Connally as he was fatally shot by Jack Ruby while in Dallas police custody two days after the assassination.
AUSTIN -- Muslim convicts in Texas cannot be prevented from growing beards up to four inches long or from wearing religious skullcaps in cell blocks, a federal appeals court has ruled.

In a Monday ruling, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans refused a request by state prison officials allow them to continue banning beards and kufis, knit skullcaps worn by Muslims, for convicts in Texas' 108 state prisons.

The decision capped a lawsuit that began in 2009 when David Rasheed Ali, serving concurrent 20-year sentences for aggravated robbery and arson from Freestone and Limestone counties, alleged the prison rules prevented him from exercising his religious beliefs.

When the suit was filed, prison policy required convicts to be clean-shaven, although those with skin conditions could grow a quarter-inch beard. Last year, Texas began allowing inmates to grow half-inch beards as part of their religious practices after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prisoners had a right to facial hair as an expression of their faiths.

Texas Prison officials had opposed Ali's demand, arguing that longer beard and knit caps could make it easier for convicts to conceal contraband including weapons.

Ali, 33, is a low-security trusty at the Michael Unit near Tennessee Colony in northeast Texas. Court testimony showed he currently is allowed to wear his kufi in his trusty dorm, but not in the rest of the prison.

"Although we must respect a prison official's expertise" on safety matters, Justice Edward Prado wrote for the court's three-judge pane that the U.S. Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act requires policies that infringe on religious practice to be the "least restrictive" possible.

Under the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's current procedures, corrections officers require convicts with longer hair to run it through with their fingers to prove it is free of contraband  a policy that Prado said could apply with four-inch beards.

"TDCJ could revoke an inmate's beard privilege if he abused it or refused to comply with the searches," Prado said, adding that the same confiscation policy also applies to kufis and other religious head wear.

The ruling affirmed a 2014 decision by U.S. Magistrate Zack Hawthorn of Beaumont. He had ordered prison officials to allow Ali to grow a longer beard and wear a kufi inside the prison, but they had appealed the decision.

Prison officials said they were reviewing the decision, and had not decided whether to appeal.

The decision covers all male Muslims inside Texas prisons. In 2014, prison records showed there were 6,446.
-- What matters today, from Kevin Diaz in todays Chronicle: The Trump campaign has been buoyed by recent press reports indicating that some pro-Cruz delegates from states Trump won could have second thoughts about ignoring those voters' preferences.

Indiana, with 30 of its 57 delegates bound to the statewide winner, could provide an insurance policy for Trump going into the next big battles in New Jersey and California, where he is favored.

Cruz, if his campaign goes on past Indiana, will be keying on a couple other big states: Next week's primary in Nebraska, followed by Montana and South Dakota. Still, Cruz said he is looking forward to the last primary in California on June 7.

-- So what happens next?  if the Texas senator loses Indiana on Tuesday he risks big donors abandoning the Stop Trump effort that has spent millions supporting him in battleground states. More than a half-dozen Republicans involved in the pro-Cruz and anti-Trump push told POLITICO that Indiana is crucial for Cruz to keeping the cash flowing, as skittish donors have grown weary after a string of recent losses

-- LOOKING TO THE LEGE  Rockwall ordinance on bathroom use by persons sex at birth fails, by the Dallas Morning News Ray Leszcynski. Rockwall Mayor Jim Pruitt found no support for his policy to regulate bathroom use by birth sex Monday.

While Pruitt or any single member could bring the item to council, his motion needed a second supporter to go to a vote. Even after Pruitt suggested scaling the ordinance back to include only city property, nobody stood with him to force a vote.

Four council members said they at first liked Pruitts suggested ordinance and its intent to enhance public safety, but said the intent wasnt captured as written.

-- Texas GOP candidates square off in heated debate before convention, by Quorum Reports James Russell. Turning the podium into a pulpit, Woodfill chastised Mechler for creating a united party that silences social conservatives.

Unity is political correctness, Woodfill passionately said.

Mechler shot back, calling Woodfill divisive.

With collegiality out the window, moderator McIver even chimed in to criticize Woodfill.

This campaign has gone off the rails, McIver told Woodfill, citing a mailer blasting Mechler for not fighting against the Houston ordinance.

Mechler said the GOP should fight for its traditional values while remembering its real political enemies: Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in the fall.

CAPITOL DAYBOOK

THE HOUSE

10:00 a.m.:

Economic & Small Business Development [ E1.030 ]

Public Education [ E1.030 ]

SPEED READ

Texas licenses detention center for child care, despite deficiencies, Texas Observer

Grieder: American politics goes down the toilet, Texas Monthly

Feds extend Medicaid funding for Texas, Houston Chronicle

Austins Prop 1 has big implications around the state -- and around the country, Texas Monthly

In endorsing Buckingham for Senate, Stickland is forced to explain her contributions to Dems, Quorum Report

Budget cuts hit early childhood intervention program, Texas Tribune

Abbott attends Day of Prayer breakfast, San Antonio Express-News

Annise Parker returns to Rice University as professor, Houston Chronicle

Some voters to weigh in twice this month on empty House seats, Texas Tribune

Oil bust casts shadow on OTC, Houston Chronicle

Paxton wants DraftKings lawsuit to be moved or dismissed, San Antonio Express-News

Funding boost helps Texas state parks weather $40 million in storm damage, The Dallas Morning News

Time to put brakes on onerous Texas driver surcharges, crime reform group says, The Dallas Morning News

Cruz wont answer whether hell support Trump if hes the nominee, The Dallas Morning News

RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

>> Per the NYT: On Monday, that mission of persuasion took on a vividly literal form for Mr. Cruz during a campaign stop in Marion, Ind.Confronted there by determined hecklers bearing Trump campaign signs, Mr. Cruz insisted to one that he was making a mistake. WATCH

-- Once a Clinton stronghold, Appalachia now Trump country, by the APs Lisa Lerer. ASHLAND, Ky. (AP)  When President Bill Clinton rolled into the small Appalachian town of Ashland, Kentucky, in 1996, cheering crowds lined the streets. Local boy turned country music star Billy Ray Cyrus performed a special version of his hit, Achy Breaky Heart. And nearly 20,000 supporters attended a riverfront re-election rally, dozens collapsing from heat exhaustion in the August sun. Back then, this was unquestionably Clinton country. Today, it looks an awful lot more like Trump town.

Hillary Clinton was met in Ashland on Monday by just a handful of supporters and a lone heckler, who shouted: Go home, Hillary! Nobody wants you here. Later on, hundreds of protesters stood in pouring rain, waved Donald Trump signs and chanted Kill-ary as Clinton toured a health center 80 miles to the south in Williamson, West Virginia.

-- How Bernie changed Hillary, by Politicos Annie Karni. On the eve of the Indiana primary, Clinton was touring Appalachia, making an appeal to voters who have been energized by the anti-trade message of both Sanders and Trump. Sanders focus on deep economic discontent, inequality and a political system dominated by big money helped inform and polish her response. "Talk about a ripple effect. It's just devastating communities," Clinton told steel workers at an Italian restaurant in Ashland, Kentucky.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
Muslims in Canada Increasingly Proud of and Attached to Canadian Identity, Says Report CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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A new report reveals that the Muslim population of Canada, most of whom are immigrants, have a strong attachment to Canada and feel that the country is heading in the right direction. A full 83% of Muslim Canadians report being very proud to be Canadian, compared to 73% of non-Muslim Canadians.

The report was carried out by the Environics Research Group, a polling and market research firm based in Toronto.

Other key findings from the report include the following:

Muslims are as likely as non-Muslims in Canada to say their Canadian identity is very important.

Muslims are as likely as non-Muslims to place strong value on diversity and connections between cultures.

Having a strong Muslim identity is increasingly associated with also having strong pride in being Canadian.

Muslims are almost universally satisfied with the general direction of the country today, and considerably more so than other Canadians. Nine in ten (89%) say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the country today.

Most Muslims in Canada strongly identify as both Muslim and Canadian. The survey reveals that strong majorities consider both religion (84%) and country (81%) to be very important parts of their personal identity.

Muslims tend to believe their community wants to integrate into Canadian society rather than remain distinct.

Nine in ten (90%) Muslims are optimistic the new federal government will lead to improved relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Overall, the Muslims who took part in this survey attribute their greatest source of pride to Canadas freedom and diversity. Seven in ten Muslims living in Canada are immigrants.

Of all respondents (Muslim and non-Muslim), 84% believe Muslims in Canada are treated better than Muslims are treated in other western countries, and this view has strengthened since 2006 (when it was 77%).

The survey also found that a whopping 79 per cent of Muslim Canadians voted in the 2015 federal election, with about two-thirds voting for the now-governing Liberal Party.

Fairness, freedom and diversity

One remarkable aspect of this report is that Muslims in Canada believe they are treated better than how Muslims are treated in other countries. South of the border in the United States, for example, you have a potential presidential candidate who has indicated that he would make it official policy to temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the country. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Canada personally went to the airport to welcome Syrian refugees this winter. The difference couldnt be starker, says Attorney David Cohen.

At a time where global tensions are high, Canada stands out as a place where families of all faiths or of no faith at all can be proud of where they are from, and proud of where they are. The report provides reason to be positive about where Canada is heading, for newcomers and long-time residents alike.

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs that lead to permanent residence, please fill out a free online assessment.

 2016 CICNews All Rights Reserved
The Bridge to Possible

If you can imagine it, we will build the bridge to get you there.
Too much conviction can be a dangerous thing. It certainly was for Marine Major Mark Thompson, who had a friend approach The Washington Post on his behalf, in late 2014, about Thompsons story of how he had been wrongly accused of sexual misconduct while teaching at the US Naval Academy. Thompson claimed the Naval Criminal Investigative Service had failed him; the academy was corrupt; and, above all else, the two female midshipmen who had accused him of having sex with them, while they were his students, were lying. Thompson wanted the Post to prove his innocence. When the Post finally published his story this March, it proved something very different.

A Marines Convictions, written by staff writer John Woodrow Cox, transforms the hairpin turns in Thompsons case into a gripping investigative narrative that plays out almost in real time, as Cox discovers new evidence, as well as other shocking developments that the investigators missed. Its also a valuable model for how to report a story when the source has a vested interest in the outcome, and the truth is murky at beststories, for instance, involving sexual assault.

Thompsons case was highly complex. Not only did it come with 3,500 pages of court documents and a befuddling dearth of evidence, but also with two opposing decisions about what Thompson had done. At his court martial in 2013, Thompson was acquitted of rape, but convicted of five other lesser offenses, including having sex with the two students, a violation of military law. Then in a stunning reversal the following year, a board of inquiry, made up of three Marine Corps officers, determined hed done nothing wrong. The ruling couldnt reverse the convictions, but it saved Thompsons job and pension. It also led him to the Post, which he hoped would clear his name.

Cox resolved to remain skeptical of everyone involved. Even after months of reporting, he still wasnt sure where the story was going, or what it was about. And then, at the encouragement of his editor, he wrote it all down in a first-person narrative that draws readers into his sense of pursuit and lays his reporting bare. Published at 8,000 words, complete with seven chapters and an epilogue, the piece reads more like a true crime thriller than a typical front-page news story.

When reporters embrace how little they know, resist forming conclusions, and share their doubts with their readers in a form that breaks with convention, they may wind up getting closer to the truth.

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The payoff amounts to more than a riveting plot: Since publication in March, Coxs discoveries have prompted the military to launch a new investigation into Thompsons case, as well as the removal of another US Naval Academy instructor whos been implicated in the growing scandal.

All of which says something interesting, and paradoxical, about the nature of reporting: If conviction itself creates bias, uncertainty can be a powerful tool. When reporters embrace how little they know, resist forming conclusions, and share their doubts with their readers in a form that breaks with convention, they may wind up getting closer to the truth.

One of the key insights to emerge in the wake of the infamous Rolling Stone story last year about a fraternity gang-rape at the University of Virginiaa gang-rape that never actually happenedwas the danger of confirmation bias. Writing for this publication, Judith Shulevitz defined this type of bias as our innate urge to see only evidence that confirms beliefs we hold to be self-evident, and dismiss facts that challenge those convictions. She went on to describe how this bias had infected nearly every decision made by The Rolling Stone writer, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, and her editors in the course of reporting the story, from why she chose the rape survivor she did to whom she chose to interview.

In other words, critics said, the problem with the piece was foundational. Before Erdely ever started writing, nevermind reporting, it seemed she had already written the piece in her mind. Erdely told Rosin that shed gone all around the country looking for rape survivors and was delighted when she stumbled on Jackie, Shulevitz wrote, referring to Hanna Rosin, one of the first journalists to question the storys validity. She was obviously traumatized, and her story illustrated everything Erdely knew to be truethat frat boys rape girls and universities are indifferent to rape survivors. Shulevitz argued that this sense of knowing was powerful enough to allow Erdely and her editors to cut corners on basic reporting duties, such as giving the accused a chance to respond.

For Cox, that story became a cautionary tale, a road map of what to avoid while he reported on Thompsons case. It led him to fiercely examine nearly every decision he made and why, down to which expert to call.

In that Rolling Stone story, it seemed like the nutgraf might have been written early on, and that it was looking for a narrative that fit it, Cox says, referring to what is usually the third or fourth paragraph in a story that explains what the piece is about, as well as its significance. And then, in the interviews the author gave in the days after the story ran, there was some pretty clear bias that she had towards the institutions, towards the fraternity culture. Often our biases come from legitimate sources, they come from things that are real. Were not just inventing them. But as a reporter, especially if youre doing any kind of investigative work, its so dangerous to let those biases creep in because they can inform you from day one, just by saying, Im going to call this expert, but not that one, Cox continues.

To avoid those kinds of errors, Cox became almost maniacally detached from the storys outcome. He promised himself he wouldnt develop a hypothesis. He committed to follow the facts and assemble the story later.

The facts, of course, were muddled. Thompson claimed he was innocent. He made a legitimate case for why he couldnt have received a fair trial and had a compelling alibi. But Cox had to wonder: Why would the womenone of whom, Sarah Stadler, was named in the press and had to give graphic testimony during the court martialsubject themselves to public scrutiny, and the risk of losing their careers, if none of it was true?

The accusations had surfaced in 2012, months after a drunken night of strip poker at Thompsons home in Annapolis, when one of the women, who has not been named in the press, came forward and claimed that Thompson had raped her. But Stadler said the tryst had been consensual in her case, part of an ongoing relationship with Thompson.

Sometimes when you report a story so thoroughly, you realize there is no story, or the narrative isnt as interesting as you hoped it would be in the beginning.Youre way better off reporting yourself out of the story than you are reporting the wrong story.

The militarys investigation raised other red flags. Ten minutes of audio were missing from the testimony of the alleged rape victim. Thompsons lawyers discovered that after playing strip poker at Thompsons house, Stadler had gone to a bar and kissed another studenta revelation that challenged not only the investigators competency, but also Stadlers credibility. She claimed she had been so drunk she had no memory of any of this. Whats more, Stadlers cell phone had never been found, leaving a major gap in digital evidence.

Meanwhile, Thompson denied everything. He claimed he hardly knew Stadler, nor the other woman. It was their word, and their reputations, against his.

One thing I knew was that thats not unusual, especially in cases involving sexual assault, alcohol, and long periods of time. Peoples memories can change. Anybody who studies these things knows that happens. Still, it was worth checking out. The idea was, report this story to the bone without the expectation that I would discover something revelatory, Cox says, adding that he aimed to over-report story, even if it meant discovering something that proved it wasnt worth publishing.

Sometimes when you report a story so thoroughly, you realize there is no story, or the narrative isnt as interesting as you hoped it would be in the beginning, Cox says. I think that happens a lot. Youre way better off reporting yourself out of the story than you are reporting the wrong story.

The pace was slow. He had 3,500 pages of court documents to read, a lot to learn about the military justice system, and, since he wanted to give everyone a chance to tell him hed gotten something wrong or mischaracterized a fact, a lot of phone calls to make.

Luck and time were on his side, as with getting in touch with Stadlers mother. Hoping to catch her on the phone so she didnt have time to rehearse her statements, Cox called her for two or three months, without ever leaving a voicemail, before she finally picked up. His patience paid off. During the phone call, Stadlers mother caught the federal prosecutor on Thompsons case in a lie. Their conversation also led to a phone call with Stadler and a pivotal discovery. Not only would Stadler find her long-missing cell phone, but its memory was intact: It came with 650 text messages that proved Thompson had been lying to Cox since day one. Thompson had claimed he hardly knew his accusers. But according to some of the messages, Thompson knew Stadler very well.

They were the sorts of breakthrough revelations Cox had not expected to find. They also convinced Coxs editor to employ a first-person narrativean unusual choice for a major front-page news story, but one that made the entire piece, from the reporting to the final, shocking line, much more transparent to readers.

I thought it was a situation where the reporting advanced the story. The first draft I read, you had to read between the lines to figure out that a lot of the really interesting information in the piece was there because of Johns reporting, says Cameron Barr, the Posts managing editor. I thought it would be more compelling for the reader if we could use the first person without having to use tortured phrasings like this reporter, etc.

Barr also knew it was an opportunity to show readers how difficult it can be for news organizations to determine a sources credibility. One of the major flaws in The Rolling Stone story had been the assumption that the rape survivor was automatically credible. The goal, in Barrs mind, was to make the reporting process, which in this case was a subplot in its own right, as transparent as possible.

I wanted to tell the story in a narrative fashion that enabled us to disclose more forthrightly that Major Thompson came to us, Barr says. I wanted that to be clearer much earlier in the piece, so we could bring the reader along on this journey where were presented with a set of facts, a version of what happened from the Major, and by virtue of what John did, we learned something that sheds a lot of new light on that.

Indeed, last week, as a result of the Posts investigation, the military filed two new charges against Thompson, including one count of making a false official statement and another of conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman. If convicted, Thompson could face up to five years in prison, dismissal from the service, and loss of his retirement benefits.

More than a year after Erdelys story delivered a blow to the fragile trust that exists between news organizations and readers, not to mention rape survivors, Coxs reporting may offer a kind of correction. By embracing uncertainty, and dumping his notebook on the table for readers to see, Cox and his editors made media transparency a cornerstone of the piece. In doing so, they also brought readers and the case closer to the truth.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Damaris Colhoun is CJRs digital correspondent covering the media business. A reporter at large in New York, Colhoun has also written for The Believer, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Atlas Obscura. Find her on Twitter @damarisdeere.
Eighteen-year-old Kristian Roggio was riding in a friends car when another driver careened across a Brooklyn street, colliding head-on and killing her. That driver had inhaled aerosol dust cleaner moments before to get high, and prosecutors say he was impaired enough to be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

But New Yorks top court threw out the case, ruling the chemical composition of the dust cleaner wasnt on the states list of banned substances  a requirement under the law  and that he couldnt be charged under a statute meant for drunken driving.

That ruling nine years ago highlights a loophole that still exists in New York and a dozen other states which base intoxicated driving  not on a police officers observation of impairment  but on a specific list of banned substances 34 pages long.

Such laws were intended to give a scientific basis to drugged-driving charges. But some law enforcement officials say they have failed to keep up with the boom in designer drugs  such as synthetic marijuana, known as K-2  and homemade concoctions that are chemically distinct from traditional narcotics, which is leading them to push for a change in New Yorks law. They say that even though laws have been passed making it unlawful to sell or possess synthetic drugs, drugged driving laws havent caught up with the rise in those narcotics.

If we cant define the chemical and its not on the list, we cant prosecute you, said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. It is really frustrating for us in law enforcement especially as these chemical drugs become more and more popular with our kids. Were basically fighting drugged driving with one hand tied behind our back.

Experts say synthetic and homemade drugs impair a users cognitive and motor skills just like their recognized illegal counterparts. And although state banned lists are occasionally updated, thats not happening fast enough to keep up with the black-market chemists who are continually making slight changes in their compounds to stay one step ahead of the law.

Every kid with access to the Internet has access to unregulated designer synthetic drugs that are largely unknown to law enforcement, said Brendan Ahern, a New York attorney and former vehicular crimes prosecutor who has trained police officers and prosecutors on drugged driving. There are certainly cases that are occurring routinely with drugs that law enforcement has the inability to detect.

In 2012, in Long Islands Nassau County, officers stopped an erratic driver who admitted she snorted a bath salt known as Disco Powder. Police found traces of the drug in her car, but prosecutors couldnt charge her with intoxicated driving because the drug, which was made to mimic an outlawed stimulant, was just different enough chemically to escape legal scrutiny.

Literally thats all it took, Singas said. It was to just change the composition.

Its not just designer drugs. Some prescription drugs can also escape scrutiny.

In June 2014, a woman who crashed into a parked car in Suffolk County was arrested after telling police she had taken anti-depressant and seizure medication before the crash. The officer, who said the woman was stumbling, had slurred speech and failed a field sobriety test, arrested her on a drugged-driving charge. But a judge dismissed the charges against her last year after finding that the prescription pills werent on the banned list.

Thirteen states in the U.S., including Minnesota, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Ohio, rely, at least partially, on a list of specifically banned substances. Thirty-seven states, and Washington, D.C., have more expansive definitions of the word drug. Legislation is pending in New York to align its law with other states that rely on an officers observation of a drivers condition or have broader definitions. Californias law, for example, allows for an intoxication charge if a driver uses any drug that causes impairment.

Peter Gerstenzang, an attorney from Albany who specializes in DWI defense, questioned whether such a broadening of the law was a good idea.

The specificity of it was designed so that you didnt get a situation where somebody had some kind of reaction to a non-listed substance that affected their driving, Gerstenzang said. You could have a reaction to aspirin, to Advil. It depends on the physiology of the individual.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For 10 days in February one hospitals records hung in limbo. At Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in California, a ransomware attack kept health care records in control of anonymous hackers, until hospital officials paid $17,000 to take back their system.

Data ransom attacks are todays technological version of kidnapping. Its anonymous, more cost-effective and more appealing to criminal enterprises than taking physical hostages. And its the reason health care institutions today are taking steps to ensure security.

As part of an ongoing conversation, health care professionals and government agencies will meet on May 1-11 in Washington D.C. to discuss health data as part of the Health Datapalooza event presented by Health Data Consortium.

At Creighton University, law professor Edward Morse is researching the technological and legal limitations for paying data ransom.

If you can deny access to patient care records, you shut down hospital operations, Morse said. With HIPAA, a patients electronic records are protected under law. But, a patients medical information is only as strong as an institutions weakest link.

It can be as simple as a disgruntled employee; someone who is willing to give up a password to a potential hacker, so hospitals are working to increase security and limit the number of employees who can access sensitive data.

Adam Kuenning, attorney with Erickson | Sederstrom and a Creighton law professor, teaches HIPAA privacy and security.

Patient care comes first for any medical professional, Kuenning said. The importance of keeping the information secure, may sometimes be lost while the medical professional is focused on the patients care.

Any HIPAA breach of more than 500 patients must be reported to the media, and the Department of Health and Human Services keeps a record of these cases online. Since 2009, more than 1500 cases have been recorded. For cases affecting less than 500 patients, only a letter sent to affected persons is required.

To ensure HIPAA compliance, HHS is conducting audits healthcare companies, but often carelessness is the root cause of a breach. A frequent problem are laptops and thumb drives with private medical information left in an employees car.

Data thats not encrypted is being stolen somehow, Kuenning said. People are breaking into your office, stealing your computer, your servers when you didnt encrypt your records that evening.

In the California hospital case, an outside hacker stole records by taking over the computer system. In these cases, its common that patient information isnt actually stolen; rather, hackers freeze the system, making the records inaccessible to medical personnel who need the information to properly care for the patients.

Last June, President Barack Obama stated while the U.S. government wont pay ransom for hostages, American families have never been prosecuted for paying a ransom. In most health care cases, private ransom payments often go unnoticed. Few cases like Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital are publicized. According to Morse, thousands of attacks are attempted, but its unknown how many are successful.

With this crime, its embarrassing to institutions, that their systems arent secure, Morse said.

Payouts to criminal enterprises are relatively inexpensive. The black market values each patients record at $50 or $60, Morse found. According to a Ponemon Institute Survey, hackers only earn about $28,000 annually, but Morse notes that this wage could equate to a lot more with hackers coming from developing countries.

Without patients records, the hospital reaches a standstill, creating the need to comply and pay ransom.

If you can pay, you would do it in a New York minute, Morse said.

As the health care industry becomes more invested in technological innovations, institutions must keep privacy in mind, as a data breach can ultimately, sully the reputation of an institution, Morse said.

Source: Creighton University
The upcoming wildfire season across the U.S. isnt expected to be as bad as last years infernos, when a record 15,800 square miles burned, the nations top wildland firefighting official said Wednesday.

But parts of the nation should expect a rough season after a warm, dry winter or because of long-term drought, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said.

Southern California, other parts of the Southwest, Alaska and Montana are all vulnerable, he said.

So where we anticipate the severity of the fire season will not be at the same level as last year, we still expect to have some areas that will be really active, Tidwell said.

Tidwell discussed the fire outlook with The Associated Press four days before the federal government issues its wildfire outlook for the summer season. He was in Denver for a conference on forest health.

California is vulnerable because much of the state remains in a drought, despite an El Nino weather system that brought near-average snowfall to its northern mountains. Wildfires have already broken out in Alaska after a warm winter with below-average precipitation.

Slightly more than half the land scorched by wildfires last year was in Alaska, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates firefighting nationwide. Washington and Oregon accounted for 18 percent.

The Forest Service, the nations primary firefighting agency, spent a record $1.72 billion on firefighting last year.

The overall bill for wildfires, including prevention programs and the cost of putting crews, equipment and aircraft on fire lines, is consuming a growing share of the Forest Service budget. That has forced cuts in forestry research, campground and trail maintenance and other areas, Tidwell said.

The Obama administration has been pressing Congress to pay the cost of fighting the worst fires from natural disaster funds, rather than the Forest Service budget. Tidwell said the largest 1 or 2 percent of wildfires account for about 30 percent of the costs.

Congress has not agreed to the change, but it did approve an additional $520 million for fighting fires this season, Tidwell said.

He said climate change is making wildfires worse, heating up the air, drying out forests and extending the wildfire season by an average of 78 days since 1998. A growing number of homes at the forests edge, which firefighters call the wildland-urban interface, also drives up costs by forcing managers to concentrate crews and equipment to protect communities, he said.

Tidwell said state and federal agencies need to thin those forests to a more natural state to prevent fires and make them easier to fight. Researchers say decades of over-aggressive firefighting have left forests dense with living and dead trees and more prone to deadly mega-fires.

With a chuckle and a smile, Tidwell defended Smokey Bear, his agencys memorable mascot, from allegations of making things worse by portraying fire as evil instead of part of the natural cycle that kept forests healthy. Smokeys original message, Only you can prevent forest fires, has been updated to Only you can prevent wildfires.

Really, Smokey was just talking about those human-caused fires which actually occur at the wrong time of the year, not where the natural fire occurs, Tidwell said. Those are the fires that the Forest Service still wants to stop, he said.

Smokey Bear gets no blame for the situation we have today, he said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
An underwater search has successfully recovered a voice and data recorder that may provide clues about why a cargo ship sank last year off the U.S. East Coast in a hurricane.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which last year located the wreckage of the El Faro without finding the recorder, resumed the search with a robot submarine on April 18. It recovered the device at a depth of about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), according to a NTSB statement released Tuesday.

The recorder will be used in NTSB and U.S. Coast Guard investigations, according to the NTSB. It should have recorded the ships operators talking in the hours before the sinking and also stored navigational data.

The 790-foot container ship was heading from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico when it encountered Hurricane Joaquin. All 33 aboard were lost.

The latest search, which was also designed to capture better photos of the wreckage to assist investigators, was conducted in partnership with the National Science Foundation and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron man is accused of shooting a 23-year-old man in the neck, leaving him paralyzed on his left side.

DaQuan Rucker, 20, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated robbery, tampering with evidence and two counts of felonious assault.

Another man, Bryan Bender, 22, is charged with obstructing an investigation and tampering with evidence.

Neither is in custody. Warrants were issued for their arrest.

Rucker is accused of robbing a 23-year-old man at gunpoint about 12:05 a.m. on March 1 in the 800 block of Eller Avenue.

Rucker and another man stole $100 from the victim at gunpoint, court records say. They pistol-whipped him and fired two shots at him as they ran away.

The victim man went to a friend's house about an hour later and Rucker was there. Rucker and the man got into an argument. Rucker handed his gun to Bender, then asked for it back, according to police.

Rucker shot the man once in the neck and ran, court records say. He gave the gun to Bender, who gave it to a woman and asked her to get it out of the house, according to court records.

Akron police found the 23-year-old man in the street with the gunshot wound. He was taken to Akron City Hospital.

The man is paralyzed from the neck down on the left side of his body and only has limited use of his right arm, according to court records.

Rucker served three years in prison for a 2012 shooting that left a 17-year-old girl paralyzed.

He shot the girl from a moving car on March 10, 2012. Rucker was 16 at the time of the shooting but his case was tried in adult court. Court records say he was on probation at the time for aggravated robbery in a juvenile court case.

Rucker eventually pleaded guilty to felonious assault and tampering with evidence. He was released from prison on March 12, 2015. He is being monitored by the state's Adult Parole Authority for the conviction.

If you want to comment on this story, please go to today's crime and courts comments section.
Akron police 4

Two robberies happened Sunday at different Akron pizza shops.

(File photo)

AKRON, Ohio -- Akron police are investigating two armed robberies at different pizzerias that happened in a two-hour span.

The first happened about 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Marco's Pizza in the 2400 block of Manchester Road. The second happened about 10 p.m. in the parking lot of Geno's Pizza in the 1300 block of Copley Road.

No arrests have been made in either case.

In the first robbery, a gunman walked into the back part of the store and pointed a gun at a 49-year-old employee who was cleaning dishes, according to police reports.

The gunman pointed his gun at the employee and said: "Take me to the register," police reports say.

The employee couldn't open the register. The gunman walked up to another employee, who was talking on the phone. The gunman tapped the phone with his gun and demanded the 33-year-old employee open the register. He was also unable to get the register open.

A 17-year-old employee was eventually able to open the register. The gunman stole about $170 and ran out the back door of the store into a car that was waiting for him, according to police reports.

In the second robbery, a 36-year-old man was sitting in his car at Geno's Pizza when he saw three men walk by his car. The men turned around and pulled him out of his car, according to police reports.

One man pistol-whipped him in the face. Another took about $85 and a cellphone from his pockets. The third acted as a lookout, police reports say.

The man drove himself to Akron General Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries.

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AKRON, Ohio -- A mother, grandmother and family friend were indicted Tuesday in connection with a 16-year-old boy's heroin overdose death at a motel.

Andrew Frye, 16, died April 6 at the Super 8 Motel in Green.

His mother, Heather Frye, 31, of Akron is charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and tampering with evidence. His grandmother, Brenda Frye, 52, of Akron, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and heroin trafficking.

Heather Frye's friend, Jessica Irons, 34, of Stow is also charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, tampering with evidence, heroin possession and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

Brenda Frye's boyfriend, Donald Callaghan, 58, of Akron is charged with heroin possession. Prosecutors said Callaghan provided the heroin to the group.

All four will be arraigned Wednesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

Heather and Andrew Frye, and Irons went to Super 8 around 2 a.m. because Andrew wanted to swim in the hotel's pool, investigators previously said.

Heather Frye dialed 911 at 6:45 p.m. after she woke and found Andrew unresponsive. Deputies responded within minutes.

Investigators found syringes, drug paraphernalia, and potential illicit drugs inside the room, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner's report.

Investigators said the three women tried to hide needles and drugs before deputies arrived.

Heather Frye never had custody of Andrew, and she wanted to be "the fun weekend mom," sheriff investigators said.

If you want to comment on this story, please go to today's crime and courts comments section.
Kent Displays helps redefine writing Company closes in on 5 millionth Boogie Board e-writer product

Albert Green, CEO of Kent Displays, makers of the Boogie Board line of e-writers, pauses with a display of the liquid crystal products his company makes. Both he and his company are being honored this week, National Small Business Week, as the 2016 Ohio Small Business Exporter of the Year.

(Plain Dealer file)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kent Displays Inc., the maker of Boogie Board eWriters paperless memo pads and notebooks, and its Chief Executive Albert M. Green have been named the 2016 Ohio Small Business Exporter of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

"Every year since 1963 under President Kennedy, the SBA has set aside a week in May to honor small businesses and the contributions they make to the economy," said Gil Goldberg, district director of the U.S. SBA's Northern Ohio District office in Cleveland.

As part of events to promote National Small Business Week, May 1-7, Green will receive the trophy and certificate at a company ceremony on Friday on behalf of his 82 workers "so all the employees can see what they contributed to," Goldberg said.

"It's even more significant that he is an exporter, because exporters tend to produce high-dollar-value products that are competing on the world stage," he said.

Kent Displays CEO and SBA winner Albert Green

"Our region designs, manufactures and exports quality products to meet global consumer demands," Albert Green said in a written statement.

"National Small Business Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate the essential public/private partnerships, including efforts of the SBA, that contribute to U.S. leadership in manufacturing innovation," Green said. "With that being said, it is an absolute honor on behalf of the whole Kent Displays family to be given such a prestigious award during such a celebrated week."

Being named the state's small business of the year is a competitive process that requires companies to meet five criteria:

-- Staying power: "How long they've been in business and how they've grown," Goldberg said.

-- Growth in the number of employees.

-- Growth in sales.

-- Innovation and delivery of product: How they have responded to adversity.

-- Community involvement: "Do they participate in the community? Are they involved in other businesses, helping the community?" Goldberg said.

The winner is chosen by a panel of judges from outside of Ohio, he said. Because Ohio has two SBA districts -- one representing the 28 Northern Ohio counties, and the other representing the 60 counties in Central and Southern Ohio -- the winners of each district have to face off against each other to determine the sole winner who will represent Ohio.

"He is the state winner, so that is significant," Goldberg said. "Most states don't have to go through this double competition," he said.

Last year, Matt Fish, founder of Melt Bar & Grilled was named the Ohio Small Business Person of the Year. And in 2012, the Ohio winner -- Victoria Tifft, of Clinical RM, Inc., now based in Hinckley -- went on to become the National Small Business Person of the Year.

Other winners from the SBA's Northern Ohio District are:

-- Cleveland District Women Owned Business of the Year: Borbala Banto, of Concierge CPA in Cleveland.

-- Cleveland District Small Business Person of the Year: Sharlene Ramos Chesnes, CEO of InterChez Inc. in Stow.

-- Ohio Small Business Development Center Service Excellence and Innovation Center: Ohio Small Business Development Center at Youngstown State University, and Director Pat Veisz.

-- Cleveland District Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year: Thomas N. Harlukowicz, president of Patriot Construction Services, Inc. in Akron.

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It's that time again! Jim Cramer rang the lightning round bell, which means he gave his take on caller favorite stocks at rapid speed:



Xerox : "I thought the stock was oversold after the quarter. It wasn't that bad. I'm a buyer of Xerox."

Intra-Cellular Therapies : "Way too risky for this guy! Come on, let's focus."

Whiting Petroleum : "No, we need high quality. That means it's Exxon, that means it's Chevron, that means it's Occidental. My charitable owns the last. I like them all better than Whiting."

Discover Financial Services : "Discover had a good quarter, there is no doubt about it, but so did Visa. So did Mastercard. So did Paypal. I like the whole Payments group! You can stick with yours, though."

Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer

Cramer Remix: What you need to know about Apple

Cramer's game plan: Trading the Warren Buffett love-fest

Cramer: Retail isn't deadmillennials are changing thegame

Sherwin-Williams : "I like the acquisition very much ... and Home Depot is the Cramer-fave. The weather is perfect for Home Depot. Don't forget it's planting season."

Annaly Capital Management : "I'm warming up to Annaly. Getting a little more disclosure. I'm starting to feel pretty good about that 11.5 percent yield. It may actually be a good one. That's a new policy for me."

3D Systems Corporation : "We've got to wait to see what the quarter is. The stock's all pumped up and they report this week. Let's not pull the trigger until we see it."

Ambarella : "It's yester-year. We don't want to do it. We've got too many things on our plate."
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Germany is to push for progress towards a European army by advocating a joint headquarters and shared military assets, according to defence plans that could ricochet into Britain's EU referendum campaign. Although Berlin has long paid lip-service to forming a "European defense union", the white paper is one of the most significant for Germany in recent years and may be seized by anti-integration Brexit campaigners as a sign where the bloc is heading. Initially scheduled to emerge shortly before the June 23 referendum vote but now probably delayed to July, the draft paper seen by the Financial Times outlines steps to gradually co-ordinate Europe's patchwork of national militaries and embark on permanent co-operation under common structures. In this and other areas, its tone reflects Germany's growing clout and confidence in pursuing a foreign policy backed by elements of hard power. Initiatives range from strengthening cyberwarfare abilities to contentious proposals to relax the postwar restrictions on army operations within Germany.

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"German security policy has relevance  also far beyond our country," the paper states. "Germany is willing to join early, decisively and substantially as a driving force in international debates . . . to take responsibility and assume leadership". Jan Techau, a former defense official at Carnegie Europe, said: "This is the time of a new Germany. This is probably the first time a German defence white paper is something like important." At the European level, the paper calls for "the use of all possibilities" available under EU treaties to establish deep co-operation between willing member states, create a joint civil-military headquarters for EU operations, a council of defense ministers, and better co-ordinate the production and sharing of military equipment. "The more we Europeans are ready to take on a greater share of the common burden and the more our American partner is prepared to go along the road of common decision-making, the further the transatlantic security partnership will develop greater intensity and richer results," the paper states.

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Resistance to serious defense integration is well entrenched in many EU states and has hobbled efforts to make meaningful progress in common defense. Co-ordinated hard military power in Europe remains largely the preserve of Nato. However, about 37 EU security missions have been launched since 2003, including recent operations in Mali and against piracy. If vigorously pursued in Brussels, Germany's call for joint civil military headquarters would be an important step in enhancing the bloc's capabilities and ambitions. "The creation of a European army is a long way off, but it is a strategic necessity to implement important steps to pave the way towards it now," wrote Roderich Kiesewetter, a Bundestag foreign affairs committee member, in a recent paper. More from the Financial Times :



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Worries mount over China's bond market Berlin is aware that its call for more European defense  long a bugbear of British Eurosceptics  could inadvertently resonate in the UK referendum campaign. Although publication was first expected in early June, this has been delayed to July, according to people familiar with the process. Liam Fox, former UK defense secretary and Brexit supporter, said that "many in the European project see Nato as an impediment to ever closer union". Mr Fox added: "Their every instinct is to move towards European defense co-operation. The problem is that while they are unwilling to spend money, it is a dangerous fantasy that diverts money away from Nato."
While Apple's market share in emerging markets is relatively low, he still feels confident that it can grow with switchers. Cook said the number of people switching to Apple from Android was the largest ever in the last six months and is hitting new records.

"That's really important, because what that says is, the market doesn't need to be growing hugely for Apple to grow," Cook said. (Tweet This)

Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC's Jim Cramer that with the amount of users switching from an Android to an iPhone, he feels great about the growth of Apple.

In Cook's perspective, in every country around the world, there is a segment and buyer that wants the best product and experience.

"That is what we are about providing. And we did fairly in China; we have done fairly well. Despite the short-term turbulence here, we are doing fairly well now," Cook said.

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So, for those doubting the growth of Apple, Cook sees nothing but opportunity for the future. Looking at the larger picture, he said what matters most is that the company operates in great markets, offers great opportunity geographically and packs fantastic opportunity in the pipeline.

"People love our products. They love using our services. All of this, to me, equals great opportunity," Cook said, "Now, your viewers have to decide what they want to do, obviously, but this is how I feel, and that is what I can attest to."
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Pfizer  The drug giant and Dow component beat estimates by 12 cents a share with adjusted quarterly profit of 67 cents per share. Revenue was above forecasts, and the company also raised its full-year earnings forecast as it integrates its Hospira acquisition, as well as boosting sales of new cancer treatments.

Biogen  Biogen is spinning off its hemophilia business as a separate, publicly traded company. The company will be named at a later date.

Molson Coors  The beer brewer earned an adjusted 54 cents per share for its most recent quarter, 11 cents a share above estimates. Revenue also beat analysts' forecasts. The company's bottom line was helped improved demand and lower costs.

CVS Health  The drug store operator beat estimates by 2 cents a share with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.18 per share. Revenue beat Street consensus, as well. Increased demand for the company's pharmacy benefit management services was a key driver of its results for the quarter.

Mallinckrodt  The drugmaker reported adjusted quarterly profit of $2.01 per share, well above estimates of $1.73 a share. Revenue also beat estimates. Mallinckrodt gave a full-year forecast above analysts' estimates, with the company saying its strategy of acquiring under-resourced assets for underserved patient populations is working well.

IMS Health  The health care technology and information provider is combining with Quintiles in an all-stock transaction that is being billed as a merger of equals. IMS shareholders will get 0.384 shares of Quintiles for each share of IMS they now hold, and will own 51.4 percent of the combined company.

Clorox  The household products maker earned $1.21 per share for its latest quarter, 11 cents a share above estimates. Revenue also beat forecasts. Clorox raised its full-year forecast, as sales and market share improve.

Costco Wholesale  RBC began coverage on the warehouse retailer with an "outperform" rating, pointing to a growing, high-margin revenue stream. At the same time, RBC rated Wal-Mart Stores "underperform" in new coverage, saying intensifying competition and the growth of online commerce threatens the retail giant's traditional model.

Pitney Bowes  The office technology provider missed estimates by 6 cents a share with adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share. Revenue fell short, as well. The company said it did not execute in its Software Solutions business, but is taking steps to correct that situation.

AIG  The insurer fell far short of estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of 65 cents per share. That was 35 cents a share below the consensus estimate of $1 per share, with AIG seeing a shortfall in income from both underwriting and investments.

Apple  Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC that he is still confident in prospects for the China market, despite a recent slowdown in consumer spending and a drop in Apple's sales in that country.

Texas Roadhouse  Texas Roadhouse reported quarterly profit of 50 cents per share, 4 cents a share below estimates, although the restaurant chain's revenue matched forecasts as same-restaurant sales rose 4.6 percent. Texas Roadhouse did see profit margins expand from prior levels and is on pace for better-than-expected same-restaurant sales this quarter.

Yelp  Greenlight Capital's David Einhorn revealed a new stake in the business review site, saying it could double its revenue by 2019.

HSBC  The bank saw profits fall 14 percent from a year ago during the first quarter, although that was a better performance than analysts had expected. Investors are also focusing on the idea that the results are not good enough for the bank to raise its dividend.

Mylan  Mylan reported adjusted quarterly profit of 76 cents per share, 2 cents a share above estimates, although the drugmaker's revenue was slightly below forecasts. Sales did increase by 17 percent from a year earlier on improved sales of generic drugs.

Johnson & Johnson  J&J was ordered to pay $55 million to a woman in a case involving the company's talc-powder feminine hygiene products. The woman had sued, claiming the products caused her to develop ovarian cancer.
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In the evolution of computing, from the desktop computer to the smartphone to the watch, it seemed like just a matter of time before the technology would come to be swallowable  and now it is. The innovation at the heart of it is an FDA-approved ingestible sensor housed in pills, designed to help patients adhere to the medications their doctors prescribe. Except the sensor isn't powered by a battery, it's powered by the gut of the patient swallowing it, using technology discovered two centuries ago. "We have a small, food-particle-sized piece of silicon, an integrated circuit, and on one side of that circuit is a film of copper, on the other side a very thin film of magnesium," explained Proteus Digital Health co-founder Dr. George Savage. "When you swallow, these minerals get wet and two dissimilar metals in aqueous contact define a battery, so you become a battery." From there, the powered pill sensor sends a signal to a patch worn on the body, which sends data via Bluetooth to a phone or tablet and on to the cloud for a doctor or caregiver. (Tweet This)



A digital sensor the size of a grain of sand is housed in a pill. After being swallowed, its signal is picked up by a patch worn on the body, which relays data to a phone or tablet. Source: Proteus Digital Health

The patient-as-a-battery idea sounds simple enough, and the company likens the process to a child's science-fair experiment, but this one garnered more than 350 patents and received more than $400 million in funding from some of the biggest names in health care, including Novartis , Medtronic , Kaiser Permanente at a unicorn valuation. "What's the most common thing that somebody who is sick is supposed to do every day? Swallow their medicine," Proteus CEO Andrew Thompson told CNBC. The only problem is, they don't. According to the World Health Organization, about half of all patients with chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, fail to take their medications as prescribed. By some estimates, such nonadherence in the U.S. can add up to 10 percent of hospitalizations in older adults, costing the health-care system $100 billion to $300 billion.

Proteus Digital Health CEO Andrew Thompson Qin Chen | CNBC

"If you give people, for example, five medications to take a day and you say take this in the morning, take this at lunch time, take this in the evening, that's very complicated," Thompson said. "So what we're showing is the beginning of a solution  to one of the single biggest problems in all of health care, which is to help you take your medicines appropriately." In the latest of Proteus' 67 clinical trials, preliminary results demonstrated that patients suffering from uncontrolled high blood pressure who were prescribed the digital pill had "dramatically lower blood pressure  with about 85 percent of patients at four weeks in the Proteus groups achieving their goal, versus about 33 percent in the usual care group," Savage said.

If I'm taking pills to control my hypertension, that's one thing, but if I'm taking pills to control my drug addiction, who gets to see that and who knows about it is a very different thing. Arthur Caplan NYU professor and bioethicist

Noting the differences between tech and health care, Thompson said the company isn't looking to expand its services too quickly, only starting its first use outside of a clinical setting this January with hundreds of patients and their doctors at South Lake Tahoe, Californiabased health system Barton Health, before looking into licensing the technology to big pharma companies. While the implications have many in the medical field excited at possibilities, questions surrounding the technology have shifted from "will this work?" to "how will this be used?"

Barton Health patient Lori Caldwell is among the first to use Proteus outside of a trial setting. Qin Chen | CNBC

"If I'm taking pills to control my hypertension, that's one thing, but if I'm taking pills to control my drug addiction, who gets to see that and who knows about it is a very different thing," New York University bioethicist Arthur Caplan told CNBC. "I think there are vulnerable groups out there for whom this technology might not be seen as the world's biggest gift."


A Frenchman is suing his former employer for 360,000 euros ($415,000) for levels of boredom that he describes as a "descent into hell" and "nightmare."

Frederic Desnard, who worked for French perfumer Interparfums for eight years, accuses the company of deliberately casting him aside after the company lost a major contract. Desnard claims he was intentionally given no work to do and placed "in a cupboard" - the French term for being ignored at work, reported French magazine Le Point.



Desnard, who claims he suffers from health issues such as epilepsy and ulcers, said he was fired after seven months sick leave with no compensation.


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Beset by market volatility, crowded into similar strategies and in many cases bogged down by huge piles of investment capital, hedge funds are struggling this year, paving the way for poor results. "It's hard to maximize returns and also maximize assets," Steve Cohen, the well-known former hedge fund manager who now runs Point 72, a multibillion dollar family office, said during a panel discussion Monday at the Milken Institute Global Conference. Cohen's own fund fell 8 percent during a four-day period in February, then spent the ensuing months clawing its way back to zero  which is where it ended April, according to someone familiar with the matter. "The business got crowded," Cohen added on Monday night's panel. "The strategies aren't that differentiated." (Someone familiar with the matter said that Cohen's fund got caught being long momentum stocks during a return to value. A firm spokesman declined, via e-mail, to provide the details of what went wrong.) As a fund company challenged to eke out returns at the moment, Cohen isn't alone.

Third Point Offshore, the flagship fund run by the event-driven manager Dan Loeb, gained nearly two points in April, only to finish the month down a fraction of a percent year to date. Loeb wrote in a recent investor letter that the market environment so far this year has been "catastrophic" and that Third Point itself had wrongly predicted a weakening Chinese yuan and then missed a rally in cyclical U.S. stocks. He shares Cohen's sense of pessimism. Cohen and Loeb's performances typify what's happening to large hedge fund managers right now, including brand names, say rivals and industry observers. "I'd be surprised if you find a lot of hedge funds up over 1 percent this month," said another stock fund manager in an interview last week.

Although monthly hedge fund composite numbers for April aren't yet available, the average fund was down 0.8 percent through March, according to the data vendor HFR, and April is widely expected not to be much better overall. Some managers, like the activist long-short manager Bill Ackman, whose Pershing Square Capital has fallen 18 percent so far this year, are down by even more.

Investors are taking note. During the first quarter of the year, they pulled more than $15 billion out of hedge funds in aggregate, the biggest move of its kind since 2009, according to HFR figures.
HSBC reported adjusted profit before tax of $5.4 billion for the first quarter, down 18 percent on the same period last year. First-quarter pretax profit before adjustments came in at $6.1 billion, down from $7.1 billion in the first three months of 2015 but beating the expectations of analysts polled by HSBC, who forecast pretax profit of $4.3 billion, according to Reuters. Adjusted revenue dropped 4 percent to $13.9 billion, in what Europe's largest bank by assets called "challenging market conditions."



Pedestrians walk past a signage for HSBC Holdings Plc displayed outside a bank branch in the Central district of Hong Kong, China Lam Yik Fei I Bloomberg via Getty Images

Despite the difficult environment, HSBC's performance was "resilient", the bank's chief executive Stuart Gulliver said in a release that accompanied the earnings release.

Earnings per share came in at 20 cents, down from 26 cents per share in the same period last year. HSBC held its first-quarter dividend in line at 10 cents per share.

Gulliver noted that market uncertainty had led to extreme volatility in January and February, which hit revenues in the markets and wealth management businesses.

But he said its diversified model helped to cushion it against the impact, citing continued strength in commercial banking and increased market share in the debt capital markets, Chinese mergers and acquisitions, and syndicated lending.

"Profits were down against a very strong first quarter of 2015, but we increased market share in many of the product areas that are critical to our strategy," Gulliver said. In June 2015 HSBC announced a radical overhaul designed to cut costs by as much as $5 billion within two years, in order to boost profitability and shareholder returns. The cost-cutting program has included layoffs, a hiring freeze and a halt on pay rises.
Revenue for the quarter came in at $13.01 billion, against a comparable year-ago figure of $10.86 billion.

The pharmaceutical giant posted first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 67 cents, compared to 51 cents a share in the year-earlier period.

Pfizer also raised its revenue and earnings forecast for the year helped in part by a favorable impact of recent changes in foreign exchange rates.

Pfizer reported first-quarter revenue that blew past analysts' average estimate, boosted by sales of its new treatments for cancer and its Hospira acquisition.

Analysts expected the New York-based drug company to report earnings per share of 55 cents on $12.02 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates.

The company said it now expects 2016 revenue to be in the range of $51 billion to $53 billion, up from $49 billion to $51 billion, and adjusted earnings of $2.38 to $2.48 per share, up from $2.20 to $2.30 per share.

Last month, the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a series of rules that effectively torpedoed a $160 billion merger between the Dow component and Allergan . The merger would have allowed Pfizer to take advantage of Ireland's more favorable tax environment in a so-called inversion deal.



While Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told CNBC the rules were not retroactive, he noted "everyone who engages in business knows that it's subject to changes in law or in ruling."

Pfizer shares have remained steady this year despite the market's gyrations. The blue-chip stock was up 1.6 percent in 2016, entering Tuesday's session, and is down just 1.12 percent over the past 12 months.

The stock is handily outperforming its rival Novartis , which has fallen 11.54 percent in 2016 and 26.36 percent in the past year.

 CNBC's Tom DiChristopher and Reuters contributed to this report.
Sri Lanka's new government is carrying out a "mop-up" operation after the last administration left the small Asian country in a "debt-trap," the country's finance minister told CNBC Tuesday.

Speaking from Frankfurt at the Asian Development Bank Conference, Ravi Karunanayake told CNBC that the new government's "biggest problem is from the brought-forward, we're taking stock of what's on. We're basically unearthing what's been off-balance sheet items that have today become a contingent liability and bring that into books."



The Sri Lankan government put on hold several Chinese infrastructure projects : "We were questioning one or two items because a clean government needs to tell the people what it was  but all of those projects are back in full operation. It's a win-win go forward."



Sri Lanka received a $1.5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund on Friday, which Krystal Tan, an Asia economist at Capital Economics, said in a note over the weekend, "without an IMF loan, Sri Lanka would have been in a precarious position," noting that foreign exchange reserves only covered around 80 percent of short-term external debt.


It seems that smart homes can be not that smart, according to an in-depth analysis by a group of researchers at the University of Michigan and Microsoft , which was reported on by Wired. The researchers performed tests on Samsung 's SmartThings platform, which is used in hundreds of thousands of homes, based on the number of app downloads. They were able to use design flaws to their advantage, gaining access to connected devices, according to Wired.

Homeowners can be sent a phishing email, designed to look like it's coming from SmartThings support, and click on a link where they are asked to log in, giving their information to hacker, the publication said. Users can also be tricked into downloading malware, masquerading as an app designed to keep track of the battery life of the devices on a SmartThing's home network.

Once hackers have that information, they can disable vacation mode, a setting that turns lights on and off as if someone was at home, set off a smoke alarm, or find the PIN for a door lock and send it via text to the hacker.
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Venture capitalist Fred Wilson said Tuesday he's not rooting against Apple , but he believes the tech giant isn't focused on what's driving the future of technology. The founder and managing partner of Union Square Ventures told CNBC's "Squawk Box" he believes the biggest opportunities are in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Apple hasn't invested as heavily as Amazon and Google in those areas, he added. "The future of technology is more and more in the cloud. It's more and more in machine learning and AI. It's not really in the devices," Wilson said. "[Apple] is very much a hardware company and a systems software company."

Wilson, who predicted in 2014 that Apple would not be a top three tech company by 2020, also said he's been impressed by the wayMicrosoft has turned its business around, putting the cloud and AI at its core. Apple stock logged its eighth-consecutive decline on Monday, its longest losing streak in nearly 18 years. And on Monday night, CEO Tim Cook, appearing on CNBC, was trying to reassure investors after its first-ever quarterly drop in iPhone sales. Last week, Apple delivered fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue that fell short of estimates.

One way that Apple could take advantage of outside innovation could be through acquisitions, said Jason Calacanis, investor and founder of start-ups such as Inside.com. While competitors like Google and Facebook have been "fearless" on mergers and acquisitions, Apple has been "a victim of how brilliant they are," Calacanis told CNBC's "Squawk Alley." "They think that they're better at building things than anybody else. Which is true, but you can only build so many things," Calacanis said. "The smartest people in the world are not only at Apple," he said.

Despite Apple's "phenomenal" performance, Chegg CEO Dan Rosensweig said that customers in emerging markets like India might not be as quick as American consumers to pay a premium for iPhones. As long as Apple's software is taken for granted, iOS innovations lack financial differentiation, Rosensweig said.
San Jose, California, has regained its crown as the best place to start a business in America in the annual ranking conducted by Biz2Credit. The Silicon Valley hub with a diverse metro-area population of about 2 million people was ranked in 18th place last year because of the high cost of doing business. However, the tech boom has driven the turnaround.

Following its lead: New York (No. 2), the San FranciscoOakland area (No.3), Miami-Fort Lauderdale (No. 4) and Los Angeles (No. 5).

The results were surprisingly considering a number of other surveys on the best U.S. cities to start a business by companies like Wallethub and Thumbtack have not given San Jose high marks. This is due to the fact that San Jose has some of the highest annual salaries in the country.
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New York billionaire Donald Trump hopes that Indiana's nominating contest on Tuesday will make him unstoppable in what originally had seemed to many a quixotic quest for the Republican presidential nomination. The famously blunt-spoken real estate mogul holds a double-digit polling lead over U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has been campaigning in the Midwestern state almost non-stop since mid-April. Cruz has trumpeted Indiana, one of the last big states left in the fight to get onto the November ballot, as his golden moment to force a brokered nomination at the party's July convention. But it appears to be shaping up as his Waterloo. Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast states last week, Trump hopes a win in Indiana will put him within reach of the 1,237 delegates required to lock up the Republican presidential nomination before the convention.

Donald Trump Kamil Krzaczynski | Reuters

Cruz has been Trump's strongest rival but still trails him considerably in the delegate race. He has been struggling to keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 threshold and force a brokered contest, which, after a string of big losses in April, is Cruz's only chance of securing a spot on the Nov. 8 ballot.

A loss in Indiana would be particularly crushing for Cruz, who has argued that his brand of religious conservatism is a natural draw for heartland Republicans. He won the endorsement of Indiana's conservative Governor Mike Pence. In addition, Cruz was looking for smoother sailing in Indiana after he and Ohio Governor John Kasich, a distant third in the Republican nominating contest, reached a "stop-Trump" deal in which Kasich would steer clear of Indiana while Cruz would do likewise in Oregon and New Mexico. But the waters are looking choppier for Cruz, with the senator losing considerable ground against Trump in opinion polls as voting has neared.

Cruz last week also announced his choice for a prospective vice president, the former presidential contender and Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, during an event in Indiana that some criticized as premature. "I trust the people of Indiana to differentiate," Cruz said on Monday at a campaign stop. "We are not a bitter, angry, petty, bigoted people. ... I reject that vision of America," he added in a swipe at Trump. Trump now has 996 delegates, compared with 565 for Cruz and 153 for Kasich. Another 57 delegates are up for grabs in Indiana, a state that has voted Republican in nine of the last 10 presidential elections. New blood

Trump has drawn both passionate support and vitriolic condemnation with his hardline stands on immigration and national security  including a call to build a 1,000-mile wall along the Mexican border that he says Mexico would pay for and a bid to temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country.

Julie Blackwell Chase, a clerk treasurer of Bedford in southern Indiana, said she voted early for Trump in part because she appreciated his willingness to break with conventional politics. "We need new blood," she said. But the outcome in Indiana may also ride on the votes of evangelicals, after Trump offered praise for Planned Parenthood family clinics and signaled support for gay and transgender rights, views that rankled some Christian conservatives. Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, chair of the county's Republican party, said he is voting for Cruz. "Traditional Republicans and Republicans who understand how we elect our president, or pretty much everyone who's conservative, likes Cruz," he said.
Fashion eyewear business Warby Parker seeks to nearly double its retail presence across the country in 2016. Co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa recently walked through their aggressive expansion plans on CNBC's "Follow the Leader." Their next destination is Brooklyn, New York, which is expected to be Warby Parker's 34th store when it opens. The company hopes its presence in the borough will help reduce congestion at its two downtown Manhattan locations. It's a move that suggests that even when a business begins as a digital brand as Warby Parker did in 2010, in order to stay competitive, it pays to get physical.

Warby Parker co-founders Neil Blumenthal (L) and Dave Gilboa. Source: Warby Parker

Other web-based brands that have later ventured to the streets include Bonobos, Piper Lime, Rent the Runway and Birchbox, whose CEO and co-founder Katia Beauchamp also was featured on "Follow the Leader" recently. Beauchamp said her beauty company's move to Manhattan's trendy SoHo neighborhood was a way to enhance the brand's visibility with pedestrians and tourists. It also lets consumers experiment with fragrances, lotions and makeup as they've been accustomed to for generations: in a store with the help of a sales associate. Warby Parker is a relative newcomer to the global eyewear industry that's largely dominated by the established Luxottica Group  the makers of Oakley, Ray-Ban and designer-labeled eyewear. The Italian conglomerate generated net sales of over $10 billion last year.



But expansion can be risky. The company has raised tens of millions of dollars to support brick-and-mortar growth. Add stores too fast and the business can drown in debt. Grow too slowly and competitors can swallow you up. The pressure is on, as the company has been valued at more than $1 billion. And while the business wouldn't release numbers, the founders told reporters last year that the Warby Parker had yet to turn a profit. To mitigate risk, the company is taking advantage of its massive online customer database to better understand the geography of its demand. Based on the number of customers with addresses in say, Brooklyn, Warby Parker can more properly assess if a move there actually makes sense. An online feature called "favorites" is also being tested as a way to relieve the overcrowdedness at its retail stores. The idea is to have customers browse WarbyParker.com to mark their favorite frames on the site. Once in the store, they can then refer to the list quickly and reduce the time it takes to find frames and make a purchase. It also would, in theory, help Warby Parker close sales faster and keep the flow of customers moving.

The move illustrates that while growth is currently focused on building out its physical footprint, the company ultimately seeks harmony between its two worlds.

"We really think of ourselves as experience designers," said Gilboa. "We're looking for opportunities to create the best possible experience for customers, regardless of whether they want to shop online or offline."


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The State Bank of India has moved to quash mounting concerns over India's banking sector after a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asset quality review uncovered mounting debts in the sector. Asked whether a banking crisis was unfolding in India, Arundhati Bhattacharya, chair of the State Bank of India, told CNBC: "I don't really think so." "I think what the regulator has done is a stress test and then told us to take up front whatever hits that might be there down the line," she said, speaking to CNBC from the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting in Frankfurt, adding that the AQR could lead to a speedier resolution of non-performing loans.

Brent Lewin | Bloomberg | Getty Images

"When something of this nature happens, resolution of these stressed assets happens faster," she said. She said that a bankruptcy law was being introduced by India's government and that this too would also facilitate doing business in India. Indian banks have been left reeling from the asset quality review, which ended in March and identified many assets within India's public sector banks that should be classified as non-performing, or "bad", loans. Commenting on the findings of the review, the RBI's deputy governor said in a speech last week that signs of "rising stress" in the banking sector had become apparent in early 2012. At the end of March 2012, the "stressed assets" for the banking system as a whole stood at 9.8 percent but the amount rose "sharply" to 14.5 percent as at the end of December 2015. During the same period, the stressed assets for public sector banks spiked from 11.0 percent to 17.7 percent. Speaking last week, the RBI's Deputy Governor Shri S. S. Mundra added that bank earnings had suffered as a result of higher provisioning on banks' "delinquent loans" between 2012 and 2014 and that more could have been done to prevent the extent of bad loans. "The global economy has been passing through a difficult phase and vulnerabilities remain. Against this backdrop and that in a globally integrated economy, a general decline in the asset quality was not totally unexpected. However, the extent being witnessed could have been avoided. It is probably because neither the banks nor the corporates resorted to preventive healthcare," he said, according to a copy of the speech on the RBI's website.
American Eagle gold and silver American Eagle bullion coins, like the fake 1-ounce gold 2012 American Eagle $50 coin illustrated, have been a prime target of counterfeiters, requiring due diligence in determining authenticity.

What is purported to be an 1803 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle, Large 3 silver dollar is actually a counterfeit struck in base metals.

The numismatic marketplace is rife with counterfeit United States coins, including the fake 1803 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle, Large 3 silver dollar illustrated here.

The coin collecting community is well aware that counterfeit bullion and numismatic coins are offered for sale online and to dealers over the counter by sellers, but the broader public is less aware of the continuing problem. The following news release issued by the Professional Numismatists Guild was sent to media outside of the hobby to alert consumers of the potential dangers:

Use Caution To Avoid Gold And Silver Counterfeits, Advises Professional Numismatists Guild

(Temecula, California)  Beware of counterfeit vintage rare coins and fake modern gold and silver bullion items now being offered in the marketplace. Purchase only from reputable dealers, cautions the Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.org).

The PNG is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the countrys top numismatic experts.

Connect with Coin World:

It is clear there is an increase in the types of fakes sold by unscrupulous dealers. These sales of counterfeit coins are potentially a multi-million dollar problem for the public. Theres an old saying that can help buyers avoid problems: If you dont know coins, you better know your dealer, stated Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) President Dana Samuelson.

We conducted an informal inquiry of PNG members and PNG Accredited Precious Metals Dealers (APMD) about what theyre encountering now in the marketplace. They have seen everything from counterfeits of vintage rare coins to modern precious metal items. These include fakes of popular century-old U.S. Morgan and Peace design silver dollars to current gold and silver American Eagles, gold U.S. Buffalo coins, silver and gold Chinese Pandas, and Canadian silver and gold Maple Leaf coins. Were also seeing spurious gold and silver ingots, said Samuelson.

Professional dealers who look at classic U.S. coins and bullion items all day long are usually not fooled by these spurious items, but to the untrained eye they often look like the real thing, he explained.

Many of the fakes apparently are originating in China and then offered online by various sellers. It is imperative that collectors, investors and the general public deal only with reputable, knowledgeable experts who offer a guarantee of authenticity, emphasized Samuelson.

Two PNG members who recently were in Asia say they saw counterfeits of early 19th century Draped Bust, mid 19th century Seated Liberty and late 19th and early 20th century Morgan and Peace silver dollars being sold in flea markets in China and Hong Kong for $1 to $3 each.

Unsuspecting buyers have submitted counterfeit modern bullion coins to Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (www.NGCcoin.com) for authentication and grading. NGC, the official grading service of PNG, earlier reported submissions of counterfeit 2012-dated gold American Eagle $50 denomination coins.

Those particular counterfeits exhibit poorly defined details around Liberty's face and hair, different fonts for lettering and the date compared to genuine coins and the color is different because the fakes are not composed of gold, according to Max Spiegel, a Vice President of Certified Collectibles Group, NGCs parent company.

PNG and PNG Accredited Precious Metals Dealers must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics in the buying and selling of numismatic merchandise including bullion coins, precious metal rounds and ingots, and they offer a guarantee of authenticity for the numismatic items they sell.

For a list of PNG-APMD members visit www.PNGdealers.org and click on the APMD navigation link.
Carr believes a circulating commemorative will reach more people than a traditional commemorative coin will.

With the Presidential dollar coin series ending in 2016, private minter Daniel Carr has resurrected a proposal for a circulating Astronaut dollar in 2019 to recognize man's first walk on the Moon.

With the Presidential dollar coin program ending its 10-year run in 2016, private minter Daniel Carr proposes a circulating dollar for 2019 to mark the golden anniversary of mans first walk on the moon.

Prototype dollars have been overstruck by Carr at his Moonlight Mint in Loveland, Colo., on assorted Presidential and Sacagawea dollars obtained from a local bank.

Carr currently offers examples of his prototype dollars for sale at $30 each here.

Connect with Coin World:

There is currently a bill pending in Congress, H.R. 2726, to authorize the production of 2019 coins to commemorative the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Carr notes. However, this legislation mandates that such coins be minted only for coin collectors and they will be sold to them at amounts greater than the face value. This will greatly reduce the quantity of people that will actually see the coins.

A limited commemorative coin program is too small in scope for such a monumental achievement. What this really deserves is circulating coinage so that everyone can see it.

Proposed designs

Carrs proposed obverse design for an Astronaut dollar depicts an astronaut holding an American flag while standing on the lunar surface. In the field are 13 five-pointed stars  seven left and six right  with the Apollo 11 lunar module, Eagle, in the background, right.

Carrs designers initials, DC, appear below the astronaut.

The letter D appears in the field to the right of the module. Earth  230,100 miles from the Moon  is in the upper left field, below the B in LIBERTY.

The D is a symbolic Denver Mint mark for the purpose of showing where any Mint mark could go in the design.

Also on the obverse is the date, 2019, and motto, IN GOD WE TRUST.

The reverse depicts an eagle soaring above the sunrise, the 11 major rays paying homage to the Apollo 11 mission.

Inscribed are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the denomination as $1.

Due to the overstriking process, Carr said, the diameter of the prototypes is slightly larger, 27 millimeters, than the 26.5 millimeters of the undertype manganese-brass clad Presidential and Sacagawea dollars. Carr also employed a reeded edge collar die for the overstruck prototypes.

The struck dollar coins serving as planchets had plain edges before being overstruck with the reeded edge dies.

Because of the enlarged diameter and the reeded edge, the overstruck pieces will be rejected by vending and counting machines, Carr said.

There will also be some evidence remaining of the underlying Presidential or Sacagawea dollar designs, Carr said.

Carr illustrated additional examples on the Collectors Society message board of Numismatic Guaranty Corp. here.

Brilliant Satin Finish

The overstruck prototypes have been so far executed only with a Brilliant Satin Finish.

The significant differences between the underlying design and over-strike design preclude the possibility of high-quality Proofs, Carr said.

I probably wont produce a Proof version because I would have to create a second pair of dies and strike on virgin blanks to do that. As such, I would have to alter the design so as to make it look less like legal tender, for example, removing the $1, Carr said.

Carr said May 2 he had not decided how many examples of the overstruck prototype dollars he will make nor how long they will be available to collectors.

I might make up to 500 maximum, but no more than that, Carr said. The present mintage stands at 178, but I will be producing another small run in a day or two. The mintage figures are quickly updated whenever I make a production run. I post those figures at http://www.moonlightmint.com/dc-coin_dollars_list.htm.

I have also produced 19 examples over-struck on [copper-nickel-clad] Susan B. Anthony dollars. That composition actually works better for over-striking than the current golden dollar composition. The 19 SBA pieces were test strikes and I am not offering those at present, however.

The Anthony dollars already had a reeded edge, as originally produced at a U.S. Mint production facility.

Earlier proposal

Carr proposed similar Astronaut and Eagle designs in 1998 when the Dollar Coin Advisory Committee was considering proposed designs for the 2000 dollar, from which the Sacagawea design was chosen.

Carr's was one of seven design finalists considered for the Eagle reverse of the Sacagawea dollar.

Carr was subsequently asked by the U.S. Mint to submit designs for the five State quarter dollars for 2001, resulting in his designs being selected to the New York and Rhode Island quarter dollars.
This semester I will be working on the public life beat. I am a senior studying print and digital journalism along with minoring in Spanish. You can reach me by email at mtgt46@mail.missouri.edu or by phone in the newsroom at 882-5720.

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The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Family aims to raise awareness about invisible illness

Michelle and Jason Kemp's two children were born with cystic fibrosis. The Columbia family shares their story to raise awareness about the genetic disorder.
Best of Business 2022: Learn Who Won Our 15th Annual Reader Poll

Local professionals chose their favorite business and professional services, products, healthcare, dining and more. Find out who their top picks are.
Scott Woods: Artists Need to Put Their Merch on the Table

Make sure your work is out thereand where you can sell a copy or two.
April 14, 2016 -- Photographer Sarah Rossi (left) and designer Brandon Bell pose for a photo in their Cooper Young studio. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)

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By Wayne Risher of The Commercial Appeal

On the set of PBS's "TED Talks Live" at Town Hall in New York City, Memphian K. Brandon Bell orchestrates a sound and light show worthy of the Wizard of Oz.

Tucked out of sight in the venerable theater, Bell and a colleague work digital control boards to create a mostly made-in-Memphis virtual set on stacks of LED monitors spanning a 20-foot by 70-foot space.

Bell and two other Memphians helped create digital content for LED backdrops used over six nights of lectures last fall by artists, actors, academics and other thought leaders.

Bell's digital design, his partner Sarah Rossi's photography and Dan Baker's animation were on display when PBS on March 30 aired the first of three "Ted Talks Live," titled "Science & Wonder."

The second, "War & Peace," scheduled to premiere May 30, will feature Rossi's photographs of military surplus equipment at Memphis Equipment Co. on South Third.

Broadcast date for "Education Revolution" hasn't been announced. It includes photos at Idlewild Elementary where the couple's children attend school.

Bell, 44, and Rossi, 39, are transplants to Memphis from Monroe, Louisiana and Corsica, France, respectively, by way of New York City.

The couple took a break this year from the Tony Awards, for which they created virtual sets and photographed theater sets from 2011-2015. They were part of a set design group that won an Emmy, an Addy and an Art Directors Guild Award for the 2012 Tony Awards.

Juliet Blake, a "TED Talks Live" producer and curator special projects, called on Bell and set designer Seth Easter based on their work on a less ambitious version of the speaker series in 2013.

"Brandon created all the visual backdrops for each individual speaker, and they worked like a dream," Blake said. "Each speaker had their own signature look and this really helped us create a visually interesting program which had been a mandate from PBS."

"I love how collaborative Brandon is to work with. We swapped images backwards and forwards. I shared some visual thoughts with him, and he and his partner Sarah, who is a wonderful photographer, developed an exciting visual palette for each program and each individual speaker."

Bell and Rossi are members of a creative class that Memphis has been trying to attract as a community growth strategy. Advertising and public relations executives and professionals have been working with the Downtown Memphis Commission to establish a permanent physical presence for Creative Works, a conference that's been held annually since 2014.

Bell doesn't see Downtown as competition for Cooper Young, which has long enjoyed a reputation for welcoming artists, artisans and creative people.

"I think Memphis needs that creative center," said Bell, who lived in Memphis for several years while earning a master's of fine art degree at University of Memphis and working for an advertising and public relations agency.

Bell and Rossi relocated to Memphis 4.5 years ago because of family ties.

Rossi said they appreciate the lower cost of living and laid-back vibe of Memphis, where they're able to strike a better balance of work and family. "It's relaxed," she said.

Bell said he worked too much in New York, sometimes putting in 120 hours a week.

"Here, we're able to work during the day and spend time with the kids," Bell said. "It's really been a process of having a life."

The couple works together and solo in a studio above GCD Interiors in a big house on Cooper. They collaborated on a logo, packaging and website for Relevant Roasters and websites for GCD, me & mrs. jones painted finishes and Young Avenue Deli.

Rossi's client list includes Folk's Folly Prime Steak House, Humphrey's Prime Cut Shoppe and an American Advertising Federation-Memphis awards program.

Bell teaches graphic design, print communication, motion design and interactive classes as a visiting professor at U of M.

His recent clients have included ESPN, Goldman Sachs, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the Stax Museum, where he's helping to update interactive exhibits.

Rossi, who studied at the International Center of Photography in New York and was director of photography for New York's Downtown Magazine, said artists tend to get pigeonholed in bigger cities.

"In New York, someone would ask you what kind of photographer you are. Most of the time you have to either choose between commercial or wedding or portrait, but you cannot do everything," Rossi said.

"I like doing everything, because I like different challenges, and that's possible here," Rossi said. "People trust me, even though I do interior and wedding (photography), they trust me with both. I have been a painter, and I know here, if I wanted to and I had time, I could still do my photography and start to sell paintings. That doesn't happen in the bigger city."

Bell said, "There's no barrier to entry here, and it's not an intimidating environment. It's okay to take risks. It's okay to do stupid stuff that doesn't work."
SHARE Tiffany and Robert Greenoak, newlyweds from London, England, are pictured at Elvis Presley's Graceland after she was named 20 millionth paid visitor to the iconic home on Tuesday.

By Wayne Risher of The Commercial Appeal

A newlywed from London, England became the 20 millionth paid visitor to Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion on Tuesday.

Tiffany Greenoak, 31, a Montreal native, honeymooning in Memphis with husband Robert Greenoak, received a private tour of the iconic home and spoke by telephone with Priscilla Presley.

We played Elvis music at our wedding, so for us as a couple, this trip to Memphis has tremendous meaning," Greenoak said. "It has been a dream to visit Graceland. I just cant believe were here. We both grew up with Elvis music in our homes, our mums were big fans," she added.

The estate that Presley purchased in 1957 has been open to public tours for nearly 34 years, hosting presidents, foreign leaders, royalty and hundreds of musicians and actors.

Greenoak's prize package included a three-night stay at Gracelands new, world-class resort hotel, The Guest House at Graceland, scheduled to open Oct. 27.
May 10, 2015 - Chefs Michael Patrick (right) and John Fitzgerad Kennedy put together Southern inspired dishes for Mother's Day brunch at Rizzo's Diner on South Main Street Sunday morning. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

Don't forget: Sunday is Mother's Day. If a restaurant is typically open for brunch, you'd better believe it's open then. Mother's Day and Easter are the busiest brunch days of the year. But there's plenty going on this weekend to entertain Mom if you want to do something a little different.

Don't forget the Memphis Greek Festival, which I told you about in last week's column. It runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 573 N. Highland St. All the good food you've come to expect, music, dancing, wine  there's nothing about it she won't like. If she's not up for it, at least get a box of pastries and take them to her on Mother's Day. You'll be her favorite.

How about this? On Saturday, take her to Cafe du Memphis at Overton Park. The Rotary Club of Memphis will host a New Orleans-style brunch with shrimp and grits, beignets, cafe au lait, mimosas, Bloody Marys and more. It's from 9 a.m. till noon at the pavilion on East Parkway, and you can buy tickets at cafedumemphis.com; they range from about $8 for beignets and coffee up to about $16 for a full plate (and way north for sponsorships). Proceeds benefit the Dorothy Day House. When your bellies are full, head over to Art in the Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Memphis College of Art, and stop in Memphis Brooks Museum of Art for Party for the Century, the 100th anniversary party for the museum; make a day of it in Overton Park.

And while you're there: Latino Memphis Festival celebrating Brazil will also take place in Overton Park. It promises a lot of high-energy fun for you, Mom, the kids  everyone. It's 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and Mom can even get in her Zumba workout (twice, if she wants). All kinds of things are going on, including a salsa contest (you can judge for People's Choice), music, a Carnaval parade, capoeira demonstrations (Brazilian martial arts, and you can join in if you want), a 5K run, a 1-mile fun run  lots and lots to do and plenty of Brazilian barbecue to eat and caipirinhas to drink. Get more information at latinomemphis.org.

This and that

Pup Crawl: OK, OK  I know we already took care of Mother's Day. But I'm just saying that there are moms around town who would love to do this, because dogs and drinks: The Cooper-Young Pup Crawl is 6 to 9 p.m. May 12. You go to the gazebo at the corner of Cooper Street and Young Avenue, get a wristband, then go to any of the 10 bars listed below and order the specialty cocktail. By wearing the wristband, you ensure that 10 percent of the price of your drink goes to the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County. Live music by Mark Edgar Stuart, adoptable dogs at each place, and you can even take your own dog if you want; most patios welcome your four-legged buddies.

The participating bars and their drinks are Alchemy, Hound Dog; Bar DKDC, I Wanna Be Your DoG; Beauty Shop, Walking the Dog; Cafe Ole, Clifford's Cocktail; Celtic Crossing Irish Pub, Irish Setter; Hammer & Ale, Barking Pale Ale; Next Door, Ruff Punch; Stone Soup Cafe, Red-Nosed Bully; Tsunami, Shih Tzu Not; Young Avenue Deli, Junkyard Dog.

Sad news: John's Pantry in Cordova is closing June 1. Be sure to go by 8046 Willow Tree Lane to visit John Moberly before he closes up shop (it faces Germantown Parkway, so you can see it from the street). Regular customers will be glad to know that he said he'll be glad to share his recipes with you, if you ask nicely.

Woman's Exchange

The Tea Room at the Woman's Exchange, 88 Racine St., has a new menu. When was the last time you ate lunch there? I don't remember, either, but I'll be going soon. Some of the new items include the Triple Salad Plate, with a scoop of chicken salad, tuna salad and potato salad, served with finger sandwiches and fresh fruit; chicken or seafood crepes; and Rev's Famous Chicken Spaghetti Fiesta. Daily specials change and include Lacy Special, fried catfish, and beef tenderloin (still on Thursdays). Hours are 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 901-327-5681 for more information.

Recipe of the week

Tuna salad is my peanut butter. I loved it when I was a kid and still turn to it for a quick bite today. This recipe is going in my rotation for sure: Tuna with avocado = great.
May 3, 2016 - TBI investigator Christie Smith reads testimony from Michael Rimmers first trial into rec-ord during his second trial on Tuesday morning. Rimmer won a new trial after being sentenced to death in the 1997 killing of his former girlfriend Ricci Lynn Ellsworth. Ellsworth's body was never found. (Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal)

By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

DNA profiles from blood at the crime scene in the disappearance of 45-year-old Ricci Ellsworth matched blood found in a car driven by her former boyfriend, Michael Rimmer, according to testimony presented Tuesday.

Testing was conducted from a cutting in the backseat of the car and a towel taken from the Memphis Inn where Ellsworth disappeared Feb. 8, 1997.

Frank Baechtel, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, found that the DNA profiles match and "could have come all from the same person."

The prior testimony of Baechtel, an expert in forensic serology and forensic DNA profiling, who has since died, was read to the jury by Christie Smith of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Rimmer was pulled over for speeding in a maroon Honda Accord in Indiana nearly a month after Ellsworth vanished. Rimmer, now 50, was convicted of killing Ellsworth in 1998, but a new trial was ordered in 2012.

Ellsworth's body has never been found, and Baechtel developed a blood standard from Ellsworth's mother.

He concluded that the blood on the evidence items were consistent with a person who was "possibly" the child of Ellsworth's mother.

He said that "half of the DNA types here in the bloodstains are consistent with the types carried by the victim's mother."

He further found that the blood on the swabs came from a female.

"So it's consistent that the blood found at the crime scene is the female offspring with (Ellsworth's mother)?" Baechtel was asked.

"It's genetically consistent," he said. "Yes ma'am."

Two former inmates testified Tuesday about comments they said Rimmer made while incarcerated.

William Conaley, a retail salesman who served time for drug-related offenses, said Rimmer saw some photos and realized that Conaley knew Ellsworth's relatives.

Rimmer said he was going to kill Ellsworth when he got out if he didn't get the money he felt she owed him, Conaley said.

There was a lawsuit and settlement after her son suffered injuries in a hot water heater explosion.

Roger Lescure, a farmer who has a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter and multiple forgeries, said he wrote a letter to the TBI in March 1997 about Rimmer.

Lescure testified that Rimmer had threatened that he was going to kill Ellsworth.

"He'd sort of foam at the mouth," Lescure said.
May 3, 2016 - Traffic moves along Holmes road east of Horn Lake Road, an area that was approved to be widened in the fiscal 2011 budget by former interim county mayor Joe Ford. Last week Memphis Councilman Edmund Ford Jr. brought to the council budget committee's attention a Shelby County road work project to widen Holmes Road between Horn Lake and Craigwood that fell off the county's capital improvements program agenda. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)

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By Linda A. Moore of The Commercial Appeal

Last week Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford Jr. brought to the council budget committee's attention a Shelby County project to widen Holmes Road in Memphis that was approved in the fiscal 2011 budget by former interim county mayor Joe Ford, then at a cost of almost $8.7 million.

But after Joe Ford failed to win the office permanently, county Mayor Mark Luttrell was elected and the project eventually fell off the county's capital improvements program agenda.

County officials say it's not uncommon for a capital improvement project that was budgeted five years out to never happen, particularly if the cost of road construction increases.

And while Ford's story was about a road, it was also his chance to make a point that Memphis residents can and should ask more of county government.

"We pay county taxes as well," Ford said. "If you ask the common person in Memphis what are the top five items they pay for with their county taxes, I guarantee you would get a multitude of answers or you would get the answer 'I don't know'."

New council members are raising these questions, he said, as they go out into the community and are questioned by constituents, who pay the city property taxes at a rate of $3.40 per $100 of assessed value in addition to the county rate of $4.37.

"Eventually those kind of conversations need to come back as to what responsibilities should county government have when you look at services as a whole," Ford said. "What am I getting out of that entire $7 and some change? I don't think a lot of people know what's going on unless you start asking questions. I'm glad those new council members are asking those questions."

As for the road, county government began to pull back on building roads in all municipalities in about 2004, said Mike Swift, county finance director, who was with the county during the administrations of A C Wharton and interim mayor Ford.

First-year CIP projects are high priority, second year projects are planned for the following year, but three-, four- or five-year projects may not get funded and are not prioritized, Swift said.

And as construction costs rose, the county was unable to be the sole source of funding for roadwork, said Tom Needham, public works director.

That takes federal dollars and it's the municipalities' responsibility to apply for that money, he said.

Still, it's not unreasonable for city residents to ask the county for help, said County Commissioner Heidi Shafer, who represents an East Memphis district.

"In fact in my district people call me and I try to route it out to the particular councilman," Shafer said. "I don't care which entry point people reach to get to government. The way I look at it is we should all be trying to solve the problems instead of passing the buck."

Still, each entity has its own responsibilities: funding schools, jails and the Regional Medical Center on the county side, while the cities fix roads, pick up trash and repair streetlights.

Both the city and county can cooperate without consolidating, Shafer said, something she'd like to see happy with the city's police body camera program.

There has been some progress, Ford said, like the agreement between the county and city to jointly purchase new radios for city and county law enforcement, fire departments and other users.

"When it was brought to my attention that county dollars would be added to what the city of Memphis put in, it made me feel little bit better that would be paid for from both pots of money," he said.
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By Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal

A man found dead in a water feature near the buffet of the Hollywood Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, was identified Monday as Bob Jerome Murray, 48, of Birmingham, Alabama.

The Tunica County Sheriff's Office received a call at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday that Murray, a guest of the hotel, had fallen in the fountain, according to a press release by the sheriff's office. He was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. by Tunica County Coroner Glenn Grant after first responders, the North Tunica Fire Department and the Tunica Volunteer Fire Department recovered his body from the water.

The body will be sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab for an autopsy, the release said. The cause of death is pending.

No one at the sheriff's office was immediately available for comment Monday, and Hollywood spokesman Eric Schippers didn't immediately return a call.
This Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015 file photo shows boxes of the measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine (MMR) and measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine inside a freezer at a doctor's office in Northridge, Calif. Vaccinations can cause minor side effects including redness at the injection site and sometimes mild fever, but medical experts say serious complications are rare and much less dangerous than the diseases that vaccines prevent. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal

Seeking to contain the nation's largest outbreak of measles this year, health officials said Monday they were monitoring four Mississippi residents and a University of Memphis student exposed to the highly contagious virus that so far has sickened six people in Shelby County.

U of M officials notified students, faculty and staff that an unnamed student who is a family member of one of the measles patients was on campus as recently as Friday. Although the student since has been instructed to stay off campus, others at U of M should check their immune status and seek "immediate preventative treatment" if they haven't been fully vaccinated or weren't otherwise immune to measles, school officials said.

The Mississippi State Department of Health, meantime, announced that four unimmunized residents exposed to the disease in Shelby County are under home quarantine and the supervision of a physician. The announcement gave no details about the patients or where they live.

Although no cases have been confirmed in Mississippi, "measles is literally knocking at our back door," state epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs said in a prepared statement.

The announcements Monday reflect the extreme caution with which health officials are handling the outbreak. It began last month and quickly surpassed the total number of measles cases reported throughout the rest of the U.S. in 2016.

Measles begins with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed a few days later by a rash that spreads from the head down the body and can last a week. Although most patients experience only a minor illness, measles can cause life-threatening complications.

An infected person is contagious for about eight days  beginning four days before the rash develops and lasting until four days afterward. The incubation period typically runs 7-10 days after exposure, but it can last 21 days.

Tennessee and most other states require children receive two vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella before entering kindergarten, although exemptions are granted for religious and medical reasons. Full-time college students generally are required to provide proof of vaccination or immunity before enrolling.

U of M officials said they didn't know whether the exposed student, who was not identified, had been vaccinated. He or she attended a small class that didn't meet regularly, said Rosie Phillips Bingham, vice president for student affairs. People who came in contact with the student will receive further correspondence.

"It appears to be very limited ...," Bingham said of the exposure risk. "We just want to make sure that everyone is protected."

With the final exam for their Introduction to Law class just hours away, U of M students Allison Horne and Zakk Torpoco had enough to be concerned about Monday without wondering whether they were at risk for measles.

"I'm not overly worried about it," said Torpoco, a 21-year-old junior from Los Angeles, who, like Horne, has been fully vaccinated.

Horne, a 21-year-old junior from Arlington, said she would be "concerned enough to get checked" by a doctor if she learned she had been near the exposed student on a regular basis.
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By Clay Bailey of The Commercial Appeal

Weve got a lot of stops on this journey around the loop, starting with commuters trying to find the best way to avoid the loop, most notably the Interstate 240/40 junction. Their attempt to avoid the construction zone is sending them onto Walnut Grove.

And probably other east-west relief points.

Meanwhile, Arlington is losing an alderman, Collierville is taking its latest steps to build a new high school and Germantown leaders went to Indiana for ideas about Smart Growth.

Finally, it appears the new Bartlett water tower is destined for Nesbit Park, but having utility structures of some types in parks and on trail systems happens all the time, so maybe there is nothing to worry about with the Bartlett plan.

SHELBY FARMS

ANYTHING TO AVOID CONGESTION: I have highlighted my disdain for people who knowingly stay in the right lane they full well know runs out, forcing their way into the adjacent line of traffic at the last second.

Let me say, however, I also appreciate drivers creative enough to skirt congestion within the rules. Maybe stretching the rules a tad, but in my interpretation, within the regulations.

That brings us to the intersection of Walnut Grove and Farm Road and commuters trying to avoid the ongoing (translation: forever) construction at the Interstate 240/40 junction. More and more drivers are seeking an escape route by getting off the expressway at Walnut Grove, heading east to Farm Road and hoping to turn left northbound onto Farm Road to reach Interstate 40.

Let me let you in on a little secret  that move isnt a secret anymore. The eastbound backup on Walnut Grove stretched almost to Christian Brothers High School one morning last week.

Which brings us to the alternative used by those seeking relief from the eastbound Walnut Grove move.

The creative folks arent waiting in the left turn line. They are staying in the right lane on Walnut Grove. When they reach the intersection, they turn right onto a small street that leads to the landfill and other government areas.

Then they whip around to go north, wait for a green light and head straight across Walnut Grove well ahead of those waiting to turn left.

Now, theres a No U-turn sign on that small street. I cant say when someone posted it. And recently, there was a law enforcement officer talking to folks as they waited for the traffic signal to go north on Farm Road after making the move.

Some drivers make the turn, travel a short distance on the south end of Farm Road, sweep right into the dirt (there used to be grass before everyone starting making the move), then turn back north to get in line at the signal.

Heck, one guy on Walnut Grove barely made a right turn on red before whipping around to catch the green light heading north.

Then, there was the woman who pulled deep into the street, turned into a small parking lot, waited a second and then backed out to go back north on Farm Road. A Y Turn; not a U-turn. And a touche too.

I didnt make a U-turn; I just turned around, she said out the window before heading back to the intersection.

ARLINGTON

McGEE MOVING ON: Alderman Gerald McGee surprised folks Monday night announcing the towns Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting in June will be he last. McGee is moving to Knoxville next month. According to his wife, Lories, Facebook post, the couple has long had a desire to move to the other side of the state, plus now that 2 of our 3 children and 1/2 of our grandchildren are there, it is truly Gods timing!

McGee is in his fourth term as an Arlington alderman, first elected in 2003. He was re-elected to the current term last September, defeating Lee Mills for the Position 2 seat. Earlier last year, McGee even considered seeking the towns administrator position.

Mayor Mike Wissman said he was caught off guard by McGees announcement, so much so he was unclear Tuesday morning about the process to replace a resigning alderman.

I expect those details are under review, and the mayor will know the appointment steps by the boards next meeting on June 6.

COLLIERVILLE

HELLO, HIGH SCHOOL: Collierville officials are taking the next step in their new high school becoming a reality. The ceremonial groundbreaking for the campus is slated for May 13 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The new high school is at 11605 East Shelby Drive near Sycamore Road. The building is estimated at $75 million, the bulk of the $95 million in bonds the town issued last year for the project.

A bunch of folks are supposed to speak at the event, including Candice McQueen, state department of education commissioner, Mayor Stan Joyner, Collierville Schools Superintendent John Aitken and school board chairman Mark Hansen.

Organizers are suggesting attendees park either at Collierville Middle School on Quinn Road or Sycamore Elementary on Sycamore Road. Buses will transport folks from those locations to the high school site about 9:40 a.m.

The ceremonial shovel service will take place about 11 a.m.

A word of advice to organizers  loosen up that dirt where the groundbreaking takes place. While its doubtful things around here are going to be dry until then, its still a good idea for those participating not to drive that shovel into the ground and hit hardpan.

Dont laugh. Ive seen it happen.

BARTLETT

TOWER POWER: Seems after additional study, Bartlett officials have decided the best place for a new water tower is exactly where they said it should be  on the edge of Nesbit Park off Yale Road.

Mayor Keith McDonald and City Engineer Rick McClanahan said they considered other options, but the Nesbit site is the most economical. Since the location is on higher ground than the other options, building the structure in the park saves between $400,000 and $500,000. You see, it cost about $10,000 a foot to construct, so as McClanahan said: This has the highest ground, so it has the lowest cost,

I understand park-users dont want such utilities to mar the park serenity. But, if you look at other trails, such as those along the Wolf River, there are plenty of similar structures.

Tucked back in Germantowns greenbelt is a reception tower near Poplar Estates  a slick stick that is pretty much unseen by drivers on Wolf River Boulevard.

Farther west on Humphreys there is a utility structure of some type that skirts another section of that trail system. A Texas Gas line crosses the Germantown and the Shelby Farms pathways, along with power lines over the area.

SHORT TRIP

GERMANTOWN

ROAD TRIP: A bunch of Germantown officials headed north to Carmel, Indiana over the weekend. Mayor Mike Palazzolo, City Administrator Patrick Lawton, along with aldermen Mary Anne Gibson, Rocky Janda and David Klevan were in the Indianapolis suburb north of the Interstate 465 loop.

Carmel (above) is considered one of the best examples of the Smart Growth concept with mixed uses in redevelopment and streetscaping work.

Germantown continues to establish its own Smart Growth direction, and the officials wanted a firsthand look at Carmels success.


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By Chris Cillizza

Want the perfect illustration of just how uncomfortable the prospect of Donald Trump as the presidential nominee makes many Republicans? Witness what happened on "Meet the Press" Sunday.

Moderator Chuck Todd asked Ted Cruz a very simple question: "If [Trump is] the nominee, I take it you can't support him anymore, can you?" That's 14 total words.

Cruz spent 772 words responding to the question  Todd chimed in every once in a while to push the Texas senator  and never really got to an answer.

Cruz started off his "answer" by noting that he plans to beat Trump for the nomination. Which is a classic political pivot but is not even close to answering the question. Cruz then moves onto an argument where he eventually settles, which is that the media  as represented by Todd  would like him to give up the fight against Trump because that will ensure Hillary Clinton's election in the fall.

"I recognize that  that many in the media would love for me to surrender to Donald Trump," Cruz said. "Because it means, number one, that Hillary wins." His evidence? That there hasn't been a debate on the Republican side in 50 days. "Even though the media stands to make millions of dollars off of the debate, you hear radio silence from the media about no debates," Cruz noted. "They're giving up millions of dollars. And the reason is your network's executives are partisan Democrats."

Just in case you've lost the thread here: Cruz's answer to the question of whether he would support Trump as the Republican nominee is that the media is protecting Trump from any real competition because the executives at the cable networks  ratings be damned!  are partisans who want to rig the race for Clinton.

Riiiiiight. (Dr. Evil voice.)

Increasingly desperate, Cruz resorts to attacking the questioner. "Chuck, Chuck, you're welcome  you're welcome to lobby for support for Trump as much as possible," he said. "We are going to beat Trump because Trump's winning the nomination loses the country."

Now, Chuck is a friend but COME ON. Asking whether a Republican candidate who is trailing would endorse the leading GOP candidate is the furthest thing from "lobbying" anyone to do anything. Given the state of the race and the fact that most polling puts Cruz behind Trump in Indiana's primary, a state the Texas senator has cast as a must-win, the will-you-endorse question is one of the only relevant questions for Cruz.

Cruz is grasping at straws. We will win! The media is biased! You are all secret Clinton agents! We will win!

At this point, you have undoubtedly asked yourself why Cruz, who clearly doesn't believe Trump is a real Republican or is anywhere close to qualified to be president, doesn't say just that. And the answer to that question is simple: Cruz still thinks there is a path where he winds up as the nominee  he's right, although that path is narrowing  and he knows that he can't afford to alienate any large swath of Trump supporters. He, like Mike Pence before him, is scared of hurting his own political prospects by too openly clashing with the Trump forces.

Which is, of course, Cruz's right. But his inability to offer even the outlines of a coherent answer to the Trump question is the perfect articulation of just how hard a pill the Donald is to swallow for many Republicans. And that Cruz is desperately trying to have it both ways  and failing  at exactly the worst time for his campaign.

Chris Cillizza writes The Fix political blog for The Washington Post.
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The U.S. government has indicted a Virginia couple for running an H-1B visa-for-sale scheme the government said generated about $20 million.

Raju Kosuri and Smriti Jharia of Ashburn, Va., along with four co-conspirators, were indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The scheme involved, in part, setting up a network of shell companies and the filing of H-1B visas applications for non-existent job vacancies.

Workers were required to pay their own visa processing fees and were treated as hourly contractors, the DOJ alleged. Treating H-1B workers as hourly contractors is in violation of the program rules, the government said.

More than 800 H-1B visa petitions were submitted over a period of nearly 15 years, according to court documents.

The six people indicted in the case face prison time of anywhere from 10 to 30 years if convicted.

Neither Kosuri nor Jharia could be reached immediately for comment.

The H-1B program may be susceptible to fraud. In 2008, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service reported that a review of 246 randomly selected petitions filed in 2005 and 2006 revealed a fraud rate of just over 13%.

The government's analysis found forged documents, fake degrees and shell companies with fake locations.

Jail time is a risk for people convicted of H-1B fraud, although it's difficult to know how many have actually been sent to prison for it. One H-1B fraud case that may involve a prison sentence is pending in Texas.

A U.S. District Court judge in Dallas is scheduled to consider sentencing, as early as this week, for brothers Atul Nanda and Jiten "Jay" Nanda, for visa fraud following a jury verdict last November. They face up to 20 years in prison for using the visa program to create an on-demand workforce, the government alleged.
Apple CEO Tim Cook still sees great potential in the Chinese market despite a drop in its revenue from the country in the first quarter.

In an interview to Jim Cramer of CNBC's Mad Money program, Cook said Monday that the middle class in China is expected to boom from 50 million people five years ago to almost 500 million in the next five years. This is an unprecedented growth of the middle class, said Cook, adding that he could not be more optimistic about China.

To a question from Cramer, Cook said it was an error by him not to to mention the figures about the burgeoning Chinese middle class during the companys recent earnings call.

Apple reported last month that the number of smartphones it sold worldwide fell by 16 percent to 51.2 million units in its fiscal second quarter ended March 26. The company saw a 26 percent year-on-year decline in revenue from Greater China, its second largest market. The revenue drop in mainland China was less at 11 percent.

The companys overall revenue and profit for the quarter also fell from the same period last year. But Cooks message on CNBC was that Apple was still doing fine, despite some investors and analysts expressing reservations about the outlook for the company.

Apple is facing iPhone fatigue and pressure is mounting for the company to innovate a new wow design beyond its standard rectangle form factor," said Neil Mawston, executive director at research firm Strategy Analytics, for example.

The company is to an extent the victim of its own success in the previous year with the iPhone 6. People are upgrading at a lower rate than they did last year but still higher than the year before, as the company had an abnormally high upgrade rate last year as people bought into the iPhone 6, Cook said. Now we are comparing to that along with the other things going on that many companies are facing with currency rates and macro economics, etc., he added.

Cook said the company is seeing higher rates of people switching from Android phones to iPhones, which was the largest ever in the last six months.

In China, its second largest market by revenue, switchers were up 40 percent from the first half of last year to the first half of this year, Cook said. The new 4-inch iPhone SE is doing well in that market and the company hopes to resolve soon with Chinese government agencies and businesses the issues that forced it to take its books and movie services online.

Services such as books and movies is an area in which the company sees great potential. Revenue from services, including Apple Music and the App Store, grew 20 percent to US$6 billion in the first quarter, and is the second largest revenue segment for the company.

The relationship with Apple doesnt stop when people buy an iPhone, but continues with users buying apps across the App Store, or subscribing to Apple Music, buying songs, renting moves, using Apple Pay and buying additional storage on iCloud, Cook said. All this follows from the number of people using Apple devices and there are currently over a billion in use, he added.

Services may be also an area for Apples merger and acquisitions. The company has said it may do bigger M&As than previously. Could it come in services? Yes, and weve bought some companies to help us in services. But it can also come in a number of other areas, Cook told Cramer.
Microsoft surprised the world last month when it filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, alleging that the frequent practice of attaching gag orders to search warrants for customer data violates the U.S. Constitution.

On Monday, CEO Satya Nadella told a group of tech luminaries why the company did so: Microsoft has a strong view on its privacy promises to users, and the company will fight to prevent government overreach that, in its view, compromises the principles of privacy.

Governments have a compelling need to help preserve public safety, but Microsoft wants to make sure that users' privacy is also preserved, Nadella said.

"We are hoping that there is a new framework of law that allows, in fact, our government in the United States to get the right balance between privacy and public safety," Nadella said during an interview at the Technology Alliance's annual State of Technology luncheon in Seattle, monitored via webcast. "The onus is on the United States to get that right, because we are, after all, the beacon that everyone else will look to. If we get it right, every other democracy will look to us as a model."

To that end, he and Microsoft President Brad Smith have called on governments to work together on rules that can cement both privacy protections and governments' ability to keep citizens safe.

What remains to be seen is how well that push will work out. Governments around the world are wrestling with how to deal with encrypted systems that prevent anyone, even the companies that created the system in the first place, from getting access to data inside.
A California court has dismissed part of a lawsuit brought by Twitter that challenges U.S. government restrictions on what it can say about surveillance requests on its users.

Twitter sued the government in 2014, alleging that the restrictions, which are common to all Internet service providers, infringe its First Amendment right to free speech.

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice asked the federal district court in Oakland, California, to toss out the lawsuit. It argued that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is a more suitable venue to hear the dispute, and that part of Twitter's argument didn't stand because the company isn't disputing document classification decisions made by the government.

On Monday, a judge agreed with the government's latter argument but denied its request to shift the case to FISC.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers noted that the First Amendment does not allow someone subject to secrecy obligations to disclose classified information, so by failing to challenge the original classification, Twitter's First Amendment argument didn't stand up.

But she gave Twitter until May 24 to amend its lawsuit and make a case that the surveillance requests are not classified information.

The company, like other Internet service providers, is not allowed to disclose the number of national security letters and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court orders received, even if that number is zero.

A longstanding ban was slightly relaxed in 2014 after the scope of U.S. government surveillance became clear though leaks by Edward Snowden. Companies are now allowed to report requests on a six-month delayed basis, in aggregate bands of 250 requests, but Twitter sued saying that wasn't enough.

The government's attempt to make FISC the venue for the argument failed because Twitter is not disputing an order or decision of the court. It's instead disputing the government's requirement to report the number of requests received in aggregate bands, the judge wrote.
You arent confined to Apples default ringtones as provided with your iPhone, and here are some of the smart ways you can personalize your own smartphone.

Learn the basics

Its easy to change ringtones on your iPhone. Open Settings>Sounds and youll find a number of different ringtones for different things scheduled in the Sounds and Vibration Patterns section. You can change any of these sounds for the one you like best following these instructions, but for now lets tap Ringtone.

In the next pane youll find Apples default ringtones. Look down the list and youll find a tick beside the one you currently have set for use. Tap through the other ringtones to find one you prefer (iOS will play a preview for you), or at the bottom of the list tap Classic to explore Apples older ringtones.

Alert tones

Further down the screen youll find a selection of Alert tones, these are normally used for alarms and other notifications, but you can also use them as ringtones.

Buy new ringtones

You can easily buy new ringtones. Tap the Store button at the top right corner of Sounds and Vibration Patterns, on the next screen pick Tones and youll be taken to the ringtones section of the iTunes Store. You can then choose between hundreds of ringtones, including amusing Siri-related mash-ups like this one or one of the popular Marimba Remix tones, such as the forthcoming Drake One Dance Marimbar mix.

Make your own ringtones in GarageBand

You can also create your own ringtones directly on your iPhone using GarageBand  just open a new project, select your instruments of choice and play around until you put together a 15-20-second sequence you like. When you get this right record it by tapping on the Record button, and then in My Songs view select the jingle you just made and choose the Sharing icon. Now select Ringtone from the sharing options that appear. Youll be asked to name your tone before tapping the Export button.

The final step will be to choose to export the tone as a Standard Ringtone, Standard Text Tone or to Assign to contact (see below). In each case your tone will be set as default after the process, but you can always change it later on using the instructions above. (Youll find a more in-depth explanation of the ringtone creation process here).

Make your own ringtones in iOS apps

You can also create ringtones from music that you own using third-party iOS apps. There are numerous apps but Im unable to offer a definitive opinion about which ones work best, though Ringtone Designer from Blackout Labs seems promising. You can explore a useful list of ringtone creation apps here.

Make Siri-style ringtones

You can also make Siri-style ringtones on a Mac. Just type what you want Siri to say in TextEdit on your Mac, then in the TextEdit>Services menu choose Add to iTunes as a Spoken Track. Youll need to name your track and choose a system voice (Samantha on OS X is a little like Siri on iOS).

An audio file will be created in iTunes. Find it in iTunes, drag it to your Desktop and rename the file extension to m4r (so, Yournewfile.m4r). Delete the original audio in iTunes and drag the renamed file with its new audio extension back into iTunes where it should appear in your Tones library. Youll need to Sync your iPhone and your new Siri-style audio file should be available for use as a Ring- or notification tone.

Assign to contact

You can assign unique ringtones to specific contacts: that way you will always know it is them calling when the ringer chimes. The contact must have an entry in your Contacts book to achieve this. If they do just follow these quick steps:

Open Contacts menu and find the person whose ringtone you want to personalize

Open their contact card and tap Edit, then swipe down the now editable card to seek out the Ringtone option. Tap this.

You can now assign a tone from any ringtone you have available on your iPhone, including any ringtones you may have created or purchased. Tap Done and in future whenever that person calls you the custom ringtone will sound to let you know who is calling.

Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?

Apple TV? If you want to learn how to get the very best out of your Apple TV, please visit my Apple TV website.

Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld.
A new South Dakota law may end up determining whether most U.S. residents are required to pay sales taxes on their Internet purchases.

The South Dakota law, passed by the Legislature in March, requires many out-of-state online and catalog retailers to collect the state's sales tax from customers. The law is shaping up to be a legal test case challenging a 25-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits states from levying sales taxes on remote purchases.

Unless courts overturn the South Dakota law, it will embolden other states to pass similar Internet sales tax rules, critics said. The law could "set the course for enormous tax and administrative burdens on businesses across the country," Steve DelBianco, executive director of e-commerce trade group NetChoice, said in a statement.

If dozens of states adopt Internet sales taxes, online sellers could face audits and changing tax rules in thousands of taxing jurisdictions nationwide. Even with software that could make tax calculations easier, that would be a burden, NetChoice says. And online shoppers could end up paying up to 10 percent more for many products.

Supporters defended the law. It's time to provide a "level playing field" for bricks-and-mortar retailers that are required to collect sales taxes, said state Senator Deb Peters, a Republican and the main sponsor of the tax legislation.

With South Dakota's sales tax going up from 4 percent to 4.5 percent in June, out-of-state sellers have an advantage.

Even before the law went into effect Sunday, it prompted two lawsuits. Last Thursday, the state sued four online sellers, including Newegg and Overstock.com, in an effort to force them to register with the state and collect its sales tax. The law requires out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax if they have more than US$100,000 in sales, or 200 remote transactions, in South Dakota each year.

Then, on Friday, NetChoice and the American Catalog Mailers Association sued the state, arguing the new law violates the Supreme Court's Quill v. North Dakota decision from 1992.

South Dakota lawmakers passed the law "with the express understanding that its terms contradict" the Supreme Court, lawyers for the two trade groups wrote in their lawsuit. The law is "plainly unconstitutional" because it usurps the U.S. Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce, they said.

In the Quill decision, the Supreme Court ruled that states could not impose sales taxes on sales by out-of-state retailers because the taxes, with varying rules across thousands of jurisdictions, would be burdensome for sellers to collect. After the ruling, retailers with no store or warehouse in a state were not required to collect the state's sales tax.

The court left an opening for the U.S. Congress to streamline sales tax collection and allow states to extend it to out-of-state businesses. Lawmakers in Congress have been trying to pass Internet sales tax legislation for more than a decade, but opponents have stalled it.

Software and smartphone apps now make sales tax calculations easy, Peters said by email. "The burdens outlined in Quill no longer exist," she said.

Peters encouraged the Supreme Court to rule on the South Dakota sales tax law.

"We've been petitioning Congress for almost two decades to address the issue of remote sales tax collection because the ever-growing problem has negatively impacted local businesses and state revenue," she said. "To date, Congress has failed to act, leaving states to take action on their own."
Microsoft dove deeper into Internet of Things technology on Tuesday with the acquisition of Solair, an Italian company that operates a cloud-based IoT platform.

According to a Microsoft blog post, Solair's technology will be used to upgrade the company's Azure IoT Suite, a collection of cloud services meant to help companies use the Internet of Things.

Microsoft and Solair didn't disclose the financial terms of their deal.

Solair's technology, which already uses Microsoft's Azure cloud services, offers IoT services focused on a variety of markets, including home automation, smart metering, remote maintenance and inventory management.

Microsoft didn't say specifically what it will get out of Solair's technology, but it promised to release more details on the integration of the two companies later.

Microsoft acquired Solair for its technology, not its customer base, MachNation analyst Dima Tokar wrote in a commentary. Sam George, the partner director for Azure IoT, said in a blog post that Microsoft is excited about the technology and talent that will come with the acquisition.

Azure is a key part of Microsoft's corporate strategy. The company is betting big on getting more customers to use its cloud offerings, and acquisitions like this one are aimed at getting more companies to buy into the Azure ecosystem, especially for new workloads like those driven by IoT.
Stop the presses on this one: Google is going to start working with Chrysler on their new Pacifica mini-van. The plan is to test a fleet of the 2017 model for now and have the technology integrated into the vehicle, not just as an aftermarket proof of concept. There will be a future version of the Chrysler Pacifica that has the self-driving tech. This is the first time, according to Chrysler, that Google has integrated sensors and software into a passenger car for consumer use in a future model, not just as a test in a current passenger car.

One of the most surprising moves is that both engineering teams will co-locate in Michigan to work together and design the technology for eventual consumer use.

Per the press release: Fiat-Chrysler will initially design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Googles self-driving technology. Google will integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously.

After the collaboration, Google will then test the Pacifica in California as part of their regular autonomous car testing on public roads, leading to an eventual consumer reveal.

Thats the part thats still unclear -- exactly when the Pacific model will debut with self-driving features. The 2017 model is already fairly high-tech and has adaptive cruise control. It uses some unique features for folding down the seats with a button press and even has a built-in vacuum cleaner you can use as you drive. It has HDMI ports for all passengers to connect up with a mobile device or even stash an Xbox in the floor cargo area and play Halo 5.

John Krafcik, the Chief Executive Officer for the Google Self-Driving Car Project (and the former CEO of Hyundai, said in the press release that the opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive.

This isnt quite the same as debuting the tech in a production car. Google has tested their self-driving tech for years in both Toyota and Lexus models. Toyota reps have said recently that they want autonomous car tech to augment what the driver is doing. That may be one reason Chrysler has signed up to work with Google. (That, and they do not have any autonomous car tech of their own, unlike Audi, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac.)

This is a bold move for both companies,m however. Its a clear sign that Google wants to take their technology out of the lab and put it onto the roads in a production car. My educated guess? The Pacifica is just hitting dealers now, but the 2018 model might be ready for self-driving, likely only for stop-and-go traffic on the highway and at highway speeds, similar to the Tesla Model S. However, Google has shown that their tech can work at much lower speeds in a city.

Now we just have to wait who is first to market with a fully autonomous car, known in industry parlance as Level 3 (the driver hands off control but the AI hands it back during the trip depending on the conditions) and Level 4 (the self-driving tech can engage for an entire trip). Im hoping Chrysler makes a slam-dunk here, mostly thanks to all of Googles hard work.
David Burrowes is MP for Enfield Southgate and an Executive Member of the 1922 Committee.

In April 2011, a 15-year-old called Negus McClean was stabbed to death in Enfield. He was killed by rival gang members. When sentencing the four teenagers convicted of Negus murder, the Judge revealed that they had stabbed their victim so many times, and with such force, that the blade on one of the knives they were using, snapped off.

This appalling crime prompted a national campaign led by my former colleague Nick de Bois and me to toughen up knife crime sentences. We had great support from Boris and, despite the obstacle of Lib Dems in the Coalition Government, we were successful in getting mandatory sentences for repeat knife offenders. It sends a clear message: carrying a knife will not be tolerated. But tough sentences will not alone combat knife crime. We need a London Mayor who can take a lead on policing and violent crime. We need a strategy for knife and gang crime which involves prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation. Boris has provided that leadership and strategy. Whilst this last year has been a particular challenge in tackling violent crime, Boris has made a real difference and has helped turn the tide of knife and gang related crime.

In London, crime is down by 18 per cent, with 155,177 fewer offences reported. Broken down, that means that Londoners are 24 per cent less likely to fall victim to neighbourhood crimes compared with 2012. But for me, representing a borough which has been so affected by youth violence, the most important statistic from Boris time as Mayor is this: youth violence is down 32 per cent since 2008, and youth reoffending is down from 70 per cent in 2012 to 56 per cent today.

Boris is known for pushing conventional boundaries and that is what has happened in policing and crime. Most police and crime commissioners keep within their title and brief, but Boris has recognised the need to also tackle reoffending through reforms of the criminal justice system. He introduced new measures such as a 1.5 million London-wide gang exit programme; a programme to pay resettlement brokers and charities for reducing offending of young offenders released from HMYOI Feltham, sobriety tags for alcohol related offenders and GPS tagging. Many of these innovations have been rolled out on a national level as the Government bears down on violent crime and repeat offending.

Boris has been Mayor during unprecedented challenges to our security and it is a mark of his leadership that public confidence in the Metropolitan Police has increased by 8 per cent. It is also a source of pride that under a Comservative Mayor police recruitment from BME communities has more than doubled, and a quarter of the force is now female. It matters as a matter of principle and also practice. Police officers protecting communities in boroughs like Enfield are more likely to be accepted and respected when they look and sound more like those they are employed to serve.

Boris has also been Mayor during unprecedented financial challenges. Additionally he has faced a legacy left by Ken Livingstone which ignored the policing demands of outer boroughs like Enfield. As a result of Boris and the Met Commissioners strong resolve combined with a constructive relationship with the Government, 2,600 additional frontline officers are on the beat. They have not been paid for by a Sadiq Khan-style spending hole, but through the Mayors sensible decision to raise revenue by releasing into the private sector, underused buildings, as well as through making efficiency savings. Much criticised by people like Livingstone at the time, those decisions gave Boris the financial breathing space to provide the Met with extra cash, allowing officers the opportunity to take advantage of changes in technology  to buy body-worn cameras and most importantly of all  it allowed Boris to set the retention of front-line officers as his number one police priority. It was an objective he not only met but exceeded.

It is vital for all Londoners that Zac Goldsmith wins office on 5th May so that our capital city continues to be a safer place to live, work or visit. I have already seen Zac take on Boris crime fighting mantle, by protecting the police budget against planned cuts and tackling knife crime by restricting online knife sales to children and getting Zombie killer knives banned. The best way we can show our gratitude for Boris 8 years tackling violent crime and supporting more effective policing and criminal justice is to vote for Zac on Thursday.
Nick Timothy is Director of the New Schools Network and a former Chief of Staff to Theresa May.

Last week, Yvette Cooper accused the Prime Minister of putting this country to shame for refusing to support a Labour proposal for Britain to take 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees from other European states. And it is fair to say that the Governments position has perplexed several Conservative MPs, and even the Daily Mail, who have argued that these children should be allowed to come to Britain. But while nobody should doubt the humanity of Lord Dubs, the proposals proponent, it is the wrong policy and it deserves to be defeated.

Lord Dubs proposal comes in the form of an amendment to the Governments Immigration Bill. In its original form, the amendment would have required the Government to relocate to the United Kingdom and support 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children from other countries in Europe, over and above those already supported through existing schemes. The amendment was passed by the House of Lords, rejected by the House of Commons, and has now been passed, in revised form, by the Lords a second time. The revised amendment  which would now require the Government to admit a number that would be determined later following consultation with local authorities  will return to the Commons next week.

The issue at hand is highly emotive. Lord Dubs himself was a child refugee who escaped the Nazis and came to Britain from Czechoslovakia in 1939 on the Kindertransport organised by Sir Nicholas Winton. This has led many advocates for the policy to invoke the spirit of the Kindertransport, and compare the decision Parliament now faces with the evacuation of 10,000 Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland in the 1930s.

Of course their lives are uncomfortable, some are indeed at risk of exploitation, and many have experienced things we cannot imagine, but the people the Dubs amendment seeks to help are not, like the Jewish children of the 1930s, at risk of genocide. They include not just Syrians, but Afghans, Eritreans and others, and they have already reached the relative safety of Europe. Many find themselves not in countries struggling with the migration crisis, like Greece, but wealthy countries like France.

So why  when the Syrian conflict means 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian support, 6.6 million people are displaced within Syria, and millions of others have fled to neighbouring countries  has the political debate in Britain narrowed to a question of helping an unspecified number of children who are already in Europe, many miles away from the countries they have fled?

The answer is that it is because there is very little for opposition parties to criticise about Government policy. They cannot criticise the UKs support for the victims of the Syrian conflict in the region. The Government has recently doubled its aid for the affected countries to 2.3 billion, Britains biggest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis and by far the most generous contribution made by any European country. As Rob Williams from War Child argues, the British aid effort has, in fact, been severely let down by our European partners.

Likewise, nobody can criticise Britains commitment to helping the most vulnerable victims of the Syrian conflict through its refugee policies. The Governments Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) scheme will bring 20,000 Syrian refugees to Britain by 2020. In the last quarter of 2015, Britain resettled 1,085 Syrian refugees through the VPR scheme, more than half of whom were children. By contrast, the traditional asylum system  which processes claims made by people who have already arrived in Britain  has always favoured the richest, the strongest, and the most fortunate claimants. Three quarters of those who seek asylum in Britain using the traditional system are men, the vast majority are in their twenties, and they either entered the country legally with a valid visa, or illegally, usually by paying human trafficking gangs.

Nor can anybody claim that Britain is not doing enough to help children affected by the Syria conflict. In addition to the minors helped through the VPR scheme, the Government announced recently that it will, by 2020, resettle up to 3,000 extra children from the Middle East and North Africa who are defined as Children at Risk by the UNHCR. This additional commitment was made by the Government on 21 April, after the Dubs amendment was proposed but before the Commons vote, so the complaint of Yvette Cooper and her supporters is clear: it does not matter how many vulnerable children from Syria and its neighbouring countries the Government helps, it is that Britain must take refugees from other European countries.

This is where the case for the Dubs amendment begins to falter. Some argue that unaccompanied children in other European countries should be able to come to Britain to join up with relatives here. But this is not only already possible but actively encouraged by the Government: UK officials based in France, Greece and Italy are working right now to reunite unaccompanied children with their families in Britain. According to official figures, 24 such cases have been accepted in the last six weeks.

Others argue that we should, in an act of solidarity, support European states struggling to cope with the migration crisis. But a close look at the EUs Emergency Relocation Mechanism shows that there is little solidarity between those countries that signed up to the resettlement programme last year. France, for example, pledged to make available 1700 places, but only 137 have been relocated from Italy and 362 from Greece. Overall, 565 people have been relocated from Italy, out of 39,600 places offered, and 876 have been relocated from Greece, out of 66,400.

More serious is the argument that child refugees in Europe find themselves at risk of abuse and exploitation. But is transferring to Britain 3,000 children  out of an estimated 95,000 unaccompanied child refugees in Europe  the right solution to this problem? Britain is spending hundreds of millions of pounds in aid to help Turkey, Greece, the Balkan states and other European countries to look after the child refugees in their care, and British anti-trafficking experts have been sent to help where there is evidence that exploitation is taking place. Without proper planning and sufficient capacity among the relevant state agencies in Britain, the trafficking and abuse that is happening on the continent could easily occur here. Kent County Council is already struggling to cope with 830 unaccompanied children seeking asylum, and  thanks to the UKs Anti-Slavery Commissioner  we know that this kind of exploitation is already common in Britain. Moreover, advocates of the Dubs amendment have failed to explain why they believe that child refugees in Europe are more vulnerable to exploitation than child refugees in and around Syria, whom it is the Governments policy to prioritise.

Despite these arguments, one might still conclude that Britain should help anyway, and that MPs should support the amendment. But there are serious risks in doing so. If Britain announced tomorrow that we would start to accept unaccompanied child refugees from Calais  as Yvette Cooper proposes  we would risk triggering a great movement of people from across Europe to the British border at Calais. If there are nearly 100,000 child refugees in Europe, there are many more young adults willing to pretend to be minors to gain access to Britain. We risk making the same mistake as the German Government, which accidentally sparked Europes migration crisis last year when it announced that it would welcome 800,000 refugees over the course of 2015. Of course, if the Government had listened to Yvette Cooper at that time, who wanted Britain to take in refugees from other European countries, we would have suffered the problems that Germany faces now. It is to the credit of David Cameron, Theresa May and James Brokenshire that we do not.

But if the Dubs amendment passes, we also risk sending a signal to the world that if you want to come to a country like Britain, as a refugee in need or otherwise, your best chance of getting here is by putting yourself into the hands of a criminal gang of people smugglers. These people are cruel and ruthless and are responsible for the deaths of many thousands of people who have tried to make dangerous journeys from Africa and the Middle East to Europe. Former colleagues of mine in the Home Office have witnessed them throwing migrants out of their boats and into the Mediterranean Sea in order to force the Royal Navy, Border Force and others to bring their human cargoes to shore. By telling people they need to first get to Europe before they will be let into Britain, we would be putting more innocent lives into the hands of these barbarians. We risk increasing the incidence of human trafficking rather than reducing it.

It would be much better, then, to help as many people as possible in and around Syria, and other conflict zones. Estimates from NGOs suggest that for every refugee Germany houses, for example, it could afford to help ten refugees in Jordan for the same cost. But if European countries want to help the unfortunate souls who have been displaced by conflict through their refugee policies, it would be more humane to do so by identifying the most vulnerable in the affected regions, and bringing them to safety. That, incidentally, is what Britain did with the Kindertransport in the 1930s, and it is what we did for the Ugandan Asians who fled Idi Amin in the 1970s. The Governments policy is therefore the right one: however difficult, we must ensure reason overcomes emotion in this debate.
Charlie loves Zac Goldsmith, and showed his affection by licking the candidates face. But Charlie is a Cocker Spaniel, so will not have a vote in the London Mayoral elections in two days time.

Goldsmiths chances as the Conservative candidate in that contest are not especially good. In last years general election, Labour won 1.55 million votes in London to the Tories 1.23 million, and the opinion polls still put the Labour candidate, Sadiq Khan, well ahead.

After spending some time yesterday with Goldsmith and his campaigners, I cannot claim to have picked up any clear signs of a change in the Conservatives favour, of the kind that became perceptible in West Yorkshire during the general election.

The political weather in London has become stormy. Harsh accusations are hurled to and fro: Goldsmith condemns his opponent, Sadiq Khan, for having shared a platform with extremists, while Khans people say Goldsmith is a racist, who wants to make it impossible for any Muslim, no matter how moderate, to become Mayor.

But no one knows what effect these accusations will have on the voters. Nor is it clear whether the anti-semitism row which is convulsing Labour will reduce Khans vote.

Will Labour supporters refuse to turn out? That, allied to a strong turn-out by his own sympathisers, is Goldsmiths best hope.

Some Tories think he is still in with a good chance. An activist who had cleaned up during the general election by betting, in defiance of pundits and pollsters, on a Conservative overall majority, told me she has placed the same bet, at odds of seven to one, on Goldsmith winning the mayoral election.

But among the several dozen Tory activists who were waiting yesterday morning outside Wimbledon Station to greet Goldsmith, the most common emotion was one of good-humoured uncertainty about the outcome.

They like Goldsmith, and he is good at showing his appreciation of them. When he arrived yesterday morning in Wimbledon, he began by saying:

Thank you so much. Youre absolutely heroic. Its a bank holiday. You could have been frolicking in Richmond Park.

Here is a Tory who admits the role that pleasure  the frolic  plays in life. A considerable number of people, both from the general public and from the Tory group, wanted to have selfies taken with him, and this he agreed to with unwearying good humour.

But his candidacy has become, in its final days, less pleasurable. For he finds himself asked again and again about his attacks on Khan.

An interviewer and a camera team from BBC London were waiting to question him about his onslaught on Khan in the Mail on Sunday, illustrated by a picture of a bus wrecked by a suicide bomber in the 2005 terror attacks on London.

Goldsmith said I stand by every word in the article, but admitted it was an odd choice of picture. He added that any half-intelligent person knows when you write an article in the papers you dont choose the picture.

Immediately after this interview, a woman of Indian descent approached Goldsmith and told him: I regard your campaign as really divisive.

She accused him of making slurs against Khan, and of trying to align his opponent with extremists.

When I asked Goldsmith about this, he insisted Khans past willingness to share platforms with extremists raises questions about the Labour candidates judgment.

Goldsmith also lamented that Labour-generated questions about racism were designed purely to silence him, and were edging all the positivity out of the campaign.

Activists fanned out from Wimbledon Station to deliver leaflets. These are targeted at voters who are sympathetic to the Tories, but are by no means certain to turn out.

Stephen Hammond, the local Tory MP, accompanied Goldsmith down various streets, as did the BBC camera crew and various other journalists.

Politics under these circumstances becomes too artificial to draw any firm conclusions. We were calling only on households which were likely to vote Conservative, so the Labour response became impossible to gauge.

Goldsmith lit a heat stick  a device for producing tobacco-flavoured nicotine vapour  but placed it in his pocket before knocking on doors.

His chief role at this late stage of the campaign is not to meet voters, but to sustain the morale of activists. From Wimbledon, he went on to Putney, where he met a crowd of about 50 Conservatives outside Waitrose.

It was here that he encountered not only Justine Greening, who is the local Tory MP, but Charlie, the Cocker Spaniel, who was wearing a Tory rosette and was delighted to be held in the candidates arms.

For Goldsmith possesses an unforced ease with domestic pets. When he visited, some time ago, my part of London, he was photographed with a parrot.

The mood of the mayoral contest has since darkened. As the late, great Alan Watkins used to remind us, politics is a rough old trade.

But one hopes the present exchange of insults, though distressing to high-minded people, will have the useful result of clarifying how far a candidate can go while being spared any imputation of sympathising with terrorists.

The anti-semitism row should, similarly, help to show where the boundary lies between criticising Israel and expressing vile anti-semitic prejudice.

This process of clarification may be unedifying, but it is necessary. If Goldsmith had remained, throughout this campaign, immaculately reticent and well-mannered, he would have been dismissed by the commentariat, and indeed by the electorate, as hopelessly ineffectual and effete.
After a turbulent period, the survey is settling down  or at least shows signs of doing so in its next Party leader question.

In January, Theresa May was top. In February, she was replaced by Liam Fox. In March, Boris Johnson toppled him, in the wake of his own declaration for Brexit. And last month, Michael Gove took the lead.

This month, he extends it by five points. Party members are clearly minded at the moment to support a pro-Leave candidate: 70 per cent of them do so  almost exactly the same number as those who say that they will either vote for Brexit in Junes referendum, or are likely to.

The Justice Secretary is clearly seen by our Party member as the pro-Leave Cabinet member who is performing most powerfully in the campaign. The Mayor of London has sometimes looked less sure-footed  deploying the bludgeon against Barack Obama when a scalpel might have served better  and his total falls slightly, though not by enough to suggest any real difference.

Theresa Mays score is up by five points, and I cant think of a reason for the change other than her thoroughly-argued case for Remain, which was shorn of the Project Despair scare stories that have marked some of the interventions of other senior Ministers. We ran the entire text of the speech on this site, and know that it was extremely well-read. I didnt believe that it would have much impact on Party activists and was wrong about that.

The Home Secretary trailed Liam Fox by a single vote. Priti Patel stays on nine per cent, not a bad rating at all for a Minister who doesnt head a department. George Osborne appears to be marooned on eight per cent or thereabouts, at least for the moment.

Since Jeremy Hunt has said that his present job is likely to be my last big job in politics, we will take him out of this question next month.

We may replace him with another member of the 2005 intake, Stephen Crabb, but are reluctant to tamper with the survey more than is absolutely necessary.
The continued progress of the Turkey migration deal shines a rather unflattering light on the state of the modern European Union. When Merkel and Erdogan reached an agreement back in March, I warned that:

Ankara has the EU over a barrel. The chaos caused by the migration crisis has spread from the streets into the corridors of the EU institutions, which suddenly find that all their high-flown rhetoric about Schengen, free movement and abolishing internal borders counts for very little in practice. Turkey has realised the obvious: that it can demand a high price for its co-operation in stopping refugees and other migrants crossing the Aegean, or failing that it can extort a high price by threatening to effectively wave even more migrants through. Erdogan is not known for passing up opportunities to get what he wants, and he has grabbed the chance eagerly.

It was predictable that Ankara would demand a lot in return for saving the EU from its migrant crisis. Equally predictable, for anyone who has watched Erdogan for more than five minutes, was the fact that the Turkish Government would then try to see how far it could push its luck.

Behold, therefore, todays Times:

Seventy-five million Turks will move a giant step closer to visa-free access to continental Europe tomorrow, even though Ankara has yet to meet a series of demands from Brussels. The European Commission will propose that Turks receive the travel concession at the start of July, a key part of the deal under which Turkey has agreed to take back all migrants entering Greece illegally. However, Turkey is yet to meet all 72 legal and political criteria set out by Brussels as a condition of the relaxed travel rules.

Turkey appears to have reflected on the enthusiasm of the EU to strike a deal, and realised that if Brussels is that desperate then they might be able to secure their price without having to fulfil their part of the bargain.

Which parts of the deal are unfulfilled? Inevitably, the missing elements include measures to soften Turkeys crackdown on minority and opposition groups, working better with Cyprus and introducing biometric security measures on passports.

Erdogan knows his hand is strong, and the EUs hand is weak  and he shows every sign of making the most of it.

This development has three serious implications for Brussels and the EU project.

First, security. It was always a dicey proposition to effectively open a free movement zone which stretches from Calais to the porous Turkish/Syrian border. There is already regular terrorist traffic  of ISIS and other flavours  back and forth across the line. Some terrorists have already disguised themselves as refugees and made their way through to Turkey into the EU. Making the journey easier and safer for those who seek to commit atrocities was a huge risk already, and doing so without improving the security of Turkish passports would make it even worse.

Second, liberalisation. One of the EUs (few) legitimate boasts was once that it played a role in democratising and liberalising its new members. In the 1990s, that was for the most part true  various Eastern European nations strove to improve in the hope of securing membership and the development subsidies that came with it. The Turkey deal shows that idea is dead. Days before it was first agreed, the Turkish government seized control of a leading opposition newspaper, confident in the knowledge that Brussels needed their help more than they needed Brussels approval. Now even the relatively modest requirements in that deal are being ignored. As Henry Hill wrote last month, the EU is abandoning its supposed principles in order to strike a deal with a thuggish President  revealing that it puts its political self-interest above all the values it once boasted about.

Third, democracy. The prospect of Turkey gaining visa-free access to Schengen is unpopular across the EU, and Turkish accession, which is a stated aim further down the line, is even more strongly opposed. Voters in numerous nations have concerns about the security implications and about the existing rate of immigration. And yet the EUs leaders are forging ahead with a visa-free agreement for 75 million Turks, regardless of the peoples opposition. The migration crisis, which threatened to bring down governments and destroy Schengen itself, has been given political priority  and Merkel et al appear willing to pay any price in order to buy Turkeys assistance in stopping it. This isnt the first time the EUs political goals have overridden the will of the people (ask the Greeks), but it is the latest, largest and most egregious example. It was bad enough when it was the Brussels elite over-ruling voters  now Recep Tayyip Erdogan apparently has the power to dictate the immigration policies of 26 European countries.

With the visa-free access programme set to start in June, thoughts in Brussels are turning nervously to the British referendum on EU membership. We arent in Schengen, but British voters arent stupid  they know the deal involves hefty subsidies for Turkey and even looser controls on access to the continent, as well as attendant security risks and another potential route for asylum claimants to mass in Calais. They also know that Turkey still talks about joining the EU as a full member. There is some discussion of the powers that be delaying the final decision on Schengen access until a few days after the referendum, but such a dodge hardly takes the issue off the table.

The EU was an insecure, ineffective and undemocratic project at the start of the year. Five months in, and the Turkey deal has made it even worse.
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A U.S. Jury has reportedly ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $55 million in damages to a woman who sued the company over their talc powder. The woman claimed that the company's talc-powder products, which she used for feminine hygiene, led to the development of her ovarian cancer.

It was on Monday, May 2, that the state court jury in St. Louis awarded the plaintiff, Gloria Ristesund of Sioux Falls, $5 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages after a three-week trial, reported Reuters. The 62-year-old claimed that she used J&J's talc-based powder products on her genitals for nearly four decades.

She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011 and had to undergo a hysterectomy and related surgeries. Her cancer is now in remission. The plaintiff has accused J&J of "wrongful and negligent conduct in the research, development, testing, manufacture, production, promotion distribution, marketing, and sale of talcum powder," reported RT.

Jere Beasley, one of Ristesund's lawyers, said his client was gratified with the verdict. He said that the jury's decision should end the litigation and force the company to settle all such pending cases.

J&J spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said the company is planning to appeal against the verdict and insisted that the court's verdict has refuted thirty years of research which approves cosmetic talc of being safe for use.

"Unfortunately, the jury's decision goes against 30 years of studies by medical experts around the world that continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc,'' Goodrich said in an e-mailed statement, reported Bloomberg. "Johnson & Johnson has always taken questions about the safety of our products extremely seriously," she added.

This is not the first time that Johnson & Johnson's talc-powder products have brought negative publicity for the company. Earlier in February this year, the same court awarded $72m in damages to the family of Jacqueline Fox who died from ovarian cancer after using J&J's Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower for decades.

In fact, Johnson & Johnson is currently facing about 1,200 other lawsuits. Most of the lawsuits has accused the company of ignoring studies that link its Shower-to-Shower product and Johnson's Baby Powder to ovarian cancer.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Trump, The Unavoidable: Is Political Polarization Destroying Democracy?

By Ugo Bardi

03 May, 2016

Cassandra's Legacy

Image from Pew Research Center. The increasing polarization of the US electorate has destroyed

all the previous certitudes in politics, generating the unavoidable rise of Donald Trump.

The hurricane named Donald Trump has taken everyone by surprise by going against all the established rules in politics. So far, candidates were always trying hard to avoid taking extreme positions; aiming for the center of the political spectrum was seen as the way to win, and it worked. But Trump has taken exactly the opposite strategy, always aiming to positions that not long ago would have been seen as extreme and even unspeakable. But he is having success. How can that be?

For everything that exists, there must be reasons for it to exist, and this universal rule must be valid also for Donald Trump. And, indeed, the rise of Trump should be seen not only as having reasons to exist, but even as unavoidable. Let me try to explain why.

In 1929, Harold Hotelling developed a model of spatial competition among firms that today is still well known and takes his name. The idea is sometimes described in terms of what the best location for selling ice cream on a beach. Assuming that customers are distributed evenly along a linear beach, it turns out that the best position for all of them is to cluster exactly at the center. Something similar holds in politics: it is called the Hotelling-Downs model. It says that, in a political competition, the most advantageous position is at the center. This is a well known and traditional political strategy; those who are at the center win elections.

So, did Donald Trump disprove the Hotelling-Downs model with his strategy based on taking extreme position? No, but all models work only within the limits of the assumptions that produced them. If the assumptions change, then the models change as well. The Hotelling-Downs model, as it is commonly described, works on the assumption that voters' preferences tend to cluster in the middle of the spectrum of political views, something like this

Image source

Imagine that the horizontal axis describes the voters' preferences about, say, war and peace. At the two extremes of the diagram there are absolute warmongers and absolute pacifists, At the center, there is a majority that takes an intermediate position; preferring peace but not ruling out war.

This was the situation up to not long ago for most issues. But the recent data indicate a remarkable ongoing transformation, something more like this:

(image from Pew research center)



You see how the preferences among American voters are splitting into two halves. Liberals and conservatives are becoming more and more different, a split that may increase in the future.

In a previous post of mine, I interpreted this trend as the result of the growing impoverishment of society, a phenomenon that increases the competition for the remaining resources. The increased polarization derives from the fact that some categories or social classes tend to find it easier to gather resources by stealing them from those who have them rather than creating them out of natural resources (e.g. banks vs. citizens or the elites vs. the middle class). If this interpretation is correct, political polarization is here to stay with us for a long time.

The problem is that polarization has deep political consequences. If society is split into two ideologically incompatible halves then the mechanism of the "primaries" enhances the split even more. The Hotelling-Downs model still holds, but separately for the two halves. At this point, in order to win votes, a candidate may be better off by aiming for one of the two peaks, either at the left or at the right; a position that's in practice obligatory with the primaries, where voters are split into two halves as well.

Indeed, Donald Trump has been playing king of the hill in the republican hump while pushing most of the other candidates in the Republican desert of the center. The only Republican rivals that survived Trump's onslaught are those, like Ted Cruz, who are competing with him for the same rightmost peak. Something similar has generated the relative success of Bernie Sanders on the opposite side of the political spectrum; even though that may not lead him to the nomination. So, Donald Trump was really an unavoidable phenomenon.

And now? It seems increasingly likely that Trump will obtain the Republican nomination by means of his successful polarizing tactics. But, in order to win the presidency, Trump should abandon the safe but limited hill on the right and try to conquer the center. But can he really do that after such an aggressive and divisive nomination campaign? Trump has nearly supernatural communication skills, but this may be too much even for him. The problem is that the President of the United States is supposed to be the president of everyone, not just of those who voted for him. But, we already saw a dangerous crack in this arrangement with President Obama, when a considerable number of people seemed unable to accept the idea of having a black president. As president, Donald Trump would be likely to generate similar reactions from a different section of the public. That could produce a split in society that, euphemistically, we could define as a little difficult to manage.

But, again, Trump is not the cause of anything, he is just the unavoidable result of the rising internecine competition within an increasingly poorer society. He may fail in his bid for the presidency, but the social and political factors that created him will remain. And these factors might easily lead to something much worse than Trump if the economic situation deteriorates further, as it probably will.

So, where is the institution we call "democracy" going? It is difficult to say, but, in order for democracy to exist, there must exist certain conditions, in particular a reasonably equitable distribution of wealth in society. And this is something that we are rapidly losing. As we slide down the Seneca Cliff, democracy may be rapidly lost as well.

Ugo Bardi teaches physical chemistry at the University of Florence, in Italy. He is interested in resource depletion, system dynamics modeling, climate science and renewable energy.














Brutal Rape And Murder Of Dalit Law Student Creates Outrage In Kerala

By Countercurrents.org

03 May, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Photo: A Facebook Campaign poster. The caption reads "There is not much distance from Perumbavoor to our homes."

A 29 year old dalit law student was raped and brutally killed at her home in Kerala. More than 30 injuries were found on her body. According to the post-mortem report the woman was beaten savagely using a sharp weapon that pulled out her intestines. Two sides of her chest were pierced to almost two inches deep using a sharp knife. She was also struck in the genitals with an iron rod. A severe injury on her head is cited as the main reason of her death. The police inquest report says that the girl's nose was severed due to receiving a blow from a hammer- like object. When the victim's body was found, only her Churidar top was remaining on her body. The woman was found dead by her mother Rajeswari at their house in Rayamangalam panchayat, near Perumbavoor on Thursday, 28th April night after she returned from her daily work around 8.30 PM.

The investigators are clueless even almost one week after the brutal incident, which is being called as the Nirbhaya case of Kerala, as the victim's private parts were injured and her entrails were forced out of her body due to heavy application of blunt force. It is suspected that it is to destroy the evidence of rape.

Ernakulam rural SP Yathish Chandra GH however told Times of India that the police are yet to confirm whether the woman was raped. "It is a case of violent murder. Though the post-mortem report suggests chances of sexual assault or rape, we are waiting for a few laboratory results to confirm the same. We have ruled out chances of theft as the woman hailed from a very poor family. Various police teams constituted for the probe are fully engaged", said Yathish Chandra.

The woman's murder has become a political campaign issue in poll bound Kerala, which goes to poll on 16th of this month. A hashtag with girl's name is being used by CPI(M) led People News channel. However, the Congress led government and pro-UDF (the ruling coalition) media are playing down the incident.

The brutality of the murder has shocked Kerala and a lot of people on social media are using hashtags #JusticeFor... (girl's name), #JusticeForKeralaNirbhaya. It's only after intense social media campaign that the government has started to react.










Gagarin In Space: The Politics Of Cosmic Discovery

By Dr. Binoy Kampmark

03 May, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Aristotle thought notions of humanity as a supreme species atopos  absurd. In contrast, the Romans had a very defined term that distinguished humans as humans, impressive relative to other species: humanitas. Hannah Arendt, in considering these contrasts in Mans Conquest of Space, a piece penned for the American Scholar (Autumn, 1963), turned her mind to those questions that remain, more broadly speaking, the staple of inquiring minds: Has mans conquest of space increased or diminished his stature?

A difficult question indeed, especially for a species distinctly obsessed by anthropomorphic elements. While scientists like Max Planck urged that these elements be excised from the human imagination, the political and legal imagination was always going to be even less worthy. The scientific mind is naturally inquiring and expansive, the political-legal often opportunistic and calculating.

Not only were humans to be worshipped as the new navigators of the extra-terrestrial world after Yuri Gagarins April 12, 1961 flight into space; they would also be politicised, the daring heroes of races and countries keen on getting points up on each other.

The feat was engendered both terror and delight  science, appropriated for suitable political ends, had been brought into space like a boisterous statement of Soviet prowess and intent. Those in Freedoms Land were concerned that the dark Soviet machine had advanced with unstoppable menace. This was not what a supposedly primitive culture was supposed to do.

Even before Gagarin became the first human to make it into outer space (Russian conspiracy sites on this differ, claiming several unacknowledged cosmonauts), the ground, or in this case, celestial space, was already going to be the challenge. The Soviet Union had launched SPUTNIK 1 in October 1957. With inexorable logic, humans would follow. On February 25, 1960, twenty air force pilots between 25 to 35 were selected.

The return of those selected was hardly promising. Of the first 20, only 12 would fly. Eight never made it to space. Two engaged in a drink-fuelled brawl that led to their dismissal. Another was injured on being exposed to 8G in a centrifuge test. One also committed suicide.

With such blotted paper, the Chief Designer of the Soviet space program was relieved to hit upon Gagarin, deemed reliable and capable. On an adapted and refitted ICBM R-7 rocket, the young Soviet cosmonaut made a journey of Columbus-styled dimensions, even if his journey remained a puppeteer-directed effort on the part of ground control.

Cold War envy and fears did not make the announcement a pleasant one in the United States. First SPUTNIK, now this. Just tell me how to catch up, pleaded US President John F. Kennedy. Lets find somebody. Anybody. I dont care if the janitor over there has the answer, if he knows how. Knowledge moves in baffling ways indeed.

In May 1961, Alan Shepard became the retaliatory instrument of the US space effort, one that became known as the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission. Rather less impressively, he made it to 187 km above the Florida coast in an unspectacular 15 minute journey that involved no orbit.

Notwithstanding this, both men had been the guinea pigs of the broader scientific and political experiment on how far humanity could make it into space. It was true that strides were made in space biomedicine and linked sciences, but lurking in the background was the miasma of political motivation.

Legal squirreling and speculating was also taking place at the time. Having put humans into space, jurisprudence was called in to make claims and contentions about the next frontier of legal briefs and battles, the next ground of disagreement and rivalry.

In certain quarters, claimed a smug Jacek Machowski, counsellor to the Polish Mission to the United Nations, there still prevails an erroneous opinion that the conquest of outer space by man constitutes an exclusive domain of science and technology (Proceedings of the American Society of International Law at Its Annual Meeting, Apr 27-29, 1961).

Gagarins orbit did not merely open the heavens to human intrusion. It also opened them up to human contest requiring, according to Machowski, cooperation of experts in different fields, including law and politics. He would conclude with the now accepted notion that actions in space taken by a state in outer space against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other states would be violations of the UN Charter and a serious breach of international law.

The observation provided Leon Lipson of Yale Law School in the same proceedings a chance to ponder whether reconnaissance space satellites were legal or otherwise. Scientific space inquiry for its own sake was the least of his concern.

Should Gagarin, he posed, be considered an enterprising celestial pushing Charles Lindberg, or more along the lines of Francis Gary Powers, a US pilot shot down in his CIA U-2 spy plane over Soviet airspace the previous year? Both Powers and Gagarin flew over territory not within the jurisdiction of the government that sent them on their missions. And so the reductionist arguments continue.

In the 55th year after Gagarins outer space journey in a Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft, the Russian Space Agency proclaimed it The Year of Yuri Gagarin. Russian Roscomos released a statement as an open call to human curiosity. We invite all those who are interested in space, dream of distant planets and those for whom Russias space activities are a part of life to join us.

Reverting to type, however, the declaration of the year of Gagarin does come with its inescapable political import. Space is prowess, and challenging the heavens continues to be good for morale, and prestige on the ground.

On April 28, the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket was launched from Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russias Far Eastern Amur Region. The reason? To wean off Russias dependency on the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan, a venue that is being leased until 2050. Going into the cosmos was, and remains political.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com








Modernization Theory And Third Wave Democracy:

Internal And External Impediments To Democracy And Development

By Jon Kofas

03 May, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Introduction



Known mostly for The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order (1996) Samuel Huntington, like Francis Fukuyama (End of History and the Last Man, 1992), caught the interest of apologists of Western capitalisms triumph over Soviet Communism during the 1990s and early 2000s. The quest to articulate a unifying theory that explained the demise of the Cold War bi-polar world order based on the two superpowers and the emergence of the new multi-polar order led many Western scholars right back to Cold War assumptions about the importance of maintaining Western global hegemony in every area from determining the balance of power to the political economy.



This became especially important after 9/11 when the US institutionalized a counter-terrorism regime with Homeland Security, followed by a US-NATO war against Afghanistan and US war in Iraq. A permanent global war on terror, that replaced the old Cold War became the new rationale for perpetuating Pax Americana despite the realities of a US economy that could not possibly sustain such costs in the absence of downward socioeconomic mobility for its middle class and an unwinnable campaign focused on military solution to a political problem.



If jihadists carrying out unconventional attacks against US and its allies were the new enemies instead of Communists, then the US and its allies needed to construct a new ideological justification for an imperial reach. In this respect, a number of scholars, including Huntington provided the ideological ammunition Washington needed. Because globalization under neoliberal policies had been in effect already since the Reagan administration, the only question was to forge domestic and international political and a modicum of popular consensus for such policies.



At the same time, however, there was the question of the degree to which developing nations would be able to develop economically and democratize politically under a world order of Western imperial hegemony carrying out neoliberal policies to accommodate large capital at home and existing as well as new foreign investment. Globalization apologists promised that neo-liberalism would deliver these goals for the world, while at the same time they threw their support behind the war on terror as though it is just another conventional war with soldiers in a defined geographic location rather than dispersed in more than fifty countries.



This essay briefly examines how Modernization theory and the Third Wave Democracy thesis explain the evolution of the world political economy and how the empirical evidence in developing nations do not support the theory. I will analyze the inherent contradictions between the West publicly pledging to modernize and democratize the world when history has demonstrated that its imperial policies preclude both development and democratization. The essay concludes with the question of the degree to which modernization theory and the Third Wave democracy thesis explain the decline of democracy in the Western World and the concomitant decline of the middle class as the popular base of bourgeois democracy. In the interest of full disclosure, the theoretical framework of my scholarly work is based in part is the dependency school of thought and the structuralist interpretations usually associated with the UN Commission on Latin America.(1)



The Third Wave and the Modernization Theory as Cold War Democracy



Huntingtons, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century (1993) analyzes the transition from authoritarianism to 'democracy' in Portugal, Spain and Greece during the mid-1970s, in Latin America, Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan during the 1980s, and Eastern Europe after the Soviet bloc in the 1990s. The study is a theoretical attempt to analyze global trends and to attribute credit to the success of Americas transformation policy applied across the world since the end of WWII. Transformation policy as a means of integrating the world economically, politically and geopolitically under the aegis of the US as the Western superpower in a struggle against its rivals Russia and China marks its triumph at the time that Huntington was writing his Third Wave study.



The Third Wave thesis as an integral part of the post-WWII Modernization theory developed in the US amid the early Cold War to justify Pax Americanas global reach. In practice, US global reach has precluded democratization and development in periphery countries because of their economically dependent and politically and militarily subservient relationship with the advanced capitalist countries led by the US under a patron-client integration model. Even in traditional societies where Islam dominates such as those in the Middle East and North Africa had uprisings during the first half of the 2010s, the chance of their success was severely limited. This is because of opposition from the domestic elites including the military and the small capital class linked to Western interests, but also the US and its northwest European partners determined to impose their economic, political and military influence and deny national and popular sovereignty that would entail greater autonomy and less dependence on the West. (2)



It is important to emphasize that the definition of democracy by those embracing the Third Wave and Modernization theories is based on assumptions of American-style democracy equated with socioeconomic inequality and marked absence of social justice. This has been evident in the US socioeconomic structure historically with problems ranging from institutional racism and xenophobia to gender inequality, from the wealthy elites financing elected officials to political party establishment conducting policy to perpetuate an unequal and socially unjust society. (3)



Of course, this is not the case only in the US but across the developed nations where capitalism is equated with bourgeois democracy where citizens select among the competing elites presented to them by the established political parties inexorably linked to the socioeconomic elites. This is the position that Joseph Schumpeter argued in Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (1942) where he advanced the elite model of participatory democracy.



American and European scholars conducting research during the Cold War accepted without much criticism the Modernization theory using to explain the transition from traditional preindustrial societies to the modern industrial world. After all, if the non-Western areas did not industrialize and adopt Western liberal-bourgeois institutions it must be because the obstacles to development and democracy are internal and not because the West imposed colonial control, or divided them into spheres of influence. One reason that Modernization theory became popular immediately after WWII was that Westerners were encouraged by the defeat of the Axis Powers and the decolonization movements that followed after the end of the war. Condemning Stalinist Russia and its satellites, the same scholars, and along with them journalists and politicians assumed that democratization flows from the modernization development model, thus equating democracy with industrial and finance capitalism and its social order of inequality.

Like William McNeill (The Rise of the West, 1964) who embraced the modernization theory, Huntington believed that the different parts of the world democratize as they modernize in stages. This is a theory that assumes their integration into the American-dominated world economy, political and military network whose goal throughout the Cold War was to bring down the Soviet Union and perpetuate Pax Americana. Walt Rostow (Economic Stages of Growth, 1960) was an advocate of modernization and implicitly the waves theory that Huntington later articulated. Influential not just during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations throughout the second half of the 20th century among politicians, Rostows thesis was part of the mainstream in media and academia.

Like the paternalistic assumptions of Modernization theory with its categorical political goal, Rostows stages of growth theory implied that development entails diffusion emanating from the core (advanced capitalist countries) to the periphery (less developed); in other words, an endorsement of imperialism justified in the name of anti-Communism and a single path to development and democracy. Included in Rostows stages of economic growth and Huntingtons 'Third Wave' thesis is the transition from traditional society to democracy only in theory.

In reality, the transition has been from corrupt clientist authoritarian regimes to corrupt semi-democratic ones under integration into the US-dominated economic and geopolitical global framework. In all cases without exception, countries falling into the Third Wave and Modernization theory framework in their political institutions became even more thoroughly dependent economically. This is as true for Latin America under US hegemony since the Spanish-American War as for Africa, Asia and Eastern and southeastern Europe under northwest European dominant influence. Post-Cold War regional economic blocs have been dominated by the US, German-dominated Europe Union, and Japan and more recently China competing with the core countries in the world economy for spheres of influence and market share. (4)

If we accept the Modernization and Third Wave theories, then we accept the assumptions of Joseph Schumpeter (Democratic Method, 1947 and Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy) that democracy does not entail popular sovereignty and social justice, but it is simply an institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions  presumably through consensus by the socioeconomic and political elites in which individuals acquire power to determine who captures the popular vote. In other words, this is a top down process not very different than corporations competing for a consumer base where the consumer is able to choose corporation A vs. B.



Even if we accept this definition and Huntingtons argument that the First Wave of minimal democracy in the 19th century to the second wave after WWII and the defeat of the Axis Powers, elements of authoritarianism existed within Western Democracies, especially the US that excluded minorities from the institutional mainstream. Unless one invokes the doctrine of American Exceptionalism both in foreign affairs as well as US apartheid practices with regard to Native Americans and Africa-Americans, democracy explained by Modernization theory provides a distorted picture of what has actually taken place throughout history.(5)



Studies carried out by scholars and institutions such as the World Bank on the correlation between high income level countries and democracy, and low-income level countries and authoritarianism throughout the Cold War contend that the catalyst to democracy is a viable middle class, not social justice and equality. Of course, it is possible to have an ascendant middle class without democracy as has been in the case of China, thus proving the middle class-democracy correlation is not necessarily true. (6)



It is interesting to note that the same studies linked traditional societies, especially Islamic ones where religion was at the core of the value system and institutional structure, as less compatible with democracy while secular societies much more so.

Western scholars assume compatibility between Christianity and democracy while rejecting the same when it comes to Islam and Eastern religions, despite the empirical reality if India where Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam are the main religions. (7) When it comes to the most populous Muslim nations of Indonesia, Western critics praise the compatibility of Islam and democracy because the country has embraced globalization and Westernization. Along similar lines, the West has historically embraced Turkey, a NATO member and candidate for the EU, despite its Muslim heritage and traditions.

The Third Wave, Arab Revolution and Counter-Revolution

At the cultural level and to a degree social level, there has been greater 'pluralism' in societies that transitioned during the 'Third Wave' because of decolonization following WWII. However, this has not translated to greater popular sovereignty and social justice comparable to what the Scandinavian countries enjoy, and after the austerity of 2010 there has been a decline both in democracy and living standards in countries that were part of the Third Wave Democracy trend.



During the Third Wave with Portugals Carnation Revolution 1974, women and minorities acquired more rights; human rights became a basic component of government, freedom of the press and assembly was a reality. From the 1980s until the Great recession of 2008 there was upward social mobility in southern Europe. Largely because living standards needed to be raised for the periphery countries to qualify entranced into the euro zone after under Maastricht Treaty conditions as established in 1992, northwest European countries adopted an interdependent integration model rather than the patron-client model the US pursued in its relationship with Mexico under NAFTA.(8)



After the austerity that the EU and IMF imposed on the periphery in 2010, it also imposed the patron-client model of integration that reduced the southern and eastern European members of the zone into subservient status serving the interests of the northwest core. This new model has meant decline not just in living standards but in social mobility for college graduates most of whom are unable to find employment in their fields of study if at all; weaker welfare state and trade unions, and weaker democratic institutions as there has been a transition from the welfare state to corporate welfare under the advocacy of neoliberals that includes the IMF and the European Central Bank. The benefits of the Third Wave in the periphery countries of Europe accrued mostly to those in the upper income groups and not across the board, and certainly there were not sustainable as the post-2008 recession crisis has proved. (9)



Whether part of the Third Wave or not, developing nations have compromised their sovereignty by surrendering to the globalized market economy to a much greater degree than they had in some cases under authoritarian regimes that tended to support 'national capitalism' more than international capitalism. This is as true of Eastern Europe as it is of Latin America. The people of Portugal, Greece and Spain, all previously under authoritarian regimes that were part of the 'Third Wave' continue to elect their national leaders who only follow and execute policies in accordance with the rules of the market economy and under considerable pressure from the US and EU directly or indirectly through the IMF, World Bank, OECD, European Central Bank.



To what degree do Portugal, Greece and Spain enjoy national sovereignty when the monetary and fiscal policy that impact living standards and result in social engineering comes as a result of what the IMF, central banks, and the domestic and foreign financial elites? The ballot box gives the illusion of freedom of political choice and popular sovereignty when all aspects of the citizens life are surrendered to an institutional structure under the control of the financial elites whose interests the political class serves. The national economy and public finances are surrendered to national and global finance capitalism that operates with comprador bourgeoisie at the national level. This is especially true in Greece, one of the Third Wave countries reduced to a virtual semi-colony under IMF-German imposed austerity since 2010. (10)

If the 'Third Wave' did not result in the type of social justice that one would associate with a Norwegian model of democracy but rather with a Latin American one, why would the imaginary 'Fourth Wave' be any different taking place now in the Middle East, especially after the failed uprisings that NATO countries and regional players like Saudi Arabia subverted as part of a counter-revolution that followed? Furthermore, the suggestion that modernization can come solely or primarily as a result of diffusion of 'ideas' from the West to the rest of the world is in many respects a reflection of Western imperialism, merely another version of Kiplings White Mans Burden thesis.

The assumption among many Westerners arguing that Muslim countries are or ought to be undergoing democratization is based on the Western model of liberal bourgeois democracy under the neoliberal economic model that favors international finance capital. Even the Third Wave is not based on assumptions of social, economic, and political equality or grassroots democracy, any more than it is based on self-sustaining horizontal economic and social development. Considering the assumptions of Third Wave about democracy of limited popular and national sovereignty, then the Afro-Arab Spring uprisings were probably more successful than it may appear on the surface. (11)

There are several hundred books dealing with Afro-Arab Spring uprisings, as well as counter-revolution leading to even greater political instability, polarization and socioeconomic inequality than before. This is not only the case in Libya and Egypt, but across all countries that tried to have genuine grassroots revolts. Most authors agree these were indeed unfinished revolutions and subverted by forces other than the grassroots participants who were themselves ideologically and politically divided on what kind of regime they wanted. The democratization wave was never given a chance to evolve because domestic elites, neighboring states among them Saudi Arabia fearing any spillover impact of political change as well as the US and its European allies played a role in undermining the popular movements through various means including NGOs posing as friendly democratic entities. (12)



The grassroots movement to democratize Egypt failed after former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi muscled his way into power. Despite the veneer of the electoral process, the reality since 2013 has been repression of the Muslim Brotherhood and secular Egyptians wishing popular sovereignty rather than a military-dominated state. Nevertheless, President al-Sisi insists his government is democratic, despite ruling by decree. Western governments back him despite Human Rights Watch and other independent organizations condemning the regimes as repressive. Not much different than Mubaraks authoritarian regime, Sisi is following an existing pattern of cronyism. Because Sisi has cooperated with the West on geopolitical issues and is not confrontational toward Israel like Iran, and because he has worked with the IMF and is open to foreign capital and neoliberal policies that have resulted in sharp cuts in subsidies and other welfare state measures, Western politicians, media and pundits view Egypt more favorably as democratic than Iran that has only recently agreed to economic integration with the West and cooperation on the nuclear weapons development issue; this despite the fact that Iran has been fighting against al-Qaeda and ISIS. (13)



Regardless of how Western powers view social movements in Islamic countries and how they try to manipulate them so they could exert hegemonic influence, Islam as a coherent ideological force is an integral part, but not the only one, of societal issues intertwined with the faith, especially in Egypt where the Islamic Brotherhood played a key role. This was also the case in Yemen, Tunisia and everywhere where grassroots movements took place during Arab Spring. In the absence of a secular political ideology, religious doctrine is what the masses rally around, Islam played a catalytic role, although various religious factions  sectarian politics especially Sunni vs. Shiite - were engaged in a struggle for dominant influence and control.

The Arab Spring uprisings were heterogeneous in their ideological orientation, as much as the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that the Shiite clergy eventually dominated and used to create an Islamic Republic. Precisely because of the heterogeneous nature of opposition to authoritarian regimes in Islamic countries reflecting largely the urban-secular middle class vs. the rural and some urban traditional masses clinging to Islam as the unifying force in society it became easier for the armed forces as in Egypt or comprador bourgeois class linked to foreign interests to prevail over the disparate masses. The question for the advocates of Modernization theory is whether revolution inspired by Islam intended to bring about social justice to society fits the theory, a question that a number of scholars raise as they try to place Arab Spring into a theoretical framework. (14)

By August 2013 the counterrevolution was in full swing with the backing of the US northwest Europe, and reactionary Arab regimes. In Egypt the duly-elected government of Mohammad Morsi was toppled and the Raaba Massacre took place resulting in more than 1000 people dead all in an effort to crush the Muslim Brotherhoods rise to power. Although this massacre was far worse than Tiananman Square (1989), there was hardly the US or European outcry against it because the West and its regional Middle East allies did not want democracy in Egypt any more than they did in the region as a whole. Whereas the Western media, politicians, pundits, and various apologists of Western capitalism vociferously condemned the Chinese government for crushing democratic protests in 1989, the reaction in 2013 by the same sources was one of outrage for the massacre but support for law and order against Egyptian democratic protesters because they Muslim Brotherhood elements viewed with suspicion as potential jihadists. (15)



Using the jihadist theme, implicitly intertwined with the war on terror, as the explanation for siding with the new elites that emerged from counterrevolution, analysts argued that there must be an alternative to jihad as the opposition force to regimes  authoritarian or elected - closely integrated with Western interests and policies. Crony capitalism that existed before Arab Spring continued after the dust settled, just as the Western influence that existed before remained very much alive in geopolitical and economic domains. Post-Islamism manifesting itself in the rise of urbanization and youths embracing the new communications technology as a means of grassroots organizing and consciousness-raising was just one factor in the revolts during the first half of the 2010s. This does not mean that there is a shortage of hypocrisy on the part of leaders in the opposition embracing the uprising in the name of Islam any more than on the part of rulers claiming to defend the faith. Piety has its limits when it comes to political goals as much in the Islamic Middle East, as in the Christian West. Nevertheless, there is no stigma of jihadist terrorism attached to Christianity and Judaism. Whereas the identity of a Muslim emanates from the faith as well as the nation-state, social status and lesser factors, the identity of a Christian in France or US is rooted in multiple institutions mostly secular, that may or may not include nation-state and faith.

Accepting some of the theoretical assumptions of the Modernization theory, French-Moroccan author Rachid Benzine emerged in Europe as a representative of the Arab Spring generation to articulate the events and dynamics in North Africa and the Middle East in the early 21st century. Following a long-standing tradition started by Bernard Lewis, Fazlur Rahman, and Edward Said who was a critic of conventional scholarship, Benzine argued that the failure of the Arab world, and more widely the Islamic world, to undergo an intellectual revolution (Renaissance and Enlightenment like Europe), invariably linked to social development, owed to a 'misreading' of the Koran and in failing to recognize and respond to specific historical situations? (16)

As a traditional society that has not undergone a Renaissance, a Scientific Revolution, an Age of Reason and Industrial Revolution, and in addition it has been subject to foreign conquest that imposed monocultural economic structures (export-oriented economies), the Arab world finds itself confronting the contradictions of wanting to preserve its cultural identity on the one hand, keeping up with the western world on the other in order to lessen exploitation of its resources and labor, and strengthen national sovereignty, while finding it impossible to avoid integration into the world-system of the market economy which entails dependency at some level.

Embracing Modernization theory as a framework to understand Arab Spring in essence suggests trying to fit Islamic institutions and society into a secularized Western-dominated world is not revolutionary, but actually conservative. Is Egypt and the entire Islamic world part of a 'Fourth Wave' toward democracy and development merely another dream designed for the convenience of those who want to make sense of events and be optimistic that the modernization theory works - equating modernization with Western concepts of bourgeois capitalism? 'Transformation policy' that the US began implementing after WWII as a means to integrate the rest of the world into the global system of capitalist institutions was inevitable not just for Egypt, but the entire Arab world, as the counterrevolutions proved once the dust settled and regime change took hold. (17)

In the absence of a regional (Middle Eastern-North African) economic bloc, in the absence of some revival of Nasser's dream for Afro-Arab solidarity with a multilateral foreign economic policy as leverage in the international arena, Egypt along with the rest of the Islamic world will remain thoroughly integrated into the capitalist system as it was under Mubarak who had set up his own fiefdom and made billions in the process. The only question is what leverage does Egypt or any Islamic countries have? As much the US, as the Europeans and Chinese demand that Islamic nations conform to the rules of the marketplace, to the IMF and World Bank, to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and that they observe all of its foreign treaty and other obligations; exactly as the US demanded from the Egyptian army under Sisi so that the foreign aid can continue pouring in under Obama, despite human rights violations.(18)

Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, and the entire Arab world, will remain Western dependencies in most cases worse off than before Arab Spring, with the possible exception of Tunisia despite more than 6000 Tunisians joining ISIS in a nation with about 16% unemployment rate and per capita GDP average of just under $11,400 or 65% of the worlds average in PPP terms. External dependency on the core countries entails few changes in the status quo throughout the Arab world; merely enough to satisfy those that have fought to end authoritarianism in some countries, while disappointing to the vast majority.

While it would be a great development to have greater social justice, more respect for women and broader observance of human rights in general, the trend for the Middle East is westernization through commercialism - consumer products and services, pop cultural influences, telecommunications, media and technology - which entails influencing the value system so that gradually Islamic countries becoming more like Turkey that seeks full membership in the European Union and Indonesia inviting foreign capital investment. This subtle form of infringement on Muslim sovereignty to which Arabs object for economic, political and cultural/religious reasons comes slowly, and it contributes to popular uprisings. Along with the broader recognition that the Muslim world is made up mostly of poor people, while the Christian West is prosperous, immersed in materialistic, hedonistic values and lifestyles, there needs to be a realization that the Christian West has been profiting off the Muslim Middle East since the Treaty of Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca (1774). The closely integrated globalized economy entails withering cultural identities and that is the case in the Muslim world where just beneath the relative calm a new wave of social uprisings is brewing and will explode eventually.

Undermining Self-determination and Popular Sovereignty in Traditional Societies

According to the Modernization theory obstacles to democracy and progress are all internal, resting within national borders. The US government, politicians, media and pundits have been claiming ever since Wilsons Missionary Diplomacy (denying recognition to Mexico and Latin American government if their policies were antithetical to American interests) that the goal is to spread freedom and democracy throughout the world. The record of US foreign policy especially toward developing countries since the Spanish-American War has demonstrated that the US accomplishes the exact opposite of the stated goal because democracy in less developed countries minimizes US economic and geopolitical influence in those countries. As the following list of CIA operations that undermined democracy indicates, the US was hardly a promoter of democracy as the advocates of Modernization theory and those claiming the only goal is freedom and democracy claim.

1. Italy 1948 elections sabotaged by CIA to make sure that the pro-US Christian Democrat Party;

2. Iran 1953 CIA-engineered coup that results in the overthrow of duly-elected Mohammed Mossadeq;

3. Guatemala 1954 CIA-engineered coup that results in the overthrow of duly elected Jacobo Arbenz and the installation of a pro-US military dictatorship;

4. Dominican Republic 1961 CIA assassinates a formerly-backed pro-US dictator Rafael Trujillo,

5. Congo (Zaire) 1961 the CIA assassinates democratically-elected president Patrice Lumumba.

6. Ecuador 1961 CIA forces democratically-elected president Jose Velasco to resign.

7. Brazil 1964 CIA-backed military coup if democratically elected Joao Goulart ;

8. Indonesia 1965 the CIA helps overthrow democratically elected President Sukarno and replaces him with the dictator Suharto who went on a reign of terror against his political opponents;

9. Greece 1967 the CIA helps to remove the duly-elected government of George Papandreou and back a military Junta for the next seven years;

10. Chile 1973 the CIA overthrows democratically-elected Salvador Allende.

The above list includes only the most blatant cases of US intervention and does not list military interventions or countries where the US backed authoritarian regimes, including South Africa under apartheid regimes. (19)



Even in cases where there have not been counterinsurgency operations but direct or indirect military intervention, from Vietnam to Nicaragua, from Iraq to Afghanistan, from Libya to Syria, the net result is greater destabilization under a new type of authoritarian regime. Just two days after Vice President Joe Biden visited Iraq to announce an additional 250 US troops, mass demonstrators stormed the fortified Green Zone on 30 April 2016 in a show of popular anger against the corrupt, unrepresentative and ineffective regime that the US set up. Although these were backers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who has been calling for sweeping reforms, the reality is that US invasion and occupation left the country utterly devastated and it will take decades for it to recover, let alone become free and democratic as the US government argued it was there to deliver. Despite Washingtons shallow claims that its goal is freedom and democracy, its actual goal is economic, political and economic integration under American aegis in an era of intense global competition owing to Chinas ascendancy. (20)



Considering that there has been a long-standing policy of subverting national and popular sovereignty abroad because it clashes US and more broadly Western corporate and geopolitical interests, how do we reconcile the Modernization theory with the empirical reality of American foreign policy record? Under the aegis of the US, Wall Street, and international finance capital, IMF austerity programs since the early 1950s have been responsible throughout the developing countries of undermining democracy by lowering living standards for the working class and the middle class. If external economic and financial intervention thwarts economic development and democracy, how can advocates of Modernization theory argue that all obstacles to development are internal? (21)



Because Modernization theory advocates accept the capitalist political economy as natural, they do not analyze how austerity policies result in downward socioeconomic mobility and polarized sociopolitical conditions that either takes place under authoritarian or semi-authoritarian conditions or result in such regimes. IMF austerity is intended to concentrate capital among the domestic elites and foreign corporations, thus resulting in diminished democratic commitment of regimes that carry it out. In the process, the middle class and workers become disillusioned and often turn to right wing or left wing political parties or movements, abandoning the bourgeois consensus of the liberal center. This is as much the case in the EUs periphery countries since 2010 as it has been the case in developing nations from the 1950s to the present. (22)



In addition to monetarist austerity that results in further capital concentration and weaker middle class and working class, the neoliberal policies of weakening the welfare state to strengthen corporate welfare while strengthening defense have also accounted for increased political orientation toward the politics of illiberal democracy. In an integrated world dominated by core countries led by the US as the worlds largest military power compelling both allies and foes to spend more on defense that deprives the civilian economy of resources it is simply naive to claim that the sources of undemocratic regimes are archaic traditions and non-Western religions when it is in fact Western governments and the considerable power that multinational corporations enjoy over governments. (23)



Neo-liberalism and the Decline of Democracy in Core Countries



The triumph of the capitalist West over the Communist bloc coinciding with the global economic ascendancy of China has actually delivered less democracy, greater socioeconomic and political polarization, fewer human rights, and decline in social justice under the neoliberal model of development. How do we then reconcile the Modernization theory that assumes a Hegelian model of steady economic development and democratization under capitalism and the Third Wave that assumes developing countries emulate the Western political economic model when the same is showing very clear signs of fracture? Even if one accepts Modernization theory and Huntingtons Third Wave Democracy as theoretical frameworks to explain development and evolution toward bourgeois democracy, how do we explain the decline of democracy in the advanced capitalist countries since the end of the Cold War? On the 25th anniversary of Fukuyamas The End of History, The Atlantic published an article arguing that history isnt over, and neither liberalism nor democracy is ascendant. (24)



As much in Europe as in the US, right-wing populist demagogues are challenging bourgeois political elites that come from the business elites, or become wealthy in the process and join the business elites in the pursuit of neoliberal policies that concentrate wealth? While a handful of billionaires own most of the worlds wealth, the corporate owned media has moved to the right as much in the US as in Europe, paying only lip service to political correctness regarding racism, xenophobia, while hammering at the rights of workers and all issues pertaining to social justice while defending neo-liberalism. This has in turn emboldened extreme right wing groups whose differences are not so distinct from mainstream conservative political parties.(25)



According to a State Department public opinion poll in 2000, Europeans and Americans generally favored globalization. By 2014, things had changed largely because the Great Recession (2008) resulted in massive income transfer from the middle class and workers and into the pockets of the top one percent income earners. A Pew Research poll in 2014 found that only 17% of Americans believed that (free) trade leads to higher wages, and only 28% believed that foreign companies buying US companies was good for the country, thus reflecting a sharp rise in economic nationalist sentiment. (26)



Anti-globalization from the right in the US as well as Europe comes in the form of opposition to trade agreements favoring large multinational corporations at the expense of the national economy. Just as the right wing is split on the issue of globalization, it is so split on the issue of regional military blocs, especially NATO and the burden of its costs. The neo-isolationist foreign policy agenda of a number of Republicans in the US, including Donald Trump reflects exactly this trend. Although it is unlikely the US will isolate itself from military blocs any more than it will retreat from globalization despite the costs to its public debt and shrinking middle class, these matters will only become more pronounced as Asia assumes an increasingly dominant role in the world economy and outcries about costs and benefits become louder. (27)



With a history of fascism and authoritarianism, Europe has extremist political groups that emerged on anti-Islam, anti-foreign, anti-progressive platforms designed to attract the masses guided by fear, ignorance, and insecurity about the future as well as assertion of cultural/ethnic identity myths. Right wing populist demagogues tend to become increasingly part of the mainstream. With each cyclical economic crisis that leaves people questioning the present and longing for 'the good old days' of 'traditionalism' when the masses obeyed authority and the social order worked just great as far as the elites were concerned, Europe and the US will become more right wing because this is where the media and the elites will lead the masses. The debate not just among Americans but also European political elites regarding isolationism and economic nationalism reflects a concern that globalization increasingly favors China and other non-Western countries rather than the West that enjoyed global economic hegemony from the end WWII until the end of the Cold War. (28)



Many in the West were caught up in the enthrallment of the moment when the Soviet bloc came down and George H. W. Bush proclaimed the New World Order in his State of the Union address. The media and pundits were predicting the end of history and the end of ideology. Twenty-five years after Bushs New World Order speech, these same people cannot explain why Europe and the US have been taking a turn toward the politics of the illiberal democracy and a quasi-authoritarian system has emerged. Why is it that so many scholars are convinced that not just the US has lapsed into a surveillance regime spying on its own citizens and increasingly relying on police state methods that violate the Constitution, but Europe has become much more rightist in its ideological and political orientation? (29)



Much is defaulted to the war on terror and Muslim refugees that the war on terror. Some blame the interventionist Western foreign policy toward Syria, Iraq and the entire Muslim World at a time that the Western economies were less competitive with those of Asia. As much in Eastern Europe as in Western that claims greater tolerance and democratic commitment, public opinion polls indicate a sharp rise in xenophobia directed especially at Muslim migrants and viewing Islam in general as a threat. Perceptions are not much different in the US especially among Republicans voters considering the medias demonization of Muslims as the new existential threat that replaced Communism. (30)

Waning of democracy in a socio-politically polarized society is a reality throughout the Western World, thus obviating not just the End of History thesis that so many have criticized but also the Modernization theory and Huntingtons waves of democracy thesis. In the next contracting economic cycle, there will be further erosion of what people associate with 'bourgeois democracy' and a greater tilt toward authoritarianism concealed beneath the facade of democracy. What happens to the social fabric if during the next contracting cycle Western democracies will need to spend more than half of the GDP to bailout corporations while still maintaining high defense spending? What signal does this send to the rest of the world about the Western political economy and institutions? Western democracy as the world knew it in the second half of the 20th century is rapidly sinking toward quasi-authoritarianism while maintaining a facade of freedom and democracy. (31)

Will greater social justice and popular sovereignty evolve as a result of the contradictions that develop within the market economy and the emerging social structure to which such a political economy gives birth? Social discontinuity is unfolding before our eyes so slowly so cannot see it. All empirical evidence indicates that the neoliberal model is leading toward varieties of authoritarianism. The irrelevant vacuous theoretical rhetoric of the Modernization theory, Third Wave Democracy, End of History are intended to obfuscate the empirical realities of peoples material lives when history has proved Joseph Schumpeter correct. Democracy is simply an electoral process where citizens have the right to select competing elites whose goal is to perpetuate their economic, social and political privileges.

Jon Kofas is a retired university Professor from Indiana University.



NOTES



1. Jon V. Kofas, The Sword of Damocles: US Financial Hegemony in Chile and Colombia. 2003; Jon V. Kofas, Independence from America: Global Integration and Inequality, 2005.

2. Nils Gilman, Mandarins of the Future: Modernization Theory in Cold War America, 2007; Edward D. Gonzalez-Acosta, CENTRAL AMERICA - CAFTA and the U.S. Patron-Client Relationship with Dominican Republic and Central America. 24 May 2007, http://www.alterinfos.org/spip.php?article1385; Rhoda H. Halperin, Cultural Economies Past and Present, 1994.

3. G. Williams Domhoff, Myth of Liberal Ascendancy: Corporate Dominance from the Great Depression to the Great Recession, 2013.

4. Raymond Lotta, World Economy and Great Power Rivalry: The Challenge to U.S. Global Dominance. http://www.globalresearch.ca/world-economy-and-great-power-rivalry-the-challenge-to-u-s-global-dominance/9747.

5. Michael Kennedy and Miguel Centeno, Internationalism and Global Transformations in American Sociology 680-85, in Sociology in America: A History ed. by Craig Calhoon, 2007.

6. Jie Chen, A Middle Class Without Democracy: Economic Growth and the Prospects for Democratization in China, 2014.

7. Daniel Lerner, The Passing of Traditional Society: Modernizing the Middle East, 1958; Hermant Shah, The Production of Modernization: Daniel Lerner, Mass Media and the Passing of Traditional Society, 2011.

8. F. A. Lopez, et al eds, Transitions from Dictatorships to Democracy, 2016.

9. http://archive.intereconomics.eu/year/2013/6/inequality-in-europe-what-can-be-done-what-should-be-done/; James Wickham, Unequal Europe: Social Divisions in an Old Continent, 2016.

10. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11736779/Greece-is-being-treated-like-a-hostile-occupied-state.html.

11. Said Amir Arjomand, ed. The Arab Revolution of 2011: A Comparative Perspective, 2015, 233-35.

12. M. A. Mohamed Salih, Economic Development and Political Action in the Arab World, 2014; Fatima al-Samak, Islam and Democracy: An Obscure Relationship, in http://www.al-islam.org/articles/islam-and-democracy-an-obscure-relationship-fatima-al-samak.

13. Rula Jebreal, Its Time for the US to Support Democracy, Not Dictatorship, in Egypt. (June 5, 2015 )http://www.thenation.com/article/its-time-us-support-democracy-not-dictatorship-egypt/;

14. http://projekter.aau.dk/projekter/en/studentthesis/the-arab-spring--in-egypt%283c923170-55d5-4190-b469-744f5e79d4d6%29.html; http://www.ethicsandinternationalaffairs.org/2013/the-arab-spring-two-years-on-reflections-on-dignity-democracy-and-devotion-full-text/

15. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/egypt-sisi-criticism-accepted-150609102315807.html.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/08/12/egypts-tiananmen; http://www.worldbulletin.net/news-analysis/164428/how-long-will-el-sisi-commit-murder-of-democracy-in-egypt.

16. http://www.bruzz.be/en/stage/rachid-benzine-women-and-revolution; Rachid Benzine, Les nouveaux penseurs de l'islam,2004.

17. Ahmed Bensaada, Arabesque$: Enquete sur le role des Etats-Unis dans les revoltes arabes, 2015.

18. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-usa-aid-idUSKCN0T22E520151113; http://www.forbes.com/sites/charlestiefer/2015/04/07/us-military-aid-for-al-sisi-in-egypt-state-dept-fails-to-review/#9a093236c7f3

19. http://www.salon.com/2014/03/08/35_countries_the_u_s_has_backed_international_crime_partner/; http://www.globalresearch.ca/a-timeline-of-cia-atrocities/5348804.

20. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/04/30/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iraq.html?_r=0.

21. Shaun Ferguson, Diagnosing Constraints to Industrialization in the Arab World and Alfredo Saad-Silho, Transcending Neoliberalism through Pro-Poor and Democratic Economic Development Strategies in Development Challenges and Solutions After Arab Spring, ed. Ali Kadri, 2016).

22. S. B. Kaplan, Globalization and Austerity Politics in Latin America, 2013; Lorenzo Smaghi, Austerity: European Democracies Against the Wall, 2013.

23. https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/04/06/19532/global-military-spending-increasing; http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/23/us-nato-members-increase-defence-spending.

24. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/09/its-still-not-the-end-of-history-francis-fukuyama/379394/

25. http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160114/1033149776/europe-rise-of-right-wing-parties-eu-failure.html; T. Akkerman, et al., Radical Right-Wing Parties in Western Europe: Into the Mainstream? 2016.

26. http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2001/09/fall-globaleconomics-kull; http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/16/most-of-the-world-supports-globalization-in-theory-but-many-question-it-in-practice/.

27. http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/the-decline-of-western-influence.

28. Marcos, Ancelovic, Organizing against Globalization: the Case of ATTAC in France. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240698093_Organizing_against_Globalization_the_Case_of_ATTAC_in_France.

29. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/islam-under-fire-europes-two-biggest-nations. Republicans also are more likely than Democrats to say they are very concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism in the world (83% vs. 53%) and in the U.S. (65% vs. 38%), according to a December 2015 survey. That survey also found that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say that Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers (68% vs. 30% of Democrats) and that Muslims should be subject to more scrutiny than people of other religions (49% vs. 20%). http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/07/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/

30. Tom Engelhrtd, Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World, 2014; http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21651817-america-argues-anew-over-how-much-snooping-nsa-can-do-reviewing-surveillance-state

31. Ernesto Gallo and Giovanni Biava, Democracy in the Asian Century Open Democracy, 18 February 2014, https://www.opendemocracy.net/ernesto-gallo-giovanni-biava/democracy-in-asian-century.










Washington Brings Regime Change To Venezuela

By Paul Craig Roberts

03 May, 2016

Paulcraigroberts.org

According to President Obama, the worlds only superpower, the unipower, the exceptional country is threatened by small Venezuela in South America !

In an executive order last year, renewed this year, President Obama declared Venezuela to be an unusual and extraordrinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States and declared a national emergency to counter the Venezuelan threat

( http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2016/03/03/obama-extends-order-declaring-venezuela-national-security-threat/ ).

This manufactured extraordinary threat serves as the Obama regimes excuse for overthrowing President Maduro in Venezuela. It is a Washington tradition to overthrow elected Latin American governments that try to represent the interest of the people, and not the interest of US corporations and banks.

I wrote about Washingtons attack on Latin American reformers on April 11 (http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/04/11/washington-continues-to-destroy-latin-american-reformers-paul-craig-roberts/) and on April 22

(http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/04/22/washington-launches-its-attack-against-brics-paul-craig-roberts/).

Decades ago US Marine General Smedley Butler confessed that he was a gangster for capitalism, imposing the will of New York Banks and the United Fruit Company on Latin American countries by force of arms.

In his book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins reports the 1981 assassinations of Panama President Omar Torrijos and Ecuador President Jaime Roldos, both of whom got in the way of US corporate interests.

After being duly demonized by the US media, in 2009 Honduras President Manuel Zelaya, who thought that Honduras should be for Hondurans and not for the United Fruit Company, was overthrown in a military coup greenlighted by President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The president chosen by the people was replaced with Roberto Micheletti, a tool of US corporations, chosen by Washington.

Washington has been conducting economic warfare against Venezuela in order to undermine

President Maduros public support. The media is controlled by the elite and blames Maduro for the economic problems caused by Washington.

Washington has succeeded in having its agents among the elite regain control of Venezuelas National Assembly. A recall attempt is underway against Maduro. It is possible that confused Venezuelans will cut their own throats by returning to power the elite that has traditionally oppressed them.

Washington tried to destabilize Iran with the Washington-funded Green Revolution, but it

did not work. Both Russia and China open themselves to destabilization by hosting Washington-funded Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), participating in Western economic institutions, and permitting foreign investment.

Washington has had success in entangling Russia and China in Western economic institutions and economic ways of thinking that put the two countries independence at risk.

Considering the control freak character of Washington, Russian President Putin should be on his guard against assassination. In the neoconservative drive for US world hegemony, no means are impermissible.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West, How America Was Lost, and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order.












Amidst spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar's claim that he refused to accept Nobel Peace Prize, a 2010 blog, written by a whistleblower on a site "seeking" to open dialogue with former Art of Living (AOL) members and currently doubting ones, is being quoted to point towards how Sri Sri was very feverish about getting a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. In September 2004, this blog claims, All AOL centres received an email saying that the Nobel Peace Prize Project (NPPP) has been launched with Gurujis designation of an international team to work quickly and quietly on this initiative.It insisted, it was necessary to "initially to work with Peter Payoyo, overall coordinator, Netherlands; Christopher Kiran Byrt, Norway; Christoph Glaser, Switzerland; Werner Luedemann, Germany; Ewald Poeran, Netherlands; and Fahri Saatcioglu, Norway.The blog quotes the email as saying, We urge everyone to be very discreet about this matter. It is the standard policy of the Nobel Committee that nominators and nominees must not publish nor advertise their nominations. Gurujis nomination will be unnecessarily jeopardized if we allow the NPP Project to be exposed publicly. So let us all just keep the smile, keep the silence, and wish for the best.A model nomination letter was sent out to all the centres, the blogger says. Thus, an email warned, The model nomination letter circulated earlier (Word document: Example and Elements of a Model Nomination Letter) is for your guidance only. Use this document to get a general idea about the particular nomination letter which you need to draft, when this drafting is called for. The model nomination letter should NOT be copied verbatim.Another email, quoted by the blogger, says, The National Coordinator will act as a focal person for our collective efforts and will become part of the global coordination network to assist in Gurujis NPP nomination.The person who sent the email said, In the coming days and weeks, I and the other members of the International Coordination Team will be calling you individually by phone so that we may be able to share personal updates about progress made on the project.Suggesting that the spiritual guru personally took interest in the project, the blogger quotes an email as saying, Yesterday in Brussels, I had the opportunity to talk to Guruji about our project. His message and his blessing to all of us is: Let us work harder and give our very best to come up with many NPP nomination letters.A second email said, Guruji met with of the NPP Project Coordination Team last Saturday afternoon in his room in the Ashram at Bad Antogast, Germany. The members of the team that went to see him were Christoph Glasser, Werner Luedemann, Ewald Poeran, and myself. Also in attendance in the meeting were some Art of Living colleagues who had an interest in the project.And a third one said, Guruji expressed satisfaction on the fact that we have secured at least 130 confirmed nominations as of Saturday morning. It was mentioned to him there were four heads of government (one president and three Prime Ministers) who have supported his nomination so far. It was also mentioned that many more new nominations will be secured in the coming days.
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. speaks at a news conference in Washington, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Why do you support Bernie Sanders?

"One, he wants to legalize marijuana, first of all" said Dani Wert, one of the thousands of Evansville residents standing in a looping line outside Old National Events Plaza Monday morning, waiting to hear Bernie Sanders speak.

Wert wasn't the only person in line who supported legal weed. One young guy, standing less than five feet from a police officer, held a sign emblazoned with a pot leaf. "Burn one for Bernie," it read. And if you didn't get that subtle message, he helpfully added "420" at the bottom.

Why else? I asked.

Wert struggled for an answer. To paraphrase Obscure Saxophonist Bill Clinton, I felt her pain. Evansville has been infested with national candidates in the days leading up to a strange primary. Clinton, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Sanders had all visited within the span of a week, and I was getting election-exhausted. If some pale newspaper columnist had shoved a recorder in my face at 8 a.m., I would have smashed it to shreds and bounded off into the gray morning like a drug-addled ape.

I can't imagine the physic terror experienced by local reporters in New Hampshire. They have to deal with this tripe every four years. Do they, like me, develop serious cases of hypochondria? Do they read a magazine article about the signs of preterm labor and say, "I think I have that!"

"I'm being put on blast here. I don't know," she said.

A friend of hers got my attention. She circled her index finger over Wert and another young woman standing nearby.

"Plus," the friend said. "Gay."

"Right. And this is my girlfriend," Wert said, putting her arm around the young woman. "And I love how (Bernie) respects my sexuality. That's awesome."

Indeed Sanders does respect her sexuality. He said so several times during his hour-plus speech. His said his campaign also stands with the transgendered. African Americans. Native Americans. Hispanic Americans. I wanted to him to continue down the list. This campaign stands with American Samoa!

Any progressive issue you've got, Bernie'll take it. $15 minimum wage. Taxes and fines on predatory Wall Street banks. Avoidance of "perpetual war." Free college and an end to student debt. Infrastructure overhauls in America's inner-cities. An increase in Social Security and Medicare. Climate change.

"When you have a major political party rejecting science, we have a major problem," Sanders said during his speech.

Yeah. Dumb Whigs, I thought, standing in the rickety platform that served as the media hub.

The crowd, which Evansville fire and police officials estimated at 3,000, lapped up every word. His speech was basically an eloquent version of "be nice to each other," but his message would have sounded downright alien a few election cycles ago, back in the heady days when politicians who spoke their mind were derided as fringe lunatics. Somewhere, in a dank Ohio basement, Dennis Kucinich listens to Sanders speeches with tears in his eyes.

The following frank exchange, which would have never happened in 2004, 2008, hell even in 2012, took place Monday:

"We should tell the billionaire class ..." Bernie began.

"To (expletive) off!" an attendee helped out.

"That's one way to put it," Sanders said, to wild applause.

Sanders repeatedly said he wants a "political revolution," and that mindset seeps into his followers. Wert invoked the word. So did countless songs that blared over the PA. I kept hoping for "Revolution 9"  John Lennon's avant garde torture device from "The White Album"  just to see if anything could break the crowd's jovial mood.

But attendees, a lot of them young, and made up of the kind of racial and sexual minorities usually ignored in national elections, were drunk on possibility. You would never know from their enthusiasm that Sanders can't possibly win.

He may take Indiana on Tuesday  several polls have he and Hillary Clinton in a statistical tie  but his chances at nabbing the nomination are skinny. In a way, Monday felt like a wake. One last celebration of the Sanders campaign before his supporters hand politics back to The Establishment: that Hillary-shaped demon.

Thing is, revolution is bloody and long, and it can't be obtained by casting a vote. People like Sanders come along every so often and try to harness "the youth vote." And young people, always hungry for something new, campaign, rally, cast their votes and ... everything stays the same. Disillusionment sets in. And by the time the next Sanders comes along, you're starting all over again.

Opening speaker, former Indiana Rep. and current Sanders doppelganger Dennis Avery invoked the name of Eugene McCarthy: a progressive champion who lost the Democratic nomination in 1968 to sentient bag of straw Hubert Humphrey. He said the youth had a chance to build on that momentum, but let it dissipate.

I pictured a rally 40 years from now. A speaker name-drops Bernie Sanders to a small smattering of applause.

Sanders ended his speech, shook hands with the Diverse Array of Americans assembled on stage and walked toward the crowd.

"No president of the United States can make the change this country needs," Bernie had said a few minutes earlier. "It must come from the people."

They flooded toward their guy, the 74-year-old voice of the youth. David Bowie's "Starman" kicked on over the PA.

"There's a starman waiting in the sky," Bowie sang. "He's told us not to blow it, 'cause he knows it's all worthwhile."
By Megan Erbacher of the Courier and Press

At a regular Monday night meeting, the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. School Board approved canceling the contract for a teacher who was recently suspended after being accused of molesting a child.

Gary Kuechenberg is no longer employed by the EVSC  effective immediately. The 51-year-old Evansville man was suspended April 22 according to public information obtained by the Courier & Press via Kuechenberg's personnel records.

Kuechenberg, who served as a vocal music teacher at Lodge Community School, was arrested April 22 after reportedly admitting to a sheriff's detective that he inappropriately touched a young girl on two occasions. The incidents were not related to his employment with the EVSC, according to a sheriff's office probable cause affidavit.

Kuechenberg was charged with two counts of child molesting, fondling or touching a child under 14. His bond was set at $30,000 cash.

"And if he is convicted of the charges, then we will request the state take his license," EVSC Superintendent David Smith said after Monday's meeting.

Kuechenberg's personnel file showed he was hired by the EVSC in 2014, with a starting salary of $64,440.

Another EVSC teacher suspended April 22 was Kevin Hulsey, Bosse High School band director. Hulsey, 43, was suspended after an Evansville police investigation in which officers said there would be no criminal charges filed.

No action was taken against Hulsey Monday night, because Smith said his case is "still running its course."

According to law, Hulsey could request a conference with the superintendent within 5 days of his suspension.

"He has requested that conference," Smith said. "So that extends the timeline."

The law requires the school district set a conference within 10 days of the teachers' request. There are no statutory guidelines when that conference must be scheduled, Smith said.

Since 1996, Hulsey had worked as an EVSC teacher and music instructor. He is a 1991 Bosse graduate.

Smith said Kuechenberg did not request a conference with the superintendent, "so we could take the action that the board did tonight."

Nothing concerning the April 22 suspensions of Hulsey or Kuechenberg was discussed during Monday night's public meeting.

In other news Monday night:

The school board approved donating about 1.33 acres of property to Vanderburgh County Commissioners to widen Peck Road between the entrance to North High School and Baseline Road. An appraisal found the property to be worth $76,700.

In exchange for the donation, the county will pay an estimated $26,550 to relocate light poles and fencing located within the right of way.

The county will also reconstruct North's entry at Husky Drive and Peck Road to allow entry and exit from both the north and the south.

To complete the project, the school board also approved a temporary easement grant of 0.012 acres more or less for pipe construction; 0.662 acres more or less for drive construction; and 0.196 acres more or less for grading. This will expire after the project is complete or by Dec. 31, 2017.

Textbook rental rates for next school year were also approved. Except for a 55-cent increase for third-graders, costs for students in grades K-5 remain the same as this year.

Middle and high school book rental rates vary depending on the curriculum used at individual schools and/or grade levels, as well as the classes each student takes.

Grades 6-12 rental costs include a $75 netbook/laptop fee that includes accidental damage and extended warranty insurance.

Costs for New Tech Institute students remains unchanged at $181 for the school year.
Jeff Morehead/Chronicle-Tribune/Associated Press Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, right, exchanges words with Donald Trump supporters during a campaign visit to Marion on Monday.

SHARE Samuel Hoffman/The Journal-Gazette/Associated Press Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, is joined by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence during a news conference before his public speech at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne on Monday. Related Coverage Indiana primary 2016: election results

By Zach Osowski, zach.osowski@courierpress.com

MARION  With just one day to go before Indiana's much anticipated primary, Gov. Mike Pence hit the campaign trail with Sen. Ted Cruz to try and round up more votes for the presidential hopeful.

The pair made two appearances together, first in Marion where a couple hundred people welcomed them at The Mill restaurant, and then in Fort Wayne. The meet-and-greet in Marion was the first public appearance from Pence and Cruz since the governor endorsed Cruz last week.

Between Cruz, Pence, Cruz's wife, Heidi, and his running mate Carly Fiorina, the Cruz campaign blitzed Indiana on Monday one last time ahead of Tuesday's primary.

Cruz even tried talking to supporters of Donald Trump, who showed up in protest at his Marion event. After spending almost an hour shaking hands and thanking supporters, Cruz was about to leave when he decided to cross the street and go talk to the men who were yelling "Lyin' Ted and "You Cruz, you lose" from the far sidewalk.

"I'm running to be everyone's president," Cruz told them. "Those that vote for me and even those that don't vote for me."

He asked one of the protestors, who were calling on him to drop out of the race, what his favorite thing about Trump was. After answering "everything" several times, the protestors finally said the wall that Trump has promised to build on the Mexican border.

Cruz warned the protestors that Trump is deceiving those who are voting for him. The Trump supporters remained un-convinced.

"We're a nation that's better than insults and yelling," Cruz said, before heading back across the street.

There were also some in the crowd still on the fence about who to vote for. Aaron Roberts, a Marion resident, said he is leaning towards Cruz. Roberts said, initially he was going to vote for Rand Paul but said of the three remaining candidates, Cruz's ideologies aligned most closely with Paul's.

"I'm not entirely committed yet," Roberts said.

He said the endorsement from Pence was a non-factor for him. Pence was more forceful in his support of Cruz than he was on Friday, when he praised all three of the GOP nominees. Pence said he appreciates Cruz's principles, character and courage and said he had his "unwavering support."

Monday wasn't just a busy day for Cruz. Trump and Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders also made several stops around Indiana. Sanders started his day in Evansville before coming up to Indianapolis for a rally on Monument Circle. He then moved on to Fort Wayne in the evening.

Trump started his day at Shapiro's in Indianapolis, the same sandwich shop Cruz visited two weeks ago, before heading to rallies in Carmel and South Bend.
SHARE

By Richard Gootee of the Courier and Press

Like many in the crowd at Monday's Bernie Sanders rally, 19-year-old Zach Robinson is college-aged.

But the Oakland City University student  who was about 20th in line for Monday's event  is not a supporter of the Vermont senator's bid for the White House. Instead, he's a backer of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Still, Robinson got to the Old National Events Plaza about 4:15 a.m. to get a good seat to hear Sanders' message straight from the candidate himself  as well as look around the crowd. It was the second time in a week that he had lined up before 5 a.m., in Downtown Evansville. Robinson was among the first five people in line for the Trump rally on Thursday.

"I wanted to see the other side of the spectrum, and see exactly what (he) stood for and try to comprehend the knowledge and the tactics (Sanders) would try to use in order to grow the economy," he said.

Robinson was not impressed by what he heard from the Democrat, other than Sanders' criticism of Carrier moving many Indianapolis manufacturing jobs to Mexico.

"Socialism doesn't work," Robinson told the Courier & Press after Monday's event.

Even though it is his candidate's backers who often get a bad rap for their actions and words, Robinson said the people around him in line Monday morning did not make a good impression, though no one confronted him personally for being a Trump supporter. Robinson was wearing an anti-Hillary Clinton shirt to Monday's rally, but he was not sporting any gear that signified his support for Trump and said he did his best to keep his presidential preference to himself.

"The (Sanders) supporters there (Monday), they were pretty nasty," he said. "The couple in front of my were only talking badly about Trump. They weren't even acknowledging that Bernie is running a race against Hillary, and (they were talking) about how if there are Trump supporters, they go tear their signs down."

Speaking of the Democratic front-runner though, plenty of Sanders and Trump supporters seem to share a disdain for the former Secretary of State. Robinson said plenty of people complimented him on his "Hillary's Lies Matter" shirt that he wore to Monday's event. Every time Sanders mentioned his opponent by name during his speech many in the crowd booed.

"I had a lot of people take pictures of my shirt; there were more people (taking pictures) than at the Trump event, honestly," he said.

Robinson said he is glad that the area is being visited by those who could become the next president, though he could not attend any of Sen. Ted Cruz events in the Evansville area.

"Your candidate may not get in office and that other candidate that you could have had the chance to hear speak might get it and then you have missed the opportunity to see them speak, understand what they stand for and actually know what your country is getting into for the next four years," he said.
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Amazon Web Services partner DiUS Computing and client CarAdvice have undertaken Australia's most sophisticated migration to the cloud provider's Lambda serverless architecture.

The overhaul was led by CarAdvice chief technology officer Cam Smith, who turned to his previous employer, Melbourne-based DiUS, to support the move.

DiUS helped CarAdvice migrate its monolithic content management system to a new, API-driven architecture, underpinned by AWS Lambda  a service launched 18 months ago that allows users to run code without provisioning or managing servers  as well as Amazon API Gateway.

"Lambda really abstracts the idea of compute time," he said. "We're buying time on a computer, in the same way you or I might buy gas or electricity... We don't think about servers anymore, certainly not physical - and not even virtual servers."

CarAdvice, which bills itself as Australias largest independent automotive publisher with 400,000 unique visitors per month, was looking to invest in its next stage of growth.

The web publisher faced a problem  "the close architectural coupling of content authoring to content publishing, and a database model designed to primarily support content authoring and versioning, rather than presentation and discovery", according to a blog post.

With Lambda's complete abstraction of virtual machine infrastructure, DiUS could build application components without having to provision servers or manage scalability and redundancy. It allowed the team at DiUS and CarAdvice to "trigger functions by a set of events, such as a website click or message in a queue all without the hassle of servers or containers".

Amazon API Gateway allowed the team to "easily expose AWS Lambda functions through REST APIs using configuration to define endpoints, the required parameters and responses", according to the DiUS blog post.

The use of AWS Lambda allowed the CarAdvice development team to focus on delivering business value rather than managing infrastructure, said Joe Losinno, principal of DiUS.

"In terms of bang for buck, where they really wanted to invest their money was on the areas that delivered business value, versus having to deal with the infrastructure and components. That is where Lambda delivers a lot of benefit for them.

"It is that true DevOps culture, because what you are really saying is, as a development team, the best people to support any application or platform are the people who built it," Losinno added.

DiUS was named consulting partner of the year at last week's AWS Summit in Sydney.

Serverless revolution coming to Australia

AWS chief security information officer Stephen Schmidt said last Wednesday at AWS Summit Sydney that Lambda would be offered in Australia later this year. CarAdvice's Smith welcomed the announcement.

"We're running Lambda out of Tokyo at the moment," he told CRN. "While the cloud is the cloud and we can get around regional issues, it does make things a little bit more complicated. For example, we've had to cache the API stack quite aggressively... Geography always makes a difference."

Speaking to CRN last month to celebrate AWS's 10th birthday, other leading partners ITOC and CloudTrek held up Lambda as the cloud provider's most disruptive breakthrough.

"Serverless architectures are the future and when you consider the implications on the supply chain and the wider IT industry, we've got a revolution not an evolution ahead," said Richard Steven, chief executive of Brisbane-based ITOC.

CRN, with sister title iTnews, is the exclusive media partner of AWS Summit Sydney.
Robert Mittag, one of the architects of JB Hi-Fi's enterprise IT evolution, has departed amid a number of changes across the retailer's executive team.

Mittag, who was solutions general manager, led the acquisition of Network Neighborhood in 2013 - the deal that brought JB Hi-Fi into the education space with major contracts in the Victorian schools system.

He worked closely with Richard Murray, the former CFO and now chief executive of JB Hi-Fi, on building the retailer's footprint in the commercial IT sector.

The retailer's IT services arm, JB Hi-Fi Solutions, comes under the remit of online and commercial director Tim Carter. Carter has had supply chain added to his remit as part of the reshuffle.

Reporting into Carter are general manager, sales, Brett Armstrong, who joined JB Hi-Fi in 2014 after nearly 10 years at Winthrop, and general manager, professional services, Carlos Gouveia, who was appointed to that position in August after time at Data#3 and Dimension Data.

Murray explained that Mittag's departure was part of a number of discrete personnel changes in JB Hi-Fi. The retailer has hired former EY partner James Saretta to the role of strategy and digital director. JB Hi-Fi has also promoted national promotions manager Gary Siewert to GM of marketing, reporting to merchandise director Cameron Trainer.

Lastly, Belinda Minieri has been appointed to the senior management team as GM online and solutions operations.

"We are a streamlining management across Solutions," added Murray.

Growth in IT services

Originally dubbed 'JB Hi-Fi Education Solutions', the unit has gone from strength to strength over the three years since the retailer acquired a stake in $26 million reseller Network Neighborhood, which had placed No.15 in the 2012 CRN Fast50.

Richard Murray told CRN: "We have very solid management team in Solutions across Carlos and across Brett, all reporting into Tim. There is no lack of bench strength."

The JB Hi-Fi Solutions division employs more than 350 staff and offers a range of IT services, including servers and storage solutions, managed services and integration for enterprise customers in education, government and mining.

The retailer has publicly stated its ambition to grow the solutions business to reach $500 million of revenue; it is understood the business unit is currently turning over hundreds of millions of dollars.

One of the recent highlights was JB Hi-Fi's deal with Telstra on its cloud offering. The company also landed a spot on the Victorian Department of Education and Training's $495 million IT services panel, as well as the Western Australian government's common use agreement.

JB Hi-Fi grew its sales 7.7 percent to $2.12 billion for the half year ending 31 December. Net profit was also up 7.5 percent from $88.5 million to $95.2 million.

While sales for software was down 4.6 percent, revenue was held up by JB Hi-Fis expansion into the small appliances and whitegoods business. During the six-month period, four new JB Hi-Fi Home stores were opened and nine existing stores were converted to JB Hi-Fi Home locations.

Hardware and services are still the biggest earner, accounting for 84 percent of sales.
Dicker Data was named WatchGuards ANZ distributor of the year last week in Queenstown, New Zealand.

WatchGuard regional director ANZ David Higgins said Dicker Data won for its net revenue performance in 2015. They have continued to provide quality service and support to our partners and we look forward to working with them in 2016, said Higgins.

Chief executive David Dicker said the award was a testament to the companys hard work over the past 12 months.

Dicker Data landed a deal to distribute WatchGuards full suite of security products in May 2013, including unified threat management devices. WatchGuard is also distributed in Australia through Distribution Central and Exclusive Networks.
Oracle partners Blue Crystal and Ndevr have jointly launched a cloud-based JD Edwards offering.

JD Edwards is an enterprise resource planning suite that is aimed at small to medium organisations. The system is traditionally hosted on-premises but the offering from Blue Crystal and Ndevr allows any customer to run it from the cloud.

The consumption product follows Myriad IT's landmark implementation last year of JD Edwards on Amazon Web Services specifically for News Corp Australia.

The partnership with Ndevr was not an acquisition, said Blue Crystal managing director Vito Rinaldi.

"The partnership is a business partnership, of two organisations offering mutually exclusive services enabling Oracle JD Edwards implementation, migration and managed services into the cloud," he told CRN. "Together we will provide end-to-end Oracle, SQL Server and JD Edwards managed services for clients.

Vito Rinaldi

Ndevr managing director Maureen Clifford said the two companies had already been working together for six years.

"Many customers are asking questions about cloud, and this partnership enables them to move forward with confidence that they will be looked after by both companies' expertise," she said.

Rinaldi founded Blue Crystal in 2004, with the company now boasting offices in Melbourne and Adelaide. As well as Oracle, the solutions provider has relationships with Microsoft, IBM, Linux, AWS and Hitachi Data Systems.

Ndevr is a Melbourne business established in 1998 that specialises in Oracle ERP systems.
SMS Management & Technology chief executive Jacqueline Korhonen has resigned after just over a year in the job, as the company forecasted yet another poor half.

Chairperson Derek Young said on Monday night that a three-year growth plan had been in place but results were not up to scratch.

Recent performance has been disappointing and well below expectations. I believe that Jacquelines decision is in the best interests of the company and provides for new leadership to refocus the business on both its core and emerging service offerings," he said, while thanking Korhonen for her time with the solutions provider.

SMSMT's share price had fallen from a peak of $5.43 in October to $1.84 on Monday afternoon.

Korhonen joined SMSMT as chief executive in February last year after heading up Infosys Australia for seven years and serving 23 years with IBM. Young said at the time of her appointment that Korhonen had a "a track record of managing and delivering profitable growth within technology companies".

Also on Monday night, the company named chief financial officer Rick Rostolis as the replacement chief executive. Rostolis came to SMSMT in October 2010 with 12 years of professional services experience with KPMG.

"The combination of Ricks strong commercial background and deep understanding of the business positions him well to mobilise the management team and deliver improved performance," Young said. "The successful execution of our strategic plan will form the basis for sustained value creation for our shareholders."

The new chief, who starts immediately, will be on a base salary of $600,000 per year with a potential $200,000 short-term cash bonus and a long-term incentive of $200,000 tied to company stock.

Current group financial controller Peter Sherar will fill the CFO vacancy created by Rostolis' promotion.

Consulting arm bleeds, 100 employees depart

SMSMT also downgraded its second-half forecast on Monday night. The company had already copped a hammering in February after reporting shrinking revenue and profit for the first half-year - a result that it blamed on its Advisory and Solutions consulting arm.

At the time, Korhonen was upbeat about the second half - but the company revealed Monday that the Advisory and Solutions business is continuing to struggle.

"Unfortunately, H2 contract wins and revenue for the Advisory and Solutions business have been poor with SMS consulting H2 revenue (January-April) significantly down on the prior corresponding period," said the announcement to the ASX.

SMSMT's consultant team has shrunk by 100, going from 920 staff in the first half to 820 now. Billable utilisation for the remaining consulting staff is at just 80 percent for the second half, equating to a $4 million to $5 million hit on full-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

"While there are some signs of improvement in billable utilisation in Q4, this will not be sufficient to meet market consensus expectations. The company expects full year EBITDA for the year ending 30 June 2016 to be in the range of $15.5 million to $16.5 million prior to any one-off items," stated the company.

New chief Rostolis said that the company would have to prioritise quick wins. He said its managed services and consulting arms dealt with different sales cycles, and the company needed to "calibrate" accordingly.

Large multi-year managed services opportunities involve detailed and significant client investment decisions, while Advisory and Solutions opportunities are often aligned to investment horizons which are reflected in more frequent and shorter sales cycles.

"We will be rebalancing our various sales teams to focus specifically on discrete areas of our market, particularly in our Advisory and Solutions business, as a priority, he said.

A share buyback campaign would continue, according to the company.

Updated 10:25am 5.5.2016: SMS spokesperson clarified the circumstances of the reduction in consultant headcount.
Australian tech entrepreneur Craig Wright told the BBC that he was the creator of controversial digital currency bitcoin, but some scepticism remained about the identity of a person who until now has gone by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto.

The BBC reported on Monday that Wright gave some technical proof demonstrating that he had access to blocks of bitcoins known to have been created by bitcoin's creator.

Unmasking Nakamoto could be significant for the future of bitcoin, a computer-generated, digital alternative to other currencies that has attracted the interest of banks, speculators, criminals and regulators.

Researchers believe Nakamoto may be holding up to one million bitcoins, which is worth about US$440 million, and the price of the cryptocurrency could plunge if that was to be unloaded.

Wright declined requests from The Economist to provide further proof that he was Nakamoto.

"Our conclusion is that Mr Wright could well be Mr Nakamoto, but that important questions remain," The Economist said. "Indeed, it may never be possible to establish beyond reasonable doubt who really created bitcoin."

The BBC said prominent members of the bitcoin community had confirmed Wright's claim. "I was the main part of it, but other people helped me," the BBC quoted Wright as saying.

Hopes that bitcoin would become broadly used helped buoy its price to more than US$1,000 in December 2013, when its market capitalisation was US$13 billion.

But the market cap has retreated since then, to about US$7 billion currently. Bitcoin fell more than 3 percent after news of Wright's claims, from US$454.89 to below US$440, before recovering slightly.

Wright told The Economist he would exchange bitcoin slowly to avoid pushing down its price.

"If Mr Wright is in possession of Satoshi's original nearly one million bitcoins, he will be for sure closely watched by investors trying to guess his future moves," Tomas Forgac, who runs bitcoin startup Coin of Sale, told Reuters.

Home raided

In December, police raided Wright's Sydney home and office after Wired magazine named him as the probable creator of bitcoin and holder of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the cryptocurrency, which has attracted the interest of banks, speculators, criminals and regulators.

The treatment of bitcoins for tax purposes in Australia has been the subject of considerable debate. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) ruled in December 2014 that cryptocurrency should be considered an asset, rather than a currency, for capital gains tax purposes.

On Monday, the ATO said it had no comment while police were not immediately available for comment.

In a blog post dated Monday, Wright appeared to out himself as bitcoin founder by posting a technical explanation, including examples of code, of the process by which he created the currency. He thanked all those who had supported the project from its inception.

"This incredible communitys passion and intellect and perseverance have taken my small contribution and nurtured it, enhanced it, breathed life into it," he wrote. "You have given the world a great gift. Thank you."

However Wright did not make a clear admission that he was Nakamoto. "Satoshi is dead," he said. "But this is only the beginning."

Unlike traditional currency, bitcoins are not distributed by a central bank or backed by physical assets like gold, but are "mined" by users who use computers to calculate increasingly complex algorithmic formulas.

If Wright is Nakamoto he "is now the leader of a movement", said Roberto Capodieci, a Singapore-based entrepreneur working on the blockchain, the technology underlying the currency.

That movement ranges from libertarian enthusiasts to banks experimenting with cryptocurrencies, all of which pay homage in some way to Nakamoto's writings.

Top of the list of outstanding issues is the future of bitcoin itself, where two groups are debating over changes to the size of the blocks in the blockchain, the digital ledger that stores transactions.

"He may help to settle the issues internal to the bitcoin community: block size and new node protocols," Capodieci told Reuters.

(Additional reporting by Matt Siegel in Sydney; Editing by Nick Macfie and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Data center News

VMware Debuts Cheaper NSX Software-Defined Networking Options, Hikes Pricing For Premium Version

Kevin McLaughlin

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VMware on Tuesday introduced two new less-expensive versions of its NSX software-defined networking product with reduced functionality, while also raising the price of its full-featured version.

At a list price of $5,996 per CPU socket, NSX has primarily been a technology for . With its new entry-level and intermediate versions of NSX, VMware shifting its software-defined networking sales efforts to small and medium-sized organizations for the first time since launching NSX in 2013.

VMware is now selling a Standard version list priced at $1,995 per CPU socket, and an Advanced version priced at $4,495 per CPU socket, a VMware spokesman told CRN.

With the new versions, VMware is hoping to boost sales of NSX and counteract the ongoing decline in its core vSphere server virtualization business.

At the same time, VMware is raising the list price of its fully functional version of NSX, now called Enterprise, to $6,995 per CPU socket, said the VMware spokesman. This version lets customers use NSX across different data centers, and also includes IPSec and SSL virtual private networks, remote gateway and multisite NSX optimizations, VMware on its website.

Customers that want to use NSX's network security features, which VMware calls "microsegmentation," will have to shell out for the Advanced or Enterprise versions. The Standard version doesn't include distributed firewalling, integration with Microsoft Active Directory or automation of security policies with VMware's vRealize cloud management software.

All three NSX versions are available on a perpetual license, while the Advanced version also includes a per-user pricing option so it can be used with virtual desktops, VMware said in the FAQ.

The new licensing options will be a welcome addition for customers that don't need all of the features of the Enterprise version, said Jason Nash, consulting architect at Ahead, a Chicago-based VMware partner.

Nash expects the Advanced version to be more popular than Standard version because it includes distributed firewalling, which he described as a "must-have" security feature in NSX.

"I'm not sure how much [NSX] Standard they'll sell, but the new pricing does make [NSX] Advanced a lot more reasonable for customers that really just want distributed firewalling and a few other things," Nash said.

The new NSX licensing model went into effect Tuesday, and the VMware spokesman said customers working with partners on active deals will get the old pricing until the end of the vendor's fiscal second quarter on June 30.

Current NSX customers with active VMware support contracts will get the functionality of the Enterprise version, VMware said in the FAQ.

By introducing a set of tiered NSX offerings with different functionality and price points, Palo Alto, Calif.-based VMware is following the playbook of Microsoft and other enterprise software vendors, while also signaling that NSX is mature enough to gain mainstream market traction.

VMware said earlier this month that NSX now has more than 1,400 customers, with about 350 using the technology in production networks. NSX was on an annualized run rate of $600 million going into 2016, but VMware hasn't updated that figure since then.

VMware partner bookings of NSX grew 100 percent year over year in the vendor's latest quarter, Dom Delfino, vice president of worldwide sales and systems engineering for VMware's networking and security business unit, said in a blog post Tuesday.

Some customers are deploying NSX alongside Cisco's competing SDN technology, called Application Centric Infrastructure, said Delfino in the blog post.

Meanwhile, VMware's vSphere server virtualization cash cow continues to decline, with compute license bookings falling 10 percent year over year in its latest quarter, and total compute bookings dropping 1 percent.
Networking News

CRN Exclusive: Unify 'Re-Engineered' Itself To Become A Channel-Oriented Company; Doubles Channel Size In 1 Year

Mark Haranas

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Eighteen months ago, only 20 percent of overall sales went through the channel at unified communications vendor Unify. But now that the company has successfully restructured internally to focus on driving a more channel-centric strategy, indirect sales represent more than 50 percent of Unify's revenue, according to Michelle Jones, vice president of Unify's global channel marketing.

Over the past year, Unify's partner base has more than doubled, to over 2,000 partners in more than 50 countries, and has onboarded 13 new distributors. The company also recently promoted Jon Pritchard, its former executive vice president of channels, to the position of CEO in an effort to boost channel sales, the company said.

"We have totally re-engineered our business around the channel -- from building out a real channel-centric team, across systems, processes, services and sales team," said Jones in an interview with CRN. "We're going to transform our business and we are going to grow through the channels from a sales and execution perspective."

[Related: Sources: Arista CEO Makes Channel Cuts, Channel Chief Steps Aside]

Unify, an Atos SE company formerly known as Siemens Enterprise Communications, plans to keep the indirect sales momentum going forward with the launch of a revamped partner program, unveiled Tuesday at its annual Unify Partner Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

The goal of the revamped program is to allow solution providers to be onboarded quickly and start selling Unify Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions as soon as possible. The enhanced program cut down the time and requirements it takes for partners to begin to sell in order to achieve faster time to revenue, with 80 percent of the partners that Unify onboarded in the past year already actively selling products and services.

"We took away all those technical certifications and requirements, because we recognized that partners have the skills and capabilities from some of the competition, so we need to not undermine the investment they already made," said Jones. "We made it easier for them to quickly revamp up from a unified perspective. We reduced that requirement by 50 percent in the technical certifications -- it gives partners a saving on time and cost."

New specializations, certifications and training have been added to the program. Unify also made OpenScape enterprise software solutions portfolio available through distribution to allow partners to access the solutions quicker and at a lower cost, according to Jones.

Munich-based Unify also introduced new tools and offerings for partners to increase revenue including a new configure, price, quote (CPQ) SaaS tool for the design, pricing, proposal and ordering process aimed at accelerating the sales cycle. Other new offerings include a new OpenScape Business software bundle to support a full-solution selling approach.

Susan Wilson, a business development manager at Greenville, N.C.-based ScanSource, one of Unify's new distributors, said the quick go-to-market strategy is catching on within the channel.

"They're not charging business partners for a fast start or easy ramp or any kind of training for both the sales and implementation training," said Wilson. "That saves partners a lot of money. ... The startup costs are minimal, which is very attractive to resellers when they're looking to bring on more product."

Wilson said Unify also has its channel account and direct sales teams working "very closely" with channel partners to close deals.

"A new Unifiy channel partner might not have the expertise that their direct salesperson has who's been selling it for 10 years," said Wilson. "So they go into their united to close the sale."

Unify competes in the unified communication and collaboration market with the likes of Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Polycom, Mitel and ALE. With about 54 percent of its business now coming through the channel, up from 20 percent in 2014, Unify is focusing on onboarding even more channel partners -- specifically managed service providers (MSPs) -- from places around the globe, including the U.K., Russia and the Middle East as well as the U.S.

Jones said one of the reasons channel partners are seeking Unify is because of its launch last year of a two-year project called Circuit -- a hosted collaboration platform designed to bring together a range of collaboration applications including voice, video, screen sharing, messaging and file sharing into one platform managed though a single pane of glass.

"Circuit has been very interesting for a lot of partners, because it gives them a very low-risk, low entry point into delivering Software-as-a-Service in a consumption-based model," said Jones.

The software and services communications vendor recently made the list for CRN's 2016 Partner Program Guide: 5-Star Software Vendors. Jones said the company's revamped channel vision is taking hold in the market.

"We've made a lot of investment and change inside the organization," said Jones. "Our two-year plan was to drive over 45 percent [of revenue] through the channel. We've already achieved about 54 percent, which is fantastic.  That number will continue to grow."
The Port of San Diego will host a month-long celebration of Maritime Month in May, recognizing the industrys role in job creation and economic prosperity and its commitment to education, training and environmental stewardship.

The theme of Maritime Month 2016 is Ships Bring Prosperity. According to the port, San Diego Bays natural deep water makes it an ideal location for cargo terminals to import and export goods from throughout the globe. Cargo, including bananas, automobiles, steel, lumber, cement, soda ash and project components have a significant impact to the regions economy.

In San Diego, industrial and maritime commerce and related industries around the port contribute $3.5 billion to the regions economy and generate 12,800 waterfront jobs.

Special events are planned for Maritime Month to give the public an upfront and personal opportunity to experience the working waterfront. Free public bus and boat tours will feature detailed narrative on the working waterfront including cargo operations, cruise facilities, shipyards, and associated vessels calling on the Port.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched its first Islands of the Indian Ocean fly-cruise, on the Boudicca.

Departing from London or Manchester on Nov. 30, 2017, the cruise sails 14 nights, spending two days in Mauritius, three days in the Seychelles, two days in Madagascar, a day on Reunion Island and a day on Mayotte, returning to the UK on Dec. 14.

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

We are extremely excited to be launching our first ever fly-cruise to the Indian Ocean region. It is an exquisite part of the world, with some of the very best beaches  such as Flic en Flac, Anse Lazio and Cote DOr  as well as rainforests, National Parks, extinct volcanoes and beautiful flora and fauna. There will be opportunities to walk with lions, discover giant tortoises, see black lemurs and even go in search of the rare black parrot.

Hotels and flights to destinations in the Indian Ocean are very costly, and it is near-impossible to visit this number of islands and enjoy so much of the scenery on a land-based holiday. We have painstakingly researched and planned every detail of this cruise holiday to offer our guests the very best experience, all for a very reasonable price.
In 2015, visitors to New Orleans spent $7.05 billion dollars, a 3.5% increase compared to the visitor spending record set in 2014, and the city hosted 9.78 million visitors, a 2.7% increase compared to 2014, according to a statement from New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB.

The 2015 New Orleans Area Visitor Profile study, completed by the University of New Orleans (UNO) Hospitality Research Center for the CVB and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) shows increases in both spending and visitation since Hurricane Katrina.

The survey showed that overnight visitors to the New Orleans area who stayed in hotels spent an average of $1,011 per person, per trip in 2015.

Visitors stayed for an average of 4.2 nights and spent an average of $238 per person, per day, the study showed.

We are in a strong tourism growth curve stimulated by new investment in expanded marketing and sales fueling our fiercely competitive battle to draw leisure visitors, conventions and major special events. We are not only attracting more visitors, but more quality visitors, as evidenced by the solid increase in visitor spending to record levels. And with our state facing massive budget deficits and recession in a number of our traditional economic sectors, our greater New Orleans tourism industry is firmly entrenched as the state leader in job creation, state and local tax generation, and as the rapidly expanding catalyst for strong economic growth and opportunity that benefits every other business sector and the quality of life and state services for every Louisianan, said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau.

One of the key takeaways for us is the robust repeat visitor numbers. Only 37.1 percent of people responded that they were first time visitors in 2015, indicating that 62.9 percent are repeat visitors. And the comments were overwhelmingly positive with many promises to return for future visits, said Mark Romig, President and CEO of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation.

In 2004, New Orleans welcomed 10.1 million visitors, who spent $4.9 billion. In 2006, after Hurricane Katrina, visitor numbers dropped to 3.7 million, with $2.9 billion in visitor spending. Due to the efforts of the New Orleans CVB and the NOTMC, visitor numbers have steadily increased, but more importantly, visitor spending has more than doubled since Katrina. Since 2010, visitation spending in New Orleans has increased by nearly 33%.

The tremendous increase in visitor spending in New Orleans over several years is evidence that the city has become widely recognized for the elevated quality of its unsurpassed restaurants, hotels, festivals, and attractions. The ongoing strength of this heightened spending trend is confirmed by the key indicators of growth in the research study results, said Dr. John Williams, Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of New Orleans.

Cruise visitors comprised about 1.5 percent of the total number of visitor responses, and nearly all (83.5 percent) stayed in New Orleans before or after their cruise. The average number of nights in the city was 2.2
Punishing the victim of a crime feels wrong, but that's exactly what happened to one unnamed employee at Alpha Payroll Services in Trevose, Pennsylvania. The firm recently disclosed they were the victim of a Phishing scam targeting W-2 data that was compiled for their customers.

In a letter dated April 29, published this week by the New Hampshire Attorney General's breach notification website, a lawyer representing Alpha Payroll Services LLC disclosed that the company compromised client W-2 records after an employee fell victim to a Phishing scam.

In early March (March 1st or 2nd), the letter states, someone impersonated Alpha Payroll's CEO and requested "copies of all the 2015 W-2 forms produced by Alpha Payroll on behalf of its customers."

Clearly, the email was believed to be legitimate, because the employee who received it complied.

Later, on April 8  after an Alpha Payroll customer reported their staff had fraudulent tax returns filed under their Social Security Numbers  an internal investigation discovered the successful Phishing attack.

"Alpha Payroll leadership promptly terminated the employee, hired experts to assist in the investigation and response, and has been in contact with law enforcement, including the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS and the FBI, regarding the incident," the letter explains.

The employee, victimized by the same person who later victimized Alpha Payroll clients, was fired because they believed the email was legitimate.

"If you fire every employee who clicks a Phish you will soon have no employees," commented Cris Thomas, security expert and Strategist at Tenable (better known to some as Space Rogue).

"While anti-Phishing training may reduce the number of incidents, it will never be 100-percent effective. It only takes one person to click, even by mistake. You need to assume that a Phish will succeed, that bad guys will get in. It's what you do after the attack that matters."

It isn't clear how many Alpha Payroll customers were affected by the breach. But a low estimate could be in the tens of thousands based on how the company promotes itself online. According to the letter, Alpha Payroll has offices in Pennsylvania, California, and New Jersey and has clients across the country.

In addition to terminating the victimized employee, Alpha Payroll says they are redoubling their efforts to "educate employees on phishing schemes and the importance of confirming the legitimacy of emails to lessen the likelihood of future incidents."

So if the company is conducting additional training, why was the employee fired in the first place?

If it wasn't to make a point, or to set an example, perhaps the employee was a special case  someone who failed previous Phishing tests and was warned. The letter sent to the Attorney General doesn't explain the circumstance; it simply states the employee who fell for the Phishing scam was fired.

"Any perceived benefit to firing someone over a mistake is offset by the harm done to culture and trust," said Keith Crawford, an IT Services Manager in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dan Tentler, founder of Phobos Group, agreed, adding that if organizations punish people who click on malicious emails or fall for a Phishing scam, they create a culture of fear. Instead, organizations should create an economy, by rewarding those who do well during awareness training.

"Clicking link should never be blamed on the employee. If [IT or Security] can't handle a clicked link, they need to seriously review defenses," commented Thomas.

During his time with Twitter, Tentler developed a Phishing program similar to the one he offers to clients these days, where the success cases are rewarded, and those who are less than successful get focused training.

"You want people to be successful on their own accord, versus compliant out of fear," Tentler said.

On the other hand, Tentler added, if after several rounds of training, it's clear an employee doesn't have the drive to improve, or worse, just doesn't care, they can be defined as a legitimate risk to the company. At that point, termination might be necessary as they're going against company policy.

Even if that were the case, it would still be an extreme step to take, because every one of the W-2 Phishing scams seen in 2016 are designed to look like legitimate internal communications.

"The purpose of security awareness training is to educate employees and teach them how to avoid the same mistakes in a real situation. Firing them wont help anyone and would probably end up costing the company more in having to find and train a replacement," said Vinny Troia, founder and CEO of Night Lion Security.

"Not to mention, how can you fire someone if they didnt know they were doing anything wrong?" he asked.

As mentioned yesterday, thousands of people have been impacted by Phishing scams targeting W-2 records this year.

Among the organizations who have admitted falling victim to these scams, only one other referenced actions against the victimized employee  and even then, those actions consisted of revoking access to the compromised information. In all of the other cases, not a single person lost their job because they were victimized by a criminal targeting the company.

Alpha Payroll is the first organization to announce an employee's termination over a mistake that anyone else at the company could have made.

Update: Several experts have reached out to suggest that an internal policy against sharing W-2 data was at play here, which could be the reason for the termination. While the tone of the notification letter suggests the employee was fired for sharing the records, we've reached out to the head of Human Resources at Alpha Payroll for clarification. So far, attempts to contact the company have gone unanswered.
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BRIDGEPORT  Tony Barr can run for the office of mayor  he just cant go there.

The former mayoral candidate, accused of threatening to shoot Mayor Joseph Ganim, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of second-degree breach of peace. He was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Earl Richards to a suspended six-month term with one year of conditional discharge.

The judge then ordered Barr to stay away from the mayors office.

Barr, who denies he threatened to shoot Ganim, said later that he holds no animosity for the man who beat him for the citys top office, but then went on to refer to Ganim, who served federal prison time for corruption, as the Devil.

The mayor was given the opportunity for redemption and forgot about the rest of the felons, the Tony Barrs, Barr said. He has disappointed everyone who ever had handcuffs on them.

Ganims spokesman did not immediately return emails seeking comment.

Barr, 51, who served 20 years in prison for being an enforcer for a local drug gang and firing a machine gun at an undercover cop, was charged Feb. 4 with threatening and disorderly conduct after police said he angrily demanded to see the mayor, stating: I want to talk to the (expletive) mayor now  Im going to shoot the (expletive) mayor, Im going to blow the mayors head off.

Barr said he lost both his jobs because of the threatening case arrest and is now unemployed.

Tony Barr is in a precarious position, he said. How is he going to pay his bills, how is he going to live? Is Tony Barr bitter at Joe Ganim, absolutely not.
Michael P. Mayko / Hearst Connecticut Media

DERBY  With well over 100 cans of baked beans collected last month, City Hall employees are seeking donations of pancake mix and maple syrup for May.

The donations which can be dropped off at the City/Town Clerks office will go to the St. Vincent DePaul Food bank on Roosevelt Drive.
Connecticut State Police

A State Police bloodhound is being credited with tracking down an 89-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimers who was disoriented and lost in the woods.

According to state police, at about 5:40 p.m. on Sunday, Troop L-Litchfield and the Woodbury Resident Trooper's Office were notified the missing elderly woman. The woman was last seen at about 5 p.m. at her Woodbury residence. Upon arrival troopers, and officers from the Woodbury Resident Troopers Office searched the residence and immediate area, but were unable to locate her. A State Police K9 team (German shepherd) also responded and assisted with the search.
Dozens of local students are a step closer to becoming nurses after graduating from Bridgeport Hospital's School of Nursing on Monday night.

More News Like mother like daughter

The 80-plus graduates are now eligible to take the state nursing exam after completing the school's RN programs.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has launched a dramatic  if quixotic  drive in Congress for an $860 million-a-year program to protect Long Island Sound.

May his effort be successful. But even in pushing the issue into the news, Murphy does a service in keeping awareness of the Sounds fragility in the public conversation.

The Sound, as noted here often, is a multi-million dollar economic asset and a major component in the states quality of life. It is never to be underestimated as an economic driver.

A Hearst Connecticut Media investigation last year of federal Environmental Protection Agency documenrts uncovered unsettling data on the threat to marine life from pollutants that continue to flow into the Sound.

Groups and individuals committed to preserving the Sound have been making progress. In February, for instance, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), Save the Sound and other groups eased off on legal action after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to step up the limits on nitrogen pollution in the sound.

And it is nitrogen that is the main culprit in the threat to the Sounds health. Nitrogen comes from many sources, including, perhaps most unpleasantly, sewage treatment plants that ring the coast.

But it also enters the Sound in the runoff of pesticides and fertilizers from residential and agricultural properties and from private septic systems. Even inland communities contribute with runoff that goes into the Connecticut rivers and streams that empty into the Sound.

Excessive nitrogen contributes to hypoxia, a deficiency of oxygen, that ultimately kills all sorts of marine life, including fish and grasses, creating the so-called dead zones that plague the Sound.

Of course, its a complex problem. Consider that the Connecticut River, by some estimates, provides 70 percent of the fresh water entering the Sound, so a comprehensive nitrogen reduction plan requires attention in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Despite the abuse we heap on it, the waters remain home to the bait fish  menhaden, aka bunker; porgies and other small fish  that the larger members of the food chain feed on.

Those larger members, incidentally, would include the humpback whales and dolphins that local boaters photographed frolicking in the Sound last summer.

Murphys call is for $850 million a year not only to combat the influx of nitrogen  $165 million would be earmarked for the nitrogen effort  but also to prepare the coastline for rising water levels. The odds of Murphy succeeding with an environmental initiative in a Republican-controlled Congress have yet to be set. But the fight is worth the engagement.

And a reminder that protecting Long Island Sound is not such a massive project that individuals dont matter. Repairing a septic system and cutting back on nitrogen-rich fertilizers for the lawn are just two ways the average Connecticut resident can help.
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Weekday mornings, 16-year-old Callistus C.J. Ephraim is a Bassick High School junior, working his way through math, history and language arts.

But at 11:45 a.m. each day, he and nine classmates head to Housatonic Community Colleges Advanced Manufacturing Program, where they learn how to operate vertical milling machines and read blueprints alongside college students.

My son can read a blueprint, Eunice Ephraim, C.J.s mother, said incredulously. I was excited and he was excited.

And with good reason: C.J. is on his way to earning 18 college credits.

For the full story, subscribe below.
Pa. is about to vote. Here's what to know about voting and ballot access in 2022

Elections
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist square off in their only TV debate

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democrat Charlie Crist are expected to tussle over the economy, abortion and culture war issues.
The University of Memphis says that one of its students has been exposed to measles and has potentially exposed other students, according to an email sent out to the campus community.

The student has not been diagnosed with measles, wrote Rosie P. Bingham, dean of students at the U of M, in the email.

aThe student has been instructed not to return to campus, but the student was on campus through Friday.a Bingham wrote. aThose who are known to have been in contact with this student last week will receive further correspondence; however, it is possible that others who were on campus last week could have been exposed.a

There have been six diagnosed cases of measles in Shelby County as of April 27, higher than the rest of the United States.

There will be a campus meeting today at 3 p.m. in the University Center to answer questions some might have related to the situation, Bingham wrote in her email.A
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Fifteen years after British troops were sent to fight in Afghanistan in the wake of the attack on the Twin Towers, there is still massive controversy over what they were doing there.

Some believe that politicians should never have sent British troops to Afghanistan at all.

Others believe, with justice, that dreadful military mistakes were made.

We British owe a tremendous national debt to the Afghan interpreters who risked their lives to help our soldiers (file picture of British marines fighting in Afghanistan)

However, almost everybody can concur on two points. British soldiers showed extraordinary endurance and heroism. Some 453 lost their lives, while thousands more returned home with physical and mental scars.

And almost all decent people  though not apparently the Cameron Government  would wholeheartedly agree with a second point: that we British owe a tremendous national debt to the Afghan interpreters who risked their lives to help our soldiers.

Murdered

These translators were mostly locals who selflessly took identical risks among the minefields as our servicemen and women.

Indeed, in some ways they took far greater risks, because when they returned home  without weapons and troop carriers  they could be, and often were, targeted as collaborators by the Taliban.

Now British troops are back in Britain, these interpreters, and their families, continue to suffer such terrifying threats. Some have been executed. Others have vanished and are thought to have been killed. They live lives of constant threat and fear.

One example concerns Parwiz Khan, who was shot four times in the chest on his family farm last year  murdered on his own doorstep  four years after giving up working for the British.

Last year, the Mail interviewed a translator who had made it to this country and was anxiously waiting to see if he would be granted sanctuary.

He described how the Taliban nailed a warning to the door of his family home in Afghanistan in the night, calling him a slave of the infidels and promising he would be killed.

For many like him, the level of threat means it has become impossible for them and their families to stay. They have been forced to flee Afghanistan, making terrifying journeys along people-smuggling routes to Europe in search of security.

We in Britain have an overriding moral duty to offer these heroic interpreters freedom and a new life. They risked everything to help our soldiers at a time of huge difficulty and danger. We must surely look after them in return.

Yet, incredibly, the British Government is refusing to honour our side of the bargain.

The Home Office is refusing to accept into this country many of the brave interpreters who risked their lives to reach Britain. When they do, by hook or by crook, get to this country, in certain cases we do our utmost to send them away.

This has long been a matter for national shame. Now the inevitable has happened. One interpreter who fled to Britain to escape death threats has reportedly killed himself in despair at the prospect of deportation.

This suicide should weigh heavily on the conscience of this Government, and all decent British people.

These translators were mostly locals who selflessly took identical risks among the minefields as our servicemen and women (file picture of soldiers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan)

Twenty-nine-year-old Nangyalai Dawoodzai served our forces bravely when we needed his help in his native Afghanistan. Threatened by the Taliban, he then made the long journey to Britain  only to be told he had no right to live here and would be sent back.

A government with the faintest sense of obligation and decency would have given Dawoodzai the heros welcome he deserved.

Instead, he (along with other Afghan interpreters) was put up in a hostel in Birmingham, and then threatened with deportation because he had been fingerprinted when he arrived in Italy and, as a result, would have to claim political asylum there.

I believe this approach to Afghan interpreters has become a national scandal  a view yesterday shared by the former chief of the defence staff, Lord Guthrie, who led a growing chorus of criticism.

Those who do not agree with this point of view argue that a resolve to keep out those without a legal right to be here should apply to everyone.

It is of course right that Home Secretary Theresa May should defend our national borders in the face of mass immigration. And Mrs May has long expressed her frustration that, thanks to human rights legislation, criminals and even murderers have been allowed to remain in this country when she would rather have them expelled.

Nangyalai Dawoodzai served our forces bravely when we needed his help in his native Afghanistan. But when he was threatened by the Taliban he was told he had no right to live in Britain. (file image of Helmand province)

Beyond question, however, Afghan interpreters deserve special treatment.

The numbers are relatively small: no more than 3,000 were employed during the conflict in Southern Afghanistan. But only a small number have been offered asylum in Britain, forcing others to take desperate measures.

The United States, our partner in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, has taken much more comprehensive steps to look after their interpreters.

During my reporting missions to Iraq with U.S. forces, I always made a point of talking to the interpreters, and it became clear they did far more than merely interpret.

Shameful

They were able to provide expert local knowledge, warn of threats invisible to Western troops, and describe what local people were really saying. In many cases, strong relationships developed between U.S. commanders and their interpreters.

And yet these interpreters were often terrified men because they knew they and their families would be tortured and killed if insurgents learned what they were doing.

Several times, interpreters I talked to started to shake uncontrollably with fear as they described what they were living through and the measures they took to escape detection.

It is shameful that the British have shown so much less understanding of their predicament than the United States.

Leaving aside the urgent moral obligation we owe these brave interpreters, there is also a practical consideration of vital importance.

It is likely British forces will become involved in overseas conflicts again. If this happens, our troops will again need skilled translators ready to risk their lives on our behalf.

Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured) should give the brave Afghan interpreters special treatment

It will be more difficult to recruit resourceful and courageous men if it is known we let down those who served us so bravely in Afghanistan.

In an article in these pages, Colonel Richard Kemp, who served in the Balkans and Afghanistan, warned that if we betray the Afghan interpreters, it will be very hard to recruit interpreters elsewhere. In all my years of military service, we have been absolutely dependent on them.

Trauma

The comparison with the troubles in Northern Ireland is also telling. They eventually came to an end in large part because of the work of immeasurably brave informers who gave our troops advance warning of what the IRA was up to.

The British state went to enormous lengths to provide these brave people with new identities and financial security. Our refusal to do the same for Afghan interpreters is morally disgusting.

It fits, however, into a wider pattern of official neglect of British troops returning from combat situations. In recent times the accusation has been made that the Government has broken the military covenant which promises to give our troops the support and care they need.

Reports during the second Iraq war suggested, for example, that thousands of British war heroes were living in poverty because their injury compensation payouts were delayed up to three years.

Ex-service personnel are also thought to account for approximately one in ten rough sleepers in Britain, some still suffering from psychological or physical trauma.

These are men who have taken risks for their country that are unimaginable for the majority of us. The least they can expect is to be looked after when they retire.

The same consideration should apply to brave Afghan interpreters who sacrificed so much to help the British.
Tony Blair (pictured) has made millions by trading on the contacts he made as Prime Minister

Time was when a career in public service was seen as its own reward.

People of substance and integrity became MPs or civil servants with no greater ambition than to help make Britain a better place and no more expectation of payback than a decent pension and, perhaps, a modest gong on retirement.

But as a truly shocking Mail investigation proves today, all too many of todays politicians and senior mandarins are infinitely more venal.

Rather than being driven by altruism, they appear to view their time in Whitehall or Westminster as a handy prelude to making huge sums in the private sector by exploiting their contacts and knowledge of how to manipulate the levers of government.

They become appointed as directors or advisers to companies, lavished with thousands of pounds a day for consultancy work, or employed as lobbyists.

There are supposed to be strict rules against passing on privileged information, but why would big firms pay such handsome wages if not to benefit from inside knowledge?

This is hardly a new phenomenon. It began in earnest under New Labour and reached its apotheosis with the breathtakingly avaricious Tony Blair, who has made millions by trading on the contacts he made as Prime Minister.

But the difference now is the sheer numbers involved. Since 2008, no fewer than 17 of the Treasurys top civil servants have taken jobs in banking or big business, all the last six energy ministers secured posts with energy companies after they left government and 14 out of 15 trade and business ministers went into the City or commerce.

Many seem to have little genuine qualification for their rewarding new careers. LibDem Danny Alexander, for example, had been a press officer for the Cairngorms National Park before the Coalition catapulted him into a top Cabinet post. Now he is vice-president of a massive Chinese investment bank.

Astonishingly, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which examines potential conflict of interests or breach of ministerial rules, has never blocked a single appointment.

In a pathetic abrogation of responsibility, its chairman Baroness Browning says the committee has neither the resources nor remit to police this growing scandal.

In which case its high time this toothless watchdog was scrapped and replaced with a proper regulator. Put simply, it should not be possible for the political elite cynically to use government as a stepping stone to private sector riches.

Its an affront to democracy and stinks of corruption.

Whod trust us now?

A host of former ministers and senior military figures yesterday threw their weight behind the Mails campaign for Britain to give sanctuary to loyal interpreters who served the British Army in Afghanistan and are now in mortal danger from the Taliban.

A host of former ministers and senior military figures have thrown their weight behind the Mails campaign for Britain to give sanctuary to loyal Afghan interpreters (pictured, British Marines in Helmand, Afghanistan)

They rightly spoke of the debt of honour we owe to these men and of the shame they felt at our decision to abandon them in their hour of need.

But apart from the moral imperative to provide safe haven, there is also a highly practical reason for looking after them.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is considering sending British troops into Libya on a peacekeeping mission (a deployment which, incidentally, the Mail believes would be folly). With Islamic State and al Qaeda firmly established in that beleaguered country, they will need all the local help they can get.
Every beauty expert has their own home remedy for treating their spots whether it's toothpaste, mouthwash or tea tree oil.

Now beauty vlogger Farah Dhukai, from Concord, Ontario, has revealed in a new video that she uses nappy rash cream.

In a clip that's been seen by more than 251,000 times, she explains that the lotion contains zinc oxide an 'acne killer'.

Farah Dhukai, from Concord, Ontario, posted a video on Instagram showing how she tackles spots, pictured pointing at her problem areas

Farah shows the camera her secret solution to fighting acne. On the caption, she wrote: 'BEST ACNE KILLER MASK! DIAPER RASH CREAM!'

She said: 'Diaper Rash cream contains ZINC oxide which is an acne KILLER! Especially if you have hormonal/cystic acne.

'The diaper rash cream that I'm using also has calendula in it - which is an anti-inflammatory, so if you're acne is red and inflamed, it'll soothe it.'

Farah posted the short clip on Instagram to her 610,000 followers. On the caption, Farah wrote: 'BEST ACNE KILLER MASK! DIAPER RASH CREAM! #iaintsorry.'

She opened it by pointing to blemishes on her face and making a thumbs down gesture.

The video then cut to Farah holding up the nappy rash cream - in this case she used Weleda Baby Calendula Nappy Change Cream, available in the UK from Superdrug for 6.95.

Farah posted: 'Diaper Rash cream contains ZINC oxide which is an acne KILLER! Especially if you have hormonal/cystic acne'

Farah shows how to use the cream and takes a small amount on her finger

She started to rub the cream into the problem areas, applying generously.

Farah wrote: ' Apply as a spot treatment to all your acne spots, let it dry and go to bed. Wash off in the morning.'

But alternatively, she also showed how it can work as a face mask to give a really intense treatment.

Farah posted: 'You can apply this all over your face as a night time sleeping mask and wash off in the morning. Your face will be as smooth as a baby's butt.'

The vlogger only used the cream on her lower face, over her cheeks and chin, but she explained it would also work on the T-zone.

Farah warned: 'If you have sensitive skin, do a test patch first.'

Farah then liberally dabs the spots on her face at night before going to sleep

Farah also uses the technique to make a face mask, covering her skin with nappy rash cream which makes it incredibly soft she says

Farah's followers were impressed with her idea with many saying they will try it out for themselves

Her followers were impressed with the method. Roxzana11 posted: 'Wow for real I'd never have thought of that' and others agreed they would try it.

While AnnaMaria_XO pointed out: 'Her skin is already clear though.'

Vlogger Farah Dhukai is becoming well known for her creative at-home solutions for various beauty issues, having previously recommended using garlic as a cure for pimples and even turmeric and buttermilk to banish eye bags.

Most recently, she recommended using mouthwash to banish dandruff.

In a short clip posted to Instagram, Farah used mouthwash diluted with water and sprayed it onto her scalp.
A pair of identical twins who have never lived apart just celebrated their 100th birthdaysand they still can't get enough of each other.

After a century of being attached at the hip, Mary Belle Roach and Mae Belle Powell from Symsonia, Kentucky, still dress alike, get their hair done together, and live with each other in their childhood home. They have even taken to sharing a bedroom in case one of them ever needs anything in the middle of the night.

'We're together all the time; we've never been separated,' Mary told Today. 'That's all we know: to love each other.'

A century together: Identical twins Mary Belle Roach and Mae Belle Powell celebrated their 100th birthdays on March 25

Unbreakable bond: Mae Belle (left) and Mary (right) have been inseparable over the past 100 years together

At the start: The sisters, who are still known as 'The Wallace Twins', were born in their hometown of Symsonia, Kentucky, on March 25, 1916 in the midst of World War I. Mary and Mae Belle are pictured as babies

The sisters, who are still known as 'The Wallace Twins' because of their maiden names, were born in their hometown of Symsonia on March 25, 1916 in the midst of World War I.

Mary and Mae Belle were teenagers during the Great Depression, and Mary recalled how their family 'had nothing' at the time.

Despite the financial hardships of the time, the two women were able to afford the $5 a semester tuition to attend Murray State College together.

As college student, the twins took advantage of their identical appearances and divvied up their time in the classroom based on their separate interests.

Hard times: Mary and Mae Belle, who are pictured as high school students, were teenagers during the Great Depression

Helping hand: When they were college students, Mary would go to gym class pretending to be her sister, while Mae Belle did Mary's book reports

While Mary would go to gym class for her sister, who 'can't hit a ball to save her life', Mae Belle would return the favor by doing her sister's book reports.

The sisters even chose chose the same profession. After they married a pair of best friends that they had grown up with, they both took teaching jobs at Symsonia Elementary School where they made a $1 per day.

Mary and Mae Belle taught in classrooms that were right across the hall from each other, but after their husbands were drafted into World War II in the 1940s, they temporarily moved to Detroit to work in wartime factories.

'Everything was real quiet; I remember how sad it was,' Mary said of hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Rosie the Riveter: The twins temporarily moved to Detroit (pictured) to work in wartime factories during World War II after their husbands were drafted

Good times: Mary and Mae Belle are pictured riding motorcycles together in Mississippi

Best friends: The twins wore matching clothes during one of their trips to New Orleans. The two have been to all 50 states and eight countries in Europe together

She will also never forget the Sunday after the first atomic bomb was dropped as she recalled how 'you had to wait in line just to get into church.'

After the war ended, the sisters and their husband bought motor homes and traveled around the country.

Over the course of their lifetimes, they have visited all 50 states, as well eight countries in Europe, together.

The women, who are both widows, continue to remain active despite their 100 years.

Mary and Mae Belle live together in their childhood homeand they even share a room

Closer than ever: 'I need her all the time,' Mae Belle said. 'We've had a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful life and still have it.'

They keep each other company at a nearby gym where they walked for 30 minutes each day, and every Friday they go to the hair salon dressed alike.

Mae Belle insisted that if she is not with her sister she is worried, and they both agree that they simply can't get enough of each other.

'I need her all the time,' Mae Belle said. 'We've had a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful life and still have it.'

As for their secret to living living to 100, Mae Belle told Inside Edition its 'good genes', noting that their mother lived to be 97.
Urban Outfitters has pulled a controversial shampoo which claimed to treat 'suicidal' hair after shocked customers took to Twitter to complain.

The 'peachy head' shampoo was on sale in UK stores but has been branded 'disgusting' and 'irresponsible' by shoppers, who were shocked by the playful references to such a serious subject.

Urban Outfitters has now discontinued the product, which used a pun on Beachy Head, a notorious spot on the East Sussex coast.

The 'peachy head' peach shampoo for 'suicidal hair' was on sale in Urban Outfitters' UK stores but has been branded 'disgusting' and 'irresponsible' by many

The packaging also used an image of hair throwing itself off a cliff, with the words: 'I never knew my once beautiful hair would actually commit suicide by tossing itself off dramatic white cliffs to the rocks below.'

Shopper Sam Missingham spotted the shampoo on sale and tweeted a picture of the product along with the caption: 'Dear Urban Outfitters, think this is an acceptable product aimed at teenage girls? Shameful and hugely irresponsible.'

Her post was retweeted almost 400 times with many adding their own comments.

Tiffany Louise Clark wrote: 'Christ, this is horrendous. Urban Outfitters you should be ashamed - turning suicide into a pun to sell. Disgusting.'

While Emma Flint wrote: 'Yeah, because suicide is hilarious. Urban Outfitters this is irresponsible and just vile.'

Twitter users were appalled by the use of suicide to sell a shampoo and branded the company 'vile'

@SeriouslyHilary suggested Urban Outfitters 'make a large donation to a suicide prevention charity.'

Kaitlyn Schallhorn was shocked by the idea and posted 'suicide jokes are not OK.'

While James Temple wrote: 'I like Urban Outfitters as much as the next person but stocking shampoo that uses suicide as a method advertising is awful.'

While Amy McSwiggan wrote: 'Once again Urban Outfitters selling products that make light of suicide. Mental health issues are not a fashion accessory! Complete idiocy.'

Megan Littler added: 'What makes you think puns about suicide are OK? Especially among teenagers? Absolutely shameful.'

In reply to Sam Missingham's tweet, Urban Outfitters tweeted on Thursday: 'We appreciate your concern and are pulling this product from all retail stores immediately.'

The product, which is made by UK brand Anatomicals, is no longer available on the company's website.

Anatomicals co-founder Paul Marshall confirmed it had been removed from the shelves.

One Twitter user suggested to make amends Urban Outfitters could donate a substantial amount to a suicide prevention charity

Marshall told Huffington Post: As always, we closely monitor all feedback, good or bad, and respond accordingly. Peachy Head has been on sale for a number of years now and continues to be loved by many customers.

Thats not to say we fail to recognise that suicide, and particularly teenage suicide, is a growing problem and we would never wish to be seen as making light of it.

All of the products in the range have names using puns and tongue-in-cheek humour.

Urban Outfitters told MailOnline: 'Earlier this year, URBN became aware that "Shampoo for Suicidal Hair", a product manufactured by a UK company, Anatomicals, was offered for sale by Urban Outfitters in the UK.

'Although the products name is a humorous attempt to market a shampoo for hard-to-manage hair, we reevaluated and felt it was not appropriate and it was pulled from the Urban Outfitters website.

'Regrettably, some of the product was not pulled from our retail stores. We have instructed all of our UK stores to remove the product immediately which has now been pulled.'
The gowns and the celebrities may be the center of attention when it comes to the Met Gala, but, even if she isn't making the boldest statement on the red carpet, Anna Wintour is the lady of the hour.

The Vogue editor-in-chief, 66, and her 28-year-old daughter Bee Shaffer headed up the red carpet procession this year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

Both ladies looked the picture of grace, though certainly played it safe this year with their gown selections.

The lady of the hour, and daughter: Anna Wintour and daughter Bee Shaffer lead the red carpet at this year's Met Gala

Making moves: The 66-year-old Vogue editor-in-chief went heavy on the fringe for this year's gown

Top to toe: The Chanel dress featured a lattice pattern over the body and a brown feathered detail along the neckline

In fact, the mother-daughter duo were not terribly far off their choices from the previous year's Gala.

Anna was heavy on the fringe for this year's event in an off-white piece from Chanel's Spring 2016 Couture line.

The dress featured a lattice-patterned embroidery over it, with small stones of black and gold fitted inside each corner.

Flowing away: The dress featured fringe along the back and shoulders and the lower skirt

Making a statement: Bee's gorgeous black Alexander McQueen gown was embellished with symmetrical blossoms of various colors

Family affair: Anna's son Charles Shaffer also attended with his wife Elizabeth Cordry

Both the shoulders and the lower skirt were thick with white fringe while the bust of the gown featured feathery brown accents appearing like the wings and tails of birds.

The fashion mogul topped off the look with a heavy-looking necklace and matching bracelet with diamonds arranged into flowers.

With the focus on the embellished shoulders, the dress certainly has similarities to Anna's choice from last year, which was an Asian-inspired flowered ensemble, also by Chanel, featuring a pair of petal-adorned statement sleeves.

Quite a pair: Though they played it safe this year, both ladies looked beautiful

A similar effort: The gowns aren't far off from the dresses the mother-daughter duo donned last year, with Anna in statement sleeves and Bee in florals with a long train

As for Bee, Anna's daughter by ex-husband David Shaffer, the choice this year was Alexander McQueen with a simply gorgeous long-sleeved black gown with rising shoulders, a long train and a rectangular neckline.

The dress is covered in a colorful, totally symmetrical pattern of beautiful blossoms, and Bee paired the dress with diamond accessories including drop earrings and an elegant headband.

Again, like her mother, Bee wasn't too far off the concept she took for last year's effort, a deep red gown accented with cherry blossoms and a long train.
Mood swings, hot flushes and an extra layer of fat, Christa dSouza was appalled by the onset of menopause. And the final insult? She could no longer enjoy a glass or two of wine without making her symptoms worse.

Here, in the final extract from her brilliant new book, she tells how she regained control over her body and her life...

An alcoholic? Moi? Well, maybe not quite. But something wasnt right if the kids hardly ever saw me past 7.30pm without a glass of wine in my hand.

Something wasnt right if there was never a situation where I drank less than my other half. Or if the idea of going out and not having a drink had become so appalling that Id end up not going out. And then opening a bottle at home anyway.

What had happened to that basic rule of thumb? That a woman in her 20s slurring her words and swaying a bit can be quite sweet? That a woman in her 30s can just about get away with it, too? That a woman in her 40s needs to watch out  and that in her 50s it becomes, frankly, grotesque? How come I could so easily see it in others, but not myself?

Christa dSouza was appalled by the onset of menopause. The final insult? She could no longer enjoy a glass or two of wine without making her symptoms worse (stock image)

The sad truth is that for many women, at around the time they hit the menopause their tolerance for alcohol decreases. You hear it all the time. My one pleasure left in the world, a friend will moan, and I cant even enjoy it any more.

Well, lucky them, I say. Because my tolerance seemed to go up And even after I went on HRT in 2014, it didnt  unlike for a lot of women I know  go back down again. On the contrary, where two glasses of wine used to be perfectly sufficient for an evening, now it was more like half a bottle, and quite often more.

To make matters worse, my hangovers were dreadful. And the drinking definitely exacerbated the hot flushes. I could feel my temperature rising with every sip. And my sleep, frankly, was as fragmented as hell.

In retrospect, I think what I was doing was drinking to keep myself feeling young. Alcohol was my link to the hurly-burly of my 30s and 40s  a reminder that I could still be, as it were, fun and vivacious. It gave a sense of occasion to an otherwise humdrum day.

And being a feast-or-famine sort of person, the idea of cutting down to one small glass a day seemed almost more depressing than actually giving up.

So I continued apace, desperately trying to recreate the effect drink used to have on me when I drank moderately. And all the time feeling more and more bloated and oyster-eyed and menopausal than ever.

To try to make myself feel a bit better, I started drinking lots of water and experimenting on the wine front. For a while I drank only organic. Then came the sugar-free champagne  until the ludicrous expense of it hit home.

Then there was a phase of drinking anything I wanted as long as it was 11.5 per cent or under, followed by my long love affair with rose. Preferably pale French rose, chilled within an inch of its life and enjoyed all year round  partly because it seemed more festive and sporty and outdoorsy than white, but mostly because it slipped down so easily.

(Rose, it turns out, has a higher sugar content than either white or red, and is the reason why so many of us come home from a lovely Mediterranean holiday feeling terrible.)

And all the while Id be desperately trawling the internet for studies linking moderate alcohol consumption to a reduced risk of heart problems, better bone density, etc. Theres always one around somewhere if you look hard enough.

But what I always came unstuck on was the word moderate  the word that means one measly glass a day.

In my case, there was no getting round that. Nor, more importantly, was there any way round the increasing evidence of alcohols almost incontrovertible link with breast cancer.

In 2008, a doctor in Toronto had concluded that women who had one drink a day would see their ten-year risk of breast cancer rise from 2.8 per cent to 3.5 per cent; and for women who had two drinks a day, from 2.8 per cent to 4.1 per cent. This meant that women like me who had four drinks a day could be looking at 8.2 per cent.

It made me think anew about the grape seed-sized tumour Id found in my right breast that summer of 2007. Could it have been caused by my drinking? And now that I was on HRT, could I be putting myself in danger of getting it again?

The smart thing to do, according to Dr Martin Galy, a fashionable hormone doctor I went to see about all this, would be to reduce the drink and carry on with the HRT.

He told me that you are probably safer, as far as cancer is concerned, taking even the most sledge-hammering form of HRT than not taking HRT and continuing to drink in quantities greater than the recommended amount.

Although it was somewhat heartening to learn that once youve got breast cancer, alcohol did not help the tumour to grow, it is really, really hard to find a study that did not, in some way, link alcohol to getting breast cancer in the first place.

Which is why, in January this year, I stopped. I suddenly realised that Id done enough drinking in my life, thanks very much, and I didnt want any more

Quite apart from the whole cancer issue, I didnt want to be in that permanent, low-level state of hungoverness. I didnt want my partner to feel that he always had to monitor me from the other end of the table.

I didnt want to be obsessed with how slowly everyone else drank. I didnt want to be more interested in the wine list than the menu.

What I did want was to wake up feeling the same way as Id done the night before. And the only way to do that was to give up completely.

The idea of a summer holiday in Greece without rose is pretty unspeakable, writes CHRISTA D'SOUZA

You may not need to, and if so I envy you. The idea of a summer holiday in Greece without rose, of going to my favourite Italian restaurant without drinking red wine, of getting through a family Christmas without any medication at all is pretty unspeakable.

But at the same time, if Im going to make anything of this last third of my life, Im probably going to have to do it sober.

Did I mention the fridge pilfering after supper? No? Well, not only was I downing the best part of a bottle of wine a night, but also packing away the food like a crazy teenager.

I had slightly pressed the so what? button around food in the run-up to the menopause. After years of treating the bread basket as if it had an electric fence around it, abstinence just didnt seem worth it any more.

Was it because I had resigned myself to being a middle-aged mother, knowing I categorically, emphatically would never be on the pull again, so I might as well indulge? I dont know.

But what felt extra demoralising was how all the exercise I was doing wasnt having any effect at all. But then, as studies continue to prove, you can do all the hot yoga and treadmilling you like, but its not going to help you lose weight or give you back the body you have lost.

Physical activity is crucially important for improving overall health and fitness levels, but there is limited evidence to suggest it can blunt the surge in obesity, according to public health scientists Richard Cooper and Amy Luke.

This crucial part of the health message is not appreciated in recommendations to be more active, walk up stairs and eat more fruit and vegetables. The prescription needs to be precise. There is only one effective way to lose weight: and that is to eat fewer calories.

Fewer than ever. For once we women hit our 50s, we need only around 65 per cent of the calories we needed in our 20s. This is because every year over the age of 40, the rate at which we burn off calories slows down.

Meaning that if we ingest 1,000 calories before the menopause, we will burn about 700 of them and store 300. Post-menopause, we may burn 300 while storing, gulp, 700.

But is it all bad? It is not.

Whether it is the HRT or my body settling into menopause, I no longer have the appetite of a pre-menstrual teenager. A modicum of control has definitely been regained now that I know exercise on its own is not going to make me thinner.

It is true I cannot fit into the clothes I wore at my pre-menopause thinnest, and I feel a little weird these days in skinny jeans if the top Im wearing doesnt cover my bottom. But then, maybe skinny jeans arent appropriate for a woman whos four years shy of 60?

Believe me, the menopause is a great time to re-evaluate your wardrobe, to throw out those things youve let languish there in the vain hope that once you lose that pesky spare tyre, youll be able to wear them again.

What we must do now, I believe, is make our lives less complicated on the clothes front  creating a new kind of uniform for ourselves, a mixture of things we have come to know, via trial and error, will always work for us, no matter what.

Its a lovely feeling being sartorially true to oneself. I now know, for example, that I can never have enough of silk cashmere cardigans, cotton gauze check shirts and midi-length A--line skirts with pockets.

I know, too, that there is no point in buying the item that will work brilliantly when its got different buttons/is a smidgeon looser/is dyed a different colour. Unless youve got a live-in seamstress, such purchases never work.

Am I there myself? In this serene, self-accepting, super-sorted-out space? Do I practise what I preach?

Not quite. It is probably time for me to get a grown-up haircut, for example, but I cannot quite make the leap yet. The jeans I can no longer fit into? I know I need to make a ceremonial funeral pyre for them (or give them away), but I havent got round to that either.

I am, though, kind of looking forward to being in my 60s  to getting out of my neither-here-nor-there 50s, to comporting myself as an older, elegant and not completely asexual lady.

Whether it is a function of menopause or not, I trust and like myself more these days. Im not quite as fearful of what life might toss out. So what if I inadvertently offend someone? So what if I dont get invited to the party?

Theres a fine balance between being liberated and giving up, and Im still learning how to walk it. But if there is any time in my life when the penny drops and I am going to get it, now is that time. Wish me luck.
It can also be good for your pets and replace sexual lubricants

It can improve your digestion, hair, skin, nails, metabolism and energy

She explains the various and often surprising uses for coconut oil

She drinks or eats up to ten tablespoons each day

For businesswoman and author, Jenni Madison, from New South Wales, the magical powers of coconut have a very personal meaning.

When she found herself extremely sick during a trip to Thailand in 2010, she tried coconut oil and started to get better.

Following this surprising discovery, Jenni went on to start her own business Coconut Magic, selling puret coconut oil, and release a book about the varied uses for the versatile product.

Past history: When Ms Madison (pictured) developed a chronic digestive ailment in Thailand in 2010, her body and eczema only responded to coconut oil - after a time, she started 'dealing in it' and founded Coconut Magic

Diverse uses: As well as improving your digestive health, boosting your energy and balancing your blood sugar levels, coconut oil helps to curb carb and sugar cravings, as well as working wonders on your skin, hair and nails

AMAZING POWERS OF COCONUT OIL * Coconut oil improves your digestive health. * It can also boost your energy levels and improve your metabolism when a tablespoon is stirred into a cup of tea or hot water. * Coconut oil balances your blood sugar levels and reduces cravings for carbs and sugar. * It can also be applied topically to the skin and nails, where it will help with conditions such as eczema. It doubles up as a facial cleanser. * Many celebrities use coconut oil to 'oil pull' - this involves swilling the stuff around in your mouth to detox the body and whiten your teeth. Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan. * Coconut oil is also a good leave-in conditioner to use on your hair overnight. * Ms Madison advocates using coconut oil on your pets. She says you should stir a little into their evening meal and their coats will look glossier and their eyes whiter. * She also suggests keeping a jar in the bedroom, as it can replace commercial lubricants. * It is recommended that people take between three and five tablespoons of coconut oil daily, but this varies per person.

When Ms Madison re-located to Thailand in 2010 and developed a chronic digestive ailment, the doctors were confused.

Her lack of energy, brain fog and bad eczema were not responding to traditional medications, and it wasn't until a local said she should try coconut oil that she started feeling better:

'I started taking it and applying it to my skin when they told me about coconut oil's healing powers,' Ms Madison tells Daily Mail Australia.

'Because coconut oil is anti fungal you have to build up your dosage. But pretty quickly I started seeing amazing results. My eczema cleared up and my digestion improved. I rang my sister back home and told her she needed some in her life.

'Back then, coconut oil wasn't a thing in Australia, so soon enough, I started dealing in it with my business, Coconut Magic.'

According to Ms Madison, the uses for coconut oil are incredible and very diverse.

As well as improving your digestive health, boosting your energy and balancing your blood sugar levels, it also helps to curb carb and sugar cravings, as well as working wonders on your skin, hair and nails:

'I leave it on overnight when my hair is dirty and wash the oil off the next morning,' Ms Madison says.

Deep connection: For businesswoman and author, Jenni Madison (pictured), from NSW, the magical powers of coconut have a very personal meaning - she got sick in Thailand in 2010, and coconut oil healed her

She also confesses she uses it on her pets.

Mix a couple of tablespoons with your pets' evening meal, and their coats will get shinier and their eyes whiter.

'All you need to do is mix a couple of tablespoons with their evening meal, and their coats will get shinier and their eyes whiter. My cat loves it. When I put it on my body she's the first to lick it off. She'll even take it straight from the spoon!'.

But it's not just the kitchen and the bathroom that Ms Madison recommends you keep a jar of coconut oil in. The businesswoman and author of recent coconut recipe bible, The Healthy Coconut, says you should also keep a jar in the bedroom and use it to replace commercial lubricants:

'I know it sounds crazy, but commercial lubricants are full of parabens,' she says.

'Coconut oil is healthy, natural and has no additives. It also helps to balance women's pH levels which is obviously really important.'

Four-legged friend fans: Ms Madison says she also uses it for her pets - by stirring in a tablespoon to their evening meal, it can help their coats to get more glossy and their eyes to appear whiter

Surprising use: But it's not just the kitchen and the bathroom that Ms Madison recommends you keep a jar of coconut oil in - she says you should also keep a jar in the bedroom and use it to replace commercial lubricants

The recommended daily dosage is between three and five tablespoons, but I usually get somewhere between five and ten

In one form or another, whether she's oil pulling (swilling coconut oil around in your mouth to whiten teeth and detox the body), or drinking it in her tea or smoothies, Ms Madison says that she often gets as many as TEN tablespoons of the stuff a day.

'The recommended daily dosage is between three and five tablespoons, but I usually get somewhere between five and ten - you can never have to many,' she says.

'I've asked doctors whether there is such a thing as too much coconut oil, and I've always been met with the same answer: every person is different.

'Generally, if your body starts flushing, that means you've had enough. For me, that's around ten tablespoons.'

Daily dosage: Whether she's oil pulling (swilling coconut oil around in your mouth to whiten teeth and detox the body), or drinking it in tea, Ms Madison says that she gets as many as TEN tablespoons of coconut oil a day

Acclaimed author: She has written a book, The Healthy Coconut (pictured), which details over 100 delicious recipes using coconut and coconut oil

But how is coconut oil the new hero product, and so much better than other health oils such as linseed and flaxseed?

According to Ms Madison, the reason why coconut oil is so brilliant is because it 'bypasses the gall bladder and goes directly to your liver.

'The liver then processes the coconut oil directly into energy, which then goes on to help your metabolism thanks to its unique composition.'

Science stuff: According to Ms Madison, the reason why coconut oil is so brilliant is because it 'bypasses the gall bladder and goes directly to your liver, where it is processed directly into energy

And coconut oil's popularity shows no sign of abating. With everyone from Gisele to Gwyneth Paltrow waxing lyrical about it, there are almost more stockists of coconut oil than there are fresh fruit.

'To see people really embrace the power of coconut oil and hear their stories of how it cured their skin condition or digestive health is what it's all about for me,' Ms Madison says.

'And for anyone who hasn't yet got on board, my number one tip is eat it daily. Put a tablespoon in your tea or hot water and lemon for added energy and you'll notice the benefits immediately. It truly is amazing.'

Jenni Madison's book, The Healthy Coconut, is available to buy here.

JENNI MADISON'S MOCHA MAGIC BITES, FROM THE HEALTHY COCONUT Tasty recipe: Jenni Madison's mocha magic bites are one of her book's most popular recipes For the base: One cup pecans Three tablespoons raw cacao powder Eight Medjool dates Pinch of pink salt For the coffee vanilla cream: Eight cups raw cashews, soaked One teaspoon vanilla essence One and 1/3 cup Coconut Magic coconut oil, melted One cup Coconut Magic Coconut nectar  a teaspoon salt One and 1/3 cup very strong, brewed organic coffee One cup cacao nibs For the chocolate sauce:

 a cup cacao powder  a cup Coconut Magic coconut oil, melted  a cup Coconut Magic coconut nectar  a teaspoon vanilla essence Pinch of pink salt How to: 1. To make the base, blend the pecans and cacao powder in a food processor, process until a fine flour forms, then add the Medjool dates and salt, and blend again until a sticky dough forms. 2. Press the mixture into a flat tray or plate lined with a piece of waxed baking paper. Set aside in the fridge. 3. To make the coffee vanilla cream, blend all ingredients. 4. Pour half of the Coffee Vanilla Cream over the top of the base and refrigerate the remaining half of the cream. 5. Next, blend all the ingredients for the Chocolate Sauce. 6. Drizzle the Chocolate Sauce over the top of the Coffee Vanilla Cream, place in freezer and allow to set for one hour. 7. Once the chocolate sauce has set, place another layer of the remaining Coffee Vanilla Cream over the top of the chocolate topping layer. Return to the freezer for another two to three hours. 8. Remove from the freezer and slice into bite-size pieces. Serves approximately 15 square bites. Preparation: 25 minutes. Cooling: Four to six hours.

Top tip: For Ms Madison, her top tip is for people to take some coconut oil daily - 'put a tablespoon in your tea or hot water and lemon for added energy and you'll notice the benefits immediately,' she says
Lisa Lin, from Sacramento, California, doesn't just see food as fuel, but as a form of art.

The passionate food blogger admits she is 'addicted' to food art, and regularly posts snaps of her unique edible creations on social media and her blog, Lisa Lin.

Since early April she has shared 22 of her favourite food art creations - from a recreation of Homer Simpson to replicas of classic paintings.

Combining a passion for art and food: Lisa Lin, from Sacramento, California, doesn't just see food as fuel, but as a form of art and regularly recreates famous paintings and characters using food

The Scream: Ms Lin also toast (right) as a base to create Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' painting (left) using ketchup, tomato paste, cheese, seaweed, kiwi peel and basil paste

Passionate: 'I like to play with my food, a lot. I love cutting food into shapes and throwing them on a plate. It brings me joy and makes me feel like a kid again,' she wrote on her blog

Ms Lin's blog started after she spontaneously decided to shape rice into bunnies one day and absolutely loved it.

'I like to play with my food, a lot. I love cutting food into shapes and throwing them on a plate. It brings me joy and makes me feel like a kid again,' she wrote on her blog.

'I started food blogging in 2014, soon after I graduated from law school. I realized that pursuing a legal career just wasnt for me, so I decided to pursue my passion in food.

Starry Night: She also created Vincent van Gogh's famous 'Starry Night' painting on a piece of toast

HOW TO CREATE VINCENT VAN GOGH'S 'STARRY NIGHT" USING FOOD? INGREDIENTS: - Slice of toast - Blueberries, sliced in half - Kiwi peel - Lemon - A thin slice of kumquat - Roasted seaweed - Goat's cheese - White cheddar cheese METHOD: 1. Lay the kiwi peel on the bottom of the toast. you dont need a lot, just enough to cover the bottom edge 2. Cut a thin slice of lemon for the base of the moon. Using scissors cut a U-shape out of the slice of kumquat and lay it on top of the lemon circle 3. Cut lemon peel into small circles to create the stars 4. Arrange the halved blueberries and lemon stars throughout the top 3/4 of the toast 5. To make the tree, sketch out the shape on a piece of paper. Cut out the shape and use it as a stencil to cut out your roasted seaweed and place it towards the left of the toast. 6. Pipe goat's cheese onto the toast to create white swirls. I found it easiest to cut the corner of a sandwich bag, fill it with a few tablespoons of goat's cheese, and pipe out of that. 7. Cut a slice of cheddar cheese and cut out small triangle and rectangle shapes. Place houses on the lower right hand corner.

'I still cant believe that I make money from eating all day long!'

Ms Lin, who describes herself as a 'major art history nerd', said she had 'wild visions' to combine her passion for history and food - and decided to create Vincent van Gogh's famous 'Starry Night' painting on a piece of toast.

'I know it looks a bit fancy, but its actually quite easy to make! You just need a wee bit of patience and some working knowledge of how to use scissors,' she said of the creation, where she used blueberries, kiwi peel, seaweed and goat's cheese.

For Earth Day: Ms Lin, who describes herself as a 'major art history nerd', said she had 'wild visions' to combine her passion for history and food

Familiar face: She recently used food to recreate a picture of Homer Simpson

Tasty and fun: Ms Lin used spreads and bread to recreate Jackson Pollocks Autumn Rhythm painting

Simple scene: She also shares simple cute food pictures using fruits and herbs

Ms Lin also used toast as a base to create Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' painting.

'Edvard munchs The Scream is one of those compositions that always resonated with me: the bold colors, the tortured expression, the mysterious people in the background, the different versions of the painting,' she wrote on her website.

'I had so much fun creating this piece, the only problem was that I couldnt find a way to recreate the blue color in the original painting, so I had to settle for purple instead.'

Thrilled: 'I still cant believe that I make money from eating all day long!' She said

Creative: Ms Lin also created a toast version of the Whistler's Mother, painted by James McNeill

Vibrant: Ms Lin also showed off a simple fruity rainbow made using tiny pieces of chopped up fruit

From law to food: Ms Lin (pictured) admits she is 'addicted' to food art, and regularly posts snaps of her unique edible creations on social media and her blog

She's also created James McNeills Whistlers Mother painting using food and Jackson Pollocks Autumn Rhythm painting.

When she's not inspired by art, Ms Lin makes light hearted food creations as well, and recently showed off her Homer Simpson recreation.

She also made an 'Earth on a plate' to celebrate Earth Day and a rainbow using tiny chopped up pieces of fruit.

She has also transformed lemon and pineapple into a picture of a glass of lemonade and crafted a variety of fruits to resemble two ducks floating on a lake.

'I began sharing my food art with my friends on facebook, and I received so many positive comments about how my food art made them smile,' Ms Lin said.
The fashion pack has descended on New York for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's night of nights.

And among them are Australia's leading stars.

Actresses Nicole Kidman, Rose Byrne and Margot Robbie, as well as Australian supermodels Miranda Kerr and Jessica Hart, have sizzled on the red carpet at this year's Met Gala.

Each took a different approach to this year's theme: Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.

Here, Femail reveals how to get red carpet ready without the glam squad, as leading makeup artist Napoleon Perdis and hair stylist to the stars Remington Schulz, from Sydney salon Edwards And Co, break down the star's looks.

Scroll down for video

Get her look! Make up artist Napoleon Perdis and hair stylist to the stars Remington Schulz have shared their thoughts on the star's red carpet Met Gala looks, pictured is Miranda Kerr

All that glitters: The annual gala was a show of couture and daring beauty trends, pictures from left to right is Rose Byrne, Jessica Hart and Nicole Kidman

MIRANDA KERR

'I love it': Renowned make up artist Napoleon Perdis was a fan of Miranda Kerr's 'edgy' make up look

Edgy: Napoleon said the 33-year-old supermodel, who wore Louis Voitton, 'turned to the dark side with that luscious blackberry lip shade and wow brows'

HOW TO GET MIRANDA'S LOOK Follow these steps by hair stylist to the stars Remington Schulz to achieve Miranda's modern sleek plait: 1. Centre part the hair with a strong gel product such as Evo gangsta grip. 2. Take two inch front sections and braid to the sides. 3. Secure in a low messy bun. 4. Finish with R&CO Vicious hairspray to achieve the wet look.

With her striking deep red lip and futuristic hairstyle, it is safe to say all eyes were on Miranda Kerr at this year's Met Gala.

The 33-year-old stunned in a red, orange, teal and black two piece by Louis Vuitton.

But it was her hair, styled by Akki Shirakawa, that stole the show with a dramatic centre part and tight braids.

Hair stylist to the stars Remington Schulz described the look as modern and sleek.

Miranda's make up was done by Lisa Story, who has previously worked on Gwenyth Paltrow and Helen Mirren.

And renowned make up artist Napoleon Perdis could not help but admire the 'edgier' look.

Modern sleek plait: To get Miranda's look, braid your hair to the sides before securing in a low messy bun

'She looks cool, confident and a little naughty! I love it,' he said.

'Shes turned to the dark side with that luscious blackberry lip shade and wow brows.

'What a fashion moment! 10 out of 10.'

ROSE BYRNE

Breaking all the rules! Rose Byrnes stunned with a dark bold lip and dark eye, her hair styled classic and sleek

Too much? While be loved the look, Napoleon said he would prefer to see a nude eye with 'lashings of mascara'

HOW TO GET ROSE'S LOOK Remington described the look as: 'classic' and 'sleek' with a strong part: 1. To find your side part lift your eyebrow up and where arches slide your comb directly above it. 2. This look is easy to create by blowdrying with the product Mr Smith Foundation to give a lift at the root. 3. Once bone dry use a straightening iron with a thermal heat protector, such as EVO Icon welder, to achieve the strong sexy style.

She gave birth to her first child in February, but Rose Byrne cut an elegant figure in a custom Ralph Lauren gown.

The platinum-lame gown, which featured a flutter-sleeve, was contrast by her sleek hairstyle and bold lip.

Napoleon said while Rose broke 'all the make up rules', she pulled the look of perfectly.

'Rocking a creamy brown lipstick is soooo hot right now but teamed with a strong dark eye might be a bit too much especially with that dress,' he said.

'Id prefer to see her with a more nude eye and lashings of mascara.'

NICOLE KIDMAN

'A bit Star Trek instead of Starlet': Napoleon Perdis remained underwhelmed by Nicole Kidman's Alexander McQueen gown

New age: Hair stylist Remington Schulz described Nicole's hair as a: 'soft, modern medieval evening style'

HOW TO GET NICOLE'S LOOK Achieve this 'soft modern medieval evening style' with three simply steps: 1. Blowdry with Oribe Grandiose hair plumping mousse) to create texture and hold, giving the style lasting power. 2. Centre part hair, create side ponytail and plait. 3. Position and pin plait in (you may need extensions if your hair is short/finer).

With her husband Kieth Urban by her side, Australia's Nicole Kidman stunned in couture by Alexander McQueen.

The Silver moon embroidered chiffon dress and cape was from McQueen's autumn/winter collection.

The dress featured a plunging neckline as well as a sheer floor length cape.

It seemed the star let her dress do all the talking, as she wore her strawberry blonde hair in an elegant up-do, her make up featuring a soft smokey eye.

Statement lips: 'Yes she looks stunning but that dress with so much drama should definitely be teamed with a bright red lip,' Napoleon said

But Napoleon remained underwhelmed by the look, describing the ensemble as 'a bit Star Trek instead of Starlet'.

'Yes she looks stunning but that dress with so much drama should definitely be teamed with a bright red lip,' he said.

'It would really give her that modern edge and avoid a costume-y look.'

MARGOT ROBBIE

Simply chic: Margot Robbie kept is simple in a figure hugging Calvin Klein gown with bold cut outs

Natural beauty: Napoleon said her bronze and nude rose tones on her cheeks, lips and eyes went well with the crisp white ensemble

HOW TO GET MARGOT'S LOOK Remington said it does not take much to achieve Margot's strong and effortlessly chic look: 1. Centre parting, sleek down front two inches around hairline and tuck behind ears. 2. Using a seasalt spray, such as EVO salty dog, add texture into the rest of the hair.

While many stars chose to make a statement with their style, 25-year-old Margot Robbie kept it simple.

The blonde beauty stunned in a strapless floor-length gown by Calvin Klein that boasted cut out panels across her torso.

Her hair featured a simple centre part, while her makeup was kept fresh with a soft pink lip and smokey eye.

'She keeps it simple and lets her natural beauty shine through proving that natural is cool,' Napoleon said.

'Bronzes and nude rose tones on her cheeks, lips and eyes look incredible with that crisp white ensemble. She looks effortlessly flawless.'

JESSICA HART

Mohawk maiden! Supermodel Jessica Hart was flawless in a burgundy lace two piece by Azzedine Alaia

Ultra cool: 'A Mohawk and silver luminous glittery eyeshadow definitely makes her stand out from the crowd,' Napoleon said

HOW TO GET JESSICA'S LOOK To achieve Jessica's 'Mohawk maiden' look, follow Remington's steps: 1. Before creating a high ponytail run R&CO tinsel smoothing oil though out to help with a high sheen on the hair. 2. Separate into two sections, one larger and one smaller. With the larger section create a loop and secure with pins. 3. Take the smaller section and wrap around loop and band and secure with pins. 4. Finish with Oribe soft laquer styling spray to hold in place and create shine.

She's never been one to shy away from showing off some skin, and Jessica Hart flaunted her incredible figure in a sheer lace two-piece at the Met Gala.

The 30-year-old Australian model stunned in the plum-coloured ensemble by Azzedine Alaia, her hair pulled on top of her head in a fun top knot.

Remington described Jessica's look as 'Mohawk maiden', as her long blonde hair was knotted down her back in a chic braid.

Her make up was also 'ultra cool' as she took a more artistic and fun approach, according to Napoleon.

'A Mohawk and silver luminous glittery eyeshadow definitely makes her stand out from the crowd,' he said.

'Shes nailed the look by keeping her blush and lips nude and peachy ensuring all the attention is on her eyes.'

NAOMI WATTS

A breath of fresh air: Naomi Watts stunned in a strapless metallic Burberry gown embellished with silver flowers

An angelic glow: 'Luminous foundation and minimal powdering keeps her looking youthful and beautiful,' Napoleon said

HOW TO GET NAOMI'S STYLE Get Naomi's '1940s muse' locks with Remington's style tips: 1. Add a loose wave to the hair by using a styling tong. 2. In the top section directing back away from the hairline to add volume. 3. Part the hair with a deep side parting and add a small amount of EVO Haze powder to the top section to keep volume and hold. 4. Pull the side section back and secure with pins before finishing with a shine spray.

Naomi Watts rarely puts a foot wrong on the red carpet, and the Met Gala was no exception.

The 47-year-old British actress stunned in a silver metallic strapless Burberry gown, embellished with flowers.

She paired the gown with Hollywood-glam hair and make up, which Napoleon described as a 'breath of fresh air'.

'Her makeup is so soft and angelic with a focus on her incredible skin,' he said.

'Her false lashes really open up her eyes and add that hint of elegance.

'Luminous foundation and minimal powdering keeps her looking youthful and beautiful.'
Instead of fabric, Joao Paulo uses everyday items such as paper and bags

He has also recreated looks from Karlie Kloss, Kate Hudson and more

The Brazilian blogger has recreated outfits from the likes of Taylor Swift

His posts have quickly gone viral and attracted thousands of likes

One fashion blogger has recreated iconic Met Ball looks on Instagram

When it comes to extreme fashion, it doesn't get much better than the Met Gala, hosted in New York on Monday.

And from Taylor Swift's robot-inspired mini dress to Karlie Kloss's cut-out white gown, one fashion fan was quick to capitalise on this year's sartorial highlights.

A Brazilian blogger, named Joao Paulo, from Salvador in Brazil, has gone viral after he hilariously recreated the top Met Ball looks from this year's do.

Inspired recreations: One fashion fan was quick to capitalise on this year's sartorial highlights - he fashioned Taylor Swift's dress from tin foil on Instagram (pictured)

Mr Paulo dressed up as many of the stars at this year's tech-themed Gala, from Kate Hudson to Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj.

But, instead of rocking designer dresses, he recreated the looks with everyday general household items, including tin foil, paper and even plastic bin bags.

Mr Paulo amassed thousands of likes and comments, just an hour after posting his comparison pictures.

Blogger extrordinaire: The Brazilian blogger Joao Paulo, from Salvador in Brazil, has fast gone viral and become an internet sensation, after he hilariously recreated other top Met Ball outfits, including Karlie Kloss's white cut out frock (pictured)

Canny creations: Instead of rocking designer dresses, Mr Paulo recreated the looks with everyday general household items, including tin foil, paper and even plastic bin bags, as seen here in his recreation of Nicki Minaj's dress

His most popular posts of the evening so far include a recreation of model Karlie Kloss's white dress, and a tin foil version of Taylor Swift's punkish mini.

Mr Paulo also ingeniously recreated Nicki Minaj's bold look with bin bags and a heavy dose of attitude on his Instagram page.

Furthermore, he dressed up as actress Kate Hudson, rocking paper and white plastic bags.

Viral posts: While the posts were only uploaded just under an hour ago, Mr Paulo has already amassed thousands of likes and comments on his Instagram page

This isn't the first time Mr Paulo has donned creative versions of the celebrities' iconic outfits. In the past, he has dressed up as everyone, from Rihanna to Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and more.

His wacky but inspired posts have garnered the fashion fan and blogger well over 400,000 followers on Instagram.

Many people speculate about how Mr Paulo has the time to recreate every detailed look so quickly, and how he has everything he needs in his wardrobe ready to be cut up and re-fashioned.

Speaking to DailyMail.com in the past, Mr Paulo said:

'I've always wanted to create a blog with unique material, because I was tired of all the same things.

'I give tips on behaviour, love, music - always with a little bit of humour.'

Personal hobby: This isn't the first time Mr Paulo has donned creative versions of the celebrities' iconic outfits. In the past, he has dressed up as everyone, from Rihanna to Lady Gaga (pictured), Kim Kardashian and more
But they say he wouldn't even let them keep a photo album

She left everything to her third husband Michael Pattemore

They say their mother's wishes have not been honoured

Lynda Bellingham sons have given their first television interview talking about their bitter row with their step-father over their mother's inheritance.

Michael Peluso, 32, said their mother would have 'wanted to make sure we would be okay and have a roof over her heads' by trusting her third husband Michael Pattemore with her estate after she died in 2014.

Instead the brothers say the property developer, who was left everything in her will, has only given them gifts amounting to 750 each and forced Robbie, 27, to move out of the family home.

Lynda Bellingham's sons Michael, right, and Robbie Peluso appeared on today's This Morning

The brothers told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that Robbie was ordered by their stepfather to move out and even told to return photos of his mother

He said he was even ordered to return a photo album to Mr Pattemore after he took it as a way to remember his mother.

Appearing on today's This Morning, Robbie - a guest relations manager at a London hotel - told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: 'When I was told to move out I took things that had sentimental value like family pictures and paintings.

'He wasn't happy, there were various texts saying I shouldn't have taken them. He said he used the photo albums for press.'

Michael, 32, confirmed his brother's story saying they had to take a TV back after he moved out of the London home, even though it had previously been given to them as a gift.

He added of the family photo album: 'He said "how dare you take those photos, I need them for press".'

It is the way the widower has spoken of their mother to the newspapers that has also upset the brothers.

The siblings say they are not contesting the will their mother wrote, leaving everything to her third husband, but they believe he has not honoured her wishes to take care of them

In particular, they were shocked and saddened by an interview he gave in which he claimed he had had sex with her ghost.

The brothers say that they haven't been able to properly grieve for their mother since she died 18 months ago due to the public fall out.

Meanwhile in recent months, Mr Pattemore has reportedly bought an eight-bedroom mansion for 605,000 and spent thousands on exotic holidays.

Within months of her death, he had been to Dubai three times, as well as Peru, Canada and on a round-the-world trip for eight weeks.

The pair said they are not contesting the will that their mother signed before she lost her life to bowel cancer aged 66.

But they believe she trusted her husband to ensure her sons would be adequately provided for and this has not occurred.

Robbie, left, and Michael say they are unhappy with the way their stepfather has spoken of their mother, especially after he gave an interview saying her had slept with her ghost

Robbie said: 'We're not actually challenging the validity of the will as such. She's made that decision and for all intents and purposes she's signed that will regardless of the fact that she may have been under a lot of medication.

'She was rushed into hospital on the 13th December because her colon burst and she was given a 50/50 chance of coming out of that surgery. 30th December the will is dated, so within less than two weeks she's signing a new will when you've just been told youve got a 50/50 chance of dying.

'She went onto live until October, we don't feel it was necessary to rush that - we also wanted to be included in the decisions being made and we weren't.'

He added: 'We want security, we want to know what our mum wanted will be done and we don't have to wake up to more articles about her.'

The brothers wish they could have sat in on the formal discussions on their mother's will so they had a stronger case on the wishes she expressed for them 'at every Sunday lunch'.

They have been battling with their stepfather to see a copy of her will since her death.

The siblings say the bad feeling between them and Michael would be the last thing their mother would have wanted.

Robbie said: 'This is not where we thought we would be 18 months later and not where she would want us to be either.'

The brothers said their mother was always 'very trusting and saw the best in everyone' but they never totally trusted Mr Pattemore themselves.

Lynda had split from their father, Italian taxi driver Nunzio Peluso in 1994, and it had just been the three of them until she met Mr Pattemore ten years later.

Robbie, left, and Michael Peluso, pictured with mother Lynda Bellingham when they were children, have hit out at stepfather Michael Pattemore for 'disrespecting their mother's memory'

Michael said it was natural for them to be suspicious of the new man in her life and they were torn between their dislike for him and the fact he made their mother happy.

He explained: 'When we first met him we didn't trust him and thought she could do better, what sons wouldn't think that?'

'We were at an age where we were going out more and having girlfriends so we thought our dear mother did deserve the right to find someone and be happy, we wanted that for her.

'You are torn, do you trust your instinct or do you go "no she's happy"?'

They believe when she left everything to her husband in her will it would have been because she 'thought what she was doing what right by us', perhaps by avoiding inheritance tax.

But they say her wishes have not been honoured as they have not been given 'security'.

Robbie adds that along with talking through what they are owed with Mr Pattemore, they also want to ensure they don't have to 'wake up to more articles about her'.

Michael, left, and Robbie, right, claim they have been disowned by Mr Pattemore privately and are challenging him over their late mother's will

The brothers said they to 'get round a table and mediate' with their stepfather as soon as possible.

In a statement read out on Mr Pattemore's behalf by Phillip Schofield, the widower said he was not publicly commenting on the case yet.

He said: 'The only comment I will make is, we don't have probate yet and when it's released that is when I will make my comment.'

Phillip added: 'So obviously saying that, he hasn't got probate, he's saying that he hasn't got access to the assets yet so none of the money we've apparently seen him spend could have come from there.'

The brothers said they chose to speak out on television to put across their situation 'the right way and with dignity' after 'umming and ahhhing' over whether to go ahead.

They said they were surprised by how many other people have since contacted them to say they have had similar experiences following a family bereavement.

They urged people to be brave and discuss what they want to happen when they die to avoid rifts.

Robbie said: 'Make sure you talk, there are a few times we tried to but we were never sat down and explained to about what was in the will. I would have like to have done that with my mother rather than months after she passed away.'

Lynda, left, married property developer Mr Pattemore, right, in 2008 and left everything to him in her will

The brothers previously gave an interview to the Mail On Sunday in which Michael said: 'This isn't about money, it's about the fact that he's got control over everything my mother worked for her entire life, and we know that's not what she wanted.'

Throughout their childhood, Lynda was the 'nations favourite mum' too, thanks to the Oxo adverts in which she played the loving wife with a hint of a cheekier side.

The ads began in 1983, the year Michael was born, and the role would go on to last 16 years. 'She was a fantastic mother,' says Michael.

'Even when her career wasnt going so well, she struggled so that we could go to great schools. And although the problems in her relationship with my father have been well documented, hes always been a supportive, loving dad to us, too.'

Lynda had been alone for a decade by the time she met Pattemore, who ran an estate agency on the Costa Brava.

Seven years her junior and with a jack-the-lad charm, he swept her off her feet. At the time, Michael was 21 and Robbie 16; both old enough to realise their mother deserved a loving relationship.

Naturally, they became concerned when they learned Pattemore had been jailed for 21 months in 1998 after luring unsuspecting investors into a financial scam.

Lynda was well known throughout the UK for playing the mother in the Oxo adverts, pictured, in the 1980s and 1990s

When the couple married on Lyndas 60th birthday in 2008, her sons did not attend the ceremony.

We felt awkward for our dad, who never stopped loving Mum, says Robbie. We went to the party afterwards, though, to wish them the best.

It was a terrible shock when Lynda was diagnosed with bowel cancer in July 2013 and rapidly became very ill.

I was touring with her in Calendar Girls and I remember her having these terrible pains in her chest, says Michael.

When she got the diagnosis of bowel cancer, we were stunned. At first, she seemed to be responding well to the treatment, and she was so positive. But then it started going wrong very quickly.

It is all the sadder that the current ugly family situation was provoked by Lyndas own will, in which she left everything to Pattemore.

Why she would do this is a matter of contention, for it seems incomprehensible to her family and friends that she would not have made adequate provisions for her sons.

They say their mother wanted Pattemore to ensure they were looked after, yet aside from gifts amounting to 750 each, they have received nothing from him.

Instead, they say he told them the money was tied up in properties and impossible to access  something they find hard to square with the thousands he has spent on himself in the months since.

Michael says that at the beginning of his mothers chemotherapy treatment, he made a point of talking to her about her wishes. I told her it wasnt about making sure we knew what she wanted, he says.

She said Michael Pattemore was rushing about getting the will sorted. She mentioned inheritance tax and trying to avoid it by leaving money to him for him to pass on to us later, but she said there would be trusts set up which ensured a certain amount for Robbie and me.

'It was difficult for anyone to have a private conversation with her at that stage because he was always hovering around her.

When Lynda eventually signed the will, it was Christmas 2013 and she was in hospital for an emergency operation to remove the tumour in her colon.

Shed almost died and was on a lot of strong drugs when she signed it, says Michael. His mother died in October 2014, aged 66.

Lyndas funeral was attended by showbusiness friends, including Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and writer Lynda La Plante.

The boys assumed that, in time, Pattemore would come to them with a copy of Lyndas will, but months passed with no word and they realised they would have to ask for it. In February 2015, after their aunt intervened, Pattemore agreed to share it with them.

Mr Pattemore pictured carrying Lynda's coffin with her children at her funeral in Crewkerne in November 2014

Michael says: He sat me down and instead of giving it to me, he read it. He said, This sum is to be split between you and Robbie, and another sum is to be split between you, Robbie, Bradley and Stacey, who are his children.

But he added, Everythings been left to me, so it will go to you when I decide. I was sitting there crying, thinking, Oh God, no.

Robbie adds: When he read it to me later, he actually chuckled and tried to make a joke, saying, So youd better not do anything to annoy me.

'He obviously realised how awkward it was that hed effectively said he now had control over everything my mother had worked for her entire life.

It was all handled so badly. If theyd both sat us down and talked us through their plans before she died, it wouldnt have been such a shock.

'Honestly, though, I dont know if she really understood what the outcome would be.

Michael says: Within a few months of Mums death, hed been to Dubai three times, to Peru, to Canada to see where Mum was born and on a round-the-world trip for eight weeks.

'He also went to Dublin for a hair transplant and he bought himself a brand-new Chevrolet Corvette, despite already driving a brand-new Range Rover my mum had bought him.

He hardly made a penny the entire time he was with my mother  it was all hers.

We started to wonder if he was rubbing our faces in it.

The family pictured at a happier occasion at Buckingham Palace when Lynda received an OBE

Less than four months after Lyndas death, Robbie says he received a call from Pattemore asking if he objected to him bringing a woman home that evening.

He described her as his girlfriend, says Robbie. I was shocked, but I didnt feel I could say anything as it was his home.

This woman, who was Scottish, was there when I arrived home and he spent the night with her in our mothers bed, surrounded by photographs of her with him and with us.

Last June, Michael accompanied Pattemore to a charity party where he says he witnessed his stepfathers attempts at womanising first-hand.

He was taking womens numbers in front of me, he says. It really upset me.

A month later, Pattemore gave an interview which left Robbie deeply distressed.

In it, Pattemore called Lynda irreplaceable and said: Some men take a partner within months of their wives dying, but thats not going to be me.

Robbie says: It was disgraceful. Give interviews about your grief, if you must, but dont lie so blatantly.

'Its so disrespectful, not just to my mother but to all the people who believed in the story of their relationship.

When Michael told Pattemore he and his brother were considering contesting their mothers will in court, Pattemore insisted he was planning to buy a house to convert into flats so he could give one each to the brothers.

Lynda, left and right, started her acting career in the 1970s and went on to be a regular presenter on ITV's Loose Women

But by last August, having seen no sign of any financial help from Pattemore apart from gifts of 750 to each of them, and the payment by him of Michaels car insurance, they felt the time had come to seek legal advice about their predicament.

Wed tried to talk to him, but he never gave us any evidence he was going to do the right thing by us, says Michael. We felt we didnt have a choice.

While Pattemore was on his round-the-world trip, Robbie received a text message from Pattemore that triggered the exchange that was to be their final contact.

He said I would have to move out, because hed decided to move to Somerset and wanted to rent out the flat.

'I dont think being asked to leave my home less than a year after my mum had passed away constitutes looking after her boys.

Pattemore appeared on the Loose Women show  where Lynda had been a regular panellist  and said Robbie had decided to move out.

The son counters: Thats not true. I didnt want to leave my home. I wasnt given a choice.

Lynda pictured with first husband, producer Greg Smith, whom she married in 1975 and divorced a year later

He moved his belongings to his fathers modest two-bedroom flat. He and Michael live there with their father today.

Robbie says: When I left I took some pictures from the walls of Michael and me when we were kids, along with our family photo albums.

'I knew it was our last chance to save our memories. When our stepfather arrived back, he sent me a string of angry messages.

'He asked why Id taken the TV from my room, which Id thought was a gift.

And he said, Youve taken every single photo album. I use those for press, which I think says it all. Hes not even in any of them  theyre from our lives before we even knew he existed.

Michael and Robbie hired the legal firm Withers to contest their mothers will. The firm has agreed to represent them on a no-win, no-fee basis.

After 18 months of anguish, they feel they have been left with no option. Michael says: Our stepfather has everything, and if he wants to spend it all or lose it on bad investments, he can.

Theres no way Mum understood that when she signed it. She was naive and trusting, and she was on a lot of strong drugs when the will was made. I dont blame her for it.

I think deep down she knew the arrangements shed made werent right, but I dont think she wanted to confront her impending death. Who does?

Lynda married Nunzio Peluso, pictured with son Michael, in 1981 but they divorced 15 years later in 1996

Although Michael and Robbie have inherited their fathers Italian looks, they exude the warmth and charm which made their mother so popular.

However, the strain they have been under for the past 18 months is palpable.

Weve been through hell, says Michael. Neither of us has been sleeping well and the stress of whats been happening with our stepfather has prevented us from grieving properly.

We knew what she wanted for us  she told us many times she wanted to buy each of us a flat.

Weve been hoping to mediate with him. Weve given him plenty of chances to sit down together and work something out, but hes ignored every single letter our lawyers have sent.

Well go to court if we have to, because we need to stand up for our mother and what she wanted.

The brothers say that their father has given them unwavering support. However, he was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, so their fears for him have added to their burden.

They hope people will take from their experience the need to be absolutely clear about their wishes after death.

Dont just make a will, write a letter of wishes and tell as many friends and family members as possible what you want, says Michael.

Dont make the mistake Mum made. She would be devastated if she knew what wed been through since her death. Knowing how much she loved us, thats the saddest thing of all.
Lauren Bush Lauren and her husband David met at the Met Gala in 2004, and now more than a decade later the happy couple celebrated their 12-year anniversary at the place where their relationship first blossomed.

The 31-year-old FEED founder took to Instagram on Monday night to share a sweet photo of herself posed with 44-year-old David at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, enjoying a rare night on the town while their five-month-old son James was at home.

'Celebrating the #MetBall and 12 yrs of knowing this sweet man [sic],' Lauren captioned the snapshot, which sees her and her husband with their cheeks pressed together as they pose in front of a bouquet of roses.

So in love: Lauren Bush Lauren and her husband David celebrated the 12-year anniversary of their first meeting on Monday night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit

Love story: Lauren took to Instagram on Monday to share a selfie of them at the event, which she captioned: 'Celebrating the #MetBall and 12 yrs of knowing this sweet man [sic]'

Lauren paid tribute to her designer father-in-law Ralph Lauren by donning an elegant black tuxedo-inspired gown that featured a white collar and cuffs and a black bow around her neck.

The mother-of-one left her caramel-colored hair in lose waves around her shoulders and wore minimal make-up that highlighted her natural beauty.

Meanwhile, David, who was also wearing Ralph Lauren, opted for an edgier look to celebrate the night's theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.

The executive vice president of the Ralph Lauren Corporation sported a traditional double breasted tuxedo jacket and bow tie paired with studded leather pants.

Edgy look: David, who wore Ralph Lauren, paired a double breated tuxedo jacket and bow tie with studded leather pants to celebrate the Met Gala's theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology

Natural beauty: Lauren dressed more traditionally, donning an elegant tuxedo-inspired Ralph Lauren gown

Memories: David and Lauren, who are pictured sharing a laugh at the event, said 'I do' at the Lauren family ranch in Colorado in 2011 after he proposed to her at the Metropolitan Museum of Art the year before

After meeting at the Met Gala in 2004 when Lauren was just 19 years old, the two have returned to the high-profile social event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year since to celebrate the anniversary of their first meeting.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is such a special place for the couple that when it came time to propose to his lady love in 2010 he chose that very spot.

David suggested that they meet at the MET to look at some new pictures before attending a dinner nearby, bur when Lauren arrived at the venue she was surprised that no one else was there but Davidand the art work he wanted her to see was a series of photographs from their seven years together.

Relationship history: David and Lauren met at the Met Gala in 2004 when Lauren was just 19. David posed with model Filippa Hamilton at the event in 2004 (left) while Lauren is pictured alone at the benefit that year (right)

Start of it all: A year after meeting at the Met Gala, David and Lauren attended the 2005 black-tie event hand-in-hand

Getting big: David and Lauren's son, James, just celebrated his five-month birthday last week

'I created our own exhibition of our life together,' David told Vogue in 2011. 'And I got down on my knee and proposed.

'Then we went outside and took a carriage ride with a clarinetist and a saxophonist following us.'

Instead of saying 'I do' in their home city of New York, the couple wed at the Lauren family's 17,000-acre Double RL ranch in Ridgway, Colorado, over Labor Day weekend in 2011.

Four years later, David and Lauren welcomed their first child James on November 21, and the proud mom often shares photos of her family with her 67,000 Instagram followers.

American royalty: David took to Instagram on Sunday to share this throwback photo of President Obama holding baby James at the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll in March

Political family: Lauren and David also posed for pictures by themselves during their trip to Washington, D.C.

Happy times; David and Lauren are pictured enjoying a walk in New York City just a week after the birth of their son

Just last week, Lauren paid tribute to her son's five-month birthday by sharing a sweet snapshot of him posed in a light blue cardigan while surrounded by two fabric build blocks that featured the number five and the word 'months'.

'Happy 5 months to my handsome baby James [sic[,' she captioned the photo.

In March, the happy family headed to Washington, D.C. for the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn where they posed for a photo with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle.

On Sunday night, David took to Instagram to share a throwback photo of President Obama holding James while he and Lauren posed alongside him and Michelle.
Spray tan salons have a reason for advising clients not to shower or get their skin wet for several hours after tanning. And those who don't heed that warning? Well, they may just have a faux-bronze disaster.

Skyler Davis, a 17-year-old high schooler from Ohio, learned that the hard way, and her 'after' pictures serve as a lesson to us all: If you cry after hitting the salon, it will totally ruin your tan.

In an image posted by a friend on Imgur, Skyler can be seen in her car with a healthy brown glow. Unfortunately, that glow doesn't extend to the places where tears ran down her cheeks, chin, and neck, leaving an untanned trail inching below the neckline of her T-shirt.

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A bit streaky: After Skyler Davis cried shortly following her spray tan, she was left with tear streaks down her face and neck

Don't cry! The 17-year-old had gotten into an argument with her boyfriend minutes after leaving the salon

Skyler revealed to BuzzFeed that her prom was this past weekend, and she decided to get a faux glow before the big dance.

She hit up the Bella Via Day Spa in Toledo two days before the event, getting a custom spray from one of the salon's technicians.

Shortly after leaving, though, she got into an argument with her boyfriend, Chris Lepre  and started to cry.

Those tears streamed down her face in two lines on either side.They dripped down her cheeks, under her chin, and met down the center of her neck, leaving her with untanned lined framed by darker brown pigmentation, where the spray tan puddled around the outside of her tears.

'As soon as my tears started coming, I saw I had no tissues in my car and knew I was doomed,' she said. 'All of a sudden there were white streaks on my once tan face. Looking in the mirror, I only began to cry more, and there was absolutely nothing I could do but let the tears roll down my face and completely ruin my spray tan.'

Though she and Chris soon made up, the damage was done  the spray tan had been ruined.

Luckily, though, Skyler hadn't been wearing the tanner for too long, and was able to wash it all off in the shower before any of the color set in.

She then went back to the spa the next day and got the fake bake re-done, so she was bronzed and ready for prom on Saturday.

In the meantime, though, the image had already gone viral after she shared it on Twitter, and a friend posted it on Imgur.

'I was just a girl with a messed up spray tan, I had no idea this would ever go viral,' Skyler added.

Phew! Luckily, the Ohioan and her boyfriend made up  and because she'd only been sprayed minutes before, she was able to wash all the tanner off before it set into her skin

Getting some color: The teen got a new spray tan in time for her prom this Saturday

And in case she hadn't managed to fix the damage before it dyed her skin, a few helpful Reddit and Imgur commenters offered some advice. One suggested that the salon might have a way to fix it for free, while a former salon worker advised that she exfoliate, wash, and repeat to speed up the tan's fading.

Another recommended using South Seas' Uh Oh Self Tan Remover, while Bronze Buffer Self-Tan Removers also do the job.

In a fix, adding a bit of baking soda to an exfoliating routine can also hurry along the removal process.

Those tips could certainly come in handy for a few other women who've gone viral for their spray tan and self-tan mishaps.

In February, 27-year-old Kirsty Reeves from Essex in the U.K. had an unfortunate reaction to some St. Tropex tanning mousse.

Instead of getting a bronze glow, she ended up with a green sheen all over, making her look distinctly like Princess Fiona from Shrek.

Kirsty said she wasn't surprised when it looked green as she slathered it on, since it had in the past. But this time, it stayed green after she washed it off and dyed her skin that color, too.

'I left it for about 45 minutes as usual but it was getting greener and greener,' Kristy, whose friend suggested that the can got air in it, said. 'My dad was calling me Hulk and Princess Fiona.'

Looking ill: In February, Kirsty Reeves used a contaminated can of self tanner, which left her green in the face

Whoops: Imogen Silversides thought it would be a good idea to use a paint roller to apply tanner

Imogen Silversides, a 17-year-old Brit from North Yorkshire, also had a color disaster  though this one was mostly her own fault.

Imogen thought she could get an even faux-tan by applying it with a paint roller, but she ended up with way too much product on her face and body.

'It didn't take me long to realize that this was a bad idea and that it had gone wrong,' she told Cosmopolitan.co.uk. 'However there was nothing I could do as I had already fake tanned my arms and legs with the roller, so there was no going back at this point.'

She was left looking like she'd bathed in oil.

Gemma Colley, also from the UK, suffered a tanning accident that didn't much seem to ruin her own color  but did leave her newborn son with some odd tan lines.

In 2015, she didn't wait long enough after her spray tan before breastfeeding, leaving her son with a 'five o'clock shadow' of brown around his chubby cheeks, chin, nose, and mouth.
The pitfalls of offering to partake in a live Q&A with the great British public is that while plenty of your fans will turn up to ask sweet questions about your favourite colour, pizza and eyeliner - others will try and spoil the party.

Brighton-based star Zoella has fallen foul of a particularly high-brow brand of trolling after asking for questions via the #AskZoella hashtag.

Sensibly worded queries about black hole theory, the Brexit debate and even Islamic extremism all appeared under the 25-year-old star's hashtag.

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At least they're not being horrible...or are they? Teenage blogging sensation Zoella is filming a Q&A to be posted on her YouTube channel but some fans haven't taken the request for questions very seriously

Trolling of the most intellectual kind: Zoella's request for Q&As have garnered some strange responses

Zoe is dating Alfie Deyes - also a vlogger - who she met at a YouTube convention in 2012

Chief mischief-maker was Alexei Stevenson, who appeared several times with questions on topics including the Kaluza-Klein theory, differential equations and thermodynamics.

In one tweet, the cheeky troll wrote: 'Break down D-branes in 10D superstring theory and why there are 5 superstring theories. LOVE YOU!'

Elsewhere, he asked: 'If eyebrow shape holds the clue to blackhole thermodynamic theory and its application on holographic principles.'

Following the same tack was @GLove39 who wondered about the theories of Egyptian author Sayyid Qutb influencing modern Islamic extremists, and @alcanlin who wanted a response on why 'modern society is crumbling around our ears.'

A crazy mix! One tweeter compared questions posed to Zoella with those put to Boris Johnson, saying that the latter had received much less serious queries. Elsewhere, others were reassuringly light, asking about lipstick

The University Challenge-style questions are unlikely to bother the star and, if anything, the Q&A appears to only re-confirm her influence.

The chat, which is due to be filmed tomorrow has already had 12,400 questions tweeted.

It's an impressive haul for the young blogger who is rumoured to make 50,000 a month from her teen-friendly video posts including books and endorsements.

Millennials' favourite: Celebrity couple Suggs and Deyes can do wrong

Brain-stretching questions are unlikely to worry Zoella, who is rumoured to make 50,000 a month from books and endorsements

Ouch...but even the most critical questions were nicely worded

The clean-living star has seen her popularity soar with lots of questions coming from the Far East and Australia.

Much of her success is deemed to have come from the fact that she isn't seen falling out of nightclubs and says she prefers a quiet night in with her pet pug Nala and boyfriend Alfie Deyes than going out raving.

Her blogs are resolutely teen-friendly, offering her wisdom on hair, make-up and clothes.
Lasse shows off his muscles and his sensitive side by cuddling a puppy

A Royal Norwegian naval officer has become an Instagram heartthrob thanks to his beefy build and long blond hair.

Lasse Matberg, 30, would give superhero Thor a run for his money with his lion's mane and bushy beard.

Admiring women say the Norwegian native, from Stavenger, looks like a modern-day Viking with his 6ft 6in stature and he has amassed more than 100,000 followers on Instagram.

Lasse Matberg has become an Instagram heartthrob thanks to his beefy build and long blond hair

Lasse's sensitive side and his bulging muscles have won him many female fans

Lasse saw his fanbase on Instagram rise from 500 to thousands very quickly thanks to his pictures.

While showing his tough side with a snap of him wood chopping, with the caption: 'Hit the #gym? You mean chopping #wood? #norwegian #lifestylebrand.'

He shows off his muscular frame in tight T-shirts, as well as posing topless to showcase his ripped abs, in photographs that are likely to win him even more female fans.

But Lasse is also unafraid to reveal his sensitive side. In one snap he cuddles up to a puppy while giving the camera a brooding look.

Lasse is a Royal Norwegian naval officer so his large build is necessary for his work

Lasse showed his butch side with a snap of him wood chopping, with the caption: 'Hit the #gym? You mean chopping #wood? #norwegian #lifestylebrand'

Lasse said he has many women asking to marry him on Instagram thanks to his striking and masculine looks

Lasse posed next to a Norwegian flag in a tight T-shirt to show his large biceps

Lasse takes his signature look very seriously and even posted a snap of him having his beard trimmed to the perfect length for that rugged look.

Speaking about the comments he receives on Instagram, he said: 'They want to marry me or ask me to make them pregnant.'

User ha_karim wrote: 'You look like an angel,' whilst rubidiopotasio commented: 'Are you from this world??? You're an Asgardian [an inhabitant of the fictional realm of Asgard from the Marvel Comics universe], aren't you?'

And Micha_Lofty posted: 'Can't get much more Norwegian than this.'

While StrengthOfAWoman posted: 'Look at them guns, yaaas Lasse!' And Halexlolbowitz wrote: 'Proof God exists'.

Adn HerbertNininger91 posted 'it's a viking.'

Lasse was called an 'angel' by one fan on Instagram while many others are definitely taken with the blond's good looks

Lasse regularly posts pictures showing his thick beard and long tousled tresses

In one moody picture, Lasse walks on the rocks by the sea with his long blond hair flowing

Lasse's resemblance to a Viking is clear in this snap before the Viking Mudder in Norway




The teen will be attending her prom on Saturday, May 7

Dakota always dreamed of becoming prom queen, and after receiving permission from school officials, she decided to run

as female for as long as she can remember

The 18-year-old, who was born a boy, has

A transgender teen who has always dreamed of wearing a tiara is breaking boundaries as one of the four finalists running for prom queen at her high school in northwest Indiana.

Dakota Yorke, an 18-year-old senior at Portage High School, was physically born a boy, but she has identified with being female for as long as she can remember.

'I want to give everyone a hug and kiss who was just there for me and so supportive towards me because it is overwhelming,' she told WGN TV.

Living her dreams: Dakota Yorke, a transgender student at Portage High School in Indiana, is breaking boundaries by running for prom queen

Making a difference: The 18-year-old senior high school student said she is looking to inspire other transgender teens

Dakota, who will be celebrating her senior prom on Saturday, would love to win the crown, but more importantly she is looking to inspire other transgender teens.

'I just want to be that positive influence in their life and they say, "Hey, she can do this; I can do this too,"' she explained. 'I'm not going to let anyone discourage me from being who I am.'

The teen, whose birth name is Dakota, has spent her senior year living as the woman she wants to be thanks to the support of her family and friends.

'They're so proud of me,' she said. 'They tell me, "Dakota, I love you. I'm so proud of you."'

Finding herself: Dakota wore a tuxedo to last year's prom and felt embarrassed. For her senior year, she has fully embraced her female identity with a new wardrobe and make-up

Dakota told the Chicago Tribune that she wore a tuxedo to last year's prom, and although it fit her perfectly, the hated it.

'I felt embarrassed,' she explained.

Before fully understanding that she is transgender, Dakota at first identified as being gay, but for her senior year she fully embraced her female identity with a new wardrobe and make-up, which her mom Dawn said she has gotten much better applying.

A couple of weeks ago, Dakota came home and announced to her mom that she was running for prom queen after securing permission from school officials, who are supportive of her decision.

Loving influence: Dakota said her supportive family and friends are so proud of her

Support system: Through senior students' votes Dakota earned a spot as one four finalists leading up to the big dance.

Dawn said she has never cared about her daughter's gender identity as long as she was 'a good person who was kind and respectful to others'.

Through senior students' votes Dakota earned a spot as one four finalists leading up to the big dance.

Dakota revealed that when she saw her name listed as a finalist on the bulletin board she was moved to tears.

And unlike so many transgender teens, Dakota hasn't faced criticism her peers' parents or school officials. When she does receive cruel comments on social media, she chooses to ignore them.

Looking to the future: In addition to her run for prom queen, Dakota is taking cosmetology classes and working towards her goal of becoming a make-up artist in Los Angeles

Living her life to the fullest: 'This is about following your dreams,' she said of running for prom queen

Last week, Dakota took to her Facebook page to remind her friends about the final day of voting for prom queen.

'Seriously so excited I can't even deal,' she wrote. 'Cast your precious and final votes tomorrow during your lunchtime. Stay kind and stay loving.'

'This is not about winning that crown,' she noted. 'For other transgender teens, this is about following your dreams and being who you are, not who people think you are.'
Nestle has, once again, given the iconic Kit Kat bar a makeover with a brand new flavour option.

The new melon and mascarpone cheese flavoured bars, available at selected stores in Japan, were announced recently and fans of the bar are unsure of how to react.

The limited edition bars were announced by Kit Kat Japan on Twitter, with the company describing the new new release as a 'refreshing flavour of mellow sweetness.'

Melon and mascarpone cheese: Nestle has, once again, given the iconic Kit Kat bar a makeover with a brand new flavour option

Bizarre: The new melon and mascarpone cheese flavoured bars, available at selected stores in Japan, were announced recently and fans of the bar are unsure of how to react

On their website the bars are described as sandwiching 'powder of Hokkaido melon and mascarpone cheese between sweet wafers' and then covered in white chocolate.

Many took to social media to question the flavour choice - some interested, others opting to steer clear from the bizarre choice.

'These keep getting stranger,' one Twitter user wrote.

Interesting:The limited edition bars were announced by Kit Kat Japan on Twitter, with the company describing the new new release as a 'refreshing flavour of mellow sweetness'

'Kit Kat has a cheese and melon flavoured option and I'm trying to be disgusted,' another said, adding that she may try it.

'That sounds horrible!' Another man wrote.

And while many were 'disturbed' or 'confused', others were up for giving it a go.

Green tea goodness: The announcement comes shortly after the launch of the green tea flavoured bars, also in Japan

Creative: The bars are flavoured by kneading Uji Gyokuro Tea Leaves into the green tea flavoured dough to ensure a 'fragrant Uji Matcha aroma and taste is brought out'

'Might be willing to try the Melon & Mascarpone one if it reaches Australia,' one man wrote.

The announcement comes shortly after the launch of the green tea flavoured bars, also in Japan.

The bars are flavoured by kneading Uji Gyokuro Tea Leaves into the green tea flavoured dough to ensure a 'fragrant Uji Matcha aroma and taste is brought out.'
Some 15 million babies are born too early every year and almost one million of them die from preterm birth complications, reports the World Health Organization.

In order to improve survival rates, researcher have designed an artificial placenta that mimics the inside of a womb.

The man-made placenta uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung and back into the bloodstream of the baby and provides gas exchange without mechanical ventilation.

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Researcher have designed a 'groundbreaking way' using an artificial placenta that mimics the inside of a womb.The man-made placenta uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung and back into the bloodstream and provides gas exchange without mechanical ventilation

A pregnancy normally lasts about 40 weeks, but some occur before the 37th weekdeeming the birth premature, which is the number one killer of newborns in the US.

Extremely premature are births occur before 28 weeks, which is puts newborns at even higher risk as their organs are unable to function properly.

Although still in pre-clinical stages, researchers at the University of Michigan say the artificial placenta 'holds the promise of normal growth and development outside the womb for extremely premature infants until they are ready for postnatal life'.

'One of the gravest risks for extremely premature babies is undeveloped lungs that are too fragile to handle even the gentlest ventilation techniques,' said George Mychaliska, M.D., the principal investigator and the director of U-M's Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Center.

FACTS ABOUT PREMATURE BABIES An estimated 15 million babies are born too early every year. That is more than 1 in 10 babies. Almost 1 million children die each year due to complications of preterm birth. Many survivors face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual and hearing problems. Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. And in almost all countries with reliable data, preterm birth rates are increasing. Preterm birth occurs for a variety of reasons. Most preterm births happen spontaneously, but some are due to early induction of labour or caesarean birth, whether for medical or non-medical reasons. Common causes of preterm birth include multiple pregnancies, infections and chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure; however, often no cause is identified. There could also be a genetic influence. Better understanding of the causes and mechanisms will advance the development of solutions to prevent preterm birth. Source: World Health Organization

'If a baby's lungs are severely immature, they cannot provide the brain, heart and other organs the oxygen they need to survive.'

The university has shown that its external placenta is somewhat successful, as it has kept five extremely premature lambs alive for weeks.

Although still in pre-clinical stages, researchers at the University of Michigan say the artificial placenta 'holds the promise of normal growth and development outside the womb for extremely premature infants until they are ready for postnatal life'

'One of the gravest risks for extremely premature babies is undeveloped lungs that are too fragile to handle even the gentlest ventilation techniques,' said George Mychaliska

'We thought, 'Why don't we solve the problem of prematurity by re-creating the intrauterine environment?'' said Mychaliska.

'Maybe we should treat this tiny baby like a fetus.

'Maybe we should treat these babies as if they are still in the womb.'

'This is a complete paradigm shift. Our research is still in a very preliminary stage, but we've passed a significant milestone that gives us promise of revolutionizing the treatment of prematurity.'

The artificial placenta is designed around an extracorporeal membrane oxidation (ECMO) system that uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung and back into the bloodstream.

The lives of the premature lambs depend on the university securing $2.7 million in funding to push the research along.

The university has shown that its external placenta is somewhat successful, as it has kept five extremely premature lambs alive for weeks. The artificial placenta is designed around an extracorporeal membrane oxidation system that uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung and back into the bloodstream

SAMSUNG APP HELPS PREMATURE BABIES HEAR THEIR PARENTS Samsung is working on an app to that can send recordings from parents to premature babies in an incubator who are still in the hospital. Called Voice of Life, the app lets parents record their heartbeat and voice on their phone, which wombifies the audio to play on a small speaker in the incubator, reports Engadget. This technology aims to help parents connect with their children in the crucial first weeks or months following their birth. The speaker is setup inside of the incubator, which is connected to the app, and streams sounds to the baby inside. It is not clear to when this technology will be finished or when it will be on the market. Source: Engadget

Over the next five years, the team hopes to demonstrate that an artificial placenta can re-create the intrauterine environment and support a fetal premature lamb until it is deemed a normal new-born.
A newlywed was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer just weeks after her honeymoon - when her husband found the lump while the pair were cuddling.

Will Barker, 32, was hugging new wife Jodie Pullinger, 30, in September last year, when he felt a hard bump under her right armpit.

Alarmed, he insisted she went to see the doctor - and to their horror medics found a 7cm tumour in her right breast and said the cancer had also spread to her lymph nodes.

She underwent a mastectomy immediately, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Despite being in the midst of treatment which has left her with repeated infections, bald and with a bloated face, she said she is thankful her husband was able to save her life.

Jodie Pullinger, 30, was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer just weeks after her honeymoon - when her husband Will Barker, 32, found the lump while the pair were cuddling

She underwent a mastectomy for the orange-sized lump in her right breast - followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The treatment left her with infections, a bloated face and her hair fell out

Mrs Pullinger, who decided to keep her maiden name after getting married, said: 'Will saved my life. It was terrifying when I learned I had cancer  especially when I learnt it was advanced.

'I went from being a new bride who had just returned from the honeymoon of my dreams in Mexico to undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

'It is a lot to take in.'

Mrs Pullinger and Mr Barker met while they were students at the University of the West of England in Bristol and got married at an isolated chapel in Rame Head, Cornwall in July last year.

A few weeks later, they travelled to Playa Del Carmel in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula for their honeymoon.

'It was boiling,' Mrs Pullinger said.

Mrs Pullinger credits her new husband with saving her life as it allowed her to have surgery immediately

'I was having a number of showers a day and wearing bikinis the whole time, but didn't realise or notice I had a lump.'

When her new husband found it, she wasn't worried, but mentioned it to her GP - who referred her to St George's Hospital in Tooting, south west London.

At just 30, she was the youngest person there, and the doctors initially thought it would turn out to be a cyst.

But when they ordered an ultrasound and a biopsy immediately, she began to feel scared.

Medics told her to come back to hospital for another appointment, encouraging her to bring someone with her.

She was given the awful news that she had stage three breast cancer with her husband and mother Donna, 52, by her side.

'When I found out it was cancer I was numb and shocked,' she said.

'Doctors immediately said it was treatable and started talking about the next steps.'

The lump Mr Barker had felt was actually a swollen lymph node, infected by cancer - not the orange-sized tumour in her right breast.

Doctors have no idea how long Mrs Pullinger had suffered cancer before it was diagnosed.

Keen to have the tumour cut out of her, she immediately underwent a single mastectomy on her right breast, before having it rebuilt.

Then, she started six rounds of three-week chemotherapy, which she found incredibly tough.

'I suffered infection after infection,' she said.

'But I knew I had to fight the cancer even though there were points when I wanted just to stop having chemotherapy.'

The treatment also left her face bloated and her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes fell out - leaving her feeling glum and unattractive.

'I knew I had to fight the cancer even though there were points when I wanted just to stop having chemotherapy,' Mrs Pullingder said, pictured during treatment

Along with Denise Van Outen, she is now fronting Benefit cosmetics' Bold is Beautiful campaign. It is raising money for the charity Look Good Feel Better, who give cancer patients makeovers to boost their confidence

But a charity called Look Good Feel Better approached her while she was being treated in Parkside Hospital in Wimbledon.

The charity visits hospitals across the country and holds workshops, helping people with cancer cope with the physical changes the disease causes.

'For me, it was brilliant,' she said.

'It made me feel really confident. They taught me how to do my makeup to hide the effects of treatment. I made friends too.'

Now, Mrs Pullinger is hopeful for the future.

'Despite everything, I feel positive,' she said.

Despite her ordeal, Mrs Pullinger says she is positive for the future, and is even leading a march of 1,000 women to raise money for charities. She is pictured at her wedding (left) and before her diagnosis (right)

She has decided to support Benefit Cosmetics' global campaign - Bold is Beautiful - which raises money for Look Good Feel Better and Refuge, the domestic violence charity.

Working alongside Denise Van Outen, Mrs Pullinger is the face of the campaign, now in its second year.

She said: 'I've returned to work and I've realised that even though I've suffered cancer I can still be confident.

'I want other people to realise that too.'

Mrs Pullinger is leading a march of 1,000 women on Sunday, May 8.

It will start at 11am in Cavendish Square, central London, and aims to raise awareness of the two charities.
Children given diluted apple juice recovered from a stomach acid better than those on other fluids

Children with an upset stomach should be given watered down apple juice to help them recover, a study has found.

Gastroenteritis is very common in children and causes diarrhoea and vomiting.

Most cases are mild and pass within five to seven days without any specific treatment.

But the illness can leave young children - particularly the under one's - at risk of dehydration so it is important they drink plenty of fluids.

While many parents might grab for special oral rehydration solutions designed to replace lost sugar and salts, children often don't like the taste.

Now a new study has found children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration responded better if given a glass of half-strength apple juice.

They were less likely to need a drip, go to hospital or visit the family doctor again, University of Calgary scientists said.

'In many high-income countries, the use of dilute apple juice and preferred fluids may be an appropriate alternative to electrolyte maintenance solution use in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration,' said Dr Stephen Freedman, leading the study.

The study gave watered down apple juice or apple-flavoured electrolyte maintenance solution to 647 children aged six to 60 months with gastroenteritis.

It then analysed if the child needed follow up treatment or still had symptoms that would not go away over the next seven days.

Symptoms cleared up faster and children given apple juice were also less likely to suffer significant weight loss or dehydration in the next seven days.

It found 25 per cent of those who drank the electrolyte solution still needed additional treatment, compared to only about 17 per cent of those who drank apple juice and their favourite drink.

Children given apple juice when they had gastroenteritis were less likely to need hospital treatment than those who were given special drinks containing electrolytes

Their chances of being put on a drip were slashed from 9 per cent to just 2.5 per cent.

Rates of being admitted to hospital or how often they had diarrhoea and vomiting were not significantly different between groups.

The benefit was greatest among children older than 24 months, researchers found.

Dr Freedman said: 'Children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration experienced fewer treatment failures when offered dilute apple juice followed by their preferred fluid choice compared with those instructed to drink electrolyte maintenance solution to replace fluid losses.'
Fewer people becoming infected with HIV in the US, new figures have revealed.

The number of new HIV infections recorded annually decreased by an estimated 11 per cent from 2010 to 2015.

Meanwhile, during the same time period, the HIV transmission rate decreased by an estimated 17 per cent, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the University of Pennsylvania.

But, despite the important progress, experts warn the US fell short of the goals outlined in the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), released by President Obama's administration in 2010.

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The number of new HIV infections recorded in the US between 2010 and 2015 fell by an estimated 11 per cent, while HIV transmission rates fell by 17 per cent, a new study has found

The NHAS called for a 25 per cent reduction in HIV incidence - the number of new infections in a given time period - and a 30 per cent reduction in the rate of transmission by 2015.

The new report, published online in the journal AIDS and Behavior, used mathematical modeling to provide the first estimates of the nation's progress toward the NHAS targets for HIV incidence and transmission rates by 2015.

Senior author of the study, Dr David Holtgrove of Johns Hopkins, said: 'The good news is that we appear to have made important strides in the prevention of HIV and the reduction of HIV transmission rates in the United States.

'Unfortunately, these key gains only got us roughly halfway to the 2015 goal line.

'After the release of the first NHAS, researchers cautioned that failure to expand diagnostic, prevention and care services to necessary levels would result in underachievement on the NHAS goals for 2015.

'Our analysis suggests that is just what happened.'

Dr Holtgrave said while he understands that federal and local resources are limited, efforts must be made to ensure they are allocated strategically, including through an intensified focus on reaching the communities most disproportionately affected by HIV, particularly gay men, young people, transgender people, African American and Hispanic communities, and those who live in southern states.

But, despite the important progress, experts warn the US fell short of the goals outlined in the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), released by President Obama's administration in 2010. The NHAS called for a 25 per cent reduction in HIV incidence - the number of new infections in a given time period - and a 30 per cent reduction in the rate of transmission by 2015

To arrive at their conclusions, researchers used mathematical models to estimate HIV incidence and rate of transmission for 2015.

These estimates were used to calculate the net percent change from 2010 to 2015.

Their calculations were based on surveillance data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on HIV prevalence and mortality for 2007 to 2012, as well as their own previously published estimates of HIV incidence from 2008 to 2012.

Changes seen from 2010 to 2012 were extrapolated for the time period 2013 to 2015.

According to the analysis, in 2015 there were approximately 33,218 new HIV infections in the United States, down from an estimated 37,366 in 2010 - a reduction of 11.1 per cent.

The HIV transmission rate - defined as the average annual number of disease transmissions per 100 people living with HIV - was estimated to be 2.61 in 2015, a reduction of 17.3 per cent from the 2010 rate of 3.16.

Study leader, Robert Bonacci, a medical student at the Perelamn School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania said: 'Our models indicate that the country's incremental progress in reducing new HIV infections was not enough to achieve the NHAS targets for 2015.

'Going forward, as we implement the recently released updated NHAS for 2020, we must take a critical look at the past five years and apply the lessons learned to maximise the impact on our communities most affected by HIV.'

Experts said said while federal and local resources are limited, efforts must be made to ensure they are allocated strategically, reaching the communities most disproportionately affected by HIV, particularly gay men, young people, transgender people, African American and Hispanic communities, and those who live in southern states

Advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART) mean that HIV can now be a manageable chronic disease.

Indeed, in the US, the average life expectancy for people living with HIV continues to increase toward that of the general population.

Yet certain populations, particularly gay men, young people, transgender people, black and Hispanic Americans and those who live in southern states, continue to be disproportionately affected, and the partial gains made overall have not been spread evenly across all communities.

For some, especially gay and other men who have sex with men, the epidemic may be worsening.
It hasn't been an easy ride for the newly-elected Deputy Mayor of East MCD Rajkumar Dhillon, who once used to sell fruit at Khicharipur bus stand, to earn a livelihood for his family.

Dhillon, had come to National Capital from Gorana village of Baghpat district of Western Uttar Pradesh in search of job.

While he still resides at his 17- square-yard home situated at 17-21 block jhuggi camp in Kalyanpuri, much has changed for this man.

Deputy Mayor of East MCD Rajkumar Dhillon still resides at his 17- square-yard home situated at 17-21 block jhuggi camp in Kalyanpuri

Dhillon is now among the key people who make important civic decisions for East Delhi.

BJP councillor from Kalyanpuri area, Dhillion was elected as Deputy Mayor last week (April, 27).

In the year 1984 I got married, I was just 17 then. In search of a job, I first shifted to Ghaziabad, then to Delhi in the year 1986. When I didnt find a job that suitably satisfied me, I started selling fruits from a cart, Dhillon said speaking about his early days of struggle.

I also opened a general store twice - first at my home, later at a rented place, but closed it after my wife fell ill, he said.

As a resident of a jhuggi cluster, Dhillon observed the hardships of the people living there first-hand.

Those included the ill-effects of alcohol, dowry issues and more. What he saw made him move towards social work.

Dhillon outside his home in juggi camp in Kalyanpuri and inside his house

I started arranging for dowry-free mass marriages of daughters of poor families and widows. As a social worker, I came close to the RSS and started Sewa Bharti Centre in our jhuggi cluster, said Dhillon.

Dhillon, father of three sons and a daughter, still travels on a scooty to attend House meetings and all his official work.

I still own a 20-year-old scooter, but as it no longer works, I use my sons scooty, which was gifted to him by his in-laws, he said.

Dhillon, a first-time councillor from ward number 213, Kalyanpuri, still runs his small 6'x6' office from a rented house and pays Rs 2,000 per month as rent.

My elder son takes care of a small housekeeping firm, started by me. The other son is a fourth-grade contractual staff in the State Bank of Mysores Mori Gate branch, and the youngest son is BA third year (correspondence) student in DU, said Dhillon.

Dhillon claims that his focus is to ensure better schooling in MCD schools.

My prime motive is to raise the standard of education quality in municipal schools. People are hesitant of sending their kids here as they lack facilities but I will ensure that the infrastructure in schools and teaching facilities improve, he said.
Nearly a month after Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan told Parliament that two out of three Indians drink milk laced with detergent, caustic soda, urea and paint, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said only prompt action can stop the menace.

You are asking for life imprisonment for milk adulterators. But we would say even the present maximum term of six months jail would be sufficient if the violators are caught promptly, booked and prosecuted. It can create a fear. If they are not caught and prosecuted what do we do? These are enforcement issues. We are not saying adulteration is not going on. It is rampant. But what do we do? Stop sale of urea? If the centre has some plans, let us wait for it, a bench headed by chief justice TS Thakur told Anurag Tomar, the lawyer for the petitioner who filed a PIL on the issue.

The Supreme Court warned that prompt action is needed to curb milk contamination, which poses a health risk to millions of Indians

Meanwhile, the Centre told the court that it has formed a high-level committee to consider whether or not to make the offence of milk adulteration punishable by life imprisonment.

It agreed with the view of the court that the present penalty of six months in jail was hardly a deterrent for the menace, which is most common in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

An affidavit in the court by Rakesh Nayal, a senior official in the Union Health Ministry, said the panel, headed by RK Jain, secretary of the National Disaster Management Authority, and representatives from Food Safety and Standard Authority of India will take a decision within three months.

Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan told Parliament that two out of three Indians drink milk laced with detergent, caustic soda, urea and paint

On December 12, 2014 the court took serious exception to the Centres refusal to amend the law to make the offence punishable with a life term.

What are you doing about it? In March we had given an ultimatum to the Centre to inform us if you are amending the law and we are now in December, the Bench said when Tomar pointed out the delay.

After perusing the reports submitted by various states, prima-facie we are of the opinion that milk is being laced with contaminants and the practice is going unabated.
Delhi Police is seemingly reluctant to initiate action against its own men.

In a number of recent complaints against Delhi Police officers, the top brass have been unwilling to act against those in the dock.

According to an official communication sent by the Vigilance Department of the Delhi Police, the pendency of departmental inquiries is on the rise. The Vigilance Department is looking into the pile of complaints.

There are 176 cases in which no action has been taken against the policemen, even after the probe (Image for representation only)

In December 2015, the number of complaints lodged against the policemen was 1,028, which increased to 1,136 by February 29, 2016.

According to the Vigilance Department, there are at least 176 cases in which no action has been taken even after conducting an elaborate inquiry.

In the last few weeks, there have been many instances where police officials have been charged of corruption, negligence and dereliction of duty.

On Monday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested an inspector posted in Janakpuri police station on charges of corruption.

Sub-Inspector Dinesh Singh was sacked on charges of abetment to suicide

This has come immediately after the dismissal of House officer Dinesh Singh, who was arrested on charges alleged abetment of suicide.

The Delhi Police was quick to arrest Singh, who has been accused of harassing a woman, who later committed suicide.

Though Singh was arrested in good time, similar swiftness is not always shown by the police while probing allegations of wrong-doing by its own officers.

Sources said the dipping numbers of disciplinary action initiated against the cops, were discussed at a high-level meeting recently.

The trend shows that senior officers are not taking these complaints seriously as hundreds of inquiries are pending at units and districts offices, said a senior Delhi Police officer.

In brazen defiance, many accused officers have not replied to the show-cause notices sent to them.

There were 585 show-cause notices issued between September 2015 and February 2016.

It was stressed upon all the officers that there is absolutely no logic/justification for keeping the notices pending unnecessarily beyond six months, the letter said.

The Commissioner of Police Alok Verma is also concerned over the slow pace in which departmental inquiries are carried out.

It has also been noticed that district heads are not taking proper updates from their staff.

Vigilance Department officers said that the matter will be discussed in a high-level meeting.

CBI arrested Inspector Kehar Singh for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 3 lakh recently, while the section officer of DCP West had also faced corruption charges. But, he was transferred from the district.

In 2014, the Delhi Police received nearly 15,000 complaints against its erring employees.

The Delhi Police vigilance unit had prepared a data consisting of the complaints and a report was submitted to then Commissioner B S Bassi.
Alleged kingpin of an international drug mafia, Vicky Goswami, told Mail Today in an exclusive interview: Thane Police is trying to frame me under pressure from the US. Dont be surprised if some day I am kidnapped and taken to the US.

Goswami has been termed an 'absconding accuse' in the Rs 2,000 crore drug haul by the Thane Police.

In a telephonic interview, Goswami spoke about his meetings with Kishor Rathode and Manoj Jain and his relationship with yesteryear actress Mamta Kulkarni.

Mamta Kulkarni and her reported husband Vicky Goswami have come under suspicion in connection with a Rs 2,000- crore narcotics racket unearthed in Thane

According to the Thane Police, Vicky met Manoj Jain and Kishore Rathod in January to discuss a drug deal.

Vicky clarified saying: Anybody can come and visit me. This doesnt mean I do business with them.

Vicky Goswami referred Mamta Kulkarni as his 'well-wisher'

Police also said that Goswami had met Kishore Rathode more than 20 times in the last one year.

Brushing the claims aside, Goswami said: I have never met Kishore so many times. They can check his passport and his immigration checkout. If they are saying 20 times, they are lying. His father has been a family friend. I met him around December-January. They had come on a holiday. They came to enjoy themselves here in Kenya. These allegations are baseless.

Thane Police also claims that in January when he met with Manoj Jain, a deal of acquiring 23 tonnes of Ephedrine was struck.

Vicky claims that its a figment of their imagination.

I met Manoj in January, he was talking about the gold. You know you can get gold in Congo, Tanzania and Kenya. So, he asked if I could procure gold for him. You can get gold here at a reasonable rate and that is what he was talking about, said Goswami.

Sources in the Thane Police have further told Mail Today that during his early interrogation after arrest, Manoj admitted to having met Goswami for a deal in kaccha sona (Raw Gold).

Thane Police are convinced that the 22.5 tonnes of Ephedrine seized from a manufacturing unit of Avon Lifesciences was to be supplied to Vicky Goswami.

Avon Lifesciences in a statement has said: The company wants to assure all the stake holders that we have all valid licenses and statutory registrations for manufacturing, stocking and sale of all products manufactured at our Solapur site. Also, all the materials have been accounted for and stocked with due notice to statutory. Ephedrine, by itself, is not an API that can be misused and hence this material that has been seized along with stock at the factory is medicinal and holds zero street value.

Police also suspect that Goswamis rumoured wife, Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni is the front-man for him, attending international meetings as Vicky is under surveillance and cant travel abroad.

Vicky said: She is a well-wisher. When I was in trouble, she stood by me. People are talking rubbish about her. They dont know what a kind soul she is. Why are people calling me Mamta Kulkarnis husband? What husband? I swear I was never married to her. All they want is masala so that they can make a Bollywood potboiler on drug racket. I saw a report that claims she has been to South Africa, Singapore, and America - all this is nonsense. They can come and check her passport. It clearly shows that she has never been to any of these places.

Vicky alleges that Thane Police is working under pressure from DEA, which is an American Agency.

If they have any proof they should show me. US cant start the extradition process till the time I am in Kenya as I have signed a bond here.

Vicky also revealed his past and said there are people who have relentlessly tried to victimise him.
UP CM Akhilesh Yadav claims that PM Modi's Ujjwala scheme is futile without the support of state government

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday rolled out Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana enabling poor to access-free LPG connections.

But, just a day after the grand launch, Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav chose to set the record straight.

He said the people can get the cylinders, but they will be able to buy fuel through state governments pension scheme of Rs 500.

He drove the point that the Centres scheme cannot run without state governments funds.

Around 55 lakh women in Uttar Pradesh will get Rs 500 as pension.

Ajay Mittal is the new I&B secretary

The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry officials have a new boss.

Ajay Mittal, an IAS officer from Himachal Pradesh cadre, took over as the secretary of the ministry on Monday.

Mittal has mostly served in Himachal during his service spanning over 30 years.

He succeeds Sunil Arora, who retired on April 30.

Mittal has joined the I&B ministry at a time when it is planning to conduct the next batch of radio auctions, streamlining the film certification processes and also the remaining phases of the digitisation of cable sector drive.

Parliament panel flak for CPWD, NDMC

Shabby surroundings of the Parliament House has irked the Standing Committee on Urban Development, headed by Biju Janata Dal MP Pinaki Misra.

The panel noted that the Parliament House should be kept neat and clean at a time when the prime focus of PM Modi is on cleanliness.

Committee pulled up Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and NDMC for their lazy functioning.

President returns after six-day tour to Papua New Guinea

President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday returned home after wrapping up his six-day official tour of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand where he met top leaders and inked a few important deals as part of Indias Act East policy.

Concluding the three-day visit to New Zealand as part of the second leg of his two-nation tour, Mukherjee talked about cooperation in agriculture, dairy, education & skill development as well as technology between India and New Zealand.

RM Lodha is the busiest EX-CJI

RM Lodha is fast turning out to be the busiest former CJI given the number of post-retirement jobs that have landed in his hands.

The Supreme Court on Monday appointed him as the head of a panel to oversee functioning of Medical Council of India with regard to entrance tests.
Former IAF chief SP Tyagi was back at the CBI headquarters for a fresh round of questioning after over two years and was grilled for nearly 10 hours over his alleged links with middlemen in the controversial Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal.

He was also quizzed about the source of funding for his post-retirement trip to Italy.

CBI sources said during the probe they came across a trip taken by Tyagi to Florence, Venice and Milan, after he had retired in 2007.

Former IAF chief SP Tyagi arrives at the CBI headquarters. He was questioned by the CBI for his alleged links to the AgustaWestland scam.

The probe is asking who accompanied him on the trip, and who funded the hospitality?

The sources claimed that Tyagi was also confronted with responses from Italy on the judicial requests of CBI.

It was for the second time in three years that the retired Air Chief Marshal was being questioned in connection with the VVIP chopper deal but, it was for the first time he was quizzed after an order of the Italian court on the matter.

The Milan Court of Appeals - equivalent of an Indian High Court - has given details of how alleged bribes were paid by the helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen in order to clinch the deal.

The order reportedly mentions Tyagis name at several points.

Tyagi who has been named in the FIR lodged by the CBI, reached the agency headquarters at around 10am, but refused to speak to the media.

I have told the CBI what I had to say. You people(media) are inhuman, he told reporters at the end of his questioning.

He was also understood to have been asked about the statements of middlemen Carlos Gerosa and Guido Hashke made to Italian authorities, who purportedly claimed to have met Tyagi on several occasions between 2004 and 2007, in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved.

CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and the European middlemen.

The allegation against Tyagi was that he reduced flying ceiling of choppers from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal, without which its choppers did not qualify for submission of bids.

CBI sources said that they have called Gautam Khaitan, a former board member of Aeromatrix, who is also named in the FIR, for questioning on Wednesday while cousins of Tyagi, Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep, have been called in later this week.

Italian prosecutors have alleged that bribes were paid through middlemen and routed through a consultancy contract between AgustaWestland and companies owned by middlemen.
Only soothsayers and psephologists can claim to know a voters mind and predict the outcome of a poll.

I am neither, but I am still making three predictions about the forthcoming elections to the four state assemblies and a Union Territory.

And I am confident the electoral verdict will vindicate my claims.

A Muslim couple show their voter ID cards and ink marked fingers after casting their votes at a polling station during the fifth phase of the West Bengal Assembly election, in Kolkata

Prediction

One, the Congress will not get even one additional vote or seat over what it already has.

Two, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will improve its tally, both in terms of seats and votes.

Three, while the BJP vote-share has fallen in every election after its peak performance in the 2014 general elections (Delhi and Bihar are examples), Kerala will be an exception.

The BJPs votes will nearly double in the forthcoming Kerala assembly elections compared to its 10 per cent vote-share in the last parliamentary poll.

Let us start with Tamil Nadu. There can be little doubt that the Amma factor will overwhelm everything else there.

However, there can be no doubt that the BJP will make substantial gains in terms of vote percentage even in a scenario where the power game will be a two-party-play.

While I would not like to guess the number of seats contesting parties may win, the BJPs vote-share will surely improve.

The stars indicate that the BJP has an even chance of winning power in Assam, replacing the 15-year Congress rule.

The Tarun Gogoi-led state government has, over the years, made no breakthrough in the perennial problem of Bangladeshis flooding into Assam, thereby shooting up the percentage of Muslims in the demographic profile of the state.

Support

The virtual shrinkage of support to the AGP has led to the rise of the Muslim communal party - AIDUF.

No wonder people in the state are looking at the BJP for a breakthrough in this communal cauldron that is also threatening India.

No political analyst will risk his reputation by forecasting that the BJP has a chance of coming to power in West Bengal and/or Kerala. The main contenders in both states are banking on minority votes.

That the earlier aggressive communist cadres have equal and no less brutal challengers in the Trinamool Congress is seen on the streets of West Bengal.

The Congress has to live with the fact that many of its supporters have joined the Mamata Banerjee bandwagon. The once central ruling party has now to look for an election partner in West Bengal.

With public disillusionment growing against the state government, Mamata is now on the defensive.

The reports are that PM Narendra Modis campaign has presented a third alternative with its sole emphasis on development.

As for Kerala, many political observers see the BJP as a strong group in the new Kerala assembly, where the Marxist-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF will be the main contenders for power.

The Congress-led UDF - like the previous UPA government at the Centre - is contending with a wave of corruption charges.

Contender

Sometimes coincidences are almost miraculous. Mamata Banerjee is mired in the Saradha scam with several of her ministers charge-sheeted in it.

Oommen Chandy has hit rock bottom in Kerala with the Sarita Nairs solar scam.

Both governments have their members dragged into court.

The two-front contest, the traditional format for political rivalry in Kerala, is now rocked by the formation of a strong new party sponsored by the powerful general secretary of SNDP, Velappalli Natesan.

The Hindu OBCs, who have been badly affected by the Oommen Chandi governments sudden imposition of prohibition throwing lakhs of OBCs out of jobs, and the closure of bars and legitimate alcohol making and distribution business, have now rebelled and have formed a political party. This has aligned with the BJP and is contesting all the seats.

With the firm support of the OBC Ezhavas this year, the BJP is expected to make its debut in the assembly in significant numbers.

That could mean both the beginning of the end for the big two, as well as the entry of the BJP as a serious contender for power.
Shops are scaling back their loyalty card schemes so brutally that you now need to spend thousands to get anything worthwhile from them.

Although nearly 46.5million of us have at least one loyalty card in our wallets, retailers have decided they arent the best way to keep customers coming back. Many are cutting everyday prices instead.

Nectar upset loyal customers in April last year by halving the value of the points you get for shopping at Sainsburys.

Loyalty schemes: They are about keeping you coming back and collecting info so they can sell you more

Now Tesco has announced its scrapping the popular Clubcard Boost events, which let customers double the value of their points in-store on particular days or weeks during the year.

For shops, loyalty schemes are about keeping you coming back - and collecting every shred of information about your shopping habits so they can sell you more.

Youll find youre bombarded with targeted advertising in the post and by email. So is it still worth signing up for so little reward? We put Britains biggest loyalty schemes to the test.

TESCO

One of the most popular schemes, Clubcard, has been running since 1995. For every 1 you spend at Tesco, you get one point. Each point is worth 1p. Once you collect 150 points (1.50) youll get vouchers in your quarterly statement.

Tesco last week announced an end to Clubcard Boost, where every few months you could exchange 5 worth of points for a 10 voucher to spend in-store.

Rewards: If youre just spending your points in-store, youd need to spend 229 in total to come away with just a free pack of McVities milk chocolate digestives (2.29)

Verdict: Based on the 80 average weekly family shop, youll earn 1.60 in vouchers every fortnight.

Its one of the more generous supermarket deals. You get more value by exchanging points for experiences. Just 250 points (2.50) earns a 10 voucher for Cafe Rouge or Pizza Express.

A ticket to Alton Towers costs just 13 worth of points (on the day, a ticket would cost you 51.60 and 45.60 for a child.)

But if youre just spending your points in-store, youd need to do three weeks of shops - spending 229 in total - to come away with just a free pack of McVities milk chocolate digestives (2.29).

NECTAR

The largest loyalty scheme in the UK, Nectar points can be collected at big brands such as Sainsburys, Argos, FirstGroup trains and BP.

Each point is worth 0.5p, so spending 1 gets you one point (0.5p) at Sainsburys and two points (1p) at Homebase and Virgin Trains.

You have to spend them in 500 point blocks (2.50). Sainsburys made cuts in last year. Until then you got two points (1p) for every pound spent.

Verdict: If youre a train user on a route run by FirstGroup, or often fill your car up at a BP petrol station, you may rack up points quickly. But to get 500 points (2.50) by shopping at Sainsburys, youd need to spend 500.

Again, you get better value if you use the vouchers on days out: 1,000 points (5) is worth 10 towards tickets for Merlin attractions such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland and Chessington World Of Adventures.

If you used your points only on groceries, youd need to spend a whopping 500 in Sainsburys for a free box of Nestle shredded wheat cereal (2.50).

WAITROSE

Launched in 2011, myWaitrose offers customers freebies and discounts. Rather than points, customers get a free tea or coffee each time they visit a store.

Youll get a free copy of your Daily Mail if you spend more than 5 on any day during the week and 10 on a Saturday or Sunday. Membership also gets you a free copy of the monthly Waitrose Food magazine, worth 1.20.

You can get 20 per cent off up to ten products that you buy often if you nominate them.

Verdict: If theres a Waitrose near you - or you shop there regularly - this card is well worth having. But the 20 per cent off only applies to ten items, so its value is very limited. Pick your items carefully.

Make sure to ask in-store what deals are on for myWaitrose customers that day. For example, on Fridays you can get 20 per cent off all fish from the fish counter and 20 per cent off steak on Saturdays.

BOOTS

The Advantage card scheme launched in 1997. You get four points for every 1 spent. Each point is worth a penny to spend in store.

Generous: With Boots Advantage card you get four points for every 1 spent

Verdict: Its one of the most generous schemes. As an example, youd need to spend 125 to buy a 5 Rimmel mascara. If you get all your cosmetics and toiletries from Boots, your points will rack up quickly. But supermarkets often do great deals on everyday toiletries - so research whether the costs outweigh the benefits for you.

Bootss Over-60s Club and Parenting Club for baby products gives you ten points (10p) for every 1 you spend on Boots-branded products - a 10 per cent discount. This makes it well worth considering.

MORRISONS

The Match & More loyalty card gives you five points for every 1 spent. Confusingly, each point is worth 0.1p. Once you get 5,000 points - from spending 1,000 - you get a 5 voucher. So youd need to spend 500 to get a free packet of 12 Birds Eye cod fish fingers (2.50).

Verdict: Morrisons dropped its popular price match scheme in October last year. This used to see shoppers earn points if their shop would have been cheaper at another supermarket.

You can still get ten points for every litre of petrol bought at a Morrisons pump. But you cant exchange your points for days out as you can on other schemes, leaving few opportunities to boost their value.

MARKS & SPENCER

The Sparks scheme was launched last October. You collect one spark for every 1 spent, plus ten sparks for each transaction. So a 10 spend would give you 20 sparks. But sparks have no cash value - and cant be used to buy things. Instead, they give you access to exclusive deals.

The Sparks: A 10 spend would give you 20 sparks, which give you access to exclusive deals

Verdict: Sparks has some attractive offers. For instance, a recent deal offered 20 per cent off M&S Collection trousers and skirts, and you get offers emailed to you every fortnight.

But you will need to spend quite a lot of money - and regularly - at M&S to make this worthwhile. If you have 5,000 sparks (from spending 5,000) you receive 24 hours advance access to M&S seasonal sales.

WATERSTONES

You collect three points for every 1 spent at Waterstones. Each point is worth 1p. You can cash in the points at any time to get a discount on your purchases.

Verdict: If youre a big reader or have a family member at university, youre effectively getting 3 per cent cashback on each book. A 20 hardback book would get you 60 points (60p) towards your next read.

To build up enough for a 7.49 copy of Mary Beards bestseller SPQR: A History Of Ancient Rome, youd need to spend around 250. For a copy of J.K. Rowlings Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, youd need to spend 166.

You also get a free upgrade from regular to large hot drinks at its instore cafe.

But note that books can often be cheaper online from sites such as Amazon. So if you have access to the internet - or other local bookstores - check whether the rewards at Waterstones outweigh the savings elsewhere.

MOTHERCARE

Launched in February 2014, My Mothercare gives you an introductory 10 off if you spend 100. You get 20 per cent off maternity clothing and 20 per cent off toys on your childs next birthday. Grandparents can also sign up for the same deal.

Verdict: If youre expecting, or know someone who is, the 10 off can help with this. And 20 pc off birthday toys isnt to be sniffed at.

You could even make a big one-off purchase, get the money off and never go back.

Expectant parents can also give their details and get weekly emails with tips and tricks to coincide with each stage of their pregnancy.

Petrol points: With Shell Drivers Club, motorists collect one point for every litre of unleaded petrol or diesel

SHELL

With Shell Drivers Club, motorists collect one point for every litre of unleaded petrol or diesel bought. Premium Shell V-power earns you two points per litre. Each point is worth 0.5p.

Every three months theyre exchanged for a reward, such as vouchers for Shell Fuel and Waitrose.

You need a minimum of 500 points (2.50) to cash in, which means a minimum of 500 litres of petrol.

Verdict: If you drive a lot, every penny counts. But tying yourself to one petrol company can be expensive. It really pays to shop around for fuel. As an example, in Tunbridge Wells Shell, unleaded and diesel costs 108.9p per litre. At a nearby Sainsburys, it costs 106.9p and 105.9p, respectively.

In an average diesel car that does 45 miles per gallon, youd need to drive from London to Bristol (118 miles) just to get 12p off the next time you fill your tank.

JOHN LEWIS

As with Waitrose, you dont collect points. My John Lewis is billed as a members club where customers gain access to exclusive shopping events. The highlight is a voucher for a free slice of cake and hot drink three times a year.

Verdict: Typically, John Lewis isnt a shop you pop into to make everyday purchases. So getting early access to sales could be quite useful to pick up deals on swish household goods.

It also has a clever service called Kitchen Drawer, where customers receipts and guarantees are stored online. You just need to scan your loyalty card in store when you buy something. The service comes in handy if you lose these vital documents and need a refund or exchange.

Coffee boost: Costa Coffee Club gives you five points for every 1 spent

IKEA

Ikea Family cards offer big discounts. Not dependent on how much you spend or how often, you get exclusive offers every time you shop in Ikea.

Verdict: You get a free tea or coffee on weekdays and discounted breakfasts. Cardholders also get family rates on lots of child-friendly products. A stairgate for children is 40 for non-members and just 25 if you have the loyalty card - a big saving. You also get 10 per cent off sale prices.

If youre planning to redecorate or have bought a new home, this card could really come in handy.

COFFEE

Big coffee chains Costa, Starbucks and Caffe Nero all run loyalty schemes. Costa Coffee Club gives you five points for every 1 spent. Each point is worth a penny.

Youd need to spend 45 to earn a free small cappuccino (2.25). They also give members unlimited wifi in-store.

The Starbucks loyalty card gives you a star for each drink you buy. Collect 15 and you get a free drink. So, youd need to drink more than four litres of coffee to get one free. You also get a free drink of your choice on your birthday.
Thousands of Kia drivers who have models with in-built satellite navigation systems have been left with maps three years out of date as it struggles to get an update made.

The manufacturer has come under fire from drivers, including Alex Pickering from Shropshire. He has a Kia Optima 63' plate and was told an update would be ready in March.

He was then told it would be April, before this week receiving an e-mail from a customer services adviser telling him it would be July  but it adds that it cannot fully commit to this date.

Navigational woe: 55k Kia owners in Britain have not been able to update their sat-nav maps, the manufacturer has confirmed

An e-mail sent to him from the South Korean manufacturer said: 'Map updates form part of a bigger project to improve the software and functionality of the sat-nav devices within our cars.

'We were hoping that this would be available during Q1 2016, but unfortunately this has taken longer than we'd hoped.'

Mr Pickering said: 'Kia seem to be providing excuses not solutions.' He also pointed This is Money to a forum where fed-up Kia drivers have congregated to voice their displeasure at the slowness.

A Kia spokeswoman said not all cars with in-built sat-navs are effected, with more recent motors having the latest maps. It believes around 55,000 British owners have the problem - with 50 complaints made directly to the firm so far.

She said the external provider of its mapping content chose not to make a retail update package available in some European markets. It's not clear if owners in other European countries are also suffering with out-of-date maps.

More popular: Kia sales are up 8.5% so far this year. Here is the most recent Kia Optima

There is some good news on the horizon though. In terms of whether customers will be getting the update for free, she added: 'This has yet to be agreed, but we expect it to be rolled out across the dealer network and be favourable to customers that have been affected.'

Kia, which are famous for their seven-year warranties, have a number of cars on sale in Britain, including the Cee'd, Picanto and Sportage.
Britain's economy looks set to slow further after a collapse in confidence among business, according to a new report.

The economy is on course to grow by just 0.3 per cent in the second quarter of the year following expansion of 0.4 per cent in the first quarter and 0.6 per cent in the final quarter of 2015.

The figures come from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

UK economy: Businesses are less optimistic about next year, a survey has revealed

Its barometer of optimism among British firms fell to 0.8  down from 11.4 three months ago and 37.3 in the middle of 2014, and is now at its lowest level since early 2012. It measures whether firms are more or less confident about the next year.

Some economists last week branded doom-laden warnings from the Government and others over Brexit economic nonsense.

But ICAEW chief Michael Izza said: A combination of factors has led to this negativity and includes the EU referendum, slowing domestic sales, Chinese growth slackening and the recent Budget.

Businesses cannot plan with confidence.

Weakening growth will also mean lower tax receipts for the Chancellor, making it even harder for him to meet his deficit goal.
Celebrities including Alesha Dixon, Professor Green and Will Young have launched a public plea to end China's annual dog meat festival that takes place next month.

The annual dog meat festival in Yulin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, sees 10,000 dogs and cats slaughtered in the span of a few days.

Most of the animals are stolen pets and strays grabbed from the streets, some still wearing their collars.

Support: Alesha Dixon is joined by her two cocker spaniels Rosie and Prince as they campaign to stop the annual dog meat festival in Yulin

#StopYulin: The Britain's Got Talent judge and her pets join a public plea to put and end to the cruel dog meat trade in China

Those who survive the journey to the slaughterhouses of Yulin are typically beaten to death in front of each other before they are served up to diners during the festival.

Britain's Got Talent judge Miss Dixon has been joined by her dogs Rosie and Prince in an emotional campaign to stop the cruel methods of slaughter, and hoping to have the festival banned altogether.

'The thought of Prince or Rosie having to go through such an ordeal is absolutely heartbreaking,' Miss Dixon says in a video appeal, flanked by her adorable English cocker spaniels.

Along with Professor Green and Will Young and their canine companions, they are backing the #StopYulin campaign by animal charity Humane Society International.

Best buds: British rapper Professor Green was joined by his dog Arthur for the video appeal

For a good cause: Will Young holds his dog as he helps plead for an end to the Yulin dog meat festival which kills thousands of animals every year - many of them stolen pets

Miss Dixon can be seen making an emotional plea in the video to stop the Yulin festival

Compassion: Animal friend and dog owner Will also lent his voice to the anti-dog meat campaign

Horrors: The annual dog meat festival in Yulin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, sees 10,000 dogs and cats slaughtered in the span of a few days

'I am absolutely horrified by the Yulin festival so I'm proud to support HSI's #StopYulin campaign and their work all year round to end the dog meat trade. How anyone can call the barbaric slaughter of thousands of helpless dogs and cats a festival is beyond me,' Miss Dixon adds.

'Many of these poor animals are stolen pets, who must be utterly bewildered and terrified by their ordeal, and their owners must be frantic knowing what a dreadful fate awaits their beloved companions.'

Also supporting the campaign are British rapper Professor Green and his dog Arthur.

'I don't understand the mentality of people who treat animals so cruelly, and I really admire Humane Society International and their Chinese activists for stopping illegal dog meat trucks and rescuing the animals,' the artist said.

'It's all too easy to look away and say it's culture, but the truth is most people in China don't eat dogs and the Yulin festival is out of step with a new generation of Chinese people who want a new culture of compassion.'

Daily deaths: This image, showing a woman butchering dogs at a market in Yulin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, shows that the slaughter of dogs is not confined to the annual meat festival

HSI witnessed animals being bludgeoned to death with metal rods in full view of their cage mates

Victims: Many of the dogs slaughtered for the festival in Yulin are snatched from across China

Brutal fate: Dogs ready for slaughter stored in cages at a meat market in Yulin in south China

The animal rights organisation found that many of the dogs and cats kept at the slaughter houses and meat markets wore pet collars - evidence that they could be stolen pets

While dog meat is still eaten in some parts of east Asia, it is far from common, and the Yulin festival is not the traditional even its supporters claim it to be.

The Yulin dog meat festival was launched as recently as 2010 for commercial rather than cultural reasons.

Previous to that, and much like the rest of China, dog meat was rarely eaten in Yulin.

The festival was invented by dog meat traders to boost flagging sales, and endorsed by local authorities in the hope of attracting tourism  a gamble that has spectacularly backfired as Yulin has become infamous globally as symbolic of China's gruesome dog meat trade.

As part of its campaign to end the dog meat trade, HSI helped to set up China Animal Protection Power, a team of Chinese activists dedicated to rescuing dogs from illegal dog meat trucks carrying mostly stolen pets headed to slaughter, and assisting the network of animal shelters across China that take in the rescued dogs and cats.

Regular adoption days see many of them rehomed inside China, while HSI has flown others to find new loving homes in the United States.

Saved: Activists with the China Animal Protection Power activist network care for dogs rescued from a truck transporting them to slaughter

A team made up of Chinese activists and members of HSI intercepted this truck near Qinhuangdao last July and were able to save the dogs and help put them up for adoption
He was arrested for 'talking to an under-18' - a probation violation

He gave a TEDx Talk in which he argued all humans are attracted to teens

But he was released and campaigned for sex offenders' rights

They said he might fit the profile of a violent sexual predator

Virginia prosecutors tried to keep him locked up indefinitely

A spokesman for sex-offenders' rights who once said all humans are attracted to teens has been arrested for sending texts to a 16-year-old boy.

Galen Baughman, 32, who was imprisoned and registered as a sex offender in 2004 after having oral sex with a 14-year-old boy, had gone on to become a highly vocal spokesperson for sex offenders' rights.

He opened the Center for Sexual Justice, and wrote a number of articles and gave a TEDx Talk on the topic - but on the weekend of April 23 gave himself up to police for sending texts to the boy, in violation of his parole, Slate reported Monday.

Arrested: Galen Baughman (pictured), 32, became a prominent spokesperson for the rights of people on sex offenders' registers after he was imprisoned for giving oral sex to a 14-year-old boy in 2004

Baughman had met the boy at the funeral of a mutual friend in 2015, according to the official report by his parole officer, which includes many pages of text messages.

In one message, he told the boy to use Kik or Snapchat for 'conversations you don't want to be seen' by cops or parents, Slate reported.

In others he asked the teen if he was 'the best looking boy you know' and pressured him into talking, saying 'Am I still on your list for tonight? Or do you not have time...?' and 'Since youve never answered the question about whether you care about me its pretty clear what the answer is.'

In one message he invited the boy to come visit him in Washington, D.C.

The boy's mother found the phone messages in late 2015, and contacted authorities. Later she told his probation officer she believed he had contacted other boys.

In April a warrant was issued for his arrest for being in violation of his probation, which forbade him from communicating with anyone younger than 18.

Speaking to a chat group including Slate, Baughman said, 'The probation officers claim that I should be arrested and held without bond for a first-time technical probation violation where no criminal behavior is asserted is ludicrous.

'Suggesting that I should be imprisoned for behavior that is neither harmful nor criminal is even more suspect.'

Baughman was 19 when he was arrested for giving oral sex to a 14-year-old boy and given six-and-a-half years in prison.

But after he finished that sentence, Virginia prosecutors - who said he might fit the profile of a sexually violent predator - tried to keep him locked up under 'civil commitment' laws that allow for indefinite detention for psychiatric evaluation.

Talk: Baughman wrote articles about the rights of sex offenders, and claimed in his TEDx Talk (pictured) that 'all humans are attracted to teens'. He was arrested April for texting a 16-year-old in violation of probation

He was eventually let out in 2012 and went on to become a loud and increasingly visible campaigner for the rights of people on the Sex Offenders' Registry, hoping to redeem sex offenders in the public's eyes.

He spoke to journalists on laws that affected people on the registry, wrote an essay decrying civil commitment that was praised in The Washington Post and gave a TEDx Talk titled 'Are We all Sex Offenders?'

In the talk he described his civil commitment trial as 'a witch trial' in which he was barred from mounting a defense and the prosecution relied 'almost entirely' on the label sex offender.

He also said that the prosecution's expert diagnosed him with 'hebephilia', which he described as 'the psychiatric disorder of finding sexually mature teenagers attractive'.

'It's not a thing,' he said. 'If it were a thing most of humankind would be diagnosed with that disorder.'

Baughman's work won him a fellowship from the Open Society Foundations, which is run by philanthropist George Soros and promises 'to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are answerable to their citizens'.

That fellowship, Slate said, was 'a perch from which he set out to work on ending civil commitment in Virginia.'

But his campaign has been scuppered by his arrest - much to the horror of his former friend Josh Gravens, who was registered as a sex offender at the age of 12, after he inappropriately touched his eight-year-old sister.

Gravens, now 29, had worked with Baughman to create 'a world where people like us werent forced to the margins of society' and says Baughman's arrest will have a 'devastating effect' on their campaign.

Though he saw nothing illegal, he said he was horrified to discover that Baughman had been talking to two teens and told him 'pretty aggressively' to stop.

When Baughman refused, Gravens said, he cut off all contact with the man and told the teens' parents.

He added that when he asked for others in their advocacy community for advice they told him not to bother Baughman.

'I dont think they wanted to [believe it].' Gravens told Slate. 'And so we are where we are today.'
Orrostieta could face 20 to 40 years in prison for the

On Monday jurors said they thought the killing was unintentional, meriting the third-degree murder, rather than a first-degree

Gregorio Orrostieta, 20, (pictured) has been convicted of the third-degree murder of his college girlfriend 18-year-old Karlie Hall

A man who told authorities he got into a fight with his college freshman girlfriend over spilled noodles was convicted Monday of beating and strangling her last year in Pennsylvania.

Jurors deliberated for a little over an hour before convicting Gregorio Orrostieta of third-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Karlie Hall at her Millersville University dorm in February 2015.

Orrostieta, 20, told police they had been drinking and got into the fight and she fell and hit her head, authorities said.

The defense argued that an earlier injury figured into her death.

Orrostieta was found trying to administer CPR to his girlfriend after calling 911, but authorities said he was faking that and she had been dead for hours.

Prosecutors described him as jealous and said he cursed at and shoved her earlier in the evening at a party.

Brett Hambright of the Lancaster County district attorney's office said officials were 'surprised' by the third-degree conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years.

'We thought we had a first-degree case here. That's what we presented,' he told LNP newspapers.

Defense attorney Peter Bowers said he was pleased that jurors 'found it was not an intentional killing'.

Hall (left) was beaten and strangled by Orrostieta (right) in her dorm after a fight over spilled noodles. Officers walked in on Orrostieta performing CPR on Hall but said it was faked

Jurors believed that the murder was not premeditated, which would have merited a first-degree conviction

'There are no winners in this case,' Bowers said outside the courtroom.

'There never were.'

In closing arguments earlier Monday, Assistant District Attorney Susan Ellison said Hall's autopsy concluded that deadly force was used on her head, neck and chest, each of which could have been sufficient to kill her.

'That's not reckless, that's not negligent,' Ellison said. 'That's intent.'

Bowers cited disagreement between prosecution and defense pathologists on the manner of death and the position Hall was in when it occurred.
A judge has ordered that ailing media mogul Sumner Redstone should give a brief sworn testimony from his home in a case involving his mental competency and who should make medical decisions on his behalf.

The 92-year-old media magnate was to give former girlfriend Manuela Herzer, 52, between $25 and $30 million, in exchange for her dropping her bid to regain a position of power in his life.

But the agreement fell apart when details of the terms were leaked and now lawyers are getting ready to go to court with a trial scheduled for Friday.

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A judge has ordered ailing media mogul Sumner Redstone, pictured, to give sworn testimony in a case involving his mental competency

Yesterday Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David J. Cowan ruled that attorneys for the media mogul and Redstone's ex will be allowed to solicit 30 minutes of sworn testimony from him.

The session will be conducted at Redstone's home and videotaped and the footage may be played at a trial, but the video will not be shown in open court.

Judge Cowan says the 92-year-old's privacy rights supersede the public's right to see Redstone in a 'weakened state.'

Allowing him to testify in his home means he will not have to attend the trial or give live testimony in the trial, which will span several days and feature evidence from several doctors, experts and Redstone's daughter Shari.

Redstone (right) and Manuela Herzer (left) appeared to have reached an agreement just but the deal fell apart after details of its conditions were leaked. The pair are pictured in 2012

Judge Cowan wrote in his ruling: 'Nobody deserves to have a career tarnished by having been taken to a courthouse and made a public spectacle of when he would not allow that to happen had he the strength himself to stop it.'

Redstone's ex-girlfriend Herzer filed a probate case last year, contending he lacks mental capacity and he did not approve removing her as the person in charge of making health care decisions for him in October.

His daughter Shari became his new healthcare agent last month, ahead of the now-defunct agreement with Herzer.

But Herzer's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, has said his client has received millions from Redstone and is motivated only by her desire to protect him and his health.

Redstone's daughter Shari (pictured with him in 2011) became his new healthcare agent last month. Herzer was his primary caretaker until he banned her from his Beverly Park mansion in October

Redstone through his holding company National Amusements controls CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc.

However, his attorney, Gabrielle Vidal, urged Judge Cowan to delay ordering Redstone to testify, saying the mogul's doctors have said significant stress could harm him.

But Judge Cowan noted that Vidal and other attorneys have told the court that they are able to communicate with Redstone and that he still has the mental capacity to make decisions about his health care and business interests.

The judge told Vidal that Redstone 'could be your best witness.'
This is the shocking moment a mass brawl broke out in the Turkish parliament as members of the ruling AK Party and the pro-Kurdish opposition kicked, punched and soaked each other in water.

The fight broke out amid heated talks about lifting parliamentarians' immunity from prosecution.

Tensions flared until ministers lashed out and began throwing punches while others jumped over desks to join the melee.

The crowd surged across the room as members dug in fists and elbows to cause maximum damage to the opposition.

Some ministers began throwing water into the horde as others tried to escape the violence and hide behind chairs.

A previous meeting on the bill was also postponed on Thursday when a scuffle broke out.

The law, championed by the ruling AKP, would strip members of parliament of their legal immunity.

The Kurdish-rooted Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) says the bill is targeting them and is aimed at suppressing dissent.

President Tayyip Erdogan, who founded the AKP, has called for members of HDP to face prosecution, accusing them of being an extension of the outlawed militant group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

A mass brawl broke out in the Turkish parliament as members of the ruling AK Party and the pro-Kurdish opposition kicked, punched and soaked each other in water

The fight broke out amid heated talks about lifting parliamentarians' immunity from prosecution

Tensions flared until ministers lashed out and began throwing punches while others jumped over desks to join the melee

Scores of deputies crammed into a committee room to debate the bill, according to a Reuters reporter in parliament. Tempers flared and some deputies started shoving each other.

As punches and kicks flew, a few suited parliamentarians launched themselves into the melee from a table.

Others threw water at each other and at least one person could be heard taunting opponents by shouting, 'Come on, come on.'

Several lawmakers were hurt during the scuffle, broadcaster CNN Turk said.

The brawl last week delayed efforts to pass legislation related to Turkey's deal with the European Union to take migrants in exchange for visa-free travel to the EU and accelerated accession talks.

That legislation was also left unfinished on Monday evening, as some ruling party lawmakers left the general assembly to join their colleagues in the brawling.

Turkish lawmakers are immune from prosecution while in office. The police can file 'dossiers' against politicians, which can lead to a legal process once the lawmaker ceases to be a member of parliament.

The crowd surged across the room as members dug in fists and elbows to cause maximum damage to the opposition
The Marine Corps is investigating whether it mistakenly identified one of the soldiers shown raising the US flag at Iwo Jima in one of the iconic images of World War II.

The Marines announced its inquiry Saturday, more than a year after Eric Krelle, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Stephen Foley, of Wexford, Ireland, began raising doubts about the identity of one of the men.

Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo on February 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, amid an intense battle with the Japanese.

Rosenthal didn't get the names of the men but the photo was immediately celebrated in the US and President Franklin Roosevelt told the military to identify the men.

Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo (pictured) on February 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, amid an intense battle with the Japanese

After some confusion, the Marines identified the men as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley. All were Marines except Bradley, who was a Navy corpsman.

The identification of the six servicemen has been accepted for decades but Krelle and Foley say the man identified as Bradley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, a private first class from Detroit who died in 1995.

Foley, an employee at a building supply company, noticed possible discrepancies in the picture in the summer of 2013 while recovering from a hernia surgery, the Omaha World-Herald reported in November 2014.

He enlisted the help of Krelle, who has a website dedicated to the Marines' 5th Division.

They say the man identified as Bradley wore uncuffed pants in the famous photo but other pictures shot that day shows in him tightly cuffed pants.

According to Krelle and Foley, the bill of a cap is visible beneath the helmet in the flag-raising picture but not in other images of Bradley made that day.

Lastly, the man identified as Bradley is wearing a cartridge belt with ammunition pouches, and a pair of wire cutters hangs off the belt. But as a Navy corpsman, Bradley would typically be armed with a sidearm, not an M-1 rifle, and he'd have no need for wire cutters.

Other photos that day show him wearing what appears to be a pistol belt with no ammo pouches.

'People can hold onto what they have always known in the past. But to me, the photos are the truth,' Krelle told the Omaha World-Herald in 2014.

The Marine Corps issued a statement on Monday saying it was examining information related to the photograph.

'Rosenthal's photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 US servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation and it is representative of the more than 70,000 US Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that took part in the battle,' the statement said.

'We are humbled by the service and sacrifice of all who fought on Iwo Jima.'

The Marine Corps didn't give a timeline for its investigation.

Eric Krelle (left), of Omaha, Nebraska, and Stephen Foley (right), of Wexford, Ireland say the man identified as John Bradley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, a private first class from Detroit who died in 1995

Krelle declined to comment on the Marine's investigation, telling the Omaha World-Herald he had signed a confidentiality agreement with a third party.

Iwo Jima, a tiny island 660 miles south of Tokyo, was the site of an intense battle that began on February 19, 1945, between about 70,000 Marines and 18,000 Japanese soldiers.

Capturing Iwo Jima was deemed essential to the U.S. war effort because Japanese fighter planes were taking off from the island and intercepting American bomber planes.

Hal Buell, a retired AP executive news photo editor, had long discussions with Rosenthal about the flag-raising picture and in 2006 wrote a book about the famous image.

It's hard to understand the photo's power in 1945 to Americans, who were weary of the war and horrified by the incredible number of deaths by servicemen, especially in locations of Asia most had never heard of, Buell said.

'People were just tired of the war, and all of a sudden out of nowhere came this picture that encapsulated everything,' he added. 'It showed that victory was ultimately possible.'

Buell said after Rosenthal shot the photo, the flag-raisers quickly moved onto other tasks, and it was impossible for him to get their names.

That task was left to the Marines after the picture prompted an overwhelming response and the government decided to use the image in an upcoming sale of war bonds to finance the continued fighting.

Rosenthal died in 2006. Block, Strank and Sousley were killed in fighting at Iwo Jima before the photo was distributed in the US.

Bradley's son, James Bradley, wrote a best-selling book about the flag raisers, 'Flags of Our Fathers,' which was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

Before writing his book, he interviewed the surviving Marines and Rosenthal.

He said he was shocked to hear the Marines were investigating the identity of the men.
A Kansas woman admitted to exploiting a 13-year-old girl and taking her across state lines to be sexually assaulted by her pedophile boyfriend she met online.

Tricia Rodarmel, 39, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity, according to the US District Attorney's office in Kansas.

In her plea, Rodarmel admitted that in October 2013 she began a relationship with Robert Dickson through social media.

A Kansas woman, Tricia Rodarmel, 39, admitted to exploiting a 13-year-old girl and taking her across state lines to be sexually assaulted by her pedophile boyfriend she met online. She is facing 17 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release

When Dickson told her of his interest in having sex with minors, Rodarmel helped by putting Dickson in contact with a 13-year-old girl.

On March 16, 2014, Rodarmel took the 13-year-old from Missouri to a hotel in Kansas where Dickson was to meet them.

Rodarmel knew that Dickson intended to engage in sex with the minor.

She is scheduled to be sentenced July 25. Prosecutors and her defense lawyer have agreed to recommend she serve 17 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, according to a plea agreement.

Dickson, who is set for sentencing on July 11, faces 25 years in prison under a similar plea agreement after pleading guilty to producing child pornography.

He admitted traveling from South Carolina to Kansas, where he had sex with the child while recording it, according to the Kansas City Star.
Donald Trump criticized President Barack Obama on Monday for weighing in on the 'Brexit' controversy and saying British subjects should vote on June 23 to remain in the European Union.

'I didn't think it was a good thing for him to do it,' Trump told DailyMail.com.

The Republican presidential front-runner said in a wide-ranging interview that Obama should have remained 'more neutral' as president, and that he wouldn't be offering the U.K. his opinion as the date of the referendum approaches.

'I would say that I'm not going to give Britain any advice, but I know there are a lot of people that are very, very much against being in the EU,' he said.

Still, Trump showed plenty of leg in the interview, casting Europe as a simmering cauldron of immigration bitterness and resentment, nearing a spilling point in the UK and other nations whose once robust borders are now open to the rest of the continent's people.

NOT GOOD: Donald Trump said in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com that President Barack Obama shouldn't have weighed in against the 'Brexit' vote coming up next month in the United Kingdom

'BACK OF THE QUEUE': Obama said in an April press conference with UK Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain would be at a disadvantage and a weaker U.S. ally if it were to leave the European Union

SEA OF HUMANITY: More than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe last year, and the EU's borderless interior has largely permitted them to move from country to country

'I look at what's happening with Germany, I look at what's happening with various other countries,' he said, 'where they've taken in people that they really don't know too much about.'

'And in some cases they know nothing. There's no paperwork. There's no documentation.'

'I think it'll go down as a big mistake,' Trump fumed, speaking of European nations' commitment to accepting a flood of Middle Eastern refugees, particularly those from war-torn Syria.

'I'm not sure that Europe will ever be the same. Because you look at what's going on already. It's a disaster. And that has to do  much  with the EU.'

The real estate tycoon said it was inappropriate for Obama to publicly express a preference that the United Kingdom remain a part of Europe.

Posters with campaign logos sit on a wall at the Britain Stronger In Europe campaign offices in London (left) while opposition Vote Leave branded mugs sit on a table after a speech attacking David Cameron

Trump was interviewed on the eve of the Indiana primary by U.S. Political Editor David Martosko (at left)

The president sided with British Prime Minister David Cameron, who opposes his nation's exit from the EU, during a joint pres conference on April 22.

Obama hinted that the U.K. would be less valuable as an ally and trading partner if it isolated itself from Europe.

'The United States wants a strong United Kingdom as a partner,' he said. 'And the United Kingdom is at its best when it's helping to lead a strong Europe. It leverages U.K. power to be part of the European Union.'

Obama also warned that if Britain exits the EU, it would find itself 'in the back of the queue' behind the larger united Europe in any future U.S. trade negotiations.

'Our focus is in negotiating with a big bloc, the European Union, to get a trade agreement done,' he said.

MIGRANT SOUP: Trump said Europe may not 'ever be the same' after untold numbers of migrants have swept through border after border, calling unchecked migration 'a disaster, and that has to do  much  with the EU'

FINAL PUSH: Trump spoke in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was finishing a statewide campaign swing in anticipation of a primary victory on Tuesday that could all but cinch the Republican presidential nomination

A cautious but deliberate Trump told DailyMail.com of Obama's intervention that 'I didn't think it was a good thing for him to do it.'

'I thought he should have remained somewhat more neutral. But it's fine. He decided to do it. I'd rather remain a little bit neutral.'

'I don't like to interject myself into that discussion,' Trump explained. 'I would say this, that I think the migration is a sad thing for Europe.'
A woman found dead in her home at the weekend was a local council worker and an advocate for White Ribbon - an organisation aimed at preventing violence against women.

Karen Belej, 31, was found inside her home in the Mildura suburb of Cardross in Victoria about 7.30pm on Sunday.

She was a human resources officer at Mildura Rural City Council employee and was behind the push for the council to become a White Ribbon accredited workplace, The Age reported.

A woman found dead at her Mildura home on Sunday evening has been identified as Karen Belej, 31

A man, 36, was arrested at the scene and is assisting officers with inquires. No charges have been laid.

Mildura Mayor Glenn Milne said Ms Belej's sudden and tragic death had impacted the whole office and would 'take a long time to get over'.

'To have somebody just disappear out of your office, out of your life, with no notice, no nothing, it leaves a huge gap,' he said.

Homicide detectives are investigating the woman's death, and Victoria Police could not provide any further information when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Belej worked in human resources at Mildura Rural City Council in Victoria




A man is in a serious condition after being stabbed repeatedly in the chest, back and leg by an unknown assailant.

Police were called to a home in Claymore, a south-western suburb of Sydney, at around 1.30am on Tuesday following reports of a stabbing.

A man, believed to be in his late twenties, was found with serious stab wounds to his thigh, chest, back and buttocks.

Police were called to a home in Claymore, a south-western suburb of Sydney, at around 1.30am on Tuesday following reports of a stabbing

A man, believed to be in his late twenties, was found with serious stab wounds to his thigh, chest, back and buttocks

He was treated by paramedics at the scene before being rushed to Liverpool Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

Police have established a crime scene at the home, with forensic investigators expected to continue searching the house on Tuesday.

No arrests have been made and officers have not released any information about a suspect.

Police have established a crime scene at the home, with forensic investigators expected to continue searching the house on Tuesday

No arrests have been made and officers have not released any information about a suspect

A police van was pictured in an alleyway behind the home on Preston Way
Confrontation comes as Cruz determined to show he's in the race for the long haul

Ted Cruz waded into a heated confrontation with a Donald Trump protester outside one of Cruz's own Indiana rallies  and got mocked as a 'Canadian' whom the country would be better off without.

Cruz got into the encounter outside his rally in Marion, Indiana, as he barnstormed the state in desperate search of support.

A handful of pro-Trump protesters were holding signs yelled out 'Lyin' Ted,' Trump's favorite moniker for the Texas senator. Some held signs that said 'Time to drop out.'

Then Cruz, known as one of the better talkers in the Senate, walked across a street and engaged with a sunglasses-wearing protester, while Cruz's own Secret Service protection looked on.

Cruz gets into a heated argument with a pro-Trump protester in Indiana

"If I were Donald Trump I wouldn't have come over and talked to you,' Cruz said. 'I would have told the folks over there go over and punch those guys in the face.'

'You'll find out tomorrow, America don't want you,' the man told Cruz, right to his face.

Cruz, flanked by security and police protection, kept his cool, but nearly every time he tried to construct an argument, the man interjected with an insult.

'America is a better country...' Cruz said.

'Without you,' interjected his tormenter.

'And a question that everyone here should ask ...' Cruz posited.

'Are you Canadian?' asked the man, needling Cruz on an issue that has dogged his campaign.

Cruz was born in Canada to an American U.S. citizen mother and a Cuban-born father who was working in Calgary at the time.

The protester declined to give his name, but said he was from Ohio, the Washington Post reported.

Trump, who told an Indiana crowd that America 'will not give into evil,' then went after Trump's use of foul language.

'Do you want your kids repeating the words of Donald Trump?' he asked.

The man told the local ABC affiliate he was surprised Cruz came over to talk to him.

The two men even clashed over Cruz's call to 'carpet bomb' ISIS.

The protester may have taken his cues from Trump, who regularly rips Cruz as 'Lyin' Ted'

"Those are your words. Carpet bomb. I added the women and children because that's what you're going to be doing when you carpet bomb somewhere,' the man said.

Cruz countered:"It's interesting that you added women and children because your candidate, Donald Trump, came out and said he would order our military to kill the women and children, the wives and children, of terrorists  which is a war crime."
Budweiser officials estimated the cans to be more than 60 years old

intact were their labels to reveal their brand as Budweiser

Three Wisconsin fisherman were surprised to find that their catch of the day was in fact a 60-year-old six-pack of Budweiser.

Christian Burzynski, 47, Adam Graves, 33, and Andy Holst were fishing in Wisconsin's Wolf River when they reeled in their unusual catch.

'We were amazed to see that what we pulled up was a six-pack of Budweiser,' Graves told ABC News, adding that it was 'such an unusual find'.

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Three Wisconsin fisherman were surprised to find that their catch of the day was in fact a 60-year-old six-pack of Budweiser. Pictured is fisherman Andy Holst holding the six-pack

The rusty cans were filled with sand from the bottom of the river and the fishermen also found some zebra mussels attached to the cans

Adam Graves (pictured) called their catch 'such an unusual find'. The men are pretty sure that who ever the beer once belonged to had already had a few drinks as the cans' tops were pulled off

The rusty cans were filled with sand from the bottom of the river and the fishermen also found some zebra mussels attached to them, according to CBS 58.

Some of the cans' tops were pulled off and it appeared that whoever they belonged too had already had a few drinks.

Burzynski told ABC that 'it was kinda crazy to see these old cans'. He added: 'All six of the plastic rings were still intact.'

The photo of the beer cans was originally posted on an outdoor news Facebook page called Grim Outdoors.

And the photo was shared more than 1,000 times.

All but one can was still attached to the bunch, Graves said.

The labels on the cans were partially intact, which revealed their brand. The fishermen said Budweiser officials estimated the cans to be more than 60 years old, possibly dating back to 1963 or 1964.

Graves said he might keep the cans as a souvenir or maybe send them to Anheuser-Busch as a relic or a museum item.

Christian Burzynski (pictured), 47, said that 'it was kinda crazy to see these old cans'. He added that 'all six of the plastic rings were still intact'
Johnson & Johnson was ordered on Monday to pay $55million to a woman who claimed their talcum products (such as baby powder, above) caused her ovarian cancer

Johnson & Johnson wasordered by a U.S. jury on Monday to pay $55 million to a womanwho said that using the company's talc-powder products forfeminine hygiene caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

The verdict, which J&J plans to appeal, was the secondstraight trial loss for the company, which is facing about 1,200lawsuits accusing it of not adequately warning consumers aboutits talc-based products' cancer risks.

Following a three-week trial in Missouri state court, jurorsdeliberated for about a day before returning a verdict forGloria Ristesund, of South Dakota. She was awarded $5 million in compensatorydamages and $50 million in punitive damages.

J&J spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said the verdict contradicted30 years of research supporting the safety of cosmetic talc. Thecompany intends to appeal and will keep defending its products'safety, she said.

Ristesund said she used J&J's talc-based powder products -which include the well-known Baby Powder and Shower to ShowerPowder - on her genitals for decades. According to her lawyers,she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had to undergo ahysterectomy and related surgeries. Her cancer is now inremission.

Jere Beasley, whose firm represents Ristesund, said hisclient was gratified with the verdict. The jury's decisionshould 'end the litigation' and compel J&J to settle theremaining cases, he said.

J&J shares were down 18 cents in after-hours trading to$112.57.

The verdict followed a $72 million jury award from the samecourt in February to the family of a woman who died from ovariancancer after years of using talc powder for feminine hygiene.

That verdict, which J&J is appealing, sparked renewedinterest in talc-powder lawsuits among plaintiffs' lawyers, aswell as consumers familiar with J&J's powder products. Butscientists have told Reuters the evidence of a real danger isinconclusive.

Plaintiffs in talc litigation, which is concentrated inMissouri and New Jersey state courts, have accused J&J offailing for years to warn that talc was linked to an increasedrisk for ovarian cancer. J&J has said it acted properly indeveloping and marketing the products.

The only other case to be tried involving talc powder andovarian cancer resulted in a mixed verdict in South Dakotafederal court in 2013. While those jurors found J&J wasnegligent, they awarded no damages to the plaintiff, whosecancer was in remission at the time of the trial.
An elderly couple who were reported missing after failing to return from their holiday in Northern NSW have been found safe and well.

Dale and Cavell Lawlor were on holiday in Kingscliffe, northern New South Wales, but alarms were raised when they didnt return to Durack in Brisbane, Queensland, on Monday night as planned.

The Americans, who were in the country visiting family, were found in Windaroo, only a 30-minute drive away from their final destination, about midday on Tuesday.

It's believed the pair had got lost.

Dale and Cavell Lawlor, pictured, failed to return from holiday on Monday night, but were found safe and well on Tuesday afternoon

Family had grown increasingly concerned for the pair, who did not take a phone or a GPS with them, and both had medical conditions.

Mr and Mrs Lawlor were travelling in a red Toyota RAV4 with Queensland registration 545VQW.

They had planned to travel using the M1 and M7 motorways.
Jeremy Corbyn has insisted Labour will not suffer losses in key elections despite predictions of a bloodbath and leadership challenge.

The leader made the claim as he pledged to fight any effort to oust him.

Mr Corbyn has been under mounting pressure over his botched handling of the anti-Semitism row after he was forced to suspend an MP and his close ally Ken Livingstone last week.

Amid fears that the controversy will make the election results even worse, it has been claimed that up to 50 members have been quietly suspended from the party over allegations of racism over the past two months.

Shadow cabinet minister Diane Abbott insisted over the weekend that there had only been 12 reported such incidents since Mr Corbyn took charge last September.

Jeremy Corbyn is expected to avoid an immediate leadership challenge despite fears he will lead Labour to its worst local elections performance since the days of Michael Foot

The looming EU referendum is expected to spare Mr Corbyn from the prospect of an immediate leadership challenge even if apocalyptic predictions for Thursday come to pass.

Experts have forecast that Labour could lose 150 council seats or more, as well as suffering near wipe-out in Scotland and setbacks in Wales.

It comes at a point in the general election cycle when Oppositions would usually be looking at gains.

Party moderates are poised to unleash a tidal wave of criticism against Mr Corbyn, who claimed his hard-Left brand of socialism would energise the dispossessed and win back support in Labour's former Scottish heartland.

Opponents are also believed to be lining up former minister Margaret Hodge as a potential 'stalking horse' to unseat Mr Corbyn after the referendum.

Speaking at a poster launch in London today, the leader said the 'the anti-Semitism issue' was 'being dealt with' by an inquiry headed by former Liberty chief Shami Chakrabarti.

The opposition leader refused to answer when asked repeatedly whether he thought the row, sparked by online comments from Bradford MP Naz Shah, was an attempt to destabilise his leadership.

And he said he would carry on if there was a challenge to his control of the party after the elections for councils and the London mayor, amid reports some Labour MPs are ready to mobilise against him.

Mr Corbyn: 'It is time, quite honestly, that many in the golden circle of the media establishment actually got out a bit and listened to what people are saying.

'I think many in the media are obsessed with this rather than what they should be obsessed with, which is the devastating crisis of inequality in our society.'

He added: 'I don't know who these Labour MPs are but I would advise every member of the party, including our MPs, (to) get out there on the doorstep and campaign, we have two days to go.'

Mr Corbyn told reporters: 'We are not going to lose seats, we are looking to gain seats where we can.'

Ms Abbott risked inflating expectations further by giving figures as she was asked about the party's prospects later.

'Were going to get the very best result that we can. I think setting arbitrary targets like hes got to win 400 seats or 500 seats is just silly. People are out there working really hard and were very hopeful of getting a good result overall, particularly in London,' she told the BBC.

Mr Corbyn's handling of the row anti-Semitism row was criticised by senior backbencher Keith Vaz: 'I was not in the country last week but I think that it wasn't handled in the best way. It was a bit of a shambolic response but now Jeremy has pulled us back, he's got this inquiry. The NEC has not met, we will meet to discuss this on the 17th May.'

Jeremy Corbyn is expected to avoid an immediate leadership challenge despite fears he will lead Labour to its worst local elections performance since the days of Michael Foot

The Home Affairs Committee chaired by Mr Vaz has summoned the Labour leader along with Mr Livingstone to give evidence to an inquiry into anti-Semitism.

Former leadership contender Liz Kendall said Labour should be aiming to gain at least 400 council seats this week to show it is on track to return to power at the next election. But private polling for Labour suggests the party is on course to lose about 100 council seats on Thursday, when voters in 124 council areas in England go to the polls.

An analysis for the Guardian yesterday suggested the party could lose as many as 175 seats.

Labour has not lost council seats in opposition since 1985 when the Left vote was split by the SDP.

The party has not lost on the scale predicted this week since 1982, the year before Michael Foot led Labour to its worst General Election defeat of modern times.

In Scotland, polls suggest Labour will lose further ground to the SNP and could come third behind the Tories.

In Wales, Labour sources believe they are likely to lose overall control of the Assembly for the first time. The party is then expected to do a humiliating coalition deal with Plaid Cymru to cling to power.

Mr Corbyn's only saving grace could come in London where polls suggest Labour's Sadiq Khan is on course to defeat Tory Zac Goldsmith and succeed Boris Johnson as mayor.

But Mr Khan has spent most of the campaign trying to distance himself from Mr Corbyn.

Rebel MPs last night signalled that they will not use the expected meltdown as the platform for an immediate coup for fear of derailing Labour's campaign to keep Britain in the EU in the June referendum.

Plotters are divided on tactics, with some trying to encourage a Shadow Cabinet walkout to destabilise Mr Corbyn.

Another group wants to wait until his grassroots supporters begin to lose faith in his leadership.

A former Labour minister said: 'There is huge anger about Corbyn's performance and that is going to translate into action against him at some stage.

'But we cannot risk undermining the referendum campaign. He will face a challenge this summer, but we're not there yet.'

ANTI-SEMITISM: THREE AXED Labour suspended three councillors yesterday over anti-semitic remarks. Referring to violence against Palestinians, Shah Hussain, from Burnley, tweeted to an Israeli footballer: 'You and your country doing the same thing that Hitler did to your race in WW2.' Salim Mulla, from Blackburn, is said to have made comments including one in which he wrote: 'Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity.' Nottingham councillor Ilyas Aziz was suspended over a Facebook post saying Jews should be 'relocated' from Israel to the US, which he denies writing. Bradford West MP Naz Shah and former London mayor Ken Livingstone were suspended last week for alleged anti-semitic views. The deputy speaker of the Israeli parliament yesterday urged the country's Labor Party to cut its ties with Labour over the issue.

A Shadow Cabinet source said Mr Corbyn's failure to get to grips with the anti-semitism crisis had sealed his fate.

'He has proved beyond doubt he is not a leader,' the source said. 'It's just a matter of timing now.'

Another frontbencher dismissed the idea of an early coup, saying: 'There are colleagues who want to try to get rid of Jeremy early, but they don't have a candidate and they don't have a plan.

'The danger is if they strike against him and fail they will only strengthen him.'

The Sun reported that some MPs believe they have persuaded Dame Margaret, the respected former head of the Commons spending watchdog, to act as a 'stalking horse' when they launch the effort to get Mr Corbyn out.

The plan would be for the MP to inflict maximum damage before bowing out, leaving the way clear for a candidate with 'clean hands'.

Labour suspended three councillors yesterday over anti-Semitic remarks as the row continued to engulf the party.

Referring to violence against Palestinians, Shah Hussain, from Burnley, tweeted to an Israeli footballer: 'You and your country doing the same thing that Hitler did to your race in WW2.'

Salim Mulla, from Blackburn, is said to have made comments including one in which he wrote: 'Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity.'

Nottingham councillor Ilyas Aziz was suspended over a Facebook post saying Jews should be 'relocated' from Israel to the US, which he denies writing.

Shadow cabinet minister Diane Abbott claimed over the weekend that Labour did not have a 'problem' with anti-Semitism and there had only been around a dozen reported cases since Mr Corbyn took charge last September.

But a senior party source told the Daily Telegraph that its compliance unit had in fact suspended as many as 50 activists over the past two months. Twenty of those cases were said to have happened in the last fortnight alone.

A party source said today that was a 'wild overestimate' but declined to say what the exact numbers were.

'The Labour Party takes anti-Semitism very seriously and that is why Jeremy has set out a robust plan to tackle the issues,' the source added.

NAZ SHAH STEPS ASIDE FROM COMMITTEE'S ANTI-SEMITISM INVESTIGATION Bradford West MP Naz Shah has stood aside from the committee investigation into anti-Semitism The Labour MP suspended over Facebook posts suggesting Israel should be 'relocated' to the US has stepped aside from a Commons inquiry into anti-Semitism. Naz Shah is a member of the cross-party Home Affairs Committee but asked to be excused from its probe in the wake of her grovelling apology for the posts last week. After a private meeting of the MPs today, chairman Keith Vaz said: 'The committee met and had a discussion with Naz Shah about her recent comments. Naz Shah asked to be excused from any further deliberations of the Home Affairs Select Committee until current issues have been resolved. 'She will not take part in the anti-Semitism inquiry or any other inquiries and will not receive any papers. 'This will be with immediate effect. The committee unanimously agreed with the decision taken by her.'

Suspended Labour MP runs into fresh trouble over new gates

Bradford West MP Naz Shah is embroiled in more controversy after installing new gates at her constituency home.

Leader Jeremy Corbyn removed the whip from Ms Shah pending an investigation last week after Facebook posts surfaced in which she suggested 'relocating' Israel to the US.

It has now emerged she is also facing criticism from neighbours and planning officers over the ornate electric gates fitted at her property.

Neighbour Sylvia Meares complained that the MP should have sought permission because it is a listed building and the gates are more than two metres tall.

Ms Shah told the local Telegraph & Argus newspaper: 'I have already apologised to neighbours. I said sorry if there was miscommunication between us.'

She has pledged to seek permission from the council retrospectively.
Field Marshal Lord Guthrie led a protest against the Governments policy towards Afghan interpreters

The former head of the Armed Forces yesterday said the Governments policy towards loyal Afghan interpreters shamed Britain.

Field Marshal Lord Guthrie led a furious protest as he threw his weight behind a Daily Mail campaign to give them sanctuary.

He was joined by ex-heads of the RAF and Navy plus former Defence Secretary Liam Fox in demanding an immediate halt to their deportation from the UK.

Politicians and military officers who served alongside interpreters also urged David Cameron to review policy.

Yesterday the Mail revealed how Nangyalai Dawoodzai, a former translator for the Army in war-ravaged Helmand Province, killed himself after being told he did not qualify for asylum in the UK. The 29-year-old was said to have been deeply depressed about the threat of being thrown out.

There are nearly a dozen interpreters facing deportation after Home Secretary Theresa May won the right to send Afghans back to the capital Kabul. Lord Guthrie, a former Chief of Defence Staff, said: It is shaming for us. The Daily Mail has my full support. I think we are incredibly mean and churlish towards these men who risked our lives to support us.

One has to draw the conclusions that the people who are prepared to make this decision have no idea what a battlefield is like. These men who risked a very great deal to support us deserve our help.

His views were echoed by Dr Fox, who said: We have a duty of care towards those willing to put their lives on the line for our forces. We should be willing to give sanctuary to those people.

They put themselves at risk to guarantee the safety of our soldiers and it is up to us to guarantee theirs.

Another former interpreter, who cannot be named for his security, also had his asylum application rejected on the grounds it was safe for him to return.

Last night Colonel Simon Diggins, who supported his application, said the Government must put an immediate halt to the deportations.

This death is a terrible tragedy, said the former defence attache at the British Embassy in Kabul. There needs to be a review of Government policy. We want a proper solution for people who put their lives at risk for us.

The Daily Mails Betrayal of the Brave campaign has highlighted the plight of former frontline translators who remained in Afghanistan after UK forces left and have been targeted by the Taliban because of their service (file image of Helmand province)

Sir Michael Graydon, former head of the RAF, said the death of Mr Dawoodzai highlighted the desperation facing translators and also urged a rethink on policy.

Lord West, former head of the Navy, said: This is a small number of people and we have a debt of honour to them. This will not send a good message around the world. We should not deport them  we should let them stay.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis, a former Army major, said: The Government should show some compassion to the Afghan interpreters who have risked their lives and those of their families to help us.

Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan, said the policy needed to change before more interpreters killed themselves.

Fellow translators said Nangyalai Dawoodzai was deeply depressed about the threat of being thrown out of the UK despite working with British forces in war-ravaged Helmand province (pictured)

It is immoral, irresponsible and a betrayal of the brave Afghans who helped us, he said. This latest death is terrible and I hope the Government will prevent more cases like this happening. The Daily Mails Betrayal of the Brave campaign has highlighted the plight of former frontline translators who remained in Afghanistan after UK forces left and claim to have been targeted by the Taliban because of their service.

The campaign  supported by a petition signed by nearly 180,000  has revealed how interpreters have been shot dead or beaten. Their homes have been attacked and children kidnapped and murdered.

The Government believes Kabul is safe  despite a wave of Taliban suicide bombings  and that interpreters should help rebuild their country. To date, 260 interpreters and their families have been allowed to settle in Britain but David Cameron has refused to let in more under a second scheme.
Britain could suffer 250billion a year in lost trade if it votes to leave the EU, Alistair Darling claims today.

The former Labour chancellor claims Brexit would be catastrophic for Britains exporters with trade collapsing by up to a quarter.

The claim comes just 24 hours after Ed Miliband joined forces with Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss to warn that quitting Brussels could endanger the planet and damage our global habitat.

Britain could suffer 250billion a year in lost trade if it votes to leave the EU, Alistair Darling claims today

Brexit supporters said last night that Lord Darlings claim was absurd, pointing out that the UK has a massive trade deficit with the EU which is likely to prevent Brussels launching a damaging trade war.

But the Labour peer will warn today that the EU would inevitably erect trade barriers if the UK votes to leave.

Those wanting to leave the EU want to pull Britain out of the single market, which would mean introducing tariffs and barriers to our trade and putting billions of vital trade at risk, he will say.

The choice is between free trade within the EUs single market of 500million consumers, or spending years negotiating new trade deals only to leave us in a weaker position than we enjoy today.

'Leaving the single market would be catastrophic for our businesses and our families who would be paying more and suffering from a weaker economy.

The 250billion figure is based on the controversial dossier produced by the Treasury last month which claimed that total UK trade could fall by up to 24 per cent if Britain leaves the EU and fails to secure a replacement free trade deal.

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott branded the figure dishonest.

The claim comes just 24 hours after Ed Miliband joined forces with Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss (pictured) to warn that quitting Brussels could endanger the planet and damage our global habitat

Former Tory defence secretary Liam Fox (pictured) will today warn that the EU has undermined Nato and strengthened Vladimir Putin

Mr Elliott said: The underlying belief of the Remain campaigners appears to be that Britain  the worlds fifth largest economy and a nation with a great history of trading across the globe  would be an economic backwater if it wasnt for Brussels taking control of our trade deals. Thats absurd.

Meanwhile, former Tory defence secretary Liam Fox will today warn that the EU has undermined Nato and strengthened Vladimir Putin.

David Cameron has claimed that Britain is safer in Europe.

But in a speech to the Royal United Services Institute, Dr Fox will say: One of the more absurd assertions made by the Remain campaign is that President Putin would be happy to see Britain leave the European Union and that this would increase his appetite for aggression.

Am I mistaken or were we not part of the EU when Russia launched a cyber attack on Estonia, invaded Georgia or annexed the Ukraine?
British MEPs in the European Parliament have raked in up to 1million each in salaries, allowances and expenses in just five years, it has been revealed.

Tory Richard Ashworth cost taxpayers 1.08million between 2010 and 2015, while his colleague Sajjad Karim ran up a bill of 1.03million.

Both men were entitled to their basic MEP salary of 76,292 a year, with 2,670 extra in pension contributions.

Europhile MEP Sajjad Karim (pictured with Prime Minister David Cameron) ran up a bill of 1.03million

The pair, who are both Europhiles, were also able to claim 237 a day subsistence allowance tax-free for attending meetings in Brussels or Strasbourg.

Mr Ashworth, claimed 181,705 of that handout during the period, while Dr Karim took 159,858 over the five years.

MEPs also benefit from first class train travel and business class flights. The travel bills for Mr Ashworth, 68, a former dairy farmer from East Sussex, came to 164,627. Dr Karims travel costs were 189,420.

The European Parliament pays its members allowances to set up offices in the UK. Mr Ashworths base cost 222,560 and Dr Karims came to 289,038 over the five years.

Mr Ashworth and Dr Karim, along with all Tory and Labour MEPs, voluntarily publish their salaries, allowances and expenses in full on their websites allowing members of the public to see how much they are costing taxpayers.

However, Ukips MEPs have failed to update their records online since December 2014.

Tory Richard Ashworth cost taxpayers 1.08million between 2010 and 2015

A Tory source last night said that Mr Ashworths payments for attendance were higher as he is on three committees and is in Parliament on many Fridays when others have returned to their constituencies.

Dr Karims UK office costs are high but he only gets the same allowance as everyone else and funds the rest himself.

A spokesman for Richard Ashworth said: Mr Ashworth is an active member of three committees in the parliament.

He receives the same salary and pension contribution as all MEPs, and works all week to deliver a better deal for Britain in the EU.

The majority of the funds provided for MEPs to carry out their duties are flat-rate allowances given to all MEPs, and not claimable expenses.

Along with his Conservative colleagues, Mr Ashworth has voluntarily published breakdowns of how those allowances are used in his work to deliver for the eight million people in his large constituency.

He submits his spending to be confirmed annually by an independent accountant as being fully in line with the rules of the parliament.

A spokesman for Dr Karim said: The declaration for Dr Karims office running costs is high because he pays the extra sum from his own pocket, so in this regard he receives the same as all MEPs, but spends far more on his constituency.
Former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles took a job with BAE Systems

Former ambassadors  especially 'Our Men' in the Middle East  can reap especially rich rewards.

Their excellencies, as they are styled, are much in demand after decades of cultivating contacts and exposure to political, military and commercial secrets on behalf of Queen and country.

One former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, took a job with BAE Systems after being controversially credited in 2006 with helping halt a Serious Fraud Office corruption inquiry into claims that the arms firm had bribed the Saudis.

Acoba cleared him to take up the directorship, with a two-year ban on him lobbying his former colleagues in government.

Sir Sherard took early retirement from the Foreign Office in 2010. He left BAE in 2013 and is now a senior executive at HSBC bank. Sir Sherard said: 'Acoba scrutinised the case very carefully at the time.'

Sir Dominic Asquith, ambassador to Libya between 2011 and 2012  after the UK and France's military intervention in the country  now provides advice via his consultancy to Libya Holdings Group, an investment group working in the strife-torn nation.

The former high commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Andrew Lloyd, became a vice president at oil giant Statoil, which has been working in the country since 1992. When he took up the post, Acoba stipulated he should avoid dealing with the firm's Nigeria business.

Sir William Patey, who was UK Ambassador to Sudan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, was given the all-clear to become an adviser to global security firm Control Risks.

Ministers, too, have apparently benefited handsomely from their time in government. As Africa minister, Sir Henry Bellingham once wrote to the government of Mozambique in support of a London-based mining company called Pathfinder Minerals over an ongoing legal dispute.

Within two years of leaving government, former Foreign Secretary David Miliband earned almost 1million on top of his MP's salary, including more than 15,000 for just one day advising a Pakistani venture capitalist

Now he is its chairman, earning 4,000 a month for seven hours' work. The company boasts: 'Sir Henry brings extensive knowledge of Africa, the continent in which the company is seeking to operate.'

Sir Henry was succeeded as Africa minister by Mark Simmonds, a fellow Conservative, but he complained the Westminster expenses system was 'intolerable' and took up no fewer than eight jobs in the private sector, including as a senior consultant on Africa for global security consultancy Kroll.

Within two years of leaving government, former Foreign Secretary David Miliband earned almost 1million on top of his MP's salary, including more than 15,000 for just one day advising a Pakistani venture capitalist, and 65,000 to sit on the board of a United Arab Emirates foreign ministry forum.

Lord Howell  who is George Osborne's father-in-law, as well as being a former Foreign Office adviser  landed a job as an adviser to JR Central, a Japanese high-speed rail company. Months earlier, his son-in-law had announced JR would be used to build the HS2 train line. Acoba approved the job, subject to a two-year lobbying ban and a ban on him exploiting his inside knowledge.

Lord Howell said: 'There could be no possible conflict of interest between the two jobs, so I don't think it arises in my case.'
the store and then shot his wife, an employee, in the leg

A married father-of-three has been shot dead after he tried to stop a gunman who opened fire inside a Walgreens.

Gym owner and ex-Marine Anthony 'TJ' Antell Jr., 35, was gunned down at the Arlington, Texas, store on Monday when he confronted the suspect, 22-year-old Ricci Bradden.

Antell, who ran the CrossFit Abattoir gym, was with his wife Crytsal in the drugstore when the chaos unfolded.

Married father-of-three Anthony 'TJ' Antell Jr. (pictured with his wife Crystal) has been shot dead after he tried to stop a gunman who opened fire inside a Walgreens in Arlington, Texas

The 35-year-old (pictured with his wife and three children) was gunned down at the store on Monday when he confronted the suspect, 22-year-old Ricci Bradden

Antell, who ran the CrossFit Abattoir gym, was with his wife Crystal in the drugstore when the chaos unfolded

Bradden walked into the the store and allegedly shot his wife, who is an employee, in the leg.

He then tried to flee the scene.

As Bradden tried to drive off, Antell when outside to the parking lot and picked up a gun he owned from his car in a bid to stop him, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The suspect then turned around and shot Antell in the head, according to police.

Images taken from above the scene show a white sheet draped over his body.

Bradden has since turned himself in to the police. His wife has not been identified by police.

She has been treated for non-life threatening injuries in hospital.

Arlington Police Lt. Chris Cook praised Antell for his actions and described him as a Good Samaritan.

He told Fox 4: 'Very terrifying for people that had to watch and see, especially the Good Samaritan being shot and killed just trying to help out trying to keep the suspect from leaving.'

Ricci Bradden, 23, walked into the the store and allegedly shot his wife, who is an employee, in the leg. He then tried to flee the scene
The Australian government has been accused of 'out-Trumping' controversial politician Donald Trump when it came to its stance on refugees and asylum seekers.

Speaking on ABC's Q&A current affairs program Australian author and commentator George Megalogenis made the comparisons with the firebrand US Republican Party presidential candidate, on the same day a 21-year-old Somali refugee had been critically injured after setting herself alight in Nauru detention centre.

Mr Megalogenis questioned the damage being done to the country's reputation overseas due to the harsh asylum seeker policies favoured by the country's main political parties.

Australian journalist George Megalogenis said the Australian government was out-Trumping Trump on their asylum seeker policy

'It doesn't matter how many boats come or don't, if one person a week is setting themselves alight, sooner or later it is going to target our consciousness that we're holding hostage hundreds of people because we can't sort this out,' he said.

'I think in the long run, the world, when it pays attention to Australia, wants to see a good citizen because we are quite well off, we have been able to manage prosperity better than any other society over the long haul.

'When we start playing other games, trying to be the nastiest country in the region, trying to be the nastiest - out Trumping Trump before Trump had even been invented in terms of asylum seeker policy - I think it's only a matter of time before our luck runs out.'

Mr Megalogenis said that Australian politicians must tackle the growing detention centre crisis now or risk damaging the countrys reputation for good

He was referring to firebrand US Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump

Fellow panellist James Fallows, an American writer and one-time speechwriter for former US president Jimmy Carter, said that 'Australia does not look good at the moment'

Mr Trump has in the past said that he'd build a wall around the US to keep Mexican asylum seekers out

Another panellist on the program James Fallows, an American writer and one-time speechwriter for former US president Jimmy Carter, said that 'Australia does not look good at the moment with this policy, either side of the debate'.

'We have Trump in the United States and I think that this is an example of a problem of human inequality, of combat, of cruelty around the world that will make all of our countries look and be bad until the actual sources that are making people flee around the world are addressed,' Mr Fallows said.

In a wide-ranging discussion that also touched on subjects referring reforms, representatives and re-election, the panel also debated whether Australia might see the rise of an 'anti-establishment candidate' like Mr Trump in the future.

'He (Trump) has already been profoundly damaging to my country. He has legitimised a kind of hatred that was not legitimate before,' Mr Fallows said.
A brother and sister who left their home on their bikes with their bags packed have been found 40 hours after disappearing.

Harlem Rimene-McRae, 12, and his sister Lyrik, 10, were found by police after officers located their bicycles.

The siblings were found on the northern outskirts of Masterton, New Zealand, at 2pm on Tuesday after leaving their home on Sunday evening.

Police said the children had planned out the trip. Harlem had left behind a note complaining that he didn't have a cell phone.

Lyrik Rimene-McRae, 10, took off with her brother Harlem, 12, on Sunday night

The children's great aunt and carer, who asked to be named only as Donna, told the NZ Herald that she found a note from Harlem outside her bedroom door when she got up for work about 4am on Monday, and immediately phoned police.

Harlem and his sister left their home sometime after 10pm on Sunday, leaving notes behind that detailed problems such as not having a cellphone or a Facebook account.

Donna and her husband Dean had acted as Lyrik and Harlems guardians for the past seven years, raising them alongside three of their own children.

She denied that the two had taken off to find their mother, who had been missing for years, as a relative posted earlier on Monday.

The post read: 'My cousin's two children have gone missing in search of their mother whom has been m.i.a for years.

'The family is absolutely devastated and in need of help.'

The two children left home on bikes - Lyrik on a BMX and Harlem on a Mountain bike, reportedly with their schoolbags packed to the brim.

The children left their home in Masterton on Sunday and were found on Tuesday afternoon on the northern outskirts of the town




Britains top civil servant is reviewing the HS2 rail link as fears grow that it cannot be completed within its 55billion budget.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood is looking to slash further costs from the controversial line, it was claimed last night.

He is expected to report on the situation by the summer as part of work led by the Governments newly-formed Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood is looking to slash further costs from the HS2 rail link, it was claimed last night

Campaigners opposed to the project believe any substantial cut in its budget could lead to lower compensation payouts for households in London, the Chilterns and the Midlands affected by construction work.

HS2 has been beset by rows since ministers announced the line between London and Birmingham.

The plan is to extend it to the North, providing swift access to Manchester and Yorkshire. But the costs of the project  once estimated at 40billion  have continued to rise.

Yesterday reports claimed officials and ministers are increasingly concerned the budget could still be exceeded, even though links to the Channel Tunnel rail link and Heathrow have been scrapped.

A senior rail source told the Guardian: The review started about mid-March.

There are things that can be cut, like engineering work north of Birmingham that becomes redundant when a link to Crewe is built in 2027. Heywood was concerned about the budget estimates and if they can cut any costs it will give them confidence of being within those estimates.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywoodis is reviewing the HS2 rail link. A computer generated image of the proposed HS2 station at Euston in London

Joe Rukin, of Stop HS2, said: Weve already seen links to Heathrow and HS1 lopped off in a futile attempt to keep the cost of HS2 down, but it keeps spiralling out of control.

A Government spokesman said: The Infrastructure and Projects Authority is conducting assurance of the HS2 programme. It is standard practice for this to include a small cross-government team.
The number of lone children claiming asylum in Europe nearly quadrupled to 88,300 last year, official figures revealed yesterday.

Nearly 12,000 of them were 13 years old or younger.

The figures from the EUs statistical body Eurostat come as David Cameron faces pressure to allow child refugees in Europe to come to Britain.

Plight: The number of lone children claiming asylum in Europe nearly quadrupled to 88,300 last year. Pictured: Children at the Greek-Macedonian border

Ministers are considering whether to offer sanctuary to thousands of unaccompanied children who are currently in camps on the continent.

In the Commons last week, a proposal to bring 3,000 child refugees to Britain was blocked by just 18 votes.

But now up to 30 Tory MPs are thought to be preparing to defy the Prime Minister by backing a compromise put forward by Labours Lord Dubs.

The proposal from Lord Dubs, 83, who came to Britain as a child fleeing the Nazis, does not specify an exact number of refugees we must take. It was backed by the Lords last Tuesday and will come before the Commons next Monday.

The Daily Mail threw its support behind the campaign in a full-page leader last Thursday that said: We believe that the plight of these unaccompanied children now in Europe  hundreds of them on our very doorstep in the Channel ports of France  has become so harrowing that we simply cannot turn our backs. Strict checks must be made to establish that those granted asylum are genuine refugees and the age they claim to be.

But the article added that in the exceptional circumstances of the crisis it would be wrong not to help such children, who should be allowed a one-off amnesty.

The Eurostat figures show how the number of unaccompanied children applying for international protection doubled from around 12,000 through the period 2008-13 to 23,000 in 2014, before soaring to 88,300 last year.

Almost 40 per cent (35,300) of the claims were registered in Sweden, followed by Germany with 16 per cent, Hungary had 10 per cent and Austria had 9 per cent of registered claims.

The UK received 3,045 asylum applications from unaccompanied minors in 2015. There were 695 children from Eritrea, 655 from Afghanistan and 455 from Albania. Around 90 per cent were boys.

Eight per cent were aged 13 or below  slightly lower than the average number of under-13s applying across the rest of Europe.

Squalor: A child drinks water from a pipe in a makeshift camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has called for the Prime Minister to reconsider his position on the child migrant debate. Last night he said the numbers demonstrated why Britain needed to do more to help.

Mr Farron said: These figures are utterly stark, 90,000 minors are claiming asylum in Europe and it shows why Britain should open its hearts to those in need.

But behind these figures are stories of children alone, sleeping rough in Europe. We can and must do more to help them. We have a duty to help these unaccompanied children.

Kirsty McNeill, of Save the Children, said: Many children are now living on the streets, in overcrowded camps or locked in police detention.

The Government has not yet responded to the groundswell of public support and the pressure from MPs across the House to take in lone child refugees who are already in Europe.

'Were they to do so it would be in line with Britains proud history of offering sanctuary and a welcome mirror to the incredible leadership shown by the PM in providing aid for those caught up in the Syria crisis.
Consultant: Former energy chief Charles Hendry

Six former energy ministers have taken jobs in the energy sector since 2008.

Each time, the appointments watchdog ruled they must not exploit the 'privileged information' they picked up in office.

This did not stop their employers deciding they were worth hiring.

In May 2012, Charles Hendry signed a deal for the UK to get geothermal electricity generated by Iceland.

A year later he was installed in a 1,000-a-day job as director of Atlantic Superconnection, a firm building a 650-mile undersea cable to carry the electricity.

The Guernsey-registered operation boasts that he has been 'instrumental' to the project.

Also as minister he trumpeted the benefits in investment and jobs of the UK signing an energy partnership with Norway.

He then took a job with Forewind, a consortium of British and Norwegian energy firms building the world's largest offshore windfarm off Yorkshire.

The former Tory MP, who owns a castle, landed a 4,000-a-day role as chairman, working one day a month.

He also earns 3,333 a day  working a day and a half a month  as a consultant for Vitol, an oil trading and energy giant.

Watchdog Acoba approved his new jobs, even though he had contact with all three companies as a minister.

Yesterday Mr Hendry, 56, who stood down as an MP at the last election, said of the Iceland deal: 'The background is that this was a concept I started exploring back in 2008  two years before I became a minister.

'So it was not something I benefited from as a minister, but something I had been advocating for a long time before that.

'Having left office, it does not seem unreasonable that I should continue to support something I had advocated for so long.'

Country seat: Former Tory MP Mr Hendry, who owns this castle home in Ayrshire, Scotland

Another energy secretary, Lib Dem Ed Davey, became an energy consultant. In 2013, he struck a deal to guarantee French firm EDF would be paid nearly three times the present wholesale price of electricity to build a nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

Now he makes money working for a lobbying firm that has EDF as one of its clients, although he does not work on EDF business.

Another client of Sir Ed, 50, is law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, which previously acted against his old Whitehall department. He works for two other energy firms.

Lobbying role: Former energy secretary Ed Davey

Last night he said: 'I couldn't be a transport guru because I don't know anything about transport, and I couldn't be a social security guru because I don't know anything about social security. I haven't broken any rules. I would not be against seeing a stronger system of regulation. I'd be very happy. I've nothing to hide.'

Fellow Lib Dem Chris Huhne's 'revolving door' journey went a bit awry, in that he went to prison over dodging speeding points.

But the disgraced millionaire Lib Dem is now European chairman of green energy firm Zilkha Biomass Energy. His application to Acoba was passed, even though as energy secretary he had been a key political architect of Britain's drive for biomass, and had had dealings with ZBE.

Mr Huhne said yesterday: 'I became energy and climate change secretary because of my previous economic and climate change expertise.

'If people like me are to be banned from the area they worked in during government, then the only people who will become ministers will be know-nothing nobodies.'

Greg Barker championed solar power while a Tory minister.

One of his posts since leaving office was honorary president of the British Photovoltaic Association, a pressure group for solar energy companies.

He is also a paid adviser to Lightsource Renewable Energy, which sells solar panels. Even though as a minister he had dealt with Lightsource and its competitors, Acoba waved through his appointment.

Last night Lord Barker said: 'I worked professionally in the energy sector, finance and private equity before entering Parliament, and that is what I have returned to, overwhelmingly focused on overseas markets.'

There is no suggestion any of the ex-ministers broke the rules.

Obscure watchdog that hasn't blocked a single job in 40 years

In France, ex-ministers and mandarins are banned for three years from taking private jobs in the same sector as their government department, with miscreants facing jail for two years and fines up to 23,000.

In Britain we have to rely on a little-known committee, the publicly-funded Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), whose worst sanction is a bit of gentlemanly advice. It has the power to rule a job is unsuitable  but has never done so since being set up in 1975.

Senior civil servants and ministers are supposed to submit a form to Acoba when they are thinking about applying for or accepting a private sector post. The committee then advises the Prime Minister whether the appointment should be allowed or not.

Acobas modus operandi is to acknowledge all the areas of possible conflict but then conclude that panel members see no reason why the application should be blocked, subject to certain conditions. These almost always include that the applicant should not draw on any privileged information gained while in government  which the committee admits is impossible to adequately police.

Acoba expresses concern when it catches out people who take jobs without first consulting its committee, but that is about all it can do. There is a growing body of opinion that the system of review and advice is widely abused.
But Ivan Milat refuses to listen because he finds it 'distasteful'

The guard says Grill Team show is top among other Supermax inmates

Australia's worst serial killer, the infamous backpacker murderer Ivan Milat, is refusing inside prison to listen to the most popular radio show among his fellow Supermax inmates because he finds it 'distasteful'.

A Supermax prison officer called the Radio Triple M Grill Team this week about the show, telling producers that the breakfast programme was 'very popular' among the around 40 inmates incarcerated in the Supermax prison in Goulburn, 200km south-west of Sydney.

Inmates in the prison, which has the official name of the High Risk Management Correctional Centre, include killers, rapists, convicted terrorists and the young Australian men recently accused of planning ISIS -inspired terrorist attacks.

When Triple M producer Max Dudley asked the Supermax prison guard whether the Grill Team's captive listeners included the Belanglo Forest killer Ivan Milat, the officer said: 'No, he refuses to listen to it. He finds it distasteful'.

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Australia's worst serial killer Ivan Milat (pictured) has objected to the Triple-ZM radio breakfast show The Grill Team being played inside Supermax prison by convicted murderers and terrorists who 'love' the show

The Grill Team's blend of sport, comedy, news and music is the 'top' show for inmates in Supermax (pictured) except for its most notorious prisoner Belanglo killer Milat who finds it distasteful

Triple M's Grill Team Mark Geyer, Matty Johns and Gus Worland (pictured left to right) are the most popular show in Australia's toughest prison, but their Poppy Geyer segment may have upset serial killer Ivan Milat

The Grill Team show, which comprises of former rugby league players Matty Johns and Mark Geyer and Foxtel TV presenter Gus Worland includes a mixture of sport, comedy, news and music.

It broadcasts between 6am and 9am, which covers prison inmates in cell hours for breakfast, their morning release from the cells and time in the day each inmate including Milat shares with one other prisoner.

The programme features a regular satirical segment with a mythical figure called 'Poppy Geyer', ostensibly Mark Geyer's grandfather and an inmate of Lithgow Correctional Centre west of Sydney.

'Poppy Geyer' speaks with the Grill Team about what goes on in Lithgow and about how he has sex with his 'cellmate Sunjit'.

The mythical Poppy says things like 'we've got to get one up on the guards', which prompted this week's phone call from the Supermax prison officer, who told Triple M he loved the show but joked about getting Poppy Geyer to hold back on inciting inmate violence against the guards.

An aerial view of Goulburn's Supermax prison, where Australia's worst criminals tune in on weekdays to the Triple M Gril Team, much to the chagrin of seria killer Ivan Milat

Supermax inmates like notoriously violent killers Bassam Hamzy (above left) and double torturer murderer Mark Van Krevel (above right) love Triple M's breakfast programme a prison officer has told the show and they tune into it every weekday

The Grill Team programme airs between 6am and 9am on weekdays when prisoners are in their Supermax cells (pictured) having breakfast, then let out into a day room where they fill in time before the 3.30pm lockdown

Backpacker killer Ivan Milat (Pictured in prison mug shots) is very particular about his food and his access to special chocolate biscuits, and his regular cups of black coffee loaded with sugar, and about Radio Triple M

It was then the officer revealed that the Grill Team is a top rater inside Supermax, excepting the most infamous inmate who is destined to spend the rest of his life in Australia's most secure prison.

Other inmates previously or currently in Supermax include torture murderer Mark Van Krevel, serial killer Lindsay Rose, Central Coast rampage killer Malcolm Baker, gangster Michael Kanaan, Brothers 4 Life gang leader Bassam Hamzy, his gang rival Farhad Qaumi, and Australia's most violent and unpredictable prisoner, Martin Toki.

Ivan Milat usually keeps to himself, but is very particular about his food and his access to special chocolate biscuits, his sandwich maker and his regular cups of black coffee with several spoons of sugar.

Known for launching hunger strikes when things don't go his way - and ending them because he likes his food too much - Milat is notorious for escape attempts and self harm when he thinks it might get him to a hospital outside the Supermax walls, and provide an opportunity to escape.

Also known as the Backpacker Murderer, Milat revels in the attention his crimes - the slaying of seven young people in the Belanglo Forest, just north of Supermax - bring him.

But the layout of the wings inside Supermax and the influx of accused ISIS related terrorists into the facility has put pressure on the prison's inmate numbers.

Gun lover and violent killer Ivan Milat, pictured in his living room raped and tortured both his male and female murder victim police say and is a psychopathic, bisexual control freak

The graves of the backpackers found in the remote Belanglo forest (above) south of Sydney had all been arranged in the same manner, under leaves and twigs

Depraved and sex-obsessed: Serial killer Ivan Milat killed at least seven murders of young backpackers he kidnapped between December 1989 and January 1992 and took to the Belanglo Forest in southern NSW

Police found hundreds of 'trophies' in serial killer Ivan Milat's Eagle Vale home in western Sydney, including this blue sleeping bag cover and tent belonging to Simone Schmidl, 20, who Milat stabbed to death in 1990

The families of murdered German backpackers, Anja Habschied and Gabor Neugerbauer (above) remain in contact with each other 22 years after the arrest of young couple's killer, Ivan Milat

The Supermax prison officer did not expand on exactly why Ivan Milat found the Grill Team 'distasteful' but it may be that the Poppy Geyer segment with its comic references to sex with a male inmate that has upset Milat.

The former NSW Police superintendent who led the team which hunted down the Belanglo killer and arrested Milat in 1994 has previously said that he believed Milat was bisexual and had raped both his male and female victims before killing them.

'I'm personally satisfied that Ivan was bisexual,' Clive Small told the ABC in 2010. 'That his interest in sex was not about love or sexual gratification, rather it was about control and the release of the pressure that built up inside him because of that desire for control.

Simone Schmidl, 20 (above) died the most terrifying detah of all among Ivan Milat's victims, on her own with the serial killer in the Belanglo Forest where she was stabbed and shot in 1990

Sinister souvenir: In this photograph police seized from the house of Ivan Milat's brother William, the serial killer is seen carrying the sleeping bag which belonged to Deborah Everist two years after he killed her

Superintendent Clive Small (pictured announcing that the bodies found in the Belanglo State Forest between 1992 and 1993 were the work of a serial killer) said Milat was a bisexual control freak

Serial killer Ivan Milat hid this Ruger rifle bolt assembly, trigger mechanism and magazine, pictured, and the plastic bag they were found in inside a wall cavity of the murderer's Eagle Vale house in south-western Sydney

Mobile death kit: After police arrested Ivan Milat on May 22, 1994, they searched his house and his car, in which they found this large knife and leather scabbard which he carried with him on trips down the highway where he trawled for hitchhikers to become his next victims

'His way of asserting control again was to kidnap or abduct, treat the victims how he wanted to treat them, whatever that was. They were then under his control completely.'

Mr Small, who is now a true crime book writer, told Daily Mail Australia that he has been told that his statement about the serial killer's sexuality had angered Milat, who rejected it.

Ivan Milat, now aged 71, was convicted and given seven life sentences in 1996 for the murders of seven young travellers and the robbery and attempted abduction of Briton Paul Onions.

His victims were Australians Deborah Everist and James Gibson, Britons Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke, and German backpackers Anja Habschied and Gabor Neugebauer, and Simone Schmidl.

The remains of all Milat's victims were found in the Belanglo Forest north of Goulburn. They had been bound, beaten and then stabbed or shot, their bodies placed face down and covered in mounds of leaves and twigs

Ivan Milat has been housed in Supermax, which has 171 surveillance cameras and 24 hour monitoring of inmatesin and out of their 3m by 4m cells.

The last time he was outside the facility was in 2009, for a hospital visit after he sawed off his little finger with a plastic knife.
Thirty-four per cent of Bay Area residents are ready to leave the area within the next few years, citing high housing costs, traffic and the cost of living as the top three problems plaguing the region.

The Bay Area Council conducted a new poll that surveyed 1,000 people and out of those respondents, 34 per cent said they are considering leaving.

Those who have lived there for five years or less are the most likely to want to leave.

'This is our canary in a coal mine,' said Jim Wunderman, president of the Bay Area Council.

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Thirty-four per cent of Bay Area residents are ready to leave the area within the next few years, citing high cost of living, housing costs and traffic as the top three problems plaguing the region (file photo)

The survey found that people who spend more of their money on housing were more likely to seek an escape from the Bay Area in the next few years (file photo)

Just 40 per cent of residents say the region is heading in the right direction, a significant decline from 55 per cent last year and 57 per cent in 2014. This chart shows the likeliness of residents to stay or leave the Bay Area

'Residents are screaming for solutions.'

People with lower income and those putting more of their income toward housing expenses were also listed among those prepared to leave.

Residents noted other serious problems facing the Bay Area include poverty and income inequality, crime rates and homelessness.

The biggest concern for the Bay Area is the potential loss of its young labor force.

'These younger folks, millennials, are our future workforce; this is our labor market; this is our talent pool,' Rufus Jeffris, vice president of communications for the Bay Area Council, told CNBC.

He added that the area's economy 'is fueled by our talent and when folks are saying that they are going to leave, that can create a real problem for us in terms of attracting and retaining the workers and talent that we need to succeed'.

The number of residents who believe the region is on the wrong track has increased sharply in the past year, according to the survey.

Just 40 per cent of residents say the region is heading in the right direction, a significant decline from 55 per cent last year and 57 per cent in 2014.

Another 40 per cent said it was on the wrong track.

Residents noted other serious problems facing the Bay Area include poverty and income inequality, crime rates and homelessness (file photo)

Despite the number of respondents who said they're ready to go, 54 per cent said they had no plans to leave the Bay Area. The graph shows the most important problems over time in the Bay Area and the top three are cost of living, housing and traffic

Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, told Mercury News: 'We can engage the broader community on solutions that actually tackle these seemingly insurmountable problems.'

Among the solutions that have been proposed is creating high-density housing close to job hubs, along transit corridors or in both locations, according to the newspaper.

Some observers say the Bay Area's challenges, which have arrived amid the job boom in the tech hubs of Silicon Valley, is pushing low- and middle-income people out and could transform the region into a Manhattan-like megalopolis.

'The economic divide in the Bay Area is real,' Russell Hancock, president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley told the Mercury News, adding that the area is 'losing the middle class' workers.

Guardino said the last time the area had 'seemingly solved its traffic problems was the worldwide recession of 2008' and 'a recession is not how we want to solve our traffic and housing problems'.
Volunteer firefighter Lawson Schalm, 19, was charged with 18 counts of arson

A teenage volunteer firefighter is accused of setting several fires that he then helped to fight, authorities in Alberta, Canada said Sunday.

Lawson Schalm, 19, was charged with 18 counts of arson by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a federal law enforcement agency, in the town of Mayerthorpe located about 80 miles northwest of Edmonton, CTV News reported.

The teen had been volunteering with the local fire department since he was 15 and became an eligible firefighter on the day he turned 18, according to the news channel.

The accused arsonist's father, Albert Schalm, is a former mayor of the town of 1,400.

The former mayor said he was in 'total shock' after learning about the charges through social media.

'As a family, how do you deal with that? We can't prepare for that because you don't see it coming,' he said in an interview with CTV News.

He said he will continue to support his son.

'Wherever this ends up, Lawson will always have a place at my table.'

A railroad trestle near Mayerthorpe was destroyed in a fire Tuesday. Volunteer firefighter Lawson Schalm, 19, is accused of setting the blaze

Schalm helped fight five of the blazes he allegedly set, and was a bystander at four, Mayerthorpe fire officials said

Firefighters worked over 12 hours to put out the railway bridge fire in Mayerthorpe. On Friday alone, the department responded to five fires

Police are investigating over 20 suspicious fires in the area since April 19, the Calgary Herald reported.

Schalm helped fight five of the blazes he allegedly set, and was a bystander at four, according to CTV News.

One of the blazes that Schalm is accused of setting destroyed a landmark railway bridge last Tuesday.

The local fire chief, Randy Schroeder, said the news of Schalm's arrest was 'heartbreaking.'

'To learn that Lawson Schalm was involved in this, there is a sense, on behalf of the members, of a certain sense of betrayal,' he told CTV News.

The teenage firefighter's father, Albert Schalm, is a former mayor of Mayerthorpe. He said he will stand by his son 'wherever this ends up'

Lawson Schalm volunteered as a firefighter since age 15. He became an eligible firefighter on the day he turned 18

'I try not to take it personally. I'm struggling, like a lot of our members, with 'why' and 'how' and 'what did we miss?'

Schroeder said firefighters worked over 12 hours to put out the railway bridge fire. On Friday alone, the department responded to five fires.

The fire chief said Schalm was a 'great firefighter' who 'was used an awful lot.' The teen was 18 months into his training.

Schalm is being held in custody until a scheduled court appearance May 4.
Experts have called for Indonesian airlines to be banned from Australia

Thousands of Australians flew on a faulty AirAsia plane before it crashed into the Java Sea killing everyone on board.

The revelations sparked calls for Indonesian airlines to be banned from Australia until it can be proven their planes are up to scratch, reported the ABC's Foreign Correspondent.

In December 2014 162 people died when AirAsia flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea while travelling from Indonesia to Singapore.

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The Airbus A320 climbed suddenly before falling almost directly down into the Java Sea, killing all 162 people on board. Pictured: The remains of the plane

An investigation found that the plane had been flying with a broken rudder for 12 months before the crash.

Now it has been revealed that thousands of Australians unknowingly flew on the plane while it carried the fault.

Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas said safety standards needed to be lifted to prevent planes with catastrophic faults flying Australian routes.

He said: I believe theres evidence around that some airlines that fly to Australia dont meet international standards and they should be banned.

Its simply not good enough that youve got aeroplanes flying around with potentially catastrophic faults with them.

Flight 8501 went down in stormy weather on December 28 2014 in the Java sea during what was supposed to be a short trip from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore

Adding to the revelations are claims that unskilled pilots who would not fly in other countries are gaming the system to get jobs in Indonesia.

One senior Australian pilot told the ABC: We had an Indonesian co-pilot who we failed outright, he'd been with us a number of years, but we failed him outright and he came back and he joined one of the local airlines.

Another Indonesian pilot is claimed to have bribed officials to give him a job after a simulator test found him too uncoordinated to fly.

Workers load the tail of AirAsia flight QZ8501 onto a truck at Kumai sea port, in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

The Australian Transport Workers Union has repeatedly called for all Indonesian Airlines to be suspended from Australian.

All Indonesian airlines are banned from the United States and most carriers are blacklisted in Europe.

In the wake of the 2014 crash the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority increased the number of random inspections it performed on Indonesian planes.

Divers found the body of the co-pilot Remi Emmanuel Plesel (pictured) who was steering AirAsia plane when it crashed

A CASA spokesman confirmed that these checks were still in place and said he was satisfied that Indonesian planes were safe.

He said: We have made our own assessments of the airline, of the Indonesian safety system and we believe that they are meeting the required international operational standards.

If other parts of the world don't do that then of course that's a matter for them.
A student is suing the Getty Foundation, claiming she was denied an internship because she is white.

Samantha Niemann has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Los Angeles-based organization and accused them of violating her civil rights.

Niemann, who studies at Southern Utah University, claims she 'was deterred from applying' for the foundation's Multicultural Undergraduate Internship program in February 2015.

According to court documents seen by CBS Los Angeles, she was denied the place after being told only black, Asian, Latino, Native-American and Pacific Islander candidates were eligible.

Student Samantha Niemann is suing the Getty Foundation, claiming she was denied an internship because she is white. She has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Los Angeles-based organization (pictured) and accused them of violating her civil rights

Niemann - who is of German, Irish and Italian descent - was allegedly told that she was disqualified from applying because of her race and national origin.

The lawsuit argues Neimann was 'well-qualified' for the internship, as she has a 3.7 grade-point average.

She is seeking an unknown about of punitive damages.

A description of the Getty Foundation on their website reads: 'The Getty Foundation supports institutions and individuals committed to advancing the greater understanding and preservation of the visual arts in Los Angeles and throughout the world.

'We do this through grant initiatives that increase access to museum collections, strengthen art history as a global discipline, advance conservation practice, and support current and future leaders in the visual arts.'

Ron Hartwig, vice president of communications for the J. Paul Getty Trust, issued a statement to CBS Los Angeles in response to the lawsuit.

In part, it read: 'Over the past 23 years Getty grants have supported over 3,000 internships at 152 organizations throughout the county.
An Iraq war veteran's service medals were stolen from her Melbourne home by alleged APEX gang members.

Sarah's family home in Frankston burnt down last year and the garage was the only part of the house that survived.

But a year later over the Easter long weekend, Sarah told 3AW 693 News Talk that thieves broke into the garage and stole her and her children's valued belongings, before spray painting 'APEX' on the wall.

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The four original service medals stolen from Sarah during her time in Iraq from 2006-7 as part of the Defence Force

Three teenagers aged between 15 and 17 were caught, but were given a reprimand.

'We weren't consulted on what we would like to have done about it. They just said they're good kids that made a bad decision.' Sarah told 3AW.

Sarah lost her four original service medals that she received for her time in Iraq as part of the Australian Defence Force.

Her two daughters lost Pandora charms they had been collecting since they were born, along with Swarovski jewels.

'They took anything they could fit in a backpack really. They slashed all the boxes to see if they were worth rifling through or not,' Sarah told 3AW.

The thieves sprayed the word 'APEX' on the garage wall but police are unsure if they are copycats.

The thieves, aged 15-17, sprayed the word 'APEX' on the garage wall but police are unsure if they are copycats

Sarah said they got a few belongings back, including some of her military patches, hats and torches, but 'nothing of value.'

'It's been pretty devastating for us. The service medals are of no value to anyone else, they really aren't.'
David Cameron will put curbing Islamic extremism at the heart of the Queens Speech amid concerns about his legacy.

The Prime Minister will introduce an Extremism Bill later this month which will include measures to ban organisations, gag individuals and close down premises used to promote hatred.

The crackdown will begin with the launch of an independent review of how Sharia courts are operating in Britain, according to the Times.

Home Secretary Theresa May is expected to announce the inquiry in the next fortnight.

New laws: David Cameron plans to introduce an Extremism Bill in the Queen's Speech later this month. It will begin with a review of how Sharia courts operate in the UK, set to be announced by Theresa May

It comes after she pledged to investigate claims of a parallel justice system following revelations there were 85 Islamic courts dispensing justice across the UK.

The review will be followed by the governments legislative programme - which will include reforms to Britains care home and prison systems.

The bill - to be announced on May 18 - will seek to balance the action with a promise of extra help to bring isolated British Muslims into the mainstream.

It is designed to fight off claims the he is becoming a lame-duck Prime Minister and comes after worries his legacy programme planned for after the EU referendum was insufficiently ambitious.

In the Queens Speech - themed on improving life chances - the Prime Minister will remind voters of his promises.

The bill will extend vetting rules so that employers will be told of known extremists to prevent them working with children and other vulnerable groups.

It will also stop them from carrying out roles in sensitive areas.

Under the plans, Ofcom could also be given extended powers to suspend broadcasts deemed to include unacceptable extremist material.

Mr Cameron promised new legislation to take on Islamist extremism last autumn.

Banned: The new bill will extend vetting rules so that employers will be told of known extremists to prevent them working with children and other vulnerable groups

The counter extremism strategy pledged powers to ban extremist organisations that promote hatred and draw people into extremism.

A Number 10 spokesman said: We dont speculate on the contents of the Queens Speech.

The bill comes as it emerged a covert Home Office unit has been established to influence the views of young British Muslims using online propaganda tools.

According to the Guardian, the secret campaign aims to bring about attitudinal and behavioural change and a different voice from Islamic States persuasive online propaganda.

The Research, Information and Communications Unit (Ricu) had one initiative in which it advertised itself as a campaign providing advice on how to raise funds for Syrian refugees.
Readers of a certain age will remember fondly an enchanting BBC childrens television programme called Tales Of The Riverbank, which followed the adventures of Hammy Hamster, Roderick the Rat and their furry friends.

The main characters were all real animals, given human voices by narrator Johnny Morris. It was innocent fun from a gentler era, long before distractions like the internet and Grand Theft Auto XIII.

These days even childrens programmes have to be relevant and carry some kind of message. If they ever remake the show for TV, expect to find Hammy standing on a picket line, wearing a Jez We Can T-shirt and waving a placard protesting about a new railway line or motorway extension.

The 50billion HS2 rail project is at risk because of eleven hedgehogs that live near London's Euston Station

It has been revealed that the 50 billion-and-rising 2 project could be derailed by a tiny group of hedgehogs who live near Londons Euston station.

Animal rights activists and preservationists have joined with anti-HS2 protesters objecting to the impact of the proposed new railway line. Experts from London Zoo, in Regents Park, just north of Euston, say the resident hedgehog population will be devastated.

So how many hedgehogs are we talking about here  hundreds, thousands? Er, no. Eleven. Thats right, 11. And they dont even live in the Royal Park itself, they live in the car park next door to the zoo, which is to become a lorry depot during the construction of the line.

Look, I know this sounds like a crazy idea, but couldnt they just be moved inside the zoo, where they would be safe? And, in any case, if theyve managed to survive the tens of thousands of cars bringing visitors to the zoo every year, surely they wont have too much trouble sidestepping a few lorries.

You could put the hedgehogs in a purpose-built box, stuffed with old newspapers, next to the high-speed track itself and theyd still escape unscathed  probably by rolling themselves into a ball whenever they heard a train coming. Isnt that what hedgehogs do?

Theyd soon get used to the noise, and they hibernate all winter. It would work out cheaper to book them into a suite at the Savoy for the duration.

Some of you will accuse me of being flippant and cruel. Youd be half-right. Others will think Im in favour of HS2 and want to bulldoze everything in its path. Nothing could be further from the truth.

But how many times do we hear of major engineering and construction projects being obstructed and even cancelled because of noisy animal sentimentalists?

Of course, we should look after rare species, but not at the expense of economic expansion, or by causing unnecessary aggravation to humans. Yesterday, we were told that because of our expanding, immigration-fuelled housing shortage, we are going to have to build on the Green Belt.

You could put the hedgehogs in a purpose-built box, stuffed with old newspapers, next to the high-speed track itself and theyd still escape unscathed

Good luck with that. Even though much of our protected landscape is littered with ugly metal warehouses, rusting farm equipment and hideous, bird-shredding wind turbines, the conservationists will tie up the planning process for years.

If all else fails, theyll discover a virtually extinct arachnid thats said to be living on the land marked for development.

Over the past couple of years Ive brought you a few examples.

There was the planned, and much-needed, Plymouth housing estate which was abandoned after claims that the site was the natural habitat of the Horrid Ground-Weaver Spider  last spotted in 1997.

Work on the notoriously congested Acle Straight stretch of the A47 between Norwich and Great Yarmouth was put back for three years while the comings- and-goings of a colony of Little Whirlpool Ramshorn Snails could be monitored.

Elsewhere, who can forget the billions of pounds in damage caused by widespread flooding in the Thames Valley  because the Environment Agency stopped dredging rivers to protect the Depressed River Mussel. To hell with the heartache inflicted unnecessarily upon thousands of depressed homeowners by this single-issue madness.

My personal favourite remains the 190,000 of taxpayers money spent in South Wales on building a special suspension bridge to allow dormice to cross over a new by-pass near Pontypridd. I wrote at the time that a country which cares so much about dormice cant be all bad. But there are limits.

How many times have we seen the Chancellor on TV, done up like Bob the Builder, in hi-viz jacket and hard hat, announcing yet another Northern Powerhouse project?

And how many of these have broken ground yet? Precisely.

If we ever do get round to building HS2 or a new generation of nuclear power stations, never mind Boy George still being around to see it  King George will be on the throne.

A special suspension bridge (pictured) was built to allow dormice to cross over a new by-pass near Pontypridd

Can we build it? No we cant! And usually because of the blatant obstructionism of the hedgehog-hugging, badger-bothering, Little Whirpool Snail-loving brigade.

Its not only the HS2 hedgehogs, either. Yesterday we learned that a 1 billion project to build a new M4 relief road near Newport, South Wales, to ease traffic for commuters, and due to start in 2018, has also been targeted by environmentalists and animal rights groups.

The species they claim are threatened by the new road include the Shrill Carder Bee, Great Silver Water Beetle and assorted water voles and otters.

Chuck in Hammy Hamster and Roderick the Rat and youve got the cast from Tales Of The Riverbank.

JUST LEAVE IT OUT!

My colleague Chris Stevens went online to renew his car tax.

After filling in the forms and paying the fee, he found himself being directed to a site telling him that an EU referendum was being held shortly and inviting him to read the Governments case for staying in.

There was no counter-argument putting the case for getting out. Weve already had millions of pounds of taxpayers money spent on pushing Remain leaflets through every door in the land.

Now it would appear they are resorting to making Project Fear an integral part of every transaction between the people and the state.

Lets hope this means theyre running scared.

Vote Leave!

Conclusive evidence that the deranged trans lobby has now left the planet.

The student unions at Southampton, Cardiff and Birmingham universities have taken the concept of gender-neutral toilets one step beyond.

They are demanding that sanitary towel disposal bins for lay-dees are installed in male lavatories for men who menstruate.

Call me old-fashioned, but there goes another one of those sentences I thought Id never read, let alone write.

Beam me up, Scotty!

Its only May, but I think weve already found the runaway winner of this years You Couldnt Make It Up Award.

Or should that be Here We Go Looby Loo?

Where have all the Tories gone..?

Urging us to vote for Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith on Thursday, outgoing London Mayor Boris Johnson boasts about his own record over the past eight years.

The best thing Boris did was save us from Ken Livingstone. And the best reason for voting Goldsmith is to stop slippery chancer Sadiq Khan getting into City Hall and turning the clock back to the bad old days of Red Ken.

Forgive me for concentrating on London while there are other elections taking place everywhere, but theres good reason.

The best thing outgoing London Mayor Boris Johnson did for us was save Londoners from Ken Livingstone

Among the achievements Boris lists are closing 12 fire stations and 70 police stations. I wonder if all those people in Daily Mail Land who voted for him twice would agree.

Theres an argument for rationalising the fire brigade and merging it with the ambulance service to provide a dedicated emergency response unit. The fact is there arent that many fires any more, and most of the brigades work involves road traffic accidents.

But decommissioning High Street police stations has been an idiotic idea. They were a necessary symbol of law and order in the community.

I became convinced of that after a young man was stabbed to death on the steps of our nearest nick, shortly after it was closed to the public.

The victim had run there thinking it was a place of safety, only to find the front door bolted and shuttered. Yet Boris boasts of closing police stations.

Why is it modern Conservatives dont actually want to conserve anything?

Red Ken goes radio rental

Last word, for now, on the Ken Livingstone anti-Semitism scandal. He turned up on his LBC radio show on Saturday and refused 20 times to apologise for his rancid remarks.

Did anyone seriously believe he would? And even if he had, it would have been utterly insincere and therefore worthless.

But if hed been so offensive to any other minority group gays, transsexuals, Muslims, especially  hed have been dead and buried by now.

LBC has a significant number of Jewish listeners and advertisers, so Im astonished Livingstone has still got a radio show.

Talksport sacked shock-jock Jon Gaunt for calling a councillor a Nazi on air. Id argue that Livingstones cynically calculated comments were far worse than Gaunts spontaneous outburst.

Different station, different management, admittedly, but whats the difference otherwise  apart from the fact that Gaunt is seen as a political Right-winger?
With his 90th birthday only days away, David Attenboroughs love of animals is as strong as ever  as these two pictures show.

Posing for the Radio Times with a lion cub, the naturalist and broadcaster is clearly in his element. Sixty years ago he appeared on the cover of the same publication, with a rescued bear cub.

Commenting on the 1956 image he said: The truth of the matter is I actually still think I look like that. You get up in the morning with an impression of who you are and then you look in the mirror to shave or something, and you think who is this extraordinarily haggard bloke with grey hair?

2016: David Attenborough poses with a lion cub for this weeks Radio Times

In an interview with Radio Times he revealed that his love of the natural world extends far beyond animals  he considers fossils some of the most fascinating objects in the world.

I still think fossils are some of the most romantic objects you can think of. I love them, he said.

The notion that you can hit a rock and it falls open and you see something that hasnt seen the light of day for 350million years yet its all therewell, its magical.

I grew up in Leicestershire and there were thrushes, foxes, badgers, dragonflies and newts, but the thing I enjoyed collecting a lot were fossils.

1956: With a bear cub on Radio Times cover

Attenborough has graced the cover of the Radio Times several times during his career and has often been photographed alongside animals.

But for this weeks special edition, to mark his landmark birthday on Sunday, two lion cubs were brought to his home in Richmond, south-west London.

The endearing photos, which include him bottle-feeding the cubs, were intended to echo the 1956 cover, where he was shown bottle-feeding a bear cub that was found abandoned in an Indonesian forest.

In another interview  with the Guardian  Attenborough called the BBC one of the most precious things we have urging the Government not to play fast and loose with it.

Speaking just days before a white paper on the BBCs future is expected to be published, he said there is plenty that viewers can do.

He added: Politicians dont wish to be the people who are branded as getting rid of the BBC. They know that the BBC holds a very precious place in a large proportion of voters minds and they cant play fast and loose with it.

When I saw what the [funding] deal was, I thought Thats terrible, thats a distortion.

What the BBC will say, and I dare say they are right, is the alternative was something worse. The basic principle of public service broadcasting is profoundly important.
Two brothers charged with murder in the presumed killing of a missing Washington state couple have been spotted in Mexico, and authorities are seeking the records of a cellphone they believe was recently used by one of them.

Search warrant records filed Monday by sheriff's investigators in Snohomish County Superior Court say several sightings of 53-year-old John Blaine Reed and 49-year-old Tony Clyde Reed in Mexico have been reported as recently as April 21, the Seattle Times reported.

Records also show investigators got a warrant for data for an iPhone used to make two unanswered calls on April 17 to a friend of the brothers in Phoenix.

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John Reed, 53, left and brother Tony, 49, right, are being hunted over the disappearance of a Washington couple. Authorities say the two brothers were spotted in Mexico

Neighbors reported 45-year-old Patrick Shunn and 46-year-old Monique Patenaude missing on April 12

The calls were made to the friend, described in records as a former Arlington, Washington, resident, after the Reeds 'fled his place' on their way to Mexico.

The friend, who hasn't been charged with any crimes, allegedly gave the brothers $500 cash and an Acura.

Last month investigators questioned a woman who lived with Tony Reed in Ellensburg, Washington, who couldn't find her iPhone.

Investigators say that was the phone used by the brothers and that data from it could help lead them to the Reeds by tracking their movements.

'I also believe this is a phone number that Tony and John are still using today (April 28th, 2016), while avoiding apprehension and the records requested will assist law enforcement in identifying their current location,' Snohomish County Sheriff's Detective Brad Walvatne wrote in court documents.

Documents do not give details of the sightings in Mexico.

The couple's vehicles were found on April 14 after being dumped over an embankment. Police believe the two are dead

Shunn and Patenaude went missing in mid-April. Their wrecked cars were found in woods around four miles from their home and police announced they believed the pair had been killed

This satellite image shows the homes of the missing couple and John Reed, who is a suspect in the couple's presumed murder along with his brother, Tony Reed

Neighbors reported 46-year-old Monique Patenaude and 45-year-old Patrick Shunn missing on April 12.

Their vehicles were found on April 14 after being dumped over an embankment. Detectives concluded the couple had been killed after they searched the vehicles and the home where John Reed recently lived.

Snohomish County Sheriff's spokeswoman Shari Ireton has said she did not have information about any issues between John Reed and Patenaude and Shunn. But she noted that others had said there was a property dispute.

Other records filed Monday include court orders freezing bank accounts of the brothers' parents, whom authorities say were given at least $96,000 in cashier's checks by John Reed.

Recently obtained warrants allow investigators to search wells and other areas of the missing couple's property and Reed's former land. Investigators have received approval to search another neighbor's property where detectives previously recovered a shotgun and all-terrain vehicle apparently left by John Reed.

Another warrant allows detectives to recover evidence from the ATV that authorities say the brothers may have used when disposing the couple's bodies.
Charges were dropped on the mother and television crew after two weeks

Sally Faulkner's contact with her children in Lebanon has been cut off

The mother at the centre of the 60 Minutes child-snatch drama has been blocked from having any contact with her children who remain in Lebanon.

Sally Faulkner was forced to return to Brisbane following the botched kidnapping attempt but now she has no contact with her children.

A family source says her estranged husband Ali Elamine, 32, is not letting her contact her five-year-old daughter Lahela or her three-year-old son Noah.

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Sally Faulkner's estranged husband Ali Elamine (pictured) has stopped all contact between the mother and her two children Noah and Lahela (pictured)

According to a family source Ms Faulkner has not been able to Skype the children, call them on the phone or see photos of them

'No Skype, no photos, blocked on Whatsapp ... and (Mr Elamine) is not answering phone calls from her,' the source said.

Ms Faulkner spent two weeks in the Lebanese prison alongside Tara Brown and the 60 Minutes crew after the kidnapping attempt before she was released.

In exchange for the charges against her being dropped Ms Faulkner was forced to sign over the custodial rights of their children.

At the time Mr Elamine insisted Ms Faulkner would be allowed to visit her children in Lebanon.

Following the bungled kidnapping attempt in Lebanon Mr Elamine forced Ms Faulkner to exchange her right to the children for the charges to be dropped

Mr Elamine recently uploaded a photo to Facebook showing the children smiling as they eat lunch with their father.

60 Minutes presenter Michael Usher admitted the team had made mistakes and confirmed an internal investigation is underway.

'There's one thing we want to state very clearly from the outset: we made mistakes,' Usher said.

Tara Brown and her crew spent time in prison following the bungled kidnapping

He said the 'mistakes and failures' had been 'the subject of a lot of soul searching here at Channel Nine'.

Usher said the chain of events were 'complex and distressing' which had gone 'badly wrong'.

Ms Brown and her crew, producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment could still face further charges though they have returned to Australia.

The Australian has reported the child recovery agent involved in the operation, Adam Whittington, who remains behind bars, is hoping to be bailed in Lebanon on Wednesday.

His father, David, told the paper he was looking to raise enough cash to reach a possible financial settlement.

The last time Ms Faulkner saw her children her five-year-old daughter gave her a Barbie ring so she wouldn't 'forget her'.
A new poll shows Donald Trump is ahead of Hillary Clinton for the first time in the presidential race.

According to Rasmussen Reports, the billionaire has the support of 41 percent of the American voters while the former Secretary of State has just 39 percent.

The results were revealed as the Republican frontrunner told Daily Mail Online's Political Editor David Martosko that Cruz should quit the race if he loses Tuesday's Indiana primary.

Trump also told his supporters that the race was 'over' if his opponent fails to win the decisive vote.

The latest survey results have Trump leading Clinton for the first time since last October.

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A new poll shows Donald Trump is ahead of Hillary Clinton for the first time in the presidential race. According to Rasmussen Reports , the billionaire (pictured in South Bend, Indiana) has the support of 41 percent of the American voters while the former Secretary of State has just 39 percent

The results were revealed as the Republican frontrunner told Daily Mail Online's Political Editor David Martosko (right) that Cruz should quit the race if he loses Tuesday's Indiana primary

'Trump now has the support of 73 percent of Republicans, while 77 percent of Democrats back Clinton,' the report states.

'But Trump picks up 15 percent of Democrats, while just eight percent of GOP voters prefer Clinton, given this matchup,' it continues.

Voters now also think Trump and Hillary are massive favorites to win their party's nominations.

At one point Hillary was five percentage points ahead of her GOP adversary in the White House contest.

But The Donald has narrowed the gap as the party conventions in July draw closer.

With 57 delegates at stake, Trump could jump into insurmountable lead if he beats Cruz to win the Indiana primary.

The Texas Senator, who chose Carly Fiorina as his running mate last week in a bid to revitalize his campaign, has poured a huge number of resources into the state.

If Cruz does win Indiana, he has to look ahead to California, where the most delegates in the Republican race are up for grabs.

But, according to a poll for KUSA, Trump is ahead of Cruz by an enormous 34 percent.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Online on Monday, Trump called on Cruz to quit the presidential race and go back to the U.S. Senate if he loses on Tuesday.

'Yes, he should. He should leave the race if I win,' Trump told DailyMail.com in a wide-ranging interview at an Indianapolis hotel during his last day of campaigning in the Hoosier State.

'Now, let's see what happens. Indiana's a great state and I have the support of Bobby Knight and so many other people. We'll have to see what happens, but yes, I think he should get out of the race,' Trump said.

The latest survey results have Trump leading Clinton for the first time since last October. She is pictured talking to steelworkers in Ashland, Kentucky, on Monday

Trump also said Cruz's 'tough temperament' might make him unsuitable for a spot on his short-list of potential Supreme Court nominees  a consolation prize he could offer the Texas as a party-unifying gesture.

Instead, Trump insisted Ted prepare to pack his bags  and doubled down on his demand later during a lunchtime stop at Shapiro's Delicatessen a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium.

Asked during an impromptu press gaggle whether an Indiana defeat should spell the end of a Cruz candidacy, he told reporters: 'I think it should.'

Trump lashed out at Cruz Monday morning, telling DailyMail.com that he disagrees with the Texan's characterization of him earlier in the day as a hateful bully and his base as 'bitter, angry, petty, bigoted people.'

'That is not America. I reject that vision of America,' Cruz told reporters in Indiana after a campaign stop.

'They're not angry,' Trump said of his loyal following. 'They're very disappointed in politicians like him that get a lot of money from special interest groups, and they protect their special interest groups very much to the detriment of the country.'

On Monday night, Trump told a crowd at a rally in Carmel: 'If we win Indiana, it's over. They're finished. They're gone.'

Pete Seat, a Republican operative, told the Washington Post: 'They not only put all their chips in the Indiana basket, but they made it very clear how desperate theyve become.

'They have tried everything imaginable. It feels like this is slipping away from Ted Cruz pretty rapidly.'
Megyn Kelly radiated confidence as she walked the Met Gala red carpet in a Badgley Mischka gown Monday night.

The Fox News anchor arrived hand in hand with her husband of eight years, novelist Douglas Brunt, to the event attended by the likes of Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner and Rita Ora at New York's Metropolitan Museum Of Art.

Her dress looked perennially elegant at the front and seemed like a simple black gown with a conservative neckline and a mermaid bottom.

But she turned to reveal an open back dazzled with golden stones - in line with the edgy touch usually displayed by the fundraiser's guests.

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Megyn Kelly arrived hand in hand with her husband of eight years, novelist Douglas Brunt, to the New York's Met Gala on Monday night

The Fox News anchor radiated confidence in a black Badgley Mischka gown. The dress perennially looked elegant at the front but had an open back dazzled with golden stones

Kelly paired the gown with a golden cuff and pendant earrings, which complemented her short hairdo.

And her red lipstick only emphasized her confident smile as she posed in front of the cameras.

Designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka established their brand in 1988 and have since become a staple on red carpets.

They have dressed celebrities such as Kate Winslet, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Catherine Zeta Jones and Sharon Stone.

Many celebrities picked dressed with metallic details for Monday's gala, in keeping with the event's theme, Manus X Machina, which brings together fashion and technology.

Kelly and Brunt attended the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday night, just two days before The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit.

Tickets to this year's gala cost $30,000 according to the New York Times and tables were $275,000.

Designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who created Kelly's gown, established their brand in 1988 and have since become a staple on red carpets

Kelly (pictured posing at the Met Gala) has secured an interview with Donald Trump, which will air during a prime-time special on May 17

But not everyone has to buy a ticket as it is common for brands to get a table and invite celebrities.

About 600 people attended last year, raising $12.5 million for the Costume Institute.

An invitation is required to attend the gala and there is a waiting list to be added to the invitation list.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour oversees every guest and attendee according to the New York Times, and brands who buy a table must make it clear who they intend to invite.

Kelly has secured an interview with Donald Trump, which will air during a prime-time special on May 17.

She will sit down with the GOP frontrunner in New York, for the first time since the August 2015 presidential debate during which she blasted him for his comments on women.

'Mr. Trump and I sat down together for a meeting earlier this month at my request. He was gracious with his time and I asked him to consider an interview,' she said in a statement.

'I am happy to announce he has agreed, and I look forward to a fascinating exchange  our first sit-down interview together in nearly a year.'

Former US Representative Anthony Weiner made a rare appearance with his wife Huma Abedin, currently the vice chairwoman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, on the red carpet Monday.

Weiner chose a classic dark suit and tie with a white shirt, while Abedin went for a sequined gown by New York-based brand Altuzarra.

The first trailer for 'Weiner', a documentary about the politician's downfall after a second sex scandal derailed his attempt making a comeback by running for New York City mayor in 2013, came out last week.

Former US Representative Anthony Weiner made a rare appearance with his wife Huma Abedin, currently the vice chairwoman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, on the red carpet Monday
Mr Savage denies allegations and says they are 'one-sided and misleading'

Meanwhile Indonesian authorities are also looking into former policeman

A New Zealand man with diabetes ended up in hospital after his treatment

New Zealand health authorities have issued a public warning about him

A former police officer who claims he is a 'Jedi doctor' and can cure autism and cancer with his intravenous concoctions is being investigated in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.

Allegations have been brought against Chris Savage, who was a Queensland Police sergeant, by a New Zealand man and a Melbourne woman who were treated by him, The Courier Mail reported.

Mr Savage has denied these allegations to Daily Mail Australia, saying the claims were 'very one-sided and misleading', and his 'IV infusions removed toxicity from the body'.

The New Zealand man treated by Mr Savage with one of his magnesium IV infusions was diabetic and ended up in the emergency department.

Former police officer Chris Savage who claims he is a 'Jedi doctor' and can cure autism and cancer with his intravenous concoctions is being investigated in three countries

A second woman named Rebecca Coombs, from Melbourne, had planned for the former policeman, who is not medically trained, to provide treatment for herself and her son, Phoenix, who has autism.

But Ms Coombs, who has a condition where tumours form in her body, stopped treatment after her first visit to Mr Savage's house in Amamoor, north of Brisbane, in regional Queensland.

In her complaint to the Queensland Health Ombudsman, Ms Coombs said the home was unclean and he had no nurse.

Mr Savage had previously assured the mother he had treated people in Bali at a clinic with a nurse, which Ms Coombs thought would also happen at his home.

Ms Coombs said he made her chew on grass he claimed was wheatgrass to ward off the impact the IV would have on her body.

The treatment caused her to vomit and sweat profusely before she started to get an acute pain at the back of her head.

Allegations have been brought against Chris Savage, who was a Queensland Police sergeant, by a New Zealand man and a Melbourne woman who were treated by him

The mother said Mr Savage tried to explain away the pain, saying it was her 'body detoxing from vaccination ingredients and that clearly the ingredients must have been sitting in my brain for a long time for it to be causing this much grief'.

Ms Coombs told him she wanted him to stop injecting her but he refused.

She also claims in her complaint he filled IVs with tap water in the place of saline, and he washed the IV bags in the sink before he dried it in his filthy basin.

In Facebook messages obtained by News Corp, Mr Savage refers to himself as the 'Jedi doctor' and told Ms Coombs 'this is not a gamble I know it works... because I have the clinical experience'.

Mr Savage has hit back at Ms Coomb's allegations, telling Daily Mail Australia they were 'very one sided and misleading'.

'[She] failed to mention I happily refunded her [the amount I was paid for the treatments],' he said

'I did not say her son would die if not treated... I opened my home to help her.'

Hawke's Bay District Health Board in New Zealand has issued a public message about the former policeman warning people 'not to follow medical or treatment advice of Christopher Savage'

Hawke's Bay District Health Board in New Zealand has issued a public message about the former policeman warning people 'not to follow medical or treatment advice of Christopher Savage'.

'[The board] has been informed that Christopher Savage says that he is a doctor and is offering medical treatments in the Napier area,' a statement said.

'However, Mr Savage is not registered with the New Zealand Medical Council.

'The district health board has referred the matter to police and the Ministry of Health but in the meantime is urging the public not to follow any medical or treatment advice Christopher Savage offers.'

New Zealand Police could not confirm whether or not they were investigating Mr Savage.

'Regarding the general process for managing such issues, any information provided to police is assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine what if any further action may be required,' a spokeswoman said.

Mr Savage is also being investigated by Indonesian authorities after he started up a treatment clinic in Bali, according to News Corp.

The former policeman is an active campaigner against vaccinations and provides regular 'updates' to his followers on YouTube.

In one video, he speaks about the Federal Government's 'no jab, no pay' scheme and claims doctors are being 'brainwashed' into thinking vaccines were helping.

'In fact they are harming everyone that gets one,' Mr Savage said.
The notorious Postcard Bandit could spend the next 16 years in a Perth prison after his appeal to remain a free man in Queensland was rejected.

Brenden James Abbott, 53, was recently released from a SuperMax prison in Brisbane where he served 18 years for a series of bank robberies and prison escapes.

But he now faces even more time in prison after a warrant extraditing him to face the courts in Western Australia was upheld.

Brenden Abbott, 53, spent more than six years evading authorities and managed to escape from two prisons

The serial prison escapee was under heavy police guard as he was transported to court following an extradition warrant from WA authorities

Abbott appealed the extradition order but his legal challenge was rejected by the Queensland Supreme Court on Tuesday and he will soon appear in Perth Magistrates' Court.

It is understood that, immediately following the ruling, WA authorities set off to collect him from the Brisbane Correctional Centre.

In Perth Abbott faces charges of escaping lawful custody in relation to his escape from a Fremantle jail in 1989.

Abbott has been ordered to return to Western Australia where he could face a 16 year jail sentence. He could be transported as early as Tuesday afternoon

Speaking outside court, Abbott's lawyer Brendan Nyst said his client was a resilient character who would take the ruling in his stride.





Mr Nyst said: 'He is a resilient character. He had had to be resilient to make it this far.

'He and his family have not given up hope that he will have a life outside jail.

'He will take it in his stride, he always has.'

The infamous robber has an extensive criminal history and earned his nickname by taunting police with postcards while on the run.

In 1989 he escaped from a prison in Fremantle, Western Australia, by dressing up as a guard, sneaking out of his cell and then climbing to freedom through the roof.

Abbott spent five and a half years on the run, donning disguises, making fake IDs and committing bank robberies to keep himself afloat. It is estimated he stole up to $6 million.

Abbott (pictured left with tourist) donned disguises, made fake IDs and robbed banks to keep himself afloat while on the run from police

He was finally captured in Queensland in 1995 and sent back to prison in Brisbane.

Two years later, he broke out for a second time by cutting through his cell bars with wire smuggled in by an accomplice.

Abbott and his accomplice Brendan Berichon, 19, evaded authorities for another eight months, before Abbott was finally re-captured at a laundromat in Darwin in 1998.

Abbott was finally captured by Queensland police in 1995 and sent to the SuperMax facility at the Woodford Correctional Centre northwest of Brisbane (pictured)

He was sentenced to 25 years at the then-new SuperMax at Woodford Prison, 80 kilometres north of Brisbane.

Abbott was subject to surveillance checks every 15 minutes and the bars checked twice a day while in solitary confinement.

While behind bars, Abbott began painting portraits of famous figures such as former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and boxer Mike Tyson.
The A350 is designed to

Will be marked with a flight by

Qatar Airways will commence its services to and from Adelaide to Doha in the Middle East by flying the first A350 into Australia on Tuesday afternoon.

Daily flights will arrive from Doha at 4.25pm and depart at 9.30pm.

Qatar already flies from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth but uses larger Boeing 777s on those routes.

Qatar Airways will commence its services to and from Adelaide to Doha in the Middle East by flying the first A350 (pictured) into Australia on Tuesday afternoon

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said that Adelaide (pictured) is an important addition to Qatar's route map

For Adelaide however, the worlds newest commercial jet is the airlines aircraft of choice.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said that Adelaide is an important addition to Qatar's route map.

'We are pleased to offer the people of South Australia the most modern aircraft in the industry to connect them with 38 countries in Europe, 23 countries in Africa, and 27 destinations in the Middle East,' he said.

For Adelaide the worlds newest commercial (pictured) jet is the airlines aircraft of choice

Daily flights will arrive from Doha (pictured) at 4.25pm and depart at 9.30pm

The A350 is a faster and more efficient aircraft as a result of its tapered wing.

It is also economically designed for space with an extra wide cabin and high ceilings.

And in what will be music to every flyers ears, the A350 will minimise jet lag with dynamic LED lighting and lower cabin pressure.

The new aircraft is economically designed for space with an extra wide cabin and high ceilings.

Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said the flights are estimated to generate an extra $41 million into South Australias visitor economy and create 228 jobs across the state.

Not only will the Qatar Airways flights bring tourists to South Australia, but the return flights present the chance to fill the A350-900s cargo holds with as much as 80 tonnes of premium South Australian produce, he said.

Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said the flights (pictured) are estimated to generate an extra $41 million into South Australias visitor economy and create 228 jobs across the state
Disgraced former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is furious at being compared to serial child molester Jerry Sandusky, Daily Mail Online has learned.

Fogle filed documents in his criminal appeal on Monday blasting a federal judge for giving him a sentence three years longer than the maximum prosecutors had sought in his child sex abuse and pornography case last year.

The new filing argues that the 38-year-olds sentence of more than 15 years should be slashed because of his notoriety  and the additional stress that he will endure bases upon that notoriety, likening Fogle to Jerry Sandusky.

It adds that there is no explanation for Fogle being compared to the convicted child molester, who is serving between 30 and 60 years in prison for molesting 10 boys.

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Former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle (left) is furious at being compared to serial child molester Jerry Sandusky (right), according to new documents filed in his criminal appeal

Fogle is arguing that his original deal would have enabled the victims to heal and move on with their lives quickly.

The new filing claims the original deal with prosecutors  for a maximum sentence of 12.5 years  was agreed to by the United States Attorney and senior litigation counsel enabled the case to be put to rest quickly and with minimal cost.

It adds the agreement had the added benefit that everyone  including the victims  could immediately focus on healing and moving on with their lives out of the media spotlight.

But the federal judges sentence of more than 15 years was too harsh  and added three years to the agreed sentence for no apparent reason.

His attorneys say the federal judge abused her authority by giving Fogle a lengthier sentence.

Sandusky (pictured on Monday entering the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte for a hearing), who is serving between 30 and 60 years in prison for molesting 10 boys, is seeking a new trial

Fogle (center, outside court in August last year) was sentenced to more than 15 years after pleading guilty to one count each of distributing and receiving child pornography and traveling out of state to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor

Fogle argues that by not following the original plea agreement, the case was dragged out for longer  and resulted in the victims enduring continued litigation and further media attention.

In exceeding the agreed-to sentenced by nearly three years, the District Court not only undermined our delicate system of plea bargaining but also placed the U.S. Attorney in the uniquely awkward position of defending a sentence on appeal that it simply could not have believed was a fair resolution of this case, the filing adds.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in November after pleading guilty to one count each of distributing and receiving child pornography and traveling out of state to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.

Fogle, who filed his appeal in April, is arguing that he did not plead guilty to producing child pornography but believes it had some effect on his sentence.

He claims he did receive and distribute material containing images of a six-year-old  but that he was given a thumb drive by his former business partner Russell Taylor.

Fogle insists he did not download the images from the internet, and that shortly after receiving the drive, he discarded it.

He claims he was also punished for fantasies he had, but never followed through with.

Prosecutors have already filed documents in the case opposing the appeal, saying the judge acted properly and that Fogle got the sentence he deserved.
This would allow hunters in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho to hunt bears

Killing may also fuel opposition to a recent Fish and Wildlife proposal to remove federal protections for grizzly bears in Greater Yellowstone Area

Species Act and most killings not carried out in self-defense are illegal

The killing of beloved Yellowstone grizzly, Scarface, is now under investigation by the US Fish and Wildlife Services.

Grizzly bears are protected under the Endangered Species Act and most killings not carried out in self-defense are illegal.

Montana wildlife officials announced the bear's killing last week. The bear, who was known as Scarface to many Yellowstone National Park biologists and visitors, was shot and killed last fall during a confrontation with a hunter north of Gardiner.

Scarface, or grizzly No 211, was 25 years old and weighed 338 pounds.

The killing of beloved Yellowstone grizzly, Scarface, is now under investigation by the US Fish and Wildlife Services

Montana wildlife officials announced the bear's killing last week. The bear was known as Scarface to many Yellowstone National Park biologists and visitors

Scarface was first collared after being captured when he was three years old and had been recaptured 16 times after that, unprecedented for a grizzly

Yellowstone bear management biologist Kerry Gunther says in its prime the bear weighed nearly 600 pounds.

Scarface was captured by researchers 17 times over the years, unprecedented for the average grizzly.

Researchers first noticed his scars in 2000, when the bear was 11.

The killing of the famous bear is sure to fuel opposition to a recent Fish and Wildlife proposal to remove federal protections for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Area, which could lead Montana, Idaho and Wyoming to approve hunting of the animals, according to The Washington Post.

The decision to take grizzly bears off the endangered species list could pave the way for a hunting season for the first time since the animals were declared threatened in the 1970s, when hunting, trapping and other issues caused their population to fall below 150.

Grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem have recovered, the Fish and Wildlife Service stated in an announcement, according to the Casper Star Tribune. About 700 bears live in the area today.

Gov Matt Mead praised the decision, saying: 'Grizzly bears have exceeded all recovery goals. Delisting the grizzly bear is good for the species, for Wyoming and for the West.'

Scarface's killing is being widely mourned among those familiar with the bear.

Kerry Gunther, Yellowstone's bear management program leader said he was the 'king of the woods'.

Photographer Simon Jackson said on his blog: 'Our emotions alternate between shock, sadness, anger and a profound sense of loss.'

Wyoming photographer Sandy Sisti remembers seeing him for the first time in 2011.

After that she photographed the bear or saw him at least once a year, not surprising since male grizzlies have an average home range of 338 square miles and that Scarface spent most of his long life inside Yellowstone.

'I saw him along Yellowstone Lake in October,' she told the Billings Gazette.

'I was concerned about him. He looked terrible and was very thin.'

Sisti was upset that Scarface had been shot instead of dying a natural death, especially since it was evident that his health was declining.

'I'm just really kind of choked up,' she said. 'He was an icon in the park.

'There was just something about him. He had so much character and, oh my gosh, he'd been in the park since before the wolves were introduced.'

The grizzly bear is protected by both the federal government and the State of Montana as a threatened species.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service routinely investigates incidents affecting threatened and endangered species and is conducting an investigation with the assistance of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
A Trump supporter and convicted fraudster who was beaten bloody Thursday after a rally in Costa Mesa, California says he was scared for his life.

Cole Bartiromo, 31, said the punch came 'suddenly, out of nowhere.'

'I felt this thud in the front of my head,' he said in an interview with CBS.

'And I started panicking. Getting scared, thinking "When are they going to stop? Are they going to kill me?" I mean, these arent rational people,' Bartiromo said of his attacker.

Cole Bartiromo, 31, was slugged in the face after a Trump rally Thursday in Costa Mesa, California

Bartiromo, who has spent time in prison for fraud and who runs a website that aims to name and picture 'those that remain protected by the mass media outlets,' said he was scared for his life during the chaos

Dazed and confused: In footage of the beating, Bartiromo can be seen walking away with a bloody face

Bartiromo became infamous as a teenager after he was probed by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly scamming online investors out of over $1 million.

Investigators said Bartiromo also ran a 'pump and dump scheme' through which he made over $90,000 by buying penny stocks, inflating the shares with bogus online reports, and cashing out when the stock prices rose.

In 2003, he was forced to turn over more than $1.2 million of his illicit gains, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The following year, he pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and bank fraud charges for trying to defraud a Wells Fargo branch, and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.

In 2005, he was slapped with a $1,273,371 civil penalty over the online schemes. A judge wrote:

Bartiromo said he 'started panicking' after the beating. Pictured during a recent interview with CBS with a cut to the forehead that he sustained in the attack

Seventeen people were arrested in connection with Thursday's Costa Mesa rally

'The boldness of the fraud conclusively demonstrates the Defendant's high level of scienter, and because the risk of loss and the actual loss was substantial. The scheme ensnared approximately 5,000 victims, and would have continued to mushroom had Bartiromo not been caught.'

In 2009, Bartiromo was sent back to prison for 13 months for violating his parole, the Orange County Register reported.

Bartiromo, pictured in a recent social media posting wearing a hat from Donald Trump's campaign

For years, Bartiromo has run a website called Newsball, whose mission is to name and publish pictures of 'those that remain protected by the mass media outlets.'

As Bartiromo writes, this includes 'ANYONE... whether that revealed individual happens to be a rape victim, underage suspect, or a member of a jury.'

In a 2014 profile of Bartiromo by the Daily Beast, a teenage girl said the convicted fraudster had accused her on his website of being an accessory to murder, and then offered to remove the claims if she provided him with 'exclusive pictures' of her friends:

'Guilty by association. Deal with it. Cops are closing in on you next...Maybe if you give me some exclusive pictures of Shelia and rachels lesbian relationship, or something else that is exclusive that is no where else, I will remove you...' Bartiromo allegedly wrote, referring to two teenage girls who were convicted of the 2013 murder of 16-year-old Skylar Neese.

On his website, Bartiromo writes that the attention he has received since being beaten up at the Trump rally has led to his decision to turn the site into a 'constantly updated news website.'

He finished his most recent post with the words 'Thank you attackers,' followed by a smiling emoji.

CBS reported 17 people were arrested in connection with the Costa Mesa rally.
Barack Obama doesn't believe Donald Trump has what it takes to be the next president - or to defeat a Democratic opponent.

The president told WMUR what he really thought about the GOP frontrunner during an interview at the White House on Monday.

'I think that he is not somebody who even within the Republican Party can be considered as equipped to deal with the problems of this office, but look, we live in a democracy,' Obama said.

'If in fact the Republicans nominate Mr. Trump, then it's going to be an interesting fall season,' he added. 'I'm confident that ultimately the Democrat in that circumstance will win.'

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Barack Obama said during an interview with WMUR at the White House on Monday that Donald Trump was not equipped to be the next president

But a new poll published Monday has shown Trump ahead of Hillary Clinton for the first time since October last year.

Rasmussen Reports asked 1,000 voters: 'If the 2016 election for president were held today, would you vote for Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton?'

Trump received 41 per cent of the hypothetical votes, ahead of Clinton's 39 per cent.

The billionaire is now the only Republican candidate who could secure the nomination before the GOP convention in July.

He has secured 996 delegates and needs 241 more to reach the minimum of 1,237.

Ted Cruz and John Kasich have fallen behind, with 565 and 153 delegates respectively.

Trump told Dailymail.com on Monday that Cruz should drop out of the race if he lost the Indiana primary on Tuesday.

'Yes, he should. He should leave the race if I win,' Trump said. 'Now, let's see what happens. Indiana's a great state and I have the support of Bobby Knight and so many other people. We'll have to see what happens, but yes, I think he should get out of the race.'

Obama also slammed Republican senators for not voting on the nomination of Merrick Garland to serve as a Supreme Court justice.

'Let the American people watch him. Let him answer questions in front of the voters - Republican, Democrat and independent,' Obama said. 'And then, call a vote.'
The second funeral has been held for one of the four University of Georgia students who were killed in a two-car head-on crash.

Friends and family said their final goodbyes to Christina Semeria, who was killed in the horrific crash, along with three of her friends.

The visitation for 19-year-old Semeria was held at Birmingham United Methodist Church in Milton Monday evening.

Friends and family said their final goodbyes to Christina Semeria, who was killed in the horrific crash, along with three of her friends

Her sorority sisters carried red carnations and embraced each other outside the funeral home

Two of her original songs were performed as part of the funeral service  songs that she wrote and performed herself. Mourners embraced while standing in line to offer condolences to the family

Semeria's pastor called her 'the radiant one', saying she had such an infectious personality, and really embraced and loved everyone she met

Her pastor called her 'the radiant one', saying she had such an infectious personality, and really embraced and loved everyone she met, according to ABC 11.

A line stretched outside the church with people waiting to get inside to honor her.

Her sorority sisters carried red carnations and embraced each other outside the funeral home.

Her mother said 'Tini,' as she was called, was an old soul. She was a talented musician who drew people in to her faith and friendship through music, according to the news station.

Two songs that Semeria wrote were performed as part of the funeral service.

'She celebrated life with every ounce of her tiny body. Fearlessly and boldly,' her mother said. 'I am in complete awe and so very humbled to be given the gift of being Tini's momma.'

The funeral for 19-year-old Halle Grace Scott was held Sunday as 1,000 people gathered at Dunwoody Methodist Church in the state to pay their final respects to the student, who died in the accident.

Scott was a passenger in a white Toyota Camry being driven by Agnes Kim, 21, when the car veered into the a blue Chevrolet Cobalt being driven by motorist Abby Short, 27, on last Wednesday night in Watkinsville.

The coffin of Halle Grace Scott is carried to the hearse after her funeral at Dunwoody United Methodist Church in Georgia

The pallbearers all embrace at the end of the funeral for Scott

Her friends and relatives took turns at the podium to share their own memories of the student, who was just a month away from her 20th birthday

Scott's funeral took place at the same church where she had been baptized as a child

All four of Kim's passengers including Semeria, Scott, 19-year-old Kayla Canedo and Brittany Feldman, 20, died in the collision.

Family and friends of Scott packed the church where she had been baptized as a child, Sunday for her funeral.

According to the Atlanta Journal, relatives took turns at the podium to share their own memories of the student, who was just a month away from her 20th birthday.

Among those paying tribute was her best friend Danielle Jones, who told the congregation that the pair had met as three year olds in church and had remained friends ever since.

She said they had went through school together and even though they had gone to different colleges, they still spoke everyday.

Wiping back the tears, she said: 'I will carry her love and memories with me forever. Halle, I will love you forever and ever.'

Kayla Canedo (left) and Semeria (right) were killed in a crash along with two other University of Georgia students

Scott (left) and Brittany Feldman (right) also died in the crash that happened along Georgia State Route 15

The driver of the white Toyota Camry carrying the four girls - fellow student Agnes Kim (pictured) remains hospitalized in a coma

Meanwhile the Reverend Dan Brown closed the ceremony saying that words alone were not enough to remember Scott.

He said: 'What do you say when a whole state - a whole state - tries to make sense of something so senseless?'

After the service, pallbearers loaded her coffin into a hearse as mourners then made their way to a reception.

Services for the other two victims of the crash, Kayla Canedo and Brittany Feldman, are set for Tuesday at 3pm, at Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta.

The sudden deaths of all four students has rocked the campus of the University of Georgia, where the girls were all beloved students on campus and in the community.

Kim, of Snellville, Georgia, who was driving the car, remains hospitalized in a coma at Athens Regional Medical Center.

On the 911 call, Abby Short, who survived the crash, told the dispatcher: 'The car swerved in front of me and I couldn't stop. I'm just hurting a lot. I'm sorry'

The Camry was heading north when it veered into the southbound lanes and was struck on the passenger side by a blue Chevrolet Cobalt (above), the Georgia State Patrol said in a preliminary report

The five University of Georgia students were in a Toyota Camry (pictured) that ended up in a ditch on Georgia State Route 15

While the driver of the other car, Short, was treated at a hospital and released Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the audio from the 911 call made by Short, was posted to Oconee County Georgia Sheriff's Office Facebook on Friday afternoon.

The Toyota Camry was heading north when it veered into the southbound lanes and was struck on the passenger side by a blue Chevrolet Cobalt, the Georgia State Patrol said in a preliminary report.

It wasn't known why the Camry drifted into the other lane, however, the State Patrol said troopers don't suspect that alcohol played a role in the crash.

'For an unknown reason, a vehicle crossed the center line and struck another vehicle,' Georgia State Patrol Sgt Scott Andrews told Atlanta station WSB-TV.

It will be up to the Georgia State Patrol to investigate the cause of the crash, Sheriff Berry said.

'It breaks our hearts to put this up on the page. Quite frankly, we don't understand why we are getting requests for it...We are obligated under Georgia's open records law to release the recording,' they wrote on the page.

In the call, Short, who was leaving her job at National EMS in Athens when the accident happened, sounded frantic and shaken up as she speaks with the 911 dispatcher.

'I've been in an accident,' Short can be heard saying at the beginning of the call. 'I'm on 15, I don't know where I am.'

The 911 dispatcher asks her if she sees anything around her or a business, to which Short replies no and that she just got on the highway.

'Where am I at? I'm on 15. I'm in a lot of pain ma'am. I'm sorry,' Short tells the dispatcher frantically.

The dispatcher tells her that she's going to send an ambulance, but she needs a location.

Short tells her that another car pulled in front of her and her ankle and 'belly' hurts.

The dispatcher realizes that she knows Short personally and tries to reassure her to stay calm and still throughout the nearly seven minute recording until the call ends as help arrived.

Troopers said they do not suspect alcohol was a factor in the crash. Pictured from left, Feldman, Canedo and Semeria

A candlelight vigil was held in honor of the students on Thursday evening. Pictured, Canedo (left) with Feldman

The University of Georgia also paid tribute to the four students calling their deaths heartbreaking.

'We are deeply saddened to learn of the heartbreaking and tragic loss of four students and critical injuries to another student in a terrible car accident,' University of Georgia President Jere Morehead said in a statement.

'We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of our students who were victims,' Morehead said.

'We ask that you keep these students and their family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Jere W Morehead, president of the University of Georgia, pauses as he speaks during a news conference on Thursday about the student's tragic deaths

Courtney White, chapter president of Alpha Chi Omega, is comforted by Morehead during a vigil to mourn the deaths of Georgia students killed last week

'This is something that the university hasn't faced before,' he said, adding that 'we will face it, we will provide support for each other'.

He added they were very active in campus activities such as the Greek system and religious organizations.

Georgia's governor also ordered flags at state properties to be lowered to half-staff in honor of the students until sunset on Friday.

Gov Nathan Deal said: 'Sandra and I join all Georgians in mourning the four University of Georgia students who passed away tragically on Wednesday evening. We pray for Agnes Kim and her family, as she fights for life.

'To honor the memory of these daughters, sisters, classmates, and friends, I've ordered flags to be flown at half-staff.'

In addition, US Rep Jody Hice, R-Georgia, called for a moment of silence in the House of Representatives on Friday morning, according to the AJC.

A sorority sister cries during a vigil on Thursday that honored the four students

University of Georgia students, faculty and family members hold candles to mourn the deaths of Georgia students killed in a car crash

Hice said last week: 'The remarkable impact of these women upon UGA's campus is evidenced by the thousands of students, faculty and staff who gathered yesterday in an outpouring of love, support and remembrance.'

Friends and classmates took to social media to pay tribute in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Canedo and Semeria were members of Alpha Chi Omega.

Kaelie Altizer paid tribute the day after the accident in a heartfelt Instagram post, writing: 'The sisters of Alpha Chi Omega lost two incredible girls last night. Kayla and Christina will be dearly missed.'

She added: 'My heart is with my sisters, the sororities that also lost sisters, Agnes who is thankfully still with us, and all of their families.'

University of Georgia students gathered at a memorial for the victims at the campus in Athens Thursday

The gathering was a chance for students to pay tribute and care for one another during 'this time of tremendous sadness', the school's president said

In a statement on Facebook, the sorority said: 'The entire Alpha Chi Omega family mourns the tragic loss of our Beta Sigma sisters Kayla Canedo and Christina Semeria.

'Our hearts also go out to the friends and families of the other students lost in this terrible accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with our Beta Sigma chapter, and the entire University of Georgia community.'

Delta Delta Delta's UGA chapter paid tribute to Scott in a statement on Facebook, writing: 'Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the loss of our sister, Halle Scott.

'Halle was an incredible, and loving woman who brought joy to everyone she encountered. She will be deeply missed, but she will be remembered in our hearts forever.'
The Queensland University of Technology did not inform three students of a racial discrimination complaint against them for 14 months because it hoped to resolve the matter on their behalf, despite being unable to represent them.

Three former QUT students are being sued alongside the university under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act over a string of Facebook posts about a computer lab that had been reserved for the use of indigenous students.

In a February 2016 letter to one of the students, Calum Thwaites, QUT's registrar Shard Lorenzo says the university had been attempting to settle the matter on behalf of the trio for more than a year before they were told of the complaint.

The Queensland University of Technology did not inform three students of a racial discrimination complaint against them for 14 months

It comes after two of the three students launched a complaint of their own, claiming the Australian Human Rights Commission discriminated against them because they were white heterosexual males.

Mr Thwaites and Jackson Powell are subject to a lawsuit by QUT administration officer Cindy Prior.

They claim the AHRC breached their human rights by failing to notify them of the complaint against them for more than a year.

The two are demanding an apology from the AHRC, compensation for legal costs understood to already be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and that the commission change the way it deals with complaints.

Cindy Prior launched the legal action against Mr Wood, two other students and academics from the university for $250,000 in damages under the Racial Discrimination Act

In the complaint documents their lawyer, Tony Morris QC, claims the two were 'at all times treated by the AHRC with absolute, unequivocal and flagrant indifference, disregard, contumacy, hauteur, disdain, vilipendency and insouciance'.

He argues they were treated in that way because they were white male heterosexuals who were not active members of any religious sect or trade union and were not generally politically outspoken.

The case stems from a May 2013 incident in which Ms Prior asked three students to leave an indigenous-only computer lab at the university, prompting one of them, Alex Wood, who is also being sued, to post, 'Just got kicked out of the unsigned Indigenous computer room. QUT stopping segregation with segregation?' on Facebook.

Mr Wood allegedly wrote the post after being asked to leave a university computer lab reserved for the use of indigenous students (stock image)

The post attracted a string of comments, some of which were critical of the existence of the indigenous-only lab, including one from Mr Powell who wrote, 'I wonder where the white supremacist lab is..'.

Mr Thwaites has denied being behind a post referring to 'ITT N---s'.

Ms Prior is not mentioned by name in any of the posts but went on leave following the incident and is suing the three students and the university for almost $250,000 in lost wages and general damages, plus future economic loss.

She later claimed she felt unsafe leaving her home due to fears of being verbally abused and was unable to return to work in a role requiring face-to-face contact with white people.

Her complaint was initially handled by the AHRC, which tried to resolve the matter through conciliation with QUT.

Three male students were using computers in the lab at Oodgeroo Unit at Queensland University of Technology before they were asked to leave (stock image)

But the students were not notified of the complaint until just days before a final conference in August 2015, despite the matter being with the AHRC for more than a year.

The AHRC terminated the conciliation process a few weeks after that conference, paving the way for the current lawsuit and the students involved claim they were denied the opportunity to have the case thrown out while it was before the commission.

The AHRC has not commented on the case directly but says respondents are sometimes not notified of complaints at the request of the complainant.

It also said that it will sometimes ask an organisation, such as an employer, to notify individual respondents, and added that it was not uncommon for the organisation to negotiate a settlement with the complainant without the individual respondents being involved.




The men have been described as 'dark skinned' and 'wearing hoodies'

They fled the scene with a sum of cash reportedly up to $15,000

Police have released CCTV footage of the incident

occurred at 1.15am two female staff members were injured

Police have released CCTV footage of a frightening armed robbery at a hotel in central Queensland early yesterday morning.

At around 1.15am two female employees were approached by two men, one of whom was armed with an axe, in Central Lane Hotel on Yarroon Street in Gladstone, six hours north of Brisbane.

Two men assaulted the women before fleeing the scene with a sum of cash, reportedly between $10,000 and $15,000.

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Police have released CCTV footage of a frightening armed robbery at a hotel in central Queensland early yesterday morning

Both employees were treated at the scene for minor head injuries after it appears they were kneed in the head

Both employees were treated at the scene for minor head injuries after it appears they were kneed in the head.

The two men were wearing hoodies and are being described as dark skinned.

Police say one man is of slim build and was wearing black clothing, while the other man is described as having a solid build with a brown shirt and dark-coloured hoody.

Investigations are continuing.

Two female employees attempt to shield themselves as the hooded thief approaches them with an axe

The robber enters the Central Lane Hotel on Yarroon Street in Gladstone, six hours north of Brisbane

As the axe-wielding robber attempts to enter the premises, a female employee tries to bar him from getting in
Asylum-seekers on Nauru are being given Panadol to treat broken-bones, burns and even complications relating to pregnancy, it has been claimed.

Refugees on the island have told activists the $3.85 drug is being used in 'most' medical cases despite the government spending $1billion on the processing centre and Manus Island last year.

It comes as a second refugee fights for her life after setting herself on fire at the site to protest against Australia's detention laws.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection denied the claim on Tuesday.

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Refugees on Nauru Island are reportedly being given Panadol for serious health conditions (file image)

'All the Afghanis, Sri Lankans and Iranians - every single person who has written to us at various times has mentioned the use of Panadol,' said Dr Barri Phataford of Sydney-based organisation Doctors for Refugees.

'They say: "The pain is so severe but all they're giving me is Panadol."

Ian Rintoul of the Refugee Action Coalition said he had been told by those on the ground that 'most' ailments were being treated by the over-the-counter drug.

Dr Phataford alleged the Government was supplying the drug instead of others with stronger pain relief capabilities to deter immigrants from 'stockpiling'.

It comes after claims Iranian refugee Omid Masoumali, who died on Friday after setting himself on fire, had been left without pain relief for ten hours while waiting for an air ambulance to bring him to Australia.

The 23-year-old's widow alleged that he was not given any significant medication despite suffering serious burns to most of his body.

Hodan Yasin (left) is fighting for her life after setting herself on fire on Nauru on Monday. Omid Masoumali (right) died on Friday in Brisbane after setting himself alight at the site

Refugees on the island claim they are given the cheap drug often used in Australia for colds and headaches for the most serious of ailments

Mr Masoumali set himself alight on Nauru on Wednesday while UNHCR officials visited the island.

Shocking video footage of the incident and of him later running around hospital screaming in pain emerged afterwards.

He was airlifted to Brisbane's Prince Charles Hospital on Thursday but died the following day.

A second asylum seeker set herself alight on Monday. Somali woman Hodan Yasin, 21, remains in a critical condition.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said he believed advocates were encouraging refugees to self-harm in the hope it may put pressure on Australia to open its borders

She was airlifted off the island yesterday and reached Brisbane on Tuesday.

In its most recent annual report The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said it was dedicated to improving conditions on Nauru and Manus Island where more than 1,000 immigrants are being housed.

In October 2014 the then Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced a review of recent allegations relating to conditions and circumstances at the RPC in Nauru.

'The Department accepted all of the 19 recommendations and has been working closely with the Government of Nauru and service providers to implement the recommendations.

A vigil was held in Sydney for Mr Masoumali after his death. His widow Nana claimed he had been

Footage emerged this week of Mr Masoumali running around the health facility after being burned

Earlier this year the Papua New Guinean government deemed Manus Island, where more than 900 are being kept, was operating illegally.

On Tuesday Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the protests were not to fight against conditions at the sites, telling a press conference in Canberra refugees were being 'encouraged' to self harm by advocates.

'The recent behaviours in Nauru are not protests against living conditions. They aren't protests against health care, they aren't protests against the lack of financial support.

'They can oppose Government policy and espouse a cause for open borders, but that is not the policy of this Government, and no action advocates or those in regional processing countries will cause the Government to deviate from its course,' he said, according to ABC.
Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday, capping one of the steepest falls from grace in the state's lineup of crooked politicians for a consummate backroom dealer who wielded power for over two decades.

A stern Judge Valerie Caproni announced the sentence months after the 72-year-old Manhattan Democrat was convicted in November of a $5million corruption case. He faced more than 100 years in prison.

He was charged with extortion and money laundering related to two bribery schemes that allowed him to receive millions in kickbacks if he traded political favors for money.

Caproni also imposed a $1.75million fine and a $5.3million forfeiture.

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Corrupt: Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday after being convicted in a $5million corruption case. Above he is pictured leaving court on Tuesday

A stern Judge Valerie Caproni announced the sentence months after the 72-year-old Manhattan Democrat was convicted in November of a $5million corruption case. He faced more than 100 years in prison

He was charged with extortion and money laundering related to two bribery schemes that allowed him to receive millions in kickbacks if he traded political favors for money

The conviction represented a stunning plunge for a man who was one of the state's three most powerful political figures for two decades.

And it was more pronounced given the conviction at a separate trial of his former Senate counterpart  Republican ex-Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

Skelos was found guilty of using his position to arrange payments and a job for his son.

Silver and Skelos comprised two of the so-called 'three men in a room' who control state government, and their cases produced marquee convictions in Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara's ongoing quest to clean up a state government he has called a 'cauldron of corruption.'

More than 30 other state lawmakers have left office under a cloud of criminal or ethical allegations since 2000.

Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara praised the Silver's long prison sentence on Twitter (above)

Caproni also imposed a $1.75million fine and a $5.3million forfeiture. Silver was told to surrender to prison by noon on July 1

Republican ex-Majority Leader Dean Skelos (above) was convicted in a separate trial of using his position to arrange payments and a job for his son

The third man in the room, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, promised sweeping reforms to New York's anti-corruption laws after last year's convictions. But so far, there has been no significant action.

Bharara also is investigating Cuomo's office, looking into potential conflicts of interest and improper bidding in a signature state economic development program in Buffalo.

The prosecutor also is examining consulting work done by one of Cuomo's former top aides in 2014, when the aide spent eight months on leave. In response, Cuomo's administration is conducting an internal review.

The gray-haired, bespectacled Silver was first elected in 1976 and served as speaker for 21 years, becoming the classic Albany insider with the power to control bills and state spending singlehandedly in backroom negotiations.

Known for his often inscrutable comments and wary, phlegmatic demeanor, Silver gained the nickname 'the Sphinx.'

Prosecutors had asked Caproni to sentence Silver to well over a decade in prison while defense lawyers requested leniency, citing his age, health and good deeds including efforts to improve lives after the September 11 attacks and Superstorm Sandy.

Bharara praised the Silver's long prison sentence on Twitter and wrote: 'Today's stiff sentence is a just and fitting end to Sheldon Silver's long career of corruption.'

Silver was told to surrender to prison by noon on July 1.
They have not been pictured together and the Kremlin have denied rumors

In March, US Weekly reported that Deng and Putin, 63, were dating

She also shared a behind-the-scenes look of one of the exhibits inside

Earlier in evening, she shared an image of her getting ready on Instagram

Wendi Deng stunned at New York's Met Gala in one of the few public appearances she has made since being romantically linked to Vladimir Putin.

Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife, 47, wore a full-length Christopher Kane gown on the red carpet after arriving at the glamorous event on her own as speculation mounts over whether she is dating the Russian leader.

Earlier in the evening, she uploaded an image of herself getting ready with the help of a make-up artist to her Instagram page.

Wendi Deng stunned at New York's Met Gala in one of the few public appearances she has made since being romantically linked to Vladimir Putin

The mother-of-two also shared a behind-the-scenes look of one of the exhibits inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In March, US Weekly reported that Deng and Putin, 63, were dating after speaking to an insider close to the Russian leader, who said the relationship between the two had become 'serious.'

Deng had been on vacation on the Caribbean island of St Barts aboard the yacht of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich - a close friend of Putin.

The pair are both divorced, after Deng and her husband Rupert Murdoch split in 2013 and Putin separated a year later from his wife of 30 years, Lyudmila Putina.

Deng and her ex have two daughters,Grace, 14, and Chloe, 12, while Putin and his wife also have two daughters, Maria, 30, and Yekaterina, 29.

Putin was linked to Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva after his split, and there have been claims that he fathered two children with her, but the Kremlin and Kabayeva have strongly denied these claims.

Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife, 47, wore a full-length Christopher Kane gown on the red carpet after arriving at the glamorous event on her own

Earlier in the evening, she uploaded an image of herself getting ready with the help of a make-up artist to her Instagram page

There were also allegations the two had been together since as early as 2008, but those claims were also strongly denied.

Murdoch filed for divorce from Deng after 14 years of marriage citing irreconcilable differences, with some reports at the time claiming he had grown suspicious of his wife's relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the godfather of their daughter Grace.

Earlier this year, Deng's ex-husband media mogul Rupert Murdoch married Jerry Hall in an idyllic ceremony in London's Fleet Street in front of a host of celebrity guests.

The Kremlin have denied Putin and Deng are romantically involved.
A baby boy was tortured so severely by his own uncle that doctors told his devastated parents to turn off the life support because he would never recover from the horrific injuries.

But against all odds, Bobby Webber managed to keep breathing and is still making remarkable progress two years on.

Bobby, who was seven months old at the time, was left a quadriplegic after Andrew Nolan abused him over a four hour period at a Central Coast home in NSW in September 2014.

Bobby Webber suffered severe brain damage after the seven-month-old was tortured by his uncle Andrew Nolan at his Central Coast home in NSW in September 2014

He endured multiple skull fractures from blunt force trauma, blood pooling in his eye from being shaken so violently, fractured vertebrae, bruised genitalia and bite marks on his body.

The baby was left with such severe brain damage that doctors advised his parents, Elise and Barry Webber, to switch off his life support a few days after the attack.

But Bobby, who is now known as Bobby the Brave, refused to give up and miraculously kept breathing.

Bobby spent two months in hospital suffering multiple seizures and being fed by a tube as he made steady progress despite his injuries.

A month after Bobby was abused, Nolan - who was engaged to Mrs Webber's sister and had been a family friend for 12 years - was arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm with intent.

Nolan had been babysitting Bobby while his parents went to the Gold Coast on their honeymoon. Bobby's two older sisters Gabrielle, 11, Olivia, six, were at the movies with their aunt Casey when the abuse occurred.

Bobby suffered such severe injuries that his parents, Elise and Barry, made the heartbreaking decision to switch off his life support. Bobby refused to give up and miraculously kept breathing

His parents, Elise and Barry, held a bedside christening for their son after deciding to turn off his life support

Bobby spent two months in hospital suffering multiple seizures and being fed by a tube as he made steady progress despite his injuries

He initially denied the attack when Bobby was on life support in hospital and even stayed by the boy's hospital bedside as he clung to life.

Nolan pleaded guilty to the charges in February at Gosford District Court on the same day Bobby celebrated his second birthday.

Now awaiting his sentencing in June, Nolan has never given Bobby's parents a reason for his actions.

Bobby still faces a number of health issues from the attack that left him a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy.

The family had to relocate to western Sydney to be close to Nepean Hospital and Mrs Webber is now Bobby's full time carer.

Friends set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money to assist them with ongoing therapy equipment, medication and medical costs.

For details, visit gofundme.com/bobby-the-brave.

Elise and Barry Webber made the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to Bobby (pictured) and turn off their son's life support several days after the attack

Bobby, who is now known as Bobby the Brave, still faces a number of health issues from the attack that left him a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. His family say is making remarkable progress
The men have faced criticism online but the technique is completely legal

The baited hook can then be dropped in a spot with an abundance of fish

The line is attached to the drone and sent to check for schools of fish

Three tech-savvy fishermen have worked out how to use a drone to track and hook massive game fish from the beach, even when the elusive fish are swimming hundreds of metres from shore.

Jaiden Maclean, his brother Brody and friend Byron Leal showcased their new innovative fishing style online after pulling in a twenty kilogram long-tail tuna from the beach at Fingal Head, south of the Gold Coast.

The men, who came up with the idea over a few beers, can be seen attaching their line to a drone with a rubber band before sending it out over the ocean to do some reconnaissance, allowing them to drop their hook right into a school of tuna, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

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Jaiden Maclean (left), his brother Brody and friend Byron Leal (right) showcased their new innovative fishing style online after pulling in a twenty kilogram long-tail tuna from the beach at Fingal Head using a drone

When a hungry fish took the bait, the band snapped and freed the line, allowing Mr Leal to showcase his superior angling skills as he reeled in the large game fish from 350 metres away.

But make no mistake, the video - which has been viewed more than 447,000 times - certainly makes the unorthodox catch look far simpler than it is in reality.

It took five days for the men to successfully reel in a fish using the drone, requiring them to run back and forth along the sand every time they spotted a potential catch, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

The group have faced criticism online from people who think the drone has given them an unfair advantage, allowing them to prey on fish that would normally elude capture.

The men sendd the drone out over the ocean to do some reconnaissance, allowing them to drop their hook right into a school of tuna

The school can be seen circling the bait (right) before a large fish launches itself at the hook and takes the line

When a fish takes the bait, the band snapped and freed the line which allows Mr Leal (pictured) to showcase his superior angling skills as he reeled in the large game fish from 350 metres away

The drone was able to capture the 20 kilogram fish during its battle with Mr Leal

It took five days for the men to successfully reel in a fish using the drone, requiring them to run back and forth along the sand every time they spotted a potential catch

The group have faced criticism online from people who think the drone has given them an unfair advantage, allowing them to prey on fish that would normally elude capture

While some questioned if the technique conforms to fishing regulations, the NSW Department of Primary Industries said there is no legal issue with using a drone as long as the baited line is being held by a person

'We've copped a lot of flak online with people saying it's not fair and too easy to catch the fish, but it's a lot harder than it looks,' Mr Maclean said.

Some questioned if the technique conforms to fishing regulations, however the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries found that there is no legal issue with using a drone as long as the baited line is being held by a person.

Mr Maclean, who risks '$3,000 worth of kit' crashing into the ocean each time he launches the device, said he hopes to commercialise the fishing style.
The post about her adopted daughter has been share almost 18,000 times

In a response on Facebook she explains the

A woman's response to being criticized for holding her daughter in a Target has gone viral.

Kelly Dirkes was shopping in the store when a woman apparently criticized her for carrying the infant, who she said 'wouldn't learn to be independent' if coddled.

The young child was adopted by Kelly, believed to be from Minnesota, at 10 months old.

She wrote to the woman, in a response that has been shared nearly 18,000 times, that 'if only you knew what I know' she would understand why she 'spoils' her child.

Her post describes the painful start to life her daughter has had from living 'utterly alone' inside a sterile crib in her orphanage to learning not to cry since no one would comfort her.

Kelly Dirkes (left) was shopping in a Target when a woman criticized her for holding her daughter as she shopped

The woman said Kelly was 'spoiling' her baby. In a response to this woman's criticism, Kelly penned an open letter to her, which she posted to Facebook

She says when she was first handed the girl upon her adoption she was both confuse and terrified.

'If you only knew that anxiety was a standard part of her day, along with banging her head on her crib rails and rocking herself for sensory input and comfort.

'If you only knew that that baby in the carrier is heartbreakingly "independent",' she wrote.

She says her daughter now whimpers when she's put down, rather than when she is picked up as she learns to trust her adoptive parents.

Kelly continues to describe how her daughter has continued to learn how to trust and come out of her shell.

She tells her in her response that 'spoiling that baby' is the most important job she will ever do and that she will strive to teach the little girl that she belongs and is loved.

Commenters have praised Kelly's response to the woman, calling it 'beautiful'.

'Amen, sister. This is truth. My babies will always know their parents' arms as long as I am alive to wrap them around them,' wrote Heather Kamia.

Lisa Riley wrote: 'May your girls never ever know a time when you or Kyle cannot hold them.
Appearance comes a week after the trailer for the documentary based on Weiner's failed bid for New York Mayor was released

Abedin is Clinton's Vice Chairwoman of the former Secretary of State's race for the White House

Weiner chose a classic dark suit and tie with a white shirt, while Abedin went for a sequined gown by New York-based brand Altuzarra

Pair posed for cameras on the red carpet at the

Their marriage may have been tested by a sexting scandal that shocked the nation.

But Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin seemed as united as ever as they graced the red carpet at New York's Met Gala during a rare public appearance together.

The pair posed for the cameras as they joined a huge host of VIPs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night.

Abedin, a long time aide to Hillary Clinton, was able to take a break from the campaign trail to attend the glitzy event.

Weiner chose a classic dark suit and tie with a white shirt, while Abedin went for a sequined gown by New York-based brand Altuzarra.

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Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin seemed as united as ever as they graced the red carpet at New York's Met Gala during a rare public appearance together as the disgraced ex-Congressman beamed at his wife

The pair posed for the cameras as they joined a huge host of VIPs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night

She is the Vice Chairwoman of the former Secretary of State's race for the White House and is set for a spot in her administration, if she is elected.

There appearance came just a week after the first sneak peak of Weiner's documentary was released.

The first trailer for 'Weiner' aired on the Today. It shows the politician's at first hopeful and then depressing slide into defeat during the New York City mayoral race three years ago.

The documentary is set to hit select theaters on May 20, before airing on Showtime in October, just weeks ahead of the general presidential election when Hillary Clinton, his wife's boss, is expected to be the Democratic nominee.

Abedin, a long time aide to Hillary Clinton, was able to take a break from the campaign trail to attend the glitzy event - and her twitter sex pest husband joined her

The mother of one stuck to her trademark red lip and flowing locks

She looked perfectly at home at the glitzy event and posed without her husband as well

No doubt the failed mayoral candidate is used to be upstaged by his glamorous wife

Filmmakers Elyse Steinberg and Josh Kriegman - who served as then-Rep Weiner's chief of staff in 2005 and 2006 - were given unprecedented access to the candidate as he geared up for the mayoral election in 2013.

At the time, Weiner was staging his comeback, after resigning from his position as representative for New York's 9th district over a sexting scandal in 2011.

Weiner is also haunted by Sydney Leathers, the woman who he exchanged explicit text messages after resigning from Congress in 2011.

She is seen chasing after him through a McDonald's in one scene, while telling a girl in another scene 'What is he so afraid of?'
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Around 2,000 children have joined a 'kids strike' today to avoid taking their SATs - but their parents could now be fined 120 for helping them play truant.

Families have pulled their children out of class as part of a nationwide demonstration against the exams for six and seven-year-olds, which they claim put schoolchildren 'through hell' and too stressed to eat or sleep.

Critics claim testing the children in Year 2 is causing mental health problems - while some parents say their children are being 'set up to fail' so the Tories can force through its academies plans.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said today it was wrong for parents to force young children to strike because: 'Even missing a day's school can be damaging'.

Today there are questions over whether the so-called 'kids' strike' is part of a wider political campaign after possible ties with trade unions emerged - and children were seen waving teaching union flags and clutching anti-Government placards.

Some headteachers have also written to parents telling them they will not be punished for boycotting class and will not face fines of 120 per child for unauthorised absence.

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Anger: Parents made placards for their young children hold at a rally in Preston Park, Brighton, in protest at controversial SATs tests for six and seven-year-olds

Taking a stand: These children have been pulled out of class for the day by parents who don't want them tested in Year 2

Message: Parents say their children are now facing so much pressure that they are struggling to eat and sleep ahead of exams

A Education Department spokesman said: 'It is a matter for the school. The school could refer the parents to the council. It could be seen as unauthorised term-time absence and they could be prosecuted.'

Groups not in school today have met in parks and green spaces all over the country today where they played instead of taking exams.

Darlington mother of four Debbie Conway has taken all of her school age children out of class in protest.

She said: 'Trinity stopped eating for a few days because of the stress and anxiety of what she was learning at school. Children are getting bored because of all the maths and comprehensions tests they are doing'.

The Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign encouraged parents across England to keep their children off school today, saying they are 'over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning'.

Conspiracy: Some protesters say the Government are setting up children to fail to make sure their academies programme goes through

The petition, signed by more than 40,000 people, added: 'We want our kids to be kids again and enjoy learning for learning's sake, not for Ofsted results or league table figures.

'Bring back the creativity and the fun - say goodbye to repetition and boredom.'

Campaigners encouraging parents to take their children out of school to protest against 'over testing' have been accused of having a political agenda.

The key stage tests are set by the Government to measure schools' performance.

Children are allowed to be taken out of school in only exceptional circumstances, with fines of 120 per child for those who disobey.

But many teachers are supporting the campaign and some head teachers have even sent out letters reassuring parents they will not record the absence as unauthorised.

Parents taking part in the 'Let Our Kids Be Kids' protest say the tests make children too stressed and hamper creativity in the classroom.

Children's laureate Chris Riddell was among concerned parents meeting in Preston Park, Brighton, for a day of activities during the protest, and parents and children are organising fun and educational activities all over the country.

He said: This is a day off not a strike. We need to ask ourselves whether we want an educational system that puts our children under this sort of pressure'.

When asked about Tory Education Secretary Nicky Morgan he said: 'I feel sorry for Nicky. She's been under a lot of stress. My advice to her would be to take the day off and read a good book. She can relax because she will not be tested on it'.

Ben Ramalingam, from Brighton, is keeping his five-year-old son off school in protest at what he says is a hothouse culture that has made young children stressed.

He said: 'Our kids are being left disengaged and stressed. Kids who previously loved school are now refusing to go.

'There are a number of people who are saying this has the potential to turn into not just an educational crisis, but a mental health crisis.'

He said there is no proof that testing improves educational attainment, and stressed that many countries who take a more relaxed approach to assessments perform better in international education league tables.

He added: 'There is an experiment being run on our children and there is no proof it works. It is really inappropriate and, I think, unethical to do it.

'We are concerned parents taking a stand, we don't want our kids to be stressed out by the time they become teenagers because they have been inappropriately taught. Our children are being pushed towards rote-based learning. It is like something out of Charles Dickens.

'We feel we need to send a message to Westminster and Whitehall that enough is enough, they need to see that the actions they take have a highly negative impact.'

Jane Clout, a grandmother from Brighton, is keeping her two grandsons, aged six and eight, off school in protest at the tests.

She said: 'Some of my grandson's friends have been in tears at night, some of them have been having tummy aches which is a sign of stress. It is just so sad.

'I'm a grandmother and I sent my children through the state system in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and when I first started taking these boys to school I was struck by how primary schools have improved.

'But this is like going back to the 1950s.'

Target: Nicky Morgan was the focus of many placards - critics have said that the protests are actually being hijacked by left-wingers and unions

Support: In Gloucester today parents and children gathered in a park to play rather than take exams - here one child holds a teaching union flag in front of a union banner

Protester: Children's Laureate Chris Riddell, left, was in Brighton speaking out against Sats today and even did an illustration of minister Nicky Morgan - telling her to take the day off too

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has pished for the tests set by the Government to measure schools' performance

Taking action: More than 40,000 people have signed a petition supporting a 'kids' strike' today to 'spare' children the stress

One parent posed on Twitter: 'Both my daughter and myself are joining in #KidsStrike3rdMay. Will find fun activity for us to spare her yet another day of SAT work.'

SATS PUT CHILDREN 'THROUGH HELL', SAYS MICHAEL ROSEN Former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen has warning that youngsters are being tested on complicated grammar that risks crushing their love of learning. In an open letter to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan published in The Guardian, Mr Rosen said children are going through 'hell' with testing. He wrote: 'One ex-headteacher and now school governor wrote to tell me of 'six to seven-year-old pupils who, during the testing period, were crying, visibly shaking and reportedly waking up at 4am unable to sleep'. 'Any parent of children undergoing these tests has seen how it works. Children sit in school or at home with pre-tests. Then teachers, children or parents mark these tests and we see the looks on our children's faces as we mark this or that question with a zero. 'The child is wrong. It's a fail. And no matter how kind and encouraging we are, it's still a fail. And another fail. And another.' He said children 'are not receptacles or cars or machines' but 'humans with views of what they are learning and how they feel'.

Teachers have also spoken out in favour of the action, arguing there are better ways for children's progress to be measured.

The organisers of the campaign refuse to reveal their identities and claim to be 'just a group of five parents who are juggling having children and work'.

One organiser admitted the group was working 'very closely behind the scenes' with teaching unions, who have threatened to go on strike against Conservative reforms, including testing and the academies programme.

She said: 'That's very much the aim of the campaign, to give teachers the confidence to stand up and say enough is enough.'

She said four of the five organisers were professionals working with 'children of this age'.

'We know this age group inside out. For me, professionally, I work with children this age and I see the impact it has on them.'

But she added: 'There isn't a wider political agenda at all. We are just mums and a dad.'

Headteacher Kit Messenger, who announced last month she was quitting the profession after 23 years because 'factory farming' of children, said she believes in pushing pupils in reading, writing and grammar.

But she said this should not be at the expense of other essential workplace skills such as resilience and interpersonal abilities.

'If you look at the quantity that is required for teachers to teach in order for children to be successful in the papers now - it is to the sacrifice of everything else,' she told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

Ms Messenger, of Manor Field Primary School in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, said tests 'do not necessarily tell you where children are' and that 'there is not time within the curriculum' to prepare children for the tests, and teach them other skills.

'The nature of the grammar test, in order for the children to access it, they need very specific teaching,' she added.

'If you look at some of the questions, you could be a very good reader and writer and not be able answer them.'

Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said she did not condone the action but claimed ministers had 'ridden roughshod' over the concerns of head teachers and parents about the tests.

Alan Smithers, professor of education at the University of Buckingham, said: 'Parents taking their children out of school seem to me to be doing so more for political reasons than educational ones. Most children, in my experience, are pretty laid back about tests at that age.'

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: 'These tests are vital in helping schools to ensure that young children are learning to read, write and add up well. The truth is, if they don't master literacy and numeracy early on, they risk being held behind and struggling for the rest of their lives.'

The chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw said the tests are crucial in identifying children who are struggling with English and maths and helping them improve. He said: 'As I have long argued, children who fall behind in the early years of their education struggle to catch up in later years.

Message: Gloucester children were put in NUT t-shirts and stood behind an NUT banner after they missed a day at school today

Protests: Schoolchildren and parents stage a SATs protest outside Todmorden Town Hall in West Yorkshire today claiming SATs are damaging education

On strike: Schoolchildren from the village of Woore in Cheshire plan will boycott school today to protest against SATs exams

'If by the age of seven, a child has not mastered the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics, the odds will be stacked against them for the rest of their lives. This is especially the case for poorer children.

'All the evidence shows that social mobility does not start at the age of 16 or even 11 but at a much earlier age. That is why it is so critical to lay solid foundations from the start of a child's education.

'I understand testing can sometimes be stressful but I am also confident that most schools do everything they can to minimise the stress that children experience in preparing for and sitting these tests.'

He said England's 'mediocre' position in international education rankings underlines the need for the assessments.

WHAT ARE KEY STAGE TESTS? Key stage tests, formerly called SATs, are taken towards the end of infant and junior school to help teachers assess pupils and measure schools' performance. Today's protest was originally centred around tests for the younger children, but now also includes parents who disapprove of tests for 11-year-olds. Over the course of a week, children aged six and seven sit two reading papers and two maths papers. They were due to take two in spelling and grammar, but these were scrapped after they were accidentally published by the Department for Education. Tougher assessments have been introduced this year by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. The new spelling and grammar tests require seven-year-olds to know the difference between an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun.

Jane Woods, a mother of two who helped organised the Brighton rally, said: 'With the introduction of Sats for Year Two children, they are being required to reach a standard eight months ahead.

'That is putting a lot of pressure on teachers and children and other creative arts are being pushed out of the way.'

She added that she believed that the more stringent testing was linked to the Government's plans to expand the number of academy schools.

She said: 'I am concerned it's linked to the enforced academisation of schools. When children do not reach the standards, the first step is teachers will not get pay rises and secondly the schools will be considered failing and forced into being turned into an academy.'

Describing the turnout at the Brighton event, she added: 'It's absolutely fantastic and shows the strength of support for the issue.'

Louise Birchmore, a mother of a six-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy, said: 'They have set the standards far too high for our children, they have increased the bar by a whole year, they are being set up to fail.

'I disagree with the whole idea of testing children when they are so young. It's creating a lot of stress, a lot of sleepless nights for my daughter. She doesn't want to go to school any more.'

Louise Sims, a mother-of-two, said: 'It's an experiment on the children which has not been based on any evidence. It's putting so much stress on teachers and on children without evidence it's going to achieve anything.'

Up to 20 parents stopped their children going Livingstone Primary School in Barnet, north London today in protest against testing seven-year-olds.

But most parents dropping their kids off at the school in Barnet backed the new SATs tests saying children needed to be challenged.

Protesters, part of the 'Let The Kids Be Kids' campaign, are keeping their children out of school for the day so they cannot sit their Year 2 SATs.

Mum-of-three Irasha Gumasekara, 34, said parents should not get their children caught up in strikes as she dropped her Year 2 child off for testing.

The cake decorator said: 'When they are old enough to understand it they can strike but I don't want my children's name going on a list saying they are going to strike.

'My son who is in Year 4 has done the test and he didn't even know he was doing the test.'

Alternative: Children from Livingstone Primary school enjoying their day on strike by doing arts and crafts in the park

Day out: Timea Holekiv, Mimosa Koka, Kate Orr and Kelly Carty with their children and Andy Chryssafi 75 with grand daughter Maya Kornaur

Having fun: Megan Bennett ,7, Isobel Walsh,7, and Abbie Walsh,9, with their parents Zoe Walsh(red jacket) and Lyndsey Bennett (black jacket) at Stanley Park, Blackpool today

Mum-of-four Nickie Allen, 36, said the resistance to testing reflects more on parents and teachers rather than the children.

MINISTER GETS IN A MUDDLE OVER SATS GRAMMAR QUESTION A Government education minister has come unstuck after he tried to answer a grammar question for 11-year-olds. Schools Minister Nick Gibb was subjected to a ticking off after he apparently failed to differentiate between a preposition and a subordinating conjunction. Appearing on BBC Radio 4's World At One, Mr Gibb was tackled by presenter Martha Kearney over concerns among parents that Sats tests for primary school children were too prescriptive and risked putting them off reading. 'Let me give you this sentence: 'I went to the cinema after I'd eaten my dinner'. Is the word 'after' there being used as a subordinating conjunction or as a preposition,' Ms Kearney asked. 'It's a preposition,' Mr Gibb replied confidently, only for Ms Kearney to shoot back: 'I don't think it is. In this sentence it is being used as a subordinating conjunction.' Mr Gibb protested: ''After' is a preposition. It can be used in some contexts as a word that co-ordinates a sub-clause.' He added: 'This isn't about me. This is about ensuring that future generations of children - unlike me incidentally, who was not taught grammar at primary school - we need to make sure that future generations are taught grammar properly.'

She said: 'Is it really that stressful or are parents and teachers making it more stressful?

'If my daughter was in Year 2 I wouldn't see a problem with her siting the tests.'

But mum-of-one Sue Daniels, 45, gave her support to the striking parents.

The full-time mum said: 'I don't think they should do tests in Year 2. I don't agree with it at all.

'I understand it tests their progress but I don't think the teachers it children should go trough that stress in Year 2 it's too young.

'If think if there was a big group I would go along with the strike if my daughter was old enough.'

Children had their 'lessons' in the park today as parents, including a former teacher and a fashion model, pulled them out of school in the first ever 'kids' strike'.

Fashion model mum Kate Orr, 40, and her partner, film maker Arlen Figgis, 40, took their seven-year-old Felix Figgis out of Livingstone Primary School for the day.

Felix was among 12 Year 2 pupils in the idyllic Trent Park taking part in woodcutting, drawing and tree etching rather than preparing for their SATS in the classroom.

Around 20 children were expected to not attend the school in Barnet, north west London, with some going to work with their parents ahead of their mid-May national curriculum tests.

Mum-of-two Miss Orr said: 'This is a parent thing. It's the first strike of its kind where parents have taken their kids out of school.

'Some parents say it's a waste of time but what if the Suffragettes said that - women would not have our vote by now.

'I've got a two-year-old child as well and it will affect him too. If we don't make a change now we won't make one for the future.

'The exams are not age appropriate. I don't believe children as young as six and seven should be tested.

'It just tells the Government how the school is doing, that's not learning. They are missing out on other things, big chunks of education.

'They are doing so much maths and English. Felix came home crying because he couldn't finish all the work and he's one of the brighter ones.

'It should be about be about feeling inspired in what you are doing, not a massive strain.

'It's the long-term mental effects of the children I worry about.

'It's about parent power rather than the school. The school is not involved in this.'

A Department for Education spokeswoman earlier warned that parents could be prosecuted for 'unauthorised absence' by taking part in the 'Let Our Kids Be Kids' campaign.

But Miss Orr said: 'They can't fine us for one day off school. We have all handed in a letter to say where we are and our children are safe.'

'Carry on talking among yourselves': Victoria Derbyshire walks off the set during her live TV show to take a six year old boy to the toilet

BBC star Victoria Derbyshire today asked her guests to 'talk amongst yourselves' on live TV as she walked off set to take a schoolboy to the toilet.

The presenter was interviewing parents about their decision to pull their children out of school and boycott SATs tests when Kai, six, began shuffling in her chair.

Ms Derbyshire, who has two sons herself, asked him: 'You alright Kai? What's the matter darling? Do you need the loo?'.

Uncomfortable: The star saw Kai had started to wriggle in his chair and said: 'What's the matter darling? Do you need the loo?'

Help: The broadcaster took him by the arm and told the other guests: 'Can you just talk amongst yourselves and I'll be back in one second'

Helping hand: Victoria Derbyshire takes six-year-old SATS 'striker' Kai to the loo during a live TV debate

Kai then told her he was also feeling hot under the studio lights so she grabbed the six-year-old by the arm and they walked off set.

She said: 'Yes, it's boiling in here. Right, let's go to the loo come on', before telling the guests: 'Can you just talk amongst yourselves and I'll be back in one second'.

About a minute later the presenter returned, as the parents claimed the Tories were making SATs too hard so they can force all schools to be academies and 'sell them to their fat cat mates'.

At the end of the section Kai's mother Sarah told her: 'Sorry about my son' and Victoria replied: 'Don't be daft'.

The incident led to a great deal of praise for the BBC presenter, who has her own show on the BBC News channel.

India Willoughby tweeted: 'Brilliant presenting by Victoria Derbyshire - taking the young lad off set when too hot. Human. Love it!

Marie Indge wrote: 'Brilliant 'chat amongst yourselves' from @vicderbyshire while she sorts out unhappy child guest on her show!!

Katie Kernan said: '@vicderbyshire leaves the set of her own show to take a little boy to the loo. Love it!'

It was not the only comical moment on the show, where five-year-old Noah appeared to be so bored by the adults chatting about school he rested his head on the chair.

His mother Gemma Haley said she had decided to take him out of school even though he is not sitting any SATs until next year.

When asked why she said: 'We have to take action now. He will be sitting them next year. He is a summer baby, he will only be six'.

Exhausting: Five-year-old Noah found the debate a bit to much and rested his head on a chair for a second as the adults talked about why he was taken out of school for the day
A woman who survived breast cancer and starred in Beyonce's Lemonade has now pledged to walk 1,000 miles in the name of affordable healthcare.

Paulette Leaphart, 49, began her journey from Biloxi, Mississippi on Sunday and hopes to reach Washington, DC by June 27, the day of her 50th birthday, Fox News reported.

She will accomplish her journey topless, showcasing the scars left by the double mastectomy she underwent in February 2014 with no possibility of reconstructive surgery.

Leaphart, who is chronicling her journey in a documentary called Scar Story, says she wants to show scars are nothing to be ashamed of - while campaigning for affordable healthcare in the face of life-threatening illnesses.

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Paulette Leaphart, 49, appeared in Beyonce's Lemonade (pictured), in the Hope and Freedom sections. She appeared topless, revealing her mastectomy scars

Leaphart began a 1,000-mile walk from Biloxi, Mississippi to Washington, DC on Sunday. She stopped to take photos with police officers (pictured) and ended in Pascagoula, 21 miles away

'I'm marching to D.C. to put my scars in the face of Congress,' she told ABC News.

The mother of eight, who has four biological children and four adopted ones according to Fox News, told the network she went to get a mammogram, then a sonogram, after hearing God's voice.

She had never had a mammogram before, according to a Go Fund Me page set up to support her walk.

'He whispered in my sleep that I had cancer,' she said. 'I have a very close relationship with God. We're tight.'

After getting a double mastectomy in February 2014, Leaphart (pictured) found out she couldn't get reconstructive surgery due to a genetic condition making her prone to blood-clotting

Leaphart (pictured) later let her daughter take pictures of her topless on the beach in Biloxi and realized how powerful showing her scars could be

Doctors diagnosed Leaphart with stage two, grade three breast cancer in early 2014 and she had a double mastectomy in February of that year.

She had lost her first cousin to breast cancer in June 2013 and doctors recommended the procedure due to her family history.

After the mastectomy, Leaphart found out she was not eligible for reconstructive surgery due to a genetic disorder called Factor V Leiden, which increases blood clotting.

'I accepted the fact that I was going to be breast-less for the rest of my life after God came to me,' she told Fox News.

Leaphart, of New Orleans, let her daughter took photos of her without a shirt on during a trip to the beach in Biloxi.

The pictures have since gathered more than 1,000 likes and 200 comments on Facebook.

Leaphart saw she could make a powerful statement by showing her body and decided to take it further by walking 1,000 miles topless.

She also showcased her scars in Beyonce's new visual album Lemonade, released last month.

The Hope section of the album shows a bare-chested Leaphart and she also starred in scenes of Freedom.

'The thing that really touched me about Beyonce was that she treated me humbly,' Leaphart told Business Insider.

'We were on set sitting around the table and she thanked God for everybody that was a part of it, because she said everybody was supposed to be there.'

Leaphart asked Beyonce to join her for a block of her walk, but the start offered to go for a mile instead, Business Insider reported.

Her 1,000-mile journey began Sunday in Biloxi and her first day ended in Pascagoula, 21 miles away.

She walked another 16 miles to Grand Bay, Alabama, the following day.

She hopes her walk will show the world scars are nothing to be ashamed of. Leaphart (pictured) wants to bring the attention of lawmakers to the need for affordable healthcare for those faced with life-threatening illnesses

Leaphart (pictured with friends and family members during the first moments of her walk Sunday) will chronicle her journey in a documentary called Scar Story

Leaphart, who is now clear of cancer and has received the approval of her doctors for the walk, says she wants to remove the shame that comes with showing one's scars.

'We have scars for a reason. They are stories of survival,' she says in her documentary's trailer. 'Without the scars, that means you didn't survive.'

She also wants to bring lawmakers' attention to the need for affordable healthcare for those diagnosed with life-threatening disease, after struggling to pay for her own treatment.

'I lost everything fighting,' Leaphart told ABC News. 'I didn't have insurance...I lost my house. I had to sell my car. I had to sell everything that I had of value.'

'It's ridiculous, in this country, to have to pay so much to save our lives,' Leaphart added. 'I want [Congress] to do something with these high-priced prescriptions.'

She will have to walk 30 miles a day in order to finish within three months.

It could be illegal to walk topless on the street in certain states such as North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi and North Carolina, ABC News legal correspondent Sunny Hostin said - but he doesn't think legislation will stand in her way.
A woman has been arrested in Melbourne and taken to hospital after she tried to open the cabin door of a plane while it was still in the air.

Police say the woman tried to open the door of the plane on an inbound flight and was arrested when it touched down at Avalon Airport, near Melbourne, at about 11pm on Monday.

The incident took place on a flight between Sydney and Avalon. After the plane landed safely she was then taken to hospital for assessment.

A woman passenger tried to open the cabin door of a Jetstar plane that was still in the air (stock image)

She was arrested without incident and has been taken to hospital for assessment, a police spokesperson said.

The Age reports that a Jetstar spokesperson said crew on the flight intervened when a customer in an emotional state approached the front door of the aircraft during its descent.

The passenger was co-operative as our crew re-seated her and the flight landed normally. The passenger was met by police for medical assessment, Jetstar spokesperson said.

Avalon airport is located between Melbourne and Geelong which makes it both a capital city airport and a regional airport.

The frightening incident took place on a flight between Sydney and Avalon (stock image)

It services a large regional area in western Victoria providing connections to tourism destinations such as the Great Ocean Road.

Jetstar is currently the only passenger airline serving the airport and the airline started domestic flights there in 2004.
The nightclub bouncer who killed a drunk man with a king-hit punch has had his jail term slashed because the original sentence was deemed too severe.

Last year Abbas Al Jrood, 24, was sent to prison for nine years for the manslaughter of Irishman Thomas Keaney, 23, outside a kebab shop in Perth.

However, the Western Australian Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday that the original sentence was too harsh, and Al Jrood will now only serve a maximum of seven years in prison, reported the ABC.

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Thomas Keaney, 23, died after he was attacked outside a kebab shop during a night out in Perth

Abbas Al Jrood was found guilty of manslaughter of Mr Keaney and in 2015 was sentenced to nine years in prison. On Tuesday his sentence was cut to seven years

The court found it would be appropriate to reduce the sentence because of Al Jroods age, remorse, history of good character and low risk of re-offending.

The ruling is a slap in the face for Mr Keaneys family, who last year said nine years in prison was not enough for the killer.

Mr Keaneys sister Lauren said the actions of Al Jrood had broken her family, reported Galway Bay FM at the time.

She said: We fully believe we're the ones with the life sentence.

'Al Jrood's family will have him back in a few years and we'll still stand at a grave because of what he's done.'

After Al Jrood's sentencing in 2015, Mr Keaney's sister, Lauren, said that no consequence would ever be enough to make up for her family's loss

Mr Keaney, 23, was attacked by Al Jrood, an off-duty bouncer, while waiting for a taxi after a night out with friends in 2013, reported Perth Now.

The force of the blow knocked him out and he hit his head on the pavement as he crashed to the ground.

Mr Keaney spent 10 days lying in a hospital bed in excruciating pain before his condition worsened on Christmas Eve.
Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed by an angel fallen from heaven when a beautiful doll washed up on a beach  only to discover it was an inflatable sex toy.

Reports of a heavenly offering spread like wildfire through the community, prompting fears of social unrest.

Villager Pardin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, found the doll when he was fishing off the remote Banggai islands off Sulawesi in central Indonesia.

No divine intervention: Indonesian policemen pose with a sex doll in Banggai in Sulawesi.Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed when a beautiful doll turned up on a beach only to discover it was an sex toy

The discovery in March came a day after a solar eclipse swept across the area, a deeply spiritual experience in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

This led superstitious locals to believe the two events were linked.

Pardin took the partially inflated doll to his home in Kalupapi village, where it was treated with great reverence.

His mother gave the 'angel' a fresh change of clothes and new Muslim headscarf to wear every day and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip.

Heaven sent: Villagers gave the 'angel' a fresh change of clothes and new Muslim headscarf to wear every day and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip (above)

Police decided to investigate after becoming concerned the increasing excitement about the 'angel' could lead to unrest  and soon punctured the theory.

'We were hearing many stories, such as that the "fallen angel" was crying when she was discovered,' said police chief Heru Pramukarno.

'When our officers arrived they saw that the "fallen angel" was just a doll, it was a sex toy.'

The problem, it seemed, was the remoteness of Kalupapi.

'They have no Internet, they don't know what a sex toy is.'

Theory punctured: Police decided to investigate after becoming concerned the increasing excitement about the 'angel' could lead to unrest  and soon established it was a sex toy

After investigating, officers confiscated the doll and took it to the local police station, a move they said was intended to stop false rumours from spreading.

It is not the first time that a sex toy has been mistaken for something else entirely.

In 2012, a Chinese TV station reported a rare mushroom with medicinal qualities had been discovered in a town during drilling for a new well, only for viewers to point out that the object was in fact a sex toy for men.

Sex toys have also sparked police alerts in the past.
U2 lead guitarist described it as 'the most beautiful parish hall in the world'

The Edge, lead guitaristwith the Irish band U2, has become the first rock star to playin the Sistine Chapel, a venue he described as 'the mostbeautiful parish hall in the world'.

The performer, whose real name is David Evans, sang foursongs on Saturday night for about 200 doctors, researchers andphilanthropists who attended a conference at the Vatican onregenerative medicine called Cellular Horizons.

The Vatican conference was organised by the US-based Stem for Life Foundation to share ideas and treatments on the use of adult stem cells to cure rare diseases.

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The Edge, whose father died last month from cancer and whose daughter overcame leukaemia, is on the board of foundations working for cancer prevention

The Vatican conference was organised by the US-based Stem for Life Foundation to share ideas and treatments on the use of adult stem cells to cure rare diseases

U2 guitarist David Evans, also known by his stage name The Edge, met Irish bishop Paul Tighe on his trip to the Vatican

The Edge, whose father died last month from cancer and whosedaughter overcame leukaemia, is on the board of foundationsworking for cancer prevention.

Video footage shows The Edge wearing his trademark black beanie cap as he played acoustic guitar alongside a choir of seven Irish teenagers.

The performer sang a cover of Leonard Cohen's 'If it be your will', and versions of U2 songs 'Yahweh', 'Ordinary love' and 'Walk on'.

He joked with his audience, telling them he was stunned whenasked to play in the chapel which was painted by Renaissancemaster Michelangelo in the 16th century.

'When they asked me if I wanted to become the firstcontemporary artist to play in the Sistine Chapel, I didn't knowwhat to say because usually there's this other guy who sings,'the musician said, referring to U2 front man Bono.

'Being Irish you learn very early that if you want to beasked to come back it's very important to thank the local parish priest for the loan of the hall,' he said.

The Pope meet with US vice president as he takes part at a congress on the progress of regenerative medicine

The Edge dedicated his performance of 'Walk on', written in 2000 for Myanmar democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi when she was under house arrest, to Pope Francis, who he described as 'the people's pope'

The Edge joked with his audience, telling them he was stunned when asked to play in the chapel which was painted by Renaissance master Michelangelo in the 16th century

The performer, whose real name is David Evans, sang four songs on Saturday night for about 200 doctors, researchers and philanthropists who attended the conference

The Pope performs a blessing on young participant at the conference on regenerative medicine

He then thanked Pope Francis and other Vatican officials'for allowing us to use the most beautiful parish hall in theworld'.

The Edge dedicated his performance of 'Walk on', written in2000 for Myanmar democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi when shewas under house arrest, to Pope Francis, who he described as'the people's pope'.

'He's doing an amazing job and long may he continue,' headded.

The rock star sprinkled his address with technical termssuch as bio markers and angiogenesis.

'I can tell this is a really cool audience because normallywhen I say angiogenesis eyes glaze over,' he said. Angiogenesisis the process through which new blood vessels, which tumoursneed to grow, are formed. Scientists are seeking ways to blocktumour angiogenesis.
When President Bill Clinton rolled into the small Appalachian town of Ashland, Kentucky, in 1996, cheering crowds lined the streets. Local boy-turned-country music star Billy Ray Cyrus performed a special version of his hit, 'Achy Breaky Heart' before nearly 20,000 supporters at a riverfront re-election rally.

Back then, this was Clinton country. Today, it looks an awful lot more like Trump town.

Hillary Clinton was met in Ashland on Monday by just a handful of supporters and a lone heckler, who shouted: 'Go home, Hillary!'

Later on, hundreds of protesters stood in pouring rain, waved Donald Trump signs and chanted 'Kill-ary' as Clinton toured a health center in Williamson, West Virginia.

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pleaded her case with Bo Copley and his wife Lauren, while holding a photograph of their children, after a roundtable discussion in Williamson, W.Va. on Monday

Supporters and protesters dueled outside a Hillary Clinton tour of the Williamson Health and Wellness Center

The unwelcome reception marks a striking political shift for the Clintons, who've long staked their electoral fortunes on working class white voters.

Bill Clinton won the White House in 1992 by wooing Southern swing voters in places such as Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee, and his wife swept all three states in her primary run in 2008 against then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Eight years later, Trump's connection with those voters could pose a threat to Clinton in the coal mining communities of Appalachia she visited on Monday, but also in parts of the Rust Belt and upper Midwest hit hard by the decline of domestic manufacturing.

'I am well aware of the politics in West Virginia,' she told MSNBC in Charleston, W.Va on Tuesday. 'It's gotten increasingly challenging for Democrats to be successful.'

As she increasingly focuses her efforts on the general election, Clinton is trying to replicate the electoral strategy that twice boosted Obama into the White House by concentrating on wooing young, minority and female voters.

Trump may afford them new opportunities to expand what's known as the Obama coalition: Her aides calculate the billionaire's penchant for controversy could put traditionally Republican-leaning states such as Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona into play.

'As an old duck hunter, I know the truth of the saying, 'You gotta hunt where the ducks are at,'' said Paul Begala, who helped engineer Clinton's victory in 1992. 'President Obama understood this, as does Secretary Clinton.'

But at the same time, Clinton's long history with the region means she and her husband aren't willing to give up on places such as Ashland.

Clinton tried to shore up support among working-class steelworkers like Scott Conley in Kentucky but it's getting tougher for Democrats to win in Appalachia

Her campaign explained her swing through the coal-mining region as one that highlights her willingness to speak to the entire country  even those people who don't support her bid.

Aides say she's unlikely to win either Kentucky or West Virginia in the primaries later this month or the general election next fall.

Democrats have lost support in Appalachia as the region has shed jobs in industries such as coal mining and as union membership has declined, said Democratic strategist Dave 'Mudcat' Saunders.

The leftward shift of the Democratic Party during the Obama administration on social issues, including gay marriage and gun control, hasn't helped.

'In those areas, it has become culturally unacceptable for a white male to admit he's a Democrat,' Saunders said.

On Sunday, Bill Clinton was booed at an event in Logan, West Virginia.

Before he arrived, the town's mayor sent an email to West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin's office, saying the couple wasn't welcome to use city fire department facilities for their political events.

Clinton's waning popularity in the region was further hurt by a remark she made in a March interview with CNN, when she said she would 'put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.'

She was responding to a question about how her policies would benefit poor white people in Southern states.

'I can't take it back and I certainly can't get people who for politically reasons or personal reasons, very painful reasons, are upset with me,' said Clinton, who called the comment a 'misstatement.'

''I'm going to do whatever I can to try to help.'

Outside her event, protesters weren't buying.
An 18-month-old girl has been pulled out alive from underneath a six-storey building in Nairobi, four days after it collapsed, killing nearly two dozen people.

The toddler was found without any visible injuries, reportedly having been wrapped up and put in a bucket as the building crumbled last week.

At least 23 people have been confirmed dead after the six-storey residential block in Nairobi's poor Huruma district crumbled on Friday night.

Miracle girl: Kenyan Red Cross staff tend to a 18-month-old toddler rescued alive from the rubble of a building four days after the block collapsed

'A child aged about one and half years rescued alive at 4am and referred to Kenyatta National Hospital,' Kenya Red Cross said on Tuesday.

The Red Cross said the little girl was found 'in a bucket wrapped in a blanket' and was dehydrated but without visible physical injuries.

She had been there for 80 hours since the building, which was home to 150 families crammed into single rooms, collapsed on Friday night.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome called it a 'miracle' and said the emergency services were continuing their rescue efforts.

Police said the death toll from the tragedy rose to 23 on Tuesday after two more bodies were found, with hundreds injured in the incident.

The Red Cross said the little girl was found 'in a bucket wrapped in a blanket' and was dehydrated but without visible physical injuries

Local residents look at a collapsed building across the river as rescue operation continues in the Huruma estate of the Mathare slum, Nairobi

People carry a sofa as they leave the Huruma neighbourhood during the search for residents feared trapped in the rubble of a six-storey building that collapsed after days of heavy rain

Located in the poor, tightly-packed Huruma neighbourhood, the building had been slated for demolition after being declared structurally unsound.

But an evacuation order for the structure, which was built near a river just two years ago, was ignored.

Five people are to appear in court on Tuesday to face manslaughter charges over the incident.

Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where a property boom has seen buildings shoot up at speed, often with scant regard for building regulations.

The deaths in Huruma bring to at least 30 the number of people who have died in Nairobi since the weekend in accidents linked to floods caused by torrential rains.
The 19-year-old girl who tragically died while competing in an equestrian competition in Sydney on Saturday had promised to ring her best friend straight after to let her know how she went.

Tragically, that call never came and Caitlyn Fischer's friends 'can't believe she is gone'. They told Daily Mail Australia she would always 'live in their hearts'.

Her three best friends, Tilly Gibbs, Claudia Martin and Kate Marshall, all 19, from Bairnsdale, Victoria came together on Tuesday to remember their friend.

Caitlyn Fischer (left), pictured here with her oldest friend, Kate Marshall, died after a tragic incident at an equestrian competition in Sydney over the weekend

Caitlyn has been described as 'funny, outdoorsy', and 'so in love' with her horse Ralphie, left

Caitlyn, centre, with two other best friends Tilly Gibbs, left, and Claudia Martin, right

They describe her as 'funny, outdoorsy' and 'so in love' with her horse Ralphie.

Claudia was looking forward to hearing about Caitlyn's latest competition and had been told to expect a call that night.

But the call never came, and instead the teenager found out her beloved friend had been involved in a fatal accident when she logged onto Facebook.

'I was in Melbourne with my boyfriend when I found out.

'I was going through Facebook when I saw Caitlyn's name on an equestrian article so I clicked on it and that's when I saw.

'I rang Tilly straight away to see if she knew, she did.

'My mum had been trying to get to Melbourne because she wanted to tell me in person but she couldn't get here quick enough.'

Claudia found out her friend Caitlyn, pictured, had died after reading a post on Facebook

Both Tilly and Kate were told by their devastated parents.

'Mum came and got me from work,' Tilly said.

'She told me something had gone wrong at the competition so I was trying to guess with who.

'I couldn't believe it when she told me. I still can't.'

Kate, who has been best friends with Caitlyn since they were three, says she was 'just shocked' when her mum told her about the tragic accident.

Caitlyn was coming up to the second jump at the Sydney Equestrian Competition when her and Ralphie had the accident.

She was catapulted off and died on impact. Her family have since come out to say Caitlyn 'died doing what she loved and they wouldn't have it any other way'.

Kate says Caitlyn's love of horses was strong from a young age and the pair would often play 'Saddle Club'. Caitlyn would be 'Lisa', and Kate would play 'Stevie'.

She admitted horses were the biggest part of Caitlyn's life.

Kate and Caitlyn have been friends since they were three years-old and used to play 'Saddle Club' all the time

Caitlyn's friends say horses were the most important part of her life and she would disappear on sleepovers to go be with them

'If we had a sleep over together we would wake up and she would have disappeared to go ride her horse, but we knew where she would be every time.'

Claudia met Caitlyn at pony club and admitted the show-jumper would always beat her in competition.

'Jumping was everything, she was very go hard or go home,' Claudia said.

'Whenever we walked cross country (horse jumping) when we were younger, Caitlyn used to always say we were too good for the jumps they had us jumping.

'She said one day they would have to make a new level for us because we would be 8-star jumpers (4-star is Olympic level).

'She would point to the trees and say we should jump those instead of the obstacles on the course.'

Claudia, left, says Caitlyn, right, had dreams of being the best show jumper in the world

The young rider worked hard to improve her riding skills and wanted to 'go international'

It was a huge dream for the young rider, but she worked hard to complete it.

The girls say they will miss 'all of Caitlyn' a girl who they say was 'good at everything' and 'incredibly modest'.

'We will never stop thinking about her and we will always love her,' Tilly said.

'I will really miss her sense of humour  I loved that.'

Kate said she wouldn't be where she is without her friend's influence.

'She had a huge impact on everyone's life, she built us into who we are.'

The girls laughed together over Caitlyn's love for lollies, and her ability to just 'rock up' with Chinese food to hang out

The girls laughed together over Caitlyn's love for lollies, and her ability to just 'rock up' with Chinese food to hang out.

'She always used to bring Clinkers over she recently told me she didn't really like them but would have them with her because I loved them,' Claudia said.

Claudia says last time Caitlyn 'just rocked up' was when she went back to her home town for a visit in February.

Claudia wasn't home.

Claudia says last time Caitlyn 'just rocked up' was when she went back to her home town for a visit in February. She wasn't home so her friend left her last note

Claudia threw Caitlyn's (pictured) note out just days before she died in the terrible accident

'She left me a note to tell me how much she loves me and asked me if she could borrow some of my shoes,' she laughed.

But then choking back tears she admits she threw the note out just days before she died.

'I was cleaning out my room, I can't believe I threw it out. So it is gone'.

The heartbroken trio still have each other and are glad they were able to form such strong friendships with Caitlyn.

They said although she had only planned on deferring university for a year they couldn't see her going back to school because she was so focused on her international dream and loved to be outside.

Caitlyn's horse Ralphie suffered some injuries in the horrific accident but will recover and be taken back to the family farm in Bairnsdale.
Convicted rapist Amit Hamal, 27, ran away while on a field trip to Darwin's Crocodile Cove on Monday and was finally captured by police at 7pm that night

A convicted rapist who escaped from a Darwin tourist attraction on Monday while on a field trip with other jail inmates, was captured by police hours later.

Amit Hamal was arrested in the Darwin CBD at around 7pm on Monday evening, after he ran away during a visit by detainees from Wickham Point detention centre to Crocosaurus Cove - an aquarium in the city.

The 27-year-old Nepalese national reportedly jumped the back fence of the animal park and escaped onto the streets of the Northern Territory (NT) capital.

A witness told News Corp Australia that it took corrections staff around 10 minutes to notice Hamal was missing.

'They were watching the animals and didnt realise he had run away,' the witness said.

Corrections staff were seen searching through the streets of Darwin early yesterday afternoon, the NT News reported.

The incident has led NT Chief Minister Adam Giles to question how Border Forces could allow a criminal as dangerous as Hamal to escape in the first place.

Hamal has remained in detention at the Wickham Point detention centre since his visa was cancelled following his rape conviction in 2011. The Nepalese national is currently appealing his deportation from Australia

The 27-year-old reportedly jumped the back fence of the Crocodile Cove aquarium while on a field trip on Monday

Mr Giles called on Canberra to supply more funding to allow Wickham Point to be kept open and more police officers to be employed, suggesting more escapes could occur if funding is not received.

NT Chief Minister Adam Giles says escapes from detention centres in the Top End will become more common unless more funding is received from the federal government

'Police did a tremendous job in recapturing this person but I think Border Force have some answers that they need to front up and explain how this was allowed to occur,' Mr Giles said.

'This is at the same time as the federal government is saying they dont want to extend the police agreement with the NT and were seeing escapees out of the detention facility.'

Federal funding ended in 2014 for 94 officers who were employed following 2010 riots at detention centres.

Hamal, who claimed to be a member of the Nepalese royal family, came to Australia on a student visa and was working as a delivery driver for an Indian restaurant when he raped a 44-year-old Sydney woman in her sleep in 2010.

He was found guilty in 2011 and sentenced to three years in prison and had his visa cancelled.

As a result of Hamal's runaway attempt, all non-essential excursions for NT detainees had been cancelled according to Natasha Griggs, federal member for Solomon.

Ms Griggs said that she and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton were 'horrified' that someone as dangerous as Hamal had escaped

'If your visa has been cancelled you should not be going out of the facility because the risk of absconding, as we saw yesterday, is significantly increased,' Ms Griggs said..

'I believe there's probably not the level of security that we would expect.'

Hamal appeared in court on Wednesday facing a charge of escaping from detention, but was bailed to be returned to Wickham Point and will reappear in court on May 31
A freelance massage therapist who digitally penetrated women during massage and later claimed it would release stress will remain behind bars until at least 2018 then faces deportation.

Marcello Scariati, 30, from Italy, has been in custody at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Northam, West Australia, since July 2015 after he sexually assaulted six women.

He claimed putting his finger or thumb in the women's anuses during massage was a 'tantric' technique, The West Australian reported.

Italian man Marcello Scariati, 30, has been jailed for the sexual assault of six women in West Australia last year while he was working as a massage therapist

And he believed he had been doing the women 'a favour by doing something extra and pleasurable', according to the ABC.

His victims were assaulted in Perth between February and June last year while he was working as a massage therapist at businesses in Scarborough and Hillarys, and he also indecently exposed himself to a woman at North Beach.

He was sentenced in the West Australian District Court on Tuesday to four-and-a-half years in jail and must serve at least two-and-a-half years.

The court heard some victims resisted, telling Scariati during the massage sessions 'I don't feel comfortable with this' or making an excuse to go to the toilet then leave.

One woman had a panic attack then called her boyfriend in tears to tell him what happened.

The woman at the beach had said 'no' and pushed Scariati away when he suddenly kissed her, telling him 'you know you're not meant to do this - it's illegal' when he pulled down his pants.

Scariati has been jailed for at least two-and-a-half years, after which he faces deportation from Australia

He was arrested after a victim told one of the salon owners, then more came forward after police called for information from the public.

The court heard Scariati had studied tantric massage and never told his clients he intended to use the sensual technique.

'You gave no indication that you would employ an unusual massage technique,' Judge Anette Schoombee said.

'You committed some serious offending. They were very vulnerable when they were in an undressed state alone with you in a room.'

Judge Schoombee accepted a psychologist's view that the offending was sexually motivated but Scariati had 'cognitive distortions' in justifying his behaviour.

She didn't believe his limited grasp of English explained his conduct.

'I do not accept that you simply laboured under a misunderstanding,' Judge Schoombee said.

The court heard the university-educated man arrived in Perth in 2012 and was in line to work at the Italian Consulate but that didn't eventuate, so he fell back on massage work.

Scariati was only married for three months when the offending began but his wife remains supportive.

He sobbed when Judge Schoombee said his parents, who were police officers and had travelled from Italy to visit him, were ashamed of his actions.
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A map of Middle-earth covered in annotations by J. R. R. Tolkien which was discovered tucked away in an old copy of The Lord Of The Rings has been sold for 60,000.

The incredible creation, which is covered Tolkien's spidery handwriting using green ink and pencil, was found inside late illustrator Pauline Baynes's edition of the book and went on sale at Blackwell's Rare Books in Oxford last year.

It has now been bought by the Bodleian library in Oxford to add to their collection of Tolkien's work which includes manuscripts of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and is the largest of its kind in the world.

A map of Middle-earth covered in annotations by author J. R. R. Tolkien directing the illustrator has been sold for 60,000 to a library

Ms Baynes had ripped out the map - published in one of the earlier editions of the book - and gave it to Tolkien so he could dictate exactly how he wanted the map to look. She used his annotations to create this full-colour poster version of Middle-earth which became iconic

The Guardian reports the Bodleian bought the map using grants from the V&A Purchase Fund and the friends of the library.

Ms Baynes had ripped out the map - published in one of the earlier editions of the book - and gave it to Tolkien so he could dictate exactly how he wanted the map to look. She used his annotations to create the full-colour poster version of Middle-earth which became iconic.

Tolkien's annotations provides a rarely before seen insight into Tolkien's astonishing mind. He wrote: 'Hobbiton is assumed to be approx at latitude of Oxford.'

He added: 'Minas Tirith is about latitude of Ravenna (but is 900 miles east of Hobbiton more near Belgrade). Bottom of the map (1,400 miles) is about latitude of Jerusalem.'

'Elephants appear in the great battle outside Minas Tirith (as they did in Italy under Pyrrhus) but they would be in place in the blank squares of Harad  also camels.'

It has now been bought by the Bodleian library in Oxford to add to their collection of Tolkien's work which includes manuscripts of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and is the largest of its kind in the world

The incredible creation, which is covered Tolkien's (pictured) spidery handwriting, was found inside late illustrator Pauline Baynes's edition of the book and went on sale at Blackwell's Rare Books in Oxford last year

Although Tolkien mentions real-world locations in relation to Hobbiton and Minas Tirith he does not hint at the inspiration behind Mordor

Tolkien, who was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, had scribbled the observations on the document using green ink and a pencil and these were joined by annotations by Baynes, whose completed poster map of Middle-earth was published by Allen & Unwin in 1970.

After it was discovered the original map went on display at Blackwell's with a price tag of 60,000.

A spokesman for the bookstore described the artifact at the time as 'perhaps the finest piece of Tolkien ephemera to emerge in the last 20 years at least'.

They added that the map portrays the 'exacting nature' of the author's vision - and how he was 'obsessed with the details' of his fictional land.

The spokesman told MailOnline the artifact was acquired by Blackwell's 'via the executor of Pauline Baynes's estate', who had found it in the old book.

According to the Guardian, Baynes previously said Tolkien had been 'very uncooperative' to work with. However, she said the author had later apologised to her for his demeanor.

Although Tolkien mentions real-world locations in relation to Hobbiton and Minas Tirith, he does not hint at the inspiration behind Mordor.

In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mordor is the destination that Frodo Baggins travels to in his quest to destroy the One Ring.

Middle-earth is also the setting for Tolkien's work, The Hobbit, originally published in September 1937.

Tolkien's annotations provides a rarely before seen insight into his mind. He wrote: 'Hobbiton is assumed to be at latitude of Oxford'
Hollywood actresses have long complained that parts in movies dry up as they get older.

And now a study of 2,000 films produced since the 1980s has proved that while the number of characters for men increase as they get older, the same can't be said for women.

The research was conducted by Hannah Anderson and Matt Daniels of the data website Polygraph, who conducted a line-by-line study of the movie scripts.

Dame Helen Mirren has previously spoken out about ageism in Hollywood. A new study has revealed the amount of dialogue by female characters in a film decreases as they get older

When analysing the dialogue in the scripts, they found that 38 per cent of the words spoken by female characters in films are by women aged 22 to 31.

But as female actresses get older, this percentage plummets to just 20 per cent for characters aged 42 to 65.

However, when the researchers looked at male dialogue, they found the most lines were spoken by actors aged 42 to 65.

They also found that the situation has improved with only 22 per cent of dialogue in films being spoken by females in films in 1980, which has now increased to 42 per cent in the present day.

But despite the improvement male dialogue still dominates in every movie genre.

The research paper states: 'Across thousands of films in our dataset, it was hard to find a subset that didnt over-index male.

'Even romantic comedies have dialogue that is, on average, 58 per cent male.

'For example, Pretty Woman and 10 Things I Hate About You both have lead women (i.e., characters with the most amount of dialogue).

'But the overall dialogue for both films is 52 per cent male, due to the number of male supporting characters.'

Fellow actresses Catherine Zeta-Jones, left, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, right, also say they have experience of being told they are too old for parts

Many Hollywood actresses in the past have spoken up how parts in films are hard to come by as they get older.

Chicago star Catherine Zeta Jones, 46, blamed 'big Hollywood bosses' for the lack of opportunities saying they believed audiences did not want to see older women in strong roles.

While Dame Helen Mirren said it was f***ing outrageous' older women got less time on screen.

She explained: 'Honestly, it's so annoying.

'We sat there watching James Bond ... and as James Bond got more and more geriatric, his girlfriends got younger and younger.'

And 37-year-old Maggie Gyllenhaal revealed she had been told by a casting director that she was too old to play the lover of a 55-year-old male character.

She said: 'It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh.'

The study also comes of the back of separate research earlier this year that found several Disney princess films actually see men have more of the dialogue.

In an earlier study, researchers also found that Disney films such as the Little Mermaid see male characters dominate the dialogue

Linguists Carmen Fought from Pitzer College and Karen Eisenhauer from North Carolina State University, found that most modern Disney cartoons give more lines to male characters than female ones, with most seeing men dominating the script.

The Disney princess genre began in 1989 with the release of The Little Mermaid, with their analysis showing male characters speaking 68 per cent of the dialogue, even though the film was about Ariel's quest to live on land.

Similarly, Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991 sees men taking up 71 per cent of the dialogue, while in Pocahontas, it rises to 77 per cent of the script.
Dorrit Moussaieff with her husband, the President of Iceland Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, attend a fashion show in London in March last year. Moussaieff had links to a tax haven, leaked documents claim

The British-Israeli wife of the Icelandic President appears to have held some of her fortune in an offshore tax haven, leaked documents claim.

Dorrit Moussaieff, whose family are worth 200million and run exclusive jewellery stores in London, is said to have had links to a company in the British Virgin Islands and offshore trusts registered outside the UK.

She was also set to inherit part of her family's offshore wealth when her mother Alisa passes away, according to leaked papers from HSBC's private bank in Geneva.

The claims will place further pressure on her husband, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who has insisted that neither he nor his wife would be linked to offshore holdings after the so-called Panama Papers saw the country's prime minister resign over the tax haven scandal.

The HSBC files allegedly show that Iceland's first lady is named as one of three Moussaieff family members who jointly owned a company called Jaywick Properties Inc. in the British Virgin Islands.

She is also a beneficiary of the Moussaieff Sharon Trust, it was reported by The Guardian.

But the information in the files only covers the period from 2005 to 2007, so it may be out of date.

Her lawyers declined to comment on whether she was still linked to Jaywick or any other part of her family's offshore holdings.

They said her business interests were always conducted legally and were a private matter, adding that she and her husband had no knowledge of each other's financial affairs.

A spokesman for Mr Grimsson said the president 'has no knowledge' of his wife's offshore interests 'nor has he ever heard of them'.

He told The Guardian: 'President Grimsson does not have, nor has he at any time had, any information about the financial affairs of his wife or other members of the Moussaieff family.'

Moussaieff was born in Israel and moved to Britain when she was 13.

She went on to become a successful jewellery designer after spending a lot of time in her family's jewellery store in the London Hilton on Park Lane. They also run a store in New Bond Street.

The family's business is among the world's richest jewellers with an estimated fortune of 200million.

Exclusive: Moussaieff's family are worth an estimated 200million and run jewellery stores in London's New Bond Street (pictured) and Hilton Park Lane

Facing questions: The claims will place further pressure on Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson (pictured) who insisted last month that neither he nor his wife would be linked to offshore holdings after the so-called Panama Papers saw the country's prime minister resign over the tax haven scandal

Last week, Mr Grimsson was also forced to deny similar reports from the Panama Papers leak following revelations in the Icelandic media.

The English language website Reykjavik Grapevine claimed Moussaieff's family had an interest in a British Virgin Islands company called Lasca Finance Limited.

Between 2000 and 2005, the company allegedly received part of the profits from the Moussaieff Jewellers chain.

Mr Grimsson said that even if such transactions had happened, he and his wife were unaware of them.

'Neither the president nor Dorrit have any knowledge of this company, nor have they heard about it before,' said the president's office.

Grimsson, 72, who has been president since 1996, confirmed last week that he would seek another term as president in June's election.

Iceland fell into crisis this month after former prime minister Sigurdur David Gunnlaugsson (pictured) was pressured to resign amid mass protests over a hidden offshore account worth millions of dollars

The case could prove embarrassing for Grimsson who has made a virtue of his integrity and assured US broadcaster CNN last month that neither he or his family would be linked to the Panama Papers leak of millions of financial records.

The country fell into crisis this month after former prime minister Sigurdur David Gunnlaugsson was pressured to resign amid mass protests over a hidden offshore account worth millions of dollars.

Grimsson played a calming role during the turmoil, opposing the head of government who wanted to dissolve parliament immediately.

On April 7, he swore in a new prime minister, Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson.

The presidency in Iceland is largely a ceremonial position, and Grimsson has limited powers.

He can call a referendum on a law passed by parliament if it is felt the whole nation should have a say.

Grimsson's earlier terms were marked by the financial crisis of 2008 which devastated the small island's economy.
A horse and cart isn't something usually associated with Uber, but that's what it wheeled out to make a special delivery to the Queensland premier.

The ride-sharing service used the old mode of transport to take print-outs of more than 15,000 emails from supporters to Annastacia Palaszczuk's office amid a review of the government's taxi strategic plan.

Uber claims the emails were blocked and not received by parliament.

'To ensure the voices of those that want ride-sharing in Queensland will still be heard, today we hand delivered these emails to the premier's office,' Uber Queensland general manager Sam Bool said.

More than 15,000 emails from supporters of Uber in Queensland were printed and delivered to the state's premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk's home by the company

Uber wanted Ms Palaszczuk to hear from those who supported it, after claiming the messages were blocked in email format

The move to deliver the letters of support comes as Queensland's government reviews its taxi strategic plan

'We'll be interested to see whether the people who wrote to their premier will receive a response in the mail or through updated, modern regulations that recognise their right to choose how they get around.'

Uber last month distributed emails allowing receivers to send emails voicing support for ride-sharing to parliament inboxes by clicking on a link.

The emails warned Katter's Australian Party was trying to take Uber away and pressuring the government on a bill, which was ultimately passed, to increase fines for its drivers.

Labor MP Jim Pearce complained in parliament that some MPs had received between 6000 and 10,000 emails.

Uber Queensland general manager Sam Bool said it would be interesting to see whether the people who wrote to their premier will receive a response in the mail or via more modern methods

The horse and cart on its way to deliver the more than 15,000 letters to Queensland's premier

'If Uber think they have helped their argument, I can tell them that they have done themselves a lot of damage,' he said.

The independent review of the government's taxi strategic plan will recommend what role, if any, new ride-sharing apps like Uber will play in Queensland's public transport landscape.

It was due to be handed down in August but Ms Palaszczuk wants it completed by July.

Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt said on Tuesday the state valued the taxi industry but also realised Uber was a fact of life.

'This is about getting some sort of a balance where we can have a co-existence because it is a technology that's on the march and we don't want to disadvantage our taxi industry at the same time,' he said.

This comes as 400 taxi drivers lose a Supreme Court fight against the West Australian government for not prosecuting Uber over alleged breaches of taxi laws.

The current independent review of the government's taxi strategic plan will recommend what role, if any, new ride-sharing apps like Uber will play in Queensland's public transport landscape

Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt said on Tuesday the state valued the taxi industry but also realised Uber was a fact of life

Taxi plate owners launched the action, claiming the ride-sharing service Uber do not pay the same regulation costs.

They told the court on Tuesday their incomes had been cut by up to 30 per cent due to the alleged unlawful conduct of Uber companies and drivers.

The lawyer representing the taxi plate owners, Martin Bennett, told the court the drivers were affected by 'disorderly, de facto deregulation,' The ABC reported.

Peter John Martin, Zoran Jankulovski and Satinder Singh Samra represented a wider group of taxi drivers who claimed the regulatory response to the introduction of UberX was inadequate and prosecutions should have begun against those behind Uber, not just a small group of UberX drivers.

They claimed Transport Minister Dean Nalder and the Department of Transport had adopted a 'policy' not to prosecute those involved in providing Uber ride sharing services in WA.

But in his judgment on Tuesday, Justice Paul Tottle said he was not satisfied there was a policy of not prosecuting Uber drivers.

'The issue raised must be resolved by debate in the political arena and not in the courts,' he said.

Outside court, Mr Martin said the group intended to appeal the court ruling.

'Absolutely devastating - we're the guys that have put our money and our livelihoods on the line and through the decision of this judge, we're screwed,' he said.

The UberX Rider App and the UberX Driver App were launched in WA in October 2014.
Motorists will be able to drive hands free at 81mph on the motorway as soon as 2018 under new international road laws that herald the start of true driverless cars.

The new regulations at the United Nations, due to be published next month, will allow cars to drive for up to three minutes without any intervention from the driver. The regulations will expand to other roads from 2021.

The Department for Transport today said the international law change would not mean British law had to change because it did not mean drivers surrendering control over their vehicles.

But while motorists will still have to be strapped into the front seat, cars could soon be manoeuvring automatically on UK main roads - for example to change lanes.

The new regulations will allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel for up to three minutes at a time while travelling at full motorway speed

Chancellor George Osborne placed driverless cars at the heart of his March Budget as he announced more dedicated funding to help place Britain at the forefront of the technology.

The news follows an announcement by Volvo that it will trial its own driverless model on the streets of London.

Many new cars sold in the UK are now fitted with features such as automatic braking or parking assist which allows the car to squeeze into a space by itself.

The Times today reported more details about the new technology would be outlined by Volvo and Thatcham, the insurance industry's research group, at a conference.

Thatcham chief executive Peter Shaw told the paper: 'The danger is that as technology develops, and drivers become more confident, they will start to use it in conditions it has not been designed for.

'Our clear message is that until 2021, drivers need to stay on the ball and observe the rules of the road.'

Because the UN economic commission for Europe (UNECE) regulations - drawn up internationally to aid cross-border trade - will officially describe the technology as a 'driver support system', British law may not need to be changed.

Chancellor George Osborne said Britain would help pioneer driverless cars in March

The Road Traffic Act currently requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel at all times.

A DFT spokesman said: 'We are currently working to change international regulations so that manufacturers can develop vehicles with features to assist the driver when on the motorway that, for example, help with lane changing.

'The driver will remain in control.

'The Highway Code says they should keep hands on the steering wheel at all times and this is not changing.'

Announcing the plan to change the regulations earlier this month, the UNECE said: 'Automated driving will be the next revolution in the field of mobility.

'As human errors are the main reason for road traffic accidents, driving automatically controlled by a computer is expected to make future road transport safer.

'It has also the potential to be more environmentally friendly, efficient and accessible.'

Revealing plans for trials of driverless cars on British motorways in March, Mr Osborne said: 'Driverless cars could represent the most fundamental change to transport since the invention of the internal combustion engine.

'Naturally we need to ensure safety, and that's what the trials we are introducing will test.
His office demanded journalists delete the image, below

Announcement was nearly overshadowed by a picture of Mr Dutton

Closures would take the total closed in three years to 17

Facilities at Maribyrnong, Villawood, Perth and Wickham Point would close

Mr Dutton said he was closing 17 detention centres opened by Labor

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has announced the Federal government will shut down four more immigration detention centres, taking the total closed in three years to 17.

Mr Dutton told Parliament on Tuesday the Coalition will close the detention centres opened by the previous Labor government, but did not provide details other than a number.

'We are absolutely determined we are not going to see (more boat arrivals),' the former police officer said.

But Mr Dutton's dramatic announcement was nearly overshadowed by social media uproar over a picture taken of the minister earlier in the day.

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'Mr Dutton's offsider took considerable umbrage': Journalists claimed Peter Dutton's office demanded they take down this photograph of him addressing a media conference earlier on Tuesday

The uproar over the photo came on a day when Mr Dutton announced his government will close 17 detention centres that were opened by Labor

Mr Dutton's office demanded journalists delete a picture of the minister where a stark shadow was cast across his face.

The picture, taken by Fairfax photographer Alex Ellinghausen, was taken at a media appearance where Mr Dutton was discussing how a second asylum seeker had lit herself on fire at Nauru.

Fairfax senior political writer Stephanie Peatling said: 'Mr Duttons office felt it (the picture) was unflattering and demanded to know why I had tweeted it.

'Mr Dutton's offsider took considerable umbrage with it and most strongly protested its presence on the socials.'

Ms Peatling removed the picture from social media - but the move sparked controversy on social media.

Users shared dozens of versions of the picture, with many even photoshopping his head into bizarre circumstances.

One photoshopped version showed Mr Dutton's head seemingly emerging from a swamp

Mr Dutton became a social media sensation, with another user inserting his face onto a shadowy Queen cover

Another user digitally altered the picture to include blue tentacles reaching from his face

The Budget 2016 papers released later Tuesday night revealed the details of the centre closures. The government will close the Maribyrnon centre in Melbourne, the Blaxland compound in Villawood in Sydney and the Perth Immigration residential housing unit. The lease on the Wickham Point centre in the Northern Territory will not be renewed in November.

The closures will take the number of immigration detention centres closed by the government to 17 in three years, and will save the federal government $40million over four years.

During Tuesday's media conference, Mr Dutton accused refugee advocates of encouraging people in detention centres to 'behave in a certain way'.

He said advocates '(believed)... that pressure exerted on the Australian government will see a change in our policy in relation to our border protection measures.

The self-immolation of the 21-year-old Somali woman, Hadon, on Monday was the second in the past week.

An Iranian man, Omid Masoumali, 23, died last week after lighting himself on fire.

Hadon has been flown to an Australian hospital for treatment.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE 2016 FEDERAL BUDGET ALREADY? WHAT WON'T BE IN? Changes to tax breaks for property investors, known as negative gearing Changes to the capital gains tax discount A rise in the rate of GST, or broadening its base WHAT DO VOTERS WANT? Increased health and education funding Personal income tax cuts Reduced superannuation tax concessions for high earners Increased tax on cigarettes HOW IS THE ECONOMY PERFORMING? Growing at its fastest pace in two years Unemployment rate remains close to six per cent and wages growth at its slowest in almost two decades WHAT HAS BEEN HINTED AT? Paring back superannuation tax concessions for high-income earners by lowering the 30 per cent tax on concessional contributions to $180,000 from $300,000, and helping for those on low incomes Further crackdown on welfare rorters Incentives for state governments to get private sector involved in road, rail and port projects, and unlock land for housing $1 billion for military role in Afghanistan, Iraq and Middle East, plus $1.4 billion in new defence spending WHAT DOES BUSINESS WANT? The budget back in balance in five years A path to a cut in the company and personal income tax rates Infrastructure planning and skills training
A boy has escaped from a would-be attacker by punching a man who grabbed him in the toilets at his primary school.

The youngster was in the toilet block at Mandama Primary School in Grovedale, near Geelong, south of Melbourne, at 2pm on Monday when the man grabbed his arm.

He managed to punch the man and run from the toilet before telling teachers, the Geelong Advertiser reports.

The boy was attacked by a man in the toilets at Mandama Primary School (pictured) in Grovedale, near Geelong, at around 2pm on Monday afternoon

Police searched the area around the school throughout the afternoon, but were unable to find him.

The boy described him as white, between 20-30 years old, with a tall and skinny build and sporting dark stubble. He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood up and black sunglasses.

The Department of Education is working closely with the school on the incident, according to spokesman Steve Tolley.

'A student at Mandama Primary School today reported to teachers that he had been approached by a man on school grounds,' Mr Tolley said.

File image: The boy managed to punch the man and run from the building before notifying teachers

'The child is safe and the safety of our students is our number one priority.
Tearful North Korean waitresses wept as dictator Kim Jong-Un presented them to the world in a bid to claim their co-workers were 'tricked' into defecting to Seoul.

Pyongyang says 12 workers from the secretive nation were abducted from a restaurant in China - but South Korea says they willingly defected.

North Korea today stepped up their calls for the waitresses to be returned - by presenting colleagues and parents of the restaurant staff to international media.

Tearful North Korean waitresses wept as dictator Kim Jong-Un presented them to the world in a bid to claim their co-workers were 'tricked' into defecting to Seoul

North Korea today stepped up their calls for the waitresses to be returned - by presenting colleagues (pictured) and parents of the restaurant staff to international media

Kim Jong-Un's authorities say the women were tricked into thinking they were being transferred to work at another restaurant in Malaysia.

On April 8, South Korean authorities announced the arrival of 13 North Koreans in the South - the 12 waitresses and their manager.

Since then, the North has issued repeated statements calling on Seoul to return the waitresses or let their parents go to Seoul to meet them.

Colleagues of the waitresses said their manager told them they were moving to Malaysia to work in another restaurant there and that the waitresses who got on a bus from their restaurant to go on the journey thought Malaysia was their final destination.

Kim Jong-Un's authorities say the women were tricked into thinking they were being transferred to work at another restaurant in Malaysia

Waitress Choe Rye Yong said that as the waitresses were being organised to leave she overheard her manager refer to a man with him as 'team leader' from the South Korean National Intelligence Service.

That made her warn her colleagues, who had not yet boarded the bus, to stay away.

The waitresses were all working at a restaurant called the Azalea Friendship Restaurant in Ningbo, China.
The mother of a six-month-old boy who was forced to wait four hours for an ambulance while paramedics were on a lunch break has spoken out about his final moments leading up to his death.

Clutching a teddy bear and wearing a badge with a picture of her smiling son at a coronial inquest on Tuesday, Naomi Day revealed how Kyran couldn't hold his head up two days before he died.

The toddler was allegedly misdiagnosed with gastroenteritis at Shoalhaven Hospital on the south coast of NSW on the evening of October 19, 2013.

He died just three days later at Sydney Children's Hospital from hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy - a brain damage after the baby was starved of oxygen.

'His eyes were half open but he wasn't responsive,' the distraught mother said as she broke down during her time in the witness box.

Naomi Day (left), mother of 6-month-old Kyran, leaves the Glebe Coroners Court clutching a teddy bear with her husband Grant in Sydney on Tuesday

Clutching a teddy bear and wearing a badge with a picture of her smiling son, Kyran's distraught parents are pictured after an emotional inquest in Sydney

Three days after he was first admitted, Kyran died after his brain was starved of oxygen (pictured right with his mum and the badge (left) his family wore to the first day of the inquest on Monday)

A heartbreaking photo shows Kyran lying in a hospital bed with his parents Naomi and Grant Day by his side

On Tuesday, his grieving parents were pictured wearing a badge of their loving son and clutching a bear as they left Glebe Coroners Court after an emotional inquest.

During the inquest, Kyran's father Grant Day, who gave evidence briefly, said the family had taken notes of what happened after suspecting something was wrong with their son.

'We knew there was something very, very wrong with what happened,' he said.

Kyran's grandmother Jane Carritt - who is also a nurse with 20 years experience - told the inquest a few things about the diagnosis of gastroenteritis 'stood out.'

Kyran wasn't displaying any of the usual symptoms of the infection, including high temperature, diarrhoea and vomiting.

'It seemed very odd,' Ms Carritt said, becoming emotional at times.

Family and supporters of the Day family leave the Glebe Coroners Court in tears after an emotional inquest

Clutching a teddy bear and wearing a badge with a picture of her smiling son at a coronial inquest on Tuesday

Distraught family and supporters leave the coronial inquest into the tragic death of Kyran Day on Tuesday

When she later noticed her grandson was 'glassy-eyed' and 'unresponsive' she became greatly concerned.

'Oh my god. This kid's in trouble,' she told the inquest.

The inquest continues with Dr Toby Greenacre - a paediatrician who treated Kyran at Shoalhaven - expected to give evidence on Wednesday.

The nurses and paramedics involved are expected to appear at the inquest later this week.

The inquest comes after Kyran was formally diagnosed with a bowel obstruction - a day after he was first admitted to Shoalhaven Hospital.

But by the time he was rushed to Sydney to undergo surgery on his bowel, the toddler had suffered several cardiac arrests. After a successful operation, he was placed on life support.

Kyran Day (pictured) died in October 2013 after he was allegedly misdiagnosed and suffered cardiac arrests

His parents Naomi and Grant Day speaks out about their grief, saying they want justice for their son Kryan

His parents - who are testifying at Glebe Coroner's Court - have spoken of their grief following the death of their son, saying they want justice.

'This is our 3rd year now and it's been hell but we will keep going until we have answers and justice for Kyran James day,' Mrs Day wrote on Facebook recently.

Mr Day said: 'We will fight and continue to fight for change and Kyran's legacy for all the babies, children and parents without a voice.'

A heartbreaking photograph shows the baby boy lying in a hospital bed with his distraught parents by his side in the hours leading to his death.

Little Kyran was admitted to hospital on the night of October 19, 2013 where he was allegedly misdiagnosed

His parents Naomi and Grant Day have spoken of their devastation following the death of their son Kyran

The coronial inquest heard Dr Toby Greenacre refused to re-examine Kyran because he had 'more urgent cases' and two ambulances were delayed as emergency crews were on their lunch break.

After waiting four hours for an ambulance, the family were finally airlifted to Sydney but three days after he was first admitted, the young boy died from hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.

The two-week inquest will examine the actions of Shoalhaven Hospital staff who were involved, including a paediatrician, two nurses, Newborn Emergency Transport Service and NSW Ambulance.
France would seize on the opportunity of a Brexit vote to hammer the City of London and impose protective tariffs, a former trade chief has warned.

Pascal Lamy, ex-director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), said French farmers would be 'eager' to stop British beef and lamb reaching their supermarket shelves.

He also claimed that negotiating the deal could take up to 15 years.

The stark message came as the referendum battle heats up ahead of the crucial poll on June 23.

Pascal Lamy, the former director general of the World Trade Organisation, has warned that French farmers would be 'eager' to get British goods off supermarket shelves

Former Chancellor Alistair Darling is insisting that leaving could cost us up to 250 billion a year in lost trade with the EU.

The choice is between free trade within the EUs single market of 500million consumers, or spending years negotiating new trade deals only to leave us in a weaker position than we enjoy today,' he will say.

'Leaving the single market would be catastrophic for our businesses and our families who would be paying more and suffering from a weaker economy.

The 250billion figure is based on the controversial dossier produced by the Treasury last month which claimed that total UK trade could fall by up to 24 per cent if Britain leaves the EU and fails to secure a replacement free trade deal.

Meanwhile, legendary US investor Warren Buffett has weighed in to caution that Brexit would be a 'big step backward', and former US President Bill Clinton is reported to be planning an intervention later in the campaign.

But Tory MP Liam Fox will use a speech today to hit back at suggestions leaving would harm national security, accusing the EU of has undermining Nato and strengthening Vladimir Putin.

Dr Fox will say: One of the more absurd assertions made by the Remain campaign is that President Putin would be happy to see Britain leave the European Union and that this would increase his appetite for aggression.

Am I mistaken or were we not part of the EU when Russia launched a cyber attack on Estonia, invaded Georgia or annexed the Ukraine?

Not only do I believe that the behaviour of Putin has been exacerbated by Western appeasement for a number of years but I believe that in subsuming many of the political responsibilities of Nato the EU has weakened, rather than strengthened, that most important of alliances.

Mr Lamy, a Frenchman who headed the World Trade Organisation between 2005 and 2013, said that the rest of the EU would drive a 'hard bargain' in the event of Brexit.

Tory MP Liam Fox is backing Brexit

'EU leaders will fear that anti-Europe parties in their own backyard will get momentum from Brexit, so will want to drive a hard bargain to avoid contagion,' he wrote in The Times. 'In a competitive global marketplace, they will seek any advantage they can get.

'My own country will probably be among the hardest to negotiate with. Imagine how eager French farmers will be not to have your beef or lamb on our supermarket shelves. And no one will show any love for the City of London.

'If it fails to get a deal, there is a real risk that the UK would have to fall back on WTO rules. Some in the Leave campaign have said this would not be a bad option.

'As the former head of the WTO, let me be clear: this would be a terrible replacement for access to the EU single market.

'Though tariffs have fallen, they are still high enough to hurt businesses and therefore jobs: 10 per cent for cars, 12 per cent on clothes, 70 per cent on some beef products.

'Some claim the UK could strike better trade deals on its own. Let's be honest, there has not been a major WTO deal in 23 years and the most significant agreements are being negotiated between regional blocs.

'Any ambitious UK-EU deal will need to be ratified in 27 legislatures as well as the European parliament.

'How much time will all of this take? My best guess is five to 15 years. In the meantime, British firms will face an uncertain future, and it is very unlikely that the UK would be a more prosperous place at the end of it.'

But Vote Leave spokesman Matthew Elliott said: The underlying belief of the Remain campaigners appears to be that Britain  the worlds fifth largest economy and a nation with a great history of trading across the globe  would be an economic backwater if it wasnt for Brussels taking control of our trade deals. Thats absurd.
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There are fears Christian Orthodox cathedrals are being targeted by arsonists after at least four were destroyed in blazes following Easter celebrations.

The fire that started at 7pm Sunday at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in Manhattan sent plumes of smoke billowing into the city's skyline.

Authorities didn't disclose the cause of the fire, which destroyed the church's roof, but it mimics similar blazes which engulfed Orthodox churches in Sydney, Melbourne and Russia.

Officials are concerned that the Manhattan blaze and the three others in Australia and Russia were started in retaliation for the Orthodox church blocking the canonization of Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac.

The controversial religious leader supported parts of the puppet Nazi regime in that country during World War Two and was recently prevented from being made a saint by the Catholic church because of opposition from the Orthodox church.

The row has caused a rift between Serbia and Croatia, wtih the leaders of both lobbying Pope Francis from opposite sides.

Pictured are the charred remains of the roof of the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St Sava, which went up in flames earlier this week

The church was badly damaged in the Manhattan blaze following Easter celebrations among the congregtion

Firefighters stand next to the charred remains of the building. The Orthodox community fears several fires at churches across the world were retaliation for their opposition to the canonization of a priest

The fire (pictured left and right) broke out on the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter

CONTROVERSIAL CARDINAL Today Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac remains reviled and loved in equal measure. Born in 1898 in Krasic, in what was then the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, he served as an officer during WW1 before being ordained in 1930. By 1937 - four years before the Nazis invaded Yugoslavia - he was installed as the Croatian Catholic Archbishop of Zagreb. Once Hitler's tanks rolled through the country, he began a collaboration with the Ustase - the Nazi puppet government which oversaw the genocide of thousands of Jews, Serbs and Roma. Stepinac supported the government as a way for the Croatian people to become independent and accepted a position on the ruling Ustase Council of State. Although there is evidence of him condemning their actions, he was often seen with them in public and attended public gatherings with them in tow. However, despite being a part of the government, Stepinac's supporters say he opposed the treatment of Orthodox Christians and hid Jewish war refugees. He openly criticized Nazi racial supremacy theories. Following the war he was tried and imprisoned for war crimes, though many in the West considered his trial a 'show' carried out by the new communist authorities seeking revenge for nationalist atrocities. Released after five years to house arrest, he was appointed cardinal by Pope Pius XII in 1952, before passing away eight years later due to polycythemia. In 1998, Pope John Paul II declared him a martyr and beatified him. This is usually considered the first step towards Sainthood - an issue Pope Francis is currently grappling with after being lobbied by both Serbia and Croatia.

Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the Gothic Revival style building to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued.

The fire broke out on the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter. The church website listed services on Sunday morning and an Easter luncheon at 1pm.

However, members of the community believe it may have been sparked as retaliation for a row over the church's role in blocking the canonization of a Nazi-supporting Stepinac.

The possible canonization of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac has caused a rift between Serbia and Croatia.

According to the New York Post, Serbian Othordox Patriarch Irinej wrote to Pope Francis and said: 'We are afraid that there are too many open questions and wounds which Cardinal Stepinac symbolizes.

'His canonization, to our great regret, would return the relations between Serbs and Croats, as well as between Catholics and Orthodox faithful, back to their tragic history.'

Dusan T. Batakovic, a former Serbian ambassador, told the New York Post: 'Too many churches have burned to call it an accident.

'It is very strange that it happened, that the fires all took place on Easter, the greatest Christian Orthodox holiday. Some kind of terrorist action can not be excluded.'

Barry Lituchy, the executive director of Jasenovac Research Institute, told the paper many among the community had told him 'the thought that this is an attack has not escaped us'.

The cardinal is a deeply divisive figure for Serbs and Croats. He is accused of supporting the Croation Nazi puppet regime during World War Two which persecuted Jews and Serbs and allegedly forced Orthodox Christians to convert to Catholicism.

He was sentenced to 16-years for collaboration but was still made a cardinal by Pople Pius XII.

In 1998, Pope Jon Paul II declared him a martyr for his imprisonment and beatified him, the first step towards being made a saint.

Meanwhile, on Monday, a fire broke out at The Holy Annunciation of Our Lady - Victoria's oldest Greek church.

Fortunately, the fire was contained to the building's roof after a passerby reported seeing smoke pouring from its windows, The Age reported.

It came just hours after another church in Sydney - the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection, was gutted in a blaze about 10pm on Sunday.

And in Russia, Valaam Monastery in Lake Ladoga caught fire during Easter celebrations.

Meanwhile, in New York, a heartbroken Dex Pipovic, told PIX11 News: 'I was just inside that building three hours' prior to the fire. He said he had been going to the church for seven years.

Alex Velic, 31, the caretaker's stepson, told the New York Daily News he lived next door. He said he smelled smoke and came outside and saw the church on fire.

'Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy,' Velic said. 'I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad.'

Father Djokan Majstorovic, the church's priest, struggled to get to the fire scene blocked off by firefighters. 'I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now,' he said.

City Council Member Corey Johnson called for a full investigation into the cause of the fire.

'This is a huge loss for the community,' he said. 'In addition to being a place of worship, this historic building was a New York City landmark, treasured by the people' living in the neighborhood.

The church was designed by architect Richard M. Upjohn and was built in the early 1850s. One of its earlier congregants was novelist Edith Wharton, who wrote 'The Age of Innocence.' She was married in the church in 1885.

The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the building from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943. The building was designated a city landmark in 1968.

However, members of the orthodox community believe the fires may have been sparked as retaliation for a row over the church's role in blocking the canonization of a Nazi-supporting Croatian priest, Aloysius Stepinac.

Around the same time, a blaze destroyed the roof of The Holy Annunciation of Our Lady church in Melbourne

Fortunately, the fire was contained to the building's roof after a passerby reported seeing smoke

Following the Easter celebrations, the Macedonian Orthodox Church in Sydney (pictured) was also burned
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This is the dramatic moment a hungry killer whale toyed with a seal and sent it hurtling through the air while teach her young how to hunt.

The massive mammal was spotted rising up out of the water and tossing the seal in the air in Monterey Bay in California.

Marine biologist and owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch, Nancy Black, said she was out on a whale spotting tour when she spotted the animal thrashing beneath the water before it leapt up into the air.

The killer whale grabs on to a seal and starts to thrash it about in the water around Monterey Bay, California, in order to eat it for dinner

Eyewitnesses said that despite the whale totally dominating the seal, she continued to play with the animal before tucking into it

The seal crashes back down into the water after being thrown up into the air by the whale and then left to plummet back down

Ms Black's assistant and naturalist Katlyn Taylor, 25, captured the footage.

Describing the moment, Ms Black, 53, from California, said: 'Killer whales were hunting an elephant seal while teaching their young.

'They stunned the seal by grabbing its hind flippers and tossing it in air also hit with their flukes.

'They tossed the seal in air about four times before ate it. Killer whales often prolong an attack on seals or sea lions to teach their young how to hunt.

'Everyone was completely surprised and excited to have witnessed such an event.

The whale continues to toy with the seal and picks it up again and throws it high in the air while her young watch on closely

Killer whales are said to often prolong an attack on seals or sea lions in a bid to try to teach their young how to hunt

'We told people that for them it's a once in a lifetime experience to see such an event and to be there at right time.

'Some people felt sad for the seal but understood it's a natural event.'

And Ms Black explained that witnessing such an event is incredibly rare.

She added: 'I've only seen this twice so close in 30 years of studying killer whales.

'These whales are unpredictable and we don't see them every day.'

Ms Black, owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch say capturing such event on camera is rare with her only witnessing this twice in 30 years
Teenager Faye Allen (pictured), died after taking a pink 'MasterCard' Ecstasy pill for the first time at a Bank Holiday warehouse rave

This is the 'smiley, warm' teenager who died after taking a pink 'MasterCard' Ecstasy pill for the first time at a Bank Holiday warehouse rave.

Faye Allen, 17, from Liverpool, died in hospital yesterday after collapsing at the Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, during a night out with her boyfriend.

Today, as her death was confirmed, devastated friends and relatives paid tribute to the teenager, describing her as a 'warm, loving girl'.

Her boyfriend's father, who was not named, also revealed it was the first time that Faye had ever been clubbing or taken the drugs before.

A 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug and remain in custody.

He said: 'They are a couple of young lovers who have gone to a club. Faye took a pill for the first time and disaster has struck. The whole family are absolutely devastated.

'We don't know how we are going to look after each other. Faye was her mother's best friend and she doted on her brother and sister and her boyfriend.

'She loved to look after her disabled brother and her younger sister. She was such a smiley and warm, loving girl.'

Faye's death is the third tragedy for her mother, who lost two children to cot death more than ten years ago.

The young girl was just five when her 23-month-old brother Jordon died in July 2004. Four weeks later, her 18-week-old sister Neve also died suddenly.

At an inquest in their deaths, Faye's mother Maxine gave harrowing evidence which heard how there was a history of epilepsy within the family. A coroner recorded verdicts of death by natural causes.

Det Insp Helen Bell from Greater Manchester Police said: 'This is a tragic situation, the death of a young person is always devastating, but in these circumstances, it is all the more heart breaking. My thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.'

She is also urging clubgoers who took the same pills as Faye to seek medical attention amid fears there could be serious consequences for their health.

Sh added: 'Sadly we know it is very unlikely that the girl was the only person to have taken this drug.

'We are appealing to anyone who may have taken this form of ecstasy, known as "MasterCard" to get checked out urgently. Even if you took it some hours ago, this pill will still be in your system and could be seriously harming your health.'

The 17-year-old (left and right) died in hospital yesterday after collapsing at the Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, during a night out with her boyfriend. Tributes described her as a 'warm, loving girl'

Faye's boyfriend's father said it was the first time that Faye had ever been clubbing or taken the drugs before, Police have now issued a safety warning over the Mastercard ecstasy pill (pictured)

Today, friend have been paying tribute to Faye on social media, describing her as an 'angel' and 'lovely kid'.

On Facebook Sean Lynch a friend of Faye said: 'So many young innocent people are dying at this young age - thinking about Fayes family at this sad time. R.I.P Faye.'

Mollie Morgan said: 'Too sad too many young people loosing there life's, rest in peace gorgeous girl hope your settled in up there rest easy Faye.'

Beth Yo Ping wrote: 'Can't believe one of my closest mates has grew her wings and flown to heaven!! Feel physically sick!! Hope you have a ball up there girl!! Can't get my head around it love you millions Faye and I will see you up in there, rest in perfect paradise my bezzie.'

Kevin Cargill said: 'Such crazy news rest in peace Faye such a lovely kid you'll be missed. Thinking of your family and friends.'

Another friend posted her photo on Twitter saying: 'RIP queen remember being in form with u and always getting into trouble, see u on the other side Faye Allen.'

Faye's death is a tragedy for her mother, who lost two children - 18-week-old Neve (left) and 23-month-old Jordon (right) - to cot death more than ten years ago

Leah Gallagher wrote: 'Can't believe you're gone! Remember always dancing to the boom box in the yard, just so sad love goes out to all your family and close friends, forever young gorgeous xxx'

Shaun Macauley added: 'I can't believe I've just woke up to this. Love and miss you Faye...forever in our hearts goodnight gorgeous'

Ellie Mcnally posted: 'Such sad news to hear you're gone Faye, all the laughs we had in school. I will never forget, rest in peace princess.'

It is believed up to 5,000 clubbers packed into Victoria Warehouse to see acts such as Showtek, Blasterjaxx, Don Diablo and Laidback Luke at the Don't Let Daddy Know (#DLDK) event.

A spokesman for the venue said: 'Victoria Warehouse can confirm that an incident took place at the venue in the early hours of Monday, May 2, involving a female who later died in hospital.

'We are currently working closely with Greater Manchester Police with regard to this on-going investigation, and as such, we are not able to make any further comment at this time.
The growing market for hearing loss compensation has been dealt a blow after a judge said a factory worker's claim was 'fundamentally dishonest' and threw out the case in a landmark ruling.

Judge Gregory also ordered the man, who was employed by Coventry-based Diamanttek Limited as a diamond driller and a plant operator between 2003 and 2013, to pay costs following the ruling.

Jonathon James, who is in his mid-fifties, had claimed that Diamanttek Limited was responsible for his noise-induced hearing loss.

Judge Gregory also ordered the man, who was employed by Coventry-based Diamanttek Limited (pictured) as a diamond driller and a plant operator between 2003 and 2013, to pay costs following the ruling

But the court heard while Diamanttek Limited did not deny that the claimant worked in a noisy environment, they disputed the issue of hearing protection provision and enforcement.

James had claimed the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was not enforced prior to 2013 and that until then he had not been given any training on the correct use of hearing protection.

He also said that bosses did not give him any warnings about the dangers of noise exposure.

But Diamanttek Limited's insurers, Allianz, were able to prove that James was supplied with PPE throughout the entire period of his employment and in court denied the company's liability.

LITTLE KNOWN LAW COULD SEE HUGE CHANGES IN COMPENSATION New rules introduced by the Criminal Justice & Courts Act published in April 2015 are finally coming into affect. Under section 44.16 CPR, the court is permitted to set aside QOCS (Qualified One Way Costs Shifting) protection in cases that are found to be fundamentally dishonest - like the one involving Diamanttek and James. Under CPR 44.16: 'Orders for costs made against the claimant may be enforced to the full extent of such orders with the permission of the court where the claim is found on the balance of probabilities to be fundamentally dishonest.' 'Fundamental dishonesty' is not a usual legal term - but it is clearly termed in this way in order to fight fraudulent claims.

Insurers hope the ruling will put an end to spurious hearing loss claims and said they hope it will serve as a warning that fraudulent claims can 'cost dear'.

The Times reports the ruling is the first time, under a new regime brought in by ministers last year, that courts have penalised individuals whose claims are found to be dishonest by ordering them to pay costs.

The newspaper reports that industrial deafness claims have increased by nearly 200 per cent from 2011 to 2014 and they are now rivalling whiplash claims.

If James' claim had been successful he would have been awarded around 10,000 in compensation.

Sarah Mallaby, head of technical claims at Allianz, said her company deals with around 5,200 noise related claims every year, and called the ruling 'great news'.

She said: 'We are delighted that as a result of Allianz's appeal the first fundamental dishonesty ruling has been made against a noise induced hearing loss claim.

'The outcome of this case is great news for the insurance industry. It underpins the principles of the law reforms which came into force in 2013 and we believe that this should now set a precedent for future disease claims.'
A mother-of-four has died after falling of a 50-foot fall at a popular Oregon hiking trail while trying to save her three-year old son who survived.

Stephanie Cohen, 37, the daughter of Portland restaurateur and chef Lisa Schroeder, was on a family hiking trip when her son, Oliver, according to Oregon Live.

Schroeder told the site that her daughter and son both went down an embankment when Cohen tried to pull the boy back to solid ground.

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Stephanie Cohen, pictured with her son Oliver, before they plunged off the cliff. Miss Cohen died but her son survived

Stephanie Cohen, 37, the daughter of Portland restaurateur and chef Lisa Schroeder, was on a family hiking trip with her son, Oliver (pictured)

Proud mother: Lisa Schroeder (left) and her daughter Stephanie Cohen. She said that Stephanie was acting like any other mother would to protect her children

Family snap: Stephanie Cohen with her family - including her twin boys (front, including Oliver) and her boyfriend and two other children

Schroeder said Monday: 'Her motherly instincts prevailed. She gave her life to save his.'

Deputies responded late Sunday afternoon after learning that two hikers had fallen off a cliff at Horsetail Falls along the Columbia River Gorge, according to Multnomah County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Alexander.

Cohen and her son fell about 50 feet and then tumbled another 20-to-30 feet down a slope.

She was brought up to the trail head, but died at the scene. An ambulance took her son to Doernbecher Children's Hospital. Alexander described the boy's injuries as serious.

A three-year-old boy survived a 50-foot fall off a cliff that killed his 37-year-old mother at Horsetail Falls, a popular Oregon hiking trai

According to KGW, the family had been on a hike with six other people, with Oliver sitting on Cohen's partner's shoulders.

When he put him down, Oliver wandered closer to the edge of the cliff almost falling and that is when Cohen stepped into save him by pushing him out of the way.

Schroeder, who owns Mother's Bistro & Bar told The Oregonian that Oliver is expected to survive.

She is survived by her longtime boyfriend and four children between the ages of three and 13.

Scene: Cohen and her son fell about 50 feet and then tumbled another 20-to-30 feet down a slope

The woman and the boy fell about 50 feet and then tumbled another 20-to-30 feet down a slope. Pictured, the trail in Oregon

'She was a shining star,' Schroeder said. 'Even though she leaves four children motherless, we all plan to step up as a village and help raise those kids.'

DailyMail.com made repeated attempts to contact Multnomah County Sheriff's office but they were unavailable for comment.
This is the last known sighting of a mother and Air Force veteran who has now been missing for a week.

Tricia Todd, 30, was pictured at a grocery store in Hobe Sound, Florida, on Tuesday night, just a few hours before she disappeared.

She had been told her daughter was not feeling well by her former husband, who was visiting the two-year-old from North Carolina.

Last seen: Tricia Todd, 30, appeared to be 'smiling and good spirits' when she was seen on the CCTV footage at a Publix in Hobe Sound at 9.40pm last Tuesday

The girl was taken to Martin Memorial South hospital at 8.30pm on Tuesday night by Ms Todd and her former husband.

Ms Todd had then gone to the bed and breakfast he was staying at in the area and left around 2am on Wednesday morning.

She was supposed to pick her daughter up from the hospital the following morning but failed to do so. She has not been seen since.

Detectives later found her car near her Hobe Sound home with the keys still in the ignition and her phone gone. Her credit cards and phone have not been used.

Missing: Ms Todd had then gone to the bed and breakfast her ex-husband was staying in but left at 2am on Wednesday morning and has not bee seen since

Martin County Sheriff William Synder revealed her former husband was the alleged offender in a domestic violence incident against Todd in 2014 in North Carolina but was not arrested.

He said: 'There was no arrested so we don't know the nature of it. Every single thing he's told us so far has been corroborated.'

Sheriff Synder said the ground and water search for the 30-year-old would continue and they had 'no intention' of calling it off.

'We know that if we are looking for a crime scene that sometimes over a period of time it can become more evident if there is a body in the woods.'

He added: 'None of the sightings have given us any significant information.

'We have forensically examined her car and home and her former husband's car and there's not one scintilla of evidence of a crime. No bodily fluids, no blood splatter, no damage to any of that. There's no sign of a crime...there's an absence of it.'

He said when she was last seen she appeared to be in 'good spirits' but her social media presence suggested she was 'having some kind of emotional angst within herself'.

But her younger brother, Nathan, 19, insisted she was a 'perfectly happy individual.'

He said: 'Tricia's a tough girl. Tricia loves God and God loves her.

'I have something that I know for a fact, and that's that God's in control and that God will take care of it.'

He added: 'You could put a hurricane through her, she would (still) go pick up her daughter.'
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This is the moment a lioness honed her hunting skills in Botswana - biding her time to pounce before chasing after a flock of doves.

The birds, which had landed near a watering hole in the Chobe National Park in Botswana, proved easy prey for the energetic big cat.

Pictures show the animal slowly creeping up on the Cape Turtle Doves, before launching into a sprint and expertly snatching its dinner from the sky.

Photographer Steven Stockhall, who was leading a tour at the park, said the lioness then devoured its catch, leaving it with feathers all over its face.

On the prowl: Pictures capture the moment a lioness honed her hunting skills in Botswana - biding her time to pounce before chasing after a flock of doves

Taking flight: The birds, which had landed near a watering hole in the Chobe National Park in Botswana, proved easy prey for the experienced big cat

Dinner time: It didn't take too long for the lioness to snatch her dinner out of the sky before tearing it apart with her teeth

Fierce: Photographer Steven Stockhall, who was leading a tour at the park, said the lioness then devoured its catch, leaving it with feathers all over its face

Speaking about the rare encounter, Mr Stockhall, 48, from Zimbabwe said: 'We were camping close by to the seep and I got everyone up at 4.30am hoping that something would be around the tiny amount of surface water coming from the seep.

'When we got there, a pride of lions had been drinking and were holding court over the water.

'They had a bit of energy to burn, especially the youngsters, and they were chasing each other around and pouncing on each other. Thousands of Cape Turtle Doves were coming in to drink at dawn that day.

In a flap: Pictures show the animal slowly creeping up on the Cape Turtle Doves, before launching into a sprint and expertly snatching its dinner from the sky

Airborne: Mr Stockhall, 48, from Zimbabwe said his tour group woke at 4.30am in the hope that they would capture some interesting pictures

Easy prey: The lioness bided her time before sprinting out of her hiding place and running after the startled flock of grey doves

Stalking: Thousands of Cape Turtle Doves had landed at the watering hole in Botswana - despite the presence of a pride of lions

He said that only one young lioness took interest in the birds and and then started to hunt them.

'She had been lying in a depression nearby, just her eyes and ears sticking out and you could tell she was calculating how to get it right,' he added.

'She would suddenly burst out of the depression, hoping that a Dove or two would be injured as they took off. Once she caught one, she would tear it apart, feathers all over her face and devour it.

'A sighting like this is both rare and gold for us in this business. I was beside myself with excitement just watching the show let alone photographing.'

Success: Some of the young animals had energy to burn after drinking at the watering hole and chased after each other before turning on the birds

Waiting game: The lioness pokes its head up above its hiding place as it bides its time ahead of pouncing on the flock of birds

Photographer Steven Stockhall said he was 'beside myself with excitement just watching the show let alone photographing'
The artist who shot to fame after painting a nude portrait of Donald Trump claims she was assaulted near her home by one of the US Republican front-runner's supporters.

Illma Gore took to social to share images of herself with a black eye, claiming a man got out of his car in California's La Cienega Boulevard and punched her in the face while chanting 'Trump 2016'.

The Australian-born artist was thrust into the spotlight in February after painting an unflattering image of the billionaire businessman without any clothes on - including a micro-sized penis.

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Illma Gore claims she has been assaulted by a Donald Trump supporter near her Californian home

The artist urged anyone who 'saw anything on La Cienega on Friday' to come forward and speak with police

'Today I was punched in the face by a man who got out of his car and yelled, 'Trump 2016!' in Los Angeles, just days after I returned home from London just down the road from my house,' the artist's Instagram post reads.

'This type of violence makes creatives feel like we live in a world where our individual creative input isn't safe.'

'Though I encourage passion, opinion and emotion, especially though art, I think violence is disgustingPlease stop glamorizing and perpetuating violence. Make America Decent Again!'

In a follow up post and image of her bruises on Monday, Gore urged anyone who 'saw anything on La Cienega on Friday' to come forward and speak with police.

The artist said her attacker fled the scene and is yet to be caught, but that she filed a detailed police report after the incident.

She had previously spoken out about receiving 1,000's of death threats for the pastel based pencil and oil paint artwork, which was refused to be exhibited in the US due to threats from Trump supporters.

Last month Gore claimed she was contacted by an anonymous number threatening legal action if the artwork was sold, reports The Independent.

'They claimed to be from Trump's team,' she said.

The artist painted an unfaltering image of what she imagines the billionaire businessman might look like naked

Last month Gore claimed she was contacted by an anonymous number threatening legal action if the artwork was sold

She had previously spoken out about receiving 1,000 death threats from supporters of the US presidential candidate

The picture was also reportedly banned by Facebook after it went viral and attempts to auction the artwork on eBay were thwarted when that site removed it.

Instead the Make America Great Again - a play on Trump's own slogan - was exhibited for the public at the Maddox Gallery in London, where it was has been priced at $1.87 million.

Gore said she plans to carry ahead with the sale of the artwork and donate some of the proceeds to Sage Place for Youth, a charity supporting homeless young people.
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A three-storey home with its very own island on the coast of Ireland has been put on the market for 2.3million.

The Mermaid Estate sits on 25-acres of coastal land, overlooking a natural harbour populated by seals and dolphins, on the tip of County Kerry in south west Ireland.

The three-bedroom main house was built using one-of-a-kind reclaimed materials, sporting stained glass windows from derelict churches and hospitals.

A remote home that comes with its very own island, forest and harbour has emerged for sale for 2.3m

The 4,500 sq. ft. home, located near Sneem, Co. Kerry, also comes with a guest house and a swathe of the uninhabited island of Illaundrane, just off the shore.

In addition to three bedrooms on several floors, three bathrooms, a library, a gym and office spaces, the property also has two outdoor hot tubs.

The separate two-storey, one-bedroom cottage, also located on the waterfront, has a living area of approx. 700 sq. ft.

The beautiful anchorage is included in the price and has more than 4,000ft of private shoreline to enjoy.

Idyllic: The three-storey house overlooks a natural harbour off the south-west Irish coast

In addition to three bedrooms on several floors, three bathrooms, a library, a gym and office spaces, the property also has two outdoor hot tubs

The beautiful anchorage is included in the price and has more than 4,000ft of private shoreline to enjoy

This leads to crystal clear Gulf Stream water patrolled by dolphins and seals and is sheltered in a protected inlet.

Ron Krueger, estate agent, said: 'This is obviously a wonderful location on a beautiful piece of waterfront and with this incredibly designed house it is something else.

'This is a perfect property for someone looking for a special retreat for their family and love the piece and quiet of Ireland.

'The interior is very interesting and it is full of big open spaces and is also made with Canadian Douglas Fir that gives it a unique look.

The separate, one-bedroom guest house cottage (pictured right) has a living area of approx. 700 sq. ft.

Unexpected guests: The waters near the house are populated by seals and the occasional dolphin

'Also when they built the house my client went all over Europe searching for building materials from old churches and hospitals.

'All the stained glass windows are reclaimed and have been installed in the areas that really catches the light.
A Georgia woman says her grandson's teacher made him hang by his belt from the top of a chalkboard as punishment.

Tracy Davis said that on Thursday, the principal at Shoal Creek Elementary School in Conyers found her 5-year-old grandson  who has special needs  hanging from a chalkboard.

The principal said the boy was screaming and in distress.

'He was in distress because he was screaming and hollering,' Davis told WSBTV.

'He was scared, he was only five': Tracy Davis says her grandson (pictured together) was tied up to a chalkboard by his teacher in Shoal Creek, Georgia, and claims it wasn't the first time that it had happened

Davis says the state Division of Family and Children Services interviewed the boy and learned this wasn't the first time the teacher had done this.

She says the school told her it's disciplining two teachers and a paraprofessional because of the incident.

But discipline is not what these teachers need, according to Davis.

'I don't want those teachers to ever have the privilege to teach again,' she said.

Investigating: The principal at Shoal Creek Elementary School in Conyers, Georgia, found the boy

'I don't want those teachers to ever have the privilege to teach again,' Tracy Davis said

Rockdale County Public Schools tells the news station in a statement that the district 'takes all matters of this kind very seriously and is currently conducting a full investigation'.

Davis says she is now trying to help her grandson understand what happened to him.

She says he is embarrassed and scared.
A man accused of stealing and torching a vintage Ferrari once owned by the late Princess Diana's boyfriend has been bailed with a $50,000 surety.

Kane Ridley, 34, is one of three men charged after a prized 1972 Daytona Ferrari, worth up to $2 million, was found burnt out in Langwarrin, south east of Melbourne, in November.

Police say the car, formerly owned by Dodi Fayed, was nabbed from Braeside, which is about 20km away from where it was discovered.

The 1972 Daytona Ferrari was stolen from Braeside and discovered burnt out in Langwarrin, south-east of Melbourne

Kane Ridley, 34, is one of three men charged with stealing the vintage car that was worth up to $2million

The luxury vehicle was once owned by Princess Diana's boyfriend Dodi Fayed the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed

Ridley, of Frankston, faces 11 charges, including theft, arson, handling stolen goods and dealing with proceeds of crime.

He was released on bail with a slew of conditions on Tuesday, after the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard the case against him was largely circumstantial, he had stable family support and there would likely be a lengthy delay before his trial.

There wasn't a lot of direct evidence tying Ridley to some of the crimes he's alleged to have committed, the court heard.

Ridley's co-accused, Cranbourne man Matthew Ludwig, 31, and Langwarrin man Bradley Abela, 29, also face a string of charges each.

The car has undergone a number of high profile ownership changes from Dodi Fayed and Pink Floyd front man Roger Walters

Ridley faces 11 charges including theft, arson, handling stolen goods and dealing with proceeds of crime

Ridley and his co-accused Matthew Ludwig, 31, and Langwarrin man Bradley Abela, 29, also face a string of charges each and will appear in court again in June

The trio are due back before the court in June.

Ridley's bail conditions include a $50,000 surety, reporting to police, surrender of passports and a curfew.

He cannot contact witnesses or consume drugs or alcohol.
Was it murder? British DJ Lee Harrison (pictured) may have killed after a CIA blunder apparently led to a criminal gang mistaking him for a spy

A British DJ found hanging in Lebanon may have been murdered after a CIA blunder apparently led to a criminal gang mistaking him for a spy, MailOnline can reveal today.

Lee Harrison, 50, was arrested and then released in a case of mistaken identity by U.S. spies hunting a Libyan national of the same name.

But when he returned to his host family, they held him hostage fearing he was a CIA informer who may expose their alleged criminal activities.

His father said his son lived in fear that he may be killed and even texted him to say someone 'has had me done in over here' days before his death on April 20.

He eventually escaped and fled to another friend's house where he was found hanging just hours later.

According to sources, Mr Harrison was arrested and questioned for a number of hours in an army barracks in Lebanon by Americans claiming to be the CIA in January after being plucked from his car in an area renowned for terrorists, gun smuggling, kidnapping and Hezbollah drug gangs.

Harrison, who served nine years in prison in the UK for his part in the murder of an Asian man in 2003, had applied to the immigration authorities for an extended tourist visa in February.

But he was told that his name was on a Interpol wanted list as a Libyan national of the same name, who was thought to be involved in international crime and possibly hiding in Lebanon.

Finally, he was handed back his passport and told by security officials that it was clearly a case of mistaken identity.

But on April 2, when he tried to leave Beirut airport, it was clear that security officials there were not made aware of the updated information and they took his passport, according to police sources.

When he returned to his host family, themselves believed to be involved in criminal activity, they kept him under house arrest, suspicious that he may be a CIA informer.

The family members had previously shown video clips of AK-47 assault rifles and drug stashes to him during the earlier days of his holiday.

Predicting his fate? His father, Tom Harrison, said his son lived in fear that he may be killed and even texted him to say someone 'has had me done in over here' days before his death

Experts are now speculating that this series of events may have led to his murder.

According to his father, Tom Harrison, the gang leader was afraid of losing his benefits in the UK including a house and NHS plastic surgery to rebuild his face after he had been shot by a rival.

He said his son had sent a series of messages to him fearing he may be killed.

One message said somebody 'has had me done in over here'.

Speaking to Mail Online, Tom Harrison said: 'He told me they were going to do him in and that they had turned on him.'

He added that his son told him: 'If anything happens to me, get my body checked properly as there will be no marks.'

He said: 'I said just leave now. Get out, right now.'

On the day of his death, his father said Lee tried to escape their clutches and a fistfight broke out in the house.

According to the police chief heading the investigation, Lee managed to flee the house but ran into a car which knocked him down.

He was taken to hospital but discharged himself on the same day and asked someone there to be taken to a Christian friend he had recently got to know in the same area as his host family.

Hours later, his friends returned to that house to find his lifeless body hanging.

Tom Harrison has attacked the investigation by Lebanese police, accusing them of making a number of alarming errors that led to them reaching a verdict of suicide.

He has also questioned why British officials have not helped him access to his son's preliminary autopsy reports, his passport and phone, raising suspicions of a cover up.

He added: 'Even the dates which these family members are all saying was the day Lee was killed is three days before the actual day he died. How is that possible?!'

'And why do they need three doctors to examine the body?' he said. 'There is too much which has been bungled'.
The American serviceman killed by ISIS in northern Iraq has been identified as a Navy SEAL.

A US military official says the SEAL was killed during an attack on Iraqi Kurdish positions outside the IS-held city of Mosul on Tuesday morning.

It was the third death of a U.S. service member in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition launched its campaign against IS militants in the summer of 2014.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter called it a 'combat death'.

The official identifying the serviceman as a SEAL was speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the incident publicly.

The killed SEAL has not been identified.

An American serviceman was killed near Irbil (stock picture) in Iraq today while fighting ISIS

The serviceman lost his life 'in the neighborhood of Irbil' (pictured), according to Defense Secretary Ash Carter

He was killed by 'direct fire' while acting as an adviser to Kurdish Peshmerga troops in the neighbourhood of Irbil, a US military official revealed.

He died when ISIS forces penetrated the Peshmerga's forward line and was two to three miles behind that front line.

In a statement the US-led coalition said: 'On May 3, a coalition service member was killed in the neighbourhood of Irbil as a result of enemy fire.'

Defense Secretary Ash Carter addressed the killing in a news conference in Stuttgart where he has been consulting with European allies this week.

It comes as it was revealed attacks by ISIS have risen sharply as a reaction to territorial losses they have suffered.

ISIS have lost 40 per cent of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and has resorted to mass-casualty violence as it desperately tries to restore its authority in the region.

Col Steve Warren, spokesman for the US-led coalition, said he believed the number of ISIS fighters being killed by allied bombing and forces on the ground was now higher than the 'replenishment rate'.

Coalition strategy has combined trying to push ISIS back on several major fronts with air attacks and that has seen the 'dismantling' of the group.

Last week, Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad to encourage leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat the terror group.
A large fire tore through the side of a skyscraper in China forcing hundreds of office workers to flee for their lives.

Shocking footage has emerged of the moment the fire broke out at the Longsheng Building, situated in downtown Nanjing, eastern China.

Many office employees were still inside the building and were forced to quickly escape, according to the Daily Mirror.

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Shocking footage has emerged of the moment the fire broke out at the Longsheng Building, situated in downtown Nanjing, eastern China

Local media reports claim the fire broke out at about 15:20 local time in the afternoon in Nanjing.

Flames engulfed the colossal building with thick smoke pouring into the air as people fled for safety.

No one was hurt in the terrifying incident and firefighters managed to put the blaze out. Much of the building was significantly damaged.

Flames engulfed the colossal building with thick smoke pouring into the air as people fled for safety

It is unclear how the fire started and investigators are yet to provide any hint of whether there was suspicious activity involved.
Legendary investor Warren Buffet has urged Britain to stay in the EU in the latest transatlantic intervention in the referendum campaign.

The US guru made clear he thought there were many things wrong with the union but argued that leaving would be a 'backward step'.

The comments came amid reports that Bill Clinton will endorse EU membership during a visit later in the campaign.

The former US president's appearance is being organised by Tony Blair, according to The Times.

But the latest American intrusions in the campaign will infuriate Brexit supporters, after Barack Obama's dramatic warning last month that the UK would go to the 'back of the queue' for a trade deal with the US.

Legendary US investor Warren Buffett has said he hopes Britain stay in the EU in the latest transatlantic intervention in the referendum battle

As the battle heats up ahead of the crucial poll on June 23, a former trade chief has said France would seize on the opportunity of a Brexit vote to hammer the City of London and impose protective tariffs

Pascal Lamy, ex-director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), said French farmers would be 'eager' to stop British beef and lamb reaching their supermarket shelves.

He also claimed that negotiating the deal could take up to 15 years.

Former Chancellor Alistair Darling is warning that leaving could cost us up to 250 billion a year in lost trade with the EU.

The choice is between free trade within the EUs single market of 500million consumers, or spending years negotiating new trade deals only to leave us in a weaker position than we enjoy today,' he will say in a speech.

'Leaving the single market would be catastrophic for our businesses and our families who would be paying more and suffering from a weaker economy.

The 250billion figure is based on the controversial dossier produced by the Treasury last month which claimed that total UK trade could fall by up to 24 per cent if Britain leaves the EU and fails to secure a replacement free trade deal.

But Tory MP Liam Fox will use a speech today to hit back at suggestions leaving would harm national security, accusing the EU of has undermining Nato and strengthening Vladimir Putin.

Tory MP Liam Fox is backing Brexit

Dr Fox will say: One of the more absurd assertions made by the Remain campaign is that President Putin would be happy to see Britain leave the European Union and that this would increase his appetite for aggression.

Am I mistaken or were we not part of the EU when Russia launched a cyber attack on Estonia, invaded Georgia or annexed the Ukraine?

Not only do I believe that the behaviour of Putin has been exacerbated by Western appeasement for a number of years but I believe that in subsuming many of the political responsibilities of Nato the EU has weakened, rather than strengthened, that most important of alliances.

Mr Lamy, a Frenchman who headed the World Trade Organisation between 2005 and 2013, said that the rest of the EU would drive a 'hard bargain' in the event of Brexit.

'EU leaders will fear that anti-Europe parties in their own backyard will get momentum from Brexit, so will want to drive a hard bargain to avoid contagion,' he wrote in The Times. 'In a competitive global marketplace, they will seek any advantage they can get.

'My own country will probably be among the hardest to negotiate with. Imagine how eager French farmers will be not to have your beef or lamb on our supermarket shelves. And no one will show any love for the City of London.

'If it fails to get a deal, there is a real risk that the UK would have to fall back on WTO rules. Some in the Leave campaign have said this would not be a bad option.

'As the former head of the WTO, let me be clear: this would be a terrible replacement for access to the EU single market.

'Though tariffs have fallen, they are still high enough to hurt businesses and therefore jobs: 10 per cent for cars, 12 per cent on clothes, 70 per cent on some beef products.

'Some claim the UK could strike better trade deals on its own. Let's be honest, there has not been a major WTO deal in 23 years and the most significant agreements are being negotiated between regional blocs.

'Any ambitious UK-EU deal will need to be ratified in 27 legislatures as well as the European parliament.

'How much time will all of this take? My best guess is five to 15 years. In the meantime, British firms will face an uncertain future, and it is very unlikely that the UK would be a more prosperous place at the end of it.'

But Vote Leave spokesman Matthew Elliott said: The underlying belief of the Remain campaigners appears to be that Britain  the worlds fifth largest economy and a nation with a great history of trading across the globe  would be an economic backwater if it wasnt for Brussels taking control of our trade deals. Thats absurd.

Mr Buffett made clear he was critical of many aspects of the EU and said he would be 'surprised' if it lasts a 'long time' in its 'current form'.

He also said he did not believe the result would make much difference to America or his investments.

But he told CNBC it would be a 'backward step' for Britain to leave.

'I hope they stay in ... I think certainly if I was to vote in it I would vote to stay in,' Mr Buffett said.

'A major player saying we have tried this for a while, and we want to go it along ... it would be a big step backwards.'
Scott Morrison's family watched from the sideline in Parliament while the Treasurer delivered his Federal Budget - which will hit thousands of families across Australia in their hip pocket.

Mr Morrison delivered his first budget for Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday night at 7.30pm from Canberra ahead of a likely Double Dissolution election on July 2.

While he delayed childcare subsidies and tightened family tax benefits, his wife, their two daughters and grandparents smiled at the sideline and hugged him after he wrapped up the delivery.

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Scott Morrison delivered his first Federal Budget on Tuesday in Parliament House and hit families in the hip pocket, while his own smiled as they watched on (wife Jenny pictured far right and their children Lily and Abbey, father John second from the left and mother centre)

Mr Morrison embraced his two young daughters Lily and Abbey after delivering his budget ahead of a likely Double Dissolution election on July 2

Jenny Morrison and their two young daughters Lily and Abbey listened in before standing to embrace him on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, parents hoping to get a planned new government childcare subsidy will have to wait a year longer.

The federal government has delayed until 2018 the start of its $3 billion childcare package unveiled in last year's budget.

That's because the savings it will need to pay for it  cuts to the parental payments of those on family tax benefit part B  remain stalled in parliament.

The Treasurer hugged his wife Jenny on Tuesday night at Parliament House after delivering the budget

Mr Morrison is greeted by his parents after delivering a budget which will hit families in the hip pocket

The subsidy, which will require parents to undertake at least eight hours of work a fortnight to qualify, was originally due to start on July 1, 2017.

Early Childhood Australia chief executive Samantha Page had called on the government to take the opportunity 'to cure problems' in child care 'by fixing the activity test and ensuring all children can access at least two days of subsidised early learning'.

While Tuesday's Budget papers confirmed the delay, there is good news for parents facing difficulty getting their kids into mainstream childcare centres.

The government has extended the timeline for its nanny pilot program, and raised the hourly fee cap from $7 to $10.

Treasurer Scott Morrison smiles at his wife Jenny, two daughters Lily and Abbey, and his parents

Mr Morrison hugs his two daughters Lily and Abbey as his wife Jenny and his parents watch on smiling

However, women and carers whose work has been interrupted will be aided in making catch-up super contributions. Partners have been encouraged to top up low-income spouses' super through extended eligibility to claim tax offset for contributions.

There has been no tax cut for those earning less than $80,000 annually as the government says they have benefited through the abolition of the carbon tax.

Women's advocacy group Fair Agenda criticised the increase of $33 million annually to combat family violence, claiming the small boost 'will have dangerous consequences for those affected'.

'The government is leaving thousands of women without the service support they need to be safe,' Renee Carr, Executive Director of Fair Agenda, said in a statement.

'The Turnbull government said that family violence is a national priority - but tonight's announcements don't reflect that. 'The Prime Minister's decision to leave thousands of women without access to services that they need to live free from danger is devastating.'

Labor's shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said the budget puts big business ahead of battlers.

'The Liberals say this is a plan for jobs and growth - but it's really a plan to deliver tax cuts for multinationals at the expense of Australian families,' shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said.

While he delayed childcare subsidies and tightened family tax benefits, his wife, their two daughters and grandparents smiled at the sideline and hugged him after he wrapped up the delivery

Mr Morrison kisses his wife Jenny at Parliament House after delivering his first budget

A person earning $1 million a year will get a $16,715 tax cut, but three-quarters of taxpayers would get nothing, Mr Bowen said.

A couple on a single income of $65,000 with three children in primary school would be $3034 worse off a year.

A single mother on an income of $87,000 with two children in high school would be $4463 worse off.

'The difference between Labor and Liberal could not be more stark,' Mr Bowen said.

'We'll put people first, while the 2016 budget has shown the Liberal party will look after high income earners and multinationals.'

'Tonight's budget is fiscal recklessness on a grand scale, proposing an unfunded and uncosted five per cent company tax cut over 10 years, which has the potential to put Australia's AAA credit rating at risk.'

Mr Bowen said it was a 'Liberal budget to its core'.

He's taken issue with an 'extended GP tax by stealth' as well as 'cuts' to funding for schools, Medicare, families, pensioners, veterans' hospitals and higher education.

The federal government has delayed until 2018 the start of its $3 billion childcare package unveiled in last year's budget
President Obama has said he will miss his eldest daughter 'terribly' but she is ready to 'do great things' after she was accepted into Harvard.

The White House announced on Sunday that Malia, 17, will attend Harvard in the fall of 2017, following in her parents' footsteps.

She opted to defer her attendance by one year and will take a gap year in the meantime.

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The President said he will 'miss Malia terribly' when she goes to Harvard but 'she is going to go great things'

Speaking about her upcoming move, the President said: 'You know, I couldn't be prouder of her. But it's tough, though.

'This is my first one leaving and my daughters are wonderful, and one of the great pleasures of being in the White House is because I live above the store, I've been able to spend every night that I'm in town with them.'

In the interview with WKRC-TV, he added: 'I'm going to miss her terribly. But she is well-prepared, she is going to do great things - and as Michelle reminds us, our job is to make sure they don't need us anymore.'

In an interview with chat show host Ellen DeGeneres earlier this year, Mr Obama said he turned down an invitation to speak at her graduation ceremony at Sidwell Friends, a prestigious local private school.

'I'm going to be wearing dark glasses, sobbing. I'm going to cry', he said.

He added: 'She's one of my best friends. It's going to be hard for me not to have her around all the time, but she's ready to go.'

Confirmed: Malia Obama will take a gap year after graduating from high school, but will then go to Harvard. The White House she would be heading to the prestigious college after she was pictured in a Harvard t-shirt

Obama graduated from Columbia University and Michelle graduated from Princeton (pictured) two years later. Both would go on to attend Harvard Law

Time flies: Then Senator Barack Obama sits with his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha (L) and Malia (R) in a hotel room as they wait for election returns to come in on November 2, 2004

Malia and her sister Sasha, 15, attend the high school where the children and grandchildren of the Clintons, Roosevelts, Bidens and Gores also went.

She graduates in June and will celebrate her 18th birthday on July 4.

Her mother said she wants to become a filmmaker and she spent last summer in New York working as an intern on the set of the HBO show Girls.

Harvard accepted 5.2 percent of applicants this year, making this admissions cycle the most selective in its nearly four-century history.
Peter Dutton has blamed refugee advocates for the critical burns Hadon Yasin, 21, suffered after setting herself alight on Nauru.

The Somali woman was transferred to the Royal Brisbane Hospital in a critical condition on Tuesday morning after the self-immolation on Monday afternoon.

She is fighting for her life only days after Iranian refugee Omid Masoumali, 23, died on Friday after he set himself on fire on Nauru last Wednesday.

Mr Dutton, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, said refugees had been encouraged by advocates - who have themselves hit back at the 'disrespectful' claim.

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Somali refugee Hadon Yasin, 21, became the second refugee to set herself on fire on Nauru just days after a fellow refugee died from self-inflicted burns

Peter Dutton, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, blamed advocates for the self-immolations

'I have previously expressed my frustration and anger at advocates and others who are in contact with those in Regional Processing Centres and who are encouraging them to engage in behaviours they believe will pressure the Government to bring them to Australia,' Mr Dutton wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

'Advocates should reflect on their messages of false hope and misleading portrayal of the situation in Nauru.

'While some may be encouraged by messages of false hope, and some may resort to extreme action, the Government will not be dissuaded from its stated border protection policies,' Mr Dutton said.

Refugee advocate bodies Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) and Refugee Council have returned fire, saying it was 'Australia's cruel detention system [which] destroyed her' and is 'costing lives'.

Refugee advocates have hit back at the 'baseless' and 'disrespectful' claims

'Despite the Immigration Minister's attempts to deflect the blame, it is the government that is responsible for the appalling conditions they have created on Nauru,' Refugee Action Coalition wrote in a statement.

'Peter Dutton does not have a shred of evidence that advocates encourage refugees to self-harm,' Ian Rintoul, RAC spokesperson said.

'His dismissive attitude to the distress of the asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru will only put more people at risk. He should seek the advice of mental health experts before he makes such ill-informed pronouncements.'

Mr Rintoul said the government system had 'failed even a basic duty of care to people under their control'.

Refugee Council of Australia have demanded Mr Dutton 'substantiate his very serious allegations'.

'Along with many, many others and based on substantive evidence, we have warned that the policies of respective Australian Governments risk these shocking acts of desperation,' the statement said.

Refugee advocates claim Ms Yasin was on suicide watch prior to her self-immolation and had made multiple attempts at self-harm in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old was one of three refugees returned to Nauru last week after being taken from Brisbane's immigration transit accommodation.

She was brought to Australia in November after suffering a head injury in a motorcycle accident and was reportedly forcibly removed from Brisbane on Wednesday about 3am by Border Force officials.

'Hodan's removal was reckless in the extreme, and directly contributed to her suicide attempt on Nauru,' RAC said.

'On the very night that Hodan was returned to Nauru, she swallowed washing powder at the IHMS clinic, OPC 1. She has been in OPC 12 under 'high watch' since she was returned to Nauru.'

'Hodan was a known suicide risk. It is Peter Dutton, IHMS and mental health workers who have to explain how Hodan was able to leave OPC 1 and attempt self-immolation at the bus stop,' Mr Rintoul said.

'It is Peter Dutton and offshore processing that robbed Omid and Hodan of their hope. To belittle her distress and her need for help has condemned the Minister and the policy and exposed how little care there is for those who need it.'

'I have previously expressed my frustration and anger at advocates and others who are in contact with those in Regional Processing Centres and who are encouraging them to engage in behaviours they believe will pressure the Government to bring them to Australia,' Mr Dutton wrote in a statement on Tuesday

Witnesses told the Refugee Action Coalition she suffered severe burns and all off her clothes were burnt off. Above is a stock image of Nauru's off-shore detention centre

RAC also said the hospital on Nauru is not functioning, despite Mr Dutton's claims more money has been invested into it.

'Omid and Hodan were treated in the shockingly unsatisfactory conditions of the old hospital.

'Even basic medical supplies were not available at the hospital to properly treat Omid.'

Advocates said he had waited 10 hours for morphine, though Mr Dutton said 'both patients received the utmost care'.

Mr Rintoul also said the 21-year-old referred to herself as Hodan, but was officially recorded as Hadon.

Despite the Government of Nauru's report the woman is 21, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre claimed she is 19 years old and was taken to Nauru detention when she was 16 but was processed as an adult.

In his statement, Mr Dutton confirmed Ms Yasin had been transferred to a Brisbane hospital and was in a critical condition.

Omid Masoumali set himself alight on Wednesday and was airlifted to a Brisbane hospital on Thursday but died the following day

A candlelight vigil was held in Mr Masoumali's memory in Sydney following his death, with signs displayed saying 'Killed by detention on Nauru. Close the camps now'

'All efforts are being made to meet her medical needs. We can only hope for the best possible outcome.

'In this and the previous incident, both patients have received the utmost care, treatment and consideration, both in Nauru and in Australia.

'The Government has been absolutely clear: we do not want to see the restart of boats and deaths at sea.

'Persons transferred to Regional Processing Centres will not be resettled in Australia.'

A wooden boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers arrived close to the Australian territory of the Cocos Islands on Tuesday, locals claim, before it was intercepted by AFP and Australian Border Force officials.

A refugee on Manus Island posted about Ms Yasin's self-immolation, expressing his sadness about the situation.

The 21-year-old set herself alight in detention on Nauru just days after the death of Mr Masoumali, 23 (pictured in hospital)

'I'm so sorry my sister hodan yasin [sic], she was in detention centre more than three years, and now she is burning her self on fire,' he said.

'I can imagine what cause this problem... I'm not sure if she is a live [sic] or not. Anyway I'm praying for you.

'Please where is the human rights? Where is the justice in this world ? Where are the people saying we look after the human being? Why they don't talk the people are dying in manus Island and nauru?

'Who will take the responsibility our bleeding blood? Please let them know the human rights this situation. We're in defence we can't talk so please we need help.'

The Nauruan government said in a statement it was distressed that refugees were attempting 'dreadful acts' to influence the Australian Government's immigration policies.

The man was heard screaming 'I can't take it anymore' before he set himself alight in front of other detainees

Shocking footage of the moment Omid set himself on fire in protest of Australia's detention laws emerged last week (above)

The government stressed refugees on the island were given the same freedoms as citizens but had 'better facilities'.

'Refugees and asylum seekers are not distressed due to their conditions,' a statement said.

The island's government called for refugee advocates to stop giving refugees and asylum seekers false hope and 'stirring up these protests'.

A vigil for Ms Yasin has been organised for Wednesday at 5.30pm at Sydney's Town Hall.

Prior to Mr Dutton's statement, Mr Rintoul had called the incident 'another self-harm attempt that is [Australia's Immigration Minister] Peter Dutton's responsibility.

'A vulnerable young woman who needed protection was a victim of a spiteful removal.

'She has been sent to the toxic environment that the Minister has created on Nauru. Tragically this was entirely predictable.'
The first picture of a Gambian asylum seeker accused of killing an American au-pair in her apartment in Vienna has emerged.

The man - identified only as Abdou I. - has been charged with murdeing Lauren Mann but insists he was not in the city at the time of her death.

Austrian police have claimed he may have acted out of jealousy after finding Lauren lying next to a 15-year-old Afghan boy.

Lauren, 25, was found naked at her apartment in the Wieden district of the Austrian capital on January 25 after her employers told police she had not picked up their child from school.

Abdou l, left, is accused of murdering Lauren Mann, right in the Austrian capital city of Vienna

Lauren Mann, 25, was found naked at her apartment in the Wieden district of the Austrian capital on January 25 after her employers told police she had not picked up their child from school

According to The Local, investigators now believe Abdou I. killed her in a jealous rage after entering her flat and finding her with her arm around a 15-year-old boy from Afghanistan.

During a police interview, the 24-year-old suspect said he had left the city and was in Switzerland when she was killed.

Firemen broke down the door to her flat to find her half-undressed body lying face down on a mattress and surrounded by burning candles, having been violently suffocated.

Police have already claimed that Abdou's sperm was found on her body and bed. He has admitted having a sexual relationship with her.

Investigators now believe Abdou I. killed her in a jealous rage after entering her flat and finding her with her arm around a 15-year-old boy from Afghanistan. Police officers work at the scene of the grisly slaying

He was arrested nine days after her death at a refugee centre in Switzerland.

In March, it was reported that Ms Mann may have met him via the CouchSurfing website.

According to Kurier.at, the 25-year-old was active on CouchSurfing, and her profile on the accommodation website states she had met many friends by using the service.

Her profile also reveals she had graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Music and French.
The image of her peaceful protest and stand against

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This is the moment one brave woman stepped out in front of the leaders of a 300-strong Nazi march - and raised her fist in defiance.

The photograph was taken in Borlange, Dalarna, in central Sweden, where the militant Nazi organisation Nordiska motstandsrorelsen (Nordic Resistance Movement) was holding a rally on International Workers' Day this weekend.

As hundreds of right-wing extremists, dressed in homemade uniforms of white shirts and dark green ties, marched down the street, 42-year-old Tess Asplund stood in their way and faced the group's leaders with her arm in the air.

Defiant: Tess Asplund, 42, stepped out in front of 300 Nazis marching through the city of Borlange, Sweden, and faced its leaders with her fist in the air

The photograph of her brave and defiant action has been shared by thousands of Scandinavians on Twitter and Facebook, and the snap is already being hailed as an iconic moment in modern Swedish history.

Ms Asplund had been taking part in a counter demonstration, organised by Dalarna Against Racism, to protest the Nazi march in Borlange on Sunday.

Speaking to local media, Ms Asplund, from Stockholm, says she is shocked that the photograph has had such spread online in the past few days.

'I normally stand with a raised fist at demonstrations, this is not new to me,' Ms Asplund, who has been an activist for 26 years, told P4 Dalarna.

'I just felt when they came walking that "you shouldn't be here" and then one of them stared at me and I stared back. He said nothing and I said nothing, and then the police came and removed me.'

The militant right-wing extremist organisation calling itself Nordiska motstandsrorelsen (Nordic Resistance Movement) had gathered a total of around 330 people in its demonstration on May Day in Borlange

Brave: Ms Asplund faced the right-wing extremists as they marched down the street before she was removed by police

Protester: The 42-year-old was taking part in a counter-demonstration taking action against the right-wing extremists

When asked if she had been scared to face the Nordic Resistance Movement - many of whom have convictions for violent crimes - Ms Asplund simply said: 'I am not afraid of them.'

Photographer David Lagerlof, who captured Ms Asplund's action, wrote on his Facebook page about the snap: 'A single woman steps out into the street and stands in front of Sweden's most violent Nazi organisation.

'The place is Borlange, 1st May, where the Nazi's have gotten a demonstration permit. In a single gesture, the woman then raises her fist and refuses to move. "What is she thinking?" is my surprised reaction while I raise the camera to take the picture

'In front of her, the organisations leader set moves closer in solemn silence. The woman's gaze meets that of the man in the middle, the leader of the nazi organisation who appears to stare back at her

'There is a short "battle of the gazes" before the police steps in and removes the woman.'
From $18 million to eradicate exotic mosquitoes and fish, to almost $5 million to print political party logos on ballot papers - some of the bizarre inclusions in the 2016 Federal Budget can be revealed.

Treasurer Scott Morrison on Tuesday confirmed Australians' tax dollars will go towards some rather unusual programs as he also revealed millions of low paid workers, wealthy retirees and working parents would lose out.

But as he announced the nation's deficit will plummet from $37.1 billion to $6 billion by 2019-20, Mr Morrison stressed: 'This is not a time to be splashing money'.

He then confirmed $15 million will be spent on a National Carp Control Plan, passport costs will be increased by $20 and $3 million will be used to control Asian Tiger mosquitoes in the Torres Strait.

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On Tuesday, Treasurer Scott Morrison informed Australians where their tax cuts were headed in his first Budget and it has been confirmed $3 million will be spent to control the Asian Tiger mosquito

Carp breed in plague proportions in the Murray River and the huge fish, who suck mud up and spit it out, are responsible for bringing native fish numbers to the brink of extinction

Another $4.8 million will go toward enhancing the EasyCount system and printing party logos onto ballot papers during voting time. In April, Victorian crossbench senator Ricky Muir revealed his ballot paper party logo for the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party to be a caricature of himself (pictured)

Australian Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison is hugged by daughters Lily (left) and Abbey (right) after he delivered the 2016-2017 Federal Budget

Scott Morrison (centre, kneeling) shares a moment with his family including Jenny Morrison (far right) with daughters Lily (left) and Abbey (right) on Tuesday

Treasurer Scott Morrison is congratulated by members of parliament after delivering the budget

Fellow politicians applaud Mr Morrison after his delivery of the budget at Parliament House on Tuesday

Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison receives a hug from his wife Jenny in the House of Representatives

Scott Morrison with fellow politicians including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Julie Bishop and Peter Dutton

Wacky Budget announcements

Ballot papers

Another $4.8 million will go towards printing party logos onto ballot papers during voting time and the 'Easycount' system.

This measure appears aimed at preventing voters from mistaking the Liberal Party for Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm.

At the last election, Mr Leyonhjelm was placed first on the ballot papers and and won 9.5 per cent of the New South Wales primary vote.

He denied claims his party's name had anything to do with it, but the Liberal Party appears convinced otherwise.

In April, Victorian crossbench senator Ricky Muir revealed his ballot paper party logo for the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party was a caricature of himself.

Mr Muir said he 'hoped it maximises his chances of being noticed on the ballot paper'.

Murray Carp

$15 million toward The Murray Carp Control Plan will help eradicate millions of the fish in South Australia by 2045.

Scientists are planning to use the herpes virus as it will reportedly kill thousands of the fish in the first 24 hours of it being released into the river.

Carp breed in plague proportions in the Murray River and the huge fish, who suck mud up and spit it out, are responsible for bringing native fish numbers to the brink of extinction.

Mosquitoes

The exotic Asian Tiger mosquito will be the subject of a crackdown in the Torres Strait, with the government funnelling $3 million into preventing the insect from travelling from Horn and Thursday Islands.

Scientists are releasing a herpes virus into the Murray River in South Australia to kill the European carp (pictured) and have been given $15 million in the Budget to do so

Another $4.8 million will go towards printing party logos onto ballot papers during voting time and the 'Easycount' system. This measure appears aimed at preventing voters from mistaking the Liberal Party for Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm

The Budget also announced a limit on the duty free cigarettes allowance. The maximum number of cigarettes allowed past customs is now 25, down from the current limit of 50

Passports

By raising passport fees, the government plan to raise $172.9 million over the next four years and the increase will take effect from January 1, 2017.

$4.8 million will go towards printing party logos onto ballot papers during voting time and the 'Easycount' system

The cost of a new passport will increase by $20 for adults and $10 for children and seniors.

Priority processing fees will also be $54 more expensive.

Tree planting

It was also announced the Government has committed an additional $20 million over two years to plant and support native trees.

Part of the 20 Million Trees Program, the funding will be provided from 2018-19 ad is designed to re-establish green corridors and urban forests.

Extra non-government staffer

A total of $5.2 million is to be set aside over five years for non-government personal staffing - meaning independent senators will be able to hire an extra staffer.

Pharmacies

In another strange addition, $900,000 over four years will fund pharmacies 'which are required to relocate due to damaged premises'.

According to The Budget papers, the funding will come into effect when the public cannot access a damaged pharmacy.

Treasurer Scott Morrison (pictured) handed down the 2016 budget on Tuesday evening

In another strange addition, $900,000 over four years will fund pharmacies 'which are required to relocate due to damaged premises'

Tobacco

The Budget also announced a limit on the duty free cigarettes allowance. The maximum number of cigarettes allowed past customs is now 25, down from the current limit of 50.

The limit will take effect from July of next year.

The excise on tobacco is also due to increase again - and it may tip packets of cigarettes over the $40 mark.

Annual increases of 12.5 per cent to the tobacco excise will be rolled out over four years, with the first to be implemented from September 1, 2017.

Those who lose out in the Budget

Drinkers

Drinkers received some sobering news after tuning in to the 2016 Budget.

The price of a bottle is set to spike by as much as $3.80 after the government closed the Wine Equalisation Tax loophole.

Its rebate cap will be cut from $500,000 to $350,000 on July 1, 2017, and then down to $290,000 a year later, Budget documents said.

Once the measure is introduced, the price of a bottle of wine would be forced up by up to $3.80 a bottle, while a beer would cost about five cents more per glass, it has been reported.

Working parents

While Mr Morrison delayed childcare subsidies and tightened family tax benefits during the Budget speech, his wife, their two daughters and grandparents smiled at the sideline and hugged him after he wrapped up the delivery.

The federal government has delayed until 2018 the start of its $3 billion childcare package unveiled in last year's budget.

That's because the savings it will need to pay for it  cuts to the parental payments of those on family tax benefit part B  remain stalled in parliament.

Those who earn between $80,000 and $87,000

He announced those who earn between $80,000 and $87,000 per year are in luck and will be pushed into a lower tax bracket.

Mr Morrison announced the Government will back in workers by increasing the middle level tax bracket from $80,000 to $87,000.

The measure will come into place from July 1, and will fight so-called bracket creep  when wage inflation pushed people earning average incomes into high tax brackets.

According to Budget figures, this move will stop about 500,000 workers from being bumped into the second highest marginal tax rate of 37 per cent.

What we are doing is what we can afford to do, Mr Morrison told reporters.

On Tuesday night, Mr Morrison also announced multinational companies dodging tax in Australia will be sought after with a crackdown on tax avoidance

By raising passport fees, the government plan to raise $172.9 million over the next four years and the increase will take effect from January 1, 2017. The cost of a new passport will increase by $20 for adults and $10 for children and seniors

First home buyers

The Government had ruled out making any changes to negative gearing ahead of Tuesday, while also slamming Labor's proposal that would see negative gearing applied to new house only.

WHO ARE THE WINNERS AND LOSERS OF FEDERAL BUDGET 2016? WINNERS Women through childcare subsidies, tax incentives and superannuation reform Workers earning between $80,000 and $87,000 thanks to tax relief Small and medium-sized businesses Schools due to receive $1.2 billion in extra funding - provided they meet basic literacy and numeracy standards Job seekers Businesses set to benefit from reductions to the company tax rate LOSERS Workers earning between $37,000 and $80,000 in the short-term Drinkers and smokers who are set to pay more for their product of choice Multinational companies dodging taxes in Australia First homebuyers thanks to no changes to negative gearing

The Prime Minister had said the Opposition's plan would create a 'reckless trifecta' of lower home values, higher rents and less investment.

'It's not a plan for jobs. And that's why we will have no bar of it,' Mr Turnbull said.

Labor hit back at the Government, accusing it of running a 'scare campaign' around the issue and saying Mr Turnbull does not have a policy to tackle housing affordability.

Wealthy Australians planning for retirement

It appears some will come out on top after Mr Morrison handed down his first Federal Budget.

Wealthy Australians planning their retirement will face a transfer balance cap of $1.6 million on amounts being moved into the tax-free retirement phase.

This will be combined with a measure that will see a tax rate of 30 per cent charged on super contributions by people earning more than $250,000.

A $25,000 annual concessional contributions cap, and a $500,000 lifetime non-concessional are also included in the measures.

Multinational companies

On Tuesday night, Mr Morrison also announced multinational companies dodging tax in Australia will be sought after with a crackdown on tax avoidance.

Companies will be expected to 'pay their fair share' as one of the key measures is a new diverted profits tax, which will impose a 40 per cent penalty rate on multinationals that attempt to move Australian profits offshore to avoid paying tax on it.

The Government expects the measure, along with changes put in place last year, to raise about $650 million over the next four years.

Budget documents state the measure will raise $4.7 billion over the next four years.

Another $4.8 million will go toward enhancing the EasyCount system and printing party logos onto ballot papers during voting time

Sealed with a kiss: Treasurer Scott Morrison's wife, Jennifer, greets him after he announced his first Budget to the nation on Tuesday night

Those in luck in the Budget

Small business owners

Small business owners are also in luck with businesses bringing in under $2 million will have a tax cut from 28.5 per cent to 27.5 per cent.

An additional 90,000 medium-sized benefits will join in on the fun, with the tax rate for both groups to drop from 30 per cent to 27.5 per cent in an effort to boost employment.

The Government also increased the turnover threshold from $2 million to $10 million.

Bosses will be really happy with this Budget, economist David Koch told Daily Mail Australia.

Unemployed youths

The Budget introduced the Youth Jobs PaTH program, aimed at bridging the gap between businesses and young unemployed people by providing training and financial incentives for both sides throughout three phases.

From April 1, 2017, young people looking for work will be put through specialised training to help them find employment.

An internship program with 120,000 placements over four years for job seekers who have been looking for more than six months will also be put in place.

Young people who accept an internship will receive an extra $200 each fortnight on top of their existing support, while businesses will be paid an upfront amount of $1000.

Mr Morrison announced those who earn between $80,000 and $87,000 per year will be pushed into a lower tax bracket
Tom Richards, now of Hafod, Swansea, admitted assaulting his mother

The former fiance of actress Danniella Westbrook has been banned from seeing his own mother for six months after splitting up with the ex-EastEnders star.

Toyboy Tom Richards, 26, moved home after a bitter split with former soap star Daniella, 42, after she confessed people mistook her for his mum.

But a court heard how he gave his real mother Emma, 50, a black eye in a bust-up over a night out.

Richards engagement to Daniella, 42, ended early last year after the pair first got together in April 2014.

She admitted the troubled on-off relationship left her wanting to kill herself in a cocaine overdose.

When Danniella appeared on This Morning last year she said she and her children had been 'through quite a rough time'.

She said her children had 'suffered' because of the 'bad choice' she made in the relationship.

Richards was slapped with a restraining order after he admitted harassing the star at a pub in east London in October.

But he denied harming Danniella after being cleared of giving the actress a black eye in late 2014.

At Haverfordwest magistrates, a judge ordered Richards to give his mother 75 compensation over the attack.

Cage fighter Richards called his mother at 6.30am to get a lift home after a night out and she agreed to pick him up.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones said: 'When she arrived Richards grabbed her mobile phone. She asked for it back and reached towards him.

'To stop her, Richards gave her a palm-off to the face, using the flat of his hand, and caused her to have a black eye.

'He was grinding his teeth and his body language and behaviour was very aggressive.'

Magistrates heard Richards then walked off with his mother's phone. He later smashed a back door window to get into their family home in the village of Narberth, Pembrokeshire.

Emma told the court: 'I find this hard, as when not in drink he's a loveable, friendly person.'

She said was 'disappointed' in her son and 'worried about him constantly'.

'I tried to get him professional help for his drinking and other issues. I'm making this statement so he'll seek help and listen to others regarding my concerns,' she said.

Cage fighter Richards with former fiance Danniella Westbrook whilst they were on a holiday in Turkey

Danniella Westbrook, 42, is a former fiance of Richards who assaulted his mother by giving her a black eye

'When he doesn't get his own way, he gets aggressive. I can't go on accepting his behaviour.'

Richards, now of Hafod, Swansea, admitted assaulting his mother when he appeared before the court.

The court heard the prosecution was asking for a six-month restraining order to prevent Richards from having any contact with his parents.

'Mr and Mrs Richards hope that after a cooling off period they may be able to re-build their relationship with their son,' said Mr Pritchard-Jones.

Richards was given a six month restraining order to keep away from his mother and father. He must also give compensation to his mother of 75.
Three Albany college students who claimed to be victims of a racially motivated attack have been indicted for assault and falsely reporting the incident.

Ariel Aguido, Asha Burwell and Alexis Briggs, all 20, had originally claimed they were assaulted - only for prosecutors to later claim they had been the aggressors.

They claimed they were attacked on a Capital District Transportation Authority bus on January 30, but prosecutors say they actually assaulted a 19-year-old woman early that Saturday.

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Ariel Agudio (left), Alexis Briggs (centre) and Asha Burwell (right) have been indicted on charges of assault and false reporting

Asha Burwell, 20, pictured leaving the front of the judge's bench at Albany City Criminal Court in February, was charged with assault in the third degree and falsely reporting an incident

Ariel Agudio, 20, also faces counts of assaults in the third degree, and falsely reporting an incident

Alexis Briggs, was charged with assault in the third degree. All three women have entered not guilty pleas when they appeared in court in late February

The three SUNY Albany students claimed they were victims of a racial attack last month but prosecutors say they were actually the agressors. Footage from the attack was released last week

Police later said: 'The evidence indicates they were actually the aggressors in the physical altercation, and that they continued to assault the victim despite the efforts of several passengers to stop them.'

Agudio's attorney Mark Mishler previously said in a statement that the charges were 'unwarranted'.

He said Agudio was 'an exemplary young woman and an excellent student' and that she asked people 'not rush to judgement in this matter'.

Police said during a three week investigation, they reviewed video from 12 security cameras and four cell phones, and also interviewed 35 people, according to WNYT.

University of Albany police released two surveillance videos of the incident.

The police statement issued last week states a 19-year-old woman was the victim, but footage appears to a show a man being assaulted at one point.

The women's initial report of the incident led to national outrage, a massive campus rally and even Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted about it, hitting out against violence on a college campus.

The three students claimed that on January 30, they were on the bus when at about 1am when around 12 white classmates called them racial slurs during a verbal argument before a physical altercation broke out.

Following the alleged attack, Burwell took to Twitter to recount the ordeal that same day writing: 'I just got jumped on a bus while people hit us and called us the 'n' word and NO ONE helped us.'

She then tweeted that she was in disbelief after experiencing 'what it's like to be beaten because of the color of my skin.'

Following the alleged incident, she recounted it on Twitter writing 'I just got jumped on a bus while people hit us and called us the "n" word and NO ONE helped us'

Burwell wrote that she was in disbelief that she had been beaten because of the color of her skin (above)

Ariel Agudio, 20, of Huntington, New York (left) and Alexis Briggs, 20, of Elmira Heights, New York (right) also face charges of third degree assault and have pleaded not guilty

Police said during a three week investigation, they reviewed video from 12 security cameras and four cell phones, and also interviewed 35 people. Pictured is surveillance footage from the day of the incident
Two men have been badly injured after a female motorist suffered a medical episode and veered onto a footpath, flinging them into the air.

Emergency services were called to the corner of Murray St and Pirrama Rd in the inner city Sydney suburb of Pyrmont just before 5pm on Tuesday when a Nissan Micra struck the two pedestrians.

One of the men suffered critical head injuries while the other man has been taken to hospital in a serious condition with head and limb injuries.

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A Nissan Micra has veered onto a footpath and struck two male pedestrians in their 20s

Emergency services were called to the corner of Murray St and Pirrama Rd in the inner city Sydney suburb of Pyrmont just before 5pm on Tuesday

The elderly woman who was driving the vehicle is reported to be in a stable condition after the crash.

It is understood she suffered a medical episode before she lost control of the car, reports 9News.

A NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia inquiries into the crash are continuing at the scene of the crash.

'Both men were in their 20s. The critically injured man has been taken to Royal Prince Albert hospital and the other man, and the female motorist, have been taken to St Vincent's Hospital.'

A NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia inquiries into the crash are continuing at the scene of the crash

Witnesses reportedly said the two men were thrown five metre's into the air after being hit

A crime scene has been established at the scene while the Crash Investigation Unit investigates the incident

Witnesses reportedly said the two men were thrown five metre's into the air after being hit, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

'The car collected them and they went flying over the wall. That's how hard they were hit,' said witness Ray Leary.
Donald Trump slammed Ted Cruz's father Rafael Cruz for his attempts to court the evangelical vote in Indiana, which hold its primary today, and even brought up a tabloid report that links the elder Cruz to the Kennedy assassination.

'I think it's a disgrace that he's allowed to do it,' Trump said of Rafael Cruz's vocal attempts to recruit Body of Christ evangelicals in the Hoosier State.

But then the billionaire went a step further.

'You know his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald being shot,' Trump mentioned. 'The whole thing is ridiculous ... and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it.'

Trump was repeating tabloid claims made in this week's National Enquirer cover story, which links the elder Cruz to Oswald, who would go on to assassinate President John F. Kennedy.

At a press conference several hours later, Ted Cruz lost it over this allegation.

' Donald Trump alleges that my dad was involved in assassinating JFK,' Cruz began.

'Now, let's be clear: this is nuts. This is not a reasonable position,' the candidate added.

'This is just kooky. And while I'm at it I should go ahead and admit yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard,' Cruz said.

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Donald Trump (left) appeared on Fox & Friends this morning and blasted Ted Cruz's father Rafael Cruz (right) for his 'disgraceful' attempts to court the evangelical vote in Indiana. Trump also brought up a National Enquirer story that linked the elder Cruz to the Kennedy assassination

Sen. Ted Cruz spoke to reporters a few hours after Donald Trump made his comments about Rafael Cruz and said Trump's allegations were 'nuts' and 'just kooky'

A National Enquirer article claims this man (circled) is Rafael Cruz. The man on the far right is Lee Harvey Oswald, who is seen distributing propaganda about Fidel Castro's communist regime in New Orleans in 1963

The report uses a single photograph, from New Orleans in 1963, which depicts Oswald, alongside a man who was never identified by the Warren Commission.

The Enquirer pinpointed that individual as Cruz.

'Theres more similarity than dissimilarity... it looks to be the same person and I can say as much with a high degree of confidence,' Mitch Goldstone, president and CEO of ScanMyPhotos, told the Enquirer, comparing the young man to Cruz.

The man and Oswald, who was identified by the U.S. government in the photograph, were handing out pro-Fidel Castro literature to New Orleans residents on the streets.

The elder Cruz has been connected to the Cuban Communist leader before, with Ted Cruz publicly admitting that his father wanted to join astro's guerrilla army during the 1950s revolution which overthrew the Batista regime in 1959.

But prior to the National Enquirer there was no link between Cruz and Oswald, who was shot by Jack Ruby days after the Dallas killing of President Kennedy.

Once the report was out there, the Cruz campaign immediately pushed back.

'This is another garbage story in a tabloid full of garbage,' Ted Cruz's communications director Alice Stewart told McClatchy. 'This story is false; that is not Rafael in the picture.'

But now Trump has peddled the report and made it part of the presidential race.

'What was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death, before the shooting?' Trump said this morning on Fox & Friends, never once mentioning the late Democratic president's name. 'It's horrible.'

As for Rafael Cruz, he's become a vital campaign surrogate for his son, trying to cultivate support among Indiana's Body of Christ evangelicals.

The elder Cruz recently appeared on video making a pitch to that group.

'If the righteous are not running for office, if the righteous are not even voting. What is left? The wicked electing the wicked. And it becomes our fault,' Rafael Cruz said on camera.

'I implore, I exhort every member of the Body of Christ to vote according to the word of God. And vote for the candidate who stands on the word of God and the Constitution of the United States of America,' Cruz continued.

'And I am convinced it is my son Ted Cruz,' he added. 'The alternative could be the destruction of America.'

He asked evangelical voters in the state to look at the record instead of listening to the rhetoric and swiped at Trump, without saying the candidate's name, for the billionaire's abortion record.

Trump was previously pro-choice, though now says he's firmly pro-life.

This morning, Trump cut into the elder Cruz.

'And it's disgraceful that his father can go out and do that,' Trump said, pointing to the remarks Rafael Cruz made in the video. 'And so many people are angry about it.'
Brexit supporters have hit out at German plans for a European army with joint headquarters and shared military assets.

A white paper drawn up by Berlin calls for 'all possibilities' to be considered to make the forces of member states work more closely together.

The prospect of integrating European militaries more closely has been highly controversial in the UK.

Chancellor Angela Merkel was said to have been pushing David Cameron to lower his resistance to the idea as part of his renegotiation of membership terms.

David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mrs Merkel was said to have been pressing the Prime Minister to drop resistance to closer defence cooperation within the EU

Hard power is currently coordinated through Nato rather than EU structures.

The draft paper, seen by the Financial Times, sets out moves towards establishing 'common structures' within the union.

It suggests 'all possibilities' should be used under EU treaties to deepen ties between willing member states.

That could include creating a joint civil-military headquarters for EU operations, a council of defence ministers, and the sharing of military equipment.

'The more we Europeans are ready to take on a greater share of the common burden and the more our American partner is prepared to go along the road of common decision-making, the further the transatlantic security partnership will develop greater intensity and richer results,' the paper states.

The document, which is not expected to be formally published until after the referendum on June 23, says that the EU's defence industry is 'organised nationally and seriously fragmented'.

That raises costs and makes it difficult for national militaries to operate together, it complains.

'It is therefore necessary that military capabilities are jointly planned, developed, managed, procured and deployed to raise the interoperability of Europe's defence forces and to further improve Europe's capacity to act,' the paper states.

Tory MP Liam Fox is backing a Brexit vote

The paper also reinforces Germany's desire to bolster its own use of hard power, which it has largely avoided since the Second World War.

'German security policy has relevance  also far beyond our country,' the paper states. 'Germany is willing to join early, decisively and substantially as a driving force in international debates  to take responsibility and assume leadership'.

Ukip MP Douglas Carswell told MailOnline: 'Why would we hand over our defence to the EU, which cannot even properly manage its own currency, the Euro?

'If we vote to remain on June 23 we will be forced to join this EU army.

'The only way to guarantee we stay out of this EU army is to vote Leave.'

Former defence secretary Liam Fox, a Brexit supporter, said that 'many in the European project see Nato as an impediment to ever closer union'.

Dr Fox added: 'Their every instinct is to move towards European defence co-operation. The problem is that while they are unwilling to spend money, it is a dangerous fantasy that diverts money away from Nato.'

As the battle heats up ahead of the crucial poll on June 23, a former trade chief has said France would seize on the opportunity of a Brexit vote to hammer the City of London and impose protective tariffs

Pascal Lamy, ex-director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), said French farmers would be 'eager' to stop British beef and lamb reaching their supermarket shelves.

He also claimed that negotiating the deal could take up to 15 years.

Former Chancellor Alistair Darling is warning that leaving could cost us up to 250 billion a year in lost trade with the EU.

The choice is between free trade within the EUs single market of 500million consumers, or spending years negotiating new trade deals only to leave us in a weaker position than we enjoy today,' he will say in a speech.
She explained that using the bathroom 'shouldn't be this big of an issue'

The stranger had mistaken the Dallas resident for a 'boy', video showed

A woman has described a stranger's actions as 'absurd' after he followed her into women's restrooms after mistaking her for a man.

Jessica Rush posted a video online after the stranger, who mistook her for a male, was filmed following her into the bathrooms at Baylor Medical Center in Frisco, Texas.

After receiving treatment for an injured arm, she entered the building's restroom where she managed to film the final moments of their encounter with her cellphone.

The incident arises as many states continue to grapple with laws surrounding the gender defined usage of restrooms for transgender people.

Jessica Rush (pictured left) managed to film the moment the stranger followed her in the women's bathrooms (right) because she 'dressed like a man' and he became suspicious

The unidentified man was recorded saying: 'You didn't look like a girl when I saw you enter so I thought it was a...'

'A boy?' Ms Rush asked.

'Yeah,' he replied before walking out.

Ms Rush later told NBCDFW: 'It scared me at first. My first thought was: "I'm about to be attacked" just because I am five-foot three.

'I understand one thing if you are a cop of, like, the Dallas Police Department - but just some random guy coming in, I think it's absolutely absurd and inappropriate.'

As the video went viral and was picked up by dozens of media outlets, Ms Rush posted on Facebook: 'To make things clear, I stand for safety of humans in all race, gender, height, age, sex, etc.

There are no sides. Crimes are crimes, inappropriate pictures and pedophiles should be held accountable, and using the bathroom shouldn't ever be this big of an issue.

'There's not one human God placed on this earth that doesn't use the bathroom. Let's all just #peeinpeace.'

The incident arises as debate over gender-defined bathrooms remains in the spotlight.

In North Carolina, law requires transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates in state government buildings and public schools and universities.

Last month, President Barack Obama called for the law to be overturned after it sparked discrimination protests.

A similar bill is being considered by lawmakers in the state of Texas.
Limuli, 39, and the 18-year-old allegedly messaged each other on Snapchat

Rose Limuli, 39, allegedly had sex with an 18-year-old student, touched him sexually during class and then showered him with gifts to keep him quiet

A teacher has been accused of having sex with an 18-year-old student several times, touching him sexually during class and then showering him with gifts to keep him quiet.

Rose Limuli, 39, had an 'inappropriate sexual relationship' with the student at Upper Dublin High School, north of Philadelphia, from November 2015 until March this year, police said.

Students - including the alleged victim - would spend lunchtimes in Limuli's classroom because she would bring in cake and was 'cool', according to investigators.

After the student turned 18, he and Limuli allegedly swapped phone numbers and started messaging each other on Snapchat, ABC 6 reported.

In November, the English teacher picked up the student in her car and drove him to a park, where she performed oral sex on him, according to a criminal complaint.

She allegedly made sexual comments to the teenager in class and is even accused of touching him sexually during a lesson.

Limuli also allegedly went to the student's home in January and had sex with him, the Montgomery News reported.

Afraid of being caught, the teacher then showered the teenager in gifts, buying him a bicycle, sneakers, clothes and giving him $1,000 in cash, the complaint states.

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Investigators also said Limuli gave the student access to her credit card and told him she would get in trouble if anyone found out about their relationship.

The pair are believed to have had 10 encounters outside of school between December and March, during which they spoke on the phone to each other more than 200 times.

Rose Limuli, 39, had an 'inappropriate sexual relationship' with the student at Upper Dublin High School (pictured), north of Philadelphia, police said

Limuli, who had been a teacher at the school for more than two years, was arrested and charged with 12 counts of institutional sexual assault on Monday.

She was already on administrative leave after the police started their investigation on April 19.

The teacher has been released on a $50,000 bail and cannot contact any of her students. She will appear in court on May 16.
Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) said local authorities that took in refugees from Syria were often given more cash as he warned there was a danger of resentment brewing over a 'two-tier system'

Areas that take in Syrian refugees are being given special treatment ahead of those welcoming asylum seekers from other countries, a Shadow Home Office Minister has warned.

Sir Keir Starmer said local authorities that took in refugees from Syria were often given more cash as he warned there was a danger of resentment brewing over a 'two-tier system'.

'I think the scheme to resettle Syrian families is very good, but I have a growing concern about a two-tier system,' he told MPs at a Westminster Hall debate.

'There is much greater financial support for local authorities that house Syrian families than for those that house other asylum-seeking individuals.'

James Brokenshire, the Immigration Minister, dismissed his concerns, saying those arriving from Syria were given refugee status on arrival.

'There is a distinction to be drawn between those granted refugee status and those seeking a refugee status that has not yet been established,' he added.

But ministers also came under fire for the asylum seeker dispersal policy, which means tens of thousands are sent to areas outside the South East and London.

MPs heard wealthy areas, including David Cameron's constituency, often took in no asylum seekers while cash-strapped councils were inundated.

Ten out of 322 local authorities in England have just under 40 per cent of all asylum seekers, stretching public services.

Simon Danczuk, the suspended Labour MP, pointed out Conservative-run local authorities on average received just six asylum seekers while Labour ones housed 244.

He said asylum seekers were being 'dumped' into areas such as Rochdale and Middlesbrough, where the doors of asylum seekers' homes were daubed red.

Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Rochdale and Bolton all housed the most asylum seekers  more than 1,000 each  yet they will all have their spending power cut by more than 5 per cent over the next two years.

The suspended Labour MP used a debate in Westminster to blast the Government for sending more than 1,000 asylum seekers to his Rochdale constituency while there were none in David Cameron's Witney seat.

Mr Danczuk said there were powers available for the Government to compel local authorities in wealthy areas but said they were not being used - warning the result was 'deeply unfair'.

The MP said ministers were also practising 'partisan politics of the worst kind' as they slashed spending to poor Labour areas while protecting spending in their own Tory-run areas.

The claims were denied by Home Office Minister James Brokenshire.

Mr Danczuk, pictured in his Rochdale constituency, said it was not fair for asylum seekers to only be re-housed in poor areas

Mr Danczuk said: 'In Rochdale, we have 1,044 asylum seekers at present. That represents 3.77 percent of the 27,657 asylum seekers in England.

'Rochdale has a population of just over 200,000  out of the total 54 million in England.

'That means that one in every 204 people is an asylum seeker.

'Rochdale has been dumped with an unequal share of the burden.'

Mr Danczuk said in 2012 when the current private sector contracts were signed, Rochdale was home to 371 asylum seekers.

He added: 'The top 10 local authorities in England have just under 40 percent of all asylum seekers in England?

'That's just 10 out of 322 local authorities from research my office has done. The North West as a region has also been bearing the brunt of this, taking 30 percent of all asylum seekers in England.'

Mr Danczuk said economic migrants who entered Britain illegally were 'clogging up' the asylum system for people with genuine claims.

He said: 'The system is clearly being abused and this cannot continue.'

The Rochdale MP said he was a supporter of the asylum system in genuine cases of need but slammed the fact there were 'zero' people in Mr Cameron's home area, none in Communities Secretary Greg Clarke's patch and just three in the council area home to Home Secretary Theresa May.

The Home Office launched a review into asylum seeker accommodation earlier this year after allegations they were being housed in properties with red doors

Mr Danczuk added: 'When you look further into the details you start to really get a picture of the inherent unfairness of the system under this Government.

'Labour authorities on average have taken in 244 asylum seekers, yet been on the wrong side of an average 5 per cent reduction in spending power between 2015/16 to 2017/18.

'In contrast, Conservative local authorities have taken in only 6 asylum seekers on average and have suffered a rather modest 1 per cent reduction in spending power.'

Mr Brokenshire insisted it was not true to say only Labour councils take in asylum seekers - insisting his own area of Old Bexley and Sidcup was a 'dispersal area' under the national scheme.

He said: 'The dispersal policy aims to ensure a spread amongst UK local authorities and we do work to a maximum agreed dispersal cluster ratio of one to 200 asylum seekers per head of total population and would not normally go beyond that ratio without the agreement of that local authority.'

Mr Brokenshire said there were around 100 councils signed up to the scheme and insisted the Government was being 'proactive' with all authorities who do not take part.
Max Gattlin, 24, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was drunk when he placed his hand on the officer's buttock when confronted about his rowdy behaviour

A City recruitment consultant who touched a female police officer's bottom after getting drunk at a work party has been ordered to pay 400.

Max Gattlin, 24, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was drunk when he placed his hand on the officer's buttock when confronted about his rowdy behaviour near St Paul's cathedral in central London.

Gattlin, who works for technology recruitment firm ConSol Partners, was charged with sexual assault after it was claimed he also touched her leg and tried to kiss her in the back of the police car.

But the prosecution decided to drop the allegation when he pleaded guilty to common assault at the Old Bailey today.

Prosecutor John Coates told the court that police were called to the area outside the Hugo Boss store on Cheapside at around 6pm on 12 November last year.

'The defendant was behaving in a disorderly fashion. Two uniformed officers attended and he was spoken to by security officers.

'Footage shows him engaging with both [the female police officer] and her colleague, not aggressively, not violently.

'It appears he walks away but then returns towards both uniformed officers. It is at that stage he is warned he will be arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

'What he does as he is about to walk off is put his left hand on her right buttock.

'He is then arrested by the officers.'

Gattlin later told police in interview that he had been at a work function and had too much to drink and couldn't remember anything about the incident.

He pleaded guilty to drunk and disorderly behaviour in the magistrates court and was given a 12 month conditional discharge.

His barrister Trevor Siddle said: 'He is very regretful for his actions that evening. They were deplorable. He apologises unreservedly to the police officer.

'It is the most briefest of touching. he is very regretful for it.'

The court heard he has one previous conviction for battery in 2012 when he was fined for attacking his sister's ex-boyfriend.

Gattlin, who works for technology recruitment firm ConSol Partners, was charged with sexual assault after it was claimed he also touched her leg and tried to kiss her in the back of the police car

The court heard Gattlin still lives at home with his parents and earns 1,800 a month working for ConSol Partners, one of the world's leading technology recruitment brands.

Judge Charles Wide QC told him: 'This was disgraceful upsetting behaviour even on the basis of the plea that you have tendered. I am going to fine you.'

Gattlin, of was ordered to pay a fine of 250 and 150 towards prosecution costs by 20 May or face seven days imprisonment in default.
Jeremy Corbyn launched a Labour election poster this morning

Jeremy Corbyn is facing fresh embarrassment amid Labour's raging anti-Semitism row after being praised by Hamas.

The leader has been under intense pressure to disown the extremist group - which he has previously described as 'friends'.

Over the weekend Israeli ambassador Mark Regev delivered a thinly-veiled attack on politicians who 'embrace' Hamas, the armed wing of which is banned in Britain as a terrorist group.

Mr Corbyn has insisted he speaks to many groups he disagrees with as part of efforts to bring about peace in the Middle East.

A spokesman for Hamas has now hailed Mr Corbyn for his refusal to condemn the group.

Taher Al-Nunu said Mr Corbyn's willingness to engage with it was a 'painful hit that the Zionist enemy received'.

'We welcome the declaration of the Labour Chairman and see his engagement as a very important statement that is also a painful hit that the Zionist enemy received,' he told Breitbart Jerusalem.

'It comes as part of the international boycott campaign that the enemy (Israel) is suffering from.

'This campaign is succeeding on both the economic and political levels and it comes at a moment that the enemy is facing difficulties in justifying its crimes against the Palestinian people.

He added: 'We consider the statements of the Labour leader to be an important message to people in Western countries that Hamas is not and will not be considered a terrorist group and our struggle is reduced to the borders of occupied Palestine.'

But later Hamas attempted to retract the comments, denying Mr Nunu had given the interview. Mr Nunu told the Middle East Eye: 'I did not make any statements on this issue at all.'

The reported praise comes as Labour struggles to shake off a series of highly damaging allegations of anti-Semitism that are threatening to derail its election campaign this week.

Mr Corbyn was reluctantly forced to suspend close ally Ken Livingstone after he suggested that Hitler had been a Zionist.

Bradford West MP Naz Shah has also had the party whip removed over Facebook posts in which she said Israel should be relocated to the US.

ANTI-SEMITISM: THREE AXED Labour suspended three councillors yesterday over anti-semitic remarks. Referring to violence against Palestinians, Shah Hussain, from Burnley, tweeted to an Israeli footballer: 'You and your country doing the same thing that Hitler did to your race in WW2.' Salim Mulla, from Blackburn, is said to have made comments including one in which he wrote: 'Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity.' Nottingham councillor Ilyas Aziz was suspended over a Facebook post saying Jews should be 'relocated' from Israel to the US, which he denies writing. Bradford West MP Naz Shah and former London mayor Ken Livingstone were suspended last week for alleged anti-semitic views. The deputy speaker of the Israeli parliament has urged the country's Labor Party to cut its ties with Labour over the issue. Advertisement

There are reports that up to Labour 50 activists have been suspended for racism over the past two months - rather than the dozen previously claimed since Mr Corbyn took charge of the party. Party sources said the figures were 'wildly overestimated'.

The leader of Labour's sister party in Israel wrote to Mr Corbyn over the weekend to say he was 'appalled and outraged' by the alleged anti-Semitism.

Isaac Herzog invited Mr Corbyn to visit Israel's Holocaust Museum to help the party 'better understand the scourge of anti-Semitism'.

Mr Regev urged Mr Corbyn to take up the invitation, and also delivered the veiled rebuke over extremist links.

'You've had too many people on the progressive side of politics who have embraced Hamas and Hezbollah,' Mr Regev told the BBC's Andrew Marr.

'Both of them are anti-Semitic organisations, you just have to read Hamas' charter and it's like chapters straight out of the prodigals of the elders of Zion.

'Yet some progressive politicians have embraced Hamas. Now, I'd ask the following question: if you're progressive, you're embracing an organisation which is homophobic, which is misogynistic, which is openly anti-Semitic, what's progressive about that?'

Tory MP David Morris told MailOnline it was 'outrageous' that Mr Corbyn was refusing to disown Hamas.

'It seems whatever organisation the world collectively condemns he embraces them. Even the moderates in his own party think he's lost the plot.'

Fellow Conservative Oliver Dowden said: 'Jeremy Corbyn should hang his head in shame at this endorsement.

'While Labour's sister party in Israel is considering breaking off all ties because of its anti-Semitism problem, Jeremy Corbyn is attracting plaudits from Hamas for the way he has dealt with it. He needs to unambiguously resile from his links to this organisation if his attempts to deal with labour's anti-Semitism problem are to have any credibility at all.'

Meanwhile, the cross-party Home Affairs Committee has summoned the Labour leader along with Mr Livingstone and Prime Minister David Cameron to give evidence to its inquiry into the issue.

The move emerged as Ms Shah stepped aside from the committee after making a grovelling apology for Facebook posts in which she suggested Israel should be relocated to the US.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, confirmed this afternoon that Ms Shah had asked to stand aside from its work until Labour's disciplinary process was complete.

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Israel's ambassador to the UK Mark Regev hit out at politicians who 'embrace' Hamas. Mr Corbyn has previously referred to the extremist group as 'friends'

'Naz Shah attended the private session of the Committee today and she has informed me and the Committee that she wishes to stand aside from all her duties until current matters are resolved,' he said.

'We have accepted her decision. She will not take part in any future matters concerning the Home Affairs Select Committee with immediate effect, until further notice.'

Mr Vaz confirmed that Mr Corbyn, Mr Livingstone and Prime Minister David Cameron - who has repeatedly demanded that Labour gets a grip on anti-Semitism - were being asked to give evidence.

'The Committee will now proceed with its inquiry into anti-Semitism, and we will begin calling witnesses including the Community Security Trust, the Jewish Board of Deputies, Ken Livingstone, and the Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn & Angus Robertson,' he added.
A British woman drowned after falling asleep in a hotel bath after a drunken night out on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca, police have revealed.

Samantha Johnson, 23, was discovered lying lifeless by workers at the three-star TRH Torrenova in the resort of Magaluf just before 11pm last night.

Hotel staff forced their way into her room when they saw water seeping under the door.

A post-mortem this morning confirmed she had drowned. Police investigators said they were treating the incident as a tragic accident.

A young British woman has been found dead in the bath of a hotel on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca (pictured), police have revealed

Sources close to the inquiry said the dead woman was alone at the time because her partner had cut short his holiday and flown back to the UK following a row. But they said the mystery argument was unconnected to the subsequent tragedy.

Samantha's unnamed partner is already thought to have been informed of her death. It is not known when they argued and whether he was her boyfriend or husband.

A Civil Guard spokesman in Majorca, who declined to name the dead woman as is standard practice in Spain, said: 'We are treating this death as a tragic accident.

'A local court will now open a routine probe but we will be informing the investigating judge there is no evidence a crime has taken place and everything is pointing towards this woman's death being accidental.

Ambulance crews are said to have rushed to the TRH Torrenova hotel (pictured) in Magaluf last night after receiving an emergency call

'We were asked to attend a three-star hotel in Magaluf where the incident happened around 11pm yesterday night/on Monday night.

'Staff at the hotel saw water seeping out from under the door and when they got into the room found the woman in the bath.

'They called paramedics who were unable to revive her as well as the Civil Guard.

A source added: 'The post-mortem showed she had drowned. She appears to have decided to take a bath after returning to the hotel from a night out and investigators believe she either fell asleep or lapsed into semi-consciousness.'

The insider described the incident as 'drink-related'. It is not known if tissue samples from the dead woman will be sent to a specialist lab so further tests can be carried out on the level of toxins in her body.
The church of Scientology has vehemently objected to Ron Miscavige's book and its claims against Miscavige, who has threatened to sue

Miscavige and Cruise have remained close friends for more than 20 years

Ron Miscavige claims his son later exploited his relationship with Cruise for the benefit of the church

He also entertained Cruise at the Scientology head base and arranged for the former chef of L Ron Hubbard to cook for the movie star

Miscavige took Cruise clay pigeon shooting and the pair raced cars through the streets of Los Angeles

The head of Scientology lured Tom Cruise into the church with a charm offensive designed to make him feel like the two men were brothers, a new book claims.

David Miscavige formed a close bond with Cruise by going clay pigeon shooting with the actor and racing through Los Angeles in separate cars, and he later exploited the relationship for the benefit of the church.

Miscavige also entertained Cruise at the Scientology head base where he arranged for him to eat next to a life-size replica of a clipper ship complete with 50ft masts.

The former chef for L Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, was even brought in to cook for Cruise to impress him.

David Miscavige (right) lured Tom Cruise into Scientology through creating a brotherly bond with the actor and later exploited the relationship for the benefit of the church, the Scientology leader's father, Ron Miscavige reveals in his memoir

Miscavige reached out to Cruise in 1990 (pictured). He took Cruise clay pigeon shooting and the pair raced cars through the streets of Los Angeles

Miscaviges father Ron writes in his memoir, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, that his sons work on Cruise fostered a brotherly competitive spirit, each trying to outdo each other.

The work would pay off as Cruise became the most famous Scientologist in the world and he has appeared in numerous films and attended dozens of award ceremonies for the church.

In his memoir, Ron Miscavige, 80, says that his son saw the potential in Cruise back in 1990.

At the time Cruise was with his second wife, Nicole Kidman, and the two were doing courses and auditing at the Sea Org base, the secretive organization at the top of Scientology.

Cruise, now 53, was preparing for the lead role in Days of Thunder so Miscavige, now 56, flew to Daytona Beach, Florida, to check him out.

Ron Miscavige writes that after the trip to Florida, his son pulled his top executives into a conference room and showed them a picture of Cruise skydiving.

The book says: The time they spent together obviously left David deeply impressed with the PR potential that Cruise could lend to Scientology. And to Dave'.

The first time Cruise came to the Scientology Gold Base in Hemet, California, in early 1990, Miscavige was on 'pins and needles' and orchestrated 'every detail for maximum impact', the book says.

Folders on Cruise were kept in his given name, Thomas Mapother, in an apparent attempt to avoid details being leaked out.

Ron Miscavige says his son (pictured) was 'impressed with the PR potential' of Cruise while the actor was preparing for the lead role in Days of Thunder

Miscavige first saw Cruise's potential in the church in 1990, when the actor and Nicole Kidman were doing courses and auditing at the Sea Org base

Miscavige was supposedly concerned because Cruise at the time was married to his first wife, Mimi Rogers, and her father, Phil Spickler, had been kicked out of Scientology some years before. The couple divorced in February 1990.

Ron Miscavige's memoir about his time in Scientology will hit bookshelves in the United States and UK on May 3

The book says: David desperately wanted to get matters under tighter control - that is his control, and one of his top lieutenants had arranged to bring Tom to the base for a stay and some auditing.

The welcome dinner took place in the pool and recreation area, which had been completely made over and featured the clipper ship, which had a teak deck and even a lifeboat.

But due to scheduling problems Cruise arrived four hours late and said he just wanted to go to bed - at which point Miscavige hit the roof.

He soon calmed down, however, and the next day the two men hit it off when they went shooting a range on a hill inside the compound and had a great time.

Before his next visit, Cruise gave Miscavige an automated clay pigeon shooter to replace his manual one.

The book says: David immediately called for a complete renovation of the shooting range and had work crews up day and night for three days totally redoing it, including adding a bunker for the new launcher.

The purpose was solely to impress Tom Cruise'.

Ron Miscavige writes: 'I did not see them interact much but I have been told that they developed a sort of brotherly competitive spirit, each trying to outdo each other.

One time they allegedly raced through Los Angeles in separate cars, running red lights, each trying to beat the other to their destination'.

He adds that his son had an obsession with winning at all costs that eventually turned him against his own father.

The church of Scientology has vehemently objected to Ron Miscavige's (left) book and its claims against Miscavige (right), who has threatened to sue

In extracts of the book already made public, Miscavige is said to have told private detectives he had trailing his father not to intervene when they say him heaving heart problems.

Miscavige is said to have told them: If he dies, he dies, the book says.

Previous interviews with senior former Scientologists have revealed that Cruise and Miscavige maintain their bond with wild nights of gambling in Las Vegas together and afternoons smoking cigars.

Miscavige has now been by Cruises side for more than 20 years - and was the best man at both his weddings to Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes.

The church of Scientology has vehemently objected to the book and its claims against Miscavige, who has threatened to sue.

In a statement the Church has said: Ronald Miscavige is seeking to make money on the name of his famous son.

David Miscavige has taken care of his father throughout his life, both financially and by helping him in even the most dire circumstances.
A 15-year-old student accidentally shot himself in the hand and leg in a Dallas classroom after bringing a loaded .22 caliber pistol to school on Monday.

Police say the freshman was rushed to a hospital from Justin F. Kimball High School after the gun went off around 10.30am, NBC Dallas reported.

'His injuries are quite serious,' Dallas ISD Police Chief Craig Miller told the television station. 'But they are non-life threatening injuries.'

Police are investigating why the student brought the Derringer pistol to school with him, as well as how he obtained the gun.

A 15-year-old student accidentally shot himself in the hand and leg in a Dallas classroom after bringing a loaded .22 caliber pistol to school on Monday

Police say the freshman was rushed to a hospital from Justin F. Kimball High School after the small-caliber pistol went off around 10.30am. A photograph (above) of the gun was taken after it fell to the floor by a student

NBC Dallas reported that he now faces mandatory expulsion from Justin F. Kimball High School.

Additionally, authorities have not decided on any charges yet for the teen or his parents.

Miller explained that the student arrived to the school with a parent and it appears no one stopped him as he walked through one of the school's four metal detectors.

'The student came in this morning for a parent-teacher conference,' Miller told NBC Dallas.

'The metal detectors are monitored differently after school starts.

'The student, in this instance, came into the school building for this meeting with a parent, and the metal detectors weren't being observed at that point.

'We want to talk to the person who was there monitoring the metal detector stand. We certainly want to make sure the metal detector was working.'

Dallas ISD Police Chief Craig Miller (above) said: 'His injuries are quite serious. But they are non-life threatening injuries.' Police are investigating why the student brought the gun to school with him and where he got it from

At the time of the incident, the student was in a classroom with about 25 other students

In addition, 'procedures for use of the metal detectors was not applied' in this case, a Dallas Independent School District statement reads.

At the time of the incident, the student was in a classroom with about 25 other students.

A photograph of the small-caliber pistol was taken after it fell to the floor by a student, NBC Dallas reported.

Statements from witnesses about what happened prior to the shooting are still being taken from authorities.

Surveillance video from the school's front-door will also be reviewed.

The police chief and the district's superintendent are set to attend a previously scheduled community meeting at Kimball High School Tuesday night, NBC Dallas reported.

The name of the student or his parents has not been released by authorities.
A mentally ill mom who left her baby girl on a New York subway platform in 2014 after the child's father was murdered has been found dead in the Mississippi River.

Frankea Dabbs was 20 when she left her ten-month-old baby on a platform at Columbus Circle subway station in Manhattan. She later told police she was overwhelmed after the baby's dad was killed by home intruders.

And now, police say, she has died - in 'suspicious' circumstances,NBC New York reported.

Dead: Frankea Dabbs (center) was arrested in 2014 for abandoning her ten-month-old baby on the New York subway. Last Wednesday her body was found floating in the Mississippi. Cops say her death is 'suspicious'

Abandoned: Milani Edmonds, pictured here in 2014, was ten months old when she was left by Dabbs, who said she was overwhelmed after seeing the girl's father murdered by home intruders

Dabbs's body was found floating by the St Louis waterfront by a boat crew at 2pm last Wednesday, but wasn't identified via her fingerprints until Monday.

St Louis authorities say they are waiting on the results of an autopsy, but are treating the death as suspicious.

The news came as a shock to her uncle, Freddie Edmonds, who told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch she was 'redirecting' her life and had decided to settle down in Miami, Florida.

'She was a good person with a good heart,' he said. 'She had issues that she didnt really know how to deal with.'

Dabbs became infamous as 'the Subway Mom' in 2014 when she pushed ten-month-old Milani Edmonds's stroller out of a subway car and onto the Columbus Circle platform, then reboarded the train, leaving the baby alone.

A bystander and an MTA worker tried to find Edmonds, thinking it might have been an accident, but she wasn't seen again until police picked her up that night, 13 blocks away.

The baby was taken in by authorities.

Dabbs told cops she had been overwhelmed with taking care of her daughter after the baby's father and two other men were killed in a Clinton, North Carolina home in 2012 by three masked intruders while she hid under the bed.

The young mom was homeless when she left her child in the subway, having been kicked out of her stepfather's house for her erratic behavior.

'Stuff is wrong with Frankea's mind,' her aunt, Lawanna Edmonds, said at the time. 'She walks around with dark shades... She even sleeps in dark shades.'

Dabbs also made an inexplicable rant about Jay-Z during an appearance at Manhattan Criminal Court after the abandonment, shouting at a camera: 'Is that rolling? Tell Shawn Corey Carter I said f*** him. Piece of s***.'

Abandoned: Surveillance footage released by police at the time shows Dabbs pushing Milani through the subway. Dabbs had behaved erratically and was believed to be mentally ill

Getting better: Dabbs's uncle said he thought she had been getting her life on track when she died - but admitted she was 'secretive about her actions and what she was doing'

Freddie Edmonds told the Post-Dispatch she was unbalanced by the shooting.

'Being so young and witnessing a murder like that, thats going to have some effect on you,' he said.

'She felt that she didnt have any options, even though there were all kinds of options she could have looked into.

'Again, being young and not making the best decisions, we all fall into making bad decisions when were young and even some when were older.'

Online records from the time of the subway incident showed that Dabbs had previously been arrested for possession of marijuana, assaulting an officer, breaking and entering and solicitation for prostitution.

But her uncle said there was 'no doubt' she took care of Milani prior to abandoning her, and that she had been getting her life back on track in recent times.

He said she had seemed 'content' during a recent visit and believed that she wanted to 'find herself' so that she could be successfully reunited with her daughter.

But he said he did not know of any connections she might have had with St Louis or the Midwest, or exactly what she had been up to in recent times.
A Kentucky judge issued a restraining order blocking the removal of a controversial Confederate war monument in Louisville just three days after authorities announced it would be taken down.

The temporary order against Mayor Greg Fischer and the city's government, issued by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman, prevents officials from dismantling the monument.

Fischer, along with the University of Louisville President James Ramsey, announced on Friday the stone and bronze pillar would be placed in storage until they found 'a more appropriate place' for it.

The monument, which honors Kentuckians who died for the Confederacy in the Civil War, has been a source of debate since it is seen as both a celebration of racism and a source of Southern pride.

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A controversial Confederate monument is to be removed from near the University of Louisville campus where it has stood since 1895 (pictured is Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer speaking in front of the monument)

After nine black parishioners at the Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina were killed in a racially motivated attack, many Confederate flags and monuments have been taken down across the country.

But Republican Everett Corley, who is running for Congress, saw the statue's removal as an affront to the soldiers who fought and died.

Corley, who compared the proposed removal to 'the 2016 version of book burning', filed for the restraining order claiming the mayor did not follow the correct procedures, according to FOX.

Judge McDonald-Burkman granted the order and scheduled a hearing on Thursday. County Attorney Mike O'Connell said he would defend the city-county government's power to remove the monument, but requested more time to prepare a legal argument.

Diggers were already on site as the Mayor and University President made their joint announcement on Friday.

Fischer wrote on Twitter: 'The stain of slavery and racism that this monument represents for many, many people has no place in a compassionate, forward leaning city.'

The stone monument, honoring Kentuckians who died for the Confederacy in the Civil War, will soon be relocated to 'a more appropriate place'

A new location has not yet been chosen for the tall, obelisk-style monument, which features Confederate soldiers

Ricky Jones, a professor of Pan-African studies at the university, said he has been pushing for removal of the statue since he arrived at the university in the late 1990s.

'I can't tell you how happy I am,' Jones said after the announcement Friday. 'I think this statue being on the campus is somewhat akin to flying the Confederate flag over the (university's) administration building.'

Jones wrote in a newspaper opinion piece last week that the statue is a 'towering granite and bronze eyesore glorifying the nadir of America's past.'

Jones and Mayor Fischer noted that the university was much smaller when the statue was put up at the turn of the century, and the campus has developed around it.

University and city officials have been working on the removal for several weeks and there was even construction equipment parked alongside the base of the monument on Friday during the announcement.

Following the Charleston church shootings, leaders from both political parties called for the removal of the Confederate statue. But a state commission voted 7-2 not to remove it.

The Confederate Monument in Louisville is the largest Civil War monument in Kentucky and features three German Ferdinand von Miller-designed Confederate soldiers; an artillerist and an infantryman made of bronze.

It was originally a gift from the Kentucky Woman's Monument Association to commemorate the Kentuckians who died for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Republican Everett Corley (right), who is running for Congress, filed for the restraining order claiming proper procedures were not followed. County Attorney Mike O'Connell (left) said he would defend the city-county government's power to remove the monument during a hearing on Thursday

The towering 70ft tall monument, now owned by the city of Louisville, cost $12,000 in 1985. The dedication ceremony took place later that same year in May to coincide with the 29th Grand Army of the Republic annual reunion.

The removal of the monument is part of a wider battle over displaying the Confederate flag which many argue celebrates a murderous, racist past in the nation's history.

The decades-old controversy was revived after 21-year-old Dylann Roof, who proudly sported Confederate flags on his car, shot dead nine black churchgoers in a racist massacre in a church last summer.

Weeks later, South Carolina removed the confederate flag from statehouse grounds after 54 years.

Last month, House Republicans sidestepped the divisive fight over the controversial flag a the U.S. Capitol with plans to put up state coins instead.

The walls previously displayed state flags, and Mississippi's includes an image of the Confederate battle flag.

The Republican-controlled House was forced to scrap a vote on permitting the Confederate flag at Park Service-run cemeteries in a fierce fight over the issue.

The Confederate battle emblem has been on the Mississippi flag since 1894 and voters chose to keep the design in 2001.

Since the Charleston slayings, several Mississippi cities, counties and colleges have stopped flying the banner.
A German comedian underinvestigation by prosecutors for mocking Turkish PresidentTayyip Erdogan accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of'filleting' him and serving him to a despot for tea.

Satirist Jan Boehmermann criticised Merkel in his firstpublic comments since the row broke.

Merkel drew heavy criticism for allowing German prosecutorsto pursue a case against Mr Boehmermann after herecited a poem on television in March suggesting Erdogan engagedin bestiality and watched child pornography.

Jan Boehmermann recited a poem on television in March suggesting Erdogan engaged in bestiality and watched child pornography

Erdogan, a crucial partner for Merkel in tackling Europe'smigrant crisis, had demanded Germany press charges againstBoehmermann.

Erdogan is known for his sensitivity to criticismand Turkish prosecutors have opened over 1,800 cases againstpeople for insulting him since he became president in 2014.

Under Germany's criminal code, insults against foreignleaders are not allowed but the government can decide whether toauthorise prosecutors to go ahead.

After weeks of silence, Boehmermann pulled no punches in aninterview released in part on Tuesday by Die Zeit weekly.

The affair, which turned into a diplomatic spat, was a headache for Merkel as it made her vulnerable to accusations she was getting too cosy with Erdogan

Tayyip Erdogan, a crucial partner for Merkel in tackling Europe's migrant crisis, had demanded Germany press charges against Boehmermann

'The chancellor must not wobble when it's a matter offreedom of opinion,' he told Die Zeit in the interview, whichwill be published in full on Wednesday.

'But instead, she filleted me, served me for tea to a highlystrung despot and made me into a German Ai Weiwei,' he said,referring to the Chinese dissident artist.

The affair, which turned into a diplomatic spat, was aheadache for Merkel as it made her vulnerable to accusations shewas getting too cosy with Erdogan over a controversial EuropeanUnion deal with Turkey to stem the flow of refugees into Europe.

Critics had already accused her of ignoring human rightsviolations and press freedoms in Turkey, a candidate for EUmembership, in order to win its cooperation over the migrants.

Merkel is widely seen as causing the problem in the firstplace because she described the poem to Turkish Prime MinisterAhmet Davutoglu as 'deliberately insulting', something sheherself has said was 'in retrospect a mistake'.
Two brothers were arrested for trying to sell 20 bricks of heroin to an undercover police officer for $4,600 in the children's play area of a Burger King.

Marlan Byars, 28, brought his six-year-old son with him on Monday after his brother Otis Pegues, 31, unknowingly set up the deal with an undercover officer in North Versailles, Pennsylvania.

This is the third deal Pegues made with the undercover task force in the last two weeks. He sold heroin in the bathroom at Kmart on April 19 and the sporting goods section of Walmart on April 27, CBS reported.

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Marlan Byars, 28, (left) brought his 6-year-old son with him on Monday after his brother Otis Pegues, 31, (right) unknowingly set up the deal with an undercover officer in North Versailles, Pennsylvania

This is the third deal Pegues (right) made with the undercover task force in the last two weeks. He sold heroin in the bathroom at Kmart on April 19 and the sporting goods section of Walmart on April 27, CBS reported (left, Byars)

Two brothers were arrested for trying to sell 20 bricks of heroin to an undercover police officer for $4,600. The drugs, which also included several stamp bags of heroin, will be sent to a lab for testing

The bust, which took place about 12miles east of Pittsburgh, was part of a three-month-long investigation, which police hoped would lead them to other drug dealers, WPXI reported.

The drug deals at Kmart and Walmart were worth a total of $1,700, authorities told WPXI.

The bust didn't seem to phase one man, who told CBS: 'Its real sad, but nothing happens around here anymore that surprises me.'

Another mother told the news channel she would rethink her previous decisions to take her children to the fast food chain.

Police confiscated twenty bricks covered in pages from a pornographic magazine, several stamp bags, money and their cell phones.

The drugs have been sent to Allegheny Crime Lab for testing, according toWTAE.

Both men face several drug charges including possession, criminal conspiracy, and endangering the welfare of children.

Byars' six-year-old son is now in the custody of his mother.

Online court records don't list attorneys for the men who could comment on their behalf. They face a preliminary hearing May 12.

The bust, which took place about 12miles east of Pittsburgh, was part of a three-month-long investigation, which police hoped would lead them to other drug dealers, WPXI reported

Both men face several drug charges including possession, criminal conspiracy, and endangering the welfare of children
$5 million will go towards helping 'young people at risk'

Families who fear their children are being groomed by sinister terrorists on the internet will be able to call a 'national helpline', the Federal government has announced.

In a Budget announcement on Tuesday, Attorney-General George Brandis said the government will invest $5 million into measures to prevent violent extremism.

Some of that money will go towards the helpline which is being developed in New South Wales, Mr Brandis said in a statement.

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Attorney-General George Brandis said Australia could not afford to wait until people are radicalised and turn to violence. Islamic State fighters are pictured above in this stock picture

Mr Brandis (pictured right, with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on left) made the announcement in a Budget 2016 statement on Tuesday

The funds will all go towards helping families, teachers and community leaders find help 'for young people at risk of online grooming by terrorists'.

'We cannot afford to wait until people have already radicalised and turned to violence,' Mr Brandis said.

'We must reduce the risk of violent extremism by intervening early and tackling the root of the problem.'

The hotline was announced among a swathe of Budget 2016 measures announced Tuesday evening

Several alleged teenage extremists have been arrested in New South Wales and Victoria over the past year.

And a number of Australian teenagers have been involved in acts of terror, both here and overseas.

Melbourne teenager Jake Bilardi, 18, blew himself up in a suicide bombing in Ramadi, Iraq, last year.

Schoolboy Farhad Jabar, 15, shot dead Sydney police worker Curtis Cheng in Parramatta last October.
Ferrone may be forced to pay back investors and could be banned from the officer of a public company when he is sentenced later this year

The 'scam' is said to have cost the company's investors $20 million

SEC claim that Immunosyn made the false claims to boost its stock price

In fact, it had twice been barred for use in clinical trials by the FDA

Firm also claimed drug was on track to receive approval for widespread use on patients, a jury found

The 65-year-old is also the CEO of Immunosyn which claimed that its 'wonder drug' - derived from goat's blood - may be able to cure HIV

Vince Vaughn's stepfather has been found liable for misleading investors after making false claims about his goat's-blood derived miracle drug.

Stephen Ferrone, who is married to the Hollywood actor's mother Shea, is the CEO of Immunosyn Corp in California which claimed that its 'wonder drug', named SF-1019, had the potential to cure everything from HIV to multiple sclerosis.

The firm claimed in public reports and press releases that the drug was on track to receive approval for widespread use on patients, a jury found.

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Vince Vaughn's (left) stepfather Stephen Ferrone (right) has been found liable for misleading investors after making false claims about his goat's-blood derived miracle drug

In fact, it had twice been barred for use in clinical trials by the FDA, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) first brought the case against Ferrone in 2011.

Ferrone, along with three other Immunosyn executive and the drug's developer, Argyll Biotechnologies were accused of making the false claims between 2006 and 2010, to boost the stock price of Immunosyn, of which he and his wife owned 1.75 million shares.

The 'scam', the SEC say, cost investors $20 million.

Ferrone, 65, who lives with Shea Vaughn in a Lake Forest mansion, denies that he was aware of the actions of his business partners regarding FDA approval and claims he is being punished for 'not using very specific FDA jargon' according to his lawyer Mark Rotert.

Stephen Ferrone is married to the Hollywood actor's mother Shea (pictured with her son Vince Vaughn)

Ferrone, 65, who lives with Shea Vaughn, denied the allegations but was found liable for misleading investors

Ferrone (circled, at a Hollywood event with Shea (on his right), Vince Vaughn and the actor's family in March 2015), is the CEO of Immunosyn Corp in California

'There weren't any gains at all  he lost a lot,' he added of Ferrone, describing the government's claims of ill-gotten gains as 'typical SEC.'

The ruling may mean that Ferrone, a $400,000-a-year CEO of Immunosyn, could be barred from being the officer of a public company again.

He will be sentenced later this year, but punishments could also include being forced to pay back any profits made from the scheme.

'We are pleased with the jury's finding that Stephen Ferrone defrauded Immunosyn's investors with misleading statements in the company's filings and press releases and his own speeches and interviews,' Andrew Ceresney, director of the SEC'S Division of Enforcement said in a statement.

His celebrity stepson, referred to as 'Vincent' by Ferrone in court, was not a party in to the case.

The SEC case against Ferrone, a former Cook County prosecutor, had evidence that Immunosyn had repeatedly suggested SF-1019 - derived from goat's blood - was moving toward approval by the Food and Drug Administration and European regulators.

Immunosyn claimed that its 'wonder drug', named SF-1019, had the potential to cure everything from HIV to multiple sclerosis. .The firm claimed in public reports and press releases that the drug was on track to receive approval for widespread use on patients. It hadn't

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) first brought the case against Ferrone, who lives with wife Shea in a Lake Forest mansion (pictured), in 2011

But they showed that Argyll never even submitted an application in Europe to conduct human clinical trials.

The five-year trial also heard allegations that one of his business partners had preyed on the terminally ill to get them to invest in the drug.

Argyll Chief Scientific Officer Douglas McClain Sr. had made 'misstatements' in a 2008 presentation where he sold his stock to individuals during a presentation at a Texas holistic clinic, some of whom were terminally ill patients at the clinic, the court heard.

McClain Sr. has previously settled a civil case with the SEC for his alleged role in the scheme.

Prosecutors say he made more than $300,000 from the investors but never gave them their Immunosyn stock.

Another unrelated investor, a grandmother had wanted to invest her grandchild's college fund in the company after hearing the 'blockbuster' drug would be worth millions.

This is not the first time that scandal has hit Immunosyn.

Immunosyn owners James Miceli and Douglas McClain Jr., were previously charged with $100 million fraud. Miceli committed suicide while awaiting trial, while McClain Jr. is serving a 15-year sentence for his role in the scam.

The Vaughn family have long had ties with Miceli and McClain. In 2006, the Swingers star's mom Shea paid more than $1 million in 2006 to settle a complaint brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations she's invested her hedge fund client's money in their scam.

She also invested nearly $10 million of their funds in another of Miceli and McClain's firms which was at the center of their fraud case.

Shea Vaughn, who divorced from Vince's father Vernon, a toy company salesman, in 1991, insisted she knew nothing of the scam.
A Westminster, Colorado man has been arrested for the murder of his wife, who was shot to death last week while their three young children were at home.

Gary Lee Nickal, 39, called police at 6am the morning of April 28, saying his wife, 35-year-old Molly Jean Nickal, had committed suicide by shooting herself with a shotgun.

But when cops arrived at the scene, they found that the evidence did not match Nickal's story.

Mrs Nickal suffered two gunshots from a shotgun that was found not near her body but in an adjacent bedroom.

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Gary Lee Nickal, 39 (right), was arrested on Friday, one day after his 35-year-old wife Molly was found shot to death at their home. The couple's three children - two daughters ages eight and seven and a 3-month-old son - were at home during the shooting

Nickal told police that his wife committed suicide, but investigators found that the evidence at the scene did not line up with that story

And when investigators took measurements of the gun's barrel, they found it to be 13.5 inches longer than her arm - meaning it would have been all but impossible for her to have fired the weapon herself.

'It would not have been possible for Molly Nickal to have fired the weapon into her head if she had been holding the gun without the aid of a device to push the trigger,' the arrest affidavit read. 'No such device was found in or around the scene of the shooting.'

Meanwhile, her husband acted strangely in front of cops, licking blood off of his hands while they questioned him at the scene.

One of the couple's three children, who were at home during the shooting, allegedly told police that 'Daddy took the gun from mommy and shot it so she wouldn't hurt herself anymore'.

Two of Mrs Nickal's sisters told police that the family had feared her husband was abusive.

They described him as controlling and violent and that their sister felt like she was 'in a prison in her own home'.

Mrs Nickal had reportedly separated from her husband at one point, but found it hard to make the situation permanent because she struggled financially. After the birth of their baby boy, the couple got back together.

Two of Mrs Nickal's sisters told police that her husband was abusive. The couple separated for some time but got back together after the birth of their baby son three months ago

Above, the couple's home in Westminster, Colorado where Mrs Nickal was found shot to death last Thursday

The sisters were also skeptical that their sister would have committed suicide, leaving her children without a mother.

One sister said, 'Molly loved her children and would not have left them by taking her own life,' according to the affidavit.

On Friday, investigators had gathered enough evidence to arrest Nickal on first-degree murder charges.

He is being held at the Jefferson County Detention Center, and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday at 10am.
The mother of a British teacher who was found murdered in the Qatari desert has been left distraught after the man convicted of helping to cover up her daughter's murder was released from prison.

Lauren Patterson, 24, from Kent, was sexually assaulted and stabbed and her burnt remains were left in a remote desert location by a local 'casual acquaintance' in October 2013.

Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabar and his accomplice maintained Miss Patterson's death was accidental, but were found guilty of the brutal killing in March 2014.

Lauren Patterson, 24, (pictured left with her mother Alison) from Kent, was sexually assaulted and stabbed and her burnt remains were left in a remote desert location by a local 'casual acquaintance' in October 2013

Now it has emerged that al-Jabar's accomplice Mohammed Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz was freed earlier this year.

Al-Jabr was sentenced to death and accomplice Mohamed Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz was jailed for three years for helping to dispose of Miss Patterson's body.

Alison Patterson, mum of murdered British teacher Lauren Patterson, visited Doha, Qatar, for the retrial of the man previously convicted of Lauren's murder.

When she found that the man who assisted in covering up the murder had been released from prison she said she 'had no words'.

Writing on her Facebook page from Qatar she said: 'All I can say at the moment is nothing. I have no words.'

'It is extremely distressing to think that he may now be free, walking among the population of Qatar, possibly out socialising alongside other people's daughters and sisters,' Mss Patterson said.

'He has never shown remorse for his part in burning her body beyond recognition.'

Lauren Patterson pictured with her mother, Alison, who has criticised the defence lawyer's claims

Lauren, from West Malling, Kent, was last seen alive in October 2013 when she left the La Cigale nightclub in Dohar with Abdul Aziz and Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabr.

In March 2014 al-Jabr was sentenced to death for her murder, but when the case was taken to Qatar's highest court, the verdict was over-turned and a retrial was ordered.

Prosecutors argued that al-Jabr had taken Lauren home for sex and then stabbed her twice before al-Jabr and Abdul Aziz allegedly put the body in their car and buried her remains in the desert.

Lauren, who had lived in Qatar for several years teaching in a primary school, was found burned beyond recognition in a pit, a knife still lodged in her rib cage.

During the 2014 trial Miss Patterson's friend Lea Monet testified how she, Miss Patterson and the two men, who she said they were 'casually acquainted with', had left a nightclub at La Cigale Hotel in Doha around 3.30am on October 12.

She said Miss Patterson, who had just returned from attending her grandmother's funeral in England, was not drunk and was 'aware of her surroundings'.

During the trial the prosecution said the defendant took Miss Patterson to a place he used for sexual trysts with women, 'conquered her body', and killed her by stabbing her twice.

Alison Patterson said: 'Lauren was a hard-working girl who loved her job and spent most evenings of her time after work giving private tuition to pupils in their homes or studying to complete her degree.'

The defence for al-Jabr claimed the death had been an accident and said confessions had been made by the two men earlier under duress.

It was reported on Sunday that judges agreed they would see a videotaped re-enactment, shown at earlier hearings, of al-Jabr's version of events.

It showed al-Jabr struggling with a male policemen, playing the role of Lauren Patterson.

Alison was gifted more than 30,000 in public donations to help her fly to Qatar for the trial and campaign for justice.

She said Lauren was a 'bubbly, fun-loving girl and had a real trust in everyone. She deserves justice.'
Most couples hope that their wedding turns out to be a magical day.

And for newlyweds Cassie and Lewis Byrom, they made sure it was extra spellbinding when they tied the knot by having a Harry Potter-themed wedding.

The couple from Stockport have always loved the JK Rowling books and even got engaged in Diagon Alley in Harry Potter World in Orlando, Florida.

Couple Cassie and Lewis Byrom from Stockport who got engaged at Harry Potter World in Florida and decided to base their wedding on the books

The book-mad pair then spent a year planning their themed wedding, which they described as a 'magical day'

The couple tied the knot at gothic-inspired Manchester Town Hall, which added to the Harry Potter theme

Mrs Byrom's shunned a traditional bouquet and instead used one made from shredded copies of the Harry Potter books

The book-mad pair then spent a year planning their themed wedding by transforming the grand Midland Hotel in Manchester into their very own Hogwarts.

They handmade 130 wands for each of their guests who received invites welcoming them to witness the making of the 'unbreakable vow'.

Their cake was topped with Lego figurines of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange, Cassie's favourite character, and the seating plan was arranged by the Sorting Hat.

Each place setting had a Golden Snitch - made from Ferrero Rochers with wings - and each table had a centre piece made from potions books, spells and horcruxes.

The couple's cake was even inspired by the children's books and the seating plan arranged by the Sorting Hat

The cake was also topped with Lego figurines of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange, Mrs Byrom's favourite character

Wanted posters from the Ministry of Magic were put up around the hall with the faces of the bride and groom and their guests. Pictured are the bride and groom

In order to get themselves in the mood, the spellbound couple even watched all seven films in the days building up to the big day, on November 1

Mrs Byrom, 31, wore a red garter, pictured, underneath her dress which was decorated with the Hogwarts coat of arms

Wanted posters from the Ministry of Magic were put up around the hall with the faces of the bride and groom and their guests.

And the couple had 11 tables - named after the novels and the school houses of Gryffendor, Slytherin, HufflePuff and Ravenclaw - with the top table displaying the crests.

Bride Mrs Byrom, 31, wore a red garter decorated with the Hogwarts coat of arms, while she and her bridesmaids carried paper bouquets made from more than 20 cut-up novels.

She said: 'Planning the wedding was a full-time job, but it was worth every penny and minute we spent.

'We sifted through car boots, discount stores and second-hand shops every weekend for three months looking for Harry Potter paraphernalia.

Each of the tables at the reception were named after Harry Potter books or the houses at Hogwarts

Each place setting had a Golden Snitch - made from Ferrero Rochers with wings - and each table had a centre piece made from potions books, spells and horcruxes

The rings were presented by best man, Stephen Myerscough, 34, on a copy of the Half Blood Prince, and were inscribed 'Always' - Severus Snape's pledge to Harry's mum, Lily

'We stayed up till 3am most nights putting wings on Ferrero Rochers and searching eBay for trinkets.

"I even had the bridesmaids over to cut up the 20 copies of the books we'd bought to make the bouquets.

"It was a mammoth undertaking. We had to take a trip to Harry Potter World in London just to get some last-minute bits.

'It was everything I wanted. It was the most magical wedding imaginable.

'The hotel staff were arguing over who was going to work that night - it was really lovely.'

The couple met three-and-a-half years ago through a mutual friend at the finance company where Mrs Byrom works.

Mr Byrom, 34, an account manager, suggested the unusual theme for their wedding after his touching proposal.

The couple recreate the final wand battle scene between Harry Potter and Voldemort for their wedding pictures

Guests pose with their wands which they sent out to every person who was invited to their wedding

Before the ceremony, Mrs Byroom had a tattoo of the Deathly Hallows and Lewis had one of the Dark Mark, the symbol of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

In order to get themselves in the mood, the spellbound couple even watched all seven films in the days building up to the big day, on November 1.

At the ceremony in Manchester's gothic Town Hall, the couple exchanged vows and Cassie's niece, Leigha, 18, performed a reading from The Order of the Phoenix.

The rings were presented by best man, Stephen Myerscough, 34, on a copy of the Half Blood Prince, and were inscribed 'Always' - Severus Snape's pledge to Harry's mum, Lily.

The bridal party each wore Golden Snitch bracelets, and the couple acted out the book's final battle between Harry and Voldemort with wands for amazing photos.

Mr Byrom explained: 'Cassie originally wanted an Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding.

'When I suggested a Harry Potter theme she was thrilled.

'I love the films, but Cassie's definitely the biggest Harry Potter fan I know. She must have watched the films at least 30 times.

'Her face just lights up. It's one of the reasons I love her.'

The bride and groom celebrate with their guests at the Harry Potter themed wedding they had spent a year planning

While his new wife added: 'Our parents thought we were a bit bonkers at first, and whenever people came to our house, they said it looked like a jumble sale.

'But in the end they were really excited, once they realised how much effort we were putting into it, especially Lewis's mum.'

At the hotel in Cancun where they stayed on their honeymoon, staff even set up a big screen in the suite for them to watch one of the films.

And now the stress of planning such an extravagant wedding is finally over, Mrs Byrom has gone back to where it all began and is reading the Philosopher's Stone for the second time.

She said: 'The books were always my favourite. It's where my love for Harry Potter began.
Tiffany often attends Trump's glitzy events as he runs for GOP nomination

Naomi spoke Mandarin for Vice President Biden on a trip to China in 2011

Families should arrive hours early for the 6.30pm event at Franklin Field

City police, UPenn police, and Secret Service will man the Ivy League event

Graduation ceremonies are always busy, packed with thousands of families and students.

But this year's event at the University of Pennsylvania will be something else.

Vice President Joe Biden and GOP front-runner Donald Trump are both due to attend the ceremony on May 15.

Though they will be appearing as guests - Trump to see his daughter Tiffany, Biden to see his granddaughter Naomi - Secret Service is already in overdrive preparing.

Families of the Ivy League school's 1,500 seniors have been warned to arrive two hours early to get through security measures at Franklin Field for the 6.30pm event.

Grandfather duties: Vice President Joe Biden will be at the UPenn graduation ceremony on May 15 to watch Naomi, eldest daughter of his son Hunter, graduate. They are pictured together on a visit to China in 2011

Father duties: Donald Trump will be at the event to watch Tiffany (center), his daughter with Marla Maples

Families of the 1,500 students have been warned to arrive two hours early to get through security measures at Franklin Field (pictured) for the 6.30pm event next week. In bad weather it will be moved to the Palestra

If there is bad weather, it will be moved to the nearby Palestra.

The event will be manned by Penn's police department, city police, and the Secret Service.

University officials said they hope the political star visitors are not a distraction from the students.

Trump's daughter Tiffany, whose mother is Marla Maples, had a double major in sociology (focusing on law) and urban studies.

Biden's granddaughter Naomi is the eldest daughter of his son Hunter.

Naomi dipped her toes into the political world in 2011 accompanying her grandfather on a trip to China.

In his keynote speech when they reached Chengdu, Biden said: 'It would be more appropriate to say Naomi brought me along with her, since she's a budding Chinese speaker. I've been listening to her on the whole trip.'

Tiffany has experienced politics by attending her father's glitzy campaign events.

Neither Biden nor Trump will be attending the commencement ceremony on May 16, which has Hamilton star and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda as guest speaker - hot off the heels of landing 16 Tony nominations and a Pulitzer Prize.

In an email to Daily Mail Online, UPenn spokesman Steve MacCarthy said the university will ensure Trump and Biden aren't the stars of the ceremony.

'We do want to remind people that the event is a celebration of the achievements of the graduates.

'It is our hope that the focus of peoples attention will be on the students who are graduating, not the families that are there to support them.'

UPenn has been a fixture of the Biden family for years, though Biden himself attended Delaware and Syracuse universities.

He has visited the school a number of times for work, most recently to examine the labs, escorted by Naomi. But also for graduations.

Naomi dipped her toes into the political world in 2011, helping her grandfather on a trip to China (left) by speaking Chinese for him. Trump's daughter Tiffany (right) double-majored in sociology and urban studies

His son Beau, who died last year of brain cancer, and his daughter Ashley also attended UPenn. His other son Hunter attended Georgetown University.

Naomi, one of Biden's five grandchildren, is named after the outgoing Vice President's daughter, who died at just 13 months old in a car crash in 1972.

The crash, just six weeks after he was elected senator of Delaware, also killed his first wife Neilia. Their two sons, Beau and Hunter, were in hospital for weeks.

Beau, father to daughter Natalie and son Hunter, died of brain cancer last year at the age of 46. Hunter Biden, a lawyer and businessman, has three daughters: Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy.

After the crash, Biden remarried, Dr Jill Biden, and they had Ashley, who is now 34 and married.

Trump, a UPenn alumnus, visited UPenn to see Ivanka and Don Jr graduate from the Wharton School.

His other son Eric attended Georgetown University. Trump also has a 10-year-old son Barron with his current wife Melania.

BIDEN FAMILY COLLEGE HISTORY Vice President Joe Biden University of Delaware (BA), Syracuse University of Law (JD) Dr Jill Biden (wife) University of Delaware (BA), Villanova University (MA), West Chester University (M.Ed), University of Delaware (Ed.D) Beau Biden (son) University of Pennsylvania (BA), Syracuse University of Law (JD) Hunter Biden (son) Georgetown University (BA), Yale Law School (JD) Ashley Biden (daughter) University of Pennsylvania (BA), Tulane University (MA) Naomi Biden (granddaughter) University of Pennsylvania (pending BA)
Donald Trump came down foursquare in favor of new construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank on Monday, telling Dailymail.com that the controversial practice has to 'keep going' and 'keep moving forward.'

There are 'thousands of missiles being launched into Israel,' he said Monday. 'Who would put up with that? Who would stand for it?'

Trump said last year he would like to initially remain 'neutral' in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as president, a position that he believes would allow him a better opportunity to be seen as a peace broker.

Meanwhile he has repeatedly expressed his love for Israel and increasingly his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies, all while repeatedly trashing the Barack Obama-backed Iran nuclear deal.

But in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Trump came out for the continued construction of new settlements irrespective of Israeli government policy.

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BUILD, SAYS THE BUILDER: Donald Trump said Monday that Israel should continue construction of West Bank settlements

WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT: The Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev near the West Bank city of Ramallah is one example of the more than 200 new settler homes Israel has approved this year in the West Bank

'MISTREATED': Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke last year before a joint session of Congress but President Barack Obama didn't meet with him while he was in Washington

Asked whether there should be a pause in new construction  which the Obama administration has pressured Netanyahu's government to observe in order to bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table  Trump responded: 'No, I don't think it is, because I think Israel should have  they really have to keep going. They have to keep moving forward.'

'No, I don't think there should be a pause,' Trump said. 'Look: Missiles were launched into Israel, and Israel, I think, never was properly treated by our country. I mean, do you know what that is, how devastating that is?'

'With all of that being said, I would love to see if peace could be negotiated. A lot of people say that's not a deal that's possible. But I mean lasting peace, not a peace that lasts for two weeks and they start launching missiles again. So we'll see what happens,' Trump added.

'I'd love to negotiate peace. I think that, to me, is the all-time negotiation,' Trump said, in reference to stalled peace talks  which Palestinian negotiators say won't occur without a halt in new construction.

The Obama administration demanded in 2009 that Netanyahu's administration freeze new settlement construction in an effort to get the two sides to the negotiating table.

Clinton herself admitted the position may have backfired in her memoir, 'Hard Choices.'

'In retrospect, our early, hard line on settlements didn't work,' she wrote.

EXCLUSIVE: The billionaire Republican front-runner sat down with DailyMail.com for a wide-ranging interview in Indiana

Clinton told Al Jazeera in 2009: We want to see a stop to [Israeli] settlement construction, additions, natural growth  any kind of settlement activity. That is what the president has called for.'

In 2013, after Netanyahu announced the construction of new settlements in East Jerusalem, Clinton called the move 'insulting.'

'We have to make clear to our Israeli friends and partner that the two-state solution which we support, which the prime minister himself said he supports, requires confidence-building measures on both sides,' she said then.

Clinton is now the Democratic Party's presidential front-runner and Trump's likely head-to-head opponent in November.

Middle East expert Aaron David Miller, who has advised multiple U.S. presidents on Israeli-Palestinian issues, told Dailymail.com that Trump has created controversy with his prior comments about 'housing projects.'

Referring to his latest pronouncements, he said, 'He's green-lighted Israeli settlements. But I suspect in the unimaginable event he became president [that] would tighten up in a negotiation.'

Trump told the powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC earlier in the campaign: 'I love the people in this room, I love Israel, I love Israel.'

'I've been with Israel so long, in terms of  I've received some of my greatest honors from Israel, my father before me, incredible,' he continued. 'My daughter Ivanka is about to have a beautiful Jewish baby!'

FROSTY: Relations between Obama and Netanyahu have been tense as the White House negotiated a controversial nuclear deal with Israel's mortal enemy Iran

'INSULTING': Hillary Clinton has argued that Israel must stop building West Bank settlements in order to bring the Palestinian Authority to the peace table

Trump sat down with DailyMail.com for a wide-ranging interview in Indianapolis during his last day of campaigning for Tuesday's Indiana Republican primary election.

Asked about his relationship with Netanyahu, Trump called him 'a very good guy' for whom he had made a campaign ad in 2013.

'I don't know him that well, but I think I'd have a very good relationship with him,' Trump said. 'I think that President Obama has been extremely bad to Israel.'

'And I don't even understand where  I have Jewish friends that support Obama. I tell them all the time, I say, "What are you doing? The Iran deal is a disaster for Israel".'
Up to 1.6 million patients have had their private medical files passed on to Google without their permission, it was revealed today

The internet giant was given the data by one of the largest NHS trusts to develop an app to monitor possible kidney failure.

The encrypted information includes the names and medical histories of every patient who had stayed in hospital overnight or attended A&E in the past five years.

None of the patients was told beforehand and the revelation has exposed the ease with which private companies can obtain highly sensitive medical information without consent.

New deal: The NHS at the Royal Free in London has agreed to share the data of inpatients with Google

Privacy campaigners told MailOnline that the revelations exposed the public's lack of power and control over their own personal details.

Experts say the deal between Google and the Royal Free NHS Trust could set a precedent for patient data to be routinely passed on to private firms.

The Royal Free insisted it did not sell the files to Google and no money changed hands. The trust, which includes three London hospitals, and Google say the data is encrypted, will be processed by only a computer program, and there is no chance of it being leaked online.

Trust managers approached Google to develop the app and then handed over the patient files after signing an 'information-sharing agreement' last year. Neither the trust nor Google needed to ask patients' permission beforehand because the NHS is obliged to pass on some anonymous medical information if it is intended for research purposes to improve care.

The data given to the internet giant would include patients' complete medical histories, including whether they had been diagnosed with HIV, depression, suffered from drug or alcohol addiction, or had an abortion.

The Google app is being developed by its subsidiary company DeepMind, which was bought for 275million ($400m), to alert doctors when patients are at risk of a form of kidney failure caused by dehydration. The app will process blood test results and immediately inform doctors in charge of their care if they are at risk.

But neither Google nor the Royal Free could explain why the data of so many patients was needed for the software to be developed.

The project is a pilot and if it is deemed a success, other hospitals may ask Google to develop similar apps and pass on medical files.

Concerns: Experts say the deal between Google and the Royal Free NHS Trust could set a precedent for patient data to be routinely passed on to private firms

Under the arrangement, Google's DeepMind has access to the details of all patients who have stayed overnight at Barnet, Chase Farm or Royal Free Hospitals or attended A&E over the past five years. It is not clear exactly how many patients this covers. The company will also be given information on a monthly basis relating to all inpatients and those attending casualty until 2017.

Although patients can theoretically opt out of their information being passed on in such a way, they would firstly need to be aware such arrangements exist. They would then need to contact the hospital's data protection officer in writing to make a specific request.

Details of the arrangement emerged two years after health officials were forced to scrap a national project to harvest patients' records without their consent.

The Care.Data scheme was designed to extract details from patients' files and store them on a national computer database so they could be used by academics and private companies for research. It was put on hold following mounting concerns by doctors and campaigners that patients had not been given enough opportunity to opt out and that the information would be used for the wrong purposes.

Daniel Nesbitt, research director of privacy and civil liberties pressure group Big Brother Watch told MailOnline: 'With more and more information being shared about us its becoming clear that in many cases members of the public simply don't know who has access to their information.

'All too often we see data being shared without the informed consent or proper understanding of those it will actually affect.

'It's vital that patients are properly informed about any plans to share their personal information.'

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients' Association, said: 'It's an awful lot of data if it gets into the wrong hands. Patient confidentiality must always be protected.

'Patients will be worried and they need reassurances that their data is going to remain confidential.'

Dr Neil Bhatia, a GP in Yateley, Hampshire, who campaigns on the issue of patient privacy, added: 'Patients need to be made aware of what's happening, and of their right to opt out of Google processing their information in this way.

'Vast amounts of personal confidential data  some of it extremely sensitive  is going into the hands of a massive commercial organisation.'

Software: Google's company want to develop a programme that could, for example, analyse blood data

Phil Booth, of the campaign group MedConfidential, said: 'We have no idea why Google needed so many sensitive details of every treatment for every patient in the hospital, covering over half a decade.'

A trust spokesman said: 'The Royal Free London approached DeepMind with the aim of developing an app that improves the detection of acute kidney injury by immediately reviewing blood test results for signs of deterioration, then sending an alert and the results to the most appropriate clinician via a dedicated handheld device.

'Absolutely no patient- identifiable data is shared with DeepMind.

'All information sent to and processed by this app, named Streams, is encrypted and is only decrypted once returned to the clinician's device.'

THE 'INFORMATION-SHARING' DEAL The Royal Free NHS Trust in London drew up an information-sharing agreement contract with Google, allowing patients data to be handed over. It covers patients who went to A&E, intensive care or stayed in hospital within the past five years, and those who do this between now and September 2017. The terms of the agreement state that the records can be shared as long as they are encrypted and cannot be read by Google employees. Patients were not asked beforehand as NHS rules state their consent is needed only if the information being passed on will identify them. The data contained their names and medical histories, but it is encoded, so theoretically identities are protected. Patients can choose to opt out of such schemes, but otherwise they are automatically included. Advertisement

The trust did not confirm whether data which could identify patients had been handed to Google in the past.

Dominic King, a senior scientist at Google DeepMind, said: 'Access to timely and relevant clinical data is essential for doctors and nurses looking for signs of patient deterioration. This work focuses on acute kidney injuries that contribute to 40,000 deaths a year in the UK, many of which are preventable.

'The kidney specialists who have led this work are confident that the alerts our system generates will transform outcomes for their patients. For us to generate these alerts it is necessary for us to look at a range of tests taken at different time intervals.'

Mustafa Suleyman, Co-Founder at DeepMind, said: 'We have, and will always, hold ourselves to the highest possible standards of patient data protection.'

Life sciences minister George Freeman said: 'NHS patients need to know their data will be secure and not be sold or used inappropriately, which is why we have set up a new National Data Guardian and introduced tough new measures to ensure patient confidentiality.'

Google could make billions from healthcare and is keen to expand into this area.

In 2013 it announced it is now turning its attention towards the quest for eternal life. Founder and Google CEO Larry Page announced they were working on a well-being project called Calico.

Calico will focus on tackling the 'challenge of ageing and associated diseases' and will use expertise from Levinson's biotechnology firm Genentech to look for potential cures for age-related illnesses.

In 2014, Google said it was determined to work out how the human body works and exactly what it should look like when it is healthy.

The ambitious science project, dubbed Baseline Study, will see researchers collect anonymous genetic and molecular information from 175 people, and later thousands more, in a bid to help detect diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, much earlier.

The project is being spearheaded by renowned molecular biologist Andrew Conrad who pioneered cheap, high-volume tests for HIV in blood-plasma donations.
ISIS now at its weakest position in two years, according to Downing Street

ISIS has been reduced to its weakest level in two years under a sustained blitz from British and coalition bombing, No 10 said today.

Some 600 fighters have been killed in the past month - bringing the total number of terrorists killed to 25,000 since the campaign began.

Britain is the second biggest contributor to the allied air campaign after the United States, No 10 said today.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon briefed the Cabinet on the latest action against ISIS, referred to by the Government as Daesh, earlier today.

The Ministry of Defence has released regular updates on its bombing strikes in Iraq and Syria, including pictures and video of British planes destroying targets

In the latest attacks, British planes were in action over northern Iraq, dropping Paveway bombs on a Daesh compound and silencing an enemy sniper

Mr Fallon's briefing came ahead of a conference later this week of countries contributing to the military effort against ISIS.

He also discussed measures being undertaken to prevent IS establishing footholds in other areas, particularly north Africa.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokeswoman: 'We have now seen more than 25,000 Daesh fighters killed, over 600 in the last month or so.

'The number of Daesh fighters is estimated to be at its lowest for about two years.

'We are playing a vital role in terms of the coalition air strikes - we are the second largest contributor behind the US.

'We have seen the Iraqi forces managing to clear Daesh out of the town of Hit in recent weeks and working with Kurdish and other partners liberating key areas of Syria and also managing to cut off the main route between Raqqa and Mosul.'

In the most recent announcement of specific action, the Ministry of Defence said British planes had been in repeated action in mid-April.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said 25,000 ISIS fighters had been killed since the campaign began, including 600 in the past month (file picture)

They said: 'In western Iraq, Typhoons continued to support Iraqi ground forces north of Fallujah, where they conducted four Paveway attacks against snipers, a bunker and an entrenched fighting position.

'Tornados patrolled south-west of Kirkuk, where two Paveways destroyed a bridge built by Daesh across a canal, and a communications post nearby.

'Typhoons were again in action near Fallujah on Sunday 24 April - one pair silenced a sniper position that was firing on Iraqi troops, while a second pair dropped three Paveways on a Daesh compound.'

IS has suffered major setbacks over the past months in Syria at the hands of government forces and US-backed Kurdish fighters including the loss of the historic city of Palmyra.

The self-declared caliphate has also suffered financially from coalition strikes on the oil facilities which provide much of its income and has lost territory in Iraq to the forces of the Baghdad government.
ISIS fighters have been filming themselves raping sex slaves and sharing the footage with young recruits in Iraq.

The vile news has emerged from a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Official, originally from the ISIS held city of Mosul.

Ismat Rajab claimed that video footage found on the phone of a dead ISIS jihadi showed the sickening acts, according to abna24.com

ISIS fighters have been filming themselves raping sex slaves and sharing the footage with young recruits in Iraq

ISIS fighters have previously been filmed boasting about market places where sex slaves, particularly from the Yazidi tribe, were sold among the jihadis.

Former sex slaves have described their traumatic experiences at the hand of their brutal owners, with many of the women revealing they were sold and raped multiple times.

The news comes as coalition air strikes have helped reduce Islamic State forces in Syria and Iraq to their lowest levels for two years, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has told Cabinet.

Around 600 fighters with the terror group have been killed over the past month, bringing the total deaths to around 25,000, said Downing Street.

Former sex slaves have described their traumatic experiences at the hand of their brutal owners, with many of the women revealing they were sold and raped multiple times

IS has suffered major setbacks over the past months in Syria at the hands of government forces and US-backed Kurdish fighters including the loss of the historic city of Palmyra

Mr Fallon briefed Cabinet at its regular meeting in Number 10 ahead of a conference later this week of countries contributing to the military effort against ISIS.

He also discussed measures being undertaken to prevent IS establishing footholds in other areas, particularly north Africa.

IS has suffered major setbacks over the past months in Syria at the hands of government forces and US-backed Kurdish fighters including the loss of the historic city of Palmyra.

The self-declared caliphate has also suffered financially from coalition strikes on the oil facilities which provide much of its income and has lost territory in Iraq to the forces of the Baghdad government.

Following the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said: 'We have now seen more than 25,000 Daesh fighters killed, over 600 in the last month or so. The number of Daesh fighters is estimated to be at its lowest for about two years.

'We are playing a vital role in terms of the coalition air strikes, we are the second largest contributor behind the US.

'We've seen the Iraqi forces managing to clear Daesh out of the town of Hit in recent works.

'We are working with Kurdish and other partners liberating key areas of Syria and also managing to cut off the main route between Raqqa and Mosul.'

RAF jets began air strikes against IS in Iraq in September 2014, and the mission was extended to Syria in December 2015.

ISIS executed 17 people in the city of Mosul for refusing to fight the Iraqi security forces, an source told IraqiNews.com
only serve a year and a day on a plea deal, then be deported

A Texas man whose life was destroyed when a sex offender stole his identity hopes he will be able to rebuild his world now the thief has pleaded guilty to misusing his Social Security number.

Marcus Calvillo, 46, was only a teen when illegal immigrant Fernando Neave-Ceniceros, now 41, stole his Social Security number to hide his own identity and lack of illegal status.

Over the next 20-plus years Neave-Ceniceros would go on to commit crimes, including sex offenses with young teens, under Calvillo's name - ruining his life in the process. But the thief will likely only receive a year and a day in prison,The Dallas Morning News reported.

Victim: Marcus Calvillo, 46, of Texas, had his identity stolen when he was just a teen. Over the next 20 years he was accused of a series of crimes, including sex offenses against a minor, rendering him unemployable

Neave-Ceniceros was a teenager when he stole Calvillo's Social Security number to hide the fact that he'd entered the US illegally from Mexico.

He was later fingerprinted under that false identity, tying the hapless Grand Prairie man to Neave-Ceniceros's criminal record for the next 20-plus years.

Calvillo was unaware until, still a teen, he was wrongly accused of writing bad checks. Then he was told he hadn't paid parking tickets that he had never received.

It was only when he was in his twenties that he made a clerk at a temporary employment agency tell him why they wouldn't hire him and discovered he had developed a criminal record, he told the Statesman.

'I almost broke down,' the father of six recalled. 'Oh, my God! This is why I couldn't get this job.'

Over the years he watched in horror as his criminal record expanded to include incidents of indecent liberties with a child, bribery and drug offenses - making him all but unemployable.

Even when he had jobs, they didn't last for long - he told The Dallas Morning News how he was fired from his job as a cable installer, on being told 'You know what you did.'

And things got worse.

His marriage collapsed, leaving him owing tens of thousands of dollars in child support he couldn't pay; he went to cosmetology school but was denied a license; the Inland Revenue came calling about wages Neace-Ceniceros had been paid at a meatpacking plant.

Ultimately he lost his house.

Thief: Fernando Neave-Ceniceros, 41, from Mexico, stole Calvillo's name in order to hide the fact that he was living illegally in the U.S. He has now pleaded guilty to identity theft, but is expected to serve just one year

But in 2013 he saw a way out when he read an Associated Press story about a Houston teacher, Candida Gutierrez, who had also become a victim of identity theft.

He contacted Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson, the prosecutor in that case, for help.

'I dont know of a case where the theft of an identity had a more devastating impact than this one,' Anderson told the Dallas Morning News.

And in September of last year federal prosecutors unsealed Neave-Ceniceros's indictment for aggravated identity theft, making a false statement to the government, misuse of a Social Security number and false claim of U.S. citizenship.

Neave-Ceniceros will be sentenced July 25. He will most likely serve just a year and a day under a plea agreement - served alongside the prison sentence he is currently serving at Ellsworth Correctional Facility - and then be deported.

That means Calvillo can finally begin down the long path of setting things right - first by having federal prosecutors correct records in each of the seven counties - and other states - where Neave-Ceniceros committed his crimes.

At present a simple Google search for Marcus Calvillo brings up a Kansas sex offender registration with a picture of Neave-Ceniceros that accuses him of 'lewd fondling or touching' of a child between 14 and 15.

'I think we will be able to get that done through the U.S. attorneys office eventually with the help of the courts and state officials and local officials,' Anderson told the Statesman.

'But it is still going to require a lot of time and effort.'
Ashlynne Mike, a Navajo fifth-grader is understood to have been abducted by a stranger in a maroon van after getting off on the way home from school

An 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped from the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, sparking a massive search, was found dead on Tuesday.

Authorities had been searching by air and ground for Ashlynne Mike, a Navajo fifth-grader who was abducted by a man believed to be a stranger Monday afternoon along with her nine-year-old brother Ian, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said.

The girl's body was found on Tuesday morning in Shiprock, near a rock formation that the town is named after, said Jesse Delmar, the tribe's public safety division director. Police did not say how the little girl died.

Ashlynne Mike and her brother Ian Mike, 9, were taken Monday afternoon after getting off the bus in Lower Fruitland as they returned home from school, according to a Facebook post from her family.

The man reportedly told the children he would take them to go see a movie. He is said to have let the little boy go near the Arizona state line, according to KRQE.

'We were very hopeful that we would find her in good shape,' Delmar said. 'We found her, but it didn't turn out well.'

Her family has been notified, Delmar said.

Before Ashlynne's body was found, a woman claing to be her distraught mother posted the above Facebook post to raise a search party in the hope of finding her alive

Sad: Once police broke the bad news, Pamela Foster posted the above Facebook tribute to her daughter

'Tears are falling,' The girl's mother Pamela Foster, wrote in a social media post. 'Mommy loves and misses you my sweet little angel,' according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The girl's sister, Anna Celeste Begay, wrote: 'I'm so devastated... No one will know the way I feel right now.. I love you Ashlynne .. You never deserved anything like this.. Rip'.

An Amber Alert said the missing girl was last seen on Navajo Route 36 and that her kidnapper was driving a maroon van.

Tribal police faced criticism for the delay in issuing the Amber Alert which came some hours after the incident was reported.

After the girls body was found, San Juan Chapter President Rick Nez said: 'The Navajo Nation, they are always slow to respond,' he told The Daily Times. 'As soon as the child was abducted, they should have put out the Amber Alert.'

Ashlynne's cousin Shawn Mike, 43, told The Daily Times today that his own son, nine, was also approached by a driver of a maroon van along Navajo Route 36 at approximately the same time that Ashlynne and Ian went missing.

He said the driver asked his son whether he wanted to see a movie, but that his son declined. He added that his son saw both Ashlynne and Ian inside the vehicle at the time.

Whereabouts: The girl's body was found on Tuesday morning in Shiprock, six to eight miles away from a rock formation that the town is named after

This image, provided by San Juan Chapter Vice President Robert C. Begay, shows the type of van suspected of abducting a young girl and her brother on Monday. The FBI confirmed this is the same kind of vehicle police are searching for

'As they drove away, Ashlynne was waving at him,' he said.

The search for the girl included federal, tribal, state and county officers on the ground as well as a New Mexico State Police helicopter, Fisher said.

Authorities didn't immediately say whether the suspect had been found or what they were doing to find him. He was described as Native American, in his 30s, and wearing a baseball cap.

The FBI has set up a command post at a federal building in Shiprock. Federal, state and tribal authorities are searching for a suspect in Ashlynne's kidnapping and death. The FBI says it has more information that is not yet being released.

The FBI asked anyone with information to call the FBIs Albuquerque office at 505-889-1300.

The girl's sister, Anna Celeste Begay, wrote: 'I'm so devastated... No one will know the way I feel right now.. I love you Ashlynne .. You never deserved anything like this.. Rip'
This is believed to be the Russian missile launcher that blasted MH17 out of the sky.

A new report claims to have finally identified the weapon  and says it did come from one of Vladimir Putin's anti-aircraft brigades as previously suspected.

The findings add further weight to the Dutch inquiry that said the Malaysia Airlines jet was downed by a Russian-made BUK missile fired from rebel-held Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.

Scroll down for video

Further links to Putin: A new report claims this is the Russian missile launcher that shot MH17 out of the sky. The weapon was part of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk

A team of journalists from Bellingcat say they singled out the weapon responsible after analysing footage of a BUK (above) seen travelling to the launch area in Ukraine on the day the passenger jet was shot down

Bellingcat claims the BUK launcher was under control of Russian separatists after being supplied by Moscow

That investigation was condemned by Moscow at the time as 'an obvious attempt to draw a biased conclusion and carry out political orders'.

But a team of journalists from Bellingcat now say they have unearthed more evidence of Russian involvement.

They claim to have singled out the weapon responsible after analysing footage of a BUK seen in the launch area of rebel-held Ukraine on the day the passenger jet was shot down and images of Russian missile launchers.

By comparing features such as the wheel type, a dent in the panel and even soot marks, the report claims it could only be the Russian BUK numbered 332 from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk.

Verifying the evidence had been harder because one of the three identifying digits on the BUK was missing, leading it to be named BUK 3x2.

Detective work: The team say they singled out the weapon responsible by comparing several features seen on the BUK in the launch area of rebel-held Ukraine and those on pictures of Russian anti-aircraft weapons

Identification was harder because one of the digits on the BUK was missing, leading it to be named BUK 3x2

By comparing features such as the wheel type and dents in the panelling (above), the report claims it could only be the Russian BUK numbered 332 from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk

The Bellingcat team said: 'We reviewed materials going back over five years to determine various characteristics unique to this BUK before finally identifying the mystery middle digit that was obscured when the missile launcher was last seen in 2014.'

The report added: 'Therefore, on 17 July 2014, the Russian BUK TELAR numbered 332 of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade based in Kursk was filmed and photographed in eastern Ukraine.

'This specific BUK, previously identified as Buk 3x2, was filmed moving to the centre of the launch area estimated by the Dutch Safety Board for the missile that downed MH17.'

The Bellingcat investigation follows on from its report in November 2014 that the Russian military did supply separatists with a BUK missile launcher and that rebels were most likely to have been responsible for the atrocity.

The Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over rebel-held Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing 298 people on board

The report combined citizen journalism and social media accounts and used publicly available published and broadcast material plus eyewitness material, including satellite images.

At the time, it concluded: 'There is strong evidence indicating that the Russian military provided separatists in eastern Ukraine with the BUK missile launcher filmed and photographed in eastern Ukraine on July 17.

'There is undeniable evidence that separatists in Ukraine were in control of a Buk missile launcher on July 17th and transported it from Donetsk to Snizhne on a transporter.

'The Buk missile launcher was unloaded in Snizhne approximately three hours before the downing of MH17 and was later filmed minus one missile driving through separatist-controlled Luhansk.'

The findings add further weight to the Dutch inquiry that said the Malaysia Airlines jet was downed by a Russian-made BUK missile, seen here in a graphic reconstruction of how the plane was hit

Crumpled: The reconstructed wreckage of MH17 is seen at the presentation of the final report into the crash by the Dutch safety board

The report from the team, led by UK journalist Eliot Higgins, states that 'in the aftermath of the downing of MH17, photographs and videos were posted on social media sites claiming to show a BUK missile launcher in areas close to the MH17 crash site'.

It added: 'Using a variety of tools and techniques, the Bellingcat MH17 investigation team has been able to establish the exact location at which these images were recorded and the approximate time that many of the images were recorded.

'Based on this information, the investigation team has mapped the route of the BUK missile launcher through separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine on July 17.'
Nichole Lacey Lee, 32, allegedly broke into a motel room where her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend was staying and attacked her own man with a machete

A woman has been accused of drunkenly breaking into a motel room where her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend was staying and attacking her own man with a machete.

Nichole Lacey Lee, 32, allegedly forced her way into a room at Tonight Inn & Suites in Tulsa, Oklahoma, shortly before 11pm on Monday.

She tried to fight her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, who was staying in the room, but realized there were children inside so turned to leave, Tulsa World reported.

Lee is then accused of grabbing a machete and cutting her boyfriend's left shoulder.

The arrest report does not make clear why her boyfriend was at the motel, whether he was in his ex-girlfriend's motel room or why Lee had a machete.

She was then seen driving her car in circles on the street next to the motel until she blew a tire, police said.

Despite the blowout, Lee continued 'driving recklessly' with her two-year-old son in the vehicle, according to the arrest report.

Police found Lee and her child in the car about 700 yards from the motel, where she was arrested.

The mother smelled of alcohol, was 'extremely unsteady', was slurring her words and had bloodshot eyes, cops said.

She was taken to Tulsa Jail and booked in on charges of domestic assault with a deadly weapon, child endangerment, burglary and malicious injury to property.

Lee was arrested in July last year for alleged domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon. She was also arrested in June 2015 on drugs charges and in December 2012 for violating a protective order.

Nichole Lacey Lee, 32, allegedly forced her way into a room at Tonight Inn & Suites (pictured) in Tulsa

The Tonight Inn & Suites was the scene of an FBI raid in July last year, with officers cracking what was believed to be a large-scale drug and prostitution ring.

Officers found $60,000 in cash, large quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, a methamphetamine lab and a loaded gun, Tulsa World reported.

Two people have been murdered at the motel in recent years.
Jeremy Corbyn is set to be grilled by MPs over the anti-Semitism row engulfing Labour.

The cross-party Home Affairs Committee has summoned the Labour leader along with former London Mayor Ken Livingstone to give evidence to its inquiry into the issue.

The move emerged as disgraced backbencher Naz Shah stepped aside from the committee after making a grovelling apology for Facebook posts in which she suggested Israel should be relocated to the US.

Labour has been struggling to shake off highly damaging allegations of anti-Semitism that are threatening to derail its election campaign.

Jeremy Corbyn unveils a Labour campaign poster in London today. The party has been struggling to shake off allegations of anti-Semitism among activists

Mr Corbyn was reluctantly forced to suspend close ally Mr Livingstone last week after he suggested that Hitler had been a Zionist.

Three more councillors were subject to action yesterday over comments on social media.

Many moderates have pointed the finger at Mr Corbyn himself, insisting that while he is not personally anti-Semitic he has appeared unwilling to be tough enough on the problem.

In a fresh humiliation today Mr Corbyn has had praise lavished on him by Hamas for his unwillingness to disown them.

He has previously described the extremist group - the armed wing of which is banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation - as 'frends'.

Israeli ambassador Mark Regev again urged Mr Corbyn to condemn Hamas in an interview on Sunday.

'You've had too many people on the progressive side of politics who have embraced Hamas and Hezbollah,' Mr Regev told the BBC in a thinly-veiled reference to the veteran left-winger.

'Both of them are anti-Semitic organisations, you just have to read Hamas' charter and it's like chapters straight out of the prodigals of the elders of Zion.'

Hamas spokesman Taher Al-Nunu said Mr Corbyn's willingness to keep engaging with the group was a 'painful hit that the Zionist enemy received'.

'We welcome the declaration of the Labour Chairman and see his engagement as a very important statement that is also a painful hit that the Zionist enemy received,' he told Breitbart Jerusalem.

'It comes as part of the international boycott campaign that the enemy (Israel) is suffering from.

'This campaign is succeeding on both the economic and political levels and it comes at a moment that the enemy is facing difficulties in justifying its crimes against the Palestinian people.

Israeli ambassador to the UK Mark Regev hit out at politicians who 'embrace' Hamas during an appearance on the BBC's Andrew Marr show this weekend

He added: 'We consider the statements of the Labour leader to be an important message to people in Western countries that Hamas is not and will not be considered a terrorist group and our struggle is reduced to the borders of occupied Palestine.'

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, confirmed this afternoon that Ms Shah had asked to stand aside from its work until Labour's disciplinary process was complete.

'Naz Shah attended the private session of the Committee today and she has informed me and the Committee that she wishes to stand aside from all her duties until current matters are resolved,' he said.

'We have accepted her decision. She will not take part in any future matters concerning the Home Affairs Select Committee with immediate effect, until further notice.'

Mr Vaz confirmed that Mr Corbyn, Mr Livingstone and Prime Minister David Cameron - who has repeatedly demanded that Labour gets a grip on anti-Semitism - were being asked to give evidence.

'The Committee will now proceed with its inquiry into anti-Semitism, and we will begin calling witnesses including the Community Security Trust, the Jewish Board of Deputies, Ken Livingstone, and the Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn & Angus Robertson,' he added.
A 'secret' collection of silver plates created by Pablo Picasso which were inspired by his wife, his love of bull fighting and his rival Henri Matisse are set to sell at auction for 1.5 million.

The Spanish-born artist created a large volume of ceramics and crockery during his prolific career, but he only crafted silver plates in 24 designs.

Next month will be the first time a full set of the collection will be sold in public.

Pablo Picasso designed the 24 images between 1956 and 1967 which were made by silversmith Francios Hugo

The artist created three designs, featuring bullfighting, his rival Henri Matisse and his second wife Jacqueline

This is the first time a complete selection of the silver plates has gone on public sale according to Sotheby's

The collection is made up of three themes - his rival Henri Matisse, bullfighting and his second wife, Jacqueline Roque.

The artist created the 24 designs between 1956 and 1967 before the plates were made by the acclaimed French silversmith Francois Hugo.

It was Picasso's plan to keep them for himself but in 1967, Hugo was authorised to make a limited number edition of each plate, with the items sold to a small circle of connoisseurs and friends.

As a result, the wider public wasn't aware of the plates until they were show for the first time at Picasso's 1977 solo exhibition.

Sotheby's today announced it will be the first auction house to ever sell a complete 24-strong collection of Picasso's silver plates.

Picasso had planned to keep the collection himself, but in 1967 he authorised Hugo was authorised to make a limited number of the plates which were sold to a small circle of connoisseurs and friends

The collection will go under the hammer on June 23 at its sale in Hong Kong, with the auction house giving it a guide price of 1 million to 1.5 million.

Isaure de Viel Castel, head of Boundless Sales at Sotheby's Hong Kong, said: 'We are privileged and honoured to be entrusted with the sale of this unique set of 24 Picasso silver plates at the Boundless Sale in Hong Kong.
Alexei Kuzmichev spent $57.5million on two Upper East Side properties with plans to combine them

A Russian billionaire dropped $42million on a town house in the Upper East Side of Manhattan before realizing he would still be pressed for space in the 10,000-square-foot unit.

Alexei Kuzmichev, identified by the NY Post, shelled out an additional $15.5million for another unit at 33 East 74th Street with plans of combining the two, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Kuzmichev,who closed on the town house last week, has a reported net worth of $7.3billion, according to Forbes.

The $42million unit consists of the first four floors of a town house known as the Atterbury Mansion.

The town house was built in 1901 for banker Julian Wainwright Robbins and his wife Sarah Robbins, who was the niece of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

With 12-foot high ceilings, stately arched glass windows and a jaw-droppingly expansive backyard unheard of for most New Yorkers, the home maintains the historic facade with modern amenities.

Kuzmichev's second unit, which he purchased for $15.5million, measures 3,800 square-feet and stands immediately west to the larger apartment.

The Russian billionare splashed out on a total of $57.5million, and while he spent four million less than the two listing prices combined, he is likely to hemorrhage a lot more dough building out the interior himself.

He turned down the developer's offers to finish the apartment with five bedrooms and agent Katherine Gauthier of real estate company Douglas Ellimen told the WSJ: 'The buyer was very much interested in creating something unique.'

Although Kuzmichev (right) spent four million less than the two listing prices combined, he is likely to hemorrhage a lot more dough building out the interior himself

Both units are part of nine adjacent buildings that were gutted and combined by developer Daniel Straus, who purchased the properties from the Whitney Museum of American Art five years ago for about $92 million, according to the WSJ.

The Whitney first purchased the buildings in hopes of expanding its Upper East Side space just around the corner, but gave them up after the museum moved downtown near the High Line.

The space, which opened to the public in March, now houses the Metropolitan Museum of Art's contemporary collection, known as the Met Breuer.

A three-story penthouse, which sits on top of the Atterbury Mansion, was sold to another buyer for $32million in February, according to Curbed.

Straus was originally going to sell the unrenovated Atterbury Mansion for $38million, but realized he could make higher profit margins if he put in the work to fix them up as luxury condominiums.

Given the two Atterbury Mansion buyers (Kuzmichev and the penthouse occupants) have spent a combined $89.5million for just two of 10 units Straus spent $92million on, he's certainly succeeded.

Kuzmichev, the 15th richest man in Russia, made his money through Alfa Group, is the biggest financial and industrial group in his home country, according to Forbes.
Police have arrested the longtime boyfriend of a murdered Louisiana girl's mother for her death.

Authorities announced the arrest of 40-year-old Daniel Beckley on Monday.

He now faces second-degree murder and obstruction of justice charges in connection to the death of 16-year-old Jorion White, the daughter of his girlfriend Michelle Price.

Jorian was last seen on April 21, and reported missing the following evening after she failed to show up for school at Bonnabel High School.

Her body was found two days later dumped in a drainage canal.

Daniel Beckley, 40 (right), was arrest on Monday in connection to the murder of Jorion White, 16 (left), the daughter of his longtime girlfriend

Police released few details on Monday as they announced the arrest of Beckley, other than to say that they had identified him as a suspect early on because he was the 'last known adult to have care, custody and control' of Jorion.

It's unclear where the girl was killed, but police say Beckley used his car to transport her body to the drainage ditch where it was found.

Police also refused to say how Jorion died. Beckley had no real criminal history other than a few traffic violations, they added. He had been living with Jorion and her mother for the past 10 years.

St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said his prayers go out to Jorion's parents, Michelle Price and Joe White.

'Some of the most unpleasant moments in our position is when we have to deal with people in the worst moments of their lives,' Champagne said at the press conference. 'This has been a horrible experience. I cannot imagine losing a teenage child, especially this beautiful little girl.'

Jorion was last seen on April 21, and reported missing the next day when she did not show up for school. Her body was found to days later dumped in a drainage canal seven miles from her home

Police did not reveal where Jorion (left) was killed, but they say Beckley drove her body to the canal in his car

He also hit at local news outlets for what he described as a character assassination of Jorion's mother.

'She was a caring mother. Any suggestion to the contrary that she was not fully caring and totally dedicated to her daughters safety is ill advised and erroneous,' Champagne said. 'She is hurting badly now, and we believe if there was anything she could have done  or would have known ahead of time  to prevent her daughter from meeting this horrific early end to her young life, she would have done so.'

Beckley was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Beckley was also a source of suspicion for Jorion's family, and he told the New Orleans Advocate last week that he had been banned from returning to the home he shared with Price.

In the interview, Beckley denied having anything to do with the girl's disappearance and death.

He said that Jorion's family had accused him of molesting her, a claim he also denied.

Katrice Reid, a family friend and Jorion's godmother, told the newspaper that White 'smiled constantly, read inspirational books like Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, and cooked customized Pillsbury cookies for loved ones'.

'She was just sweet all-around,' Reid told the Advocate. 'She stayed inside  she did what she was supposed to do.

'My baby was left on the side of the road. It don't look good, where she was found, and how she was found.
Nick Gibb (pictured) failed to differentiate between a preposition and a subordinating conjunction live on the radio after insisting that learning to read and write from an early age is essential for a child's long-term development

The schools minister failed to answer a grammar question asked in exams for 11-year-olds today  but still condemned parents who took their children out of school in protest at over-testing.

Nick Gibb was asked to tell the difference between a preposition and a subordinating conjunction live on the radio after insisting that learning to read and write from an early age is essential for a child's long-term development.

World At One presenter Martha Kearney asked Mr Gibb: 'Let me give you this sentence: 'I went to the cinema after I'd eaten my dinner'. Is the word 'after' there being used as a subordinating conjunction or as a preposition.'

'It's a preposition,' Mr Gibb replied confidently, only for Ms Kearney to shoot back: 'I don't think it is. In this sentence it is being used as a subordinating conjunction.'

Mr Gibb protested: ''After" is a preposition. It can be used in some contexts as a word that co-ordinates a sub-clause.'

He added: 'This isn't about me. This is about ensuring that future generations of children - unlike me incidentally, who was not taught grammar at primary school - we need to make sure that future generations are taught grammar properly.'

The embarrassing episode came as around 2,000 children joined a 'kids strike' to avoid taking their SATs, but their parents were warned they could be fined 120 for helping them play truant.

The nationwide demonstration argued that exams for six and seven-year-olds were putting schoolchildren 'through hell' and making them too stressed to eat or sleep.

Critics claim testing the children in Year 2 is causing mental health problems - while some parents say their children are being 'set up to fail' so the Tories can force through its academies plans.

But Mr Gibb insisted it was wrong for parents to force young children to strike because 'even missing a day's school can be damaging'.

Today there are questions over whether the so-called 'kids' strike' is part of a wider political campaign after possible ties with trade unions emerged - and children were seen waving teaching union flags and clutching anti-Government placards.

Some headteachers have also written to parents telling them they will not be punished for boycotting class and will not face fines of 120 per child for unauthorised absence.

A Education Department spokesman said: 'It is a matter for the school. The school could refer the parents to the council. It could be seen as unauthorised term-time absence and they could be prosecuted.'

Groups not in school today have met in parks and green spaces all over the country today where they played instead of taking exams.

Darlington mother of four Debbie Conway has taken all of her school age children out of class in protest.

WHAT ARE KEY STAGE TESTS? Key stage tests, formerly called SATs, are taken towards the end of infant and junior school to help teachers assess pupils and measure schools' performance. Today's protest was originally centred around tests for the younger children, but now also includes parents who disapprove of tests for 11-year-olds. Over the course of a week, children aged six and seven sit two reading papers and two maths papers. They were due to take two in spelling and grammar, but these were scrapped after they were accidentally published by the Department for Education. Tougher assessments have been introduced this year by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. The new spelling and grammar tests require seven-year-olds to know the difference between an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun.

She said: 'Trinity stopped eating for a few days because of the stress and anxiety of what she was learning at school. Children are getting bored because of all the maths and comprehensions tests they are doing'.

The Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign encouraged parents across England to keep their children off school today, saying they are 'over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning'.

The petition, signed by more than 40,000 people, added: 'We want our kids to be kids again and enjoy learning for learning's sake, not for Ofsted results or league table figures.

'Bring back the creativity and the fun - say goodbye to repetition and boredom.'

Campaigners encouraging parents to take their children out of school to protest against 'over testing' have been accused of having a political agenda.

The key stage tests are set by the Government to measure schools' performance.

Children are allowed to be taken out of school in only exceptional circumstances, with fines of 120 per child for those who disobey.

But many teachers are supporting the campaign and some head teachers have even sent out letters reassuring parents they will not record the absence as unauthorised.

Parents taking part in the 'Let Our Kids Be Kids' protest say the tests make children too stressed and hamper creativity in the classroom.

Around 2,000 children joined a 'kids strike' to avoid taking their SATs, but their parents were warned they could be fined 120 for helping them play truant. Above, kids protest in Preston Park, Brighton

The nationwide demonstration argued that exams for six and seven-year-olds were putting schoolchildren 'through hell' and making them too stressed to eat or sleep. Above, kids from Ashton Gate Primary school miss school today in protest to Year 2 SATs

Children's laureate Chris Riddell was among concerned parents meeting in Preston Park, Brighton, for a day of activities during the protest, and parents and children are organising fun and educational activities all over the country.

SATS PUT CHILDREN 'THROUGH HELL', SAYS MICHAEL ROSEN Former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen has warning that youngsters are being tested on complicated grammar that risks crushing their love of learning. In an open letter to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan published in The Guardian, Mr Rosen said children are going through 'hell' with testing. He wrote: 'One ex-headteacher and now school governor wrote to tell me of 'six to seven-year-old pupils who, during the testing period, were crying, visibly shaking and reportedly waking up at 4am unable to sleep'. 'Any parent of children undergoing these tests has seen how it works. Children sit in school or at home with pre-tests. Then teachers, children or parents mark these tests and we see the looks on our children's faces as we mark this or that question with a zero. 'The child is wrong. It's a fail. And no matter how kind and encouraging we are, it's still a fail. And another fail. And another.' He said children 'are not receptacles or cars or machines' but 'humans with views of what they are learning and how they feel'.

He said: This is a day off not a strike. We need to ask ourselves whether we want an educational system that puts our children under this sort of pressure'.

When asked about Tory Education Secretary Nicky Morgan he said: 'I feel sorry for Nicky. She's been under a lot of stress. My advice to her would be to take the day off and read a good book. She can relax because she will not be tested on it'.

Ben Ramalingam, from Brighton, is keeping his five-year-old son off school in protest at what he says is a hothouse culture that has made young children stressed.

He said: 'Our kids are being left disengaged and stressed. Kids who previously loved school are now refusing to go.

'There are a number of people who are saying this has the potential to turn into not just an educational crisis, but a mental health crisis.'

He said there is no proof that testing improves educational attainment, and stressed that many countries who take a more relaxed approach to assessments perform better in international education league tables.

He added: 'There is an experiment being run on our children and there is no proof it works. It is really inappropriate and, I think, unethical to do it.

'We are concerned parents taking a stand, we don't want our kids to be stressed out by the time they become teenagers because they have been inappropriately taught. Our children are being pushed towards rote-based learning. It is like something out of Charles Dickens.

Critics claim testing the children in Year 2 is causing mental health problems - while some parents say their children are being 'set up to fail' so the Tories can force through its academies plans. Above, kids protest in Preston Park, Brighton

'We feel we need to send a message to Westminster and Whitehall that enough is enough, they need to see that the actions they take have a highly negative impact.'

Jane Clout, a grandmother from Brighton, is keeping her two grandsons, aged six and eight, off school in protest at the tests.

She said: 'Some of my grandson's friends have been in tears at night, some of them have been having tummy aches which is a sign of stress. It is just so sad.

'I'm a grandmother and I sent my children through the state system in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and when I first started taking these boys to school I was struck by how primary schools have improved.
Waleed Aly launched an attack on the country's refugee policy after two asylum seekers set themselves alight within days of each other.

The Project host accused the government of attempting to create a refugee policy so unpleasant that coming to Australia was a worse option than staying in the home countries the asylum seekers were fleeing.

Iranian refugee Omid Masoumali, 23, died on Friday after he set himself on fire on Nauru last Wednesday, while Somali refugee Hadon Yasin, 21, suffered critical burns after setting herself alight on Monday.

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The Project host Waleed Aly has slammed the government for its asylum seeker policy after two refugees on Nauru set themselves on fire

He accused the government of making Australia an option worse than the places refugees were trying to escape from

Aly said it was disturbing that ayslum seeker setting themselves on fire was a sign of policy working, not failing

Somali refugee Hadon Yasin, 21, became the second refugee to set herself on fire on Nauru just days after a fellow refugee died from self-inflicted burns

Omid Masoumali set himself alight on Wednesday and was airlifted to a Brisbane hospital on Thursday but died the following day

He cited other instances of people setting themselves on fire in history.

'People only do this [set themselves on fire] in the face of unbearable oppression. Each of these horrific self-immolations changed history, but the ones on Nauru won't. They wont matter. Because pushing asylum seekers to the point of utter desperation is part of the policy game plan,' Aly said.

'Whatever these people are fleeing we must offer them something worse - It's the very logic of our asylum seeker policy which is built on the sole rationality of deterrents.'

He said it was disturbing that ayslum seeker setting themselves on fire was a sign of policy working, not failing.

'Does anyone think that any country is so great you'd set yourself on fire to get in? Because in fact, when you douse yourself in petrol and set yourself alight, your chances of living anywhere are greatly reduced,' Aly said.

Earlier, Immigration Ministe Peter Dutton blamed refugee advocates for the critical burns Hadon Yasin suffered.

Peter Dutton, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, blamed advocates for the self-immolations

'I have previously expressed my frustration and anger at advocates and others who are in contact with those in Regional Processing Centres and who are encouraging them to engage in behaviours they believe will pressure the Government to bring them to Australia,' Mr Dutton wrote in a statement on Tuesday

Refugee advocates have hit back at the 'baseless' and 'disrespectful' claims

Waleed Aly asked on The Project: 'Does anyone think that any country is so great you'd set yourself on fire to get in?'

She was in a critical condition on Tuesday morning after the self-immolation on Monday afternoon.

She is fighting for her life only days after Mr Dutton, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, said refugees had been encouraged by advocates - who have themselves hit back at the 'disrespectful' claim.

'I have previously expressed my frustration and anger at advocates and others who are in contact with those in Regional Processing Centres and who are encouraging them to engage in behaviours they believe will pressure the Government to bring them to Australia,' Mr Dutton wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

'Advocates should reflect on their messages of false hope and misleading portrayal of the situation in Nauru.

'While some may be encouraged by messages of false hope, and some may resort to extreme action, the Government will not be dissuaded from its stated border protection policies,' Mr Dutton said.

Refugee advocate bodies Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) and Refugee Council have returned fire, saying it was 'Australia's cruel detention system [which] destroyed her' and is 'costing lives'.

'Despite the Immigration Minister's attempts to deflect the blame, it is the government that is responsible for the appalling conditions they have created on Nauru,' Refugee Action Coalition wrote in a statement.

'Peter Dutton does not have a shred of evidence that advocates encourage refugees to self-harm,' Ian Rintoul, RAC spokesperson said.

'His dismissive attitude to the distress of the asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru will only put more people at risk. He should seek the advice of mental health experts before he makes such ill-informed pronouncements.'

Mr Rintoul said the government system had 'failed even a basic duty of care to people under their control'.

Refugee Council of Australia have demanded Mr Dutton 'substantiate his very serious allegations'.

'Along with many, many others and based on substantive evidence, we have warned that the policies of respective Australian Governments risk these shocking acts of desperation,' the statement said.

Refugee advocates claim Ms Yasin was on suicide watch prior to her self-immolation and had made multiple attempts at self-harm in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old was one of three refugees returned to Nauru last week after being taken from Brisbane's immigration transit accommodation.

She was brought to Australia in November after suffering a head injury in a motorcycle accident and was reportedly forcibly removed from Brisbane on Wednesday about 3am by Border Force officials.

'Hodan's removal was reckless in the extreme, and directly contributed to her suicide attempt on Nauru,' RAC said.

'On the very night that Hodan was returned to Nauru, she swallowed washing powder at the IHMS clinic, OPC 1. She has been in OPC 12 under 'high watch' since she was returned to Nauru.'

'Hodan was a known suicide risk. It is Peter Dutton, IHMS and mental health workers who have to explain how Hodan was able to leave OPC 1 and attempt self-immolation at the bus stop,' Mr Rintoul said.

'It is Peter Dutton and offshore processing that robbed Omid and Hodan of their hope. To belittle her distress and her need for help has condemned the Minister and the policy and exposed how little care there is for those who need it.'

Witnesses told the Refugee Action Coalition she suffered severe burns and all off her clothes were burnt off. Above is a stock image of Nauru's off-shore detention centre

RAC also said the hospital on Nauru is not functioning, despite Mr Dutton's claims more money has been invested into it.

'Omid and Hodan were treated in the shockingly unsatisfactory conditions of the old hospital.

'Even basic medical supplies were not available at the hospital to properly treat Omid.'

Advocates said he had waited 10 hours for morphine, though Mr Dutton said 'both patients received the utmost care'.

Mr Rintoul also said the 21-year-old referred to herself as Hodan, but was officially recorded as Hadon.

Despite the Government of Nauru's report the woman is 21, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre claimed she is 19 years old and was taken to Nauru detention when she was 16 but was processed as an adult.

In his statement, Mr Dutton confirmed Ms Yasin had been transferred to a Brisbane hospital and was in a critical condition.

A candlelight vigil was held in Mr Masoumali's memory in Sydney following his death, with signs displayed saying 'Killed by detention on Nauru. Close the camps now'

'All efforts are being made to meet her medical needs. We can only hope for the best possible outcome.

'In this and the previous incident, both patients have received the utmost care, treatment and consideration, both in Nauru and in Australia.

'The Government has been absolutely clear: we do not want to see the restart of boats and deaths at sea.

'Persons transferred to Regional Processing Centres will not be resettled in Australia.'

A wooden boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers arrived close to the Australian territory of the Cocos Islands on Tuesday, locals claim, before it was intercepted by AFP and Australian Border Force officials.

A refugee on Manus Island posted about Ms Yasin's self-immolation, expressing his sadness about the situation.

The 21-year-old set herself alight in detention on Nauru just days after the death of Mr Masoumali, 23 (pictured in hospital)

'I'm so sorry my sister hodan yasin [sic], she was in detention centre more than three years, and now she is burning her self on fire,' he said.

'I can imagine what cause this problem... I'm not sure if she is a live [sic] or not. Anyway I'm praying for you.

'Please where is the human rights? Where is the justice in this world ? Where are the people saying we look after the human being? Why they don't talk the people are dying in manus Island and nauru?

'Who will take the responsibility our bleeding blood? Please let them know the human rights this situation. We're in defence we can't talk so please we need help.'

The Nauruan government said in a statement it was distressed that refugees were attempting 'dreadful acts' to influence the Australian Government's immigration policies.

The man was heard screaming 'I can't take it anymore' before he set himself alight in front of other detainees

Shocking footage of the moment Omid set himself on fire in protest of Australia's detention laws emerged last week (above)

The government stressed refugees on the island were given the same freedoms as citizens but had 'better facilities'.

'Refugees and asylum seekers are not distressed due to their conditions,' a statement said.

The island's government called for refugee advocates to stop giving refugees and asylum seekers false hope and 'stirring up these protests'.

A vigil for Ms Yasin has been organised for Wednesday at 5.30pm at Sydney's Town Hall.

Prior to Mr Dutton's statement, Mr Rintoul had called the incident 'another self-harm attempt that is [Australia's Immigration Minister] Peter Dutton's responsibility.

'A vulnerable young woman who needed protection was a victim of a spiteful removal.

'She has been sent to the toxic environment that the Minister has created on Nauru. Tragically this was entirely predictable.'
A famed matador could be left paralyzed after landing on his head when a bull charged straight into him.

Veteran Mexican matador, Rodolfo Rodriguez, known as 'El Pana', is in intensive care after being tossed in the air by the bull.

He had been taking part in his second bullfight of the day in Lerdo city in northeast Mexico

The distressing footage shows the matador standing in wait with his colourful cape held out to one side.

But to gasps in the crowd, the bull ignores his cape and instead smashes into him, flipping him into the air and leaving him lying in a crumpled heap on the ground.

People quickly rushed to aid the injured matador and he was put on a stretcher and rushed to hospital.

The matador holds out his colourful cape to one side but the bull ignores it and charges straight at him

In the shocking scene that followed, the bull flipped Rodolfo Rodriguez, known as 'El Pana', into the air

The horrific video showed the bull throwing Rodriguez into the air, leaving him lying motionless on the turf

Having been thrown into the air, Rodriguez landed on his head and could be left paralyzed

Cigar-smoking Rodriguez, 64, is a famed bullfighter who has won respect for his daring exploits over a 37-year career.

This is not the first time he has been horrifically injured in the ring.

At his debut in La Plaza Mexico he was gored and suffered a ruptured artery. Doctors feared he would lose his leg but he battled back and was in the ring 30 days later.

He is also famed for his outrageous and controversial comments including one in 2007 when he dedicated a victory to the 'w****s who had given me protection.'

He said: 'I give thanks for the dames, the ladies, the mistresses, the princesses, the waifs and strays, the w****s.

'Because you all have quenched my thirst and satiated my hunger and given me protection and cover in your breast and loins and accompanied me in my loneliness. God blesses you for having loved me so much.'

The legendary cigar-smoking matador is famed for his daring exploits in the ring and controversial comments

After the incident, people rushed to his aid and he was then taken on a stretcher to a nearby hospital

Doctors treated Rodriguez after he was taken away on a stretcher in an ambulance

Galvan Zermeno, the doctor who treated the bullfighter, said: 'We have found symptoms that indicate a very serious injury to the spinal tissue. The diagnosis leads us to the conclusion of a possible quadriplegia, which means immobility in his whole body.

'We are still evaluating whether to intervene in the second vertebrae, but this would need to be consulted with his family.'
A self-styled 'fun weekend mom' who allegedly took heroin with her 16-year-old son the day he overdosed was indicted by an Akron court Tuesday - as were the boy's grandmother and two family friends.

Andrew Frye died of a heroin overdose on April 6 at the Super 8 hotel in the city of Green, Ohio, in the company of mom Heather Frye, 31; grandma Brenda Frye, 52; and Heather's friend Jessica Irons, 34.

Now all three will be facing trial in connection with the boy's death, Cleveland.com reported, as will Brenda Frye's 58-year-old boyfriend.

Relatives: Heather Frye (left), 31, allegedly took heroin with her son Andrew on April 6, ending in his overdose. Cops say the drugs were passed on by his grandmother, Brenda (right), 52. Both were indicted Tuesday

Dead: Andrew Frye (pictured) died in a Super 8 motel in Green, Ohio. Police say family members had gone in and out of the room his body was in before 911 was called, and that the women tried to hide evidence

Andrew had gone to the motel at around 2am on April 6 with the women as he had wanted to swim in its pool, police said.

But police said Heather Frye told them that she, Irons and Andrew decided to do heroin instead.

Police allege that Brenda passed the trio the drugs, which were originally supplied by her boyfriend, Donald Callaghan, 58.

Heather said she made Andrew - who had a history of drug abuse - shoot up in the bathroom as she didn't like to see him using the drug.

At 6:45pm Heather Frye called 911. She had woken to find him unresponsive, and deputies arrived within minutes.

'When they arrived it was quite apparent that Andrew had been deceased for quite some time,' Summit County Sheriff Steve Barry said, according to an earlier report by Cleveland.com. 'There was nothing they could do.'

Inside the room investigators found syringes, drug paraphernalia and potential illicit drugs, according to an official report. All three women are accused of trying to hide the evidence.

Police also said they believe family members had been in and out of the room Andrew's body was in before 911 was called.

Family 'friends': Heather's pal Jessica Irons (left), 34, also took heroin, cops say; they believe the drug was supplied by Brenda's boyfriend, Donald Callaghan (right), 58. All four will be arraigned Wednesday

Heather Frye, who did not have custody of Andrew, later told police she wanted to be a 'fun weekend mom'.

She has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and tampering with evidence.

Brenda Frye has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and heroin trafficking.

Irons is charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, tampering with evidence, heroin possession and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

And Callaghan has been charged with heroin possession.

'This is a horrible tragedy because of [the victim's] age,' said Margaret Scott, deputy chief assistant prosecutor previously told Cleveland.com.

'If you give someone else your poison, then we are going to hold you criminally responsible.'

All four of the accused will be arraigned Wednesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court.
Dusseldorf state court has tried them for violating laws against wearing uniforms with political messages

A group of Islamic extremists who patrolled the streets of the city of Wuppertal in orange vests with the words 'Sharia police' can be tried for violating laws against wearing uniforms with political messages.

The Dusseldorf state court today reversed a lower court's dismissal of the case after prosecutors appealed.

The group of nine men made headlines in 2014 when they attempted to establish 'Sharia police' in Wuppertal to enforce a strict interpretation of Islam.

German convert Sven Lau, was also indicted by federal prosecutors last month on suspicion of supporting a foreign terror group

They patrolled some parts of the city repeatedly asking people to stop drinking alcohol or visiting nightclubs.

One, Sven Lau, was also indicted by federal prosecutors last month on suspicion of supporting a foreign terror group.

Lau is suspected of four counts of supporting the group Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, or JAMWA, which was designated a terrorist organization by the United States last year.

The Dusseldorf state court today reversed a lower court's dismissal of the case after prosecutors appealed

Prosecutors alleged that the 35-year-old was the go-to contact for extremists wanting to fight for JAMWA in Syria and provided financial and material support to the group under the cover of humanitarian aid shipments.

Lau is a convert to Islam in 2005 and also uses the nom-de-guerre Abu Adam.
A woman accused of shoplifting from a Virginia Home Depot says the store security guard who tackled her on her way out should be charged with assault.

Footage from the interaction between Ashley Broyles, 31, and the unnamed security guard on Saturday shows a man straddling Broyles and attempting to handcuff her as she is flat on the floor.

'He said maam you have something in that purse that belongs to me. I picked up my purse and it was right there in the top of the cart,' Broyles, who is covered in scrapes and bruises told WTVR.

Tackle: Footage from the interaction between Ashley Broyles, 31, and the unnamed security guard on Saturday shows a man straddling Broyles and attempting to handcuff her as she is flat on the floor

'He grabbed my purse and then he grabbed me and I might have pulled away from him,' she said.

Broyles recalls the guard pushing her to the ground and her face hitting the pavement.

'I remember him throwing me to the ground. I do remember that and thats when he threw my face to the ground before that lady came to videotape the rest,' she said.

Boyles wasn't the only person who was troubled by the guards behavior. An onlooker named Sarah took footage of the event from her cell phone and later shared the video with the police.

However, according to the Chesterfield Police, the video does not show the moment Boyles reportedly pushed the security officer.

Physical: 'He said maam you have something in that purse that belongs to me. I picked up my purse and it was right there in the top of the cart,' Broyles, who is covered in scrapes and bruises, said

Statement: Home Depot said that the guard was acting within his rights and that he was actually pushed first by the alleged shoplifter

'Based on what was reported to the police, the loss prevention officer was acting within the law when he detained the suspect,' a Chesterfield Police spokeswoman said.

'It should be noted that the suspect was charged with assaulting the loss prevention officer prior to the apprehension.'

Boyles is shocked that the guard is charging her with assault. Broyles has a criminal history and in the past was charged with petit larceny and fraud but says that alleged shoplifting is no excuse to physically harm someone.

'For him to press assault and battery charges against me, Im laughing, thats crazy, I never touched him,' she said.

'At one point, he had me pinned down like over top of me. I couldnt even move my arm. He twisted my arm. This whole arm hurts really bad.'

'I was stunned by the way he was handling it. They dont shove their face in the ground and sit on top of them and twist the handcuffs,' said Broyles.

'I want to press assault and battery charges against him. Even if I did do something wrong, he shouldnt have done what he did,' added Broyles.

Home Depot released the following statement: 'All of our security personnel are specially trained in handling the apprehension of shoplifters to reduce the safety risk to customers, our associates, and the suspected shoplifters themselves. Unfortunately, its very common for shoplifters who resist to endanger others or themselves, so our intention is always to protect customers and associates from what could be a dangerous situation.'
Victim: Nihad Barakat, 17, was kidnapped by ISIS and held as a sex slave

A Yazidi teenager who escaped life as an ISIS sex slave has revealed that one of the men responsible for her horrific ordeal was the British fighter known as 'Jihadi Sid'.

Nihad Barakat was just 15 when Islamic State militants seized the Yazidi town of Sinjar in northwest Iraq two years ago.

The now 17-year-old has revealed that British father-of-four Siddhartha Dhar was one of the key player in the Yazidi sex trade in ISIS's self-declared caliphate.

She revealed that the former bouncy castle salesman from Walthamstow had taken part in the horrifying human trafficking of Yazidi teenage girls, and enslaved some himself.

'When I was captured near Kirkuk, they took me to another leader from Mosul. His name was Abu Dhar,' she said according to the Daily Express.

'He also took Yazidi girls for himself. Every day he would tell me that I had to marry another man.'

Hindu-born Dhar left Walthamstow in north east London for Syria in September 2014, and is believed to be the masked jihadi who has been seen in a number of ISIS execution videos.

The British fanatic, who has been accused of being the 'new Jihadi John', was previously known as 'Sid' to friends and enjoyed drinking, action movies and dreamed of being an NHS dentist.

Dhar's family say he 'changed' as a teenager after the death of his father and converted to Islam, shunning TV and music, sleeping on the floor and even telling his mother he couldn't love her anymore because she is not a Muslim.

Police and the Home Office have come under growing pressure to answer questions about security lapses that allowed Dhar to slip through the net.

The former bouncy castle salesman was able to leave Britain for Syria despite being on police bail and having been arrested on six occasions.

One of his victims, Ms Barakat, was abducted along with 27 members of her family and thousands of civilians and taken via Syria to the ISIS stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq.



Revealed: British ISIS fighter Siddhartha Dhar is taking part in the Yazidi sex trade in ISIS's self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria

Ms Barakat reveals that the former bouncy castle salesman from Walthamstow had helped traffick her during her time in capticity and taken Yazidi women as sex slaves

Nihad, now 17, was taken to Syria and then to the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq, she told at an event in London on Wednesday

Now 17, she recalls: 'They raped us, they killed our men, they took our babies away from us.'

'The worst thing was the torture in Mosul. We were beaten and raped continuously for two weeks.'

'Girls were taken from their families and raped constantly and then they were handed out to 'emirs'.'

Ms Barakat said a man who took her as a slave died a few weeks later.

She was then sold to another man who already had a wife and another Yazidi sex-slave.

He beat and raped her and a month later she became pregnant.

The brave teenager shared her horrific experiences at an event organised by the UK-based AMAR Foundation, a charity that provides education and healthcare in the Middle East.

'I thought the child I was carrying was a member of Daesh and would become a Daesh criminal when he grew up,' she recalled, using a pejorative Arabic name for Islamic State.

Ms Barakat gave birth to a baby boy and managed to escape when three months later after the baby's father decided to marry her to his cousin.

She made a phone call to her family and was then rescued by Steve Maman from The Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq (CYCI).

'I managed to escape, but I had to leave the baby behind,' she said.

A man who took her as a slave died a few weeks later, and she was then sold to another man who already had a wife and another Yazidi sex slave. He beat and raped her and a month later she became pregnant

Nihad gave birth to a baby boy, but three months later she managed to escape after the baby's father decided to marry her to his cousin (file photo of a freed Yazidi sex slave)

ISIS considers the Yazidi, an ancient faith that blends elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam, to be devil-worshippers.

The United Nations says ISIS still holds an estimated 3,500 people captive in Iraq, the majority of which are women and girls from the Yazidi community.

The Sunni militants captured around 5,000 Yazidi men and women in summer 2014, of which some 2,000 have managed to escape or have been smuggled out of ISIS terroitory.

Most of the Yazidi population, numbering around half a million, are displaced in camps in Iraq's northern Kurdistan.

Nihad now lives in one of the camps with her mother, father and siblings and works with AMAR, volunteering to come to London to speak of her people's plight.

Two of her brothers and two sisters are still held by Islamic State.

She said: 'It's not a life, we are not living a life until the rest of our people are released by Daesh.

'I beg you to help my people. Save them from Daesh, and free especially the sex slaves, the young girls and children that have been taken.'
Rebels bombarded government-held areas of Aleppo with rockets on Tuesday, killing 19 people and hitting a hospital, while also launching a ground assault on army-held positions of the divided city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Syrian army said insurgents had launched a widespread assault and that it was responding. State-run Syrian news channel Ikhbariya said three women were killed and 17 more people wounded at the al-Dabit maternity clinic.

The army statement said the attack was at 'a time when international and local efforts are being made to shore up the (cessation of hostilities agreement) and to implement ... calm in Aleppo'.

Syrian rebels killed 19 people after they launched an artillery strike on a government-held part of Aleppo

Among the buildings struck in the shelling was the Al-Dabbeet hospital in the Muhafaz district

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that 19 people died in the recent attacks

The Observatory said the hospital had been heavily damaged.

In rebel-held parts of Aleppo, the Observatory said there had been three air strikes, citing information of an unconfirmed number of people killed.

The Observatory said 279 civilians have been killed in Aleppo by bombardments since April 22, with 155 of them killed in opposition-held areas, and 124 killed in government-held districts.

The ground assault focused on the Jamiat al-Zahraa area of the city, where insurgent groups detonated tunnels and took a few buildings before advances were checked by the arrival of reinforcements on the government side, the Observatory said.

A Syrian army source said a car bomb was used in an attack nearby, adding that the assault had failed. The source added that 'matters had been moving towards Aleppo being included in the truce, but it seems there are those who do not want that'.

Asked if it reduced the chances of a truce in Aleppo, the source said: 'Certainly, because practically the one carrying out these actions does not want a truce'.

Since April 22, 279 people have been killed across Aleppo by government and rebel forces

Government forces have launched several air strikes on rebel-held areas killing 155 people

Syrian government forces are involved in ceasefire talks with rebels about ending the current bloodshed
One of Charles Manson's disciples was recommended for parole after admitting she would have killed babies, a report claims.

Leslie Van Houten, 66, is slated to be released from prison after four decades inside for helping the notorious killer in his murderous rampage.

The news has sparked outrage, with families of her victims urging politicians and lawyers to reverse the recommendation. Even Manson himself has denounced her, urging against her release.

Now it has emerged, in a report obtained by the New York Post, that Van Houten even admitted she would have been prepared to murder infant children if Charles Manson had instructed her to.

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Leslie Van Houten, 66 (pictured last month), was recommended for parole after admitting she would have killed babies, a report claims

Van Houten was 19 when she held a pillow over the face of Rosemary La Bianca as the Manson murderers stabbed her and her husband, Leno, to death before carving the word 'WAR' in his stomach.

She then stabbed La Bianca herself.

According to a 210-page manuscript of Van Houton's parole hearing last month, she was asked how far she would have gone to satisfy Manson, the Post reports.

Presiding Commissioner Ali Zarrinnam asked her: 'You would have done anything at this point, right? If there were babies in the home, would you have killed babies, newborns, toddlers?

She replied: 'I think I would have if [Manson]'d have said.'

But the panel ruled the former beauty queen had exhibited good behavior behind bars after undergoing counseling.

She was sentenced to death for murder, which was later commuted to life in prison.

Van Houten, the youngest member of the Manson cult, has taken 'self-help programs, classes and counselling' and provided an 'insight why she committed the crimes', a spokesman for the Department of Corrections said.

The killer denounced Manson and his teachings soon after she was first convicted of murder.

Leno La Bianca's daughter, Cory La Bianca, gave a rare interview to the Los Angeles Times, pleading with the authorities to keep the killer in jail.

'I very much disagree with the ruling,' Ms La Bianca said.

'We all need to be held responsible for our behavior. The least we can do, for someone who commits a crime against another human being, is to keep them in jail.'

She said her 41-year-old son burst into tears while listening to the parole hearing at the California Institution for Women in Chino, which deemed Van Houten 'suitable for parole' after years in prison.

Van Houten, who was denied parole in 2013, was not due to be heard by the parole board again until 2018.

Van Houten (right), who applied for parole 20 times in total, was given a recommendation for her good behavior

The former beauty queen admitted holding a pillow over the head of Rosemary La Bianca (left) while other cult members stabbed her and husband Leno (right) to death

However, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, Van Houten addressed many of the failings reported by the parole board in 2013 and was granted an early hearing.

The case will now be reviewed, which can take up to four months, while the final decision on Van Houten's release will be made by California Governor Jerry Brown.

'Maybe Leslie Van Houten has been a model prisoner,' Cory La Bianca said. 'But you know what, we still suffer our loss.'

Speaking about her father, she said: 'He didn't get to live his, and I'll live it for him.'

She added that her grandson had recently asked her about her father, leaving her speechless.

'How do you answer that to a six-year-old?' Ms La Bianca said. 'It doesn't end. This doesn't end.'

She now intends to appeal to Gov. Brown to demand he intervene and keep Van Houten in jail.

Pfeiffer told Daily Mail Online: 'The governor deserves a lot of credit for taking a broken parole system and making it work.

Charles Manson appears in Los Angeles, California court on March 29, 1971

'The court system was impossible, so he appointed a board who know what they're doing and only I hope he follows through all the way in this case.'

He also said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times: 'A lot of people who oppose parole don't know anything about Leslie's conduct.'

'Her role was bad. Everyone's was. But they don't know what she's done since then and all of the good she's done.'

Van Houten, who launched her first parole attempt in 1979 and has applied for parole 20 times, recounted her part in the killing of La Bianca and his wife during her hearing.

The former homecoming princess, who described herself as a hippy at the time of the murders, told of how she looked off into the distance until another Manson follower told her to do something before she joined in the stabbing.

She described herself as a young woman who was angry at her parents' divorce.

During her five-hour testimony, Van Houten described Manson as a 'Christ-like man that had all the answers'.

She then went into graphic detail how she held down Rosemary La Bianca and secured a pillow with a lamp cord while another member of the Manson family stabbed her repeatedly.

She said: 'I don't let myself off the hook. I don't find parts in any of this that makes me feel the slightest bit good about myself.'

The La Biancas were killed a day after other so-called 'Manson family' members murdered actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski, and four others.

Tate's sister, Debra, has started an online petition opposing parole for Van Houten, saying she failed to show remorse for years after the crimes and can't be trusted.

The killings were the start of what Manson believed was a coming race war. He dubbed it 'Helter Skelter' after a Beatles song.

Pfeiffer said in an earlier interview that she presents no danger to the public and should be freed.

'The only violent thing she has ever done in her entire life was this crime and that was under the control of Charles Manson,' he said. 'She is just not a public safety risk, and when you are not a public safety risk, the law says you shall be released.'

At her last hearing in 2013, a parole commissioner told Van Houten she had failed to explain how someone as intelligent and well-bred as she could have committed such cruel and atrocious crimes.

Van Houten told the panel she had been traumatized by her parents' divorce when she was 14, her pregnancy soon after and her mother's insistence she have an abortion.

During the hearing, she apologized to everyone she had harmed.

Van Houten did not participate in the Tate killings but went along the next night when the La Biancas were slain.

Her defense lawyers portrayed her as a young woman from a good family who had been a homecoming princess and showed promise until she got involved with drugs and was recruited into Manson's cult.

Van Houten (pictured right along with fellow Charles Manson cult members Susan Atkins, left, and Patricia Krenwinkel, center) arrives in court in August 1970 for assisting in the murders of Leno La Bianca and his wife Rosemary

Van Houten (pictured right along with fellow Charles Manson cult members Susan Atkins, center, and Patricia Krenwinkel, right) leaves court after being convicted of first degree murder

Van Houten (pictured right along with fellow Charles Manson cult members Atkins, left, and Krenwinkel, center) laughs after being sentenced to death for her role in the murders

During the penalty phase of her trial, she confessed to joining in stabbing Rosemary La Bianca after she was dead.

Van Houten's conviction was overturned on appeal after her lawyer was found dead during the trial.

Members of the Manson family took credit for the killing, but it is believed he died in a flash flood.

She was retried twice and ultimately convicted in 1978 of two counts of murder and conspiracy.

Her first retrial ended in a hung jury, and prior to her conviction in 1978 she was out on $200,000 bond - and even attended the Oscars with a friend.

In an interview with filmmaker John Waters, Van Houten was asked what she said to people that night when they asked her if she had seen any of the films.

'If someone brought up one of the nominees, I'd just say, "No, I missed that one" or "I was away when that was playing",' Van Houten said.

Manson, 81, and other followers involved in the killings are still jailed.

Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles 'Tex' Watson have each been denied parole multiple times, while fellow defendant Susan Atkins died in prison in 2009.

Former Manson follower Bruce Davis was approved for parole but Gov. Brown blocked his release in 2014, citing the gravity of his offenses and his refusal to fully accept responsibility for his role in the murders of a stunt man and a musician.
Madeleine McCann's parents have led prayers at a vigil in their home town nine years to the day since she vanished during a family holiday in Portugal.

Kate and Gerry McCann also released a statement saying there is 'always hope' of finding their daughter who vanished nine years ago from their holiday apartment on the Algarve.

Madeleine was three years old when she went missing from the apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on May 3 2007.

Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured) are joined by friends and neighbours in the village of Rothley, Leicestershire for the prayer village on Tuesday

Kate and Gerry McCann, pictured, believe their missing daughter Madeleine is still alive and she said recently she believed she is not a 'million miles' from Praia da Luz in Portugal where she disappeared in 2007

Mrs McCann said recently: 'Nine years. Time just goes too quickly. It's the quiet times that are tough. Times when you are thinking about her  or something related to her'

Those at the small gathering in Rothley, in Leicestershire, listened intently as Mrs McCann, 48, read a poem by Emily Dickinson: 'Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches on the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all.'

The sombre mood at the prayer vigil contrasted sharply with the jubilant mood seven miles away in Leicester where the city is celebrating winning the Premier League title.

Mr McCann, 47, said he had spent the whole of Tuesday trying 'to stop moping around.'

Kate and Gerry McCann maintain hope that Maddie may still be alive and recently called for a new artist impression of their daughter for fear she may not be recognised

This makeshift shrine to Madeleine McCann appeared in Rothley this week. Children lit candles to remember Madeleine and parents read aloud messages of hope including: 'Never, never give up!'

He added: 'I cannot tell you how low we felt earlier but how much better we feel for seeing so many people here to support us.'

As the couple stood in quiet reflection and prayer next to the village's war memorial, Mr McCann said: 'Even after nine years, and we desperately don't want another one, we have this incredible support and it and it means so much to us.

'It makes us stronger and helps us get through it.'

Ms McCann said the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz is where she 'feels closest' to her daughter Maddie, who disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment (pictured above) on May 3, 2007 at the age of three

Hope of finding what happened to Madeleine have dwindled in the last year but the McCanns have thanked their supporters for keeping her 'in your heart'.

The town's vicar, Reverend Rob Gladstone said: 'Throughout the past nine years there have been many high and lows but it is irrefutable that the prayerful support of so many people from different places, from all walks of life, has kept hope alive.'

Portuguese police, working in co-operation with Scotland Yard, reopened the investigation in 2013 amid talk of fresh leads but last year the Metropolitan Police announced it had reduced the number of officers it had working on the case from 29 to four.

Writing on their official website, Find Madeleine, they said: 'As yet another anniversary comes around, we'd like to thank all our supporters for your continued help and commitment in the search for Madeleine, and the hope for her safe return.

'It has been a very long time but the investigation continues, information is still forthcoming and our hope and resolve continue.

'Until we have answers, until there is news (real news!), there will always be hope and we will continue to do everything we can to help find Madeleine.'

The McCanns had left Madeleine asleep in the apartment while they dined in a tapas restaurant about 100 yards away.

Detectives have explored dozens of theories since she vanished, including allegations she was kidnapped by a paedophile gang, killed during a botched burglary or snatched and sold by child traffickers.

But despite 9,000 potential sightings all over Europe and even further afield the police are no closer to solving the mystery.

Gerry McCann is pictured with daughter Madeleine (far right) splashing in the pool with their feet on the day she vanished. This is the last photo taken of the three-year-old

Mrs McCann said recently she and her husband believe their daughter is still very much alive in Portugal and 'probably never left the country'.

She said her years of research into missing people cases had taught her that kidnapped children are usually not taken very far away.

'It's all only speculation, but we've learned that's usually the case,' she said.

Mrs McCann said recently: 'Nine years. Time just goes too quickly. It's the quiet times that are tough. Times when you are thinking about her  or something related to her.

'The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn't changed at all. You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found. There have been so many cases like that.

'We will never give up. You couldn't settle if you thought about giving up. I want an end, an answer. Whatever that it is.'

A string of public appeals have been made over the last nine years in a bid to help find Maddie (pictured left), including several computer-generated impressions predicting what she would look like now (shown right)

A detective, Goncalo Amaral, who worked on the original investigation became embroiled in a hugely distracting libel battle with the McCanns and earlier this month he won an appeal in a Portuguese court.

Last year British detectives returned to Portugal with sniffer dogs and sifted through scrubland on their hands and knees - 1,000ft from where Madeleine vanished nine years ago.

They also used radar scanners that could penetrate to depths of up to 13ft (four metres) but found no trace of her.

Despite almost 9,000 potential 'sightings', the youngster has never been found and last year Scotland Yard announced it would be winding down the 10million investigation to find her. Pictured: Met Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who was in charge of the hunt leading a team of 29 officers until it was cut to four
Lord Patten today blasted John Whittingdale for the 'ridiculous' suggestion the BBC could be banned from showing hit shows at peak times.

The Tory peer and former chairman of the BBC Trust slammed the proposal, which is reportedly under consideration as part of the BBC charter review being conducted by the Culture Secretary.

As part of a speech at the Reuters' Institute Lecture on the future of the BBC, Lord Patten also addressed reports that Mr Whittingdale is said to want a BBC that is more 'distinctive'.

Lord Patten, left, is a former chair of the BBC Trust. He today branded 'ridiculous' an idea reportedly being considered by John Whittingdale, right, to block the BBC from showing its top programmes at peak times

In response, Lord Patten said in his lecture: 'Yes, it really would be 'distinctive' to strike Strictly or Bake-Off from the schedules because they're too good and too popular.

'It would also be ridiculous. A BBC One that's not popular wouldn't be the BBC that licence payers demand.'

Mr Whittingdale is due to publish a White Paper within weeks that will set out a tougher new regime as part of a proposed deal to grant a new Royal Charter to safeguard the service for another 11 years.

In the speech delivered at Oxford's St. Anne's College, Lord Patten said the forthcoming charter is 'the one chance we have to stop the BBC becoming more and more the plaything of the government of the day'.

He called for the end of the link between Charter renewal and the new fixed term Parliaments.

'How ridiculous it is that, because the Charter expires eighteen months after a general election, the BBC is bound to become a priority for any incoming government,' Lord Patten said.

Lord Patten also spoke of a 'besieged' BBC and called for 'everyone who cares' to 'make our voices count.'

He said the corporation was under attack 'by Government. By the Press. By Sky. By Google. By Apple'.

'Once a giant in the communications market' the BBC is 'now dwarfed by multinational platforms who drive up the cost of content - of acquisition, of talent, of production, and of ideas - but have no interest in the UK except as a market'.

He added: 'BBC's real income has fallen over the past decade by more than 15 per cent,' he said.

Lord Patten said in the past five years alone, 'BSkyB's revenues went up by more than 16 per cent, and ITV's increased by 21 per cent'.

He said that in order for the BBC to produce programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain, terms spelled out in its Royal Charter, it would require a BBC 'not just free of political control but free of political threat'.

'A BBC that can stop looking over its shoulder and waiting for the next White Paper,' he stated.

Strictly Come Dancing is one of the BBC's biggest hits and traditionally anchors Saturday night coverage. PIctured: Aliona Vilani and Jay McGuiness during last year's series

On the subject of politicians who 'grab an easy headline at the BBC's expense' he said 'constituencies where the voters worry more about the BBC than they do about having a job ... don't exist.'

He also put forward the idea of a new Commission 'to guarantee the independence not just of the BBC but of all broadcasting'.

Its roles, he said, would be to appoint the chairman and non-executive directors of the BBC. It would also recommend and publish proposals for future levels of BBC funding.

Finally, it would appoint the chair and deputy chair of Ofcom.

'Such a Commission would make it much more difficult for future governments to raid the licence fee,' he said.

Lord Patten also talked of the public's overwhelming support for the BBC. 'The consultation exercise plainly failed to provide the answer Mr Whittingdale wanted,' he said.

The review of Mr Whittingdale's plans for a reform of the BBC, one of the largest-ever public consultations, saw 81 per cent of respondents indicate satisfaction with the corporation's content.

Lord Patten praised the corporation's output, including dramas such as Happy Valley, Wolf Hall, Sherlock and Line Of Duty and said: 'No-one would invent the BBC today.

'But thank God our predecessors did. The BBC is one of this country's greatest institutions.'
Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf has released 'barbaric' footage showing the beheading of Canadian John Ridsdel, it is claimed.

The grainy footage purports to show the moment the 68-year-old was thrown to the ground and killed while being held captive deep in the Philippine jungle.

Mr Ridsdel had been taken hostage by the group - which is fighting for the creation of an independent Islamic state - from a marina in the country's south on September 21, 2015.

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A screenshot taken from the beheading video shows Mr Ridsdel sitting while his captors stand around him. The 68-year-old, from Calgary, was killed late last month after the group's ransom demands were not met

After the Canadian government failed to meet his captors' ransom demands, two men on a motorcycle left his head, placed inside a plastic bag, along a street in Jolo town in Sulu province and then fled.

Rita Katz, the director of the SITE Intelligence Group, said the new footage was 'brutal, barbaric, extremely graphic, and most disturbing'.

MailOnline has seen the footage and it is too graphic to publish. It has not been independently verified.

The Abu Sayyaf militants had threatened to behead one of three men - Mr Ridsdell, another Canadian and a Norwegian - they kidnapped last September from a marina on southern Samal Island if a large ransom was not paid by 3pm on April 25.

Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin condemned the beheading, blaming Abu Sayyaf militants, who have been implicated in past kidnappings, beheadings and bombings.

'This is such a barbaric act by these people and one would be tempted to think that they should also meet the same fate,' Amin said.

Philippine forces were moving to rescue the abductees, also including a Filipino woman who was kidnapped with them, as the Abu Sayyaf's deadline for the ransom payment lapsed, the military said.

The militants reportedly demanded 300 million pesos (the equivalent of $6.5 million USD) for each of the foreigners, a reduction from their earlier demands.

The hostages were believed to have been taken to Jolo Island in Sulu, a jungled province where the militants are thought to be holding a number of captives, including 14 Indonesian and four Malaysian crewmen who were abducted at gunpoint from three tugboats starting last month.

Abu Sayyaf militants had threatened to behead one of three men - two Canadians and a Norwegian - if a ransom was not paid by 3pm Monday. Mr Ridsdell is pictured second from right

About 400 Abu Sayyaf militants are believed to have been involved in the kidnappings.

In militant videos posted online, Mr Ridsdel and fellow Canadian Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipino Marites Flor were shown sitting in a clearing with heavily armed militants standing behind them.

In some of the videos, a militant positioned a long knife on Mr Ridsdel's neck. Two black flags hung in the backdrop of lush foliage.

The abductions highlight the long-running security problems hounding the southern Philippines, a region with bountiful resources that also suffers from poverty, lawlessness and decades-long Muslim and communist insurgencies.

The Abu Sayyaf began a series of large-scale abductions after it emerged in the early 1990s as an offshoot of a separatist rebellion by minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south.

It has been weakened by more than a decade of Philippine offensives but has endured largely as a result of large ransom and extortion earnings.

The U.S. and the Philippines have both listed the group as a terrorist organization.
Trump responds that Cruz is ' unhinged' and 'a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign'

Outburst comes as Trump looking to score knockout in Indiana primary

On the ropes and furious and furious over Donald Trump's attack on his dad, Ted Cruz unloaded on Donald Trump unloaded on his rival as a 'serial philanderer' and a 'narcissist' who 'cannot tell the truth.'

'I'm gonna do something I haven't done for the entire campaign, for those of you'all of you who traveled with me all across he country. I'm gonna tell you what I really thing of Donald Trump,' Cruz told reporters who were with him in Indiana.

'This man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies. He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth. And in a pattern that I think is straight out of a psych textbook his response is to accuse everybody else of lying,' Cruz fumed.

Then Cruz took his character attack right at Trump's famous ego.

Cruz, surrounded by wife Heidi and Carly Fiorina, unloaded on Trump as a 'serial philanderer'

Trump went after Rafael Cruz Monday morning, citing an Enquirer story linking him to Lee Harvey Oswald

'The man cannot tell the truth but he combines it with being a narcissist a narccissist at a level I don't think this country's ever seen,' Cruz with emotion apparent in his voice.

'Donald Trump is such a narcissist that Barack Obama looks at him and goes, 'Dude, what's your problem?''

'If you hooked him up to a lie detector test he could say one thing in the morning one thing at noon and one thing in the eve, all contradictory and he'd pass the lie detector test each time. Whatever lie he's telling at that minute, he believes it,' Cruz said.

'But the man is utterly amoral. Morality does not exist for him,' Cruz continued.

'It's why he went after Heidi directly and smeared my wife. Attacked her. Apparently she's not pretty enough for Donald Trump. I may be biased but I think if he's making that allegegation he's also legally blind.'

That was a reference to when Trump retweeted an image sent out by a supporter that compared an unflattering picture of Heidi Cruz to a racy one of Melania Trump, a former model.

In a 15-minute rant Cruz said Trump had the 'character of a braggadocios arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks'

Think McFly: Cruz likened Trump to the bully Biff Tannen in 'Back to the Future'

Trump wasted no time responding to his rival.

'Ted Cruz is a desperate candidate trying to save his failing campaign. It is no surprise he has resorted to his usual tactics of over-the-top rhetoric that nobody believes,' wrote Trump.

'Over the last week, I have watched Lyin Ted become more and more unhinged as he is unable to react under the pressure and stress of losing, in all cases by landslides, the last six primary elections --- in fact, coming in last place in all but one of them. Todays ridiculous outburst only proves what I have been saying for a long time, that Ted Cruz does not have the temperament to be President of the United States.'

Cruz went on his tirade after he got asked about a thinly-sourced National Enquirer story that posits that Rafael Cruz is the unidentified man standing behind Lee Harvey Oswald in a historic photo where Oswald was handing out pro-Cuba literature.

'Yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his back yard,' joked Cruz.

Cruz popped off on Trump's 'lies,' while Trump ridiculed Cruz for his 'outburst'

Then it was back on the attack. 'Donald Trump is a serial philanderer and he boasts about it,' said Cruz.

'This is not a secret. He's proud of being a serial philanderer. I want everyone to think about your teenaged kids. The president of the United States talks about how great it is to commit adultery  how proud he is.'

Cruz referenced a radio where Trump, 'Describes his battles with venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam. That's a quote by the way on the Howard Stern show. Do you wanna spend the next 5 years with your kids bragging about infidelity?'

Trump joked about his racy lifestyle in a 1997 interview with the shock jock.

'I've been so lucky in terms of that whole world. It is a dangerous world out there. It's scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam-era,' Trump said in a video uncovered by Buzzfeed.

'It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier.'

'They just spread lies, blatant lies,' Cruz said. 'But I guess Donald was dismayed because a couple weeks ago the Enquirer wrote this idiotic story about JFK. And Donald was dismayed that the folks in the media weren't repeating this latest idiocy so he figured he'd have to do it himself. He'd have to go on national television and accuse my dad of that.

Cruz again blasted Trump for lauding the endorsement of convicted rapist Mike Tyson.

'Donald is cynically exploiting that anger and he is lying to his supporters. Donald will betray his supporters on every issue,' Cruz said.

Then Cruz noted that Trump was reportedly partly the basis for the bullying Biff Tannen character in the film 'Back to the Future II.'

He said Trump has the 'character of a braggadocios arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks.'

Counterpunch: Trump responds to Cruz 'outburst'

'We are looking potentially at the Biff Tannen presidency. I don't think the American people want that,' said Trump.

Earlier Monday, Trump brought up the Enquirer story, which relied on an analysis of the historic photo hadn't been picked up in the mainstream media.

'His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being  you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous,' told Fox News. 'What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that.'
She then followed them and plummeted four stories to the rescuers below

Cellphone footage captures the terrifying moment the mother dropped her children from the property

Military quickly rallied with locals and used a blanket to catch the family

Spotted by airmen from the nearby US Osan Airbase, Pyeongtaek county

This is the incredible moment a terrified mother-of-three flung her children from a burning building in South Korea to a group of US airmen waiting to catch them below.

Cellphone footage shows Precious Enyioko, 30, who was trapped on the fourth story with her three children, aged just 7 months, 3 and 4-years-old, as the building burned around them.

US airmen, from the nearby Osan Airbase, in Pyeongtaek county, South Korea, had spotted the commotion last Friday afternoon and quickly assembled a rescue team of locals and military on the ground below.

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This is the incredible moment that a South Korean mother flung her children from a burning a building to US airmen waiting to catch them below (pictured left, the woman dangles her child over the edge, and right, lets him drop to the crowd below)

Cellphone footage captured the moment the child plummeted down four stories from the burning building

As thick black smoke billowed out the windows of the building, the desperate woman was finally persuaded to drop her baby

The baby was followed by Enyioko's other two children, who were thrown from the blazing building, before their mother flung herself from the window (pictured)

The screams of the horrified crowd can be heard as the child plummets four stories before it is safely caught in the rescue teams' blanket below

As thick black smoke billowed out the windows of the building, the desperate woman was finally persuaded to drop her baby.

The screams of the horrified crowd were heard as the child plummeted four stories before it was safely caught in the rescue teams' blanket below.

The baby was followed by Enyioko's other two children, who were thrown from the blazing building, before their mother flung herself from the window.

Thankfully, she too landed safely on the blanket being held by the US military forces and the locals.

'It was so difficult to drop my children,' Enyioko told DVIDS. 'It was so dark in the room and the kids were coughing and crying. When I saw the people gathering with the blanket, I could see it was military members, I thanked my God.'

Precious Enyioko, pictured with two of her children, said it had been incredibly hard to bring herself to drop her children

Incredibly, neither Enyioko or any of her three young children (all pictured together) were seriously injured in the incident

Precious' husband Prince Enyioko, originally from Nigeria, said he felt 'helpless' after returning home from work to find his family trapped by the blaze

Enyioko (pictured hugging the soldiers) said he was overwhelmed with gratitude to the airmen for saving the lives of his wife and child.

MSgt Daniel Raimondo (pictured on his Facebook page, left, and in uniform at the Osan Airbase, in Pyeongtaek county, South Korea, right) had managed to persuade Enyioko to drop her children, and then jump herself

Her husband, Prince Enyioko, said he was overwhelmed with gratitude to the airmen for saving the lives of his wife and child.

'I really appreciate what happened that very day. I don't know how I can explain my thanks,' Enyioko told DVIDS. 'Without them I don't know what I would do  I am so grateful for the wisdom of the military men and women.'

Mr Enyioko, originally from Nigeria, said he felt 'helpless' after returning home from work to find his family trapped by the blaze.

'I tried to help my family but I couldn't. I was so surprised to see people gathering here to rescue my family especially the military. I felt so helpless.'

MSgt Daniel Raimondo told CNN that the and his fellow airmen had been passing by the area when they noticed the thick black smoke.

After one of him comrades ran to get a blanket to catch the family on, he pleaded with the terrified woman to let go of her children.

'Please throw your baby, please throw your baby,' he told her. 'She did just that.'

Raimondo said he'd struggled to persuade her to let go of her last child.

'She just wouldn't let them go,' he told CNN. 'I remember looking at her though all the turmoil and commotion. I just begged and pleaded with her, 'Please throw the baby down.'

The building, which appears to be above a store, was almost completely gutted by the devastating fire

The fire had ripped through the building, trapping the family on the fourth floor with no means of escape

'And I remember her screaming at the baby 'I love you, I love you, I love you.'

'The next thing you know, she's dropped the baby. And of course at the end, the mother had to come down.

'You could barely even see her at that point. The smoke and fire was horrendous. I was just shouting, 'You have to jump, you have to jump.''

Technical sergeant Stefan Haynes told the AFN Osan that he was horrified when he noticed Enyioko and her children trapped inside the burning building.

As he rushed to help he said the smoke was so thick the rescuers ended up covered in black ash.

Eventually, she Enyioko did take that final leap off the building, landing on the blanket below. She fell more heavily than her children but someone had managed to find the time to put cushions underneath the blanket.

Incredibly, no-one was seriously injured in the incident.

'We carried her into a safe location into a salon,' he said. 'I just kept yelling and talking to her, 'You're alive! You're alive!' '
A New York high school valedictorian accepted at all eight Ivy League universities has picked Harvard.

Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna announced her decision Monday at Long Island's Elmont Memorial High School, unzipping her sweatshirt to reveal a crimson Harvard shirt underneath.

Behind her stood other members of the school's graduating class, wearing t-shirts for schools such as Cornell, Duke and NYU.

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Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna, a New York teen who was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools, has chosen to attend Harvard. She announced the decision on Monday at her Long Island high school

Newsday reports that the 17-year-old intends to pursue a science-related major.

At school on Monday, Augusta explained that she picked Harvard for its focus on the sciences and for its Nigerian community. Both of Augusta's parents hail from the African nation.

'When visiting all these institutions I kind of came in with an open mind and I was really captivated by Harvard's dedication to excellence, not only in certain students but in all students,' she said.

Augusta continued: 'I feel a sense of relief, but also a little sad that I had to reject the other 11. They are all awesome schools.'

Augusta, pictured earlier this year, said she chose Harvard for its focus on science and its Nigerian community

The 17-year-old is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants and the second student of Nigerian ethnicity from the school to be accepted to all eight Ivys

She also was accepted at Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

While Monday's decision no doubt felt like a capstone to her high school education, Augusta still has a lot of work to do before she can accept her diploma.

'I have AP physics tomorrow and two more this week and one next week,' she said Monday. 'So for now, I just want to focus and get back into the swing of things.'

In addition to the honor of being accepted to all eight Ivys, Augusta was also named her class's valedictorian and met President Barack Obama recently when she was invited to the White House science fair.

The president recently announced that his daughter Malia has chosen to attend Harvard as well, but the first daughter will take a gap year before starting classes in Cambridge.

Augusta is the second Elmont student in as many years to accomplish the Ivy sweep. Last year, Harold Ekeh chose Yale from among the 13 universities where he was accepted.

Although still a rarity, acceptance at every Ivy League school appears to be a growing phenomenon. Because the universities all operate independently on their admissions, reliable statistics aren't available on how many students are accepted at all eight.

In addition to all eight Ivys, Augusta was also accepted to NYU, MIT, Johns Hopkins University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to choose from. Above, Elmont Memorial High School
The hopes of finding the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are fading after the Australian government's Federal Budget failed to provide extra funding for the search operation.

On Tuesday, Treasurer Scott Morrison handed down the 2016 Budget which did not include any new money for the search of the doomed airline - meaning there is little chance the search will continute beyond July this year.

The agency coordinating the search - the Australian Transport Safety Bureau - also faces job cuts and its funding being slashed from $102 million this financial year to $19.4 million per year after July, News Corp reported.

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Treasurer Scott Morrison (centre) who delivered the Budget did not mention extra funding for missing MH370

Investigators (pictured) carrying the fragment of wing from the beach on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean as Malaysian Prime Minister confirmed the fragment was from missing MH370

The government has spent $90 million scouring more than 120,000 square kilometres of seabed in hope of finding the aircraft (stock image)

The Australia government has spent $90 million scouring more than 120,000 square kilometres of seabed in the southern Indian Ocean over the last two years in a desperate attempt to find the wreckage.

Last year, Australia, Malaysia and China agreed the search area will not be expanded if no new evidence of the plane's whereabouts are uncovered between now and when the search ends in July.

The aircraft disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board after diverting from its planned route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Experts believe the plane may have crashed into the Indian Ocean off Australia's west coast.

But the debris could by now have easily spread to locations far from the actual crash site, meaning the chances of finding the crucial fuselage, where the bodies of those on board are slim.

Crew aboard the Australian Navy ship HMAS Success look over to the Royal Malaysian Navy ship KD LEKIU during a Replenishment at Sea evolution in the southern Indian Ocean during the search for flight MH370

The discovery of a 7ft-long wing part called flaperon on the French Indian Ocean was confirmed as of MH370

Beachgoers walked past a sand sculpture made by Indian sand artist Sudersan Pattnaik with a message of prayers for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 - which vanished from radar in March 2014

Last month, authorities confirmed two pieces of debris found in Mozambique were 'almost certainly' from missing MH370 after two unique stencilling were spotted on both fragments.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau concluded the two parts - a flap track fairing and a segment of the horizontal stabilizer - were from the doomed plane.

The flap track fairing was found by South African teenager Liam Lotter while holidaying with his family in Mozambique in late December, while a US blogger found the stabiliser in February.
A 70-year-old woman who was blinded from a car accident in 1993 isn't wasting any time after she miraculously regained her sight 22 years later.

'You're so handsome,' Mary Ann Franco told her dumbfounded doctor John Afshar, who performed spinal surgery to remove a bone chip from her vertebrae after the great-grandmother fell in her Okeechobee, Florida, home.

Not only could Franco suddenly see for the first time in decades, she could also pick up on different hues even though she was born colorblind.

Afshar told ABC: 'The restoration of Mary Ann Franco's vision is a true miracle. I really don't have a scientific explanation for it.'

In December 1993, Mary Ann Franco was driving to work in Ohio when her car flipped over and fell in a ditch. One month later, she suffered a stroke that left her blind (pictured right with her brother and cat)

But she fell a few weeks ago in her Okeechobee, Florida, home, and underwent spinal surgery. When she awoke, she could miraculously see again after 22 years (pictured left during eye test with doctor John Afshar)

Franco was working as a nurse in Ohio when her car flipped over on a slick road and fell into a ditch in December 1993, Okeechobee News reported.

Doctors said she only suffered minor bruising, but she suffered a stroke a month later in 1994 and went blind.

Over the next two decades, she learned to use a walking cane and refused to let the disability hold her back.

She even saved several lives in the meantime, reviving her two-week-old grandson with CPR when he suddenly stopped breathing, and performing the Heimlich remover on her husband when he choked on a piece of meat.

On April 6, Franco went into Martin Memorial Hospital for surgery after she fell and injured her back.

She recalled the moment she awoke, telling ABC: 'At first everything was hazy, and I said, "Hey lady, you in the purple, come over here."

'Then I opened my eyes and everything came into focus and I said Oh my God! I can see!'

She also relished in seeing her 20-year-old cat for the first time ever, and excitedly listed the colors her doctor was wearing.

Afshar thinks the surgery accidentally freed up an artery that may have been pinched since her accident and the reestablished blood flow led to Franco's vision being restored.

But Franco has a simpler explanation and credits God for her miraculous vision.

The 70-year-old, who referred to herself as a 'tough lady', already has big plans to visit her eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren according to the Okeechobee News. With the exception of one, she has never been able to see any of them.

The horrors of her car crash are long gone, with Franco itching to get a car and renew her driver's license so she can see more of the world.

She also relished in seeing her 20-year-old cat for the first time ever, and excitedly listed the colors her doctor was wearing
A cheating wife tried to recruit a hitman to murder her husband and make it look like an ISIS execution in the heart of London so she could be with her secret lover.

Nurten Taycur, 28, offered to pay a hitman 5,000 to kill Ercan Akan, an Uber driver, so she could be with her boyfriend after two-year affair.

But she was arrested after she handed over a 1,000 downpayment to contract killer 'John', who turned out to be an undercover cop.

Nurten Taycur gave an undercover cop posing as a hitman the password so he could track her husband's iPhone while he was out working at night as an Uber driver

The Old Bailey heard that on December 11, when she handed over the money, she went into lurid detail about her horrific plot.

She told 'John': What I am thinking, I got this thing in my head, you know this ISIS thing thats going around, like if your friend gets a spray and writes ISIS on top of the car.

Taycur also gave a graphic description of how she wanted Mr Akan's throat to be slashed and emphasised: I dont want him to survive.

Nurten Taycur, 28, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey (pictured) to soliciting the murder of her husband Ercan Akan and was warned she faced a 'substantial' prison sentence next week

Her shocked victim later told police: I still dont understand why Nurten wanted me to be killed - if she wanted to separate from me she could have done it in the normal way.

He told police he had no idea she was having an affair or that there were any problems in the marriage.

Taycur came to the UK as a child and was only 16 when she married her husband, who came from the same Kurdish village in Turkey.

The couple lived together in Hackney and went on holiday to Turkey a few months before the murder plot was hatched.

The Old Bailey heard she first met the 'hitman' on November 13 last year in Hackney's Victoria Park and offered to track her husband using the Find My iPhone app.

Mark Gadsden, prosecuting, said: She indicated she had a budget of 5,000.

She did say she was currently involved in a relationship with another man, her boyfriend with whom she had had a relationship for two years.

We suggest that was the reason why she wanted the husband murdered.

Taycur was recorded on tape telling the bogus hitman: In our culture you cannot have a boyfriend but I can say yeah well I cheated on my husband.

I want his body to be found so I can take him to Turkey so I can cry (at his funeral) to see Im very sad Nurten Taycur

I want him to die. I want him to get out of my life.

She explicitly told him to use a knife rather than a gun and suggested attacking him while he was driving his minicab at night.

She added: If you stab him in the car park... you need to guarantee me if you stab him he needs to be dead.

When the undercover cop offered to dispose of the body by taking it to be eaten by pigs on a farm she replied: No I dont want that to happen.

I want his body to be found so I can take him to Turkey so I can cry to see Im very sad.

She later provided a passport photograph of her husband and gave the contract killer the registration number of his Toyota Prius.

Four days later she texted him with the words: The order is ready.

In another text she added: Im so excited.

After her arrest the remaining 4,000 which she was planning to hand over after the murder was found hidden at her home.

Nurten Taycur was born in a Kurdish village in southern Turkey and she seized on the idea of making the killing of her husband look like it had been carried out by ISIS. Here ISIS fighters are pictured parading through a town in Syria

Mr Gadsden said police then informed Mr Akan of the plot and added: The fact that his wife was planning to have him murdered obviously came as a complete shock to him.

Taycur made no comment during police interviews but later pleaded guilty to soliciting to murder and will be sentenced on May 13.

She claims her husband would not have let her get a divorce for cultural reasons.
Ron Miscavige claims that during the meeting, Denise 'lashed out at Lisa Marie' and both daughters told her they did not want contact with him

Soon after Presley was invited meet with Ron's daughters, Denise and Lori

She told the Scientology leader that he was 'breaking up the family'

Presley went to the Religious Technology Center in Clearwater, Florida, and spoke directly into the cameras with a message for David Miscavige

Presley and Ron Miscavige met in 1988 and have since remained friends

When Ron Miscavige left Scientology in 2012, his two daughters, Lori and Denise, disowned him under pressure from senior members

Scientology leader David Miscavige's father claims that Lisa Marie Presley tried - and failed - to help reconcile his relationship with his family after he left the church in 2012.

When Ron Miscavige left Scientology after 41 years, his two daughters who remained with the church, Lori and Denise, immediately disowned him under pressure from senior members, he claims in his new memoir.

'(Presley) was livid at the prospect of my not being able to talk to my daughters and the hypocrisy of the church's claim that it has no policy of disconnection, yet clearly it was affecting the family of the chairman of the board!,' Ron Miscavige writes in his new autobiography.

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When Ron Miscavige left Scientology after 41 years, his two daughters, who remained with the church, immediately disowned him under pressure from senior members, he claims in his new memoir. Lisa Marie Presley was 'livid' and tried to reconnect Ron Miscavige with his family

Presley went to the Religious Technology Center in Clearwater, Florida, and spoke directly into the cameras with a message for David Miscavige, telling the Scientology leader that he was 'breaking up the family'

The church has previously denied claims that members have to 'disconnect' from, or cut ties with, people who are deemed antagonistic toward Scientology.

Ron Miscavige writes in his memoir, 'Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me', writes that he first met Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, on the maiden voyage of the Freewinds cruise ship in 1988, which was packed with VIP Scientologists.

Presley was raised by her mother Priscilla in the church of Scientology, but since 2008 she has gradually distanced herself from the religion.

Ron Miscavige kept in contact with Presley after their first meeting and when he left the church in 2012, they rekindled their friendship.

'She and David had been friends at one time, and she thought perhaps she could help,' he writes.

According to the book, Presley went to the Religious Technology Center in Clearwater, Florida, and spoke directly into the cameras with a message for David Miscavige: 'How dare you not let your own father talk to his daughters? You are breaking up the family!'

A few days later Presley got a response and was invited meet with Denise and Lori at the Scientology office - who tore into her.

Ron Miscavige (left, with his wife, Becky) writes in his memoir, 'Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me' (right), that he first met Lisa Marie Presley in 1988. After he left the church, he rekindled their friendship

Presley (pictured center in 1970 with parents Priscilla and Elvis) was raised by her mother Priscilla in the church of Scientology, but since 2008 she has gradually distanced herself from the religion.

Ron Miscavige claims that during the meeting, Denise 'lashed out at Lisa Marie' and both daughters told her they did not want contact with their father.

The book says: 'Denise lashed out at Lisa Marie and stomped around like David does, cursing and gesticulating and slamming her fist on the desk. Apparently it was quite a performance.

'Lisa Maries husband told me afterward that watching Denise do her thing was like seeing (Miscavige) with a wig on blowing a gasket'.

Denise said she wanted nothing to do with her father and that Presley should stop interfering.

Ron says in his memoir that he could easily imagine the impression left on Presley following the meeting.

He writes: If this is what's happening with the family of the head of Scientology, what was happening with other people?

The meeting appears to have taken place in late 2014 or early 2015, and two weeks later, Ron Miscavige started writing his account of his time as a Scientologist.

A representative for Presley told People that there would be no further comment on the incident or whether Presley is a practicing Scientologist.

The church of Scientology has vehemently objected to Ron Miscavige's book and its claims against David Miscavige, who has threatened to sue.

Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me by Ron Miscavige and Dan Koon, published by St Martin's Press in the USA and Silvertail Books in the UK will be available on Amazon.com on May 3.
Police say a man who is charged with killing a 52-year-old grandmother and having sex with her corpse had been released from jail three weeks prior to the crime.

Timothy Johnson, 25, was arrested in connection to the murder of Judith Therianos who was visiting Florida as a tourist from Maine.

Police say that Johnson killed Therianos, a mother-of-two and a grandmother, while they were having sex, according to WTSP.

Officials believe that Therianos may have wanted Johnson to stop and that's when he allegedly murdered her. An autopsy revealed that Therianos died from blunt force trauma.

According to the Portland Press Herald, Johnson had been out of jail for 23 days when police say he killed Therianos in March.

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Arrest: Timothy Johnson (left), 25, was arrested in connection to the murder of Judith Therianos (right). Police say he killed her and then had sex with her corpse for hours

He was free due to prosecutors not filing charges within 30 days of his arrest that stemmed from an alleged assault.

Johnson was arrested January 17 on two counts of aggravated assault for 'climbing through the window of a home and allegedly threatening two people inside with a large kitchen knife,' according to the newspaper.

Court documents said that no one was physically harmed.

Chris LaBruzzo, Pasco County assistant state attorney, told the Herald that the Florida criminal procedure requires sworn statement from witnesses to formalize some types of charges, but the victims in this case did not come forward.

'We have a responsibility to file charges in cases we can prove and in cases where witnesses are cooperative,' LaBruzzo told the Herald. 'We can't hold people indefinitely.'

Even though Johnson was unable to post bail in the January assault case, he was released on February 19 from the Land O'Lakes Detention Center, 33 days after his initial arrest.

The witnesses in the assault case came forward a few days after Johnson was released.

The aggravated assault charges were officially filed February 25, but Johnson remained free for for roughly a month.

It's during that time he crossed paths with Therianos, although it's unclear as to how the two met on March 13, but police believe they met at a liquor store.

Her son, Shawn Therianos, told the Herald that she was in Florida to visit an ailing friend and to vacation.

Video Courtesy WFTS

According to an arrest affidavit, Johnson stole a credit card from Therianos and went to Waffle House and ate before returning to have sex with her decomposing corpse, report ABC.

Police say that Johnson had sex with the dead woman's body 'for a while,' after killing her.

Therianos' corpse was found with both her genitals and breasts exposed off of US Highway 19 in Florida, a little less than a month after she disappeared. She had been missing since March 14.

Police believe that Therianos may have met Johnson at a liquor store on March 13, as they were pictured together on the store's surveillance cameras, the Herald reported.

Sheriff Chris Nocco said he thinks Johnson may have committed other crimes.

He was re-arrested March 23 for violating the conditions of his probation related to a June 2015 misdemeanor battery charge.

In addition, he had also been formally arraigned on the aggravated assault charges that led to his arrest in January, LaBruzzo told the Herald.

Police say that while Johnson was in jail, he admitted his role in Therianos' death to another inmate and separately to another acquaintance, the Herald reported.

While they were having consensual sex in the wooded area, Therianos told him to stop, but Johnson panicked and choked her until she stopped breathing, the Herald reported.

Tragedy: Police say that Therianos may have met Johnson at a liquor store on March 13, as she was pictured with him on surveillance camera. She went missing on March 14 and her corpse was discovered a little less than a month later

Johnson pulled her dress over her head and then 'bashed her brains in,' according to a witness who heard him confess to her murder, the Herald reported.

Therianos, who had originally gone to Florida to take care of a sick friend, was last seen by another friend who lives in Florida and linked to another man.

The friend said she last saw Therianos picking up her clothes from the sick friend's home, according to a Facebook page dedicated to finding the missing woman setup by her family and friends.

The post said that Therianos was 'riding in a newer SUV with an older man'.

The man was described as having long white hair and a long white beard and mustache.

'He was very skinny and went by the name Charlie.'

At that point Therianos had a black eye, according to the Facebook post, and her friend asked her how she got it.

Therianos replied that 'she had fell but hinted to her with eyes and body language that he [Charlie] had something to do with it'.

The friend tried to convince Therianos to stay with her, but she declined.

She told the friend things with Charlie were 'cool now' and that he had a boat, according to the Facebook page.
and in 2009 Ingmar Guandique was charged with her death

Her body was discovered in a park a year after she

The parents of Chandra Levy are opening up about the tragic death of their daughter 15 years after she first went missing while working as an intern in Washington DC.

'No matter what, we don't have our daughter back,' Chandra's mother Susan told Today, saying that she and her husband still struggle with rage and sadness over her daughter's death.

'He's got tremendous anger. I have tremendous sadness,' she added, referring to her husband Robert.

'The anger and sadness is really the same.'

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Difficult time: The parents of Chandra Levy, Susan and Robert (above), said they are still hurt and angry over the death of their daughter 15 years after she went missing

Gone too soon: Chandra was 24 and about to graduate college was she disappeared while in Washington DC where she worked as an intern (her memorial service in 2002 above)

The interview came as the man convicted of killing Chandra, Ingmar Guandique, learned that he would be getting a new trial that would begin on October 11 of this year.

He was sentenced to 60 years in prison in 2011 for murdering Chandra, but was granted a new trial due to alleged errors made by the prosecution during the case.

'As far as I can see, it's just some defense attorneys trying to make themselves a name and make more money,' said Chandra's father Robert.

'He's guilty.'

Susan and Robert Levy were believed to be the last people to hear from Chandra after she emailed them the morning of May 1 to inform them about her travel plans.

Chandra, who was 24 at the time, had ended her lease and cancelled her gym membership in the area, saying she was moving back home to California.

Her parents called for three days before contacting police on May 5 to report that they had not heard from their daughter.

The next day, on May 6, they called Gary Condit, their congressman in California, for help locating their daughter.

Condit and Chandra had a friendship according to the congressman, though it was later reported that the two were far closer and that the married politician had been intimate with Chandra while the University of Southern California student was interning in the nation's capitol.

In the months after Chandra's disappearance more and more details were revealed about her relationship with Condit, which led him to hire a criminal defense team while still denying he had anything to do with her disappearance.

A search of the park where the young woman often jogged meanwhile turned up no evidence suggesting Levy had been in the area when she went missing.

Too close: Questions arose soon after Chandra's disappearance about her relationship with married congressman Gary Condit (center, Chandra on left)

Tough time: Condit's political career never recovered and he went on to open an ice cream store in Arizona (Condit above in 2010)

Authorities announced that July there was a good chance that Chandra's body might never be found, and though Condit was cleared as a suspect his political career never recovered and he was defeated in the California primary the following March.

Two months after that, in May 2002, a man found human bones and a skull in Washington's Rock Creek Park, where police had previously searched for Chandra's body.

The park's administrative office was also one of the last searches on Condit's computer the day that Chandra went missing.

Her death was determined to be a homicide soon after, and a month after her skull and bones were found private investigators hired by her parents also found her shin bones less than 100 feet from where her remains had initially been discovered that may.

It was months before this however that Guandique was introduced as a suspect when a prison informant said he had spoke about murdering Chandra.

Guandique had also been accused of assaulting two other female joggers in the park.

He was behind bars at the time on drug charges but was never formally charged in the death of Chandra and her case went cold until 2006 when it was reopened by the city's new police chief.

Located: Chandra's body was discovered in a park a year after she disappeared and in 2009 Ingmar Guandique was charged with her death

Killer: Guandique (left in 2001 musghot, right after his arrest in 2009) was sentenced to 60 years in prison in 2011 but has been granted a retrial that will begin on October 11 of this year

After a three-year investigation Guandique was charged in 2009 and later indicted on six counts including kidnapping, first-degree murder committed during a kidnapping, attempted first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree murder committed during a sexual offense, attempted robbery, and first-degree murder committed during a robbery.

He was convicted in November 2010 and sentenced to 60 years in prison the following February.

His attorney petitioned for a retrial soon after and prosecutors dropped their opposition when it was revealed a key witness had possible lied on the stand.

That witness? Gary Condit.

Guandique's attorney Eugene Ohm made the allegation during a court hearing earlier this year.

Ohm said that notes of an interview that authorities did with Condit after Chandra's disappearance show that Condit, who served in Congress from 1989 to 2003, misled the jury when he testified in 2010.

Ohm did not elaborate.

Condit testified during Guandique's trial that he had nothing to do with Chandra's disappearance but evaded questions about whether he had an intimate relationship with her.
PCs Helen Harris and Leanne Winter were dismissed from their roles

Two police officers and staff have been sacked after a disabled man was punched and kicked to death outside his home.

PCs Helen Harris, 40, and Leanne Winter, 38, were dismissed from their roles at Avon and Somerset Police by an independent panel for their actions before the death of Bijan Ebrahimi in Bristol, three years ago.

Mr Ebrahimi, 44, was killed before his body was set on fire by his neighbour Lee James, who wrongly thought he was a paedophile.

PCs Helen Harris (left), 40, and Leanne Winter (right), 38, were dismissed from their roles at Avon and Somerset Police

Mr Ebrahimi, 44, was killed before his body was set on fire by his neighbour Lee James, who wrongly thought he was a paedophile

Police officer Kevin Duffy, 52, and PCSO Andrew Passmore, 56, were jailed in February for failing to prevent the murder.

Today, the disciplinary process for 10 police officers and nine staff members, involved in the case, concluded today.

Pcs Harris, Winter and Duffy were dismissed from the force along with Passmore, while police sergeant Jonathan Hill was given a final written warning.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'We failed Bijan in his hour of need and I am unreservedly sorry for the pain and heartache his family have suffered in the years since.

'It has taken a long time to reach this point and I very much regret that the constabulary has been unable to comment openly before now.

'It is almost three years since Bijan's tragic and brutal murder and the intervening period has been difficult for everyone concerned; we have been unable to share the detail of the IPCC findings within our own organisation until all misconduct hearings were concluded.

'This has not deterred us however from scrutinising the events leading up to his murder from every dimension to understand what happened, what we should have done differently, and what we failed to do.

'It is a real tribute to Bijan's family that they have been able to help us in this and I would like to thank them for their courage and determination in doing so.

'We have learnt a great deal and much has changed since Bijan's dreadful murder.'

Jailed: PC Kevin Duffy (left) and PCSO Andrew Passmore, (right) were sentenced to prison for misconduct

Pcs Winter and Harris were acquitted of misconduct in a public office following a seven-week trial at Bristol Crown Court last year.

Duffy and Passmore were jailed for 10 and four months respectively.

Mr Ebrahimi, an Iranian national, dialled 999 on July 11, 2013 to report that James had come into his flat in Capgrave Crescent, Brislington, and headbutted him.

Pcs Winter and Harris arrived to find James crying with anger, frothing at the mouth, shouting 'Paedo! I'm going to f****** kill you' and a mob outside.

The officers arrested Mr Ebrahimi for breaching the peace, with the crowd cheering and shouting 'paedophile' as he was led away.

While in custody, Pc Harris told him: 'All you are doing is upsetting the residents ... and antagonising them. I'm a police officer and you're a pain in the ass. Don't speak to me.'

Mr Ebrahimi, an Iranian national, dialled 999 on July 11, 2013 to report that James had come into his flat in Capgrave Crescent, Brislington, and headbutted him

Mr Ebrahimi was released from custody the following day, July 12, and made 12 calls to the police non-emergency number 101.

He was informed that Duffy, his local beat manager, would visit but the officer refused to speak to him.

'My life is in danger. Right now a few of my neighbours are outside and shouting and calling me a paedophile. I need to see Pc Duffy,' Mr Ebrahimi told one operator.

Duffy told a supervisor: 'He should be told in no uncertain terms that I will speak to him at my convenience.'

He asked Passmore to conduct a 'bit of a foot patrol' around Capgrave Crescent. Passmore later lied to murder detectives that he had spent an hour in the area.

On July 13, Mr Ebrahimi tried to contact Duffy and Pc Winter and phoned asking for her at 00.12am on July 14 - about an hour before his murder.

She told a call operator: 'I'm absolutely not interested in speaking to him ever.'

A post-mortem examination found Mr Ebrahimi, who had problems with mobility and suffered from depression, died before he was set alight at 1.35am.

James was jailed for life for the murder, while his neighbour Stephen Norley was sentenced to four years in prison for assisting an offender.

'Officers are faced with difficult situations and difficult decisions every day,' Mr Marsh added.

'But it's clear that we had opportunities to change the tragic outcome for Bijan and we failed to take them.

'The actions of a very small number of individuals had a catastrophic effect. They fell well short of those qualities the public expect of us.'
Britons have been warned to brace for a week of wet and windy weather as half-term travel plans were left in tatters after almost a month's worth of rain descended on parts of southern England yesterday. Powerful gusts of wind ripped down trees and foliage in north London (right), while videos shared across social media saw flash flooding completely submerge pavements and some roads in Peckham (left). Elsewhere, in the New Forest, there was reported damage after one resident captured the moment a 'mini-tornado' tore through their town - causing trees and unsecured structures to shake violently in the wind. Hundreds of homes across parts of the south east were also hit by power cuts on Monday morning, with dozens of outages reported by UK Power Networks. Fire on the Water, a popular arts festival in Great Yarmouth, was evacuated after one of the marquee tents collapsed following strong gusts and thundery conditions that lashed much of Britain's coast. The Met Office today warned that the blustery conditions are likely to continue throughout the week for parts of the country, with heavy showers expected in the south and southwest of the UK. Meteorologists have also warned of powerful gales striking the west by Friday.
New York police are searching for a man who scalded a customer inside a deli with hot coffee, after the two engaged in a heated argument.

The incident occurred at Gourmet Deli on Bedford Avenue in the Brooklyn neighborhood Bedford-Stuyvesant around 11 a.m.

The two men, believed to be strangers, started arguing in the shop over an unknown issue, Pix 11 reported.

CCTV footage shows the alleged attacker pouring himself a coffee and then throwing it on the victim

A heated attack inside a Brooklyn deli was captured on camera, with the footage released this week in the hopes of finding the man believed to be responsible (pictured)

This is the moment the alleged attacker splashes the victim (blurred) with the hot coffee, burning him

Wanted: The two men, believed to be strangers, started arguing in the shop over an unknown issue

CCTV footage shows the alleged attacker pouring himself a coffee and then throwing it on the victim

The customer, whose face has been blurred from the CCTV footage, suffered burns to his chest.

The victim, a 32-year-old man, required treatment for the scalding, but has not been identified.

The man accused of splashing the coffee on him is described as a blond male of medium height.

He was wearing a black shirt and short, with a black backpack and sunglasses on his head.

The incident occurred on April 19 on Bedford Avenue, however the footage was released this week as police continue to try and locate the man.

The blond male was wearing all black, with a black backpack, sneakers and sunglasses on his head
Megyn Kelly's husband shared some private details about their first date at the Met Ball on Tuesday night.

The Fox News host and her husband Douglas Brunt were approached by Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton at the annual event when Brunt revealed that a stalker almost ruined the pair's first night out.

Because of the possible threat Kelly was surrounded by security the entire evening Brunt explained, including when the two kissed goodnight at the end of the evening.

Luckily for Brunt, Kelly returned to his hotel room the following morning for a proper kiss goodbye.

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Sharing details: Megyn Kelly's husband Douglas Brunt detailed the pair's first date during an interview at the Met Ball on Tuesday night (above)

Getting close: Brunt said that due to the fact that his wife had a stalker at the time they were surrounded by security all night, even when they kissed goodnight (couple on left over the weekend at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and on right in Febriuary at the Vanity fair Oscars party)

'We started dating shortly after she acquired a stalker - bad start, I know,' said Brunt.

'So she had security with her 24/7. Our first date went great. It was the kind of night that was clearly going to end with a kiss. But I had to kiss her in front of the security guards. It was awkward. It was like our parents were watching.

'The next morning she knocked on my hotel room door. She was alone. She walked into the room and said: "I can do better."'

Brunt, 44, and Kelly, 45, were married in 2008 and have three children; 6-year-old Edward, 5-year-old Yardley and 2-year-old Thatcher.

Kelly and Brunt had a busy few days, also heading out together Saturday night in Washington DC for the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Brunt is Kelly's second husband. She was previously married to Dr. Daniel Kendall but the two divorced in 2006 after five years of marriage.

So in love: Kelly, 45, and Brunt, 44, were married in 2008 (wedding photo above)

Family day: Kelly and Brunt out with their three children earlier this year; 6-year-old Edward, 5-year-old Yardley and 2-year-old Thatcher

Gal pals: Kelly and Wendi Deng outside the entrance to The Standard Hotel in New York for a Met Ball afterparty on Tuesday (above)

Brunt is an author whose books include Ghosts of Manhattan and The Means, and his experience in the literary world is no doubt paying off for his wife as her memoir is due to hit shelves this November.

Kelly was reportedly paid between $5 and $10million for the book about her life, and if the stories inside are anywhere near as good as the one Brunt told last night at the Met Ball readers will likely not be disappointed.

The host of The Kelly Files tends to remain quiet when it comes to her relationship with Brunt, but did spill some details during an interview with Howard Stern a few years back.

When asked at one point about their sex life, Kelly told the shock jock; 'You know, I have to say - I dont know, I think its Dr. Phil that says that, when the sex is bad, its 95 percent of a marriage. When its good, its five percent of a marriage.
Wilderness adventurer Ben Fogle has hit out at Lego for 'ruining the world' by encouraging young children to 'build to conformity'... even though he was named brand ambassador four years ago.

Young children will be reduced to 'merely tiny cogs in the Government machine' with the introduction of SATs exams, according to adventurer Ben Fogle.

He compared an education system 'obsessed with box-ticking' to Lego, which he claimed had 'ruined the world' by encouraging children to 'build by conformity'.

Cogs: Ben Fogle, 42, compared ready-made box kits of lego blocks to SATs for stunting children's creativity

Fogle, who was named by the Danish giant as a brand ambassador four years ago, said he meant no disrespect to Lego but selling its toy bricks in kit form had created 'boundaries and limits' and stunted creativity.

He made the remarks at the annual conference of the Boarding Schools' Association in Manchester where he explained how confidence gained in his days as a boarder at Bryanston School in Dorset transformed his life.

As a father-of-two he said he was now 'painfully aware' of the role of parents, guardians and teachers to help develop and nurture youngsters to their full potential.

The TV presenter told delegates: 'If I were to write a thesis on this topic I think I would call it "How Lego ruined the world".'

'Lego for many parents is the antithesis of the high-tech world. We are desperate to wean our little ones away from the tablet and on to the bricks. It is the toy of aspiration.

Ambassador: He made the remarks at Boarding Schools' Association's annual conference in Manchester

Imagination: Fogle said the toys now force children to conform by building what is in the box, instead of letting imaginations and creativity of children and parents to run wild

'When I was a child, Lego came in brick form. You would buy boxes of random bricks and you would use your imagination to build your mind. The box of multi-coloured bricks would be transformed into anything you wanted, free from the mantles of prescription. There was no right and no wrong. Everyone was a winner.

'Today, Lego sells most of its bricks in kit form. Big and, dare I say, expensive boxes with intricate instructions on how to build remarkable things like space rockets or sunken ships.

'Where once Lego offered a whimsical form of escapism into the world of sub-conscious encouraging creativity and imagination, it has transformed into a rigid box-ticking discipline where children are encouraged to build by conformity. 'One misaligned brick during assembly or one tiny lost component can spell disaster.'

He said he had watched his son 'fall apart' because the finished product did not resemble the photograph on the box.

'By making the kits Lego have created boundaries, limits, prescriptions,' he continued.

Whimsical: He said the toys used to offer a 'whimsical form of escapism into the world of sub-conscious encouraging creativity and imagination', and that boarding school had 'nurtured and matured' his confidence

'My point here is that by selling cookie-cutter kits they have cheated youngsters, and their parents, out of any chance to be truly creative.

'In my mind Lego is a mirror to our education system as a whole.

'The Government recently announced plans to introduce national tests for seven-year-olds. This, in my mind, goes to show how far our exam-obsessed society has come.

'Our children now face a constant stream of assessment by an education system obsessed with box-ticking. They are merely tiny cogs in the Government machine.'

He said that 'positivity, creativity, health and well-being' needed to be brought into the school system, with focus on confidence building.

Fogle said that boarding school had 'nurtured and matured' his confidence to 'head into the wilderness and make something of my life'.

He added: 'It's a virtue, a skill, a feeling of value, that's attainable by all but sadly all too often overlooked by the state system.

'Confidence is not necessarily borne of wealth and privilege. It's something earned and something learned. It opens doors and opportunity way beyond that of exams and degrees.

'For me it's the most valuable commodity and worthy of the eye-wateringly high school fees that are at risk of crippling many hopeful future parents.
Selling Boeing aircraft to Iran would turn airplanes into 'warplanes', three members of Congress claim.

The American firm offered Iranian airlines three models of new aircraft to replace their aging fleet last month after President Obama reached a nuclear weapons deal with the Middle Eastern country.

Under the new diplomatic treaty, the US and Iran can exchange commercial aircraft.

But a coalition of Republican lawmakers have come together to urge CEO Dennis Muilenburg not to go through with the plans.

In an open letter, Illinois Republican members of Congress Peter Roskam, Bob Dold and Randy Hultgren say any deal 'would effectively subsidize the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.'

Boeing Co offered Iranian airlines three models of new aircraft to replace their aging fleet last month after President Obama reached a nuclear weapons deal with the Middle Eastern country

They highlight the Iranian government's stake in Iran Air, and list the country's ties to terrorism.

'We urge you not to be complicit in the likely conversion of Boeing aircraft to IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] warplanes.'

'The Islamic Republic is not simply an emerging market for Boeing. It is a radical Islamic regime dominated by zealots who seek nothing less than the destruction of the United States and the shared democratic principles of the Western world,' the letter concludes.

It is not the first time the trio have united against ties with Iran.

Before Obama signed the nuclear deal, Roskham, Dold and Hultgren put forward a set of reasons for why the agreement was not beneficial to America.

'The bottom line for any deal with Iran is that we must prevent the country from getting the bomb and setting off an arms race in the region,' Hultgren said. 'Right now, I believe this deal fails to do that.'

The aircraft deal was first reported on April 11.

Boeing declined to discuss specifics from the negotiation with officials in Tehran, but the airplane builder undoubtedly wants a piece of the action in post-sanctions Iran, which already saw Airbus sign a 22.8 billion euros ($25 billion) deal.

The official IRNA news agency quoted Maqsoud Asadi Samani, the secretary of the Society of Iranian Airlines, as saying Boeing officials offered 737, 787 and 777 model aircraft. Samani said Iran was reviewing the offers.

Iranian airlines have some 60 Boeing airplanes in service, but most were purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamists to power.

Out of Iran's 250 commercial planes, about 150 are flying while the rest are grounded due to lack of spare parts.

The country's air-safety record remains spotty, as parts and servicing remained nearly impossible to get while the world sanctioned Iran over its contested nuclear program.

Now though, with the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran in place, airline manufacturers can re-enter the market, though Boeing has been more hesitant than its European competitor Airbus.

'The Boeing delegation assured Iranian airlines that it will provide all said support after signing an agreement,' IRNA quoted Samani as saying.

'Boeing's cooperation in supporting the current airplanes of Iran and its loyalty to its commitments will contribute to decisions by the airlines for purchasing airplanes from Boeing.'

The Islamic Republic is not simply an emerging market for Boeing. It is a radical Islamic regime dominated by zealots who seek nothing less than the destruction of the United States Congressmen in letter to Boeing Co

John Dern, a Boeing spokesman, declined to offer specifics about the negotiations, but said the company discussed the 'capabilities of Boeing airplanes, along with the support the company provides.'

Previously, Boeing said that its license from the U.S. Treasury Department only allowed it to offer 'commercial passenger aircraft fleet planning.'

'The meetings, which were closely coordinated with the U.S. government, enabled us to better understand the status of their current fleets, their route structures and their plans for future operations,' Dern said in an email.

'Should any agreements be reached at some future point, they would be contingent on the approval of the U.S. government.'

In late March, a U.S. State Department negotiator on the nuclear deal said nothing under the deal would stop Boeing from making a deal with Iranian airlines.

The negotiator, Chris Backemeyer, described Boeing as 'considering their options and that, I think, is a good thing.'

On Monday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner offered similar sentiments.

'Although I can't speak to the specific report regarding Boeing, I can say that we have seen a number of major companies making tangible plans to take advantage of the new commercial opportunities afforded by,' the loosening of international sanctions, he said, 'As we have said before, we are not going to stand in the way of permissible business.'

Since the deal took effect earlier this year, Iran Air has signed agreements to buy 118 planes from the European consortium Airbus and 20 more from French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR.
Tracy Czaczkowski, 44, pictured with her husband, died after being hit in a drive-by shooting Sunday

An Illinois woman was killed in a drive-by shooting on a Wisconsin Interstate Sunday by a suspect who police believe was on the run from another fatal shooting hours earlier in a Milwaukee suburb.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency released a statement Tuesday saying 44-year-old Tracy Czaczkowski, who was shot Sunday, had died. Czaczkowski's husband works for the DEA, though Wisconsin investigators believe the shooting was random.

She was traveling home to Illinois Sunday with her husband and two children after spending the weekend in Wisconsin when she was shot.

When the family passed a Chevrolet Blazer on Interstate 90/94, that vehicle's driver opened fire on their BMW sedan, hitting Czaczkowski in the neck, according to investigators.

Police said the suspect fired three shots at the family's car, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Police stopped the Blazer with a spike strip and shot the driver after he emerged with a gun.

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Law enforcement vehicles crowd the Wisconsin interstate where Tracy Czaczkowski, 44, was fatally shot while driving home to Illinois Sunday with her husband and two children. She died Tuesday

Police say Czaczkowski was shot by suspect, Zachary Hays, 20, who is also believed to have shot and killed a Milwaukee man earlier on Sunday

Czaczkowski was traveling home to Illinois Sunday with her husband and two children after spending the weekend in Wisconsin when she was shot

Gabriel Sanchez, 42, was shot and killed by Zachary Hays before the Interstate murder, police say

The Dane County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect Tuesday as 20-year-old Zachary T. Hays of West Allis.

Investigators believe Hays killed 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez in West Allis, a Milwaukee suburb, hours before the interstate shooting.

Police found Sanchez dead after responding to a report of an individual breaking into at least two apartments, Fox 6 Now reported.

Neighbors told Fox 6 Now Hays and Sanchez lived in the same building. According to the news station, Sanchez' wife and children witnessed the murder.

Family members set up an online fundraiser to help pay for funeral costs.

No charges have been filed against Hays, and he remained hospitalized at the University of Wisconsin Hospital on Tuesday. His condition hasn't been released.

Hays' brothers also were in the Blazer, authorities said.

Sheriff's officials said one of them, 30-year-old Jeremy Hays, was being held on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The sheriff's office said it opted not to identify the other brother because of his 'cognitive disability.'

Police cordoned off the suburban Milwaukee home where Gabriel Sanchez, 42, was shot and killed in front of his wife and children. The murder suspect later shot and killed an Illinois woman and was apprehended

The suspect in the two shootings Sunday was shot by police before he was apprehended. His two brothers were travelling with him when he was shot

DEA officials did not say when Czaczkowski died. She had been in critical condition at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison since the shooting.

'Tracy was a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all,' the DEA statement said.
The head of Scientologys father realized he had lost his son when he cut him down with a glare which said: Who the hell do you think you are?

Ron Miscavige said that ice-cold stare from David when he was just 26 years old in 1985 told him that their relationship was no longer that of father and son.

Miscavige was now the leader of the church of Scientology and weeks later he asserted his authority by giving his own dad an hour-long dressing down in front of dozens of people.

Ron, now 80, apologized and his son told him, I was waiting to hear that from you, in an incident he describes as 'shattering'.

Ron Miscavige (left) claims his son, Scientology leader David Miscavige (right, in 1990s), was abusive and embarrassed him in public before he left the church in 2012

Ron Miscavige says that in 1985, when his David Miscavige (pictured) was just 26 years old, he realized that their relationship was no longer that of father and son

It was followed by more abuse later when Miscavige told his father: The fact youre my father doesnt cut any ice around here.

Ron, who left the church in 2012, says he did not have a single day off from work in 12 years and once worked 84 hours straight to finish some music he was composing for the church.

He also reveals eye-popping details of how his son exerted control over members of Sea Org, the highest level of Scientology.

Miscavige supposedly once ordered a group of followers to spit on a member of staff who had fallen out of favor with him, the book claims.

Followers routinely went without sleep to meet their excessive work demands and were put in a status known as Confusion, which meant boot-camp like drills all day.

The details are in Rons much-anticipated book Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, which is one of the most comprehensive take-downs of the church in its history.

Rons allegations are particularly scathing not only because he is Miscaviges father, but because he was he a member of Gold Base, Scientology's headquarters in Hemet, California, near Los Angeles.

The church of Scientology has responded to Ron's book by adamantly denying many of the claims and threatening to sue Ron for his allegations.

Ron writes that he moved to the Gold Base in the early 1980s after being impressed with how the church helped him when he was accused of rape. The charges were later dropped.

At that time he and his son were both living in the complex and used to meet up and shoot the breeze.

Ron writes that things between us were still great.

Ron was a staff member for Golden Era Productions, the Scientology wing which created music and videos to spread its word.

That was, until that fateful day in 1985.

He writes: I came out of the music studio at Gold one day and spotted Dave some distance away with an entourage of three or four people.

I called out: "Hey Dave!" to get his attention.

He turned around and didnt say a word but shot me a glare which said: "Who the hell do you think you are, yelling after me like that? Do you know who I am?".'

Ron Miscavige and his wife Becky left the Church of Scientology in 2012 after years of building up courage to do so

Ron writes that it was the first indication that my son had changed dramatically and the look let me know it.

A few months later, an Italian pop star had come to perform at Gold Base when Miscavige tore into his father for no reason.

Ron says he was utterly mortified and that he went numb as his son told him he was useless and used swear words like mother*****r' and c***sucker.'

He writes: David began to dress me down in a tirade that lasted nearly a full hour; the (pop star) and his contingent could hear everything as David yelled, cursed me out and generally ripped me apart...the entire episode was shattering.

The word terrible cant begin to describe how I felt

Ron adds: Imagine how that might play in Italy, where family is all-important. It sure wasnt any longer to David.

What must they have thought? Is this for real? Is the head of Scientology and is that his father? The poor pop star wasnt even a Scientologist. He had come purely as a favor.

The rant finally came to an end when Ron said: Okay, I got it.

TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SCIENTOLOGIST 9am: Breakfast in the dining hall 9.30am: First roll call Morning study 12pm: Lunch 12.30pm: Second roll call Afternoon of work 5pm: Dinner 5.30pm: Third roll call Work until midnight, unless special project on, in which case work all night

His son responded: Good. I was waiting to hear that from you. Thats is why I was going on for the last 55 minutes.

The book says: David and the church have always denied that he engages in demeaning or abusive conduct of this nature, but my experience plainly suggests otherwise

Ron came to realize that his son enjoyed nullifying people, and that included even his father.

Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard died in 1986 after years in seclusion, paving the way for Miscavige to take complete control of the church.

Followers were told that Hubbard had done as much research into the physical body as he could and was now continuing his research free from physical limitations.

Two months later Ron and the other musicians were ordered to complete a tribute CD but were given just four weeks to record the whole thing.

Ron writes that he nearly died as he rushed to record the likes of John Travolta paying tribute to their spiritual leader.

He says that Miscavige liked the end product, but other songs that Ron came up with were dismissed by his son who told him: Jesus Christ. This is a piece of crap!

The heartlessness even extended to medical problems.

When Ron caught scabies from a blanket at Gold Base, his son supposedly told him: Dont get near me! Stay away from me!

The book says: He had no concern for me at all. It was all about him.

August 1990 marked what Ron saw as the beginning of the long road to him leaving Scientology.

It started with a torrential rain which landed on Gold Base and caused flash floods across the whole campus; a drain in the front of Miscaviges room clogged and flooded his room.

Ron writes that when the rain stopped, his son called the entire staff to the canteen and put them under draconian measures which revoked all their privileges.

Everyone was given the status of Confusion, which means they were less than zero, and ordered to march around the camp and order to muster several times a day.

Those who did not arrive in time were ordered to work all night with no sleep.

Such incidents became known as a punishment drive to indoctrinate followers and shortly after life at Sea Org became a downward spiral.

Ron writes that on one occasion he and another musician worked 84 hours straight doing music for a video because they felt under such intense pressure.

Ron Miscavige says his son (pictured) took more control over the lives of Scientology followers by tiny increments, which over time led up to gross invasions of privacy

HOW DAVID MISCAVIGE TOOK OVER THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY When Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard was still alive, David Miscavige wormed his way into his inner circle and became his gatekeeper, Ron Miscavge claims in his book.. Yet it took a power struggle after Hubbards death in 1986 for Miscavige to really take over. In the months after Hubbard's death, it was Pat Broeker, another high-ranking Scientologist, who was effectively the leader of the organization along with his wife Annie. Broeker was able to fend off Miscavige because he had some of the most advanced learning materials in his possession, including Hubbards own audits. They contained details about reaching the very highest levels of spirituality that not even Miscavige had. Ron Miscavige writes that David Miscavige set to work on Annie and managed to get her to tell him where the folders were. Miscavige then arranged for Broeker to be at a meeting in Washington, DC, while he sent a team to get the documents from his home in Barstow, California. Broeker was forced out of Scientology soon after.

On another occasion he asked an enforcer what the prize was if he cooperated with the excessive demands.

The prize was that he would not be punished, Ron was told.

Ron describes how his son took more control over the lives of Scientology followers by tiny increments, which over time led up to gross invasions of privacy.

These included Sea Org members have to ask permission to call their families while somebody else would always listen in.

Mail sent off site was opened by a censor who would send it back to you to rework if it was deemed too critical of Scientology.

When Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, above, was still alive, David Miscavige wormed his way into his inner circle, Ron Miscavge claims

A barbed wire fence was erected around the site - but with spikes facing in to keep people from escaping.

Ron writes: Thats how the craziness starts. People will respond to an authority figure. If someone has authority, people tend to listen to that person.

Not just the Germans listening to Hitler, but anybody listening to someone higher in the pecking order.

Miscavige never forgave somebody who crossed him and held a grudge until the end of time, Ron Says in his book.

The Scientology leader's style was akin to something out of the 1980s where abusing people was thought to be the best way to motivate them.

Ron recalled asking his son what the best way to motivate people was. Miscavige said: Ill tell you how to get work done - kick their ass, man.

The spitting incident supposedly happened at Author Services Inc, the wing of Scientology which deals with literary, theatrical and musical productions.

Miscavige told everyone to spit on a man he didnt like but everyone except one man refused.

He and Miscavige supposedly chewed tobacco before the despicable display.

Another follower was supposedly banished to a swamp and forced to live in a lean-to for a year, the book claims.

Scientology denies both these events took place.

The book says: I saw him ruthlessly take people apart with a withering glare and a high-decibel, profanity-laced accusations. You did not want to cross him. His modus operandi was domination through nullification.

The most infamous example of this was known as The Hole, where people who broke the rules were dubbed suppresive persons and forced to confess their sins to a group that screamed abuse at them, the senior Miscavige claims.

In his much-anticipated book Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, Ron reveals eye-popping details of how his son exerted control over members of Sea Org, the highest level of Scientology. The book is one of the most comprehensive takedowns of the church in its history

Some people were held in The Hole for months on end, the book claims.

Members of Sea Org were made to sign contracts which committed them to the church of Scientology for one billion years.

While Miscavige had his own personal chef and was served two meals each night in case he didnt like one, followers were given a $20 a week food allowance.

Families were split up and husbands and wives were ordered to divorce if they were assigned to different parts of the camp.

Children were kept in a facility ten miles away from their parents and parents were only allowed to see them for an hour a day, the book says.

Ron says that he left the church of Scientology because he felt that he was without hope under a regime that he likens to North Korea.

After 2000 he was given no regularly scheduled days off and did not have a single day off in 12 years.

Ron missed seeing his grandson get married and could not leave to see his brother when his wife died.

When his brother died, Ron was accompanied by two minders to the funeral who banned him from talking to his family.

Ron decided to leave around 2006 but he and second wife Becky spent the next five years plucking up the courage to actually do it.

In 2011 they finally put their plan into action, which they described as being like something out of Mission Impossible.

The pair waited until a Sunday morning so that there were just two security guards on duty; one at the main gate and one in the chase car used to follow staff who try to escape.

Ron and Becky waited until the guard in the chase car was having breakfast and drove up to the intercom with all their belongings in the back, ready to tell the guard that they were going to the music studio just over the highway.

The guard buzzed the gate without even talking - so Ron hit the gas and sped off.

In a statement the church of Scientology said: Ronald Miscavige is seeking to make money on the name of his famous son.
An appeal to find a home for a deaf cat has gone global after he has been shunned by other moggies at a German shelter due to his missing ear.

Derrick, 10, was abandoned and undernourished when he arrived at an animal shelter in Berlin in September last year.

The cat suffers from painful growths in his ear and vets were forced to remove his ear canal due to the pain.

An appeal to find a home for a deaf cat has gone global after he has been shunned by other moggies at a German shelter due to his missing ear

Derrick, who is looking for a new home, has a strong bond with staff at the animal centre, but doesn't get on with the other cats.

Shelter nurse Franka Muller told NWZonline: 'With the dogs he has no problem. The other cats do not understand him' and are unsettled as they cannot communicate with him.

'Early in the morning he sits down on a chair next to me on the coffee table.'

Derrick, 10, was abandoned and undernourished when he arrived at an animal shelter in Berlin in September last year
The commanding officer of a US missile destroyer that was attacked by terrorists in 2000 is furious that one of the men linked to the incident was released from Guantanamo Bay without a 'proper trial.'

Kirk Lippold, 41, was in charge of the USS Cole when it was bombed in the port of Aden, Yemen, in October 2000, in the deadliest attack on a US vessel since 1987.

The attack tore a hole in the side of the boat, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39 more. Now Mashur Abdallah Ahmed al Sabri, who was linked with the attack, is in Saudi Arabia, upsetting Lippold - and an expert says al Sabri could be free soon.

Attack: On October 12, 2000, a suicide boat detonated next to the USS Cole while it was refueling in the port of Aden, Yemen, killing 17 crew and injuring 39 - the worst attack against a US vessel since 1987

Angry: Kirk Lippold (left), Commander of the ship at the time, is angry that Mashur Abdallah Ahmed al Sabri (right), who was linked to the attack, was transferred to Saudi Arabia from Guantanamo without a military trial

'I would have liked to have seen him receive a military commission where he was tried, convicted and sentenced and then his suitability for release determined under the laws of armed conflict,' Lippold told Fox News.

'From the perspective of the American people and my crew, hes never been held accountable.'

The incident happened on October 12, 2000, after the ship had pulled into Aden for refueling.

The ship was only docked for 45 minutes of its projected six-to-eight-hour stay when a 'thunderous explosion' rocked it to the side.

That explosion had come from a small vessel, steered by two suicide bombers, that had pulled up next to the ship and detonated, leaving Lippold and his crew 'fighting for our lives,' he said.

'The crew responded as true heroes, exactly as they were trained,' he told Fox News.

And now al Sabri, 38, who was linked with the attack but without enough evidence for a military trial, has been transferred to the custody of Saudi Arabia, which operates a rehabilitation scheme for militant Islamists.

Lippold is understandably upset about the April 16 transfer.

Worse, if al Sabri is a threat against the US, he may be able to return to the fight against American troops.

Transfer: Al Sabri's profile was downgraded from a 'high risk' In 2008 to 'probably not playing a significant role in attacks' in 2014. On April 16 he was moved to Saudi Arabia, which runs a rehabilitation camp for militants

Former Guantanamo overseer Major General Jay Hood told Fox News that while the Saudi rehabilitation scheme should be applauded, it is not equipped to keep Yemeni detainees like al Sabri from re-entering the fight against America.

'If history is a guide, we can expect to see some number of them back in the fight soon,' he said. 'As a group, the Yemenis held at [Guantanamo] represented the most committed and violent of the Islamic extremist in US custody.'

Several former Guantanamo detainees have returned to the fight against America, Fox says, including Osama bin Laden's former chauffeur Ibrahim al-Qosi, a Sudanese man who is now believed to be a top Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen.

And in March a White House official speaking anonymously and unofficially said that an Afghan prisoner released from Guantanamo while George W Bush was president had killed a US citizen - though the details were kept secret.

Al Sabri's transfer was one of hundreds made as part of President Obama's ongoing plan to close Guantanamo down, finally making good on his 2008 election promise.

According to Paul Rester, former head of interrogations at Guantanamo, this has been coincided with a 'softening' of language seen in reports on various detainees, whose risk status has been downgraded over time.

This is exactly what happened to al Sabri.

Concerned: Major General Jay Hood (pictured) said that he doubts Saudi authorities' ability to keep tabs on Yemeni detainees like as Sabri and thinks it's possible that some of them will re-enter the fight against the US

In 2008 Guatanamo documents obtained by The New York Times, Al Sabri is described as having undergone 'advanced' Al-Qaeda training in 2000 and achieved 'a position of trust and authority' with 'senior Al-Qaeda figures.'

The documents, which refer to him as 'high risk... likely to pose a threat,' say that he was believed to be involved in the USS Cole attack before he was taken by US forces in 2002.

But a 2014 report seen by Fox had amended al Sabri's biography, saying he 'may have' trained at a camp, was only an 'associate' of Al Qaeda and that he 'probably did not play a significant role in terrorist operations.'

'The only thing that could have changed is someones perception that al Sabri or someone like him mellowed - that they dont pose much of a threat anymore,' Rester told Fox News.

However, he said, 'we can't run a jail indefinitely,' adding: 'The problem with Guantanamo from Day One is the conflation of rule of law with law of war.'

Guantanamo's numbers have dwindled from more than 600 suspected terrorists at its peak to just 80.

Another 26 are now scheduled to be shipped off to either their home countries or a third country that has agreed to hold them.

Efforts to hold detainees that cannot be shipped elsewhere on US soil have met strong resistance from US politicians and citizens.
Near the tiny village of Piketon in south Ohio - where eight members of the Rhoden family were brutally slaughtered April 22 - the 11th day of mourning was marked by the solemn funerals of six of those dead on Tuesday.

After eulogies at a noon memorial service in a packed Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth, hundreds of mourners - many of whom were dressed in dark suits and ties - watched as six black Cadillac hearses, with flashing orange lights and orange pennants, were readied.

Then, led by a group of motorcyclists from the Red Knights Motor Cycle, the funeral procession left the grey-brick church with double white pointed spires, and a sign outside reading 'Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted', and drove to their last resting place five miles away.

Inside the coffins - bedecked with multicolored floral displays - were Christopher Rhoden Sr, 40, his ex-wife Dana Rhoden, 37, their three children, Frankie, 20, Hanna, 19 and Christopher Jr, 16, plus Christopher Sr's brother, Kenneth, 44.

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Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral of six Rhoden family members on Tuesday at Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth, Ohio

Five of the victims of the April 22 horrific murders were buried on Tuesday at Scioto Burial Park in McDermott, Ohio

Christopher Rhoden Sr, 40, his ex-wife Dana Rhoden, 37, and their children, Frankie, 20, Hanna, 19 and Christopher Jr, 16, were buried Tuesday

The sixth family member, Christopher Sr's brother, Kenneth, 44, will be buried on Wednesday, following the shared Tuesday funeral

Christopher and Dana Rhoden and their three children were buried - with the children in the middle and the parents on each end - in the same park where Christopher's mother, Geneva Rhoden plans to be buried when she dies

All were shot in the head along with Frankie's fiancee, Hannah Gilley, 20, and Christopher Sr's cousin Gary Rhoden, 38.

The horror of their cold-blooded executions was compounded by the cops' revelation that a commercial marijuana-growing operation was discovered at three of the four homes where the bodies were found.

Gary and Hannah were buried a few days ago in separate funerals that were dwarfed by today's six-victim rites.

And at the center of this grim, overwhelming tragedy was 73-year-old Geneva Rhoden, matriarch of the family, who lost two sons, three grandchildren and a daughter-in-law in the senseless massacre.

Despite her grief, Geneva - who bore nine children - has been a rock, a tower of strength since the killings, holding the rest of her anguished family together.

'She is being very brave and strong for her family,' black-clad Rev Kathleen McKenna, an advocate from the Ohio Crisis Response Team, told Daily Mail Online after the 35-minute memorial service.

Prior to Tuesday's funeral and burials, two other funerals were held: Frankie's fiance, Hannah Gilley, 20, and Christopher Sr's cousin Gary Rhoden, 38, were buried last week

The funerals come after the eight members of the Rhoden family were killed execution style in their beds on April 22

Motorcyclists from the Red Knights Motor Cycle led a funeral procession to Scioto Burial Park in McDermott, Ohio

Friends and relatives carried five caskets from the hearses to burial spots as hundreds of mourners looked on

Several people attending the burial had to park on the grass and a dirt path due to the mass amount of mourners at the ceremony

Geneva's surviving son, Tony Rhoden, 48, said in an earlier interview with the Columbus Dispatch: 'Mom? I don't know where she gets her strength. I don't know how she's pulling the strength out of herself, but she does. I just can't.

'A man can't bear it. What do you do? I'm just lost. Such agony - I can't make sense of it all.'

He broke down in sobs when he spoke of his nephew, Chris Jr, just 16 years old when he was brutally murdered.

'He's just got his driver's license, you know? You remember how that feels? To get your license? Those kids had their whole lives ahead of 'em. How do we get over that?' he added.

Asked about the marijuana found at the homes of his late family members Tony said: 'I haven't been able to bring myself to ask nobody. I have to bury my family first.'

Geneva, surrounded by around 200 family and friends, buried Christopher and Dana and her three grandchildren - with the children in the middle and the parents on each end - at tranquil Scioto Burial Park, where she plans to lie beside them when her time comes.

A sign outside Dry Run Church of Christ read 'Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted' on the day of the funeral

Some funeral attendees dressed up in suits and black dresses, while others took a more casual approach and wore jeans and sweatshirts

At the center of this grim, overwhelming tragedy was 73-year-old Geneva Rhoden, matriarch of the family, who lost two sons, three grandchildren and a daughter-in-law in the senseless massacre

Mourners leave Dry Run Church of Christ in West Pourtsmouth following funeral services on Tuesday

Family members, including Leonard Manley, center, father and grandfather of several of the deceased, and mourners arrive at Dry Run Church of Christ for funeral services

Mourners leave Dry Run Church of Christ following services for the six family members

Leonard Manley, third from right, father and grandfather of several murder victims, stands outside Dry Run Church of Christ before funeral services

Kenneth will be buried on Wednesday at Mound Cemetery in Piketon, next to a son who died of cancer.

After the church memorial, Pike County Prosecutor victims' advocate David Dickerson said the service was standing room only and 'it was probably the most emotional thing I have experienced in my life.

'The (Rhoden) family leaned on each other - I envy their closeness. They're beyond devastation. But hopefully soon some healing will begin.'

Dickerson added that Wilma McCoy-Rhoden - sister of victims Christopher Sr and Kenneth Rhoden - 'thanks everyone for their continued thoughts and prayers' as her six family members were laid to rest.

Dickerson refused to talk about the hunt for the killer or killers. Meanwhile, as the investigation hits its 11th day, there have been no arrests and precious little new information coming from cops.

Six black Cadillac hearses, with flashing orange lights and orange pennants, carried the caskets from the church

The long procession drove five miles from the church in West Portsmouth to five of the family members' final resting place in McDermott, Ohio

Black-clad Rev Kathleen McKenna, an advocate from the Ohio Crisis Response Team, told Daily Mail Online that Christopher's mother, Geneva Rhoden has been 'brave and strong' for her family
Labour was plunged into a fresh race row last night over an extraordinary slur against moderate Muslims by its London mayoral candidate.

Sadiq Khan was branded unfit to be London Mayor after it emerged that he had described moderate Muslim groups as 'Uncle Toms'  a notorious racial slur used against black people to suggest that they are subservient to whites.

The incendiary claim emerged in a 2009 interview with Iranian-backed Press TV, when Mr Khan was 'minister for community cohesion', in charge of Government efforts to stamp out extremism.

The revelation is a major blow for Mr Khan, who has faced a string of claims about his past dealings with Muslim extremists during the bitter campaign to succeed Boris Johnson.

Sadiq Khan was branded unfit to be London Mayor after it emerged that he had described moderate Muslim groups as 'Uncle Toms'  a notorious racial slur used against black people to suggest that they are subservient to whites

Mr Khan has dismissed Tory attacks as baseless 'smears', and insisted that he was a moderate Muslim. But the fresh revelation appears to suggest that he views moderates with contempt.

By chance, Mr Khan himself has condemned the use of the Uncle Tom term in recent days while attacking former London Mayor Ken Livingstone for his offensive claim that Hitler was a Zionist.

Asked on LBC Radio at the weekend whether he considered terms such as 'Zio and Uncle Tom' to be racist, he replied: 'They are racist, they should not be used. The harsh truth is this  the comments from Ken Livingstone were appalling and disgusting and should have no place in our party.'

A spokesman for former Cabinet minister Mr Khan said last night that he 'regrets' using the term.

But Tory MPs said the revelations proved he was unfit to be mayor of one of the world's most multicultural cities.

Paul Scully, MP for Sutton and Cheam, said: 'Once again, Sadiq Khan has shown he doesn't have the judgment to be Mayor of London.

'He's deeply hypocritical on race issue when it suits his political purpose. Labour must show they won't put up with attitudes like this in the party.'

The incendiary claim emerged in a 2009 interview with Iranian-backed Press TV, when Mr Khan was 'minister for community cohesion', in charge of Government efforts to stamp out extremism

The revelation is a major blow for Mr Khan, who has faced a string of claims about his past dealings with Muslim extremists during the bitter campaign to succeed Boris Johnson

Fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen said: 'It would appear that Sadiq Khan is being hoisted by his own petard.

'He says one thing as a government minister and another thing when seeking election to one of the highest offices of the land as Mayor of London.

'It is clear that the London electorate must ask questions about whether this man is fit to be mayor of the finest city in the world.'

The row came as Labour struggled to close the anti-semitism row that has engulfed the party in the run-up to tomorrow's local elections.

In other developments:

The Commons home affairs committee said it would summon Mr Livingstone to grill him on his controversial views in Parliament.

Suspended Labour MP Naz Shah resigned from a Commons inquiry into anti-semitism after it emerged last week she had once called for Israel to be 'relocated' to the US.

A spokesman for the militant Palestinian group Hamas was reported to have praised Mr Corbyn for his willingness to engage with it, saying his stance was a 'painful hit that the Zionist enemy received'. The group later denied it had offered Mr Corbyn its support.

Senior Labour MP Keith Vaz warned that Labour's prospects in tomorrow's elections were being damaged by the 'repugnant' anti-semitic views of some figures.

Suspended Burnley councillor Shah Hussain went on live TV to repeat his claim that Israel's actions against Palestinians were 'comparable to what happened to European Jews during the Second World War'.

SLUR THAT STARTED IN A NOVEL The phrase Uncle Tom has become one of the most controversial racial insults in the US. It derives from Harriet Beecher Stowes classic 1852 anti-slavery novel Uncle Toms Cabin. The character Uncle Tom is portrayed as a martyr as he is killed by a cruel master after he refuses to divulge the whereabouts of two women who escaped slavery. But his portrayal has long been divisive, with black rights activists arguing he was too subservient to his white masters. As far back as 1919, the radical preacher Reverend George Alexander McGuire said: The Uncle Tom n***** has got to go, and his place must be taken by the new leader of the Negro race... not a black man with a white heart, but a black man with a black heart. It is now used as an insult aimed at black people to suggest they are too eager to please whites.

Mr Khan is favourite to win the mayoral race against Tory Zac Goldsmith tomorrow, potentially delivering a sliver of cheer for the party on what otherwise looks set to be a dismal night of results.

The former minister has used his campaign to distance himself from Mr Corbyn's hard-Left politics. Yesterday he urged the Labour leader to 'get a grip' on the anti-semitism crisis as he tried to build bridges with the Jewish community.

But the fresh revelations will raise fresh questions about his own stance.

Boris Johnson last night warned Mr Khan would turn the capital into a 'Petri dish' for Mr Corbyn's policies.

Speaking at a rally for Mr Goldsmith, Mr Johnson said he had captured City Hall from the 'Livingstonians and Corbynistas'.

He added: 'Sadiq Khan has emerged from that strain of political thinking.

'Do we want these people back running City Hall? Do we want our city to be the Petri dish for Corbynism?'

In the 2009 interview with Press TV Mr Khan was asked why the Government's counter-extremism strategy focused on working with moderate Muslim groups like the respect Quilliam Foundation.

He responded: 'I wish we only spoke to people who agree with us. I can tell you that I've spent the last months in this job speaking to all sorts of people. Not just leaders, not just organisations but ordinary rank and file citizens of Muslim faith and that's what good government is about, it's about engaging with all stakeholders. You can talk about articles in the newspapers about what an organisation might get but the point is you can't just pick and choose who you speak to, you can't just speak to Uncle Toms.'

Mr Khan is favourite to win the mayoral race against Tory Zac Goldsmith tomorrow, potentially delivering a sliver of cheer for the party on what otherwise looks set to be a dismal night of results

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Khan also appeared to suggest he supports controversial boycotts of Israeli products.

Asked about Muslim anger over Western policy in the Middle East, he said: 'You know, there's nothing wrong, and I encourage people to protest, to demonstrate, to complain, to write into newspapers and TV, to, if you want to boycott certain goods, boycott certain goods - all lawful means open in a democratic society.'

You can talk about articles in the newspapers about what an organisation might get but the point is you can't just pick and choose who you speak to, you can't just speak to Uncle Toms

In a statement last night, a spokesman for Mr Khan acknowledged that the use of the phrase 'Uncle Tom' has been a mistake.

The spokesman said: 'This was a bad choice of phrase and Sadiq regrets using it.

'As Communities Minister at the time, Sadiq was talking about the need to engage with all parts of the community to tackle extremism and radicalisation - as he has pledged to do as Mayor.

'Sadiq does not support boycotts of Israel in this video - he merely says it is 'lawful' - which it is. Sadiq opposes boycotts and sanctions against Israel.

'He also makes it crystal clear that 'you can't use Iraq or Gaza as an excuse' for extremism and terrorism.'

The Quilliam Foundation last night declined to comment on Mr Khan's intervention.
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Fire department officials say the cause of a blaze that destroyed a historic New York City church is under investigation but it could have been candles.

The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava (burned on Sunday, the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter. Fire officials said on Tuesday they are looking into whether caretakers at the church may have accidentally placed candles that had not been fully extinguished in a cardboard box after the Easter celebration.

They say the fire is not suspicious, but the investigation is ongoing.

The reports come after it was reported that Christian Orthodox cathedrals were being targeted by arsonists after at least four were destroyed in blazes following Easter celebrations.

Authorities didn't initially disclose the cause of the fire, which destroyed the church's roof, but it mimics similar blazes which engulfed Orthodox churches in Sydney, Melbourne and Russia.

Officials were concerned that the Manhattan blaze and the three others in Australia and Russia were started in retaliation for the Orthodox church blocking the canonization of Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac.

The controversial religious leader supported parts of the puppet Nazi regime in that country during World War Two and was recently prevented from being made a saint by the Catholic church because of opposition from the Orthodox church.

The row has caused a rift between Serbia and Croatia, with the leaders of both lobbying Pope Francis from opposite sides.

Pictured are the charred remains of the roof of the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St Sava, which went up in flames earlier this week

The church was badly damaged in the Manhattan blaze following Easter celebrations among the congregation

Firefighters stand next to the charred remains of the building. The Orthodox community feared several fires at churches across the world were retaliation for their opposition to the canonization of a priest. The cause of the fire was likely candles, it was reported later

The fire (pictured left and right) broke out on the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter

CONTROVERSIAL CARDINAL Today Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac remains reviled and loved in equal measure. Born in 1898 in Krasic, in what was then the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, he served as an officer during WW1 before being ordained in 1930. By 1937 - four years before the Nazis invaded Yugoslavia - he was installed as the Croatian Catholic Archbishop of Zagreb. Once Hitler's tanks rolled through the country, he began a collaboration with the Ustase - the Nazi puppet government which oversaw the genocide of thousands of Jews, Serbs and Roma. Stepinac supported the government as a way for the Croatian people to become independent and accepted a position on the ruling Ustase Council of State. Although there is evidence of him condemning their actions, he was often seen with them in public and attended public gatherings with them in tow. However, despite being a part of the government, Stepinac's supporters say he opposed the treatment of Orthodox Christians and hid Jewish war refugees. He openly criticized Nazi racial supremacy theories. Following the war he was tried and imprisoned for war crimes, though many in the West considered his trial a 'show' carried out by the new communist authorities seeking revenge for nationalist atrocities. Released after five years to house arrest, he was appointed cardinal by Pope Pius XII in 1952, before passing away eight years later due to polycythemia. In 1998, Pope John Paul II declared him a martyr and beatified him. This is usually considered the first step towards Sainthood - an issue Pope Francis is currently grappling with after being lobbied by both Serbia and Croatia.

Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the Gothic Revival style building to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued.

The fire broke out on the same day Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter. The church website listed services on Sunday morning and an Easter luncheon at 1pm.

Prior to the candles announcement, members of the community believed it may have been sparked as retaliation for a row over the church's role in blocking the canonization of a Nazi-supporting Stepinac.

The possible canonization of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac has caused a rift between Serbia and Croatia.

According to the New York Post, Serbian Othordox Patriarch Irinej wrote to Pope Francis and said: 'We are afraid that there are too many open questions and wounds which Cardinal Stepinac symbolizes.

'His canonization, to our great regret, would return the relations between Serbs and Croats, as well as between Catholics and Orthodox faithful, back to their tragic history.'

Dusan T. Batakovic, a former Serbian ambassador, told the New York Post: 'Too many churches have burned to call it an accident.

'It is very strange that it happened, that the fires all took place on Easter, the greatest Christian Orthodox holiday. Some kind of terrorist action can not be excluded.'

Barry Lituchy, the executive director of Jasenovac Research Institute, told the paper many among the community had told him 'the thought that this is an attack has not escaped us'.

The cardinal is a deeply divisive figure for Serbs and Croats. He is accused of supporting the Croation Nazi puppet regime during World War Two which persecuted Jews and Serbs and allegedly forced Orthodox Christians to convert to Catholicism.

He was sentenced to 16-years for collaboration but was still made a cardinal by Pople Pius XII.

In 1998, Pope Jon Paul II declared him a martyr for his imprisonment and beatified him, the first step towards being made a saint.

Meanwhile, on Monday, a fire broke out at The Holy Annunciation of Our Lady - Victoria's oldest Greek church.

Fortunately, the fire was contained to the building's roof after a passerby reported seeing smoke pouring from its windows, The Age reported.

It came just hours after another church in Sydney - the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection, was gutted in a blaze about 10pm on Sunday.

And in Russia, Valaam Monastery in Lake Ladoga caught fire during Easter celebrations.

Meanwhile, in New York, a heartbroken Dex Pipovic, told PIX11 News: 'I was just inside that building three hours' prior to the fire. He said he had been going to the church for seven years.

Alex Velic, 31, the caretaker's stepson, told the New York Daily News he lived next door. He said he smelled smoke and came outside and saw the church on fire.

'Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy,' Velic said. 'I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad.'

Father Djokan Majstorovic, the church's priest, struggled to get to the fire scene blocked off by firefighters. 'I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now,' he said.

City Council Member Corey Johnson called for a full investigation into the cause of the fire.

'This is a huge loss for the community,' he said. 'In addition to being a place of worship, this historic building was a New York City landmark, treasured by the people' living in the neighborhood.

The church was designed by architect Richard M. Upjohn and was built in the early 1850s. One of its earlier congregants was novelist Edith Wharton, who wrote 'The Age of Innocence.' She was married in the church in 1885.

The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the building from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943. The building was designated a city landmark in 1968.

However, members of the orthodox community believe the fires may have been sparked as retaliation for a row over the church's role in blocking the canonization of a Nazi-supporting Croatian priest, Aloysius Stepinac.

Around the same time, a blaze destroyed the roof of The Holy Annunciation of Our Lady church in Melbourne

Fortunately, the fire was contained to the building's roof after a passerby reported seeing smoke

Following the Easter celebrations, the Macedonian Orthodox Church in Sydney (pictured) was also burned
Hillary Clinton says she was not talking about her husband, former President Bill Clinton, when she said she has 'a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation.'

'That's not true,' Clinton told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell during an exclusive sit-down interview that aired on the network this afternoon.

Clinton said she was referring to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and ex-New York Congressman Rick Lazio, her Republican opponents in her 2000 Senate race.

Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who she said blamed her personally for turmoil in his country over 'rigged' elections.

Hillary Clinton says she was not talking about her husband, former President Bill Clinton, when she said she has 'a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation'

'That's not true,' Clinton told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell during an exclusive sit-down interview that aired on the network this afternoon. She also talked to Mitchell about Donald Trump's claim that she's playing the 'woman card'

Clinton made the original remarks about the men in her life during in an interview last week with CNN's Jake Tapper.

Tapper asked her about Trump's branding of her as corrupt, and Clinton told him, 'I have a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation in the way they behave and how they speak.'

'I'm not going to deal with their temper tantrums or their bullying or their efforts to try to provoke me. He can say whatever he wants to say about me. I could really care less. I'm going to stand up for what I think the American people need and want in the next president.'

The front end of the statement was interpreted by Trump and others as a reference to Bill's cheating in the Oval Office and subsequent impeachment proceedings.

Trump said Sunday on Fox and Friends, 'That's a very demeaning remark to men in my opinion. Was she referring to her husband? I think she was referring to her husband.'

Clinton directly denied the implication today, however.

The former U.S. senator old Mitchell that among others, she was talking about Giuliani, who made 'all kinds of intemperate attacks against me.'

'I called him out for what I described as his temper tantrums before he dropped out,' Clinton said.

She added, 'I have political experience in dealing with candidates who think they're going to score points by being either negative about women in general or about me in particular.'

Moving on to Putin she said he 'literally blamed me, blamed me personally for demonstrations in Russia because of his rigged election.

'So, I do have some experience dealing with this kind of visceral, really mean-spirited attacks.'

The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign riffed off Trump's statements about her last week and began selling its own 'woman card' to donors. It announced Monday night that the fundraising campaign had attracted more than 127,000 donations and raised $2.4 million Thursday through Saturday

The likely Democratic nominee for president said of Trump, the leading GOP contender, 'He can continue to attack me. That's fine, I really don't mind at all, but I'm going to stand up for the people of this country, women and men'

Trump has been chasing Clinton with claims that all she is playing the 'woman card' and said Monday on CNN that 'she would have no chance whatsoever of winning' without it.

She laughed off the assault today in her MSNBC interview and said, 'I think that he should take a look at the numbers. I'm leading him by millions of votes.'

Clinton said Trump's attacks on her qualifications are 'very familiar to a lot women.'

'We're not going to be counted out anymore. We're going to stand up and express our opinions,' she said. 'We're going to claim what is rightfully ours in the workplace, in our society, in our economy, in our political system.'

The Democratic presidential candidate's campaign riffed off Trump's statements about her last week and began selling its own 'woman card' to donors.

It announced Monday night that the fundraising campaign had attracted more than 127,000 donations and raised $2.4 million Thursday through Saturday. Friday and Saturday, it said, wast most lucrative two-day online fundraising period for the campaign yet.

Clinton referred to success of the online fundraising initiative today as she told Mitchell, 'I've been thrilled by the response to his negative comments.

Former president Bill Clinton speaks at a campaign rally held on behalf of his Democrat wife Hillary

Clinton visited the African American Heritage Centre yesterday afternoon to assist his wife's campaign

The former president, who was in power for eight years from 1983 to 1992, poses with an elderly woman

Clinton poses for a selfie with a fan during his visit to the center

Clinton shakes a woman's hand upon his arrival at the centre to support his wife who is vying for the Democratic nomination for the White House

'Most women see it not just as about me, they see it about themselves, they see it about their own situations, and there's been an outpouring of support.'

She noted that her campaign has raised millions off sales of the card, which 'unfortunately doesn't give you a discount, even thought we don't get equal pay for the work we do.'

The likely Democratic nominee for president said of Trump, the leading GOP contender, 'He can continue to attack me. That's fine, I really don't mind at all, but I'm going to stand up for the people of this country, women and men.'

Clinton said that for all the demographic groups Trump has insulted, 'I'm going to be their voice.'

Trump knocked out 14 of his 16 original Republican opponents in the race by humiliating and belittling them, and Clinton will find herself in a fire fight with him if they earn their respective party nominations as the process suggests they will.

Mitchell said Trump's lunch meeting with the Clinton-bashing book author Ed Klein shows that the Republican is planning to dump' a bunch of opposition research on her.

'Well, join the crowd,' Clinton said, laughing. 'People have been dumping stuff on me for 25 years.'
The notorious 'Postcard Bandit' Brenden Abbott is on his way to Western Australia where he could face up to 16 years behind bars.

Abbott left Brisbane Airport on a WA Police plane bound for Perth around 7.45am on Wednesday.

The 53-year-old was taken from the Brisbane Correctional Centre at Wacol to Brisbane Airport early on Wednesday morning under heavy police guard.

He arrived at the airport in a grey van under a heavy police guard and was driven onto the tarmac and into a hangar, where he boarded the plane behind closed doors.

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Notorious 'Postcard Bandit' Brenden Abbott was taken from a Brisbane jail on Wednesday morning and transported to Brisbane airport under heavy police guard to be extradited to Western Australia

Abbott left Brisbane Airport on a WA Police plane bound for Perth around 7.45am on Wednesday

He is being taken to Western Australia, where he will face charges stemming from a 1989 jailbreak, after a Brisbane judge on Tuesday rejected his bid to stop his extradition from Queensland

Abbott was dubbed the 'Postcard Bandit' amid claims he taunted police by sending them postcards while on the run after his Fremantle prison escape.

He escaped from the jail in 1989 by dressing up as a guard, sneaking out of his cell and then climbing to freedom through the roof.

The 53-year-old was transported to Brisbane airport under heavy police guard to be extradited on Wednesday

Abbott was under heavy police guard as he was transported to a Brisbane court last month following an extradition warrant from WA authorities

Abbott spent five and a half years on the run, donning disguises, making fake IDs and committing bank robberies to keep himself afloat. It is estimated he stole up to $6 million.

He was finally captured in Queensland in 1995 and sent back to prison in Brisbane.

Two years later, he broke out for a second time by cutting through his cell bars with wire smuggled in by an accomplice.

Abbott and his accomplice Brendan Berichon, 19, evaded authorities for another eight months, before Abbott was finally re-captured at a laundromat in Darwin in 1998.

Abbott has been ordered to return to Western Australia where he could face a 16 year jail sentence

He is being taken to Western Australia, where he will faces charges stemming from a 1989 jailbreak, after a Brisbane judge on Tuesday rejected his bid to stop his extradition from Queensland

He was sentenced to 25 years at the then-new SuperMax at Woodford Prison, 80 kilometres north of Brisbane, where he was subjected to surveillance checks every 15 minutes.

Abbott, who was released on parole last month having served 18 years, was arrested in Brisbane to be extradited to face charges in Western Australia.

His lawyer tried to argue in Brisbane's Supreme Court his extradition would be an 'abuse of process'.

Abbott (pictured left with a tourist) donned disguises, made fake IDs and robbed banks to keep himself afloat while on the run from police in the 80s
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has addressed the country about why the budget is good for Australia in an awkward Sunrise interview.

Mr Turnbull appeared on the program on Wednesday morning, after Treasurer Scott Morrison handed down his first Budget on Tuesday evening.

At the end of his discussion with Sunrise co-host David 'Kochie' Koch, the prime minister was asked to give an 'elevator pitch' to the public about why the measures are good for the everyday Australians.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared on Sunrise on Wednesday morning to discuss the budget

Mr Turnbull was asked by co-host Kochie to give an 'elevator pitch' about why it was good for Australians

'I want you to look straight down the camera there, for an elevator pitch to the Australian public saying why is this Budget good for them, and vote for you,' Kochie said.

'This Budget sets up Australia for strong economic growth in the future. It's a national economic plan,' Mr Turnbull said.

'It combines with all of the measures we've put in place to ensure that we have the investment, the enterprise, the innovation.

'Whether it's our defence industry plan, it's investment in infrastructure, business incentives, ensuring that everyone pays their fair share in tax, ensuring our tax system is sustainable, and above all ensuring that everything we deliver in health, in education, in infrastructure, is fully paid for and we live within our means,' he continued.

He stared awkwardly down the barrel of the camera and explained how the Budget was good for the economy

Treasurer Scott Morrison, pictured outside Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday, handed down his first Budget on Tuesday evening

The prime minister also confirmed that a federal election would be held on July 2

'This is a plan that will ensure our children and our grandchildren enjoy the great opportunities these times offer them.

'This is a responsible economic plan for growth and for jobs,' Mr Turnbull concluded his address.

'Well okay, that's not bad off the cuff,' Kochie said.

'Bill Shorten will be doing the same later in the program,' the Sunrise co-host added.

Earlier in the interview the prime minister all but confirmed he would be paying a visit to the Governor General at the weekend, to ask him to dissolve both houses of parliament.
The Navy SEAL who was killed in a coordinated attack by 100 ISIS fighters in Iraq has been identified as a former high school track star and the grandson of a disgraced financier.

Charles Keating was advising Kurdish Peshmerga troops in the town of Telskof, 18 miles north of Mosul, when a group of Islamic State militants stormed enemy lines with vehicles, suicide car bombs and bulldozers on Tuesday

He was hit by 'direct fire' during an attack by the jihadis Pentagon officials have described as 'coordinated and complex'.

Keating was a former Phoenix high school star distance runner and the grandson of the late Arizona financier, Charles Keating.

He died in 2014 at age 90, after serving prison time for his role in the costliest savings and loan failure of the 1980s.

The SEAL's death is the third death of a U.S. service member in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition launched its campaign against IS militants in the summer of 2014.

The Navy SEAL who was killed in a coordinated attack by 100 ISIS fighters in Iraq has been identified has Charles Keating (left and right), who was based in Coronado

Keating was a former Phoenix high school star distance runner and the grandson of the late Arizona financier, Charles Keating (pictured). He died in 2014 at age 90, after serving prison time for his role in the costliest savings and loan failure of the 1980s

Charlie Keating is pictured with his disgraced financier grandfather (left) and his father, also Charles

Keating is pictured with a woman believed to be his fiancee, Brooke Clark

Defense officials told CNN the ISIS fighters broke through a checkpoint and drove three miles to a base where SEALs are based.

The U.S. responded with F-15s and drones that dropped more than 20 bombs, the official told the network.

Keating's family told ABC 15 that he was the victim of the attack. He graduated from Arcadia High School in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2004.

As a SEAL he was based in Coronado, California.

A 2004 graduate of Phoenix's Arcadia High School, Keating was city and region champion in the 1,600-meter run as a sophomore, junior and senior.

In this November 6, 2002, photo, Charlie Keating IV, 16, poses for a photo in Phoenix for an upcoming series on the Discovery channel that he took part in

Rob Reniewicki, Keating's former track coach at Arcadia, said he has kept in touch with him through Facebook over the years, and he is heartbroken by the news.

'He was a tremendous athlete, a tremendous person. I'm devastated. I'm crushed. I'm trying to hold myself together,' Reniewicki told Phoenix TV station KTVK.

Keating was planning to get married in November, Reniewicki said.

At Indiana University, where his father was a three-time All-America swimmer from 1974-77, Keating ran cross country and track from 2004-06.

He was a member of the 2004-05 Hoosiers team that was Big Ten Conference runner-up in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Keating competed in the mile run.

'When Charlie left IU to enlist and try to become a SEAL, I don't think it really surprised any of us,' said Robert Chapman, professor of kinesiology at IU Bloomington, who served as Indiana men's cross country coach from 1998-2007. 'You could tell he was a guy who wanted to be the best and find out what he was made of, and serving as special operations forces for his country embodied that.'

According to the Arizona Republic, Keating was known as C-4 because he had the same name as three generations before him.

His grandfather was sent to prison in connection with the savings and loan scandal when Keating was a small child and other children reportedly made fun of him.

The scandal also shook the political world.

Five senators who received campaign donations from Charles Keating Jr. - Arizona Sen. John McCain, Democrat Alan Cranston of California, Democrat John Glenn of Ohio, Democrat Donald W. Riegel Jr. of Michigan and Democrat Dennis DeConcini of Arizona - were accused of impropriety for appealing to regulators on Keating's behalf in 1987.

Keating's first cousin is Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr, whose maternal grandfather is the late financier. Hall won ten medals in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Keating's first cousin is ten-time Olympic medalist swimmer Gary Hall Jr, pictured after wining gold in Athens in 2004. Hall's maternal grandfather is Charles Keating Jr. His mother is the sister of the late SEAL's father

He was hit by 'direct fire' during an attack by the jihadis Pentagon officials have described as 'coordinated and complex' (stock picture of Kurdish checkpoint)

'What happened in the past, I really don't care. I'm really close to him,' the younger Keating told the Republic in May 2004 when he ran in the Class 4A state track and field championships in suburban Mesa, Arizona, and his grandfather watched him compete for the first time

In a statement the US-led coalition said: 'On May 3, a coalition service member was killed in the neighbourhood of Irbil as a result of enemy fire.'

Defense Secretary Ash Carter addressed the killing in a news conference in Stuttgart where he has been consulting with European allies this week.

It comes as it was revealed attacks by ISIS have risen sharply as a reaction to territorial losses they have suffered.

ISIS have lost 40 per cent of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and has resorted to mass-casualty violence as it desperately tries to restore its authority in the region.

Col Steve Warren, spokesman for the US-led coalition, said he believed the number of ISIS fighters being killed by allied bombing and forces on the ground was now higher than the 'replenishment rate'.

Coalition strategy has combined trying to push ISIS back on several major fronts with air attacks and that has seen the 'dismantling' of the group.

Last week, Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad to encourage leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat the terror group.
They say a man told them the couple had asked

A New York State podiatrist and his girlfriend paid a man to kill the doctor's wife and make it look like an accident, authorities say.

Police arrested Ira Bernstein, 41, and Kelly Myzner Gribeluk, 36, on Monday night at the end of a month-long investigation.

They say the couple, of Ramapo, asked a man to have Bernstein's wife killed and two insurance officials looking into his business beaten up, Lohud reported.

But instead, the man reached out to authorities, they say, prompting a sting operation that involved disguising the two insurance investigators to make it look as if the beatings had been carried out.

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Police arrested Ira Bernstein (left), 41, and Kelly Myzner Gribeluk (right), 36, on Monday night at the end of a month-long investigation. They say the two plotted to have Bernstein's wife Susan killed

Police say a man told Spring Valley police a month ago that Berstein and Gribeluk had asked him to kill the doctor's wife.

'This person had some sort of relationship with one of them,' Ramapo Detective Lieutenant Mark Emma said.

'They asked him to cause injury to Bernstein's wife to result in her death. They made an assumption he could help them. He doesn't do those things.'

Bernstein and his wife Susan, who did not live together, have three children and were in the process of getting divorced, Lohud wrote.

Gribeluk, who is Bernstein's girlfriend according to investigators, is divorced and has three children who do not live with her.

Together they hatched a 'despicable plan to take the life of a wife and mother essentially for financial gain', Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugible said.

Gribeluk asked one of her contacts to have someone else kill Bernstein's wife, Emma said.

She and Berstein met up with this contact several times and offered money, according to authorities.

'There were repeated meetings. They turned over things that would have a helped a would-be killer to go forward. There was money exchanged,' Emma said.

Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel (pictured) said Bernstein and Gribeluk also conspired to have two insurance investigators looking into Bernstein's business assaulted

Meanwhile investigators collected evidence against the two, recording audio and video and wiretapping phone calls.

Gribeluk and Berstein eventually asked their contact to beat up two insurance investigators as well, police say, because they were about to bring up potential fraud charges against Bernstein's business to the Rockland District Attorney's office.

Police disguised the two insurance officials with makeup to make it look as if the beatings had been conducted.

The contact showed them photos of the investigators looking injured, at which point they brought up the plan to kill Bernstein's wife and discussed them further, police say.

They were 'cold' and did not appear emotional during the meetings according to authorities.

Bernstein and Gribeluk now face felony counts of second-degree conspiracy, second-degree solicitation and fourth-degree conspiracy, and a misdemeanor count of fourth-degree solicitation.

Gribeluk has 'made admissions to detectives as to her role in the matter' according to prosecutor Richard Kennison Moran.

Bail has been set at $600,000 for each of them and the case will go to a grand jury on Friday, NBC reported.
The question of whether or not there is life on Mars is something astronomers have been striving to answer for years.

But now we might be two years further away from finding out for sure.

The second stage of a jointEuropean-Russian mission, sending a rover to use instruments to search for signs of life on Mars, has been delayed from 2018 to 2020.

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The second stage of a joint European-Russian mission, sending a rover to search for signs of life on Mars, will be delayed from 2018 to 2020 because of delays by industrial contractors, according to the space agencies. Artist's impression of the ExoMars rover pictured

A statement from the European Space Agency (Esa) said this delay to the second stage of the ExoMars mission was partly because of delays by European and Russian industrial contractors.

THE EXOMARS LAUNCH DETAILS Launch vehicle: Proton-M/Breeze-M Launch mass: 4,332 kg (including fuel) Instruments: Orbiter (3732 kg, including 135.6 kg science payload) and Schiaparelli (600 kg) Dimensions: Orbiter: 3.5 x 2 x 2m with 17.5m solar arrays tip-to-tip. Schiaparelli: 1.65 m diameter The launch: The rocet blasted off at 09:31 GMT (10:31 CET) on 14 March, as planned. The first acquisition of signal is expected at around 21:29GMT (22:29 CET).

'Russian and European experts made their best efforts to meet the 2018 launch schedule for the mission,' explained a statement from Esa.

'In late 2015, a dedicated ESA-Roscosmos Tiger Team, also including Russian and European industries, initiated an analysis of all possible solutions to recover schedule delays and accommodate schedule contingencies.'

The statement added the group has concluded launching in 2020, two years later than originally planned, is the best way to deal with the delays.

The primary goal of the ExoMars programme is to address the question of whether life has ever existed on Mars.

This relates to its name, with the 'exo' referring to the study of exobiology - the possible existence of life beyond Earth.

The 2020 mission of the ExoMars programme will deliver a European rover and a Russian surface platform to the surface of Mars. A proton rocket will be used to launch the mission, which will arrive to Mars after a nine-month journey, CGI pictured

The first stage of the ExoMars mission launched on 14 March.

A Russian Proton heavy-lift rocket blasted two unmanned probes, Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the lander Schiaparelli, into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Flying together as a combined 'stack', the craft are now coasting on a trajectory that will cause them to rendezvous with Mars in October after a journey of 300 million miles.

TIM PEAKE DRIVES ROVER IN TESTS FOR EXOMARS MISSION Last week, astronaut Tim Peake took control of a robotic rover on Earth while in orbit on board the International Space Station, driving it across a test area designed to look like Mars. The former Army test pilot used a console on board the ISS to remotely drive a prototype Mars Rover, called Bridget, around a dark sand-covered yard in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The test was designed to mimic what it would be like to use a robotic rover to explore a dark cave on the red planet, but midway through the test engineers had to come to his rescue after he hit a rock. It was part of tests leading up to the ExoMars mission that will send a rover to look for signs of life on Mars. While the European Space Agencys ExoMars rover is intended to be autonomous when it is sent to Mars, its navigational cameras and software can struggle in dark conditions. British astronaut Tim Peake took control of a robotic rover to drive it around through a course designed to look like a cave on the surface of Mars. The astronaut used laptops on board the the International Space Station to move the rover across the sandy surface (pictured)

Last week, astronaut Tim Peake has took control of a robotic rover on Earth while in orbit on board the International Space Station, driving it across a test area designed to look like Mars.

The former Army test pilot used a console on board the ISS to remotely drive a prototype Mars Rover, called Bridget, around a dark sand-covered yard in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

The test was designed to mimic what it would be like to use a robotic rover to explore a dark cave on the red planet, but midway through the test engineers had to come to his rescue after he hit a rock.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), artist's impression pictured, is part of the first stage of the ExoMars mission to search for signs of life on the red planet. The Trace Gas Oribiter will eventually work in tandem in orbit with the ExoMars rover on the surface

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (pictured) aboard a Proton rocket at 9.31amGMT on 14 March, as planned, vanishing into an overcast sky within seconds

THE EXOMARS TIMELINE Launch: 14 March Mid-course correction: 28 July SchiaparelliTGO separation: 16 October 2016 TGO manoeuvre: 17 October 2016 Orbiter insertion into Mars orbit: 19 October 2016 Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing: 19 October 2016 Aerobraking: January to November 2017 Science phase begins: December 2017

A final engine burn sent the spacecraft on its way at a speed of 33,001kph (20,506mph).

The second part of the programme, the 2020 mission, will deliver a European rover and a Russian surface platform to the surface of Mars.

A Proton rocket will be used to launch the mission, which will arrive to Mars after a nine-month journey.

The ExoMars rover will travel across the Martian surface to search for signs of life.

It will collect samples with a drill and analyse them with on-board instruments.

'ExoMars will be the first mission to combine the capability to move across the surface and to study Mars at depth,' according to Esa.

The weather was hazy for the launch, but the rocket blasted off (pictured) at 9.31GMT precisely, as planned. Scientists believe the probe has the potential to find 'very strong evidence' of alien life when it arrives at Mars on 19 October. An image taken moments after blast off is shown above
Google has taken the crown from Microsoft in the battle of the browsers.

Findings reveals that for the month of April, Google Chrome held 41.6 percent share of all desktop browser traffic picked up by web tracker NetMarketShare.

This victory is a 2.6 percent jump from March and a .3 percent lead over Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which has dropped from 43.4 percent to 41.3 percent over the past two months.

In April, Google Chrome held 41.6 percent share of all desktop browser traffic picked up by web tracker NetMarketShare, a 2.6 percent jump from March and a .3 percent lead over Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which has dropped from 43.4 percent to 41.3 percent over the past two months

HOW MUCH TRAFFIC DOES EACH BROWSER HOLD? Chrome: 41.6% Internet Explorer: 41.3% FireFox: 9.76% Safari: 4.91% Opera:1.89% Konqueror: 0.01% Source: NetMarketShare

NetMarketShare reviews unique visits and weighs its data against all other internet traffic around the world.

Although other statistics claim Google overtook its arch rival months ago, it is the first time the NetMarketShare results have favoured Google.

Although the two search giants are going head-to-head for the top spot, the two left the rest of the contenders in the dust.

Firefox trailed behind at a mere 9.76 percent, followed by Safari with 4.91 percent, Opera and Konqueror didn't even hit two percent combined.

All of the lagging browsers, except for Firefox, seem to have maintained a constant amount of traffic since June 2015 even if they are smaller numbers.

But Internet Explorer has been slowly plunging.

During June 2015, Microsoft owned half of the desktop browser market, but has not been able to climb back up since.

Some 17 years ago, the browsers could only render basic HTML when it was first released, but was still impressed users with its 20 basic tags.

Microsoft reached an all-time high of 96 percent in 1996, just two years after AltaVista and Yahoo hit the market.

Internet Explorer was dubbed the most popular internet browser in late 1998 and early 1999, and has survived the stampede of other browsers into the World Wide Web.

Firefox trailed behind at a mere 9.76 percent, followed by Safari with 4.91 percent, Opera and Konqueror didn't even hit two percent combined. All of the lagging browsers, except for Firefox, seem to have maintained a constant amount of traffic since June 2015 even if they are smaller numbers

What some may find interesting is that Internet Explorer comes bundled on all Window desktops and users have to download Chrome in order to use it, which is what some say played a role in the higher market share  but doesn't explain the current decline.

Chrome has been gaining traction since Internet Explorer started taking a dive.

GOOGLE HIT WITH ANTITRUST CHARGES IN EUROPE Google has been accused by the European Commission of 'stifling competition' by abusing the dominant position of its Android operating system. The EU Anti-Trust Commission has alleged the technology giant breached competition rules by preventing consumers from 'having as wide a choice as possible'. The commission claims Google was making manufacturers pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser. In a statement of objections to the US tech firm, the Commission told Google it had breached EU competition law. It said that if found guilty the company faces a heavy fine and would be forced to clean up its act. Google has allegedly given financial incentives to manufacturers and mobile network operators if they exclusively pre-installed Google Search on their devices. It has also blocked some manufacturers from selling smartphones which ran on 'competing operating systems based on the Android open source code'. The Commission believes these moves have stopped other mobile browsers from being able to compete with Google in the rapidly growing smartphone and Android markets.

When Microsoft held half of the shares, Google only had 27.23 percent.

But according to StatCounter, another web traffic analysis tool, Chrome had 60.1 percent of the world's usage share of web browsers for desktops in March 2016.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt actually spoke out against the idea of an independent web browser for six years.

He said, 'at the time, Google was a small company,' and he did not want to go through 'bruising browser wars.'

But according to StatCounter , another web traffic analysis tool, Chrome had 60.1 percent of the world's usage share of web browsers for desktops in March 2016. the US government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP) has confirmed Chrome as the most popular browser with 43.3 percent of the usage

The software was built by several Mozilla Firefox developers who created the demonstration, which ultimately changed Schmidt's way of thinking.

Chrome was unveiled in the official beta version in 2008 and within the first month owned one percent of the shares but fell to 0.69 percent by the following month.

It seems Mac Pro users aren't the only ones using Chrome as their default search engine, as the US government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP) has confirmed Chrome as the most popular browser with 43.3 percent of the usage and Internet Explore only had 19.4.
After years of speculation and rumour, many rejoiced yesterday when Craig Wright came forward as the creator of Bitcoin.

The Australian entrepreneur admitted he was the real persona behind the mysterious moniker Satoshi Nakamoto, and even confirmed his claims with 'technical proof'.

But not everyone is convinced and one expert believes it may never be possible to prove who the man behind the digital currency really is.

After years of speculation, many rejoiced yesterday when Craig Wright (pictured) came forward as the creator of Bitcoin. The Australian entrepreneur admitted he was the real persona behind the mysterious moniker Satoshi Nakamoto, and even confirmed his claims with 'technical proof'. But not everyone is convinced

'There's no way you can conclusively prove that you are the creator of bitcoin,' said Jerry Brito, executive director of Coin Center, a Washington-based cryptocurrency think tank, who is sceptical of Wright's claims.

The Australian entrepreneur convinced journalists as well as a longtime Bitcoin contributor he was the real deal using a technical demonstration involving Nakamoto's secret bitcoin keys.

But Wright's public documentation, which he posted online Monday, underwhelmed others and left the question of Nakamoto's true identity far from settled.

Tracking a pseudonymous cryptographic genius would be challenging under the best circumstances.

Here, the creator is someone who invented a way for people to send money around the world anonymously, without banks or national currencies.

Someone who apparently disappeared five years ago for unknown reasons. None of that has stopped people from trying.

'There's no way you can conclusively prove you are the creator of bitcoin,' said Jerry Brito from Coin Center, a Washington-based cryptocurrency think tank, who is sceptical of Wright's claims. Bitcoins (illustrated) are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next

The Australian entrepreneur convinced journalists as well as a longtime Bitcoin contributor he was the real deal using a technical demonstration involving Nakamoto's secret bitcoin keys (stock image). But Wright's public documentation underwhelmed others and left the question of Nakamoto's true identity far from settled

Journalists, researchers and amateur detectives have scoured Nakamoto's emails and online posts, plus the original bitcoin code, for unusual phrases, cultural references and other potential clues to their author.

One of the most celebrated candidates - to his own dismay - was an unassuming Japanese-American engineer who found himself in the cross-hairs of Newsweek magazine in 2014.

A Newsweek cover story fingered Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto, a retired resident of suburban Los Angeles County, after citing circumstantial clues and a vague comment that Nakamoto made when confronted briefly on his front doorstep.

WHAT IS A BITCOIN? A LOOK AT THE DIGITAL CURRENCY What is a bitcoin? Bitcoins are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. They are the basic unit of a new online economy which runs independently of any company, bank, or government. Because Bitcoins allow people to trade money without a third party getting involved, they have become popular with libertarians as well as technophiles, speculators  and criminals. Who's behind the currency? Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto and then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as Bitcoin began to attract widespread attention, but proponents say that doesn't matter: the currency obeys its own, internal logic. Dr Craig Wright was suspected as the creator following a report by Wired last year and he has now confirmed his identity as the cryptocrrency's founder.



What's a bitcoin worth?

Like any other currency, Bitcoins are only worth as much as you and your counterpart want them to be. Bitcoins are lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Physical coin used as an illustration In its early days, boosters swapped Bitcoins back and forth for minor favors or just as a game. One website even gave them away for free. As the market matured, the value of each Bitcoin grew. At its height, a single Bitcoin was valued at $1,200.



Is the currency widely used?

That's debatable. Businesses ranging from blogging platform Wordpress to retailer Overstock have jumped on the Bitcoin bandwagon amid a flurry of media coverage, but it's not clear whether the currency has really taken off. On the one hand, leading Bitcoin payment processor BitPay works with more than 20,000 businesses - roughly five times more than it did last year. On the other, the total number of Bitcoin transactions has stayed roughly constant at between 60,000 and 70,000 per day over the same period, according to Bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info.



Is Bitcoin particularly vulnerable to counterfeiting?

The Bitcoin network works by harnessing individuals' greed for the collective good. A network of tech-savvy users called miners keep the system honest by pouring their computing power into a blockchain, a global running tally of every bitcoin transaction. The blockchain prevents rogues from spending the same bitcoin twice, and the miners are rewarded for their efforts by being gifted with the occasional Bitcoin. As long as miners keep the blockchain secure, counterfeiting shouldn't be an issue.

The article sparked a media frenzy and a car chase with reporters that ended at the Los Angeles offices of The Associated Press - where Dorian Nakamoto emphatically denied any involvement with bitcoin.

An earlier contender named in a 2011 New Yorker magazine piece was Michael Clear, then a graduate student in cryptography at Trinity College in Dublin.

The New Yorker cited some of Nakamoto's writings, which used British slang such as 'maths' for mathematics and 'flat' for an apartment.

It also noted that Clear had worked on currency-trading software for an Irish bank and co-authored a paper on 'peer-to-peer' technology similar to that used in bitcoin.

At first, according to the New Yorker, Clear was evasive when asked at a cryptography conference if he had created bitcoin. But he later denied it repeatedly.

He also suggested another candidate to the New Yorker reporter, naming Finnish researcher Vili Lehdonvirta, who studied virtual currencies and created video games.

The currency launched in 2009 by a group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. A Newsweek cover story fingered Dorian Satoshi Nakamoto (pictured) after citing circumstantial clues and a vague comment that Nakamoto made when confronted briefly on his front doorstep

Dr Wright (pictured) was unofficially named as the founder in a report released at the end of last year and the 45-year-old has now outed himself publicly for the first time. The report features posts on Dr Wright's blog - which was deleted after the report was published - that declared his intent to launch a 'cryptocurrency paper'

'I would love to say that I'm Satoshi, because bitcoin is very clever,' Lehdonvirta told the New Yorker, after laughing for several seconds. 'But it's not me.'

Speculation has also focused on a Hungarian-American computer scientist named Nick Szabo, who was called a likely candidate by linguistic experts who conducted their own 'reverse textual analysis' - essentially, looking for distinctive phrases or word patterns - on an early white paper by the bitcoin creator.

In another post from 10 January 2009, Wright (pictured) announced the launch of bitcoin

The only problem? Szabo, who has worked on other digital currencies, has repeatedly denied creating bitcoin.

Other scientists' names have surfaced over the years - some theories pose the notion of two or three working together. But denials have usually followed each new mention.

At one point, two Israeli mathematicians floated, and later retracted, the notion that bitcoin was created by the founder of Silk Road, an online bazaar known for trade in various illicit goods.

Conspiracy theorists have even speculated it could have been the work of some shadowy government agency - no one's saying which government - to undermine established currencies or somehow monitor online transactions.

That theory depends on the unproved notion that the creator retained the ability to decode bitcoin's encryption.

Vice magazine once suggested Nakamoto might be Gavin Andresen, an American software expert and early bitcoin enthusiast who has helped push bitcoin forward in Nakamoto's absence.

Andresen has denied it - and on Monday declared he believes Wright is Nakamoto.
Image could be part of a pilgrimage, according to the researchers

A geoglyph of a decapitation was also discovered nearby in 2011

New one shows animal with a long tongue , spotted body and many legs

More than 700 geoglyphs have been found in the Nazca desert, Peru

Between the towns of Nazca and Palpa in Peru, a stretch of ground spanning 50 miles (80km) is covered in more than 700 enormous drawings.

Now a new drawing, officially named a geoglyph, has been discovered by Japanese scientists showing an imaginary spotted animal with lots of legs, sticking out its long tongue.

These new lines join existing geoglyphs of a dog, hummingbird, condor and a monkey, thought to have been drawn by the ancient Nazca people between the 1st and 6th centuries.

Between the towns of Nazca and Palpa in Peru, a stretch of ground spanning 50 miles (80km) is covered in more than 700 enormous drawings. Now a new geoglyph (pictured) has been discovered by Japanese scientists showing an imaginary spotted animal with lots of legs, sticking out its long tongue

The geoglyph was discovered at Pampa de Majuelos in the Nazca desert by archaeologists Masato Sakai and Jorge Olano of Yamagata University.

The researchers claim the image, which measures more than 90ft-long (27 metres), shows an imaginary animal whose head and tongue are on the left, with a spotted body and legs to the right.

Masato Sakai said the image was created by moving stones from the whitish-coloured ground and piling them up to shape the animal.

'This is a characteristic technique of geoglyphs and [the find] may date back to 2,000 to 2,500 years ago,' he told Adina.

Masato Sakai, co-author of the study, said the image was created by moving stones from the whitish-coloured ground and piling them to shape the animal. He said the find could date back between 2,000 and 2,500 years

The researchers claim the image, which measures more than 90ft-long (27 metres), depicts an imaginary animal whose head and long tongue are on the left, with a spotted body and many legs to the right

The geoglyph was discovered at Pampa de Majuelos in the Nazca desert (pictured). The Nazca Lines stretch 50 miles (80km) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, about 250 miles (400km) south of Lima

PERU'S NAZCA LINES Most of the lines are formed by a shallow trench with a depth of between four inches (10cm) and six inches (15cm), made by removing the reddish-brown iron oxide-coated pebbles that cover the surface of the Nazca desert and exposing the light-coloured earth beneath. This sublayer contains high amounts of lime which has down the years hardened to form a protective layer that shields the lines from winds and prevents erosion. Contrary to the popular belief that the figures can only be seen from the air, they are actually visible from the surrounding foothills. Paul Kosok, from Long Island University, is credited as the first scholar to seriously study the Nazca Lines. He discovered that the lines converged at the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Along with Maria Reiche, a German mathematician and archaeologist, Kosok proposed the figures were markers on the horizon to show where the sun and other celestial bodies rose. Source: UNESCO

Another geoglyph was discovered nearby in 2011, showing a decapitation scene.

'Taking into account there is an ancient path, between the two geoglyphs, heading to the Cahuachi ceremonial site, we might say the figures are linked to a pilgrimage,' he said.

Some 700 geoglyphs are thought to have been drawn by the ancient Nazca people between the first and sixth centuries.

The geoglyphs, more commonly known as the Nazca Lines, were apparently first spotted in 1939 when a pilot flew over the Nazca planes of the Peruvian coastal highlands - although its likely they were seen by locals on hill tops much earlier.

The Nazca Lines are drawn into lighter coloured strata which contrasts with darker gravels on the plain.

They were designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1994 and the area stretches 50 miles (80km) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, about 250 miles (400km) south of Lima.

Some 700 geoglyphs are thought to have been drawn by the ancient Nazca people between the first and sixth centuries.

The Nazca Lines are drawn into lighter coloured strata which contrasts with darker gravels on the plain.

Many of the images also appeared on pottery and textiles of the region. Other drawings represent flowers, plants, and trees.

A second is made from lines and more basic shapes such as spirals, triangle and rectangles.

In general terms, the geoglyphs fall into two categories: the first group, of which about 70 have been identified, are said to represent natural objects, such as animals, birds and insects

Most of the lines are formed by a shallow trench with a depth of between four inches (10cm) and six inches (15cm), made by removing the iron oxide-coated pebbles that cover the surface of the Nazca desert to expose the light-coloured earth beneath

In the same desert, a mysterious line of shallow holes called the band of holes extends from north to south across the Pisco Valley.

The holes, like the world's most uneven road, have baffled archaeologists for decades.

But last week it was revealed the narrow pockmarked piece of landscape may have been used to help the Inca rulers collect and collate their taxes.

A mysterious line of shallow holes called the band of holes extends from north to south across the Pisco Valley. The holes have baffled archaeologists for decades. But last week it was revealed the narrow pockmarked piece of landscape may have been used to help the Inca rulers collect and collate their taxes

THE NAZCA'S MYSTERY HOLES Further to the north of where the latest geoglyph has been found strange spiraling holes dotted across the arid valleys of southern Peru have puzzled generations of archaeologists. But researchers believe they may have solved the mystery of the holes, known as puquios, with the help of satellite images and data. They claim the holes formed part of a 'sophisticated' hydraulic system that allowed the ancient Nazca civilisation to retrieve water from underground aquifers. The Nazca culture, which flourished around 100BC to 800AD, were the same people who created the vast geoglyphs on the featureless landscape, also known as the Nazca lines. It is thought they operated by channelling wind into the earth down the corkscrew holes and into a series of underground canals that carried water from aquifers. This influx of air kept the water moving along the canals, forcing it out into the network of channels. A huge line of holes dug in a narrow band across the arid plateau above Peru's Pisco Valley have baffled archaeologists for decades, but last week research is suggested they may have formed part of a complex tax collection system that allowed the Inca authorities to keep track of tributes paid to them The holes are around 3ft-wide (1 metre) and up to 40 inches deep (pictured), many of which are lined with stones. They are dug at regular intervals and run close to an old Inca road, according to archaeologists The rock-lined holes, which are around 3ft-wide (1 metre) and up to 40 inches (101 cm) deep, would have helped keep precious food cool and dry in the harsh climate, the researchers said. Crucially, however, the holes would also have allowed the authorities to keep track of who or where the food tributes had come from. Professor Charles Stanish, an archaeologist at the University of California Los Angeles, believes food in the holes was then allocated to people in the Inca state - a nearby storehouse called a colca. Together with his colleague Henry Tantalean, he has found Inca pottery dating to shortly before the time when the Spanish invaded Peru in 1532. Using drones, the team collected aerial images and have created a new map of the Band of Holes, which it estimate is made of more than 6,000 depressions before they peter out. They found the layout of the holes was remarkably similar to the checkerboard pattern used in an Incan colca at Inkawasi, around 160 miles (258km) to the north. Some believe the holes may be a form of geoglyphic art, much like the famous Nazca Lines to the south, but recent research has shown the band of holes (pictured) runs close to an old Inca road

The site was first documented in 1931 by aerial photographers and the few archaeologists who visited the site concluded the holes had been dug to provide storage.

But the reason why this was done has remained a mystery and the holes have been largely overshadowed by the more famous Nazca Lines which can also be found in the area.

There are also some that claim the holes were initially dug by a more ancient culture up to 2,300 years ago but then were adapted for use by the Inca.

Some claim the holes were built as a form of geoglyphic art much like the Nazca Lines themselves.
Seawater, which is increasingly acidic due to global warming, is eating away the limestone framework for the coral reef of the upper Florida Keys, according to a new study.

Projections, based largely on laboratory studies, led scientists to predict that ocean pH would not fall low enough to cause reefs to start dissolving until 2050-2060.

However, a new study has found the process has already begun.

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This two-picture combo provided by the University of Miami, top, and Chris Langdon, shows the Carysfort Reef in Florida in 1976 and 2016. Increasingly acidic seawater from global warming is now dissolving a tiny part of the limestone framework for delicate coral reef in the upper Florida Keys, much earlier than scientists expected, a new study found.

WHAT IS HAPPENING? In the natural scheme of things in the spring and summer months, environmental conditions in the ocean, such as water temperature, light and seagrass growth, are favorable for the growth of coral limestone. While, during the fall and winter, low light and temperature conditions along with the annual decomposition of seagrass, result in a slowing, or small-scale loss of reef growth. However, as atmospheric CO2 is absorbed by seawater, ocean pH declines. The result is that the natural summer growth cycle of coral is no longer large enough to offset the effects of dissolution from ocean acidification.

This is one of the first times scientists have documented long-term effects of ocean acidification on the foundation of the reefs, said study author Chris Langdon, a biological oceanographer at the University of Miami.

'This is what I would call a leading indicator; it's telling us about something happening early on before it's a crisis,' Langdon said.

'By the time you observe the corals actually crumbling, disappearing, things have pretty much gone to hell by that point.'

The northern part of the Florida Keys reef has lost about 12 pounds per square yard (6.5 kilograms per square meter) of limestone over the past six years, according to the study published in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles.

Over the length of the reef, that's more than 6 million tons.

The water eats away at the nooks and crannies of the limestone foundation, making them more porous and weaker, Langdon said.

So far the effect is subtle, not noticeable to the eye, and can only be detected by intricate chemical tests.

But as ocean acidification increases, scientists expect more reefs to dissolve and become flatter, and that fish will leave, Langdon said.

Also, increasing acidity eats away at the shells of the shellfish, making them easier prey for other fish and harder for humans to harvest.

Acidification occurs when oceans absorb more carbon dioxide from the air, altering seawater chemistry.

Scientists expected limestone to dissolve, but not until the second half of this century. It's about 40 years early, Langdon said.

'This is another one of those cases where we're finding that we're underestimate the level of damage caused by excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,' said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reef watch coordinator Mark Eakin, who wasn't part of the research.

Eakin and two other outside experts said the study made sense.

But NOAA's Derek Manzello, a scientist in the ocean acidification program who studied the same area earlier, said it is difficult to blame the foundation loss just on ocean acidification, because long-term coral bleaching and death will also cause the limestone to dissolve.

There's a natural cycle of limestone production on reefs.

Limestone generally grows faster in the summer as the water become less acidic and ocean life absorbs carbon from the ocean.

But in the winter and fall, life dies off, carbon is released and the water becomes more acidic naturally, slowing or stopping limestone growth.

But 'to actually see a negative was a big surprise,' Langdon said.

Extra, man-made carbon dioxide is being absorbed by the water and adding to its acidity.

And it's worse in the northern parts of the Keys, because the colder the water, the more carbon dioxide dissolves into it, Langdon said.
More than 150,000 lives are claimed in India by road incidents each year and the latest Road Accident Report says 11,000 of them involve speed-bumps or potholes.

In an effort to combat these numbers, the transport ministry has proposed a radical solution - using 3D optical illusion paintings that act as virtual speed-bumps to encourage drivers to slow down.

The idea comes a few weeks after the decision to remove all speed-breakers from highways across the country, which is ranked as one of the most dangerous places to drive in the world.

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The transport ministry has proposed using 3D paintings that act as virtual speed-bumps to encourage drivers to slow down. The idea comes a few weeks after the decision to remove all speed-breakers from highways across the country, which is ranked as one of the most dangerous places in the world to drive

INDIA'S ROAD DEATHS IN NUMBERS Over 1.37 million people were killed in road accidents in 2013, which is more than the number of people killed in all of Indias wars combined. Every day some 16 children die on the road. Some five lives are end on Delhis roads every day and one death every four minutes due to road accidents across the country. Despite the casualties, less than a third of the 2.6 million cars sold each year have airbags. Some say the high rates are due to the countrys poor roads and horrible driver safety guidelines. Source: NDTV.com Advertisement

'We are trying out 3D paintings used as virtual speed breakers to avoid unnecessary requirements for speed breakers,' Nitin Gadkari, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, shared in a Tweet.

The optical illusions aim to encourage drivers to slow down automatically, instead of whizzing over raised bumps that can fling people from their vehicle.

Last month, India put in the order to have all speed breakers removed from the country's highways due to its high number of incidents, reports The Times of India.

Officials noted that many areas local authorities are constructing road bumps or speed breakers to check vehicular speed despite necessary guidelines being in place.

'This is undesirable, as the function of national highways is to facilitate movement of traffic. Speed breakers can be a source of serious hazards and accidents to the fast-moving traffic,' they said

The Centre plans to try out Gadkari's solution on a few highways as an experiment.

'We will test it out in a couple of highways at one or two points. If it doesn't cause any problem of road safety, we can experiment with it further,' National Highways Authority of India Chairman Raghav Chandra told The Hindu.

'We are trying out 3D paintings used as virtual speed breakers to avoid unnecessary requirements for speed breakers,' Nitin Gadkari, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, shared in a Tweet. The optical illusions aim to encourage drivers to slow down automatically, instead of whizzing over raised bumps

Last month, India put in the order to have all speed-breakers removed from the country's highways due to its high number of incidents. Nitin Gadkari hopes to replace the empty areas with 3D painted speed breakers like the ones used in Kyrgyzstan, Asia

Implementing optical illusions as speed breakers was first used in the US city of Philadelphia in 2008 in the same attempt to combat aggressive driving.

'The goal is to change the mind-set,' Philadelphia's chief traffic engineer Charles Denny, told The Telegraph.

'The driver sees this in the roadway, and they think that it's some protrusion up out of the roadway, and not a perfectly flat surface. So they slow down before they drive over it.'

The Centre plans to try out Gadkari's solution on a few highways as an experiment in one or two road areas, but stated the will only move forward if it proves to be beneficial. In Pujiang county, China, 3D painted zebra cross walks have already been put into place

In India, cities like Ahmedabad and Chennai have started the campaign with 3D road safety painted crossings, reports Mashable

A mother-daughter artist duo painted the crosswalks earlier this year in Ahmedabad whose motto is 'to increase the attention of drivers'.

Implementing optical illusions as speed breakers was first used in the US city of Philadelphia in 2008 in the same attempt to combat aggressive driving. And although Gadkari is sure this is a solution, critics on Twitter think otherwise

In India, cities like Ahmedabad and Chennai have implemented 3D road safety painted crossings, reports Mashable A mother-daughter artist duo painted the crosswalks earlier this year in Ahmedabad whose motto is 'to increase the attention of drivers'. But critics feel painted speed breakers could cause more accidents

The 3D painted zebra cross walks have been tested in accident-prone zones on a highway and proved to be successful.

After Gadkari shared his solution with Twitter, some critics came back with disapproving responses.

Some believe that 3D paintings will work at first, but will be ignored after the initial encounter.

The 3D painted zebra cross walks have been tested in accident-prone zones on a highway and proved to be successful. After Gadkari shared his solution with Twitter, some tweets reflect caution that these paintings may impact the driver's mind differently and ultimately lead to accidents

And other tweets reflect caution that these paintings may impact the driver's mind differently and ultimately lead to accidents.
A team of researchers has created the simplest drone in the world.

The 'monospinner' was demonstrated at the ETH Zurich Flying Machine Arena and has just one moving part  a rotating propeller that allows it to spin through the air.

Its movements may look erratic, but the drone is controllable, using feedback to keep the vehicle near its equilibrium.

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A team of researchers has created the simplest drone in the world. The 'monospinner' was demonstrated at the ETH Zurich Flying Machine Arena and has just one moving part  a rotating propeller that allows it to spin through the air

HOW IT WORKS The monospinner works by maintaining an 'unconventional equilibrium.' This is achieved through feedback control. The wishbone-shaped drone uses a sophisticated algorithm to allow control, which prevents it from crashing. It only produces one thrust and must be launched, recovering and staying in the air a manner similar to a Frisbee  by spinning in circles.

The remarkable drone was revealed on YouTube by one of the researchers on the team, Weixuan Zhang.

This project, which also included Mark W. Mueller and Raffaello D'Andrea, built upon earlier research from the Flying Machine Arena.

According to the team, the monospinner works without hinges, ailerons, flaps, or servos.

Instead, its movement relies on a single rotating propeller attached to the motor.

This makes its flight look very different from other types of drones.

Other than this part, the wishbone-shaped drone has no additional actuators or aerodynamic surfaces.

A standard quadcopter produces a collective thrust that is equal to its weight to stay still in the air  but, the design of the monospinner doesn't allow for this.

In order to hover, the monospinner can't just lift off from the ground but must be launched 'like a Frisbee.'

The monospinner only produces one thrust and must be launched rather than achieving a hover from the ground. It then recovers and stays in the air a manner similar to a Frisbee  by spinning in circles

'The monospinner cannot hover like a standard multicopter,' explains Weixuan Zhang in the YouTube post.

'However, an unconventional equilibrium is found by analysing the vehicle's dynamics. For a certain constant angular speed and propeller force, the monospinner is able to remain substantially in one position. Feedback control keeps the vehicle near this equilibrium.'

Active control prevents the monospinner from crashing.

It produces only one thrust, the video explains, and uses a sophisticated algorithm to allow control.

The monospinner's mechanical design is based on two 'robustness metrics.'

According to the team, the monospinner works without hinges, ailerons, flaps, or servos. Instead, its movement relies on a single rotating propeller attached to the motor. Other than this part, the wishbone-shaped drone has no additional actuators or aerodynamic surfaces

'The mechanical design is carefully chosen as such that the system is robust to manufacturing imperfection, aerodynamic uncertainty, and system noise,' the video explains.

This means the flying vehicle is able to reject disturbances and recover from its launch.

The project which supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, and researchers from the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control joined forces with ETH Zurich.

Moving forward, the researchers say they're looking to push the technology to even greater simplicity by creating a flying machine that has no moving parts at all.
A 'drug-sniffing' car developed by researchers at the University of North Texas can track down drug users from a quarter of a mile away.

The device, demonstrated in an electric Ford sedan, allows a police cruiser to detect nearby drugs based on their chemical signatures, according to CBS DFW.

Researchers say the portable device can pinpoint the location of the suspicious chemicals and provide officers access to real time analysis on site.

A 'drug-sniffing' car developed by researchers at the University of North Texas can track down drug users from a quarter of a mile away. The device, demonstrated in an electric Ford sedan, allows a police cruiser to detect nearby drugs based on their chemical signatures

PORTABLE TOOL SNIFFS OUT CHEMICALS IN THE AIR Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry (MIMS), is a portable air testing system that allows for real-time analysis. This uses a semi-permeable membrane to identify different types of chemicals in the air. Along with its recent forensic applications, this can also work as an inexpensive way for communities to understand the chemical footprint of their resources and manage them accordingly. The researchers have also created a backpack version, which has been used to monitor air and water quality. Advertisement

The project was developed through the collaborative efforts of the UNT team, led by Dr. Guido Verbeck, and Inficon, a Syracuse-based company that specializes in gas analysis, measurement, and control.

The 'drug-sniffing' car acts as a portable lab, using a mass spectrometer to pick up on the different chemicals in the air and identify those that don't belong.

To the human senses, these chemical qualities in the air may not be noticeable, but tests have shown the car can detect them from up to a quarter of a mile away.

This device was initially designed as a method for testing air quality, CBS reports.

Called Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry (MIMS), the portable air testing system allows for real-time analysis.

Along with its recent forensic applications, this can also work as an inexpensive way for communities to understand the chemical footprint of their resources and manage them accordingly, UNT explains.

And, the researchers have also created a backpack version, which has been used to monitor air and water quality.

For this, Inficon also provided a quadrouple mass spectrometer and pumping system as in the car, but in a compact and portable platform.

Along with the Membrane Inlet system, the Backpack Mass Spectrometer also contains GPS.

As progress continues, this type of technology could act as an inexpensive tool for both environmental research and criminal investigation, according to the researchers. The researchers have also created a backpack version, which has been used to monitor air and water quality

In a recent trip, the researchers took the technology to UNT's sub-Antarctic field station in Chile to create a chemical baseline, as the airstream of this remote area does not directly mix with highly industrialized areas.

This trip also aimed to developed the first ever database of air quality samples in the region.

As progress continues, this type of technology could act as an inexpensive tool for both environmental research and criminal investigation, according to the researchers.

'We are creating portable mass spectrometers that can be fitted onto vehicles for environmental research or transported for use at crime scenes,' explained Verbeck, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in a statement last spring.

'This helps scientists and researchers collect data on the spot in real time, eliminating the need to revisit the site.
Nasa has found evidence that a massive ice sheet once covered Mars.

New data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter points to possible ancient volcanoes that erupted beneath ice far from where Nasa thought all the ice was located.

As well as proving its icy past, the study could help reveal if the Martian environment had flowing water and was once habitable, researchers claim.

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This graphic illustrates where the probe detected a few minerals - sulfates (blue) and iron oxides (pink) - that can indicate where a volcano erupted beneath an ice sheet. The site is far from any ice sheet on modern Mars, in oddly textured terrain where the shapes of flat-topped mountains had previously been recognised

Sheridan Ackiss of Purdue University, Indiana, used the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's mineral-mapping sensor to investigate surface composition.

His team focused on a strangely textured region of southern Mars called 'Sisyphi Montes', which is studded with flat-topped mountains.

These domes are similar in shape to volcanoes on Earth that erupted underneath ice.

'Rocks tell stories. Studying the rocks can show how the volcano formed or how it was changed over time,' Ackiss said.

'I wanted to learn what story the rocks on these volcanoes were telling.'

When a volcano begins erupting beneath a sheet of ice on Earth, the rapidly generated steam typically leads to explosions that punch through the ice and propel ash high into the sky.

Nasa has found evidence that a massive ice sheet once covered Mars. New data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter points to possible ancient volcanoes that erupted beneath ice far from where Nasa thought all the ice was located

Map of volcanic region on Mars, the Tharsis region, with 0m, 3,000m and 6,000m isoaltitude lines. A separate study showed the Tharsis region is much younger than previously thought, forming between 3 and 3.7 billion years ago instead of between 3.7 and 4.1 billion years ago

Characteristic minerals resulting from such subglacial volcanism on Earth include zeolites, sulfates and clays.

Those are just what the new research has detected at some flat-topped mountains in the Sisyphi Montes region.

THE 'GREAT TILT' OF MARS The red planet tilted by 20 degrees in a process called 'the great tilt'. The rotation axis of Mars didn't shift, but the external layers, the mantle and crust, turned with respect to the internal core. The great tilt is considered a milestone in Mars' history, and played a huge role in the formation of the planet as we know it today. 'It's the same as Paris shifting to the north pole or if we turned the flesh of an apricot around its stone', the researchers say. 'The cause of the tilt? The giant volcanic Tharsis dome.' The huge volcanic complex, Tharsis, is covered with young lava less than three billion years old. It is so large that the size of the volcanoes caused a rotation of the crust and mantle of Mars with respect to its core. Advertisement

'We wouldn't have been able to do this without the high resolution of CRISM,' Ackiss said.

The Sisyphi Montes region extends from about 55 degrees to 75 degrees south latitude.

Some of the sites that have shapes and compositions consistent with volcanic eruptions beneath an ice sheet are about 1,000 miles (about 1,600km) from the current south polar ice cap of Mars.

The cap now has a diameter of about 220 miles (about 350km).

A separate study in March revealed that a massive eruption, which sculpted the Martian surface into what we see today, occurred far more recently than was previously believed.

Known as Tharsis, a giant volcanic array was thought to have caused a huge bulge on Mars that caused the crust to tilt by 20 degrees between 3.7 billion and 4.1 billion years ago.

It was thought this also helped to carve the valleys and governed the direction of rivers that later flowed, and may even have hosted life on the Martian surface.

Scientists, however, used a series of computer simulations which suggest the 'great tilt', as it is known, may have occurred between 3.1 billion and 3.7 billion years ago.

'It's the same as Paris shifting to the north pole or if we turned the flesh of an apricot around its stone', the researchers at the Universite Paris-Sud, Orsay, France, said. 'The cause of the tilt? The giant volcanic Tharsis dome.

Diagram showing what it would have looked like if the Tharsis region was formed at the same time as the rivers and valleys on Mars, rather than before as had been previously thought. The study reveals a 'new face for the planet Mars during the first billion years of its history, at a time when life could have appeared'

'This work profoundly changes the generally accepted scenario, which advocates that the Tharsis bulge mainly formed before 3.7 billion years ago, and preceded the rivers since it controlled their flow direction by its load on the elastic outer shell of the planet.'

However, after running simulations, the scientists realised the volcanic region did not have to be there before the valleys were formed by ancient rivers.

This suggests the volcanoes, and so the great tilt itself, is younger than they had expected.

Instead, they realised the rivers were not formed after the volcanoes, but at the same time.

'The observation shows that the rivers can be entirely contemporaneous with formation of the Tharsis dome.'

The team, led by Dr Sylvain Bouley, performed simulations that allowed them to reconstruct the shape of Mars before the volcanic Tharsis region formed.

They plotted the shape of the planet and its surface topography before the bulge of the volcano had any impact, when its spin was controlled by the difference in the elevation between the northern hemisphere and the southern.

'We show that the observed directions of valley networks are also consistent with topographic gradients in this configuration and thus do not require the presence of the Tharsis load,' the paper says.
Holidaymakers who dont do their research can face all kinds of trouble abroad - whether it's getting lost, packing the wrong kinds of clothing or even running out of money.

While some travel tips may seem obvious, tourists have revealed the pitfalls and mistakes they've made along the way that have threatened to jeopardise their trips.

Taking to the internet, travellers from across the globe have shared their ultimate travel tips from what bag to take to why you should always plan outfits before you leave.

Online user makanimike addressed what type of luggage people should take on different types of trips

More than 385 Reddit users have compiled the ultimate list of do's and don'ts when travelling the world following a question posted on the website which asked: 'What is the most important thing you have learned in Reddit travel?'

One of the first pieces of advice shared by user FiggyPie is that holidaymakers can use Google Maps offline and need not spend their data or extra money.

They wrote: 'Google maps saved us when we were in Europe. I downloaded some offline maps of the cities we visited so we could navigate. Paris in particular was a bit of a maze to us and having an interactive map was great.'

Online user makanimike addressed what type of luggage people should take on different types of trips. He stated that the kind of bag depends on the type of travel holidaymakers are planning on doing.

He said: 'City and staying at a proper hotel? Use a rolling suitcase. Road Trip or boating? I'll choose the duffle.

'Hostels and moving around a lot with long distance buses to remote places and smaller towns - especially if flat concrete is the exception. Take a backpack.'

One tip included carrying a compass - which one person revealed helped them more than 10 times a day while travelling

Another user said they learned a top tip due to their 'own stupidity'. Addressing the question the poster revealed that their biggest piece of advice would be to 'make sure all of your clothes mix and match'.

They said: 'I learnt this from my own stupidity. Make sure all your clothes mix and match with each other several times over.

'I thought a scarf would be perfect for Norway in the winter, it's the warmest one I own. So in it went.

'It was [very] bulky, looked absolutely atrocious with my coat, and I wore it approximately zero times. Genius.'

EjectaFizzy reminded Reddit posters that the rule of spending two to three weeks in a place may not match your own personal pace and travelling style and that it's important to tailor your experience to your own desires.

They said: 'You have to know what kind of traveller you are and plan your days accordingly.'

Another commenter KingCarnivore, said: 'This is true, I agree. I asked for itinerary advice on my most recent trip to Japan.

'I had six days in Tokyo and three days in Kyoto planned out with the rest of the two weeks being open ended.

'Everyone was telling me to shift days off of Tokyo and move them to Kyoto. I ended up leaving Kyoto after two days because I hated the swarms of tourists.'

One of the first pieces of advice shared by user FiggyPie is that holidaymakers can use Google Maps offline and need not spend their data or extra money

As well as planning your days accordingly, holidaymaker Pete_the_mediocre warned people to be very careful with budgets and to keep track of spending and another, AndreeAnneP, said that when travelling, people should allow themselves to be flexible.

She said: 'Have general ideas of things you want to do and places you want to go to, but keep an open mind.

'You will meet people that will give you advice on places to go and things not to be missed, and from my experience, these are always the best.

'Also, do not try to do and see everything. It's not a race. Take time to stop and enjoy the scenery.

'It's okay not to visit every single attraction a city or country has to offer.'

Other tips included carrying a compass - which one person revealed helped them more than 10 times a day while travelling.

Many users advise people to not overstay their visa. Ajonreddit warned: 'Seriously, don't overstay. My friend got jailed for overstay in Singapore.'
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It's a crowded world after all  at least in Orlando's hotels and theme parks.

Tourism officials announced Monday that the number of visitors coming to Orlando last year jumped 5.5 per cent to more than 66million visitors.

That figure sets a record for tourists in Orlando and helps the central Florida city hang onto its bragging rights as the top tourist destination in the United States for the second year in a row.

Tourism officials announced Monday that the number of visitors coming to Orlando last year jumped 5.5 per cent to more than 66million visitors

Visit Orlando CEO George Aguel credited a new marketing campaign, aimed at pulling on tourists' heartstrings, for attracting large numbers

The head of Orlando's tourist marketing bureau says a combination of factors contributed to the increase in visitors, including momentum from new theme park rides that had opened the previous year, such as Universal Studios' Harry Potter ride in the Diagon Alley section (pictured)

The head of Orlando's tourist marketing bureau says a combination of factors contributed to the increase, including momentum from new theme park rides that had opened the previous year, such as Universal Studios' Harry Potter ride, Diagon Alley, and Walt Disney World's revamped Fantasyland.

But Visit Orlando CEO George Aguel also credited a new marketing campaign aimed at pulling on tourists' heartstrings.

Visit Orlando's 'Neverending Story' campaign encouraged Orlando visitors to share stories about their visits, as well as photos, and they were posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

'What makes this destination unique is that when you come here, you get a personal, memorable experience that you don't typically get from visiting other destinations,' Aguel said.

'People really make memories of a lifetime when they come here. It's very emotional and we make an emotional connection and we sort of tapped into that.'

More than 10 million visitors came to Orlando for conventions or business meetings, Aguel said, and the tax collected on hotels and motels in 2015 was $230million (156million).

There were about 5.5million international visitors and 60.5million domestic tourists.

Canadians and Brazilians continued to be Orlando's top source of visitors from outside the United States, despite a weak currency in Canada and an economic slowdown in Brazil, Aguel said.

Canadians and Brazilians continued to be Orlando's top source of visitors from outside the United States, despite a weak currency in Canada and an economic slowdown in Brazil. Pictured is Aquatica at SeaWorld's Waterpark in Orlando

Visit Orlando uses airline data, hotel room occupancy, and national tourism figures, among other data points, to calculate the number of visitors who flock to Orlando, which is also home to the Planet Hollywood restaurant (pictured)

More than 10million visitors came to Orlando for conventions or business meetings and the tax collected on hotels and motels in 2015 was $230million (156million)

Visit Orlando is waiting to release the exact breakdown of international visitors until the National Travel & Tourism Office releases comparable figures in early summer.

Nonetheless, Aguel said, 'We are very confident in the overall mix, as it is based on airline data and input from industry experts.'

Visit Orlando uses airline data, hotel room occupancy, and national tourism figures, among other data points, to calculate the number of visitors.

Increases in the number of flights between Orlando and Brazil in 2015, as well as a wide variety of pricing options for hotels, helped offset the economic concerns in Brazil.

'We do know Brazilians are very passionate about Orlando,' Aguel said. 'The airlines did a very good job of promoting the airfare opportunities, that they had the increased capability. Back here, we have such an enormous amount of properties at so many price points.'
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The ancient Roman city of Pompeii, an island jail built by the Bourbons and the home of Botticelli's Venus are among dozens of cultural sites due to share in a 1billion (790million) cash injection, Italy's culture ministry said on Monday.

Caring for centuries worth of art and architecture has caused headaches for successive Italian governments as economic stagnation squeezed funding for the arts and restoration projects were dogged by bureaucracy and bad management.

Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the 33 projects constituted 'the biggest operation on our cultural heritage in the history of the republic', referring to the period since a 1946 referendum sent Italy's royal family into exile.

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In total 33 sites will share in the billion euro government funds, including the ancient city of Pompeii which is to receive 40million (31million)

Other projects include completing restoration at the Palace of Caserta, near Naples. The large Bourbon palace, which was originally constructed to rival Versailles, has also been allocated 40million (31million)

One of the biggest windfalls is due to go to an 18th century prison on the tiny Tyrrhenian Sea island of Santo Stefano, which was closed in the 1960s and has been slowly decaying ever since.

The ministry said in a statement the prison, whose cells were built in a horseshoe shape around a watchtower to make prisoners feel they were always being watched, would receive 70million (55million) for restoration and development.

In the past, political opponents were banished to the island under the Fascist regime, including Sandro Pertini, who later became president of Italy.

Pompeii, where work to secure a city preserved under volcanic ash for more than 1600 years was long delayed by corruption and mismanagement, will get 40million (31million).

One of the biggest windfalls is due to go to an 18th century prison on the tiny Tyrrhenian Sea island of Santo Stefano, which was closed in the 1960s and has been slowly decaying ever since

The ministry said in a statement the prison, whose cells were built in a horseshoe shape around a watchtower to make prisoners feel they were always being watched, would receive 70million (55million) for restoration and development

A further 40million (31million) will go to works on the Uffizi museums in Florence, home to masterpieces by Sandro Botticelli and Caravaggio. The historic centre of L'Aquila, destroyed by an earthquake in 2009, will get 30million (23million).

The 29 other projects include extending the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery in Milan, finishing an auditorium in Florence and completing restoration at the Palace of Caserta, near Naples.
An investigation is underway after almost 150 people fell ill aboard a Disney cruise ship.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking into the outbreak of a stomach bug aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship last week.

The latest update from the US federal agency states that 131 passengers and 14 crew members reported falling ill.

Almost 150 people fell ill with stomach issues last week on the Disney Wonder cruise ship

The ship, which had 2,680 passengers and almost 1,000 crew members, left Miami last Wednesday and returned on Sunday after going to the Bahamas.

With the primary symptom vomiting, ill passengers were confined to their rooms for 24 hours but cruise activities weren't affected.

A spokeswoman for Disney Cruise Line said the company implemented additional sanitation measures such as continuous cleaning of handrails.

Self-service stations at buffets and ice cream stations also were discontinued to limit passenger contact with food.

The ship left Miami last Wednesday and returned on Sunday after going to the Bahamas (pictured)

A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer boarded the ship upon arrival in the port of Miami on May 1 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities.

Stool samples were collected by the CDC from those affected by illness on the ship, and these were sent away for testing.

The last time a Disney ship had a significant illness outbreak was in 2002.

On that occasion there were a reported 175 cases (163 passengers and 12 crew) of gastrointestinal illness, including vomiting and/or diarrhea, on the Disney Magic, according to the CDC.
Near misses in the air, bird strikes and a captain getting knocked out by his first officer  these are some of the frightening situations that pilots never bothered to tell passengers about.

In a new thread on Reddit, anonymous pilots have revealed the scariest things that have happened to them on commercial or private jet flights but werent reported to those outside the cockpit.

It turns out that a lot of scenarios are kept secret from travellers  from faulty equipment to fumes in the flight deck  because pilots dont think its necessary to inform them.

A flight captain said he was accidentally knocked out by his co-pilot when they hit bad turbulence (file photo)

Captain knocked out by co-pilot

A Reddit user who has been a commercial airline pilot for 12 years had a memorable transatlantic flight, although he cant remember part of it.

The flight encountered severe turbulence, leading to something that no one was expecting.

The user wrote: My co-pilot was getting back into his chair and right as he sat down we hit a bump and his elbow went flying into my face.

Knocked me out cold for 30 seconds. Thankfully my co-pilot was able to hold everything down and he didnt panic.

When I came to it was the worst last stretch of a flight Ive ever experience. Terrible headache and bad weather.

Near misses with other planes

A Reddit user said he has been forced to make evasive manoeuvres after near misses (file photo)

From time to time passengers hear stories about near misses in the air or on the ground, and one pilot admitted they usually arent told.

User MmBuhSnuh wrote: A lot of things happen that we dont tell the passengers, but the scariest by far is near misses with other aircraft.

I have come very close a couple of times when evasive manoeuvres were made.

Unless you really have to crank and bank, most passengers notice the movement but think its due to turbulence.

The pilot added: Theres usually one or two back there that ask about it. At that point Im pretty honest, but never reveal how close we really were.

Fumes in the cockpit

Pilots don their oxygen masks and prepare for an emergency landing when fumes are detected in the cockpit, but passengers may not have any clue what is going on behind the door.

Reddit user g1344304 had such an experience while flying from Innsbruck, Austria, to London.

The user wrote: We had thick fumes in the flight deck after takeoff, captain couldnt see his instruments.

Also due to performance (weight) limits we took off with about a tonne less fuel than required to get to London.

We made it, though, by flying to Brussels, then nominating Gatwick as our alternate and deciding to divert before landing as we had enough fuel to do that legally.

Technical faults

When something goes wrong with a plane passengers may not be given specific details about the problem, if its even reported to them at all.

User IFlyAirplanes wrote that they were preparing to land at an airport when part of one of the planes ailerons detached.

Ailerons are small hinged sections on the back part of the wings and are used to bank the aircraft.

The Redditor added: I didnt tell them about it, but theyd be blind not to see it flapping behind the wing.

It wasnt scary for me, but if a passenger notices parts falling off the airplane, they might be concerned.

Lightning strikes

Aircraft are built to withstand a lightning strike and, on average, every commercial plane is struck at least once a year.

Still, it can be a startling experience for pilots and passengers.

User g1344304 claimed they were flying a plane that was struck by lightning on approach to Heathrow Airport last week.

They wrote: Saw the bolt flash right in front of my windscreen. The passengers were told about it  the ones at the front would have known anyway  but they wouldnt have seen all three of us jump in our seats like little girls.

I was expecting a fairly large entry point but there were seven-plus smaller entries on the front right of the nose cone.

Another user, IFlyAirplanes, added: I was struck by lightning once. The passengers werent told, but they likely didnt notice.

Fierce crosswinds

Crosswind landings look dramatic from the ground, but passengers are never told how challenging they are, wrote user onebatch_twobatch.

They added: Its fine. We wouldnt attempt a landing if it was too dangerous or outside the planes tested limits.

Ive been trained for it and Ive never had to go around for it, but passengers dont need to know how [scared] I was for a few of them.

Bird strikes

User iampug wrote that passengers would be informed if there are problems with the aircraft, but there are situations where pilots get scared and dont need to inform the passengers.

One of those situations involves bird strikes.

They wrote: I used to fly into a small airport that happened to be a resting stop for thousands of geese migrating south at the end of summer.

These 12lb birds would fly everywhere. Its pretty much impossible to dodge, so you just have to hope that you dont smack any. They could easily go through the windshield and take out my face.

Distractions can be deadly

Pilots of private and civilian aircraft shared their own harrowing tales in the thread, including a user who was flying to an air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with his then-girlfriend.

During the pre-landing checklist he had to make sure the small plane was using fuel from the fullest tank.

He added: I looked at the fuel gauges and I had forgotten to change tanks and was sucking fumes. I quickly turned on the fuel pump and switched to the fuller tank and landed uneventfully.
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Living on the water could become a lot more hospitable  and stylish  if this concept yacht is ever launched.

Called Your Yacht, Your House, the vessel could be the ultimate houseboat for wealthy types who crave lazy days on a calm lake or bay.

It combines all the comforts of home and a luxury sailing experience in a contemporary yacht that features a sleek design and technology to reduce its ecological footprint.

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Called Your Yacht, Your House, the vessel could be the ultimate houseboat for wealthy types who crave lazy days on a calm lake or bay

The concept yacht features all the comforts of home and a sleek design, with the latest technology to reduce its ecological footprint

The open stern resembles the back of a house, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a tiny balcony, a small patch of grass and a lounge area

Designed by Maxim Zhivov, from Russia, the yacht could be used as a permanent residence or a holiday home.

It has an outer layer of solar panels that capture the suns energy, which is used to power everything on board.

The open stern resembles the back of a house, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a tiny balcony off a bedroom, a small patch of grass and a lounge area.

Dock-like extensions create space for tenders or could double as a sun deck on pleasant days.

The yacht also has an extendable cover to provide shade or protect from the rain, and the front has a retractable sun deck with loungers

Designed by Maxim Zhivov, the yacht has an outer layer of solar panels that capture the suns energy, which is used to power everything

The yacht also has an extendable cover to provide shade or protect from the rain, and the front has a retractable sun deck with loungers.

Zhivov told boatsandoutboards.co.uk: 'From the front, its prominent nose gives it a similar appeal to classic rum-runners. As it passes, the open stern evokes scenery not unfamiliar to a small suburban home.'

Superyachts burn a lot of fuel and designers are looking at ways to make them as environmentally friendly as possible and more affordable to operate, proposing banks of solar panels and hybrid propulsion systems.

In 2014, H2 Yachts revealed designs for the world's first energy autonomous superyacht, with a fully electric propulsion system and a liquid organic hydrogen carrier to store energy, but it has not been built.
An Emirates passenger who allegedly had HK$2million (1.7million) worth of cash and luxury valuables stolen from an overhead locker may be the victim of the biggest theft on a flight ever.

Mustasa Saci, 39, had just landed on a flight from Dubai to Hong Kong on Sunday when he discovered that the carry-on bag, which contained US$200,000 (136,000) in cash as well as a Rolex and a Patek Philippe watch, had gone.

The theft is among a spate of incidents involving criminals who are posing as passengers on longer flights to find their targets, local media reported.

Mustasa Saci had just landed on a flight from Dubai to Hong Kong on Sunday when he discovered that the carry-on bag was gone (stock image)

According to the South China Morning Post, some of the criminals are even flying in business class areas to pick out their victims.

Saci, a watch merchant from Turkey who was sitting in economy-class on the flight, informed airline staff following the discovery that his bag was missing and the police were called at around 6am.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told the Post that the total value of the contents of the bag was estimated to be HK$2million.

Police are said to be treating the case as theft and an investigation is ongoing. No arrests have yet been made.

MailOnline Travel has contacted Emirates and Hong Kong Airport Police for comment.

Saci, a watch merchant from Turkey who was sitting in economy-class on the flight, informed airline staff following the discovery that his bag was missing and the police were called to Hong Kong International Airport (pictured) at around 6am

The theft follows a warning by Hong Kong police in January, which urged aeroplane passengers to protect their belongings after holidaymakers were targeted on flights to the city in south-eastern China.

At the time thieves had stolen around 275,000 worth of items, including expensive electronics and bags, from travellers over the space of nine months, according to reports.

In December, passenger Warren Becker said his bag was raided while he was asleep on a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg.

He said his belongings and cash were valued at more than 2,000, although the thieves didnt bother to take his South African rands or digital camera.
In scenes reminiscent of blockbuster Catch Me If You Can, an airline passenger has been accused of impersonating a pilot  complete with a fake uniform.

The man, aged 18 to 20, boarded a Dragonair flight from Hong Kong to Penang, Malaysia, wearing a Cathay Pacific pilot uniform and carrying a pass with Cathay Pacific logos.

He claimed to be an off-duty pilot, but cabin crew became suspicious and alerted officials on the ground when he ordered a cocktail and took photographs of his meal.

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A report by a Hong Kong newspaper stated that Instagram photos show the passenger wearing a pilot's uniform

Cabin crew believe the man regularly wears the uniform while he travels to and from Hong Kongs airport

The young man was carrying hand luggage and a lanyard with Cathay Pacific logos, reports stated

The bizarre scenario mirrors elements of the Spielberg blockbuster, in which Leonardo Di Caprio, playing real-life con artist Frank Abagnale, tricks his way into a plane's cockpit by wearing a fake Pan American pilot uniform.

The unnamed man on the Dragonair flight claimed he had just flown into Hong Kong from San Francisco.

The man reportedly told cabin crew on flight KA691 he wanted to personally thank the pilots once the Airbus A330 landed on the island of Penang and asked to be let into the cockpit to do so at the end of the three-hour journey.

But after he ordered a Bloody Mary, which isn't on Dragonair's menu, and began snapping his meal, cabin crew doubted his credentials.

The crew gave him a non-alcoholic beverage, The Standard reported, and asked to see his pilot identification.

The scenario echoed the plot of Leonardo Di Caprio film Catch Me If You Can (pictured)

The Steven Spielberg film (picured) is based on the real-life story of Frank Abagnale

When he could not provide it, claiming that it was in his checked luggage, the flight attendants alerted the ground crew and Malaysian immigration officers.

Upon landing in Penang on March 31 the man was found not to be a pilot, although he claimed his stepfather is one, and treated as an inadmissible passenger, reports said.

The impersonator, whose nationality has not been revealed, is said to have avoided being charged by Malaysian authorities and was sent back to Hong Kong. It is not known if he will face any charges there.

Chinese aviation authorities, however, said they would be contacting Dragonair, which is now also reportedly taking part in an ongoing police investigation.

A report in The Standard stated that photos on Instagram show the man wearing a pilots uniform - which may belong to his stepfather - and some cabin crew believe he regularly travels on the express train to Hong Kongs airport while wearing the outfit.

A spokeswoman for Dragonair, a low-cost subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, said: 'The concerned passenger requested to speak with the captain and was turned down by the cabin crew. No details can be provided as the case is being handled by the police.
More than $765,000 (515,000) has been left behind by travellers passing through airport security in the last year - and kept by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Over the past eight years airline passengers have failed to pick up more than $4.3million (2.9 million) in coins when using plastic trays to scan their items.

In 2015 almost $100,000 (68,800) more was left behind beside X-ray machines than the amount calculated in 2014, according to figures from the TSA.

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Over the past eight years airline passengers have failed to pick up more than $4.3 million (file photo)

The funds, which are collected by security agents, appear to be increasing each year - with 2015 recording almost double the amount of cash found at airports across the US in 2008.

Last year the TSA were allowed to keep $765,759 (525,644) in spare change.

The sum was $127,616 more than what passengers had left behind in 2013, and also more than 234,000 misplaced in 2012.

In 2005, Congress gave the agency the ability to use the forgotten money to help fund security operations (file photo)

UNDECLARED MONEY COLLECTED ACROSS THE US BY TSA OFFICERS YEAR AMOUNT 2008 $383,413.79 2009 $432,790.62 2010 $409,085.56 2011 $487,869.50 2012 $531,395.22 2013 $638,142.64 2014 $674,841.06 2015 $765,759.15 TOTAL $4,323,297.54

According to federal law, if no one comes back to claim the money the TSA are allowed to keep it.

The agency is then free to spend anything they feel will improve the civil aviation security.

In 2005, Congress gave the agency the ability to use the forgotten money to help fund security operations.

Some airports, such as Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio, and Denver International Airport, offer travellers the opportunity to donate money to local charities at collection boxes at checkpoints.

A spokesman for TSA told MailOnline Travel: 'TSA makes every effort to reunite passengers with items left at the checkpoint, however there are instances where loose change or other items are left behind and unclaimed.

'Unclaimed money, typically consisting of loose coins passengers remove from their pockets, is documented and turned into the TSA financial office.
Blac Chyna had the safe in her Tarzana, California, mansion broken into over the weekend.

The thief made off with a whopping $200,000 as well as several pieces of jewelry, according to a Monday report from TMZ. It was her fiance Rob Kardashian who noticed the money and gems were missing and called police.

On Tuesday the site added that the beauty believes it was a 'close friend' who committed the crime and now she is trying to track down the person by looking over security footage.

She'll get the person: Blac Chyna is trying to track down the 'friend' who stole $200,000 and jewelry from her Tarzana home over the weekend, according to TMZ; here she is seen in April; that's fiance Rob Kardashian behind her

The site also alleged that Blac is certain the criminal is a person who is now 'jealous' of her new life.

The star has given up alcohol and cigarettes since she started dating Rob Kardashian.

And she also has been living much better with more fame - Kim Kardashian is a pal again - and that $325,000 diamond ring from the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star.

Home invasion: Chyna seen in March with fiance Rob

Splashy: The looker lives inside the Silver Hawk Ridge community of Tarzana

'Signs point to the culprit being someone close to her and Rob,' said a source.

There was 'no obvious signs of entry,' law enforcement sources told TMZ, and the safe wasn't 'busted open.' That has led police to believe it was someone in the couple's 'inner circle.'

The site added that very few people even knew the safe exited, so that narrows the field.

Rob has been living with the model ever since his sister Khloe Kardashian kicked him out of her Calabasas mansion, which was once owned by Justin Bieber.

Time to rethink your friends: 'Signs point to the culprit being someone close to her and Rob,' said a source

This burglary comes just after news that Blac's sex tape with ex Tyga might be sold.

Chyna is allegedly doing everything in her power to stop her on-camera romp with Kylie Jenner's beau from hitting the internet.

The 27-year-old star is planning to take legal action should her X-rated antics surface online, according to TMZ.

Blac Chyna's lawyer Walter Mosley told the gossip site she will go after punters 'with a vengeance'.

This is getting complicated: This burglary comes just after news that Blac's sex tape with ex Tyga might be sold. Chyna is allegedly doing everything in her power to stop her on-camera romp with Kylie Jenner's beau from hitting the internet

Meanwhile, Rob was featured heavily on Sunday's season 12 premiere of KUWTK.

Khloe Kardashian said Rob 'burned his last bridge' when he bought Chyna back to her house.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star slammed her brother for 'disrespecting' her by bringing his now-fiancee to her home when he was living there.

Mad: Meanwhile, Rob was featured heavily on Sunday's season 12 premiere of KUWTK. Khloe Kardashian said Rob 'burned his last bridge' when he bought Chyna back to her house

The 31-year-old fumed: 'Do you want to hear the craziest story? Rob was asking what time I would be home and I got home 30 minutes than the time that I told him I was coming home so I walked in on him with Blac Chyna at my house.'

The event took place earlier this year and the family is now embracing Chyna. Even Kylie - who feuded with the model after she started dating her baby daddy Tyga - has posed with the siren for selfies.

But back when Rob first started seeing Blac, there was a lot of tension.

All on TV: The 31-year-old fumed: 'Do you want to hear the craziest story? Rob was asking what time I would be home and I got home 30 minutes than the time that I told him I was coming home so I walked in on him with Blac Chyna at my house'

Khloe especially didn't like it when she found the beauty at her sprawling Calabasas mansion, which was once owned by Justin Bieber.

'Theres alcohol everywhere. Hes having the time of his life. Dont you dare make me feel uncomfortable in my own home.'

She added: 'I dont really care who Rob dates but having Chyna over at my house without my knowledge is disrespectful.
It's the event where some of the most brilliant fashions of the year are showcased.

And English-born Australian actress Naomi Watts, 47, is clearly getting excited for Monday night's annual Met Gala in New York City, as she shared a throwback snap of herself from the 2005 event.

The Instagram picture shows a younger Watts attending her first ever Met Gala 11 years ago, looking radiant in white as she beams at the camera.

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Glowing! English-born Australian actress Naomi Watts, 47, attended her first ever Met Gala in 2005 and shared a throwback snap on her Instagram page ahead of Monday night's event in New York City

She captioned the snap: 'Throwback to 2005 #metball #firsttimer Looking forward to tonight's #metgala2016...'.

Her blonde locks are styled in a soft up-do, framing her face beautifully and her neutral make-up palette paired with her fresh complexion made for a natural look.

The 2005 annual Met Gala theme paid homage to one of the most celebrated design houses in the world of fashion, The House of Chanel.

Radiant in white: Watts wore a floor-length white gown in 2005, which featured large ruffles of fabric cascading from her shoulder to the floor

Fashion heaven: The 2005 annual Met Gala theme paid homage to one of the most celebrated design houses in the world of fashion, The House of Chanel

And Watts wore a stunning one shoulder floor-length white gown for the glamorous proceedings.

The timeless piece was fitted to perfection, showing off Watts' toned torso, and it featured large ruffles of white fabric cascading from her shoulder to the floor.

Watts, who is no stranger to the red carpet and often features on best-dressed lists, has two children with partner and actor Liev Shreiber, 48.

Baby blue: Watts is no stranger to the red carpet and often gets the fashion tick of approval. Pictured here at the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Gala in April, 2016 in New York City

The high profile, star-studded event is a major fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institutes annual fashion exhibit and a chance for Hollywood's most daring fashionistas to wear something a little more unique.

This year's theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, will no doubt inspire some adventurous outfits.

The exhibit, with the same title as the event, explores how fashion designers are bringing together the handmade (manus) and the machine-made (machina) in a time of emerging mass production.
She was feeling a bit under the weather just a few days ago.

And Kourtney Kardashian looked to be doing much better on her most recent outing.

The 37-year-old reality star looked in fine form as she strapped on a swimsuit by Onia and enjoyed a day of family bonding poolside in Miami on Monday.

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Wow factor: Kourtney Kardashian enjoyed a day of family bonding poolside in Miami on Monday

Bodacious: The 37-year-old showed off her impressive derriere

She is joined on the trip by her three children: six year-old son Mason, three-year-old daughter Penelope and 16-month-old son Reign as they swam at their luxury hotel.

No doubt she gave fellow hotel guests an eyeful as she showed off her pert derriere in the one-piece number after taking a dip in the pool.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star certainly seemed to enjoy the afternoon poolside as she had a few snacks and even chatted it up with a young man while her children played.

See Kourtney Kardashian updates as she wears white bathing suit while poolside in Miami

Like what you see? No doubt Kourtney turned heads during the day poolside at her hotel

Wonder: She sported a white one-piece swimsuit

Making adjustments: She pulled down her bikini bottoms at one point

Leggy lady: The hours at the gym certainly seemed to be paying off

Making a splash: Her raven-coloured locks were soaked

Family swim: She was joined by three-year-old daughter Penelope and 16-month-old son Reign

Adorable: Her youngest seemed to enjoy the pool

Earlier in the day, the star was spotted bonding with her children on the beach as she showed off her fantastic figure in a pair of Daisy Dukes.

Kourtney was a hot mama as she wore a clinging white swimsuit tucked into the tiny denim shorts by Blank NYC along with a pair of sandals.

She accessorised the look with a beaded choker and several other chain necklaces while shielding her eyes with large, mirrored aviator shades.

Relaxed: No doubt the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star enjoyed the afternoon while poolside

Mmm: She enjoyed a few snacks

Ready to mingle: She was also spotted chatting it up with a young man

Keeping hydrated: She chugged on bottled water before taking a dip

Leading the way: Penelope looked excited to swim

Her raven-coloured locks were worn down flowing over her shoulders as she sported natural, complimentary make-up on her face topped off with a swipe of pink lip.

As the former partner of Scott Disick has worked hard on her body by hitting the gym with celebrity trainer Don Brooks, she was not shy about showing off the results as she bent over to show off her pert derriere in the tiny bottoms.

Her two sons looked adorable as they wore matching bright blue, green and white board shorts while taking a dip in the ocean.

Family fun: Earlier in the day Kourtney was spotted hitting the beach with Reign and Penelope

Hitting the beach: Her eldest son Mason, six, was also on the outing

Their Baywatch moment: The 37-year-old reality star and her family strolled down the beach while hand-in-hand together

Kicking up dust: Mason certainly seemed to have fun in the sand

Matchy-matchy: Kourtney and Penelope both wore mirrored aviator shades as the sunglasses fell off the youngster's face

Wow factor: Kourtney showed off her body in a white body suit tucked into Daisy Dukes

Penelope was dressed in a blue patterned two-piece featuring a bandeau top as she matched her mother with mirrored aviator shades.

Earlier in the day Kourtney and company were seen shortly after touching down in the Southeastern beach city.

Making waves: The mother walked them to the shoreline as they stared into the Atlantic Ocean

Checking in: Kourtney carried along her youngest while making sure her only daughter felt comfortable by the shoreline

Happy baby: Kourtney made the adorable Reign laugh

Feeling daring? Kourtney wanted to put his feet into the ocean

Making a splash: The eldest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan seemed to enjoy bonding with the youngster

The squats seem to be working: Kourtney showed off her toned legs

Va va voom: She also showed off her pert derriere as she bent over in a pair of Blank NYC shorts

Aww: Reign began crying as Kourtney rushes to console him

Pretty: She wore her raven-coloured locks down as she had natural, complimentary make-up topped off with pink lip

Her two boys: Both Mason and Reign wore matching board shorts

The mother-of-three wore a black patterned bomber jacket by Uzma Bozai over a white top, skinny light blue jeans and all-white Vans Authentic shoes.

She carried along Penelope, who looked adorable in a blue jacket, also by the luxury brand, with her name embroidered across the top, baggy blue trousers and once again matched her mother with the same Vans sneakers.

Kourtney appears to be in much better shape as last week she had posted a Snapchat photo from her bed as she complained that she was feeling 'sick'.

Touching down: Earlier in the day Kourtney and company were spotted shortly after touching down

Relaxed: She wore a white top along with light blue jeans

Girls' Day Out: Penelope was also spotted with her

Adorable: The middle-child had her name embroidered on the back of her Uzma Bozai jacket

Stylish: Kourtney also wore a jacket as she sported a black patterned bomber
They're supermodels from two different generations, representing X and the millennials, respectively.

But age was nothing but a number when Cindy Crawford and Kendall Jenner joined forces on Monday night's Met Gala red carpet.

The Bad Blood video vixen dazzled like a disco ball in a silver-sequinned Balmain dress.

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Supermodels: Age was nothing but a number when Cindy Crawford, 50, and Kendall Jenner, 20, joined forces on Monday night's Met Gala red carpet in Manhattan

'@kendalljenner @gigihadid don't believe the #clickbait!' After Rebecca Romijn reportedly said she hates that 'social media stars are now the supermodels in fashion,' the former model backpedaled on Twitter

Cindy easily defied her 50 years in the glittery, long-sleeved gown, which featured cut-outs on the shoulders.

'Let the glam begin!' the Becoming author captioned a behind-the-scenes snap to her Instagram followers.

'Feeling like a real life Barbie!'

Cindy - born Cynthia - and her memorable mole were contoured and bronzed by make-up artist Jo Baker.

See Kendall Jenner updates as Cindy Crawford takes her under her wing at Met Gala

Balmain army! They're supermodels from two different generations, representing X and the millennials, respectively

Shimmering: The Bad Blood video vixen dazzled like a disco ball in a silver-sequinned Balmain dress

Thank you @olivier_rousteing  heading to the #MetGala in @Balmain.  #BalmainArmy A video posted by Cindy Crawford (@cindycrawford) on May 2, 2016 at 4:20pm PDT

En route to the #METGALA! #CindyCrawford is on her way to the Met Gala with #OlivierRousteing #BALMAINARMY #BalmainNYC A video posted by BALMAIN (@balmain) on May 2, 2016 at 3:54pm PDT

Model looks: Kendall's incredible gown showcased her slender figure to perfection

Best foot forward: Kendall set off her endless legs with a pair of white satin heels

Show of support: Cindy stood side-by-side with young model Kendall as they paraded down the red carpet

And hairstylist Ward Stegerhoek tended to Crawford's sleek brunette tresses, which she wore down for the celebrity/fashion prom aka the annual Costume Institute Gala.

The evening's theme - curated by Anna Wintour and 2016 chair Taylor Swift - is Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology.

All eyes on us: The pair were the centre of attention as they made a joint arrival

'Almost ready!' Cindy easily defied her 50 years in the glittery, long-sleeved gown, which featured cut-outs on the shoulders

The Becoming author captioned a behind-the- scenes snap to her Instagram followers: 'Let the glam begin! Feeling like a real life Barbie!'

Dressing gown: Cindy - born Cynthia - and her memorable mole were contoured and bronzed by make-up artist Jo Baker

Evergreen: And hairstylist Ward Stegerhoek tended to Crawford's sleek brunette tresses, which she wore down for the celebrity/fashion prom aka the annual Costume Institute Gala

The San Benedetto spokesmodel's date for the evening was Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing - who cast her, Claudia Schiffer, and Naomi Campbell in his SS/16 campaign.

20 years ago, the trio were known as the 'Big Six' along with Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista - who famously quipped they didn't 'wake up for less than $10K a day' in a 1990 Vogue interview.

On Sunday, Crawford's husband Rande Gerber shared a midnight snap of the pair indulging in New York pizza.

The Midwestern beauty and the 54-year-old nightlife impresario will celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary on May 29.

The power couple are parents to son Presley, 16, and daughter Kaia, 14.

The evening's theme - curated by Anna Wintour and 2016 chair Taylor Swift - is Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology

Her plus one: The San Benedetto spokesmodel's date for the evening was Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing - who cast her, Claudia Schiffer, and Naomi Campbell in his SS/16 campaign

Retro: 20 years ago, the trio were known as the 'Big Six' along with Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista - who famously quipped they didn't 'wake up for less than $10K a day' in a 1990 Vogue interview

'Nothing better than NY Pizza!' On Sunday, Crawford's husband Rande Gerber shared a midnight snap of the pair indulging in New York pizza
She is one of the best known faces in the Australian fitness industry.

And The Biggest Loser star Michelle Bridges has been filmed confronting a paparazzo after she caught the man trying to take photographs of her and her baby son in a Woolworths.

The celebrity fitness instructor has since filed for an apprehended violence order against Liam Mendes after accusing him of following her through the supermarket in Potts Point, Sydney.

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Feisty: The Biggest Loser star Michelle Bridges has been caught on camera confronting a photographer who was filming her in a Woolworths

In the footage she can be seen demanding that the photographer should stop filming before she appeared to reach out to block the camera on Friday April 22.

She was shopping with her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, their four-month-old son Axel and two other children when they were approached.

'You're breaking the law by taking photographs of people in a shop,' Michelle can be heard saying in the footage.

Wearing a black tracksuit top and with her dark hair tied back, the mother-of-one then said: 'You can cross your arms, you can get upset, but you're actually breaking the law.

Angry: In the footage she can be seen demanding paparazzo Liam Mendes to stop filming her before she appeared to reach out to block the camera

Confrontation: The celebrity fitness instructor, 45, has filed for an apprehended violence order against the photographer after she accused him of following her through the supermarket

The mother-of-one vented her frustration on Twitter, saying: 'I guess it was conveniently forgotten they almost tripped me down a flight of stairs while I was carrying my baby'

'And you're breaking the law by filming me in a shop.'

Mendes responds by denying that he has broken the law.

She has denied claims that she tried to 'hit the camera out of' the photographer's hand, saying: 'Nothing further occurred'.

The mother-of-one vented her frustration on Twitter, saying: 'I guess it was conveniently forgotten they almost tripped me down a flight of stairs while I was carrying my baby.'

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that Mendes was involved in that particular incident.

A representative for Mendes also denied that he was involved.

Police were called and issued the 20-year-old photographer with a move-on direction by police, with which he complied.

A spokesman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia that witnesses tried to intervene after the couple were 'filmed and intimidated' by the photographer.

The celebrity fitness instructor, 45, has filed for an apprehended violence order against the photographer after she accused him of following her through the supermarket, according to reports.

Frustrated: Wearing a black tracksuit top and with her dark hair tied back, she then said: 'You can cross your arms, you can get upset, but you're actually breaking the law'

Argument: A Current Affair reported that days before the incident, the photographer had followed Bridges and her partner, Steve 'Commando' Willis, to dinner

A police spokesman said: 'At 4,10pm on Friday April 22 a 45-year-old woman and 39-year-old man were walking through a supermarket with three children when it is alleged that a photographer commenced filming and intimidating the pair.

'Witnesses went to their assistance and police attended the scene.

'A 20-year-old male was issued with a move on direction and he complied.'

In the video footage, Mendes could initially be heard refusing to stop filming and saying he had not been asked to leave.

A Current Affair reported that days before the incident, the photographer had followed Bridges and her partner to dinner.

Mendes told the program he was 'dumbfounded' at Michelle's reaction.

'There was absolutely nothing different on these two occasions than the other 365 days a year she is photographed, I am dumbfounded,' Mendes said.

It's not the first time the celebrity couple have confronted the paparazzi, experiencing an increase in public interest in the pair when they went public with their relationship in 2013.

In 2015, Willis was caught delivering an expletive-ridden tirade toward a photographer, threatening to 'knock [his] f***ing head off'.

Dispute: She was shopping with her partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, their four-month-old son Axel (pictured) and two other children when they were approached

Outburst: It is not yet know when the confrontation occurred or in which Woolworths branch

'Hey mate, you are a f***ing dick, you had to have the f***ing police called on you and you f***ing had your a*** tackled to the ground by the security,' he was filmed yelling.

A week prior, The Daily Telegraph reported the former special forces infantryman had called the police when photographers had refused to stop taking pictures of him.

'The police were called to Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday after a paparazzo continued to take photos of Steve and his daughter,' confirmed his management to the newspaper at the time.

'Steve assisted the police with their inquiries and left.'
She likes to make an entrance from time to time and indeed the Met Gala was Nicole Kidman's moment to dazzle again.

The 48-year-old Hollywood star turned heads as she sashayed along the red carpet at the annual New York event in a dazzling black sorceress-inspired gown peppered with gems.

And to top off the already elaborate ensemble, the former Practical Magic and Bewitched star, donned a bejewelled and transparent cape as flashbulbs popped during arrivals on Monday.

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Bewitching: Nicole Kidman works her magic in a bejewelled black gown and cape at the Met Gala in New York on Monday

Stopping for baying photographers, the mother-of-two paraded her gown in all its glory as she posed, arms outstretched, on the red carpet.

The plunging dress, featuring stars and moons, offered a glimpse of cleavage, thanks to its panelled bodice.

Nicole wore her hair in braids held together with a slender crown and accessorised with a smattering of rings and a pair of dangling earrings.

Starry: The plunging dress featuring stars and moons offered a glimpse of cleavage

What a show: The actress wowed in the dress that showcased her cleavage

Resplendent: The Australian-born star showcased the dramatic gown on the red carpet

Dazzling: The bejewelled gown offered a glimpse of cleavage

Whoosh! The ornate cape worn over the dress was a sheer delight

As she showed off her best sides, twisting and twirling, her husband country singer Keith Urban looked on adoringly.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is hosted by Taylor Swift as well as Editor of American Vogue Anna Wintour, Idris Elba, and Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple.

Anna took over as chairwoman of the gala in 1999.

Coy: They put on show of affection and one stage the mother of two appeared overcome with shyness

Under her spell: A suited Keith Urban couldn't take his eyes off his wife

The A-listers: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is hosted by Taylor Swift as well as Editor of American Vogue Anna Wintour, Idris Elba, and Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple

Since then, she has been instrumental in transforming a local philanthropic event into a massive event.

It has been called the Oscars of the East Coast. The honorary chairs are the Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld; Miuccia Prada; and Nicolas Ghesquiere, Louis Vuittons artistic director.

All will be in attendance except for Mr. Lagerfeld, who will be in Cuba because the Chanel Cruise show is in Havana the day after the gala, according to the New York Times.

Strong: Keith recently told how Nicole has been his rock over the years and downtimes have thrown them closer as a couple
She often keeps her Instagram followers updated with daily bikini pictures.

And Devin Brugman continued to flaunt her incredibly toned curves as she soaked up the warm summery climes during a low-key day on the beach in Miami, on Monday afternoon.

Accompanied by close pal Natasha Oakley, the brunette stunner was hard to miss while she emerged from the sea in her vibrant blue bikini.

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Bold in blue! Devin Brugman flaunted her incredibly toned curves as she soaked up the warm summery climes during a trip to the beach in Miami, on Monday afternoon

The strapless bandeau and matching pants, no doubt from her Monday Swimwear collection, drew heaps of attention to her ample assets and toned curves.

Her perfect limbs were impressively lean while her trim hips and slender waistline were accentuated thanks to the seriously low-slung design of the skimpy swimwear bottoms.

With her long tresses scraped away from her face and chic shades propped on her nose, the Devins striking complexion was clearly visible, made-up in muted tones appropriate for the idyllic location.

Beach babe: The brunette stunner was hard to miss while she emerged from the sea in her vibrant blue bikini

Not alone: The fashion designer appeared to be in great and relaxed spirits as she wandered the sandy shore alongside her best friend Natasha Oakley

The fashion designer appeared to be in great and relaxed spirits as she wandered the sandy shore alongside her best friend Natasha.

Over the past few days, the two business partners have been making their followers green with envy by posting various snaps from their outings on the beach.

They launched their blog A Bikini A Day in 2012, and have since become some of fashion and digital media's most powerful influencers.

Busty: The strapless bandeau and matching pants, no doubt from the Monday Swimwear collection, drew heaps of attention to Devin's ample assets and toned curves

A beauty: With her long tresses scraped away from her face and chic shades propped on her nose, her striking complexion was clearly visible, made-up in muted tones appropriate for the idyllic location

Leggy: Her perfect limbs were impressively lean while her trim hips and slender waistline were accentuated thanks to the seriously low-slung design of the skimpy swimwear bottoms

Last month, Natasha and Devin unveiled their six-week fitness program, called Body Love, which includes a total of ten workouts with strength and cardio training.

The mantra for the workout program is 'loving your body, and then giving your body love', with a message of embracing one's imperfections.

'Uniqueness is greater than anything, and we guide ourselves with the belief that we are, and everyone else is, beautiful,' they wrote in the description.
She never quite got to enjoy that white dress as The Bride in Kill Bill.

But Uma Thurman knocked em dead on Monday night in a stunning ivory gown at the Met Gala in New York.

The 46-year-old exuded elegance in the trailing dress, with a single thigh-high split.

Here comes the Bride: Uma Thurman exuded elegance in graceful ivory gown at New York's Met Gala on Monday night

The daringly-low back showcased the actress's statuesque frame, with her long blonde tresses pinned up so as not to impede the view.

Her make-up was simple and striking, her only jewelry a pair of large diamond studs.

She carried a glistening pearl-clutch, while Uma's barely-there ankle strap heels bore just a hint of white feather.

Natural beauty: Her make-up was simple and striking, her only jewelry a pair of large diamond studs

On show: The daringly-low back showcased the actress's statuesque frame

Out of the way: Her long blonde tresses were pinned up so as not to impede the view

She tied the whole ensemble up with a magnificent diamond peacock shoulder brooch, while like her outfit was monochrome but no less fabulous for it.

The mother of three also shared a few shots of her 'Met prep' on Instagram, standing topless with her back to the camera in one while she takes a snap out the window.

Another showed a table littered with cellphones while a bottle of personalized Moet sits on ice.

Stunner: The gorgeous trailing dress bore a single with a single thigh-high split

Dazzling: She carried a glistening pearl-clutch, while Uma's barely-there ankle strap heels bore just a hint of white feather

Shake your tail feather: She tied the whole ensemble up with a magnificent diamond peacock shoulder brooch, while like her outfit was monochrome but no less fabulous for it

This year Thurman will return to the big screen for American-British heist comedy film The Brits Are Coming, which will see her reunited with her Pulp Fiction co-star Tim Roth.

They play a con-artist couple who plan a jewelry robbery in LA; the film also stars Sofia Vergara, Maggie Q, Alice Eve, Parker Posey and Stephen Fry.

Uma was spotted in London last week, where she few to celebrate her birthday on Friday, and was seen chatting with a mystery male companion.

Uma's back: The mother of three also shared a few shots of her 'Met prep' on Instagram, standing topless with her back to the camera in one while she takes a snap out the window
Ubiquitous BBC presenter Gary Lineker cried foul over the behaviour of some divorce lawyers last week, claiming that they manipulate their involvement to boost their fees.

The 55-year-old former England striker should, however, have no trouble affording his split from model and actress Danielle Bux, 36.

For I can reveal that Lineker, who announced in January that he was divorcing Danielle, has received almost 1 million after closing down his company All Jazz.

Lineker, who announced in January that he was divorcing Danielle Bux, has received almost 1 million after closing down his company All Jazz

So far, he has been handed 921,000 from the closure of the firm, which he established in 2009 for television programme production activities.

His liquidators say they believe he will receive another 181,145 when the closure is completed, taking his total to more than 1.1 million.

Although Danielle is All Jazzs company secretary, Lineker is the sole shareholder, according to its last annual return, filed at Companies House in 2013.

The couple, who married in 2009, are understood to have agreed a financial settlement and remain on good terms.

Lineker, whose fortune is estimated to be about 20 million, put All Jazz into voluntary liquidation in May 2014.

It is not known how long his marriage to Danielle was on the rocks. His spokesman tells me: We never comment on such matters.

The couple are listed as co-owners of a 2.9 million house in North London, which they bought in 2012. They have a mortgage on it with the Queens bank, Coutts & Co.

The Match Of The Day hosts previous wife was Michelle Cockayne, mother of his four sons. She filed for divorce after 20 years on the grounds of his unreasonable behaviour, with documents submitted to the court claiming his actions in their marriage had caused her stress and anxiety.

Lineker said last week he wanted to see the whole process of divorce settlements simplified to a mathematical equation.

He commented: Generally speaking, its very easy to get married and very difficult to get divorced. And we know that lawyers try to manipulate it to make you spend more money and basically end up hating each other.

War and Peace hunk trades his horse for two wheels

In the recent hit BBC drama War And Peace, James Norton rode into battle on horseback.

But when hes not playing dashing Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, Norton prefers to take a much less elegant mode of transport.

The actor, 30, was spotted riding a scruffy old racing bike near his home in South London. Wrapped up in a navy blue coat, grey scarf, lumberjack-style shirt and toting a bicycle helmet, hes clearly learned that covering up can be the best option.

In the ITV series Grantchester, Norton caused a stir when he stripped down to his tight green shorts.

In the recent hit BBC drama War And Peace, James Norton rode into battle on horseback

Like Lady Mary in Downton Abbey, Lady Carnarvon has been thrown from her horse at Highclere Castle, where the TV series was filmed. A pheasant ran out under her mare, which dived sideways, Fiona says. I exited at some speed straight into a bramble bush. Luckily, Lady C was not badly injured and has since invested in an ingenious piece of safety equipment: I have bought an air jacket which inflates when the lanyard [cord] is detached from the saddle.
She usually showcases her impeccable boho chic style.

But Sienna Miller put on her glad rags as she stepped out to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the annual Met Gala on Monday night.

The 34-year-old actress looked the epitome of glamour as she opted for a golden strapless floor-length gown for the 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology' themed night.

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Golden girl: Sienna Miller, 34, stepped out in a strapless gold dress to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the annual Met Gala on Monday night

Stunning: Framing her perfectly chiseled collarbone were a dangling pair of emerald green earrings, which complimented her sophisticated up do

The blonde beauty sizzled in the glittering number which featured strategically displayed jeweled-toned embellishments throughout.

Pulling in her ample assets was a bow-tie neckline which was ruched slightly at the middle before going on to cling tightly to her perfect figure.

The low neckline also showed off her gleaming decolletage and a slight peek of her ample assets.

Subtle sexiness: The low neckline also showed off her gleaming decolletage and a slight peek of her ample assets

Stars in her eyes: Sienna showed off her famed trio of stars adorned on her shoulder in a dainty tattoo

Framing her perfectly chiseled collarbone were a dangling pair of emerald green earrings, which complemented her sophisticated up do.

Featuring a parting down the centre, her honey blonde fringe framed her natural make-up look.

The stunner took time to show off the dress perfectly, which unveiled a backless element and slight train as she turned.

Keeping accessories to a bare minimum, she clung on to a brown box clutch.

Glamorous: The blonde beauty seemed to take inspiration from an awards trophy, as she sizzled in the sparkly number which featured strategically displayed jewel toned embellishments throughout

Blonde ambition: Featuring a parting down the centre, her honey blonde fringe framed her natural make-up look

It seems like Sienna has been taking a well deserved break after spending the last year re-focusing on her acting career.

She is currently starring in the British dystopian drama High-Rise alongside hunk of the moment Tom Hiddleston.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is hosted by Taylor Swift as well as Editor of American Vogue Anna Wintour, Idris Elba, and Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple.

Ready for her moment: Sienna pauses on the famous steps of the Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Wintour took over as chairwoman of the gala in 1999 and has since transformed the local fundraiser into one of the world's most elite costume parties that ranks as a celeb magnet.

The honorary chairs are the Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld; Miuccia Prada; and Nicolas Ghesquiere, Louis Vuittons artistic director.

Other attendees on the red carpet- which has been called the Oscars of the East Coast- included Taylor Swift, Rita Ora and Idris Elba.

Glittering night: Keeping accessories to a bare minimum, she clung on to a brown box clutch as she posed up a storm

Making an exit: Sienna looked in good spirits as she left her hotel for the Met Gala earlier on Monday evening

A hint of ankle: Sienna lifted her dress to show her slender ankles as she negotiated the NYC streets
She boasts a near-flawless track record when it comes to showcasing her style on the red carpet.

And Naomi Watts remained true to form as she joined a whole host of glamorous stars turning heads at the Met Gala in New York City on Monday evening.

The slender actress, 47, showcased a futuristic Burberry gown for the glamorous event, while accessorising her look with jewel-encrusted drop earrings and matching bracelets.

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All eyes on her: Naomi Watts is a vision of loveliness in a silver gown with floral detailing as she attended the star-studded Met Gala on Monday evening

Her couture frock included floral embroidery and a black belt around her waist accentuated her slender frame.

The Australian star's hair was cur'ed into textured waves, while her makeup was kept fresh and luminous with a generous application of highlighter and mascara.

She completed her metallic outfit with a black evening bag and a blue coat.

The invitation-only event, held at New York's swanky Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, saw flocks of Hollywood A-listers grace the guest list; including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kim Kardashian and Rose Byrne, Poppy Delevingne, Rita Ora and many more.

Dazzler: Naomi added a broach to her stylish look

Reflective fashion: The 47-year-old slipped her frame into a metallic silver gown for the glamorous do, while accessorising her look with jewel encrusted drop earrings

Perfect look: The Australian actress' hair was curled into textured waves, while her makeup was kept fresh and luminous with a generous application of highlighter and a dramatic sweeping of mascara

Capturing the moment: The beauty pouted and posed for the cameraman who vied to capture her stunning outfit on the red carpet

Popping the hip: The beauty showed off her svelte figure as she popped her knee forward

Hours earlier, the King Kong actress took to her social media to post a throwback snap of herself attending the extravagant event in 2005.

Looking flawless in the selfie, Naomi showed off her enviable figure in an off-the-shoulder white frock.

The screen queen was polished to a high standard with her blonde locks scrapped back into a stylish updo, while impeccably-applied make-up intensified her natural beauty.

Piercing accessories: She completed her metallic outfit with a black evening bag and a blue coat

Strutting it: The King Kong actress looked to be in good spirits as smiled at the cameras that vied to capture her best side

Metallic dazzler: The mother-of-two showed off her futuristic outfit which sparkled as the camera bulbs continued to flash

Throwback to 2005#metball #firsttimer Looking forward to tonight's #metgala2016 [sic],' she wrote alongside the photo of herself.

Days earlier, Naomi shared a heart-warming post of her beaming brood huddled up together.

Posing with her beloved children - Alexander, eight, and Samuel, seven - and her equally famous partner, Liev Schreiber, the family recently enjoyted some quality time together.

My tribe #family xxx, the 47-year-old actress simply captioned the candid selfie, which she posted on her Instagram page.

Natural poser: Naomi made the most of her enviable figure as her floor-skimming frock clung to every contour, including her ample assets
She's never been one to shy away from showing off some skin.

And Jessica Hart flaunted her incredible figure in a sheer lace two-piece that showcased her toned tummy as she hit the red carpet at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night.

The 30-year-old Australian model stunned in the plum-coloured ensemble that oozed sophistication with a cheeky twist.

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Lacy lady: Jessica Hart flaunted her incredible figure in a sheer lace two-piece that showcased her toned midsection as she hit the red carpet at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night

Jessica's outfit showcased her slim physique, thanks to the lace crop top that featured a high neck and cap sleeves.

Meanwhile, the floor-length skirt featured the same delicate lace overlay, and the pale slip underneath finished at her thigh and showed off her legs.

Her luscious blonde locks were styled into an extravagant inverted braid that trailed down her back.

A cheeky twist: The 30-year-old Australian model stunned in the plum crop top and floor-length skirt that oozed sophistication and showed off her slim physique

The beauty accessorised her ensemble with a simple black clutch and thin drop earrings paired with a cocktail ring.

For makeup, the Australian model highlighted her striking featured with a contoured cheek paired with shimmering eye shadow around her eyes.

Her look was finished with a natural lipstick in an effort to let her outfit be the standout at the star studded soiree.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit was hosted by Taylor Swift as well as Editor of American Vogue, Anna Wintour, Idris Elba, and Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple.

Simple sophistication: For makeup, the Australian model highlighted her striking featured with a contoured cheek paired with shimmering eye shadow around her eyes and a natural lip

The star-studded Met Gala celebrated the opening of Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology and Jessica wasn't the only Australian to stun on the red carpet.

The beauty was joined by the likes of other Australian stars including Nicole Kidman, accompanied by husband Keith Urban, and Rose Byrne.

Jessica relocated to the US to purse her modelling career and currently lives with her beau, Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos III, in New York's trendy East Village.

The former Victoria's Secret model recently celebrated her 30th birthday in the Bahamas surrounded by her family and friends.
She's regarded as one of fashion's 'It' girls thanks to her unique style and effortless edge.

And Alexa Chung lived up to her reputation as she dazzled in a plunging sequined trouser suit and slicked back hair at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night.

The 32-year-old model oozed laid-back luxury as she teased the cameras with a hint of cleavage in the eye-catching two-piece.

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Sequined stunner: Alexa Chung lived up to her reputation as she dazzled in a plunging sequined trouser suit and slicked back hair at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night

Posed elegantly with a hand on her tiny waist, the fashionista stood out from the crowd in the all black number, which was adorned with countless silver jewels.

And her dainty curves were accentuated by a rope belt that tied the whole ensemble together

Alexa's ankle-grazing trousers revealed enough flesh to perfectly show off her timeless ankle-strap heels.

Dazzling: The 32-year-old model oozed laid-back luxury as she teased the cameras with a hint of cleavage in the eye-catching two-piece

Meanwhile she kept her makeup and hair simple with a sun-kissed glow and tangerine lips, while her shoulder-length brunette locks were swept back off her face in a super sleek style.

She topped off her ensemble with a delicate baby pink manicure to keep full attention on her eye-catching outfit.

Paying close attention to detail, the star stuck to delicate silver jewellery, including a glimmering ring and some simple stud earrings.

Unique style: Alexa's ankle-grazing trousers revealed enough flesh to perfectly show off her timeless ankle-strap heels

And she opted to go handbag free for the event at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute.

Alexa posed with Elle Fanning, Thakoon Panichgul the 'Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology' themed occasion.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is hosted by Taylor Swift as well as Editor of American Vogue Anna Wintour, Idris Elba, and Jonathan Ive, chief design officer of Apple.

Fashionable friends: Alexa was seen to pose with Elle Fanning, Thakoon Panichgul the 'Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology' themed event

Anna took over as chairwoman of the gala in 1999.

Since then, she has been instrumental in transforming a local philanthropic event into a massive event.

It has been called the Oscars of the East Coast. The honorary chairs are the Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld; Miuccia Prada; and Nicolas Ghesquiere, Louis Vuitton's artistic director.

All will be in attendance except for Mr. Lagerfeld, who will be in Cuba because the Chanel Cruise show is in Havana the day after the gala, according to the New York Times.
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Her dramatic gown may have ensured all eyes were on her, but this star only had eyes for one man.

Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego forgot they were surrounded by hundreds of people as they shared a romantic moment on the Met gala red carpet in New York on Monday night.

The 37-year-old Avatar star and her artist beau, also 37, stopped mid-red carpet to share a kiss, with Zoe caressing her husband's bearded face making their smooch that little bit more dramatic.

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Sealed with a kiss: Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego forgot they were surrounded by hundreds of people as they shared a romantic moment on the Met gala red carpet in New York on Monday night

Come here you: The 37-year-old Avatar star and her artist beau, also 37, stopped mid-red carpet to share a kiss, with Zoe caressing her husband's bearded face making their smooch that little bit more dramatic

The star already brought a lot of drama to the event in her absolutely stunning in a Dolce & Gabana gown which made the other couture dresses look mass produced.

She made quite the grand entrance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as her dress featured a multi-coloured feathered skirt with an elongated train.

The very intricate skirt featured feathers in varying colours, mostly green, and a black body-hugging sleeveless top reminiscent of a corset with sheer and lacy detailings.

The top showed off just a bit of her fabulous figure as it had sheer and lacy detailings as she completed the look with a pair of dangling gold earrings.

Style statement: The star already brought a lot of drama to the event in her absolutely stunning in a Dolce & Gabana gown which made the other couture dresses look mass produced

Intricate: The 37-year-old star's elongated skirt featured several multi-coloured feathers on it

What a drag! She demanded plenty of attention in her very long skirt as it dragged along the floor

Zoe had her hair pulled back in an elegant braided ponytail as she had natural, complimentary make-up on her face topped off with brown eyeshadow and shiny lip.

She also had a sweet PDA session with her artist husband Marco Perego as they shared a passionate kiss on the red carpet.

The 37-year-old Italian looked dapper in a black three-piece tuxedo while his long blonde locks were in a ponytail as he carried along her patterned clutch.

Gorgeous: The top of her dress was sleeveless and resembled a corset with black sheer and lace detailings

Raising the bar: Zoe posed on the stairs to show just how long the skirt was

Zoe as not the only one with her skirt dragging along on the red carpet as Jennifer Hudson, Emma Watson, Lupita Nyong'o, Bella Hadid, Allison Williams and Rita Ora all had elongated skirts.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is a high-end, invitation only, black tie fundraiser and the hottest ticket in town.

This year's theme is Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology.

Perfect date: The 37-year-old graciously held on to his actress wife's clutch as they made their way down the carpet

Cuddled up: The Avatar actress and 33-year-old Italian artist looked happy to be at the event together

Her main men: The couple were joined on the carpet by the men behind her stunning gown - Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

Earlier in the day the happy couple were spotted out and about in the Big Apple with their one-year-old twin boys.

Zoe let the cat out of the bag by sharing a sweet Instagram snap of a baby's bottle, a toy car, fruit gums and a glass of champagne in front of their invite on Sunday evening.

She captioned it: 'The night before #metball2016.'

The couple checked into their New York hotel on Saturday evening after jetting in with their one-year-old boys Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio from the Grand Cayman Islands where they enjoyed a family break.

Big night: Earlier in the evening, the pair were spotted leaving their hotel

Big idea: It seemed to be no easy task hopping into their pick-up vehicle with her huge skirt

Good spirits: Zoe flashed a smile as she tried to figure out how to make it into the car

Helping hand: Two male handlers picked up her skirt as she hopped into the ride

On Monday the couple, who are both aged 37, were spotted pushing the boys in a double stroller along 5th Avenue.

It appeared to be a cool day as the whole family was warmly dressed for the outing.

Zoe wore a black overcoat and pulled the top sections of her long hair back from her face as she expertly steered the stroller.

Her italian artist husband smiled as he walked along next to her in a sand-coloured jacket over a black shirt, black skinny jeans and suede boots that matched the hue of his jacket.

Stunning: The skirt with an elongated train was quite the popular look as Emma Watson also sported one

Gorgeous in green: Lupita Nyong'o also wore a dress that dragged on the floor

Fireworks: Katy Perry wore an intricate black and gold number with an elongated train

Stunning in silver: Rita Ora and Allison Williams both wore the same shimmering colour as their dresses were also very long

Dark side: Bella Hadid sported a black dress with an elongated skirt

Wonder in white: Jennifer Hudson also rocked the featured look in a strapless number

Their boys appeared to be identically dressed in black jackets, black and white check trousers and sneakers.

Zoe didn't give any indication what she will be wearing to the Met Ball. She missed out last year because she had nly recently given birth to the twins but she wore a billowing eye-catching gown in 2014.

Meanwhile, the New-Jersey born beauty will be busy with her film career for the foreseeable future with projects lined up until 2022.

She is star of the three biggest franchises: Avatar, Star Trek and Guardians Of The Galaxy.

'The night before #metball2016': The Avatar actress spilled the beans that she will be in attendance at the star-studded gala as she shared this Instagram on Sunday

Zoe will next be on the big screen in Star Trek And Beyond, reprising her role as communications officer Uhura alongside Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock, which is due for release on July 22.

Next up is Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, which she is presently filming, co-starring Chris Pratt. Cameras rolled on the sequel in February and the sci-fi movie is due out May 5, 2017.

Avatar director James Cameron is planning three sequels to his 2009 blockbuster, set for 2018, 2020 and 2022, and Zoe will play blue-skinned Neytiri in all.

On a roll: Zoe and Marco were spotted out on 5th Avenue in New York with their one-year-old twin boys Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio in a double stroller earlier in the day on Monday
It was another year at the Met Gala and another head-turning gown for Kim Kardashian in New York City on Monday.

However this time around, the 35-year-old roped husband Kanye West, 38, into wearing a coordinating outfit.

The couple arrived at the event in matching silver sequined Balmain designs, with Kim showing off her impressive post-baby body less than five months after welcoming son Saint.

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Silver siren: Kim Kardashian urned heads in a skintight silver gown at the Met Gala in New York City on Monday, which had a daring slit up one side

The reality star sported a skintight long-sleeved dress which hugged her famous curves in all the right places and showed off one of her shapely legs thanks to a daring slit up one side.

Kim also sported silver T-strap sandals, a knuckleduster ring and earcrawlers.

She finished off her glamorous look by slicking her dark locks back and adding nude lipstick, pale eyebrows and smoky eye make-up.

Kim said to E! that her two-year-old daughter North West is desperate to have the gown for herself, telling her before she left, 'Mommy I need that dress.'

See Kim Kardashian style as she shows off weight loss at Met Gala in silver gown

The couple that dresses together: The 35-year-old and her husband Kanye West wore matching looks

Passing it down to her daughter: Kim said she will be giving the gown to her two-year-old North after the event

A striking look: Meanwhile Kanye wore pale blue contact lenses along with his dressed down outfit

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star replied to the toddler: 'As soon as I get home it's all yours. You can wear it to prom.'

Meanwhile Kanye certainly went for a memorable look with pale blue contact lenses, and sported a delicately sequined jacket over a white T-shirt and ripped jeans.

'Kanye's look is more downplayed with all the denim,' Kim said of their coordinated outfits. 'He's kind of like a blingy, sexy robot.'

Bottoms up!: The look showed off Kim's incredible post-baby weight loss... and her famous derriere

In fine form: It's hard to believe that Kim gave birth to her second child less than five months ago

All about the accessories: Kim sported a knuckleduster ring, earcrawlers and T-strap heels

The star admitted that even though she thought most guests would go for metallic gowns, she 'still really wanted to do it' and thought Balmain was 'the perfect choice' for her and her husband.

'I'm really excited to have a date night with my husband at the Met Gala,' Kim added.

At one point on the red carpet, Kanye was seen fixing his wife's hairdo to ensure she looked her best for the cameras.

Giving it some leg: As she descended the steps outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kim showed off her legs

Sweet nothings: Kanye whispered in his wife's ear as they posed for photos together

Finishing touches: Kim slicked back her dark locks and wore nude lipstick, pale eyebrows and lashings of smoky eye make-up

The couple later attended the Balmain after party, before Kim shared a Snapchat video in a towel once she was back at her Big Apple apartment.

In the sexy clip, Kim she told her fans: 'Good night guys, thats a wrap. Time to bleach my brows back now.'

This is the fourth year that the mother-of-two has attended the star-studded event hosted by Anna Wintour, which this year saw Taylor Swift act as co-chair.

'I still really wanted to do it': The star admitted she had predicted most of the guests would wear metallic looks

'He's kind of like a blingy, sexy robot': Kim gushed about Kanye's look, which consisted of a sequined jacket over a white T-shirt, ripped jeans and suede boots

He likes what he sees: It's clear that the 38-year-old rapper was a big fan of Kim's sexy outfit for the evening

Kim first attended the Met Gala in 2013 while pregnant with North, and wore a custom floral Givenchy gown by Riccardo Tisci along with matching gloves.

The following year, the star wore Lanvin, while in 2015 she sported a sheer Roberto Cavalli by Peter Dundas creation.

This year marked the first time that Kim's youngest sister Kylie Jenner attended the gala, while Kendall was there for a third time and Kris made her second appearance at the event.

A helping hand: The rapper fixed his wife's hair on the carpet to ensure she looked her best for the cameras

Making sure she is ready for her close-up: Kanye is no stranger to helping Kim with her style

Now let me stand behind you: The famous pair have also perfected their red carpet pose together

While Kylie and Kris both wore sequined Balmain gowns like Kim, model Kendall took a different approach in a cut-out Versace number.

The night before the event on Monday, Kim admitted that she was 'exhausted' after only finishing her spray tan at 2am.

Last week, the star shared her delight with fans as she revealed she was down to 139lbs.

Risking the wrath of Anna Wintour: Despite a 'no selfie' rule, Kim took videos which showed her licking her husband's cheek, and shared the results on Snacphat

Continuing the party: Once the Met Gala had ended, the happy couple headed to the Balmain after party

Delighting her fans: Kim shared a Snapchat video while wearing a towel once she was back at her apartment

'That's a wrap': The mother-of-two said that it was time to 'bleach her brows back' before signing off

Posting a picture of the reading on her weighing scales to Snapchat, she excitedly wrote: 'YOU GUYS!!!! PRE BABY WEIGHT WAS 135!!!!!'

Kim has stuck to the protein rich Atkins diet in order to shed the baby weight, which she also followed after giving birth to North.

The star's is eating 1,800 calories a day, but her Atkins nutritionist told Redbook that her list of 'no-no' foods which she cannot have includes sugar, sweets, white flour, white rice, cakes and crackers.

A family affair: (L-R) Kendall (in Versace), Kylie and Kris Jenner (both wearing Balmain) were also in attendance at the star-studded event

Sheer daring: Kim's Roberto Cavalli outfit for the Met Gala last year left very little to the imagination
She's the businesswoman who built a $13 million PR empire. So it comes as no surprise that Roxy Jacenko enjoys a lavish lifestyle.

The 34-year-old flaunted her enviable lifestyle as she took a helicopter ride to a meeting with Nova 96.9's Fitzy and Wippa.

The blonde entrepreneur shared a photo of herself buckled up in a seat on Tuesday and captioned it: 'To @nova_969 @fitzyandwippa we go! (sic)'

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Flying high: Roxy Jacenko, 34, took a helicopter ride to a lunch meeting with Nova radio's Fitzy and Wippa on Tuesday

Dressing the part for her trip, Roxy wore a pair of aviator sunglasses as she donned the in-flight headphones, which also matched her khaki jacket.

A representative for the Sydney-based radio station told Daily Mail Australia the PR queen was flying into meet the team for lunch.

The mother-of-two is accustomed to enjoying the perks of life, if her designer wardrobe is anything to go by.

Bossy Betty: The tenacious PR queen is the founder of lucrative firm Sweaty Betty and is accustomed to high-end fashion and luxurious perks

The PR queen revealed to OK! magazine she has 12 Hermes Birkin bags - which at $15,000 a pop are worth a combined $180,000 - as well as a swag of designer shoes, clothes and accessories.

'Working in fashion and PR, trends are constantly changing - the only things I really hold on to are my Hermes bags and Chanel jackets,' she told the magazine.

'At the end of every season I do an Instagram sale.'

Earlier this week, Roxy revealed she enjoys working even during her downtime in a video interview with E! Australia's Ksenija Lukich.

No rest for the wicked! Roxy previously revealed her penchant for answering emails in 2014 when she jumped online within an hour of giving birth to her second child Hunter Curtis

'For me doing my emails on my laptop when I get home is like, my thing,' the PR maven said.

'One thing I learned from business is that you can be the one who sits and rests or you can be the one who's always looking to seize the next opportunity', the blonde entrepreneur went on.

'Call me crazy or workaholic or whatever you like. I get off on work. I love it. So my down time is my emails', she added.
Amy Schumer shared her rather unconventional pre-red carpet routine with her social media fans on Monday.

The 34-year-old comedienne posted a video that showed her applying deodorant to her inner thighs with the caption 'No chafe'. She added the hashtag, 'no thigh gap, no problem'.

She later hit the Met Gala red carpet in a rather racy Alexander Wang gown in New York City.

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'No chafe': Amy Schumer applied deodorant to her inner thighs before hitting the red carpet at the Met Gala in New York on Monday

'No thigh gap, no problem': The comedian shared her unconventional routine with fans on social media

She definitely turned heads while arriving in the tangerine-coloured number at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The very sexy number featured triangular cutouts at the cleavage and under the chest which featured a tie-up corset-like detailing.

Amy's racy number was held up by silver chain straps, thigh-high split and a long skirt which dragged across the floor.

See Amy Schumer updates as she is a naughty dream in tangerine in racy gown at Met Gala

Candid: Amy's clip was flooded with comments from fans who revealed that her down to Earth nature was why they 'love' her

Girl problems: One fan commented, 'I know the struggle. Lmao! :D'

Racy: Amy wore an Alexander Wang gown to the star-studded Met Gala in New York City on Monday night

Wow factor: The 34-year-old comedienne showed some skin in an orange number featuring triangular cutouts around the chest with a tie-up corset-like detailing and silver chain straps

Va va voom: She showed off plenty of cleavage

Happy to be there: She waved to a few adoring fans in attendance

Naughty dream in tangerine: She also sported strappy leather studded heels with a matching bag

She matched the look with orange leather strappy studded leather heels with a matching bag.

Her blonde locks were worn down flowing over her shoulders as she wore evening make-up completed with smokey eye make-up.

Amy was not alone on the red carpet as she was joined by the designer of her look: Alexander Wang.

How sweet: At the event Amy jokingly grabbed a trey of doughnut

Met Gala diet over: She even stuck a mini doughnut in her mouth

Having fun: She seeemed to enjoy the gag

Just the two of us: She was joined by her hunky beau Ben Hanisch

Star struck: Amy had a shocked expression on her face as she and her hunky beau walked down the stairs

Snacking: Ben could be seen enjoying one of the Hors d'oeuvres

Loved up: The couple have been practically inserable

The 32-year-old American fashion designer sported an all black look including suit, dress shirt and suede Chelsea boots.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is a high-end, invitation only, black tie fundraiser and the hottest ticket in town.

This year's theme is Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology.

Just the two of us: The Trainwreck star was joined by the designer of her look: Alexander Wang

Dynamic duo: The Inside Amy Schumer star even took to Instagram to share this picture of herself posed with the 32-year-old fashion designer

The outing came just after what she described on social media as a 'scary' confrontation with a male fan in Greenville, South Carolina on Saturday.

The comedienne and actress posted a photo on her Instagram of the man smiling and giving a thumbs up.

But alongside it she wrote: 'This guy in front of his family just ran up next to me scared the s**t out of me. Put a camera in my face. I asked him to stop and he said " no it's America and we paid for you"(sic).'

Striking: She shared this photo of her striking a pose on the red carpet

Funnywomen: Amy hung out with Mindy Kaling as the Mindy Project actress posted this photo

Getting cosy: She posted this photo with legendary rapper Nas and the cheeky caption 'new couple alert'

Amy, who had done a show Friday night in the city, went on: 'I was saying stop and no. Great message to your kid. Yes legally you are allowed to take a picture of me. But I was asking you to stop and saying no.'

She then threatened: 'I will not take picture(sic) with people anymore and it's because of this dude in Greenville.'

However, later in the day, after she had calmed down, she backtracked somewhat and told her fans she'd 'still take pictures with nice people.'

Bad encounter: The outing came just days after Amy described on social media as a 'scary' confrontation with a male fan in Greenville, South Carolina. She shared this photo she took of the fan on her official Instagram

Fazed: The comedienne, 34, who was in Greenville for a show Friday night, was clearly left shaken and vowed never to let fans take photos of her in public again
Sofia Vergara and her Modern Family co-star Ariel Winter both put on a busty display at Fox Studios in Los Angeles on Monday.

Stylist duo Jill Lincoln + Jordan Johnson dressed the Colombian 43-year-old in a gold collar, strapless magenta pencil dress, and nude pumps.

'I've got the boobs of a stripper,' the four-time Golden Globe nominee - who plays Gloria Delgado-Pritchett - told The Edit in February.

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Amply-charmed pair: Sofia Vergara and her Modern Family co-star Ariel Winter both put on a busty display at Fox Studios in Los Angeles on Monday

'They're a 32DDD and, because they're real, they're everywhere. So I need my dresses to have structure, and under armor. There is so much going on under my dresses that I bleed at the end of award ceremonies.'

Stylist Taylor Jacobson dressed 18-year-old Ariel in a plunging, long-sleeved LBD and studded stilettos.

The frock was so skimpy the tape holding the legally-emancipated redhead's surgically-reduced 34D chest could be seen.

'I have felt more happy with myself than I ever have,' Winter - who plays Alex Dunphy - told Glamour in August.

Pretty in pink: Stylist duo Jill Lincoln + Jordan Johnson dressed the Colombian 43-year-old in a gold collar, strapless magenta pencil dress, and nude pumps

Look back at it: The four-time Golden Globe nominee - who plays Gloria Delgado-Pritchett - told The Edit in February: 'I've got the boobs of a stripper. They're a 32DDD and, because they're real, they're everywhere'

Hot stuff: The actress dazzled onlookers with her stunning smile while she accesorised with an on trend gold chocker

'I have felt more happy with myself than I ever have': Stylist Taylor Jacobson dressed 18-year-old Ariel in a plunging, long-sleeved LBD and studded stilettos

'Now I can wear all styles of dresses and all styles of things!' The frock was so skimpy the tape holding the legally-emancipated redhead's surgically-reduced 34D chest could be seen

'I just think this is inappropriate': Unsurprisingly, Ariel's estranged mother Crystal Workman - who hasn't seen her in three years - does not approve of her constant low-cut attire

Feeling her look: Ariel was clearly feeling comfortable in her sexy outfit as she posed up a storm

Well-heeled: Ariel completed her look with studded black heels which featured a bow design

'Now I can wear all styles of dresses and all styles of things! I don't always have to pick the tightest, most formfitting dress I can find.'

Unsurprisingly, Ariel's estranged mother Crystal Workman - who hasn't seen her in three years - does not approve of her constant low-cut attire.

'I'm sorry, I just think this is inappropriate,' Workman told Inside Edition this week.

'She should never be embarrassed of her scars but she shouldn't be flaunting them.'

Baltimore-born blonde: Vergara and Winter were joined at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences event by their castmate Julie Bowen, who plays Claire Dunphy

Skinny Minnie! Stylist Tara Swennen put the 46-year-old Emmy winner in a sleeveless, red floral embroidered frock and peep-toe pumps

Dressed down: Julie's onscreen husband Ty Burrell, who plays Phil, sported stubble in a cosy beige cardigan

No razors around? Sofia's onscreen husband Ed O'Neill - who plays Jay - also sported stubble with jeans, as was Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cameron Tucker

Vergara and Winter were joined at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences event by their castmate Julie Bowen, who plays Claire Dunphy.

Stylist Tara Swennen put the 46-year-old Emmy winner in a sleeveless, red floral embroidered frock and peep-toe pumps.

Julie's onscreen husband Ty Burrell, who plays Phil, sported stubble in a cosy beige cardigan.

Sofia's onscreen husband Ed O'Neill - who plays Jay - also sported stubble with jeans, as was Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cameron Tucker.

Lily Tucker-Pritchett! Eight-year-old Aubrey Anderson-Emmons looked cute in a blue-striped Boden dress with a plaited hairdo courtesy of Tara Shakespeare

Off we go for an evening with the #ModernFamily fam #aubreyandersonemmons Dress by @boden_clothing #miniboden Hair by @tarashakespearemakeup A photo posted by Amy Anderson (@theamyanderson) on May 2, 2016 at 5:56pm PDT

Luke and Manny! Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez - both 17 - rocked dapper blazers with casual denim

The Texas-born funnyman wrote on Instagram: 'The three amigos are back at it again, but this time at the #atas Modern Family panel!! Had such a fun night!'

Hey there: The stars were happy to pose with fans like engaged couple Steve Boyadzhyan and Lucin Kalayjian at the after party

Eight-year-old Aubrey Anderson-Emmons looked cute in a blue-striped Boden dress with a plaited hairdo courtesy of Tara Shakespeare.

Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez - both 17 - rocked dapper blazers with casual denim.

'The three amigos are back at it again, but this time at the #atas Modern Family panel!! Had such a fun night!' the Texas-born funnyman wrote on Instagram.

The four-time SAG Award winning ensemble participated in a panel alongside their co-creator Steven Levitan as well as executive producers Danny Zuker, Abraham Higginbotham, and Jeffrey Richman.

Catch more of the Modern Family gang on the seventh season of their mockumentary sitcom, which resumes Wednesday on ABC.

Q&A: The four-time SAG Award winning ensemble participated in a panel alongside their co-creator Steven Levitan as well as executive producers Danny Zuker, Abraham Higginbotham, and Jeffrey Richman
They played the girls next door on Dawson's Creek.

But almost two decades on, life certainly is rather more glamorous for former co-stars Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams.

Both actress attended the Met Gala in New York on Monday night.

Katie, 37, wore a blue gown by Zac Posen along with straight long hair that featured a dramatic centre part.

Blue belles: Former Dawson's Creek co-stars Katie Holmes and MIchelle Williams attended the Met Gala in New York on Monday

Meanwhile, Michelle, 35, rocked a blonde bob with bangs along with an edgy Louis Vuitton frock by Nicolas Ghesquiere.

It's unclear if the pair enjoyed a catch up once inside but Katie has previously ruled out the chance of a reunion on screen.

She said earlier this year that it would be difficult to recapture the elements which made it such a success.

Elegant: The actress wore a blue gown by Zac Posen along with straight long hair that featured a dramatic centre part

Cool: Michelle rocked a blonde bob with bangs along with an edgy Louis Vuitton frock by Nicolas Ghesquiere

Katie, who played Joey Potter, told Today: 'When I look back at the show, it had a certain charm. It was before the Internet really took over, it was before iPhones, it was before this kind of new form of communication, and it had this certain feeling that was of the Nineties. I don't think that in today's world, you could achieve that same kind of feeling.'

Joshua Jackson, who played her boyfriend Pacey Witter in the TV series, was also recently asked about his thoughts on a reunion.

He said: 'Well, that depends, [our show creator] Kevin Williamson would have to ask. People always forget that Michelle Williams' Jen character was killed off, so they really need to figure out a way around that.

'I guess she could come back as a ghost, or they could do it like Dallas did and have someone wake up and find her alive in the shower 20 years later. That could work!'

James Van Der Beek played the title role in the hit show, which ran from 1998 to 2003.
As a model she's no stranger to showing off a versatile style in countless different looks.

And on Tuesday Lara Worthington, nee Bingle, demonstrated exactly how to pull off a tricky trend nailing androgynous chic in a smart navy suit.

Lara, 28, teamed the two piece with a cropped white top and a pair of strappy heels, adding feminine elements to the masculine style.

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Nail it: Lara Bingle showed off her chic style in an androgynous look in Sydney on Tuesday

The blonde beauty held a black purse under one arm and an iPhone in her hand as she chatted to a friend on the street in Sydney's Paddington.

Lara met up with a friend after appearing on morning television where she opened up about family life.

The model, who has son Rocket Zot with husband Sam Worthington, has said that she wants more children.

In good spirits: The mother-of-one was seen smiling at her friend as they chatted in the street

Read for more! Earlier in the day Lara has revealed that she wants more children

Appearing on Today Extra on Tuesday morning Lara confessed to Sonia Kruger: 'I would love to have more children, definitely.'

The blonde beauty also opened about life with her son.

She explained: 'He does a little bit but you can't really make out it (sic), but he walked very early at 10-months so he's almost running now.

Concentration: Lara and her friend were seen having an animated chat in Paddington, Sydney

Having a natter: The pair enjoyed a catch up together as they waited for a car

Hes an Aries baby so he's quite strong so when he doesn't want to eat something he doesn't want to eat it.

But Sam's very headstrong as well, he's a Leo, so I've got two.
They hardly spend a moment apart.

And it was no different on Monday afternoon when fashion bloggers Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman were spotted sharing a cuddle during a visit to Miami Beach, Florida.

Making their way up the pristine sands, the busty babes flaunted their washboard abs and sculptured legs in their itty-bitty costumes.

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Beach babes! Bloggers Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman flaunted their washboard abs in itty-bitty swimwear during a trip to Miami Beach on Monday

Seemingly make-up free for the casual occasion, Natasha partially covered her face with a pair of rounded sunglasses, leaving her blonde locks to fall around her shoulders.

The 25-year-old flaunted her enviable curves in a black strappy swimsuit which boasted a peek-a-boo cut-out on either side and she teamed it with a multi-coloured sarong and thongs.

The tie-up swimsuit, most likely from the duos Monday Swimsuit collection, revealed a generous glimpse of her cleavage while showing off her toned figure, which is all thanks to her vigorous gym routine.

Sun protection: Natasha partially covered her face with a pair of round sunglasses, leaving her blonde locks to fall around her shoulders

Fashionable attire: The 25-year-old flaunted her enviable curves in a black strappy swimsuit which boasted a peek-a-boo cut out on either side teamed with a multi-coloured sarong and thongs

Natashas tanned skin glistened in the sunlight as she gossiped with her bestie Devin along a row of sunbeds.

The Sydney native completed her day at the beach look with gold bracelets, while clutching her phone closely.

Meanwhile Devin made sure to show off her curves in a blue boob tube bikini paired with a white button-up shirt which she left open to reveal her taut tummy and more than ample bust to passers-by.

Strutting it: Devin made sure to show off her curves in a blue boob tube bikini paired with an a white button-up shirt, which she left open to reveal her taut tummy and more than ample bust to passers-by

She also covered her lithe pins with a pair of micro-denim shorts.

Like Natasha, the bronzed brunette shaded her face with a pair of rounded glasses and carried her phone in her hand - perhaps ready to capture any shots to keep their legion of Instagram followers updated on their movements.

Devin styled her luscious locks in a half-down hairstyle, while shunning makeup to let her natural beauty shine through.

She completed her look with a yellow bag with tassels which she slung over one shoulder.

All smiles: Devin completed her look with a yellow bag with tassels which she slung over one shoulder

Soaking up the waves: The two Instagram stars made sure to show off their curves as they relaxed in the shallows

The duos return to the US comes just days after Natasha was announced as the front cover star for Cosmopolitan magazine.

Shrouded in gold, the swimsuit model flaunts her cleavage in a tight-fit snakeskin dress with spaghetti straps on the cover of the June edition.

Her glorious golden locks are lightly curled to have a tousled look to enhance her smoldering looks.

The A Bikini A Day blogger sported smoky eye shadow to enhance her big blue eyes, while her chiselled chic bones received enhancement from a dusting of pink powder.

A light gloss is dabbed onto her plump lips, which she purses in the snap.
She was recently chosen as the face of Tommy Hilfiger's latest campaign.

So it would only make sense that Hailey Baldwin would don the designer's fashion as she attended the Met Gala in New York City on Monday.

The 19-year-old model showcased her long bronzed stems in a shimmering black and silver sequinned backless gown from the line.

Glitzy gams! Hailey Baldwin, 19, showcased her long bronzed stems in a shimmering gown at the Met Gala in New York City on Monday

'Thank you @tommyhilfiger for putting together this amazing dress,' Hailey captioned an Instagram snapshot she shared in the dazzling number.

The daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin showed off her slender physique in the form-fitting gown which included a thigh high slit.

She paired the long-sleeved frock with black lace-up platform stilettos to add extra height to her statuesque frame.

Her own best advert! As the latest face of the Tommy Hilfiger campaign, Hailey donned a stunning gown by the designer fashion label

Flawless! The daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin showed off her slender physique in the form-fitting gown which included a thigh high slit

Her signature blonde locks were slicked back into a high chic ponytail as to not draw eyes away from the sparkling frock.

Highlighting her natural beauty, the best friend of Jenner sisters Kendall, 20, and Kylie,18, opted for neutral make-up with just a touch of pink gloss and smokey eye.

Hailey took to Snapchat with each reality sibling and posted a video with the famous girls - power posing with Kylie and sharing a smooch with Kendall.

Supermodel smooches! Hailey and BFF Kendall Jenner, 20, shared a quick kiss at the star-studded affair

Plumped pouts! Baldwin and Kendall's younger sister Kylie Jenner, 18, power posed in a short video on Snapchat

She also shared an Instagram snapshot with her 5.5 million followers of herself surrounded by world famous supermodels.

'MetBall w the most beautiful,' Baldwin wrote of the photo with Joan Smalls, 27, Doutzen Kroes, 31, and British beauty Jourdan Dunn, 25.

This year's theme of the ball - which is held every first Monday in May - is 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.

Alongside Taylor Swift, the Gala will also be hosted by Anna Wintour, and cochairs Idris Elba and Jonathan Ive.
They are constantly plagued with rumours they have split up.

But Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk silenced the nay-sayers as they attended the Costume Institute Gala 2016 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Monday night.

Although the visually striking pair arrived separately, they later met up away from the flashing bulbs of the cameras to indulge in a sweet, secret display of affection, holding hands in a moment of solitude.

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Stealing secret moments? Irina Shayk and Bradley Cooper appeared to enjoy a moment away from it all, as they held hands out of the spotlight while at the Met Gala 2016 in New York on Monday night

The 30-year-old model seemed distracted as she and her Hollywood beau clutched their hands together while they both looked on at the A-list fashion happenings going on around them.

Handsome Bradley, 41, looked oh-so proud to be attending the fashion world's most prestigious event with his lady, although fans will have been wondering why they didn't pose on the red carpet together.

Irina certainly had plenty on display in a sheer blue American flag themed dress as she stalked the crimson runway at the event.

Sweet: Irina and Bradley may not have posed on the red carpet together, but they did their bit to silence the rumours about their relationship away from the flashing bulbs

On/off again? Bradley and Irina arrived separately earlier in the evening, as the Russian model did her bit to steal the limelight in her racy lilac dress

PDA: The couple, who have been together for around a year, showed they are still going strong

The plunging neckline showcased the Russian beauty's enviable cleavage, while the barely-there material of the skirt gave an unrestricted look at her tiny lacy white underwear.

She also made sure to show off her gorgeous long legs as she jutted them out while posing, her silky stems made to look even more willowy with a pair of pearl white peep-toe heels.

The brunette beauty wore her hair twisted back into a seriously chic updo, and she also seemed to have opted for a more pared-back make-up look.

Showcased: The 30-year-old model had plenty on display in a sheer blue American flag themed dress

Dare to bare: The barely-there material of the skirt gave an unrestricted look at her tiny lacy white underwear

On show: The plunging neckline showcased the Russian beauty's enviable cleavage

Fans looking for hints at her relationship status may have taken a clue from the inverted stars and stripes - internationally recognised as a signal of distress - but it seems that was just smoke without fire.

Even without her squeeze by her side at all times, Irina was having plenty of fun on the red carpet, comparing posteriors with fellow model Karlie Kloss and giving her American rival a friendly pat on the bum.

Bradley meanwhile, when he did turn up, managed to stand out even in a field full of cookie-cutter tuxedos.

The Hangover actor arrived looking razor sharp in a tailcoat, white waistcoat and bow tie, with rough stubble and hair slicked back.

Instead of his girlfriend on his arm, the four-time Oscar-nominee was pictured with director David O Russell.

Got it, flaunt it: The stunner wasn't shy about showing off, nor had she any reason to be

In trouble? Fans looking for hints at her relationship status may have taken a clue from the inverted stars and stripes - internationally recognised as a signal of distress

Who needs boys: Even without her squeeze Irina was having plenty of fun on the red carpet, comparing posteriors with fellow model Karlie Kloss

Sizing up the competition: She gave her American rival a friendly pat on the bum

The duo have now worked on three films together: Silver Linings Playbook, Joy and American Hustle.

Cooper, who was married to actress Jennifer Esposito for less than a year in 2006, has previously dated Renee Zellweger, Zoe Saldana and Suki Waterhouse for two years each.

He started started dating Shayk in April last year, with the most recent split rumour coming at the end of January when it was reported she had fallen out with his mother.

Solo: Irina was spotted leaving her hotel alone earlier in the evening too

One year on: She and Bradley started dating in April last year, with the most recent split rumour coming at the end of January when it was reported she had fallen out with his mother
Hollywood A-listers may have put on a stunning display in their designer frocks as they attended the extravagant Met Ball in New York on Monday.

But it was Shanina Shaik who stole the limelight in a revealing sheer frock at the Balmain and Olivier Rousteing Met Ball after party later on that evening.

Daring to bare all, the Australian-born beauty showed off her enviable figure in all its glory in the see-through gown which boasted a frilly neckline and layers of translucent material.

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Flaunting it: Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik went braless in a risque sheer dress as she attended the Balmain and Olivier Rousteing Met Ball after party in New York on Monday night

The dress was in fact so sheer, Shanina exposed her bare chest in the attire that was held together by a simple black belt.

Meanwhile, the statuesque star's legs were on show, with the Victoria's Secret stunner opting to wear a pair of full high-waisted black briefs under the racy frock.

Not wishing to draw attention away from the gown, the fashionista kept her look largely uncluttered - accessorising with a jewel encrusted necklace and a drop earring on one side.

However, the slender beauty made a slight exception to the rule with a pair of silver strappy heels which added a pop of colour to the gutsy ensemble.

Daring to bare: Shanina exposed her bare chest in the attire that was held together by a simple black belt

Keeping it simple: Not wishing to draw attention away from the gown, the fashionista kept her look largely uncluttered - accessorising with a jewel encrusted necklace and drop earrings

She also made sure to flaunt her diamond engagement ring from her fiance DJ Ruckus for the cameramen who vied to capture her every move ahead of the star-studded bash.

The beauty queen was polished to a high standard with her raven locks scrapped back into a ponytail, while impeccably-applied make-up intensified her natural beauty.

Days earlier, Shanina - who is of Australian, Lithuanian, Pakistani and Saudi Arabian descent -showed off her enviable figure on the front cover of Emirates Woman magazine.

Speaking about her upbringing and her illustrious career, she told the publication: 'I was born and raised Muslim and I lived a very normal lifestyle,' the beauty, whose father is of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian descent, says.

Natural poser: The beauty queen was polished to a high standard with her raven locks scrapped back into a ponytail, while impeccably-applied make-up intensified her natural beauty

Spotted: She also made sure to flaunt her diamond engagement ring from her fiance DJ Ruckus for the cameramen who vied to capture her every move ahead of the star-studded bash

Coming through: The striking star looked nothing short of glamorous in her stunning attire

Not alone: She was joined by her handsome beau DJ Ruckus on the night

'My father is very open to my job and understanding and he is very grateful for the woman I have become.

'Im a very sophisticated and respectful woman. I had a great upbringing and a great lifestyle with my sibling.'

The Victoria's Secret model and her younger brother Shah were raised by mother Kim in suburban Melbourne.

She has previously spoken out about being bullied during her teenage years due to her mixed ethnicity.

The brunette beauty shot to fame after finishing as runner-up in 2008 on Australian reality television show Make Me A Supermodel.

She subsequently scored a breakthrough when she walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011, and has been strutting the runway for the luxurious lingerie line ever since.
They are the sister act that are always welcome at a Full House.

And Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen certainly proved worthy additions to the Met Gala after wearing distinctly different ensembles to the event in New York on Monday.

While futuristic metallic designs were very much du jour at the star-studded event, the dynamic duo managed to stand out from the crowd in complimenting black and gold outfits.

Black and gold: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen went for a dramatically different look from the crowd at the Met gala on Monday

Their fellow attendees would surely have thought they were seeing double when they saw the 29-year-old identical twins tottering down the red carpet.

But thankfully their outfits were helpfully distinct, with Mary-Kate opting for golden jacket, which boasted impressively intricate green detailing, and a tan-coloured dress.

Her counterpart meanwhile went for a darker look, and was dressed head to toe in black.

The pair have certainly had an eventful few months, with Mary-Kate is a bride of four months after getting hitched to 46-year-old banker Olivier Sarkozy.

Golden girl: Mary-Kate was looking in fine form indeed in her bohemian jacket

Distracted: The dynamic duo seemed to be looking at something in the distance

Black beauty: Ashley's dark clothing really drew attention to her delicate elven features

The couple tied the knot in an intimate private ceremony in front of 50 guests in Manhattan on November 27.

The twins declined to take part in Fuller House, the Netflix reboot of ABC's hit family show Full House, which ran from 1987 to 1995, due to their busy careers as designers.

Fuller House began streaming on February 26 and reunited the cast of the original hit - including Candace Cameron Bure, John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Jodie Sweetin and Bob Saget.

Wonder what they are chatting about: The twins seemed to be whispering in each other's ears

Red alert: Perhaps they were debating whether they should have went for a more flamboyant look like Amy Schumer

The only ones missing were the twins, who played sassy toddler Michelle Tanner.

The show's writers explained Michelle's absence by saying she's 'too busy' building her fashion career in New York - a sly nod to the twins' four brands, Row, Elizabeth & James, Olsenboye and StyleMint.

Ashley and Mary-Kate have both given up acting to focus on their fashion lines, but their little sister Elizabeth Olsen continues to make waves in Hollywood and will reprise her role as Scarlet Witch in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War.
Sheridan Smith shrugged off any controversy following her alleged 'stage meltdown' last week as she left London's Savoy Theatre on Monday.

The actress gave photographers a thumbs up as she attempted to quash reports she was struggling to cope with the pressure of starring in Funny Girl.

The 34-year-old flashed a showbiz smile as she jumped into a waiting taxi following her evening performance as Fanny Price.

The show must go on: Sheridan Smith gives a thumbs up as she jumps into a taxi following Monday night's performance of Funny Girl at The Savoy Theatre

Sheridan's latest appearance came after widespread reports in the past few days suggesting her alleged behaviour was the reason behind the cancellation of Thursday's show.

The performance was cancelled just 15 minutes in following a 40 minute delay, with theatre bosses blaming technical difficulties.

However, a production source told the Mail there had 'a lot of fear and terrible upset. The cast have been told to keep their mouths shut and support Sheridan'.

No problem: The 34-year-old shrugged off any controversy following her alleged 'stage meltdown' last week

Sheridan's latest appearance came after widespread reports in the past few days suggesting her alleged behaviour was the reason behind the cancellation of Thursday's show

Audience member Abigail Richter told one newspaper: It was an unbelievable disaster. Sheridan was all over the place. At one point, she was standing centre stage and her leg went from underneath her.

She started in a Bronx accent but slipped into Irish. Then there was a dance scene where at one point she grabbed the dancers groins. She walked off and they literally just dropped the curtains.

Another who was there wrote online: I dont mean to sound nasty at all, but the show was really uncomfortable viewing from the start. Sheridan was slurring her words and forgetting her lines.

Despite reports, the theatre and Sheridan have issued vehement denials, with the actress' spokesperson saying: 'I have spoken to my client and this is categorically not true.'

Strike a pose: Sheridan posed for photos with fans after heading out of the stage door

The performance was cancelled just 15 minutes in following a 40 minute delay, with theatre bosses blaming technical difficulties

Sheridan has been in the role since December when the production originally opened in the smaller Menier Chocolate Factory in Borough, before moving to the West End last month.

Joining Sheridan (Fanny Brice) in the musical is Darius Campbell (Nick Arnstein), Marilyn Cutts (Mrs Brice), Valda Aviks (Mrs. OMalley), Gay Soper (Mrs Strakosh), Natasha J Barnes (Emma/Mrs Meeker), Maurice Lane (Mr. Keeney), Bruce Montague (Ziegfeld), Joel Montague (Eddie).

Sheridan won raves reviews when the show opened, having followed in the footsteps of singing legend Barbra Streisand, who played Fanny in the 1964 Broadway production and the 1968 movie.

In March, Sheridan pulled out of one the shows after finding out her beloved father Colin had been diagnosed with cancer.

Rave reviews: Critics have praised Sheridan's performance in the role of Fanny Brice

Speaking about the role last year, she said: 'It's a dream role. I'd have kicked myself for the rest of my life had I not done it.'

Sheridan admitted she would love the chance to take the show to Broadway, but thought she would have a tough gig going up against American actresses for the role.

She told the BBC: 'I would love to, that's my dream. But would they take a Lincolnshire girl to do a New York-Brooklyn girl?
They waved goodbye to the UK for a life in Hollywood last year.

And James Corden and his wife Julia Carey looked every inch the golden couple as they attended the glamorous Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit in New York City on Monday night.

The Late Late Show host, 37, looked dapper in a classic suit while Julia was in keeping with the overall metallic palette in a glitzy silver gown.

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Glitz and glamour: James Corden and Julia Carey looked every inch the golden couple as they arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit in New York City on Monday night

The mother-of-two - who raises son Max, five, and daughter Carey, 19 months, with James - donned a plunging number with a seductive side split.

The elegant eveningwear was embellished with light reflective metal panels, ensuring all eyes were on her as she made her way down the red carpet.

Julia completed her ensemble with strappy silver stilettos and carried a rectangular clutch bag.

Hot metal: The mother-of-two - who raises son Max, five, and daughter Carey, 19 months, with James - donned a plunging number with a seductive side split

She wore her ash blonde locks coiffed in an elegant updo complete with sweeping side fringe, setting off her hairdo with expensive diamond earrings.

James placed a protective arm around his wife's waist as they made their grand entrance side-by-side.

The pair - who married in 2012 made the successful transatlantic shift in 2014 where James has rapidly expanded his circle of celebrity friends.

Fashion in an Age of Technology: Julia wasn't the only star to embrace metallics as the likes of Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift opted for eye-catching silver dresses to match the futuristic theme

All change: Following the gala, the pair changed out of their tuxedo and gown for more comfortable ensembles as they attended one of the after-parties at The Standard High Line

As one of the most star-studded nights in the fashion calendar, the annual Met Gala attracts a wealth of big names from both sides of the Atlantic.

The theme for this year's star-studded bash was Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.

This year's event saw the likes of Kanye West, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Beyonce in attendance.

Julia wasn't the only star to embrace metallics as the likes of Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift opted for eye-catching silver dresses to match the futuristic theme.
She announced her return to television earlier this week, moving from Summer Bay to Ramsay Street.

And now Jodi Anasta has spent her first day on the set of Neighbours, cuddling up to her new co-stars Olympia Valance and Emma Lane.

Sharing a snap to Instagram, the 31-year-old is pictured laughing with the two other stars of the show, as the trio wear heavy jackets and robes to beat the chilly Melbourne temperatures.

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No first day nerves! Jodi Anasta (L) has taken to social media enjoying a break in filming with new Neighbours co-stars Olympia Valance (C) and Emma Lane (R)

The beauties look to be enjoying themselves as they take a break filming with Jodi expressing her excitement wrting, '@neighbourstv with these two hotties!!

'Too many laughs while working @olympiavalance @emmavictorialane.'

And it would seem the ladies have formed a strong bond early, with Olympia also taking to the social media platform to share a goofy picture.

The 23-year-old sit in the middle of the other two actresses, pulling an amusing face while Emma and Jodi laugh at her expense.

'Best job in the world': 23-year-old Olympia also took to Instagram sharing a picture of the beauties enjoying a giggle as they rug up against the cooler Melbourne temperatures

'I work with goddess's (sic) @jodigordon @emmavictorialane! Best job in the world,' Olympia captioned the shot.

While Jodi rose to fame on rival drama Home and Away playing Martha MacKenzie, the mother-of-one announced she would be returned to screen this year playing English schoolteacher Elly Conway - the unpredictable niece of Susan and Karl Kennedy.

'As an actor in Australia, I am thrilled to be working,' Jodi told The Daily Telegraph as she revealed her new role.

Triple threat: The beauties look to be enjoying themselves as they take a break filming with Jodi expressing her excitement wrting, '@neighbourstv with these two hotties!!

'The biggest hurdle for me right now is 'will my brain fit all these scripts in and will I deliver?'

Talking about her character, the estranged wife of NRL star Braith Anasta said: 'She is a little bit wild and has an unconventional way of teaching so all these great layers of naughtiness but with a heart of gold.'

It is believed that the popular actress has signed a three-year contract with the TV drama.

New role: The mother-of-one announced she would be returned to screen this year playing English schoolteacher Elly Conway - the unpredictable niece of Susan and Karl Kennedy

Leaving the bay: The 31-year-old Jodi rose to fame on rival drama Home and Away playing Martha MacKenzie
She ruled the red carpet in a striking ivory gown earlier in the evening.

But Rosie Huntington-Whiteley well and truly let her hair down as she switched into second sexy look after the 2016 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit in New York City on Monday night.

Heading to an afterparty at The Standard High Line hotel's Boom Boom Room rooftop bar with her doting fiance Jason Statham, 48, the 29-year-old bombshell looked incredible as she put her supermodel stems on display in a simple white minidress.

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Pins on parade: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley well and truly let her hair down as she switched into second sexy look after the 2016 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit in New York City on Monday night

The Transformers star added further height to her statuesque frame with a pair of towering silver stiletto heels and kept her blonde locks slicked back from her face in a chic bun.

British actor Jason looked dapper in his tuxedo, rocking the same look he had worn at the Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology-themed event earlier in the evening.

Posing together on the red carpet at the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art at the main event, Rosie oozed opulence in a one-shoulder white gown with a daring thigh-split as she was joined by her fiance.

So much leg: There was barely an inch of Rosie's legs that wasn't on show

Leggy lady: Heading to an afterparty at The Standard High Line hotel's Boom Boom Room rooftop bar with her doting fiance Jason Statham, 48, the 29-year-old bombshell looked incredible in a simple white minidress

She's got the body for it: Rosie's dress was a tricky piece for many to wear, but she pulled it off with aplomb

Hold on: Jason seemed loathed to let go of his gorgeous fiancee's hand

The Burberry model was the epitome of class in the ivory creation, which revealed a tantalizing amount of toned and tanned leg, thanks to a daring thigh-split.

Draping over her ample cleavage thanks to the one-shoulder detail, the gown featured an asymmetric Grecian-inspired pleated panel that cascaded to the floor in a show of pure drama.

The blonde stunner boasted a deep all-over tan that served to highlight her striking model features, which she accentuated with some clever contouring and a dusky taupe lipstick.

Stunning in white: Rosie oozed opulence in a one-shoulder white gown with a daring thigh-split as she cuddled up to Jason on the Met Gala red carpet earlier in the evening

Old Hollywood glamour: The statuesque supermodel, 29, made her way elegantly up the stairs and was aided by her gentlemanly fiance

The look of love: Jason, looking dapper in an impeccably tailored black suit, looked entirely smitten as he tenderly held Rosie's hand while guiding her up the stairs

Legs for days: The Burberry model was the epitome of class in the ivory creation, which revealed a tantalizing amount of toned and tanned leg, thanks to a daring thigh-split

Styling her enviably glossy blonde tresses in a slick scraped back up-do, Rosie let the drama of her gown do all the talking.

She accessorised simply with silver strappy heels that served to elongate her already endless legs and toted a metallic box clutch.

The palette of ivory and dazzling nudes was perfectly in keeping with the night's theme - Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology this year.

Smitten: The Expendables star popped the question to his partner of five years in January with a $350,000 diamond ring

Epitome of class: Styling her enviably glossy blonde tresses in a slick scraped back up-do, Rosie let the drama of her gown do all the talking

The couple that dress together: The genetically blessed duo went for a similarly classic yet stylish vibe with their ensembles

Looking like an Old Hollywood siren, the Devon-born beauty made her way elegantly up the stairs and was aided by her gentlemanly fiance.

Jason, looking dapper in an impeccably tailored black suit, looked entirely smitten as he tenderly held Rosie's hand while guiding her up the stairs.

The Expendables star popped the question to his partner of five years in January with a $350,000 diamond ring.

Happy: The blonde stunner debuted her engagement ring on the red carpet at the 73rd annual Golden Globes earlier this year

Dare to bare: Despite featuring a demure floor-sweeping hemline, the thigh split injected a dose of sex appeal

The blonde stunner debuted her engagement ring on the red carpet at the 73rd annual Golden Globes earlier this year.

Ahead of the event, Rosie spoke to Violet Grey about her intense preparations for her dress.

Explaining that her custom made dress 'has been hand transported back and forth from LA for fittings multiple times', she gushed: 'I cant wait to see it completely finished!'

Simply stunning: Rosie worked the camera like a professional, as she threw her famous coquettish pout at the lens

Smouldering: She accessorised simply with silver strappy heels that served to elongate her already endless legs and toted a metallic box clutch

Dramatic: Making full use of the asymmetric pleat that draped across the gown, the M&S beauty flicked the floaty material in the air

Earlier in the day Jason was seen leaving The Mark Hotel in New York as preparations went underway for the lavish fashion bash.

The Hollywood hardman looked cool and casual in a leather bomber jacket and stonewashed jeans.

Carrying several bags, he looked like a man on a mission as he strode confidently through the crowd.

Man on a mission: Earlier in the day Jason was seen leaving The Mark Hotel in New York as preparations went underway for the lavish fashion bash
She broke up with actor Bradley Cooper this time last year.

Yet Suki Waterhouse looked like she could have a new love interest as she enjoyed a low-key stroll with a mystery male in Los Angeles on Monday.

The 24-year-old model was dressed to impressed in a pair of thigh-skimming Daisy Dukes with a Seventies-inspired shearling coat.

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Having a laugh: Suki Waterhouse looked like she could have a new love interest as she enjoyed a low-key stroll with a mystery male in Los Angeles on Monday

Suki looked casual yet fabulous as she stepped out in her striking burnt orange coat which boasted a large white fur collar.

Despite the cosy nature of the jacket she was relatively scantily clad on her bottom half as she sported tiny shorts which flashed both her stomach and legs.

The short shorts were the perfect exhibit of her supermodel credentials as they paraded her lengthy and sensational pins.

Keeping things casual, Suki then added a pair of sporty black trainers which seemed to make things more comfortable for her amble around the streets.

Blond(er) beauty: The 24-year-old model was dressed to impressed in a pair of thigh-skimming Daisy Dukes with a Seventies-inspired shearling coat

Handsome pair: Suki looked casual yet fabulous as she stepped out in her striking burnt orange coat which boasted a large white fur collar

Comfortable: Suki flaunted her naturally clear complexion as she went totally make-up free, showing just how comfortable she is in her own skin

Her tresses appeared to be a brighter blonde than previously as she is known to favour a honeyed hue while this time she was nearing white blonde in her shade.

Suki flaunted her naturally clear complexion as she went totally make-up free, showing just how comfortable she is in her own skin.

Equally as trendy as Suki was her handsome companion who appeared to also borrow a look from the Seventies for his supermodel date - in a purple suit and patterned shirt.

Blondie: Her tresses appeared to be a brighter blonde than previously as she is known to favour a honeyed hue while this time she was nearing white blonde in her shade

Keeping it casual: The pair appeared deep in chat as they made their way along the road

The London-born beauty recently discussed her passion for photography as it has helped her relinquish the control she loses as a model.

She told The Telegraph: 'I always wanted to have more control over everything. You go on a modelling shoot and you don't get to choose the clothes, the picture, your hair and makeup, you don't get to chose anything.

'And I really hate that, and I'd always come back after and do almost my own photoshoot and in my own surroundings. I'd f*** up the hair and put on whatever I wanted, because you go home with done hair and makeup, and you get to make your own thing of what you remember.'

Dapper gent: Equally as trendy as Suki was her handsome companion who appeared to also borrow a look from the Seventies for his supermodel date - in a purple suit and patterned shirt
Across the Atlantic, it was one of the most glamorous nights of the fashion calendar.

However, Kate Moss was a notable absence at the Met Gala in New York on Monday, preferring instead to spend the evening home in London with her boyfriend Count Nikolai Von Bismarck.

The supermodel, 42, and her toyboy partner, 28, was spotted enjoying a low-key dinner at Greek restaurant Lemonia in Primrose Hill.

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Who needs the Met Gala? Kate Moss enjoyed a low-key dinner at Lemonia in Primrose Hill, North London on Monday night

Romance: The supermodel was joined by her boyfriend Count Nikolai Von Bismarck, who she has been dating since last autumn

Kate has been a regular visitor to Lemonia for years, having frequently dined there with close pals, such as Sadie Frost, and her estranged husband Jamie Hince.

Meanwhile, a host of her famous pals, including Naomi Campbell and Sienna Miller were dripping in couture at the star-studded New York bash.

The Croydon-raised model has attended the Met Gala several times before, but it's not clear whether or not she was invited, or chose not to go this year.

Last week, Kate and Nikolai were spotted out and about in the Cotswolds.

Her favourite: Kate is a regular at Lemonia in Primrose Hill, having previously visited the Greek restaurant with her now-estranged husband Jamie Hince

Casual: The 28-year-old wore a warm jacket, jeans and boots for his evening with the supermodel

The couple are reportedly taking their relationship to the next level, with rumours they are hunting for a house together, to go alongside her country retreat and home in London.

An insider explained to The Sun: 'Kate loves both her homes and will be keeping them. But she would like another one in town for her and Nikolai to use.

'The house would be something special for her and Nikolai to share and would seal their relationship.'

Kate and Nikolai are believed to have started dating last autumn, when the aristocrat and socialite were pictured leaving her North London home one weekend.

She reportedly split from The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince, to whom she was married for four years, last July.
It was rumoured their marriage had been going through a rocky patch.

But Jimmy Fallon and wife Nancy Juvonen appeared to be a model happy family out on the school run in New York on Monday.

Wearing a belted beige mac and brown monk shoes, the Tonight Show host, 41, looked smart at he pushed his youngest daughter Frances's buggy along.

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Happy family: Jimmy Fallon and wife Nancy Juvonen appeared to be a model happy family on the school run in New York yesterday with their daughters

The chat show host completed his smart look with a crisp white shirt and a navy crew neck jumper, paired with camel chinos.

His film producer wife Nancy, 48, kept it casual with a green Patagonia padded jacket, grey jeans and a pair of slip on black Vans.

Showing the couple know a thing or two about fashion they dressed daughters Winnie Rose, two, in a cute duffle coat and Frances Cole, 16 months, in a furry jacket.

Late last year it was reported the couple's marriage was under strain because of Jimmy's excessive drinking.

Snappy dresser: Wearing a belted beige mac and brown monk shoes the Today Show host, 41, looked smart at he pushed his daughter's buggy on the city streets

Sources told MailOnline that friction has been caused by what seems to be too much partying on the part of the The NBC late night host.

NBC was apparently worried the host's drinking may have got out of control after The Tonight Show host injured himself for a third time in just four months.

A network source said at the time: 'There's something to worry about.'

But since then the couple have been seen out and about on the streets of New York looking deeply in love.

Happy: Producer wife Nancy kept it casual with a green Patagonia padded jacket, grey jeans and slip on black Vans

Jimmy and Nancy first met in 2005 on the set of Fever Pitch, which she produced with her Flower Films partner Drew Barrymore, who also co-starred in the romantic comedy with the actor.

They started dating two years later in May 2007 when Drew invited the comedian to a birthday party she threw for Nancy.

After that Jimmy moved fast. He proposed three months later on the dock at sunset at Nancy's family home in New Hampshire and tied the knot on December 22 the same year.
Irina Shayk may have given a clue as to what she wears in bed as she stepped out at a Met Gala after party on Monday night.

The Russian model left very little to the imagination as she headed out after the main event with her man Bradley Cooper by her side, sporting a black lace and very sheer lingerie-inspired look for the bash.

The 30-year-old beauty and her 41-year-old actor beau joined other stars at New York's Up and Down nightclub, battling with the pouring rain as they stuck together while entering the popular venue.

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Is that a naughty nightie? Irina Shayk looked like she was wearing her raciest lingerie as she stepped out at the Up and Down club's Met Gala after party with beau Bradley Cooper in NYC on Monday night

After her turn on the red carpet at the main event - the Costume Institute Gala 2016 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - Irina had shunned her first gown of the night for something that looked more appropriate for the bedroom.

She showed off much of her slender, willowy figure in the black nightie-style number, comprised of a transparent lace dress worn underneath a teddy-style silky garment.

The stunner almost flashed her cleavage as she strode through the night, as she appeared to be going without a bra, and her long legs were also very much on show underneath the scant skirt.

Super-sexy! The Russian model showed off much of her slender, willowy figure in the black number, comprised of a transparent lace dress worn underneath a teddy-style silky garment

Daring to bare: The 30-year-old stunner almost flashed her cleavage as she strode through the night, as she appeared to be going without a bra, and her long legs were also very much on show underneath the scant skirt

Sticking together: Bradley, 41, seemed loathed to let his girlfriend of a year out of his sights

To add to the raunchy theme of her post-Met Gala look, Irina donned a pair of black leather boots that came up as high as her mid-thigh.

The fancy footwear included lace-up detailing across the front and spindly stiletto heels, adding more inches to her lofty frame.

The brunette stunner kept her hair in the same slicked-back style she wore on the red carpet earlier in the evening, and Bradley had also kept on his dapper tuxedo from the Gala.

Party time: After holding hands on the red carpet at the Met Gala, Bradley and Irina continued the evening in style at the star-studded after party

Earlier in the evening, the loved-up pair had indulged in a secret display of affection while away from the melee at the prestigious fashion ceremony.

Although the visually striking pair arrived separately, they later met up away from the flashing bulbs, holding hands in a moment of solitude.

The 30-year-old model seemed distracted as she and her Hollywood beau clutched their hands together while they both looked on at the A-list fashion happenings going on around them.

Handsome Bradley looked oh-so proud to be attending the fashion world's most prestigious event with his lady, although fans will have been wondering why they didn't pose on the red carpet together at first.

Irina certainly had plenty on display in a sheer lilac American flag themed dress as she stalked the crimson runway at the event.

Stealing secret moments? Irina and Bradley appeared to enjoy a moment away from it all, as they held hands out of the spotlight while at the Met Gala 2016 in New York earlier on Monday night

Sweet: Irina and Bradley may not have posed on the red carpet together, but they did their bit to silence the rumours about their relationship away from the flashing bulbs

On/off again? Bradley and Irina arrived separately earlier in the evening, as the Russian model did her bit to steal the limelight in her racy lilac dress

PDA: The couple, who have been together for around a year, showed they are still going strong

The plunging neckline showcased the Russian beauty's enviable cleavage, while the barely-there material of the skirt gave an unrestricted look at her tiny lacy white underwear.

She also made sure to show off her gorgeous long legs as she jutted them out while posing, her silky stems made to look even more willowy with a pair of pearl white peep-toe heels.

The brunette beauty wore her hair twisted back into a seriously chic updo, and she also seemed to have opted for a more pared-back make-up look.

Showcased: The model had plenty on display in a sheer blue American flag themed dress

Dare to bare: The barely-there material of the skirt gave an unrestricted look at her tiny lacy white underwear

On show: The plunging neckline showcased the Russian beauty's enviable cleavage

Fans looking for hints at her relationship status may have taken a clue from the inverted stars and stripes - internationally recognised as a signal of distress - but it seems that was just smoke without fire.

Even without her squeeze by her side at all times, Irina was having plenty of fun on the red carpet, comparing posteriors with fellow model Karlie Kloss and giving her American rival a friendly pat on the bum.

Bradley meanwhile, when he did turn up, managed to stand out even in a field full of cookie-cutter tuxedos.

The Hangover actor arrived looking razor sharp in a tailcoat, white waistcoat and bow tie, with rough stubble and hair slicked back.

Instead of his girlfriend on his arm, the four-time Oscar-nominee was pictured with director David O Russell.

Got it, flaunt it: The stunner wasn't shy about showing off, nor had she any reason to be

In trouble? Fans looking for hints at her relationship status may have taken a clue from the inverted stars and stripes - internationally recognised as a signal of distress

Who needs boys: Even without her squeeze Irina was having plenty of fun on the red carpet, comparing posteriors with fellow model Karlie Kloss

Sizing up the competition: She gave her American rival a friendly pat on the bum

The duo have now worked on three films together: Silver Linings Playbook, Joy and American Hustle.

Cooper, who was married to actress Jennifer Esposito for less than a year in 2006, has previously dated Renee Zellweger, Zoe Saldana and Suki Waterhouse for two years each.

He started started dating Shayk in April last year, with the most recent split rumour coming at the end of January when it was reported she had fallen out with his mother.

Solo: Irina was spotted leaving her hotel alone earlier in the evening too

One year on: She and Bradley started dating in April last year, with the most recent split rumour coming at the end of January when it was reported she had fallen out with his mother
Tim Robards is normally seen standing side-by-side his blonde model girlfriend Anna Heinrich at red carpet events.

But on Tuesday night the former Bachelor went solo as he attended the 2016 Men's Health Man Of The Year awards in Sydney.

The 33-year-old looked smart as he dressed in a matching navy suit for the function.

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Going solo: Tim Robards stepped out without girlfriend Anna Heinrich on Tuesday night as he attended the 2016 Men's Health Man Of The Year awards in Sydney

He paired the fitted piece with a white button-up shirt as well as a charcoal coloured tie and black dress shoes.

The reality television star rocked an unshaven face at the event while gelling back his short two toned hair.

Before his arrival Tim took to social media to thank his team for helping him 'suit up'.

Looking good: The 33-year-old looked super smart as he dressed in a matching navy suit for the function

What will Anna think? Despite being without Anna at the event the personal trainer posed for photo with another blonde, fitness model Katie Williams

Showing up: Also at the event was My Kitchen Rules judge and professional chef Manu Feildel and partner Clarissa Weerasena

'Love playing dress ups! Heading out to @menshealthau tonight, lucky to have @roddandgunn to help me pick out look sharp and a little mancut from @toniandguypottspoint #feelingfresh #suitgamestrong #loveit,' he published online.

Also at the event was My Kitchen Rules judge and professional chef Manu Feildel and partner Clarissa Weerasena.

The television chef - who was also nominated for the award this year - showed off his recently slimmed down frame as he dressed in a fitted white shirt, navy vest and dark denim jeans.

Out and about: The television chef dressed in a fitted white shirt, navy vest and dark denim jeans while Clarissa stunned in a simple black long pant jumpsuit

Loved up: Recently engaged duo Didier Cohen and Jade Cara also made an appearance

Picture-perfect: Model and DJ Didier rocked his usual choice of a white shirt and pleather jeans

Manu displayed his bare chest as he left the top few buttons of his long-sleeves top undone.

His partner and mother-of-one Clarissa stunned as she slipped into a simple black long pant jumpsuit.

The garment hugged tightly around her figure and featured a gold belt which buckled up around her torso.

Legs eleven: Jade showed off her long legs in a blue strapless mini-dress

Handing over the crown: Last year's winner and The Morning Show host Larry Emdur opted for a chic look at the event, wearing black jeans and a navy blue suit jacket

Turning heads: Home And Away actor Charlie Clausen (L) rocked a black checkered suit and blue tie, while radio host Merrick Watts (R) opted for a matching blue suit with a red tie

Simple: Singer-songwriter Tim Omaji also posed in front of the photo wall as he opted for an all-black outfit

Recently engaged duo Didier Cohen and Jade Cara also made an appearance and looked every bit loved-up as they posed together in front of the official media wall.

While Jade showed off her long legs in a blue strapless mini-dress, her model beau rocked his usual choice of a white shirt and pleather jeans.

The former Australia's Next Top Model mentor added a pair of black high-top sneakers to his attire while he spiked his grey-dyed hair.

Winner, winner! During the event rugby union player Nick Phipps was crowned celebrity Man Of The Year and showed off a large smile as he posed with the upcoming magazine cover

Hottie alert! Former NRL star Beau Ryan's wife Kara left heads turning as she showed off her slender frame in an off-the-shoulder garment

Happy days: Despite stepping out solo at the event, Kara was all smiles as she highlighted her lips with a deep purple lipstick

Last year's winner and The Morning Show host Larry Emdur opted for a casual look at the event, wearing black jeans and a navy blue suit jacket.

While at the event, the media personality handed over the title of Man Of The Year to national rugby union player Nick Phipps.

After being crowned the celebrity winner the sportsman displayed a large smile as he posed with the upcoming magazine cover.

But while the males turned up the heat at the event, so did the females.

Stunner: Former radio host and wife of NRL star Benji Marshall, Zoe, also opted for an off-the-shoulder dress at the event

Former NRL star Beau Ryan's wife Kara left heads turning as she showed off her slender frame in an off-the-shoulder garment.

The white piece hugged tightly around her figure and finished inches below her knee.

The mother-of-one accessorised with a matching white choker scarf, beige peep toed heels and a vibrant yellow Prada clutch bag.

Strike a pose: She curled her short brunette hair while keeping her makeup natural and simple

A-lister: The brunette cuddled up to close friend and fashion designer Steven Khalil

Going short: Elite gymnast Lauren Hannaford dressed in a vibrant red jumpstio

Despite stepping out without her husband, Kara was all smiles as she highlighted her lips with a deep purple lipstick.

Former radio host and wife of NRL star Benji Marshall, Zoe, also opted for an off-the-shoulder dress at the event.

She added a touch of colour to her look as she slipped into a pair of dark red heels.

The brunette beauty curled her short brunette hair while keeping her makeup natural and simple.
We're used to seeing him suited up on My Kitchen Rules.

But on Tuesday, Manu Feildel, cut a more casual figure as he attended the Men's Health Man Of The Year Awards in Sydney.

One of the nominee's for the main prize of the night, Manu had his biggest supporter by his side, in fiancee Clarissa Weerasena, who looked sleek and sexy in a black jumpsuit.

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His leading lady: Manu Feildel cut a casual figure as he attended the Men's Health Man Of the Year Awards in Sydney on Tuesday with his leading lady, fiancee Clarissa Weerasena, by his side

Carissa had her long locks falling in front of her shoulders in curls as she posed with one arm around her beau.

Manu left his white shirt partially unbuttoned and rolled up in the sleeve, pairing the crisp shirt with an unbuttoned blue vest.

He paired the laid back top half with neat and dark denim jeans and black leather boots.

The celebrity chef posed at the media wall of the event, alongside other nominees, including winner on the night, Rugby Union player Nick Phipps.

Manu also stopped to take a selfie with Pacific Magazine's Group Publisher (fashion, beauty and health), Jackie Frank.

Biggest supporter: The My Kitchen Rules co-host and nominee on the night had his biggest supporter by his side, looking sleek and sexy in a black jumpsuit

Missing out: The celebrity chef missed out on the main award to Rugby Union player Nick Phipps (centre) but posed alongside fellow nominees Didier Cohen (left) and Charlie Clausen (second left)

The couple have been engaged since 2013 but it seems wedding plans were put on hold after the arrival of their little girl, Charlee in February 2015.

The 41-year-old told TV Week magazine, in an interview published last Monday, that he and his fiancee have their sights set on an exotic island location to host their nuptials.

'We're thinking of having the wedding on an island somewhere, with turquoise blue seas,' the father-of-two explained to the publication. 'The Maldives, maybe - that's one we're discussing.'

But first, let me take a selfie! The handsome hunk posed for a selfie with Pacific Magazine's Group Publisher of fashion, beauty and health, Jackie Frank (left)

The Maldives, known for its variety of colourful coral reefs and diverse sea life, is a popular location for weddings and honeymoons.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes honeymooned on the idyllic island on a yacht there after they tied the knot in 2006.

Despite his French heritage, the charming TV personality, originally from Nantes, also admitted he was not considering marrying in his native country because he wanted to travel to somewhere he hasn't been before.

Doting dad: The European gourmand and Clarissa welcomed their first daughter, Charlee Ariya in February last year and have been a bit preoccupied to make wedding plans

Proud parents: And it seems the 14-month-old may take after her dad, as she whipped up a storm in the kitchen recently

'We might do a wedding in one place and a honeymoon somewhere else,' he explained, as he revealed the couple's regret of not travelling more when they was younger.

Despite Manu popping the question to Clarissa in 2013, after two years of dating, the pair are yet to make concrete plans for their special day.

Manu admitted that finding the time to walk down the aisle has been hard, with work and family commitments getting in the way.
She found fame with her sassy one-liners and sharp wit on Gogglebox.

Yet Scarlett Moffatt's bubbly personality is hiding a deeper pain after she revealed her horror at learning she was clinically obese and risking developing diabetes.

The 25-year-old reality star spoke to Closer magazine about her fears and her vow to stop eating 'the wrong things' such as cocktails, cake and chips.

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Cocktail o'clock: Scarlett Moffatt's bubbly personality is hiding a deeper pain after she revealed her horror at learning she was clinically obese and risking developing diabetes

Scarlett is determined to lose weight after she was left mortified during a routine trip to the doctors in which she discovered her Body Mass Index.

After growing up in constant training as a semi-professional ballroom dancer, upon leaving to go to university in York she soon fell off her exercise regime.

The Newcastle-born beauty, who ballooned from a size six to a 16, revealed: 'I knew I was overweight but when I went to the doctor for a check up, she said: "You're not overweight, you're obese".

Upon discovering she was at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, Scarlett was adamant the practitioner's words were a 'rocket up her bum'.

'Obese': The 25-year-old reality star spoke to Closer magazine about her fears and her vow to stop eating 'the wrong things' such as cocktails, cake and chips

Of her former interest in dance, she said: 'It was really intense training but when I stopped when I was a student and discovered alcohol and kebabs and I've never found any exercise to replace it.'

Scarlett has suffered a tough time of late, as she revealed online trolls have made her feel low atop her weight issuses.

She told Belfast Telegraph: 'There are odd ones, mostly men, who criticise me about my weight and my size and say I'm ugly. I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't hurt sometimes.'

The pretty brunette first found fame appearing on MTV's Beauty School Cop Outs in 2013, starring opposite Celebrity Big Brother star Jeremy McConnell.

Not ideal: Of her former interest in dance, she said: 'It was really intense training but when I stopped when I was a student and discovered alcohol and kebabs and I've never found any exercise to replace it'

Feeling low: Scarlett has suffered a tough time of late, as she revealed online trolls have made her feel low atop her weight issuses

Scarlett and Jeremy shared a particularly tempestuous relationship in which she became bitterly upset with some comments made by the Irish hunk towards her.

While she shared a romance with co-star Richard Cull in the show, Jeremy memorably uttered to her: 'Shut your mouth you little monster, you're punching above your weight.'

These comments no doubt added to Scarlett's insecurities, although she has now found love once more with former hairdresser Luke Crodden.

She said: 'Luke is so encouraging. He says whatever I choose to do, he'll do it with me and it will be great to have his support'.
She is enjoying her first holiday with her new boyfriend.

And Megan McKenna has clearly ensured she looks her very best for her Dubai jaunt with TOWIE co-star Pete Wicks - as illustrated in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old reality starlet smouldered in a sexy shot poolside in which she wrote her boyfriend's initials into the cups - no doubt much to his delight.

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Sizzling and sexy: Megan McKenna has clearly ensured she looks her very best for her Dubai jaunt with TOWIE co-star Pete Wicks - as illustrated in an Instagram post on Tuesday

Megan, who recently returned from another bikini filled trip to Miami, proved she knows how to work it in the sun as she rocked a tiny bikini.

The green sequins of the top were delicately pushed back and forth to make the shape of Pete's initials 'PW' in a move which Megan deemed 'ownership'.

She added a caption on the shot reading: 'When your bikini top can make your Bfs initials #owned #PW' - marking one of few public proclamations that the long-haired hunk as her boyfriend.

While the eye was initially drawn to the initial-baring cup, just below she was exhibiting her incredibly taut abs with a gleaming tan shining through.

See updates on the TOWIE stars as Megan McKenna sizzles poolside during Dubai trip

Loving life: The 23-year-old reality starlet smouldered in a sexy shot poolside in which she wrote her boyfriend's initials into the cups - no doubt much to his delight

Half immersed in the water, her long lithe legs were visible from beneath the water while she showed off her slender arms by resting them atop the side of the pool.

Megan, who found and lost love on reality TV before with former fiance Jordan Davies, shielded her face with a huge pair of black sunglasses with a gold motif on the arm.

Her long brunette tresses cascaded over her shoulder while pushed into a laid-back side parting and tumbling to one side.

Racy: The couple recently reunited since her luxury Miami holiday and were sure to put on an amorous display of affection as they celebrated becoming a 'Facebook official' couple

Last week, prior to their departure, Pete sent temperatures soaring as he placed his hand with the word 'soul' tattooed on it along Megan's thigh in a steamy Instagram snap.

The tattooed hunk was clearly pleased to see his new girlfriend - after the couple became official during the series 17 finale of the hit ITVBe's reality show earlier this month.

But the couple went spent weeks apart after Megan jetted to Miami with her manager Jade Reuben - where she treated her 1 million Instagram followers to daily poolside updates in stunning bikinis.

Meanwhile, Pete has been 500 miles away on a boys' holiday to the Mexican Riviera resort of Cancun with co-star James Lock.
She must be trying a new look.

Halle Berry, who is one of Hollywood's most gorgeous actresses, stepped out looking much different than the fawned-after X-Men siren.

The 49-year-old showed off a short hairstyle and hid her Bond body behind baggy clothes as she arrived at JFK Airport in New York on Monday.

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New look: Halle Berry showed off a short hairstyle and hid her physique behind bulky clothes as she arrived at JFK Airport in New York on Monday

The mother of two was arriving back from London. The former model had on several layers of clothing that had a worn-in look.

The former Versace model kept warm on the flight in a black sweater and wrapped herself up in a matching scarf. The Oscar-winning actress topped off the already bulky ensemble with a grey nearly floor-length overcoat.

Airport style: The 49-year-old opted for a casual look for her trip from London. The former Bond girl touched down in New York donning a mass of layers and a smile

Halle donned ripped blue jeans and black cowboy boots which featured three gold buckles on the top.

The bare-faced beauty appeared to be wearing no makeup for the transatlantic flight.

Instead Halle covered up with a pair of chic rimless aviator sunglasses.

Bare-faced beauty: Instead of make-up Halle covered up with a pair of chic rimless aviator sunglasses. Her bangs and highlighted brunette tresses looked a little disheveled styled into messy short hairstyle

Her bangs and highlighted brunette tresses looked a little disheveled styled into messy short hairstyle.

The Swordfish actress held her passport in her left hand that was showing off a silver statement ring on her middle finger.

Halle's right hand was occupied with her green Louis Vuitton rolling luggage which had a multi-colored and patterned smaller bag perched on top.

Figure flattering: Halle recently showed off longer locks and her fabulous abs at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles in April

This is a much different look for the usually sexy star.

She recently showed off longer locks and her fabulous abs at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles in April.

Halle's figure-flattering ensemble revealed her famously toned physique as she joined Queen Latifah on stage to present Will Smith with the MTV Generation Award.

The actress is reportedly moving forward with her split from Olivier Martinez even though they looked affectionate with each other while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in March.
She is set to return to Albert square for the first time in six years.

And Danniella Westbrook was clearly happy to be back as she was pictured driving to the famous Elstree studios on Tuesday morning.

The 42-year-old actress  who will reprise her role as Sam Mitchell  was seen driving up to the television show where the popular BBC One soap was filmed in her silver Volkswagen Beetle.

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Happy bunny: Danniella Westbrook was clearly happy to be back as she was pictured driving to the famous Elstree studios on Tuesday morning

The fresh-faced star donned black glasses and opted for a casual ensemble as she teamed skinny jeans with a quilted navy jacket and trainers.

Danielle confirmed she would be returning to Albert Square back in February after six years away from the soap.

The mother of two is reprising the role that turned her in to a household name for the funeral of her mum Peggy Mitchell, played by Barbara Windsor.

Peggy returned to Walford in January to reveal she was dying, after Dame Barbara told bosses she wanted her character to be killed off because she is leaving the show permanently.

See Eastenders news and updates as Danniella Westbrook arrives on set at Elstree studios

Heading in: The 42-year-old actress  who will reprise her role as Sam Mitchell  was seen driving up to the television show where the popular BBC One soap was filmed in her silver Volkswagen Beetle

Backt to work: The fresh-faced star donned black glasses and opted for a casual ensemble as she teamed skinny jeans with a quilted navy jacket and trainers

Throwback: Danielle confirmed she would be returning to Albert Square back in February after six years away from the soap - pictured with Sid Owen (who plays Ricky Butcher)

Her departure is set to feature a spooky surprise as Pat Butcher rises from the dead for her friend's passing, while Peggy's favourite son Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and daughter Sam will also rush to their mother's death bed just before she passes.

Danniella recently admitted that she wants Darren Day to join the BBC One show.

The actress will reprise her role briefly in the long-running soap but she's hoping bosses will make her a regular fixture and pull in her Celebrity Big Brother co-star as her husband.

Ta-rah mum: The mother of two is reprising the role that turned her in to a household name for the funeral of her mum Peggy Mitchell, played by Barbara Windsor

Suggestions: Danniella recently admitted that she wants Darren Day to join the BBC One show

The blonde beauty explained: I'm super excited to go back [to 'EastEnders']. It's going to be so nice having all of the original Mitchells back together.

It's going to be great. To be honest, I'd love to come back to 'EastEnders' full time. It would be fun if Darren Day could play my on-screen husband.

Meanwhile, it's not just her career that's jam-packed this year as the blonde beauty is also hoping to wed her toy boy lover.

Time to get going: The actress will reprise her role briefly in the long-running soap but she's hoping bosses will make her a regular fixture and pull in her Celebrity Big Brother co-star as her husband

The actress has only been dating George Arnold, 24, a couple of months but it's not just marriage that's on the cards for them as they're also keen to start their own little family.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, she explained: He might be 24 but he is 44 in his mind.

Danniella already has two children, son Kai, 19, and daughter Jodie, 14, from two previous relationships.
The theme was tech, but most of the guests looked futuristic.

There was one party goer who nailed it, however: Karolina Kurkova, who modeled a gown designed by Marchesa and IBM Watson at this year's Met Gala called Manus x Machina.

The catwalker showed off a white gown filled with LED lights that changed color with her emotions.

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Lit up? Karolina Kurkova modeled a gown designed by Marchesa and IBM Watson at this year's Met Gala called Manus x Machina on Monday

On Monday night the blonde truly lit up the New York event.

'Our intention was to use technology in a way that felt quintessentially Marchesa,' Keren Craig, co-founder of Marchesa, told Us Weekly.

'Technology is about fantasy as well, so it was a perfect fit.'

Feeling grey and white? The catwalker showed off a white gown filled with LED lights that changed color with her emotions

Before she hit the carpet: The 32-year-old shared this Instagram snap in a car

She added: 'We incorporated them into the stems of the flowers.

'Its been a really interesting learning curve for us because we use a lot of metal beading and had to be very careful with that near the sensors because it can short them!'

Kurkova liked it.

The woman behind it all: The beauty with designer Marchesa

Two pretty: A back view of the babes of the gala, which had a tech them this year

'Its light, its airy, you cant tell that it has wires and led lights in it,' she told Us.

'Theres a lot thats going on underneath with all the wiring, but you wouldnt know that this dress is actually a piece of technology unless I told you! I like that its a little secret I have!'

The other star with a lit up dress was Claire Danes who used batteries in her gown.

Powered: The other star with a lit up dress was Claire Danes who used batteries in her gown

Later Karolina opted for more basic black when she hit a Met Gala after party at the Standard High Line hotel.

But her look was far from boring.

The Victoria's Secret model had on a semi sheer outfit that showed off her curves.

It looked as if a net had been placed over a bandeau top and high waisted undies. Elegant heels added even more allure and a tux jacket looked borrowed.

Noir: Later Karolina opted for more basic black when she hit a Met Gala after party at the Standard High Line hotel
It's hotly-tipped to be one of the best programmes of the year.

And Tom Hardy was spotted resuming filming for Georgian period drama Taboo in Cornwall's Charlestown Harbour on Tuesday, climbing aboard a boat to film scenes with a redhead companion.

The 38-year-old Hollywood hardman changed out of his costume and into a casual ensemble as he waited around on set, sporting a bloody gash on his temple from filming earlier in the day.

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Back to work: Tom Hardy was spotted filming for Georgian period drama Taboo in Cornwall's Charlestown Harbour on Tuesday alongside a redhead companion

Tom displayed his bulging biceps in his tight-fitting T-shirt, revealing his extensive tattoo collection as he lounged around, puffing on his Vaper.

The Mad Max: Fury Road favourite looked ruggedly handsome in his off-duty trainers and mud splattered tracksuit bottoms as he chatted to his scene companion.

The redhead was clad in a striking scarlet gown, her curls pinned into a classic updo and her costume completed with leather gloves.

Bloody: The 38-year-old Hollywood hardman changed out of his costume and into a casual ensemble as he waited around on set, sporting a bloody gash on his temple from filming earlier in the day

Hanging out: Tom displayed his bulging biceps in his tight-fitting T-shirt, revealing his extensive tattoo collection as he lounged around, puffing on his Vaper

The new BBC One and FX period collaboration, due out later this year, tells the tale of adventurer James Keziah Delaney - who builds his own shipping empire in the early 1800s.

The mini-series, based on a story penned by Tom and his father Edward 'Chips' Hardy, sees Delaney return to Georgian Britain circa 1814 (during the Napoleon's second resurgence in Europe).

Following 10 years in Africa, Tom's character arrives back in London to discover that he has been left a mysterious legacy by his dead father.

In between takes: The Mad Max: Fury Road favourite looked ruggedly handsome in his off-duty trainers and mud splattered tracksuit bottoms as he chatted to his scene companion

Historical drama: The new BBC One and FX period collaboration, due out later this year, tells the tale of adventurer James Keziah Delaney - who builds his own shipping empire in the early 1800s

Driven to wage a personal war of vengeance on those who have done him wrong, Delaney finds himself in conflict with the notorious and powerful East India Company, while also playing a dangerous game between two warring nations  Britain and the newly independent United States of America.

Landing Hardy for the role is no doubt a major coup for the show's creators, and they have been effusive in their praise of the A-list star.

Polly Hill, Controller BBC Drama commissioning said in a statement: The talent on-and off-screen is incredible and I am so excited to see Steves captivating scripts come to life.

Tom Hardy and the rest of the cast are set to bring this original and spectacular story to life in a unique and epic way.

The plot thickens: Following 10 years in Africa, Tom's character arrives back in London to discover that he has been left a mysterious legacy by his dead father

Leading man: Landing Hardy for the role is no doubt a major coup for the show's creators, and they have been effusive in their praise of the A-list star

'We are privileged to have landed Taboo and to work with this exceptional team led by Ridley, Tom and Steven,' said FXs Eric Schrier, according to Deadline.

'Toms passion for this project, from conceiving the original idea with his father to portraying James Delaney, promises to infuse this epic story with great personal passion and credibility.'

Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm, the eight-part American and British miniseries will also star House Of Cards actor Michael Kelly, Brazil star Jonathan Pryce and Game Of Thrones' Oona Chaplin.

A release date has not been set for the series, but it is expected to air later this year on both BBC One and FX.

Big budget drama: Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm, the eight-part American and British miniseries will also star House Of Cards actor Michael Kelly, Brazil star Jonathan Pryce and Game Of Thrones' Oona Chaplin
James Franco's grandmother Mitzie Vern passed away on Sunday at the age of 93.

The 38-year-old actor mourned her death on Instagram on Monday.

The 127 Hours star posted a photo of the pair laughing with the heartfelt message, 'She had a great life. Mitzie Vern, Grandma. Just the best.'

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Sad news: James Franco, 38, mourns the death of his beloved grandmother, Mitzie Vern, 93, who died on Sunday. On Monday he posted this photo with the heartfelt message, 'She had a great life. Mitzie Vern, Grandma. Just the best'

Franco family: James attended The Fixer premiere at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival in April. And on the right Mitzie attended the Comedy Central Roast Of James Franco in Los Angeles in 2013

The kind caption honoring his grandmother was followed by four heart emojis.

The throwback photo was taken at the Comedy Central Roast Of James Franco in 2013.

In the sweet shot Mitzie and James lovingly look at each other as they laugh through big grins.

Precious pair: James and his grandmother, Mitzie, attended his Comedy Central Roast together at Culver Studios on August 25, 2013 in Culver City, California

Franco's art collector grandmother is best known for her 2010 appearance in a Funny Or Die video.

James' grandmother stole the spotlight while wearing a Santa hat and a yellow T-shirt with the words 'I Kept My Eyes Open For 127 Hours.'

In the skit the grey-haired granny hilariously expressed her opinion of any 127 Hours movie critics.

Hilarious granny: Franco's grandmother is best known for her 2010 appearance on Funny Or Die. In the skit, Mitzie stole the spotlight as she expressed her opinion of any 127 Hours movie critics
Australian screen legend Cate Blanchett has been appointed UN goodwill ambassador to help tackle the global refugee crisis.

The honour comes on the heels of the dual Oscar winners trip to Jordan and Lebanon where she witnessed the horrendous plight of people fleeing the advance of ISIS in neighbouring war-torn Syria.

Blanchett, 46, spent Sunday at Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan where 83,000 of the hundreds of thousands streaming across the border have made their home.

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The Blue Jasmine star then moved on to the Mazboud Community Centre in Lebanon on Monday where she visited residents including young mothers to hear their stories first-hand

The massive size of the camp makes it Jordans fourth biggest city with dozens of aid organisations working to make conditions habitable.

Riots are common and in 2014 one refugee was shot dead by police.

In pictures taken on her trip, Blanchett protected herself from the harsh desert sun with full length leggings and sweater as camp manager Hovig Etyemezian gave her a tour.

The Blue Jasmine star then moved on to the Mazboud Community Centre in Lebanon on Monday where she visited residents including young mothers to hear their stories first-hand.

See refugee crisis news as Cate Blanchett visits refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon

Blanchett protects herself from the harsh desert sun with full length leggings and sweater as camp manager Hovig Etyemezian (right) gave her a tour

She also watched a drama workshop for Syrian refugee children on early marriage.

The centre provides services to refugees including child protection and activities aimed at combating sexual and gender-based violence.

It also provides counselling and psychosocial support, and helps refugees improve their life skills and wage-earning ability.

Blanchett has been working with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for more than two years and said she was deeply proud to be named ambassador.

There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity, she said.

We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide.

She also watched a drama workshop for Syrian refugee children on early marriage (pictured). The centre provides services to refugees including child protection and activities aimed at combating sexual and gender-based violence

As a mother, I want my children to go down the compassionate path. There's much more opportunity, there's much more optimism and there is a solution down that path.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said: Goodwill Ambassadors play a pivotal role in creating better public understanding and support for refugees, and never has there been a greater need to build these bridges.

UNHCR said last year a record 60million people worldwide were displaced from their homes, and more than one third of them were living as refugees.
She recently played the straight talking prosecution lawyer Marcia Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson.

And Sarah Paulson has moved straight into another demanding role as she filmed scenes for the JD Salinger biopic Rebel in the Rye, where she will play sassy literary agent Dorothy Olding.

Striding through the set in Brooklyn, New York on Tuesday, the 41-year-old actress cut a striking figure as she transformed her contemporary appearance to star in the film, which is set in the era of the Second World War and stars Nicholas Hoult as Salinger.

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Wonder woman: Sarah Paulson has moved straight into another demanding role as she filmed scenes for the JD Salinger biopic Rebel in the Rye, where she will play sassy literary agent Dorothy Olding

Showing off her tiny waist, she slipped into a fitted pinstriped jacket which she wore with a matching skirt.

Keeping comfortable as she raced round the set, the star donned a pair of cosy-looking black UGG boots between scenes - which no doubt required wearing some less comfortable heels.

With her golden locks curled and coiffed, her glossy tresses fell in loose waves around her pretty face, mimicking the intrinsic style of the thirties and forties.

Chic: Striding through the set in Brooklyn, New York on Tuesday, the 41-year-old actress cut a striking figure as she transformed her appearance to star in the film, which also stars Nicholas Hoult as JD Salinger

For another scene, the American Horror Story star slipped her lithe frame into another fitted skirt suit, this time in a periwinkle blue that flattered her porcelain complexion.

Adding a touch of glitz, she wore a bejeweled brooch beside her lapel which matched the glimmering diamond studs in her ears.

Making her third outfit change on the day, Sarah then opted for something more comfortable, layering up in loose fitting tracksuit bottoms and a thick black cardigan.

Suits you! Showing off her tiny waist, she slipped into a fitted pinstriped jacket which she wore with a matching skirt. Keeping comfortable as she raced round the set, the star donned a pair of cosy-looking black UGG boots

Blue-tiful! For another scene, the American Horror Story star slipped her lithe frame into another fitted skirt suit, this time in a periwinkle blue that flattered her porcelain complexion

Dressed down: Making her third outfit change on the day, Sarah then opted for something more comfortable, layering up in loose fitting tracksuit bottoms and a thick black cardigan

Meanwhile, Nicholas also dressed down on set, arriving in a loose grey T-shirt and jogging bottoms.

Transforming into JD Salinger, he changed into a pair of tailored grey trousers and a button down white top that showed off his muscular arms.

Slicking his raven coloured tresses back in period style, the 26-year-old looked ready to take on the part of the iconic writer.

Making an entrance: Nicholas also dressed down on set, arriving in a loose grey T-shirt and jogging bottoms

Man of the hour: Transforming into JD Salinger, he changed into a pair of tailored grey trousers and a button down white top that showed off his muscular arms, layering up in a sky blue shirt

Rebel in the Rye is written and directed by Empire co-creator Danny Strong, and began filming in New York last month.

The biopic - which also stars Kevin Spacey - documents Salinger's rebellious youth and romances, his rise to literary fame with iconic novel The Catcher In The Rye, and his ultimate decision to shun the spotlight.

An expected release date has yet to be announced, but Victor Garber, Hope Davis and Zoey Deutch have been confirmed as new additions to the cast.

Transformed: Slicking his raven coloured tresses back in period style, the 26-year-old looked ready to take on the part of the iconic writer, J D Salinger, who died in 2010
For the past few days she has been covering up her curves..

But on Monday Bella Thorne was back to displaying her figure as she wore a low-cut tank top and tight jeans when out with a friend in Los Angeles.

This comes just after it was announced the 18-year-old actress had signed with top Hollywood talent agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

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Curvaceous cutie! Bella Thorne, 18, went braless and showed off her ample bosom in a low-cut tank top as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Monday

The former Disney Channel star donned a lavender top with plunging neckline which she teamed with skintight denim jeans.

Her slim pins were on display in a pair of figure-hugging high-waisted skinnies that highlighted her fine form and pert derriere.

Adding extra height to her 5ft 8in frame, the Shake It Up starlet wore a pair of snakeskin ankle boots with silver metal rod heels.

Fine physique! The former Disney Channel star donned a lavender top with plunging neckline and skintight denim jeans

Up and coming! The strawberry blonde beauty showed off her flawless physique the day it was announced she was signed to top Hollywood management agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Her strawberry blonde tresses cascaded effortlessly in loose waves past her shoulders and she opted for a rosy blush and pink gloss to complete her look.

That afternoon the award-winning actress shared a sexy snapshot with her more than 11 million Instagram followers.

The image gave her fans a look at the several dainty necklaces and chokers she accessorised her outfit with... and a closeup view of her busty cleavage.

'Details all day,' Bella coyly captioned the racy photo.

Perfect posterior! The Shake It Up star donned a pair of figure-hugging skinny jeans that highlighted her fine form and pert derriere

And in a last ditch effort for attention, the actress turned to Twitter on Tuesday and posted a quote which read: 'Just in case no one has told you today: -Good morning, I believe in you, you're doing great, nice butt.'

Bella pleaded for sympathy as she captioned the quote: 'No one told me that this morning,' adding a crying face emoji.

Thorne was spotted as she exited a sushi restaurant from a lunch date and likely enjoyed a break from working on her latest film You Get Me.

Eye-popping! Bella gave her more than 11 million Instagram followers a closeup view of her ample cleavage

She will star as Grace in the upcoming Brent Bonacorso-directed thriller alongside blonde beauty Halston Sage, Taylor John Smith and Nash Grier.

You Get Me follows Tyler (played by Taylor John Smith) who argues with his perfect girlfriend Ali (Halston) and lands in the arms of out-of-towner Grace (Bella).

The following morning Tyler finds that Ali is willing to take him back but Grace is now a student at their school and isn't giving up on him.

The movie is slated for digital release for some time this year.

Quick change: The star swapped out her spray on getup for some more comfortable clothes later in the day
She recently joked about dating Captain America star Chris Evans for the last three years.

But Elizabeth Olsen went solo as she stepped out in NYC on Tuesday. The 27-year-old actress grabbed a caffeine hit as she braved the rain in the city.

This comes after her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen made an impression at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala in NYC on Monday.

Stepping out: Elizabeth Olsen went solo as she stepped out in NYC on Tuesday

Perking up: She clutched a hot coffee and kept well-wrapped up against the weather as she left her hotel

Elizabeth clutched a hot coffee and kept well-wrapped up against the weather as she left her hotel.

Looking stylish in a belted cappuccino colour mac and heeled mules, the Avengers: Age of Ultron star set about her day with purpose.

The younger sister of Olsen twins styled her hair in a centre-parting with loose honey waves around her shoulders.

Stylish: The younger sister of Olsen twins Mary-Kate and Ashley styled her hair in a centre-parting with loose honey waves around her shoulders

Showcasing her pretty face, the star looked fresh as a daisy after skipping the Met Gala.

Elizabeth has been busy promoting her new film, Captain America: Civil War.

The beauty continues to make waves in the acting world, unlike her Full House star sisters, who quit acting for fashion, and she will reprise her role as Scarlet Witch in the movie due out on May 6.

Busy: Elizabeth has been promoting her new film, Captain America: Civil War - pictured last month in London with co-stars Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Emily VanCamp and Daniel Bruhl

Elizabeth was engaged to fellow actor Boyd Holbrook before they called it quits in January 2015.

Later that year she also dated Tom Hiddleston.

She joked on the Ellen Show that she is always romantically linked to her hunky co-star Chris but made it clear they're not stepping out.

She confessed to Elle magazine that she's trying to vamp up her image.

Siblings: Sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen made an impression at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala in NYC on Monday

'Ive been very conservative, but Im trying to allow myself to feel confident with being sexy,' the beautiful blonde told them recently.

'A lot of the time in my life, I try not to take up space  I just want to disappear into a wall,' she dished.

'And then eventually, when Im around people I feel confident with, Ill take up more space.'

She is presently filming Wind River, co-starring Jeremy Renner, in Park City, Utah, home of the Sundance Film Festival.

Taking herself way out of her comfort zone, Elizabeth explained that she has been practicing stunts for the indie thriller.

'Going 60 miles an hour sliding on ice isnt my idea of fun,' she told Elle. 'But I got used to it and loved it. Its absolutely breathtaking 10,000 feet up here in the mountains.'
She's never been shy of showing off her fantastic figure in a sultry selfie.

And Ferne McCann treated her 1.3million Instagram followers to another sizzling offering as she stripped off to her lingerie before applying her fake tan on Tuesday.

Flashing a hint of cleavage in her lacy grey bra, the 25-year-old reality star dazzled in a series of snaps that showed off her incredible frame.

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Tan-tastic! Ferne McCann treated her 1.3million Instagram followers to another sizzling offering as she stripped off to her lingerie before applying her fake tan on Tuesday

Wearing a pair of matching scanty briefs, she also showed off her impeccable abs whilst holding her hands seductively at her hips.

'Cheeky lil fake tan before I go to bed @bondisands me up baby! Tonight I used the self tanning lotion in DARK,' she informed her followers.

Earlier in the day, Ferne proved she can look just as incredible covered up as she soaked up the sun outside the ITV studios after filming her This Morning showbiz segment.

Bra-vo! Flashing a hint of cleavage in her lacy grey bra, that she teamed with matching scanty briefs, she the 25-year-old reality star dazzled in a series of snaps that showed off her incredible frame

The TOWIE star rocked a chic look in muted pastel shades of white and pink, which she wore with effortless glamour from head to toe.

She casually tucked her silky vest top into her high-waisted tailored trousers and added some extra height to her already endless pins with some towering strappy heels.

Meanwhile, she took the opportunity to lap up some rays and top up her already golden tan as she stripped off and tied her baby pink bomber jacket around her waist.

And she continued her summery display as she rounded off her ensemble with a pair of large round sunglasses.

Pretty in pink! Ferne McCann continued to work her super-stylish look as she left the ITV studios and enjoyed a sunny stroll out and about in London, on Tuesday

Summery chic: The 25-year-old rocked a chic look in muted pastel shades of white and pink, which she wore with effortless glamour from head to toe

Stepping out in style! She casually tucked her silky vest top into her high-waisted tailored trousers and added some extra height to her already endless pins with some towering strappy heels

Golden girl: She took the opportunity to lap up some rays and top up her already golden tan as she stripped off and tied her baby pink bomber jacket around her waist

Despite looking like a superstar, she still managed to take some time out of her day to greet some elderly fans and even sign some autographs.

But this wasn't all for fashionable Ferne, as she seized the sunny weather as an opportunity to showcase even more of her enviable wardrobe.

Later in the day, the Essex native took to Instagram to post a sassy photo of herself posing in a pair of ripped jeans and towering grey heels.

Casting shades: Ferne continued her summery display as she rounded off her ensemble with a pair of large round sunglasses

Angelic: Ferne looked super stylish in the all pink and nude combination that she wore for her segment on This Morning

She topped off her outfit with a high-necked white top, black choker and long-line floaty cardigan.

While her hair had fallen poker straight throughout the day, Ferne also added an extra twist to her look with some loose beachy waves.

However, she kept her trusty shades to hand at all times.

The TV presented captioned the snap: 'Those London days in the sun. Crushing over my new shoes from @egoofficial so so so comfortable #egosquad.'

It has been a busy time for Ferne recently.

For, alongside her This Morning appearances the multi-talented misses has also been playing Myrtle Wilson in Gatsby, a musical version of F. Scott Fitzgeralds jazz-age classic The Great Gatsby at fringe theatre the Union in Southwark.

Good girl: Despite looking like a superstar, she still managed to take some time out of her day to greet some elderly fans and even sign some autographs

Adventure time: Ready for all eventualities, the TOWIE star also toted a black fringed rucksack

Busy bee: Alongside her This Morning appearances the multi-talented misses has also been playing Myrtle Wilson in Gatsby
She's no stranger to wearing diamonds and was even presented with no less than two different rocks when her boyfriend DJ Ruckus proposed in December.

But Shanina Shaik opted to include some serious bling in her Met Ball look and sported no less than 91 cut diamonds wearing a whopping 33 carats to the fashion event.

If her barely-there dress demanded attention then Shanina's elaborate ear cuff and diamond necklace were the finishing touches to a show stopping look.

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Serious bling! Shanina Shaik showed some serious diamond jewellery to the Met Gala on Monday. The Australian model wore no less than 23 carats made up of 91 diamonds

The Australian beauty wore the Calypso earcuff and the Joy joaillerie necklace from bespoke french jewellery label Messika.

The necklace is made up of over 671 stones - with each round brilliant cut gem surrounded by a pave of smaller diamonds.

Shanina appeared to leave her Lorraine Schwartz engagement ring at home for the high-fashion bash - perhaps not wanting to distract from her other pieces.

Dazzling: The Victoria's Secret beauty wore a daring and very sheer gown to the Met Ball after parties in New York on Monday night

Cute couple: Shanina was seen leaving the Up & Down bash with her fiance DJ Ruckus

The Victoria's Secret beauty was presented with the ring during a romantic break in The Bahamas the day after Christmas.

The model selected a hexagon cut ring which boasted their initials on the back of the band.

On Monday Shanina was accompanied by her love as she showed off her supermodel shape in an extremely daring sheer dress that left her nipples on display.

Pricey bling: Shanina's necklace boasted more than 700 diamonds

Happy couple: The model and her DJ beau got engaged in December

Shanina was seen attending the Balmain after party before she and DJ Ruckus were seen leaving the Up & Down bash hand in hand later in the evening.

Shanina and Ruckus first started dating in June last year following the brunette beauty's split with her on/off boyfriend at the time, fellow model Tyson Beckford, whom she first started dating in 2008.
California Muslims sue over hijab discrimination

Two lawsuits filed in California on Monday claim that Muslim women were discriminated against in separate incidents because of their religion and for wearing the hijab.

One of the suits claims that police in Long Beach forcibly removed a suspect's headscarf while another suit alleges that a group of women were kicked out of a Laguna Beach coffee house for being Muslim.

According to the complaint against the city of Long Beach and its police department, Kirsty Powell and her husband were pulled over by two officers while driving home in May of last year.

Two lawsuits filed in California claim that Muslim women were discriminated against in separate incidents because of their religion and for wearing the hijab Justin Sullivan (Getty/AFP/File)

She was subsequently arrested on two outstanding warrants -- one linked to her sister allegedly falsely using her identity and one in relation to a 2002 shoplifting incident at a grocery store.

Powell, who is African American, alleges that while being booked at the police station, one of the officers forcibly removed her headscarf in view of other male officers and inmates, telling her she was "not allowed to wear her hijab" and that policemen were "allowed to touch women."

The suit states that Powell "suffered and continues to suffer extreme shame, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress" as a result of her experience.

"The actions taken by the Long Beach police officers were unwarranted and a serious violation of Mrs Powell's bodily integrity," said Yalda Satar, attorney for the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on behalf of Powell.

"The manner in which Mrs Powell was treated by LBPD officers was simply a show of authority over a woman of color who was unable to protect herself, and is another example of the type of discrimination faced by women who wear a hijab."

The Long Beach Police Department said in a statement late Monday that Powell's hijab was taken off in line with the department's policy to remove certain items from inmates -- including belts, shoe laces and head coverings -- for their own protection.

"We respect the religious rights and beliefs of all people and understand the sensitivity of this matter," police chief Robert Luna said. "The policies we have in place are for the safety of the individual, other individuals and police employees.

- 'Targeted over hijab' -

In a separate lawsuit also filed on Monday, a group of seven women claim that they were kicked out of Urth Caffe, in Laguna Beach, last month because they were Muslim.

The women, six of whom wear the headscarf, allege that management had asked them to vacate their table on April 22 on grounds that the restaurant was busy and that the policy limited seating to 45 minutes when no free tables are available.

When the women refused to leave, the coffee house called in the police.

Dan Stormer, whose law firm is representing the women, told AFP that it was clear his clients were targeted because of their religion.

"At the time our clients were there, there were several dozen free tables," he said.

"There were people who were there before our clients arrived and they were not asked to leave. Those people were white and they were not wearing the hijab."

The owner of the restaurant, Shallom Berkman, could not be reached for comment.

But in interviews with local media, he denied discriminating against the women and pointed out that his wife was Muslim.

The two lawsuits come as police in Los Angeles and San Francisco have come under scrutiny over racist and homophobic text messages and emails, several of which target Muslims.

On Sunday, a senior official at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stepped down after outrage over emails he sent three to four years ago mocking Muslims and others.

In San Francisco, several police officers have resigned or retired over racist text messages they exchanged among each other.
Florida man charged with plot to blow up synagogue

A Florida man has been arrested and charged with trying to blow up a synagogue with a fake bomb following an FBI sting operation.

James Gonzalo Medina, 40, was accused of intending to use a "weapon of mass destruction" at a synagogue in the city of Aventura near Miami, the US Justice Department said Monday.

The FBI had earlier placed him under surveillance after he expressed anti-Semitic sentiments to an undercover informant.

A Florida man has been arrested and charged with trying to blow up a synagogue with a fake bomb following an FBI sting operation Mandel Ngan (AFP/File)

The criminal complaint says Medina claimed to have converted to Islam about four years ago and planned to claim that the so-called Islamic State group had planned the attack.

After Medina studied the synagogue, he was given an inert device he believed to be a bomb. He was arrested Friday while en route to the synagogue.

In an April 1 conversation, Medina told the undercover officer that Yom Kippur, one of the most important Jewish holidays, would be "a good day to go and bomb them," according to the criminal complaint.

He also recorded farewell videos in which he made threats and said goodbye to his family.

"I am a Muslim and I don't like what is going on in this world. I'm going to handle business here in America. Aventura, watch your back. ISIS is in the house," the complaint said he declared in one video.

Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and other officials from the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center said on Twitter that the synagogue and its affiliated school were open and "operating as usual" on Monday.

"The synagogue was never at risk nor are there any credible threats directed against the congregation at the present time," they added.

Medina, who was charged Saturday, could face life in prison. He has not yet been indicted.

The FBI employs a network of informants that is estimated to number at least 15,000. Often well-compensated, they take part in investigations into a wide range of activities from pedophilia and drugs to Islamic extremism.
Uber drivers of NY form labor group, seek better pay

Pressing for better pay and work conditions, Uber drivers in New York have formed a labor group to lobby for their interests, since they cannot easily unionize.

The Amalgamated Local of Livery Employees in Solidarity, known by its acronym ALLES, has had some 1,000 of the 50,000 Uber drivers in New York sign up to work on shared concerns.

Legally, Uber refuses to recognize its drivers as employees, and says they are contractors. That makes forming a real union tough -- so far done only in Seattle. ALLES does not set fares but could emerge as a major bargaining force.

Uber drivers protest the company's recent fare cuts and go on strike in front of the car service's New York offices on February 1, 2016 in New York City Spencer Platt (Getty/AFP/File)

"We want at least a minimum wage. Today, if I am dropping a person from one place to another, I am maybe getting a fiver or $6. We cannot live in New York City," said Armughan Asar, an Uber driver who is one of the new group's leaders.

The move follows a 15 percent drop in Uber's New York fares in New York. Uber also recently proposed $100 million settlement with contractors in California and Massachusetts seeking to change the status of drivers and thus obtain reimbursement of certain expenses.

"We are here today to rally Uber drivers who are working exhausting hours without receiving enough compensation to survive NYC's high cost of living," said Kevin Lynch, an ALLES co-chair, adding it was time for the city and state to toughen their regulation of Uber.

Business has boomed for Uber since it launched in San Francisco in 2011.

But the smartphone app has faced stiff resistance from traditional taxi drivers the world over, as well as bans in some places over safety concerns and questions over legal issues, including taxes.

Licensed taxi drivers, who must undergo hundreds of hours of training in some countries, often complain that Uber drivers do not pay for permits or taxes.
Son of ex-FBI agent says US is letting dad 'rot' in Iran jail

The son of the longest-held civilian hostage in US history slammed the Obama administration for abandoning the ex-FBI agent in an Iranian jail.

Ex-CIA contractor and ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson has been missing for nearly a decade. Now 68, he disappeared in mysterious circumstances in March 2007 during a visit to the Iranian island of Kish.

He was reportedly investigating cigarette counterfeiting in the region.

Daniel Levinson, son of Robert Levinson, testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, in June 2015 Chip Somodevilla (Getty/AFP/File)

After Iran released some US nationals it was holding following last year's international nuclear deal, his father's fate remains alarming, overlooked by Washington time and again, his son Dan Levinson wrote in an opinion in the New York Post.

"The White House and State Department have avoided acknowledging the basic fact that he is a hostage," he said on Monday. "When pressed by a reporter about this, a State Department spokesman spent 3-1/2 excruciating minutes refusing to call him a hostage."

The White House has consistently said Levinson was not working for the US government when he disappeared. In January, it said the United States did not believe he was now in Iran.

However, The Washington Post reported that Levinson was working for the CIA at the time and was supposed to meet with an informer about Iran's nuclear program.

"My father has appeared in a video pleading for help and in pictures wearing chains, clearly being held against his will," Levinson said. "What further evidence is needed?"

In January, Tehran released four Iranian-American dual nationals, some of whom had been held for years, in a prisoner swap, while a fifth American was freed separately.

Washington granted clemency to seven Iranians in exchange and withdrew international arrest notices for 14 Iranians.

The prisoner swap came as the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Iran had put a nuclear bomb beyond its immediate reach and the United States and European Union lifted their most draconian economic sanctions.

US diplomats insisted, to widespread skepticism, that the two breakthroughs were entirely separate.

The younger Levinson argued on Monday that if Washington pressed harder, his father would be headed home.

"I have no doubt that if the administration told Iran there would be no further negotiations on any other issues until my dad is returned, Tehran would move quickly to resolve his case," he wrote.

"But Washington has shown an unwillingness to do that, and we feel helpless... My father... is being abandoned."
Confronting darkness in Cambodia's Khmer Rouge stronghold

Standing next to cages that once housed political prisoners, former Khmer Rouge foot soldier Tho Lon gets a surprisingly sympathetic hearing from a clutch of students, despite his work for a regime that wiped out a quarter of Cambodia's population.

"All my life I've been cheated by politicians," he told them in Anlong Veng, a dirt poor town where Pol Pot and his henchmen are still venerated.

"My heart is pained, but I pretend not to be hurt," he adds.

Cambodian students look at the grave of former Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot's in the Anlong Veng Tang Chhin Sothy (AFP)

That his complaints get an airing may jar with many Cambodians in a country still piecing together the horrors of the past.

But his testimony is part of a pioneering reconciliation scheme introducing students to former fighters.

Until now, historians, officials and civil society groups helping Cambodia have struggled to decide on how to approach Anlong Veng, which lies on Cambodia's remote northern border with Thailand.

It was here and among the surrounding Dangrek Mountains that Pol Pot and senior Khmer Rouge leaders lived on long after their murderous regime was toppled by Vietnam in 1979.

Hidden deep in the jungle they launched two decades of guerilla attacks that only ended with the rgeion's final defeat in 1998.

As the students listened intently, Tho Lon explained why he kept on fighting.

"We were living in the mountains," he said. "We had lost all contact with others so we believed what we were told, that the Vietnamese would behead us (if we stopped)".

Tho Lon, 57, paid for his loyalty. He lost his sight in one eye and his right arm below the elbow in a mine blast fighting for a Marxist agrarian utopia that never materialised.

The country paid a bigger price -- a grisly legacy for Cambodia's younger generations.

Along Veng also hosts the dilapidated grave of Pol Pot, the regime's "Brother Number One", who died nearly two decades after the Khmer Rouge fell.

"I feel a mixture of excitement and pity," said Sang Thong, a 25-year-old student from the town of Battambang, as classmates snapped pictures of the grave on their phones.

Some of his relatives died under Pol Pot, he explained.

"But I don't come here to take revenge against him, I come here to learn more and understand more deeply about his regime."

- 'Never forget' -

Ly Sok-Kheang, head of the Anlong Veng Peace Programme, part of the Documentation Centre of Cambodia that researches the country's genocide, said the meetings "promote historical empathy and understanding."

But he admits it was no easy sell.

When Cambodia's long civil war finally ended with the fall of Anlong Veng, he explained, most of the reconciliation work understandably centred on commemorating the Khmer Rouge's victims.

The country's killing fields and notorious detention camps like Tuol Seng have become focal points for those efforts, while Anlong Veng has remained an impoverished backwater.

But Ly Sok-Kheang believes the town should also be remembered, precisely because it was the place where Cambodia finally managed to end decades of violence.

"I think Anlong Veng is the perfect place when we talk about peace in Cambodia," he told AFP.

Ignoring it, some argue, has fed the festering support for Khmer Rouge in the region.

Tho Lon gave his lecture in the grounds of a tumble-down but once grand villa that was owned by Ta Mok, a senior Khmer Rouge leader nicknamed "The Butcher" for the massacres he perpetrated.

He died in 2006 without ever seeing justice.

Ta Mok rose to number three in the Khmer Rouge hierarchy. But he eventually turned on Pol Pot as the remnants of the movement imploded and turned on each other.

Pol Pot was arrested and tried by Ta Mok's faction in 1997.

Ta Mok remains celebrated in the town, primarily for irrigation projects and doling out money and favours.

"I would like to stress that living under Ta Mok, both civilians and troops loved him," said Tho Lon.

- Pol Pot's power lingers -

Sieng Sok Heng, chief of Anlong Veng's tourism office -- a wooden shack down a dusty road -- agreed.

"A lot of the people here were under Ta Mok," he said, adding they instead "hate the regime and its leaders."

Sieng Sok Heng hopes more tourists will seek out the town. Currently some 2,000 locals and 30 international tourists visit each month.

Many seek out Pol Pot's grave.

The Khmer Rouge leader died in yet to be fully explained circumstances shortly after his trial by Ta Mok's henchman.

He was swiftly cremated on a bed of car tyres on a hillside overlooking the town, a stone's throw from the Thai border.

His grave lies in the shadow of a large, newly constructed casino filled with Thai and Chinese tourists, the only clue to its existence a rusty blue sign.

For Chhoeun Chhay Lin, 18, the grave stood as a warning.

"I feel a little bit scared of him as a leader, whether he's dead or alive, he still has some power over people," she said.

"But students should know about history. We must learn never to follow the direction of that dark regime again."

Students walk outside the house of former Khmer Rouge commander Ta Mok's in the Anlong Veng district of Oddar Mean Chey province Tang Chhin Sothy (AFP)

Former Khmer Rouge soldier Tho Lon (C) speaks to students in the basement of the house of former Khmer Rouge commander Ta Mok in Anlong Veng Tang Chhin Sothy (AFP)
Russia hopes for Syria truce in Aleppo 'within hours'

Russia hoped Tuesday a new ceasefire could be announced within hours for Syria's battered city of Aleppo, where fresh fighting including rocket fire on a maternity hospital left close to 30 dead.

As the city was struck by some of its heaviest reported clashes in days, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said efforts were under way to agree on a freeze in the fighting.

"I am hoping that in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, such a decision will be announced," Lavrov said after meeting UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow.

A Syrian man rides his motorbike past destroyed buildings on May 2, 2016, in Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid neighbourhood which was targeted recently by regime air strikes Karam Al-Masri (AFP)

The UN Security Council will meet Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Aleppo that threatens to derail international peace efforts to end the five-year war in Syria.

France and Britain called for the meeting, boosting the major push by world powers this week to end the fighting.

"Aleppo is burning and it is crucial that we focus on this top priority issue," said Britain's UN ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

A February 27 truce between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels raised hopes for efforts to resolve the five-year conflict.

But it has all but collapsed amid renewed fighting, especially in Aleppo.

A surge of violence that erupted on April 22 has killed more than 270 people in the divided northern city and undermined prospects for peace talks.

In Washington, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Assad of "repercussions" if his regime continues to flout a new ceasefire being negotiated for Aleppo.

"If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and they go back to war," he told reporters.

"I don't think that Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that."

- UN condemns attacks -

After a relative lull Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighbourhoods, said Syrian state news agency SANA.

The rockets killed 16 people and wounded 68, including at least three women at Al-Dabbeet maternity hospital, it reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, however, said it had counted at least 19 dead and 80 wounded from the attacks on government-held areas.

Fierce fighting also raged on Aleppo's western edges after rebels detonated explosives in a tunnel, an AFP correspondent said, adding the clashes subsided at nightfall.

It was the most violent day for the city's regime-held west since clashes resumed 11 days ago.

New regime strikes also hit rebel-held eastern areas.

As warplanes thundered above, rebel and government forces exchanged nearly non-stop artillery fire.

Civil defence workers said air strikes on the rebel-held east killed 11 civilians, including a child.

The rocket attack was the sixth time a medical facility has been hit in 11 days in Aleppo, the International Committee for the Red Cross said, calling it "unacceptable."

The Security Council unanimously voted Tuesday to condemn the targeting of health facilities in war zones.

- 'Regime of silence' -

In Moscow, de Mistura said it was crucial for the ceasefire to be "brought back on track," hailing the February truce as a "remarkable achievement."

Diplomatic efforts were set to continue Wednesday in Berlin, with de Mistura joining the German and French foreign ministers for talks with Syria's main opposition leader.

Washington and Moscow are working together to include Aleppo in a so-called "regime of silence" -- a freeze in fighting -- aimed at bolstering the broader truce.

They have agreed to boost the number of Geneva-based truce monitors to track violations "24 hours a day, seven days a week," Kerry said Monday.

In a nod to Moscow's demands, Kerry said Washington would press moderate rebels to separate themselves from Al-Nusra Front jihadists in Aleppo.

Russia and Assad's regime have cited the presence of Al-Nusra, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda that was not party to the ceasefire, as justifying their offensive.

The Observatory says more than 270 civilians -- including 54 children -- have been killed on both sides of divided Aleppo since April 22.

The city was initially excluded from a deal announced last week to "freeze" fighting along two major fronts in the northwest and in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Meanwhile, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said there were "extremely worrying" signs IS may be making its own chemical weapons and may have used them already in Syria and Iraq.

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after anti-government protests were put down, and escalated into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (right) meets with United Nations envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in Moscow, on May 3, 2016 Kirill Kudryavtsev (AFP)

Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate a baby from a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in Aleppo, on April 28, 2016 Ameer Alhalbi (AFP/File)

An aid truck of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) drives past destroyed buildings in the rebel-held village of Teir Maalah, on its way to Talbisseh, on the northern outskirts of Homs in central Syria, on May 2, 2016 Mahmoud Taha (AFP)

Crisis in Syria: the battle for Aleppo Philippe MOUCHE, Thomas SAINT-CRICQ (AFP)
Refugee sets herself alight at Australia's Nauru camp

A refugee who set herself on fire on the Pacific island of Nauru after being sent there by Australia was in a critical condition Tuesday, just days after an Iranian man died in a similar act of self-harm.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the incident happened on Monday and the behaviour of those detained on the small island -- where Australia sends asylum-seekers arriving by boat -- was intensifying.

But he stressed that "no action... will cause the government to deviate from its course".

People protest outside an immigration office in Sydney William West (AFP/File)

"We are not going to allow people to drown at sea again," Dutton told reporters in Canberra.

Dutton blamed refugee advocates for encouraging those in detention centres "to engage in behaviours they believe will pressure the government to bring them to Australia".

"These behaviours have intensified in recent times, and as we see, have now turned to extreme acts with terrible consequences," he said.

Under a much-criticised policy, Canberra sends all asylum-seekers arriving by sea to camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea and denies them resettlement in Australia even if they are found to be genuine refugees.

The government argues that the tough approach -- which also includes turning back boats -- has prevented drownings by stopping people making the dangerous journey, often from Indonesia.

The policy has seen the number of boats dwindle, but the government still has hundreds of refugees and asylum-seekers living in the Pacific centres.

Dutton said after the "distressing" incident, reportedly involving a 21-year-old Somali, the woman had been transferred to hospital in Australia.

"She remains in a critical condition and all efforts are being made to meet her medical needs. We can only hope for the best possible outcome," the minister said in a statement.

"It is of grave concern that this person would resort to such an extreme act of self-harm."

Last week, a 23-year-old Iranian man known as Omid set fire to himself on Nauru during a visit by United Nations representatives, an act the Nauru government said was a "political protest".

He was airlifted to Australia with severe burns, but died on Friday.

Under Australia's policy, those found to be refugees can be settled on Papua New Guinea or Cambodia, with Nauru already home to some 700 refugees, Dutton said. Asylum-seekers can also choose to return to their home country.

Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court last week found its centre on Manus Island -- which has some 850 detainees -- to be unconstitutional, prompting the government in Port Moresby to order it closed.

Australia's immigration detention -, - (AFP Graphic)
Jewish American author Chabon takes on Israeli occupation

American author Michael Chabon's Jewish identity has long been central to his work.

From 2001's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" -- the story of two Jewish cousins before, during and after World War II -- to 2007's "The Yiddish Policemen's Union", Chabon's novels have delved into what it means to be Jewish, especially in America.

Like many American Jews, Chabon has also long felt a connection to Israel, visiting the country first in 1992 with his Israeli-born wife, fellow author Ayelet Waldman.

Israeli soldiers stand in front of the graffiti-covered controversial separation barrier during clashes with Palestinian stone throwers near the West Back city of Ramallah Abbas Momani (AFP)

But his most recent visit, which included a trip to the Palestinian territories with a number of prominent American authors, has raised hackles among some in the Jewish state.

Its aim was to raise awareness of the effects of Israel's occupation of the territories, an issue Chabon says should be of particular resonance to Jews.

"Part of what makes it uniquely horrible for me and what makes it distinct from apartheid is it is being done by Jews. I am a Jew," he told AFP by telephone after returning to the United States following last month's trip.

"(For) a people who went through such a horrific, prolonged persecution, to turn around and eventually oppress another people at such a mass bureaucratic level is somehow to me much more dismaying than apartheid -- as horrible as apartheid was, and I am not trying to diminish it."

Chabon's decision to become involved in campaigning against the occupation was steered by Waldman after a visit to the country of her birth two years ago.

- 'Grievous injustice' -

"She felt much more connected at a root level than she had ever expected," he said. "In a way that was a dismaying moment for her. She felt 'If I am going to feel at home here, then I also have to take on this occupation.'"

Last month's tour saw writers including Dave Eggers and Pulitzer winner Geraldine Brooks meet Palestinians in east Jerusalem, Hebron and villages near Ramallah. Eggers also travelled to the Gaza Strip.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and imposes a wide range of restrictions on its 2.5 million Palestinian residents. Several hundred thousand Israelis have also established settlements in the territories which the United Nations and much of the international community consider illegal.

In an interview with Jewish American publication The Forward after the visit, Chabon, 52, described the occupation as the "most grievous injustice I've ever seen".

Picked up by some Israeli media, his comments sparked widespread discussion online and much criticism.

Prominent pro-Israeli social media campaigner Arsen Ostrovsky said on Twitter that Chabon "clearly hasn't seen much in his life then".

Author Jack Engelhard, writing for the Arutz Sheva Israeli news website, called his comments "sickening", saying they smacked of "someone knocked silly from too much American indulgence".

Many in Israel -- especially on the right -- bristle at criticism of the country by some American Jews, accusing them of not understanding the daily realities of living in the Jewish state.

But Chabon denied any hostility to Israel.

"This idea of me being an enemy of Israel or hating Israel -- I was so biased in favour of Israel, and I think still am on some level, that I was prepared and preferred to ignore it (the occupation)," he said.

"Because that is the only thing you can do if you want to hold on to your support in regard to Israel -- you have to ignore it. The government knows that as well, so that is why they are working so hard to hide it and keep people, including ordinary Israelis, from ever having to see it."

- Editing book on occupation -

The tour was organised in conjunction with Breaking the Silence, a group that provides a platform for military veterans and serving soldiers to describe what they say are disturbing aspects of their service in operations in the West Bank and wars in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon in March accused the group of treason, after they were alleged to have asked soldiers to disclose classified information. The organisation denied the claims.

Chabon and Waldman will now edit a book written by 25 prominent authors focussing on different aspects of daily life under the Israeli occupation, with the proceeds going to Breaking the Silence and a local Palestinian group.

Israeli officials declined to comment on the visit.

Chabon -- whose last novel "Telegraph Avenue" was released in 2012 and who wrote lyrics for more than half the songs on Mark Ronson's last album -- is the latest in a long line of cultural figures that have come out either in favour or against Israel's policies.

Artists such as former Pink Floyd star Roger Waters have called for new measures against the country, but Harry Potter author JK Rowling has opposed a cultural boycott.
Japan agrees to lease military aircraft to Philippines

Japan will lease military aircraft to the Philippines in another sign of deepening security ties between the two former foes to counter Beijing's increasing regional influence.

The agreement was made Monday afternoon during telephone talks between Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Voltaire Gazmin, the ministry said.

Tensions in the South China Sea -- through which one third of the world's oil passes -- have mounted in recent years since China transformed contested reefs into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities.

Helicopter crew members of the Japanese helicopter carrier Ise stand on the deck shortly after arriving at the former US naval base, Subic port, north of Manila, on April 26, 2016 Ted Aljibe (AFP/File)

Under the accord, Tokyo will lease up to five TC-90 training airplanes and help Manila train pilots and aircraft mechanics, the ministry said. The planes can be used as surveillance aircraft, according to local media.

It will be Japan's first lease of its Self-Defence Forces' aircraft to another country after it recently lifted a self-imposed ban on weapons exports.

"We agreed that it is important for all the countries in the region to strengthen cooperation in order to maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea," Nakatani told reporters.

"We believe that improving the Philippines' capability will lead to stability in the region," he added.

The TC-90 is capable of flying some 1,900 kilometres (1,180 miles), roughly double the flight range of the Philippine navy's aircraft, Kyodo News said.

The Philippines has been seeking to strengthen ties with Japan, its former World War II rival, as tensions mount over disputed South China Sea waters, almost all of which are claimed by China. The southeast Asian country has a severely under-equipped military.

Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the contested waterway.

Japan has its own dispute with China in the East China Sea over uninhabited islands that it administers but that are also claimed by Beijing.

A Japanese warship last month sailed into a Philippine port near disputed South China Sea waters while Tokyo agreed in February to supply Manila with military hardware, which may include anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft and radar technology.
'Impossibly rare' violet diamond found in Australia

A rare violet diamond, the largest of its kind ever found at Australia's remote Argyle mine, will be the centrepiece of Rio Tinto's annual pink diamonds showcase, the company said Tuesday.

The rough gem, discovered in August 2015 at a mine where more than 90 percent of the world's pink and red jewels are produced, originally weighed 9.17 carats and had etchings, pits and crevices.

After weeks of assessment, the Argyle Violet was polished down to a 2.83 carat, oval-shaped diamond.

A rare uncut violet diammond discovered at Australia's remote Argyle mine

"Impossibly rare and limited by nature, the Argyle Violet will be highly sought after for its beauty, size and provenance," Rio Tinto Diamonds general manager of sales, Patrick Coppens, said in a statement.

Rio Tinto did not put a figure on its worth, but said it had been assessed by the Gemological Institute of America as a notable diamond with the colour grade of Fancy Deep Greyish Bluish Violet.

It is not known how diamonds acquire their coloured tinge but it is thought to come from a molecular structure distortion as the jewel forms in the earth's crust or makes its way to the surface.

Diamonds for sale as part of the annual Argyle pink diamonds tender can fetch US$1-2 million a carat. As a basic rule of thumb, pink and red diamonds are worth about 50 times more than white diamonds.

Rio Tinto said violet diamonds were extremely rare with only 12 carats of polished stone produced for the tender in 32 years.

"This stunning violet diamond will capture the imagination of the world's leading collectors and connoisseurs," Argyle pink diamonds manager Josephine Johnson said.
Jon Pardi headlines ZooMontana show

Jon Pardi with Corb Lund, Tuesday, Aug. 2, ZooMontana. The general-admission, all-ages, 6 p.m. show is rain or shine. Tickets are $32 in advance or $35 at the door.

Joe Pardis high-energy approach, perfected on stages throughout his native California, has its stamp all over his Capitol Records Nashville debut. Just as importantly, that energy is applied to music rooted in songwriting legend Harlan Howard's adage that country is three chords and the truth.

"All I ever wanted to do coming to Nashville was to write rowdy, in-your-face, straight country music," said Pardi, "and that's what this album is."

Life and love, truth and energy wind their way all through his debut album, which showcases a young artist who is clearly no ordinary newcomer. Few artists hit stride as quickly and as forcefully as he has, and his fellow artists have been among the first to take note "People ask me who I'd like to open up for," he says with a smile, "but Ive been lucky enough to have opened for several artists I look up to.

It's a list that includes Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan and Luke Bryan, artists who appreciate the kind of influences Pardi brings to the table  echoes of the crisp Bakersfield sound of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, hints of the driving beat of Waylon Jennings and the excitement of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Lund's 2015 album with his longtime band, The Hurtin Albertans  Grant Siemens on electric guitar and lap steel, Kurt Ciesla on bass and Brady Valgardson on drums  is titled "Things That Cant Be Undone." It is a self-assured and mature set that pairs Lunds characteristically sharp songcraft with new sounds, thrusting his mix of earnest Americana, rollicking honky-tonk and rousing alt-country to new heights.

I would like to think its a healthy balance of pushing our stylistic boundaries and pushing our audiences ears, but keeping it familiar enough so that theyre not totally alienated, Lund said.

Air Force band to play free ABT show

United States Air Force Academy Concert Band, 7 p.m., June 28, Alberta Bair Theater.

As part of its weeklong tour through Montana, the United States Air Force Academy Concert Band performance features a diverse repertoire celebrating our Nations Independence Day and the patriotic spirit of its people, said Staff Sergeant Adam Porter.

The band proudly represents the Air Force Academy, the leading institution for educating, training, and inspiring men and women to become officers of character. The Concert Band is comprised of 50 active-duty Air Force professionals and is one of nine Academy Band ensembles. In addition to performing for Air Force troop morale, recruiting, and community outreach events, the group often appears on radio and television broadcasts and presents educational performances and clinics at national music conferences. For more than 60 years, the Academy Band has used the power of music to honor our nations heroes, inspire Air Force personnel and the nation they serve, produce innovative musical programs and products, and communicate Air Force excellence to millions around the world.
Hong Kong independence 'inevitable' says campaign leader

For the majority of Hong Kongers, the notion of breaking away from mainland China is far-fetched -- but pro-independence leader Andy Chan insists it can become a reality as fears grow Beijing is tightening its grip.

Critics cast young activists such as Chan, who set up the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) in March, as naive political novices without a workable strategy, campaigning for the unattainable.

But while many in the city may believe the independence mission is futile, the discussion of what was largely a taboo subject in Hong Kong has now undeniably become part of its political narrative as frustrations increase, particularly among younger generations.

"Hong Kong will be an independent country, I don't know when, but it will happen," Hong Kong pro-independence leader Andy Chan says Isaac Lawrence (AFP)

"The Chinese Communist Party will never give us democracy, so I decided to cut off from them... that's the reason that I pursue independence," Chan, 25, told AFP.

"Why can they decide our fate and destiny, even though we are two different groups (of people)?"

Chan says his party has 30 core members, all of whom are under 30-years-old.

HKNP's brazen pro-independence stance has drawn ire from Beijing and authorities in Hong Kong, who have warned campaigning for a breakaway will damage the city's future prosperity and say that advocating independence could result in unspecified "action according to the law".

Chan remains undeterred.

"Hong Kong will be an independent country, I don't know when, but it will happen," he says.

Hong Kong is self-governing and retains liberties not seen on the mainland under a "one country, two systems" deal, made before the city was handed back to China by colonial power Britain in 1997.

Under the arrangement, Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status is guaranteed for 50 years -- but Beijing sees the concept of eventual independence as unthinkable.

- 'Deny your nationality' -

Tall, bespectacled and softly spoken, Chan studied engineering and business -- he gave up his job as a sales engineer to found the party.

HKNP taps in to growing antipathy towards authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong since the failure of massive pro-democracy protests in 2014 to win political reform.

The negative sentiment has been exacerbated by growing influence from Beijing in a range of areas, from politics to the media -- including the disappearances of five Hong Kong booksellers who resurfaced on the mainland.

The men all worked for a publishing house that produced salacious titles about political intrigue and love affairs at the highest levels of Chinese politics.

Young activists are now increasingly pushing for more autonomy from China as part of a new "localist" movement, which sees Hong Kong as a separate society and culture.

Although not all localists are campaigning for independence, some see it as the only solution -- and have said they are not afraid to use violence to achieve their goal.

Chan is unequivocal that Hong Kongers must fundamentally rethink their sense of identity to survive.

"We speak Cantonese, they speak Mandarin, we use common law and they don't, we have our culture, our religions, our lifestyles which are greatly different from the Chinese region," Chan said.

"Hong Kong people have to deny their Chinese nationality."

The idea of independence is gaining support, Chan says: one pro-independence localist leader took more than 60,000 votes in a recent parliamentary by-election.

While he would not divulge his own party's plans or political strategy, Chan describes its members as "revolutionary".

"(Going to) jail, we are ready for that because we are fighting for our freedom and our future," he told AFP.

HKNP has already faced hurdles after authorities refused its application to register as a company, making it difficult to run in legislative elections in September.

But Chan says he is still considering competing for a parliamentary seat, buoyed by his belief that momentum for the independence movement is growing.

"Hong Kong is ready to be a country," he says.

"More and more people realise that 'one country two systems'...is not viable."

HKNP taps in to growing antipathy towards authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong since the failure of massive pro-democracy protests in 2014 to win political reform Nicolas Asfouri (AFP/File)

The Mighty Current publishing house that produced salacious titles about political intrigue and love affairs at the highest levels of Chinese politics Anthony Wallace (AFP/File)
Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed by an angel fallen from heaven when a beautiful doll washed up on a beach -- only to discover it was an inflatable sex toy.

Rapidly-spreading reports of a heavenly offering and fears of possible social unrest prompted a police investigation.

Detectives who arrived in the remote spot soon punctured the theory of divine intervention.

Indonesian villagers found the inflatable doll in April while fishing off the remote Banggai islands Indonesian Police, - (Indonesian Police/AFP/File)

"When our officers arrived they saw that the 'fallen angel' was just a doll, it was a sex toy," local police chief Heru Pramukarno told AFP.

Villager Pardin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, found the doll when he was fishing off the remote Banggai islands off Sulawesi in central Indonesia, police said.

The discovery in March came a day after a solar eclipse swept across the area, a deeply spiritual experience in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country. This led superstitious locals to believe the two events were linked.

Pardin took the partially inflated doll to his home in Kalupapi village, where it was treated with great reverence.

His mother gave the "angel" a fresh change of clothes and new Muslim headscarf to wear every day, and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip.

Police decided to investigate after becoming concerned the increasing excitement about the "angel" could lead to unrest.

"We were hearing many stories, such as that the 'fallen angel' was crying when she was discovered," Pramukarno said.

The problem, it seemed, was the remoteness of Kalupapi.

"They have no Internet, they don't know what a sex toy is."

After investigating, officers confiscated the doll and took it to the local police station, a move they said was intended to stop false rumours from spreading.

It is not the first time that a sex toy has been mistaken for something else entirely.

In 2012 a Chinese TV station reported a rare mushroom with medicinal qualities had been discovered in a town during drilling for a new well, only for viewers to point out that the object was in fact a sex toy for men.

Sex toys have also sparked police alerts in the past. Several years ago police in China's Shandong province launched a rescue operation to save what they believed was a woman drowning in a river, only to discover it was actually an inflatable sex doll.
Indian police arrest forest guards over rhino poaching

Indian police said Tuesday they have arrested four forest guards on suspicion of helping to cover up rhino poaching in a national park visited by Britain's Prince William and his wife last month.

The arrests relate to an incident last year, but came as wildlife officials said a gang of poachers armed with automatic weapons had killed another rhino on Monday in the Kaziranga National Park in the northeastern state of Assam.

The four arrested guards were suspected of covering up the killing of a rhino last November, Kaziranga wildlife warden Suvasish Das told AFP by telephone.

Indian forestry officials stand near the carcass of a rhinoceros that was killed and de-horned by poachers in the Kaziranga National Park

Police said they had failed to report the killing and had buried the carcass with its horn removed.

"Based on specific information, we managed to recover the carcass on Monday after digging up the site," said a senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"This led to the arrest of seven people including the four forest guards."

The other three are locals living around the park, home to the world's largest concentration of rare one-horned rhinoceros.

At least seven rhinos have been killed there so far this year. Across the state, the figure is 13.

Images of the park, a major tourist attraction, shot around the world last month when Britain's Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went on safari and fed rhino and elephant calves there during a tour of India and neighbouring Bhutan.

The state's forests minister Atuwa Munda said he had ordered an investigation into the alleged collusion of forest guards in poaching.

"We will take stern action against anyone found (to be involved) in incidents of rhino poaching," he said.

Kaziranga has fought a sustained battle against rhino poachers who kill the animals for their horns, which fetch huge prices in China and Vietnam where they are deemed to have aphrodisiac and cancer-curing qualities.
CEO of China's Baidu summoned over student death

The head of Chinese search giant Baidu has been summoned by the country's authorities, reports said Tuesday, as the firm faced a barrage of criticism over the death of a student who used it to search for a cancer treatment.

Wei Zexi, a 21-year-old college student, had already been diagnosed as having a terminal soft tissue disease when his family found an experimental immunotherapy treatment via a Baidu search.

He spent more than 200,000 yuan ($30,000) on the therapy, which failed, he said in a posting on zhihu.com, a Chinese question-and-answer forum, in February before he died. He had borrowed money to cover his costs.

The head of Chinese search giant Baidu has been summoned by the country's authorities, reports say, over the death of a student who used it to search for a cancer treatment Greg Baker (AFP/File)

Wei accused the hospital of exaggerating the treatment's efficacy and accused Baidu of ranking medical information search results by the amount paid by advertisers, denouncing it as "evil" and warning other cancer patients "not to be cheated".

Baidu says it differentiates paid entries in its search results.

But amid mounting public anger, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement that it has launched a joint investigation with the country's health authorities and business regulator into Baidu.

The company's chief executive Robin Li has also been asked by the Internet regulator to answer queries, the Economic Information Daily, which is owned by the official Xinhua news agency, on Tuesday quoted unnamed sources as saying.

"Baidu has been operating in a grey area where the rule of law, business profits and public interests are intertwined," a columnist wrote on Tuesday in the Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party.

"Baidu must face discipline by authorities for its unscrupulous activities driven by desire for profits," it added.
Air raids on IS Syria bastion kill 19 civilians: monitor

Heavy air strikes throughout the night on the Islamic State group's de facto Syria capital Raqa killed 19 civilians and 10 jihadists, a monitor said in a new toll Tuesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had first reported the air strikes on Tuesday morning and said 13 civilians and five IS fighters had been killed.

Two children were among the civilians killed.

Syrian army soldiers take positions on the outskirts of Syria's Raqa region

The Britain-based monitor had no immediate word on whether the strikes were carried out by the Damascus regime, its ally Moscow or the US-led coalition battling IS.

"Raqa has not been targeted by air raids of this intensity for several weeks," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

"These raids continued throughout the night and into the morning."

The US-led coalition has acknowledged that its anti-IS raids have killed 41 civilians in Syria and Iraq, although observers say the toll is likely to be much higher.

The Airwards monitoring group said in March that Russia's air campaign in Syria, which began in September 2015, probably killed more than 1,000 civilians in its first three months alone.
San Francisco's revamped modern art museum eyes global splash

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art reopens in mid-May after an ambitious $305 million expansion and facelift that aims to rival the world-class art spaces of New York, Paris or London.

The revamped museum will be unveiled May 14 following a three-year upgrade entrusted to the Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta -- best known for the dramatic new Alexandria Library in Egypt -- that included more than doubling the exhibition space.

The brick structure that has housed the SFMOMA since 1995 in downtown San Francisco is now attached to a huge 10-floor "annex." Outside, a wavy white facade made of more than 700 fiberglass-reinforced polymer panels seems to come alive as the light bounces off at different angles.

An art piece called "Geometric Apple Core" by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen on display inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) which first opened opened its doors in the 1990s Josh Edelson (AFP)

Snohetta says the facade is meant to represent the waves in the San Francisco bay and the city's iconic fog banks.

At ground level, large glass windows invite pedestrians to enter and visit the massive steel artwork by Richard Serra titled "Sequence," or the "Untitled" eight-meter-wide white mobile that hangs in the atrium above the central staircase.

"The signature material in this building is glass," said museum director Neal Benezra.

"You know right away that we want you to come in. We're transparent, we're open, and we're free at the first floor level."

When SFMOMA opened its doors in the 1990s, the neighborhood was shabby and affordable. Today the area has dramatically gentrified and become a symbol of the vast income disparity caused by the high-tech boom that began in nearby Silicon Valley.

The new museum, Benezra stressed, "embraces the community" it is rooted in.

- From hobby to 'obsession' -

The SFMOMA expansion more than doubles its galleries to 170,000 square feet (16,000 square meters) and creates one of the largest modern art spaces in the United States.

There is extraordinary work by key 20th-century artists, from Diego Rivera to Henri Matisse, Alfred Stieglitz to Andy Warhol, and career surveys of individual artists, including what is touted as a one-of-a-kind collection by the painter and abstract sculptor Ellsworth Kelly.

Its new Pritzker Center for Photography, which takes up almost an entire floor, is billed as the largest in the country.

The expansion was primarily designed to accommodate the huge private art collection of Doris and Donald Fisher, founders of the Gap clothing store chain.

Their son Robert Fisher describes their parent's art collection as "a hobby turned into obsession."

He said his parents had two simple rules in acquiring works of art: "they had to both love the work, and they had to be able to afford it."

Starting in the 1970s the Fishers collected 1,100 works by 185 artists, first quietly and then on display in two galleries at the Gap headquarters in San Francisco.

After looking into building a private museum, the Fishers decided in 2009 to hand their collection over to the SFMOMA in a 100-year trust.

The museum will display part of the collection on several floors, with several thematic exhibits focused on pop art icons such as Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, as well as artists who emerged in post-war Germany like Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter.

Robert Fisher believes that a Richter painting, "Zwei Kerzen" (Two Candles) best symbolizes the love of his parents.

"It usually hung over the fireplace in our home in San Francisco," Fisher said.

Each summer "they would take the painting with them" wrapped in a blanket in the family station wagon to their summer home, where Fisher's father would hang it "up over the television set."

Aside from the Fisher collection, the museum has enriched its own reserves thanks to a campaign starting in 2009 to convince wealthy collectors to entrust them with some of their art work.

More than 3,000 pieces have been promised, including works of Francis Bacon, Alberto Giacometti, Yves Klein and Jackson Pollock. Six hundred of these will be on exhibit for the reopening.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) expansion more than doubles its galleries to 170,000 square feet (16,000 square meters) and creates one of the largest modern art spaces in the United States Josh Edelson (AFP)

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has undergone a three-year upgrade entrusted to the Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta Josh Edelson (AFP)

A woman takes a photo of an art piece inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in California Josh Edelson (AFP)

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will open to the public on May 14, 2016 Josh Edelson (AFP)
India forest fires creep close to famous Shimla railway

Forest fires raging in India's Himalayan region crept perilously close to a famous British-era railway track Tuesday, as panicked residents fought off blazes threatening to engulf their homes.

Dubbed the "toy train" and dotted with tiny wooden stations, the narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla railway in Himachal Pradesh state is a UNESCO world heritage site attracting thousands of tourists each year.

"Our gangmen are keeping watch over the fires and dousing the flames if they are too close to the track," said Sanjay Parmar, a traffic inspector with Indian Railways.

Wildfires burn through forest near the northern Indian hill town of Shimla in the state of Himachal Pradesh on May 2, 2016

"Train services on the track have been delayed for two days due to the fire around the track," he said.

Fires sweeping through pine-forested areas drew closer to at least three towns across the northern state, famed for its snowy peaks and flowing rivers, while a boarding school was forced to evacuate.

"An alert has been sounded across the state and police, fire tenders and volunteers have been pressed into service to put out the fires," senior police official Sanjay Kundu said.

TV footage showed a family in the hill station of Kasauli trying to extinguish fires themselves using sticks and water.

"We were up all night," a resident of Kasauli told NDTV television network. "We are trying to put out the fire on our own as there has been no help from the authorities so far."

Usually mild lower parts of the state have seen temperatures soar to 42 C (108 F), with the capital Shimla hitting 29.8 C (86 F), about six degrees higher than normal.

Fires have also been raging in the forests of neighbouring Uttarakhand state where at least eight people have died, local media reports said.

Officials said it was unclear what started the fires but their intensity has been blamed on a severe drought gripping central and western India.

The country is suffering its worst water crisis in years, with the government saying about 330 million people are suffering from drought after the last two monsoons failed.
Pilgrims brave bomb threat to flock to Baghdad shrine

A sea of pilgrims converged on a Baghdad shrine on Tuesday for an annual Shiite religious commemoration, defying fears of further bomb attacks by the Islamic State group.

The days-long pilgrimage to mourn the 799 AD death of Imam Musa Kadhim came as Iraq wallowed in political limbo after the storming of parliament by protesters on Saturday.

IS has claimed two bombings targeting pilgrims in recent days that have killed at least 37 people, but the attacks have not deterred crowds of black-clad faithful from marching and beating their chests in mourning.

Many of the main thoroughfares in Baghdad are closed in the days leading up to the annual commemoration of Imam Kadhim's death, an important date in the Shiite Muslim calendar Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP/File)

"This pilgrimage represents a defeat for terrorism," said Mohammed Nayif, a 32-year-old from Babil province, south of Baghdad.

"We are not afraid of the explosions and nothing will stop us," he said, as he marched with tens of thousands of devotees.

Abbas Mustafa, 63, agreed, saying: "The explosions increased my resolve and my strength to challenge these (militants)."

An official from the shrine said that "millions" of people participated in the pilgrimage in recent days.

Many of the main thoroughfares in Baghdad are closed in the days leading up to the annual commemoration of Imam Kadhim's death, an important date in the Shiite Muslim calendar.

On Tuesday morning, as the commemoration reached its peak, a compact crowd stretching as far as the eye could see followed a mock coffin through the streets leading to the shrine in Kadhimiya in north Baghdad.

Swarms of pilgrims, crying and shouting in grief during the symbolic funeral, lunged to touch the coffin as it lurched from one side of the street to the other.

Kadhim is the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shiite Islam. The pilgrimage to his shrine has in recent years turned into a huge event that brings the capital to a standstill for days.

- Political impasse -

IS has claimed multiple attacks in the Baghdad area targeting the pilgrims.

A car bomb in south Baghdad killed at least 14 people on Monday, while 23 people died in a similar attack on the outskirts of the city two days before.

The Sunni extremists of IS consider members of Iraq's Shiite majority to be heretics, and frequently target them in bombings.

Iraqi forces have regained significant ground from IS, which overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014.

But the jihadists still control a major part of western Iraq, and carry out frequent bombings in government-controlled areas.

The pilgrimage and the attacks come as Iraq is mired in a weeks-long political crisis that saw demonstrators break into the capital's fortified Green Zone and storm parliament in an unprecedented security breach on Saturday.

The protesters, angered by parliament's repeated failure to approve Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's nominees for a new cabinet of technocrats, pulled down slabs from heavy concrete blast walls and scaled the barriers to enter the Green Zone.

The area is home to Iraq's main government institutions as well as various embassies, including those of the United States and Britain.

Demonstrators withdrew from the Green Zone on Sunday, but they warned they would be back if their demands were not met.

Abadi's efforts to replace the current cabinet of party-affiliated ministers has been opposed by powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.

No clear plan of action has emerged from any of the main players and several sources said Sadr himself has flown to neighbouring Iran, the main foreign broker among Shiite political blocs in Iraq.

Shiite Muslim worshippers take part in a ceremony outside the Imam al-Kadhim shrine in Baghdad on May 2, 2016 Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP)
Israel destroys home of Palestinian suspect in murder of Israelis

Israel on Tuesday destroyed the West Bank home of a Palestinian accused of aiding in the October 2015 murder of a Jewish settler couple in the Israeli-occupied territory.

Palestinian Zeid Amr, aged 26 or 27, is accused of being part of a squad from the militant Hamas movement that ambushed and shot dead Naama and Eitam Henkin in front of their young children as the couple drove on a road between two West Bank settlements.

Amr, who is alleged to have staked out the attack site ahead of the shooting, was detained along with four other Hamas-linked suspects a few days after the attack.

Palestinians look at the damage in the West Bank city of Nablus on May 3, 2016, after Israeli forces destroyed the house of Zeid Amr, a Palestinian man accused of taking part in the killing of a Jewish settler couple Jaafar Ashtiyeh (AFP)

His father Ziad Amr told AFP that Israeli troops arrived at the family apartment in the northern West Bank city of Nablus around 6:30 am (0330 GMT on Tuesday.

"They destroyed interior walls and closed off our home," he said, adding that the family had been given advance warning after their appeal in Israel's Supreme Court was rejected.

An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the demolition.

"He was a member of a Hamas-affiliated terror cell that planned and executed the terror attack on October 1, killing Eitam and Naama Henkin," she told AFP, saying Amr had "scouted" the route for the attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accelerated demolitions of the homes of alleged attackers in a bid to halt a wave of violence that has killed 203 Palestinians and 28 Israelis since October.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Critics say the home demolitions constitute collective punishment, in breach of international humanitarian law, but supporters say it helps deter would-be attackers.

In December, the army blew up the Nablus home of Rajeb Aliweh, a Palestinian accused of masterminding the killing of the Henkins.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip but is also active in the West Bank, has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

Also on Tuesday police said they had arrested a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem's Old City suspected of stabbing a Jewish man there late on Monday.

"The terrorist was found hiding in one of the alleyways of the Old City," a police statement said, identifying the suspect as an 18-year-old from the West Bank.
A Billings lawyer, who has handled casework for the state of Montana and the city of Billings, tried to use her position to get out of a DUI arrest, according to documents filed in the case.

Michele Lynn Braukmann, 39, additionally faces three felony charges of criminal child endangerment as well as two misdemeanor charges for possession of an open alcohol container and operating a vehicle without proper registration.

At about 10 p.m. on April 16 near 60th Street West and Grand Avenue, investigators say Braukmann was driving with three children in the car when a trooper pulled her over. Braukmann had an open bottle of vodka in the car and a breathalyzer test registered her blood alcohol content at 0.247 percent, more than three times the legal limit, according to documents.

The charges, which were detailed in an affidavit prepared by assistant attorney general Chad Parker, included Braukmann's alleged conversation with the Montana Highway Patrol after being pulled over.

Braukmann told the trooper she was "an attorney for the city of Billings" and "she defended police officers," according to the affidavit.

She added that she had Billings Police Chief Rich St. John's telephone number on "speed dial." The trooper sent the three children, two 11-year-olds and one 7-year-old, home and took Braukmann to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility.

At the jail, Braukmann continued to tell law enforcement she "worked for the city of Billings and with city leaders." She said she was a "moral person" and that the trooper who arrested her should be out "arresting other people and not her," documents state.

According to her profile page on the Moulton Bellingham website, where she works, Braukmann is a shareholder and board member of the firm. She represented cities through the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority. Braukmann handled civil rights, excessive force and related claims against police departments and general negligence claims involving city departments.

Moulton Bellingham attorney Tom Smith said Monday that Braukmann is on leave from the firm, but she is expected to return.

Smith said the firm believes all are innocent until proven guilty, but that the firm was disappointed to learn one of its attorneys may have been driving while under the influence. Smith said he hopes Braukmann will be able to address the issues raised by this incident. Braukmann is a valuable member of Moulton Bellingham who has dedicated many years to her legal work, Smith said.
'3 dead, 17 wounded by rebel fire' on hospital in Syria's Aleppo

Rebel fire on a hospital in a government-controlled neighbourhood of Syria's second city Aleppo killed three women and wounded another 17 people on Tuesday, state media reported.

The rockets hit Al-Dabbeet hospital in the Muhafaza district, state news agency SANA said.

Rebel rocket fire on other government-held neighbourhoods killed another 11 people, it added.

A Syrian man walks past destroyed buildings in Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid neighbourhood on May 2, 2016 Karam Al-Masri (AFP/File)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels had fired rockets and shells on government-controlled western districts of the city throughout the day.

After a lull through the morning, regime air strikes on rebel-held eastern areas resumed in the afternoon, an AFP correspondent reported.

Moscow has faced mounting pressure from Washington to rein in air raids by its Damascus ally after a hospital and three clinics were hit.
Blaze in Myanmar destroys hundreds of Rohingya homes

A major fire on Tuesday damaged or destroyed the homes of some 2,000 Rohingya Muslims living in a camp for people displaced by 2012 communal fighting in western Myanmar.

The charred remains of wooden shelters and twisted metal roofs were visible through a thick haze of smoke after the fire broke out in the early morning, a stark reminder of dire living conditions for over 100,000 Rohingya confined to a network of bleak camps in Rakhine state.

Authorities said a cooking stove caused the blaze at the Bawdupa camp near the state capital Sittwe, with strong winds believed to have spread flames from house to house in the tinder-dry area.

Rohingya children look on past charred shelters following a fire that gutted the Bawdupa camp near Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital, on May 3, 2016

A statement from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said initial reports suggested 14 people had been injured, with unconfirmed reports that there could have been fatalities.

"An estimated 440 households (about 2,000 individuals) were affected, but exact numbers are unconfirmed," it said, adding that humanitarian organisations were working to provide shelter and other necessities.

It said 44 barracks-style housing blocks, which hold up to eight families each, were completely destroyed by the fire. Up to nine more were badly damaged.

Some 140,000 people, mainly Rohingya, have been trapped in grim displacement camps since they were driven from their homes by waves of violence between Buddhists and minority Muslims four years ago.

The conflict left Rakhine state deeply scarred, effectively segregating communities on religious grounds and depressing the local economy.

It also stoked wider Buddhist nationalism in Myanmar, which has seen outbreaks of anti-Muslim bloodshed in other areas in recent years.

Rakhine's Rohingya are labelled "Bengali" by hardline Buddhists and many government officials, who brand them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though many can trace their ancestry back generations.

Faced with apartheid-like restrictions that limit access to jobs, education and healthcare, thousands have braved perilous boat journeys in search of better lives in Malaysia and Indonesia.

An exodus last year sparked a regional crisis and a crackdown on smuggling routes.

Last month at least 20 Muslims from a Rakhine displacement camp drowned when their boat capsized in choppy waters while it was travelling to a market in Sittwe.

Passengers said they were forced to take the dangerous sea route because authorities ban them from travelling by road.

Residents assist Myanmar firefighters during a blaze that gutted the Rohingya shelters in the Bawdupa camp near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, on May 3, 2016

UN officials said 440 households were affected by a blaze that that gutted the Bawdupa camp near Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state, on May 3, 2016
Syria ceasefire must be 'brought back on track': UN envoy

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Tuesday a faltering truce in Syria must be "brought back on track" as he held talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on ending a fresh upsurge in fighting.

As the talks kicked off in Moscow, fighting raged in Syria's second city of Aleppo, with state media reporting that rebel fire on a hospital killed three women.

Another 11 people were killed in rebel attacks on other government-held neighbourhoods, SANA state news agency said.

Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid has targeted recently by regime air strikes Karam Al-Masri (AFP)

In televised remarks, de Mistura praised the two-month-old truce brokered by Moscow and Washington as a "remarkable achievement" and said the two global powers should help "all of us to make sure that this is brought back on track".

Russia's top diplomat for his part said that "there was no alternative to the political settlement of the Syrian crisis," adding Moscow highly valued Mistura's efforts to help negotiate an end to a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people since 2011.

"I am looking forward to a fruitful discussion," Lavrov added.

The talks in the Russian capital were a last-ditch bid to rescue peace negotiations that have been undermined by the fierce fighting around Aleppo.

The meeting comes after a day of diplomacy in Geneva, where US Secretary of State John Kerry added his weight to efforts to resuscitate the stuttering truce.

Syria's state news agency SANA reported that rebel fire on a hospital in a government-controlled neighbourhood of Aleppo killed three women and wounded another 17 people.

Rebel rocket fire on other government-held neighbourhoods killed another 11 people, it added.

Crisis in Syria: the battle for Aleppo
China to release last Tiananmen prisoner: activists

China plans to release the last prisoner known to be held in connection with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests after nearly three decades in jail, a US-based human rights group said Tuesday.

Miao Deshun, 51, is due to be released in October, the Duihua Foundation said, after serving more than 27 years in prison for his involvement in the mass demonstrations that were brutally put down by China's government.

Chinese courts originally gave him a suspended death sentence for arson after he and "four coworkers allegedly threw a basket onto a burning tank", it said.

Two city buses block Jianguomen Avenue, the main street to Tiananmen Square, on May 21, 1989, in order to keep military forces out after the Martial Law was proclaimed in Beijing the previous day Catherine Henriette (AFP/File)

Commuted to life imprisonment, his prison term was subsequently reduced several times, most recently this year, when authorities shortened it by 11 months for good behaviour.

"People who served sentences with him in the 1990s remember him as a very thin man who refused to admit wrongdoing and participate in prison labour", the statement said, noting that he had spent time in solitary confinement and been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

In 2013, Duihua said that China had released Jiang Yaqun, then 73 and thought to be the last prisoner convicted of counter-revolutionary offences in relation to the protests.
Sri Lankan lawmakers brawl in parliament over bombing claim

Sri Lanka's parliament erupted in brawls between rival lawmakers Tuesday, after a former army chief said a bomb blast apparently targeting ex-president Mahinda Rajapakse's brother 10 years ago was an "inside job".

Legislators from Sri Lanka's ruling party traded blows with those loyal to Rajapakse who became enraged after Sarath Fonseka said the 2006 bombing was aimed at winning sympathy for the then-ruling family.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said several lawmakers were injured and one was later taken to hospital suffering a black eye after the worst melee seen in the legislature in more than a decade.

Sri Lanka's former army chief Sarath Fonseka said the December 2006 bomb attack apparently targeting former president Mahinda Rajapakse's brother 10 years ago was stage-managed Ishara S. Kodikara (AFP/File)

"I am deeply saddened by the behaviour of MPs in storming the well of the House and attacking each other while Field Marshal Fonseka was explaining (security arrangements for the former president)," said Jayasuriya, who was forced to suspend proceedings for the day.

Fonseka, now a government legislator, said the December 2006 bomb attack blamed on separatist Tamil Tiger rebels had been stage-managed by the president's brother Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who was defence secretary at the time.

"No terrorist will set off a suicide bomb 25 metres away from the intended target," Fonseka told parliament during a debate on scaling down military security granted to the former strongman leader.

The government has said it is removing troops in Rajapakse's bodyguard and replacing them with police commandos as part of a policy of relieving the military from civilian security duties.

Gotabhaya escaped the 2006 bombing in Colombo unhurt, but it killed two members of his military convoy.

Soon after the attack, the government asked peacebroker Norway to halt all contacts with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Colombo withdrew from a truce and eventually crushed the rebels by May 2009.

Fonseka led the successful military campaign against the Tigers, but later fell out with the Rajapakse family over who should take credit for the spectacular military success.

He launched a failed challenge to Rajapakse in 2010 elections and was later jailed for two and a half years on corruption charges.

The former army general has since been exonerated of all charges and elevated to the rank of field marshal by Rajapakse's successor, Maithripala Sirisena.

The general himself was seriously wounded in a suicide bombing in April 2006.
US warns Russia it will defend allies as NATO command passes

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter warned Tuesday that NATO would defend its allies against Russian "aggression" as he presided over the passing of the alliance's European command to a new general.

Carter said NATO would "keep the door open for Russia" for cooperation on global security challenges if Moscow abandoned its "sabre-rattling".

"But it's up to the Kremlin to decide. We don't seek a cold, let alone hot, war with Russia. We don't seek to make Russia an enemy," he said.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter Win McNamee (Getty/AFP/File)

"But make no mistake: we will defend our allies, the rule-based international order and the positive future it affords us."

Carter was speaking in the western German city of Stuttgart at the change of command ceremony for General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of US forces in South Korea, to become its top commander in Europe.

Scaparrotti, who replaces US General Philip Breedlove, will have to handle the Atlantic alliance's tense relationship with Russia.

Breedlove, a US air force general, has served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe since May 2013. The post has always been held by an American.

Moscow has led a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and allegedly backed rebels in eastern Ukraine against forces of the Western-backed government in Kiev.

Since the Ukraine conflict, NATO has established a high-speed response force complete with forward command and logistic centres in its eastern members so it can deploy much more rapidly.

Last week Germany said it was considering sending troops to Lithuania as part of a NATO mission to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank with Russia.

In brief remarks, Scaparrotti said NATO faced "challenges to international law" by Russia in Ukraine and the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia.

"We also face the immediate threat that terrorism poses as the world witnessed in the recent tragedies in Brussels, Paris and Ankara," he said.

"And we face the significant influx of migrants and refugees that are challenging the social fabric of Europe."
New Bangladesh hit-list threatens teachers, politicians

Bangladesh police were Tuesday investigating a new hit-list that includes the head of a university, journalists and ruling party officials, after a series of gruesome killings.

Police said they were taking seriously the threat to kill 10 people listed in a leaflet that was sent to a press club in the northwestern town of Natore on Monday by a hitherto unknown group.

Among those named was the head of Rajshahi University, where a liberal professor was hacked to death by suspected Islamists less than two weeks ago.

Bangladeshi police say they were taking seriously the threat to kill 10 people listed in a leaflet that was sent to a press club in the northwestern town of Natore on Monday by a hitherto unknown group Munir Uz Zaman (AFP/File)

"The leaflet bears the name of Islami Liberation Front. It said it has launched a mission to kill the 10 people," Natore police chief Shymal Kumar Mukherjee told AFP.

"We don't know anything about this group. There are no previous information about this group. We have taken the matter seriously," he said.

The Muslim-majority nation is reeling from a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by suspected Islamist militants.

The Islami Liberation Front said its objective was to establish an Islamic caliphate in Bangladesh by toppling what it called the "repressive" government.

Police in the city of Rajshahi said they were guarding those named and investigating the authenticity of the threat.

"We're giving special attention to these people," deputy chief of Rajshahi police Sardar Tamizuddin Ahmed told AFP.

- 'Bring killers to book' -

Police said more than 1,000 students and teachers and students rallied on the Rajshahi University campus on Tuesday to protest at the murder of English professor Rezaul Karim Siddique, who was a poet and leading cultural activist.

Shortly after his killing, which has been claimed by the Islamic State group, two gay activists were hacked to death elsewhere.

Their killings were subsequently claimed by a Bangladeshi branch of Al-Qaeda.

Teachers and students have been boycotting classes at the university since Siddique's murder on April 23, demanding justice and the arrest of the killers.

"The killers must be brought to book immediately. The government must protect the teachers and liberal voices as we're all feeling insecure," the head of Rajshahi University Teachers Association, Shahid Ullah, told AFP.

Bangladesh's government has been criticised for not doing enough to stem the tide of violence. At least 30 members of religious minorities, secular bloggers and other liberal activists, foreigners and intellectuals have been murdered in the past three years.

The government denies outside involvement in the killings, saying neither the IS group nor Al-Qaeda have a presence in the country and blaming banned local militant groups for the attacks.

National police chief A.K.M Shahidul Hoque Tuesday denied authorities were not doing enough to bring the perpetrators to justice.

He said there had been 37 attacks related to Islamist militancy since February 2013, when an atheist blogger was hacked to death by homegrown militants.

"We were able to unearth the motives in 33 cases and have detained 144 people in connection with the cases," he told reporters.

A long-running political crisis in officially secular Bangladesh has radicalised opponents of the government and analysts say Islamist extremists pose a growing danger.
UN Security Council demands protection of hospitals in war zones

The UN Security Council on Tuesday demanded that hospitals and clinics be protected in war zones, in a resolution that draws attention to the rise in attacks on medical workers in conflicts worldwide.

Less than a week after air strikes on a hospital in the Syrian battleground city of Aleppo killed at least 30 people, the council unanimously adopted the measure that strongly condemned the targeting of health facilities and recalled that such attacks are war crimes.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said it was a "major resolution" that sent a strong warning that there can be "no impunity" for the perpetrators of attacks on medical facilities.

The Al-Quds hospital in Aleppo was destroyed by Syrian regime airstrikes on April 28, 2016 Karam al-Masri (AFP/File)

The resolution does not break any new legal ground but British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft stressed that it was "shining a spotlight" on the increase in attacks and serves as a reminder that hospitals, ambulances and medical workers cannot be targets in war.

It was the first-ever resolution adopted by the council specifically on the need to protect medical facilities in war zones.

According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), there were 94 attacks in Syria against hospitals and clinics supported by that NGO and three MSF-linked health facilities in Yemen have been bombed over the past six months.

Hospitals and clinics in South Sudan have been pillaged repeatedly over the past three years.

"Hospitals and patients have been dragged onto the battlefield," MSF president Joanne Liu told the council.

"Stop these attacks", she pleaded. "Make this resolution save lives."

- 'Something is deeply wrong' -

The resolution does not name countries, but "demands that all parties to armed conflicts" ensure "the respect and protection" of medical personnel as well as their ambulances, hospitals and other health facilities.

"Such attacks must end," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council.

"When so-called surgical strikes end up hitting surgical wards, something is deeply wrong."

The resolution was drafted by five non-permanent Security Council members: Egypt, Japan, Spain, New Zealand and Uruguay.

It was presented at a time when four of the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, Russia and the United States -- are backing parties in the Syria conflict.

Syria's state media reported that rebel fire on a hospital in the government-controlled area of Aleppo had killed three women and wounded another 17 on Tuesday.

The vote came days after the United States said its troops involved in the bombing of a MSF-run hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz would not face war crimes charges.

"Humanity in war is what we demand," Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, told the council.

"Even wars have limits, because wars without limits are wars without ends. Health care personnel are the outer frontier of these limits," he said.

The resolution requests that Ban present recommendations on measures to prevent attacks and to ensure that those who carry them out are held accountable.
Drummer for ICoast band Magic System drowns at beach resort

The drummer for popular Ivory Coast music group Magic System has drowned in an accident at a seaside resort in the country, the band announced Tuesday.

A family member said Didier Bonaventure Deigna died "trying to save a person from drowning".

Magic System said in a statement it "announces with regret and deep sorrow the death of its drummer and conductor Didier Bonaventure Deigna, known as Pepito, last Sunday May 1 by drowning in Jacqueville," in southern Ivory Coast, aged 46.

The Ivorian band Magic System, on stage late on December 3, 2014, in Abidjan Sia Kambou (AFP/File)

The beaches in Ivory Coast are reputed to be dangerous and drownings are frequent.

The four-member Magic System perform dance-oriented Zouglou music popular in French-speaking West Africa and in France.

The announcement comes just over a week after the Democratic Republic of Congo's rumba king Papa Wemba collapsed on stage and died at the FEMUA music festival in Ivory Coast.
Palestinian rams Israeli soldiers with car in West Bank, shot dead

A Palestinian rammed his car into a group of Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, injuring three before being shot dead, the Israeli army said.

"An assailant rammed a vehicle into three Israelis in a car ramming attack northwest of Ramallah," a statement said of the latest in more than seven months of attacks.

"Forces responded to the imminent threat and fired towards the assailant, resulting in his death."

Israeli security forces monitor during clashes with Palestinian protestors in the village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank town of Jenin, on February 6, 2016 Jaafar Ashityeh (AFP/File)

The army later confirmed that the injured were soldiers, and said they were taken to hospital for treatment without giving further details.

However, the Magen David Adom rescue service said one of those hit by the car had been badly injured.

The Palestinian health ministry said the attack occurred at a checkpoint and named him the attacker as Ahmed Shahaada, 36, from the Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah.

The attack was the latest in a wave of violence that has killed 204 Palestinians and 28 Israelis since October 1.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.
A man sentenced in November for possessing about two pounds of meth was sentenced Tuesday on unrelated charges of sexual assault.

Danny Lewis Frost, 64, was sentenced by Yellowstone County District Court Judge Gregory Todd to 10 years in the Montana State Prison followed by at least five years of supervision on a charge of felony sexual assault.

Frost sexually assaulted a minor on separate occasions from 2012 to 2013, according to charging documents.

Frost apologized at sentencing.

Frost will serve the new sentence while also serving 10 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute. That charge came from the U.S. District Court in November.

Prosecutors said the conspiracy ran from about August 2014 to February. In a search of Frosts home, officers found multiple baggies of meth, totaling about 1.9 pounds.
Egypt regime 'at war' with the press: media union

Egypt's journalists' union on Tuesday denounced what it called a decline in press freedoms and accused the regime of being "at war" with the profession after two reporters were arrested.

Human rights activists accuse President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of running an ultra-authoritarian regime that has violently suppressed all opposition since toppling Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

On Sunday, police sparked media and opposition outrage by storming the journalists' union building in an unprecedented raid and arresting two reporters.

Egyptian Press Syndicate Chief Yahya Qalash (L) reads a statement at the headquarters in the capital Cairo on May 3, 2016 on the occasion of World Press Freedom day Khaled Desouki (AFP)

A day later, the authorities ordered the detention for 15 days of Amr Badr and Mahmud el-Sakka on allegations of incitement to protest.

The prosecutor said the pair would be held as part of an investigation which also includes allegations they had called for a "coup".

Badr heads the website Babawet Yanayer which is opposed to Sisi.

Sakka works for the same organisation whose Arabic name means January Gate in a nod to the January 2011 uprising that forced longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak to stand down.

"This year we mark World Press Freedom Day with Egypt down in all the international rankings," union chief Yahiya Kallash told a press conference ahead of a union general meeting due on Wednesday.

"Instead of seeing the government take concrete measures to overcome this situation, we are surprised to see it escalating the war against journalism and journalists," he said.

Kallash denounced "unprecedented searches of the offices of information providers" and the "practice of censorship before publication".

He said "29 journalists are currently behind bars, some of whom have been in custody for nearly three years".

- 'Interior ministry thugs!' -

The union chief addressed an often rowdy press conference of some 200 journalists during which he was interrupted by chants against the police who controlled access to the building.

"Interior ministry thugs!" they chanted.

In a statement late Tuesday, the attorney general's office announced a blackout on the case of the two journalists to avoid "influencing the enquiry" since it had security implications.

"The investigation into the accused shows that they entered into an agreement with the union chief that they take refuge in the union headquarters, and that he promised to mediate with the authorities to overturn the decision to arrest them," it said.

"If that is true, this would constitute a crime under the penal code."

It added that allowing the pair to stage a sit-in at the union building in an effort to evade arrest "also constitutes a crime punishable under the law".

The statement denied union charges that the raid on the headquarters did not follow legal procedures.

Abuses by the police were a catalyst for the 2011 popular uprising, but such practices have again become commonplace.

On Tuesday, social network users reacted with contempt to an email mistakenly sent out to the press by the police, containing an internal circular on "media management" of the crisis.

"We cannot turn back, as that would mean a mistake has been made," it said, and called for "the use of security experts and retired police generals to expound the ministry's view" in the media.

"We must work to obtain the support of public opinion... in conveying the idea that the union wants to be above the law, that its members do not want to be accountable."

Egyptian journalists take part in a protest outside the Syndicate headquarters in Cairo on May 3, 2016 on the occasion of World Press Freedom day Khaled Desouki (AFP)
Three ICRC workers kidnapped in DR Congo

Armed men kidnapped three workers for the International Committee of the Red Cross in restive eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, the aid agency said.

The employees -- who a local official said were of Congolese nationality -- had been sent to work in Rutshuru in the south of turbulent Nord-Kivu province.

"We've had no news from our three workers" since shortly after 9:00 am Tuesday, ICRC spokeswoman Elisabeth Cloutier told AFP, giving no further details. The armed men were not identified.

The employees -- who a local official said were of Congolese nationality -- had been sent to work in Rutshuru in the south of turbulent Nord-Kivu province Junior D.Kannah (AFP/File)

Captain Guillaume Ndjike, a military spokesman in Nord-Kivu, said he had no details, but added that the army always advised "aid workers to contact the military before going into zones where militia are still operating."

In early March three Congolese workers for Save the Children were taken hostage for seven days by unidentified kidnappers in Lubero, in central Nord-Kivu province.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at the time condemned "the growing trend of attacks against humanitarian workers in eastern DRCongo."
Comoros to hold partial re-run of presidential poll on May 11

A partial re-run of the presidential election in Comoros will be held in 13 constituencies on May 11, following an order from the constitutional court due to "irregularities" in the second round of the vote last month.

The date for the repeat vote on the Comoran island of Anjouan was announced in a presidential decree signed on Monday, and it could lead to reversing the close election result.

The electoral campaign "will open on May 3 and close on May 9," said the decree from outgoing President Ikililou Dhoinine.

Comoros President Ikililou Dhoinine delivers a speech during the COP21 United Nations conference on climate change in Le Bourget on the outskirts of the French capital Paris on November 30, 2015 Jacques Demarthon (AFP/File)

The new ballot could throw into question the entire result of the April 10 run-off because of the narrow margin by which former coup leader Azali Assoumani won, according to provisional results.

Assoumani took 40.98 percent of the vote, narrowly ahead of Vice President Mohamed Ali Soilihi, the ruling party's presidential candidate, who picked up 39.87 percent.

Election day was peppered with incidents, notably on Anjouan, one of the three islands which make up the Indian Ocean archipelago situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, including broken ballot boxes, interruptions in the voting, accusations of ballot stuffing and acts of violence.

The constitutional court in ordering the re-run said more than 6,000 people had been prevented from voting.

"We await the partial elections calmly," Assoumani was quoted as saying by the state-run daily Al-Watwan on Tuesday.

Assoumani first came to power in 1999 after ousting acting president Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde in a coup. He then won the presidential election three years later, stepping down when his term ended in 2006.

The three islands that make up the Comoros -- Anjouan, Grand Comore and Moheli -- have a total population of just under 800,000 people, nearly all of whom are Sunni Muslims.
Microsoft acquires Italian firm in IoT push

Microsoft on Tuesday announced it has bought an Italian firm specializing in connecting smart objects in the Internet of Things (IoT), continuing its push into cloud computing.

The US technology colossus did not disclose how much it paid for Solair, which offers software and hardware that lets companies synch smart devices to the Internet.

Solair has built a reputation for providing IoT services across an array of industries including manufacturing, retail, transportation, and food, according to Microsoft Azure IoT partner director Sam George said in a blog post.

Microsoft did not disclose how much it paid for Solair, which offers software and hardware that lets companies synch smart devices to the Internet Josh Edelson (AFP/File)

"This acquisition supports our strategy to deliver the most complete IoT offering for enterprises," George said.

Solair's platform is build on Microsoft's Azure cloud service, and the technology will be integrated into the Azure suite according to George.

"From the very start, our mission has been to help customers quickly and easily gain access to the huge benefits of the Internet of Things," Solair chief executive Tom Davis said in an online post.
Kerry warns Assad as truce talks shift to Berlin

US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Syria's Bashar al-Assad of "repercussions" if his regime flouts a new truce being negotiated, as talks to halt the violence shifted to Berlin Wednesday.

"If Assad does not adhere to (the new ceasefire), there will clearly be repercussions and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and they go back to war," Kerry told reporters after returning from an earlier round of talks in Geneva.

"I don't think that Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that," Kerry added.

Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate a man and children from a residential building following a reported air strike on Aleppo Ameer Alhalbi (AFP)

Russia has said a new ceasefire to halt fighting in Aleppo could be imminent, with Syria's divided northern city hit by a wave of violence that has killed more than 270 people since April 22.

With the UN Security Council to hold urgent talks on the crisis later Wednesday, diplomatic efforts to stem the violence shifted to Germany where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was to meet UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, Syria's main opposition leader Riad Hijab and France's top diplomat Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Renewed fighting between regime and rebel forces has centred on Aleppo, where heavy clashes left around 30 people dead on Tuesday, with Kerry issuing a stark warning to Assad if his government failed to abid by the new deal.

The Security Council meeting to discuss the bloodshed, which is threatening to derail international peace efforts to end the five-year war in Syria, was called for by France and Britain.

"(Aleppo) is to Syria what Sarajevo was to Bosnia," said France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said late Tuesday he hoped to agree a freeze of flighting in Aleppo "in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours" after meeting de Mistura in Moscow.

A February 27 truce between Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels raised hopes for efforts to resolve the five-year conflict, but it has come close to collapse due to the recent surge in violence.

- UN condemns attacks -

After a relative lull Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighbourhoods, Syrian state news agency SANA said.

The rockets killed 16 people and wounded 68, including at least three women at Al-Dabbeet maternity hospital, it reported.

It was the sixth time a medical facility has been hit in 11 days in Aleppo, the International Committee for the Red Cross said, calling it "unacceptable."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said it counted at least 19 dead and 80 wounded from the attacks on government-held areas, while civil defence workers said air strikes on the rebel-held east killed 11 civilians, including a child.

Fierce fighting also raged on Aleppo's western edges after rebels detonated explosives in a tunnel, an AFP correspondent said, adding the clashes subsided at nightfall.

- 'Regime of silence' -

Washington and Moscow are working together to include Aleppo in a so-called "regime of silence" -- a freeze in fighting -- aimed at bolstering the broader truce.

The city was initially excluded from a deal announced last week to "freeze" fighting along two major fronts in the northwest and in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

The pair have agreed to boost the number of Geneva-based truce monitors to track violations "24 hours a day, seven days a week," Kerry said Monday.

In a nod to Moscow's demands, Kerry said Washington would press moderate rebels to separate themselves from Al-Nusra Front jihadists in Aleppo.

Russia and Assad's regime have cited the presence of Al-Nusra, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda that was not party to the ceasefire, as justifying their offensive.

The Observatory says more than 270 civilians -- including 54 children -- have been killed on both sides of divided Aleppo since April 22.

Meanwhile, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said there were "extremely worrying" signs IS may be making its own chemical weapons and may have used them already in Syria and Iraq.

US Secretary of State John Kerry answers a question on Syria while speaking in the briefing room of the State Department in Washington, DC Mandel Ngan (AFP)
Trump eyes Indiana knockout, Clinton turns toward November

Presidential frontrunners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton hoped Tuesday the Indiana primaries would put them one step closer to locking up the Republican and Democratic nominations -- and their likely November showdown.

The latest contest in the 2016 White House race is seen as a day of reckoning for the "stop Trump" movement led by his closest rival Ted Cruz.

But the billionaire real estate mogul -- who has thus far defied all political logic to lead the Republican race -- looked set to deliver a death blow to the conservative Texas senator, with a recent NBC poll giving Trump a 15-point advantage in the midwestern state.

Republican presidential hopefuls John Kasich (left), Donald Trump (centre) and Ted Cruz are contesting a primary in Indiana

"I don't think he's got the temperament to be president," Trump said of Cruz in an interview with Fox News after polls opened.

"People are tired with what's happening with these politicians and they're just tired of seeing our country get ripped off."

Clinton and her rival Bernie Sanders were locked in a closer Indiana race, with the former secretary of state leading by just under seven percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics poll average.

Clinton, 68, is far enough ahead overall that Sanders' only hope now lies in the unlikely scenario of her failing to win a majority of delegates in the primaries, in which case her nomination could be contested at a Democratic convention in July.

"I'm really focused on moving into the general election," a confident Clinton told MSNBC Tuesday in West Virginia.

"That's where we have to be because we are going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who'll literally say or do anything," she said of Trump. "We're going to take him on at every turn."

Cruz was also hoping to thwart Trump by using Indiana as a firewall, blocking the brash billionaire from receiving the 1,237 delegates necessary to secure the nomination at the Republican convention in Cleveland in July.

Mathematically eliminated from winning outright, Cruz's goal is to snatch victory on a second ballot, when most delegates become free to vote for whomever they choose -- but which will only be held if Trump falls short of a majority in round one.

- 'Staring at the abyss' -

With momentum favoring the 69-year-old Trump, who won the last six contests, the primary battle took a nasty turn Tuesday when Trump cited a tabloid report linking Cruz's father Rafael to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Trump evoked the recent National Enquirer story in his interview with Fox News.

"This is just kooky," an irate Cruz shot back while stumping in Evansville, Indiana, branding Trump a "pathological liar."

"The man is utterly amoral," said Cruz, lambasting the frontrunner as "a caricature of a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks."

"We are staring at the abyss," Cruz warned.

Should Cruz fall short Tuesday, even his supporters see an extremely steep road ahead.

Until recently, Indiana was widely seen as a good state for the senator, who has performed well in primaries dominated by conservative and evangelical voters.

Observers say a Trump victory would raise serious questions about whether Cruz can still win other states where he was thought to be favored, such as Nebraska, Washington, Montana and South Dakota.

If Trump sweeps Indiana's 57 delegates, "it could be over," former Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler acknowledged.

The frontrunner has so far amassed 1,002 delegates, according to CNN's tally. He needs just under half of the 502 in play in the remaining 10 contests to lock in the nomination. Cruz is at 572 delegates, while Ohio Governor John Kasich trails with 156.

The map currently favors Trump, who is polling well ahead in the largest states yet to vote -- California and New Jersey.

- 'Let's focus on Hillary' -

Clinton needs only 21 percent of remaining Democratic delegates to win her party's nomination, but she declined to call on Sanders to drop out.

"He has every right to finish out this primary season. I couldn't argue with that," Clinton said.

Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist senator representing Vermont, wasn't throwing in the towel.

Courting the union vote in Indiana, where manufacturing has taken a hit, Sanders sought to focus on trade.

"Secretary Clinton has supported virtually every one of these disastrous trade agreements and that is an area of strong disagreement that the voters of Indiana and America will have to consider," he said outside a diner in Indianapolis.

Either candidate needs 2,383 delegates for victory. Currently Clinton has 2,179 including 513 superdelegates, while Sanders has 1,400 including 41 superdelegates.

A confident Trump was already relishing a general election matchup with Clinton.

"Please, let's focus on Hillary," he said on the eve of the vote.

Clinton appeared ready for the challenge, telling MSNBC that the quick-to-insult Trump "has given no indication that he understands the gravity of the responsibilities that go with being commander-in-chief."

US delegate count Paz Pizarro (AFP)

The "stop Trump" movement faces a moment of truth in Indiana, as Ted Cruz's campaign struggles to win over voters ahead of its potentially decisive primary Joe Raedle (Getty/AFP)
UN Security Council to meet on Aleppo crisis

The UN Security Council will hold an urgent meeting Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Syria's frontline city of Aleppo, where fighting threatens to unravel international peace efforts.

France and Britain called for the meeting as Russia said a new ceasefire in Aleppo could be announced within hours.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre described Aleppo as the "martyred center of the resistance" to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and compared the city to besieged Sarajevo during the Bosnian war.

A Syrian man walks past destroyed buildings on May 2, 2016, in Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid neighbourhood which was targeted recently by regime air strikes Karam al-Masri (AFP)

"Aleppo is burning and it is crucial that we focus on this top priority issue," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

The 15-member council will hear a report from the UN's top political affairs official Jeffrey Feltman on the situation in Aleppo, where fresh fighting including a rocket attack on a maternity hospital left 19 dead on Tuesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow that efforts were under way to agree on a freeze in fighting in Aleppo.

"I am hoping that in the near future, maybe even in the next few hours, such a decision will be announced," Lavrov said after meeting UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow.

A surge of violence that erupted on April 22 has left more than 270 people dead in the divided northern city and undermined efforts to revive peace negotiations.

After a relative lull in clashes on Monday and early Tuesday, rebels in eastern Aleppo fired a barrage of at least 65 rockets into government-controlled neighborhoods, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
SEAL death shows growing risks US troops face in Iraq, Syria

The killing of a Navy SEAL by Islamic State fighters highlights the increasing risks US troops face in Iraq and Syria as they inch ever closer toward the jihadists' frontlines.

IS fighters on Tuesday used suicide bombers and firepower to blast their way past Kurdish peshmerga forces that US troops were supporting north of Mosul in northern Iraq.

The fallen SEAL had been visiting a peshmerga encampment near Tal Asquf about three miles (five kilometers) from the front. Officials simply said he was killed by "direct fire."

Since the start of the campaign, the US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State group Patrick Baz (AFP/File)

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey identified the SEAL as Charlie Keating IV, who attended high school in Phoenix.

It is only the third time a US serviceman has been killed in combat since the United States launched an international coalition to fight the IS group in August 2014. Another 14 have been wounded.

Since the start of the campaign, the US military and its coalition partners have launched more than 12,000 air strikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State group, and the Pentagon has deployed around 5,000 troops in Iraq.

The effort is primarily being conducted by plane and drone strikes, but America's intensifying role for troops on the ground means additional US casualties are likely.

"Although the US has pursued a light-footprint policy to try to minimize the number of combat troops it has on the ground, at the end of the day these soldiers are serving in a conflict zone and there will be casualties," Nick Heras of the Center for a New American Security told AFP.

Last month, the Pentagon said US military advisors will start working with Iraqi forces at the battalion level, meaning greater numbers will be physically closer to the fight in Iraq than before.

And the United States has increased sixfold -- from 50 to 300 -- the number of special operations forces and support personnel working in northern Syria, where they are training Kurdish and Syrian Arab fighters to tackle the IS group and call in air strikes.

"It's certainly inevitable that the more US forces become involved in supporting ground operations, the more risk they are going to have to take," said Jacob Shapiro, an associate professor at Princeton University.

Officially, more than 4,000 US forces are in Iraq, but when temporary assignments are factored in, the number stretches beyond 5,500.

Rocket fire killed a US Marine in northern Iraq in March, while a special forces soldier died of wounds received during a raid in October.

- 'Crazy somersaults' -

The casualty numbers are tiny compared to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 5,300 US troops were killed in combat.

President Barack Obama, elected partly on a promise of getting America out of Iraq, has faced a backlash at home for saying there will be no US combat "boots on the ground" in the Middle East -- even as US troops die in combat.

"Our men and women on the ground in Iraq do not have a combat mission, but they do have a dangerous mission to operate in a dangerous country," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Obama's policy is to use US troops to train, advise and equip Iraqi and Syrian forces to fight the IS group.

The immediate goal is for them to retake the key IS cities of Mosul in Iraq and Raqa in Syria, but it is unclear if local forces have the capabilities to hold the towns.

"We have learned important lessons in the last decade. We know that the United States will not be successful if it is US troops acting, essentially, as a substitute for local forces fighting for the security situation in Iraq," Earnest added.

Critics have called Obama disingenuous for deploying US troops without describing their role as a combat mission.

"Why does the administration go through these crazy somersaults, that the entire country knows is not correct, to say our troops are not in combat when they're in combat?" Senator Dan Sullivan asked Defense Secretary Ashton Carter at a hearing last week.

"These people are in combat, senator, and I think that we need to say that clearly," Carter responded.

Obama's term finishes at the end of the year. His potential successors have indicated a willingness to deploy more US forces to the region, but the US public has little appetite for such an engagement.

"There is no chance of large-scale combat," said Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow in foreign policy at The Brookings Institution.

"I could imagine American troops in the thousands or, in an extreme case, the very low tens of thousands but not main combat operations, even under a new president. We already tried that."

Officially, more than 4,000 US forces are in Iraq, but when temporary assignments are factored in, the number stretches beyond 5,500 Mohammed Sawaf (AFP/File)
Lake Chad countries warned over Boko Haram 'victory' claims

Countries hit by Boko Haram violence were warned on Wednesday not to make premature claims of victory, despite the Islamist group being pegged back by a sustained military counter-insurgency.

"Though the military response to Boko Haram has become more cogent, the Lake Chad states should not too quickly proclaim 'mission accomplished'," the International Crisis Group said.

"Even if they are made to abandon all territorial pretensions in Nigeria's northeast and the Lake Chad area, or are forced to abandon their guerrilla war, some Boko Haram militants at least are likely to seek to continue their insurgency in some form, probably through terror attacks," the security analysts added.

Soldiers from the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army stand outside the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok in Borno State north-eastern Nigeria on March 25, 2016 Stefan Heunis (AFP/File)

Nigeria and its neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger are due to hold a security summit in Abuja on May 14 with international partners including Britain, France and the United States.

The ICG said the meeting -- two years after the first in Paris -- was "an opportunity to consolidate regional and wider international cooperation" as well as review current policies.

Closer ties beyond military support were vital to address key drivers of the conflict, as well as its effects, to prevent sustained support for the Islamists and similar, future threats.

These include addressing the humanitarian situation for the more than 2.8 million people made homeless by the violence since 2009, and re-establishing the rule of law and governance in the region.

Also key was treatment of detained Boko Haram suspects and even more moderate fighters willing to be rehabilitated, the ICG wrote in a briefing paper, "Boko Haram on the back foot?"

"How governments treat and distinguish Boko Haram ideologues from those who joined from other motives will be vital," the report said.

"Dealing appropriately with ex-members is the first step to lessen recruitment."

Nigeria's military on Tuesday said dozens of Boko Haram fighters were now at a rehabilitation camp in an undisclosed location and undergoing a "deradicalisation" programme.

- 'Difficult to eradicate' -

President Muhammadu Buhari, who has made defeating Boko Haram a priority since taking power last year, in December declared that the Islamic State group affiliate was "technically" defeated.

Armed service chiefs have in recent days also been talking up operations in Boko Haram's Sambisa Forest stronghold, indicating a final push was under way.

But the rebels have still been able to deploy suicide bombers in northeast Nigeria, and particularly northern Cameroon, even if attacks have decreased in Chad and Niger.

The ICG recommended winding down the use of civilian militia forces who have helped the military maintain security but also been accused of abuses against civilians.

A failure to do so could increase the risk of local, communal violence, it warned, adding: "Many could become tools for local politicians to misuse."

Boko Haram, whose push for a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left more than 20,000 people dead since 2009, has come to resemble a marauding criminal gang in recent months.

The ICG, however, cautioned that its reduced capacity to operate beyond hit-and-run raids for resources should not be under-estimated.

"Much like other jihadist groups, such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), it may become less a guerrilla force attached to a specific territory and more a terror group with a longer reach," the report added.

"Even if it may be on its back foot, Boko Haram is likely to be difficult to eradicate, because it originates from Nigeria's deep structural challenges."

These include deep-seated corruption and poor governance, as well as perceived regional inequalities, abject poverty and lack of opportunity that Boko Haram was able to exploit for support.

A failure to tackle these, combined with uncertainty and weakness in neighbouring countries, could prolong Boko Haram's existence in a different form or even create a new security threat, the ICG added.

Chadian soldiers wave to the crowd in the capital N'djamena during a homecoming from neighbouring Niger where they were fighting Boko Haram Brahim Adji (AFP/File)
Clinton faces tough crowd in West Virginia coal country

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. (AP)  Hillary Clinton faced some angry voters Monday during a campaign swing through West Virginia, a state that overwhelmingly backed her eight years ago in her primary fight against then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Bo Copley, an unemployed coal worker, asked Clinton why voters should believe her pledge to help revitalize the region's economy during a stop at a health center in Williamson.

"Still supporting her hurts you," he told Sen. Joe Manchin, who joined Clinton at the small round-table event. "It's not a good outlook here."

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks with Bo Copley and his wife Lauren, while holding a photograph of their children, after a round table discussion at Williamson Health and Wellness Center in Williamson, W.Va., Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Clinton released a $30 billion plan last fall aimed at aiding communities dependent on coal production and she's promised that her husband would focus on revitalizing the region.

Her efforts haven't been helped by a remark she made in a March interview with CNN, when she said she would "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business." She was responding to a question about how her policies would benefit poor white people in southern states.

Copley asked, "How you could say you are going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs and then come in here and tell us how you're going to be our friend?"

Clinton called the comment a "misstatement."

"I can't take it back, and I certainly can't get people who, for political reasons or personal reasons, very painful reasons, are upset with me," she said. "I want you to know I'm going to do whatever I can to help no matter what happens politically."

She added, "Whether or not West Virginia supports me, I'm going to support you."

Copley says he plans to vote in the Republican primary May 10.

Clinton is in the midst of a two-day campaign swing through Appalachia ahead of voting in that region later this month. She was met in West Virginia by hundreds of protesters, who waved Donald Trump signs and chanted "Kill-ary."

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at Williamson Health and Wellness Center in Williamson, W.Va., Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
A woman was charged with felony criminal endangerment after a security guard reported the woman hit him with her car.

Erin Colleen Jensvold, 39, appeared Monday before Justice of the Peace David Carter and was charged with one felony count of criminal endangerment as well as two misdemeanors including driving under the influence and obstructing a peace officer.

Carter held Jensvold at the Yellowstone County Detention Facility in lieu of a $5,000 bond. She must also comply with twice-a-day breath tests through an alcohol monitoring device.

According to court documents, a security guard in the area of Sierra Grande Boulevard and High Sierra Boulevard called police at about 10 p.m. to report a woman had struck him with her vehicle.

The security guard told officers a woman had approached his car, which parked in the roadway to prevent people entering a construction zone. The security guard told the woman she couldn't go through the construction zone, but she did not appear to hear him. He then tried to take down her license plate, but the woman quickly moved the car forward, striking the guard and causing him to roll off the top of her vehicle.

The woman then drove east on Wicks Lane.

Jensvold was arrested in the parking lot of Harvest Church. She denied striking the security guard but admitted to drinking prior to driving that evening. Jensvold refused to provide a breath sample to police.
At least 9 Haitians killed when boat capsizes in rough seas

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  At least nine Haitians have died after a small boat they were traveling in capsized in rough seas off the northern coast.

Interior Ministry spokesman Albert Guillaum-Meleon says the bodies of four men, four women and a child have been recovered.

He said Monday that it was not known exactly how many people were on the rickety boat and the death toll could be higher.

The vessel was carrying passengers and food items from the northwestern Haitian town of Bombardopolis to the coastal city of Gonaives when squall-like conditions hit.

Heavy downpours in recent days have increased the perennial danger of flooding and landslides. Last month, six people were killed in Port-au-Prince by floodwaters.
Mother of 2 children found in San Antonio child abuse case

SAN ANTONIO (AP)  San Antonio authorities report they've located the mother of two of the eight children found unsupervised in a major child abuse case.

A spokesman for the Bexar County sheriff's office told the San Antonio Express-News (http://bit.ly/1SVvvGu ) that the woman was found in California. Authorities have already arrested the mother of the remaining six children, Porucha Phillips, and charged her with two counts of injury to a child.

The children were found unattended in a San Antonio home. Authorities say 2-year-old boy was chained in the backyard and a 3-year-old girl was tied to a door with a dog leash.

It's unclear whether the other woman will also be charged. The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press.

___
Fireworks likely source of Mount Rushmore water pollution

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  Past fireworks displays at Mount Rushmore National Memorial are the likely source of a pollutant found in water within the site in western South Dakota, according to a government report released Monday.

The U.S. Geological Survey findings show the contaminant perchlorate was found in groundwater and surface water within the park. The agency and the National Park Service studied perchlorate and metals associated with fireworks in 106 water and 11 soil samples taken between 2011 and 2015.

Perchlorate is used in fireworks and is a common component of rocket fuels, explosives and some fertilizers.

FILE - In this July 5, 1998 file photo, fireworks explode over Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota for the first time in 50 years in honor of our nation's birthday. A U.S. Geological Survey report announced Monday, May 2, 2016, concluded that past fireworks displays at Mount Rushmore are the likely source of a pollutant found in water within the site in western South Dakota. (Steve McEnroe/Rapid City Journal via AP, File) TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

"The lack of alternative perchlorate sources in the area, such as a military site or agricultural land with applied fertilizers, and the presence of firework debris suggest that past fireworks are the perchlorate source," Galen Hoogestraat, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the report said in a statement. "Our results can help park managers protect water quality at this iconic national landmark."

USGS, however, said the drinking water at Mount Rushmore is safe for public consumption.

Aerial fireworks displays were a staple of the memorial during Independence Days between 1998 and 2009. The fireworks exploding above the faces of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt carved into a mountain were shown on national television. But the spectacle ended over concerns that it could spark a wildfire.

The report shows that the highest concentrations of perchlorate were found in samples collected from the northeast side of the memorial. The pollutant also was found in soil where the fireworks were launched and where debris landed.

Data from the report show that a maximum perchlorate concentration of 54 micrograms per liter was measured in a stream sample, which is about 270 times higher than that in samples collected from sites outside the memorial.

High concentrations of perchlorate in drinking water can affect the human thyroid gland, but Dr. Sonali Khachikian said long-term studies as far back as 2005 have shown that people who have been exposed to a concentration of perchlorate as high as 114 to 200 micrograms per liter didn't experience adverse effects.

"There is no reason to panic," said Khachikian, an endocrinologist with Regional Health in Rapid City who was not part of the USGS study. "I want people to be assured that those people who visit South Dakota for one day and visit this great monument are not putting themselves at any kind of increased risk."

The park provides drinking water to about 3 million visitors and personnel every year. Its superintendent, Cheryl Schreier, said Monday that the park will continue to strive to provide drinking water that "meets and exceeds current standards."

"The park is committed to ensuring the safety of the public and all of our employees, and preserving and protecting the natural and cultural resources with which we are entrusted," Schreier said.

___

Reach Regina Garcia Cano on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/reginagarciakNO
DOJ: South Dakota long-term care system violates federal law

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  South Dakota's unnecessary reliance on nursing facilities to serve people with disabilities isolates those residents from their communities and violates federal law, according to the findings of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation released Monday.

The investigation discovered that thousands of people who depend on the state for services have to live in nursing facilities to receive them. But the Americans with Disabilities Act and a U.S. Supreme Court decision require states to provide services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting that is appropriate for their needs, the Justice Department said.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard's administration is reviewing the results of the investigation.

The head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said people with disabilities deserve privacy, autonomy and dignity. South Dakota's long-term care system fails to give those individuals the choice to live in their own homes or communities, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement.

The Justice Department notified the state in August 2014 that it was starting the investigation, which included obtaining documents, touring facilities, meeting with state officials and interviewing nursing facility residents, staff and administrators.

The probe found that many who rely on state services don't know they could opt for community-based services since South Dakota hasn't made them aware of those services. The investigation also discovered that people with disabilities who live in rural areas and on reservations have particular trouble getting home- and community-based services.

At a given time, about 6,340 people live in the state's nursing facilities, including more than 3,400 whose placements are financed by the state through Medicaid, the Justice Department said.

Some nursing home residents told the Justice Department they feel trapped in the facilities or imprisoned. The agency found that a significant number of residents want to live at home or are open to moving out of a nursing facility if their concerns about getting adequate services are addressed.

The state's failure to prioritize home-based services over institutional care "has confined thousands of people with disabilities unnecessarily and indefinitely in nursing facilities and puts many others at serious risk of unnecessary institutionalization," according to a letter the Justice Department sent to Daugaard about the investigation.

The inquiry said the state's community-based services haven't been developed sufficiently to meet the needs of people who are institutionalized unnecessarily.

The department wants to work with South Dakota to create a "more effective, more efficient and more just service system for all," Gupta said. But in the letter, the agency said in the "unexpected event" that a resolution can't be reached, the attorney general could initiate a lawsuit to correct the problems.

The governor said in a statement that he recognizes the state needs to improve in some areas, but that it's making headway.

"Ideally, we want elderly residents and people with disabilities to be able to stay in their communities and receive the services they need without going to a nursing home," Daugaard said. "That can be a challenge for a state like ours which is made up of rural communities."
Light-up gowns and gladiators: Met Gala fashion was fierce

NEW YORK (AP)  They came as robots and gladiators, light-up princesses and high-haired goddesses shimmering in green, copper and silver.

As predicted, the annual parade of fashion and star power at the Met Gala on Monday night included an array of interpretations on the evening's vibe: "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology."

That's the name of an exhibit opening Thursday that set the tone for the star-studded evening that raises millions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art each year. This time around, the idea was to explore the convergence of handmade and machine-made elements in fashion, past, present and future.

Georgina Chapman, left, and Karolina Kurkova arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Some highlights from this year's Met Gala:

___

GLOWING GOWNS

Technology, thanks to Marchesa and IBM, wired up the buzz for a dainty gown with ombre-painted flowers worn by Karolina Kurkova. It was a dusty blue tulle and the flowers were outfitted with 150 LED lights that changed colors, based on a "cognitive" analysis of the brand's color palette. The geeks correlated data from hundreds of images of Marchesa gowns with and related social media sentiment in a show of how technology can enhance the human imagination.

Besides, Kurkova said, her battery pack kept her warm.

Claire Danes also lit up in a pale blue, thanks to a wired-up dress Zac Posen has been teasing for days on social media.

___

THE OUTRAGEOUS

Looking at you Lady Gaga, and your ribbed bodysuit from Versace. And, of course, your towering platform shoes and metallic silver jacket. And looking at you Katy Perry, and your black velvet Prada gown with the gold embellishment that looked like it could hurt someone. Oh, and your black helmet hair and little Tamagotchi digital pet you called your "tech element."

Other ragers: Madonna exposed her bum and Nicki Minaj looked all fierce and sexy in a strappy, sparkly black number with lots of buckles designed by her date, Jeremy Scott. He wore an exoskeleton suit of sparkles.

___

MEMORABLE MEN

Idris Elba, a gala co-host, takes the nobody-wears-a-tuxedo-and-tails better award. All he had to do was stand there and radiate. And by radiate we mean, on those levels he does best: suave, sexy, debonair.

Zayn Malik and the silver metal arms on his dark suit appeared to channel the Winter Soldier, as in the movie "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." Or a droid. Take your pick. He escorted Gigi Hadid.

Jared Leto wore a custom Gucci white tailcoat with a white evening shirt and white bowtie, completing his look with a hand-carved black lacquer cane with a silver and crystal embellished cat head detail. He also had Florence Welch, in Gucci, as his date.

Kanye West wore a Balmain silver-embellished denim jacket with ripped jeans to accompany wife Kim Kardashian, who was similarly silver. West turned his eyes blue somehow. His one-word explanation to E! for his look: "Vibes."

___

BABY BUMPS

Emily Blunt and Olivia Wilde  and their bumps  posed together on the carpet. Both wore their hair tight and back, Blunt in a custom sapphire sequin-embroidered lace gown from Michael Kors and Wilde also in Kors but a custom black stone-embroidered column look with a metallic collar halter.

Kerry Washington was one sexy mama as she cradled her smaller bump in a sleeveless black lace gown with a plunging V-neck and sexy slit. She wore long sheer gloves, all courtesy of Marc Jacobs. And she rocked purple hair!

___

GLADIATORS

Taylor Swift, also a co-host of the gala, went full-on gladiator to go with her fierce new tousled platinum locks. Her black sandals laced up to just below the knee, paired with a Louis Vuitton silver, sparkly mini that had ruffled tiers at the bottom and cutouts on the sides, all topped off with an ultra-dark lip shade.

Who else evoked Roman stadium fighters of old? Alicia Vikander, also in metallic Vuitton but hers with a bright red bustier to go with copper, black and white skirting and chunky heeled combat-like boots.

FKA Twigs was ready to call the winner in a goddess gown of peachy nude with a strappy neck and high slit. A jeweled headpiece linked to a nose ring. Robert Pattinson in white tuxedo jacket and black trousers wore a black bow tie and a smile.

Karolina Kurkova, left, and Georgina Chapman arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Hugh Dancy, from left, Claire Danes and Zac Posen arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Allegra Versace, from left, Lady Gaga and Donatella Versace arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Katy Perry arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Madonna arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Nicki Minaj arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Jeremy Scott, left, and Nicki Minaj arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Idris Elba arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Zayn Malik, left, and Gigi Hadid arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Zayn Malik, left, and Gigi Hadid arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Jared Kushner, left, and Ivanka Trump arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Kanye West, left, fixes Kim Kardashian West's hair as they arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Kim Kardashian, left, and Kanye West arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Emily Blunt arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Emily Blunt, left, and Olivia Wilde arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Kerry Washington arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Kerry Washington arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Nicolas Ghesquiere, crestive director at Louis Vuitton, left, and actress Alicia Vikander arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Alicia Vikander arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Bangladesh blogger seeks US help as threats escalate

WASHINGTON (AP)  When Bangladeshi blogger and social activist Ashif Entaz Rabi hosted a TV talk show about a slaying of a publisher by Islamic extremists, he faced a torrent of threatening phone calls. He says young men with earpieces started loitering outside his workplace, and a militant website urged followers to "send this Ashif to Allah."

But Bangladeshi authorities told him they couldn't protect him, saying he'd need the kind of security usually reserved for the prime minister to keep him safe. Instead, they told him to take care of himself, and write something good about Islam and the government.

Rabi, 37, is in Washington at the invitation of a human rights group, calling attention to the dozens of writers and bloggers who fear they could be the next victim of a wave of savage attacks on liberals and religious minorities in Bangladesh. The violence has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the traditionally moderate Muslim nation.

Bangladeshi blogger and social activist Ashif Entaz Rabi stands outside the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. When Rabi hosted a TV talk show about a slaying of a publisher by Islamic extremists, he faced a torrent of threatening phone calls. He says young men with earpieces started loitering outside his workplace, and a militant website urged followers to "send this Ashif to Allah." (AP Photo/Dan Huff)

Tuesday marks World Press Freedom Day, and a coalition of rights groups are calling for a U.N.-backed inquiry into the killings because Bangladesh's government has failed to address the situation. They say "an atmosphere of complete impunity" in the South Asian nation is emboldening the killers. Since the beginning of 2015, at least nine intellectuals, academics, writers, bloggers, and activists have been hacked to death in targeted assassinations.

Rabi attended the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the weekend, and met Tuesday with a top State Department envoy on human rights, Tom Malinowski, to discuss the deteriorating climate of tolerance in Bangladesh. He's also hoping to find a way to secure sanctuary in the U.S. for himself and his immediate family.

"It's better that the international community do something rather than just make statements. It's no use just issuing letters, as the prime minister (of Bangladesh) does not care," Rabi told The Associated Press on Monday.

Secretary of State John Kerry called Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, urging Bangladesh to protect those at risk. He also offered U.S. support for the investigation into the slaying last week of Xulhaz Mannan, a U.S. Agency for International Development employee and gay rights activist.

Since December, the U.S. has said it is considering providing temporary sanctuary to some individuals at immediate risk. The State Department said Tuesday in some cases it is working with nongovernment groups to reach out to individuals who may be under threat and need emergency assistance.

A broader concern for Washington is that transnational jihadist groups could gain a foothold in Bangladesh despite the nation's traditions of secularism, free speech and respect for its Christian and Hindu minorities.

Nearly all the attacks have been claimed by groups like the so-called Islamic State and various affiliates of al-Qaida. The government, however, has denied that these groups have a presence in Bangladesh, and has blamed the violence on the political opposition.

While there have been some arrests, authorities have struggled to make any headway in naming those planning the attacks.

Mahbub Hassan Saleh, deputy chief of mission at the Bangladeshi Embassy in Washington, said in an email that the government is determined to bring to justice perpetrators of recent killings of bloggers, teachers and religious minorities. He said convictions have been secured of eight people involved in the February 2013 slaying of secular blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider.

He said some domestic political and extremist forces want to create instability by resorting to terrorism, which he linked to opposition of the government's prosecution of suspects accused of atrocities during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. He said the government is committed to protecting its 160 million people and upholding human rights.

Rights groups charge, however, that top officials have condemned the targeted individuals for their writings.

"When a government willfully shirks its responsibility to protect its citizens and hold accountable those guilty of such brutal attacks, the international community has to step in," said Suzanne Nossel, a former U.S. official and executive director of PEN American Center, which is among 16 international rights group calling on governments to support the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

It's unclear if there would be adequate international support for such action, which would require a government to propose it, and a majority at the 47-member council to back it. Such commissions have been established to investigate mass rights abuses, as in North Korea, Syria and Libya, rather than the kind of targeted killings happening in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's constitution enshrines free speech, but Rabi, who started his career as an editor of a satirical cartoon magazine, is no stranger to threats and intimidation.

When he began blogging in 2008, he said it provided a new way to highlight abuses of power that mainstream media shied away from. He wrote and organized demonstrations about the plight of Bangladeshi migrant laborers on death row in Saudi Arabia, safety failings in the garment industry, and even about the risk of an Islamic militant dying in police custody.

He said he has toned down his writings and activism since 2013, when the spate of slayings began, but after he hosted a show about the killing of a publisher of secular books in October, it attracted a rash of death threats.
Small Mexican town fetes the donkey with May Day festival

OTUMBA, Mexico (AP)  This is a place where every donkey will have its day  a small town just north of Mexico City that gives the beasts of burden a chance on May Day to kick up their hooves.

The annual donkey fair in Otumba attracts up to 40,000 people who come to see the animals compete in costumes and race around a track with jockeys on their backs. Tourists squeeze through the jammed fairgrounds wearing donkey ears and munching on classic fair cuisine, including the local version of burritos  a dish popular both north and south of the Mexican border that borrows the Spanish word for donkey.

Costume themes for the animals ranged from the ride-sharing Uber to pre-Hispanic temples, and Donald Trump was a category in of itself this year. Four families dressed their donkeys in likenesses of the U.S. presidential candidate who has vowed to build a border wall to keep out Mexican immigrants he's called "rapists."

In this May 1, 2016 photo, a team parades a donkey dressed as a firefighter, during the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The firefighter donkey finished second in the competition to win a prize of 7,000 pesos, or about $400 dollars. The annual donkey fair in this small town just north of Mexico City attracts up to 40,000 people who come to see the animals compete in costumes and race around a track with jockeys on their backs. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Adolfo Garcia Aguilar, who works on a cattle farm, said his family pitched in to dress his burro in a red tie, black boots and a blond wig. "We'll see how we do  if they kick us out, donkey and all," Aguilar joked before Sunday's costume competition.

Other Trump-decked donkeys featured signs that declared: "Impostor! I'm the real Donald Trump!" and "If I win the 12,000 peso prize, I'll put a wall between Otumba and Teotihuacan," referring to the famed pre-Aztec city of pyramids nearby.

None of them won much favor with the audience at the 51st annual donkey fest, though. Audience applause chose the winners: donkeys emulating a Smurf, a firefighter and an Uber ride.

Zeus Laredo, a physics teacher who attended the fair with friends, said he backed the eventual winner: a donkey dressed up as the papa Smurf who was attended by an entourage of people in Smurf costumes.

Otumba was an important donkey market during Spanish colonial times, standing at the crossroads of major roads leading to Mexico City, where the beasts pulled heavy loads and carried travelers.

Today, however, farmers use tractors and pickup trucks, and the donkey population is in decline.

The animal that won the jockey race is more a pet than a worker. The 12-year-old winning jockey, Wilfrido Lemus Corona, learned to ride his donkey, Veso, when his grandfather plopped him on top when he was just 6 to carry him across the fields, his mother Patricia Corona Espinosa said. Family and friends threw the tiny jockey into the air Sunday after he scored his third consecutive win. He also took home 12,000 pesos in cash, about $700.

With donkey numbers declining, Otumba's Flores family decided to open a donation-funded sanctuary they named "Burrolandia," or Donkeyland. It currently hosts 30 donkeys that German Flores said would otherwise have ended up at the slaughterhouse. Here they live out the rest of their days grazing and can be visited by tourists on weekends. Flores said the majority of their donkeys came from farmers who either couldn't afford them anymore or who no longer had room after moving away from their farms.

Fair organizer Juan Carlos Chavez said Otumba hopes its annual festival creates awareness about the animals.

"Donkeys are wonderful animals," he said. "People say they don't understand, but they do."

In this May 1, 2016 photo, donkeys dressed as a lion and as Donald Trump touch noses as they await the start of the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Costume themes for the animals this year ranged from the ride-sharing Uber to pre-Hispanic temples. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, a pig wearing a wig and suit costume to resemble Donald Trump rides in a cart pulled by a similarly-dressed donkey, as a team mocking the U.S. presidential candidate parades during the costume competition event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The entrant featuring the costumed pig carried a sign declaring, "Impostor! I'm the real Donald Trump!" while another group's sign read "If I win the 12,000 peso prize, I'll put a wall between Otumba and Teotihuacan," referring to the famed pre-Aztec city of pyramids nearby. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, a man dresses a donkey to resemble Donald Trump in preparation for the costume competition at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The donkey was later adorned with a blond wig and eyebrows. None of the Trump entrants won much favor with the audience at the 51st annual donkey fest. Audience applause chose donkeys emulating a Smurf, a firefighter and an Uber ride for the first top three prizes. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, a reluctant donkey is alternately pushed and pulled and enticed with carrots toward town hall in order to be dressed for the costume competition at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Otumba was an important donkey market during Spanish colonial times, standing at the crossroads of major roads leading to Mexico City, where the beasts pulled heavy loads and carried travelers. Today, however, farmers use tractors and pickup trucks, and the donkey population is in decline. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, 12-year-old Wilfrido Lemus Corona races toward victory atop his donkey "Veso" in the final race at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Lemus learned to ride when his grandfather plopped him on top at age six to carry him across the fields, his mother Patricia Corona Espinosa said. Family and friends threw the tiny jockey into the air Sunday after he scored his third consecutive win. He also took home 12,000 pesos in cash, about $700. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, boys compete in a preliminary heat of the donkey racing event at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Fair organizer Juan Carlos Chavez said Otumba hopes its annual festival creates awareness about the animals. "Donkeys are wonderful animals," he said. "People say they don't understand, but they do." (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, a competitor falls from his donkey during a preliminary race at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The small town just north of Mexico City gives the beasts of burden a chance every May Day to kick up their hooves. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, a mural outside the "Burrodromo" donkey racetrack advertises the "National Donkey Festival" in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. With donkey numbers declining, Otumba's Flores family decided to open a sanctuary they coined "Burrolandia," or Donkeyland. It currently holds 30 donkeys that German Flores said would otherwise have ended up at the slaughterhouse. There they live out the rest of their days grazing and can be visited by tourists on weekends. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, men wearing donkey ears and costumed as part of the security detail walk alongside a donkey and pig dressed as Donald Trump, during the costume competition at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Four families dressed their donkeys in likenesses of the U.S. presidential candidate who has vowed to build a border wall to keep out Mexican immigrants he's called "rapists." The entrant featuring the costumed pig carried a sign declaring, "Impostor! I'm the real Donald Trump!" while another group's sign read "If I win the 12,000 peso prize, I'll put a wall between Otumba and Teotihuacan," referring to the famed pre-Aztec city of pyramids nearby. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, spectators are covered with foam that was sprayed by a team competing in the costume event, at the annual donkey fair in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. The annual donkey fair in Otumba attracts up to 40,000 people who come to see the animals compete in costumes and race around a track with jockeys on their backs. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, donkey keychains are displayed for sale at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. In addition to the main events, tourists and locals stroll through surrounding streets packed with donkey-themed souvenirs, food stalls, and fairground rides including live donkey and horse carousels. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

In this May 1, 2016 photo, men from a donkey racing team stand beside the track entrance ahead of a race at the annual donkey festival in Otumba, Mexico state, Mexico. Teams of men struggled to keep the racing donkeys roughly stationery and in a line for the start of each race. Multiple races had to be rerun due to a donkey bolting early or facing the wrong direction. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Survey finds bribery runs highest among courts in Mideast

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A new report released on Tuesday by an anti-corruption watchdog shows that on average, almost a third of the people in nine countries surveyed in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service.

The poll by Transparency International also found that courts have the worst bribery rate out of six services that were surveyed.

The watchdog interviewed nearly 11,000 people  or about 1,200 people in each of the nine countries  and found that bribery was especially rampant in Yemen.

FILE - In this June 24, 2011 file photo, supporters of the Communist Party hold banners demanding cancellation of the sales tax during a demonstration by opposition parties demanding an end to government corruption in front of the prime minister's office in Amman, Jordan. White placard on right reads, "People want the stolen money back." A new report by an anti-corruption watchdog reveals that nearly 30 percent of people in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service and that courts had the worst bribery rate of six services asked about. (AP Photo/ Nader Daoud, File)

In the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, 77 percent of respondents said they had to pay a bribe to access public services. The interviews in Yemen were carried out before the start of March 2015 Saudi-led airstrikes targeting Yemen's Shiite rebels, after which the country's crisis descended into war.

Around 50 percent of people surveyed in Egypt, Sudan and Morocco said they paid bribes for public services.

Transparency International also surveyed people in Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. The poll was carried out in direct interviews at various times in 2014 and 2015, and gave a 3 percent margin of error.

Public anger over corruption among government officials, social inequality and the lack of justice and transparency were catalysts of the 2011 Arab Spring movements that ousted longtime leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya.

Transparency International's chief Jose Ugaz said that failing to stop bribery also affects people's human rights.

"It's as if the Arab Spring never happened," he said in a statement accompanying the report.

The poll results show that on average, almost one in three people surveyed paid bribes in dealings with courts, while one in four paid bribes to police  and around half or more of those who paid bribes to the courts and police had to pay multiple times.

About one in five people surveyed said they had to pay a bribe for public medical services. In Morocco, that figure was 38 percent.

Transparency International noted the case of a man who called the watchdog's local anti-corruption hotline after he was told by a nurse to pay $60 in addition to the hospital fee for his partially blind daughter to get an urgent brain scan. He was advised to call the attorney general's office and two undercover officers returned with him to the hospital, where the nurse was arrested and imprisoned for two months.

Around 30 percent of people polled in Lebanon said they paid a bribe for public services, while a staggering 92 percent said they thought corruption had increased. The Lebanon part of the survey was conducted before an eight-month-long trash collection crisis erupted in July 2015. Thousands protested and campaigners blamed corruption and government paralysis for the delay in solving the problem.

Speaking to The Associated Press over the telephone, Middle East regional coordinator for Transparency International Kinda Hattar said the institutions of justice and law enforcement should be the least corrupt because they should be the ones prosecuting corruption.

"Unless the government and the state work for the independence of the judiciary ... then we will not be able to have a system that builds trust with the people," she said.

Though only nine percent in Tunisia and four percent of respondents in Jordan said they paid a bribe in the year preceding the survey, Hattar said there are often other problems that exist in Mideast countries that cannot be quantified and measured in surveys.

One such issue, she said, is nepotism, or what is known as a "wasta" in Arabic. Getting a job or gaining access to public services can depend on a person's "wasta," or relationship with someone who is well-connected.

FILE- In this Friday, April 1, 2011 file photo, supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh gather outside the Al-Saleh Mosque during a rally supporting him in Sanaa,Yemen. A new report by an anti-corruption watchdog reveals that nearly 30 percent of people in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service and that courts had the worst bribery rate of six services asked about. (AP Photo/Yemen Lens, File)

FILE- In this Saturday, June 22, 2013 file photo, Zaydi shiite and Sunni men pray at a mosque in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen. A new report by an anti-corruption watchdog reveals that nearly 30 percent of people in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service and that courts had the worst bribery rate of six services asked about. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File)

FILE- In this Saturday, May 16, 2015 file photo, Egyptian Judge Shaaban el-Shami, center, sentences ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to death over his part in a mass prison break that took place during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, in a converted lecture hall in the national police academy in an eastern Cairo suburb, Egypt. A new report by an anti-corruption watchdog reveals that nearly 30 percent of people in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service and that courts had the worst bribery rate of six services asked about. (AP Photo/Ravy Shaker, El Shorouk newspaper, File)

FILE- In this Wednesday, July 8, 2015 file photo, a courtroom is seen before the trial of Islamic State militants in Baghdad, Iraq. A new report by an anti-corruption watchdog reveals that nearly 30 percent of people in the Middle East have had to pay a bribe to access some kind of public service and that courts had the worst bribery rate of six services asked about. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim, File)
CASPER, Wyo.  Evansville police arrested a man Thursday for kidnapping after he allegedly forced a woman inside a trailer at knifepoint, according to court documents.

Jareb Stewart also faces charges of felonious restraint, aggravated assault and interference with a police officer.

A Natrona County Circuit judge set Stewarts bond Friday at $100,000.

Officers responded at about 4 a.m. to a home on Lathrop Road for a disturbance, the documents state. Witnesses said Stewart and the woman had been in a car with them but Stewart forced the woman out of the vehicle.

The group had made a plan to travel to Denver, according to the documents. However, Stewart asked the driver to drop him and the woman off at his home. One witness in the car said Stewart had pulled out a knife and threatened the woman while they were still in the vehicle. He said the woman struggled to get away from Stewart but that he had been choking her while forcing her out of the car and toward the trailer.

Officers stopped Stewarts car sometime later and arrested him, the documents state. The woman was in the car with him and was taken to Wyoming Medical Center for treatment. During an interview with detectives, the woman said Stewart had taken her to his bedroom and zip-tied her hands and hit her. Stewart then cut off the zip ties.

The woman had a gash on the top of her head and red marks around her wrists, according to the documents.
North Korea says waitresses tricked into going to South

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP)  North Korea stepped up its calls Tuesday for South Korea to return 12 waitresses whom Pyongyang says Seoul abducted from a restaurant in China.

Seoul says the waitresses willingly defected to the South.

North Korean authorities on Tuesday presented the colleagues and parents of the waitresses to North Korean and international media in Pyongyang. North Korea says the women were tricked into thinking they were being transferred to work at another restaurant in Malaysia.

Colleagues and family members of 12 North Korean waitresses are presented to the media in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. North Korea is stepping up its calls for South Korea to return 12 waitresses it says were tricked into going to the South. Seoul says the waitresses willingly defected. (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

On April 8, South Korean authorities announced the arrival of 13 North Koreans in the South  the 12 waitresses and their manager. Since then, North Korean authorities have issued repeated statements calling on Seoul to return the waitresses or let their parents go to Seoul to meet them.

Colleagues of the waitresses said their manager told them they were moving to Malaysia to work in another restaurant there and that the waitresses who got on a bus from their restaurant to go on the journey thought Malaysia was their final destination.

Waitress Choe Rye Yong said that as the waitresses were being organized to leave she overheard her manager refer to a man with him as "team leader" from the South Korean National Intelligence Service. That made her warn her colleagues, who had not yet gotten on the bus, to stay away.

The waitresses were all working at a restaurant called the Azalea Friendship Restaurant in Ningbo, China.
'Mystery man' defense in 'Grim Sleeper' case gets DA's scorn

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Closing arguments in the trial of the man charged in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings lurched from a whodunit crime thriller Tuesday to science fiction as attorneys sparred over evidence.

Defense lawyer Seymour Amster revealed for the first time in the long-running trial that a "mystery man," an unnamed nephew of defendant Lonnie Franklin Jr., was the real killer.

"Each and every murder in this case could have been done by a mystery man with a mystery gun with mystery DNA," Amster said.

Lonnie Franklin Jr. appears in Los Angeles Superior Court during closing arguments of his trail Monday, May 2, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Grim Sleeper serial killer trial is coming to a close in Los Angeles after months of testimony. Franklin is charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. They were shot or strangled and their bodies dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles and nearby areas. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman shot back during her rebuttal that Amster had concocted an imaginary scenario at the last minute in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt.

"The theory of the defense is basically the equivalent of the skies opening up, a space ship descending and murdering all these women," Silverman said as members in the audience snickered.

The lawyers wrapped up two days of closing arguments in Los Angeles Superior Court after months of testimony in the case that spans more than three decades. Jurors are to begin deliberations Wednesday.

Franklin, 63, a former garbage man and mechanic for the Los Angeles Police Department, could face the death penalty if convicted of the slayings of a 15-year-old girl and nine young women. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder.

The killings spanning from 1985 to 2007 were dubbed the work of the "Grim Sleeper" after an apparent 14-year gap in the violence after 1988, when one victim survived a gunshot and escaped.

Much of the killing occurred during the crack cocaine epidemic and the killer preyed mostly on young black women, some of whom worked as prostitutes.

Several other serial killers were active at the time in South Los Angeles and community members criticized police for not aggressively investigating the slayings because the victims were black and poor.

Margaret Prescod, who founded the group Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders, said she and other women weren't taken seriously when they confronted police in 1985.

"Why are you concerned about it? He's just killing hookers?" Prescod said she was told.

Police and prosecutors believe that the killer had more victims and may not have paused during the apparent hiatus. Photos of nearly 200 women were discovered in Franklin's house after his arrest and some of the women in those photos have never been found.

Photos of Janecia Peters, killed in 2007 and the final slaying in the case, and Enietra Washington, the only known survivor, were among the trove of snapshots.

Washington's testimony provided the blueprint of how Franklin preyed on women, Silverman said. He lured her into his car, shot her in the chest, sexually assaulted her and then dumped her from the vehicle, Silverman said.

The bullet removed from Washington came from the same gun used to shoot or kill seven previous victims, most of whom had Franklin's DNA on them, Silverman said.

But Amster said that the case collapsed on Washington's testimony because of inconsistencies in her statements to police.

Washington described an assailant who was younger than Franklin and pock marked, Amster said.

Amster then introduced the new theme of the defense. He said the real killer had access to Franklin's Ford Pinto and had told Washington he was stopping at an "uncle's house"  believed to be Franklin's  to get money while she waited in the car.

"It was not Mr. Franklin," he said. "It was the nephew, this mystery man."

Silverman said Amster had distorted the evidence and that Washington's descriptions of Franklin were always consistent.

Washington identified a photo of Franklin and she pointed him out in court. She said she was 100 percent sure he was the man who shot her and left her for dead.

Amster said prosecutors had built a circumstantial case using inferior science that found the DNA of unknown men on the victims.

But Silverman said Amster had twisted the evidence so the expert testimony favored his case when it was convenient and that ballistics evidence or DNA connected Franklin to each victim.

"If there is some mystery man out there, how come we didn't pick up his DNA on victim after victim?" she said.

FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2010, file photo, photographs found in the possession of Lonnie David Franklin Jr. are shown during a news conference in Los Angeles. The trial of alleged "Grim Sleeper" is headed to a close Monday, May 2, 2016, after months of testimony about the serial killer who stalked women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this July 9, 2010, file photo, a billboard showing that the suspect known as the "Grim Sleeper" had been arrested stands near a freeway in Compton, Calif. The trial of alleged "Grim Sleeper" is headed to a close Monday, May 2, 2016, after months of testimony about the serial killer who stalked women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman details the evidence against defendant Lonnie Franklin Jr. in Los Angeles Superior Court during closing arguments of Franklin's trail Monday, May 2, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Grim Sleeper serial killer trial is coming to a close in Los Angeles after months of testimony. Franklin is charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. They were shot or strangled and their bodies dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles and nearby areas. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)
Music megastar Prince was known for throwing parties that stretched into the wee hours of the morning, but his faith and the Bible could also keep him gabbing until sunrise, according to his longtime friend and 'spiritual brother,' bassist Larry Graham.

Prince, who died last month at 57, became a Jehovah's Witness later in life, and that helped shape his music as well as his lifestyle, according to Graham, who first met the star decades ago and became a confidante and tour mate.

Prince would knock on doors, talk with visitors at his studio-compound Paisley Park in suburban Minneapolis and even share his faith with small groups after a show, said Graham, the 69-year-old bassist best known for playing in the funk band Sly and the Family Stone and with his own group, Graham Central Station.

'That brought him joy. That brought him real happiness,' said Graham.

Scroll down for video

Remembering: Bassist Larry Graham (above), who Prince considered his 'spiritual brother,' is opening up about his relationship with the late singer

Great friends: The two met while playing separate shows in Nashville, Tennessee, in the mid-1990s and Prince asked Graham to come on tour with him

The two met while playing separate shows in Nashville, Tennessee, in the mid-1990s and Prince asked Graham, who was a Jehovah's Witness, to come on tour with him.

Graham said Prince was deeply interested in the Bible and they would talk about it for hours.

'He asked me questions every day, every week - sometimes we would bring up the sun talking about the Bible,' he said.

Later, Prince asked Graham if he would move to Minnesota to continue teaching him about God and his faith.

He accepted, and Graham and his family relocated from Jamaica, where they had been teaching Bible school.

Prince's interest in the Bible grew and eventually he came to the conclusion that he, too, wanted to become a Jehovah's Witness, Graham said.

Later, Prince began worshipping at a Kingdom Hall just outside Minneapolis. Graham said he considered Prince to be his 'spiritual brother.'

It was important to Prince, like many artists, to give his fans joy with his music, Graham said. But the most important thing to him was not just giving people a "temporary feeling" from a record or album but being able to share scripture, he said.

'His joy - his biggest joy - was sharing the hope of everlasting life,' Graham said.

Graham said Prince was a private person who didn't discuss his health issues openly. He said he saw Prince three days before he was found dead at Paisley Park and that, besides recovering from a cold, he seemed 'pretty normal.'

A law enforcement official has said that investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks beforehand.

The official has been briefed on the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Rail travel through DC derailment site to be restored

WASHINGTON (AP)  CSX Transportation and Maryland Transit Administration officials say they expect freight to begin moving again through the site of a weekend derailment in Washington by Wednesday morning.

CSX announced the timetable in a statement Tuesday. The MTA said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that the MARC Brunswick Line will operate on a regular schedule Wednesday, although there might be minor delays.

CSX also says it has removed soil that was affected by a leak of 750 gallons of sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, from a damaged tank car and is working to replace the soil with clean material. Railroad tracks that were damaged during the derailment will then be rebuilt.
Tribunal: India, Italy should agree on Italian marine's bail

NEW DELHI (AP)  India and Italy should work toward an agreement to allow an Italian marine to return home while an arbitration process continues in the fatally shootings of two Indian fishermen in 2012, a tribunal said Tuesday.

The two countries should present their arguments over relaxing the marine's bail conditions to India's Supreme Court, the tribunal in The Hague said.

The case against Salvatore Girone and another Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre, has strained relations between the two countries, which disagree on the facts of the case and who has jurisdiction. Italy has also complained bitterly about the fact that, in four years, India has never formally charged the two with a crime.

FILE  In this Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012 file photo, Italian marines Salvatore Girone, left, and Massimiliano Latorre, arrive at the Ciampino Rome airport from Kochi, India. Italy's Foreign Ministry says Monday, May 2, 2016 an international tribunal in The Hague has decided that Salvatore Girone, an Italian marine being held in India in the shooting deaths of two Indian fishermen mistaken for pirates can return home for the duration of arbitration. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

An arbitration tribunal is hearing the dispute over jurisdiction, and in the ruling announced Tuesday said the two countries should approach India's Supreme Court about changing Girone's bail terms to allow him to return to Italy. Latorre has been in his home country since September 2014 on medical treatment after suffering a stroke in India.

Both India and Italy welcomed the tribunal's ruling, which had been shared with officials from the two countries on Monday. India was happy that the ruling confirmed its jurisdiction to decide bail, while Italy found relief in the possibility of Girone's return.

"We see the tribunal's order not just as a recognition of India's consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India," Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, speaking Tuesday in Parliament on behalf of the foreign affairs minister.

In Rome, the defense minister expressed confidence that Italy would be proven right through the arbitration process.

"There are still bureaucratic matters to carry out" regarding Girone's return, Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti told reporters in Rome. She said she had spoken with both marines and that Girone appeared to be "relieved and contend about yesterday's news. He knew it was a crucial step."

India has accused Girone and Latorre of killing the fishermen in Indian waters while the Italians were assigned to anti-piracy duties aboard an Italian commercial ship, the Enrica Lexie. Italy says the marines thought the fishermen were pirates and that the shooting occurred in international waters.

India has insisted it has jurisdiction, while Italy has argued the case should be heard in an Italian court.

The European Parliament last year called the marines' continued detention without charge a violation of human rights.

Indian authorities have defended the delay in charging the marines, saying charges cannot be filed without both men being in India. They have also blamed the delays on uncertainty over which law should be used to prosecute the marines, as well as on the failure of witnesses who had been aboard the cargo ship to return to India to give testimony.

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Associated Press writers Frances D'Emilio in Rome, Mike Corder in The Hague and Nirmala George in New Delhi contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Friday, May 25, 2012 file photo Italian marine Salvatore Girone, looks out of the window of a vehicle as he is shifted with fellow Marine, Massimiliano Latorre, right, to a different prison in Kochi, India. Italy's Foreign Ministry says Monday, May 2, 2016 an international tribunal in The Hague has decided that Salvatore Girone, an Italian marine being held in India in the shooting deaths of two Indian fishermen mistaken for pirates can return home for the duration of arbitration. (AP Photo, File)
Details of N. Korea party congress secret, but goals clear

TOKYO (AP)  North Korea, the world's last great master of Cold War-era spectacle, is likely to deliver a big one when its ruling party holds its first congress in 36 years later this week.

What exactly is in store during the congress, which opens Friday and will be presided over by leader Kim Jong Un, remains a well-kept secret. But North Korea's advances toward becoming a truly credible nuclear power are sure to be touted along with claims of economic advances in the face of the toughest global sanctions it has been hit with in decades.

Also not in doubt: Pyongyang wants the event to grab headlines around the world.

In this October 1980 photo provided by the Korea News Service (KNS), then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, center, and his son Kim Jong Il, left, talk about the preparation for the convention of North Korea's Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea, the worlds last great master of socialist spectacle, is likely to deliver a big one when its ruling party holds its first congress in 36 years later this week, scheduled to begin on Friday, May 6, 2016. (Korea News Service via AP) JAPAN OUT UNTIL 14 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF TRANSMISSION

The normally well-sealed country has invited a horde of journalists from around the world to give the congress an international spotlight. The North has been promoting it relentlessly for months in its own state media and is vowing to make it a showcase of socialist success  both on the military and economic fronts.

The Rodong Sinmun, mouthpiece of the ruling Workers Party of Korea, said in an editorial Saturday that since the last congress in 1980, North Korea "proudly joined the ranks of advanced nuclear and space powers while demonstrating the might of the invincible politico-ideological, military and youth power and is now dashing ahead toward to a socialist economic power and highly civilized nation."

But while the congress promises to be a big moment in front of foreign cameras for Kim, who has yet to venture abroad or meet with any world leaders, its larger significance may be domestic.

Delegates for the congress will be brought in from all over the country for the political theater aspect of the event. They will likely generate a seemingly endless series of speeches hailing the party and its accomplishments, and will be tasked with formally appointing members of some key leadership committees. That will provide Kim the chance to get their formal stamp of approval on the lineup of lieutenants he has almost certainly already decided upon.

The North has worked hard over the past several months to keep the event foremost in the minds of the nation.

Even more so than usual, Pyongyang has been decked out with new posters, placards and decorations along its streets paying homage to the "motherly party" and the "party of victors."

A 70-day "loyalty campaign" was held in which North Koreans from all walks of life were called on to demonstrate their devotion to the regime by boosting productivity and joining in ideologically charged group events.

The campaign ended on Monday, but masses of Pyongyang citizens are still practicing in squares across the city for rallies to mark the congress, another typical way for the government to mobilize carefully orchestrated and highly photogenic shows of popular support and national unity.

Internationally, Kim has already gotten a lot of coverage lately as the North's propaganda machine churned out a heightened barrage of bluster and threats as the U.S. and South Korea massed for annual joint military exercises just south of the Demilitarized Zone. The war games, the biggest ever, followed North Korea's latest nuclear test in January and a consequent new round of U.N. sanctions.

Much of the North's verbal attacks were what Pyongyang watchers have come to expect every spring when the exercises are underway. But some of the propaganda, including photo ops with Kim standing beside a small nuclear warhead mock-up and gleefully watching missiles being launched from submarines, has prompted foreign military analysts to wonder if the North has made more progress with its nuclear and missile capabilities than previously thought.

South Korea, meanwhile, has warned another nuclear test may be in the offing, though open-source satellite imagery is inconclusive and Seoul's predictions are often wrong.

Details about the congress, the seventh in North Korean history, are frustratingly few.

The last congress in 1980 lasted four days and was held in the ornate February 8 House of Culture, now called the April 25 House of Culture, both dates referring to North Korean military anniversaries.

More than 3,000 delegates attended. Representatives from friendly parties abroad were also invited.

The House of Culture now appears to be under construction, suggesting it is either being prepared for the convention or that the venue might be moved elsewhere this year.

The last congress opened with a speech by North Korea's founder an "eternal president," Kim Il Sung, and was used primarily to install his son, Kim Jong Il, as the next in line to rule. That succession didn't actually take place until the elder Kim's death in 1994, though Kim Jong Il had a primary position under his father in running the country.

Unlike his famously reticent father  Kim Jong Il almost never spoke in public  Kim Jong Un is expected to address the congress as his grandfather did.

While nothing as monumental as the 1980 succession announcement is expected at this congress, North Korean officials have told The Associated Press that a key issue will be improving the living standards of the nation, a promise Kim Jong Un has made repeatedly since he took power upon the death of Kim Jong Il in 2011.

"The real source of power in our country isn't nuclear weapons or any other military means, but the single-minded unity of the people and the leader," Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong told the AP in an interview last week. "And this power of unity we have is the real source of power that leads our country into victory."

In this Oct. 10, 1980 photo provided by the Korea News Service (KNS), then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung addresses a convention of North Korea's Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea, the worlds last great master of socialist spectacle, is likely to deliver a big one when its ruling party holds its first congress in 36 years later this week, scheduled to begin on Friday, May 6, 2016. (Korea News Service via AP) JAPAN OUT UNTIL 14 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF TRANSMISSION

In this Oct. 10, 1980 photo provided by the Korea News Service (KNS), delegates attend a convention of North Korea's Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea, the worlds last great master of socialist spectacle, is likely to deliver a big one when its ruling party holds its first congress in 36 years later this week, scheduled to begin on Friday, May 6, 2016. Words at top reads: "Workers of the World, Unite" and on bottom reads: "The 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea." (Korea News Service via AP) JAPAN OUT UNTIL 14 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF TRANSMISSION

FILE - In this 1966 image made from file television footage, delegates clap at North Korea's Congress of Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea, the worlds last great master of socialist spectacle, is likely to deliver a big one when its ruling party holds its first congress in 36 years later this week, scheduled to begin on Friday, May 6, 2016. (APTN via AP, File)
Trump virtually clinches Republican presidential nomination

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  In a stunning triumph for a political outsider, Donald Trump all but clinched the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a resounding victory in Indiana that knocked rival Ted Cruz out of the race and cleared Trump's path to a likely November face-off with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Trump still needs about 200 delegates to formally secure the nomination, but Cruz's decision to end his campaign removed his last major obstacle.

"Ted Cruz  I don't know if he likes me or he doesn't like me  but he is one hell of a competitor," Trump said of his last fierce competitor whom he had dubbed "lyin' Ted." Trump, in a victory speech that was much lower-key than usual, promised victory in November, vowing anew to put "America first."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Clinton in Indiana, but the outcome will not slow the former secretary of state's march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesday's voting, Clinton had 92 percent of the delegates she needs.

"I know that the Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They're wrong," Sanders said defiantly in an interview Tuesday night. But Clinton already has turned her attention to the general election.

She and Trump now plunge into a six- month battle for the presidency, with the future of America's immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. While Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long.

Previewing Clinton's general election message, top adviser John Podesta said Trump was "simply too big of a risk" to be president.

For months, Republican leaders considered him a fringe candidate and banked on voters shifting toward more traditional contenders. But Trump tapped into Republicans' deep anger with party leaders and outlasted more than a dozen experienced political rivals.

Party Chairman Reince Priebus declared the race over, saying on Twitter that Trump would be the GOP's presumptive nominee.

"We all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton," he wrote.

Indeed, Trump's first challenge will be uniting a Republican Party that has been roiled by his candidacy. While some GOP leaders have warmed to the real estate mogul, others have promised to never vote for him and see him as a threat to their party's very existence.

Even before the Indiana results were finalized, some conservative leaders were planning a Wednesday meeting to assess the viability of launching a third party candidacy to compete with him in the fall.

One outside group trying to stop Trump suggested it would shift its attention to helping Republicans in other races. Rory Cooper, a senior adviser to the Never Trump super PAC, said the group will help protect "Republican incumbents and down-ballot candidates by distinguishing their values and principles from that of Trump and protecting them from a wave election."

Indiana was viewed as the last gasp for Cruz, the fiery Texas conservative. He campaigned aggressively in the state, securing the support of Indiana's governor and announcing businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate.

Cruz had clung to the hope that he could keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination and push the race to a rare contested convention.

"I've said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is now the only other Republican left in the race. But Kasich has won just one primary  his home state  and trails Trump by nearly 900 delegates.

Kasich pledged to stay in the race, with his campaign manager saying the governor would continue to "offer the voters a clear choice for our country."

Only about half of Indiana's Republican primary voters said they were excited or optimistic about any of their remaining candidates becoming president, according to exit polls. Still, most said they probably would support whoever won for the GOP.

Clinton, too, needs to win over Sanders' enthusiastic supporters. The Vermont senator has cultivated a deeply loyal following, in particular among young people, a group Democrats count on in the general election.

Though Sanders claimed momentum, he has conceded his strategy hinges on persuading superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin.

Exit polls showed about 7 in 10 Indiana Democrats said they'd be excited or at least optimistic about either a Clinton or Sanders presidency. Most said they would support either in November.

The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

With Sanders' narrow victory Tuesday, he picked up at least 43 of Indiana's 83 delegates. Clinton now has 2,202 delegates to Sanders' 1,400. That includes pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses, as well as superdelegates.

Trump now has at least 1,047 delegates. Cruz exits the race with 565, while Kasich has 152.

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Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report from Washington.

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Follow Julie Pace and Scott Bauer on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and http://twitter.com/sbauerAP

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, turns to his wife, Heidi, following a primary night campaign event, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trump's march to the Republican nomination. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and his wife Jane Sanders, wave after a campaign rally Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his wife Melania, right, daughter Ivanka, left, and son Eric, background left, as he speaks during a primary night news conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Solar plane arrives in Arizona on latest leg of global trip

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP)  An airplane powered only by sunlight has arrived in a Phoenix suburb after completing the latest leg of its global trip.

The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 landed shortly before 9 p.m. PDT Monday at Phoenix Goodyear Airport after a 16-hour flight from Mountain View, California, south of San Francisco.

It began the 10th leg of the trek  that's now over a year old  just after 5 a.m.

Pilot Andre Borschberg lands the Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 plane, late Monday, May 2, 2016, in Goodyear, Ariz. The plane left early Monday from California for a 16-hour trip to Phoenix to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. (AP Photo/Matt York)

SLOW GOING, BUT WHAT VIEWS

Flying without fossil fuel makes for a long trip.

The plane's solar power is captured by 17,000 cells mounted on its wings, which are larger than those of a 747 jetliner. Some of the solar energy is stored in batteries, allowing the plane to fly at night.

Ideal flight speed is about 28 mph, though that can double during the day when the sun's rays are strongest. The carbon-fiber aircraft weighs over 5,000 pounds, about as much as a midsize truck.

Maybe slow going isn't so bad when you're flying over some of the most scenic places in the U.S., including the Hawaiian islands and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

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LATEST STOP: THE DESERT

After arriving in the Phoenix area Monday night, pilot Andre Borschberg called the trip from California "a beautiful flight."

For several minutes after arriving, Borschberg remained aboard as powerful winds buffeted the aircraft, forcing the ground crew to hold it down with straps.

"Sometimes it is more difficult to handle the airplane on the ground than in flight," he told reporters later.

Video from cameras aboard the plane as well as on the ground at the Goodyear airport showed the Solar Impulse as it flew through the night sky en route to its safe touch down.

Co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, flew the previous leg, a three-day flight to from Hawaii to California.

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WHY A SOLAR PLANE?

Inventors wanted to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation

Pilots have used layovers to engage with people along the way to explain the project, and project officials said Monday in a statement released to The Associated Press that they will decide in the next few days whether public view of the plane would be possible while it is in Arizona.

The overall project is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002.

The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It stopped in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan en route to the United States.

The crew was forced to stay on the island of Oahu in Hawaii for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its flight from Japan.

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WHERE NEXT?

After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey.

But project officials say it hasn't yet been decided exactly where the plane will go next in the United States.

"The team is examining a wide range of potential destinations in the mainland to leave a maximum flexibility for route planning," project officials said in a statement.

The team has flexibility in choosing destinations because it uses an inflatable mobile hangar and because of "the support and openness of the various airports."

It also isn't known yet known when the plane will take flight again.

On its previous layover, the plane landed late the night of April 23 in Mountain View, and departed a little over eight days later.

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Seavey reported from Phoenix

Pilot Andre Borschberg lands the Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 plane, late Monday, May 2, 2016, in Goodyear, Ariz. The plane left early Monday from California for a 16-hour trip to Phoenix to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Pilot Andre Borschberg, left, and pilot Bertrand Piccard walk together after Borschberg exited the cockpit of the Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 plane, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Goodyear, Ariz. The plane left early Monday from California for a 16-hour trip to Phoenix to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Pilot Andre Borschberg sits in the cockpit of the Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 plane, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Goodyear, Ariz. The plane left early Monday from California for a 16-hour trip to Phoenix to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Pilot Andre Borschberg comes in on approach in the Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 plane, late Monday, May 2, 2016, in Goodyear, Ariz. The plane left early Monday from California for a 16-hour trip to Phoenix to resume its journey around the world using only energy from the sun. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Viewer's Guide: Cruz, Sanders want campaign boost in Indiana

WASHINGTON (AP)  Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders are all-in for Indiana as they try to stave off the growing aura of inevitability surrounding their opponents. But Donald Trump says his general election race against Hillary Clinton has "sort of already started." Clinton may not say as much, but she largely agrees. On what could be a pivotal night for Cruz, Trump is strongly favored in the state's GOP primary. Sanders and Hillary Clinton are in a tighter race on the Democratic side.

What to watch in Indiana's presidential primary on Tuesday:

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Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

THE TIMELINE

Polls close at 6 p.m. EDT in 80 of Indiana's 92 counties, and at 7 p.m. EDT in the rest of the state. So the vote count will have been under way for an hour in most of the state by 7 p.m., the earliest that a winner can be declared in either primary. In 2012, half the vote had been reported by 8 p.m., and 95 percent by 10 p.m. Four years earlier, half the votes were counted before 9 p.m. but the state didn't get to 90 percent until nearly 1 a.m.

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GOP MATH FACTS

Cruz already has no chance of clinching the GOP nomination before the convention. His goal on Tuesday night is to deny Trump enough Indiana delegates to make it harder for the billionaire businessman to clinch the nomination ahead of the convention. Watch how many Indiana delegates Trump scoops up on Tuesday night: If he claims a big share of the 57 delegates at stake, he'll only need 42 percent of remaining delegates to clinch the nomination and crush Cruz' hopes for a contested convention.

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DEM MATH FACTS

The nomination isn't mathematically out of Sanders' reach  yet. But it looks like it's just a matter of time. Including superdelegates, Clinton is just 218 delegates short of the 2,383 delegates she needs to clinch the nomination and it looks like she'll get there in the next few weeks. Indiana, with 83 Democratic delegates at stake, can't put her over the top or rule Sanders out. But it can make the math much more daunting for Sanders.

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LET'S BE CLEAR

The candidates can be counted on to overstate their gains and minimize their losses on Tuesday. Remember this: If Trump wins, he is not assured of nailing down the nomination ahead of the convention. But it will be much more doable. Likewise, if Trump loses Indiana, it does not mean he has been blocked from clinching the nomination prior to the convention; it will just be harder.

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TRUMP'S TACTICS

Trump already considers himself the presumptive nominee and he's itching be more aggressive in going after Clinton  to "get on to Hillary," as he put it on Monday. Watch his Tuesday night appearance at Trump Tower to see what he has to say about Clinton. Does he reprise his recent claims that she's playing up the "woman's card," or try out new lines of attack? As for his GOP rivals, Cruz and John Kasich, Trump said flatly in advance: "If we win Indiana, it's over."

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CLINTON'S FOCUS

Clinton, who put less effort into Indiana than did Sanders, had no public appearances planned Tuesday night. She's increasingly focused on the expected fall matchup with Trump.

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CRUZ' CLIFF

The Texas senator on Tuesday morning issued a long and impassioned denunciation of Trump as a cynical narcissist, pathological liar and serial philanderer who is "utterly amoral." He pleaded with Indiana voters to keep the country from plunging "over the cliff" and "into the abyss" by advancing Trump's candidacy. After raising the stakes sky-high in Indiana, Cruz will be hard-pressed to sketch out a viable path going forward if he loses.

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SUPER SANDERS

Watch for Sanders, campaigning in Louisville on Tuesday night, to continue his outreach to superdelegates who have endorsed Clinton. With the delegate math overwhelmingly favoring Clinton, Sanders has the difficult challenge of persuading the superdelegates, who are free to back any candidate, to "go into their hearts" and switch sides.

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ALLIANCE ASSESSMENT

Indiana will be the first test of an alliance between Cruz and Kasich, in which the Ohio governor agreed not to campaign in Indiana, and Cruz in turn agreed not to campaign in Oregon and New Mexico. Watch to see if a significant share of Kasich supporters migrate to Cruz or resist such redirection.

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FAIRNESS FACTOR

Amid plenty of grumbling from Trump about a rigged political system, exit polls will explore how Republicans feel about the process for selecting their nominee.

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AP writers Stephen Ohlemacher and Hope Yen in Washington and Scott Bauer in Indiana contributed to this report.

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Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nbenac

Carly Fiorina, vice-presidential candidate for Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, meets with supporters during a campaign stop at Lincoln Square Pancake House, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Westfield, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks to a crowd at the Old National Events Plaza during a rally in Evansville, Ind., Monday, May 2, 2016. Indiana holds its primary Tuesday. (Jason Clark/Evansville Courier & Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
A ballot initiative committing Montanans to providing $200 million to private medical research is bad medicine for state infrastructure, according to trade unions and state legislators.

The AFL-CIO and others came out strongly against Initiative 181 on Monday. The initiative, whose supporters are now gathering signatures to qualify for the November election, would commit Montanans to providing $20 million in bonds each year for 10 years for medical research.

But bonds are also how Montana pays for public infrastructure. And if $20 million is already committed to research, raising bonds for things like community water and sewer projects will be difficult, said Al Ekblad, Montana AFL-CIO executive.

I-181 could hinder the Montana Legislatures ability in 2017 to invest in Montanas infrastructure and put Montana construction workers, who have not recovered from the 2008 recession, to work in good-paying jobs, Ekblad said.

The group behind the initiative is Montanans for Research and Cures, whose chairman Randy Gray said the group's intend isn't to squeeze state infrastructure projects.

"You know, Montana has been wrestling for several years with infrastructure financing, and I appreciate that's a concern," Gray said. "I guess our thought is Montana doesn't have to choose one over the other."

The money behind the initiative is mostly from McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences. MRI research concerns Alzheimers, Parkinsons and other brain illnesses. The research group has contributed more than half the initiatives $79,500 campaign funds.

I-181 would allow a selection panel appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate to determine which Montana research projects received public funding. The projects considered would be reviewed and ranked by scientists from out of state.

The concerns about Montana's ability to bond other projects after committing $200 million to research grants over the next decade are real, said Rep. Jeff Welborn, R-Dillon.

"The money is going to come from the Montana taxpayer. So, I believe it's going to affect our ability to raise money for infrastructure projects," Welborn said.

Welborn said there's an accountability gap in putting bonding on the ballot, which takes the Legislature out of the equation. Legislators elected by the public, not a board of appointees, should scrutinize spending for each project, he said.
Tens of thousands Shiite pilgrims converge on Baghdad shrine

BAGHDAD (AP)  Tens of thousands of Shiite pilgrims converged Tuesday on a golden-domed Shiite shrine in Baghdad to commemorate the anniversary of the death of a revered imam as authorities tightened security measures in the Iraqi capital amid concerns of more attacks by Sunni extremists.

Security forces blocked all major roads in Baghdad to protect the pilgrims, who have been making their way on foot this week to the shrine in the northern neighborhood of Kadhimiyah, where the 8th century Imam Moussa al-Kadhim is buried.

However, Sunni extremists, who see Shiite as apostates, have still managed to launch several attacks on the pilgrims, including a car bombing on Monday that killed 18 pilgrims and wounded 45 people. Shortly after that explosion, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement.

Shiite pilgrims gather at the holy shrine of the Imam Moussa al-Kadhim during the annual commemoration of the saint's death in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo)

On Tuesday, when the annual commemoration events culminate, some of the pilgrims in Kadhimiyah pounded their chests in grief while others flagellated themselves with chains or carried symbolic coffins of the imam, wrapped in a green cloth.

Inside the shrine, clerics recited the story of how al-Kadhim, a great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the 12 holiest Shiite imams, was poisoned by the Abbasid caliph, Haroun al-Rasheed.

The annual Shiite pilgrimage has brought some ease to the country's simmering political crisis.

On Sunday, anti-government protesters decided to disband their demonstration  at least temporarily  in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone that they had stormed a day earlier. Followers of influential Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr have been launching protests and sit-ins to demand for reforms and new government.

Shiite pilgrims gather at the holy shrine of the Imam Moussa al-Kadhim during the annual commemoration of the saint's death in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo)
Judge agrees to move trial for dad in toddler hot SUV death

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP)  Acknowledging the intense and extensive media coverage of the case of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die, the judge decided it would be wise to move the trial away from the county where the boy died.

Questionnaires filled out by potential jurors show "pervasive knowledge" of the case and questioning of individual jurors during three weeks of jury selection confirmed that many already believe Justin Ross Harris is guilty, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley said Monday. Harris, 35, faces charges including murder in the death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper.

Police have said the boy died after spending about seven hours in the SUV on June 18, 2014, when Atlanta-area temperatures soared at least into the high 80s.

Justin Ross Harris arrives for his court appearance at Cobb Superior Court on Monday, Oct. 12, 2015 in Marietta, Ga. The judge in the trial of Harris on Monday, May 2, 2016, granted a defense request to move the trial. Thirty-five-year-old Justin Ross Harris faces charges including murder in the June 18, 2014, death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper.He is accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die.(Kathryn Ingall/ The Marietta Daily Journal, Pool via AP, File)

"This courtroom has not been a place of mild opinions," Staley said.

She noted the "emotionality" of potential juror comments, with one of them saying Harris should rot in hell, another calling him a pervert and one saying he deserves the death penalty, which prosecutors aren't even seeking.

There was no immediate indication where the trial will be moved. Staley said she and the court administrator will talk to courts in other parts of the state about hosting the trial and will consult with the lawyers for both sides.

"While we're certainly disappointed, we understand and respect the court's ruling," Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds said in an emailed statement. "Whenever and wherever this case is set for trial, the state will be ready."

Moving out of metro Atlanta should make it easier to find jurors who haven't heard as much about the trial and who haven't already formed solid opinions about the case, said Page Pate, an Atlanta-based defense attorney who's not involved in the case.

"While the case was certainly covered across the state and across the country, I don't think it has been as saturated elsewhere as it has been in Cobb County," he said. "I think that county has really felt the effect of the case and the coverage."

Staley held a hearing Monday on a defense motion to move the trial. After a lunch break, she urged lawyers for both sides to work together to try to reach an agreement on five disputed potential jurors, and to consider the cost and logistics of moving the trial. When they could not agree, Staley thanked them for their good faith effort and then granted a defense motion to move the trial.

Roughly 250 potential jurors filled out a 17-page questionnaire that included questions about what they knew about the case. The lawyers and judge then began questioning them individually nearly three weeks ago. They questioned more than 80, qualifying about half of them to be part of the jury pool.

Many said they believed Harris was guilty. Some said they would try to put aside those thoughts and be fair and impartial, but others said it would be very hard for them to do that.

It's not surprising the judge decided to move the trial, Pate said.

"I certainly think it's the right decision," he said. "In an abundance of caution, you don't want to risk a reversal on appeal."

Although moving a trial is expensive  and that's certainly something Staley had to think about  it pales in comparison to the cost of retrying the case if the verdict had been overturned on appeal, Pate said.

Defense attorney Bryan Lumpkin had argued the pretrial publicity led to a clear "atmosphere of hostility" against his client.

Under questioning by attorneys, some potential jurors cited what they believe are facts about the case but they were actually citing falsehoods, Lumpkin said. For example, he said, some said they heard Harris did an online search about children dying in hot cars, that he had made online posts about a child-free lifestyle and that he wasn't emotional after realizing his son was dead. None of that is true, Lumpkin said.

Prosecutor Chuck Boring called the attempt to move the trial nothing but defense strategy. He likened the defense request to that of a child who wants to start a game over because things aren't going his way.

Harris moved to Georgia from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2012 to work for Home Depot.

Justin Ross Harris listens in court Monday, May 2, 2016, in Marietta, Ga. The judge in the trial Harris, a man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die, has granted a defense request to move the trial. Harris faces charges including murder in the June 18, 2014, death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper. (Brant Sanderlin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Philippines to discuss lease of Japan surveillance planes

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The Philippine defense chief said Tuesday his government has agreed in principle to lease five Japanese surveillance planes to be used in patrolling disputed areas of the South China Sea and in search-and-rescue missions during disasters.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said he plans to discuss with his Japanese counterpart the terms of the lease of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force TC 90 aircraft when they meet on the sidelines of an annual meeting of defense ministers in Laos later this month.

The Asian allies, which have separate territorial conflicts with China, have been deepening their security ties. They signed an agreement in February to allow Japan to supply defense equipment and technology to the Philippines, Tokyo's first such pact with any Southeast Asian country.

Japan's efforts to ease restrictions on its defense forces to provide equipment to Asian allies paved the way for Tokyo to offer the patrol aircraft to the Philippines, he said.

"This is a big help because we don't have such a capability, Gazmin said.

In a telephone call Monday with Gazmin, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani "reaffirmed the transfer" of the Japanese planes which will be useful for humanitarian and disaster-response missions and maritime security," the Philippines defense department said.

They agreed that cooperation by their countries "is indispensable," with Nakatani stressing the relationship "is crucial for peace, stability and prosperity" in the region, the department said.
Liberty House submits bid for Tata Steel assets in UK

LONDON (AP)  Two firms have expressed interest in buying the available assets of Tata Steel UK, setting up rival bids that could help revive the troubled industry in Britain.

Commodities trading firm Liberty House said Tuesday it has submitted a letter of intent to bid for Tata Steel's available assets in the U.K., including the massive Port Talbot steel works in south Wales. A second group planning a management buyout, Excalibur Steel UK, has also registered a letter of intent.

Liberty said its bid uses a model that will involve a transition of steelmaking in blast furnaces "to recycling steel in electric arc furnaces over time." The company also said Cambridge University professor Julian Allwood  who has studied reducing carbon emissions by making less new materials  has joined the team of external advisers.

"Steelmaking would be ultimately powered by renewable energy sources," the company said in a statement. "Liberty believes the U.K. steel industry can achieve long-term viability if based on an agile, sustainable, non-cyclical model."

The other bid is led by Stuart Wilkie, chief executive of Excalibur and previously the hub director of Tata Steel's Strip Products in the U.K. He said their project has made enormous advances in the two weeks since making the decision to pursue a buyout.

"We believe we have a large number of the pieces in place required to make this a success, including a management team with vast experience of steel making and processing," Wilkie said. "We are confident we can turn the business around and sustain profitable steel-making in the United Kingdom."

India-based Tata has said it is losing 1 million pounds ($1.4 million) a day at Port Talbot amid high costs and a glut of cheap Chinese steel in global markets.

The government has said that it is prepared to take a 25 percent stake in any rescue of Tata, mindful of the 4,000 people who work at Port Talbot alone.

Critics say the government should reduce energy costs and cut business taxes to help the steel industry. If it can't find a buyer, some argue the government should nationalize the plants to ensure Britain keeps producing the steel needed by U.K. manufacturers.
Myanmar fire leaves 440 Rohingya families homeless

YANGON, Myanmar (AP)  A fire on Tuesday burned down a camp in western Myanmar that shelters members of the country's persecuted Rohingya minority, leaving 440 families homeless.

Rakhine state Department of Social Relief official Cho Cho Win said 49 bamboo shelters, each containing eight rooms, burned down at the Baw Du Pa 2 camp north of the state capital, Sittwe. He and Aung Win, a Rohingya community leader who lives near the camp and witnessed the blaze, said no deaths have been reported.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. Fires are not unusual during Myanmar's hot season, especially in crowded quarters such as slums and refugee camps. At least one fire truck was at the scene but failed to control the fire.

People gather around the remains of Baw Du Pa camp, a camp for stateless Rohingya people in north of Sittwe, western Rakhine state, Myanmar, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. A fire on Tuesday burned down a camp in western Myanmar that shelters members of the country's persecuted Rohingya minority, leaving 440 families homeless. (Photo via AP)

Cho Cho Win said his agency had sent 45 tents to temporarily house the fire victims, along with 448 emergency aid kits.

United Nations statistics last December gave the camp's population as 6,917. It said 58 camps in Rakhine housed more than 145,000 people, mostly Muslim Rohingya who lost or fled their homes in 2013 due to clashes with Rakhine Buddhists.

People throw water at a fire in Baw Du Pa camp, a camp for stateless Rohingya people in north of Sittwe, western Rakhine state, Myanmar, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. A fire on Tuesday burned down a camp in western Myanmar that shelters members of the country's persecuted Rohingya minority, leaving 440 families homeless. (Photo via AP)
US combat death in Iraq reflects intensifying war

STUTTGART, Germany (AP)  The combat death of a U.S. Navy SEAL who was advising Kurdish forces in Iraq coincides with a gradually deepening American role in fighting a resilient Islamic State, even as the Iraqis struggle to muster the military and political strength to defeat the militants.

Over the course of the nearly two-year-old campaign, the Pentagon has slowly expanded the American military role. The strategy, criticized by some as incremental and inadequate, aims to ensure that the Iraqis do the ground combat, supported by U.S. airpower, special operations advisers and others.

As the Iraqis have gained competence and confidence and prepared an assault in hopes of retaking Mosul, the Pentagon has announced plans to put more U.S. troops in Iraq and place them closer to the front lines.

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, left, receives the rank pennant from US Air Force General Philip Breedlove, the outgoing commanding officer of US and NATO troops in Europe, during the change in command at the United States European Command (EUCOM), in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, with General Joseph Dunford, second from left, and Command Master Chief Crispian Addington, second from right, pictured in the background. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

In Defense Secretary Ash Carter's view, that means a greater chance for success. It also means more risk to U.S. troops, as he acknowledged Tuesday in announcing the latest death, the third of an American service member in combat in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition launched its campaign against the Islamic State in the summer of 2014.

"It shows you it's a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq," Carter said.

The SEAL was identified Tuesday as Charlie Keating IV, 31, who grew up in Phoenix and attended the Naval Academy before becoming a SEAL based out of Coronado, California. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Keating died in an Islamic State group attack near the city of Irbil.

Seven months ago, a special operations soldier, 39-year-old Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, was killed during a Kurdish-led raid on an Islamic State prison in northern Iraq. In March, a Marine artilleryman, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, was killed when the militants launched a rocket attack on a newly established U.S. firebase outside Mosul.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama had been briefed on the incident and extended condolences to Keating's family. Earnest said the incident was a "vivid reminder" of the dangers facing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.

"They are taking grave risks to protect our country. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude," Earnest said.

Keating's death coincides with diverging trends in Iraq. On one hand, Iraqi forces trained and advised by Americans have scored significant battlefield gains in recent months, including the recapture of Ramadi and other advances against IS-held towns in Anbar province. On the other hand, political conflict in Baghdad fed by sectarian rivalry is threatening to derail the entire effort.

Carter said Monday that as the Iraqis gain battlefield momentum the Pentagon will pursue additional ways to support them. Recently that has meant adding more U.S. troops to advise Iraqi brigade and battalion commanders closer to the fight. Inevitably that means the likelihood of more U.S. combat casualties, even though the White House insists there are no U.S. "boots on the ground" in Iraq or Syria.

The risk can be expected to grow if, as planned, the U.S. sends Apache attack helicopters into battle in support of an Iraqi assault on Mosul in coming months. The U.S. also has committed to sending more mobile artillery as part of that effort and to providing up to $415 million in support of the Kurds in northern Iraq. Obama recently authorized an increase in the number of troops that can deploy to Iraq to advise and assist Iraqi forces. The cap was increased last week from 3,870 to 4,087.

The U.S. also has announced it will increase the number of special operations forces in Syria from 50 to 300.

As described by an Iraqi Kurdish intelligence officer, Lt. Col. Manav Dosky, Tuesday's Islamic State attack was launched on Teleskof, about 14 miles north of Mosul, just after 6 a.m. The Islamic State broke through the Kurds' front-line position with a barrage of armored Humvees and bulldozers, Dosky said, and clashes killed at least three Kurdish peshmerga fighters. Keating was among Americans advising the peshmerga during that battle.

Maj. Gen. Jaber Yawer, a Kurdish peshmerga spokesman, told The Associated Press that the American was killed by IS sniper fire during an IS attack that also involved a number of car bombs.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the incident publicly, said the SEAL was killed with small arms fire, suggesting that Islamic State fighters likely came within a few hundred yards of the U.S. forces.

The Americans were 2 to 3 miles behind that front line before the attack was launched, the official added.

American forces will continue to stay behind the front lines, the defense official said, but he acknowledged that the U.S. expects more ground fighting as the Iraqi and Kurdish militaries, backed by the U.S., push farther into Islamic State-controlled territory.

___

George reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann in Washington, Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad and Balint Szlanko in Irbil, Iraq, contributed to this report.
US defense secretary says Russia is 'nuclear saber-rattling'

STUTTGART, Germany (AP)  U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter blasted what the U.S. and its allies see as Russian aggression in Europe, saying Tuesday that Moscow is "going backward in time" with warlike actions that compel an American military buildup on NATO's eastern flank.

"We do not seek to make Russia an enemy," Carter said at a ceremony to install a new head of the military's U.S. European Command and top NATO commander in Europe. "But make no mistake: We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us," he said.

Carter's remarks reflect U.S. aggravation with Moscow on multiple fronts, including its intervention in eastern Ukraine, its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and what Carter called Russian efforts to intimidate its Baltic neighbors  countries the United States is treaty-bound to defend because they are NATO members.

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter speaks during a press conference held after the change in command at the United States European Command (EUCOM), at the Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Carter said the "most disturbing" Russian rhetoric was about using nuclear weapons.

"Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to brandishing nuclear weapons," he said.

The end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was thought to have virtually ended the prospect of nuclear conflict with Moscow. But the speeches at Tuesday's change-of-command ceremony emphasized the possibility of history repeating itself, or at least ending a period of warmer U.S.-Russian relations.

Senior White House officials said the U.S. and its partners were shifting into a new phase focused on military deterrence to Moscow. Additional NATO forces that will rotate through countries on Russia's eastern flank will be enough to defend NATO countries if Russia were to attack, said the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

To that end, the U.S. plans to add a third U.S. Army combat brigade in Europe in the coming year as part of a $3.4 billion initiative, Carter said. On Monday, he said NATO is considering establishing a continuous rotation of up to 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and possibly Poland.

That force, which could include some U.S. troops, is among options expected to be considered at a NATO defense meeting in June. U.S. officials said they were encouraging other NATO members to commit troops to the force as well.

But U.S. attempts to control or direct Russia haven't fared well. The U.S has been unable to end Russia's occupation of parts of Ukraine and support for separatist rebels. And Washington is desperately seeking Moscow's help to enforce a cease-fire in Syria between the Russian-backed government and Western-supported rebels, and eventually usher President Bashar Assad out of power.

On both fronts, the United States has been running into brick walls with the Russians.

U.S. officials said that they had "explicitly compartmentalized" the various issues the U.S. is discussing with Russia. Yet it's unlikely that Russia's government sees it that way.

The U.S. and NATO have sought to avoid provoking Moscow more than necessary, such as opting against opening new bases or permanently stationing troops in the Baltic countries. The Kremlin has raised concerns that permanent basing would violate a 1997 NATO-Russia agreement that prohibits permanent basing "in the current and foreseeable security environment," and senior U.S. officials said that NATO had decided to abide by those provisions.

Carter said he regretted the deterioration in relations with Moscow.

"We haven't had to prioritize deterrence on NATO's eastern flank for the past 25 years, but while I wish it were otherwise, now we have to," he said at an outdoor ceremony, speaking from a podium framed by birch trees and drenched in sunshine.

Carter emphasized his hope that Russia will abandon what he called its confrontational approach.

"The United States will continue to hold out the possibility that Russia will assume the role of a constructive partner moving forward, not isolated and going backward in time as it appears to be today," he said. "Much of the progress we've made together since the end of the Cold War, we accomplished with Russia. Let me repeat that. Not in spite of Russia, not against Russia, not without Russia, but with it."

Carter made no mention of two post-Cold War developments that many believe prompted, at least in part, Russia's turn away from the West, namely, the expansion of NATO to Russia's very doorstep and U.S. placement of missile defenses in Europe.

"We'll keep the door open for Russia," he said. But it's up to the Kremlin to decide."

Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti was installed Tuesday as head of U.S. European Command and the top NATO commander in Europe. Scaparrotti most recently commanded U.S. and allied troops in South Korea and has commanded troops in Afghanistan. He succeeds Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who has pointedly and repeatedly warned that NATO must better prepare for an adversarial relationship with Russia.

___

Lederman reported from Washington.

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, left, receives the rank pennant from US Air Force General Philip Breedlove, the outgoing commanding officer of US and NATO troops in Europe, during the change in command at the United States European Command (EUCOM), in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, with General Joseph Dunford, second from left, and Command Master Chief Crispian Addington, second from right, pictured in the background. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

FILE - in this April 26, 2014 file photo, U.S. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti speaks at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, South Korea. The Senate confirmed Army Scaparrotti to be the top American commander in Europe. The NATO alliance this week is getting a new supreme commander, a former top-ranking U.S. military officer in Korea hailed Tuesday May 3, 2016, by Defense Secretary Ash Carter as a proven warrior-diplomat and a soldiers general. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Singapore detains 8 Bangladeshis suspected of IS group links

SINGAPORE (AP)  Singapore has detained eight Bangladeshi workers on suspicion of planning attacks linked to the Islamic State group in their home country, authorities said Tuesday

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the eight construction and marine workers were detained last month for allegedly being members of the group Islamic State in Bangladesh and are currently under investigation.

It said they were arrested under the city-state's Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial in cases where public safety is threatened.

The ministry said the suspects had intended to join the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria as foreign fighters but discovered that it would be difficult to make their way there. The group then focused on returning to Bangladesh, where at least two more members are believed to be based, it said.

They made plans to "overthrow the democratically elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic State in Bangladesh and bring it under ISIS' self-declared caliphate," it added, using another acronym for the Islamic State group.

"The group had also raised monies to purchase firearms to carry out their planned terror attacks in Bangladesh. The money has since been seized," it said.

The ministry said an investigation revealed documents containing possible targets in Bangladesh and a list of government and military officials. It said the group's suspected leader, Rahman Mizanur, possessed guides on making weapons and bombs and also radical material from the Islamic State group and al-Qaida that he used to recruit the others.

"Rahman Mizanur has said he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS to do so, though there are no specific indications that Singapore had as yet been selected as a target. Several of those detained may be liable for prosecution for terrorism financing," the ministry said in a statement.

Five Bangladeshi workers were investigated under the Internal Security Act for alleged links to the Singapore-recruited group and were subsequently deported for supporting the use of violence for a religious cause and possession of jihadi-related materials, the ministry said.

Police in Bangladesh said they arrested the five workers on Tuesday and were questioning them.

"We are going to interrogate them extensively to verify the charges brought by the Singapore authorities," said Monirul Islam, head of the police Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit.
3 detained after Dalit law student raped, murdered in India

NEW DELHI (AP)  Police detained three men for questioning Tuesday in the rape and murder of a law student whose body was found mutilated in southern India, officials said.

The case has drawn comparisons to the deadly 2012 gang rape of a woman on a New Delhi bus that sparked widespread outrage and nationwide protests demanding an end to the widespread sexual assault and abuse of women across India.

The autopsy on the 30-year-old victim in Kerala state revealed she had been sexually penetrated by sharp objects before being murdered in her home on Thursday in Perumbavoor, a city on the outskirts of the major city of Kochi, according to Press Trust of India news agency, citing police sources. Home Minister Ramesh Chennitala said, however, that the full autopsy report was not yet complete, and so he was unable to confirm that a rape had happened.

Police stop students who were protesting following the rape and murder of a law student in Kochi, Kerala state, India, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Police detained three men for questioning Tuesday in the rape and murder of a law student whose body was found mutilated in southern India, officials said.The case has drawn comparisons to the deadly 2012 gang rape of a woman on a New Delhi bus that sparked widespread outrage and nationwide protests demanding an end to the widespread sexual assault and abuse of women across India.(Press Trust of India via AP) INDIA OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO ARCHIVE

"Police are working very hard on solving this case," Chennitala told reporters.

On Tuesday, police arrested three men for questioning, but could not immediately say if they were suspected of taking part in the crime.

The family is from the Dalit community, considered the lowest caste in India's centuries-old social hierarchy. PTI reported that the victim's body was discovered by her mother.

The state's chief minister, Oommen Chandy, has described the crime as "shocking." Women outraged over the case have staged protests.

Taboos against speaking about sexual assault are believed to make India's women and children more vulnerable to sexual violence and harassment.
Detroit teachers to return to classroom after 2-day sick-out

DETROIT (AP)  Teachers who closed Detroit schools for two days by calling out sick announced Tuesday that they would return to the classroom after receiving assurance from the district's manager that they would be paid.

The move by the Detroit Federation of Teachers came hours after Michigan lawmakers advanced a $500 million plan to restructure the public schools by creating a new district.

The vote was intended to ease teachers' fears that they might not get paid if the district runs out of money. But the union quickly blasted the legislation endorsed by the House Appropriations Committee. It would forbid existing labor agreements from transferring to the new district and restrict collective bargaining over work schedules and school calendars.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Ivy Bailey addresses teachers outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Terrence Martin, the union's executive vice president, said it was "truly outraged" by the proposal. He said the measures sent to the full House "feel like and look like anti-teacher bills" and differ radically from legislation approved in March by the Senate that he described as "workable."

"It's just a testament to how far apart lawmakers are right now. ... "(It's) very discouraging to our membership," Martin said. "We'll continue to fight."

The union said it would encourage members to go back to school Wednesday based on discussions with the district's state-appointed transitional manager, Steven Rhodes.

The sick-out idled 45,000 children and presented yet another crisis with racial overtones for a governor and Legislature already engrossed in the water emergency in Flint, a majority-black city like Detroit, where many residents have complained about being treated like second-class citizens.

"Teachers, you're going to get paid," Republican House Appropriations Chairman Al Pscholka said before the panel approved the plan over objections that it would not be enough money and also hurt the teachers union.

The proposal that passed mostly along party lines would launch a new district in July. Students would attend school in that district, while the old one would remain intact for tax-collection purposes to retire the district's enormous debt by 2023. The plan would spend less than the $700-plus million plan approved by the Senate.

The GOP-led House could vote on the idea later this week. But big differences would still need to be resolved with the Republican-controlled Senate. It was unclear how quickly that could occur before the Legislature adjourns for the summer in mid-June.

On Tuesday, the district closed 94 of its 97 schools  the same number that canceled classes on Monday, when more than 1,500 teachers did not show up for work.

"We want to be in school teaching children," said Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation of Teachers. "But you cannot in good conscience ask anybody to work without a guarantee they're going to be paid."

The district  considered the worst academically of its size in the country  has been under continuous state oversight since 2009. It has been led by a series of financial managers who have confronted debt and enrollment that has declined to a third of what it was a decade ago.

Rhodes, the current manager and a former federal judge who oversaw the city's bankruptcy, warned over the weekend that nearly $50 million in emergency spending that the state approved in March will run out by June 30.

Teachers opting to have their pay spread over 12 months instead of the course of the school year would not receive paychecks in July and August without more help from the state.

The seven-bill plan aims to ensure that the newly created district could spend more on academics if freed of debt payments equaling $1,100 per student.

But Republicans and Democrats remain at odds over issues such as how much state money is needed and whether to create a special commission to open and close schools, including publicly funded charters. Also unresolved is the question of when an elected school board would take power and if a financial oversight commission would have a say in hiring a new superintendent.

Rep. Henry Yanez, a Democrat, characterized the legislation as "bald-faced union busting." Other Democrats questioned why it would provide only $33 million for start-up costs and cash flow when $200 million is required.

The mass sick-outs that started late last year with just a small group of teachers, however, angered Republicans, who complained that the protest did not help their efforts to pass the bills. Four bills won approval on narrow 15-14 votes.

Rep. Earl Poleski of Jackson, who voted for the legislation, called the work stoppages "reprehensible."

"Their actions have been grossly unprofessional," he said.

But one parent who was missing work because her daughter has been shut out of class said the blame for the district's financial maladies falls on the shoulders of the state, not the teachers.

Teachers "have been doing the best that they can with the resources that they have," said Monique Baker McCormick, whose daughter is an 11th-grader at Cass Tech. "They're just trying to survive themselves off of what little they get. So I don't blame them at all for fighting for what they deserve."

Asked if President Barack Obama supports the sick-outs, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday that he was "deeply concerned" that students were not being educated and urged teachers and local officials to "resolve their differences so that kids can get back to school."

___

Associated Press writers Jeff Karoub and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report. Eggert reported from Lansing.

Teachers rally outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016,m in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
A Billings man led Montana Highway Patrol troopers on a high-speed chase across four counties Monday. It was his second attempt to outrun law enforcement in less than a year.

Dirk Kevin Ray II, 24, faces three felony charges of criminal endangerment in connection to the latest incident, according to the affidavit filed in Yellowstone County Justice Court.

On Feb. 19, Ray received a five-year suspended sentence to the Montana Department of Corrections for felony possession of dangerous drugs and felony criminal endangerment. The charges stemmed from a car chase the previous July.

He was able to elude MHP troopers during that pursuit. Police officers recognized Ray the following day when he attempted to report his car stolen. At that time, he told officers he ran from the police in the past, and it gave him an adrenaline high.

At about 6 p.m. Monday, an MHP trooper observed a 2002 Toyota Celica traveling at about 100 mph eastbound on Interstate 90 near the Sweetgrass and Park county line. The driver, later identified as Ray, refused to pull over and accelerated to about 110 mph.

Two passengers were also in the vehicle. The women later told police they begged Ray to pull over, and he attempted to scare them by driving with one hand. He continued east and was able to avoid stop-sticks set up by Sweet Grass County Sheriffs deputies.

Ray exited and reentered the interstate several times. He dropped the women off in Columbus without coming to a full stop and continued the chase on Old Highway 10.

At about 6:50 p.m. Ray attempted to turn right onto Wold Road at a high rate of speed. He lost control and crashed into a ditch. He tried run away but was quickly taken into custody.

The affidavit said Ray seemed proud of driving faster than 100 mph and bragged about escaping in the July pursuit. He told police he fled on Monday because he was on probation.

Ray admitted his blood sample would test positive for meth because he was around others while they were using.

He is held in the Yellowstone County Detention Facility without bond.
German Jews divided over fears of 1 million Muslim newcomers

BERLIN (AP)  When the leader of Germany's Jews spoke out against the flow of Muslim migrants to Europe, a rabbinical student denounced his views as racist  and ignited a debate over whether Jews are right to fear unprecedented levels of immigration from Muslim lands traditionally hostile to Israel.

The student, Armin Langer, was kicked out of the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam after he wrote that the leader of Germany's Central Council of Jews was wrong to seek a cap on Muslim immigration. Langer, a founder of an inter-faith group called Salaam-Shalom committed to fostering dialogue between Muslims and Jews, said his community should never cast an intolerant eye toward other minority groups.

"If one minority is treated badly, it won't be long before all minorities will be treated badly," Langer, 25, told The Associated Press during an interview in Berlin's Neukoelln district, home to many Muslim immigrants.

In this photo taken Friday, April 22, 2016, Rabbinical student Armin Langer poses for a portrait photo in Berlin, Germany. The student, Armin Langer, was kicked out of the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam after he wrote that the leader of Germanys Central Council of Jews was wrong to seek a cap on Muslim immigration.. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Langer also participated in a small protest outside the Central Council's headquarters in Berlin, the day after Joseph Schuster told German newspaper Die Welt last November that "sooner or later, we're not going to get around upper limits (for migrants)."

Looking back, Langer says he now regrets the harshness of his language in his newspaper op-ed in daily die tageszeitung criticizing Schuster, but he also says the college was wrong "to try to suppress my personal opinions."

Many in Germany's 250,000-strong Jewish community expressed outrage at Langer's remarks following their publication last year as Germany absorbed a wave of 1.1 million overwhelmingly Muslim migrants. They expressed support for Schuster's stance that anti-Semitism was growing once again in Germany, driven by newcomers with attitudes hostile to Jews and Israel. Schuster had already warned earlier that Jews shouldn't wear their traditional skullcap, or kippa, in areas with large Muslim populations.

"Many refugees are escaping the terror of Islamic State and want to live in peace and freedom," Schuster said in his November interview. "At the same time, they come from places where hatred of Jews and intolerance are an integral part of the culture."

Jewish fears of Muslim immigration reflect a spike in anti-Semitic attacks and anti-Israel protests by Muslim youths in Germany during Israel's 2014 war in Gaza and the more recent mass killings by Muslim extremists in Paris, Copenhagen and Brussels, where Jewish institutions also have suffered deadly attacks. Berlin today is home to about 40,000 Jews, many of them 1990s-era immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

The college director, Rabbi Walter Homolka, said Langer's criticism of Schuster had caused widespread offense among German Jews. He told the AP that Langer had violated his enrollment contract requiring students to avoid an "undue media presence." He said Langer had been suspended for a year in January, with a right to re-enroll in 2017, following meetings of the school's board of rabbis and the German General Rabbinical Conference.

But Langer, a Hungarian Jew, said he would continue to pursue a master's degree in Jewish theology at Potsdam University and would seek to complete his rabbinical training elsewhere.

Schuster declined an interview with the AP. He said in a written statement he played no role in Langer's dismissal but understood why it happened. He said rabbis should seek to promote balanced dialogue, not polarize opinion.

Shaked Spier, a German-Israeli activist who works in aid of recently arrived refugees, said it was absurd to attribute anti-Semitism primarily to migrants.

"There's a deeply rooted anti-Semitism in German society. We shouldn't pretend that it's now being imported by the refugees," said Spier, whose grandparents escaped Nazi Germany in the 1930s before the Holocaust claimed an estimated 6 million Jewish lives.

He said Schuster's call to cap the numbers of asylum seekers made him particularly uncomfortable because it echoed the position of right-wing German nationalists, many of whom also hold anti-Semitic views.

Levi Salomon, spokesman for a Berlin lobbying group called the Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism, said migrants' integration into German society needed to be swift and include classes "about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism."

Fears of Muslim immigrants are palpable in some Jewish households. An Israeli mother of three told the AP she no longer allows her children to speak in Hebrew outside their Berlin home.

"When we are outside I tell my kids to speak only English," said the woman, who spoke on condition that she not be identified by name, citing fears for her safety. "I'm too afraid that somebody will recognize that we are Jewish or Israeli and then harm us."

Langer, who sheltered an Egyptian asylum seeker in his own apartment for several months, said such fears could be overcome only by direct dialogue between Jews and Muslims. He said Germany's Jews should be more concerned about the steep rise of violence and almost daily attacks directed against the newly arrived refugees.

"What we really have to do now, as Muslims and Jews, is to fight together against anti-Semitism and Islam phobia in Germany," Langer said.

___

Follow Kirsten Grieshaber on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kugrieshaber
Israeli sentenced to life over killing of Palestinian teen

JERUSALEM (AP)  A Jerusalem court on Tuesday handed a life sentence to the main attacker in the killing of a Palestinian teenager in 2014 whose death helped spark a chain of events that led to that year's Gaza war.

The court sentenced Yosef Haim Ben David, 30, to life plus 20 years. The state prosecutor said the damage he caused Israel and the family of the Palestinian teen is "irreparable."

Ben David and two accomplices abducted 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, drove to a forest and burned him to death in 2014. They said it was in revenge for three Israeli teens abducted and killed by Palestinians allied with the Islamic militant group Hamas earlier that summer.

Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer, after it was demolished by the Israeli army, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The Israeli army demolished the house of Amer, an arrested member of a Hamas cell who carried out an attack and shot dead a U.S. couple, residents of the West Bank Israeli settlement of Neria, while driving home last October, the army said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

The killing of Abu Khdeir was widely condemned in Israel, but fueled clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police.

Ben David expressed remorse in the courtroom. After the sentencing, the Abu Khdeir family yelled slurs at him. Hussein Abu Khdeir, father of the murdered teen, said he wants to "see him die in prison."

Hamas increased its rocket fire on Israel after the killing of the three Israeli teens prompted a crackdown on the group in the West Bank.

The violence escalated into the 50-day Gaza war, which killed more than 2,200 Palestinians, about a third of them civilians. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and seven civilians were killed.

Gaza has been mostly calm since then, but Israel said earlier on Tuesday that customs officials thwarted a plot to smuggle explosive materials into the Hamas-run territory.

Israel's Tax Authority said inspectors uncovered four tons of ammonium chloride enough to produce hundreds of rockets hidden inside sacks of salt about two weeks ago as the shipment was being transferred to Gaza. Militants in Gaza have fired thousands of rockets at Israel over the years.

"This case underscores the activity of Gaza-based terrorist organizations in smuggling dual-use materials disguised as goods destined for the civilian population and reconstruction projects," the Tax Authority said.

Along with explosives, ammonium chloride can be used in fertilizer and other products.

Israel's Shin Bet security service became suspicious after unusually large quantities of salt were ordered by a Gaza importer with ties to the Islamic militant group Hamas, the tax authority said.

Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized power from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Humanitarian aid and goods enter Gaza via Israeli crossings. Other goods are smuggled in through tunnels from neighboring Egypt.

Later on Tuesday, the military said a Palestinian rammed his vehicle into a group of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, wounding three of them, one seriously. Soldiers at the scene opened fire and killed the attacker, it said.

Since mid-September, Palestinians have carried out dozens of assaults on civilians and security forces, killing 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 200 Palestinians have been killed over the same period, the vast majority of whom Israel says were carrying out attacks or planning them.

Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli military demolished the home of a Palestinian attacker who gunned down two Israelis in front of their children in the West Bank last year.

Ziad Amer, the father of suspected killer Zeid, said Israeli troops in dozens of army vehicles raided the West Bank town of Nablus and demolished the family's apartment. He said his appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against the demolition was rejected.

The military says Zeid Amer was part of a five-member Hamas cell that shot and killed U.S. citizen Eitam Henkin and his wife Naama as they drove in the northern West Bank on Oct. 1. Their four young children in the back of the car escaped unharmed.

Israel says it carries out housing demolitions to deter attacks. The Palestinians consider it a form of collective punishment.

Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer, after it was demolished by the Israeli army, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The Israeli army demolished the house of Amer, an arrested member of a Hamas cell who carried out an attack and shot dead a U.S. couple, residents of the West Bank Israeli settlement of Neria, while driving home last October, the army said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer, after it was demolished by the Israeli army, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The Israeli army demolished the house of Amer, an arrested member of a Hamas cell who carried out an attack and shot dead a U.S. couple, residents of the West Bank Israeli settlement of Neria, while driving home last October, the army said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer, after it was demolished by the Israeli army, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The Israeli army demolished the house of Amer, an arrested member of a Hamas cell who carried out an attack and shot dead a U.S. couple, residents of the West Bank Israeli settlement of Neria, while driving home last October, the army said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Man arrested after toddler stabbed to death in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP)  A Los Angeles man is suspected of stabbing his live-in girlfriend and her 2-year-old daughter in their home, killing the little girl and critically wounding her mother, who was five months pregnant, authorities said Tuesday.

The man was arrested following a tip from the suspect's father, police Captain Peter Whittingham said at a news conference. "We really do appreciate a father's ability to recognize his duty in this case," he said.

Lataz Donald Gray, 22, could face charges including murder and attempted murder and was being held without bail, according to Officer Liliana Preciado. She didn't know if Gray has an attorney.

Los Angeles police investigate a stabbing at a house in Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Donald Gray is suspected of stabbing his live-in girlfriend and her 2-year-old daughter in their home, killing the little girl and critically wounding her mother, who was five months pregnant, authorities said. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

The woman's unborn child will survive and was not injured in the attack, Whittingham said. Investigators said Gray was not the 2-year-old girl's father. The stabbings followed an argument at the residence, police said.

Officers responding to a 911 call late Monday found both victims with multiple stab wounds on the floor of the home near downtown, Preciado said.

Phillip Gray told KABC-TV (http://bit.ly/1OcV7ug ) that his son called him from a hospital where he was being treated for cuts to his hand. Hey told his son to surrender.

"Well, I had to, before they kill(ed) him," he said. "I hooked him up on the line with the detective."

Gray was arrested at the hospital.

"I think it's a terrible, terrible thing and I'm not feeling good about it at all," his father said of the attack, calling the woman "a beautiful person."

The toddler died at a hospital. Her 22-year-old mother remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition and was unable to talk to detectives.

There were no witnesses to the attack.
Would-be bomber killed with poisoned arrow in Cameroon

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP)  Authorities in northern Cameroon say a local self-defense group used a poisoned arrow to kill a woman with explosives strapped to her body.

Midjiyawa Bakary, the governor of Cameroon's Far North region, said Wednesday that the 40-year-old woman had crossed over from neighboring Nigeria along with a 14-year-old girl.

Local residents shot the poisoned arrow at the woman after she failed to stop as demanded. The girl also died when she detonated her own explosives.

Residents near the northern town of Mora said at least five other suicide bombers have died in the last several days.
Daryl Hall drops plans for outdoor stage at New York venue

PAWLING, N.Y. (AP)  Musician Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates has dropped plans to host outdoor concerts at his music venue and restaurant in upstate New York.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports (http://pojonews.co/1NRZsZ4 ) the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was unable to obtain the required approvals in time from the Dutchess County town of Pawling, on the Connecticut border, 65 miles north of New York City.

Hall's business, Daryl's House, had announced in February that it planned to build an outdoor stage on its lawn that could accommodate 1,000 concertgoers.

FILE - In this April 10, 2014 file photo, Hall of Fame Inductee, Hall and Otes, Daryl Hall performs at the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York. Hall has dropped plans to host outdoor concerts at his music venue and restaurant in upstate New York. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was unable to obtain the required approvals in time from the Dutchess County town of Pawling, on the Connecticut border, some 65 miles north of New York City. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

The club's marketing director says the future of the backyard stage is now uncertain.

More than a dozen concerts initially scheduled for the outdoor stage starting in late May will now be held at four different venues, including Daryl's House and concert halls in Poughkeepsie, Peekskill and New Haven, Connecticut.

___
EU to move on ending visas for Turkish citizens

BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union is set to take a big step Wednesday toward ending visa requirements for Turkish citizens, as a widely criticized deal to get Turkey to stop migrants entering the EU gathers pace.

The EU's executive Commission is expected to invite member states and lawmakers to vote before the end of June to allow Turks on short-term leisure or business stays to enter the EU without visas.

The Commission lauded on Tuesday a decree from Ankara to grant visa free travel in Turkey to the citizens of all 28 EU member states  including Cyprus, which Turkey refuses to recognize in a decades-long standoff  as meeting "one more of the important benchmarks" for visa liberalization.

A child looks at migrants and refugees queueing for a food distribution at the Greek northern point of Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Turkey's recent progress has indeed been startling. The visa waiver process was started in December 2013 and as of March 4 this year only around half of the 72 conditions had been fulfilled.

"Turkey has made a lot of effort over the past weeks and days to meet the criteria," Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said. Suggesting that a green light is imminent, she underlined that the waiver "can always be suspended if the conditions for it are not met."

The move is part of a package of incentives offered to Turkey  including up to 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in aid for Syrian refugees and fast-track EU membership talks  to persuade Ankara to prevent migrants heading to Europe and take thousands who have since March 20 back from Greece.

That deal has raised legal and moral questions, as EU nations unable to agree among themselves about how to handle the refugee emergency chose instead to outsource it to Turkey, where almost 3 million refugees are staying, most of them people fleeing war in Syria.

Visa liberalization, which must come by June 30, would be an important sign that the Europeans are living up to their promises. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that the whole agreement would collapse if the EU reneges on any pledge.

To secure the visa waiver, Turkey must meet not just technical but also legal and political criteria. They include areas like passport security  few Turks have biometric travel documents  border controls and surveillance, cooperation with the EU on dealing with crime, human rights issues liked to anti-terror and discrimination laws, and the readmission of irregular migrants.

Some lawmakers are perplexed at how Ankara has been able to meet dozens of conditions within just a few weeks.

"The European Parliament cannot accept endorsing hasty bazaar-style negotiations," Guy Verhofstadt, head of the liberal ALDE bloc, said recently. "The EU-Turkey deal can only be acceptable, if standards and legality are respected. We cannot outsource our asylum and migration policy to Turkey."

The Commission is insisting that Turkey must fully respect all the conditions.

"The onus is on Turkey," Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans said last week. "We will not play around with those benchmarks. They are clear, they are legally framed."

Children pass by the old and no longer used border gate between Greece and Macedonia in Idomeni, Greece, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

A child drinks water from a pipe on the platform of a trim station which was turned into a makeshift camp crowded by migrants and refugees at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece, Monday, May 2, 2016. Many thousands of migrants remain at the Greek border with Macedonia, hoping that the border crossing will reopen, allowing them to move north into central Europe. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Lawsuit accuses Connecticut rabbi of sexual abuse

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut rabbi is accused of raping and molesting a teenage boy hundreds of times when the boy was a student at a Jewish boarding school in New Haven from 2001 to 2005, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court.

The former student, Eliyahu Mirlis, now 28, of New Jersey, accuses Rabbi Daniel Greer, principal of the Yeshiva of New Haven school, of sexual abuse. The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege sexual assault, but Mirlis wanted to come forward, said his lawyer, Antonio Ponvert.

Greer did not return messages seeking comment Monday and Tuesday. His lawyer, William Ward, said the rabbi denies the allegations and is now forced to prove they are false. Ward asked the public to demand evidence before rushing to judgment.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. It also names as defendants Yeshiva of New Haven, which is an all-boys high school, and The Gan School, an elementary school for boys and girls that Greer also leads. The lawsuit accuses the schools of allowing the sexual abuse to continue for years.

The lawsuit also alleges Greer, now 75, sexually abused at least one other boy at the school.

Ponvert says Mirlis hasn't sought criminal charges but would cooperate in any ensuing criminal probe.

The region's top prosecutor, New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington, declined to comment on the allegations Tuesday. Officer David Hartfman, a spokesman for New Haven police, said police officials plan to speak with Ponvert, but they can't investigate unless Mirlis files a criminal complaint.

"Rabbi Greer was in his sixties when he forced the minor Eli to engage in acts of sex with him, including forced fellatio, anal sex, fondling and masturbation," the lawsuit says. "Rabbi Greer frequently gave Eli alcohol at the time he raped and assaulted his child victim. Rabbi Greer showed Eli pornographic films."

The lawsuit also says that Greer sexually assaulted Mirlis on school property, in the bedroom of Greer's home, at motels in Branford, Connecticut, and in Paoli and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, on land in Hamden, Connecticut, and at rental properties in New Haven owned and managed by Yeshiva of New Haven and The Gan School.

"Greer has never been criminally punished. He has never taken responsibility," Ponvert said. "This lawsuit will force him to answer for his crimes."

Greer's lawyer questioned why Mirlis was coming forward with the allegations now.

"Ask yourself why the plaintiff would wait 14 years," Ward said. "Ask yourself why Mr. Mirlis, well into his adulthood, repeatedly honored the man he now accuses. Ask yourself why Mr. Mirlis, an Orthodox Jew, would not seek redress from a rabbinical arbitration court. Ask yourself why Mr. Mirlis' first stop was his lawyer's office to seek money."

Ward added, "It only takes a moment to make allegations with despicable indifference to the consequences to the damage they would cause to my client and his family and his reputation that he spent a lifetime building in his community. This is a difficult time for my client and his family."

Greer is a graduate of Princeton and Yale Law School who has testified before the state legislature several times on a variety of issues, including opposing same-sex unions in 2002 before the state approved same-sex marriage. He also is a former member of the New Haven police commissioners' board and a past chairman of the New Haven Redevelopment Agency.

He also led efforts to improve New Haven's Edgewood neighborhood.
Detroit teachers return to classrooms after 2 days out

DETROIT (AP)  Detroit school classes resumed Wednesday after teachers received assurances that they will be fully paid for the school year. Two consecutive days of mass teacher sick-outs closed the schools and gave nearly 45,000 schoolchildren unscheduled days off.

Meanwhile, a Michigan panel has approved a $500 million plan that would bail out and overhaul Detroit's ailing school district, which will run out of money at the end of June. The educators stopped short of calling their action a strike, instead saying they called the sick-out in response to an announcement that the district wouldn't be able to pay teachers who deferred part of their salaries to get checks during the summer months.

Here are some questions and answers about what teachers called a lockout vs. what would be an illegal strike.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Ivy Bailey addresses teachers outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

HOW DID THE DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS' FINANCES GET SO BAD?

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has said the district's debt will reach about $515 million by this summer. Much of the blame for the money troubles can be traced to plummeting student enrollment. The Detroit Public Schools had 150,415 students in 2003-2004. Now, about 46,000 students attend the district's 97 schools. Detroit receives about $7,400 for each student. Many Detroit parents seeking out better educational opportunities for their children have turned to charter schools and close-by suburban districts.

WHY DID THE DETROIT TEACHERS' UNION CALL FOR THE SICK-OUTS?

The Detroit Federation of Teachers has not supported sick-outs held earlier this year by some of its members, but union leadership is growing more frustrated with the district's poor finances. The sick-outs on Monday and Tuesday closed 94 of the district's 97 schools, eclipsing a January sick-out in which classes were canceled at 88 schools. The union was told over the weekend by state-appointed transition manager Steven Rhodes that there would be no money after June 30 to pay teachers who have chosen to have their paychecks spread out over the entire year. Union president Ivy Bailey said that an inability by Rhodes to guarantee those teachers would receive paychecks during the summer for work they would have already performed was the breaking point.

WHAT ACTIONS DO TEACHERS PLAN TO TAKE NEXT?

Teachers returned to classrooms on Wednesday after they received assurances from Detroit Public Schools' transitional manager Judge Steven Rhodes that they will be fully paid for the school year. Some teachers had threatened to strike if they were not paid.

HAVE DETROIT TEACHERS EVER GONE ON STRIKE, AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

In 2006, Detroit teachers went on strike for 16 days after rejecting a contract offer that would have cut their pay by 5.5 percent over two years. Teachers agreed to return to work and consider a deal with eventual raises. During the strike, a judge ordered the teachers to return to work after Detroit Public Schools requested an injunction, but teachers mostly stayed off the job. The district argued that the strike was illegal. A contempt charge against the teachers' union was later dismissed. Teachers received a 2 percent pay raise after a nine-day strike in 1999.

WHAT ARE LAWMAKERS DOING?

The state approved $47.8 million in emergency money in March to keep the school district operating, but that amount only pays the bills through June 30. A House committee on Tuesday approved a $500 million plan to restructure Detroit's ailing school district by paying off enormous operating debt and creating a new district. The bills next head to the floor of the Republican-led House, which could vote on them later this week. The new bills differ from a bipartisan $720 million plan approved by the Senate in March. The Senate and House will have to work out their differences to advance the measure before the Legislature adjourns in June.

WHAT HAPPENS IF IT'S NOT APPROVED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE?

Lawmakers could consider passing another emergency stopgap measure, like the earlier emergency measure that is keeping the district operating through June 30.

___

Associated Press writer David Eggert in Lansing contributed to this report.

Teachers rally outside the school district's headquarters, Tuesday, May 3, 2016,m in Detroit. Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed for a second consecutive day Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called out sick over concerns that many may not get paid if the financially struggling district runs out of money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Suspended executive at VW's Porsche brand is replaced

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)  Volkswagen's Porsche division has replaced a top vehicle development manager suspended since the start of the Volkswagen group's scandal over diesel cars rigged to cheat on emissions tests.

Porsche said in a news release that Wolfgang Hatz, 57, would be replaced by Michael Steiner, 51.

Hatz served both as Volkswagen's head of engine development as well as at Porsche head of development. He terminated his employment contract "on his own initiative" due to the ongoing investigation.

Porsche said Hatz had cooperated with the effort to uncover who was at fault for engine control software that deliberately disabled emissions controls.

The company said its investigation "has so far turned up no indications he shared responsibility."
Officers who used stun guns on Virginia man won't be charged

HALIFAX, Va. (AP)  Virginia prosecutors defended a decision Tuesday not to bring charges against police officers who used stun guns multiple times on a black man before his death, saying that although the officers may have acted inappropriately they don't think they could convict them of a crime.

Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring, who was brought in as a special assistant in the case, said he was outraged when he viewed the videos showing the repeated shocking of Linwood Lambert Jr. and wanted to find a way to recommend charges.

But he and Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin concluded there's no evidence to suggest the officers knowingly deprived Lambert of necessary medical care or used their stun guns with the goal of punishing, torturing or killing the man.

FILE- In this Nov. 12, 2015, file photo, Gwendolyn Smalls poses for a photo in her home in Richmond, Va. Smalls' brother, Linwood R. Lambert Jr., died in police custody in May of 2013 after being repeatedly stunned by South Boston police. Smalls and her attorney told The Associated Press on Monday, May 2, 2016, that Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin said she doesn't believe there's enough evidence to bring criminal charges against South Boston Police Officers Tiffany Bratton, Clifton Mann and Travis Clay. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

"You don't bring criminal charges to make policy points," Herring said during a Tuesday press conference in Halifax. "You don't engage in a prosecution because you think that someone may have crossed the line."

Attorneys for the officers didn't respond to messages left at their offices Tuesday.

Videos released last year show South Boston Police Officers Tiffany Bratton, Clifton Mann and Travis Clay using their stun guns repeatedly on Lambert after they took him into custody for a mental health evaluation on May 4, 2013.

After they arrived at the hospital, Lambert kicked out the police cruiser's window and ran toward the emergency room doors with his hands handcuffed behind his back. As he ran away from the officers, they shocked him repeatedly, even after he fell to the ground.

Instead of taking him to the hospital, the officers took Lambert to jail, saying he was arrested for disorderly conduct and property damage. They shocked him again when he was put back in the cruiser, restrained in the back seat.

Lambert told the officers that he used cocaine; the medical examiner's office concluded that the drug, and the "cocaine-induced excited delirium" that followed, caused his death.

The officers have defended their use of force, saying it was appropriate because Lambert had become violent and was putting their safety at risk. Their attorneys have also rejected claims made by Lambert's family that the man's race was a factor, noting that one of the officers, Bratton, is also black, The South Boston News & Record reported.

Martin concluded that the repeated use of their stun guns did not directly cause Lambert's death. The officers pulled the triggers of their stun guns roughly 20 times, but there were only three instances in which the prongs made impact with Lambert's body, Martin said. In several other instances, they placed the stun gun directly up against his body, but that does not have as strong an effect, Martin said.

"Although you can look at the video and see tasing after tasing, I have to conclude ... that his actual exposure, in a way that could jeopardize his health, was limited," Martin said.

Although Herring said the officers did not display a callous disregard for Lambert's well-being, he criticized them for operating "under a cloud of professional ignorance" and using behavior "below acceptable policing standards."

"That footage doesn't inspire much confidence in policing when you look at in a vacuum," Herring said.

An FBI civil rights investigation into the matter is ongoing. Lambert's family has also filed a $25 million civil lawsuit against the officers that's expected to go to trial early next year.

The decision not to bring charges comes just before the three-year anniversary of Lambert's death. Lambert's family is planning a march Wednesday in South Boston, a town of about 8,000 people in southern Virginia near the North Carolina border. They say they don't intend to give up their fight for justice.

"He can finally rest in peace when we finally get some justice for him," Lambert's sister, Gwendolyn Smalls, said.

____

Follow Alanna Durkin Richer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aedurkinricher. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/alanna-durkin-richer.

Richmond Commonwealth Attorney Michael Herring, left, details a report on a black man who died in police custody in Halifax, Va., Tuesday, May 3, 2016, during a press conference in Halifax, Va. In a report released Tuesday, Halifax County Commonwealths Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin said there's no evidence to suggest the officers, who used stun guns multiple times on Lambert before his death, deliberately caused or wanted Lambert Jr.'s death. Lambert died in May 2013 after being taken into custody by South Boston Police Officers. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Halifax County Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin, right, gestures as she delivers a report on the death of a black man, Linwood Lambert Jr., in police custody as Richmond Commonwealth Attorney Michael Herring, left, listens during a press conference in Halifax, Va., Tuesday, May 3, 2016. In a report released Tuesday, Halifax County Commonwealths Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin said there's no evidence to suggest the officers, who used stun guns multiple times on Lambert before his death, deliberately caused or wanted Lambert Jr.'s death. Lambert died in May 2013 after being taken into custody by South Boston Police Officers. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Richmond Commonwealth Attorney Michael Herring, left, details a report on a black man, Linwood Lambert Jr., who died in police custody, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, during a press conference in Halifax, Va. In a report released Tuesday, Halifax County Commonwealths Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin said there's no evidence to suggest the officers, who used stun guns multiple times on Lambert before his death, deliberately caused or wanted Lambert Jr.'s death. Lambert died in May 2013 after being taken into custody by South Boston Police Officers. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Richmond Commonwealth Attorney Michael Herring, left, details a report on a black man who died in police custody in Halifax, Va., Tuesday, May 3, 2016, during a press conference in Halifax, Va. In a report released Tuesday, Halifax County Commonwealths Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin said there's no evidence to suggest the officers, who used stun guns multiple times on Lambert before his death, deliberately caused or wanted Lambert Jr.'s death. Lambert died in May 2013 after being taken into custody by South Boston Police Officers. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin, right, delivers a report during a news conference in Halifax, Va., Tuesday, May 3, 2016. A Virginia prosecutor has decided not to bring charges against officers who used stun guns repeatedly on a black man before his 2013 death, the man's sister and her attorney said Monday. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Halifax County Attorney Tracy Quackenbush Martin, right, delivers a report on the death of a black man, Linwood Lambert Jr., in police custody during a press conference in Halifax, Va., Tuesday, May 3, 2016. In a report released Tuesday, Martin said there's no evidence to suggest the officers, who used stun guns multiple times on Lambert before his death, deliberately caused or wanted Lambert Jr.'s death. Lambert died in May 2013 after being taken into custody by South Boston Police Officers. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Montana Department of Revenue Director Mike Kadas briefed Yellowstone County officials this week on protested taxes by the CHS refinery in Laurel, and the news wasnt good.

The department and the refinery, Kadas said, are far apart on what each thinks the plant is worth. And the dispute is unlikely to be settled until at least 2019 at the earliest, and possibly not until 2020 or later, he said.

Meanwhile, Kadas said, the department understands the bind that a large tax protest, like CHS, places on the Laurel School District and the county.

We will try to expedite this as much as we can, he said.

The protested taxes make operations difficult for the Laurel School District because a large share of its property tax revenue comes from CHS.

The elementary district receives about 29 percent of its property tax revenue, or about $1.39 million, from CHS taxes, Kadas said.

Yellowstone County receives about 4 percent, or about $1.95 million of its total property tax revenue from CHS.

On the other hand, Kadas said the state cant walk away from its position that it needs income information to determine the refinerys overall value.

Ive got to make sure the state preserves that right, the director said.

Kadas, along with other Revenue Department officials, met in Billings with county commissioners, county officials and Laurel school representatives to review the matter.

Commissioners had invited state revenue officials to update the county on the issue. Commissioners Bill Kennedy and Jim Reno attended the meeting. Commissioner John Ostlund was absent.

CHS representatives also attended the meeting but did not speak and declined to comment.

CHS is the countys biggest taxpayer and has battled with the state over its valuation and taxes.

'A long way apart'

In 2013, the company and DOR reached a mediated settlement that resolved a four-year tax dispute.

The settlement, however, did not address the assessment method, Kadas said.

We couldnt agree on a methodology, he told commissioners.

The settlement led to the distribution to local governments and Laurel schools of $16 million in disputed taxes that had been held in escrow. About $4.7 million was refunded to CHS.

The settlement cut about 15 percent from CHSs taxes for tax years 2009-2012. The company did not protest its 2013 taxes but got a 10 percent adjustment.

But CHS protested its 2014 and 2015 taxes, arguing the refinerys value is less than what has been assessed by the state.

The Revenue Department says the plants market value for 2014 is $848 million and for 2015 is $820 million.

CHS says the value is $345 million for 2014 and $352 million for 2015.

So we are a long way apart, Kadas said.

A key area of dispute is over using income in valuing the plant. Kadas said the DOR wants to use income but that CHS has refused to provide income and expense information about the property. The income approach would account for all forms of depreciation if enough information had been provided, he said.

Appeal

The protest is working its way through the county and state tax appeal process. Depending on the outcome with the state tax appeal board, the parties could appeal a decision into state District Court and, ultimately, to the Montana Supreme Court.

With the previous tax protests, Laurel schools used escrow money to fund operations but ended up having to pay back the fund because of the settlement.

Donnie McVee, district clerk for Laurel Public Schools, said the longer it takes to resolve the dispute is a real concern to us.

With the current protests, Laurel schools are asking to use all of the tax protest money rather than a portion, McVee said. When the schools used a portion of the escrow money in the earlier protests, it had to defer maintenance needs and raises for staff, she said.

Kadas said a proposal by an interim committee to create a tax court to try to expedite the protest process didnt get far.

That legislation didnt go any place, he said.
Duck boat company: Driver in crash had 'exemplary' record

BOSTON (AP)  Boston Duck Tours says the driver of the amphibious sightseeing vehicle that collided with a scooter in Boston, killing a woman, had an "exemplary record" during his six years with the company.

A Boston Duck Tours spokesman said in a statement Tuesday the company last reviewed the employee's driving record from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in March.

The statement says the driver involved in the crash has been suspended. The spokesman didn't comment further when asked about details of the employee's driving record.

Investigators work the scene of an accident involving a Duck Boat on Saturday, April 30, 2016 in Boston. A woman has died after the scooter she was driving was struck by an amphibious sightseeing vehicle in downtown Boston. A city police department spokeswoman said the woman and her male passenger were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where the woman died from her injuries. The passenger suffered non-life threatening injuries. (Jonathan Wiggs /The Boston Globe via AP) BOSTON HERALD OUT, QUINCY OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT JONATHAN WIGGS

Records released by the RMV show the driver has been cited for speeding 10 times and found at fault in a 2003 accident. The records don't indicate which vehicle the driver was operating.

The collision Saturday near Boston Common killed 28-year-old Allison Warmuth.
San Francisco officials save backyard pine tree from the ax

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A spindly pine tree standing all alone in a tiny backyard became an official landmark Tuesday in San Francisco, a city that boasts such picturesque sights as the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf.

City leaders voted unanimously to grant the status to a Norfolk pine hybrid after it was championed by residents who said it gives their neighborhood its beauty and a sense of home.

The owner of the property where it stands wanted to tear it down. His lawyer said the 100-foot-tall tree was dangerous and too large for the small parcel.

Richard Worn looks out from his deck at a 100-foot-tall Norfolk pine hybrid tree that he and his neighbors are trying to save Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in San Francisco. The fate of the tall and slender pine tree in the backyard of a San Francisco house that's at the center of a dispute among neighbors is now in the hands of San Francisco city leaders. The Board of Supervisors will decide Tuesday whether to grant landmark status to the tree, estimated to be a century old, even though it's on private property and the owner wants to cut it down. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

"It's a good example of a community standing up to protect the environment," Eric Mar, a member of the Board of Supervisors, said after the vote.

The tree is not common in San Francisco and its age is in dispute, with proponents saying it was planted more than a century ago and others saying it only dates back to the 1940s.

Neighbors and others have been trying to save it for a year, saying it's an important part of the landscape. A biology professor submitted testimony that it probably provides a resting spot for raptors and other birds making their way to Golden Gate Park.

Attorney Barri Bonapart, who specializes in law involving trees and represents homeowner Dale Rogers, said the tree is an ordinary pine that poses problems for the home's infrastructure.

She said before the board action that granting landmark status would be a severe infringement on private property rights.

Rogers did not speak at the board meeting and could not be reached for comment.

"There is no question the ordinance has been misused and misapplied," Bonapart said. "This is the wrong tree in the wrong place."

The saga began last year when Rogers cut down three trees in his backyard  two palms and another pine  as part of a plan to redevelop his property.

Alarmed that the owner might cut down the remaining pine, a couple living in a house in the backyard and another couple living nearby got a restraining order to stop its removal and began the process to get the tree landmark status over the owner's objections.

The Urban Forestry Council, which recommends landmark status to city leaders, declined to nominate the tree on a tied vote in October. Then in March, the council reconsidered and granted landmark status after substantial public testimony.

"I was very moved by the community concern for the tree," vice-chairwoman Carla Short said. "It's a very striking tree; you can see it from lots of different places in the neighborhood."

Short said 18 trees or groves of trees  prized for their rarity or historic significance  have landmark status in San Francisco. Six are on private property, often in back or side yards, she said.

They include an impressive Moreton Bay fig tree in the city's Mission District and a coast live oak in residential Noe Valley. A giant sequoia near the Castro District received landmark status over the owner's objections, Short said.

A person who removes a landmark tree without a permit or harms it could face criminal and civil penalties.

Vanessa Ruotolo, a musician and neighbor who has been leading the charge for the Norfolk pine hybrid with her husband, said the tree and its visiting songbirds give the neighborhood its beauty and music.

"We're thankful that the tree was given its due process," she said.

A 100-foot-tall Norfolk pine hybrid tree stands among houses in the Inner Richmond district Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in San Francisco. The fate of the tall and slender pine tree in the backyard of a San Francisco house that's at the center of a dispute among neighbors is now in the hands of San Francisco city leaders. The Board of Supervisors will decide Tuesday whether to grant landmark status to a tree estimated to be a century old even though it's on private property and the owner wants to cut it down. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Concerts in Tennessee to live-stream in Chicago

Three concerts will be live-streamed from Tennessee into high-traffic areas in Chicago later this month in what promoters are calling "the first long-distance concert of its kind."

Performers in three Tennessee cities and the audience in Chicago will be able to see each other and interact thanks to a 360-degree, panoramic camera angle, according to the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development.

Citizen Cope will perform live May 23 from the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis. Jason Isbell will perform live May 24 from Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame. Ashley Monroe will perform May 25 at the Tennessee Theatre in her hometown, Knoxville.
Eurovision song contest heads to US airwaves

GENEVA (AP)  The Eurovision song contest, where stars like Julio Iglesias and Celine Dion first gained international fame, is getting a spot on U.S. airwaves for the first time.

The European Broadcasting Union has struck a deal with Viacom to bring the popular contest to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender cable network Logo, which is available in nearly 50 million homes.

EBU spokesman David Goodman declined to say Tuesday how much the deal was worth.
Lawsuit: Salon shampoo license requirement doesn't wash

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  When in the course of human events someone wants to give a shampoo at a salon, a conservative think tank says they shouldn't have to get a license.

Media report the Beacon Center of Tennessee filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the state's shampoo licensing requirement on behalf of Tammy Nutall-Pritchard, who wants to shampoo hair at a salon in Memphis. It's filed in Davidson County's Chancery Court in Nashville.

Beacon Center director of litigation Braden Boucek says shampooing is something people do every day and "it's hard to see a case for why that needs to be licensed."

Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance spokesman Kevin Walters declined to comment.
Trump repeats unsubstantiated claim Cruz dad has Oswald ties

NEW YORK (AP)  Republican front-runner Donald Trump rehashed unsubstantiated claims Tuesday that his rival Ted Cruz's father has links to President John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.

In a telephone interview broadcast by Fox News on Tuesday, Trump cited a National Enquirer story that claimed Rafael Cruz appeared in a 1963 photo in New Orleans with Oswald and others as Oswald distributed pro-Cuba leaflets. The Cruz campaign immediately denounced the claims as "garbage" and Trump offered no proof beyond citing the supermarket tabloid.

"His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot," Trump said. "Nobody even brings it up, I mean they don't even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop Monday, May 2, 2016, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Trump's mention of the story about Rafael Cruz, a minister and Cuban immigrant who has been an active surrogate for his son's campaign, came as voters in Indiana were voting in the state's crucial presidential primary. Trump has said the Republican Party's nominating contest "would be over" if he wins Indiana.

"It's sad that the media is enabling this nonsense," Cruz's spokeswoman Alice Stewart said Tuesday. "It's a garbage claim  let Donald talk about garbage, Ted will talk about jobs, freedom and security for the American people."

The AP examined the grainy, black-and-white images in mid-April and could not confirm any of the people in them were the elder Cruz. Cruz campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told AP on April 22, "it's not him," but declined AP's requests to make Rafael Cruz available to discuss the images or that period of his life.

Rafael Cruz has said he became disillusioned with Fidel Castro after he returned to Cuba on vacation in 1959.

Trump has a history of repeating unproven and unsubstantiated stories, many from the National Enquirer, which has endorsed his candidacy. After the tabloid printed a story without evidence that claimed Cruz was having an extramarital affair, Trump praised the publication for having a "very good" record of accuracy.

On the campaign trial, the celebrity businessman frequently trots out a discredited tale about Gen. John Pershing, whom Trump has repeatedly claimed helped to quell Muslim extremists in the Philippines by shooting them with bullets dipped in pigs' blood.

Trump has also appeared on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' radio show and has repeatedly peddled rumors about Muslims celebrating in New Jersey after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Trump also spent years raising questions about President Barack Obama's country of birth and has allowed false suggestions that Obama is a Muslim, not a Christian, to be raised at his campaign events without correction.

In the Tuesday morning interview, Trump also railed against the elder Cruz for comments he made imploring "every member of the body of Christ to vote according to the word of God" by voting for his son. Trump questioned why Cruz should be allowed to frame the campaign in religious terms.

"I think it's a disgrace that he's allowed to say it," said Trump. "It's disgraceful that his father can go out and do that."

That's a shift in rhetoric for Trump, who while campaigning in Iowa and across the South often talked about how pastors should feel free to engage in political speech and vowed to eliminate restrictions that put churches' tax-exempt status at risk. Indiana has the largest percentage of evangelical voters of any state yet to hold its primary contest.

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Colvin reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Indianapolis, Will Weissert in Austin, Texas, and Ted Bridis in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jonlemire and http://twitter.com/colvinj
The Latest: Hopes for healing after funeral for 6 relatives

WEST PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (AP)  The Latest on the funeral for six of the eight people shot in massacre in rural Ohio (all times local):

3:10 p.m.

A victim's advocate speaking for the surviving relatives of eight family members slain in southern Ohio says he hopes the healing can begin soon.

Mourners gather around caskets at Scioto Burial Park during funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in McDermott, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

He called Tuesday's funeral for six members of the Rhoden family extremely somber.

The six were among eight people found dead April 22 at four properties near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. No arrests have been made.

Mourners at a hillside cemetery outside West Portsmouth crowded around three blue tents shielding the six caskets.

A few deputies stood in the background while people paid their finals respects.

The funeral was held Tuesday for Christopher Rhoden, his ex-wife, their three children and his brother. Services for a cousin and the fiancee of Christopher Rhoden's son Frankie were held last week.

___

2 p.m.

A funeral has been held for six family members who were found slain with two other relatives at their homes in southern Ohio.

Caskets were loaded onto six black hearses after Tuesday's services at a West Portsmouth church. The hearses then led a procession of more than 150 vehicles to a nearby hillside cemetery.

Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties near Piketon. No arrests have been made.

Some mourners arrived at the church wearing bright orange T-shirts saying "Rhoden Proud, Rhoden Strong" on the front and "In Loving Memory" on the back with the victims' names.

One car had "Fly High Rhodens" and the date they were found dead scrawled in the back windshield.

___

11:30 a.m.

The minister of a church where the funeral of six family members is being held says the targeted slayings that killed them and two other relatives have rocked the entire southern Ohio community.

The Rev. Mark Seevers spoke Tuesday before funeral at Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth. He says the family requested the church space, and the church wanted to help.

A handful of Scioto (sy-OH'-tuh) County sheriff's deputies was posted at the church driveway entrance and slightly down the road on either side as people started arriving for the service.

Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. No arrests have been made.

___

12:10 a.m.

Ohio's attorney general says there will be "ample security" at the funeral for six of the eight people shot and killed in what authorities are calling a planned attack targeting one family.

Tuesday's service at a West Portsmouth church is the last of three funerals for the victims.

Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. Authorities say all eight were shot in the head, and some had other gunshot wounds and bruising. Three young children were unharmed.

Authorities haven't determined who killed them or why. Attorney General Mike DeWine says investigators have conducted nearly 130 interviews and are reviewing about 450 tips and more than 100 pieces of evidence.

Police cruisers are parked outside Dry Run Church of Christ before funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Leonard Manley, third from right, father and grandfather of several murder victims, stands outside Dry Run Church of Christ before funeral services for six of the eight deceased from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners arrive at Dry Run Church of Christ for funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners arrive at Dry Run Church of Christ amid heavy security for funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners gather around caskets at Scioto Burial Park during funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in McDermott, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners gather at Scioto Burial Park during funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in McDermott, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners leave Scioto Burial Park after funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in McDermott, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners leave Scioto Burial Park after funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in McDermott, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners gather around caskets at Scioto Burial Park during funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in McDermott, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. . (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners leave Dry Run Church of Christ during funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. All eight were shot in the head, some had other gunshot wounds and bruising, and none of the deaths appeared self-inflicted, authorities said. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Mourners leave Dry Run Church of Christ during funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. All eight were shot in the head, some had other gunshot wounds and bruising, and none of the deaths appeared self-inflicted, authorities said. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Family members, including Leonard Manley, center, father and grandfather of several of the deceased, and mourners arrive at Dry Run Church of Christ for funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. All eight were shot in the head, some had other gunshot wounds and bruising, and none of the deaths appeared self-inflicted, authorities said. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Caskets are loaded into hearses as mourners gather outside Dry Run Church of Christ during funeral services for six of the eight murder victims from Pike County, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four properties scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. All eight were shot in the head, some had other gunshot wounds and bruising, and none of the deaths appeared self-inflicted, authorities said. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Dear Mama: Afeni Shakur, mother of rapper Tupac Shakur, dies

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Afeni Shakur, the former Black Panther who inspired the work of her son, rap icon Tupac Shakur, and fostered his legacy for decades after he was slain, has died of an apparent heart attack, authorities said Tuesday. She was 69.

Responding to a 911 call to Shakur's home in Sausalito Monday night, deputies and firefighters performed CPR, rushed her to a hospital and tried to revive her for about an hour, but "she had in fact died from what is believed to be some kind of cardiac event," Marin County Sheriff's Lt. Doug Pittman said.

A statement from her family and the Tupac Shakur estate, Amaru Entertainment, mourned her loss.

FILE - In this June 16, 2011 file photo, Afeni Shakur appears on the red carpet at the Tupac Shakur 40th Birthday Concert Celebration in Atlanta, Ga. Shakur, the former Black Panther who inspired the work of her son, rap icon Tupac Shakur, and fostered his legacy for decades after he was slain, died Monday, May 2, 2016, of an apparent heart attack, authorities said Tuesday. She was 69. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)

"Afeni embodied strength, resilience, wisdom and love. She was a pioneer for social change and was committed to building a more peaceful world," it read in part. "Her spirit will forever inspire all of those who had the honor and privilege of knowing her."

The statement also quoted "Dear Mama," the classic hit her son wrote about her: "You always was a black queen, mama."

Born Alice Faye Williams, Shakur changed her name when she became politically active in the 1960s and joined the Black Panther movement. By 1971, she was pregnant and behind bars, accused of conspiring to bomb New York City landmarks.

She said the charges were brought after the Panthers took over a school to make a point about continuing to educate children during a teacher's strike in 1968.

Recalling the case years later, she said they were accused of conspiring to commit murder and arson, to blow up the Bronx Botanical Garden and the Abercrombie & Fitch and Macy's department stores, and even police stations. All the charges were ultimately dismissed, and her son was born soon after she left jail.

She named him Tupac Amaru, after the last Incan emperor, who led a rebellion and refused to surrender to Spanish conquistadors.

As Afeni Shakur bounced from New York City to Baltimore to California, she became addicted to drugs and struggled as a single mother. Still, she managed to enroll Tupac in arts schools and other programs where he honed the musical and acting skills that would make him a hip-hop icon.

"Arts can save children, no matter what's going on in their homes," she told The Associated Press in a 2005 interview. "I wasn't available to do the right things for my son. If not for the arts, my child would've been lost."

But Afeni Shakur left a deep impression on her son, helping to shape a world view that later made him stand out among other young rappers, with songs reflecting his own rebellious attitude toward racism, poverty, violence and other social problems.

Tupac, in turn, revered his mother, praising her in his 1995 elegy, "Dear Mama," a hit song many fans recalled Tuesday in tweets and posts.

"You are appreciated," he says, rapping about the sacrifices she made for him and his sister, Sekyiwa Shakur. "Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place."

Tupac Shakur died in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in 1996, at age 25. Conspiracies about his killers flourished. His mother considered them a waste of time.

"We decided to deal with the living. This is justice for me," she said in 2005. "I need to do what God has put in front of me to do, and it ain't trying to figure out who killed Tupac."

For the last two decades of her life, Afeni Shakur focused on keeping her son's legacy alive while managing his musical catalog.

She opened the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Georgia  a project focused on helping at-risk youth that is now defunct.

She also co-produced a Broadway musical, "Holler If Ya Hear Me," that used his songs  including "Me Against the World," ''California Love" and "Keep Ya Head Up"  to tell an original story by Todd Kreidler about two young men dealing with life and tragedy in a Midwestern industrial city. It closed quickly in 2014 after playing just 38 performances.

And she served as executive producer on a film about Tupac Shakur's life, "All Eyez on Me," which is set to be released in the fall with Demetrius Shipp Jr., playing her son.

Seven years ago, she donated a collection of her son's writings, including rough drafts of lyrics and poems and a photocopy of his contract with Suge Knight and Death Row Records, to the Robert W. Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center.

"We need to read history from the source," she said. "It gives people the opportunity to judge him objectively. What we want to do is educate."

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PICTURED: Highlights of the 2016 race for the White House

The candidates in the race for the White House are making the case to voters across the country in a fight to win the Republican and Democratic nominations. Here's a look, as seen in images made by Associated Press photographers on the campaign trail.

___

See the latest AP photo galleries: http://apne.ws/TXeCBN

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a rally at The Palladium in Carmel, Ind., Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The Archive: Top photo highlights from previous weeks: http://apne.ws/13QUFKJ

___

Follow AP photographers on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP/lists/ap-photographers

Follow AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images

Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton buys girl scout cookies in Ashland, Ky., Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a rally at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A voter leaves after casting their ballot in the Indiana Primary at the Hamilton Co. Auto Auction, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Noblesville, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Carly Fiorina, vice-presidential candidate for Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, meets with supporters during a campaign stop at Lincoln Square Pancake House, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Westfield, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a rally at The Palladium in Carmel, Ind., Monday, May 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A supporter screams as Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. speaks during a campaign rally, Monday, May 2, 2016, in Fort Wayne, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
John Erik Zander, 23, of Salt Lake City, has been identified by dental records as the man whose body was found in an irrigation ditch near Shepherd in March.

"Zander had lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, but had become transient according to family members," Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said in a news release.

Zander had last been seen in the Billings West End around Aug. 2, 2015. He was reported missing by a family member on Aug. 20, the release said. Linder also wrote that Zander was known to be in the area around Billings in July 2015

"It is unknown how or where Zander entered the ditch," Linder said. "There were no obvious signs of trauma that would indicate foul play, but the investigation remains open."

Zander's body was discovered March 15 in an irrigation canal off of Mailbox Road, north of Billings and east of Highway 87 North.

Billings Bench Water Association employees discovered the body in a section of the canal that contained a small amount of water.

Officials were able to notify Zander's family of the identification on Tuesday.
Saudi labor minister vows Binladin workers to be paid soon

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP)  Saudi Arabia's labor minister said Tuesday that some employees of the Saudi Binladin Group will receive their salaries this month and others soon thereafter.

Thousands of employees of the construction giant have been holding rare protests over not being paid their salaries for up to six months. Employees set fire to company buses Saturday to also protest a large round of reported layoffs.

Construction firms in the Gulf have suffered from delayed government spending on major projects.

FILE - In this May 8, 2014, file photo a man works on construction of the Kingdom Tower, a planned 252-story building, which aims to become the world's tallest skyscraper when complete, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. Employees at giant construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, have set fire to more than seven company buses to protest a reportedly large round of looming layoffs and not being paid their salaries for months. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)

Labor Minister Mufrej al-Haqbani said workers are protected under Saudi labor law and would receive overdue salaries even if they are fired and issued exit visas.

Local Saudi newspapers have reported that the Saudi Binladin Group terminated employment for at least 50,000 foreign workers and was considering firing 12,000 Saudis.

The Saudi Binladin Group is one of the world's largest construction firms. Founded in 1931 and headquartered in Jiddah, the firm has been behind some of Saudi Arabia's most important projects, including roads, tunnels, airports, universities and hotels.

The Binladin family has been close to Saudi Arabia's ruling family for decades. Al-Qaida's late leader Osama bin Laden was a renegade son of the construction firm's founder, Mohammed bin Laden, and was disowned by the family in the 1990s.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 file photo, cranes rise at the site of an expansion to the Grand Mosque as Muslim pilgrims circle counterclockwise around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Employees at giant construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, have set fire to more than seven company buses to protest a reportedly large round of looming layoffs and not being paid their salaries for months. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
Developer of proposed Lucas museum looking outside Chicago

CHICAGO (AP)  The wife of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas said Tuesday that opposition to a Chicago lakefront museum by a parks advocacy group has prompted a search outside the city for a site.

Friends of the Parks sued last year to stop plans to build the art museum near Soldier Field on a site that is now a parking lot. The nonprofit group says the plans violated laws restricting development along Lake Michigan. And in a statement Tuesday, the parks group indicated it would be opposed to an alternate site nearby.

Lucas' wife, financial executive Mellody Hobson, expressed frustration at the organization's opposition, saying she and Lucas worked for two years to finalize "what would be the largest philanthropic gift to an American city in the 21st century."

FILE -This file artist rendering released Sept. 17, 2015, by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art shows the proposed museum in Chicago. In a statement Tuesday, May 3, 2016, the group Friends of the Parks, a nonprofit suing to stop plans by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas for a lakefront museum by the Chicago Bears' stadium, says it's not enthusiastic about an alternate site nearby. The statement comes after the city asked a federal judge to stay the litigation for 30 days. (Lucas Museum of Narrative Art via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT

"We are now seriously pursuing locations outside of Chicago," Hobson said in a statement. "If the museum is forced to leave, it will be because of the Friends of the Parks and that is no victory for anyone. ... In refusing to accept the extraordinary public benefits of the museum, the Friends of the Parks has proven itself to be no friend of Chicago."

The latest proposal the parks group opposes calls for demolition of part of the McCormick Place convention complex, which is also by the lake, and replacing it with the museum. Hobson said that plan would create 12 additional acres of parkland.

The plan requires the borrowing of nearly $1.2 billion to replace the demolished structure, extending five taxes beyond their expiration date and state approval. The museum itself would be paid for by Lucas at a cost of $743 million.

"We don't think it's appropriate to exchange building on lakefront land for other things  even if it's park land. It's inappropriate to build on public trust land," said Friends of the Parks executive director Juanita Irizarry.

"Mr. Lucas may leave. That is ultimately his decision. But there are many other viable sites. Chicagoans should not be held hostage to one man's desires," she said. "The public trust must be protected and we will continue to fight for our lakefront to remain open, free and clear."

The city of Chicago and the Chicago Park District on Monday requested a suspension of the legal fight over the museum as they worked on an alternative site plan, and Friends of the Parks agreed. The city withdrew that request Tuesday.

"Friends of the Parks has taken inconsistent and incoherent positions, making it impossible to work with them," Shannon Breymaier, a spokeswoman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said in a statement.

Irizarry said the group would either amend its existing lawsuit to target the McCormick site or file a new suit, attempting to apply the same public trust and lakefront-protection principles it holds regarding the parking lot site.
Italian navy to resume recovery of boat full of migrant dead

ROME (AP)  Improved sea conditions are permitting the Italian navy to resume a complex operation to recover a sunken fishing boat with the bodies of hundreds of migrants inside.

Navy vessels are set to head Wednesday to the site of the April 2015 shipwreck, in which the immense loss of life spurred Europe to step up patrols of the Mediterranean, where Libyan-based smugglers launch overcrowded boats on risky voyages toward Italy's shores.

The boat is located 85 miles (130 kilometers) from the Libyan coastline and sank 370 meters (1,200 feet) after it capsized just as a cargo ship was coming to the migrants' rescue.

The ' Levoli Ivory ' ship makes its way to resume operations to bring to Sicily a fishing boat that capsized and sank off Libya last year, with hundreds of migrants trapped inside, Monday, May 3, 2016. Navy divers already removed the bodies of 169 migrants, who perished in the April 18, 2015, sinking of the smugglers boat, which capsized as a cargo ship approached to rescue them. (Marina Militare/Italian Navy via AP)

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi has vowed Italy will do everything possible to retrieve the bodies and try to identify them. Navy divers over several months already recovered 169 bodies found near the wreckage.

The navy said Tuesday a 30-meter (100-foot) -long barge will be used to bring the wreck to a port in Sicily once it is raised with the help of a specially designed robotic apparatus. Firefighters will then enter the wreck in the port to retrieve the bodies.

Survivors said as many as 800 people were trapped inside.

Forensic experts will examine the corpses, in hopes that a Europe-wide network of information will lead to identification, the navy said.

Not infrequently, families of migrants inform authorities that loved-ones never arrived after setting out in a smugglers' boat.

The bodies will be buried in cemeteries in Sicily.

Italy's coast guard has coordinated the sea rescues of more than 330,000 migrants fleeing poverty or conflicts since the start of 2014.

Thousands have perished, with some corpses found in boats along with survivors. Authorities acknowledge some boats might have sunk without anyone learning of the wreck, leaving an unknown number of dead on the Mediterranean's bottom.

An Italian Navy diver gets ready during operations to bring to Sicily a fishing boat that capsized and sank off Libya last year, with hundreds of migrants trapped inside, Monday, May 3, 2016. Navy divers already removed the bodies of 169 migrants, who perished in the April 18, 2015, sinking of the smugglers boat, which capsized as a cargo ship approached to rescue them. (Marina Militare/Italian Navy via AP)
Boy: Sister, stranger went into hills; she never came back

SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP)  When the stranger approached Ian and Ashlynne Mike at the school bus stop, the boy was wary. But his older sister got lured into the van, and he didn't want her to go alone, so he went, too.

The man took the siblings to a desolate spot on the edge of the nation's largest American Indian reservation, authorities and family members say. The man and the 11-year-old girl walked into the hills, but the stranger came back alone, the boy told authorities.

Scared and in the dark, Ian ran more than 2 miles to a highway on the Navajo Nation where a passing driver found the 9-year-old boy Monday night.

This undated photo provided by the New Mexico State Police shows Ashlynne Mike. The air and ground search for the abducted Navajo girl ended tragically Tuesday, May 3, 2016, when authorities found the 11-year-old dead near the towering rock formation that gives the New Mexico town of Shiprock its name. Ashlynne Mike was kidnapped from the Navajo Nation, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said. (New Mexico State Police via AP)

Police gleaned some information about the suspect from the younger brother of Ashlynne, whose body was found Tuesday near a distinct rock formation that the rural town of Shiprock, New Mexico, is named for.

On Tuesday night, authorities arrested a 27-year-old man in connection with the abduction and death.

Tom Begaye of Waterflow, New Mexico, was arrested, the FBI said. Begaye is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Paul Briones in Farmington on Wednesday, according to the FBI.

The suspect is not related to Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, the nation's public safety director said.

At a candlelight vigil held Tuesday night in a community center in Shiprock, Shawn Mike, a cousin of Ashlynne, remembered her as a kind, smart girl who loved music and played the xylophone.

"As a dad, you would like to see your daughter grow up and see her have a family of her own one day. And unfortunately, Ashlynne won't experience any of this," he said.

Hundreds of people packed the tiny hall while hundreds more stood outside of the building in support of Ashlynne.

Paulynda Claw of Shiprock came to vigil, with her young son. "It touched my heart, and I just felt we had to be here," she said.

Tips for the investigation flooded in from across the reservation that spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah as well as the close-knit tribal community where Ashlynne lived. The FBI said it's following up on all leads.

"We're leaving no stone unturned," FBI Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade told reporters during a brief news conference. "We will solve this case and give Ashlynne Mike's family the justice they deserve."

Authorities described the kidnapper as a light-skinned Native American in his 20s or 30s with a teardrop tattoo under his left eye who drove a maroon van with a luggage rack but no hubcaps.

At the bus stop Monday afternoon, he approached the siblings and a third boy, asking them if they wanted to see a movie. The boys said no, but Ashlynne was somehow lured into the man's van.

The boy was distraught, said Darrell Foster-Joe, the children's aunt.

"He was so tired and just crying and crying for his sister," she said. "It was really hard for the FBI to get any information from him."

Wade acknowledged that some parents are worried about the safety of their children as they go to and from school. Ashlynne lived in the vast reservation's San Juan Chapter, a community that has been on edge since word spread that the girl was missing.

She attended Ojo Amarillo Elementary School in Fruitland, New Mexico, and lived about a quarter-mile from the bus stop. Her aunt described Ashlynne as a fun-loving, kind and quiet girl.

An Amber Alert was issued around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. It wasn't clear why it took hours for authorities to get word out about the abduction, and Wade declined to answer related questions during the news conference.

The search for the girl included federal, tribal, state and county officers on the ground as well as a New Mexico State Police helicopter. About 70 or 80 residents also fanned out across the area where the girl was found, said Graham Biyaal, who helped organized the community search.

Jesse Delmar, a public safety director for the Navajo Nation, said the girl's body was found in a secluded area south of the distinct rock formation that the town of Shiprock is named for.

"We were very hopeful that we would find her in good shape," Delmar said. "We found her but it didn't turn out well."

A local radio station alerted residents to the abduction and gave a description of the suspect's vehicle, San Juan Chapter manager Stanley Wauneka said.

"People are nervous and asking a lot of questions," he said.

___

Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Arizona, and Hudetz reported from Albuquerque. Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan contributed to this report from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

___

This story has been corrected to show Ashlynne Mike's name was misspelled Ashlynn.

Albuquerque FBI Public Affairs Specialist Frank Fisher, left, with local law enforcement agent holds a news conference regarding the death of the 11-year-old girl Ashlynne Mike, reportedly abducted on the Navajo Nation, in Shiprock, N.M., Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The air and ground search for the Navajo girl ended tragically Tuesday when authorities found the 11-year-old dead near the towering rock formation that gives the New Mexico town of Shiprock its name. (Jon Austria/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
The Latest: Student still critical after crash killed 4

ATHENS, Ga. (AP)  The Latest on the crash that killed four University of Georgia students and injured two other people (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

A sheriff says he met with a University of Georgia student who survived a crash that killed four of her friends, and that she remains in critical condition.

Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry said on his department's official Facebook page that he met with Agnes Kim's family Monday night at Athens Regional Medical Center.

Four other students who were passengers in a car driven by Kim were killed in the crash. It happened April 27 on a highway in Oconee County, a few miles south of the Athens campus.

Berry said in a separate Facebook post on Tuesday that the driver of the other car, Abby Short, is recovering from her injuries at home with her family and co-workers.

_____

6:45 a.m.

The University of Georgia will hold a candlelight service to remember four students killed in a car crash and several other members of the university community who've died in the past year.

The service planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday is an annual event to honor university and employees who passed away.

It holds special significance this year, coming shortly after the April 27 car crash that took the lives of four students and left one other critically injured.
German comedian bashes Merkel's response to his Erdogan poem

BERLIN (AP)  A German comedian has sharply criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel for "serving me up for tea" to the Turkish president in a heated dispute over a poem he read on German TV.

The poem about Recep Tayyip Erdogan caused a diplomatic stir between the two countries last month and the Turkish president personally pressed charges against the comedian.

After several weeks of radio silence, Jan Boehmermann told Die Zeit newspaper Tuesday "the chancellor must not wobble when it's comes to freedom of speech. But instead she served me up for tea" to Erdogan.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefs the media after she visited a European project day at the Lycee Francais school in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Merkel initially called the poem "deliberately offensive" even though she later regretted expressing her personal view.
Brazil judge overturns WhatsApp suspension

SAO PAULO (AP)  A Brazilian judge struck down an earlier court ruling to suspend messaging service WhatsApp in Latin America's biggest country for 72 hours, reactivating it on Tuesday, the day after it was shut down.

The ruling by Judge Ricardo Mucio Santana de Abreu Lima came just hours after another judge upheld an earlier judicial order suspending WhatsApp's services. The application was working again by Tuesday afternoon.

The suspension had gone into effect Monday shortly after it was ordered by Judge Marcel Maia Montalvao, in the northeastern state of Sergipe.

A taxi driver checks to see if his WhatsApp is working in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Monday, May 2, 2016. A Brazilian judge investigating a drug ring has ordered cell phone operators to block the messaging app WhatsApp for 72 hours. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A court official in Sergipe said the suspension was ordered because WhatsApp has repeatedly failed to turn over information about its users for an investigation into drug trafficking and organized crime.

WhatsApp officials have estimated that the service is used by 100 million Brazilians.

"Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have," the messaging service's CEO and co-founder Jan Koum said on his Facebook page after Montalvao's ruling. "We encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep people's information safe and secure, we also don't keep your chat history on our servers."

"We have no intention of compromising the security of our billion users around the world," he added.

Montalvao's suspension was the latest chapter in a dispute between Brazilian law enforcement and Facebook, which bought WhatsApp in 2014.

Calls to Facebook's offices in Sao Paulo went unanswered on Tuesday.

In March, Facebook's most senior representative in Latin America was detained in Sao Paulo and held overnight.

At the time, a spokeswoman for federal police in Sergipe, Monica Horta, said investigators had requested content from a WhatsApp messaging group as well as other data, including geolocation. Investigators first contacted WhatsApp several months earlier but hadn't received a response, Horta said.

Brazilian authorities also clashed with Facebook in December, when a judicial order forced telecoms to block WhatsApp for about 12 hours over its alleged refusal to cooperate with a police inquiry.
South Carolina military police on tap for Guantanamo force

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Military police from the South Carolina Army National Guard have been ordered to prepare for a possible deployment to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba as early as this fall, a Guard official said Tuesday.

About 100 members of the 131st Military Police Co. in Beaufort (BYOO-fort) have been told to prepare for a potential deployment in the new fiscal year, which begins in October, said National Guard spokeswoman Col. Cindi King.

"The unit is currently scheduled to be on orders just under a year," King said. But she said she could not specify any deployment date for security reasons.

It would be the first time a South Carolina National Guard force has been sent to support the group known as Joint Task Force Guantanamo, which is in charge of the U.S. military prison holding about 80 suspected terrorists.

King said the 131st is one of three military police units in the S.C. Guard, and that it is composed of male and female soldiers.

The Naval Base on the southeastern tip of Cuba was first leased by the U.S. government in 1903. After the Cuban Revolution, the site became a source of contention between the two governments. Since 2002, Guantanamo has housed the prison for combatants captured during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

President Barak Obama has promised to close the prison and federal officials have visited several military prison sites in the United States that they are considering as possible transfer points, including the Navy brig located north of Charleston.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has been sharply critical of any plan to send detainees to the brig or anywhere else in the state.

Last week, Haley criticized the federal government for keeping her in the dark about plans regarding any possible prison site for the detainees, which she contended would make her state a target for terrorists.

"I don't want it going into any state in the country," Haley told a House Homeland Security subcommittee.

King said the Beaufort military police unit was first organized in 2010, and this would be the first deployment for the soldiers as a unit.

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Defense claims 'mystery man' is 'Grim Sleeper' serial killer

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Latest on the Grim Sleeper trial (all times local):

4:35 p.m.

A prosecutor has ridiculed the defense of the Los Angeles man charged in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings as deceptive and based on imaginary evidence of a "mystery" murderer.

Lonnie Franklin Jr. appears in Los Angeles Superior Court during closing arguments of his trail Monday, May 2, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Grim Sleeper serial killer trial is coming to a close in Los Angeles after months of testimony. Franklin is charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. They were shot or strangled and their bodies dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles and nearby areas. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told jurors Tuesday that the suggestion for the first time that Lonnie Franklin Jr. had a "mystery nephew" who tried to kill one of the victims was the equivalent of saying a space ship had murdered all 10 women in the case.

Defense attorney Seymour Amster questioned the ballistics and DNA evidence during his closing argument and said a mystery man was responsible for the killings, though he offered no evidence to support that claim.

Franklin is charged with 10 counts of murder and one attempted murder. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Wednesday.

___

11:10 a.m.

A defense lawyer representing the man accused in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings in Los Angeles says a "mystery man" was the real killer.

Attorney Seymour Amster told jurors Tuesday in his closing argument that a witness who survived being shot testified that the man who attacked her in his Ford Pinto had stopped earlier at his "uncle's" house to get money.

The survivor, Enietra Washington, later led detectives to the house of Lonnie Franklin Jr., who is accused of 10 counts of murder and her attempted killing.

Amster says she described her assailant as much younger than Franklin and says the real killer could be an unnamed nephew.

Amster says each murder could have been committed by a mystery man with a mystery gun with mystery DNA.

Amster also questioned the analysis of DNA results.

___

12:11 a.m.

A serial killer preying on vulnerable young black women on the rough streets of south Los Angeles eluded police for two decades until someone rifling through a dumpster in 2007 noticed red fingernails poking out of a garbage bag.

Inside was the body of Janecia Peters that provided clues connecting her slaying to nine others and eventually led to the arrest of a suspect in the "Grim Sleeper" slayings.

A prosecutor displayed charts, diagrams, photos and DNA test results to jurors Monday to make her case that Lonnie Franklin Jr. was a killer hiding in plain sight as he shot and strangled women, many prostitutes, and dumped their bodies in alleys not far from his home.

Franklin could face the death penalty if convicted of the slayings of a 15-year-old girl and nine young women.

FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2010, file photo, photographs found in the possession of Lonnie David Franklin Jr. are shown during a news conference in Los Angeles. The trial of alleged "Grim Sleeper" is headed to a close Monday, May 2, 2016, after months of testimony about the serial killer who stalked women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this July 9, 2010, file photo, a billboard showing that the suspect known as the "Grim Sleeper" had been arrested stands near a freeway in Compton, Calif. The trial of alleged "Grim Sleeper" is headed to a close Monday, May 2, 2016, after months of testimony about the serial killer who stalked women during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman details the evidence against defendant Lonnie Franklin Jr. in Los Angeles Superior Court during closing arguments of Franklin's trail Monday, May 2, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Grim Sleeper serial killer trial is coming to a close in Los Angeles after months of testimony. Franklin is charged with killing nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. They were shot or strangled and their bodies dumped in alleys and trash bins in South Los Angeles and nearby areas. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)
Last week, Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Veterans Committee gathered to announce their support for bipartisan legislation designed to fix multiple problems in the Veterans Affairs Health system. Surprisingly, the senators are hopeful that the Senate will pass that bill this month.

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, emphasized that the bill will will give the VA the tools to fire bad actors, will prohibit bonuses for employees accused of wrongdoing, and will institute protections for whistleblowers.

The Veterans First Act is about accountability, agreed Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., a member of the committee. But Tester emphasized what the legislation aims to do to directly improve veterans care. The bipartisan bill includes his proposed remedies for the Veterans Choice program.

In August 2014, Congress and President Barack Obama created the Veterans Choice program in an effort to reduce the waiting time for veterans to see a doctor. The Veterans Choice program, which must contract with a private gatekeeping company, has actually slowed down the process for getting veterans into care.

Choice is broken and is not working the way it was intended, said Tester.

One big problem with Veterans Choice is that the money goes with the program, not the veteran. The new bill would change that.

This gives the VA flexibility to take Choice money and use it for community care not available within the VA, Tester said.

The state of Montana is one of five sites selected to pilot a partial remedy while Congress works on a comprehensive fix. VA Montana has been authorized to use Veterans Choice funding to contract directly with community clinics when that is the quickest way to have a veteran seen by a qualified physician. Previously, VA Montana had to tap a separate community care fund (which was rapidly being depleted) and wasnt allowed to use Veterans Choice funds.

This is only a partial fix because the Veterans Choice contract still requires referrals to go to the private gatekeeper (Health Net) and VA Montana must wait for Health Net to send the case back, which can take a week or more.

The pilot has been successful in getting veterans in to see physicians in Montana communities faster than they could be seen through Health Net or within the VA, said Johnny Ginnity, VA Montana director. The pilot is expected to go nationwide soon, possibly later this month.

While senators were finalizing their Veterans First Act on Capitol Hill last week, Ginnity was traveling Montana to meet personally with local clinic leaders in Miles City, Billings, Lewistown, Great Falls and elsewhere. His pitch is a deal for these Montana clinics to work directly with the VA to care for veterans, basically cutting out the third-party administrator. Ginnity told The Gazette that clinic leaders have been receptive. The privatized Veterans Choice drew complaints in Montana and elsewhere that the contract was difficult to work with and that payments for services to veterans were long delayed.

The Senate reform bill aims for other improvements, including:

Increasing physician residency positions in VA, both to provide more doctors now and to enhance recruiting efforts for the future.

Boosting efforts to recruit more licensed mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists.

Improving the process for filling leadership vacancies.

VA Montana is constantly recruiting doctors, nurses and other health care professionals and office workers. Among the vacancies last week were associate state director, chief of medical staff and three psychiatrists.

A VA reform bill can and should pass the Senate before Congress recesses for Memorial Day week vacation. We call on Montanas delegation to be leaders in getting veterans health care legislation to President Barack Obamas desk early this summer.

Among 97,000 veterans who call Montana home, 47,000 are enrolled in VA and about 38,000 receive VA treatment every year. Just about everyone in Montana is a veteran or knows a veteran who needs VA health care.
Court files show bid to tar slain Honduran activist Caceres

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP)  For months before her death, environmental activist Berta Caceres complained of repeated threats warning her to stop leading protests opposing a hydroelectric project on her Lenca people's ancestral lands.

Then, on March 3, armed men forced their way into Caceres' home in the middle of the night, shot her four times and wounded a visiting Mexican activist, who survived by playing dead. The killing prompted widespread condemnation and calls for an independent investigation, in part due to Caceres' international prominence as the winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize.

Caceres' slaying remained officially shrouded in mystery until Monday, when authorities arrested four people in the case, including a security employee working on behalf of Desarrollos Energeticos SA, or DESA, the company carrying out the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project.

FILE - In this March 16, 2016 file photo, a woman holds up a poster with a photo of slain environmental leader Berta Caceres during a protest in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Caceres reported receiving threats from DESA security personnel, as well as an attempt by a company official to bribe her to call off the demonstrations, according to Billy Kyte, a senior campaigner on land and environmental defense at London-based Global Witness. DESA, or Desarrollos Energeticos SA, is the company carrying out the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project that Caceres lead protests against. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio, File)

On Tuesday, Ricardo Castro, the director of Honduras' criminal investigation agency, said that "Caceres was killed because of her fight in favor of the environment," but said he couldn't discuss details of the evidence.

The fact that those arrested have DESA and army ties was no surprise to Caceres' allies and relatives, who have long suspected the company and elements of Honduras' government and military of being behind her killing.

Previously unpublicized court records from 2014 show that the government and DESA repeatedly sought to tar Caceres and her colleagues as violent anarchists bent on terrorizing the population through their protests at the project site. In filings seeking an injunction against the demonstrations, Caceres and two leaders of her organization were accused of "usurpation, coercion and continued damage" and even attempting to undermine the democratic order.

Activists say the demonizing language helped create a dangerous climate of hostility and harassment that they link directly to her murder.

"These court documents go beyond just showing the contempt the dam company holds toward Berta Caceres and her organization," said Billy Kyte, a senior campaigner for land and environmental defense at London-based Global Witness, which acquired the records through lawyers working with Caceres' people and shared them exclusively with The Associated Press.

"It's evidence of a company ready to do whatever it takes to neutralize opposition to its business," he added. "The legal harassment and threats ... are a stark reminder of the huge risks faced by Honduran activists."

Kyte said Caceres reported receiving threats from DESA security personnel, as well as an attempt by a company official to bribe her to call off the demonstrations.

Multiple phone calls to DESA went unanswered, and there was no response to questions delivered to its headquarters in Tegucigalpa. Via email, the public relations office of DESA's Agua Zarca project issued a statement denying responsibility for Caceres' slaying but did not respond to AP questions about the court records. The Public Ministry, which is listed as a co-plaintiff, also declined multiple requests for comment on the documents.

Juan Sanchez Cantillano, who represented DESA in the appeals filings, said the case against Caceres' group was based on Public Ministry accounts of damage allegedly caused by the protesters.

"The company was harmed by the protests, which were not peaceful but instead violent," said Sanchez, who no longer represents the company. "The protesters invaded the terrain of DESA and burned the machinery and the offices. ... They destroyed everything."

Honduras is one of the most violent countries on the planet, according to homicide statistics. It's also one of the most dangerous to be an environmental activist, with 109 killed between 2010 and 2015, according to Global Witness.

Violence against land activists is common across Latin America, with over 450 slain in 2010-14, the group said. Drivers of conflict include mining projects in Peru, ranching in the Brazilian Amazon, Colombia's civil war and hydroelectric projects in Guatemala and Honduras.

The Agua Zarca project, located in the Montana Verde reserve in western Honduras, was conceived to harness the power of the Gualcarque River, which is considered sacred by the indigenous Lenca community.

In 2015, Caceres was awarded the Goldman Prize for rallying the Lenca to halt construction of the dam through her Council of Indigenous and Popular Organizations of Honduras, or Copinh, which she co-founded more than 20 years ago.

The protests have sometimes crossed a line into destruction of property. At a demonstration last month against Caceres' killing, people threw rocks outside the Public Ministry, smashed windows, broke into the building and hung a banner with her likeness from a balcony.

The court documents describe damage to the dam site that included downed utility poles and demonstrators allegedly carrying machetes and clubs, and the company claimed some $3.4 million in damage and economic losses. Agua Zarca published photos of vandalism it blamed on protesters: a burning shed, broken cement tubes, a construction vehicle with smashed windows.

But DESA and the ministry went further, accusing Caceres and others of "sabotage and manipulation of the masses." In court filings, they argued that the state should act against those who would "sow terror ... attacking the very independence and national sovereignty."

Caceres and her colleagues posed a threat to "peace in the Republic of Honduras by violating its economic sovereignty and putting in grave danger the integrity and security of the state and its persons," the filings said.

The tribunal ruled in favor of Copinh; an appeal is currently dormant at the Supreme Court, said Sanchez, the former lawyer for DESA.

Those close to Caceres say that sort of talk encourages threats and attacks. They report being followed and harassed by DESA security and police, and even being shot at. Two weeks after Caceres' slaying, unidentified gunmen killed her colleague Nelson Garcia after he returned home from helping Indians who were evicted from land they had been squatting on.

"What we are up against is a declared war on the Lenca people," said Copinh leader Tomas Gomez, who was named as a co-defendant along with Caceres in the court documents.

Austra Flores, Caceres' mother, accused the government of failing to provide her daughter with protection as called for by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Honduras' security minister, however, said a guard detail was assigned to Caceres and she asked for it to be removed because the guards bothered her.

"The Honduran state is primarily responsible for this crime," Flores told the AP. "It should have assumed responsibility for guaranteeing my daughter's life ... and it did not fulfill that international commitment."

"DESA has a lot of thugs and they, some politicians, businesspeople and people in the government are responsible for Berta's killing," Flores added. "I don't have the slightest doubt."

On Monday, Agua Zarca issued a statement reiterating its denial of any link to Caceres' slaying and saying it has cooperated with the investigation from the beginning.

"Agua Zarca ratifies that it is in no way responsible for nor is it materially or intellectually linked to the murder of the indigenous leader Berta Caceres," the statement said.

Those detained in the slaying include a man Caceres had identified as the company's security chief, Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, and Sergio Ramon Rodriguez Orellana, who prosecutors said was an environmental technician for the hydroelectric project. Both appear in the court documents as witnesses against Caceres and Copinh. Caceres reportedly said Bustillo sent her text messages threatening her with sexual assault.

An armed forces spokesman said the other two detainees, Mariano Diaz Chavez and Edilson Duarte Meza, are an active infantry major and a retired infantry captain.

Prosecutors said three of the suspects were linked to DESA, but Agua Zarca said the only one who worked for the project was Rodriguez. It said it was "surprised" by his arrest and trusts that all its employees' actions have been lawful. DESA spokesman Roque Galo told AP that Bustillo was deputy security chief for a subcontractor, and he didn't know who the other two were.

Kyte called the arrests "a positive step" but said an independent, international investigation is still needed. He noted that according to other legal documents, DESA directors include people with ties to Honduras' most powerful sectors: the government, the military and wealthy business families.

"It remains to be seen whether the government-led investigation will result in the right people behind bars," he said. "The real perpetrators must be held to account  not just the triggermen."

Without an independent probe, "those who ordered her killing will likely never be found," Kyte added. "The powerful interests behind DESA and its links to the Honduran government and military intelligence have seriously compromised the investigation of Berta Caceres' death."

___

Associated Press writer Freddy Cuevas reported this story in Tegucigalpa and AP writer Peter Orsi reported from Mexico City.

___

Follow Peter Orsi on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/peter-orsi .

FILE - In this March 8, 2016 file photo, a woman spray paints the phrase "Always alive" below a stenciled image of slain environmental activist Berta Caceres during the commemoration of International Women's Day in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. For months before her death, Caceres complained of regular threats warning her to stop leading protests opposing a hydroelectric project on her Lenca peoples ancestral lands. On March 3, armed men forced their way into Caceres home in the middle of the night, and shot her four times. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio, File)

FILE - In this March 3, 2016 file photo, the body of slain Honduran indigenous leader and environmentalist Berta Caceres is lowered to the coroners office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Caceres slaying officially remained shrouded in mystery until Monday, May 2, 2016 when authorities detained four people in the case, including a security employee working on behalf of Desarrollos Energeticos SA, or DESA, the company carrying out the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project. But the fact that those arrested have DESA and army ties is no surprise to Caceres allies and relatives, who have long suspected the company and elements of Honduras government and military of being behind her killing. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio, File)

Police arrest a suspect in the murder of indigneous leader and environmentalist Berta Caceres in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Monday, May 2, 2016. Honduran authorities have arrested four people in connection with Caceres' murder, including three who worked for a hydroelectric project she opposed. Caceres was shot dead by two unidentified men on March 3. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio)
Police: Hijacked bus strikes, kills pedestrian in DC

WASHINGTON (AP)  A man attacked a city bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a pedestrian after the vehicle jumped a curb at a gas station in Washington on Tuesday, police said. He was captured and brought to a hospital.

The man, armed with a weapon, stood by the driver for a time and then attacked him, Police Chief Cathy Lanier said at a news conference. Passengers fled the bus, and the driver hit the emergency button before getting off himself, she said. Lanier did not say what kind of weapon the man had. District Commander David Taylor said he could only confirm that it was not a gun.

The man shut the door and drove off. As the bus pulled into a gas station parking lot, it went over a curb and hit the pedestrian, who was killed, Lanier said. The man appeared distraught and was violent as he resisted officers taking him into custody, she said. He was taken to a hospital, she said. His condition was not known immediately.

Police work a crime scene after authorities say a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a man after the bus jumped a curb at a gas station at the corner of Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Northwest Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Lanier called it a "bizarre incident" that unfolded in the course of a little more than three minutes, ending just five blocks from where the man first boarded.

Metro Transit Police tweeted that the bus driver was hurt, but his injuries were not life-threatening. They say passengers on the bus were not injured.

There's no indication that the attacker knew the driver, Taylor said. He said the bus was not full, but he didn't know precisely how many people were on board at the time of the attack.

On Tuesday afternoon, police had the gas station roped off with police tape. The lights on the bus were flashing, and more than a dozen police cars were at the scene.

Ralph Brown, 42, of Beltsville, Maryland, was at his job as a forklift driver at a liquor distributor nearby when he heard what sounded like a car crash.

"It sounded like a regular accident," he said.

Bus drivers have been attacked before, and a bus being stolen is not unprecedented, but a hijacking such as this is "highly unusual," Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said.

The details of the attack are still being pieced together, but the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, which represents most Metro employees, including drivers, has been calling for a greater police presence on buses and on the rails, said union spokesman David Stephen.

A woman, who was said to know a victim, is emotional near a crime scene after authorities say a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a man after the bus jumped a curb at a gas station at the corner of Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Northwest Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

A woman, who was said to know a victim, is comforted near a crime scene after authorities say a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a man after the bus jumped a curb at a gas station at the corner of Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Northwest Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

A woman, who was said to know a victim, is comforted near a crime scene after authorities say a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a man after the bus jumped a curb at a gas station at the corner of Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Northwest Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

A woman, who was said to know a victim, is comforted by a man near a crime scene after authorities say a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a man after the bus jumped a curb at a gas station at the corner of Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Northwest Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Police work at a crime scene after authorities say a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a man after the bus jumped a curb at a gas station at the corner of Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Northwest Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

A woman, who was said to know a victim, is comforted by a man near a crime scene after authorities say a man attacked a bus driver, stole the bus, then struck and killed a man after the bus jumped a curb at a gas station at the corner of Helen Burroughs Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Northwest Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Kerry warns Assad to start transition by Aug. 1 _ or else

WASHINGTON (AP)  Secretary of State John Kerry warned Syria's government and its backers in Moscow and Tehran on Tuesday that they face an August deadline for starting a political transition to move President Bashar Assad out, or they risk the consequences of a new U.S. approach toward ending the 5-year-old civil war.

But given the various, unfulfilled U.S. threats throughout the Arab country's conflict  from declaring Assad's days "numbered" five years ago to promising military action if chemical weapons were used  it was unclear what effect Kerry's ultimatum might have.

And it's unlikely that the Obama administration, so long opposed to an active American combat role in Syria, would significantly boost its presence beyond the 300 special forces it has authorized thus far in the heart of a U.S. presidential election season. More feasible might be U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia giving the rebels new weapons to fight Assad, such as portable surface-to-air missiles.

"The target date for the transition is 1st of August," Kerry told reporters at the State Department. "So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track."

The top American diplomat spoke following a meeting between the U.N. envoy for Syria and Russia's foreign minister in Moscow on Tuesday, a day after discussions with Kerry in Geneva. The goal was to restore a partial truce that has all but unraveled amid 12 straight days of bitter fighting in Aleppo, Syria's largest city.

Kerry condemned a hospital attack in the city that killed at least 20 people on Tuesday and said the missile appeared to have been fired from rebel-controlled territory. He said the U.S. rejects violence against civilians, whether it's by Assad's government or Western-backed opposition groups.

But Kerry saved his sharpest comments for Assad and his government's two key military, economic and diplomatic lifelines: Russia and Iran.

"If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions," Kerry warned. "One of them may be the total destruction of the cease-fire and then go back to war. I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed. That is for the future."

Kerry said the U.S. and Russia were working on the details of a more durable cease-fire that would include Aleppo and prevent the metropolis from falling. He said leaders on all sides must refrain from fighting for the cause of peace.

On its face, the threat of continued fighting doesn't seem to carry much weight. Assad has aggressively sought to crush any and all opposition groups in a war that emerged from the government's violent repression of largely peaceful, Arab Spring-inspired protests in 2011. Despite a death toll that numbers in the hundreds of thousands, Russian planes and Iranian troops continue to fight alongside the Syrian military.

Kerry also appeared to undermine his own selling of a truce by stressing that the opposition would never accommodate Assad's leadership. The current U.N.-endorsed transition plan for Syria says nothing about Assad relinquishing power or being prevented from running for an eventual re-election as president. His family has ruled Syria for four decades.

"If Assad's strategy is to somehow think he's going to just carve out Aleppo and carve out a section of the country, I got news for you and for him: This war doesn't end," Kerry said.

"As long as Assad is there, the opposition is not going to stop fighting," he said.

Kerry said he has told his counterparts in Moscow and Tehran that calm won't prevail in Syria if they're not prepared to move quickly toward a new Syrian government.

"Assad cannot reunite the country  it's that simple," Kerry said.
Argentina's Macri agrees to be probed over Panama Papers

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  Argentine President Mauricio Macri says he is open to being investigated over his role in two offshore companies that emerged in the "Panama Papers" leak.

Macri said Tuesday that he'll cooperate with a federal judge who requested information on the companies from authorities in Panama and the Bahamas.

Macri says the companies were family businesses and he was a figurehead without compensation. He has also set up a blind trust to handle his financial holdings in response to growing criticism.

The case was launched by a federal prosecutor who asked for authorization to investigate whether Macri "maliciously" omitted his role in the offshore companies in his annual tax declarations.
The Latest: Feds fault DC subway for inadequate maintenance

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on the National Transportation Safety Board's findings about a fatal 2015 accident on the Washington subway (all times local):

3 p.m.

Federal investigators have found that a fire that killed a Washington subway passenger last year was caused by the Metro system's "ineffective inspection and maintenance practices."

A photograph of smoke is displayed as members of a safety oversight group deliver a presentation on the probable cause of the Jan. 12, 2015 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail accident near the L'Enfant Plaza during a National Transportation Safety Board meeting in Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The National Transportation Safety Board adopted its final report on the January 2015 fire during a meeting on Tuesday. One woman died and dozens of passengers were sickened when an electrical malfunction caused a train to fill with smoke inside a downtown Washington tunnel.

The NTSB described the malfunction as a "prolonged short circuit" that can be traced to Metro's poor maintenance. NTSB investigators found that the third-rail power cables at the site of the malfunction were damaged by moisture and other contaminants.

NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart stressed that a lack of strong federal oversight has led to Metro's failure to make safety improvements.

___

10:55 a.m.

The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board says Washington's subway system appears not to have made meaningful safety improvements since a fatal accident in 2009.

The board is meeting Tuesday to determine what caused a January 2015 fire inside a downtown tunnel that killed one passenger and injured dozens more.

NTSB investigators have found problems with the third-rail power cables and repeated water leaks at the site of the electrical malfunction that led to the fire.

The board made several recommendations to the Metro subway system after a 2009 crash that killed nine people. Board chairman Christopher Hart said Tuesday that "safety still is not institutionalized as a core value" at Metro. He says the problems that led to the 2015 fire "were allowed to develop and persist."

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Paul Wiedefeld attends a National Transportation Safety Board meeting in Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, to review a report on the probable cause of the Jan. 12, 2015 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail accident near the L'Enfant Plaza in Washington. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart, right, arrives for a National Transportation Safety Board meeting in Washington, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, to hear a report on the probable cause of the Jan. 12, 2015 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail accident near the L'Enfant Plaza in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Ex-driver, 22, facing misdemeanor in fatal Vegas bus crash

LAS VEGAS (AP)  A 22-year-old has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges almost four months after the public transit bus he was driving jumped a curb, plowed through a passenger shelter and killed a 39-year-old woman on a sidewalk near the Las Vegas Strip, authorities said Tuesday.

Jamal Nichols appeared in court last Wednesday on charges of vehicular manslaughter and failure to stay in a driving lane, and he was processed through the Clark County jail. He is free on bail pending trial July 13, according to court records. He could face up to a year in jail if he's convicted.

"He's heartbroken, like everyone involved in this case," said Nichols' defense lawyer, Robert Langford.

Prosecutor Eric Bauman said he wanted to review the police crash investigation before commenting.

Jooyoung Do, originally from South Korea, died of multiple injuries in the pre-dawn crash Jan. 9 on Tropicana Avenue a few blocks west of Las Vegas Boulevard, according to police and coroner reports.

Nichols is accused of negligently causing the crash, but Langford said onboard video doesn't show him doing anything unusual behind the wheel in the few seconds recorded before and after the crash. The video hasn't been made public.

The bus shelter was destroyed, leaving a piece of the structure stuck in the shattered front windshield of the full-sized articulated Regional Transportation Commission bus.

There were passengers aboard, but neither they nor Nichols were reported to have been hurt.

Nichols was dismissed after the crash by Keolis Transit America, contract driver provider to the RTC of Southern Nevada, company official Bill Marion said.
The Latest: Gov. on ex-speaker's sentence: 'Justice served'

NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's sentencing in a $5 million corruption case (all times local):

6 p.m.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's 12-year prison sentence in a corruption case shows that officials who abuse the public's trust will be held accountable.

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver leaves court in New York, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The former New York Assembly Speaker was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday, capping one of the steepest falls from grace in the state's lineup of crooked politicians for a consummate backroom dealer who wielded power for over two decades. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Cuomo says "justice was served" by Tuesday's sentencing. Both he and Silver are Democrats.

They represented two of the so-called "three men in a room" who controlled state politics. The third man, Republican former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (SKEH'-lohs), faces sentencing later this month on his own corruption conviction.

Cuomo referred to them as the "three amigos" as recently as his State of the State address last year.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's office prosecuted Silver and Skelos and is also investigating an economic development program run by Cuomo's office. Cuomo's administration is conducting an internal review.

___

4:45 p.m.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he's looking toward appeals as he left court following his 12-year prison sentence announcement.

The 72-year-old Democrat told reporters outside Manhattan federal court Tuesday that he still believes in the justice system. He says he will pursue all available remedies. That means a three-judge federal appeals panel will be hearing from him soon.

Federal Judge Valerie Caproni told him to report to prison July 1. She says she hopes the sentence sends a message to other politicians that they will face severe penalties if they engage in corruption.

Silver was convicted by a jury last year of making $5 million illegally.

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of more than 14 years while defense attorneys argued for home detention.

___

4:20 p.m.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara calls the 12-year prison sentence imposed on former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver a "just and fitting end" to a corrupt career.

Bharara made the comment in a statement issued immediately after Manhattan federal Judge Valerie Caproni announced the Democrat's sentence Tuesday.

Caproni also fined the 72-year-old Manhattan resident $1.75 million and added a $5.3 million forfeiture order.

Silver was convicted last year in a $5 million corruption case.

His former Senate counterpart  Republican ex-Majority Leader Dean Skelos  is due to be sentenced this month. Skelos was convicted for using his position to arrange payments and a job for his son.

___

3:35 p.m.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in a prosecution that exposed corruption of state government at the highest levels.

A stern Judge Valerie Caproni sentenced him Tuesday. It represents a stunning and steep fall for the Manhattan Democrat who was one of New York's three most powerful political figures for two decades.

The 72-year-old lower Manhattan resident was convicted last year in a $5 million corruption case. A jury concluded he traded favors to enrich himself and then lied about it.

His former Senate counterpart  Republic ex-Majority Leader Dean Skelos  is due to be sentenced this month. Skelos was convicted for using his position to arrange payments and a job for his son.

___

12:25 a.m.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will learn his fate following his November conviction in a $5 million corruption case.

Judge Valerie Caproni is scheduled to sentence the Manhattan Democrat on Tuesday.

The government has asked that he serve substantially more than a decade in prison. Prosecutors also want the judge to fine him $1 million. They cite the more than $2 million in assets he has and the fact that he will receive $70,000 in pension for the rest of his life.

The 72-year-old disbarred lawyer was a power broker in the assembly for more than two decades.

In a letter to the judge, he sought leniency, citing his good deeds. He also acknowledged that he "failed" the people of New York and hurt his constituents "terribly."

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, second from right, struggles through media to get his cab after he was sentenced to 12 years for corruption, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, third from right, struggles through media to get his cab after he was sentenced to 12 years for corruption, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, second from right, struggles through media to get his cab after he was sentenced to 12 years for corruption, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, second from right, struggles through media to get his cab after he was sentenced to 12 years for corruption, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver leaves court surrounded by reporters in New York, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday, capping one of the steepest falls from grace in the state's lineup of crooked politicians for a consummate backroom dealer who wielded power for over two decades. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is assisted by security as he leaves court in New York, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The former New York Assembly Speaker was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday, capping one of the steepest falls from grace in the state's lineup of crooked politicians for a consummate backroom dealer who wielded power for over two decades. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Utah to temporarily stop enforcing law in 'Deadpool' case

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A Utah cinema in trouble with state regulators for serving alcohol during a showing of superhero film "Deadpool" will not get slapped with future citations under an obscenity law mostly regulating strip clubs, as long as the theater's lawsuit plays out in court.

The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agreed that officials would not cite Brewvies for any movie screenings with alcohol as long as the films shown are rated "R'' or less, state lawyers said during a federal court hearing Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

Brewvies attorney Rocky Anderson had warned the state that he would file court challenges at every step along the way if the state made any attempt to enforce the law before the a judge rules on whether the law is constitutional.

FILE - This April 18, 2016, file photo, shows the Brewvies Cinema Pub, in Salt Lake City. The Utah theater challenging an obscenity law that got them in trouble for serving booze during the movie "Deadpool" is headed to court Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The theater Brewvies says the law is so broad that it would apply to Michelangelo's "David." They're asking a judge for a restraining order to block state alcohol authorities from enforcing it. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Utah filed a complaint against the theater under a state law generally used to require strip clubs that serve liquor to keep their dancers wearing G-strings and pasties. But the law also bans serving booze during films with simulated sex or full-frontal nudity.

Playing "Deadpool" while serving alcohol violated the law because the movie includes nudity and simulated sex, including a suggestive scene in the film's credits involving a cartoon unicorn, the state said.

Brewvies argues that the law is so broad it would apply to an exhibit of Michelangelo's statue "David." Anderson said the state has used the law to intimidate the theater and violate its free speech rights, citing it in the past for showing films such "The Hangover Part II" while selling drinks.

"That's what's given the DABC the notion that they can go around and censor and punish people for what otherwise is First Amendment protected," Anderson said.

Anderson had sought a restraining order, but he said Tuesday's agreement essentially served the same purpose.

The state said Brewvies faced a fine up to $25,000 and possible revocation of their liquor license.

Parker Douglas, a lawyer with the Utah attorney general's office, would not answer questions from reporters Tuesday about whether Utah's law should be repealed, saying his office's role is to defend the state's laws.

Lawmakers and the governor in the conservative state, whose politics are dominated by adherents of the Mormon religion, have said they support the liquor board's move to enforce laws and will let the case play out.

It's unclear how long the court battle will wind on because no hearings or trial have been scheduled. Lawyers for Utah and the theater say they'll each make their case to the judge in court filings sometime before mid-December.

Brewvies only allows people 21 and older to attend movies and serves food and liquor to customers. Anderson said the theater never shows films rated above "R."

The theater will take advantage of its temporary grace period under the law this week by holding a special midnight screening of "Deadpool" on Friday to raise money for its court battle. That's on top of more than $22,000 collected in an online fundraising campaign to help with the legal bills. Actor Ryan Reynolds, the star of the foul-mouthed superhero film, gave $5,000 to the effort and has tweeted his support.

Utah's law is similar to an Idaho measure that lawmakers repealed this year when a theater sued after its liquor license was threatened for showing "Fifty Shades of Grey" while serving alcohol.

__

Follow Michelle L. Price at https://twitter.com/michellelprice

Brewvies Cinema Pub lawyer Rocky Anderson speaks with reporters outside the federal courthouse Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Salt Lake City. The Utah movie theater in trouble with state liquor regulators for serving alcohol during a showing of Deadpool, will not get slapped with future citations under an obscenity law as long as the theaters lawsuit plays out in court. The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agreed in court Tuesday that officials would not cite Brewvies for any screenings with alcohol as long as the films are rated R or less, state lawyers said during a federal court hearing in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Parker Douglas, with the Utah Attorney General's Office walks away after speaking with reporters outside the federal courthouse Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Salt Lake City. The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agreed in court Tuesday that officials would not cite Utah cinema Brewvies for any screenings with alcohol as long as the films are rated R or less, state lawyers said during a federal court hearing in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Parker Douglas, with the Utah Attorney General's Office walks away after speaking with reporters outside the federal courthouse Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Salt Lake City. The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agreed in court Tuesday that officials would not cite Utah cinema Brewvies for any screenings with alcohol as long as the films are rated R or less, state lawyers said during a federal court hearing in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Google's self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans.

The companies announced the agreement on Tuesday, saying that Chrysler engineers would work with Google to install sensors and software so the vans can drive themselves.

The added vehicles are needed as Google expands real-world testing.

Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Google's self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica (pictured) minivans. The companies said Chrysler engineers will work with Google to install sensors and software so the vans can drive themselves

Google says it will own the gas-electric hybrid vans, and it's not currently licensing autonomous car technology to Fiat Chrysler or anyone else.

Both companies are free to work with others as well.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The added vehicles are needed as Google increases real-world testing in four cities including Mountain View, California; Austin, Texas; Kirkland, Washington; and the Phoenix area.

Initially the vans will be tested by Google on its private test track in California, but eventually they'll make their way to public roads.

Currently Google's seven-year-old autonomous car project, which is now part of the so-called X lab at Alphabet' Mountain View-based parent company, has 21 Lexus (pictured) SUVs modified to drive autonomously, plus another 33 pod-like small cars.

The added vehicles are needed as Google increases real-world testing in four cities including Mountain View (HQ pictured), California; Austin, Texas; Kirkland, Washington; and the Phoenix area. Initially the vans will be tested by Google on its private test track in California, but eventually they'll make their way to public roads

It's the first time Google has worked directly with an auto company on installing self-driving sensors and computers.

TERMS OF THE DEAL Fiat Chrysler and Google will work together to more than double the size of Google's self-driving vehicle fleet by adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans. The companies announced the agreement on Tuesday, saying that Chrysler engineers would work with Google to install sensors and software so the vans can drive themselves. Google says it will own the gas-electric hybrid vans, and it's not currently licensing autonomous car technology to Fiat Chrysler or anyone else. Both companies are free to work with others as well. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 100 newly redesigned minivans would be 'uniquely built' for Google's self-driving technology, FCA said in a statement. Both companies will have engineers at a site near Detroit to work on the vans.

'The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer,' said John Krafcik, CEO of Google's project.

The agreement could give FCA an inside track to manufacturing vehicles for Google because its engineers would become experienced with what Google needs.

But neither company would comment on possible future deals.

Currently Google's seven-year-old autonomous car project, which is now part of the so-called X lab at Alphabet' Mountain View-based parent company, has 21 Lexus SUVs modified to drive autonomously, plus another 33 pod-like small cars.

Fiat Chrysler - which has lagged bigger, richer rivals like Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. in the development of self-driving cars - will welcome the chance to test Google's technology. The Italian-American automaker also has manufacturing expertise and factories that Google lacks.
The Latest: Deal also vetoes bill allowing weapons in church

ATLANTA (AP)  The Latest on legislation to allow anyone with a permit to carry concealed handguns on Georgia campuses (all times local):

6:30 p.m.

Georgia's Republican governor has rejected legislation permitting people to carry weapons inside churches without penalty.

It would have amended state law, which currently bans guns in churches, to say that people who carry weapons into church would not be in violation of the law as long as they leave the church when told to do so. The proposal is separate from another bill vetoed Tuesday permitting concealed handguns on college campuses.

Deal signed legislation two years ago expanding locations where weapons can be carried. That bill allowed guns in bars. Deal said this year's proposal "breaches a compromise" from that time. Houses of worship should be protected places free of weapons, he said.

Deal said the change would set a bad precedent, allowing ignorance of a law to become an excuse for breaking it.

5:45 p.m.

Georgia's House speaker says he's disappointed that Gov. Nathan Deal, a fellow Republican, has vetoed the "campus carry bill," allowing anyone with a permit to carry concealed handguns on Georgia campuses.

Speaker David Ralston called the legislation "sound and reasonable," and added that it was thoroughly debated.

He said Second Amendment rights are under attack and added, "Georgians should not be required to give up their constitutional rights when they set foot on a college campus."

Deal announced Tuesday that he was vetoing the bill.

Both supporters and opponents of the so-called "campus carry" bill had aggressively lobbied Deal.

___

5:30 p.m.

Gov. Nathan Deal has blocked a push to allow anyone with a permit to carry concealed handguns on Georgia campuses.

The Republican governor said Tuesday that he has vetoed the bill, which would have allowed anyone age 21 and over to carry a concealed handgun on campus with the proper permit. Deal had previously voiced his concern for on-campus daycare centers and dually-enrolled students when asking the legislature to reconsider the language of the bill.

Supporters of the bill view it as a way to make campuses safer, while opponents have cited costs for increased safety measures and the impact it would have on higher education.

Nine states have currently passed legislation allowing concealed handguns on campus, including: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

___

5:15 p.m.

Gov. Nathan Deal has blocked a push to allow anyone with a permit to carry concealed handguns on Georgia campuses.

The Republican governor said Tuesday that he will veto the bill, which would have allowed anyone age 21 and over to carry a concealed handgun on campus with the proper permit. Deal had previously voiced his concern for on-campus daycare centers and dually-enrolled students when asking the legislature to reconsider the language of the bill.

Supporters of the bill view it as a way to make campuses safer, while opponents have cited costs for increased safety measures and the impact it would have on higher education.

Nine states have currently passed legislation allowing concealed handguns on campus, including: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

___

3 a.m.

Georgia's governor must make a decision about legislation allowing concealed handguns on college campuses in the state.

Tuesday marks the deadline for Gov. Nathan Deal to either sign or veto the measure. He told reporters Monday that he won't simply allow it to become effective without his signature, which is permitted under Georgia law.

Deal, a Republican in his final term, wanted lawmakers to pass follow-up legislation limiting access to on-campus day care centers and other spaces. But the GOP-controlled legislature didn't respond, saying the original bill was carefully considered.

Both supporters and opponents of the so-called "campus carry" bill have aggressively lobbied Deal.
CASPER, Wyo.  Theres still more than a year until a total solar eclipse darkens Casper, but local leaders are getting closer to finding a coordinator for the citys festivities.

Months after deciding against hiring an outside firm to run the multi-day eclipse festival, Casper's City Council is set to vote Tuesday night to pay more than $36,000 to the Wyoming Eclipse Festival to hire an event coordinator. The nonprofit festival group is also receiving money from the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance ($37,000), the Downtown Development Authority ($7,000) and the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (a $50,000 commitment over three years).

Brook Kreder, the visitors bureau CEO, confirmed the figures this week. Sharing the hiring costs makes sense for the local groups supporting the festival, she said. The position will cost $101,516 over 16 months, according to city documents. Another $8,100 will cover other administrative costs.

"I think it's a more fiscally responsible way to go, where we're sharing costs," Kreder said.

At a news conference Monday, Kreder and Casper Mayor Daniel Sandoval touted Caspers strength as a tourist destination and cited recent data showing that the Oil City has become more popular in the Cowboy State. The event helped kick off national travel and tourism week.

While he doesn't see tourism overtaking energy as Wyoming's leading industry, Sandoval said that it could help stabilize the Cowboy State's economy. Sandoval also noted that events like the eclipse festival, if handled well, can help people appreciate Casper as a destination.

"It's going to take money to put on a good eclipse," Sandoval said.

The mayor also noted that Casper is still financially healthy during the downturn. The city will pay for its part of the eclipse festival using the general fund reserves from fiscal year 2016, according to city documents.

"I think we're going to be OK," Sandoval said. "And yes, there have been some purchases that made the City Council look like they were spending like drunken sailors, but that's just timing. It's comfortable to say that massive purchases are going to be not even considered for awhile."

Sandoval did not elaborate on the purchases. The city has bought property downtown recently in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood.

City Manager V.H. McDonald has said that the city could handle between 10,000 to 20,000 people attending the festival. Earlier this week, Kreder said that shes preparing for 20,000 people in town, with the idea that more people might come to Casper on Aug. 21 for the eclipse.

There were 44 applicants for the event coordinator, Kreder said, and the field has been whittled to five. Though Kreder said she didn't expect to ask for more money from the local groups, she also didn't close off the option.

"It's not my intention, but I've left the door open," she said.
San Francisco OKs settlement after deadly 2013 airport crash

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  San Francisco city leaders have approved a $3.45 million settlement from Asiana Airlines involving a fiery 2013 airport crash that killed three people and injured nearly 200 others.

The city attorney had called the proposed settlement the final chapter in the tragedy caused when Asiana Flight 214 clipped a seawall on an approach to San Francisco International Airport and burst into flames on the runway.

The vote Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors was unanimous and without comment.

File - In this July 12, 2013 file photo, a man looks at the wreckage of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco. The city's leaders have approved a $3.45 million settlement Tuesday, May 3, 2016, from Asiana Airlines involving a fiery 2013 airport crash that killed three people and injured nearly 200 others. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

About $1.2 million of the settlement will go toward the city's legal costs and another $1.6 million to the airport for damages stemming from the crash. The settlement also calls for Asiana to compensate San Francisco's aviation insurer.

Representatives of the South Korean airliner did not provide immediate comment.
Exit poll: Indiana GOP voters pick Trump, but party divided

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump called for GOP unity after his Indiana primary victory Tuesday night, but exit polls suggest he's facing a significant intraparty rift.

A majority of Indiana Republicans say they think their party has been divided by the battle fought by Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

In fact, half of those who voted for Cruz or Kasich on Tuesday night said they would not vote for Trump in the general election.

Voters wait to cast their ballot in the Indiana Primary at the Hamilton Co. Auto Auction, Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Noblesville, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

On the Democratic side, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by drawing support from men and younger voters. But Democrats are largely satisfied with either of their top candidates, according to exit polls conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research.

The findings from the exit polls also show that Trump can thank male voters for running up the score against Cruz, who dropped out of the presidential race after his Indiana defeat.

Other highlights from the exit polls:

___

GOP DIVIDED, DEMS OPTIMISTIC

Among all GOP voters, three-quarters say they would support Trump in November. But the results show Trump would be a tough sell for the remaining quarter of primary voters.

Half of non-Trump voters say they would be scared and another third would be concerned about Trump being president.

Overall, half of Republican voters say they feel betrayed by their own party leaders, but only a third agree with Trump's criticism that the GOP nomination process has been unfair.

On the Democratic side, more than 7 in 10 in the state say they've been energized by the nomination contest between Clinton and Sanders. And about 7 in 10 say they would be excited or at least optimistic about either a Clinton or Sanders presidency.

___

TRUMP'S BIG WIN

Trump ran up the score on Cruz with the help of men and his outsider appeal.

The billionaire won the support of Republican men by a more than 25-point margin over Cruz. Six in 10 male voters supported Trump, compared to only a third who voted for Cruz.

Six in 10 Indiana Republicans said they want the next president to be a political outsider, and those voters overwhelmingly supported Trump.

Trump also was supported by most GOP voters who say they're angry about the way the federal government is working.

Trump won nearly 6 in 10 voters over 45 and a similar percentage of those without a college degree.

Just over half of self-identified Republicans and independents voted for Trump, as did 6 in 10 Democrats voting in the Republican primary, who made up about 5 percent of GOP primary voters.

Trump's margin of victory was in the single digits among women and more educated voters.

___

BERNIE BROS

Most men supported Sanders, while women were about equally divided between him and Clinton. Two-thirds of voters under 45 voted for Sanders, while 6 in 10 of those 45 and over voted for Clinton.

Three-quarters of black voters supported Clinton, but they were far outnumbered by white voters, nearly 6 in 10 of whom supported Sanders. Nearly two-thirds of white voters without a college degree supported Sanders.

A majority of self-described Democrats supported Clinton, but 7 in 10 self-described independents supported Sanders. Six in 10 of those who said they are very liberal supported Sanders, while Clinton was supported by moderates.

Among Sanders voters, nearly half said they think he will win the nomination. Nearly all Clinton voters think she will. Still, voters consider Sanders more inspirational and honest, while they see Clinton as more realistic and electable.

___

ECONOMIC CONCERNS

Voters from both parties say the economy was weighing heavily on their minds as they headed to the polls.

More than 9 in 10 Republican primary voters and more than 8 in 10 Democratic primary voters are either very or somewhat worried about the economy.

Asked about some specific economic issues, more than 6 in 10 Democratic primary voters say Wall Street mostly hurts the economy. Nearly half say trade with other countries takes American jobs. Just under 4 in 10 say it creates jobs.

Six in 10 of those saying Wall Street hurts the economy voted for Sanders, as did 6 in 10 of those who are very worried about the economy.

___

The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research as voters left their polling places at 35 randomly selected sites in Indiana.

Results include interviews with 1,324 Democratic primary voters and 2,092 Republican primary voters. The results among all those voting in each contest have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

___

Follow Chad Day and Emily Swanson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/chadsday and http://twitter.com/EL_Swan
For Tilda Swinton, acting remains a mysterious 'habit'

NEW YORK (AP)  In a sleek, luxurious Manhattan hotel room, Tilda Swinton stands and announces that she's bound to break something. "If not you then me," she says cheerfully.

That the stark interior would, in even a brief stay, be in jeopardy from Swinton shouldn't be surprising. Few confines have ever been able to hold the shape-shifting, convention-bursting actress.

But to say she's a chameleon doesn't quite do justice to Swinton's myriad transformations: flickers of flesh that bend with the light or mood, alternatively illuminating her and retreating behind masks. She plays people perpetually in flux. Even "Tilda Swinton" is illusory.

This image released by Fox Searchlight shows Tilda Swinton, left, and Matthias Schoenaerts in a scene from "A Bigger Splash," in theaters on May 4. (Jack English/Fox Searchlight via AP)

"I simply do not buy that identity isn't fluid," she says. "I'm not sure that identity exists. For a long time, I noticed that the stories I was drawn to making were the stories of people who were caught in a concept of 'OK, that's me' and they came up against a wall and had to transform."

In Luca Guadagnino's "A Bigger Splash," which opens Friday, Swinton plays Marianne Lane, a rock star on the other side of a metamorphosis being pulled back to her prior self. She's resting her voice after surgery on her vocal chords on an idyllic getaway on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria with her brooding beau (Matthew Schoenaerts).

But her jaunty, hard-living producer and former flame Harry (Ralph Fiennes) turns up, along with his newly discovered daughter (Dakota Johnson). Like a film noir villain, Harry brings with him all her rollicking past, and the foursome settle in for a tense holiday. (The film is a riff on 1969's "La Piscine.")

(Following the recent interview, Swinton would become entangled in a controversy over her casting as the Ancient One in Marvel's "Doctor Strange." The character has traditionally been Tibetan but in the upcoming film will be Celtic.)

"A Bigger Splash" is Swinton's fourth film with Guadagnino, the Italian director of "I Am Love," a lush feast of a movie. Together, they've pursued what Swinton calls "sensational cinema" where you can almost taste the food or feel the sun on your skin.

It was Swinton's idea to make Marianne (a David Bowie-Chrissie Hynde hybrid on the stage) nearly mute, speaking only occasionally in a raspy voice. Mourning the loss of her mother at the time, Swinton was attracted to the silence. It would also submerge much of the film's dramatics below the surface, she reasoned.

"I like to be quiet and I also like listening," says Swinton. "I was able to kind of download what she was up to, which is basically listening to everybody else. And that's my preferred position in general."

The 55-year-old actress grants it's an ironic thing to say on a day where she is, with great eloquence, discussing herself and her work. It's a career that she considers accidental and, happily, a mystery.

The daughter of a highly decorated military family in Scotland, Swinton initially studied literature at Cambridge and still considers herself foremost a writer. Her induction into cinema came largely from the experimental filmmaker Derek Jarman, who died in 1994.

Sally Potter's "Orlando," in which Swinton played the long-living poet who changes sexes in midlife, was a fittingly androgynous, gender-defying breakout. As a mother, she drew raves for "The Deep End" and "The War Zone." An Oscar for her icy corporate lawyer in 2007's "Michael Clayton" followed.

It's the resume of a world-class actress, and yet she doesn't identify as one.

"I'm never really that interested in acting, to be honest with you," says Swinton. "I can quite understand it must sound crazy, given that I've been doing this for 30 years. What I need is this feeling of not knowing what I'm doing. Genuinely this feeling of beginner's mind, constantly."

Her malleability is enabled by an open-mindedness that doesn't even accept that this is what she does. She acknowledges thinking this way may be a conceit or a lucky charm. "But anyway it's working," she says. "It's keeping me interested."

"I'm just sort of unfolding things. Just constantly unfolding things with no pressure," says Swinton. "I'm not exactly professional. In a way I have no plans. And I like that. I'm a kind of wanderer."

Instead, she sees her acting as a series of friendships with collaborators: "the foundation stones of my house," she calls them. They include Guadagnino, Jim Jarmusch (a book-obsessed vampire in "Only Lovers Left Alive"), Bong Joon-Ho (a dictator's ruthless spokeswoman in "Snowpiercer"), Wes Anderson (unrecognizable as an elderly aristocrat in "The Grand Budapest Hotel").

The directors, too, are collectively infatuated. Jarmusch has called her "one of the most amazing creatures I have ever met." Anderson: "I was immediately captivated." Guadagnino: "I am home with her."

For Swinton, breaking the mold of identity isn't just a way to perform, but a way of life.

"Life is just a series of choices, and the gamut's pretty wide," says Swinton. "People can make all the choices they can see in 360 vision. Constantly these opportunities are there for us. We just have to know to take advantage of it. That's what I feel about identity. That's the thing that keeps me falling into the habit of performing."

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
PM sets out new powers to crack down on extremists

David Cameron is to reveal tough new laws to clamp down on extremists as details emerged about covert propaganda schemes to combat the lure of Islamic State in the UK.

The Prime Minister will announce new powers to ban organisations, gag individuals and close down premises used to "promote hatred", in measures to be included in an Extremism Bill in the Queen's Speech on May 18, The Times said.

Meanwhile the Home Office defended the work of the Research, Information and Communications Unit (Ricu), challenging the "warped ideology" of IS, also known as Daesh, which included activities carried out in secret away from "the media glare".

The Prime Minister is to reveal tough laws to clamp down on extremists

Downing Street refused to comment on the Extremism Bill, but The Times said it would extend vetting rules so employers will be told of known extremists to prevent them from working with children and other vulnerable groups or from carrying out roles in "sensitive areas".

There are also plans to extend Ofcom's powers to suspend broadcasts deemed to include "unacceptable extremist material".

The newspaper also said Home Secretary Theresa May would shortly launch an independent review of how Sharia courts operated in Britain.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We cannot comment on what may or may not be in the Queen's Speech."

The Guardian revealed details of some of the work carried out by Ricu to steer people away from radicalisation.

The organisation often conceal's the Government's role, the newspaper said, leading to claims it was "deeply deceptive".

One initiative, which portrays itself as a campaign providing advice on how to raise funds for Syrian refugees, has had face-to-face conversations with thousands of students at university freshers' fairs without any of them realising they were engaging with a government programme, the Guardian said.

The Help for Syria campaign has distributed leaflets to 760,000 homes without the recipients realising they were government communications.

Much of the work has been outsourced to a communications company, Breakthrough Media Network, which produced websites, leaflets and social media content with titles such as The Truth about Isis (IS).

The Home Office said Ricu's work could involve "sensitive issues" and some of the organisations it worked with did not want to publicly reveal the relationship with the Government.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: " The battle against terrorism and extremism must be fought on several fronts including countering its twisted narrative online and in our communities. The need for this work is recognised at a national and international level.

"As the Prime Minister has said, we face a generational challenge and it is vital we work in partnership with communities, civil society groups and individuals to confront extremism in all its forms. This has been a key part of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy since publication of the Prevent review in 2011.

"We are very proud of the support Ricu has provided to organisations working on the front line to challenge the warped ideology of groups such as Daesh, and to protect communities.

"This work can involve sensitive issues, vulnerable communities and hard to reach audiences and it has been important to build relationships out of the media glare. We respect the bravery of individuals and organisations who choose to speak out against violence and extremism and it is right that we support, empower and protect them.

"Our guiding principle has to be whether or not any organisation we work with is itself happy to talk publicly about what they do. At the same time we are as open as possible about Ricu's operating model, and have referenced the role of Ricu in a number of publications and in Parliament."

Ricu was set up as a cross-government initiative in 2007 as part of the response to the July 7 terror attacks in 2005, and works by bringing together civil society groups, spin doctors and industry experts.

In the 2011 review of the counter-extremism Prevent strategy the Government identified a need to produce "sharper and more professional counter-narrative products" and to "engage a wider range of credible civil society partners".

At the launch of the counter-extremism strategy in October 2015 Mr Cameron said: "We will actively support mainstream voices, especially in our faith communities and in civil society. That means supporting all those who want to fight extremism, but are too often disempowered or drowned out in the debate."

Critics of Ricu's work warned it could cause serious damage to relations with Muslim communities.

Human rights layer Imran Khan told the Guardian: "If the Government wants its Muslim citizens to listen to it, it needs to be trusted. And to be trusted, it needs to be honest. What is happening here is not honest, it's deeply deceptive.

"Furthermore, this Government needs to stop thinking of young British Muslims as some sort of fifth column that it needs to deal with."

The reports about the work to counter extremism in the UK came as it emerged IS in Syria had been secretly colluding at times with Bashar Assad's regime.

IS files leaked to Sky News suggest one piece of co-operation was over the ancient city of Palmyra.

The documents also indicated that IS has been training foreign fighters to attack Western targets for much longer than security services had suspected.
Banksy's Dismaland theme park gets South Bank Sky Arts Award nomination

Banksy celebrates 25 years of street art with a South Bank Sky Arts Award nomination for Dismaland.

The elusive Bristol graffiti artist has been recognised in the visual art category and will compete against Cornelia Parker for Magna Carta (An Embroidery) at The British Library and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Verses After Dusk at the Serpentine Gallery.

Dismaland opened at a derelict seaside lido at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset in August.

Banksy's Dismaland proved a box office hit

Despite its creator Banksy branding it as "crap", Dismaland sold out every day of its five-week run.

The controversial attraction featured migrant boats, Jimmy Savile and an anarchist training camp.

Dismaland was dismantled and sent to Calais to be shelter for migrants.

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the South Bank Sky Arts Awards honours the very best of British culture and achievement.

This year's ceremony, hosted by Lord Melvyn Bragg, will be held at London's Savoy Hotel on June 5 and broadcast on Sky Arts.

Among the nominations highlights, the TV adaptation of Wolf Hall consolidates the success of novelist Hilary Mantel's previous South Bank Sky Arts Awards win in 2013 for Bring Up The Bodies.

The BBC Two historical epic, which starred Oscar-winner Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell to Damian Lewis' Henry VIII, is up against Suranne Jones' BBC One drama Doctor Foster and Channel 4's acclaimed Humans starring Gemma Chan.

In a first for the awards, two nominees of the previously announced The Times Breakthrough Award have also been nominated for a South Bank Sky Arts Award in their respective categories.

Michaela Coel's E4 sitcom Chewing Gum has received a nod in the comedy category, while virtuoso clarinettist Mark Simpson is nominated for The Immortal in the classical music category.

Londoner Coel will battle it out with acclaimed Channel 4 series Catastrophe and BBC One hit Peter Kay's Car Share.

Composer Simpson will vie for his award with Stephen Hough's International Piano Series: Debussy and Chopin, Royal Festival Hall and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra: Andris Nelsons' Farewell Concert, Symphony Hall.

In the film category, visual effects Oscar winner Ex Machina goes up against 45 Years, starring Academy Award-nominated actress Charlotte Rampling, and Oscar-nominated movie Brooklyn, with a cast headed by Saoirse Ronan.

The awards originated in 1997 in association with ITV's incarnation of The South Bank Show.

Lord Bragg has served as editor and host of the awards since their inception.

Talking about this year's nominations, he hailed "an extraordinary tapestry of talent."

"The South Bank Sky Arts Awards freeze-frame on a unique moment in British cultural history," Lord Bragg said.

"It's when 30 nominees in 10 categories across the arts, from opera to pop music, from comedy to theatre, meet to celebrate the best work being done by artists in this country across a wide range of ages and backgrounds."

The 76-year-old added: " This is the 20th of these annual awards and a ripple through the records shows an extraordinary tapestry of talent ever-changing, but always the same in its high quality."

Phil Edgar-Jones, director of Sky Arts, said: "We are very proud to be the TV home for The South Bank Show and the South Bank Sky Arts Awards - they are programmes and events that over the years have transcended TV to have a deeper cultural impact, forming a lasting and important record of the arts over the last 38 years.

"The awards themselves bring together probably the most inspiring room full of creative people it's possible to assemble and, for us, it's without doubt the most anticipated and exciting event of the Sky Arts year."
Roger Federer withdraws from Madrid Open with back problem

Roger Federer has pulled out of this week's Madrid Open with a back injury as his troubled season continues.

The 34-year-old told a press conference that he suffered the problem in practice on Saturday and described his withdrawal as a precaution.

Federer, who had a first-round bye in Madrid, is still hoping to play in next week's Masters series event in Rome, which is the final major tournament in the build-up to the French Open starting on May 22.

Roger Federer will not play in the Madrid Open because of a back injury

One of the hallmarks of the 17-time grand slam champion's longevity has been his ability to stay healthy but it has been a different story this year.

Federer needed surgery for the first time in his career in February after hurting his knee running a bath for his twin daughters.

That put him out of action for nearly two months, and his planned comeback at the Miami Open had to be postponed after he picked up a stomach bug.

Federer did return at the Monte-Carlo Masters last month, reaching the quarter-finals, where he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Back problems have been his one area of physical weakness but he described this latest recurrence as not as serious as the one that forced him to pull out of a scheduled final against Novak Djokovic at the ATP World Tour Finals in London in 2014.

Federer only decided to play in Madrid last week and the news is a blow to the tournament, which also lost Serena Williams to illness before the start.

Despite not playing, Federer may well return to world number two next week, with current incumbent Andy Murray defending the title he won with victory over Rafael Nadal 12 months ago.

Number 11 seed Milos Raonic advanced with a 7-6 (7/4) 6-1 victory over Thomasz Bellucci in one hour and 21 minutes, while number 16 seed Gilles Simon edged past Marcos Baghdatis 6-3 3-6 6-4.

Feliciano Lopez gained revenge for a loss last year to Leonardo Mayer after beating the Argentinian 7-6 (7/5) 4-6 6-4 and Richard Gasquet brushed aside qualifier Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1 7-6 (7/5).

Belgium's David Goffin was the first seed to crash out with the number 12 seed beaten 7-6 (7/4) 2-6 7-6 (9/7) by qualifier Lucas Pouille.
Bank of Mum and Dad propping up a quarter of 2016 mortgages

The "Bank of Mum and Dad" will help finance 25% of UK mortgage transactions this year, according to research.

Parents are set to lend their children 5 billion in order to help their children on to the property ladder.

If the lending power was of all these parents was combined, it would be a top 10 mortgage provider, the BBC said.

Parents will lend their children 5 billion to help their children get on the property ladder, research shows

Nigel Wilson, chief executive of financial services firm Legal & General, which carried out the research, said the data showed a number of issues, including house prices being "out of sync with wages".

The research estimated that the Bank of Mum and Dad will provide deposits for more than 300,000 mortgages.

The homes purchased will be worth 77 billion and the average contribution is 17,500 or 7% of the average purchase price, the BBC said.

But relying on parental support might soon be unsustainable as parents could be giving away more than they can afford.

Mr Wilson said that in London the funding method was reaching "tipping point" already as parental contributions made up more than 50% of the wealth (excluding property) of the average household in the capital.

He said: "The Bank of Mum and Dad plays a vital role in helping young people to take their early steps on to the housing ladder."

Not all young people have parents who can afford to help them and some who do still do not have enough to buy a place of their own, he said.
Madonna bares almost all on New York Met Gala red carpet

Madonna left little to the imagination as she arrived at the Met Gala in a lacy black dress exposing her buttocks and barely covering her breasts.

The Queen of Pop, 57, posed on the red carpet in the revealing outfit at one of fashion's biggest events of the year, dubbed the Oscars of the East Coast.

Beyonce also created a stir, attending the New York gala alone in a pink latex gown by Givenchy.

Madonna arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala in New York (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

She has faced rumours of marriage problems with her husband Jay Z following the release of her new album Lemonade, which contains lyrics about infidelity.

British actress Emma Watson donned a black and white bustier, trousers and train - and revealed she was actually wearing plastic bottles.

Watson's statement ensemble, created in collaboration with Calvin Klein and Eco Age, was crafted from yarns made from recycled plastic bottles, as well as organic cotton and silk.

She told her 32.8 million Facebook followers: " Plastic is one of the biggest pollutants on the planet. Being able to repurpose this waste and incorporate it into my gown for the #MetGala proves the power that creativity, technology and fashion can have by working together."

The event celebrates the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibit, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which provided the gala's theme of the convergence of man and machine.

Rapper Kanye West attended in ripped jeans and a sequinned jacket, completing his look with blue contact lenses.

He struck a casual look next to his wife, reality star Kim Kardashian, who wore a floor-length silver gown split to the top of her thigh.

West wrote on Twitter: "thank you Olivier for making 4 dresses for Kim to choose from which we chopped 2 in half. and thank you for turning my personal jean jacket into a couture piece ... We just had fun with the "future" theme !!!"

Idris Elba led the British talent on the red carpet as one of the gala's hosts, and had some fashion tips for men getting ready for the event.

"Take your time," he told reporters. "Make sure your shirt's down and the whites of the cuffs are out."

Also attending - and following Elba's advice - was The Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston, who went for a classic white tie look.

Former One Direction star Zayn Malik arrived wearing armoured sleeves over his suit as he accompanied his girlfriend, model Gigi Hadid, who wore a sequinned dress with a semi-transparent skirt.

The celebrity duo went all out for their red carpet debut as a couple as they co-ordinated their metallic outfits.

Taylor Swift, another of the gala's co-hosts, embraced the event's theme with a short silver-sequinned Louis Vuitton gown with high black gladiator sandals.

Her close friend Lorde arrived on the red carpet sporting a plaster cast on her left arm.

The New Zealand-born pop star wore a tiered tulle dress in pastel colours, with a low-cut bodice. She did not reveal how she had been injured.

Lorde was joined by fellow pop stars Lady Gaga, who wore a ribbed bodysuit from Versace, and Katy Perry, who donned a black velvet Prada gown.

British musician FKA Twigs wore a jewelled headpiece linked to her nose ring as she was joined by her boyfriend, actor Robert Pattinson, who wore a white tuxedo jacket.

Pop star and TV talent show judge Rita Ora took flight on the red carpet in a feathered silver gown.

The dress, with cut-outs across her torso and legs, flared dramatically to form a peacock-style train.

Star Wars actress Lupita Nyong'o turned heads with a towering hairdo, drawing the focus upwards from a sequinned green dress.

Bond star Naomie Harris wore a Burberry dress for the event, bucking the sequin trend in favour of detailed embroidery and heavy fabric, while British supermodel Naomi Campbell wore a black dress with silver beading.

Tickets for the invitation-only event reportedly cost 30,000 dollars each (20,500) or up to 275,000 dollars (188,000) for a table, with the money raised going to the museum's costume institute.

Met Gala chairwoman, Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, had the final say over the guest list of around 600 people and arrived at the gala with her daughter, Bee Shaffer.

Riccardo Tisci with Madonna, who left little to the imagination as she arrived at the Met Gala in a lacy black dress. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Emma Watson donned a black and white bustier, trousers and train - and revealed she was actually wearing plastic bottles. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Emma Watson's statement ensemble, created in collaboration with Calvin Klein and Eco Age, was crafted from yarns made from recycled plastic bottles, as well as organic cotton and silk.( Evan Agostini/Invision/AP))

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who attended in ripped jeans and a sequinned jacket, completing his look with blue contact lenses. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Kim Kardashian wore a floor-length silver gown split to the top of her thigh. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid in metallic mood (Invision/AP)

Taylor Swift arrives at the New York event, which celebrates the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibit, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Beyonce also created a stir, attending the New York gala alone in a pink latex gown by Givenchy. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Solange Knowles arrives at the gala in New York (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Activists halt operations at UK's largest open-cast mine

Protesters say they have halted work at Britain's biggest open-cast coal mine following a demonstration involving hundreds of people.

The activists used their bodies to form a "massive red line" at Ffos-y-fran, near Merthyr Tydil, South Wales, on Tuesday morning.

The demonstration has been organised by climate action group Reclaim the Power, which says fossils fuels should remain in the ground.

Protesters halt work at the open-cast coal mine (Reclaim the Power)

Spokeswoman Hannah Smith said: "Continuing to dig up coal is a red line for the climate that we won't allow governments and corporations to cross.

"We are taking action in solidarity with the local community who have been battling Ffos-y-fran for nearly a decade, and now face the threat of a new mine next door.

"Wales deserves a transition away from dirty coal, and the creation of sustainable employment in an economy that respects our planet and its inhabitants, now and in the future.

"With Wales going to the polls this Thursday and the climate crisis more urgent than ever, our action sends a bold signal that we must end coal now."

Fros-y-fran has coal reserves of 11 million tonnes and its owner Miller Argent says it supports 230 local jobs and helps make electricity bills cheaper.

Last year, Caerphilly Council rejected the firm's application for a new 478-hectare open-cast mine at Nant Llesg, near Rhymney.
Coalition air strikes have helped reduce Islamic State forces in Syria and Iraq to their lowest levels for two years, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has told Cabinet.

Around 600 fighters with the terror group have been killed over the past month, bringing the total deaths to around 25,000, said Downing Street.

Mr Fallon briefed Cabinet at its regular meeting in Number 10 ahead of a conference later this week of countries contributing to the military effort against IS - also known as Daesh. He also discussed measures being undertaken to prevent IS establishing footholds in other areas, particularly north Africa.

RAF strikes have put Daesh on the back foot

IS has suffered major setbacks over the past months in Syria at the hands of government forces and US-backed Kurdish fighters including the loss of the historic city of Palmyra.

The self-declared caliphate has also suffered financially from coalition strikes on the oil facilities which provide much of its income and has lost territory in Iraq to the forces of the Baghdad government.

Following the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokeswoman said: "We have now seen more than 25,000 Daesh fighters killed, over 600 in the last month or so. The number of Daesh fighters is estimated to be at its lowest for about two years.

"We are playing a vital role in terms of the coalition air strikes, we are the second largest contributor behind the US.

"We've seen the Iraqi forces managing to clear Daesh out of the town of Hit in recent works.

"We are working with Kurdish and other partners liberating key areas of Syria and also managing to cut off the main route between Raqqa and Mosul."
After a trip to a North Dakota coal mine Tuesday, an U.S. Interior Department official agreed to take more of the states concerns into consideration when enacting federal regulation.

Along with North Dakotas congressional delegation, Janice Schneider, the federal agency's assistant secretary for land and minerals management, toured the Coteau Properties Freedom Mine near Beulah to hear how the agencys proposed Stream Protection Rule would affect miners in the state.

The office of Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the delegation wanted Schneider to see how streams might form in the spring and then dry up during the summer. She was escorted to a yet unmined portion of the property where groundwater was coming out of a side hill and flowing in a seasonal stream before returning underground.

So theres no stream, stream, no stream, stream, said David Straley, a spokesman for the mines parent company, North American Coal.

Straley said under the rule as written, North American would be prevented from mining the coal in that area. The inclusion of these intermittent streams and waterways that permeate the Prairie Pothole region in the proposed rule is that causes the industry concern.

This would take more than 600 million tons of otherwise minable coal in the state off the table, according to the Lignite Energy Council. It could lead to $50 million a year in compliance costs related to additional monitoring and data collection, as well as further box cuts needed to mine around areas.

When the proposed rule was introduced, industry was allowed 60 days to review and make comment on the 2,000-page document. Straley said they made initial comments but, as they continued to review the rule, they found more impacts. As a result of her visit, Schneider has agreed to accept those additional comments.

We think shes pretty serious about it,"" Straley said. "Were hopeful.

When it comes to returning the land to its original state once mining is completed, Straley said the proposed rule would also prevent North American from putting what was previously agricultural land back to agricultural use.

For example, portions of the rule would require what started as a 25-foot seasonal stream to be put back as a 225-foot stream. Tree brush and rootballs would have to be pushed back into waterways.

Most farmers farm through those things, Straley said.

The congressional delegation said the problem stems from the agency trying to apply rules for Appalachian coal mining to all coal mining.

The rule was initially intended to address issues with Appalachian mining practices, but shows little understanding of the mining practices of the lignite industry or the geography of North Dakota, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said in a statement.

In North Dakota, we already have a pretty rigorous process for reclamation, said Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who used to oversee coal mine reclamation during his time on the North Dakota Public Service Commission. We were stewards of this land long before the Obama administration came.  Weve won awards for reclamation.

Buying time, the North Dakota delegation helped to include language in 2014 and 2016 federal spending bills to halt the rule for a year at a time, requiring the agency to consult each state on the proposal. They have vowed to do this again in 2017 if concerns arent addressed.

The lawmakers also said they will push the agency to remain engaged with the coal industry and state regulators, and Tuesday was the beginning of that dialogue.

We are pleased Secretary Schneider accepted additional comments on the proposed Stream Protection Rule after a days worth of discussion and tour of coal mining reclamation at the Freedom Mine. The opportunity for additional input is vital to the formation of the final rule, and we hope they will seriously consider reopening the public comment period, Joe Friedlander, director of regulatory affairs for North American Coal, said in a prepared statement.

Schneider told industry that the proposed rule is expected to be finalized in the coming months. Straley expects it will be two to four months from now.
Policeman warned he faces 'substantial' prison term over hoax 999 terror call

A policeman who sparked a major terror alert by making a hoax 999 call to his own force has been warned to expect a "substantial" prison term.

Pc Amar Tasaddiq Hussain, 29, appeared unmoved in the dock as a jury convicted him of two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

A three-week trial at Stafford Crown Court was told Pc Hussain's actions prompted West Midlands Police to take unprecedented security measures to combat a supposed plot to kidnap a Muslim officer.

Pc Amar Tasaddiq Hussain outside Stafford Crown Court

The trial also ended with the conviction of two men from Birmingham - Adil Bashir, 26, and 31-year-old Muhammad Ali Sheikh - on the same charges.

Adjourning sentence until later this month, the Recorder of Stafford, Judge Michael Chambers QC, told all three defendants: "Clearly, substantial sentences of imprisonment are inevitably going to follow."

Jurors, who returned unanimous guilty verdicts after deliberating over three days, were told Pc Hussain hoped his bogus tip-off would discredit an official within an Islamic community group.

The malicious 999 call in December 2014 - passing on details of the "kidnap" plot - followed two other anonymous calls alleging that a sham marriage was taking place in Birmingham.

At the start of the trial, prosecutor Simon Davis claimed the call alleging a terrorist plot was an attempt by Pc Hussain to discredit a fellow member of Dawat-e-Islami, a faith group which held peaceful gatherings in the West Midlands.

The bogus allegation that a kidnapping was imminent led to a man being arrested by counter-terrorism police at a tyre business in Walsall.

But it soon became obvious to police that the claims made against the innocent party were malicious.

All three defendants were remanded in custody until sentencing on May 27.

Addressing the court after the guilty verdicts, Judge Chambers said: "I am going to direct that pre-sentence reports are prepared.

"These were extremely serious offences and in your case, Hussain, represent a vast breach of trust."

In a statement issued after the convictions, the West Midlands force said its inquiries showed all three defendants were intent on undermining colleagues within the Islamic group.

Pc Hussain, based at the Birmingham West and Central local policing unit, was suspended after his arrest in September last year.

Commenting on the offences, Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale said: "Hussain has not only let down West Midlands Police, he has also let down the peaceful organisation, non-political organisation that he was part of.

"The impact of the threat had a huge effect on officers and staff and in turn on their loved ones.

"Never before have we had to instruct officers and staff to call in after their tour of duty to let us know they had returned home safely."

Mr Beale added: "West Midlands Police expects the highest standards of those who work in the organisation and the vast majority of officers and staff uphold these high standards.
Hopes fade for survivors in Kenyan building collapse - Red Cross

By Humphrey Malalo

NAIROBI, May 2 (Reuters) - Aid workers said hopes were fading of finding more survivors in the rubble of a collapsed building in Kenya's capital on Monday, as the death toll reached 21.

Police said they were questioning the owner of the six-storey residential block that collapsed late on Friday after days of heavy rain and floods, but no one had been charged.

Residents and rescue workers have been sifting through piles of broken concrete at the site in the eastern Huruma suburb ever since, rescuing 135 people, according to the latest police figures.

But conditions were getting more challenging, Kenya Red Cross told Reuters.

"In conditions of no air, dirt, no food, no water, it's very difficult for that person to stay alive," Red Cross official Anthony Mwangi said.

Authorities had condemned the 198-room building and there has been no official explanation of why it remained occupied.
U.S. says Iraq's PM in "strong position" amid political unrest

By Phil Stewart

STUTTGART, Germany, May 2 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is in a strong position despite political unrest in Iraq, thanks in part to battlefield successes and his commitment to a multi-sectarian state, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday.

"He seems to be in a very strong position. Obviously we support him strongly because of what he stands for," Carter told reporters traveling with him shortly before landing in Germany.

Carter's full-throated backing of Abadi, one of his most forceful to date, follows months of intense Iraqi political wrangling that has put the country on edge.

Abadi has attempted to replace party-affiliated ministers with technocrats as part of an anti-corruption drive. A divided parliament has failed to approve the proposal amid scuffles and protests.

"Prime Minister Abadi stands for and has been a partner in all of the things that are important to Iraq's future, namely a country that holds together and doesn't just spiral off into sectarianism," Carter said.

Corruption became a major issue after global oil prices collapsed two years ago, shrinking the state budget at a time when it needed additional income to wage war against Islamic State.

"That's why it's so important for the international community to help and support the Iraqi government at this time," Carter said, ahead of talks in Europe this week with allies in the campaign against Islamic State.

The militants have been retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the army took the nearby region of Hit, pushing them further north along the Euphrates valley.

The United States is leading a coalition effort to help Iraq drive back the group. But U.S. officials acknowledge that military gains, including Iraq's recapture of the city of Ramadi and Hit, are not enough.

Experts point with anxiety to Iraq's unrelenting political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shiite Muslim-led government's fitful efforts to reconcile with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support.
India's coal efficiency drive risks ire of powerful unions

By Krishna N. Das

NEW DELHI, May 3 (Reuters) - Plans by India's coal monopoly to buy billions of dollars of new machinery and outsource work are facing resistance from powerful unions worried about job losses, in a potential blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to bring electricity to all.

State-run Coal India Ltd, the world's biggest coal miner, has already doubled output growth since Modi came to power two years ago, owing to the removal of hurdles to production like environmental clearances and land acquisition.

The increase turned coal shortages at India's power plants to oversupply, making it one of the administration's biggest successes.

The next phase of restructuring the notoriously inefficient behemoth is likely to be harder, however, and is crucial to the government's ambition to sell 10 percent of the $27 billion company to raise funds for further growth and investment.

New Delhi also wants to double annual output to 1 billion tonnes by 2019/20 to meet future demand, and to do that it must radically increase productivity.

Coal India's output-per-man shift is estimated at one-eighth of Peabody Energy Corp, the world's largest private coal producer that recently filed for bankruptcy protection.

Already, labour unions, with a history of hostility towards management, are pushing back on Coal India's plans, fearing modernization and outsourcing will hit jobs, said leaders of two unions that cover a majority of the company's 371,000 employees.

Strikes, sometimes every few months, have disrupted output, although under Modi the unions have been more cooperative.

"High-tech mining will mean fewer job opportunities for labourers and no job guarantee for existing employees," said Baij Nath Rai, president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which says it represents 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors.

"We strongly protest this, and have already taken up the issue with the government. They will not dare do anything if there is a strong protest."

The BMS's view is likely to carry extra weight, as it is loosely affiliated with the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the ideological parent of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

COAL INDIA UNIT SAYS OUTSOURCING WORKS

Rai said Piyush Goyal, minister for power, coal and renewable energy, had been trying to convince unions to play along with the reforms.

Early last year, the unions planned a strike to protest against moves to open up the coal sector to private firms and sell a 10 percent stake.

But they called off a five-day stoppage on its second day after Goyal formed a committee to look into their concerns so that they "do not have to go on strike again".

Coal India officials also say they constantly talk to workers on various issues, but union leaders, including BMS's Rai, said they would resist any move deemed "anti-labourer".

"The government is doing this slowly, so that there is not much protest all of a sudden," said D.D. Ramanandan of the All India Coal Workers Federation, which says it represents more than 100,000 Coal India employees and contractors.

"We have consistently opposed this policy and will sit together with all the unions to decide the future course of action," Ramanandan said.

Federal Coal Secretary Anil Swarup and several senior Coal India officials said the company planned to push ahead.

It wants to spend billions of dollars over the next few years, including around $1.3 billion this year, to buy equipment and expand mines, where workers often use shovels and picks to dig for coal underground, one of the officials said.

The company also plans to stop filling most vacancies arising from retirements over the next three years, and outsource more mining to private companies, the officials added.

"Outsourcing helps in more ways than one," Swarup told Reuters. "If they bring in efficient technology, because they are paid for that, it will make the people in Coal India understand they too can become more efficient."

The government's production and productivity plans have drawn support from the London-based World Coal Association, a trade group of coal producers and mining equipment makers.

Coal India's equipment orders, some already placed, are a bright spot for machinery makers such as U.S. firm Caterpillar , Japan's Komatsu and India's Larsen & Toubro , at a time when most miners are scaling back production amid a global supply glut.

Coal India unit Mahanadi Coalfields pioneered outsourcing of mining work a few years ago and is now the company's biggest producer and fastest growing unit.

Deepak Srivastava, Mahanadi's chief vigilance officer, said around 90 percent of the unit's mining work is done by contractors who have performed better than in-house miners.

The ratio is much lower for other Coal India units but will increase, he added.

Swarup, who has overseen an overhaul of Coal India's anti-theft and monitoring systems this year, said he hoped the push for efficiency and extensive use of machines would help attract investors if the government were to sell a stake.
Brazil's Meirelles says must reverse debt trajectory

BRASILIA, May 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's former central bank chief Henrique Meirelles, a likely finance minister if Vice President Michel Temer becomes president, said on Monday it is necessary to reverse the trajectory of the country's rising public debt.

Speaking to journalists after meeting with Temer, Meirelles said the two had not discussed specific measures for the economy as a Senate vote on whether to start a trial that could oust President Dilma Rousseff has not yet occurred.

The vote is expected later this month after the lower house of Congress voted overwhelmingly to impeach Rousseff for breaking budget laws, an outcome also inspired by Brazil's economic woes and a massive corruption scandal.

Meirelles said he gave Temer his evaluation of the economy, now mired in what is likely Brazil's worst recession in a century. He called for concessions for infrastructure projects and for making it easier to do business.

Temer has said former BankBoston executive Meirelles, who was central bank chief from 2003 to 2011, would be his pick as finance minister of Latin America's largest economy.

Brazil's net public debt stands at 38.9 percent of gross domestic product, and Meirelles has warned if no measures are taken it could approach 2002 levels of around 60 percent.

In ending the increase in debt, Meirelles said, "There would be a clear reversal of confidence that would lead to increased investment and therefore job creation, higher consumption and a resumption of lending."

Asked about a possible government spending cap, he said, "A legal, constitutional control of spending is an interesting alternative that will certainly be contemplated."

Left-leaning Rousseff on Sunday vowed to raise spending on her party's signature anti-poverty program in an appeal to her political base, warning that her opponents would slash social expenditure if she is stripped of office.
Oil price maker Jorge Montepeque joins Italy's energy major Eni

SINGAPORE, May 3 (Reuters) - Jorge Montepeque, credited with inventing the modern system of setting world oil prices, is joining the trading arm of Italian energy major Eni as Senior Vice President for Origination in London.

Eni Trading and Shipping deals in oil, refined products, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), power, and emissions certificates. It also handles the company's shipping.

A company spokesman confirmed the appointment. Montepeque was not immediately available for comment.

"He will support Eni by leveraging on his market knowledge and broad contacts, focusing on connecting with our customers around the world," a source familiar with the matter said.

Montepeque left commodity price reporting agency Platts last year, where he had been head of market reporting since 2002.

Platts, part of McGraw Hill Financials Inc, and smaller rivals like privately held Argus Media and ICIS, a unit of Reed Elsevier, provides prices for opaque over-the-counter commodities markets.

Montepeque has been widely credited for creating Platts' market-on-close (MOC) pricing mechanism, better known simply as "the window", on which billions of dollars of oil sales, futures and other derivatives are priced every day, and which has become the dominant oil price mechanism.

After leaving Platts, Montepeque became critical of the MoC, arguing that the system was outdated and required renewal.
Oil prices dip on rising Middle East supply

By Henning Gloystein

SINGAPORE, May 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped in early Asian trading on Tuesday on signs that production in the Middle East is continuing to rise, countering falls in U.S. output and threatening to keep a global supply overhang in place for longer.

The international Brent crude benchmark was trading at $45.68 per barrel at 0100 GMT, down 15 cents from its last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 6 cents at $44.72 a barrel.

The dips came as Iraq, the second biggest exporter within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was the latest OPEC-member to announce its exports were rising, reporting oil shipments from southern fields at an average rate of 3.364 million barrels per day (bpd) in April.

That was higher than the March average of 3.286 million and close to its November record of 3.37 million bpd.

"Energy was weaker. Concerns over rising OPEC supply were raised after Iraq announced it had shipped 3.36 million bpd in April," ANZ bank said on Tuesday.

Production in OPEC's biggest exporter, Saudi Arabia, was 10.15 million bpd in April, but sources have said it may rise to near-records of 10.5 million bpd in coming weeks.

Adding to surging Middle East output is Iran which, relieved of crippling sanctions in January, has increased its exports to almost 2 million bpd currently from little over 1 million bpd at the start of the year, with sales especially to South Korea soaring.

The surging supplies from the Middle East counter falling U.S. output, where production has declined from a peak of around 9.6 million bpd in June 2015, to below 9 million bpd now, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.

"It was the falling U.S. production that helped lift prices earlier this year, so if a surge in Middle East output now counters the U.S. decline, then we could well be in for another downward correction in oil markets," one trader said.

Crude futures surged by almost a third in April, and they have recovered over 70 percent from decade lows reached in early 2016.
N.Korea capital gears up for congress; South fears nuclear test

SEOUL, May 3 (Reuters) - North Korea has started welcoming delegates from around the country to its first ruling party congress in 36 years, state media reported on Tuesday, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the event.

The isolated North has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers' Party congress starting in Pyongyang on Friday.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful test this week as a crowning achievement. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress.

"North Korea's goal is to be internationally recognised as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing."

At the congress, which foreign media organisations have been invited to cover, Kim is expected to declare his country a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his "byongjin" policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability.

It follows Kim's father's Songun, or "military first," policy and his grandfather's Juche, the North's home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism.

Pyongyang citizens "fervently welcomed participants of the congress who have given all their patriotic passion ... as a new generation of true warriors of Juche revolution under the leadership of dear comrade Kim Jong Un," North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Tuesday.

Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress.

The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance.

The party congress is the first since 1980, before the 33-year-old Kim was born. His father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, never held one.

While some past party congresses featured representatives from countries the North has ties with, South Korean officials have said they were not aware of invitations sent to official foreign guests for the upcoming event.

North Korea has become increasingly isolated over its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and was hit with tightened U.N. Security Council sanctions in March that were backed by its chief ally, China, in response to a January nuclear test.

Pyongyang has conducted a flurry of missile and other weapons tests in the run-up to the congress, although not all have been successful. It made three attempts last month of what was believed to be its intermediate-range Musudan missile, all of which failed, according to U.S. and South Korean officials.

The congress is expected to last four or five days, South Korean government officials and experts said. Kim may decide to take on the post of party General Secretary, a position held by his late father, elevating himself from first secretary.
Bribery for services rampant in Mideast, North Africa, research finds

By Ellen Wulfhorst

NEW YORK, May 3 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Roughly one in three people in the Middle East and North Africa has recently paid bribes to public officials and for services such as medical care and electricity, and most people say corruption is growing, a watchdog group said on Tuesday.

Only a fifth of people who paid a bribe reported the incident, and twice as many said they suffered retaliation when they did report corruption, according to Transparency International.

Bribery is common in obtaining public services, in the court systems and among police in the region, research by the Berlin-based anti-corruption group found.

People reported paying bribes as well for medical services, identity documents, permits, electricity and water, it said.

Transparency International interviewed nearly 11,000 adults from September 2014 to November 2015, in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen.

Nearly one in three people said they had paid a bribe for public services in the 12 months prior to the survey - amounting to about 50 million people, it said.

The bribery rate was highest in Yemen, where four out of five people reported paying a bribe for public services.

The study said while dissatisfaction with corrupt leadership has helped fuel political change in the region, especially the Arab Spring protests that began in 2010, corruption persists.

Two-thirds of people perceive corruption to have risen in the 12 months prior to the survey, particularly among government officials, tax officials and judges, it said.

"The extent of the bribery reported in our survey is a major cause for concern, as widespread corruption is linked to governmental institutions that are inefficient and distrusted," the study said. "Corruption also leads to an unfair distribution of services and undermines law and order."

Despite the findings, across the Middle East and North Africa, slightly more than half the people said they think ordinary citizens could make a difference by reporting corruption and refusing to pay bribes, the study said.

Residents of Tunisia were most optimistic and residents of Lebanon least so, it said.

Yet a third of people overall said they feared retaliation if they reported corruption.

All of the governments except Sudan were rated badly at fighting corruption by a majority of citizens, the research said. The question was not asked in Sudan due to recent elections, it said.

Transparency International called upon governments to prosecute corruption, allow for freedom of the press, establish independent anti-corruption commissions, make officials disclose holdings, enact codes of conduct and protect whistleblowers.

"Only if governments in the region are ready to make a fundamental shift in their mindset to allow for meaningful participation by citizens and civil society in public life, and stop using repression or intimidation against them, will the fight against corruption stand a chance," the study said.

Overall, Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia got the most positive ratings, while Algeria, Morocco, Sudan and Palestine fell in the middle, and Lebanon and Yemen got the worst ratings, it said.
China stocks rise, led by consumer shares; Hong Kong down

SHANGHAI, May 3 (Reuters) - China stocks rose more than 1 percent on Tuesday, as investors bet on improvements in corporate fundamentals, although thin trading after the holiday weekend suggests confidence remains fragile.

But Hong Kong shares lost around 1 percent, as Asian stocks erased earlier gains amid worries about the ability of global central banks to boost growth through aggressive policy easing.

China's blue-chip CSI300 index rose 1.8 percent, to 3,213.35 points by the lunch break, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.6 percent, to 2,985.41 points.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index dropped 1.1 percent, while the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index lost 1.4 percent.

Stock markets in China and Hong Kong were closed on Monday.

Chinese investors draw solace from the fact that the first-quarter performance of China-listed companies did not tumble as many had feared, while the economy has shown signs of stabilising.

Combined quarterly profits of 2,837 mainland-listed firms dipped only 0.45 percent, while 666 companies, including some struggling steelmakers, had forecast they would post earnings increases or turn to profit during the first half, the official China Securities Journal reported on Tuesday.

"Investors are now betting that government stimulus can feed into companies' second-quarter profit," said Zeng Yan, analyst at Zhongtai Securities.

The improvements may last until the second quarter, but profits could drop after that with no further stimulus, he said, adding that overriding worries about sustainability of the economic recovery was keeping trading volumes thin.

Surveys on economic activity underlined such concerns.

A private survey showed on Tuesday that activity at China's factories shrank for the 14th straight month in April as demand stagnated, forcing companies to shed jobs at a faster pace.

Activity in China's manufacturing sector expanded for the second month in a row in April but only marginally, an official survey showed on Sunday.

Stocks rose across the board on Tuesday, with consumer and IT stocks leading the charge.

Chinese alcohol makers led the consumer staples index up about 4 percent to its highest level since early January, with prices of Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd, Shanxi Fenjiu and Kouzi Distillery surging.
The area outside the Governors Office will fill with song and prayer at noon Thursday as voices from North Dakotas National Day of Prayer celebration permeate the open hall.

It is significant we are able to have this event at the Memorial Hall at the state Capitol, said Secretary of State Al Jaeger. We have the freedom to pray at a government building.

Jaeger will lead a prayer for government at the event and will be joined by others offering prayers for education, business, military, family, media and the church.

National Day of Prayer events are held in all 50 states the first Thursday of May. This years theme is Wake Up America.

A house divided against itself cannot stand, said the Rev. Larry Jahnke, an organizer of the event at the Capitol in Bismarck, in a nod to Abraham Lincoln. We want to pray God unifies America again.

In this presidential election year, no party alone can solve Americas problems, he said. And the name-calling from the candidates seeking the nations top office doesnt help.

We are looking for a president that is going to have character and integrity, values that are going to lead our country, Jahnke said. The system is broke. We need to call to God to intervene.

Jason Naas, a financial adviser with Edward Jones, will deliver the prayer for business. He said people often make the mistake of identifying themselves with where they work or what they do.

Im going to pray its not just a job and not just a career, but its a calling, he said.

A senior at Century High School will offer the prayer for family.

Kourtney Selensky was asked to participate in the National Day of Prayer after delivering a moving speech at a recent Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast. Her prayer will encourage families to support one another through times of struggle and triumph.

Whether its your Christian family, your school family, your work family or your personal family, those are the people you need to help along, she said. Whatever family youre a part of should be your focus.

The Rev. Scott Bauman of Charity Lutheran Church will carry on the theme of unity in his prayer for the church.

For so long churches have sought to, at times, work in competition with each other, he said. I think it is important that we come together in unity. We have one lord that we come together to worship, to cry out to. And hes the only one that can answer our prayer.
China stats bureau halts some commods data amid probe

By David Stanway and Chen Aizhu

BEIJING, May 3 (Reuters) - China has suspended the release of output data for several key commodities amid a crackdown on the illegal sale of state statistics by government officials, raising further concerns about transparency in the world's second-largest economy.

With Chinese economic growth at a 25-year low, the lack of such data makes it increasingly difficult for economists to gauge the strength of local demand as Beijing tries to avert a faster slowdown.

Key monthly output numbers for several oil and metal products over the first quarter have still not been published, and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has also failed to release regional data for products like coal, steel and electricity since the turn of the year.

Officially, the NBS only releases a few key commodities statistics through its website (http://www.stats.gov.cn), though more detailed numbers have been made available through unofficial channels, including third-party distributors and industry consultancies.

Most of those numbers have now dried up after China's corruption watchdog, the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection (CCDI), launched a probe into "disciplinary violations" at the NBS last October.

The bureau head, Wang Baoan, was removed from his post in late February after being put under formal investigation.

CCDI said last week that hundreds of staff working for the statistics bureau had been using official data for personal gain.

It said "individuals were not permitted to receive any royalties, editorial fees or labour fees" for the publication of NBS data, and 313 officials were now in the process of being indicted.

"Since the inspection team moved in to the statistical bureau, there were apparently some investigations into the various ways key economic data was distributed," said a researcher with a state-backed industry association.

"We are not getting them either," said the researcher, who did not want to be named.

Production numbers for gasoline, diesel and kerosene for the first three months of the year have now been released after long delays.

But other figures, including data supplied by the bureau to third-party agencies has not been made available since November 2015. The data still missing includes monthly production figures for base metals as well as oil products like liquefied petroleum gas, naphtha and fuel oil.

"It is crucial to help gauge oil demand from China, and this lack of transparency makes it harder to gauge the strength of the demand side," said Miswin Mahesh, analyst with Barclays Capital.

"It would mean that import data and ship tracking will have to pay a larger role, although it would still not be able to give a good estimate for local demand, given China is now also a net exporter of refined products," he added.

An official at the National Bureau of Statistics said the data releases had been "temporarily suspended", adding that it was likely that the amount of data made available to the public would be restricted.
Philips to sell at least 25 pct of lighting arm in IPO

By Toby Sterling

AMSTERDAM, May 3 (Reuters) - Philips plans to sell at least 25 percent of its lighting business, the world's largest maker of lights, on the stock market to focus on its larger medical equipment operations, it said on Tuesday.

Chief Executive Frans van Houten said it was an "historic" decision for the Dutch company, which began as a lighting company in 1891. Analysts have valued the unit at about 5 billion euros ($5.8 billion).

Philips dropped the word "electronics" from its name in 2013, and has gradually disposed of most of the consumer products it was once known for, though it retains its shaver and toothbrush operations under a "personal health" division.

It announced the decision to sell lighting in 2014, but the process has taken two years as the company divided up its extensive patent portfolio and weighed whether a listing or sale to a private equity firm would be better for shareholders.

Barclays analysts said in a note they feared the slow pace of the lighting spin off meant it would take longer to improve performance at Philips' remaining healthcare operations, which currently generate about two-thirds of group revenue.

Philips shares, which have traded in line with broader indexes during Van Houten's five-year reign, were down 1.7 percent at 23.5 euros in early trade.

Some analysts have said a separate Philips lighting business could tie-up with rival Osram as the two battle price pressures in LED lighting and the decline of traditional bulbs.

The remaining healthcare-dominated business has also been tipped as a possible target for General Electric.

Philips said it would sell a stake of at least 25 percent in an initial public offering (IPO) of its lighting arm on Euronext Amsterdam. The exact timing will depend on market conditions, and it will sell the remainder over a period of years, it said.

The IPO decision had been flagged as "likely" during the company's first quarter earnings report last week..

Philips hopes the unit will be attractive to investors due to its technology and dominant market positions, including the largest patent portfolio in the lighting industry.

"Philips Lighting has a global sales and distribution channel across approximately 180 countries ... which it believes would be difficult for a competitor to replicate," it said.

The lighting division had operating profit of 331 million euros in 2015 on sales of 7.47 billion euros. As a standalone company it will have about 950 million euros of debt.

Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting, will lead the business through its IPO, and it will continue to use the Philips brand.

Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan will be global coordinators of the IPO.
Romania - Factors to watch on May 3

BUCHAREST, May 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Tuesday.

PPI DATA

Romania's statistics board will release producer prices data for March.

FX RESERVES

Romania's central bank to release FX reserves data for April.

UNEMPLOYMENT

Romania's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down to 6.4 percent in March, the National Statistics Board said on Friday.

CE OLTENIA

Romanian state-owned power producer CE Oltenia will lay off 5,269 people over the next five years, or roughly 35 percent of its workforce under a restructuring programme that will save 2.4 billion lei ($614.12 million), the company said late on Friday.

CEE MARKETS

The Polish zloty led a weakening by most Central European currencies on Monday after Poland and the Czech Republic reported that manufacturing expanded less than expected in April.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
DEALTALK-ICE may have more time to consider bid for London bourse

By Sophie Sassard and Huw Jones

LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - London Stock Exchange Group and Deutsche Boerse may have to delay a vote on their proposed merger until after Britain's EU referendum, handing more time to Intercontinental Exchange to decide whether to make a counter-bid for the British bourse.

LSEG had been expected to hold a special shareholder meeting to approve the merger with Deutsche Boerse before Britain votes on June 23 on whether to quit the EU.

ICE would have to file any counterbid seven days before that meeting - with Britain's future in the European Union still very much in doubt. For American ICE, the London Stock Exchange would be a more attractive target within the European Union.

Deutsche Boerse still needs to file a full set of merger documents with its German regulators, a convoluted process that probably cannot be done now before the referendum date.

Sources familiar with the matter say LSEG may delay its shareholder meeting until this process is completed to ensure regulators are happy, though no decision has been taken and LSEG may still move early.

The London bourse could also risk a backlash among its investors by asking them to vote on the Deutsche Boerse deal before a possible Brexit, even though the two European exchanges have presented their proposed deal as "Brexit" proof given their combination would straddle the EU and Britain, should it leave.

If the pair wait until after the referendum to try to seal their all share "merger of equals", uncertainty over Britain's future will have been removed. ICE will have more time to come up with a rival bid and win the backing of its shareholders.

Departure from the bloc would create upheaval for London, Europe's biggest financial centre where trillions of pounds of day-to-day business runs on EU rules.

One person familiar with ICE said any counter bid would likely be a straightforward takeover in the form of shares and some cash, and at a premium that is "reasonably higher than Deutsche Boerse's".

This would put pressure on Deutsche Boerse to sweeten its deal - which currently offers LSEG shareholders 0.4421 shares in the combined group per LSEG share they own - by including a cash element or extra dividend.

LSEG, ICE and Deutsche Boerse did not comment for this article.

LEVERAGE QUESTION

A takeover by ICE would create the world's biggest trading-to-clearing exchange group, crossing the Atlantic and trading and clearing stocks, derivatives, energy and commodities.

ICE is a known quantity to UK regulators. It bought the International Petroleum Exchange in 2001 and later became owner of London-based LIFFE derivatives exchange, rival of Deutsche Boerse's Eurex platform, as part of ICE's takeover of New York Stock Exchange-Euronext in 2013.

ICE, however, faces some thorny questions: could a combined business still be regionally attractive under a Brexit, can it afford a knock-out offer, and would EU competition regulators approve a deal?

Supporters of Deutsche Boerse's all-share deal say ICE is too indebted to make a killer bid after paying $5.2 billion in December for data firm IDC, a view those close to ICE dismiss. ICE had a consolidated debt of $7.3 billion at the end of 2015, according to its annual report.

But leaking news that ICE has lined up a group of banks to help finance a possible deal was a handy trial balloon to test the reaction of ICE shareholders, analysts said.

It had no major negative impact on ICE's shares.

"They are very conscious of their own stock price, that they are a growth company. If they had not done the IDC deal, you would see this move a little quicker," said Richard Daniels, senior analyst of TABB Group in New York.

In any case, ICE would have a year or so to reduce its debt to core earnings ratio before it had to write a cheque for LSEG, ICE's supporters say.

A banker not advising ICE said the company has the capacity to fund a takeover while repaying debt thanks to its high margins and proven record of creating value through acquisitions.

ICE, however, is seen as having less scope than Deutsche Boerse to trumpet a big headline figure for synergies.

"Most Deutsche Boerse synergies would come from cuts in high tech jobs in Frankfurt. Half of the synergies will come from IT. ICE is leaner," a person familiar with ICE said.

BREXIT PROOF?

A combined ICE-LSEG group would have operations in continental Europe and London to ease the impact of a Brexit. LSEG owns Borsa Italiana in Milan and LCH.Clearnet, a clearing house based in Paris and London.

However, to get round possible competition concerns and sweeten France, ICE could offload Borsa Italiana and the French Clearnet half of LCH.Clearnet to Paris-based exchange Euronext, TABB's Daniels said.

Proceeds from such sales would also help ICE pay down debt while still leaving a combined LSEG-ICE Group with ICE's existing euro zone trading and clearing operation in the Netherlands.

Others are more sceptical that this would be enough.

"ICE faces the same antitrust concerns as Deutsche Boerse, which I feel are insurmountable when it comes to clearing in European derivatives," said Patrick Young, publisher of industry daily Exchange Invest.

Under a Brexit, the European Central Bank would be expected to put pressure on market participants to shift euro-denominated trading and clearing, currently a major chunk of London's business, to the single currency area.

ICE's euro zone based operations are seen as too small and specialist for now to handle such large volumes in a short period.

Deutsche Boerse has said its deal is Brexit-proof, though some analysts doubt any deal can be and question whether the German exchange's shareholders would fall in line if Britain left the EU.
Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on May 3

PRAGUE, May 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Tuesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/2E/events-overview ==========================NEWS================================== NWR: New World Resources' (NWR) loss-making coal mining division OKD will have to file for insolvency unless the government can agree a deal with its owners to take the company over at a lower price, Czech Industry Minister Jan Mladek said on Monday. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: The Polish zloty led a weakening by most Central European currencies on Monday after Poland and the Czech Republic reported that manufacturing expanded less than expected in April. Story: Related stories: ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change close on day in 2016 vs Euro 27.012 27.053 0.15 -0.05 vs Dollar 23.365 24.537 4.78 6.02 Czech Equities 909.34 909.34 -0.73 -4.91 U.S. Equities 17,891.16 17,773.64 0.66 2.68 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT =======================PRESS DIGEST============================ BONDS: State-controlled Czech Railways plan to issue bonds worth 8 billion crowns ($342.14 million) in coming weeks to refinance its debt due in June, its chief executive said. Pavel Krtek did not give details apart from saying the company seeks longer maturity and lower coupon. Currently, the bonds are five-year and carry a coupon of 4.5 percent. Hospodarske Noviny, page 15 (Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch for their accuracy.) For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com ($1 = 23.3820 Czech crowns) (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
Clashes near Damascus despite truce there, five killed in Aleppo

BEIRUT, May 3 (Reuters) - Fighting and government shelling erupted east of Damascus overnight on Tuesday despite a temporary truce announced by the Syrian army in that area, a war monitor said.
Baby pulled out alive three days after collapse of Kenya building

By Edmund Blair

NAIROBI, May 3 (Reuters) - Rescue workers pulled a six-month-old baby girl out of the rubble of a building in Kenya's capital on Tuesday and reunited her with her father, more than three days after it collapsed following days of heavy rain.

At least 23 people have so far been confirmed dead after the six-storey residential block in Nairobi's poor Huruma district crumbled on Friday night. Police are questioning the owners after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered them detained.

"The child, who had been buried for about 80 hours, was found in a bucket wrapped in a blanket. She appeared dehydrated, and with no visible physical injuries," the Kenya Red Cross said in a statement.

The baby, named as Dealeryn Saisi Wasike, was identified by her father after she was taken to hospital for treatment, the Red Cross said. A Red Cross official said the fate of her mother was still not clear.

The collapse of the building was the latest such disaster in a fast expanding African city that is struggling to build homes fast enough.

Like many other cities in Africa, the population of Nairobi has climbed dramatically in recent years. The Kenyan capital had almost 3.5 million people in 2011, about a third bigger than a decade earlier, according to U.N. figures.

Governments have struggled to provide basic infrastructure and bureaucratic processes to ensure planning rules are met.

Many Kenyans who come to the city in search of work end up in one of several slums, such as Kibera, made up of makeshift homes of wood and corrugated iron sheets.

Others live in slightly better off but still poor districts, like Huruma, where concrete buildings have risen rapidly amid potholed roads and ropey power supplies. Heavy rains have caused other collapses in Nairobi but without such high death tolls.

The Interior Ministry said the Huruma building had been earmarked for demolition as it was built close to a river, but the order had not been carried out by local officials. It urged developers to adhere to safety standards.

After visiting the site on Saturday, Kenya's president ordered other buildings to be surveyed to ensure they were safe.

Rescue workers had said on Monday that the chances of finding more survivors was unlikely.

Nairobi County police commander Japheth Koome told Reuters the death toll stood at 23 while 136 people had been saved from the wreckage. He said the number of deaths could rise as the search continued.

Dozens of other people are still listed as missing, Red Cross spokeswoman Arnolda Shiundu said, adding it was not clear how many of those had escaped but had not yet been traced.

Similar disasters have afflicted other African conurbations. In 2014, a church in Lagos, one of Africa's biggest cities, collapsed killing 115 people. A Nigerian coroner last year blamed poor construction.
Islamic State breaches peshmerga defences north of Mousl

ERBIL, Iraq, May 3 (Reuters) - Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish peshmerga forces on multiple fronts in northern Iraq on Tuesday, breaching their defences and briefly taking over a town, military sources said.

The attacks around the northern city of Mosul are the largest against Kurdish forces in recent months by the insurgents, who have been losing ground to an array of forces in the north and west of the country.

The head of a Christian militia said the insurgents had overrun their positions at dawn around the town of Tel Asqof, 20 km (12 miles) north of Mosul, and occupied it until being beaten back with the help of air strikes from a U.S.-led coalition.

"There were many suicide bombers and suicide car bombs," said Safa Eliyas, the head of the Nineveh Protection Forces, which are deployed alongside the peshmerga in the area.

There were also attacks on the Bashiqa front and in the Khazer area, about 40 km (25 miles) west of the Kurdish regional capital Erbil.

Since the United States intervened to blunt Islamic State's advance on Erbil in August 2014, the peshmerga have driven the militants back in the north. The militants are rarely able to penetrate Kurdish defences.

Peshmerga Secretary General Jabbar Yawar said details of the offensives were still unclear, but they constituted the biggest attacks in recent months.

"The battles are ongoing," he said.
Singapore holds eight Bangladeshis for planning terror attacks in home country

SINGAPORE, May 3 (Reuters) - Singapore has detained eight Bangladeshi men planning to stage terror attacks in their home country as the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB), the city state said on Tuesday, the second group of Bangladeshis investigated in the past six months.

The men, aged 26 to 34, were working in Singapore's construction and marine industries, the government said in a statement. At least two more members in the group were in Bangladesh, it added.

"ISB poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for ISIS and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas," the Ministry of Home Affairs said, referring to Islamic State.

The men were detained in April under Singapore's Internal Security Act, the government said. It was not immediately clear if or when they would be charged or deported. Singapore's Straits Times called it the first detentions under the act involving a foreign workers' cell.

The government of wealthy, multi-ethnic Singapore, which has not faced any militant attacks in decades, said investigations showed the ISB had identified several possible attack targets in Bangladesh.

Islamist militants in Bangladesh have targeted atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers in a series of killings that date back to February 2015 and have claimed at least 20 lives. A Hindu tailor was hacked to death on Saturday.

The Islamic State and a group affiliated to al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. Bangladeshi police said home-grown militant group are responsible.

In January, Singapore said it had arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State and deported 26 of them.

Fourteen of the 26 have since been jailed in Bangladesh on "terror charges", Bangladeshi police said, but denied they had any link to the Islamic State or al Qaeda.

The Singapore ministry said the eight detained men had intended to join Islamic State as foreign fighters. It provided photographs of the men, a bomb making manual and other documents it said the group had used.
hold a referendum on a new constitution in August this year

Thailand's military junta is bringing in legislation preventing the population from publicly debating the country's upcoming referendum.

Organizing panel discussions about the referendum as well as wearing t-shirts with political slogans referring to the campaign could see Thais jailed for up to ten years.

Thailand is voting on a military-backed constitution in August, but the new rules would make even attempts to discuss its pros and cons risky business.

Thailand's military junta is banning everything from public political debate to campaign merchandise such as t-shirts with slogans as the country prepares to hold a referendum on a new constitution in August (file photo)

The junta that seized power in a May 2014 coup has alreadythreatened to jail anyone campaigning for or against theconstitution, which critics say entrenches the military'spolitical influence.

The 14 rules, which were issued by the Election Commissionand formally became law on Monday covers everything from public debate to campaign merchandise.

Under the regulations, Thais must express their opinions on the new constitution with 'polite words ... without distorting the facts'.

'Rude, aggressive, or intimidating' interviews with themedia are banned, as well as organising a panel discussion 'withintent to incite political unrest'.

Also forbidden are 'T-shirts, pins and ribbons' that encourage others to campaign leading up to the referendum on August 7 this year.

Illegal: To speak to the media and be 'rude, aggressive, or intimidating' when talking about the new constitution is also banned, as well as organising a discussions or debates 'with intent to incite political unrest'

Violators can be jailed for up to 10 years. Dissenters inmilitary-run Thailand often receive lengthy prison sentencesunder draconian laws on computer crime and royal defamation.

The referendum will be a test of the junta's popularity anda potential flashpoint in a turbulent political scene, sayanalysts. The military government has promised an election bymid-2017, even if the constitution is rejected.

Groups of all political stripes have denounced the draftconstitution as undemocratic, with one major political partyurging supporters to vote 'no'.

'To express opinions using reason. Is that so hard tounderstand?' Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha snapped at areporter who asked about the new rules on Tuesday.

Prayuth has ruled largely unchallenged but anti-juntaactivists have recently staged small but frequent protests.

Nine activists were jailed last week on charges of seditionand computer crimes. Two face additional charges of insultingthe monarchy.

Phubed Pisanaka, a recent law graduate who comments on thegovernment on his Facebook account, said the rules would makehim more careful.

'I have to think twice about what I post and share now,' hesaid.

Others remain defiant. 'I'll keep expressing my opinion even though I could becriminalized,' said Kornkritch Somjittranukit, a contributor toThailand's online publication Prachatai.
Math and English lessons for North Dakota students will soon be based on a new set of standards written over the next year to replace Common Core, State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler announced Tuesday.

Students will continue to take the Smarter Balanced standardized test in spring 2017 until the new standards are finished, she said during a press conference at the Capitol. The state will then look for an assessment aligned to the future standards.

Baesler said she anticipates educators tasked with writing the new standards will wrap up their work in early 2017 so schools can begin implementing them that fall.

We will create a set of standards by North Dakotans for North Dakotans, she said. These standards will set clear and high expectations for all students.

North Dakota schools began implementing the Common Core standards six years ago.

Critics push against Common Core

Common Core marked the first effort to use the same education standards for grades K-12 in all states, a move which came under fire across the nation for exemplifying an overreach of the federal government. The majority of states adopted the standards, and North Dakotas participation has drawn criticism from some Republican lawmakers, parents and community members.

A legislative effort failed last year to force North Dakota to sever ties with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, an organization of states that developed the standardized test students take on computers each spring to measure their ability to meet Common Core standards. Opponents then filed a lawsuit against the state for its membership in the consortium.

Baesler on Tuesday acknowledged that the backlash flared up again last month at the state Republican convention in Fargo. She referenced the strong support for Common Core opponent Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, in his campaign for governor. Becker, however, did not secure the nomination at the convention.

What that did was affirm this is a process that we need to begin at this point in time, that this is what our community, our state wants to do, she said.

Becker welcomed Tuesdays news that North Dakota would write new standards to replace Common Core.

I am glad they are making a move in the right direction, he said. Clearly, the control of the education system needs to be brought back to the state and to the schools, teachers and parents.

He called the move a first step and said opponents voices are starting to be heard. Without their efforts, the state would not be rewriting its standards, he said.

Baesler's challenger in her bid for re-election, Joe Chiang, has also criticized Common Core. The Bismarck Tribune made three attempts to seek a comment from him Tuesday afternoon but was unable to reach him.

Education groups back review process

Leaders of several education organizations spoke Tuesday in support of Baeslers effort to revise the standards.

North Dakota has a standards review process that works well, said Russ Ziegler, assistant director for the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders.

For many years, we have asked our best teachers to come together and review standards for each subject we teach in a three- to five-year cycle, he said.

Baesler said the new federal education law replacing No Child Left Behind regulations provides an opportune time to review the standards, which have been used in all North Dakota schools the past three years. Some schools chose to implement them earlier.

Since then, teachers have identified instances in which certain standards dont pair well or should be moved to a different grade level, Baesler said.

Nick Archuleta, president of the North Dakota United union for teachers and public employees, agreed with her assessment.

Teachers want to fine-tune these standards and make sure they are relevant to the age group, he said.

Developing new standards

The Department of Public Instruction will seek applications from teachers and professors interested in sitting on committees to write the new standards.

They will research other states standards, as well as the existing ones in North Dakota, Baesler said. The committees will meet for the first time in June.

The department also will convene three review committees of elected leaders, business and industry leaders, and parents and other citizens to offer feedback on the educators work.

Drafts of the standards will be available for public comment, Baesler said.

This process will be thoughtful, deliberate and transparent, she said.

Becker said its important to bring people onto the committees who have an appreciation of what North Dakota is looking for and will not merely tout the lines of out-of-state academics.

I have full faith, if there is a true array of people on the committees who have that in mind, it will be a success, he said.

Baesler said applications to sit on the committees will be available on DPIs website Friday.

Searching for a test

After the standards are written, the state next year will seek a test assessing students ability to meet them.

Once we have these new standards, we will need a test that aligns to those standards, Baesler said.

The state will request proposals from testing organizations, which must ensure the exam they offer is relevant to North Dakotas new standards, she said.

In February, lawmakers on the interim Education Committee heard from the heads of two of those entities  the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the ACT Aspire, which offer different standardized tests used in various states.

Baesler said Tuesday that North Dakotas options are not limited to those two groups.

Students in grades 3-8 and 11 currently are taking the annual Smarter Balanced test for the second year in North Dakota.
China's banking regulator moves to contain off-balance sheet risk

BEIJING, May 3 (Reuters) - China's banking regulator, in a move to rein-in the rapidly growing 'shadow loans' industry, has told commercial lenders to properly account for lending products that may appear on their balance sheets as lower-risk investments.

Authorities are tightening scrutiny of the lenders as the growing use of complex financial structures has raised concerns that bad lending and credit risks can be concealed.

The new rules forbid commercial banks from entering into repurchase agreements once a loan's income rights have been transferred, according to a document from the China Banking Regulatory Commission, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

Banks also are now required to make adequate provisions for transferred loans where the underlying loan assets remain on their balance sheets.

Individual investors also are forbidden from investing in bad loans through bank-issued wealth management products.

Financial institutions have used the transfer of income rights from credit assets to improve their business, the CBRC said, but added that part of the process was "non-standard and opaque".

Analysts say the new rules, issued last week, are meant to provide greater transparency and address the rampant growth of investment receivables that are now accumulating on bank balance sheets, particularly among mid-tier lenders.

"Some joint-stock commercial banks that have a higher reliance on interbank funds and increasing investments in loans and receivables could see their liquidity deteriorate," said Minyan Liu, an Associate Managing Director at Moody's.

The size of China's 'shadow loan' book rose by a third to $1.8 trillion in the first half of 2015, equivalent to 16.5 percent of all commercial loans in China, according to UBS.

The growing use of financial structuring, which involves structures known as Directional Asset Management Plans (DAMPs) or Trust Beneficiary Rights (TBRs), comes as some mid-tier lenders, under pressure from China's slowest economic growth in 25 years, are already delaying the recognition of bad loans.

Banks are required to set aside capital against their credit assets. The riskier the asset, the more capital must be set aside, earning them nothing. Loans typically carry a 100 percent risk weighting, but some investment products carry a quarter of that, so banks can keep less money in reserve and lend more.
Islamic State kills U.S. Navy SEAL in northern Iraq

By Phil Stewart and Andrea Shalal

STUTTGART, Germany, May 3 (Reuters) - Islamic State militants killed a U.S. Navy SEAL in northern Iraq on Tuesday after blasting through Kurdish defences and overrunning a town in the biggest offensive in the area for months, officials said.

The elite serviceman was the third American to be killed in direct combat since a U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign in 2014 to "degrade and destroy" Islamic State and is a measure of its deepening involvement in the conflict.

"It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters during a trip to Germany.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the dead serviceman was a Navy SEAL.

The SEALs are considered to be among the most able U.S. special operations forces and capable of taking on dangerous missions. The serviceman's identity and rank were not disclosed by the Pentagon.

The governor of the U.S. state of Arizona, Doug Ducey, identified the slain serviceman as Charlie Keating IV, and said Keating had attended high school in Phoenix.

The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, in southern California, cited unnamed SEALs and their family members in reporting that Keating was the grandson of Charles Keating Jr., a banker who played a leading role in the U.S. savings and loan scandal of the 1980s that embroiled five U.S. senators.

A senior official within the Kurdish peshmerga forces facing Islamic State in northern Iraq said the man had been killed near the town of Tel Asqof, around 28 kilometres (17 miles) from the militant stronghold of Mosul.

The Islamic State insurgents occupied the town at dawn on Tuesday but were driven out later in the day by the peshmerga. A U.S. military official said the coalition had helped the peshmerga by conducting more than 20 air strikes with F-15 jets and drones.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Navy SEAL was killed "by direct fire" while on a mission to advise and assist local forces in Iraq.

Carter's spokesman, Peter Cook, said the incident took place during an Islamic State attack on a peshmerga position some 3 to 5 km behind the forward line.

SNIPERS AND SUICIDE BOMBERS

In mid-April the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces in the war against the Islamic State militant group.

Underscoring the complicated nature of the U.S. role in Iraq, the White House told reporters that even though the serviceman died in a combat situation, he was not on a combat mission.

"He was not on the front lines. But he was two miles away, and it turns out that being two miles away from the front lines between Iraqi forces and ISIL is a very dangerous place to be," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, using an acronym for Islamic State.

Last month, an Islamic State attack on a U.S. base killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight other Americans providing force protection fire to Iraqi army troops.

Such Islamic State incursions are rare in northern Iraq, where the Kurdish peshmerga have pushed the militants back with the help of coalition air strikes and set up defensive lines that the militants are rarely able to breach.

The leader of a militia deployed alongside peshmerga in Tel Asqof said the insurgents had used multiple suicide bombers, some driving vehicles laden with explosives, to penetrate peshmerga lines.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council said at least 25 Islamic State vehicles had been destroyed on Tuesday and more than 80 militants killed. At least 10 peshmerga also died in the fighting, according to a Kurdish official who posted pictures of the victims on Twitter.

The peshmerga also deflected Islamic State attacks on the Bashiqa front and in the Khazer area, about 40 km west of the Kurdish regional capital Erbil, Kurdish military sources said.

The Islamist militants have been broadly retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the Iraqi army retook the nearby region of Hit, pushing the militants further north along the Euphrates valley.

But U.S. officials acknowledge that the military gains against Islamic State are not enough.
A generation of Syrian children who don't count

By John Davison

BAALBEK, Lebanon, May 3 (Reuters) - Seven-month-old Nour lives in a tarpaulin tent pitched on a muddy patch of earth in Lebanon's Bekaa valley. The tent, one of a dozen in a small refugee camp, contains a metal stove, a prayer mat and worn rugs on the floor. A leather jacket and a plastic mirror hang from nails hammered into its wooden beams.

Swaddled in a faded pink blanket against the cold, Nour is the first of her Syrian parents' three children to be born as a refugee. Her family fled their native Homs at the start of Syria's civil war. Crammed two to a seat in a bus, her parents and two older siblings travelled 70 miles (112 km) into Lebanon, where Nour was born.

Now her mother and father, Asheqa and Trad, face a new challenge. They need to register Nour with a local government office in Lebanon by her first birthday in early September. A birth certificate is the crucial first step to securing Syrian citizenship. Without it, Nour could join a fast-growing generation of children who are stateless - lacking legal recognition as a citizen of any country.

But as Nour's parents are learning, even something as simple as registering a baby's birth is fraught with hurdles for a refugee in Lebanon.

The country has more refugees per head of the population than any country in the world, but it is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has not allowed the U.N. to set up formal camps for Syrians. Some politicians fret about the impact of mainly Sunni refugees from Syria on the country's sectarian balance. Power in Lebanon is carefully divided between Christians, Shi'ite Muslims, Sunnis and other groups.

Registering Syrian births could create a precedent for Syrians to settle in the country, they worry.

Surveys by the United Nations refugee agency and the Norwegian Refugee Council suggest the number of children whose births remain unregistered in Lebanon could be as high as 50,000. Aid agencies see similar difficulties registering children in Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, which host millions of Syrian refugees between them. That means the number of Syrian children facing statelessness is likely to be much higher.

Those thousands of potentially stateless children are one way the wars in Syria and Iraq are reshaping the Middle East and its people for good.

"If you look at the number of births that have happened ... I think we can be talking about hundreds of thousands who are potentially not registered in the region as a whole," said Daryl Grisgraber, senior advocate for the Middle East at Refugees International, a humanitarian group that works for displaced and stateless people.

The U.N. says stateless children risk missing out on basic rights such as education and healthcare, can face difficulties getting a job and are exposed to abuse and even trafficking.

To have Nour fully recognised as Syrian will involve a Kafkaesque process that requires trips to different government offices, negotiating checkpoints to get to Beirut, and approaching the Syrian embassy - something many refugees fleeing civil war are afraid to do.

Lebanon's social affairs ministry, which handles the refugee issue, said the steps required were "clear and proportionate."

Nour's parents - they asked not to reveal their full names for fear of being targeted by Syria's warring factions or arrested by Lebanese authorities - are afraid of embarking on the process. They have not even tried to get her birth registered, despite understanding what that might mean down the line.

"We're scared for her future," Asheqa, her mother, said. "We're afraid that if we want to return to Syria, we won't be able to take her in because she has no documents. Where's the proof that it's your child?"

TAKING FLIGHT

Asheqa and Trad abandoned their house about three months after the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. Like many buildings in Homs - a centre of the uprising - their home was later flattened to rubble in bombardments.

"We found out the school next door was shelled and collapsed onto our house," said 25-year-old Asheqa. "We stayed with relatives nearby for a while, but there were 16 people under one roof, there was no work and the fighting intensified."

The couple and their two children - daughter Rahaf, now 7, and son Marhaf, now 5 - fled for Lebanon, where they have squatted on farmland near the town of Baalbek ever since. When they left Syria, they took all their identity papers, marriage certificate and family booklet, and papers relating to their children.

"When the war ends, we're keen to go back. We're not exactly looking forward to it with nothing left, but we want to go back and rebuild," Asheqa said.

Until Nour's birth is registered, however, they are stuck in exile. Children without a registered birth certificate face separation from their families if they try to cross international borders, including into Syria. Without the certificate, Nour has no legal proof of parentage or place of birth.

But her parents face a complex and often unclear registration process. And they fear arrest if they try to move around too much in Lebanon.

REGISTERING A BIRTH

The United Nations and the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian aid group, advise refugees to carry out three crucial steps to register a newborn in Lebanon. The steps still leave parents several bureaucratic procedures away from obtaining full Syrian citizenship for their child, but are the most important and time-sensitive.

First, parents should obtain a birth notification from the hospital where the child is born, or from a midwife.

Next, they should take the birth notification, their own identity papers and marriage certificate to a local notary closest to the place of birth. Notaries will then produce a birth certificate, for which they normally charge a fee of up to $20.

Finally, the parents should register the certificate with a local government registry office in Lebanon.

All this needs to be completed before a child turns one or the process becomes much more expensive and complicated, involving courts, lawyers and DNA tests.

Asheqa and Trad completed the first two steps within 10 days of Nour's birth last Sept. 12.

Now, though, they are stuck.

Restrictions on Syrian refugees, including a requirement they carry certain documents or risk arrest, have made it harder to move around. The rules force Syrians registered as refugees to pay $200 a year for the right to stay in Lebanon but ban them from formal employment. Trad and Asheqa's papers expired in January last year, right at the time the new regulations took effect.

When Lebanese security forces raided the family's camp last December, Trad and several other men were detained because they could not produce valid papers.

Trad said he and the other men were held for a day and then released with a warning to renew their residency papers or face arrest again. Since then, he and Asheqa have been afraid to leave the camp.

"We don't dare approach any authorities, not even to register Nour's birth, without renewing our residency first - we're scared they'll lock us up," Trad said.

But $200 is a huge sum for refugees, 70 percent of whom the U.N. says live in extreme poverty. And refugees not only have to pay the annual charge, they often need the help of a Lebanese sponsor, who usually charges another $200.

"So that's $400 for me, $400 for my husband, before we can go to register our daughter," Asheqa said.

In Syria, Trad, 32, drove taxis. In Lebanon he does casual labour and seasonal farm work. But none of that makes much money.

"I get maybe one day of work in 10 and make 10,000-20,000 Lebanese pounds ($7-13)," he said. The family collects U.N. aid worth around $100 per month - barely enough for bread, they say. They also owe hundreds of dollars to a local grocer who has repeatedly extended them credit.

The grocer's wife, Amira Msheik, showed a reporter a handwritten list of Syrian families in the area that owe money to her husband, Ismail: Umm Ahmed, 1,250,000 pounds, Abu Saadoun 700,000 pounds, Samah, 1 million pounds.

Asheqa and Trad are now trying to save or borrow enough to renew their residency. But their debt keeps mounting. Trad found work in March. On his first day he crushed his finger in a tractor accident and had to borrow $1,000 to cover the hospital fees.

MISINFORMATION AND BUREAUCRACY

Technically, even though their own residency documents have expired, Trad and Asheqa can complete step three and register Nour with the local government office. But aid agencies say lack of reliable information and rules that are applied inconsistently mean that in practice, this rarely happens.

The Norwegian Refugee Council says many refugees give up because they lack information, fear the authorities or simply cannot afford to register. The U.N. reports similar difficulties. Aid agencies try to inform families, but are stretched due to the numbers of refugees, who often live in hard-to-reach areas.

"It is confusing," Asheqa said. "We're not sure even which local government office we'd need to go to. But what's the point anyway? We still need to renew our residency."

Nour is one of 10 unregistered babies in her small camp. In the early months of 2016, a new baby was born almost every two weeks. The settlement is just one of hundreds in the Bekaa Valley alone.

In all, almost 70,000 children have been born to Syrian refugees in Lebanon since 2011, the United Nations says. This number excludes families not registered with the U.N., for which the refugee agency UNHCR has no estimate.

A UNHCR survey of 2,500 families at the end of 2015 said 68 percent did not complete the third step, leaving their babies unregistered. Norwegian Refugee Council figures from January last year showed that more than 80 percent of nearly 800 refugees interviewed failed to register.

The implications of having so many potentially stateless Syrians are worrisome.

"It pushes you underground," Human Rights Watch researcher Bill Van Esveld said. "The lack of identity documents just makes everything in life much more difficult. The door to crucial rights like education and healthcare may be closed if you don't officially exist. You're forced to live in a grey zone, or even treated like a criminal."

Khalifa al-Matar, another father in the camp, fled northern Syria's Raqqa with his wife three years ago. He has missed the cut-off point to register his son Hakam, who is now 18 months old. Khalifa now needs to get a lawyer, renew his own residency and possibly take a DNA test to prove Hakam is his.

"I tried to register Hakam," he said, breaking a piece of firewood with one hand and holding his son in the other. "There seemed to be 50 ways to do it, and no one told me how. I even tried at the Syrian embassy. They told me to go to the notary, the notary told me I had to go back to Syria, so I eventually gave up.

"Tomorrow there could be worse problems than now, and maybe we'd even need to flee Lebanon. With Hakam unregistered, we can't go anywhere," he said.
Canadian held for second day after social media criticism of Nepal govt

KATHMANDU, May 3 (Reuters) - A Canadian computer programmer who has been vocally critical of the government of Nepal on social media has been held for a second day of questioning, a Nepali official said on Tuesday.

Robert Penner was taken to the Department of Immigration for questioning on Monday by police who arrested him at his office in southern Kathmandu, said Lalitpur Senior Superintendent of Police Pitambar Adhikari.

Penner lives in Kathmandu and works for CloudFactory, an outsourcing company.

He criticised the Nepal government on social media during unrest that followed the passing of Nepal's constitution last year and he denounced the recent arrest and detention of Kanak Mani Dixit, a prominent journalist and civil rights activist.

"Yesterday we requested the police to bring him to the Department of Immigration for questioning," Prakash Neupane, director of immigration told Reuters.

"Penner is still under the process of investigation. We are investigating whether he has contravened the terms of his working visa, which state he can be punished if he engages in activities outside the terms of his working visa."

Lawyer Dipendra Jha, who is representing Penner, said he had been informed that the Canadian would be released on Tuesday, and his visa revoked. Officials at the Department of Immigration declined to confirm this.
Canada's WestJet reports higher-than-expected profit

May 3 (Reuters) - Canada's WestJet Airlines Ltd on Tuesday reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by lower fuel costs.

Calgary-based WestJet's fuel expenses, typically an airline's largest variable cost, fell nearly 21 percent to C$166.4 million ($132.4 million).

WestJet has shifted its focus to eastern Canada and suspended nearly a dozen daily flights in January from Alberta's airports after airlines operating in the oil-rich province started recording a significant decline in passenger traffic.

On a conference call with analysts, Chief Financial Officer Harry Taylor said the airline would continue with efforts to control its costs, including renegotiating contracts with vendors.

"We are not going to leave any stone unturned," Taylor said.

The company's cost per available seat mile, a measure of how much an airline spends to fly a passenger, fell 4.2 percent to 12.45 Canadian cents in the first quarter, from a year earlier.

WestJet's full-year CASM is projected to rise 0.5 percent to 2.5 percent, higher than the carrier's previous guidance.

However, WestJet's revenue per available seat mile (RASM), an indicator of an airline's efficiency calculated by dividing operating income by available seat miles, fell 11 percent to 14.14 Canadian cents. WestJet projects RASM to be down between 7.5 percent and 9.5 percent in the second quarter.

"While we sense that full year expectations are reasonable particularly given the pullback in capacity, the bar was higher following the strong Air Canada results and guidance," wrote BMO analyst Fadi Chamoun in a note to clients on Tuesday. "Reception of these results is likely to be muted."

The company's earnings fell nearly 38 percent to C$87.6 million, or 71 Canadian cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31.

Analysts on average had expected earnings of 65 Canadian cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

"The favourable variance on an EPS basis was largely due to lower interest costs," Chamoun wrote.

Revenue fell 4.8 percent to C$1.03 billion.

Up to Monday's close, WestJet's stock had fallen 22 percent in the past 12 months.
Germany says Iran promises to repay debts from export guarantees

BERLIN, May 3 (Reuters) - German deputy Economy Minister Uwe Beckmeyer said on Tuesday Iran had promised to repay soon old debts arising from state guarantees for German exports, clearing the way for fresh guarantees to be issued.

"Iran has now recognised its old debts and promised me to pay them in the near-term," Beckmeyer told Reuters.
Germany to host Syria talks on Weds, says foreign ministry

BERLIN, May 3 (Reuters) - Germany's Foreign Minister will host Syrian opposition figure Riad Hijab, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura and his French counterpart on Wednesday for talks on creating conditions to continue peace talks in Geneva, said the foreign ministry.
ADM trading desk suffers quarterly loss, earnings fall

By Tom Polansek and Arunima Banerjee

May 3 (Reuters) - Sharp moves in crop prices caught Archer Daniels Midland Co wrong footed in the first quarter, leaving its global trading team with a loss and contributing to a 53 percent decline in profit, its chief executive officer said on Tuesday.

"Our positions were not immune to the end of the quarter movements," CEO Juan Luciano told analysts on a conference call.

Weak U.S. grain exports also hurt earnings and revenue at Chicago-based ADM, one of the world's top agricultural trading houses, as crop handlers coped with a global glut of supply.

The trading desk's loss in the quarter ended on March 31 was a swing from positive results a year earlier, indicating how price swings jolted even the biggest dealers.

ADM makes money by buying, selling, transporting, storing and processing grains and oilseeds around the world. The company, Bunge Ltd, Cargill Inc and Louis Dreyfus Corp make up the so-called ABCD firms that have traditionally dominated the flow of agricultural commodities.

Net income attributable to ADM fell to $230 million, or 39 cents per share, in the quarter, from $493 million, or 77 cents per share, a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 42 cents per share, below analysts' expectations for 45 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue fell 18 percent to $14.38 billion.

ADM said "unfavorable merchandising positions" contributed to its trading team's loss but did not specify what the positions were.

It linked the loss to price moves at the end of March, a month in which U.S. soybean futures jumped 6.8 percent as poor weather threatened to limit crop exports from South America. On March 31, corn futures dropped more than 4 percent, erasing gains built over the rest of the month.

Luciano said he was "cautiously optimistic" that reduced South American soybean and corn production could shift export business to the United States in the second half of the year. That would benefit ADM, as many of its assets are in the country.

Still, the biggest impact of such a shift would not take place until after U.S. farmers harvest their next crops in the autumn, he said.

Second-quarter results in ADM's agricultural services unit, which includes exporting and trading operations, will likely be similar to those in the first quarter, when operating profits fell 61 percent from a year earlier to about $75 million, Luciano said.
Companies put $221 bln into low-tax jurisdictions in 2015 -U.N.

By Tom Miles

GENEVA, May 3 (Reuters) - Companies put $221 billion into countries with low tax last year, chiefly Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while $72 billion of investment went into two British tax havens - the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, the U.N. said on Tuesday.

However, they took billions out of Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the final quarter of 2015 after the two countries imposed new EU rules to crack down on abusive tax practices.

The flows into the British Virgin Islands and the Caymans were roughly in line with historical averages but their source has shifted from rich to developing countries in recent years, the U.N. thinktank UNCTAD's report said.

From 2010 to 2014, Hong Kong, the United States, Russia and China were the top four sources.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has come under increasing pressure in the last few months to tackle tax evasion after leaked documents from a Panamanian law company exposed how the world's rich and powerful used secretive offshore company structures to stash their wealth.

Companies shuffling money between jurisdictions to save on tax remained "a key concern for policy makers", the U.N. report said, noting that firms from a sample of 26 developed countries registered more profits in Bermuda than in China in 2014.

The report said companies' "special purpose entities" (SPEs) were typically subsidiaries that had little connection to the local economy but held assets or liabilities or raised capital.

Quarterly flows to the SPEs in the Netherlands reached $148 billion in the third quarter, the highest since 2007, driven by investment from Luxembourg and Britain, but then sharply reversed.

Flows to Luxembourg, associated with funds financing investments in the United States, surged in the first three quarters of 2015, triple on the same months of 2014, but turned negative with a net divestment of $115 billion in the final quarter.
N.Korea capital gears up for congress; South fears nuclear test

By James Pearson

PYONGYANG, May 3 (Reuters) - North Korea's rain-soaked capital was festooned on Tuesday with banners celebrating leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a ruling party congress, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the rare event.

Flower pots lined balconies along streets that have been tidied as part of a 70-day campaign for the first Workers' Party congress in 36 years, which starts on Friday.

At the congress, Kim is expected to declare isolated North Korea a nuclear weapons state and formally adopt his "Byongjin" policy to push simultaneously for economic development and nuclear capability.

It follows Kim's father's Songun, or "military first," policy and his grandfather's Juche, the North's home-grown founding ideology that combines Marxism and extreme nationalism.

"Let's uphold Great Comrade Kim Jong Un's Songun revolutionary leadership with patriotism!," one banner read.

Isolated North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests, including three failed launches of an intermediate-range missile, in the run-up to the Workers' Party congress.

One banner in Pyongyang extolled a February rocket launch that put a satellite in space. Overseas, however, the launch drew condemnation as a ballistic missile test in disguise.

Kim has aggressively pursued nuclear weapons and could be looking to a successful fifth test this week as a crowning achievement, foreign analysts have said. South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said Pyongyang's nuclear test may come before or around the time of the opening of the congress.

"North Korea's goal is to be internationally recognised as a nuclear weapons state," Han told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. "We believe its nuclear capability is advancing."

North Korea has invited foreign media to cover the congress, although journalists' movements are closely managed and much of the country and its people remain off-limits to outsiders.

Pyongyang citizens "fervently welcomed participants of the congress who have given all their patriotic passion ... as a new generation of true warriors of Juche revolution under the leadership of dear comrade Kim Jong Un," North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Tuesday.

Security has been stepped up ahead of the congress.

The Daily NK, a website run by defectors with sources in North Korea, said that since mid-April, free movement in and out of the capital had been stopped and security personnel summoned from the provinces to step up domestic surveillance.

FIRST SINCE 1980

The party congress is the first since 1980, before the 33-year-old Kim was born. His father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011, never held one.

While some past party congresses featured representatives from countries the North has ties with, South Korean officials have said they were not aware of invitations sent to official foreign guests for the upcoming event.

North Korea has become increasingly isolated over its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, and was hit with tightened U.N. Security Council sanctions in March that were backed by its chief ally, China, in response to a January nuclear test.

Pyongyang has conducted a flurry of missile and other weapons tests in the run-up to the congress, although not all have been successful. It made three attempts last month of what was believed to be its intermediate-range Musudan missile, all of which failed, according to U.S. and South Korean officials.

The congress is expected to last four or five days, South Korean government officials and experts said. Kim may decide to take on the post of party General Secretary, a position held by his late father, elevating himself from First Secretary.
German pair tortured women to death, say police

BERLIN, May 3 (Reuters) - German investigators said on Tuesday they suspect a man and woman in their forties of torturing to death at least two women in their house in western Germany and of cutting up the body of one victim and burning it in their living room.

They have not ruled out that a third woman died and said there were indications that more women had survived abuse or torture.

Police have sealed off what German media have already described as a "house of horrors" in the small town of Hoexter, on the border of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, and are searching for clues of any further incidents.

Prosecutor Ralf Meyer told reporters that investigators believe a 33-year old woman was chained and beaten after responding to a lonely hearts advertisement and moving into the house in autumn of 2013. She died on Aug 1, 2014.

"There was serious physical abuse - beating, being chained to a radiator, having to sleep on a cold floor," said Meyer, adding that the woman eventually died due to her deteriorating condition.

He said investigators based their suspicions on credible statements from 47-year old Angelika B. who had confessed, saying she was under the spell of her ex-partner, 46, identified only as Wilfried W. He has denied any guilt.

Police were drawn to the house after a woman, aged 41 and identified as Susanne F., died in hospital last month from injuries related to torture.
Hungary to hold EU migrant quota referendum by October

BUDAPEST, May 3 (Reuters) - Hungary will hold a referendum in September or early October on whether to accept any future European Union quota system for resettling migrants, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken an increasingly anti-immigrant stance since the migration crisis escalated last year and opposes a plan, agreed by a majority of EU governments in September, to redistribute 160,000 migrants around the bloc.

Along with Slovakia, Hungary has launched a court challenge against that plan, which will set quotas for each EU country to host a share of the migrants over two years.

The referendum will ask Hungarians whether they would accept any permanent quota system beyond that.

The question voters will be asked is: "Do you want the EU, even without the approval of Hungarian parliament, to be able to prescribe the mandatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary?"

"There are crazier and crazier ideas coming up in Brussels. It seems that Brussels has not given up on the plan for mandatory resettlement," Antal Rogan, Orban's cabinet chief, told a news conference.

Once parliament approves holding the referendum, President Janos Ader will set a date on the matter that Rogan said was an "issue of national sovereignty".
Canadian ordered out of Nepal after criticising govt on social media

KATHMANDU, May 3 (Reuters) - A Canadian living and working in Nepal who criticised the government on social media has been ordered to leave the country within two days, a Nepali official said on Tuesday.

Robert Penner, a computer programmer working for CloudFactory, an outsourcing company, was arrested by police at his office on Monday and taken to the Department of Immigration for questioning.

Penner confirmed that he had been ordered to leave on his Twitter account.

He criticized the Nepal government on social media during unrest that followed the passing of Nepal's constitution last year and he denounced the recent arrest and detention of Kanak Mani Dixit, a prominent journalist and civil rights activist.

"Robert Penner must leave Nepal voluntarily within two days," Kedar Neupane, Director General of the Department of Immigration, told Reuters.

"If he fails to leave within this time frame, he will be considered as staying here illegally," added Neupane. He said there was no provision for Penner to make an appeal.

The deportation order comes after government officials received numerous complaints about tweets and online writings that Penner had posted, said Neupane. He declined to elaborate on exactly who and how many had complained.

Lawyer Dipendra Jha, who is representing Penner, earlier said he had been informed that the Canadian would be released on Tuesday and his visa revoked.
More than 100 migrants die in Libya to Italy weekend shipwrecks

GENEVA, May 3 (Reuters) - An estimated 113 people died in four shipwrecks between Libya and Italy at the weekend as the crossing becomes the preferred sea route for migrants to Europe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

With the closing of land routes in the Balkans and a recent deal under which Greece sends migrants back to Turkey, Italian officials have said they expect more people to try to make this longer and much more dangerous crossing from Libya.

In one of four incidents, an Italian merchant ship rescued 26 people off the coast of Libya in rough seas and others were feared missing, Italy's Coast Guard said on Saturday.

IOM, citing survivor testimony, said 84 people appeared to be missing from that wreck, while at least 29 drowned in two other attempted crossings in rubber dinghies of the Channel of Sicily. It was still investigating a fourth incident.

"Just since Friday we know of 4 shipwrecks and 113 people killed, just off Libya," IOM spokesman Joel Millman said.

"It is becoming the preferred route. So therefore we are very mindful of what could be coming in the next few months," Millman told a news briefing.

Migrants from West Africa, especially Nigerians, and the Horn of Africa dominate the Libya-Italy route, which Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis are not taking for now, Millman added.

In all, 1,357 migrants and refugees perished at sea during the first four months of the year, mostly along the Central Mediterranean route, against 1,733 during the period in 2015, the agency said.
South Africa expects strong tourism growth in 2016 after visa rules tweaked

CAPE TOWN, May 3 (Reuters) - South Africa's tourism sector expects strong growth in 2016 after some strict new visa rules that reduced the number of arrivals in the previous year were lifted, Minister Derek Hanekom said on Tuesday.

South Africa last year relaxed some of the visa rules it introduced in October 2014, dropping a requirement for visitors to apply for visas in person at South African embassies, following a backlash from tour operators and tourists.

"In January, over one million tourists arrived in South Africa, 15 percent more than in January last year," Hanekom told parliament.

"February brought an incredible 18 percent increase," Hanekom said, adding that while the Chinese market was showing signs of recovery, obtaining visas in India still took too long.

South Africa's tourism sector is considered as one of the main drivers of employment and economic growth in Africa's most industrialised economy.

Sandy white beaches, rolling vineyards and attractions like Kruger National Park, Table Mountain and Robben Island, where anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela spent nearly two decades in jail, draw visitors from all over the world.

According to the National Treasury, tourism's direct contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) was 103.6 billion rand ($7.15 billion) in 2013, about 2.9 percent of GDP, while directly employing 655,609 people or 4.4 percent of total employment.

"Tourism is recovering rapidly from last year's decline. 2016 promises to be a year of strong growth for tourism in South Africa," Hanekom said.
Czech miner NWR's main business files for insolvency

By Jason Hovet and Jan Lopatka

PRAGUE, May 3 (Reuters) - The main business of Czech coal miner New World Resources (NWR) filed for insolvency on Tuesday after failing to secure government aid, but could still agree a reorganisation plan to stay afloat.

The business, OKD, which owns the country's only hard coal mines, is the latest miner worldwide to seek creditor protection amid slumping prices.

Loss-making OKD said in its insolvency filing that it owed 17 billion crowns (629.01 million euros) and held assets worth less than 7 billion crowns. Most of its debts are guarantees for the parent company's bonds and loans which could become payable prematurely due to breaching debt terms.

"Although this was a very tough decision to make, this voluntary step is the right choice for the future of OKD, and mainly its employees and the region," Chairman Dale Ekmark said.

OKD said it did not have enough money to cover its liabilities but expected to receive payments from customers to maintain operations and pay wages. OKD employs nearly 10,000 staff and 3,000 agency workers. Major customers include steelmaker ArcelorMittal's Czech plant and U.S. Steel's Slovak plant.

The group also said it would meet orders while preparing a restructuring plan involving the closure of multiple mines.

NWR warned last week OKD would run out of money by the middle of May unless the Czech government and company creditors agreed a takeover or restructuring deal.

The government has rejected any deal that would benefit the company's owners and debt holders but has not completely ruled out taking it over.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said keeping the largest number of miners in work was a priority, and ministers would meet to address the situation on Wednesday.

Coking coal prices have dropped around 60 percent since 2011 and NWR has been unable to make big enough cost cuts to cope.

NWR, which went through an equity and debt overhaul in 2014, was valued at 3.5 billion pounds when made its London and Prague stock market debut 2008. It is currently worth some 8.8 million. Its shares fell around 25 percent on Tuesday after the insolvency announcement.

The group's bondholders Ashmore Investment Management Limited, Gramercy Funds Management LLC and M&G Investment Management Limited became its main shareholders earlier this year when majority shareholders, including Czech investor Zdenek Bakala, gave their shares to the company for free.

OKD is a guarantor of NWR's debt, which includes an 8.0 percent bond due in 2020 with 334 million euros outstanding and 4.0 percent convertible bond worth 150 million.
China group withdraws bid for Australia's S. Kidman, set to make new offer

By Colin Packham

SYDNEY, May 3 (Reuters) - A China-led consortium seeking to buy Australia's S. Kidman & Co withdrew its A$371 million ($280 million) bid for the country's largest private land-holding company and is planning to make another, a partner in the purchase attempt said on Tuesday.

Australia last week rejected the bid for the cattle company by the group headed by Hunan Dakang Pasture Farming Co Ltd , saying the sale is not in its national interest.

Dakang plans to actively negotiate with related parties in the next three months to try and come up with an acceptable deal, it said in a filing on the Shenzhen stock exchange.

"The negotiations over the next three months are non-exclusive and we are not ruling out other bidding competitors," Dakang said.

Dakang P&F's partners in the purchase attempt were Shanghai CRED Real Estate Stock Co Ltd and local company Australian Rural Capital Ltd.

Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison gave the partners a week to address his concerns but the bidders have now withdrawn their offer, and intend to make a fresh bid they hope can allay any regulatory concerns, Australian Rural Capital said in a statement on Tuesday to the stock exchange.

A likely strategy in any amended offer would be to increase the stake of Australian Rural Capital to more than the 20 percent it had in the previous offer, a source familiar with the consortium's plans told Reuters.

"I think the consortium will likely amend the ownership structure, and while it is not decided, a fresh approach is likely after the elections on July 2," the source said.

Representatives from the members of the consortium were not immediately available for comment.

Ownership of farmland is a sensitive issue in Australia amid concerns that foreign buyers are snapping up properties to cash in on a boom in Asian food demand. The government's rejection of the most recent China-led bid comes just weeks before Australia holds federal elections.

Australia had earlier rejected an offer for S. Kidman by Chinese companies Genius Link Asset and Shanghai Pengxin.

The Kidman lands are about 2.5 percent of Australia's agricultural land.
Venezuela's PDVSA quietly issues new debt to pay off suppliers

By Brian Ellsworth, Corina Pons and Marianna Parraga

CARACAS/HOUSTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA has issued at least $310 million in debt to companies including General Electric Co as it negotiates private issuances to pay off its suppliers, industry sources told Reuters, stretching the finances of a company that bondholders already worry is on its way to default.

The securities are not bonds but offer rights similar to those enjoyed by bondholders, and at least one issue offers dispute resolution via the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, according to one of the three sources, who cited a term sheet.

This means that if PDVSA defaults, investors holding their bonds may find that there are more creditors competing for compensation than they had originally anticipated.

The overall negotiations on private debt issuance, which were confirmed by seven sources, come as weak oil markets and an unraveling socialist economy have fanned concerns PDVSA will be unable to make nearly $5 billion in bond payments between now and the end of the year. PDVSA and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro insist they will meet all debt obligations and dismiss default rumors as a right-wing conspiracy.

In addition to the $310 million, a package of $1.5 billion in such securities maturing in three to five years is being discussed as a way of settling debts with small and medium-sized oil services firms, according to one of the sources, who was briefed on that proposal.

PDVSA is struggling to prevent oil services providers from stopping work in Venezuela in protest over billions of dollars in unpaid bills.

The company has worked with banks including Deutsche Bank AG to structure fixed-income securities such as promissory notes that can be sold to investors, according to one of the sources, a local trader who saw documents outlining the proposal.

"PDVSA has been offering promissory notes as well as other types of notes and financial instruments to settle debts with providers," said another of the seven sources, who was also involved in one such operation.

"They are offering them because there is no cash."

Deutsche and GE declined to comment. PDVSA did not respond to an email seeking comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing or because they are not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

The total amount of such securities that have already been issued by PDVSA could not immediately be determined.

BACKED-UP BILLS

Promissory notes would typically be unattractive for oil services companies to keep on their own books. They are seen as too risky for many investment portfolios, because they trade in limited volumes and are therefore difficult to sell.

As a result, they are generally structured by large foreign banks that ultimately end up buying the notes at a steep discount, according to another of the sources, who works in the finance industry.

GE has agreed to convert $350 million in unpaid PDVSA invoices into $257 million in loan notes, which are interest-bearing securities that can be sold to other investors, a GE source told Reuters.

An oil industry source said that one company accepted $53 million in promissory notes that come due at the end of this year, asking that the company not be identified to avoid creating conflict with PDVSA. The notes are not registered with settlement agents such as Euroclear, the source added.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, PDVSA has systematically allowed bills to pile up and later negotiated discounts with providers or paid them with global bonds which sell at a discount. Debts to providers in 2014 reached nearly $21 billion, according to that year's financial statements.

PDVSA has not yet released 2015 results.

The company has not made any cash payments in dollars to providers in at least six months as a result of its difficult cash-flow situation, according to two of the sources. It has not been able to issue bonds on capital markets because of prohibitively high yields.

Converting the unpaid bills into securities does not increase PDVSA's total debt burden.

But it does have significant consequences in the event of a default, since the debt changes from a private obligation between two parties into a security held by investors.

Payment difficulties led Schlumberger, the world's top oil services company, to announce in April that it was halting operations in Venezuela. It did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Services giant Halliburton also said it was reducing activities in Venezuela, without saying why. It said in its 2015 annual report that at the end of last year it had $31 million in surety bond guarantees associated with its Venezuelan operations, without providing details.

Halliburton declined to comment.
Nigerian stocks hit 5-week high on MSCI index news

LAGOS, May 3 (Reuters) - Nigerian stocks climbed to a five-week high on Tuesday after index provider MSCI said it would not change the status of Nigerian securities on its frontier index.

MSCI, which has invited investor feedback on the ease of access to Nigerian stock markets in the wake of currency controls imposed last year, put out a statement late on Friday saying the country would receive "special treatment" in its upcoming semi-annual index review in May.

Pavlo Taranenko from MSCI Index Management Research said on Tuesday the firm was not officially "considering" or "consulting on" a reclassification, but only "monitoring". Any reclassification of Nigeria from the MSCI's Frontier Markets index would have to be preceded by a consultation, like all index changes, he added.

Nigeria's stock market, which has the second-biggest weighting behind Kuwait on MSCI's frontier benchmark , gained 3.2 percent on Tuesday to levels last seen in March.

The index of Nigeria's top 10 consumer goods rose 5 percent, with Nestle leading the charge to rise 10.25 percent, the maximum allowed.

Other gainers included Nigerian Breweries, United Bank for Africa and Dangote Cement, which accounts for third of total capitalisation, each up 5 percent.

However, share dealing by foreign investors in Nigeria has been declining. Foreign share dealing fell to 34.4 billion naira ($173 million) in March, down 66 percent from a year ago, the stock exchange said, adding that more than half of transactions were deals to sell shares.

Nigeria has also seen an exodus of foreign money from other assets. In September, JP Morgan announced it would eject the country from its influential emerging markets bond index due to the currency controls, which were imposed to prevent a collapse of the naira. Barclays followed suit shortly after.

Africa's biggest economy is facing its worst crisis in decades as the fall in the price of oil has slashed government revenues, prompting the central bank to peg the currency and introduce curbs to protect foreign exchange reserves, which have fallen to an 11-year low.

For MSCI the ease of capital inflows and outflows is one of the key criteria in its market classification framework. Being excluded from MSCI's Frontier Market index would create a higher hurdle for Nigeria to attract investments.

Renaissance Capital estimated in April that about $480 million of MSCI benchmarked money was in Nigeria, in both mutual funds and exchange traded funds.
Turkish Nobel laureate says Erdogan's insult charges aimed at silencing dissent

By Melih Aslan

ISTANBUL, May 3 (Reuters) - Turkey is using the charge of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan to intimidate his opponents and silence dissent and European leaders must take a tougher line with Ankara on free speech, Nobel prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk said on Tuesday.

Prosecutors have opened more than 1,800 cases against people for insulting Erdogan since he became president in 2014, including journalists, cartoonists and teenagers. A German satirist is facing prosecution after mocking him on German TV.

Speaking after a court hearing against Murat Belge, a fellow writer and academic who was charged with insulting Erdogan in a newspaper column, Pamuk said Europe needed to pay more attention to Turkey's record on freedom of expression as it strikes deals on visa liberalisation and migration.

"This has nothing to do with insulting the president. This is only about silencing political opposition. This is about intimidating people and scaring the country so nobody would criticise the government," he told Reuters.

Turkey has a long history of using the courts to fight political battles. Pamuk, 64, was himself tried 10 years ago on charges of 'insulting Turkishness' for comments about the mass killings of Armenians and Kurds. The charges were later dropped.

Erdogan has repeatedly said he is open to criticism and dissent but draws the line at insults, and that his lawyers will continue to bring cases against those who insult him. His aides deny suggestions the legal actions aim to silence opponents.

"Erdogan is quite determined to create a new society where there is no principle of the separation of powers," said Belge, 73, outside the Istanbul courthouse. He denies the charges against him and his case was adjourned to Sept. 20.

European Council President Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, and jailed in the 1980s for opposing Poland's communist government, said last month Erdogan needed a thicker skin against criticism.

But Erdogan's opponents in Turkey, as well as rights groups, have criticised Europe for striking a deal with Ankara promising accelerated EU accession negotiations and visa-free travel to Europe in return for help curbing a migrant crisis, while doing too little to challenge its deteriorating rights record.

"I hope the leaders of the EU when they are shaking hands with Turkish leaders ... would also occasionally talk about free speech," said Pamuk, who won the literature Nobel Prize in 2006.
A longtime Republican conservative emailed me after Donald Trump's Tuesday night romp through the ''Acela corridor.'' ''Is the GOP now the anti-trade, anti-immigrant party?''

I don't think so, but take no comfort in the reason: Republicans haven't signed on to protectionism and nativism (or at least, only a minority has), but they seem to have lost all philosophical coherence.

The lesson of the Ted Cruz campaign is that the party faithful are not nearly as conservative as some had thought. Even among ''very conservative'' voters in New York, Cruz carried only 27 percent. Were Empire State voters still smarting from Cruz's ''New York values'' snipe? Maybe, but Cruz won only 29 percent of ''very conservatives'' in Alabama, 31 percent in Virginia and 41 percent in Pennsylvania. Cruz has worked assiduously to showcase his conservative bona fides, and while purists might raise an eyebrow at some of his foreign policy stands and his flip-flopping on trade, he passes every other conservative litmus test with deep dye. Yet even among very conservative voters, he failed to close the deal.

A lot of ink has been spilled analyzing why Trump was able to run away with Cruz's ''evangelical'' voters, but less to the vertigo-inducing reality that people who call themselves conservative, even ''very'' conservative, can vote for someone like Trump  a liberal-leaning, Planned Parenthood-defending, Code Pink-echoing, flamboyantly ignorant swindler.

Anger about immigration isn't it. I've always been a mushy moderate on immigration. At least with regard to Mexico, it's a problem on the way to solving itself. The ''wall'' would be the greatest waste of money since the feds created the Department of Education  and threatening to dun Mexico for the cost is sheer flimflammery. Still, I was willing to entertain the idea that voters were really exercised about it as an explanation for the Trump rise  until I looked at exit polls.

Since Iowa, voters have been asked to rank issues by importance. In New Hampshire, only 15 percent of voters put immigration at the top of their list of concerns. Fifty-six percent favored a path to legalization for illegals living and working here. In South Carolina, even fewer (10 percent) ranked immigration first among issues of concern, and 53 percent favored that path to legalization. These results were replicated in nearly every state that has held a primary so far. Among Republicans in Pennsylvania, for example, fewer than 40 percent favored deportation of illegal immigrants, yet Trump won nearly 57 percent of the vote.

The exception to this rule is the large number of voters who approve of Trump's proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from the U.S.  a very new wrinkle on the old immigration issue.

Trade has loomed large in a few states, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, but has been more mixed elsewhere, with voters divided on whether it helps or hurts the economy.

So the answer to my friend is that Republicans are not voting on issues; they are voting on personality and attitude, and thus revealing themselves to have fallen for one of the worst errors of the left: the progressive belief that all will be well provided if the ''right'' people, the ''best'' people, are running the government.

''This is the end of Reaganism,'' former Sen. Tom Coburn, a conservative hero, told me. The three-legged stool of strong defense, small government and conservatism on social issues has been smashed. Republicans, or at least a plurality of Republican primary voters, no longer distrust government per se; they simply distrust this government. They dislike Obama and the Republican leadership. But they're ready to believe that an outsider will be able to bring his annealing touch to the economy, to the culture and to national greatness. If a Republican politician today were to tell the joke about ''I'm from the government and I'm here to help you''  a reliable punch line in the Reagan repertoire  he or she would be greeted by incomprehension. This is a signal victory for the left: the triumph of faith in the state. Trumpites are reprising Barack Obama's ''Yes We Can'' with a new lead.

Republican politicians cannot rely on the healthy skepticism about government that was once woven into the fabric of the party. People used to know that bigger government enables more corruption; that the mediating institutions of society, such as family, church and community organizations, are better at nearly every task than bureaucracies; and that government undermines these institutions when it expands too much.

''All kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out,'' explained Huck Finn, a good American constitutionalist. It's a lesson the Republican Party will have to relearn when this season passes.
Fashion glitterati descend on Cuba for Chanel runway show

By Sarah Marsh

HAVANA, May 3 (Reuters) - First came U.S. President Barack Obama and the Rolling Stones. Now global fashion's glitterati including supermodel Gisele Bundchen are descending upon Cuba for Chanel's runway show extravaganza later on Tuesday.

Chanel will be the first major fashion house to send models down the catwalk in Cuba, highlighting warming relations with the West. The exclusive show is also a reminder of new inequalities on the Communist-ruled island.

Karl Lagerfeld, who has been at Chanel's creative helm since 1983, has said his latest inter-seasonal Cruise collection was inspired by the "cultural richness and opening up of Cuba."

Former Cold War foes the U.S. and Cuba, formally agreed to restore diplomatic relations last July. Cuba has since improved relations with other western nations.

Chanel Fashion Chief Bruno Pavlovsky told Reuters the label was uncertain at first if it could hold the show but said Cuban authorities had been "very welcoming and helpful."

While many Cubans are excited to have Chanel in town, some are critical. Chanel goods are not sold in Cuba and most locals could not even dream of affording them, given even a small handbag costs thousands of dollars.

About 70 percent of Cuban workers work for the state with an average salary of $25 per month.

Pavlovsky said it was too early for Chanel, which has fewer than 200 boutiques worldwide, to set up shop in Cuba.

Cuban model, Naivi Fernandez, said she was excited about Chanel coming to Cuba but also worried about its exclusivity in a country which prides itself on inclusiveness. The Rolling Stones concert in Havana in March was free.

"It's a great thrill for me," she said. "But people don't know if we'll be able to ... go and enjoy the show".

Cuba is fast becoming one of the world's most fashionable destinations, as tourists and the style elite seek to savor faded glamour and Caribbean flair before it changes too much.

"Hola Cuba!" wrote Bundchen on her Instagram account on Monday, posting a photo of a Havana downtown park that received around 110,000 likes.

By showcasing its Cruise collection in Cuba, Chanel said it was harking back to the roots of the line originally designed for wealthy Americans holidaying on yachts and cruises in the Caribbean to escape the winter grey.

U.S. cruises to Cuba were forbidden during the country's standoff with the United States.

On Monday, the first U.S. cruise ship to sail to the island since Fidel Castro's revolution docked in the capital, greeted by cheering local residents.

Lagerfeld, 82, is known for his lavish show settings and has created a mock casino, supermarket and brasserie in the past.

Secrecy has shrouded the preparations for his runway in Havana, which will take place in the Paseo del Prado, a leafy promenade lined with marble benches, ornate street lamps and bronze lions that leads down to the Caribbean seashore.

Built in Cuba's golden era when it was a wealthy port, colonial colonnades and elegant Art Deco buildings on either side of the boulevard are now in various states of disrepair although some are being renovated.
Venezuela's PDVSA quietly issues new debt to pay off suppliers

By Brian Ellsworth, Corina Pons and Marianna Parraga

CARACAS/HOUSTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA has issued at least $310 million in debt to companies including General Electric Co as it negotiates private issuances to pay off its suppliers, industry sources told Reuters, stretching the finances of a company that bondholders already worry is on its way to default.

The securities are not bonds but offer rights similar to those enjoyed by bondholders, and at least one issue offers dispute resolution via the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, according to one of the three sources, who cited a term sheet.

This means that if PDVSA defaults, investors holding their bonds may find that there are more creditors competing for compensation than they had originally anticipated.

The overall negotiations on private debt issuance, which were confirmed by seven sources, come as weak oil markets and an unraveling socialist economy have fanned concerns PDVSA will be unable to make nearly $5 billion in bond payments between now and the end of the year. PDVSA and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro insist they will meet all debt obligations and dismiss default rumors as a right-wing conspiracy.

In addition to the $310 million, a package of $1.5 billion in such securities maturing in three to five years is being discussed as a way of settling debts with small and medium-sized oil services firms, according to one of the sources, who was briefed on that proposal.

PDVSA is struggling to prevent oil services providers from stopping work in Venezuela in protest over billions of dollars in unpaid bills.

The company has worked with banks including Deutsche Bank AG to structure fixed-income securities such as promissory notes that can be sold to investors, according to one of the sources, a local trader who saw documents outlining the proposal.

"PDVSA has been offering promissory notes as well as other types of notes and financial instruments to settle debts with providers," said another of the seven sources, who was also involved in one such operation.

"They are offering them because there is no cash."

Deutsche and GE declined to comment. PDVSA did not respond to an email seeking comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing or because they are not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

The total amount of such securities that have already been issued by PDVSA could not immediately be determined.

BACKED-UP BILLS

Promissory notes would typically be unattractive for oil services companies to keep on their own books. They are seen as too risky for many investment portfolios, because they trade in limited volumes and are therefore difficult to sell.

As a result, they are generally structured by large foreign banks that ultimately end up buying the notes at a steep discount, according to another of the sources, who works in the finance industry.

GE has agreed to convert $350 million in unpaid PDVSA invoices into $257 million in loan notes, which are interest-bearing securities that can be sold to other investors, a GE source told Reuters.

An oil industry source said that one company accepted $53 million in promissory notes that come due at the end of this year, asking that the company not be identified to avoid creating conflict with PDVSA. The notes are not registered with settlement agents such as Euroclear, the source added.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, PDVSA has systematically allowed bills to pile up and later negotiated discounts with providers or paid them with global bonds which sell at a discount. Debts to providers in 2014 reached nearly $21 billion, according to that year's financial statements.

PDVSA has not yet released 2015 results.

The company has not made any cash payments in dollars to providers in at least six months as a result of its difficult cash-flow situation, according to two of the sources. It has not been able to issue bonds on capital markets because of prohibitively high yields.

Converting the unpaid bills into securities does not increase PDVSA's total debt burden.

But it does have significant consequences in the event of a default, since the debt changes from a private obligation between two parties into a security held by investors.

Payment difficulties led Schlumberger, the world's top oil services company, to announce in April that it was halting operations in Venezuela.

In response to an email seeking details, a Schlumberger official said the company was not in a position to discuss the issues because it considers them confidential.

Services giant Halliburton also said it was reducing activities in Venezuela, without saying why. It said in its 2015 annual report that at the end of last year it had $31 million in surety bond guarantees associated with its Venezuelan operations, without providing details.

Halliburton declined to comment.
Rebels launch assault in Syria's Aleppo, diplomats try to revive truce

By Lisa Barrington and Denis Dyomkin

BEIRUT/MOSCOW, May 3 (Reuters) - Rebel fighters launched an assault in Syria's divided northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday and fired rockets on a hospital in the latest violence to hit civilians as diplomats struggled to restore an unravelling ceasefire and resurrect peace talks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the conflict, said rebel rockets had killed 19 people in government-held territory, including an unspecified number at the al-Dabit hospital.

It described a rebel offensive that led to casualties on both sides. Rebels had hit a government gun position with a guided missile.

The Syrian state-run Ikhbariya news channel said three women were killed at the hospital and 17 people wounded. A Damascus Information Ministry statement called it a crime against humanity.

The rebel attack followed government air strikes on rebel areas, including one that hit a hospital last week, which medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said killed 55 civilians.

Aleppo has been the scene of the worst surge in fighting in recent days, wrecking the first major ceasefire of the five-year-old civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, which had held since February.

The United States and Russia have taken the leading roles in diplomacy since Moscow joined the war last year with an air campaign that tipped the balance of power in favour of President Bashar al-Assad, its ally.

In an effort to revive the ceasefire, temporary local truces have been put in place in two parts of Syria, but those have not been extended to Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war and its biggest strategic prize now.

U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, who met U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva on Monday and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday, said he hoped the truce could be extended to Aleppo swiftly.

"We all hope that ... in a few hours we can relaunch the cessation of hostilities. If we can do this, we will be back on the right track," de Mistura said. If the truce were extended to Aleppo, peace talks could resume, he said.

Lavrov said, "The process of agreeing a ceasefire in Aleppo is being finished right now between Russian and American military personnel."

He added that he hoped it could be announced in the near future, "maybe even in the coming hours."

KERRY WARNS ASSAD OF 'REPERCUSSIONS'

In pointed remarks in Washington on Tuesday, Kerry warned Assad of "repercussions" if he did not stick to the ceasefire and move forward with a political transition aimed at ending the war in Syria.

"If Assad does not adhere to this, there will clearly be repercussions, and one of them may be the total destruction of the ceasefire and then go back to war," Kerry told reporters a day after the meetings in Geneva.

"I don't think Russia wants that. I don't think Assad is going to benefit from that. There may be even other repercussions being discussed," he said.

It was not clear what Kerry meant by repercussions. Obama administration officials have previously warned of consequences for Assad's actions in Syria's civil war, but critics have said the United States has failed to follow through with a more aggressive response.

Kerry said fighting in Aleppo could escalate if the ceasefire was not extended to the city.

The Aleppo fighting threatens to wreck the first peace talks involving the warring parties, which are due to resume at an unspecified date after breaking up in April when the opposition delegation walked out.

Washington and Moscow have announced a new joint centre in Geneva to monitor the ceasefire, to be staffed around the clock by U.S. and Russian officers.

The two governments have been working to extend the local truces to Aleppo but so far have not been able to do so, although both have expressed optimism that this can be achieved.

BIG PRIZE

Aleppo remains the biggest prize for Assad's forces hoping to take full control of the city. The nearby countryside includes the last strip of the Syria-Turkish border in the hands of Sunni rebels.

The Observatory has reported 279 civilians killed on both sides in Aleppo since April 22, by intense government air strikes and rebel shelling, with 155 killed in opposition-held areas and 124 in government-held districts.

Tuesday's rebel ground assault focused on the Jamiat al-Zahraa area of the city, where insurgent groups took a few buildings before advances were checked by the arrival of reinforcements on the government side, the Observatory said.

A Syrian army source said a car bomb was used in an attack nearby, but the assault had failed. "Matters had been moving towards Aleppo being included in the truce, but it seems there are those who do not want that," the source said.

A Syrian army statement on Tuesday said the rebel attack on the hospital came "at a time when international and local efforts are being made to shore up" the ceasefire and extend the truce to Aleppo.

In a statement, the Nour Al Edin Al Zenkey rebel group accused the government of launching the first ground assault on Tuesday, saying it had attacked west of Aleppo. The group said the assault was successfully repelled and was followed by a counterattack in which rebels captured several positions.

The civil war in Syria has killed hundred of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes, created the world's worst refugee crisis and provided a base for Islamic State militants who have launched attacks elsewhere.

All diplomatic efforts to resolve it have foundered over the fate of Assad, who refuses to accept opposition demands that he leave power.

Washington is among Western and regional powers that say Assad must leave office.
See more news on the migrant crisis at www.dailymail.co.uk/migrantcrisis

More than 3m displaced in the Lake Chad basin by Boko Haram

Niger Foreign Minister 'solicited the help of EU, France and Germany'

Niger needs one billion euros to combat illegal migration to Europe, its Foreign Minister told its EU counterparts on Tuesday.

The African nation is a major transit country for refugees and migrants from across the continent, many hoping to reach the EU.

Some 150,000 migrants will travel through Niger this year, crossingthe Sahara Desert on their way to the Mediterranean coast,according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Journey: Some 150,000 migrants will travel through Niger this year, crossing the Sahara Desert on their way to the Mediterranean coast, after which they attempt to cross the water at great risk

A vast landlocked country, Niger borders Nigeria in thesouth and Libya to north - from whose coast many migrants setoff on the perilous sea journey to EU members Italy or Malta.

'Niger needs a billion euros to fight against clandestinemigration,' Foreign Minister Ibrahim Yacoubou told a newsconference in Niger's capital, flanked by his French and Germancounterparts Jean-Marc Ayrault and Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

'We've solicited the help of the European Union, France andGermany. We want to protect legal migration against clandestinemigration,' Yacoubou said.

As the EU faces its worst migration crisis since World War Two, it allocated 1.15 billion euros in aid to West Africa lastJuly, part of which was intended to go toward migration.

Aid: Niger has asked for one billion euros to fight illegal migration and help legitimate refugees, as millions have been displaced as a result of Islamist insurgent violence in the Lake Chad basin (pictured are African migrants being picked up by Italian coast guard last month)

'I was particularly struck by the energy that Niger hasdeployed in the fight against terrorism and migration and forits development,' said Ayrault, on a West Africa trip withSteinmeier that also took them to Mali.

Niger is one of the world's least developed nations and has been targeted by islamist militants from Boko Haram as well as MUJWA, a breakaway faction of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

More than three million people have been displaced in the LakeChad basin - which alongside Niger includes Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad - by Boko Haram's violent Islamist insurgency.

Last week more than 100 people were arrested by Niger security forces as they tried to illegally cross the country's northern border intoneighbouring Algeria.

Thearrests concerned 122 women andchildren found in a single truck. Local media in Niger said 150 peoplehad been arrested.
Kenya says arrests key member of militant group plotting attacks

By Humphrey Malalo

NAIROBI, May 3 (Reuters) - Kenyan police have arrested a suspected key member of an Islamist militant group that was plotting attacks similar to one in 2013 on the Westgate shopping mall that killed at least 67 people, authorities said on Tuesday.

Militant attacks mostly by al Shabaab militants from neighbouring Somalia have increased in recent years in Kenya, which has a large Muslim population concentrated mostly along its Indian Ocean coast.

President Uhuru Kenyatta sent troops into Somalia in 2011 to join African Union military operations against al Shabaab that have driven it out of its major territorial strongholds but not ended its ability to carry out selective, deadly attacks.

Al Shabaab has vowed to fight Kenya until it withdraws its troops and it claimed responsibility for the assault on the Westgate Mall in the capital Nairobi as well as on a university in eastern Kenya where at least 148 people were killed.

In a statement, Kenyan police said Muhammed Abdi Ali was arrested on Friday as a suspected member of an east African militant group with links to Islamic State, which has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria and inspired offshoot groups elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa.

Ali worked as a medical intern at a hospital in eastern Kenya before his arrest and also studied at a university in neighbouring Uganda, the police statement said.

"Ali has been engaged in the active radicalisation, recruitment of university students and other Kenyan youth into terrorism networks," it said.

His militant group was also planning "large-scale attacks akin to" the Westgate Mall, the statement said, and Ali's network included medical experts who were plotting a biological attack in Kenya using anthrax.

The police statement said two suspected accomplices of Ali - Nuseiba Muhammed Haji, who is also his wife, and Fatuma Muhammed Hanshi - had been arrested in neighbouring Uganda.

Police did not say whether Ali's group had links to al Shabaab. The Somali jihadist group aims to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and impose its own strict version of Islamic law on the Horn of Africa country.
Facebook CEO urges Brazilians to decry WhatsApp block

By Natalia Scalzaretto and Caio Saad

SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO, May 3 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg called on Brazilians to demand his company's WhatsApp messaging service never be blocked again after an appeals court on Tuesday overturned the application's second suspension in five months.

In a post in English on his Facebook page, the U.S. billionaire and Facebook founder urged Brazilians to gather outside Congress in the capital Brasilia at 6 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Wednesday to rally in favor of legislation that would prevent Internet services from being blocked.

WhatsApp was cut off in Brazil at 2 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Monday after a judge in the remote northeastern state of Sergipe ordered Brazil's five main wireless operators to block access to the app for 72 hours. The reason for the order was not made public.

The suspension of WhatsApp's text message and Internet voice telephone service for smartphones was lifted after about 24 hours when an appeals judge on Tuesday ruled in favor of an injunction by the company's lawyers, the court said in a statement. Some 100 million users were affected.

"You and your friends can help make sure this never happens again, and I hope you get involved," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. He also posted a link to a petition, calling efforts to block communication "very scary in a democracy."

The suspension highlighted growing international tensions between technology companies' privacy concerns and national authorities' efforts to use social media to gain information on possible criminal activities.

The same judge in Sergipe ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive in March in a dispute over demands to access the company's encrypted messaging service as part of a drug trafficking investigation.

California-based WhatsApp had said in a statement on Monday that it was "disappointed" at the judge's decision to suspend its services. It said it had done the utmost to cooperate with Brazilian tribunals, but it did not possess the information the court was requesting.

Matt Steinfeld, a Facebook spokesman, said WhatsApp executives were meeting this week with law enforcement and judicial officials in Brazil to improve communication and clarify that the company cannot see users' encrypted messages and does not store them after transmission.

BRAZILIANS ANGERED

It was the second time in five months that WhatsApp in Brazil has been suspended. A Sao Paulo state judge ordered it shut down for 48 hours on Dec. 15, after Facebook failed to comply with an order. Another court lifted that suspension shortly afterward.

Monday's suspension angered many in Brazil, where the service is used by individuals, companies and federal and local governments to send messages and share pictures and videos. Cost-conscious Brazilians are avid users of free messaging apps, and WhatsApp is by far the most popular - installed on more than 90 percent of Android devices.

As some Brazilians sought an alternative messaging system, rival Telegram said on Monday that it suffered technical problems under the weight of demand. It said it received more than a million new user requests.

Leticia Mendes, a 20-year-old shop assistant in Rio de Janeiro, said she was frustrated by the suspension because it could force people to use pay services.

"It's really bad," she told Reuters. "It's just a way of getting more money out of us, when we already have to pay for so many things."

The suspension came as a congressional commission on cyber crime in Brazil debated changes to the 2014 legislation governing the use of the Internet.

Lower house deputy Esperidiao Amin, the rapporteur of the commission, said his proposed reform would help avoid shutdowns of this kind by allowing the blocking of specific individuals or IP addresses suspected of illicit activity, rather than the access of all users.
Argentine farm exports rocket 68 pct higher in first quarter

By Hugh Bronstein

BUENOS AIRES, May 3 (Reuters) - Argentine farm exports rocketed 68 percent higher in the first quarter versus the same 2015 period thanks to new policies that prompted growers to sell stockpiles built up under the previous administration, the government said on Tuesday.

The surge in shipments from the South American grains powerhouse will likely weigh on global food prices, which are near a seven-year low and expected to fall farther due to slowing growth in the global economy.

In the first three months of the year, Argentina exported 19.97 million tonnes of farm products versus 11.91 million in the first quarter of 2015, the government said in a statement.

Free-markets proponent Mauricio Macri took office as president in December, promptly ditching the trade and currency controls applied by his leftist predecessor Cristina Fernandez.

His policies have been embraced by the markets and prompted a congratulatory visit from U.S. President Barack Obama. But he could face political problems, with the country's powerful trade unions opposing his spending cuts.

Leading the first-quarter export surge were wheat and corn, which growers piled up on their farms during Fernandez's rule. She limited export of both crops and taxed the international shipments that were allowed to go through.

Macri scrapped those policies. Wheat exports shot 105 percent higher while corn rose 84 percent.

Chicago Board of trade corn prices are up about 5 percent so far for 2016 but have struggled to rise above $4 a bushel, due in part to Argentina's stepped-up export pace.

CBOT wheat prices are down about 2 percent so far in 2016.

"Wheat re-entered historic markets such as Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia and Vietnam. Argentina exported more than three million tonnes of wheat to these markets during the quarter, twice the amount in the same 2015 period," the statement said.

Argentina is also the world's top supplier of soymeal livestock feed, exports of which grew 73 percent during the quarter. Soy production is likely to be crimped this year by flooding at the start of the harvest in April.

Ernesto Ambrosetti, economist at the Argentina Rural Society, which represents big farms, said the country had nonetheless reclaimed its place as a reliable food supplier. He said farm exports have come to $9.9 billion since Macri took office, 60 percent higher year on year.

Argentina's CIARA-CEC export company chamber warned not to expect such a big first-quarter increase next year.

"Export growth in the first quarter was due to measures taken by the new administration that allowed trading of accumulated stocks of grains and cereals, which made this an atypical quarter," said CIARA-CEC spokesman Andres Alcaraz.
Venezuela 2016 oil output seen down at 2.35 mln bpd - consultancy

CARACAS, May 3 (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil output may fall to average some 2.35 million barrels-per-day this year, as the South American OPEC country's cash crunch and shortages weigh on production, according to energy consulting firm IPD Latin America.

IPD's prediction comes on the heels of its quarterly sector survey, which estimated Venezuela's oil output tumbled 6.8 percent to 2.59 million bpd in the first quarter compared with the same period of 2015, due to drilling delays, insufficient maintenance, theft, and diluent shortfalls.

That estimate is a whisker above the 2.53 million bpd Venezuela produced in the first quarter, according to OPEC numbers. But it marks the first time since the third quarter of 2008 that production fell in all districts, including the extra-heavy crude Orinoco Belt, IPD added.

Given the operational woes, IPD has revised its 2016 output estimate for Venezuela, the country with the world's largest oil reserves to 2.35 million bpd.

"Our original forecast for 2016 annual production of 2.62 million b/d could still be achieved with an oil price hike in the 70-80 US$/bbl range during the second half of the year," the consultancy said in a statement.

Venezuela's Oil Ministry and state oil company PDVSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Official output figures are due later this year.

Longer well-completion times, re-routing of gas from well pressurization to power generation, delayed well maintenance due to "restriction of field services" and theft, as well as a diluent shortfalls as leading to the output slump between January and March, IPD added.

"(There is a) minimal correlation between power sector crisis and crude production fall," in that quarter, the consultancy said, adding that PDVSA generates around 90 percent of the energy required by upstream operations.

Downstream, however, Venezuela's key Paraguana Refining Center (CRP) and El Palito refineries are exposed to the growing energy squeeze, which has caused blackouts and rationing.

The estimates were making a buzz on Tuesday, as oil industry players pondered whether Venezuela would reverse the decline.

"Perhaps what is most concerning is IPD's revision of production estimates for the year as a whole, indicating possible losses of around 500tbd over a twelve-month period," said BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research in a report.

Venezuela is mired in a deep economic crisis which has led to shortages of spare parts, a brain drain, and major debts with service providers.
Albanian court jails nine for recruiting fighters for Syria

By Benet Koleka

TIRANA, May 3 (Reuters) - An Albanian court sentenced nine defendants, including three Muslim clerics, to jail sentences of up to 18 years on Tuesday for recruiting people to fight in Syria's civil war.

The sentencing marked the end of a two-year trial that has underlined concerns about radicalisation among Muslims in Albania and other Balkan countries and has been closely followed by Tirana's NATO ally the United States.

A small number of Albanians in the majority-Muslim ex-communist state have in recent years come under the influence of radical preachers, usually foreigners or Albanians who received their training abroad.

The nine defendants refused to stand when Judge Liljana Baku read out their sentence, just as they have done throughout their trial, saying they recognised only the will of Allah.

The three clerics, Bujar Hysa, Genci Balla and Gert Pashja, were found guilty of recruiting people for terrorist purposes, inciting hatred and making public calls for terrorist acts, and were sentenced respectively to 18, 17 and 17 years in a high-security jail.

They had preached in mosques not controlled by the official Muslim Committee and are believed to have recruited most of the 100 or so Albanians estimated to have travelled to Syria, some with their families, to fight alongside militant groups.

The other six defendants were found guilty of the same charges but sentenced to shorter terms in jail.

Cries of "Allahu Akbar" rang out in the chamber when the judge read out the first sentence but quickly fell silent when she threatened to expel them from the courtroom.

"You are prisoners, not them," one man with a long red beard shouted at police and journalists in the courtroom.

"These American dogs did it," said defendant Bujar Hysa as he left the iron cage in the courtroom, looking towards a U.S. Embassy official who has been attending the court hearings.

About 60 percent of Albanians are Muslims and traditionally follow a tolerant version of the faith, co-existing peacefully with their Christian neighbours.

The U.S. Embassy in Tirana told its citizens that radical groups had threatened violence if the imams were found guilty.

At some court sessions, Fadil Muslimani, a cook at the mosque who was among the defendants, said the group was loyal to Islamic State and that they hoped jihadists would triumph in Syria and around the world.
Israeli troops kill Palestinian driver who rammed soldiers in WBank -army

JERUSALEM, May 3 (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian driver who rammed his vehicle into three Israeli soldiers, injuring them, on a road in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the army said.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the dead man as Ahmed Reyad Shehada, 36, a resident of Bitunia near the town of Ramallah, close to where the incident took place.

The ministry added later that Israel had returned Shehada's body to the family for burial. Israeli authorities have been wary of handing back bodies of some assailants because they have said ensuing funerals have stoked further violence.

One of the three injured soldiers was in a life-threatening condition, a spokeswoman at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv said. The other two were lightly hurt and taken to a hospital in Jerusalem, an ambulance spokesman said.

In the last half year, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two visiting U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 194 Palestinians, 133 of whom Israel has said were assailants. Many others were shot dead in clashes and protests.

Factors driving the violence include Palestinian bitterness over stalled statehood negotiations and the growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, increased Jewish access to a disputed Jerusalem shrine and Islamist-led calls for Israel's destruction.

The last violent fatality in the region took place on April 27 when Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian woman and her teenage brother at the major Qalandia crossing in the West Bank. Israeli police said the two were armed with knives and tried to carry out an attack on the checkpoint.

On April 20, a suicide bomber died of his wounds after he detonated a device on a Jerusalem commuter bus two days earlier. Suicide bombings on Israeli buses were a hallmark of the Palestinian revolt of 2000-2005 but have now become rare.
A Montana high school reported that six students attempted suicide recently; that's only the number school officials were told about. This is one shocking example of the prevalence of suicidal behavior that has made Montana one of the worst suicide states for generations.

The first step in changing this culture of death is recognizing the problem  before a life is lost. Karl Rosston, Montanas suicide prevention coordinator, has been traveling the state with the goal of training Montanans to recognize warning signs of suicide risk, and educating them on how to get help for a person at risk.

Last week he was in Billings training 36 physician assistant students at Rocky Mountain College. Before that, he trained internal medicine residents at Billings Clinic. Rosstons goal is to train Montanas primary care providers to administer quick, simple screenings that usually involve about 10 questions. The patients answers help the medical professional determine whether mental health follow-up is needed.

Montana attitudes about depression and suicide response have changed in the past couple of years, said Rosston, who has been a professional counselor for 25 years.

Im getting more and more requests from nursing programs and hospitals, he said. Hospitals are being inundated with suicidal clients.

According to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly 9 percent of Montana high school students attempted suicide in the 12 months before taking the survey, compared to a national average of 8 percent.

Even more concerning to Rosston, the survey data indicate that students who attempted suicide have many other life problems, such as bullying, drinking and drug abuse. Its not just suicide and depression, its affecting their health across the board.

Although youth suicide gets more attention, the highest rate of suicide in Montana is actually for adults ages 45-64. In 2014, Montana recorded 251 suicides, and a rate of 24.5 per 100,000 population. That was nearly double the national average rate of 13.4. The 2015 statistics are worse: 267 suicides statewide. So far in 2016, at least 61 Montanans have died by suicide.

Billings Public Schools have taken steps to help students who may be at risk. The school district added a professional mental health counselor at each of the three high schools in January. As reported by The Billings Gazettes Matt Hoffmann, those counselors schedules have already filled up with troubled students.

The chances of someone seeking out and getting help is much higher in a school building than in a community setting, said Eric Arzubi, a child psychiatrist at Billings Clinic.

Unfortunately, the schools have limited resources to provide mental health assistance to students. The high school levy on this weeks ballot would fund two additional mental health counselors, as well as 7.5 new teachers to focus on struggling and advanced students.

A vote for the levy is a vote to help deal with the serious mental health crisis among our youth.

But much more must be done. Screening for depression should be added to the routine screenings administered at our schools. We check kids vision, why not check their risk for a serious mental illness?

Earlier this year, the U.S. Prevention Task Force called for depression screening for all youth ages 11-17.

Primary care providers, educators, parents and teens all need to be educated. The stigma of mental illness can only be dispelled with the light of knowledge. Mental illnesses are diseases that can be treated like diabetes, heart attack and cancer. Theres no shame in seeking care. The shame is in lives lost or shattered by lack of effective treatment.

 Billings (Mont.) Gazette
Russia delays U.N. council condemnation of N.Korea missile tests

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS, May 3 (Reuters) - A United Nations Security Council condemnation of North Korea's latest missile tests has been delayed by Russian amendments to a statement that had been agreed by the remaining 14 members, including Pyongyang's ally China, diplomats said on Tuesday.

North Korea test-fired what appeared to be two intermediate-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, but both failed. China's U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi, president of the U.N. Security Council last month, said the body was working on a response.

"The Security Council needs to respond swiftly; so we don't understand why Russia is blocking while all other council members, including China, which borders DPRK (North Korea), can agree," Britain's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Peter Wilson said.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Monday that Moscow had added "some very valuable input" to the draft council statement that the United States was considering "unhappily."

"We need to call a spade a spade and we think that asking for the interested parties to scale down their military activity in the region is very important," Churkin said, referring to moves by the United States and South Korea.

Russia and China on Friday called on the United States not to install a new anti-missile system in South Korea, after Washington said it was in talks with Seoul following North Korea's nuclear arms and missile tests.

The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States.

Last week's missile tests are the latest in a string of demonstrations of military might that began in January with North Korea's fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket in February.

"North Korea is clearly lashing out in dangerous and provocative ways and every member of the Security Council ... is concerned about this except evidently Russia," said a council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Incredibly Russia proposed amendments that were not aimed at the DPRK (North Korea) but rather at countries seeking to protect themselves from this threat," said the diplomat.

North Korea's tests have increased tension on the Korean peninsula. North and South Korea remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, rather than a treaty.
Fishermen protest as deadly red tide blooms in southern Chile

SANTIAGO, May 3 (Reuters) - Thousands of Chilean fishermen blocked roads with barricades in the region of Los Lagos on Monday and Tuesday, saying government efforts to mitigate the economic effects of a harmful algal bloom have been insufficient.

For the last four weeks, the southern-central region of Los Lagos has been plagued by what scientists say is the biggest "red tide" in its history.

The red tide - an algal bloom that turns the sea water red - is a common, naturally recurring phenomenon in southern Chile, though the extent of the current outbreak is unprecedented.

Scientists point to an unusually strong El Nino weather pattern this year as a key factor.

It makes the mussels, hake, and other fish that residents pull from the ocean essentially poisonous, heaping economic pressure on a region with tens of thousands of artisanal fishermen.

In one instance, protesters took over a principal access ramp to the island of Chiloe.

The government has offered to pay each affected family 100,000 pesos ($151) each in compensation, an amount fishermen have widely rejected as insufficient.

"What the government announced is not going to work for us," said fisherwoman Doris Santana.

"In no way can we live on 100,000 pesos."

Artisanal fishing unions have blamed the size of the red tide on pollution by Chile's farmed salmon industry, which is active in the Los Lagos region.

However, Chile's SERNAPESCA fisheries body as well as many scientists have rejected that explanation, pointing to natural factors such as the cyclical El Nino weather pattern, which warms part of the Pacific Ocean and has also caused heavy rain and flooding elsewhere in the region.
Quietly, without fanfare, India is taking concrete steps to squeeze Pakistans terror machine. The strategy is simple and should have been implemented years ago. The objective: to make the 2,900-km-long Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) with Pakistan impervious to terrorist infiltration.

Indias mortar-for-mortar policy on the LoC has silenced Pakistans guns. Since September 2015 there have been few incidents of cross-border firing by the Pakistan Rangers. In earlier years ceasefire violations were endemic. Villagers near the LoC lived in constant fear of Pakistani shelling. Several hundred lives  civilian and military  had been lost over the years to unprovoked Pakistani firing.

Terrorist infiltration, however, remains a serious problem. The Gurdaspur and Pathankot attacks exposed the vulnerability of Indias high security and civilian targets to terrorists pushed across the border by Pakistani army regulars with modern weaponry and provisions to last for days.

The new steps to stop terrorist attacks like Pathankot are promising. They rely on technology and will collaterally help curtail cross-border narcotics smuggling into Punjab.

The plan envisages building a high-tech Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS). The system will have a multi-layered protective shield. It will cover Indias entire western land border from Gujarat to Jammu and Kashmir.

CIBMS technology is similar to Israels security shield on its sensitive borders with several Arab countries. The high-tech equipment includes thermal imaging devices, 360 degree battlefield surveillance radar, night vision cameras, laser barriers and underground monitoring sensors.

The CIBMS would be linked 24x7 to multiple control rooms at a distance of every five kilometers along the border. Simultaneously, the fencing at the border will be strengthened with over 2,00,000 floodlights installed on 50,000 poles.

There are 130 unfenced riverine sections along the 2,900-km border with Pakistan. Terrorists often use these lightly guarded sections to infiltrate into Indian territory and mount attacks. Under the CIBMS, these 130 riverine sections will be blocked with laser barriers.

Will the CIBMS stop terrorist infiltration from Pakistan? No. Will it reduce it significantly? Yes.

The CIBMS will also strengthen Indias hands in implementing a comprehensive political strategy to deal with Pakistan. There are four pivots to this strategy: diplomacy; economics; legal; and covert operations. Dealing successfully with an abnormal rogue state like Pakistan requires deploying a combination of all four.

A BSF soldier standing guard near the fencing along the India-Pakistan border at Wagah. [Agencies]

Diplomacy: India must keep open the option of downgrading Pakistans high commission in New Delhi to consular status. This would involve asking high commissioner Abdul Basit to leave India if the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is not allowed, on the principle of reciprocity, access to areas in Pakistan from where the Pathankot terror attack was plotted.

Economics: Trade is a key weapon. Though direct India-Pakistan trade is minimal, India can withdraw most favoured nation (MFN) status it granted to Islamabad in 1996.

Legal: Even tiny, landlocked Afghanistan declared its intention last week to take Pakistan to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for abetting terrorist activity on Afghan targets from Pakistani soil. India should show spine and intent to indict Pakistan internationally.

Covert ops: Indias covert operational capability must be rebuilt. Mercenaries are available for hire. The Baloch seek independence from Pakistans brutal occupation. They will welcome  to use the phrase Pakistan employs to justify its sponsorship of terrorism in Kashmir  Indias moral support.

Indias Pakistan policy under the NDA government has been inconsistent. Red lines on the Hurriyat have been blurred. The Pakistani army has no intention of giving up its state policy of bleeding India by a thousand cuts. It has paused its terror machine out of tactical expediency since nearly half the army is caught in a quagmire fighting the Taliban insurgency.

National Security Advisor Ajit Dovals recent remark that India is satisfied with Pakistans intent over the Pathankot Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probe shows how muddled the governments Pakistan policy remains. The JIT has absolutely no intention of apprehending the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorists, including Masood Azhar, responsible for the Pathankot terror strike.

Quite the contrary. As Praveen Swami reported in The Indian Express on May 3, 2016: Pakistans Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has ordered relocation of a secret facility used to train the Jaish-e-Muhammad team which carried out the assault on the Pathankot airbase.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the United States next month he must be blunt with outgoing President Barack Obama: the days of humouring Pakistan in the hope that it will dismantle its terror machine are over. It wont. At the very least, Washington must be asked to stop financing that terror machine.
The Congress was swift to prick the trial balloon purportedly floated by political strategist Prashant Kishor on party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's future role as the chief ministerial candidate for 2017 Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly election. The party not just rejected such reports but also declared that all its leaders expected Rahul to take over the reins in 2016.

Reacting to reports, former Union minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on May 2, "I have no idea what Prashant Kishor has said or he is attributed to have said. All I can say is Rahul Gandhi is a member of Parliament from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi is vice-president of the Congress party and we all expect Rahul Gandhi to become president of the Congress party in 2016 Rahul Gandhi obviously cannot be chief minister for 29 states."

Congress workers in Gorakhpur were quick to welcome reports of Rahul being projected as UP CM. They put up a poster, with morphed pictures, depicting the party vice-president as "Singham" who is taking on state CM Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, BJP state president Keshav Prasad Maurya and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

Poster put up by Congress workers in Gorakhpur, UP, depicting Rahul Gandhi as "Singham".

Whether or not Kishor floated the idea of projecting either Rahul or his sister Priyanka Vadra as UP's chief ministerial candidate, the "leak" certainly has severely dented the party vice-president's image. By one stroke, it has highlighted the futility of pushing Rahul for the prime minister's post, that too against a heavyweight like BJP's Narendra Modi.

Nothing could have been more embarrassing for the Nehru-Gandhi family, whose three members - Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi - have been the country's PM, than these reports. Even if it was Kishor's plan which was nipped in the bud, it was justified in demoting Rahul and these are the reasons why:

1. Reluctant leader

Despite having joined politics more than a decade ago and despite being a three-time Lok Sabha MP (2004, 2009 and 2014) Rahul is still considered a reluctant leader. He is not seen leading the party from the front. As a result, his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi has refused to hand over the reins of the party to him as yet despite facing health issues. The Nehru-Gandhi family loyalists have been vociferously demanding the passing of baton to the heir apparent but the doubts over his capability to successfully lead the party is keeping Sonia and her trusted lieutenants from effecting this change. Rahul has rarely shown any streak of leadership. His mysterious vanishing acts are only mocked at, further denting his image.

2. Gains of 56-day sabbatical fading

Rahul had shown sudden changes in his persona after his 56-day sabbatical last year. He had brought with him enough energy, wit and humour to counter a "56-inch-chest" Modi. The Congress vice-president had started using earthy one-liners which stuck at Modi and the BJP. His first salvo was the "suit-boot ki sarkar" jibe at Modi, followed by his remark that the people would reduce Modi's 56-inch chest to 5.6 inches, while he was referring to the contentious Land Acquisition Bill. He also mocked the PM's monthly radio programme "Mann ki Baat" asking Modi to listen to "Hindustan ke Mann ki Baat" instead by directing external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan to resign on former IPL boss Lalit Modi-related issues and Vyapam scam respectively.

However, that spark is fading now. We haven't heard of any new catchy phrases. The initial gusto has got eroded now. Rahul had improved upon his oratorical skills too after returning from his sojourn to the undisclosed destination. Though he seldom uses "bhaiya" now or pull up the sleeves of kurta repeatedly while delivering a public speech, the punches are missing and we hear the same boring style of speech delivery. One wonders whether Rahul needs to go on another sabbatical in the coming days to get rejuvenated?

3. Waning appeal

Rahul has not led the party to any Lok Sabha win. He has neither been instrumental in the victory of the party in any of the state elections. Since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has managed to win just in Bihar. But that victory cannot be attributed to Rahul - the credit goes to chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad with Kishor being the man behind the scene. The repeated defeats have eroded much of the appeal which Rahul carried initially.

4. No encouraging scenario in home state

Rahul has not been a driving force even in his home state of UP. He mingled with Dalits by eating and sleeping in their houses in a bid to woo them but to no avail. Despite being the party's face in UP, where he is reportedly being projected as the Congress' CM candidate, the party won just 22 seats in 2007 and 28 seats in 2012 Assembly elections. This has put a serious question mark over Rahul's appeal even in his home state. That leads to the question - where will the Congress vice-president fit in if he is considered not capable enough of either being the party president or the candidate for say the PM/CM post? Only the Congress can decide.

5. National Herald and AgustaWestland scams

Whatever remains of Rahul's charisma is currently facing decimation by the fresh scams of National Herald and AgustaWestland cases. Along with his mother, he already is an accused in the National Herald scam. He is out on bail. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing session of Parliament, has ensured that the mother-son duo is dragged to the court. Their appearance in court dented their image. They had to struggle to exemption from personal appearance in the court.

At a time when the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland scam is raging in India, Italy and the United Kingdom, BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has alleged Rahul's involvement in it. He has claimed that there is evidence to prove direct involvement of both Sonia and Rahul to the chopper deal. Somaiya said that Guido Haschke, one of three middlemen of the deal whom India wants to quiz, served as a director in 2009 in real estate major Emaar-MGF. The real estate company, according to Somaiya, was promoted by Kanishka Singh's family. Singh is one of the top political advisers of Rahul and is considered very close to him.
A few days ago I was speaking at a literary festival - Dehradun's very first - and the discussion turned to the political troubles of our times. These things can become fairly grim. The police horse, Shaktiman, had just died - possibly exemplifying how terribly brutal and vicious our politics and politicians have become, and I guess people were not in very good cheer.

I intervened to suggest that things were not as bleak as we might see them to be.

Among the audience were a number of schoolchildren and it was primarily to them that I made this address. We had survived the Emergency (when I was an infant), the 1984 riots (when I was a young child), and the massacres - Nellie, Bhagalpur, Hashimpura, Gawkadal, Bombay, and numerous others as the '80s turned to the '90s, and I left school to join college.

At one level, looking back at the decades of my life, it seems they have all been marked by the blood of innocents shed for those in lust for political power, setting Indians against Indians, until all of us seem stained by the crimes inflicted on each other.

Break through ossified traditions of class, caste and gender towards freedom.

And yet, we have survived. Not only have we survived, but unlike the past crimes, some of those guilty of recent murders have even been punished. In the face of these massive injustices, that seems little, but change is slow and we should not forget the progress we have made in light of all that we have not achieved.

I ended by saying that our hope lies in each other. And I want to emphasise that. Looking at the government we have is not a cause for hope. We have the most illiterate Cabinet in the history of India. Our minister for water resources has more criminal cases against her - including of murder of her own party members - than years in an institution of higher learning.

Job growth has slowed, while at the same time a culture of abuse and violence is either condoned, or ignored, by those in power. So much so that in the heart of Delhi, thugs led by an elected member of the legislative assembly, can attack students and media persons, one day after another in the court of law as the police watches.

Our Opposition is scarcely better.

Two years after losing power the Congress party is still - credibly - being accused of corruption charges. The most able politician in the Opposition is probably Lalu Prasad Yadav, banned from electoral politics because of his criminal conviction.

Even the new heroes, people like Richa Singh, the first woman to head the Allahabad University's students' union after Independence, have sunk to new lows, such as joining the Samajwadi Party, a political party that has covered itself with shame for the criminality of the conduct of its members and leaders. Kanhaiya Kumar's meeting with Lalu Prasad Yadav hardly augurs well.

In the meanwhile our government is giving guided tours to the ISI to our military bases, and being treated with contempt by China and the United States. We have a prime minister who cannot remember if he was married or not, or educated or not, and a minister of state for external affairs best known for forgetting his birthday. It seems our political class is dominated by clowns, or criminals, or criminal clowns.

And yet, sitting that day in Dehradun, I would still say that things are not that bad. I say this because the tragedies that we outrage about were ones we ignored not so long ago. I was, like many, broken-hearted by Rohith Vemula's suicide. But he is not the first Dalit to be so harassed, and yet, today his name is one this whole country knows. He could not reach the stars of his dreams, but he is a fallen star to us, who must take up the challenge to make sure his name - and his struggles - are not forgotten.

The harassment of women is nothing new to this country, and yet that has not stopped the women of this country from achieving greatness in industry, in the media, in the sciences, in sports, and inevery single field that they have breached. Sitting before an audience, many of them very young, I could not but say, "Look, you are our future, and you look better than we do."

Later, a journalist came to rebuke me, to tell me that I should not have spoken so blithely of the good things, and by emphasising the hope I had obscured the difficulties that we were living through, the problems with our politics. This view, I think, is mistaken. It is mistaken primarily because it views hope and despair through the prism of our politicians. Our politicians will always disappoint us.

In a democracy the hope rests not in our rulers, but in ourselves. This is the hope that drives young men and women to win greatness, to hold the powerful to account, to challenge the people that were before unchallengeable.

Hope is the kernel of revolution, without it we can change nothing. And that hope, in India today, rests with its people. As prosperity has grown, as literacy has grown, as we have become less dependent on the government, we have been able to assert our freedoms. The struggle for women's rights, for gay rights, for the respect of the marginalised arises from people who have been empowered - often by themselves, often against the interest of the ruling class.

Yes, we can and should lament at how our politicians disappoint us, but look at our people, compare how poor and disenfranchised they were at our Independence, look at them now - is any one of them a lesser person than the Englishmen who ruled them not so long ago? This is the promise of the republic, this is the hope we cannot give up.

Look away from the people who walk in the corridors of power, look instead at the people who are the real power of this country - its citizens.
North Dakotas Republicans have a big decision to make come June 14. Who do they want to run against Democratic Rep. Marvin Nelson: American entrepreneur and businessmen Doug Burgum or Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem?

North Dakota is facing many economic issues. During the latest oil boom in the Bakken, times were good. Anyone in the Bakken could practically drop a quarter on the ground and pick up a dollar.

The glorious economic times have changed. The major industries in the state  agricultural, crude oil and coal  have tanked. The current state government budget is short by a minimum of $1 billion.

But, our state still has a sizable financial cushion. According to the states budget director, Pam Sharp, the state still has more than $875 million in surplus cash in its various reserve accounts, not counting the oil tax-funded Legacy Fund, which holds more than $3.5 billion.

What does the economic future look like for the state? According to a recent article in the Tribune, the private lignite industry is seeking increased help from North Dakotas taxpayers. The industry received $5 million from the Legislature during the past session and North Dakota coal plans to ask the state for financial help  billions of dollars of financial help over time. Will we also pay the oil industry, too, for their business? These are our dollars.

What does the state need in a new governor? Does it need a litigator, regulator, life-long politician whose time has come to be governor to run the state or does it need someone experienced in business and economic development to guide North Dakota into the future? Gov. Ed Schafer re-energized the state with a new image in the 1990s. Maybe it is new image time again.
MEDORA  Zoning for a refinery planned at what some call the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park was put on hold for another month at Tuesdays meeting of the Billings County Commission.

Chairman Jim Arthaud, who attended by phone, said he wants to see more work before Meridian Energys application is taken off the table and into full consideration. The countys planning and zoning board did recommend approval last month.

But Arthaud said the companys plan for road setbacks, water, storm water, sewer, emergency planning and railroad crossings should be complete before the county takes action on a 55,000-barrel-per-day refinery east of Medora, where Billings County adjoins Stark County.

Arthaud also said he thinks Meridian needs to provide bonds during construction and operations.

I do not believe the county commissioners can make the best decision for the county based on the information we currently have, he said.

Meridians project manager Dan Hedrington made a can do response.

Were comfortable with this. Were good to go, said Hedrington, who asked for a spot on the June agenda.

Scott Lange, also a project manager, said he didnt see any significant impact to the companys schedule.

Zoning is an important step for the project, but the biggest one will be meeting stringent air quality standards because of the proximity to the national parks Class 1 air, the cleanest standard of all. The refinery would be located between 2.5 and 3 miles from the parks boundary.

Lange said the air quality application could be delivered to the state Health Department in June or July and Meridian will evaluate whether to proceed with site work once it has zoning, or wait a year or more until the air permit is in hand. Because the refinery is a major pollution source by definition, the department prohibits construction of permanent facilities without a permit.

Commissioner Joe Kessel expressed some frustration about the air quality issue.

It all revolves around the park, no matter what. Its kind of a pain, he said.

The project has supporters and opponents, some of them prepared to speak to the county before the matter was put on the table for a month.

Two people showed up late carrying large hand-lettered protest signs, one reading, Meridian already selling shares.

Allan Richard, who ranches south of the park boundary along Interstate 94, said he likes the park and surrounding Forest Service land, but is in favor of the refinery.

I like the idea of my kids being home for Thanksgiving and Christmas because they have a job. Why should we take our raw product and ship it out? he said.

Valerie Naylor, former park superintendent and consultant for the National Parks Conservation Association, said the issue is bigger than Billings County.

The park is a resource that belongs to the people of the United States, said Naylor, adding it was good to see the county commission slow down and put ample thought into the project.

A park view shed analysis finds the refinery would be visible from the eastern rim and from the popular vantage of Buck Hill.

Lange, of Meridian, said the top 30 feet of a crude oil column would be visible from Buck Hill and at a sight distance of 7 miles.

Hedrington said the location was best of several evaluated for utilities, oil pipeline access, trucking, environmental and willing property sellers.

New information on the companys website shows its also drawing plans for a large-scale housing and commercial development right next to the refinery, adjoining the town of Belfield.
Culpeper County Republican Committee Chairman Chuck Duncan doesnt know where his party is headed after attending Saturdays GOP Convention in Harrisonburg.

I think it is divided, he said, echoing sentiments from voters nationwide.

Duncan, who joined 33 voting delegates from Culpeper at the convention, said the presidential nomination process playing out in 2016, from a historical perspective, reminds him of the 1860 election which had two Democratic candidates and saw the demise of the Whig Party.

Its the beginning of the GOP and Abraham Lincoln is chosen as the Republican nominee, Duncan said. Its kind of where we are now  its all up in the air.

Ted Cruz supporters dominated a slate of delegates  10 of 13  that Republican committee leaders chose at the state convention. But Duncan felt the designation of Cruz supporters was open to interpretation as the March primary election in Virginia  which Republican front-runner Donald Trump won by nearly 35 percent  decided the allocation of delegate votes for the first ballot.

After that, there are not any rules, he said.

To say delegates are affiliated with or leaning toward one candidate or the other is a meaningless statement, Duncan said, because delegates can switch alliance. He went on to say that the list of delegates presented to Republicans at the convention was too narrow.

There was one choice provided, said Duncan, adding that it led to a prolonged floor battle and no provision for alternate choices. He voted against the slate of delegates out principle, Duncan said.

He would not say which presidential candidate he was supporting, saying it was not appropriate for a local party chairman to do so until after the nominee was officially chosen.

Culpeper County Republican Committee Vice Chairman Jon Russell, a Culpeper Town councilman, was among the local delegation attending Saturdays state convention. He said he supported Cruz and would continue to support the Texas senator until he wins the general election or is no longer an option.

From my perspective, Cruz's victory at the convention was simply a reflection of the grassroots support that exists throughout the counties, Russell said. However, If Trump reaches the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination before the Cleveland convention, most delegates will throw their full support behind him.

He said Culpeper County delegates at the convention were made up of both Cruz and Trump supporters.

Russell, who works to develop local policy as part of the conservative American City-County Exchange, said the current divide in the Republican Party is not based on class or party leadership.

Understandably, Trump supporters feel betrayed by both political parties, the government and the media, said the councilman. For them, this is about sending a message they are tired of being lied to and their voices being dismissed.

According to Russell, Cruz supporters are primarily made up of fiscal and social conservatives believing in strict interpretation of the Constitution, free markets and limited government.

Together, both campaigns represent the majority view of voters in the country, which is why I am convinced our next president will be a Republican, he said.

The Republican nomination race will likely be over if Trump wins Tuesdays Indiana primary, said Geoffrey Skelley with the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Theres a decent chance Trump can reach 1,237 bound delegates by the time voting ends on June 7, or at least get to that mark with the support from some unbound delegates from the Pennsylvania delegation who have suggested they will vote for Trump, he said.

District and state conventions are very different from primary elections, Skelley added. While Trump narrowly won Virginias primary, he said, more than 1 million voters cast ballots compared to the 2,610 participants in last weekends state convention.

That means that almost 400 times as many people voted in the March 1, Skelley said. And on the whole, most of the convention delegates were party activists, died-in-the-wool Republicans who are more motivated by ideology and/or victory  two factors that have led many Republicans to oppose Trump because they feel he isnt a true conservative and because he has awful favorability ratings among the general electorate while polling poorly against Hillary Clinton."

Russell said that once the Republican National Convention in July is over that the party would emerge with a strong message of change.

Everything that has been the norm in politics will be turned upside down on its head and for the first time in many presidential elections, voters will have a clear contrast between the Democrats and Republican candidates, he said.
Republican leaders in the Virginia General Assembly have hired a top conservative lawyer to guide an expected lawsuit against Gov. Terry McAuliffe's executive order that restored voting rights for 206,000 felons.

Charles J. Cooper - a former assistant attorney general under President Ronald Reagan who was once named "Republican lawyer of the year" - will lead the effort to challenge the Democratic governor's order, GOP leaders announced Monday.

It is the obligation of the legislative and judicial branches to serve as a check on overreaches of executive power," House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said in a news release. "To that end, we are prepared to uphold the Constitution of Virginia and the rule of law by challenging Governor McAuliffes order in court."

Cooper, who defended California's ban on same-sex marriage before the United States Supreme Court in 2013, is a former partner in the D.C. office of McGuireWoods. He practices civil litigation at Cooper & Kirk PLLC, a Washington-based firm he helped found in 1996.

"We have retained Mr. Cooper to examine the legal options to remedy this Washington-style overreach by the executive branch," said Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City. "Mr. Cooper is an extremely qualified attorney and we have every confidence he will proceed prudently, judiciously, and expeditiously.

Taxpayer funds will not be used to fund a lawsuit, Republicans said.

McAuliffe has said he has the legal and constitutional authority to restore voting and civil rights for all felons who had completed their sentences, probation and parole by April 22.

McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said Monday that the governor is "disappointed that Republicans would go to such lengths to continue locking people who have served their time out of their democracy."

"These Virginians are qualified to vote and they deserve a voice, not more partisan schemes to disenfranchise them," Coy said.

The specific plan of attack against the order is unclear. Two key issues will be finding a plaintiff and determining the proper legal venue.

A challenge would likely focus on whether McAuliffe has the authority to go further than previous governors by restoring rights for nonviolent and violent felons en masse rather than doing so on an individual, case-by-case basis.

McAuliffe has highlighted language in the Virginia Constitution granting the governor power to "remove political disabilities" for felony convictions. Constitutional expert A.E. Dick Howard has backed McAuliffe, saying the executive branch has unqualified authority on the matter.

To argue the governor must follow a more individualized process, a legal challenge could point to other constitutional language saying no "person" convicted of a felony can vote unless "his" civil rights have been restored.

An advisory committee convened by then-Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli reported in 2013 that governors lack the power to enact "automatic, self-executing restoration of rights" for all felons.

"While the Constitution of Virginia does confer on the governor the power 'to remove political disabilities consequent upon conviction for offenses,' a court likely would find it difficult to sustain a governors exercise of this clemency power in so sweeping a manner that the Constitutions general policy of disenfranchisement of felons is voided," the committee wrote in its report.

McAuliffe's order does not create an automatic restoration of rights. Going forward, he plans to sign similar orders monthly to restore rights for those transitioning out of the criminal justice system.

Republicans have argued McAuliffe overstepped by issuing a blanket order that applies to all ex-offenders regardless of whether they submitted an application. Coming in a presidential election year, Republicans have accused McAuliffe of playing politics by adding thousands of likely Democratic voters to the rolls as a boost to longtime McAuliffe friend Hillary Clinton.

McAuliffe's order has received national acclaim in progressive circles. Supporters have applauded the order as a bold move that does away with a restriction that disproportionately impacts African-Americans and brings Virginia more in line with policies of other states.

State Senator Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, said in an email Monday night that the governor's executive action was politically motivated.

"This is an unconstitutional and unprecedented abuse of executive authority the governor is using to affect the election this November and ensure his long-time friend, Hillary Clinton, becomes the next President of the United States," said Reeves, who represents Culpeper County and is running for lieutenant governor in 2017.
LONDON - England - False claims by the Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign that UK trade would fall by 250 billion have been completely debunked by Vote Leave.

Responding to claims by the Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign that UK trade would fall by 250 billion if we Vote Leave, Vote Leave Chief Executive Matthew Elliott said:

BSE cant even be consistent or honest in their campaign to do down the British economy. Their underlying belief appears to be that Britain  the worlds fifth largest economy and a nation with a great history of trading across the globe  would be an economic backwater if it wasnt for Brussels taking control of our trade deals. Thats absurd. After we Vote Leave we will take back control of the powers weve surrendered to EU bureaucrats and stop sending Brussels 350 million a week. That would boost our economy and allow us to spend our money on our priorities.

Lord Darling and BSE cant make up their minds about how many billions they say will be lost if we Vote Leave. They have already used different figures to make the same claim, while leading figures in their campaign have admitted trade would not be affected.

BSE claims today that for the first time, it is showing the volume of trade at risk if we leave the EU. This is wrong.

On 3 January 2016, BSE claimed that new research shows over 235bn of trade at risk if Britain leaves the EU.

Prominent BSE campaigner Anna Soubry has said that exports to the EU will go down to almost absolutely zero if we come out of the EU. In 2015, the UK exported 223.3 billion of goods and services to the EU.

Lord Darling previously claimed that the amount of trade that would be lost would be 92 billion.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, who is leading the IN campaign, has admitted trade would not be affected: If we were outside the EU altogether, wed still be trading with all these European countries, of course we would  Of course the trading would go on  Theres a lot of scaremongering on all sides of this debate. Of course the trading would go on.

The Head of the IN campaign, Lord Rose, has also admitted that nothing is going to happen if we come out of Europe Its not going to be a step change or somebodys going to turn the lights out and were all suddenly going to find that we cant go to France, its going to be a gentle process.

BSEs figures do not add up.

BSE states that in 2014, trade with EU was 520 billion. They claim that UK trade with the EU is 76% higher than it would have been in the absence of EU membership and we had traded without an agreement. Nonetheless, BSEs figures do not show a 76% fall in trade. Their methodology and sources are unclear.

A 76% fall in trade with the EU would result in trade falling to 124.8 billion, a reduction of 395.2 billion. Yet BSE claims that trade with the EU would fall by 224 billion.

BSE have not quantified a 76% fall in exports either. In 2014, the UK exported 228.9 billion to the EU. A 224 billion reduction would amount to a 97.8% fall in exports, not a 76% fall.

It is entirely unclear how BSE calculated the 224 billion figure. BSE also claims that their research shows that the EU has been negotiating trade deals since 1974. However, the earliest trade deal cited in their table is one in which negotiations started in 1985.

Countries outside the EU trade with it to a greater extent than the UK does. It is ridiculous to suggest that trade with the EU might fall by 43%.

In 2015, 53.7% of Switzerlands exports were sold to the EU. In 2015, 43.7% of UK exports were sold to the EU.

The OECD has noted that: the EU absorbs around 45% of Swiss exports of financial services, despite the absence of passporting rights for its banks. In 2014, exports to the EU of financial services, insurance and pensions represent 33% of the UKs exports in those sectors. Nonetheless, BSE suggests that 43% of the UKs trade with the EU could disappear if we Vote Leave. This is ridiculous.

BSE has already admitted third country free trade agreements could continue if we Vote Leave.

The Executive Director of the IN campaign, Will Straw has accepted that free trade agreements with third countries could continue after we Vote Leave, stating: either eventuality could come to pass.

After we Vote Leave, we would be free to immediately start negotiations with third countries to strike free trade deals. There are 1,720 civil servants in Whitehall who specialise in trade policy who could be deployed during this period to ensure a smooth transition. These deals could come into force after the treaties cease to apply to the UK.

If the UK makes clear it wants existing agreements to be maintained on current terms, there is little reason to think any third country with which the EU currently has a free trade agreement would disagree. The UK is, after all, the fifth largest economy in the world. There is no reason why third countries would want to cut off access to the UK market.

As the Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, has said: we would want to preserve both our existing position with Great Britain and continue to grow that relationship. We would need to find a way through that. The reality is there are a number of mechanisms where that would be possible.

Lord Darling claims that leaving the EU would mean introducing tariffs and barriers to our trade, but IN campaigners have already admitted this is inaccurate.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has admitted: If we were outside the EU altogether, wed still be trading with all these European countries, of course we would  Of course the trading would go on  Theres a lot of scaremongering on all sides of this debate. Of course the trading would go on.

The UKs former Ambassador to the EU and leading supporter of the BSE campaign, Lord Kerr, has admitted: there is no doubt that the UK could secure a free trade agreement with the EU. That is not an issue.

Even the pro-EU CBI has said: the UK is highly likely to secure a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, and such an agreement would be likely to be negotiated at an extremely high level of ambition relative to other FTAs [free trade agreements].

The pro-EU Centre for European Reform has accepted that, given the importance of the UK market to the eurozone, the UK would probably have little difficulty in negotiating an FTA.

The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has admitted that a free trade agreement in goods would be relatively simple to negotiate.

BSE seem to accept that it could take less than two years to strike a free trade deal with the EU. This is a reasonable assumption.

BSE admits that the EU has struck free trade deals in less than two years. In the table in their press release, BSE claims that the EU and Mexico struck a free trade deal in 1.83 years (though it is unclear how it came to this figure).

Trade deals take on average two years to complete. Oxford Economics states that an analysis of regional trade deals conducted over the past 20 years found an average duration of 28 months.

The US-Australia free trade agreement was concluded in less than two years. Formal negotiations for a free trade agreement began in Canberra on 18 March 2003. The agreement came into effect on 1 January 2005. The US Government states that: as a result of the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement, tariffs that averaged 4.3 percent were eliminated on more than 99% of the tariff lines for U.S. manufactured goods exports to Australia.

The US-Canada free trade agreement was negotiated in less than two years. According to the Government of Canada, In 1987, both countries agreed to the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA). Negotiations toward a free trade agreement with the U.S. began in 1986. The two nations agreed to a historic agreement that placed Canada and the United States at the forefront of trade liberalization. Key elements of the agreement included the elimination of tariffs, the reduction of many non-tariff barriers, and it was among the first trade agreements to address trade in services. It also included a dispute settlement mechanism for the fair and expeditious resolution of trade disputes.
LONDON - England - Ridiculous EU regulations in Britain are hindering its ability to support the environment and costing the country.

Responding to claims by Britain Stronger in Europe that leaving the EU would harm the environment, George Eustice MP, Minister for the Marine Environment said:

Since the Lisbon Treaty the EU has systematically undermined the UKs place on international wildlife conventions. We have already been stripped of our voting rights on Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and, extraordinarily, it is now unlawful for the UK to speak at wildlife conventions like CITES without first getting permission for what we want to say from the European Commission.

If we vote to leave and take control, the UK would regain its own seat and its voice in vital international wildlife conventions and everything from promoting shark conservation to ending whaling would become much easier.

Also commenting, Gisela Stuart MP, Chair of Vote Leave said:

Pro-EU campaigners are descending into absurdity. It seems there is no good in the world that they cannot somehow attribute to the EU and no imagined disaster they cannot predict if we Vote Leave. In reality, if we Vote Leave on 23 June we can reclaim our voice at international institutions and spend the 350 million we hand to Brussels every week on our priorities likes the environment.

The EU is bad for the green economy, with the European Court recently requiring the UK to raise taxation on energy saving products.

Because of a European Court ruling in June 2015, stating that the UKs 5% rate of VAT on the installation of all energy saving materials was contrary to EU law, VAT will have to rise to 20% instead of 5%. The reduced rate of 5% on other products, such as insulation, heat pumps and central heating systems, will cease to apply to persons who are not (a) over 60, (b) in receipt of benefits, or (c) living in social housing. The cost of installing solar panels for consumers could increase by 1,000.

The UK must comply with this judgement, even if it means overruling the VAT lock, or face fines from the European Court.

The EU has threatened to sue Britain for trying to protect wildlife. We cannot ban the export of live animals for slaughter in the EU.

In 2009, the UK was reported to have voted against a common EU position to abstain on banning the international trade in bluefin tuna, in a secret ballot in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The Commission reportedly considered launching legal proceedings against the UK as a result.

The Government has admitted that a prohibition on the export of live animals for slaughter is inconsistent with EU law.

The EU has failed to keep the air clean. Its Emissions Trading Scheme has been labelled a an abject failure by Friends of the Earth and has proven a vehicle for defrauding of taxpayers.

Friends of the Earth labelled the EUs emissions trading scheme an abject failure.

Between June 2008 and December 2009, fraudsters made 5 billion out of the ETS by exploiting single market rules, in what is known as a carousel fraud. HMRC accepts that VAT fraud exploits the Single Market rules that were introduced in 1992.

As recently as July 2015, the EUs own auditors concluded that: The ETS market remains at risk to VAT fraud.

EU policies have simply led to carbon leakage. This does nothing to improve the environment.

The European Commission has admitted that their policies have led to Carbon leakage  firms leaving Europe and carrying on polluting in other countries. A report produced for the Commission in 2013 acknowledged that Energy discussions play a major role in the overall situation for industry and are always on the background of carbon leakage discussions. Be it cheap shale gas in the US and Middle East or subsidised coal in China, the impact of energy prices is real.

Leaving the EU will not damage environmental investment, which could be increased if we Vote Leave.

In 2014, the UK paid 19.1 billion into the EU budget, over 350 million per week. Investment within the environment sector in Britain would thus increase if we Vote to Leave.

EU rules have stopped Britain building the homes it needs.

The Government has acknowledged that EU rules such as the Habitats Directive and wider EU environmental permit requirements are regulations which stop housebuilders building the homes that Britain needs.

The Home Builders Federation has said that the implementation of the Habitats Directive brought house building activity to a virtual halt in large parts of some 11 local authorities in Berkshire, Surrey and NE Hampshire ten years ago, leading to significant job losses in the home building industry and threatening the existence of many SME companies in the region.

The Environment Secretary has previously criticised damaging EU rules which remain unchanged.

In January, Ms Truss said: I am fighting for reforms like getting rid of the three-crop rule, reforming the over-the-top audit and controls regime, and the absurd requirement for farmers to put up ugly posters in the countryside to publicise EU funding.

Ms Truss has also accepted there are serious costs to membership of the EUs single market. None of these matters were changed during the renegotiation.
BRUSSELS - Belgium - The EU army is going ahead. The last time Europe had an army it was the Nazi army, and that didn't end so well.

The Nazis incorporated many different European nations into their army, much like Jean Claude Juncker and his friend Roderich Kiesewetter want to do with todays proposed EU army.

Juncker is of course no stranger to the Nazis, as his father was a member of Hitlers army push into Russia in 1941 codenamed Operation Barbarossa.

Junckers wife, Christiane, also shares an interesting paternal link with the Nazis. Her father, Louis Mathias Frising, was one of Hitlers Propaganda Commissars, and was among those responsible for the Germanification of Junckers home country of Luxembourg. He also helped enforce the Nuremburg Laws that stripped Jews of their rights, and were a precursor to the Holocaust.

Currently the EU seeks to announce the commencement of the German-led EU army after Britains referendum, and if we do not vote to leave, future generations will inherit a conscription in the EU army to fight the Russian bear.

As the Germans have already absorbed the Dutch army, they will incorporate all other EU nations into the military force to eventually attack Russia. The German Bundeswehr is expanding for the first time since the Cold War.

By building an EU army on the doorstep of Russia, the Brussels eurocrats are teasing Russia, they are building what is seen as a direct threat to Putin, and this message can only end ultimately in war.

We have already witnessed what the EUs incursion into the Ukraine caused, when Putin retaliated with the annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

It is in Britains interests to stay out of the EU under its dangerous state, by leaving the EU, it would retain control but most importantly not threaten the Russian bear, unlike the EU army which will catastrophically set off World War III.

Vote Leave on June 23  No to Germano-EU Army
Aamir Khan, who is currently shooting for Dangal, will begin shooting for 'Secret Superstar' in June.

New Delhi: Even before we could get out of the buzz Aamir Khan's latest film 'Dangal' is creating in the industry before its release, actor's next project has already been announced.

If industry rumors are to be believed, Mr. Perfectionist will be playing the role of a music composer in his next titled 'Secret Superstar'.

The film which was earlier said to be titled 'Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai' will be directorial debut of Aamir's manager, Advait Chandan.

Though Aamir will not be playing the lead in the film, it is not a cameo either. The main lead will be a child and a mother, who are yet to be cast.

'Secret Superstar' will be a musical, where film's music will be given by Amit Trivedi and will start rolling in June.
Apart from Sridevis husband and films crew, her daughters Jhanvi and Khushi also tagged along to Georgia

Bollywoods veteran actress Sridevi is currently in Georgia where she is shooting for her husband Boney Kapoors production film Mom, which will mark Pakistani actress Sajal Alys Bollywood debut.

Apart from Sridevis husband and films crew, her daughters Jhanvi and Khushi also tagged along to Georgia to witness the films on-going shoot.

The timing couldnt have been better as the familys work outing soon turned into a vacation. Surrounded by her two gorgeous daughters and a loving husband, Sridevi is having a wonderful time shooting for her next film.

In between her shoot, the actress makes sure to drop a picture from their international outing on her official Instagram account. The Pakistani actress also shared a picture of herself with Sridevis daughter Jhanvi Kapoor.

Before flying off to Georgia, Sridevi finished the films first schedule in Delhi. In a week, the on-going schedule will wrap up and actress will fly back to Mumbai where she'll be then joined by other actors. Mom is a women-centric film which shows Sridevi as a stepmother and her complicated relationship with her 18-year old daughter.
A couple was shocked after their son was born with a total of 31 fingers despite there being no indications of his deformities on pre-natal scans. The three-month-old boy, who is nicknamed Honghong, even has two palms on each hand with no thumbs, according to Peoples Daily Online. It is said that Honghong suffers from an extreme case of polydactyly, which is a medical condition in which people are born with extra fingers or toes. However, this is a rare condition and appears in approximately one in 1,000 cases.

Polydactyly is a rare condition and appears in approximately one in 1,000 cases. (Credit: YouTube)

Honghongs mother also suffers from polydactyly and possesses additional digits on both her hands and feet, according to reports. As she was worried about passing the condition on to her child, she underwent several examinations at hospitals in Shenzhen, South China. She even got a four-dimensional ultrasound done at the Futian District Maternity Hospital in Shenzhen when she was half way through her pregnancy. But even then she was told that the baby would have no deformities.

Honghongs mother also suffers from polydactyly and possesses additional digits on both her hands and feet. (Credit: YouTube)

Unfortunately the couple found out after the birth that their sons polydactyly was even more severe than that of his mother. Honghongs feet have eight toes each. He has eight fingers in one hand and seven in the other. Doctors have told his father, Zou Chenglin, that the surgery will be extremely difficult. He will need to undergo surgery between six months and a year before the bones set but his poor rural family is unable to bear the costs of the treatment and are desperately trying out means to raise money for their sons treatment.

Honghongs poor rural family is unable to bear the costs of his surgery. (Credit: YouTube)
New Delhi: Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief SP Tyagi, who was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday in connection with the Rs 3,726-crore VVIP chopper scam, allegedly travelled to Italy three times after his retirement.

Sources said the CBI sleuths asked him pointed questions on the source of funding behind his post-retirement trip to Italy, among other questions. Sources said they had details of ACM Tyagis trip to Florence, Venice and Milan in Italy after he retired in 2007. They said a probe was on who had accompanied him on the trip and who had paid for the hospitality.

Sources said that Tyagi, who is a suspect in the case, was extensively examined by CBI sleuths for nearly 10 hours at the agencys headquarters near Lodhi Road. He arrived at the CBI headquarters at around 10 am but refused to speak to the media, that posed questions about his role in the alleged corruption in the deal.

Read: VVIP chopper scam: Ex-IAF Chief SP Tyagi grilled for 10 hours

The former Air Chief has been asked to appear before the agency on Tuesday as well. The CBI has also summoned Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspects in the case, for questioning on Wednesday. Three of the former Air Chiefs cousins  Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep  have also been called later this week.

Sources claimed ACM Tyagi was also confronted with responses received from Italy on the CBIs judicial requests. He is also learnt to have been asked about the statements of middlemen Carlos Gerosa and Guido Hashke to the Italian authorities. They had claimed to have met ACM Tyagi on several occasions between 2004 and 2007.

ACM Tyagi denied the allegations against him, claiming innocence, and saying the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of the Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved. Sources said the investigations had revealed that just two months after taking charge as Chief of Air Staff, ACM Tyagi had on March 7, 2005 allegedly agreed to reduce the mandatory service ceiling of VVIP helicopters from 6,000 meters to 4,500 metres, reversing the IAFs earlier stand, under which a change in the service ceiling was non-negotiable.

Read: Ex-IAF chief denies wrongdoing, says chopper deal was a collective decision

Investigations further established that the cousins of the former IAF Chief had allegedly received 126,000 euros and 200,000 euros in 2005 routed through Tunisia and Mauritius. The CBI is now scrutinising bank account details of S.P. Tygai and his cousins, a source said.

In April 2004, Air Headquarters had determined that AugustaWestland was not an option for VVIP helicopters due to its failure to meet the service ceiling requirement, a source added. ACM Tyagi took over as Chief of Air Staff on January 1, 2005. Air Headquarters agreed to reduce the service ceiling and give AugustaWestland the contract on March 7, 2005, sources said.

The Milan court of appeals, equivalent of an Indian high court, has given details of how alleged bribes were paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal. The order reportedly mentioned the name of ACM Tyagi at several points. The CBI had registered a case against him along with 13 others, including his cousins and some European middlemen.

Parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday accused the Congress of trying to divert attention from the AgustaWestland scam by raising unnecessary issues in the House after the Opposition party demanded a discussion on a CAG report on the KG Basin project. The Congress wants to divert the peoples attention from the Augusta helicopter scam, so they raise unnecessary issues in Parliament, Mr Naidu said outside Parliament on Monday.

BJP Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya had already alleged that the main commission agent in the helicopter deal, Christian Michel, had strong Congress connections. Michels connection was a legacy of his late father (Wolfgang Max Michel Richard) and his proximity to the Congress Party, Mr Somaiya alleged.
KOCHI: The body of Chikku Robert, the Malayali nurse murdered in Salalah, Oman, was brought to her native Angamaly on Monday morning. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy received the body arrived on an Oman Airways flight at the Nedumbassery airport.

The body was first taken to the Angamaly Government Hospital and then to her home at Karukutty where the public paid homage. The funeral took place later at Karukutty Christu Raja Ashram Church in the presence of hundreds of people from Karukutty and relatives.

Chikku (28) was murdered at her flat in Salalah on April 20. Her husband Linson is now in the custody of Omani police as part of the investigation. His relatives said he was facing a hostile situation. The police had not allowed him to come back to India. Chikku and Linson had been working at a hospital in Salalah for the past two years.

Mr Chandy said all efforts would be taken to bring Linson back home though indications are that he will have to continue there for some more time as part of the probe. A Pakistani was arrested in connection with the murder initially. The body was sent to Kerala after the intervention of the chief minister and the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the last date for withdrawing nominations ended on Monday, many rebels and namesakes remained in the fray. The UDF candidates seem to be facing the biggest rebel and namesake menace. P. K. Ragesh poses a threat to UDF candidate K. M. Shaji in Azhikode while Sobhana George is threatening the prospects of P. C. Vishnunath in Chengannur.

In Peravoor, former Karshaka Congress state general secretary K. J. Joseph is posing a serious threat to sitting MLA Sunny Joseph. He was ousted after he spoke against the MLA and the party leadership alleging anti-farmer stand .

In Irikkur, NORKA minister K.C. Joseph is facing rebel threat from local Congress leader Binoy Thomas.

In Kuttanad, Kerala Congress (M) steering committee member Jose Koyippally is contesting as a rebel on the telephone symbol. KC(M)'s official candidate is Jacob Abraham. Namesake candidates are there in many constituencies. RMP candidate in Vadakara, K K Rema, faces another K K Rema as well as a T P Rema, resembling her slain husband T P Chandrasekharans initials.

UDF candidate in Kunnamkulam C. P. John, who had lost the elections last time as his namesake went away a good number of votes, could heave a sigh of relief this time as the namesake candidate withdrew. LDF candidate A C Moideens namesake also followed suit. The namesake of actor turned UDF candidate Jagadeesh in Pathanapuram has also withdrawn.

Health minister V S Sivakumar and LDFs Antony Raju in Thiruvananthapuram, CPI leader C Divakaran in Nedumangad, excise minister K Babu and his LDF rival M. Swaraj in Tripunithura, LDFs Anilkumar in Ernakulam, UDFs M Liju in Kayamkulam LDFs P Prasad in Haripad , UDFs K S Sabarinathan in Aruvikkara and agriculture minister K P Mohanan in Koothuparamba also face the menace.
Coimbatore: Every quest starts with a question. For 31-year-old S. Kalyanasundaram, employed in Germany, the question was: Do I build a cosy home for my daughter? Or, contribute to building a better nation for my daughter?

He got his answer right and has set out on a political journey in Singanallur Assembly constituency Kalyanasundaram has quit his job as an administrator in an apparel firm in Germany to contest on behalf of Naam Tamilar Katchi to turn Kovai into a better place to live

If I had continued my job in Germany, I could have built a house for my little daughter. But before building a house for her, I want to build a better nation for her to live. Growing up in Singanallur, I experienced a host of problems like poor roads, traffic menace, water woes and bad sanitation. Three decades have passed by, but still these problems continue to exist in plenty, he says. It was this anger in me that took me on a political path.

Kalyanasundaram, who had toured around 15 nations like France, Belgium, Switzerland and United Nations, finally decided to take a political plunge, appalled by the poor infrastructure in his home town. His students when he was a lecturer in a college here are his key campaign organisers.

They were all my students and are a pillar of support to me, said Kalyanasundaram, who had worked as a college lecturer for six years before moving to Germany.

This young candidate, who has a deep rooted passion for Tamil nationalism, joined the Naam Tamilar Iyakkam (the movement was later converted into a political party) to express his solidarity at the time of Sri Lankan genocide.

A remarkable orator, Kalayanasundaram had represented India in the Penang international Tamils conference in Malaysia. A crusader for rights of Sri Lankan Tamils, he had addressed the Tamil diaspora in Geneva and had represented their plight in UN Human Rights Council.

Though he does not represent the mainstream Dravidian party, Kalayasundaram is confident of his prospects. He says that a pre-poll survey by NDTV has predicted Singanallur as one among the winnable constituencies for Naam Tamilar Katchi across Tamil Nadu.

I find a wave against both the Dravidian parties, which have done nothing for the development of the constituency. During a campaign, a group of DMK men came to create ruckus, but finally pledged their support in our mission, having been impressed with our promises. Such instances really give us the confidence of winning, he said.
The first United Nations humanitarian summit will be held in Istanbul later this month. (Representational Image)

United Nations: The UN humanitarian chief says 80 governments and 45 world leaders will be coming to the first UN humanitarian summit in Istanbul later this month to tackle the growing gap between the 125 million people in dire need of assistance and the money available to help them.

The 80 governments who have confirmed their attendance at the May 23-24 summit represent just over 40 percent of the 193 UN member states. But Stephen O'Brien told a news conference Monday that he's "very encouraged at the numbers coming" and expecting more.

He said there will be about 6,000 people attending including 250 private sector leaders, heads of humanitarian organizations and representatives of civil society, affected communities and youth.

O'Brien said the world's generosity "hasn't been sufficient to meet the growing gap."
Post the ceremony, he will be recognised as the legitimate inheritor of the dynastic dictatorship which was started by his grandfather Kim Il-Sung. (Photo: AFP)

Pyongyang: As North Korea's Kim Jong-un prepares for his coronation ceremony, he has ordered a ban on all the weddings and funerals taking place at that time.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the 33-year-old North Korean leader is preparing for his coronation ceremony after which he will be recognised as the country's supreme leader.

Post the ceremony, he will be recognised as the legitimate inheritor of the dynastic dictatorship which was started by his grandfather Kim Il-Sung. The legacy was passed through his late father Kim Jong-Il.

"This congress means everything for Kim Jong-Un," said John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul.

"It is the most public, historic setting in which he can demonstrate that he is fully in charge, and that everyone follows his orders," Delury said.

"Nominally, it's for the party, but really this congress is for Kim," he added.

Kim wasn't even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father as the heir apparent to founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

When his own turn came, following the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, there were numerous doubters who suggested the Swiss finishing school graduate lacked the survival skills needed for the Machiavellian world of North Korean power politics.

But he proved them wrong, purging the party, government and powerful military of those seen as disloyal, and displaying a ruthless streak that notably led to the execution of his powerful uncle, and one-time political mentor, Jang Song-Thaek.
The suspects were arrested under the tough Internal Security Act in April and had originally planned to go to Syria to join the Islamic State group, the Singapore home ministry said. (Photo: AP)

Singapore: The Singapore government on Tuesday announced the arrest of eight Bangladeshi men who allegedly plotted terror attacks, including assassinations, back home to establish an Islamic state.

The suspects were arrested under the tough Internal Security Act in April and had originally planned to go to Syria to join the Islamic State group, the Singapore home ministry said.

Items seized included bomb-making manuals, and a list of government and military officials targeted for attack.

Also found on the men were weapons manuals, as well as IS and Al-Qaeda-related material.

"They were members of a clandestine group set up by Rahman Mizanur in March 2016 in Singapore, which he called 'Islamic State in Bangladesh'(ISB)," the ministry said in a statement.

It described Mizanur, 31, as the holder of a skilled worker's pass while the seven others were lower-tier work permit holders. All were employed in the construction and marine industries.

The ministry said that two more ISB members were in Bangladesh, according to the ones detained in Singapore.

The group had planned to recruit more Bangladeshi workers in Singapore and raised money to buy weapons to carry out attacks back home. The ministry said the money had been seized.

The group's leader Mizanur also told investigators that he would carry out attacks anywhere in the world if instructed to do so by IS.

But there were no specific indications that Singapore had been selected as a target, the ministry said.

Singapore in January announced the arrest of 27 Bangladeshi men in late 2015 for allegedly plotting terror attacks back home. The men have since been deported.
The court in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence confirmed the fraud conviction against Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) founder Jean-Claude Mas, 76. (Photo: AP)

France: A French appeal court on Monday upheld a four-year prison sentence for the founder of PIP, the company that manufactured defective breast implants that caused a health scare across Europe and South America.

The court in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence confirmed the fraud conviction against Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) founder Jean-Claude Mas, 76.

The court also upheld the 2013 trial's sentence that Mas must pay 75,000 euros ($86,000) and be banned for life from working in medical services or running a company.

Mas also faces two other pending legal cases, one for involuntary manslaughter and another linked to the financial implications of the scandal.

The scandal first emerged in 2010 after doctors noticed abnormally high rupture rates in women with PIP implants.

It gathered steam worldwide in 2011, with some 300,000 women in 65 countries believed to have received the faulty implants.

In France alone, 18,000 women had PIP implants removed because of a risk of rupture or because they had become uncomfortable.

In the appeal, which had to be held in a congress centre to accommodate all the plaintiffs, Mas denied that the implants made by his company from industrial oil carried any health risk.
The report showed a photo of a Swiss passport next to an explosive belt posted online by a suspected Swiss terrorist who had travelled to the Middle East, and an ISIS video showing the Swiss flag among the 60 countries seen as targets.

Bern: Swiss authorities were monitoring the social media activity of about 400 possible terrorists who might pose a security threat, the NDB federal intelligence service said on Monday.

Switzerland is not a primary target for Islamist attacks because it is not part of the military campaign against groups such as ISIS, but the security threat level has been elevated nonetheless, the NDB's annual report said.

The report showed a photo of a Swiss passport next to an explosive belt posted online by a suspected Swiss terrorist who had travelled to the Middle East, and an ISIS video showing the Swiss flag among the 60 countries seen as targets.

"Attacks in Switzerland are more to be expected from lone wolves or small groups that would be conducted with simple means, little preparation and minimal logistical effort," the report said.

Authorities have been closely tracking suspected terrorists who return to Switzerland from countries, Syria in particular, where they are believed to get training in carrying out attacks.

A Swiss court last month sentenced three Iraqis for terrorism offences, a verdict that the senior prosecutor said should send a message to terrorists not to see the country as an easy target.

The three main defendants, who had denied wrongdoing, were arrested in early 2014 on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks and helping ISIS terrorists enter the country.

The Swiss attorney general's office has more than 60 open cases linked to jihadist militancy, it said on Monday.
But, in some of his most downbeat comments yet on the effort to end the deadly five-year-old conflict, Kerry warned that he did not want to promise success. (Photo: AFP)

Geneva: Syria's civil war is "in many ways out of control" US Secretary of State John Kerry warned on Monday, vowing to work hard in the "coming hours" to salvage a tattered truce.

Speaking after talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, Kerry said he would call his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov later Monday to press for the ceasefire to be restored.

But, in some of his most downbeat comments yet on the effort to end the deadly five-year-old conflict, Kerry warned that he did not want to promise success.

Standing by de Mistura, he thanked him for supporting a political process in the midst of "a conflict that is in may ways out of control and deeply disturbing to everybody in the world, I hope."

Kerry said a ceasefire mediated by Russia and the United States in February was still holding in parts of the country, but he singled out the situation in Aleppo.

There, he said, Bashar al-Assad's regime had deliberately targeted three clinics and a major hospital, killing doctors and patients and threatening the truce.

"The attack on this hospital is unconscionable," he said. "And it has to stop."
The video footage captured by CCTV camera in the bus, shows the woman passengers beating up the accused as he tries to save himself from them. (Photo: YouTube Video Grab)

Istanbul, Turkey: A man was beaten up by female passengers in a crowded bus in Turkey's north-western Kocaeli province for sexually harassing a woman standing near him.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the victim was standing near the man when he suddenly showed her his genitals. Shocked, the victim started screaming out for help.

As she got furious, she hit him on his head when other female passengers in the bus came to her rescue and joined in. The video footage captured by CCTV camera in the bus, shows the woman passengers beating up the accused as he tries to save himself from them.

The man then tries to get out of the bus as it stops at a bus stop. As the doors of the bus open, the man gets out of the bus, but instead of fleeing away, he is arrested by the police.

The CCTV footage was handed over to the police officials for further investigation and a case has been registered against the accused on the basis of the statement given by the victim.
The Sirisena government has accused former president Mahinda Rajapaksa of large-scale corruption and siphoning off billions of dollars during his decade-long tenure. (Photo: PTI)

Colombo: Sri Lanka has set up a special panel to probe its nationals named in the "Panama Papers", the finance minister said on Monday while promising to investigate "each and every" Sri Lankan tax evader who may figure in the leaked documents.

Sri Lankans are said to figure in the leaked documents and the government of President Maithripala Sirisena, which came to power in January on a promise to clean up corruption, said it would probe "each and every Sri Lankan" whose names were likely to figure in the documents to be made public on May 9.

The Sirisena government has accused former president Mahinda Rajapaksa of large-scale corruption and siphoning off billions of dollars during his decade-long tenure.

Rajapaksa has denied the charges.

The Finance Ministry has set up a special panel to probe individuals named in the 11.5 million documents on global tax evasion leaked from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca.

"Any names there we will write to them and compel them to respond, we will also use the diplomatic channels to gather information," Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

He told reporters the panel will consist of officials from the finance ministry, exchange control department and Inland Revenue department.

"The panel will look into the names that will come up in the Panama Papers, as well as those already named in Offshore Leaks."

Karunanayake also accused the Rajapaksa regime of failing to probe 46 Sri Lankans whose names figured in 2013 in the Offshore Leaks by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

One such official holding a high government position resigned recently allowing an investigation.
The ruling is likely to aggravate the divide between moderates and extremists in the Sunni-majority nation, which is grappling with a wave of deadly assaults. (Photo: Representational Image)

Dhaka: A special war crimes court in Bangladesh has sentenced four men to death for killing, torture, arson and looting during the nation's independence war against Pakistan in 1971.

The ruling on Tuesday is likely to aggravate the divide between moderates and extremists in the Sunni-majority nation, which is grappling with a wave of deadly assaults targeting atheist writers, religious minorities and political activists.

The court, accused by rights groups of holding flawed proceedings, said the four were involved in the deaths of nine people. Only one suspect, Shamsuddin Ahmed, was in court for the verdict. Authorities are still hunting for the other three: Gazi Abdul Mannan, Hafiz Uddin, and Shamsuddin Ahmed's brother, Nasiruddin.

The three-judge tribunal also sentenced a fifth man, Azharul Islam, to life in prison on two murder charges.
Police detained Canadian Robert Penner who tweets frequently on political issues in Nepal. (Photo: Twitter)

Kathmandu: Nepal authorities have detained a Canadian software developer working in the country over a series of tweets deemed to "disturb social harmony", an immigration official said Tuesday.

Police detained Robert Penner on Monday afternoon at the request of Nepal immigration authorities, who say his tweets contravene the terms of his working visa.

Penner tweets frequently on political issues in Nepal, most recently to condemn the arrest of a Nepali magazine editor who has since been freed on the orders of the Supreme Court.

Nepal Immigration says they're holding me overnight.  Robert Penner (@robpenner) May 2, 2016

I repeatedly asked Nepal Police to tell me under what charges they're taking me but they won't say.  Robert Penner (@robpenner) May 2, 2016

"Evidence shows that he has been spreading messages that disturb the social harmony, peace and security of the country," said the department's information officer Bishwo Prakash Neupane.

"We have the authority to cancel a person's visa if they are found indulging in such activities," Neupane told AFP.

Penner's lawyer Dipendra Jha said immigration officials were threatening to cancel his visa.

"But there is no concrete evidence he has indeed disturbed peace and harmony. No action has taken place to support that allegation," Jha said.

Penner has been working in Nepal for the technology outsourcing company CloudFactory for about four years.

He has spoken out on a number of controversial issues, including a row over a new constitution that triggered deadly protests.
Bangladeshi people hold lighted candles and walk in a rally during Martyrs Day in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo: AP)

Dhaka: A new hit-list naming 10 people, including the head of a university and ruling party officials, have been released by a Bangladeshi extremist outfit amid a series of gruesome murders of secular bloggers and intellectuals in the Muslim-majority country.

Islamic Liberation Front (ILF), an organisation that aims to establish Islamic Khilafat in the country, yesterday issued a hit-list naming 10 renowned people, including Rajshahi University Vice Chancellor M Mizanuddin and former mayor Khairuzzaman Liton.

The ILF sent the letter to the president of the Natore Press Club from Rajshahi. Natore Press Club president Rezaul Karim Reza said that an envelope containing a computer- composed letter on an ILF pad reached the press club by post, Independent Bangladesh newspaper reported.

Apart from Mizanuddin and Liton, others named in the list include Rajshahi lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, Rajshahi district unit Secretary Asaduzzaman and journalist Anu Mostafa, it said.

Natore Superintendent of Police Shyamol Mukherjee said they have beefed up intelligence activities in the district and are investigating the matter.

The threat to the Rajshahi University vice chancellor comes weeks after professor from the same university AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, was attacked by motorbike-borne assailants and his throat was slit on April 23.

Siddiquee's murder led to widespread protests by teachers and students from the university who condemned the attack and voiced concerns of their colleagues' security.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home. In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.
The first time Bhushan Bagadia went under water was when he visited his sister in London. Stunned by his first brush with the deep waters, he returned the following year on holiday again only to go deep-sea diving. And this time he did not forget to take his camera along.





Years later, Bhushan has plumbed the depths of several seas and oceans and has captured some of the best shots underwater to spread the word on marine conservation, which he says is crucial to save the world and its species down under. In an interview with Nina C George, Bhushan shares his experiences of exploring the world underwater.



What got you interested in deep sea diving?

I have always been a water baby. Deep sea diving happened by chance, when I was visiting my sister in London and we were looking for interesting activities to engage in. The first time was enough for the diving bug to bite me hard. Since then all my holidays have somehow revolved around the scuba diving element.



Tell us about your latest expedition  Infiniti Live-aboard dive trip?

I have been shooting underwater for about 5 years now. I have shot music videos, concept photos with people and of course, captured marine life. The last 1 year gave me the opportunity to shoot for various companies. And Infiniti Live-aboard was one such assignment. It was definitely one of my best dive trips.



What is the most valuable experience that you got from the trip?

The Infiniti Live-aboard dive trip was the best of them all. My most valuable experience on this trip was to see a dive operation run on par with international standards. The dive team was fun, hard working and very professional. I have been on many dive trips and dived with many operators around the world but what makes a good dive trip are the people you dive with and the way they run the operation. In this context, Infiniti Live-aboard tops the list.



Your most unforgettable experience underwater...

The Andamans trip on the Infiniti exposed me to a completely new type of diving.

The topography in Domestic Barren Island and Narcondam Island is unique and different from anything that I have seen anywhere in the world. Apart from the Andamans trip, my most unforgettable experience underwater was the first time I saw a Manta Ray in the Maldives. It is my favourite creature underwater.



What are some of the things that you have captured underwater?

With regards to marine life, I have seen and shot different types of turtles and sharks like Nurse sharks, Tiger sharks, Oceanic Black Tip sharks, Sea Crate snakes, Giant Barracudas and Moray eels, to mention a few. Apart from these, there are lots of different types of coral creatures, sea urchins and sea cucumbers.



Do you think your efforts towards conserving the world underwater will yield results?

I feel the effort to educate people will pay off at some level. The only way to start is to learn about the damage first hand and share it with my friends, family and people who follow my work.

The damage is quite large. I dont know if what I am doing will pay off, but I do know that if everyone does their bit towards it, then it will slow the damage being done.



How do you see life under water at a philosophical level?

The world underwater is a different dimension to the world that we live in.

It has a harmony and rhythm to it. We can only visit that world as guests and for short periods because we are not meant to be there.

We can coexist only if we stay out of it.



Whats your next plan?

My next plan is to train in free diving in Egypt sometime later this year.


Even if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure.

WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more.
Memories of valour and gallantry will take centre-stage on May 3 when an earthen pitcher with soil from the cemetery of son-of-soil war hero Risaldar Badlu Singh, a recipient of the Victoria Cross, reaches his native village in Haryana all the way from faraway Cairo in Egypt.





This nondescript Dhakla village in Haryanas Jhajjar is gearing up to commemorate the courage of its valiant soldier. The event will take place 98-years after Badlu Singhs death in the battlefield in Palestine during World War I.



A delegation of the Haryana government led by cabinet minister Om Prakash Dhankar, who is presently in Egypt as part of a summit on water conservation, took this initiative.

On Saturday, Dhankar along with the Indian ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharya and others, paid tributes at the Helipolis War Cemetery in Cairo in Egypt where the Indian soldier was laid to rest in 1918.



Dhankar said it was a deeply inspiring moment for him and he is ever more proud to be the one bringing the soil from Singhs cemetery to his native place back home in Haryana.

Dhankar said a memorial at the village entrance is being planned as a tribute to the brave heart soldier. Interestingly, Badlu Singhs great grandson Pankaj Kumar was martyred by enemy bullets during the Kargil war in 1999. A memorial in his memory already exists in the village.



But for the family, another memorial in memory of Badlu Singh in the village near to his great grandsons memorial, will be a moment of great pride.



Victoria Cross

Badlu Singh died at the age of 42 in September, 1918. He was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in a war awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.



He was a Risaldar in 14th Murray's Jat Lancers, British Indian Army, attached to 29th Lancers (Deccan Horse), during the First World War when he performed the deed at Khes Samariveh, Jordan River, Palestine for which he was posthumously awarded the VC.

His citation reads: Badlu Singh awarded VC for most conspicuous bravery and

self-sacrifice.



It said that when his squadron charged a strong enemy position on the west bank of the River Jordan, Badlu Singh realised that the squadron was suffering casualties from a small hill on the left front occupied by machine guns and 200 infantry. Without hesitation, he collected six other ranks and with the greatest dash and an entire disregard of danger charged and captured the position.



He was mortally wounded on the very top of the hill when capturing one of the machine guns single-handed, but all the machine guns and infantry had surrendered to him before he died, according to the citation.


Residents of Dwarka will now have to segregate their households waste into biodegradable, non-biodegradable and hazardous at their homes only. Non compliance could attract penalty of up to Rs 5,000, said official of South Delhi Municipal Corporation.





Members of resident welfare association (RWA) of Dwarka had been asking it for some time. We have now formally notified the project and in the near future this will be implemented in other areas falling under our ambit also, said Umed Singh, Assistant Engineer, South Delhi Municipal Corporation.



Even the people who organize an event or gathering of more than 100 people at an unlicensed place will have to inform the local body three days in advance and also have to ensure that the segregation of waste takes place in a proper way, stated MCD in a notification.



With a population of 1.5 lakh, Dwarka is a city within a city, comprising 29 sectors which include 350 housing societies.



The person behind this pilot project, Madhuri, told Deccan Herald that they had been trying to make Dwarka a zero waste city for some time now for which they had started an awareness programme about segregation of household waste.



We realised if it goes through MCD, the impact would be greater. So I met several MCD officials and discussed with them about the importance of waste segregation, said Madhuri, president of Dwarka RWA forum.



Main aim

The main goal behind the waste segregation is to ensure that only recyclable waste reaches at the landfill sites, with biodegradable waste like kitchen and hazardous one which includes all kinds of electronic waste to get segregated at homes only.



Presently, the waste which comes out of households is a mix of biodegradable, recyclable, and hazardous one, which the rag pickers segregate from their bare hands. While doing it, they expose themselves to several harmful items like computer battery, bulbs etc., Madhuri said.



System not concrete

Terming the current system of waste management as not concrete, Madhuri said the final waste which reaches at the landfill sites in Delhi include biodegradable waste also, which ideally should have been recycled before reaching there.



For the project, Dwarka RWA forum, took the help of a bunch of IIT-Delhis students, who had already been doing a waste management project in Vasant Kunj.



I have got a compost bin at my house, where if we put the bio-degradable waste it makes it into manure, added Madhuri.



MCD is in the process of identifying certain parks in Dwarka where the composte sites where the biodegradable waste collected from the households could be turned into manure, said an MCD official.



We have selected some areas and waiting for the NOC of the RWAs, said Umed Singh.
Three people were taken into custody by police for questioning in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old dalit woman in Ernakulam district that sparked protest marches today by students and rights activists across Kerala.





Police said the woman, a law student who hailed from a poor family, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28.



No formal arrest has been made yet in the crime that shocked the state and triggering intense politicking ahead of the May 16 Assembly polls.



Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav said there were signs of strangulation, smothering and 13 injuries on the woman's neck, chest and at several other places of the body. Some reports said there were around 20 injuries and that the victim's intestines were spilled out.



The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries.



Police said two persons were initially taken into custody and were being questioned by a police team, headed by Yadav. However, it was not yet known whether they are the real culprits.



One more person was taken into custody tonight from Kannur in north Kerala and was being brought to Perumbavoor for questioning, police said.



Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described the crime as "shocking" and said the culprits will be brought to book.



"As per our information and as per our investigation, the accused is only one person. Some people have seen one person coming out of the house (of the woman)," Yadav said.



No details of the ongoing investigation have been revealed by police. The postmortem report is also being awaited.



According to police, the woman hailing from a poor family was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM on the same day by her mother when she returned from work.



Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Tribes registered a suo motu case into the incident and asked police to submit a report on the progress of the probe by May 28 while the Kerala Human Rights Commission ordered that the probe be handed over to the Crime branch.



Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, state Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.



"Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to those who involved into the incident," Chandy said.



Condemning the crime as a 'heinous one', chairman of the state commission for scheduled castes and tribes, Justice P N Vijayakumar tolfd PTI he has sought formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident.



Women's rights activists and political leaders, cutting across party lines expressed their shock at the murder which they believe was a first of its kind in the state for the sheer brutality of the crime.
Chief of Pakistan's banned JuD, Hafiz Saeed, has said his organisation will not allow destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places of non- Muslims in the country.





It was Muslims' responsibility to safeguard holy places of their Hindus brethren, he said while addressing a meeting in Matli town of Sindh province yesterday.



"We will not allow destruction of temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country," he warned.



The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief rejected allegations that his organisation is promoting extremism in Thar area of Sindh, which borders India, by opening seminaries in the poverty- stricken arid region.



Saeed also pledged support for Kashmiri Muslims, according to a Dawn report.



He said the law enforcement agencies were sincerely trying to fight against anti-state actors and RAW agents but the Nawaz Sharif government remained silent over it.
There is a proposal to ensure that only Rs 2,500 is charged per ticket for one-hour flights, government told the Lok Sabha today amid concerns expressed by members over exorbitant airfares.



The government also said it will hold consultations with the airlines to explore the possibility of curbing the menace of charging exorbitant airfares during emergency situations.



"The Ministry will commence the process of consultations with stakeholders, including airlines, to explore possibilities ... of containing fares," Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said while replying to a debate on Demand for Grants for the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism which was approved by the House later.



During the debate, members voiced concern over exorbitant airfares during emergency situations like unprecedented floods in Chennai and Srinagar and the recent Jat agitation.



Raju said that during the Chennai floods, the airlines did help the government to evacuate stranded people by operating flights from Arakonam air base to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.



He said airlines also came forward to operate additional flights during floods in Srinagar, earthquake in Nepal and the Jat agitation in Haryana. When a member from Kerala complained of exorbitant fares on the Gulf route, the Minister remarked, "we can control only things in India".



Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said the government is working on strengthening regional air connectivity and in this regard, there is a proposal to ensure that only Rs 2,500 per ticket is charged for one-hour flights.



Raju said a comparative study undertaken by the Ministry for January-March 2013 and the same period during 2016 showed a reduction of 18.10 per cent in airfares.



This shows that the airlines are passing the benefits from lower ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) costs to the passengers, he added. In recent times, concerns have been expressed in various quarters about rising airfares despite fall in fuel prices, which account for over 40 per cent of a carrier's total operating costs.



Raju denied knowledge of any proposal from Kerala government for starting an airline by the state government. "There has not been even an application...Imaginary questions are being asked," the Civil Aviation Minister said, adding "We have not denied any airline that has applied... Four airlines have got permission (in the last two years)... No such Kerala airline has applied."



During the debate, Congress member K C Venugopal had said the Kerala government had proposed to launch an airlines Air Kerala that would mainly cater to people from the state living in Gulf countries. He asked the Centre to expedite the proposal.



On the purchase of 68 aircraft by Air India during the UPA regime, Raju said the matter is before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which has taken oral evidence and the matter is going to come up before the panel this month.



The Minister said that Air India has reported operating profit of Rs 8 crore in the last financial year (2015-16) as against the loss of Rs 2,686 crore in 2014-15.



Raju said there has been robust growth in the civil aviation sector which has grown by 21 per cent and at present, India is ninth in the world in terms of passenger traffic. The aim is to become the third largest civil aviation economy by 2022, he added.



The last two years have witnessed substantial growth in the civil aviation sector where the seats in flights have grown from 66,758 to 74,499 on daily basis, which is a 12 per cent rise, he said.



The Minister said civil aviation regulator DGCA will soon provide as many as 166 services online and the first set in this regard will be launched this month.

According to Raju, all airlines are strictly adhering to the route dispersal guidelines and performace of all of them was in "excess of target".



The national civil aviation policy is being formulated in consultation with all stakeholders. With regard to problems faced by Air India in its Boeing 787 fleet, Raju said some bottlenecks have been sorted out as spares were available.



He also said the Ministry is working on setting up no-frills airports. Sharma said despite the country's huge potential, it is getting only around 0.68 per cent of the world's overall tourist arrivals.



India received about Rs 1.35 lakh crore from foreing tourist arrivals last year, the Tourism Minister said, while noting that the sector provides about 12 per cent of the employment in the country.



To promote medical tourism, Sharma said the government is looking to provide electronic visa (e-visa) for medical purposes. "This is our effort," he noted. According to him, e-visa is being extended to people from 150 countries and the facility has helped in increasing the number of tourist arrivals.



He also said that e-visa systems need reforms such as extending the validity and providing multiple entries. India is a safe country. India is not an unsafe country," Sharma said even as observed that safety is a matter of concern for everyone and a single incident can have multiple effects.



"Safety, security and hospitality are the pillars of tourism... We have tried to address all of them," the Tourism Minister noted.



On the Tourism Ministry not able to spend its budgetary allocation in the last fiscal, Sharma said that was due to introduction of new schemes for which there was delay from state governments in giving their detailed project reports. As a result, the funds could not be fully utilised, he added.
As AgustaWestland remains mired in controversy, the Finance Ministry has sought inputs from the Defence Ministry about a FDI proposal from the Italian company for its joint venture with Tata Sons to assemble helicopters in India.



The Finance Ministry yesterday said that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its meeting on April 8 had deferred decision on the 'post-facto approval' sought by the JV, but did not give any reasons.



"We are waiting for the Defence Ministry to finalise the definition of state-of-the-art. For majority (beyond 50 per cent) FDI that definition is necessary. Once the Defence Ministry finalises the definition we will review the proposal once again," a Finance Ministry source said.



When asked if there was any political motive for deferring the proposal, the official reiterated that FIPB had not received inputs from the Defence Ministry.



There is need to understand the status of the Agusta, the official added. Indian Rotorcraft, a joint venture of AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) and Tata Sons for setting up an assembly line for the AW119Ke helicopter, had sought post-facto approval of the FIPB for increased FDI inflow of Rs 19.64 crore as against Rs 17.6 crore approved in September 2011.



Besides the increased FDI inflow, it had also sought approval for "change of the foreign investor from AgustaWestland S.p.A, Italy to Finmeccanica S.p.A by way of merger of AgustaWestland S.p.A, Italy into Finmeccanica S.p.A."



Tatas have previously said Indian Rotorcraft has "no connection whatsoever with AgustaWestlands (AW) supply of AW101 military helicopters to the Government of India". It is alleged that bribe was paid for securing the contract for supply of 12 AW101 military helicopters during the previous UPA regime.



"Indian Rotorcrafts (IRL) business proposition is to assemble AW119ke helicopters, at a facility in Hyderabad, for exports to AW for it to sell them to its customers. IRLs business remit does not include any selling activity for defence related entities," Tata Sons said on its website.



Tata Sons and Italian Defence major AgustaWestland had in February 2010 signed an agreement for formation of a joint venture company to establish a final assembly line for AW-119 helicopters for the Indian Army and the global market.
Indian-origin businessman Sanjeev Gupta's Liberty House group will today submit its letter of intent to acquire Tata Steel's loss making units in the UK.





Central to the Indian steel giant's assets in the UK is the Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales, which is the UKs largest and employs around 4,000 workers.



"We can confirm that Liberty will submit a letter of intent to Tata Steel today (Tuesday) and has put in place a strong internal transaction steering committee and panel of leading external advisers to take the bid forward," a Liberty spokesperson told PTI.



Tata's remaining assets include sites at Newport, where more than 1,300 people are employed, and Rotherham, which employs 1,200.



Tata also has operations at Corby, Shotton and Teesside.



Liberty had recently completed its acquisition of two Scottish plants earlier owned by Tata Steel.



The Tata Group has indicated that it is ideally in search of a buyer that can acquire all its remaining assets in the country.



"We would not deal with somebody saying leave alone Port Talbot and give us the rest. That is not a solution thats acceptable," Tata Steel UK CEO Bimlendra Jha had told a House of Commons hearing last week.



Australian bank Macquarie is advising Liberty and is also considered a potential financial backer of any takeover.



State Bank of India, Deloitte and Grant Thornton are among other firms involved which, among other issues, will advise Liberty House on dealing with the nearly 500 million pound funding deficit in Tatas pensions scheme, considered the biggest stumbling block in clinching a sale.



Gupta, a Punjab-born graduate in economics and management from Cambridge University, has said in the past that he hopes to save as many jobs if his firm was to go ahead with a bid.



"If heavy job losses comes out to be the price to pay, we would not be the ones undertaking that exercise. We will undertake this exercise if we can sustain jobs, which we feel is possible at this stage," Gupta had told PTI in early April, when he was dubbed the saviour of the UK's steel industry.



Other potential bidders for the remaining Tata Steel UK assets include Albion Steel, a UK start-up business with industry veteran Tony Pedder on the board.



It is believed to be eyeing Tatas specialty steels unit based in Sheffield, northern England.



A Tata management team buyout is seen as the other serious contender at this stage.



The Tata Group had acquired its UK steel operations as part of a 6.7 billion pound acquisition from Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus in 2009.



The firm has blamed structural disadvantages in the UK, such as extremely high energy costs, as the reason for the crisis in the steel industry.




I opened the book tour at a special event with Senator Cory Booker and Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post, at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. Photo by Kevin Wolf/AP Images for The HSUS

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As I travel around the United States on a national book tour to promote The Humane Economy, I am able to have a conversation with and engage the broader public on the work of The HSUS and the emerging humane economy taking shape all around us. On Sunday, at a packed in conversation event with Congressman Earl Blumenauer at Powells book store in Portland, Ore., I was elated to remind the crowd that Ringlings last show with elephant acts would conclude that day  after 145 years! We also talked about people putting boots on the ground to qualify our anti-wildlife-trafficking ballot initiative in that state, bringing the issue of stopping the ivory trade in front of voters in November.

The night before, after a talk at the University Book Store in Seattle, I spoke at the annual gala of Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, as we celebrated the end of the era of invasive experiments on chimpanzees and planned for the difficult and expensive task of caring for the hundreds of chimpanzees scheduled to come out of labs and retire to sanctuaries in the months ahead. A few days before that, in front of a crowd of 300 on the Harvard University campus, I had a memorable in conversation event with best-selling author and journalist Michael Pollan. Among other things, we talked about the importance of the Massachusetts ballot measure to ban the extreme confinement of farm animals  a subject that Boston Globe columnist Scott Lehigh took up in a column on the heels of my visit. Only two weeks back, I opened the tour at a special event with U.S. Senator Cory Booker and Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker. We talked about the senators efforts in Congress to dramatically reduce chemical testing on animals  with the debate soon to come to a close in Congress and The HSUS and the Humane Society Legislative Fund fighting for language to advance 21st century science and to leave old, crude ways of generating data for risk assessments behind.

While The Humane Economy looks at the dynamic forces helping to create an animal-friendly economy, theres a very granular element to the book tour. We are building our ranks of animal advocates, expanding the publics understanding of our work, driving big ideas, pushing ahead key campaigns, and forging new relationships with people. So far on the tour, I have made stops at universities, start-up companies, and even at a number of Fortune 500 companies, including PetSmart, McDonalds, and Google, with visits to come at Cargill, Citibank, and others. My tour updates on Twitter and Facebook have sparked interest among people in other countries who are now joining the discussion.

We are reaching millions of people with the message of animal protection, with appearances on NPRs Diane Rehm Show to HBOs Real Time with Bill Maher to CNBCs Squawk Box, and weve got other major television appearances scheduled in the coming days and weeks. Im glad that columnists and magazines are writing about the humane economy. Tomorrow night, Im going to participate in a national debate, to be broadcast on more than 200 NPR affiliates, about trophy hunting and conservation, on the program Intelligence Squared. This is an issue gaining real traction; the killing of wild and endangered species makes no economic sense, and its demonstrably cruel and gratuitous.

The HSUS does so much good for animals, and writing serious-minded works for publication is one of them. The Humane Economy, which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list, is just the latest. Dr. Michael Greger wrote a bestselling book released in December 2015 about health and food called How Not to Die. Christine Gutleben edited a volume with Karen Prior and Charles Camosy called Every Living Thing: How Pope Francis, Evangelicals and Other Christian Leaders are Inspiring All of Us to Care for Animals, and Dr. Stephanie Clark is preparing to publish the proceedings of a conference on humane education and our universities. Finally, Dr. Jonathan Balcombe has just completed writing a book called What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins, set for release in early June.

Our founders were men and women of ideas, and one thing we strive to do is drive thought leadership in our movement. But the goal is always to put ideas into action. Im excited to continue the tour and to continue the conversation with caring Americans. The humane economy is taking form before our eyes, but its going to take the efforts of all of us to make it whole and to make it happen with all deliberate speed.

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Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has claimed that Bollywood actor and former Member of Parliament Govinda sought help from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim to defeat him in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai North.





Govinda, however, denied the claim and asked Naik not to damage his image and film career.



Naik has made the claim in his memoir 'Chaireveti, Chaireveti' (Keep Moving) written in Marathi, which was released here recently.



Naik claimed Govinda was a "friend of Dawood and also Hitendra Thakur, who aided him in terrorising voters" to defeat him in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North constituency.



The senior BJP leader and former Union Minister also said he found it difficult to come to terms with his defeat by just 11,000 votes.



"I have no hesitation in bringing this on record that Govinda had contacts with dons like Dawood and Hiten Thakur, who later became an MLA. He used their muscle power to poll votes against me and in his favour," Naik said.



Refuting Naik's allegation, Govinda said it was the people who ensured his victory."Does Ram Naik mean that the people of the constituency were sold into the hands of the underworld? Please do not insult anyone by saying such things," the 52-year-old actor said and urged Naik not to damage his image and "create hurdles in his film career."




Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, is all set to be expelled from the Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari today turning down his resignation on procedural grounds and Ethics Committee rejecting it.



"Hamid Ansari, Chairman, Rajya Sabha does not accept the resignation of Vijay Mallya. Secretary General, Rajya Sabha writes to Sh. Mallya that his resignation letter does not conform to prescribed procedures & does not bear signature in original.



"As per Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine," Ansari's Officer on Special Duty to Gurdeep Singh Sappal said on Twitter quoting from the Secretary General's letter.



From his abode in Britain, Mallya had sent a scanned copy of the resignation to Ansari letter in a bid to avoid expulsion saying he did not want his "name and reputation to be further dragged in mud".



"And since recent events suggest that I will not get a fair trial or justice, I am hereby resigning as a member of the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect," Mallya had said a day before the Ethics panel was all set to recommend his explusion.



Sources in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said that Mallya's signature was scanned and did not satisfy the rules.



The Ethics Committee of the Upper House headed by Karan Singh, which met today, also pointed to the "wrong procedure" while rejecting the resignation, the sources said.



The panel members also expressed dissatisfaction with his reply about his loan default.



Panel members were of the view that Mallya's action was "unbecoming" of a Rajya Sabha MP.



The sources said the panel will submit its report before the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.



A motion has to be introduced in the House and approved by it for termination of the membership of any MP.



This is Mallya's second term in Rajya Sabha and it would would have otherwise come to an end on July 1.



After the meeting, panel Chairman Singh, however, declined to divulge the details saying that being the head of the committee it will not be appropriate for him to announce a decision taken in its meeting.



Mallya had yesterday faxed his resignation to Hamid Ansari a day before the Ethics Committee had to take a decision on recommending his expulsion, an issue which was unanimously decided in the panel's last meeting on April 25.



Pressed further, Karan Singh, however, said the decision that was taken in the meeting today was also unanimous.



Asked whether the panel has any room left now to take up the matter when Mallya has already resigned, Singh said "of course there is room. He is still a member of the House until it (the resignation) is accepted."

In his resignation letter, Mallya had said that he received a letter by panel Chairman Karan Singh regarding "purported default" by Mallya in the "repayment of bank loans", which have "not been reflected" in his declaration of Assets and Liabilities.



Appending a copy of his reply to Karan Singh, Mallya, had, however, asserted,"the allegations against me are blatantly false and baseless".



"I am shocked that the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has provided factually wrong information to a Parliament committee," he had added.



The committee had sought details of the liabilities on Mallya's airline Kingfisher from 13 banks, which furnished their replies according to which the total liability on Mallya's company is Rs 9431.65 crore. Of this, IDBI's liability alone is Rs 1687.04 crores followed by Punjab National Bank's Rs 1223 crore.



The committee decided to crack the whip on the ground that Mallya never declared these liabilities in the last ten years, which a member is supposed to do annually.



Enforcement Directorate had a fortnight back written to 17 banks and a clutch of probe agencies to prepare a water-tight case against Mallya who is being probed for money laundering charges in the IDBI alleged loan fraud case.



In a step closer to initiating his deportation, the government had over a week ago revoked the passport of Mallya who is believed to be in the UK after leaving India on March 2.



According to rules, a Member who intends to resign his seat in the Rajya Sabha has to intimate this in writing under his hand addressed to the Chairman, his intention to resign his seat in the Council.



If a Member hands over the letter of resignation to the Chairman personally and informs him that the resignation is voluntary and genuine and the Chairman has no information or knowledge to the contrary, the Chairman may accept the resignation immediately.



If the Chairman receives the letter of resignation either by post or through some other person, the Chairman may make such an inquiry as he thinks fit to satisfy himself that the resignation is voluntary and genuine.



If the Chairman, after making a summary inquiry either himself or through the agency of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat or through such other agency as he may deem fit, is satisfied that the resignation is not voluntary or genuine, he shall not accept the resignation.



A member may withdraw his letter of resignation at any time before it is accepted by the Chairman.
Emulating internet giants like Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu and Kingsoft, now Unicorns from China want to invest in the Indian startup ecosystem led by venture capital funds.





The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), along with five Chinese venture capital firms led by Onionfans, a Singapore-based venture capital company, and other internet companies, interacted with 30 select Indian startups. The event was organised by Mobile10X Startup Hub, an IAMAI initiative to support app developers across the country in Bengaluru, in association with the Government of Karnataka.



Interacting with Deccan Herald, Onionfans Chief Executive Officer Hutu said that the Chinese Unicorn company investors are here to understand the startup ecosystem. This is the first time that we are interfacing with Indian startups in Bengaluru to learn more about them. We are satisfied with the tech prowess of the city, and this year, Onionfans will allot a fund of $5 million as part of our seed investment, he said. Hutu said that Onionfans will help Chinese investors find companies for investment in the internet and technology space.



There are lots of wealthy Chinese who are ready to invest their money. Since the market is volatile and theres no more investment opportunities in China, they are looking at opportunities abroad. We have an evolved startup ecosystem and Indians can learn from the mistakes committed by us, he said.



Joe Wei, Founder of Grand Value Capital, said that Indians have creativity to come up with innovative solutions and the country has the advantage of having over one billion people. We are ready to invest in B2C companies, mobile internet companies, and other cutting-edge technology companies. Here, the bottlenecks of infrastructure and language barrier should be reduced, he said.



Ku Kay Mok, Partner from Gobi Partners, said the Chinese Unicorns are ready to invest in Indian startups as it will give them better access to customers in North America and Europe. We are ready to invest in B2C companies in the software as a service (SaaS ) areas which will help the Chinese companies grow fast, he said.



Mok said the Chinese investors are yet to explore companies here, compared with the startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv. The Israeli companies are focusing on core technology. But the best Indian talent is heading tech companies in Silicon Valley. We should give opportunities in India and call them back. It will help India build global companies, he said.



Eventhough China became Indias largest trading partner in 2008, investment flow from the country remained very limited.



According to a Credit Suisse report, Indias internet and eCommerce business space bears close similarity with that of China, with a lag of 8-10 years.



Besides investing heavily in Israel and Silicon Valley, Chinese internet companies and mobile ecosystem players are now influencing the valuation of Indian technology companies, especially eCommerce companies.


The government of India scrapped 30% subsidy on solar thermal installations in 2014, which has impacted the sales of solar equipment.





Pune-based water heater manufacturer Racold Thermo Managing Director V Ramnath said, In 2014, when the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy stopped the subsidy on solar equipment, Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI) requested the government to pass on the incentive to consumers directly in the form of property tax and electricity bill rebates, instead of giving us subsidy.



The decision taken by the Centre has impacted the industry sales, Ramnath added. Earlier, consumers used to get 30% discount on purchase, and later, when they installed the product, we needed to approach for reimbursements.



When asked as to why the government has not implemented the suggestion made by the national association of solar water heater manufacturers STFI, Ramnath said, As a body, we can request and suggest. The whole machinery has to come into play.



Meanwhile, Racold Thermo, Indias largest manufacturer and provider of water heating solutions, launched a new range of solar water heaters Alpha Pro at Rs 19,000.



A 200-litre per day Alpha Pro, suitable for a family of 6-8 members, claims to save up to 3,000 units of electricity in a year. Not only does it claim to offer huge monetary savings, but also helps in reducing the carbon footprint for a cleaner, greener India. The company plans to increase the store size to 15,000 from 12,000 in the next 15 months.




Indian packaged food giant MTR Foods, a subsidiary of Norwegian conglomerate Orkla, unveiled its new brand identity and strategy on Tuesday, as it drives its way into the future.





The said new brand identity involves, above all, a new contemporary logo and packaging, which the company has stated as personifying the transition to an innovative and relevant brand.



As a part of its growth strategy, the company also announced the opening up of its new eCommerce site that will give consumers a clear access to the entire range of the companys more than 140 products.



As part of our growth strategy for the next four years, we are looking at a revamped communication strategy with increased emphasis on digital technologies. We have planned to make MEGA innovations that are category-disruptive, a part of our ongoing strategies going forward, MTR Foods Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Sharma said.



The company is also looking at investing Rs 200 crore in the next three years on increasing capacity from the current 45,000 metric tonnes to 72,000 metric tonnes, besides increasing distribution three-folds over the next four years.



We will continue to contribute to the growth of the MTR brand with seamless transition of best practices and consumer insight, Orkla Foods Executive Vice President and CEO Atle Vidar Nagel-Johansen said.
After JNU and University of Hyderabad, at least two prominent universities in the northeast India are witnessing student unrest and police highhandedness in controlling them.



Assams Barak valley in Southern Assam is recovering slowly from the power crisis after the devastating cyclone on the night of April 28. Students of the Assam University in Silchar, the headquarters of Cachar district, lay seize to the university campus demanding postponement of the examinations of the 5-year integrated and postgraduate courses citing difficulties they faced during the preparation due to power crisis.



The students staged protest and gheraoed the varsity campus on Monday. In the early hours of Tuesday, the police had to use force and resort to lathi-charge to disperse them. Throughout the day on Tuesday, the university campus saw a massive protest continuing.



Students have alleged that they were beaten up by police and CRPF personnel who even fired in the air.



They said women students were beaten up by male CRPF personnel.



University authorities later on Tuesday evening had suspended all the examinations of the 5-year integrated and postgraduate courses. All academic activities in the university has also been suspended indefinitely, sources added.



Meanwhile, the powerful tribal students union of the Manipur University on Tuesday locked the main gate of the campus as part of its agitation against the reduction of reservation to 7.5%.



The gate was later opened by security personnel at the university. There were no arrests though police were on standby.



The Manipur University Tribal Students Union (MUTSU) has been agitating on campus for quite some time against reduction of the admission reservation for tribal students from 31% to 7.5%.
The suspense over the validity of the Common Entrance Test (CET), 2016, will continue for medical and dental seat aspirants appearing for the entrance test on Wednesday with the Supreme Court adjourning the hearing of the matter till Thursday.



The state government has advised students to appear for the CET, while it filed a petition in the Supreme Court along with other states. This followed the Supreme Courts recent ruling on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) being applicable from this

year, making all other exams invalid.



Dr S S Harasoor, director, Medical Education, said that since the matter was adjourned till Thursday, there was no option but to wait.



As many as 1.78 lakh students will appear for the CET for entry into medical, dental, engineering and various other professional courses.



Starting from the II PU chemistry paper leak to the sudden NEET ruling, Venugopal, a student, rued the unending fiasco.



He said, Many students are fed up. With such incidents, it is difficult to cope. At a time when students are preparing for the exams, such things add a lot of stress.



Venugopal gave the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) on Sunday, but rated his performance as standard, as he was majorly preparing for the CET.



Anagha H, a student from BMS PU College in Basavanagudi, said that despite the uncertainity surrounding the exam, there was no choice for students.



We cannot do anything, but try and prepare as well as we can. In my case, I am not trying to think of anything else, but the preparations.



She, however, was optimistic that the Supreme Court will rule in favour of the students and make the CET valid. Anagha said that she had done well in the AIPMT and was hoping for a good rank.



Other exams offer hope



Meanwhile, students expressed hope in other exams that they have given or will be giving.



These include ComedK on May 8 in the state as well as entrances to institutes such as the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER).



Exams such as those for AIIMS and JIPMER are a cut above the rest in difficulty. However, with talks about the possibility of these institutes being out of the ambit of the NEET, there is likely to be more competition for these institutes, said Anagha.




The Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath is hosting a week-long programme between May 5 and 10 to mark its 50th anniversary and the birth centenary of former chief minister D Devaraj Urs.





The highlight will be a photography exhibition on the KCPs milestones. As many as 600 photographs will be exhibited in four galleries at the KCP. Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa will inaugurate the exhibition at 5 pm on May 5, KCP president B L Shankar told reporters here on Tuesday.



Besides seminars and art workshops, the KCP is focusing its energy on opening a college at Ganakallu in Uttarahalli. While the government has leased around 14 acres of land for the institute, work has not begun as the allocated funds (Rs 13 crore) have not been released.

The KCP is finalising the blueprint for the college. Shankar said the project was estimated to cost Rs 35 crore. The KCP hopes to raise the remaining funds by donations.



Apart from existing disciplines, the KCP will introduce courses in Animation and Ceramics. The proposed college will also have studios, hostels, auditoriums, museums and galleries.
The Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra (Arshad Madani), that had over the last few years provided legal aid to innocent Muslim youth in terror cases, on Monday demanded action against the officials of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) who had investigated the Aurangabad arms haul case, the 7/11 serial train blasts case and the Malegaon-1 blasts  all registered in 2006.





Lives of innocent people have been ruined in jails, Gulzar Azmi, the secretary of legal cell of Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra, told a news conference on Tuesday. Azmi said that in the Mumbai train blasts case, 13 accused were charged and tried for the case.



Of these 13, two accused, Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh and Asif Khan Bashir Khan, were falsely incriminated and made accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case. This the ATS did while the two accused were in judicial custody.



After that ATS officers made several attempts to turn the accused into approvers by visiting them illegally in Arthur Road jail, while the accused were all remanded in judicial custody. The accused were offered various amounts of cash and even the promise of resettlement overseas, he said.



He went on to add that an accused in the Malegaon blasts case was consistently sent money in Byculla jail by a police constable while he was in judicial custody. The details and evidence of this fact was obtained via RTI, he pointed out.



The 9 accused in the Malegaon case were granted bail in 2011 after the NIA found no evidence against the accused, who incidentally had spent 5 years in jail for a crime they did not commit, he said. According to Azmi, In the Aurangabad Arms haul case, the accused had been arrested and were remanded in judicial custody.


Governor Vajubhai Vala has withheld his consent to the state governments recommendation to appoint Justice S R Nayak as the Lokayukta.





The Siddaramaiah government, in February, had recommended the name of Karnataka Law Commission chairman Justice Nayak (in pic) for the post of Lokayukta despite four members of a six-member committee, formed to select the anti-corruption ombudsman, opposing his choice.



It is learnt that Vala, in his three-page letter which reached the government on Monday, has raised certain questions on the recommendation. Replying to queries from the media on Tuesday as to whether the governor had rejected the governments recommendation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Kolar said, I have not seen the letter sent by the governors office as I was in Ballari to monitor drought relief work on Monday.



According to legal experts, the governor cannot directly reject the governments recommendation for the post of Lokayukta, but Raj Bhavan can always ask the government to reconsider, citing reasons, or keep the file pending by not signing.



In March this year, Governor Vala had sought clarification from the government on allotment of a residential plot in Judicial Layout in Bengaluru to Justice S R Nayak.



An NGO, in a petition to the governor, had accused Justice Nayak of flouting rules to secure the site. Besides the chief minister, the Lokayukta select committee comprises the Chief Justice of the High Court S K Mukherjee, Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy, leaders of the Opposition in both Houses, Jagadish Shettar and K S Eshwarappa.



Siddaramaiah and Thimmappa had favoured Justice Nayak. But Justice Mukherjee (through his letter), Shankaramurthy, Shettar and Eshwarappa favoured former Supreme Court judge Justice Vikramjit Sen. Yet, the government had recommended the name of Justice Nayak.



The governor, in his letter, it is learnt, had raised questions whether due process of consultation had been followed.




The residents of Mashaldanga, Poaturkuthi and Dahla Khagrabari are gearing up to cast their votes for the first time in almost seven decades.





Yet, festivities have run into some discontent with a large number of voters cards, issued by the government, carrying erroneous information. If the address is incorrect in some, in others names have been mixed up, leading to confusion.



Take Manowara Bibi, for example. While she has been rightly named in the card, the names of her husband and father have been mixed up, placing the name of her husband Mansoor Ali in place of her father and vice-versa. In some cases, the son has been named as the husband and father-in-law as the father.



While such mistakes are common even in urban areas, at the largely conservative societal structure in rural Bengal, such mistakes are giving rise to significant disgruntlement and even anger.



How can the government do this? Officials visited each and every household and took down names of residents, who are eligible as voters. Even after that how can they name the son as the husband or the husband as the father? asked a rather displeased Sobhan Ali.



He pointed out that in his case, his father Jamal Miyan has been named as Jamal Sheikh, a glaring mistake. Abdul Khaled Miyan, another recipient of such an erroneous card, admitted that receiving the voters card was a moment of pride but the mistakes have come across as a major mood dampener. Now were concerned whether well be able to vote, he said.



Three government officials came to our house, sat on our yard, spoke to us for almost 30 minutes to clarify all the details. Yet, when we received the cards, these are full of mistakes; names have been mixed up and even the address is wrong, Javed Ali complained. The scene is no different at the rehabilitation camps near Dinhata town, where residents of former Indian enclaves in Bangladesh have been housed.



Umar Farooq, a young resident of the camp, said, How can the government make such mistakes? We clearly mentioned our names in the forms given to us. They even clarified if handwritings were illegible in some cases, he said.



The frustrations and discontent notwithstanding, the Election Commission is gearing up to ensure that all eligible voters from the former enclaves can exercise their right at 38 polling booths across five seats of Dinhata, Mathabhanga, Mekhligunj, Sitalkuchi and Sitai.



In order to welcome these first-time voters, the EC has planned to literally roll out the red carpet, said additional district magistrate and deputy magistrate Ayesha Rani of Cooch Behar.



In the run-up to the polls, we set up three dummy booths, equipped with EVMs so that these first-time voters can get acquainted with the machine and other electoral processes, she said.


For Md Asgar Ali, the final phase of polling to the West Bengal Assembly on May 5 will be a new experience, one he had to wait 68 years.





Although he has cast his vote a few times before independence on local body polls, the resident of the former Bangladeshi enclave in India will be casting his first vote in a free India, that too, at the age of 104.



Born on January 1, 1913, Asgar Ali is probably the oldest voter in Bengal, if not in the country. As he received his electoral photo identity card (EPIC) for the first time, he was overjoyed. What added to his glee is that he will exercise his right as an Indian citizen, along with his youngest son, Billal Hossain and grandson Jainul Abedin. All is Allahs will, he said, smiling a toothless grin, when asked about his feelings. Im unwell, so I dont know if Ill be able to walk to the booth, he said, adding that his grandson Jainul has assured him of arranging for a rickshaw.



For 24-year-old Jainul, getting his voter card and the right to cast his vote is one he has fought for, along with many other young activists of the Bharat-Bangladesh Enclaves Exchange Coordination Committee. The NGO that helped both governments to smoothen the process of exchange has been disbanded since the formal exchange at midnight of July 31-August 1, 2015, but Jainul and his comrades are now working to ensure all former enclave residents get their rights. His father, 44-year-old Billal, who is equally happy, cannot stop looking at his voter card.



While many like Asgar and his kin are looking forward to May 5, some others like Md Taleb Ali and Javeda Bewa will not be able to exercise their rights as they are yet to receive their voter cards, most likely due to bureaucratic oversight. Around 10 families are yet to receive their cards. Were feeling dejected because all of us fought the movement for enclave exchange together but now our names are not there on the voters list, he said. Javeda, in her mid-40s, had the same complaint. Everybody in our family has got their cards, except me, my son and my daughter, she said.



The complaint of administrative negligence stems from the fact that the government had run surveys as late as February 2014 and then again in 2015, before the formal exchange of these land pockets with Bangladesh. The former enclaves have 9,776 voters but around 500 of them wont be able to vote because their names were not on the survey list when the government came in November 2015 to update the electoral rolls, said Diptiman Sengupta, the man who spearheaded the movement for enclave exchange.
As many as 23,000 SC/ST students studying in industrial training institutes (ITIs) in the state will receive free bicycles from the current academic year (2016-17), Minister of State for Labour B T Parameshwara Naik said on Tuesday.





Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Naik said SC/ST students studying in ITIs were already being provided free uniforms, shoes and socks. They would also be provided with bicycles to help them in commuting, Naik said.



There are 258 government, 196 aided and 1,160 private ITIs in the state. Naik said English classes will be held at a few ITIs for students to help them improve communication skills and increase their employability.



The classes will be conducted in select government ITIs in 22 districts including Kalaburagi, Raichur, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Belagavi, Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada.



A Construction Academy to provide training to construction workers will be set up at Karmikara Bhavan premises in Bengaluru. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lay the foundation for the works on May 14. The academy will come up at a cost of Rs 346 crore.



He said that a helpline for women garment workers would be launched soon where they can register their complaints and get their grievances addressed.



Naik said that the garment workers can also call his mobile number (94481-20755).
The Centre said on Tuesday that the Supreme Court will take the final call in Italian marines case after a UN Arbitration Tribunal settles the jurisdiction issue challenged by Italy to question Indias stand at the international court.





Making a statement on the UN Arbitration Tribunals ruling, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the order allowing accused Sergeant Salvatore Girone to return home from India pending trial has established and not questioned the SCs authority. He also added that if the jurisdiction is settled in Indias favour, the sergeant will have to come back to Delhi to face trial if the court desires so.



We see the tribunals order not just as a recognition of Indias consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India, Jaitley said. Not satisfied with the statement of Jaitley, who read it out in the absence of ailing External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Congress staged a brief walkout at 2:20 pm while Odisha ruling party BJD also criticised the government for what it said toeing the Italy line before The Hague court which allowed the marine to return home.



Congress leaders, including its president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, expressed unhappiness over Speaker Sumitra Mahajan not allowing them to speak on Jaitleys statement.



Mahajan said that nothing would go on record when Congress and BJD MPs were on their feet demanding to have their say. Subsequently, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu accused Congress of doing so because of the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls.
Former Air Force chief S P Tyagi on Tuesday faced tough questions from the CBI for the second consecutive day in the AgustaWestland case during which he is claimed to have admitted to his financial involvement in 4 companies.





CBI sources claimed that he has also admitted to a meeting with Finmeccanica (mother company of AgustaWestland) chief operating officer Giorgio Zappa in India in 2005.

Investigators had on Monday claimed that he had seven meetings with company officials and that he toured 3 cities of Italy after his retirement.



The sources said the probe is on to ascertain his route of travel in 2008-09 when he visited Italy as the investigators wanted to ascertain whether he met any officials of Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland.



During the questioning, the sources said, it emerged that Tyagi had financial interests in four companies.



These companies were identified as Banshi, Anuras, Shavan and Meghanshu, all based in Noida in Uttar Pradesh. Tyagis wife also has financial interests in these companies. Tyagi, who was named in the CBI FIR, had denied any wrongdoings in the deal. He along with 12 others face allegation that they took bribes to clear the AgustaWestland choppers for VVIP use.



The sources said the CBI has summoned him on Wednesday also. The Enforcement Directorate, which is probing the money laundering case arising out of the CBI FIR, has also called Tyagi for questioning on Thursday besides his cousin Julie on Friday.



Tyagi and 12 others, including his cousins Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep, were named in an FIR by the CBI in 2013 on charges of cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy. It was claimed that Rs 360 crore was paid as bribe through a maze of companies, including Chandigarh-based Aeromatrix. Meanwhile, Tyagi got support from an unexpected corner  former Army chief and Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh
The much-awaited deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets from France has hit the roadblock.





Three crucial components of the multi-billion dollar contract are still to be finalised after Union Law Ministry red-flagged many contentious issues that are yet to be resolved.



Negotiations on the terms and conditions of the said supply, including total cost, actual delivery timelines and guarantee period have not been concluded, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.



He said India and France agreed to conclude an inter-governmental agreement on the supply of 36 Rafale aircraft.



The defence ministers statement in Parliament contradicts the India-France joint statement issued after the January summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande. In the joint statement, the 2 leaders welcomed the conclusion of the inter-governmental agreement on the acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in flyaway conditions except for some financial issues, which the leaders hoped would be resolved as soon as possible.



Almost at the same time, the law ministry expressed its concerns on the mega defence deal, which Parrikar admitted tacitly in Parliament.



The ministry of law and justice has made certain observations and the same will be adequately taken into account while finalising the inter-governmental agreement, which is still under negotiations, he said, responding to another question.



The liability clauses in the agreement and the supply protocol are learnt to be heavily loaded in favour of the French supplier Dassault Aviation. The government-to-government deal to buy 36 aircraft was announced by Modi, during his visit to France in April 2015.



The earlier process to buy 126 fighters through a global tender was cancelled in August, 2015 as the French company, short-listed in the earlier process, did not obey the terms of the 2007 tender and the commercial bid while negotiating the price.
A United States government body has named senior BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, while slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modis government for deteriorating religious freedom in India.





New Delhi dismissed the report by the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (or USCIRF), which noted that religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India in 2015. The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday issued a statement, saying that a foreign entity like the USCIRF had no locus standi to pronounce on the state of constitutionally protected rights of citizens of India.



The USCIRF annual report on international religious freedom came at a time, when New Delhi and Washington are preparing for Modis visit to the US early next month.



The prime minister is also likely to address a joint session of the US Congress, apart from meeting President Barack Obama during his visit to Washington DC.



The USCIRF report noted that minority communities in India had been subjected to derogatory comments by politicians belonging to the ruling party and numerous violent attacks and forced conversions by Hindu nationalist groups since the BJP assumed power.



The report cited as an example the September 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq by a mob of nearly 1,000 people at Bisahra village in Uttar Pradesh. He was lynched for allegedly killing a cow. His son was seriously injured. In 2015, high-ranking members of the ruling BJP party, including the party president Amit Shah, called for a nationwide anti-conversion law, noted the USCIRF.




Italian judge Marco Maiga has said they have no direct evidence against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in AgustaWestland case but indicated involvement of political secretary Ahmed Patel.





Maiga, the president of the Courts of Appeals in Milan, who pronounced the AgustaWestland verdict, said the traces were not so clear or so heavy for the court to link Indian politicians and ask them to appear before it.



We have no evidence against Sonia Gandhi. Only a mention of her in a fax. The translation of the fax was sent to (Christian) Michel. Gandhi has been indicated as someone who will fly in the VVIP helicopters. The same place is the mention of Manmohan Singh, Maiga told the channel NewsX.



On Patel, he said it was not their specific interest to indict him. He is not essential to our investigation but he is something that is around the principal story, he added.



The document with names of Indian politicians was recovered from the cell of former Finmeccanica chief Giuseppe Orsi in which he said Sonia was the driving force behind the deal besides mentioning Singh and Patel.



Maigas remarks would be a relief for the Congress, which is bracing for a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday where the ruling BJP wants to put the main opposition in a spot by placing on record the norms that were relaxed by UPA government to help AgustaWestland.



The controversy erupted after the 225-page judgment overturning the acquittal of Orsi and Finmeccanicas helicopter subsidiary AgustaWestland's former CEO Bruno Spagnolini.



Asked about the basis on which politicians were mentioned in the order, Maiga said the judgments objective was the relationship between Orsi and senior officials with former Air Force chief S P Tyagi.



We had some traces of the presence of many other people. A manuscript was found in this investigation, which has the initials of some persons who were identified as politicians or bureaucrats. But we have not individually verified their exact role in this case, he said.



While the judge explained the initials in a document about payment of bribes, he was asked whether AP in the list was indicative of Patel. This is just a hypothesis, not direct evidence. We have no direct evidence, Maigo said.



He said there was a document of middleman Guido Haschke that talks of his relationship with Tyagi and his cousins.


The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested Shivakumaraiah, the mastermind behind the II PU Chemistry question paper leak racket.





Shivakumaraiah alias Guruji, 66, a resident of Nandini Layout, was picked up from an under-construction building at Garvebhavipalya on Hosur Road in the city on Monday night, DGP (CID) H C Kishore Chandra told reporters.



He was absconding after the CID suspected his involvement in the question paper leak. He was produced before a local court and remanded in police custody for 15 days for further interrogation, said the police.



Shivakumaraiah frequently kept changing his hideouts. He went absconding from Malur, Kolar and several areas of Bengaluru City. After a tip-off that he was hiding in an under-construction building since a week, the police picked him up. The police seized Rs 50,000 from him, they added. He was shocked and pleaded innocence. He kept saying that he did not know anything about the question paper leak racket, the police said, adding that a search is on to arrest Shivakumaraiahs son Dinesh and relative Kiran.



It appears that the kingpin and Shivakumaraiahs handler is someone else. Shivakumaraiah was handed the question papers for distribution. The kingpin trusted only Shivakumaraiah. A thorough interrogation of Shivakumaraiah will unfold the racket, said a senior police officer.



The DGP said the accused had planned to leak CET question papers. However, strict measures by the police thwarted the plan, he said. There are six cases against him and the CID sleuths invoked the Karnataka Organised Crime Act to prevent him from obtaining bail.



Shivakumaraiah is proficient in music and yoga. He led a lavish life, drank only imported liquor and was a womaniser. He often dressed in white to appear spiritual. He only deposited the rent he collected from tenants occupying his many houses in the bank. The money earned from selling question papers was stashed away in his houses, the police said.
If you ever look at pictures of clocks and watches in advertising they are set to roughly 10:10 which is meant to be the most attractive (sm...
Cab drivers protest threw traffic out of gear for the second consecutive day on Tuesday even as the Delhi government said it was inviting suggestions from taxi unions to chalk out a plan to phase out diesel cabs plying under the city taxi scheme.





Agitating cabbies on Tuesday blocked traffic at various places, including key roads connecting the city to neighbouring Noida and Gurgaon. They have been protesting since Monday, following the Supreme Court's decision to ban diesel cabs in Delhi.



Cab drivers blocked the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway for about 45 minutes, forcing thousands of morning commuters to sweat it out in the sweltering heat. According to the traffic police, traffic crawled near Radisson Blu Plaza on National Highway 8 that connects Delhi and Gurgaon, due to the demonstrations.



The congestion eased only after noon.



Later in the day, the Delhi government moved the Supreme Court seeking relaxation from court order on immediately banning diesel cabs.



Transport Minister Gopal Rai said the government will invite suggestions from taxi unions before presenting a detailed phase-out plan before the apex court on Thursday.


Low yield and drought in many parts of Karnataka have hit the supply of vegetables to Bengaluru and shot up prices. Traders warn of difficult days ahead if the vegetable stock continues to shrink.





The supply of vegetables to KR Puram market, a major market in Bengaluru, has been declining for the last two weeks. If the market received 200-300 tonnes of vegetables per day earlier, the supply has come down to just 50-60 tonnes now, traders say.



KR Puram Market Association president, Yele Srinivas, said the market received vegetables from Kolar, Mandya, Srinivasapur, Hosur, Krishnagiri and the surrounding places. Tomato supply has been particularly hit. Earlier, we would get 5,000 bags of tomatoes but now we get just 2,000, he said, urging the state government to use alternative options as the vegetable shortage was likely to persist.



Kalasipalyam, one of the largest wholesale markets in the city, is also facing shortage of vegetables. Wholesale traders said the number of vegetable trucks making trips to the market had come down from 100 to just 25 in the last one week.



Biggest supplier



Kolar is the biggest supplier of tomatoes to Bengaluru. There has been no supply from there for the last 20 days. We are procuring tomatoes from Maharashtra, said Vegetable Merchants Association president, R V Gopi. Fortunately, the supply of fruits has not been affected, he said.



Anthony, a vegetable wholesaler from Bazaar Street, Yeshwantpur, said that he was procuring 100 kg of beans every day from Kalasipalyam, down from 200 kg earlier.



Tomatoes, which cost Rs 10 per kg in wholesale markets earlier, are now priced at Rs 40. The prices of beans have gone up from Rs 35-40 to Rs 70 and carrots from Rs 20 to Rs 40. Radish costs Rs 25, up from Rs 15.



G M Diwakar of KR Market Traders Association said the prices would continue to shoot up in the coming days. Even if it rains, it will take time for farmers to get the yield. With more demand and less supply, the prices will only increase, he said.



Veggie prices



Vegetables April 26 May 3

Beans Rs 98 Rs 148

Double Beans Rs 80 Rs 168

Tomato Rs 29 Rs 48

Carrot Rs 43 Rs 49

Radish Rs 32 Rs 40

Source: Hopcoms website; prices per kg






The cab driver, who reportedly attempted to abduct and molest a woman on April 23, was remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday, even as Home Minister G Parameshwara instructed the Bengaluru Police Commissioner N S Megharikh to suspend police officers who delayed registering a case.





The police obtained the statement of the girl who told them that she decided not to lodge a complaint as she felt that such a move would adversely affect her.



The police took her to the Victoria Hospital where she underwent medical examination.

The police said the girl would soon make a statement before the magistrate.



The cab driver, identified as Akshay, had reportedly grabbed the girl outside her PG dig, lifted her up from the waist and took her to an under-construction building at Kathriguppe Circle. But he fled the spot after she raised an alarm.



The incident went unnoticed until a TV channel aired the CCTV footage showing the horrific incident and the PG facility owner lodged a complaint with the police.



The police earlier refused to register a case, arguing that the girl didnt want to pursue it.

Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said he also ordered a departmental inquiry into the lapses by the police.




After years of talks and hundreds of thousand of dollars spent examining the issue, the Aurora City Council has decided to scrap the idea of becoming a city and county.

At a weekend workshop, the board came to the conclusion that Aurora, which is mostly in Arapahoe and Adams counties, should not pursue the city-county issue anymore.

There was recognition that unless it was near unanimous (among council members), any ballot issue would be unsuccessful, City Councilman Charlie Richardson said.

The council has been split on the notion, with Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan leading the way in favor of moving to a city-county system. Aurora has spent about $400,000 over the past several years on studies that examined the issue.

A waste in a sense, but not a waste in another sense. The figures showed we would be in the red for a long time, City Councilwoman Renie Peterson said.

A study by TischlerBise of Bethesda, Md., found that it would cost the city upwards of $325 million over 20 years to build all the facilities it would need, while another study found more cost-saving measures.

About 88 percent of the citys 350,000 residents live in Arapahoe County and 12 percent in Adams County and a fraction in Douglas County.

Peterson said she was told by Adams County commissioners that the county was considering adding more services for Aurora residents but the city-county talk stymied those efforts.

Making the switch would have been a lengthy process. The council would have had to decide to ask its voters to approve a measure. The state legislature would also have had to agree to put it to a statewide vote.

For Aurora, the potential move to a city and county was always more about controlling its own destiny than it was over the services it receives, Hogan has said in the past.

Arapahoe County Commissioner Rod Bockenfeld said the county has had a good working relationship with the city of Aurora.

Theres a lot of growth that occurs in Aurora and Aurora has a great vision for their city, Bockenfeld said. With that greater vision, sometimes it leads to the idea that maybe (the city) can provide county services, too.

Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or @cillescasdp
Authorities in La Junta say an internal investigation into the paralysis of a man after an encounter with two police officers last year remains ongoing even after a grand jury decided not to indict the pair.

Bill Jackson, who oversees the towns public safety department, said the review is being done by an outside agency.

Jackson declined to release further information on the case, pending the internal investigations completion.

Prosecutors on Monday announced that last week 12 grand jurors found there was no probable cause to charge Sgt. Vince Fraker and Officer John McMillian in the paralysis of 25-year-old Donovan Duran.

MORE: Colorado MMA fighter says cops beat him, left him paralyzed

Duran, an aspiring mixed martial arts fighter, said on Dec. 7 the two officers attacked him, fracturing his neck and leaving him without feeling below his upper chest.

La Junta is a rural community of about 7,000 that sits roughly 65 miles east of Pueblo.

Duran was never charged in the encounter and police have not said why officers used physical force against Duran. He was picked up by police after family says they called authorities to report him being drunk and in need of help.

Fraker and McMillian, who authorities say was ruled out as a person of interest in the case early in the investigation, were placed on administrative duty after the encounter.

Durant Davidson, Durans attorney, said the grand jurys decision has no effect on the civil lawsuit he plans to file soon in the case.

The Colorado state criminal laws in question before the grand jury are entirely different than the federal laws providing for civil lawsuits against police officers for use of excessive force that causes injuries, Davidson said.

A report from the grand jury could be available as soon as next week pending the review of a judge, according to the Otero County District Court clerks office.

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
By D. Parvaz

29 April 2016 KABUL, Afghanistan (Al Jazeera)  The pain etched on refugee faces on Greek and Turkish shores does not remain there. For many Afghans, it follows them home as they are deported back to Afghanistan  the bodies of their drowned loved ones, if they are found, in tow. Loss followed Massoud Ahmad, 35, and his wife, Weeda Jan, 32, back to Kabul on December 28, along with the bodies of their two children  Gholam Seddiq, nine, and Elaheh, eight. They were the top of their class, says Ahmad, wiping tears from his eyes. He lets the tea in front of him grow cold as he tells his story. He has been crying since the December night when, about 15 minutes into their journey, the boat his family was travelling in tipped after the engine failed and the waves did their worst. All 21 people on board, including the captain, fell into the frigid sea, as the boat rose up, then disappeared into the water. We called the coastguard emergency number 20,000 times in 20 minutes. They said someone was coming. No one came, Ahmad explains. People started dying within a couple of hours  first the children, says Ahmad. Gholam Seddiq and Elaheh were among them. We couldnt hold on to them, he says. The waves hit us hard and they drifted away from us. We just couldnt hold them. I said to my wife, Lets take off our life vests and sink. Lets go. Weve lost our children. She said, Hold on a little longer,' Ahmad remembers. Weeda Jan was three months pregnant. For nine or 10 hours they screamed for help in the bitterly cold sea. Then, after sun up, a fishing boat found them, weak and dehydrated, with some other survivors. They didnt have the strength to lift themselves in, so had to pulled up and on to the boat. Wed been screaming and crying for hours, swallowing salt water, freezing, says Ahmad. They waited for a Turkish rescue boat, which took them to a clinic in the coastal town of Kusadasi. That was where Weeda Jan was told that shed miscarried. So in total, we lost three children, Ahmad says. Everyone was crying  the doctors, everyone, he adds. He is still crying. The bodies of their children were found within a day  two among the 3,771 who died crossing the Mediterranean from Turkey to Greece last year. They asked us to identify our childrens bodies. I didnt have the courage  I said to my wife, You go. She said, No, you go, he remembers.

In the end, they both went to identify Elaheh and Gholam Seddiq. We saw our children among the others, including the captain, Ahmad explains. With the bodies of their children, they were processed quickly for deportation and sent to the Aydin refugee camp. People get stuck there for months. But my wife cried and cried until they let us go  it took a couple of days, he says, adding that they were sent to Istanbul, where they collected their deportation papers. They returned to Afghanistan with nothing but two small coffins. But why had they left their country? Ahmad had a good job as a sound designer for Tolo TV by day, and was a successful guitarist by night, playing private parties all over town. When the Taliban said they were going to attack Tolo, I knew I had to leave, for the future of my family, he says. [more]
By Gary Earney 2 May 2016 (Press Enterprise)  The United States Forest Service is proposing to issue Nestle Waters North America a new five-year special use permit to continue water extractions from Strawberry Creek in the San Bernardino Mountains next to Rimforest, on public land owned by you. In my professional opinion, that may damage national forest resources, including habitat for threatened, endangered and sensitive species, may preclude the areas use as a critical wildlife refuge, and may not be in the public interest. Worse, proposing to have Nestle itself conduct the environmental studies and monitoring necessary to determine whether or not a new special use permit should be issued to them, allows the fox to guard the hen house  it is plainly and simply unethical. I retired from the San Bernardino National Forest as a professional forester with more than 30 years of service, and with recognized expertise in administering large, environmentally, and politically complex projects. For 23 years, until my 2007 retirement, I administered Nestles old special use permit. Draconian budget cuts (a 46 percent cut in 1981, and even further cuts in the early 1990s and 2000s) have made the Forest Service unable to adequately meet its basic charge of properly managing the publics 650,000-acre forest. Prior to the early 2000s, when the severe drought began, managing water withdrawals like Nestles was not a priority issue. Nestles special use permit expired in 1988, and has not been re-issued due to the above cuts, and to previously much higher priority work. At times, Nestle has extracted around 100,000,000 gallons a year, and has several times, unsuccessfully, asked the Forest Service for permission to add additional wells and increase that amount by up to 30 percent. According to an April 13th article in The San Bernardino Sun, Nestle increased its 2015 water take by 29 percent over 2014. This, when Gov. Jerry Brown had asked all Californians to reduce their water usage by at least 25 percent. Whether or not Nestle has a state issued water right is not relevant, as such a right does not give its holder the authority to cross or use the land of another (in this case, national forest land) to access water. Importantly, that means that the Forest Service does not have to allow a use that damages the forest resource base. [ more ]

GARY EARNEY: Time to rethink Nestle water permit

By Ian James

8 March 2015 (The Desert Sun)  Miles from the nearest paved road in the San Bernardino National Forest, two sounds fill a rocky canyon: a babbling stream and the hissing of water flowing through a stainless steel pipe. From wells that tap into springs high on the mountainside, water gushes down through the pipe to a roadside tank. From there, it is transferred to tanker trucks, hauled to a bottling plant and sold as Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Water. Nestle Waters North America holds a longstanding right to use this water from the national forest near San Bernardino. But the U.S. Forest Service hasnt been keeping an eye on whether the taking of water is harming Strawberry Creek and the wildlife that depends on it. In fact, Nestles permit to transport water across the national forest expired in 1988. It hasnt been reviewed since, and the Forest Service hasnt examined the ecological effects of drawing tens of millions of gallons each year from the springs. Even with California deep in drought, the federal agency hasnt assessed the impacts of the bottled water business on springs and streams in two watersheds that sustain sensitive habitats in the national forest. The lack of oversight is symptomatic of a Forest Service limited by tight budgets and focused on other issues, and of a regulatory system in California that allows the bottled water industry to operate with little independent tracking of the potential toll on the environment. In an investigation of the industrys water footprint in the San Bernardino National Forest and other parts of California, The Desert Sun found that:

No state agency is tracking exactly how much water is used by all of the bottled water plants in California, or monitoring the effects on water supplies and ecosystems statewide. The California Department of Public Health regulates 108 bottled water plants in the state, collecting information on water quality and the sources tapped. But the agency says it does not require companies to report how much water they use.

That information, when collected piecemeal by state or local agencies, often isnt easily accessible to the public. In some cases, the amounts of water used are considered confidential and not publicly released.

Even as Nestle Waters has been submitting required reports on its water use, the Forest Service has not been closely tracking the amounts of water leaving the San Bernardino National Forest and has not assessed the impacts on the environment.

While the Forest Service has allowed Nestle to keep using an expired permit for nearly three decades, the agency has cracked down on other water users in the national forest. Several years ago, for instance, dozens of cabin owners were required to stop drawing water from a creek when their permits came up for renewal. Nestle has faced no such restrictions.

Only this year, after a group of critics raised concerns in letters and after The Desert Sun inquired about the expired permit, did Forest Service officials announce plans to take up the issue and carry out an environmental analysis.

A growing debate over Nestles use of water from the San Bernardino National Forest parallels other arguments in places from the San Gorgonio Pass to Mount Shasta. And those debates have turned more contentious as a fourth year of drought weighs on Californias depleted water supplies. [more]
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Former Willowbrook resident George Janicello turned 95 in grand style during a celebratory gala hosted by his family in LiGreci's Staaten April 21, the West Brighton banquet facility where the new nonagenarian emerged as man of the hour.

The guest of honor, now retired and a resident of Toms River, N.J. -- who by the way appears way younger than his years -- was escorted to the birthday commemorative by Rose, his wife of of 57 years.

The Atlantic City themed event was hosted by the couple's children, George, Marie DeLeon, and Rose Gibson, and attended by a number of family members including daughter in law, Alison, sons-in-law, Dan and Rich, and four of his five grandchildren, Nicole, John, Kelly, and Jamie -- who all call Willowbrook home -- as well as several special friends.

"George, a World War II veteran, was especially happy to spend time with many of his nieces and nephews, reminders of his sisters and brother who are no longer with us," explains George's daughter Marie DeLeon.

While expressing his thanks for all the blessings in his life, George shared a bit of wisdom with his guests, pointing out that a loving attitude towards others is the most important thing of all.

Happy birthday, George!

WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS

Because the Inside Out column thrives on commemorating celebrations, we love to capture life's poignant moments with photos.

How to get featured in future galleries: Email photographs from your local charitable galas, centenarian birthday celebrations, high school reunions and love stories to Carol Ann Benanti at benanti@siadvance.com. Or just share them in the comments section below.

CELEBRATIONS: MAY 3

Happy birthday Tuesday to Jerry M. Judin, supervising court attorney, Surrogate's Court, Richmond County, to Jean Zimmer, Nicole Pellechia, Lori Alvarez and twins, Alexandria and Michael Gordon. P
The GSMA has expressed its belief that the Indian government should lower spectrum prices if it aims to meet its goals for mobile broadband penetration.

GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer John Giustis full statement on the issue reads: The GSMA is concerned that, if the [Indian] Telecom Commission maintains the current reserve prices for 700MHz spectrum in India, there is the risk of a failed auction or, at a minimum, serious limitations on investment capability in next generation networks, denying the enabling social and economic power of this important spectrum resource to the citizens of India.

The reserve prices for this much-needed spectrum are unrealistic in relation to the economics of the mobile industry. In fact, the total recommended reserve prices of INR 536,239 crore (over US$80 billion) for the spectrum bands in the auction are almost double the cost of all spectrum investment to date in India. This equates to more than 20 times the annual free cash flow of the entire mobile industry in India.

The governments decision to reduce Spectrum Usage Charges from 5% to 3% is a step in the right direction, but it will not do enough to offset such high spectrum prices. In competitive markets like India, setting reasonable reserve prices would allow auction mechanisms to work in determining the market price in assigning the spectrum.

In the event that the spectrum reserve prices are not reduced, the Indian Government runs the risk that spectrum will go unsold, as has happened in Australia and recently in Senegal. This would be extremely damaging not only for the Indian mobile industry, but also for the countrys economy overall, depriving citizens and businesses in India to the full potential of high quality mobile broadband services.

The GSMA urges the Indian Government to reconsider the auction reserve prices in order to better reflect local market conditions, allow competition in the market to determine fair prices for this spectrum, and help meet its objectives of increasing mobile broadband access for all.
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by Kathleen Gilbert BEIJING, September 7, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com)  Escaped Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is leading international opponents of forced abortion in calling upon the worlds largest company to end compliance with the Chinas one-child policy. Family planning police have targeted employees (569)

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Aberdeen Asset Management tumbled on Tuesday as it reported a slump in first-half profit amid weakness in emerging markets.

In the six months to the end of March, underlying pre-tax profit fell 40% to 162.9m, as net revenue declined 20% to 483.6m.

Meanwhile, assets under management dropped to 292.8bn from 330.6bn the year before, and the company kept its interim dividend per share unchanged at 7.5p.

Chief executive Martin Gilbert said: These results reflect the challenging conditions Aberdeen has faced during the past three years, in particular the weakness in emerging markets. However our balance sheet strength has allowed us to continue to invest in the business, including the completion of a number of bolt-on acquisitions which have added new capabilities and new client channels.

We have strengthened the management team with senior appointments in distribution and operations. Our broad product suite and global distribution platform means we are well placed to meet the long-term needs of an ever increasing number of investors around the world."

On the upside, Aberdeen said its equity portfolios have performed strongly against their respective benchmarks during in first four months of 2016 as investors have begun to focus once again on companies which had previously been undervalued by the market.

Still, this does not mean a dramatic improvement in new business flows is anticipated in the short term, the company said, as many potential investors may need more evidence that this rotation is firmly established before investing.

Aberdeen said on Tuesday that it expects to reduce annual costs by around 70m.

Numis said it was an all-round bad set of results, with AUM 2% lower than expected. The brokerage downgraded its rating on the stock to hold from add to reflect the weak results and further significant de-rating.

In the short term, the group remains very much exposed to the fortunes of EM, where we for choice would now prefer to wait for a more attractive entry point, it said.

At 0910 BST, shares were down 7.4% to 276.70p.
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LED packaging service provider Ledtech Electronics intends to keep its gross margin stable in the second half of 2022, during which revenue will likely come below that for the first...
Unleaded 88 fuel is often cheaper, but should drivers use it?

Unleaded 88 fuel gives lower gas mileage than regular unleaded but with fewer carbon emissions. So, should you put it in your vehicle? That depends.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama is reviewing design proposals for his future presidential library from the seven architectural firms chosen as finalists.

A foundation plans to build the library in one of two parks on Chicago's South Side. Completion is expected in 2020 or 2121.





. . .
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Residents complained about the chicken processing plant's impacts on traffic and the environment, and about outsiders who would overwhelm schools and change the town's character.



By SCOTT McFETRIDGE

Associated Press

NICKERSON, Neb.  Half-ton pickup trucks crowd the curb outside the One Horse Saloon, a neon Coors Light sign in the window and rib-eye steaks on the menu, but otherwise Nickerson, Nebraska, is nearly silent on a spring evening, with only rumbling freight trains interrupting bird songs.

Regional economic development officials thought it was the perfect spot for a chicken processing plant that would liven up the 400-person town with 1,100 jobs, more than it had ever seen. When plans leaked out, though, there was no celebration, only furious opposition that culminated in residents packing the fire hall to complain the roads couldn't handle the truck traffic, the stench from the plant would be unbearable and immigrants and out-of-towners would flood the area, overwhelming schools and changing the town's character.





. . .
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By LUKE RAMSETH

Post Register

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho  A darkened central control room with more than 25 computer screens watches over nearly everything occurring inside this radioactive waste treatment plant west of Idaho Falls.

The room is where employees at the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project, or AMWTP, monitor and manipulate the facility's dangerous waste treatment process from afar. Decades-old metal boxes and drums filled with radioactive waste travel through a series of conveyor belts and elevators. At various stages the waste is remotely sorted, repackaged, smashed up, and then packaged again. A final product of multiple 55-gallon drums is shipped on trucks to waste repositories located in New Mexico, Nevada and Utah.





. . .
The Enterprise Ministerial Association will host a National Day of Prayer observance on May 5 with a ceremony at 12 p.m. in the front courtyard of Enterprise City Hall. Local pastors will lead the community in prayers for the church, the community, the nation, military, first responders and others. The ceremony begins with music and a proclamation declaring the National Day of Prayer in Enterprise and across the nation. Prayer, praise and music will continue through about 1 p.m.

The Harbor Church will hold a Celebration of New Ministry for new Executive Director Kody Kirchhoff on May 5, 5-7 p.m., at Calvary Baptist Church Fellowship Center, 901 Montezuma Ave. in Dothan. There will be a presentation at 6 p.m. The Harbor Church is located in downtown Dothan and does outreach for Dothans homeless and needy. The ministry is supported by multiple churches. For more information on services provided, contact the Harbor at 334-790-4031.

Resurrection Power Crusades will be holding a two-day crusade at the Geneva County Farm Center on May 5-6 with services at 6 p.m. There will be anointed worship and a message from the Rev. David Watson of the University of Health and Healing in Enterprise. The farm center is located at 2765 E. State Highway 52 between Hartford and Geneva.

Love INC of the Wiregrass will host a development meeting on Friday, May 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Dothan Houston County Library Systems main branch at 445 N. Oates St. in downtown Dothan. The nonprofit mobilizes local churches, church volunteers and community organizations to transform the lives of people in need whether they have physical, emotional, mental or spiritual needs. The organization, formally known as Love In the Name of Christ, and its affiliates have worked in communities for more than 30 years. To learn more about the new Dothan affiliate, contact Barbi Nolan at 334-793-4440 or barbi@loveincwiregrass.org. You can also visit www.loveincwiregrass.org.

Piney Grove Baptist in Webb will host a Paul and Silas War Room prayer meeting on May 6, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Music will be led by Elder Michael Dawsey and the message will be delivered by Pastor Pamela Edwards.

Klondyke Gospel Music Center, located between Newton and Ozark at 3885 Highway 123 S., will host the following groups: Angela Arnold from Grand Ridge, Florida, May 6; Soul Winners and Bloodline of Grace from Knoxville, Tennessee, May 7; Twin Rivers from Geneva, May 13; Rick Allen King from Nashville, Tennessee; May 14; Big T Tommy Henderson from Avon, May 21. Concerts start at 7 p.m. Admission is free; offering will be taken. For more information, call 334-405-1500.

A Spring Gospel Songfest will be held on May 7 at 6 p.m. at the Friendship Baptist Church, 201 Friendship St., in Enterprise. The event is presented by the Coffee County Alumni Chapter Alabama State University and The Hosanna Chapter 80 of The Order of Eastern Star. For more information, call Bill Cooper at 334-347-6379.

Heaven Saints Motorcycle Ministry of the Northwest Florida Chapter Womens Ministry will hold a service on May 7 at 11 a.m. in the United Methodist Church Youth Building in Marianna, Florida (located behind the post office on Highway 90). Guest speaker will be Shari Davis Hill, a Jackson County, Florida, native who will share her story of depression and addiction and how she credits God with turning her life around. For information, call 850-718-7955 or 334-797-5495.

Grimes Gospel Lighthouse, 1512 County Road 25, Grimes, will host Walter Wilson of Cottonwood on May 7; Heaven Bound of Navarre, Florida, on May 14; local talent on May 21; and Lydia Berry of Dothan on May 28. Concerts are at 7 p.m. Admission is free; offering will be taken. Call 334-983-4654 or 334-714-4658 for more information.

Christ the King Lutheran Church, located at 208 E. Watts St. in Enterprise, will host a musical Mothers Day program presented by Peter Kinzie on May 8 at 3 p.m. This event is open to the public and free of charge with a reception following the program.

The Wiregrass Youth Choral Society Inc. is sponsoring the 2016 Mother's Day Musical Tribute entitled Youth Keeping Mothers Dreams Alive on May 8 at 5 p.m. at Greater Beaulah Baptist Church, 254 Headland Ave., in Dothan. The event is free to attend.

Greater Friendship AME Church in Shorterville, will host a Mothers Day gospel singing on May 8 at 3 p.m. Special guests will be Brothers of Testimony from Phenix City. Other groups performing include: Willie Lawrence and the Spiritual Five from Eufaula; The Bright Stars from Fort Gaines, Georgia; The Heavenly Ones from Abbeville; and The Brothers of Vision from Fort Gaines. The church is located at Highway 10 and County Road 91.

St. Mathis Missionary Baptist Church in Cowarts will hold a Pastors Second Anniversary service on May 15 at 2:30 p.m. The Rev. Michael Thomas is the church pastor. Guest minister for the service will be the Rev. Alfonso Neal, pastor of Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Webb. The Piney Grove Choir will sing.

Burdeshaw Street Missionary Baptist Church, 714 E. Burdeshaw St. in Dothan, will ordain Jackie Johnson and David Paul as deacons and hold an ordination service for Minister Eric Dawsey on May 15 at 2:30 p.m. The guest minister will be Pastor Leroy McLeroy of St. Peter Community Church.

New Home Baptist Church in Enterprise will host showings of the movie Value of a Soul on May 15 at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The movie is part of Billy Grahams My Hope program and follows three lives in search for true worth as their worlds crumble. New Home will also host a high attendance day for Sunday school at 10 a.m. For more information, call 334-347-3646.

Old Friendship AME Church in Shorterville will hold its annual Mission Day program on May 15 at 3 p.m. Guest speaker will be Sherryl Whiting of Cherry Street AME Church in Dothan. The programs theme is Missionaries Equipped to Serve. The church is located at the intersection of Highway 10 and County Road 237.

New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 1110 Allen Road, Dothan, will hold a Musician Appreciation program on May 15 at 2:30 p.m. The program will honor Derrick P. Duncan, minister of music; Lois Barber, music coordinator; Anthony West, bass; Rhyein Wilson, drummer; and Corinne Bowers, pianist. Soloists, groups, choirs and musicians will perform.

Women of the Bible: Part 2 will be presented by the womens department of St. Paul Church of God in Christ on May 15 at 4 p.m.

Burdeshaw Street Missionary Baptist Church will host a spring youth revival May 16-20 with services at 7 p.m. The church is located at 714 E. Burdeshaw St. in Dothan. Guest pastor for the revival will be James Dawsey of County Line Missionary Baptist Church in Slocomb.

The Enterprise Aglow Community Lighthouse Meeting will be held May 21 at 10 a.m. at Po Folks. Guest speaker will be the Rev. Shawn Collier from Clayton. For more information, call 334-406-9683.

Green Hill Presbyterian Church, 735 E. Lee St., Enterprise, will host Vacation Bible School June 6-10. The theme will be Backstage with the Bible. Kids will learn the books of the Bible and the Ten Commandments through song. To register, fill in the online registration form at https://greenhillpc.wordpress.com/vacation-bible-school-2016/vbs-2016-registration-form/ .

New Hope Freewill Baptist Church, 3819 County Road 31, Abbeville, will host the Annual Youth Convention of the Mount Hosea-Star Bethel Freewill Baptist Association on Saturday, June 25, beginning at 10 a.m. and featuring Pastor and Moderator Eddie L Baker. The Youth Convention will continue on Sunday, June 26, beginning at 10 a.m. Pastor Randy Sewell of Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, will be the guest speaker for the day. All churches are invited to attend. Dinner will be served.
Residents interested in an initiative launched earlier this year to identify the needs of unemployed workers, and then connect them to resources, will have a chance to register for the initiatives first job readiness program next week.

From 12 to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Get Hired Dothan will accept applications at the main branch of the Dothan-Houston County Library at 445 N. Oates St. for a one-week job readiness program. The program, which is free and set to begin Monday, May 16, is expected to offer training in resume writing, interview skills, social media etiquette, financial literacy, GED resources, and more.

Only participants who apply to the program are able to register for the actual course. Tiana Patrice, an initiative partner, said a hiring fair will be held exclusively for those who finish the program.

Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz launched Get Hired Dothan in March in an effort to bring awareness of available jobs in the area and the challenges facing employment.

A goal of the initiative has been to find what jobs are available, what those jobs require, and the time frame it takes to prepare job seekers to meet those requirements.

According to Get Hired Dothan, as many as 12 local businesses have partnered with the initiative.
Honeysuckle Middle School and Girard Middle School may get after school and summer programs through Bright Key, which operates enrichment and tutoring programs in three Dothan elementary schools.

A stakeholder meeting was held at Honeysuckle on Monday night to solicit input from parents, students and the community. About 50 people attended. A meeting will be held at Girard Middle School on Tuesday night.

The Dothan City Schools have applied for two $150,000 per year, three-year grants from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to fund the programs at Honeysuckle and Girard. City school system leaders will know in July whether the grants were approved. Wiregrass Foundation funding would also support the programs.

The grants would fund Monday through Thursday afterschool programs at the schools and a four-week summer program. Meals would be served at the afterschool and summer program and transportation would be provided.

The programs would have tutoring and mentoring activities, as well as a science, technology, engineering and math component. The meetings Monday and Tuesday give stakeholders at the two schools the chance to provide input on what programs they would like to see.

Melanie Hill, Bright Key program developer, said the programs will be monitored to determine their impact on academic success, behavior and long-term impact on students as they head to high school.

Bright Key Programs have been implemented at Highlands Elementary School, Selma Street Elementary School and Grandview Elementary School. The programs offered by Bright Key at each school differ, based on what stakeholders at each school chose. In general, they provide mentoring and enrichment programs for students.

Lisa Rambo has two nephews attending Honeysuckle. She said she was excited about the opportunities the program could provide.

I think it will be a great opportunity for kids, especially the ones who need structured afternoon activities, she said.
dpa ElectionsData

With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.

The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
Harry Boyte continues his conversation with Deborah Meier. To read their full exchange, please visit here .

Dear Deb and Colleagues,

Your focus on the role of structures in a democratic way of life brings to mind my discussions with students at Lonestar Community College in Houston last week. They wondered how to think about the elections. Some had a candidate they were passionate about - Sanders, Clinton, Trump, or Cruz -- and thought that if their candidate didnt win they might sit out politics, which they saw as elections.

I described what I learned in the freedom movement in 1964 from Oliver Harvey, the janitor at Duke who was organizing a union. I couldnt vote yet, but I proclaimed there was no difference between Lyndon Johnson and Barry Goldwater with all the zeal and naivety of an 18 year old. Johnson wont desegregate the south! I said.

Harvey replied, Thats ridiculous. Of course he wont - thats what were doing in the movement. But who wins makes a large difference for the environment in which were organizing. He went on to detail national discussion, media coverage, legislative possibilities, federal agency practices, protection of civil rights workers. I learned a lesson - structure (including elections) doesnt substitute for agency, but its crucial to the larger task, which I would call a democratic awakening. This will require organizing coalitions across partisan divides -- Sanders and Trump supporters, for instance.

We cant have a repeat of Richard Nixons successful Southern Strategy, which divided working people by race for a generation. Weve found in our Public Achievement work at Lonestar and elsewhere that education can be a rare meeting ground across partisan and other differences, in our highly fragmented society.

You raise another way in which democracy in the schools organizing can contribute to democratic awakening. Changing the categories of assessment, in our bureaucratic, technocratic age, is a crucial task. I like your idea of developing a way to assess democracy schools that incorporates both agency and formal democracy.

Formal democracy seems a lot like a constitution, the way a community is constituted. There are many connections between agency and constitution, formal or informal. For instance, how much the constitution of a community - any community, including a school -- is seen to issue from the people makes a large difference in terms of ownership.

We the People, the opening words of the Constitution, are a brilliant moment in US history. The people were declared the authors of constitutional order, not kings or aristocrats or other elites. More, the widespread engagement of people in debates about the constitution (the Federalists versus Anti-federalists, and partisans of the Bill of Rights) deepened the sense of popular ownership, against anti-democratic trends (elites, for instance, sought to change the people to the voters early on, as the late political theorist Sheldon Wolin documented. Voters are a lot easier to control than the people).

This connection underlines the importance of keeping constitutional orders alive, and regularly revisited. For instance, if Hillary Clinton is elected, we should work for campaign finance reform -- a change in the ever-evolving constitutional order.

Assessing schools cultures for how they nourish civic agency is different than individual democratic habits, though they are related. And assessment of agentic cultures is tough to get at. In contrast, assessing structures by various quantitative measures is commonplace.

Assessing school cultures for civic agency is largely unknown in the higher education scene. The most widely used assessment tools, the VALUE rubrics of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), have advanced the adoption of what AAC&U calls high impact practices such as service learning and deliberation. As the civic engagement rubric title (Civic Engagement, Local and Global) suggests, the rubrics emphasize local and global, with no attention to students contributions to building a democratic society. The value rubrics neglect democratic habits generally and civic agency specifically. In fact democracy is not mentioned.

But there are signs of an alternative way to think about this. Margaret Finders, chair of the education department at Augsburg College, and Catherine Bishop, Augsburg director of student success, recently called for new attention to concepts and practices of civic agency at an AAC&U conference on assessment. They used the description of Adam Weinberg, President of Denison University, one of several universities which have begun to emphasize civic agency. Beneath every facet of this work [at Denison] is a focus on instilling within students notions of civic agency--the ability of people to act together on common problems across differences--while also giving faculty, staff, and local residents more opportunities to work in their communities.

Here are a few of the contrasts Bishop and Finders propose to get the conversation started

Traditional assessments Democratic assessments

Emphasis on independent work Emphasis on acting together

Defined by disciplinary boundaries Interwoven knowledge

Emphasis on written work Performative practices

They argue that competitive metrics and dominant conceptual frameworks stress individual and competitive excellence, knowledge acquisition, and preparation for narrowly acquisitive and individual achievement-oriented careers. They ask instead, How might we look at academic excellence through a democracy lens to move toward development of capacities for public work and civic agency? This is not a question of disadvantaged versus mainstream students. We need new approaches to assessment to prepare all students for civic leadership in the rapidly changing world.

This isnt a finished process or product, but it is a good beginning.
The threat of payless paydays has led to massive school closures in the Detroit public schools for the second straight day.

At least 94 of the districts 97 schools are closed today after a teachers union protest shut down nearly all the campuses Monday.

The teachers union, the Detroit Federation of Teachers, was expected to host a downtown rally for its members this morning in response to news that some members may not be paid for work theyve already done.

Over the weekend, Detroit schools transition manager Steven Rhodes said the district, which is more than $500 million in debt, will run out of money at the end of June and wont be able to pay teachers or fund summer programs. That could leave teachers who are paid over the entire year, rather than just during the school year, without paychecks theyre banking on.

With no guarantee that those members will be paid, union leadership has described the situation as a lockout, not a sickout.

Their failure to give us that guarantee is tantamount to a lockout, a message on the union website reads.

Lets continue to stand strong together to win this fight for great schools where students get the education they need, and where educators are supported and respected.

The union protests comes at a time when state lawmakers are weighing a $715 million aid package to save the district from financial collapse. Detroit schools leaders are concerned the teacher protests could sink efforts to pass the legislation.

We want to apologize for the inconveniences caused by todays teacher sickouts. We remain confident that the funding issues for [Detroit Public Schools] will be resolved, and have been working daily with Lansing to move the reform legislation forward, a message on the Detroit public schools website reads.

We encourage all [Detroit Public Schools] families to contact their legislators to share their opinion on the pending legislation and to reach out directly to the [Detroit Federation of Teachers] with your response to their actions.
Louth TD Declan Breathnach warmly welcomes the reduction in standard electricity unit rates by Electric Ireland for residential customers, but believes that further cuts are required especially for commercial users.

Electric Ireland has said it will reduce its standard electricity unit rates for residential customers by 6% from June.

The company said the cut will see a saving of 57.75 (including VAT) or 5.2 % a year on an average customer bill.

Any reduction in electricity prices is always welcome, and I believe this reduction to be an excellent step in the right direction.

However, there is also a need for other suppliers, such as Bord Gais and Energia, to give similar reductions.

Additional cuts are also warranted for commercial customers, who are being choked by high standard electricity unit rates.

I have previously called for commercial rates to be self-assessed, as the costs of energy on a business are crippling.

Electric Ireland announced today that it will reduce its standard electricity unit rates for residential customers by 6% from June 1st 2016.

This reduction will benefit Electric Irelands residential electricity customers with a saving of 57.75 (including VAT) or 5.2 % per year on an average customer bill.

Jim Dollard, Executive Director, Electric Ireland said, This is Electric Irelands third electricity price decrease in less than two years.

We are committed to continually offering the best value products to our customers in a very competitive energy market place.

 Todays announcement is good news for Electric Irelands 1.2 million residential electricity customers - it means the average annual residential bill for our customers will have reduced by more than 100 over the last 19 months.
After seven years awarding second level students scholarships, the Naughton Foundation Scholarship scheme is once again calling on submissions for their 2014 Scholarship programme from students from County Louth.

After seven years awarding second level students scholarships, the Naughton Foundation Scholarship scheme is once again calling on submissions for their 2014 Scholarship programme from students from County Louth.

This year 25 Naughton Scholarships, which were set up by Dundalk born businessmanMartin Naughton, founder of Glen Dimplex, will be awarded to Leaving Certificate students in 20 counties and the closing date for receipt of application forms for The Naughton Foundation Scholarship is 5.30pm on Saturday, 17th May 2014.

There will one guaranteed scholarship for each of the 20 participating counties and five additional ones. Applications must be submitted before, or on this date to be considered eligible for the scholarship, this deadline will not be extended.

The Naughton Foundation Scholarship was established in 2008.

The very first year they awarded only three scholarships, and this number has grown every year since, with 2014 being no exception and will continue to do so over the coming years with a view to expanding nationwide.

Students from sixteen counties were in the running last year (as well as Louth), in Cavan, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath, and 21 students were awarded these highly coveted scholarships.

This year, the scholarship awards are expanding to also include Counties Carlow, Clare, Wicklow and Wexford.

Louth Students are invited to apply if they are currently attending secondary schools in these counties, and if they are studying two or more of the following subjects- physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, mathematics and applied mathematics.

Each Naughton Scholarship is valued at 20,000 i.e. 5,000 for each year of the students third-level course and students can use their award in any publicly funded university or third-level institution in Ireland, including Northern Ireland.

Full details on the Naughton Foundation Scholarship Programme and the 2014 application form are available for download and can be completed online on The Naughton Foundation website www.thenaughtonfoundation.ie

The Naughton Foundation was established by Martin and Carmel Naughton in 1994.

It is a private family foundation and its goal is to support worthwhile causes in the arts and education. In 2008 we decided to create the scholarship programme to increase our support for Leaving Certificate students who would like to study engineering, science and technology at third level in Ireland. Originally the scholarship programme only applied to students from counties Louth, Meath and Monaghan however it has now expanded to cover sixteen counties and continues to expand every year.
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Imagine you work as a developer for Etsy. In case you havent heard of Etsy, it is a marketplace where people around the world connect, both online and offline, to make, sell and buy unique goods. It has 1.5 million sellers, almost 22 million active buyers, and in 2014 it had gross merchandise sales of almost $2 billion. So you could say its doing quite well.

Now lets just say you happen to notice a problem with the Etsy website, or perhaps you think of a way it could be improved. At most organisations you would probably tell your manager about the problem, who would probably tell his or her manager, and after waiting a few weeks you might then get approval to make your desired change. In short, you have very limited ability to make changes you believe are important.

At Etsy its a completely different story. When I met up with Chad Dickerson, Etsys CEO and chairman, in their Brooklyn offices in New York, he told me that anyone in the team can make a change to the Etsy website whenever they see a need. (Etsy.com had over 40 million unique views per month when we spoke; at the time of writing it has around 60 million.)

We do something on the engineering team called continuous deployment, explains Dickerson. Thats a fancy way of saying that weve given every software developer, every product manager the ability to change the site at any time. Back in 2009 when we started this approach, not many companies were doing this. Typically, websites do a release every two weeks. We release or do code deploys about 35 times a day [this has since increased to up to 50 times per day]. The really exciting thing is that theres no central authority that manages the releases.

In practice, the developers at Etsy manage the releases with each other. If Im a developer and Im making a change to the site, I get into whats called a push queue. I tell everyone else that Im about to push code and its almost like the whole neighbourhood is watching you, says Dickerson.

Every single person at Etsy has the ability to do this without explicit approval. Its very, very decentralised and very, very fast. And if you ever go for a tour around Etsys head office in Brooklyn, you will see monitors with all kinds of charts and graphs showing how many code deploys they have done in a day.

Through continuous deployment, the team at Etsy is always experimenting and gathering data. We are able to push things out and test, push things out, test, push things out, test, on a really rapid basis, says Dickerson. Were able to learn about products and make changes for the better pretty much constantly. If you have a two-week release cycle, you can only learn new things every two weeks. In our case, you learn something new every 20 minutes, which is really exciting.

One final key benefit of continuous deployment is that the approach has a bias towards action. In an organisation where releases are done only every couple of weeks, or every month or so, it becomes so easy for someone to suggest improvements and for that suggestion to get lost in the noise. I think when you can deploy code at any time and make a change at any time, it makes it a lot harder to say We should do this, because the answer is: just do it, says Dickerson.

By giving everyone in the organisation the power to make real change, innovation is dramatically enhanced. You might be thinking, There is no way I would trust my team to make changes to a website that is getting 40 million unique views a month. But think about it from an Etsy developers point of view. There is no way they are going to make a change without feeling very confident it will make the website better, because all eyes are on them.

Etsy certainly isnt the only large web-based organisation that encourages continuous deployment. Vimeo, one of the worlds largest video-sharing websites, has exactly the same policy. Any given day will see over 30 changes deployed to Vimeo.com.

You cant keep track of all the pushes that go on because theyre constantly fixing, theyre constantly upgrading. We just try not to do things on Friday afternoons! says Dae Mellencamp, Vimeos president.

The essence of continuous deployment is that it grants employees autonomy over their work. People have the freedom to fix things that need fixing, and make improvements where they see fit. Continuous deployment doesnt require managerial approval, nor does it involve a manager simply telling an employee what to do.

About the Author

Dr Amantha Imber is the Founder of Inventium (www.inventium.com.au), Australias leading innovation consultancy. Her latest book, The Innovation Formula (Wiley $29.95), tackles the topic of how organisations can create a culture.
At least in part, its because students with disabilities are not being exposed to the kind of instruction that would allow them to pass these tests.

The findings come from documents produced by the National Center on Educational Outcomes and the National Center on Systemic Improvement . Both federally funded entities work to improve the academic performance of students with disabilities.

In Lessons Learned About Instruction from Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in College and Career Ready Assessments , NCEO heard from teachers that students struggled to read extended passages of text and they were not familiar with authentic texts; they were not used to writing extended responses; they had difficulty using evidence to justify answers, and they did not have basic research skills. Another policy brief, Lessons Learned About Assessment from Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in College and Career Ready Assessments , found that students were unfamiliar with test items and with the accessibility features built into the common-core tests.

As an example for how this turns out in real life, lets look at New York. In 2015, 5.7 percent of students with disabilities met or exceeded the states proficiency standard in reading, compared to 36.6 percent of the general student population. In math, 10.6 percent of students with disabilities in New York met or exceeded the states math proficiency standards in 2015. That compares to 43.9 percent of the general student population. (Source for New York test scores .)

I single out New York only because its scores are readily available. Also, New York has been praised as a state where scores on state tests and on the National Assessment of Educational Progressconsidered a gold standard in measuring student achievementare closely matched . Last week, I wrote a blog post about how only a fraction of high school seniors with disabilities are scoring proficient and above on the NAEP , a test of math and reading administered to a sample of students approximately every other year. Proficiency is defined as demonstrating solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter.

Sheryl Lazarus, a senior research associate at NCEO, said that these documents are intended to help educators focus on the issues of biggest concern. For example, knowing that authentic texts are a challenge, technical advisers can now concentrate on provide examples to teachers on how they can incorporate more of these works into their classes. The documents offer several suggestions along those lines.

And these issues go beyond the needs of students with dyslexia or with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for example.

The challenges arent just challenges that are facing students with disabilities. A lot of struggling learners would be facing similar challenges. It would benefit all kids in a classroom to have instruction that gives them opportunity for rich learning experiences, Lazarus said.

A note: Whenever I write about students with disabilities and standardized tests, many commenters say that of course students with disabilities would perform poorly on standardized testssuch scores are just a manifestation of their disability.

But, about 60 percent of students age 6-21 are in regular classrooms the vast majority of their school day. About 70 percent of students with disabilities have specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia, or a speech/language impairment, or another health impairment such as ADHD. These students need academic supports. But it would not seem, based on categorization and educational placement, that their disabilities require a less rigorous curriculum.

The wide gaps raise the question of whether these test scores are the best that the field can expect from the nearly 6 million 6-to-21 year olds in special education nationwide. What do readers think?

Related Stories:

for the latest news on special education policies, practices, and trends.
Lets, for a moment, imagine a scenario. Youre a business owner or manager, with a team of people under you. That team, which has been handpicked to fulfill the needs of your business, is underperforming. As a manager, you have goals to meet. Short of hiring new blood, or getting rid of those you feel are holding your team back, what do you do?

In 2016, hiring and firing to get better results is considered particularly old school. Look, for example, at the attitudes to the rank-and-yank system, popularised by former GE CEO Jack Welch. Once championed and widely practised by the corporate world, rank-and-yank has fallen by the wayside in recent years, as corporations move to an approach that develops and nurtures existing employees.

The old guard might find this approach a little saccharine, but the reality is that hiring and firing staff is an expensive task to undertake. Reduced productivity, lost knowledge, training costs, recruitment costs, interviewing costs, reduced morale  all of these cost money, and most of them are unavoidable during the hiring process.

Instead, consider looking at developing and nurturing your existing team in order to get the results you need. Here are a few ways to you can do that, thatll cost you a lot less than hiring and firing:

Acknowledge what your staff does right

Call it anecdata, but one of the biggest complaints I hear about work from my peers is that good work goes unrecognised, but any kind of misstep is immediately addressed.

The Staff Engagement: Ideas for Action report by recruitment agency Hays, released earlier this year, looks at the importance of employees feeling valued in the workplace. Of the 800 jobseekers surveyed by Hays, 95% stated that feeling valued in the workplace is very important to them. 87% said they would go above and beyond for an organisation that made them feel valued. Ultimately, engaged employees work harder. In fact, US-based consultancy group, Temkin Group, found that highly engaged employees are 2.5 times more likely to do overtime.

Want your team to work harder? Start openly acknowledging what they do for you. Recognise high performers. Say thank you.

Give regular feedback

Last year, Millennials overtook Gen X to become the largest generation in the workforce. That means its pretty likely that the team youre managing is made, at least partly, of members of the Millennial generation.

Millennials  those born between the early 80s and 2000  are a different breed to the generations before them. For this younger cohort, regular feedback from their manager or employer is something they consider to be crucial to success at work. The annual performance review is no longer enough.

Now, we could spend some time trying to understand why this is the case (the prevailing theory being that this generation came of age in a world of instant gratification) but, ultimately, your time is better spent knowing how to manage it.

Regular feedback should be tied in with clear objectives. The SMART model, pioneered in the early 80s, is still a great way to set objectives with your team members. Ensuring your employees have objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely means youll be able to monitor progress, and give the regular feedback they crave.

Encourage team bonding

The phrase team building tends to conjure up horrifying images of forced company days and activities that involve building things out of popsicle sticks. However, team building in 2016 doesnt need to be quite so awkward, and can be extremely beneficial.

In a survey conducted by Deskmag, the results indicated that teamwork can make us more productive. Of those surveyed, 71% said they were more creative, 62% reported their standard of work improved, 90% felt more confident, and 70% said they felt healthier when working in a team.

Spend some time strengthening the bonds between your team members to boost productivity. You can do that with something as simple as a weekly team coffee date, participation in a team online game, or creating other shared experiences.

Lead by example

The old adage do as I say, not as I do is not, unfortunately, going to drive your employees to perform at their very best. For most people, watching their superiors slack off is a surefire way to become completely disengaged.

Its important to hold yourself to the same standards to which you hold your staff. You are their leader, and theyll be looking to for cues on how to behave appropriately. Take pride in your own work and conduct, and your team will (hopefully) follow.

At the end of the day, investing time into developing and building up your people is going to be far more beneficial than just chop-changing staff when youre not seeing the results you want. Highly engaged, loyal employees will do far more for your business than a revolving door of new employees ever will.

Its 2016. Forget hire and fire. Forget rank and yank. A good talent management strategy doesnt need a cute three-word slogan. It needs dedicated managers, a commitment to growth and development, and respect for the employees that make your business possible.

About the Author
The amount of commercials for hair and beauty products these days is truly overwhelming. It seems like there is a new company springing up every two seconds to sell you a new product that is supposedly the best on the market. You might have certain brands that you have been loyal to for many years. These brands have never let you down and you have no reason to switch to a different brand. However, you might be in a situation where you want to try something new. If this is the case, there are some things you need to know before you head off to the stores or start to search all of the hair and beauty websites.

Here are some very useful hair and beauty product shopping tips.

1. No animal testing

You are probably already aware of the fact that there are still many makeup manufacturers that test their products on animals to make sure they are safe for human use. These tests often cause the animals severe pain. There has been a growing amount of people over the past decade who have voiced their outrage about animal testing in the cosmetics industry. This has caused many of the major companies in the industry to abandon the practice altogether. However, there are still companies out there that are performing animal tests of their products on a regular basis. Find out which companies refuse to stop engaging in animal testing and do not buy any products from them.

2. Buy a little to see if you like it

This is sound advice for many different things you will buy in your life. However, it is especially true when it comes to both hair and beauty products. You may have heard very good things about a particular product. Some of your friends might have used it in the past and given you rave reviews about it. However, this does not necessarily mean you will like it. This is why it just makes good sense to buy a small amount of the product to test it out to see how you look when you are using it. There is always the chance that it might not live up to your expectations. You might also have a bad skin reaction to the product. Buying a small amount of the product will prevent you from spending your money on a lot of a product that you have no intention of ever using again. Never assume how you will look in hair extensions until you try them yourself.

3. Look for coupon codes

Websites that offer various coupon codes that can be used for discounts on other sites are all the rage these days. You would be wise to see if you can snag some coupon codes for some of the sites that you regularly do your hair and beauty product shopping on. You just might be able to save yourself a significant amount of money by doing this. Keep checking if you dont find the coupon codes you want right away.

Stay gorgeous everyone!
New Mexico Mom Convicted for Facebook Post Sparking Panic

If you are active on social media maybe you've developed a habit of just posting whatever pops into your head, or revealing the latest rumor you read. Don't do that. You could end up in front of a judge, charged, convicted, and with a criminal record, like a mother in New Mexico.

Jeanette Garza Alvarez posted on Facebook a few weeks back, according to Good Housekeeping. The problem with her post is that it was based on a rumor her 8th grade son told her that there would be a shootout at school, sparking a panic among parents and school administrators. The appropriate response would have been to call police and the school and let them know about the rumors, not change her status on social media.



For those who don't know Facebook (yes, there are still some of you out there), the social media site allows people to post their "status" and asks, "What's on your mind?" On Alvarez's mind was an 8th grade shootout, which of course would sound scary to any parent.

The post read, "Anyone else's kids go to Sierra? My son says some 8th graders are planning on bringing guns to school maybe Monday and have a shootout to see who's the first to die."

Alvarez sparked a panic, and 160 students skipped school that day. Additionally, school administrators got more than 100 phone calls from concerned people. The concerned mother claimed that she was just trying to gather information from the community.

But the community didn't appreciate her efforts apparently. She was criminally charged with being a public nuisance, and convicted. Relatively speaking, she got off rather easy, with the judge sentencing Alvarez to a 30-day suspended sentence and a $29 fine.

"Her concern for her son's safety and for other students' safety was certainly understandable," Roswell Police spokesman Todd Wildermuth told local news station KRQE. "But what should have been done was to call the school, call the police department, let them know what she had heard."

Charged?

If you have been accused of a crime of any kind, speak to a lawyer. Don't delay. Many criminal defense attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be happy to discuss your case.

Related Resources:
Five months after being outed  and subsequently investigated by police and tax authorities  Craig Steven Wright on Monday stepped forward to claim that he really is the cofounder of bitcoin who operated in secret for years under the name Satoshi Nakamoto.

Wright unveiled himself by penning a lengthy blog post and giving extensive interviews to the BBC, The Economist and GQ, apparently in the hope of convincing the world that he is the legitimate founder of bitcoin, a controversial cryptocurrency that has caused head-scratching from Silicon Valley to Wall Street.

I have been staring at my screen for hours, but I cannot summon the words to express the depth of my gratitude to those who have supported the bitcoin project from its inception  too many names to list, Wright wrote in the post claiming to authenticate his identity.

Although the persona of Satoshi was no more, Wright had much more to give to the community, he continued. He then set about explaining the process of verifying a set of cryptographic keys.

Wright originally was outed in late 2015 by stories published in Wired and Gizmodo. The reports referenced an extensive list of emails, transcripts and other documentation linking Wright to Nakamoto.

Public Support

Wright is who he claims to be, affirmed Gavin Andresen, chief scientist of the Bitcoin Foundation.

Andresen traveled to London a couple of weeks ago to meet with Wright, in order to authenticate him as the same person he communicated with in 2010 and 2011, Andresen wrote in a blog post.

He is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Wright is actually Satoshi, Andresen said.

Andresen not only verified through cryptography that Wright signed messages that no one but Satoshi should have possessed, but also recognized in Wright character traits specific to Satoshi.

We love to create heroes  but also seem to love hating them if they dont live up to some unattainable ideal, Andresen wrote. It would be better if Satoshi Nakamoto was the codename for an NSA project, or an artificial intelligence sent from the future to advance our primitive money. He is not, he is an imperfect human being just like the rest of us.

The Unconvinced

Wrights claims have their doubters, including Electronic Frontier Foundation Fellow Joseph Bonneau, a postdoctoral researcher in the Applied Cryptography Group at Stanford University.

The publicly posted evidence is completely fraudulent and intentionally designed to be deceptive, he told the E-Commerce Times.

The only thing holding Wrights story together is Andresens claim that he privately saw proof of knowledge of cryptographic keys from the early days of bitcoin, Bonneau said, adding that Andresen has a sterling reputation so he would have no reason to participate in a deception.

Still, why would Wright, if he were Satoshi, post such scammy evidence when legitimate evidence would be easy to post? he wondered.

Wright either really is Satoshi and wants to destroy Andresens reputation while making himself look like a con artist, or Wright is a con artist and Andresen got tricked, maintained Bonneau.

Anyone making such an audacious claim is going to be subjected to a microscopic level of scrutiny, said Paul Teich, principal analyst at Tirias Research, but he is nevertheless a bit more accepting of Wrights story.

I agree that the evidence Mr. Wright recently presented to the BBC, The Economist and apparently GQ presents a strong circumstantial case that Mr. Wright is bitcoins founder, Tirias told the E-Commerce Times. However when a founder starts a project with the explicit intent of remaining anonymous, there will always be pieces of the puzzle missing or that cant be adequately verified.

What could be much more interesting is why Mr. Teich was forced into admitting he was the bitcoin founder, suggested Teich.

The inclusion of GQ is one aspect of the admission tour that looks like it may be a sophisticated publicity stunt, he pointed out.

If the Wright claim is just a ruse, then the real founder of bitcoin is likely to remain out of sight, and out of mind, Tirias said. In other words, the true founder is extremely unlikely to challenge Mr. Wrights claims.
Sometimes, it takes something drastic to change a business behavior. Standard procedures can remain in place long after theyve become detrimental to the business, but sometimes it takes a tipping point to drive home the fact that failing to change is the surest way to fail.

For example, the Ford Pintos easily ruptured fuel tank could have been remedied with design changes that ranged in price from US$11 to about $5 down to just $1. Cheap, right?

Mother Jones magazine uncovered Ford memos that showed the automakers in-house experts had calculated the value of a human life at $200,000, while a serious burn was worth about $67,000. Estimating that about 180 deaths and 180 injuries would come to court, the bean counters placed the cost of paying off the victims at $49 million, while fixing the car would have cost $137 million. Therefore, the Pinto remained unchanged  and that failure to change was justified by a financial number.

Justified, that is, until lawsuits from people burned in rear-end collisions began to reach the press. The judgments and settlements ran into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and Ford was charged, tried and eventually acquitted of reckless homicide.

The PR was devastating  saving money on the Pinto was pointless when no one was buying the car anymore. It was discontinued in 1980.

The Cost of Change

Theres the tipping point: The pain of doing nothing forced a recall, a redesign and improved safety standards. The cost of not changing ultimately far exceeded the cost of change and threatened to destroy what was one of Americas largest companies.

Hopefully, your business isnt making such life-and-death calculations  but the health of your company depends on your ability to surmount the same kind of thinking that cost Ford customers their lives.

Today, most businesses state as a goal customer experience. Twenty-one percent of companies see improving the customer experience as the top goal, exceeding answers like growing revenues,according to an Accenture study.

Eighty-nine percent of businesses now believe that customer experience will be their primary basis for competition,a study by Gartner revealed.

Those numbers are impressive, but, as a customer, are you getting the sense that those companies are doing a very good job of competing on experience? The odds are not good. Six in10 companies reported a drop in customer satisfaction in 2015, evidence that the experiences theyre delivering arent meeting customer expectations, according to theAmerican Customer Satisfaction Index.

Customer Exodus

That is a very bad sign for those businesses. A full 70 percent of buying experiences are based on how customers feel they are being treated,according to McKinsey.

As a result, many customers are packing up and leaving the companies theyve long depended on. In 2015, 52 percent of customers switched providers (including retailers, banks, and cable and satellite TV providers) based simply on poor service,Accenture said. Sixty-eight percent of customers will not return to sellers theyve switched from. Saddest of all, 80 percent of those switchers said the company they defected from could have done something to prevent them from leaving  but did not.

So whats going on here? Why is customer experience spoken of so highly in the boardroom and then executed so poorly everywhere else?

Part of it is the idea that customer experience is someone elses job  it belongs to marketing or customer service or some discrete part of the organization that owns it.

That idea flies in the face of reality:Customer service is everyones job. That starts at the top with the executive board, which must be fully invested in the concept, and those executives not only need to communicate the importance of customer experience to their various departments but make the resources available so employees can have an effect on the customer experience.

Read the Signs

What will that take? The arrival of a tipping point  not one that causes the death of a customer (as in Fords case), but one that could telegraph the potential death of your business. It is a tipping point you need to anticipate; if it comes in the form of revenues that are flatlining and customers who are defecting, the data shows that its probably too late.

Instead, your warning should come in the form of customer feedback, from either a designed feedback program integrated into your sales and support processes or some mechanism in your organization that allows customer-facing employees to report what customers are telling them about their experiences. Without creating these virtual listening posts, theres no way to understand how customer expectations are evolving, how your current practices affect customers satisfaction with their experiences, and what you might do to make their experiences better.

Implementing changes to enhance the customer experience takes time and can cost money. It forces businesses to stop doing what they find comfortable and adopt new processes. They may have to regroup, reassess and retool their organizations  but the cost of doing so ultimately will pay off, for the company and for the customer.
Protest leader Ko Soe Thura sad to Narinjara News: Why wasnt the ANP allowed to form the [Arakan] State Government even though it won in our Arakan State? We are holding the protest to call for [the NLD to] respect the publics desire. We dislike how they are acting in an authoritarian way ignoring the desires of the Arakan people. We have no reason to object to the State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu, we just dont like how this resembles a one-party system while [the NLD] talks about democracy



Protesters in Taunggup Protesters in Taunggup

The ANP won more seats, 22, than any other party in the Arakan State Parliament. But the NLD, who only won nine seats in the Arakan State Parliament, chose who would be the Arakan State Chief Minister because the constitution states that the Union president appoints state chief ministers. The current president, Htin Kyaw, is an NLD member.

A public meeting was also held where the ANP explained their previous announcements on the issues of the appointment of a chief minister and government for Arakan State.

One of the protesters, Ko Maung Chay, said: We dont want a one-party system and dictatorship. Nothing happens even when one wins by a majority. Now the person in power can do as he or she likes. This is unacceptable. You cannot do what you want in a democracy like you can in a one-party system or dictatorship.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
WASHINGTON - A major new report from the World Bank has suggested South Asian apparel exporters Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka need to improve social and environmental compliance, increase supply chain efficiency, and remove trade restrictions to allow easy access to manmade fibres in order to capture market share which will likely become available as China reduces its reliance on apparel manufacture.
(Photo: United Nations Human Rights Facebook page)

Religious freedom globally has been under serious and sustained assault an independent government-backed yearly report on 2015 says, but that freedom in the United States, say, and in the rest of the world focus on very different issues.

In the Middle East it can mean the struggle for Christian survival against the onslaught of Islamist extremists, while in America "religious liberty" has become associated for the religious right as intertwined with the right to oppose LGBT protections and same-sex marriage.

"At best, in most of the countries we cover, religious freedom conditions have failed to improve," says Princeton professor Robert George, the USCIRF chairman. "At worst, they've spiraled downward," NPR reported.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reports on the "serious and sustained assault" on religious people and practices abroad in its latest report.

"From the plight of new and longstanding prisoners of conscience, to the dramatic rise in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, to the continued acts of bigotry against Jews and Muslims in Europe, and to the other abuses detailed in the 2016 annual report, there was no shortage of attendant suffering worldwide," says the report.

"Adding disproportionately to the ranks of the displaced were millions from Iraq and Syria, including Yazidis, Christians, Shi'a Muslims, and Sunni Muslims who do not subscribe to the barbaric interpretation of Islam of the terrorist group ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also often referred to as IS, ISIL, or Da'esh).

ISIS MAYHEM

The report says ISIS summarily executes, rapes, sexual enslaves, and abducts children, destroying houses of worship, and forcing conversions in "a genocidal effort to erase their presence from these countries."

The report cites the incarceration of prisoners of consciencepeople whom governments hold for reasons including those related to religion.

Such imprisonment remains astonishingly widespread, says the report, occurring in country after country, and underscores the impact of the laws and policies that led to their imprisonment.

"When we hear about religious freedom in the U.S. today, we may think about a baker who doesn't want to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. But in other countries, religious freedom can be a matter of life or death. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom underscored that today," NPR's Tom Gjelten commented.

The report names China, where religious freedom in the world's most populous knowledge has been whittling away.

In China, pastor Bao Guohua and his wife, Xing Wenxiang, were sentenced in Zhejiang Province in February 2016 to 14 and 12 years in prison, respectively.

They led a Christian congregation that was opposing a government campaign to remove crosses from church tops.

They join many other prisoners of conscience, including Ilham Tohti, a respected Uighur Muslim scholar, who was given a life sentence in September 2014 for alleged separatism.

"Over the past year, the Chinese government has stepped up its persecution of religious groups deemed a threat to the state's supremacy and maintenance of a "socialist society," says the report.

Christian communities have borne a significant brunt of the oppression, with numerous churches bulldozed and crosses torn down.

DALAI LAMA

It also says Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists continue to be repressed, and the Chinese government has asserted its own authority to select the next Dalai Lama.

Falun Gong practitioners often are held in "black jails" and brainwashing centers, with credible reports of torture, sexual violence, psychiatric experimentation, and organ harvesting.

The report also names Eritrea, where 1,200 to 3,000 people are imprisoned on religious grounds, there reportedly were new arrests this past year.

Religious prisoners are routinely sent to the toughest prisons and receive the cruelest punishments.

Religious freedom conditions are grave especially for Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses.

In Iran the report names Shahram Ahadi, a Sunni cleric, who was sentenced in October 2015 to death on unfounded security-related charges.

Iran locks up many other prisoners of conscience including the Baha'i Seven who were given 20-year sentences in 2010 for their leadership roles in the persecuted Baha'i community. They are: Afif Naeimi, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Vahid Tizfahm, Fariba Kamalabadi, Mahvash Sabet, and Saeid Rezaie.

Iran elevates its own interpretation of Shi'a Islam above all others, and it subjects Shi'as, Sunnis, Sufi Muslim dissenters, Baha'is and Christian converts to mounting religious freedom abuses, from harassment to arrests and imprisonment.

Since President Hasan Rouhani took office in 2013, the number of individuals from religious minority communities imprisoned due to their beliefs has increased.

North Korea has long been one of the worst violators of religious freedom and there thousands of religious believers and their families are imprisoned in labor camps, including those forcibly repatriated from China.

"Because North Korea is such a closed society, it is hard even to know the names of religious prisoners," says the report.

All political and religious expression and activities are controlled and the government punishes those who question the regime leaving religious freedom non-existent.

"North Koreans suspected of contacts with South Koreans or foreign missionaries or who are caught possessing Bibles have been executed."

Other violators of religious freedom named are Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o...
A pre-election stoush has erupted over a reported $19.5bn funding shortfall in Labor's plans to pay for its education policy.Treasury estimates, leaked last night, show the extra revenue from the 12.5% annual tax rise over 10 years would be $28.2bn.Labor, using calculations by the Parliamentary Budget Office, had said it would be $47.7bn. The Federal Government claims the shortfall means Labor would not be able to fund its election promises  namely $4.5bn in school funding.However, shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, hit back, calling the leak a desperate attempt to cover for the fact the government will be adopting, in full, Labors policy on tobacco excise.While the Federal Governments $1.2bn pre-election school funding plan has been welcomed by some, it still falls short of the funds required to ensure the final two years of the needs-based Gonski agreement are met.So with doubts over Labors ability to keep its school funding promise now surfacing, what does this mean for schools and hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged students in need of urgent support? NSW Secondary Principals Council (NSWSPC) president, Lila Mularczyk , told The Educator that by failing to honour the last two years of the Gonski agreement, the Coalition was ensuring schools remained below the minimum resourcing standard.When you take out $3.5bn from the education of children, you are not reaching the minimum resource standard that was recommended by the Gonski agreement, Mularczyk said.She added that as a result, the Coalition was turning its back on those who needed help the most.The students who are most in need will remain marginalised in the education systems in our nation, she said.In its pre-election school funding plan, the Federal Government also announced a plan to test students in literacy and numeracy  an area the proposed $1.2bn in funding will be dependent on.To be eligible for this funding, all three school sectors must commit to improvements in reading and maths, as well as better standards for teachers and more emphasis on teaching quality for STEM education.Requirements will include assessing Year 1 students reading, phonics and numeracy, a minimum proportion of trainee teachers specialising in literacy and numeracy and minimum literacy and numeracy standards for Year 12 students.Part of the Coalitions funding plan also sets aside $118.2m to support students with a disability. However, Mularczyk questioned how an under-resourced system will support those students who are struggling most.While its all well and good to identify what standards children are at, how are we supposed to address the issues of those most in need if were not properly resourcing them?Treasurer Scott Morrison said even though the Coalition was allocating less school funding money than what Labor had proposed, the Coalitions plan was fully funded.It's all paid for. It's all real money. It's all money that Australian families can rely on because we have done the work to be able to pay for it, Morrison told the Nine Network.Our education expenditure will increase by more than 25% over the budget and forward estimates and will come close to $20bn at the end of that period.
According to reports from the KIA the clashes which broke out near the Aung Thein Linn jade mine in the west of Mohnyin and involved dozens of troops from the Burma Armys Infantry Battalion 54 and the KIA's Battalion 35. The area where the clashes took place is normally under the control of the KIAs Battalion 35. The Aung Thein Linn mine has only recently begun operations.

Burma Army Infantry Battalion 54 arrived in Mawhan in order to replace troops from Light Infantry Battalion 308, which has been active in KIAs Battalion 35 territory. According to a KIA spokesperson the battle broke out after the Burma Army fired at a KIA outpost with heavy artillery.

Clashes have not been fought in this area since last November when the Burma Army attacked KIA troops in the east of Mohyin with jet fighters.

After a new civilian government took office, battles have been waged near the KIO's Laiza headquarters and in northern Shan State and now the war has spread to KIA Brigade 8 in Mohnyin. Tensions are also high in Danai, in the Hukaung valley which is controlled by KIA Battalion 14 under the group's Brigade 2. The Hukaung valley is officially home to the world's largest tiger reserve and some of the world's best amber mining areas and large scale plantations controlled by the Yuzana company.

Clashes continue in Shan state as well

The Burma Armys Light Infantry Divison 99 (LID 99) and the Kachin Independence Armys Brigade 6 re-engaged in a battle near Hpawng Seng in northern Shan State last week.

A senior official from KIA told the Kachin News Group that a short battle broke out between the Burma Armys LIB 99 and KIA Battalion 38 on the LID 99's departure from Hpawng Seng at around 4 PM on 26 April.

The Kachin News Group has also learned that this past weekend clashes also took place in Shan state between troops from the KIA Battalion 17, under the group's Brigade 4 and army troops near Kunlong.

Translated by Thida Linn
San Juan, May 3 (EFE).- The severe economic crisis that the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico has gone through over the past 10 years has caused the greatest exodus in its modern history, with emigration increasing daily and which just last year reduced the population by 2 percent.

Raul Figueroa, one of Puerto Rico's most respected demographers, told EFE Tuesday that, according to a preliminary report, close to 70,000 people left the island in 2015, with most headed for the continental U.S.

Figueroa noted that this is a worrying figure considering that as of July 1, 2015 - the latest data available - only 3.47 million people lived in this Caribbean territory.

In 2014 the island had already suffered a loss of 1.8 percent of its population.

"Emigration could increase if a federal oversight board arrives from Washington," the demographer said about the possibility that the U.S. Congress might submit Puerto Rico to the control of a federal unit that would dictate its debt reduction and taxation policies.

Puerto Rico incurred its first massive default last Sunday when it failed to meet its payment on a $422-million debt.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said the island does not have the liquidity necessary to pay off the debt and still provide basic services for the population.

"Emigration will increase if the provision of services gets worse, if schools are closed and if the jobs people need cannot be provided," Figueroa said about what might happen if the feared federal oversight board should take charge, with its possible cutbacks of social services and dismissals of public employees.

Figueroa said that if the situation gets worse, "it's no exaggeration" to think that by 2020 the population of Puerto Rico could shrink by 8 percent to 3.2 million.

It is estimated that over the past 10 years, Puerto Rico lost close to 10 percent of its population, and current emigration figures are the highest in modern Puerto Rican history, even higher than those of the "Great Migration" in the 1950s, according to figures of the commonwealth's Institute of Statistics.

Relacionados Puerto Rico international film fest canceled due to economic woes
The group alleges that the victim, who remains unnamed, was sexually assaulted by her businessmen employer in Mandalay 2014.

SWAN alleges that the young victim was sexually assaulted by Maung Hla Sein, also known as Kin Min Jee, age 24, the manager of the Xin Hua Company and later physically assaulted by his father-in-law U Kyan Yee Kane, the owner of the Xin Hua Company.

According to SWAN the first incident took place on 6 November 2014 when the then 17-year old Shan teenager, a cook for the Xin Hua Company in Mandalay, was sexually assaulted by Maung Hla Sein, at the Shwe Phyu Guesthouse. At the time of the alleged incident Maung Hla Sein was in charge of the local Xin Hua Company branch.

According to SWAN following the sexual assault Maung Hla Sein told the then 17 year old that they would get married. The young women continued to stay with the man for three months and became pregnant. Maung Hla Sein then allegedly drugged her without her consent causing their unborn child to be aborted. Maung Hla Sein, is then alleged to have told the victim to go back to her home, after promising her that he would marry her within two months. This never happened, according to SWAN.

It is alleged that Maung Hla Sein later phoned the victim and told her that they could not marry because he was already married but that he would give her 40,000,000 kyats (approx US$33,000) as compensation for what he did. According to SWAN however he never paid her the promised funds, the young women then filed a law suit against him.

According to SWAN while the suit was still pending the young woman was summoned by Maung Hla Seins father in-law, U Kyan Yee Kane, to come to their family home in Muse to discuss the settlement. According to SWAN, When she arrived at the house at 7 pm on 7 May 2015, U Kyan Yee Kane and his entire family brutally beat the girl, stripping her of her clothing. She managed to escape with no clothes on.

The the victim then filed a report about the incident with police authorities in Muse. According to SWAN: Since then, there have been more than 30 court appointments regarding the case. The Police officer responsible for the assault case, Sub Inspector of Police, U Aung Lin never appeared in court. There has been no examination of the attackers, U Kyan Yee Kane and Daw Ah Shwin.

In March 2016, the victim was informed that she was being sued by U Kyun Yee Kane and she is now facing charges under Penal Codes 447 & 427. The same judge, U Sithu Tun , is supposed to be presiding over both cases.

Reached for comment, Ying Harn Fah, a spokesperson for SWAN told the Shan Herald that she is concerned that the accused's wealth and influence has been used to further harm the young woman.

She said: Nobody has stood on the side of the young woman who has been violated, including the government. Thats why I want the new government to know this. I want to warn them that allowing foreign businessmen to manipulate Burmas judiciary is an infringement of the countrys sovereignty."

Yein Han Pha added that her group will continue to support the Shan teenager throughout her ordeal.

She said: SWAN will stand on the side of violated and oppressed women. I want to request the public to help and support the women who are victims of injustice. In most cases, the families abandon the case and fail to report them to the police because of their feelings of shame. Such kind of things shouldnt happen in this era. I want everyone to give their support and take fair action against injustice."

Translated by Thida Linn
A man in Florida was arrested last week for planning to use "a weapon of mass destruction" at a synagogue near Miami, federal authorities said today. The ill-fated words that James Gonzalo Medina reportedly uttered to the undercover FBI agent who sold him a fake explosive device, words which will likely seal the suspect's fate: "I'm ready, bro!"

Federal officials revealed today that their investigation of Medina began in March, after learning he'd spoken about wanting to attack a synagogue in South Florida. On Friday, the 40 year old Hollywood, Florida resident was arrested while carrying the FBI-supplied fake IED device on his person. The FBI busted him on his way to his intended target, Florida's Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center. The center houses a Holocaust memorial and a children's education facility. Nice, right?

Writes Mark Berman in The Washington Post:

The FBI's undercover employee is quoted in the affidavit as reminding Medina multiple times that the explosion could kill women and children, and asked him if he was sure he wanted to carry out the attack. At one point, Medina responded by saying: "I am pretty sure. I think so. I believe so. I'm ready, bro!" Before he was arrested, Medina made videos on the cellphone belonging to the FBI's source. In one, he said: "I'm going to handle business here in America. Aventura, watch your back. ISIS is in the house." In another, he said goodbye to his family. The FBI said that after Medina was arrested and read his rights, he admitted to wanting to bomb the synagogue and said his goal was to send a message.

Welp. Message received, asshole.

The synagogue and community center were open again today, after federal authorities in charge of the operation gave the all-clear.

"Please be assured that our security protocols are well in place, which includes close coordination with local law enforcement agencies to insure the security of our facility and the safety of our members, children, staff and visitors," Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and the center's executive director, Elliot B. Karp, wrote in a statement posted on Facebook.

"We will continue to review our procedures in consultation with our security consultant and law enforcement officials to take whatever measures are necessary to insure the safety and security of our synagogue and members."

VIDEO: Local TV news coverage at Florida's WSVN.
February 24, 2022, the day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, will go down as a tragic date not only for the Ukrainian people, but also for the whole civilised world.


Alex Jason, 15, used his lawnmowing money to acquire what Cult of Mac says "is becoming one of the most significant private collections of Apple devices in the United States." Jason converted his family's basement into a museum, called the Apple Orchard, and in a couple years he plans to move it into a former library that he and his father plan to convert into the Maine Technology Museum. From Cult of Mac:



His collection includes every big Apple computer model except a rare Lisa 1. He has early portable computers, prototypes of Powerbooks, a green-plastic prototype of a Color Classic and Japanese models of early Macs. The orchard also includes Apple's failures while Jobs was in exile as well as a computer from the company he started after, NeXT.





Alex showed off his Apple 1 (only around 170 sold and about 60 have surfaced), its keyboard adapted to a briefcase, which provided protection and may explain why all the original chips still work. The original owner, according to a story passed onto Alex, supposedly went to an IBM conference with his briefcase, opened it up and began typing. When curious conference-goers asked what he was doing, he said, "I'm typing on my personal computer."
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is a secret court that hears warrant requests from America's spy agencies when they want to wiretap people in the USA.



The court  which is non-adversarial, hearing only from the spies, and not from anyone representing those they wish to spy upon  is supposed to serve as a check upon uncontrolled secret powers.





A document released by the DoJ this week shows that the FBI and NSA made 1,457 warrant requests to the court.

Coincidentally, the court approved 1,457 warrant requests in 2015.

Civil liberties advocates have long derided the court for acting as a "rubber stamp" for government surveillance operations. Government officials have said the Justice Department is careful about its applications and that sometimes orders are modified substantially by the court. The court modified 80 applications in 2015, a more than fourfold increase from the 19 modifications made in 2014.

U.S. spy court rejected zero surveillance orders in 2015: memo

[Dustin Volz/Reuters]

(via Ars Technica)





(Image: Pacific Stamp and Sign)


After Daniel Ellsberg's astonishingly courageous release of the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, he waited 40 years to meet someone like Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning, someone else inside who risked everything to expose the wrongdoing they had sworn to oppose.

But Snowden only had to wait a matter of months before he learned of another leak of equal profundity: a still-anonymous insider leaked the details of the US government's secret drone assassination program in 2015, the full story of which is told in The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program

, a new book by Jeremy Scahill and his colleagues from The Intercept.

In his introduction to The Assassination Complex, Snowden reflects on his own decision to come forward as a whistleblower, and on what the accelerating pace of principled, public leaks (for example, the Panama Papers) means for official secrecy and for the corruption and groupthink that festers where secrecy is the order of the day. He points out that leaks that come from the inside are handled very differently from those that challenge official power. General Petraeus's leaks of super-classified information to his mistress or the US government's "conference call of doom" in which they disclosed the operational details of a secret al Qaeda surveillance system in order to win press support were allowed to pass without criminal prosecution.

Snowden closes by examining how mass surveillance and secret killing fit into the American identity, and asking his former colleagues, present and future, in the US intelligence apparatus, to consider the meaning of their oath to uphold the Constitution, and how that oath will come into conflict with the orders from their superior officers.

Like so much of what Snowden writes, it's plainspoken, careful, and principled, a call to arms that can't be ignored.

Here we see the double edge of our uniquely American brand of nationalism. We are raised to be exceptionalists, to think we are the better nation with the manifest destiny to rule. The danger is that some people will actually believe this claim, and some of those will expect the manifestation of our national identity, that is, our government, to comport itself accordingly. Unrestrained power may be many things, but it's not American. It is in this sense that the act of whistleblowing increasingly has become an act of political resistance. The whistleblower raises the alarm and lifts the lamp, inheriting the legacy of a line of Americans that begins with Paul Revere. The individuals who make these disclosures feel so strongly about what they have seen that they're willing to risk their lives and their freedom. They know that we, the people, are ultimately the strongest and most reliable check on the power of government. The insiders at the highest levels of government have extraordinary capability, extraordinary resources, tremendous access to influence, and a monopoly on violence, but in the final calculus there is but one figure that matters: the individual citizen. And there are more of us than there are of them.

The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program

[Jeremy Scahill and the staff of The Intercept/Simon & Schuster]

INSIDE THE ASSASSINATION COMPLEX

[Edward Snowden/The Intercept]
Sad news for the Hip Hop world this morning as it has been reported that Afeni Shakur, the mother of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur, has passed away.

She was 69.

Details are still coming out about the incident, but heres what we know so far.

She suffered a possible cardiac arrest on Monday night in her Sausalito, California home in Marin County, New York Daily News reported Tuesday.



Authorities responded to an incident and she was rushed to a nearby hospital where she passed away around 10:30 that evening. Afeni, who was born Alice Faye Williams, was the subject of many of Tupacs hit songs in the 90's, most famous of which was "Dear Mama". In that song, Tupac rapped about the real struggles he witnessed his mother experience throughout his childhood.

Shakur changed her name after she relocated to New York City and joined the infamous Black Panther union. She was one of many who were taken into custody back in 1969 after she was allegedly involved with a plan to bomb several historical landmarks in the city. She along with the others was charged with conspiracy.

She was acquitted in May of 1971. Tupac was born just a month later. Shakur was also a pivitol part in the investigation of Tupacs shocking 1996 shooting death. She was listed as the head of his estate, which is said to bring in just under a million dollars a year.

Interestingly enough, the biopic for Tupac called All Eyez On Me just wrapped filming with actress Danai Gurira slated to play Afeni.

An investigation is set to determine the cause of Afenis death.
Infosec consultant Nik Cubrilovic summarizes the evidence for and against Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright's claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the legendary creator of Bitcoin. Cubrilovic comes down hard on Wright.

Wright has a history of fabricating evidence in support of his claim that he is Satoshi Nakamoto. Despite his claims of not wanting the notoriety or the attention, he is going to a lot of trouble to construct a reality of himself as Satoshi Nakamoto. In the almost 6 months since the first Wired and Gizmodo stories were published he has had ample opportunity to prove conclusively that he is Satoshi, and the protocol and requirements for doing so are well understood and not onerous. They do not require a 10 page blog post with notepad screenshots of shell scripts explaining Linux commands, file formats or OpenSSL. They also do not involve tightly controlled demonstrations in an environment completely under his control. The real creator of Bitcoin would know this. The burden of proof for anybody claiming to be Nakamoto should be high. In the case of Wright, because of his previous fabrications, that burden is greater. His claims have to be treated with a great amount of skepticism, and his actions treated not as those of a sincere person, but rather as those of a person with a history and reputation for deception. Wright has yet to meet this burden, and until he does, Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto.

The key thing is that it should be easy for Satoshi to meet the evidentiary requirements and no big deal to do so under circumstances controlled by others. But Wright's reveal was like a magic trick, carefully staged to prevent scrutiny and to direct attention a certain way. This means it could never succeed in convincing technical minds, no matter how apparently convincing.

On the other hand, look at us, a frenzy of attention glued to a conspicuous moron pulling Bitcoin out of a top hat on stage. Who is off in the corner, not participating?
3 May 2016

EPO President Benoit Battistelli addresses the PATLIB conference

Representatives of national patent offices and patent information centres from 37 countries across Europe and beyond are gathering in Helsinki this week to explore how to improve services to companies, universities, and inventors in support of innovation.

The 27th edition of the annual conference of Europe's patent information centres (PATLIB centres) is organised jointly by the EPO and the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, with more than 200 participants attending.

"The EPO attaches great importance to supporting the PATLIB network, which serves both the public interest and the European patent system by fostering a favourable climate for innovation," said EPO President Benoit Battistelli opening the conference. "As the first point of contact for companies and inventors locally, the PATLIB centres play a crucial role in providing the most up-to-date information and services related to patents, and in promoting public awareness of IP among businesses and the public."

In her opening remarks, Rauni Hagman, Director General of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, said: "Although we come from various countries, we all have a common interest, patent information, which is valuable for both research and commercial purposes and, of course, for product development. Knowledge and information is the reason for all of us to be here today."

The PATLIB network is made up of more than 300 regional patent information centres in the EPO member states. They act as local access points on patent and technology-related issues, and provide information to entrepreneurs, SMEs, individual inventors and students. They are very diverse in terms of size, service profile (ranging from classical library to sophisticated IP consultancy services) and host organisation (from universities and industry associations, such as chambers of commerce, to technology centres and national patent offices). The tools and services they provide help companies and inventors reach informed decisions, for example, about investments in R&D, filing of patent applications and gathering patent-related business intelligence in their field of activity. There are 11 PATLIB centres throughout Finland.

Unitary patent in the spotlight

During his visit to Helsinki, the EPO President met Jari Gustafsson, Permanent Secretary of the Finnish Ministry of Economy and Employment, and representatives of major Finnish companies, including Nokia, KONE, Orion, UPN and Beneq. The industry speakers highly praised the quality of the examination work at the EPO and the progress made in the timely processing of their applications.

The President also gave interviews to Finnish business and technology media. Here the focus was strongly on the unitary patent and on developments in the European patent system.

In late January, Finland became the 9th country to ratify the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement, which needs 13 ratifications (including France, Germany and the UK) to enter into force. The Finnish and European partners agreed that when the unitary patent arrives - hopefully at the beginning of 2017 - it will bring benefits to Finnish and other European companies, especially SMEs and universities, by offering more choice, enhanced legal certainty and simplified administration.

Co-operation with Finland

The EPO supports the PATLIB centres via the national IP offices as part of its co-operation with its 38 member states. This support aims at extending the range and quality of services offered to users by providing training and tools to PATLIB staff. The EPO and Finnish patent office co-operate closely, for example, by exchanging patent data in order to provide it to the public via the EPO's free Espacenet database, or provide harmonised access to national and European legal status information via the Federated European Patent Register.

With 365 European patent applications per million inhabitants in 2015, Finland again ranked high (No.4) in the EPO's list of top applicant countries per capita. The biggest fields of technology for Finnish companies and inventors last year were digital communication and computers. Finland joined the European Patent Organisation in 1996.

Further information
Growing online sales will not deter retailers physical store expansion plans in 2016, reports CBRE in its seventh edition of How Active Are Retailers Globally?, a study of over a 150 major international brands based in Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The survey findings show that 83% of brands suggest their physical store expansion plans will not be affected by the growth in e-commerce in 2016, although this is likely to vary from market to market and only 22% of the brands are concerned about stiff competition from online retailing as a threat to the market in 2016. Out of those questioned, 17% have large scale ambitions with many retailers looking to open more than 40 stores (up from 9% in 2015) in 2016. The vast majority (67%) are looking to open up to 20 stores.

Natasha Patel, Associate Director Retail, EMEA, CBRE, commented: Despite the backdrop of economic uncertainty and the popularity of online shopping growing year on year, a physical store presence in key locations is still critical to the strength of a brands presence.

Stores still need to create an emotional affinity with a shopper and customers still feel a need to go into store, physically touch a product and enjoy the feel-good factor associated with a particular brand experience. The store is integral to the shopping journey and can be used in a number of different ways, such as to click and collect, research of the product or brand or to test the product. It isnt solely about the transactional side.

Core Western Europe is at the top of retailers expansion targets, Germany proving most popular with 35% of retailers looking to expand there, France, 33% and the UK, 29%.

China is the top Asian market with 27% of retailers looking to expand there and a quarter of retailers are looking to the US as a retail destination in 2016.

Mark Burlton, Global Executive, Retail Occupier team, EMEA commented: Retailers continue to find confidence in the tried and tested retail strongholds of Europe. All three countries are home to cities with good consumer spending power and steady levels of tourism.

Germany offers retailers the opportunity to target six key cities all with large populations and significant purchasing power, while France and the UK are two of the major global fashion capitals, where a retail presence alone guarantees significant brand exposure. European brands still see significant potential within their own regions and are as such still focusing their expansion ambitions within their own borders.

Despite the positive headlines, retailers are remaining cautiously optimistic in 2016. When questioned about the risk factors for them in in the coming year, similar to last year, real estate cost escalation (56%) and unclear economic prospects (42%) continue to be at the forefront of their minds.

Street shops (76%) and regional shopping malls (72%) were cited as the most popular formats for expansion with an increasing number of brands looking to travel hubs. A fifth of brands, largely from the Americas and EMEA, stated their intention to expand into travel hubs in 2016 as this will give them access to high footfall, highly frequented locations. Burlton continues: The challenge now is for retailers to build an engaging offer that encourages people to stay longer and spend more.
Investment holding company RMH today announced that will expand its current, single investment in FirstRand to create a property investment business.

As a first step in the strategy of establishing a diversified portfolio of scalable entrepreneur-led businesses with proven track records in managing and building out property portfolios, the group announced its intention to make a 25.01% investment in leading South African property group, Atterbury (only condition precedent remaining is Competition Commission approval).

Atterbury will become RMHs key development partner in its core portfolio that will target the more traditional and larger areas of South African property (principally office, retail and industrial property). To supplement this core portfolio, the RMH property business will also include a specialist portfolio which will focus on niche areas of the property sector.

The RMH property strategy will focus on owner-managed businesses, a broader value chain in property, an unlisted portfolio, a balance between net asset value and yield, as well as a lower concentration risk as RMH will acquire stakes across multiple strategies, sub-sectors and geographies in time.

The group will follow a phased approach to acquire its various property investments.

RMHs CEO Herman Bosman said: Our new property investment strategy meets our stated objective of creating shareholder value and also further diversifies RMHs earnings base as we will invest across the breadth of the property value chain. In line with our history and ethos, we will focus on entrepreneurial and owner-managed businesses. The strategy will involve investing in physical property portfolios as well as vertically integrated property companies, specifically with internal management teams that offer asset management, development management and property management skills. As a first step in the realisation of our strategy, we have found an excellent partner in Atterbury. They have a 22-year successful track record in entrepreneurial skills, as well as development and asset management ability. Their team is regarded as the most innovative player in the South African property market. We will work with Atterbury and other future investment partners to assist them with capital, strategic input, networking opportunities, structural longevity and additional governance systems.

Atterburys CEO Louis van der Watt added: It was evident from the first meeting that Atterbury and RMH share a similar culture and value set. Atterbury, as a relatively small company, is honoured to be reckoned amongst the RMH stables other prestigious investments. Having developed more than two million square meters both inside and outside of South Africa, we are the ideal partner for RMH to capitalise on property opportunities.

Recent Atterbury key developments include 300 000 square meters of commercial, retail and industrial properties on the Waterfall land in Gauteng, including the flagship 130 000 square meters Mall of Africa that opened last week.

Although Atterbury is an unlisted entity, it has also played a significant role in two major transactions in the listed property sector. Atterbury was involved in the establishment of Attfund that was reversed into Hyprop in 2011. The Attfund assets remain an important part of Hyprops current portfolio. Atterbury formed Attacq in 2005 and played an instrumental role in the successful listing of Attacq in 2013.

The financial effects of this transaction will be immaterial on the financial results of RMH over the short to medium term. RMH intends to fund its investment into Atterbury through preference share funding.

The successful conclusion of the investment into Atterbury is subject to approval by competition authorities.
The shopping centre, a non-core asset disposed of by a private fund, was purchased in April 2016 by a private retail property developer.

Located on Stellenbosch Arterial Road, the Airport Shopping Centre features a strong tenant mix including anchor tenant Shoprite, PEP, Debonairs Pizza, OK Furniture and KFC, and was 77% occupied at the time of the sale. Boasting 12 213 square meters of gross lettable area, the shopping centre was sold at a 9% yield and has a national tenant ratio of 91%.

According to Elias Tzouvanni, Co-director of NPG, shopping centres of this value and untapped potential are rarely available to purchase in the Western Cape, and the disposal thereof created a unique opportunity for a local investor to take advantage of. The corporate disposal created a valuable opportunity to invest in a retail property in a developing area that would otherwise not be on the market.

Greg Nafte, Co-Director of NPG, says that despite the on-going debate about South Africas oversupply of shopping centres, he believes that the number of centres in the country is sustainable. In particular, we are seeing continued demand for large scale retail developments in townships and rural areas which target lower income groups. Unlike the affluent suburbs, there are still various developing nodes in South Africa that do not have a retail presence.

If managed correctly the Airport Shopping Centre has the potential to become a booming retail hub, with the growing surrounding communities playing a key role in the development of the centre.

Nafte says that this transaction highlights Nexus ability to effectively develop asset-specific solutions on behalf of its clients. Since NPG was established in 2012, the team has built a track record of national, multi-million rand transactions. We believe that this success is based on our unique approach, as well as the fact that we are not limited by region or property type, and are asset and client-focused.

He explains that a private treaty negotiation was used to facilitate the sale of the Airport Shopping Centre due to the complexities involved in a deal of this size and nature.
Glenview, Ill.(May 3, 2016) -- Although there have been discussions about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition impacting 24 million Americans, and depression, there has been little research showing the impact depression has on patients with COPD. Two studies published in the April issue of the journal CHEST found one in four patients with COPD suffer from depressive symptoms, and if not treated, those symptoms can have a negative effect on their overall health and treatment effectiveness.

One study from Manchester Metropolitan University analyzed three-year data obtained from patients with COPD. The study showed that one in four patients with COPD had persistent depressive symptoms over three years. The odds of new onset depression increased with worse health status and moderate-to-severe breathlessness. Those with persistent or new-onset depression experience more exacerbations of COPD and more pronounced loss in performance. COPD exacerbations cause frequent hospital admissions, relapses and readmissions; contribute to death during hospitalizations or shortly thereafter; dramatically reduce the quality of life; consume financial resources; and hasten a progressive decline in pulmonary function, a cardinal feature of COPD. Hospitalizations due to exacerbations account for more than 50 percent of the cost of managing COPD in North America and Europe.

A second study from the University of Texas analyzed data from a random sample of five percent of Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with COPD between 2001 and 2011 and found that 22.3 percent of those patients had one or more psychological disorders. The study showed that the odds of 30-day readmission were higher in patients with COPD who had depression, anxiety, psychosis, alcohol abuse and drug abuse compared with those who did not have these disorders.

"The prevalence of depression alongside COPD found in these two studies is alarming. Pulmonologists should consider the findings of this research when treating patients with COPD," said Dr. John Studdard, President-Designate, American College of Chest Physicians. "The impact of depression coupled with COPD on quality of life, exacerbation likelihood and readmissions should be further explored."

Both studies, Long-term Course of Depression Trajectories in Patients With COPD: A 3-Year Follow-up Analysis of the Evaluation of COPD Longitudinally to Identify Predictive Surrogate Endpoints Cohort and Association of Psychological Disorders With 30-Day Readmission Rates in Patients With COPD can be found in the April issue of the journal CHEST.

###

About the American College of Chest Physicians. The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST and the journal CHEST, visit chestnet.org.
Greenpeace has handed newspapers 240 pages of current negotiating documents from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a secretly conducted trade deal between the USA and the EU, which has run in parallel with the notorious Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The documents reveal that the worst fears of TTIP's critics were fully justified: as with the TPP, TTIP gives multinational corporations the right to sue governments to change environmental, labor and social standards if they interfere with the corporations' profits, under the notorious Investor State Dispute Settlement system (previously).

The Greenpeace leaks violate the European Commission's 30 year ban on publication of negotiations documents, and have made the issue a matter of intense interest in Europe.

The European Commission slapped a 30-year ban on public access to the TTIP negotiating texts at the beginning of the talks in 2013, in the full knowledge that they would not be able to survive the outcry if people were given sight of the deal. In response, campaigners called for a 'Dracula strategy' against the agreement: expose the vampire to sunlight and it will die. Today the door has been flung open and the first rays of sunlight shone on TTIP. The EU negotiators will never be able to crawl back into the shadows again. The leak of the TTIP text comes at a time when senior politicians across Europe have already begun to distance themselves from the increasingly toxic deal. President Hollande announced this weekend that France will veto any TTIP agreement that could endanger the country's agricultural sector. Germany's economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has also spoken publicly of TTIP collapsing, and has pointed the finger at US intransigence as the cause. When politicians start playing the blame game in this way, you know they are already preparing their exit strategies. The writing is on the wall.

After the leaks showing what it stands for, this could really be the end for TTIP

[John Hilary/Independent]

(Image: TTIP Trojan Horse, Greensefa, CC-BY)
Alan R. Palmer of the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham, UK has been named recipient of the William and Christine Hartmann Prize in Auditory Neuroscience by the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). The award was presented at the 171st meeting of the ASA on May 25, 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Prize was established in 2011 through a generous donation by Bill and Chris Hartmann to the ASA to recognize and honor research that links auditory physiology with auditory perception or behavior in humans or other animals.

"Since its creation in 1929 the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) has been one of the leading forums for researchers from across the world to showcase and discuss their research in all aspects of hearing. It is therefore an absolute honor to be recognized by the ASA for my work," said Palmer. "I have known Bill Hartmann and admired his contributions to the field for many years, so it is an even more special honor to receive the award created by him and Christine."

Alan Palmer's research has been directed at understanding the mechanisms within the brain that underlie our perception of sound. Over many years, Alan and his colleagues have used a number of methods that have allowed them to view the electrical activity of nerve cells within the auditory nervous system in animals. By carefully sculpting the sounds that are presented while recording the neural activity, the sensitivity of the nerve cells to different aspects of sound can be investigated. Using such methods, the processing that underlies our perception of communication sounds, our ability to localize sounds and the ability to separate simultaneous sound sources have been investigated. More recently, Palmer and colleagues have been using these and other methods to investigate the neural activity that may give rise to the perception of phantom sounds (tinnitus).

Alan Palmer earned a Ph.D. in Communication and Neuroscience from the University of Keele. He joined the MRC Institute of Hearing Research, University of Nottingham, UK in 1985 serving as Senior Grade Scientist, Assistant Director, Deputy Director, and Director. He is also Honorary Professor of Neuroscience, Life Sciences, University of Nottingham.

Palmer is a Member of the Editorial Board of Audiology and Neuro-Otology (1985-), Co-editor of Oxford University Press Handbook of Auditory Science (2010-), and Member of the Editorial Board of Hearing Research (2014-). He has served on the organizing committees of several international conferences and as member of committees such as the Auditory Commission of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (1998-01), Research Advisory Panel of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (2006-10), and Deafness Research UK Scientific Advisory Panel (2008-13). At the Association for Research in Otolaryngology he served on its International Committee (1998-04), Program Organising Committee (2003-06), Award of Merit Committee (2004-2007) and Publications Committee (2010-13).

###

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. For more information about the Society visit our website, http://www.acousticalsociety.org
Megan S. Ballard of the Applied Research Laboratories, University of Texas at Austin, has been named recipient of the R. Bruce Lindsay Award of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) for contributions to underwater acoustic propagation modeling and inversion techniques in acoustical oceanography. The award will be presented at the 171st meeting of ASA on 25 May 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The R. Bruce Lindsay Award is presented to a member of the ASA who is under 35 years of age, has been active in the affairs of the ASA and contributed substantially, through published papers, to the advancement of theoretical or applied acoustics.

"I am truly honored to be recognized by the Acoustical Society of America, and I am humbled to be associated with previous winners of the R. Bruce Lindsay Award. I am grateful for the many opportunities I have had to work alongside outstanding researchers in underwater acoustics, whose guidance and support have made this award possible for me," said Ballard.

Megan Ballard earned a Ph.D. in Acoustics from Pennsylvania State University. She served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Applied Research Laboratories, University of Texas at Austin, Texas (2010-11) where she continues as a Research Associate (2012-). Megan studies the propagation of sound in the sea. She uses mathematical models to calculate the sound field in complex underwater environments and is also interested in applications of underwater sound to estimate physical properties of seawater and sediments on the ocean floor.

Megan served as President of the Florida Atlantic University Student Chapter of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (2004-05) and Secretary of the ASA Central Pennsylvania Chapter (2006). She is the Chair of the ASA Technical Committee on Underwater Acoustics (2015-) and is an Associate Editor of ASA's Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics (2014-).

Megan received numerous fellowships and awards including the Best Presenter Award of the Maritime Rapid Environmental Assessment Conference, NATO Undersea Research Centre (2010), Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Special Research Awards in Ocean Acoustics Program, Office of Naval Research (2010-11), the Simowitz Citation, Acoustics Program at Pennsylvania State University (2009), ASA Young Presenter Awards (2007, 2008), National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (2006-09), National Defense Industrial Association Undersea Systems Division Fellowship Award (2006). Scholarships awarded to Megan while at Florida Atlantic University include the Kenneth R. Williams Leadership Award (2005), Charles Stephan Award (2005), Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Scholarship (2004), University STEP Scholarship, National Science Foundation (2002-04), and the Florida Bright Future Scholarship (2000-05).

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The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America--the world's leading journal on acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The Society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about the Society visit our website, http://www.acousticalsociety.org.
Whitlow W. L. Au, Emeritus Research Professor at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, HI, has been named recipient of the Gold Medal of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) for contributions to understanding underwater biosonar, and for service to the Acoustical Society. The award will be presented at the 171st meeting of the ASA on 25 May 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Gold Medal is presented to a member of the ASA whose contributions to the field of acoustics and to the Acoustical Society have been unusually distinguished.

"I am honored and humbled to receive this award. This is the first time that the Gold Medal has been awarded to someone who performed most of his research in Hawaii," said Au.

Whitlow Au earned a BS. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Hawaii and a Ph.D .in Electrical Sciences from Washington State University. He served as a Senior Scientist at the Naval Ocean Systems Center, Hawaii Laboratory from 1971 to 1993 after which he joined the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology as Chief Scientist where he continues today as Emeritus Research Professor.

Sonar was invented just prior to WWI. However, dolphins have been using "biosonar" for millions of years to search for food and avoid obstacles. In shallow water and for short ranges below 200-300 meters evolutionary pressures over millennia have resulted in dolphin biosonar being considerably superior to man-made sonar. Au's research has been devoted to understanding dolphin biosonar and to learn why it is so superior to man-made sonar. This involves understanding the properties and capabilities of dolphin biosonar, discovering how dolphins produce sound, and how sound travels through the head and enters the water via their foreheads. It also involves understanding how the "special" type of signals produced by dolphins capture the essence of different objects. The ultimate goal is to design sonars that are based on the principles underlying dolphin biosonar.

Whit Au served on the National Research Council Ocean Studies Board (2004-06) and as chair or member of organizing committees for national and international meetings and symposiums including the International Symposium on Sensory Systems and Behavior of Aquatic Mammals (1991), the 3rd International Symposium on Animal Sonar (1996), the Acoustic Communication by Animals International Symposium series (2008, 2010, 2011), and Joint Meetings of the ASA and the Acoustical Society of Japan in 1996, 2006, and upcoming in the fall of 2016. His service to ASA includes Chair of the Technical Committee on Animal Bioacoustics (1997-00), Associate Editor, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America for Animal Bioacoustics (1998-), Member of the Executive Council (2001-04), Vice President (2006-07), and President 2009-10). He was awarded the first ASA Silver Medal in Animal Bioacoustics in 1998.

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The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America -- the world's leading journal on acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, and standards on acoustics. ASA also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about the Society visit our website, http://www.acousticalsociety.org
Colorado State University students Kiloaulani Ka'awa-Gonzales, Arielle Quintana and Katelynne Johnson have been named 2016 Udall Scholars. Each scholarship provides up to $7,000 for the student's junior or senior year in fields related to the environment and to American Indians and Alaska Natives in fields related to health care and tribal public policy.

Ka'awa-Gonzales, a sophomore in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology in the Warner College of Natural Resources, received his award in the environment category. Quintana, a junior majoring in rangeland ecology in Warner College, and Johnson, a sophomore studying anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts, both received the award in the tribal public policy category.

Arielle Quintana

Quintana also received an honorable mention from the Udall Foundation last year. She is a member of Cochiti Pueblo, one of 19 Native American pueblos in New Mexico, and is helping her tribe restore damaged lands, specifically those within the reservation's jurisdictional and ancestral domain. She recently landed a Pathways internship with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and will be working with the Cochiti Pueblo Department of Natural Resources and Conservation this summer. The prestigious internship brings with it a job offer from the Bureau after she graduates from CSU.

Quintana is secretary of the CSU Rangeland Ecology Club and was recently elected president for the 2016-2017 school year. She is active in Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), a national society. Quintana is also a member of the President's Multicultural Student Advisory Committee, which is charged with identifying concerns and opportunities for improvements related to diversity on campus.

Katelynne Johnson

Johnson, a member of Laguna Pueblo also in New Mexico, is active in CSU's Native American Cultural Center and the Anthropology Club. She is the recipient of a Native American Legacy Award and has helped repatriate native artifacts at Chaco Culture National Historic Park in New Mexico.

Johnson plans to work for the National Parks Service after she graduates.

Kiloaulani Ka'awa-Gonzales

Ka'awa-Gonzales hails from Moloka'i, Hawaii, and has worked with the Nature Conservancy Land Trust. He wants to help improve the cultural connection in environmental jobs in Hawaii; this means, among other things, that he'd like to see more native Hawaiians in these jobs.

Ka'awa-Gonzales works as a Resident Assistant at CSU. He is also the recipient of scholarships from Nordstrom, Coca-Cola and Ka Hikina O'Ka La, and was recently elected president of MANRRS.

This is the largest number of Udall Scholars that have been selected from CSU to date. Sixty students from 49 colleges and universities were named Udall Scholars this year. The 2016 scholars were selected from 482 candidates nominated by 227 colleges and universities.

As part of the Udall program, the CSU students will participate with others in a Scholar Orientation in August in Tucson, Arizona. Scholars work together on a case study, learn new ways to collaborate, and build community with each other, Udall alumni, and professionals working on environmental and tribal issues.

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About the Udall Foundation

Established by Congress in 1992, the Udall Foundation is a federal agency which awards scholarships, fellowships and internships for study in fields related to the environment and to American Indians and Alaska Natives in fields related to health care and tribal public policy. Since the first awards in 1996, the Udall Foundation has awarded 1,524 scholarships totaling more than $7.7 million. The agency honors the legacy of Morris K. Udall's 30 years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"The results for tolerability, safety, and the immune response to the vaccine candidate are very promising," explains Prof Marylyn Addo. The antibodies which developed against the virus were still detectable after six months. Addo is convinced, "With this, a single vaccine could provide lasting protection against Ebola." The infectious disease specialist, who works for the German Center for Infection Research at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE) in Hamburg, led the trial in Hamburg. A total of 158 healthy adult volunteers were tested in Hamburg, as well as at the partner sites in Geneva (Switzerland), Lambarene; (Gabon) and Kilifi (Kenya).

The scientists involved are participants in VEBCON, a consortium of experts founded by the WHO, the goal of which is rapid and coordinated clinical testing of the Ebola vaccine in Africa. A vaccine is still urgently needed, since the current Ebola epidemic has not yet been completely defeated and future outbreaks cannot be ruled out.

About the trial

Across the four locations, a total of 158 healthy volunteers were vaccinated with increasing doses of the potential vaccine. A double-blind study was conducted in Geneva. The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine that was used is an attenuated, genetically modified strain of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which bears a surface protein of the Ebola virus. The goal is to help the vaccinated person's immune system produce antibodies to prevent an outbreak of the disease upon contact with the Ebola virus. For the first time, scientists have tested the vaccine's safety, tolerability and immune response in humans.

Important results

Safety and tolerability: No serious vaccine-related adverse reactions were observed; there were some cases of temporary mild fever and others of joint complaints. Since it is a live vaccine, small amounts of the vaccine virus were found in the blood, as expected, but only in the first few days following vaccination. Virus replication appears to be controlled and limited by the immune system. No viruses were detected in saliva and urine.

Effect on the immune system: In all participants, a single vaccine stimulated the immune system to produce antibodies specifically targeting the Ebola surface protein. The antibodies produced were able to inhibit the Ebola virus infections in vitro, and were still detectable after six months. The scientists evaluate the risk-benefit profile as positive.

Prof Stephan Becker, who analysed the immune responses of the volunteers in his laboratory at the Philipps-Universitat Marburg is happy, "These results demonstrate that the new vaccine can potentially be used in future Ebola outbreaks." DZIF Professor Peter Kremsner from the University Hospital Tuebingen, who headed the trial in Gabon, explains, "The adverse reactions were moderate and within the limits of what can be expected when using live vaccines."

The pathway to the vaccine: The results are now being incorporated in further trials which are using the previously determined optimal vaccine dose and testing children in particular. These trials are taking place in Lambarene, Gabon, amongst other places. In Guinea, the vaccine has also already been tested in a larger trial where people in contact with Ebola patients were vaccinated. The preliminary interim results have shown that the vaccine is effective. Approval by the American authority FDA is being sought for early 2017.

The German Center for Infection Research supported the preparation of the trials at the UKE in Hamburg and in Gabon and provided initial funding. The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), and the British Wellcome Trust provided the funding for the clinical trial preparation and implementation. The Canadian Health Authority donated the vaccine candidate to the WHO, which then made it available for these trials. The development of the vaccine candidate was supported by the WHO. All parties involved thus responded quickly and jointly to the dramatic Ebola epidemic in West Africa. For the trial preparations, the DZIF scientists in Hamburg, Gieen-Marburg-Langen, and Tubingen worked closely with the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI), which, as a partner of the DZIF, supports research into new vaccine platforms. In Hamburg, the trial was conducted in close collaboration with the Heinrich Pette Institute and the Bernhard Nocht Institute.

Contact

Prof Marylyn Addo

University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

German Center for Infection Research

Head of the trial in Hamburg

m.addo@uke.de

Prof Peter G. Kremsner

University Hospital Tubingen

German Center for Infection Research



Head of the trial in Gabon peter.kremsner@uni-tuebingen.de

Prof Stephan Becker

University of Marburg

DZIF coordinator "Emerging Infections"

becker@staff.uni-marburg.de

Publication

Selidji T. Agnandji, M.D.; Angela Huttner, M.D.; Madeleine E. Zinser M.D.; Patricia Njuguna M. M.D. et al.

Phase I Trials of rVSV Ebola Vaccine in Africa and Europe

New England Journal of Medicine, 2016 Apr 28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1502924

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (MAY 3, 2016). Researchers at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital report the results of a double-blinded randomized controlled trial of the "Xiao procedure" in children with spina bifida.

The multidisciplinary research group studied children and adolescents with myelomeningocele or lipomyelomeningocele who underwent spinal cord detethering with or without addition of the Xiao procedure to assess the procedure's effectiveness in achieving bladder control. Children with these types of congenital spinal cord defects frequently suffer from neurogenic bladder dysfunction, which may lead to lifelong urinary incontinence. The Xiao procedure was touted for many years in China as being more than 80 percent effective in such patients. In the present study population, the researchers found the procedure to be ineffective in all patients at producing bladder control. Full details of this study can be found in the article "Lack of efficacy of an intradural somatic-to-autonomic nerve anastomosis (Xiao procedure) for bladder control in children with myelomeningocele and lipomyelomeningocele: results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind study," by Gerald F. Tuite, MD, and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.

Background

Myelomeningocele and lipomyelomeningocele are two forms of spina bifida, a neural tube defect in which spine components fail to develop normally during the first few weeks of gestation. In most cases of spina bifida, the lower portion of the spinal cord becomes tethered to inelastic structures, limiting its movement within the spinal canal. This can cause pain, muscle weakness, foot and spine deformities, and bladder and bowel incontinence. Although surgery is regularly performed to detether the spinal cord, some patients continue to have limitations in their walking ability and/or bladder and bowel function. The inability to control bladder and bowel functions hugely diminishes a person's quality of life. The potential of normalizing bladder function would be extremely valuable to patients affected by spina bifida, and this is what the Xiao procedure offered when first proposed.

The Xiao procedure, developed by Dr. Chuan-Guo Xiao, is designed to achieve bladder control in patients who suffer bladder incontinence due to spinal cord injury or spina bifida. During the procedure, a motor nerve leading from the spinal cord to the leg is rerouted and attached to a nerve leading to the bladder, creating a new reflex arc. If formation of the new reflex arc is successful, patients reportedly have been able to initiate urination by scratching their skin, which initiates the new spinal cord reflex. According to reports by Xiao and coworkers, the results of this procedure were excellent in 85 percent of patients with spina bifida after one year. Other surgical teams have had varied results, but the present study is the first in which a control group was used for a comparison.

Present Study

Tuite and colleagues studied the effectiveness of the Xiao procedure in pediatric patients (younger than 21 years of age) with neurogenic bladder dysfunction who required detethering of the spinal cord related to a myelomeningocele or lipomyelomeningocele. The researchers enrolled 20 patients into the study between 2009 and 2012, randomly assigning them to one of two surgical groups: 1) patients undergoing detethering of the spinal cord alone (DT, the control group) or 2) patients undergoing detethering of the spinal cord plus the Xiao procedure (DT+X, the experimental group). The study was double blinded because neither the patients, their families, nor research personnel who performed follow-up evaluations knew whether a particular patient had undergone spinal cord detethering alone or with the Xiao procedure. Before the study commenced, members of the research team traveled to China to observe Dr. Xiao perform the procedure, and Dr. Xiao supervised the first seven operations at the study center, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, in Florida. The primary outcome of the study was the patient's ability to urinate voluntarily and/or in response to skin scratching.

Before surgery, all of the patients were bladder incontinent and none could void urine voluntarily or in response to a stimulus. During the three-year follow-up period, six patients--four in the DT group and two in the DT+X group--were able to urinate in response to skin scratching; however, this effect was sporadic and seemingly not directly attributable to the Xiao procedure. The authors state, "no patient in either group was able to void normally, reproducibly, or consistently during urodynamic testing at any point during the study period." In fact, the authors tell us that all patients required diapers or Pull-Ups throughout the 3-year period.

The negative finding of this study "raises doubts about the clinical applicability of [the Xiao] procedure." The authors believe that a return to basic science and animal studies should occur before future human trials of the procedure are performed. They emphasize the importance of further research to study the Xiao procedure and other nerve reinnervation techniques because of the major impact that bladder incontinence has on quality of life in patients with spina bifida, spinal cord injury, or other forms of neurogenic urinary incontinence.

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Disclosure: The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper.

Tuite GF, Polsky EG, Homsy Y, Reilly MA, Carey CM, Winesett SP, Rodriguez LF, Storrs BB, Gaskill SJ, Tetreault LL, Martinez DG, Amankwah EK: Lack of efficacy of an intradural somatic-to-autonomic nerve anastomosis (Xiao procedure) for bladder control in children with myelomeningocele and lipomyelomeningocele: results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, published online, ahead of print, May 3, 2016; DOI: 10.3171/2015.10.PEDS15271.

This paper is accompanied by two editorials, which are followed by a reply from the authors (http://www.thejns.org/doi/full/10.3171/2015.12.PEDS15710). In the first editorial, Dr. John R. W. Kestle discusses the value of surgical randomized controlled trials, particularly as they relate to the primary study.

Kestle JRW: Editorial: The learning curve in surgical randomized controlled trials. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, published online, ahead of print, May 3, 2016; DOI: 10.3171/2015.11.PEDS15623. (http://www.thejns.org/doi/full/10.3171/2015.11.PEDS15623)

In the second editorial, Dr. Andrew Jea extols the study's virtue as a published negative study. (Publication of negative findings is still fairly rare.) Jea points out the value of negative studies, quoting Jules Verne who said, "Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth." Jea also discusses the controversy surrounding the Xiao procedure, which while claiming a 70 to 90 percent success rate in China, still has more than 250 patients threatening legal action against Dr. Xiao because their outcomes were unsuccessful. A discussion of scientific integrity follows.

Jea A: Editorial: The positives of a negative study. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, published online, ahead of print, May 3, 2016; DOI: 10.3171/2015.12.PEDS15633. (http://www.thejns.org/doi/full/10.3171/2015.12.PEDS15633)

For additional information, please contact:

Ms. Jo Ann M. Eliason, Communications Manager

Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group

One Morton Drive, Suite 200, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Email: jaeliason@thejns.org Phone 434-982-1209; Fax 434-924-2702

The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics is a monthly peer-reviewed journal focused on diseases and disorders of the central nervous system and spine in children. This journal contains a variety of articles, including descriptions of preclinical and clinical research as well as case reports and technical notes. The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics is one of four monthly journals published by the JNS Publishing Group, the scholarly journal division of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Other peer-reviewed journals published by the JNS Publishing Group each month include the Journal of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Focus, and the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. All four journals can be accessed at http://www.thejns.org.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 8,300 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada, or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the brain, spinal column, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. For more information, visit http://www.AANS.org.
AUGUSTA, Ga. - A navy-trained surgeon and researcher who is president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a longtime faculty member who heads the Medical College of Georgia chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, are recipients of 2016 MCG Distinguished Alumni awards.

Dr. Charles L. Rice, a 1968 graduate, was named MCG's Distinguished Alumnus for Professional Achievement. Rice is the fifth president of USU, the nation's federal health sciences university that educates health care professionals dedicated to career service in the Department of Defense and the United States Public Health Service As president, Rice is responsible for the academic, research and service mission of the university. He also advises the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs and the four surgeons general on issues related to graduate health professions education and health care research.

Rice has announced his intention to retire June 30 after more than a decade leading the university. His prior positions include vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Illinois, Chicago and vice dean of the UIC College of Medicine. Rice also served as the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs from March through August 2010.

An Atlanta native, Rice earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in 1964. After completing medical school, he did an internship at Wake Forest University's Bowman Gray School of Medicine and then went on to a general surgery residency program at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., followed by a research fellowship at the Naval Medical Research Institute.

He was commissioned in the Naval Reserve Medical Corps in 1966, and was transferred into the Navy in 1969. He left active duty, but remained in the Naval Reserve, through which he was promoted to Captain in 1991 and retired in 2003.

His research interests, many funded by the National Institutes of Health, have been in the biology of lung injury and in mechanisms of cell and tissue injury in shock. His clinical focus has been in trauma and critical care.

Rice is a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a past president of the Shock Society. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow and served as a legislative assistant to Senator Thomas A. Daschle (D- SD) from 1991-92. During that time he also served as the trauma surgeon to the president of the United States. He was a member of the Board of the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education from 1998 to 2004 and served as its Chair from 2002-04.

Dr. Clarence Joe, who graduated from the state's public medical school in 1977, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Loyalty. Joe, who also earned a dental degree at Augusta University's Dental College of Georgia in 1973, completed an internship with the U.S. Public Health Service and a radiology residency at his alma mater. He served as Lt. Commander at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in New Orleans and as medical director of the Tri-County Health System in Warrenton, Ga., before joining the MCG faculty in 1983.

Joe has served in numerous leadership positions at MCG including on the Academic Council, Faculty Senate and the Alumni Association, for which he chaired the Scholarship Committee. He is an active member of the Richmond County Medical Society, having served as treasurer, secretary and vice president, and is a delegate to the Medical Association of Georgia.

He has served as an at-large member of AU Medical Center's Medical Executive Staff Committee and as coordinator of medical student education for the Department of Radiology and Imaging. Joe has served on the National Resident and Intern Match Committee.

He is an active member of the MCG Faculty Senate, including serving a term as president. He has chaired the Phase III Curriculum Committee, and served as a member of the Faculty Appointments, Promotions and Tenure; Post-Tenure Review; Nominating; Student Promotions; Student Admissions; Faculty Recognition; and Rules and Bylaws Committees.

Joe is councilor of the Alpha of Georgia Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. In that position, he elects third- and fourth-year medical students to AOA, writes the chapter's newsletter and arranges for visiting professors. He is a fellow of the American College of Radiology and a member of the Radiological Society of North America, the Georgia Radiological Society, the American Roentgen Ray Society and the Society of Skeletal Radiology.

He has received nine Educator of the Year Awards from graduating medical classes and the Teacher of the Year Award from the Department of Radiology and Imaging. He was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Radiologists in part for his teaching efforts and service in the field of radiology.

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WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today awarded $16.5 million in grants to support research into methods for boosting agriculture productivity and ensuring food security in the face of pests, diseases and a changing climate. In addition, USDA announced that it is seeking applications for the next round of projects, which will focus on pollinator health and plant and animal phenomics. The grants are made available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Established by the 2008 Farm Bill and re-authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill, AFRI is the nation's premier, peer-reviewed competitive grants program for fundamental and applied agricultural sciences. In the seven years since AFRI was established, the program has led to true innovations and ground-breaking discoveries in agriculture to combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate the impacts of climate variability and enhance resiliency of our food systems, and ensure food safety.

"In the face of diminishing land and water resources and increasingly variable climatic conditions, food production must increase to meet the demands of a world population projected to pass 9 billion by 2050," said Vilsack. "Funding in research to respond to these challenges should be considered as an investment in our nation's future, an investment which will pay big dividends in the years to come."

The awards and available funding announced today fall into the AFRI Food Security Challenge Area, which funds projects that increase agricultural productivity and the availability and accessibility of safe, nutritious food. Fiscal year 2015 projects receiving support today focus on agriculture production systems, breeding and genomics of crops and livestock, and a national strategy for sustainable crop and livestock production. Since 2010, NIFA has awarded more than $219 million to the AFRI Food Security Challenge Area.

Fiscal year 2015 grants include:

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colo., $50,000

University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill., $2,397,840

Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $500,000

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, $10,000

University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., $120,000

University of Maryland, College Park, Md., $2,397,840

Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $2,327,840

University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., $2,000,000

North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D., $50,000

North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D., $2,147,839

South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D., $2,382,840

Utah State University, Logan, Utah, $150,000

Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $40,000

Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $2,000,000

Funded projects include North Dakota State University research to improve existing cropping systems through innovative seeding and nutrient management of cover crops. Purdue University will create a new open source framework that can help identify combinations of policies to improve the environment while ensuring food security. Information on all of these FY15 projects can be found on the NIFA website.

Fiscal year 2016 food security project proposals should emphasize pollinator health as well as breeding and phenomics of food crops and animals. Applications are due July 7, 2016 for a total of $16.8 million in available funding. For the first time, grant awards will be equally co-funded by eligible national and state commodity boards, as authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. See the request for applications for more information.

President Obama's 2017 budget request proposes to fully fund the AFRI program, doubling the amount that was available in 2016 to $700 million. Since its creation, AFRI has been funded at less than half the levels established in the 2008 Farm Bill, and USDA has only been able to fund one out of 10 research proposals presented, leaving thousands of innovative research proposals unfunded.

Since 2009, NIFA has invested in and advanced innovative and transformative initiatives to solve societal challenges and ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. NIFA's integrated research, education, and extension programs, supporting the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel, have resulted in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that are combating childhood obesity, improving and sustaining rural economic growth, addressing water availability issues, increasing food production, finding new sources of energy, mitigating climate variability, and ensuring food safety. To learn more about NIFA's impact on agricultural science, visit http://www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts, sign up for email updates , or follow us on Twitter @usda_NIFA ,#NIFAimpacts .

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).
NEWPORT, Ore. - Although sperm whales have not been driven to the brink of extinction as have some other whales, a new study has found a remarkable lack of diversity in the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA within the species.

In fact, the mitochondrial DNA from more than a thousand sperm whales examined during the past 15 years came from a single "Eve" sperm whale tens of thousands of years ago, the researchers say.

Results of the study are being published this week in the journal Molecular Ecology.

While the exact origins of this sperm whale "Eve" remain uncertain, the study shows the importance of her female descendants in shaping global population structure, according to Alana Alexander, a University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute researcher who conducted the study while a doctoral student at Oregon State University.

"Although the male sperm whale is more famous in literature and cinema through 'Moby Dick' and 'In the Heart of the Sea,' the patterns in mitochondrial DNA show that female sperm whales are shaping genetic differentiation by sticking close to home," Alexander said.

Working in the genetic lab of Scott Baker, associate director of Oregon State's Marine Mammal Institute, Alexander combined DNA information from 1,091 previously studied samples with 542 newly obtained DNA profiles from sperm whales. The new samples were part of a global sampling of sperm whale populations made possible by the Ocean Alliance's "Voyage of the Odyssey," a five-and-a-half year circumnavigation of the globe, including some of the most remote regions of the world.

The new sampling, including sperm whales from the previously un-sampled Indian Ocean, revealed global patterns of genetic differentiation and diversity.

"Sperm whales have been in the fossil record for some 20 million years," said Baker, a co-author on the study, "so the obvious question is how one maternal lineage could be so successful that it sweeps through the global population and no other lineages survive? At this point, we can only speculate about the reasons for this success, but evolutionary advances in feeding preferences and social strategies are plausible explanations."

The researchers say female sperm whales demonstrate strong fidelity to local areas, and both feeding habits and social structure are important to determine to better manage the species. "There is a real risk of long-term declines in response to current anthropogenic threats, despite the sperm whale's large worldwide population," the authors wrote.

"One concern is that this very strong local fidelity may slow expansion of the species following whaling," said Baker, a professor of fisheries and wildlife who works at OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. "The Sri Lanka sperm whales, for example, don't seem to mix with the Maldives whales, thus local anthropogenic threats could have a negative impact on local populations."

The researchers note that while males are important for describing patterns in the nuclear DNA of sperm whales, ultimately the females shape the patterns within the species' mitochondrial DNA.

"Although there is low mitochondrial DNA diversity there are strong patterns of differentiation, which implies that the global population structure in the sperm whale is shaped by females being 'home-bodies' - at the social group, regional and oceanic level," Alexander said.

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The study was funded by a Mamie Markham Award and a Lylian Brucefield Reynolds Award from the Hatfield Marine Science Center; a 2008-11 International Fulbright Science & Technology award to Alexander; and co-funded by the ASSURE program of the Department of Defense in partnership with the National Science Foundation REU Site program. Publication of the paper was supported in part by the Thomas G. Scott Publication Fund.

Other authors include Debbie Steel of OSU's Marine Mammal Institute; Kendra Hoekzema, OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Sarah Mesnick, NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center; Daniel Engelhaupt, HDR Inc.; and Iain Kerr and Roger Payne, Ocean Alliance.
Sharing a sanitation facility between households can be linked to increased risk of moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in children under 5 y at some sites, according to Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) study findings published this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Kelly K. Baker of University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, United States, and colleagues, suggests that access to private sanitation facilities should remain a global health priority.

Diarrhea kills about three-quarters of a million young children every year. Interventions to improve sanitation and hygiene may benefit the roughly 2.5 billion people who do not use improved sanitation, including the 1 billion who defecate in the open. GEMS is a case-control study of pediatric diarrhea in children under 5 y of age at seven sites in Africa and South Asia. This study compared 8,592 children under 5 y with clinically and laboratory confirmed MSD matched to 12,390 asymptomatic children to uncover associations between household sanitation and incidence of diarrhea.

Compared to having a private household sanitation facility, sharing a facility with one or two households was found to be associated with an increased risk of diarrhea in young children at the study sites in Nyanza Province, Kenya (adjusted matched odds ratio 1.41 [95% confidence interval 1.11-1.79]), Bamako, Mali (1.23 [1.02-1.48]), and Karachi, Pakistan 1.58 [1.19-2.09]). Sharing a facility with three or more households was associated with further increased MSD risk. Sharing a sanitation facility was not found to be associated with increased MSD risk at the sites in Basse, The Gambia (1.69 [0.96-2.97]), Mirzapur, Bangladesh (0.83 [0.70-0.99]), or Kolkata, India (1.04 [0.78-1.39]).

As the study is observational, confounding by related characteristics such as hand washing may limit interpretation of results. In a linked Perspective, Jonny Crocker and Jamie Bartram of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States, discuss study limitations but argue that "Baker and colleagues present the best dataset yet on diarrheal disease associated with sanitation and hygiene. They provide compelling evidence on sanitation and hygiene risk factors for MSD and variability in that risk."

###

Research Article

Funding:

This work was supported by Grant #38874 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to MML, Principal Investigator. Salary support for CEO was provided by the US Agency for International Development through an Inter-Agency Agreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. THF, a current employee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, contributed as an author to the design and collection of data supporting the preparation of this manuscript while employed by the Center for Vaccine Development, University of Maryland Baltimore.

Competing Interests:

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Citation:

Baker KK, O'Reilly CE, Levine MM, Kotloff KL, Nataro JP, Ayers TL, et al. (2016) Sanitation and Hygiene-Specific Risk Factors for Moderate-to-Severe Diarrhea in Young Children in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study, 2007-2011: Case-Control Study. PLoS Med 13(5): e1002010. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002010

Author Affiliations:

Center for Vaccine Development, Departments of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of AmericaDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, United States of America Emergent BioSolutions, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America Centre de Recerca en Salut Internacional de Barcelona, Hospital Clinic (CRESIB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and Centro de Investigacao em Saude de Manhica, Maputo, Mozambique World Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nairobi, Kenya Emory Global Health Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America Kenya Medical Research Institute/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KEMRI/CDC), Kisumu, KenyaInternational Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), Fajara, The Gambia Centre pour le Developpement des Vaccins, Bamako, Mali National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, India India Public Health Association and PATH India Office, New Delhi, India Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan; Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, United States of America

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER: http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002010

Contact:

Kelly K Baker

University of Iowa College of Public Health

Occupational and Environmental Health

145 N. Riverside Drive

100 CPHB

Iowa City, IA 52242

UNITED STATES

001-319-384-4008

kelly-k-baker@uiowa.edu

Perspective Article

Funding:

The authors were not funded to prepare this Perspective.

Competing Interests:

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Citation:

Crocker J, Bartram J (2016) Interpreting the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) Findings on Sanitation, Hygiene, and Diarrhea. PLoS Med 13(5): e1002011. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002011

Author Affiliations:

The Water Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1002011
When Norway  historically one of the poorest countries in Europe  struck oil in the North Sea, the country put the proceeds into a "sovereign wealth" fund that invested it in other industries and used the returns to pay for an extensive welfare state that has given Norwegians one of the highest standards of living in the world.



Over the years, the Norwegian fund has grown $870b, making it one of the world's largest investors, with significant positions over 9,000 companies.

Norges Bank has announced that it has had enough of its portfolio companies spending shareholder money on exorbitant executive compensation schemes (one of Thomas Piketty's prime culprits for global wealth disparity). It will find a company whose executives are significantly overpaid and use that company as an example of how managers are overpaid to investors' detriment.

It's a radical departure for the Norwegians, who have never taken a position on executive pay until now.

"The Norwegian state sovereign wealth fund has always been quite passive in how it has approached its shareholdings, if a company has done something it hasn't liked it's sold the shares and walked away," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. "I think now it is taking a more active stewardship approach, i.e. debating with the company," he added. Last month 59% of BP shareholders voted against a 20% pay rise for chief executive Bob Dudley, that would have netted him 14m.

Executive pay crackdown by Norway's huge public fund

[BBC]





(Image: Norges Bank Kirkegata, Mahlum, public domain)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Researchers have shown how controlling cholesterol metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells reduces metastasis, pointing to a potential new treatment using drugs previously developed for atherosclerosis.

"We show for the first time that if you control the cholesterol metabolism you could reduce pancreatic cancer spread to other organs," said Ji-Xin Cheng, a professor in Purdue University's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry. "We chose pancreatic cancer to test this approach because it is the most aggressive disease of all the cancers."

Cheng had previously led a team of researchers discovering a link between prostate cancer's aggressiveness and the accumulation of a compound produced when cholesterol is metabolized in cells, findings that could bring new diagnostic and treatment methods. The new study involved researchers at the Purdue Center for Cancer Research and School of Biomedical Engineering, the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center and School of Medicine, Purdue's Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, and Department of Biochemistry.

The findings, detailed in a paper published on May 2 in the journal Oncogene, suggest a class of drugs previously developed to treat atherosclerosis could be repurposed for treatment of pancreatic cancer and other forms of cancer. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in arteries, restricting blood flow.

The researchers found accumulations of the compound cholesteryl ester in human pancreatic cancer specimens and cell lines, demonstrating a link between cholesterol esterification and metastasis. Esterification is a biochemical process that allows cholesterol to be stored in cells. Excess quantities of cholesterol result in cholesteryl ester being stored in lipid droplets within cancer cells.

"The results of this study demonstrate a new strategy for treating metastatic pancreatic cancer by inhibiting cholesterol esterification," said Jingwu Xie, the Jonathan and Jennifer Simmons Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.

The paper's lead author is Purdue post-doctoral fellow Junjie Li. Purdue researchers have developed an analytical tool called Raman spectromicroscopy that allows compositional analysis of single lipid droplets in living cells.

"We identified an aberrant accumulation of cholesteryl ester in human pancreatic cancer specimens and cell lines," Li said. "Depletion of cholesterol esterification significantly reduced pancreatic tumor growth and metastasis in mice."

Findings show that drugs like avasimibe, previously developed for treatment of atherosclerosis, reduced the accumulation of cholesteryl ester. The disease usually kills within a few months of diagnosis. It is hoped the potential new treatment might extend life of pancreatic cancer patients for a year, Cheng said.

The accumulation of cholesteryl ester is controlled by an enzyme called ACAT-1, and findings correlated a higher expression of the enzyme with a poor survival rate for patients. The researchers analyzed tissue samples from pancreatic cancer patients and then tested the drug treatment in a type of laboratory mice referred to as an orthotopic mouse model, developed at the IU School of Medicine. Specimens of human pancreatic tissues were obtained from the Simon Cancer Center Solid Tissue Bank.

Imaging showed a decrease of the number of lipid droplets, and Raman spectral analysis verified a significant reduction of cholesteryl ester in the lipid droplets, suggesting that avasimibe acted by blocking cholesterol esterification. The drug did not induce weight loss, and there was no apparent organ toxicity in the liver, kidney, lung and spleen, Cheng said.

Findings also showed that blocking storage of cholesteryl ester causes cancer cells to die, specifically due to damage to the endoplasmic reticulum, a workhorse of protein and lipid synthesis.

"By using avasimibe, a potent inhibitor of ACAT-1, we found that pancreatic cancer cells were much more sensitive to ACAT-1 inhibition than normal cells," he said.

Additional research confirmed that the anti-cancer effect of avasimibe is specific to ACAT-1 inhibition. The researchers performed various biochemical assays and "genetic ablation" to confirm the drug's anti-cancer effect.

"The results showed that avasimibe treatment for four weeks remarkably suppressed tumor size and largely reduced tumor growth rate," said paper coauthor Timothy Ratliff, the Robert Wallace Miller Director of Purdue's Center for Cancer Research. "Metastatic lesions in lymph nodes and distant organs also were assessed at the end of the study. A much higher number of metastatic lesions in lymph nodes were detected in the control group than the avasimibe-treated group."

Each mouse in the control group showed at least one metastatic lesion in the liver. In contrast, only three mice in the avasimibe treated group showed single lesion in liver.

Cheng, Li, and Ratliff have founded Resarci Therapeutics LLC at the Purdue Research Park to work toward developing a formulation of the drug for human cancer patients.

"We want to bring this to clinical use," Cheng said.

The researchers will work with IU's Xie to further study the potential treatment.

###

The paper was authored by Li; Dongsheng Gu, postdoctoral fellow at the IU Simon Cancer Center; former Purdue doctoral student Steve Seung-Young Lee and postdoc researcher Bing Song; undergraduate Shovik Bandyopadhyay; Shaoxiong Chen, an assistant professor at the IU School of Medicine; Stephen F. Konieczny, a professor in Purdue's Department of Biological Sciences; Ratliff; Xiaoqi Liu, a professor in Purdue's Department of Biochemistry; Xie; and Cheng.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and an Indiana State CTSI grant.

Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu

Sources: Ji-Xin Cheng, 765-494-4335, jcheng@purdue.edu

Jingwu Xie, 317-944-8784, jinxie@iu.edu

Timothy Ratliff, 765-494-9129, tlratliff@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: An electronic copy of the research paper is available at http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/onc.2016.168 or by contacting Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu

PHOTO CAPTION:

Purdue University researchers have founded Resarci Therapeutics LLC at the Purdue Research Park to work toward developing a new treatment for pancreatic cancer. From left are Ji-Xin Cheng, a professor in Purdue University's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Timothy Ratliff, the Robert Wallace Miller Director of Purdue's Center for Cancer Research, and Purdue post-doctoral fellow Junjie Li (Purdue Research Foundation photo)

A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/2016/cheng-resarci.jpg

IMAGE CAPTION:

Researchers have shown how controlling cholesterol metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells reduces metastasis to other organs, pointing to a potential new treatment. Findings showed a higher number of metastatic lesions in organs of untreated and treated mice, shown at top and bottom, respectively. (Purdue University image/Junjie Li)

A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/2014/cheng-pancreatic.jpg

ABSTRACT

Abrogating Cholesterol Esterification Suppresses Growth and Metastasis of Pancreatic Cancer

Junjie Li1, Dongsheng Gu2, Steve Seung-Young Lee1, Bing Song1, Shovik Bandyopadhyay3, Shaoxiong Chen4, Stephen F. Konieczny3, 7, Timothy L. Ratliff 5, 7, Xiaoqi Liu6, 7, Jingwu Xie2*, Ji-Xin Cheng1, 7*

1 Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 2 Department of Pediatrics, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 3 Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 4 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 5 Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 6 Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 7 Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907

* Corresponding authors: Ji-Xin Cheng, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907. Phone: 765-494-4335; Fax: 765-496-1912; Email: jcheng@purdue.edu or Jingwu Xie, Department of Pediatrics, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut St., Indianapolis, IN 46202. Phone: 317-278-3999; Fax: 317-274-8046; Email: jinxie@iupui.edu.

Cancer cells are known to execute reprogramed metabolism of glucose, amino acids, and lipids. Here, we report a significant role of cholesterol metabolism in cancer metastasis. By employing label-free Raman spectromicroscopy, we found an aberrant accumulation of cholesteryl ester in human pancreatic cancer specimens and cell lines, mediated by acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) enzyme. Expression of ACAT-1 showed a correlation with poor patient survival. Abrogation of cholesterol esterification, either by an ACAT-1 inhibitor or by shRNA knockdown, significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in an orthotopic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Mechanically, ACAT-1 inhibition increased intracellular free cholesterol level, which was associated with elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress and caused apoptosis. Collectively, our results demonstrate a new strategy for treating metastatic pancreatic cancer by inhibiting cholesterol esterification.
Among patients experiencing some symptoms of depression, the use of a web-based guided self-help intervention reduced the incidence of major depressive disorder over 12 months compared with enhanced usual care, according to a study appearing in the May 3 issue of JAMA.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common condition associated with substantial illness and economic costs. It is projected that MDD will be the leading cause of premature mortality and disability in high-income countries by 2030. Evidence-based treatments for MDD are not very successful in improving functional and health outcomes. Attention has increasingly been focused on the prevention of MDD.

Claudia Buntrock, M.Sc., of Leuphana University Lueneburg, Germany, and colleagues randomly assigned 406 adults with subthreshold depression (some symptoms of depression, but no current MDD per certain criteria) to either a web-based guided self-help intervention (cognitive-behavioral and problem-solving therapy supported by an online trainer; n = 202) or a web-based psychoeducation program (n = 204). All participants had unrestricted access to usual care (visits to the primary care clinician).

Among the patients (average age, 45 years; 74 percent women), 335 (82 percent) completed the telephone follow-up at 12 months. The researchers found that 55 participants (27 percent) in the intervention group experienced MDD compared with 84 participants (41 percent) in the control group. The number needed to treat to avoid 1 new case of MDD was 6.

"Results of the study suggest that the intervention could effectively reduce the risk of MDD onset or at least delay onset," the authors write. "Further research is needed to understand whether the effects are generalizable to both first onset of depression and depression recurrence as well as efficacy without the use of an online trainer."

###

(doi:10.1001/jama.2016.4326; this study is available pre-embargo at the For The Media website.)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Community-based social groups could play a crucial role in empowering people with early-onset dementia, according to new UBC research.

The study, led by UBC nursing professor Alison Phinney, focused on an independently run program known as Paul's Club, which offers social and recreational activities three days a week out of a hotel in downtown Vancouver. Members range in age from mid-40s to late 60s.

"Of the estimated 1.4 million Canadians living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia by 2031, a few thousand in every major city will be diagnosed before age 65," noted Phinney. "The question is how we can support them so that they can continue to live at home for as long as possible."

The answer, according to Phinney's research, could be day programs like Paul's Club.

The club, founded in 2012 by retired Vancouver nurse Nita Levy and her husband, Michael, provides members a friendly environment without medical or hospital associations--hence the "club" monicker and the choice of a hotel for a meeting place. The focus is on having fun, so dementia is rarely mentioned or discussed.

The club runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to give members' families a break from caring from their loved ones. Each day starts with morning coffee, often followed by chair yoga, a dance or other light workout before the group heads out for lunch and a walk in the neighbourhood. Ice cream at a local gelato shop caps off the day.

While the club doesn't follow a strict schedule, the one constant is the group walk. Linking arms or holding hands with the Levys or club volunteers, members stroll in groups of twos or threes, stopping frequently to admire the scenery or talk to other people.

"By observing and talking to the members, we found that walking in the neighbourhood and interacting with others kept them connected to the community," said Phinney, a researcher with Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. "They felt that they still belonged--something that wouldn't have been possible had they stayed at home."

The Levys founded the club following the death of a beloved brother-in-law as a result of early-onset dementia. They saw a need for services for younger people with dementia as most programs are suitable for older people, and very few are targeted to those with dementia.

"Young-onset dementia is incredibly challenging because they're still fairly active and healthy and suddenly they're no longer able to work," said Phinney. "Being part of the club keeps them busy and healthy and gives their family respite, making it more feasible for members to stay at home longer."

Phinney's research is funded by the Alzheimer's Society of Canada. Its next stage will examine a more traditional adult day program for older people, including some living with dementia.

###

"Walking in the Neighbourhood: Performing Social Citizenship in Dementia," has been accepted for publication in Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice. Click here to download a copy.

Contact lou.bosshart@ubc.ca to book interviews with Alison Phinney. To contact Nita Levy, email nita@paulsclub.ca.
Study shows pieces of the underside of the North American Plate peel off, sink into the mantle -- a process likely to produce more earthquakes in southeastern US in the future

(Chapel Hill, N.C. - May 3, 2016) - The southeastern United States should, by all means, be relatively quiet in terms of seismic activity. It's located in the interior of the North American Plate, far away from plate boundaries where earthquakes usually occur. But the area has seen some notable seismic events - most recently, the 2011 magnitude-5.8 earthquake near Mineral, Virginia that shook the nation's capital.

Now scientists report in a new study a likely explanation for this unusual activity: pieces of the mantle under this region have been periodically breaking off and sinking down into the Earth. This thins and weakens the remaining plate, making it more prone to slipping that causes earthquakes. The study authors conclude this process is ongoing and likely to produce more earthquakes in the future.

"Our idea supports the view that this seismicity will continue due to unbalanced stresses in the plate," said Berk Biryol, a seismologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lead author of the new study. "The [seismic] zones that are active will continue to be active for some time." The study was published today in the Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

Compared to earthquakes near plate boundaries, earthquakes in the middle of plates are not well understood and the hazards they pose are difficult to quantify. The new findings could help scientists better understand the dangers these earthquakes present.

Old plates and earthquakes

Tectonic plates are composed of Earth's crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle. Below is the asthenosphere: the warm, viscous conveyor belt of rock on which tectonic plates ride.

Earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where one plate dips below another, thrusts another upward, or where plate edges scrape alongside each other. Earthquakes rarely occur in the middle of plates, but they can happen when ancient faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate. These areas are relatively weak compared to the surrounding plate, and can easily slip and cause an earthquake.

Today, the southeastern U.S. is more than 1,056 miles from the nearest edge of the North American Plate, which covers all of North America, Greenland and parts of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. But the region was built over the past billion years by periods of accretion, when new material is added to a plate, and rifting, when plates split apart. Biryol and colleagues suspected ancient fault lines or pieces of old plates extending deep in the mantle following episodes of accretion and rifting could be responsible for earthquakes in the area.

"This region has not been active for a long time," Biryol said. "We were intrigued by what was going on and how we can link these activities to structures in deeper parts of the Earth."

A CAT scan of the Earth

To find out what was happening deep below the surface, the researchers created 3D images of the mantle portion of the North American Plate. Just as doctors image internal organs by tracing the paths of x-rays through human bodies, seismologists image the interior of the Earth by tracing the paths of seismic waves created by earthquakes as they move through the ground. These waves travel faster through colder, stiffer, denser rocks and slower through warmer, more elastic rocks. Rocks cool and harden as they age, so the faster seismic waves travel, the older the rocks.

The researchers used tremors caused by earthquakes more than 2,200 miles away to create a 3D map of the mantle underlying the U.S. east of the Mississippi River and south of the Ohio River. They found plate thickness in the southeast U.S. to be fairly uneven -- they saw thick areas of dense, older rock stretching downward and thin areas of less dense, younger rock.

"This was an interesting finding because everybody thought that this is a stable region, and we would expect regular plate thickness," Biryol said.

At first, they thought the thick, old rocks could be remnants of ancient tectonic plates. But the shapes and locations of the thick and thin regions suggested a different explanation: through past rifting and accretion, areas of the North American Plate have become more dense and were pulled downward into the mantle through gravity. At certain times, the densest parts broke off from the plate and sank into the warm asthenosphere below. The asthenosphere, being lighter and more buoyant, surged in to fill the void created by the missing pieces of mantle, eventually cooling to become the thin, young rock in the images.

The researchers concluded this process is likely what causes earthquakes in this otherwise stable region: when the pieces of the mantle break off, the plate above them becomes thinner and more prone to slip along ancient fault lines. Typically, the thicker the plate, the stronger it is, and the less likely to produce earthquakes.

According to Biryol, pieces of the mantle have most likely been breaking off from underneath the plate since at least 65 million years ago. Because the researchers found fragments of hard rocks at shallow depths, this process is still ongoing and likely to continue into the future, potentially leading to more earthquakes in the region, he said.

###

Editor's note: This press release has been reproduced in its entirety from the American Geophysical Union and can also be found here.
LOS ANGELES - The University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute researchers and clinicians published results of the largest population-based study of adult Latinos and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the National Eye Institute-funded "Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES)." The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, is the first to analyze the risk and prevalence of early and late stage AMD and its impact on quality of life for older Latinos.

According to the National Eye Institute, AMD is a chronic, progressive disease affecting 2 million Americans and typically diagnosed in those age 50-60. The LALES study, conducted among 4,876 Latinos in Los Angeles with a mean age cohort of 54.8 years old, indicates that Latinos diagnosed with bilateral AMD with large drusen (the lipids or fatty proteins that are yellow deposits under the retina) and depigmentation as well as a more severe AMD had a substantially lower health-related quality of life as compared to those with AMD lesions in only one eye.

In addition, the findings point to a more significant health-related quality of life decline beginning in early rather than later stages of the disease. For instance, the study shows 80 percent of early AMD participants reported difficulty driving as opposed to 43 percent who had late AMD. As well, 91.6 percent of early AMD participants reported vision-related social function impact and 74.4 percent had near vision problems as compared to 67.7 percent and 46.9 percent respectively of late AMD participants who reported the same. The researchers also found that while participants may not have a measurable decrease in their visual acuity, their reported reduced visual function may possibly be the result of contrast sensitivity associated with early-stage AMD.

"The study results are a wake-up call for both ophthalmologists and those in the Latino community to avoid a quality of life decline due to ocular conditions, especially in earlier stages of eye diseases such as AMD," said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, interim dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the USC Roski Eye Institute. "What was significant but not intuitively obvious was that Latinos diagnosed with AMD in both eyes or more severe AMD had a markedly diminished vision-specific quality of life requiring us to shift our clinical focus from treating advanced stages of AMD to finding earlier stage interventions and treatment options."

Dr. Varma, the study's principal investigator and one of the world's leading experts in population based eye disease, shared that objective measurements like vision loss may not adequately characterize the total impact of the ocular condition of a patient. The research points to the increasing need to assess a patient's health-related quality of life and a patient's overall perception of relative well-being as a valuable tool to evaluate treatment efficacies.

The Latino population is the largest minority segment of the U.S. population and is the largest ethnic population in Los Angeles county surpassing the Caucasian population in 2014. According to the U.S. Census 2015 report, Latinos are 17 percent of the U.S. population (55 million) and by 2060 they will be 29 percent (119 million). At the same time, American society has a growing aging population with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day and AMD, an ocular disease that typically affects those age 50 and older, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness.

"Previous studies on Latinos have found this population to have a different pattern of AMD prevalence, incidence, progression and risk factors," added Dr. Varma. "More importantly, the lower level of health care access and utilization among this group is likely to impact follow-up care of these patients and may make them more susceptible to diminished quality of life."

"The LALES findings unexpectedly demonstrate that even the earliest stages of AMD may impair eyesight enough to interfere with daily activities. They also point to the need for additional research on the earliest stages of AMD," said Maryann Redford, D.D.S., M.P.H., a program director for Collaborative Clinical Research at NIH's National Eye Institute. "People with early AMD affecting both eyes appear to be especially vulnerable to declines in their vision-related quality of life, and might benefit from any early referral to a low vision specialist."

The LALES study was conducted among 4,876 participants in six U.S. Census tracks in La Puente, Calif. More than half of the participants were female (59 percent) and 41 percent were male with a median cohort age of 54.8 years. The participants underwent comprehensive eye exams and interviews to assess risk factors for health-related quality of life impact related to either an early or late AMD diagnosis. Photographs of the inside of the eyes were taken to also detect signs of AMD. Typical AMD symptoms are straight lines or faces appear wavy, objects appear smaller or further away and there is blurriness or blind spots in central vision.

Dr. Varma is the principal investigator of many major National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded studies, including the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Diseases Study (MEPEDS), African-American Eye Disease Study (AFEDS) and the Chinese-American Eye Study (CHES). The USC Roski Eye Institute is ranked in the Top 2 of the nation's top grant recipients from the NEI and has achieved more than $32 million in annual grant funding.

###

This research was supported by NEI-funded grants EY-11753 and EY-03040.

About the USC Roski Eye Institute

The USC Roski Eye Institute, part of the Keck Medicine of USC university-based medical enterprise, has been a leader in scientific research and innovative clinical treatments for 40 years. Among the top two funded academic-based medical centers by the National Eye Institute (NEI) research grants and ranked in the Top 10 ophthalmology programs in U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Hospitals" issue for more than 20 years, the USC Roski Eye Institute is headquartered in Los Angeles with clinics in Arcadia, Beverly Hills and Pasadena.

Patients from across the country come to see the USC Roski Eye Institute experts who treat a comprehensive array of eye diseases across the life spectrum from infants to aging seniors. The USC Roski Eye Institute is known for its scientific research and clinical innovation including: creation of the Argus retinal prosthesis implant (also known as the "bionic eye") for retinitis pigmentosa patients; stem cell therapies for those who have age-related macular degeneration; discovery of the gene that is the cause of the most common eye cancer in children; treatment for eye infections for AIDS patients; inventors of the most widely used glaucoma implant in the world; pioneers of a device for long-term intraocular drug delivery; and the first to use telesurgery to train eye doctors in developing countries. For more information visit: usceye.org.
Nature shows how to do it: Photosynthesis is a process used by plants to create energy-rich organic compounds, usually in the form of carbohydrates, and oxygen (O2) from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) driven by light. If we succeeded in mimicking this process on a large scale, numerous problems of humanity would probably be solved. Artificial photosynthesis could supply the Earth with fuels of high energy density such as hydrogen, methane or methanol while reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and slowing down climate change.

Developing the necessary efficient catalysts and associated dyes is a focal area of research at the Chair of Professor Frank Wurthner at the University of Wurzburg's Institute of Organic Chemistry. Two of Professor Wurthner's doctoral students, Marcus Schulze and Valentin Kunz, have recently reported a partial success in this regard. They present the results of their research work in the current issue of the journal Nature Chemistry.

Improving an artificial photosystem

"In nature, the so-called photosystem II is a central component of the photosynthesis process", explains Marcus Schulze. It is a protein complex with a catalytically active centre consisting of multiple metal atoms. They have to work together to split water into its two elementary constituents, a process taking place in two spatially separated electrochemical half reactions. It is already possible to mimic these two reactions in the laboratory. But: "Hydrogen production already works quite well. The water oxidation to oxygen, however, needs to be accelerated so that the balance of the individual half reactions matches better," says Schulze.

Scientists still frequently use the rare noble metal ruthenium as a catalyst for artificial photosynthesis. Basically, the artificial system works with similar efficiency as its natural counterpart. However, the catalyst tends to decompose itself relatively quickly. This is where the chemists of Wurzburg leapt to action: "We incorporated the ruthenium atoms into special supramolecular structures which slow down the destruction and enable a kind of 'self-healing process'," Valentin Kunz explains.

Two years of lab work

This structure is similar to a ring in which three ruthenium atoms are interconnected using three so-called ligands which are specially shaped organic compounds. Custom-tailored binding sites make sure that the metal centres and ligands fit like key and lock. What sounds comparably easy took two years of non-stop meticulous working in the laboratory. "You successively turn different screws and see what happens," Kunz describes their approach.

The result is a "cyclic self-composing system of defined individual blocks" as the two chemists explain. Its benefit in "synthetic terms" is its simple structure and ease of production along with the fact that the blocks automatically assemble to form the desired structure without requiring major technical effort. This property makes it better suited for potential applications than previous systems.

The next steps

The chemists are pleased to note that the water oxidation catalyst they developed is also more efficient, although they cannot yet explain why that is so. These explanations might be delivered in the near future by the experts in theoretical chemistry with whom Frank Wurthner's chair is cooperating closely. Roland Mitri, head of the Chair of Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Wurzburg, and his co-worker Merle Rohr are already looking for an answer to this question by developing formulas and algorithms.

Even though the system of the two junior scientists is better than its predecessors: "We still have a long way to go until the process is ready for the market," explains Marcus Schulze. And: "What we are doing is fundamental research," Valentin Kunz adds. The next steps have already been planned: Firstly, the chemists want to study further changes at the catalyst's structure and their impact on the function. Secondly, they want to link it to dyes so that the reaction becomes photocatalytic, which means the reaction will work with light.

The joint project Soltech

Marcus Schulze and Valentin Kunz's research was performed within the scope of the Bavaria-wide joint project Soltech (Solar Technologies Go Hybrid). Launched in 2012, the Free State of Bavaria funds new concepts to convert solar energy into electricity and non-fossil fuels. So-called key labs in the following universities are involved in the project: University of Bayreuth, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, LMU Munich, TU Munich and the University of Wurzburg.

The Wurzburg key lab is located at the Center for Nanosystems Chemistry founded in 2010 at Professor Frank Wurthner's initiative. His research team has been working on selectively organising small organic molecules to form larger assemblies that absorb sunlight and transport it to electrodes to be converted into electric power. Another goal of the Wurzburg key lab is to develop artificial chloroplasts that use light energy to generate fuels similar to a plant cell.

The joint project also includes other participants from Wurzburg such as the work groups of Professors Tobias Brixner, Christoph Lambert, Florian Beuerle, Roland Mitri and Todd Marder from chemistry as well as the teams of Vladimir Dyakonov and Jens Pflaum in physics.

###

A supramolecular ruthenium macrocycle with high catalytic activity for water oxidation that mechanistically mimics photosystem II; Marcus Schulze, Valentin Kunz, Peter D. Frischmann and Frank Wurthner; Nature Chemistry, DOI: 10.1038/NCHEM.2503
The 150th anniversary of Darwins Origin of Species passed into history seven years ago. In the years that followed 1859, the impact of evolutionary thinking seeped across the culture of Europe and America. For years to come, well be tracing a series of century-and-a-half anniversaries of the effects of that seepage, and reflections on it as it was happening. This year, among other things, its the publication of Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment (1866).

In The New Criterion, Gary Saul Morson writes on The disease of theory: Crime & Punishment at 150. By disease of theory he means something recognizable from our contemporary culture:

The decade after [Tsar Alexander II] ascended the throne witnessed the birth of the intelligentsia, a word we get from Russian, where it meant not well-educated people but a group sharing a set of radical beliefs, including atheism, materialism, revolutionism, and some form of socialism. Intelligents (members of the intelligentsia) were expected to identify not as members of a profession or social class but with each other. They expressed disdain for everyday virtues and placed their faith entirely in one or another theory. Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin were typical intelligents. The intelligentsia prided itself on ideas discrediting all traditional morality. Utilitarianism suggested that people do, and should do, nothing but maximize pleasure. Darwins Origin of Species, which took Russia by storm, seemed to reduce people to biological specimens. In 1862 the Russian neurologist Ivan Sechenov published his Reflexes of the Brain, which argued that all so-called free choice is merely reflex movements in the strict sense of the word. And it was common to quote the physiologist Jacob Moleschotts remark that the mind secretes thought the way the liver secretes bile. These ideas all seemed to converge on revolutionary violence. The hero of Crime and Punishment, Rodion Raskolnikov, discusses disturbances then in progress, including the radicals revolutionary proclamations and a series of fires they may have set. But by nature he is no bloodthirsty killer. Quite the contrary, he has an immensely soft heart and is tortured by the sight of human suffering, which he cannot and refuses to get used to. Man gets used to everything, the scoundrel! he mutters, but then immediately embraces the opposite position: And what if Im wrong . . . what if man is not really a scoundrel . . . then all the rest is prejudice, simply artificial terrors and there are no barriers and its all as it should be.He means that man cannot be a scoundrel because that is a moral category, and morality is simply artificial terrors imposed by religion and sheer prejudice. There is only nature, and nature has causes, not moral purposes. It follows that all is as it should be because if moral concepts are illusions then things just are what they are. [Emphasis added.]

More:

The questions this masterpiece poses still haunt us, perhaps even more than when it first appeared. Revolution still attracts. New atheists and stale materialists advance arguments that were crude a hundred fifty years ago. Social scientists describe human decisions in absurdly simplistic terms. Our intelligentsia entertains theory after theory elevating them above the ordinary people they would control. Morality is explained away neurologically, sociobiologically, or as mere social convention.

My goodness, since Dostoyevsky documented the toxin of theories, how little has changed.

Except that 150 years ago there were still abundant great men in defense of the view opposite to materialism, while our own contemporaries, even the ones with their heart in the right place, seem increasingly diminutive in stature. The difference made in just a couple of decades  a mere generation, the passage from father to son  is remarkable. Unthinking surrender to the most prestigious theories, or evading serious confrontation with them, is now the order of the day. What we need is a theory not of evolution but of devolution.

Image: Portrait of Fedor Dostoyevsky, by Vasily Perov [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
The first McDonald's in Quetta, Pakistan has opened in Millennium Mall, in the militarized Police Lines neighborhood, prompting an official position from the Taliban.

Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told NBC: "Yes, I know McDonald's and its food but we will never eat it. We don't even consider it as a food. This isn't our food  We live in the rough, tough mountainous areas and need energy and power to fight against the enemy."

An Afghan Taliban fighter called McDonald's tasteless and "too expensive."

However, he conceded that McDonald's was "good when you are in a hurry and have no access to proper food." "We know it's an American food company and our religious scholars have forbidden us from consuming any Western food and beverages," the militant added, saying that he intended to visit the Quetta outlet with friends but would not eat there.

McDonald's Opens in Quetta, Pakistan  Taliban Isn't Lovin' It

[Wajahat S. Khan and Mushtaq Yusufzai/NBC]





(Image: McDonald's)

(via Naked Capitalism)
An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more.

But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be  and shouldnt be  bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre.

Have an interest in what youre writing about

Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show.

If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words  within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating.

Include fascinating details

Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. Some topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to form the article more interesting through your written style and by trying to seek out fascinating snippets of knowledge to incorporate, which will liven it up a small amount and make the data easier to relate to. A way of doing this with a dry subject is to create what youre talking about that seems relevant to the critical world, as this is often easier for the reader to relate to.

Emulate the fashion of writers you discover interesting

When you read lots, you subconsciously start emulating the fashion of the writers you have read. Reading benefits you a lot, as this exposes you to a spread of designs, and youll start to require the characteristics of these you discover interesting to read.

Borrow some creative writing techniques

Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting.

consider your own opinion

Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others.

Cut the waffle

Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem.

Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose.

employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing

Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them.

You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect.

Avoid repetitive phrasing

Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable.

Use some figurative language

Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know.

As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts  mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy.

Employ rhetorical questions

Anticipate the questions your reader might ask.

One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration.

Proofread

Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them.
i need to know how can i get my matric/inter photocopies get attested for wes from karachi while staying in usa to continue with further education over here.further i already have a attested mbbs degree from hec but wes requires documents to be sent directly to it. what wouyld be the easy way out? can someone please help
The logical place to start is the JFK School, since it's an American program and a percentage of its graduates do return to the US. The other private international schools might also bear fruit though some of them are more British in their focus, I think. No clue if there are forums and such, you'd need to do some sleuthing.Given that German university tuition is free, and American tuition most definitely not (there are other less polite adjectives one could use to describe it) I'd think that anyone finishing high school in Berlin who possessed a decent command of German wouldn't consider studying in the US unless they were either very rich, or very nuts, or very good at soccer. However, I'm sure that you could find a few expats willing and able to pay for a US education, and a percentage of them might even be anxious enough to let themselves be fully sucked into the application-industrial complex.Don't take this personally, just an editorial comment as the parent of a 15-year-old, but the mere fact that private consultants exist to assist with US college applications (adding still further to the costs, and ultimately exacerbating inequalities) makes me deeply, deeply relieved to be Canadian.Interestingly enough, there's now a consultant who helps Americans get into German universities - it's become quite attractive on account of the low cost.
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The long fight between the residents of Nordheim and a proposed oil field landfill could end Tuesday.

The Texas Railroad Commission this morning will reconsider a permit for the facility near the city limits of Nordheim in DeWitt County, one of the busiest parts of the Eagle Ford Shale oil field.

The landfill would accept oil-based muds, soil contaminated by oil spills, and drill cuttings, as well as broken bits of rock and dirt that get drilled through on the way to finding oil and gas.

The small town and its 307 residents have successfully lobbied against the powerful energy industry, holding up the approval process for three years so far. They say the site is potentially hazardous and is too close to their city and school, which has about 170 students. They also have raised questions about whether a big rain would send water from the site, which would be on a high point called Pilots Nob, into creeks and onto neighboring properties.

Residents wrote nearly 200 protest letters. They founded a group called Concerned About Pollution, the only one of its kind in the 400-mile oil field, and hired attorneys, geologists and chemical engineers to help them fight the application process in Austin. They have taken charter buses and showed up by the dozens at Railroad Commission hearings wearing bright yellow shirts.

More Information Past coverage: Nordheim keeps fighting landfill at its doorstep



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Their tactics have won delays. The permit has pinballed around the Railroad Commission for three years  about a year longer than expected  moving from agency staff to the three elected railroad commissioners, back to staff and an administrative judge.

Theres an air of inevitability about the permit, though, as it returns to the commissioners.

They probably made their decision, so thats not good for us, said Paul Baumann, whose family homestead is next to the proposed site. We held them off for three years.

George Wommack, whose San Antonio-based Pyote Reclamation Systems hopes to build the waste facility, said everyone has had a chance to ask questions through the hearings process, and design changes have been made so that the stormwater ponds on site could handle hurricane-level amounts of rain.

Weve gone through such extensive conservation with everyone, Wommack said. At some point, it became Do everything you can to stop it. Folks have understood were following all the rules. Eventually if we continue down the path, well receive a permit. I would hope we can be a contributor to the DeWitt County economy and provide some stable jobs.

Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, grew up in nearby Cuero and has been an environmental advocate for residents across the region.

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I never thought Id see little bitty Nordheim stand up for anything, Riebschlaeger said. But, man, you mess with their land, look out,

jhiller@express-news.net

Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller
HONG KONG  China is pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into its economy in a new effort to support growth. Some of it is going into roads and bridges and other big projects that will keep the economy humming.

And some of it is going into eggs.

Chinas latest lending deluge has sent money sloshing into unexpected parts of the economy. That includes a financial market in Dalian where investors can place bets on the future productivity of the countrys hens.

Egg futures have surged by as much as one-third since March, the sort of move that would be justified if investors believed Chinas chicken flocks were headed for an unfortunate fate.

But the markets usual participants say the flocks are fine. In fact, the actual price of eggs in the countrys markets has fallen from a year ago, according to government statistics.

The reason for the unusual jump in egg futures, they say, is Chinas tendency to experience investment bubbles when the government steps up spending and lending. Chinas previous efforts to bolster growth unexpectedly sent money into real estate and the stock market  markets that had unexplained rises followed by striking drops.

Many commodities prices have gone up crazily, said Du Shaoxing, a futures trader in Guangzhou, in southern China. We surely hope for a more stabilized trend where futures can reflect economic fundamentals. The way in which recent commodity prices went up is worrisome.

Chinas latest bubble illustrates the potential risks of its newest effort to spur growth. The Chinese economy is already burdened with too much debt, economists say. And sometimes, stopgap measures to help the economy create long-term problems.

China is the worlds biggest producer of eggs, but it is not clear whether the investment surge in eggs will have an impact on real-world prices. Jumps in the futures prices on commodities markets can take months to trickle down to the real world; and if the commodities surge subsides, then the price of eggs in local markets may not budge.

Eggs are not the only commodity suddenly out of kilter. Domestic prices and trading volumes on steel, garlic, cotton, iron ore and other items have all soared. This despite the fact that Chinas economic slowdown has hurt demand for many items. Officials at Chinese commodities markets are now taking steps to cool speculative fervor to avoid crashes, and prices have begun to ease.

By mid-April, the frenzy made Shanghai futures contracts in steel rebar, the rods used in construction to reinforce concrete, the most actively traded in the world  overtake trading volumes of two major oil futures contracts, West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude, that have helped set oil prices for decades, analysts at Citigroup said in a report last week.

There is very little rational or fundamental basis for why prices have gotten as out of hand as they have, or why volumes are so high, other than just irrational exuberance, said Alex Wolf, an emerging markets economist at Standard Life Investments in Edinburgh, who previously worked as an American diplomat based in Beijing and Taipei.

Economists blame Beijings new efforts to shore up its economy. Government officials increased lending by state-controlled banks and offered other support measures in the first few months of the year as economic growth slowed and longtime drivers like manufacturing and exports showed continued weakness.

Saad Rahim, chief economist at Trafigura, one of the worlds biggest traders of metals and oil, calculates that China added about $1 trillion in new liquidity in the first quarter of the year  an amount that would be roughly equal to the entire quarterly economic output of Germany during the same period.

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This kind of scale is unprecedented, and some of it will leak into speculative investments, Rahim said.

In the short term, the new lending may be good news for global growth, if it works. Chinas first-quarter growth came in at 6.7 percent, about where economists had expected, despite some indications that growth had weakened further.

But in turning to its old playbook, China risks adding to its already fast-growing pile of debt, which by some estimates is nearly 300 percent of gross domestic product.

As for eggs, Chen Jie, who works in the futures department at Hubei Shendan Healthy Food, the biggest egg company in China, said in a phone interview that there is definitely speculative capital in the market.

Her company supplies eggs to KFC and McDonalds restaurants, and sells them at more than 10,000 supermarkets across China, including those of chains like Walmart, Carrefour and Metro.

Hubei Shendan uses the futures market to hedge its bets against swings in actual egg prices. An abnormally volatile futures market makes that job more difficult.

The reason we are in the egg futures market is because the big swings in egg prices will affect our profitability, and a good futures market will help us in that regard, Chen said.
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In its third year, the Big Give SA  a 24-hour online giving campaign that began at midnight  has once again set its sights higher.

When it began in 2014, the goal was $1 million raised for San Antonio area nonprofits, all from donations over the course of one day. The event brought in twice the goal  $2 million. Last year, a whopping $4.3 million flowed in for more than 800 charitable organizations.

This year, by 11:59 tonight, the campaign  part of a nationwide effort called Give Local America  wants to raise $6 million for 1,000 participating nonprofits in Bexar and 13 other counties.

We expanded the number of counties this year and were really excited about that, said Kate Edwards, director of communications and marketing for the San Antonio Area Foundation, one of the sponsoring groups. Were hoping to get 45,000 donors, and we know with the help of the entire community, we will reach our goal.

Edwards said that in addition to donations, more than $400,000 in prize money, given by area businesses and private foundations, will be awarded to nonprofits that reach certain goals.

Were going to be giving away $1,000 every hour to the nonprofit that has the most number of unique donors, she said. And were giving a $15,000 grand prize to the nonprofit that raises the most money overall, and another $15,000 to the group with the most individual donors.

The way it works: Donors go online to thebiggivesa.org and select from the participating nonprofits listed there. They represent a wide range of categories, from education to arts to health care and more. Donors can search by name or charitable cause area, or they can also give to multiple organizations in one transaction on the home page.

There is no maximum amount, and the minimum gift is $10.

Some nonprofits are planning special events and performances around the day of giving, including SAMMinistries, which provides housing and services to those who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.

Houseless, Not Homeless, a performance art piece, will take place at 11:45 a.m. today at Main Plaza to depict the struggle of homelessness in San Antonio, where some 20,000 children are without homes every night, according to a SAMMinistries news release.

At Stinson Municipal Airport today, military veterans who served in various wars will receive dream flights in a 1940s Boeing Stearman biplane, courtesy of the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring seniors and military veterans.

Donations to that group will go toward the purchase of a fourth biplane that would be based in San Antonio.

Another local nonprofit that already knows where its donations will go is Say Si, a San Antonio youth arts program. The group aims to raise $10,000 toward the purchase of a van.

Transportation is one of the biggest challenges for our students, and with a van we can pick them up after school and bring them here, said Stephen Guzman, communications manager. We also take students on field trips through the year, to visit studios and galleries, to give them a chance to connect to the artistic community. We also take our theater productions outside the San Antonio community, as far as Dallas.

Edwards said donors who dont have a computer or Internet access can bring their debit or credit card to the San Antonio Area Foundation office at 303 Pearl Parkway, Suite 114, during the 24-hour period and volunteers will walk them through the process.

Those who dont have credit or debit cards can still participate, she said.

Even if you cant give online, we still encourage donors to write checks directly to the nonprofit of their choice, she said.

mstoeltje@express-news.net
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Child advocacy officials are waiting on a hearing, likely this week, to determine the fate of two children who were found chained and tied up outside a home in Northeast Bexar County.

Child Protective Services is caring for the two toddlers  a 2-year-old boy chained to the ground and a 3-year-old girl tied to a door with a dog leash  and six other children found unsupervised inside the home in the 8100 block of Chipping Drive, officials said Monday.

Porucha Denise Phillips, 34, the pregnant mother of the six children found in the house, remained in Bexar County Jail, her bail set at $150,000. She faces two felony charges of injury to a child by omission.

The two restrained children didnt belong to Phillips, but investigators didnt know who their parents are until the weekend, when they found their mother in California, said James Keith, chief communications officer for the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. Her identity has not been released, but Keith said shes cooperating with an investigation.

The biggest question now is what she is doing in California and why are her kids here, Keith said.

Phillips husband has not been charged, and officials havent named him. Keith has said investigators determined that he was working when the children were found alone and that hes cooperating with investigators.

Little is known of Phillips, who appears to be from Sacramento, California, according to public records.

A Facebook page belonging to Prettybrowneyes Phillips, which matches Porucha Phillips photo and personal information, contains numerous memes that range from religious messages to expletive-laced maxims.

One meme from March 16 appears to be dedicated to her children: To My Kids ... When I tell you I love you I dont say it out of habit or to make a conversation. I say it to remind you that youre the best thing that ever happened to me.

In the status update with that meme, she wrote, Love my team to death. All I got and all I need. Boogie Down, Rude Dude, Kuma Lee, Chunky Butt, Miss Mae, Noo Noo.

The case began late Thursday when a neighbor called 911, concerned about a childs screams coming from the backyard of the house on Chipping Drive. Medical personnel found that the girl had a fractured arm and injuries to her foot. Both children were dehydrated and had bruises and scratches, officials said.

The six children inside the house, ranging in age from 10 months to 13, appeared unharmed.

Yolanda Valenzuela, vice president of Child Advocates San Antonio, said the children likely would be assigned to a CASA volunteer who will work to make sure all their needs are met.

CASA plans to assign one volunteer who has served with the organization for more than 10 years to oversee all eight children, Valenzuela said.

Since the children were freed, Keith said, the Sheriffs Office has been inundated with phone calls from people who want to help and is urging them to donate to local organizations that serve victims of child abuse.

These are children that made it on the news, but we know that there are countless others, he said.

mdwilson@express-news.net

Twitter: @MDWilsonSA

Staff Writer Melissa Stoeltje contributed to this report.
Pregnant women who rely on well water or public water with high levels of three common agriculture chemicals ought to be wary for their babies health, a Texas A&M University professor said.

Jean Brender is a former nurse and professor emeritus of public health who has studied the effects of drinking contaminated water for more than 20 years. She and a fellow researcher looked at 14 studies done over 16 years to see whether drinking water with atrazine, nitrates or arsenic puts fetuses at risk.

Some of the research Brender cited in her review, published in late March in the peer-reviewed journal Current Environmental Health Reports, came from her research on pregnant women in Texas and Iowa.

Atrazine is a readily available herbicide used on crops, lawns and turf. Nitrates often come from fertilizers.

Because atrazine and nitrate are both used so heavily in agricultural areas, thats where youre going to find the problem, Brender said.

Arsenic most often leaches from rocks but can derive from certain pesticides no longer in use.

Some studies Brender reviewed showed that mothers whose babies had missing portions of the brain, skull and scalp; neural tube defects; spina bifida; limb deficiencies; cleft palate and cleft lip were more likely to have consumed water high in nitrates.

Elevated levels of atrazine in nearby surface water was significantly associated with intestines outside the body, cleft lip, Down syndrome, excess fingers or toes and other congenital anomalies, her review found. In addition, arsenic was associated with spinal bifida, congenital heart defects and other birth defects.

Birth defects affect one in 33 babies born in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two years ago, Brender and other scientists compared the drinking water of 3,300 mothers in Texas and Iowa who delivered babies with major birth defects with drinking water of 1,121 mothers in those states whose babies were healthy.

They found that mothers of babies with spina bifida, limb deficiencies, cleft palate and cleft lip were around twice as likely to have consumed about 5 milligrams of nitrates per day in drinking water, compared with women who consumed about 1 milligram per day.

The U.S. government already knew about many health effects associated with these chemicals in high enough doses. Thats why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains standards for public drinking water systems, known as maximum contaminant levels, at 3 parts per billion for atrazine, 10 ppm for nitrates and 10 ppb for arsenic.

Private groundwater wells are a different story. Regulations on drinking water do not apply to home-use wells, and many people who rely on groundwater have to test it themselves.

Few studies also considered how these chemicals interact with each other to form new, potentially harmful compounds, Brender said.

We need to start branching out and look at this issue of mixtures and what impact that would have on public health, she said.

Women in all likelihood have already been exposed to nitrates and atrazine, among many other chemicals with potential effects on fetal development, said Paul Winchester, an Indiana University School of Medicine physician and researcher. Winchester also serves as medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at the Franciscan St. Francis Health hospital in Indianapolis. Brender and her colleague cited his work in their review.

In 2009, Winchester was the lead author in a peer-reviewed study that found a significant correlation between the amount of nitrates and atrazine in lakes, rivers and streams and the rates of several categories of birth defects. The study relied on federal data for water quality and records of more than 30 million births from 1996 to 2002.

Winchester pointed out that their study considered surface water, not drinking water, and did not account for women drinking bottled water or other variables that could have thrown off any patterns in the data.

The odds of us finding a signature in all the uncertainties  are low because theres so many things in between, he said.

But the correlation was still clear, Winchester said. As nitrates and atrazine went up in summer months, so did birth defects in babies conceived at the time.

Syngenta, atrazines maker, has repeatedly said studies of atrazine show that it is safe, and a spokeswoman told The New Yorker in 2014 that atrazine does not and, in fact, cannot cause adverse health effects at any level that people would ever be exposed to in the real-world environment.

Brender urged women whose drinking water includes those three chemicals in concentrations above federal standards to consider switching to treated or bottled water ahead of a pregnancy.

If I was going to think about having a baby, I probably would do that, she said.

In Texas, drinking water systems with high arsenic levels are scattered across South Texas, West Texas and the Gulf Coast. Thirty-four have had persistent high arsenic for 10 years, according to a report by the Environmental Integrity Project, a national group.

Small water systems in or near Eola, Flomont, Weinert, Midland, Turkey, Wichita Falls, Vernon, Lubbock, Welch and Quitaque had the highest nitrate levels in the state, according to EPA data from 2004 to 2009 collected by the Environmental Working Group, another environmental group. Each had averages from roughly 5 to 15 parts per million higher than the standard.

Atrazine turned up in the highest levels in water systems that serve a few thousand people, according to the Environmental Working Group. Some tests taken at water systems in Crosby, Cameron and Cooper had atrazine levels above the standard.

bgibbons@express-news.net

Twitter: @bgibbs
AUSTIN  Texas will not feel the federal governments wrath for refusing to expand Medicaid, at least until 2018, thanks to a deal announced Monday that will allow health care providers to temporarily continue to receive billions of dollars in federal funding that many feared would be cut off.

The agreement, which officials here described as a big win for Texas, grants the state a 15-month extension of the so-called 1115 Waiver, a funding program that has given $29 billion to providers over the past five years.

Texas health czar Chris Traylor requested the extension last month, as it became clear that the state and federal governments would not reach a deal before the funding was set to run out in September. The extension will give negotiators time to try to reach a long-term agreement.

Were pleased these innovative programs will have the opportunity to continue, said Traylor, who made the 1115 Waiver one of his top priorities and announced his retirement last week only after an extension appeared at hand.

The waiver, first approved in 2011 as part of a nationwide effort, provides funding to hospitals to offset the cost of treating patients without health insurance and to other providers to support innovative projects to supplement access. The money to date has supported 1,451 projects in Texas, and hospitals have come to depend on the funding, making the program a crucial part of the health care system.

But the Obama administration has indicated that it may not reauthorize all the funding for states that do not expand Medicaid under the presidents signature Affordable Care Act. The administrations reasoning is that expansion would reduce the number of uninsured patients significantly, lessening the burden on hospitals.

Texas officials have opposed Medicaid expansion, saying it would be unwise to spend state money to expand what they call a broken system, even if it would unlock far more in federal funding.

The 15-month extension announced Monday will push the decision about the fate of the waiver to the next presidents administration, which might be less adamant about Medicaid expansion.

Still, Texas Democrats, social services advocates and health care providers Monday urged state officials to use the next 15 months to reconsider their opposition to Medicaid expansion and find a compromise.

The extension will be nothing more than a stay of execution if the state does not somehow expand Medicaid, said Paul Klotman, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine.

In the last, 12th hour, we were rescued from the electric chair, he said. We should be happy, but we should realize this is just kicking the can down a year and a half.

Ken Janda of Community Health Choice, a Houston-based nonprofit health plan, agreed. 2018 will be here very fast, he said.

Janda said he was hopeful that there was some appetite in the Legislature to consider a Medicaid expansion compromise, despite the states previous refusal.

No state leaders indicated that sentiment Monday. Gov. Greg Abbott declined comment, and several Republicans did not return messages, including a spokesman for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

State Sen. Charles Schwertner, chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, called the extension an encouraging development but declined to address the possibility of expanding Medicaid.

Its important to preserve and expand upon the flexibilities offered through this program, and ultimately work towards greater financial certainty, accountability and personal responsibility in our states ailing Medicaid program, Schwertner, R-Georgetown, said in a statement.

If no deal is reached by the end of 2017, Texas will lose 25 percent of the waivers funding to treat patients without health insurance and then will lose an additional 25 percentage points each year for three more years, until the money is gone, according to a letter sent by the federal government to the state.

That could be catastrophic, the Texas Hospital Association said Monday.

The importance of the waiver to Texas hospitals and the patients we are privileged to care for cannot be overstated, said John Henderson, president of the associations board of trustees.

Brian.Rosenthal@Chron.com
Opportunities of New Plant Breeding Techniques

Products from new breeding techniques provide major opportunities for making agriculture more sustainable.



This makes them a useful addition to common breeding practice, especially for crops where the desired variety improvements are currently very time-consuming, such as potatoes and apples.



These findings are contained in a literature review by leading agricultural university Wageningen, published in the renowned magazine Trends in Plant Science.
More than 7,000 farmers have now been paid bridging payments of around 50% of likely Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2015 claim amounts.

Together with over 90 percent of farmers who have received a full BPS payment, this means that all eligible farmers have now received a payment.

Announced two weeks ago, the bridging payments to remaining farmers were made to help with cash flow pressures.

All other claimants, in total more than 90%, have received their full claim payment by the end of April.

Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Mark Grimshaw said: "These payments have been made by the end of April, as promised, to help remaining applicants facing financial pressures.

"With around 55% of anticipated 2016 claims already submitted or underway, we are helping those still to apply to meet the 16 May deadline.

"All farmers should complete their application before the deadline even if they are waiting for the balance of the 2015 payment."

Mr Grimshaw said he was fully aware of the "frustration and anxiety" felt by farmers still waiting for their money and acknowledged that the RPA "could have done more".

"It's been an incredibly challenging year, our experiences from 2015 will give us valuable insights into 2016."
This month, the British Film Institute (BFI) is set to announce Rural Life, the release of 850 archive titles to contribute to the hugely successful Britain on Film.

Naturally, farming is at the very heart of rural Britain and will be featured throughout these titles with footage dating back to 1904 covering all seasons, regions and techniques.

The films in Rural Life serve as a record of the disappearing British countryside allowing viewers to take a trip into the heart of the British countryside with BFI Players new discoveries of rural film-making.

Viewers will be able to enjoy a journey through time-honoured traditions in ancient landscapes, a time before the internet, capturing village life and its rhythms from farming to planting and harvesting, .

The footage, mostly unseen, is from the BFI National Archive, regional and national archives with content spanning across the country allowing everyone to explore Britains rural past through the revolutionary Britain on Film map, which details every inch of the UK.

Rural Life is an important contribution to Britain on Film, in which 10,000 film and TV titles will be digitised and made available for the first time ever via BFI Player.

Since its launch last year, over 5 million people are using Britain on Film and there are 5,000 films online to view marking the half-way point for Britain on Films objective.
Farmers considering planting miscanthus in spring 2017 should plan ahead now, according to experts.

The crop is a hardy perennial, and is harvested annually after the second year of establishment, for 20 years or more. The advice is that theres one chance to plant it - so get it right.

"Forward planning is key to securing a high yielding crop, and if its a new cropping enterprise, its advisable to talk to experts and experienced farmers in your area to better understand the steps involved to get the land in optimum condition, before embarking on planting the first crop," says Terravesta farms advisory manager, Andy Lee.

Terravesta manages the UKs miscanthus supply chain, fuelling power stations with the crop, for energy production.

The company encourages anyone interested in miscanthus to get in touch to find out about attending one of their programmed farm walks, or visiting an existing grower to see whats involved with farming the low maintenance crop.

"The best crops start life in the planning stage the year before planting, and it thrives on less favourable land, so earmark those fields now.

"Miscanthus, just like any other arable crop, will do better if cultural controls such as the seed bed and weed management are tip top, and seed bed preparation can start in autumn this year," says Andy.

Guarantees returns for 20 years

Growing miscanthus can be a lifestyle choice in that it looks after itself once its been established.

"Suited to less favourable land, miscanthus needs little maintenance and no inputs, says Somerset miscanthus grower, Richard Gothard.

"It also guarantees returns for 20 years from miscanthus supply chain specialists Terravesta, with average margins of 445 per hectare after harvesting costs."

Described as the grass of the future by his agronomist, Richard believes that the crop offers a good alternative for growers to consider and is confident it has an important role to play in the future of renewable fuels.

Richard planted eight hectares of miscanthus for the first time in 2002 at Lower Marsh farm, near Taunton, and now grows 100 hectares of miscanthus out of the total farm size of 134 hectares.

The land was formerly in food crop production that included potatoes, beef and corn, leaving the remaining 34 hectares to grow maize and grass for a local dairy farmer.

'Miscanthus really made sense'

"With little capital tied up in the crop other than the setting up of it initially, miscanthus really made sense and was a refreshing change compared to the investment and physical demands needed by other crops," says Richard, who adds that its just a matter of harvesting the cane annually in March or April leaving the rhizomes to keep on self-generating year on year.

Richard's biomass boiler sits just 100 metres away from his home grown miscanthus crop, requiring minimal input, self-sufficient and reduces his carbon footprint, recorded in Richards greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting. Emissions are 12 times lower than the DECCs emission target.

"Its another string to the bow for the UK farmers and growers, providing a respectable long term financial and sustainable return for a minimum input each year, thereby creating the farmer his own farming lifestyle," adds Richard.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) says it was 'encouraged by the clear responses' given by Elizabeth Truss, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in a meeting at last Friday (29th April).

A small group of NSA office holders took the opportunity to welcome Mrs Truss to Elvedon Farms, Suffolk, which is near to her own constituency and also where NSA Trustee Andrew Foulds runs a large number of sheep.

The location and timing of the meeting meant the discussion was dominated by the EU referendum, proposals to release lynx in nearby Thetford Forest, and administration problems with the Basic Payment Scheme.

'EU exit would be bad for most business activity'

Environment Secretary Truss in discussion with NSA members

Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive, says: "As a strong and vocal supporter of the UK remaining in the EU, Mrs Truss made a strong case for staying in to protect our export markets and to cater for the regulations and controls we need for wider global trade.

"She explained that no non-EU country has complete access to the EU market  and many of our members would agree with her view that an EU exit would be bad for most business activity.

"This is particularly true for agriculture and sheep farming due to our highly protected status as an industry.

"We also felt Mrs Truss made clear her views about the unlikelihood of future financial support for agriculture in the event of coming out of Europe.

Opposition to releasing lynx in Thetford Forest

"We were encouraged by what we felt was a clear indication from Mrs Truss that she is opposed to the potential release of lynx into Thetford Forest, and felt she was very taken with our arguments about the damage such a release could have on heathland and grassland in East Anglia, where so much investment into biodiversity has been made in recent years."

NSA outlined the challenge facing many sheep farmers who have not yet received their 2015 Basic Payment Scheme money or payment statement, yet were expected to submit their 2016 claim before Monday 16th May.

Mrs Truss provided clarity on this issue and intimated that the message coming from RPA should have been clearer.

Mr Stocker continues: "It was good to finally have some clarity on this issue and assurance that farmers who are paid after 16th May will not be penalised should they inadvertently submit an incorrect claim.

"Our understanding following the meeting is that 2016 claims made online will be automatically updated once RPA has made the final calculations for the 2015 payment, and paper applications can be changed without penalty.

"NSA continues to urge members to meet the 16th May deadline, however difficult it may be for those people still not in receipt of their 2015 payment statement.

"We would welcome more clarity from RPA that farmers will not be penalised for errors outside of their control.

Sheep identification regulations

"NSA still believes a level of tolerance is critical with the sheep identification regulations, but we were heartened to hear suggestions from Mrs Truss that cross compliance penalties for tagging issues will be more proportionate from now on, and that Defra is committed to fighting at an EU level for simplification within the Basic Payment Scheme.

"We made it clear just how frustrated farmers are by red tape and regulation that so often comes out of the EU.

"We feel that Mrs Truss accepted this, as well as acknowledging that progress already made needs to be better communicated."

Dan Phipps, NSA Eastern Region Chairman, says: "We were encouraged by Mrs Trusss handle on the issues that are concerning NSA members in this region, and why she feels so strongly that the sheep sector will be advantaged by the UK remaining in the EU.

"We felt she had a clear empathy with many of our concerns, and in particular proposals to release lynx within her own constituency and rewilding in general."
A beef and sheep farming family from Pembrokeshire have highlighted the benefits of solar power to their business but stressed the importance of improvement to infrastructure to further develop the sector.

Wyn and Glenda Jones, of Pantyderi and Trefach farms at Blaenffos, together with their son Eurig rear beef and sheep plus arable acreage for home consumption on both holdings which run to 1,000 acres in total.

Across the two businesses the family farm 70 suckler cows, 400 store cattle, and 2,000 breeding ewes. Since 1985, the family also offer self-catering cottages all year round.

In 2012 the Jones family decided to diversify into renewable energy and installed 104 kw of solar panels.

There are now two installations of 50 kw at Pantyderi and a 4 kw installation at Trefach for domestic use.

Renewable energy schemes produce more than 20% of the UKs electricity, and EU targets mean that this is likely to increase to 30% by 2020.

The first 50 kw solar installation was put up in 2012 at Pantyderi and was followed by an additional 50 kw the following year.

The opportunity to diversify into renewable energy came as three-phase electricity was already on the farm with access to the main line.

Father and Son team  Eurig (left) and Wyn (right)

And when Western Power decided to upgrade the existing transformer on the farm in 2012, which had been there since 1945, it was too good a chance to miss.

Wyn paid an extra 3000 towards putting a bigger transformer up, which then paved the way for the second installation in 2013.

The payback time for the initial investment is 6 to 7 years and the installation is index linked for 20 years.

The Feed-in Tariff (FiT), from which the business benefits, is designed to support small scale renewable installations up to 5MW.

Through FiTs, generators like the Jones family, are paid a tariff for every unit of electricity they produce. Any electricity not used on site can then be sold back into the Grid.

'Totally self-sufficient'

"We make a saving of about 5000 a year between the two units, with each of them generating approximately 7000 worth of electricity a year.

"The surplus energy we dont use on the farm is exported back to the national grid. We receive about 14.5 pence for generating each unit and receive 4.5 pence per unit for the surplus we feed back into the grid," explains Wyn.

"This means that we are totally self-sufficient in our electric use on the farm and all of this is produced by the sun.

"Even though we dont get as much sunshine here as some other countries, it was well worth the investment," he added.

However, when wanting to expand the current installation of solar cells, as there was plenty of room on the farm buildings, the family hit a brick wall.

Following some enquiries they were told that there was no more capacity in the grid as the infrastructure was not there to support any extra energy produced.

'A way for farmers to increase income'

"We were really keen to expand our solar cell installation but because the infrastructure could not cope with any more energy being fed into the grid it was impossible.

"The country has a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and its reliance on fossil fuels, so it was very disappointing for us.

"Renewable energy production is also another way for us farmers to increase our income stream and diversify our businesses.

"We cant just rely on the price we get paid for our produce anymore, so anything we can do to support ourselves needs to be supported by government and as far as renewables are concerned also the energy companies," added Wyn.

He added that many more farm businesses would be able to make an investment into renewable energy as a viable form of extra income that was index linked, if only the right support was out there for them.

The Farmers' Union of Wales says it "fully supports the development of appropriate on-farm renewable energy sources".

The Union believes Wales has only "scratched the surface" in terms of the contribution Welsh farms can make to green energy production.

'Just 10 per cent in Wales'

"Despite Wales being perfectly suited for some forms of renewable energy generation, the percentage of electricity generated in Wales from renewable stands at just 10 percent  5 percent lower than the UK average, and the lowest of all the UK devolved regions," said FUW Land Use Policy Officer Bernard Griffiths.

"The decision in 2015 by the UK Governments Department for Energy and Climate Change to suddenly and drastically reduce support for renewables not only compromises our ability to help mitigate climate change, but has also led directly to farmers and others losing significant sums already invested in unfinished projects," added Mr Griffiths.

In light of this the FUW called on Welsh Government to carefully consider the outcome of the Welsh Assemblys Environment and Sustainability Committees Smarter Energy Future for Wales inquiry and to seek alternative and innovative ways in which funding can be provided in order to develop on-farm energy production.

In addition, there has to be a stronger commitment from energy companies to invest in improving infrastructure to allow those farms not currently connected to also access the renewable energy market.

The Union further asks of the Welsh Government to identify those barriers to on-farm energy production which fall within its remit and seek to reduce bureaucratic burdens which prevent or add to the financial and time burdens which prevent developments.

Mr Griffiths added that it is vital for the Welsh Government to work with Ofgem and the UK Government to ensure the costs of connection to the National Grid by electricity companies are fair and proportionate.

Mr Griffiths also hopes the government encourages and facilitates the use of wood and other carbon-neutral sources of energy while ensuring food production is not compromised.
The National Pig Association is launching an antibiotic stewardship programme to achieve minimum use of antibiotics, consistent with responsible human and food-animal medicine.

There will be six strands:

 Capture and collate antibiotic use data recorded on pig farms.

 Benchmark each farm's antibiotic use against other farms of a similar type.

 Extend education in effective disease control strategies.

 Reduce antibiotic use, consistent with responsible human and food-animal medicine.

 Promote veterinary prescribing principles to strictly limit the use of antibiotics of critical importance to human health.

 Appoint Stewardship Commissars who will continually review industry's use of antimicrobials and champion initiatives.

'Risk of antibiotic resistance'

"We recognise and share society's concerns about the level of antibiotic use in human and livestock medicine," said NPA chief executive Dr Zoe Davies.

"In particular we acknowledge the risk, albeit small, of antibiotic resistance developing in bacteria in pigs and this resistance spreading to humans."

In a bid to ensure and demonstrate responsible use of antibiotics in pigs, NPA is introducing the Pig Industry Antibiotic Stewardship Programme and working with Pig Veterinary Society, industry levy body AHDB Pork, and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, to progress its initiatives.

"Although antibiotic resistance in humans is largely caused by over-use and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine, the British pig industry has a duty to ensure it does not contribute to the problem," said NPA senior policy adviser Dr Georgina Crayford.

"Overall sales of antibiotics for use in livestock in the United Kingdom sit mid-range compared to other European Union countries.

"We acknowledge the current perception that antibiotic use in our pig industry may be higher than in some other countries, but we don't have any data to demonstrate what our actual on-farm usage is, hence the need for action."

The first, and most important goal of the Stewardship Programme will be to collect both quantitative and qualitative data on current use of antibiotics in British pig husbandry.

This will be achieved through the industry's newly-introduced online medicines book, created by AHDB Pork working with Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

When the electronic medicines book has been sufficiently populated, producers will be able to benchmark their use of antibiotics with anonymised data from other farms of the same type, and to work with their vets to drive down overall use.

The pig sector has already taken additional key actions to guard against resistance in critically important human medicines.

1. Following a recent finding of resistance to colistin in bacteria from pigs in the United Kingdom, the Pig Veterinary Society has re-categorised this product as Class 3 in its prescribing principles for antimicrobials. This means colistin may only be prescribed as a last-resort when no other options are available and supported by antibiotic sensitivity testing.

2. Amoxycillin/clavulanic acid was also moved to Class 3 recently, and joins third and fourth generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones.

3. There are no veterinary medicines for livestock containing 3rd or 4th generation cephalosporins (recognised as critically important for human medicine) available in an in-feed or in-water formulation, so these antibiotics are only ever administered to individual animals.
The winners of the 16th BBC Food and Farming Awards have been announced at a prestigious ceremony held in Bristol.

Some of the countrys best-known chefs, food writers and broadcasters including Yotam Ottolenghi, Ken Hom, Jancis Robinson, Diana Henry, Mitch Tonks, Angela Hartnett and Stefan Gates came together to celebrate the annual awards, dubbed the Oscars of the food world.

Presenter of BBC Radio 4s The Food Programme, founder and host of the Awards, Sheila Dillon said: "As always we were looking for great foodthats transforming society.

"And we found people and organisations doing that in their thousands. Theres a new generation out there who find the good food business more appealing than technology or media or finance and theyre making it their lifes work. What a wonder!

The winners of the 2016 awards come from across the UK, and include Best Drinks Producer, Hallets Real Cider based in south Wales, made by former engineer Andy Hallett.

Drinks writer and judge Fiona Beckett described it as the most beautiful cider shed tasted, adding that it provides serious competition to good wines and so deserves a place on the nations dinner tables.

The BBC Cook of the Year Award went to Dee Woods a volunteer cook at the Granville Community Kitchen in London.

Dee serves free meals and teaches cooking skills to her neighbours on an inner-city estate. The judges Allegra McEvedy and Stefan Gates both agreed her food really was changing lives.

The winner of a new category, The Future Food Award, went to Our Cow Molly, a brand created by a family of Sheffield dairy farmers who were convinced the citys baristas would pay more for their super-fresh, Made in Sheffield milk.

Judge Julia Glotz, Managing Editor of The Grocer magazine described it as a model that could help save many more of the UKs struggling dairy farmers.

The Best Street Food Takeaway, announced Live on BBC1s The One Show was awarded to Gourmet Goat based in Borough Market, London, which was set up to celebrate a much neglected meat by serving it Mediterranean style at their street food stall.

Welsh finalists scored a hat-trick this with a record three awards, including Best Food Market and Best Food Producer, as well as the Best Drinks Producer Award.

'Incredible local food'

Ken Hom, who presented the Best Food Producer Award to Charcutier producers Illtud Llyr Dunsford and Liesel Taylor said: "Its a real treat to be at the BBC Food & Farming Awards this year and meet such a fabulous group of finalists and taste their produce.

"The Awards offer a fantastic opportunity to open peoples eyes to the array of incredible local food thats on offer to them right across the UK."

At the ceremony, Tony Hall, Director General, BBC presented the Derek Cooper Outstanding Achievement Award to Joan Morgan for her work as a leading global authority on apples and pears - their history, varieties and flavours.

The awards ceremony was broadcast live on the Mark Forrest show across the BBC Local Radio network on 28 April.

On Sunday 1 May a two-course BBC Radio 4 Food Programme special will tell the stories of this years winners, starting at 12.30pm and continued at 1.30pm.

A special highlights package recorded at the awards ceremony will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Monday 2 May at 3pm. BBC1s Countryfile will also report on the Awards on Sunday 8th May.
Welsh authorities confirm new case of bird flu on Anglesey
Is Wawa coming to Fayetteville? Heres what we know.

Wawa, a Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain that residents have long clamored for, could be coming to the area.
I live in Mexico City and work in Mexico and Latin America. Heres what ISO 37001 looks like from my perspective.

In the next few months, the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, is expected to release its anti-bribery management systems standard, Number 37001. Whether used as guidance or as an audit standard, ISO 37001 offers increased business opportunities for all sectors worldwide.

From the perspective of Latin American companies that seek to do business with international firms that have sophisticated anti-bribery compliance programs, policies and procedures, adopting ISO 37001, and thus earning the resulting certifications, may afford them a competitive advantage in the local market.

International companies are always looking for local partners, or to invest in this region. These global firms are increasingly asking  or demanding  that their local partners meet their ethical standards when doing business or providing support or services. These demands are driven by a growing number of compliance regimes around the world, both developing, and mature, that can levy severe fines on companies that flout them. Whether those fines are considered legitimate or political punishment, multinational corporations seek to avoid them by ensuring that their partners are certified under a compliance standard that everyone can agree is fair.

Herein lies the challenge for Latin American companies: how do you build a compliance regime that controls and monitors your operations in order to meet these exacting standards? And how do you help to ensure that the public sector organization responsible for monitoring your progress, employ agents that are qualified to certify your compliance?

For global companies navigating business in Latin America, acknowledging and mitigating bribery risk, and the resulting liability for prosecution and reputation damage, is critical for success. Latin Americas bribery and corruption cases have been triggered by third parties or supply chains. ISO 37001 can and will raise awareness among local companies about the key elements of a basic compliance regime, which they should seriously consider in order to gain and retain international business.

Certification under ISO 37001 could provide a level of assurance to multinational corporations that their Latin American partners compliance standards will match their own. After building and implementing management systems that mitigate and control bribery risk, the stakes for paying or accepting a bribe are heightened to international standards, and do not stop at potential legal fines and penalties. Pay, and you run the risk of losing your global access.

A Latin American company that has achieved these credentials shouldnt then rest on its laurels or do the bare minimum. Instead it should build on that certification as well as publicize its efforts to demonstrate its commitment. Think of ISO 37001 as a base level, not a final achievement.

ISO 37001 certifications will only be as good as the independent and experienced auditors or certifiers who perform the necessary inspections. Within the ISO, this challenge is under discussion and development. One outcome thats assured is that companies will have to continuously and increasingly demonstrate transparency both pre, during, and post examination.

Sinner or saint, corporate entities need to put their houses in order before calling the auditor or certifier. Be transparent. Be open. Be aware. Also, know that based on previous behavior, auditors or certifiers may write a company off wholesale and refuse, at first, to do the job. If all third party supply chain partners dont have effective compliance programs in line with this standard, the company under inspection employing their services may be in further trouble.

There is hope in Latin America. Guatemala, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Panama, as examples, are increasingly focused on how to tackle corruption  at least according to recent media coverage. They are developing anti-bribery and corruption bills and systems, as well as the enforcement bodies to police them.

Brazil in particular, given its current headline-grabbing scandals, is demonstrating the will to implement anti-corruption initiatives. Guatemala has refused to tolerate corruption from the president and vice-president.

Latin American countries are realizing that although theres a political price in pushing for reforms, the price tag for not doing so is much greater.

There is a balance that each country needs to take into consideration as they choose to implement ISO 37001. It is a tool, not legislation, and the private sector will likely lead the public sector in embracing it. Whether small, medium or large, public or private, organizations that espouse these credentials will collectively demonstrate a more robust compliance culture overall, which can bolster the national economy if a country is seen as better to do business in.

As ISO 37001 becomes a more widely accepted indicator of global compliance, a companys adherence to and championing of it will only help it attract joint ventures and other business relationships with desirable global enterprises.

_____

Fernando Cevallos the Director of Compliance, Investigations and Intelligence for Control Risks in Mexico City. He is also the global coordinator of the communications task group of ISO 37001 and a member of the Mexican technical advisory group. He can be contacted here.


Image courtesy of FMC TechnologiesFMC Technologies received an inquiry from the Justice Department as part an investigation into whether services Unaoil provided to clients, including FMC, violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

The company made the disclosure in a securities filing Thursday.

A report in late March by the Huffington Post and Fairfax Media said Monaco-based Unaoil paid bribes on behalf of large companies in the oil and gas sector.

Houston-based FMC Technologies provides oil and gas-related equipment.

A HuffPo report on April 11, apparently based on leaked internal Unaoil documents, talked about Unaoils relationship with the company.

The report said:

In one 2005 email to his colleagues, Basil Al Jarah, a Unaoil executive, described a September meeting in Paris with Laurent Poidevin, then a sales and marketing VP for FMC Technologies, an American equipment firm. Al Jarah bragged that he had convinced FMC to hire Unaoil to obtain a contract to install between four and six new loading arms at a major port in Kuwait. Heres an excerpt:

I secured a commitment of 10% to be made in writing by close of business today. I requested FMC provide three letters as follows:

1% To [another company] for making the introduction.

7% To Unaoil which we will show to the big cheese in Kuwait.

2% To Unaoil which can be split internally.

Mr. Laurent had no problems with that as long as it is not made out in individual names. He will run this by his CEO when he gets to the office and send the commitment email at once to be followed by a consultancey [sic] contract which both parties are expected to sign.

[Another intermediary] is handling the big cheese in Kuwait and to decide what portion of the 7% should go to that man.

An FMC Technologies spokesperson said in an email to the HuffPo: FMC Technologies has a culture of accountability and compliance and competes on the strength of its technology, service, and execution excellence. Employees are expected to uphold our core value of integrity and are trained to report concerns. We thoroughly investigate all issues that are raised and take appropriate action. This is a long-standing commitment FMC Technologies has made everywhere we operate.

In its quarterly report (Form 10-Q) filed with the SEC on April 28, FMC Technologies said:

On March 28, 2016 we received an inquiry from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) related to the DOJs investigation of whether certain services Unaoil S.A.M. provided to its clients, including FMC Technologies, violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. We are cooperating with the DOJs inquiry and are conducting our own internal investigation.

The company has about 17,000 employees. Its revenues last year were about $6 billion.

FMC Technologies, Inc. trades on the NYSE under the symbol FTI.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. He can be contacted here.
Job Title: Compliance Counsel

Employer: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.

Location: Princeton, New Jersey USA

Description

The Compliance Counsel will work with the Head of Healthcare Compliance, North America ( the Head of HCNA ) and other members of the Healthcare Compliance North America Group to assist with the implementation and effective operation of the comprehensive compliance program for the sales, marketing, medical affairs, market access and other commercialization functions. . . Continue Reading






Siemens AG agreed to pay the Israeli government about $42 million as a penalty for bribing officials at state-owned Israel Electric Corporation to win a contract to supply turbines fifteen years ago.

The Tel Aviv District Attorney also filed indictments for bribery and money laundering against six IEC officials.

Globes Publishing in Israel identified them Monday as former senior deputy director general David Cohn, former senior deputy CEO Jacob Hain, former engineering and planning department deputy director Haim Bar-Ner, planning and development department deputy director David Elmakis, former engineering and planning department director Yona Sweater, and former planning department departmental head Zvi Eyal.

They are suspected of taking bribes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars that were transferred to accounts in Swiss banks or smuggled abroad in cash in suitcases, Globes said.

In late 2014, police in Israel detained six current and former executives from IEC. But a court-imposed gag order limited reporting of the case.

The prosecutions in Israel are related to Siemens $800 million FCPA enforcement action in 2008.

Siemens admitted in the FCPA case that it paid $20 million in bribes from 1999 to 2001 to win an IEC contract worth $786 million.

In June 2014, police in Israel made four arrests in the case, including former Siemens Israel CEO Oren Aharonson. He cooperated with prosecutors in exchange for immunity. After prosecutors discovered new evidence, he was re-indicted.

Aharonson was first charged with bribing former Tel Aviv district court judge Dan Cohen, who served as an IEC director. Cohen confessed to taking $1.36 million in bribes and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced in 2013 to six years in prison.

In the settlement reported this week, Siemens agreed to appoint an external inspector to supervise the companys activities in Israel, Globes Publishing said.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016.
A woman reportedly claiming to be Prince's half-sister has filed legal documents asking for a share of his estate.

Prince

Darcell Johnston, who TMZ reports has alleged she has the same mother as Prince but a different father, wants a cut of his multi-million dollar fortune after he died last month without making a will.

The website reports that some members of Prince's family only found out about her a few days ago.

Meanwhile, Prince's other siblings have agreed to "openly communicate" with each other.

The late star's sister Tyka Nelson and his five half-siblings met in court in Minnesota on Monday (02.05.16) where Judge Kevin Eide appointed Prince's longtime bank Bremer Trust, National Association, as the "special administrator" to oversee his estate.

According to the judge, all of his beneficiaries - Tyka and half-siblings Norrine and Sharon Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson - except for his half-brother John Nelson, agreed to the bank's appointment.

He added: "They have agreed to openly communicate with each other and to have regular communication.

"None of us has a crystal ball. We don't know what claims will be made, but we will address those as they come."

The court hearing lasted just minutes and none of the siblings spoke to waiting media outside afterwards.
Alicia Vikander is one of the most in-demand actresses around and she is back on the big screen with Tulip Fever.

Tulip Fever

Tulip Fever is an adaptation of the novel by Deborah Moggach and sees Justin Chadwick in the director's chair. It is the first film for Chadwick since Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom back in 2014.

The brand new trailer for the film has arrived and we have it for you to take a look at.

Vikander, Christoph Waltz, and Dane DeHaan take on the central roles of Sophia, Cornelis, and Jan Van Loos and are joined on the cast list by Cara Delevingne, Jack O'Connell, Tom Hollander, Holliday Grainger, Kevin McKidd, and Judi Dench.

The movie follows Jan Van Loos, an artist who falls for a young married woman when he is commissioned to paint a portrait of her and her husband in 17th century Amsterdam.

we have already seen Vikander star in The Danish Girl this year, for which she picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance.

She has also completed work on Jason Bourne - she is one of the big new additions to the cast list - and The Light Between Oceans.

She is currently filming Submergence and it was announced that she had landed the role of Lara Croft in the new Tomb Raider film last week.

There is currently no official UK release date for Tulip Fever in the UK. The movie is set to hit the big screen in the U.S. on 15th July.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Radiohead have released a new single 'Burn the Witch'.

Radiohead's Thom Yorke

The surprise track - believed to be the first single from the band's long awaited ninth album - is accompanied by a claymation video directed by Chris Hopewell which was "conceived, designed, built and animated in 14 days".

Chris wrote on Instagram: "So I guess we just made a Radiohead video! It's for their new track 'Burn the Witch'. Thank you all for your kind words - it does mean a lot to know it's going down well. The whole video was conceived, designed, built and animated in 14 days, we finished last Thursday. I am immensely proud of everyone that worked their asses off on it - for many of them it was their first film. I shall introduce them in later posts... But for now thank you! You where all bloody brilliant!!! Big love to you all! #Radiohead #burnthewitch #musicvidio (sic)."

Over the weekend Radiohead erased its online presence, deleting Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts before dropping the surprise track.

Meanwhile, it was previously claimed that the rock band - consisting of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Phil Selway and Ed O'Brien - are planning to release their ninth album in June and it'll be like "nothing you've ever heard."

The group's manager Brian Message was reportedly overheard confirming the news during a conversation at The Wanstead Tap bar in London last month.

The boozer took to its official Twitter page to share the news, writing: "From the horses mouth "the new Radiohead album out in June will be like nothing like you've ever heard. (sic)"
Britain's Duchess of Cambridge is a "natural" in front of the camera.

Britain's Duchess of Cambridge

Josh Olins, who snapped pictures of the mother-of-two for the centenary issue of Britain's Vogue magazine, says the Duchess was very easy to photograph.

He said: "It's a privilege to have been chosen to photograph the Duchess of Cambridge for the centenary issue of British Vogue and an honour that two of those portraits will hang in the National Portrait Gallery.

"This was the Duchess's first sitting for a magazine and she was a joy to work with, a natural. I am extremely grateful to Alexandra Shulman for placing her faith in me for such an important and historic assignment."

And the 34-year-old royal - who has Prince George, two, and Princess Charlotte, 12 months, with her husband, the Duke of Cambridge - is a huge fan of photography and knows what it is like to step behind the camera too, having taken a number of the official pictures of her children released by Kensington Palace.

She told Vogue magazine: "From taking photographs of George and Charlotte, I have been struck by the wonderful lack of self-consciousness that you see in photographs of children, without the self-awareness that adults generally feel."

Whilst Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman added of the project: "It's a huge honour and incredibly exciting for us to have HRH The Duchess of Cambridge featuring on the cover of British Vogue and as part of our centenary issue.

"For me personally it has been a wonderful experience to have had the opportunity to work with her on this, and I am immensely proud of what we have produced.

"This special issue of the magazine is very close to my heart as it had to reflect on 100 years of British Vogue, and so I am hugely grateful that we have been able to continue with our tradition of outstanding royal portraiture with these pictures."
Ian Beale's psychopath adopted son Steven is set to make an explosive return to 'EastEnders' later this year.

Aaron Sidwell

The unhinged troublemaker - played by Aaron Sidwell - will make a shocking comeback to Albert Square in the summer after he fled Walford eight years ago for sunny New Zealand.

Bosses are remaining tight-lipped on Steven's return but his arrival will no doubt bring trouble to the door of the Beale's as he was last seen trying to suffocate the late Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement), kidnapping his adopted dad (Adam Woodyatt) and cruelly shooting his step-mother Jane (Laurie Brett).

After a series of attempted murders, Steven then tried to take his own life while struggling with mental health issues.

It's believed Steven's grand return could be connected to Lauren Branning's (Jacqueline Jossa) arrival after she and her boyfriend Peter Beale (Ben Hardy) - the half-brother of the frightening psycho - joined him in New Zealand last year.

Jacqueline - who has played Lauren since 2010 - teased her return to the soap will certainly "shock people" after she took last year out to have her baby Ella, now 14 months.

She said recently of her comeback: "It is a dramatic return. It's not your average 'EastEnders' thing where people are screaming and shouting but it will shock people."
On Saturday April 30th, 2016, the Government of Kenya, led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, set fire to 105 tonnes of ivory in front of the world. The burn took place at Nairobi National Park and WildAid and brought these historic events to a worldwide audience live on Twitter, raising awareness and garnering more global pressure to end illegal elephant poaching for the global ivory trade by reducing global demand.

Dr. Winnie Kiiru- Head of Country Liaison

WildAid proudly supported both The Giants Club Summit (29 April) and The Ivory Burn (30 April), and called on the world to #JoinTheHerd and witness the end of the ivory trade.

Watch The Ivory Burn Film here:

YPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.

Follow the @WildAid herd on Twitter and share:

https://twitter.com/WildAid

#JoinTheHerd.

Burn the ivory.

Kill the trade.

We caught up with Dr. Winnie Kiiru- Head of Country Liaison to talk about why the ivory trade generates so much money and why it needs to stop.

Why is the ivory trade so lucrative? What is ivory used for?

In parts of Asia and particularly China, people still believe that owning art pieces made out of Ivory is a status symbol. The use of Ivory for religious statuettes, jewelry items and hanko (traditional stamps) is widespread in Asia. The thriving domestic markets in China, Japan, and Thailand and the poor government controls make illicit trade in ivory lucrative. In the West, consumers of Ivory products exist in smaller but significant numbers in America and parts of Europe.

How long have elephants been killed for their tusks? When did people realise that there was money in their body parts?

The killing of elephants and the trade in ivory is as old as human 'civilization'. The Portuguese and Arabs caravans that opened up trade routes across Africa are known to have carried large quantities of Ivory using human slaves to transport the massive tusks. The art of carving Ivory is an ancient art in Eastern civilization. Just as recently as the 1980's many piano keys and billiard balls were made from ivory.

Please can you tell us a bit about The Giants Club Summit and The Ivory Burn for those who aren't familiar with the projects WildAid is supporting?

The Giants club summit brings together African Heads of State and Opinion leaders to discuss the plight of the African Elephant and make commitments to reverse the decline under the framework of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI). The Ivory Burn is an initiative of president Kenyatta of Kenya announced last year in February when Kenya destroyed 15 tonnes of Ivory. The president committed then to destroy Kenya's Ivory stock of 105 tonnes in support of Kenya's tradition to put Ivory beyond economic use. This is what is happening on Saturday.

Why is conservation traditionally a very male sector and how did you get into it?

Conservation in Africa has traditionally been male dominated sector as most of the work occurs in the bush which is considered dangerous and unfeminine. The study of conservation biology is also relatively new in Africa and so most people became conservationists through apprenticeship. Men passed the art to their sons and proteges. In the broadening of the educational space has made it easier for women to venture into the field. I was the beneficiary of the education system having studied biological sciences and ecology to PHD level. I benefited by finding well positioned female mentors when I got into the field such as Dr. Cynthia Moss of Amboseli Trust for Elephants and Dr. Joyce Poole of Elephant Voices. My never say die attitude has helped me to take on challenges that many would have shied away from and made me an equal among the best in my field. (I don't know many people who would have undertaken the task to inventory Kenya's entire Ivory stock in record time like I did last year!)

When did you own passion for saving elephants begin?

I joined Kenya Wildlife Service as a research assistant after university where I studied Zoology and after lots of exposure to elephants and other wildlife, I realized my passion for nature and natural places.

Why are elephants like human families?

Elephants are social animals much like humans. The love, appreciate, mourn, celebrate and reminisce much like us.

Elephants are very sensitive creatures so how do they suffer emotionally if they lose a family member?

Elephants mourn their dead whether adults or still born babies. They spend long hours handling the remains of their dead and have been seen gathering the remains and covering them with leaves and grass almost like burial.

Why is the mother the key to the survival of the herd?

Elephant families are matriarchal in nature meaning that they are female led. The females are the repository of knowledge on how to survive in various seasons and environments and they carefully guide and guard their families. Elephant females look after their daughters for a lifetime and their lifespan is 70 years meaning that it is a long term commitment to family much like humans.

Why do you think people care more about a product than the survival of a species?

Culture, ignorance and vanity are probably the main reasons. Conservationists must team up with communicators and media to break these barriers so we can save species. We must not forget the role of criminal networks that will exploit any source of profit. These must be dealt with by force of law and political support.

What is next for you?

I will just continue doing what I do. Educating, informing, advocating and conserving wildlife and wild spaces. My passion is now to expose as many of Kenya's young people to the Wildlife and wild areas of our country and to mentor and nurture the new generation of Kenya's conservationists.

Photographs by Mia Collis

by Lucy Moore for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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E-commerce major Amazon which is closing the gap with market leader Flipkart in India, has announced the launch of three more international brands in the country Through these partnerships, Amazon.in has become the first online store in India to offer a wide selection of merchandise from Bjorn Borg, Drunknmunky and Rockland luggage across the country. The store will also be launching a selection from the iconic brand Replay soon. Consumers can now shop from over 4,000 selections from close to 20 international brands on Amazon.in.

E-commerce major Amazon which is closing the gap with market leader Flipkart in India, has announced the launch of three more international brands in the country. Through these partnerships, Amazon.in has become the first online store in India to offer a wide selection of merchandise from Bjorn Borg, Drunknmunky and Rockland luggage across the country. #

Bjorn Borg, a Swedish brand that has stores in seven European countries, forays into India on Amazon.in with the launch of the brand's latest leather sneakers' selection ranging from INR 5999-7999. Drunknmunky, a popular fashion brand, also debuts in India only on Amazon.in with a selection of the brand's running shoes and vibrant sneakers for both men and women ranging from Rs 3999-Rs 6999.In the luggage store, Rockland, a popular US brand known for luggage sets, sets its foot in the Indian market with the launch of their eclectic collection on Amazon.in.Amazon Fashion store will also sell famous Italian brand Replay, a name synonymous with jeans for more than 30 years. The brand offers close to 300 styles with a collection of T-shirts, shirts, jeans, and footwear on Amazon.in.Mayank Shivam, Category Leader, Amazon Fashion, India, said: "It gives us immense pleasure to further enhance our fashion portfolio by launching an exciting line-up of these international premium brands. We have also expanded our fashion store offerings from 5,000 brands to over 11,000 brands with two million fashion products in a short span of a year.Commenting on the debut launch of the brand on Amazon.in, a Drunknmunky spokesperson said: We are delighted to launch the brand online in order to provide maximum possible reach while our brand is presented in the best possible environment on Amazon.in. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
An initiative launched in Dhaka on Monday will contribute to the application of the overseas employment policy and support strengthening of public and private institutions to secure decent work for Bangladeshi migrant workers.The Application of Migration Policy for Decent Work for Migrant Workers project, executed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) will run until March 2018. A further three-year phase is then likely with the total budget standing at $7.25 million until 2021, the ILO said in a press release.

An initiative launched in Dhaka on Monday will contribute to the application of the overseas employment policy and support strengthening of public and private institutions to secure decent work for Bangladeshi migrant workers. The Application of Migration Policy for Decent Work for Migrant Workers project, executed by the International#

The initiative will be implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment as well as workers' and employers' organizations. It carries on from the recently completed 'Promoting Decent Work through Improved Migration Policy and its Application in Bangladesh' project which came to an end in December 2015 and was also financially supported by the SDC.The new project will help the Government of Bangladesh to operationalize the policy and legal measures developed with the assistance of the earlier initiative, including, the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Policy 2016 and the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013, the ILO said.The initiative will help strengthen the institutions responsible for managing migration to deliver quality labour market information, occupational classification, pre-departure training accreditation, and welfare services abroad. It will also provide research and technical advisory support for strengthening labour negotiations for decent work as well as facilitate the engagement of stakeholders including workers and employers organizations in all processes.Begum Shamsun Nahar, Secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment said, The Government of Bangladesh is committed ensuring safety and dignity of men and women migrants in destination countries as well as to support them upon their return. Through this initiative, government services will be further strengthened which will protect both current and future migrants alike.Srinivas Reddy, ILO Country Director for Bangladesh said, This new project builds on the success of our past efforts. By working at levels ranging from policy to the grassroots it will help ensure that systems of migration management are responsive and promote decent work.This initiative represents a continuation of Swiss support for the Government of Bangladesh as it streamlines policies and builds institutions for safe labour migration and decent work, said Beate Elsasser, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh.The project will work with the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, its subsidiary organizations, and other stakeholders. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
There is finally help for housewives, working women and even men struggling with stubborn stains from clothes. And it has come from an unexpected quarter.The Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies (FCIPT), a division of Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar, has manufactured a technology that can make a cloth stain proof.

There is finally help for housewives, working women and even men struggling with stubborn stains from clothes. And it has come from an unexpected quarter. The Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies (FCIPT), a division of Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in Gandhinagar, has manufactured a technology that can make a cloth stain proof. #

The FCIPT has developed nano particle powder wherein titanium metal is vaporized with plasma to form titanium dioxide (TiO2). These nano particles, when mixed with alcohol -like in case of deodorants -and sprayed on clean clothes prove to be excellent stain cutters, the Institute said in a press release."The TiO2 nano particles get trapped between fibres of the cloth and form a protective coat. The moment a tough stain like say turmeric enriched curry falls on the your nanotreated shirt or top, one just has to leave it in the sun for two to three hours and the stain vanishes," said C Balasubramanian, senior scientist at FCIPT."The sun's ultraviolet rays activates the TiO2 which help oxygen from atmosphere to convert to radical oxygen that reacts with stain molecules and breaks it down -thereby removing stains. This pro cess is called a self-cleaning cloth," Balasubramanian explained. The FCIPT demonstrated the process at an industry interaction event on Friday.Once sprayed, the TiO2 coat remains for more than 20 washes. "Normally, preparing TiO2 through a chemical process involves several steps over many days. At FCIPT we have prepared a process to produce nano particles of high purity in large quantities through plasma treatment in 2 to 3 minutes flat," Balasubramanian said.On Tuesday, FCIPT will sign an MoU with Man Made Tex tile Research Association (MMTRA), Surat, to implement in-line plasma treatment in textile manufacturing.The project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and headed by Engineer-SF, FCIPT, Vishal Jain.Dr S K Nema,senior scientist at FCIPT said, "We have developed a system where textile rolls are passed through plasma which modifies the surface of the textile up to a few nano meters. This drastically reduces shrinking of woollen cloth as well eliminates the woollen cloth's prickly properties. This process also improves sweat absorption in cotton and enhances colour depth in clothes." (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The world's biggest charkha or spinning wheel, made of four tonnes of teakwood has been installed at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport to commemorate the centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa.The charkha is 27 feet wide and 15 feet tall. It has been installed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

The world's biggest charkha or spinning wheel, made of four tonnes of teakwood has been installed at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport to commemorate the centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa. The charkha is 27 feet wide and 15 feet tall. It has been installed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).#

The charkha symbolises Mahatma Gandhi's idea of self-reliance during India's freedom struggle.IGI airport's private operator, Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) has statutory right on Terminal 3 for allotment of land and space in and around the terminal.The charkha was built in Ahmedabad by 42 carpenters, who took over 50 days to complete the work before it was shipped to Delhi for installation. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
A lot has been written about Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. Both are the finest actors of the country and India's biggest superstars. Many people believe that they are not on good terms.

But these unseen pictures of Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan proves that they so share a bond of friendship. Click On VIEW PHOTOS To See Akshay & Shahrukh's Unseen Pictures.



Talking about Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar once told a leading daily, ''We are colleagues, so there's always been some sort of camaraderie between us. We share a mutual respect for each other's work.''



The Most Beautiful Actress Of Bollywood! Katrina Kaif Clicked By The Paparazzi In Philippines (Pics)



Akshay Kumar further added, ''In fact, I really appreciate the way he made such a big action film like Ra.One. How many producers or actors would bring such kind of special effects and pump in so much money for a project? Of course, it was great to connect with him at the IPL matches too."

Many stories of Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar's fight came out when Shahrukh had a huge fight with Salman Khan and Akshay became a good friend of the Prem Ratan Dhan Payo actor. Farah Khan also added fuel to the fire when after a fight with SRK, she cast Akshay in Tees Maar Khan.

But in 2012, all these rumours were laid to rest when, Akshay Kumar was at the stadium to promote Rowdy Rathoreat one of IPL matches and Shahrukh Khan immediately walked up to him and said hello. After that, King Khan also invited Akshay to join him and his team as they celebrated their win.
It has been almost a month now, and we are still waiting to know the truth behind Pratyusha Banerjee's suicide. Many speculations are doing the rounds regarding her death. The actress' boyfriend, Rahul Raj Singh, who is booked for abetment of suicide and is out on an anticipatory bail, says that he is waiting for the truth to be revealed.

Rahul said that he hasn't done anything wrong. He still loves her and is going to live with her memories forever! He further said that he doesn't want to prove anything and will speak when the truth is out.

Check Out 10 Candid Pictures Of Pratyusha & Rahul

The producer-actor was quoted by IANS as saying, "I lost my baby.She is my life. I want justice. And truth will come out one day sir. My motive of living now is my Pratyusha. I love her way tooo much. It's still hard to believe she is not there with me, that I can't talk to her," said Rahul.

Rahul concluded by saying that he is just waiting for the truth to come out. Truth always prevails, sometimes it takes a little longer and he can wait.

Recently, Rahul decided to file a defamation case against his ex-lawyer Neeraj Gupta, as the actor claims that he was not his lawyer and spoke against him in the media.

The latest on Pratyusha's case is the recording of the actress' last telephonic conversation with her boyfriend, Rahul, which was heard by the judge of Bombay High Court. Rahul was given an anticipatory bail, as he was yet to be charged with murder.

Stay locked to this space for the latest update on the case.

(With IANS Input)
For the second time in less than a year Manulife has launched an initial public offering of its US office real estate investment trust in Singapore, only this time it is targeting more money.

Having failed to list the assets last July as global stock markets tumbled, the Canadian financial services group is now set fair to raise as much as $470 million, over 10% more than last time.

Chastened by its experience 10 months ago, Manulife has secured pre-launch commitments totaling 80% of the Manulife US Reit IPO, a source familiar with the situation told FinanceAsia.

They include roughly $139 million-worth of orders from six cornerstone investors, namely DBS, DBS (on behalf of private banking clients), Fortress Capital, Lucille Holdings, Oman Investment Fund, and Credit Suisse (on behalf of private banking clients).

The cornerstone lineup is the same as before except for Credit Suisse, which has replaced Nikko Asset Management.

Manulife has also tried to eliminate the foreign exchange risk, seeing as the rental income generated by Manulife US Reit's assets is in US dollars. This time the fundraising and Reit pricing will be done in US dollars rather than in Singapore dollars, as was the case in July 2015.

"The revision was done on the back of investors' feedback to better align the listing currency with the currency of operations, and in light of the anticipated appreciation in the US dollar backed by continued strength in the [US] economy," according to a sales note seen by FinanceAsia.

What is unchanged is the dividend distribution policy, which remains the choice of unit holders and is paid in either US or Singapore dollars.

Valuation

The terms for the new deal include 566 million investment units offered at an indicative range of $0.82 to $0.83 apiece. There is also a greenshoe of 28.2 million investment units, or 7.1% of the base offering.

Excluding the greenshoe Manulife US Reit will have a market capitalisation of $513 million to $519 million, depending on where final pricing lands.

On a post-tax basis, that equates to a dividend yield ranging from 6.6% to 6.7% in 2016 and 7.1% to 7.2% in 2017, assuming a full payout of estimated net income of $25.7 million this year and $34.2 million next year.

From a yield perspective that offers a very generous return compared with comparable US office property trusts such as Douglas Emmett and Highwoods Properties, which are yielding 2.8% and 3.7%, respectively, for the 2016 financial year.

Manulife US Reit also offers a spread of 440 to 450 basis points over US Treasuries, which were indicated at 1.8% in Asian hours on Tuesday.

However, in view of accounting differences between Singapore and the US, alternative valuation methods are possibly warranted. While S-Reits report earnings on a net cash basis, US Reits are required to make adjustments in their income statements for the depreciation and amortisation of non-cash items. That generates what is commonly known as adjusted funds for operations, or AFFO.

According to syndicate estimates, Manulife US Reit will yield 4.9% to 5% for 2016 and 5.3% to 5.4% for 2017, which still represents a pickup on Douglas Emmett and Highwoods Properties, which yield 4.3% and 4.6%, respectively, for this year on an AFFO basis.

Portfolio

Manulife US Reit's portfolio includes three Grade-A office buildings, comprising Michelson in Orange Country, Figueroa in Los Angeles, and 1100 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia.

The portfolio's total aggregate net leasable area is 1.78 million square feet and the net asset value is $799 million based on valuation estimates by Colliers International. That means the trust will be listing at a discount of around 35% to its net asset value, compared with around 11% on average for US-listed office Reits, according to syndicate estimates.

Further down the line Manulife US Reit will also be able to access the parent's $13.2 billion global property portfolio as the Canadian financial services group has indicated that it will continue to expand the listed entity's portfolio.

One potential acquisition is M Street in Washington DC, a 242,760 square-feet office building which was part of the Reit's portfolio at the first listing attempt. It was replaced by 1100 Peachtree Street in the new deal.

With leverage debt ratio standing at 37.7%, any acquisition will likely be financed through fresh equity issuance since the Reit could face a credit rating downgrade if the ratio exceeds 40%, according to Standard & Poor's.

DBS, CICC, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche Bank are joint bookrunners on the revived IPO.

Bookbuilding and management roadshow is expected to run through May 11 with a target listing date on May 20.
Last October, amid widespread speculation about the direction of US rates and fears about the global economy, Switzerlands Bank Julius Baer released its annual Wealth Report. The document, which tracked the rise and fall of wealth among the very rich, provided a tonic to the doom and gloom heard from some parts of the market.

Julius Baer told its clients that the wealth held by high net worth investors in countries across Asia would jump in the next five years. Among a raft of predictions, it said that the wealth held by investors in the Philippines would grow to $197 billion in 2020, from $60 billion in 2010. It also predicted that, after some stagnation, high-net-worth investors in Thailand would hold around $344 billion in 2020, compared to $272 billion in 2014.

That was not just idle talk. Bank Julius Baer stepped up its commitment to both countries this week, announcing the hire of former Credit Suisse banker Angela Bow to strengthen its business in Thailand and the Philippines. Bow becomes head of emerging Asia, a new position at the bank. She will be based in Hong Kong and will report to Jimmy Lee, head of Asia Pacific.

The hire means the Philippine and Thai teams, who previously had separate reporting lines, will now report straight to Bow. Bank Julius Baer is betting that fact  combined with Bows three decades of banking experience  will help them make the most of growing opportunities in the two countries.

In other people moves, HSBC lost a Southeast Asian dealmaker after Alvin Lim left the firm.

Lim, head of banking advisory for Southeast Asia, had been in his job for barely a year after getting promoted in April 2015. He had worked at HSBC since 2004.

There are rumours that Lim is going to a buyside job, but that could not be confirmed before this story went to press. HSBC declined to comment.
TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Sony has announced the list of titles that will arrive in May 2016's PlayStation Plus free game lineup. Each month Sony gives out a handful of free titles for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. Starting May 3, gamers will be able to access the free titles coming to PlayStation Plus for the month, which includes Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, LocoRoco Cocoreccho!, Switch Galaxy Ultra, Table Top Racing: World Tour and Tropico 5. To get play these free titles, a user should be a PlayStation Plus member. A one month membership will cost $9.99, a three month membership costs $17.99 and a 12-month membership costs $49.99. New users get a 14-day free trail. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
CHARLOTTE, NC--(Marketwired - May 02, 2016) - McAlister's Deli, a leading fast casual restaurant, opened a location in Southern Pines, NC on Monday, April 11 th , 2016 at 10:30 am. The new location is owned and operated by the Charlotte-based franchise group, Southern Deli (SD) Holdings.

To preview the opening, SD Holdings hosted a VIP dinner on Saturday, April 9 th at the new Pinecrest Plaza location. Star 102.5 radio personalities, Rich Rushforth and Patrick Kelly, were two of the many guests who attended, and shared their experiences with their listeners the day of the launch.

McAlister's Deli gave away tea tumblers to the first 100 guests at the Grand Opening, as well as a $10 Gift Card. A portion of the proceeds for the first week were donated to Autism Speaks. "We are excited to officially have a store in Southern Pines," said Merrick McKinnie, President of Southern Deli Holdings. "The turnout was unbelievable the second we opened the doors, and it was an amazing opportunity to have the chance to meet and greet with the members of this wonderful community."

The Southern Pines restaurant, which is located at 43-B Pinecrest Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387, has an interior area of 3,838 square feet that seats 158 patrons. There is also a front outdoor eating area that seats 16, and a rear outdoor seating area that seats 40. Hours of operation include Monday - Thursday 10:30am - 9pm, Friday - Saturday 10:30am - 10:00pm and Sunday 10:30am - 9:00pm.

McAlister's Deli stems from humble beginnings, known for its American Regional favorites served with a side of genuine hospitality. Opening its first store in a converted gas station in Oxford, Mississippi, McAlister's Deli has grown into one of the nation's top dining franchises.

Staying true to its roots, the new Southern Pines location serves all of the normal menu favorites, including sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and of course, McAlister's Deli Famous Sweet Tea'. Although this location does not have a drive-thru, it features a Wi-Fi bar and offers a full catering menu.

About McAlister's

Founded in 1989, McAlister's Deli  is a fast casual restaurant chain known for its sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea'. In addition to dine-in and take-out service, McAlister's also offers catering with a selection of sandwich trays, box lunches, desserts, a hot spud bar and more. With numerous industry accolades, the McAlister's brand has 337 restaurants in 24 states. The company is headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. For more information, visit www.mcalistersdeli.com.

About Southern Deli Holdings, LLC

Southern Deli (SD) Holdings is headquartered in Matthews, N.C. and owns and operates 48 McAlister's Deli locations in seven states: Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wyoming. SD Holdings is the second largest McAlister's Deli franchise group with offices in Fort Collins, CO., and Matthews, NC. For more information, visit www.SDHoldingsLLC.com.
(1) Performance results are presented on a net-of-fees basis and reflect the deduction of, among other expenses: management fees, brokerage commissions, administrative fees, and accrued and/or crystallized performance fee, if any. Net performance includes the reinvestment of all dividends, interest, and capital gains. Depending on the timing of a specific investment, net performance for an individual investor may vary from the net performance as stated herein. Performance data and other information contained herein are estimated and unaudited. Net performance is a geometrically linked, time weighted calculation.

(2) Reflects the number of positions in issuers: (a) in which the Company has previously, publicly disclosed an investment, (b) in which the Company has invested more than 5.0% of its AUM (as defined below), or (c) in which the Company has invested more than 1.0% of its AUM and for which it has completed its accumulation strategy. Cash, cash equivalents, direct or indirect currency or other hedges and income/expense items are excluded. Multiple financial instruments (for example, common stock and derivatives on common stock) associated with one (1) issuer will count as one (1) position. A position will be removed from the table only if: (a) the investment is less than 1.0% of the AUM of the Company, and (b) the Company has previously, publicly announced a disposition of the investment, or otherwise becomes 0.0% of the portfolio.

(3) Investments for purposes of valuation are valued as follows: (a) issuer equity or debt is valued at market value, (b) options referencing such issuer equity or debt are valued at market value, and (c) swaps or forwards referencing such issuer equity or debt are valued at the market value of the notional equity or debt underlying the swaps or forwards. Long position is determined by whether an investment has positive exposure to price increases; therefore, long puts count as short exposure.

(4) Includes all issuer equity and debt securities and derivatives related to issuer equity and debt securities and associated currency hedges. Cash, cash equivalents, direct or indirect currency or other hedges and income/expense items are excluded. The market values of associated currency hedges are added to the associated investment. In the event that there is a change in market cap category with respect to any non-publicly disclosed position, this information is not updated until such position is publicly disclosed.

(5) Portfolio composition is reflective of the portfolio positions as of the date of this report, but is not necessarily indicative of the composition of the portfolio in the future which may be significantly different than that shown here. A position in an issuer investment is only assigned to a sector (including the "Undisclosed Position" sector) once it meets the criteria of Footnote 2.

(6) "Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. AUM" is the assets under management of Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Performance fee crystallized as of the end of the year will be reflected in the following period's AUM.

(7) "Total Strategy AUM" is the aggregate assets under management of Pershing Square, L.P., Pershing Square International, Ltd., Pershing Square II, L.P. and Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Redemptions effective as of the end of any period (including redemptions attributable to crystallized performance fee/allocation, if any) will be reflected in the following period's AUM.

(8) "Total Firm AUM" is the aggregate of the Total Strategy AUM and the assets under management of PS V, L.P., PS V International, Ltd. and affiliated entities (collectively, "PSV"), less amounts invested in PSV by the entities listed above (as applicable).
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/02/16 -- 0944460 B.C. Ltd. (the "Company" or "0944460") is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of the Company has approved, subject to receipt of requisite shareholder approvals:

-- the proposed acquisition (the "Acquisition") of a new mixed use residential and commercial real estate development project located at 525 and 535 North Road, Coquitlam, BC (the "North Road Project"), construction of which is expected to commence towards the end of the second quarter or the beginning of the third quarter of 2016 by Onni North Road South Development Limited Partnership ("North Road Limited Partnership"), which will be 100% owned by the Company after the closing of the Acquisition; and -- the proposed disposition (the "Disposition") of the development property located at 7771 Alderbridge Way, Richmond, B.C. (the "Riva 4 Property").

The Acquisition

The North Road Project will be transferred by 0950193 B.C. Ltd. (the "Vendor"), a company beneficially owned and controlled by the Onni group of companies (the "Onni Group"). Under the proposed terms of the Acquisition, the Company will acquire a 100% interest in the North Road Property in exchange for the issuance of 100,000 common shares of the Company.

The Vendor currently holds 31,019,125 common shares of the Company, representing 45% of the outstanding common shares and all of the non-voting shares (the "Non-Voting Shares") of the Company and is a "related party" of the Company under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). As a result, the Acquisition is a "related party transaction" requiring a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval under MI 61-101.

The Company is relying on an exemption from the requirement to obtain a formal valuation available under Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101. The Company intends to seek minority shareholder approval at the Company's upcoming annual general and special meeting scheduled to be held on June 23, 2016 (the "Meeting"). In connection with obtaining minority shareholder approval, all 31,019,125 common shares and all of the Non-Voting Shares held by the Vendor will be excluded from the vote in respect of the Acquisition.

In connection with the Company's review of the Acquisition, the Company engaged Garnett Wilson Realty Advisors Ltd. ("Garnett Wilson"), an appraiser who is independent of the Company and the Vendor, to provide an appraisal of the North Road Property, which assigned a current fair market value of $15,330,000 (the "Acquisition Appraisal") to the North Road Property.

A summary of the Acquisition Appraisal and information regarding the Company's review and recommendations in respect of the proposed Acquisition will be available in the management information circular mailed to shareholders in connection with the Meeting (the "Circular"). Copies of the Acquisition Appraisal and the Circular will also be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile in mid-May, 2016. The Company believes the consummation of the Acquisition will provide it with a new project consistent with the general course of its current real estate development business.

The Disposition

Under a separate transaction, the Company is proposing to sell the Riva 4 Property to a limited partnership owned and controlled by the Onni Group (the "Riva LP").

In connection with the Company's review of the Disposition, the Company engaged Garnett Wilson to provide an appraisal of the Riva 4 Property, which assigned a current fair market value of $16,415,000 to the Riva 4 Property (the "Disposition Appraisal"). Garnett Wilson is independent of the Company and the Onni Group. Under the terms of the Disposition, the Riva LP will acquire the Riva 4 Property for aggregate consideration of $16,415,000 (the "Purchase Price"). The Purchase Price will be satisfied through a combination of the Riva LP assuming all of the Company's debt currently secured by the Riva 4 Property (the "Debt") and a cash payment in an amount equal to the amount by which the Purchase Price exceeds the amount of Debt.

The Company and the Riva LP are related parties, within the meaning of MI 61-101. As a result, the Disposition is a "related party transaction" requiring a formal valuation and minority approval under MI 61-101.

The Company is relying on an exemption from the requirement to obtain a formal valuation available under Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101. The Company intends to seek minority shareholder approval at the Company's upcoming Meeting. In connection with obtaining minority shareholder approval all 31,019,125 common shares and all of the Non-Voting Shares held by the Vendor will be excluded from the vote in respect of the Disposition.

A summary of the Disposition Appraisal and information regarding the Company's review and recommendations in respect of the proposed Disposition will be available in the Circular. A copy of the Disposition Appraisal and the Circular will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile in mid-May, 2016. The Company believes the consummation of the Disposition will free up Company resources invested in the Riva 4 Property, which is not expected to commence construction in the foreseeable future, and allow it to focus on other real estate development projects.

Both the Acquisition and Disposition were reviewed by the Board of Directors of the Company and after careful consideration, including a review of the Acquisition Appraisal and the Disposition Appraisal the Board of Directors unanimously (with Sam Parrotta, Chief Financial Officer of the Onni Group having declared his interest and abstained from voting) approved the Acquisition and Disposition and recommended to the voting shareholders, other than the Vendor, to vote to approve both the Acquisition and the Disposition.

Closing of the Acquisition and the Disposition remain subject to a number of conditions including the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements in respect of each transaction and receipt of all requisite corporate and shareholder approvals (including approval by a majority of the voting shares other than those held by the Vendor). The transactions cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that either transaction will proceed as proposed or at all.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of 0944460 B.C. Ltd.

Sam Parrotta, Chief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Statements

Completion of each of the Acquisition and the Disposition are subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of "minority shareholder approval". The transactions cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transactions will be completed as proposed or at all.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "aim", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "potential", "continue", "is/are likely to", "should", or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to failure of the parties to the Acquisition to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to the Company's acquisition of an interest in each of North Road LPco and North Road GPco or any other failure to acquire such interests, failure of the parties to the Disposition to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to disposing the Company's interest in the Riva 4 Property or any other failure by the Company to dispose of such interest, failure to obtain the requisite shareholder approvals, market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, the state of the real estate sector and general economic, market or business conditions. In making such forward-looking statements, the Board has relied upon a number of material factors and assumptions, including with respect to: the Acquisition Appraisal, the Disposition Appraisal and the terms and conditions on which each of the Acquisition and the Disposition will be completed. Although the Board of Directors of the Company believes that the expectations with respect to such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and, accordingly, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

Contacts:

0944460 B.C. Ltd.

Sam Parrotta

Chief Executive Officer

604-602-7711

604-688-7907 (FAX)




New event to provide insight into global tissue market developments and manufacturing trends.

BOSTON, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --TAPPI along with RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, announced an International Tissue Conference, Tissue 2017, to be held in the Fall of 2017. The event will provide a unique experience for attendees by covering market developments, manufacturing innovations and strategic market insights all at one event.

"TAPPI is planning peer-reviewed sessions that cover technical aspects and best practices in manufacturing that help improve mill operations, machine efficiency and converting innovation. We will bring together leaders from both the supply-side as well as the manufacturing side to provide insight in areas such as yankee drying, energy savings, product quality and a wide range of other areas," said Larry N. Montague, President and CEO, TAPPI.

"RISI will bring together industry leaders, executives, financial analysts and other industry experts to provide a holistic market view for attendees. We will cover recent changes and future growth prospects for the global tissue industry, with presentations on regional developments, key players and the driving forces for future demand," said Iain Murray, COO, RISI.

The International Tissue Conference will be an unparalleled event covering all aspects of the industry. Anticipated attendees include senior executives and mill operations management from major tissue manufacturers; financial analysts and investors, as well as leading machine, chemical and process suppliers. RISI economists and industry analysts will also be available to speak with delegates about market trends and developments.

For more information about the conference, visit www.tappi.org/tissue2017

About TAPPI (www.tappi.org)

TAPPI is the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and converting industries and publisher of Paper360, Tissue360 and TAPPI Journal. Through information exchange, events, trusted content and networking opportunities, TAPPI helps members elevate their performance by providing solutions that lead to better, faster and more cost-effective ways of doing business. It has provided management training and networking to the industry's leaders for more than 100 years.

About RISI (www.risi.com)

RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the pulp and paper, packaging, wood products, timber, biomass, tissue and nonwovens industries to help them make better decisions.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, RISI operates additional offices throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia.

For Press Enquiries, please contact:

Erica McArdle

Marketing Manager, Events

O: 781-734-8996

E: emcardle@risi.com

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080521/NEW122LOGO
LONDON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

TIGA, the network for games developers and digital publishers and the trade association representing the video games industry, released a new report today which showed that almost a quarter of games developed by UK development studios in 2015 were action and adventure games.

TIGA's report, Appetite for Adventure, is based on extensive research of nearly 200 games released in 2015 by 154 UK studios. The report looks into games released on various desktop, console and mobile platforms.

The report reveals the following key findings.

The most popular genre of game released in 2015 was action/adventure, making up 24 per cent of all games studied in the report, followed by traditional arcade titles on 18 per cent, and puzzle/trivia games on 15 per cent.

The two most popular platforms for UK studios during 2015 were iOS devices and Windows desktop, accounting for a combined 41 per cent share of all game releases at a near even split. Android was also popular, with 17 per cent of all games released in the last year also appearing on the mobile operating system. The marketplaces on these platforms offer comparatively open stores for developers and provide a large consumer base, hence their popularity.

Focusing on a niche, building experience and establishing a reputation for a particular genre of games is important for success. For example, Junkfish focuses on horror games, Fish in a Bottle on educational games, Futurlab and Naked Penguin Boy on arcade games, Lockwood Publishing on 3d virtual world social networking, Distinctive Developments on sports games, Terra Tek Studios (a TIGA Award winner) on action and adventure, Wired Productions on music games and Space Ape Games (a TIGA Award winner) focuses on Real Time Strategy games.

Some studios are able to successfully develop games across a variety of genres. For example, in 2015 Rebellion (a TIGA Award winner) released Evil Genius Online (strategy), Raceline CC (racing) and Nazi Zombie Army Trilogy (action). However, this is perhaps one of a few exceptions to the rule as Rebellion is one of the biggest independent UK studios and adopts a portfolio approach to genres and platforms.

Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said:

"TIGA's report reveals three principal findings. Firstly, UK developers have an appetite for adventure: almost a quarter of all games examined in our report were action and adventure games. This is due to the popularity of the genre amongst consumers and developers.

"Secondly, the most popular platforms for UK studios in 2015 were iOS devices and Windows desktop, accounting for a combined 41 per cent share of all game releases. These platforms are relatively easy for developers to access and they offer a significant consumer base.

"Thirdly, to survive, subsist and succeed in games development typically means focusing on a niche. Games developers interviewed in our report repeatedly emphasised the importance of establishing a niche within a particular genre. This approach is adopted by a range of UK games development studios, including Lockwood Publishing and Space Ape Games."

About TIGA

TIGA is a not for profit network for games developers and digital publishers and the trade association representing the video games industry. 80% of our board members are developers and/or from UK owned businesses, and 50% of our board are UK business owners themselves. Since 2010, TIGA has won 24 business awards and commendations, an achievement which demonstrates our drive to meet and to exceed best practice. TIGA focuses on three sets of activities:

political representation;

profile raising; and

business services.



This means that TIGA members' voices are heard in the corridors of power and positively represented in the international, national, regional and trade media. TIGA's activities also serve to enhance the competitiveness of our members by providing benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.



Get in touch:

Tel: 0845 468 2330

Email:info@tiga.org

Web:http://www.tiga.org

Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/tigamovement

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/TIGAMovement

LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/company/tiga

Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO:richard.wilson@tiga.org





Media Contact:

Dr Richard Wilson

info@tiga.org

+044-0845 468 2330

TIGA CEO

richard.wilson@tiga.org


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Asia-focused lender HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBC, HSBA.L) reported Tuesday a decline in the first-quarter profit, on weak revenues and net interest income. The results reflected weak performance in all segments and business regions, except Middle East and North Africa as well as CMB. HSBC said it remains on track to deliver Group RWA reduction target of $290 billion by 2017 with 50 percent of target already achieved mainly from exits and disposals and improved modelling. For the first quarter, profit before tax declined to $6.11 billion from last year's $7.06 billion. Earnings per share were $0.20, down from $0.26. Adjusted profit before tax was $5.43 billion, compared to $6.60 billion in the prior year. Net asset value per ordinary share was $8.86, compared to $8.95 last year. Revenues declined to $14.98 billion from last year's $15.89 billion. Adjusted revenue was registered at $13.91 billion, down 4 percent from last year. Adjusted revenue, excluding Brazil, dropped 4 percent to $13.18 billion. Net interest income also dropped to $7.91 billion from last year's $8.27 billion. Net fee income decreased from last year, but net trading income improved. In the quarter, Client-facing GB&M and BSM revenues were down 10 percent to $4.36 billion, as extreme levels of market volatility led to reduced client activity. Principal RBWM revenues fell 5 percent in challenging market conditions to $5.07 billion. Meanwhile, the company experienced continued momentum in CMB with revenue up 2 percent to $3.62 billion. HSBC recorded growth in average Payments & Cash Management balances and continued loan growth in UK Credit & Lending. Looking ahead, HSBC expects to deliver $4.5 billion to $5 billion cost savings. Further, the company said its disposal of Brazil operations on track. The Technical body of the Brazilian Competition Agency has recommended to its Board that the sale be approved. HSBC plans to maintain a corporate presence in Brazil to serve international clients. In London, HSBC shares were trading at 464.28 pence, up 2.60 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
03 May 2016

Issue of Shares & Cleansing Notice - Placement

88 Energy Limited ("88 Energy" or the "Company", ASX:88E, AIM 88E) advises that it has issued 476,709,698 fully paid ordinary shares at A$0.031 under ASX Listing Rule 7.1 and 238,354,849 fully paid ordinary shares at A$0.043 under ASX Listing Rule 7.1A, to professional and sophisticated investors to raise ~A$25m (before costs) ("Placement").

Information required under Listing Rule 3.10.5A

The Company provides the following information as required under ASX Listing Rule 3.10.5A in respect of the shares issued under the Company's 10% Placement Capacity under Listing Rule 7.1A:

a) The dilutive effect of the Placement on existing shareholders is as follows:

Number of shares on issue prior to the Placement: 3,178,064,656

Dilution as a result of issue under LR 7.1 of 476,709,698 shares 15% Dilution as a result of issue under LR 7.1A of 238,354,849 shares 7.5% Total Dilution 22.5%

Details of the Company's issued capital following completion of the share issue under Listing Rule 7.1A held by pre-issue shareholders and new shareholders are as follows:

Shares Percentage Pre-issue shareholders who did not participate in the new issue 3,174,403,123 92.92% Pre issue shareholders who participated in the new issue 7,542,483 0.22% New shareholders who participated in the new issue 234,473,899 6.86% Total 3,416,419,505 100%

b) The 238,354,849 shares issued under Listing Rule 7.1A were issued to sophisticated and professional investors as it was considered to be the most efficient mechanism for raising much needed funds at the time;

c) There were no underwriting arrangements entered into; and

d) Commission for the Placement was 6% (plus GST) of total funds raised.

A notice under s708A(5)(e) of the Corporations Act and Appendix 3B, in respect to the above shares issued is attached.

NOTICE UNDER SECTION 708A(5)(e) OF THE CORPORATIONS ACT

The Directors of the Company provide a notice for the purposes of section 708A(5)(e) of the Corporations Act 2001.

476,709,698 fully paid ordinary shares were issued to professional and sophisticated investors at an issue price of A$0.031 under the Company's 15% Placement Capacity under Listing Rule 7.1. A further 238,354,849 shares were issued to professional and sophisticated investors at an issue price of A$0.043 under the Company's 10% Placement Capacity under Listing Rule 7.1A. The shares are part of a class of securities quoted on ASX and may be subject to a subsequent offer for sale.

The Company issued the Shares above without a disclosure document to investors under Part 6D.2 of the Corporations Act.

The Company, as at the date of this notice, has complied with:

(a) the provisions of Chapter 2M of the Corporations Act; and

(b) section 674 of the Corporations Act.

There is no excluded information, as defined in sections 708A(7) and 708A(8) of the Corporations Act, as at the date of this notice.

Yours faithfully

Dave Wall

Managing Director

88 Energy Ltd

Media and Investor Relations:

Australia 88 Energy Ltd

admin@ 88energy.com

+61 8 9485 0990



Hartleys Limited

As Corporate Advisor

Mr Dale Bryan

+61 8 9268 2829 United Kingdom



Cenkos Securities Plc As Nominated Adviser

Mr Neil McDonald

Mr Derrick Lee Tel: +44 (0)131 220 9771 / +44 (0)207 397 1953 Tel: +44 (0)131 220 9100 / +44 (0)207 397 8900











Rule 2.7, 3.10.3, 3.10.4, 3.10.5

Appendix 3B

New issue announcement,

application for quotation of additional securities

and agreement

Information or documents not available now must be given to ASX as soon as available. Information and documents given to ASX become ASX's property and may be made public.

Introduced 01/07/96 Origin: Appendix 5 Amended 01/07/98, 01/09/99, 01/07/00, 30/09/01, 11/03/02, 01/01/03, 24/10/05, 01/08/12, 04/03/13

Name of entity 88 ENERGY LIMITED

ABN 80 072 964 179

We (the entity) give ASX the following information.

1.1 Part 1 - All issues

You must complete the relevant sections (attach sheets if there is not enough space).

1 +Class of +securities issued or to be issued

Fully Paid Ordinary Shares Fully Paid Ordinary Shares 2 Number of +securities issued or to be issued (if known) or maximum number which may be issued

476,709,698 238,354,849 3 Principal terms of the +securities (e.g. if options, exercise price and expiry date; if partly paid +securities, the amount outstanding and due dates for payment; if +convertible securities, the conversion price and dates for conversion) Fully Paid Ordinary Shares Fully Paid Ordinary Shares

4 Do the +securities rank equally in all respects from the +issue date with an existing +class of quoted +securities?



If the additional +securities do not rank equally, please state:

the date from which they do

the extent to which they participate for the next dividend, (in the case of a trust, distribution) or interest payment

the extent to which they do not rank equally, other than in relation to the next dividend, distribution or interest payment Yes Yes 5 Issue price or consideration



6 Purpose of the issue

(If issued as consideration for the acquisition of assets, clearly identify those assets)













1. Placement under the Company's 15% placement capacity under Listing Rule 7.1 to domestic and international institutional and sophisticated investors to raise A$25 million. Funds will be used to complete the acquisition of additional acreage at Project Icewine (located in North Slope Alaska), for seismic costs, to progress the Company's exploration program at Project Icewine and for working capital;

2. Placement under the Company's 10% placement capacity under Listing Rule 7.1A to domestic and international institutional and sophisticated investors to raise A$25 million. Funds will be used to complete the acquisition of additional acreage at Project Icewine (located in North Slope Alaska), for seismic costs, to progress the Company's exploration program at Project Icewine and for working capital.

6a Is the entity an +eligible entity that has obtained security holder approval under rule 7.1A?



If Yes, complete sections 6b - 6h in relation to the +securities the subject of this Appendix 3B, and comply with section 6i Yes 6b The date the security holder resolution under rule 7.1A was passed 24 April 2015 6c Number of +securities issued without security holder approval under rule 7.1 N/A

6d Number of +securities issued with security holder approval under rule 7.1A N/A 6e Number of +securities issued with security holder approval under rule 7.3, or another specific security holder approval (specify date of meeting)

N/A

6f Number of +securities issued under an exception in rule 7.2 N/A

6g If +securities issued under rule 7.1A, was issue price at least 75% of 15 day VWAP as calculated under rule 7.1A.3? Include the +issue date and both values. Include the source of the VWAP calculation. N/A 6h If +securities were issued under rule 7.1A for non-cash consideration, state date on which valuation of consideration was released to ASX Market Announcements N/A 6i Calculate the entity's remaining issue capacity under rule 7.1 and rule 7.1A - complete Annexure 1 and release to ASX Market Announcements Nil under rule 7.1

79,451,617 under rule 7.1A

79,451,617 Total 7 +Issue dates

Note: The issue date may be prescribed by ASX (refer to the definition of issue date in rule 19.12). For example, the issue date for a pro rata entitlement issue must comply with the applicable timetable in Appendix 7A.

Cross reference: item 33 of Appendix 3B. 4 May 2016 Number +Class 8 Number and +class of all +securities quoted on ASX (including the +securities in section 2 if applicable)





3,893,129,203





413,459,650 Fully paid ordinary shares



Listed Options ($0.02; Expiry 2 March 2018)

Number +Class 9 Number and +class of all +securities not quoted on ASX (including the +securities in section 2 if applicable)



2,500,000 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.45 on or before 31 October 2016 1,000,000 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.42 on or before 12 June 2017 (vesting conditions apply) 2,000,000 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.28 on or before 12 June 2017 250,000 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.16 on or before 12 June 2017 1,000,000 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.014 on or before 2 March 2018 45,000,000 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.015 on or before 18 February 2018 14,276,167 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.016 on or before 31 August 2018 62,965,301 Unlisted options exercisable at $0.021 on or before 1 November 2018 10 Dividend policy (in the case of a trust, distribution policy) on the increased capital (interests) N/A

Part 2 -Pro rata issue

11 Is security holder approval required?

N/A 12 Is the issue renounceable or non-renounceable? N/A 13 Ratio in which the +securities will be offered N/A 14 +Class of +securities to which the offer relates N/A 15 +Record date to determine entitlements N/A

16 Will holdings on different registers (or subregisters) be aggregated for calculating entitlements? N/A 17 Policy for deciding entitlements in relation to fractions

N/A 18 Names of countries in which the entity has security holders who will not be sent new offer documents

Note: Security holders must be told how their entitlements are to be dealt with.

Cross reference: rule 7.7. N/A 19 Closing date for receipt of acceptances or renunciations N/A

20 Names of any underwriters



N/A 21 Amount of any underwriting fee or commission N/A 22 Names of any brokers to the issue



N/A 23 Fee or commission payable to the broker to the issue N/A 24 Amount of any handling fee payable to brokers who lodge acceptances or renunciations on behalf of security holders N/A 25 If the issue is contingent on security holders' approval, the date of the meeting N/A 26 Date entitlement and acceptance form and offer documents will be sent to persons entitled N/A 27 If the entity has issued options, and the terms entitle option holders to participate on exercise, the date on which notices will be sent to option holders N/A 28 Date rights trading will begin (if applicable) N/A 29 Date rights trading will end (if applicable)



N/A 30 How do security holders sell their entitlements in full through a broker? N/A 31 How do security holders sell part of their entitlements through a broker and accept for the balance? N/A

32 How do security holders dispose of their entitlements (except by sale through a broker)? N/A 33 +Issue date



N/A

Part 3 - Quotation of securities

You need only complete this section if you are applying for quotation of securities

34 Type of +securities

(tick one)

(a) X +Securities described in Part 1

(b) All other +securities

Example: restricted securities at the end of the escrowed period, partly paid securities that become fully paid, employee incentive share securities when restriction ends, securities issued on expiry or conversion of convertible securities

Entities that have ticked box 34(a)

Additional securities forming a new class of securities

Tick to indicate you are providing the information or documents

35 If the +securities are +equity securities, the names of the 20 largest holders of the additional +securities, and the number and percentage of additional +securities held by those holders 36 If the +securities are +equity securities, a distribution schedule of the additional +securities setting out the number of holders in the categories

1 - 1,000

1,001 - 5,000

5,001 - 10,000

10,001 - 100,000

100,001 and over 37 A copy of any trust deed for the additional +securities

Entities that have ticked box 34(b)

38 Number of +securities for which +quotation is sought

N/A 39 +Class of +securities for which quotation is sought

N/A 40 Do the +securities rank equally in all respects from the +issue date with an existing +class of quoted +securities?



If the additional +securities do not rank equally, please state:

the date from which they do

the extent to which they participate for the next dividend, (in the case of a trust, distribution) or interest payment

the extent to which they do not rank equally, other than in relation to the next dividend, distribution or interest payment N/A 41 Reason for request for quotation now

Example: In the case of restricted securities, end of restriction period



(if issued upon conversion of another +security, clearly identify that other +security)

N/A Number +Class 42 Number and +class of all +securities quoted on ASX (including the +securities in clause 38)





N/A

(i) Quotation agreement

1 +Quotation of our additional +securities is in ASX's absolute discretion. ASX may quote the +securities on any conditions it decides.

2 We warrant the following to ASX.

The issue of the +securities to be quoted complies with the law and is not for an illegal purpose.

There is no reason why those +securities should not be granted +quotation.

An offer of the +securities for sale within 12 months after their issue will not require disclosure under section 707(3) or section 1012C(6) of the Corporations Act.

Note: An entity may need to obtain appropriate warranties from subscribers for the securities in order to be able to give this warranty

Section 724 or section 1016E of the Corporations Act does not apply to any applications received by us in relation to any +securities to be quoted and that no-one has any right to return any +securities to be quoted under sections 737, 738 or 1016F of the Corporations Act at the time that we request that the +securities be quoted.

If we are a trust, we warrant that no person has the right to return the +securities to be quoted under section 1019B of the Corporations Act at the time that we request that the +securities be quoted.

3 We will indemnify ASX to the fullest extent permitted by law in respect of any claim, action or expense arising from or connected with any breach of the warranties in this agreement.

4 We give ASX the information and documents required by this form. If any information or document is not available now, we will give it to ASX before +quotation of the +securities begins. We acknowledge that ASX is relying on the information and documents. We warrant that they are (will be) true and complete.

Sign here: Date: 3 May 2016

(Company Secretary)

Print name:Sarah Smith

== == == == ==

Appendix 3B - Annexure 1

Calculation of placement capacity under rule 7.1 and rule 7.1A for eligible entities

Introduced 01/08/12 Amended 04/03/13

1.2 Part 1

Rule 7.1 - Issues exceeding 15% of capital Step 1: Calculate "A", the base figure from which the placement capacity is calculated Insert number of fully paid +ordinary securities on issue 12 months before the +issue date or date of agreement to issue 452,026,723 Add the following:

 Number of fully paid +ordinary securities issued in that 12 month period under an exception in rule 7.2



 Number of fully paid +ordinary securities issued in that 12 month period with shareholder approval













 Number of partly paid +ordinary securities that became fully paid in that 12 month period

Note:

 Include only ordinary securities here - other classes of equity securities cannot be added

 Include here (if applicable) the securities the subject of the Appendix 3B to which this form is annexed

 It may be useful to set out issues of securities on different dates as separate line items

691,319,300 issued 2 March 2015

2,000,000 issued 17 March 2015

170,000,000 issued 30 July 2015

1,030,000,000 issued 27 August 2015

300,000,000 issued 30 November 2015

442,834,800 issued 18 December 2015

52,128,585 issued 16 February 2016 (on exercise of Options previously approved by Shareholders)

24,758,964 issued 17 February 2016 (on exercise of Options previously approved by Shareholders)

2,500,000 issued 19 February 2016 (on exercise of Options previously approved by Shareholders)

1,900,000 issued 22 February 2016 (on exercise of Options previously approved by Shareholders)

3,000,000 issued 2 March 2016 (on exercise of Options previously issued under Employee Incentive Option Scheme)

3,000,000 issued 4 March 2016 (on exercise of Options previously issued under Employee Incentive Option Scheme)

3,400,000 issued 4 March 2016 (on exercise of options previously approved by Shareholders)

119,618 issued 10 March 2016 (on exercise of options previously approved by Shareholders)

1,416,666 issued 11 March 2016 (on exercise of options previously approved by Shareholders)

500,000 issued 11 March 2016 (on exercise of options previously approved by Shareholders)

3,000,000 issued 17 March 2016 (on exercise of Options previously issued under Employee Incentive Option Scheme)

200,000 issued 19 April 2016 (on exercise of Options previously approved by Shareholders)

Subtract the number of fully paid +ordinary securities cancelled during that 12 month period 5,500,000

540,000 "A"

3,178,064,656

Step 2: Calculate 15% of "A" "B" 0.15

[Note: this value cannot be changed] Multiply "A" by 0.15 476,709,698 Step 3: Calculate "C", the amount of placement capacity under rule 7.1 that has already been used Insert number of +equity securities issued or agreed to be issued in that 12 month period not counting those issued:

 Under an exception in rule 7.2

 Under rule 7.1A

 With security holder approval under rule 7.1 or rule 7.4

Note:

 This applies to equity securities, unless specifically excluded - not just ordinary securities

 Include here (if applicable) the securities the subject of the Appendix 3B to which this form is annexed

 It may be useful to set out issues of securities on different dates as separate line items



476,709,698 issued 3 May 2016



"C" - Step 4: Subtract "C" from ["A" x "B"] to calculate remaining placement capacity under rule 7.1 "A" x 0.15

Note: number must be same as shown in Step 2 476,709,698 Subtract "C"

Note: number must be same as shown in Step 3 - Total ["A" x 0.15] - "C" 0 [Note: this is the remaining placement capacity under rule 7.1]

1.3 Part 2

Rule 7.1A - Additional placement capacity for eligible entities Step 1: Calculate "A", the base figure from which the placement capacity is calculated "A"

Note: number must be same as shown in Step 1 of Part 1 3,178,064,656 Step 2: Calculate 10% of "A" "D" 0.10

Note: this value cannot be changed Multiply "A" by 0.10 317,806,466 Step 3: Calculate "E", the amount of placement capacity under rule 7.1A that has already been used Insert number of +equity securities issued or agreed to be issued in that 12 month period under rule 7.1A

Notes:

 This applies to equity securities - not just ordinary securities

 Include here - if applicable - the securities the subject of the Appendix 3B to which this form is annexed

 Do not include equity securities issued under rule 7.1 (they must be dealt with in Part 1), or for which specific security holder approval has been obtained

 It may be useful to set out issues of securities on different dates as separate line items

238,354,849 issued 3 May 2016 "E" 238,354,849
MUMBAI, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Rolta has been awarded a new contract by UK Power Networks, a major utility company that delivers electricity to London, the South East and the East of England. This 7-year, multi-million pound contract was established to manage and update their spatially-enabled network asset information.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121023/570667 )



"It's our job to keep the lights on for 8 million customers and in our first five years as a company we have made huge strides in reducing the number and duration of power cuts. Ensuring we have reliable and up-to-date records about our key infrastructure is a key and ongoing part of this work, and we are very pleased to be awarding this contract to Rolta," explained Matt Webb - Head of Asset Information. "Throughout what was a robust and hard fought procurement process, Rolta's technical capabilities shone through, offering innovative tools and techniques, greatly enhancing the control of data quality and providing full transparency of the end-to-end production process. This new partnership represents an important step forward in improving our GIS data management capabilities whilst achieving best value for money."

In response to the award, Mr. K. K. Singh, Chairman and CEO of Rolta Group, explained the importance of UK Power Networks as a customer, and Rolta's commitment to the success of this contract. "Today, Rolta is recognized as one of the top Geospatial companies in the world," he noted. "Rolta is strongly placed to serve organizations like UK Power Networks due to the company's deep domain expertise, its innovative geospatial products and IT expertise, and extensive global projects experience."

As evidence of its GIS expertise, Rolta was recently selected for the Geospatial World Leadership Award in the category of 'Geospatial Solutions Company of the Year 2015.' The award recognizes Rolta's contribution to the global geospatial industry.

About UK Power Networks:

UK Power Networks distributes more than a quarter of the UK's electricity through its networks of substations, underground cables and overhead lines making sure the lights stay on, regardless of who customers pay their energy bills to. A range of other companies deliver power to the rest of the country.

It is the first electricity distributor to be named in the Sunday Times' 25 Best Big Companies to Work For, and also holds the title of Utility of the Year (2015 and 2012). The company's 5,600 employees are dedicated to delivering a safe, secure electricity supply to 8.1 million homes and businesses.

The industry regulator Ofgem sets an allowed revenue to distribution companies so that they can maintain safe and reliable electricity supplies. UK Power Networks invests more than 500 million in its electricity networks every year, offers extra help to vulnerable customers at times of need, and is undertaking trials to ensure that electricity networks support the transition to a low carbon future. It also moves cables and connects new electricity supplies.

About Rolta:

Rolta is a leading provider of innovative solutions for many vertical segments, including Federal and State Governments, defence/HLS, utilities, process, power, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare. Rolta is recognized for its extensive portfolio of indigenous solutions based on field-proven Rolta IP tailored for Indian Defence/HLS. By uniquely combining its expertise in the IT, engineering and geospatial domains, Rolta develops exceptional IP-based cloud-ready solutions to enable its customers globally to readily exploit the power of BI, Big Data Analytics, and IT-OT Fusion. Rolta is a multinational organization headquartered in India. The company operates from over 40 locations worldwide and has executed projects in more than 45 countries. Rolta equity shares are listed on BSE and NSE in India, its GDRs are listed on the Main Board of London Stock Exchange and its 'Senior Notes' are listed on Singapore Stock Exchange.

For additional information please visit www.rolta.com, or contact:



Preetha Pulusani

President - International Operations

Member of the Board

preetha.pulusani@rolta.com

Telephone: +1 (678) 942 5000



Shafik Jiwani

Executive Vice President

GIS / Mapping

shafik.jiwani@rolta.com

Telephone: +971 (4) 391 5212



S. K. Shirguppi

Senior Vice President

Engineering & Geospatial Business

sk.shirguppi@rolta.com

Telephone: +91 (22) 2926 6666


UANI Leadership Present at Zurich Conference to Highlight Serious Business Risks as Counter-Narrative to an Imbalanced Program

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) released a statement today at the start of the 3rd annual Europe-Iran Forum, being held in Zurich, Switzerland. The following statement is attributable to UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace and UANI Chairman Senator Joseph I. Lieberman:

A gathering of international business executives assembles in Zurich today for the 3rd annual Europe-Iran Forum (EIF), which professes to help attendees, "define and implement your ideal Iran strategy." It is alarming to see a two-day event blindly promoting business opportunities and investments in Iran without any acknowledgement of the severe risks or discussion of Iran's troubling and belligerent behavior.

Iran is, and remains, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. From ballistic missile tests and shows of force, to political and financial support of terrorist regimes around the world, Iran has made it clear to the world that the JCPOA has yielded no real change or transformation in Tehran.

The Europe-Iran Forum, and other summits like it, do a disservice to global businesses by portraying Iran as a hospitable, ripe investment opportunity. The EIF chooses to ignore the real risks, instead choosing to stack its programming with overtly positive messaging. It is also concerning that the EIF's lead partners are Bank Pasargad and the Iran Mines and Mining Industry Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO)-Iranian entities whose property remains blocked in the United States.

It is for these reasons that UANI has elected to send a small delegation to attend the conference, led by former Italian Foreign Minister, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, and Italian Ambassador to the United States Giulio Terzi, a member of UANI's Advisory Board. Minister Terzi and the UANI team in Zurich will be attending the conference to raise awareness of the inherent risks of pursuing business in Iran. It is our hope that Minister Terzi's presence will launch more equitable, substantive dialogue among conference attendees, and offer sorely needed transparency during an otherwise imbalanced forum.

We implore all speakers and attendees at the EIF to employ caution during this week's event, as the risks to your business and your own employees are too grave to be overlooked.

UANI has sent letters to BHB Emissary, the organizer of this event, as well as the sponsors of the conference, outlining its concerns about the unbalanced nature of the agenda. See here for a letter that was sent to Dentons Europe LLP, a "knowledge partner" at the EIF.

About UANI

UANI is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan, advocacy group founded in 2008 by Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former CIA Director Jim Woolsey, and Middle East Expert Ambassador Dennis Ross, that seeks to heighten awareness of the danger the Iranian regime poses to the world.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005758/en/

Contacts:

UANI

Steven Cohen, 212-922-0063

press@uani.com
Metsa Group Interim Report January-March 2016 Stock Exchange Release 3 May 2016 at 12.00 noon EETJanuary-March 2016 (1-3/2015) Sales were EUR 1,156 million (EUR 1,255 million).  Operating result excluding non-recurring items was EUR 109 million (129). Operating result including non-recurring items was EUR 107 million (118).  Result before taxes excluding non-recurring items was EUR 90 million (117). Result before taxes including non-recurring items was EUR 88 million (106).  Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items was 10.6 per cent (13.5). Return on capital employed excluding non-recurring items and excluding assets under construction related to strategic investment projects was 11.5 per cent (13.6).  Cash flow from operations was EUR -31 million (67).Events during the first quarter of 2016 The bioproduct mill project progressed on schedule. At the end of March, one third of the project was complete.  The market price of long-fibre pulp decreased by 3 per cent on average, and the price of short-fibre pulp decreased by 5 per cent.  The demand for paperboards remained at a good level in both Europe and the Americas. Price levels were stable.  The new folding boxboard production line started up at the Husum mill in Sweden in February, slightly behind the original schedule.  Nearly 20 per cent of wood acquired by Metsa Forest from private forest owners was purchased electronically. The figure was 25 per cent in the sale of forest management services.  Standard & Poor's Ratings Services raised Metsa Board Corporation's credit rating by one notch from BB to BB+ in February.Events after the review periodMetsa board announced to initiate efficiency improvement programme in Husum integrate in Sweden.Minimum of EUR 10 million of annual cost savings is targeted from the efficiency programme.Profit guidance for April-June 2016Metsa Group's operating result excluding non-recurring items in the second quarter of 2016 is expected to be roughly at the same level as in the first quarter of 2016.President and CEO Kari Jordan:"The development of Metsa Group's business operations was as expected in the first quarter of 2016. The operating result was affected by the slightly decreased price of pulp and the start-up phase of the new folding boxboard production line at Metsa Board's Husum mill. The production line was inaugurated in April. The start-up has proceeded well and the required quality targets have already been met. The full production capacity is estimated to be reached by the end of this year.The construction of the bioproduct mill in Aanekoski is progressing according to the schedule and on budget. During the first quarter, we signed new agreements with our bioproduct concept partners. Wood supply for the bioproduct mill has begun. The mill will start up in the third quarter of 2017.Electronic wood trade has rapidly increased in popularity. During the first months of the year, nearly 20 per cent of the wood we acquired from private forest owners was purchased electronically. The figure was 25 per cent in the sale of forest management services.Material acceleration in economic growth is not in sight. Increased volatility in foreign exchange rates and raw material prices has to some extent weakened the predictability of the business environment."METSA GROUP2016 2015 2015 Condensed income statement, EUR million 1-3 1-3 1-12 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sales 1 155.6 1 255.1 5 016.0 Other operating income 8.3 15.4 95.7 Operating expenses -990.8 -1 083.2 -4 311.4 Depreciation and impairment losses -66.3 -69.4 -258.2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating result 106.8 117.8 542.1 Share of results from associated companies and -0.1 6.1 11.2 joint ventures Exchange gains and losses -1.0 3.5 -1.2 Other net financial items -17.8 -21.3 -83.8 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Result before income tax 87.8 106.1 468.4 Income tax -19.5 -17.5 -112.6 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Result for the period 68.3 88.6 355.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------2016 2015 2015 Profitability 1-3 1-3 1-12 -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Operating result, EUR million 106.8 117.8 542.1 excluding non-recurring items 109.5 128.6 537.4 % of sales 9.5 10.2 10.7 -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Return on capital employed, % 10.3 12.5 13.7 excluding non-recurring items 10.6 13.5 13.6 -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Return on equity, % 11.3 16.7 15.9 excluding non-recurring items 11.8 18.8 15.8 --------------------------------------------------2016 2015 2015 Financial position 31.3. 31.3. 31.12. ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Equity ratio, % 42.8 39.0 43.2 Net gearing ratio, % 35 41 25 Interest-bearing net liabilities, EUR million 847 887 610 -------------------------------------------------------------------SEGMENTSSales and Wood Supply Wood Pulp Paperboard Tissue and Operating result and Forest Products Indust Industry Cooking 1-3/2016, EUR Services Industry ry Papers million Sales 401.2 208.7 323.4 435.6 246.2 Other operating 2.4 0.8 2.2 6.0 0.9 income Operating -394.9 -198.0 -239.6 -386.1 -223.9 expenses Depreciation and -0.8 -6.2 -22.4 -22.9 -9.7 impairment losses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating result 7.8 5.4 63.7 32.7 13.5 Non-recurring - 0.4 - 2.3 - items -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating result 7.8 5.8 63.7 35.0 13.5 excluding non-recurring items % of sales 1.9 2.8 19.7 8.0 5.5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Near-term outlookWood demand will target felling sites to be harvested when the ground is unfrozen and, in terms of energy wood, crown wood. The sales of forest management services are expected to remain good.The market balance and sales prices of sawn timber are expected to improve. The market situation in Northern Africa will create uncertainty in the demand for pine sawn timber. The demand for Kerto LVL products is expected to continue to be brisk, and competition in plywood products is expected to remain tense.The global economic uncertainty and changes in the currency market will impact Metsa Fibre's operating environment. Nevertheless, demand for pulp has remained stable, and there are no signs of significant changes in the market.Metsa Board's paperboard deliveries are expected to grow in April-June from the first quarter of 2016. Demand for paperboards is expected to remain stable in both Europe and the Americas. The market prices of folding boxboard and white fresh forest fibre linerboard are expected to remain stable.The average price of Metsa Board's folding boxboard will be reduced by the lower price of start-up grades. The company estimates that the full production capacity of Husum's new folding boxboard production line will be reached by the end of 2016.In the tissue and cooking paper markets, demand is expected to continue to be stable in all market areas. Demand for tissue paper is expected to increase in eastern Central Europe, in particular, and demand for cooking papers is expected to grow in Asia.Metsa Group's operating result excluding non-recurring items is in the second quarter of 2016 expected to be roughly at the same level as in the first quarter of the 2016.Disclosure procedureMetsa Group follows the disclosure procedure enabled by Standard 5.2b published by the Finnish Financial Supervision Authority and hereby publishes its Interim Report for January-March 2016 enclosed to this stock exchange release. Metsa Group's complete Interim Report is attached to this release in pdf-format and is also available on the company's web site at www.metsagroup.com.METSA GROUPFor further information, please contact:Vesa-Pekka Takala, CFO, Metsa Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4260 Juha Laine, SVP, Communications, Metsa Group, tel. +358 (0)10 465 4541www.metsagroup.comMetsa Group is a forerunner in bioeconomy utilising renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. Metsa Group focuses on wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh forest fibre paperboards and tissue and cooking papers.Metsa Group's sales totalled EUR 5.0 billion in 2015, and it employs approximately 9,600 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsaliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsa Group and owned by approximately 116,000 Finnish forest owners.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=560068
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Eurostat releases Eurozone producer prices for March at 5:00 am ET Tuesday. Economists expect the index to be flat on month after falling 0.7 percent in February. Ahead of the data, the euro showed mixed trading against the other major currencies. While the euro advanced against the greenback, yen and the pound, it slipped against the franc. The euro was worth 1.1594 against the greenback, 122.52 against the yen, 1.0971 against the franc and 0.7880 against the pound as of 4:55 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Earth Gen-Biofuel Inc. (OTCQB: EGBB) ("EarthGen" or "the Company") through its 100% owned subsidiary Earth-Eco Agriculture Inc. has completed an agreement with the Phonehong Tree Farms in Laos to purchase the rights to the Agarwood production from a 27-acre plantation in the Laos People's Democratic Republic containing over 9,000 mature Agarwood trees.

First-grade Agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world, particularly in Asia, according to Molecules, a leading international, peer-reviewed open access journal of natural product chemistry. Molecules adds that Agarwood is a highly prized non-timber forest product, which can be used in fragrances, incense, medicines, aromatherapy and religious ceremonies. The essential oil is a highly demanded ingredient in deluxe perfumery for its warm, unique balsamic notes with sandalwood-ambergris tonalities. The value of Agarwood shipped out of Singapore alone each year has been estimated to exceed $1.2 billion. In addition to various wood products and incense, the oil obtained from the tree when distilled fetches high prices depending on the oil's purity. The current global market for Agarwood is estimated to be in the range of US$6 to 8 billion and is growing rapidly.

Agarwood is marketed throughout the world. As an example, Amazon.com has a number of offerings, with Agarwood chips priced from $10.00 to $28.00 per ounce. Based on wide price variations it is difficult to place a value on the harvested value of 9,000-mature Agarwood trees. It is expected that the trees will start to be harvested in 2017 and harvest will continue over a 4 to 5-year period. The plantation is configured to allow for replanting to begin almost immediately, starting with the early monsoon rains in July of this year. It takes five to six years for a tree to become mature enough to start the conversion to Agarwood, which is estimated to take an additional two to three years. Earth-Eco's replanting process should yield consistent Agarwood product availability for years to come.

CEO George Shen stated, "Agarwood from our Phonehong Tree Farms is a highly valued crop and offers EarthGen the opportunity to use the experience we have gained in managing agricultural projects in Laos to build additional sources of revenue. I have a long history of managing rare wood forestry operations based on sustainability and environmentally sound practices. Our Agarwood plantation operations share the same operating goals with EarthGen's Castor Bean operations as contributors to keeping our environment clean and green."

EarthGen's purchase agreement with Phonehong Tree Farms includes that, at the time of closing, EarthGen will issue the owner of Phonehong Tree Farms 2,500,000 shares of Earth Gen-Biofuel Inc. "restricted" common stock. Additionally, Phonehong Tree Farms will assign the rights to all Agarwood trees on the land and the future rights to all products grown on the land for a period of 40 years to EarthGen's subsidiary Earth-Eco Agriculture Inc. Further details of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Mr. Shen added that, "EarthGen believes there are many opportunities to acquire additional Agarwood assets as local farmers currently lack options to bring their products to market, reducing their income and overall economic development in Laos. Planned commercialization of the Agarwood trees will expand opportunities for farmers by introducing modern marketing methods and commercial practices that add value. As these small farmers become successful businesses, they should create jobs and contribute significantly to economic prosperity. In its areas of operations, EarthGen always works with local leaders and government officials to create programs to benefit the area population with medical services, educational opportunities and other long term programs for support of the area."

In addition to the agricultural staff that EarthGen has already built for its Castor Bean operations in Laos, we are recruiting forestry specialists to assist in maximizing the Agarwood yield per acre. EarthGen's Management has developed a unique plantation development, management, processing and marketing model. Our goal is to produce good quality resinous wood, by utilizing inter-cropping and the same scientific approach EarthGen utilizes in its Castor Bean operations.

About Earth Gen-Biofuel

Earth Gen-Biofuel Inc., a U.S. based international agribusiness company is cultivating Castor Bean farms in Southeast Asia. Castor Beans are a renewable resource as a non-food agricultural product used in manufacturing clean transportation fuel, and utilized in over 700 manufacturing processes. EarthGen's goal is to become one of the world's largest growers of Castor Beans. Our first operation includes 600-acres of Castor Bean farms in Laos, with a full-scale harvest scheduled for year-end 2016. The Company plans to expand operations to 4,000 acres over the next two-years, which is expected to make EarthGen one of the largest operators in the area. Worldwide demand continues to grow, due to high demand for manufactured products using Castor Bean oil and the crop's value as a renewable "energy crop."

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which include among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with smaller reporting companies, including without limitation, other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

www.earthgenbiofuel.com

info@earthgenbiofuel.com

Contact:

Robert Gartzman

Hayden Financial Corp.

haydenfc1@gmail.com

Phone 888-209-7183




BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Eurozone producer prices continued to decline in March but the pace of decrease was slower than expected, figures from Eurostat revealed Tuesday. Producer prices fell 4.2 percent year-on-year in March, the same pace of decline as seen in February. Prices were expected drop 4.6 percent. Month-on-month, producer prices advanced 0.3 percent, confounding expectations for a 0.1 percent fall. In February, producer prices had dropped 0.7 percent. Excluding energy, producer prices logged an annual fall of 1.1 percent versus a 0.8 percent drop in February. Prices of energy plunged 12.1 percent and intermediate goods prices slid 2.6 percent. Durable consumer goods prices gained 0.8 percent, while non-durable consumer goods prices fell 0.8 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss franc strengthened against the other major currencies in the early European session on Tuesday, as European shares fell on the back of a stronger euro, while weak earnings results also weighed.



The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is currently down 0.69 percent or 43.27 points at 6,198, France's CAC 40 index is down 1.28 percent or 56.79 points at 4,385 and Germany's DAX is down 1.58 percent or 159.61 points at 9,963.



Sentiment was also hurt after data showed that the Chinese factory activity weakened further in April.



Data from Caixin showed that the manufacturing sector in China continued to contract in April, and at an accelerated pace, with a Performance of Manufacturing Index score of 49.4. That missed forecasts for 49.8, and it was down from 49.7 in March.



In economic news, data from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs showed that Swiss consumer sentiment index fell marginally to -15 in April from -14 in January. It was forecast to improve to -12.



In the Asian trading today, the Swiss franc held steady against its major rivals.



In the European trading, the Swiss franc rose to more than an 8-month high of 0.9444 against the U.S. dollar and nearly a 2-week high of 1.3914, from early lows of 0.9554 and 1.4040, respectively. If the Swiss franc extends its uptrend, it is likely to find resistance around 0.92 against the greenback and 1.37 against the pound.



Against the yen, the franc advanced to a 4-day high of 111.81 from an early lows of 110.93. The franc may test resistance around the 115.00 area.



The franc climbed to a 4-day high of 1.0959 against the euro, from an early near 2-month low of 1.1016. On the upside, 1.08 is seen as the next resistance level for the franc.



Looking ahead, at 10:30 am ET, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester will participate in a panel discussion titled 'Unconventional wisdom: How will unusual monetary policy affect market liquidity' at the Atlanta Federal Reserve's Annual Financial Markets Conference in Amelia Island.



At 12:30 pm ET, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz is expected to participate in a panel discussion at the Milken Institute's Global Conference in Los Angeles.



The Japanese markets are closed in observance of the Constitution Day holiday.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - U.K. shares drifted lower on Tuesday, with miners coming under selling pressure in the wake of disappointing manufacturing data from China. Also, U.K. manufacturing unexpectedly contracted for the first time in three years in April, reflecting concerns about the outlook for global growth and lingering uncertainty ahead of the European referendum in June, survey data from Markit showed. Its factory Purchasing Managers Index dropped to 49.2 from 50.7 in March. The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 54 points or 0.87 percent at 6,187 in midday trading as trading resumed after a long holiday weekend. Anglo American shares fell as much as 9 percent, while Antofagasta, BHP Billiton, Glencore and Rio Tinto lost 4-5 percent. Oil giant BP Plc dropped over 1 percent and Royal Dutch Shell fell 2.3 percent after oil prices fell around 3 percent overnight amid worries about excess supply and uncertain demand. HSBC Holdings rose half a percent as it reported a smaller-than-expected 14 percent fall in first-quarter pretax profit amid tough conditions in the banking sector at the start of 2016. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LONDON, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

BPS World has today published a report on the internationalisation of talent as young professionals become global in their search for work. The report estimates that by 2020 40% of the world's graduates will come from China and India. This internationalisation presents new challenges for employers, who now have to compete globally for the people they need. Planet Talent - The essential guide to global recruitment has been written to help them.

Simon Conington, MD and founder of BPS World who carried out the research explained: "We are going through a huge transformation in the labour market. The most developed countries in the world are trying to manage a reduction in the skilled workforce as the baby-boomers near retirement. At the same time the global labour supply has exploded as the emerging economies really start to take off. Professionals have more choice than ever before and are choosing to work outside their native countries. Highly educated millennials are flooding every market."

The report explains the huge implications of these changes for businesses. Employers in the UK and across Europe seeking engineers, IT professionals and technicians face stiff competition from the emerging economies for the best people. Shortages mean international talent has become crucial to the UK's economic well-being and the country's ability to deliver on major infrastructure projects, such as those announced in the recent budget statement.

Attracting top talent from overseas presents recruiters with huge challenges, from culture differences to immigration and employment laws. It also requires strategic vision and raises numerous practical issues. Employers need to know, for example, how to screen candidates for their ability to relocate internationally, however many HR teams are only set up for local recruitment. One way companies are solving this problem is by working with global recruitment specialists, like BPS World, to manage the whole process for them.

Daniel Emerson, EMEA Head of Talent Acquisition for Concur, a provider of spend management solutions, commented; "This is a huge issue and it is no surprise that many companies, even large companies, struggle to manage it internally. This guide is the first time, to my knowledge, that the challenges have been set out. It also provides an essential check list for any organisation trying to manage this for themselves."

Planet Talent - The essential guide to global recruitment is available free to download form http://www.bps-world.com.

Notes to Editors

BPS World are global resourcing experts who work across a number of sectors, specialising in technology, marketing and engineering. They were founded by Managing Director Simon Conington in 2001. In September 2014 BPS World were named in the Recruitment International Top 250 report, placing them in the top 2% of recruitment companies in the UK. They were also sited as one of LinkedIn's Top 25 Inspiring companies and nominated by REC (Recruitment Employment Confederation) in 2013 and 14 as Best Company to Work For.

BPS World is dedicated to making the process of resourcing simpler and has developed a people first culture. They believe that the key to a company's success is hiring and retaining people.

For further information:

Ellie Box

Onyx

E: ellie@onyx-pr.com

T: + 44-20-7048-2700






VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - NexOptic Technology Corp. ("NexOptic") (TSX VENTURE: NXO)and Spectrum Optix Inc. of Calgary, Canada ("Spectrum" and together with NexOptic, the "Companies") are pleased to report that SinoSpec USA and SinoSpec Asia (collectively, "SinoSpec"), have been engaged to provide both external and internal user enhancement design features for Spectrum's forthcoming imaging (telescope) proof of concept Prototype (the "Prototype"). Additionally, SinoSpec has been engaged to assist in securing potential global license agreements for Spectrum's patent pending Blade Optics' technology.

Consumer Interactive Design

SinoSpec is applying its expertise on the Prototype's outer casing to enhance the design of the device from a consumer interactivity perspective. Additionally, SinoSpec will be assisting with the implementation of other experience enhancement features.

Licensing

As part of its engagement, SinoSpec will assist the Companies in identifying and securing potential global license agreements for Spectrum's Blade Optics' technology. The Company's existing strategy is to focus all initial licensing efforts on the consumer telescope, scope and binocular markets, which are most closely associated with the Prototype. The Companies believe that there are many other potential verticals for the technology, but these initial markets are most aligned with the Prototype and development of the technology to date. Additional potential verticals continue to be analyzed and explored by the Companies. The Companies expect that the Prototype will demonstrate to leading firms in the imaging industry clear cases for the applicability and marketability of Spectrum's patent-pending Blade Optics' lens technology.

SinoSpec is a multifaceted international corporation which, in addition to overseeing large scale manufacturing, provides its expertise on sophisticated imaging project designs, including product enhancements with the end user in mind. SinoSpec's Founder and CEO, Joe Ganahl, is Founder and former President of Intova Camera. He has been responsible for the design of multiple highly sophisticated camera systems and has many years of experience overseeing optical manufacturing and developing international sales and distribution channels. Mr. Ganahl's experience also includes designing highly sophisticated binocular and lighting systems. Further information regarding SinoSpec can be found at www.sinospec.us and www.intova.net

Paul McKenzie, CEO of NexOptic and Director of Spectrum Optix stated today,

"SinoSpec is a tremendous, multi-faceted addition to our growing team. They are experienced with taking ideas from concept to assembly line to securing favorable international sales agreements. We believe that their experience and potential contribution to the consumer design of the Prototype will allow us to present a device that clearly displays the market potential for our technology.

He added,

SinoSpec's founder, Joe Ganahl's, designs are renowned for being aesthetically beautiful, highly functional and for providing their users with a tremendous, easy to navigate product experience."

Joe Ganahl, Founder and President of SinoSpec USA and SinoSpec Asia, stated:

"I believe Blade Optics'holds potential to dramatically shift the optics paradigm in a way similar to how digitization revolutionized imaging. I'm very excited to be involved with this technology."

Please see the Companies joint February 29, 2016 news release for further details on the POC Prototype development and Blade Optics'.

About Spectrum Optix Inc.

Spectrum is developing technologies relating to imagery and light concentration applications. Utilizing its patent pending Blade Optics' technology, which contains flat lenses, the company aims to disrupt conventional lens and image capture based systems.

About NexOptic Technology Corp.

NexOptic has an option to acquire, in the aggregate, 100% of Spectrum Optix. The companies are, in essence, working as a single corporation at this time, with their respective CEOs sitting on each other's boards of directors. Please see NexOptic's news release dated November 18, 2014 for additional details regarding this relationship.

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to expectations concerning the development of its technology, the development of the Prototype and the potential applications of Spectrum's technologies. The reader is cautioned that forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Companies operate and are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations, including, among others, that: the ability of the Companies to complete the prototype as currently expected; the risk that the prototype may not achieve results expected by the Companies; they may not have access to financing on acceptable terms or at all in order to exercise the options under NexOptic's formal agreement with Spectrum and its shareholders; it may not receive all necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals; or the conditions to NexOptic's options to acquire Spectrum shares may not be otherwise satisfied; and other risks inherent with the patent process, transactions of this type and development of new technologies or the business of Spectrum and/or NexOptic. Such forward looking statements should therefore be construed in light of such factors. Other than in accordance with its legal or regulatory obligations, NexOptic is not under any obligation and it expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

On behalf of the Boards of Directors

NexOptic Technology Corp.

Paul McKenzie

President & CEO

Email: Look@NexOptic.com

Tel: +1 604 669 7330



Spectrum Optix Inc.

John Daugela

President & CEO
DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - The leader in vapor technology, O.penVAPE, in association with Mile High Brands, is announcing a collaboration with seven-time GRAMMY winner and Reggae icon Ziggy Marley. O.penVAPE will design, distribute, manufacture and market a new line of branded vaporizers, for both oil and dry herb.

The Ziggy Marley Conscious Party Dry Herb Vaporizer has variable temperature settings and corresponding LED lights. Other features include a tactile wood grain design and pocket-sized portability. The Ziggy Marley go.penplus is a load-your-own concentrate portable vaporizer. It offers the ability to vape a wide variety of concentrates, including oil.

Marley said "I am thrilled to collaborate with O.penVAPE as they are leaders in their field. For me, the greatest piece of this partnership is that we are collectively giving back to the community; to benefit those who are less fortunate. I look forward to a positive and conscious relationship."

"We are excited about the potential opportunities that this partnership possesses," states Ralph Morgan, CEO of O.penVAPE. "We believe that it's a good fit for both brands and something that our fans will get excited about."

Fans can expect additional products to be released with sustainability in mind, forward thinking design and Ziggy Marley's signature influence. A portion of proceeds from both pens will go to U.R.G.E (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), his nonprofit organization that focuses on uplifting children's lives through education around the world.

ABOUT O.penVAPE

Denver-based O.penVAPE is the leader in vapor technology and is currently operating in nine states. O.penVAPE distributes products through a network of affiliates licensed to sell O.penVAPE vaporizer devices and related products. Visit O.penVAPE's website for more information.

Contact Information:

Ann Dickerson

Email contact



303-319-4330
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Masergy Communications Inc. today announced that its Software Defined Platform has been named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award for the Telecommunications-Service category, in the 14th Annual American Business Awards. The Company's SDN solution continues to receive top praise from industry experts and customers for reducing network programming complexity through the automation and virtualization of its global network fabric.

The American Business Awards are the nation's premier business awards program. The award judges singled out Masergy's Software Defined Platform for its ability to provide customers with unprecedented visibility and control into network performance and functions.

"Masergy's Software Defined Platform enables our customers to customize their network solutions based on their individual requirements as application performance dictates," said Tim Naramore, CTO, Masergy. "We are proud that our innovations continue to change the face of telecommunications with new levels of configuration simplicity and bandwidth flexibility."

More than 3,400 nominations were submitted for consideration by more than 250 professionals participating in the judging process. "The judges were extremely impressed with the quality of entries we received," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. "The competition was intense and every organization that has won should be proud."

Masergy owns and operates the largest independent Software Defined Platform in the world, delivering hybrid networking, managed security and cloud communications services to enterprises around the globe. The platform goes beyond simple connectivity to deliver embedded real-time analytics and control, advanced security analytics, and programmable network functions that enable business-driven changes to be implemented as needed.

The Gold Stevie Award is Masergy's most recent for its Software Defined solution. Others include:

2016 Big Innovation Award for its Software Defined Platform

2015 Stratus Award for NFV Innovation

2015 TMC Labs Innovation Award for its Cloud (f)n Router

About Masergy

Masergy owns and operates the largest independent Software Defined Platform in the world, delivering hybrid networking, managed security and cloud communication solutions to global enterprises. Our patented technology, customizable solutions and unmatched customer experience are why a growing number of leading organizations rely on Masergy to deliver performance beyond expectations. Learn more about Masergy and follow us on our blog Transforming Enterprise IT, Twitter @Masergy, LinkedIn and Facebook.

For more information, contact:

Betsey Rogers

Public Relations

BridgeView Marketing

603-886-7087

betsey@bridgeviewmarketing.com




Selection Committee of previous Breakthrough Prize winners recognizes contributors to experiment recording waves from two black holes colliding over a billion light years away

$3 million prize shared between LIGO founders Ronald W. P. Drever, Kip S. Thorne and Rainer Weiss and 1,012 contributors to the discovery

SAN FRANCISCO, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Selection Committee of the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics today announced a Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics recognizing scientists and engineers contributing to the momentous detection of gravitational waves - a detection announced on February 11, 2016.

The Special Breakthrough Prize can be conferred at any time in recognition of an extraordinary scientific achievement. The $3 million award will be shared between two groups of laureates: the three founders of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), who will each equally share $1 million; and 1,012 contributors to the experiment, who will each equally share $2 million.

The founders are Ronald W. P. Drever, Caltech, professor of physics, emeritus; Kip S. Thorne, Caltech, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, emeritus; and Rainer Weiss, MIT, professor of physics, emeritus.

The contributors sharing the prize include 1,005 authors of the paper describing the discovery of gravitational waves from the numerous institutions involved in LIGO and its sister experiment, the Virgo Collaboration. Also sharing the prize are seven scientists who made important contributions to the success of LIGO. The names of contributors are linked below.

The laureates will be recognized at the 2017 Breakthrough Prize ceremony in the fall of 2016, where the annual Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (distinct from the special prize) will also be presented, along with the Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences and Mathematics. Nominations for these prizes are open until May 31, 2016 and can be made online at https://breakthroughprize.org.

Stephen Hawking, who won the Special Breakthrough Prize in 2013, said, "This discovery has huge significance: firstly, as evidence for general relativity and its predictions of black hole interactions, and secondly as the beginning of a new astronomy that will reveal the universe through a different medium. The LIGO team richly deserves the Special Breakthrough Prize."

Yuri Milner, one of the founders of the Breakthrough Prizes, said, "The creative powers of a unique genius, many great scientists, and the universe itself, have come together to make a perfect science story."

Edward Witten, the chair of the Selection Committee, commented, "This amazing achievement lets us observe for the first time some of the remarkable workings of Einstein's theory. Theoretical ideas about black holes which were close to being science fiction when I was a student are now reality."

LIGO

LIGO's gravitational wave detectors were conceived and R&D was initiated in the 1960s. LIGO was built between 1994 and 2002 by Caltech and MIT in partnership with the National Science Foundation of the United States, with the aim of observing the gravitational waves predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity. After a major upgrade from 2010-2015, it almost immediately observed a gravitational wave distorting the structure of spacetime as it passed through the Earth. The detected distortion was less than a billionth of a billionth of a meter in size at LIGO's two 4KM observatories in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana. The wave emanated from two black holes with masses about 30 times that of the sun, spiraling into each other 1.3 billion light years away. The discovery inaugurates a new era of gravitational wave astronomy which will open a window onto some of the most dramatic and violent phenomena in nature as well as the mysteries of the early universe.

Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

A Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics can be awarded by the Selection Committee at any time, in addition to the Breakthrough Prize conferred through the ordinary annual nomination process. Previous winners of the special prize include seven leaders of the Large Hadron Collider teams that discovered the Higgs Boson.

The Selection Committee for the 2016 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics included: Nima Arkani-Hamed, Lyn Evans, Michael B. Green, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Joseph Incandela, Takaaki Kajita, Alexei Kitaev, Maxim Kontsevich, Andrei Linde, Arthur McDonald, Juan Maldacena, Saul Perlmutter, Alexander Polyakov, Adam Riess, John H. Schwarz, Nathan Seiberg, Ashoke Sen, Yifang Wang, and Edward Witten.

Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics recognizes individuals who have made profound contributions to human knowledge. It is open to all physicists - theoretical, mathematical and experimental - working on the deepest mysteries of the Universe. The prize can be shared among any number of scientists.

The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics are funded by a grant from the Milner Global Foundation.

Breakthrough Prize

For the fifth year, the Breakthrough Prizes will recognize the world's top scientists. Each prize is $3 million and presented in the fields of Life Sciences (up to five per year), Fundamental Physics (up to one per year) and Mathematics (up to one per year). In addition, up to three New Horizons in Physics and up to three New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes are given out to junior researchers each year. Laureates attend a televised award ceremony designed to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists. As part of the ceremony schedule, they also engage in a program of lectures and discussions. The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Jack Ma and Cathy Zhang, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates choose the winners.

Information on the Breakthrough Prizes is available at www.breakthroughprize.org.

The 2016 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Citation: For the observation of gravitational waves, opening new horizons in astronomy and physics.

Prize winners (1,015):

Founders of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO):

Ronald W. P. Drever, Caltech

Kip S. Thorne, Caltech

Rainer Weiss, MIT

ontributors (1,012) who made important contributions to the success of LIGO. A full list of names and institutional affiliations of the contributors can be found at https://breakthroughprize.org/News/32.






UK COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRUST LIMITED

3 MAY 2016

NOTICE OF EGM

UK Commercial Property Trust Limited (the "Company") announces that it has today published a circular (the "Circular") convening an extraordinary general meeting to be held at 9.30 a.m. on 6 June 2016 (the "EGM").

At the annual general meeting of the Company to be held on 15 June 2016 (the "AGM"), Shareholders will be asked to authorise the Company to make market purchases of up to 14.99 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital on the date that the resolution is passed (the "Share Buy Back Authority"). Phoenix Group Holdings, and its subsidiaries deemed to be acting in concert with it for the purposes of the Takeover Code (the "Phoenix Concert Party"), have notified the Company that, following the sale of shares in the Company in January 2016, the Phoenix Concert Party shareholding has fallen below 50 per cent. and now represents 48.56 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital.

Due to historical links with Ignis Asset Management, which was wholly owned by Phoenix Group Holdings, one of the Company's Directors is considered to be acting in concert with the Phoenix Concert Party for the purposes of the Takeover Code. Therefore, if any shares were to be purchased by the Company pursuant to the proposed Share Buy Back Authority and the entities comprising the Phoenix Concert Party did not sell a proportionate amount of their holding, then, pursuant to Rule 37 of the Takeover Code, in the absence of a waiver from the Takeover Panel, the Phoenix Concert Party would be required to make a general cash offer to all the remaining Shareholders of the Company to acquire their shares.

In order to give the Company flexibility to utilise the Share Buy Back Authority without triggering a mandatory bid obligation, the Company has consulted with the Takeover Panel and secured a waiver of the requirement for the Phoenix Concert Party to make a general offer to all Shareholders under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code in circumstances where, following the purchase of shares by the Company in the market, the aggregate percentage holding of the Phoenix Concert Party increases (the "Rule 9 Waiver"). This Takeover Panel waiver is subject to the approval by a vote of Independent Shareholders of the Company on a poll at the EGM. The resolution to be proposed at the EGM seeks this approval. The Rule 9 Waiver, if approved, will expire at the conclusion of the AGM of the Company in 2017. If in the future no member of the Board is deemed to be acting in concert with the Phoenix Concert Party, a Rule 9 Waiver would no longer be required.

Shareholders are requested to complete the Form of Proxy in relation to the EGM and return it to the Company's Registrars as soon as possible, but in any event to be received no later than 9:30 a.m. on 2 June 2016.

Terms defined in the Circular have the same meanings in this announcement unless the context requires otherwise.

The Circular has also been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection atwww.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

For further information please contact:

Graeme McDonald, Standard Life Investments

Tel: 0131 245 3151

Douglas Armstrong, Dickson Minto W.S.

Tel: 020 7649 6823
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (BBW) announced its Board authorized an exploration of a full range of strategic alternatives. The company retained Guggenheim Securities, LLC as its financial advisor and Bryan Cave LLP as its legal counsel to assist with the strategic review. The company said no timetable has been set for its review process. For fiscal 2016, the Company continues to expect: total revenue to increase in the low to mid-single digit range compared to the prior year; consolidated comparable sales to increase in the low-single digit range; GAAP pre-tax income to grow 15% to 25% compared to the prior year. The company plans to expand its owned and operated locations in 2016 by adding 10 to 15 stores, net of closures. Net income was $3.5 million, or $0.22 per share for the first quarter ended April 2, 2016, compared to net income of $6.8 million, or $0.40 per share, in the fiscal 2015 first quarter. The company said its first quarter net income was negatively impacted by the expenses related to the rollout of the new Discovery format stores and costs related to international expansion, including China. Total revenues were $95.0 million compared to $93.4 million in the fiscal 2015 first quarter. Consolidated net retail sales were $94.1 million compared to $91.7 million, prior year. Consolidated comparable sales (stores and e-commerce) increased 2.2%. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Lombard International, a global leader in wealth structuring solutions for the high net worth market, today announced the appointment of Michael Gordon as CEO of its U.S. operations effective May 2, 2016. He will report to John Hillman, Executive Chairman of Lombard International.

He joins Lombard International from his role as Global Head of Insurance Solutions at BNY Mellon. Additionally, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Tiber Capital Management, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNY Mellon focused on managing assets for insurance and reinsurance companies. Before BNY Mellon, Mr. Gordon was an executive at New York Life Insurance Company, leading investment and insurance product management, sales and marketing functions.

The announcement is part of a series of strategic developments for Lombard International including the formal launch, in September 2015, of its global life insurance-based wealth management business. This announcement followed the successful integration of Luxembourg-headquartered Lombard International Assurance with U.S.-headquartered Philadelphia Financial.

John Hillman, Executive Chairman of Lombard International, said: "We are thrilled to have someone of Michael's experience and background to guide Lombard International in meeting our aggressive ambitions for U.S. growth and achieving our goal of building a world class investment platform."

About Lombard International

Lombard International is a leading global life insurance-based wealth solutions provider, combining the strength and expertise of two specialist life insurance companies with over 20 years' experience and market leadership in their respective fields. Lombard International provides wealth structuring solutions using private placement life insurance and annuity products to high net worth individuals, their families and institutions around the globe.

The global group, branded as Lombard International, launched to market in September 2015. With head offices located in Luxembourg and Philadelphia, a combined global presence enables Lombard International to serve clients' complex needs on a global basis while being sensitive to local cultures and attitudes. The firm is an industry leader in providing multi-jurisdictional wealth planning solutions through its partner networks across the United States, Europe and Latin America, issuing life insurance policies and annuities from the United States, Luxembourg, Guernsey and Bermuda.

Global assets under administration are in excess of USD 75 billion with a global staff number of over 500, including more than 60 technical experts specializing in 20+ jurisdictions.

Funds managed by Blackstone own Lombard International. Blackstone is one of the world's leading investment firms with assets under management of over USD 330 billion.

For further information about Lombard International visit: www.lombardinternational.com

Media Enquiries:



USA

Gabrielle Simon

Prosek Partners

Email Contact

+1 212 279 3115 ext. 108



UK/EU

Georgia Brown

Prosek Partners

Email Contact

+44 (0)20 3440 5809




PHILADELPHIA, PA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 --Medgenics, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MDGN) today announced the appointment of Michael Diem, MD as Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development. Dr. Diem will be a key member of the Medgenics leadership team, heading all business and corporate development activities. Mike was recently with AstraZeneca as the Head of Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development, where he was responsible globally for corporate strategy, corporate development and MedImmune Ventures. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Mike was the Head of Business Development for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Rare Diseases where he was responsible for partnerships, licensing and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Earlier in his career at GSK, Mike was a partner in its corporate venture capital firm, SR One, Limited where he was responsible for many of the firm's investments and served on the boards of numerous companies. Prior to GSK, Mike was an associate at Frantz Medical Ventures and practiced medicine for 6 years. He holds a BA in biological sciences from Rutgers University, an MD from the Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, completed his medical training at Duke University Medical Center and is an alumnus of the Kauffman Fellows Program.

"We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Mike to our team," said Mike Cola, Chief Executive Officer of Medgenics. "Mike brings tremendous experience resulting from multiple strategic corporate development roles to Medgenics, and he will contribute significantly to our future growth as a company."

In connection with the appointment of Dr. Diem, the Compensation Committee of the Medgenics Board of Directors has granted him inducement awards consisting of stock options covering up to 350,000 shares of the Company's common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (Common Stock), at a per share exercise price of $5.10, representing the closing price of the Common Stock on the grant date, May 2, 2016. These options have a 10-year term, with one-third of the options vesting on the first anniversary of grant, the balance vesting in equal increments on a monthly basis thereafter, subject to Dr. Diem's continuous service through each vesting date. The Compensation Committee of the Medgenics Board of Directors, which is comprised solely of independent directors, granted this award on May 2, 2016 pursuant to a stand-alone award agreement outside of Medgenics' Stock Incentive Plan, as an inducement material to Dr. Diem's acceptance of his appointment to the company in accordance with Section 711 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide.

About Medgenics, Inc.

Medgenics is dedicated to unlocking the potential of genomic medicine to identify and treat patients with life-altering conditions. Its efforts, including its internal research and development and ongoing sponsored research and licensing agreements with a well-respected pediatric academic medical center, give Medgenics the ability to focus on the underlying genetic pathway of pediatric diseases with the goal of finding therapeutic solutions for subpopulations of both children and adults living with rare and other difficult-to-treat diseases. Medgenics is the developer of TARGT (Transduced Autologous Restorative Gene Therapy), a proprietary platform for the sustained production and delivery of therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies and peptides in patients using ex vivo gene therapy and their own tissue for the treatment of rare and orphan diseases. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.medgenics.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which include all statements other than statements of historical fact, including (without limitation) those regarding the Company's financial position, its development and business strategy, its product candidates and the plans and objectives of management for future operations. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created by such laws. Forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by their use of the terms and phrases such as "estimate," "project," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "plan," "planning, "expect," "believe," "will," "will likely," "should," "could," "would," "may" or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. All such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Should any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those included within these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no undue reliance should be placed on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. As a result of these factors, the events described in the forward-looking statements contained in this release may not occur.

CONTACT:



Medgenics

Brian Piper

240-899-5554

Email Contact



Westwicke Partners

Chris Brinzey

339-970-2843

Email Contact




SALISBURY, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Lincoln Property Company, the second largest multifamily manager in the United States, will be hosting the ribbon cutting for Tidewater at Salisbury on Friday, May 6. The 210 unit apartment community in Salisbury, MA offers a variety of one and two bedroom floorplans with ocean views. Catered by Seaglass, the ribbon cutting will be attended by everyone involved in making the project happen as well as government officials.

This pet-friendly community features in-home washers and dryers, private patios, a resort-style swimming pool and sundeck, covered parking, outdoor kitchen and a 24 hour fitness center. Tidewater at Salisbury is steps away from the beach and a quick walk to the Salisbury Beach State Reservation. The location provides equally easy access to Boston or Manchester, NH, each less than an hour away. The community is also a convenient alternative to living in nearby Newburyport, Amesbury, Portsmouth and Exeter.

For Information on Available Floorplans, Click Here

Watch the Community Video Here

About Lincoln Property Company

Lincoln Property Company was founded in 1965 as a builder and operator of high-quality residential communities. In the early 1970's, Lincoln expanded its product mix to include commercial, build-to-suit, office, hotel, industrial, and other mixed-use assets. In 1972, Lincoln took this expertise within the United States to Western Europe and the Middle East.

In 2001, Lincoln joined forces with the U.S. Department of Defense to renovate and redevelop family housing at selected bases for the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Army. Through innovative management, property rehabilitation and award-winning new construction designs, Lincoln is now one of the largest operators of military housing in the country. Lincoln continued its growth in 2013 with the acquisition of Grand Campus Living, increasing the depth of knowledge in the rental housing sector for the firm.

Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Lincoln focuses on real estate investment, construction and development, in addition to property management. Their national reputation has enabled Lincoln to attract a large client base of owners and investors who count on their ability to deliver quality results and continually serve as a market leader.

For more information about Lincoln Property Company, please visit http://www.lincolnapts.com/management-services or visit http://www.lincolnapts.com/regions/ for apartment listings in your area.

Follow Lincoln Property Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to hear about all the new deals to help you look forward to moving into your new home!

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3001075



Media Contact:



Sheri Sandefur Killingsworth

Vice President - Marketing & Communications

214-740-3300

Email Contact




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Cypress Development Corp. (TSX VENTURE: CYP)(OTCBB: CYDVF)(FRANKFURT: C1Z1) ("Cypress" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, further to its news release April 5, 2016, that the Company has received lithium assays from Cypress' ongoing Phase 2 sampling program at its 1320 acre Clayton Valley Project located in Esmeralda County, Nevada.

Cypress Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada claims map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/Clayton-Test-Wells-Plan-Map.jpg

Cypress' Clayton Valley Project is located on the south flank of "Angel Island" and immediately southeast of the Albemarle Silver Peak lithium mine. Cypress' Clayton Valley claims share their western boundary with claims controlled by Pure Energy Minerals. Pure Energy has identified a lithium resource at its northern resource area that is located to the immediate west of Cypress' property boundary.

The Albemarle Silver Peak mine is the only operating brine based lithium mine in North America. The Silver Peak mine began operations in 1967 to mine lithium by low cost evaporation ponds and has produced lithium since then. The lithium concentration in the production brines were reported in 2001 to average 160 ppm lithium (160 mg/litre) (Garrett Report, 2004). Cypress' highly prospective "Glory" and "Angel" claims are located within 0.5 miles (less than 1000m) south of current and past producing lithium brine wells belonging to the Albemarle Silver Peak Mine.

Cypress Phase 2 Clayton Valley Project Exploration Results

Phase 1 surface sampling of the claystones at Cypress' Clayton Valley Project was completed at the end of January in an area within the northwest portion of the property on the west flank of Angel Island. The outcropping claystone likely represent uplifted portions of the stratigraphy within which the lithium brines of the basin are produced.

The assays results encountered by Cypress suggest a strong possibility of an essentially continuously mineralized volume of lithium in claystones at surface on extensive portions of Cypress' Clayton Valley property. The Phase 2 sample results to date, including January's Phase 1 results, show 2 kilometers of north-south strike of outcropping claystones that assay approximately 1,000 ppm lithium on average.

An additional batch of samples have been collected from the most northern portion of the northwest area of Cypress' claim group to complete the Phase 2 sampling of that area. The new samples have been submitted to ALS Chemex in Reno for processing.

Cypress Clayton Valley Phase 2 lithium sampling sites map, Nevada:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/CYP-Clayton-Phase-2.jpg

The tables below show Phase 2 assay results from the North, Central, Southeast and Southwest areas of Cypress' Clayton Valley property.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Central Area North Area Assays Assays SE Area Assays ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAMPLE ID Li ppm SAMPLE ID Li ppm SAMPLE ID Li ppm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243681 1680 243671 780 123190 420 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243682 1150 243672 830 123191 470 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243684 780 243673 730 123192 750 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243685 190 243674 700 123193 500 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243686 510 243675 640 123194 650 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243687 1300 243676 630 123195 640 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243688 1060 243677 440 123196 610 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243689 1040 243678 610 123197 690 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243690 960 243679 730 123198 620 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 243691 1620 243680 500 123199 770 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average 1029 Average 659 123200 870 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123201 650 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123202 590 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123203 590 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123204 670 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123205 860 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123206 860 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average 659.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southwest Area Assays ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAMPLE ID Li ppm Li ppm Li ppm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123146 1030 123161 1230 123176 860 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123147 1040 123162 700 123177 630 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123148 1140 123163 800 123178 790 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123149 1060 123164 790 123179 690 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123150 1120 123165 170 123180 450 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123151 1130 123166 770 123181 480 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123152 1120 123167 770 123182 810 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123153 1130 123168 690 123183 840 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123154 1140 123169 950 123184 860 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123155 1140 123170 1290 123185 470 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123156 750 123171 810 123186 860 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123157 1130 123172 870 123187 450 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123158 910 123173 840 123188 380 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123159 1130 123174 850 123189 130 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123160 680 123175 820 Average 834.1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i)NOTE: (Li=Lithium, ppm=parts per million, 1 ppm=1 milligram per litre)

Lithium Leachability Study

A number of samples from these current results are now being run by additional assay procedures to provide further data on the favourable leachability potential of lithium from the mineralized claystones.

Cypress' Phase 3 program will include the drilling of shallow auger holes targeted to provide initial subsurface data and assays under areas of strongly lithium mineralized salty claystone outcrops. The auger holes are planned to test the depth of lithium in claystones and will be sampled on composite 5 foot intervals.

Cypress Clayton Valley Project proposed auger and drill hole map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/CYP-Clayton-Drill-Plan-Map-small-apr16.jpg

The surface sampling and reconnaissance geologic results received by Cypress to date are viewed as being highly encouraging for the presence of lithium rich brines within the subsurface aquifers below the mineralized claystone. In Cypress' view, lithium rich brines are likely to be found below the water table below the mineralized outcrops and may be especially well developed along the arcuate fault zones where fracturing will have increased the permeability of the rock section.

In preparation for a planned Phase 3 program, Cypress Development has filed a Notice of Intent permit with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), Nevada covering a planned four hole drill program targeting lithium brines at the Company's Clayton Valley Project (see news release April 21, 2016).

Clayton Valley is located within the Basin and Range Province in southern Nevada and is an internally drained, fault bounded and closed basin. Basin-filling strata compose the aquifer system which hosts and produces the lithium-rich brines.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

All samples were assayed by ALS Chemex using a four acid digestion / ICP-Mass Spec method. Blind sample blanks are being inserted into the sample sequences at a rate of approximately 1 per 20 samples.

Robert Marvin, P.Geo, Exploration Manager for Cypress Development Corp. is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved of the technical information in this release.

About Cypress Development Corp.:

Cypress Development Corp. is a publicly traded lithium and zinc-silver exploration company developing projects in Nevada, U.S.A.

Cypress Development Corp. has approx. 24.1 million shares issued and outstanding.

To find out more about Cypress Development Corp. (TSX VENTURE: CYP), visit our website at www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com.

CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

DONALD C. HUSTON, President

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.

Contacts:

Cypress Development Corp.

Don Myers

Director

604-687-3376 / Toll Free: 800-567-8181

604-687-3119 (FAX)

info@cypressdevelopmentcorp.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Argentex Mining Corporation ("Argentex" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ATX)(OTC PINK: AGXMF) is pleased to announce that Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") and Glass Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis") have both recommended that Argentex shareholders vote FOR the proposed acquisition by Austral Gold of all remaining Argentex shares through a plan of arrangement.

ISS and Glass Lewis are two leading independent proxy advisory firms that provide voting recommendations to institutional investors. Their endorsement of the resolution highlights the strategic rationale and financial considerations of the Transaction to Argentex shareholders.

The ISS recommendation concludes that, "In light of the significant implied premium, the favourable market reaction, and the reasonable strategic rationale, shareholder approval of this resolution is warranted". Glass Lewis also provided a recommendation, finding "we believe that the proposed merger warrants shareholder support at this time".

Argentex Special Meeting of Shareholders

The Transaction is subject to shareholder approval and will be voted on at a Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") to be held on May 17, 2016 at 10:00am Vancouver time at the offices of Clark Wilson LLP, Suite 900, 885 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Shareholders are encouraged to review the Notice of Special Meeting of shareholders and the Management Information Circular of Argentex dated April 13, 2016 that provides details concerning the Transaction. A copy of these documents has been mailed to Argentex Shareholders and can also be obtained via Argentex's website http://www.argentexmining.com/s/ProxyMaterials.asp.

Your vote is important regardless of how many Argentex shares you own. To ensure that your Argentex shares are represented at the Meeting, shareholders of Argentex are encouraged to vote their shares prior to 10:00 a.m. Vancouver time on May 13, 2016.

The closing of the Transaction is subject to court approval, regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. Assuming a successful shareholder vote and satisfaction of the other conditions required for the Arrangement closing is expected to occur around the end of May, 2016.

Shareholder Inquiries

Argentex has engaged Shorecrest Group Ltd. ("Shorecrest") as its proxy solicitation agent in connection with the Meeting and asks all shareholders to contact Shorecrest with any questions or for assistance with voting. Shorecrest can be reached by email at contact@shorecrestgroup.com or by telephone at 1-888-637-5789 or collect at 647-931-7454.

About Austral Gold

Austral Gold Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: AGD) and is a growing precious metals mining and exploration company building a portfolio of assets in South America. The Company's flagship Guanaco project in Chile is a low-cost producing mine with further exploration upside. With an experienced and highly regarded major shareholder, Austral Gold is strengthening its asset base by investing in new precious metals projects in Chile and Argentina that have near-term development potential. For more information, please consult the company's website www.australgold.com.au.

About Argentex

Argentex Mining Corporation is an exploration company focused on advancing its Pinguino silver-gold project in Santa Cruz, Argentina. In total, Argentex owns 100% of the mineral rights to more than 27 properties located within approximately 107,000 hectares of highly prospective land located in the Santa Cruz and Rio Negro provinces.

Shares of Argentex common stock trade under the symbol ATX on the TSX Venture Exchange and under the symbol AGXMF on the OTC PINK.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On behalf of Argentex Mining Corporation:

Michael Brown

President and CEO

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import also identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include those concerning the timing, progress and completion of the proposed business combination, as well as the expectation that the transaction will receive shareholder and regulatory approval.

Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors beyond our control. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the risk that one or the other parties to the transaction fails to satisfy one or more of the conditions precedent to completing the transaction, as well as the possibility that any of the financial and other information upon which management bases its analysis of the transaction is inaccurate or incomplete. Other risks are described in our public disclosure documents filed on the SEDAR website maintained by the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Contacts:

Argentex Mining Corporation

Michael Brown

President and CEO

604-568-2496

info@argentexmining.com

www.argentexmining.com




BOISE, IDAHO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- U.S. Geothermal Inc. (NYSE MKT: HTM) plans to release its 1st Quarter 2016 financial results on Tuesday May 10th 2016 after the market close. Management will present the results during a telephone conference call for investors and analysts on Wednesday May 11th 2016 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT).

The conference call may be accessed by dialing (877) 407-8133 in the United States and Canada, or (201) 689-8040 internationally. A simultaneous webcast of the conference call will be provided through: http://www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=174993. Please visit our Website at: http://www.usgeothermal.com

About U.S. Geothermal Inc.:

U.S. Geothermal Inc. is a leading and profitable renewable energy company focused on the development, production and sale of electricity from geothermal energy. The company is currently operating geothermal power projects Neal Hot Springs, Oregon, San Emidio, Nevada and Raft River, Idaho for a total power generation of approximately 45 MWs. The company is also developing an additional 90 MW's of projects at: the Geysers, California; a second phase project at San Emidio, Nevada; at Crescent Valley, Nevada; and the El Ceibillo project located near Guatemala City, Guatemala. US Geothermal's growth strategy is to reach 200 MWs of generation by 2020 through a combination of internal development and strategic acquisitions.

The information provided in this news release may contain forward-looking statements within the definition of the Safe Harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned to review the risk factors identified by the company in its filings with US and Canadian securities agencies. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of U.S. Geothermal, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties; interpretation of the results of well tests; project development; resource megawatt capacity; capital expenditures; timelines; strategic plans; or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from U.S. Geothermal's expectations include the uncertainties involving the availability of financing in the debt and capital markets; uncertainties involved in the interpretation of results of well tests; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the development and operation of properties; the need to obtain permits and governmental approvals; risks of construction; unexpected cost increases, which could include significant increases in estimated capital and operating costs; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in U.S. Geothermal's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities and in other U.S. Geothermal reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, beliefs and opinions on the date the statements are made. U.S. Geothermal Inc. assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if management's expectations, beliefs, or opinions, or other factors, should change.

The NYSE MKT does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of this release.

Contacts:

Saf Dhillon - Investor Relations

U.S. Geothermal Inc.

866-687-7059

208-424-1030 (FAX)

saf@usgeothermal.com

www.usgeothermal.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- CKR Carbon Corporation. ("CKR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: CKR)(FRANKFURT: CB8)(OTCBB: CBULF) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated April 8 2016, it has completed its private placement of 8,692,714 units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.07 per Unit for gross proceeds of $608,489.96 (the "Private Placement"), brokered by First Republic Capital Corporation (the "Agent"). The Private Placement was over-subscribed by 1,549,857 Units for gross proceeds of $108,489.97.

The Company closed its first tranche of the Private Placement on April 28, 2016 of which the Company issued 1,500,000 Units of the Company for gross proceeds of $105,000 (the "First Tranche"). The Company closed its final tranche of the Private Placement on May 2, 2016 of which the Company issued 7,192,714 Units of the Company for gross proceeds of $503,489.96 (the "Final Tranche").

Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") of the Company and one-half common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") of the Company at a price of $0.13 per Warrant Share for a period of one year from the date of issuance, subject to the closing price of the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (or such other exchange on which the Company's common shares may become traded) is CAD$0.20 or greater per common share during any 20 consecutive trading day period at any time subsequent to four months and one day after the closing date, the Warrants will expire, at the sole discretion of the Company, at 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the 30th day after the date on which the Company provides notice of such accelerated expiry to the holders of the Warrants (the "Acceleration Clause").

Finders' fees consisting of $51,931.40 in cash and 741,876 broker warrants ("Broker Warrants") were paid to the Agent in accordance with policies of the TSXV. Each Broker Warrant is convertible into one broker warrant unit (a "BW Unit") at a price of $0.07 per BW Unit for a period of one year from the date of issuance. Each BW Unit consists of one Share (a "BW Share") of the Company and one-half Warrant of the Company (each whole warrant, a "BW Warrant"). Each BW Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Share (a "BW Warrant Share") of the Company for a period of 12 months following the date of issuance of the BW Warrants at a price of $0.13 per BW Warrant Share, subject to the Acceleration Clause.

The securities issued under the First Tranche are subject to a hold period expiring on August 29, 2016 and the securities issued under the Final Tranche are subject to a hold period expiring on September 3, 2016.

The net proceeds from the sale of the Units will be used for exploration and a bulk sampling program at the Company's Aukam Graphite Project in Namibia and for working capital.

About the Aukam Project

CKR has an option to acquire an initial 63% in the Aukam graphite project from Next Graphite. The project is located on 96,000 acres in southern Namibia close to the port city of Luderitz. The property hosts three underground adits which were mined periodically between 1940 and 1974. Five dumps from the historical mining occur on the property and 84 composite samples each weighing 50kg assayed 42% Cg. The samples were taken from 200 tonnes of screened graphitic material resulting from a 500 tonne bulk sample of the dumps.

About CKR Carbon Corporation

CKR Carbon Corporation is focused on high quality natural graphite suitable for use in lithium-ion batteries and graphite foil. We only select projects requiring small capital and a short time to market. The company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CKR and has 24,055,894 shares outstanding.

The technical content of this news release was approved by Roger Moss, Ph.D., P.Geo a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Contacts:

CKR Carbon Corporation

Roger Moss

CEO

(416) 704-8291

info@ckrcarbon.com



For graphite product enquiries:

Arno Brand

Boswell Projects

(416) 561-4095

abrand@boswellprojects.com



First Republic Capital Corporation

Anthony Durkacz

(416) 720-4360




Semcon (STO:SEMC) has signed a new agreement with the British vehicle manufacturer, the London Taxi Company. The managed service agreement covers the design, development and distribution of aftersales product information solutions and will involve up to 25 Semcon specialists.

Semcon will design, develop and distribute a class leading package of operation and maintenance information solutions, to support the London Taxi Company's customers and maintenance providers. The agreement spans over five years and will lay the foundation for the cooperation between Semcon and the London Taxi Company.

"Semcon has extensive experience in the development and production of aftersales product information for automotive customers in Sweden, UK, China and Germany. We look forward to working together with the London Taxi Company in creating customer satisfaction through cost efficient aftermarket product information solutions which contributes to an effortless ownership", says Johan Ekener, President Product Information at Semcon.

The collaboration begins during spring 2016 and consists of a number of aftersales product information deliverables to support the launch of the next generation plug-in hybrid London taxi and beyond. The new car will be launched in the UK at the end of 2017 and across international markets in 2018.

Trevor Hattersley, Head of Aftersales for the London Taxi Company, said: "Through this new partnership we gain access to the latest know-how within the area of product information solutions. Semcon's long track record with managed services was a key factor for us when we selected our partner. We look forward to building a long term relationship with Semcon as we enter a very exciting period for the company."

Initially around 25 of Semcon's specialists will be involved in the work for the new vehicle. The work will mainly be carried out from Semcon's UK operation headquarters, located in a new facility in Warwick.

Semcon is an international technology company in the engineering services and product information sectors. We have around 3,000 employees with extensive experience from many different industries. We develop technology, products, plant and information solutions along the entire development chain and also provide many services and products in areas such as quality control, training and methodology development. We contribute to our customers' competitive strength by providing innovative solutions, design and solid engineering expertise. The Group has sales of about SEK 2.6 billion and activities at more than 40 sites in Sweden, Germany, the UK, Brazil, China, Hungary, India, Spain and Norway.www.semcon.se

The London Taxi Company is the United Kingdom manufacturer of the iconic London Black Cab. Production of the London Black Cab started in 1948 and from its current location in Coventry has produced 130,000 vehicles. The company was purchased by Geely in 2013 who have recently announce an investment of 250M in a state-of the-art research, development and assembly facility for the London Taxi Company as the group prepares for the introduction of the next generation plug- in hybrid and ultra-low emission London Black Cab.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503006118/en/

Contacts:

Semcon

Johan Ekener, Business Area President, Product Information

Phone: +46 (0) 736 840 683

email: johan.ekener@semcon.com

or

The London Taxi Company

David Ollier, Head of Communications,

Phone +44 (0) 79 6638 9656

email: dollier@london-taxis.co.uk
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 --(Interop Las Vegas Booth 705) - VeloCloud Networks Inc., the Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN company, today announced that it has been selected to speak at Interop Las Vegas, being held this week at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

VeloCloud Co-founder and VP of Products, Steve Woo, will join Sanjay Srinivasan, VP and Chief Technology Architect, Business Engineering for Vonage Business, in presenting "Real World SD-WAN Deployments and Benefits" on May 4 at 2 pm PDT in Mandalay Bay L of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Michael Wood, VeloCloud VP of Marketing, will present "SD-WAN: Why Architecture Matters" on May 5 at 1 pm PDT in the Interop Theater.

VeloCloud is honored to be a finalist for Best of Interop in both the Networking and Cloud/Virtualization categories. The company will be holding meetings with its executives and demonstrating the industry leading VeloCloud Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN solution in Booth Number 705 on the expo floor.

VeloCloud Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN enables enterprises to simplify remote and branch office deployments while delivering secure optimized access to applications in cloud and private datacenters. Service providers are able to deploy VeloCloud SD-WAN as a value-add revenue generating service and deliver elastic transport, performance for cloud applications, in both on-net and off-net cases. Vonage SmartWAN powered by VeloCloud, is a leading example of how VeloCloud Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN technology helps to further optimize reliability and quality of service (QoS) for real-time VoIP, video and Unified Communications. Both enterprises and service providers benefit from the multi-tenant cloud gateway architecture and the ability to support real-time applications over ordinary broadband links.

About Sanjay Srinivasan, Ph. D.

As Vice President and Chief Technology Architect, Business Engineering for Vonage, Dr. Srinivasan guides the Company's network architecture, operations engineering and product development. With more than 20 years of experience and expertise in the areas of data networks, VoIP services and hosted application services, Sanjay's areas of expertise include network design, VoIP, software architecture and development, service provider process engineering, product marketing and development, and network and service operations. He has successfully led and launched two VoIP and Unified Communications businesses. He has a Doctorate in EE from the University of Virginia.

About Steve Woo

Mr. Woo co-founded VeloCloud and leads product and marketing strategy. Previously, he led the cloud strategy at Aerohive Networks after it acquired Pareto Networks, a cloud-based networking innovator, where he was VP of Product Management. Mr. Woo also spent time as VP of Product Management at McAfee, where he led the development of a next-generation firewall after McAfee acquired Secure Computing/Securify where he was VP of Products. Mr. Woo worked for Cisco Systems twice, after acquisitions of two companies where he was an executive (Riverhead Networks and Class Data Systems) that resulted in 50x return on investment to investors. Early in his career he worked at SynOptics Communications/Bay Networks where his product line generated $1.7 billion of cumulative revenue, and he also spent time at McKinsey & Company. He has an MBA and MSEE from Stanford, and a BSEE from Cornell.

About Michael Wood

Michael Wood is vice president of marketing for VeloCloud Networks, responsible for worldwide marketing, revenue generation, channel and sales enablement and communications. He has more than 20 years of leadership and management experience in the networking industry. Prior to VeloCloud, Mr. Wood served as vice president of product management and marketing for Akamai Technologies' Cloud Networking Business Unit. He also was an executive in residence, and is currently an adviser, for Plug and Play Tech Center, a startup incubator and accelerator. Early in his career Mr. Wood was with StrataCom as a senior member of the technical staff. After Cisco acquired StrataCom in 1996, he spent 15 years with Cisco in various positions, culminating in the director of product management and marketing role for the multibillion dollar branch office integrated services router business for enterprises and service providers. Mr. Wood has a bachelor's degree in industrial technology and a master's degree in electrical engineering from San Jose State University.

About VeloCloud

VeloCloud, the Cloud-Delivered SD-WAN company, Gartner Cool Vendor 2016 and winner of Best Startup of Interop, simplifies branch WAN networking by automating deployment and improving performance over private, broadband Internet and LTE links for today's increasingly distributed enterprises. VeloCloud SD-WAN includes: a choice of public, private or hybrid cloud network for enterprise-grade connection to cloud and enterprise applications; branch office enterprise appliances and optional data center appliances; software-defined control and automation; and virtual services delivery. VeloCloud has received financing from investors including NEA, Venrock, March Capital Partners, Cisco Investments and The Fabric, and is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, visit www.velocloud.com and follow the company on Twitter @VeloCloud.

VeloCloud is a registered trademark of VeloCloud, Inc., in the United States and other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Contact:

Dan Spalding

Email Contact

(408) 960-9297




DUBAI, UAE, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The Oberoi, Dubai has been voted the Best Business Hotel in Dubai by the Business Traveller Awards Middle East 2016 held at the Plazzo Versace on the evening of Sunday 24th April 2016.

The Business Traveller Awards Middle East are amongst the most prestigious awards in the international travel industry, as it is the readers who define excellence in the Corporate travel industry. The Business Traveller Awards are a celebration of the region's cream of the crop in the business travel and hospitality sectors.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160503/362841 )



The Oberoi, Dubai is part of the internationally famed Oberoi Group and represents its first property in the UAE, opened in June 2013. After the first year of opening, the hotel was recognized as the Best New Business Hotel by the readers of Business Traveller Middle East 2013. The title of Best Business Hotel 2016 is the latest addition to the hotel's collection of awards including Middle East's Leading Luxury City Hotel by the World Travel Awards 2015, Best Hotel Brand by Conde Nast Traveller US 2015, Favorite New Overseas Hotel by Conde Nast Traveller India 2014 and TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards, 2014 & 2015.

Mr. Karim Bizid, General Manager of The Oberoi, Dubai said, "The Oberoi, Dubai brings an ethos of service without compromise to the UAE. This recognition from the Business Traveller Awards, Middle East shows that we have consistently upheld the service promise for which the Oberoi brand is renowned worldwide. Such awards are a testament to the hard work of our whole team as we endeavor to ensure every guest's experience is made truly memorable. We thank all our guests who have trusted and supported us since our opening; and to our team for contributing to all these accolades and achievements."

The Awards are chosen by business travelers across a variety of categories. The Oberoi, Dubai competed against several luxury city hotels across the Middle East and Dubai, winning the award as a result of the legendary Oberoi hospitality.

Further notes to the Editor:

About The Oberoi, Dubai

Located at The Oberoi Centre, The Oberoi, Dubai is a contemporary luxury hotel that embodies height, light and space. The hotel overlooks the iconic Burj Khalifa and each of the 252 rooms and suites have floor to ceiling windows which afford spectacular views of the city's skyline. The hotel enjoys a central location and is a few minutes' drive from Downtown Dubai and The Dubai Mall. http://www.oberoidubai.com

About The Oberoi Group

The Oberoi Group, founded in 1934, operates 30 hotels, a Nile Cruiser and a Motor Vessel in the backwaters of Kerala under the luxury 'Oberoi' and five-star 'Trident' brands in India, Egypt, Mauritius, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates. The Group is also engaged in flight catering, managing airport restaurants, travel and tour services, car rentals, project management and corporate air charters.

http://www.oberoihotels.com | http://www.tridenthotels.com

For further information and editorial queries, please contact:

Alisha Arora

Director of Marketing & Communications

The Oberoi, Dubai

The Oberoi Centre, Business Bay

P.O. Box71847, Dubai, U.A.E

Telephone: +971-4-444-1-444

Facsimile: +971-4-444-1-333

Mobile: +97155-966-4131

Email address: alisha.arora@oberoihotels.com

Website: http://www.oberoidubai.com | http://www.oberoihotels.com


MIDDLEBROOK, VA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA), the preeminent marketing, public relations and event-planning firm serving the telecommunications and technology industries, and founder and host of Telecom Exchange (TEX), the premier industry networking event where communications and technology meet, today announces its CEO Roundtable participants and topics for its upcoming TEX New York City event, taking place June 21 and 22, 2016 at Cipriani Wall Street. TEX will feature four "power hour" CEO Roundtables, providing an opportunity for key CEOs to share their predictions for tech and telecom's future and to participate in casual Q&A sessions moderated by industry analysts and journalists.

The first CEO Roundtable, "The Arrival of Internet of Things (IoT): 5G, Connected Devices, Data Volume and Business Opportunities," moderated by Jeff Mucci, Chief Executive Officer & Editorial Director, RCR Wireless News, will focus on the explosive growth of IoT, examine industry trends, predictions, and the opportunities and challenges that IoT brings to the global economy. Participants for this panel include Mobeen Kahn, Strategy & Product Management Executive, AT&T; James Martino, Chief Executive Officer, Avotus; Frank Rey, Director Global Network Acquisition Group, Microsoft; Tom Gilley, Founder & Principal, PicoStar; and Ryan Holmes, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, SpaceVR.

The second CEO Roundtable, "Fiber as an Investment -- Addressing North America's Fiber Deficiency," will be moderated by Robert Powell, Editor & Creator, Telecom Ramblings. The panel will examine and discuss fiber penetration in the U.S. and Canada, the worthiness of investing in fiber deployments, and determine if we are indeed moving fast enough, or if a stronger, more unified North American plan for fiber is needed. Panelists include Jonathan Martone, Director, Data Center Engineering, CenturyLink; Vincenzo 'Enzo' Clemente, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cross River Fiber; Al DiGabriele, Senior Vice President of Product Management & Marketing, Hibernia Networks; and Rob Barlow, Chief Executive Officer, WireIE.

CEO Roundtable 3, "Wall Street vs. Network providers: Trends in Consolidating Critical Infrastructures," moderated by Richard Lukaj, Senior Managing Director, Bank Street, will review the marketplace trends and crossover influences of the convergence and consolidation of tower, cable, broadband fiber, data center and web/cloud infrastructure services. The discussion will also explore trends, opportunities and predictions for 2016-17, including Wall Street's reactions to the growing M&A and capital markets activity. Panelists include Cliff Kane, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Cleareon Fiber Networks; Erick Contag, Chief Operating Officer, GlobeNet; and Adrian Shatku, Chief Executive Officer, Unifi Communications.

The final CEO Roundtable, "What Tech Companies Need from Telecom Partners" will be moderated by Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst, 451 Research, and welcomes panelists David Meredith, SVP Global Colocation Services, CenturyLink; Eric Troyer, Chief Marketing Officer, Megaport; Frank Rey, Director Global Network Acquisition, Microsoft; and Mark Hurley, Data Center Solution Architect, Schneider Electric. These panelists from top American web-centric companies will share their telecom 'pain points' and will define where they see new growth opportunities moving forward.

Telecom Exchange NYC will be held on June 21-22, 2016 at Cipriani Wall Street. TEX exhibit space is selling out at record pace with over 70% of the exhibit tables now sold. Exhibit tables are available on a first-come, first-serve basis; and there are a limited number of sponsorship packages available. For more information, email info@thetelecomexchange.com.

About JSA

Celebrating more than a decade of success, Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) is the preeminent provider of Public Relations, Marketing and Event Planning services for the tech and telecom industries. Awarded 'Most Outstanding Telecoms PR Agency' by LiveWire for 2015 & 2016, our success is attributed to our skilled JSA team, innovative tools, and established media and industry relationships, allowing us to deliver the finest outreach and brand awareness services available -- with measurable return on investment.

Our clients enjoy 'insider access' to the top reporters, bloggers, analysts and thought leaders shaping tech and telecom -- as well as critical networking opportunities, including JSA's own industry networking event, The Telecom Exchange. We also feature client and marketplace news via JSA TV (our video newsroom on YouTube), JSA Radio (our podcast channel on iHeartRadio), Virtual CEO Roundtables (our monthly panel discussions with top thought leaders), Telecom News & Trends (our video newsletter) and Telecom News Now (our industry blog). To learn more about how JSA can elevate your brand, visit www.jaymiescotto.com.

Join the conversation: Follow JSA on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Embedded Video Available

Embedded Video Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3001605



For media inquiries, please contact:

Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA)

+1 866.695.3629

Email Contact




HOLLYWOOD, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Telco Cuba, Inc. (OTC PINK: QBAN) -- Telco Cuba, a publicly traded telecommunication provider, today announced it has signed a teaming agreement to offer the US Federal Government telecommunications services under the Network Services 2020 (NS2020) strategy.

In line with CEO, William J. Sanchez's strategy for Telco Cuba, Inc., the company has signed a teaming agreement to offer telecommunication, network and infrastructure services to the US Federal Government under the NS2020 strategy.

"The teaming agreement to offer services under the GSA's NS2020 strategy opens the door to a lucrative, 50 Billion in government contracts over a 15 year period. Telco Cuba has the resources and is highly qualified and poised to take on these opportunities in the highly lucrative federal network and telecommunication space," said Mr. Sanchez.

Network Services 2020 (NS2020) is the US Government's strategy for the next generation of telecommunications and information technology (IT) infrastructure services. It provides a roadmap for the future of the Network Services Programs (NSP), including evolution beyond the regional Local Service Agreements (LSAs), and other current contracts. More information can be found at:

LINK: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/106303

Telco Cuba is a cellular service provider currently targeting the Cuban-American demographic in the US. Its plans call for providing international calling at lower rates than competitive landline rates, and bundling digital, cell phone and text messaging services in Cuba as soon as it becomes legally viable to do so.

Safe Harbor Notice

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Telco Cuba cautions that statements made in this news release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time statements are made. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current projections or implied results. Telco Cuba undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this news release. Additional details of the Company's business can be found in its public disclosures as a reporting issuer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") EDGAR database.

This press release is issued on behalf of the Board of Directors by William J Sanchez, CEO and Chairman of the board.

Disclaimer Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release, on Telco Cuba's ("QBAN") website and other oral and written statements made by QBAN from time to time are "forward-looking statements", as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding beliefs, objectives, intentions, goals, plans, strategies, financial projections, any other statements regarding the future and any statements that are not purely historical. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and QBAN expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof. All forward-looking statements, whether written or oral and whether made by or on behalf of the QBAN, are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. QBAN's expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith and are believed by QBAN to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs or projections will result or be achieved or accomplished. A variety of factors, many of which are beyond QBAN's control affect QBAN's operations, performance, business strategy and results and could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of QBAN to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For QBAN, particular uncertainties arise, amongst others but not limited to and not in any order of importance, from (i) focusing on and allocating more resources on certain target markets (ii) the possibility to raise further equity and debt to fund future growth, (iii) changes in demand for QBAN's products, (iv) performance issues with key suppliers, affiliates, agents, advisors or subcontractors, (v) changes in government changes in laws or regulations to which QBAN or its suppliers are subject, including environmental laws and regulations relating to water or water sources and (vi) the inability to complete announced acquisitions, difficulty or unanticipated expenses in connection with integrating acquired businesses and the risk that anticipated synergies and opportunities as a result of acquisitions will not be realized or the risk that acquisitions do not perform as planned, including, for example, the risk that acquired businesses will not achieve revenue projections.

THIS NEWS RELEASE HAS BEEN PREPARED BY QBAN's MANAGEMENT, WHO TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS. NO SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. THIS NEWS RELEASE SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION.

Contact Information:

Telco Cuba, Inc.

2001 Hollywood Blvd, Suite 202

Hollywood, FL 33019

(305)747-7647

Stock Symbol: QBAN

All inquiries: ir@telcocuba.com

Company Website: www.telcocuba.com




HENDERSON, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 --Rx Safes, Inc. (OTCQB: RXSF), a healthcare technology and medical device company that develops autonomous fingerprint security products, today announced that the Company will be launching its physician-centric Doctor Direct sales program at the American College of Physicians Conference and Trade Show (ACP) in Booth 1435 on May 5-7, 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.

The DoctorDIRECT program is a simple, no-cost sales program that targets more than 150,000 physicians nationwide, offering them financial incentives and supporting materials to help patients and their families safely store prescription medications in the home. Physicians play an important role in patient education and safety when prescribing medication, and by participating in the program each physician will receive materials including custom prescription/order pads, drug abuse educational materials, as well as accreditation as a "Prescription Safety Advocate" practice, demonstrated by a shield which may be displayed in their practice. The program is designed to extend the reach of the Rx DrugSAFE product offering into the physician's offices and their patient's homes. The Doctor Direct Program is Sunshine Act exempt, and is both REMS and ACO compliant.

"We are excited to present the Rx DrugSAFE directly to physicians at the ACP conference," commented Lorraine Yarde, Rx Safes' Chief Executive Officer. "With our DoctorDIRECT Program, the physicians stand at the forefront of raising awareness about the drug abuse epidemic and will now have the ability to offer their patients a convenient yet secure solution to safeguard their medication at home."

The American College of Physicians' conference and trade show stands out as the nation's largest gathering of more than 6,500 internal medicine specialists and subspecialists. These physicians come eager to find new products and services that will update their practices and better serve their patients.

If you are a practicing physician and are interested in finding out more about the DoctorDIRECT program, please visit www.rxdrugsafe.com/doctordirect and complete the registration form.

About Rx Safes, Inc.

Rx Safes, Inc. designs, develops, engineers, and markets fingerprint medical devices and security storage solutions for consumers and healthcare professionals to regulate and secure the use of controlled substances at the end user (patient and consumer) level using patented, autonomous fingerprint technology that offers greater security and tighter controls over controlled substances. The company's innovative and unique biometric security products include biometric PCA infusion pump regulators (RxSafeDOSE), biometric needleless injectors (Rx MyDOSE) and a line of biometric security and storage products (Rx DrugSAFE product line) designed for hospitals, Emergency Service providers, professional healthcare workers, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, out-patient clinic, private physician offices, as well as consumers. It is estimated that more than 100 people die each day in the U.S. from misuse and unauthorized access to controlled substances with a social and economic price tag of over $600 billion. The Company is dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions to address the economic issues caused by drug diversion and unauthorized access to these medications, with products ranging from fingerprint medication safes, portable medical storage solutions, PCA pendants, Needle Free Injectors, locks and its revolutionary Rx SafeEHR product which is a portable HIPAA compliant electronic health record. The company works with OEM's to improve their legacy products by integrating its patented autonomous fingerprint technology, while innovating and producing its own products. For additional information please visit www.rxdrugsafe.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, our ability to establish and maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process, as well as our ability to possibly license from others patents and patent applications necessary to develop products; the availability of financing; the Company's ability to implement its long range business plan for various applications of its technology; the Company's ability to enter into agreements with any necessary marketing and/or distribution partners; the impact of competition, the obtaining and maintenance of any necessary regulatory clearances applicable to applications of the Company's technology; and management of growth and other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rxsafes

Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RxDrugSAFE

Keywords: JPM16, Sidoti, SOTU, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, President Obama, JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Drugs, prescription drug abuse, medicine, drug diversion, healthcare, overdose, addiction, fingerprint, biometric, safe, security, technology, government, lockbox, McKesson, Cardinal Health, CVS, Walgreens, hospital, health system, medical equipment, FDA, CDC, DEA, methadone, oxycontin, lortab, hydroconone, zohydro, Zogenix, Purdue, King Pharmaceutical, heroin, doctor, pharmacist, biometric, marijuana, weed, painkillers, clinics, sober house, rehabilitation, OTC, patients, health network, nurses, clinicians, labs, smuggle, drug money, oxy, abuse, speed, crack, cocaine, pills, roofies, qualudes, prozac, morphine, ambulance, EMS, paramedics, ecstasy, LSD, high, stoned, drugged, pharmaceutical, pharmacy, narcotics, non-profit, not-for-profit, nonprofit, foundation, padlock, Master Lock, infusion pump, drug delivery

Investor Relations Contact:

Tram Bui

Email Contact

646-536-7035




Momentum Continues in UK Market With New Eco-Safe Digester Installed at the Hard Rock Cafe in London

LONDON and CHESTNUT RIDGE, New York, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --BioHiTech Global, Inc. (OTCQB: BHTG), a green technology company that produces innovative data-driven solutions for food waste disposal, announced that its subsidiary, BioHiTech Europe has received accreditation for waste savings from the Carbon Trust, an independent expert on carbon reduction and resource efficiency.

The Carbon Trust reported that the information provided in the application form and case studies, combined with positive feedback from clients clearly demonstrated a significant track record in the design and delivery of successful, high quality waste saving solutions. BioHiTech Europe will be listed on the Carbon Trust website as an accredited supplier in the category of waste savings.

"We are honored to have been recognized by such an impactful organization and appreciate the support from the Carbon Trust in identifying the positive economic, social and environmental impact of our technology," said Alex Giacchetti, president, BioHiTech Europe. "We look forward to working with the Carbon Trust to help raise awareness of the importance of diverting and reducing food waste, and in doing so cutting harmful carbon and greenhouse gas emissions."

As part of the accreditation process, one of the case studies submitted by BioHiTech Europe was on the Hard Rock Cafe in London.

Hard Rock Cafe, an iconic rock 'n' roll themed restaurant in London, installed an Eco-Safe food waste digester to address their increasing waste disposal costs and the associated problems with getting their waste collected in Central London, while also wanting to improve on the restaurant's already strong sustainability profile. Since installing the Eco-Safe Digester, the Hard Rock Cafe reported in March of 2016 that their food waste disposal costs had been reduced by 56% and that they had to date saved 9.7 MTCO 2 by diverting their food waste.

Andrew Noone, general manager of Hard Rock Cafe, London noted: "We had concerns that this magical new technology would not do what had been promised, but it is fair to say that it does exactly what BioHiTech said it would. Our popular Central London location is one of London's busiest restaurants generating a large amount of food waste. On some days we will dispose of more than 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of food waste into the digester. We feed the digester throughout the day and into the early morning, and it eats up whatever we put into it and the wastewater simply goes down the drain. It's a very clever piece of equipment that we are looking to roll out elsewhere in our group."

BioHiTech Europe LTD is headquartered in London.

About the Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust is an independent company with a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. The Carbon Trust: (1) advises businesses, governments and the public sector on opportunities in a sustainable, low-carbon world; (2) measures and certifies the environmental footprint of organizations, products and services & (3) helps develop and deploy low-carbon technologies and solutions, from energy efficiency to renewable power. For more information, please visit www.carbontrust.com.

About Hard Rock Cafe London

Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc. is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2007, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Currently, there are venues in 68 countries, including 162 cafes, 23 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. For more information, please visit www.hardrock.com/cafes/london.

About BioHiTech Global

BioHiTech Global (OTCQB: BHTG), "The Company" headquartered in Chestnut Ridge NY, is a technology company that provides the transparency needed to prevent food waste as well as offer a sustainable means for its disposal. BioHiTech's data-driven solution offers businesses insight into their waste stream creating immediate opportunities to identify inefficiencies, improve operating results and advance sustainability initiatives within their company. For more information, please visit www.biohitech.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this document contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are based on many assumptions and estimates and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of BioHiTech Global, Inc. to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. BioHiTech Global, Inc. assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Our actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation those set forth as "Risk Factors" in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). There may be other factors not mentioned above or included in the BioHiTech's SEC filings that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. BioHiTech Global, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by securities laws.

Media Contact:

Rubenstein Public Relations

Contact: Kristie Galvani

Tel: +1-212-843-9205

Kgalvani@rubensteinpr.com

Investor Relations Contact:

MZ North America

Ted Haberfield

President - MZ North America

Direct: +1-760-755-2716

Mobile: +1-858-204-5055

thaberfield@mzgroup.us

www.mzgroup.us

Sales Contact:

BioHiTech Global, Inc.

Lisa Giovannielli

Marketing Director

Direct: +1-845-262-1081

lgiovannielli@biohitech.com

www.biohitech.com
WEST HARTFORD, CN -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Salons by JC of West Hartford, an independently owned franchise in Bishops Corner, has launched a new website to present its value proposition to aspiring business owners in a multitude of personal-care professions. Hair stylists, barbers, beauticians, aestheticians, nail technicians, cosmetologists, make-up artists, massage therapists, and more can have their own salons, at affordable rates, along with a full array of amenities and services.

"Our suite of move-in ready salons gives aspiring business owners a way to be cash-positive from day one," said Gary Dahms, owner of Salons by JC of West Hartford. "We supply the space, the basic equipment, the maintenance, and the security. They supply the vision, the ambition, the creativity, and their own decorative appointments. They're up and running as soon as they want to be. And they can make their own schedules as they and their clients see fit."

Salons by JC of West Hartford provides secure, 24/7 access; free Wi-Fi; credit-card processing set-up; online booking; marketing and support for its tenants' brands; on-site laundry facilities; a break room; and an 1,100 square foot training room. In addition, Salons by JC of West Hartford greets clients at the door and directs them to the appropriate salon; keeps the lobby and common areas clean and tastefully decorated; conducts routine maintenance and security checks of the building; anticipates and addresses the needs of salon owners and their clients; plans and conducts professional and networking events; and shares relevant industry news.

About Salons by JC of West Hartford

We give you a place to run your business, your way -- to be as flexible as your clients want you to be; to make your own schedule, keep your own hours, and provide the services your clients want, when they want it. We'll give you a place to establish your business in a community of like-minded professionals. We'll help you make your way, instead of getting in your way. And we'll work with you to create an environment in which you can grow and thrive. For more information, please visit sjc-wh.com, e-mail info@sjc-wh.com, or call 860-904-7184.

Media contact:

Gary Dahms

860-947-4615

Email Contact




ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- KHOT INFRASTRUCTURE HOLDINGS, LTD. ("KHOT" or the "Company") (CSE: KOT) proposes to conduct a non-brokered private placement of up to 10,000,000 units at a price of $0.10 per unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000. Each unit will consist of one common share and one-half of a non-transferable warrant, with a whole warrant entitling the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.20 for a period of 12 months following the closing date.

The securities issued pursuant to the private placement will be subject to a four month hold period from the closing date. The Company may pay a commission in connection with the private placement, subject to compliance with the policies of the Canadian Stock Exchange (the "Exchange"). Completion of the private placement and the payment of any commission remain subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Exchange.

Khot's licensed Mongolian subsidiary, Ashid Munkhliin Zam LLC ("AMZ"), has recently announced an acquisition of important licenses in rail bed and road construction and expects approval shortly for a power line construction license. All three of these are critical for the ongoing negotiations with the major financial and construction relationships that will enable the Company to fully exploit these large infrastructure opportunities.

AMZ's joint venture with Sepco III is actively seeking road building opportunities. The Sepco group of Chinese construction and engineering companies is among the top 100 largest global contractors in the world. In addition to this previously announced relationship with this major Chinese state owned enterprise; the Company is in discussions with a large international infrastructure and finance specialist who is seeking an ongoing relationship with AMZ.

The proceeds of the private placement will be used to take advantage of the evolution of the Company's Mongolian infrastructure activities over the last six months and implement a rapid expansion of the strategic business plan.

Management recognizes that the sheer size and scope of this opportunity requires very careful and strategic relationship building. We are pleased to report this process is progressing very positively and the Company anticipates being able to shortly provide more specific information.

The appointment of Ms. Erin Chutter as Chief Operating Officer of the Company will allow for active engagement with the various funding, infrastructure partners and other critical parties. Along with the Firebird Funds' long-standing relationships in Mongolia, Erin's background as an experienced business professional with significant operating experience in Central Asia and China will assist in finalizing various high value concession opportunities. She also sits as the Chair of the Canadian Eurasia Russian Business Association, Vancouver Chapter and brings significant funding and other Chinese State-owned enterprise relationships into Khot and AMZ. Erin has been a director of Khot since April 5, 2015.

Investors should be aware that the Company plans to be financed by project debt at the subsidiary level so the need for additional equity at the Company level should be relatively small and the resulting dilution modest. This round is supported by directors and key consultants to the Company and we invite you to speak to management regarding this opportunity.

The Company closed the financing announced on December 16, 2015, for gross proceeds of $510,000. The financing consisted of 950,867 units at a price of $0.15 per unit for gross proceeds of $142,630. Each unit consisted of one common share and one-half of a non-transferable warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.20 for a period of 12 months following the closing date.

The securities issued pursuant to the private placement will be subject to a four month hold period from the closing date. The Company paid a commission of $2,640 and 8,800 warrants on the first tranche.

About Khot:

Our goal is to become the leading Mongolian transportation contractor and the preferred choice for employees, shareholders and partners. Our focus is on high margin contracts, such as highways and regional roads. Our mission is to provide the infrastructure needed for one of the world's fastest growing economies.

To find out more about KHOT, please visit our website at khot-infrastructure.com, email: IR@khot-infrastructure.com.

About AMZ:

AMZ is a qualified Mongolian company, provides investors a first mover advantage; in effect a proxy on Mongolia and by extension a future opportunity in the entire Silk Road Region. The AMZ team includes experienced road engineers and business developers. In addition, the Company has the ability to leverage the Firebird office in the Mongolian capital city and has ready access to other key operational advantages this long-term relationship offers.

The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved or disapproved the contents of this press release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company.

Forward-looking statements and information are based on assumptions that financing and personnel will be available when required and on reasonable terms, and all necessary regulatory approvals and shareholder approval will be obtained, none of which are assured and are subject to a number of other risks and uncertainties.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Contacts:

Khot Infrastructure Holdings, Ltd.

Erin Chutter

Director

+1 604 808 6420



Khot Infrastructure Holdings, Ltd.

Sabino Di Paola

Chief Financial Officer

+1 613 293 9219



Khot Infrastructure Holdings, Ltd.

Malcolm Burke

+ 1 604 220 2000




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Atlantic Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE: AGB) ("Atlantic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that pursuant to the terms of its hedging facility of up to 215,000 ounces, the Company has entered into gold price hedging contracts (the "Contracts") covering 100,000 ounces of production from the Company's Moose River Consolidated Project.

The Contracts were executed on a spot basis of CAD$1,619 per ounce, and will be scheduled out for delivery over the term of the Company's project loan facility.

The Company was advised on the execution of this program by its debt and hedge advisors, Noah's Rule.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Steven Dean, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this press release, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding discussions of future plans, guidance, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, the activities contemplated in this news release and the timing and receipt of requisite regulatory, and shareholder approvals in respect thereof. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements related to proposed exploration and development programs, grade and tonnage of material and resource estimates. These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results may vary. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary include without limitation, the timing and receipt of certain approvals, changes in commodity and power prices, changes in interest and currency exchange rates, risks inherent in exploration estimates and results, timing and success, inaccurate geological and metallurgical assumptions (including with respect to the size, grade and recoverability of mineral reserves and resources), changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors, unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications, cost escalation, unavailability of materials, equipment and third party contractors, delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters), political risk, social unrest, and changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets.

In making the forward-looking statements in this press release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, the assumptions that: (1) market fundamentals will result in sustained gold demand and prices; (2) the receipt of any necessary approvals and consents in connection with the development of any properties; (3) the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of any mineral properties; and (4) sustained commodity prices such that any properties put into operation remain economically viable. Information concerning mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates also may be considered forward-looking statements, as such information constitutes a prediction of what mineralization might be found to be present if and when a project is actually developed. Certain of the risks and assumptions are described in more detail in the Company's audited financial statements and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2015 on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The actual results or performance by the Company could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements relating to those matters. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company. Except as required by law, the Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Atlantic Gold Corporation

Chris Batalha

CFO and Corporate Secretary

+1 604 689-5564




NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the market-leading integrated media company serving the global communications sector, today takes flight for new frontiers with the launch of Light Reading Enterprise Cloud (http://www.lightreading.com/enterprise-cloud.asp).

Light Reading Enterprise Cloud serves Light Reading's traditional community of communications service providers, as well as a new base for Light Reading -- enterprise businesses -- as they make the transition to a new IT model. This exciting new community is sponsored by Mitel and Nuage Networks.

Light Reading's coverage will drill into all aspects of this exciting new world, including converged communications, cloud collaboration, outsourcing, data center design, SDN and NFV virtualization, cloud management, cloud analytics, open source and security, as well as the intersection of service provider and enterprise networks.

Light Reading's coverage of enterprise cloud will be differentiated by the same values that have always set Light Reading apart: fiercely independent and authoritative editorial, with focus on the business implications of technology rather than technology for its own sake.

The Editor of Light Reading Enterprise Cloud is Mitch Wagner, formerly Executive Editor of InformationWeek and an industry-renowned expert in enterprise as well as telecom.

Mitch has covered the enterprise and telecom industries for a quarter-century. Prior to launching Light Reading's Enterprise Cloud coverage, Mitch worked as West Coast Bureau Chief for Light Reading, where he led virtual networking coverage breaking news and insights about SDN and NFV, and Silicon Valley and other West Coast companies. Previously, he was Editor-in-Chief for Internet Evolution, and wrote for Computerworld, Open Systems Today and UNIX Today. He's based in San Diego.

"The cloud is a fundamental change in how IT is delivered for both enterprises and service providers," Wagner says. "Light Reading will shine a light for business leaders looking to navigate that difficult transition."

About Light Reading

Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) helps the global communications industry make informed decisions. Lightreading.com is the definitive source for next-generation communications analysis for more than 450,000 users each month, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content and reputation. Light Reading also produces live events for executives charged with monetizing cable, New IP, optical, Ethernet, mobile, gigabit cities, security, virtualization, components, communications drones, next-gen analytics, Internet of Things and wireline networks. Visit Light Reading on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube for all the latest news.

Light Reading

Julie Muroff

muroff@lightreading.com




TORONTO, ON -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Chess Supersite Corporation (OTC PINK: CHZP) has signed an Agreement with ACP (Association of Chess Professionals http://www.chessprofessionals.org) to become the Title Sponsor of the ACP Women's Cup 2016, which will be officially promoted as ACP Chess Supersite Women's Cup 2016. Chess Supersite Corp. will receive exclusive rights for the live video broadcast for the event. ACP will be in charge of organizing the event at the highest level, contracting top women chess players and ensuring a professional video broadcast with the live commentaries of the invited experts -- all which is in line with the standards set by the ACP in its previous events. This event will last at least four days. ACP will promote the partnership with Chess Supersite Corp. immediately. For the first time for the tournaments of this calibre, the time control will deploy DELAYS instead of INCREMENTS. The significance of this is that for the first time ever in the Grandmasters' Tournament our members will enjoy participation in the "CHOOSE YOUR MOVE AND WIN" contests and be eligible for the monthly Grand Prizes as well as for Prizes in each game.

ACP (Association of Chess Professionals) is a not-for-profit organization, whose main purpose is the protection of chess professionals' rights and the practice and promotion of chess worldwide, in particular through the organization of chess tournaments and other chess events. ACP has united over 1000 chess professionals from 84 countries and the number is constantly increasing. Since registration, the ACP has organized more than a dozen tournaments with a total budget in excess of 2 million Euro.

About Chess Supersite Corp.

Chess Supersite Corp., is a publicly traded company, trading symbol: CHZP on the OTC Market Group, whose primary business is the development and operation of the chess portal www.chesssupersite.com -- a comprehensive chess portal featuring state-of-the-art playing zone, broadcasts of the major tournaments, intuitive mega database, chess skilled contests and much more. Additional information can be accessed on the company's website www.chesssupersitecorp.com

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. This press release should be considered in light of all filings of the Company that are contained in the Edgar Archives of the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Contact:

Chess Supersite Corporation.

www.chesssupersitecorp.com

1131A Leslie Street, Suite 101

Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3L8, Canada

Ph: 416-441-4631




BEAVERTON, OR and SAN FRANCISCO CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Nvoicepay, the leader in strategic payment solutions for the enterprise, today announced the complete agenda and full line-up of speakers for its "Automotive NSIGHTS'16" Summit which will be held on May 16-17, 2016 at the Harvest Inn in St. Helena, California. The two-day, invitation-only Summit will examine some of the key disruptive trends transforming the office of the CFO for the automotive industry.

Noteworthy keynote and panel sessions from this year's Automotive NSIGHTS' Summit will include:

Featured Keynote: Laura Carlisle, CFO, Kuni Automotive, "CFO's Leading the Community"

Keynote Session: Justin Sprague, VP of Product Marketing, CDK Global, "Technology and the Internet Shaping Our Future"

Keynote Session: Jake Moseley, Senior Market Manager, Silicon Valley Bank, "Fintech Innovations Reshaping the Banking Industry"

Dealership Case Study: ROI of a Paperless Back Office, Patsy Price, Director of Operations, Peterson Automotive

Leadership Discussion: Karla Friede, CEO, Nvoicepay & Greg Goodwin, CEO, Kuni Automotive, "Leadership in Operational Efficiency"

Panel Discussion: Lessons Learned Driving Innovation in Dealerships

Executive Fireside Chat: Carmen Policy, Former NFL Executive and Garen Staglin, Staglin Family Vineyards and One Mind Campaign Founder

The Automotive NSIGHTS'16 Summit will be hosted at the Harvest Inn and Staglin Family Vineyards in beautiful Napa Valley, California. CFOs in the automotive and trucking industry interested in attending the Automotive NSIGHTS'16 Summit can register and find additional information about the Summit at: http://www.nvoicepay.com/nvoicepaynsights.

About Nvoicepay

Nvoicepay delivers strategic payment solutions to automate account payable, enabling customers to pay 100% of their invoices electronically, while realizing the financial benefits of payment optimization. Nvoicepay's cloud based products and vendor payment services reduce costs, increase efficiencies and maximize rebates, all with minimal effort. Nvoicepay serves thousands of customers paying hundreds of thousands of suppliers across multiple industries including healthcare, retail and financial services. More information about Nvoicepay is available at www.nvoicepay.com.

Press Contact:

Robert Nachbar

Kismet Communications

206-427-0389

Email Contact




CULVER CITY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- eWellness Healthcare Corporation (OTCQB: EWLL) is the first physical therapy telemedicine company to offer insurance reimbursable real-time distance monitored treatments. The Company is pleased to announce that it agreed to become a Level 1 sponsor of the Private Practice Section "PPS" of the American Physical Therapy Association annual conference, in order to ignite a nationwide marketing and sales effort of the Company's PHZIO platform. The 2016 PPS Annual Conference is at the Wynn Hotel from October 19th through the 22nd 2016 in Las Vegas Nevada.

eWellness has chosen to be a Level 1 Sponsor of the conference and will host various Networking Receptions. The Company will also begin advertising in September 2016 in the monthly PPS magazine "Impact" and will have a full-page ad in the conference program. The Company will also receive prominent recognition at two separate general sessions. Additionally the Company will be actively demonstrating its PHZIO platform to large numbers of multiple-clinic PT practitioners. Typically there are over 900 multi-practice PT owners that attend the PPS conference.

The APTA is an individual membership professional organization representing more than 93,000 member physical therapists (PTs), physical therapist assistants (PTAs), and students of physical therapy. APTA seeks to improve the health and quality of life of individuals in society by advancing physical therapist practice, education, and research, and by increasing the awareness and understanding of physical therapy's role in the nation's health care system.

eWellness's goal is to roll-out three new PHZIO platforms in the second quarter of 2016 include a total knee and hip replacement exercise program and a new customizable platform that allows a PT licensee to assemble unique patient exercise treatments from a play list of over 250 unique 2-4 minute exercise protocols.

Darwin Fogt, MPT, CEO of eWellness stated that, "Dan Mills, MPT who is Chairman of the Company's newly formed committee known as the eWellness Physical Therapy Clinical Advisory Board ("PTCAB") will begin outreach and the marketing of our PHZIO platforms to APTA members in June 2016, creating initial industry awareness and the onboarding of independent PT clinics using our PHZIO platform for patient treatments".

About eWellness

eWellness Healthcare Corporation is the first physical therapy telemedicine company to offer insurance reimbursable real-time distance monitored treatments. Our business model is to license our PHZIO ("PHZIO") platform to any physical therapy clinic in the U.S. and or have large-scale employers use our PHZIO platform as a fully PT monitored corporate wellness program. The Company's PHZIO home physical therapy exercise platform has been designed to disrupt the $30 billion physical therapy and the $8 billion corporate wellness industries. PHZIO re-defines the way physical therapy can be delivered. PHZIO is the first real-time remote monitored 1-to-many physical therapy platform for home use. Due to the real-time patient monitoring feature, the PHZIO platform is insurance reimbursable by payers such as: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The PHZIO Solution: A New Physical Therapy Delivery System

SaaS technology platform solution for providers bundling rehabilitation services and employer wellness programs;





First real-time remote monitored 1-to-many physical therapy treatment platform for home use;





Ability for physical therapists to observe multiple patients simultaneously in real-time;





Solves what has been a structural problem and limitation in post-acute care practice growth; and





Allows PT practices to generate increased revenues due to higher adherence and compliance rates.





Additional Treatment Protocols: The Company's initial PHZIO application is a 6-month exercise program for patients with back, knee or hip pain. The next two platforms are anticipated to be released in the second quarter of 2016 include a total knee and hip replacement exercise program and a new customizable platform that allows a PT licensee to assemble unique patient exercise treatments from a play list of over 250 unique 2-4 minute exercise protocols. The hip and knee programs have been designed to be integrated into any hospital or medical group's Medicare CMS bundled payment model for post-acute care physical therapy. These two programs are anticipated to be followed by woman's health and geriatric programs by the end of the third quarter of 2016.

For additional information on eWellness Healthcare Corporation and its PHZIO telemedicine products please contact Mr. David Markowski, CFO: david.markowski@gmail.com Tel: 541-778-7042.

Forward-Looking Statements: Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements contained in this document include certain predictions and projections that may be considered forward-looking statements under securities law. These statements involve a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, the performance of joint venture partners, as well as other economic, competitive and technological factors involving the Company's operations, markets, services, products, and prices. With respect to eWellness Healthcare Corporation, except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this document are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Mr. David Markowski

CFO

david.markowski@gmail.com

Tel: 541-778-7042




SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- PipelineDeals, the leading provider of cloud-based business relationship software for SMBs, today expands the capabilities of Connect, the first solution to truly integrate email into the sales workflow. The new Connect provides direct integration with Google, Microsoft Exchange and Office 365. This unique integration automatically tracks both outgoing and incoming emails and is combined with everything sales teams and their managers need to create, execute and analyze email communications that accelerate business wins across the sales cycle.

Connect enables impactful, simple and trackable mass-targeted email campaigns and one-off correspondence for SMBs all within PipelineDeals. By combining the full capabilities of the most comprehensive sales and account management software with the most prevalent email services, the need for manual work or toggling between applications is eliminated. The result is enhanced sales and business performance.

"We've increased leads into our sales funnel five percent month-over-month using Connect," said Sean Johnson from Aerolase. "We have a long-term, capital intensive sales process, and Connect has helped our sales team reengage with older leads by letting us know who is listening to our messages. The functionality, ease of use, and reliability of PipelineDeals is working out great for us. We appreciate how easy it's been to customize PipelineDeals to fit our process."

All of the tools SMBs need for successful email campaigns are offered as part of Connect. This includes:

Impactful email communication: campaign list generation, access to shared and personal templates, and advanced mail merge capabilities to personalize emails at scale.

Simple email execution: email scheduling, one-click email distribution from anywhere within PipelineDeals, and improved deliverability and security from eliminating the need for third-party vendors.

Advanced tracking, analysis and action: real-time notifications and tracking of open rates, link clicks, downloads, unsubscribes or bounces delivered directly to sales staff inboxes and automatically recorded for each contact and company. Connect also provides detailed reporting for this data to assess success and plan upcoming campaigns.

"We designed PipelineDeals to assure SMBs effectively spend their time and resources where it matters the most -- on the relationships," said JP Werlin, CEO and founder at PipelineDeals. "Email and CRM are the most important tools in a salesperson's arsenal, and we've combined the best of both worlds with Connect. Our latest enhancements are a testament to our dedication and capability to provide our customers with what they need to successfully start, develop and grow customer relationships at any stage of the customer lifecycle."

To learn more about PipelineDeals Connect and for a full list of features, visit https://www.pipelinedeals.com/features/connect

About PipelineDeals

Founded in 2006, PipelineDeals (www.pipelinedeals.com) provides small to medium-sized businesses with the only sales and account management platform to deliver certainty in every action to start, develop and grow customer relationships. With a focus on service, PipelineDeals seeks to change the way businesses manage their sales pipeline and grow revenue. PipelineDeals boasts more than 4,000 customers in more than 60 countries, was recently named an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company, awarded a top customer satisfaction award by G2 Crowd and named one of Washington's Best Places to Work by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Google is a registered trademark of Google Inc. Microsoft, Exchange and Office 365 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Contact:

Heather Smith

PipelineDeals

303-752-3552 x 224

PLD@visitechpr.com




BOTHELL, WA, and BAAR, SWITZERLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Marina Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB: MRNA), a leading nucleic acid-based drug discovery and development company focused on rare diseases and Turing Pharmaceuticals AG a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for serious diseases announced that the companies have executed a term sheet under which Marina intends to acquire Turing's intranasal ketamine program. Pending the negotiation of the definitive agreement, Marina is expected to acquire Turing's intranasal ketamine program for approximately 53 million Marina common shares.

The assets to be acquired will include all patents and intellectual property rights, clinical development plans, regulatory documents and existing product inventories. As per the term sheet, Marina will pay to Turing up to $95 million in success- and sales-based milestones plus a mid-single digit royalty on net sales. Further terms of the proposed transaction were not disclosed.

"We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity to bring in a late-stage clinical program with the potential for approval in multiple indications including certain rare disorders," stated J. Michael French, President and CEO at Marina Biotech. "The program has been advanced worldwide with plans for U.S. and international clinical trial sites. The work thus far has predominately been directed at suicidality in post-traumatic stress disorder; a patient population with few, if any, therapeutic options. We believe the early clinical successes of this program combined with broadening acceptance of ketamine as a treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases, presents a unique opportunity to rapidly move this compound into the U.S. market as early as 2019. In addition, there is some earlier work by academic centers suggesting that intranasal ketamine might be efficacious in patients suffering from certain rare diseases. We look forward to working with the Turing team to conclude this transaction and transfer the assets as quickly as possible in order to maintain the momentum of this program."

"We too are pleased to enter into this relationship with Marina and to have found a company capable of giving this program the priority it deserves," stated Eliseo Salinas, M.D., President of Research and Development at Turing Pharmaceuticals, "I have been impressed with the progress our research and development team has made over the past six months in advancing intranasal ketamine for the treatment of suicidality. I look forward to working with the Marina team to rapidly transition this program so that we can maintain our momentum and bring this compound to market as quickly as possible."

Marina's purchase of Turing's Phase 3 intranasal ketamine program is expected to close by July 1, 2016, pending the completion of customary due diligence considerations, the negotiation, execution and delivery of a definitive asset purchase agreement, and the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions set forth in the asset purchase agreement, including the completion by Marina of a financing transaction yielding proceeds sufficient to initiate and support the Phase 3 efforts.

Mr. French added, "Regarding the sale of our nucleic acid therapeutics assets, which we previously announced in our press release dated March 15, 2016, we have terminated the on-going efforts to sell these assets to Microlin Bio, Inc. However, we continue to explore opportunities to advance our existing clinical and preclinical programs through either our own efforts or those of a collaboration partner and leverage our nucleic acid drug discovery engine through collaborative partnerships or sale. The Marina Board of Directors and I believe that the opportunity to bring the ketamine compound to market within the next four years combined with the ability to leverage our nucleic acid assets, creates the best opportunity to build value for our shareholders."

Objective Capital Partners, LLC served as an advisor to Marina Biotech in the transaction.

About Marina Biotech, Inc.

Marina Biotech is an oligonucleotide therapeutics company with broad drug discovery technologies providing the ability to develop proprietary single and double-stranded nucleic acid therapeutics including siRNAs, microRNA mimics, antagomirs, and antisense compounds, including messengerRNA therapeutics. These technologies were built via a roll-up strategy to discover and develop different types of nucleic acid therapeutics in order to modulate (up or down) a specific protein(s) which is either being produced too much or too little thereby causing a particular disease. We believe that the Marina Biotech technologies have unique strengths as a drug discovery engine for the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics for rare and orphan diseases. Further, we believe Marina Biotech is the only company in the sector that has a delivery technology in human clinical trials with differentiated classes of payloads, through licensees ProNAi Therapeutics and Mirna Therapeutics, delivering single-stranded and double-stranded nucleic acid payloads, respectively. Our novel chemistries and other delivery technologies have been validated through license agreements with Roche, Novartis, Monsanto, and Tekmira. The Marina Biotech pipeline currently includes a clinical program in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (a precancerous syndrome) and a preclinical program in myotonic dystrophy. Marina Biotech's goal is to improve human health through the development of RNAi- and oligonucleotide-based compounds and drug delivery technologies that together provide superior therapeutic options for patients. Additional information about Marina Biotech is available at www.marinabio.com.

About Turing Pharmaceuticals AG

Turing Pharmaceuticals AG is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company with offices in Zug, Switzerland, and New York, New York. Turing focuses on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for serious diseases and conditions across a broad range of therapeutic areas, for which there are currently limited or no treatment options. Turing is currently developing next-generation therapies for toxoplasmosis and other infectious diseases. Daraprim (pyrimethamine) for the treatment of Toxoplasmosis in combination with sulfonamide and Vecamyl (mecamylamine HCl tablets) for hypertension are Turing's first commercial products.

About Objective Capital Partners, LLC

Objective Capital Partners (www.objectivecp.com) is a leading M&A investment banking firm whose Principals have collectively engaged in more than 500 successful transactions serving the transaction needs of growth stage and mid-size companies. The executive team has a unique combination of investment banking, private equity, and business ownership experience that enables Objective Capital Partners to provide large enterprise caliber investment banking services to companies with annual revenues up to $500 million. Services include sale transactions, equity and debt capital raises and comprehensive advisory services. The firm uses a proprietary process to work to achieve maximum company valuation, premium pricing, and high client satisfaction rates post-sale. The firm's industry expertise includes: life sciences, business services, software and hardware technology, aerospace/defense, IT services, healthcare services, energy services, biotech, consumer products and specialized manufacturing. Additional information on Objective Capital Partners is available at www.objectivecp.com.

Securities and investment banking services are offered through BA Securities, LLC Member FINRA, SIPC. The Principals of Objective Capital Partners are Registered Representatives of BA Securities. Objective Capital Partners and BA Securities are separate and unaffiliated entities.

Marina Biotech Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability of Marina Biotech to obtain additional funding; (ii) the ability of Marina Biotech to attract and/or maintain manufacturing, research, development and commercialization partners; (iii) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to successfully complete product research and development, including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (iv) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to obtain required governmental approvals; and (v) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to develop and commercialize products prior to, and that can compete favorably with those of, competitors. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in Marina Biotech's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Marina Biotech assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements because of subsequent events.

Turing Pharmaceuticals Safe Harbor

In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of "Safe Harbor" provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the initiation of product development activities, including but not necessarily limited to clinical trials. Forward-looking statements provide Turing Pharmaceuticals' current expectations and forecasts of future events. Turing Pharmaceuticals' performance and financial results could differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements due to general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions affecting the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. Turing Pharmaceuticals undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements.

For Marina inquiries:

J. Michael French

President and CEO

Marina Biotech, Inc.

admin@marinabio.com

(425) 892-4322



For Turing inquiries:

media@turingpharma.com

(646) 356-5577



For Objective Capital inquiries:

Channing Hamlet

Managing Director

channing.hamlet@objectivecp.com

(858) 342-4939




SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Aptira, the leading managed services company for OpenStack clouds, has appointed Simon Anderson as Executive Chairman to steer the company's strategic direction as it continues to expand operations from the Asia-Pacific to Europe and the Americas.

Simon is an experienced US-based cloud technology executive with a track record in bringing new cloud software and services to the global IT market. He co-founded Inktank, the company behind the open source Ceph distributed storage system that has become the standard for block storage in OpenStack clouds. Inktank was acquired by Red Hat in April 2014 for $175M. Simon was most recently Chairman and CEO of DreamHost, a US-based cloud hosting company that has built one of the leading OpenStack public clouds with over 400,000 customers worldwide. As a board member of the OpenStack Foundation from 2012 to 2015, Simon played a key role in expanding participation in the OpenStack project from companies worldwide.

Aptira has built a global reputation as the leading OpenStack managed services company in the Asia-Pacific region, delivering expert design, implementation and management services for enterprise-grade OpenStack cloud infrastructure. The Aptira team have deep relationships and influence in the OpenStack community worldwide, developed through over five years of contributions, developer training, community events, and governance. Currently two Aptira executives serve on the OpenStack Foundation board, and Aptira employs three of the 12 OpenStack Ambassadors worldwide.

With OpenStack cloud deployments accelerating globally, Aptira intends to capitalize on the skills gap and deliver best-in-class OpenStack managed services to enterprises worldwide, from a strong expert foundation built on serving large customers such as Telstra, Cisco, and Optus/Singtel. The appointment of Simon Anderson as Executive Chairman will enable Aptira to attract new talent, secure global strategic and financial partners, and expand operations in the US and Europe.

"Aptira has the differentiated OpenStack expertise and broad managed services capability to successfully deliver OpenStack for enterprises worldwide," said Simon Anderson, executive chairman of Aptira. "I'm excited to lead the board of Aptira and build a global OpenStack managed services capability with the executive team."

Tristan Goode, Chief Executive Officer, Aptira, said "Simon's tremendous industry profile and his leadership of our board from the United States will enable Aptira to identify and capitalise on the many industry opportunities we see originating from the North American market. Building upon our success as the leading provider of OpenStack in APAC, we opened our first European office in 2015 and we plan to rapidly grow the team to service the North American marketplace."

About Aptira

Aptira is a leader in delivering OpenStack managed services and consulting to meet the most demanding technology specifications for a wide range of organisations in telecommunications, media, finance, retail, utilities and government. With offices in Australia, India, Taiwan and Hungary, Aptira serves the global market for OpenStack cloud deployments with best-in-class expertise, services and operations. As the founder and prime motivator of the OpenStack community in Australia, India and Eastern Europe, the company is committed to the idea that what it is doing for its customers today will be mainstream tomorrow. For more information, please visit aptira.com or follow Aptira on Twitter: @aptira.
ATLANTA, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Dominovas Energy Corporation (OTCQB: DNRG), an energy solutions company dedicated to delivering clean, efficient, and reliable electricity, announces the launch of the first RUBICON SOFC system in Johannesburg, South Africa. Launched in partnership with the South Africa-based Edison Power Group (EPG), the 50kW RUBICON system is set for delivery and full implementation within 90 days and will serve as a demonstration unit for future Edison Power Group sponsored multi-megawatt, utility scale deployments in Africa. The 50kW RUBICON produce over 430,000 kilowatt hours of clean, fuel cell generated electricity each year. The 50kW RUBICON proof of concept "showcase" unit will be the first solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit to serve baseload capacity anywhere on the African continent.

"South Africa has historically been the energy vanguard and continues to set the pace on the continent for renewable energy solutions and broad-based energy reform by advocating for the adoption of new technology applications for clean power generation. Edison Power Group's commitment in supporting the RUBICON's first system in South Africa represents a watershed moment in a series of monumental achievements and milestones for us," stated Shantan Reddy, Chief Executive Officer of Edison Power Group. Dominovas Energy Chairman and CEO Neal Allen added, "Dominovas Energy is honored to have Edison Power Group as a partner, as it has been a stalwart leader in the development and deployment of electricity infrastructure and is a true leader in the electricity sector, not only in South Africa, but also within Africa as a whole. With the vision and leadership of Mr. Reddy and the support of Edison Power Group, the introduction of the RUBICON represents a true paradigm shift for the delivery of electricity by Edison Power Group on what will eventually be based upon multi megawatt platforms."

Michael Watkins, COO and President of the Fuel Cell Division, states, "Given the Company's current production schedule, we could not be more excited about the opportunity before us today. By August of this year, Dominovas Energy will have the first RUBICON SOFC unit operating in sub-Saharan Africa -- more than a year in advance of the commercial operations date (COD) for our first scheduled deployment." Watkins went on to say, "The partnership agreement with Edison Power Group includes the minimum deployment of 50MW over the next 5 years of Dominovas Energy's RUBICON fuel cell system."

When asked about the significance of the 50kW RUBICON showcase unit, Dr. Pat Naidoo enthusiastically replied, "This showcase [of the RUBICON] cannot be overstated, as it ushers in a new era of beneficiation of South Africa's mineral resources; industrialization, and job creation. The fuel cell represents a transformation for the economy of sub-Saharan Africa in energy that has not been seen since the introduction of the cell phone to the telecom industry in the region." Dr. Naidoo is an esteemed associate professor of electrical power engineering at the Durban University of Technology (www.dut.ac.za), is a non-executive member of ESKOM's Board of Directors (http://www.eskom.co.za/Pages/Landing.aspx), and is a senior member of IEEE. He is also a special consultant to Dominovas Energy.

This announcement affirms Dominovas Energy's commitment to excellence and the continuous advancement of innovation by engineering multi-megawatt platforms for the deployment of RUBICON NextGen technology, which will in turn serve to further diversify the mix of clean sustainable and renewable sources of energy throughout sub-Saharan Africa. "Without question, Dominovas Energy is revolutionizing the manner in which electricity will be delivered in Africa for years to come," expressed Dr. Shamiul Islam, Dominovas Energy's Executive Vice President of the Fuel Cell Division.

The deployment of the "showcase" 50kW unit is being made possible via the continued partnership and collaboration with its system integration partner AVL Gratz, Ghmb and with stack supplier SOLIDPower SpA of Mezzolombardo (TN) Italy, (http://www.solidpower.com/en/home/) for the production and delivery of the 50kW RUBICON showcase. Ongoing, Dominovas Energy will continue to engage with AVL and SOLIDPower to support its multi-megawatt deployments in South Africa.

About the Edison Power Group (EPG)

Edison Power Group, the oldest electrical contracting company in South Africa (34 years), is driven by its determination to be the leading company in the electrical industry through the provision of cost effective, efficient services and a commitment to increasing shareholder value whilst improving the quality of life of all South Africans. The company specializes in electrical installations in all aspects of the electrical industry including commercial, industrial, HV and LV reticulation, township reticulation, fiber optic installations, live line installations, smart metering, wind and solar EPC and substation and transformer installations.

For more information, visit www.edisonpowergroup.co.za.

About Dominovas Energy Corporation (OTCQB: DNRG)

Founded in 2005, Dominovas Energy Corporation (DEC) is a publicly traded company, based in Nevada. With its operating headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Dominovas Energy Corporation is a leading power solutions provider to emerging markets around the world. DEC employs its proprietary RUBICON Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology for deployment in multi-megawatt power generation units worldwide. The worldwide pursuit of clean and efficient production of electricity via Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology inspired its founders to create an "energy solutions" company. Recognizing that "green" and "alternative energy" markets offer immense potential for growth, Dominovas Energy is aggressively moving to allocate its intellectual and financial capital forthwith, in order to strategically address a green energy solution that is 100% reliable, efficient, and measurably cleaner than GenSets and CCGT. Additionally, unlike wind and solar solutions the RUBICON provides baseload power 24/7/365 days a year. By manufacturing and deploying the RUBICON throughout of the world, Dominovas Energy is committed to creating shareholder value by not only generating guaranteed revenue streams, but also by increasing the value of "human and community capital." Devoted to core values by operating under the utmost of honesty and integrity in all its business transactions, Dominovas Energy is additionally dedicated to respecting the rights of all individuals, while acknowledging and respecting all cultures necessary to support the growth and development of the communities and countries in which it operates. The Company strongly believes in the impact this singularly advanced technology will make on the world and is resolute in its mission to provide electricity where and when economically viable.

For more information, visit www.dominovasenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release, as well as other statements made by Dominovas Energy Corporation (the "Company"), contain forward-looking statements that reflect, when made, the Company's current views with respect to current events and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to the Company's operations and business environment, which may cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from any future results. All statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or the Company's strategies or expectations are forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as is applicable would be discussed under captions as follows: "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company's filings as would be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as required. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. It should be remembered that the price of the ordinary shares and any income from them can go down as well as up. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events and/or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Media and Investor Contact:

QualityStocks

Scottsdale, Arizona

www.QualityStocks.com

480.374.1336 Office

Email Contact



Investor Questions:

Email Contact




LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Opengear (www.opengear.com), a leading provider of critical infrastructure management solutions through advanced console servers, remote management, monitoring, and cellular out-of-band products, today announced its expanded participation at Interop Las Vegas, held May 2-6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Opengear will exhibit at booth #1044, repeat as an invited vendor lending its capabilities to the InteropNet network, and conduct a presentation on "Cellular Routers Versus Cellular Out-of-Band Management."

The InteropNet network demonstrates the power of interoperability by teaming technologies, infrastructure, and services from leading vendors to provide connectivity for the entire Interop event community. Its coverage includes support for the expo floor, conference sessions, and wireless access throughout the event grounds. InteropNet's deployment will employ Opengear's Smart OOB capabilities to provide uninterrupted network continuity at the event with zero downtime -- even if primary connections fail.

Attendees can explore Opengear's full portfolio of solutions that feature Failover to Cellular and Zero Touch Provisioning, including the award-winning Resilience Gateway and the IM7200 Infrastructure Manager.

Network uptime and business continuity are critical to maintaining the operations and reputations of organizations across industries -- from retail to banking to healthcare -- where even brief network interruptions can deeply impact a company's revenue and standing with customers. Connectivity for these organizations is made more resilient by Opengear's Smart OOB out-of-band management. Embedded into Opengear products, Smart OOB features remote access to distant sites along with network intelligence that provides automatic troubleshooting and disruption remediation. By fully monitoring a network's physical environment and power supply, Smart OOB enables network administrators to remotely repair anything that could go wrong.

"We selected Opengear for the InteropNet based on its continued industry leadership and technical acumen in cellular out-of-band management," said Glenn Evans, Lead Architect, InteropNet. "Opengear is a veteran participant of InteropNet, and we join our attendees in their excitement to see Opengear demonstrate its latest solutions for IT resilience."

"We're entering our sixth consecutive year at Interop Las Vegas, and between our Resilience Gateway and other new technologies, we feel like we're ready to put on another show worthy of the city," said Todd Rychecky, VP, Sales Americas, Opengear. "Businesses understand the vital importance of resilience in their network connectivity solutions. Interop is a perfect place to demonstrate for IT professionals just how our Smart OOB and Failover to Cellular technologies deliver the absolute always-on dependability their businesses need."

About Opengear

Founded in 2004, Opengear delivers next generation intelligent solutions for managing critical IT and communications infrastructure. Opengear smart solutions equip our customers' networks with smart automation and bulletproof resilience, enabling them to optimize technical operations and secure business continuity. The company is headquartered in the USA with executive offices in New Jersey, a manufacturing facility in Utah, R&D operations in Australia and sales offices in Europe, Asia and the USA.

About Interop

Interop is the leading global IT infrastructure event series, offering in-depth education alongside a showcase of emerging technologies in an independent, vendor-neutral environment. For 30 years, Interop has brought the IT community together to explore the latest in network infrastructure, encouraging collaboration, and interoperability. Through dynamic conference programs, Interop helps professionals at all career levels leverage the network, systems and applications that enable business innovation. The Interop Expo and InteropNet Demo Lab provide immersive, hands-on experiences, while connecting enterprise IT buyers with leading suppliers. Interop Las Vegas is the flagship event held each spring, with an annual event in Tokyo and Cloud Connect China in Shanghai. For more information, visit interop.com. Interop is organized by UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc (UBM.L), an Events First marketing and communications services business. For more information, visit ubmamericas.com.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 3, 2016) - New Age Farm Inc. (CSE: NF) (OTC: NWGFF) (FSE: ONF) (www.newagefarminc.com) ("New Age Farm" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into a long term lease agreement with our third licensed I - 502 tenant-grower to lease a portion of the Company's Oroville property in eastern Washington state. Build out is in progress for this tenant and updates will be provided as available.

About New Age Farm

Washington State

New Age Farm owns two properties in Washington State, one in Sumas and the other in Oroville. The Company intends to offer fully built out turnkey service operations at these farming campuses to licensed I-502 tenant-growers who will lease the facilities for production and processing. With two leases already in place and the newly signed third tenant, operations in Washington State are expected to begin as soon as the Company completes its build out. Both tenant facilities are currently under construction and we expect our tenants to begin planting shortly.

About the Washington I-502 Marijuana Market

In November 2012, the Washington State Liquor Control Board ("WSLCB") passed Initiative 502 ("I-502") pursuant to a vote by the people of the State of Washington. I-502 authorized the WSLCB to regulate and tax recreational marijuana products for persons over twenty-one years of age and thereby created a new industry for the growing, processing and selling of Washington State-regulated recreational marijuana products. A recent WSLCB commissioned report by the Rand organization suggests that there are currently up to 650,000 recreational marijuana users in Washington State, worth approximately $1.25 - $1.5 Billion USD in annual sales.

British Columbia

Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, NHS Industries Ltd. ("NHS"), New Age owns a five and a half acre greenhouse facility in the lower mainland of BC with a 48,000 square foot greenhouse facility, capable of growing 2.4 million 4" potted plants annually. NHS is in the process of formulating innovative proposals for small scale agricultural facilities for exploring multiple avenues for cash flow processes. The facility is located minutes from three major Canada - USA border crossings and direct routes to the lower mainland west and to all points east and west along 16th Ave to Hwy 99 and to Hwy 1 make its location in South Langley an ideal hub. NHS intends to become a beta site for sustainable growing capabilities as well as minimizing all carbon footprints with regard to all its on-site operations. This facility will meet a growing demand in the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley areas to help smaller growers become more efficient, more productive, implement value added product lines, and reduce waste.

For further information about New Age Farm, please consult the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

###

On Behalf Of The Board Of Directors

Carman ParentePresident and Chief Executive Officer

WWW.NEWAGEFARMINC.COM



The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to completion of planned improvements at both the Canadian and US sites on schedule and on budget, the availability of financing needed to complete the Company's planned improvements on commercially reasonable terms, planned occupancy by the tenant-growers, commencement of operations, the ability to mitigate the risk of loss through appropriate insurance policies, and the risks presented by federal statutes that may contradict local and state legislation respecting legalized marijuana. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required under applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell securities and the Company is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. These securities have not and will not be registered under United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. Person unless so registered, or an exemption from registration is relied upon.
Today, on 3rd of May 2016, asset management companies AS LHV Varahaldus and Danske Capital AS have entered into a notarised merger agreement. Pursuant to the agreement, the transferring company, Danske Capital AS, shall be deemed to be dissolved, and the receiving company shall continue its activities under the name of Aktsiaselts LHV Varahaldus. The merger is an intra-group restructuring. The merger shall become effective after the authorisation for the merger as provided in  63 of the Investment Funds Act has been granted by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (Finantsinspektsioon). The merger shall expectedly be completed during Q3. On May 2, 2016, members of the supervisory board of AS LHV Varahaldus (Erkki Raasuke, Andres Viisemann, Erki Kilu) have been appointed members of the supervisory board of Danske Capital AS and as of May 3, 2016, the members of the management board of Danske Capital AS are the same as those of AS LHV Varahaldus (Mihkel Oja and Joel Kukemelk). The former members of the supervisory and management boards of Danske Capital AS have been removed from board. The supervisory board of Danske Capital decided on outsourcing the internal audit function to AS LHV Varahaldus and its internal auditors Relika Mell and Karin Kuusk. Agreement attached to the announcement. Priit Rum Communication Manager Phone: +372 502 0786 Email: priit.rum@lhv.ee Julia Garanza Communications and Marketing Manager AS LHV Varahaldus Phone: +372 5668 1622 Email: julia.garanza@lhv.ee Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=560192

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Release no. 15/2016With reference to release no. 14/2016 of 28 April 2016, changes in Columbus A/S' Articles of Association as a consequence of the decision made by the Annual General meeting to amend the authorizations in Art. 5.1 and 5.4, have today been registered in the Danish Business Authority.At the same time the new Articles of Association for the company are hereby published.Ib Kune Thomas HonoreChairman CEO & PresidentColumbus A/S Columbus A/SFor further information, please contact:CEO Thomas Honore, T: +45 70 20 50 00.Translation: In the event of any inconsistency between this document and the Danish language version, the Danish language version shall be the governing version.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=560199

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Fulcrum Partners LLC announces the addition of Financial Consultant Wesley Hackett to the company's nationwide team. Fulcrum Partners is one of the leading and largest executive benefits consultancies in the United States, and has eleven offices located across the country, in addition to its corporate headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Hackett, an Orlando native, will be part of Fulcrum Partner's Orlando executive benefits consulting and institutional benefit financing services office.

A company founder and Managing Director, Scott Cahill, also based in the Orlando office, said, "Wes grew up working in his family's construction company. He has insight and an earnest commitment to serve and support businesses and family-owned companies. He is already proving himself to be a valuable asset in helping Fulcrum Partners reach its aggressive growth and service goals."

In addition to his role at Classic Contractors Unlimited, Wesley Hackett has been a Financial Representative with Lelle & Mitchell Wealth Management and a Financial Advisor with AXA Advisors, where he specialized in working with Orange County Public Schools on 403(b) plans, helping educators realize pre- and post-retirement objectives. Hackett is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and is the company's second new team member added this year.

Company Managing Director, Andrew Hart, Washington, D.C., says, "Now is an exciting time for Fulcrum Partners. Our company is growing, building new strategic alliances and facilitating some very creative and forward-thinking initiatives. It's not surprising that we are attracting exemplary talent."

About Fulcrum Partners LLC:

The Fulcrum Partners (http://www.fulcrumpartnersllc.com) team of experienced industry professionals serves with diverse skillsets, targeted experience and in-depth knowledge in executive compensation and benefits consulting. Fulcrum Partners is a wholly independent, member-owned firm dedicated to helping organizations enhance their Total Rewards Strategy. Founded in 2007, today the company has offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Charleston, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Delray Beach, Florida; Honolulu, Hawaii; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Orlando, Florida; Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Portland, Oregon; and Washington D.C.

Securities offered through Registered Representatives of ValMark Securities, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, 130 Springside Drive, Suite 300, Akron, OH 44333-2431, 1-800-765-5201. Investment Advisory Services offered through ValMark Advisers, Inc., which is a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Fulcrum Partners LLC is a separate entity from ValMark Securities, Inc. and ValMark Advisers, Inc.

Bruce Brownell

904.296.2563

press@fulcrumpartnersllc.com




DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - CalyxSoftware  , a leading provider of comprehensive mortgage software solutions for banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers, wholesale and correspondent lenders and brokers, announced today that it will host ASCEND16, the company's first national user conference, October 5 - 8, 2016 at The Hyatt Regency in New Orleans, La.

ASCEND16 is designed to help Calyx customers and partners ascend to the next level of success. It will help prepare them for changing industry dynamics and show them how to take full advantage of all the capabilities of Calyx's products and services. The user conference will feature more than 30 specialized breakout sessions and workshops for current customers of Point, PointCentral, PathSoftware' and LoanScoreCard, including C-level executives, business and operations managers, loan officers, underwriters, processors, lock desk staff, system administrators and secondary market managers. Topics will include:

Hands-on training and best practices for using Point, PointCentral, PathSoftware and LoanScoreCard

The current state and future of the housing and mortgage markets

Reaching the next generation of homebuyers

Using technology to improve the customer experience and boost productivity

Preparing for regulatory exams

Getting ready for upcoming HMDA changes

Lessons learned from TRID at the one-year anniversary

The keynote speakers currently scheduled to appear at the general sessions include:

Barbara Corcoran, real estate mogul and business expert from Shark Tank

David Pogue, host of NOVA ScienceNow & Yahoo Tech columnist

Additional speakers and panelists, as well as the complete agenda, will be announced at a later date.

User conference attendees will also be invited to participate in several networking events, including an opening reception in the exhibit hall where they can meet with a select number of Calyx partners and sponsors showcasing their products and services; a welcome dinner at Champions Square; and a Masquerade Gala celebrating Calyx's 25th Anniversary at Mardi Gras World.

"In today's complex, compliance-focused environment, just delivering technology is no longer enough," said Dennis Boggs, executive vice president, CalyxSoftware. "It's important to help clients understand the changing lending landscape and how technology solutions can help drive their business goals. Over the past several years, we've offered smaller regional events, but given the massive changes our industry has faced over the past few years, we believe a national event is necessary and will allow us to help our customers feel more confident, capable and prepared for the road ahead."

Calyx customers interested in attending can visit CalyxASCEND.com for more information and to register.

About CalyxSoftware

CalyxSoftware is a provider of innovative solutions to help streamline and simplify all phases of the loan process. The company's loan origination software offerings include Point and PointCentral for banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers and brokers; and PathSoftware', a highly structured, cloud-based system for mid-tier to large, enterprise-level financial institutions. Through its LoanScoreCard subsidiary, the company also provides automated underwriting, compliance and product and pricing solutions designed to meet today's regulatory challenges.

For more information call (800) 362-2599 or visit www.calyxsoftware.com.

Contact:

Campbell Lewis Communications

Jessica Ruiz-Krout

212.995.8058

Email contact




WASHINGTON, DC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Full Measure Education Inc., the education technology innovator redefining the landscape and culture of post-secondary education, closed $6 million in additional Series B financing. The round was led by Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE), a venture capital firm investing in emerging enterprises that develop groundbreaking products and services.

Full Measure Education will use this funding to support continued growth as it seeks to expand the functionality of its cutting-edge technology. Full Measure's data-rich solutions provide unprecedented capabilities for defining, guiding and monitoring success. Beyond offering a customizable communications platform, Full Measure provides predictive behavioral analytics, personalized mentorship, and powerful data-based insights into student risk factors. This latest investment will not only enable Full Measure Education to scale existing partnerships, but also to make product enhancements that will benefit students and administrators alike.

"We're proud to once again partner with Full Measure Education as they expand their comprehensive student success partnerships," noted Erik B. Rasmussen, Managing Director of Technology at Safeguard Scientifics, and member of Full Measure's board of directors. "Full Measure's work to design simple solutions for post-secondary institutions and their commitment to creating personalized pathways for student success are commendable and important. Safeguard is proud to continue supporting the efforts of Full Measure Education as they work side-by-side with the academic community and students to redefine the landscape of higher education."

Full Measure Education has more than doubled its client base this year and features a diverse portfolio of schools nationwide, including recent additions Brazosport College, Tompkins Cortland Community College and Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College. With the launch of Full Measure's technology, administrators received a comprehensive view of the student lifecycle, year-over-year persistence improved and institutions experienced an exponential increase in student engagement.

"We believe that post-secondary institutions have a powerful opportunity to make the future happen for today's students by turning the lengthy processes associated with acquiring a degree into manageable steps. Full Measure recognizes that every student takes a different path to success and we want to be there to pave the road ahead," said Greg Davies, CEO of Full Measure Education. "We're excited to share the incredible outcomes from our first partners and to continue providing tailor-made technology for post-secondary institutions nationwide."

About Full Measure

Headquartered in Washington, DC, Full Measure Education designs next-generation, mobile-first technologies for community colleges nationwide. Our Guided Pathways Management system offers post-secondary institutions with an easy, holistic approach for personalizing every student's path to success. The Full Measure Education team is composed of seasoned educators and technologists prepared to work side-by-side with your leadership and academic community to provide unprecedented capabilities for defining, guiding and monitoring success. For more information, please visit www.fullmeasureed.com.

About Safeguard Scientifics

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE) has a distinguished track record of fostering innovation and building market leaders. For six decades, Safeguard has been providing growth capital and operational support to entrepreneurs across an evolving spectrum of industries. Today, Safeguard is focused specifically on two sectors -- healthcare and technology. Specifically, Safeguard targets early- and growth-stage companies in advertising technology, digital media, financial technology, enterprise software, Internet of Things, devices, diagnostics, digital health and healthcare IT. Currently, Safeguard has 26 partner companies located throughout the United States with operations and customers worldwide. Recent successful exits include Alverix (acquired by Becton, Dickinson for $40 million); Crescendo Bioscience (acquired by Myriad Genetics for $270 million); NuPathe (acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries for $144 million); and ThingWorx (acquired by PTC for initial proceeds of $112 million). For more information, please visit www.safeguard.com or Follow Us on Twitter @safeguard.

Media Contact:

Callie Rapp

DBC PR + Social Media

202-292-4572

Email Contact






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Monday announced the appointment of Academy Award winning actor Cate Blanchett as its global Goodwill Ambassador.



The announcement comes as Blanchett returns from a mission to Jordan to witness the ongoing humanitarian operation for people displaced by the conflict in Syria. She met Syrian refugee families to hear first-hand about the perilous journeys they had undertaken and the daily challenges they face.



'I am deeply proud to take on this role,' Blanchett said in a video interview. 'There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity. We are living through an unprecedented crisis, and there must be shared responsibility worldwide. It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance?'



Blanchett added that, as a mother, she wanted her children to go down the compassionate path: 'There's much more opportunity, there's much more optimism and there is a solution down that path.'



The actor takes on the role at a time when war, conflict and persecution have forced around 60 million people worldwide to run for their lives, the largest number since World War II. Nearly 20 million of these are refugees and more than half are children.



Prior to her appointment, Blanchett had been working closely with UNHCR for over a year to raise awareness about the forcibly displaced. In 2015, she travelled to Lebanon to meet Syrian refugees and to hear about the experiences of stateless people as part of her support for UNHCR's IBelong Campaign.



Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said he was 'very pleased' that Blanchett had taken on this new role.



'Goodwill Ambassadors play a pivotal role in creating better public understanding and support for refugees, and never has there been a greater need to build these bridges,' he said.



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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Google Chrome has finally managed to snatch the first position in the browser world by slightly overtaking Internet Explorer (IE), officially ending the long reign of the Microsoft internet search engine. According to statistics provided by market researcher NetMarketShare, Chrome was the most popular desktop browser last month with 41.7 percent, narrowly topping the 41.4 share for Internet Explorer. Mozilla's Firefox browser came in the third position with an overall market share of 9.7 percent. Firefox's appeal has been plummeting, and continued in third place since 2014 March. An April 2016 graph posted online at netmarketshare.com showed a Chrome use trend line rising while a line for IE sloped downward. Chrome commanded top spot among those who accessed the internet from mobile devices, slightly more than 49 percent of the market, according to NetMarketShare. The results came as Google faces regulatory scrutiny, particularly in Europe, over its dominant position in Internet lifestyles and as Microsoft was pursuing a shift to business and cloud computing services. Microsoft fielded new Edge browser software synchronized to its latest-generation Windows 10 operating system and incorporating its Cortana virtual assistant capabilities to win users. Microsoft last month had reported a 25 percent plunge in Q2 profits as the company navigated away from its role as a software seller to a services model. The growth for Chrome is especially impressive as IE comes bundled as the default browser with every version of Windows except for 10. Windows users who want Google Chrome must manually install it and choose it as their default browser. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
PUNE, India, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Chlor-Alkali Market by Products (Caustic Soda, Chlorine, and Soda Ash), Applications (Alumina, EDC/PVC, Glass, Organic Chemicals, Inorganic Chemicals, Food, Pulp & Paper, Water Treatment and Others) & Region - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, The market is estimated to grow from USD 78.72 Billion in 2016 to USD 102.60 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 5.4%.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 251 market data Tables and 82 Figures spread through 268 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Chlor-Alkali Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/chlor-alkali-market-708.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The market is driven by increasing demand for chlor-alkali products in emerging markets and high demand from the EDC/PVC, glass and alumina application segments.

"Caustic Soda had the largest demand among other chlor-alkali products"

Caustic soda has a wide range of applications in different end-use industries such as alumina refining, organic & inorganic chemicals, soaps & detergents, water treatment, and food and pulp & paper. Major challenges for the global caustic soda manufacturers include the high-energy costs and stringent environmental regulations. In India, there are high input costs, which make the local industry less competitive. However, there have been changes in the policies and it is expected that there will be positive outcome for the local caustic soda industry of India. The improving manufacturing industry globally will help increase the caustic soda demand in chemical and alumina applications. Soaps and detergents application, especially in India will drive the caustic soda market in the region.

Isocynates, textile, and glass are the fastest-growing end-use industries for chlor-alkali

EDC/PVC, food and pulp & paper, and glass are the largest applications of chlorine, caustic soda, and soda ash, respectively. These applications are the driving the overall chlor-alkali market. Among all the applications isocyanates, textiles, and glass are the fastest-growing applications for chlorine, caustic soda, and soda ash, respectively. The high demand of isocynates in manufacturing polyurethane plastics, pains, varnishes, and elastomers is driving the market for chlorine. Growing population, improving living standard, and increasing disposable income is driving the textile and glass industries, providing an impetus to caustic soda and soda ash markets.

"Rising demand in Asia-Pacific is the major growth driver for the chlor-alkali market"

In 2015, Asia-Pacific was the largest market for chlor-alkali products. The region is projected to register the highest growth rate, both in terms of value and volume, owing to high demand from emerging countries of the region. China is the largest Chlor-Alkali Market globally with the highest demand. The region also drives the market owing to the presence of emerging markets, availability of raw materials, and lower labor costs.

Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=708

The key companies profiled in this market research report are Olin Corporation (U.S.), Solvay (Belgium), Tata Chemicals Limited (India), Occidental Petroleum Corporation (U.S.), Axiall Corporation (U.S.), AkzoNobel N.V. (Netherlands), Formosa Plastic Corporation (Taiwan), Hanwha Chemical Corporation (Korea), Tosoh Corporation (Japan), Nirma Limited (India), and Tronox (U.S.).

The scope of the report covers detailed information regarding the major factors influencing the growth of the chlor-alkali market such as drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been done to provide insights into their business overview, products & services, key strategies, investments & expansions, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, collaborations, and recent developments associated with the market.

Browse Related Reports:

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http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/polyvinyl-chloride-market-201158187.html

Automotive Glass Market by Vehicle & Glass Type (Tempered, Laminated, & Other), Smart Glass Market by Technology (Active and Passive), Application (Sunroof, Windshield, Sidelites /Backlites, & Side View/Rearview Mirrors), & by Region - Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/automotive-glass-market-229009655.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

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WASHINGTON, DC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Jewish leaders and supporters will gather together with prominent members of Congress at the annual Jewish American Heritage Month Congressional Celebration on Capitol Hill. The event will mark the outstanding contributions that Jews have made to American culture in various forums including the arts, science, medicine, sports, government, business and military service. It will also pay tribute to three distinguished individuals whose own contributions have greatly enriched American life.

Each May, the United States Congress recognizes and celebrates the Jewish experience in America. Despite centuries of oppression and persecution, the Jewish people have risen above their circumstances and brought tremendous benefits to society. The Congressional Celebration, which will be held on Wednesday, May 11th on Capitol Hill, will be attended by a bi-partisan group of members of Congress, who will be recognizing the profound impact of the Jewish people on American society.

The highlight of the event will be the King David Awards ceremony, which is presented to select individuals who have made an exceptional impact. These individuals embody the very success of the American Jewish experience, and are committed to Jewish heritage and American values. This year, the Jewish American Heritage Commission is proud to honor Dr. Corey S. Goodman, Scott Wolstein, and Marc Goldman with the King David Awards. All three are leaders in their chosen fields who are making dramatic and significant contributions. They follow in the footsteps of the many other distinguished Jewish Americans who have been receiving this award since 1994.

Previous King David awardees include Director and Producer Steven Spielberg, Professor Emeritas at Harvard Law School Alan Dershowitz, CEO of Starbucks Corp Howard Schultz, Editor in Chief of US News and World Report Mortimer B Zuckerman, and Actor and Producer Kirk Douglas. Lady Margaret Thatcher, former PM of Great Britain, and Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the Soviet Union, are also former awardees.

A scientist, an educator, and an entrepreneur, Dr. Corey S. Goodman spent many years as a Professor of Biology and then a Chair of Neurobiology. He is currently Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience at U.C. Berkeley. Dr. Goodman has co-founded seven biotechnology companies and was recruited to be President and founder of Pfizer's Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Center. He is actively involved in public policy, and serves as Chair of the California Council on Science and Technology where he advises the Governor and State Legislature of California.

Scott Wolstein serves as CEO of Starwood Retail Partners. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of developers Diversified Realty, a company that grew into the world's largest landlord of power centers and community centers. Wolstein was named CEO of the Year four times by the Realty Stock Review and has received Awards of Excellence from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Scroll of Jerusalem Award, and the State of Israel Bonds, among many others.

As President of New Jersey's Farmland Dairies, Marc Goldman successfully challenged the State of New York by winning a federal constitutional commerce clause case which resulted in open competition in the New York market, saving consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. After selling the company, Marc serves on the advisory board of the Aish HaTorah and is a Board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition. He is actively involved in public policy issues, and was appointed to the US Holocaust Museum Council by President Bush. Marc was also the recipient of the First Annual Crains New York Business All Stars.

Presidents past and present have marked the start of the Jewish American Heritage Month with Presidential Proclamations. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan wrote that "American Jews have contributed significantly to the spiritual and cultural elevation of our society since the founding of our nation." President William Clinton added that "The Jewish community's rich culture and heritage pervade all aspects of American society."

In a recent Proclamation, President Barack Obama notes that "The Jewish American experience and our Nation as a whole have always been held together by the forces of hope and resilience. During Jewish American Heritage Month, as we reflect on our past and look toward the future, let us carry forward our mutual legacy, grounded in our interconnected roots, and affirm that it is from the extraordinary richness of our bond that we draw strength."

The Congressional Celebration will be held on May 11th from noon until two PM at the Cannon Caucus Room which is located in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Matt Sweetwood will serve as MC. Members of Congress will participate in the event as will a distinguished array of Jewish leaders.

The story of Jewish America is the story of success, achievement, and pride. The upcoming Congressional Celebration will pay tribute to this outstanding legacy and recognize the many diverse ways that it continues to enrich, improve, and strengthen society at large.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3001497



For more information, please contact

Ezra Friedlander

Email Contact

212-233-5555 x 101




BEIJING, May 9, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Coca Cola, the global partner for the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay, announced that Jean Liu, President of DiDi Chuxing ("DiDi", and formerly Didi Kuaidi), was elected as one of the official Olympic Torchbearers through a popular vote organized by Coca Cola. A face of the young and modern China, she will represent her country when carrying the flame along the Iguacu route.Being elected as a Torchbearer makes Liu part of the Olympic family. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support, which I see as an encouragement for both DiDi and myself," said Jean Liu. "We strongly believe that technology will make the world a better place; but only with great perseverance, resilience and courage, exactly what the Olympic spirit calls for."The Olympic flame for Rio 2016 arrived in Brasilia on May 3, when the official Torch Relay within the host country began. At the end of June, Jean will join the other 8 Olympic Torchbearers in the relay at Iguazu, including the renowned pianist Lang Lang and Jiang Yiyan, actor and philanthropist. The Torch arrives at Rio de Janeiro on August 4, 2016.Jean joined DiDi in July 2014 from her previous position as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs (Asia). In the same year, Jean was named one of China's Top Business Women by Forbes, and one of China's 25 Most Influential Business Women by Fortune. Jean had a Bachelor's Degree from Peking University and a Master's Degree from Harvard University, both in Computer Science.*Note: DiDi Chuxing (formerly Didi Kuaidi) is the world's largest comprehensive one-stop mobile transportation platform, offering a full range of technology-based options for 300 million users across 400 Chinese cities. 1.43 billion rides were completed on DiDi's platform in 2015, with statistics showing DiDi holds over 87% of the private car service market and over 99% of the taxi hailing service market in China.Source: DiDi ChuxingCopyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) -KoreConXand iDisclose are partnering to make disclosure easier for companies seeking funding and their stakeholders. Companies can now use the KoreConX system to "make their own counsel" according to iDisclose, and save thousands in fees.

KoreConX and iDisclose are working together to minimize the cost and the burden of raising capital, so companies don't spend all their money raising money.

iDisclose is an online application that helps you prepare the legal documents you need to crowdfund your company. Like Turbo Tax, you simply fill out an adaptive questionnaire and iDisclose builds the legal document. After a quick legal review (which iDisclose or your own attorney can provide), you can simply click "file now" to file the documents with the SEC and begin raising money. iDisclose helps you raise money for a fraction of the time and cost of hiring and attorney, so you can get back to your business. Check them out at iDisclose.com.

iDisclose founders Georgia Quinn and Douglas Ellenoff are recognized as experts in compliance and equity crowdfunding, and KoreConX is pleased to be partnered with the iDisclose thought leaders to make compliance and due diligence both easier and more rigorous, allowing companies to complete a risk factor analysis, full Private Placement Memorandum, or Title III Crowdfunding Form C using the KoreConX platform.

"We founded iDisclose with the goal of reducing legal fees and the cost of compliance for entrepreneurs and companies, and empowering them. Our partnership with KoreConX helps further this goal by making the process of preparing to raise money seamless and easier for companies," said Georgia Quinn.

"We're working to tie together all of the members of the equity crowdfunding ecosystem to ensure that companies can access capital with ease and at low cost, and our partnership with Fintech Legal industry leader iDisclose means that companies can complete the legal documents required with no pain," said Oscar Jofre, KoreConX founder, President, and CEO.

About iDisclose

With the passage of the JOBS Act and the many new avenues for accessing capital, such as crowdfunding (including Title III crowdfunding) and other online platforms, disclosure is more important than ever. iDisclose helps protect the company raising money, and those assisting with the offering, against investor suits and SEC actions and provides the necessary information to investors. iDisclose allows business owners to "make their own counsel", saving them thousands of dollars in fees as they draft their own, highly-accurate and comprehensive PPM and Form C documents in collaboration with their own team and attorney.

About KoreConX

KoreConX is a free all-in-one solution that helps companies navigate the process of raising equity capital, and simplifies shareholder communications to reduce risk. The KoreConX eco-system empowers stakeholders (regulated crowdfunding portals, shareholders, board directors, CEO, CFO, corporate secretary, lawyers, auditors, investor relations, members and 3rd party providers) to manage corporate information from a Single Point of Entry within a secure, hosted application that results in efficient and transparent corporate governance. More information is available at www.KoreConX.com.

Darcy Brooks

Director Communications

KoreConX

Email contact





Georgia Quinn

CEO and Co-Founder

iDisclose

Email contact


NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- PCG Advisory Group, a leading investor and public relations agency, announced today the launch of PRISM Digital Media (www.prismdigitalmedia.com).

PRISM Digital Media is an innovative, full-service agency with a state-of-the-art suite of technologies informed by years of experience applying the virtues of social media to the discipline of investor relations and corporate communications. Its three-step marketing methodology is designed to build online communities and ongoing informational exchanges where influencers and stakeholders interact.

Jeff Ramson, Founder and CEO of both PCG Advisory Group and PRISM Digital Media, is a recognized pioneer in the enlistment of Digital Asset Management and Social Media Marketing to enhance traditional Investor Relations services and Strategic Communications where his firm has always excelled.

"With increasing recognition, the utilization of social media as a strategic marketing tool is finally beginning to be valued at the regulatory and business levels," stated Jeff Ramson. "This confluence is what led us to create PRISM Digital Media as a full-fledged practice that incorporates methodologies and unique strategies that we have honed over the years. This collection of actions and measurements, we coined PRISM to clearly reflect 'PRoactive Integrated Strategic Messaging.' Like a prism, it refracts the white light of a company's message into an array of informational "colors," addressing the different perceptions that contribute to a true community along the stakeholder spectrum."

Mr. Ramson has long urged companies to recognize the importance of their digital footprints and to utilize the growing variety of resources available to grow its sphere of influence. Digital presence is more important than ever, increasingly expected and demanded every day.

"Companies that want to succeed in today's new age world must demonstrate a robust digital presence that creates and grows a stakeholder following and continually informs it," added Mr. Ramson. "Publicly traded companies must treat their digital presence as a primary asset integral to the overall business strategy in order to thrive."

About PCG Advisory Group:

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in New York City, PCG Advisory Group is dedicated to the delivery of top tier investor relations, strategic advisory, communications, and innovative digital media services for the micro and small cap public company marketplace. PCG has extensive experience with life sciences, technology, energy and other emerging growth companies, both in the US and internationally.

PCG's team of senior level professionals bring many years of direct advisory experience, along with unique and high quality relationships amongst the investment and media communities. Our primary focus is building a shareholder base and expanding market awareness through very professional methods and initiatives.

PCG's Capital Markets Advisory Services include overall investor marketing and communications strategy development to increase and leverage awareness, visibility and credibility. PCG's Social and Digital Media services include maximizing social and professional digital media channels to effectively and accurately communicate clients' specific opportunities.

About PRISM Digital Media:

PRISM Digital Media, an affiliated company of PCG Advisory Group, was created for public and private companies by seasoned investment and communications professionals. It brings together a team of innovators from Wall Street to Madison Avenue resolved to change the agency model to inspire innovation. PRISM Digital Media works seamlessly with private and publicly traded companies to help brand their missions online through social media.

For more information, please visit:

www.prismdigitalmedia.com

www.pcgadvisory.com

PCG Advisory Group

Sean Leous

Chief Communications Officer

sleous@pcgadvisory.com

D: 646-893-8998






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Electric and natural gas utility company Dominion Resources Inc. (D) is slated to release its first-quarter results before the bell on Wednesday, May 3, with analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimating earnings of $0.94 per share on revenue of $3.45 billion. Analysts' estimate typically exclude certain special items.



The company projects first-quarter operating earnings in the range of $0.90 - $1.05 per share, compared to $0.99 per share for the first quarter of 2015. The midpoint of this range represents a 5% increase over the weather normalized $0.93 for the first quarter of 2015.



For fiscal 2016, Dominion Resources expects earnings to be in the range of $3.60 - $4.00 per share. The midpoint of this is 10% above the $3.44 earned in 2015. Analysts expect earnings of $3.79 per share for the year 2016.



The company stated that the positive drivers for this increase are revenues from its growth projects, lower capacity expenses, higher capacity performance revenues and investment tax credits from its solar facilities. Offsetting factors include higher DD&A expenses, interest costs and sheer dilution from the conversion of the mandatory convertible units.



Q4 Overview



Fourth-quarter net income attributable to Dominion was $357 million or $0.60 per share compared to $243 million or $0.42 per share in the prior year period.



Operating revenues declined to $2.56 billion from $2.94 billion generated in the same period of last year.



Income from operations amounted to $638 million, flat with the previous year. Operating earnings for the quarter was $416 million or $0.70 per share compared to $490 million or $0.84 per share in the same period in 2014.



The company's fourth-quarter operating earnings were below its guidance range of $0.85 - $0.95 per share. The impact of warm temperatures accounted for at least 8 cents per share.



'We continue to execute with strong operational and safety performance and all major projects in our infrastructure growth plan are on time and on budget,' said Thomas Farrell II, chairman, president and chief executive officer.



Dominion Resources - Questar Deal



Earlier this year, Dominion Resources agreed to acquire natural gas company Questar Corp. (STR) in an all-cash transaction valued at about $4.4 billion. Dominion noted that Questar would provide enhanced geographic diversity to its natural gas operations.



Dominion said that the transaction would be accretive to it upon closing - expected by year-end 2016 - with limited impact on the company's balance sheet. The Dominion-Questar combination also is expected to support Dominion's 2017 earnings growth rate and allow the company to reach the top of or exceed its 2018 growth targets.



A special meeting of shareholders has been scheduled for May 12, 2016, to consider and vote on the proposal to approve the merger.



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Regulatory News:

At the annual general meeting in Bravida Holding AB (publ) (STO:BRAV) in Stockholm today, the shareholders resolved upon the following:

Adoption of income statements and balance sheets, allocation of the company's result and discharge from liability The annual general meeting adopted the income statement and the balance sheet as well as the consolidated income statement and the consolidated balance sheet in the annual report for the financial year 2015. It was further resolved, in accordance with the proposal of the board of directors, that the distributable assets, SEK 4,594,742,067, shall be distributed so that SEK one (1) per share, SEK 201,566,598 in total, are distributed to the shareholders and that the rest of the non-restricted equity of the company, SEK 875,418,441, shall be carried forward. Friday 6 May 2016 was established as record day for dividends. The meeting also discharged the members of the board and the managing director from liability for the financial year 2015.

Election of board members, chairman of the board and auditor The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the proposal of the nomination committee, that the number of board members shall be seven with no deputy members and that the number of auditors shall be one with no deputy auditors. Monica Caneman, Michael Siefke, Ivano Sessa and Jan Johansson were re-elected as board members. Staffan Pahlsson, Cecilia Daun Wennborg and Mikael Norman were elected as new board members. Monica Caneman was re-elected as chairman of the board. KPMG was re-elected as auditor.

Determination of fees for the board members and the auditor The annual general meeting also resolved on fees to the board of directors in accordance with the proposal of the nomination committee. The fees to the board of directors shall amount to maximum SEK 4,850,000, to be allocated as follows: SEK 1,500,000 to the chairman and SEK 450,000 to each of the other board members, SEK 180,000 to the chairman of the audit committee and SEK 100,000 to each of the other members of the audit committee, SEK 110,000 to the chairman of the remuneration committee and SEK 80,000 to each of the other members of the remuneration committee. It was further determined that members connected to Bain Capital shall not be entitled to any fee and that fees to the board members may, if agreed with Bravida, be invoiced by a company, in which case the invoiced fee shall be determined so that it is cost neutral. Fees to the auditor shall be paid against approved accounts.

Remuneration guidelines for the management The annual general meeting approved the proposal of the board of directors regarding guidelines for remuneration to the management.

Nomination committee The annual general meeting resolved to appoint a nomination committee for the annual general meeting 2017 substantially in accordance with the same procedure as the preceding year.

Authorization to repurchase and transfer shares The annual general meeting resolved to authorize the board of directors to resolve to repurchase, on one or several occasions until the next annual general meeting, as many own shares as may be purchased without the company's holding at any time exceeding 10 per cent of the total number of shares in the company. Further, it was resolved to authorize the board of directors to resolve, on one or several occasions until the next annual general meeting, to transfer (sell) own shares.

The purpose of the authorization to repurchase own shares is to promote efficient capital usage in the company and to enable the board to finance acquisitions with own shares. The purpose of the authorization to transfer own shares is to enable the board to finance acquisitions with own shares.

Long term incentive programme The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the proposal of the board of directors, to adopt a long term incentive programme for senior executives and other key employees within the Bravida group. The resolution also included resolution regarding authorization for the board of directors to resolve to issue Class C shares, authorization for the board of directors to resolve to repurchase Class C shares and transfer of own ordinary shares.

Additional information from the annual general meeting

Complete proposals regarding the resolutions by the annual general meeting in accordance with the above as well as presentation in Swedish by the CEO are available at www.bravidagroup.com. Minutes from the annual general meeting will be made available at www.bravidagroup.com no later than two weeks after the annual general meeting.

Bravida is a leading multi-technical service provider i the Nordics, with about 9,000 employees. Bravida delivers specialist services as well as complete electrical, heating and plumbing, and HVAC solutions, offering everything from design and project planning to installation, operation and maintenance. Bravida is represented in around 140 locations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. www.bravidagroup.com/en/

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503006503/en/

Contacts:

Bravida

Petter Hakanson

+46 8 602 30 67

petter.hakanson@bravida.se
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTC PINK: CBIS), a U.S. company specializing in the development of cannabis-based medicine, is currently processing more than 3,000 shareholder requests for their "loyalty gift" from CEO Raymond C. Dabney. This is a remarkable number to say the least, as the company draws near the release of the schematics for its 360,000 sq. ft., Nevada drug development complex later this week.

"I am simply amazed. I never imagined seeing the sheer number of shareholders expressing well wishes and success to our drug development programs. From shareholder interest in investing in the Nevada project, to just wanting to say Thank you with or without the gift is a true testament to the loyalty of the Cannabis Science investors. The number of emails I have received personally thanking me is astounding. It sure does feel good to have a small army backing you up when it's certainly been a battle in a war that rages on. At this point, I think we are becoming a major force in the conflict against critical ailments," stated Cannabis Science President & CEO, Co- Founder, Raymond C. Dabney.

"We are working our way through the documentation with my legal team, as quickly as possible to ensure our successful completion. With these overwhelming numbers coming in, we are thinking of a much simpler way to accommodate the gifts; we have some good ideas getting vetted right now. I want to see this closed out and completed by the end of this month. We have so many projects in front of us. Time to quit looking in the rear view mirror. It is time to look forward towards new developments and projects. We believe we are creating sustainable value for our shareholders," said Dabney.

"So much has changed so quickly. What is even more compelling: the company has verbally agreed to investors, associates, and/or partnerships for a number of its available parcels in the Nevada development. This level of excitement being expressed before we release the schematics tells me we are on to something big! We want to move forward at light speed. I feel this will take us to the next level. We will release the first version schematics for the Nevada facilities in a couple days. There will be some VERY pleasantly surprised people out there. I think the people have spoken, with the University, medical complex, and cultivation centers in one area is a serious community builder, so many new jobs, education, medical treatments, and many more economic growth advantages is the type of forward thinking required in this burgeoning Cannabis Industry to expand properly across the Country and around the world.

"I have even saved a few 1-acre parcels for our shareholders who have expressed serious interest and are waiting to hear back from me to review the schematics and the deal. Everyone will be able to review these documents at that point. 41 acres goes a long way and over 1,000 acres goes a lot further; we are going the distance regardless, just watch these next few moves," concluded Mr. Dabney

About Cannabis Science, Inc.

Cannabis Science, Inc., takes advantage of its unique understanding of metabolic processes to provide novel treatment approaches to a number of illnesses for which current treatments and understanding remain unsatisfactory. Cannabinoids have an extensive history dating back thousands of years, and currently, there are a growing number of peer-reviewed scientific publications that document the underlying biochemical pathways that cannabinoids modulate. The Company works with leading experts in drug development, medicinal characterization, and clinical research to develop, produce, and commercialize novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment for illnesses caused by infections as well as for age-related illness. Our initial focus is on skin cancers, HIV/AIDS, and neurological conditions. The Company is proceeding with the research and development of its proprietary drugs as a part of this initial focus: CS-S/BCC-1, CS-TATI-1, and CS-NEURO-1, respectively.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. Cannabis Science, Inc., does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements. Safe Harbor Statement. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a 'safe harbor' for forward looking statements. Certain of the statements contained herein, which are not historical facts are forward looking statements with respect to events, the occurrence of which involved risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements may be impacted, either positively or negatively, by various factors. Information concerning potential factors that could affect the company are detailed from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Cannabis Science, Inc.

Investor Relations

Teresa Misenheimer

teresa@cannabisscience.com

Tel: 1-888-263-0832



Cannabis Science, Inc.

Mr. Raymond C. Dabney

Director, President & CEO, Co-Founder

raymond.dabney@cannabisscience.com

Tel:1-888-263-0832



Cannabis Science, Inc.

Mr. Robert Kane

Director & CFO

info@cannabisscience.com

Tel: 1-888-263-0832




NAIROBI, Kenya, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Global leader in customer loyalty responds to increased growth of customer spending in Africa, launching new product suite including: loyalty engine, online portal, travel redemption platform and digital services

Collinson Group, a world leader in influencing customer behaviour, today launched a new loyalty solution for the financial services sector in Africa, helping brands create compelling rewards programmes, improve customer loyalty and spend.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151026/280732LOGO )



An established leader in EMEA and Asia Pacific, this year Collinson Group provides its banking clients more added value products and services to support consumer demands for loyalty rewards. With the adoption of smartphones growing rapidly across the continent and the rise of fintech firms such as M-Pesa and Paga, Africa represents a significant opportunity for brands to better engage with their customers. The new solution launched today will be available to financial services brands in sub Sahara Africa.

African banks, credit card companies and financial services providers will be able to use the solutions to create flexible, personalised loyalty programmes to attract, retain and reward customers. The suite of services includes:

Loyalty engine - a powerful and scalable loyalty platform and points bank for cardholders to earn points each time they use their payment card

- a powerful and scalable loyalty platform and points bank for cardholders to earn points each time they use their payment card Online member portal - a mobile first solution helping customers view their balances and earnings and to facilitate redemption

- a mobile first solution helping customers view their balances and earnings and to facilitate redemption Global travel redemption platform - enabling real-time bookings for 340,000 hotels and flights from over 40,000 airports

- enabling real-time bookings for 340,000 hotels and flights from over 40,000 airports Digital redemption options - including innovative eGiftcards and statement credits

Speaking at Dot Finance, Africa's largest fintech conference for the launch, Mark Roper, Global Commercial Director, Collinson Group, said: "With the rise of mobile technology and consumer spend growing amongst the continent's affluent middle class, it has never been more important for brands in Africa to engage customers in a more meaningful way.

"New mobile and financial technologies in Africa have created new avenues for financial services organisations to interact with customers. However, the key to really appealing to these customers is understanding their motivations and offering something that genuinely appeals to their personal preferences. Collinson Group's innovative new loyalty solution helps brands do this by creating highly targeted, relevant and compelling rewards programmes, helping to acquire, engage and retain influential customers," Mr Roper said.

About Collinson Group

Collinson Group (http://www.collinsongroup.com) is a global leader in influencing customer behaviour to drive revenue and value for its clients.

The group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market-leading experience in delivering products and services across four core capabilities: Loyalty, Lifestyle Benefits, Insurance and Assistance.

The group provides unrivalled insight and expertise around affluent consumers and frequent travellers, creating and delivering products and services that increase engagement, loyalty and value for customers.

We have 25 years' experience with 28 global locations, servicing over 800 clients in 170 countries, employing 1,700 staff, and managing over 20 million end customers. Our clients are market leaders from across the globe including: 500 banks internationally and the leading card issuers, Aviva, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Air France KLM and InterContinental Hotels Group.

We have been bringing innovation to the market since inception - launching the first independent global VIP lounge access programme, Priority Pass, being the first to sell direct travel insurance in the UK through Columbus Direct and we created the first loyalty agency of its kind in the travel sector with ICLP. Today we still invest heavily in innovation to ensure that we continue to deliver superior customer experiences.

Contact

Chris Sury

+44-(0)207-5921200

Chris.Sury@brands2life.com


3 May 2016

ATLANTIS JAPAN GROWTH FUND LIMITED

Result of Extraordinary General Meeting

The Board of Atlantis Japan Growth Fund Limited (the "Company") announces the results of the votes on the special resolution put forward by LIM Asia Multi-Strategy Fund Inc., which was considered on a poll at the extraordinary general meeting of the Company held earlier today.

56.27% of the votes cast on the poll were against LIM's Resolution, which sought to instruct the Board to put to Shareholders proposals for the restructuring and/or liquidation of the Company. Accordingly, LIM's Resolution was not passed.

The result of the poll was as follows:

Votes For

LIM's Resolution Votes Against

LIM's Resolution Total Votes Cast Votes Withheld No. of Shares % of Votes Cast No. of Shares % of Votes Cast No. of Shares % of Voting Share Capital No. of Shares 13,195,956 43.73 16,980,759 56.27 30,176,715 75.1 3,000

Noel Lamb, Chairman of Atlantis Japan Growth Fund, said: "The vote against the resolution comprised the majority of our largest Shareholders as well as a significant number of smaller Shareholders, including private individuals, who have clearly shown that they want to remain invested in the Company under the management of Taeko Setaishi.

"We would ask all Shareholders to respect the outcome of the meeting and allow us to continue to implement our strategy for improving the Company's performance, further narrowing the Share price discount and growing the Company over the next three years.

"Taeko Setaishi, who was appointed lead fund manager with effect from 1 May 2016, is a great asset to the Company and we look forward to her conviction-led, bottom-up stock selection process delivering returns for all Shareholders.

"The Board is confident that our strategy for improving performance, narrowing the Share price discount and growing the Company will be successful. Nevertheless, Shareholders will be given the opportunity to vote on whether or not the Company should continue at the AGM in 2019. In the meantime, on behalf of the Board, I'd like to reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a regular dialogue with Shareholders and to acting in the best interests of Shareholders as a whole."

Enquiries

Sue Inglis Cantor Fitzgerald Europe T: +44 (0) 20 7894 8016 James Alexander Aravis Partners T: +44 (0) 20 7036 8172 David Masters /

Henrietta Guthrie Lansons T: +44 (0) 7825 427514

T: +44 (0) 20 7294 3612 Rebecca Booth Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited T: +44 (0) 1481 745 189

Email: rb235@ntrs.com

Notes

Words and expressions defined in the circular to the Company's shareholders dated 7 April 2016 have the same meanings when used in this announcement.
The patent protecting the composition of BioChaperone Combo was newly granted in Europe. A patent in the United States was granted in 2012

Patents on the BioChaperone polymer used in BioChaperone Combo were previously granted in Europe and in the United States.

Regulatory News:

Adocia (Paris:ADOC)(Euronext Paris: FR0011184241 ADOC) announced today that the two major patent families covering BioChaperone Combo were granted in two of the main potential markets for this product. BioChaperone Combo is a unique combination, enabled by proprietary BioChaperone technology, of the basal insulin glargine and the prandial insulin lispro. BioChaperone Combo has been successfully tested in 3 different clinical studies in subjects with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and is one of Adocia's lead clinical development programs.

BioChaperone Combo is protected by two key patent families, one on BioChaperone polymers themselves, part of Adocia's proprietary technology, and one on the formulation of the two insulins in combination with these BioChaperone polymers.

The newly-granted European patent on the BioChaperone-enabled formulation of the basal insulin glargine with a prandial insulin, such as lispro, is entitled "Injectable solution of at least one type of basal insulin" (EP2741765). This new patent, which confers protection until 2032, expands coverage already granted in the United States, France, Mexico and Singapore.

BioChaperone polymers are covered by European patents entitled "Polysaccharides containing carboxyl functional groups substituted by a hydrophobic alcohol derivative" (EP2344547). This invention is protected until 2029 by granted patents in Europe, the United States, Mexico, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Russia, France, Australia, and South Africa.

"We are very pleased by these positive decisions for two of our strategic patent families covering BioChaperone Combo in key markets like the US and Europe. This product has the potential to be a more efficient and safer alternative to premix for insulin intensification. In the US and Europe, insulin analog premix represents a market worth $3 billion," said Remi Soula, Director of Business Development and Intellectual Property at Adocia. "The granting of these patents bolsters our strong patent portfolio composed of 29 families, including 11 patents already granted in the US."

BioChaperone polymers allow insulin glargine to solubilize at physiological pH, where it is characteristically insoluble. As prandial insulins are chemically stable only at neutral pH, BioChaperone essentially permits the combination of insulin glargine with any prandial insulin. Importantly, formulation with BioChaperone does not interfere with the long action profile of glargine and the fast action of prandial insulin, as demonstrated in 3 clinical trials to date.

"These patents are a strong recognition of the originality of our BioChaperone technology. BioChaperone is an efficient and versatile platform for the development of protein solutions in physiological conditions. In this case, it enables the combination of the two gold-standard insulins, which may provide a real medical benefit to patients living with type 2 diabetes," comments Olivier Soula, Deputy General Manager and R&D Director of ADOCIA. "We are actively pursuing the clinical development of BioChaperone Combo with two additional clinical studies planned to start in Q2 2016."

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Adocia and its business. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Adocia considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the 'Risk Factors' section of the Reference Document filed by the French Autorite des marches financiers on April 8, 2016 (a copy of which is available on www.adocia.com) and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Adocia operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Adocia or not currently considered material by Adocia. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Adocia to be materially different from such forward-looking statements.

This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy Adocia shares in any jurisdiction.

About ADOCIA

Adocia is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that specializes in the development of innovative formulations of already-approved therapeutic proteins. Adocia's insulin formulation portfolio, featuring four clinical-stage programs and one preclinical program, is among the largest and most differentiated in the industry.

The proprietary BioChaperone technological platform is designed to enhance the effectiveness and/or safety of therapeutic proteins while making them easier for patients to use. Adocia customizes BioChaperone to each protein for a given application in order to address specific patient needs.

Adocia's clinical pipeline includes a unique formulation of PDGF-BB for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer and four novel insulin formulations for the treatment of diabetes: two ultra-rapid formulations of insulin analogs (BioChaperone Lispro U100 and U200), a rapid-acting formulation of human insulin (HinsBet U100) and a combination of insulin glargine and a rapid-acting insulin analog (BioChaperone Combo). Adocia is also developing a concentrated, rapid-acting formulation of human insulin (HinsBet U500).

In December 2014, Adocia signed a partnership with Eli Lilly for the development and commercialization of the BioChaperone Lispro programs.

Adocia's extended, early-stage programs include innovative monoclonal antibody formulations, featuring two ongoing collaborations programs with major pharmaceutical companies in the field, and the delivery of anticancer drugs using the proprietary DriveIn nanotechnology platform.

Adocia aims to deliver "Innovative medicine for everyone, everywhere."

To learn more about Adocia, please visit us at www.adocia.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503006601/en/

Contacts:

For more information please contact:

Adocia

Gerard Soula, +33 4 72 610 610

Chairman and CEO

contactinvestisseurs@adocia.com

or

Adocia Press Relations Europe

MC Services AG

Raimund Gabriel, +49 89 210 228 0

raimund.gabriel@mc-services.eu

adocia@mc-services.eu

or

Adocia Press Relations USA

The Ruth Group

Johanna Zimmerman, +1-646-536-7006

jzimmerman@theruthgroup.com


TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- A new independent study released in partnership among BMO Financial Group, Carleton University and The Beacon Agency has found that women entrepreneurs in Canada have difficulty securing funding from financial institutions because they are mistakenly perceived as risk averse and unable to generate the same economic growth as men.

BMO sponsored the study to get a better understanding of its female clients, improve customer experience and reiterate the bank's commitment to conducting business in ways that resonate with this group at a time when female start-ups are emerging and are outpacing those led by men. For example:

-- The number of self-employed women with an incorporated business has increased by 15 per cent since 2007; -- Over two thirds (68 per cent) of female owned companies reported capturing a larger share of their existing market through innovation; and, -- Businesses with majority female ownership report the highest instance of average yearly revenue growth of more than 20 per cent.

Key Findings from the Report

A Force to Reckon With: WOMEN, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND RISK, offers the most comprehensive review to date of Canadian female entrepreneurs, and is based on two years of research and interviews with more than 100 entrepreneurs across the country. Key findings include:

-- Women entrepreneurs make decisions that require risk to grow and build their businesses. -- Women entrepreneurs tend to take a relationship and longer term approach to business and a holistic approach to calculating risk-based decisions. -- Women entrepreneurs are misinterpreted as risk averse, although their businesses are not underperforming in comparison to their male counterparts. -- Women entrepreneurs are eager for information that can assist in making sound decisions around risk, and are not afraid of seeking it out in different forms to grow their business. -- Women entrepreneurs are more likely to be funded personally, rather than assuming debt from a financial institution.

"Female entrepreneurs are an important group - not only to BMO, but to Canada as a whole. We sponsored this report to debunk how women are being perceived and explore how we can lead the industry to do better," explained Susan Brown, senior vice-president and head of BMO Women's Strategy, BMO Bank of Montreal. "Support of these businesses is essential to fostering Canadian economic development and to help grow the billions of dollars and innovations their businesses already generate. We intend to use this knowledge to support the tailored initiatives we already have coming down the pipeline for our female customers."

"We know that women entrepreneurs are eager for information that can help them make sound decisions around risk," said Clare Beckton, executive director of Carleton's Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership. "We've also identified that they are unaware of some of the existing credit available to them."

"We heard consistently across the country how important mentorship is to the overall success of female entrepreneurs," said Janice McDonald, president of The Beacon Agency. "Mentors help to mitigate risk and build confidence."

How BMO Plans to Expand Support for Female Entrepreneurs

BMO welcomes the report's recommendations, including how to better communicate and build relationships with female entrepreneurs.

In addition to the current partnerships that BMO has with business organizations that support female entrepreneurs, along with the two billion dollars in credit the bank has made available to women entrepreneurs, new actions in response to the report include:

-- Employee education and communication surrounding how female entrepreneurs approach risk decisions, including staff webinars, training videos and programs focusing on how to help entrepreneurs at every stage of their business. -- Continue to seek out key sponsorships that focus on mentorship of entrepreneurs like Women's President Organization, Grow Your Biz and SheEO. -- Identify female entrepreneur specialists at the branch level in key markets to emphasize BMO's established customer relationship management approach, which the study highlights is particularly important to women entrepreneurs. -- Product development that specifically targets female entrepreneurs and is in line with key findings, including the BMO Women in Leadership Fund mutual fund.

"This report is only the beginning of how we are taking measures to truly be the 'bank for women'," said Brown. "By sponsoring this study, we have gained greater insight to execute programs in ways that will be most meaningful to female entrepreneurs. We are committed to ensuring women business owners feel at home at BMO and look forward to enhancing the way in which we serve their needs."

To view the full report, please click here: https://bmoforwomen.bmo.com/

Join the conversation and get additional timely updates, related articles and insights by following @BMO and @BMOmedia on Twitter, using the hashtag BMOforWomen.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of $699 billion as of January 31, 2016, and close to 47,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

About Carleton University

Located in the nation's capital, Carleton University is a dynamic research and teaching institution with a tradition of leading change. Its internationally recognized faculty, staff and researchers provide more than 28,000 full- and part-time students from every province and more than 100 countries around the world with academic opportunities in more than 65 programs of study. As an innovative institution Carleton is uniquely committed to developing solutions to real-world problems by pushing the boundaries of knowledge and understanding daily.

About The Beacon Agency:

The Beacon Agency is a strategic consulting firm that advises clients in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. They have a special focus on working with innovative brands to make the good they do count. Headquartered in Ottawa, it is led by award-winning entrepreneur Janice McDonald @janicemcd http://www.beaconagency.ca.

Contacts:

Media Contacts:

BMO:

Michelle Agnelo, Toronto

michelle.agnelo@bmo.com

416-867-3996



Carleton University:

Steven Reid, Ottawa

Steven.Reid@Carleton.ca

613-265-6613



The Beacon Agency:

Janice McDonald, Ottawa

Janice@thebeaconagency.ca

613-867-9879




SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Guardian Risk Managers Ltd. is pleased to announce the appointment of Jamie Lyons as President of Guardian Risk Managers Ltd.

Jamie brings a wealth of insurance and industry knowledge to the organization, having spent the past 13 years with Guy Carpenter & Company in Toronto (part of Marsh & McLennan Companies), most recently as Managing Director and a member of the Canadian Senior management team. He previously held positions in merchant banking with Canadian Corporate Funding Limited, in Investment Banking with CIBC's Mergers & Acquisitions Group in Toronto and in Strategy Consulting with Breakaway Solutions in Boston, MA.

In this role, Jamie will oversee all aspects of the organization and will be responsible for development and oversight of the strategic growth plan for Guardian.

Formed in 2006, Guardian is a leading MGA provider of commercial lines and niche personal lines products, including specialty and high value habitational risks. Guardian currently provides these products to over 500 brokerages across Canada.

Contacts:

Media Contacts: Guardian Risk Managers Ltd.

David Lyons

Vice-President, Personal Lines

604.522.8870

dlyons@guardianrisk.com

www.guardianrisk.com




EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Liberty is honoured to be the recipient of Interlogix's prestigious 2015 Partner of the Year Award.

Taylor Wolsey, National Technical Manager for Liberty, travelled to San Diego and accepted the award. Liberty was privileged to join the very best in the business at the exclusive 2016 Elevate Summit. This award recognizes Liberty's commitment in its installation of Interlogix products and participation as an Interlogix Partner over the past year. The Summit is a celebration of outstanding growth and performance amongst Interlogix's top dealers. The event included a review of 2015 successes and an introduction to the Interlogix and Lenel products that will be released in the upcoming year.

"Interlogix has been a key partner for many years. We work along side them to introduce new products and services to our customer base. Not only are they a good partner, they are also great people," said Russell Keddie, Managing Partner for Liberty.

Larry Ell, Interlogix Regional Vice President of Sales - Canada, added: "It is with great respect and admiration that Interlogix Canada is pleased to present our Partner Of The Year Award to Liberty Security. Success is not a one sided game. With dedication, hard work and always looking out for the customer, Liberty Security demonstrates a winning formula each and every day, and here at Interlogix Canada we are proud to be associated with such a winning organization. Liberty Security, like Interlogix, is a leading edge company that is innovative, dynamic and responsive. Interlogix is proud of the quality of partnership and relationship we share with Liberty Security and our wish is to accelerate this in the future as well."

About Liberty

Incorporated in 2005, Liberty is based in Edmonton, Alberta and provides security, automation, video surveillance and seniors care solutions to residential, commercial and healthcare customers across Canada. We have installed over 40,000 residential and commercial systems in 8 provinces and one territory. Liberty also services over 90 Health Care facilities in Western Canada. With an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, Liberty is an Alberta Venture Magazine Fast Growth 50 and Profit 500 Fast Growth Company.

Learn more about Liberty at http://ctt.marketwire.com/?docid=1053134001&id=8691973&type=0&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.libertysecurity.ca

Simple. Safe. Smart.

Contacts:

Media Contact

Liberty Security

Alex Watz

780.988.7233 x 100

marketing@libertysecurity.ca




WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- IGM Financial Inc. (IGM) (TSX: IGM) today reported preliminary total mutual fund net new money in April of ($262.3) million as shown in Table 1. Total assets under management were $132.4 billion at April 30, 2016, compared with $132.9 billion at March 31, 2016 and $147.6 billion at April 30, 2015. Mutual fund assets under management were $127.0 billion as at April 30, 2016, compared with $127.1 billion at March 31, 2016 and $130.7 billion at April 30, 2015. Assets under management are shown in Table 2.

Table 1 - Mutual Funds Net New Money(i) Month ended April 30, 2016 Investors IGM ($ millions) (unaudited) Group Mackenzie Counsel Financial ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ All Mutual Funds Gross Sales $566.3 $471.5 $61.4 $1,099.2 Net New Money ($105.9) ($162.5) $6.1 ($262.3) Long Term Mutual Funds Gross Sales $472.6 $442.4 $59.3 $974.3 Net New Money ($133.4) ($163.8) $7.2 ($290.0)

(i)Mutual Fund Net New Money is defined as Gross Sales less Gross Redemptions and is consistent with the terminology used by The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC).

Table 2 - Assets under % Change Management April March April Last % Change ($ billions) (unaudited) 2016 2016 2015 Month YOY -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Total Assets under Management(1) $132.41 $132.91 $147.62 (0.4) (10.3) Mutual Fund Assets under Management $127.00 $127.08 $130.74 (0.1) (2.9) Investors Group Mutual Funds $75.23 $75.22 $76.56 - (1.7) Mackenzie Mutual Funds $47.55 $47.63 $50.17 (0.2) (5.2) Sub-advisory, institutional and other(2) $12.69 $13.06 $23.74 (2.8) (46.5) -------------------------------------------------- Total Mackenzie $60.24 $60.69 $73.91 (0.7) (18.5) -------------------------------------------------- Counsel Mutual Funds $4.22 $4.23 $4.07 (0.2) 3.7 (1) Excludes assets managed by Mackenzie on behalf of Investors Group and Investment Planning Counsel. These assets had a value of $7.3 billion at April 30, 2016 ($7.2 billion at March 31, 2016 and $6.9 billion at April 30, 2015). (2) Includes $30.2 million of Exchange Traded Fund assets managed by Mackenzie.

Preliminary average mutual fund assets under management and average total assets under management for the quarter to date are set out in Table 3.

Table 3 - Average Assets under Management (3) ($ billions) (unaudited) Quarter to Date -------------------- -------------------- Total Average Assets under Management (4) $132.90 Mutual Fund Average Assets under Management $127.27 Investors Group Mutual Funds $75.38 Mackenzie Mutual Funds $47.66 Sub-advisory, institutional and other $12.88 -------------------- Total Mackenzie $60.54 -------------------- Counsel Mutual Funds $4.23 (3) Based on daily average mutual fund assets and month-end average institutional, sub-advisory and other assets. (4) Excludes average assets of $7.3 billion managed by Mackenzie on behalf of Investors Group and Investment Planning Counsel.

IGM Financial Inc. is one of Canada's premier personal financial services companies, and one of the country's largest managers and distributors of mutual funds and other managed asset products, with approximately $132 billion in total assets under management. Its activities are carried out principally through Investors Group through a network of approximately 5,300 Consultants, Mackenzie Financial Corporation through a diversified network of third-party financial advisors and Investment Planning Counsel through a network of financial planners who are dedicated to serving the needs of their clients.

MEMBER OF THE POWER FINANCIAL CORPORATION GROUP OF COMPANIES.

Contacts:

Media Relations:

Ron Arnst

204-956-3364

ron.arnst@igmfinancial.com



Investor Relations:

Paul Hancock

204-956-8103

investor.relations@igmfinancial.com




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A Brazilian judge has ordered all wireless phone carriers in the country to block WhatsApp after the Facebook-owned messaging service failed to comply with an order asking to turn over data related to a criminal investigation. According to reports, the app, which is used by over 100 million Brazilians, will be blocked for 72 hours. 'Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have,' Jan Koum, Whatsapp's founder, posted on his Facebook page. 'Not only do we encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep people's information safe and secure, we also don't keep your chat history on our servers. When you send an end-to-end encrypted message, no one else can read it - not even us. While we are working to get WhatsApp back up and running as soon as possible, we have no intention of compromising the security of our billion users around the world,' he wrote. This is not for the first time that WhatsApp has been blocked in Brazil. In December, a judge ordered the shutdown of WhatsApp for the country for two days after not complying with a criminal investigation, but the ruling was overturned the next day. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
COLCHESTER, England, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A source of some frustration for Hong Kong residents, and especially Europeans living in Hong Kong, is the logistical difficulties and high costs incurred to ship their products to the country. The Effectual Group have recently announced the launch of their new service that solves this problem, being executed in a strategic partnership with KK Haitao of Hong Kong. The response has been enthusiastically received.

In exciting news, following a successful trial period between UK-based Effectual Sourcing and Hong Kong's KK Haito, a dedicated, trackable freight service will be offered between the UK and Hong Kong. This new service will allow residents in Hong Kong to purchase goods online, direct from UK and European retailers that do not currently offer their delivery services to Hong Kong. Effectual will handle and arrange the receiving, warehousing and dispatch from their facility in Essex and the transportation and distribution of goods in Hong Kong will be handled by the team at KK Haitao. This formula has proven to be a quick and seamless way for Hong Kong residents to enjoy the ease of shopping from the UK with lower parcel shipping rates, regardless of the seller's stance on shipping to Asia.

"We are extremely proud to be able to now offer this service to a completely new customer base." commented David Holder, Director of Effectual Ltd. "We are confident we have one of the most cost effective ways for our clients to send trackable consignments from the UK to Hong Kong. This partnership with KK Haitao allows us to offer our services to an ever increasing demand and opens up consumer channels for British and European retail. Our clients can now take advantage of UK offers, free UK delivery on their goods and a reduced rate for the onward delivery to Hong Kong."

According to the company, the service will also appeal to Hong Kong companies, trading in Europe and looking for a cost effective returns service for their UK and European customer base and also students from Hong Kong, studying in the UK that are looking for a cost effective way of sending consignments back to Hong Kong. Effectual have plans to further partner with other Hong Kong Logistic companies who are looking to establish a presence in the UK and offer direct shipping to Hong Kong to their customer bases.

In addition to the UK to Hong Kong shipping, Effectual offers other diverse services in the UK. Some highlights include: Business storage and fulfilment; Palletised storage; Container unloading; Product sourcing via a designated team based in Shenzhen, China.

The quality of the company's services has been widely praised in all of these areas.

Enquiries for UK retailers looking to open up their supply lines to Hong Kong can be made by calling David Holder at Effectual on +44-(0)1787-269051.

Enquiries from Hong Kong logistic firms looking for further details of the service Effectual provide, costs involved and to express an interest in a business partnership or trial of the service, please contact Yang Tian at our Shenzhen office on (0086)-755-2560-3302 or email baggioyang@effectualgroup.com

For Hong Kong Residents wanting to take advantage of this new service, please visit http://www.kkhaitao.com to sign up.

http://www.effectualstorage.co.uk

http://www.effectualsourcing.co.uk

Contact:

David Holder / dh@effectualgroup.com / +44-(0)1787269051




ALISO VIEJO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- OCTANe, the Orange County business development accelerator dedicated to driving technology industry growth and innovation by connecting ideas and people with resources and capital, will host its annual Technology Investor Forum (TIF) May 17-18. Hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors look to this event every year to discuss the most relevant issues in the Southern California technology ecosystem.

OCTANe's annual event provides a forum where tech-focused entrepreneurs and technology investors can network and learn about the latest trends affecting the technology industry. This year's conference highlights key topics including cybersecurity, Internet of Things, investment and funding, as well as augmented and virtual reality. Six promising LaunchPad SBDC companies will also be presenting at the event:

Meridian AR is an augmented reality platform that allows industries to create specific applications for smart glasses and mobile devices to explain products, situations and locations in a user's environment and context and convert those users' actions to revenue. (www.meridianars.com)

Mobilize Solutions is an ad-tech company specializing in social media branding. Its patent pending platform uses geo-location to dynamically add branding to photos. (http://mobilize.solutions)

Monet Networks is a SaaS platform that captures, tracks and analyzes video content in real time and at scale using non-verbal cues from online viewers to determine audience preferences and insights and optimize video effectiveness. (www.monetnetworks.com)

NarrativeWave is a SaaS analytics and natural language generation platform that takes real-time operational data from high-value industrial equipment and auto generates "narratives" that decrease costs, improve workflow efficiency, and increases profitability on multi-million dollar service contracts sold by large, global manufacturers. (www.narrativewave.com)

Pandexio provides SaaS services for enterprises creating segments of information embedded in existing communications systems that are easily retrievable for training and worker education. (www.pandexio.com)

@ Your Gate offers a mobile app to connect travelers to an airport concierge service that delivers food and other goods to travelers at their gates using brand ambassadors. (www.atyourgate.com)

WHAT: Technology Investor Forum

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 17, 2016, 12:30 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. PT

Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 7:00 a.m. - 6:45 p.m. PT

WHO:

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist, RSM -- State of the Industry Report Keynote (May 17th, 1:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.)

Gary Sorrentino, managing director and CTO, J.P. Morgan Asset Management -- Cybersecurity Keynote (May 17th, 2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.)

Linda Bernardi, chief innovation officer -- cloud & IoT, IBM -- Disrupt or Die Keynote (May 18th, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.)

To view the full speaking lineup, visit: http://tif.octaneoc.org/speakers/

WHERE: Hotel Irvine, 17900 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, Calif. 92614

NOTE: Media interested in attending should RSVP to Joel Monson at Joel.Monson@fleishman.com

The Technology Investor Forum will be hosted at The Hotel Irvine, 17900 Jamboree Road, Irvine, CA. For a full agenda and event registration, go to http://tif.octaneoc.org.

About OCTANe

OCTANe drives technology industry growth and innovation in Orange County by connecting ideas and people with resources and capital. Its members represent Orange County technology executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors, all working together to fuel innovation in the OC. The organization has helped more than 800 companies via the LaunchPad SBDC accelerator. LaunchPad-certified companies have received more than $1.1 billion in investment and equity exits. OCTANe annually welcomes more than 7,000 people to its programs and events. More than 2,000 business leaders throughout the Orange County region are OCTANe members. For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org.

Contact:

Joel Monson

949-855-5996

Joel.Monson@fleishman.com




DURHAM, NC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Mi-Corporation, the award-winning mobile information company, welcomed leaders from the mobile technology industry to the Durham Convention Center April 13-14 for the company's annual Mobility Summit. Mobility Summit is an educational forum which provides organizations an opportunity to learn about the latest trends in mobile and related technologies as well as share how mobility solutions are transforming the way companies do business.

The event provided vendor exhibits, informative educational opportunities, hands-on workshops and vibrant networking for attendees to share best practices. Key sessions included how to use mobile software and hardware to reduce human error, comply with government regulations, streamline logistics, and increase productivity and efficiency.

"Mobile devices are the preferred platform for collecting, analyzing, and sharing data within an enterprise environment," said Greg Clary, Mi-Corporation CEO and Founder, adding, "User demand for secure, real-time and error-free data is leading to a constant evolution of mobile forms and mobile app technology. Bringing organizations together to discuss best practices and share experiences has proven greatly beneficial for the companies that attend the Mi-Corporation Mobility Summit."

Highlights of the event included examinations of successful mobility use cases; an interactive paper prototyping workshop; a mobility expert panel; presentations on enterprise mobility security; and a luncheon keynote speech by Eric Ellis, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, State of North Carolina. Ellis' presentation spoke to his vision for mobile and related technologies and how the State could enhance many of their current processes and provide exciting interactive opportunities for its constituents. North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources holds a special place in Mr. Ellis' heart, and he shared exciting potential uses of mobile technology for North Carolina parks and museums.

In addition to Mr. Ellis, Mobility Summit 2016 speakers included:

Conor Maguire, Mobile Programme Manager, Transport for London

Winnie Webber, JIS Director, 19th Judicial Court of Lake County

Bryan Lesko, Enterprise Mobility Specialist, Microsoft

Paul Russo, Director of Global Deployment Services, Xplore Technologies

Josh Robertson, Director of Business Development, Smashing Boxes

Derek Brameyer, VP of Operations, WillowTree

Steve Myerow, President, Texcel Systems, Inc.

Alex Bratt, Client Engagement Manager, EnergySavvy

Julie Scrivner, Client Engagement Professional, EnergySavvy

Phillip Morris, CEO, Mariner

Greg Manson, Senior Solutions Architect, Carolinas IT

Mi-Corporation doled out several awards during the Summit, including the User of the Year Award, given to the organization that has rolled out its mobile solutions in the most scalable way. This year the award went to Transport for London (TfL), which manages London's buses and Tube network, and which has recently deployed Mi-Corporation's Mi-Forms mobile forms software to thousands of users.

US Military HIV Research Program received Mi-Corporation's Process Improvement Organization of the Year award for successfully transforming their paper process to a mobile process for their clinical trial data collection. Data Device of Australia received the Mi-Corporation Partner of the Year award, and ePharmaSolutions received the Mi-Corporation Innovator of the Year award for their use of Mi-Corporation mobile solutions for their informed consent and patient engagement instruments.

Mobility Summit 2016 sponsors included Microsoft, Intel, Xplore Technologies, Texcel Systems Inc., and Concrete Data. Those that missed the summit are invited to review our "Mobility Summit 2016 Recap" blog post.

Mi-Corporation continuously shares its mobile data expertise gained in serving clients over the past 16 years -- as well as its intellectual leadership garnered through the development of 10 issued U.S. patents -- via participation in national industry events; webinars; and the company's Mobility Summit.

About Mi-Corporation:

Mi-Corporation, the award-winning mobile information company, provides flexible, scalable, and secure enterprise-class solutions for mission-critical data sharing needs. The 16-year-old industry leader operates out of the technology-rich Research Triangle region of North Carolina, with a talented team of experienced professionals supporting products operating on Tablets, Smartphones and other mobile devices. Mi-Corporation has a history of helping clients mitigate risks, transform business processes, drive productivity, and increase revenue across diverse industries. Organizations including the NC Department of Agriculture, the United Nations, the US Dept. of Transportation, Transport for London and many others use Mi-Corporation mobile forms, mobile applications, and reporting products. For more information visit www.Mi-Corporation.com.

CONTACT:

Maura Ambrosino

(919) 485-4819 x 1600

Email Contact




OAKLAND, CA--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - GreatSchools, a national nonprofit helping parents access the information they need to support their child's learning, released today a list of the Top Bay Area High Schools for Low-Income Families. By considering student achievement through the lens of social and economic equity, GreatSchools, for the first time, is highlighting high performing schools that provide the best opportunity for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The 15 top Bay Area high schools were measured by three factors -- student achievement (as measured by test score rating for students from low-income families), graduation rates, and the percent of economically disadvantaged students who meet eligibility requirements for entrance into University of California or California State University. Schools on the list serve at least 40% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch relative to their overall population. All data comes from the California Department of Education and is available on GreatSchools school profiles.

"We know that a school can never truly be 'great' unless it serves all students well," said Bill Jackson, GreatSchools CEO. "The 15 schools on this list have done something extraordinary to provide opportunity for students who are working hard to break the cycle of poverty by preparing for and going to college."

Through its partnership with Innovate Public Schools, this year GreatSchools added a low-income rating for all California schools that helps parents see at a glance how a school is doing at preparing low-income students for college.

"Our mission is to make sure that all students, including low-income students and students of color, receive a world-class public education," said Matt Hammer, CEO of Innovate Public Schools. "Seeing which schools are preparing low-income students for success helps parents find the best school for their child and points the way towards what all students deserve."

In the coming weeks and months, GreatSchools will continue to highlight top schools where the achievement gap is closing and where students and families can find equal opportunity to receive a great education.

The 15 Top Bay Area High Schools for Students from Low-Income Families include:

1. Oakland Charter High School, Oakland

2. American Indian Public High School, Oakland

3. Oakland Unity High School, Oakland

4. KIPP San Jose Collegiate, San Jose

5. Leadership Public Schools - Hayward, Hayward

6. KIPP King Collegiate High School, San Lorenzo

7. Galileo High School, San Francisco

8. Wallenberg (Raoul) Traditional High School, San Francisco

9. Middle College High School, San Pablo

10. Lowell High School, San Francisco

11. Impact Academy of Arts and Technology, Hayward

12. Balboa High School, San Francisco

13. Lincoln (Abraham) High School, San Francisco

14. Washington (George) High School, San Francisco

15. Summit Preparatory Charter High School, Redwood City

About GreatSchools:

Founded in 1998, GreatSchools is a national education nonprofit helping parents find high-quality schools, support great learning, and guide their kids to great futures. GreatSchools reaches over half of American families with school-age children each year -- more than 55 million people. GreatSchools offers school quality information gathered from federal, state, and local governments, and from parents, students, and teachers. Through its GreatKids program, parents can find thousands of articles, videos, learning tools and worksheets to help support their child's learning. Headquartered in Oakland, California, GreatSchools partners with cities and states across the country to promote access to school quality data to all American families.

Contact:

Carrie Goux

cgoux@greatschools.org

ph: 774-563-0295
INDIANAPOLIS, IN--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - Stonegate Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: SGM), a leading publicly traded mortgage company focused on originating, financing and servicing U.S. residential mortgage loans, today announced that Robert O'Branovich has been named Mid Atlantic Regional Sales Manager. In this role, he will lead the Mid Atlantic Region's Third Party Origination sales teams, selling products in the company's four TPO channels -- broker, non-delegated correspondent, delegated correspondent and bulk mandatory. He will report directly to John Pantalone, SVP TPO Eastern Division.

Commenting on Mr. O'Branovich, Steve Landes, Stonegate Mortgage EVP and National Director of Sales said, "Bob's vision and extensive industry experience make him an excellent addition to the Stonegate Mortgage team. We are confident that he will make strides growing TPO sales in the Mid Atlantic region."

Mr. O'Branovich has over 25 years of experience in sales, management and leadership roles in the residential wholesale mortgage market. Most recently, he worked as Regional Sales Manager at CMG Financial. Previously, he served as Vice President, Eastern Production at Interbank Mortgage, as well as Regional Sales Manager at Homeward Residential and Regional Sales Manager at Nationstar Mortgage.

"My knowledge of this region, coupled with my passion for the industry and Stonegate Mortgage's superb standard for customer service ensure that we are well-positioned for success," Mr. O'Branovich added.

About Stonegate Mortgage Corporation

Founded in 2005, Stonegate Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: SGM) is a leading, publicly traded, mortgage company that originates, finances and services agency and non-agency residential mortgages through its network of retail offices and approved third party originators. Stonegate Mortgage also provides financing through its fully integrated warehouse lending platform, NattyMac. Stonegate Mortgage's operational excellence, financial strength, dedication to customer service and commitment to technology have positioned the firm as a leading provider in the housing finance market.

For more information on Stonegate Mortgage Corporation, please visit www.stonegatemtg.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Various statements contained in this press release, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include projections and estimates concerning the timing and success of specific projects and our future production, revenues, income and capital spending. Our forward- looking statements are generally accompanied by words such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "potential," "plan," "goal" or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release; we disclaim any obligation to update these statements unless required by law, and we caution you not to rely on them unduly. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors, including those discussed in the "Risk Factors" section within our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 6, 2015 and any revisions to those Risk Factors in subsequent filings, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:

Sloane & Company (on behalf of Stonegate Mortgage Corporation)

Whit Clay

212-446-1864

Email contact





or



Investor Contact:

Stonegate Mortgage Corporation

Michael McFadden

317-663-5904

Email contact


Technavio's latest report on the global micro-mobile data center market provides an analysis of the key trends expected to impact the market from 2016-2020. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.

The global micro-mobile data center market is expected to reach USD 853 million by 2020, growing at a CAGR of around 47%. According to Rakesh Kumar Panda, lead analyst at Technavio for data center research, "The deployment of micro-mobile data centers will grow in sectors like retail, healthcare, education, and others that need to manage edge data resources. These data centers are also expected to reduce the need for server rooms in branch offices. Moreover, they can be used as a part of traditional data center facilities and in colocation spaces."

The top three emerging trends influencing the global micro-mobile data center market according to Technavio's ICTresearchanalysts are:

Growth of IoT

Implementation of SDDCs

Consolidation of data centers

Growth of IoT

Advances in technology have prompted many enterprises worldwide to build data centers to ensure business continuity. Large enterprises are involved in the design and construction of mega data center facilities spanning across thousands of square feet to support business demands. The global network traffic is growing at a CAGR of around 20%, aided by IoT.

The growth of IoT is presenting challenges related to information security, computing capacity, and data analysis, thus creating a need for data centers to store and process data. It is expected that there will be around 30 billion connected devices worldwide by 2020. These devices include sensor systems to transmit and store data for analytics. Micro-mobile data centers will be effective in receiving and transmitting data to IoT sensors in real time.

Many organizations in varied domains, including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation, are involved in the adoption of micro-mobile data centers to manage the growth in data.

Implementation of SDDCs

Hardware and devices define the infrastructure in traditional data center environments. A software-defined data center (SDDC) is a data center where infrastructure is delivered as a service through virtualization of the physical infrastructure; hardware infrastructure is managed through intelligent software systems.

SDDC supports both legacy applications and cloud computing services. It improves efficiency, lowers costs, provides applications in minutes, offers higher availability and better security, and creates an opportunity for the delivery of workloads through the cloud.

Enterprises adopting cloud-based infrastructure consider the possibility of establishing SDDCs to achieve better control over business-critical operations and enhance the management of their data center facilities.

Vendors such as Cisco, Citrix, Dell, IBM, HP, EMC, Fujitsu, and VMware, are preparing their offerings to support centralized management of data center infrastructure, including servers, networks, and storage.

Consolidation of data centers

There are many reasons for enterprises to consider data center consolidation projects, including cost reduction and acquisition of enterprises. Consolidation helps in cost savings of up to 30%, reduction in power consumption by 55%, enhanced security up to 35%, and improvement in efficiency of 50%.

In the US, the federal government is involved in the consolidation of data centers to reduce operational expenditure (OPEX) and shift investments toward an efficient computing platform. Servers are being consolidated to work on a single piece of computing hardware, as virtualization boosts the operating efficiency of data centers IT infrastructure.

"Data center consolidation will encourage the adoption of micro-mobile data centers for processing business information and edge computing purposes in branch offices and remote locations," says Rakesh.

Some of the top vendors in the global micro-mobile data center market, as researched by Technavio analysts are:

Canovate

EMS

Huawei

Panduit

Rittal

Schneider Electric

Zellabox

Browse Related Reports:

Global Data Center Design Market 2016-2020

Global Data Center Colocation Market 2016-2020

Global Data Center Microserver Market 2016-2020

Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005107/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
According to Technavio's latest report, the global smart city ICT infrastructure market is expected to exceed USD 712 billion, growing at a CAGR of over 17% during the forecast period.

According to Amrita Choudhury, lead analyst at Technavio for enterprise application research, "The smart city concept is a framework of urban development. The concept recognizes the growing importance of ICT in economic competitiveness."

Increasing demand for improved lifestyles and urbanization are some of the factors creating a need for the smart city concept. Smart city projects enable effective management of energy, water, transport, health, building, security, and education so as to make optimum use of non-renewable resources.

In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of theglobal smart city ICT infrastructure marketfrom 2016-2020.The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the top vendors operating in the market. The market is segmented into the following three regions:

Americas

EMEA

APAC

Americas: largest market for smart city ICT infrastructure

The smart city ICT infrastructure market in the Americas is expected to reach USD 264 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of almost 15%.

Rapid urbanization brings lots of challenges for city planners, as they have to plan the city in such a way that the future residents will have sustainable growth in a cost-effective manner. In order to meet such demands, most of the cities in the Americas are turning to the smart city concept.

The demand for big data analytics solutions and services is on the rise in the Americas. IT players have a huge opportunity in offering smart energy solutions, analytics solutions, data management, and smart building environment.

Request a sample report: http://goo.gl/zJPbvt

EMEA: the need for sustainable growth to boost demand

The smart city ICT infrastructure market in EMEA is expected to exceed USD 242 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 17%.

The European Commission's European Innovation Partnership for Smart Cities and Communities initiative has set a smart city agenda for European cities. This agenda includes a strategy for the sustainable growth of smart cities in Europe.

The European Investment Bank-European Innovation Partnership, a smart funding scheme, has been developed. European Investment Bank, along with Belfius Bank, has launched smart cities and a sustainable development program in Belgium. The project is funded with approximately USD 453 million. The other European countries funded by this scheme are Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain.

APAC: fastest growing market for smart city ICT infrastructure

The smart city ICT infrastructure market in APAC is expected to exceed USD 206 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 20%.

The market is witnessing huge growth in APAC. Some of the factors propelling the growth of the market in this region are rapid urbanization and increasing number of emerging economies that are choosing smart city initiatives. The emerging economies like India are developing policies to attract 100% foreign direct investment into smart city projects and generate huge revenues. "With the help of smart city initiatives, the governments are likely to reap long-term benefits of reduced costs and sustainable development. Some of the leading countries that are taking the smart city initiative are India, China, Australia, Singapore, and Taiwan, says Amrita.

Key Vendors:

In this report, Technavio, ICT market research analyst have divided the vendors into three categories:

Technology and networking equipment providers

Telecommunication vendors

Power and automation technology provider

Some of the top vendors in the global smart city ICT infrastructure market are:

Cisco

IBM

Oracle

Honeywell

Siemens

Browse Related Reports:

Global Smart Grid Networking Market 2015-2019

Smart Grid Equipment in the US Market Research 2015-2019

Global Advanced Distribution Management System Market 2015-2019

Purchase these three reports for the price of one by becoming a Technavio subscriber. Subscribing to Technavio's reports allows you to download any three reports per month for the price of one. Contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and a link to our subscription platform.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160503005117/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com

media@technavio.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE: MEK) ("Metals Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to a press release dated April 5, 2016, the non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") has been increased by an additional $216,250 or 1,730,000 flow-through units (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.125 per FT Unit. Including the 2,640,000 flow-through units (the "FT Units") and 866,666 non flow-through units (the "Hard Units") already issued for gross proceeds of $434,000, as disclosed in an April 22, 2016 press release, the aggregate gross proceeds from the Private Placement are expected to be up to $716,250 resulting in the issuance of up to 4,530,000 FT Units and 1,250,000 Hard Units.

Each FT Unit will consist of one flow-through common share (the "FT Shares") and one-half of one non flow-through common share purchase warrant (the "Warrants"). Each Hard Unit will consist of one non flow-through common share and one Warrant. Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional non flow-through common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.18 per common share for a period of 24 months from the date of issue. The FT Shares will entitle the holder to receive the tax benefits applicable to flow-through shares, in accordance with provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

Further details about the securities being issued pursuant to the Private Placement can be found in Company's press release dated April 5, 2016. Terms of the Private Placement discussed in this press release remain unchanged from the terms described in the April 5, 2016 press release.

All securities issued in the Placement are subject to a four month hold period and closing of the Private Placement remains subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property, including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has a 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF) that stretches between Timmins, Ontario and Val d'Or, Quebec. The Company has also entered into a JV with Benton Resources on Metals Creeks Staghorn Gold Project in Newfoundland. Metals Creek has also made a new gold/silver discovery in the "White Gold District" on the Squid East project in the Yukon and is engaged in the identification, acquisition, exploration and development of other mineral resource properties, and presently has mining interests in Ontario, Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador. Additional information concerning the Corporation is contained in documents filed by the Corporation with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.com.

On Behalf Of the Board of Directors

Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Alexander Stares, President and CEO

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MetalsCreek

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Alexander Stares

President and CEO

(709) 256-6060

(709) 256-6061 (FAX)

astares@metalscreek.com

www.MetalsCreek.com




CARMEL, IN -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- KAR Auction Services, Inc. (NYSE: KAR), today reported its first quarter financial results for the period ended March 31, 2016. For the first quarter of 2016, the company reported revenue of $745.0 million as compared with revenue of $632.4 million for the first quarter of 2015, an increase of 18%. Net income for the first quarter of 2016 increased 11% to $60.7 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, as compared with net income of $54.5 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2015. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 increased 17% to $189.5 million, as compared with Adjusted EBITDA of $162.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Operating adjusted net income per diluted share increased 17% to $0.55 for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, as compared with operating adjusted net income per diluted share of $0.47 for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. For the quarter ended March 31, 2016, fluctuations in the Canadian exchange rate negatively impacted revenue by $8.2 million, Adjusted EBITDA by $3.1 million and operating adjusted net income by $1.4 million, or $0.01 per diluted share.

The company also announced a cash dividend today of $0.29 per share on the company's common stock. The dividend is payable on July 5, 2016, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 22, 2016.

2016 Outlook

KAR Auction Services, Inc. has updated its guidance as reflected below:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous Current ($ in millions, except per share amounts) Guidance Guidance --------------- -------------- Adjusted EBITDA $725 - $750 $735 - $760 Capital expenditures $145 $145 Cash taxes $150 - $160 $150 - $160 Cash interest on corporate debt $85 $95 Free cash flow before dividend payments $340 - $365 $340 - $365 Effective tax rate 37.5% 37.5% Net income per share $1.60 - $1.75 $1.56 - $1.71 Operating adjusted net income per share $2.05 - $2.20 $2.03 - $2.18 Free cash flow per share $2.45 - $2.63 $2.45 - $2.63 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Earnings Conference Call Information

KAR Auction Services, Inc. will be hosting an earnings conference call and webcast on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. EDT (10:00 a.m. CDT). The call will be hosted by KAR Auction Services, Inc.'s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Jim Hallett, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Eric Loughmiller. The conference call may be accessed by calling 1-800-768-6569 and entering participant passcode 2438242 while the live web cast will be available at the investor relations section of www.karauctionservices.com. Supplemental financial information for KAR Auction Services' first quarter 2016 results is available at the investor relations section of www.karauctionservices.com under the quarterly results page.

A replay of the call will be available for two weeks via telephone starting approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the call. The replay may be accessed by calling 1-888-203-1112 and entering passcode 2438242. The archive of the web cast will also be available following the call and will be available at the investor relations section of www.karauctionservices.com for a limited time.

About KAR Auction Services, Inc.

KAR Auction Services, Inc. (NYSE: KAR), a FORTUNE 1000 company, operates worldwide vehicle auction services and provides related services. Based in Carmel, Indiana, the KAR group of companies is comprised of ADESA, Inc. (ADESA), Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. (IAA), Automotive Finance Corporation (AFC), and additional business units, with more than 15,000 employees and approximately 250 auction facilities. Together, KAR's complementary businesses provide support, technology and logistics for the used vehicle industry. For more information, visit karauctionservices.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and which are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties. In particular, statements made that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as "should," "may," "will," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include those matters disclosed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

KAR Auction Services, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (In millions) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, -------------------- 2016 2015 --------- --------- Operating revenues ADESA Auction Services $ 401.5 $ 328.0 IAA Salvage Services 269.6 238.0 AFC 73.9 66.4 --------- --------- Total operating revenues 745.0 632.4 --------- --------- Operating expenses Cost of services (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) 418.7 352.1 Selling, general and administrative 141.1 121.5 Depreciation and amortization 56.4 50.9 --------- --------- Total operating expenses 616.2 524.5 --------- --------- Operating profit 128.8 107.9 Interest expense 28.7 21.0 Other income, net (1.3) (2.2) Loss on extinguishment of debt 4.0 -- --------- --------- Income before income taxes 97.4 89.1 Income taxes 36.7 34.6 --------- --------- Net income $ 60.7 $ 54.5 ========= ========= Net income per share Basic $ 0.44 $ 0.39 ========= ========= Diluted $ 0.44 $ 0.38 ========= ========= Dividends declared per common share $ 0.29 $ 0.27 ========= ========= KAR Auction Services, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (In millions) (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2016 2015 ------------ ------------ Cash and cash equivalents $ 676.3 $ 155.0 Restricted cash 14.9 16.2 Trade receivables, net of allowances 662.9 511.9 Finance receivables, net of allowances 1,696.2 1,632.0 Other current assets 129.6 131.0 ------------ ------------ Total current assets 3,179.9 2,446.1 Goodwill 1,795.7 1,795.9 Customer relationships, net of accumulated amortization 400.5 417.7 Intangible and other assets 343.4 344.9 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 770.6 766.9 ------------ ------------ Total assets $ 6,490.1 $ 5,771.5 ============ ============ Current liabilities, excluding obligations collateralized by finance receivables and current maturities of debt $ 1,002.3 $ 871.0 Obligations collateralized by finance receivables 1,202.9 1,189.0 Current maturities of debt 24.7 153.9 ------------ ------------ Total current liabilities 2,229.9 2,213.9 Long-term debt 2,385.5 1,711.2 Other non-current liabilities 451.0 460.3 Stockholders' equity 1,423.7 1,386.1 ------------ ------------ Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 6,490.1 $ 5,771.5 ============ ============ KAR Auction Services, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In millions) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, ------------------ 2016 2015 -------- -------- Operating activities Net income $ 60.7 $ 54.5 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 56.4 50.9 Provision for credit losses 6.9 4.6 Deferred income taxes (3.5) (3.2) Amortization of debt issuance costs 2.0 1.7 Stock-based compensation 5.2 2.6 Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation (0.6) (3.5) Loss on disposal of fixed assets 0.1 0.1 Loss on extinguishment of debt 4.0 -- Other non-cash, net 2.0 0.8 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: Trade receivables and other assets (152.4) (128.1) Accounts payable and accrued expenses 88.7 105.7 -------- -------- Net cash provided by operating activities 69.5 86.1 -------- -------- Investing activities Net (increase) decrease in finance receivables held for investment (65.6) 6.0 Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired -- (21.9) Purchases of property, equipment and computer software (36.0) (25.1) Decrease in restricted cash 1.3 2.8 -------- -------- Net cash used by investing activities (100.3) (38.2) -------- -------- Financing activities Net increase in book overdrafts 41.7 40.7 Net decrease in borrowings from lines of credit (140.0) -- Net increase (decrease) in obligations collateralized by finance receivables 8.1 (9.1) Proceeds from long-term debt 1,336.5 -- Payments for debt issuance costs/amendments (19.5) -- Payments on long-term debt (637.6) (4.4) Payments on capital leases (6.2) (4.8) Payments of contingent consideration and deferred acquisition costs (2.0) (1.2) Issuance of common stock under stock plans 2.2 9.2 Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation 0.6 3.5 Repurchase and retirement of common stock -- (10.2) Dividends paid to stockholders (37.2) (38.2) -------- -------- Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities 546.6 (14.5) -------- -------- Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 5.5 (7.9) -------- -------- Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 521.3 25.5 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 155.0 152.9 -------- -------- Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 676.3 $ 178.4 ======== ======== Cash paid for interest $ 25.4 $ 18.8 Cash paid for taxes, net of refunds $ 32.9 $ 34.2

KAR Auction Services, Inc.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Measures

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as presented herein are supplemental measures of our performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). They are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as substitutes for net income (loss) or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP.

EBITDA is defined as net income (loss), plus interest expense net of interest income, income tax provision (benefit), depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA adjusted for the items of income and expense and expected incremental revenue and cost savings as described in our senior secured credit agreement covenant calculations. Management believes that the inclusion of supplementary adjustments to EBITDA applied in presenting Adjusted EBITDA is appropriate to provide additional information to investors about one of the principal measures of performance used by our creditors. In addition, management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate our performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the results as reported under GAAP. These measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

The following table reconciles EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income for the periods presented:

Three Months Ended March 31, ----------------- (Dollars in millions), (Unaudited) 2016 2015 -------- -------- Net income $ 60.7 $ 54.5 Add back: Income taxes 36.7 34.6 Interest expense, net of interest income 28.7 20.9 Depreciation and amortization 56.4 50.9 -------- -------- EBITDA 182.5 160.9 Adjustments per the Credit Agreement 7.0 1.3 -------- -------- Adjusted EBITDA $ 189.5 $ 162.2 ======== ========

KAR Auction Services, Inc.

Operating Adjusted Net Income and Operating Adjusted Net Income Per Share

Depreciation expense for property and equipment and amortization expense of capitalized internally developed software costs relate to ongoing capital expenditures; however, amortization expense associated with acquired intangible assets, such as customer relationships, software, tradenames and noncompete agreements are not representative of ongoing capital expenditures, but have a continuing effect on our reported results. Non-GAAP financial measures of operating adjusted net income and operating adjusted net income per share, in the opinion of the company, provide comparability to other companies that may not have incurred these types of non-cash expenses or that report a similar measure. In addition, net income and net income per share have been adjusted for certain other charges, as seen in the following reconciliation.

The following table reconciles operating adjusted net income and operating adjusted net income per share to net income and net income per share for the periods presented:

Three Months Ended March 31, ----------------- (In millions, except per share amounts) 2016 2015 -------- -------- Net income $ 60.7 $ 54.5 Acquired amortization expense, net of tax (1) 13.7 12.9 Loss on extinguishment of debt, net of tax (2) 2.5 -- -------- -------- Operating adjusted net income $ 76.9 $ 67.4 ======== ======== Net income per share - diluted $ 0.44 $ 0.38 Acquired amortization expense, net of tax 0.10 0.09 Loss on extinguishment of debt, net of tax 0.01 -- -------- -------- Operating adjusted net income per share - diluted $ 0.55 $ 0.47 ======== ======== Weighted average diluted shares 139.0 143.9 (1) Acquired amortization expense was $22.0 million ($13.7 million net of tax) and $21.1 million ($12.9 million net of tax) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. (2) We incurred a loss on the extinguishment of debt totaling $4.0 million ($2.5 million net of tax) for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The company provides historical and forward-looking non-GAAP measures called EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, operating adjusted net income and operating adjusted net income per share. Management believes that these measures provide investors additional meaningful methods to evaluate certain aspects of the company's results period over period and for the other reasons set forth previously.

Earnings guidance also does not contemplate future items such as business development activities, strategic developments (such as restructurings or dispositions of assets or investments), significant expenses related to litigation and changes in applicable laws and regulations (including significant accounting and tax matters). The timing and amounts of these items are highly variable, difficult to predict, and of a potential size that could have a substantial impact on the company's reported results for any given period. Prospective quantification of these items is generally not practicable. Forward-looking non-GAAP guidance excludes amortization expense associated with acquired intangible assets, as well as one-time charges, net of taxes.

Analyst Inquiries:

Mike Eliason

(317) 249-4559

mike.eliason@karauctionservices.com



Media Inquiries:

Darci Valentine

(317) 249-4414

darci.valentine@karauctionservices.com




COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE MKT: GORO) (the "Company") today announced the timing of its first quarter earnings conference call scheduled for May 5, 2016. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and exploration in Nevada, USA. The Company has returned $108 million to shareholders in monthly dividends since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010, and offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery.

Conference Call

Gold Resource Corporation's CEO Mr. Jason Reid will host the conference call Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Topics of discussion will include first quarter results and an update on current operations. The conference call will be recorded and posted to the Company's website in three to five business days from recording.

Q&A

Following Mr. Reid's opening remarks, the Company will answer questions during a live Q&A period.

Date: Thursday, May 5, 2016

Time: 11:00 AM Eastern (9:00 AM Mountain)

Attendee Access Information:

Title: Gold Resource Corporation First Quarter Conference Call

Host Name: Jason Reid

Company Name: Gold Resource Corporation

US/CAN Toll Free: 888-554-1419

International Toll: 719-785-1757

Passcode: 302363

Please dial-in to the meeting at least 5 minutes prior to the start time using the attendee phone number and passcode.

About GRC:

Gold Resource Corporation is a mining company focused on production and pursuing development of gold and silver projects that feature low operating costs and produce high returns on capital. The Company has 100% interest in six potential high-grade gold and silver properties at its producing Oaxaca, Mexico Mining Unit and exploration properties at its Nevada, USA, Mining Unit. The Company has 54,266,706 shares outstanding, no warrants, no long term debt and has returned $108 million back to shareholders since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010. Gold Resource Corporation offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. For more information, please visit GRC's website, located at www.Goldresourcecorp.com and read the Company's 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors involved.

Cautionary Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporation's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Company's 10-K filed with the SEC.

Gold Resource Corporation

Corporate Development

Greg Patterson

303-320-7708

www.Goldresourcecorp.com




LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) - Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) today announced that Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, its wholly-owned European broker-dealer, has closed the acquisition of ISM Capital LLP ("ISM"), an independent investment bank focused on international debt capital markets. The acquisition of ISM adds significantly to Stifel's debt capital markets origination, sales and research capabilities in Europe, including an end-to-end platform for convertible securities and other equity-linked debt instruments.

Based in London, ISM has raised over $2.1 billion for corporate clients since 2009. ISM maintains active dialogues with a core universe of over 180 global institutional investors with a focus on corporate debt. ISM's senior team collectively has over five decades of experience at global investment banks such as Jefferies & Co. and Wasserstein Perella. ISM will become a core element of Stifel's expanding debt capital markets business in Europe.

"ISM complements Stifel's existing European business, particularly within our fixed income platform. ISM is well regarded in the emerging markets and credit research areas, and will add convertible brokerage capabilities for our institutional clients. We are excited to welcome Cliff and his team to Stifel," said Ronald J. Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel.

"ISM has a track record of achieving outsized results on a relatively small platform. We believe that our partnership with Stifel is the ideal way to leverage the skills, experience, and both client and investor relationships to jointly grow the ISM business as part of Stifel. Our joint efforts will greatly expand our capabilities, reach and the value proposition we offer our clients," said Cliff Siegel, founder and Executive Chairman of ISM.

Stifel Company Information

Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel's broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC; and Century Securities Associates, Inc., and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Company's broker-dealer affiliates provide wealth management, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank & Trust offers a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company's web site at www.stifel.com.

Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, ("SNEL"), is authorized and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") whose address is 25 The North Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HS. SNEL's FCA Firm Reference Number, ("FRN") is 190412 and is incorporated in England and Wales under company number 03719559 and our registered office is 7th Floor, One Broadgate, London, EC2M 2QS.

About ISM Capital

Founded in 2009, ISM Capital LLP is a full-service investment bank that creates structured financing solutions, enabling middle-market companies to access international capital markets in order to fund growth, develop projects, complete acquisitions and optimize capital structure. The firm's services include the structuring and placement of equity-linked securities, high-yield debt, leveraged loans and private debt, delivered by a team with deep capital markets and advisory experience. ISM has helped its clients raise more than $2.1 billion since the firm's founding. The ISM team has collectively structured and distributed more than $20 billion of securities across a broad spectrum of industries and advised on over $5 billion of restructuring and merger and acquisition transactions.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that are based upon our current expectations and projections about future events. We intend for these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we are including this statement for purposes of these safe harbor provisions. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements. In addition, our past results of operations do not necessarily indicate our future results. These factors include, but are not limited to, the state of the financial markets and the economy, Stifel's ability to implement its strategic initiatives and achieve the expected benefits of the merger with ISM Capital, retain key professionals, as well as other competitive, economic, political, and market conditions and fluctuations, government and industry regulation, risks relating to the merger with ISM Capital, including the effect of the completion of the transaction on Stifel's or ISM Capital's business relationships, operating results and business generally, and other factors. Some of the other factors are those that are discussed in Item 1A "Risk Factors" in Stifel's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and in Stifel's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC thereafter. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any forward-looking statement, and you should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements to conform them to actual results or revised expectations.

Stifel Investor Relations Contact

Joel Jeffrey

(212) 271-3610

investorrelations@stifel.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL INC. ("Aberdeen", or the "Company") (TSX: AAB) is pleased to announce that David Stein, President and CEO of Aberdeen International has been awarded the CIM-Bedford Canadian Young Mining Leaders Award.

The CIM-Bedford Canadian Young Mining Leaders Awards encourages and accelerates the development of leadership in Canadian mining by recognizing outstanding achievement and potential of young Canadian mining leaders. It recognizes workers 39 years of age or under for exceptional achievement, as well as their potential for future leadership in various sectors of mining including: corporate performance, operations, finance, technical services and innovation, marketing and trading, as well as services and support functions.

Over the past six years with Aberdeen, Mr. Stein has overseen all major transactions of Aberdeen including the successful sale of the Simmer and Jack and First Uranium gold royalties to Premier Royalties Corp., and profitable exits from Sulliden Gold, Belo Sun Gold, Avion Gold and many other investments. Most recently Mr. Stein led the acquisition of African Thunder Platinum's assets in South Africa on behalf of Aberdeen and the acquisition of the Sal de Los Angeles lithium project in Argentina. Prior to joining Aberdeen as President in 2009, Mr. Stein was a senior partner at Cormark Securities Inc., where he was a gold mining equities analyst, director and member of the executive committee. Mr. Stein holds a Master of Science degree in Economic Geology and Bachelor of Applied Science in Geological Engineering from Queen's University, and is a CFA charter holder.

Mr. Stein was presented his award, along with other award winners, at a ceremony during the CIM Convention 2016 held from May 1st to May 4th in Vancouver, BC.

ABOUT ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL

Aberdeen International is a private equity investor and advisor focusing on the global mining and natural resources industry. African Thunder Platinum, Aberdeen's premiere investment, is a lower-cost platinum group metals producer in South Africa's well-known Bushveld Complex. Aberdeen has further enhanced its mineral investment holdings with the acquisition of the lucrative Sal de los Angeles lithium project in Argentina.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.aberdeeninternational.ca and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and check out Aberdeen's YouTube Channel.

Cautionary Notes

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding, proceeds to be received on closing or subsequently, the ability of the Company to generate additional value for shareholders as a result of such transactions, past success as an indicator of future success; net asset value of the Company; the potential of investee companies and the appreciation of their share price; the Company's plan of business operations; industry opportunities and dynamics and anticipated returns. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, financing risks, acquisition risks, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are beyond the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:

Rob Hopkins

Manager, Investor Relations

Aberdeen International Inc.

info@aberdeeninternational.ca

+1 416-861-5899



David Stein

President and Chief Executive Officer

Aberdeen International Inc.

dstein@aberdeeninternational.ca

+1 416-861-5812




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Firan Technology Group Corporation (TSX: FTG) announced today that it has been awarded a new five-year Long Term Agreement with Korry Electronics Company (Korry) for the supply of cockpit control panels for the Bombardier C-Series Aircraft. The agreement is the result of many years of cooperation to develop and qualify the cockpit control panels for this newly developed aircraft.

This represents a new revenue stream for FTG as this aircraft enters into production following its certification by Transport Canada earlier this year. It is also the first Long Term Agreement signed between FTG and Korry. "FTG appreciates the trust Korry has in our ability to deliver quality product, on time and be a key supplier for this exciting new program," stated Peter Dimopoulos, Vice President, Business Development. "We look forward to sharing future success with Korry on this and future programs."

ABOUT FIRAN TECHNOLOGY GROUP CORPORATION

FTG is an aerospace and defense electronics product and subsystem supplier to customers around the globe. FTG has two operating units:

FTG Circuits is a manufacturer of high technology, high reliability printed circuit boards. Our customers are leaders in the aviation, defense, and high technology industries. FTG Circuits has operations in Toronto, Ontario, Chatsworth, California and a joint venture in Tianjin, China. FTG Aerospace manufactures illuminated cockpit panels, keyboards and sub- assemblies for original equipment manufacturers of aerospace and defense equipment. FTG Aerospace has operations in Toronto, Ontario, Chatsworth, California, Fort Worth, Texas and Tianjin, China.

The Corporation's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol FTG.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are related to, but not limited to, FTG's operations, anticipated financial performance, business prospects and strategies. Forward-looking information typically contains words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. Such statements are based on the current expectations of management of the Corporation and inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including economic factors and the Corporation's industry, generally. The preceding list is not exhaustive of all possible factors. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by the Corporation. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully when making decisions with respect to the Corporation and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than as may be required by law, FTG disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Additional information can be found at the Corporation's website www.ftgcorp.com.

Contacts:

Firan Technology Group Corporation

Bradley C. Bourne

President and CEO

(416) 299-4000 x 314

bradbourne@ftgcorp.com



Firan Technology Group Corporation

Joseph R. Ricci

Vice President and CFO

(416) 299-4000 x 309

joericci@ftgcorp.com




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- Savanna Energy Services Corp. (TSX: SVY) -

First Quarter Results

Savanna generated revenue of $93.7 million, adjusted EBITDAS of $22.1 million and a net loss, attributable to shareholders of the Company, of $10.1 million or $0.11 per share in the first quarter of 2016, compared to revenue of $154.6 million, adjusted EBITDAS of $38.3 million and net earnings, attributable to shareholders of the Company, of $10 million or $0.11 per share in Q1 2015. The significant decline in year-over-year industry activity levels in North America, driven by continuing low oil and natural gas prices, resulted in the lower overall revenue, operating margin and adjusted EBITDAS amounts in Q1 2016, relative to Q1 2015.

The impact of the industry activity and commodity price declines on Savanna in Q1 2016 was mitigated by the twelve contracted new-build rigs added in late 2014 and early 2015, the strength and extent of Savanna's contracted rig status in Australia, and lower costs throughout the organization. Lower costs were a function of cost control initiatives and the significant restructuring efforts undertaken in 2015, which held operating margin percentages and adjusted EBITDAS percentages in-line relative to Q1 2015, despite lower year-over-year revenue. Excluding the $0.6 million in field office and general and administrative related severance costs incurred in Q1 of this year and the $7 million in Q1 2015, Savanna's restructuring efforts over the last 15 months reduced field office and general and administrative costs by $8.4 million, or 35%, in Q1 2016 relative to Q1 2015, which represents a $14.4 million, or 47%, decrease from the Company's 2014 exit run-rate. Total severance costs in the quarter aggregated $1.9 million this year versus $8.5 million in Q1 2015.

In 2016, the Company's total debt, net of cash has declined by $23.6 million to $251.4 million, as of the date of this release.

Compared to the prior year, each of the countries in which the Company operates benefited from new rigs on long-term contracts and lower operating expenses and field office costs, which partly mitigated the significant declines in revenue due to lower activity levels and pricing. In Canada, revenues declined by $45.2 million and operating margins declined by $13.9 million. In the U.S., revenues declined by $22.7 million and operating margins declined by $7.7 million. In Australia, revenues were $7.2 million higher and operating margins were $4.2 million higher. Savanna's overall operating margin in Q1 2016 was $18.1 million lower relative to Q1 2015, while operating margin percentages remained flat, despite the significant decrease in year-over-year revenue. General and administrative expenses declined from $16.3 million in Q1 2015 to $7.8 million in Q1 2016. As a result, EBITDAS was $9.6 million lower than in Q1 2015, while EBITDAS percentages increased as a result of a decrease in total severance costs.

In Canada, long-reach drilling, shallow drilling, well servicing and rentals all experienced significant activity and pricing declines, which resulted in lower revenue and operating margins compared to Q1 2015. However, the significant restructuring and cost control efforts undertaken by Savanna in 2015 partially mitigated the corresponding decrease in operating margins and operating margin percentages in each of the divisions above, relative to Q1 2015. Savanna generated $9.7 million in operating margins on $38.6 million of revenue in Canada in Q1 2016, compared to $23.6 million in operating margins on $83.8 million of revenue in Q1 2015. Sequentially, operating margins were relatively flat compared to the $9.3 million generated on $40.8 million of revenue in Canada in Q4 2015.

Savanna's U.S. drilling and well servicing divisions also experienced significant activity and revenue declines relative to Q1 2015. Lower U.S. revenue was partially offset by the effect of operating a greater proportion of higher-spec and higher day rate drilling rigs, namely the three Velox triple drilling rigs, cost control and restructuring efforts, and an appreciation in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar, which resulted in an increase in operating margin percentages compared to Q1 2015. Sequentially, the effect of a contract expiry on a drilling rig that had been earning stand-by in the U.S. and lower rates in U.S. well servicing resulted in lower operating margins compared to Q4 2015. Savanna generated $6.8 million in operating margins on $17 million of revenue in the U.S. in Q1 2016, compared to $7.8 million in operating margins on $18.8 million of revenue in Q4 2015 and $14.5 million in operating margins on $39.7 million of revenue in Q1 2015.

In Australia, the five new service rigs and the three new flush-by units deployed into Australia in late 2014 and early 2015 resulted in overall increases in revenue and operating margins relative to Q1 2015. Savanna generated $12.3 million in operating margins on $38.8 million of revenue in Australia in Q1 2016, compared to $8.1 million in operating margins on $31.6 million of revenue in Q1 2015. Of the change in year-over-year revenue and operating margin, $5.6 million related to the timing of recognition of stand-by revenue in Q2 2015 versus Q1 2015. In Q2 2015, negotiations surrounding stand-by charges for certain of the eight new-build rigs described above concluded and resulted in the recognition of $5.6 million in revenue that related to Q1 2015, but did not meet revenue recognition criteria in the first quarter of last year. Also impacting operating margin in Q1 2016 compared to Q1 2015, was the effect of one service rig and one drilling rig that were off contract and not operating in Q1 2016, as well as the receipt of a $0.7 million contract termination fee during the first quarter of this year. Sequentially, operating margins decreased from the $13.2 million generated on $41.5 million of revenue in Australia in Q4 2015. The decrease in operating margins sequentially was primarily a result of severance costs in the quarter.

Overall for the quarter, the year-over-year decrease in industry activity levels in North America resulted in a 32% decrease in EBITDAS compared to Q1 2015. In Q1 2016, the Company also recorded a $5 million, non-cash, provision for onerous office and shop lease contracts related to leased office and shop space no longer in use. The decrease in EBITDAS, combined with the non-cash onerous lease provision, as well as the extent of share-based compensation recoveries, foreign exchange gains, and gains on asset disposals in Q1 2015, resulted in an overall net loss in Q1 2016 compared to net earnings in Q1 2015. Compared to Q4 2015, Savanna's net loss decreased primarily as a result of the $135.1 million in impairment losses and the $64.8 million deferred income tax valuation allowance recorded in Q4 2015. The Q1 2016 net loss attributable to the shareholders of the Company was $10.1 million, or $0.11 per share, compared to net earnings attributable to the shareholders of the Company of $10 million or $0.11 per share, in Q1 2015. The Q4 2015 net loss attributable to the shareholders of the Company was $162.6 million, or $1.80 per share.

Balance Sheet

Savanna's working capital at March 31, 2016, was $37.8 million, which includes $8 million in cash and is net of the $5.3 million drawn on its Canadian operating facility.

Savanna's total long-term debt outstanding on March 31, 2016, excluding unamortized debt issue costs, was $268.2 million, compared to $277.1 million outstanding at December 31, 2015. The March 31, 2016 total long-term debt amount includes $10.4 million of unrealized foreign exchange on U.S. dollar denominated debt as well as $6.6 million in gross partnership debt, of which Savanna's proportionate share is approximately 50%.

In Q1 2016, Savanna amended the credit agreement governing its senior secured revolving credit facility. The amendment, among other things, reduced the size of the total facility from $250 million to $150 million, restricted the Company's ability to make dividend payments or share buy-backs until February 2018, and amended certain financial covenant thresholds to provide Savanna with increased financial flexibility throughout 2016 and 2017. The reduction in the size of the facility will also lower stand-by costs going forward on the undrawn $100 million, $50 million of which was inaccessible due to terms under the Company's trust indenture related to its senior unsecured notes. The total amount drawn on this facility at March 31, 2016 was $91.2 million. As of the date of this release, the Company had approximately $80.6 million drawn on the total senior secured revolving credit facility, leaving substantial availability under the facility.

Savanna's total debt position at March 31, 2016, net of cash, was $265.5 million compared to $275 million at December 31, 2015. Savanna's total debt, net of cash as of the date of this release is approximately $251.4 million.

Financial Highlights

The following is a summary of selected financial information of the Company:

(Stated in thousands of dollars, except per share amounts) Three months ended March 31 2016 2015 Change ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERATING RESULTS Revenue 93,737 154,552 (39%) Operating expenses 65,683 108,409 (39%) Operating margin(1) 28,054 46,143 (39%) Operating margin %(1) 30% 30% EBITDAS(1) 20,252 29,815 (32%) Attributable to shareholders of the Company 19,722 28,813 (32%) Per share: basic 0.22 0.32 (31%) Adjusted EBITDAS(1) 22,110 38,297 (42%) Attributable to shareholders of the Company 21,580 37,295 (42%) Per share: basic 0.24 0.41 (41%) Net earnings (loss) (10,113) 10,174 (199%) Attributable to shareholders of the Company (10,067) 10,025 (200%) Per share: basic (0.11) 0.11 (200%) Basic weighted average shares outstanding (000s) 90,251 90,225 0% Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (000s) 90,251 90,225 0% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CASH FLOWS Operating cash flows(1) 18,367 26,236 (30%) Per share: basic 0.20 0.29 (31%) Acquisition of property and equipment 2,427 35,997 (93%) Proceeds on disposal of assets 2,345 13,596 (83%) Dividends paid - 2,244 (100%) Dividends declared - 2,708 (100%) Per share: basic - 0.03 (100%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FINANCIAL POSITION AT Mar. 31 Dec. 31 2016 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working capital(1) 37,760 35,691 6% Property and equipment 741,691 776,574 (4%) Total assets 841,046 879,146 (4%) Long-term debt, including the current portion thereof 268,194 277,081 (3%) Total debt, net of cash(1) 265,507 275,020 (3%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTES:

1. Operating margin, operating margin percentage, EBITDAS, adjusted EBITDAS and operating cash flows are not recognized measures under IFRS, and are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management believes that, in addition to net earnings, the measures described above are useful as they provide an indication of the results generated by the Company's principal business activities both prior to and after consideration of how those activities are financed, the effect of foreign exchange, and how the results are taxed in various jurisdictions. Similarly, working capital and total debt, net of cash are not recognized measures under IFRS; however, management believes that these measures are useful as they provide an indication of the Company's liquidity. -- Operating margin is defined as revenue less operating expenses. -- Operating margin percentage is defined as revenue less operating expenses divided by revenue. -- EBITDAS is defined as earnings before finance expenses, income taxes, depreciation and share-based compensation and excludes other expenses (income). -- Adjusted EBITDAS is defined as EBITDAS before severance costs. -- Operating cash flows are defined as cash flows from operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital. -- Working capital is defined as total current assets less total current liabilities excluding the current portions of long-term debt. -- Total debt, net of cash is defined as total long-term debt, including the current portion thereof but excluding unamortized debt issue costs, plus bank indebtedness, net of cash. 2. Certain industry related terms used in this press release are defined or clarified as follows: -- Savanna reports its drilling rig utilization based on spud to release time for its operational drilling rigs and excludes stand- by, moving, rig up and tear down time, even though revenue may be earned during this time. Source of Canadian industry average utilization figures: Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors. Industry utilization figures are calculated in the same manner as the Company. To segregate industry utilization by rig type, industry totals by well depth range are used. -- Savanna reports its service rig utilization for its operational service rigs in North America based on standard operating hours of 3,650 per rig per year. Utilization for Savanna's service rigs in Australia is calculated based on standard operating hours of 8,760 per rig per year to reflect 24 hour operating conditions in that country and excludes stand-by time, even though revenue may be earned during this time. Reliable industry average utilization figures, specific to well servicing, are not available.

Segmented Results - Contract Drilling

The following is a summary of selected financial and operating information of the Company's contract drilling segment:

(Stated in thousands of dollars, except revenue per day) Three Months Ended ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 31 2016 2015 Change ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue $ 51,484 $ 108,482 (53%) Operating expenses $ 36,910 $ 72,013 (49%) Operating margin(1) $ 14,574 $ 36,469 (60%) Operating margin % 28% 34% Billable days 2,082 4,221 (51%) Revenue per billable day $ 24,728 $ 25,701 (4%) Operating (spud to release) days 1,719 3,356 (49%) Wells drilled 405 486 (17%) Meters drilled 567,292 762,515 (26%) Meters drilled per well 1,401 1,569 (11%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

Overall contract drilling revenue decreased relative to Q1 2015, as a result of lower activity levels in Canada and the U.S., and lower day rates in Canada. Billable days in the U.S. decreased 71% compared to Q1 2015. In Canadian long-reach drilling, billable days were down 42% while day rates were 25% lower compared to Q1 2015, and in Canadian shallow drilling, billable days decreased by 51% while day rates were 18% lower. The decrease in activity and pricing is reflective of the significant decline in oil and natural gas prices throughout 2015 and into 2016, as well as the negative outlook for the oil and natural gas industry, and the resulting decrease in customer drilling activity. Given the activity and pricing declines, cost control and restructuring was a major focus of the Company over the last year. Rig operating costs were lower on a per day basis compared to Q1 2015, while field office costs, excluding severance costs, were $3.1 million lower in the quarter. Severance costs related to contract drilling totaled $0.9 million in Q1 2016, compared to $1.2 million Q1 2015.

The following summarizes the operating results in the first quarter of 2016 and 2015 by type of rig or geographic area. Long-reach drilling in Canada includes the Company's telescoping double drilling rigs, TDS-3000 drilling rigs and TDS-2200 drilling rigs.

(Stated in thousands of dollars) Long-reach Shallow Drilling Drilling Drilling Drilling Q1 2016 Canada Canada U.S. Australia Total ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 18,773 8,546 12,049 12,116 51,484 Operating margin(1) 3,176 3,475 5,233 2,690 14,574 Operating margin %(1) 17% 41% 43% 22% 28% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue excluding cost recoveries 16,945 8,293 10,978 10,868 47,084 Operating margin(1) 3,176 3,475 5,233 2,690 14,574 Operating margin %(1) 19% 42% 48% 25% 31% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average number of rigs deployed 52 16 28 5 101 Utilization %(2) 19% 24% 11% 48% 19% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Stated in thousands of dollars) Long-reach Shallow Drilling Drilling Drilling Drilling Q1 2015 Canada Canada U.S. Australia Total ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 43,700 21,445 32,447 10,891 108,483 Operating margin(1) 12,021 10,083 11,386 2,981 36,471 Operating margin %(1) 28% 47% 35% 27% 34% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue excluding cost recoveries 38,416 21,222 29,553 10,700 99,891 Operating margin(1) 12,021 10,083 11,386 2,981 36,471 Operating margin %(1) 31% 48% 39% 28% 37% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average number of rigs deployed 52 16 27 5 100 Utilization %(2) 33% 47% 43% 25% 37% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Segmented Results - Oilfield Services

The following is a summary of selected financial and operating information of the Company's oilfield services segment:

(Stated in thousands of dollars, except revenue per hour) Three Months Ended ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 31 2016 2015 Change ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue $ 42,929 $ 46,632 (8%) Operating expenses $ 29,449 $ 37,005 (20%) Operating margin(1) $ 13,480 $ 9,627 40% Operating margin % 31% 21% Billable hours - well servicing 40,615 43,220 (6%) Revenue per billable hour - well servicing $ 900 $ 870 3% Operating hours - well servicing 30,396 35,789 (15%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

Operating margin for Savanna's oilfield services division in Q1 2016 increased relative to Q1 2015, despite a decrease in revenue in the same respective periods. The revenue decrease was driven by a 27% decrease in operating hours and a 19% decrease in per hour revenue in Canadian well servicing, as well as a 23% decrease in operating hours and an 11% decrease in per hour revenue in U.S. well servicing. These decreases were partially offset by a 29% increase in billable hours in Australia well servicing. In Canada and the U.S., the decrease in activity is reflective of the significant decline in oil and natural gas prices throughout 2015 and into 2016, and resulted in lower overall operating margins being generated by the Company in North America. In Australia, the eight new rigs added in late 2014 and early 2015 contributed to the $4.5 million, or 88%, increase in operating margin in Q1 2016 compared to Q1 2015, which more than offset the operating margin declines in North America. A decrease in severance costs also positively impacted overall oilfield services operating margin in Q1 2016 relative to Q1 2015. Severance costs related to oilfield services totaled $0.9 million in Q1 2016, compared to $2.3 million in Q1 2015.

The following summarizes the operating results by geographic area:

(Stated in thousands of dollars) Q1 2016 Canada U.S. Australia Total ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 11,224 4,988 26,717 42,929 Operating margin(1) 2,369 1,518 9,593 13,480 Operating margin %(1) 21% 30% 36% 31% Average number of rigs deployed - well servicing 57 18 12 87 Utilization % - well servicing(2) 27% 40% 38% 31% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Stated in thousands of dollars) Q1 2015 Canada U.S. Australia Total ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue 18,595 7,289 20,748 46,632 Operating margin(1) 1,419 3,111 5,097 9,627 Operating margin %(1) 8% 43% 25% 21% Average number of rigs deployed - well servicing 65 18 12 95 Utilization % - well servicing(2) 33% 53% 31% 42% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outlook

In the first quarter of 2016, Savanna faced extremely challenging industry conditions, particularly in North America, as the significant decline in oil and natural gas prices throughout 2015 and into 2016, reduced industry activity levels dramatically. During this period, Savanna experienced its lowest first quarter utilization levels in North America in its history, as well as significant year-over-year pricing declines. The impact of these decreases was partially alleviated by the fundamental structural changes made to the Company in 2015 and, combined with other cost control initiatives, allowed Savanna to maintain operating margin and adjusted EBITDAS percentages relative to Q1 2015, despite the significant revenue and activity declines. Savanna has continued to reduce costs in 2016 and will continue to align its business with the variable nature of the oilfield services industry. Annualized field office and general and administrative cost savings, from Savanna's cost control and restructuring efforts, are now expected to be nearly $58 million relative to the Company's 2014 exit run-rate.

Looking forward, the remainder of 2016 will continue to be challenging for Savanna and the oilfield services industry as a whole. Based on continuing low oil prices, persistent low natural gas prices, and the uncertain duration of the current low price environment, oil and gas companies have indicated that they have limited visibility into what their spending levels will be in the second half of 2016. North American drilling and service rig activity to date in the second quarter of 2016, is down significantly compared to 2015 and is expected to remain muted through at least Q3 2016. The Australian liquefied natural gas industry is also not immune to global commodity price pressures; and although Savanna's take or pay contract status on the majority of its rigs in Australia will help mitigate the impact of North American activity reductions in 2016, certain of these contracts begin rolling over in Q2. In Q1 2016, Savanna had 15 of 17 rigs earning revenue under contract in Australia and that number will decrease to 11 in Q2 2016. Negotiations with respect to contracting these rigs, with both existing and new customers, have begun and Savanna believes it is in a strong competitive position to re-contract its drilling and service rigs in Australia. In order to mitigate the extent of the operating margin decreases as rigs come off contract, Savanna has reduced its operating and overhead staff in Australia. The majority of severance costs incurred by the Company in Q1 2016 related to Australia. The resultant decrease in costs should allow Savanna to generate consistent operating margins per rig earning revenue in Australia, despite the decrease in the number of rigs earning revenue in Australia post-Q1. The contract on one of Savanna's Velox triple drilling rigs in the U.S. also ends in Q2 2016. Savanna has found work for the Velox triple drilling rig, albeit at a lower rate than previously.

Management believes that the structural changes Savanna underwent in 2015, and the reduced overall cost structure have the Company positioned to face reduced activity levels through 2016 and beyond. In addition, during the quarter, Savanna amended the key financial covenants related to its senior secured revolving credit facility, which provide Savanna with increased financial flexibility through to the end of 2017.

Savanna remains committed to its shareholders and debtholders, with a focus on managing its balance sheet and costs in all aspects of its business and leveraging its assets to maintain and gain market share. As a result of the measures already undertaken and others currently in progress, Savanna believes that it has taken the steps necessary to navigate through the current downturn. When industry conditions improve, management believes that Savanna will be in an excellent position to capitalize on a recovery utilizing its competitive cost structure, experienced management team, and its proven ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances. These core competencies will be deployed utilizing the Company's significant footprint in three countries that should have strong participation in an eventual recovery of oil and gas market fundamentals.

See "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements".

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

Certain statements and information contained in this press release including statements related to the Company's expectation that annualized field office and general and administrative cost savings will be nearly $58 million relative to the Company's 2014 exit run-rate, expectations of low activity levels for the remainder of 2016 and its effect on the oilfield services industry and Savanna, expectations of muted activity levels in North America through at least Q3 2016, the expectation that the Company's take or pay contract status on the majority of its rigs in Australia will help mitigate the impact of North American activity reductions in 2016, the belief that the Company is in a strong competitive position to re-contract its drilling and service rigs in Australia, the expectation that the Company should generate consistent operating margins per rig earning revenue in Australia, despite the decrease in the number of rigs earning revenue in Australia post-Q1, the impact of the structural changes undertaken by Savanna in 2015, the expectation that the Company has taken the steps necessary to navigate through the current downturn and its ability to capitalize on an eventual improvement oil and gas industry conditions, and statements that contain words such as "could", "should", "can", "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "will", "may", "likely", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "maintain", "retain", "grow", and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

These statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In particular, the Company's expectation that annualized field office and general and administrative cost savings will be nearly $58 million relative to the Company's 2014 exit run-rate is premised on the Company's actual Q1 2016 field office and general and administrative costs relative to that in Q4 2014. The Company's expectation of low activity levels for the remainder of 2016 and its effect on the oilfield services industry and Savanna, its expectations of muted activity levels in North America through at least Q3 2016, and its expectation that the Company's take or pay contract status on the majority of its rigs in Australia will help mitigate the impact of North American activity reductions in 2016, are premised on industry and commodity price estimates, actual results experienced to date in 2016, customer contracts and commitments, the Company's expectations for its customers' capital budgets, the status of current negotiations with its customers, and the number of contracted rigs currently deployed in Australia and North America. The Company's belief that it is in a strong competitive position to re-contract its drilling and service rigs in Australia is premised on current negotiations and discussions with its customers and potential new customers.

The Company's expectation that it should generate consistent operating margins per rig earning revenue in Australia, despite the decrease in the number of rigs earning revenue in Australia post-Q1 is premised on preliminary budgets and forecasts. The Company's expectation of the impact of the structural changes undertaken by Savanna in 2015 is premised on cost reductions realized to date related thereto. The Company's expectation that it has taken the steps necessary to navigate through the current downturn and its ability to capitalize on an eventual improvement oil and gas industry conditions is premised on operational improvements and cost and debt reductions realized in 2015 and to date in 2016. Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to the Company's expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the price and demand for oil and natural gas; fluctuations in the level of oil and natural gas exploration and development activities; fluctuations in the demand for well servicing, oilfield rentals and contract drilling; the effects of weather conditions on operations and facilities; the existence of competitive operating risks inherent in well servicing, oilfield rentals and contract drilling; general economic, market or business conditions; changes in laws or regulations, including taxation, environmental and currency regulations; the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management; the other risk factors set forth under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, and under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form and other unforeseen conditions which could impact on the use of services supplied by the Company.

All of the forward-looking information and statements made in this press release are qualified by this cautionary statement and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by the Company will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to or effects on the Company or its business or operations. Except as may be required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking information and statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Other

Savanna's full Q1 2016 report, including its management's discussion and analysis and condensed consolidated financial statements, is available on Savanna's website (www.savannaenergy.com) under the investor relations section and has also been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Savanna will host a conference call for analysts, investors and interested parties on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the Company's first quarter results. The call will be hosted by Chris Strong, Savanna's President and Chief Executive Officer and Dwayne LaMontagne, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

If you wish to participate in this conference call, please call 1-888-892-3255 (please call 10 minutes ahead of time). A replay of the call will be available until May 17, 2016 by dialing 1-800-937-6305 and entering passcode 109582.

Savanna is a leading North American and Australian contract drilling and oilfield services company providing a broad range of drilling, well servicing and related services with a focus on fit for purpose technologies and industry-leading aboriginal relationships.

Contacts:

Savanna Energy Services Corp.

Chris Strong

President and Chief Executive Officer

(403) 503-9990



Savanna Energy Services Corp.

Dwayne LaMontagne

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(403) 503-9990

www.savannaenergy.com




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 3, 2016) - Amerigo Resources Ltd. (TSX: ARG) ("Amerigo" or the "Company") announced today the results of voting at its 2016 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") held on May 2, 2016 in Vancouver British Columbia.

A total of 95,569,528 common shares were voted at the meeting, representing 54.71% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares. Shareholders voted in favour of all items of business before the meeting, including the election of all director nominees as follows:

Name Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Robert Gayton 85,403,971 96.09 3,474,125 3.91 Klaus Zeitler 88,546,469 99.63 331,627 0.37 Sidney Robinson 88,681,476 99.78 196,620 0.22 Alberto Salas 88,628,136 99.72 249,960 0.28 George Ireland 88,643,536 99.74 234,560 0.26

In addition, the Company's shareholders passed an ordinary resolution to approve an alteration to the Company's Articles to include advance notice provisions with respect to election of directors (the "Advance Notice Provisions"). The Advance Notice Provisions, among other things, fix a deadline by which shareholders must provide notice to the Company of nominations for election to the board of directors and such provisions require nominating shareholders to provide specified information in respect of their nominee. The Advance Notice Provisions will be operative for the next shareholders' meeting at which directors are to be elected.

Detailed voting results for the 2016 Annual General Meeting are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com

Amerigo Resources Ltd. produces copper] under a long term partnership with the world's largest copper producer, Codelco, by means of processing fresh and old tailings from the world's largest underground copper mine, El Teniente near Santiago, Chile. Tel: (604) 681-2802; Fax: (604) 682-2802; Web: www.amerigoresources.com; Listing: TSX: ARG

For further information, please contact:

Rob Henderson, President and CEO (604) 697-6203

Dr. Klaus Zeitler, Executive Chairman (604) 250-4660
AGOURA HILLS, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/16 -- The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) today denied a petition for inter partes review filed by Hospitality Core Services LLC, d/b/a Blueprint RF (Blueprint RF), that challenged the validity of Nomadix's U.S. Patent No. 8,156,246 (the "'246 patent"). The '246 patent protects key technology for redirecting user computers to captive portals.

The PTAB reviewed the materials supplied by Blueprint RF and denied the petition as to all patent claims and dismissed the petition in its entirety. Upon review, the PTAB found that Blueprint RF failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood that the challenged claims 1-17 of the '246 patent are unpatentable.

"This result is once again consistent with prior challenges to Nomadix's patents in court cases and other Patent Office proceedings," explains Fred Reeder, chief commercial and operating officer of Nomadix. "We are pleased with the PTAB's decision, which continues to validate our view of the value of our intellectual property." Last week, the PTAB also denied Blueprint RF's petition for inter partes review of Nomadix's U.S. Patent 6,636,894.

Headquartered in Agoura Hills, California, Nomadix supplies the hardware and software technologies that visitor-based networks, such as hotels, use to provide a world-class Internet experience for their customers. Leading technology companies, including HP, AT&T and Aruba Networks, have licensed Nomadix patents for usage in their product portfolio.

About Nomadix

Nomadix offers gateways for seamless wired and wireless connectivity solutions across public access networks and enterprises. Nomadix gateways have earned a global reputation for unparalleled reliability and ease of management. As one customer put it, "They just work." Powered by patented technology, Nomadix throughput enhancement technologies make available bandwidth stretch further, slowing the pace of investment in bandwidth upgrades and enabling revenue generation and customization in a number of business models. With Nomadix, public access network providers are able to deploy cost-effective, secure and easy-to-use network services. For more information, visit www.nomadix.com, call +1.818.597.1500, follow on LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+, like on Facebook and view the video library on YouTube.

Media Contact:

Kelly Hughes

Phone: +1-818-597-1500

Email: Email Contact




Axiogenesis, a Cologne, Germany-based provider of stem cell-derived cells, raised a major investment of undisclosed amount.

The investment was made by Sino-German High-Tech Fund, an investment fund jointly supported by Donghai Securities from China and High-Tech Grunderfonds from Germany. SGHF will gain over 10% of ownership through this capital increase.

The company will use the funds to further expand product development, strengthen its disease modeling capabilities and increase market presence.

Founded in 2001, Axiogenesis focuses on the development and validation of functional assays using neuronal and cardiac cells. The company, which has a product portfolio including several validated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived cardiac and neural cell types, is to launch smooth muscle cells, beta-islet cells, sensory neurons and several new variants of the Cor.4U cardiac product in 2016.

The company will also expand its customer facing team with more scientific support staff, application specialists and customer representatives in USA, EU and Japan and new opening new markets in China and Israel.

FinSMEs

03/05/2016
Roam, a New York-based operator of a network of communal living spaces for worldwide travelers, raised $3.3m in seed funding.

The round was led by Charles River Ventures, with participation from Collaborative Fund, NextView, Corigin and angel investors

SoundCloud founder Eric Wahlforss, Chairman of Anthemis Group Sean Park and CEO of Teleport Sten Tamkivi.

The company intends to use the funds to expand the team, open new locations and further develop online platform, allowing members to manage their lease and connect with the global community.

Founded by Bruno Haid in 2015, Roam manages a distributed network of communal living spaces that allow travelers to sign one weekly lease to live all over the world. Currently, customers pay USD $500 per week for access to three locations around the world, including Ubud, Miami and Madrid. The company is now looking to expand, with new locations opening in Buenos Aires and London in 2016, adding to 8-10 locations by 2017.

FinSMEs

03/05/2016
I find it difficult to describe Satyajit Ray. He resists assessment with an all-encompassing grip on Bengali consciousness, even on his 95th birth anniversary. How do you traverse fields of the subconscious?

My friend and Alipurduar College professor Somesh Roy calls him a "A creative genius whose talent found a way to manifest itself regardless of the medium. A Renaissance Man".

Evidently. Ray revolutionsed Indian cinema and is rightly celebrated for it. But his brilliance as a filmmaker often eclipses the fact that like paras pathar (philosopher's stone), he turned into gold every facet of life that he even casually touched.

While working for 13 years with British advertising agency D.J. Keymer, Ray transformed contemporary commercial art as an illustrator and graphic designer, introducing new calligraphic elements weaned from different parts of the country which he had travelled as an art student.

He was also a book jacket designer and did numerous covers for poetries, short stories, biographies, religious texts. In all of these he introduced his own calligraphic style and oriental elements, duly elevating the art form. Covers for Sondesh, the monthly children's magazine which was founded by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury of which he later became the editor, are true collectibles.

Satyajit's creative rays touched typography, an area he was extremely interested in, mostly because he was dissatisfied with the prevalent metallic typefaces. He created four Roman fonts (Ray Bizarre, Ray Roman, Holiday Script and Daphnis) and as the first and most innovative creator of Bengali typefaces, designed innumerable new fonts.

He created posters for his own films and there too, his creative genius elevated the mundane medium. He brought his calligraphic skills, broad brush strokes and motifs into play and the publicity materials became works of phenomenal art.

In his films, he was the scriptwriter, composer, costume designer and director. And with the pen in his hand, he was a writer, editor and litterateur nonpareil. And all this was done at consummate ease, almost with the freedom that one reserves for doodling in middle of a boring lecture.

None of all this, however, can even remotely capture the connect every Bengali has with Ray. It is an intensely personal relationship which undergoes several revisions as she/he grows up and with each revision the umbilical cord becomes tighter.

Most of us first habitually meet Ray through his writings which were mostly aimed at kids and young adults when Ray was trying to revive Sondesh. I gorged on Feluda, the eponymous private detective, stories of Professor Shonku, the innovator and scientist, his translation of Aurthur Conan Doyle's works and short stories and all the while, remained blissfully unaware of his genius.

If Feluda, the detective whom Ray apparently fashioned keeping Soumitra Chatterjee in mind, kept me captivated, Professor Shonku  whose diary was found while the man remained untraced under mysterious circumstances  liberated my mind through its fantastic storylines and plots that pushed the borders of science fiction. In between, Brazil er Kalo Bagh (a translation of Arthur Conan Doyle's work) thrilled me to bits, Bonkubabu'r Bondhu took me to a different world, Khagam's suspense gave me goosebumps while Tarini Khuro spooked me nice and proper.

And movies for kids. The thing about Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne or Hirak Rajar Deshe is, while it provoked laughter and fun, growing up meant discovering a whole lot of subtext and it is only then that I, like many others, began to appreciate the vastness of his talent.

Stepping into adulthood initiated the next level. By this time, Ray's writings still held sway, but attention was also drawn to his body of work in celluloid. Among the cult classics including Apu Trilogy, however, the Calcutta Trilogy remains a personal favourite.

Without going into pedantic discussions about Ray as a filmmaker, suffice to say that Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1970), Seemabaddha (Company Limited, 1971) and Jana Aranya (The Middleman, 1976) changed the way I looked at life. Can't be said about most filmmakers.

Like my friend Somesh, I am not particularly fond of his last few works. Along with Feluda films, Apu Triplogy and treble on Calcutta, Kanchanjangha (1962), Nayak (The Hero, 1966) and Mahanagar (The Big City, 1963) have merited many revisiting. And of course Paras Pathar (The Philosopher's Stone, 1958) where Ray showed how Bengali film industry failed to harness the genius of actor Tulsi Chakrabarti.

Ray married occidental with the oriental and transcended the borders of watertight definitions that we use to define men whose genius we cannot comprehend. It is through the prism of his works that we must define him and yet, every time we attempt to do that, we are destined to fall short by many a mile.

It is bloody hard to describe Ray's sway over me, over us Bengalis.
New Delhi: Top fund house HDFC Mutual Fund's chief Milind Barve has got a total remuneration of Rs 26.21

crore for the latest fiscal 2015-16, but a large portion came from exercise of ESOPs previously granted to him. The disclosure follows a diktat from markets regulator Sebi to all fund houses to disclose their respective top-management salaries.

Barve's pay package included Rs 6.25 crore as salary component and Rs 19.96 crore came from exercise of ESOPs (Employee Stock Options Plans) that were granted to him earlier.

Prashant Jain, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) with HDFC Mutual Fund, earned Rs 6.16 crore as a salary component and Rs 16.33 crore from ESOPs. These ESOPs were granted over the period of 2008-2013. The other executives of HDFC MF took home salaries ranging from Rs 13 crore to Rs 1 crore. As many as 38 persons received remuneration in excess of Rs 1 crore.

Sundeep Sikka, the top honcho of Reliance MF, received a pay package of Rs 13.74 crore -- which included Rs 3.5 crore as salary and over Rs 10 crore as a one-time payout. Sunil Singhania CIO (Equity Investment) took home Rs 8 crore, which also included a significant one-time component.

Reliance MF paid a total compensation of Rs 41.5 crore to its top executives, which included one-time payouts comprising

ESOPs as well as perks for marking the completion of 20 years of the fund house.

ICICI Prudential MF paid Rs 5.4 crore to its Managing Director Nimesh Shah, while S Naren, CIO at the fund house earned a salary of Rs 4.75 crore. A total of 15 executives received remuneration of more than Rs 1 crore.

ICICI MF is the largest fund house with an assets under management of Rs 1,75,880.87 crore, followed by HDFC MF (Rs 1,75,779.38 crore) and Reliance MF (Rs 1,58,408.45 crore) In March, Sebi directed fund houses to disclose annual salary of all employees earning Rs 60 lakh or above within one month of a financial year, starting with 2015-16.

Accordingly, all fund houses needed to publish the details by today, after taking into account the weekend holidays for the last two days.

This is part of Sebi's effort to promote transparency in remuneration policies so that executive salary is aligned with

the interest of investors.

While a few mutual fund houses have complied with Sebi's directive and disclosed the information, others still have to comply with the rule.

Mutual Fund houses made a representation through industry body AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India) this evening before the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) Chairman U K Sinha, but were told in clear terms that "the requirement is non-negotiable" and must be complied with immediate effect.

They have been asked by Sebi and Amfi to expedite the process and disclose the remuneration by tonight itself.

Quantum MF said that the salaries of its top executives range from Rs 35 lakh to about Rs 77 lakh.

However, smaller players also paid remuneration in excess of Rs 1 crore.

UTI MF, whose Chief Leo Puri is chairman of Amfi, and Birla Sunlife whose head A Balasubramanian is Vice Chairman of the industry body, were yet to disclose the salaries till late evening.
How embarrassing it is when a former chief of the Indian Air Force is referred to as a "gorgeous girl" by petty wheelers and dealers!

No 'Air Chief Marshal', not 'sir', hell, not even 'Signora'. Just guili'  Italian for gorgeous girl. In one word, the pride of the nation's premier fighter force reduced to the level of a gangster's moll, a Mona Darling to Lion, if you will.

But that's exactly the appellation and fate that has allegedly fallen on former chief of the Indian Air Force SP Tyagi. According to media reports, gorgeous girl was how Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, the Italian middlemen in the AgustaWestland deal, preferred calling Tyagi.

In popular perception, being part of the Indian fighter squad is seen as the pinnacle of bravery. Flying aircrafts that beat the speed of sound and defy gravity to bring down the enemy in aerial combat is the dream of millions of youngsters.

Even ordinary pilots in their aviator glasses and crisp uniforms inspire awe, envy and respect. A scene in Leonado diCaprio's Catch Me If You Can, when he impersonates a commercial pilot and is mobbed by children and women for autographs is not far from reality.

It is sad to see Tyagi's alleged involvement in the chopper deal bringing much disrepute to the elite fighting force of the country. Images of the former IAF chief arriving outside the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters, TV grabs of him being shoved around, jostling and arguing with the media  he called them "inhuman"-- and being heckled in public are simply humiliating.

To be fair to Tyagi, he is just an accused in the Rs 3,600 crore deal for buying choppers from the Italian firm. It is alleged that Tyagi and his brothers pocketed money for changing specifications for the benefit of the seller. According to the CBI chargesheet, Tyagi reduced the minimum height for choppers from the original 18,000 feet to 15,000 feet so that Agusta may qualify as a seller. Tyagi has denied all this.

But, the former chief's conduct has hardly been like that of the proverbial Caesar's wife.

According to the CBI, he traveled several times to Italy to meet the middlemen. "... On 25-03.2012, Haschke and Gerosa accompany Tyagi (aka Giuli) to the airport of Milan/Malpensa and on the return trip, they make a general summary. They agree that Giuli is agitated about the (Italian) investigation," according to one of the recorded conversations shared by Italy with the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. Documents shared with India also reveal that Tyagi visited Milan in March 2012 while the Italian agencies were investigating corruption allegations in the Agusta deal. It was likely during this visit that Tyagi, or 'Giuli', was agitated about the Italian inquiry.

Corruption in defence deals is an established fact. When news of the Agusta scam broke, former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi argued that "bribes are an essential part of doing business internationally". In an interview with the state-owned TV channel RAI 3, he argued that giving bribes to secure international contracts could not be considered a criminal act". And that magistrates were forcing Italian companies to commit economic suicide".

India has had its fare share of controversies because of Bofors guns, HDW submarines, Tetra trucks and Kargil coffins. When former BJP president Bangaru Lakshman was caught accepting money from Tehelka investigators in disguise, that was also about defence deals for fictitious companies.

But Tyagi is the first Indian chief to be dragged into the controversy. It is the first time in India's history that the trail has led to a decorated top officer, tarnishing the image of a force that is considered the epitome of discipline, a rare marvel of engineering and human bravery.

'The defender. Do you want to be the one?' a recruitment ad of the Air Force asked youngsters in 2015. Tyagi's plight is an embarrassing antithesis. Watching him dragged to the grilling chambers, not many would be inspired to be the one.

The only saving grace is that Tyagi's fate reinforces the belief that even the high and mighty can be brought to book for corruption. They can no longer hide behind their insignia, seva medals, past glory and contacts.

Manna De famously sang in Upkaar, 'Aasmaan mein udne wale, mitti main mil jayega.'

Hope our gorgeous girls remember these glorious words.
Malda: Two CID personnel were killed while defusing bombs in a village near Bangladesh border in the district on Monday, even as four persons were killed and four others were injured while making the bombs ahead of the last phase of polling on 5 May in the state.

Vishuddhananda Mishra and Subrata Chowdhury died while they were being rushed to Kolkata for further treatment after being seriously injured when two crude bombs went off as the CID bomb squad officials were trying to defuse them, senior police officers said.

Earlier in the day, an explosion occurred when bombs were being made in the house of one Giasu Sheikh in Jaunpur village under Baishnab Nagar Police Station at about 1 am, Superintendent of Police Syed Waquar Raza said.

One person died on the spot and three others succumbed to their injuries in Malda Medical College and Hospital.

The deceased were identified as Kalam Sheikh (35), Simu Sheikh (28), Surup Sheikh (35) and Alam Sheikh (30).

Three persons were admitted in hospital, said the SP who himself visited the spot, adding local rowdies were involved in the incident and Giasu has been absconding.

Soon after the SP left the spot, two more bombs were recovered from the village and the CID bomb disposal squad was alerted to difuse them.

A senior police officer said the CID officials took the bombs to a desolate spot near the village to defuse them and in the process, suddenly the bombs went off, seriously injuring three of officials - Vishuddhananda Mishra, Subrata Chowdhury and Maniruzzaman.

All three were rushed to Malda Medical College and Hospital and were later on referred to Kolkata for further treatment.

Both Mishra and Chowdhury succumbed to their injuries when the ambulance ferrying them to Kolkata reached Farakka, the officer said.

Incidents of post-poll violence have been reported from various parts of the state.

Polling was held in the district on 17 April in the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls.
Shillong: The Centre is ready to talk to any militant groups provided that they abjure violence, Union joint secretary (Home) Satyendra Garg said on Monday.

The Centre is also concerned over the issue related to the recruitment of child soldiers by the different militant outfits operating in the North East, he said.

"The central government has made its policy very clear. The pre-condition is that they (militants) have to give up arms and violence," Garg told reporters after a meeting with state Home Minister Roshan Warjri in Shillong.

He admitted that militants in the NE region are thriving because of easy access to arms smuggled through the international borders.

The union home joint secretary said though efforts are being made to stop this but there are constraints especially in the IndoMyanmar border which is totally unfenced and the presence of security is minimal.

Recently five surrendered cadres of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has revealed that the outfit is recruiting children for arms training in the general camp located at Durama Hills in East Garo Hills District.

On this, Garg said, the government is concerned about the issue and the government policy is that no child should be in anywhere near any insurgency situation.

"Any child who is inducted into insurgency is bad and of course we will take corrective measures," Garg stated.

The MHA official refused to disclose the issues discussed with the state government in the meeting.

He said that Meghalaya is doing quite well as far as the law and order situation is concerned in the Garo Hills region.
Mumbai: In keeping with a Supreme Court directive, the Chairman of the interim board of trustees at the multi-speciality Lilavati Hospital, Justice (Retd) J N Patel, handed over charge to the board of trustees at a meeting held recently.

In the meeting of trustees on 30 April, Justice Patel briefly outlined various activities undertaken by the hospital, during his tenure as the Chairman of the interim board, and described the new initiatives taken by the trust to help the poor and downtrodden in medical care, a press release issued by Trustee Chetan Mehta said here, on Tuesday.

Among the trustees present were Justice Patel (outgoing chairman), Prabodh Mehta, Chetan Mehta, Bhavin Mehta, Niket Mehta, Nanik Rupani, K K Modi and Rekha Sheth.

The Supreme Court, in a recent judgement, had disbanded the interim board headed by Justice Patel, and ordered restoration of the board of trustees, according to the release.

Kishore Mehta and Charu Mehta, who were held to be permanent trustees by the Charity commissioner, are also on the board of trustees along with Rashmi Mehta and Sushila Mehta.

The next meeting of the board of trustees is slated to be held on 5 May, the release added.
- Unaided private schools hike fees exorbitantly every year.

- For a single admission, unaccounted donation of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 15 lakh is taken illegally. No receipt is given.

- Money is taken on several other heads.

- No relief in terms of refund of hiked fee.

This is how parents are looted and compelled to cut down their expenditure on other essentials in order to fund their childs education. Nothing much has changed in the national capital since the April 1997, when the first PIL against this menace was filed. For the first time in India, the middle class had come out in large numbers on the streets of the national capital protesting against the fee hike by the private schools. The movement began under the umbrella of Dilli Abhivavak Mahasangh (Delhi Parents Association) from Rohni and within three months it reached its peak  there was massive uproar, road blockades, demonstrations, gheraoes, etc.

The grievance of thousands of aggrieved parents was taken up by lawyer-activist Ashok Agarwal, who filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court against the exorbitant hike in school fees and fought their cases free of cost. Two decades on, the issue of fee hike continues to haunt parents.

In a freewheeling chat with Firstpost, Agarwal, a child rights lawyer, founder of Social Jurist  a lawyers collective  and the man who fought for getting reservation for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) in private schools, today strongly feels that without a complete reform in the education system, parents would continue to suffer.

You have been consistently raising voice against arbitrary fee hike by private schools for years. How do these schools exploit the parents?

Its always a nightmare for the parents before the beginning of a new academic session in April as unaided private schools hike fees exorbitantly. Next, while giving admission to new students, a large number of schools take huge donations, ranging from Rs three lakh to Rs 15 lakh, for a single admission; and parents offer it with folded hands. Its purely illegal income for schools as no receipt is issued against the payment made. Then every year a student has to pay development fee. Imagine the amount a school collects under this head and what development they do? Then there are fees for computer, labs, etc. In 1997, when I filed the first PIL, we found a case in which money was taken by a school under 54 heads! Its a big nexus. While parents are looted, schools make easy money in crores. Governments have miserably failed to prevent this menace.

What made you file the first PIL against the fee hike by private schools in Delhi?

It all began in 1997 when unaided private schools in Delhi hiked fees from 40 percent to 400 percent in anticipation of the 5th Pay Commission recommendations. For the first time parents association was formed to counter the exorbitant hike and they came to me. I filed a PIL and fought the case free of cost. In October 1998, the High Court gave a historic judgment in our favour. The then BJP government in Delhi supported our cause in the court. Justice Santosh Duggal Committee that scrutinized documents and balance-sheets of schools, in its report strongly criticized them.

What was the impact?

Though nothing much has changed in Delhi, due to our PIL and consistent action, awareness was created. Subsequently, Tamil Nadu came up with fee regulation act in 2009, followed by Maharashtra in 2011 and Rajasthan in 2013 to keep this menace in check.

Private unaided schools give an argument that they are compelled to hike fee almost every year as they have to pay an increased salary to teachers and staff. How far is it justified?

This is an excuse that schools use to hike fees. Barring a few schools, do others pay the teachers well? They equally exploit the teachers and the staff. The schools already have surplus fund with them in crores of rupees, but instead of using it they are multiplying it. Even if a fee hike is required, say Rs 40 per student, the schools will raise it by Rs 400. They are unabashedly looting everyone from parents to government. This arbitrary hike leads to commercialization.

The Delhi government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has placed advertorials in major dailies and has claimed that its For the first time, private schools roll back fee, four schools roll back fees in 15 dayswhich is unprecedented. How far is it true?

Its not true. Through advertisements the Delhi government has been blowing its own trumpet. From 1997 onwards, Ive myself got large amount of excess fee (in crores) refunded to parents. The advertorials are misleading people. Whatever refund or rollback has been taking place is due to the recent Delhi High Court order that said the schools built on land allotted by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) cannot hike the fee without prior permission from government. It also asked the Directorate of Education (DoE) to ensure compliance of the terms in the letter of allotment.

This judgment came on a PIL filed by my colleague advocate Khagesh Jha for an NGO called Justice for All. In fact, it was way back in 2004, I had handed over a copy of this DDAs land allotment letter to Supreme Court, and after so many years it has come into effect. Now, referring to a SC judgment in Modern School vs Union of India, the HC has ordered that the unaided private schools are bound to comply with the stipulations in the letter. Its a relief for the parents who have to face the brunt every year. This is how the rollback has taken place and the Delhi government has been beating its own drum. Instead of acting like a government, the Kejriwal government is acting like an activist.

As a member of Aam Admi Partys National Executive, you had drafted two bills on education for Kejriwal government. What happened to those?

Let me be clear, Im no more with AAP.

I resigned from National Executive when I found that the movement was becoming directionless, causing doubts in the minds of the people. Many members including me felt the party had been functioning like a private limited company.

The first draft bill was on nursery school admission. It was accepted and they have introduced it. The Right to Education (RTE) has been extended below six years of age. Its really helpful for the parents. The second one was P (private) Regulation Bill, which the AAP initially accepted but later changed it into P Verification Bill, which is ultimately in favour of schools.

What is your opinion about the three amendments made by Delhi government in the Delhi School Education (DSE) Act 1973 in December 2015, to which Kejriwal mentioned it as landmark amendments? Has it helped the aggrieved parents?

The Verification of Accounts and Refund of Excess Fee Act has given right to schools to take money (read extort money) from parents. According to it, if a parent lodges complain against it, the government will get it verified through an audit at the yearend. Most laughable aspect of it is that if its found that the school authorities have taken the money home, only then action would be taken and the parent would get a refund or else no. It means giving a free hand to schools to loot. In the DSE (Amendment) Bill, the government deleted Section 10 (1), which guarantees that the employees of recognized private schools get salaries and other benefits at par with government schools. This is detrimental to private school teachers and in a way legalizing exploitation of teachers.

Our experience says once a school charges fee from parents, it becomes impossible to get it refunded.

Could the Kejriwal government do anything constructive in preventing hike in school fees?

No. Neither the previous government did anything nor has the present AAP government taken any strong step. They lack fundamental understanding of the issue. The picture is grim and only propaganda is taking place. As a result the middle class is trying to find out ways to cut expenditure on food, clothes and living in order fund a childs education, which is quite unfortunate.

Do you see any relief for the parents from fee hike?

No, not at present under the existing circumstances. There is a need for an overall reform in the education system. We ought to develop a strong alternative to private schools in the government sector. Consistent fight against arbitrary fee hike should continue. Education comes under the Concurrent list and this is an all-India problem. The Centre should step in, which is not happening.

Ive written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Can you elaborate on what have you written to the PM?

Ive demanded radical reforms in school education through enactment of central legislation. Five demands have been made  enact a national law mandating public servants to send their children to public funded schools; a central law regulating fee in unaided private schools; legislation mandating private schools to pay their teachers at par with state-run schools; bring all minority schools within the ambit of right to education; and amend RTE Act, 2009 to extend benefits to EWS students up to class XII instead of class VIII.
Kochi: Two persons have been taken into custody in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman at nearby Perumbavoor even as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described the crime as "shocking" and said the culprits will be brought to book.

Police said the two were taken into custody and were being questioned by a police team, headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav.

However, it was not yet known whether they are the real culprits. No details of the ongoing investigation have been revealed by police.

The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries.

Police said the post-mortem report revealed that the woman, a law student, was subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house on 28 April.

She was found dead in a pool of blood at 8 PM that day by her mother when she reached home from work. Her distraught mother is bedridden after the incident.

"Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to those who involved into the incident," Chandy said.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has left for Perumbavoor from his constituency Harippad in Alappuzha to visit the victim's mother.

Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Tribes registered a suo motu case into the incident and asked police to submit a report on the progress of the probe by May 28 while the Kerala Human Rights Commission ordered that the probe be handed over to the Crime branch.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, state Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.

The brutal murder has shocked the state, with women activists and students taking to the streets, demanding justice for the woman.

Soon after details of the murder came to light, CPM had attacked the state government for the "inaction" in the case.

"Police have failed to get any lead about the culprits even five days after the incident," CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had said on Tuesday.

Rejecting the charge, Chennithala had said a "scientific" probe was on into the incident and asserted that the culprits would be brought to book.

Police have launched a rigorous manhunt to nab the culprits.
The blazing fire that has been engulfing Uttarakhand forests for the past 88 days, reached a school in Himachal Pradesh.

On Monday, a NDTV report stated Pinegrove School in Kasauli had to be evacuated because the fire had touched the walls of the school, and thick smoke blanketed the entire area. The premises had to be evacuated, and the flames were put out in hour, but thick black smoke spread. The school has now decided to remain shut for five days.

The fire had also previously spread close to 169-year old Lawrence School in Sanawar. A senior teacher of the school, R Chauhan said the fire was brought under control and no damage was caused to the 169-year-old residential school.

"The fires broke out in forests in Kasauli areas and forests surrounding the Sanawar School were also affected but the school complex was fully safe and fires have been extinguished", said Rakesh Kanwar, Deputy Commissioner, Solan.

While Uttarakhand is still busy battling the massive wildfire, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha denied that there were any casualties. Union Home Minister's comment came at a time when reports have pegged the death count due to the devastating fire at 7.

The fire is said to have destroyed almost 3,000 hectares of forest cover. On Tuesday, MoEF Prakash Javadekar was quoted as saying that the fire will be doused in two days. "There were fires at more than 1,200 places earlier. Today it is in less than 60 places."

Mitigation measures

The Union Home Ministry stated that about 6,000 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), state police, forest staff and volunteers were deployed. Javadekar told reporters on 2 May four people were arrested on 1 May trying to ignite fire in Pauri, and an enquiry into the same will take place.

Rs 5 crore has been allotted for firefighting efforts in Uttarakhand, added Javadekar.

Causes

Speculations are rife the fires werent caused entirely naturally, giving wind to rumors about the fire being set off for gains of certain sections.

The fires are set off usually by locals who want to conceal illegal tree cutting, a divisional forest officer told The Wire. Usually the forests stop burning after a point. This year, its different, and uncontrollable.

It has also been alleged that the timber mafia had a hand in it. According to a TOI report, dead or dry trees are sold via auction by the corporation, guaranteeing them income and benefitting the timber mafia as well. The land thus cleared can be sold in land transfer cases, which benefits builders as well.

The fires, on a smaller scale, are an annual phenomenon, and some areas have also been mapped out by Uttarakhand's Forest Department.

Forest departments employ various types of firefighting techniques. Which include maintaining fire lines, beating the fire, and spraying water or carbon-dioxide to douse the flames.

Possible impact of the forest fire

A Times of India report stated the fires can melt Uttarakhand's glaciers quicker than before, and could have a devastating impact as the glaciers are lifelines of major rivers flowing across North India. It can also have a detrimental effect on the monsoons due to the change in temperature.

Uttarakhand tourism has taken a beating, which has also become a cause for concern amongst those whose livelihoods are dependent on tourism. According to a report by The News Minute, locals believe that issue has been blown out of proportion by the media.

With inputs from agencies
How much would you pay for a breath of fresh air? With Delhi topping the WHO list of cities with the foulest air, the residents of might be willing to spend Rs 12.50 per breath as a Canadian start-up  Vitality Air  based in Edmonton in the western province of Alberta, plans to sell canned natural air to India this May, reports Hindustan Times.

This novel idea was a result of the alarming rise in smog levels in Beijing and other big cities which Delhi was later compared to.

It started as a novelty back in the summer of last year. There were forest fires in Calgary and with all the smoke, people started using our product, Moses Lam, Vitality Airs founder, told Hindustan Times.

The product, which comes in two flavours  Banff and Lake Louise  consists of compressed air, breathed in through a mask, and the air is made available in 3-litre and 8-litre cans, costing anywhere between Rs 1,450 and Rs 2,800, says the report.

If you are wondering how they capture the air, their website vitalityair.com says that The Rocky Mountains of Canada is where they find the highest quality air in the world. Lam told the newspaper, It's a giant vacuum process. We suck up all the air in Banff (national park in Alberta), about 150,000 litres every time and it takes about 40 hours.

Lam is confident that Indians would be willing to buy clean, crisp Canadian air given the rising pollution in India. He even expects India to be the largest market.

Vancouver-based Justin Dhaliwal, in charge of India operations, said that 100 bottles have arrived in Delhi and theyll be test-marketing it soon. They will also be setting up kiosks in malls while raising social media visibility, he told the newspaper.
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday questioned the need to deploy the CISF to guard a food park belonging to Baba Ramdev at Haridwar as the government maintained that it was "no special favour" to the yoga guru or to his manufacturing unit.

Answering supplementaries from Congress member Jyotiraditya Scindia in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said: "We have a long list of 11,000 private enterprises and industries that have been provided with security cover by CISF personnel".

"You took the name of only one company. It will not be right to say that we have done a favour to one individual or only his firm," Rijiju said, adding that the decision to deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at Ramdev's food park at Haridwar was done following "established procedures and specific inputs from the Intelligence Bureau".

Following a union home ministry order, the CISF has started providing full-time security cover to the food park from March.

Rijiju said the decision to provide security cover to private enterprises by CISF was taken in 2009 when the law pertaining to CISF personnel was amended by the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime.

"Moreover, for the private firm you named, we have deployed only 35 CISF personnel. It is the lowest on the table. CISF personnel have been deployed in various private enterprises," the minister added.

Scindia also wanted to know why Baba Ramdev's park was provided with CISF personnel, while some airports were denied.

In reply, the minister said that for deployment of CISF personnel in airports a well laid down procedure is followed.

"For example, for Srinagar airport, after assessing the ground reality, the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) has been deployed," Riiju said.

Another Congress member Kamal Nath raised the issue of shortage of CISF personnel, to which the minister said the government will be soon recruiting about two lakh personnel.
The government on 3 May asserted in the Lok Sabha that the UN arbitration tribunal's order allowing a murder-accused Italian marine Sergeant Salvatore Girone to return home from India pending its proceedings has "affirmed" the Supreme Court's authority and not questioned it.

Making a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Finance Arun Jaitley said the tribunal has confirmed Italy's obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case India's jurisdiction over him is established.

The tribunal has also left it to the Supreme Court to fix precise conditions of his bail, he said amid unhappiness expressed by Congress over the way the case is being handled by the government.

"We see the tribunal's order not just as a recognition of India's consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India," said Jaitley, speaking on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is unwell.

The MEA statement on 2 May said, "In its order today, the Arbitral Tribunal unanimously prescribed that India and Italy would approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of bail conditions of Sergeant Girone. While remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, he may return to Italy for the duration of the present arbitration. The Tribunal confirmed Italys obligation to return him to India in case it was found that India had jurisdiction over him in respect of the incident."

"The Tribunal left it to the Supreme Court of India to fix the precise conditions of Sergeant Girones bail. This could include him reporting to an authority in Italy designated by our Supreme Court, surrendering his passport to Italian authorities and not leaving Italy without the permission of our Supreme Court. Italy shall apprise our Supreme Court of his situation every three months," the MEA statement added.

Congress members, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a walkout, expressing unhappiness after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow them to ask questions. Their protests invited criticism from Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who accused Congress of doing so because of the Assembly polls in Kerala as media would cover it even though the Speaker has expunged their remarks. "It's match-fixing," he said.

The two Italian marines are accused of killing two fishermen of Kerala four years back. Jaitley said the issue of jurisdiction, which is "at the heart" of the case, is yet to be even argued before the tribunal and the "limited relief" given on humanitarian considerations has been made contingent to the clear cut undertakings provided by Italy that Girone will return to India in case its jurisdiction is established.

"The tribunal noted that while Italy had earlier made a far-reaching request that, if granted, would have removed

Sergeant Girone entirely from the reach of India's legal system. This time Italy was only requesting India to relax the bail conditions to enable him to return to Italy.

"In doing so, Italy was prepared to accept that he remained under the jurisdiction of the courts if India. In essence, they proposed to change the physical location of Sergeant Girone's bail without prejudice to the authority of India's courts," he said.

With inputs from PTI
Pune: MNS activists on Tuesday allegedly vandalised state Irrigation Department's office protesting against the sharing of water in city reservoirs with neighbouring towns reeling under water shortage, police said.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists barged into 'Sinchan Bhavan' and the damaged office furniture, shouting slogans against Pune District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat's decision to release in phases one TMC water from Khadakwasla dam to Daund and Indapur talukas, effective from Monday.

"None of the protesters have been detained as they fled the scene after the sudden demonstration," an officer in city police control room said.

Although Bapat has maintained that the decision would not result in further water cut applicable to Pune, city Mayor (NCP) Prashant Jagtap criticised the measure saying the civic body was not consulted before the announcement on water sharing that would aggravate the water crisis in the city.

"The Guardian Minister himself has made things difficult for people and announced his decision to share water without taking Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) into confidence," Jagtap said.

The residents of Pune are at present getting municipal water supply from Khadakwasla dam every alternate day.
New Delhi: With his government set to complete two years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi listed the Mudra scheme, increased LPG coverage and electrification of villages as its major achievements and asked BJP MPs to take these "successes" to the people.

At the Parliamentary Party's meeting, which was attended by the top brass of the government and the party, including its chief Amit Shah, the Prime Minister maintained that the commitment that the government had made to the people has been fulfilled.

The issue of VVIP chopper scam, over which the BJP has targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, was also taken up at its Parliamentary Party meet and the Rajya Sabha will debate it on May 4 and the Lok Sabha on May 6, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said after the meet.

The meeting also saw Modi and veteran leader L K Advani paying rich tributes to Balraj Madhok, one of the founders of Bhartiya Jana Sangh, who died here on May 2.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Rudy said, "The Prime Minister noted that the government as well as the Lok Sabha members will complete two years of their term. Mudra scheme, ongoing electrification of 18,000 villages, bringing over 3 crore families under the LPG network and distribution of cheap LED lights were cited as major successes. He asked the members to take them to people".

The Modi government was sworn in on May 26, 2014. Condoling the death of Madhok, Modi said he had spoken to him recently and his commitment to ideology and philosophy had remained as strong as ever.

Advani also recalled his association with him and said he had a contribution in the rise of the party.
The shards of a broken relationship were strewn all over the Rajya Sabha floor when Trinamool Congress on Monday sought to corner the Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper scam. And the seeds of a possible realignment in Bengal politics were also sown in those very few minutes.

As TMC MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy rose during the Zero Hour to demand from the treasury benches why the government is silent on 'AP', 'Gandhi' (an apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi and her political advisor Ahmed Patel in the 225-page Italian court judgment) and who the alleged bribe takers were in the VVIP chopper scam, it marked the official break-up of one of the most long-standing relationships in the rough and tumble of Indian politics.

If the Congress president had this polling season taken the first step by sacrificing a personal bond at the altar of political compulsions, Mamata Banerjee completed the final rites on Monday.

To understand the significance of what happened yesterday, we have to go back several decades when a young, spunky, firebrand Mamata was still earning her political stripes as a youth Congress leader under the tutelage of Rajiv Gandhi.

Having entered politics at the age of 15, Mamata quickly rose up the ranks. She was made the state Mahila Congress leader in late 1970s. But it wasn't until the 1980s when Mamata achieved real fame, having defeated the formidable Somnath Chatterjee in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections.

That victory also sparked a special bond with then Congress President Rajiv Gandhi who made her the All India Youth Congress general secretary and came to her aid every time she ran into trouble with party colleagues in West Bengal  be it the Somen Mitra or the Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi factions. (Trysts with Democracy: Political Practice in South Asia by Stig Toft Madsen, Kenneth Bo Nielsen, Uwe Skoda. Anthem Press, 2011).

The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and the events thereafter forced Mamata to float Trinamool Congress in 1998 (she understood that Congress was too compromised to uproot the Left Front in Bengal) but she never forgot Rajiv's contribution in her career.

"When it comes to Rajiv Gandhi, I have always been led by very strong sentiments," she writes in her autobiography (Mamata Banerjee: My Unforgettable Memories, Roli Books, 2012).

Last year, during the former Prime Minister's 24th death anniversary, the TMC supremo tweeted: "Fondly remembering Rajiv Gandhi ji on the day he left us. Gone but not forgotten."

Fondly remembering Rajiv Gandhi ji on the day he left us. Gone but not forgotten #RememberingRajiv  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 21, 2015

Mamata's ties with 10 Janpath, the official residence of the Gandhis, never came under strain and was untouched by the vagaries of time of political compulsions.

She maintained a cordial relationship with Sonia Gandhi even as a Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. In the wake of Operation West End  a sting by Tehelka's Mathew Samuel showing BJP President Bangaru Laxman accepting cash for a defence deal  when Mamata left the NDA cabinet in a huff, she promptly turned to Sonia and struck a pre-poll alliance with Congress for the 2001 Bengal Assembly polls.

"I have not met her for a long time and I will enquire after her well being since she was not keeping well. I have got a personal relationship with her," Mamata had said in 2012 just ahead of the Presidential polls, one of the many times she has acknowledged the attachment.

There have been ebbs and flows in the bond, as in any other but Mamata always called upon Sonia whenever she visited Delhi, a fact brought up by Narendra Modi during poll campaigns this year.

"Even if she (Mamata) remains absent from the Chief Ministers' meeting, she never fails to call on to Sonia Gandhi. In fact, whenever she comes to Delhi, Mamata didi makes it a point to visit Sonia ji and seek her blessings. They even pose for photos together," taunted Modi.

In August last year, when the Bengal Chief Minister was in Delhi to seek flood assistance from the Prime Minister, she called upon the Congress president in the central hall of the Parliament House. While Mamata complimented her for giving the BJP a good fight, Sonia is understood to have said she had learnt this from the Trinamool supremo.

If Mamata showed reverence, Sonia was careful never to criticise her on public platforms. Until last month, that is.

In rallies after rallies in Bengal last month Sonia tore into the Trinamool Congress chief, saying she had "forgotten all her promises." The Congress president accused Mamata of rampant corruption, lack of job creation, failing to maintain law and order and the security of women and the unkindest cut of all, she even compared the TMC chief with Narendra Modi.

"I am cautioning you that one who calls herself Didi and one who keeps raising the chant of 'NaMo NaMo' are hand in glove with each other.

Trinamool Congress and BJP have put on different masks but they are two sides of the same coin The nexus between Modi and Mamata is a threat for Bengal. These two powers, full of pride, are a threat for democracy

It could be that Sonia's hands were forced by the compulsions of an alliance with the Left Front that naturally left no space for a personal bond but there was no denying that the proverbial Rubicon was crossed.

A stung TMC was stunned into silence. When it finally came out with a reaction, the shock, pain and a sense of betrayal was evident.

"After listening to what you said in your #BengalPolls campaign meeting, you have tested the limits of our politeness and compelled us to react. How could you  how dare you, we would say  compare Mamata Banerjee to Narendra Modi?

"How could you even concoct something as devious and ridiculous as that? This is sad and unfortunate, it is also petty and speaks of political desperation. The lengths people go to, to try and score cheap points in election season," a statement issued by TMC chief national spokesperson Derek O'Brien read.

With TMC on Monday hitting Congress where it hurts the most  by mentioning Sonia Gandhi and AgustaWestland in the same sentence  indications are that Mamata Banerjee has finally moved on. She won't let personal regard interfere with her politics any more.

New alignment in Bengal politics

Other formations could be under way in the badlands of Bengal as well. At least a hint of it was revealed when BJP  who savoured TMC's attack against Congress in Rajya Sabha over VVIP chopper deal  took umbrage at the way Sukhendu Sekhar Roy was expelled from the House.

The Congress-Left Front alliance has already sealed the possibility of a "secular front" should simple majority elude any of the forces post 19 May. Mamata knows that the exclusivity of her claim over minority votes evaporated the moment CPM and Congress joined hands. Keeping that in mind, TMC's move yesterday indicates a shift in stance and an effort to keep a window open for BJP should the need arise. By raising the name of Gandhi in Rajya Sabha yesterday, TMC may have dismantled one relationship in favour of another.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the plea of the Centre that two more days be given to it to respond to its suggestion about the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly under its supervision.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and and Shiva Kirti Singh, posted the matter for hearing on Friday after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said he has conveyed in right earnest the court's suggestion which is under serious consideration by the government.

The bench recorded the submission of Attorney General that "Union of India is seriously considering the suggestion given by this court to have a floor test in Assembly to put an end to the controversy that has emerged in this case".

The bench also noted the submission of sacked Chief Minister Harish Rawat's counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi that they have no objection if Government accepts the suggestion.

The bench noted that if Government accepts the suggestion, it would subserve the cause of democracy.

While posting the matter for hearing on 6 May, the bench said if the AG does not obtain instructions on the suggestion, the matter will be taken for hearing and there is also a possibility that the matter will travel to Constitution bench for full fledged debate.

The bench was of the view that in most of the cases of imposition of President's rule, the matter has gone to the Constitution bench by framing some vital questions.

However, Sibal and Singhvi raised objection to recording of such order and said that here it is a case of floor test which is like a vote of confidence for Rawat and it cannot be in any way called vote of no confidence.

However, the submission of Congress was objected to by Rohatgi who said Rawat cannot seek confidence vote by projecting himself as Chief Minister as the President's Rule is in operation by virtue of the apex court's order.

AG said the situation in Uttarakhand is like where both the parties will face the floor test to prove their majority.

Singhvi said the floor test cannot be for the party which was not in power and the person who has to be called to prove the majority is one who was the chief minister.

Amidst the deliberation, the bench said, "we will not restore the status quo ante by asking Rawat to prove majority".

The Supreme Court on Tuesday had asked the Attorney General to take instruction and apprise it about the feasibility of holding a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly under its supervision.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh, which had fixed the hearing on the plea at 2 pm on Tuesday, took up the matter at 10.30 am to apprise the parties concerned that it may not take up the case on Tuesday as Justice Singh would be a part of another bench hearing matters related to medical entrance exams at 2 pm.

During the brief hearing, the bench repeated its suggestion that the Centre should consider holding a floor test in the Assembly under its supervision to ascertain the actual situation.

It asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to take instruction on the issue and apprise it about the same on Thursday.

The apex court had on 22 April stayed till 27 April the judgement of the Uttarakhand High Court quashing imposition of President's rule, giving a new turn to the political drama in the state by restoring central rule there.

On 27 April, it had extended the stay till further orders and had also framed seven questions while giving the liberty to the AG to include other questions the government would like to be addressed.

"Whether the Governor could have sent the message in the present manner under Article 175 (2) for conducting floor test," the bench had said in its first question.

It had further asked whether the disqualification of MLAs by the Speaker is a "relevant issue" for the purposes of invoking President's rule under Article 356 of the Constitution.

Referring to constitutional scheme that the Assembly proceedings are beyond the scope of judicial scrutiny, the apex court had also asked whether the proceedings of the House can be considered for invoking President's rule.

Dealing with the claim and counter claim with regard to the fate of the Appropriation Bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly, it had said that the next question is as to when the President's role comes into the picture.

"Can the delay in the floor test be a ground for proclamation of the President's rule," it had also asked.

The political crisis in Uttarakhand emerged after nine rebel MLAs from Congress defected to BJP during a debate over the state budget in March. They were later disqualified.

Following the disqualification, Governor KK Paul asked deposed Chief Minister Rawat to prove his majority in the assembly.

In a stunning verdict on 21 April, the Uttarakhand High Court quashed the President's rule imposed by the Centre which restored the dismissed Congress government and castigated the Centre for uprooting a democratically-elected government.

The Supreme Court delivered a major blow to the former Congress government on 23 April by staying the Uttarakhand High Court's verdict setting aside President's Rule in the state.

The verdict effectively re-imposed President's Rule in the state. On 27 March, the BJP-led government at the Centre had imposed President's Rule in Uttarakhand, leading the Congress, which was in power, to term it as a 'murder of democracy.' The judgment gave a new turn to the continuing political drama in the state.

Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, along with senior advocate Harish Salve, had pressed for the stay of the High Court judgment. He said how one party can be put at advantage and assume the office of Chief Minister when the other party is pushed to disadvantage in the absence of the judgment.

Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rawat and the Assembly Speaker, argued hard against the passing of any interim order saying "you are allowing the appeal by giving the stay". Sibal was of the view that allowing stay of operation of the High Court verdict would be like enforcing the proclamation of the President rule.

During the jam-packed hearing, the bench sought to pacify both the parties saying that it has to take a balanced view as this is a Constitutional court. "We will take on record the copy of the judgement and go through it. This matter may go to Constitution bench," the bench said.

The apex court had clarified on 23 April that it was keeping in abeyance the judgment of the High Court till the next date of hearing as a measure of balance for both the parties as the copy of the verdict was not made available to the parties.
BUENOS AIRES An Argentine court has asked a judge to look into accusations of illicit enrichment against leftist former President Cristina Fernandez, state press agency Telam reported on Monday.

Fernandez, who left office in December after eight years and was replaced by center-right Mauricio Macri, has already been accused of money laundering and overseeing irregularities at the central bank while she served.

The cases have sparked massive demonstrations by her supporters, who say she is being persecuted by a new government bent on revenge. Fernandez is a divisive figure, revered by many for generous welfare programs and reviled by others for her economic policies.

The latest accusation, issued by a public prosecutor, was initiated by an opposition politician. Fernandez and her son have been accused of illicit enrichment and the falsification of public documents relating to a company called Los Sauces, Telam said, citing legal sources.

It said that Los Sauces in 2009 had over 9 million Argentine pesos ($635,000 at current exchange rates) in property investment.

A spokesman for the attorney general's office said the investigating judge had issued a secrecy order on the case.

Under Argentine law, the judge will decide whether to accept the charge and open an investigation.

($1 = 14.1660 Argentine pesos)

(Reporting by Maximiliano Rizzi, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Dan Grebler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Sydney: A rare violet diamond, the largest of its kind ever found at Australia's remote Argyle mine, will be the centrepiece of Rio Tinto's annual pink diamonds showcase, the company said Tuesday.

The rough gem, discovered in August 2015 at a mine where more than 90 percent of the world's pink and red jewels are produced, originally weighed 9.17 carats and had etchings, pits and crevices.

After weeks of assessment, the Argyle Violet was polished down to a 2.83 carat, oval-shaped diamond.

"Impossibly rare and limited by nature, the Argyle Violet will be highly sought after for its beauty, size and provenance," Rio Tinto Diamonds general manager of sales, Patrick Coppens, said in a statement.

Rio Tinto did not put a figure on its worth, but said it had been assessed by the Gemological Institute of America as a notable diamond with the colour grade of Fancy Deep Greyish Bluish Violet.

It is not known how diamonds acquire their coloured tinge but it is thought to come from a molecular structure distortion as the jewel forms in the earth's crust or makes its way to the surface.

Diamonds for sale as part of the annual Argyle pink diamonds tender can fetch US$ 1-2 million a carat. As a basic rule of thumb, pink and red diamonds are worth about 50 times more than white diamonds.

Rio Tinto said violet diamonds were extremely rare with only 12 carats of polished stone produced for the tender in 32 years.

"This stunning violet diamond will capture the imagination of the world's leading collectors and connoisseurs," Argyle pink diamonds manager Josephine Johnson said.

The 2016 tender will begin private trade viewings in June and travel to Copenhagen, Hong Kong and New York, Rio Tinto said.
WASHINGTON/CARMEL, Ind. U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton met with coal and steel workers in the Appalachian region on Monday in an effort to win over blue-collar voters in a part of the country with strong support for Republican Donald Trump.

The real estate mogul made his own pitch on Monday to voters in areas struggling from the loss of industry, telling a crowd in Indiana he would create "clean coal" jobs.

Clinton has increasingly turned her attention beyond the Democratic Party nomination fight with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and is making early moves to try to siphon support from Trump ahead of a possible match-up in the Nov. 8 election.

On Monday, she met union leaders and some of the 600 workers who were laid off last year when AK Steel Holding Corp announced it would idle a furnace in eastern Kentucky.

She said jobs losses in manufacturing and the coal industry in the area had been a heavy blow.

"Talk about a ripple effect. It's just devastating communities," Clinton told workers around a table at an Italian restaurant in the town of Ashland.

While the Republican presidential candidates focus on Tuesday's primary contest in Indiana, Clinton launched a trip to Appalachia this week that will include events in Ohio and West Virginia.

She has a large lead over Sanders for the Democratic nomination. Unions typically back Democratic candidates, and union leaders have endorsed both Clinton and Sanders in the 2016 presidential race.

But Trump's pro-coal, anti-trade message and outsider status has resonated with some blue collar union members frustrated with Washington politicians. He and other Republicans also accuse President Barack Obama's administration of waging a "war on coal" by imposing strict environmental regulations.

"I'm a free-market guy, but not when you're getting killed," Trump said at a rally in Carmel, Indiana. "Look at steel, it's being wiped out. Your coal industry is wiped out, and China is taking our coal."

The New York businessman won the Republican nominating contest in Kentucky in March, sweeping most of the counties in the economically struggling east of the state.

Parts of Appalachia, a region that spans multiple states across the eastern United States, have struggled with poverty and job losses. West Virginia's unemployment rate of 6.5 percent in March was well above the national rate of 5 percent, according to Labor Department data. Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, while the figure in Kentucky was 5.6 percent.

It will be an uphill struggle for Clinton there if she wins the nomination. She has pledged more than $30 billion to help regions that depend on coal, but her promise was overshadowed when she said in March that the country would "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."

And her husband, former President Bill Clinton, campaigned on Sunday in West Virginia, encountering protests from Trump supporters.

West Virginia last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996, when Bill Clinton was running for his second four-year term. He is the only Democrat who has won Kentucky

since 1980.

TRUMP IN INDIANA

Trump will take a leap towards winning the Republican nomination if he comes out ahead in Tuesday's Indiana primary. His success in the race for the White House may well ride on the support of Republican evangelicals.

Top rival Ted Cruz planned stops to greet voters across the state on Monday, running into a group of Trump supporters in Marion, Indiana who berated him. He deployed his wife, Heidi, and Carly Fiorina, the ex-candidate who Cruz has chosen as his running mate if he gets the Republican nomination, to a coffee shop and art gallery in Carmel, Indiana.

Cruz, who lags Trump in delegates to the Republican National Convention in July, told reporters on Monday he would stay in the race "as long as we have a viable path to victory."

Republicans plan to tie Clinton to what they say is an anemic economy under President Barack Obama. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Monday cited data released last week that showed economic growth slipped in the first quarter to its slowest pace in two years.

"Struggling Americans will never get ahead under Hillary Clinton. They are going to keep getting taken to the cleaners," Priebus said in an opinion piece for RealClearPolitics.

(Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici and Doina Chiacu in Washington, and Alana Wise in Indiana; Writing by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Caren Bohan and Alistair Bell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Los Angeles: Two lawsuits filed in California on Monday claim that Muslim women were discriminated against in separate incidents because of their religion and for wearing the hijab.

One of the suits claims that police in Long Beach forcibly removed a suspect's headscarf while another suit alleges that a group of women were kicked out of a Laguna Beach coffee house for being Muslim.

According to the complaint against the city of Long Beach and its police department, Kirsty Powell and her husband were pulled over by two officers while driving home in May of last year.

She was subsequently arrested on two outstanding warrants  one linked to her sister allegedly falsely using her identity and one in relation to a 2002 shoplifting incident at a grocery store.

Powell, who is African American, alleges that while being booked at the police station, one of the officers forcibly removed her headscarf in view of other male officers and inmates, telling her she was "not allowed to wear her hijab" and that policemen were "allowed to touch women."

The suit states that Powell "suffered and continues to suffer extreme shame, humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress" as a result of her experience.

"The actions taken by the Long Beach police officers were unwarranted and a serious violation of Mrs Powell's bodily integrity," said Yalda Satar, attorney for the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on behalf of Powell.

"The manner in which Mrs Powell was treated by LBPD officers was simply a show of authority over a woman of color who was unable to protect herself, and is another example of the type of discrimination faced by women who wear a hijab."

The Long Beach Police Department and city officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

'Targeted over hijab'

In a separate lawsuit also filed on Monday, a group of seven women claim that they were kicked out of Urth Caffe, in Laguna Beach, last month because they were Muslim.

The women, six of whom wear the headscarf, allege that management had asked them to vacate their table on April 22 on grounds that the restaurant was busy and that the policy limited seating to 45 minutes when no free tables are available.

When the women refused to leave, the coffee house called in the police.

Dan Stormer, whose law firm is representing the women, told AFP that it was clear his clients were targeted because of their religion.

"At the time our clients were there, there were several dozen free tables," he said.

"There were people who were there before our clients arrived and they were not asked to leave. Those people were white and they were not wearing the hijab."

The owner of the restaurant, Shallom Berkman, could not be reached for comment.

But in interviews with local media, he denied discriminating against the women and pointed out that his wife was Muslim.

The two lawsuits come as police in Los Angeles and San Francisco have come under scrutiny over racist and homophobic text messages and emails, several of which target Muslims.

On Sunday, a senior official at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stepped down after outrage over emails he sent three to four years ago mocking Muslims and others.

In San Francisco, several police officers have resigned or retired over racist text messages they exchanged among each other.
MogaDishu, Somalia: For Abdiqadir Dulyar, simply reading messages sent to his phone can be chilling.

His voice breaks as he reads a recent one: "Keep doing what you do, and we shall come to give your well-deserved award (death)."

Dulyar, the 40-year-old director of the Somali TV station Horn Cable, said the threats often lead him to avoid going home and to stay at his office for weeks at a time.

He said his fear was heightened last week after unidentified men opened fire on a car carrying journalists from his TV station in the capital of Mogadishu. No one was hurt.

Somali journalists frequently receive threats, with many being killed. But police rarely investigate them or adequately protect reporters, according to Human Rights Watch, which on Tuesday marked World Press Freedom Day by issuing a report on the dangers faced by Somali journalists.

The deadliest country for journalists in 2015 was Syria, where 14 were killed, followed by France with nine, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Around the world, 72 journalists were killed in 2015 and 10 have been killed so far this year.

Turkey's main journalism association called World Press Freedom Day one for reflection, solidarity and "finding a way out" of the rapidly deteriorating state of media freedom in the country. Since January, the government seized the largest circulation opposition newspaper; two journalists were put on trial for spying for their reports on alleged government arms smuggling to Syrian rebels; and several pro-Kurdish journalists were detained over their reports on fighting between government forces and the Kurdish rebels.

Turkish academic and columnist Murat Belge went on trial Tuesday, accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a column that suggested he reignited a conflict against Kurdish rebels for electoral gains. Belge faces four years in prison if convicted under a law that critics say Erdogan is using to muzzle dissent.

"I am a member of one of Turkey's most populous clubs  the club of people who have insulted Erdogan," Belge said at the end of the hearing. Almost 2,000 cases have been opened against people, including journalists.

"The conditions are not there for the Turkish media to celebrate this important day," said Nazmi Bilgin of the Turkish Journalists' Association. "It is not possible to celebrate freedom when you are not free." Bilgin said 720 journalists had been fired this year, while more than 100,000 websites have been blocked.

In Somalia, which for years has been one of the most dangerous countries for media workers, 59 journalists have been killed since 1992, soon after a civil war began in the Horn of Africa nation, according to the CPJ. The deadliest year was 2012 when 18 were killed. In 2015, three journalists were killed, including Hindia Haji Mohamed, who worked for the state-run broadcaster and had been married to a journalist who also had been slain. She died in December when her car was bombed, an attack claimed by the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab.

The killings of Somali media workers often happen in government-controlled areas that journalists generally consider safe, and reporters must be on their guard at all times. It does not help that they also might face hostility from the government, said Human Rights Watch.

There are signs the Somali government is protecting journalists better. Last month, the government executed a man convicted of assisting the killing of five journalists. A former journalist himself, the man had joined al-Shabab to work as their press liaison and was known to have threatened reporters. He was one of the few prosecuted by the government, which has been urged for years by rights groups to do more to protect journalists.

Despite relative stability in Mogadishu since the ouster of al-Shabab in 2011, journalists say they still feel unsafe from both militants and government officials. Although African Union troops have helped to push Islamist extremists out of all Somalia's major cities, the rebels still carry out numerous attacks, hampering the government's rebuilding efforts.

"There is the prospect of having a Somali free from oppression, but threats and intimidation against journalists continue and it is very grim  no group or government likes our work," said Dulyar, the broadcast journalist. Despite the dangers, Dulyar said he remains committed to his job.

"No matter what, I shall keep working," he said. "I shall remain being a messenger for the whole world."
SAN SALVADOR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Rape at the hands of relatives and a lack of sex education are driving pregnancies among girls in El Salvador, which is struggling to stem one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Latin America, according to a top health official.

More than a third of all pregnancies in the Central American nation are among girls aged 10 to 19, and girls as young as 9 have become pregnant, said Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Espinoza.

Rape and incest at the hands of grandfathers, fathers and other relatives is often the cause of pregnancies in girls aged 10 to 14, although there are no official figures, Espinoza told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview.

"With adolescent pregnancies there's always a component of violence through either incest, or violence in the family, or domestic violence," he said.

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death among teenage girls worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Latin America, the risk of maternal death is four times higher among girls under 16 compared to women in their early twenties, WHO says.

While non-governmental organizations and the ministry of education train some teachers about sex education, El Salvador has no formal curriculum on sex education, and schools are not required to provide it.

"Boys and girls come to have their first sexual relationship without having had any professional information. Generally the information they have comes from other children who are just as much as misinformed as they are," Espinoza said.

Initiatives to develop a nationwide curriculum on sex education have been opposed by the Roman Catholic Church and some evangelical groups.

In 2008, the church blocked a manual for teachers, created by the education ministry, from being used to teach sexual health in schools.

Opponents say sex education encourages children to engage in sex.

Sexual health experts, however, say a key way to curb teen pregnancies is to provide girls and boys with access to family planning information and services, including emergency contraception.

A 2015 World Bank study found that Salvadoran teenagers "were not educated enough" about sexual and reproductive health and had limited use of and access to contraceptives.

Espinoza said stepped-up efforts to stem teen pregnancies need to be taken by the ministry of education.

"We don't deal with teenage pregnancies until a teenager becomes pregnant," Espinoza said. "But the issue is before teenagers get pregnant and that's to do with school."

He defended the government's record, however, saying access to health services has been expanded nationwide since 2009, including free contraception.

El Salvador's waves of emigration also has played a role, the minister said.

Around three million Salvadorans live abroad, mainly in the United States, many of whom fled the country's 1980-92 civil war and more recently gang violence.

This has left broken families and untended children, Espinoza said.

"Fathers migrate, leaving mothers to be the sole breadwinner. Mothers find work in the garment factories and work all day so children are free, left alone," he said. "They are completely vulnerable."

(Reporting by Anastasia Moloney, editing by Ros Russell. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Islamabad: Pakistan would maintain minimum nuclear deterrence for balancing the strategic stability in South Asia, Prime Minister's advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Tuesday, amid mounting international pressure on the country to slow down its atomic programme.

Addressing a seminar titled 'Pakistans Non-proliferation Efforts and Strategic Export Controls' hosted by the Institute of Strategic Studies, he said South Asias strategic stability has been negatively impacted by the policies that override the long established principles and norms and are guided by individual states strategic and commercial considerations.

"A case in point is the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and the subsequent discriminatory waiver granted to India by the NSG. Eight years down the road one wonders what benefit the non-proliferation regime has secured from the deal?" he asked.

He said recent reports by Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) and assessment by other experts corroborate that the NSG waiver has allowed India to exponentially increase its fissile material stocks with grave implications for the strategic stability of the region.

Aziz said introduction of nuclear submarines, development of anti-ballistic missile system and massive acquisition of conventional weapons, prompt offensive inclinations manifested in doctrines such as the "Cold Start" and "Proactive Operations" pose a serious threat to regional stability.

"As we seek to ensure our security, credible minimum deterrence remains our guiding principle and our conduct will continue to be defined by restraint and responsibility," he said.

"Pakistan is a peace loving country but it was compelled to get nuclear deterrence in the face of growing threat to its security and integrity after Indian nuclear tests," he said.

He also said Pakistan has strong credentials to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other multilateral export control regimes, on non-discriminatory basis.

He said the policy of nuclear mainstreaming of any state should be based on uniform criteria rather than a country specific approach.

The Obama administration has repeatedly expressed concern over Pakistan's continuing deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons and said this increases nuclear risks.

"We have been very concerned about Pakistan's deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons," Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller had told Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a Congressional hearing in March.

Aziz said that after the objective of total nuclear disarmament was found difficult to achieve in the foreseeable future, the world has gradually evolved a new normative approach to non-proliferation.

This new norm is now threatened by the so-called selective approach to "outlier states", without uniform criteria applicable to all non NPT states, he said.

"This threat must be resolutely resisted," he urged.

Aziz said Pakistan is facing acute power shortage as it is a fossil fuel deficient country and added that in order to meet its enormously increasing energy needs and to support sustained economic growth and industrial development, reliance on civil nuclear energy is an imperative.

"The energy requirement is expected to grow by at least 7 over the next two decades. Therefore, our national energy strategy includes expansion in the nuclear energy capacity," he said.

He said Pakistan remains committed to the objectives of non-proliferation and disarmament and shares the global concern that proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction poses serious threat to international peace and security.

Aziz claimed that since 1974, when the first nuclear test was conducted by India, Pakistan made several proposals for keeping South Asia free of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems including simultaneous accession to NPT, but none of the proposals met a favourable response.

"Pakistan (also) proposed a 'Strategic Restraint Regime,' with three interlocking and mutually reinforcing elements i.e. conflict resolution, nuclear and missile restraint and conventional balance. This proposal remains on the table," he said.

He said Pakistan is strongly committed to the objective of nuclear security and has been proactively engaged with the international community to promote nuclear safety and security.

"Our nuclear security paradigm, evolved over the years, is effective and responsive against the entire range of possible threats. Nuclear security regime in Pakistan is dynamic and regularly reviewed and updated," he said.
BRUSSELS New security checks at Brussels Airport, where Islamic State suicide bombers killed 16 people in March, are creating huge queues and causing passengers to miss flights, a situation the airport operator described as "bizarre".

Belgium's main airport reopened part of its departure hall on Monday, bringing capacity up to about 80 percent from 20 percent when operations initially restarted a month ago, after the attack on March 22 gutted parts of the building.

But passengers complain police checks at the entrance to the building are causing delays of several hours and have created a new security risk by forcing people to congregate outside.

"You couldn't find a better target," said a senior Belgian security official who is not involved in the airport plan.

Former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme missed his flight to Budapest after queuing for two hours and 40 minutes.

"In the coming weeks I'll think twice about choosing Brussels Airport," Leterme told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws. "I think Paris is the better option."

With major airports in Paris, Amsterdam and Duesseldorf easily accessible by train from Brussels, the chaos in the Belgian hub could have a major economic impact.

The manager of the airport, which also suffered disruption last month due to industrial action by air traffic controllers, blamed police unions for taking the decision to screen every passenger and their luggage at the entrance.

"We worked day and night for 40 days to reopen the airport and some police union representatives hold onto that bizarre system of pre-check-ins," president of the board of Brussels Airport Marc Descheemaecker wrote on Facebook.

"Abandon it... We are shooting ourselves in the foot and making fools of ourselves abroad."

Police union VSOA blamed a lack of staff among private security firms which carry out the initial checks.

"We are open to suggestions about how to improve the checks but one thing is clear, security at the airport has to be better than before March 22," a VSOA spokesman said.

The Interior Ministry, ultimately responsible for security, said it would hold talks on Tuesday to address the situation.

An official of another police union was quoted by Belga news agency as saying an agreement had been reached to check only some passengers and bags before they enter the check-in area.

Brussels Airlines, partly owned by Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), saw passenger numbers decrease 20 percent in April due to reduced capacity at the airport where it is the main operator.

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Janet Lawrence)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: President Barack Obama had decided the US would go alone in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden because Pakistan's trustworthiness was questionable due to their "close relationship" with various terrorist networks, former CIA director Leon Panetta has said.

"Pakistan was difficult because they had a close relationship to various terrorist networks, and you were never quite sure just exactly where their loyalties would lie," Panetta, the head of the CIA operation that killed al-Qaeda leader bin Laden at his Abbottabad hideout in Pakistan, said.

"It was for that reason, very frankly, that when we were looking at the bin Laden operation, which we would have preferred, frankly, to have worked with Pakistan. But there are so many questions raised about whether or not we could trust them that the president decided that we should do it alone," he told PBS news yesterday on the fifth anniversary of the killing of the most dreaded terrorist in the world on the outskirts of a Pakistan military garrison town.

Panetta, also the former US defence secretary, said it has been a challenging period to develop the relationship with Pakistan.

"Obviously, Pakistan was helpful in being able to work with us in many areas. Certainly, in the intelligence area, we worked together. On military efforts, we worked together," Panetta, who was the head of the CIA at the time of bin Laden operation, said.

He said five years after the killing of bin Laden, reality is that terrorism remains a threat.

"It's metastasised into Islamic State. It's metastasised into Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. And so it continues to be very much a threat that the US and other countries in the world have to focus on. This is a long-term effort. We have had some success, there is no question about it. We have gone after their leadership.

"We have done well to prevent another 9/11- type attack, but there remains an awful lot more work to be done in order to protect this country. We have done a very good job at decimating al-Qaida's leadership particularly in Pakistan. And obviously, the bin Laden operation was kind of the primary effort to go after the spiritual leader of al-Qaida," he said.

"At the same time, al-Qaida's probably metastasised, as we have seen with other terrorist operations in the Middle East. There are variations of al-Qaida that are still operating very much in the Middle East and North Africa," Panetta added.

The US Navy Seals' raid killed bin Laden in 2011 in his compound in Abbottabad town near Pakistan army's elite training school.

Bin Laden was the founder of al-Qaeda, the group that claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Singapore: On Tuesday, Singapore said it had arrested eight Bangladeshi men who allegedly plotted to carry out terror attacks and assassinations in their home country to establish an Islamic state.

The migrant workers were arrested in April under Singapore's Internal Security Act which allows for detention without trial, the home ministry said in a statement.

Items seized from them included manuals on bomb-making and how to use a 0.50 calibre sniper rifle, plus a list of Bangladesh government and military officials targeted for attack, it said.

The ministry said the men were members of a clandestine group set up in Singapore in March by 31 year-old Rahman Mizanur, who called the group "Islamic State in Bangladesh"(ISB).

They had initially planned to go to Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) group but decided to return to their homeland.

"As they felt that it would be difficult for them to make their way to Syria, they focused their plans instead on returning to Bangladesh to overthrow the democratically-elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic State in Bangladesh and bring it under (Islamic State's) self-declared caliphate," the ministry said.

It added that five other Bangladeshi men had been investigated but not found to be involved in ISB. They nevertheless possessed jihadi-related material and been repatriated to Bangladesh, the statement said.

Bangladesh police said they arrested five suspected Islamist militants on Tuesday who had been deported from Singapore, after being alerted to their alleged extremist activities by authorities in the city-state.

Attacks anywhere in the world

There is growing concern over an increase in attacks on minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Suspected Islamists have murdered at least 30 members of religious minorities, secular bloggers and other liberal activists, foreigners and intellectuals in the country in the past three years.

Two gay activists were hacked to death last week in attacks claimed by a Bangladeshi branch of Al-Qaeda, while a liberal English professor was killed days earlier, a murder claimed by the IS group.

Bangladesh police also said Tuesday they were investigating a new hit-list from a group called the Islami Liberation Front, which includes the head of a university, journalists and ruling party officials.

Singapore is heavily dependent on foreign labour and employs 1.15 million overseas workers out of a total population of 5.6 million.

Officials say the nation  a close military partner of Washington  is a prime target for Islamic militants.

Singapore says it foiled an attempt by militants in late 2001 to carry out bomb attacks on US and other foreign targets in the country.

According to the home ministry, the ISB group planned to recruit more Bangladeshi workers in Singapore and raised money to buy weapons for use in Bangladesh. The money has been seized, the ministry said.

The group's leader also told investigators that he would carry out attacks anywhere in the world if instructed to do so by IS, but the ministry said there were no specific indications Singapore was a target.
Washington: Raising concerns over the recent spate of attacks on secular bloggers and minorities, the US has asked Bangladesh to ensure a "secure environment" to all its citizens.

"Our focus remains on urging the government of Bangladesh to provide a more secure environment for all of its citizens, one that nurtures the spirit of the people of Bangladesh and the pride with which they guard their own traditions of tolerance, peace, and diversity," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.

"We are going to continue to do that (raise concerns), and I don't have more specific initiatives to lay before you, but I can tell you that we are watching this very closely and we are in touch," he said.

In a recent spate of attacks, a liberal professor, an editor and gay activist, a student and a Hindu tailor were killed and in most of the cases Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian sub continent have claimed the attacks.
Washington: The Obama administration has asked Pakistan to "put forward" its "national funds" to buy the eight F-16 fighter jets as some top American Senators have put a hold on use of the US tax payers' money for this purpose.

"While Congress has approved the sale, key members have made clear that they object to using FMF (foreign military financing) to support it. Given Congressional objections, we have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose," US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday.

Kirby, however, did not say when this decision was taken and when was it communicated to Pakistan.

On 11 February, the State Department had informed the Congress about its determination for selling eight the fighter jets to Pakistan at an estimated cost of USD 700 million. The move was opposed by the Indian government as it summoned the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, to lodge its protest.

Here in the US, top American lawmakers led by Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, put a hold on the sale arguing that it would not let the Obama administration use tax payers' money for sale of the fighter jets to Pakistan given that Islamabad was not taking enough action against terrorist organisations, in particular the Haqqani network, and there was continued existence of terrorist safe havens inside its territory.

Several Indian American organisations reached out to lawmakers expressing their concern over such a sale, which they argued is nothing but rewarding a bad actor.

Last week, top American lawmakers during a Congressional hearing openly told the Obama administration that they feared Pakistan would be using these F-16 fighter jets against India and not against terrorists.

However, both the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Pakistan government insisted that F-16 is an important tool in the fight against terrorism and urged the Congress to remove the hold. The lawmakers stood their ground and told the Obama administration that it will not till the time Pakistan takes tangible action against the Haqqani network.

On the occasion of fifth anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader at a safe hideout in Abbottabad on the outskirts of a Pakistan Army garrison town, by American commandos, the US publicly announced that it has asked Pakistan to use its national resources to buy F-16.

In saying so, the US expressed its disappointment over the Congressional hold. "Effective engagement with Pakistan, we believe, is critical to promoting the consolidation of democratic institutions and economic stability in supporting the government's counterterrorism activities and capabilities," Kirby said.

"As a matter of long-standing principle, the Department of State opposes conditions to the release of appropriated

foreign assistance funds. We believe that such conditions limit the president and the secretary's ability to conduct foreign policy in the best interest of the United States," Kirby said.
Washington: A US Congress-formed federal body on international religious freedom on Monday appealed to the Obama administration to designate Pakistan among nations listed as worst violators of religious freedom due to the current state of minorities in the country.

"In 2015, the Pakistani government continued to perpetrate and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations," US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its annual report.

As such USCIRF again recommended the State Department to designated Pakistan a "country of particular concern, or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), as it has recommended since 2002. Its recommendations are non-binding and Pakistan has not been designated as a CPC country by the State Department.

In addition to Pakistan USCIRF has recommended to the State Department to designate seven other countries as CPC: Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Tajikistan and Vietnam. The State Department designated CPC countries are Myanmar, China, Eriteria, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

"Religiously-discriminatory constitutional provisions and legislation, such as the countrys blasphemy law and anti-Ahmadiyya laws, intrinsically violate international standards of freedom of religion or belief and result in prosecutions and imprisonments," the report said.

The actions of non-state actors, including US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistani Taliban), continue to threaten all Pakistanis and the countrys overall security, it said.

Religious minority communities, including Shia and Ahmadiyya Muslims, Christians, and Hindus, experience chronic sectarian and religious violence from both terrorist organizations and individuals within society, it added.

The government's failure to provide adequate protection for likely targets of such violence or prosecute perpetrators has created a deep rooted climate of impunity, it said, noting that discriminatory content against minorities in provincial textbooks remains a significant concern, as are reports of forced conversions and marriages of Christian and Hindu girls and women.

"While the Pakistani government has taken some steps over the last two years to address egregious religious freedom violations, it has failed to implement systemic changes," the report noted.

"For years, the Pakistani government has failed to protect citizens, minority and majority alike, from sectarian and religiously-motivated violence," USCIRF said.

USCIRF in its report expressed its disappointment over US policy towards Pakistan. "Human rights and religious freedom have not been among the highest priorities in the bilateral relationship," it said.
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Uber has teamed up with Indias Paytm and Chinas Alipay. The partnership will allow Indian and Chinese travelers to book and pay for Uber rides globally.

Under the partnership Paytm and Alipay users will be able to hail a cab in all 400+cities Uber operates in. The feature is already available for Alipay users in China but will be available in India for Paytm users by the end of this month.

The global Paytm integration will be welcomed as currently Indian users need a credit card to pay for rides taken aboard. Alibaba-backed Paytm will not charge any fees for conversion and the fares will be based on current forex rates. In India, Alipay will use the Paytm platform to facilitate the transaction for Chinese tourists travelling here. Uber says that India is the third largest market for the company in terms of trips taken by users, and behind US and China.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO and Founder of Paytm said,

We want to bring better payment services to people in India and we are achieving our goals with technologies powered by Alipay. Leveraging the strategic partnership with Ant Financial, we look forward to working closely with more global partners like Uber to grow our influence in order to benefit our 126 million users.

source
Consumers are becoming more aware of animal cruelty and adopting ethical lifestyles and diets that seek animal-free products while reducing some of the adverse... Read More
Many airlines are reporting good or great growth in their earnings reports this quarter.

In this segment from the Industry Focus: Energy podcast, Sean O'Reilly and Tyler Crowe explain what the airline companies' metrics really mean, and why most of this growth we're seeing probably isn't as impressive as it first seems.

A full transcript follows the video.

This podcast was recorded on April 22, 2016.

Sean O'Reilly: Real quick before we move on. I'm interested to get your thoughts on the airlines. These guys have, you think, been an automatic beneficiary of low oil prices.

Tyler Crowe: Oh, and they have been.

O'Reilly: Immediately. Except for, who was it that had really high-priced hedges that hasn't really benefited?

Crowe: Sorry.

O'Reilly: No big deal. Anyway. You mentioned before we went on air that you had been looking through their results. Alaska Air (ALK 2.49%) and Southwest (LUV 1.41%) have reported. Some good and some bad.

Crowe: I wouldn't say I'd call it bad. More just like flat-lining. Very neutral. Some of the good things that you see, obviously the headline number says they made some of their best return on invested capital numbers. They made some of their best profit numbers in a quarter, which all sound great. Then when you start to break down what those are, some of the gains that you had. You saw a modest uptick in total miles flown, basically they're scheduling more flights. They're building out a little bit more few new routes, but they're very measured when it comes to those things. Their load factor, and this is an important metric when you're thinking about the airline industry -- load factor is basically how full the planes are at any given time. You saw a modest uptick in that. They're in the 80.4%-80.5%, which is right around where they were -- like I said, not even a full percentage point increase there. But improving.

The one thing that is interesting for both Alaska and Southwest was another important metric, which is PRASM, or passenger revenue per available seat mile. This is one of the most important metrics when you're looking at airlines because it's basically saying --

O'Reilly: So listeners should be writing this down.

Crowe: Right. That's the one that you really want to look at is how much revenue they're generating per seat on the plane per mile that's actually flown. That includes things like fuel costs and how full a plane actually is. It's a very important metric to actually keep track of. If you look at these companies, Alaska's was down a little bit, Southwest was very modestly up. Again, pretty flat-line numbers when we're looking at increases on things like this. It's kind of telling when you look at the big gains in terms of revenue or income that they got -- sorry, income, not revenue. And then look at the PRASM numbers, which are pretty modestly flat, you can pretty much kind of assume that a lot of these gains are coming from modest expansion in the company and a major benefit from oil and gas prices.
What: Shares of Cobalt International Energy (NYSE: CIE) are down 11.2% as of 11:00 a.m. EST Tuesday. While the company reported a net loss of ($0.11) per share that beat Wall Street expectations, shares are taking it on the chin as the company announced that its still in negotiations to sell two of its exploration blocks in Angola.

So What: It might be a bit weird to look at Cobalt's income statement since it has not generated any revenue since the company went public in December 2009. The reason for this is the company is focused on developing offshore oil and gas fields that take a long time to develop. One of its first investments, a near 10% stake in the Heidelberg field in the Gulf of Mexico, was in 2008 and just recently started production. That means that now the company is finally on the clock to start generating some form of profit for its investors as it now actually has a revenue stream.

The two offshore blocks that Cobalt is looking to sell to Sonangol -- the Angolan national oil company -- are two promising fields where Cobalt has a high working interest. The problem for Cobalt today, though, is that access to the capital markets through either debt or equity are drying up fast, and the company needs to raise some capital to invest in its other investments off the coast of Angola and in the Gulf of Mexico. I would appear that investors are nervous that the sale either won't go through, or Cobalt won't get a decent return on the sale. Without these asset sales, Cobalt will struggle to meet its funding obligations.

Now What: The company's press release tried to ease investors concerns that the deal would indeed happen. When a company needs to go out of its way to say that it typically means things are going as planned. If Cobalt struggles to get this deal done, it could find itself in a tough spot. That's not even mentioning the fact that oil prices are still rather low and investment across the sector is drying up. With these things in mind, it may be best to shy away from this stock until at least this deal with Sonangol is completed and the company has some more financial flexibility.
In this Salute to American Success were taking a look at PostNet. The company provides services ranging from postal services to graphic designs. With many years of experience in business, founders Steve Greenbaum and Brian Spindel met in Las Vegas in the 1980s and started working on a concept that would eventually become PostNet.

While in Las Vegas, the duo realized there werent many private or physical mailboxes in big-market areas and came up with an idea to capitalize off the lacking industry. In 1983, they opened their first pack-and-ship store.

Customers would come in and take a package, not just receive, Greenbaum said. Theyd also ask if they could make a copy. It was overwhelmingly successful. We also collaborated to help other people get into business in their own mail and packaging center.

Despite the companys early success in the 1980s there were some bumpy roads, especially entering the next decade, according to Greenbaum. Originally, he didnt have an optimistic view on franchising.

Our view of franchising was not that positive, Greenbaum said. We may have had the wrong view, but we were young entrepreneurs.

After researching the concept, Greenbaum said he had a change of heart.

We wanted the franchise to be open and inclusive, he said. It has been a unique family oriented culture all sorts of franchise leadership groups as well.

Today, the business has grown to nearly 700 franchises, according to Greenbaum. Along with more than 200 stores in the U.S., PostNet has a strong presence globally, including about 300 locations in South Africa. Greenbaum anticipates further growth this year.

Were expecting to open 30 locations in 2016, he said. The short-term strategy in the next five years or so is to grow to $300 million. Our long-term strategy is to double the revenue of the company.

With the digital age continuing to boom, the online sector of a business is key to growth. PostNet is trying to capitalize off this development.

Online revenue has grown exponentially, Greenbaum said. Were really seeing the click side [of the business] driving revenue growth and enhancement the online side of the business has growth potential.
Image source: Tesla.

With Tesla Motors being the mother of all battleground stocks right now, it's particularly important for investors to keep a close eye on short interest numbers. There's a very large number of bearish investors out there that consider Tesla wildly overvalued and have taken positions accordingly.

Interestingly enough, as Tesla shares rallied after first-quarter earnings, short interest mostly held flat -- or even increased. That showed that the recovery was not being driven by short covering. Rather, the run up was being driven mostly by bullish investors taking long positions.

Well, Tesla short interest has just now posted a meaningful decline, and 10% of short interest has been covered.

Short interest is trending lowerThe exchange recently posted its short interest data as of settlement date April 15. There are now 29.07 million shares being held short. That's still a whopping 33% of float, but it also represents a 10% sequential decline from the 32.3 million shares that were held short as of settlement date March 31.

Settlement Date Short Interest Days to Cover April 15 29.07 million 3.36 March 31 32.3 million 6.89 March 15 32.2 million 6.89 February 29 34 million 6.66 February 12 31.5 million 3.81 January 29 30.2 million 7.79 January 15 29.1 million 6.55

Data source: Nasdaq.

Short interest has now hit the lowest level year to date.

Small squeezeKeep in mind that the April 15 settlement date corresponds to a trade date of April 12, while the March 31 settlement date corresponds to a trade date of March 28. Shares gained 8% during that time as short interest fell by 10%, so there was something of a short squeeze, albeit a relatively mild one.

The particular couple of weeks in question is also when the news flow around Tesla's highly anticipated Model 3 was escalating. The affordable EV was unveiled on March 31 and quickly gathered nearly 400,000 reservations in the weeks that followed. CEO Elon Musk also warned that it was "probably unwise" to short Tesla shares on April 5.

Between Musk's warning and soaring Model 3 reservation numbers, it makes sense that a good number of shorts would be looking for the exits. However, Tesla reports earnings on Wednesday, and it's anyone's guess as to how the market will react. We already know that the electric-auto maker fell short on deliveries due to continued challenges ramping Model X, even as it reaffirmed its full-year outlook.

But Tesla is about as unpredictable as it gets when it comes to earnings reactions. Tesla lost far more money than the Street expected in the first quarter, yet shares jumped on the strong outlook. Beyond deliveries, cash flow will be the most important metric for the upcoming release.

The article 10% of Tesla Motors Short-Sellers Have Bailed originally appeared on Fool.com.

Evan Niu, CFA owns shares of Tesla Motors, andhas the following options: long January 2018 $180 calls on Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image credit: Apple.

Describing Apple's most recent quarterly financial results as "disappointing" might just be an understatement -- they were downright ugly. Apple reported a sharp decline in iPhone unit shipments in its most recent quarter and, as a result of weak demand and a commensurate channel inventory adjustment, iPhone units are expected to drop significantly again in the current quarter.

Although CEO Tim Cook blamed the iPhone declines on a weaker-than-hoped upgrade cycle relative to that seen following the iPhone 6/6 Plus launch as well as broader macroeconomic weakness. Cook pointed to high customer loyalty and record levels of Android switchers to iPhone as positives that bode well for the company's iPhone business over the long term.

That being said, I can't help but note that Apple may be losing share to Samsung. Allow me to explain.

Look at the year-over-year comparisonsApple reported a drop in iPhone sales from around 61 million to around 51 million in the most recent quarter, a reduction of approximately 16%. In contrast, Samsung reported that sales in its "Mobile" group (smartphones, tablets, etc.) were actually up 8% year-over-year in its most recent quarter.

For all of 2016, Samsung aims to see a year-over-year increase in the profitability of its mobile division "through high-end sales growth and solid profitability of mid to low-end products."

Apple, in contrast, will have seen iPhone sales flat in fiscal Q1, iPhone down in fiscal Q2 and fiscal Q3, with its fiscal Q4 something of an unknown at this point, though analyst consensus calls for a 9.1% year-over-year drop in total revenue, implying further iPhone unit declines.

It's clear that Samsung is seeing better year-over-year growth than Apple is.

Is it share gain against Apple, or ...?One potential explanation is that Samsung is simply regaining share in the premium tier of the smartphone market, which Apple dominates, from Apple. In fact, given that the Galaxy S7 seems to have been fairly well received and is superior to the current iPhone 6s flagship in a number of key ways (display quality, camera, and weight), this wouldn't be too surprising.

However, it's important to note that Apple isn't the only player in the premium tier of the smartphone market (though it is the largest). Samsung may very well be gaining share against other vendors of Android-based smartphones (i.e. HTC, LG, and so on), which could explain the South Korean consumer electronics giant's year-over-year growth in mobile.

Apple is probably losing share; iPhone 7 needs to be a hitAlthough I doubt that Apple would ever admit it, it seems likely that part of the iDevice maker's iPhone woes is due to share loss in the premium tier of the market to the likes of Samsung, Huawei, and others.

Fortunately, I think that with a strong iPhone 7 showing later this year, Apple has an opportunity to grow its share in the premium portion of the smartphone market. Apple will need to make sure that the iPhone 7 is sufficiently advanced/compelling, though, to stay relevant once the Android vendors launch their flagships in the middle of the iPhone 7 cycle.

The article Apple Inc. May Be Losing Smartphone Share to Samsung originally appeared on Fool.com.

Ashraf Eassa has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
After surprising investors with better-than-expected first-quarter results last week, LinkedIn proceeded to offer some more in-depth update on the company's current situation, as a look at some of the opportunities ahead of the company, in its first-quarter earnings call. If you didn't tune in, here are some of the most important items discussed in the call you may have missed.

LinkedIn's new app is a hitIn LinkedIn's fourth-quarter update, the company was confident its just-launched, reimagined flagship app was a success. But how does the company feel about the new app now that users have had more time with it?

"Q1 marked the first full quarter for our new mobile Flagship experience and we are pleased with the performance thus far," LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said during the first-quarter call (via a Seeking Alpha transcript). "Members are engaging at record levels with the more relevant and comprehensive feed."

The CEO went on to cite several key trends in engagement, highlighting the app's success: Viral actions, daily shares, and traffic to third-party publishers increased 80%, 40%, and 150%, respectively.

Weiner also noted that the mobile app's revamp actually gave desktop a boost in unique sessions and page views, too.

China is still a catalystOne area LinkedIn investors are hoping for much of the company's future growth to come from is China. Fortunately, this market still looks promising for LinkedIn.

Image source: LinkedIn.

"China continues to be one of our fastest sources of member growth on a daily basis," Weiner said during the company's first-quarter earnings call.

Weiner noted that LinkedIn's members in China had "surpassed 20 million." This update is particularly helpful, since LinkedIn didn't provide an updated figure when it reported fourth-quarter results earlier this year. The figure further highlights the company's rapid growth in the market; just over two years ago, LinkedIn had only 4 million members in China. And by Q3 last year, members in the country were at 13 million.

But just as Weiner emphasized during the company's first-quarter call, LinkedIn is now prioritizing engagement in China over growth. And monetization will come next -- but it will have to wait for now. The company will focus on monetization once its growth and engagement are at levels the company is satisfied with, Weiner explained.

LinkedIn's localized Chitu app is showing promise Notably, LinkedIn's update on its member count in China doesn't even include its 2015-launched, pure-play app, called Chitu, which was made specifically for the important market. But investors shouldn't overlook the app's potential just because it's not included in the company's China member count.

LinkedIn provided a vague but positive update on the key app.

"Interestingly enough, that is not capturing the growth of the new localized mobile app that we launched in China, Chitu," Weiner said. "And when we factor that in, the Chitu app is now growing at relatively similar rates to the extension of our global platform."

Image source: LinkedIn.

It's time to integrate Lynda's technologyUpdating investors on the progress of LinkedIn's 2015 acquisition of Lynda.com, or a leading online learning company specializing in video courses, Weiner noted that LinkedIn is essentially done with integrating the Lynda.com team into the company's business, and it's now working on integrating their technology.

Going forward, investors should watch for LinkedIn to continue to integrate Lynda.com more deeply, as well as look for subsequent updates from management on the sort of incremental value Lynda's technology is bringing to the company.

While these were some of the most interesting takeaways from the call, it was packed with more useful commentary on LinkedIn's business, including a closer look at job posting growth, the company's long-term roadmap for its Talent Solutions segment, and more. Investors can find a recording of the conference call on the Investor Home portion of LinkedIn's website.

The article What LinkedIn Corp. Management Wants You to Know originally appeared on Fool.com.

Daniel Sparks has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends LinkedIn. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image Source: Fool Flickr

It's going to be a busy month for the leading premium service in the golden age of streaming television. Netflix may have seemed to have a wild April, complete with a poorly received quarterly report, new content additions, and a major rival simplifying its pricing. However, there are plenty of reasons to expect the fireworks to keep going in the month ahead.

Let's take a closer look at some of the events that could light a fire under Netflix stock this month. Buckle up.

May 9Next Monday marks the two-year anniversary of Netflix's initial rate hike for its streaming service. Its monthly subscriptions went from $7.99 to $8.99 at the time, eventually bumping up to $9.99 late last year. It's a notable anniversary. Existing members were told that they would be grandfathered in at the time, locked into the original rate for two years. Well, that grandfather clock goes cuckoo next week.

More than half of Netflix's nearly 47 million domestic users and a small portion of its international accounts are still paying older rates, offering high-def streaming on as many as two concurrent screens. That won't change overnight next week.

"We are rolling this out slowly over the year, rather than mostly in May, so we can learn as we go," Netflix explains in last month's letter to shareholders discussing its first quarter results.

Most are likely to move up to the $9.99 a month plan. Netflix's investment in content over the past two years has grown a lot more than the 25% increase in price. However, members stuck on the $7.99 price point can stick to that monthly rate if they can deal with standard definition on a single screen at any time. Some may decide to move up to the $11.99 monthly plan that offers higher-quality UHD quality -- when available -- on as many as four screens at the same time.

May 11Netflix has put out plenty of game-changing original content over the years. Shows including House of Cards and Orange is the New Black have won critical accolades, industry awards, and more importantly a spike in subscribers. Some of Netflix's other original shows will kick off their sophomore seasons later this month with Grace & Frankie on May 6 and the underrated thrillerBloodline on May 27.

This doesn't mean that next week's debut of Chelsea should be ignored. The new show staring former E! late night host Chelsea Handler kicks off on May 11. It will run three nights a week, and it could raise the bar again.

Time Warner's HBO -- often mentioned by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings as its biggest competitor -- has thrown plenty of muscle at late night content. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is in its third season, and it's always good for a viral video being played up on social media several times a year. Time Warner also inked a deal with Jon Stewart late last year, a four-year production deal that will emphasizetopical short-form digital content.

New episodes of Chelsea will be available on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of every week. The commercial free half-hour show is as close as Netflix has come to cranking out timely content, the kind of stuff that will keep fans close. It's an important step for Netflix, and one that can give potential cord cutters the final reason to nix their costly cable and satellite television plans. It won't turn Netflix into Time Warner's HBO, but it could close the gap with a service that costs 50% more.

May 27Wall Street celebrated when Adam Sandler struck a deal to produce four original movies for Netflix, and then we got a load of the first one. The Ridiculous 6 may have set viewership records for the service. It became the most watched movie on Netflix in its first month of availability. However, it was widely panned by critics and couch potatoes alike. It has one of the lowest star ratings on Netflix.

The second movie in that installment -- The Do-Over -- debuts later this month. Netflix better hope that it lives up to its name, giving Sandler's production team a second shot at doing right by viewers. The trailer is promising, making the movie seem more multiplex-ready than The Ridiculous 6. We'll see what the public thinks starting on May 27. If Sandler bombs again it's hard to see a lot of excitement for the final two productions.

The article 3 Dates Netflix Inc. Investors Need to Circle in May originally appeared on Fool.com.

Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Netflix and Time Warner. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image Source: Apache Corporation.

While the downturn in the oil market isn't sparing anyone in the sector, some oil companies are in a much stronger position to handle the market's current weakness. We can count Apache in that group, with the company boasting of a solid balance sheet and a conservative plan for the current operating environment. That said, even the best laid plans can go awry, which is why investors still need to keep an eye on Apache to ensure it's still on track. To do that, there are three numbers in particular that investors should take a look at when the company reports first-quarter results later this week.

1. Keep an eye on production versus guidanceDespite weak oil prices, Apache's production held up fairly well last year, once adjusted for asset sales. That said, after cutting its capex budget by 60% over last year's rate, the company expects its production to decline 7% to 11% in 2016. That puts it on pace to produce between 433,000 to 453,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or BOE/d, after averaging 486,000 BOE/d in 2015.

The bulk of the company's expected production decline will come in its North American onshore segment, which is expected to see declines of 12% to 15% against roughly flat production in its international operating areas. Given that guidance, investors should watch to see if production is tracking with guidance. If not, check to see if that's due to operational factors such as poor well performance or weather-related issues as opposed to the company choosing to reduce capex spending.

2. Look for any changes to the capex planSpeaking of capex, Apache plans to spend between $1.4 billion and $1.8 billion this year on oil and gas developments. That's expected to roughly align with cash flow at a $35 oil price. Oil, however, has been quite volatile in 2016, spending much of the first quarter below $30 a barrel before surging more recently above $45 a barrel. Given that volatility it's possible that Apache will adjust its capex budget, the question is which direction it will go. What it might do is tighten its range a bit, potentially projecting to spend at the higher end given where oil is right now.

3. Take a look at liquidityUnlike a lot of peers, Apache is sitting in a comfortable financial position right now with $5 billion of liquidity, including $1.5 billion in cash and $3.5 billion available on its credit facility. Further, the company has no debt maturities until 2018 and only $700 million coming due before 2021. That means the company doesn't have to worry about accessing the capital markets to address its financial situation anytime soon.

Image Source: Anadarko Petroleum.

That's proving to be a big competitive advantage. Rival Anadarko Petroleum recently decided to issue $3 billion of new debt in order to refinance debt maturing in 2016 and 2017. In doing so, Anadarko CEO Al Walker noted that the company "removed perceived uncertainty by issuing $3.0 billion of investment-grade bonds to refinance near-term maturities." Given its liquidity and lack of near-term debt maturities, Apache doesn't have any financial uncertainties that need to be addressed.

Having said all that, investors should still keep an eye on its liquidity. In particular, check to see if that number went down last quarter due to weaker oil prices. On the other hand, the company has been active in shedding assets the past few years and did plan to sell some non-core, non-producing assets this year. If the company did sell assets, that could provide a lift to its already strong liquidity.

Investor takeawayApache is taking a cautious approach to the downturn, which along with oil prices will have an impact on the company's first-quarter results. Given how volatile the market has been so far this year, investors should be on the lookout for any changes to its approach, paying special attention to production, capital spending, and liquidity. Any big changes to these three numbers could indicate that the company's plan isn't working out as expected.

The article 3 Key Numbers to Watch When Apache Corporation Reports originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
After lagging the S&P 500 for both the past five-year and one-year periods, T. Rowe Price Group stock has made a resurgence so far in 2016, shooting over 8% higher compared to the S&P's 2%.

Will T. Rowe stay red hot? It's impossible to know for sure, but these three things would go a long way to keeping the stock price moving from the lower left to the upper right.

1. Moving past January's market volatility Perhaps the most influential condition that could drive T. Rowe Price Group stock higher is a steady, bullish stock market. Conversely, a volatile, panicky, or bear market would likely send the stock lower.

The reason for this is straight forward. T. Rowe Price is an investment company that generates revenue from fees charged on the client assets it manages in its mutual fund products. If the market rises, that has the two-fold advantage of increasing assets under management through appreciation and drawing more investors to the firm with fresh capital to invest. A panicky market tends to send shares lower, which simultaneously decreases fees on existing assets under management and makes it more difficult to bring in new investor capital.

This dynamic was on full display in the first quarter. The company's revenues declined 3% year-over-year thanks to a $25 million drop in investment advisory fees. CEO William Stromberg blamed the "volatile quarter for global markets" for driving average assets under management and fees lower for the quarter.

A rising market is, unfortunately, not something that T. Rowe Price Group's management or shareholders can control. For investors looking for something more concrete to hold onto, look no further than the company's balance sheet and the capital allocation benefits it provides.

2. More dividends! T. Rowe Price currently reports no outstanding debt on its balance sheet. This is a conservative approach that's uncommon in large, public companies. Company's use debt, or leverage, as a tactic to boost earnings and return on equity. T. Rowe, however, has been able to generate very strong returns even without any leverage at all. The company's return on equity has been well above 20% on a trailing-12-month basis since the financial crisis.

TROW Return on Equity (TTM) data by YCharts

Less debt makes a company's balance sheet stronger and resilient to financial troubles, and it also enhances free cash flow. Without the burden of debt service payments and principal pay downs, T. Rowe Price has more available cash to invest into the company's future or to return to shareholders. That's powerful, and allows the company to make deliberate capital allocation decisions. That could mean paying out high percentages of earnings as dividends, like the company did last year, or it could mean paying out lesser amounts and utilizing that capital for other purposes.

When considering a change that could immediately benefit the stock price, I think the most obvious event is an increase in the company's dividend.

T. Rowe Price currently pays a dividend of $2.18 per share, a payment that has increased every year for -- you won't believe this -- 29 consecutive years. The current yield is 2.78%.

On top of that regular check, the company has also been known to occasionally pay special dividends, some of which are quite large. In 2015, for example, T. Rowe paid shareholders an extra $2 per share on top of the regular dividend, effectively doubling it for the year.

TROW Dividend data by YCharts

A further increase to the regular dividend or the announcement of another large special dividend could be exactly the catalyst this stock needs to shoot even higher.

3. More buy backs! The company's balance sheet and cash flow afford it more luxuries than just an unbelievably consistent dividend. Having all that cash gives the company the option to reinvest in its own future growth or, if market conditions are right, buy back its own stock. A large increase in stock buybacks could also be exactly what the stock needs to skyrocket this year.

This outcome seems reasonably likely as well based on the company's recent past. Over just the past year, T. Rowe Price Group has decreased the total shares outstanding at the company by over 5% through buybacks.

TROW Shares Outstanding data by YCharts

By buying back its own shares, the company increases the value of all the remaining shares -- that is, yours or mine. For example, if a company has 100 total shares outstanding and has a market cap of $1,000, each share would be worth $10 ($1,000 divided by 100 shares). If the company bought back 10 shares, then there would only be 90 total shares outstanding. The company's overall market value hasn't changed, meaning that each remaining share would now be worth $11.11 ($1,000 divided by 90 shares). Before the buyback, a single share represented 1% of the total ownership in the company. After the buyback, that same share now represents 1/90th of the company, or 1.11%.

T. Rowe is currently priced at 16.75 times its earnings on a trailing-12-month basis. Over the past six years the stock has tended to hover between 19 and 21 times earnings. The valuation dropped last year, which was probably what prompted management to buy back shares so aggressively. As long as the stock's valuation remains in this lower range, it seems plausible that large buybacks could continue.

If they do -- or if there's a dividend hike and favorable overall market conditions -- I think T. Rowe Price Group's stock could continue to soar.

The article 3 Reasons T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Stock Could Soar originally appeared on Fool.com.

Jay Jenkins has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image Source: Flickr user Andy Arthur.

Beleaguered oil and gas MLP Vanguard Natural Resources reported its first-quarter results after the closing bell on Monday. While the report was operationally solid, given the state of the sector and the company's own balance sheet woes there were just three numbers from the report that matter right now: The impact of hedging, cash flow, and liquidity. Here's a closer look at those vitally important numbers.

1. Hedging pays big dividendsDuring the first quarter Vanguard Natural Resources realized a paltry $26.57 per barrel of oil produced, down 24% from last quarter and 37% year-over-year. However, thanks to its oil hedges the company was able to boost its actually price realization for oil up to $46.48 per barrel. In other words, the company captured an extra $20 a barrel, or 75% more, due to its strong oil hedges.

Vanguard captured similarly strong gains for both its natural gas and its NGL hedges, pulling in $31.8 million from net gains on commodity hedging contracts. That helped support the company's distributable cash flow, though it still decreased 36% from last quarter to $42 million. That said, without these hedges the company wouldn't have generated much, if any, excess cash flow during the quarter.

2. Cash continues to flow inAs mentioned, Vanguard Natural Resources produced $42 million in distributable cash flow last quarter. That's down from the $65.5 million it produced last quarter due in part to the roll off of some of its oil and gas hedging contracts at the end of the year. Still, the company is generating a good bit of free cash flow right now, even after paying $28.3 million of interest on its debt and funding $20.3 million in oil and gas capex during the quarter.

The company is currently using its cash flow to build a bit of a liquidity cushion, ending the quarter with $25 million of cash, which is up from $10 million last quarter. That cash cushion gives the company some extra financial flexibility at a time when that's in short supply.

3. Liquidity is about to get even tighterSpeaking of Vanguard Natural Resources liquidity, the company ended the quarter with just $113 million of total liquidity after taking into account the available capacity on its revolving credit facility. However, that number is about to change drastically, with its banks in the process of redetermining the borrowing base on that facility amid crashing commodity prices.

While Vanguard currently estimates it will be able to pay down a portion of its outstanding borrowings on that facility with the proceeds from the recently announced sale of its STACK/SCOOP assets, that's not expected to be enough to satisfy its lenders. Instead, the company "expect[s] that our borrowing base will be redetermined to a level below our outstanding borrowings in our May 2016 redetermination causing a small deficiency." However, it went on to note that,

In other words, the company firmly believes it has the resources to pay back its banks thanks to the cash flow it expects to generate this year due to its strong oil and gas hedges. That being said, the company will undergo another redetermination this fall and those hedges will roll off significantly in 2017. So, while the company believes it can sail past this redetermination without a problem, it could still be sunk if oil prices sink again later this year.

Investor takeawayVanguard Natural Resources is in a real tight spot right now due to the deep downturn in the energy market. However, thanks to its oil and gas hedges, it's generating excess cash flow, which is coming at a key time given its looming credit facility redetermination. While that puts it in the position to survive for the next few months, it's long-term survival is still questionable given its overall indebtedness and the fact that its cash flow could fall off a cliff next year if commodity prices don't improve. That's why these three numbers need to be watched very closely in 2016.

The article 3 Vitally Important Numbers From Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC's Q1 Results originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image Source: Flickr user Thank you for visiting my page.

The collapse of crude oil prices is having a significant impact on Baytex Energy's current operations. The oil price is currently so low that it has forced the company to shut down uneconomic oil wells in addition to ceasing drilling activities in two of its core areas. Because of the deep impact low oil prices are having on the company it is the greatest threat facing Baytex.

Turning off the pumpsThe current commodity price environment is so challenging at the moment that some of Baytex Energy's oil wells were actually losing money. That left the company no choice but to shut-in wells that were delivering very low and in some cases negative margins, with the company having shut-in 7,500 barrels of oil production per day during the first quarter. That's a large chunk of its production coming offline, with it representing 8.8% of the company's average production in 2015.

While Baytex Energy wasn't the only Canadian oil and gas producer that was forced to shut-in production due to weak oil prices, it did have one of the higher shut-in rates among its peer group. For example, troubled peer Penn West Petroleum projected that it would shut-in up to 4,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day during the first quarter because of challenged economics. In addition to that, Penn West Petroleum estimated that it would need to defer repair and replacement projects in some of its non-core fields and this could result in another 2,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day coming offline. That said, these combined shut-ins only represent 7.5% of Penn West Petroleum's average production from 2015. Meanwhile, Pengrowth Energy had only shut-in 1,000 barrels of oil equivalent production due to challenged economics. That represented a mere 1.4% of full-year production in 2015.

Shutting down the rigsNot only is a larger percentage of Baytex Energy's production currently threatened by very weak oil prices, but the company's drilling economics are very threatened as well. In fact, based on the projected forward oil price in 2016, the company has decided not to invest any capital into its two heavy oil developments this year. As such, it will forgo drilling a dozen wells at its Peace River development and two dozen wells at Lloydminster.

The reason it chose to defer these investments is because they wouldn't make much, if any, money based on the current break-even points of those two plays. As the slide below shows, both plays need oil to be over $44 a barrel just to break-even, let alone deliver an acceptable economic return:

Source: Baytex Energy Investor Presentation.

That being said, the company is still able to drill economic wells in the Eagle Ford Shale, which is a play it will continue to develop in 2016 with plans to bring 30 wells online. However, the company has reduced the pace of development due to weaker oil prices, with its initial plans having been to bring 35 to 40 wells online this year.

Still, the fact that it is drilling any wells this year does put it ahead of Pengrowth Energy, which isn't planning on drilling a single well in 2016. Instead, it's just trying to survive the year and generate enough cash flow to help pay down its 2017 debt maturities. Penn West Petroleum, likewise, won't be drilling any new wells this year, instead it's only investing to complete the wells it started last year as it tries to preserve as much cash as possible to weather the current storm.

Investor takeawayThe biggest threat Baytex Energy is facing right now is coming from weak oil prices. Not only has it forced the company to shut down a substantial number of legacy wells, but it has had to stop drilling in two of its core plays as well as slow the pace of growth in its other core play. The concern is that if oil starts collapsing again, more of Baytex Energy's wells and drilling rigs will need to be shut down, which could have a grave impact on its financial situation.

The article The Biggest Threat to Baytex Energy Corp Stock originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Like many of its rivals, the SUV boom is helping to fatten BMW's bottom line. Its challenge now is ensuring that it builds enough of its hot-selling crossovers like this X3 for key markets. Image source: BMW.

German luxury-car maker Bayerische Motoren Werke , better known as BMW, reported its first-quarter 2016 earnings on May 3. Here's what investors need to know.

The key numbers

Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Change Revenue 20,917 20,853 +0.3% Units sold: autos 557,605 526,669 +5.9% Units sold: motorcycles 33,788 31,370 +7.7% Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) 2,457 2,521 -2.5% EBIT margin (auto segment) 9.4% 9.5% -0.1 point Net profit 1,641 1,516 +8.2% Operating cash flow (auto segment) 1,219 1,830 -33.4%

All financial results are in millions of euros. 1 euro = $1.1561 on May 3.

What happened at BMW in the first quarterThe good news was that BMW was able to set new records for sales volume and net earnings in the first quarter despite slowing sales in key regional markets. Revenue was roughly flat year over year as exchange-rate shifts erased a modest gain, officials said. Operating profit fell slightly despite booming sales of BMW "X models," the company's line of premium crossover SUVs, as BMW ramped up its investments in future products.

Total auto sales rose 5.9% to 557,605 vehicles sold, a new record for the first quarter for BMW. But that came with some caveats: While sales were up in Europe (+9.5%) and Asia (+9.9%), including a good performance in China (+10.5%), deliveries in North and South America dropped by 8.7% -- including a 10.8% year-over-year decline in the United States.

CFO Friedrich Eichiner said that the drop in U.S. sales was to some extent supply related -- specifically, related to the supply of those hot-selling BMW crossover SUVs. As we've seen across the industry, more and more buyers are choosing to replace sedans with SUVs. The trend hasn't caught BMW by surprise, but it's possible that the company underestimated the extent of demand in the U.S.

Eichiner said that BMW "is now in the process of expanding the production capacity for X models" for North America, and that he expects that those efforts "will have a positive impact on the sales situation in the second half of the year."

Although supplies of SUVs were better in Europe and China, the story was similar: More and more buyers are choosing SUVs over BMW's sedans. The revamped 3 Series was also well received in China, Eichiner said.

Sales at BMW Motorrad, the company's motorcycle unit, rose 7.7%, mainly on strong demand in Europe and Asia.

BMW's cash flow fell significantly year over year. Capital expenditures of 405 million euros were higher than usual, which Eichiner attributed to "preparations for the ramp-up of new models." Research and development spending of 974 million euros was up 5.2% year over year, Eichiner said, and was focused on new-product development and "future technologies," including advanced driver-assistance systems and electric propulsion.

BMW had 17.5 billion euros in net liquidity available to its automotive unit as of the end of the first quarter.

What BMW executives said about the quarter"Our first-quarter performance is further proof of our ability to generate positive earnings with our core business, despite a volatile environment," CEO Harald Krueger said in a statement. "The decisive factor for us is not short-term profit but sustainable, profitable growth. From this position of strength, we intend to play a pioneering role in transforming and shaping the world of individual mobility going forward."

"The BMW Group made a positive start to 2016," Eichiner said in a statement. "In the first three months, automotive sales climbed to over 550,000 vehicles. Both deliveries and Group earnings before tax reached new first-quarter highs; the EBIT margin of 9.4% for the automotive segment was also within our target range.

"The company is looking to build on a successful 2015 financial year -- and has set itself ambitious targets for 2016. We are maintaining our guidance for the full year. The first quarter fulfilled our expectations in a volatile market environment."

Looking ahead: BMW's guidance for 2016 BMW maintained its full-year guidance. It still expects "slight increases" in overall pre-tax earnings, auto sales, motorcycle sales, and revenue from its automotive unit. It expects the EBIT margin in its automotive unit to come in between 8% and 10%, and the return on equity in its financial services arm to be above 18%, on par with its 2015 result.

But Eichiner noted that BMW's guidance assumes a stable global environment. "I would like to emphasise that all our targets depend on stable political and economic conditions," he said. "Actual business performance may deviate from our present forecast if global economic and political uncertainties become even greater than expected."

The article BMW Operating Profit Falls as Future Tech Costs Weigh originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Rosevear has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BMW. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
SOURCE: GLAXOSMITHKLINE PLC.

GlaxoSmithKline plc generates more than $1.2 billion per quarter selling vaccines that are used to treat infectious disease, and one of GlaxoSmithKline's top-selling vaccines is Engerix-B, a vaccine used to prevent the spread of hepatitis B.

Last quarter, Engerix-B helped generate $194 million in GlaxoSmithKline hepatitis vaccine revenue. However, Engerix-B's revenue stream could be in jeopardy if the FDA gives a go-ahead to Dynavax Technologies Corporation's HEPLISAV-B, a new hepatitis B vaccine that may work better than Engerix-B.

A massive marketHepatitis B is one of the most common diseases worldwide. An estimated 240 million people have hepatitis B, and as a result, hepatitis accounts for roughly 80% of all primary liver cancers.Because hepatitis B is widespread and it can lead to serious liver disease in up to 40% of hepatitis B patients, global health agencies have been using Energix-B to slow its spread.

Arguably, the greatest need for hepatitis B vaccination is in developing regions of the world, but there's still a big need in developed countries, too. According to the CDC, there are up to 1.4 million chronic cases of HBV in America and another 13.3 million cases in Europe. Given those figures, it's not surprising that sales in the U.S. -- where prices tend to be higher -- accounted for 45% of GlaxoSmithKline's hepatitis vaccine revenue last quarter. For its part, the EU represented 35% of GlaxoSmithKline's hepatitis sales.

A need for improved optionsHepatitis B can be readily transmitted from person to person, and the hepatitis B virus can survive outside the body for at least seven days. Despite currently available prevention efforts, up to 20,000 new cases of hepatitis B are estimated to occur in the U.S. every year.

One reason new cases of hepatitis B continue to occur is Engerix-B's high patient burden. The vaccine's dosing regimen includes three doses that are given over a six-month period, and that extended schedule leads to poor adherence rates that leave people less protected than they might otherwise be. As many as 50% of patients eligible for hepatitis B vaccination fail to follow through with the entire three-dose regimen.

SOURCE: DYNAVEX TECHNOLOGIES

To address the adherence problem, Dynavax Technologies created HEPLISAV-B, a combination of a hepatitis B surface antigen and a proprietary Toll-like receptor 9 agonist. By including this agonist, HEPLISAV-B only needs to be dosed twice over just one month.

In addition to reducing patient burden, HEPLISAV-B significantly increase protection against hepatitis B when compared head-to-head to Engerix-B.

Specifically, trial results show that 95% of people receiving HEPLISAV-B were seroprotected, versus 81% of patients receiving Engerix-B. Similarly, 99% of HEPLISAV-B trial participants between age 18 to 39 were seroprotected, versus 93% of patients receiving Engerix-B. And rates in older patients, who typically don't respond as well to vaccination as younger patients, also improved. Ninety-five percent of patients between age 40 to 70 were seroprotected, versus 79% of patients receiving Engerix-B.

Uncertainty remainsHEPLISAV-B's advantages imply that it could displace Engerix-B as the standard in hepatitis B vaccination. However, the FDA will need to give Dynavax Technologies drug a green light for that to happen, and that's not a lock.

Dynavax Technologies already attempted and failed to convince regulators to give HEPLISAV-B an OK in 2013. However, the FDA rejected its application for approval, citing a need for more safety data. In requesting that safety data, the FDA seemed most concerned with making sure that there wasn't an increase in autoimmune-disease adverse events.

Dynavax Technologies responded with additional studies, and results from those studies led to a second filing for approval in March. Soon thereafter, the FDA requested that individual safety data be sent along in addition to the integrated safety data that was previously provided in its filing. The company has fulfilled that request, but the FDA has determined that the additional information is a major amendment to HEPLISAV-B's filing, and therefore, it pushed back its timeline for a decision from September to mid December.

How the FDA will interpret the individual data sets in light of the potential advance in treatment regimen is anyone's guess. But if they do determine that HEPLISAV-B is as safe as Engerix-B, then GlaxoSmithKline may lose out to the tune of nine figures in sales annually.

The article Does This Upstart Pose a Threat to GlaxoSmithKline? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned. Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle@ebcapitalto see more articles like this.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Microsoft.

A lot of people blame the current dire state of the personal computer market on Microsoft's mistakes with its Windows operating system. In particular, Windows 8 -- which launched in 2012 -- was widely panned and Windows 8.1, though better, didn't make things radically better.

Microsoft's recently released Windows 10, however, was much better received than Windows 8/8.1 were. Though not perfect, the operating system is much better suited for traditional desktop and clamshell personal computers than Windows 8/8.1 were.

Despite having been on the market for nearly a year, Windows 10 doesn't appear to have helped PC sales. In fact, I would go a step further and say that the PC decline that the industry experienced over the last several years probably wasn't Microsoft's fault. Allow me to explain.

If people hated Windows 8/8.1 so much, Windows 10 should have driven a "snap back"A popular hypothesis is that customers loathed Windows 8/8.1 so much that they put off upgrading to newer systems simply due to a significant preference for the prior-generation Windows 7 operating system.

I would argue that Windows 10 is a much better operating system than Windows 8 and 8.1 were. If Windows 8/8.1 were really the problem, then it stands to reason that those who held off on buying new personal computers because of how terrible Windows 8/8.1 were would finally pull the trigger on upgrades once Windows 10 became available.

This wasn't the case, however. PC chip giant Intel reported that its notebook processor shipments were down 14% in the third quarter of 2015 and that desktop shipments plunged 15%. Such shipments dropped another 10% and 9% year over year in the following quarter.

It's clear that Windows 10 was no cure-all for the PC market's woes.

Even Apple's results have taken a turn for the worseIt has long been the case that Apple's Mac computers, which run on the company's proprietary Mac OS, have been gaining share against PCs powered by Windows.

Last quarter, Apple reported that its Mac shipments were down a full 12% year over year, with revenue falling 9%. Apple CFO Luca Maestri says that the company believes that it "gained market share" last quarter.

If Apple is failing to grow Mac revenue even as it gobbles up market share, then the idea that less-than-stellar versions of Windows were what did in the PC market loses a lot of credibility.

At worst, Windows 8/8.1 made a bad situation worseAt the end of the day, I don't think that successful Windows launches in 2012 would have done much to stave off the decline in the PC market. Despite the PC vendors putting out systems that are better than ever, and despite the much-improved Windows 10 operating system and impressive new processors from Intel, customers simply aren't buying PCs like they used to.

Smartphones and tablets fundamentally captured share of wallet that consumers had previously allocated to PCs, and this isn't something that can be "reversed." The PC market decline is real and I don't think there's anything that Microsoft, Intel, or the PC vendors can do about it.

The article Don't Blame Microsoft Corporation for the Death of the PC originally appeared on Fool.com.

Ashraf Eassa owns shares of Intel. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image: Interactive Intelligence.

Helping companies communicate, collaborate, and engage better is part of what cloud-computing specialist Interactive Intelligence aims to do for its customers. Yet even though the cloud has been one of the fastest growing areas of technology in recent years, the preponderance of companies competing against each other to deliver cloud services has made it increasingly hard to sustain the stellar growth rates that investors have gotten used to seeing. Coming into Monday's first-quarter earnings report, Interactive Intelligence investors were nervous that revenue growth would slow and net losses would increase, and the results were even somewhat worse than people were prepared for. Let's take a closer look at how Interactive Intelligence did and what its latest results say about its future.

A step backward for Interactive IntelligenceInteractive Intelligence's first-quarter results didn't live up to expectations. Revenue growth slowed to just 11%, weighing in at $99.3 million and failing to meet the consensus forecast for 14% growth on the top line. On an adjusted basis, Interactive Intelligence's losses for the quarter widened to $4 million, and the resulting $0.18 per share was $0.07 worse than most of those following the stock were expecting.

A closer look at the numbers reveals some of the same trends that Interactive Intelligence investors have seen in the past, albeit with some signs of slowing growth. Recurring revenue from cloud subscriptions and support fees from on-premises licenses were up 19% and composed almost two-thirds of the company's total revenues. Cloud subscription sales climbed more than 40%, but license and hardware sales were flat to slightly lower than they were during the first quarter of 2015.

Once again, Interactive Intelligence diverted a lot of its financial resources toward research and development. R&D spending soared by almost two-thirds, and the company did a good job of holding its overhead expenses under control. General and administrative costs actually fell during the quarter, and sales and marketing costs rose at a rate consistent with overall revenue.

CEO Dr. Donald Brown highlighted the explosive growth in its key PureCloud product. "We went from 24 PureCloud customers at the end of last year to 142 by the close of the first quarter," Brown said, "and we're still in the very early stages of selling it worldwide." The CEO also pointed to the platform's set of features and flexible monthly licensing model.

Can Interactive Intelligence get things speeding up again?Interactive Intelligence has high hopes for the future. "Overall," Brown said, "we participated in more deals than ever in our history and added a record 163 new customers across all three of our product lines." The company expects to continue using PureCloud to focus on the fastest-growing part of the cloud-computing market, but other offerings will also keep Interactive Intelligence moving higher as well.

In order to help bring in new business, Interactive Intelligence announced late last month that it will launch a two-day tour starting May 3 in Los Angeles and then moving to Dallas on May 10. The purpose of what Interactive Intelligence is calling its TRANSFORUM Tour is to show business leaders about the virtues of the company's PureCloud Engage cloud-2.0 solution. The product is designed for rapid deployment while providing flexible functionality and constant uptime. As modern cloud architectures become more commonplace, Interactive Intelligence hopes it can coax late-adopters into moving forward with its solutions to help potential clients take full advantage of the opportunities in technology.

Interactive Intelligence shares could come under pressure because of sluggish growth, but it's far more important to see how the company responds to reaccelerate its growth. If it can successfully tap into new business opportunities, then any pullback in the stock could present a good opportunity for long-term investors. Yet Interactive Intelligence might have to demonstrate that ability to grow before investors are willing to believe it entirely.

The article For Interactive Intelligence, the Future Gets Cloudier originally appeared on Fool.com.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Interactive Intelligence. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Hyatt Hotels posted first-quarter earnings results on May 3 that showed continued progress on management's key growth targets. The hotel base expanded even as average revenue per room night (RevPAR) improved. Those positive trends combined to drive solid profit generation over the last few months.

Here's how the Q1 results compared to the prior-year period:

Q1 2016 Actuals Q1 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Revenue $1.1 billion $1 billion 3% Net Income $34 million $22 million 54% EPS $0.25 $0.15 67%

Data source: Hyatt's financial filings.

What happened this quarter?Hyatt's 2.2% RevPAR gain represented a slight uptick from the prior quarter's 2.1% and was well ahead of competitor Starwood Hotels and its 1% increase. Below are some of the main highlights from the quarter:

The hotel base grew by 9% as Hyatt added 15 new locations to its portfolio (including notable properties in Rio de Janeiro and Miami Beach). The number of available rooms increased by 7%, or just over 3,000 rooms.

Guests are spending an average of $227 per day across its properties, up 2.2% over the prior-year period. Starwood's comparable figure was $169, or 2% lower, year over year.

Occupancy rates ticked up to 74.3% from 74.2%.

Hyatt's select service, mid-tier hotel segment performed the best, with RevPAR growth of 7% and strong gains in both occupancy and average daily spending.

Hotel operating margin was flat at 25% as lower banquet sales offset the impact of higher RevPAR.

Fee revenue rose 2% to $107 million.

What management had to sayCEO Mark Hoplamazian was encouraged by Hyatt's start to the new fiscal year. Strong earnings growth was driven by "broad-based market share gains, robust performance at our select service hotels and disciplined cost management," he said as the executive team affirmed their target of achieving 4% RevPAR growth for the year.

Image source: Hyatt.

Meanwhile, significant additions to the portfolio, like the 436-room Grand Hyatt in Rio de Janeiro and a 380-room hotel in Miami Beach, are examples of how the company plans to extend its reach. "Both hotels represent Hyatt's expansion into key markets with significant unmet demand from our guests," he said.

As for the rest of the year, things are playing out about as planned, according to Hoplamazian."Based on current trends, we remain confident in our ability to achieve comparable systemwide RevPAR growth of 3% to 5% for the year," he concluded.

Looking forwardHyatt is on track to hit its target of opening a record 60 new hotels during this fiscal year, and, combined with the expected 4% RevPAR growth, that should keep both the top- and bottom-line results churning higher. Quick growth could also help counter some of the consolidation that's happening in the industry right now as rivals Marriottand Starwood march closer toward their merger.

The aggressive expansion pace will soak up plenty of cash, though; Hyatt's capital expenses are projected to rise to almost $300 million in 2016. That's why investors shouldn't be surprised to see debt and interest expenses both creep higher, as they did this quarter: Debt on the books rose to $1.7 billion from $1.4 billion in the prior quarter.

The company plans to balance those growing operating cash demands with returning capital to shareholders. Hyatt spent $84 million repurchasing its stock in Q1, down from $180 million in Q4.As of the end of April, the company had $295 million remaining in its share repurchase authorization.

The article Hyatt Hotels Corporation Finds Room for Higher Profits originally appeared on Fool.com.

Demitrios Kalogeropoulos has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Marriott International. The Motley Fool recommends Hyatt Hotels. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
It's been an interesting few weeks for self-proclaimed engineered biology leader Intrexon . Shares got whacked on April 21 after SeekingAlpha published the first of two articles from Spotlight Research. The article presented the case that Intrexon is a fraud, drawing parallels to Theranos, a blood testing company once valued at $9 billion that is now knee-deep in various federal investigations and lawsuits alleging the company and its founder lied about the underlying technology.Investors would be hard pressed to find a more alarming analogy.

Intrexon fired back the next day with a press release -- a rare move for any company -- promising legal action if necessary. Shares didn't react as harshly when the second article published one week later, but they've yet to recover from the fallout.

This recent war of words puts investors in a very difficult position. Is there any truth to reports of fraud, or is this an attempt to manipulate the stock, as Intrexon alleges?Should investors trust the detailed research report or the billionaire-led company?

Good news! I recently read the full 90-page report so you don't have to, in addition to tapping into my network of investors, scientists, and entrepreneurs in the field of engineered biology to better understand the allegations. Here's my take on recent events, distilled down to the central question facing investors: "Is Intrexon a viable business?"

Acquired revenue 1, Organic revenue 0While there are some misrepresentations and errors in the report, it also sheds light on some pretty damning evidence supporting several arguments -- namely, that Intrexon'score technology suite, consisting primarily of molecular biology tools for cell and organism engineering, has yet to contribute in any meaningful way to, well, anything. The lack of use isactually among the worst-kept secrets in the engineered biology field -- the technology hasn't had nearly the impact one would expect from a market leader, despite what the company continuously touts.

Instead, substantially all of Intrexon's revenue to date has come from acquisitions -- none of which uses tools in the company's in-house technology portfolio. To be fair, the acquisition-heavy strategy has shown early promise as far as investors are concerned. The company'scattle breeding and genetics platform, Trans Ova, has driven remarkable revenue growth since being acquired in mid-2014 and accounted for 49% of total revenue in 2015.

Image source: Data from SEC filings, chart compiled by author.

Other acquired platforms range from insect-based animal feed tonon-browning apples; fromAtlantic salmonthat grow to full size in half the time to controlling insect pests with genetic engineering; and from pet cloning (really) todevelopmental CAR-T cancer therapeutics. These acquisitions are real companies, often comprising pioneers or leaders within their respective markets. Although most are years away from generating significant revenue for various technical (still in development) and non-market (regulations, public perception) reasons, the potential for revenue growth is amazing.

On one hand, Intrexon could make a name for itself by serving as a holding company of acquired biology-based technology platforms that it scales and grows without any input from technology developed in-house. Companies have successfully executed this strategy in other industries, and Wall Street probably doesn't care if revenue growth comes from acquisitions or organic, in-house initiatives.

On the other hand, questions remain about the core technologies, which are supposedly key to enabling significant future potential revenue growth by aiding the development of various products in the pipeline today. Even if the technical and financial impact remains in doubt, it does seem that the in-house technology portfolio contributes in a meaningful way to one thing: the story presented to investors.

Intrexon's misleading storylineIn addition to selling cattle breeding products and services, Intrexon sells a story. The company has positioned itself as a company leading the charge in the field of engineered biology. The vision: leverage biology as technology with as many shots on goal as possible. The company enters into partnerships with or acquires companies spanning healthcare, energy, agriculture, chemical manufacturing, and other markets; applies its "expertise" in the field to develop novel products; and hopes to generate shared or direct revenue from commercialized products. Risk is spread across dozens of partnerships and acquisitions in the pipeline such that investors are insulated against any single failure.

The story is certainly intoxicating. It's fueled by hyped-up press releases (one, announcing an acquisition, was simply titled "Living Biofactories in Your Prescription Bottle?"), hand-waving presentations at major conferences and on major news channels, and a healthy dose of complex transactions and partnerships. Selling the story has helped Intrexon to have a successful IPO,close large financing rounds, andearn major endorsements from financial pundits. It has allowed Intrexon to finance its existence and at least one dozen acquisitions, even if few investors can realistically hope to understand the complex nature of the business.

Unfortunately, hype and complexity result in a dangerous combination for investors. Hype can blind investors to the risks of complexity, while complexity requires investors to have some degree of faith that what they don't understand is understood by others. That's not always the case. Financial advisor and columnist Josh Brownrecently wroteabout complexity related toValeant PharmaceuticalsandOcwen Financial, which came crashing down to Earth after being exposed for misrepresenting operations:

This isn't to say that Intrexon is the next Valeant or Ocwen. To me, it seems that acquisitions are Intrexon's way of acknowledging that it needs to strengthen a weak in-house technology portfolio and grow revenue now as more time-intensive businesses in healthcare and energy are developed. I don't think Intrexon's billionaire founder and CEO R.J. Kirk has anything to gain by building a fraudulent company, even if he does appear to manipulate Wall Street with hyped-up storylines to get his way from time to time. Of course, this still begs important questions, such as:

If the core technology suite is essentially useless, then what, exactly, are existing partnerships -- accounting for 51% of total revenue in 2015 -- hoping to achieve? How badly will investors be harmed if most of the current partnerships (utilizing potentially useless tools) are discarded or fail? How quickly can Intrexon diversify product and services revenue away from Trans Ova?

I don't have any answers. In the end, without more transparency from management there is little that can be said to reassure investors that the risk facing them now is worth taking.

What does all this mean for investors?Whether investors want to admit it or not, the recent SeekingAlpha report makes several arguments that I've distilled to the fundamental issues and should be fully considered. Despite its $3 billion market cap and the hype surrounding the company, I cannot point to a single in-house developed technical advantage that Intrexon has over any of its competitors. Nor can anyone in the engineered biology field because, simply put, one doesn't exist.

Then again, acquisitions add real technologies, tools, and platforms that can be exploited in the future. There's nothing wrong with being a conglomerate of biology-based products, but that hasn't exactly been the storyline fed to investors to date. This doesn't mean Intrexon is a house of cards that will come crashing down tomorrow (though it could), but the company certainly has some explaining to do on its next quarterly conference call on May 10. Until important questions are answered I would recommend steering clear of Intrexon. If you own shares, then carefully consider the above and make a decision based on your own appetite for risk.I personally will be selling my shares in the company in compliance with The Motley Fool's trading restrictions.

The article Is Intrexon Really a House of Cards? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Maxx Chatskoowns shares of Intrexon as of the time of this publication. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with developments in the engineered biology field.The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Valeant Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool recommends Ocwen Financial. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
City of Dreams. Image source: Melco Crown.

The narrative of Macau's recovery has taken a beating the last couple of months as the region's gaming revenue decline has continued. April showed a 9.5% drop in gaming revenue year over year to $2.17 billion, which isn't as big a big drop considering that in recent quarter 40%+ revenue declines were not unheard of. But it's also not proof of a bottom in the market, something Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands have both alluded to recently.

Data source: Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. Chart by the author.

Is Macau hitting a bottom? The decline in gaming started when the Chinese government began cracking down on corruption and money laundering out of the country, something that often took place through Macau. Then junkets, which provided loans to high rollers, felt a new level of scrutiny and some went out of business, hitting the Macau market especially hard.

Eventually, this slowdown in gaming should stop. What will emerge will be a more sustainable market built on millions of annual visitors in its place. But no one quite knows when the fall in gaming is going to stop, or where Macau's gaming revenue will be at that point. And for Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Melco Crown , and MGM Resorts there's now some real urgency in getting growth back to Macau.

The building boom is almost here Last year, Melco Crown opened Studio City, a new resort on Cotai, but that's just the beginning of the building boom. Wynn Resorts will open Wynn Palace this summer, Las Vegas Sands hopes to open The Parisian late in the year, and MGM Resorts is working to complete MGM Cotai next year. That's on top of new resorts or expansion from Galaxy and SJM as well.

The result is a massive increase in supply for Macau by the end of 2017. And if gaming revenue is declining as the building boom is taking place, it will inevitably cannibalize existing resorts as well as being less profitable than expected for new properties.

How to look at gaming stocks now Despite the drop in gaming revenue, Macau will still be a highly profitable region. The Venetian Macau, for example, has generated $1.1 billion in EBITDA, a proxy for cash flow, over the past year.

Investors will want to look for companies either taking market share with new resorts in Macau or who have a diverse set of properties across the globe. MGM Resorts generates more of its revenue in Las Vegas and MGM Cotai will double the number of properties it has in Macau. Las Vegas Sands also has a diverse enough business in Las Vegas and Singapore to withstand a continued drop in gaming.

Eventually, Macau's gaming market will turn around. But until it does the pressure will be on for gaming companies. Investors shouldn't bet too big on a recovery there.

The article No Recovery Yet For Macau's Gaming Market originally appeared on Fool.com.

Travis Hoium owns shares of Wynn Resorts, Limited. The Motley Fool owns shares of Wynn Resorts, Limited. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi could soon unveil its own ARM -licensed mobile chips, according to a recent report in The Korea Times . The report, which cites industry insiders, claims that the new "Rifle" chipset could replace Qualcomm SoCs in lower-end and mid-range devices later this year. The chipset will reportedly be an accelerated processing unit, or APU, which combines a CPU, GPU, DSP, and on-board RAM -- reducing the need for additional third-party components.

Xiaomi's Mi 5. Image source: Xiaomi.

If this is true, Xiaomi will join smartphone makers Apple, Samsung, and Huawei in producing its own custom ARM chips. Doing so would tighten up the company's supply chain, boost margins, and give it a potential edge against competitors that are using Qualcomm or MediaTekchipsets. But that move would be bad news for Qualcomm, which has ceded market share to those in-house chipmakers, as well as challengers like MediaTek.

Why is Xiaomi doing this?Xiaomi finished 2015 with a 4.6% share of the global smartphone market, according to IDC, making it the fifth largest smartphone maker in the world. Samsung, which led the market with a 21.4% share, still uses Qualcomm chips across most of its devices, although it too installed its own Exynos processors in several flagship devices.

Xiaomi is expected to adopt the opposite approach by installing Rifle chips in cheaper devices while keeping Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips in its higher-end devices. Xiaomi likely believes that reducing costs with in-house silicon will enable it to sell cheaper devices than competing OEMs which are matching or undercutting its prices. Huawei's own Kirin SoCs, for example, make it easier for the company to sell slightly cheaper devices than Xiaomi.

Rivals like Huaweiare taking market share from Xiaomi. Last year Xiaomi's smartphone shipments rose just 15% to 70 million, missing its previously revised target of 31% growth. Huawei's smartphone shipments, by comparison, surged 44% to 108 million units in 2015. Therefore, it makes sense for Xiaomi to mimic Huawei's first-party silicon strategy.

Qualcomm betrayed?Xiaomi's decision to manufacture its own ARM chips might have taken Qualcomm by surprise; after all, Qualcomm was an early investor in Xiaomi, and Xiaomi signed a new patent licensing agreementwith Qualcomm last December. However, Qualcomm's patent licensing (QTL) and chipmaking (QCT) arms are separate businesses. Xiaomi's agreement with the QTL side, and Qualcomm Ventures' unknown stake in the company, don't restrict it from making its own ARM chipsets.

Xiaomi's decision could deal another blow to Qualcomm's long-suffering QCT business, which posted a 19% year-over-year revenue drop and 77% decline in operating profits last quarter. Qualcomm claims that new mobile design wins for its Snapdragon chips, content share gain in smartphones, and SoCs for drones, cars, and connected cameras will boost QCT sales. But those gains probably can't offset the loss of a major customer like Xiaomi.

Another threat is that Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei could sell their custom ARM chips to smaller OEMs. This hasn't happened on a widespread scale yet, but Samsung's Exynos processors already power some other third-party devices, like Meizu's higher-end phones. If these smartphone makers start selling their chips to additional OEMs, they could end up competing against Qualcomm, MediaTek, and other mobile chipmakers. Recent reports, which claim that Huawei's Kirin 950 and Samsung's Exynos 8890 deliver "comparable" performance to the Snapdragon 820, indicate that Qualcomm shouldn't ignore these first-party chipmakers.

Samsung's Exynos 7 Octa processor. Image source: Meizu.

Should Qualcomm investors worry?This all sounds grim for Qualcomm, but investors shouldn't panic yet. First and foremost, the report hasn't been confirmed by Xiaomi yet. Second, it's unlikely that Xiaomi will suddenly install the "Rifle" chipset across all its phones. Instead, it will likely test it out in a few devices first, which means that the overall impact to Qualcomm's Snapdragon sales will likely be minimal for now.

Nonetheless, the rise of first-party SoCs represents yet another fundamental problem, along with OEM revolts against licensing fees and regulatory probes, which Qualcomm hasn't adequately addressed. As I mentioned in a previous article, Qualcomm stock remains supported by its low valuation, high dividend, and aggressive buybacks, but its upside potential will remain limited unless it can solve these disruptive problems.

The article Qualcomm Inc.'s New Headache: Xiaomi's First-Party Chips originally appeared on Fool.com.

Leo Sun owns shares of Qualcomm. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple and Qualcomm. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
New York billionaire Donald Trump hopes that Indiana's nominating contest on Tuesday will make him unstoppable in what originally had seemed to many a quixotic quest for the Republican presidential nomination.

The famously blunt-spoken real estate mogul holds a double-digit polling lead over U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has been campaigning in the Midwestern state almost non-stop since mid-April. Cruz has trumpeted Indiana, one of the last big states left in the fight to get onto the November ballot, as his golden moment to force a brokered nomination at the party's July convention. But it appears to be shaping up as his Waterloo.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast states last week, Trump hopes a win in Indiana will put him within reach of the 1,237 delegates required to lock up the Republican presidential nomination before the convention.

Cruz has been Trump's strongest rival but still trails him considerably in the delegate race. He has been struggling to keep Trump from reaching the 1,237 threshold and force a brokered contest, which, after a string of big losses in April, is Cruz's only chance of securing a spot on the Nov. 8 ballot.

A loss in Indiana would be particularly crushing for Cruz, who has argued that his brand of religious conservatism is a natural draw for heartland Republicans. He won the endorsement of Indiana's conservative Governor Mike Pence.

In addition, Cruz was looking for smoother sailing in Indiana after he and Ohio Governor John Kasich, a distant third in the Republican nominating contest, reached a "stop-Trump" deal in which Kasich would steer clear of Indiana while Cruz would do likewise in Oregon and New Mexico.

But the waters are looking choppier for Cruz, with the senator losing considerable ground against Trump in opinion polls as voting has neared.

Cruz last week also announced his choice for a prospective vice president, the former presidential contender and Hewlett Packard <HPE.N> chief executive Carly Fiorina, during an event in Indiana that some criticized as premature.

"I trust the people of Indiana to differentiate," Cruz said on Monday at a campaign stop. "We are not a bitter, angry, petty, bigoted people. ... I reject that vision of America," he added in a swipe at Trump.

Trump now has 996 delegates, compared with 565 for Cruz and 153 for Kasich. Another 57 delegates are up for grabs in Indiana, a state that has voted Republican in nine of the last 10 presidential elections.

NEW BLOOD

Trump has drawn both passionate support and vitriolic condemnation with his hardline stands on immigration and national security - including a call to build a 1,000-mile wall along the Mexican border that he says Mexico would pay for and a bid to temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country.

Julie Blackwell Chase, a clerk treasurer of Bedford in southern Indiana, said she voted early for Trump in part because she appreciated his willingness to break with conventional politics. "We need new blood," she said.

But the outcome in Indiana may also ride on the votes of evangelicals, after Trump offered praise for Planned Parenthood family clinics and signaled support for gay and transgender rights, views that rankled some Christian conservatives.

Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, chair of the county's Republican party, said he is voting for Cruz.

"Traditional Republicans and Republicans who understand how we elect our president, or pretty much everyone who's conservative, likes Cruz," he said.

Jeff Cardwell, chairman of the state's Republican party, said Tuesday's primary marked an exciting day in Indiana politics, mainly because White House nominations are usually locked up by this late in the election cycle.

"This is the first time in my lifetime where Indiana has really had an opportunity to make a difference," said.

Indiana is the second most populous state of the 10 remaining to hold nominating contests on the Republican side, behind California, which holds its primary June 7.

On the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton holds a more than six-point lead over challenger Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, according to an average of recent polls compiled by Real Clear Politics.

(Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Image Source: Virgin America.

Virgin Americareported first-quarter results on Thursday, delivering sharply higher profits ahead of its proposed merger with Alaska Air Group .

Virgin America results: The raw numbers

Metric Q1 2016 Q1 2015 Growth (YOY) Revenue $364.009 million $326.351 million 11.5% Adjusted Net Income $18.358 million $10.523 million 74.5% Adjusted EPS $0.41 $0.24 70.8%

Source: Virgin America Q1 2016 earnings press release.

What happened with Virgin America this quarter? Available seat miles for the first quarter increased 15.8% compared to the prior-year period, with Virgin Americaending the quarter with 58 Airbus A320-family aircraft in service, up from 53 aircraft at the end of Q1 2015.

Passenger revenue per available seat mile, or PRASM, decreased 3.8% year over year to9.88 cents, driven by a 3.7% decrease in yield (average fare paid per mile per passenger) to 12.34 cents per passenger mile. Total RASM decreased 3.7% year over year to 11.15 cents.

Total cost per available seat mile, or CASM (excluding special items) declined 8.8% compared to Q1 2015 to10.13 cents, primarily due to a 35.9% drop in fuel costs.

Those lower jet fuel prices helped adjusted operating income soar 152.8% to $33.2 million, with operating margin improving 5.1 percentage points to 9.1%.

All told, adjusted net income surged 74.5% to $18.4 million, and 70.8% on a per-share basis to $0.41.

What management had to say"Virgin Americaperformed exceptionally well as we entered 2016," saidCEO David Cush in a press release. "We reported record first quarter net income driven by continued unit revenue outperformance as compared with the domestic industry and the benefit of lower fuel costs. Importantly, we achieved these results with capacity growth of nearly 16 percent in the first quarter while also maintaining our focus on non-fuel unit costs."

Looking forwardDue to its proposed merger with Alaska Air Group, Virgin America said that it would no longer be providing forward guidance. The company also declined to provide any information in regard to the timing of the closing of the transaction with Alaska Air Group. Cush did, however, take time to highlight Virgin America's success during the company's conference call.

Cush went on to say that Alaska Airlines has similarly reduced its cost structure and invested in its services.

"We look forward to joining forces with them to bring more high-quality, low-fare service to more markets across North America," he said.

The article Virgin America Inc. Earnings Soar Ahead of Deal With Alaska Air Group originally appeared on Fool.com.

Joe Tenebruso has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Virgin America. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Intel.

Intel announced that it pulled the plug on its smartphone applications processor efforts a few days ago. The company, in a statement provided to IDG News Service, said that the company will divert resources to "products that deliver higher returns and advance [Intel's] strategy."

Given how much money Intel burned pursuing mobile processors, even buying U.S. Treasury notes with those research and development dollars would have delivered higher returns.

With Intel now squarely out of the market for smartphone applications processors, it's worth examining what the company's financials might have looked like had it actually succeeded in becoming a strong No. 2 player in this market.

The best way to find out? Look at MediaTekIntel's chances of displacing Qualcomm as the leading vendor of smartphone applications processors and modems was probably never good, but the odds of a semiconductor/computing juggernaut like Intel becoming a strong No. 2 to Qualcomm didn't seem all that low.

In the end, though, the honor of the strong No. 2 player went to Taiwan-based chipmaker MediaTek. Last year, MediaTek brought in approximately $6.6 billion in revenue, the majority of which came from sales of mobile-oriented applications processors (it also makes chips for other products such as DVD/Blu-Ray players).

On that $6.6 billion in revenue, MediaTek generated $2.84 billion in gross profit and approximately $803 million in operating income.

Add that to Intel's financials and you get...If we take MediaTek's results and add them to Intel's, then last year Intel would have generated about $62 billion in revenue and $14.8 billion in operating income, up from $55.4 billion and $14 billion, respectively.

The difference in revenue is fairly significant, but the difference in operating profit doesn't amount to a whole lot. That being said, it's worth noting that Intel's 2015 results included the spending that the company was sinking into its own organic mobile efforts; shutting those down and having MediaTek's results in their place would have improved Intel's operating income beyond what was mentioned above.

Although Intel would, in this case, bring in more revenue and generate more profit, mobile success probably wouldn't have been a fundamental game changer for the company and/or the stock. Things would be better, and Intel would probably have an easier time growing in the face of a declining PC market, but we are probably not talking about a difference so substantial that Intel's long-term fate would be materially different.

Some additional contextIn fact, for some additional context, note that Intel's fairly new Internet of Things Group generated $515 million in operating income on just $2.3 billion last year -- nearly as much operating profit as MediaTek's entire business. The business also appears to be on a good trajectory, with revenue up 22% and operating income up 40% year over year in the first quarter of 2016.

If this business keeps on a reasonable growth trajectory, it may soon be more profitable than MediaTek's entire business. No wonder Intel cites this segment as a key focus area going forward.

Looking forward to discussion on how the resources will be redeployedIntel will almost certainly talk about how it is redeploying/reinvesting the resources that were previously used to try to build smartphone chips/platforms at its investor meeting in November of this year. The company has talked about pursuing segments of the client computing market that are growing and nicely profitable (i.e., gaming-oriented processors, 2-in-1 systems, and such).

I look forward to seeing what improvements/changes to the company's strategy in those "high-growth" areas management ultimately implements.

The article What If Intel Corporation Had Succeeded in Mobile? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Ashraf Eassa owns shares of Intel and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Qualcomm. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
SOURCE: FLICKR USER STOCKMONKEYS.COM

What:Following reports that companies eager to expand their presence in oncology could be knocking on the company's door, shares ofMedivation, skyrocketed 25.1% last month, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

So what: There aren't too many profitable mid sized cancer companies out there and that has led to a flurry of rumors regarding a potential Medivation acquisition.

Last month, those rumors reached a crescendo as Sanofi acknowledged that it had been attempting to wrestle Medivation's board to the negotiating table since March. Unable to accomplish that, Sanofi went public on April 28 with a $9.3 billion bid to acquire Medivation.

While Sanofi notes its offer reflects a significant premium to where Medivation's stock had been trading prior to merger and acquisition speculation, I don't thinkits offer is sufficient to win the votes necessary for this combination to happen.

Frankly, I think the offer undervalues Medivation's Xtandi, a fast-growing prostate cancer medicine that's under evaluation for use in breast cancer patients too. Xtandi won approval for use in the post-chemotherapy metastatic prostate cancer setting in 2012 and in 2014, the FDA expanded Xtandi's label to include its use in pre-chemotherapy patients as well.

Since Xtandi's launch, it has become the most prescribed prostate cancer drug in these indications, generating annualized sales of more than $2 billion. That has me thinking that it could similarly succeed if approved for use in non-metastatic prostate cancer patients. Studies under way are evaluating Xtandi's use in non-metastatic patients and if data is positive, it could significantly increase Xtandi's addressable patient population.

Xtandi could also become used to treat advanced breast cancer patients with specific genetic markers someday. Phase 2 trials are expected to offer up results in the coming 12 months, and if they lead to an eventual approval in breast cancer, it could open the door to tens of thousands of additional patients per year. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 220,000 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the U.S. alone.

Now what:Medivation shares Xtandi's rights with Astellas and it's possible that Astellas will want to buy Medivation itself to gain 100% rights to this drug.

Other companies, including Gilead Sciences and Novartis have expressed an interest in expanding their oncology product portfolios. And, AbbVie, has been on the hunt recently, too. All of these companies have deep pockets that could easily digest a deal that's valued at north of $10 billion.

Of course, there's always the possibility that Medivation has no interest in selling at any price. Deals often fall by the wayside, therefore, investors who are interested in owning Medivation should do so because of Xtandi and Medivation's product pipeline, not M&A rumors. Overall, Xtandi's potential in new patient populations could mean billions in sales and profit and its other drugs in development are in late stages and thus, they could move the needle down the road as well. Therefore, justifying a stake in Medivation isn't hard, regardless of whether a suitor ever convinces the board to sell.

The article What Sent Medivation, Inc.'s Shares Soaring 25.1% In April originally appeared on Fool.com.

Todd Campbell owns shares of Gilead Sciences and Medivation. Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle@ebcapitalto see more articles like this.The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Gilead Sciences. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The past year has not been kind to investors inBP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust , whichhas fallen by nearly 80%:

BPT data by YCharts.

While most investors see this as a bad omen, others might consider it a sign that it could be selling for a bargain basement price. In fact, some current investors might be tempted to double down on their investment and buy more at these levels in hopes of making a huge windfall when BP Prudhoe Bay Trust recovers. Doubling down, however, would be the worst mistake investors could make right now because there's a very real possibility this investment goes to zero by the end of the decade.

Slowly running dryBP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust isn't like a typical oil stock. As a royalty trust, its value is completely dependent on the volume and price of oil produced in the future based on the current proved reserves where it receives royalties, which in this case is Alaska's North Slope. In other words, unlike its namesake BP , it can't go out and explore for more oil outside of the North Slope because it is locked into the royalties it earns from oil produced in that one field. That's a big problem because royalties from the production out of that field are projected to run dry in 2020 based on the current oil price.

That date is much sooner that prior estimates, with the Trust previously estimating that its income stream wouldn't run dry until 2029. However, that was when oil was over triple digits. Now, its estimates are based on last year's average oil price of $50.28 per barrel, which incidentally is well below the average oil price this year, suggesting that the Trust's income could even run dry before 2020.

There are better bets to makeAn investment in BP Prudhoe Bay Trust is a bet that oil prices will be much higher in the future in order to keep its income stream from running dry by the end of the decade. While there's ample reason to believe oil could rebound, there are safer bets that could be made instead of doubling down on BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust.

Image source: ConocoPhillips.

Other Alaskan oil drillers like BP or ConocoPhillips , for example, offer very compelling upside if oil prices rebound, without the downside to zero by the end of the decade if they do not. That's because both companies have the freedom to pursue oil projects beyond the North Slope to keep their production going for decades. In fact, ConocoPhillips has 16 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources that can be developed and produced at just a $60 oil price, which is enough to support its current production rate for 30 years. Meanwhile, if oil were to go back above $75 a barrel, it has a total of 44 billion barrels of captured resources that it can tap into, keeping it's cash flowing for decades to come.

Meanwhile, BP is currently constructing a number of major projects that are expected to deliver over half of its production by 2020. Beyond that, it has another 50 project options to choose from to keep its production flowing and growing. These are options BP Prudhoe Bay will never have because it's unable to explore for or develop its own reserves because it is a royalty trust.

Investor takeawayAn investment in BP Prudhoe Bay Trust is a bet on higher oil prices, because without them, the trust's income stream could potentially run dry by the end of the decade. It's that type of binary outcome that most investors want to avoid, which is why the worst thing an investor can do is double down on BP Prudhoe Bay if they already own it. Buying an exploration and production company like BP or ConocoPhillips would be a much better idea because they have similar upside if oil recovers, but won't bottom out at zero if it doesn't because they have the ability to continue to explore for and develop oil projects around the globe while BP Prudhoe Bay cannot.

The article The Worst Mistake BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust Investors Can Make Right Now originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matt DiLallo owns shares of ConocoPhillips. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
As Ted Cruz hopes for a contested convention in July, there are mounting calls for him to drop out of the race if he does not win the Indiana primary. 'The Laura Ingraham Show' host Laura Ingraham weighed in Tuesday on the Republican candidates battle for delegates.

Im loathe to tell anybody to drop out of the race, but I think these races tend to take on a life and a momentum of their own and one does sense that if not already having been moved in Trumps direction, if he wins tonight I think its going to be very difficult for Cruz to continue to win and win in California where it looks like in some polls Trump has a pretty decent lead, Ingraham told the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo.

Ingraham also discussed Trumps unconventional campaign strategy that has defied most of the pundits analysis of the 2016 presidential race.

Trump will be able to, if he runs a smart campaign, and look he has confounded every expert, most every expert, hes defied most really smart pundits and critics and hes done this his own way. This has been his campaign that hes run the way hes wanted to run it, unconventional from the beginning. And I imagine there will be more surprises as this moves on, Ingraham said.

Ingraham then weighed in on how Trumps unconventional campaign might do in a general election.

I think its going to be an America movement almost for Trump, thats how I see this. Its going to be difficult, but if anyone can flip states that Romney lost last time, I mean I think Trump has a decent chance of doing that. Perhaps a state or two in New England, if things go really well perhaps even a state like New York which hasnt gone Republican as you know Maria since I believe 1984, said Ingraham.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is facing a backlash over comments she made in March about putting coal miners and coal companies out of business.

Hillary doesnt usually say she has misstated anything, so I guess thats progress, but she meant what she said, Ingraham said.

Ingraham then talked about Clintons plan to bring clean renewable energy to the coal region of West Virginia and Kentucky to revitalize the areas economy.

The idea that Hillary is going to come in and turn West Virginia and Kentucky into a high-tech corridor, its obscene whats been done to these people. These are the forgotten people, the forgotten workers who work with their hands, who are patriotic, good Americans who dont want welfare, they dont want a government handout, they want their jobs. They dont want to pollute the environment, if there are problems, the problems will get dealt with, they want their jobs, they dont want to be demonized as dirty coal, as dirty workers, said Ingraham.

Ingraham then discussed the Obama Administrations impact on the coal industry and the communities that depend on coal to support their economy.

They want to put it out of business and Obama has done that, Obama has done that to a lot of these companies. Some of my old interns families are in the coal business. Ive been hearing about this for a decade plus, but especially since Obama has been in office. Its been despicable what theyve done to these communities that are already frankly not doing all that well in the era of globalization, Ingraham said.
Despite decades of hit songs, movies and tours, Dolly Parton is still surprised by her success.

"Coat of Many Colors," the NBC film based on Parton's song about her mother's love comes out on DVD May 3. The country superstar spoke with FOX411 on what the film means to her.

"Actually, I'm very excited about the fact that the DVD is coming out," Parton told FOX411 Country. "I'm so happy the movie did so well because it really did talk about my mom and my parents and just about growing up."

She continued, "It was about love and kindness and overcoming all that bullying. So it really touched a nerve in a lot of people...we're really proud of the ratings."

The songstress is also about to embark on her first North American tour in 25 years. The Tennessee native is bringing her "Pure & Simple" tour to 60 cities in 2016.

"I've been very blessed through the years and I've been doing tours in Australia and in Europe for the last few years," Parton told FOX411 Country in March. "But I hadn't had any big hit records in the United States in a long time. I've got a lot of history, a lot of records that have been big hits in the past but I just didn't think anybody would be interested in seeing me in concert with all the new country people and all, but evidentially they are interested."
Over a 12-hour period, a staff of 40 medical personnel in Argentina successfully separated twin girls who were conjoined at the hip.

The toddlers, Luciana and Bianca Fernandez, shared a large intestine, urinary tracts and a pelvic bone, Central European News (CEN) reported. The 15-month-olds underwent surgery on May 2 in El Palomar, in Argentinas eastern Buenos Aires Province.

The weekend before the surgery, 100 people responded to a call for blood donations and came to donate blood to help the girls, CEN reported.

Before the surgery, their mother, Paula Cecilia Lopez shared her thoughts on Facebook, posting, "My loves have just gone into surgery, seeing them like that breaks my heart, but we will be here waiting for them. I know that God is looking after you, we love you so much until infinity and beyond."

Following the surgery she shared that the girls had been separated.

We are happy for this great news but now they still have to adapt to their organs, she posted.

Lopez has asked for donations to prepare her home and sterilize it before her daughters return.
When little kids have the stomach flu and need to drink fluids, half-strength apple juice - and whatever fluid the child prefers - can be as effective as expensive electrolyte solutions, researchers say.

The treatment of stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, usually focuses on replacing fluids lost through diarrhea or vomiting, but the electrolyte solutions are relatively expensive and kids often don't like the way they taste.

"In many high-income countries, the use of dilute apple juice and preferred fluids may be an appropriate alternative to electrolyte maintenance solution use in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration," Dr. Steven D. Freedman from University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada told Reuters Health by email.

Freedman's team studied 647 children ages six months to five years old who came to the emergency department with mild dehydration from stomach flu.

Half the children were given half-strength apple juice followed by their favorite drink, and half received an apple-flavored electrolyte solution, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Twenty-five percent of the kids who drank the electrolyte solution still needed intravenous (IV) fluids or other additional treatment, compared to only about 17 percent of the kids who drank apple juice and their favorite drink.

Two-year-olds and older children responded best to apple juice, but even the younger group fared slightly better with apple juice than with the electrolyte solution.

In addition, children treated with apple juice required fewer IV fluids and had lower hospitalization rates than children treated with the electrolyte solution.

"These results challenge the recommendation to routinely administer electrolyte maintenance solution when diarrhea begins," the researchers say.

But apple juice is not always the best treatment.

"Our study specifically excluded high-risk children, and such children should continue to receive electrolyte maintenance solution," Freedman said. "This would include children younger than six months of age, those with moderate to severe dehydration, children receiving care in a region where severe disease and dehydration are common, and those at risk for electrolyte abnormalities."

He also favors electrolyte solutions for children with other significant medical conditions.

Dr. Francois Angoulvant from Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades in Villejuif, France, who has studied this topic, told Reuters Health by email, "If a child more than two years of age with mild dehydration refuses to drink electrolyte maintenance solution, the use of half-strength apple juice/preferred fluids therapy is legitimate."

He would not use half-strength apple juice in younger children, however.

Dr. Ivan D. Florez from Universidad de Antioguia, Medellin, Colombia told Reuters Health by email that more information is needed before switching from electrolyte solution to apple juice.

"(People) should think of apple juice as a promising intervention that needs further studies," he said, adding that "these results are not applicable in low- and middle-income settings."
Since its release in October, Adeles single Hello has been massively successful and while the world took to the Internet to make self-deprecating jokes about the tunes emotional effect, what were laughs for some might actually be an important healing tool for others. While individuals can easily feel the emotional sway music can carry, according to therapists, that power can be used to treat everything from depression to speech impediments.

Jennifer Buchanan is a Canadian music therapist and the author of Tune In: A Music Therapy Approach to Life. Her patients range from a two-month-old with visual impairments to a 106-year-old with Alzheimers disease. Since listening to music can activate many parts of the brain, it can serve many different functions, she said. For psychological rehabilitation, for example, Buchanan believes that intentional music listening is key. This involves sitting in a quiet place and doing nothing but listening to the music.

The research is suggesting that we are looking at about 10 minutes to 20, 25 minutes of intentional music listening can put you right into that headspace, Buchanan, told FoxNews.com.

With her patients, Buchanan suggests creating different playlist for different moods and mood goals. To do so, they search through their music and categorize songs depending on the mood or emotion they elicit. From there, patients are asked to listen to the different playlists in increments, from their current mental state to where they would like to be.

Dr. Gail Gross, a family, child and human behavior expert, agreed that musics effect on mood can be used for positive change. She noted that research shows listening to relaxing music can have the same effect on our well-being that meditation does.

Music can change the way you breathe, so it can help your brain calm down, she told FoxNews.com, adding that patients have to be selective about the music they to listen to, to ensure that it yields the desired outcome. Like many forms of medicine and therapy, there is no blueprint for a cure. This form of therapy is highly specific to each individual, Gross said.

Since its depends so much on each individuals emotional response to music, what works for some might have the complete opposite effect for others. Panayotis Mavromatis, an associate professor of music theory at New York University, said this may be because there are some overarching generalities in musics construction that can alter our mood, but different cultures and lifestyles interpret music in their own ways.

Major scales and chords have traditionally been associated with happy feelings in recent western music, and likewise minor scales and chords have been ascribed a sad or dark affect, Mavromatis told FoxNews.com.

Scientists conjecture there may be a genetic component to our degree and quality of response to music. Clearly there are no universal patterns, but music therapists can still experiment to find out what works or not with a given individual he said.

Listening to music can be helpful, but producing music, whether it be singing or playing an instruments, has its benefits as well. For example, The Kings Speech tells the true story of King George VIs and his struggle with being the head of the British monarchy and an embarrassing stutter. His therapist instructs him to sing his words instead of speaking them and to King Georges surprise, it works. But how?

Singing words is effective is because speech is stored in a different part of the brain than musics lyrics and rhythm, said Dr. William Barr, an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center.

People who have lost the ability to speak cant retrieve words or maintain a rhythm in their speech, he told FoxNews.com.

But many of these people can still sing. The reason, Barr said, is that the words and rhythm of music are tied together and stored in a persons memory, which makes them easy to recall.

Again, the success varies on the patient and the extent of their condition. For some, music therapy is a great tool, for others, it offers only a moderate reprieve.

Many patients who had been unable to speak are able to sing words and even express their feelings, but only in a musical rhythm.

Whether its being used as a healing tool, or just as catharsis from an emotional event, turn on Adele and sing (or cry) your heart out. Itll do your mind good.


Advanced Light Helicopter MK-III. Photo: DRDO

NEW DELHI (PTI): As part of its defence diplomacy, India has deployed an advanced light helicopter MK III in Maldives, to be based at Kadhdhoo Island in Laamu Atol.



The helicopter will assist Maldivian forces in undertaking search and rescue, casualty evacuation, coastal surveillance, maritime reconnaissance, communication and logistic duties.



The Indian Naval contingent, headed by Cdr Rohit Gupte, an experienced helicopter pilot, comprises four officers and 21 sailors.



The technical support team comprises 13 technicians. The support team with the spares and support equipment had already reached Male on April 25.



The ALH MK III landed at Male and was received by Minister of Defence and National Security Adam Shareef and High Commissioner of India to Maldives Akhilesh Mishra.



Advanced Light Helicopter (MKIII) has been manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and has state-of-the-art avionics and is powered by Shakti engines.



The detachment of ALH would further strengthen the robust maritime cooperation between the two countries, a Navy statement said.


The parents of a 2-year-old boy who was declared brain dead after being hospitalized by an asthma attack in April are sharing a video that they say shows their son is still alive. Israel Stinson is seen in his hospital bed moving after being tickled and touched by his mother.

In brain death we know there are instances where patients appear to move, pediatrician Dr. Angelica Ha, told Fox40. So they may look like twitches or muscle contractions, and that can be very difficult for people to see. But in brain death, the brain is not functioning. Its an irreversible condition.

The family is fighting to move Israel from California to New Jersey where the laws on what determines brain death differ, Fox40 reported. However, to make the move, the toddler would need feeding and air tubes inserted, procedures which doctors in California will not perform.

We understand that hes not exactly as we want him to be, Jonee Fonseca, Israels mother, told Fox40. But that doesnt mean we have to start planning a funeral.

The family is waiting to hear from a judge about whether they are permitted to force doctors to give their son a ventilator tube and feeding tube, Fox40 reported.
Should Christians who oppose same-sex marriage based on religious beliefs be allowed to obtain degrees in counseling?

Thats the question at the heart of a lawsuit filed in federal court by a former student at Missouri State University who claims he was kicked out of a masters program in counseling because of his religious beliefs.

Click here to join Todds American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives!

Andrew Cash claims he was targeted and punished for expressing his Christian worldview regarding a hypothetical situation concerning whether he would provide counseling to a gay/homosexual couple.

MSU spokeswoman Suzanne Shaw told the News-Leader that the university strictly prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion or any other protected class. She would not comment on specifics of the case.

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Kristi Perryman, the counseling departments internship coordinator, confronted Cash about his views toward counseling gay people.

Cash told her he would counsel them individually on a variety of issues but not as a couple. He said he would refer them elsewhere.

Cash explained to Perryman that his approach to counseling is centered on his core beliefs, values and Christian worldview and these would not be congruent with the likely values and needs of a gay couple, who, for these reasons, would be best served by a counselor sharing their core value system and core beliefs, the lawsuit states.

Perryman then told Cash that he could not hold these views, which she deemed to be unethical, and which, she asserted, contradicted the American Counseling Associations code of ethics as discriminatory toward gay persons.

It made me angry, said attorney Tom Olp with the Thomas More Society  a law firm that specializes in religious liberty issues. She took offense at his religious beliefs and then essentially kept dwelling on those until he was drummed out of the program.

Olp is suing Perryman and a host of other university officials  including Tamara Arthaud, the head of the counseling department and faculty member Angela Anderson.

We have this very dangerous trend towards allowing the government to shut down religious expression, Olp told me. That is contrary to the First Amendment. A democracy requires vibrant expression of various points of view and it really needs robust religious expression.

Cashs troubles began in the spring of 2011 when he began a university-approved internship at the Springfield Marriage and Family Institute, a Christian organization. It was during a classroom presentation that the director of the Christian group was asked about counseling gay persons.

A week later, Cash was informed he would no longer be allowed to intern at the institute. He was also grilled about his personal views regarding counseling homosexuals, the lawsuit states.

In 2014 Cash was just a few courses shy of graduating with a M.S. in Counseling. He had a 3.81 grade point average and was a student in good-standing with the school.

Olp told me its not the first time Christians have been thrown out of counseling program in public universities  citing cases in Michigan as well as Missouri.

Its an extremely intolerant and almost puritanical approach and more and more prevalent in secular universities, he said.

Cash wants to be re-admitted to the program so he can finish his studies and obtain his degree.

Thats the least the university can do for a man who has been targeted and bullied because of his Christian faith.

Its unfortunate that we live in a nation where ones faith in Christ is now considered a career-killer.
Editor's note: The following essay is excerpted from "In the Arena: Good Citizens, a Great Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America" (Threshold Editions, May 3, 2016).



The world Barack Obama inherited in 2009 was much more stable than today, but still far from a perfect place. Between his election and inauguration alone, Pakistani-based Islamists killed nearly two hundred people in a brazen terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, Israel launched an air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire from Hamas, and Vladimir Putin shut off all Russian gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. All a preview of things to come. At the same time, on the battlefield of the war Obama was elected to end, U.S. war casualties in Iraq plummeted to an all-time low between his election and inauguration. And just ten days after Barack Obama assumed office, Iraq held critical provincial elections with very minimal violence. The world was not perfect in 2009, but Iraq was stable, the world relatively secure, and America at least respected.

Yet, in Barack Obamas mindand in the mind of progressive elites, foreign policy intelligentsia, and millions of votersGeorge W. Bushs response to the 9/11 attacks was fundamentally wrong. To them Bush was a cowboy, a bumbling idiot, a simpleton, whereas Obama was the oppositea peacemaker, a smooth sage, an international man of nuance. George Bush spoke loudly and carried a big stick, while Barack Obama spoke apologetically and was willing to set the stick down and talk to anyone.

But what would Obama actually do? His foreign policy platform in both elections centered on slogansfirst Im not George W. Bush and then, in 2012, Usama bin Laden Is Dead. Both were popular with voters, but neither constituted anything resembling a strategy. As a result, since his first day in the Oval Office, a great deal of ink has been spilled attempting to decipher what an Obama Doctrine actually looks like. Speeches have been analyzed, interviews given, and books written yet nobody, including this author, actually knows what the real Obama Doctrine is. If George W. Bushs foreign policy was defined by bold, unilateral action, Barack Obamas is defined by incoherence.

But why? The answer is simple, and again rooted in the flawed leftist view of human nature and history. Progressive elitists like Barack Obamaand the so-called elites I went to school with at Princeton and Harvardare eventually forced to emerge from their utopian ideological cocoons, only to find that there are still lots of people in the world who dont want to coexist with even a progressive America led by someone as culturally sensitive as President Barack Obama. But what do progressives like Obama do wheninstead of coexistingenemies of freedom saw off the heads of our journalists, savagely massacre thousands of innocent civilians (and Christians) in their own lands, and target our military veterans at home for attack? What happens when, instead of coexisting, enemies of freedom want to expand their sphere of influence in the South China Sea or threaten Eastern Europe? What happens when, instead of coexisting, enemies of freedom want to accumulate permanent nuclear capabilities while denying the Holocaust and reiterating their desire to wipe our allies off the map? What happens when, instead of coexisting, the Islamic State throws four gay men off the top of a five-story building in Iraq at the same time the president is lighting up the White House in rainbow hues? At that point, Barack Obamas brainand the brain of the American Leftreads: does. not. compute. Unilaterally disarmed by decades of a coexist moral equivalency, the modern American Left is incapable of confronting such unspeakable evilthe real threats to America and the West.

Instead, they retreat to warm places and familiar causes. Rather than calling out real threats and abject evilor, heaven forbid, confronting themthe Left looks around for the mutual understanding mediation groups and global climate change solidarity marches they so eagerly and self-righteously facilitated as graduate students and community organizers. Except this time, theyre in charge; theyre the policy makers, the negotiators, the commander in chief. As such, they lunge for the international equivalents of their campus comforts. They seek an impossible global consensus. They work for peace agreements that are untenably detached from military realities. They declare the need to negotiate without preconditions. They unilaterally withdraw from tough wars. They dismiss growing threats as the JV team. They close wartime detention facilities like Guantanamo Bay with no plan to replace them. They apologize profusely for past sins. They provide nonlethal aid when the lethal stuff is what is actually needed. They seek moral high ground by leading from behind, and they declare the very use of violence a nineteenth-century behavior. They secretly and sheepishly hope Iran will defeat the Islamic State for us, so we dont have to confront the group ourselves. They try to coexist with a dangerous, backward, fallen, chaotic world andsurprise, surpriseit doesnt work.

The result over the past seven years has been an incoherent maze of American interventions, noninterventions, surges, withdrawals, negotiations, high-stakes raids, and plenty of drone attacks. A few different labels have been used to describe the schizophrenic Obama foreign policy, namely Leading from Behind, Dont Do Stupid Shit, and Strategic Patience. Each phrase pertains to one aspect (patience) of their approach, one intervention (leading from behind in Libya), or an ongoing obsession with not being stupid like their caricatured George W. Bush. But taken together, they are fundamentally incoherent. Hence, America gets intervention in Libya, but no red-line enforcement in Syria; a surge in Afghanistan, but full withdrawal in Iraq; negotiations with Iran, but a worse relationship with Israel; a supposed pivot to China, but only nonlethal aid to Ukraine; the bin Laden raid, and the Bowe Bergdahl swap. What America actually stands for today is unknowable, because Americas leadership doesnt know what it stands for.

But it wasnt supposed to be this way. As a candidate, Senator Barack Obama wrote a Foreign Affairs piece titled Renewing American Leadership, followed by a very similar speech in July 2008 that laid out five strategic goals for his foreign policy: ending the Iraq War responsibly, finishing the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, securing nuclear weapons from terrorists and rogue states, achieving energy security, and rebuilding Americas alliances. Except for energy securitywhich happened in spite of his policiesthe other four have been utter failures. Iraq is in chaos, the Islamic State has usurped Al Qaeda, the Taliban are swarming Kabul, the Islamic State is actively seeking dirty bomb capabilities and Iran has secured a dangerous nuclear future, and our allies dont trust Americas word. By any measure, Barack Obamaand his coexist foreign policyhas utterly failed to meet his strategic goals.

But why? Because the list above is neither a plan nor a doctrine; its a list of tasks. A doctrine is the lens through which the merits of actionor inactionare evaluated. Almost all presidents have had one, and all previous forty-three presidents have premised their foreign policy plans on the rightness of American values and virtue of decisive American action. There have been shades of gray in all directionsmore engagement, less engagementbut never before a belief that America was the problem and her role should be constrained. That is, until Barack Obama and his coexist foreign policy took the helm.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has won the support of a majority of delegates up for grabs at a GOP convention in Virginia, delegates that could help decide the Republican presidential nominee if there's a contested national convention this summer.

Cruz supporters won 10 of the 13 at-large delegates elected Saturday at the Republican Party of Virginia's statewide convention at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump won the other three.

Cruz's victory will only matter if he can block Trump from clinching the nomination before the national convention in July. Virginia delegates will only be free to support whomever they choose after the first round of voting at the national convention.
With Donald Trump closing in on the Republican nomination in Indiana today, there is a new wave of finger-pointing to assess blame for this allegedly horrible outcome.

And those who fault the media are having one last hurrah.

Nowhere is this more evident than on the cover of Politico Magazine, which features Trump facing a media mob with the headline: What Have We Done?

Its a study in self-flagellation, this argument that Trump would not be where he is today without being propped up by the press. Many of his detractors refuse to acknowledge that a non-politician is winning this thing by getting a record number of GOP primary votes, so the thing must be rigged by reporters.

Politicos special media issue is so packed with anti-Trump essays that there is little attempt at balance. One exception is media writer Jack Shafter, who says the blame game gives too much credit to the media and too little credit to Donald Trump.

But then theres reporter Ben Schreckinger, who became the fulltime Trump correspondent despite the fact that working for Politico is his first job out of college. Perhaps thats why he is so angry at criticism from Trump and his deputies and a lack of access, both of which are standard fare in the political big leagues.

Former New York Post gossip writer Susan Mulcahy argues that Trump used to lie to her and once gave a scoop to the New York Times rather than confirm it to her.

A piece on Trumps Twitter feed is titled The Cry-Bully.

But the most important article is by Campbell Brown, the former CNN and NBC anchor, who I like and respect: Why I Blame TV for Trump.

Now you have to factor in that Brown cannot abide Trump. She calls him a chronic liar, a misogynist, shockingly ignorant, and a man who condones violence. So this is the writing of an outspoken critic.

Brown says TV news is rolling over for The Donald: Trump doesnt force the networks to show his rallies live rather than do real reporting. Nor does he force anyone to accept his phone calls rather than demand that he do a face-to-face interview that would be a greater risk for him. TV news has largely given Trump editorial control. It is driven by a hunger for ratingsand the people who run the networks and the news channels are only too happy to make that Faustian bargain.

This, aside from the business about real reporting, is a fair point. Trumps rallies got so much more live coverage than any of his competitors that it gave him an unfair advantage.

Brown misses the old 800-pound gorillas of TV news like Tom Brokaw, who could push back against commercial decisions. But of course, the broadcast networks dont cover politics in a major way and have ceded that turf to cable.

So yes, I believe Trumps candidacy is largely a creation of a TV media that wants him, or needs him, to be the central character in this years political drama, she writes. And its not just the network and cable executives driving it. The TV anchors and senior executives who dont deliver are mercilessly ousted. The ones who do deliver are lavishly rewarded. I know from personal experience that it is common practice for TV anchors to have substantial bonuses written into their contracts if they hit ratings marks. With this 2016 presidential soap opera, they are almost surely hitting those marks. So, we get all Trump, all the time.

Heres what Brown, who candidly admitted she left CNN because she couldnt match the ratings of Fox and MSNBC, is missing:

Trump has seized much of the free air time by doing many, many more interviews than his rivals, and by driving the campaign dialoguewhich all candidates try to do but are usually too cautious or dull to pull off.

Many reporters have dug hard into Trumps businesses, his rhetoric, his promises, his contradictionsbut these stories and segments have done little to dent his lead. He is seemingly impervious to most media criticism, in part because his supporters dont trust the press, but its not for lack of trying.

A huge portion of the media attention lavished on Trump is harshly negative, often from conservative and liberal commentators who oppose him on ideological grounds. Trump punches back hard, especially on Twitter, though hes toned it down of late. The billionaire actually benefits from denunciations by those his supporters view as members of a failed media/political establishment.

And dont forget how the Huffington Post and New Yorks Daily News have demonized Trump from the beginning, or all the mainstream media pundits who spent months insisting he was a sideshow, that he would fade, that this or that controversial remark would produce his imminent demise.

There is much to criticize in the medias coverage of Donald Trump. But to say the media were the engine that powered his candidacy is to miss the way he overpowered his rivals and forged a connection with millions of Republican voters.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter, in Germany to usher in a new U.S. military commander for Europe, used the opportunity Tuesday to send a blunt warning to Moscow not to provoke the NATO alliance  after recent encounters in the air and on the high seas.

"We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake  we will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us," Carter said at the U.S. military's European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.

Carter expressed a desire not to start a new Cold War with Russia  or a "hot" one.

But he said Russia seeks to "erode" the peaceful order Europe and the rest of the West have enjoyed since the end of the Cold War.

Carter, in vowing the U.S. would defend its allies, warned Russia is increasing its submarine patrols to the North Atlantic. He did not specifically mention the recent "barrel rolls" by Russian jets over U.S. military aircraft in the past few weeks but accused Russia's leaders of "nuclear saber-rattling" and putting the world at risk in the process.

The Obama administrations resolve to take on Russia remains a matter of dispute. President Obama was caught on an open microphone in 2012 assuring then-President Dmitry Medvedev hed have more flexibility on the issue of missile defense after the election. Russia, under Vladimir Putin, later defied U.S. warnings with its takeover of Crimea and military involvement in Eastern Ukraine  and has complicated U.S. efforts in Syria with its intervention there.

Carter this week traveled to Germany for the installation of Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti at the helm of U.S. European Command. There are more than 60,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe, significantly less than during the Cold War, when more than 200,000 soldiers were stationed mostly in Germany.

Carter said Tuesday the Pentagon has pledged $3.4 billion in next year's budget, quadruple the spending from last year, to beef up NATO's eastern flank with its allies. Carter said a new armored brigade would be heading to Europe, though officials told Fox News it would not arrive until the end of 2017.

Carter said the increase in funds would support an additional U.S. Air Force F-15 squadron, more U.S. special operations forces to train in Europe, and more submarine-hunting aircraft to counter increased Russian submarine activity.

"Russias aggressive actions only serve to further its isolation, and unite our alliance," he said.

Russia does not see it that way. Officials in Moscow believe the United States has violated a 1997 treaty that says NATO cannot amass forces along the border with Russia. The treaty does not specify how many forces are permissible.

En route to Germany on Monday, Carter told reporters the United States is considering putting more forces in Eastern Europe, but is waiting to consult with NATO officials before any final decisions are made. Carter said up to four battalions, or some 4,000 soldiers, could be added to Eastern Europe.

A handful of NATO defense officials will be on hand for a counter-Islamic State meeting Wednesday with Carter in Stuttgart.

Despite some tough talk about Russia, Carter indicated hes willing to work together in the future: "Well keep the door open for Russia. But its up to the Kremlin to decide."

One example Carter used about past U.S.-Russian cooperation was Moscow's willingness to allow the United States and NATO to use a supply corridor in northern Afghanistan in the years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the start of combat operations against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

That corridor has since been closed by Russia.

In his remarks, the outgoing U.S. commander of European Command, Gen. Philip Breedlove, a career fighter pilot, said his career is ending where it began, with Russia in his sights.

"My career started here in a Cold War trying to keep the peace. I think my career is now ending here trying to prevent a Cold War and continue to keep the peace," he said.

His replacement, Scaparrotti, was asked about Russian jets buzzing U.S. Navy ships and aircraft, when he was on Capitol Hill a few weeks ago before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Should we make an announcement to the Russians, that if they place the lives of our men and women on board Navy ships in danger, that we will take appropriate action?" committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., asked.

"I believe that should be known, yes," Scaparrotti said.
Any deal between Boeing and Iran would effectively subsidize the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism and would turn American airplanes into Iranian warplanes, according to three members of Congress in a strongly-worded letter sent to the aircraft giant Monday.

The letter to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg implores the company to refrain from a reported deal with Tehran to supply planes and other services. Under the terms of the Iran nuke deal, commercial aircraft can be sold to Iran, a concession made at the behest of Tehran, the letter said. The Islamic Republics ruling regime holds a majority ownership stake in the countrys national airline, Iran Air.

This is not about doing what is legal  it is about doing what is right, the letter said.

The authors, Illinois Republican members of Congress Peter Roskam, Bob Dold and Randy Hultgren, repeatedly cite Irans well-documented links to terror financing and allege that passenger air flights have played a particular role in Iran being able to supply deadly weapons  such as rockets or missiles  to notorious groups.

We urge you not to be complicit in the likely conversion of Boeing aircraft to IRGC warplanes, the letter said, using an acronym for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Roskam, the Ways and Means Oversight chairman, has been particularly vocal in his opposition to American companies conducting business with Iran. Seeking to pressure Airbus into scuttling a $25 billion deal to sell 118 planes to Iran, Roskam spoke with leading European media outlets last week to express why he believed the decision was unwise. Roskam on Friday introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act which would prohibit the Department of Defense from awarding contracts to any entity that does business with Iran. Roskam is also the author of a March 31 opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, writing that businesses should not be tempted to deal with a dangerous geopolitical foe.

Boeing is not alone in its interest in Iranian ventures. General Electric Co., among others, is also reportedly exploring opportunities.

Should any agreements be reached at some future point, they would be contingent on the approval of the U.S. Government, Boeing said in a statement in April.

While any future agreement may be legal to enact  and certainly lucrative to Boeing  Roskam, Dold and Hultgren warn Boeings board, which meets this week in Chicago, that an Iranian deal is akin to supporting tyranny and terror.

The greatest beneficiaries of any potential aircraft sale to Iran would be the Islamic Republics despotic leaders, the letter said.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz could see his last opportunity to stop rival Donald Trump from clinching the Republican nomination go begging Tuesday if Indiana voters back the real estate mogul by a large margin.

Cruz has spent the past week camped out in Indiana, securing the support of Gov. Mike Pence and announcing retired technology executive Carly Fiorina as his running mate. Yet the Associated Press reported early Tuesday that his aides were prepared Tuesday for Cruz to fall short, though the senator vowed to stay in the race, regardless of the results.



"I am in for the distance, as long as we have a viable path to victory," Cruz told reporters on Monday during a campaign stop.



Trump devoted more time to campaigning in Indiana than he has to most other states, underscoring his eagerness to put his Republican rival away and shift his attention toward Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. While Trump cannot clinch the nomination with a big win in Indiana, his path would get easier and he would have more room for error in the campaign's final contests.



"Indiana is very important, because if I win that's the end of it. It would be over," Trump said during a lunch stop Monday in Indianapolis.



Republican leaders spent months dismissing Trump as little more than an entertainer who would fade once voting started. But Republican primary voters have stuck with the billionaire businessman, handing him victories in every region of the country, including a string of six straight wins on the East Coast.



Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will also face off in Indiana's Democratic primary on Tuesday, though the stakes are lower than in the Republican race. Clinton holds a commanding lead over Sanders. securing 91 percent of the delegates she needs to win the nomination. That means she can still win the nomination even if she loses every remaining contest.



Sanders has conceded that he faces a difficult path to overtake Clinton, one that hinges on convincing superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favor Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin.



Neither Clinton nor Sanders planned to spend Tuesday in Indiana. Sanders was making stops in Kentucky, which holds a primary in mid-May, while Clinton moved on to Ohio, a key general election battleground.



Clinton's team has started deploying staff to states that will be crucial in November and is also raising money for the fall campaign. Even as Trump hires more staff to round out his slim team, he already lags far behind Clinton in general election preparations.



A showdown between Clinton and Trump would pit one of Democrats' most popular and highly-regarded figures against a first-time political candidate who is deeply divisive within his own party. Cruz and other Republicans have argued that Trump would be roundly defeated in the general election, denying their party the White House for a third straight term.



But Trump is the only Republican left in the race who can secure the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination through regular primary voting. Cruz -- as well as Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who trails significantly in the delegate count -- must try to block Trump in Indiana and the handful of other remaining states to push the race toward a contested convention.



In an abrupt strategy shift, Cruz and Kasich announced an alliance of sorts in Indiana. The Ohio governor agreed to stop spending money in Indiana to give Cruz a chance to compete head-to-head with Trump. Cruz has pledged to do the same for Kasich in Oregon and New Mexico, which vote in the coming weeks.



But that strategy, which appeared to unravel even as it was announced, may have backfired. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll found that nearly 6 in 10 Indiana primary voters disapproved of the Cruz-Kasich alliance.



"After they made the alliance, their numbers tanked," Trump said Monday. "That's what happens when politicians make deals."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Even by 2016 campaign standards, the war of words that broke out Tuesday between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump was a new level of nasty.

In a rapid-fire exchange of insults that escalated as voters went to the polls in Indianas presidential primary, Texas Sen. Cruz unleashed on the Republican front-runner, calling him utterly amoral, a narcissist and a pathological liar  after earlier suggesting Trump also harbors contempt for Christians.

The fusillade of put-downs was delivered after Trump, speaking on Fox News, invoked a tabloid report claiming his rivals father, Rafael Cruz, showed up in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Republican contest had reached levels of personal animus previously unseen  reflecting whats at stake in Indiana and the remaining contests. Cruz desperately is seeking a win Tuesday, to assure donors and supporters he still has a path to depriving Trump of the delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the July convention.

Trump, for his part, is eyeing a victory Tuesday to effectively sideline both Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich  and potentially lock up the party nod by the final primaries in early June.

Speaking to reporters in Evansville, Ind., Cruz claimed that Trump is a narcissist at a level this country has never seen. As for the claims about his father, Cruz said: Lets be clear this is nuts, its not reasonable, its just kooky.

Trump later issued a statement calling Cruz a desperate candidate and saying, It is no surprise he has resorted to his usual tactics of over-the-top rhetoric that nobody believes."

The intense sparring traced back to Rafael Cruzs earlier comments to the head of the American Family Association of Indiana. The Cuba-born Cruz, now a pastor, warned of the wicked electing the wicked and urged fellow Christians to come out to vote.

I implore, I exhort every member of the body of Christ to vote according to the word of God, and vote for the candidate that stands on the word of God and on the Constitution of the United States of America, he said.

Trump fired back on Fox News Tuesday morning.

I think its a disgrace that hes allowed to do it. I think its a disgrace that hes allowed to say it, Trump said.

He went on to invoke the National Enquirer story, which claimed Rafael Cruz was photographed next to Oswald in 1963 handing out pro-Castro literature.

His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald, Trump said Tuesday. Nobody even brings it up.

The Cruz campaign, though, has unequivocally rejected the Enquirer report as false. And on Tuesday, Cruz campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Trumps comments show his desperation.

Trump is detached from reality, and his false, cheap, meaningless comments every day indicate his desperation to get attention and willingness to say anything to do so, she said in a statement.

Cruz and his father, meanwhile, both have appealed to the states Christian community, arguing Trump is not their candidate.

Speaking Tuesday on Glenn Becks radio show, Ted Cruz claimed Trump views prayer as a sign of weakness.

He continued: And the people of Indiana can choose. Do you want that in the Oval Office? You think Obama has been bad with the contempt he has heaped on Christians? You aint seen nothing yet compared to Donald J. Trump.

According to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of Indiana residents identify as Christian.

Trump, all along, has aggressively courted Indiana voters, telling them that if they deliver a victory to him on Tuesday the race is over and he can start concentrating on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Clinton, too, is looking to Indianas primary to sideline underdog rival Bernie Sanders, who despite losing most recent primary contests has vowed to keep fighting to the convention. Clinton and Trump both have started to turn their attacks on each other, anticipating a general election match-up, but are still dealing with their respective primary rivals.

Republicans are competing for 57 delegates in the Indiana primary; Democrats are competing for 83 delegates.
A Republican convention delegate who said she might prefer Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump has been told she has been stripped of her slot after party officials say she lied about her residency.

Patrick Mara, executive director of the District of Columbia's GOP, said Tuesday that an investigation determined Rina Shah Bharara is actually a Virginia resident and therefore ineligible to be a D.C. delegate.

Bharara was elected as a delegate at the D.C. party convention in March. She ran as a Marco Rubio delegate and was the second-leading vote-getter.

Bharara said she has homes in D.C. and northern Virginia but her residency in the District is legitimate. She said the residency issue is a pretext for removal by party officials upset she said she might prefer Clinton over Trump.


Offshore patrol vessel HTMS Krabi of Royal Thai Navy. An internet photo

PARIS (BNS): French firm Thales has been awarded a contract to upgrade the Royal Thai Navy's (RTN) two Bang Rachan Class minehunters, and also provide an integrated combat suite for the RTN's second Krabi Class offshore patrol vessel (OPV).



As the prime contractor for the modernisation of Bang Rachan Class minehunters, Thales will be responsible for the revised vessel design, repairs and modernisation, the procurement of equipment and the platform integration.



The upgraded ships will be equipped with new solutions, including a machinery control system, navigation systems and upgraded communications capabilities among others, the company said.



Thales will work hand in hand with the local industry to manage the works.



The two Bang Rachan Class minehunters -- HTMS Bang Rachan and HTMS Nong Sarai -- were built in the late 80's. The upgrades will extend the ships' operational life by over 15 years.



The French firm will also provide an integrated solution, including the TACTICOS combat management system and an integrated bridge and navigation suite, for the RTN's second Krabi Class OPV.



It will be responsible for all integration activities, including the 76 mm gun, 2x 30mm gun and Harpoon missile system on board the new OPV.



The vessel will be built by the Bangkok Dock and is expected to be commissioned into service by 2018.



Thales has already supplied the combat, navigation and communication suite for HTMS Krabi -- the lead ship of the class inducted in Thai Navy in 2013.


Texas Sen. Ted Cruz cleared the path Tuesday night for Donald Trump to claim the Republican presidential nomination, suspending his underdog campaign following a crushing defeat in Indiana  allowing the billionaire businessman to effectively leave the raucous primary behind and turn his attention squarely to the general election.

Were gonna win in November, Trump declared at Trump Tower in New York City.

Representing one last primary hurdle, John Kasichs campaign said the Ohio governor would remain in the race until a candidate reaches the necessary 1,237 delegates. But with Cruz ending his bid, Trump would appear on a glide path to hitting that, having vanquished almost everyone in what was once a 17-person field  and now within easy reach of the party mantle, an outcome some pundits and power-brokers once refused to even contemplate.

Cruz announced his decision to dismayed supporters in Indianapolis.

I said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, Im sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed, Cruz said.

While a Trump-Hillary Clinton match-up now appears inevitable, Sen. Bernie Sanders kept the race alive on the Democratic side Tuesday night by pulling off a projected upset victory in Indiana.

I understand that Secretary Clinton thinks that this campaign is over, Sanders said, adding that he has bad news for her.

Sanders said he expects more victories in the weeks to come, as the race heads next to West Virginia, though he admitted he has an uphill climb to the nomination.

But on the GOP side, while Kasich remains in the race and Trump still could face drama at the party convention in Cleveland, GOP Chairman Reince Priebus declared him the "presumptive" nominee Tuesday night, as did Clinton.

Trump addressed supporters at Trump Tower Tuesday night after his seventh consecutive victory, in Indiana.

He called Cruz "one hell of a competitor," calling his decision to drop out of the race "brave."

He also said that while he wasn't sure if Cruz likes him, he praised his former rival as a "smart" and "tough guy" who had an "amazing future" ahead of him.

Data curated by InsideGov

Trump then turned his attention to his likely Democratic opponent, saying, We're going after Hillary Clinton."

The New York billionaire criticized Clinton's recent comments about the coal industry. He says she wants to close mines and he promised to help coal miners get back to work.

Cruz campaigned aggressively in Indiana, but could not overcome Trump.

With a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign.  But hear me now, I am not suspending our fight for liberty," Cruz said.

Fox News projected Trump has the winner shortly after the polls closed at 7 p.m. ET.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Trump has 53.3 percent of the vote.

Tuesdays primary capped off a bitter and personal clash between Trump and Cruz with each accusing the other of being an unhinged liar.

As soon as the race was called, Trump demanded Cruz exit the primary race, tweeting that Lyin Ted should stop wasting time & money.

Earlier in the day, Trump rehashed claims on Fox News that Cruzs father, Rafael Cruz, appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald -- citing a report first published by the National Enquirer.

"His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot," Trump said on Fox & Friends. "Nobody even brings it up; I mean they don't even talk about that."

Responding, Cruz called his father his "hero," and labeled Trump an "amoral" liar. He also described Trump as a braggadocious, arrogant buffoon.

Cruz went into the Indiana primary vowing to fight on even if he lost.

The Associated Press now has Trump leading the delegate count with 1,047. Cruz suspended his campaign with 565. Kasich still has 153. To secure the Republican nomination, a candidate must have 1,237 delegates.

Though Trump could not clinch the nomination with a big win in Indiana, his path toward securing the delegates he needs gets much easier now.

Trump devoted more time to campaigning in Indiana than he has to most other states, underscoring his eagerness to put his Republican rivals away and shift his attention to Democratic front-runner Clinton.

Indiana emerged as a must-win state for Cruz and the Stop Trump movement to block Trump from locking up the Republican nomination.

In an attempt to stack the odds, Cruz and Kasich recently announced an alliance to deny the billionaire businessman the delegates needed to win.

Cruz and Kasich had agreed to cede upcoming primary contests to one another. Kasich would stand down in Indiana while Cruz would do the same in Oregon and New Mexico, which hold their primaries May 17 and June 7.

Cracks in communication about the tactical team-up were visible almost immediately. When Kasich was asked about the deals message on April 25 and what his Indiana supporters should do he said, Ive never told them not to vote for me. They ought to vote for me.

Cruz also tried to reenergize his campaign by naming former businesswoman Carly Fiorina as his running mate. He rounded out the week with an endorsement from Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

The Texan traveled across the state on a tour bus and spent most of his time reaching out to large groups of politically engaged evangelical Christians  a demographic he dominated.

While barnstorming Indiana, Cruz also sharpened his opposition to transgender rights for Americans and publically attacked both Trump and Clinton for supporting North Carolinas controversial new anti-LGBT law.

According to the Associated Press delegate count, Clinton now has 2,202 delegates compared with Sanders 1,400. A Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates to get the partys nomination.

Even if Clinton loses every single remaining primary, she can still win the nomination.

Neither Clinton nor Sanders spent Tuesday in Indiana. Sanders made stops in Kentucky while Clinton focused on West Virginia and Ohio, a key general election battleground.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Bernie Sanders campaign is accusing Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton of looting money from a joint account meant in part for state parties, the latest brawl between the camps over precious fundraising dollars in the closing weeks of their primary race.

The dispute is over the Hillary Victory Fund, established by Clinton last summer and comprising her presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and 32 state party committees.

The joint effort so far has raised $61 million, but only 1 percent ultimately stayed in state party accounts, according to an analysis by Politico of federal election records.

The analysis, which was challenged by the Clinton campaign, said the fund had transferred $3.8 million to the state parties, then quickly transferred $3.3 million of the money to the DNC.

Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said the transfers are tantamount to money laundering and suggested Clinton is looting the state party coffers to side-step campaign finance laws.

The Clinton campaign should let the state parties keep their fair share of the cash, Weaver said in a statement Monday, ahead of the Indiana primary on Tuesday. If Secretary Clinton cant raise the funds needed to run in a competitive primary without resorting to laundering, how will she compete against Donald Trump in a general election?

He also said the fund setup allows Clinton to skirt fundraising limits on her presidential campaign, because it lets her solicit donations of $350,000 or more from wealthy backers.

The Clinton campaign has responded to the accusations, saying they raised closer to $46 million and roughly $4.5 million already has been transferred to state parties, with an additional $9 million to be distributed in the coming months as state parties prepare for the general election.

Helping Democrats win up and down the ballot is a top priority for Hillary Clinton, said Hillary for America campaign spokesman Josh Schwerin.

He said the money is already being used to staff operations in battleground states Ohio, Florida, Virginia and beyond, including registering voters, recruiting volunteers and boosting get-out-the-vote efforts.

Schwerin also said the operations are being run jointly by the DNC and state parties to elect progressives across the country in November."

To be sure, raising money may become more challenging as the campaigns drag on -- and when the prevailing candidate shifts to a general election battle.

The Sanders campaign, for example, reportedly raised $25.8 million in April, down from $44 million in March and $43.5 million in February. Clinton reportedly raised $26.4 million last month.

The Sanders campaign signed a similar joint-fundraising agreement with the DNC that appears largely inactive. However, he has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through his donor list for several progressive House candidates, according to Politico.

This is not the first time the Sanders campaign has accused the Clinton camp of fundraising shenanigans.

Last month, the campaign sent an open letter to the DNC accusing the Clinton campaign of "apparent violations" in fundraising.

The campaign raised concerns about the victory fund reportedly receiving individual contributions of $354,400 or more, because they far exceed the $2,700 limit on campaign contributions. Another concern was such contributions appearing to have been used to pay for $16.4 million in advertising and solicitations for Hillary for America, rather than for the DNC or any state party committees.

Fox News' Tamara Gitt contributed to this report.
Donald Trump hit back hard Tuesday at Ted Cruzs father after he made an appeal to every member of the body of Christ to vote for his son, and not the wicked  calling the comments disgraceful and horrible.

In a sharp turn, the Republican presidential front-runner also abruptly invoked a tabloid story about Rafael Cruzs supposed connection to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

The Cruz campaign already has rejected that National Enquirer report from last month as garbage.

But Trump unleashed on the Cuban-born Rafael Cruz, a pastor, after he made his religious appeal to Indiana and other voters to support his son in the Republican presidential nominating contest. Indiana is voting Tuesday.

I think its a disgrace that hes allowed to do it. I think its a disgrace that hes allowed to say it, Trump told Fox News.

Speaking with the head of the American Family Association of Indiana, the elder Cruz had warned of the wicked electing the wicked and urged fellow Christians to come out to vote.

I implore, I exhort every member of the body of Christ to vote according to the word of God, and vote for the candidate that stands on the word of God and on the Constitution of the United States of America," Cruz said, as earlier reported by The Washington Examiner. "And I am convinced that man is my son, Ted Cruz. The alternative could be the destruction of America."

The Examiner reported that Rafael Cruz had been meeting for days with Indiana pastors, many of whom have since endorsed the Texas senator.

Trump, though, told Fox News hes actually winning the evangelical vote and blasted Cruzs father for his comments.

He went on to invoke the Enquirer story, which claimed Rafael Cruz was photographed next to Oswald in 1963 handing out pro-Castro literature.

His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald being  shot, Trump said Tuesday. Nobody even brings it up.

The Cruz campaign, though, has unequivocally rejected the Enquirer report as false. And on Tuesday, Cruz campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said Trumps comments show his desperation.

Trump is detached from reality, and his false, cheap, meaningless comments every day indicate his desperation to get attention and willingness to say anything to do so. We are campaigning on jobs freedom and security while trump campaigns on false tabloid garbage. And the media is willfully enabling him to cheapen the value of our democratic process, she said in a statement.

Ted Cruz himself called the claims "kooky."

The campaign previously told McClatchy when the Enquirer story appeared last month that "that is not Rafael in the picture."

While Cruzs father was a Castro supporter as a young man, he later turned against him and became anti-communist.

Fox News' Dan Gallo contributed to this report.
With national student loan debt tripling to more than $1 trillion over the past decade and Vermonts graduates stuck with the highest debt-to-earnings ratio, state lawmakers are urging Congress to let students file for bankruptcy.

On Monday, members of the Vermont House gave preliminary approval to J.R.H. 27, a joint resolution that calls for federal action to alleviate the national student loan debt crisis. Federal bankruptcy code prohibits student loan borrowers from declaring bankruptcy in most cases.

The General Assembly requests Congress to amend the federal bankruptcy code to eliminate the prohibition on relief from federal or private student loan debt through the federal bankruptcy system, the resolution states.

J.R.H. 27 highlights sobering statistics illustrating the scope of problem. Nationwide, almost 7 million student loan borrowers, or 17 percent, are in default as of summer 2015. This is up 400,000 defaults, or 6 percent, compared to 2014. Student loan debt tripled between 2005 and 2015, rising to $1.19 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New Yorks Consumer Credit Panel.

Click for more from Watchdog.org.
Sculptures and carvings dating back more than 1,700 years have been discovered in the remains of a shrine and its courtyard in the ancient city of Bazira. The sculptures illustrate the religious life of the city, telling tales from Buddhism and other ancient religions.

Also called Vajirasthana, Bazira is located the in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. It was first constructed as a small town, during the second century B.C., and eventually developed into a city located within the Kushan Empire. At its peak, this empire ruled territory extending from modern-day India to central Asia.

The Kushan Empire declined during the third century A.D., at the same time that a series of earthquakes ravaged Bazira. The damage caused by the earthquakes  and the financial problems brought about by the decline of the Kushan Empire  meant that Bazira gradually fell into ruin, with the city abandoned by the end of the third century.

Today, the ruins of Bazira are located near the modern-day village of Barikot. The Italian Archaeological Mission has been excavating Bazira since 1978, gradually unearthing remains of the ancient city. [See Photos of the Ancient City Ruins and Sculptures]

The great departure

One of the sculptures, carved in green schist, depicts a prince named Siddhartha leaving a palace on a horse named Kanthaka. The sculpture likely form part of the shrine's decoration, the archaeologists said.

According to ancient Buddhist stories, Siddhartha was a wealthy prince who lived in a palace in Kapilavastu, which is in modern-day Nepal. He lived a cloistered life, but one day he ventured outside his palace and encountered the suffering faced by common people. After this experience, he decided to leave his palace to live as a poor man in order to seek enlightenment. He later became the Gautama Buddha. [In Photos: An Ancient Buddhist Monastery]

In the carved scene, two spirits known as yakshas support Kanthaka's hooves, wrote archaeologist Luca Olivieri, who directs excavations at Bazira, in the Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology. Meanwhile, the town goddess of Kapilavastu, who is shown wearing a crown, holds her hands together in a sign of veneration.

An unknown man  maybe a deity, Olivieri said  stands behind Kanthaka, with his left hand to his mouth and his right hand waving a scarf-like garment called an uttariya.

Goat's head and wine

In the courtyard, archaeologists found another carving, this one dating to a time after an earthquake had damaged the shrine. The shrine had been rebuilt using perishable materials, likely wooden posts, the archaeologists said. Also at around this time, the courtyard was converted into a kitchen area that serviced nearby homes.

The carving "pictures an unknown deity, an aged male figure sitting on a throne, with long, curled hair, holding a wine goblet and a severed goat head in his hands," Olivieri told Live Science, adding that the figure looks a bit like images of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.

Wine was widely produced in the Swat Valley, and some people in the area, even monastic Buddhists, had issues with drinking alcohol, Olivieri said. "We found dozens of ancient winepresses and vats in the countryside," Olivieri said.

From "texts, it seems that Buddhist schools tried their best to curb the habit of consuming wine and other 'intoxicating drinks' even amongst the monastic community," he added.

The goat's head in the carving also symbolizes a local passion, Olivieri said. "The goat is an animal associated to the mountains in the cultures of Hindu Kush, the local region," Olivieri said, adding that it was used as an icon in ancient rock art.

Stupa with lions

Another beautiful carving that once decorated the shrine depicts a stupa, a structure shaped like a mound that is used for meditation. Near the top of the stupa is a platform known as a harmika, which is decorated with a rosette design. Above the harmika, there are three parasol-like structures called chattrasthat face up toward the sky.

Two columns, with lions on top, are carved next to the stupa. The lions peer down at the stupa (which is at the same height as the columns), as if they are watching over it.

This scene could be based off of a real, ancient stupa that existed in the Swat Valley, Olivieri said. "Real stupas with four columns  topped by crouching lions' statuesat the corners of the lower podium have been documented in Swat," Olivieri told Live Science.

One stupa like this was excavated in the 1960s and 1970s. Archaeologists found that it was used between the first and fourth centuries A.D., the same time that Bazira flourished.

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A solar-powered airplane landed in suburban Phoenix Monday night after a daylong flight from California -- the latest leg in its around the world journey using only energy from the sun.



The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 arrived in the suburb of Goodyear, just to the southwest of Phoenix, shortly before 9 p.m. PDT.



Pilot Andre Borschberg called the 16-hour trip "a beautiful flight," after stepping from the cockpit.



"It was a special flight; not a long flight," he added.



The aircraft took off from Mountain View in northern California shortly after 5 a.m.



It began its globe-circling journey last year, and flew from Hawaii to the Silicon Valley last week.



After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey.



For several minutes after arriving, Borschberg remained aboard as powerful winds buffeted the aircraft, forcing the ground crew to hold down it down with straps.



"Sometimes it is more difficult to handle the airplane on the ground than in flight," he told reporters later.



Video from cameras aboard the aircraft as well as on the ground at the Goodyear airport showed the Solar Impulse as it flew through the night sky enroute to its safe touch down southwest of Phoenix.



Hours earlier, shortly after takeoff, Borschberg used his phone to snap photos of the sun coming up along the horizon. Then he prepared for media interviews and made breakfast plans.



"I'm heating up water for coffee," Borschberg told his ground crew. "A nice Nescafe."



His co-pilot, Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, made the three-day trip from Hawaii to the heart of Silicon Valley, where he landed last week.



The Solar Impulse 2's wings, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.



The two legs to cross the Pacific were the riskiest part of the plane's travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.



"We have demonstrated it is feasible to fly many days, many nights, that the technology works" said Borschberg, 63, who piloted the plane during a five-day trip from Japan to Hawaii and who kept himself alert by doing yoga poses and meditation.



The crew was forced to stay in Oahu for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.



The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan.



The layovers will give the pilots a chance to swap places and engage with local communities along the way so they can explain the project, which is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002 to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation.
Three potentially habitable Earth-size planets have been discovered orbiting a dim, cold nearby star that is barely larger than Jupiter, researchers say.

"These kinds of tiny, cold stars may be the places we should first look for life elsewhere in the universe, because they may be the only places where we can detect life on distant Earth-sized planets with our current technology," study lead author Michael Gillon, an astronomer at the University of Liege in Belgium, told Space.com.

Astronomers focused on a star originally named 2MASS J23062928-0502285 that was discovered using TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope), a telescope in Chile. This dim cold red star, now known as TRAPPIST-1, is located in the constellation of Aquarius about 39 light-years from Earth. In comparison, Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system, is about 4.3 light-years from Earth. [Watch: See how the 3 TRAPPIST-1 Planets Might Support Life]

TRAPPIST-1 is 2,000 times less bright than the sun, a bit less than half as warm as the sun, about one-twelfth the sun's mass, and less than one-eighth the sun's width, making it only slightly larger in diameter than Jupiter. TRAPPIST-1 is a type of star known as an ultracool dwarf that is very common in the Milky Way, making up about 15 percent of the stars near the sun.

Scientists spotted the three planets by observing TRAPPIST-1 dimming at regular intervals as the worlds crossed in front of it. This is the first time that distant planets, called exoplanets, have been found around an ultracool dwarf, the researchers said.

"So far, the existence of such 'red worlds' orbiting ultracool dwarf stars was purely theoretical, but now we have not just one lonely planet around such a faint red star, but a complete system of three planets," study co-author Emmanuel Jehin, an astronomer at the University of Liege, said in a statement.

These three planets are each only about 10 percent larger in diameter than Earth. "The kind of planets we've found are very exciting from the perspective of searching for life in the universe beyond Earth," study co-author Adam Burgasser at the University of California, San Diego, said in a statement.

The two innermost planets are about 60 to 90 times closer to their star than the Earth to the sun, with orbits only 1.5 and 2.4 days long, respectively. The orbit of the third planet is currently less certain, ranging between 4.5 and 73 days long. The small size of the star and its planets' orbits means "the structure of this planetary system is much more similar in scale to the system of Jupiter's moons than to that of the solar system," Gillon said in the statement.

Although all three planets orbit very near their star, the inner two planets receive only four times and two times, respectively, the amount of radiation that Earth receives, since their star is much fainter than the sun. The third outer planet probably receives less radiation than Earth does, the researchers said.

Given how close TRAPPIST-1's trio of planets are to its star, the researchers suggest TRAPPIST-1's gravitational pull likely forced these worlds to become "tidally locked" to it. When a planet is tidally locked to its star, it will always show the same side to its star, just as the moon always shows the same face to Earth. This causes those worlds to each have one permanent dayside and one permanent nightside.

The third of TRAPPIST-1's planets, the one farthest from the star, may lie within the star's habitable zone  the area around a star where planets have surfaces warm enough to have liquid water, a key ingredient to life as it is known on Earth. The two planets closest to TRAPPIST-1 may have daysides that are too hot and nightsides that are too cold to host any kind of life as it is known on Earth, but the researchers suggest that the borders of the planets' day- and nightsides may be sweet spots temperate enough for life.

For the most part, exoplanet-hunting missions have focused on finding systems around sun-like stars emitting visible light, but these stars can be so bright, they can drown out key features of their planets, the researchers said. In contrast, cold dwarf stars emit mostly infrared light, and are so faint they would not overwhelm details of their planets. TRAPPIST was designed to look for planets around 60 nearby ultracool dwarfs. [7 Ways to Discover Alien Planets]

"The detection of these planets [around TRAPPIST-1] should intensify the search for more systems around ultracool dwarfs," Gillon said. "Exciting scientific adventures are now beginning."

Since the planets around TRAPPIST-1 are relatively nearby, scientists can in principle analyze the compositions of their atmospheres, "and further down the road, which is within our generation, assess if they are actually inhabited," study co-author Julien de Wit, a planetary scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in a statement. "All of these things are achievable, and within reach now. This is a jackpot for the field."

The masses of these worlds remain unknown, but future research can pinpoint how much each of these planets gravitationally pulls at its siblings when they get close to each other, Gillon said. The strength of each planet's gravitational pull will help scientists deduce its mass, which in turn will help them estimate the planets' densities and, thus, compositions, he added.

"We can tell if the planets are probably rocky, or rich in ice like the moons of Jupiter, or rich in metal like Mercury," Gillon said.

The researchers noted that the Hubble Space Telescope and the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope could help analyze the atmospheres of those planets for molecules linked with life, such as water, carbon dioxide and ozone.

"Now we have to investigate if they're habitable," de Wit said in the statement.

The scientists detailed their findings online May 2 in the journal Nature.
A key ally to the United States, Australia, is ramping up their military might with $39 billion in futuristic submarines.

Mega stealth, ultra state of the art and jam-packed with advanced next-gen tech and weaponrythis new fleet of submarines will bring decisive power to any fight.

Related: 'Sea Hunter': World's first unmanned ship stalks subs

French company DCNS is developing the new, cutting-edge Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A submarine for the Royal Australian Navy. The project will be a collaboration between Australia and France- but the United States is also expected to play a vital role.

DCNS will be leveraging the state-of-the-art technology originally created for its big brother - the French Navys Barracuda attack submarine.

The powerful French subs are aptly named after the Barracuda fish that tends to incite fear with its large size and scary predatory look. Rapid and powerful, it is a smart, formidable hunter known to deploy clever tactics like working together to drive fish into shallow water and trap them.



Naturally lean and stealthy, barracudas excel at stalking targets hidden from their sight until they strike  just like these mega stealth submarines.

Why is the new sub called Shortfin Barracuda? Shortfins are native to Australias Great Barrier Reef.

And while many details remain confidential and shrouded in secrecy, DCNS, France and Australia have revealed some key elements. Heres what we know

Missions

Capable of conducting missions for about 80 days straight, a crew of 60 sub- and possibly more than 20 Special Operations Operators - will be able to fit into the approximately 320 foot long sub.

The big brother Barracuda design has a hatch that can hold up to eight Special Operations Operators for insertion and extraction missions. It is likely that the Shortfin will include a similar vital feature.

The Shortfin can deep dive to depths of 1150 feet and when it dives, it displaces more than 4,000 tons.

Speed and Propulsion

The Shortfin Barracuda has a top speed of more than 20 knots - thats 23 miles per hour.

To reach these speeds and range, the Shortfin Barracuda relies on modern propulsion. The subs pump jet propulsion replaces the old school obsolete propeller tech found on many fleets around the world.

The French version is nuclear powered, however Australia has opted for diesel-electric propulsion. Shortfins hydroplanes will be able to retract and this plays a role in helping to reduce both drag and noise; The quieter the sub, the harder it is for bad guys to find it.

Related: Drone ships are now coming to the open ocean thanks to the US Navy

During operations, the new sub can cover 18,000 nautical miles at 10 knots or 11.5 mph and this will be particularly useful for Australias patrolling of vast ocean distances.

Stealth

One of the key features is the Shortfin Barracudas stealth capability. Shortfin will leverage state-of-the-art tech that dramatically reduces signature.

In a rather landmark decision, France is offering Australia access to their advanced-stealth tech designed for their top-tier subs like the nuclear-powered general-purpose attack submarines and their ballistic missile submarines.

Weapons

Australias Defence Force could deploy the Shortfins as intelligence-gathering platforms, but also as a forceful deterrent that stealthily patrols vast distances armed with state of the art weapons systems.

The Shortfin weaponry could include French heavyweight DCNSs F21 torpedoes and sea mines. In terms of missiles, it could also be armed with French DCNSs Exocets (Flying Fish) to launch against ships. It could also be armed with DCNSs A3SMs to defend against air threats from aircraft like helicopters and drones.

But it is also expected that The United States will also play a role in Australias new subs, particularly in providing weapons and integrated combat systems.

DCNS asserts that the Shortfin Barracuda will also be equipped with the worlds most powerful sonar ever produced for a conventional submarine.

Related: DARPA's unmanned sub-hunter set to revolutionize naval warfare

The Shortfin Barracuda will replace several Australian Navy Collins subs that will reach retirement age in about a decade. During the selection process, the Shortfin beat out Japan's Soryu-class and German firm TKMS' Type-216.

To ensure the sub stays at the cutting-edge across the board throughout its service life, there are quick-access tech insert hatches in its design. As tech evolves during the subs time in service, Australia can use the hatches to add the latest tech and upgrade the subs capabilities.

The Collins will need to stay in service for another several years until the Shortfins are ready. The Shortfins are expected to be operational in the early 2030s.
A tourist captured the heart stopping moment a man plummeted to the ground after falling off a section of the Great Wall of China near Beijing.

The man, who has been identified as a Chinese national by CCTV, was visiting the Jiankou section of the Great Wall on April 23 when he lost his balance on an under developed section and fell over the edge.

The dramatic fall was captured by another tourist several yards away and others can be heard screaming in the background as they watch the man fall to ground. Parts of the Jiankou wall reach as high as 30 feet but it has not been confirmed how far the man fell.

Footage shows the victim lying motionless on the ground until emergency crews arrive and evactuate him on a stretcher.

"The injured tourist was climbing down the Great Wall by a high stepladder. However, his backpack got caught in the stepladder, he lost balance and fell," said Yang Zan, a local firefighter.

The man was rushed to the hospital but suffered only minor injuries on his legs and waist. He has since been discharged.



Jiankou, which translates to Arrow Nock, is a popular section of the Great Wall known for its steep, pointed mountains and photogenic scenery.
When it comes to flying, there have been countless incidents chroncling angry passengers yelling at crew members or squabbling for more legroom.

Flying may bring out the worst in all of us, but why?

Youre not the only one who arrived at the airport two hours early, spent an eternity on the security line, was prodded by a TSA agent and then herded to the middle of the plane only to discover that there was no room for your carry-on.



It turns out that there may be one particular trigger that causes fliers to throw in the towel and give in to supressed feelings of so called "air rage"-- walking through a first class cabin.

According to a new study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, passengers seated in economy class were 3.8 times more likely to have an incident of air rage if they were on a plane that had a first-class section.

And those same travelers were 2.18 times more likely to have an outburst if they had to walk through first class to board the plane, as opposed to boarding in the middle of the plane in their assigned section.

So walking past the comfortably reclining one-percenters sipping on mimosas not only makes us feel inferior, but, according to the study authors, that feeling of inequality can have serious consequences.

"Psychology tells us that when people feel a sense of deprivation and inequality, they are more likely to act out," said Katherine A. DeCelles, associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto, and Michael I. Norton of the marketing unit at Harvard Business School.

The authors, who reviewed several years worth of data on air rage incidents from a large international airline, found that the rate of an air rage incident among first-class passengers was 12 times greater if all passengers boarded in the front and walked through their section to get to the rear, compared with flights that had separate entrances for first class and economy.

"When people from higher social class backgrounds are more aware of their higher status, they are more likely to be antisocial, to have entitled attitudes and to be less compassionate."

Despite making frequent headlines, overall, incidents of inflight anger are very rare. The study found that on average, these incidents occur in economy class just 1.58 times per 1,000 flights, adding up to a total of a few thousand cases of air rage during the several-year period.

But DeCelles says some airline crew members may hesistate to publicize these incidents. Since the FAA doesn't require crew to report air rage incidents, it can be difficiult to track whether they are really on the rise-- or social media just exacerbates the phenonemon.

But are the lucky fliers in first really to blame for the outrageous outbursts?

Michael McCullough, professor of psychology at University of Miami who was not involved with the study, says it's not so black and white.

"There could be another thousand things associated with the presence of first-class seating," McCullough told CNN. He said there could be design features of planes without first class cabins that make all passengers feel less like cattle being herded.

Regardless of the cause, McCullough did call air rage incidents "public hazards" and says carriers should look into how they structure planes.

DeCelles agrees and says airlines should make use of planes' middle doors when possible.

"Most aircraft do have doors in the middle, from what I am told from airline executives," she said. According to the professor, it might not only cut down on angry fliers but make the whole boarding process more efficient.
A bill allowing staff and faculty at Tennessee's public colleges and universities to be armed on campus became law Monday without the Republican governor's signature.

Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement that he disagreed with the bill for not allowing institutions "to make their own decisions regarding security issues on campus."

But the governor acknowledged that the final version of the measure had addressed concerns raised by college administrators during the legislative process by including provisions protecting schools from liability and a requirement to notify law enforcement about who is armed on campus.

"Ultimately, this legislation was tailored to apply to certain employees in specific situations," Haslam said.

The law, which allows faculty and staff with state-issued handgun carry permits to carry, is more limited than a bill that Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal must decide on by Tuesday. That measure would allow anyone age 21 and up to carry a concealed handgun on campus with the proper permit.

The Tennessee law, which takes effect on July 1, will keep gun bans in place for stadiums or gymnasiums while school-sponsored events are in progress; meetings where disciplinary or tenure issues are being discussed; hospitals or offices where medical or mental health services are provided; and any location prohibited by another law, such as at day care centers or elementary schools located on campus.

University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro said in a statement that he opposes more guns on campus, but that the state's two public college systems entered into negotiations with sponsors because they "recognized early in the process that the bill had a great likelihood of passing."

DiPietro said he agrees with the governor's position of allowing schools to decide for themselves. But the National Rifle Association had argued against any opt-out provisions for the guns-on-campus bill.

"College campuses as gun-free zones present an environment where murderers, rapists and other criminals may commit crimes without fear of being harmed by their victims," The Tennessean newspaper quoted NRA lobbyists Erin Luper as saying during a committee hearing on the bill.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Mancini criticized the governor for declining to veto the legislation, which she said puts the interests of "the gun lobby and their wealthy donors" above campus security.

"Governor Haslam is defying all common sense, ignoring the opposition of faculty and staff, and jeopardizing the safety and well-being of students," Mancini said.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Andy Holt of Dresden and fellow Republican Sen. Mike Bell of Riceville.

During the Senate debate on the bill, opponents circulated comments from a survey of faculty at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville that raised security concerns about more guns on campus. Bell scoffed at many of those comments, declaring that he hopes some professors will follow through on vows to quit their positions at the state's flagship university if the bill became law.

"Maybe this will give UT a chance to hire some conservative teachers if we have a mass exodus of some of these liberals who responded to this," he said.
Authenticity within a company means adhering to a central purpose. And that's important because, as I see it, consumers now care more than ever about the why in brands they associate with: what they buy, whom they work for, which places they frequent.

In a startup, this "why" can be especially important. Others can always copy how to solve the problem, but no one can copy the why that drives your particular company. Its like DNA: so unique to your business that tapping into it creates sustainable differentiation.

Take the outdoor apparel brand Patagonia, for example. A pioneer of sustainability in business, Patagonia has always practiced what it preaches. In March this year, the company announced its collaboration on a $35 million effort to help install solar panels on homes in eight states. And its  buy less mantra from back a few years ago -- urging customers to keep using what they had rather than hurry to buy Patagonia parkas -- actually increased sales by one-third.

Related: 7 Habits of Remarkably Effective Brands

Why over how

When companies such as Patagonia tap into their why from the beginning, they see a distinct shift in revenue and market traction, over those that dont. Despite this observation, in my experience, too often the answer to how precedes the question of why. And that's unfortunate.

I was recently investigating a new social marketing product, and from reading the company website, wasnt sure what it did. The company claimed its approach was better than that of its competitors, but the message fell flat. It wasnt until I spoke to the two impassioned co-founders that the purpose behind their product was clear -- and it was very compelling. That made all the difference for me.

It also illustrated again for me how the most effective organizations capture their whys -- call them visions, missions, raisons detre -- and communicate them at scale in ways that feel authentic and human. When the purpose precedes the product, great results follow. A purpose-led startup gains a more loyal community of customers.

In a recent study, customers rated authentic characteristics such as honest communication and sustainability as more important than product utility and brand appeal, and 63 percent of consumers said they would prefer to buy products from companies they perceive to be authentic. Consumers are willing to pay more for products made by authentically purposeful brands.

A more engaged workforce

In an environment with a workforce increasingly composed of millennials, defining your purpose can be instrumental in attracting and retaining top talent. A 2016 global Deloitte study showed that millennials want more than a paycheck -- they want a meaningful mission. A company that taps into its purpose and understands what problem it wants to solve will attract these young people, who will not only believe in the same vision but will work hard to ensure its achieved.

Related: For Startups Recruiting Talent, Money Really Isnt Everything

A better bottom line

A few years ago, I led a rebranding at a company in a crowded market segment that was quickly being commoditized. Our strategy: All our marketing efforts shifted to highlight our mission instead of our products.

And the strategy worked: The pipeline jumped 90 percent, the close rate increased by 3 percent and revenue climbed 50 percent -- all within a quarter that had historically been the weakest of the year for this company. We didnt add a single salesperson, sign a new partner or release a new product. We simply communicated the reasons that drove us to succeed, and people listened.

Digging deep to find your purpose

To ensure youre creating a company that consumers will trust, ask yourself two questions:

1. Why do I want to solve this problem more than others? What drove you to tackle this pain point in the first place? What motivates you to go to work? What would success look like to you?

Wrap-style carrier brand Baby Ktan was born from a singular purpose: President and co-founder Michal Chesal had a concern about her son, who had been born with Down syndrome: She needed a way to carry him that provided sensory nourishment. So, she built her product around her why, and her company has been wildly successful as a result.

Southwest Airlines core purpose is displayed right on its website: to connect people to whats important in their lives through friendly, reliable, low-cost air travel. That purpose (and the constant messaging surrounding it) is why its one of the most trusted companies in the United States.

2. How does this business help me achieve that purpose? When it comes to purpose, lip service alone will not cut it. Our company's CEO, Shawn Riegsecker, has a quote I love: A value isnt a value until it costs you money. A plainer version of this would be: Your purpose cant be just words on a page. You have to live your true value and be all in.

Sustainable household-goods company Seventh Generation is committed to making the world a better place for future generations. It lives out this purpose by asking its community to line-dry all laundry. That's being authentic even to the detriment of its bottom line (the company sells items such as dryer sheets) speaks volumes.

Related: How Sustainability Disclosure Creates Competitive Advantage

Similarly, Hyundai is not afraid to take action on its mission. During the recession, it let its customers return newly purchased vehicles if they lost their jobs. The decision was born from Hyundais central purpose -- to make people feel safe -- and the adherence to that purpose allowed Hyundai to survive during a time when many companies struggled.

Business is a copycat league. If your business is successful, other companies will be quick to copy your products, your messages and even the ways in which you do things. But no one can copy your why. If you make your purpose the foundation of your business, the trust of your customers will follow.
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An 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped from the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, launching a massive search, was found dead Tuesday.

Authorities had been searching by air and ground for Ashlynne Mike, a Navajo fifth-grader who was abducted by a man believed to be a stranger Monday afternoon, FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said.

The girl's body was found Tuesday morning in Shiprock, near a rock formation that the town is named for, said Jesse Delmar, the tribe's public safety division director.

"We were very hopeful that we would find her in good shape," Delmar said. "We found her, but it didn't turn out well."

Her family has been notified, Delmar said.

An Amber Alert said the missing girl was last seen on Navajo Route 36 and that her kidnapper was driving a maroon van.

The search for the girl included federal, tribal, state and county officers on the ground as well as a New Mexico State Police helicopter, Fisher said.

Authorities didn't immediately say whether the suspect had been found or what they were doing to find him. He was described as Native American, but no other details were released.

___

This story has been corrected to show Ashlynne Mike's name was misspelled Ashlynn.
A Los Angeles man is suspected of stabbing his live-in girlfriend and her 2-year-old daughter in their home, killing the little girl and critically wounding her mother, who was five months pregnant, authorities said Tuesday.

The man was arrested following a tip from the suspect's father, police Captain Peter Whittingham said at a news conference.

"We really do appreciate a father's ability to recognize his duty in this case," he said.

Lataz Donald Gray, 22, could face charges including murder and attempted murder and was being held without bail, according to Officer Liliana Preciado. She didn't know if Gray has an attorney.

The woman's unborn child will survive and was not injured in the attack, Whittingham said. Investigators said Gray was not the 2-year-old girl's father. The stabbings followed an argument at the residence, police said.

Officers responding to a 911 call late Monday found both victims with multiple stab wounds on the floor of the home near downtown, Preciado said.

Gray was receiving medical treatment at a hospital for a cut to his hand Tuesday when he contacted his father and told him about the stabbing, Detective David Garrido told the Los Angeles Times.

The father persuaded his son to turn himself in and then contacted police, who arrested Gray at the hospital.

The toddler died at a hospital. Her 22-year-old mother remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition and was unable to talk to detectives.

There were no witnesses to the attack.
As cycles of unemployment, poverty and death have set in on many working class communities across America, are churches overlooking their responsibilities to help alleviate the pain and suffering of plighted working class families?

Although manufacturing jobs once provided the economic stability needed to make life worthwhile in many small, rural and working class towns located far outside the reach of cities and suburbs, the American industrial job market's decline over the last few decades has left many of these communities to face serious problems with unemployment, drug abuse, and alcoholism that foster a cycle of poor decisions that undermine potential economic mobility.

Dr. Kevin Shrum, who pastors at Inglewood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and is also a professor of religious studies at Union University, Henderson, told The Christian Post that there is a "challenge" when it comes to churches "abandoning" the actual residents that make up their neighborhoods today.

He explained that despite the fact that the economic makeup of communities may have shifted in the last few decades, many churches are still acting as if their communities have not changed and are not using time and resources to minister to their impoverished and vulnerable lower class neighbors.

"I think there is a challenge in churches abandoning transitional neighborhoods. A transitional neighborhood can mean either a transition up or a transition down," Shrum, a CP op-ed contributor, said. "A lot of times, churches that are already established in those areas have a difficult time transitioning themselves. Many times, I think that is what causes churches to either fail or die or move."

Shrum explained that churches should be looking for a transition in their methodology to match that of the needs of their neighborhood.

"A lot of times when a church was planted, it was planted in a certain cultural milieu and then that changes but the church continues to act as if the neighborhood is still the same. Therefore, the church is still the same. That doesn't work," Shrum contended. "[Churches need to] come to terms with the actual reality of their neighborhood. A lot of times in churches, we get into a cocoon. We are not even aware of what is going in our community."

Shrum stressed that churches should be less concerned about the "imaginary" people they want to attend their church and more focused on the people in their communities suffering from a level of financial stress that distracts them from "spiritual concerns."

"I think that part of the beginning is to come to terms with your eyes wide open of what is my community, who are the people in this community. They might be rich, they might be poor, they might be on drugs; it's the same principal," Shrum continued. "Let that be a part of the drive of how you take part of the gospel and then meet the people, meet the actual people, not the imaginary people that you would like to be there, but the actual people in your neighborhood."

Shrum argued that many churches and pastors in struggling communities focus too much on what celebrity megachurch pastors are doing in their churches. He stressed that many models used by celebrity pastors can not be transplanted to other communities.

"That's why a lot of pastors of the average church walk around with just an attitude of failure. You go to conferences, it is all the celebrity pastors. They read the books, it's all the celebrity pastors," Shrum said. "There is not much material for transitional neighborhoods or re-plants, restarts, revitalization."

Dr. Anthony Bradley, an author and the chair of the religious and theological studies program at The King's College in New York City, told CP that the problem isn't so much that churches are leaving their rural working class communities but rather that many of the brightest minds from these communities often choose to leave for economic opportunity in cities and never bring the resources back to their hometowns.
Authorities in Pennsylvania conducted drug raids in Schuylkill County on early Monday for dozens accused of drug-related charges, The Reading Eagle reported.

The city of Tamaqua, which is outside Allentown, has seen an increase in heroin-related deaths in recent months, the report said. Of the 28 charged, the offenses are related to heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription medicines.

It is unclear how many of the 28 identified in the warrants were arrested in the sweeps.
Could a reputed Philadelphia mobster hold the key to solving a decades-old $580 million art mystery?

Federal officials on Monday searched the Manchester, Conn., home of Robert Gentile, believed by authorities to be a key piece of the investigation into the biggest unsolved art heist in the United States.

Police have made no arrests since 13 works of art, including paintings by Rembrandt and Edouard Manet, were stolen from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 26 years ago. The museum has offered a $5 million reward for the return of the artwork.

More on this... SLIDESHOW: Famous works of art stolen in unsolved heists

Gentile has denied involvement in the thefts and his attorney has disputed any alleged mob connections.

But this is not the first time officials have targeted Gentiles home during the investigation. Investigators previously examined the 79-year-olds property with ground penetrating radar.

The FBI wouldnt comment on Mondays search, but reporters for The Hartford Courant spotted at least a dozen agents, 15 cars, two search dogs and three trucks with heavy equipment engaged in some activity near the west side of the house. Officials tore a vent pipe off the house and pulled down part of the siding. They also dug into the ground near the base of the chimney. Neighbors said an underground oil tank was in the area the agents were digging.

The FBI is conducting court-authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation, FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera said. We will have no further comment at this time.

Officials claim Gentile has previously claimed to at least know the locations of several paintings during separate conversations with an undercover FBI agent and with fellow prisoners at a Rhode Island jail. Gentile allegedly offered to negotiate the sale of two of the paintings for $500,000 each during a chat with the undercover agent.

During a previous search of his house, authorities discovered a handwritten list of the paintings and their estimated worth. They also recovered a newspaper article about the heist. A mob associates wife has implicated Gentile, too, and Gentile submitted to and reportedly failed a polygraph test about the stolen art.

Gentile is currently charged with selling a loaded gun to a cooperating government witness at his Connecticut home. Hes pleaded not guilty and is detained without bail. He was sentenced to more than two years in prison in 2013 for illegally selling prescription drugs and possessing guns, silencers and ammunition.

The missing masterpieces include Rembrandts only seascape, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, and Vermeers The Concert, which is valued at more than $200 million on its own. The theft on March 18, 1990  hours after Boston celebrated St. Patricks Day  was executed by two men dressed as police officers. They entered the museum through a side door, telling inexperienced security guards they were there to look into a disturbance, according to investigators.

The men walked out less than 90 minutes later with museum surveillance tapes and a fortune in fine art.

How they went about removing the paintings  slicing them from their frames  thats indicative of a rank amateur when it comes to art theft, Special Agent Geoff Kelly previously told FoxNews.com. Anyone who knows anything about art, when youre taking an old Dutch master, slicing out of the frame will damage the painting.

My opinion is these guys would have been just as comfortable stealing a car or stealing televisions from peoples homes.

Investigators have said the security guards who let in the robbers were likely in

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A former sheriff's nephew accused of shooting and killing three people in Florida was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday afternoon, officials said.



Murray Lancaster, 40, apparently committed suicide inside a family-owned trailer, News4Jax reported. Lancaster is the nephew of ex-Clay County Sheriff Scott Lancaster.

Lancaster killed his ex-wife, Erica Green Lancaster, his girlfriend, Valorie Short, and his girlfriends father, Welland Short, on Tuesday morning, ActionNewsJax reported.

A witness said Murray Lancaster came into a local salon in Green Cove Springs, held everyone at gunpoint, grabbed Valorie Short and said, Were going to get your father. He later shot both at a country club.

After the death of Valorie and Welland Short, Murray Lancaster shot his ex-wife while she worked at a landfill.

Lancaster had been arrested for misdemeanor battery and resisting an officer on March 15, WOKV reported. During the incident, Lancaster is alleged to have physically assaulted Valorie Short. He also got into a heated verbal confrontation with Welland Short, according to the incident report. On March 17, Lancaster was ordered to have no contact with Valorie.



One of the women was pregnant, News4Jax reported, but it was not clear which woman it was. Valorie Short and Erica Lancaster each had two children, News6 reported.



Authorities told Jacksonville.com there were two shooting scenes.

Green Cove Springs is about 30 miles south of Jacksonville.


Black hearses carried six of the eight family members slain in southern Ohio to a hillside cemetery, where mourners crowded around blue tents shielding the caskets Tuesday.

Some showed up to the last of three funerals for the victims wearing blue jeans, ball caps and bright orange shirts with the words "Rhoden Proud, Rhoden Strong."

Deputies were posted outside the church where the funeral was held as authorities continue chasing leads on the slayings.

Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four homes scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. All eight were shot in the head, some had other gunshot wounds and bruising, and none of the deaths appeared self-inflicted, authorities said. Three young children were unharmed.

Tuesday's funeral honored 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 16-year-old Christopher Jr., and 19-year-old Hanna; and Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden.

A victim's advocate speaking for the family said he hopes the healing can begin soon.

David Dickerson, who works for the Pike County prosecutor's office, called the funeral extremely somber and said the family is grateful for the support they've received.

The Rev. Mark Seevers said he didn't know the family, but they had requested space at the Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth and the church wanted to serve them.

"The southern Ohio community is a close-knit family, and even though it was, you know, 20 to 30 minutes away, it rocked our community," Seevers said. "Everyone is grieving and mourning."

Authorities are still trying to determine who killed the victims and why. They have conducted nearly 130 interviews and are reviewing about 450 tips and more than 100 pieces of evidence, Attorney General Mike DeWine said Monday.

They found a large-scale illegal marijuana growing operation at one of the crime scenes and said pot was being cultivated at some of the other homes, too  something not uncommon in this corner of Appalachia  but they haven't said whether they believe that to be connected to a motive.

DeWine said he wouldn't speculate as to whether a threat to the family remains. On the day the bodies were discovered, law enforcement officials urged other members of the Rhoden family to take precautions since it appeared the family was targeted.

"We have no new information that would indicate that there is a threat to any of the members of the family," he said. "We don't have any information on that. And we did not when we initially said it other than the fact we had eight people killed."

The funeral home titled their online obituary simply "The Rhoden Family," with a section listing how each of those victims was linked to the others and their survivors.

Services for a cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38, were held Thursday in South Shore, Kentucky. Mourners remembered Frankie Rhoden's fiancee, 20-year-old Hannah Gilley, at a funeral Saturday in Otway.
A Kentucky judge Monday issued a temporary restraining order preventing the city of Louisville from moving a 70-foot-tall Confederate war monument from the spot near the University of Louisville campus where it has stood since 1895.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman issued the order against Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and the metro area's government, preventing them from moving, disassembling or otherwise tampering with the monument.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans and Everett Corley, a Republican running for Congress, filed for the restraining order on Monday. They contended that the mayor lacks the authority to remove the monument and did not follow proper protocol.

Fischer and University President James Ramsey had announced Friday that they would remove the monument, marking the latest government effort to reconsider displaying Confederate symbols following the massacre of nine black churchgoers in South Carolina last summer.

The city said the stone and bronze structure, for years a source of tension, would be disassembled and moved to storage until a decision is made on where it should be properly displayed.

County Attorney Mike O'Connell said he would aggressively defend the merged city-county government's legal ability to remove the sculpture from its prominent location between Second and Third streets, next to campus and the university's celebrated Speed Art museum, which just completed a $60 million renovation.

The judge scheduled a hearing Thursday morning, though O'Connell's office asked for more time to prepare its legal arguments. The judge will hear that motion Tuesday morning.

Corley, a real estate agent running against two other Republicans to take on Rep. John Yarmuth in the fall, called the statue's proposed removal "the 2016 version of book burning." He said removing the monument  which features statues of three Confederate soldiers and the inscription "To Our Confederate Dead"  would be an insult to soldiers who fought and died.

Kentucky, sandwiched between three free states and three slave states, never seceded from the Union and attempted to remain neutral throughout the Civil War. But its people were deeply divided. Some fought for the Union, others for the Confederacy, and the mixed allegiances tore apart families and communities across the state.

Kentucky is the birthplace of both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederacy. Both are honored in the state's Capitol rotunda with large statues. Following the Charleston church shootings, leaders from both political parties called for the removal of the Davis statue. But a state commission voted 7-2 to leave it be.

Corley charged that while the city says it plans to move the Louisville monument, it really intends to destroy it and throw it away. O'Connell called that allegation "ridiculous."

Some in the city and the university community have called for years for the monument to be removed. The city's announcement last week came days after Ricky Jones, a professor of Pan-African studies at the university, wrote an opinion piece in the Courier-Journal newspaper calling again for it to be moved. He called it "a symbol of treachery, terrorism, slavery and racism" and a "celebration of backwardness."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Robert Herjavec doesnt believe in work-life balance, not when it comes to starting a business.

In the beginning there is no work-life balance, the CEO and founder of Toronto-based Internet security firm Herjavec Group tells Entrepreneur. There is no, Ill do it when I want to do it, and Ill take my time and get to it. Everything is right now.

Thats because raising a small business is like raising a baby, he says. Its a living, breathing thing," he says. "When it wants to eat, it wants to eat. It doesnt care if you have a dinner date or somewhere else to go. It needs what it needs when it needs it.

Related: 'Shark Tank' Star Robert Herjavec's Top 5 Small-Business Marketing Tips

Taking care of your baby, your small business, is all-consuming during its infancy. Like being an overwhelmed new parent, Herjavec says you can forget about properly taking care of yourself while you take care of it. You cant. Thats a fallacy, he says. If youre worried about burning out, dont start a business. The dedication and discipline required are almost insurmountable. Its really hard.

Taking a break to take care of yourself is only an option, he says, once youve raised the baby to survive without helicopter parenting it, when you can afford to hire employees and marketing partners to feed the next stage of growth.

Only when you get to a successful level, then you have the freedom and the balance to do things when you want to. There is no greater freedom than having a small business and getting to dictate your own schedule.

Related: Shark Tank's Kevin Harrington Explains the 'Wow' Factor That Prompts Investors to Take Action

We spoke with the Shark Tank star today as he announced a new initiative in partnership with Deluxe Corporation, just in time for National Small Business Week. The campaign, called the Small Business Revolution, will award one small U.S. town with $500,000 to revitalize its Main Street area this year. The winner will be announced one week from today.

Our goal is to help small businesses become vital, he says. We work with them to expose them to some of the great resources available to them, from marketing to financing to cloud computing and beyond.

Starting up a business is one thing, surviving and thriving is another. To help beginner small-business owners get off on the right foot, here are the Sharks top three things to know for first-timers:

1. Know who your customer is.

The purpose of a business to create customers. The challenge that small-business owners have is that they dont know who that customer is and then they dont know how to find them. There are so many tools today with mailing lists, SEO and Facebook, you have to go where your customers are.

Related: Daymond John's Top 7 Tips on How to Launch Your Product Like a Shark

2. Know your numbers.

Youve got to know how much cash you need, what youre credit line is, what your receivables are, because theyre the lifeblood of any business.

3. Be willing to work extremely hard.
Iranian-American Pastor Saeed Abedini argues that there are some pastors in America who instead of helping Christians grow, are standing in the way of revival, and suggests that church walls, or obstacles separating Christians from reaching society, must fall.

"After being far from the USA for four years and in prison and thousands of hours of prayer have happened, I see that more Christians seem ready to step into revival but not all pastors and leaders," Abedini reflected in a Facebook post on Friday.

"Could it be that pastors are so busy with ministry, church, financial growth plans, and building walls around their church that they are missing the most important thing?" he asked.

Without naming names, Abedini suggested that sometimes pastors are more focused on not losing their members, or finding ways to grow their congregations in size, instead of practicing sacrificial love.

"Is it possible that some pastors need to repent and become humble before God and stop thinking and planing like the world? Where is the difference between church and business?" he asked.

Abedini revealed that he knew a pastor "who wanted increase in his ministry so much that it brought division in marriages and the unity of the church members, needing more control over them."

He added that he has seen Christians in America want to "stand up for the Lord and shine for Him," but some pastors discourage them from doing so.

"Maybe world politics has became the master in some churches and in others money is master. Sometimes pride or a denomination or race has kept people out," he continued.

"Is it possible that sometimes pastors build a wall between Christians and revival instead of leading them to revival and they don't even know it?" Abedini asked.
Incoming freshmen at one Massachusetts university are supposed to do more than pay tuition and study -- they are now being officially told to become social justice warriors.

The latest guidelines at the public University of Massachusetts Amherst instruct students to create change toward social justice and to hold attitudes which value cultural differences. Colleges have long tried to foster good citizenship among their charges, but Amhersts approach has drawn criticism  including from faculty  for codifying left-wing indoctrination.

This has happened over the past 30 years, with ever more brazen efforts to control not only language, but also attitudes and thoughts, Daphne Patai, a UMass Amherst professor who specializes in Brazilian literature and who opposes the guidelines, told FoxNews.com.

The guidelines describe mandatory diversity classes at the college, which are required for the more than 22,000 students enrolled there.

Free speech experts say this is part of a broad trend at universities nationwide.

"It is a widespread and deeply ingrained trend around the country Exceptions are few and far between, Harvey Silverglate, a lawyer who focuses on the First Amendment, told FoxNews.com.

Asked for comment, a university spokesman said that asking students to work for social justice is not about politics.

Diversity-related courses should encourage students to value cultural differences, recognize inequalities and injustices, and integrate that knowledge with critical thinking skills to address societal problems as they might choose, but [is] not based on any particular political or philosophical point of view, spokesman Ed Blaguszewski said in a statement to FoxNews.com.

The term social justice is used almost exclusively on the left, and typically focuses on perceived injustices between races, genders and economic classes rather than individuals.

Blaguszewski says the university defines it as the differences between people that may lead to disadvantages or advantages in access.

Patai said the school seems unable to recognize the values it espouses are political in nature.

"Of course they have particular values in mind and these are political, not educational, Patai said.

The university also noted that the requirements "have not changed in 11 years, but an archived version of their website from 2012 shows that the call for students to act in the name of "social justice" was added since 2012.

Asked about that, spokesman Blaguszewski responded that the university had clarified the language of guidelines from 2005 "with more contemporary usage." According to Patai, the clarification was done in a secret manner in 2014 without consulting the universitys faculty senate.

The updated guidelines also added that students should examine the life experiences of peoples marginalized by mainstream cultures and economies.

Silverglate added that he believes it is unconstitutional for public colleges to require students to do or believe political things.

This is unconstitutional, in my opinion, at public universities, he said.

Theres a difference between a professor teaching something and the university requiring students to believe something, Patai said.

There is still a distinction between teaching and indoctrination, between exploring a viewpoint and endorsing it without allowing divergent perspectives to be heard.

We are supposed to teach our students how to think, not what to think, she added.

The author, Maxim Lott, can be reached on twitter at @maximlott
The University of New Hampshire now acknowledges that spending $17,000 on a custom-made chef's table with LED lights for the campus dining hall was a mistake.

Initially, university officials thought the light-up table would allow the dining staff to interact with students and demonstrate healthy cooking techniques.

But word soon got out about the $17,570 price tag on the 16-seat table, which was installed several weeks ago. The school newspaper wrote about it, and other media outlets picked up on it.

The table costs nearly as much as in-state students pay annually for tuition and fees.

On Friday, UNH spokeswoman Erika Mantz told The Associated Press that having a chef's table was a good idea, but much less money should have been spent.

The university plans to keep the table.
The man at the helm of the USS Cole when it was attacked by an Al Qaeda cell in 2000 said last month's release of a Guantanamo Bay detainee linked to the bombers denies justice to the 17 people killed aboard the ship.

Kirk Lippold, who was commanding officer of the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer when suicide bombers aboard a small fishing boat blew a hole in the side of the ship, told FoxNews.com Mashur Abdallah Ahmed al Sabri's release was a mistake.

"I would have liked to have seen him receive a military commission where he was tried, convicted and sentenced and then his suitability for release determined under the laws of armed conflict," Lippold said.

"From the perspective of the American people and my crew, hes never been held accountable," Lippold added.

In addition to those killed, 37 service members were wounded in the Oct. 12, 2000 attack, which came as the Cole refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden, nearly a year before Al Qaeda would register its signature attack, on 9/11.



Al Sabri, a 38-year-old Yemeni citizen who was born in Saudi Arabia, was at one point believed to have been a member of the terror cell behind the attack, although a subsequent assessment at Gitmo, like many done on detainees who have since been released, downplayed his role.



The Obama administration has acclerated the release of Guantanamo detainees to fulfill a campaign pledge to critics who say the suspected combatants are being held indefinitely without due process.

There was never enough evidence to bring under a military commission in al Sabri's case. But a September 2008 report by the Department of Defense assessed al Sabri as "high risk" and "likely to pose a threat to the U.S., its interests and allies."

At that time, the reason for continued detention was listed as follows: "Detainee was a member of an Yememi Al Qaeda cell which was directly involved with the USS COLE attack. Detainee attended advanced training in Afghanistan after recruitment by a known Al Qaeda facilitator."

A 2014 report, however, said al Sabri "may have" trained at a camp, was merely an Al Qaeda "associate" and "probably did not play a significant role in terrorist operations."

Paul Rester, the former head of interrogations at Guantanamo, said the "language has softened" over the years in many terrorist detainee cases.

"The only thing that could have changed is someones perception that al Sabri or someone like him mellowed  that they dont pose much of a threat anymore," he said.

But, Rester noted, "we can't run a jail indefinitely."

"The problem with Guantanamo from Day One is the conflation of rule of law with law of war," he said.

Al Sabri's transfer April 16 to a Saudi rehabilitation program follows a long list of other detainee transfers since President Obama took office.

Obama promised during his presidential campaign to close the military prison, but lawmakers have so far blocked any plans to turn prisoners over to the U.S. penal system. Scores have been released over the last few years, typically sent to their homelands or to countries that have agreed to detain or monitor them, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Senegal and Uruguay.

The military prison once held more than 600 suspected terrorists, but there are now just 80, including 26 more who are expected to be sent to their homelands or to another country by the end of the summer.

Several detainees have returned to the fight against the U.S. once released, including Ibrahim al-Qosi, a Sudanese native who once served as Usama bin Laden's cook, chauffeur and bookkeeper, and is now believed to be a senior Al Qaeda leader in Yemen. In March, a U.S. official told lawmakers that Americans have been killed by Guantanamo Bay detainees after they were released.

"What I can tell you is unfortunately there have been Americans that have died because of [Guantanamo] detainees," Paul Lewis, the Pentagon's special envoy for Guantanamo detention closure, said, though he declined to provide the GOP-led House Foreign Affairs Committee with details.

Maj. Gen. Jay Hood, who once oversaw operations at Guantanamo, said the Saudi rehabilitation program for militant Islamists is well-intended and should be applauded.

But, Hood said he has "little confidence in the Saudi authorities' ability to monitor the movements of Yemeni GTMO detainees placed in their custody."

"If history is a guide, we can expect to see some number of them back in the fight soon," he said. "As a group, the Yemenis held at GTMO represented the most committed and violent of the Islamic extremist in US custody."

For Lippold, a 41-year-old commander in October 2000, the memory of that morning is still fresh in his mind.



"We had pulled in on a beautiful, hot day for a brief stop for fuel," the 57-year-old Lippold recalled, saying he expected to be in port for six to eight hours.

Forty-five minutes later, at 11:18 a.m., there was a "thunderous explosion" that violently thrust the ship up to the right, Lippold said.

"I knew instantly something had come along our left-hand side and exploded," he said. "We were fighting for our lives to keep the ship afloat."

"The crew responded as true heroes, exactly as they were trained."
An Illinois woman has died after being shot during an apparently random drive-by shooting along a Wisconsin interstate while traveling home with her husband and children, federal officials said Tuesday.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency released a statement saying 44-year-old Tracy Czaczkowski, who was shot Sunday, had died. Her husband works for the DEA, though Wisconsin investigators believe the shooting was random and that the suspect had killed another person hours earlier in Milwaukee.

The family was returning to Illinois on Sunday after spending the weekend in Wisconsin when they passed a Chevrolet Blazer on Interstate 90/94. The Blazer's driver opened fire on their BMW sedan, hitting Czaczkowski in the neck, according to investigators. Police stopped the Blazer with a spike strip and shot the driver after he emerged with a gun.

The Dane County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect Tuesday as 20-year-old Zachary T. Hays of West Allis. No charges have been filed against Hays, and he remained hospitalized at the University of Wisconsin Hospital on Tuesday. His condition hasn't been released.

Hays' brothers also were in the Blazer, authorities said. Sheriff's officials said one of them, 30-year-old Jeremy Hays, was being held on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sheriff's office said it opted not to identify the other brother because of his "cognitive disability."

DEA officials did not say when Czaczkowski died. She had been in critical condition at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison since the shooting.

"Tracy was a loving wife of 15 years, a mother of two tender age children, daughter and good friend to all," the DEA statement said.

Investigators believe Zachary Hays killed 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez in West Allis, a Milwaukee suburb, hours before the interstate shooting. He has yet to be formally charged in either Sanchez's or Czaczkowski's deaths.
A German comedian has sharply criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel for "serving me up for tea" to the Turkish president in a heated dispute over a poem he read on German TV.

The poem about Recep Tayyip Erdogan caused a diplomatic stir between the two countries last month and the Turkish president personally pressed charges against the comedian.

After several weeks of radio silence, Jan Boehmermann told Die Zeit newspaper Tuesday "the chancellor must not wobble when it's comes to freedom of speech. But instead she served me up for tea" to Erdogan.Merkel initially called the poem "deliberately offensive" even though she later regretted expressing her personal view.

Nonetheless, she granted Turkey's request to let prosecutors and courts decide whether Boehmermann had insulted a foreign head of state.
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The Israeli military says it has demolished the home of a Palestinian attacker who killed two Israelis in front of their children last year.

Ziad Amer, the father of suspected killer Zeid, says dozens of Israeli vehicles raided the town of Nablus early on Tuesday and demolished the family's apartment. He said his appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court against it was rejected.

Israel says it carries out demolition to deter attacks by letting militants know their families will pay a price for their actions. The Palestinians consider it to be a form of collective punishment.

Since mid-September, Palestinian attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 200 Palestinians have been killed over the same time, the vast majority in what Israel says have been attacks or attempted attacks.
Syrian opposition fighters launching rockets on government held-parts in the contested city of Aleppo struck a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, a hospital official says, part of ongoing fighting that killed dozens of people Tuesday.

Syrian state TV said one of the rockets hit the Dubeet hospital in the central neighborhood of Muhafaza.

"Shells and mortar rounds are raining down on every neighborhood in Aleppo," Aleppo-based health official Mohammad Hazouri, speaking from Al-Razi hospital, told The Associated Press. He said four people were killed and more than 30 wounded in Dubeet hospital alone, adding that half the casualties at the hospital were women and children.

Syrian state TV said dozens of people were killed and wounded in the hospital attack, but did not give a breakdown of the casualties.

The Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV that has reporters in the government-held parts of Aleppo showed damage on both sides of the street in front of the hospital, which also appeared heavily damaged.

Cars in the street were scorched and some were turned over. The shops on the other side of the street showed moderate damage as smoke still climbed out of the wreckage.

Hazouri said the rebel bombardment of government-held parts of the city on Tuesday killed a total of 12 people and wounded more than 70.

The escalation came as the diplomatic focus moved to Moscow where the U.N. envoy for Syria started talks in efforts to restore a piecemeal cease-fire that would also include the contested northern city.

Staffan de Mistura is expected to push that the truce also covers Aleppo, which has seen an escalation in violence in recent weeks. De Mistura's meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov came a day after he met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva.

In opening remarks in Moscow, de Mistura said "we need to make sure the cessation of hostilities is brought back on track."

Aleppo has been the center of violence over the past 12 days that left more than 250 civilians dead. The city was excluded from a truce declared unilaterally by the Syrian military last week for the capital, Damascus, and its suburbs and the coastal province of Latakia.

The Syrian military said in a statement it is repelling a wide scale attack on Aleppo launched by "terrorists"  a government term that includes all armed groups fighting President Bashar Assad's forces.

Tuesday's statement said the multi-pronged attack -- launched by armed terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and the Army of Islam -- was preceded by heavy shelling of residential areas of the city.

"Our armed forces are currently working on repelling the attack and appropriately returning fire," it said.

Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi warned militants they will face harsh retaliation for the shelling of civilian areas, saying the government's "patience is running out and if they don't stop targeting civilians in the coming hours ... they will pay a high price."

The activist Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the shelling of government-held parts of the city, and said that seven were killed in Tuesdays attacks on Aleppo, including a child. The Observatory said more than 50 were wounded, including some who were in critical condition, which could raise the death toll.

Also in northern Syria, warplanes carried out intense airstrikes on the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the extremist Islamic State group, in the early hours Tuesday. Activist groups said it was not clear if the warplanes were Russian or those of the U.S.-led coalition.

The Observatory, which has a network of activists around the country, said there were more than 35 air raids and that 18 people were killed, including five members of the Islamic State group. It said dozens were wounded.

The anti-ISIS group Raqqa is being Slaughtered Silently said the airstrikes killed 10 and wounded dozens  but different casualty figures are common in the chaos of Syria's civil war. The group said there were calls from mosque loudspeakers for the residents to donate blood.

ISIS suffered major setbacks over the past months in Syria against government forces and U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters including the loss of the central historic city of Palmyra.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr traveled to Iran on Monday, a top aide said, a day after hundreds of his supporters withdrew from Iraqs fortified International Zone following protests that paralyzed the government.

Ibrahim Al Jaberi, head of the Sadr office in Baghdad, said the cleric had departed for Iran Monday, but provided no other details on his itinerary.

The clerics travel to Iran could provide some indication of whether Mr. Sadr might turn to Tehran to help resolve the current standoff with the Iraqi government and smooth over divisions within his own Shiite community.

The protests have surfaced simmering tensions. Some of Mr. Sadrs supporters are angry not only with government mismanagement but also with Irans influence in Iraq.

Tehran has funded and equipped Shiite militias to help combat Islamic State, which now controls Iraqs second largest city, Mosul. Yet the Iran-backed militias have become powerful in their own right, on par now with the countrys army.

Many of Mr. Sadrs supporters could be heard chanting anti-Iranian slogans during the weekend protestschants that are likely to offend mainstream Iraqi Shiites who consider Iran critical to the fight against Islamic State.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.


A U.S. Navy SEAL killed by Islamic State militants during an "extremely heavy, extremely intense" firefight with U.S. forces and Kurdish Peshmerga troops in northern Iraq Tuesday was identified Tuesday evening by Arizona's governor.

He was identified Tuesday evening by Gov. Doug Ducey as Charlie Keating IV.

Ducey ordered all state flags be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Wednesday in honor of Keating, who was a graduate of Phoenix's Arcadia High School.

The 31-year-old Keating attended the Naval Academy before becoming a Navy Seal based out of Coronado, California

Keating was the grandson of Charles Keating, Jr., the Arizona financier at the center of the 1989 savings and loan scandal, which led to five U.S. Senators being accused of corruption. The senators allegedly involved were dubbed 'The Keating Five.'

Keating was advising Peshmerga forces but was less than 2 miles behind the front lines in the town of Tel Askuf, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. A defense official told Fox News the he was killed by small arms fire, likely from an AK-47 rifle.

"The Peshmerga were trying to hold the line, but Navy SEALS  at least 20  came in and pounded the s--- out of ISIS," military trainer Matthew VanDyke told Fox News, saying that "scores" of Islamic State militants died. VanDyke and three U.S. veterans were training Assyrian Christian forces battling ISIS in the region.

"ISIS kept sending in suicide bombers, SEALs pounded them and the [U.S.] airstrikes did a lot to help. Bullets flying everywhere, machine gun fire from ISIS, really intense firefight," VanDyke added. He said three Christian fighters and several Peshmerga were also hurt.

Navy SEALs joined the fight roughly an hour after it started, "heroically" beating back ISIS, according to VanDyke. He said the SEALs kept fighting until ammunition ran low.

"It is a combat death, of course. And a very sad loss," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, referring to the Navy SEAL. Carter was speaking in Stuttgart, Germany, where he was attending a ceremony installing a new commander of U.S. European Command. "It shows you the serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq."

The town of Tel Askuf is located about 20 miles north of ISIS' Iraqi hub of Mosul. Despite a push from the Obama administration to accelerate the fight against ISIS, senior defense officials say they do not believe Mosul will fall this year.

Still, VanDyke says he believes ISIS "wont be able to sustain continued losses like that."

Three U.S. military personnel have been killed in Iraq as part of the ground fight against the ISIS terror group. The last American death happened in March, when U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin was killed in a rocket attack on a firebase in northern Iraq.

This past October, Delta Force Master Sgt. Josh Wheeler was killed during a rescue mission that freed as many as 70 ISIS hostages.

The latest death came following the deployment of a 200-person special operations task force to Irbil, southeast of Mosul, which Carter first announced in December. Last week, President Obama approved the deployment of 450 additional U.S. troops to Iraq and Syria.

Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad last week to exhort leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat ISIS.



Carter, likewise, visited Baghdad recently. The Obama administration has been pressing the effort against ISIS, which has been slowed down in its quest to overrun Iraq.

There are now roughly 5,000 U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq.

Fox News' Hollie McKay, Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chicken Salad Chick Celebrates Moms With Free Meal On Friday, May 6

Fast-Casual Restaurant Concept Offers Free Scoop of Classic Carol to All Moms Kicking Off Mothers Day Weekend

May 03, 2016 // Franchising.com // AUBURN, AL  Chicken Salad Chick, the nations only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, is celebrating moms this Mothers Day by offering a free scoop of Classic Carol to mothers who visit participating locations. On Friday, May 6, every mom will receive one complimentary scoop of Classic Carol. Classic Carol is the signature recipe that started the brand, and the most popular Chicken Salad Chick flavor.

Mothers Day is the perfect time to thank moms for all their hard work, and as a mother myself, it is one of my favorite days of the year, said Stacy Brown, Chicken Salad Chick founder. At Chicken Salad Chick, we want to applaud moms for the dedication and support they provide to their children and families, and what better way to reward them than with a free scoop of our delicious Classic Carol chicken salad.

The Chicken Salad Chick concept, born in Auburn, Ala., was established in 2008 in the kitchen of founder, Stacy Brown. After her first marriage ended in divorce, she began selling chicken salad as a way to provide for her three young children and remain a stay-at-home mom. When she discovered that the local county health department would not allow her to continue making and selling her delicious recipes out of her home kitchen, she overcame that obstacle by launching her first restaurant with the business expertise of her future husband and fellow founder, Kevin Brown. Together, they opened a small takeout restaurant, which quickly grew; the company now has 52 restaurants across the Southeast.

For more information, visit www.ChickenSaladChick.com. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.

About Chicken Salad Chick

Chicken Salad Chick puts an edgy twist on a Southern classic, offering guests a custom fit chicken salad experience, with 15 original flavors to choose from, as well as gourmet soups, flavorful side salads and freshly-baked desserts. Chicken Salad Chick serves southern style chicken salad with heart and strives to spread joy, enrich lives and serve others every day. Today, the brand has 52 locations across the Southeast, and has currently sold 146 franchises to be developed across the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and& South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas. The brand was recently named as the top chicken salad in the country to try in the 2015 March/April issue of Cooking with Paula Deen, as well as one ofFastCasual.coms top Movers and Shakers and one of NRNs 2015 Breakout Brands. Corporate offices are located at 724 North Dean Road in Auburn,Alabama. Seewww.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.

SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick

Media Contact:

Tiffany Trilli

Account Coordinator

Fish Consulting, LLC

O: (954) 893-9150

C: (305) 299-4581

ttrilli@fish-consulting.com

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Froots Locations to Get a Fresh Look, Menu

National QSR Franchise Shares Plans for New Branding, an Improved In-Store Customer Experience and a Completely Revamped Menu

May 03, 2016 // Franchising.com // DAVIE, Fla.  Froots has announced plans to completely revamp the companys branding, look and feel of the locations and menu offerings.

The new logo, branding and store decor aligns with what Froots is known for: healthy food and beverage options that are delicious and made from fresh, simple ingredients. The national quick-service franchise will be unveiling the enhanced store interior at the location currently under development in Tavernier, Fla., which is slated to open in August 2016. Meanwhile, the company continues testing new menu items as part of a completely new menu that will be rolled out this August. Both the refreshed look and new menu will be implemented in all locations not yet under construction.

When I sat back in the drivers seat of Froots, I vowed that we would be making the right changes to the brand that will drive traffic at the store level and aid in our goal of becoming the leading healthy food destination in the quick-service space. And, our rebranding and new menu offerings are some of the initial pieces we will be implementing to make Froots even better for consumers and our franchisees, said David Lopez, who founded Froots in 2001 and recently re-entered the brand as CEO.

He added, Our existing units are all doing well and growing as consumers continue to lead healthier lifestyles and seek better-for-you options in a quick-service setting. While this is the case, we know we can deliver a better menu that is true to our brand but offers an improved product to customers, and I think our new menu achieves this.

For the new menu, Froots focused on fresh, simple ingredients with an emphasis on flavor combinations. These new flavor profiles were created by combining fresh cut vegetables and herbs with tasty sauces and meats for a variety of wraps, paninis and salads. Each sandwich item is also carefully crafted so that each bite brings out bursts of flavor. Some examples include the Turkey Kale Wrap, which is made with provolone, turkey, kale, tomato and pesto lime mayo, and the Pulled BBQ Chicken that houses smoked gouda, pulled chicken, red onion, cilantro, ranch and BBQ sauce in one tasty panini.

Today, Froots has more than 30 U.S. units as well as several international locations, and expects to add 50 restaurants in the next two years. Ideal franchisees are owner-operators, but do not need prior restaurant experience due to the companys extensive training program and resources. The streamlined Froots franchise program provides franchisees support from the day the franchise agreement is signed through site selection, construction, training and creating a comprehensive marketing plan that is designed to keep customers returning for years to come.

Froots has both store front and kiosk business models available with costs respectively ranging from $140,150-$321,750 and $92,600-$157,600, including the $25,000 franchise fee. Prospective owners can also purchase three units for a total franchise fee of $40,000. Interested franchisees should contact Scott Mortier at smortier@froots.com or visit http://froots.com/franchise/ for more information.

About Froots

Froots is a healthy alternative to traditional fast food fare, providing a variety of great tasting options including all-natural smoothies, energy shakes, fresh-squeezed juices, sandwiches, wraps, paninis, salads, soups and more. The homegrown business has been operating in South Florida since 2001, and currently has more than 30 U.S. units as well as several international locations. A relatively low investment for a restaurant franchise, the quick-service restaurant expects to add 50 locations in the next two years. For more information, visit http://froots.com/.

SOURCE Froots

Media Contact:

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Fishman Public Relations

(O) 847.945.1300, ext. 225

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Its not easy business trying to preserve and save endangered historic sites. Luckily for preservationists and history buffs, the rollout of Preservation Virginias annual Most Endangered Historic Places list may create the sense of urgency that could alter the fate of local and state history.

This years list includes several regional sites, including the Daughters of Zion Cemetery in Charlottesville, Union Hill in Buckingham County and Coleman Mills in Nelson County.

The other sites on the list are the General Assembly Building, the Westwood Tract in the Richmond area, the Oak Hill Slave Dwelling near Danville, the Howland Chapel School and Teachers Cottage in Heathsville and the Rappahannock River.

According to Elizabeth Kostelny, CEO of Richmond-based Preservation Virginia, more than 50 percent of the sites placed on the list in the last 16 years have been deemed saved. This year, Kostelny hopes to increase that success rate by highlighting those sites that are in danger of being forgotten, whether its because of commercial development, public infrastructure projects or simple neglect.

This list brings attention to the threats statewide and advocates and finds solutions that protect and preserve Virginias irreplaceable historic resources, a news release said.

Each historic place listed has the potential to strengthen the local communitys economy, create opportunities for heritage tourism and offer a glimpse into the unique history of the locality.

Later this summer, Preservation Virginia expects to publish an economic impact study of heritage tourism in the state.
Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Lawrence Janzen, 80, of Spotsylvania County passed away Friday, April 29, 2016, at his home from Parkinsons disease with Lewy body dementia. He was surrounded by his wife, family, friends and caregivers from Virginia Home Care Partners and Capitol Caring Hospice, from whom the entire family received invaluable assistance and comfort.

Col. Janzen was a graduate of Pelham Memorial High School, Pelham, N.Y., and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University, Hamilton, N.Y., a Bachelor of Science from State University of New York, Empire State College, and his masters degree from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.

Col. Janzen proudly served his country for 28 years and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was awarded numerous medals and commendations throughout his distinguished career including the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal. He continued his military education during the course of his career graduating from the Air Command Staff College, Military Justice Course, and the Air War College, to name a few.

Following retirement from the U.S. Air Force, Col. Janzen worked for the American Fire Corporation and was a lifetime member of the Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department for 27 years. He also volunteered at other fire stations during his various assignments while in the Air Force. During his time with SVFD he mentored many firefighters and was a great friend and father figure to all. He served in various capacities and received numerous awards during his tenure. His last run with the department was in 2010 due to his illness, but he continued to serve on the board of directors.

Col. Janzen is survived by his wife, Jennifer King Jenny Janzen of Fredericksburg. Bob and Jenny grew up next door to each other in Pelham, N.Y., and dated throughout high school and college but upon graduation went their separate ways. Bob was happily married to his first wife, U.S. Air Force registered nurse Norma Roger Lindsay, for 47 years until her death in 2009. He and Jenny had stayed in touch throughout the years. When they attended a high school reunion in 2010, they rekindled their romance and were married in 2011.

Col. Janzen is also survived by stepsons Stephen Culhane of Brooklyn N.Y., and Philip Culhane of Boston, Mass.; seven grandchildren; sister Margaret Alice Janzen of White Plains, N.Y.; sister-in-law, Elizabeth Zurcher Janzen; niece Penelope J. Winn; two great- nephews and a great-niece; and nephew Stephen Janzen. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Norma; son Peter Scott Janzen; parents Carl F. and Edna Janzen; and brother Carl H. Janzen, who also died of Parkinsons disease.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. A service will be held at noon Thursday, May 5, at the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow at 2 p.m. in Quantico National Cemetery with a reception following at Fire Company Rescue Station #4, 4804 Bancroft Road, Fredericksburg.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Parkinsons Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018; or Company 4 Spotsylvania Vol. Fire Dept., Box 146, Spotsylvania, VA 22553; or The Harvard Brain Trust at hbtrc.mclean.harvard.edu/givc/.

Online guest book is available at covenantfuneralservice.com.
The teacher crisis is real, and were not going to work our way out of it simply by making it easier to hire teachers.
Fred Hutch vice president of business development and industry relations Dr. Niki Robinson introduced the forum.

This is a perfect backdrop for things that youre going to hear about today because, for those of you who may know the Hutch, were big and bold here, Robinson said.

A taste of immunotherapy

While in years past, immunotherapy was a key focus of the forums, Monday's presentations and panels touched on this research area as well as many others.

Biotech Celgenes chief scientific officer Dr. Rob Hershberg, Fred Hutch immunotherapy researcher Dr. Cameron Turtle and Seattle Childrens gene therapy expert Dr. Andrew Scharenberg gave short presentations on immunotherapy. The therapeutic area encompasses a wide range of approaches that harness the bodys own immune system to battle disease  its typically referred to in the context of cancer treatment, but not all Mondays speakers focused exclusively on cancer.

Turtle gave an overview of the Fred Hutch T-cell therapy trial that he leads along with immunotherapy researcher Dr. David Maloney and which is showing promising early results for patients with a certain type of leukemia  93 percent of patients with advanced B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia treated on the trial went into complete remission after receiving an infusion of T cells engineered to recognize and attack their cancers. Its still going to take a long time to find out exactly where this is going to fit into other therapies and whether this will be a stand-alone therapy, but it really has been very, very effective in these patients, Turtle said.

Scharenberg described a different type of T-cell therapy for medical scenarios he called the yang to cancers yin  conditions like organ transplants and auto-immune disorders where the bodys immune system can attack healthy organs. Currently, organ transplant recipients take immune-suppressing drugs that allow them to receive the donor organ but which can have significant side effects if taken for long periods, Scharenberg said. His team hopes to genetically engineer T cells to restore balance intolerance for these patients, he said.

Hershberg helped launch Celgenes Seattle site, which focuses on immuno-oncology (immunotherapy focused on cancer treatment). Their goal is translation to the clinic. "With 500 ongoing trials in immuno-oncology, if you dont know how to translate your scientific discoveries into defined clinical trials, you will rapidly lose, Hershberg said. He also predicted that the immunotherapy field will increasingly need to consider the tumor microenvironment, the specific non-cancerous cells and molecules surrounding each patients tumors and which heavily influence whether a given immunotherapy will work for that patient or not. Researchers are working to make that environment more favorable for emerging immunotherapies, he said.

The best of the rest

In the rest of the forum, Xconomy's Lash and other organizers moderated panel discussions of researchers and tech executives from different life sciences organizations. Some of the highlights of the panels included:

Hope for AIDS and Zika vaccines: Vaccine experts including HIV vaccine researcher Dr. Larry Corey, Infectious Disease Research Institute vaccine expert Dr. Rhea Coler, and Just Biotherapeutics CEO Dr. Jim Thomas spoke on a panel titled From AIDS to Zika.

Both Coler and Corey expressed hope that a Zika vaccine should be within our reach. Colers team is developing a vaccine for the mosquito-borne West Nile virus and said that because the two viruses are related, they may be able to apply what they know to a Zika vaccine. Viruses like Zika are very different from lifelong infections like HIV, Corey said. Because our bodies know how to mount an immune response  people dont get infected with Zika twice  that means a working vaccine is an attainable goal, he said.

Its less a science issue than how do you muster the resources to make a vaccine. Thats more of a development structure issue. We have a really broken system in the area of creating vaccines, Corey said. With HIV, the challenge is both scientific and industrial, he said.

Corey also briefly described the HIV Vaccine Trials Networks latest foray into HIV prevention, a clinical trial across three continents called the AMP study that aims to test whether weekly infusions of broadly neutralizing antibodies can protect against HIV infection.

Transforming data sharing: Also featured was a conversation about data sharing for medical sciences with Sage Bionetworks scientist Brian Bot and Fred Hutch CIO Matthew Trunnell. Both big data experts agreed that researchers arent yet at the point where genetic data is transforming precision medicine decisions on a large scale, but they have hope for the path ahead.

Theres so much enthusiasm about taking genomics into the clinic. Yet were still really struggling with some of the basics of understanding the data the way were generating these data now, Trunnell said. I think were at a relatively early stage but I honestly think it goes quickly from this point.

Engineering proteins to protect: University of Washingtons Dr. David Baker and his colleagues gave an overview of the future of protein engineering. Baker leads the UWs Institute for Protein Design and has had a hand in a number of different protein design and engineering projects. Researchers from Bakers team who spoke included Dr. Ingrid Swanson Pultz, whos developing a special enzyme called KumaMax that works to dissolve gluten in the stomach as a therapy for people with celiac disease, and Dr. Aaron Chevalier, who is working on a designed antibody to protect against a broad range of flu viruses.

Join the conversation. Talk about this story on our Facebook page.


Oregon Hot Tub Wins Angie's List Award - Hot Tubs, Swims Spas for Sale Bend

Oregon Hot Tub, a New, Used Hot Tubs, Swim Spas and Saunas Dealer Serving the Greater Portland, Bend Oregon Area Receives the 2015 Angie's List Super Service Award.

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Oregon Hot Tub, a 6-store hot tub, swim spa and sauna dealer in Portland, Beaverton, Bend, Wilsonville Oregon and Vancouver, Washington was recently presented with the has earned the service industry's coveted Angie's List Super Service Award.

Sue Rogers, CEO of Oregon Hot Tub said, "Winning this Angie's List award is very meaningful for us." "That's because Angie's List Super Service Award winners have to meet strict eligibility requirements, which include an "A" rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. In addition; the company must be in good standing with Angie's List, pass a background check and abide by Angie's List operational guidelines," continued Rogers.

"Only about 5 percent of the Hot Tub companies in Portland Oregon have performed so consistently well enough to earn our Super Service Award," said Angie's List Founder Angie Hicks. "It's a really high standard."

Soaking in a hot tub a popular, effective way to improve health and an easy, convenient way to stay looking and feeling great. When a limited budget makes visiting the spa difficult though, many people are instead opting for an in home hot tub for on-demand access and the full benefits of relaxing, healthy massage from the comfort of home.

From the showroom consultants, to the customer service department to the delivery crew, the entire company works as a team to be sure that customers get the absolute best hot tub experience possible. "Oregon Hot Tub spends a lot of time training their employees at every level to make sure they take care of the customer," explained Rogers. "Being diligent about this makes winning these types of awards possible.

Oregon Hot Tub, founded in 1979 is the #1 selling hot tub company in the greater Portland and Bend Oregon area. Only the most innovative and best-in-market products are featured at the company's six convenient locations, website and e-store.

To thank local residents for making this award possible, Oregon Hot Tub will be providing free hot tub and swim spa wet tests for the entire month. They do recommend however that people wanting to schedule their free 30-minute wet test call them ahead of time to reserve their spot.

About Us

Oregon Hot Tub is Oregon's largest and most established hot tub company--the #1 selling hot tub company in Portland since 1979. Only the most innovative and best-in-market products are featured at the company's showrooms in Portland, Beaverton, Bend, Wilsonville Oregon and Vancouver Washington. Oregon Hot Tub carries the #1 selling portable hot tub in the world, Hot Spring Spas. Hot Spring Spas are manufactured by Watkins Manufacturing Corporation, a division of Masco Corp (NYSE: MAS) a Fortune 500 company. http://masco.com.

To learn more, pick up a copy of our free report "5 Critical Questions You Must Ask Before You Invest in a Hot Tub or Spa". Just give us a call at 503-533-5603 or go to http://www.OregonHotTub.com/specials.

Contact Info:

Name: Sue Rogers

Email: info@OregonHotTub.com

Phone: 503-533-5603

Organization: Oregon Hot Tub

Source: http://www.prreach.com/pr/23664

Release ID: 113243

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TMAC Chattanooga & Cleveland TN Pressure Washing Announces Expanded Service Area

Finding a company that provides premium quality, affordable pressure washing services in Chattanooga, TN, Cleveland, TN, and parts of the surrounding states has recently become much more simple. T-Mac Enterprise has announced their service area to now include Tennessee, Georgia, Northern Alabama and Southern Kentucky.

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TMAC Pressure Washing Announces Professional Commercial and Residential Pressure Washing Services to now Cover Tennessee, Southern Kentucky and Northern Georgia

Finding a company that provides premium quality, affordable pressure washing services in Chattanooga, TN, Cleveland, TN, and parts of the surrounding states has recently become much more simple. T-Mac Enterprise has announced their service area to now include Tennessee, Northern Georgia, Northern Alabama and Southern Kentucky. Clients couldn't be more pleased.

May 2, 2016

There's a great many circumstances when a professional pressure washing service is a must whether to clean up a commercial space. Using the right company, with both skill and experience and the results can be far beyond dramatic - often leaving a building or property looking as if it were close to brand new. In that spirit T-Mac Enterprise recently announced from their Cleveland, Tennessee home base, that they have greatly expanded their surface area in response to requests from customers, now covering parts of surrounding states.

"TMAC Pressure Washing is an exterior cleaning company," commented Phil McAlister, owner of the company. "We specialize in pressure washing houses/buildings, and concrete for residential and commercial clients. We also clean roofs with no pressure application methods. Our mission is to exceed client expectation in exterior cleaning, with each job we complete."

According to the company, clients of their commercial services and concrete cleaning are quite diverse, including businesses like gas stations, apartment complexes, retail properties and much more. Commercial jobs are being accepted in Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, Northern Georgia and Northern Alabama. If there's any questions about services, rates or if a property is within their service area T-Mac Enterprise recommends contacting the company and an agent will quickly answer any and all questions.

Feedback from clients has been completely positive.

Jack C., from Cleveland, Tennessee, recently said in a five star review, "T-Mac blew me away with the quality of the pressure washing they did to my small business. And the price was right too. Highly recommended."

For more information be sure to visit http://www.tmacpressurewashing.com.

TMAC Pressure Washing 200 Brently Woods Dr. Chattanooga, TN 37421 (423) 284-2023

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For more information about us, please visit http://tmacpressurewashing.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Phil McAlister

Organization: TMAC Pressure Washing

Address: 200 Brently Woods Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37421

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Statewide Texas Traffic Accident Victim Outreach Campaign Launched

Texas attorney to launch statewide outreach campaign in support of motorists involved in vehicle related accidents and provide no-strings access to people who need help.

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The McDonald Worley Law Firm today announced the launch of a State wide campaign in support of motorists involved in traffic accidents both minor and more serious involving catastrophic injuries. Residents in the state of Texas who have been involved in a wreck are urged to call into the firm to discuss what happened and what can be done to help them.

"It's about opening our doors to the public," said Donald Worley, founder and personal injury attorney at Houston based McDonald Worley, "in time of crisis, we want people to know they have someone to talk to who can provide straight-talk about their rights - no legaleze." The new outreach campaign was designed to take the uncertainty away from Texas motorists, who fear talking to a lawyer after an incident. "No pushing, no cajoling, no cost, no hassle, just a frank discussion about your options under the law."

Traffic accident participants have encountered enough trauma after a crash, it can be a devastating time. McDonald Worley maintains this is the time people need unconditional support, understanding and experience. "However, if you want to take legal action after discussing the pros and cons with our attorney, of course we can help."

The award-winning firm is already well known for what it can accomplish in support of accident injury victims, having won millions for their clients to date. The stakes are too high after an incident involving injury or wrongful to just call any attorney, Mr. Worley noted, referring to their past record of successful wrongful death litigation and slew of trial victories with settlements worth millions to victims. Details of how the award-winning law firm can help those interested in taking legal action can be found here: https://www.mcdonaldworley.com/autoaccidentlawyer.php.

"We want people to have no strings attached access to an experienced attorney who can make a difference in their case in those crucial moments following an crash" added Mr. Worley, "the time when so many make crucial mistakes resulting in the loss of significant compensation -- avoidable mistakes if only they had consulted a competent lawyer in time."

Collisions involving semi-trucks, passenger vehicles, SUV's, bus accidents, you name it - if a participant has been involved and the accident occurred in Texas, they are urged to contact McDonald Worley to go over what they can expect from everybody involved including the insurance companies, the defendant's lawyers, judge and jury. This way they don't get sideswiped by something they didn't expect in the legal claim process.

The Texas highways are responsible for some of the highest accident rates in the entire country with commercial transportation vehicles speeding through the state day and night.

Working with so many injured and affected by motorist accidents over the years inspired the Statewide campaign in his mind - so they could take the anxiety out of talking to a lawyer who can make a difference.

"No surprises, no fast talk - just listening to what happened and providing straight answers," said Worley. "That says commitment to me."

About McDonald Worley:

McDonald Worley, P.C. is an award-winning law firm offering plaintiffs representation for cases involving wrongful death, persoanl injury law, mass tort, among other civil lawsuit claims.

Additional information about McDonald Worley and the legal services provided is available at https://www.mcdonaldworley.com

Source: http://www.nctcog.org/trans/data/tcins/

For more information about us, please visit https://www.mcdonaldworley.com

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Email: don@mcdonaldworley.com

Organization: McDonald Worley Attorneys at Law

Address: 1770 St. James Place, Suite 100 | Houston, Texas 77056

Phone: (800) 610-2001

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/statewide-texas-traffic-accident-victim-outreach-campaign-launched/113229

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Delery Comarda Becomes Engel & Voelkers

Delery Comarda REALTORS, one of New Orleans top real estate brokerages, has announced its partnership with Engel & Voelkers.

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Delery Comarda REALTORS, one of New Orleans top real estate brokerages, has announced its partnership with Engel & Voelkers. Since the establishment of Delery Comarda REALTORS in 2011, they have grown to be a major player in New Orleans real estate. The Engel & Voelkers New Orleans shop will still be located at 722 Martin Behrman Ave, Metairie, LA 70005 and will continue to have the same phone number of 504-875-3555.

Engel & Voelkers New Orleans promises to deliver new tools and services previously unavailable to the Greater New Orleans area including worldwide relocation services, intensive training, global branding power, real estate technology (including their E&V Intranet), innovative marketing tools and a corporate philosophy of providing high-end real estate services.

Engle & Voelkers has a national and international presence with over 8,000 real estate advisors in over 36 countries spanning 5 continents. The addition of Delery Comarda REALTORS is their first move into the Southeast portion of the United States.

Engel & Voelkers has made their name in the higher end of real estate sales and boutique brokerages across the globe. Engel & Voelkers continues to expand into markets throughout the world, introducing their high-quality approach to real estate and unprecedented international support.

Kathy Marshall, one of Delery Comarda REALTORS top agents said: "I was happy to be a part of Delery Comarda REALTORS, and am now thrilled to be a part of their evolution to Engel & Voelkers New Orleans". She continued to say "As an Engel & Voelkers Real Estate Advisor, I will have access to so many new tools which will allow me to provide even greater high-quality service and amazing exposure for all my clients".

The website, NOLAhomesSearch.com, focusing on homes for sale in Lakeview, will be getting a facelift to accommodate the new branding and colors.

The name change and agreement officially took effect on 5-2-16 and the sponsoring broker will continue to be Joyce Delery. Engel & Voelkers New Orleans will continue to be the sponsoring broker for all of their existing 56 real estate agents and will continue to cover the Greater New Orleans region.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.nolahomessearch.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Kathy Marshall

Email: kathymarshall@cox.net

Organization: Delery Comarda REALTORS,

Address: 722 Martin Behrman Ave. Metairie, LA 70005

Phone: (504) 875-3555

Release ID: 113261

For more information visit r



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Star Wars Fan Film "Revan: The Fall" Crowdfunding Campaign Gains Momentum Soon After the Launch.

The campaign went live a few days ago and it seems to have caught the attention of the Star Wars fans, because it is already gaining momentum as it achieved 10% funding with 20 backers within the first 24 hours!

--

A budding professional visual effects artist, director of photography, director and a part of the Limitless LLC team, Steven Shulgach recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for Limitless LLC.'s upcoming film "Revan: The Fall" which is inspired by the 2003 Award Winning Video Game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" and prequel to the 2015 Star Wars Fan Film "Revan". The aim of the campaign is to raise funds for a fan-film made by a group of Star Wars fans that tells a gripping story of a young man the protagonist "Revan", who was introduced in the 2003 video game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic". Steven and the team at Limitless require funding to spark their project to live and cover production and equipment costs, their crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter has a funding goal of at least $25,000 USD to be raised by Tue, May 31 2016.

The campaign went live a few days ago and it seems to have caught the attention of the Star Wars fans, because it is already gaining momentum as it achieved 10% funding with 20 backers within the first 24 hours! The success may be due to the proud history and the promising future of the Limitless LLC. Team. The film production company was founded in the year 2012, by a young group of Star Wars fans got together and decided to make a fan film. However, this group was only made up of amateur filmmakers, who were passionate about creating films, and Star Wars, despite that they took on making a film, based on one of the most talked about Star Wars Extended Universe characters of all time, "Revan," which was released on YouTube in 2015 and was well received by the viewers. At this present time, the film has almost a million views on YouTube. Now, after starting their professional careers in various fields as composers, cinematographers, actors, directors, etc., the team has decided to join forces again and make another film.

Steven, who is also currently managing Limitless. LLC explains: "At this point in time, we have all branched off into our own professional careers, as composers, cinematographers, actors, directors, etc. So, we thought: "Wouldn't it be amazing to come back together and make a new fan film, this time with viscerally higher quality?" Revan: The Fall, inspired by "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic", follows the events of Revan as he confronts his old ally, Darth Malak, in the depths of the Star Forge."

What started as a bunch of kids sharing their passions with the worlds has now evolved into a project that shows real potential to the fans of the Star Wars franchise. The team is promising combat that is visceral, real sets, juicy dialogues, and a gripping story that will portray the true power of the force, as the audience never seen it before.

Steven further added: "The artists at Limitless Productions have made solid connections with some of the best professional filmmakers from all over the country, flying in folks from Los Angeles, bringing them down from New York City, to come together in the beautiful state of Maryland to shoot this bad boy! This is why we need your help."

According to the Kickstarter project pitch Limitless spent $5,000 USD on the production of the previous film "Revan" and this time the team is aiming for $25,000 USD which will allow them to create a much better result with "Revan: The Fall" and they need the help of the online crowd.

The ongoing Kickstarter has seen steady progress since its launch. However, the campaign has a long way to go to reach its goals, the team behind the project is looking towards the generosity of the online crowd who are fans of Star Wars and are also supportive of creative projects. The funds raised through the current crowdfunding campaign will be allocated to various aspects necessary for the completion of the film, which according to the Limitless's project timeline would be released in December 2016.

The crowdfunding project offers various pledge options to suit different preferences. A variety of different rewards and perks are also being offered to prize the generosity of those who support the campaign and the project through their monetary contributions. There are limited qualities of the special reward items. On the subject of risks and challenges the Limitless team is ready to take on any challenges that might occur.

For more information about the movie, and to support the project, please visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1144130879/star-wars-revan-the-fall?token=4b3843a6

About Us: Limitless was founded in 2012 by a group of Star Wars fans, who were passionate about film making. Today, the company has evolved into a group of professional artists in their own respective fields, as composers, cinematographers, actors, directors, etc., who are to this day share the love for all things Star Wars.

Media Contact - projectrevan@gmail.com

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1144130879/star-wars-revan-the-fall/

For more information about us, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1144130879/star-wars-revan-the-fall/

Contact Info:

Name: Steven Shulgach

Email: projectrevan@gmail.com

Organization: Limitless LLC



Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DtvTM1Am4I

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/star-wars-fan-film-revan-the-fall-crowdfunding-campaign-gains-momentum-soon-after-the-launch/113253

Release ID: 113253

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The Hip Haus Celebrates Their Two-Year Anniversary With Free Event

The organization is hosting a free event to commemorate the huge impact they've made on the growth of local business, reports http://thehiphaus.com.

--

The Hip Haus, an organization that exists to empower young professionals in the GTA and help the growth of local business, will soon be celebrating their organization's two-year anniversary. The team at The Hip Haus has dedicated themselves to providing networking opportunities, mostly through the hosting of free social events during which individuals can connect with each other and expand their professional circle. In order to celebrate their accomplishments, they will be hosting a free celebration event on May 18, 2016 at EFS in Toronto.

Micheaux Spencer, a spokesperson for The Hip Haus, commented "We are well aware that it can be difficult for young professionals to find time and opportunities to meet other people like them. For that reason, we have been hosting networking events in toronto in order to facilitate those opportunities. We are proud to say that for the last two years we've been helping local professionals connect with each other in order to get career advice, find out what the professional landscape is like in their industry, and just get help or provide help to others based on their area of expertise."

The Hip Haus' networking events in mississauga are primarily targeted towards the growth and development of young professionals, but all age groups are welcome at their gatherings. The two-year anniversary celebration will be held on May 18 at EFS Social Club located at 647 King St. West. Professionals who plan to attend the event are strongly encouraged to bring lots of business cards and come dressed in comfortable yet professional attire ready to meet and connect with individuals they can help climb the professional ladder and who can help them advance their careers as well.

As Spencer goes on to say, "We think there's no better environment than our networking events to meet other like-minded individuals in the professional world. For the past two years we have hosted the largest monthly networking in event in North America and are expecting more than 1,200 attendees from a wide range of professions and industries at EFS on May 18. Whether someone is a current employee, still in school, a recent graduate, someone looking for a job, a business owner, or simply just wants to expand their circle of young professional contacts, this Hip Haus event is the place to be."

Those who are interested in attending The Hip Haus' Two-Year Anniversary Celebration event should RSVP as soon as possible at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/young-professionals-networking-by-the-hip-haus-2-year-anniversary-tickets-24115087877.

About The Hip Haus:

The Hip Haus has steadily grown into North America's largest monthly networking event for young professionals. The Hip Haus is an organization that exists to empower young professionals in the Greater Toronto Area and help the growth of local business.

For more information about us, please visit http://thehiphaus.com

Contact Info:

Name: Micheaux Spencer

Organization: The Hip Haus

Phone: 416-363-1015

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/the-hip-haus-celebrates-their-two-year-anniversary-with-free-event/113053

Release ID: 113053

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Multifamily Water Billing Company Celebrates 3 Years of BBB Accreditation

Water Works of Texas is celebrating 3 Years of BBB Accreditation and 13 years in business and reveals some of its big wins and challenges it faced getting this far. More information on the business can be found at http://www.waterworksoftx.com/

--

Water Works of Texas is celebrating their 3rd Anniversary, which commemorates 13 amazing years in business. This is a huge milestone for the Corpus Christi, Texas based Multi-family Water Billing and Submetering Company, which has provided Multi-family Water Billing and Submetering services to Multi-family Commercial Property Managers since 2002.

Water Works of Texas got it's start when founder Jessica Lenhardt was inspired to start the business as a result of no success when looking for a satisfactory company who could increase her property's cash flow, reduce data entry, and water-related phone calls. An extensive search for an all-encompassing water billing company revealed that there were no companies that were as dedicated to both property owners and residents as they should be. As a result, Water Works of Texas was established in 2002.

One of the earliest challenges Water Works of Texas faced in the beginning was getting the message out to Texas multi-family property managers about their services that would help them streamline their water utility billing processes and save them money.

While every business of course faces challenges, some, like Water Works of Texas are fortunate enough to enjoy real successes, wins and victories too. One such victory came when Water Works of Texas recently celebrated 3 years of accreditation by the Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin.

Jessica Lenhardt, Founder at Water Works of Texas was also quoted when sharing their mission. "Our mission is to exceed expectations. By doing so, we leave a positive environmental imprint on Texas and a legacy of trust and excellence. Our primary aim is to create a highly-regarded, award-winning utility management and water billing company that feverishly pursues a culture of excellence."

Water Works of Texas's Founder, Jessica Lenhardt says "We're delighted to be celebrating 13 Years in business. I believe the secret to getting this far in business today can be summed up in our core values: Excellence, Integrity, Responsiveness, Accountability, and Stewardship".

Water Works of Texas currently consists of 3 employees and has big plans for the upcoming year. One of their core objectives is continued excellent customer service and business growth. The company is currently expanding and creating at least 2 new positions including a professional maintenance position and adding additional office staff. Creating and providing new jobs and career opportunities in the Corpus Christi area is important to the company.

Water Works of Texas would also like to thank friends, customers and all its partners for their support.

More information on the business can be found at http://www.waterworksoftx.com/

For more information about us, please visit http://www.waterworksoftx.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Jessica Lenhardt

Organization: Water Works of Texas

Address: 5402 S. Staples #207, Corpus Christi, TX. 78411



Release ID: 112972

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Thermalabs New Range of Spray Tanning Machines Almost Ready

Thermalabs is almost ready to launch its range of spray tanning machines.

--

Thermalabs Caribbean Professional, which is an exclusive range of spray tanning guns and machines, is set to get new additions any time from now. This is according to an update released by Alex Howard, a marketing official at the New York Company. Thermalabs had earlier hinted plans to create more machines to ensure that their range of spray tanning solutions was complete, and optimized to the needs of all customers. This is great news for spray tanning buffs who are looking for new, better ways to get that perfect skin glow from a quick tanning session.

Spray tanning happens to be one of the most efficient ways to get that awesome tan without exposing the skin to the dangerous effects of UV radiation from the sun. In addition to causing sunburn, UV radiation is also known to contribute to premature aging and lead to multiple other negative skin conditions. Worse still, it can contribute to skin cancer, which is an increasingly widespread form of cancer that currently affects over 3.4 million people in the United States annually. Thermalabs Caribbean Professional was created to capture the beauty of spray tanning for customers who really didn't want to dwell on the conventional form of self-tanning. A good spray tanning machine leads to a streak-free, even tan. This is so because the fine mist ejected by the machine (or spray gun) distributes an even application all over the surface of your skin. Spray machines are also a great way to attain that cool tan all year round, regardless of the weather conditions. Users have also acknowledged the fact that spray tanning gets results in as little as 15 minutes, not to forget that even skin tone with no visible blemishes or imperfections. While the existing range of Thermalabs spray tanning guns and machines has been a big deal to the company's global audience, Thermalabs is looking to integrate new, advanced technology in its new machines.

Thermalabs was launched nearly three years ago in New York. The company operates a major production factory in Israel, where most of its formulations are created. Thermalabs has so far contributed over a dozen different tanning lotions, accessories and other general cosmetics product to the market. Its pilot product, the Original Self Tanner, was a major hit. The product was based on an exclusive, natural and organic formula that included key ingredients such as Japanese Green Tea and Aloe Vera. Following a brilliant marketing campaign by Thermalabs, this product managed to sell tens of thousands of units within just a short period of time, and also helped attract media limelight that has been very instrumental in boosting the company's global profile. Other successful launches by the company include the Glow2Go tan wipes, the Ultimitt tan applicator mitt, the Protectan Sunscreen Lotion, the Mercury Beach Tent, and the Exfoliating Gloves Set. From all indications, Thermalabs is determined to exert its place as the most innovative company in the space. It'll be interesting to see how their new machines perform in the market.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.thermalabs.com

Contact Info:

Name: Jeremy

Organization: Thermalabs



Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0ru53Jp9i0

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/thermalabs-new-range-of-spray-tanning-machines-almost-ready/113074

Release ID: 113074

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Free Freightnet Membership

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Investors and financial advisers who backed so-called death bonds sold by EEA Life Settlements have raised enough money to launch a legal battle to recover $800m (545m) in losses from the firm.

Based in Guernsey, EEA Life Settlements invested in second-hand insurance policies from elderly Americans.

It promoted itself as a low-risk collective investment and promised financial advisers and investors returns of 8 per cent per year.

However, the elderly policyholders lived longer than expected and the cost of servicing the policies - paying the premiums to maturity - surged.

In November 2011, the fund was suspended after the Financial Services Authority branded investments into traded life policies as toxic and possibly unsuitable for retail investors.

Following the regulators warning the fund lost $200m (129m), which EEA blamed on the FSA.

But members of the EEA Investors Group said the losses were a result of mismanagement, negligence and misrepresentation.

Following pressure from both investors and advisers, a litigation group was set up last year called EEA Investor Litigation Group with the aim of trying to recover the losses.

The group said it has now raised enough to instruct London-based legal firm Enyo Law to develop the strategy in a bid to help recoup the losses.

A spokesman for the litigation group said: Long-suffering investors are now one step closer to stemming and recovering their losses.

In 2013, the funds auditor, Ernst and Young, resigned because they could not agree future valuations with EEA management.

The litigation group spokesman added: We still need more members and look forward to working with investors and their financial advisers to achieve success.

In July last year, the European Human Court of Human Rights rejected a claim by a separate EEA action group - called the Action Group for Life Settlements - against the UK government.

katherine.denham@ft.com
The manager of Baillie Giffords flagship 3.5bn trust has defended his recent move to allow unlisted companies to make up to 25 per cent of his trusts portfolio, and denied its a risky decision.

Last week, the Scottish Mortgage Investment trust board announced its plan to increase the upper limit fot its holdings of unquoted companies, driven by the movement of corporate financing from the public to private sector.

But the move was met with criticism by some advisers, who suggested this level of exposure was very high, particularly given the lower disclosure requirements for unlisted investments.

When FTAdviser asked James Anderson how he plans to calm concerns he is raising the risk profile of the trust by increasing its exposure to unquoted companies, he said the move was the opposite of risky.

We think there is a terrible and dangerous confusion between risk and volatility in financial markets, he said, describing risk as the permanent loss of capital.

I would challenge anybody to come up with a view as to why most of our big companies today are not more risky - in the sense of permanent loss of capital - than what we own in the unquoted companies.

It is that potential destruction of the vast bulk of the quoted major British companies that would worry me, rather than the volatility and disclosure surrounding unquoted firms, which we will do our best to mitigate.

Currently, the 3.5bn trust has an informal limit of 15 per cent for unlisted companies and uses up approximately 10 per cent. It is a long time since there was a truly great British company. James Anderson

Mr Anderson said investing in unlisted firms gives savers an opportunity to access companies they would not be able to tap into otherwise, and argued the boundaries between quoted and unquoted companies should be softened.

The US and China are currently where he sees the most potential for unquoted companies, with the Scottish Mortgage portfolio heavily weighted towards North America at 46 per cent and China at 17 per cent.

As long as people are prepared to have a long time frame then this is not risky, because we think the fundamental ability of our companies to generate longevity, cash flow, and profitability is way greater than what is in the index.

The fund manager explained one of the reasons his team had decided to boost the unquoted cap was due to the lack of growth prospects and competitive advantage for quoted companies.

Part of the problem in the UK, he said, is British companies are faced with a depressing layer of obstacles, which stunts the potential for companies to grow on a global scale.

It is a long time since there was a truly great British company, Mr Anderson said, suggesting there is a lack of real determination and obsessiveness to invent and innovate in the UK, compared to the insane drive of people in the US.
Aegon has agreed to buy BlackRocks UK defined contribution platform and administration business of 12bn of assets and 350,000 customers.

The deal will create a 30bn platform-based workplace savings business within Aegon while BlackRocks 65bn UK defined contribution business will focus on investment management.

David Blumer, head of BlackRock EMEA, said: The pensions and investment landscape has changed significantly in the UK over the last few years.

Mr Blumer said Aegons broad retail product and digital capabilities will best serve the increased demand from employers for holistic retirement solutions in the future.

He said once the deal is complete BlackRock will continue to grow its DC Investments Business by providing investment products to DC schemes, consultants, master trusts and pension providers.

Paul Bucksey from BlackRock will be appointed managing director of the combined workplace business.

Adrian Grace, chief executive of Aegon UK, said: The combined strength and breadth of expertise makes us a compelling choice.

With employers demanding additional solutions to meet employees needs to and through retirement, workplace savings are no longer just about traditional DC pensions.

This makes it an exciting market and with an expectation it will triple in size over the next 10 years, we are well positioned to take advantage.

BlackRock already provides investment management for Aegon clients.

Meanwhile BlackRock will retain its role as the primary investment manager for the clients who will transfer to Aegon as part of the transaction.

The transaction is subject to regulatory and court approval.
Rathbones has converted its multi-asset range into Ucits products due to concerns they would otherwise be classed as complex products under forthcoming Mifid II rules.

The range has shifted from a Non-Ucits Retail Scheme (Nurs) structure to Ucits as of today (May 3).

Vehicles being converted include the Enhanced Growth, Strategic Growth and Total Return funds. These are managed by head of multi-asset David Coombs, assisted by Will McIntosh-Whyte.

Rathbone Unit Trust Management chief executive Mike Webb said Mifid II rules, which will class certain portfolios as complex, were a key element of the move.

Mifid II proposals  set to come into force in January 2018  will mean all non-Ucits funds retail investors must complete appropriateness tests before investing.

Providers believe this will deter investors from using the funds, but advisers have expressed concern that changing products structure will have a negative impact on their investment flexibility.

However, Mr Webb said: We know that complex products would face marketing restrictions and our multi-asset funds were not using [leverage] so it made little difference.

The changes follow Schroders decision to convert two of its own products to a Ucits structure, though the fund house declined to comment on motives behind the move.

In March, Investment Adviser reported industry trade bodies had once again lobbied the European Commission to overhaul the definition.

However, the European Securities and Markets Agency (Esma) has subsequently proposed a tightening rather than an easing of the proposals.

Esma told the commission last month that some more complicated Ucits structures, such as synthetic exchange-traded funds, should also be captured by the regulations.

Mr Webb said the launch of the firms Luxembourg-based Sicav feeder funds on May 17 was another factor in Rathbones decision.

The feeder funds will invest into the three multi-asset portfolios as well as Bryn Jones Ethical Bond fund, a process which the chief executive said was easier to undertake via Ucits structures.
A police investigation is under way after 10 in-calf cows were killed in a suspected poisoning.

Wiltshire Police said the distraught farmer discovered the cows lying dead in a barn containing 67 beef cattle.

The incident happened on a farm near the rural village of Ham sometime between 27 and 28 April.

See also: Police vow to step up fight against rural crime

Detectives believe the animals water supply may have been contaminated with an unknown poisonous substance.

It is believed the poison was added to water troughs last week and officers have appealed to the farming community for help to solve the mystery.

John Bordiss, a police community support officer (PCSO), of Wiltshire Polices rural crime team, said in a text alert: Between 27th and 28th April an unknown poisonous substance was added to water troughs within an open barn containing 67 in calf beef cattle.

By Friday morning 10 were dead along with unborn calves. Clearly upsetting for all involved.

Anyone with information is urged to call Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
There is a zero percent chance of rain Saturday with the 2016 Kentucky Derby weather forecast calling for sunny dry conditions, perfect for most of this weekends contenders.

AD: Get an 8 Percent Rebate on Horse Losses Including the Kentucky Derby, Top Odds - In Business Since 1986

The last few years, rain has threatened the big race culminating with a down pour just minutes before last years Kentucky Derby.

This week we will want to look at horses that run best on dirt as opposed to those that might be better mudders or typically have performed better on synthetic tracks.

Gun Runner, for example, is a horse that is expected to run well on any surface whether it be dirt, turf or synthetic.

Brodys Cause has run the most at Churchill Downs and performed well on the dirt track.

Creator at early 12-1 odds is another Steve Asmussen horse that has a strong experience over the dirt track at Churchill Downs with a second place finish debuting on this surface track.

Mor Spirit on Monday zipped through 5 furlongs in 59.80 on the Churchill Downs dirt track. Hes at 9-1 odds of winning the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Toms Ready has been especially impressive on the Churchill Downs track, winning his first race there and clocking 4 furlongs in 47 and change in a recent workout. Best of all, Toms Ready was at long 60-1 odds early in the week.

Mo Time at 28-1 odds has also had some success at Churchill Downs.

EARLY ODDS BELOW SUBJECT TO CHANGE

To win the Kentucky Derby 11:00 AM 704 Brody's Cause +1000 709 Exaggerator +600 713 Gun Runner +1200 715 Mo Tom +2800 716 Mohaymen +1100 717 Mor Spirit +900 718 Nyquist +300 728 Shagaf +4000 734 Danzing Candy +3000 736 Tom's Ready +6000 737 Whitmore +2500 740 Destin +1100 742 Suddenbreakingnews +1800 743 My Man Sam +1300 744 Outwork +1300 746 Creator +1200 747 Lani +3500 748 Laoban +9000 750 Oscar Nominated +6500 751 Majesto +3000 752 Trojan Nation +5000 753 Fellowship +6500 754 Adventist +7000 756 Dazzling Gem +9500

- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
Release Of Nintendo NX To Be The Death Knell For Wii U?

The sales for the Nintendo Wii U have been paltry, to say the least, compared to its competitor consoles such as the Playstation and Xbox. Now, with the looming launch of the NX, the speculation about the console being dropped by the Japanese company is getting louder.

Part of the problem for the Nintendo Wii U is the lack of third-party developers producing enough games for the console. Another issue is the design aesthetics of the controller itself, apart from the hardware capability.

Nevertheless, an article from Forbes revealed that there are games exclusive to Nintendo that could be considered as success stories for the Wii U. These are the "Mario Kart 8," "Super Mario Maker," "Bayonetta 2" and the extremely popular "Super Smash Bros."

They all have something in common and that is: these games are developed by Nintendo exclusive for the Wii U. And for that alone, the Wii experiment was not a total loss. In fact, the article is pining for possibly new titles to be developed before the Nintendo Wii U stops production.

The Nintendo NX is reported to be arriving next year, and that means the Wii U is in its last death throes. There is nothing surprising in this as the Wii U could not even beat the Nintendo Wii in terms of sales (the console lags behind by about $100 million).

Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed in a Reuters report that the company may shift its focus towards the Nintendo NX. The sales have dropped exponentially from the 3.26 million units the previous year to the projected 800,000 units this year. It is for this reason why the company is stopping production for the Wii U in two years' time.

The company remained mum about the development for the Nintendo NX, and how it will address the deficient third party support. Nevertheless, the console that will replace the Wii U will come out in March 2017.

Watch the video below:


Google-Chrysler Self-Driving Car Deal Almost Done?

Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are said to be on the verge of a historic deal that could make the commercialization of self-driving cars possible. The alleged alliance was first reported by AutoExtremist and confirmed by Reuters, which claimed that the official announcement will be made by both companies "soon."

The rumor about the Google and Chrysler partnership for a self-driving car seemed to be confirmed by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne himself when he revealed that they are talking with an "advanced technology company." He did not name the company or the details of their discussions, according to the report.

Google has been adamant about forging a partnership with an established automaker for the concept, as it acknowledged its limitations to put the concept into a reality. John Krafcik, Google CEO for the self-driving car project, said as much during an interview as he said that it takes a lot of partnerships to make it work.

However, his pitch appeared to fall on deaf ears as automakers are apprehensive about being relegated too suppliers in the deal. If the rumor about the Google and Chrysler deal is true, it appears that Fiat finds no such problem in that scenario. Earlier, there were talks about Google and Ford producing self-driving cars, but nothing came of it.

But Detroit Free Press said the deal between Google and Chrysler for a self-driving car makes a lot of sense. The column from Brent Snavely claimed that Fiat's R&D on autonomous vehicles leave much to be desired and this is the kind of partnership that could propel the company forward.

There's also the matter of production capacity and Fiat has plenty to offer after stopping the rollout of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. The company can redirect its two plants in Belvidere and Warren to focus on producing prototypes for the self-driving car for Google.
Niels Nielsen shuffled through his workshop and grabbed his upright bass/electric bass Franken-guitar  affectionately called the SwampRocket  and began strumming away.

Now that I have become unemployably old  some people call it retired  Ive started building wacky bass guitar stuff I could use on the stage, Nielsen said.

The 36-year Corvallis resident gave a wry smile before setting the SwampRocket next to its matching amplifier, made from a Harley Davidson light, old fan grill and snakeskin cover, and hurrying to his next piece  an AR-15 airsoft gun fused with a mandolin.

If people see this and it shocks them, or it gets a laugh, then I know my work is done, he said.

In the art community, Nielsens pieces often drop jaws and start conversations. Outside of the art community, the 64-year-old ex-engineer is perhaps best known as one of Cloutiers crazies, the nickname given to the design team of Hewlett-Packards revolutionary thermal inkjet printer in honor of research manager Frank Cloutier. The team designed the first big-selling inkjet printer in the companys history, and the teams designs made it into printers sold to millions of homes around the world.

Nielsen said his art and his work with HP share one key passion that he has always held close to his heart: he loves improvising and seeing something that no one else can see.

Everything here, he said, gesturing to the dozens of concoctions surrounding him in his garage, it all goes back to improvisation and that one time when it worked in that one certain and one special way.

'Platinum record'

Nielsen first came to Corvallis in 1979, when he was 27 and fresh out of the University of California Davis with a masters degree in mechanical engineering and materials science.

Growing up in the '60s and '70s, I was always a nerd and a geek. I was one of the bottom-feeders in high school and college, he said. I didnt feel like I had found home until HP hired me. Then I was surrounded by people like me: weird-ass geeks.

Less than a year after Nielsens hiring, Cloutier, research manager at the Corvallis site, saw a demonstration of the then-new technique of inkjet printing, which used heat to force drops of ink through a hole. Cloutier saw the potential and went to work recruiting a team to help him see his vision through. Nielsen was one of his first five recruits.

Nielsens job title was as specialist in thermal inkjet technologies, but he said it was just a fancy title for his real role as an improviser.

When we got started, we had no budget for test equipment or for tools or computers. So the people that got on that original team were all improvisers, Nielsen said. Cloutier needed someone who could take a piece of junk lying around, take it home, put it under a drill press in their garage, bolt something to it, rewire the insides and turn it into something we could use.

For the first several years, Nielsen did exactly that, building and reworking tools to construct printheads or creating devices that could study their operation. His individual work resulted in one patent and two patent applications related to ink reservoir design. It all led to Nielsen being in the right place at the right time.

In 1988, the team introduced HPs inkjet printer, the DeskJet, at the same time IBM launched its personal computers, dominating the market.

At the instant PCs were sweeping the world, we were coming out with our inkjet printers that could plug right into them, Nielsen said. We were swept along with that. People wanted HP printers so fast, we couldnt build them fast enough. PCs were shooting up in the atmosphere and we got vacuumed up with them.

Nielsen said he looks back on the moment as a band member seeing an album go platinum  only no one knew he was in the band.

If youre a successful engineer, youre not a celebrity. Nobody applauds when you stand up. The performances arent two hours long, theyre four years long, he said. My consolation, is that the printhead I helped design, is still being manufactured in some way today. So I think of that as my platinum album.

Gonzo art

Nielsen took a voluntary severance package and retired from HP in 2007 during a round of downsizing. Today, the 64-year-old ex-engineer has "rebooted" his life creating what he calls gonzo art  bizarre functional and decorative pieces meant to stupefy, amaze and amuse.

I call it art, but because very little of it has ever sold, I cant call myself an artist, he joked. You can call anything that you want art, but legitimately you cant if you dont pay the rent.

While the gonzo art is put together through engineering, it also reflects Nielsens other loves for music and vehicles. In addition to the numerous guiatars, basses and amplifiers, Nielsen is working on a military jet airplane/tricycle hybrid known as the AeroTrike. The project, which he plans to unveil in the next year or two, combines plating of an old crashed jet over the chassis of a Yamaha motorcycle. It originally was designed to be a motorcycle, but Nielsen added two front tires after learning that he has a medical condition in his right ear that prevents him from having proper stabilization.

People have been telling me that Im unbalanced for years. But its literally true, he joked.

The AeroTrike is Nielsens sequel to his Death Scooter  an eye-popping motorcycle/helicopter hybrid Nielsen rode in Corvallis for years. The Death Scooter featured mock-missiles, a toy machine gun and broken helicopter rotors.

The Death Scooter used to draw gasps from people who thought it had a working machine gun, Nielsen said. The AeroTrike is going to make the Death Scooter look like a Sunday picnic.

Nielsen said some of his engineering work is slowing down now that he's developing tendonitis and hes focusing more of his attention on training new engineers and music enthusiasts as a part of the Corvallis Vacuum Tube Collective. Group members meet weekly at Nielsens laboratory in his garage to cut wood, solder wires and play their electric guitar and bass concoctions.

We have way too much fun building things and making noise, he said. I cant tell you how much it means to me to have other people validate what Ive been doing since I stopped being an engineer. If someone sees what we do and they crack up, I feel like my hard work has been done.
The city of Corvallis stands ready to go to court to preserve its system of voter-approved annexations.

Councilors voted 8-0 for a resolution that calls the recently passed SB 1573 unconstitutional and a violation of the citys charter. During deliberations on the issue councilors stiffened the measure by adding language that calls for the city to file appropriate legal action on behalf of the city.

The additional language was suggested by Zach Baker of Ward 3, who said he didnt want us to be ignoring a state law but not challenging it at the same time.

The city received support in its bid to take on SB 1573 last Friday when the board of the League of Oregon Cities voted unanimously to assist such legal efforts both with advice and funding.

SB 1573, passed in March, would limit the ability of cities to require voter approval for annexations of land into the citys stock as part of development plans. Corvallis was the first city in Oregon to OK the land-use tool, putting it into the city charter in 1976.

In other actions councilors:

 Defeated on a 6-2 vote a proposal from City Manager Mark Shepard to hold off until Jan. 1, 2107, on proposals for tent camping as a solution for the homeless issues in town. A group backing a plan called First Camp had suggested amending city ordinances to allow for a 30-man homeless camp on private property along Highway 99W in South Corvallis.

However, strong public opposition at an April 9 community meeting led organizers to withdraw their plans for the South Corvallis site, although the group still thinks the concept has merits.

There are a lot of initiatives out there, Shepard said. There are a lot of moving parts and no agreement. Council and staff need a little breathing room.

Councilors disagreed.

Im not inclined to limit our ability to do things, said Ward 4 Councilor Barbara Bull. If the perfect solution comes in to the city, why should we wait until January to consider it?

Bull was joined by Roen Hogg (Ward 2), Baker, Mike Beilstein (Ward 5), Joel Hirsch (Ward 6) and Frank Hann (Ward 8). Penny York (Ward 1) and Hal Brauner (Ward 9) backed Shepards proposal. Bill Glassmire of Ward 7 was absent.

 Heard from eight residents on various aspects of the homeless issue during 55 minutes of community comments time. Among those testifying was Kari Whitaker, executive director of Community Outreach Inc. Whitaker announced plans to open up COI services, which focus on homeless families, single women and veterans to men who would normally use the cold weather shelter.

Whitaker said the group plans to offer the new service by September, but that selecting a site and raising the funds still needed to be done.

 Passed on a 6-2 vote an ordinance to expand Parking District B north of the Oregon State University. The original proposal, which began with a petition from resident Herb Heublein, was to add one block face, Northwest 13th Street between Van Buren Avenue and Harrison Boulevard, to the district. But councilors voted to add another block face  the south side of Harrison between 13th and 14th  to make the district more contiguous.

Brauner, who voted with the majority, noted that if you dont include the Harrison block youre just driving daytime parking problems around the corner."

Also voting in favor of the change were York, Hogg, Bull, Hirsch and Hann. Voting no were Baker and Beilstein.

Baker, who has expressed consistent frustration with the city process for expanding and establishing parking districts, was concerned that the Harrison Boulevard residents were not part of the city outreach. Beilstein thought it was unfair that the majority of the residents on the 13th Street block, the members of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, were not given the same voting power as property owners during the process.
Eva Mozes Kor survived the most notorious Nazi death camp of World War II, but she remained a prisoner of her own bitterness until she found a way to forgive her tormentors.

Now 82, Kor recounted her wartime experiences on Monday night to an audience of more than 1,300 people in the Austin Auditorium at Oregon State Universitys LaSells Stewart Center in the keynote address of OSUs 30th annual Holocaust Memorial Week observances.

For more than 90 minutes, she held the standing-room crowd spellbound with the tale of her personal journey from terror-stricken child to determined survivor to witness for peace.

Kor was just 10 years old when the Nazis came for her family of Romanian Jews. They were packed into cattle cars with hundreds of other prisoners and taken by train to Auschwitz, where more than 1 million people met their deaths during the war.

Shortly after their arrival, Kor recalled, she was separated from her parents and two older siblings, who were killed in the gas chambers: Never, ever did I see them again.

A different fate awaited Eva and her twin sister, Miriam. They were among the 1,500 or so sets of twins who were subjected to crude and often lethal medical experiments led by Nazi physician Josef Mengele, known as the Angel of Death.

On their first visit to the latrine, the girls saw the bodies of three dead children, and thats when Eva decided she was going to fight for her life.

There and then I made a silent pledge to do anything and everything in my power to make sure Miriam and I did not end up on that latrine floor, Kor said. I never let any doubt or fear enter into my mind.

She and her sister shared a barracks with 13 other sets of twins, all girls ranging in age from 2 to 16. The living conditions were dreadful: There was no heat and little food. The place was swarming with rats and crawling with lice.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the girls would be taken to a room where they would be kept naked for up to eight hours while every part of their bodies was measured.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays they were taken to a different room, a room Kor called the blood lab. There, numerous blood samples would be taken from her left arm, and she would be given five or more injections in her right.

Kor still doesnt know what was in those injections, but one of them made her terribly sick. She recalls being taken to the camp hospital, where Mengele came to survey his handiwork. She remembers him looking at her chart and making an offhand comment to some other doctors.

Laughing sarcastically, he said, Its too bad shes so young  she has only has two weeks to live.

She learned later that her sister was kept under close observation the whole time she was in the hospital with a fever.

If I would have died ... Miriam would have been killed with an injection to the heart and Mengele would have done a comparative autopsy.

Only 200 of the so-called Mengele Twins lived through the war, but Eva and Miriam were among them. On Jan. 27, 1945, a column of Soviet soldiers liberated the camp.

We ran up to them and they gave us chocolates, cookies and hugs, Kor recalled. It was our first taste of freedom.

After some time in a refugee camp the sisters returned to their village, now part of Soviet-controlled Hungary, and later emigrated to Israel. In 1960 Eva married an American citizen named Michael Kor, a Holocaust survivor himself, and relocated to Terre Haute, Indiana.

In 1984 Kor founded an organization called CANDLES, or Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors, and ultimately located 122 other surviving Mengele Twins.

But her biggest personal breakthrough didnt come until a decade later, after she met a Nazi doctor named Hans Munch who had worked at Auschwitz, where his job was to monitor the gas chambers and record the number of the dead.

At her request, he told her in detail about how the gas chambers operated. He also treated her with kindness and respect, and he confessed his personal torment at the memory of what he had done in the death camps.

This is my problem, he told her. This is my nightmare that I live with every day of my life.

Grateful for his openness, she struggled for the appropriate way to thank him. The solution she came up with shocked the world.

In 1995, during a ceremony at Auschwitz to mark the 50th anniversary of the camps liberation, she read a letter in which she forgave the Nazis for the crimes they had perpetrated against herself and her family. Some people were outraged by the letter, but for Kor it was transformative and liberating in the truest sense of the word.

I immediately felt that all the pain I had carried around for 50 years was lifted from my shoulders, she said. I was free of Auschwitz. I was free of Dr. Mengele.

In the 200 or so lectures she gives each year, Kor notes that she didnt offer forgiveness on behalf of anyone but herself. But she also calls forgiveness the best revenge and stresses its power to overcome anger and replace it with healing.

Today that notion is central to the mission of Kors organization, the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and on Tuesday night in Corvallis, she asked her audience to join her in that mission.

I need everybodys help, she said, to sow the seeds of peace throughout the world.
Tuesday, May 3 : News Briefs

Bonn/Region. Short summaries from Bonn and the region: King Fahad Academy Open House and Netherlands Youth Orchestra in Wachtberg.

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King Fahad Academy Open House: The Saudi school Konig-Fahad-Akademie (King Fahad Academy) in Lannesdorf held an open house on the weekend. A mix of Arabic and German could be heard and native traditional dress could be seen. There was a food stand with Arabic specialties and visitors could view the German language curriculum or take a quick course in Arabic. They also had the opportunity to learn about the differing traditions between Arabic countries such as Jordan, Palestine or Saudi Arabia. School Director Ahmed Alzahrani said they wanted to bring their culture and traditions closer to the people as they see themselves as part of Germany. He emphasized that everyone was welcome to come and see their school.

Netherlands Youth Orchestra: On Wednesday, May 4, there will be a concert at the Wachtberg school, Stumpebergweg 5, featuring Hofstads Jeugd Orkst from The Hague. They will play together with the Wachtberg Youth Orchestra, performing works such as Lokomotive Chase and Rolling in the deep from Adele, but also older pieces. The concert is geared towards youth and begins at 7 p.m. No admission charge.

Driver who hit police is found: On Saturday afternoon, police officers approached a car which was parked in a pedestrian zone on Friedensplatz in Bonn. Instead of talking to police, the driver sped off, hitting one of the police offers and injuring the leg while his colleague could jump to the side just in time. The 39-year-old driver has now been found in Andernach and is being investigated.

Two men mugged: A 26-year-old man was mugged at 12:15 a.m. on Sunday morning in Bonn. He was on the corner of Langgasse and Am Marthashof when two men approached, slugged him and and then kicked him as he lay on the ground. They took his wallet and fled in the direction of Suttner-Platz. On Friday at about 4 p.m., a 20-year-old was on Heinrich-Boll-Ring in the northern part of Bonn when a man pulled a knife on him, threatened him and took his cell phone out of his hand and his wallet from his pocket. He then fled towards Bornheimer Strae. Anyone having information about these incidents is asked to contact police at (0228) 1 50.

Youth mugged in Beuel: An 18-year-old and two friends left a party at 4:40 a.m. and were underway in Beuel when a group of four or five persons approached them and asked for cigarettes. They got out their cigarettes and the group demanded their cell phones and wallets. The 18-year-old was thrown to the ground and they tried to kick his head. The robbers got away with a purse, two cell phones and cash. Parents of the 18-year-old criticized police for not making the incident public when it happened on April 24. One offender is described as 25-30 years-old, 1.8 meters tall, having 3-day beard and a pronounced chin. A second was 23-25 years-old, 1.9 meters, with dark short hair shaved in stripes. He was wearing Nike Air Max shoes. Parents of the 18-year-old said the offenders had an immigrant background.
Uber brings back surge pricing, CM warns of strong action News oi -GizBot Bureau

On a day the ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect, taxi aggregator Uber today brought back surge pricing in Delhi, prompting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to warn the operators of "strong action".

Uber had introduced the provision during odd-even scheme, which was objected to by commuters and Kejriwal had asserted that such demand-linked hikes would be banned permanently.

A day after the second phase of odd-even ended, commuters across the city, who availed the services of the app-based cab firm today, found that surge pricing, where fares are raised when demand is higher than the available cabs, was back.

Meet Mi Bunny: 6 Awesome Features of Xiaomi's first Smartwatch!

When contacted, an Uber spokesperson confirmed the development saying that suspension of surge pricing was only a "temporary" measure.

Uber's move came on a day a ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect in Delhi, affecting nearly 27,000 vehicles.

"Some taxis hv started charging surge. Surge not allowed under law. They warned that strong action will be taken against them," Kejriwal tweeted.

A senior Delhi government official said that action will be taken against these companies based on complaints.

"We will impound their cabs," the official said. While an immediate confirmation could be obtained from Ola, another app-based service, its app displayed a message saying peak time charges may be applicable during high demand hours and will be conveyed during the booking which "enables us to make more cabs available to you".

Ola displayed the disclaimer during the odd-even period as well although it did not invoke peak-pricing till yesterday.

The Delhi government had cracked its whip on these companies on the first week of the second phase of odd-even after Kejriwal termed the concept as "daylight robbery".

The authorities had also impounded cabs for overpricing.

Source: PTI

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Google Doodle celebrates Mario de Miranda's 90th birthday Internet oi -GizBot Bureau

Google on Monday celebrated renowned Indian cartoonist Mario de Miranda's 90th birth anniversary with a doodle honouring the artist.

Miranda who developed his own independent style of creating cartoons and characters, is remembered for his lavish works in The Times of India and The Illustrated Weekly of India, besides several other newspapers, periodicals and books.

Meet Mi Bunny: 6 Awesome Features of Xiaomi's first Smartwatch!

He is known for his trademark stylish strokes which told detailed colourful stories with shades of humour, largely based on life in Mumbai and Goa.

The commemorative Google Doodle was created by another comic artist Aaron Renier known for portraying large crowds.

It shows a rainstorm scene in a crowded Mumbai, with the hazy hint of a prominent landmark building, people of various communities that spice up Mumbai in their traditional attire, running around.

"I chose his most popular style, very flat with criss-crossing interactions," said Renier, of the Indian legend who passed away on December 11, 2011 at his ancestral home in Goa.

Renier added that in the homage to Miranda, a rich litany of people, each unique in their perspective, is seen.

"That is what I liked most about his work," Renier explained, "trying to pick out who knows who, who's watching who, who's annoyed by who, who's enamoured by who. Hopefully people will see something of (Miranda's) spirit in it."

The people on the doodle are depicted struggling with their umbrellas, newspapers, women shown heavy bosomed and large-hipped, a spontaneous lovers hug, the typical dog chasing a stray cat and dragging his master on the leash.

On a ground floor is someone quietly observing the goings-on outside, on the first floor a woman (presumably a maid) absently empties the bucket of water onto the roads after scrubbing her home, while on the left side appears an image suspiciously resembling Mario de Miranda himself struggling with his next creation on the canvas.

7 Weird Gadgets which you never knew existed!

"If you google, why not try Google India today? I did the doodle for the great Indian cartoonist," Renier tweeted.

Miranda left a rich treasure of cartoons, sketches, pictorial travelogues on famous cities like London and Lisbon, an illustrated book on history of Goa co-authored with Manohar Mulgaonkar

Miranda's friend and curator of Mario Gallery, Gerard da Cunha will release a book later on Monday titled 'The Life Of Mario - 1949', the latest in the series which had '1951' and '1950'.

Source: IANS

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This beautiful actress shows how to perfectly fuse fashion with tech! Features oi -Harshita

Remember Amitabh Bachchan's illuminating light suit that he wore in the hit number, Saara Jamaana!We can now say that the Big B of Indian cinema set a fashion trend decades back only to be followed now in 2016. Don't believe us? Check out the four times Golden Globe Awards winner, American actress, Claire Danes' elaborated gown that she wore at the 2016 Met Gala.

The theme for the 2016 Met Gala was kept "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," to celebrate the importance of technology in fashion and haute couture. At the event, many celebrities showed up wearing dresses based on the theme for the event. However, Claire Catherine Danes set the red carpet all lit up with her grandeur illuminated gown designed by Zac Posen.

Danes' light blue colored dress looked elegant and sophisticated on red carpet, but the magic of the gown could be seen in dim lights. It was only when the actress went to the ambient light that her gown showed its magic by illuminating like a fairy's costume. If you are wondering how this happened, well the secret lay in the threads of the gown. Dane's dress is made of fiber optics which lit up or illuminate in low light to look celestial!

7 Weird Gadgets which you never knew existed!

Take a look at her Cinderella gown:
U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-158-16 May 02, 2016

Statement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Norway's Decision to Expand Role in the Counter-ISIL Campaign

I welcome today's announcement from Prime Minister Erna Solberg that Norway will expand its role in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Norway''s decision to deploy special operations forces to Jordan to train vetted Syrian Arab Sunni fighters and to send a medical team to Northern Iraq bolsters the coalition at a critical moment in the campaign. The added forces are a welcome contribution from a stalwart ally, and another sign of the growing momentum in the campaign to defeat ISIL. With today's announcement, Norway joins a long a list of countries that have provided additional contributions in key areas of need in the counter-ISIL fight, and I want to personally thank Minister of Defense Ine Eriksen Sreide for her leadership in securing these contributions.

I have invited Minister Sreide to this Wednesday''s meeting in Stuttgart with my counterparts from countries leading the coalition''s military effort against ISIL. We will use this meeting to assess the state of the campaign, discuss the next steps in the fight and determine what additional capabilities we will need to accelerate ISIL''s defeat. Our campaign is gathering momentum, but there is more work to do and more resources needed to finish the job including in the areas of economic and political support. I look forward to other nations following Norway's example.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/747626/

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter May 02, 2016

Media Availability with Secretary Carter enroute to Stuttgart, Germany

SEC. CARTER: So first of all, welcome to those who haven't been with us before. I appreciate your taking an interest in what we do. You'll see these fantastic people in here who support us, and in supporting the people who really matter, obviously, who are the troops.

Two parts to this trip, two things that occasion this travel. The first is the change of command at EUCOM from Phil Breedlove to Mike Scaparrotti, whom everybody calls Scap, and I'll have an opportunity to commend both of them. I'll just say something about each of them.

First, with respect to Phil, Phil and I have done a lot of things together and he, of course, was in the Air Force earlier and we worked on a lot of things that are now of great consequence to this theater, some of our high-tech and more advanced capabilities that are relevant to the issue of Russia and deterrence of Russia.

Then, he came here to EUCOM, and Phil has really helped lead the way to the response that not just the United States but Europe has made to the events that began with Crimea a couple of years ago, which were a reminder for anybody who needed one of Russia's unfortunate tendency at this time to try to set itself apart from the international community and isolate itself, and no more conspicuous way of doing that than to annex the territory of a neighboring state, which of course it did.

And one of the responses of that has been not just the United States, but NATO. We began with something called the European Reassurance Initiative. We're building that; that's why we quadrupled it this year. And I expect that to continue, I expect our weight of effort certainly will continue, but we'll be building and shaping that response, along with NATO, as we sharpen our operational plans and our posture there, along with our European allies.

And of course, they're doing more also, and I'll have a little bit of opportunity to discuss that with them the next day, although that's focused on something else, as I'll get to.

So Phil has really been at the forefront and a spearhead for this effort and I just want to commend him. A lot of the ideas we've had and a lot of things that we and the NATO allies have done in the last couple of years have been ideas that he developed and recommended and the United States and other governments have accepted. So I'm very much in his debt.

Also true, in Scap's debt. Totally different theater, but it explains a little bit his coming from the Korean Peninsula to why I thought he was so perfectly suited to this assignment and why it was an easy recommendation for me to make to the president and it was an easy recommendation for him to accept -- judging from his response to it and when I talked to him about it, how quickly it went. And also the Senate which is vitally important.

And while there are obviously enormous differences between the Asia-Pacific theater and the North Korean-specific situation and Europe, he, that is Scap, knows the practicalities of land combat. Those theaters, of course, aren't exclusively land, but they have an important land component. He knows that both from the Korean Peninsula, and of course Scaps tours, which I remember very well, in Afghanistan as well. COIN focused, but still considerable experience.

And next, with -- working with allies, both to build their joint capabilities and to reassure them of the strength of the American support for them, that's obviously been important in the Korean Peninsula. It's important just in recent days on the Korean Peninsula, and Scap has been a tower of strength there behind deterrence of aggression on the Korean Peninsula and working with allies, importantly, South Korea and Japan also threatened by North Korea. So he had the political-military as well as the military operational experience that will be needed in Europe.

And then last thing I'd say is he, like Phil, is an innovator, and so I look forward to getting his thinking and his ideas, as I did from Phil, and you can see that in his service in Korea in the OPCON transfer, for those of you who know what these things mean, and some of the other innovations that we together, with our South Korean allies have made. And missile defense, moving on to THAAD deployment and so forth, so he's had all those things.

Great military operational experience. Great reputation, political-military experience with important allies and the ability to be creative and to be dynamic and keep up with change. So he'll be a great commander and we're kind of blessed to have -- we're going to miss Phil, but we're blessed to have Scap.

The second day and the second reason for my trip is to convene once again the defense ministers of the countries that are making the most substantial contributions to the counter-ISIL fight, principally in Iraq and Syria, and like us, are determined to deal ISIL a lasting defeat. I met with them in January, as some of you remember, briefed them on our military campaign plan and the roles and functions that would be needed to accomplish that, asked them to do more. These folks have done more.

And we're going to be talking about both the situations in Syria and Iraq, but also about the ISIL problem worldwide, defense of the homeland and all its other dimensions. But it's focused on, as is necessary, the fight in Iraq and Syria and making sure that we're all working together, the whole is great than the sum of the parts, and that some of the dimensions that are particularly tricky, and you see events in Baghdad over the weekend illustrating this, the political and economic aspects of this as well, which are necessary to success.

And so the countries that have also made military contributions when it comes to stabilization, assistance and so forth, we'll be talking about that as well.

And I also, of course, in addition to speaking with these folks before, convened all of the defense ministers of all of the coalition, a month and a half ago or so in Brussels, met with this group in January, I'm sure we'll be meeting again and again and again and again until this is done. And I also had last week the opportunity to meet with the Gulf partners, also important contributors, and talked to them about the same thing, which is doing more, taking advantage of opportunities, capitalizing on momentum and building further momentum.

That's what the United States has been doing, that's what the announcements I made last week, the president's approval were about from the additional -- actually, a sextupling of the SOF compliment in Syria to the introduction of movement of some HIMARS batteries, the approval to use Apaches as we move up to Mosul, the $415 million for the peshmerga for salaries and so forth. So you know those things. So I'll be talking to these folks about their corresponding additional efforts and how we can do both the military side and the political and economic side.

The last thing I'll say, which is good, which is as we flew here today, the Norwegians have decided to and announced that they will be increasing their own contribution. I'll let them describe what that is, but it's very significant for Norway and I'm very grateful to that and to my friend and colleague, the Norwegian defense minister, with whom I have a really an excellent working relationship, so I look forward to thanking her. And I asked her if she would accordingly join this group, and I believe she's going to be able to do that, accommodate that in her schedule and I'm grateful I'll be able to see her here as well. So I have a new member joining the conference as we are here on route today.

So those are the two parts of it. I'll stop at that point and take question from y'all. And Peter, why don't you be the impresario there and give the dean -- what are you reading?

STAFF: With that, Thomas, you get the first one.

(laughter.)

Q: Sure. Can you hold the mic, sir, so I'll --

SEC. CARTER: Yes.

Q: Thank you, sir. Having your last trip to Europe, you were supposed to visit Ukraine. That kind of got scrapped for whatever reason and hasn't been much talk about it. Lately, they've been having their own internal problems there and with their government. So just kind of wondering where the Pentagon sits towards assistance to Ukraine?

SEC. CARTER: Good. Well, I expect to go there sometime. Very important friend, actually longtime colleague of mine -- myself because I worked with Ukraine a great deal in the 1990s so I know the country very well. Their defense minister is a very able, very professional person. I work with him a lot, met with him a few times in Europe, so I look forward to going there.

The situation is, you know, one that remains in terms of the implementation of Minsk, you know, not entirely satisfactory to anybody, and now summer is coming and I hope that there isn't any kind of escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine. U.S. -- with respect to what we're doing, we're doing really a great deal there in terms of training, providing equipment, by the way, martialing the other European allies to do more there, as they are doing with respect to ERI, as they're doing with respect to C-ISIL. So the Europeans are all involved in that as well, so I hope the levels of violence stay contained, but I can't be sure of that as summer goes on.

Q: And just a follow-up -- just a follow-up. And from what I understand that our commitment to training and advising, I think we've extended to 2020. I mean, what's the end state? It doesn't look like there's going to be any cessation of hostilities in the East anytime soon. So what are -- what's the green light I guess for us for us to kind of step back or say that we've done as much as we can, given the current situation on the ground?

SEC. CARTER: Well, I would expect that we'd remain a security partner of Ukraine, and Europe would for a long time as it builds and adapts its military so that it can protect its own territory, and obviously, the independence of Ukraine and to follow its own way is an important principle to us and everybody in NATO. So I don't expect the United States or the rest of Europe to have any diminishing relationship with Ukraine. I think that's going to be enduring commitment and enduring fact.

STAFF: Bob?

Q: Thank you. Sorry, I think I tripped you up literally on your -- your -- the cord there. In your opening remarks, you mentioned Russia and sharpening and building a response and deterrence to Russia and Europe. Can you say whether the U.S. and NATO are considering establishing a continuous rotational presence of four battalions in Poland and the Baltics, that proposal?

SEC. CARTER: Right. Well, first of all, with respect to continuous rotational deployment, the United States is certainly committed to that concept and has offered an additional brigade with that operational concept. That's what I announced a month ago here. So we have made a major commitment that is exactly along those lines that is an entire brigade.

And that was, again, an improvement and a growth over last year, where if you remember, we committed to doing some rotational presence. But you know, now, it takes the form of a new unit of brigade size devoted specifically to doing this, armored with the equipment sets that we'll rotate in also that are absolutely top of the line. And then of course in addition to doing that, we're adding to our equipment sets in Germany, what used to called prepo sites. I'm sure you remember.

So the United States is doing a lot, and now you're asking what is everybody else going to do and are there discussions? There are discussions going on with NATO about how others can do the same thing, and now we can do that all together. And I expect that that's going to be a subject at the NATO ministerial that I have, probably of the NATO summit that the president has, and so those discussions are going on. They haven't been concluded yet, but obviously, the United States strongly supports that concept because we were there already some months back, and I'm delighted that others want to join in that concept as well.

But exactly how it works out, we'll have to see. Those discussions are going on in NATO.

STAFF: Connor?

Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I think it was last week, you had some pretty strong words about the House's version of the Defense Authorization Bill and how it shifts money from OCO to fill that gap in the base budget. Last week, Congressman Mike Turner came out -- a pretty strong reaction, said that you had lost total credibility on the defense budget. Can I ask your reaction to that? And what do you think the source of the disagreement with the Hill is on what the right number for defense is, particularly with the OCO? And do you think over that, this might be something you'd recommend the president veto the bill over?

SEC. CARTER: Well, I continue to have the view that I've annunciated since I've been secretary of defense, first of all, that Washington needed to get out of the gridlock and come behind a funding deal that provided stability to defense spending. That's what last year's Bipartisan Budget Act did. And one of the reasons I object to what's going on, and I do object to it, is that it undermines precisely that bipartisan stability. That's what we set our budget to, and I continue to believe that that is the right thing to do and really the only thing that is appropriate for a government function as vital as defense.

And in addition, the proposal is to take money out of the wartime funding account in wartime, and that's objectionable on the face of it.

And then third, it proposes to put money behind things that are not our highest priorities and that we didn't ask for. So those are the reasons why I strongly object to it.

STAFF: Jamie?

Q: Mr. Secretary, can we ask your current assessment of the implications of the political turmoil now in Baghdad. Specifically is Haider Al Abadi in danger of losing power, and what are the implications for the counter-ISIL effort going forward, particularly retaking Mosul and if you could just -- yes, I think that's enough.

SEC. CARTER: Sure. Well, I mean the events over the weekend do remind us that in addition to the military effort, which we are adding to, increasing contributions to, other countries in the coalition, that the political and economic aspects of Iraq are going to be very important to the defeat, and lasting defeat of ISIL. Prime Minister Abadi stands for, and has been a partner in, all the things that are important to Iraq's future, namely a country that holds together and doesn't just spiral off into sectarianism.

We know what lies down that road, which is a lot of violence for the Iraqi people and more opportunity for extremists like ISIL, and he's been standing for that, and that's why we've been standing with in regard. He's had considerable success on the battlefield, obviously Ramadi, Hit and so forth, so the forces of Iraq under his command, and obviously assisted by us, but it's basically been Iraqi forces have had considerable battlefield success.

On the economic front, the government of Iraq, like others who -- for which oil is an important source of revenue are having the economic consequences of that. That's why it's so important for the international community to help and support the Iraqi government at this time, not just militarily, as we're doing, but economically as we're trying to do as well.

Q: Just a quick follow-up -- do you assess that Haider al-Abadi is in any danger of losing power, and do you have a plan B if that happens?

SEC. CARTER: He seems to be in a very strong position. Obviously we support him strongly because of what he stands for.

And I think that -- to get the second part of your question, what he stands for is so self-evidently in the interests of most Iraqis, that that idea of a multi-sectarian state decentralized, as he said improving its political and economic, as well as its battlefield performance has enough support in Iraq that it will win the day.

Q: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, there's been a lot of discussion from some of your senior aides about the need to provide logistic assistance to the Iraqis as we build up towards retaking Mosul. It sounds as if that's going to require more American troops in support of the Iraqis. Can you give us some idea how many and when?

SEC. CARTER: Well that's part of what we announced last week, which had some additional people, but I think importantly it's the missions of the people that are already there, and you're right, they're going to be shifting to the support of the move towards Mosul, which is sort of operational logistics, so it's fuel delivery, and it's water delivery, and it's ammo delivery, and it's bridging equipment and so forth, whereas in the previous period they were really focused on buying equipment and getting it there. Now it's getting it to the front, or building a training area; now we're doing the training.

So as the mission involves, the roles of our people there are evolving. And to the second part of your question, I mean, we are always looking to build momentum in this. So as the campaign progresses, both there and in Syria, and more opportunities are presented to make different kinds of contributions we're going to do that. That's the whole point. So we welcome the fact that they're moving toward Mosul. We understand now that that means their supply lines will be longer. The logistics burden will be greater than it has been so far in Ramadi and Hit so we're adapting accordingly. That kind of thing is going to keep going until we win.

STAFF: Phil?

Q: Just to clarify on Bob's question initially -- when you said you were in favor of the kind of concept of having NATO do something similar in the Baltics and perhaps Poland, does that mean that you would be in favor of this idea that was put forward in journal on Friday about having four battalions? I just want to be sure I'm not confusing what you said.

SEC. CARTER: No, that is one of the ideas that's under discussion. I just can't tell you what NATO has decided because I'm not NATO. Those discussions will be going on. But that's accurate. That's one of the options that's being discussed, but I was just saying that the United States, in addition to that discussion, we've made a commitment that I announced, which is for an entire brigade, which is also important. So both of these things are important. But one is a NATO decision. The other was a U.S. decision, but we're obviously involved in those NATO discussions; I just don't want to get out in front of where that goes.

STAFF: We've got time for two more real quick.

Q: Mr. Secretary, there was recently another intercept by Russian aircraft of a U.S. aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

I'm wondering if I could get your assessment of why this is happening. Obviously it's the latest in a series. And is this a top-down strategy or freelance pilots?

SEC. CARTER: Well, I can't answer for the internal dynamics in Russia. It's unprofessional, and it's dangerous because our forces and those of all or other partners there have an inherent right to self-defense, so this kind of unprofessional behavior by its nature creates a dangerous circumstance.

And without presuming to know how these events occur, I'll just say that they have seen in recent times to becoming more frequent, and so it's one more aspect of Russian conduct in the military sphere, which sets us apart from, first of all, everybody else in Europe, as well as the United States, but also from the path that Russia was on, which was one that I can continue to believe is best for the Russian people in the long run, and that's one of integration with the rest of the world. That's how we are prosperous. That's how we make advances. Setting yourself apart doesn't do that.

Now it's is easy for me to say that. Obviously that's not the choice that Russia's leadership is making at this time. And therefore we have no alternative but to do what we're doing, which is stand strong, as I've said, and balanced. That's the approach that I've described as our approach, strong meaning we're doing all of these things that we're doing to improve our forces qualitatively, improve them quantitatively in Europe, improve NATO's capabilities working with others, investing in future capabilities, all the while continuing to hold the door open if Russian behavior should change, but also work with Russia where we can. And it does happen. The Iranian nuclear agreement is an example of that, so that's just the way one has to realistically deal with Russia today.

STAFF: One more in the back row. I know I'm not going to be able to get to everyone. I'm going to go to Anna because she's closest, but I'll remember the list.

Q: Mr. Secretary, this is a question about the sextupling of forces in Syria. And I'm just curious -- the president has been accused of incrementalism. Do you consider that a bad word? Is that how you see this? You know, obviously there's a sliding scale, and at one and we could have 180,000 forces defeat ISIL, but then to what end, where does that leave us? And so we've started, it seems like, at the very other end of that scale, where we've started with 50 forces and we're kind of plussing up. Do you see this as an -- almost as a way of warfare? Do you -- I mean, do you see yourself creating a new model in any way?

SEC. CARTER: Well, I think the right thing to do in a circumstance like this, where these are complicated situations and where you know that lasting victory involves of necessity, local forces, is to take advantage of opportunity, build them, and enable them, and that's our overall strategic approach. That's the right, that's the necessary strategic approach, in both Syria and Iraq. And every time a new opportunity arises, we're going to take advantage of it.

The opportunity here is that -- and I don't want to go into the details of their operations. The people we put in there some months ago proved, first of all, extremely valuable to both identifying and then enabling local forces of the kind that were successful around the Tishrin Dam and also Shadadi, important objectives, and so we want to build on that success, and so that's the reason.

And so that's our approach. And by the way, your focused on "ours," I should say, because I'm going to this meeting with these other countries, and again, they're very sensitive like we are about talking about their operations, but it's well known and they've acknowledged -- or some of them have at least -- that they have special forces doing exactly the same thing. And another reason for us to have more is to work with them, because I've asked Gulf countries, European countries, to do more in Syria, and this is our way of providing the liaison and the people who will enable them in turn to make their contribution.

So there are two reasons, capitalizing upon the success of our own initial complement, and more to work with other people. So that's the way we're doing things. And that's why the air campaign, you know, you see it's increasing the tempo. Why? Because we have the opportunity to increase the tempo, because we have better information that allows us to be more effective from the air. If we get even better intelligence, we're going to even do more in the air. And I'm going to be asking more people to put more airplanes into the air.

But you know, you can't drop more bombs than there are targets, so this is a situation, where you're growing as --

(CROSSTALK)

SEC. CARTER: All wars develop, and learn and build combat power over time, and all wars of consequence, particularly in today's world, involve an end state in which the people who live there govern themselves in some decent way. We have to keep that end state in mind, as you always have to do in warfare.

STAFF: Thanks, everybody. And I'll remember who didn't get a question next time around, so thanks.

SEC. CARTER: Good. Thanks, everybody, for being here.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/747832/

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Afghan Forces Kill Taliban Shadow Governor  Interior Ministry

Sputnik News

21:10 02.05.2016(updated 21:13 02.05.2016)

Taliban so-called governor and deputy governor for Kandahar province named Haji Lala and Ahmad Shah Hemat were killed along with 43 other armed Taliban militants as a result special operation of government forces, according to the Afghanistan's Interior Ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The so-called governor of the Taliban movement for the Afghan Kandahar province has been killed during a special operation of the government forces, the country's Interior Ministry announced Monday.

"As a result of this joint operation, Taliban so-called governor and deputy governor for Kandahar province named Haji Lala and Ahmad Shah Hemat [were] killed along [with] 43 other armed Taliban [militants]," the ministry said in a statement.

The special joint operation of Police Crisis Response Unit and Afghan National Army was held in the Kata Sang village on Sunday.

According to the statement, the joint forces have also discovered and seized ammunition during the six-hour operation.

Formed in the 1990s, the Taliban seeks to enforce Sharia law in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. The group is notorious for numerous terrorist attacks against authorities and civilians in both countries.

 Sputnik

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Japan Plans to Lease Five Trainer Planes to Philippines

Sputnik News

18:59 02.05.2016

Tokyo would provide Manila with maintenance support of the TC-90s and would train the personnel for the aircraft, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.

TOKYO (Sputnik)  The Japanese Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement on Monday it plans to lease up to five TC-90 training aircraft to the Philippines.

In March, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said that his country plans to lease five aircraft from Japan to patrol the South China Sea, which contains a number of islands and territories disputed by many countries.

"The sides admit that defense cooperation between Japan and Philippines is essential for peace, stability and prosperity in the region we confirm that cooperation efforts will include the following: up to five aircraft of the MSDF [Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force] will be transferred to the [Philippine] Navy," the statement published after a phone call between Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani with his Philippine counterpart Voltaire Gazmin said.

It was added in the statement that Tokyo would also provide Manila with maintenance support of the TC-90s and would train the personnel for the aircraft.

The South China Sea is home to a number of islands and maritime areas, disputed by Brunei, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. China tries to expand its influence over the area triggering concerns of other countries in the region and paving the way for their military buildup.

 Sputnik

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NATO Jets Escorted Russian Jets Over Baltic Sea 5x Within Week - Lithuania

Sputnik News

16:46 02.05.2016(updated 17:22 02.05.2016)

NATO fighter aircraft were asked to guard the Baltic States' airspace, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said in a press release on Monday.

VILNIUS (Sputnik)  NATO fighter aircraft tasked to guard the Baltic States' airspace, were scrambled five times last week to intercept the Russian warplanes over the Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said in a press release on Monday.

"From April 25 to 30 NATO fighter jets conducting the Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States were scrambled five times to intercept military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea," the press release reads.

In mid-April, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said all flights by airplanes from Russia's Aerospace Forces were completed in accordance with international norms. His comments came in response to statements that Russia completed dangerous actions over the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic states comprising Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania do not possess air patrol capabilities. Since joining NATO in 2004, the three countries' airspace has been defended by a rotating NATO mission.

 Sputnik

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Estonia Kicks Off Joint NATO Drills on Russian Border

Sputnik News

13:35 02.05.2016(updated 13:46 02.05.2016)

Estonian Defense Forces on Monday starts joint drills with NATO troops near the border with Russia.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Estonian military on Monday starts major drills dubbed the Spring Storm involving NATO troops in the country's southeast near the border with Russia, according to the Estonian Defense Forces statement issued on Monday.

"The Spring Storm will make the military units more mature, preparing them for the war-time. The exercise will demonstrate the recruits in action, [as well as] the skills they had acquired," Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Riho Terras said as quoted in the statement.

He welcomed NATO's contribution to the drills, adding that any practice concerning Estonian defense should be better performed on home soil.

The Spring Storm drills, which is due to last between May 2 and 20, will involve 6,000 troops, according to the Estonian military. The troops involve domestic units and a NATO military unit, comprising servicemen from 10 member states, as well as NATO military equipment.

Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup on Russia's borders is provocative.

Earlier this month, reports emerged in the media that NATO member states were preparing to deploy about 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and Poland as part of the Alliance's strategy of military buildup on the Russian border.

Estonian Minister of Defense Hannes Hanso said that NATO's plans were important and Estonia had put a lot of effort in their implementation.

 Sputnik

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Finland Flexes Military Muscles Alongside US Troops, Armored Vehicles

Sputnik News

13:10 02.05.2016(updated 13:32 02.05.2016)

2,300 Finnish and 185 US soldiers, as well as hundreds of pieces of military hardware will be involved at military exercises in western Finland, according to local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Military exercises involving US troops begin in western Finland on Monday, amid controversy that has surrounded the Northern European country's involvement with NATO for years, local media said.

The drills near the Finnish village of Niinisalo involve 2,300 Finnish and 185 US soldiers, as well as hundreds of pieces of military hardware, among them 20 Stryker armored vehicles, Finland's public broadcaster Yle reported.

Lt. Col. Pekka Purtonen, who oversees the exercise, told the broadcaster that the drills merely offered both militaries a chance to learn from each other. He also excluded the presence of NATO soldiers on Finnish streets.

"The timetable for the maneuvers is very tight. In practical terms, the soldiers will hardly leave the exercise area and they won't have any free time," Purtonen told Yle.

The exercises stirred a great deal of controversy in Finland, which has been maintaining its neutrality despite increasing NATO pressure and claims of a threat from the east. A poll commissioned by the Finnish government found last week that 55 percent of Finns opposed joining NATO, while only 22 percent approved it.

 Sputnik

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Finland Risks 'Serious Crisis' in Relations With Russia if it Joins NATO

Sputnik News

09:51 02.05.2016(updated 12:24 02.05.2016)

A report published by a panel of recognized diplomats and foreign affairs specialists warns that if Finland joins NATO, it could prompt a rift with Russia which could last indefinitely, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.

If Finland joins NATO, it could spoil the country's relations with Russia for an indefinite period, according to an independent assessment report quoted by the Finnish broadcaster Yle, which added that Russian military experts shared the report's concerns.

The survey on the implications of Finland's full NATO membership was conducted by a panel of prominent diplomats and researchers, including former Swedish Ambassador to Helsinki Mats Bergquist, Chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Francois Heisbourg, former Finnish Ambassador to Moscow Rene Nyberg and Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs Teija Tiilikainen.

The report said that Finland already belongs to NATO's inner circle of partners and, "with the exception of air surveillance and control, Finland is close to the limit of what a non-member can achieve with the alliance."

At the same time, Helsinki's decision to enter would represent what the report described as a "sea of change", which would transform Finland's security policy overall, and its relations with Russia in particular.

"Membership would probably also lead to a serious crisis with Russia for an undefined period of time," the report said.

The survey's conclusions were echoed by Russian military experts who were quick to condemn the idea of Finland joining NATO.

In an interview with Yle, Igor Korotchenko, chief editor of the Russian magazine National Defense, said that full NATO membership would be a serious political blunder for Finland and be seen by Russia as a direct military threat.

"Finland would change from a neutral state into our enemy country," Korotchenko pointed out.

Finland has historically been a neutral nation and has never been a member of NATO. Currently, Finland is a member of NATO's affiliate program, known as the Partnership for Peace.

Early last month, Finland's President Sauli Niinisto once again cited Russia's "military activity" in the Baltic region as the primary reason for the Nordic countries' need for closer cooperation with NATO.

At the same time, Niinisto stressed that Finland's stability is predicated on national defense, Western integration as well as stable relations with Russia. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Finland Charles Adams Jr. said that NATO's door remains open for Finland.

Finland skirted clear of the Cold War by remaining independent of NATO; it is the only country in Europe which gained independence from the Russian Empire not to have adopted communism. Nowadays, it is among the most popular vacation destinations for Russian tourists; many travel to Helsinki from nearby St. Petersburg for shopping trips. The high-speed train Allegro provides passenger service between the two cities.

 Sputnik

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U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 3, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted four strikes in Syria:

-- Near Shadaddi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Raqqah, two strikes struck an ISIL finance center and an ISIL weapons storage facility.

-- Near Mara, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq

Rocket artillery and ground-attack, fighter, bomber, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 25 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL weapons cache.

-- Near Albu Hayat, a strike destroyed and ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Rutbah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Bashir, a strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and four ISIL tunnel entrances.

-- Near Beiji, two strikes destroyed four ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL tunnel entrances and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Fallujah, six strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed five ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL tunnel entrances, two ISIL staging areas, an ISIL beddown location, an ISIL-used bridge, an ISIL medium machine gun and an ISIL anti-aircraft artillery piece.

-- Near Hit, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL heavy machine gun and suppressing an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Mosul, seven strikes struck six separate ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL vehicles, three ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL weapons caches, an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL rocket rail and suppressing an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Qayyarah, four strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit, destroying 19 ISIL rocket rails and an ISIL mortar position and denying ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Ramadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Carter to Convene Counter-ISIL Defense Ministers Meeting in Germany

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2016  Iraq, Syria, and the worldwide fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are on the agenda for the second meeting of the defense ministers of countries that are making the most substantial contributions to the counter-ISIL fight, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said yesterday.

The secretary spoke to reporters traveling with him to U.S. European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, where he attended today's Eucom change-of-command ceremony, during which Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti took over command from Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove.

The counter-ISIL meeting also will be in Stuttgart.

The ministers, Carter said, "like us, are determined to deal ISIL a lasting defeat. I met with them in January [and] briefed them on our military campaign plan and the roles and functions that would be needed to accomplish that, [and I] asked them to do more. These folks have done more."

Important Contributors

The secretary said the group will discuss the situations in Syria and Iraq, the ISIL problem worldwide, defense of homelands and other dimensions to make sure everyone is working together on the counter-ISIL fight in Iraq and Syria, and on political and economic aspects as well, which Carter said are necessary for success.

"I'm sure we'll be meeting again and again  until this is done. And I also last week had the opportunity to meet with the Gulf partners, also important contributors, and talked to them about the same thing, which is doing more, taking advantage of opportunities, capitalizing on momentum and building further momentum," he added.

The group also will discuss efforts involved in accelerating U.S. counter-ISIL efforts and the participating countries' corresponding additional efforts In Iraq and Syria in the military, political and economic spheres.

Discussions are going on with NATO about how others can increase their efforts and work together, Carter said, adding that he expects the subject to be discussed at the upcoming NATO defense ministers meeting that he will attend, as well as at the NATO summit that President Barack Obama will attend in Warsaw, Poland, in July.

Accelerating the ISIL Fight

In response to a question about accelerated U.S. counter-ISIL efforts in Iraq and Syria, Carter said that as the missions in both countries evolve, the roles of troops there evolve.

"We are always looking to build momentum in this," he added, "so as the campaign progresses [in Iraq] and in Syria, and more opportunities are presented to make different kinds of contributions, we're going to do that. That's the whole point."

Carter said the Defense Department welcomes the fact that local forces in Iraq are moving toward Mosul, even though supply lines will be longer and the logistics burden will be greater than it was in Ramadi and Hit.

"We're adapting accordingly," he said. "That kind of thing [will] keep going until we win."

Extra troops that the department has sent to Syria have been valuable in identifying and enabling local forces of the kind that were successful in important fighting around the Tishrin Dam and the town of Shadadi, the secretary said, "so we want to build on that success."

End State

Other members of the coalition also are sending in more troops, he added, "[and] they've acknowledged -- some of them have at least -- that they have Special Forces doing exactly the same thing."

Another reason the department needs more troops in Syria, Carter said, is that he has asked Gulf and European countries to do more there. "And this is our way of providing the liaison and the people who will enable them in turn to make their contributions," he added.

"All wars develop and learn and build combat power over time, and all wars of consequence, particularly in today's world, involve an end state in which the people who live there govern themselves in some decent way," Carter said. "We have to keep that end state in mind, as you always have to do in warfare."

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Sudan presses Egypt after islands conceded to Saudi

Iran Press TV

Tue May 3, 2016 6:27AM

Sudan has reiterated that it will not abandon its "sovereign right" over the two border territories of Halayeb and Shalateen, which have long been subject to a dispute with Egypt.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said on Monday that Khartoum "will not let go of our sovereign rights on" the territories, which overlook the Red Sea.

"We have adopted legal and political measures to assert our rights in the Halayeb triangle," he added.

Sudan and Egypt have long disputed the ownership of the area, which is under Egyptian administration. Sudan has become more assertive since April, when Egypt transferred the sovereignty of two other Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

Egypt, however, has ruled out doing the same in the dispute with Sudan.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zaid said in a statement last month that "Halayeb and Shalateen are Egyptian territories and they fall under Egyptian sovereignty.

Sudan's foreign minister said the Sudanese government seeks to see the text of the agreement signed between Egypt and Saudi Arabia "to figure out the impact of this agreement on our maritime borders."

According to media reports, in their maritime agreement, Riyadh and Cairo have used maps in which Halayeb falls within Egyptian territory.

Conceding the sovereignty of the strategic islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Riyadh provoked massive protests in the Egyptian capital.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Cairo and other cities last Friday against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's decision to give up the islands.

A large number of other people have also taken to social media over the past days to show their anger at the government decision.

The Tiran Island is located at the entrance of the Straits of Tiran, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba. Its strategic significance lies in the fact that it is an important sea passage to the major ports of Aqaba in Jordan and Eilat in Israel.

The Sanafir Island is in the east of Tiran, and measures 33 square kilometers (13 square miles) in area.

The ownership of the two islands had been handed to Egypt in 1982, when Tel Aviv and Cairo signed the so-called Camp David peace accords.

Egypt journalists stage open-ended sit-in

On Monday, Egypt's Journalists' Syndicate called for the dismissal of the country's interior minister; and its members launched an open-ended sit-in at the syndicate's headquarters in Cairo to protest the arrest of two journalists.

The syndicate's building has been under police attention since last month, when over 2,000 demonstrations gathered in front of it to protest the government's decision to hand over the two islands to Saudi Arabia.

Police raided the syndicate on Sunday night and arrested journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud el-Sakka, accusing them of "organizing protests to destabilize the country."

The syndicate denounced the police entry into its building as a "raid by security forces whose blatant barbarism and aggression on the dignity of the press and journalists and their syndicate has surprised the journalistic community and the Egyptian people."

Police have reportedly deployed hundreds of uniformed and undercover police officers to central Cairo to prevent any protests during the raid.

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US Navy SEAL Killed During IS Attack in Iraq

by Carla Babb, Sharon Behn May 03, 2016

A U.S. Navy SEAL has been killed by enemy fire during an Islamic State attack on a Kurdish Peshmerga position in northern Iraq, a defense official told VOA.

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said the service member was "advising and assisting Peshmerga forces" north of the city of Mosul when they came under attack.

"The casualty occurred during an ISIL attack on a Peshmerga position approximately three to five kilometers behind the forward line of troops," he said in a statement.

Enemy fighters had beached the front line held by the Kurds during the attack, a defense official told VOA

The SEAL sustained at least one gunshot wound during the assault and was evacuated from the battlefield for medical treatment before dying from his injuries, a second defense official said.

This is the third U.S. combat death in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition began its campaign against Islamic State in 2014.

IS offensive

IS militants launched a multi-front offensive at dawn on Tuesday, hitting various Kurdish frontline positions north and south of Mosul. The militants used a combination of heavy weapons, vehicle-borne and body-borne suicide attackers in attempts to breach the frontline held mainly by Peshmerga forces backed by U.S. advisers and coalition airstrikes.

Kurdish forces later claimed to have have completely cleared two towns that came under attack by IS Tuesday. The Kurdistan Region Security Council said via Twitter that Telskuf and Musqelat were cleared with help from coalition airstrikes, killing more than 80 IS fighters while destroying 25 IS vehicles used in the attacks. It was not possible to independently verify the casualty numbers.

"I commend our brave Peshmerga & commanders for defeating ISIS in today's attack and demonstrating Kurdistan remains a graveyard for terrorists," Kurdistan Region Security Council Chancellor Masrour Barzani said via his own Twitter account, adding "My heartfelt condolences are with the families of our fallen Peshmerga and the brave U.S. serviceman martyred earlier today."

Intense fighting

Peshmerga Gen. Hamid Afandi said the fighting had been particularly intense in Telskuf, some 30 kilometers north of Mosul.

"It was a very huge attack. IS had control for about to to three hours, then they were pushed back. There were a lot of airstrikes," said Afandi.

A U.S. military statement said coalition forces conducted seven airstrikes near Mosul, hitting six IS tactical units, vehicles, weapons caches and a mortar system. Four more strikes south of Mosul hit a "large tactical unit" and destroyed 19 rocket rails.

The IS attacks appeared to be an attempt to push back an ongoing but slow-moving Iraqi forces' offensive aimed at retaking the IS stronghold of Mosul.

Carter reacts

The latest US fatality in the fight against IS was initially announced Tuesday in Germany by Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

"It's a serious fight that we have to wage in Iraq, Carter said. "A very sad loss."

Cook added that the sad news is a reminder of the dangers faced every day by U.S. service members in the ongoing fight to end the threat Islamic State "poses to the United States and the rest of the world.".

VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report from Washington; Ali Javanmardi reported from Irbil

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Why Islamic State Is Down But Not Out

by Jamie Dettmer May 02, 2016

Islamic State may have lost territory in Syria and Iraq, but the terror group has increased the tempo of its ground operations in both countries in the past three months, pulling off the highest quarterly attack total since it overran the Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014, according to a new battlefield analysis.

While the IS attacks have not seen the militants wrest back any substantial chunks of its shrinking self-proclaimed caliphate, the ferocity and pace of the group's attacks are testimony to its continued durability and resourcefulness, highlighting the challenge its various foes face in defeating it.

"Following territorial losses, we are seeing a steady upward trend in the tempo of Islamic State operations worldwide, but particularly in Syria and Iraq," warns Matthew Henman, head of Jane's Terrorism & Insurgency Center, part of the U.S.-based analysis firm IHS.

Attacks on rise

"Attack and fatality numbers have jumped. The group is resorting more and more to mass-casualty violence as it comes under heavy pressure from multiple angles," he added.

There were 891 IS attacks during the first quarter of 2016 in Iraq and Syria, more than in any three-month period since mid-2014, when the terror group made sweeping advances across both countries. The 2016 attacks have killed 2,150 people, a 44 percent rise over the previous quarter and the highest three-month death toll in almost a year, according to the IHS analysis.

U.S. officials estimate IS has lost about 40 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and nearly 25 percent in Syria. The serious loss of territory began with the fall of Tikrit last May to Shi'ite Iraqi militias. In December, Iraqi government forces took back the western Iraqi city of Ramadi.

Russian-backed Syrian regime forces recaptured the town of Palmyra from the militants last March.

IS recalibrating

The accumulating battlefield losses for the terror army were greeted as a serious setback for an organization that once boasted it would "remain and expand." Last month IHS concluded in another report the tide had turned decisively against the extremist organization in Syria. IS has failed to pull-off a successful large-scale ground offensive in Syria since May 2015 when it captured Palmyra after a lightning offensive across the desert, but it has learned to recalibrate its battlefield tactics to better evade airstrikes by using highly mobile small-force attacks, say analysts.

In Iraq, IS has managed to slow advances on Mosul using snipers, improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and small-force attacks. When they lose villages, attacking forces have to spend considerable amounts of time sweeping for mines and clearing out booby-trap bombs.

And since the successful Russian-backed assault by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Palmyra, the grabbing back of territory from IS has been painfully slow, with the various alliances against it grappling with their own internal problems and disunity or distracted by targeting other foes.

Iraqi government forces have been bogged down for weeks on the outskirts of the village of Al-Nasr, 56 kilometers south of Mosul. IS has battered back assaults on the village, which reportedly had been designated for capture more than a month ago. Iraqi Kurdish fighters have publicly complained at the slow pace of movement by Iraqi government forces, which are in the lead.

Key ingredient missing

According to analysts, one key ingredient in fighting IS is missing as local tribes are not turning en masse against Islamic militants in either Syria or Iraq. U.S. and anti-IS coalition allies have been seeking to replicate the Sunni Awakening of 2006, when a Washington-coaxed tribal uprising was a key element in assisting U.S. troops to drive al-Qaida jihadists from Iraq's westernmost Anbar province.

An expected flood of defecting tribesmen has not materialized, Charlie Winter, an analyst at Georgia State University's Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative, told VOA earlier this year. He said much of the reason for the absence of a tribal uprising lies with IS efforts to keep the tribes in line.

"IS has been working on tribal relations for a very long time now. The networking infrastructure IS has established, principally in the form of the Diwan al-'Asha'ir (Diwan for Tribal Outreach), enables it to anticipate and carefully respond to the complex tribal dynamics of Iraq and Syria."

It has also used brute force to discipline the tribes with massacres and collective punishment for any dissent or defiance. With the high tempo of IS operations, locals who may have been tempted to break with the terror group are deterred from doing so, fearing the consequences.

The highly complicated and sectarian politics unleashed by the micro-conflicts in the Syrian war and Iraq battles also pull against a tribal uprising.

And the sectarian disputes in Baghdad, which teetered on the edge of political chaos this past weekend when protesters led by Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr crowded the streets in front of the country's parliament, will likely further disrupt the focus on Mosul. U.S. officials fear the loss of political momentum and unity in Baghdad will lead to a loss of military momentum against the Islamic militants.

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Former American Detainee Says North Korea Tried to Use Him as Negotiating Tool

by Baik Sungwon May 03, 2016

Kenneth Bae, an American missionary who was detained in North Korea for more than two years, said Pyongyang tried to use him as a political bargaining chip.

In a rare interview with VOA's Korean service last Friday, Bae described in detail the ordeal that made him the longest-held American by the North since the Korean War. The former detainee is releasing a memoir "Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea" this week.

Bae, 47, a South Korean-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in Rason, a city in North Korea's northeast, in November, 2012 for carrying a computer hard drive containing his missionary work and a documentary video about the country. Bae said he was not aware he was bringing the items. But, several months later the North sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly trying to overthrow the state.

Harsh sentence

"Even before the trial, they told me the sentence would not matter much. Instead, they said how the U.S. government acts after the trial would matter most," said Bae.

The sentencing came amid escalating tensions between North Korea and the U.S. following Pyongyang's third nuclear test.

"I felt a sense of rising tensions. North Koreans told me war with the U.S. was imminent," the missionary recalled.

Bae said Pyongyang sought a visit by a high-profile figure such as a former U.S. president or a secretary-level official.

"They did not name a specific individual, but repeatedly mentioned the release of female journalists in 2009 as an example," Bae said.

In 2009 Pyongyang released two detained American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, after former president Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang and met with Kim Jong Il, then North Korean leader.

High-profile visit sought

Bae said the North Koreans forced him to press the U.S. government to send the high-level envoy by staging media interviews or preparation sessions.

"Every letter that I sent to my family was prescreened. I had to rewrite it again and again until it got cleared," he said.

North Korea repeatedly said it would not use Bae as a political bargaining chip during his captivity.

In November 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama dispatched James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, the nation's most senior intelligence official, to Pyongyang, resulting in the release of Bae and another American detainee Matthew Todd Miller.

The American envoy, however, apparently did not bring the message Pyongyang wanted.

"When I first met them, they appeared to be upset, and I felt appreciative and sorry for the troubles that my action had caused," said Bae, referring to his meeting with a U.S. delegation led by Clapper.

Efforts to release him

After the trip, Clapper said he did not know whether his mission would be a success.

"I was quite apprehensive, because we weren't sure how this was going to play out," the intelligence chief said.

"I think they were disappointed, frankly, that I didn't have some breakthrough," Clapper said of the North Koreans.

Bae said he had to perform grueling labor such as carrying rocks or shoveling coal and received verbal threats although he was not beaten or physically tortured during the captivity. While performing hard labor, his health deteriorated. He suffered back pain, diabetes and gallstones. In August 2013, he was placed in a hospital to recuperate. A month later, Washington secretly sent a National Security Council official and a medical doctor to Pyongyang to check Bae's conditions and negotiate his release, according to Bae.

Bae was born in Seoul and came to the U.S. with his family in 1985. After graduating from the University of Oregon and a seminary in St. Louis, he moved to China for missionary work. In 2010, he set up a small company in Dandong, a Chinese border town, which specialized in tours of North Korea. He had traveled to the country 17 times before he was detained.

Currently, North Korea is holding two U.S. citizens on charges of committing "hostile acts" against the state.

This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Korean Service.

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The Government of France - Hellfire Missiles

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 16-34

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2016 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to France for Hellfire Missiles and associated equipment, training, and support. The estimated cost is $30 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 29, 2016.

The Government of France previously requested the potential sale of one hundred twelve (112) AGM-114K1A Hellfire Missiles, one hundred two (102) AGM-114N1A Hellfire Missiles, fifty (50) ATM-114Q1A Hellfire Training Missiles. Non-MDE consists of four (4) Hellfire Missile Mock-Up Sectional Models, four (4) Hellfire II AGM-114N Warhead Mock-Ups, thirty (30) Hellfire M36-E4 Training Missiles, sixty (60) Hellfire M60 Dummy Missiles, M299 Launcher Spare Parts (O and I Level), Hellfire Missile Spare Parts (O and I Level), M36-E4 Training Missile Spare Parts (O and I Level), Integrated Logistics Support Hardware Equipment, Training, U.S. Government Technical Assistance, one hundred (100) Dome Covers, three (3) Hellfire AGM-114K1A Warhead Sections, three (3) Hellfire AGM-114N1 Warhead Sections, thirty (30) LSS Simulators, three (3) AN-205Bs, forty-four (44) IRIS, three (3) Calibration Cables, AN-205B Test Equipment Spare Parts, AGM-114N1 Warheads without Electronic Safe, Arm and Fire Device, thirteen (13) AGM-114K1A Main Warheads with No Control Interface Group, thirteen (13) AGM-114K1A Precursors, Hellfire Tripod Launcher with Launch Control without Laser, Technical Data Documentation, Publications, Repair and Return Services, Classified Technical Data Package, Unanticipated and Unprogrammed Requirements, sixteen (16) Hellfire II AGM-114K1A Missile Sleeves, Hellfire M60 Dummy Missile Spare Parts, sixty (60) M34 Hellfire Training Missile, and Conversion Services for M34 Dummy Missiles. The MDE value of these items was $20 million; the total implemented value of the initial case and amendments was $42 million.

Of the items listed above, France has already received (via a below Congressional threshold-level FMS case, FR-B-WAA) one-hundred and twelve (112) AGM-114K1A Hellfire Missiles, one hundred two (102) AGM-114N1A Hellfire Missiles, fifty (50) ATM-114Q1A Hellfire Training Missiles, Hellfire Missile conversion kits, blast fragmentation sleeves and installation kits, containers, and transportation.

France has requested that this existing FMS case, FR-B-WAA, be amended with the possible sale of two-hundred (200) AGM-114K1A Hellfire Missiles, Hellfire Missile conversion, blast fragmentation sleeves and installation kits, containers, and transportation. The estimated MDE cost in this amendment is $25 million. The total estimated cost is $30 million.

As the amendment requested by France will raise the value of FR-B-WAA over the Congressional notification threshold, this transmittal notifies what will be the total quantities and value of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with this proposed amendment. The estimated cost of MDE is $45 million. The total estimated cost is $72 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the capability of a NATO ally. France is a major political and economic power in Europe and a key democratic partner of the United States in ensuring peace and stability around the world. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist France to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability.

The additional missiles will meet France's operational requirements for a precision guided tactical missile for its Tigre Attack Helicopter. The purchase will directly support French forces actively engaged in operations in Mali and Northern Africa, providing them the capability to successfully engage targets with minimal collateral damage. France will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

There is no principal contractor for this sale as the missiles are coming from U.S. Army stock. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives in France.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

-30-

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Iran Says Oil Exports To South Korea Up Fourfold Since January

May 03, 2016

by RFE/RL

Iran has increased oil exports to South Korea fourfold since January and now hopes to triple its yearly trade with Seoul, Iranian leaders have said.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said Tehran had quadrupled its oil exports to the world's fifth-largest importer of crude, sending Seoul 400,000 barrels a day in April, up from 100,000 barrels before economic sanctions were lifted in January under a nuclear deal with world powers.

His announcement came on a day when the OPEC oil cartel rocked global markets with estimates showing that Iran increased its daily oil production to 3.5 million barrels a day last month, the most since December 2011.

That is not far from Iran's goal of reaching its 4 million-barrel output peak before sanctions were imposed.

Iran announced its ambitious new trade goals and achievements during South Korean President Park Geun-Hye's visit to Tehran, which was the first for any South Korean president since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962.

Park met with Iranian President Hassan Rohani and the two held a joint press conference announcing their major expansion in trade and tourism to $18 billion a year, and reestablishment of direct airline flights between Tehran and Seoul.

Park, accompanied by a delegation of more than 230 Korean business executives and aides, was also received by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei told Park that the United States, Korea's closest ally, should not influence Iranian-South Korean ties.

"Relations between Iran and South Korea should not be dependent on sanctions or influenced by the United States or any grudges the U.S. may hold" against Iran, Khamenei said, according to his website.

"We believe there is a possibility for more understanding, agreement and cooperation with Asian countries, including South Korea," Khamenei said.

On the first day of Park's visit on May 1, the two countries pledged to develop the energy sector.

"We will expand relations in energy projects and infrastructure...and in oil, gas, railways, and ports," Park said at the news conference with Rohani.

The two governments signed 19 cooperation agreements in the presence of the presidents, and further memorandums of understanding were due to be signed by the private sector, Rohani said.

Woori Bank opened an office in Tehran, becoming the first South Korean lender to have one, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.

Park and Rohani also discussed the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula and fears that Pyongyang may conduct a fifth nuclear test.

Rohani urged Seoul to follow Iran's example and establish a nuclear-free zone.

"Our demand is a world free of weapons of mass destruction, especially freeing the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East from destructive weapons," he said.

With reporting by AFP and AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/iran- says-oil-exports-south-korea-up-fourfold-since-january- economic-sanction-nuclear-deal/27712633.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iraq recaptures four villages in Anbar Province

Iran Press TV

Tue May 3, 2016 3:3PM

Iraqi military and allied volunteer fighters have recaptured several villages in volatile western province of Anbar, dealing another blow to Daesh militants as anti-Takfiri operations continue.

Local media said Tuesday that members of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces managed to retake four villages, namely Buasi, Fuhaylat, Daeij and Khalid, south of the flashpoint city of Fallujah.

The chief commander of the military operation in Anbar said Iraqi forces also destroyed four hideouts of militants in an area located some 40 kilometers east of the provincial capital of Ramadi.

Ismail Mahlavi said one notable member of Daesh was killed in the operation and several others were injured.

The advances came one day after Iraqis seized control several villages close to Hit, a town west of Ramadi, which pro-government forces recaptured last month.

The ongoing drive against Daesh is part of a larger operation against the group in Iraq's west and north where the militants have been in control of some territories since summer of 2014. The military and allies liberated Ramadi late December following fierce clashes around the town.

An operation is also under way in the northern province of Nineveh where Iraqis have been retaking villages and towns to prepare for a final offensive into Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and the most important urban area under control of Daesh in Iraq and in neighboring Syria.

Reports on Tuesday also suggested that Kurdish fighters had seized control of a key town north of Mosul. Sources in the Iraqi army confirmed that Peshmerga forces liberated Telskuf (Tesqopa) about 20 kilometers north of Mosul, after some fierce clashes with Daesh militants.

Iraqi forces are still at least 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Mosul where fighting there has been forcing thousands of civilians from their homes.

The United Nations warned Tuesday that the operation, which also enjoys partnership of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, could displace 30,000 civilians in the coming weeks.

The UN refugee agency said around 8,000 people have been accommodated in a camp east of the town of Makhmur, the main staging ground for Mosul operation, but warned that more places would be needed to respond to "in response to increasing numbers of newly displaced families."

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Pakistan: No Military Action Against Afghan Taliban on Its Soil

by Ayaz Gul May 03, 2016

Pakistan is rejecting Afghan demands for military action against Taliban commanders within Pakistan and emphasizes the need to continue talks for a settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan.

In Islamabad Tuesday, Pakistani foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz dismissed demands by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that Pakistan evict Taliban insurgents through military action or arrest and hand them over to Kabul for trial and punishment for killing innocent Afghans. Ghani recently announced that Afghanistan will not seek Pakistan's help in arranging reconciliation talks with the Taliban.

Aziz called Afghan outrage at Pakistan an expression of frustration because they (Afghan leaders) were expecting reconciliation talks would have started by now and led to a reduction in violence. He said it is unfortunate the Taliban has gone ahead with its spring offensive and negotiations have also not started.

The Pakistani adviser, however, also said the insurgency has been unable to make significant advances in the fighting and has not captured any territory. He said that if stability persists on the battlefield, it could push the Taliban to the talks with the Afghan government.

Aziz said Pakistan has not yet come to that stage because officials believe it is premature; but Afghanistan is pushing Pakistan to urgently examine and take action against Taliban leaders. Aziz added that Islamabad is telling Kabul the military option has been applied since 2001 but has not ended the Afghan conflict, referring to the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

He said, "The reconciliation option cannot materialize in just two to four weeks and should be given due time because it is the only way to bring peace to Afghanistan."

Peaceful resolution

Aziz said Pakistan will continue to pursue efforts together with the United States and China for a peaceful resolution of the Afghan war. He added that a Taliban delegation from its political office in Qatar also visited Pakistan last week as part of the "exploratory contacts" Islamabad is making to facilitate Afghan peace talks.

The Pakistani official said Beijing, Washington and even negotiators from Afghanistan's High Peace Council also maintain contacts with the Taliban's Qatar office and are using them to promote the peace and reconciliation process.

Kabul has criticized Islamabad for allowing the Taliban to send a delegation to Islamabad, saying "a terrorist group" should not have been allowed to do so.

Kabul hardened its stance toward reconciliation talks and relations with Pakistan after a deadly bomb-and-gun assault in the Afghan capital on April 19 left nearly 70 people dead and around 350 others wounded.

After the Kabul attack, the Afghan government accused Islamabad of not acting against the Taliban and militants linked to the Haqqani network that Kabul alleges used Pakistani soil to plot the assault and other insurgent violence in Afghanistan. Haqqanis have ties to the Pakistani spy agency, according to Afghan and U.S. officials.



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Spain Issues Warrants For Top Russian Officials, Putin Insiders

May 03, 2016

by RFE/RL

A Spanish judge has issued international arrest warrants for several current and former Russian government officials and other political figures closely linked to President Vladimir Putin.

The named Russians include a former prime minister and an ex-defense minister, as well as a current deputy prime minister and the current head of the lower house of parliament's finance committee.

The Spanish documents detail alleged members of two of Russia's largest and best-known criminal organizations -- the Tambov and Malyshev gangs -- in connection with crimes committed in Spain including murder, weapons and drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering.

But Spanish police also conclude that one of the gangs was able to penetrate Russian ministries, security forces, and other key government institutions and businesses with the help of an influential senior legislator.

Judge Jose de la Mata issued the arrest warrants in January but the action was not announced to the press until May 2.

One of those alleged to be tied to the gangs is Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, a former public prosecutor in Putin's native St. Petersburg who joined Putin's Kremlin administration as chief of staff at its inception in 1999-2000.

Another is Vladislav Reznik, a lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party and first deputy chairman of the Finance Committee in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma.

Another is Viktor Zubkov, who served as Russian prime minister from September 2007 until May 2008. He then served as Putin's first deputy prime minister from May 2008 until May 2012, during Dmitry Medvedev's presidency.

Also named as alleged members are Nikolai Nikolaevich Aulov, the head of the Interior Ministry's directorate-general; former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov; former Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sobolevsky; and former Information Technology Minister Leonid Reiman.

The arrest warrants follow an investigation by Spanish police into the Russian gangs' activities in Spain from 2008 to 2011. A copy of the Spanish prosecutor's resulting 400-page report that reached the media in June indicated that ties between the Tambov gang's activities in Spain and the Kremlin insiders was established largely through recordings of phone calls.

The investigation particularly highlights the role of Gennady Petrov, who is believed to be the head of the Tambov group. He was arrested during a raid on his Majorca villa in 2008 in a sweep that also netted 20 other suspected members of the Spanish branch of the Tambov gang. However, Petrov was later allowed to travel to Russia and has been living in St. Petersburg ever since.

"The criminal organization headed by Petrov managed to achieve a clear penetration of the state structures of his country, not only with the lawmaker [Vladislav] Reznik but with several ministers," the prosecutor's report said.

Spanish police allege that Petrov managed to penetrate Russian institutions including municipalities, ministries, security forces, ports authorities, and private organizations such as banks and corporations through Reznik's influence.

Petrov became co-owner of the Bank Rossia in 1998 to 1999, together with three of Putin's close friends: Nikolai Shamalov, Viktor Myachin, and Yury Kovalchuk. The three Putin friends were founding members of the Ozero Collective.

The Ozero ("Lake") Collective is a residential housing cooperative that Putin and close acquaintances formed in 1996 to purchase lakeside property and build vacation homes for themselves near St. Petersburg. The homes form a gated community and the members of the cooperative have since gone on to prominent positions in Russian government and business and become very wealthy.

The Tambov and Malyshev gangs both originated as protection rackets in St. Petersburg in the late 1980s. Rivals in the past, the two fought a bloody battle for supremacy in 1989 and are believed to control scores of industrial enterprises and engage in drug trafficking, prostitution, protection rackets, and money laundering.

A criminal investigation into a 1 billion-euro money-laundering operation in Bulgaria in 2008 by the Tambov gang provided one recent measure of its scale of operations.

The question now is whether Moscow will react to Spain's issuance of arrest warrants and whether it would extradite any of those named. Almost all are believed to be currently residing in Russia.



"Today the main figures in the Spanish [prosecutor's] report are living in Russia without any problems, and they are doing fine," Andrei Zykov, a retired senior investigator who specialized in corruption and serious economic crimes in areas including St. Petersburg, told RFE/RL in December.

With reporting by El Mundo and Republica

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-spain- warrant-top-officials-putin-insiders/27713179.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Norway to Send 60 Troops to Jordan to Train Syrians Fighting Daesh

Sputnik News

21:01 02.05.2016(updated 21:05 02.05.2016)

The contingent of around 60 soldiers from Norway will provide training, advice and operational support to local Syrian groups in Jordan that are fighting against Daesh, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Norway will send 60 troops to train and advise Syrians fighting against Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militants inside Syria, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said Monday.

This will be part of a broader international mission under a UNSC resolution that urges all UN member states to strengthen their efforts in the fight against Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

"The contingent of around 60 soldiers will provide training, advice and operational support to local Syrian groups that are fighting against ISIL," the statement by Solberg read.

Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said the Nordic nation was asked to increase its military contribution to the international coalition against Daesh.

"The fighting itself will be done by others, but we can help by enhancing their combat capabilities," Soreide said.

Norway's contribution will include special operations forces. The troops will be based in Jordan but Norway says the mission has a mandate to provide support from Syrian territory, although the motion will need parliamentary approval.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Army Repels Major Nusra Front Attack on Western Aleppo

Sputnik News

19:47 02.05.2016(updated 19:54 02.05.2016)

The Syrian army supported by militia repelled an attack of the Nusra Front and allied groups on the western part of the city of Aleppo.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik)  A source told Sputnik that militants had attacked the city from five directions simultaneously but were pulled back by the airstrikes of Syria's air forces.

"Terrorists of the Nusra [Front] and their allies attempted to attack positions of the [Syrian] army and militia in the western part of Aleppo. The scale of the attack forced the army to request the Syrian Air Force's support, its airstrikes left dozens of militants killed," the source said.

Information on casualties among the Syrian army troops and local militia was not immediately available.

Aleppo has recently been mired in violence and heavy fighting, despite the nationwide ceasefire in Syria. At least 100 civilians were killed last week as a result of terrorists' mortar and rocket shelling on Aleppo's residential areas.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force across Syria on February 27. It was supported by Damascus, as well as by dozens of opposition groups on the ground. The Nusra Front and Daesh, both outlawed in Russia, were not part of the deal.

 Sputnik

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Remarks With Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

President Wilson Hotel

Geneva, Switzerland

May 2, 2016



QUESTION: Can you tell us how you're going to separate al-Nusrah from the opposition fighters and stop the fighting in Aleppo?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, this is what we're discussing, and  among other things. There are a number of different ways to approach it. There were a lot of conversations taking place yesterday, the day before, today, and we're getting closer to a place of understanding. But we have some work to do, and that's why we're here.

QUESTION: Mr. Minister?

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER Al-JUBEIR: What is happening in Aleppo is an outrage. It's a violation of all humanitarian laws. It's a crime. It's a violation of all the understandings that were reached in  during the Vienna process. It's a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254. It's a violation of the understandings reached with regard to the cessation of hostilities.

There is only one side that is flying airplanes, and that is Bashar al-Assad and his allies, so they are responsible for the massacre of women, children, and the elderly. They are responsible for the murder of doctors and medical personnel, and this situation, any way you slice it, will not stand. The world is not going to allow them to get away with this.

And as we've said before, Bashar al-Assad's days are numbered. He will leave. He can leave through a political process, which we hope he will do, or he will be removed by force. A man who murdered 400,000 people, displaced 12 million, destroyed a country, has no future in that country.



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Remarks With UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura after Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

President Wilson Hotel

Geneva, Switzerland

May 2, 2016



SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody. I'm very appreciative to Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations envoy to Syria, for his tremendous work and his efforts over the last months to help to bring life to a political process in the midst of a conflict that is in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing to everybody in the world, I hope.

The cessation of hostilities that we were able to negotiate and put in place over the Christmas holiday and into January has had a profoundly positive impact on the lives of many Syrians during the time that it has been kept, and over much of Syria violence has been significantly down, many lives have been saved, and many communities have succeeded in having humanitarian assistance delivered after in some cases years in which they had no humanitarian assistance. But it is a fact that in the last weeks, the cessation of hostilities has been put to test, and it has frayed in certain areas and it has fallen completely in a few areas. And so we are engaged in an effort with all of the members of the International Syria Support Group and with Russia particularly in an effort to restore that cessation of hostilities in those places where it has been most at risk or most shredded.

In particular, in the last hours of Saturday morning, we were able to restore a brief period of the cessation going back into effect in East Ghouda and in Latakia. And now we are very much working and focused on the question of restoring the cessation of hostilities to the remaining areas where it's been disturbed, but particularly to Aleppo. And Aleppo is particularly disturbing to everyone for what has happened there. There are three health clinics now, one major hospital, that have been attacked from the air by bombs. There are only two air forces flying in that particular area, and the Russians are clear that they were not engaged or flying at that time. The regime has clearly indicated the willingness, over a period of time now, to attack first responders, to attack health care workers and rescue workers. And the attack on this hospital is on unconscionable, under any standard anywhere. It has to stop.

The last pediatrician who was serving people in the Aleppo area was killed the other day in this hospital, not to mention probably some 250 civilians, some of whom were killed by the other side. So both sides  the opposition and the regime  have contributed to this chaos. And we are working over these next hours intensely in order to try to restore the cessation of hostilities, and at the same time to raise the level of accountability that will accompany the day-to-day process of implementing the ceasefire. To that effect Russia and the United States have agreed that there will be additional personnel who will work from here in Geneva on a daily basis, 24/7, in order to  24 hours a day, 7 days a week  in order to try to make sure that there is a better job and a better ability to be able to enforce the cessation of hostilities day to day.

I will be talking later today by telephone with Foreign Minister Lavrov, and Staffan de Mistura will be traveling to Moscow tomorrow for meetings. Our hope is that over the course  as soon as possible; we're trying to press this as fast as is possible, but I don't want to make any promises that can't be kept. So we are trying in the next hours to see if it is possible to reach agreement that can not just re-implement cessation, but create a path forward for the cessation to hold so that there isn't one day of silence or two days of silence, but an ongoing process that relieves the people of Syria from this devastation, from this day-to-day killing machine that is being unleashed by the Assad regime. And obviously, it is incumbent on the United States and our colleagues in the International Syria Support Group to keep our part of the bargain, which is to make certain that the opposition is living up to this agreement, and it is incumbent on Russia and Iran as they have accepted responsibility to make sure that the regime is living up to its part of this agreement.

At the same time, it is imperative that the full measure of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254  which not only calls on the parties to have a cessation of hostilities, of a country-wide ceasefire, but it is imperative that the humanitarian access that was promised in that resolution is delivered. And the regime, unfortunately, is still preventing access to certain communities. So that has to be part of our ability to be able to get back to political talks. You cannot have legitimate political talks about peace when the parties at the table have both signed up to an agreement which calls for a full cessation of hostilities countrywide as well as a full delivery of humanitarian materials countrywide, and yet one party is blatantly violating that agreement.

So this is the moment to try to make certain that what everybody has signed up to is in fact being delivered, being lived up to, without hypocrisy and without variation. And that's what we're working for, and I'm hopeful that over the course of the next day or so greater clarity will be available as to exactly what progress has been made.

Staffan.

MR DE MISTURA: Thank you. Thank you. First of all, I want to thank you yourself for having been so actively involved and coming all the way here to Geneva to address urgently an issue that you are very much caring about (inaudible) the U.S. and Russian Federation, who on the 27th of February were able to do a miracle. Now, that miracle is becoming very fragile  so fragile that it's really wasting a lot. You mention it, and (inaudible) in particular needs to be addressed  254 victims I think (inaudible) in the last few days; three hospitals (inaudible). There is no excuse for not finding again a reinvigorating and reinstalling and re-implementing what has been the only strong message the Syrian people have heard from all of us, that it's possible to have talks when finally the cessation of hostilities is renewed and the violence (inaudible).

Tomorrow, as (inaudible) discussed, I'm going to Moscow, and the message will be exactly the same. I hope really that the message that we gave at the Security Council the other day, a feeling (inaudible) the U.S. and Russia and the special team that we have, which is called the International Support Group, will be reinvigorating what has been a major (inaudible).

So in the next few days, we will hope to do so. The Syrians are asking for that every day (inaudible)  every day.

SECRETARY KERRY: And I forgot to mention  obviously, I shouldn't forget  I met earlier with the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Adel al-Jubeir, who will be meeting with Staffan shortly. And he agreed and we agreed to make maximum efforts with the opposition itself in order to make certain that they are ready and prepared to go back to the table the minute a cessation and the  is in place appropriately with these new mechanisms, and that the humanitarian blockade is opened up. These are very important things, and I think we're all agreed that we need to make progress on them. Thank you.

QUESTION: Do you really trust the Russians now?

QUESTION: Sir, other than adding the personnel here to monitor and enforce the ceasefire, has anything else been yet agreed? Is there any progress in establishing the safe zones in Aleppo?

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah, there are. There is some provisional agreement  I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. But the answer is there is progress in terms of what is being discussed at the table. There are several proposals that are now going back to key players to sign off. We're hopeful, but we're not there yet. And I don't think we should  we're not going to be in the business of promising something's done before it's done. But there is a serious conversation taking place, with serious additional proposals that have to be signed off on by various people, but I think we have some agreements about how to go forward. We simply have to now work through the details and implement it. But there  this is always a tough business, so we're not there yet. We're going to work very hard over the next 24 hours, 48 hours to get there.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR DE MISTURA: Let me add one point on that.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR DE MISTURA: Let me add one point. We are reinvigorating, actually together, between the Russians and Americans in the UN building, the operations center. In other words, we are preparing the mechanism. But the mechanism we need the political will, otherwise we would have only a mechanism. But that is actually being started today, preparing for a much better mechanism for monitoring and controlling a new ceasefire, reinvigorated. But we need political will for that. (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Well said.

QUESTION: Secretary Kerry, do you think you can trust the Russians on this?

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you very much.

MR DE MISTURA: Thank you.





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Norway to send 60 soldiers to train 'anti-Daesh forces' in Syria

Iran Press TV

Tue May 3, 2016 6:0AM

Norway has announced plans to dispatch 60 troops to Jordan to train militants for the Syria war, days after the US announced deployment of special forces to the Arab country.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg said Monday the Norwegian Parliament will need to be consulted if troops from the Scandinavian country are to operate within Syria.

Defense Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide did not identify which Syrian groups will be trained by the Norwegian soldiers, noting that they have been selected following a "thorough and systematic" selection process.

"One condition for our support is that their operations be directed against IS and that they do not harm any of the current peace efforts in Syria," Soreide said.

According to the Norwegian defense chief, the deployment to Jordan comes in line with a request from the US-led coalition purportedly fighting Daesh.

"The fighting itself will be done by others, but we can help by enhancing their combat capabilities," she said.

Norway announced the decision after the US said last month that it would send an additional 250 military personnel to Syria, increasing to 300 the number of American forces on the ground in the Arab state.

Reports say 150 US troops have recently entered the Rumeilan airport east of Syria. Damascus has strongly condemned the deployment.

Norway had previously sent 120 soldiers to northern Iraq with the declared aim of train Iraqi government forces as well as Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fighting Daesh militants.

Since September 2014, Washington along with some of its allies has been conducting airstrikes against what are said to be positions of Daesh in Syria without any authorization from the government in Damascus or a UN mandate.

The campaign in Syria is an extension of the US-led airstrikes against similar positions in Iraq, which started in August 2014.

However, analysts say the US-led campaign has failed to dislodge the terrorists, who have seized parts of land in Iraq and Syria and are engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.

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Political Infighting: Erdogan Party Strips Power From Davutoglu

Sputnik News

22:51 02.05.2016(updated 22:53 02.05.2016)

In the latest sign of Turkey's slide toward dictatorship, the ruling AK Party has taken steps to remove power from Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and to consolidate authority behind embattled President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In recent weeks, the Turkish parliament has taken aggressive steps toward abandoning the country's secular constitution. If achieved, this would cement broader powers for an increasingly authoritarian Erdogan government.

"The main speaker of parliament, from AKP, declared that in the new constitution, we don't need the principle of secularism and there should be, somehow, Islam inside the constitution,"Turkish journalist Kemal Okuyan told Radio Sputnik's Loud & Clear last week.

"He declared their intention is to change Turkey into an Islamic state."

But as the ruling AKP works to establish its authority over Turkey, there are also signs of increasing tensions among the party's rank and file. Most notably, Erdogan appears to be removing power from Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

During a high-profile meeting of AKP's executive committee (MKYK) on Friday, the committee agreed to remove the prime minister's authority to appoint provincial party officials.

"This decision will weaken Davutoglu's power over the party," one official said. "Davutoglu's job will not be easy after this."

Under Turkey's current constitution, the president can have no say in party politics, as the position is theoretically meant as a check on the ambitions of the prime minister's party. But, given that Erdogan founded the AKP, he retains an outsized influence, even if he cannot participate officially.

Erdogan also maintains control through his personal relationships with current party members. Hayati Yazici, a key member of the MKYK, is the president's former lawyer. Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, another prominent member, is Erdogan's son-in-law.

"Davutoglu wants to carve out a political space for himself, but Erdogan is not intent on allowing the head of the executive  whether Davutoglu or anybody else  to have any significant degree of political independence," said former Turkish diplomat Sinan Ulgen.

"Erdogan is intent on fully controlling both the executive but also the political agenda of the country and he can only do that if he has this degree of control."

While critics have dubbed this a troubling move, the AKP has taken pains to downplay its significance.

"This authority has been taken back by the MKYK so that issues concerning the party can be discussed intensively and in more detail," party spokesman Omer Celik told reporters on Friday.

"It is not right to consider this change as a very radical move."

 Sputnik

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Cellnex has agreed to sell 1,100 sites in the UK to Wireless Infrastructure Group (WIG) as part of its plans to buy 6,000 passive infrastructure sites in the UK from CK Hutchison for US$4 billion.
Lithuanian English

Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-05-02 08:08 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 29 April 2016 General Shareholders Meeting of Invalda INVL has approved Invalda INVL Employee Stock Option Policy (hereinafter, the Policy) and authorized the Board of Invalda INVL to ensure the proper implementation of the Policy.

In the Policy it is foreseen to offer Employees options contracts during the year 2016, on the basis of which according to the procedures and terms established in options contracts during the year 2019 Employees will be able to exercise the right to acquire 52,906 ordinary shares of Invalda INVL which nominal value is EUR 0.29, by paying for every acquired share 1 (one) euro.

In order to the Policy provisions Invalda INVL signed options contracts with Employees for 52,906 ordinary registered shares of Invalda INVL.
Finnish English

Nokia Corporation

Stock Exchange Release

May 3, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. (CET +1)

Nokia to publish first quarter 2016 interim report on May 10, 2016

Espoo, Finland - Nokia will publish its first quarter 2016 interim report on May 10, 2016 at approximately 8 a.m. Finnish time (CET+1). The interim report will be made available on the Nokia website immediately after publication.

Nokia only publishes a summary of its interim reports in stock exchange releases. The summary focuses on Nokia Group's financial information as well as on Nokia's outlook.

The detailed segment level discussion will be available in the complete first quarter 2016 interim report at http://company.nokia.com/financials. Investors should not rely solely on summaries of Nokia's reports, but should also review the complete reports with tables.

Nokia's analyst conference call will begin on May 10 at 3 p.m. Finnish time. A link to the webcast of the conference call will be available at http://company.nokia.com/financials. Media representatives can listen in via the link on that website, or alternatively call +1 706 634 5012, conference ID: 955 966 11.



About Nokia

Nokia is a global leader in the technologies that connect people and things. Powered by the innovation of Bell Labs and Nokia Technologies, the company is at the forefront of creating and licensing the technologies that are increasingly at the heart of our connected lives.

With state-of-the-art software, hardware and services for any type of network, Nokia is uniquely positioned to help communication service providers, governments, and large enterprises deliver on the promise of 5G, the Cloud and the Internet of Things. http://www.nokia.com



Media Enquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Tel. +358 (0) 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com
CHATHAM  A Pittsylvania County General District Court judge denied bond Tuesday morning for a Keeling man accused of shooting a sheriffs deputy.

Brian Cundiff, charged with attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer, malicious injury of a law enforcement officer and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, appeared in and spoke briefly before the court.

Cundiff answered questions from Pittsylvania County Commonwealths Attorney Bryan Haskins and his attorney, Elmer Woodard, about what he would do if released from jail.

Cundiff said he lived with his father on Blair Lane, the house where the sheriffs office said he fired a shotgun at a cellphone, according to court records.

Cundiffs father called deputies about the incident and spoke with them before more shots from the Blair Lane residence.

Cundiff is suspected of firing a shot at Pittsylvania County sheriffs deputy Nicholas Samuels. The shot grazed his head and he had to get four staples for the injury, according to court records.

Cundiffs criminal history includes arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and assault and battery. He said he was working as an independent contractor before I got locked up.

He would have stayed with his mother if released.

Haskins said the charges against Cundiff are extremely serious.
VANCOUVER, May 2, 2016 - Reservoir Minerals Inc. ("Reservoir" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:RMC) (OTC PINK:RVRLF) (BERLIN:9RE) is pleased to advise that it has exercised its Right of First Offer ("ROFO") with Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation (" Freeport ") to acquire Freeport's 55% interest in the Timok Project Upper Zone of the Cukaru Peki copper-gold deposit, and increase its interest in the Lower Zone, by payment of US$135 million to Freeport.Reservoir completed an equity placement to Nevsun Resources Ltd. ("Nevsun") for US$90,296,571 (C$114,444,323) at a subscription price of C$9.40, and agreed a bridge loan with Nevsun for a total of US$44,703,429 (C$56,658,338). The proceeds of the equity placement and the bridge loan have been used to exercise the ROFO. Reservoir and Nevsun have previously announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine their respective companies (News release dated April 24, 2016).Dr. Simon Ingram, President and CEO of Reservoir Minerals Inc. , commented: "The Company is pleased to report the consolidation of the Timok Project Cukaru Peki copper-gold deposit Upper Zone. The recent PEA results highlight that this project has the potential to generate extremely robust economics even at spot prices and can be fast-tracked towards early production. Reservoirs' board believes that the business combination previously announced with Nevsun presents the best option for Reservoir shareholders to gain long term exposure to this exciting project."On March 7, 2016, the Company confirmed that its subsidiary Global Reservoir Minerals (BVI) Inc. had received a notice of sale and offer from Freeport International Holdings (BVI) Ltd. Freeport provided notice to Reservoir of the proposed sale to Lundin Mining Corp. ("Lundin") of an interest in Freeport International Holdings (BVI) Ltd., the entity through which Freeport holds its interest in the Timok Joint Venture in Serbia, under a Joint Venture/Shareholders Agreement dated December 15, 2015 among Freeport, Reservoir and Timok JVSA (BVI) Ltd., and offered to sell to Reservoir on the same terms and conditions as those agreed with Lundin pursuant to Reservoir's right of first refusal under Section 15.04 of the Joint Venture Agreement. Reservoir had until May 3, 2016 to decide whether it would exercise its right of first offer ("ROFO"). Reservoir has now exercised its ROFO by making the payment to Freeport of US$135 million and agreeing to the same terms and conditions as those agreed with Lundin.Reservoir has acquired 100% of Freeport's interest in the Timok Project Upper Zone of the Cukaru Peki copper-gold deposit, which is characterized by high grade massive and semi-massive sulphide mineralization (the "Upper Zone"), as well as Freeport's interest in all the mineral licenses comprising the Timok project, and 28% of Freeport's interest in the Timok Project Lower Zone of the Cukaru Peki deposit which is characterized by porphyry-style mineralization (the "Lower Zone"). Freeport will retain the remaining interest in the Lower Zone. In addition, Freeport has the option to have any new large mineral deposit containing at least four million tonnes of contained copper equivalent characterized in the same manner as the Lower Zone upon the payment to Reservoir of two times drilling, study and other similar costs plus other direct costs such as land acquisition costs.Reservoir will be appointed as operator of the Timok Project until the occurrence of certain events and will advance the development of both the Upper Zone and the Lower Zone in accordance with approved budgets and work programs. Reservoir will have the sole right to propose budgets and work programs relating to the Upper Zone and for certain agreed Lower Zone work, and Freeport will have the sole right to propose budgets and work programs relating to the Lower Zone, subject to specified exceptions. Until the delivery of a feasibility study Reservoir will; own 100% and fund 100% of the Upper Zone development costs, fund $20 million of agreed Lower Zone work and thereafter Reservoir will fund 28% of all other Lower Zone development costs, Reservoir will own 60.4% of the Lower Zone. After the delivery of the feasibility study Reservoir will continue to own 100% and fund 100% of the development of the Upper Zone, and Reservoir and Freeport will fund 46% and 54% respectively of the development of the Lower Zone, and each will be entitled to its pro rata share of economic benefits of the Lower Zone.Reservoir completed an equity placement to Nevsun for US$90,296,571 (C$114,444,323) at a subscription price of C$9.40 issuing 12,174,928 shares, such that Nevsun now owns 19.99% of the outstanding Reservoir common shares. Nevsun has the right to appoint one director to Reservoirs Board of directors.

Reservoir has entered into a Bridge Loan Credit Agreement with Nevsun for a total of US$44,703,429 (C$56,658,338). The Nevsun equity placement and Bridge Loan totalling US$135 million have been used to exercise the ROFO.



Reservoir has also entered into a Loan Agreement with Nevsun for US$850,000 that will be used for immediate Timok project operational expenses.





Qualified Person:



Dr. Tim Fletcher, Chartered Engineer (UK) and VP Exploration for Reservoir Minerals, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators and a consultant to the Company, approved the technical disclosure in this release and has verified the data disclosed.





About the Company:



Reservoir Minerals Inc. is an international mineral exploration and development company run by an experienced technical and management team, with a portfolio of precious and base metal exploration properties in Europe and Africa. The Company operates an exploration partnership business model to leverage its expertise through to discovery.



For further information on Reservoir Minerals Inc., please consult our website www.reservoirminerals.com.





This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information, including but not limited to those with respect to exploration results, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Reservoir Minerals Inc. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such factors include, among others, the actual prices of commodities, the factual results of current exploration, development and mining activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in documents filed from time to time with the securities regulators in the applicable Provinces of British Columbia and Alberta



Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.







Contact



Reservoir Minerals Inc.

Chris MacIntyre, VP Corporate Development

+1.416.703.0010

chris@reservoirminerals.com

www.reservoirminerals.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cypress Development Corp.(TSX-V:CYP) (OTCBB:CYDVF) (Frankfurt:C1Z1) ("Cypress" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, further to its news release April 5, 2016, that the Company has received lithium assays from Cypress' ongoing Phase 2 sampling program at its 1320 acre Clayton Valley Project located in Esmeralda County, Nevada.

Cypress Clayton Valley Lithium Project, Nevada claims map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/Clayton-Test-Wells-Plan-Map.jpg

Cypress' Clayton Valley Project is located on the south flank of "Angel Island" and immediately southeast of the Albemarle Silver Peak lithium mine. Cypress' Clayton Valley claims share their western boundary with claims controlled by Pure Energy Minerals. Pure Energy has identified a lithium resource at its northern resource area that is located to the immediate west of Cypress' property boundary.

The Albemarle Silver Peak mine is the only operating brine based lithium mine in North America. The Silver Peak mine began operations in 1967 to mine lithium by low cost evaporation ponds and has produced lithium since then. The lithium concentration in the production brines were reported in 2001 to average 160 ppm lithium (160 mg/litre) (Garrett Report, 2004). Cypress' highly prospective "Glory" and "Angel" claims are located within 0.5 miles (<1000m) south of current and past producing lithium brine wells belonging to the Albemarle Silver Peak Mine.

Cypress Phase 2 Clayton Valley Project Exploration Results

Phase 1 surface sampling of the claystones at Cypress' Clayton Valley Project was completed at the end of January in an area within the northwest portion of the property on the west flank of Angel Island. The outcropping claystone likely represent uplifted portions of the stratigraphy within which the lithium brines of the basin are produced.

The assays results encountered by Cypress suggest a strong possibility of an essentially continuously mineralized volume of lithium in claystones at surface on extensive portions of Cypress' Clayton Valley property. The Phase 2 sample results to date, including January's Phase 1 results, show 2 kilometers of north-south strike of outcropping claystones that assay approximately 1,000 ppm lithium on average.

An additional batch of samples have been collected from the most northern portion of the northwest area of Cypress' claim group to complete the Phase 2 sampling of that area. The new samples have been submitted to ALS Chemex in Reno for processing.

Cypress Clayton Valley Phase 2 lithium sampling sites map, Nevada:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/CYP-Clayton-Phase-2.jpg

The tables below show Phase 2 assay results from the North, Central, Southeast and Southwest areas of Cypress' Clayton Valley property.

North

Area

Assays Central

Area

Assays SE Area

Assays SAMPLE

ID Li ppm SAMPLE

ID Li ppm SAMPLE

ID Li ppm 243681 1680 243671 780 123190 420 243682 1150 243672 830 123191 470 243684 780 243673 730 123192 750 243685 190 243674 700 123193 500 243686 510 243675 640 123194 650 243687 1300 243676 630 123195 640 243688 1060 243677 440 123196 610 243689 1040 243678 610 123197 690 243690 960 243679 730 123198 620 243691 1620 243680 500 123199 770 Average 1029 Average 659 123200 870 123201 650 123202 590 123203 590 123204 670 123205 860 123206 860 Average 659.4

Southwest Area Assays SAMPLE

ID Li ppm Li ppm Li ppm 123146 1030 123161 1230 123176 860 123147 1040 123162 700 123177 630 123148 1140 123163 800 123178 790 123149 1060 123164 790 123179 690 123150 1120 123165 170 123180 450 123151 1130 123166 770 123181 480 123152 1120 123167 770 123182 810 123153 1130 123168 690 123183 840 123154 1140 123169 950 123184 860 123155 1140 123170 1290 123185 470 123156 750 123171 810 123186 860 123157 1130 123172 870 123187 450 123158 910 123173 840 123188 380 123159 1130 123174 850 123189 130 123160 680 123175 820 Average 834.1

*NOTE: (Li=Lithium, ppm=parts per million, 1 ppm=1 milligram per litre)

Lithium Leachability Study

A number of samples from these current results are now being run by additional assay procedures to provide further data on the favourable leachability potential of lithium from the mineralized claystones.

Cypress' Phase 3 program will include the drilling of shallow auger holes targeted to provide initial subsurface data and assays under areas of strongly lithium mineralized salty claystone outcrops. The auger holes are planned to test the depth of lithium in claystones and will be sampled on composite 5 foot intervals.

Cypress Clayton Valley Project proposed auger and drill hole map:

http://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/i/maps/CYP-Clayton-Drill-Plan-Map-small-apr16.jpg

The surface sampling and reconnaissance geologic results received by Cypress to date are viewed as being highly encouraging for the presence of lithium rich brines within the subsurface aquifers below the mineralized claystone. In Cypress' view, lithium rich brines are likely to be found below the water table below the mineralized outcrops and may be especially well developed along the arcuate fault zones where fracturing will have increased the permeability of the rock section.

In preparation for a planned Phase 3 program, Cypress Development has filed a Notice of Intent permit with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), Nevada covering a planned four hole drill program targeting lithium brines at the Company's Clayton Valley Project (see news release April 21, 2016).

Clayton Valley is located within the Basin and Range Province in southern Nevada and is an internally drained, fault bounded and closed basin. Basin-filling strata compose the aquifer system which hosts and produces the lithium rich brines.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

All samples were assayed by ALS Chemex using a four acid digestion / ICP-Mass Spec method. Blind sample blanks are being inserted into the sample sequences at a rate of approximately 1 per 20 samples.

Robert Marvin, P.Geo, Exploration Manager for Cypress Development Corp. is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved of the technical information in this release.

About Cypress Development Corp.:

Cypress Development Corp. is a publicly traded lithium and zinc-silver exploration company developing projects in Nevada, U.S.A.

Cypress Development Corp. has approx. 24.1 million shares issued and outstanding.

To find out more about Cypress Development Corp. (TSX-V:CYP), visit our website atwww.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com.

Cypress Development Corp.

"Don Huston"



DONALD C. HUSTON

President

For further information contact myself or:

Don Myers

Director

Cypress Development Corp.

Telephone: 604-687-3376

Toll Free: 800-567-8181

Facsimile: 604-687-3119

Email: info@cypressdevelopmentcorp.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.
Toronto, Ontario (FSCwire) - West Red Lake Gold Mines Inc. (West Red Lake Gold or the Company) (CSE: RLG) (FWB: HYK) (OTC: HYLKF) announces the Summer 2016 exploration plan for the Companys 3100 hectare West Red Lake Project located in the Red Lake Gold District, 20 km west of Balmertown, Northwest Ontario, Canada.

Beginning early June the Company plans to drill approximately ten drill holes to follow up on the recent result of 69.55 grams over 1.50 metres from RLG Hole 15-24 reported March 15, 2016. The purpose of the early stage exploration drill program is to identify and follow east-west trending gold zones eastwards to the intersection of two regional gold bearing structures, referred to as the Structural Intersection. The intersection of two regional structures creates potential for significant gold deposition in the geological folds and fractures which typically occur in association with such an intersection.

Drilling will start in the area of Hole RLG 15-24 and successive drill holes will move progressively to the east over a distance of approximately 500 metres. The first four or five drill holes are planned to be drilled to the north from surface with a drill angle at 45 degrees to depths ranging from 100 metres to 250 meters below surface. The angle and attitude of the balance of the exploration drill holes may be adjusted as the geological structure is followed further to the east, and then into the intersecting structure.

The area to be explored lies within the east-west trending regional shear structure known as the Pipestone Bay-St Paul Deformation Zone (the PBS Zone). Gold zones are hosted within a sequence of hydrothermally altered mafic volcanics with intercalated felsic volcanics and porphyries as well as ultramafics. The gold mineralization is associated with quartz veining and increased iron sulphide mineralization.

The regional scale PBS Zone intersects with the NT Zone which crosses on to the West Red Lake Project from the south boundary and trends north-east across the Company property for 2km to where it intersects with the PBS Zone. The NT Zone is a large scale alteration/deformation zone. The scale and style of the iron-carbonate alteration within the NT Zone is considered to be associated with large multi stage hydrothermal systems. High grade gold mineralization in the NT Zone is associated with silica/sulphide replacement of the iron-carbonate zones within altered volcanic and sedimentary rocks.

The Company property is situated on the Red Lake Archean Greenstone Belt which hosts the high grade gold mines of the Red Lake Gold District. The PBS Zone strikes east-west across the 12 km length of the property, and then continues east towards the town of Red Lake. A second gold bearing regional structure, the Golden Arm Structure and associated NT Zone, trend on to the property from the southwest and trend toward and then intersect with the PBS Zone (the Structural Intersection) approximately 1 km east of the Rowan Mine zones. Twenty km to the east a similar geologically important intersection of two regional gold bearing structures occurs proximal to the world class Red Lake Mine and Campbell Mine, providing a highly favourable geological model and illustrating the significant exploration potential for high grade gold zones on the Companys West Red Lake Project.

The information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ken Guy, P.Geo., a consultant to West Red Lake Gold and the Qualified Person for exploration at the West Red Lake Project property, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101).

West Red Lake Gold Mines Inc. is a Toronto-based minerals exploration company focused on gold exploration and development in the prolific Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada. The Red Lake Gold District is host to some of the richest gold deposits in the world and has produced 30 million ounces of gold from high grade zones. The Company has assembled a significant property position totalling 3100 hectares in west Red Lake (the "West Red Lake Project") which contains three former gold mines. The Mount Jamie Mine and Red Summit Mine properties are 100% owned by the Company and the Rowan Mine property is held in a 60%-owned joint venture with Red Lake Gold Mines, a partnership of Goldcorp Inc. and Goldcorp Canada Ltd. The West Red Lake Project property covers a 12 kilometre strike length along the Pipestone Bay-St Paul Deformation Zone and the Company plans to continue to explore the property both along strike and to depth. To find out more about West Red Lake Gold, please visit our website at http://www.westredlakegold.com.

For more information, please contact: John Kontak, President and Acting CFO, Phone: 416-203-9181 Email: jkontak@rlgold.ca

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward looking statements". When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management, however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. West Red Lake Gold does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward- looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws.

To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/westredlake05032016_0.pdfSource: West Red Lake Gold Mines Inc. (CSE:RLG, OTC Bulletin Board:HYLKF) http://www.westredlakegold.com/

Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com

Copyright  2016 Filing Services Canada Inc.
VANCOUVER, May 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Nevsun Resources Ltd. ("Nevsun") (TSX: NSU, NYSE: NSU) is pleased to announce that in connection with the proposed combination agreement between Nevsun and Reservoir Minerals Inc. ("Reservoir"), as announced on April 24, 2016, Reservoir has closed the right of first offer ("ROFO") with Freeport International Holding (BVI) Inc. ("Freeport") on the Timok Copper-Gold Project. Closing the ROFO consolidates 100% ownership of the Upper Zone with Reservoir. Reservoir became the operator on the Timok Project concurrent with the exercise of the ROFO. Closing the US$135 million ROFO is the first step in the previously announced combination of Nevsun and Reservoir.

Nevsun has entered into a secured loan arrangement with Reservoir to provide a further US$850,000 to Reservoir to fund the May 2016 operating expenses at the Timok Project. The indebtedness will be secured by a cash collateral agreement on customary lending terms. Nevsun will provide further updates on the 2016 work program at the Timok Copper Project after the key transaction meetings of operatorship with Freeport are completed later this month.

For more on the proposed combination see the joint news release from April 24, 2016.

About Nevsun Resources Ltd.

Nevsun Resources Ltd. is the 60% owner of the high grade Bisha Mine in Eritrea. Bisha has over 9 years of reserve life, generating revenue from both copper and zinc concentrates containing gold and silver by-products. Nevsun has a strong balance sheet with over US$300 million in cash, no debt and pays a peer leading quarterly dividend. Nevsun is well positioned to grow shareholder value through exploration at Bisha and acquisition of additional mining assets.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to as "forward-looking information"). The use of any of the words "expect", "potential", "target", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information concerning: the previously announced combination of Nevsun and Reservoir, the timing and amount or work to be undertaken at the Timok project.

Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature it involves inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Nevsun's control. These include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Arrangement may not close when planned or at all or on the terms and conditions set forth in the Arrangement Agreement; and the failure to obtain the necessary shareholder and court approvals, if applicable, required in order to proceed with the Arrangement.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Further information concerning risks and uncertainties associated with these forward-looking statements and Nevsun's business can be found in Nevsun's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015, which is available on Nevsun's website (www.nevsun.com), filed under Nevsun's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov) under cover of Form 40-F. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits may be derived there from. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on this information.

Neither TSX nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD.

"Cliff T. Davis"

Cliff T. Davis

President & Chief Executive Officer

SOURCE Nevsun Resources Ltd.
Basement restaurant Mercado even has its own basement. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

Address 4 Ash Street Sydney, New South Wales 2000 View map Opening hours lunch Mon-Fri from noon; dinner Mon-Sat from 5.30pm Features Licensed, Accepts bookings, Bar, Business lunch, Groups, Long lunch, Pre-post-theatre, Romance-first date, Wheelchair access Prices Moderate (mains $20-$40) Chef Nathan Sasi Payments eftpos, AMEX, Visa, Mastercard Phone 02 9221 6444

It's a side of Sydney rarely seen, yet it's there right beneath our feet. Some of our liveliest restaurants and finest dining spaces are buried underground. Think Spice Temple in Bligh Street, Fratelli Fresh in Bridge Street, Tokonoma in Loftus Lane, Barrio Cellar in Elizabeth Street, Indu in Angel Place, and the adorable new Hubert in Bligh Street, with its wood-panelled warren of brass-railed bars and candle-lit dining rooms. Much of their charm lies in the fact that they are not immediately obvious.

Next stop, Mercado, tucked into the rear basement of the heritage-listed 350 George Street building, built in 1895 around an opulent marble-lined staircase that's well worth a peep on your way to the loo.

It's the latest from the savvy team behind China Doll and China Lane, designed as a showcase for the hands-on talents of former Nomad chef, Nathan Sasi. It's quite the showcase, too, with its spot-lit, open-plan kitchen, classy island bar, brassy tables, finely stitched leather banquettes and, at the rear, the tail end of that glorious marble staircase.

Go-to dish: Spit-roasted Milly Hill lamb. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

A pig's head sitting on the gleaming kitchen counter tells us that Sasi is still the nose-to-tail chef Sydney went mad for at Nomad. Sure enough, there's a whole Milly Hill lamb and Melanda Park suckling pig turning on the glowing rotisserie.

He's even doing my favourite tripe stew, callos a la Madrilena ($29), which comes soupy, slow-cooked and crumb-crusted, though barely enough for one (if that one happened to be me).

This basement restaurant even has its own basement, where things are pickled, smoked, cured and preserved.

Gateau basque is finished with pouring custard. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

That's where the queso garrotxa (goat cheese) is made, and the lightly smoky, house-made wagyu cecina cured beef ($22) over which it is grated. It's home to the house-baked sourdough bread and beautiful, house-cultured butter; the soft, velvety, truffled mortadella and its accompanying pickled guindillas peppers ($19); and the smoked wagyu tongue and pickled green tomato for the naughty-but-nice brioche toastie ($14).

Sasi's commitment to doing things from scratch fuels the menu, which cleverly keeps the cooking minimal, flavours straightforward, and plates simple.

So the Milly Hill lamb ($50 to share) comes carved and piled into a cast iron skillet in a glorious mix of rib, shoulder and belly with pink meat, crisp, scorchy skin and runny juices. You'll need a side of wood-fired carrots with almond dukkah ($16) or a beautifully dressed leaf salad ($16) to balance the meat hit.

Wagyu cecina, wood-fired beets and quesa garrotxa (goat's cheese). Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

There's a distinct Spanish flavour here, from Manzanilla Martinez cocktails to crisp little pastries topped with Ortiz anchovy and bullhorn pepper ($14). There's also a good Spanish presence on the wine list, with an 18-strong list of tempranillo that includes an elegant 2012 Cune Crianza ($70) that's like a savoury Cherry Ripe.

More hints of cherry come with gateau basque ($16), a lovely, layered pastry cake that's all biscuity vanilla, almonds and cherry jam, topped with pouring custard.

While cheeses on the menu are a highlight, the cheese trolley is a mix of in-house and imported, offered individually for $18, then over-decorated with crisps, breads and pastes in order to justify value. It's a departure from the what-you-see-is-what-you-get menu and a lesson to get back to being as close to the market as possible.

With that in mind, it would have been great to show off some of the processes behind the meats and cheeses rather than have them hidden below. But now I'm arguing against myself. If everything was immediately obvious, life would be very dull.

THE LOWDOWN

Best bit: House-made charcuterie.

Worst bit: Rimmed plates send cutlery sliding.

Go-to dish: Spit-roasted Milly Hill lamb, $50 to share.

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide. This rating is based on the Good Food Guide scoring system.

http://mercadorestaurant.com.au/
Australia, you're a great place to live; a luminous, living mosaic of different cultures with very different cuisines. The magic is in the mix, and that makes dining out such a buzz. The fact that we're all Australians pulls it together and shapes our restaurant scene in a very Australian way. Visitors notice it more than we do: the informal, unpretentious way we package up solid skills and serious food. It's still about aiming for excellence, but doing it in our own unique way.

That's why Australia's Top Restaurants is such a good idea. As a national list made up of the top 500 chefs and restaurateurs, it draws together very different restaurants, wine bars and bistros with very different attitudes and philosophies in the best possible snapshot of contemporary Australian dining there is. The magic, once again, is in the mix.

So here's your need-to-know. The Australia's Top 100 Restaurants awards as judged by the chefs themselves are announced on May 2, launching a dining program that runs from May 3 to May 23.

See australiastoprestaurants.com for all events and book yourself a seat. You'll not only have an awesome time doing something new, you'll be supporting the great big magical mix that is dining in Australia in 2016. Here are five events not to miss.

Buddha's Feast: All hands on deck at Low Key Chow House (WA)

Hands make the best cutlery, says Low Key Chow House, and to prove it, head chef Alexander De Leon is covering the tables with a south-east Asian banana-leaf feast of coal-charred satay, soft-shell chilli crab, Vietnamese beef patties, spicy Filipino sausages and more. And here's all you really need to know: there will be sticky wings and kimchi. Perfect for people who love to pick up their food and shove it in their mouth. And isn't that everyone?

1400 Oxford Street, Leederville, WA; $55 includes a drink on arrival; May 6, 21; noon-2pm; bookings 08 9443 9305

The Farmer v The Forager  who wins? (NSW/VIC)

Two of Australia's most influential chefs go head to head in a six-course play-off, as Scott Pickett (Estelle by Scott Pickett) and James Viles (Biota Dining) stage The Farmer and The Forager on Monday, May 16, at Biota Dining in NSW, and Wednesday May 18 at Estelle by Scott Pickett in Melbourne. We know the boys like a bit of competition, so expect them to out do each other course by course  with the diner being the winner.

Biota Dining, 18 Kangaloon Road, Bowral, NSW; $185; May 16, 6.30pm-9pm; bookings 02 4862 2005;

Estelle by Scott Pickett, 245 High Street, Northcote, VIC; $185; May 18, 6.30pm-9pm; bookings 03 9489 4609

Tabutha at Gerard's Bistro (QLD)

Gerard's Bistro head chef Ben Williamson was a man on a mission when on holidays in the Middle East late last year. His aim was to research and gather together recipes dating back 2000 to 3000 years in order to come home and prepare an elaborate Phoenician tabutha, or feast. He succeeded (some of these recipes actually came on hand-written scrolls). Expect a traditional family-style banquet of delicacies that have stood the test of time, brought to life by the passion of an obsessive chef.

Gerard's Bistro, shop 14, 15 James Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD; $140 includes matched drinks; May 11, 6pm-10pm; bookings 07 3852 38224

Death Row Dinner at the Grand (VIC)

As co-owner Barnie Bouchaud says, this one's to die for. The Grand's chef Andrew Beddoes (pictured above) has come up with his five "death row dinners"  the dishes that meant the most to him in his life and career as a high-end chef here and in the UK; the ones he'd choose for his last supper. It's going to be a fun, lively night  and hopefully not (really) his last.

The Grand, 333 Burnley Street, Richmond, VIC; $135 includes matched wines; May 10-11, 6.30pm-11pm; bookings 03 9429 2530

Andrew McConnell's Kitchen Sessions Dinner (VIC)

This is pure catnip for lovers of the restaurant scene; as Andrew's internal monthly Kitchen Sessions transform into a one-off five-course dinner that pulls in key suppliers, producers, chefs and mentors in one never-before-held celebration. "It's an incredible ideas incubator," says McConnell of his in-house initiative, "and really inspires the team to challenge their creativity and technique." This night is no different, combining Andrew McConnell and Marion head chef Josh Fry, with the imagination of David Moyle of Hobart's Franklin, the wisdom of food historian Tony Tan, Cutler & Co head chef Casey McDonald, development chefs John-Paul Twomey and (the cheese-obsessed) Colin Wood, artisan cheesemaker Richard Thomas, Meatsmith master butcher Troy Wheeler and seafood guru John Sussman. It's a privileged insight into the hard work and collaborative approach behind one of our great restaurant empires. All this, and matching wines, too.

Marion and Cutler & Co, 55-57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, VIC; $195 includes matched drinks; May 16, 6.30pm-10.30pm; bookings 03 9419 4888

Full dining program available at australiastoprestaurants.com
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The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View:

More than two months after the White House asked Congress for more than $1.8 billion to fight the Zika virus, Congress has yet to provide it. President Barack Obama, Republicans claim, has failed to explain in sufficient detail how his administration would spend the money.

Perhaps his 25-page proposal, sent to House Speaker Paul Ryan in February, got lost in interoffice mail. If so, no worries: There's also a summary on the Web. Most of the money  about $1.5 billion  will go to the Department of Health and Human Services to help states control the mosquito that carries the virus, expand programs to test for it, and work on developing a vaccine.

The case for action now is overwhelming. The virus is active in central and South America, and come summer, the Zika-bearing Aedes aegypti mosquito will begin to spread the disease across much of the continental U.S. Pregnant women who contract the disease are at greater risk of giving birth to children who are stillborn, have microcephaly, or experience eye and brain lesions. Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults, which can lead to paralysis.

Among the questions Republicans say remain unanswered is what portion of the money is needed for the current fiscal year. That level of detail wasn't necessary in 2005 when President George W. Bush requested and received emergency funding from Congress to combat avian flu. Nor was it necessary in 2014 when Obama sought and received emergency funding to fight Ebola.

Republicans also argue that the federal government has enough money left over from the fight against the Ebola virus to deal with Zika, since Ebola is no longer a public health emergency. But the administration has already transferred $600 million in Ebola funds to fight Zika, and it claims that taking more from that effort could leave Americans exposed to another outbreak; there have been Ebola cases recently in Guinea and Liberia.

Finally, House Republicans say that any request for new money to combat Zika should come through the regular appropriations process, rather than through an emergency request. That approach would delay any new money until the end of the year  at the earliest. But emergency requests are called that for a reason. If a disease that could endanger newborns across the southern half of the U.S. by July doesn't qualify as an emergency, it's hard to say what does.

Whatever the explanation for Republicans' truculence  and opposition among some factions of the party to any new spending undoubtedly factors into it  it's a delay that could endanger lives. There have already been 891 cases of Zika in the U.S., including 81 pregnant women. Republicans need to move, and quick.
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Tessa Martinez, San Angelo

I am supporting Mike Hernandez for chief of police because he is the most qualified.

Yes, I know all of our candidates have a list of qualifications, so what makes Mike different? Well, Lt. Hernandez has the most experience in several departments including patrol officer, gang unit, narcotics and SWAT leader. A 2014 graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, Mike played a key role in creating and implementing the Special Operations Section. He has been assigned supervisory positions at Community Services and the San Angelo Police Academy.

Mike was chosen to serve in these departments because of his qualifications and leadership skills. Mike speaks passionately about every aspect of the departments he has been a part of because they immediately form a bond that unites them as a team and family and the overall difference they make together. I can honestly say Mike loves his job.

Mike is exactly the person you see from the moment you meet him. He treats everyone with respect and in his quiet demeanor, he is compassionate and respected by all.

He is involved in several community organizations. He is just as involved with them as he is being an officer. He loves San Angelo.

A man of Christian faith and values, I know Mike will unite all department personnel to include civilian personnel to upper management. Mike will lead and bring the police department together as a family again. Mike will unite the other agencies together with our police department again. Mike will make us proud to know and feel that officers are doing their job to the best of their ability because of the training and leadership skills in Mike Hernandez.

My choice is Mike Hernandez because of his integrity, leadership, values and experience.
Shouting chants of "No pay, no work" and "enough is enough," hundreds of Detroit teachers rallied outside the Fisher Building today calling for a forensic audit of Detroit Public Schools and a guarantee they would be paid for their work."No one should expect to go to work without pay," said Ann Mitchell, the administrator for the Detroit Federation of Teachers. The rally came on the same day massive sickouts closed nearly all of the district's 97 schools.DPS emergency manager Judge Steven Rhodes told the union Saturday that unless the state Legislature approves sending more money to the district, there is not enough in the coffers to pay teachers their already-earned salaries after June 30. Summer school and extended special education services would also be canceled.Teachers said they had been told that the $48.7 million allocated by the Legislature last month to fund the district through June 30 would cover summer pay for approximately two-thirds of district teachers who signed up for a plan that allows teachers to spread their pay over one year instead of during the school year.Rhodes denied this at a news conference today."We said all along that the $48.7 million ... was only enough money to fund our expenditures through June," Rhodes said.He called on lawmakers to pass legislation that would provide about $720 million in funding to launch a new DPS. He said he wants, and intends, to pay teachers, but that legislation is vital in order to do so.The rally brought teachers by the carload -- many dressed in red union shifts -- to spread their message to the school district and state officials. The mostly orderly rally did at times hold up traffic on Grand Boulevard, with Detroit police officers having to redirect traffic while protesters walked down middle of the street."I need you to get on the sidewalk," one police officer told the crowd from his vehicle speaker.But the crowd wasn't deterred.Often, they shouted that "this is a lock-[out, not a sick-out.""We consider this a lock-out," Mitchell said.The DFT plans another meeting Tuesday to determine whether the union should take another action against the district, Mitchell said. She said she expects teachers to be in the classroom tomorrow, and if the union decides to take another action it would have to be voted on by teachers Wednesday and Thursday."We are sick and tired of being sick and tired," Mitchell said. "Enough is enough."Jean Vortkamp, who described herself as a Detroit resident out to support teachers, was upset after a Detroit police officer kicked her hand while she was trying to write a message in chalk on the ground."Children all over the world write on the ground in chalk," she told him.Her message was one many teachers repeated: She wants an audit done of the district's finances.Rhodes said during the news conference that he would welcome an audit, but he said the district can't afford to pay for one."Our books are open," Rhodes said.Lydia Paknas, a reading recovery teacher, said the district is going back on a promise it made to teachers during a town hall meeting in March. She said it will cost her $8,000 in pay, plus what she would have earned by teaching during summer school. "We have to stick together," Paknas said."It's unfair that the district is saying they're not going to pay for money and time teachers have already worked," said Kim Travis-Ewing, a school social worker.House Speaker Kevin Cotter criticized the sick-outs, saying in a statement that the union "is once again putting the wants of adults ahead of the needs of children, specifically the 40,000 Detroit schoolchildren who were left out in the rain this morning."Cotter said sick-outs -- including early actions that were in protest of building conditions, class sizes and a host of other issues -- have cost students one million instructional hours."These egotistical teachers have lashed out at the children who rely on them and accomplished nothing but disrupting their students' education," he said. "Their selfish and misguided plea for attention only makes it harder for us to enact a rescue plan and makes it harder for Detroit's youngest residents to get ahead and build a future for themselves."Meanwhile, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said it is "unconscionable" that Michigan legislators have been "dilly-dallying" in passing needed reform legislation. She called it un-American to ask teachers to work but not pay them for it."It is outrageous and appalling that people who have been the glue of this system cannot even be guaranteed a salary for the work that they do. ... This is state government run amok," she told the Free Press in Boston today during the Education Writers Association national conference.Weingarten said she is planning to come to Detroit Tuesday -- National Teacher Appreciation Day -- to support the city's teachers.
In a lawsuit that could have taxing consequences nationwide, online retailers are suing South Dakota for trying to collect a sales tax from them. If the suit makes it to the U.S. Supreme Court -- as many believe it will -- governments would finally get an answer to their long-awaited question of whether they can collect a sales tax from online purchases.South Dakota lawmakers essentially provoked the suit by passing a law they knew would be challenged by retailers. The law allows the state to collect a sales tax on Internet purchases from remote retailers who have a so-called economic presence in the state. Retailers had to start complying with the law by May 1. It challenges a 1992 Supreme Court case that ruled states can only tax retailers who have a physical presence there.[Lawmakers] were intent on getting this to the U.S. Supreme Court, and we are obliging that intent, said Steve DelBianco, executive director of NetChoice, a trade association promoting e-commerce and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against South Dakota.NetChoice and the American Catalog Mailers Association filed their lawsuit against the state two days before the law officially went into effect but after South Dakota had started issuing demand notices to retailers regarding tax collections. The day before the retailers filed suit, South Dakota itself announced it was suing four online retailers, including Overstock.com, to collect sales taxes from them.South Dakota may not be the only state that sees litigation on this issue. Putting the issue of taxing online sales before the courts is part of a new coordinated effort by state legislators across the country. All told, 34 bills in 22 states have been introduced this year that would let states collect sales taxes from remote retailers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). About a half-dozen of those bills have moved forward in some fashion.The lawsuit shouldnt have a chilling effect on other states considering similar legislation, said NCSL analyst Max Behlke. In fact, he expects it will encourage others to move forward. But given that South Dakotas legislation actually calls for an expedited process through the state courts, many expect it will provide a crucial first test case for the nation on the issue. Behlke said it's likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the case this year or next.The renewed push comes after more than a decade in which states have tried to get Congress to consider a national law that would require online retailers to remit a sales tax for purchases made in states where that retailer doesnt have a physical presence. Proposed federal legislation has taken various forms over the years but has never gained much traction, despite having bipartisan support. In 2013, states got a huge victory when the U.S. Senate passed the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act. But since then, the bill has languished in the House. By some estimates, states are collectively missing out on more than $23 billion annually in potential online sales tax revenue.NetChoice's DelBianco argues that requiring retailers to remit a sales tax wherever they make a sale would be overly cumbersome given that more than 10,000 jurisdictions across the country levy a sales tax. But NCSL's Behlke said that doesnt mean a retailer will have to comply with thousands of different taxing regulations. The real total is more like 22 different regulations. Thats because localities generally streamline their taxing definitions with their state, and about two dozen states have also streamlined their sales tax codes with each other. On top of that, he added, software is available to businesses to automate the sales tax collection process.Its a really hollow argument, said Behlke. Its a good tag line, but its just not true.If the Supreme Court does take up the case, there might already be one justice on the states side. Last year, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy invited a fresh challenge to the courts 1992 decision, Quill Corp. v. North Dakota. That decision revolved around the mail-order catalogue industry and was made years before e-commerce took off.A case questionable even when decided, Kennedy wrote, Quill now harms states to a degree far greater than could have been anticipated earlier.
How UnitedHealthcare's Withdrawal Will Impact Each State

State Enrollees Where UHC Participates Enrollees in Counties That Will Drop From 2 to 1 Insurer Enrollees in Counties That Will Drop From 3 to 2 Insurers Alabama 195,047 130,359 64,688 Arizona 203,064 30,761 14,825 Arkansas 73,643 0 0 California 203,472 0 158,769 Colorado 125,276 0 7,318 Connecticut 116,019 0 0 Florida 1,742,806 268,068 367,156 Georgia 569,200 20,184 47,604 Illinois 304,434 0 0 Indiana 196,241 0 6,567 Iowa 48,311 0 47,161 Kansas 101,553 101,553 0 Kentucky 93,666 18,540 20,488 Louisiana 214,143 0 130,990 Maryland 162,103 0 0 Massachusetts 213,883 0 0 Michigan 153,559 0 1,905 Mississippi 108,668 47,001 61,667 Missouri 290,197 3,723 97,380 Nebraska 87,824 0 840 Nevada 79,278 0 79,278 New Jersey 288,571 0 0 New York 204,536 0 0 North Carolina 563,819 155,008 408,811 Ohio 243,714 0 0 Oklahoma 145,328 145,328 0 Pennsylvania 289,131 0 172,724 Rhode Island 34,670 0 34,670 South Carolina 45,649 20,674 24,975 Tennessee 268,860 78,803 69,333 Texas 1,044,424 26,323 9,780 Virginia 245,465 0 8,579 Washington 200,691 81,912 0 Wisconsin 193,895 37 5,856

In late April, UnitedHealthcare announced this would be its last year offering health coverage on all but a handful of state insurance exchanges. Going forward, the nations largest health insurer will only have a presence in New York, Nevada and Virginia's marketplaces.That will leave Kansas and Oklahoma with just one insurer each, six states with monopolies in more than 50 percent of its counties and four states with only two insurers in most counties. (View the chart at the bottom for more detailed information.)Its always a worry when theres only one carrier in an area, said Mike Rhodes, deputy commissioner of the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Theyve all left for the same reason: The marketplaces just havent worked the way they wanted and needed them to."While enrollment numbers have generally hit federal expectations , insurers have struggled to profit because many of the people using the exchanges are the sickest and costliest patients. According to a recent Blue Cross and Blue Shield report, new marketplace enrollees had 22 percent higher medical costs than employer enrollees.Oklahoma is in talks with other insurance carriers who could still enter its marketplace for 2017.But even if Kansas and Oklahoma are left with only Blue Cross and Blue Shield, its unlikely that consumers will feel too much of a pinch.That's because 86 percent of the people who use the marketplaces get health insurance subsidies. If premiums increase, so do their subsidies.In North Carolina, for example, premiums increased for 2016, and 33 of its counties already have only one provider. But according to Sorien Schmidt, state director for Enroll America, a health-care enrollment coalition, that hasn't stopped people from signing up for coverage on the exchanges.Basic economics indicates that less competition means higher prices for consumers. But that isnt necessarily true in this case because "these companies are going to have the government looking over their shoulder as they set prices, said Sabrina Corlette, professor at Georgetown Universitys Health Policy Institute. There might be a monopoly in some states and counties, but we have some intervening forces.Anytime an insurer proposes a premium hike of more than 10 percent, a state insurance official is required "to review" the request. But while 37 states have the power to reject rate increases, 13 states do not.States can also take action, says Corlette, to "make transitions as smooth and stress-free as possible for thehundreds of thousands of people who now have to shop around for new coverage. For example, 16 states have protections in place for residents to continue to receive health care -- generally for up to 90 days -- if theyve been forced to switch carriers.UnitedHealthcare's exit was hardly a surprise. The company only tepidly embraced the health exchanges, entering just a handful of states in the second year of implementation before expanding in 2015 and 2016 to 34 states. In November, the insurer's parent company -- UnitedHealth Group -- said they were unhappy with losses accrued in the marketplace and were thinking of withdrawing.For Sheldon Weisgrau, director of the Health Reform Resource Project, these sorts of shakeups are to be expected when you merge private and public interest."I think very few people understand how astronomically expensive the health-care industry is," he said. "The exit could be interpreted as a sign the marketplace isn't operating as robustly as it should be. But the truth is, we're all still figuring it out."
The Obama administration has agreed to temporarily keep some federal Medicaid money flowing into Texas to help hospitals treat uninsured patients, a relief to health care providers that feared losing the funds over state leaders' refusal to provide health insurance to low-income adults.State health officials said Monday they have struck a deal with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to keep the program going for another 15 months, with hospital reimbursements remaining at their current level.Those were the exact terms the Texas Health and Human Services Commission asked for last month. Agency leaders said the negotiations were a "big win for Texas.""We're pleased these innovative programs will have the opportunity to continue," Chris Traylor, the agency's executive commissioner, said in a statement. "These programs are improving health care for Texas' Medicaid clients and creating cost-savings for taxpayers."The agreement temporarily extends the life of what was supposed to be a temporary program that safety-net hospitals have relied on for five years to serve poor, uninsured Texans.Federal health officials had signaled they were reluctant to continue handing out cash to reimburse hospital visits when that money could instead pay for low-income Texans to have health coverage under a Medicaid expansion. Still, the agreement does not include a reduction in the uncompensated care money, allowing hospitals to draw down some $3.1 billion in federal and local funds each year.The program, known as the 1115 waiver, was originally intended to help Texas expand its privatized managed care health insurance system for Medicaid patients and to cover spiraling uncompensated care costs borne by hospitals.A $29 billion pot of money paid to Texas health care providers over five years, about 40 percent of that money came from local funds  mostly property tax dollars  and 60 percent from the federal government. The Obama administration first approved the program in 2011, and it was set to expire in September.The program initially offered $17.6 billion to reimburse hospitals for the uncompensated costs they accrued by caring for patients who could not afford to pay. Another $11.4 billion paid for certain health care initiatives that provide cost-effective care to high-risk populations, under a program known as the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment model, or DSRIP.The 15-month extension also includes an additional $3.1 billion for DSRIP initiatives.The Obama administration had previously signaled it was likely to stop footing the bill for at least some of Texas uncompensated care costs. Under the Affordable Care Act, the presidents signature health law, Texas was encouraged to expand its Medicaid program to cover nearly 1 million additional adults living in poverty  a move that would have given more poor patients a means to pay for care. The states Republican leadership has vehemently opposed that option, criticizing Medicaid as an inefficient government program.Federal health officials were unswayed by that argument, repeatedly telling state leaders they had no desire to use waiver funds to pay for costs that would otherwise be covered by a Medicaid expansion.In Florida, the Obama administration recently agreed to extend a similar source of hospital funding in that state, but only for two years, and at a significantly reduced rate. That arrangement diminished the states low-income pool by about 50 percent for the first year and 70 percent for the second.Texas health officials say they will continue negotiating a longer-term extension of the funding over the next 15 months.Those negotiations will likely be influenced by a study of the effectiveness of the uncompensated care pool, which the federal government asked Texas to commission. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission contracted with outside firms Health Management Associates and Deloitte to submit the study by the end of August. It will address questions such as how hospitals' uncompensated care costs would be reduced under a Medicaid expansion.If Texas and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services do not reach an agreement at the end of the 15-month extension, in December 2017, the Obama administration said it "expects" that uncompensated care funding would be reduced after that."Specifically, the reduction will limit the size of the Uncompensated Care pool to the costs of uncompensated and charity care for low-income individuals who are uninsured and cannot be covered" under a Medicaid expansion, wrote Vikki Wachino, a senior federal health official, in a letter to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.Additionally, the DSRIP pool would be reduced by 25 percent in 2018 and by an additional 25 percentage points each year after that, according to federal officials.Traylor has said negotiating the waiver's extension was one of his primary policy goals as commissioner. He is retiring at the end of May.John Hawkins, the senior vice president of government relations for the Texas Hospital Association, said the negotiations were a "positive development" that will give state officials more time to study how Texas' high rate of people without health insurance affects hospitals' uncompensated care costs."Certainly, the waiver is a pretty key element of the safety net," he said. "This extension gives us a little time to deal with some of the outstanding issues that are out there."Advocates for the uninsured welcomed news of the waiver's extension but said the state should use the additional 15 months to study how it could offer health insurance to more Texans."A lot has changed since Texas first asked Washington for this waiver funding in 2011, and now the federal government is focused on getting people insured, rather than paying hospitals back for bills for the uninsured," Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of the left-leaning Center for Public Policy Priorities, said in an email.
Federal investigators have subpoenaed Detroit's Auditor General's office requesting records related to the use of federal funds in the city's massive demolition program, the Free Press has learned.Detroit auditor general Mark Lockridge, whose office has been investigating Mayor Mike Duggan's demolition program since October, said the subpoena delivered to his office on Thursday is from the investigative division of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or SIGTARP."They're not just doing an audit of course," Lockridge said today. "Some type of investigation."Detroit's blight demolition program under Duggan largely has been paid for with federal dollars from the Hardest Hit Fund, a TARP program. Detroit so far has been allocated $172 million from the federal Hardest Hit Fund and has torn down more than 8,000 blighted homes since 2014.Duggan's blight elimination program has been under fire for rising demolition costs since last fall. The average cost to tear down a blighted home went from $8,500 to $10,000 under former Mayor Dave Bing to an average at one point of $16,400 under Duggan.Lockridge said he was on a conference call with SIGTARP officials a couple months ago and believes the agency is interested in the rising costs under Duggan's program and bidding practices in the early stages of the program."They are looking at why costs went up," Lockridge said.Detroit's demolition program is carried out by the Detroit Land Bank Authority and the Detroit Building Authority -- both public agencies over which Duggan has influence. Federal money for the program is funneled to the city by the Michigan Housing Development Agency.Duggan spokesman John Roach said in a statement: "The Land Bank has not received any subpoenas but welcomes all investigations into its operations. We are confident it will continue to cooperate with all reviewing agencies as it has from the beginning."On Friday, a spokesman for SIGTARP said the agency, as a general practice, does not comment on questions about subpoenas.As a law enforcement agency, SIGTARP has the power to seize, search and arrest. SIGTARP was established in 2008 to audit and investigate spending of the economic stimulus money.Lockridge, who was appointed by the City Council in 2012 to a 10-year term, said his office has until May 20 to fulfill the request. He said he can't remember ever receiving a subpoena before.Lockridge said he did not know why SIGTARP subpoenaed the records as opposed to just asking for them. He speculated that the subpoena may have been prompted by his office's recent report that found a conflict of interest for David Manardo, a Duggan appointee who has served in at least two roles with the city. The report found that Manardo's two job responsibilities created a situation in which he essentially reports to himself.The city's top lawyer, Melvin (Butch) Hollowell, rejected the auditors' findings after the report was released because, he said, it is impossible for the city to be in conflict with itself.In addition to rising costs, there also have been questions raised about the way demolition contracts were handed out under Duggan's program.Specifically, the Free Press reported in December that a state consultant who worked closely with Detroit demolition officials said he refused to attend meetings where city officials and handpicked companies agreed to a contract price for a massive project before others could submit bids.That consultant is embroiled in a legal battle with the state and is facing charges of submitting false billing statements to the Detroit Land Bank.The Free Press report also included e-mails related to contract awards between March 2014 and January showing Duggan appointees Manardo and James Wright making decisions on the contracts.The messages show some uncommon accommodations afforded to three companies that received the majority of demolition work early on -- Adamo, Homrich and MCM Management -- a group that attended the pre-bid meetings in June 2014 and was referred to in messages as the "big three."Together, Adamo, Homrich and MCM received $38.2 million, or about 74%, of the $51.5 million in demolition contracts awarded between March 2014 and January and paid for with the city's first allocation of federal money for blight elimination.According to the e-mails, Detroit demolition officials gave Adamo, Homrich and MCM a break on bonding requirements offered to no other firms. The e-mails also show that the "big three" convinced city officials in the middle of a job to pay extra for asbestos removal, despite an earlier understanding that such work would be included in the up-front price. The change orders that followed ended up costing taxpayers at least $3.7 million.Officials with the U.S. Treasury -- who oversee the Hardest Hit Fund and have lauded Detroit's blight program -- did not immediately comment late Sunday; nor did U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, D-Mich., who have fought to add funding for Detroit's blight program as well as other blight efforts across the state. Both have defended Detroit's program, as has U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, an expert on land redevelopment efforts.Less than two weeks ago, Stabenow, Peters and Kildee announced that Michigan was getting another $188 million in Hardest Hit Fund money, which, as the Free Press reported, was largely due to Detroit's efforts to raise more for blight removal. If recent history is a guide, much of the $188 million will go to Detroit to pull down abandoned residences and Michigan's members of Congress say they even would like to see some of it used to tear down abandoned commercial structures.While Detroit's is the most aggressive blight removal effort in the country, Treasury has noted in the past that it has never come close to hitting the $25,000-per-structure cap on Hardest Hit Fund expenditures. Kildee said recently that he thought critics of Detroit's program didn't seem to understand that costs often go up as a program begins to tear down more building and demolition companies begin to reach their capacity.SIGTARP, meanwhile, has for years now been raising concerns about Treasury's foray into allowing Hardest Hit Fund money to be used to eradicate blight, arguing in past reports to Congress that the department has no experience in overseeing such programs.
The Black Lives Matter movement isnt giving up on street protests, but its starting to press its demands within political and policy circles as well.Well-known activist DeRay Mckesson made a bid for mayor of Baltimore last month, and Black Lives Matter played a key role in other elections -- namely, helping to unseat prosecutors in Chicago and Cleveland who were seen as insufficiently rigorous in their pursuit of justice following police shootings.But even as the movement works to hold elected officials accountable, some African-American politicians are working to highlight the need to change law enforcement and criminal justice policies. A group called the 20/20 Club, consisting of 20 Republican and 20 Democratic officials, will host forums on these topics at the two national party conventions this summer, while pressing Congress to act on legislation.Street protesters helped signal a new era of civil rights, says Ashley Bell, Republican co-chair of the 20/20 Club. He says Black Lives Matter helped to mobilize people and branded a movement. But translating anger over police shootings and the economic ramifications of mass incarceration into new governmental policies still requires people who can work an inside game, people who take a relentless, incremental approach, says Bell, a former county commissioner in Georgia.We saw lots of marches, we saw lots of protests, he says, but where was that aspect that talked about policy and strategy? We think that part of the discussion needs to be brought to bear.Every protest movement with any real resonance has come to this crossroads. Theres always tension between those who want to topple the status quo and political insiders who say affecting real change requires working within a system protesters find tainted. Street-based protest and militancy raises some issues, says Rosemary Feurer, a historian of protest movements at Northern Illinois University. Then there are groups that come forward that say, Well address these issues, but well be brokers. Were going to direct this anger toward a more detailed purpose.One certain difference between the approach taken by the 20/20 Club and the Black Lives Matter movement is that the elected officials group includes top police officials and organizations as part of its advocacy work. That might not sit well with activists, but if police are part of the problem, they need to be part of the solution, says Bell.The 20/20 Clubs goal is to make policing and criminal justice a top-tier issue in the presidential campaign and to ensure meaningful legislation is enacted by the time of the presidential election in 2020. Already, members of the club have pushed issues such as decriminalization of marijuana in their states. Were trying to add policy to quiet the concerns that are being reflected in the Black Lives Matter movement, says Democratic state Rep. Ted James of Louisiana, a club member.When James says hes trying to quiet the movements concerns, that doesnt mean hes trying to dismiss them. Quite the contrary. The eruptions of distrust and unrest within the black community have led African-American officials to try to find common ground on these pressing issues, on a bipartisan basis, wherever possible. Last fall, in South Carolina, the group hosted the only forum on criminal justice issues that drew presidential candidates from both parties.High-profile events, whether theyre televised speeches or marches, can draw attention to an issue. The grunt work that leads to policy change looks a lot different from protests, but it doesnt have to be done in opposition to the activists. We play a different role, Bell says. We like to say that were a different instrument within the same orchestra.
When the House and Senate gavels came down for the final time on Friday, the Legislature had sustained a dozen of the governor's vetoes, killed one bill by sending it back to committee and overridden the rest.Virtually all that was left for the House and Senate to do Friday was to decide to block or allow 33 new vetoes from Gov. Paul LePage, setting up an anticlimactic end to a two-year session that saw state government come to the brink of shutdown over a budget impasse and some of the most fierce sniping between the legislative and executive branches that Maine has seen in years.Much of the attention leading up to veto day was around a solar policy bill the Legislature has been debating for months, which sought to increase the amount of solar-generated electricity in Maine's energy portfolio by nearly tenfold. Arguments that LePage has been mischaracterizing how the bill would affect electricity rates for Mainers and that killing the bill would kill jobs were unsuccessful. LePage's veto was upheld in the House by a vote of 93-50, which fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority.The House and Senate went against LePage on a bill that would increase access to Naloxone, a lifesaving antidote to opioid overdoses that LePage opposed because he said it is being overused and allows addicts to prolong their addictions without seeking treatment. LePage has been under intense national pressure regarding the bill since his veto, particularly for saying Naloxone doesn't save lives, but only prolongs them until the next overdose.Despite all the controversy, the bill had an easy time to enactment on Friday, with a 29-5 vote in the Senate and a 132-14 vote in the House.Lawmakers also were able to curtail an attempt by the Department of Health and Human Services to overhaul how much providers of Medicaid services are paid. Mental health service providers raised the alarm over the proposed rules in March, leading to the proposal of LD 1696, which imposes a moratorium on any rate changes until a legislative study can be completed. The Senate voted 28-6 against LePage's veto but the bill barely squeaked through the House, which on a 102-45 tally came within two votes of killing the bill.Though a Republican-led Senate and Democrat-led House led to numerous bills dying because of disagreements between Republicans and Democrats, the 127th Legislature did make progress on some fronts, including the marquee issue of fighting drug addiction. The Legislature and LePage agreed to pour millions of dollars in new spending on law enforcement, treatment and recovery to fight drug addiction and approved a $150 million facilities bond that will create a major expansion at Windham Correctional Facility, including 200 new beds for inpatient and outpatient substance abuse services.As the 127th Legislature took what are likely to be its final votes and adjourned until next year, political observers diverted their gaze from the present to the future.The November 2016 ballot could go down as one of the most consequential in state history and debate over the questions on it -- from school funding to setting a higher minimum wage to legalizing recreational marijuana -- already has ramped up what will be a months-long push to Election Day.With the entire Legislature up for re-election and so many ballot initiatives in waiting, campaigning through the summer will be fierce. The hundreds of candidates about to join the conversation have some catching up to do with LePage, who has for weeks been using his town hall meetings to draw attention to the November ballot. In particular, he is rallying against an increase in the minimum wage to $12 an hour and against a new tax on income over $200,000 a year that would directly benefit public schools.Republican Senate President Mike Thibodeau said serving in the 127th Legislature was hard and at times "doggone miserable." But he said progress is progress, no matter how minor."If we do everything exactly right and if we make all the right decisions, our state is still going to have tremendous obstacles," he said shortly before adjournment. "If we make life just a little bit better for the 1.25 million people of Maine, then that's a great thing."(c)2016 the Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine)
A Supreme Court justice on Monday blasted California's slow-moving death penalty process, but that was not enough to save convicted murderer Richard Delmer Boyer.In a passionately worded solo dissent, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer said California's systemic capital punishment problems were sufficiently serious to consider Boyer's challenge to a penalty initially imposed in 1984."Put simply, California's costly administration of the death penalty likely embodies three fundamental defects," Breyer wrote, citing "serious unreliability, arbitrariness in application and unconscionably long delays."Breyer's dissent was his latest denunciation of the death penalty, a campaign that so far has failed to gain high-court momentum. Coming now, though, it underscores the significance of filling the vacancy left by the death of capital punishment supporter Antonin Scalia.It takes at least four justices to grant a Supreme Court petition and hear a case. On Monday, Breyer was the only one to want to hear Boyer's challenge. He was also the only one to explain his reasoning, with repeated citations to a 2008 report by the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice."It noted that many prisoners had died of natural causes before their sentences were carried out, and more California death row inmates had committed suicide than had been executed by the state," Breyer wrote.Other inmates have been on California's death row longer than Boyer. One, former San Joaquin County resident Jerry Bunyard, has been there since February 1981. Former Sacramento County resident Joe Johnson also has been awaiting execution since 1981, and Richard Montiel has been waiting since his 1979 conviction in Kern County.Boyer was initially sentenced to death 32 years ago following his conviction on two first-degree murder charges for the Dec. 7, 1982, killing of an elderly couple in Fullerton, Calif.Francis Harbitz had sustained approximately 24 stab wounds to the neck, chest and back and had bled to death, according to a summary by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Harbitz's wife, Aileen, had suffered 19 stab wounds and likewise had bled to death. Their son William found their bodies.On the day of the murders, Boyer had drunk beer in the morning and half a pint of whiskey in the afternoon, smoked a PCP cigarette and shared a quarter gram of cocaine."Boyer felt that he was part of the horror movie 'Halloween II,' and that events in the house were changing speeds and items were becoming distorted," recounted Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain of the 9th Circuit.Boyer's first trial ended in a hung jury, and the California Supreme Court threw out his conviction following his second trial. He was convicted again at his third trial.In his petition to the Supreme Court, Boyer argued that the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment should apply to a state that incarcerates a prisoner for lengthy periods under threat of execution. The state countered that appellate review necessarily takes time."Careful review after a defendant is sentenced to death provides an important additional safeguard against arbitrariness and caprice," the office of California Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a brief.The court's denial of Boyer's petition Monday will not end the debate over death penalty, and the subject will occupy center stage whenever a Supreme Court nominee comes before the Senate Judiciary Committee.Current nominee Merrick Garland, in his 1995 confirmation hearing for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, called capital punishment a matter of "settled law now.""I have been a prosecutor," Garland said at that hearing. "As a prosecutor, I have recommended that the government seek the death penalty."
On Saturday, in the morning, at The Allies Memorial, New Farm, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia was represented by Flight Lieutenant Tim Daelman, Honorary Aide-de-Camp at the 71st Anniversary Commemorative Service of the Victory in Europe.

In the afternoon, at Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, the Administrator and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the Flying Arts Alliance opening of the Queensland Regional Art Awards where His Excellency addressed guests.

In the evening, at the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, South Brisbane, the Administrator attended the Greek Orthodox Community of St George Brisbanes Paschal Resurrection Liturgy.
Description

GIS - 03 May 2016: The Mauritius Meteorological Services and Particip GmbH, Germany, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning cooperation in the implementation of on-site training within the framework of the implementation of the training strategy of the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) Programme. The Mauritius Meteorological Services and Particip GmbH, Germany, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning cooperation in the implementation of on-site training within the framework of the implementation of the training strategy of the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) Programme.

The overall objective of the Programme is to support African decision-makers and planners in designing and implementing national, regional and continental policies and development plans towards sustainable development with a view to advancing the socio-economic progress and well-being of African populations towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The main objectives of the MoU are to establish the general modalities for the joint implementation of MESA training activities, and define the overall areas of collaboration.

Particip GmbH has been designated as the lead institution of a consortium responsible for delivering on-site training for the implementation of the Programme for the component focusing on capacity building for weather forecasting through access to satellite data and imageries.
Description

GIS - 03 May, 2016: The Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, emphasises the importance of integrating both modern and contemporary values in the current education system as well as how to restore the best out of it. The Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, emphasises the importance of integrating both modern and contemporary values in the current education system as well as how to restore the best out of it.

These issues were raised yesterday during a courtesy call by Professor Debashis Chatterjee, of the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, on the Prime Minister at the Treasury Building in Port Louis.

Discussions also focused on encouraging further the promotion of values and principles in the younger generations and bring back the best of human kind in the modern world.

It will be recalled that Professor Debashis Chatterjee is currently on his first visit to Mauritius and will be the guest speaker at a workshop on the theme: Timeless Leadership organised by the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council for academics, students as well as both the Public and Private sector and the Civil society.
The Chicago Police Department thought it had a fail-proof strategy for keeping a lid on violent crime: a heat map of the 400 individuals most likely to break the law. The index of violent individuals was the result of a predictive analytics program that used a mathematical algorithm to sift through crime data. It worked much like the analytics programs Netflix or Amazon use to predict a persons next movie rental or book purchase.But the algorithm ran into a firestorm of controversy in late 2013 when aarticle told the story of a man on the list who had no criminal arrests. While the police defended the tool, critics said it was nothing more than racial profiling. They compared to it to a bad version of, the popular sci-fi film about police who predict crimes before they happen.Chicagos experience demonstrates both the promise and limitations of analytics in government. The public sector is already using it at all levels: The U.S. Border Patrol uses it to figure out how best to allocate resources along the border with Mexico. States use it to stop fraud in Medicaid and tax returns. Local governments use analytics to determine which buildings may have code violations, or to predict possible traffic and transit disruptions before they happen.But despite all the successful implementations of analytics, many such projects actually fail. According to IT research firm Gartner, more than half of all projects arent completed within budget or on time, or they fail to deliver the expected results. Like other types of IT projects, an analytics initiative can fail for a variety of factors, big and small. But several key reasons stand out.First, there are misconceptions about analytics. Its not a technology project that should be run by the IT department, though it will need input from CIOs and their staff to manage the databases and networks that underpin it. Its also not about data. Rather, its a way to predict future strategies and support decision-making. Thats why the right stakeholders need to be involved.Second, analytic projects fail when the data quality is inferior. Bad data creates poor results. Lack of data sharing can also hobble the best planned analytics project. While there are technical barriers to data sharing, too often the problem is an unwillingness to share between agencies or departments. The result is turf battles that erupt when one agency wants to protect the data theyve collected.Third, states and localities suffer from a talent shortage when it comes to finding people who can successfully run an analytics project in the public sector. The field of analytics is still relatively new, so the pool of skilled analytics experts is shallow. To improve a public service, you need analysts with domain knowledge, says Jennifer Bachner, director of the master of science in government analytics program at Johns Hopkins University. This is essential to identifying and measuring outcomes that matter.Last, measuring the impact of analytics in government is far more complex than in the private sector. As the Chicago Police Department found out, analytics can lead to messy results. The mathematician who created the algorithm for the heat map of likely criminals said the data did not use any racial or negative bias about minority groups. But thats not how the results were viewed by others.Finding a correlation between two sets of data and predicting an outcome works fine in the private sector, but as Bachner points out, government policymakers need to identify where they can intervene in a policy to make it better. Thats hard to do and requires more substantive knowledge, she says. Improving a government program requires policymakers to make changes that lead to desired outcomes. This kind of challenge is about identifying causal relationships, not just correlations.
What does the Vitality Fellow do?

Are there Vitality Fellows anywhere else? Are they called the same thing?

How does someone become a Vitality Fellow? Whats the path that led you to this position?

When the grant money runs out, do you think there will be a vitality fellowship funded with city tax dollars?

Last year, the city of St. Paul, Minn., won a$175,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to hire a so-called 8-80 Vitality Fellow, a first-of-its-kind position in local government. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman got the idea for the fellowship from urbanist Gil Penalosa, a former parks commissioner in Bogota, Colombia, who argues that cities should be safe and welcoming to citizens of all backgrounds and ages (fromyears old).In 2014, Coleman invested $40 millionin a package of infrastructure projects that would further his goal of making St. Paul an 8-80 city. The money covers street improvements, the acquisition of land for parks, the renovation of a historic theater and the addition of bike lanes. With the Knight Foundation grant, Coleman's office hired Margaret Jones, the city's first 8-80 Vitality Fellow, to support the projects and ensure that the 8-80 principles inform the work of every city agency. Much of the job involves going out into the community, making presentations, hosting events and building relationships with residents who want to help make the city a more fun and equitable place to live and work.In April, Jones spoke withabout her 18-month fellowship. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.The main thing I do is look across the departments and make connections between people in the community and in city departments. A big thing in the job description was silo-busting -- getting people to work across departments. Although, I have found that its not just getting people to work across departments butdepartments.Im bringing in speakers almost on a monthly basis, and weve been successful in getting a variety of people to listen to these talks. Weve had people in the audience from the city, from the county, from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, from nonprofits and from downtown business associations. Its getting people from within the city and across departments to start talking to one another.I dont know of any. I dont know that I would continue calling the position an 8-80 fellow. Its kind of a fun title because people are like, Whats that? But I dont think it's necessarily useful in terms of talking with other cities. We usually have to explain it, so I think one of the things I would recommend is crafting a new title.I was the executive director for a neighborhood nonprofit community council. Within that neighborhood, I had been working on issues with different people in the city, in different departments -- police, public works, parks -- and in local businesses. I had an understanding of the role that the community plays and the role the community thinks it should play. When I was in the community, I would hear this idea of The City, this entity thats sort of out there. So one of the things Ive been trying to do since Ive been here is put a face on the city, so its not just this idea of this huge government entity that can be perceived as an obstacle. More often than not, I think its just that people dont realize all of the workings of the city. I feel like I am a face in the city that people can identify and call. I think thats huge for any place.If not an 8-80 Vitality Fellow, then I still think there should be some position that is trying to do the kinds of things that Im doing. I definitely think theres been a value added, for sure.One of the things Ive been asked to do is write a report and make recommendations. So my first recommendation will be that they keep me on. [Laughs] But in all seriousness, I do think that there is a place for me. Because of the role that I have now and the role that I had before this job, I know a lot of people in the community. I get calls from the strangest places and from people all across different disciplines, and theyre calling to ask me to help them get something going. Theyre asking me to help make a connection.
Home  Motorcycles & Bikes  Top 10 Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers Of 2022 Reviews & Buying Guide Motorcycles & Bikes Top 10 Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers Of 2022 Reviews & Buying Guide

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Motorcycles are excellent vehicles for travel and adventure both on and off-road. It is an investment you need to keep safe from those who would love to take that treasure off your hands. Wheel-locking systems may not be enough for those with enough mechanical ability to hot-wire it, and in some cases, one or two people could simply load it onto a truck without unlocking anything.

You dont want to wait months for the police to try to get it back. You want to know where it is right now.

A GPS tracking system is the perfect security investment for your motorcycle, and we have reviews of the best motorcycle GPS trackers here for you.

Top 10 Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers You Should Buy Of 2022 Reviews

1 AMERICALOC GL300W Mini Portable Real-Time GPS Tracker. XW Series

Leta start with this Americaloc mini portable GPS tracker. This is a mid-range GPS tracker both regarding cost and ability. It comes in about the size of a heavy keychain, so if you are looking for something tiny, this is not it. It is detectable by someone who knew what they were looking for but depending on where you attached it to your motorcycle, it may take them a bit of time to identify it.

There are diverse opinions in the reviews about its battery life. It appears that it will last at least 3-4 days, but there are sometimes problems when recharging it. Make sure to follow the instruction guide that comes with this tracker.

You also need to recognize that this service is run by a tech that is not as widespread as most cellphone GPS trackers. While is advertises real-time the reality is that it updates once per minute, thirty, or ten seconds  depending on your setting. This setting will affect battery life, and depending on where it is, the updates may not be entirely accurate. It is not a bad tracker, but you need to have realistic expectations for it.

Pros GPS Tracker for vehicles, people, assets

GPS Tracker for vehicles, people, assets This GPS tracker has the longest battery life version with extended multicarrier coverage. Battery life is measured in weeks.

This GPS tracker has the longest battery life version with extended multicarrier coverage. Battery life is measured in weeks. Alerts: movement, parked, speeding, device on/off, low battery, entering or leaving zones

Alerts: movement, parked, speeding, device on/off, low battery, entering or leaving zones Real-Time Tracking and 1 year of tracking history. Track from any computer, tablet or phone or just download our Android and iPhone APP.

Real-Time Tracking and 1 year of tracking history. Track from any computer, tablet or phone or just download our Android and iPhone APP. Works in the US, Canada, Europe and in almost every country in the world

Works in the US, Canada, Europe and in almost every country in the world 1-minute location updates while moving. Can be configured for location updates every 60, 30 or 10 seconds with no additional cost. Cons Slightly bigger than something described as mini.

Slightly bigger than something described as mini. Sometimes faces battery charging issues

Sometimes faces battery charging issues Behind cellphone GPS technology and occasionally is off a block or so in tracking

Behind cellphone GPS technology and occasionally is off a block or so in tracking No mobile app and website can be buggy

2 Spy Tec STI GL300 Mini Portable Real-Time Personal and Vehicle GPS Tracker

Spy Tecs GL300 GPS is about the same size as the Americaloc, but about half the price. As with most GPS devices, there is a monthly subscription fee that can quickly add up over time. In practice, this GPS seems to function a little more smoothly than others, with many short-term satisfied customers.

For this GPS to work well for you, you need three things. First, you need to be using it in an area covered by T-mobile, or else you may have accuracy problems. Second, you need to be able to recharge it every few days. Finally, this is a short-term solution. The charging cable seems to break down over months, not years, and the customer and tech service can be a pain to deal with. If you are looking for a long-term GPS, you may want to take a pass on Spy Tec.

Pros Perfect for tracking vehicles, people, or assets

Perfect for tracking vehicles, people, or assets Compact size can go anywhere

Compact size can go anywhere Tracks with Google Maps in real-time over the Internet

Tracks with Google Maps in real-time over the Internet Get text or email when a person leaves an area (geo-fencing) Cons Inconsistent customer service

Inconsistent customer service Works primarily in T-mobile coverage areas

Works primarily in T-mobile coverage areas Problems with charging cable

Problems with charging cable Short life span

3 Amcrest AM-GL300 V3 Portable Mini Real-Time GPS Tracker for Vehicles

Here is another low-end GPS tracker for your motorcycle. What makes this one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers is that it works with mobile apps from Google and Apple, so you can track your motorcycle from your phone and not just your computer or a webpage.

It comes with lots of tracking options as well. You can create zones and be alerted if your motorcycle moves outside of it. You can set speed alerts or other proximity alerts, which will be pushed to your phone via text and email. The Amcrest is a solid package for taking care of your needs, and there is no contract required to use it.

How you use it will determine the battery strength, and, like other devices in this low-cost range, the batteries are a weak point, particularly if not re-charged correctly. Also, it relies on 2G coverage and does not connect with all carriers. To get your moneys worth out of this motorcycle GPS tracker, make sure to inquire about coverage in your area and this tracker, and be sure to read the instructions about recharging your GPS.

Pros Works with apps from Google and Apple store

Works with apps from Google and Apple store This GPS device allows you to create zones that you specifically want to monitor, such as your home to you know when your loved one leaves or returns. Set maximum speed alerts and proximity alerts for your vehicles to suit your needs.

This GPS device allows you to create zones that you specifically want to monitor, such as your home to you know when your loved one leaves or returns. Set maximum speed alerts and proximity alerts for your vehicles to suit your needs. Receive text, push and email notifications straight to your personal device.

Receive text, push and email notifications straight to your personal device. Long-lasting  Stay connected with a longer battery life of 10-14 days on a full charge.

Long-lasting  Stay connected with a longer battery life of 10-14 days on a full charge. Access the reports from your GPS device from your PC, Mac or smartphone.

Access the reports from your GPS device from your PC, Mac or smartphone. No contract required Cons GPS Tracker is limited to 2G and will only work in areas where there is 2G coverage.

GPS Tracker is limited to 2G and will only work in areas where there is 2G coverage. Batteries can be faulty leading to short lifespan of the device

4 GPS Tracker  Optimus 2.0

This low-end tracker has a better performance record than some of the others, making it one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers on the market. This GPS has a monthly subscription fee but no contract required and it comes with apps you can use to track your motorcycle from your phone. There is no limit to how much data you can save on the secure databases, and so will update you every 30 seconds while your motorcycle is moving, or you can upgrade it to update you every 10 seconds.

Fortunately, there are only two reported issues from the reviews of this GPS tracker. It is slightly larger than some of the other models, making it a bit more challenging to hide securely. It also sends out false reports occasionally if the cell service is interrupted.

Pros No Contract

No Contract Adjustable position report frequency from 30 Seconds while moving.

Adjustable position report frequency from 30 Seconds while moving. iPhone and Android App

iPhone and Android App Email and Text Message notifications for Movement, Speeding, Leaving or Entering Areas, etc.

Email and Text Message notifications for Movement, Speeding, Leaving or Entering Areas, etc. Unlimited Tracking Data Saved During Service

Unlimited Tracking Data Saved During Service SIM Card and Data Plan all Included

SIM Card and Data Plan all Included Easy to install and use Cons Will occasionally send out false reports if it loses cell service

Will occasionally send out false reports if it loses cell service Slightly larger than other models

Which of the best motorcycle GPS trackers have the best batteries?

5 Trackmate Mini 3G H GPS Tracker for Vehicles

Unlike the previous models of the best motorcycle GPS trackers, the Trackmate does not rely on a rechargeable lithium battery. Instead, it is hardwired directly into the motorcycle battery itself. This has the benefit of preventing the GPS from turning off when the battery dies at inopportune times.

The downside of this setup is that installation is more difficult, and while the device is easily concealable, it also has wires running between it and the battery. This connection can cause your motorcycle battery to run down if you do not monitor it closely, causing both the device and motorcycle to fail to operate.

This is a 3G tracker and has better accuracy than the previous 2G GPS trackers, making this one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers on the market.

Pros On/Off Detection, Speed Indicator, and Live Map Tracking.

On/Off Detection, Speed Indicator, and Live Map Tracking. Numerous alerts such as low-battery, tampering and towing. Historical location reports available.

Numerous alerts such as low-battery, tampering and towing. Historical location reports available. All-Weather Resistant and Waterproof.

All-Weather Resistant and Waterproof. STAY IN TUNE: Unique system Tracks via AT&T and T-Mobile networks, simultaneously.

STAY IN TUNE: Unique system Tracks via AT&T and T-Mobile networks, simultaneously. EASILY CONCEALABLE: 3.4 X 1.75 X 0.50 , 2oz. No visible external light. Cons Can drain the motorcycle battery

Can drain the motorcycle battery Challenging to install since it is hardwired to the motorcycle battery

6 MotoSafety Mwaas1P1 Wired 3G GPS Car Tracker

The MotoSafety Mwaas1P1 is another hardwired GPS tracker that you can use on your motorcycle. It also uses 3G service and, as long as you are in the United States, typically does an excellent job of tracking through mobile apps. It sends detailed reports, particularly useful for tracking teen drivers, such as speeding, hard braking, and curfew notices. You must subscribe to a monthly fee, but there are no contracts.

Overall, this is one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers. There are about 10% of customers though who encounter significant issues trying to get this GPS to function properly. Many of these are being used in cars, rather than motorcycles. However, since this GPS is hardwired into the vehicle system, the fault seems to be a compatibility issue, between the GPS and the vehicle. There are no reports of which vehicles are incompatible or why.

You take a small risk with this GPS that it may not be compatible with your motorcycle. Otherwise, this is one of the best motorcycle GPS trackers.

Pros Monitor driving activity using Google Maps.

Monitor driving activity using Google Maps. Use GPS to review driving routes, set geofences around key locations and know when the vehicle is in use after curfew.

Use GPS to review driving routes, set geofences around key locations and know when the vehicle is in use after curfew. No contracts or cancellation fees.

No contracts or cancellation fees. Track anywhere with free GPS tracking mobile apps with real-time email & text message alerts. Cons Has some issues updating consistently

Has some issues updating consistently Only works in the United States

7 ATian Vehicle Car personal GPS/GSM/GPRS/SMS Tracker

The ATian GPS Tracker is one of the less expensive of the best motorcycle GPS trackers available. It comes with both a Lithium-ion battery and power supply to be installed to the motorcycle battery. Be warned though, that it will drain both rather quickly if you use it continuously. The lithium-ion battery, for example, is only rated up to 29 hours of continuous use, meaning you have to recharge it daily.

This GPS is not waterproof so some kind of external cover may be necessary to keep it working correctly. It comes with a remote control though, to turn it on and off without getting on the motorcycle yourself.

The biggest challenge with this GPS is that they do not provide a SIM card in it. Being foreign made, they have adapted to the global cellular service challenge by forcing you to get your own SIM card for it. This means that, although there is only a minimal service fee for using this GPS, you have to pay a cell service company to use it. With the frequent false alerts reported in the reviews on this GPS, that cell service bill can cost you a pretty penny.

Pros Single Locating

Single Locating Auto track continuously

Auto track continuously Track with limited times upon time interval, Smart track upon time and distance interval

Track with limited times upon time interval, Smart track upon time and distance interval The tracker will update the positions automatically to web server once the vehicle changing driving direction over preset angle value to form a smooth trajectory consistent with the actual road, this function works only in GPRS /GSM mode Cons Drains motorcycle battery

Drains motorcycle battery May often send false alerts

May often send false alerts Requires a SIM card and the additional cost of that cellular service.

Looking for a higher end GPS for your motorcycle?

8 AES RGT90 GPS Tracker

The difference (besides the price) between the AES RGT90 and some of the other best motorcycle GPS trackers that operate with a lithium-ion battery, is that the folks over at AES implemented a sleep mode into their device. That saves you hours and hours of battery use wasted when your motorcycle is simply sitting in your garage. That is how they are able to get 90 days worth of use out of their battery.

The other reason that this GPS tracker costs so much is that it has the broadest range of the best motorcycle GPS trackers  extending all through North America and over 100 other countries as well. By comparison, most other trackers have difficulty even covering the USA alone.

Pros Works Anywhere in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, plus over 100 other countries

Works Anywhere in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, plus over 100 other countries Internal battery Operates GPS tracker up to 90 days on a single charge. Recharges by Micro USB for better convenience. Charge using any USB Charger.

Internal battery Operates GPS tracker up to 90 days on a single charge. Recharges by Micro USB for better convenience. Charge using any USB Charger. Covert, Discrete, Waterproof Magnetic Case

Covert, Discrete, Waterproof Magnetic Case Goes to sleep when the vehicle is parked for 5 minutes or more. Displays the last location before going into Sleep Mode. Access anytime via text.

Goes to sleep when the vehicle is parked for 5 minutes or more. Displays the last location before going into Sleep Mode. Access anytime via text. Track on your phone or on the website. You can also receive GPS coordinates via SMS Text. Cons Phone app is not the easiest to use

Phone app is not the easiest to use Relies on magnetic attachment

What is the best reviewed of the best motorcycle GPS trackers?

9 Goome 3G/WCDMA/GSM/GPS GM36W

The Goome has the least amount of negative reviews of the best motorcycle GPS trackers on the market. It also has the fewest reviews in total, so take that with a grain of salt. Many of the reviews commented that they got more value than they expected from this GPS. It is easy to install and very accurate, and the company offers global service.

The only problem the reviews have reported is that the app associated with this tracker is in Chinese and can be difficult to navigate. Even so, most customers were able to use this GPS quite well directly through SMS communication between their phones and devices.

Pros Support 3G/WCDMA/GSM/ Network

Support 3G/WCDMA/GSM/ Network Waterproof features, level  IP67 will prevent water damage the inter electric components.

Waterproof features, level  IP67 will prevent water damage the inter electric components. Geo-fencing, playback history tracks, speeding alarm, low power &battery alerts, etc.

Geo-fencing, playback history tracks, speeding alarm, low power &battery alerts, etc. OTA Upgrade Program, Anti-theft

OTA Upgrade Program, Anti-theft One year free trial for North America customers Cons App is Chinese and hard to navigate

App is Chinese and hard to navigate Can be difficult to find to purchase

What is the least expensive best motorcycle GPS tracker on the market?

10 MOTOsafety OBD GPS Tracker Device

Here is the least expensive of the best motorcycle GPS trackers you can find. This GPS, like several of the others reviewed, was made with teen drivers in mind. It gives comprehensive reports on driving stats, but it is not meant to be long-lasting.

If you are looking for a short-term GPS tracker, and you are living in the US, this is an inexpensive option for you. If you are looking for a GPS for security reasons, you may want to see another option.

Pros Monitor driving activity using Google Maps.

Monitor driving activity using Google Maps. Get a complete driving report cards that score safe driving habits such as speeding, harsh braking, and rapid acceleration to improve driving habits.

Get a complete driving report cards that score safe driving habits such as speeding, harsh braking, and rapid acceleration to improve driving habits. 3G vehicle tracking coverage that updates every minute in the US, Canada, and Mexico

3G vehicle tracking coverage that updates every minute in the US, Canada, and Mexico Track anywhere with the free GPS tracking mobile apps and real-time email & text message alerts.

Track anywhere with the free GPS tracking mobile apps and real-time email & text message alerts. Use the GPS tracking to review reports such as driving routes, set geofences around key locations (school, home, or friends house) and know when the vehicle is in use after curfew. Cons Inconsistent updating

Inconsistent updating Only works in the US

So, how do these reviews line up?

Best Motorcycle GPS Trackers Buying Guide

Best Value

The MOTOSafety OBD GPS Tracker is the least expensive option if you are looking for a short-term tracker for your motorcycle. It is made for tracking the driving habits of teenage drivers.

The Trackmate is a more expensive device, but it has a lower monthly subscription cost and is hardwired into your motorcycle, so you dont have to worry about recharging the battery.

The ATian GPS tracker is inexpensive as well, but you may end up paying more for your SIM card (not included) usage.

Accuracy

The AES is the most expensive of the best motorcycle GPS trackers but can provide you with some of the best accuracy across the greatest number of countries. The ATian is one of the least expensive devices but can offer service in any country you can get a SIM card to use in it. The Goome GPS also provides excellent service if you can navigate the Chinese app or use SMS to connect to the device.

Durability

How long do the best motorcycle GPS trackers last?

The most durable of these trackers are the ones that are hardwired into your motorcycle battery. The lithium-ion battery is one of the earliest failing points on these devices, and if it doesnt have one, it lasts that much longer. You also want one that is waterproof, to prevent moisture from damaging the electronics.

The Trackmate is a great hardwired GPS that is recommended for motorcycles and is waterproof. It is one of the more durable of the best motorcycle GPS trackers.

There is one exception to the battery rule, and that is the AES RGT90 GPS tracker. This tracker, because of its sleep mode, causes less wear on the battery and ends up lasting much longer than any other GPS with a lithium-ion battery.



Conclusion You can get inexpensive GPS trackers if you are only interested in short-term use. If you want something to last longer, you need to spend a little more money. You also need to be able to install it to your motorcycle battery. It is also important to watch for the subscription costs. The device may be inexpensive, but most subscriptions are around $20 each month. Some may require cell phone contracts (although most do not). Also, the more expensive GPS trackers have better service (3G instead of 2G) and a much wider area of coverage. If youre looking for the best motorcycle GPS trackers, the reviews suggest checking out the AES RGT90 and the Trackmate Mini 3G H GPS Tracker.
Fernando Alonso says F1 drivers will discuss the recent series of messy race starts in 2016.

Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton collided in Bahrain, the two Ferraris clashed in China, and last Sunday at Sochi Sebastian Vettel was left furious after being punted into the barrier by the Red Bull of Daniil Kvyat.

"Especially the first few corners have been strange this year," McLaren-Honda's Alonso, one of the most experienced drivers in F1, told Cadena Cope radio.

"This last one (in Russia) I escaped by a whisker. For Barcelona we will try to speak about it at the drivers' meeting," said the Spaniard.

"We have to see what has upset the grid so much this year."

However, Alonso does not jump on the bandwagon of those slamming young Russian Kvyat, who was caught up not only in the first corner controversies in China but then again in Russia.

"Surely he was to blame for Sochi and that is why he received a penalty, so I am sure he will be a little calmer next time," said the double world champion.

"But Shanghai I think was a little unfair (on Kvyat), the whole controversy was an unfortunate situation for everyone but I don't think anyone was to blame."

(GMM)
Nico Rosberg has admitted to being surprised when he met Russia's controversial president Vladimir Putin after the race in Sochi.

As the drivers prepared for the podium ceremony, Putin and his translator spoke separately with Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and race winner Rosberg.

"He congratulated me," Rosberg said, "but I was a little surprised that he did not speak German with me.

"He can actually speak German quite well, right?" the Mercedes driver told Bild newspaper.

Indeed, the report claims Putin spent five years working as a KGB agent in Dresden, and still regularly reads German-language newspapers.

(GMM)
Dr Helmut Marko doubts Dannil Kvyat's now two-race spat with Sebastian Vettel will spill into even more race weekends.

The pair argued before going onto the podium in China, before German Vettel launched a foul-mouthed radio tirade against the Russian in the wake of their Sochi clash.

Maurizio Arrivabene said Vettel had also gone "ballistic" behind closed doors, but Marko, Kvyat's boss, doubts the former Red Bull driver will hold a grudge.

"I think Sebastian is so logical that he knows revenge will bring nothing to him. Instead he has to focus on getting good starts and bringing the car home in one piece.

"So I don't believe this will be a problem," said the Austrian.

Marko agrees with Ferrari's Vettel that Kvyat was entirely to blame for Sochi and vowed to speak to the 22-year-old.

"Let's cool down a bit," he said. "During the week, we will talk about this."

Amid his dark period, Kvyat is at least receiving some backing from the F1 paddock.

"Daniil made a mistake with the first contact," veteran David Coulthard told Tass news agency, "but for the second one he didn't expect such a sharp deceleration from Vettel.

"Unfortunately, after a great race in China, Kvyat disappointed on his home track but he remains a terrific driver," he added.

Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos agrees: "Kvyat misjudged the braking with the first touch, but the second was a racing incident.

"It is of course very bad that you take the lead Ferrari off, but it seems that Vettel had a problem," he told Ziggo Sport Totaal. "That corner is basically full throttle but you can see that Vettel is off the gas."

Nevertheless, it is an awkward time for Kvyat, amid intense speculation that Max Verstappen is being lined up to replace him for 2017.

"The Russian has a few months to prove himself to (team boss) Christian Horner," former F1 driver Franck Montagny told Le Point.

"He is clearly in danger of losing his place in the team. With what happened in China he is now under a lot of pressure.

"For next year it is likely that Red Bull will prefer one of the two Toro Rosso drivers," he predicted.

(GMM)
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Will Naidu Give RS Seat To Telangana Leaders?

Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has completely neglected the party in Telangana region, received a request from the party leaders for nominating one of them to Rajya Sabha.

Telangana TDP president L Ramana met Naidu on Tuesday and asked him to allocate one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Andhra Pradesh to a Telangana TDP leader.

There is no possibility of the party to have its representation in Rajya Sabha from Telangana region. So, if a Telangana TDP leader gets an RS nomination from AP, it will give boost to the party in Telangana and we can bounce back in the coming days, Ramana told Naidu.

However, Naidu parried the request saying he would look into it. Sources said Naidu may not entertain the request as there are too many aspirants for the RS seat in Andhra Pradesh and if a Telangana leader is given the RS nomination, it will cause unrest among the Andhra leaders.

Secondly, there is no way the TDP can get back its glory in Telangana even if they struggle a lot. So, there is no point in pampering the Telangana TDP leaders at present, say sources.
GREENSBORO - H Ju Nie and H Ngach Rahlan, Montagnard Dega weavers in Greensboro, will be honored with six other artists later this month with North Carolina Heritage Awards.

The ceremony will be held at 8 p.m. May 25 at the Duke Energy Performing Arts Center in downtown Raleigh.

The heritage award is one of the North Carolina Arts Councils most popular public programs and celebrates the lifelong contributions of artists to the states cultural heritage.

This is the 27th anniversary of the program. Previous recipients of the award include Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Etta Baker and Bishop Faircloth Barnes.

The Greensboro weavers join six other North Carolinians who will receive the award:

* Maceo Parker, internationally-recognized funk, jazz and rhythm and blues musician from Kinston in Lenoir County.

* Sheila Kay Adams, a seventh-generation ballad singer, storyteller, and musician from Sodom Laurel in Madison County.

* Houston, James and Jamie Lewis, fourth-generation boat builders from the Harkers Island tradition in Carteret County.

* Marc Pruett, renowned banjo player, songwriter and part of the popular bluegrass band, Balsam Range, from Canton in Haywood County.

The Dega weavers mastered the ancient spinning, dying and weaving traditions of their people while growing up in the central highlands of Vietnam. Once a part of every highland womans knowledge and practice, women wove to clothe their families, decorate homes and altars, and to keep everyone warm at night.

War and displacement has reduced the numbers of skilled weavers remaining in Vietnam, and few refugees have the time to practice these arts, let alone learn them. Calling themselves Dega, more Vietnamese Montagnards settled in North Carolina than in any other state, because of their fellowship with Special Forces units during the Vietnam War.

H Ju Nie and H Ngach Rahlan moved to Greensboro 20 years ago, bringing their backstrap looms and an immeasurable knowledge of the designs and techniques that make their weaving traditions unique.

Originally, Montagnard weavers grew their own cotton, spun their thread by hand and used dyes from the indigo plant and other natural sources. Decorative elements such as beads were once made from plant materials that grew in their rice fields. War and displacement has reduced the numbers of skilled weavers remaining in Vietnam.

In every culture there is a need to clothe a family. And in every culture textile techniques and design represent generations of artistry and symbolism, passed down through families and within communities, said Linda Evans and Susan Webster in their nomination support letter. African Kente cloth, Belgium lace, Navajo blankets and European coverlets are some well-known examples. Backstrap weaving plays that role within the Montagnard culture.

Ju Nie learned to weave at age 15 from the women in her town, Buon Me Thuot, in Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. She continues to weave in the tradition of her Rhade people. Although the Dega are comprised of many different ethnic groups, the type of loom used throughout the Vietnamese central highlands is the backstrap loom.

Although Ju has not grown cotton or spun all her thread since she came to Greensboro, she remembers how this was once done in Vietnam. She continues to weave using many of the colors and patterns that are traditional to her Rhade people and hopes to keep this tradition alive by teaching others to spin and weave in the traditional way of the Vietnamese central highlands.

Ju came to Greensboro in 1993 following her husband, Thomas Y Tlur Eban, who arrived in 1986. Thomas served as an interpreter for the U.S. Special Forces during the Vietnam War, escaping into the Cambodian jungle after the fall of Saigon in 1975. The couple reunited in Greensboro.

Ngach Rahlan warps and weaves shirts and womens skirts. She also creates the kteh, a technique that twines two threads around warp threads when the textile is off the loom, making an attractive and nearly indestructible finish to the piece. A noted kteh maker is in high demand, for few Montagnard women ever learned the skill.

She comes from Pleiku, and was educated in a French lycee school in the central highlands of Vietnam and was one of only a few Montagnard women to receive an education. She became a school teacher. Her husband was imprisoned after the Vietnam War for working with the Americans. After his release, Ngach and her husband came to North Carolina in 1996.
Family members of a woman killed by a Greensboro police officer in 2014 will take ceremonial walk to City Hall today to watch footage of her shooting death.

Weather permitting, the family of Chieu-di Thi Vo will leave Beloved Community Center on Arlington Street at about 4:30 p.m., and head to the Greensboro City Council meeting.

The plan, at least last week, was for the Vo family to watch the footage at some point today with Greensboro Police Chief Wayne Scott, who will answer questions.

That's not what the family members originally wanted, their attorney said last week. The family hoped to watch the footage with City Council members, who will watch the footage privately this afternoon. The family didn't want law enforcement or attorneys in present.

Vo was shot to death by then-Greensboro Officer Tim Bloch, who was cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting.

According to the press release from the family's attorney: "A procession of supporters will gather at the Beloved Community Center, and walk to the Melvin Municipal building to honor Chieu Di, as well as other families who deserve the same right to closure and mourning.

"They will wear white in the tradition of Vietnamese mourning. The walk will take 10-15 minutes."

The footage is part of a larger debate over who should be allowed to see footage from the cameras police officers wear. The council will discuss that today during the public part of its meeting.
The offer by Congressman Mark Walker to explain intellectually North Carolinas HB 2 to Bruce Springsteen is interesting. This, after calling Springsteen a bully for cancelling a rock concert in protest over the law. If Mr. Walkers main qualification prior to election was that of being a pastor, using the term bully in the context of LGBT issues shows a remarkable lack of sensitivity to what these citizens experience every day. Mr. Walkers solution is that he is going to a Justin Bieber concert.

What Mr. Walker should intellectually explain to his constituents is why more than 130 corporations have written a letter to the governor asking him to repeal HB 2. Please explain why he thinks PayPal would bully us by denying us 400 promised jobs. Please explain why 13 conventions are cancelling in Charlotte. Explain why a $15 million research grant has been pulled from UNC. Explain why we would want to commit economic suicide in the middle of a tepid recovery when our districts unemployment is higher than the state and the national averages.

When he is neither acting like a pastor nor understanding the total repercussions of laws that he endorses, why is he qualified to be our lawmaker?

Pete Glidewell

Elon
DANBURY  Locally based health care giant IMS Health has announced a merger with North Carolina-based Quintiles Transitional Holdings in a deal reportedly worth more than $9 billion.

The merger, announced by the companies on Tuesday, will create a health care information and service provider with a market capitalization of more than $17 billion. As part of the deal, IMS will retain its headquarters inside the Lee Farm Corporate Park in Danbury while Quintiles will maintain its offices in North Carolina. The new company will be called Quintiles IMS Holdings.

This powerful combination brings together leading technology and analytics with deep scientific expertise delivered on a global scale by our 50,000 immensely talented professionals in more than 100 markets, said Ari Bousbib, the chairman and chief executive officer of IMS Health, in a statement released Tuesday about the merger. Our combined business will accelerate growth, yield greater operating efficiencies and provide more flexibility for future expansion.

Bousbib noted that the combined company will be able to provide comprehensive commercial solutions to their clients in the health care industry.

IMS has been an industry leader in providing market and sales research to drug companies through a giant database of anonymous patient records purchased by IMS through the years from pharmacies and other sources. Quintiles, meanwhile, has been an industry leader in offering services to the pharmaceutical industry such as conducting clinical trail research on emerging drugs.

This combination addresses life-science companies most pressing needs: to transform the clinical development of innovative medicines, demonstrate the value of these medicines in the real world and drive commercial success, said Tom Pike, the chief executive officer of Quintiles. We are bringing together two best-in-class leaders. Im confident that together we will make our clients even more successful.

Stephen Bull, president of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce, said hes pleased IMS will maintain its headquarters in the city.

Obviously IMS is a leader in medical research and to have them here in Danbury is extremely important, he said. In this day and age, corporations need to make strategic alliances. Its great to see that IMS is expanding and will continue to provide high quality, good-paying jobs in the region.

Bousbib is expected to become the chief executive officer of the new organization while Pike will serve as the vice chairman. The merger, which is expected to close during the second half of the year, is still subject to regulatory approvals.

dperrefort@newstimes.com
Jessica Hill / Associated Press

HARTFORD  With the adjournment deadline breathing down the necks of state lawmakers, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Monday offered an 11th-hour proposal that could be approved in time for the Wednesday midnight deadline.

But amid criticism from unions and cities and towns, plus reticence among many rank-and-file Democrats, it seemed less likely that a deal could be reached over the last two days of the legislative session. The result could be a general unraveling of negotiations and a call for special legislative session.
GREENWICH  Some 60 Greenwich students in the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic will take the stage Tuesday night in midtown Manhattan for a milestone in the programs 56-season history: The Philharmonics season finale will mark their debut at Carnegie Hall.

The three orchestras that make up SYAP  the Young Artists Philharmonic, Young Peoples Symphony and Young String Ensemble  will perform a range of orchestral pieces including works by Rossini, Dvorak and Copland.

Central Middle School eighth-grader grader Shun Sakai is missing part of a class trip to Washington D.C., to perform.

I know that I am missing out on one day of the class trip by performing at Carnegie Hall, but its worth it, Sakai said in a statement. Carnegie Hall is a world renowned concert hall. I wouldnt miss this opportunity for the world.

Greenwich High School senior Mark Stich said that he also looking forward to performing at the renowned concert hall.

I cant believe that I will be performing on the same stage as the great musicians of today, Stich said in a statement. This experience is going to motivate all of us to try and push for excellence.

Christian Capocaccia, SYAPs music director, has aspired for the group to perform at Carnegie Hall since he took over the orchestra from maestro Salvatore Princiotti in 2012. He has a 10-year plan to transform SYAP into a major youth orchestra.

They are ready to take on the challenge of performing on a world-class stage, Capocaccia said in a statement. It will be a milestone for us, and it will motivate the students to want to strive for more. We have come far and we are definitely on track. The transformation is already evident and I cant be more proud of all that we have accomplished.
Contributed photo

GREENWICH  Cos Cob School Principal Gene Schmidt has earned the Connecticut Association of School Librarians 2016 Administrators Award for his support of his schools media services, which have undergone major changes under his leadership.

Since Schmidt became principal in 2013, Cos Cobs library has morphed from a traditional media center into a dynamic learning commons that has become the schools hub. At the start of the school year, the school opened a 24-foot-by-36-foot innovation space in the learning commons, a popular gathering place for students and staff to work on science, technology, engineering and math projects.
BRIDGEPORT  A New Haven rabbi is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage student in the school he runs, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court.

The lawsuit claims Rabbi Daniel Greer, a former New Haven city police commissioner, sexually assaulted the teen over a three-year period beginning in the fall of 2002.

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, also names The Yeshiva of New Haven, Inc. and The Gan School, Inc. as defendants.

Dozens and dozens of times for a period of years, Greer sexually assaulted and abused a young boy in his care, said the plaintiffs lawyer, Antonio Ponvert III of the Bridgeport-based firm Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder.

Greer has not been criminally charged. His lawyer, William Ward, denied the allegations levied against his client.

It only takes a moment to make allegations with despicable indifference to the consequences of the damage they could cause to my client, his family and a reputation he spent his life building, Ward said.

The plaintiff, Eliyahu Mirlis, attended the Yeshiva and school where Greer was the rabbi and school principal, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that during the teens sophomore, junior and senior high school years, Rabbi Greer repeatedly and continuously sexually abused, exploited, and assaulted him.

It continues that Greer frequently gave the youth alcohol and showed him pornographic films at the time of the assaults. The assaults occurred on school property, at Greers private residence, at motels in the New Haven area and Pennsylvania, and at various rental properties owned by the schools, the lawsuit states.

During the entire period of Rabbi Greers molestation . . . senior administrators and officials of the school, including the schools assistant principal, actually knew and/or should have known that the Rabbi was raping, sodomizing and sexually assaulting, abusing and molesting the minor boy; and they did nothing to stop it, the lawsuit states.
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HARTFORD  It took them literally until the 11th hour on Tuesday, but after a day of shuttle diplomacy by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Democratic leaders, a compromise budget deal was reached that may be voted before the General Assemblys Wednesday-midnight deadline.

Democratic leaders of the House and Senate said there are over $830-million in tough budget cuts, with no tax increases for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Appearing in the Capitol Press Room at 11 p.m., they said they tried to protect education funding, hospital support, higher education and municipal aid.

It does contain a large number of cuts and we went through this really arduous process over a number of days, said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney. We did reach an agreement. The governor himself was in the negotiations at the end and helped close the deal. Malloy entered Looneys Capitol office at about 5:15 and stayed two hours.

I want to thank the governor, said Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey. He was there at the end to kind of close that last bit we needed to reach an agreement. This is a budget that represents true structural change. It compares favorably to the Republicans alternative that they produced, and the cuts that weve made not only will close the deficit for 2017, but will also carry over with those structural changes to the next biennium as well.

Lawmakers who attended a late-night Democratic caucus on the budget said they plan to beat the Wednesday midnight deadline and avoid a special session by debating the package earlier in the day.

Tomorrow, we will do our job and get a budget out on time, said Rep. John Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, who leads the citys delegation. It will be a balanced budget that well be able to vote out.

Devon Puglia, Malloys Capitol spokesman, indicated the governor would sign it if it passes the House and Senate.

This is a budget that doesn't raise taxes and is built almost entirely on long-term spending reductions, which will help keep expenditures under control in the future, Puglia said in a statement. Our goal has been to do things differently this year, to ensure thatjust like the households we representwe do not spend money that we dont have. If and when the legislature passes this budget, we look forward to signing it.

Republican leaders were skeptical, since they had not been shown the package.

Im not going to prejudge it, said Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven. I dont know what theyve been talking about. Maybe theyre threatened about it. Unlike them Im very fair-minded.

The Democratic plan would retain the public fund for General Assembly and statewide political races that GOP lawmakers proposed termination. But it would roll together several existing state commissions, including the African American Affairs Commission, the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, the Commission on Children and the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission.

I think were making substantial progress, which I have not thought, Malloy said as he walked from the east side of the Capitol back to the west side, trailing reporters around 7:15 p.m. I think people have to run some numbers. I dont know the legislative function. Im simply saying weve made some substantial progress, and I think everybody has to catch their breath.

Outside the Senate Republican caucus room he stooped to pick up that penny on the floor, ignoring Fasano, the GOP leader who was standing nearby. Malloy then walked downstairs to his office.

I think the sooner it gets done, the better for everybody ... Theres been tons of sticking points, many sticking points. I think people are coming together, Malloy said.

After Malloys remarks to reporters, Fasano, R-North Haven, and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, joined the governor in his second-floor office for an update. Klarides said late Tuesday her caucus has received no specific details of the proposal.

The fiscal problems were exacerbated Tuesday afternoon when the Judicial Branch issued a letter warning of hundreds of courthouse staff layoffs if Malloys latest budget were adopted.

In addition to the 126 layoffs we announced on Friday, April 15, no fewer than an additional 600 layoffs will be required if this budget proposal is adopted, Chief Court Administrator Patrick J. Carroll III warned in a letter to the governor and legislative leaders.

Hours later, the state Office of Policy and Management announced 90 new layoffs, including one in the Military Department and 89 in the Department of Developmental Services. That brings the total terminations in recent weeks to 775 employees.

Chuck DellaRocco, president of AFSCME Local 749, representing 1,600 court workers and public defenders, said Wednesday that Carroll has informed the union that 110 layoffs are coming Thursday. He said union members and supportive members of the public have been calling their state lawmakers.

We keep beating the pavement, DellaRocco, a state Supreme Court police officer, said in an afternoon phone interview. He said the Judicial Branch has been handling the terminations professionally, unlike agencies that have walked-out employees with no notice.

It kind of gives us a sense that there is still a possibility that the cuts wont be as deep as people predicted, he said. But people need to make their voices heard, and contact state reps and senators and ask them to make sound judgment calls.

Narrowing the divide

Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, co-chairman of the budget-setting Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday morning that Democrats and the governors staff have made good progress at a time of sharply declining revenue.

We had a lot of conversations yesterday, Bye said, adding that Malloys latest budget proposal, his third since February, materialized in a surprising way. She said the negotiation process includes concepts that are then totaled up by non-partisan staff in the Office of Fiscal Analysis and the governors budget staff in the Office of Policy and Management. She said a $100 million gap between Democrats and the governor had been mostly bridged.

Were trying to mechanically sit down and put things together and see it in its final phase, Bye told reporters. She said that the goal of getting House and Senate votes before midnight Wednesday remained in sight. But it usually takes a full 24 hours to print a negotiated package for debate on the House and Senate floors.

Were walking toward that goal, Bye said of the statutory deadline. I dont think we should let a deadline of midnight tomorrow stop us from getting to a budget that people can agree on. I think the people of Connecticut are waiting to see.

At 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, House Democrats recessed to discuss the latest incarnation of a potential budget agreement with Malloy.

Criticism of the governors budget proposal was widespread, from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to social service agencies.

The CCM warned that Malloy would cut $73 million in state aid to towns from the states Municipal Revenue Sharing Fund, $19 million from Education Cost Sharing grants and another $25 million in School Transportation Funds.

This proposal does not provide for significant and structural mandates relief to mitigate the impact of the cuts, said Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director. They are simply deep cuts in current state aid programs that only serve to shift the tax burden from the state onto residential and business property taxpayers across Connecticut.

kdixon@ctpost.com
Getting the word out about a brand new business can sometimes seem like an uphill battle. But this social media platform wants to help change that.

Launched in 2013 by sister team Hannah Oiknine and Sarah Azan, Paris-based Babbler's mission is to create a better way for media and PR professionals to connect. The startup, which recently raised more than $2 million in funding, is geared toward companies that do PR in house, PR firms and newsrooms.

Babbler wants to help its users save time by streamlining a process that often has PR professionals sending pitch emails out into a void and journalists sifting through an inbox filled with queries that aren't relevant to their interests.

Related: How to Get Noticed in Today's Crowded Business Environment

Babbler has a user base of about 5,000 journalists, for whom the service is free, and more than 300 PR agencies and brands, for whom there is a scaled fee. The company's clients range from small startups that dont necessarily have the budget to retain PR professionals and want to find a way to get in touch with reporters to big names such as Nike, Black & Decker, Danone, Edelman, Ogilvy, Pinterest and Waze.

"The big question always is, do you start with the chicken or the egg? We needed enough reporters to attract the companies and we need enough companies to attract the reporters," says co-founder and CEO Oiknine. "PR professionals already have their own contacts, and they are in contact with them every day. We started by having the PR professionals invite their own network of followers, and that is how we built our community."

Related: Reporters Don't Take Orders and Other PR Truths

Oiknine highlighted the platform's matchmaking algorithm as a feature that has aided the communitys growth since its launch. "If another PR professional invites someone else and it matches with your domain of interest, you're going to benefit from her contacts," she says.

Having made a splash in Paris, Azan and Oiknine announced the opening of their New York office at this year's SXSW.

Related:



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5









North Mianus School students have a new, improved playtime set-up thanks to their parents and the equipments manufacturers.

The school installed a new set of equipment, including swings and slides, last month on its lower playground. North Mianus PTA contributed $79,000 for the apparatus, according to North Mianus Principal Angela Schmidt. GameTime, the equipments manufacturer, gave the school a matching grant, according to PTA leaders.
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Whoops? Photo: Aubrey Simonds/Facebook

Presumably, this isnt what Wendys means by its new tagline Deliciously different: A location in the New Hampshire city of Keene says it served a little girl a soda that had a razor blade in it. Aubrey Simonds freaked out after spying it at the bottom of her daughters drink, which, lucky for everybody involved in this situation, was a totally clear soda.

Keenes health department has been sorting the nightmare out with the store, and authorities say it appears the blade belonged to a cleaning worker who used it to scrape junk off the stove hoods in the kitchen, then didnt properly dispose of it. An employee found it the next day in the trash and moved it into a paper cup until it could be thrown away safely. That apparently didnt happen fast enough, and the employee filling Simondss order accidentally grabbed the cup by mistake, put soda in it, and somehow never noticed the really conspicuous shiny metal object hanging out at the bottom. Simonds says her daughter took a few sips but is just fine.

[Keene Sentinel]
Strange. Photo: Rick Gayle Studio/Corbis

A black Oxford law student is getting the internets full wrath after celebrating how he and a friend had screwed their white South African server by putting We will give tip when you return the land on the tip line instead of a proper gratuity. Ntokozo Qwabe, a law student at the school, described the scene at length on Facebook, explaining why theyd effectively held 24-year-old Ashleigh Schultz of Cape Towns Obz Cafe responsible for apartheid. Not surprisingly, the Facebook post isnt up anymore, but, according to screenshots, it started off like this:

LOL wow unable to stop smiling because something so black, wonderful & LIT just happened! And of course, the catalyst was a radical non-binary trans black activist - Wandile Dlamini - from the Rhodes Must Fall movement [a protest movement aimed at removing statues of Cecil Rhodes, a leader tied to apartheid]. Because trans activists have BEEN the ultimate blessers of this decolonial struggle!



To cut the long story short, we are out at Obz Cafe with the said activist, and the time for the bill comes. Our waitress is a white woman. I ask the said activist what the going rate for tips/gratuity is in these shores. They look at me very reluctantly and they say give me the slip, Ill sort that out. I give them the slip.



They take a pen & slip in a note where the gratuity/tip amount is supposed to be entered. The note reads in bold: WE WILL GIVE TIP WHEN YOU RETURN THE LAND. The waitress comes to us with a card machine for the bill to be sorted out. She sees the note & starts shaking. She leaves us & bursts into typical white tears (like why are you crying when all weve done is make a kind request? lol!).

1) Screw #RhodesMustFall!

2) Screw #NtokozoQwabe!



I gave the waitress a R50 tip & the kindness didn't cost a thing! pic.twitter.com/BLojEadP59  Sihle Ngobese (@BigDaddyLiberty) April 29, 2016

Since then, a GoFundMe page set up by somebody in Louisiana has pulled in more than $6,000 in three days. Probably speaking for most of those donors, Ngobese told News24: Qwabe is someone that claims to speak to the downtrodden and the disenfranchised yet he has the audacity to bully a working class young woman. Waitresses are not rich people. They are trying to make a meagre income to pursue further opportunities.

[Independent]
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Haiti - FLASH : Arrest of dangerous Gang leader Haute tension





Monday, Commissioner Jacques Ader of the Police of Petit-Goave, arrested Jean Michel Hilaire, the Head of the dreaded gang "Haute tension", actively sought for over 8 months and accused of many crimes and offenses.



Let's recall that several members of his gang, who held in hostage Petit-Goave have been arrested in mid-March, https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16892-icihaiti-flash-12-suspected-members-of-the-gang-haute-tension-arrested.html . According to police sources, the members of this criminal gang ransomed vehicles, burgle houses, raped the girls, shoot people...



Unlike most muscular police operations, the arrest of this dangerous gang leader was carried out smoothly, thanks to a trick of the Commissioner, who with another police officer dressed up as a doctor and could approach the criminal without arousing suspicion and arrest him without noise or violence.



Jean Michel Hilaire was conducted Monday to the police station of Petit-Goave around 5:00 p.m. and would, according to our information, ready to cooperate with the police by denouncing others.



The population of Petit-Goave was pleased on hearing this good news.



HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondant Petit-Goave)






















Haiti - Culture : 1st Edition of the Franco-Haitian culinary competition





Sunday at the Royal Oasis Hotel, in the framework of the second edition of the Fair of the new gastronomy, took place the semi-final of the first edition of the Franco-Haitian culinary competition organized by the Investa Group and the Association St Barth Taste & Flavours, in partnership with the Embassy of France that finance this contest.



28 participants selected on 250 Chefs aged 22 and over, were competing to present original recipes on the theme of Guinea Fowl (stuffed or not, entire or not, accompanied by a sauce or juice and three toppings), Ambassador of France, Elisabeth Beton Delegue and the Head of the residence of France, Olivier Perigault, participated in the selection panel.







6 finalists will participate in the grand final which will take place August 13, 2016 in Cap Haitien. Besides many premiums offered by sponsors of the event, the first 3 finalists laureates will receive professional training for three months in St. Barthelemy (Small French Antilles) for skill development.



For, Chef Jean Luc Grabrowski, President of the Association "St Barth Taste and Flavor" this contest is "an unique opportunity to discover the talent of Haitian gastronomy [...] and facilitate exchanges between chefs and young cooks while revaluing this sector [...]"



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Economy : Economic exploration mission of the Clinton Foundation





From May 4-6, 2016, leaders from the retail, fashion, and manufacturing sectors will visit several Clinton Foundation partners in Haiti, with the goal of developing new sourcing opportunities and forming new business partnerships with Haitian artisans and business owners.



This mission will build upon the momentum from the Foundations last visit to Haiti in July 2015 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14645-haiti-economy-tour-of-the-clinton-foundation-in-haiti.html and will highlighted the continued progress of a number of Foundation partnerships and programs that promote the growth of the Haitian economy, with a focus on womens entrepreneurship.



During this mission of visit are planned including to the Pascale Theard Atelier, the Papillon Enterprise, to Sandilou, Caribbean Craft, to the Design, Organization, and Training Center. There will be a lunch with the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), coffee and tea tasting from Belzeb and the Haiti Coffee Academy, visit to Deux Main Designs and Rebuild Globally.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





The Verification Commission, illegal and Unconstitutional ?

one of PHTK official said on a radio station one of PHTK official said on a radio station of the capital that the Verification Commission was illegal and unconstitutional and affirmed that the PHTK can not be linked to decisions of the Commission. He said that the presidential decree adopted by Jocerleme Privert to establish this entity, grants to this Commission in Article 2, of powers vested exclusively to the Provisional Electoral Council. He recalled that a presidential decree, can not in any waycall into question the prerogatives granted by law to the constitutional bodies, nor forward them to another entity.



New Departmental Delegate South

Friday Les Cayes, Francois Anick Joseph, Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities, has installed Louis Paul Raphael, at the head of the delegation of South Department. He takes over from Serge Chery, who spent three years at the head of this delegation.



CEP seeking transparency continues dialogue...

Monday, as part of a search for transparency and more reliability of the electoral process, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) continued its meetings with political parties with the presence among others of representatives of VERITE, INITE, LAPEH, Fanmi Lavalas, Ayisyen pou Ayiti, OPL... There was discussion of the progress of the electoral process, of already initiated activities and also the Verification Commission of elections of 2015. These meetings are expected to continue until May 5.



Elections to the UEH once postponed

For the second time, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17059-haiti-politic-elections-to-the-ueh-postponed-indefinitely.html the elections for the renewal of the executive staff of the Council of the State University of Haiti (UEH) scheduled for Saturday, could not stand again for lack of quorum.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17307-haiti-notice-election-of-the-new-executive-council-of-ueh.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17059-haiti-politic-elections-to-the-ueh-postponed-indefinitely.html



Important meeting of the Electoral Council

On Tuesday, the electoral advisers will hold an important meeting with the Electoral Observation organizations and sectors having appointed a representative to the Electoral Council.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Fashion retailer Cotton On has been ordered to pay a former employee almost $250,000 in damages after she suffered a traumatic brain injury from a workplace accident.



The employee was struck on the head by a heavy pallet at a Cotton On warehouse in Brisbane, sustaining head injuries and injuries to her ankle and knee.



Cotton On admitted liability and negligence for the accident, however the retailer disputed the nature, extent and consequences of the injuries its employee had suffered, Fairfax Media reported.



In his judgement last Friday, Judge Brendan Butler from the Brisbane District Court ordered Cotton On pay Erin Jade Talty, 32, a total of $235,668 in damages.



"I conclude that the plaintiff has suffered a loss of employability at the level she could have realistically aspired to but for the injury," Judge Brendan Butler said last Friday.



Talty, who has no memory of the incident, was hospitalized for eight days after being struck on the side of the head by wooden pallet weighing between 90kg and 100kg, which fell from a height of about six metres.



The incident has left her with a significant permanent brain injury, which Judge Butler says constitutes an "eight per cent whole person impairment".



Cotton On implemented a gradual return to work program for Talty, an inwards team supervisor, which commenced with a few hours of work a day and increased over time.



However, she says she had difficulty concentrating and experienced memory issues.



Eventually, she resigned from her full-time position in October 2014 as she was experiencing mental and physical fatigue at work and sought other employment.



Cotton On disputed the extent to which Taltys injuries affected her capacity to obtain employment, and argued that the evidence did not show that her injuries resulted in her being unable to perform her work with the retailer.



Rather, Cotton On says her resignation was a voluntary decision on her part.



However, Judge Butler says due to her head injury, Talty would be unlikely to be employable in a supervisory position again, resulting in approximately $220,000.00 in future lost earnings.



As she previously held such a position with two employers, this represents a real devaluation of her potential to earn income, Judge Butler said in his judgement.



I am satisfied that due to the injury the plaintiff has suffered a real loss of earning capacity for the future, he said.




>Written by Roland Siegers, executive director of CEMS (Global Alliance in Management Education)



This is a unique period in world history, which requires exceptional leaders, who can overcome major political, economic and environmental challenges.



The perceived stability of historical superpowers is being contested by new political and economic powers and we are facing an age of dynamism in international relations. We can expect more regional collaboration such as ASEAN and Mercosur to develop and more individual countries  India, China, Brazil and soon maybe Indonesia or Nigeria  to play even bigger roles in global politics.



This is compounded by technological advancements on a scale matching that of the industrial revolution of the late 19th century; networked production, 3D printing, self-driving cars, artificial intelligence and more are sure to disrupt old industries and see new ones thrive at a rapid rate.



At the same time, ecological impacts, such as global warming and water shortage, are sadly becoming all too visible and impact on us all. Energy-wise too, the end of the fossil fuel era is about to come, threatening the global business community but also creating opportunities for new players.



The modern world is by now like a village; and while everyone is connected virtually, every day life is still affected by local politics, language, culture, laws and geography. This presents another enormous challenge for the next generation of business leaders, who must be globally-minded, while sensitive enough to know when it is appropriate to act locally.



So how can we make sure our leaders are globally mobile and have the skills to tackle these considerable challenges?



Our best hope, as is confirmed by the history of human development, is to invest in the international education of future generations, to ensure that leaders of tomorrow can thrive in this age of conflicting dynamism and disruption.



For aspiring leaders, this means going out of thier comfort zone, living and studying for a few months in a foreign environment at an early stage in their career, learning more than one language fluently and becoming immersed in different cultures. It involves experiencing the limitations of their own world view, acknowledging what they didnt know about the other place before, their wrong preconceptions, and, most of all, coming back changed as a new and more resourceful person.



To achieve this vision of internationally educated global leaders, we must first break the silos of topical academic teaching by channelling subjects such as philosophy, psychology, political science, computer science into business teaching.



We must open up the classroom much more to an exchange with practitioners and influencers in different domains, industry, but also NGOs, regulators and maybe artists.



We must find a good balance of using technology enhanced teaching with sophisticated in-class discussion, which may mean accepting other educational providers outside universities as legitimate partners, in a flexible lifelong learning environment. Universities should also imitate the realities of the working world with different forms of learning such as group work, online or blended learning and simulations.



At CEMS, we emphasise both the big picture in our teaching, looking at global strategies of multinational companies, as well as the micro aspects of what it means to be a leader in an intercultural environment through both theory and practice.



The time has come when a world in turmoil needs internationally educated, inspired leaders who can build bridges across the divides that separate us and break down borders.



These future leaders will understand the rapid rate of technological, economic and political change and importantly looking beyond profit maximisation towards creating long term value for an inter-connected society.



Global mobility will always remain key in this, as human interaction will never be substituted by the internet and has always been key to the survival of humanity.
Commencement ceremonies will be held at Appalachian State University Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, in six separate events. A total of 3,088 undergraduate students will receive their degrees, plus 329 graduate students.

Five ceremonies will feature student speakers, while the Hayes School of Music welcomes Dr. Betty Anne Younker, dean of the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University in Canada. She is also president of the College Music Society, a consortium of college, conservatory, university, and independent musicians and scholars.

Activities begin Friday at noon with the Reich College of Education ceremony in Holmes Convocation Center. Following at 3 p.m.will be the Hayes School of Music in Rosen Concert Hall and at 6 p.m. the Beaver College of Health Sciences in Holmes Convocation Center.

On Saturday, the ceremony for the College of Fine and Applied Arts begins at 9 a.m. in Holmes Convocation Center. Also in Holmes Convocation Center will be the Walker College of Business at 1 p.m. and the College of Arts and Sciences at 5 p.m.

This year, graduate students will attend the college ceremony represented by their major field of study.

Watch live streams of the ceremonies and check out archived broadcasts at http://commencement.appstate.edu

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Governor Pat McCrory announced today that North Carolina tourism generated record visitor spending in 2015 with a total of $21.9 billion, a 2.7 percent increase over 2014 which outpaced the national average for growth last year of only 2.1 percent. Additionally, tourism industry-supported employment topped 211,000 jobs to set another record for the state.

Nearly 50 million people from across the United States visited North Carolina destinations last year, Governor McCrory said. The money they spend supports 211,400 jobs and more than 45,000 businesses.

Governor McCrory, who proclaimed May 1-7, 2016, as Tourism Week in North Carolina, applauded the growth in direct tourism employment, which was up 3.2 percent over 2014. Payroll income grew even more, increasing 6.5 percent to top $5 billion for the first time.

The figures are from research conducted by the U.S. Travel Association on behalf of Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. Other findings from the study showed state tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 6.1 percent to more than $1.1 billion. Visitors spent nearly $60 million per day in North Carolina last year and contributed about $4.9 million per day in state and local tax revenues as a result of that spending. An overview of the research findings can be found online here.

The tourism industrys success is shared across North Carolina, said John E. Skvarla III, North Carolina Commerce Secretary. Tourism means jobs in all of the states 100 counties. In addition, each North Carolina household saves $475 annually in state and local taxes as a result of taxes generated by visitor expenditures.

Tourism Week in North Carolina is part of National Travel & Tourism Week, which also runs May 1-7. The states nine Welcome Centers will host activities throughout the week.

Tourism Facts

Domestic travelers spent a record $21.9 billion in 2015, up from $21.3 billion in 2014. Thats an increase of 2.7 percent.

Visitors to North Carolina generated about $3.4 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2015. That total represents a 5.8 percent increase from 2014.

State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 6.1 percent to top $1.1 billion in 2015.

Local tax receipts from visitor spending grew 3.7 percent to $659.8 million.

Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 3.2 percent, to 211,400.

Direct tourism payroll increased 6.5 percent to $5.2 billion.

Visitors spend more than $59.99 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $4.86 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3 million in state taxes and $1.8 million in local taxes).

Each North Carolina household saves $475 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.

More than 45,000 businesses in North Carolina directly provide products and services to travelers.

For every $1 invested in paid media advertising by Visit North Carolina (a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina), the state receives $184 in new visitor spending, $9 in new state taxes and $6 in new local taxes.

For every $1.21 invested by Visit North Carolina in paid media advertising, one trip is generated to the state.

North Carolina benefits from a 15-to-1 return on investment of tax dollars invested in paid media advertising through Visit North Carolina.

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Fletcher fire department says manager stole $325,000

FLETCHER  The Fletcher Fire & Rescue Department is seeking to recover $325,000 from a former office manager who fire officials say embezzled the money over seven years, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Henderson County Civil Superior Court.



In the lawsuit filed by Grant B. Osborne, an attorney in Asheville, Fletcher Fire & Rescue says Brenda G. Livingston of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and embezzlement.

Livingston took advantage of the trust and confidence reposed in her and maliciously deceived FF&RD for years, resulting in enormous damage to the department, the lawsuit said. Specifically, the Fletcher department says, Livingston repeatedly used a fire department credit card to obtain cash advances for personal purposes having nothing to do with FF&RD. The embezzlement occurred from 2008 until last year, the department said. At one point in the lawsuit, the department puts the loss at $350,000 and elsewhere in the court file in its collection efforts the department says it needs to collect $450,000 from the former manager.

The department hired Livingston on May 27, 2003, on the recommendation of then-Police Chief John Moss, the complaint said. Soon after being hired, she married Rick Livingston, who is chief of the Mills River Fire Department.

Reached by phone on Monday afternoon, Livingston said he was fully aware of his estranged wifes case.

Yes, we are separated, have been since last November, he said.

Livingston has not been charged with a crime and she has no criminal record, according to Henderson County clerk of court.

I dont know whats going on, Livingston said of a criminal investigation. He is aware of an inquiry by the SBI because hes talked several times to agents.

Ive cooperated completely with the SBI, he said. Theyre investigating. I requested that they investigate me. Being a fire chief is kind of like being a preacher. People expect you to walk on water. All people that know me well know that I had no knowledge of any of that. Theres always going to be people that dont know me well thatll say, Well, he was married to her, he must have known what was going on. For that reason I wanted to be investigated so I could be officially be cleared (and to satisfy) those people that had any doubts.

In a prepared statement he sent later, Chief Livingston said: Brenda has been accused of terrible crimes; crimes which I had absolutely no involvement in, nor any knowledge of. I am cooperating fully with law enforcement and I know that I will be officially cleared of any wrongdoing once they complete their full investigation. The accusations against Brenda were as surprising to me as anyone. I have not known Brenda to act wrongly and I hope that this matter can be resolved so that justice is best served. Until then, any further comment will need to come from The Mills River Fire and Rescue Board of Directors.

My boards 100 percent supportive, he added in the interview. Theyre aware whats going on and prepared to answer any questions.

As office manager, Brenda Livingston had broad responsibility for nearly all financial transactions and records, including accounts payable, payroll, banking and communicating with the departments accountant. She often attended meetings and provided financial reports to FF&RDs board of directors and was often given the responsibility of taking and finalizing the minutes of the board of directors. Because of her apparent loyal and dedicated service to the department, she became its fiduciary agent. She came to dominate and have significant influence over departmental matters that were long entrusted to her exclusive care, the complaint said.

The complaint provides no details on what Livingston may have done with any cash, nor does it list any purchases she made with the money. Fletcher Fire Chief Greg Garland and Fletcher Town Manager Mark Biberdorf could not be reached for comment on Monday afternoon.
A patient smashed a counter at a medical centre because of "some argument" over his prescription, a court heard.

Charlie McDonagh (23) was arrested and became so violent in the station that gardai had to strike him with batons to subdue him.

Judge Cormac Dunne gave him a seven-month suspended sentence after he admitted causing a breach of the peace and violent behaviour in a garda station. Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at Darndale Health Centre on March 4 last.

The court heard the accused, a father-of-two from Tara Lawns, Belcamp Lane, became highly abusive and violent in the reception, damaging the top of the counter.

Asked by Judge Dunne how the counter was damaged, a garda replied: "No implement was involved."

The accused "seemed to have some issue" at the time.

He was pointed out to gardai and taken to Coolock Garda Station, where he continued to be violent.

Compliant

He kicked out and punched at a garda sergeant while he was being placed in a cell, and threatened he would "burst" anyone who came into the cell.

Gardai had to strike him with a baton in the cell before he became compliant, the court was told.

McDonagh suffered from depression and was in the medical centre looking for a prescription for medication when "an argument of some description arose", a garda said.

He became quite agitated as a result - and has since apologised for his behaviour.

The accused was on social welfare, grew up in Mayo and had no problems with drugs or drink, his lawyer said, adding: "He is very sorry for the incident. He has offered money for the damage and understands it shouldn't have happened."

Judge Dunne said: "The damage wasn't really the issue here, it's the abuse to the staff and people who were only trying to do their jobs."

The charges against the defendant were under Section 6 and 15 of the Public Order Act.
A mother has appeared in court charged with harassing another woman for three months after their teenage daughters had engaged in "mild school banter".

Ashling McCann (33) is alleged to have ordered food online and had it delivered to the woman's home, as well as ordering taxis to collect her.

She is also accused of making anonymous silent phone calls from a blocked number to the victim's phone.

The accused, of Oaklands Park, Swords, appeared before Swords District Court charged with more than 30 counts of harassment on dates between September and November last year.

Ms McCann is facing a circuit court trial after a judge refused jurisdiction having heard an outline of the evidence.

Gda Sgt Gerry Holland alleged that Ms McCann made a number of email communications using false details to the injured party through her business website.

Sgt Holland also alleged that she made silent phone calls to the victim.

He said she ordered food online and had it delivered to the victim's address and the first the alleged injured party knew about it was when the food was delivered to her front door.

Sgt Holland further alleged that on a number of occasions Ms McCann ordered a taxi to the victim's address.

He said she only became aware of this when she received text messages to confirm the bookings.

Upset

The sergeant alleged the incidents caused "considerable upset" to the injured party, who was friends with the accused for nine years.

Sgt Holland said the harassment arose out of "mild school banter" between the women's daughters, and Ms McCann had "a complete overreaction".

Judge Victor Blake had previously refused jurisdiction, saying the alleged harassment was "not a once-off".

A state solicitor said the book of evidence had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the next sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Dermot Dempsey remanded Ms McCann on continuing bail to appear before the circuit court later this month.

She has not yet entered a plea to the charges.

As part of her bail conditions, she has been ordered to have no contact, either directly or indirectly, with the alleged injured party.
The people responsible for the capital's feud-related gangland killings are "animals", according to the head of the Catholic Church in Dublin.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin also condemned the drug barons who control organised crime as "despicable and evil". Their activities threaten democracy, he added.

In a remarkably candid interview following the recent spate of gangland murders in Dublin, the Primate of Ireland called for the introduction of a "new type of policing" that would use anti-Mafia laws and courts similar to those operated in Italy.

Referring to the Regency Hotel attack in February - which happened a short distance from his home - he said: "The spiral of violence, the shootings are extraordinarily brutal.

"Coming into a place and shooting somebody in the face in front of children. What sort of animals are these people?" he said.

Gangland

"I get actually moved when I hear these stories, and I get angry when I hear these stories.

"We all know where it leads to - you shoot one of mine and we shoot one of yours. There's no future in that."

Archbishop Martin said he was particularly angered that three recent murders in inner-city communities had left the local "salt of the earth" people living in fear.

"It annoys me that their area is being vilified and that they are living in fear; they are the salt of the earth and keep these communities going, they are decent people who look after one another," he said.

However, he said the crime wave provided an incentive for a focused campaign against the kingpins of organised crime, people who "are absolutely without any scruples or conscience".

"People say 'The drug barons are brutal, what can you do? You can't stand up against them'. I believe these people have two weapons in their armoury - their guns and our silence," he added.

The country's most senior cleric - who was widely praised for his handling of the child sex abuse scandal that rocked the Church - said that every community had a role to play in standing up against the gangs, including those that hadn't been affected by the violence.

"You have never beaten organised crime of this kind without some kind of community involvement. There is intelligence on the street and good communication with the gardai, very good community gardai in the area," he said.

"It's gangland and drugs. We get upset about people who have been shot in the streets - and so we should be - but these people [who are responsible] are killing others on the street every day. There are children in Foxrock also dying because of the drugs that are to do with these people [gangs].

"There are big fish in this and there are lots of small fish - and the small fish are younger people who are dragged into this, maybe because they have addiction problems. The big fish have absolutely no mercy on anybody. They don't care about the footsoldiers.

"The only way it will be stopped is from within the drug world.

"There's a lovely phrase that Pope Francis used from Martin Luther King: 'Finally, somebody has to appear with good sense'.

"They believe that they are invincible. They believe that they can do what they like, but we have to believe that - in fact - they are not," he told the Herald.

"[Gangs] are a threat to democracy, because democracy is basically where the people and the law prevail - and the law is there to protect the people.

"We have to defend democracies and we have to defend democracy through democracy, which is not always easy.

"We have to observe all the rules that they don't."

Mafia

The Archbishop said that the mechanisms and the legal processes being used by the gardai and the courts in areas such as the seizure of assets from criminals were "too slow".

"We may have to look at a special type of legislation which can move much quicker," he said. "We have to find a way of marginalising, isolating them [crime bosses] and showing our disdain for them. They don't like that.

"We have to say to them that their traffic is evil and that they themselves are despicable and evil."

During the years that he was assigned to the Vatican, Archbishop Martin took a keen interest in the development of the Mafia and how the Italian state pursued notorious mobsters, such as Salvatore Riina from Corleone. Riina, a former chief of the Sicilian Mafia, murdered hundreds of people, including Mafia rivals, senior police officers and prosecutors.

Archbishop Martin said we should look to Italy and how it staged trials where scores of Mafiosi were tried at the same time. "They have special legal procedures for Mafia crime [in Italy]  because you have to treat this differently to other criminality. We have to use the Special Criminal Court to prosecute these people.

"We also need a different type of policing around this. The experience is that this type of crime can only be beaten within the law," he added.

On the subject of gangland funerals Archbishop Martin said there was "little" the church could do about the vulgar Mafia-style displays.

In particular, he referred to the funeral of David Byrne, the drug dealer killed in the Regency attack. That funeral was seen as a glorified gangland pageant and a demonstration of contempt by the drug dealer's criminal associates.

"The funeral in Francis Street had this show before they arrived. There is very little the Church can do about that," he said.

"What went on in the church was actually quite quiet and they touched the correct atmosphere. The ceremony is for the deceased and his loved ones."

However, Archbishop Martin said that the gangs appeared to be even trying to outdo each other with garish displays of wealth at their funerals, which he compared to those of the Mafia in Italy.

"[They] have to outdo the other one. If they had 10 limousines, we have to have 12  it is like the Mafia, they love funerals," he said.

Listen to the podcast today on independent.ie/paulwilliams
The Irish nun who lost her life in the devastating earthquake in Ecuador never stopped dreaming, mourners at her funeral were told.

Sr Clare Theresa Crockett (33) was remembered as a vivacious and fun-loving woman who believed that "a life given in loving sacrifice is never wasted".

The young nun died when a powerful earthquake ripped through Playa Prieta last month, causing the school where she worked to collapse.

Hundreds of mourners, among them members of her order, attended her funeral Mass at the Long Tower Church in her native Derry yesterday.

Sr Clare was a member of the Spanish religious order, the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, and three young members flew in especially for the funeral, including another Irish member, Sr Karen from Co Mayo.

They joined three bishops, 10 priests, Presbyterian minister Rev David Lattimer, and the North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in expressing support and condolences to the Crockett family.

Bishop of Derry Dr Donal McKeown said that, like Jesus, Sr Clare had died young.

However, he added that "a life given in loving sacrifice is never wasted".

"She was crazy enough to believe that this was the best possible way to live her life," he said, adding that the young nun had died doing what she believed.

"That is very counter-cultural. In our culture, we are invited to stop dreaming.

"Realism, cynicism and despair are in vogue. We have been sucked in by a cynicism," the bishop added.

Dr McKeown said Sr Clare's life and death posed a number of questions for her contemporaries, including "What is worthwhile doing in life? What makes a beautiful person? Who do we want to have as our idols?"

Smile

He said her death was a "huge cross" for her family to bear, adding that photographs, while beautiful, are "little compensation for a real human voice that is no longer with us, a face that will no longer walk in the door, a smile that some young members of her family will never know".

Speaking outside the church, Mr McGuinness said Sr Clare "epitomised all that is good about young people".

He said the young woman had endured the worst possible conditions so as to help educate the poor "and this community is very proud of her", he said.
The SuperValu brand could start making an appearance on shop shelves around the world, as Cork-based retail group Musgrave plots a targeted internationalisation of its products.

Musgrave chief executive Chris Martin told the Herald, while its plans are at a very early stage, the group is looking at how it might emulate retailers such as UK-based Waitrose, which sells its products to other retailers around the globe.

"We believe there is a real opportunity, particularly with our own brand, that we can create export opportunities," said Mr Martin. "It's early days. We're investigating it."

Appetite

Referring to Waitrose, he pointed out that Dunnes Stores, for example, has stocked their products in the past. Waitrose sells its products in about 60 countries.

"The appetite for the sorts of products that we're developing, and working with our suppliers on, is unique," said Mr Martin, pointing to hundreds of products that have been launched under its own brand Signature Tastes label.

He said SuperValu's Food Academy initiative - a programme developed in conjunction with Bord Bia and local enterprises offices - has been successful in helping to drive sales at the retailer's stores. The programme supports hundreds of small businesses in developing their products and getting them on shelves.

"The opportunity we're looking at is working with distributors and talking directly with retailers about how we can sell our product in (to their networks)," said Mr Martin.

"It plays partly to the Irish diaspora - but, more importantly, it places the quality that we are developing in focus," he added.

He said healthy products developed for SuperValu could present a good opportunity for the retailer.

He added that Musgrave now has an executive examining the potential for exports, but that they have only taken on the task within the past few weeks.

"We'll wait and see, but it's about looking at different ways in which we can extend our offer," the chief executive said.

However, he added it's not clear yet whether the SuperValu name would be used for exports.

"It's too early to say at the moment," he said. "The reality is that you've got to make your product work in the local market - but you can still go into other markets.

"It's about looking at the catalogue of products, seeing who's interested, seeing what retailers want - and the products absolutely reinforce the sorts of quality that some of the markets are looking for."

SuperValu is the country's biggest grocery retailer, with most of the stores operated by franchisees.

Family-owned, Musgrave also owns the Centra and Daybreak brands here.

Musgrave generated revenue of 3.7bn and a pre-tax profit of 52.8m from continuing operations last year.

It has recently introduced a number of initiatives at its Centra and SuperValu stores that have boosted sales, including an online sandwich ordering service at some Centras.
ABINGDON, Va.  The former mayor of Clinchco, Virginia, in Dickenson County, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Federal Court to fraud charges stemming from her use of town funds used to make improvements and repairs to her personal home while she was mayor, the U.S. Attorney's office announced.

Peggy Sue Stanley Mickens, 50, of Clinchco, pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving Federal funds, one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud.

This defendant misused her position of public trust for her own personal benefit, U.S. Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said. We will continue to look into all manners of public corruption and prosecute those who misuse public money for their own benefit.

According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Russell County Commonwealths Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Patton, Mickens was elected Mayor of Clinchco in May 2012, at which time she gained access to, and possession of the towns banking instrument, credit cards, invoices and banking statements.

In 2013, Clinchco received approximately $20,000 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] via a Community Development Block Grant, to be used to rehabilitate homes and/or construct new homes in the town, according to a news release.

Mickens admitted today that, without any type of procurement formalities or approval she hired a contractor to remodel her home and paid for it from the towns BB&T bank account via a checks signed by Peggy Sue Stanley Mickens.

The defendant took these actions without the knowledge or consent of town officials.

Mickens also admitted today to using a Lowes credit card maintained by the Town of Clinchco on August 26, 2013. The defendant admitted to using the towns credit card, without the knowledge or consent of town officials, to charge $662 from the Lowes store in Wise, Virginia to obtain materials for her personal home.
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. The former vice president of Woods Paint Company in Bristol has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Charles J. Rutherford, 44, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was sentenced by the U.S. District Court Judge J. Ronnie Greer to serve 18 months in federal prison for his January 2016 conviction for filing false and fraudulent federal tax returns in an attempt to evade and defeat paying income tax.

According to a news release, from 2006 through 2014, while serving as vice president of the Bristol, Tennessee, company, Rutherford embezzled approximately $1 million by paying his own personal expenses out of company accounts. Although the funds were stolen, he was obligated to report the embezzled money as income on his federal individual income tax returns, which he failed to do for tax years 2008 through 2013. By filing false and fraudulent returns, he evaded paying well over $200,000 in federal taxes. In addition to his prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay over $1.2 million in restitution, to both WPC and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Rutherford will also be prosecuted in state court for theft.

"The IRS enforces the nations tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone, for their own personal benefit, has taken what belonged to others, stated Tracey D. Montano, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Nashville Field Office. No matter what the source of income, all income is taxable. The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes is a vital element of the IRS enforcement strategy. We are pleased with the successful resolution of this investigation."
BRISTOL, Tenn. - A few of those who stopped by the Tennessee Welcome Center off Interstate 81 on Monday were seeing things a little more clearly thanks to the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

The group launched the See Tennessee More Clearly campaign at welcome centers across the Volunteer State and those traveling through had their windshields washed to symbolize the opportunity to experience the states scenic beauty.

Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Kevin Triplett was one of those washing windows.

We celebrate National Tourism week every year and we thought we would step it up a notch, said Triplett, who formerly worked at Bristol Motor Speedway and was once a sports writer at the Bristol Herald Courier. Being a non-income-based state, the travel and tourism industry is huge to our state. In 2014, it was a $17.7 million dollar industry.

Other local groups, including the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, took part in the windshield washing.
ABINGDON, Va.  During opening statements in the trial of a Bristol man accused of sexually assaulting a dog, county Commonwealths Attorney Josh Cumbow stressed the violence inflicted on the animal.

But defense attorney Wayne Austin said prosecutors lack the evidence to convict his client, James Michael Foran.

The opening statements came on the first day of the trial in Washington County Circuit Court. Foran is charged with crimes against nature. A convicted sex offender, Foran is accused of forcibly assaulting a Labrador retriever named Addie, a rescue dog who was 4 years old at the time.

Foran, who pleaded not guilty, was arrested in November 2014, about two months after Addies owners reported that she had been assaulted. Foran did maintenance work for the dogs owners.

If convicted of the felony, Foran could face up to one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

A beautiful Labrador retriever was taken to Ferguson Animal Hospital in Bristol, Cumbow said. She was vomiting, had diarrhea and was bleeding from her vagina.

Aiming to explain how doctors at the animal hospital arrived at a sexual assault based on the symptoms, Cumbow pointed to the specific location of the injuries, which were only on the dogs genitals.

The wounds allowed the doctor to rule out an auto accident, and she was spayed and would have no attraction with other animals. The doctor came to the conclusion that a person did this, he said.

An audio recording of Foran confessing the assault to officers, when his attorney said he was intoxicated, was kept on the record after Judge Randall Lowe overturned the defenses motion for suppression.

Foran can be heard on the recordings screaming and crying while pleading with officers to take off his handcuffs.

Through a phone call with Detective Jason Sexton of the Washington County Sheriffs Office, Foran agreed to turn himself in.

Sexton immediately noticed he was drunk and asked how much he had to drink.

A lot, Foran responded.

Austin, the defense attorney, argued that Forans state of mind and intoxication made it impossible for him to waive his Miranda rights, leaving anything he said inadmissible.

Cumbow said that in the recording and in written statements the jury will hear Foran tell the story himself.

Through Forans own words, speaking with Detective Sexton, he will set the scene up himself, Cumbow said to the 14-person jury. Hell tell you he was the only one with Addie. Hell tell you he remembers being muddy. That will be circumstantial evidence that you can use later.

Urging the jury to pay close attention to the evidence he planned to present, Cumbow said hes confident the jury will return a guilty verdict.

You will hear [Foran] say he worries about what happens when he gets drunk, Cumbow said. That he doesnt think he would do that to a dog, but if the evidence says so. This is the evidence the commonwealth will use to prove Foran is guilty.

Austin addressed the jury following Cumbows statements, saying the commonwealth simply lacks the evidence to convict his client, and that doctors waited too long to suggest a sexual assault for it to be a credible diagnosis.

The evidence will show that there was a dog at [the owner] Mr. Shulls house, Austin said. The vet first described it as unknown findings. I suspect he might now have findings that hell testify to, but I would ask you to seriously question why he didnt have them in the first place.

What the commonwealth wants is to make some kind of leap from this dog suffering trauma to this man having sexual acts with it. There is no evidence he had sexual acts with the dog. They are simply lacking it.

Austin added that Foran never admitted to a sexual act and that the jury will arrive at a not-guilty verdict.

The evidence will show that at no time was there an admission or confession of a sexual act, Austin said. There is no evidence, and we ask you to come back with a not-guilty verdict.

Cumbows first witness was Dr. Gary DelGaudio, and 11-year veterinarian who treated Addie at Ferguson Animal Hospital before sending her to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for surgery.

Judge Lowe recognized DelGaudio on the record as an expert in animal science, and the doctor testified to Addies condition when she arrived into his care.

During treatment, DelGaudio said, he took a culture swab from Addies injuries. The sample later was linked by police to Forans DNA.

I took a culture swab just in case it would be needed later, DelGuadio said. We always try to keep pre-treatment samples.

Austin challenged the security of the sample, which was kept in a refrigerator in the back of the hospital for about one week until police acquired it for evidence.

He said the fridge wasnt locked, and he questioned several workers at the facility to show that two doors leading to the refrigerator were not locked either.

Theres an endless list of people all over the world that had access to that fridge, Austin said. There was no security really for that fridge. Theres really nothing stopping people from going back there.

DelGuadio, along with several technicians and a receptionist from the Ferguson hospital attempted to assure the jury that while the doors werent locked during business hours, staff at the facility would notice if a trespasser entered the area.

If someone went back there, they should have been stopped, DelGuadio said.

Aside from the DNA sample, several photos of Addies injuries were projected before the jury, and explained by DelGaudio.

She was alert, maybe a little sluggish, DelGaudio said. But she did have a large amount of swelling and bleeding in the vulva area.

After checking the dog for internal injuries and signs of trauma, DelGaudio found no other injuries.

Common things happen commonly, he said. When we get a trauma case, we always look for the same things: bladder rupture, broken pelvis. I found both were intact. The thing that hit me was there were no other injuries that werent of the vulva region.

He said because she was spayed, no other animals would have tried to penetrate Addie.

Shes been spayed and would have no hormonal issues, DelGaudio said. Even an intact male would not have a reason to have intercourse with her. Animals are not like people. They only have intercourse to propagate. A male would be able to sense [Addie] had no hormonal exhibitions and would have no reason to mount her.

It was something external, human or otherwise.

The prosecution will call additional witnesses today and the trial is expected to continue until Wednesday.
Voters across Southwest Virginia head to the polls today for a range of city and town elections.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and voters might have to deal with morning showers, which could continue into the afternoon. High temperatures are expected to reach 70 degrees with rain chances diminishing throughout the day. Polls close at 7 p.m.

Two seats on the Bristol Virginia City Council and three on the city School Board are up for grabs. While the names of only two council candidates will appear on ballots, three others are running write-in campaigns. The ballot will list challenger Douglas Fleenor and incumbent Guy Odum along with blank spaces where voters may write in the names of either Harry Anderson II, Kevin Mumpower or David Trotter.

School Board incumbents Ronald Cameron and Tyrone Foster are unopposed, as is Steve Fletcher, who is running for the remaining two years of a seat he was appointed to fill last year.

All four city precincts will be open. Precinct 1 votes at the First Free Will Church activity building, 1741 Euclid Ave., while precinct 2 is the gym at Virginia High School. Precinct 3 is the council chambers at City Hall and precinct 4 is Van Pelt Elementary gym.

Among this regions other highly contested races, the Abingdon Town Council features six candidates running for two seats. Incumbents Jayne A. Duehring and Edward B. Morgan are seeking re-election against challengers J. Wayne Craig, Richard L. Macbeth, M. Cindy Patterson and James E. Turner.

Voters should cast ballots at Town Hall, 133 W. Main St.

A range of town council and mayoral seats will appear on ballots across towns in Southwest Virginia. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, the slate includes:

Appalachia: Town Council, two seats, candidates Teddie Collins Jr., Bobby Ray Hartley, and John C. Tull.

Big Stone Gap: Town Council, three seats, candidates Robert Bloomer, Gary Paul Johnson, C. Leonard Rogers, James A. Stone.

Chilhowie: mayor, Gary Heninger; Town Council, three seats, James Bo Bonham, Bill Coach Clear, Alan W. Counts, Donald W. Hicks, James D. Lilly, Cathy M. Smith.

Clintwood: Town Council, three seats, candidates B. Talbert Bolling, Ron Kendrick, Glen Lawrence, C.M. Cabbage Mullins, Doris Rife.

Coeburn: Town Council, three seats, candidates Veronica Buchanan, Mike Holbrook, Jeffrey Kiser, Jess Powers, H. Michael Wright.

Duffield: Town Council, two seats, no candidates.

Dungannon: mayor, Debra Horne, Melissa Mick Hunt; Town Council, five seats, candidates Nina Begley, George Hensley, James Lane, Jordan Nickels.

Gate City: mayor, Frances Perry; Town Council, three seats, candidates Allan Cotton Roberts, Wallace Ross Jr.

Grundy: mayor, M. Wade McGeorge, Bill Stokes Jr.; Town Council, candidates Chris Mitchell, Jeremy Ward and Jill Gibson Yates.

Haysi: mayor, Larry Yates; Town Council, three seats, candidates Brice Billy Counts, S.T. Tim Wallace, Rocky Shane Wood.

Lebanon: mayor, Nelson Tony Dodi; Town Council, three seats, candidates William Willie Duty, Kevin Ferguson, Scott Gilmer, H. Tom Griffith, J. Hassel Kegley.

Marion: mayor, David Helms; Town Council, three seats, candidates Larry Carter, James Jim Gates, William Bill Weaver.

Pound: mayor, George Dean; Town Council, three seats, candidates Glenn Cantrell, Clifton Cauthorne Jr., Gail Marie Currey, Jay Graham, James Pelfrey, Jonathan Walters.

Rural Retreat: Town Council, three seats, candidates Michael Duncan, Peggy Hash, Michael Sobey, Brian Cheese Vaught, J.P. Sean Viars.

Saltville: mayor, C. Todd Young; Town Council, three seats, candidates Gary Call, Sexton D. Coe, Steven Crusenberry, Wanda Griffey, Thomas Holley, Ronald Orr, Hiram Robinson, Barry Surber.

St. Paul: mayor, Kyle Fletcher; Town Council, three seats, candidates Tim Boardwine, Harry Kelly, Jason Kilgore.

Weber City: mayor, Grover Wallace Dougherty, Ronnie McMurray, Larry Wagner; Town Council, six seats, candidates James Greg Bausell, Danny Dean, Eileen Deckard, Kenneth Hensley, Jesse McMurray, Troy Perdue, Mary Lou Roberts, Chester Shell, Glenn Mike Solomon, Don Stokes.

Wise: Town council, three seats, candidates Billy Bartlett Jr., Jeffery Dotson.

All voters must show a photo identification to vote. Accepted forms include a Virginia driver's license, DMV-issued photo ID, government-issued photo ID, student ID from a Virginia institution, U.S. passport, employee photo ID or a Virginia voter photo ID.
Carly Fiorina may be the best thing to happen to Ted Cruz since Dr. Seuss.

In 2013, Cruz, an obscure senator with dreams of the White House, staged a talkathon on the Senate floor against funding the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. During the 21-hour theatrical performance, he read the good doctors Green Eggs and Ham to his little girls as a bedtime story.

The stunt gained Cruz the national attention he craved among conservatives  and the enmity of fellow senators.

Now, hoping to revive his flagging campaign, Cruz has named Fiorina  his former rival for the Republican presidential nomination and former CEO of Hewlett-Packard  as his running mate. After losing a string of contests to Donald J. Trump, Cruz hopes this unorthodox move will help him win Tuesdays primary in Indiana.

Cruz in essence is asking voters to give him a second look in this Year of the Womans Card. Even if you dont like me, he seemed to say Wednesday in Indianapolis, youll like her and then maybe youll like us enough.

Fiorina, an adept public speaker, previewed her role in the campaign. She blasted Trump and Hillary Clinton as two sides of the same coin and part of the system, and she shared a snippet of a made-up song she sings with Cruzs daughters, ages 8 and 5, on the campaign bus.

I know two girls that I just adore. Im so happy I can see them more, Fiorina sang.

In the past, humanizing a candidate was a job for a candidates wife. Attacking the opposition was the VPs role. Fiorina showed she can punch  and cuddle. Thats a first.

She also could be helpful in California, where she has ties and ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2010. But her home is in Virginia. In 2011, she and her husband Frank bought a $6.1 million mansion on five acres with sweeping views of the Potomac in a gated community in Lorton.

Choosing a running mate used to be almost an after-thought, but thats changed in recent years. Cruzs early pick suggests the choice may be especially important this year.

The election is shaping up as a contest between two of the most unloved and distrusted people in America, Trump and Clinton. An appealing running mate could conceivably sway some none-of-the-above people to go to the polls.

So, besides geography, gender, age, ethnicity, ferocity, the wow factor and, yes, even qualifications to step in as president, a running mates favorability or comfort level with voters is a factor.

For example, if Trump were to pick John Kasich, someone who actually has experience in Washington, the choice might make Trump less scary to moderate Republicans and dubious independents who lean toward the GOP. Might.

Kasich has said, as he must at this point, that hes not interested in being anyones VP and is developing his own list of running mates.

Trump has said he wont announce his choice until he actually wraps up the nomination. But he is dropping tantalizing hints. When a supporter, South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, mentioned on CNN Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin as a possibility, Trump tweeted: Great job and advice.

If the election came down to Trump and Clinton in Virginia, some Bernie Sanders supporters and independents leaning Democratic might hold their noses and vote for Clinton if one of their senators, Tim Kaine or Mark Warner, was at her side.

Kaine is Able, and Warner is Too, read a headline in National Review a year ago.

Another hot Democratic prospect, with an eye to the Hispanic vote, is Julian Castro, secretary of Housing and Urban Development and a former mayor of San Antonio, Texas. But a Clinton ally once told Politico that Tim Kaine speaks better Spanish than Castro.

While Sanders is laying off staff, Clinton has set her campaign on vetting VP candidates.

She has told her team she cares less about ideology and personal compatibility than about picking a winner, someone who can dominate the vice-presidential debate and convince Americans that Mrs. Clinton is their best choice, Patrick Healy of The New York Times reports.

Thats the bottom line: Its all about winning, and who can help the most.
Its possible Bob McDonnell will soon be exonerated by the U.S. Supreme Court. But the Republican might still be considered guilty if Virginians measure his conduct by his own standards.

The surprising skepticism of the U.S. Supreme Court on Bob McDonnells corruption convictions, plainly evident during arguments last Wednesday, could be a sign that he soon will be cleared by the nations highest court.

But the Republican still might be considered guilty if Virginians measure his conduct by his own standards.

For now, McDonnell prefers that the public not view his behavior through the filters he constructed as a political candidate, as an alleged criminal, and as an abiding Catholic.

He must know that his actions cannot be reconciled with the positions he took during the 2009 election, his lengthy testimony at his 2014 trial, and his frequent expressions of faith.

Rather, McDonnell, ever the hair-splitting technocrat, focuses on the legal  that the rules under which he was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison were misinterpreted by the trial judge and that his absolute innocence is a casualty of procedural Byzantium that only the Supreme Court can correct.

Justice Steven Breyer, a Clinton appointee whom many might have presumed hostile to McDonnell, emerged as an apparent ally during the courts give-and-take with lawyers for the former governor and the federal government.

Breyer said he was troubled that federal law may give too much power to prosecutors to define corruption.

And if the criminal law is the weapon that goes as far as you want, there are two serious problems, Breyer told Michael Dreeben, the deputy solicitor general who urged the justices to affirm McDonnells 11-count conviction for selling his office.

One, political figures will not know what theyre supposed to do and what theyre not supposed to do, and thats a general vagueness problem.

Breyer continued: And the second is, Id call it a separation-of-powers problem. The Department of Justice in the executive branch becomes the ultimate arbiter of how public officials are behaving in the United States, state, local, and national. And as you describe it, for better or for worse, it puts at risk behavior that is common, particularly when the quid is a lunch or a baseball ticket, throughout this country.

Now, suddenly, to give that kind of power to a criminal prosecutor, who is virtually uncontrollable, is dangerous in the separation-of-powers sense. So in my mind  right in this case, nothing to do with this petitioner, nothing to do with him  but in this case, is as fundamental a real separation-of-powers problem as Ive seen.

Breyers concerns may recall the bromide about the broad deference shown prosecutors  that a grand jury would bow to their request to indict a ham sandwich.

Chewed up by the U.S. Justice Department, McDonnell says he was wrongly convicted because trial judge James Spencers instructions to the jury were too broad.

McDonnell contends that Spencers definition of official acts was so expansive that a routine meeting and other supposedly ordinary constituent courtesies McDonnell extended to Jonnie R. Williams Sr., the diet-supplement impresario who testified he had bribed the governor in return for state support of his disputed product, could be interpreted as having been influenced illegally by $177,000 in sweetheart loans, trips and gifts, much of it undisclosed.

Justice Elena Kagan, an Obama appointee, touched on this issue: What this indictment does is it takes a lot of different pieces of evidence that might relate to that official act and charges them as official acts themselves, so that the party becomes an official act or calling somebody just to talk about the product becomes an official act.

So did Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, another Clinton pick, when questioning Noel Francisco, McDonnells lawyer: What do you say to (the governments) argument that if we read this statute as you are urging, then every government official can say, You want to have a meeting? Pay me $1,000.

The corruption thats inherent in the position that says, Its OK to facilitate a meeting. Its OK to say, Ill do it for you if you pay me a thousand dollars. Thats your view  that it would be OK?

Would McDonnells behavior be OK measured against his carefully crafted utterances as the Republican nominee for governor nearly seven years ago?

Running as the friendly everyman from the suburbs, McDonnell talked about kitchen-table sensibilities: Families living within their means, children learning from their parents that honesty is a priceless policy, and that neighbors are kind to neighbors not covetous of them.

These were his values, McDonnell would say in speeches and commercials designed to forge a personal bond with voters.

Instead, as McDonnell settled into Richmond after a landslide victory that would whet his appetite for national office, he apparently hedged on such abstract rules and did so by artfully interpreting actual rules.

Missing from or muddled on McDonnells mandatory conflict-of-interest reports were loans and cash gifts from Williams, who traded his testimony against McDonnell for immunity from prosecution for securities fraud.

The governor was free to omit them because Virginia ethics law did  and still does  rely on officials to police themselves. The law did not require that McDonnell disclose gifts from relatives or close personal friends, leaving it to him to decide who qualified as one or the other.

For purposes of non-disclosure  for concealing what, at a minimum, would have been a political embarrassment but exploded into a criminal problem  McDonnell regarded Williams as a close personal friend, publicly describing him as such after the first wave of news stories in 2013 on Williams five-figure beneficence to one of governors daughters ahead of her Executive Mansion wedding.

For McDonnell, truth  at least that measured by what he was required by law to tell the people he served  seemed a technicality.

During his trial in U.S. District Court, McDonnell testified he had told his twin sons it was inappropriate that they accept from Williams golf clubs, bags and other equipment. This from the father who would negotiate personal loans from Williams, who would wear a Rolex wristwatch purchased by Williams, who would allow his wife to go on a New York shopping spree paid for by Williams and who, himself, would travel to tony resorts on Williams dime and aboard Williams jet.

If the governor believed that his boys were behaving badly, at any point did he consider that he may have set for them a troubling example?

McDonnell always has been a man of deep faith and through it formed enduring friendships with other politicians, including House Speaker Bill Howell of Stafford County. They would attend early-morning Bible meetings during legislative sessions at which another devout Catholic occasionally participated: Democrat Tim Kaine.

Scripture can be a strong foundation, helping support the tenets of love, friendship, loyalty, compassion, and integrity. One of the psalms implores man to walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. McDonnell chose the way of and the paths to the Supreme Court.
Halloween is coming! Here's when to trick or treat in your town
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NEWTON  Defense attorney Robert Campbell called Catawba County Sheriff's Office Investigator Lt. David Eckard to testify before Superior Court Judge Nathaniel J. Poovey on Monday about Eckard's investigation of a 2011 triple murder.

The defendant in the case, Everette Porshau Hewitt, 37, is charged with three felony counts of first-degree murder, one felony count of attempted murder, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, one felony count of first-degree burglary and one felony count of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

According to District Attorneys office, Hewitt shot and killed Wade Sigmon, Susan Blevins and Connie Miller on March 15, 2011, at a mobile home on Emmanuel Church Road. Another victim, Joseph Burke, was shot in the neck but survived.

Eckard testified that this was the first murder case he investigated.

Campbell's examination of Eckard focused on various aspects of the investigation, in particular evidence provided by witness Harold Propst.

Propst owned the gun used in the murders, and testified that he went to the mobile home with Hewitt.

"Did you at any time, run Propst's record?" Campbell said.

Eckard answered that he did not, but did have the capability to do so.

Eckard did verify information produced by the defense as part of his testimony, such as guns previously owned by Propst.

Propst earlier testified that he bought the Smith & Wesson 9mm to protect his home. He also previously owned a Glock .40-caliber and a Ruger 9mm that were seized by police in other incidents.

In both of these incidents, Propst was cited for carrying a concealed handgun without a permit.

"Did the then-Chief Assistant District Attorney under the previous DA request an arrest warrant for Harold Propst?" Campbell said.

Eckard responded that he had not. He referenced phone communications with Propst.

You understand that the law requires you to take written notes or record a conversation with a witness, Campbell said.

Despite this, Eckard could not produce any notes related to his phone calls with Burke.

Campbell further inquired into a map drawn by Propst. This was recorded on video during Propsts first interview with law enforcement.

Where is the map Propst drew on? Campbell said.

I have looked for that map, and to this day I cannot find it, Eckard said.

The issue of the map came up before the trial even began, as it factors into the testimony given by Propst.

During Propsts testimony, attorneys had him reproduce the map for the jury. Propst testified to driving from the scene and stopping at a stop sign, before Hewitt allegedly ran to the car.

I cannot remember if there was a stop sign, Eckard said. I never went to the crime scene.

Closing statements by both sides will likely happen on Tuesday.
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The former London mayor and Left-wing Labour politician Ken Livingstone has been suspended from his party for claiming that Hitler was a Zionist in the early 1930s. According to Livingstone, before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews, Hitler had merely wanted to expel them from their own countries to Palestine. And that, supposedly, made him a Zionist.

Historically, this is nonsense: Hitler never promoted Palestine as a Jewish state. And the implication that the Fuhrers hatred of the Jews put him on the same side as Jews who wished to build their own state to escape from violent anti-Semitism is offensive, to say the least.

But Livingstone was probably being sincere when he said in his defence that a real anti-Semite doesnt just hate the Jews in Israel, they hate their Jewish neighbour...Its a physical loathing. Hating Jews in Israel is fine, then, because they are Zionists, and the sentiment isnt visceral. Jeremy Corbyn, the Left-wing leader of Livingstones party, was no doubt equally sincere when he said that anti-Semitism could not possibly be a problem on the left, because Labour has always been anti-racist.

Read | Anti-Semitism row: Labours London candidate braces for poll hit

It is a common conceit among leftists in Europe that racial prejudice, including anti-Semitism, is a uniquely right-wing phenomenon. This probably goes back to the Dreyfus affair of the late nineteenth century. When the French army captain Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused of treason in a rigged trial in 1894, French society was divided between mostly conservative anti-Dreyfusards and liberal defenders of the Jewish officer. The conservatives were often staunch Roman Catholics, who felt deeply uncomfortable with the secular French Republic, which they associated with liberals and Jews.

Reactionary French anti-Semitism, however, reflected a wider trend in twentieth-century Europe. Blood-and-soil nationalists, Right-wing Christians, fanatical anti-Bolshevists, and authoritarians obsessed with social order were often anti-Semitic. Jews fared best under leftist governments.

Read | UK anti-Semistism row: Livingstone says not sorry for telling truth

This makes it easy to forget that a streak of anti-Semitism has always tainted the Left as well. Stalin was of course notorious for persecuting Jews, or rootless cosmopolitans as he called them, whom he regarded as natural agents of capitalism and traitors to the Soviet Union. But well before Stalin, Karl Marx himself, although Jewish by birth, set the tone for a vicious type of anti-Semitism that infected the Left, especially in France.

It was Marx who wrote, Money is the jealous God of Israel, and that Hebrew was the muse of stock exchange quotations. Marx was not oblivious to the dangers of anti-Semitism. He simply thought they would go away once the workers paradise had been established. In this, he was clearly mistaken.

Read | Anti-Semitism row may hit Labour in May 5 polls

When the state of Israel was founded in 1948, the Soviet Union and leftists in general were quite sympathetic. For several decades, socialists of Russian and Polish extraction dominated Israeli politics. Zionism was not yet regarded as a noxious form of racism, along with apartheid in South Africa. There was no need to hate the Jews in Israel.

Things began to change in the early 1970s, after the occupation of the West Bank and other Arab territories. Two intifadas later, the Israeli Left finally lost its grip, and the Right took over. Israel became increasingly associated with the very things leftists had always opposed: Colonialism, oppression of a minority, militarism, and chauvinism. For some people, it was perhaps a relief that they could hate Jews again, this time under the guise of high-minded principles.

At the same time, and for much the same reasons, Israel became popular on the Right. People who might have been fervent anti-Semites not so long ago are now great champions of Israel. They applaud the Israeli governments tough line with the Palestinians.

Israel, in a common Right-wing view, is a bastion of Judeo-Christian civilisation in the war against Islam. As the Dutch demagogue Geert Wilders once put it: When the flag of Israel no longer flies over the walls of Jerusalem, the West will no longer be free.

It is remarkable how often the old anti-Semitic tropes turn up in the rhetoric of these cheerleaders for Israel. But this time it is Muslims, not Jews, who are the target. Muslims in the West, we are repeatedly told, can never be loyal citizens. They always stick to their own kind. They will lie to people outside their faith. They are naturally treacherous, a fifth column, bent on world domination. Their religion is incompatible with Western values. And so forth.

The genuine threats coming from a violent revolutionary movement within the Islamic world can make such assertions seem plausible to many people. But, in most cases, they should be recognised for what they are: Tired old prejudices meant to exclude an unpopular minority from mainstream society. Islamist violence only helps to boost the politics of hatred and fear. Many Western warriors in the so-called war against Islam are nothing but our modern-day anti-Dreyfusards.

None of this excuses the vile language of Livingstone and others like him. Left-wing anti-Semitism is as toxic as the Right-wing variety. But the role of Israel in Western political debate shows how prejudices can shift from one group to another, while the underlying sentiments remain exactly the same.

Ian Buruma is Professor of Democracy, Human Rights, and Journalism at Bard College, and the author of Year Zero: A History of 1945

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016

www.project-syndicate.org
The megahit musical Hamilton has grabbed a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations, the biggest haul in Broadway history and another notch in the shows march into theatrical history.

Lin-Manuel Mirandas hip-hop-flavoured biography about the first US treasury secretary on Tuesday broke the 15-nominations record held by The Producers and Billy Elliot. Hamilton was nominated in virtually every category it could compete in, from acting to scenic design.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor and creator of the of the play Hamilton, addresses the audience after the plays opening night on Broadway in New York August 6, 2015. (REUTERS)

Next month, it will fight for Broadways biggest crown - best new musical - with Bright Star, School of Rock, Shuffle Along and Waitress.

School of Rock, the adaptation by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Julian Fellowes of the Jack Black movie about a wannabe rocker who enlists fifth-graders to form a rock group, earned four nominations, including best musical, book, original score and best leading man in Alex Brightman.

Read: Lauding path-breaking journalism, Pulitzer announces 2016 winners

Its a funny season this one, isnt it, said Lloyd Webber from London. As you know, its the Hamil-Tonys. Weve gotten everything we could have hoped for and thats all well get. But its lovely in this season of all seasons to get score and musical and book. Were terribly pleased.

The best play category is composed of Eclipsed, The Father, The Humans and King Charles III.

The awards will be handed out June 12, with James Corden playing host from the Beacon Theatre.

After Hamilton, the other top nominations went to the new musical Shuffle Along, a show that explores a groundbreaking 95-year-old musical starring, written and directed by African-Americans, which got 10 nominations, and the revival of She Loves Me, which earned eight.

Cast members Lin-Manuel Miranda (L), Christopher Jackson (C) and Phillipa Soo perform a song from the hit musical Hamilton for US President Barack Obama and other guests at the White House in Washington March 14, 2016.

Audra McDonald, who was eligible as a lead actress in a musical, was not nominated and will not be able to win her seventh Tony.

Hamilton earned seven acting nominations - Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson and Renee Elise Goldsberry. It also earned nominations for scenic design, costumes, lighting design, direction, choreography, orchestrations, best book and best original score.

Soo, nominated for best leading actress in a musical, will face off against Laura Benanti, a previous Tony winner who stars in She Loves Me, the 1963 romantic musical by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock about two star-crossed co-workers at a perfume store.

Benanti and Soo also face competition from Carmen Cusack in Bright Star, Cynthia Erivo in The Color Purple and Jessie Mueller in Waitress.

It feels like in this political climate and whats happening in our nation as well as so much violence happening all over the world that to have 2 hours and 45 minutes to just sit in a theatre and smile and laugh and be transported to a sweeter, softer place feels really necessary to me right now, said Benanti, who was enjoying her first-time nomination in a leading actress category.

I think that there is room for so many different types of shows on Broadway and thats what Im loving about this particular Broadway season. You can go to a show and be educated. You can go to a show and be entertained. Our particular show feels like putting on the most comfortable pyjamas youve ever owned.

Hamilton has burst through the Broadway bubble like few shows. US presidential candidates have tweeted about it, it has influenced the debate over the nations currency and the show has been referenced on Saturday Night Live and Inside Amy Schumer.

Hollywood stars didnt do so well on Tuesday, with Clive Owen, Al Pacino, Bruce Willis, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan and George Takei all missing out on nods.

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As the election season heats up along with just about everything else in Tamil Nadu, its becoming difficult to keep up with the plethora of parties, splinter groups, and factions that are hoping to curry favour with voters on May 16.

Power in Tamil Nadu has oscillated between its two major Dravidian parties  the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)  for nearly five decades, ever since a brief spell of success the Congress enjoyed in the state withered out with freedom fighter M Bakthavatsalam in 1967.

The sudden prominence given to the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), headed by actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth, and its alliance with the Peoples Welfare Front (PWF) has created the possibility of a Third Front appearing on the political battleground of the southern state.

Here is a brief look at all the major parties and coalitions that are contesting the 2016 state assembly elections:

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

M Karunanidhi took over as DMK chief after Annadurai died in 1969. (PTI Photo )

The granddaddy of all political parties in Tamil Nadu, the DMK is the main inheritor of the legacy of E Ramaswamy Naicker  better known as Periyar. Though the leader of the Self-Respect Movement never assumed office, his fiery eloquence shaped the core tenets of the Dravidian political ideology.

The DMK was founded in 1949 by CN Annadurai, one of Periyars most loyal lieutenants. Frustrated by his mentors refusal to assume public office, Anna (elder brother in Tamil)  as he was affectionately known  managed to guide his nascent party to victory in 1967.

Read: Even schoolgirls drinking liquor, DMK will bring total ban: Elangovan

Karunanidhi, who first rose to prominence owing to his role in the 1930s anti-Hindi movement, became the party leader after Annadurais death in 1969.

The former scriptwriters long and controversial rule over the DMK has seen the party getting tainted by the 2G scam, and exposed him to numerous allegations of nepotism. After failing to win any seats in the last general election, the party has allied with the Congress in the hope of regaining its lost glory.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

After MGRs death, Jayalalithaa squared off with his wife  Janaki  for the reins of the party. (PTI photo)

The AIADMK was founded by popular cinema actor MG Ramachandran, who continues to enjoy a significant influence over the public even today  nearly three decades after his death in 1987. In fact, some supporters of Vijayakanth have even tried to draw similarities between the two by calling him Karuppu MGR or Black MGR.

Rising to prominence in the DMK during the late 50s and early 60s, MGR split from the party in 1977 after claiming that Karunanidhi saw him as a threat to the political prospects of his eldest son, MK Muthu.

Read: TN rallies: Jaya uses chopper, AIADMK-affiliated movie stars hop vans

Christening the party Anna after his political mentor Annadurai, MGR went on to dominate Tamil politics  never losing an election till he died in 1987.His demise caused a brief split in the party  with his wife Janaki squaring off against another actor-turned-politician  J Jayalalithaa.

The factions eventually merged under Jayalalithaa in 1989, becoming the most successful political outfit in the state with six assembly election victories.

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

Supporters of DMDK supremo Vijayakanth have tried to draw similarities between him and MGR by calling him Karuppu MGR or Black MGR. (PTI photo)

The DMDK was formed in 2005 by actor Vijayakanth, who promised to scrub Tamil politics clean of corruption and provide an honest alternative to both the DMK and the AIADMK.

In the 2011 assembly elections, the party was able to secure 29 seats. While the DMDK still lost the general elections three years later, it managed to relegate the DMK to third place for the first time in 52 years.

Declaring himself as a king, not a kingmaker, Vijayakanth has decided to contest the upcoming elections in alliance with Vaikos PWF.

Peoples Welfare Front

The PWF is a coalition formed by Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Vaiko in 2015, with an eye on this years polls. It consists of four parties in alliance with Vijayakanths DMDK  the MDMK, CPI, CPI(M) and the VCK.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

MDMK head Vaiko has drawn criticism over his open support for the Tamil Tigers and its deceased leader Prabhakaran. (File photo)

Another rising star in the DMK who claimed to be sidelined by Karunanidhi, Vaiko formed the MDMK  which translates to Renaissance Federation for Dravidian Progress  in 1994. Vaiko has always been a controversial leader, especially because of his alleged links with the LTTE and his outspoken support for its late leader, Prabhakaran. The MDMK chief has the dubious honour of being the first MP to be detained under the 2002 Prevention of Terrorism Act because of these links.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi

Thol Thirumavalavan has argued that Tamil Nadus mainstream parties have drifted away from the original Dravidian ideals espoused by Periyar (Image courtesy: kollytalk.com)

The VCK  or Liberation Panthers Party  is a Dalit political outfit created in 1986 by lawyer Thol Thirumavalavan, who argued that the states mainstream parties had drifted away from the original Dravidian ideals espoused by Periyar.

Being a party predicated on the Dalit vote bank, the VCK has often clashed with another caste-based political group  the Pattali Makkal Katchi.

Pattali Makkal Katchi

PMK chief ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss was a Union minister in the erstwhile UPA government. (HT Photo)

Founded in 1989 by Dr S Ramadoss, the PMK dominates the districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri and is predicated on an OBC group  the Vanniyars. Though it denies allegations of inciting violence, the party has often taken up agitations against inter-caste marriages.

Ramadoss son, Anbumani, is the partys chief ministerial candidate. He is one of only two Lok Sabha members from Tamil Nadu who does not hail from the AIADMK.

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Actor Hrithik Roshan has thrown his weight behind the good cause. He will soon be featuring in a track called Ae Raju by a band called Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band, supposed to Indias first transgender band.

The song salutes the unabated spirit of the transgender community, and the actor says he was compelled to be part of the song as it addresses a meaningful message in a fun and entertaining way.

The actor, who has himself successfully battled stammering and more, also shared that we cannot just reject them just because they are different from us.

Brooke Bond Red Label tea in association with Y-Films, the youth films wing of Yash Raj Films, is back with another song by the band.

Read: Hrithik Roshan and I will never reconcile, says Sussanne Khan

In the song the members of band are inspired to fight discrimination and break all social barriers.

The song and its chorus are a lighter take on the trademark Ae Raju, a term used by the Hijra community. In the video, Hrithik motivates the members of the band to unleash their inner superheroes. The video went live on Y-Films YouTube channel on Tuesday, read a statement.

Read: Hrithik Roshan opens up about bachelorhood, says hes loving it

Ive been following the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-pack Band and when I heard that the band is creating a meaningful message in a fun, entertaining way, I had to be a part of it. Shooting with them was an amazing experience, Hrithik said.

The Bang Bang! star added: I think that one of the main causes of anxiety in the society as a whole is the feeling of differentiation between people. Its important to feel connected to people around you and we cannot just reject them just because they are different from us.

Read: It is tough without emotional support, says Hrithik Roshan

Through the association with the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band, the brand aims to encourage everyone to be more accepting, overcome social prejudices and make the world a more welcoming place.

The band rendered hits via collaborations with Sonu Nigam, Zanai Bhosle and Arjun Kapoor.
Craving for a Starbucks coffee? Soon you could order and pay for it using your mobile phone.

You could soon just pick up your phone and pay for your order through your rewards card. We already have over 160,000 active My Starbucks Rewards programme users in the country, Sumi Ghosh the new CEO of Tata Starbucks told HT.

US-based Starbucks, which entered India in 2012, through a joint venture with the Tata group, currently operates 83 outlets. This is considered among its fastest roll-outs in international markets, Ghosh said.

In the US, 25% of the transactions happen over the Starbucks app, through which one can locate nearby outlets, order and pay it using the Starbucks card. The coffee can then be collected by the customer.

This service is the first of its kind in India and Starbucks is confident of a strong response once the app is launched sometime this year.

Ghosh, who took over as CEO from Avani Davda in January, believes there are a lot of opportunities to expand Starbucks stores in India.We see no slowdown and are on track with our expectations for India, Ghosh told HT.

While the company will continue to deepen its footprint in the six cities it currently services, it is also evaluating newer markets.

With local rival Cafe Coffee Day already having over 1,500 outlets, one could also see more Starbucks cafes coming up in residential neighbourhoods.

As we grow, we will have to be creative in our approach. We are looking at that format todayhow do we go into residential neighbourhood and get people attracted to our brand, said Ghosh, who was previously based in Chicago, overseeing Starbucks midwestern US region.

India is expected to be the worlds youngest country by 2020 with 64% population in working age group, and is therefore demographically a very a critical market for consumer-facing companies such as Starbucks.

As a part of its India strategy, Starbucks recently rolled out a campaign that elicited how the consumer felt in a Starbucks store and which product suited that mood best. The campaign ran in April and attracted 110,000 people, who received two free customisations, Ghosh said.

As a part of its employee engagement programme, it is also rolling out a five-day work schedule from May 15 across the country.

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Power minister, Piyush Goyals favourite one liner is energy saved is energy generated and keeping with this he along with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) is turning all government offices housed across the various Bhawans in Lutyens Delhi, energy efficient.

Once completed in July, this drive would include heritage buildings like Rashtrapati Bhawan, North Block and South Block, where with the use of LED lights, energy efficient fans and ACs, the government plans to cut electricity consumption by 25-30%. The entire investment for converting these old buildings into energy efficient buildings will be borne by EESL and the work will be done by CPWD.

The plan is to also include the Parliament, but changing all electricity guzzling appliances in these 100 year old buildings will be a daunting task for CPWD. Officials in the power ministry say that the first list of government buildings include North Block, South Block, the cabinet secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, NITI Aayog, UPSC, Krishi Bhawan, CGO complex to name a few.

Once Lutyens Delhi is tackled and made energy efficient, EESL plans to target government offices across the country. The target is to convert atleast 1000 government buildings into green building in the next few years. This will involve a cost of at least Rs 2000 crore and EESL is already in talks with state governments of Maharshtra and Rajasthan.

And when the government plans to save energy, how can energy PSUs be behind?

EESL is entering into separate agreements with public sector companies such as NTPC, ONGC, Coal India for their offices as well as townships.

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A solar-powered airplane midway through a historic bid to circle the globe completed the tenth leg of its journey on Monday, landing in Arizona after a 16-hour flight from California, the project team said.

The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015.

The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, arrived in Phoenix shortly before 9 p.m., following a flight from San Francisco that took it over the Mojave Desert.

The flight would have taken a conventional airplane just two hours, but the solar crafts cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods.

Occupying the tiny cockpit for the trip was project co-founder Andre Borschberg, who alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight.

Borschberg was the pilot for the Japan-to-Hawaii trip over the Pacific last July, staying airborne for nearly 118 hours.

That shattered the 76-hour world duration record for a non-stop, solo flight set in 2006 by the late American adventurer Steve Fossett in his Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer. It also set new duration and distance records for solar-powered flight.The feat, however, dealt a setback to the Solar Impulse, which suffered severe battery damage, requiring repairs and testing that grounded it in Hawaii for nine months.

Piccard completed the trans-Pacific crossing last month, reaching San Francisco after a flight of nearly three days, more than three times the 18 hours Amelia Earhart took to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s.

The biggest difference is that the propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel, its four engines powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings.

Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights.

The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 miles per hour (55 to 100 kmh).

In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013.
The Delhi government on Tuesday sought suggestions from operators running diesel taxis with all-India permits in light of the Supreme Court order that only-CNG run cabs can operate in the Delhi-NCR.

The Delhi government asked the operators to submit their grievances by 1 pm on Wednesday. Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai said the state government would urge the Supreme Court in the next hearing to come up with a clear direction on the operational aspect of the all-India permit cabs in the Capital.

There is a meeting of the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA on Wednesday evening. The suggestions will be discussed in the meeting. Their grievances will be submitted before the apex court on the next hearing, Rai told reporters after meeting taxi operators.

The transport minister, however, reiterated that no diesel cab associated with the web-based aggregators will be allowed to operate in the city.

Also read: Diesel cab ban: Delhi govt seeks two days to submit plan before SC

On the issue of crackdown upon cabs with all-India permit in Delhi, the transport minister said there was confusion over the apex courts direction on the issue.

On Saturday, it was said that even the all-India permit cabs had been directed to be kept off the road. But when we saw the written order today, it doesnt say so. We will urge the apex court in the next hearing to come up with a clear ruling on the issue, Rai said.

The all-India permit holders complained that they were unnecessarily being harassed by the traffic police and the transport departments enforcement wing.

One of my drivers picked a passenger from Anand Vihar to go to Jaipur. But the client asked the driver to drop by in Connaught Place for some work. The traffic police still issued the challan. Crossing by an area doesnt amount to serving point to point within the city, said Kamaljeet Singh, a taxi operator in Mayur Vihar, who attended the meeting with the transport minister.
A law student driving a Honda City ran over a traffic policeman and crushed his legs when he tried to stop the speeding car in east Delhis Gandhi Nagar area on Tuesday afternoon.

Yoginder Singh, 37, posted at the Gandhi Nagar traffic circle, was checking speeding vehicles in the area when he saw the youth in the Honda City moving towards Gandhi Nagar from Pushta Road.

The traffic cop signalled him to stop but instead of slowing down, the youth hit Yoginder and sped away. Yoginder was flung three feet into the air before falling on the ground. The car ran over his legs.

The driver -- Nikhil Kumar, a second-year law student at a university in Sahibabad -- was arrested.

He was reportedly coming from Pushta Road after meeting his friends. Whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol or not will be clear once his medical report is out, a senior police officer said.

Yoginder was rushed to Max hospital in Patparganj where his condition was said to be critical.

The driver, Nikhil Kumar , was later arrested.

Eyewitness told the police that Yoginder first signalled Kumar to stop from a distance of 100 metres. When he did not stop, Yoginder stood in the way thinking the car would stop but the youth did not even slow down.

He was speeding and did not reduce the speed even when he saw the cop moving his hand furiously, asking him to stop. The cop was flung into the air. He was driving alone and had not put on the seat belt. The impact of the hit was such the Honda City car had a dent in the front after the hit, an investigator told HT.

A case of rash and negligent driving and obstructing a public servant from doing his duty was registered.

The police recorded the statements of over 10 persons who were at the spot when the incident happened. The investigators were analysing CCTV footage of the area.

We have accessed grabs from CCTV footage that show the vehicle speeding. Kumar has been arrested and is being questioned, a senior police officer said.
Diesel taxi-drivers held motorists to ransom and brought the traffic to a halt in the capital for a second consecutive day as they blocked major traffic points on Tuesday, protesting against a ban on diesel cabs, the latest initiative aimed at improving air quality in the worlds most polluted capital.

According to the Delhi traffic police, the Delhi-Noida direct flyway, Dhaula Kuan, Mahipalpur and other routes leading towards Gurgaon were grid locked since morning after the Supreme Court on Saturday ordered taxis run on the dirty fuel off the citys roads, refusing industry requests for more time to switch to greener compressed natural gas (CNG).

Traffic will remain heavy from Radisson Hotel Mahipalpur towards Gurgaon due to demonstration by taxi drivers.  Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) May 3, 2016

The traffic police had deployed personnel to get the glitch sorted out, however the situation did not improve.

Taxi drivers shouted slogans at Mahipalpur, leading to a major traffic jam at the Delhi-Gurgaon border.

Huge traffic jam near Mahipalpur in Delhi as taxi drivers protest against ban on diesel vehicles pic.twitter.com/kbYphu5TDp  Mohd Iltaj (@MohdIltaj) May 3, 2016

Swimming across a sea of metal ants : morning commute. Delhi- Gurgaon pic.twitter.com/RXkrYNjzk9  saket suryesh (@saket71) May 3, 2016

They have threatened to intensify the protest.

The traffic police also reported road blockade between Mehrauli-Badarpur road and Saket metro station in South Delhi and towards Karkari more.

Read more: Delhi: Traffic nightmare follows crackdown on diesel cabs

Even the Delhi-Noida expressway was blocked by taxi drivers.

On Monday, the first working day after the Supreme Court refused to extend the deadline for diesel-run taxis in the national capital to switch to CNG, over 140 cabs were fined and 30 impounded. Police have said heavy fines and impounding of diesel vehicles will continue to enforce the top court order.

This led to protests across the city bringing Delhi to a standstill.

Sanjay Samrat, president of Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association (DTTTA), said if Delhi government takes action, the taxi drivers will restart their agitation.

Traffic police have assured and till now our drivers are on road and not facing harassment. But enforcement team of Delhi government has said they will take action against diesel cabs. If this happen, we will protest again. We have gathered at Lado Sarai and will decide on protest around noon after assessing the situation, he said.

The situation on Monday prompted the Centre to say that it will request the apex Court to reconsider the decision.

The government has decided to request the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision on ban. The ban has created an unprecedented situation of thousands of taxis getting off road and people facing severe hardships, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari told reporters.

The congestion in the wake of protests largely affected thousands of office-goers who travel between Delhi and Gurgaon, linked by NH-8, and the traffic helpline was bombarded with calls from distressed commuters, officials said. The protesters, included the diesel cab drivers with All India tourist permits (AITP), who are exempted from the ban provided they operate outside NCR.

After extending the deadline twice, the Supreme Court had on Saturday refused to give more time to cab operators to convert to CNG and put a ban on diesel cabs in the city from May 1.

The court exempted taxis with all-India tourist permit (AITP) from switching to CNG if they operate outside NCR.

According to Delhi transport department, about 60,000 taxis are registered in the national capital of which 27,000 run on diesel. Around 2,000 diesel-run taxis had converted into CNG mode in the last two months.
A day after journalist Pooja Tiwari died after falling from the fifth floor of a residential building, the Surajkund Police registered a case of abetment to suicide against three doctors, including a couple.

A post-mortem was conducted and the report is awaited.

Tiwaris family held the doctor couple responsible for abetment to suicide. On the basis of the familys statement, Surajkund Police registered a case against Anil Goyal, his wife Archana Goyal and Dr Dhawal.

The case was registered under Section 306 and 34 of IPC. Anil Goyal denied the charges.

Tiwari, who till recently worked with a national media portal, was facing charges of extortion levelled by the doctor couple. She had written an article for the portal alleging that the couple provided access to Medical Termination of Pregnancy kits.

A police official inspects the room on the fifth floor of a residential building from which Pooja Tiwari fell. (Handout)

The doctors later claimed she tried to extort money from them to not publish the story. Police said she was under suspension.

Tiwaris brother Saurabh said that the doctor couple implicated her in a case and this pushed her into depression and led to her suicide.

Anil Goyal, however, said Tiwaris death was not connected with the case.

The residential building from which Pooja Tiwari fell. (Handout)

The incident was shocking and we have sympathy with the bereaved family. We lodged a compliant of extortion last month against her and other people and police were looking into the case. Yesterdays (Monday) incident has nothing to do with that FIR, Anil Goyal said.

Amit Kumar, the police inspector who was present at the time of the incident, has been attached with the DGPs office till the probe is completed, Faridabad police commissioner Hanif Qureshi said.

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The Delhi government requested the Supreme Court on Tuesday to lift a ban on diesel cars in a phased manner after taxi drivers held motorists to ransom and brought traffic to a halt for a second consecutive day.

As the court sought a detailed plan regarding phasing out of the diesel taxis by 4pm, the government asked for two more days to file the roadmap.

Delhi Govt moves Supreme Court against diesel ban. Says its creating law and order problem. @htTweets @htdelhi  Faizan Haider (@FaiHaider) May 3, 2016

The association of diesel cabs is scheduled to meet Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai later in the day.

Read more: Day 2: Heavy traffic on Delhi roads, taxi drivers continue protest

Scores of drivers of diesel taxis blocked three major roads on Tuesday, causing traffic jams after a Supreme Court order mandated all diesel-run taxis in the city must convert to CNG. The verdict was aimed at cleaning up Delhis air, considered the worst in the world.

Read more: Diesel taxi ban: Agitating cabbies stall Delhi-Gurgaon traffic again

The decision eliminated around 50,000 cabs from city roads and triggered protests by taxi unions over charges of harassment by police, who fined 140 vehicles and impounded 30.

Dozens of drivers parked their taxis on the Mahipalpur flyover leading to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, on another key road that links Delhi with Noida in Uttar Pradesh and in a south Delhi area that is linked to Gurgaon in Haryana.

In no time, hundreds of vehicles were caught up on both sides of the roads -- like on Monday.

Police reached all three spots and engaged the drivers in discussion from about 9 a.m.

We tried to reason with them that their protest was causing hardships to people and this wasnt fair, said Joint Commissioner of Police Sharad Aggarwal.

We told them that if they had issues with any judicial ruling, they must talk to the government.

Commuters continued to suffer. Soonit Roy, who is employed with a private firm, said: My office is located in Sector 30, and I commute to work by our office cab every day. It usually takes me about an hour to get there, but commuting has been a nightmare for the past two days. Because of a three-hour traffic jam on Monday, I reached my workplace only after 11 am. The story was the same today. The whole of NH-8 is choked because of this protest by taxi drivers. The jam stretched all the way to Dhaula Kuan.

Aggarwal said that some of the drivers who accepted the reasoning took away their taxis. Those who refused to were taken to a police station and their taxis were impounded.

The entire process took 45 minutes to an hour. By then, there were jams everywhere... But now, three hours after it all began, there is no traffic jam anywhere in Delhi due to any taxi protest, Aggarwal said.

Another police officer, Ishwar Singh, said that three taxis were found illegally parked on the Rajoukri flyover in south Delhi, apparently to create a traffic jam. But they were quickly removed.

.
A protest taken out by around 100 diesel cab drivers near Shiv Murti on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway gave rise to a major traffic jam on Tuesday. Its effects were felt all the way till RTR Flyover and Shankar Vihar in Delhi, and Rajokri in Gurgaon.

The jam began when the taxi drivers converged on the expressway around 9.20 am. Though Delhi police officers forced the agitators to retreat, they left a few cabs behind on the main carriageway and one on the service lane. This obstructed vehicular movement on the route, causing most of its lanes to choke up.

A crane deployed by the highway operator to clear the blockage was forcibly stopped by the agitators. Finally, after repeated appeals to the taxi drivers went in vain, police officers physically removed the vehicles after breaking their windows.

Read: Day 2: Heavy traffic on Delhi roads, taxi drivers continue protest

Ongoing clashes between the taxi drivers and police officers also hindered traffic movement.

In a bid to improve the air quality in the National Capital Region, the Supreme Court on Saturday refused to extend the April 30 deadline fixed for the conversion of all diesel and petrol-run taxis to CNG  effectively banning the operation of all such vehicles in the region. The move evoked widespread protests by taxi operators, causing traffic jams on many arterials roads of Delhi and its surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, commuters continued to suffer. Soonit Roy, who is employed with a private firm, said: My office is located in Sector 30, and I commute to work by our office cab every day. It usually takes me about an hour to get there, but commuting has been a nightmare for the past two days. Because of a three-hour traffic jam on Monday, I reached my workplace only after 11 am. The story was the same today. The whole of NH-8 is choked because of this protest by taxi drivers. The jam stretched all the way to Dhaula Kuan.

Ashish Kapoor, an MNC employee, said the traffic authorities should have been more proactive in preventing the traffic jam. The cops acted only after the protest began in full swing they could have controlled it in the very beginning. I had to take half-day leave because I reached office almost three hours late, he complained.

A similar protest on the DND Flyway affected traffic between Noida and Delhi from 9 am to 10.30 am, resulting in vehicular congestion on Yamuna bridge. Taking note of the situation, the DND management and Noida Police diverted many motorists towards Kalindikunj.

Agitating taxi drivers had blocked the Delhi-Noida traffic for 15-20 minutes on Monday.

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A plume of dust rises up from a house under construction as a steady breeze blows. Construction workers at the site and passersby break into a fit of coughs. The latter hurriedly walk away.

The scene could be from any neighbourhood  big or small  in the city. Construction dust is among the big air polluters in the Capital, but measures to rein it in are woefully inadequate.

Dust is the biggest component of air pollution in the city, says an IIT Kanpur study. Of the total Particulate Matter 10 (PM 10) concentration in the city, 56% is caused by road dust. Dust is also source for 38% of the finer PM 2.5 load.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled last year that every builder and owner will have to cover construction sites using tarpaulin sheets to prevent construction dust from spreading. The order was passed to ensure compliance of the environment ministrys construction guidelines.

The municipal bodies have since been slapping fines on builders and owners for not adhering. So far 1,447 of them have been fined.

But monitoring construction sites is a gargantuan task in a vast city like Delhi with numerous construction sites  big and small, authorised and unauthorised.

Delhi corporations clear 300 building plans every month. Additionally, construction is carried out on plots smaller than 105 square metres, which dont require approval as per the unified bylaws. And construction in unauthorised colonies is not regulated.

A research paper released by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in November 2015 says higher levels of coarse particles in the air was leading to an increase in cardiovascular-related hospital stay for people 65 years and older in the US.

The researchers said this by far the strongest evidence to show that coarse particulate matter (sized 2.5 to 10 microns in diameter) released into the air from construction projects among other things were dangerous to humans.

The US has stricter implementation of laws that ban construction without covering the area. In India, the implementation is very low.

Health experts say that if a person is constantly exposed to dust and construction waste, he or she runs the risk of inhaling silica which escapes the filter mechanism of the nose and the throat. This reduces lung capacity and makes the person vulnerable to diseases such as tuberculosis and other respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

The Delhi government started vacuum -cleaning of roads in April as a pilot project. The concept, implemented in NDMC areas as well as several countries, says that vacuum cleaning will help clear the roads of dust instead of redistributing it.

PWD officials, however, say they encounter problems because the roads are not level. The machines do not work effectively if the road is not level. We have to think about how the project will be expanded and made more effective, said a PWD official who did not want to be named.

NDMC also encountered similar problems and levelled roads under its jurisdiction.
A journalist against whom an extortion case was recently registered was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Faridabad on Sunday night. Police said she allegedly jumped off the fifth floor of an apartment.

The journalist, Pooja Tiwari, who until recently worked with a national media portal, was in a flat in Sector 56 with two friends Indore-based journalist Amreen and Haryana Police inspector Amit Kumar-- when the incident happened, police officers said.

As per the statement of eyewitnesses Amreen and Amit Kumar, Pooja Tiwari started drinking in the evening and continued after dinner, said Surajkund station house officer Rajinder Singh.

Police quoted the eyewitnesses as saying, An FIR of cheating and extortion already stands registered against her on the complaint of a doctor couple and she was discussing the issue with her friends.

The two of them told police that Tiwari suddenly became angry and jumped from the balcony around 11.45pm.

Pooja Tiwaris friends claimed she jumped off the 5th floor of a building. (Prabhu Razdan/HT Photo)

But the Surajkund SHO said he got the information only at 3am. When the police along with crime team rushed to the scene, the body had been taken to a private hospital in Sector 21 and declared brought dead.

Prima facie the incident seems to be a suicide but we will go by the statement of the parents who have arrived in Faridabad, said Faridabad commissioner of police Hanif Qureshi. Tiwari hailed from Indore.

Amreen came to Faridabad on April 22 on Tiwaris suggestion that she would find a better job in Delhi-NCR. Inspector Kumar joined the Faridabad police a few days after his transfer from the vigilance department. Officials said Kumar even visited Tiwari at her house in Indore.

The police said the media house had suspended Tiwari after the FIR was registered against her and she was without a salary .

Her post-mortem is expected to be conducted on Tuesday. All angles are being investigated, said the commissioner.

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Last week, a devastating fire destroyed 70% of the exhibits at a national museum in New Delhi. This was met with underwhelming reaction from citizens and many were even unaware of the mishap.

The situation brought to light a lack of appreciation for Indias cultural diversity, stemming from the governments inadequate efforts to preserve museums and heritage sites.

Read more | A lesson from Natural History Museum fire: How to kill our heritage

In most museums, the management is shoddy and the attitude appears callous. Artifacts are mishandled or not represented well. Lack of funds is a major issue delaying much-needed renovations and shows a severely inefficient system. Set up during the 80s-90s, many of these institutions are hosted in buildings that are not covered under the current safety norms, making them vulnerable to tragedies.

The National Museum of Natural History that caught fire is just one example; there are a large number of museums under the governments purview which host outdated exhibits and monotonous tours.

It is necessary to constantly update the display collections and museum activities. However, the dry response is indicative of an ebbing interest at higher ministry levels.

The Childrens Resource Centre Museum, for instance, was inaugurated in 1987. Apart from being renamed the Nirbhaya Museum in honour of the December 16 gangrape victim, nothing has been done to bring the museum attention. It is falling apart as no conservation efforts are being undertaken either.

Read more | Museum renamed after Dec 16 gangrape victim in shambles, awaits funds

The tragic truth is that the country does have much to offer in terms of architecture, art and artifacts.

There are 27 World Heritage sites in India, ranging from cave paintings in Bimbedka, Madhya Pradesh to the 19th century Nilgiri Mountain Railways in Tamil Nadu, and nothing is being done to protect them, according to the UNESCO.

At its current state, these sites do serve as a magnet for tourists, and does contribute to the countrys GDP growth. Last year, the industry was projected to grow by 7.5%. But a constant complaint is the unsanitary conditions and lack of organisation. This often leads to tourists preferring to travel to other destinations in Asia such as Thailand.

Across the world, cities are proud hosts to museums showcasing their culture and history. It isnt just about timely restoration and updating the inventory, such sites need to connect with the audience.

If its an up-close experience with African mammals at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, its a sleepover at the British Museum in London.

Read more | Pull our museums from the past into the present

As despondent as the situation seems, the government is stirring to better things and engage people in active conservation.

The Swachh Paryatan Mobile App, launched by the Union Ministry of Tourism, has been made available at 25 heritage monuments, including Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Humayuns Tomb, Qutab Minar and Red Fort among others. The app lets one upload pictures of badly managed sites and the government acts on the information.

The burned down natural history museum is getting a Rs 225-crore makeover while the environment ministry has ordered an energy and fire audit of all its establishments across the country.

If there is an upswing in these measures, it could once again build a healthy interest in Indias cultural brilliance.
New Delhi: JNU teachers observed a one-day fast in support of students, who have been on a hunger strike against the punishments awarded to them by the university. They were punished for reportedly raising anti-national slogans at an event on Kashmiri separatist, Afzal Guru.

As many as 70 teachers and 180 students today sat on relay hunger strike in support of the ongoing hunger strike against the decision of the high-level committee of JNU. Twenty prisoners in Ara Jail have also started a two-day hunger strike on jail premises, demanding revocation of the punishment , a statement by the JNU Students Union said.

On Tuesday, members of the ABVP claimed that Saurabh Kumar Sharma, who had complained against the event, was rushed to AIIMS and admitted to the ICU after his glucose level dipped. Two groups of students are sitting on hunger strike. While the students from leftist groups are protesting against the punishment given to them, the students from the ABVP are demanding harsher punishment for them. They are also demanding the revocation of fine imposed on Sharma.

BJP MPs, Tarun Vijay and Manoj Tiwari, visited him in the hospital and advised him to break the fast keeping in view his health, the ABVP said in a statement.

On the sixth day of the strike, the leftist students and teachers organised a public meeting and criticised the ban on the sale and distribution of Hindi version of a book by Delhi University, authored by noted historian Bipan Chandra. The book refers to Bhagat Singh as a revolutionary terrorist.

In any case, Bhagat Singh used the word revolutionary terrorist to describe the work of his associates and himself. This had been pointed out, yet the sale of the Hindi edition of the book has been stopped and calls have been made to destroy it and criminal cases filed against the co-authors, Bhagat Singhs nephew, Jagmohan Singh, said. Co-authors of the book, Sucheta Mahajan, Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee, were also present at the public meeting.
With the Delhi Traffic Police tightening the noose around diesel-run cabs plying in Delhi-NCR, taxi unions hit the streets protesting against the alleged harassment.

On Monday, the first working day after the Supreme Court refused to extend the deadline for diesel-run taxis in the national capital to switch to CNG, over 140 cabs were fined and 30 impounded.

Sanjay Samrat, president of Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association (DTTTA), accompanied by BJP leader, Vijender Gupta, met Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma to discuss the problems faced by diesel taxi drivers who have the All India Tourist Permit (AITP).

When the Supreme Court has exempted the AITP drivers, then why were our drivers challaned and their cars impounded? We raised our concerns with the police commissioner. He has assured us that starting Tuesday no AITP driver will be fined, Samrat said.

Officials from the Delhi governments transport department, however, said the crackdown would continue till separate orders were issued.

Samrat said on Tuesday if the police continued to fine and impound cabs, they would intensify their agitation.

Gupta, who was present in the meeting, said that these drivers were victims of the inaction and apathy of the Delhi government.

These drivers are suffering for no fault of their own. Most of these drivers have taken heavy loans to buy their vehicles. Now they are finding it difficult to survive and earn their livelihood. It is the moral responsibility of the Delhi Government to rehabilitate them, he said.

The union representatives said there were three main issues that were raised during the meeting.

They said in the first order, the court clearly mentioned that the ban is issued for cabs running with aggregators such as Ola and Uber. It did not mention cabs with all-India permits.

Another concern was that AITPs are only issued for diesel cabs, which cannot be converted to CNG. The order states that the diesel-run cab companies should convert their fleet to CNG. Since that cannot happen with us, we will have to shut our shops, said Rajveer Yadav, owner of a private tourist cab service.

The drivers also said the fact that the AITP drivers could not ply from point to point within the national capital was not clarified.
It seems to be a U-turn that leaves scope for another U-turn. It signals a softened stand that allows for the reaffirmation of the status quo. Thats the quandary the statement on Kashmiri separatists in Parliament by VK Singh, minister of state for external affairs, puts analysts in. Replying to a question on the governments views on the Hurriyat Conference and its confabulations with the Pakistan High Commission, Mr Singh said that since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India. He, nonetheless, stated that Indias displeasure at Pakistans attempts to interfere in Indias internal affairs has been repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan.

READ: India-Pak in touch? Basits suspension of talks may be false alarm

It is difficult to discern if this statement represents a change of government policy but one can speculate about its motivations. The Hurriyat leaderships contact with the Pakistan High Commission was a red line for the Narendra Modi government. Bilateral talks have been stalled because both sides are insisting on privileging their areas of concern, with Islamabad focused on J&K and New Delhi on terrorism. Since curtailing political activity in Kashmir prompts frequent criticism, India may well be alert to the benefits of allowing separatists to interact with the Pakistani government. That way it allows Islamabad to claim that its core issue remains very much on the agenda while India can simultaneously express its displeasure at anything it construes as interference. Equally, this may just be an attempt to make bilateral contact this year less awkward, keeping in view the Heart of Asia conference in India and the SAARC summit at Islamabad. In effect, how Mr Singhs statement translates into policy remains provisional at the moment. The ministers point that the Hurriyat leaders can meet representatives of any country in India suggests that they are unlikely to head to Pakistan or anywhere else.

READ: Second-in-command Sehrai likely to succeed Hurriyat chief Geelani

It will be interesting to see how the separatists react and how Islamabad manages contact with them. There are several moving parts in India-Pakistan dynamics. The near future will depend on Indias assessment of the power struggle between PM Nawaz Sharif and Gen. Raheel Sharif and New Delhis reading of the risks of avoiding a political process in Kashmir.
In drought-hit Marathwada, water thieves are having a field day. An India Today Television expose on Monday showed that water tankers arranged by the Maharashtra government for the people of drought-hit villages in the region are being diverted for `2,000 each by local officials to businessmen. More than 800 tankers supply water every day to these villages but such leaks are ensuring that not much is reaching those who need it the most, the report added.

Two reporters of the channel stuck a deal of `6,000 for 36,000 litres of water every day and helping them in this daylight robbery were three local officials. In a country that is increasingly becoming water-stressed thanks to climate change, population pressure and lack of political and public will to undertake water harvesting/drought-proofing on a war footing, such illegal acts exacerbate the already trying conditions that people are facing.

Read | Marathwada: A land of dried up farms, dreams

But beneath the story of water pilferage is story of the exponential rise of the water mafia that loves droughts because they can flourish in such crises. In the Bundelkhand region, which straddles Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, panchayats routinely inflate tanker prices to corner more funds from the government. They outsource water delivery to agents who then compromise on the quality of water they give to parched regions. Other than these issue, they also mine water-rich areas and in a few years time, those areas will also become parched and dry.

Read | BJP wants crackdown on Mumbai tanker mafia

So what should be done with the devious officers who are diverting tankers in Maharashtra? Heres what the BJP is demanding in Mumbai, where water thefts are rampant: It wants the police to book the tanker mafia under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. But it is unlikely that such a thing would be possible since the water tanker business is controlled by local politicians.

It is difficult to stop such pilferage unless someone is caught in the act and the government/police keep a 24-hour vigil on the movements of tankers by electronically tagging them as some states have done with the vehicles transporting PDS grains.

But doing all this will is not be a long-term solution because the rise of tanker mafias across India only shows how badly we have managed our water resources. The aim should be to erase the the tanker mafia by investing time and money in regenerating water bodies. India has a long history of robust water management and every region has a strong tradition of water harvesting. If we cannot revive those traditions and involve communities, then the country will never beat this water challenge.

Read | BJP wants crackdown on Mumbai tanker mafia
The Andhra Pradesh Secondary School Certificate (SSC) or Class 10 examination results are likely to be announced on May 5, 2016.

The Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (APBSE), which conducted the examination in March, is expected to soon announce the final date for the results.

States minister for human resources development Ganta Srinivas Rao will release the results in Vijayawada.

The candidates can check their results on the website of APBSE.

The SSC results were declared on May 20 last year, but authorities are planning to announce it earlier this time. The intermediate results too were declared earlier this year.

The officials said early results help in smooth conduct of the advanced supplementary examination and in admissions in Classes 11 and 12 for the next academic year, which will begin next month in Andhra Pradesh.

Read more: Telangana to conduct EAMCET on May 15

APBSE had conducted SSC examinations from March 21 to April 7. A total of 6,57,595 students appeared at 3,082 centres in all 13 districts of the state.

Last year, 91.42% of the candidates had passed the SSC examinations in the state.

Read more: ICSE, ISC 2016 results to be declared on May 6
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) seized 19 gold bars, concealed inside the motor of a washing machine, which a passenger was carrying in his check-in luggage, on Monday morning.

Mohamnad Aslam Shaikh, who has an Indian passport, arrived in the city from Riyadh. Gold bars were concealed inside the motor of a washing machine in his luggage. They were found during screening, said an AIU officer, adding that 19 gold bars weighed 2,204 grams and are valued at around Rs60.15 lakh.

After Shaikh was taken into custody, the AIU officials interrogated him. According to the officials, Shaikh said he was to meet another person.

He revealed that there was another person waiting for him at the airport and the gold was to be handed over to him.

We have held t he man, Sal man Khan. He was waiting for Shaikh outside the airport, said an AIU officer. Investigations are on about where t he gold was being brought from and if more persons were involved.
Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, is ready to come to India and face investigators if he gets an assurance that he will not be arrested, his lawyer Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos said on Tuesday.

Anjos said that Michel is living in Dubai and is willing to speak the truth.

Michel is among three non-Indian middlemen who were accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of taking commissions worth 70 million from AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica, to bribe officials who helped ink a deal to sell 12 VVIP helicopters to the Indian Air Force.

AgustaWestland allegedly paid more than Rs 375 crore as bribe to seal the deal, but it was scrapped in 2014 after graft charges surfaced.

Read: In 5 points: All you need to know about AgustaWestland deal

He has arrest warrant and that is why he cant go to India. He is not free to go. He would like to go and answer everything and tell the truth but not with arrest warrant, Anjos told Times Now channel from Milan.

She said Michel is available to answer all questions in front of a judge if he gets a formal invitation from Indian authorities but he must be assured that he is not going to be arrested.

The chopper controversy rocked the ongoing Parliament session after a Milan court convicted two Italians for bribing Indian officials and politicians to secure the Rs 3,727-crore contract in 2010.

Although the Italian court did not indict any Indian politician, the ruling BJP has sought to corner the Congress over references in the court documents to middlemen talking about Signora Gandhi - believed to be Congress president Sonia Gandhi - being the driving force behind the deal.

Read: UPA 2s AgustaWestland probe moved at a snails pace

Tyagi questioned

On Tuesday, the CBI questioned former IAF chief SP Tyagi for the second day in connection with the deal. Tyagi is accused of meeting a middleman who cleared the way for AgustaWestland.

CBI sources said that during the probe they came across a trip undertaken by Tyagi to Florence, Venice and Milan in Italy after he retired in 2007. They said it is being probed who accompanied him on the trip and who funded for the hospitality.

Union minister V K Singh said Tyagi could not have acted alone and many people must have been involved in the scam.

Rahul vs BJP

As Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said he was always the target of political rivals, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed the Congress should not play the victim card in the chopper deal.

The BJP has accused Kanishka Singh, an aide to Gandhi, of being involved in the AgustaWestland and 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) scams.

Read: Happy to be targeted, says Rahul Gandhi on AgustaWestland issue
The Art of Living Foundation says its leader was misquoted as Sri Sri Ravi Shankars reported statement that he would reject a Nobel peace prize drew negative reactions.

A statement by AoL clarified that Sri Sri was responding to a journalist asking if the foundations work was aimed at a Nobel peace prize, and that the leader had no ulterior motive.

What will I do with a prize?.. When good work is done, people think it is for a prize. There is no logic in this.

Sri Sri was visiting the drought-hit Latur in Maharashtra when he made the statements. He was there to review the relief work his foundation was carrying out in the area.

Read more | Twitter hits back at Sri Sri for comments on Malala, Nobel Peace prize

At a press meet, the spiritual leader reportedly said the Nobel Peace Prize had become a political issue and that he was approached to take up specific issues in order to receive the coveted award. In the course of the conversation, Sri Sri questioned the value of the prize, saying a 16-year-old who hadnt done much was awarded.

Malala Yousafzai, an activist for education of girls, was awarded the prize in 2014, becoming the youngest at the age of 17. She shared the prize with Indias Kailash Satyarthi.

When a journalist clearly asked if it was wrong for Yousafzai to have been awarded, Sri Sri responded affirmatively.

A TV news channel even posted video footage of the said conversation.

Read more | I turned down Nobel, Malalas prize unworthy: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

In response to Sri Sris comments on the Pakistani activist, the statement quoted him as saying: When a 16-year-old, without any body of work, gets the prize, you get a sense that you dont need to do much to get the Peace Prize. There are political factors at play.

Read more | Sri Sri Ravi Shankar possible nominee for Nobel Peace Prize

Early this year, there were speculations that Sri Sris name could figure in a list of nominees for the peace prize given his contribution to the Columbian peace negotiations.

The foundation has played a significant role in attempting to bring peace in the Latin American country since November 2012. The Colombian government had in fact honoured Sri Sri with their highest civilian award, Orden de la Democracia Simon Bolivar, in recognition of this in July last year.


The fight against forest fires in Uttarakhand is turning out be highly expensive as the state will have to pay Rs 85 for a litre of water dropped by two air force Mi-17 helicopters on burning forestland.

The helicopters, in operation since May 1, have dumped nearly 1.75 lakh litres of water over forests in 34 sorties till Monday. They flew 16 sorties till Tuesday afternoon.

Sources said each sortie carrying 3,500 litres of water costs about Rs 3 lakh. The aircraft draw water either from Bhimtal lake near Nainital in the Kumaon division or from the Srinagar reservoir in Garhwal.

Number of forest fires goes down in Uttarakhand, IAF ops continue

A massive fire in the forests at Kotdwar, Uttarakhand on Monday. (PTI)

Finance officials were concerned about the expenses. Finance secretary Amit Negi said he is expecting a bill of Rs 50 lakh or may be a little more.

The raging wildfires have reduced about 3,500 hectares of lush Himalayan forestland to ashes and claimed six lives. Many animals and nesting birds in popular wildlife habitats are feared killed too.

Uttarakhand forest fire: Loss much more than estimated, say ecologists

A spell of rain on Tuesday brought relief in parts of Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Nainital districts. The forecast says it will rain till May 6.

The helicopter support helped the field teams of firefighters but experts were unsure about the efficacy of sprinkling water from the sky to douse forest fires.

The choppers fly at an altitude of 10,000-14,000 feet. Most of the water gets lost in the air and the remaining gets caught in the canopy. Practically, the water doesnt reach the dry ground that needs hydration. So, the effort goes in vain, said Rajinder Kumar Mahajan, head of the state forest force.

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The plight of onion farmers and rising prices of pulses echoed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday with BJP MPs making veiled criticism of the Centre for the second consecutive day.

Sumedhananda Saraswati (Sikar) and Hukum Singh (Kairana) raised the matter in Lok Sabha, seeking intervention to buy onion from the farmers.

When there was a crisis seven-eight months back, onions were sold at Rs 50 per kg. Today, its being sold at Rs 3 every kg. The government should immediately buy them from the farmers, who do not have storage facility, Saraswati said.

Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said the government had set up a price stabilisation fund for potato, onion and pulses but it has been shifted from his ministry to the food ministry. He replied in detail about the e-NAM, the electronic trading platform for agriculture market.

You have given an elaborate reply. But the problem remains as it is. Dal prices are not going down and that of onion are not going up, Kairana MP Hukum Singh said during the question hour.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to intervene by saying the question relates to e-trading, but the MP was unfazed. What will we do of e-trading? Today, farmers are selling onion for Rs 2 per kg. There should be solution to the problem and it will be solved only when the government enters the market, buy onion and save farmers. Singh evaded the question, saying it did not fall under his ministry.

Earlier, replying to a separate question, home minister Rajnath Singh found himself in a difficult spot when party MP RK Singh disputed one of his claims.

Following a remark of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge that the Centre has discontinued a housing scheme under which 75% funds were provided by the Centre while states used to provide 25%, the home minister said police modernisation funds are not given to states only for construction of houses for policemen.

I want to tell the House that it is not correct to say many state governments run housing schemes through the funds given by the Centre. Police modernisation fund is not given only for housing. It is possible that some state governments use the funds for housing. But police modernisation funds are not given for housing, he said. RK Singh, however, said there was a housing component under the police modernisation funds given to states, which was perhaps stopped now.

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A cab driver has been arrested in Chennai after setting his 60-year-old mother on fire because she was unable to find him a bride, police said.

The driver, D Amarnath Prasad, had tied his mother Sasikala to a chair and set her ablaze on Sunday morning, Arumbakkam police said.

Neighbours had heard a fight between the two at 5:30 am on Sunday, following which they alerted the police. Sasikala and her son were staying in a thatched hut on the terrace of an apartment block in Duraisamy colony.

Sasikala was found strapped to a chair and covered in burns, said a senior police officer, who added that she was taken to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. She died on Sunday after suffering 70% burn wounds.

According to their neighbours, Prasad would often quarrel with his mother and was an alcoholic.

Sasikalas eldest son had died a few years ago, while another was married and living in another part of Chennai.

Prasad was arrested on Monday.
Rubbishing the allegations levelled by Kirit Somaiya in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhis aide Kanishka Singh on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP has been making false allegations against him with malafide intention since February 2013.

Somaiya has alleged that Rahul Gandhi and his aide were connected to Guido Haschke, one of the middlemen in the AgustaWestland deal.

The BJP MP also asked CBI and ED to check Rahul Gandhis links with a real estate developer allegedly involved in the CWG scam.

Somaiya said Guido Haschke, an alleged middleman in the chopper deal, is common in both the scams and that he is linked to Christian Michel, an accused in the VVIP choppers scam. I would request you to check the cross connectivity and do the needful, he said.

Kanishka Singh rejected the allegations as entirely baseless.

 Somaiyas allegations about me are entirely baseless, false and with an ulterior political motive. Somaiya has been making these false allegations about me with malafide intent since February 2013, he said in a statement.

Kanishka also asked Somaiya to provide proof at the earliest to the NDA Government and its agencies, which would facilitate the investigation and enable prosecution of the guilty.

Talking about his relations with realty company owner Rajiv Gupta and his family, Kanishka said that he has been on estranged terms with the former and his family members.
A month before a key technical requirement was eased to allow AgustaWestland Limited (AW) bag an Indian deal in 2010, then air force chief SP Tyagi met a top official of its parent firm Finmeccanica in Delhi.

UK-based AW Ltd clinched the Indian contract to sell 12 VVIP AW-101 choppers in February 2010 for `3,727.

SP Tyagi admitted he met Giorgio Zappa, then chief operating officer of Finmeccanica, on February 15, 2005. He did not disclose why he met or what transpired in the meeting, said a CBI source. Tyagi did not admit to this while being questioned on Monday, [but] the CBI has records that prove he met Zappa  including the visitors register concerned  among others.

A month later, on March 14, 2005, Tyagi agreed to the reduction of the mandatory service ceiling of 6,000m to 4,500m, thereby reversing the IAFs consistent stand on this, said the source.

It is alleged that the air force, under Tyagis leadership, agreed to reduce the key mandatory requirement of the VVIP helicopters. This tweak helped AgustaWestland, the British arm of Italian defence giant Finmeccanica, to re-enter the fray, as one investigator put it.

The CBI is probing allegations that Finmeccanica and AW spent Rs 360 crore to bribe influential people in India, including Tyagi and his three cousins, to manipulate specifications to bag the contract. However, the accused have called these claims baseless.

Tyagi was questioned at the CBI headquarters for nine hours on Tuesday for the second time this week, and he will be again be questioned on Wednesday with another accused, Gautam Khaitan.

The former air chief allegedly owned four Noida-based firms that were incorporated in 2011-12, after his retirement in 2007. The agency is investigating if the firms had any dealings with AW Ltd or other firms under its scanner.

The CBI has learnt that Tyagi also met former AW chief executive officer Bruno Spagnolini, and European middlemen, Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, in January 2007. Haschke and Gerosa, in collusion with their three Indian contacts named in the CBI FIR, managed to make inroads in IAF through Air Chief Marshal (retired) SP Tyagi and thereby could influence and subvert IAFs consistent stand on the service ceiling, said another CBI source.
Congress expects Rahul Gandhi to take over as its chief this year, the party said on Monday, virtually dismissing reports that he would be projected as the chief ministerial candidate in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017.

Rahul Gandhi is MP from Amethi and Vice President of Congress. We all expect him to be the President of the Congress in 2016, party leader Jairam Ramesh said at the AICC briefing, when asked about reports that the partys poll strategist Prashant Kishor has suggested that Rahul should be projected as the chief ministerial candidate.

According to reports, Kishor is learnt to be in favour of either Priyanka Gandhi Vadra or Rahul taking the lead in the state election as the chief ministerial candidate.

On the possibility of Priyanka as the chief ministerial candidate, Ramesh said, I have no knowledge.

According to reports, Kishor feels that Congress can come back to power in 2019 in the Hindi heartland by projecting the Congress vice president and if people start believing that he can lead them to victory in an election.

At the same time, the report also said if Rahul does not give his consent then Priyankas name should be propped in Uttar Pradesh. And if both turn down the offer, then Kishor may suggest former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshits name. Kishor, who had managed the successful election campaigns for Narendra Modi in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance in Bihar assembly elections last year, has been drafted by Congress to draw up a campaign strategy for the key state.

There is speculation of changes in Uttar Pradesh Congress this month. Nirmal Khatri is PCC Chief for the last few years while Pradip Mathur is CLP leader.

Congress is in political wilderness in UP since 1989 which saw the emergence of BSP and issues like Ram Mandir and Mandal made it a marginal force where it was in power for almost all the time since independence.

There are reports that Rahuls supporters are pitching for his takeover as party chief sooner than later. He was made the party Vice President at the Jaipur Chintan shivir in January 2013.

Sonia Gandhi has created a record of being at the helm of the party since March 1998.
Defence secretary G Mohan Kumar has admitted before a parliamentary panel that Indias military spending for 2016-17 is not as per the requirements of the services, contradicting defence minister Manohar Parrikar who has publicly said that the budget allocation is adequate.

In a report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the standing committee on defence said the meagre increase in this years defence spending was insufficient to fulfill the militarys basic needs, let alone modernisation. In February, India announced it would spend Rs 2.58 lakh crore on defence in 2016-17, a marginal hike of 9.7% over last years revised estimates.

The committee expresses agreement with the ministry that this growth in the budgetary allocation is not sufficient and woefully inadequate for modernisation, the panel, headed by BJP MP Major General BC Khanduri (retd), said.

The report said Indias defence spending as percentage of government expenditure had nose-dived from 15.24% in 2000-2001 to 12.59% in budget estimates (BE) for 2016-17. This is highly alarming and needs to be rectified, the report said, noting that the BE for the year stood at Rs 2.7 lakh crore (gross). The committee said if the government cannot provide additional budget, it should ensure efficiency of spending.

This years defence spending, excluding pensions, accounts for 1.7% of the countrys gross domestic product. Experts believe the figure should be around 3% of the GDP to counter Chinas rapidly growing military might.

The panel expressed disappointment with the government over its failure to clinch the Rafale fighter deal and bolster the air forces offensive potential.

The panel was unhappy to note that although a considerable time has elapsed, negotiations with France on Rafale could not be taken to a logical end.

The panel also asked the government to create the post of chief of defence staff (CDS)  a single-point military adviser to the government  at the earliest. Ten out of 24 political parties have given their views on the matter.

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When Etihad Airways operated its first Airbus A380 flight from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on May 1, the city joined a rare league of most expensive flight routes on the globe, which start at Rs 3.31 lakhs for a one-way ticket.

With a seating capacity of 496 passengers, the flight includes The Residence, a luxury suite in the sky meant for two, comprising a shower room, bed room with double bed and living room.

According a press statement issued by the Gulf carrier on Tuesday, an all inclusive one-way ticket for the experience is approximately $38,000 (Rs 25.22 lakhs) on the New York - Mumbai route. The same experience on the Abu Dhabi - Mumbai route will cost $ 5,000 (Rs 3.31 lakhs) and the London-Mumbai route will come for $26,000 (Rs 17.25 lakhs).

The shower room on board Eithads A380 Airbus fit with The Residence. (Etihad.com)

Eithads A380 Airbus fit with The Residence has been introduced as a daily flight from Mumbai and flies to London, Abu Dhabi and New York. The flight to New York, the longest route of the three destinations, costs Rs 25.22 lakh for a one-way ticket. (Etihad.com)

The Residence, which is also equipped with a 32-inch flat television, butler service and an exclusive chef on board, made headlines when it offered jaw dropping fares of $25,000 one-way for its inaugural flight from London to Abu Dhabi last June.

Neerja Bhatia, vice president, Etihad Indian Subcontinent, said the flight was introduced in India to make the most of the holiday season on busy routes.

Maharashtra is one of the largest states in India, and its capital Mumbai is a cosmopolitan, dynamic and popular city. Mumbai to New York represents the largest premium travel market out of India, and with the busy holiday season upon us, it is the perfect time to bring our newest product to Mumbai.

She added that the new daily A380 Mumbai flights also had the companys First Apartments and Business Studios.

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Uttarakhands prospects as a tourism destination might take a hit due to the forest fires, industry experts said on Monday.

With photos of the blazing fires going viral, those engaged in the industry are apprehensive that tourists may stay away from the hill state during the summer  a peak time for tourism - including pilgrims who visit the state for the Char Dham yatra.

Tourism is the economic mainstay for Uttarakhand, with the state receiving a substantial influx of tourists annually.

The forest fires, if not controlled urgently, could affect the tourism flow this year. It is causing adverse publicity (for the state) and we are wary of it, said Sandeep Sahni, president of the Uttarakhand Hotel Association.

Anil Taneja, resident director of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI)-Uttarakhand, said that fear psychosis might play its part if the situation was not brought under control very soon. Summers are peak time for tourism in Uttarakhand and people will avoid coming here if it (the forest fire) continues, Taneja said.

Uttarakhand is still recovering from the harm its tourism industry suffered in the aftermath of the floods that swept through the state in June 2013, leaving over 5,000 dead. PHDCCI, in its report, had estimated the loss to the state tourism sector at Rs 12,000 crore after the disaster.

According to official figures, as many as 2.84 crore tourists visited Uttarakhand in 2012, but the number dropped to 2.26 crore in 2014. However, the number rose to 2.95 crore in 2015 and the tourism industry was hoping to receive a record number in 2016.

The state had gradually started earning the faith of the tourists after the 2013 disaster and now the negative (media) publicity of forest fires might once again put us on a back foot. The government needs to ensure wide publicity - that barring a few places, most parts of Uttarakhand are safe, said Vipin Nautiyal, a Tehri-based tour operator.

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Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has said in his memoir that Bollywood actor and former Member of Parliament Govinda sought help from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim to defeat him in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai North.

Govinda, however, denied the claim and asked Naik not to damage his image and film career.

Naiks memoir Chaireveti, Chaireveti (Keep Moving) written in Marathi, released here recently.

Naik claimed Govinda was a friend of Dawood and also Hitendra Thakur, who aided him in terrorising voters to defeat him in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North constituency.

The senior BJP leader and former Union Minister also said he found it difficult to come to terms with his defeat by just 11,000 votes.

I have no hesitation in bringing this on record that Govinda had contacts with dons like Dawood and Hiten Thakur, who later became an MLA. He used their muscle power to poll votes against me and in his favour, Naik said.

Refuting Naiks allegation, Govinda said it was the people who ensured his victory.

Does Ram Naik mean that the people of the constituency were sold into the hands of the underworld? Please do not insult anyone by saying such things, the 52-year-old actor said and urged Naik not to damage his image and create hurdles in his film career.
The government said on Tuesday it had no estimation of the black money that Indians have stashed in foreign countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has said it was moving towards repatriation of hundreds of billions of dollars in slush funds or black money stashed abroad, as part of a wider clampdown on corruption that Modi promised during his 2014 election campaign.

But opposition parties have criticised the government for alleged inaction on the issue, as the government came out with a one-time four-month compliance window for domestic black money holders to come clean by paying tax and a penalty of 45%.

Read: Budget 2016: 4-month window for black money holders to come clean

Determination of black money sent to foreign countries by Indian persons is subject matter of investigation and other follow-up actions by relevant law enforcement agencies, including Income tax department, enforcement directorate, CBI etc, which is on-going.

However, details regarding the amount of money involved in such cases are not maintained centrally, minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

A recent expose that over 500 Indians used a law firm in Panama to set up offshore entities in tax havens across the world have brought the issue once again under the spotlight.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Supreme Court to trace black money stashed abroad had recently asked three government agencies to prepare a report on the allegations.

Read: 500 Indians in Panama papers leak: SIT on black money asks for report

Black money arises mainly from incomes not disclosed to the government usually to avoid taxation, and, sometimes, because of its criminal links.

About a third of Indias black money transactions are believed to be in real estate, followed by manufacturing and shopping for gold and consumer goods.

Asked whether Indian share in black money stashed in tax havens across the world is at $152-181 billion the recent estimate by economists from the Bank of Italy  Sinha said there seemed to be no empirical evidence to suggest that the figures necessarily represent Indians share in black money in tax havens.

These economists have reportedly analysed data from the Internation Monetary Fund and the Bank of International Settlement (BIS) and applied certain assumptions to arrive at the estimation, he added.

The minister pointed out that by applying another set of assumptions, the same economists have reportedly estimated Indian share in black assets at $4-5 billion.

In the context of these estimation, they have reportedly put the caveat that these estimations have to be considered with great care and in no way can represent firm data, Sinha said.
Questioning the credentials of the Nobel Committee and peace activist Malala Yousafzai, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday said he would turn down the prestigious global award if given to him.

The Art of Living founder, who was in Latur, Maharashtra to take a look at the drought conditions, was speaking to journalists when he termed Malalas peace prize as a political move.

Saying he had once turned down the award, Sri Sri said, Nowadays, there is no value to the Nobel Prize. When you award it to a 16-year-old girl who hasnt done anything, what value is left? It has become a political prize.

Reporter: Malala ko puraskaar mila to kya galat thaa?

SriSri Ravi Shankar: Aur kya? Uss ladki ne kuch bhi nahin kiya pic.twitter.com/961EKb9d5e  ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016

Pakistans Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel prize in 2014, becoming the youngest to receive the prestigious award at age 17. Yousafzai has been a vocal activist for education for girls. She was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 in Pakistan, after which she moved UK. Yousafzai shared that years Nobel with Indias Kailash Satyarthi.

When asked by a journalist if he it was wrong to have awarded Yousafzai, Sri Sri responded, Aur kya (of course).

Alleging political machinations determined who won the award and not social work, he further said he was once approached to do certain works to receive the award.

Some people approached me... I was told to do certain things to get the prize. I refused to get drawn into these politics.

Only recently, Sri Sri was at the centre of another controversy over his foundations World Culture Festival on the banks of Yamuna in March. The foundation faced the environment ministrys ire for hosting the event at the ecologically fragile flood banks of the river. The Art of Living was ultimately allowed to conduct the event, but was fined Rs 5 crore.

Read more | Clout matters: Why NGT should stay Sri Sris World Culture Festival
The government said on Tuesday it is working towards finalising an agreement to share intelligence and terrorist activity-related information with the US.

Government of India and the USA have agreed to finalise an agreement to expand intelligence sharing and terrorist watch-list information, after several rounds of detailed discussions, between the two countries.

The details of the agreement are being worked out, minister of state for home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
The Centre on Tuesday faced tough questions over the way state carrier Air India (AI) was being run, with members wanting know if it was still safe to fly aboard its planes.

However, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said AI made no compromises on safety.

Congress leader Ambika Soni pointed out the spurt in the number of emergency landings. In fact, there are about 10 sheets giving details of 120 times when Air India aircrafts have made emergency landings. But the reply (of the Centre) is as vague as could possibly be. Sir, not one incident in the reply has been given as to what were the common factors which came out after inquiries of emergency landing, and what steps the airline has taken to rectify those factors, Soni said.

Raju said all incidents involving aircraft operations were subjected to thorough probe by the aviation regulator, director-general of civil aviation and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. He said safety recommendations arising from such probes were followed.

We follow a very safe procedure for all airlines, including Air India. I do not think there is a problem. But, here, we see out of 120 emergency landings, during the last three years, till March, 2016, 102 emergency landings have been due to medical reasons and 17 landings due to technical reasons, he said.

Read | Police suicide, army shortage, doping: What was discussed in both Houses today

Seeking specific answers, Soni aksed how many emergency landings were because of poor maintenance and servicing. And, what has the ministry done in this regard? Raju said of 17 emergency landings, probes were completed in eight cases. Two are still under of. Five are classified serious incidents. Investigations are going on, he said.

MP Prem Chand Gupta asked him to clarify why AIs Dreamliner Boeings long-range wide-body aircraft had to frequently return after take-offs during flights to Australia and Europe. Raju said: Sir, maintenance is not neglected in India. We have a proper audit in place.
Former Bihar chief minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday lashed out at the opposition parties and supported his coalition with the Congress during his visit to Rewari for a convocation event at a private college.

Lalu cited examples of Yoga guru Ramdev and Art of Living fame Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to take a dig at the BJP during his visit to the college.

Kejriwal claimed I forcefully hugged him during a rally in Bihar. Is he a heroine from Mumbai that I would forcefully want to hug him, Lalu asked. He said jinxed people have taken over the Indian government as a result of which the country is facing drought and famine.

Lalu also supported Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in the Augusta row. He said the BJP was raising the issue of Augusta deal to deviate people from major issues the country was facing. No one is more honest than Sonia Gandhi, Lalu said.

He also demanded an inquiry into the assets of holy saints of the country. Saints have become businessmen. Ramdev is selling black oil while shouting foul on black money, Lalu said.
Government on Tuesday asserted in Lok Sabha that the UN arbitration tribunals order allowing a murder-accused Italian marine to return home from India pending its proceedings has affirmed the Supreme Courts authority and not questioned it.

Making a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Finance Arun Jaitley said the tribunal has confirmed Italys obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case Indias jurisdiction over him is established. The tribunal has also left it to the Supreme Court to fix precise conditions of his bail, he said amid unhappiness expressed by Congress over the way the case is being handled by the government.

Jaitleys comment comes a day after an international tribunal asked New Delhi and Rome to approach the Supreme Court of India to relax the bail conditions of an Italian marine accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 .

We see the tribunals order not just as a recognition of Indias consistent positions and key arguments but also as an affirmation of the authority of the Supreme Court of India, said Jaitley, speaking on behalf of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj who is unwell. Congress members, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, staged a walkout, expressing unhappiness after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not allow them to ask questions.

In an interim ruling that is to be officially announced on Tuesday, the UNs Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that Sergeant Salvatore Girone be allowed to return home until the dispute is resolved through arbitration.

Girone is out on bail but lives in the Italian embassy in New Delhi because of travel restrictions. Government sources initially denied the report on Monday, saying Italy was misrepresenting the order. Foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swaroop, however, confirmed the court order later.

According to the foreign ministry in Rome, the tribunal decided Girone be allowed to go back to Italy until the end of the arbitration proceedings which will decide on the Italian governments plea that it is their jurisdiction and not that of India to proceed against the accused.

Girone and fellow Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre on board oil tanker Enrica Lexie allegedly shot dead two fishermen off the Kerala coast during an anti-piracy mission in February 2012, reportedly mistaking them for pirates. While Latorre is already back home on health grounds, Italy has been seeking the return of Girone also.

But India has refused to let Girone, who is housed in the Italian embassy premises in New Delhi, to leave the country.

The case has triggered a diplomatic row between India and Italy even as the two countries last year agreed to move to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and abide by its decisions.

Italy argues that the marines should have immunity as they were servicemen working on a mission and that India does not have jurisdiction as the incident took place outside its territorial waters.

The Italian foreign ministry said the ruling, which is expected to be officially announced on Tuesday in The Hague, comes after a constructive attitude of India.

The court, according to the ministry, has asked both Italian and Indian governments to agree on the date and modalities of Girones return home.

But official sources in New Delhi said Girone was already out on bail.

Citing the court order, they said the arbitral tribunal clearly recognised that Girone is under Indias authority alone and that the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over him.

(The) tribunal order, therefore, asks India and Italy to approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of the bail conditions (of Girone) under strict conditions to be laid down by the Indian Supreme Court, a government source said.

The sources said the tribunal has suggested that the UN court has allowed further relaxations of bail for Girone with riders, which include that he reports to an authority in Italy designated by the Supreme Court of India.

Girone shall be required by Italy to surrender his passport and shall be prohibited from leaving Italy unless the Supreme Court of India grants him leave to travel, the source said, quoting the tribunal order.

Italy took the case to the international tribunal after repeated delays in the handling of the case in India. New Delhi allowed Latorre to return to Italy for treatment after he had a stroke in 2014.

With inputs from Agencies
Italy will have to return its marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, in case the court finds Indian jurisdiction over the case, the United Nations (UN) tribunal said on Tuesday.

Italy and India shall cooperate, including in proceedings before the Supreme Court of India, to achieve a relaxation of the bail conditions of Sergeant Girone so as to give effect to the concept of considerations of humanity, so that Sergeant Girone, while remaining under the authority of the Supreme Court of India, may return to Italy during the present arbitration, the order said.

Girone, along with another Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre, is facing charges of murdering two fishermen in 2012 off the Kerala coast.

Also Read | Italian marine Salvatore Girone may return home

Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Girone is staying in Italian embassy in The Hague. The two countries have agreed to arbitration by the UN court.

The Arbitral Tribunal confirms Italys obligation to return Sergeant Girone to India in case the Arbitral Tribunal finds that India has jurisdiction over him in respect of the Enrica Lexie incident, the order said.

Also Read | Italy has challenged Indias jurisdiction: Jaitley on marines case

It further said that the Arbitral Tribunal has decided that Italy and India each shall report to it on compliance with these provisional measures and authorises the President to seek information from the parties if no such report is submitted within three months from the date of this order and thereafter as he may consider appropriate.

On Monday, Italian foreign ministry said that the UN tribunal has ruled in favour of Girone by allowing him to leave for Italy while India maintained that the tribunal left it to the Supreme Court to fix the precise conditions of Girones bail and noted that while the marine may return to Italy during the present arbitration, he would remain under the authority of Indias apex court.

Also Read | Italy says UN court ordered bail for Italian marine Salvatore Girone
Italy on Monday said a UN court has ordered that Italian marine Salvatore Girone, detained in India for the alleged 2012 killings of two fishermen, be allowed home on bail while arbitration proceedings in The Hague continue in the case that has soured ties between the two countries.

But Indian government sources rejected the Italian foreign ministrys claim, alleging that Rome was misinterpreting the ruling that neither releases nor frees any marine (but) only recommends further relaxation of his bail conditions.

According to the foreign ministry in Rome, the tribunal decided Girone be allowed to go back to Italy until the end of the arbitration proceedings which will decide on the Italian governments plea that it is their jurisdiction and not that of India to proceed against the accused.

The return of the conditions will be agreed between Italy and India, the ministry said.

Girone and fellow Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre on board oil tanker Enrica Lexie allegedly shot dead two fishermen off the Kerala coast during an anti-piracy mission in February 2012, reportedly mistaking them for pirates. While Latorre is already back home on health grounds, Italy has been seeking the return of Girone also.

But India has refused to let Girone, who is housed in the Italian embassy premises in New Delhi, to leave the country.

The case has triggered a diplomatic row between India and Italy even as the two countries last year agreed to move to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and abide by its decisions.

Italy argues that the marines should have immunity as they were servicemen working on a mission and that India does not have jurisdiction as the incident took place outside its territorial waters.

The Italian foreign ministry said the ruling, which is expected to be officially announced on Tuesday in The Hague, comes after a constructive attitude of India.

The court, according to the ministry, has asked both Italian and Indian governments to agree on the date and modalities of Girones return home.

But official sources in New Delhi said Girone was already out on bail.

Citing the court order, they said the arbitral tribunal clearly recognised that Girone is under Indias authority alone and that the Supreme Court of India exercises jurisdiction over him.

(The) tribunal order, therefore, asks India and Italy to approach the Supreme Court of India for relaxation of the bail conditions (of Girone) under strict conditions to be laid down by the Indian Supreme Court, a government source said.

The sources said the tribunal has suggested that the UN court has allowed further relaxations of bail for Girone with riders, which include that he reports to an authority in Italy designated by the Supreme Court of India.

Girone shall be required by Italy to surrender his passport and shall be prohibited from leaving Italy unless the Supreme Court of India grants him leave to travel, the source said, quoting the tribunal order.

Italy took the case to the international tribunal after repeated delays in the handling of the case in India. New Delhi allowed Latorre to return to Italy for treatment after he had a stroke in 2014.
It has been a month since the state governor assented to Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Bill-2016, providing for 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to Jats and five other castes. The state government, however, is yet to notify the quota Act to make it operational even though it has notified the Haryana Backward Classes Commission Act, 2016 to set up a permanent statutory mechanism for examining requests of inclusion and complaints of over-exclusion and under-inclusion of backward classes. Both the quota bill and Haryana Backward Classes Commission Bill were passed by Haryana assembly on March 29.

The reservation for Jats can come into effect only after a formal notification in this regard is issued by the law secretary. Besides, the state governments move to grant immunity to quota law from judicial review could only be set in motion after the law gets notified.

All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) national president Yashpal Malik told HT that it was surprising that government was dithering on notifying the quota law. We will hold a dharna at Delhi on May 10 to protest against this, Malik said.

LEGAL HITCH

After the quota Bill got Governors assent on April 1, the Haryana government filed a civil miscellaneous application in Punjab and Haryana High court, seeking dismissal of a writ petition challenging the Special Backward Classes (SBC) quota. The grounds taken by the state government was that since it has withdrawn the SBC quota notification, the petition has become infructuous. The HC subsequently on April 12 dismissed the petition, thus clearing the decks for state government to notify the newly enacted law to grant 10% reservation to Jats and five other castes. A petition to the court becomes infructuous when the fundamental premise upon which the petition is based ceases to exist. The HC had in July 2015 restrained the state government from giving any employment in government service and admission in educational institution on the basis of SBC quota.

WHY THE DELAY

While there seems to be no apparent reason for delaying the notification, sources said that since the recruitment process for several posts, including 2,000 women and ex-servicemen in police constabulary, junior engineers, Haryana Civil Services (HCS) and allied services, was on, the state government probably wanted the process to get over before notifying the new law to avoid any further legal complication. However, a top government functionary said: There cant be any modification in the reservation policy retrospectively. It is a settled position in law.

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Liquor baron Vijay Mallya will most certainly miss the Rajya Sabha. But will Rajya Sabha miss him?

The independent member of Parliament (MP) resigned from the Upper House on Monday, a day before the Ethics Committee was expected to recommend his disqualification. Mallya is being investigated for loan default and money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines (KFA).

Mallya entered the Rajya Sabha in April 2002, a year before KFA took off, and his tenure coincided with the rise and fall of the jazzy, budget airline. His term was coming to an end on June 30.

Read more | Mallya to lose MP tag? RS ethics panel to recommend expulsion

In his two terms spread over a decade, Mallya was hardly a pro-active parliamentarian and instead tried to prevail upon the government to act on his demands.

In all the time he spent in the House, records show that Mallya asked just 621 questions  most of it written ones that entailed only written answers and no discussion on the floor.

Of these questions, he managed a response from the government for only 67 issues. His area of interest was mostly confined to issues related to Karnataka  the state he represented.

Mallya, who the ED has unsuccessfully managed to summon to its offices in India, will not make the farewell speech this time  a coveted event that every MP looks forward to as an opportunity to leave the House on a high, eloquent note. But for Mallya, perhaps speech doesnt matter much.

Read more | Verify facts before calling me a defaulter: Vijay Mallya

In both his terms as MP, Mallya didnt have a single Special Mention against his name. A Special Mention is a procedure an MP can use to raise important issues of public importance.

Mallya also didnt avail the opportunity to table a Private Members Bill. Such a bill is a tool for a private member not part of the government to seek policy changes. While many consider it a pious duty to push such a bill  in some cases, a private bill had been adopted by the government  Mallyas record stands at zero.

It remains to be if Mallyas resignation will be accepted by the House or if the Ethics Committee will go ahead and pronounce its recommendation to expel Mallya. Sources said the authenticity of Mallyas resignation letter is also yet to be verified.

The ministry of foreign affairs had last month suspended the businessmans passport, which was a diplomatic one given his MP status, following the EDs request. Mallya was asked to respond within a week or else face cancellation of his passport.

Read more | Mallyas passport revoked, but why bringing him back may not be easy

Experts are now divided on Mallyas future at the Rajya Sabha: Will he be eligible to return in the future.

The jury is undecided. Some say if the baron clears up the financial mess and repayment of bankloans, he will be eligible to contest the biennial polls. Others however say it will be tough given the Ethics panels charges of Mallya furnishing misleading annual declarations on his assets and liabilities.
Vijay Mallya will be sacked from the Rajya Sabha as House chairman Hamid Ansari rejected the embattled businessmans resignation on procedural grounds on Tuesday.

Mallya, whose term as a nominated member is coming to an end on June 30, had faxed his resignation letter from England on Monday, giving elaborate reasons as to why he chose to quit. But Ansari rejected the letter on Tuesday evening, after the House ethics panel recommended Mallyas expulsion.

Read: Mallya resigns from Rajya Sabha, a day before ethics committee meeting

The letter did not conform to prescribed procedures and does not bear signature in original. As per Rule 213 of RS procedures, the resignation must be voluntary and genuine. Secretary general Rajya Sabha has replied to Mallya, said Gurdeep Singh Sappal, joint secretary in Ansaris office.

In this file photo, Vijay Mallya is seen giving an interview to the Financial Times in London. (PTI)

On Wednesday, Ansari will move a motion to sack Mallya. Almost all political parties are expected to back the proposal.

Facing the heat over unpaid bank loans of Rs 9,400 crore, Mallya left for London on March 2.

The foreign ministry has cancelled his passport and sought his extradition while banks have accused him of buying more time with inadequate settlement offers. As public opinion rose against the liquor baron, Ansari referred the matter to the ethics committee of the Rajya Sabha.

The panel met on Tuesday and sealed the businessmans fate. Though Mallya has already resigned, panel chairman Karan Singh said, I have received the letter from Mallya. The press has also got the letter. I have got a copy of the letter but I dont know whether it was scanned or physical. He is still a member.

It is not appropriate to announce the decision of the committee before it is tabled in the House. Tomorrow it will be tabled in the House. The decision has been taken, Singh said at the end of the meeting. Earlier, he mentioned that all members of the committee wanted Mallyas expulsion.

Hours before the panel met, Mallya tweeted in his defence, In all humility and not in defiance as they report, I would like Indian media to check and verify facts before calling me a defaulter.

He pointed out, Agree Kingfisher Air owes money to Banks. I am neither a borrower nor a judgment debtor. Why am I a defaulter in spite of a settlement offer?

Read: Verify facts before calling me a defaulter: Vijay Mallya

Vijay Mallya as MP: 10 years, 0 special mentions, 621 questions
Maharashtras well-known businessman-politician Pankaj Parakh called The Man With The Golden Shirt by his friends - has earned a place in the Guinness World Records (GWR).

Read more: Meet the man with a shirt made of gold

The GWR certificate issued on Tuesday cites Parakh, 47, as the man with the most expensive gold shirt in the world costing Rs.98,35,099 ($161,354/GBP 95,856) as on August 1, 2014.

This is simply unbelievable. I am a small man from a remote area in Maharashtra. I am happy that this achievement had catapulted my village name into the whole world, said an emotional Parakh

The school dropout, who made his fortunes from a garment fabrication business is also the Nationalist Congress Partys Deputy Mayor of Yeola town in Nashik district, around 260 km from Mumbai.

The shirt, weighing exactly 4.10 kg, is currently valued at over Rs1.30 crore. It is supplemented by other golden paraphernalia including a gold watch, several gold chains, large gold rings, a gold mobile cover and golden-framed spectacles - the total weight of this opulence being a whopping 10 kgs!

Whenever Parakh steps onto the streets of Yeola in his full shining golden gear and his licensed revolver worn discreetly, he admits that women stare and men glare at him, while two stern private security guards manage to keep everyone at a safe distance.

I had stitched this special gold shirt with seven golden buttons for my 45th birthday two years ago. I have been fascinated by gold since my school days and over the years it became a passion, almost an obsession, Parakh smiled.

The shirt was designed by Bafna Jewellers, Nashik, 85 km away, and meticulously executed by Shanti Jewellers at Parel in Mumbai.

A team of 20 select artisans spent 3,200 hours over two months to craft the 18-22 carat pure gold strands, to the last thread and stitch it, and the deal was fully billed - to keep tax sleuths at bay!

Though made of gold, the shirt is fully flexible and comfortable, absolutely smooth and harmless and with a thin cloth lining the inside to avoid rubbing or chapping the body, washable and even repairable with a lifetime guarantee, Parakh said.

Barely three decades ago, the poor, young Parakh could ill-afford his school education and dropped out after Class VIII to enter the familys small garments business in Yeola.

In 1982, he branched out to an independent business and a decade later even entered politics to be elected as a municipal councillor in Yeola.

At my marriage 25 years ago, many guests considered me an embarrassment as I wore more gold than the bride, he recalled.

Progressing and prospering over the years, he took care of all his familys needs - a good house looked after by wife Pratibha and higher education for his two doting sons Siddharth (24) and Rahul (21).

Then, he indulged in his passion and invested his excess incomes to acquire a gilded edge that helped him enter the GWR.

However, his unimpressed family does not share his passion for gold, they ignore it as a necessary evil, but all his relatives think he has gone bonkers, Parakh guffawed.

Parakh remembers how, when the entire family attends weddings or important social occasions, he adorns himself with around three-and-half kg gold ornaments while his wife looks bare and stark with just 40-50 grams gold jewellery!

Yeola is renowned for its Paithani silk saris and the Shalu and Pitamber varieties of saris, considered nationally-recognised brands.

Despite his gilt-edge, Parakh is a down-to-earth and caring human being, deeply involved in a variety of social and educational activities.

For instance, he has fully financed 150 polio operations in the past seven years through the renowned Narayan Seva Sansthan Hospital of Udaipur in Rajasthan, the country biggest 1,000-bed polio hospital.

He spends a week each year to offer voluntary services, financing poor patients, providing food, medicines and other requirements.

Maharashtra has had other gold-men including Datta Fuge of Pune, Jagdish Gaikwad of Navi Mumbai (Thane), the late Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader from Pune Ramesh Wanjale, and to a certain extent, famed music director Bappi Lahiri of Mumbai.
A five-year-old girl who was on her way to school was crushed by a novice car driver, suspected to be a minor, at Dasna in Ghaziabad early on Monday morning..

The minor drove a brand new car which was yet to be registered. The car was offered as dowry to his elder brother on April 27.

The accused wanted to practice driving in the congested lanes of the locality. But he lost control and hit five-year-old Divya near NH-24 around 8 am, said police.

After she was hit by the speeding car, her head hit a wall in the narrow lane. The impact crushed her head and she died immediately. The car also hit two other minors walking nearby, said Divyas father Satpal Singh.

He said they suspected there were two-three more boys in the car. We could not identify them. The locals damaged the car and called up the police, Singh said.

The accused fled the spot leaving the car behind. His family members who are neighbours to the victim also fled their house, said Ghaziabad superintendent of police Rakesh Kumar Pandey.

Divyas body was sent for post mortem.

A complaint was lodged at Masuri police station. The victims family mentioned the age of the accused as over 18 years in the FIR, said the SP.

We will ascertain his age once taken into custody. We have lodged an FIR and seized the car, he said.

Police said a three-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy Bholu were injured in the accident. Bholu was rushed to a hospital, police added.
After the Dolkun Isa episode, the government may ask all applicants for e-tourist visa on arrival to produce information on any criminal case pending against them, sources told HT.

We are likely to seek information from applicants if there is any criminal case pending against them in their country. Later, if any applicant is found to be hiding information in this regard, their visa can be cancelled or they can be barred from coming back here again, said a senior home ministry official, requesting anonymity.

The official added that the government might ask applicants about their association with advocacy groups as well.

Deliberations on all these changes are on. We h ave already decided to link the Interpol notice database with the e-tourist visa regime for avoid a repeat of Isa episode. If Dolkun had arrived in India, we would have had no option but to arrest him. It would have created more troubles for India, said the official.

Uyghur democracy activist Dolkun Isa had applied for e-tourist visa on arrival and his application was also approved but later, his visa was cancelled due to violation of norms. Isa was supposed to participate in a conference in Dharamsala.

U yghurs are an ethnic minority and mainly natives of restive Xinjiang province in northern China. Their separatist movement has taken a violent turn with jehadi overtones, worrying the Chinese authorities.

An Inter pol Red Corner notice, issued in 1998 on the request of China, was also pending against Isa.

E- tourist visa is applied online and once approved, the applicants can come to India with the copy of approval sent by Indian authorities.

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A parliamentary panel rapped the government on Tuesday over its handling of the Pathankot airbase attack, saying it showed something was seriously wrong in the countrys counter-terror security establishment.

It also questioned the governments decision to allow a visit by a Pakistani investigation team to India and termed the role of Punjab police very questionable and suspicious.

The standing committee said in its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that Punjab police took a long time in arriving at the conclusion that the abduction of its SP-rank officer Salwinder Singh and two of his associates was not just criminal robbery but a serious national security threat.

Read: Pak militants attacked Pathankot airbase, Jaish operative tells HT

The committee is also unable to understand why the terrorists let the SP and his friend off, which should be thoroughly examined by NIA, the report said.

The panel expressed suspicion that the attackers might have taken help from channels and networks used by narcotic syndicates active in the area and said that aspect should be investigated.

Four attackers, who allegedly came from Pakistan, had abducted Salwinder Singh, his friend Rajesh Verma and orderly Madan Gopal on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 and launched the attack the next night.

The abductors allegedly snatched the phones of Singh and Verma and spoke to their Pakistani handlers using those.

The panel said despite concrete and credible intelligence received from the abducted and released SP of Pathankot and his friend and through interception of communication between terrorists and their handlers, the security agencies were ill-prepared to anticipate the threat and counter it decisively.

(It) feels that something is seriously wrong with our counter-terror security establishment, the report said.

The panel said it failed to understand why in spite of a terror alert sounded well in advance, the terrorists managed to breach the high-security airbase. The panel, which visited the airbase after the attack, found there were no roads around its perimeter wall which was poorly guarded.

There was heavy growth of shrubs and trees on the premises which helped the terrorists hide and made it difficult for security forces to flush them out.

The committee during its visit found that the airbases security cover was not robust, the report said.

The panel said it would like to be apprised of what made the government seek Pakistans help in the probe and invite a team from there to visit India.

Read: Pathankot probe: JIT visit based on reciprocity, India told Pakistan

Read: Pathankot terrorists spoke of revenge for Afzal Guru: Gurdaspur man
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reiterated the need for BJP MPs to popularise his governments welfare schemes among masses and seek credit for them.

Addressing the weekly meeting of BJP parliamentary party here, the PM laid special focus on flagship schemes related to electrification and Mudra that provide financial assistance to non-corporates with credit need of below a million rupee.

Modi told BJP MPs that more than 18,000 villages have been electrified after his government took over and 10 percent of these villages were in Uttar Pradesh (UP) alone.

You must hold Urja Utsav (energy festival) in these areas. As elected representatives you should take the credit for the welfare measures, the PM told BJP lawmakers. Winning next years assembly polls in UP, with 71 BJP MPs, is partys biggest challenge.

The meeting also saw Modi and veteran leader LK Advani paying rich tributes to Balraj Madhok, one of the founders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, who died on Monday.

Modi also met the council of ministers in the evening to review the progress of cabinet decisions taken by the government in the past two years.
As Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he was always the target of political rivals, the BJP said the Congress should not play the victim card in the AgustaWestland chopper deal but rather speak out the truth.

I am always targeted; I am happy to be targeted, Gandhi told reporters while entering Parliament House. The BJP said Gandhi was only trying to play the victim card.

Gandhis reaction came in the wake of BJP MP Kirit Somaiya alleging that Rahuls aide Kanishka Singh was linked to a middleman in the chopper deal.

Read more: Happy to be targeted, says Rahul Gandhi on AgustaWestland issue

Somaiya wrote a letter to the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation to check Rahul Gandhis links with a suspect allegedly involved in the Commonwealth Games scam and also in the VVIP chopper deal.

This is not the time to play the victim card. He should rather answer questions. The Congress has been the mother of corruption. Our target is corruption ... neither the Congress nor Rahul Gandhi, BJP leader Shrikant Sharma told reporters.

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh asked the Congress to introspect and speak out the truth.

It is time for them to introspect. I think it will be good for the country, if they come out with the truth on their own, Singh told media persons outside Parliament House, minutes after Rahul Gandhis remarks.

In his letter, Somaiya said chopper deal middleman Guido Haschkes name was common in both the scams. Guido is allegedly linked to Christian Michel, an accused in the VVIP chopper scam.

Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala dubbed Somaiyas charge against Kanishka Singh as completely preposterous and baseless.
The Patels of Gujarat are unhappy, and that includes the state chief minister Anandiben Patel. Last weeks announcement of 10% reservation for the economically backward classes among upper castes has failed to mollify members of the community. They feel its a case of too little, too late. Also, they fear the government decision is unlikely to stand the test of law as it violates the cap on job quotas.

The same announcement is also at the root of CM Patels unhappiness. Though she is at the helm of the state, the announcement of quotas for Patels was made by Gujarat BJP president Vijay Rupani. Anandiben was present but remained a mute spectator, which according to party watchers spoke volumes about her dwindling clout.

She is the chief minister. She is also a Patel. But the announcement through Rupani is an insult to the CMs post and dignity, said political analyst Jawalant Chaaya, The authority now rests with the BJP headquarters, and not the chief ministers office, concurred a BJP insider.

The chief ministers critics, whose numbers have grown in recent months, say she is largely to be blamed for her predicament. Many fault her for her lack of tact. Her own Patel community has been agitating, but she has remained stubborn. On April 17, when Patel agitators clashed with police and dozens were injured, a stern Anandiben quipped: Such agitations keep happening.



Read | Why Gujarats quota move is politically smart but legally suspect

Her reluctance to negotiate and find a middle ground has not gone down well. That the Patel agitation has been allowed to fester for 10 long months is a testament of her inability to calm things down, points out a senior BJP leader of the state.

It seems like she is yet to discard the headmistress role, given her days as principal of Mohiniba Girls School in Ahmedabad. Flexibility and openness of a shrewd politician was nowhere on display over the last 10 months, pointed out veteran political observer Achyut Yagnik.

Two years since taking over from Narendra Modi after he moved to Delhi as prime minister, Anandiben finds herself in a tight corner, cut out to a large extent by her own party bosses. The partys dismal showing in rural areas during November 2015 panchayat polls seems to have hastened her downward spiral. Plus the controversy involving her daughter Anar over alleged dubious land deals has complicated matters further for her.

Read | Hardiks outfit rejects Gujarats 10% quota for economically backward

Party insiders say she would continue to be the chief minister until the next elections in 2017. But increasingly she would find herself marginalised, with important decision being taken by party bosses. The Patel-reservation decision, for that matter, was taken at the BJP national executive committee meeting chaired by president Amit Shah. And the draft ordinance for it was drawn up by a bureaucrat who is said to have been a trusted aide of Modi for more than a decade.

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Three men were detained on Tuesday for the brutal rape-murder of a 29-year-old Dalit law student in a small town near Keralas Kochi last week, a crime that drew comparisons with the Delhi 2012 gang rape.

Police said two of the detained suspects are neighbours of the woman, who was alone at home and found in a pool of blood by her mother when she returned from work around 8pm on April 28.

We have some leads in the case, additional DGP K Padmakumar said.

The autopsy revealed she was savagely assaulted with sharp-edged weapons after being raped. The body bore at least 30 cut wounds, her abdomen was slashed and intestines were ripped apart.

The traumatised mother is bedridden in a hospital. We had complained to police about the danger to our lives. The tragedy could have been averted had they taken timely action, she said.

It could not be ascertained what dangers the family faced. One of the neighbours is said to be a drug addict, a fact that gives wind to speculation that only psychopaths or people abusing narcotics could have committed such a barbaric act.

The heinous crime at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district has shaken poll-bound state.

Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to them, chief minister Oommen Chandy said in Kannur, northern Kerala.

Opposition Left Front workers blocked home minister Ramesh Chennithalas convoy when he reached the Perumbavur hospital to meet the womans mother on Tuesday. They shouted slogans against the Congress-led government for rising crimes against women.

The CPI(M) accused the government of inaction. Police have failed to get any leads about the culprits even five days after the incident, party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said.

But home minister Chennithala, who went to the victims home as well, dismissed the charge. He said police were conducting a scientific probe and a manhunt was on to nab the assailants.

Womens rights groups and students took to the streets, demanding justice. People started a campaign on social media to put pressure on the state authorities.

Many campaigners blamed the authorities for neglecting the case because of the assembly elections, due in two weeks.

The spontaneous and concerted campaign bore a resemblance to a similar movement after a paramedical student was raped and murdered on a moving bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012. That incident forced the Centre to fortify laws against rape with harsher punishment.

Read more: Kerala woman raped and killed, intestines ripped out in attack
Terming encroachment of wetlands and their use as sewage disposal sites disturbing, government said on Tuesday it has taken several steps to protect such sites from rapid urbanisation and industrialisation.

Environment minister Prakash Javadekar told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour that while 115 sites have been identified as wetlands under the Wetlands Conservation Programme, it is open to add more places to the list.

He termed encroachment a real danger and said draft wetland rules cover the issue of erosion.

Dubbing as actually disturbing the use of wetland sites as dumping ground for sewage, he said wetland renewal scheme will help improve the situation.

In his written response, Javadekar said in a bid to evolve better synergy and avoid overlap, it has merged two separate programmes to conserve and protect lakes and wetlands.

So far, Rs 146.94 crore has been released to the states and other organisations for conservation and management of identified wetlands in the country, he said.

The Union government has already begun revising the existing regulatory framework on wetlands across the country in a bid to enable a greater role and ownership by state governments in their management.

The government is also working on upgrading the existing Wetland Research and Training Centre of Chilika Development Authority at Barkul in Odisha into the National Capacity Development Centre for wetlands.
Half of Indias rich forest cover, spread over seven lakh square km, is prone to fires and Uttarakhand is no exception. However, the burning hills have once again exposed the countrys ill-preparedness to deal with this man-made disaster.

Officially, India has a forest fire disaster management plan.

There is a satellite-based forest fire alert system anchored at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, called the Indian Forest-Fire Response and Assessment System. The system, imported from the United States and launched in 2005, now covers most fire-prone areas. It sends an advance warning to foresters on the possibility of fire arising at intense heat zones created in forests due to the hot weather and highly inflammable tree residue. However, despite all the help it provides to the countrys short-staffed and ill-trained fire departments, the system is not equipped to detect human intervention.

It (the satellite-based system) works well in United States and Australia as the people there dont cause many forest fires. Here in India, people are responsible for most of them, said a senior official of the Forest Survey of India, which is mandated to monitor forest fires in the country.

NDRF personnel try to douse the fire that has engulfed forest land in the Pauri Garhwal district. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

Read: Firefighting hits top gear as Prez expresses concern

Humans are responsible for around 90% of the fires in India and, in most cases, the reason is their belief that forests and grasslands re-generate themselves after the rains  providing enough fodder for cattle and wood for cooking. That is a myth.

The fact is that forests regenerate (and the loss to the flora and fauna is limited) only when a fire is set in controlled conditions. It happens in areas where a 1923 rule of creating forest fire lines  with land being dug around the periphery of the forest to prevent its spread  and clearing inflammable material is still implemented.

During the British period, the spread of fire was prevented through the removal of dry vegetation along forest boundaries. Called the fire line, it was used to ensure that a blaze doesnt advance from one forest compartment to another. As fire generally spreads only if there is a continuous supply of fuel (dry vegetation) along its path, the best way to control it is by creating firebreaks in the shape of small ditches in the forests, says a Himachal Forest Department manual.

Savita, the first woman director of the Forest Research Institute, says removing inflammable materials such as pine needles, dry leaves and twigs is essential for ensuring that fire does not spread.

Water being sprayed on a forest in Uttarakhand from a helicopter. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

However, this British-era rule remains on paper in Uttarakhand and many parts of Himachal Pradesh. The forest departments of these states lack funds to dig such lines on an annual basis, and hardly ever implement the protocols that stipulate the clear demarcation of fire-prone areas.

The Uttarakhand government has not resumed the rule, suspended in the 1970s by the then Uttar Pradesh government, due to financial concerns. Himachal Pradesh, on the other hand, provides minimal funds for digging lines  a project that requires manual work for at least a couple of months during peak winter.

Savita says this year was ripe for forest fires because dry winters and the early onset of a hot summer had created the perfect conditions for quick inflammation. This was accentuated by local residents who have been suffering due to back-to-back drought in the hill states.

Read: Fire doused in 70% of the affected areas, says NDRF

The Forest Survey of India (FSI) describes around 50% of its wooded areas as fire-prone, and around 63 million hectares as high intensity.

Fire is a major cause of degradation of Indian forests, says a study done by the FSI in 2012, adding that the country has weak data on forest fires and management. The FSI analysis also says that 90% of forest fires are created by humans, affecting around 6.77 lakh hectares of forest land every decade.

Fires have razed over 2,900 hectares of lush Himalayan forest land in the past three months, and killed at least four people. (Arvind Moudgil/HT Photo)

A study on the impact of forest fires on health says burning of vegetation emits not only carbon dioxide but also a host of other gases  including carbon monoxide, methane and oxides of nitrogen  that can trigger asthma attacks. A fully gutted forest may take several years to revive, said P K Sen, former Indian Forest Service Office who received the Padma award a few years ago for his contribution to forest management.

All this goes to show that India has not learnt much from its worst brush with forest fires in 1995, when over 10,000 hectares of Himachal Pradeshs lush green cover was gutted. And its probably not going to learn a lot from the Uttarakhand inferno either.

Read: Natures act or foul play? 5 burning questions on Uttarakhand fires

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While officials have pegged the loss incurred in Uttarakhand forest fire at Rs 29 lakh, those in the know of things say the authorities are underrating the loss.

As much as 2,900 hectare of forest land was affected in the fire till Monday but going by the official calculation, there was loss of only Rs 1 lakh for every 100 hectare.

Read more: Forest fires threaten Uttarakhands status as tourist haven: Experts

We strictly follow the rulebook that has details on calculating loss of forest resources. For example, a forest that has new plantation has different rates than a forest that has ample number of trees, said BP Gupta, nodal officer for forest fire.

Nainital-based ecologist Anup Sah said the loss was to the tune of millions of rupees as it has not only taken a toll on forest resources but also on ecology.

One cant calculate loss like this (the way forest department is doing). What about various species of birds, butterflies and vegetation that have been lost? he asked.

Echoing his views, Kumaon-based environment activist Ajoy Eric Lal said the real loss would be there for all to see during monsoon.

Vegetation plays pivotal role in holding upper layer of the land. After the massive forest fire, there will be less of vegetation resulting in flood like-situation during monsoon, he added.

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Former IAF chief SP Tyagi was on Monday questioned by CBI for around 10 hours over his alleged links with middlemen in the controversial Rs 3,600-crore Agusta Westland chopper deal during which he was also quizzed about the source of funding for his post-retirement trip to Italy.

Read more: CBI questions Tyagi: Here is how IAF ex-chief showed up on its radar

It was for the second time in three years that the retired Air Chief Marshal was being questioned in connection with the VVIP chopper deal but it was for the first time he was quizzed after an order of the Italian court on the matter. He was earlier quizzed in 2013.

The Milan Court of Appeals -- equivalent of an Indian High Court -- has given details of how alleged bribes were paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal. The order reportedly mentions the name of Tyagi at several points.

Tyagi who has been named in the CBI FIR reached the agency headquarters at around 10 AM but refused to speak to media which posed questions about his role in the alleged corruption in the deal.

I have told CBI what I had to say. You people(media) are inhuman, he told reporters in response to questions in the night at the end of his questioning.

CBI sources said that during the probe they came across a trip undertaken by Tyagi to Florence, Venice and Milan in Italy after he retired in 2007. They said it is being probed who accompanied him on the trip and who funded for the hospitality.

The sources claimed that Tyagi was also confronted with responses received from Italy on the judicial requests of CBI.

He was also understood to have been asked about the statements of middlemen Carlos Gerosa and Guido Hashke, to Italian authorities, who had purportedly claimed to have met Tyagi on several occasions between 2004 and 07.

Tyagi has denied allegations against him claiming innocence and that the change of specifications, which brought Agusta Westland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved.

CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.

The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.

CBI sources said the agency has called Gautam Khaitan, a former board member of Aeromatrix and who is also named in the FIR, for questioning on Wednesday while cousins of Tyagi--Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep--have been called later this week.

It is alleged by Italian prosecutors that bribes to clinch the deal were paid through middlemen and routed through a consultancy contract between AgustaWestland and companies owned by middlemen. Khaitan and the Tyagi cousins have strongly refuted allegations against them.


A parliamentary panel on Tuesday asked the government the reason behind seeking Pak help to investigate the terror attack on Pathankot air base though it was clear that terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit based in that country were involved in the strike.

...terrorists belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad, based in Pakistan, have been found to be behind this attack but the Committee would like to be apprised what made the government of India to seek the help of Pakistan into investigation of this terror attack and invite a Joint Investigation Team from Pakistan to India, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs observed.

Its report was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Pakistan had visited India for five days in March to collect evidence on terrorists who carried out the January 2 attack on Pathankot air base.

India has also sought a visit of NIA to Pakistan in connection with the probe.
Being captain is not easy. While it has its perks, the perils arent far away. Ask David Miller. The Kings XI Punjab captaincy bogged him down to an extent that his form suffered and he eventually had to relinquish the post.

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma has so far been immune to the pitfalls of the job and has improved with each day. Its not easy to lead a team, but Rohit has revelled in the role.

On Sunday, his skills were on display once again as his quick thinking and smart bowling changes ensured Rising Pune Supergiants were restricted to 159 for five.

Calm and controlled

At one point, Supergiants were running away with the match with Steven Smith and Saurabh Tiwary helping them to 84 for one in eight overs before the innings fell apart.

Rohit kept calm and so did his bowlers. He expected them to bowl at one side of the wicket and thats what they did.

With the bowlers delivering what he wanted, Rohit went about tightening the noose around the batsmen. He kept moving from cover to mid-wicket to long-off to slips, marshalling the field and making sure everyone was attentive.

His bowling changes in the middle overs clicked as well. He brought in Jasprit Bumrah in the 10th over. He had had a poor outing in the field, even dropping a sitter. The Gujarat bowler, however, got rid of the dangerous Smith to stifle the run rate.

Rohits main weapon in the middle overs was Harbhajan Singh, and he too bowled a tight line, not giving anything for the batsmen to hit.

While Rohit may not be as expressive as Virat Kohli, his calm demeanour helped Mumbai come back into the match.

The respect he commands in the dressing room means he doesnt have to shove decisions down the throat of the players. Being the leader with the bat has added to his stature.

Take for instance the minor altercation between Harbhajan and Ambati Rayudu after the latter misfielded to concede a four. Rohit didnt jump in, nor did he speak to them during the change of ends. It was left to the players to sort it out and get on with the job.

The only time he intervened was when his bowlers erred in line and length.

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South African batsman Hashim Amla has reportedly been roped in by Kings XI Punjab to replace Australian Shaun Marsh, who was forced to cut short his Indian Premier League (IPL) season with a back injury.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the 32-year-old prolific batsman is expected to join the side soon as clearances for his stint with the team have been obtained.

Amla, who remained unsold at the auction in February, is yet to make his debut in the lucrative T20 league. Earlier this year, he had stepped down as South Africas Test captain in the middle of the England series.

He has scored 2446 runs at an average of 31.35 in his 88 T20s.

Marsh picked up the injury during his sides six-wicket defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 19. He experienced some discomfort while batting and fielding during Kings XIs win against Gujarat Lions on Sunday.
The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed investigating agencies probing the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and communist leader Govind Pansare, to shed apprehensions, be bold, and question other members of the organisation to which Sameer Gaikwad, the lone accused arrested for Pansares murder, belongs. Gaikwad, who was arrested in September 2015, is believed to be a member of Sanathan Sanstha, a right-wing, non-profit trust based in Goa.

Though the court refrained from mentioning names, it directed both the states special investigation team (SIT) and the CBI, which are probing the murders of Pansare and Dabholkar, respectively, to tackle both direct and indirect obstacles to make headway in the cases.

A bench comprising Justice SC Dharmadhikari and Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi said investigators must speak with family members and associates of Gaikwad and must also question other members of the organisation to which Gaikwad belongs.

The directions came while the bench was examining the status reports submitted by both sets of investigators. The court expressed its dissatisfaction over the negligible progress made in both probes.

Additional solicitor general Anil Singh, who was appearing for the CBI, said the agency suspected that the same weapon was used for the murders of Pansare, Dabholkar and Kannanda scholar MM Kalburgi, and was hence sending the ballistic reports to Scotland Yard for an independent opinion. The court, however, asked if any of the investigators had bothered to get in touch with local police officers who had first investigated the murders.

If you suspect some similarity in the cases then why dont you get help from the local police? Why dont you question other members of the organisation to which the accused person belongs? Talking to them will give you a much better idea, the court said.

The judges also said it was the responsibility of the agencies to ensure an environment that accommodates dissent and where citizens do not fear expressing an independent opinion.

You are both premier agencies and we expect you to show promptness while investigating such sensitive cases. You must demonstrate vigilance. If you are facing any difficulties or any direct or indirect obstacles, then be candid and say so, the bench said.

The court also directed investigators to get inputs from the relatives of both Dabholkar and Pansare. The next hearing has been scheduled for June 23.

BOX

Rationalist Narendra Dabholkar was shot to death by two unidentified men on August 20, 2013 while he was out on a morning walk. The men, who had come on a motorbike, shot Dabholkar in his head and chest and he died on the spot.

CPI leader Govind Pansare was shot at by unknown assailants on February 16 2015 in Kolhapur while he and his wife Uma were returning from their morning walk. Pansare succumbed to his injuries four days later.
Two hoax bomb calls made to a private school in Ghaziabad on Tuesday morning left thousands of students, their parents and teachers panicked. Other schools in the city also went into a tizzy.

Chhabil Dass Public School (CDPS) in Patel Nagar received the first call around 8.45am.

The first call about there being a bomb on the first floor was attended by a school staffer, who ignored it. Nearly 10 minutes later, the same person rang again and told the receptionist that the earlier call was not hoax and there was indeed a bomb in the school building.

A Suganthavalli, school principal, said, I was informed about the calls. We immediately evacuated the children. The police was also roped in within 15 minutes. We then asked teachers to inform parents to pick up their children and also readied the school transport to send students home. Parents were sent SMSes, asking them to pick up their children.

We will lodge a police complaint as we want to trace the caller. The caller had a coarse voice. We have asked the police to trace all calls made to the school on Tuesday morning, she said.

As nearly 5,000 students from nursery to Class 12 were evacuated and sent back home, more than 100 police personnel, a bomb disposal squad and a dog squad were pressed into service to search and secure the school premises.

We searched the entire school premises, classrooms, staffrooms and all open spaces but no suspicious object was found. We have already started investigation in the case and are tracing the caller, said Manish Mishra, circle officer (city).

In all, nearly 120 rooms in the school were checked by police units by 12.30pm.

The information about the incident soon spread on the social media, after which many parents, whose children study in other schools, called up the schools and the police. Some parents also went to the schools of their children to check on them.

Some schools also panicked and sent SMSes to parents of their students, asking them to pick them up at the earliest.

Because of an emergency and news received that some school of Ghaziabad are under the threat of bomb attack, we do not want to take any chances therefore dispersal will be done in 15 min. You are requested to be on the spot ... (sic), read an SMS sent to parents by a school in the Sihani Gate police station area.

As the news spread, even the railways authorities carried out an extensive checking at the Ghaziabad railway station.

After the news, the railway protection force and government railway police carried out checks at the Ghaziabad junction. All platforms were thoroughly checked for any suspicious object, said Pankaj Lavaniya, station house officer, GRP police station, Ghaziabad junction.

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At a time when the partys first campaign, Coffee with Captain, was trying to find its feet, it has not helped matters that Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh embarked on a tour of North America.

The outing has created more controversy than goodwill for the party among the Punjabi diaspora and back home. Amarinder had to cancel his trip to Canada after facing a legal suit from activist group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). He held just one programme at Chicago during his extended stay and with a handful of Canadian NRIs on Skype; his programme at Los Angeles also did not pull a big crowd.

Read: Capt retracts ISI-link remark, but SFJ says damage done

The protests may be orchestrated, as Amarinder says, but there are clear rumblings within the Congress that the timing of the tour was ill-advised and neither the jumbo team of loyalists accompanying him preempted SFJs bid to sabotage his programmes nor could it outwit them.

Even partys poll strategist Prashant Kishor is learnt not to be convinced by the influence Punjabi NRIs have on poll verdict. He believes NRIs from Kerala and Gujarat make much larger force but political leaders from these states do not tour other countries to woo them.

At best, these foreign tours are a good holiday for politicians or fund-raising outings. They may create some chatter on social media but that does not decide the vote outcome, Congress sources said.

But it is not support of NRIs or lack of it that is worrying Congress but the verdict on the state polls on May 19. The partys further downslide may hit its poll prospects and it seems to be bracing up for the worst.

We may have to start from zero after the poll verdict is out on May 19. The whole country may talk about the Congress being wiped out even from the states. But our campaign will take off after we hit rock bottom, a senior Congress leader said.

Reasoning that impact of NRIs is overrated in Punjab polls, Kishor had advised Amarinder against taking the North America tour. But since it could not be cancelled, he is learnt to have asked Captain to cut it down by a few days and the latter had agreed to curtail it to three weeks.

Show-time from June

According to Congress insiders, Kishors job starts from June after the May 19 verdict.

In the past two months, Kishor was trying to understand the team dynamics in Punjab Congress and what could be done. From June, the Congress will go full-throttle in Punjab by roping in both its central and state leadership. The Aam Aadmi Partys Punjab Jodo campaign has fizzled out. Its Punjab Dialogue campaign will also fizzle out when the Congress launches its countercampaign to engage people in deciding Punjabs agenda, party sources said.

Like in Bihar, his team, IPAC, is now moving to assembly segments and liaising with district and block-level Congress committees.

A core team of IPAC is coordinating with the Congress office in Chandigarh and their own teams in the assembly constituencies.

The political discourse in Punjab started way too early. The Congress challenge is to ensure it peaks at the right time so that it could be sustained.

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Taking the total number of flights to take off from the city to 21, new domestic carrier Vistara, a joint venture of Tata and Singapore Airlines, launched its Chandigarh-Delhi flight on Monday.

The new flight will serve as a connecting flight to Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and Ahmedabad and to international destinations from Delhi as well.

International travellers from the city will be connected to global destinations, via Vistaras hub at Terminal 3 in New Delhi, making it a convenient connection to travel overseas with 12 global airline partners of Vistara.

Vistara chief strategy and commercial officer Sanjiv Kapoor said, The recently inaugurated integrated passenger terminal and the governments plan to launch international operations from here will further attract more travellers to Chandigarh.

DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM THE CITY

At present, 22 flights operate from the city to different cities. As many as 11 flights operate between Chandigarh and Delhi every day, while seven between Chandigarh and Mumbai, two between Chandigarh and Bengaluru, and two between Chandigarh and Srinagar.
The famous Chakki river flowing through the outskirts of Pathankot is on the verge of drying up as Punjabs neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh (HP) is almost ready with a dam on its side of the river.

The HP government has prepared channels to divert the river water to other directions, which would leave

the river dry in the coming time, say experts.

The river has its origin in HP and it enters Punjab from the Dhar Block area situated on state border on the Pathankot-Dalhousie road.

Sources said HP has nearly finished one of its dam over the Chakki river in Lahroo village, from where it enters Punjab. The channels being built will carry its water towards Nurpur and Sulyali in HP, leaving the river dry in Punjab.

SUPPLIES WATER TO 40 VILLAGES IN PUNJAB

After entering Punjab, the river covers nearly 50 kilometres before joining the Beas near Pathankot and feeds the Dhar Block belt. Its water is supplied to nearly 40 villages situated on the Pathankot-Dalhousie route. The river also irrigates orchards on its banks besides providing water for industrial use.

Already the natural channels of this river have dried up as the level of the river has gone down due to the rampant mining in HP. Diversion of water on the HP side will leave the river dry, said Arvind Kalra an orchard owner in Pathankot.

Kalra said the Punjab government should not allow the sudden death of the river by asking the neighbouring state to look for alternatives. He said villages on the banks of this river should not be deprived of its water.

WILL MOVE COURT: PPCC SECRETARY

Viney Mahajan, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) secretary from Sujanpur, said he was worried with the fresh move of HP and the state governments response, which was busy fighting with Haryana over water issue.

He said it was surprising that the government did not act when HP started planning the dam, which would leave thousands of acres of land in Punjabs hilly area in severe water crisis.

It is surprising they (HP) have nearly finished the work and our leaders have not uttered a single word on this. We will take this matter to courts, said Mahajan.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) have booked three policemen, including a station house officer (SHO), in a case of abetment to suicide after a shopkeeper threw himself under a train last week, but not arrested anyone yet.

Police took three days to register the first-information report (FIR) in the Inderpal Ahuja suicide case. The victims family of two sisters and a mother  is quiet, though sources say it has received multiple threats in the past few days to withdraw the case. Ahuja had posted his suicide note on Facebook and named the cops in it.

GRP sub-inspector Inderjit Singh said that a case of abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had been registered against SHO concerned Davinder Chaudhary, assistant sub-inspector Buta Singh, and head constable Swaran Singh. The GRPs Jalandhar superintendent of police Lakhwinder Singh Khaira is the investigating officer.

Asked what took police so long to register the FIR, the sub-inspector said: We were gathering evidence. The evidence, though, was public. Asked, how much time it would take to make arrests, Khaira said he could not say anything. We have an SIT (special investigation team) looking into it, he claimed.

Read: Harassed by cops, Ludhiana man puts it on FB, jumps before train

RECORDER EMPTY

The victims relatives who unlocked the password-protected digital video reorder (DVR) at the victims mobile-phone shop found it empty to their dismay. They had called experts to crack the code, hoping to find footage of the cops from the last visit a week ago. The victims mother, Kuldeep Kaur, said: I have lost my only son. Now that the case has been registered, I hope for justice.

The victims brother-in-law, Narender Singh, thanked the Punjab and Haryana high court lawyers association for pleading the case for thorough inquiry. He regretted that the accused roamed free in spite of the FIR. Police have not even detained the accused. Investigating officer Khaira said the statements of the accused would be recorded only if required.

REPORT DELAYED

The special investigation team (SIT) report, which was to be submit on Monday evening, has been delayed by a week. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Sandeep Garg, investigation officer from Ludhiana, cited in the absence of a strong evidence, so far, to seek a week more to file the report.

The victims last post on Facebook might be good evidence, but we will also have to look at the victims bank transactions and internet data, which will take some time, said Garg.

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Expelled from the Punjab Congress, former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar and former state deputy speaker Bir Devinder Singh joined hands on Tuesday to expose the power-sharing pact between chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and state Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh.

The Badal and Captain families have a secret tie-up to loot Punjab. I invite Bir Devinder to join me in exposing them, Jagmeet Brar said during a press conference at the house of the former deputy speaker. Bir Devinder said he would join Brars May 21 rally in protest against dynastic rule and mafia-politician nexus but couldnt promise to join any party.

Must read I Congress leaders also involved in drug trade: Jagmeet Brar

In 2010, Bir Devinder had joined the Peoples Party of Punjab in a similar movement and fallen apart with it after the 2012 elections. Both Brar and Bir Devinder had termed their sacking from the Congress undemocratic and claimed that they had gone unheard. By removing us from the party, Amarinder has put the last nail in his coffin, said Bir Devinder.

Also read I Turncoat Bir Devinder does it again

They said a lot depended on the 2017 Punjab elections to end the dynastic rule in Punjab. While Captain is opposing the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into the Jagdish Bhola drug case, the Badal family is reciprocating by delaying the proceedings in the Amritsar Improvement Trust and Ludhiana Improvement Trust embezzlement cases. This shows their deal to share power and befool Punjabis, said Brar.

Brar invites Bains brothers, Bolaria

Brar said he had met the Bains brothers of Ludhiana and planned to approach Akali rebel Inderbir Singh Bolaria to bring them into his movement to save Punjab from Captain and Badal. He said on May 21, he would also give financial help to the widows of farmers who had committed suicide.
Hailed as an unparalleled classic of Indian literature, Krishna Sobtis much-acclaimed novel Zindaginama is now released by a leading publisher in English translation. The translation comes nearly 40 years after it was first published in Hindi in 1979. The novel set in pre-Partition Punjab, celebrating the composite culture that came to a sad end, is evoking much excitement. Yet it also brings back memories of the long copyright fight stretching over a quarter of a century between the author and Punjabi poet and prose writer Amrita Pritam.

The copyright fight over the title evoked much interest because it involved two literary legends. Interestingly both of them came from the same region of Gujarat in Pakistan Punjab and were witness to the tragedy of the Partition. When the case was filed in 1984 for damages of Rs 1.5 lakh by Sobti, it was reported as the title fight of the year.

Ironically, the case lingered for over a quarter of a century and was decided in favour of Pritam in 2011, six years after the poets death. It was a tug-of-war between two women of substance with Sahitya Akademi Award winner Sobti (born in 1925) on one side and the no-less-daunting Jnanpith Award winner, Punjabi poet Pritam (1919 to 2005) on the other.

FIGHT ON PRINCIPLES

Looking back at the legal battle, Krishna who turned 91 this year, says: It lasted so long that it became a joke. This was a freak case that was moved from the high court to the district court. I learned a lot about judiciary and its functioning. It took away a lot of my energy but the process also gave me a novel like Dil-O-Danish which has justice at the heart of the plot. I had always liked Amrita and looked up to her as a poet. But this was a fight on principles as Zindaginama was my extensive intellectual property.

Zindaginama won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980. Four years later, when Pritam came out with her a biography of a minor revolutionary called Hardatt ka Zindaginama, the word Zindaginama created problems and Sobti demanded that the word be deleted from Pritams book as it amounted to plagiarism. Pritam insisted that it was no plagiarism.

The case divided the literary clan into two groups and Khushwant Singh, who loved playing Naradmuni came to the aid of Pritam, recounted it in his obituary to the poet published in a magazine: Hindi writer Krishna Sobti took Amrita Pritam to court for breach of copyright. I appeared in court in her defence, saying that there could be no copyright on a title like Zindaginama. I collected over a dozen books with the same title from the Iranian embassy because Zindaginama is a Persian phrase. I also submitted my two volumes of Sikh history to the court to prove that Guru Gobind Singhs life story by one of his disciples was also called Zindaginama. This earned me the ire of Krishna Sobti. She exploded in rage in the high court after the hearing, shouting: Your Honour, dont believe a word of what he said. He belongs to the same mafia of rich writers.

CLASH OF PERSONALITIES

Writers witness to the high drama recall that it was probably a clash of personalities as Sobti had called up Pritam to bring to her notice that an advertisement in an Urdu magazine had dropped Hardatt ka and used the word Zindaginama. This was also done on the title of the Urdu translation. The same time Krishnas Zindaginama had come out in Urdu. Pritam was reported to have banged the phone.

S Balwant, Punjabi writer and proprietor of Ajanta Publishers, who made an effort to play a conciliatory role, says: It was the banging of the phone that led to the legal battle for there was not too much of a case of plagiarism in it. What did the case do to the two writers? Balwant says: It took a toll on Krishnajis energy and money. On the other hand it disturbed Pritam who developed insomnia and consulted innumerable astrologers and soothsayers on what its outcome would be.

Curiously, when the case was moved from the Delhi high court to the Tis Hazari court, the box containing the files and manuscripts of the two books disappeared. However, the case was closed in favour of Pritam in 2011. Poet Ashok Vajpayee, a fan of Sobti, says: The judgment disappointed me because Sobti had a strong title copyright case that came to naught. The novel remains immortal as an abridged Mahabharata of our times.
A 45-year-old woman, who runs a photostat machine kiosk on the second floor of the district court, was booked for allegedly thrashing a senior advocate on the district courts premises on Monday evening.

The woman identified as Harjinder Kaur pulled the advocates turban and punched him multiple times making him fall on the floor.

The incident occurred in the afternoon when the woman asked the advocate, whose desk is close to her photostat machine, to shift his seat as it was causing inconvenience.

Advocate Paramjeet Singh, a retired bank official, who is a baptised Sikh (amritdhari) asked the woman to shift her photostat machine, saying it was encroaching upon the corridor.

The conversation soon took shape of a heated argument which turned violent.

A large number of litigants and practicing advocates gathered around the area as the woman repeatedly punched the advocate following which he fell on the floor.

Another advocate, who lifted Paramjeet Singh, said, His turban fell off and he was wailing in pain. The woman also allegedly pulled his hair after his turban came off. The woman too started to cry and threatened to call the police.

A group of advocates then reached the Division Number 5 police station and lodged a complaint against the woman. Harjinder Kaur too reached the police station and showed her injuries to the police.

However, the police said the womans injuries were selfinflicted, and booked her in a case of causing hurt and criminal intimidation. Police said she would be arrested soon.
Carjackers are having a field day in SAS Nagar with as many as two carjackings reported since morning on Monday. These two cases have brought the total number of carjacking cases to three in the past one week.

In the latest incident, two men made away with the car of Manish Kumar, a Patna resident working in SAS Nagar, at gunpoint from near Natures Park in Phase 8 on Monday.

Victim Manish Kumar works as a general manager with a private tele-communication company in SAS Nagar. Two men made away with the vehicle from Manish on gunpoint at around 7am, when he was about to sit in his Hyundai Creta car, which is worth Rs 12 lakh and was bought around four months back, after his morning walk. One of the accused held Manish and another snatched his car keys.

As soon as I unlocked my car after morning walk, a man from behind held me and threatened to kill me if I turned. Before I could do anything, another man came running towards the car with a gun and snatched the keys. I did not resist in order to save my life, said Manish Kumar.

After snatching my keys, the man sat in the car and sped away, while the other was still holding me. After the accused left with the car, the other accused let me off and vanished before I could react, added Kumar. Kumar told the police that the other accused had fled in another car, a Silver Indigo. We have registered a case under Section 382 of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act against two unidentified persons, said Phase 8 police station SHO Lakhwinder Singh.

In another case, a car was taken away forcibly from Sector 68, SAS Nagar, on Monday evening. The victim, Dushayant, 19, a resident of Sector 69, had come in his i20 car to Sector 68 market, when two youths forced their way into his car and later, dumped him at Sohana. I was about to sit in my car when two men pushed me and forcibly sat in the car. I kept pursuing them to take money and mobile phone, but to no avail, Dushyant has told the police.

Ignoring my requests, the accused kept driving and dumped me near Sohana gurdwara and fled with my car. They went towards Balongi, added the victim, who was unable to give further details about the snatchers. A case has been registered at the Phase-8 police station in this regard.

NO ARRESTS IN APRIL 27 CASE

Meanwhile, the police are yet to make a breakthrough in the car snatched from Mataur on April 27 despite having released a sketch of one of the three accused. Complaint Amit had alleged that three youth had fled with his Swift Dzire car after pushing out his female colleagues out of the car at a parking lot outside the Rudraksh Enterprises office on April 27.
Free education, mid-day meal, monthly stipend  give them anything, children wont come to Bhalipurs government primary school in this district. Its one student, one-teacher ratio is least attractive.

The children will rather travel 4 kilometres to expensive private schools. The only primary school of the village is left with only one student this session. On Tuesday, even its only student, Jagdeep Singh of Class 5, was absent. The classroom was filled with bags of grain, rice, and other mid-day meal provisions, besides six empty benches and three chairs.

The schools only teacher, Kamaljeet Singh, posted here on deputation two years ago, is forced to run an awareness-and-publicity campaign to attract students. Even that hasnt convinced the parents of village children. The cost of keeping that one student is Rs 50,000, of which the teacher takes Rs 40,000, the cleaner Rs 2,000, and a cook Rs 1,200 a month.

After losing its electricity supply over pending bills, the school now runs on kundi (tapped) connection. There has been no new admission for the past four years. In the year 2014-15, it had three students in Class 5, which came to two last session. With sarpanch, I went to every house, begged parents to send their children to school, said the teacher, adding: I told them it cost more than `50,000 a year to put a child in a private school, while in a government school, they had to pay nothing. Still they were not convinced.

The district education department has not put up the school for merger into the nearest middle school, even though members of the staff have made a written request for it. District education officer (primary) Gurcharan Singh Multani could not be contacted, in spite of repeated attempts, while Kapurthala deputy commissioner (DC) Jaskiran Singh said he would check up with the education department.

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In the wake of Saturdays shootout at Parwanoo in Solan district that left Fazilka-based gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh Rocky dead, police fear the gang war between the rival gangs in the region is likely to escalate.

The Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh police have sent teams to Himachal and Punjab to gather more details about the shootout.

The police of the both states have sent crime branch personnel to keep tabs on people who accompanied Rockys body to Shimla for autopsy at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC). These teams visited the city on Sunday to keep an eye on these people.

The Himachal police too fear that Rockys rival gangsters could have even attacked those accompanying his body. Keeping this in mind, the local police had made heavy security arrangements at the Parwanoo civil hospital and the IGMC.

Read: Rocky murder: Driver identifies Jaipal as killer; police launch manhunt

We did not want any problem during the autopsy and transportation of Jaswinder Rockys body. It was for this very reason that we did not want to take any chance as they are trigger-happy gangsters. Therefore, elaborate security arrangements were made to prevent an untoward incident, inspector general of police (southern range) SZH Zaidi told Hindustan Times. The team from Rajasthan was led by a deputy superintendent of police (DSP)-rank official.

Rocky had close connections with high-profile UP gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari. Another gangster, Dhanjay Singh, who took to politics, had close links with Rocky.

Read: Gangster-politician Rocky cremated at Fazilka village
The administration has issued directions to all private and government schools in the district to link Aadhaar cards of their students with the state education departments e-portal so that financial benefits of various scholarship schemes can be directly transferred to students bank accounts.

The district has 1,334 government schools having a total strength of 1.40 lakh students and 675 private schools with a total strength of 1.54 lakh students.

At a meeting with representatives of these schools held on Monday, it was revealed that while in government schools, the unique identification (UID )numbers of 90% government school students were linked to the state government server, nearly 50% compliance is still pending in the private schools.

Additional deputy commissioner (development) Parminder Pal Singh Sandu said that nearly 73,000 private school students were either yet to be enrolled with the unique identification system or their Aadhaar numbers were not uploaded with the online portal of the department.

In government schools, nearly 15,000 students are left whose UID numbers are yet to be linked.

All these schools have been asked to complete the process soon, he said

According to him, the basic purpose of this step is to ensure transparency in the disposal of government schemes.

To help them, we will also arrange computers for preparing Aadhar cards and speed up the process, he added.
Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday arrested a constable-rank Patiala Central Jail warder on the charges of accepting Rs 10,000 as bribe and seeking sexual favours from a widow (67) whose son is behind bars in a matrimonial dispute.

The money was for not torturing her son during his stay in jail, apart from letting the mother meet him. The misconduct of accused Manjit Singh (57) was caught in the security cameras that the vigilance bureau had planted at the house of the woman, whom the cop had allegedly started stalking on telephone.

The footage and the recorded telephone conversation are enough to prove bad touch and advances. He was being inappropriate with her again when we walked into the house and caught him, said Patiala range vigilance bureau senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pritam Singh.

For failing to pay alimony to his wife, the womans son was sent to jail for a month. His mother got there next day and found Manjit Singh, who forced her to give him Rs 2,000 for a meeting and her contact number, too, on the pretext that it was for the jail visitors record. He further threatened to torture her son if she failed to pay another Rs 3.5 lakh, and finding her under pressure, started taking other liberties, said the SSP.

He first asked her to come to his house, and then he took cheese to her house and asked her to cook it. Its the first embarrassing case of this kind, said the SSP, adding that the cop was charged under Section 354 (outraging womans modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the bureau would ask for fast trial in the case.

Deputy inspector general (prisons) LS Jakhar said: All I can say is that its shocking, and promise you strict action.

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Punjab government on Tuesday gave approval for the direct recruitment of 116 professors, associate professors and assistant professors of different departments in government medical colleges at Patiala and Amritsar.

Disclosing this in Chandigarh on Tuesday, Punjab medical education and research minister Anil Joshi said these vacancies would be filled according to recruitment criteria of the department. He also said the departmental selection committee has been constituted for this purpose.

It will be beneficial for increase in the MBBS seats in both the colleges. Joshi directed the department that recruitment should be fully transparent and according to rules.
Dust storms hit many places in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, bringing down the mercury by a few notches and providing relief to the people reeling under sweltering heat conditions.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, was also hit by a dust storm in the morning.The maximum temperature, which was close to 43 degrees Celsius here yesterday, also dropped by a few notches.

People in Hisar in Haryana, where the maximum had on Monday crossed the 45 degrees Celsius mark, also got some relief from the severe heat wave as dusty conditions brought down the mercury on Tuesday morning.

Ambala, Kurukshetra, Jind, Rohtak, Panchkula among other places in Haryana also witnessed partly cloudy skies on Tuesday.

Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala in Punjab, where the mercury had on Monday crossed 43 deg C mark, also got relief from the sizzling conditions on Tuesday after being hit by dust storms.

Chandigarhs meteorological department director Surinder Paul said a western disturbance was active over Jammu and Kashmir and neighbourhood and people can expect relief from the heat wave conditions.

The skies will be partly cloudy. One can expect light rain in some places, Paul said.

He said another weather system would be active around May 8 and 9 and temperatures were likely to fall again during that time.
The two men who stole Rs 48.35 crore from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), which was to be paid to those whose land had been acquired, used a complex strategy to carry out the fraud. The size of the heist is whopping indeed, but HT, after accessing the vigilance report, has learnt that whats more interesting is how it was done.

ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS, FAKE BENEFICIARIES

It was former DRO Capt Vinod Sharma who blew the whistle in the case and reported to health minister Anil Vij about it. Vij intervened and got the inquiry transferred to the vigilance bureau, which formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The prime accused in the case, district revenue officer (DRO) Naresh Kumar Sheokand (who claims to be relative of a top Congress leader), has absconded. The bail application of his accomplice, Bhim Singh, a manager with Punjab National Bank, was dismissed on April 26.

According to the vigilance report, in 2012, when Sheokand was posted as DRO Panchkula, the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and NHAI acquired land in the district. To disburse money to land owners, HSIIDC opened an account with IndusInd Bank, Panchkula, and another with HDFC Bank, Barwala. These accounts, opened in the name of the DRO, Panchkula, had Rs 203.50 crore in them. Sheokand, however, also opened an account with PNBs Jangpura Extension branch in New Delhi on December 26, 2012. It was in the name of DRO-cumLAC (land acquisition collector), Panchkula.

Five days later, Sheokand issued the first cheque, seeking transfer of `20 crore from IndusInd Bank to PNB, Jangpura Extension. The transfer was declined due to insufficiency of funds. But he tried again, this time issuing a cheque of `19 crore on January 5, 2013.

Apart from these accounts, Sheokand had opened another account with PNB, Sector 8, Panchkula, on December 27, 2012. From the Rs 19 crore transferred to the PNBs Jangpura branch, he transferred Rs 1 crore to this account and gave away the rest as compensation for land, only that the beneficiaries were not the real ones. At that time, the HSIIDC stood at a loss of Rs 18 crore.

HSIIDC COMPENSATED AT NHAIS COST

The NHAI, which wanted to compensate land owners for the Panchkula-Yamunangar highway in 2012, had also opened a joint account in the name of DRO-cum-LAC (which was Sheokand) and project director, NHAI, at the Sector 8-based PNB. This account contained more than Rs 500 crore - Rs 495 crore deposited on March 28, 2013, and `6.58 crore on June 6, 2013. Now this is where Bhim came into play.

On March 30, 2013, Bhim, a manger with PNBs Jangpura branch, without permission of account holders and his counterpart in Sector-8, Panchkula, transferred `250 crore to the PNB Jangpura branch, which Sheokand had opened. On the same day, Rs 80 crore was transferred to some accounts in New Delhi and Chandigarh, and the rest was either converted into FDR (fixed deposit receipts) or deposited in another account at the same branch. The entire money, Rs 250 crore, was brought back in the original NHAI account (PNB Sector 8), but without interest that had been earned, thus causing losses to the highway agency.

The two accused, however, made up for the loss (of `18 crore) the HSIIDC had incurred. They got two FDRs worth Rs 22.09 crore transferred from the NHAI account to the HSIIDC account in the same branch. This they did on July 17, 2014.

Bhim also transferred six FDRs from the Sector-8 PNB branch to various accounts opened in the name of the DROcum-LAC Panchkula without permission. Of these, two worth Rs 20 crore were encashed and given away to illegal beneficiaries, causing more loss to NHAI. The NHAI pegged its losses at Rs 48.35 crore - taking into account the loss of interest and also illegal payments.

Bhim has told the court and the vigilance bureau that he did everything on Sheokands instructions and that he had authority letters to show.

The people, including two women, who were allegedly benefitted by the fraud are yet to be arrested.

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Two persons were killed after a defunct borewell caved in while they were removing bricks from it on Tuesday in Badra village, 25 kilometres from Barnala.

The deceased have been identified as Charanjit Singh Charna, 50, a labourer and Sukhwinder Singh Kaala, 35, a marginal farmer.

The two were reportedly extracting bricks from the abandoned well to make money by selling it. They were evacuated from the well in an unconscious state after a four-hour operation and taken to the civil hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.

Four evacuation machines and 12 tractors were pressed into service for the rescue operation.

Dhanaula civil hospital medical officer Dr Kakul Bajwa, who attended to the victims after their rescue, said, Though primary care was provided to the patients immediately, there were bleak chances of their survival as both were not responding to the treatment.

Barnala sub-divisional magistrate Amarveer Singh Sidhu said, Chunks of sand suddenly falling from above might have caused shortness of breath. They got buried there. Even with timely help and efforts, both could not be saved.

Jarnail Singh, a village resident, said, With the water table getting depleted day by day, the existing borewells are becoming useless and abandoned wells are prone to mishaps.

Following the incident deputy commissioner Bhupinder Singh issued instructions to fill all such abandoned borewells. Village sarpanch Naazar Singh said, There are still 10-15 such abandoned bore wells in our village.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Darbara Singh Guru said, I have talked to the chief minister and apprised him of the poor position of families of the victims. He has announced

1-lakh help for each from chief ministers relief fund.

LEGAL POSITION

The Supreme Court, vide its judgement on February 11, 2010, had suo motu directed the states to fill all discarded and abandoned borewells in their territories with clay, sand, boulders and pebble from bottom to ground level.

The department of ground water, public health and the municipal corporation are required to ensure and certify filling of abandoned borewells to the ground level. The order made it mandatory for deputy collectors to maintain information and data on this.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 50 persons, including three in Punjab, died by falling into borewells in 2014.

A committee, constituted by the ministry of water resources in March, 2009, to examine possibilities of preventing such fatal accidents, had framed guidelines to be followed by the states, union territory governments for this purpose.
For the first time since Independence, a dispute from Lalgarhi village in Jharkhands Maoist-hit Latehar district reached the police station on Monday.

Inhabited by 1,000 people of Kherwar community and situated 10km from the district headquarters, Lalgarhi has the century-old tradition of settling disputes through negotiations, locals said.

Latehar police station officer in-charge Ramesh Prasad Singh told HT on Monday that as the village had the tradition of settling disputes through discussions, it remained litigation-free.

The case, reported on Sunday, was related to elopement of a married tribal man with a girl of the same area, Singh said.

The local police officers have decided to give both the sides a chance to settle the issue through talks before registering any case, as an action from our end will tarnish the image of the village, he said.

The present chief justice of Jharkhand high court Virender Singh, during his visit to Latehar in December 2014, had also referred to Lalgarhi as a village with no criminal case.

Singh said, Given the litigation free-status of Lalgarhi village, we have given the villagers an opportunity to settle the dispute through talks. We will act only when they fail to arrive at a consensus.

Social activist from Latehar Birendra Prasad told HT, Growing intolerance is one of the reasons for increasing number of disputes in the society and Lalgarhi.
Tamil actor Suriya and his wife Jyothika will attend the premiere of his upcoming Tamil-Telugu release 24 in Fremont, California on Thursday. The duo is currently holidaying in the US. In a statement, the films US distributor CineGalaxy Inc confirmed that Suriya and Jyothika will attend the special premiere of the film.

Suriya and Jyotika will attend the Telugu and Tamil premiere of 24 at CineGrand theatre, while another Tamil special premiere at Cinemark Century. Directed by Vikram Kumar, the film also stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nithya Menen, Ajay and Girish Karnad among others.

Read: I might be playing triple roles, but 24 is Vikrams film, says Suriya

Read: Suriyas sci-fi thriller 24 to release in 267 screens in the US

In the film, which is a time-travel thriller, Suriya will be essaying triple roles.

Watch the trailer of 24 here:

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
The annual reports issued by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) are usually greeted with anger and criticism in South Asia, where India and Pakistan have often been rapped by the panel for failing to do enough to protect the rights of minorities.

The USCIRF, created under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, has issued an annual report since 2003. The US state department also issues annual reports on global religious freedom that document violations in every country while the USCIRFs report examines a selected list of countries and recommends nations to be designated as countries of particular concern, which the US executive branch must consider.

Here are 10 things about this years report-

1. The USCIRF has placed 17 countries, including Syria, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, North Korea and Pakistan, in Tier 1  these are the nations that meet the IRFAs standard for countries of particular concern or CPCs. Nine of these countries have already been designated CPCs by the state department and the USCIRF has recommended that eight others, including Pakistan, also meet the CPC standard and should be so designated.

2. CPCs, according to the US commission, are those countries whose governments engage in or tolerate particularly severe violations of religious freedom that are systematic, ongoing and egregious. Some countries hit with the CPC tag, such as Iraq and Syria, are those where governments are non-existent or incapable of addressing violations by non-state actors.

3. India is placed with nine other countries, including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia, in Tier 2, defined as those where violations engaged in or tolerated by the government are serious and are characterised by at least one of the elements of the systematic, ongoing, and egregious CPC standard.

4. The USCIRF said in its report that religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India during 2015. It further noted that India is on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom. These concerns led to the US panel placing India in Tier 2, where it has been since 2009.

5. The report said that Indias minorities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups. It alleged that members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tacitly supported these groups and used religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions.

6. The report further stated that higher caste individuals and political leaders had prevented Hindus considered part of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Dalits) from entering religious temples.

7. The alleged violations, combined with longstanding problems of police bias and judicial inadequacies, have created a pervasive climate of impunity, where religious minority communities feel increasingly insecure, with no recourse when religiously-motivated crimes occur, the report said.

8. The report said that in addition to a national strategy to guide US efforts to safeguard religious freedom, elected leaders and American officials need to communicate clearly and regularly that religious freedom is a foreign policy priority for the country. It noted that President Barack Obama, during his January 2015 visit to India, gave a major speech highlighting the need for religious tolerance and freedom.

9. The report noted that the IRFA makes inadmissible to the United States foreign officials who are responsible for or directly carried out particularly severe religious freedom violations. It said this provision is known to have been invoked only once: in March 2005, it was used to exclude then-chief minister Narendra Modi of Gujarat state in India due to his complicity in riots in his state in 2002.

10. The USCIRF said it will continue to monitor the situation in India closely during the year ahead to determine if the country should be recommended to the US state department for designation as a country of particular concern under the IRFA.
Singapore has detained eight Bangladeshi men for planning terrorist attacks in their home country, the city state said on Tuesday adding that the group belongs to the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB).

The men, aged 26 to 34, were working in Singapores construction and marine industries, the government said in a statement. At least two more members in the group were in Bangladesh, it added.

ISB poses a security concern to Singapore because of its support for Islamic State (IS) and its readiness to resort to the use of violence overseas, the ministry of home affairs said.

The men were detained in April under Singapores Internal Security Act, the government said. It was not immediately clear if or when they would be charged or deported. Singapores Straits Times called it the first detentions under the act involving a foreign workers cell.

The government of wealthy, multi-ethnic Singapore, which has not faced any militant attacks in decades, said investigations showed the ISB had identified several possible attack targets in Bangladesh.

Islamist militants in Bangladesh have targeted atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers in a series of killings that date back to February 2015 and have claimed at least 20 lives. A Hindu tailor was hacked to death on Saturday.

The Islamic State and a group affiliated to al Qaeda have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. Bangladeshi police said home-grown militant group are responsible.

In January, Singapore said it had arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and IS and deported 26 of them.

Fourteen of the 26 have since been jailed in Bangladesh on terror charges, Bangladeshi police said, but denied they had any link to the Islamic State or al Qaeda.

The Singapore ministry said the eight detained men had intended to join Islamic State as foreign fighters. It provided photographs of the men, a bomb making manual and other documents it said the group had used.

The ministry said the men felt it would be difficult for them to make their way to Syria and focused instead on returning to Bangladesh to overthrow the government by force, and bring it under the Islamic States self-proclaimed caliphate, the ministry said.
Kenyan rescuers pulled an 18-month- old toddler alive from the rubble of a six-storey building on Tuesday, four days after the block collapsed killing 23 people, police said.

Good news! Kenya Red Cross said. A child aged about one and half years rescued alive at 0400 hours (0630 IST) and referred to Kenyatta National Hospital.

The Red Cross said the little girl was found in a bucket wrapped in a blanket and was dehydrated but without visible physical injuries.

She had been there for 80 hours since the building, which was home to 150 families crammed into single rooms, collapsed on Friday night.

Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome called it a miracle and said the emergency services were continuing their rescue efforts.

Police said the death toll from the tragedy rose to 23 today after two more bodies were found.

Located in the poor, tightly-packed Huruma neighbourhood, the building had been slated for demolition after being declared structurally unsound.

But an evacuation order for the structure, which was built near a river just two years ago, was ignored.

Five people are to appear in court today to face manslaughter charges over the incident.

Several buildings have collapsed in recent years in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where a property boom has seen buildings shoot up at speed, often with scant regard for building regulations.

The deaths in Huruma bring to at least 30 the number of people who have died in Nairobi since the weekend in accidents linked to floods caused by torrential rains
A special war crimes court in Bangladesh sentenced four men to death on Tuesday for killing, torture, arson and looting during the nations independence war against Pakistan in 1971.

The ruling is likely to aggravate the divide between moderates and extremists in the Sunni-majority nation, which is grappling with a wave of deadly assaults targeting atheist writers, religious minorities and political activists.

The court, accused by rights groups of holding flawed proceedings, said the four were involved in the deaths of nine people. Only one suspect, Shamsuddin Ahmed, was in court for the verdict. Authorities are still hunting for the other three: Gazi Abdul Mannan, Hafiz Uddin, and Shamsuddin Ahmeds brother, Nasiruddin.

The three-judge tribunal also sentenced a fifth man, Azharul Islam, to life in prison on two murder charges.

Past convictions have led Islamist groups to call for public strikes and protests against what they say is a witch hunt by the secular government to lock away political leaders seeking a return to Islamic rule.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the war crimes trials, carried out by special tribunals established in 2010, represent a long-overdue effort to obtain justice more than four decades after Bangladesh split from Pakistan. Dozens of people have been convicted so far, including at least 29 who were sentenced to death. Most were leaders of the opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami.

Bangladesh says Pakistani soldiers, aided by local collaborators, killed 3 million people and raped more than 200,000 women during the nine-month war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Previously it was the eastern wing of Pakistan.

Rights groups as well as Pakistani and US officials have criticized the tribunal proceedings as flawed and possibly politically motivated, while warning that they could lead to a backlash from the governments political opponents.

Meanwhile, the country has been struggling with a wave of brutal attacks on political moderates and religious minorities. Most of the deadly hacking attacks have been claimed by Islamist groups believed to be affiliated with either the Islamic State group or al-Qaida in the sub-continent, though the Bangladeshi government denies those groups have any presence in the country. Instead, it accuses the political opposition of supporting such attacks to stir chaos in the country.
A major fire on Tuesday damaged or destroyed the homes of some 2,000 Rohingya Muslims living in a camp for people displaced by 2012 communal fighting in western Myanmar.

The charred remains of wooden shelters and twisted metal roofs were visible through a thick haze of smoke after the fire broke out early morning, a stark reminder of dire living conditions for over 100,000 Rohingya confined to a network of bleak camps in Rakhine state.

Authorities said a cooking stove caused the blaze at the Bawdupa camp near the state capital Sittwe, with strong winds believed to have spread flames from house to house in the tinder-dry area.

A statement from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said initial reports suggested 14 people had been injured, with unconfirmed reports that there could have been fatalities.

An estimated 440 households (about 2,000 individuals) were affected, but exact numbers are unconfirmed, it said, adding that humanitarian organisations were working to provide shelter and other necessities.

It said 44 barracks-style housing blocks, which hold up to eight families each, were completely destroyed by the fire. Up to nine more were badly damaged.

Some 140,000 people, mainly Rohingya, have been trapped in grim displacement camps since they were driven from their homes by waves of violence between Buddhists and minority Muslims four years ago.

The conflict left Rakhine state deeply scarred, effectively segregating communities on religious grounds and depressing the local economy.

It also stoked wider Buddhist nationalism in Myanmar, which has seen outbreaks of anti-Muslim bloodshed in other areas in recent years.

Rakhines Rohingya are labelled Bengali by hardline Buddhists and many government officials, who brand them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though many can trace their ancestry back generations.

Faced with apartheid-like restrictions that limit access to jobs, education and healthcare, thousands have braved perilous boat journeys in search of better lives in Malaysia and Indonesia.

An exodus in 2015 sparked a regional crisis and a crackdown on smuggling routes.

Last month at least 20 Muslims from a Rakhine displacement camp drowned when their boat capsized in choppy waters while it was travelling to a market in Sittwe.

Passengers said they were forced to take the dangerous sea route because authorities ban them from travelling by road.
A Christian family in Bangladesh was on Tuesday attacked by unidentified men who hurled crude bombs at their house, injuring at least two people, the latest in a string of deadly assaults on the countrys minorities.

The attackers stormed the house at Girjapara in Damurhuda upazila around midnight while Alam Mondol, the head of the family and a cattle trader, was sleeping on the veranda, said Liakat Hossain, officer-in-charge of the local police station.

The attackers hurled a crude bomb targeting Mondol that injured him, Prothom Alo newspaper reported.

Hearing the explosion, local residents rushed to the spot but the attackers exploded three more bombs and escaped. Reports said the blasts injured another person.

Police visited the spot and the injured man was admitted to hospital.

A series of assaults in Bangladesh in recent months have targeted minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last Saturday, a liberal professor at Rajshahi University was hacked to death by IS militants. Two days later, Bangladeshs only gay magazine editor was murdered with a friend in his flat in Dhaka.
A Canadian living and working in Nepal has been ordered to leave the country after he criticised the government on social media, a Nepali official said on Tuesday.

Robert Penner, a computer programmer working for CloudFactory, an outsourcing company, was arrested by police at his office on Monday and taken to the department of immigration for questioning.

Penner confirmed that he had been ordered to leave on his Twitter account.

He criticised the Nepal government on social media during unrest that followed the passing of Nepals constitution last year and he denounced the recent arrest and detention of Kanak Mani Dixit, a prominent journalist and civil rights activist.

Robert Penner must leave Nepal voluntarily within two days, Kedar Neupane, director general of the department of immigration, told Reuters.

If he fails to leave within this time frame, he will be considered as staying here illegally, added Neupane. He said there was no provision for Penner to make an appeal.

The deportation order comes after government officials received numerous complaints about tweets and online writings that Penner had posted, said Neupane. He declined to elaborate on exactly who and how many had complained.

Lawyer Dipendra Jha, who is representing Penner, earlier said he had been informed that the Canadian would be released on Tuesday and his visa revoked.

The Canadian consulate in Kathmandu could not be reached for comment. The Canadian high commission in the Indian capital New Delhi declined to comment.
Defense secretary Ash Carter is criticizing Russia for aggression in Europe and is promising to continue a military buildup to deter war on NATOs eastern flank.

In remarks Tuesday at a ceremony installing a new commander of US forces in Europe, Carter said he is particularly troubled by what he called Russian nuclear saber-rattling.

Carter also held out hope for a more cooperative relationship with Russia. Hes said its up to Moscow, which should know that Washington does not seek war.

Army Gen Curtis Scaparrotti took command of US European Command, succeeding Air Force Gen Philip Breedlove, who is retiring.
US President Barack Obama had decided the US would go alone in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden because it questioned Pakistans trustworthiness due to its close relationship with various terrorist networks, former CIA director Leon Panetta said.

Pakistan was difficult because they had a close relationship with various terrorist networks and you were never quite sure where their loyalties would lie, Panetta, the head of the CIA operation that killed al Qaeda leader bin Laden at his Abbottabad hideout in Pakistan, said.

It was for that reason, very frankly, that when we were looking at the bin Laden operation, which we would have preferred, frankly, to have worked with Pakistan. But there are so many questions raised about whether or not we could trust them that the President decided that we should do it alone, he told PBS news on Monday.

Monday was the fifth anniversary of bin Ladens killing on the outskirts of a Pakistan military garrison town .

Panetta, also the former US defence secretary, said it has been a challenging period to develop the relationship with Pakistan.

Obviously, Pakistan was helpful in being able to work with us in many areas. Certainly, in the intelligence area, we worked together. On military efforts, we worked together, Panetta, who was the head of the CIA at the time of the bin Laden operation, said.

Five years after the killing of bin Laden, reality is that terrorism remains a threat, Panetta said.

Its metastasised into ISIS (Islamic State). Its metastasised into Boko Haram and al Shabaab. And so it continues to be very much a threat that the US and other countries in the world have to focus on. This is a long-term effort. We have had some success, there is no question about it. We have gone after their leadership.

We have done well to prevent another 9/11- type attack, but there remains an awful lot more work to be done in order to protect this country. We have done a very good job at decimating al Qaedas leadership -- particularly in Pakistan. And obviously, the bin Laden operation was kind of the primary effort to go after the spiritual leader of al Qaeda, he said.

At the same time, al Qaedas probably metastasised... There are variations of al Qaeda that are still operating in the Middle East and north Africa, Panetta added.

The US Navy Seals raid killed bin Laden in 2011 at his compound in Abbottabad town near Pakistan armys elite training school.

Bin Laden was the founder of al Qaeda, the group that claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Donald Trump alleged Tuesday that White House rival Ted Cruzs father was with John F Kennedys killer shortly before the US president was assassinated, prompting Cruz to brand the Republican frontrunner a pathological liar.

The startling allegation, and Cruzs full-throated retort, occurred on the morning of a crucial primary election in Indiana where Trump is seeking to land a knockout blow against his chief challenger for their partys nomination.

Trump, parroting a recent story by the National Enquirer tabloid, took to Fox News to say the Texas senators father Rafael Cruz, an immigrant from Cuba, was with Lee Harvey Oswald before the assassination.

I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this? Right prior to his being shot, and nobody brings it up, Trump told Fox by telephone.

I mean, what was he doing -- what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death -- before the shooting? Its horrible.

The Enquirer, which has published previous stories deeply critical of Cruz, said an August 16, 1963 photograph of Oswald in New Orleans handing out leaflets in support of Fidel Castro shows a young Rafael Cruz nearby.

Oswald was killed November 24, 1963, two days after Kennedys assassination.

Rafael Cruz was once a supporter of rebel leader Castro, but he admits in his biography A Time for Action that he was unaware that Castro was a communist, according to the Miami Herald.

The paper said there was no corroborating evidence that Cruz -- who is now fervently anti-communist -- was affiliated with Oswald, and that the Cruz campaign said candidates father is not in the photograph.

Trumps remarks incensed Ted Cruz, who delivered a blistering takedown of the celebrity billionaire.

Donald Trump alleges that my dad was involved in assassinating JFK, a visibly angry Cruz told reporters at a campaign event in Indiana.

Lets be clear, this is nuts, he said. Yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard.

Cruz slammed Trump for several minutes unabated.

This man is a pathological liar. He doesnt know the difference between truth and lies, Cruz added, comparing Trump to a schoolyard bully and saying the real estate mogul boasts of being a serial philanderer.

The man is utterly amoral, Cruz said. Bullies come from a deep, yawning cavern of insecurity.

Cruz sees Indiana as one of the final firewalls where he could stop Trump from seizing the Republican nomination.

Indiana can pull us back, but it takes Hoosiers showing up and voting today, and the country is looking to Indiana, is looking to the judgment of the good men and women of this state, Cruz insisted.

Trump and Cruz are battling it out for Indianas 57 Republican delegates. If the billionaire sweeps them, he will be on track to reach the 1,237 necessary to win the nomination outright.
A Bangladeshi extremist outfit has released a new hitlist naming 10 people, including the head of a university and ruling party politicians, prompting police to launch a probe and provide security cover to those named in the list.

Islamic Liberation Front (ILF), an organisation that aims to establish Islamic Khilafat in the country, on Monday issued a hitlist naming 10 renowned people, including Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor M Mizanuddin and former mayor Khairuzzaman Liton.

The group claimed that they began a mission to kill all the 10 people in the list. The ILF sent the letter to the president of the Natore Press Club from Rajshahi. Natore Press Club president Rezaul Karim Reza said that an envelope containing a computer-composed letter on an ILF pad reached the press club by post, Independent Bangladesh newspaper reported.

Apart from Mizanuddin and Liton, others named in the list include Rajshahi lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, Rajshahi district unit Secretary Asaduzzaman and journalist Anu Mostafa, it said.

Natore Superintendent of Police Shyamol Mukherjee said they have beefed up intelligence activities in the district and are investigating the matter.

The Islami Liberation Group is unknown to us but we are taking the threat seriously. Steps are being taken to provide protection to the people named in the list, a police officer in Rajshahi told a TV channel.

The threat to the Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor comes weeks after professor from the same university AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, was killed by motorbike-borne assailants on April 23.

Siddiquees murder led to widespread protests by teachers and students from the university who condemned the attack and voiced concerns of their colleagues security.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home. In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.
A rare violet diamond, the largest of its kind ever found at Australias remote Argyle mine, will be the centrepiece of Rio Tintos annual pink diamonds showcase, the company said Tuesday.

The rough gem, discovered in August 2015 at a mine where more than 90 percent of the worlds pink and red jewels are produced, originally weighed 9.17 carats and had etchings, pits and crevices.

After weeks of assessment, the Argyle Violet was polished down to a 2.83 carat, oval-shaped diamond.

The diamond will be the centrepiece of Rio Tinto's annual pink diamonds showcase. (AFP Photo)

Impossibly rare and limited by nature, the Argyle Violet will be highly sought after for its beauty, size and provenance, Rio Tinto Diamonds general manager of sales, Patrick Coppens, said in a statement.

Rio Tinto did not put a figure on its worth, but said it had been assessed by the Gemological Institute of America as a notable diamond with the colour grade of Fancy Deep Greyish Bluish Violet.

It is not known how diamonds acquire their coloured tinge but it is thought to come from a molecular structure distortion as the jewel forms in the earths crust or makes its way to the surface.

Rio Tinto said violet diamonds were extremely rare with only 12 carats of polished stone produced for the tender in 32 years. (AFP)

Diamonds for sale as part of the annual Argyle pink diamonds tender can fetch US$1-2 million a carat. As a basic rule of thumb, pink and red diamonds are worth about 50 times more than white diamonds.

Rio Tinto said violet diamonds were extremely rare with only 12 carats of polished stone produced for the tender in 32 years.

This stunning violet diamond will capture the imagination of the worlds leading collectors and connoisseurs, Argyle pink diamonds manager Josephine Johnson said.

The 2016 tender will begin private trade viewings in June and travel to Copenhagen, Hong Kong and New York, Rio Tinto said.
Islamic State fighters killed a member of the US armed forces in northern Iraq on Tuesday, when they pushed through a forward line of Iraqi Kurdish forces, officials said.

He is the third American killed in direct combat since a US-led coalition launched a campaign against the jihadist group in 2014.

It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss. I dont know all the circumstances of it, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters during a trip to Germany,

US military official said the US-led coalition helped the Peshmerga repel an attack by providing air support from F-15 jets and drones.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man was killed by direct fire from Islamic State.

Carters spokesman, Peter Cook, said the incident took place during an Islamic State attack on a Peshmerga position some 3-5 km behind the Iraqi Kurdish fighters forward line.

In mid-April the United States announced plans to send an additional 200 troops to Iraq, and put them closer to the front lines of battle to advise Iraqi forces in the war against Islamic State.

Last month, an Islamic State attack on a US base killed Marine Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin and wounded eight other Americans providing force protection fire to Iraqi army troops.

The Islamist militants have been broadly retreating since December, when the Iraqi army recaptured Ramadi, the largest city in the western region. Last month, the Iraqi army took the nearby region of Hit, pushing them further north along the Euphrates valley.

But US officials acknowledge that military gains against Islamic state are not enough.

Iraq is beset by political infighting, corruption, a growing fiscal crisis and the Shiite Muslim-led governments fitful efforts to reconcile with aggrieved minority Sunnis, the bedrock of Islamic State support.
Israel on Tuesday destroyed the West Bank home of a Palestinian accused of aiding in the October 2015 murder of a Jewish settler couple in the Israeli-occupied territory.

Palestinian Zeid Amr, aged 26 or 27, is accused of being part of a squad from the militant Hamas movement that ambushed and shot dead Naama and Eitam Henkin in front of their young children as the couple drove on a road between two West Bank settlements.

Amr, who is alleged to have staked out the attack site ahead of the shooting, was detained along with four other Hamas-linked suspects a few days after the attack.

His father Ziad Amr told AFP that Israeli troops arrived at the family apartment in the northern West Bank city of Nablus around 6:30 am (0330 GMT)on Tuesday.

Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer, after it was demolished by the Israeli army, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP)

They destroyed interior walls and closed off our home, he said, adding that the family had been given advance warning after their appeal in Israels Supreme Court was rejected.

An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the demolition.

He was a member of a Hamas-affiliated terror cell that planned and executed the terror attack on October 1, killing Eitam and Naama Henkin, she told AFP, saying Amr had scouted the route for the attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accelerated demolitions of the homes of alleged attackers in a bid to halt a wave of violence that has killed 203 Palestinians and 28 Israelis since October.

Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer, after it was demolished by the Israeli army, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (AP)

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Critics say the home demolitions constitute collective punishment, in breach of international humanitarian law, but supporters say it helps deter would-be attackers.

In December, the army blew up the Nablus home of Rajeb Aliweh, a Palestinian accused of masterminding the killing of the Henkins.

Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer (AP)

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip but is also active in the West Bank, has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

Also on Tuesday police said they had arrested a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalems Old City suspected of stabbing a Jewish man there late on Monday.

The terrorist was found hiding in one of the alleyways of the Old City, a police statement said, identifying the suspect as an 18-year-old from the West Bank.

The victim, described by police as a Jewish male, aged about 60, was said by Jerusalems Shaarei Tzedek hospital to be in stable condition after treatment to a damaged lung.
Chief of Pakistans banned JuD, Hafiz Saeed, has said his organisation will not allow destruction of Hindu temples and other holy places of non- Muslims in the country.

It was Muslims responsibility to safeguard holy places of their Hindus brethren, he said while addressing a meeting in Matli town of Sindh province yesterday.

We will not allow destruction of temples and other holy places of non-Muslims in the country, he warned.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief rejected allegations that his organisation is promoting extremism in Thar area of Sindh, which borders India, by opening seminaries in the poverty- stricken arid region.

Saeed also pledged support for Kashmiri Muslims, according to a Dawn report.

He said the law enforcement agencies were sincerely trying to fight against anti-state actors and RAW agents but the Nawaz Sharif government remained silent over it.
Just as President Barack Obama and his team squeezed into a tiny conference room in the White House to follow live the raid in Abbottabad, one of the helicopters hit the ground.

This was not an ideal start, Obama thought to himself, he told CNN in an interview opening up for the first time about the killing of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011.

That couldnt have been a good sign, not with the spectre of a repeat of the botched raid ordered by President Jimmy Carter to free Americans held hostage in Iran in 1980.

We were all worried, he said. The good news was it didnt crash. Our guys were able to extract themselves. The bad news was that the helicopter itself had been damaged.

The US navy SEALS carried on with their mission undeterred, knocking off opposition floor by floor, till they found bin Laden, who spotted them first and tried to take cover.

Asked if he thought of the Carter raid in his own deliberations. He said he did, adding that even if I hadnt thought of it on my own, it was raised by a number of my advisors.

The president said he wanted to carry out the raid earlier than they actually did eventually, as he wanted members of his team of to weigh in, speak their mind, for or against it.

As for himself, he was already leaning towards it. I had been inclined to take the shot fairly early on in the discussions. But you hold back the decision until you have to make it.

Retried admiral William McRaven, who headed the special operations forces then, was very impressed with the way the president and his team went about the deliberations.

Regardless of what your politics are, you would have been incredibly proud of how the President and his national security team handled this very, very difficult and ambiguous situation, he said on the same CNN programme on the fifth anniversary of the raid.

There was never any discussion about politics and whether or not the decision the President may or may not make, how that would affect his political career.

And bin Laden was dead. When prompted by the interviewer, Peter Bergen, one of the few journalists to have interviewed bin laden, if the last thing the al Qaeda boss saw an American, Obama said, and hopefully, at that moment, he understood that the American people hadnt forgotten the some 3,000 people who he killed.
Pakistan has rapped US presidential candidate Donald Trump for his ignorance in demanding the release of a doctor who helped track Osama bin Laden, saying his fate will be decided by the countrys courts.

Trumps remarks about Shakeel Afridi, who has been in prison since he was arrested in 2011 for working with the CIA to hunt for bin Laden, touched a raw nerve in Pakistans establishment and interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan criticised the real estate billionaire in a strongly worded statement on Monday.

Khan said, Contrary to Mr Trumps misconception, Pakistan is not a colony of the United States of America. He added Trump should learn to treat sovereign nations with respect.

Mr Trumps statement only serves to show not only his insensitivity, but also his ignorance about Pakistan, Khan said. Pakistan is a country which has suffered much, and the cost it had to pay in supporting the US over the years has been mindboggling.

Trump, the Republican front-runner for the presidential nomination, told Fox News on Friday that, if elected, he would get Pakistan to free Afridi in two minutes because Islamabad receives a lot of development aid from the US.

The 69-year-old tycoon also said during a town hall meeting last week he would turn to India for help in dealing with a semi-unstable nuclear-armed Pakistan.

Khan, considered to be close to Pakistans powerful military, said in his statement that Afridi is a Pakistani citizen and nobody else holds the right to dictate to us about his future.

Afridis fate will be decided by the Pakistani courts and the government of Pakistan and not by Mr Donald Trump, even if he becomes the president of the United States, he added.

Khan dismissed the aid provided by the US to Pakistan as peanuts. He said: The peanuts the US has given us...should not be used to threaten or browbeat us into following Trumps misguided vision of foreign policy.

The killing of bin Laden at a compound located a short distance from the Pakistan Military Academy embarrassed the powerful military. Since then, the two sides have worked to improve their ties.

Since 2001, the US has paid Pakistan about $13 billion as reimbursement for its involvement in the war on terror.

But the issue of Afridi continues to be a sore point in bilateral ties. Pakistan sentenced him in 2012 to 33 years in jail on charges of backing the militant group Lashkar-e-Islam. Rights activists said the charge was trumped up.

In 2014, President Barack Obama signed a bill that proposed to withhold $33 million from assistance to Pakistan, with one million for each year in his 33-year prison term.

After his original conviction was overturned, Afridi was charged in 2013 with murder for the death of a patient eight years earlier. He remains in jail.
Law enforcement agencies in Singapore and Bangladesh have arrested 13 militants, including eight members of the Islamic State, for plotting attacks and seeking new recruits, authorities said on Tuesday.

The eight men detained in Singapore were accused of being members of the IS who were plotting terror attacks back home as part of efforts to overthrow the Bangladesh government, the home ministry said

The construction and marine workers were arrested last month under the city-states tough Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial in cases where public safety is threatened.

Read: IS threatens India with coordinated attacks from Pakistan, Bangladesh

Five other Bangladeshi workers were investigated under the Internal Security Act for alleged links to the Singapore-recruited group and deported for supporting the use of violence for a religious cause and possession of jihad-related materials, the home ministry said.

Following their deportation, officers from Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested the five men in Banasree district of the Bangladeshi capital and seized jihadi materials from them on Tuesday.

They are Islamist militants who have been sent back from Singapore recently, police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sorder said, adding that Singapore authorities had informed Bangladesh police about the five.

The head of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, Monirul Islam, told reporters: Singapore has accused them of inviting people to (engage in) extremism.

Singapores home ministry said the eight suspects had intended to join the IS in Iraq and Syria as foreign fighters but discovered it would be difficult to make their way there. The group then focussed on returning to Bangladesh, it said.

Read: IS claims killing of Hindu man in Bangladesh for blasphemy

They made plans to overthrow the democratically elected government through the use of force, establish an Islamic State in Bangladesh and bring it under ISIS self-declared caliphate, the ministry said.

The group had also raised monies to purchase firearms to carry out their planned terror attacks in Bangladesh. The money has since been seized, it said.

The investigation in Singapore revealed documents containing possible targets in Bangladesh and a list of government and military officials. The home ministry said the groups suspected leader, Rahman Mizanur, possessed guides on making weapons and bombs and radical material from the IS and Al Qaeda that he used to recruit the others.

Rahman Mizanur has said he would carry out an attack anywhere if he was instructed by ISIS to do so, though there are no specific indications that Singapore had as yet been selected as a target. Several of those detained may be liable for prosecution for terrorism financing, the home ministry said in a statement.

In January, Singapore said it had arrested and deported 26 Bangladeshi construction workers for forming a religious study group that spread the ideology of Al Qaeda and the IS.

Bangladesh police did not say if all 13 men were part of the same group.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh is reeling from a string of killings of secular and liberal activists and religious minorities by Islamic militants.

The IS and an al Qaeda branch in Bangladesh have said they are behind most of these killing but the claims have been rejected by the government.

Read: Bangladesh blogger who opposed radical Islam hacked to death
Rebel rocket fire on government-held districts of Syrias Aleppo killed at least four civilians on Tuesday but an AFP correspondent reported no regime air strikes on rebel areas as ceasefire efforts intensify.

More than 250 civilians have been killed in Syrias second city since April 22 in an upsurge of violence that has prompted a flurry of diplomacy by Russia, the United Nations and the United States to rescue a teetering February truce between the government and non-jihadist rebels.

A child was among at least four people killed in the rebel bombardment, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

State news agency SANA put the death toll at six and said 37 people were also wounded.

The AFP correspondent said the rebel-held east of the city was quiet and the Observatory also reported no new air strikes in the area.

Moscow has faced mounting pressure from Washington to rein in air raids by its Damascus ally as civilian death toll has mounted and after a hospital and three clinics were hit.

There were some ground clashes during the night along the front line that has divided Aleppo since rebels seized eastern districts of the city in 2012.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was in Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on efforts with Washington to agree a new monitoring mechanism to shore up the ceasefire.
The United States (US) on Monday confirmed media reports that it will not subsidise the proposed sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

Pakistan can still buy them but by paying fully, $699.04 million, according to a Pentagon notice of sale to Congress, requesting 42% subsidy that would have been around $13 million.

Pakistan, which requested them for aiding operations against terrorists at home, specially in its restive northwestern areas, can still have them but at commercial rates.

We have told the Pakistanis that they should put forward national funds for that purpose, state department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at a news briefing on Monday.

Kirby said objections from lawmakers was the main reason: So while Congress has approved the sale, key members have made it clear that they object to using FMF to support it.

Read | F-16s right platform for Pakistans counter-terrorism war

FMF, which stands for Foreign Military Funding, is a crucial US foreign policy tool used to extend aid to friendly nations to secure their friendship. The F-16 deal was supposed to be one.

The Obama administration has said it endorses Pakistans claim that the aircraft will be used to fight terrorists but many lawmakers doubt it.

At a recent congressional hearing Matt Salmon, a Republican congressman, raised questions about F-16s, saying they could ultimately be used against India or other regional powers.

India has opposed the subsidised sale too, questioning Pakistans claim thst the aircraft will be deployed solely against terrorists, and not, across its eastern border.

Hindustan Times reported his week, based on information from sources, that the Obama administration had decided to drop the subsidy after lawmakers opposed the move.

A state department spokesperson made it official on Monday.

Read | India expresses displeasure to US over F-16 sale to Pakistan
Indonesian villagers thought they had been blessed by an angel fallen from heaven when a beautiful doll washed up on a beach -- only to discover it was an inflatable sex toy.

Rapidly-spreading reports of a heavenly offering and fears of possible social unrest prompted a police investigation.

Detectives who arrived in the remote spot soon punctured the theory of divine intervention.

When our officers arrived they saw that the fallen angel was just a doll, it was a sex toy, local police chief Heru Pramukarno told AFP.

Villager Pardin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, found the doll when he was fishing off the remote Banggai islands off Sulawesi in central Indonesia, police said.

The discovery in March came a day after a solar eclipse swept across the area, a deeply spiritual experience in the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country. This led superstitious locals to believe the two events were linked.

Pardin took the partially inflated doll to his home in Kalupapi village, where it was treated with great reverence.

His mother gave the angel a fresh change of clothes and new Muslim headscarf to wear every day, and pictures showed it sitting up in a chair and accompanying locals on a boat trip.

Police decided to investigate after becoming concerned the increasing excitement about the angel could lead to unrest.

We were hearing many stories, such as that the fallen angel was crying when she was discovered, Pramukarno said.

The problem, it seemed, was the remoteness of Kalupapi.

They have no Internet, they dont know what a sex toy is.

After investigating, officers confiscated the doll and took it to the local police station, a move they said was intended to stop false rumours from spreading.

It is not the first time that a sex toy has been mistaken for something else entirely.

In 2012 a Chinese TV station reported a rare mushroom with medicinal qualities had been discovered in a town during drilling for a new well, only for viewers to point out that the object was in fact a sex toy for men.

Sex toys have also sparked police alerts in the past. Several years ago police in Chinas Shandong province launched a rescue operation to save what they believed was a woman drowning in a river, only to discover it was actually an inflatable sex doll.
Match Grade is a veteran-owned apparel company thats all about giving back. Their products are made entirely in the U.S. and they donate one dollar of every shirt to a vetted, family-run, military charity. To find out more about Match Grade, visit the website here.

What gave you the idea to found Match Grade?

Im a 7-year Veteran of the United States Marine Corps and deployed two times with 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2013, I entered civilian life with a Los Angeles-based construction firm and quickly realized that there werent as many opportunities as a civilian to truly help others in the way that I was used to. This realization, along with two years of hard work, led to the launch of Match Grade Apparel, 100% American-made gear that you will be proud to wear.

What does Match Grade mean?

Technically, the term Match Grade refers to firearm parts and ammunition that are suitable for a competitive match. The goal is to hit the same spot, every time. The only way to do that is to control all of the variables and keep them consistent. If you have the same high-quality firearm paired with ammunition that is the same weight every shot, you can focus on building your firing platform, controlling your breath, and that slow smooth squeeze thats been beaten into our heads since the first time we picked up a firearm.

It is with this same thinking that we approach our products at Match Grade Apparel. We realized early on that if we controlled all the variables, we could create an amazing product. This included finding the right manufacturer here in the US, coming up with designs we are proud of, creating a website that people will enjoy exploring, choosing honest, reliable Charity Partners and much more.

What is the importance of making apparel in the USA?

I have a grey fleece jacket I wear pretty much every chance I get. Its got the 1st Marine Division diamond embroidered on the back collar and Iraq War Veteran embroidered on the left chest. Its something that I am proud to have earned the right to wear. When we started talking about what kind of products to carry at Match Grade, my thoughts immediately went to my fleece. It would be awesome to link up with this company and get some custom products created for Match Grade. Then I saw it..MADE IN CHINA. That one hurt.

I knew I wanted to make all of our clothes in the US and this just drove that point home even more. What the hell is the point of making these cool, military-themed, shirt designs if I was going to turn around and put them on a shirt made in China? Creating products in America allows us all to invest back into our own economy, keeping jobs here and creating more for Americans and Veterans alike. The bottom line is if it isnt Made in the US, we wont carry it in our store.

How do you come up with designs?

Im an idea guy. They arent always GOOD ideas, but hey, they cant all be winners, right? Ive had some of these designs in my head for quite some time. When putting together Match Grade Apparel, taking the designs from idea to reality was the fun part. We strive to bring cool, patriotic shirt designs to the masses. You dont have to have served to wear and appreciate our designs, you just have to want to support those who have.

How does Match Grade help veterans?

HistoryNet is dedicated to telling the stories of those who served and will serve in the future. This ensures that those who fought for our country will not be forgotten, and is the most important part for us. We want to do our part to uphold the same ideals. We give back $1 of each and every shirt we sell. The best way to help the Military and Veteran communities is to show support. Whether its donating your time, thoughts, or money, every little bit helps. We want to make sure we are doing our part to ensure that funding is available for the continued study of PTSD and the exploration of drug-free treatment options. We also want to ensure that smaller, lesser known military charities get the attention they deserve. There are tons of great charities out there who are teaching Veterans skills and support through the transition process. We are proud to give back and hope you will join us in this endeavor.
With just under 45 days until the world's largest hospitality tech show, the countdown is officially on. If you are not familiar with it, the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) is a four-day event, complete with expert speakers and an incomparable list of exhibitorsall with the hopes of continually enhancing the fast-paced industry.

Hosted by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), the conference annually draws over 5,500 attendees from across the globe. This year's event is in New Orleans, Louisiana from June 20th-23rd, and it is jam packed. If you don't believe me, the floorplan alone is enough to convince you.

I'll be making the trek myself, and am already looking forward to hearing from the top minds in the hospitality tech industry, and making my way through the 300+ exhibits at the trade show. My objective is to find the most disruptive and innovative companies that I think have a fantastic future. You will not want to miss them either, so I've compiled a helpful list of several very promising ones here.

Without further ado, five companies to watch for at HITEC 2016, in no particular order:

1) AliceApp

If you're looking for a service management system for your hotel, AliceApp claims to be the most comprehensive one yet. With a suite of management tools for front of house, guest services and back of house, it appears the app creators have thought the modern hotel's needs through carefully. For the front of house, hoteliers can manage requests with an integrated calendar (complete with reminders) and create printable or email itineraries for guests. AliceApp's back of house functionality helps keep hotel staff on track with one convenient system that offers ticket management and a timer to track task completion timedata that further helps hoteliers improve their operations. Ultimately, AliceApp empowers hotels to increase team efficiency and communication, enabling hotels to deliver higher levels of service to their guests. A platform that keeps staff and guests on the same page is imperative in this day and age. Guest engagement technology is a highly competitive space right now, and only a few are having an impact. Keep a look out for this company.

2) Savioke

Pronounced "savvy oak," Savioke is a company utilizing robotics to improve hotel services. Their focus is a robot called Relay, which, as its name hints at, relays small items to guests. Hotel staff simply load up requested items into the bot, and with the touch of a button, it's off for delivery. Relay is a timesaver for hotels and a fun service for guests. Currently, Savioke says the robots have completed over 13,000 deliveries to date across at least six big name hotels. The company believes in the power of robotics to improve lives and says they hope to expand their services to elder care facilities, hospitals, restaurants, and beyond. The Jetsons have arrived in the hotel industry, and even though robots will never completely replace the "people' aspect of hospitality, they can certainly assist in ensuring guest satisfaction.

3) Yikes

For brands looking to promote themselves through ever-popular proximity awareness technology, Yikes might fit the bill. If you're not yet sure what proximity awareness is (or why it's valuable for brands), essentially it registers nearby devices of potential customers. Yikes utilizes this technology in a safe, secure way, to help brands build loyalty by keeping in close contact with customers. The service even allows customers to use their smartphones as keys to hotel rooms, among other conveniences. However, the company says they are more than that, boasting services like proximity awareness that tracks where guests are on the property, allowing hoteliers deliver personalized attention to guests easily and quickly. As the smartphone will continue to impact the hotel industry, I predict that it will soon be the primary device to handle most everything a guest requires while on and off property.

4) Novility

As is the trend, Novility is a company dedicated to data. The service collects data about hotel employees while training them with NovilityHELP, an interactive, engaging training system specifically made for the hospitality industry. It allows hoteliers to ensure their staff is trained and ready to provide high-quality services, as guest expectations continually heighten around the world. NovilityHELP was built to incorporate multiple languages, enabling employees to train in their language of choice. In a time when online reviews can make or break hotels, great service is more important than ever, and Novility is crafted with this in mind. Keeping employees engaged and well trained ultimately increases guest satisfaction, loyalty and revenue.

5) AboveProperty

Created in 2013, AboveProperty is a cloud-based Central Reservation System that hopes to keep the hotelier's day-to-day operations and distribution simple. The company keeps up-to-date on the latest in travel technology to ensure their social-enabled travel software is cutting edge. The software has a myriad management capabilities, including products like Inline Revenue Management, Internet Booking Engine, Social Relationship Management, and Content Management Systemand that's just the half of it. In a world of ever-increasing technological convergence, developing a next generation CRS that encompasses all the relevant guest related data and elements is no small feat. It will be interesting to see where this team gets their next group of clients.

These five companies are undoubtedly worth keeping an eye onand the remarkable thing is, there are many more inventive companies exhibiting at this year's event. Considering that HITEC attracts the best and most diverse hospitality technology brands in the world - I am looking forward to expanding this list and discovering the next big things. Hope to see you there.

Are you looking forward to HITEC? Know of any other great companies to look out for at the conference? Please feel free to send me a note.

About Puzzle Partner

Puzzle Partner Ltd. is a boutique marketing agency focused exclusively on complex B2B initiatives for the travel and hospitality technology industry. We are experts at combining strategy and tactical execution in a way that doesn't just maximize a company's potential; it redefines it. By delivering influential content, marketing services, and public relations rooted in the skills of our team and tested through real-world experience, we help our clients gain visibility, raise their profile and ultimately increase their sales revenues. We incorporate a holistic blend of paid, earned and owned media, along with creative services, into an integrated communications strategy to drive brand awareness ahead of competitors and deliver impactful business results.

To learn more visit puzzlepartner.co.

Alan Young

CEO

Puzzle Partner Ltd.
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Dubai (United Arab Emirates) -- Movenpick Hotels & Resorts (MHR) has signed a management agreement with Richreit Real Estate Development LLC for one of its most high-profile projects yet  Movenpick Hotel Apartments Al Burj Business Bay, located in Dubai's sought-after Business Bay district.

This striking 40-floor property with a modern yet elegant facade, will command a prime position on Burj Khalifa Boulevard overlooking the world's tallest building, and is expected to open in 2017.

Major infrastructure projects and attractions are within a stone's throw of the 299-room hotel apartment including Old Town Island, the Opera District in Downtown, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Canal Project, while the city's financial and commercial hubs are on its doorstep too.

"With Movenpick Hotel Apartments Al Burj Business Bay we are introducing a new upscale concept that delivers sophisticated living in a district that is rapidly emerging as Dubai's new business and leisure hub,"

said Mr. Andreas Mattmuller, Chief Operating Officer, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts Middle East and South Asia.

The hotel will feature well-appointed and spacious studios as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Stand-out amenities include a three-tiered podium area with six meeting spaces; a destination spa, gym, beauty clinic and swimming pool; a children's area with pool; an all-day-dining outlet, cafe and lobby lounge; and a business centre. The building has been designed keeping the acoustics in mind by using triple glazed glass to ensure maximum comfort level for guests.

Richreit Real Estate Development LLC Chairman Ahmed Butti Ahmed Al Muhairi said: "This property, which is already 55% complete, will not only add a new dimension to Dubai's impressive skyline, but provide guests with a true immersive destination experience given its prime location at the crossroads of multiple districts and attractions."

MHR already operates six hotels in Dubai and has two more properties planned for the city - the 244-key Movenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown Dubai opening in 2017 and the Movenpick Hotel Dubai Media City in 2018.

About Movenpick Hotels & Resorts

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international

upscale hotel management company with over 16"000 staff members, is represented in 24 countries with 83 hotels, resorts and Nile cruisers currently in operation. Around 20 properties are planned or under construction, including Chiang Mai (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia) and Nairobi (Kenia). Focusing on expansion in its core markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts specialises in business and conference hotels, as well as holiday resorts, all reflecting a sense of place and respect for their local communities.

Of Swiss heritage and headquartered in central Switzerland (Baar), Movenpick Hotels & Resorts is

passionate about delivering premium service and culinary enjoyment  all with a personal touch. Committed to sustainable environments, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts has become the most Green Globe certified hotel company in the world. The hotel company is owned by the Movenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%). For more information please visit www.movenpick.com

Laura Perez Diaz

Director of Communications - ME

+971-4-367-1927

Movenpick
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Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today reported first quarter 2016 financial results. Net income attributable to Hyatt was $34 million, or $0.25 per share, during the first quarter of 2016, compared to $22 million, or $0.15 per share, in the first quarter of 2015.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today reported first quarter 2016 financial results. Net income attributable to Hyatt was $34 million, or $0.25 per share, during the first quarter of 2016, compared to $22 million, or $0.15 per share, in the first quarter of 2015. Adjusted for special items, net income attributable to Hyatt was $34 million, or $0.25 per share, during the first quarter of 2016 compared to $17 million, or $0.11 per share, during the first quarter of 2015.

Mark S. Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, said, "We are pleased with our solid start to the year and encouraged by positive trends in our business. First quarter Adjusted EBITDA grew 9%, excluding the impact of transactions and foreign currency translation, driven by broad-based market share gains, robust performance at our select service hotels and disciplined cost management. Based on current trends, we remain confident in our ability to achieve comparable systemwide RevPAR growth of 3.0% to 5.0% for the year."

First quarter 2016 financial highlights as compared to the first quarter of 2015 are as follows:

Adjusted EBITDA increased 4.9% to $194 million, up 7.2% in constant currency.

Comparable systemwide RevPAR increased 2.2%, including an increase of 3.7% at comparable owned and leased hotels.

Comparable U.S. full service and select service hotel RevPAR increased 1.7% and 6.5%, respectively.

Net hotel and net rooms growth was 9% and 7%, respectively.

Comparable owned and leased hotels operating margins were stable at 25.0%.

Mr. Hoplamazian continued, "Our first quarter results reflect solid progress towards our goal to become the most preferred hospitality brand, as we gained RevPAR market share in each of our segments. Despite headwinds from holiday shifts, comparable systemwide RevPAR grew 2.2% in the quarter. This included a 3.7% RevPAR increase at comparable owned and leased hotels, which also grew market share over the quarter, demonstrating the quality of our owned and leased portfolio. Operating results were also strong at our select service hotels, with RevPAR growth of 6.8% in the Americas and market share gains at nearly two-thirds of our select service properties over the quarter.

"We also made solid progress on our growth efforts, opening 21 new hotels year-to-date, and further expanding our portfolio of brands with the launch of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Two particularly significant additions to our portfolio are the beach-front 436-room Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro, which we opened in March, and our April acquisition of the 380-room Thompson Hotel in Miami Beach, which we rebranded as The Confidante and added to The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Both hotels represent Hyatts expansion into key markets with significant unmet demand from our guests. Further, each of these developments reflects the strength of our balance sheet, which allows us to strategically invest in our business while continuing to return capital to our shareholders. As of April 29, 2016, we repurchased $84 million of common stock year-to-date and have $295 million remaining under our share repurchase authorization.

"Looking forward, we remain confident in our expectations for continued growth in 2016. Over the long-term, we expect to continue to create significant shareholder value, given our strong brands, high-quality portfolio and strong balance sheet."

First quarter 2016 segment results as compared to the first quarter of 2015 are as follows:

Owned and Leased Hotels Segment

Total owned and leased hotels segment Adjusted EBITDA increased 5.6% (7.4% in constant currency) based on a 2.0% increase in owned and leased hotels Adjusted EBITDA and a 21.7% increase in pro rata share of unconsolidated hospitality ventures Adjusted EBITDA. Refer to the table on page 15 of the schedules for a detailed list of portfolio changes and the year-over-year net impact to first quarter owned and leased hotels Adjusted EBITDA. Owned and leased hotels revenue increased 1.4% and expenses increased 1.3%.

RevPAR for comparable owned and leased hotels increased 3.7%, driven by strength at owned hotels in Mexico City, Orlando and San Francisco, partially offset by softer performance in San Antonio. Occupancy increased 10 basis points and ADR increased 3.5%.

Comparable owned and leased hotels revenue increased 1.8%. Excluding expenses related to benefit programs funded through rabbi trusts and non-comparable hotel expenses, expenses increased 1.8%, reflecting increases in health insurance and labor costs. Comparable owned and leased hotels operating margins were stable at 25.0% as decreased banquet revenue offset the impact of positive sales growth. Refer to the table on page 9 of the schedules for a reconciliation of comparable owned and leased hotels expenses to owned and leased hotels expenses.

The following hotel was added to the portfolio during the first quarter:

Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (owned, 436 rooms)

Management and Franchise Fees

Total fee revenue increased 1.9% (3.9% in constant currency) to $107 million. Base management fees increased 2.3% to $45 million and incentive management fees were flat at $30 million. Franchise fees increased 9.5% to $23 million, primarily due to new and converted hotels and improved performance at existing hotels in the Americas. Other fee revenues decreased 10.0% to $9 million.

Americas Management and Franchising Segment

Adjusted EBITDA increased 4.1%, with insignificant impact from foreign currency. RevPAR for comparable Americas full service hotels increased 2.2%, net of a 170 basis point impact of a shift in Easter holiday timing. Occupancy decreased 90 basis points and ADR increased 3.6%. RevPAR for comparable Americas select service hotels increased 6.8%. Occupancy increased 270 basis points and ADR increased 2.9%. Revenue from management, franchise and other fees increased 3.4%.

Transient rooms revenue at comparable U.S. full service hotels increased 9.8%. Transient room nights increased 6.5% and transient ADR increased 3.1%. Group rooms revenue at comparable U.S. full service hotels decreased 3.5%. Group room nights decreased 4.8% and group ADR increased 1.4%.

The following 13 hotels were added to the portfolio during the first quarter:

Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (owned, 436 rooms)

Hyatt Regency Aurora - Denver Conference Center (franchised, 249 rooms)

Hyatt Regency Bloomington - Minneapolis (franchised, 303 rooms)

Hyatt Place Asheville / Downtown (franchised, 140 rooms)

Hyatt Place DFW (managed, 137 rooms)

Hyatt Place Houston / Galleria (franchised, 157 rooms)

Hyatt Place Lubbock (franchised, 125 rooms)

Hyatt Place Managua, Nicaragua (franchised, 140 rooms)

Hyatt Place Park City (managed, 122 rooms)

Hyatt Place San Juan / City Center, Puerto Rico (managed, 149 rooms)

Hyatt House Dallas / Frisco (franchised, 132 rooms)

Hyatt House Denver / Lakewood at Belmar (franchised, 135 rooms)

Hyatt House Naples / 5th Avenue (franchised, 183 rooms)

One hotel was removed from the portfolio.

Southeast Asia, Greater China, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Micronesia (ASPAC) Management and Franchising Segment

Adjusted EBITDA was flat (increased 9.1% in constant currency). RevPAR for comparable ASPAC full service hotels increased 1.9%, with relative strength in China and South Korea, partially offset by relative weakness in Hong Kong. Occupancy increased 190 basis points and ADR decreased 1.0%. Revenue from management, franchise and other fees increased 4.8%.

The following two hotels were added to the portfolio during the first quarter:

Grand Hyatt Chengdu, China (managed, 390 rooms)

Hyatt Regency Changchun, China (managed, 427 rooms)

One hotel was removed from the portfolio.

Europe, Africa, Middle East and Southwest Asia (EAME/SW Asia) Management Segment

Adjusted EBITDA increased 14.3% (33.3% in constant currency). RevPAR for comparable EAME/SW Asia full service hotels decreased 5.9%, reflecting mixed results across the sub-regions. Occupancy decreased 170 basis points, reflecting lower occupancy in the Middle East, Africa, France and Turkey, partially mitigated by relative strength in India. ADR decreased 3.3% and revenue from management and other fees was flat.

Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased 6.4%. Adjusted selling, general, and administrative expenses were flat. Increased payroll and related costs were partially offset by reductions in professional fees. Refer to the table on page 8 of the schedules for a reconciliation of adjusted selling, general, and administrative expenses to selling, general, and administrative expenses.

OPENINGS AND FUTURE EXPANSION

Fifteen hotels (or 3,225 rooms) were added in the first quarter of 2016, each of which is listed above. The Company's net rooms increased 7%, compared to the first quarter of 2015. The company is on pace to open more than 60 hotels during the 2016 fiscal year.

As of March 31, 2016, the Company had executed management or franchise contracts for approximately 260 hotels (or approximately 56,000 rooms). The executed contracts represent important potential entry into several new countries and expansion into new markets or markets in which the Company is under-represented.

SHARE REPURCHASE

During the first quarter of 2016, the Company repurchased 1,527,750 shares of common stock at a weighted average price of $41.37 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $63 million. From April 1 through April 29, 2016, the Company repurchased 440,139 shares of common stock at a weighted average price of $47.71 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $21 million. As of April 29, 2016, the Company had $295 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization.

CORPORATE FINANCE / ASSET RECYCLING

During the first quarter, the Company completed the following transaction:

Issued $400 million of 4.850% senior notes due 2026.

Subsequent to the end of the first quarter, the Company completed the following transactions:

Redeemed all $250 million of Hyatt's outstanding 3.875% senior notes due 2016 for $254 million.

Completed the acquisition of the 380-room Thompson Miami Beach hotel for approximately $238 million and rebranded the hotel as The Confidante as part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

BALANCE SHEET / OTHER ITEMS

As of March 31, 2016, the Company reported the following:

Total debt of $1.7 billion.

Pro rata share of non-recourse unconsolidated hospitality venture debt of $744 million, a portion of which Hyatt guarantees pursuant to separate agreements.

Cash and cash equivalents, including investments in highly-rated money market funds and similar investments, of $771 million, short-term investments of $55 million and restricted cash of $73 million.

Undrawn borrowing availability of $1.5 billion under its revolving credit facility.

2016 OUTLOOK

The Company is reaffirming the following information for the 2016 fiscal year:

Comparable systemwide RevPAR is expected to increase approximately 3.0% to 5.0%, as compared to fiscal year 2015.

Adjusted selling, general, and administrative expenses are expected to be approximately $290 million. This excludes approximately $30 million of stock-based compensation expense. As previously announced, effective January 1, 2016, the Company's definition of Adjusted EBITDA has been updated to exclude stock-based compensation expense.

The Company expects to open more than 60 hotels in 2016.

In addition to the capital expenditures described below, the Company intends to continue a strong level of investment spending. Investment spending includes acquisitions, equity investments in joint ventures, debt investments, contract acquisition costs or other investments.

The Company is revising the following information for the 2016 fiscal year:

Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $275 million (consistent with previous expectation), including approximately $70 million (compared to previous expectation of approximately $90 million) for investment in new properties.

Depreciation and amortization expense is expected to be approximately $350 million (compared to previous expectation of approximately $325 million).

Interest expense is expected to be approximately $75 million (compared to previous expectation of approximately $70 million).

DEFINITIONS

Adjusted EBITDA

We use the term Adjusted EBITDA throughout this earnings release. Adjusted EBITDA, as we define it, is a non-GAAP measure. We define consolidated Adjusted EBITDA as net income attributable to Hyatt Hotels Corporation plus our pro rata share of unconsolidated hospitality ventures Adjusted EBITDA based on our ownership percentage of each venture, adjusted to exclude the following items:

equity earnings (losses) from unconsolidated hospitality ventures;

stock-based compensation expense;

gain on sale of real estate;

other loss, net;

depreciation and amortization;

interest expense; and

provision for income taxes.

Effective January 1, 2016, our definition of Adjusted EBITDA has been updated to exclude stock-based compensation expense, to facilitate comparison with our competitors. We have applied this change in the definition of Adjusted EBITDA to 2015 historical results to allow for comparability between the periods presented.

We calculate consolidated Adjusted EBITDA by adding the Adjusted EBITDA of each of our reportable segments to corporate and other Adjusted EBITDA.

Our board of directors and executive management team focus on Adjusted EBITDA as a key performance and compensation measure both on a segment and on a consolidated basis. Adjusted EBITDA assists us in comparing our performance over various reporting periods on a consistent basis because it removes from our operating results the impact of items that do not reflect our core operating performance both on a segment and on a consolidated basis. Our president and chief executive officer, who is our chief operating decision maker, also evaluates the performance of each of our reportable segments and determines how to allocate resources to those segments, in significant part, by assessing the Adjusted EBITDA of each segment. In addition, the compensation committee of our board of directors determines the annual variable compensation for certain members of our management based in part on consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, segment Adjusted EBITDA or some combination of both.

We believe Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it provides investors the same information that we use internally for purposes of assessing our operating performance and making selected compensation decisions.

Adjusted EBITDA is not a substitute for net income attributable to Hyatt Hotels Corporation, net income, cash flows from operating activities or any other measure prescribed by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). There are limitations to using non-GAAP measures such as Adjusted EBITDA. Although we believe that Adjusted EBITDA can make an evaluation of our operating performance more consistent because it removes items that do not reflect our core operations, other companies in our industry may define Adjusted EBITDA differently than we do. As a result, it may be difficult to use Adjusted EBITDA or similarly named non-GAAP measures that other companies may use to compare the performance of those companies to our performance. Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of the income generated by our business or discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. Our management compensates for these limitations by reference to our GAAP results and using Adjusted EBITDA supplementally.

Adjusted Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses

Adjusted selling, general, and administrative expenses exclude the impact of expenses related to benefit programs funded through rabbi trusts and stock-based compensation expense.

Comparable Owned and Leased Hotels Operating Margin

We define Comparable Owned and Leased Hotels Operating Margin as the difference between comparable owned and leased hotels revenues and comparable owned and leased hotels expenses. Comparable owned and leased hotels revenues is calculated by removing non-comparable hotels revenues from owned and leased hotels revenues as reported in our condensed consolidated statements of income. Comparable owned and leased hotels expenses is calculated by removing both non-comparable owned and leased hotels expenses and the impact of expenses funded through rabbi trusts from owned and leased hotels expenses as reported in our condensed consolidated statements of income.

Comparable Hotels

"Comparable systemwide hotels" represents all properties we manage or franchise (including owned and leased properties) and that are operated for the entirety of the periods being compared and that have not sustained substantial damage, business interruption or undergone large scale renovations during the periods being compared or for which comparable results are not available. We may use variations of comparable systemwide hotels to specifically refer to comparable systemwide Americas full service or select service hotels for those properties that we manage or franchise within the Americas management and franchising segment, comparable systemwide ASPAC full service or select service hotels for those properties that we manage or franchise within the ASPAC management and franchising segment, or comparable systemwide EAME/SW Asia full service or select service hotels for those properties that we manage within the EAME/SW Asia management segment. "Comparable operated hotels" is defined the same as "comparable systemwide hotels" with the exception that it is limited to only those hotels we manage or operate and excludes hotels we franchise. "Comparable owned and leased hotels" represents all properties we own or lease and that are operated and consolidated for the entirety of the periods being compared and have not sustained substantial damage, business interruption or undergone large scale renovations during the periods being compared or for which comparable results are not available. Comparable systemwide hotels and comparable owned and leased hotels are commonly used as a basis of measurement in the industry. "Non-comparable systemwide hotels" or "non-comparable owned and leased hotels" represent all hotels that do not meet the respective definition of "comparable" as defined above.

Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR)

RevPAR is the product of the average daily rate (ADR) and the average daily occupancy percentage. RevPAR does not include non-room revenues, which consist of ancillary revenues generated by a hotel property, such as food and beverage, parking, telephone and other guest service revenues. Our management uses RevPAR to identify trend information with respect to room revenues from comparable properties and to evaluate hotel performance on a regional and segment basis. RevPAR is a commonly used performance measure in the industry.

RevPAR changes that are driven predominantly by changes in occupancy have different implications for overall revenue levels and incremental profitability than do changes that are driven predominantly by changes in average room rates. For example, increases in occupancy at a hotel would lead to increases in room revenues and additional variable operating costs (including housekeeping services, utilities and room amenity costs), and could also result in increased ancillary revenues (including food and beverage). In contrast, changes in average room rates typically have a greater impact on margins and profitability as there is no substantial effect on variable costs.

Average Daily Rate (ADR)

ADR represents hotel room revenues, divided by the total number of rooms sold in a given period. ADR measures average room price attained by a hotel and ADR trends provide useful information concerning the pricing environment and the nature of the customer base of a hotel or group of hotels. ADR is a commonly used performance measure in the industry, and we use ADR to assess the pricing levels that we are able to generate by customer group, as changes in rates have a different effect on overall revenues and incremental profitability than changes in occupancy, as described above.

Occupancy

Occupancy represents the total number of rooms sold divided by the total number of rooms available at a hotel or group of hotels. Occupancy measures the utilization of our hotels' available capacity. Management uses occupancy to gauge demand at a specific hotel or group of hotels in a given period. Occupancy levels also help us determine achievable ADR levels as demand for hotel rooms increases or decreases.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 12 premier brands and 652 properties in 53 countries, as of March 31, 2016. The Company's purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to create value for shareholders, build relationships with guests and attract the best colleagues in the industry. The Company's subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Centric, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Residence Club brand names and have locations on six continents.

Note: All RevPAR and ADR percentage changes are in constant dollars.
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Weve seen a lot of controversy spawn out of Breakfast Club interviews, but somehow, Birdman was able to give the most talked about interview in the shows history, and he was there for under two minutes. The short conversation, which found Baby confronting Charlamagne and his co-hosts for their lack of respeck, has inspired countless memes, and has given Birdman the foundation for both a song and line of merchandise indebted to his new catchphrases.



Today, he invited the hosts of HOT 97s Ebro In The Morning to his Miami Home for his first interview since the memes really took off. On top of giving some insight into the event, he also spoke of his early family life, his relationship with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, and his feelings bout the business of hip-hop.



Since its a good 33 minutes longer than his Breakfast Club interview, we thought wed break down a couple of the more interesting things we learned from the conversation. Click through to see some of Birdmans best quotes, and watch the full interview below.





His house is decked out in Versace.

His house is decked out in Versace



Versace is my favorite brand. I love the brand. His furniture and his clothes I never met him.

He had been catching wind of Charlamagnes slander for years.

He had been catching wind of Charlamagnes slander for years



I was coming to New York anyway. I felt it was time for me to go sit down and see this man. I think for a few years, he had been slandering my name, playing with my name, not respecting me. To me, as a man, it was deeper than music to me. I just wanted to go up there and see whats happening. Put some respeck on my name, my n*gga.

He thinks the Respeck memes are funny.

He thinks the Respek memes are funny



A lot of that shit funny, man. You dont even understand how dead serious I was in that building. Its cool, Im with it. It gave a n*gga a laugh, and I dont like to laugh. A lot of that shit real funny they got on the internet. I was thinking that they was being funny on the way I talk. Im from New Orleans, everything is a slang. When we first got in the business, no one understood nothing we said Thats how I say respect.

His Respeck merch was an opportunity he couldnt pass up.

His Respek merch was an opportunity he couldnt pass up



If you know me, you know Im about money, man. Thats my thing. Im a hustla, I was born that way.

He doesnt know why Rick Ross would get involved in his family business.

He doesnt know why Rick Ross would get involved in his family business



I really dont know. Me and Ross was like brothers everyday hanging together. That was one of the reasons we came to Miami because those n*ggas embraced us so strong when we came out here. I dont know what his call was to even get into me and my sons business, thats my son. Whatever business me and him have, thats my son, that shits gonna work itself out. I have the utmost respect for Ross, I taught him a lot of game in this shit. He watched my pimpin, and he went and did his own thing with it, being a hustler, but it threw me off.

He hasnt spoken to Ross since his comments, and doesnt care to.

He hasnt spoken to Ross since his comments, and doesnt care to



I aint spoke to him or seen him. If we speak, we speak, if we dont, we dont. I can go the rest of my life not speaking to nobody. I dont give a fuck about that. That aint gonna put no money in my pocket.

Hes never stood in the way of Lil Wayne.

Hes never stood in the way of Lil Wayne



Wayne [has] always been his own boss. I never interfered in nothing Wayne wanted to do. I always embraced it. Me not putting out Tha Carter V, why wouldnt I? Ive got a lot of money invested into Young Money and Wayne, so me, I want to get some of mine back I think the world deserves a Carter V, whatever he wants to do, Im good with. Wayne is a boss, I just bagged him up to be a bigger boss. Hes still putting out records, I could stop that shit if I wanted to. I aint gonna stop him from hustling. We in this fro the money. We rap for the money.

Hes excited about his new artist, J-Soul.

Hes excited about his new artist, J-Soul



J-Soul is from T-dot O. When I met him, he was homeless, we signed him, put some money in his pocket, I bought him somewhere to live. Got him situated so he could just focus on music. Hes 18 years old, and I really, really think hes going to be the next superstar from Toronto.

He feels Trick Daddys insinuations he might be gay are preposterous

Im a straight gangsta. That n*gga been in my hood. He knows whats happening with me. I guess a n*gga get on the radio and wanna be funny or something. That n*gga knows whats happening with me. Google me. Call anything in the 504, ask about me, and watch what comes up. A straight G. Im just a hustler. Im a mastermind.

His new album will revolve around his mother and will be his most personal project yet.

His new album will revolve around his mother and will be his most personal project yet



I was 2 when she passed. My album is going to be personal, but really, my mom passed  after she had me, she got shot, but she died from complications. That shit be fucking with me a lot. I decided Id never speak on my momma. I speak on her a lot, but I never get in-depth with nothing with my family. With this album, Im really in-depth with it, I went back to New Orleans, and did my music, I shot all my videos in New Orleans.

Hes looking to expose Maino and Uncle Murda to a bigger audience.

Hes looking to expose Maino and Uncle Murda to a bigger audience



I wanna give a shout out to Maino and [Uncle] Murda. Im really feeling [them]. I was in the club and I was like damn Weve been in the studio. We got their first single called Gang, Gang, Gang. Im gonna blow it up. I want to embrace the town. I think New York is being slept on. I dont think the labels fucking with them, and then you got n*ggas thats from New York that aint fucking with the streets, period. So Im up there.

He thinks hip-hop needs Drake

I think Drake got album of the year. In 3 hours he did like 400,000. Drake is the new phenomenon. Hes something special. Hes what we need for hip-hop to keep going. We bringing that shit to higher bars. Wayne sold a million three times in a row. We need to keep bringing the bar higher so the little n*ggas can eat too with their numbers. We cant let this shit go nowhere but up.

He wants to see less rappers and more CEOs

He wants to see less rappers and more CEOs



I cant stress it enough. When I came up we had the Ruff Ryders, we had the Jermaine Dupris, we had the Dame Dashes, we had the Jay Zs, we had the Master Ps, we had the Diddys, we had the Suge Knights. We had all the CEOs that were putting on artists. We dont have none of that shit no more. We dont have no Stunnamans. Ross is doing his thing with his label, but you aint got nobody thats what I wanna embrace You might have a CEO and hes the fucking rapper. Man, sit your ass down, and go get a n*gga who can rap, and we can keep exploiting this shit and keep making it grow. I dont think that we growing. Besides us what the fuck do we have?

He thinks 50 Cent has another hit on his hands

He thinks 50 Cent has another hit on his hands



Hey man, I like that song 50 Cent got  Im a motherfuckin man. Why yall aint playing that shit a million times a week? That shit is a hit man. Hey 50, you got one boy!

He lived in Canada

This is the first time Ive ever really opened up about my personal life growing up. My mom passed when I was 2, my pops passed when I was young. My sister took me away to Prince George, Canada. I lived [there] for a few years. Then I came back, I was in a boys home for a few years.





Reading the bible changed his outlook on life.

Reading the bible changed his outlook on life



Once my stepmother got us back up out the boys home, I was just a wild animal. I didnt give a fuck about nothing or nobody, not even myself. I thought life was something different, until I got incarcerated. I read the bible and that made me change. Being young, I thought anybody could do anything  as far as pulling triggers and shit like that. Once I got in jail, it made me realize, I could use my brains and be more powerful than a gun.
As grime threatens to break through in North America every few years, only to eventually retreat back to the UK, Rejjie Snow remains an Irish hip-hop act that stands a real chance of being the exceptional overseas rapper to make an impact in the states. Perhaps its the Dublin natives infatuation with U.S. rap that gives him the edge, or his experiences living in the U.S. and London that ensure him a little more of a universal appeal. Either way, he seems to be making an impact with audiences on both sides of the pond. Rejjie put out his Rejovich EP in 2013, momentarily besting both Kanye Wests Yeezus and J. Coles Born Sinner by topping the Hip-Hop iTunes chart in the UK, proving the support of the loyal fanbase hes built for himself  and his audience has only grown since.

Rejjies dark, personal storytelling and tendency to distort his voice has earned him Odd Future comparisons, but where Tyler has molded his sound out of DIY takes on mid-00s Neptunes compositions, the DNA of Snows music reaches further back, pulling from the late-90s outsider rap he first fell in love with on the Tony Hawks Pro Skater soundtrack. Running with the basic elements of that boom bap production style, Rejjie puts his personality front-and-center in his music, rather than obscuring it like some of his heroes (namely, DOOM, the masked rapper he has tattooed on his leg). Hes more recently added a little more gloss to his production through collaborations with producer Cam Obi, and has found a good balance of playing with concepts and characters while still maintaining a true charisma, further carving out a singular lane for himself.

Now signed with Lyor Cohens 300 label, Rejjie has a real opportunity to integrate himself into some of Americas most exciting rap scenes, and while hes looking to make use of his access, his focus is making the right introduction with his debut album, Dear Annie. The concept album should explore life in his hometown  a region thats never really been highlighted in rap before  and a look into his relationships with women, with the name of his very first girlfriend inspiring the title. While his two most recent singles have hinted at true pop potential, Rejjie assures they arent an indication of the sound hes concocted on the LP  which we should be getting our first taste of very soon. After studying film in the U.S. years back, Rejjies visual tendencies have recently re-emerged, becoming an essential aspect of his art, and should inform his new material more than ever before.

We spoke to Rejjie about feeling like a black sheep in his hometown, meeting DOOM, and the potential of working with Metro Boomin. Read our conversation below.

How did you first get into music?

I kind of got into hip-hop playing Playstation games like Tony Hawk, listening to the soundtrack. Ever since then Id go to freestyle sessions, all these jams and whenever  anything that was going on in the community. Where Im from, there isnt really a hip-hop scene, so I felt a little bit lost, a bit like a black sheep. So everything I did was on my own terms. I got a laptop, started making beats, and then I used the microphone from the Playstation plugged in the USB and just did some real shitty raps [laughs]. When I was 17, I went to London, and that was cool for me, it kind of opened my eyes to hip-hop because I never knew there was so much shit happening out there.

So it was mainly American rap you were listening to?

Yeah, American hip-hop, Grand Puba, just old-school shit. From there I got into Nas. The first album I ever bought was Nas Gods Son. Then my parents played a lot of jazz, so I had that influence too.

When you went to London, did you get into grime at all?

I kind of did, but I never wanted to do it, because I didnt feel like I belonged there, you know? Its cool to have that influence, because its very from the streets, its very raw, very unfiltered, so its cool.

It seems like every few years grime threatens to push its way into North America, and were kind of seeing that again right now. Do you think it will ever fully cross over?

I dont know, its a tough one. Its quite big, but I dont think itll ever reach a mainstream level in America. It took many years for hip-hop to get there, grimes not just going to magically do that, but its cool that its in the underground. I think the underground scene will push it to a different level.

When did you live in the states?

I went to high school there for like a year, then went to college for a year after, and then came back to London because I dropped out of school.

What was the move like?

>It was a bit of a culture shock. I was kind of homesick for a long time, but it kind of opened up my mind to different cultures.

Were you taking music seriously at that point?

Nah, I maybe had two tracks on the internet, and they were getting some views or whatever. At that time I was in school, I had like labels hitting me up and shit. People were flying out to meet me. All that shit was going on and then I just left America.

Were you doing more film-oriented stuff?

Yeah, I studied film and all that for a year.

Is that something youre still interested in?

Yeah, I think even moreso now. Just because I can kind of use the music as a vehicle to make videos for people. I dont have to spend X many years in school, which is cool, and I kinda do wish I did that. At the same time, with my videos now, I try to direct them as much as I can.

Your videos are pretty cinematic as it is. Are you going to continue to put a lot of focus on visuals with your future output?

Yeah, I think visuals are one of the more important ways in which you present your music. My next record, I want to make it a visual album. Maybe a video for every track, and have a short film accompany it.

Whats the status of Dear Annie? I hear its done.

Its ready. We want to put out singles for now. I think my next single will be off that album, and it should open up peoples ears to how everything sounds.

The debut album is pretty romanticized in rap. What do you want your first album to say about you?

I want to tell the story about where Im from, and I feel like no one from Dublin has ever done that. For me, its a lot of weight to carry, because I want to really represent people who havent been heard before. So, I dont know if ill be able to do that, but I really want people to support me, because Im fully with that. I want to get some accolades to. I want a Grammy, why not?

Do you find yourself trying to find a balance between your UK and North American audience when you write?

I try to make my shit understandable, relatable, and accessible to everyone. I can obviously just do my thing, but thats kinda selfish, because music should be a universal thing. I just try to make honest music that people relate to. Its that simple.

Can we expect your new music to sound anything like your more recent singles, Blakkst Skn and All Around The World?

No definitely not. They were just tracks. The album sounds a little more jazzy, but also a little more aggressive, more lyrics and shit. But for me, Ive been trying to find a balance between making as you said that accessible to everybody and not just some hip-hop backpack thing, because its been done before.

Who is Annie and why did you decide to name your album after her?

Annie is like my first girlfriend. The reason I say Dear Annie is because I think she represents a lot of things that happened in my life, a lot of things that happened afterwards  how I kind of look at girls, all that kind of shit. Also her name, I liked her name too.

Do you find fans are more entitled than ever when it comes to demanding new music from artists?

Yeah, people expect too much, man. Its almost like if you dont keep in touch on Twitter or like post selfies, they kind of forget about you. So for me, I try my best to really connect with people and stay active, because I know that people are very fickle. Youre only as good as your last releases kind of thing.

Youve worked with Chance The Rapper collaborator Cam Obi recently. Who else can we expect to hear on the album?

Im working with Cam quite closely, and Im working with Karriem Riggins, hes dope, he worked with Dilla and Erykah Badu, so its a pleasure to have him. Pretty dope producers.

Are most of your producers American, or are some of them closer to home?

From the UK, Ive got homies like Archie from King Krule. I just signed a deal with 300, so theyve kind of opened up doors to working with people from Atlanta. Im probably gonna have a session with Metro [Boomin] next week. Could be interesting to see what comes from that.

Is there anyone you wanna work with that you havent had the chance to yet?

Kanye!

So youre into The Life Of Pablo I take it?

Yeah Thats not gonna happen anytime soon though [laughs].

You never know, hes been known to bring newer artists into the studio.

Maybe he could even see the interview you know? He needs to hit me up.

I caught one of your tweets and I have to ask, were you actually partying with Taylor Swift the other day?

Yeah, yeah, you know Haim? I went to their party and she was just there chilling, posted up, just dancing all awkward. She was just going crazy. I was like what the fuck and my boy was like thats Taylor Swift, and Im like ok Shes crazy.

Why were you out in L.A.?

Ive been out there for two weeks just doing the album. I love L.A., its a cool place.

I hear you have an MF Doom tattoo is that true?

Yeah on my leg. I kind of wish I didnt have it, because I met MF DOOM and like the guy I was with fucking told him and I didnt know where to look, I was like fuck [laughs].

Wow, DOOMs a pretty reclusive guy. How did you link up with him?

We have mutual friends. So I had fucking lunch with him in London. No mask and shit, it was crazy. Hes a chill guy.

Is he someone you grew up on?

After Nas and shit I kind of found out about DOOM. I used to do a lot of graffiti, so it was typical graffiti shit. When I found his music I just fell in love with it.

Did you have to narrow down the songs you recorded for the album or did you just kind of take it one track at a time?

Kind of like one song at a time because its very conceptual.

Will it be a proper retail release?

Vinyl, everything. Im stoked to see how it looks physically. Its going to look really cool with the cover and everything.

What do you want fans to expect from the album?

I want people to be excited. I think its something new. It doesnt sound like anything out right now.
Tribute was paid to his dad, Garvin

The Edge made history over the weekend when he became the first rock musician to play in the Sistine Chapel.

His acoustic set comprised of U2s Ordinary World, Yahweh and Walk On and Leonard Cohens If It Be Your Will, and was timed to coincide with the Cellular Horizons Medical Conference, which was being held in The Vatican.

Attended by doctors, patients and politicians, it concentrated on new breakthroughs and future treatments.

When I was asked to perform in the Sistine Chapel I didn't know what to say, because usually there's 'this other guy' who sings, Edge reflects. So it took me at least, well, 30 seconds to agree to it! Being Irish you learn very early that if you want to be asked to come back it's very important to thank the local parish priest for the loan of the hall."

Ordinary Love was dedicated to his father Garvin who passed away last week.

"I want to dedicate this next song to my father, who passed away last week, hes reported as saying by u2.com. He was supposed to be with us here today. He is here in spirit, represented by three of his granddaughters, Hollie, Arran, and Blue and his daughter-in-law Morleigh. My father lived for 10 years after being diagnosed with colon cancer, they were great years, made possible through the miracle of medical science. For this and all the amazing doctors and nurses who ministered to him right up to the end including, Dr William Li, and Dr Stan Natin, my family and I give thanks."

Delegate Primrose Niels describes Edges performance as: The most incredible end to an incredible conference at the Vatican. The Edge from U2 gave the first-ever contemporary performance in the Sistine Chapel - amazing performance in the most amazing space in the world. A memory I will cherish forever.
I think if you dont come out of making an album with your head fucked up in some way then youre not doing your job. Weve all come out of this a bit fucked up so thats good, says Paul Linehan.
To see the headquarters in Google Street View &trade, drag this yellow guy:over to the red pointer:
Rostock Ventures, Corp. was incorporated November 2, 2006 in Nevada and is a development stage company. Rostock was formed to seek business opportunities in mineral exploration. At December 31, 2009, Rostock had purchased 59 mining claims in the Tintina Gold Belt in Yukon Territory, Canada and is in the process of geologically evaluating and testing these claims as well as raising operating capital and further developing its business plan for future acquisitions.
A food manufacturing facility in Sugar Land will shut down this fall, at a cost of 163 jobs, due to a reshuffling at its Atlanta-based parent company.

CSM Bakery Solutions will close the local plant Oct. 1. It's also cutting two other facilities in the United Kingdom, while adding capacity and making equipment and infrastructure upgrades at its home base and in several locations, including Dallas.

President and CEO Robert Sharpe said in a statement last week that the moves are designed to "enhance our overall productivity, capabilities and capacity to allow us to profitably grow the business in the years ahead." The job cuts were announced Monday by the Texas Workforce Commission.

While declining to detail operations in the Fort Bend County community, CSM spokesman Dennis Murphy said the company decided the manufacturing would be more economical elsewhere. The facility is limited in what and how much can be produced, he said.

CSM serves customers in more than 100 countries. It provides specialized ingredients, including dry mixes, fillings, icings, glazes and melange, and it bakes finished products such as cakes, doughnuts, brownies and specialty breads. It also owns several brands, including BakeMark, Brill, Meister Marken, Multifoods, Waldkorn and Westco.

Murphy said the company is assisting workers in finding other jobs, including jobs within the company when possible. It's giving severance packages to eligible workers, though he wouldn't elaborate on those packages.

Jennifer May, director of economic development for Sugar Land, learned about the layoffs late last week.

"We take very seriously every job within Sugar Land and never like to hear of a business closing down," she said. "But overall, we feel like the impact to the city will be minimal."

She said there are more than 63,000 jobs in the city, and the commercial real estate market continues to perform well.

Keri Curtis Schmidt, president and CEO of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, also remained upbeat. She cited Schlumberger's decision to relocate its area headquarters to Sugar Land, the expansion of Applied Optoelectronics and the addition of a new FedEx facility in Missouri City.

"While it is always difficult to hear news of layoffs, we are fortunate to have more good news than bad," she said in an email.

As for CSM, Sharpe insisted the cutbacks in Sugar Land, coupled with investments in places like Dallas, Minnesota, California and the U.K., show a commitment to the future.

"In the next two years, we will dedicate more than 150 million euros to position our company for long-term growth," he said.
U.S. antitrust regulators on Monday heralded their success in blocking an oil services megamerger between the world's second- and third-largest oil field services contractors.

"The deal was not fixable," David Gelfrand, a senior attorney at the Justice Department, told reporters during a conference call about the Halliburton-Baker Hughes proposal.

Its cancellation was a "victory for the U.S. economy and all Americans," his boss, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, said a day earlier.

But the victory follows nearly a decade of relatively lax antitrust enforcement that has left several U.S. industries, such as cable providers, airlines and banks, dominated by a handful of powerful companies.

"Only recently are you seeing stronger actions from the Department of Justice. We're getting to the level where in some industries, there are so few firms that they're realizing that this cannot continue," said Gustavo Grullon, a professor at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business.

Grullon estimates that the number of publicly traded companies in the U.S. has been in decline since roughly 1990 because of consolidations. Currently, there are about 3,500 public companies in the U.S., roughly the same number from 1970 despite the fact that the economy is three times larger.

The decline has given the remaining companies outsized influence over the market that has helped to boost profits, Grullon said. For example, 37 banks that existed in 1990 have been rolled into just four giant companies today: CitiGroup, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo and Bank of America. In the airline industry, 10 airlines have been combined into American, Delta, United and Southwest in just the past decade.

Nevertheless, antitrust regulators have dealt challenges to some megamergers. They've moved against mergers between telecom giants AT&T and T-Mobile USA and Comcast's attempt to buy Time Warner Cable. They've struck out at a plan to combine Staples and Office Depot, and eventually halted General Electric's effort to sell its appliance lines to Swedish giant Electrolux.

And last month, President Barack Obama issued an executive order urging regulators to preserve the competitive markets that are a "cornerstone of the American economy."

Regulators were perhaps the only reason the Halliburton-Baker Hughes deal came apart. Not even falling oil prices ended the deal. Shareholders of both companies made no noise about the combination and voted in its favor.

Regulators argued that the oil services industry is concentrated in the hands of a few large players. Houston's Halliburton, the world's second-largest oil field services company behind international giant Schlumberger, and Baker Hughes, the third largest, control a large portion of the market. The two companies are especially important to U.S. shale drilling, where they contract with producers to do everything from fracturing wells to analyzing geology.

The Justice Department alleged that their merger, which was valued at $35 billion when it was announced in November 2014 and about $28 billion currently, would have left the company with too much leverage over the producers it serves. Attorneys alleged that the combination would have hurt competition in 23 separate oil field productions and services markets where the two companies overlapped.

To get the merger passed, Halliburton had offered to sell off assets that generated about $7.5 billion in annual revenue.

But Justice Department officials rejected the proposal, saying that the businesses would face challenges succeeding on their own and wouldn't foster competition. For example, antitrust officials said, Halliburton planned to divest some businesses but to keep intellectual property rights, meaning that Halliburton could still make money off the ventures it jettisoned by selling them licenses.

The sale would have left the market "in the hands of a duopoly," Lynch said in a statement.

The stiff resistance offered by antitrust regulators to the Halliburton deal and a handful of others recently has so far been the exception rather than the rule, said Darren Bush, a law professor at the University of Houston and a former antitrust attorney at the Department of Justice.

Despite an early push to get tougher on antitrust issues, the Obama administration has mostly been soft on the deals, he said.

"Mergers don't face, under typical circumstances, a great deal of scrutiny," he said, and regulators have been "fairly unlikely to challenge mergers."

And even if the administration were to get tough near the end of its tenure, he added, the 2016 election likely means another change is coming.
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SEATTLE - The U.S. Supreme Court weighed in for the first time Monday on a $15-an-hour minimum wage, signaling it does not plan to stop the movement that is spreading across the nation, worker advocates say.

The justices refused to hear a challenge to Seattle's law, which franchise owners said discriminates against them by treating them as large businesses. It comes as several other cities and a group of states, including California and New York, have started to phase in a $15 minimum wage in recent months as the cost of living keeps rising.

State courts are considering several challenges to local minimum wage laws, which each take a slightly different approach, but no other cases are on their way to Supreme Court at this time, the National Employment Law Project said.

"The Supreme Court's action makes clear that the courts are not going to step in to block the raises that America's workers need," said Paul Sonn, general counsel and program director of the group that advocates for employment rights for lower-wage workers.

New York's law is being challenged in state court in a similar lawsuit brought by the fast food industry. Employers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport have filed several legal challenges after the city of SeaTac, Wash., passed the first $15 wage in the U.S. The national minimum is $7.25 an hour.

More Information Ruling stands on ad claims WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is leaving in place a ruling that found advertising claims of the benefits of POM Wonderful juices were deceptive. The justices on Monday rejected an appeal from POM Wonderful that argued that the ruling violated the company's speech rights. POM makes pomegranate-based products. The Federal Trade Commission and the federal appeals court in Washington faulted POM for asserting that its products curb the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. Associated Press See More Collapse

Nearby Seattle closely followed, becoming one of the first cities to adopt a law in 2014 aiming for a $15 minimum wage. San Francisco changed its wage around the same time.

Seattle's law gives small businesses employing fewer than 500 people seven years to phase it in. Large employers must do so over three or four years, depending on whether they offer health insurance to their employees.

"Seattle's ordinance is blatantly discriminatory and affirmatively harms Seattle hard-working franchise small business owners every day since it has gone into effect," president of the International Franchise Association, Robert Cresanti, said in a statement. "We are simply attempting to level the playing field for the 600 local franchise business owners employing 19,000 people in Seattle."

The group said it was still deciding what its next steps would be but that it has been working to stop similar provisions from slipping into other local minimum wage laws. A spokesman says the group has been mostly successful in those efforts without having to file other lawsuits.
Not so long ago, it looked like they might be playing on the same team. But as the 47th Offshore Technology Conference opened Monday, the Houston companies Halliburton and Baker Hughes were rivals again.

A day after the deal to combine the No. 2 energy services company, Halliburton, with No. 3 Baker Hughes fell apart, engineers from the companies were showing off competing technologies to potential clients from around the world.

Halliburton technology buffs trotted out the company's new computer system for tracking fluids within massive offshore facilities, while Baker Hughes workers gave presentations on boosting deep-water oil production.

While the companies' chief executives had called their inability to overcome the government's antitrust objections "disappointing," that sentiment was hardly universal among the tens of thousands of energy professionals attending. Some potential customers and smaller competitors said they preferred to see the energy services giants operating separately rather than together.

"In these fields, there are only a few players," said Fadi Kabboul, an oil specialist from Venezuela. "In these type of services, you need to think about it very carefully, because you can end up with a monopoly or something that might not be helpful for the industry."

Employees for Halliburton and Baker Hughes declined to comment on the failed merger.

A combination between the two would have created the biggest oil field services company in the U.S. and the second largest in the world after No. 1 rival Schlumberger.

The Justice Department filed an antitrust suit against the companies last month, saying the merger would create a duopoly with Schlumberger in more than 20 oil equipment markets.

Good for competition

"Competition is always good for the market," said Brian Harrington, a project manager at HDI Gauges in Houston. "It wasn't just the U.S. that was complaining. The U.K. was complaining. Australia was complaining. There must be a reason. Usually it's because it's stifling competition."

Baker Hughes agreed to sell itself to Halliburton in late 2014 in large part as a measure to ride out the downturn that would eventually force drillers to sideline two-thirds of their U.S. oil and gas rigs.

It was also, to a certain extent, a power play: A bigger company with a dominant market share could, to some degree, resist calls from oil producers to lower costs as crude prices sank because customers would have fewer choices.

"There may be a certain amount of relief" that the deal isn't happening, said Frances Metcalfe, head of oil and gas at Cambridge Consultants in the United Kingdom. "There are quite a lot of decisions that companies were waiting to make until they saw the outcome of the transaction."

$3.5 billion for breakup

As part of the merger deal, Halliburton will pay Baker Hughes a $3.5 billion breakup fee.

Baker Hughes said Monday that it will use that breakup fee to buy stock and pay off some of its debt, in addition to cutting about $500 million in annual costs.

Baker Hughes plans to buy back up to $1.5 billion in shares and retire about $1 billion in debt.

The company said it is considering structural changes for its businesses to cut costs and become more efficient.

Conference calls

Baker Hughes will hold a conference call Tuesday morning to further detail its plans.

Halliburton will offer commentary on its first-quarter earnings Tuesday and is expected to discuss the failure of the proposed merger.

Baker Hughes' stock fell 96 cents, or 2 percent, to $47.40 a share Monday. Halliburton's shares rose 74 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $42.05.
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TYLER - In this place of tall pines and fried catfish, where the Texas twang rolls sweet and slow, a hometown hospital took a swing at three of the nation's largest insurers. The legal brawl it unleashed gives a rare glimpse at just how antagonistic the business of health care can become these days.

Last summer, just shy of its 65th birthday, East Texas Medical Center filed a lawsuit in state district court in Smith County alleging that Aetna Health, Cigna Healthcare and, especially, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas have plunged the hospital into financial jeopardy by repeatedly shutting it out of the most common and popular group health insurance networks.

Hospital executives say it makes no sense and feels oddly personal.

The 502-bed main hospital in Tyler, which serves as the mother ship in a system of rural hospitals and clinics, is the only full-service, nonprofit hospital in all of Texas that has been involuntarily shut out of statewide preferred provider networks, the hospital contends.

The exclusion carries a big toll to the entire region, its executives say. They are now contemplating cutting specialty care for patients, shuttering facilities in rural areas, and grounding air ambulances. The word bankruptcy has entered the conversation, as the hospital reported a $16 million loss last year.

"No one wants to sue an insurance company. People don't want to poke the bear," says Elmer Ellis, president and CEO of ETMC, a place he has worked for nearly 50 years, "It's not what you want to do; it's what you have to do."

Both inside and outside of Texas, health care experts say it is extraordinary for a hospital to resort to legal action to be put in a broad network, but it goes to the heart of how important such a designation has become.

"It's not the normal fight," says Stacey Pogue, a senior policy analyst focused on health care for the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin. More typically, a provider might sue because it can't get reimbursed at the negotiated rate, she says.

ETMC has the only kidney transplant option in the immediate region. It also is the only Level I Trauma Center and offers the only deep brain stimulation surgery for such conditions as Parkinson's disease. Doctors have said those services are not available at the other in-network hospitals in Tyler. Patients could be forced to travel to Dallas, Houston or Shreveport, La., to get treatment that exists practically on their doorstep.

"It don't make good sense. You got people on fixed incomes. How they going to afford to travel?" asks Sam Williams, a 72-year-old Tyler retiree who received a new kidney almost three years ago at ETMC and receives follow-up care from a specialist several times a month. While he is covered by Medicare, he worries for those in insurance limbo on the waiting lists.

Most of the hospital's wrath is aimed at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, the state's largest insurer. In the Tyler area, Blue Cross and Blue Shield commands 73 percent share of the market, which translates to about one in seven people in the county, hospital executives say.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield declined to comment on the litigation in Tyler. Aetna and Cigna also did not comment.

However, during a court proceeding last fall, Martin Bishop, a Chicago lawyer representing Blue Cross and Blue Shield, called the hospital's doomsday scenario exaggerated.

"They talk about people in this town being sentenced to death. We take that very seriously, but it's incorrect," he said, adding that even if there are financial problems it is not the fault of any insurance decision.

The real reason behind the lawsuit is to exact "leverage," Bishop said, and have the judge inappropriately intervene to force a contract.

The case has taken on the feel of a grudge match. And emotions are running high as it heads for trial later this year.

"They are corporate bullies, and they have acted like a corporate bully towards us for more than 20 years," said Otis Carroll, the local lawyer representing the hospital. "And that may be shame on us that we haven't done something before."

A A A

As the health care landscape continues to shift amid mega-mergers and narrowing networks, some health policy watchers worry smaller hospital systems like ETMC would be unable to fight back.

"It sounds likes financial desperation. Desperation drives people and institutions to take drastic actions," says Gerald Kominski, director of the University of California-Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research.

Carroll says the lawsuit is "about raw power."

"Blue Cross Blue Shield rules the roost in Smith County," he says. "They want to make sure everyone knows they are in charge."

Carroll's soft drawl and countrified cadence in the courtroom has amplified the us-against-them divide he sees between Tyler and "those corporate fellows" arriving from Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Dallas on the insurers' behalf.

Carroll says ETMC has been trying for years to be included in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO network serving employer-sponsored group plans without success and without ever being told why. During a court hearing, he said his client would forgo all negotiation and accept whatever reimbursement rates are given to the in-network hospital in town.

The insurer refused.

The closest to an explanation came from a Blue Cross and Blue Shield executive who testified the existing network of patient care is fine and had been approved by the Texas Department of Insurance. He added that letting a new player into the mix, especially when it has never been in, could disrupt the status quo and set a "dangerous precedent" for other unhappy hospitals.

***

Taking that step toward the courtroom was not easy for Elmer Ellis. Now 75, he came on board in 1968 as young comptroller from Paris, about 100 miles to the north, who knew little about hospital finance but learned quickly.

It was his vision to expand into outlying areas and bring high-caliber health care to poor, rural areas like those where he grew up. At one time, there were 13 full-service hospitals in the ETMC system. Three have now closed. Three others are in search of new partners due to financial instability. System officials said last week that the main hospital in Tyler, which subsidizes the regional facilities, has lost $4 million since the beginning of the year.

"I've spent nearly 50 years of my life building this. It hurts my heart to realize some of those people are going to have to do without," Ellis says, eyes glistening behind round wire-rimmed spectacles.

He sees what is happening in Tyler as a cautionary tale: "If Blue Cross Blue Shield can decide if our hospital lives or dies on a whim, they can do it to your hospital, too."

The lawsuit hangs on a little-known point of Texas law, passed in the 1990s when PPO plans were still in their infancy. It states that an insurer must give "fair, reasonable and equivalent" opportunity to enter a network. The law further says that if a provider is rejected, the insurer must provide a reason. The hospital system claims the insurers are negligent by ignoring the law.

Ellis remembers a different era.

"In the beginning, Blue Cross and Blue Shield was not considered an adversary," he says. "They came, we would sit down, and together we would set out the rates. It was all very friendly. I used to go deer hunting with their executives."

Then, he adds, "they turned into an insurance company for real."

In 1992, he said he thought the two sides were close to finalizing an agreement to be included in a newly minted PPO insurance network when an executive at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas walked in and said there would be no deal, Ellis recalls.

"She never said why. We have never got an answer," he says.

ETMC is included in Blue Cross and Blue Shield's health maintenance network offered by some employers and on the federal exchange mandated by the Affordable Care Act. But the reimbursement rates paid to the hospital are "dramatically less" than through a PPO, a hospital executive testified last fall.

In addition, the outlying ETMC system hospitals are included in the PPO network, leaving only the main hospital shut out.

Doctors, though, say that if someone needs to be transferred to Tyler for more complex care, the patient is suddenly out of network.

That's what happened to Farah Williams, a 39-year-old single mother from tiny Tenaha whose kidneys are giving out. Last fall, she was referred to ETMC by her doctor in Nacogdoches to get on a transplant list. Quickly she learned the Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance she gets through her job at Wal-Mart would not cover the procedure there. Her out-of-pocket costs would be $20,000, the hospital confirmed last week. She wasn't sure what to do. There was talk of her finding another hospital.

"That was really scary. They said they would probably want to send me way off to Houston. I can't afford to drive that far," she says.

So at the hospital's urging she called her insurance company and was sent some papers. She signed them and was told her treatment will now be in-network until the end of December. She is still undergoing tests to see if she is a candidate for a transplant and is unsure if it will be covered.

***

A billboard of a handsome, beaming man holding an insurance card greets motorists on the highway into Tyler. "Congratulations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas members! You've won a real choice in healthcare," the sign announces in triumph.

Or maybe not.

This strange case got stranger two weeks ago.

Last year, not long after the lawsuit was filed, two of the nation's leading credit rating firms, Moody's Investor Service and Fitch Ratings, downgraded ETMC's rating and assigned a negative outlook. Moody's cited ETMC's out-of-network status as one of the reasons.

That propelled both sides into a cramped, second-floor district courtroom on Nov. 10 as the hospital asked for a temporary injunction to put it in network as an emergency remedy.

The mood deteriorated quickly. Brett McClure, a lawyer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, cross-examined Byron Hale, chief financial officer at ETMC: "Mr. Hale, you don't find Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas trustworthy, do you?"

"Not at all," came the reply.

After six hours, Judge Jack Skeen Jr. ruled in favor of the hospital, putting it in the insurer's PPO network at least until trial.

Jubilance spread quickly. The hospital's marketing department bought billboards around town, printed fliers and took out an ad in the local newspaper announcing the news.

Then, on Feb. 29, at 10 p.m. Ellis' cellphone buzzed with a text message: The 12th Court of Appeals ruled that the lower court "abused its discretion." The appellate court sided with the insurer and lifted the injunction, saying the hospital did not prove it was in immediate financial danger.

The billboards in Tyler are now coming down.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield, in an email to the Chronicle, said it was pleased with the appellate decision but had no further comment.

It is unclear what the ruling means to patients who might have briefly been in network but could be out again. Hospital officials are hopeful the insurer will cover any treatment as everyone waits for trial.

"I'm disappointed, but it doesn't change my resolve," says Ellis. "I've got to just dig down a little harder. But it doesn't change the battle."
The Money Cat, a popular figurine in Asian culture, is a talisman believed to bring good luck to its owner. When chef Justin Yu opened his ambitious restaurant Oxheart on Nance Street in 2012, he decorated the chic, snug space with a few dozen Money Cats.

They've paid off. Yu was named Best Chef Southwest at the 2016 James Beard Foundation Awards on Monday night in Chicago. It was Yu's third consecutive nomination in the category and first win.

When Yu, 31, reached the microphone to accept the award, he let out an expletive that summed up his surprise at snagging the gold medallion hanging around his neck. Reading from his cellphone, he thanked the city of Houston for its support, and then a number of local chefs and restaurant employees including his business partner and ex-wife, Karen Man. He also thanked his mentor, Ryan Pera of Revival Market and Coltivare, and his aunts who he said "came to this country to see someone like me hopefully succeed."

The Beard Awards are the nation's most prestigious food honors. Before Yu, only two other Houston chefs won the regional chef prize: Chris Shepherd in 2014 for his work at the acclaimed Underbelly and Robert Del Grande in 1992 for the groundbreaking Cafe Annie.

Yu was nominated in the same category as fellow Houston chef Hugo Ortega for his work at Caracol. It was Ortega's fifth nomination in the Best Chef Southwest category.

Yu said he was overwhelmed at the win.

"I'm quietly freaking out," he said, in a phone interview. "It's definitely an amazing feeling."

He said he thanked Houston first because the city has been so supportive of his work.

"The city is second to none," Yu said. "They've embraced us even though we're that weird, quirky kid off to the side. It doesn't matter if we're not the most popular restaurant. But they know the work we do."

"Justin has changed the face of dining in Houston," said Underbelly's Shepherd. "He's an amazing force. (Winning a Beard award is) so good for the city and it's so good for him. He's a great chef."

Yu, co-owner of Oxheart, is a Houston native of Chinese descent who graduated from Memorial High School. He worked at the 17 restaurant in Houston, Green Zebra and Spring restaurants in Chicago and Ubuntu in Napa, Calif. His stages, or apprenticeships, include In de Wulf in Belgium and AOC and Geranium restaurants in Copenhagen.

Yu and Man, a pastry chef, opened the 30-seat Oxheart in downtown's Warehouse District in 2012. It became an instant hit with foodies. Bon Appetit magazine named it one of the country's 10 best new restaurants. In a 2013 review, New York Times food critic Pete Wells called Oxheart "one of the growing number of places around the country that are rearranging our notions of what fine dining means. It is also an example of the growing ambition of the Houston dining scene."

Yu pays close attention to seasonal and local ingredients, making vegetables the center of the plate. He also brings finely layered techniques to his cuisine, from fermentation to sous vide. Yu has also integrated Asian influences into Oxheart's tasting menu.

In her June 2012 review of Oxheart, Houston Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook praised Yu's work, comparing his dishes to the visually captivating presentations at Rene Redzepi's Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, considered at the time to be the best restaurant in the world.

She wrote of the Oxheart kitchen: "They're busy making art. Not just on the glorious-looking plates of food, but on the palate as well: a single Gulf oyster shimmering in a gleam of green tomato water, capped with a tuft of green herbs and teeny-tiny flowers; or a nest of roasted fingerling potatoes on a field of pureed chard so vividly green it seems otherworldly." She continued: "At 3 months old, Oxheart is already functioning on a (dare I say it without irony?) world-class level. It could easily turn into a destination restaurant, one that looks to the future of fine dining, and even what foods we choose to eat, rather than modeling the past."

Almost all of Oxheart's staff of 14 traveled with Yu to Chicago. One of the rewards for employees of more than a year, he said, is that they get to go to the ceremony if he's nominated.

"Now we'll have to figure out another incentive for people to stay with us for a year," Yu said.

The crew will be returning to Houston on Wednesday and service at Oxheart will resume Thursday.

When asked what this means for the culinary scene in Houston, Yu said: "It says that we're always going strong. That we're always trying to push ourselves to do something better; we're always trying to make ourselves better. I know we haven't stopped that at Oxheart. Sometimes it feels like it's not worth it but sometimes it is. Like tonight."
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An increased reward of $15,000 is being offered for information about the suspects in the slaying of an armored car guard earlier this year in north Houston.

Melvin Moore, 32, was gunned down about 12:05 p.m. March 18 in the 5200 block of Airline Drive, according to the Houston Police Department.
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Concealed handguns would be allowed in all Texas A&M University classrooms and college-owned dormitories under proposed campus carry rules released Wednesday.

Universities across the state are working to establish rules on where concealed license holders can bring their guns on campus, when a new law allowing handguns on campuses takes effect in August. A&M's proposed rules, which need approval from the system's board of regents, are somewhat more lenient than rules implemented at the University of Texas at Austin, where guns have been banned from dorms.
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In the past, booking the 27-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Houston shortly before the weeklong Offshore Technology Conference, was nearly impossible. Not this year.

Jesse van de Korput, a Malaysian energy executive, didn't have any trouble finding a flight to attend the international oil and gas expo. Finding a hotel was easy, too. So was getting a parking spot outside of NRG Park. All the normal hassles of getting to the energy conference had disappeared.

But also gone, van de Korput and others noted, was the vigor, electricity, and optimism that typically runs through the exhibit hall.

"The energy isn't the same," said Murad Said, a project manager at Cladtek, an oil field services company in Brazil. "Last year, people were very excited and happy to be at the conference. But we're not seeing that this time."

The oil industry's brutal downturn of the past two years - the worst since the epic bust of the 1980s - has taken a toll on the world's largest annual energy conference, subduing the celebration of technology, innovation, and determination that has allowed energy companies to conquer the most inhospitable places. Drillers have shed tens of thousands of jobs since the bust began in the summer of 2014, leaving the remaining employees to take on bigger workloads and making it more difficult for companies to send large groups to the conference.

Some firms have gone bankrupt. Others just don't want to spend the money when they're throwing people out of work.

Vendors expect fewer sales

Conference organizers haven't released attendance figures, but on Monday, traffic on the main exhibit floor of the conference appeared lighter than usual. Lines for exhibits, lines for technical sessions, lines for lunch were short, if not nonexistent.

Last year, "it was just wall to wall," said Manuel Lozano, a sales manager at electronic manufacturer Nicomatic. "There were lines for the food. There were lines for everything."

On Monday, Lozano walked right up to order a Chick-fil-A sandwich without any wait.

Equipment vendors said they expected sales to shrink. Shoppers prowling the halls for the latest in oil technology said they would spend less while hoping crude prices recover soon. Solomon Erhenede Omo, an oil specialist from Nigeria, said he came to OTC this week to look for oil field technology, but said he'll buy less because low oil prices are slashing his company's revenues.

Matthew McGrath, a weather radar supplier, invited several of his Houston clients to visit his booth, but many said they wouldn't make it to the conference at all because they needed to focus on staying in business.

"There's usually a rush in the early morning on the first day of OTC, but it just wasn't here today," McGrath said. "People are trying to save money."

It's not just Houston oil workers who are staying home. The United Kingdom delegation from Aberdeen cut its OTC team this year to 120 people, from more than 300 last year.

"There has definitely been a contraction," said Frances Metcalfe, head of oil and gas at Cambridge Consultants in the U.K. "There is a sense that things have bottomed out, but people have yet to actually feel it and see it for real. People have to commit to the show, not just with their minds, but with their wallets."

A low-key spectacle

To be sure, the Offshore Technology Conference is still a spectacle. It was filled Monday with flashy model drilling rigs, car-sized robots and an array of tools used to plumb the ocean's depths. But the depressed state of world's oil industry, and the gloom that has settled over it, has tarnished some of the glamour. Much of the technology on display, in fact, has been sidelined in the field as low prices make drilling unprofitable.

Deep job cuts across the industry have spurred conference organizers to provide free admission for laid-off workers and others who need to learn new skills to find a job, including writing resumes and networking. About 900 people attended similar training sessions last year, and conference organizers are expecting more this year.

"A third of the people here are probably looking for jobs," said van de Korput, chief operating officer of Bumi Armada, an offshore oil services company in Malaysia.

The glitzy offshore conference drew more than 108,000 people from around the world in 2014, the last heady year of $100 oil. But attendance fell to about 95,000 in 2015, the first full year of the downturn. Conference organizers have said they expect a lower turnout this year, but many longtime OTC vendors came to hold their places at the conference for when better times return.

"If we don't come, people are going to think we're out of business," said Richard Stone, president of Innovative Electronics in Stafford, which manufactures electronics for drilling rigs. "So we need to be here."

Jordan Blum and L.M. Sixelcontributed to this report.
Plenty of stomach-churning and tear-inducing findings fill the pages of U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack's 255-page December opinion that declared Texas' foster care system abusive to the point of unconstitutionality.

Jack finds that "rape, abuse, psychotropic medication, and instability are the norm."

Jack finds that no one is tracking child-on-child abuse in licensed foster care placements, even though it is "common and widespread," and that children who rape other children continue doing it to unsuspecting victims in other homes.

Jack finds, relying on extensive testimony, impossible caseloads, with no standards and no limits on how many cases can be assigned to caseworkers.

The ideal caseload, by the way, is 12. The CPS caseworker assigned to protect a Grand Prairie 4-year-old, Leiliana Wright, who was savagely choked, force-fed and beaten to death earlier this month had 70 cases, the Dallas Morning News' Robert Garrett reported.

A high caseload doesn't only lead to deaths. It leads to burnout, which leads to turnover and even more upheaval for families and victims. Garrett reported that Dallas County's CPS investigators had a turnover rate of 57 percent for the most recent quarter available.

In Harris County, the turnover rate was lower, but still 27 percent for the same time period, state Department of Family and Protective Services spokesman Patrick Crimmins said Tuesday.

Perhaps the most profound observation from the federal judge, and the one that gave me the most pause as I watched Gov. Greg Abbott install new leaders at the troubled agency this week, was this:

It comes on Jack's last page, where she refers to John Specia, the agency's then-commissioner, whom she writes seemed to have the best of intentions to run an effective foster care system.

"The Court," Jack writes, "is also mindful that Specia is the seventh commissioner since 2004, each of whom was surely ushered in with promises that this time it will be different."

She explains the reality: The agency charged with protecting neglected and abused children has ignored 20 years of reports that outlined problems and recommended solutions.

At trial, CPS' top executive, Lisa Black, who then reported directly to Specia, admitted she hadn't read multiple reports about problems at CPS. She couldn't even testify about the rate of abuse and neglect in foster care placements.

The cycle of inaction is as depressing as it is disturbing. Jack, who weighed in after a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of 12,000 Texas children in long-term care, cites a committee charged by then-Gov. Rick Perry in 2009 "to take a hard look at the Texas foster care system and to uncover barriers to adoption that exist for Texas' most vulnerable children."

A 10-month review followed. Before the group released its report in 2010, it came upon another report, from 1996, produced by another committee appointed by then-Gov. George W. Bush.

The new committee found that 11 of its 14 general recommendations had been made by the old committee. The problems had never been fixed.

Different organizations issued reports in 2004, 2007, 2010, and two in 2014.

Either nothing changed, or changes were ineffective.

So now here we are in 2016.

The governor is pledging to overhaul the system, once again. This week, his social services czar, Chris Traylor, appointed Henry "Hank" Whitman, the retired chief of the Texas Rangers, to take charge. Traylor also appointed Kristene Blackstone, who heads child-support field operations in the attorney general's office, to serve as assistant commissioner for child protective services.

"I can't think of anyone better than a Texas Ranger to protect our most vulnerable Texans," Traylor said in a statement.

Let's hope he's right. We should also hope that the new leaders will work well with the special masters whom Jack, the federal judge, appointed to implement reforms.

Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has his own legal problems, has foolishly tried to block Jack's reforms with appeals, calling them judicial overreach. The sooner he gets out of the way, the easier it will be for everyone to work together.

What's clear is that, this time, there should be action, not reports. We know the problems. We even know many of the solutions.

But it won't only take new officials to implement them. It will take better training and more case workers. And that will take money.

Considering the urgency of the situation, state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, has suggested the governor may need to call a special session if funds are needed that can't be allocated through other means.

Two Houston-area lawmakers, state Reps. Garnet Coleman, a Democrat, and Sarah Davis, a Republican, both said they'd support a special session if the governor orders it.

"Bottom line: addressing this issue cannot wait until 2017," Turner told me Tuesday.

It's a core function of government to protect its most vulnerable, Turner said.

"No one else is going to protect them," he said.

For too long, the state - the agency, the Legislature and our top officials - has failed. Once again, new leadership is ushered in with promises that this time will be different.

I hope they are thinking of 4-year-old Leiliana when they say that, this time, they mean it.
There's an old-school romanticism about the rural veterinarian.

Many of these mainstays of small-town life are growing old, and their would-be replacements are heading to cities in search of an easier lifestyle with better pay and better hours. Some fear the culture is beginning to fade.

Texas universities are trying to revive the field.

Texas A&M University's 100-year-old veterinary school, the only one in the state that can grant full veterinary medicine degrees, announced a plan Thursday to dip into four of its satellite campuses in rural areas, including in Prairie View, and try to draw to College Station more students who are interested in returning to the towns where they grew up.

Texas Tech University, meanwhile, has said it wants to build a new veterinary school in West Texas, a plan that drew some criticism from A&M leaders last year. Chancellor John Sharp said efforts to start new veterinary schools have long been rejected by the state.

However the university plans shake out, the need for more rural veterinarians is clear.

When the lone veterinarian in Post, a West Texas town of roughly 5,000 people, died several years ago, for instance, it took his wife five years to find someone to buy the clinic. In the meantime, if a dog got hit by a car in Post, the owner had to drive 50 miles to Lubbock to get help, said Bo Brock, who has run a veterinary clinic in Lamesa - a tiny town between Lubbock and Midland - since 1992.

"If we don't change the mindset a little bit, every time one of these old vets like me croaks, there's going to be nobody there to fill it," Brock said.

A regional need

It could be a dire problem for a major beef-producing region. A 2009 study by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board found that while Texas has more food and fiber animals than any other state, it ranks last among the 10 most populous states in veterinarians per 1 million animals.

A&M's efforts have been six years in the making, Sharp said, pointing to the 2009 coordinating board study, which recommended that A&M should expand its school rather than build a new one.

Since then, A&M has poured millions into new agriculture buildings at a handful of its campuses, including a $120 million new home for the College Station school that officials say will enable A&M to increase enrollment.

Now the plan is to hire top-notch professors to work at satellite campuses, beginning with West Texas A&M in the Panhandle. The new faculty there will be able to do research in the field, including West Texas A&M's own feedlots, and will serve as mentors and perhaps teachers to undergraduate students. The goal is to prepare them to transfer to the flagship to pursue a doctoral degree.

Who will host?

Similar efforts will follow at Tarleton State in Stephenville, A&M - Kingsville in South Texas and Prairie View A&M in Waller County west of Houston.

"There is no question this partnership will be welcome news to the farmers, ranchers, game wardens and probably some pet owners in the areas," F. Dominic Dottavio, president of Tarleton State, said. "It is truly going to put some more boots on the ground in rural Texas."

Ideally, the effort will encourage students to follow the path Brock took to Lamesa. He attended West Texas A&M (back when it was West Texas State) before heading to College Station to earn his veterinary medicine degree. Perhaps most importantly, he returned to West Texas after graduating.

A&M's idea is a good one, Brock says: "I can't see a better way."

Texas Tech is working on another way. The university wants to build a new veterinary school in Amarillo, where the closest places to get a veterinary degree are not in College Station but in Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas, Chancellor Robert Duncan said.

Tech is working on plans for a four-year school with some accelerated-track opportunities.

School officials hope to get approval from the coordinating board before the Legislature reconvenes next year. Then they'll seek state funding for the school.

Duncan pointed to Texas Tech's success in building a health science center that serves rural communities as a model the university wants to replicate. Texas Tech leaders hope to attract the same donors for the veterinary school.

"I think the thing we all agree on is, in 2009 there was a demonstrated need in the food-animal industry. It was very clear we are very behind in Texas," Duncan said. "That was 2009, and we're still in the same situation."
Texas A&M officials announced Monday that the university would spend $150 million converting an abandoned, 2,000-acre air base near its campus in a "transformative" move to foster product innovation and recruit thousands of undergraduates to new degree programs.

The college's ambitious futuristic technology campus will be a place for companies to design and test driverless cars, drones and other autonomous vehicles. As tenants of the research campus, the companies would collaborate with three state agencies, which are part of the A&M system, on research in engineering, transportation and related cybersecurity.

The campus also would house an education center for students who don't quite make the cut for admission to A&M's College Station main campus to take college classes.

This expensive effort underscores the competition among universities in Texas and across the nation to bring together college researchers with commercial enterprises to fast-forward product invention and technology advancement.

"We must offer new, transformative business models whether we are moving our research from the laboratories into the marketplace, or helping more students to achieve a college education," said John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. "It is a big idea and it is important that the Texas A&M University System nurture big ideas."

At the same time, the University of Texas is in the process of buying about 300 acres in southwest Houston near the Texas Medical Center to build something "bold" and "innovative" to foster collaborative research endeavors.

In 2009, the University of Houston bought the old Schlumberger headquarters near its main campus and has spent millions turning it into an energy research park.

Education center

A key part of the A&M project will be the $38 million education center to offer a new four-year college degree path for students who still want to live in Bryan-College Station. Students could start their degrees at the center and graduate from it or transfer to A&M's main campus.

Although plans for the center are not yet solidified, university officials said there won't be anything exactly like it in Texas. The courses and degrees offered there will require approval from state and education accrediting bodies. Other teaching centers with multiple universities are housed far away from those universities. This one is on the doorstep of A&M's College Station campus and will be located in the research park that will occupy an area more than twice the size of the university's main campus.

It's aimed at keeping the roughly 10,000 applicants a year who are rejected from admission to A&M and choose to attend colleges outside Texas. Officials will start small by enrolling a few hundred in two to three years at the new center.

The university should use the academic end of its new campus to test emerging models for higher education, including offering more affordable degrees, having competency based programs and training faculty in cognitive science so they can be better teachers, said Raymund Paredes, the state's commissioner of higher education.

Paredes said he also would like to see A&M use part of its new campus as a type of museum to display the work done there to show young children and spark their interest in science and related fields.

At Monday's press conference in College Station, A&M officials said their research campus will be unprecedented in part because of the sheer size of it. Called the RELLIS campus - an acronym for A&M's core values respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selflessness - it will be built on the World War II base the university acquired in 1962.

"This will be a magnet for technology companies locating their research to the Brazos Valley and for thousands of additional students to study here, contributing to the local economy,'' Sharp said. "It's a great one-two punch for economic development."

For its transportation study and testing, the research campus will have enough room for driving tracks for autonomous cars, trucks and tractors. Because it's an old air base, it has the runways necessary to test aerial vehicles - namely drones - as well. The campus will be so vast that entire portions of it could be blocked off for private companies to test products and technologies without competitors seeing their work.

The campus also will include a center focused on finding better materials and methods for rebuilding America's ailing infrastructure. Elsewhere there will be room for researchers testing chemical processing safety to do some realistic and explosive tests. "Perhaps they want to try a new type of technology that would be some sort of indicator there could be an explosion. They can test it out here because they can blow things up," said M. Katherine Banks, engineering dean at Texas A&M.

Spending outlined

The university will spend $25 million to demolish 32 old buildings on the air base tract, rebuild roads and upgrade utilities. A&M will save the chapel and a couple of hangars in recognition of the historic role of training World War II pilots at the air base.

Another $125 million will go toward building seven new buildings, including the Center for Infrastructure Renewal - a $73 million endeavor funded by the state. The university will build a structure for research focused on automated vehicles, robotics, chemical safety and industrial distribution. The site will remain home to a law enforcement training facility, as well.

University officials expect to begin construction work on the project in September and open the first part of the new campus in 2018. All of the $150 million is committed for the project, either from private donations or state funding, Banks said.

"It's going to go very quickly," said M. Katherine Banks, the vice chancellor for engineering for A&M System and deal of the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. "This is not just a pipe dream. This is going to happen."
With the United Methodist church's General Conference just days away, the denomination's South Central Jurisdiction, including Texas, is launching a two-pronged "We Are More" campaign wherein church members can share the story of their faith journeys with fellow believers via the Internet.

Six of the jurisdiction's regional conferences will create professionally produced four-minute segments for the project, and ordinary church members will be invited to post shorter "selfies" to the Web site, www.wearemore.faith.

The Houston-based Texas Annual Conference will be among those contributing a professionally shot video to the project. The Houston segment will feature Rice University senior Lisa Sampson telling of her religious life in the church.

Texas Annual Conference spokeswoman Paula Arnold called the effort "an open forum where people can talk about how the church has impacted them." While the project targets Methodists, those of other faiths also may post to the site, provided that they abstain from proselytizing, she said.

"We're really trying to get the message out of what church and faith can mean in someone's life," Arnold said. The site, she said, is expected to remain active throughout the summer. "Nobody has really talked about when it will end," Arnold said.

The South Central Jurisdiction includes regional conferences in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

In announcing the project, Missouri Bishop Robert Schnase noted that "people seem to be anxiously bracing themselves" for the General Conference, which will consider such issues as sanctioning same-sex marriage.

"Some people hope for change, others fear division and most feel uncertain about what may happen," he said. "Instead, we wanted to inspire people to remember that discipleship in Jesus Christ is more than buildings and structures, more than those in worship, more than the United Methodist Church, even more than the issues that divide us..

"Regardless of what happens at the General Conference, United Methodists will continue to be called by God to ministries that transform lives."

The General Conference, held every four years, will convene in Portland, Ore., on May 10.
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The prospect of a Donald Trump presidency has led to a surge in applications for citizenship and voter registrations among Hispanics angered by the presumptive Republican nominee's incendiary comments about Mexicans and his threats to deport all immigrants in the country illegally.

Since last summer, when Trump ignited a furor by labeling Mexican immigrants as rapists and drug dealers, average monthly citizenship applications nationwide spiked nearly 15 percent to about 64,800 between August and January compared to the same period the year before.

Such an uptick in naturalizations doesn't bode well for Trump, or Republicans in general, because nearly half of all new Americans are Latinos, who in polls overwhelmingly express disapproval of the candidate at the top of the ticket, political analysts say.

In all, about 730,000 immigrants became citizens last year, a 12 percent increase from 2014. In Texas, the number of new Americans grew by a quarter in 2015 to 66,000.

Advocacy groups say those new citizens, as well as Latinos who are citizens but have never voted, are registering to go to the polls at higher rates than ever before.

Among them is Larisa Gonzalez, a senior at Cesar E. Chavez High School in southeast Houston, who, motivated to cast a ballot against Trump, registered to vote for the first time last week.

"He's been so discriminating and racist to us Hispanics that it makes me and my friends wonder if we're going to have the same opportunities in the future that we have now," she said. "As Hispanics, we are all afraid."

More Information By the numbers 730,000 Number of immigrants turned U.S. citizens in 2015, up 12 percent from 2014. 66,000 Number new American citizens in Texas last year, up 25 percent from 2014. 2,200 Number of people at monthly naturalization ceremonies in Houston. See More Collapse

Registering to vote, of course, doesn't necessarily translate into ballots cast.

Trump supporters too

And many Republicans find Trump, and in particular his tone on immigration, refreshing, a recognition that the federal government isn't doing enough to fix what everyone agrees is a broken system. They see him as a truth-teller who isn't afraid to say "politically incorrect" things about illegal immigration.

His call to deport all 11 million immigrants here illegally was especially well received by some of his supporters, even though prominent Republicans slammed it as impractical, even unconstitutional.

It's also spurring much of the citizenship applications, said Mariana Sanchez, chief operating officer of Bonding Against Adversity Inc., a Houston non-profit helping residents to naturalize. Immigrants say they want to naturalize now so they can help their relatives obtain green cards in case the policy materializes.

"I haven't seen this level of interest," Sanchez said. "The community is concerned."

Though a minority, conservative Hispanics say Trump recognizes the problems at the border. Patti Magnon, 44, has lived in Laredo all her life and watched as drug cartels made it impossible to visit neighboring Nuevo Laredo.

"The (immigrants) that are crossing now are murderers and rapists. You see how the cartel has taken over the border," said Magnon, who works at a local law firm. "The minute Trump made that statement I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' For him to so bluntly say the truth, I could not believe it."

But among the majority of Hispanics, Trump's stance on immigration and his disparaging remarks have helped mobilize Latinos in ways even Republican strategists say they've never seen.

Since last summer monthly naturalization ceremonies in Houston have swelled to about 2,200 compared to the 1,200 that was typical before. Of those, an average of more than 80 percent are registering to vote compared to the previous 60 percent.

Many tell volunteers they've had green cards for years but naturalized now to cast a ballot against Trump. The process, from turning in an application to the final swearing-in ceremony, takes about six months, making May crunch time for those seeking to vote in November.

"There is fear, and there is anger," said Claudia Ortega-Hogue, vice president of the Houston-area League of Women Voters.

In California, new voter registrations skyrocketed to more than 850,000 registrations between Jan. 1 and March 31, twice as many as during the same period in 2012, according to data collected by Political Data Inc. Growth among Latinos doubled in that time.

In Iowa, five times as many Hispanics voted in presidential caucuses this spring compared to 2008, according to an analysis of exit polls by the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Lionel Sosa, a longtime Republican media consultant in San Antonio who has worked on seven presidential campaigns, said he isn't surprised by the Latino blowback.

"When you take a whole group of people and you call them murderers and rapists, it's a personal affront," he said. "Sure, they are going to register, and it's going to be an anti-Trump vote."

More than 40 percent of the 7.1 million immigrants who became citizens in the past decade are from Central and South America, according to the most recent government data between 2004 and 2013. Some 1 million are from Mexico.

Less impact in Texas

In the past, volunteers had to approach people and "almost twist their arms" for them to sign up to vote, said Carlos Duarte, who oversees Texas for Mi Familia Vota, a national group focused on boosting Latino voter registration.

"What is different now is that people approach us," Duarte said. "They would always make these comments, and it was very heavily a reaction against Donald Trump."

Latinos don't typically vote as an ethnic bloc. In Texas, for example, some exit polls showed Republican Gov. Greg Abbott winning 44 percent of the Latino vote in 2014. New Mexico and Nevada easily re-elected two Hispanic Republican governors that year.

"But when the community perceives itself as under attack, then it absolutely responds and goes to the polls," said Mike Madrid, a GOP political consultant in California who specializes in Latino voters. "I have never seen a candidate as polarizing in the Latino community as Donald Trump, so of course it's going to have an effect."

A record 27 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in 2016. Though one of the nation's fastest-growing voting blocs, they historically lag behind other races and ethnic groups in Election Day turnout, in part because so many are young voters who are less inclined to show up.

This year Latino groups project at least 13 million Hispanics will vote compared to 9.7 million in 2008. That figure could grow, however, thanks to Trump.

Democrats are trying to capitalize on the anti-Trump sentiment. In March, billionaire George Soros announced a $15 million campaign to mobilize Latinos and other immigrants. Most of the money will be spent in Colorado, Florida and Nevada - pivotal swing states in the presidential race and in the battle for the Senate.

In a boon for the GOP, however, about half of the country's eligible Hispanic voters live in California and Texas, two solidly blue-and-red states where the Latino impact is likely to be muted.

A greater Hispanic turnout may only make a dent in Texas, said William Frey, a demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, D.C. That's because the state's 9.2 million eligible white voters are almost double the size of the Hispanic electorate and supported Abbott, the Republican governor, by more than 70 percent in 2014.

A strong Latino turnout combined with winning over some Republican women, however, might help Democrats here, he said. Seventy percent of married women, whose vote GOP presidential candidates have won since 1996, have a negative view of Trump, according to a recent Bloomberg Politics/Purple Strategies poll.

Effect on local races

Such a sizeable push could impact down-ballot elections, particularly in Harris County, which has the country's largest Latino population after Los Angeles, more than 1.9 million.

Mobilizing Hispanic voters could imperil two dozen Republican judges in the county, as well as the Harris County district attorney and sheriff, said Mark Jones, a political scientist at Rice University. It could add one or two Democratic state legislators and a congressman in District 23, which stretches from the Mexican border to San Antonio.

"Trump's track record," Jones said, "is a ready-made campaign commercial against him for Univision."

Until this presidential campaign, Mateo Amador, a 47-year-old body technician at an auto repair shop, has never been motivated to vote. He came to Houston from Mexico three decades ago and has had his green card since 2005.

Angered by Trump's remarks against Mexicans, however, he applied for his citizenship several months ago and was sworn in last week.

"Insulting people, I just don't agree," he said.
DETROIT - Nearly all of Detroit's public schools were closed Monday, and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district's teachers called out sick to protest the possibility that some of them won't get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash.

The latest in a series of sick-outs shuttered 94 of 97 schools for the day as 1,562 teachers heeded their union's call to stay home. The move by the Detroit Federation of Teachers came after Detroit Public Schools' transition manager said the district would have no money to continue paying teachers this summer without further funding from the state.

The state had approved $47.8 million in emergency money in March to keep the 46,000-student school system operating, but that amount only pays the district's bills through June 30. Detroit Schools also would be unable to fund summer school or special education programs after June 30. The state Legislature is considering a $720 million restructuring plan that would pay off the district's enormous debt.

Paycheck to paycheck

Teachers can opt to receive their pay over the course of the school year or spread over a full 12 months. It wasn't immediately clear how many of the district's approximately 3,000 educators chose to have their bi-weekly pay spread out over 26 weeks. Some say they live paycheck to paycheck and need the money to get through July and August, before the next school year starts.

"We have already put the work in," said Kimberly Morrison, 54, a reading and recovery specialist and 20-year district employee. "If I don't get my pay, then somebody else - who I owe - won't get their pay."

Kindergarten teacher Famata Legemah, 54, says it's difficult for her to save enough during the school year to make do over the summer because "there's not a whole lot left over."

Morrison and Legemah were among a few hundred teachers who picketed Monday morning outside the district's administrative offices.

"There's a basic agreement in America: When you put in a day's work, you'll receive a day's pay," Detroit Federation of Teachers Interim President Ivy Bailey said in a statement. "DPS is breaking that deal. Teachers want to be in the classroom giving children a chance to learn and reach their potential.

"Unfortunately, by refusing to guarantee that we will be paid for our work, DPS is effectively locking our members out of the classrooms."

'It's real scary'

Teacher strikes are illegal under Michigan law. Sick-outs earlier this year caused tens of thousands of students to miss class.

Dejuan Parkman, who has four children in the district, joined the protest. Parkman, 42, was able to get his mother to watch the kids Monday, but said he might have to take time off from his catering business if more sick-outs are held.

"It's real scary," he said. "What are we going to do if the teachers shut down the schools? I'm not mad at the teachers. You can't pay the teachers their money? That's not right. They have to pay their utilities, pay their mortgages and car notes."

Steven Rhodes, the district's state-appointed transition manager and a former bankruptcy judge, also said the teachers "have to be paid for the work that they do," but without more help from the state that might not be possible. He said he understood the frustration and would like to do something about it.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder said Monday that he hopes to see action "clearly before the middle of June" by lawmakers.
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STUTTGART, Germany - The NATO alliance is considering establishing a rotational ground force in the Baltic states and possibly Poland, reflecting deepening worry about Russian military assertiveness, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday.

"That is one of the ideas that's under discussion," Carter told reporters while flying to Stuttgart, Germany, where he is to preside Tuesday at a ceremony installing a new commander of U.S. European Command. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti is to replace Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who has frequently cautioned that Russia poses a potential threat to European stability.

Carter said the allies are considering a rotational ground force of four battalions, which would mean about 4,000 troops. That would be in addition to, and separate from, a recently announced unilateral U.S. decision to send a U.S. armored brigade of about 4,200 troops to Eastern Europe next February.

Carter said the idea of a separate NATO rotational ground force is likely to be further discussed at a NATO meeting in June.

Russia has accused the U.S. and NATO of returning to a Cold War mindset of mutual suspicion and military competition, even as it continues to buzz U.S. ships and planes in the Baltics.

Speaking more broadly of U.S. and NATO relations with Russia, Carter said Moscow has chosen to move away from integration with the West. "Therefore, we have no alternative but to do what we're doing, which is stand strong," by improving the U.S. military posture in Europe and collaborating closely with NATO allies, he said.

At the same time, Carter said, the U.S. is willing to "hold the door open if Russian behavior should change" and to work with Russia in areas where the two countries still have mutual interests, such with the Iran nuclear deal.

In his remarks en route to Stuttgart, Carter also called the buzzing of U.S. Navy ships and aircraft in the Baltics "unprofessional," adding that it seems to be happening more frequently.

"This kind of unprofessional behavior by its nature creates a dangerous circumstance," he said.

At the Pentagon on Monday, the Navy's top officer said the Russian actions in the Baltics are escalating tension between the two nations.

"My hope is that we can stop this sort of activity," Adm. John M. Richardson, the chief of naval operations, told reporters.

"I don't think the Russians are trying to provoke an incident. I think they're trying to send a signal," he said. "I think it's pretty clear that they are wanting to let us know that they see that we are up there in the Baltic."

The Defense Department said a Russian SU-27 conducted a barrel roll Friday over a U.S. Air Force RC-135 that was flying a reconnaissance mission above the Baltic Sea. The RC-135 is an intelligence-gathering aircraft.
Sen. Ted Cruz stands to lose the crucial backing of the anti-Donald Trump movement if he falters in Indiana, Politico reported Tuesday.

The publication cited more than half dozen Republican operatives who said that high-profile party members would take a Hoosier loss as a sign that Cruz is not a viable challenger to Trump and would begin searching for another outlet for their money.

It is (probably) much too late to fight for the Republican nomination, but influential GOP media man and Cruz fan Erick Erickson told Politico that wealthy donors would begin exploring a third-party candidacy if Cruz fades.

Matt Mackowiak, a Texas-based GOP strategist, told the Chronicle Tuesday that leaders in the anti-Trump movement would have a conference call Wednesday morning to discuss their future.

"I do think they would like to get a third party challenger to run against Trump," he said.

RELATED: Gallup: Ted Cruz favorability plummets as Donald Trump rises

Gallup on Monday reported that Cruz's favorability rating had entered the negatives for the first time since tracking began in July.

"(Cruz's) image has essentially nosedived over the past week or two, while Trump's image has become more positive," wrote Gallup editor in chief Frank Newport.

Cruz had been the rallying point of Republicans desperate to see anyone but Trump bear their party's flag, but recent days have been brutal to the Texas tea party firebrand. Trump's resounding domination of five East Coast primaries last week stole the media spotlight that had previously focused on Cruz's victories in the delegate game, and it eliminated Cruz's last chance of winning the nomination without a contested convention.

RELATED: After N.Y. loss, Cruz officially aims at long slog to contested convention

Media coverage came down harshly on Cruz, especially after former Republican house speaker John Boehner compared him with Satan.

An unnamed GOP operative with an anti-Trump group told Politico that wealthy backers of the anti-Trump forces watch the same news shows as the American public and are also swayed by the negative media narrative.

Tuesday's Indiana primary is widely viewed as a last stand for the Cruz campaign. The state's Midwestern demographics bode well for Cruz's puritan conservatism, but polls show he stands slim chances of a resounding win. Only a handful of primary contests remain, leaving Cruz a very slim shot and narrowing the frontrunner's lead.

RELATED: Ted Cruz goes against the odds for last-ditch fight in Indiana

A wide Trump victory in Indiana would put the bombastic billionaire within striking distance of the GOP nomination, meaning anti-Trump stalwarts would need to start looking outside the Republican Party for the alternative they crave.
AUSTIN  The Texas Democratic Party is calling for an investigation into whether the chief of staff to a Pasadena state representative violated state law by campaigning for a Texas House seat during work hours.

Maricela De Leon, state Rep. Gilbert Penas chief of staff, was the only Republican last November to file as a candidate in the House District 40 race, which includes part of Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley.

Since then, De Leon has campaigned across the district, which is about a five-hour drive from Austin, and has often used her social media accounts to publicize her appearances. Texas Democrats largely targeted her social media posts in the complaint they filed with state authorities Tuesday  adding that shes missing a considerable amount of work and using her state salary to support her own political campaign.

The Democratic complaint logged 22 times in which De Leon was in the Rio Grande Valley during normal business hours in a work week, including a tweet sent at 12:56 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30 with her official announcement.

How can a full-time state employee, who is a staff member for a state Legislature, be attending campaign events and tweeting in support for her campaign while being paid by the state of Texas? Democrats said in the complaint to the states Public Integrity Unit and Texas Rangers.

De Leon, who has worked in the Legislature since 2005, has been on the states payroll as Penas chief of staff for more than a year. Her gross monthly salary has been $5,227 since last October, a month before she filed to run for the House seat, according to payroll records obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

"I could not respond to you during working hours. However, to answer your question, there is no prohibition on legislative staffers running for office, in fact many Democratic staffers have run and possibly won office," De Leon told the Chronicle on Tuesday evening. "I did my due diligence and checked with counsel prior to filing for office. As to my use of social media during working hours, I make every attempt to do so during my lunch breaks, breaks off work, and during holidays."
AUSTIN - An increase in the number of Texas kids with mental illnesses needing Child Protective Services has fueled an unexpected budget shortfall that soon could reach $40 million, adding to the state's problems in fixing a foster care system a federal judge deemed "broken."

John Specia, head of the state Department of Family and Protective Services, informed lawmakers of the shortfall Wednesday, saying it "was not anticipated" and would require a legislative response.

"There are different forecasts on what our records should be, what's going to happen," Specia said during a highly anticipated meeting of the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee. "The assumptions that were used to set the budget turned out to be not the correct assumptions."

The disclosure marked yet another issue for the embattled Texas foster care system, which serves roughly 30,000 of the state's most vulnerable residents.

Wednesday's meeting came a few months after U.S. District Judge Janis Jack, of Corpus Christi, ruled late last year that the system does not serve its children properly and puts them at a high risk of harm, in part due to high turnover among caseworkers.

More recently, the meeting followed an unusual spate of departures of key agency leaders, a series of negative news stories about problems, such as children being forced to sleep in caseworker offices, and a high-profile homicide at the University of Texas at Austin in which the suspect recently had run away from a foster care placement.

Specia declined to comment about the UT homicide but offered an update about the court ruling, which is under appeal, saying that the state had begun paying more than $300 per hour for "special masters" appointed by Jack to evaluate the foster care system.

Lawmakers pressed Specia about a variety of issues, starting with the budget shortfall.

Specia noted that children with "high needs" now make up 7 percent of the Texas foster care system, up from 5.5 percent in 2012.

As a result, he said, the agency in the spring of 2015 started paying for children to stay in psychiatric hospitals even after their medical needs had ended because the state could not find enough proper foster homes to house them. The number of children staying in psychiatric care past medical necessity tripled between February 2015 and February 2016, according to the agency.

Specia said that while psychiatric hospitals and other high-need treatment centers are necessary for some, the agency should be doing more to keep children from reaching the point where they need to enter such facilities.

"We want to do everything possibly we can to keep children from progressing to residential treatment centers and psychiatric hospitals because that does not bode well for their future," Specia said.

'A money issue'

The Department of Family and Protective Services likely will have to request more money to cover the shortfall, Specia said. The department's Child Protective Services division now operates with a $1.4 billion budget, according to state records.

Later in the hearing, lawmakers grappled with an issue they have faced for years - high turnover among agency caseworkers.

The lawmakers and Specia agreed that part of the issue was rooted in high case loads for agency workers, but committee members disagreed about how to solve the problem.

State Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, said the state should hire more caseworkers.

"No matter where we find ourselves, and what we have to do to allocate the money, we need to hire more caseworkers," Uresti said. "This is a priority that we need in place, period."

Uresti also proposed raising caseworkers' pay. Currently, first-year caseworkers get paid between $32,000 and $36,000 per year. It costs $54,000 to train each caseworker.

Republicans on the committee disputed the notion that extra money would solve the problem.

Committee Chairman Charles Schwertner, of Georgetown, said he had heard that caseworkers exiting the agency listed pay as only their third biggest reason for leaving.

"It's going to be a money issue, but it's not necessarily a more-money issue," said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. "It's where we put our money that's going to fix this problem."

'Significant challenges'

Tyrone Obaseki, a foster care advocate for Angel Reach in Conroe, testified that the system is making problems worse for already struggling children.

"The problems you see today is due to young people being placed in an environment that is not conducive to their growth and development," Obaseki said. "The only way to truly fix this system is by providing wrap-around services that lead to the success of young people, not to their detriment."

Last year, the Texas legislature increased funding for CPS by $230 million, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said much work remains to be done to improve Texas' foster care system.

"I charged the Senate Health and Human Services Committee with addressing child abuse and neglect within our state's foster care system, improving services for children with complex health needs and strengthening adoptions," Patrick said in a statement. "Today's public hearing outlined the significant challenges that our foster care system faces."
The rhetoric throughout this electoral season needs little introduction. We've all heard the calls from both sides to stop immigrants, turn back refugees, build walls, block trade and rip up our international agreements. Instead of looking outward, it's a sharp move away from the global arena. It seems that for the home of the brave, we're in full retreat these days.

I understand the anger driving this withdrawal. Far too many Americans are looking at their lives and realizing that it's not what they expected. Local economies have shifted and wages stagnated, leaving many workers in tough straits. Education systems and other public services are uneven in their quality. And Americans are tired of hearing the same promises from their representatives with few significant or long-term changes.

I grew up believing that when Americans take a few hits, we come out swinging. Yet this time around, it seems that we aren't just stepping back; we are racing toward the locker room. And no one is stepping up and pointing us back toward the ring. In fact, the advice that we are hearing throughout the primaries is to bar the door on the way in.

Trade is at the center of this isolationist impulse, with presidential candidates of all stripes piling over one another to denounce current trading policies. Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have called the United States' trade agreements "disastrous;" Hillary Clinton backed away from the very agreement that she once promoted; and Ted Cruz claims that when it comes to international trade "we are getting killed." Everyone wants to blame someone, but no one wants to talk about what needs to be done.

The idea that we can throw away the current agreements - both those that have already been passed and those waiting for a vote - is not leadership but an inward and pessimistic reaction. It would also be a deeply devastating policy approach. Far from creating a workers' renaissance, it would cut into Americans' purchasing power and endanger jobs.

An America without trade would boost prices and ultimately our bills every time that we check out at the grocery or electronics store. It would also destroy jobs as companies struggle to stay afloat amid mounting costs. This would go far beyond the big manufacturing companies to include the millions of American jobs - from truck drivers to small auto parts suppliers - that depend both directly and indirectly on trade.

If we were serious about getting the economy on track, then we'd use our time and energy to focus on the more complicated mix of technological advances, evolving economies and globalization that leads to factory shutdowns. And we'd concentrate on how to retrain laid-off workers and boost our companies and workforce's competitiveness. Blaming trade for all our economy's ills is not just wrong, it's not enough.

The same fear-based arguments hold true for the current national conversation on immigrants. The dark force of xenophobia that has reared its ugly head is unfortunately nothing new. In fact, if you claim Italian or Irish heritage - which is over 50 million Americans - then your relatives were also on the receiving end of some nasty slurs.

There is also something else that is not new: the Latin phrase: "E pluribus unum" or, "Out of many, one" that has been emblazoned on the U.S. seal since 1782. We are a nation of immigrants and refugees, and fostering hatred or fear for these groups is not going to make the United States any more prosperous or secure. In fact, it is likely to do the opposite.

Most Americans' daily global interactions come from trade and immigration - as new goods and people enter our country - and this means that our leadership abroad must begin at home. If we aren't courageous enough to stand up against isolationism or to reject simplistic explanations that play to our deepest fears or frustrations, we'll be abandoning the fighting spirit that the world expects and needs from the home of the brave.

Garza (@aogarza) is a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico. He is counsel in the Mexico City office of White & Case. Reach him through tonygarza.com.
For those keeping score on the "bathroom" question in Texas, it is now 1-1.

Lets review: For the foreseeable future, the debate about which public bathrooms transgender people can use will be on Texas political agenda. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said he supports a North Carolina-style law barring trans people from using a bathroom that does not correspond to the sex listed on their birth certificates. Gov. Greg Abbotts office has said only that the governor looks forward to working with lawmakers next session to protect family values in Texas, which is a sign that Abbott is willing at least to consider such a bill.

The Texas House got a little bit of practice with this issue last session, too, when state Rep. Gilbert Pena, R-Pasadena, filed a bill that would allow trans people to be sued for upwards of $2,000, including forking over compensation for the plaintiffs mental anguish.

The bill got some headlines, but went nowhere, most likely because the Legislatures social conservatives were more concerned then with the impending threat of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. Now that same-sex couples across Texas can go to any courthouse and get married, its time to pivot to the so-called bathroom issue just as the nationwide attention to it ratchets up.

Could Penas bill get further next session? Its possible. It is often said that it takes at least two sessions for an idea to become a bill that actually gets a committee hearing, and  if time and luck are on the sponsors side  then maybe a floor vote will come after the third session. It usually takes a while, to say the least, but this could be the right time for Pena & Co  who until Monday night had the wind at their backs after Houston voters gutted the citys non-discrimination ordinance last fall.

On Monday, the Rockwall City Council defeated a proposal by the citys mayor, Jim Pruitt, to require anyone using a public bathroom in the city to go into the one that reflects their sex at birth. He found no support for the proposed ordinance, not even after he tried to narrow the language to include only bathrooms in city-owned properties, according The Dallas Morning News report.

Rockwell is nowhere near Houstons size and stature on the national stage, of course. The Prop 1 vote in Houston last year made national headlines, and it very much led the way to all the recent commotion around this issue over the last few months. Still, when it comes to Texas politics, the developments in Rockwell last night cannot be overlooked. Among all the arguments that eventually derailed Pruitts plan, the most consequential to the proposals defeat, it seemed, was the basic issue about enforcement. How do authorities enforce an ordinance like Pruitt offered? In the end, there wasnt even enough support for the city council to take a record vote.

Residents demanded the council produce data that would demonstrate the existence of a problem to be solved, a statement last night from Equality Texas read.

Even the election for the top post of the Republican of Party of Texas is caught up in this debate  a race that will be decided long before state lawmakers return to Austin. Houston lawyer Jared Woodfill has railed against Tom Mechler, the partys chairman, for not pushing the party to confront the kind of social issues Woodfill has built his public image around, especially the bathroom issue.

Heres what Mechler told the Amarillo Globe-News about that last month: I dont think its the partys responsibility to take the lead in that fight. On occasion the party can play a supporting role to mobilize the grass roots, depending on the situation and circumstance. Its absolutely not the partys responsibility to take the lead. The partys function and purpose is to defeat Democrats and elect Republicans.

Enough Republicans have been elected to the state House and state Senate to set, all on their own, the states rules on who can use which public bathroom. Whatever local fights come next, before lawmakers convene again in January, potty politics seems to be turning into a must-hit target for a handful of Republicans in the Legislature.

What will the scoreboard look like when theyre all done?
Local organizations are among those participating today in Give Ozarks  a 24-hour campaign to raise funds for needed projects.

Among those participating are Houston Education Foundation, Texas County Food Pantry and Texas County Memorial Hospital Foundation.

May 3 is Give Local America Day, where community foundations across the country will hold similar online fundraising events to boost resources for their local non-profits, encourage new donors and raise awareness of philanthropy in general. Online giving days, a growing movement in the philanthropy field, has raised millions of dollars for non-profit organizations in recent years.

In its first year, more than $1 million was raised in the Ozarks.

The Houston Education Foundation (HEF), Texas County Memorial Hospital Foundation (for scholarships) and Texas County Food Pantry are non-profit partners of Community Foundation of the Ozarks, which is hosting Give Ozarks. CFO is a regional public charitable foundation founded in 1973, which includes 49 affiliate foundations and about 600 non-profit partners and schools.

HEF also plans a rally 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Lone Star Plaza pavilion. Persons can come by and make an online donation or go to giveozarks.org at home. Cash donations can also be dropped off. Funds will be used to purchase 30 Chromebook computers and a charging station for the Houston Elementary School.
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
struction workers in Saudi Arabia have set fire to at least seven company buses in the latest employment protest against unpaid wages and extensive job cuts.Employees at the Saudi Binladin Group  a multinational construction conglomerate headquartered in Jedda  have been staging protests in Mecca over the last several weeks.Rarely seen in Saudi Arabia, the employment protests attest to the severity of the situation and have come amid claims that some employees havent been paid in almost six months.The most recent attack, in which the vehicles were set alight, came after the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper reported the company had laid off 50,000 foreign employees and issued them exit visas.Reports indicate the company, set up by Osama Bin Ladens father, is in $30 billion worth of debt due to plummeting oil prices. It has also been suspended from taking on further contracts after one of its cranes collapsed in 2015, killing more than 100 people.Local media also reported that that five construction workers were injured before the weekend when a company official hit them with his car.A video captured of the most recent protest was uploaded to YouTube and can be seen below:Maj. Nayef al-Sharif, the spokesman for the Civil Defense in the city of Mecca, said that firefighters put out the blaze without any injuries reported.
Gone are the days of this Taylor Swift, the strawberry-blond teen with her perfect ringlets, strumming her guitar singing about boys breaking her heart:

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Now, we're seeing a whole new girl. One who is totally BOSS.

WHOA, TAYTAY.

At the 2016 Met Gala on Monday evening in New York City, Swift, along with the biggest names in fashion, music and film, arrived to celebrate "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," an exhibition curated and organized by Andrew Bolton.

Stepping out in a custom Louis Vuitton frock, the 26-year-old international pop star blew everyone's minds with her new ~edgy~ platinum blond lob paired with a bold burgundy lip.

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Rocking knee-high leather strappy stilettos (!!!), which looked perfect with her silver ruffled cut-out dress featuring an open back, Swift proved she's moving on to the next fashion chapter in her life (perhaps it's in thanks to her latest Vogue cover?)  and we're totally excited about that.

And if you thought T.Swizzle was just there to stroll the red carpet and be a guest, think again. The "Wildest Dreams" songstress had a very important role to play at the Met  she was the honourary co-chair at the event alongside Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and actor Idris Elba.

Taylor, you win. This is one of your best looks yet. Congratulations.

For all the looks from the 2016 Met Gala, check out the slideshow below!

Met Gala 2016 See Gallery

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That's because almost half of Canadian residents are unhappy in their jobs, according to a poll commissioned by recruitment agency Hays Canada.

The survey spoke with about 2,500 Canadian employees and their employers as part of its "Fit Series," a study examining how well people match up with their workplace cultures.

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It found that 47 per cent of Canadian employees weren't happy with their jobs  and feeling like they don't fit in with their work environment was the main reason that most of them quit their positions, or were fired.

Employers said that new hires who don't gel with office culture ware bad for team morale and productivity. More than half of such hires (56 per cent) end up being dismissed.

But that hasn't stopped employers from bringing on people who just aren't right for the job. Forty-nine per cent of respondents admitted to hiring people despite a negative first impression  and only six per cent of employers said those people worked out in the long term.

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Such hires eventually cost companies anywhere between $10,000 and $50,000  and more than $100,000 in certain cases.

"The majority of Canada's working population believes fit is important, but when we investigated further, we learned that few actually know what that means," Hays Canada president Rowan O'Grady said in a news release.

"No one intends to be unhappy, but one-in-two Canadians spend their working lives that way because they disregard fit."

One of the biggest problems is that neither employers nor employees know how to recognize what works and what doesn't, according to Hays Canada.

The recruitment firm says that fit can be determined by four things: "work ethic, social behaviour, office conformity and the ability to connect with a team's working style."

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An introvert, for instance, might not make a great fit in a socially demanding environment.

Canadians reported being the least satisfied with retail jobs, where only 33 per cent said they were either somewhat or very happy.

People who worked in financial services or banking were the happiest  over half of them said they were at least somewhat pleased with their work situation, according to Hays.

This isn't the first study to suggest that Canadians are, by and large, unhappy with their jobs.

Indeed.com ranked Canada 17th out of 35 countries in its 2016 Job Happiness Index, which gathered its data by looking at anonymous reviews of companies that had been posted on its page.

Japan, Germany, South Africa and France took the bottom spots in that study.

So, perhaps Canadians who are unhappy at work can feel better knowing that things could always be worse.

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Donald Duck: we know him as the short-fused, feathered friend of Disney's Mickey Mouse and the gang.

But in Finland  the beloved bird with his blue sailor ensemble (sans pants) and incoherent sputtering, is something of a legend.

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That's right, step aside Mickey.

Donald Duck rose to cultural icon status in the Nordic country as the star of his very own weekly comic book magazine, Aku Ankka (Donald Duck in Finnish). First published in 1951, Aku Ankka has remained one of Finland's most popular magazines. It had a circulation of about 228,050 in 2014, and a readership of about 733,000 in 2015 -- in a country of 5.4 million people.

So what is it about Aku Ankka that resonates so much with the Finns?

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Finnish author Hannu Raittila theorized that Finns also identify with the fiery bird who is hard working, resourceful and resilient in the face of adversity.

"Donald is forever getting into difficulties or coming under threat from some direction or another," Raittila explained in Finnish newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat in 2007. "The duck hero has to get himself out of all manner of unexpected and unreasonable scrapes using only his wits and the slim resources he can put his hands on, all of which meshes nicely with the popular image of Finland as driftwood in the crosscurrents of world politics."

And speaking of politics, when Finns aren't satisfied with their choice of candidates during an election, some are known to cast protest votes for Aku Ankka, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Not only is Donald Duck a big shot in Finland, but so too is his American illustrator, Don Rosa. In an interview with Finnish radio station, Radio Rock, Rosa explained that while most Americans wouldn't even recognize him at a comic book convention, Finns recognize him on the street and even tremble with excitement as they approach him for an autograph.

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And this Donald Duck fandom spans much further than the borders of Finland. The country's Scandinavian neighbours, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, as well as other European countries like Germany, are also big on the bird and have their own popular Donald Duck publications (though not quite as big as Aku Ankka).

There is even a term for all of this Donald Duck enthusiasm, Donaldism," which originated in Norway, with hardcore followers being called, "Donaldists."

In the words of Donald himself: "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Who knew he was such an icon?!?

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Kylie Jenner literally bleeds for fashion.

The 18-year-old "Keeping Up With The Kardashian" star took to her coveted Snapchat account on Monday evening after the 2016 Met Gala to show off the traumatic injuries she endured while wearing her diamond-encrusted Balmain dress.

A photo posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on May 2, 2016 at 8:08pm PDT

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Poor Kylie! Those scratches! Those purple feet!

But Kylizzle fans, don't worry. Your queen made a fast recovery revealing it was all "worth it though" in the very next snap.

A photo posted by Kylie Jenner Snapchats (@kylizzlesnapchats) on May 2, 2016 at 8:08pm PDT

The evening, with the theme "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," marked Jenner's first trip to the annual event, which celebrated the Metropolitan Museum of Art's latest exhibition by Andrew Bolton.

Kylie's floor-length Olivier Rousteing-designed number featured sheer panelling down the sides and fringe details on the skirt. But as much as we loved the dress, we wished Kylie took the look to the next level.

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But the young beauty mogul's biggest statement at the gala? Her hair, which was styled in a sleek bob.

Like the French say, "il faut souffrir pour etre belle!"

We give kudos to King Kylie for fighting through the pain.

For all the looks from the 2016 Met Gala, check out the slideshow below!

Met Gala 2016 See Gallery
The Mexican drug war has killed as many as 160,000 people.

But there's an economic cost to drug violence, too. And though it's dropped over the past five years, it's still an immense one.

The "Mexico Peace Index," released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), calculates the economic impact of violence in Mexico at around C$154 billion (2.12 trillion pesos) in 2015.

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That figure is equivalent to 19 per cent of Mexico's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  though it is down 38 per cent from 2011, when drug-fueled violence was at its height, and the cost of violence was calculated at C$213 billion (2.92 trillion pesos).

The IEP calculated these numbers by estimating the cost of crimes such as homicide, violent crime such as assault and robbery, as well as organized crime, and violence containment by the government.

It then included "direct costs" such as medical treatment; "indirect costs" such as lost productivity; and the "multiplier effect," which describes "flow-on effects" of violence on an economy.

Homicide, for example, had a total economic impact of $52 billion (727.4 billion pesos) in 2015. The direct costs of homicide were estimated at $4.6 billion (63.1 billion pesos), indirect costs at $43.8 billion (601.2 billion pesos) and the multiplier effect at $9.2 billion (126.3 billion pesos).

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The highest costs are those associated with violent crime, going from $90 billion (1.238 trillion pesos) in 2003 to $61.5 billion (845.2 billion pesos) last year.

The latest violent crime figure represents a drop of about $7 billion (96 billion pesos) from the previous year, as the level of violent crime fell by 9.5 per cent in 2015.

But government spending on areas such as the justice system and the military have grown in the same period, from $13 billion (182 billion pesos) in 2003 to $32 billion (440.2 billion pesos) in 2015.

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But even the fear of violence alone has a cost. The report pegged it at $3.6 billion (49.1 billion pesos) in 2003, growing to $3.9 billion (54.1 billion pesos) in 2015.

This is money that could otherwise have been spent on business transactions, increasing people's well-being and on going out and being social, the report said.

The years 2007 to 2011 proved a particularly problematic period for Mexico, with the cost of violence growing by 33 per cent as fighting flared up between the Mexican government and cartels such as Sinaloa, Los Zetas and the Beltran Leyva organization.

Since then the Mexican government has spent more and more money on containing violence, and the costs of violent crime and homicide have fallen in turn.

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Two things could happen going forward. Violence could keep falling as it has since 2011, and the country could save as much as $407.7 billion (5.6 trillion pesos) up to 2020. The IEP describes this as a "peace dividend."

Or violence could flare up again as it did from 2007 to 2011, and the cost to Mexico's economy would be about $917 billion (12.6 trillion pesos).

The statistics come as health experts call on countries to decriminalize or even legalize drugs  an approach that, in some cases, has been shown to reduce violent crime.

Two years ago, researchers with the University of Texas at Dallas found that legalized medical marijuana could lessen crimes such as assault and homicide.

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That research was conducted by looking at 11 states that had legalized medical pot between 1990 and 2006.

In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the possession of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and MDMA, treating it as a lesser crime, like a parking ticket, Der Spiegel reported.

Results have been mixed, but very few people there die from overdoses compared to the rest of Europe, according to The Independent.

The Canadian government has pledged to introduce legislation to legalize marijuana in the spring of 2017.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday that his NDP rival bears some responsibility for the failure of past federal Liberal governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

And when NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair tried to clear things up with a point of order after question period, Liberals wouldn't let him.

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Mulcair rose in the House of Commons to contend that the Trudeau government was shirking its responsibility on the climate file. The NDP leader hinted he'd seen that story before.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak in the House of Commons on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (Photo: The Canadian Press)

"They signed (the) Kyoto (Protocol) the last time they were in power and went on to have one of the worst records in the world," he said. "This time, they went to Paris and said 'Canada is back.' Unfortunately, Canada was back with the Conservative plan."

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Mulcair was referencing how the emission reduction targets the federal government took to the Paris climate talks in December were set by the previous Conservative government of Stephen Harper.

"Why no plan to reduce greenhouse gases in Canada?" Mulcair asked. "Canadians want to know."

Trudeau shot back that he wasn't "a politician" when Kyoto was signed.

"But the member opposite was minister of environment for the province of Quebec and (shares) a part of responsibility on what wasn't done in the past," the prime minister said.

Trudeau went on to say his government was working with the provinces to develop a climate plan that will honour its responsibility to future generations.

Accord was ratified by Canada in 2002

Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1998, and ratified it in 2002 under former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien, but did not come close to hitting GHG reduction targets. In fact, Eddie Goldenberg, a former top Chretien adviser, said in a 2007 speech that Liberal government signed the accord knowing it wouldn't achieve those targets.

Tories formally pulled Canada out of the Kyoto Protocol in 2011.

Mulcair, who served as Quebec's environment minister from 2003 to 2006, would not let Trudeau's jab go unanswered. After question period, he sought unanimous consent to table a document that showed the province "decreased GHG emissions" every year he was environment minister.

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Mulcair makes point of order

The Liberal majority would give no consent to Mulcair, though the NDP leader did earn some applause from Conservatives.

No worries, though  George Smith, the NDP leader's senior press secretary, shared a screengrab of the graph on Twitter.

Trudeau blamed Quebec for Fed Libs failing on Kyoto so Mulcair asks to table doc showing he reduced GHGs as Minister pic.twitter.com/KFjhMgS2R7  George Smith (@GeorgeNDP) May 3, 2016

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Few people on this side of the pond noticed, but over the past day or so, a major proposed transatlantic trade pact has come to the brink of collapse.

And its possible demise also throws into question the future of a separate proposed free trade deal between Canada and the European Union.

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Classified chapters of the proposed U.S-EU free trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), became public after Greenpeace leaked more than half of the negotiating text on Monday.

The environmental activist group said the documents showed the deal presents an across-the board threat to environmental and climate action in both the U.S. and Europe.

The documents reveal that the U.S. is demanding that the EU lower environmental and public health protections as part of the TTIP, Greenpeace said, and U.S. corporations would have the power to override European laws under the proposal.

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But the top U.S. negotiator in the talks said Greenpeace's assertions appear to be misleading at best and flat out wrong at worst."

With negotiations currently underway in New York, Frances trade minister made it clear Tuesday his country is opposed to the deal. Matthias Fekl said talks are totally blocked'' and an end to negotiations is the most probable option.''

Fekl insisted on better farming and environmental protections, and said in its current state, France cannot sign it.''

A breakdown of the U.S.-EU deal could jeopardize Canadas proposed free trade deal with the European Union as well.

The Canadian deal, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), is at a far more advanced stage than the U.S. deal. It was seen by many as a test run for the larger U.S.-EU deal.

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Officials on both sides of the Atlantic have said the Canada-EU deal could come into force as early as this year, but serious obstacles remain. For one thing, its still unclear what has to happen for the European Union to ratify the Canadian deal.

EU trade officials say that the deal need only to be ratified by the European Parliament. But many individual countries in the EU insist that the deal is a mixed agreement under EU law, and requires all 28 member states to ratify it.

Some EU member countries say they will not ratify the deal, which has been in limbo since negotiations concluded in 2014.

That Europeans may be confusing the Canadian deal with the American deal has become an issue of concern to some Canadian officials. Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland recently found herself having to highlight the fact that Canada has separate relations with the EU from the United States.

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"We're a G7 country. Talk to us in our own right. OK guys? Please," the CBC quoted her as saying.

Like the proposed U.S.-EU deal, the Canada-EU deal includes a controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism that opponents say gives corporations the ability to override national laws.

With ISDS becoming increasingly unpopular in Europe  to the point of massive street protests  European officials hinted they would like to see it removed from the Canadian deal.

But at this point the controversial clause reportedly remains a part of the negotiated agreement.
Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images Cropped image of couple calculating finances at home

The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy just released their 2015 Annual Report of bankruptcies and consumer proposals in Canada and from these numbers we can see the impact shifts in the Canadian economy have on indebted Canadians.

In 2015, 121,609 Canadians filed for insolvency, an increase of three per cent over the prior year. The number of insolvencies in provinces with oil-based economies, such as Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan were significantly higher than they were last year.

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Meanwhile, neighbouring provinces such as Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba also felt the sting of low oil prices as laid-off energy sector employees returned home, increasing the rate of insolvencies in those provinces as well.

In contrast, Ontario was the only province that saw a decrease in the number of insolvencies -- supported by stronger employment due to the low Canadian dollar and an increase in exports.

While personal bankruptcies in Canada were down 2.2 per cent, consumer proposals were up 9.4 per cent and increased in every province across Canada. Consumer proposals accounted for 47.9 per cent of all insolvencies meaning that for every bankruptcy filed in Canada, someone else files a consumer proposal.

These numbers should serve as a wake up call for anyone carrying consumer debt.

The increasing trend towards consumer proposals can partially be attributed to higher real estate prices. Heavily indebted consumers can utilize the equity in their home to negotiate a settlement arrangement with their creditors, keep their home and other assets, all while avoiding bankruptcy.

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In addition to their Annual Report, the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy also released the most recent monthly report that revealed the number of insolvencies in Canada was up 11 per cent in February from January and increased another 1.5 per cent from a year ago.

These numbers should serve as a wake up call for anyone carrying consumer debt. Debt can catch up with you even in the best of economies. It can slowly creep up on you until the debt becomes so large, the minimum payments are unmanageable. Your debt repayment plan can get sidelined by not only a change in employment but other unexpected life events such as an illness or divorce. Carrying debt today means you do not have any financial 'wiggle room' to weather any rough patches like a downturn in the economy.

However, there are steps you can take to survive an economic crisis. My advice to anyone living in a province with a 'booming' economy is to be cautious with your finances. Pay off any outstanding debts and do not take on more debt. Do not assume that just because your provincial economy is doing well, you do not have to prepare for the future. Do not assume the 'good times' will last. As we can see in Alberta, things can and will change quickly.

Learn to live without debt. Figure out how to balance your budget. Set aside an emergency fund as contingency for unexpected expenses or income loss. Give yourself the financial breathing room to handle the possibility that you may lose your job without having to turn to credit.

Remember, a "booming" economy is the time to repay debts quickly, not put them off. That way, if -- or rather when -- the economy shifts in your province, it won't be such a shock to your finances.

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BakiBG via Getty Images Beautiful mature daughter holding hands her senior mother.

Caregiver distress is growing: Health Quality Ontario's report highlights challenges faced by the province's informal and unpaid caregivers

My recent late-night emergency department shift was like many others. I saw patients of all ages and a broad range of medical issues. As I reflect back, two patients stood out.

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Both were elderly men with serious complex chronic conditions. But one was fortunate enough to be accompanied by family members, whereas the other arrived by ambulance alone. In the first case, the man's wife and daughter helped communicate his health issues because he didn't speak English.

They brought his recent medical records and were a comforting presence over a period of several hours. Their participation in his care helped make it possible for me to send him home in accordance with his wishes.

These critical caregivers are rarely acknowledged when we talk about the health system.

Without similar help, the other man spent several hours alone as we tried to piece together what was happening; he was admitted to the hospital though he had hoped to go home.

It struck me how much difference can be made by the presence of family and friends. Yet these critical caregivers are rarely acknowledged when we talk about the health system.

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Chances are most of us have acted as informal, unpaid caregivers at some point for a parent, child or spouse. When we serve in this role, we provide critical support to our loved ones and the health system at large. However, this support often comes at a personal cost, especially when caregiving stretches into months or even years. During that late-night shift, the man's daughter spoke urgently about wanting to stay with her father, but also needing to return home to her kids and be ready for other commitments the next morning. Visibly distressed, she was torn between duties to different parts of her life.

Health Quality Ontario has released a new report to better understand distress like this, among unpaid caregivers of long-stay home care patients in Ontario. We found rates of stress, anger and depression have more than doubled for these caregivers, climbing from 15.6 per cent to 33.3 per cent between 2009/10 and 2013/14.

Within that time frame, long-stay home care patients cared for by family members or friends have also become collectively more cognitively impaired, more functionally disabled and sicker.

In Ontario, at least one informal caregiver, such as a spouse or adult child, shoulders the everyday care of almost all long-stay home care patients (97 per cent) who also receive publicly funded home care. Most assume the role with little to no formal training, stepping in to fill the hours not covered by a paid support worker.

For many informal caregivers, time-intensive caregiving can lead to sleepless nights, emotional exhaustion and feelings of guilt or loneliness that may negatively impact their lives. Some studies associate long-term caregiving with physical problems, such as back aches, migraines, stomach ulcers, hormonal changes and even early death.

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Our report also shares stories from families across Ontario. Nghi is a former trading supervisor for a stock brokerage, who must decide between returning to work and selling his home in order to pay bills related to informal caregiving for his mother. Carole Ann stood by her husband Bill throughout his five-year ordeal of nine ankle surgeries, many infections and congestive heart failure. "Bill's wounds have healed," she says. "But I don't think I have."

These stories complement compelling data to show the complexity of issues faced by caregivers.

Watching someone we care about suffer from prolonged illness or declining health is always difficult, so it's not possible to completely eliminate distress. However caregivers should not have to endure avoidable stress.

Caregivers are an integral part of our health system. It's critical that we support them in times when they support others.

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artland via Getty Images detail of bike and streetcar background downtown in toronto

May marks what would have been the 100th birthday of renown urbanist and long-time Toronto resident Jane Jacobs. The occasion will be celebrated as thousands walk in more than 250 city tours in what may be one of the greatest citizen-led walks.

For most, it is a reminder of the values Jacobs laid out so well in her landmark book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in which she articulated ground-breaking ideas about how cities function, grow and sometimes fail.

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Jacobs interpretation of healthy cities described how the physical environment strengthens social networks of streets and communities. She believed in a less car-centred approach that brought people together to create a more intimate relationship with their city.

But a new interpretation of urban health should surely be one that also measures the well-being of its population through key health indicators like air quality and functioning, walkable environments. By this measure, city-building that focuses on walkability becomes a health issue as much as it is one of urban planning and intensification.

Design has an important part to play in this, making walking more popular through better street lighting, wider sidewalks and roads that are free of cars. A number of cities such as Paris and Hamburg have already experimented with car-free days and Oslo plans to ban all private vehicles from its city centre by 2019.

As Toronto continues its rapid growth, the limitations of travel by car are becoming ever more apparent.

Car-free cities are in fact city centres that offer limited or periodic access to vehicles on designated roads. Their primary goal is to reduce harmful emissions, but closing streets to cars also creates remarkable, impromptu neighbourhoods where people walk or cycle to their destination, increasing mobility, personal interactions and supporting local business.

In Bogota, Columbia, a city of almost 7 million people, one day a week is known as Ciclovia and sees entire streets made car-free for the day. Since 1974 this initiative has brought out over 2 million residents each week to walk, cycle, commute, socialize and celebrate their city. Ciclovia also offers an important opportunity to educate participants on health issues.

As Toronto continues its rapid growth, the limitations of travel by car are becoming ever more apparent. Average commute times have increased to 33 minutes as the city's main arteries struggle to keep up with the more than 1.1 million (2011) vehicles on city roads each day. While the rhetoric around change has been positive, action has been achingly slow.

An increased investment in bike lanes in the city is taking shape, but still represents just a small percentage of the population. Growth in public transit capacity continues to be at least a generation behind and while there are no quick fixes, a car-free day, say along a main artery such as Yonge Street, could be a valuable pilot. It would open up the city's most central downtown artery and set a refreshingly new tone in determining how areas of the city can function better when cars are not part of the equation. Importantly, a car-free Toronto would encourage us all to walk more.

It seems strange to advocate for walking, one of the most primal of human activities, and yet here we are in the 21st century finding that almost 50 per cent of all Canadians walk less than half an hour per day. That's less than Australians, the French, Germans and the British.

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Our harsh winters might not help, though people tend to walk more in extreme low temperatures than in higher ones. Moscow averages a lower temperature than Toronto, and yet Moscovites walk more. This is too bad, as walking checks so many of the boxes that Jacobs described including community, urbanism, sustainability, civic pride and economic well-being.

As in so many areas of life, we need some motivation to walk. Health programs, which have focused on fear of chronic conditions, now aim to reward.

Canada's iconic fitness program ParticipACTION recently launched UpnGo, a workplace-based program to encourage and reward activity. U.K.-based fitness reward app Bounts will even pay you to walk, with points redeemable at retailers Amazon, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and, strangely, Pizza Express. Arguably, the rapid rise in health trackers such as Fitbit has done more to get us walking the magic 10,000 daily steps than a generation of advocacy.

When Jacobs famously said, "Not TV or illegal drugs but the automobile has been the chief destroyer of American communities," she had in mind the social fabric of urban society. Car-free urban centres, in Toronto and elsewhere, offer a valuable contribution to achieving the ideals set out by Jacobs, while improving the mental, physical health and well-being of its residents.

As Dustin Hoffman famously said in the iconic movie Midnight Cowboy, "I'm walking here!" Now it's time we all did the same.

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Pixland via Getty Images Businessman hugging a computer monitor

If you ask most amateur traders why they invest, the answer shouldn't surprise you: to make money (obviously). However, lurking beneath the surface in our unconscious minds, there are two other motivations behind all of our decisions:

Expressive benefits -- what does this say about me to others?

Emotional benefits -- how does this make me feel?

Consider someone who buys a Prius -- their car might tell the people around them that they care about the environment. It might make them feel like they are contributing to the world around them. Ultimately though, it's just a car, like any other with a basic benefit: transportation.

How does this apply to your investments?

Amateur traders typically show lower rates of returns than pros -- often because they make simple, emotional based mistakes that a systemic advisor would surely avoid.

Trading too often: It's an easy trap to fall into. Checking the markets in the morning, riding the thrill of how much money you made yesterday, catching up to the minute financial reports on your smartphone. The thrill of how much money you made the day before, the desire to quickly earn back the losses you had last week, the confidence of feeling like you can read the markets.

But, the truth is clear: people who trade more often have lower rates of return in the long term than those who hold and ride the market.

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Refusing to sell: Amateur traders often have investments they are in love with - that one business they were certain would succeed or are certain will still succeed. Clinging on to a failing investment with the hope that it will recover - because you have a gut feeling, because you're just "so invested", you spent a lot of time researching the investment ahead of time, or simply because you fear regret can increase your losses.

Being blind to the opportunity costs will lower your rate of return over time. A good advisor bases decisions on systemic, objective research and help you see losses for what they really are: sweet, sweet tax relief.

Buying what you know: It may seem easy to draw connections between the long lines at the Apple Store, or the never ending sea of Starbucks locations and assume that these are signs of growth and a sound investment. It's not uncommon for amateur investors to gravitate towards companies they are familiar with. Maybe you genuinely do love Apple products or Starbucks coffee. Unfortunately, that doesn't always mean they are a good place to put your money.

Studies have shown that familiar investments underperform and most amateur investors would be better off buying index funds. An advisor will have more knowledge about which companies in a diversity of industries are right for you - plus they will have done more research than what is available at the mall.

Smart investors are in touch with their feelings and keep them a safe distance from their finances.

Tea Nicola is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WealthBar, Canada's only full-service online financial advisor offering diversified portfolios of low-cost ETFs, insurance and financial advice. Passionate about personal finance, Tea is looking to change the way Canadians save by making investing smarter, more transparent, and at more than half the cost of traditional advisors.

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For decades governments have proudly proclaimed a global consensus on drugs. A consensus that reinforced reliance on repression and punishment to deter people from using drugs or from involvement in the drug trade. A consensus that has encouraged hugely expensive drug control polices based in tough law enforcement which have failed to reduce the scale of drug market but has had a very high human cost. In mid-April the biggest global drugs summit in 18 years took place at the UN and one thing was clear - that out-dated and damaging consensus is no more.

This is not an easy thing for many governments or the UN to admit. Just a few days before this long-awaited UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS), Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime, wrote:

"Consensus may not be pretty, but it is the best way of progressing against a global threat that desperately needs unity of action".

Source: Ann Fordham

For civil society advocates of reform, the UNGASS process has been marked by "suppressed excitement" and "intense frustration" (to quote from Mr Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights). It was hoped that there would be clear acknowledgement in the outcome document of the failure and the damage of punitive drug polices and that the rhetorical shifts signaling a new paradigm of a health and human rights based approach would translate into explicit support for decriminalising drug use, and a genuine and unequivocal recognition of harm reduction. It was probably too much to expect governments to accept that the legal regulation of cannabis is actually happening in a number of jurisdictions, although to continue to ignore this rather large elephant in the room risks rendering the very idea of international cooperation on drugs obsolete.

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Frustrations also resulted from the political machinations that encumbered the process which meant the debate was neither open nor wide-ranging and essentially ignored the weight of evidence submitted by non-government organisations, UN agencies and much of the progressive language introduced by governments themselves. Civil society participants were also subject to Kafka-esque attempts to limit access to the actual debates by UN security in New York. A deeply upsetting experience for many NGO colleagues travelling from far and wide to New York that makes a mockery of the fine words spoken by many governments regarding the value of 'civil society participation'.

Fedotov, while admitting it had been "difficult to please everyone", still claimed that the document "promotes cooperation and partnership" and that the "world can benefit from such unanimity". This 'outcome document' was essentially agreed in advance of the UNGASS and was adopted by consensus almost as soon as the session started and before the debate began. The rather quick and seemingly hurried adoption of the document at the start of the session seemed designed to ensure that its contents could not be questioned or subject to renegotiation. Can a consensus so brittle and fragile really be called a consensus at all?

Immediately after the adoption of the document, there were nine statements from governments and regional groups to express dissatisfaction with the outcome document for the issues that could not be included. These ranged from the abolition of the death penalty for drug offences, the decriminalisation of drug use and the lack of reference for allowing traditional uses of drugs.

From the very outset, the UNGASS did not begin in a spirit of 'consensus' - pretty or otherwise. For the next three days, throughout the debates, one after another, government representatives stood up and contradicted one another on the basic premises of drug control. For a number of years now, commentators have increasingly highlighted the fracturing global consensus on drugs that has been heavily rooted in repression and punishment as the means towards eliminating the illicit drug market. At the UNGASS itself, any pretence of a remaining consensus was ripped away.

Russia, now the clear leader of the pack of hardliners since the US softened its war on drugs stance under the Obama administration, stated:

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"In the run up to UNGASS, some pessimists argued that we lost the war on drugs. This is not the case. We must continue our fight."

Countries like Singapore, Pakistan, Iran and South Africa brought up the rear with staunch ideological opposition to the 'defeatist' idea that the fight against drugs had been lost. But these regressive views, although perhaps more entrenched than ever, were no longer the dominant voices. President Santos of Colombia, who had in fact led the call for this debate in the first place stated:

"The question we have to ask, looking at the efforts made over years, over decades, over a century is this: After so many lives that have been been destroyed, after so much corruption and so much violence and after so many young people being marched off to jail - can we say that we have won the war? Or could we at least say we are winning it? Unfortunately the answer is no. We have not won the war and we are not winning it now."

President Santos at the UNGASS. Source; Ann Fordham

His sentiments were echoed by countries as diverse as Tanzania, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Canada, Argentina, Bolivia, Lichtenstein, New Zealand and many others. In addition, the majority of senior UN officials that spoke during the three-day summit pointed out the failure of punitive approaches and the high human cost that has been wrought as a result. Their statements were preceded by several written contributions made in advance towards the process which overwhelmingly called for reform and for the decriminalisation of drug use.

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Recognising these many progressive calls in his closing remarks, the President of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoff, stated:

"With your experience and expertise, you have brought home to us the immense human cost of this problem and indeed, at times, of the approaches we take to address it."

So has the UNGASS been a missed opportunity? Would it have been better had it not happened now and perhaps all the effort been saved for the next 'big moment' of 2019 when governments will have to negotiate a new global action plan on drugs?

The outcome document is mostly disappointing but it is not the only indicator of progress. Apart from the strong dissensus that emerged through government and UN statements, we can look back briefly to the last UNGASS on drugs in 1998. At that time the then President of the General Assembly, the UN Secretary General (who was Kofi Annan, now a strong proponent of reform) and UNODC's Executive Director all made calls for a "drug-free world". This time no self-respecting UN official would openly support the "harmful concept of a 'drug-free world'" (according to the UN human rights experts).

Outside the UN, the momentum created by the UNGASS has helped to strengthen the drug policy reform movement bringing diverse new voices from criminal justice, development, peace building, palliative care, human rights, racial justice and religious groups. Over 1000 prominent and influential leaders, including Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have also made their voices heard with a strong letter to the UN Secretary General released on the eve of the summit.

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The UNGASS was certainly not a success for the defenders of the status quo. The consensus on punitive prohibition has been well and truly ripped apart at the seams. What will rise up in its place? More than likely the trend towards "contentious pluralism" will continue as reforms continue apace at the national level placing further pressure on the global drug to control system to modernize to reflect reality or slide further into irrelevance.

For drug policy reformers, the work is by no means done. Although we should be buoyed by the fact that, by and large, the recent policy changes and shifts in discourse are in response to the numerous and vocal calls made by civil society in the course of the past decade. We can hear our progressive calls and language being reflected back to us by many governments and UN officials. To quote US Vice President Joe Biden:

"No fundamental social change occurs merely because government acts. It's because civil society, the conscience of a country, begins to rise up and demand - demand - demand change."
I was incredibly fortunate to be one of three entrepreneurs invited to join the inaugural

Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Detroit. After an extraordinary four days of business

mentoring, partying at 38,000ft , and exploring the city I returned home feeling blessed,

inspired and wondering where my canapes and film crew were.

My time with Sir Richard Branson, "the most popular entrepreneur in the world", gave me an incredible insight into the way that he runs his business and lives his enviable life. From cheeky, warm smiles to a genuine appreciation of an entrepreneur's plight Richard Branson is undeniably a pleasure to be around. Our time in his presence shone some light on a few traits we'll surely be adopting in the hope that they'll somehow take our businesses one step closer to Virgin-esque world domination and ourselves to a Branson-degree of lovable.

Without getting too psycho-analytical, here are a few qualities and quotes that revealed to me some of the ingredients of Branson's secret sauce.

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Help Others

It was question-time at the end of the official press conference in Detroit with the CEO's of Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Wayne County Airport and the Mayor of Detroit. A young lady stuck her hand up, introduced herself as an entrepreneur and asked her question. Sir Richard didn't just answer her question but also invited her to "tell me more about your business", giving her the opportunity to pitch it to the room of top-tier journalists and business owners. This level of genuine interest in startup businesses, although initially startling, was incredibly insightful into how Branson has earned the respect and admiration of so many people. It wasn't surprising that the lady, content with the response, followed with "I just want to say I think you're an amazing person." Aww.

Do Good

It's no secret that Richard Branson is a big advocate of business that solves problems. After all, that's how Virgin Atlantic was born: a chartered flight to satisfy the disgruntled customers of a flight, the last of the day, that had been cancelled. He passionately explained: "you might as well stick your neck out and do something to make people's lives better!" The journey of an entrepreneur is a bumpy one at best and if you're going to stick with it and see your business through to success then it better go some way to make the world, in some tiny way, a better place. His emphasis on entrepreneurialism as a means for social impact shed light on something far greater in his motivations: a respectable and influential approach to what we should be creating in the world we live in.

Know Yourself

Having had the opportunity to meet those who manage a number of the Virgin businesses it was clear that Sir Richard is incredibly good at concentrating on his strengths and employing the best talent to fulfil the other roles. He told us to become aware of what you're good at - likely coming up with new ideas - and stressed the value of handing over the general management of the business to have the headspace to innovate. Of course a degree of groundwork needs to be done initially but it felt worth bearing in mind that we should be on the lookout for someone with the skills to manage our business day-to-day better than we ever could; ultimately giving us the time to dream of the future without being tied down by the daily challenges.

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Ask

We were sitting in the audience of 'Aint too Proud to Pitch': an event that brought together an audience of over 500 people, catering from local businesses, and four businesses pitching their ideas to a panel of star-struck worthy judges. One of the businesses who got on stage was called Merit: a Detroit-branded clothing company which contributes 20 percent of its profits toward college scholarships for Detroit students and helps ensure that they don't drop out. In the middle of their pitch they brought on stage a girl who was part of their programme and half-jokingly said that she wanted to visit London. Richard immediately said "You've got two tickets to London". It taught me that when you want something, ask for it. And Richard showed that he can, and will, help wherever he can.
Parents across the country will keep their kids off school for #KidsStrike3rdMay to protest SATs.

Millions of our 11 year-old primary pupils will be observed in classrooms or take to exam halls as they are tested in literacy and numeracy this month.

'#tellnickyno: Star Wars icon makes an unlikely appearance in parent protest'

The SATs were a product of a dramatic overhaul of education, namely Margaret Thatcher's Education Reform Act in 1988 which saw the national Curriculum introduced and the slow yet steady erosion of parent-power. Fast forward 18 years, and education has certainly been reformed. Yet it has certainly not been for the better. Successive governments' - both red and blue alike - have heralded 'the new normal' of our children having to reach a certain standard for their age, rather than what is considered 'average' for their age group.

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The initial driving force behind testing primary-aged children has insidiously skewed in favour of courting favourable OFSTED reviews every academic year and competing in catchment areas across the country. Most worryingly of all is the toll it takes on our children's mental health whilst most of their European counterparts have barely begun their education, a far cry from our regimented system.

I'm not a parent. I'm a concerned sister who has an 11-year-old autistic brother who above anything wishes the SATs did not exist. I also have a seven-year-old brother who has it all to come unless something drastically changes. At the best of times he does not enjoy school through no fault of his own or the fault of his excellent teachers. At worst, his needs as a learner are not being met, this generation are certainly not a generation of life-long learners due to policy changes. You can argue history has repeated itself as my brother is assessed in a similar fashion as to what was prescribed 10 years ago, when I was 11.

However, the academic criteria and assessment is only getting harder and unattainable for both teacher and pupil. According to parent James who has been a teacher for 15 years also has concerns that his class and his son, feel set up to fail.

"We are going to be constantly telling these children that they are working below standard. How awful is that? I've have already had children crying when we have done practice papers because they think they're too hard. They're feeling the pressure and we haven't even reached the actual assessments yet." - James Lewis, Parent and Teacher, Leicester.

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The Department of Education (DoE) have consistently not listened to the concerns of parents and teaching alike, exacerbating the alienation parents feel about their child's progress and quality of education. Recently, Minister for Education, Nicky Morgan at the National Association of Head Teachers Conference (NAHT) said of the level of literate British 15 year old pupils being 'far' behind the likes of Korea and Singapore "will more rigorous tests at key stage 2 actually address this gap?' you might ask. My answer is yes." In response to heckles from exasperated teachers like James.

Parent, Natasha Harpley who has taken part in #KidsStrike3rdMay wholeheartedly disagrees with this approach and had this to say about the narrowness of her child's learning.

"I am taking my children out [of school] in protest of the SATS. This year they have sharply moved the goalposts, and the nit-picky standards are unnecessary. Making tests harder does not raise standards, it only increases stress for the pupils undertaking them and the staff having to teach it." Natasha Harpley, Parent, Norwich.

The issue of education as James told me, does not necessarily have to be ideologically driven. Yet successive governments since the late eighties have decided to rubber-stamp their ideology on state-run schools to the detriment of pupils. Over-assessment and shifting focus from the arts which is deemed less important to development is the prescribed antidote for our lagging performance internationally.

I would argue the DoE has been locked in their Ivory Tower far too long and is no longer listening to those on the front-line. James and Natasha are not alone in thinking their voices as parents and teachers is simply white noise to the government. Thousands of parents made the decision to remove their children from school on the 3rd of May as it appears another education minister has not listened.

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What can be done by Nicky Morgan? First and fore most listen to teachers, listen to parents. We must also recognise what has been sacrificed on the altar of target-setting: creativity, physical education and overall the well-being of pupils. Arts and sporting activities must be back on the academic agenda, rather than second preference.

However, unless action is taken and we overhaul the system so that it is actually fit for purpose, this means scrapping SATs. My brother and his peers can enjoy learning for learning's sake and teachers can begin teaching again. Power is beginning to go back to parents and that is exciting. It is a vital step for letting kids be well- rounded, confident and happy.

It's a sign of the desperation of Parents that the only way they can claim power is to take their children out of school. Taking students away from learning should be a last resort and yet for many it has become the only option. Without proper accountability it always will be.

I'm with them.
Last week the Cameron government suffered another defeat, this time the embattled Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) saw its latest appeal against an earlier court ruling dismissed by the Court of Appeal, specifically that retrospective emergency legislation to stop claimants retrieving payments after being 'sanctioned' under workfare, was incompatible with Human Rights law.

Unemployed claimants Cait Reilly and Jamieson Wilson had brought legal action in 2013 against the DWP after being made to work unpaid on workfare, judges at the time finding the punitive schemes in question "flawed", and the High Court ruling against the DWP after it appealed the ruling, the following year.

The incumbent Cameron government like the Tory-led coalition before it has intensified and accelerated what is known by the umbrella term, 'workfare' in a way previously unseen in the UK, despite 'welfare-to-work' or 'active labour market policies' having been in existence here since the mid-80s. Actual 'workfare' in which claimants are made to work unpaid for commercial enterprises, or as bogus 'volunteers' for charities or 'social enterprises' as a condition of not being 'sanctioned', has also existed in some form or other since the early-90s, but was generalized in a myriad of separate schemes from 2011 on by former DWP minister Iain Duncan Smith and indeed chancellor George Osborne from 2014.

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'Workfare' has however faced continuous challenge and opposition and has been hamstrung by concerted efforts from campaigners and the broader public alike: 100 organisations - companies, public sector, and third sector - ending their involvement in one or all of what were 7 different schemes until November last year, when it became 5 after the DWP quietly announced it was "not renewing" the two worst schemes: 'Mandatory Work Activity', and 'Community Work Placements'.

The DWP has fought a losing battle launching appeal after appeal in its desperate attempts to defer repeated judicial dismissals of its own flaky attempts to get a single ruling in its favour. In 2014 three Court of Appeal judges dismissed its challenge to the 2013 High Court ruling which found that panic retrospective legislation rushed through Parliament in 2013 was incompatible with human rights law.

Last week, the Court of Appeal ruled against the DWP again, meaning it could well be obliged to repay 130million in benefit payments to claimants who were 'sanctioned' after "refusing" workfare. The earlier 'Poundland' case in which Cait Reilly brought legal action against the DWP after being conscripted to stack shelves in Poundland unpaid, argued that it was unlawful to be compelled to work unpaid as a condition of being able to claim Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) - what the state defines as 'subsistence'.

The High Court ruled that the DWP had indeed acted unlawfully in providing little clear information to claimants on the actual implications of workfare and what would happen if they refused such 'help and support'. The DWP notoriously prefers to make the exact nature of its demands as opaque as possible, what can and can't be done being strewn with 'interpretive' tripwires, designed to trip up claimants at every turn.

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The failing project of mass workfare and mass 'sanctioning' reveals its deeply ideological nature in the ridiculous supposed reasons for 'sanctions': being a couple of minutes late to the Job Centre being one of the less jaw-dropping. The punitive Victorian workhouse ideology of Duncan Smith and now his replacement, Stephen Crabb holds the unemployed responsible for unemployment and seeks to discipline and punish accordingly.

The desperate attempts of the DWP to retrospectively cover its own back and pig headedly launch appeal after failed appeal, found its apotheosis in the claim that the Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act (sic) was passed so as to "protect the public purse" because the benefit sanctions it had imposed were justified on the grounds that the claimants had breached the rules - rules it set and imposed and deliberately made to set claimants up to fail.

Last week this especially desperate attempt at clutching at straws was once again dismissed by the High Court, Lord Justice Underhill ruling that the decision of the High Court should be upheld and noting that in the cases of claimants who had appealed against sanctions, the act was incompatible with the European convention on human rights.

It was again argued successfully that retrospective legislation rushed through Parliament by the DWP attempted to rewrite the law and make lawful what had been ruled unlawful by judges. In effect this attempt by government to backtrack and introduce retrospective legislation was the vain effort to determine the outcome of sanction appeals in advance.
Five long years of protests, violence, suffering, bloodletting, proxy wars, fresh hopes marooned on jagged deceptions, untold misery, the barbarity of pseudo-religious claims, and the cheap venom of human beings pitted against each other.

Who would have thought that the expectations of five short years ago, in Syria and across a cobwebby and top-down MENA region, would produce so many deaths let alone so much bereavement, pain, duplicity, mendacity or frustration?

Why is the yearning for a loaf of bread, or a shred of dignity for that matter, so objectionable? Are citizenship rights so threatening to the entrenched ruling elites? How did a prayer that the wholesale oppression of societies would yield to an openness that is respectful of human beings - or more accurately of non-citizens carrying passports - metamorphose into grim killing machines? Disappearances are rife, the gaols are full of dead captives, and torture is the quotidian bread of some governors. The penury of fundamental values - that graze the soul as much as the hit the pocket - cast their penumbras over ordinary let alone disempowered or marginalised citizens.

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Yet, this is where the MENA region finds itself today. Bluntly, it is in the throes of a counter-revolution where rulers are - slowly, slyly - retaking the initiative and regaining the momentum. Regional and global powers are also pawning the lives of millions of MENA inhabitants and the art of impunity has reached an even higher screeching zenith. And those oppressive and heavy-handed measures marketed as corrective tools for 'stability' or 'security' are together feeding even more sinister and odious ideologies that are in turn being peddled as religion but in truth drag us into obscurantism.

Nowhere is this clearer than across Syria today. The country has been buckling under 5 years of merciless and oft-virulent violence. Only last week, Aleppo - the commercial hub of Syria and its ecumenical cradle - was being cowed down by those who are bereft of humanity. Niccolo Machiavelli would edit his 16th-century political treatise, The Prince, and add a few chapters on the new-old ways in which human beings can be bartered on the bloodied altar of self-interest.

But this latest orgy of violence in Syria - one that pits a bloody regime supported by its ravens against an equally murderous conglomeration of nihilistic militias - is paving the way for a game-changer in Syria. No longer can one find the cosiness of international law concepts such as R2P or safe havens. No longer can one invest in the pretence of politicians issuing sterile condemnations since such verbose niceties now lie buried under the collapsed walls of Aleppo. The Syrian army, supported by Russians overtly and Iranians less covertly, aims to retake a narrow strip of Aleppine territory to help it lay siege to the heretofore rebel-held part of Aleppo and encourage its depopulation - a demographic and confessional re-mapping of the country. And once this is achieved somehow, the Assad regime would then control the 5 key western cities of Syria nearer the Mediterranean. This also means that Staffan de Mistura's flailing attempts at a political solution would lapse and the military option would nakedly supplant the political avenues. One result is that the regime would then sit back while the West fights not only the terrorists of Daesh or Al-Nusra (that Syria has nurtured anyway) but also the 'moderate' rebels who have become a political nuisance. The Russian chess game in Syria was skilful: it strengthened its dominance, overshadowed a commitment-averse US president and made the UN-Geneva talks even more redundant. Putin checkmated Obama, and Russia checkmated the West, even if we still splutter otherwise.

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The consequence, paradoxically, is a Syria today whose future has become even darker and a country that might well end up being federated officially or else fragmented unofficially. Were it that we had acted earlier, and differently, rather than turn our backs on the irenic aspirations of millions. The irony is that the old democracies of the world had lamented for decades that the Arab masses are too somnolent and lazy, or else too incompetent and uneducated, to rise up and seek or reclaim their rights. Yet when they did just that, first in Tunisia, and then in Egypt, Libya, Syria or Yemen, we both expired their aspirations with interventions such as in Iraq or Libya, or else we opted to stay out like in Syria.

So is this the dystopian end of hope as I understand it for Syria?

Despite many reversals and disappointments, I really do not think this is the end of hope. True, this is the end of the 'Arab Spring' as we dubbed it in 2011, and I would even argue that this chapter has been lost by those who were idealistic enough to struggle for a better future. Yet, I have often stated publicly that the genie in the MENA region has come out of the bottle and it will not easily be lured back in. This is why I also believe that the awakened albeit wounded masses across a vast region cannot surrender at this hurdle. After all, they have lived a re-Nahda moment of their own making, no matter how tenuous or ill-defined, and it is plain that the new-old regimes in the MENA countries - from Egypt to Iraq - are losing their lustre anew. So ordinary MENA-ers will once again face future challenges in order to gain the elemental right to carry MENA passports worthy of genuine citizenship rights.
Such a topical topic as GCSE fever hits our nation! Today's world is increasingly competitive and unforgiving. There is tremendous pressure on children, young people and their families to ensure better exam results and academic outcomes. Understandably, parents, educators and politicians consider this topic high priority. Multiple exam preparatory businesses are found just round the corner and online. Parents are willing to invest huge amounts of money to further their child's education.

Increasing external pressure from competitive peers and higher thresholds of parental and societal expectations are realities in today's fast-paced world. Some children may flourish in an increasingly selective, academic result-based educational system but emotionally fragile children who struggle to handle stress will flounder.

How can we identify exam stress early?

An unwanted and unexpected by-product could be childhood/teenage stress and anxiety. Signs of anxiety from too much pressure to perform well on the day may lead to sleep disturbances, erratic/poor eating, low mood, excessive worrying, low confidence levels, frustration, anger and fear of failure - a sure-fire recipe for premature burnout. This can create a fertile ground for mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, eating and sleep disorders.

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Anxiety and stress may show up as queasy tummies, headaches and flaring up of skin conditions like rashes and eczema amongst other illnesses.

Younger children may experience nightmares or exhibit difficult behaviours. They can refuse to attend school. Struggling to concentrate in lessons / whilst preparing for their exams, loss of interest in their day-to-day activities and hobbies can lead to gradually withdrawal and social isolation.

Many others around the child (Parents, carers , siblings and involved family members) understandably experience significant stress in the lead-up to the exams and after. Tensions and emotions may run high in the household. These days, accessible (But not always suitable) peer support or social media are increasingly replacing parental support . A vicious cycle of peer and family pressures, feeling unsupported / not being understood may lead to perceived isolation, poor self-worth, diminished self-confidence . The consequences can include high-risk issues like online targeting or drug / alcohol misuse.

Education should lead us from darkness to light. However, high and unrealistic expectations from parents and schools can affect a child's overall development. A parent's role supports or facilitates the child's achievements but high expectations can create unnecessary pressure - this can foster stress and performance anxiety in children. Every child has a different potential and ability to manage stress.

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The school and college admissions process has become more difficult than ever before. Competition is fierce. Many apply to a handful of good institutions hoping to get a much-wanted place. The stress does not stop after the exams - the wait for a decision is excruciating. Only a small proportion of eligible candidates succeed.

Rejection can feel devastating. Highly capable and hard-working young people, who spend many hours studying and preparing for assignments and exams, find the whole experience stressful, undermining and frustrating. The developing brain starts to become unsure and lose confidence in its own abilities- a recognized trigger for serious mental and emotional health difficulties and illnesses.

How do we manage exam stress?

Every young person is different temperamentally and ability-wise. Early identification of (and a focus on) their abilities and strengths, coupled with an understanding of their innate temperament is key to setting realistic goals and expectations. Understanding the child's strengths and interests but accepting the child's limitations at the same time is important. Close and ongoing liaison with schools and other parents can help parents recognize the strengths and difficulties of their child.

The key is to start as early as possible to foster a supportive learning environment , where learning becomes a joy and not a chore. Learning can be enhanced and supported by daily conversations, practical tasks and a secure, consistent environment where the child can question and be curious.

Children may perform better at school and feel more confident about themselves if they are told that failure is a normal part of learning, rather than being pressured to succeed at all costs, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association (2012).

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Recognising this key concept and intervening early is vital. Parents and teachers need to communicate better with each other and the child. Supporting the child's efforts and self-esteem is the surest way to motivate them in a healthy manner. A simple conversation at the end of the day about how things are going and giving positive feedback on the child's efforts go a long way.

Being sensitive to a child's age and stage of emotional and physical development is also important. Approaching a hormonal adolescent is a very different ball-game to interacting with a child, as any parent will attest to.

Around the exam period, planning ahead, preparedness and manageable task lists can go a long way in alleviating stress. Organisation, emotional /stress management and communication at times of stress are pre-patterned in families and may require open discussions within the family, with clearly agreed communication and action points before the exam period starts. Simple practical considerations like Katie being aware mom will drive her to school on time for her exams, Tom's access to a quiet space should he require it and Lucy's prepared visual plan on the fridge help them significantly.

Creative outlets like music and art play a significant and often underestimated role in supporting relaxation, emotional processing and stress management at times of stress and in the longer-term. Neuro-scientific reviews on emotion, the mind, brain, music and self-guided, well-evidenced therapeutic techniques published and presented by the author highlight the role and usefulness of the creative arts in emotional self-management at times of stress like exams (Both in healthy individuals and in those with mental/ physical/ developmental health conditions).

Children with special needs or developmental conditions like ADHD may require access to a quiet space or extra time during their exams. These conversations and agreements can be finalized ahead of time, in discussion with the school, GP or mental health professional. Children with mobility or co-ordination issues can be supported to optimize their performance with a bit of forward planning with school, education and healthcare.

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Where degrees and educational attainments are seen as the passport to financial success, aiming to educate minds and supporting children's emotional, psychological, social and spiritual growth potential will go a long way in their immediate and future lives.
As the scandal of anti-semitism on the British left rumbles on - and in Ken Livingstone's case it's been rumbling for quite some time - we are hearing more and more of the notion that minority groups should have the final say in defining what does and does not constitute a racist attack on them.

In other words, this means that if X is a member of racial group Y, and they think that comment Z is a racist attack on racial group Y, it is a racist attack on racial group Y and that's the end of the matter. Similarly, women have the final say in identifying sexism, members of the LGBTQ community in identifying homophobia, and so on.

This approach stems from the Macpherson Definition, so called after retired judge William Macpherson who conducted the 1999 Stephen Lawrence Inquiry into institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police:

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A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.

This definition is superficially attractive. But one only has to think about it for a moment to realise that it is plainly wrong. A few examples illustrate this:

Firstly, there are cases where something is clearly not racist, regardless of what anyone has to say on the matter. Take the Seinfeld scene in which Uncle Leo receives an overcooked hamburger in a cafe and exclaims that the chef must be an anti-Semite ("They don't just overcook a hamburger, Jerry!"). The chef didn't see their customer. They didn't know he was Jewish. There was no evidence to suggest that the hamburger was overcooked deliberately. Anti-Semitism was very obviously absent from the whole episode, whatever Uncle Leo thinks.

William Macpherson may treat it as a racist incident on the basis that Uncle Leo labelled it as such; but that only serves to cheapen the concept of racism and make it something to be mocked, not abhorred.

Second example: contradictions and inherently contested concepts. Lots of Israelis think that labelling their state 'apartheid' is racist; lots of Palestinians think that to deny Israel as an apartheid state is racist.

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By Macpherson's definition, they're all correct. Israel is simultaneously a racist incident and not a racist incident. It is Schrodinger's dream come true. It's also complete nonsense.

There are plenty of other examples of outright disputes in the world of racism: is positive discrimination racist, or is a refusal to introduce positive discrimination racist? There are powerful voices, and arguments, on both sides. Adopting an inflexible definition shuts down what is actually an important debate for society to engage in.

Third example: 'racist' used as a smear. Sadly, it is a well-known fact that some unscrupulous people will call others racist in order to evade scrutiny and get away with wrongdoing.

Take Lutfur Rahman. When his election as Mayor of Tower Hamlets was found to have been riddled with intimidation, lies and downright fraud, a High Court judge removed him from office. Rahman responded by claiming he was only being targeted because of his Muslim faith.

The Macpherson definition says that, because Rahman perceived his trial to be racist (or because he said he did, since in the absence of telepathy we have to take him at his word), his trial was racist. But if we accept that, then he is able to evade justice and continue as mayor despite his corrupt path to power. That cannot be right.

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Similar things can be said about claims that the new president of the National Union of Students, Malia Bouattia, is only being criticised because she's black/ Muslim/ a woman. Actually she was being criticised because she had a history of making anti-Semitic remarks grossly offensive to the Jewish community; but again, Macpherson says that if she perceived the backlash against her election as racist, it was racist. Again: balderdash.

So the Macpherson definition is no good. A system where a person gets the final say as to whether or not hate speech has been perpetrated against them is open to abuse, self-contradictory and totally unworkable.

The views of those who perceive themselves to be targets obviously have to be taken into account. And sometimes - perhaps often - when there is a consensus, those views will have overwhelming weight. Anybody who is not part of a targeted minority should be very careful before disputing a claim that someone has been the victim of a racist incident.

But there are times when that approach is absolutely appropriate. The ability for society to function and to engage in critical discussions is too important for William Macpherson - with his absolutes and his certanties and his lack of space for discretion or exception - to overrule.
The fragile ceasefire in Syria, brokered by the US and Russia in February, now hangs in the balance. After several months of relative calm in western parts of the country, the Assad regime has now renewed its bombing campaign in civilian areas under the control of rebels around Aleppo and to the east of Damascus.

Monitoring groups' estimate that at least 250 people have been killed since the start this new offensive, with tens of thousands of civilians fleeing. While the US takes steps to seek an urgent resumption of the ceasefire, it now seems Russia is diplomatically supportive of the Syrian Government's attempts to change the goalposts of the Syrian ceasefire; turning it from a country wide truce, to regional ceasefires. This is a worrying development, as it will be even harder to keep more moderate forces engaged in peace talks if they continue to be attacked.

After the recent violence and as concerns about the collapse of the Geneva talks grow, the EU's High Representative Federica Mogherini issued a statement saying that "pressure should be brought on all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities, to resume talks in good faith and make the work of the UN Special Envoy in facilitating agreement between the Syrian parties possible." Reading this, I found myself asking: where is the EU strategy for Syria?

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EU Member States, or indeed Federica Mogherini, have done little in recent months to increase the EU's leverage over the key actors involved in this proxy war. There is no EU plan, which is remarkable given the extent to which this conflict directly impacts on the security and stability of Europe. As is often the case, the EU strategy seems to be to hope for the best and rely on the will of US and Russian diplomats to find a solution for us. Once again, it seems this "strategy" may fail us. So what should the key elements of an EU strategy for Syria look like?

The reality is President Assad is only capable of killing in such volumes because of the vital military support he is receiving from Russia and Iran. The EU, however, has done nothing to put pressure on Russia to respect UNSC resolution 2254, which Moscow itself voted for and commits all parties to immediately cease any attacks against civilian targets and urges all Member States to support efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

For many months, I have been calling for the preparation of fresh EU sanctions which Russia would have to face, if it continues bombing civilians or continues to support Assad in his bombing campaign. Instead, there are growing calls from some EU member states for existing EU sanctions against the Kremlin, linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to be lifted when they are reviewed on the 31st July. Instead of using its economic clout to put pressure on Vladimir Putin, there is a risk of Europe slipping into reverse gear.

Likewise in its relations with Iran, the EU has done little to develop instruments to motivate and push its leadership to abide by the UNSC resolution it signed up to. After the successful conclusion of the nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions, EU Member States are now engaging in a race for valuable commercial contracts in Iran. It is about time the EU developed a strategy which would make EU investments and economic cooperation conditional on Teheran's full support for the Syrian peace process. Here again, the EU is missing the opportunity to play a role in securing a lasting ceasefire in Syria.

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Last but not least, the EU's failure to agree and implement a collective response to the refugee crisis has forced EU leaders to instead sign a dubious migration agreement with Turkey, which dramatically increases the EU's dependence on Ankara. This is regrettable

as Turkey is an important regional actor in the ongoing Syrian proxy war. Turkey continues to support some of the rebels in Syria, while at the same time vetoing the participation of Kurdish PYD representatives at the Geneva talks, even though their military wing is fighting Daesh. It's vital the EU lessens this dependency on Turkey, by improving its migration management capacities. This will increase the EU's influence over Turkey's policy in Syria.

Not only does has the EU failed to develop a response to the refugee crisis, it's increasingly clear that the EU has no strategy to help deliver a political settlement for the Syrian crisis. Given the chaos that the refugee crisis has caused Europe, this amounts to a diplomatic dereliction of duty. We are now empty handed as we helplessly watch the Syrian ceasefire unravel.

Instead of sitting back, crossing our fingers and hoping for an end to the Syrian civil war, the EU should be uniting to heap pressure on those regional powers blocking the path to peace. Never before has a continent with so much invested in the stability of its surrounding regions, been so reluctant to project its power and defend its interests.
Living outside of the country where one was raised creates a strange alienation to events going on there. Even in an age of instant global media residing abroad buffers one from the daily saturation of events and results in an odd 'informed detachment'. I have experienced this feeling since moving to Switzerland from the UK almost five years ago.

Although I always kept abreast with British politics I never felt the need for a more active involvement - not that I'd been politically 'active' when living in the UK. However, the prospect of a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU awakened within me something new: a desire to participate. A referendum is somehow different to the every day political machine. The vote is on a single, complex, issue on which everyone will have an equal vote with the result sure to have prolonged international repercussions.

But distance is a great hindrance to political involvement. How could I play any part in the debate when I was not even residing in the country? While contemplating this a promotional offer dropped into my inbox from a website design company offering me a free webpage (I later learnt out that it wasn't strictly free). I saw this as an opportunity and over the course of the evening set up 'Pub Talks: debating the EU referendum over a pint'.

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The premise was simple: a website that encouraged people to hold their own EU referendum debate at their local pub. I could provide a template for a debate, the campaigns contact details and a list of potential questions - then sit back content in the knowledge that I'd done something. With the website adorned with stock images of pints and pubs I eagerly emailed my friends back in the UK to see who was up for organising some initial events.

The reaction I received was at best muted and it became clear that if anything were to happen I would actively have to get things rolling myself. I planned a short trip back home to moderate three consecutive events at three oft-frequented pubs in Brighton, Willingdon and London. The landlords loved the idea, particularly holding it on an unpopular day. Securing speakers was a little trickier but after countless frantic emails, unsolicited phone calls and a stubborn resistance to accept tentative rejections, I managed to land representatives for both sides for all three events.

Fifteen minutes before the start of the first event in Brighton faced with an expectant audience of six I began to doubt the appeal of the venture. Had I been away so long that a political debate in a pub was no longer tempting to my fellow countrymen? Thankfully my pride was saved by a late surge bringing the number to a cosy crowd of seventeen who proved to be an engaged and vocal public. The debate was intense but civil and following the closing statements I finally relaxed and gratefully ordered a pint of cider.

In my sedate home village of Willingdon things were rather different. I'd expected a fairly modest turnout of friends and family but as the start time approached the Wheatsheaf Inn was full to bursting and everyone there for the debate. It was a raucous affair with a group of Leave campaigners continually interrupting with some choice expletives. I rose again and again to call for order emulating the role of teacher rather than moderator. At the end of the debate I felt like I'd been beaten up but was greeted by handshakes, even from the group I'd been attempting to quieten. There seemed to be a general satisfaction that the event had taken place at all whether or not anyone's minds had been changed. The landlord offered me a free pint and enthusiastically asked if I'd be interested in making it a more regular thing.

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After the challenging environment of Willingdon I spent the day before the London debate with a sense of a dread. Would there be a mass turnout breaking out into something more dangerous than hurled insults? There would not. The London debate was, lucky for my nerves, more akin to the one held in Brighton.

Obviously I couldn't do this every week, not least because multiple air flights would make my carbon footprint soar. I therefore reached out to others and began contacting university-debating societies to see if they'd be keen on taking up the idea. The platform had always been about encouraging others to host events and it eager students proved to be the perfect partners. More events are now planned, still in pubs, across the country all to be moderated by local student debaters.

In some ways I have a pang of regret that I won't be able to attend each event but I am also chuffed that the platform I set up is playing some small part in the debate by encouraging discussion perhaps where it wouldn't have taken place before.

Since setting up the site I have learnt of a similar initiative called Politics in the Pub (https://politicsinthepub.wordpress.com). The group was founded in the wake of last year's general election with a similar aim of getting more people engaged in politics. Perhaps Pub Talks can take on a new guise after the EU referendum particularly if good turnouts get landlords on-board.

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We know that learning a new language is not easy for anyone. It is even more difficult if that language is not spoken outside of the home. This is the case of hundreds of thousands of children across the world whose parents currently live in a foreign country and speak a minority language.

Because they grow up with a dominant language that they speak at school and with their friends, or hear on the telly/radio, the children are, as one would expect, clearly fluent and more comfortable with communicating in that language than in the parents' language.

However, whether the parents speak, or don't speak, the minority language at home with their little ones, they naturally would like them to be able to speak that language to hold a conversation with them or to communicate with their family during a holiday in their parents' native country. Even watching them speak to the family abroad on Skype is a secret pleasure all parents absolutely aim for.

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A STRUGGLE.

To achieve just that, many families decide to join either a Saturday playgroup or a language school, where their little ones can have fun with other bilingual children whilst learning their parents' language, otherwise known as heritage language.

The problem is that sometimes when some children attend those Saturday playgroups or language schools with their parents, they struggle to communicate simply because they can't remember some words. They end up feeling shy and sometimes even refuse to speak the language with anyone at all.

When this situation occurs, the parents obviously get frustrated because their children are not speaking their language to the standard they would like them to. Some parents even feel quite powerless and can't see how their children will ever be able to speak their language.

A SOLUTION: BILINGUAL BOOKS.

Bilingual families have always existed, but no proper relevance has been given to the fact that raising bilingual children can be an asset both to the child and to the country. It is recent since the British government, for instance, has started encouraging a proper learning of another language in primary schools.

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However, as encouraging and helpful governments can be, schools will never be able to provide multilingual families with the extra efforts and extra time needed to get their children to learn a minority language. This is up to the parents only.

What is needed is for the parents to take the time and make the extra efforts to help their little ones by encouraging them to speak their heritage language and be proud of it. Giving the children some bilingual children's books to read is actually a great start to overcome the problem.

When the stories are specifically written to help parents with both the literacy and the cultural development of their children, there is suddenly a way to deal with the language learning difficulty.

We should more often recognise the essential bond between the children and the parents in a multilingual family, and encourage parents to read together with their little ones, at least twice during the weekend.

We know that children always copy their parents in everything they say and do. Therefore, having their parents enjoying the reading of books together with them, in the heritage language, will inevitably make them copy the behaviour and get them to have a lot of fun reading too.

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Reading and speaking in the heritage language should not be seen as a punishment. It should be seen as a treat. A natural gift from the parent to the child. A special moment the child will treasure forever.

It certainly is a slow process. However, if the parents are patient enough and consistent in reading books in, as well as with speaking, the heritage language with their children, they will soon see them enjoy reading books in that language and eventually even find themselves holding a proper conversation with them in that language.

WHY BILINGUAL BOOKS?

This, however, won't work with any classic book that has simply been translated and published as a "bilingual book".

A "proper" bilingual book is a book that has been written by an author with bilingual children in mind. It is a high quality colourful fun-learning book with stories that stimulate the children to engage with their own imagination and have an enjoyable reading experience, both with their parents, teacher or educator, and on their own. The stories also promote moral values such as teamwork, friendship, respect, sharing, learning from other cultures and show to the children that being bilingual is a great asset that will be useful in their future lives.

What makes the difference between "normal" books and bilingual books is that bilingual books will change both the way the children read books and the way they learn languages forever. They are a way to recognise and value the family's languages and encourage children to read and speak their heritage language and be proud of it.

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Only with bilingual books can the parents take turns in reading the same story to their children using their own language and, therefore, participating actively to their child's literacy development. Both parents get an opportunity to improve their own language skills as well.

Only with bilingual books can the repetitive structure of the books help the children to memorise the story, learn new vocabulary and practice pronunciation in the heritage language. As they read with their parents, the children learn phrases, words, idioms and sounds in the heritage language.

For instance, whether at home, at the playgroup or at school, Portuguese-studying children whose first language is English will improve their Portuguese quicker with bilingual books. The same is true for Portuguese-speaking children who will learn new English words and phrases in no time with bilingual books.

FUN-LEARNING.

Alike the preparation of a nice meal for the family, each story is the result of a delicious mix between easy words and more challenging words, a pinch of imagination, a zest of learning, a lovely story and some great fun.

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Religion is blamed for a number of society's problems. Some of these accusations have substance but the belief that religion is to blame for extremism is deeply flawed. It is based on hand-picked sources taken out of context and ignores the conflicting sources that forbid violence, or suicide or the killing of innocents. It dismisses the spirit of charity and equality which characterises how the religions were founded and are practiced by the majority of their followings. But above all it ignores the overriding role of circumstances in shaping behaviour.

Part of the problem is that most major religions are based on diverse texts in ancient contexts and obscure languages. This potential for interpretation gives extremists, New Atheists or academics the flexibility to depict them in any way that suits. But tying ourselves up in theological knots debating the 'true' meaning ignores a key misconception - that religion has so much say on our behaviour in the first place. Evolutionary psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers and academics overwhelmingly agree that it is circumstance, not ideology that dictates our behaviour. We do not make decisions in a vacuum. We are driven by the situations we live in, and the evolutionary survival needs they trigger. Religion is just one of many socially available narratives used to explain or gain support for evolutionary driven behaviour.

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Overcoming this misconception enables us to understand why for centuries the same religions have been used to justify selfless charity, mindless violence, and anything in between. Why Christianity was used to rally the genocide of The Crusades on the one hand as well as and selfless care for the sick on the other. Why Islam is vehemently blamed for ISIS terrorism by some, but hundreds of academics categorically say the opposite. Why for thousands of years every single major religion has changed and adapted often beyond recognition.

The driving role of circumstance becomes obvious if you look for it. Historian Karen Armstrong describes the Crusades as a political "struggle for power between popes and emperors". Despite the religious rhetoric, The Spanish Inquisition was nothing more than a land grab of increasing Jewish and Muslim wealth. The situation in the Middle East today is influenced by (amongst other things) a century of Western invasions, rigged elections, arbitrarily drawn borders, and oil-centric economies that give power to the wealthy few. Most of ISIS' leadership are former members of Saddam Hussein's secular government, with an obvious 'circumstantial axe' to grind. Didier Francois, a former ISIS captive, stated that the Quran hardly ever featured in ISIS discourse, as did David Kenner, who conducted interviews with 15 of their supporters. One Charlie Hebdo attacker was unable to separate Catholicism from Islam and Britons departing for Syria were spotted with 'Islam for dummies' in their hand luggage. Psychology journal The Scientific American Mind recently shed light on how extremist recruiters isolate recruits from mainstream society. They then lure with positive imagery to promise a better world. Out-of-context snippets of the Quran are used, but the true pull is the evolutionary desire for acceptance.

Groups such as the New Atheists attempt to prove the inherently violent nature of Islam by highlighting its uniqueness compared to other, more 'peaceful' religions. But when we understand that behaviour is driven by circumstance, comparisons can be made to the non-religious world too. By doing this, we can see there is nothing unique about the abhorrent behaviour of religious extremists. Secular regimes have produced some of the biggest genocides in human history. Nazi Germany is an obvious example - their method of turning millions against the Jews has strong parallels with ISIS recruitment techniques. Add to that Russian Gulags, Bosnian war camps, and any other number of totalitarian regimes. There's also the many 100s of suicide bombings conducted by the secular Tamil Tigers, proving that a promise of the afterlife is not needed to take your own life. Isolated attacks by religious fanatics are not too dissimilar from US college shootings.

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I love France. To me, the country holds a sort of magic. Its architecture, its way of life, its language; these elements never fail to create quite the memorable experience. In the south west of the country, Bordeaux is brimming with a magic all of its own; and it's of the indulgent variety. Take note of these top tips for an utterly pleasurable getaway.

Eat...

Bordeaux would have to give Lyon a run for its money as the gastronomic capital of France. There is food everywhere in this city with an abundance of enticing restaurants and cafes lining every street. Stop in for a crepe, nibble a pain au chocolat, treat yourself to a degustation or enjoy the region's world-renowned entrecote. One thing's for sure, you'll never go hungry here. Try Rue Saint-Remi in the centre of town for plenty of options, or take a stroll through the Saint Michel quarter to hunt for quaint backstreet cafes and patisseries.

Explore...

When you're in this region, top of your list should be to explore wine country. For the ultimate picturesque vineyard drive, head north of Bordeaux, following the river up on the D209. It's stunning countryside. Wineries are dotted back-to-back each with their own chateau, from charming little farm-style ones to grand palatial looking things.

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When you make your way back to Bordeaux's city centre there are some sights you shouldn't miss including the iconic Place de la Bourse on the banks of the river, the St Andre Cathedral, Porte Cailhau (which is like the ancient gate to the city), the Musee des Beaux Arts and the picturesque courtyard near the Grand Theatre.

Musee des Beaux Arts [source: Krissie Rogers]

Drink...

If there's one place your certain not to die of thirst, you've found it - as long as wine is your preference, that is. A region best known for its red varieties, there's no doubt the vineyards of Bordeaux make a mean cabernet grape. There are wine tours a-plenty to choose from but be sure to stop in at the Pichon Longueville estate near Paulliac, est. 1851. It's a stunning property, surrounded by rows and rows of vines that produce some exceptional cabernet wine.

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Chateau Pichon Longueville [source: Krissie Rogers]

The ancient village of Saint Emilion is also worth a visit, not only is it picturesque but it's a total wine-lovers haven with over 150 wine shops (which is a lot when you consider it has a population of merely 2,000 people!).

Saint Emilion [source: Krissie Rogers]

Stay...

With its own vineyard and a Michelin star restaurant, Le Saint James is a great spot to base yourself for an indulgent getaway. And, as the hotel has only 18 rooms, you're guaranteed a sense of personalisation and 5-star service. Located just outside Bordeaux in Bouliac, it has a beautiful view of the city's winking lights in the distance. Rooms start from 195/night.

Le Saint James [source: Krissie Rogers]
Dear Nicky

I can remember the exact moment I decided I wanted to become a teacher. I was 14, sat in a German lesson, learning about the case system. As my teacher explained the intricacies of dual case prepositions, there was something in her method of explaining an incredibly difficult topic that made the penny drop in my mind. I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to help young people to understand, and indeed enjoy, the challenges of grammar.

When I qualified (yes, that's right, I qualified. Parents seem to appreciate educators with suitable qualifications, the awkward fusspots that they are) and started in my first teaching post, I was described as being like Tigger - full of energy and enthusiasm and bursting with ideas. During the first six years of my career, I often remarked that getting up in the morning and going to work was something I looked forward to. It didn't feel like a chore.

The mood began to change in 2010. Suddenly, the profession I loved was under sustained attack from an Education Secretary who portrayed teachers as the problem, rather than part of the solution. Since then, we've seen our pay, pensions and conditions of service subjected to a relentless onslaught. We've been described as 'enemies of promise'. I was at the NASUWT conference where you, Nicky, had the audacity to tell us to 'step up' and 'do our bit'. The problem is, to you, 'stepping up' means selling one's soul to a vision of education completely at odds with the factors that drive teachers in their work.

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You see, I believe passionately in the uniqueness of each and every young person I come into contact with. Whereas you view 'success' as shoe-horning future units of economic activity through a straightjacket curriculum that places no value on creativity, my educational outlook is the polar opposite. I would love to think that all young people are capable of achieving an A* in French. Unfortunately (for you), the basic human reality is that, just like us grown-ups, students come to school with individual talents and preferences. I've witnessed first-hand the sheer pressure of meeting wholly artificial targets in an arbitrary set of 'academic' subjects drive young people to depression, self-harm and disillusionment.

This is what drove me out of the profession I love. I am one of around 55,000 teachers fleeing from mainstream education this year. I feel angry and powerless. The thing is, Nicky, I'm not afraid to say that I was an excellent teacher. I had extremely positive relationships with young people, was able to engage students of all abilities in language learning and yes, ensured that they reached their full potential at examination level. My love for being in the classroom and spending each working day in the company of truly inspirational young people had never diminished. Indeed, it is that aspect of the job that I miss the most, but I could no longer bear being an agent of the archaic, inadequate educational delusion pimped out by you and your associates.

I know you think you have the best interests of our nation's young people at heart, Nicky. Having never worked in the system you seek to revolutionise, however, I question your ability to know what is best for it. When teachers go to work in the morning, their whole purpose is the nurturing of young minds. You, however, are guided by a wholly different set of principles. From the wholesale gifting of schools to unscrupulous academy chains and the creation of divisive, extortionately expensive 'free' schools, to the workhorse conveyor-belt culture you have helped to instil in our schools, your policies are mired in conservative ideology.

Our young people deserve better. They deserve qualified, highly-skilled, motivated vocational teachers. They deserve a broad curriculum that prepares them for the future - their individual future - and that places equal value on the areas in which they excel. They deserve and need the time to learn through play and socialisation and not to have the yoke of exam stress placed around their necks from the moment their parents first wave goodbye to them at the school gates. They deserve a basic educational entitlement that rejects selection, privatisation and segregation by stealth.

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Crucially, our young people deserve an Education Secretary that listens to, and takes seriously, the concerns of the experts: teachers. They deserve someone at the helm that recognises the crisis at the heart of the system they steer and acts to resolve it. Only this will stem the haemorrhage of principled educators from the profession. Be in no doubt, Nicky, this is happening on your watch. Act now.

Lee Williscroft-Ferris
I've recently started imagining the world where Donald Trump wins the American elections, Brexit turns into reality and our society becomes even more consumed by social and cultural divisions fuelled by terrorism threats. Yes, I know it's a grim picture. I'm still not sure how we've come to this after an entire generation grew up with the advantages of multiculturalism and a borderless Europe.

Amidst my existential fears, a press release arrived into my inbox about an emerging South African music label based in Paris - Globalisto. An optimist by nature, I always react to troubling tectonic movements in society by instinctively clinging on to individuals and initiatives that are still trying to bring humanity together. Globalisto catches my attention.

I connect with Mo Laudi, South African DJ, producer and now founder of the label. We steal moments In between his DJ sets in Paris to talk on Skype about his project and how it sits within the context of the current social climate in Europe.

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The first minutes of our conversation take us back to South Africa, where at the height of apartheid young Mo Laudi took part in the protests where the communities all joined together in mass chants and songs to manifest their anger against the regime. Back then, he learnt that music has the power to bring people together, make them organised and connected and empower them to stand up against the system.

Fast forward twenty years later, from the streets of Jburg to hipster nightclubs in Paris, it's a different setting and a different battle. Mo Laudi is on a mission to make the African electronic beats known in Europe. He takes them to places where they wouldn't normally be played, where people are not used to it. "Through music I see people integrating, who couldn't normally integrate. The more I play the tunes, that more I see change happening. You shouldn't be afraid, it's almost an educational process", he tells me.

Mo's tracks are a musical road trip across the African continent. As he glues together various songs into one track, he discovers the beats that connect the sounds from different cultures. While on a tour in Cairo, he collected a lot of electro shabby music that is played at weddings in Egypt and Lebanon. While listening deeper to those sounds, he heard the similarities with kwaito - a typically South African music style - that if made faster turned into kuduro rhythm that comes from Angola... "I want to break the walls that confine us, we are too comfortable in our own culture, we don't want to explore!"

Even the cover of his first EP, Avant Garde Club Music, is a play on cultural stereotypes. Why a snapshot of a cheese skewer from a European buffet to illustrate an album that promotes African music? Well it's not - the picture was taken by his sister at a wedding in South Africa where traditionally old women make cocktail skewers. Mo Laudi is clearly proud to see I've fallen into the trap.

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In 2013, he made a first attempt to bring a structure to his efforts, not only as a DJ but as a cultural ambassador. The Sharp Sharp Johannesburg took place at the Gaite Lyrique, where Mo brought together 50 artists and musicians to showcase South African contemporary culture. It is the biggest South African cultural festival in France to date.

Now, the label Globalisto is very much a formality in this musical crusade - an organised space where all the musicians from across the African continent can have a promotional springboard in Europe. Yet it's more than just music PR, it's a process to bring various cultures together, an attempt to show that we don't live in isolated cultural islands, to make people comfortable outside their comfort zone.

The title of the next EP, due to be released in May this year, may be an indication of a less subtle approach and Mo's desire to also challenge musicians in his homeland. Speak Up, more chilled with elements of afro disco, was put together in Paris in collaboration with two other South African DJs - Gazelle & DJ Invizable. Mo wants to empower his fellow artists in South Africa not to be shy about their cultural identity, but go out into the world, share it and be proud of it.
AAT recently commissioned a study into the mood of the UK's workforce and how people felt they were performing in their roles.

The results were surprising and showed that four out of ten people feared they would be found out at work for not being as able to do their job as their bosses and co-workers thought they were. However, the research also revealed the majority (84 percent) were mostly happy in their chosen role suggesting the issue is really to do with confidence rather than their actual job.

As someone who has worked in leadership roles for many years, currently as Chief Executive for AAT, the research showed me how much people care about doing a good job at work and made me question if there is more we can be doing to support them? There seems to be a gap between how people see themselves versus how other people see them and are being harsh critics of their own abilities.

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An obvious answer to me is to ensure employees receive regular training so they feel supported and challenged. Workplaces are continually evolving and we all need to change with them making sure our skills stay relevant in an ever-changing environment.

My thoughts are backed up by the research. 48 percent of those surveyed said they felt they were in a job they perhaps weren't sufficiently qualified for. Unsurprisingly six out of ten workers expressed a desire for more on the job training to be made available.

Training is often viewed as only applicable for learning new skills and so employers do not always deem it necessary for some roles. The reality is that training delivers so much more. Absolutely, it builds new skills and increases knowledge - however, it also helps to reinforce the confidence in individuals, helping them to recognise their own capabilities.

At AAT, the professional qualification and membership body for accounting technicians, we have many students who come to study with us later in life. For some of them, this is the first time back in a classroom since their school days - an environment that may not have worked for them before. We often hear from students that initially they thought studying wasn't something they could do - but AAT helped them to realise their full potential. Taking the first step through training often leads to a successful finance career.

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Training also helps us see new ways of doing things and encourages us to try new ideas. This is relevant throughout all of our careers regardless of how long we may have been working or how senior we are. Fresh ideas can lead to innovation, driving more efficient and effective work processes, renewing focus on customer needs and satisfaction, operating as an agile business capable of change and building a competitive advantage.
Immigration isn't something you typically bring up at the dinner table. It's a horribly divisive issue that causes even the most loving of families to draw fierce battle lines in the sand. It's essentially a perpetual duel between hatred and reason, and on that score alone it makes a pretty lame duck argument with which to spearhead an entire political movement.

Unfortunately, that lame duck argument is all that Brexiteers have left.

Britain's impending EU referendum was never supposed to be that simple. At first, the violently-Eurosceptic Vote Leave campaign vowed to rise above closet racism in order to present voters with a credible economic case for ditching Brussels. Campaign chief Dominic Cummings used to smugly declare that Vote Leave would come out on top in June's contest without even having to mention immigration.

Why? Because until quite recently, all of Britain's top Eurosceptics seemed to agree the country was actually better off thanks to the EU's freedom of movement charter.

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London mayor and Brexit posterchild Boris Johnson warned last year that capping the number of foreigners landing on British shores would almost definitely lead to an economic meltdown. He used to openly mock people like Nigel Farage for trying to pin heavy traffic and NHS waiting times on immigration - and even backed amnesty for every single one of the capital's 400,000 illegal aliens.

And BoJo wasn't the only Tory Lothario flirting with Britain's foreigners.

Just last April, Michael Gove pissed off every Ukipper and their mum by arguing that Westminster's hard line approach on immigration was nothing but a self-inflicted shot in the foot. He told voters they needed to be more open and generous when it came to immigration, and attempted to soothe the fears of xenophobes by pompously declaring that "Britain is not full".

Fast-forward twelve months, and the Justice Secretary would now have us believe that millions of Albanian rapists and benefits-scrounging Turks will soon be living in our walls like mutant rats - ready to strangle us for the faintest whiff of a full English. What a turnaround.

For his part, Boris Johnson has been raving like a madman for all to hear that immigrants are destroying the NHS, stealing our children's school places and hogging all of the good prison cells. He's also got this strange conspiracy theory that Barack Obama cruelly wants to see Britain remain in the EU and flounder just because the US President is "part-Kenyan". But let's not even bother picking that one apart.

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What on earth could have forced these guys to forsake their love of migration in favour of xenophobic fairy tales? In a word: desperation.

For years, British Eurosceptics had pinned their entire economic hopes and dreams upon the assumption that we could simply ditch those Belgian loofahs and dive headfirst into bed with rich countries like the United States. Yet in the course of a single week, unlikely power couple George Osborne and Barack Obama crumpled that argument into a tiny ball, set it ablaze and tossed the ashes into a bottomless pit of despair.

Rather than come back swinging, it looks like BoJo and the Brexiteers have meekly conceded economic defeat. After all, who can take the nationalistic chants of 'Economists for Brexit' seriously when you've got the heads of the IMF and OECD using genuine facts and numbers to tell us otherwise? Vote Leave never really had a fighting chance.

That's why we've come right back to square one.

Against everyone's better judgement, Brexiteers have now been forced to abandon all reason and double down on their hopes that Britain's festering xenophobia will ultimately be enough to defeat economic literacy come June. Politicians like Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have consequently placed every last shred of credibility on the line by attempting to disprove their own fundamental beliefs on the supposed economic benefits of immigration.
The Tory government doesn't care about the fire and rescue service. If it did, it wouldn't have slashed 7,000 frontline firefighter posts, closed around 40 fire stations and scrapped scores of fire engines since 2010.

The last recorded year saw a reduction of 1,200 in the number of firefighters - the biggest drop in a single year in the history of the modern fire and rescue service.

All of this despite the fact that the role of firefighters is wider than ever. It is no longer about just tackling flame and smoke. It's about dealing with the whole array of operational challenges: floodings, chemical incidents, road traffic collisions, terror threats and the 38,000 rescues firefighters carry out each year. But it's also much more nowadays about getting out into local communities, educating people about the risks of fire, fitting smoke alarms, visiting schools and old people's homes, engaging with young firesetters and trying to put them on the straight and narrow, and suchlike.

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It beggars belief, therefore, that any government would wish to preside over the decimation of such a vital service. Yet that's what we are seeing. A 30% cut in central funding in the last six years is responsible for putting the service under the kind of strain it hasn't experienced since the days of the Luftwaffe. The consequence in England is the longest response times in two decades.

Not even our capital city is immune. In 2014, Boris Johnson closed 10 fire stations that collectively had been protecting Londoners for around 900 years. Twenty-seven engines and 600 frontline jobs have also disappeared in the last two years thanks to diktats from Johnson. The result is an increase in response times across half of London.

So it's not surprising that people are now dying in fires in London when they might otherwise have been saved. Since the cuts took effect, there have been several fatal incidents in areas where the local station had been closed. In all cases, the brigade missed its target response times.

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Maurice Cunliffe, 83 years old, Raymond Lister, 86, Dr Claire Sheppey, 47, Choi Yip, 85. This is no longer a theoretical debate. These were real human beings, real Londoners, with real families.

These tragedies and others are setting off alarm bells in the corridors of power. Labour's candidate for London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has expressed deep concern over the cuts and pledged to conduct a full-scale review to determine whether the London Fire Brigade is sufficiently resourced. The Fire Brigades Union, which supports Khan's candidature, will hold him to his commitment and seek to play a central role in that review.

The government argues that a downward trend in the number of fires justifies its cuts. But this is wrong-headed. First, this downward trend owes itself in large part to the community engagement and education programmes carried out by firefighters today and now risks being checked - or, worse, reversed - as a result of the deep cuts. Second, fire cover must never be fixed according to the laws of supply and demand; it must be arranged according to risk.

A reduced number of fires doesn't mean that fire itself is suddenly less dangerous or that people can afford to wait a bit longer for an engine to arrive. On the contrary, fire becomes more deadly the longer it is allowed to develop.

The logic of the supply and demand argument dictates that, for example, the fire station at Heathrow airport should be closed on account of the fact that a major incident hasn't occurred there for many years - an absurd non-sequitur.

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The fire and rescue service remains under attack on other fronts, too. The crackpot decision to hand control of the service in England to police and crime commissioners risks compromising the longstanding independence of firefighters and paves the way to a full-scale merger further along the road.

And the dispute over pensions - the government wants to force every firefighter to serve on the frontline until they are 60 - remains live and continues to do much to undermine morale among the workforce.

This onslaught is like nothing the fire and rescue service has ever experienced, at least not in peacetime. And it is having a hugely deleterious impact on the service's ability to deliver.
I recently opened up my first restaurant in Southampton specialising in Mauritian Street food called "Lakaz Maman" which means "mums house" in creole (native language spoken on the island) so I'm constantly trying out new recipes and twisting up classic dishes.

When I won MasterChef back in 2012 my dream was always to open up a restaurant that served up the food that is close to my heart and every day is so different but cooking is still at the heart of what I do every day. We have some classic dishes but then we also have some different ones.

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These aren't currently on the menu but they're something my Mum cooked for me last week and as soon as I ate them I realised I needed to update the specials showcasing these delicious crispy and addictive morsels.

These are what we call 'Gateaux Bringelle' meaning aubergine cake, similar to ad pakora or bhaji but lighter in flavour and texture.

Serve warm in a baguette or slathered with a hot sauce of your choice!

Makes 20-25

INGREDIENTS

3/4 finger aubergines sliced into 1cm rounds

2 red chilli

5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

3tbsp finely chopped coriander

1tsp turmeric

1tsp cumin seeds

180g chickpea flour

100ml warm water- or enough water to make a batter of dropping consistency

Salt to taste

Oil to shallow fry

METHOD

1. In a medium pan add some oil enough to shallow fry and bring up to 180

2. Place the chickpea flour, chilli, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric, salt, coriander and enough warm water to make a batter of dropping consistency.

3. Coat the sliced aubergine one by one then immediately lower into the oil and allow to cook. They take 3/4 minutes to fry until golden brown

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4. Remove excess oil by draining on a paper towel over a plate then serve warm

Shelina Permalloo

www.shelinacooks.com

ShelinaPermalloo/facebook.com
"Unelected bureaucrats!" "Democratic deficit!" These are phrases that are often thrown around in the debate about the upcoming EU referendum. However, the myth that the EU is a sprawling mass of bureaucrats lacking any democratic legitimacy, is just that: a myth.

EU decisions are made by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The Council consists of ministers from the national governments of all 28 Member States, all of whom are elected by the citizens of their Member State. The European Parliament consists of 751 directly elected MEPs (that includes me) who are elected in five year cycles; the last election was in 2014 and the next will be in 2019. MEPs debate, amend, approve and reject legislation in partnership with the Council. Contrary to popular opinion the regularly maligned "unelected bureaucrats," the Commission President and Council President, do not get a vote at all.

In fact the European Commission doesn't even make laws - it only makes proposals. These proposals are then debated, amended and passed or rejected by elected national governments and directly-elected MEPs. Commissioners themselves are accountable to the European Parliament, which elects its President, approves its appointment and can dismiss it by a vote of no confidence - and has done!

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The European Commission is best understood as the EU's civil service. However, despite the size of the population it looks after, the European Commission administration is actually only a little larger than that of a single city council in the UK - including the need to translate and interpret between the 23 official languages in the European Union!

As times goes on, the European Parliament, which has only been directly elected since 1979, is slowly accruing more powers - slowly because the national politicians are resistant to award them to MEPs, often putting their own party-political interests first. In fact, the European Parliament is much better than national parliaments at saying 'no' to controversial proposals. Of the proposals that it does in fact accept, very few go through without significant amendment. However, even with all these changes and negotiations to legislation the European Parliament passed six times as much legislation as the UK's House of Commons in 2011-2012 and held 17 times as many roll call votes. The European Parliament also has more Facebook likes than the Commons!

MEPs do a pretty good job of holding the governments in Council and the Commission to account and acting as a brake on policy-making and legislation. Time and time again the European Parliament has improved laws that were poorly drafted by the Commission, blocked bad amendments to laws inserted by the Council, and changed legislation to protect the interests of citizens across Europe. Approximately 25% of the amendments to legislation proposed by the European Parliament end up as law, which is considerably more than any national parliament in Europe. In this way, the European Parliament is much more effective than national parliaments such as Westminster, as there's no compliant government majority to ensure that 'bad' or ill-thought-out proposals are whipped through. Just think about it: it's headline news if MPs ever vote against the government's wishes, but effective policy making is just another by-product of the European Parliament's style of consensual politics.

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I know what you're thinking: this just sounds like the EU forcing its own will upon Member States and taking away our sovereignty. The reality is however, that nothing is decided at an EU level unless all member countries have explicitly agreed by treaty to do so. Even then, each and every piece of legislation that is made at an EU level is agreed by national governments. For more important matters like tax and foreign affairs, the requirement for this agreement is complete unanimity. Though they may not like to always say so, the UK government also has veto powers - meaning that in areas like tax, Britain can unilaterally block any decisions it doesn't want, if it really didn't want to.

It is certainly true that few British citizens know who their MEPs are. It is also true that European Parliament elections in the UK are always dominated by domestic issues, and by the performance of domestic politicians, rather than focusing on European and EU issues, or even on the performance of British MEPs. The elections attract a low turnout, despite the best efforts of politicians and activists up and down the country of all political backgrounds to change this.

One root of problems here is media coverage. It is not entirely the fault of the MEPs that citizens or national politicians aren't always aware of what the European Parliament does. It could be said to be a fault of national politicians and national media outlets who refuse to spend any time covering what goes on in day-to-day politics in Brussels, or only cover it briefly and inaccurately.

Despite the dedicated work of Labour MEPs in the European Parliament on issues like the recent floods, the crisis in the UK steel industry, tax evasion and energy poverty, there is often only miniscule coverage of the work we do, whilst petty clashes of personality in Westminster are covered at length. Maybe if I or other Labour MEPs were to make controversial statements with a pint in our hands perhaps we might get media coverage?
As the eyes of the world have focused on Brazil's recent political crisis, another crisis has been bubbling below the surface. A crisis where attacks on journalists, bloggers, media workers, and social communicators have shot up by over 60% in the space of a year. A crisis where the Olympic Games have been used to justify introducing new legislation and understandings of 'terrorism' to the statute books. A crisis where if you expose corruption, you risk your life.

For many years, Brazil has been a success story of the Americas and the booming BRIC nations: a steadily increasing GDP, hosting major world events, and becoming ever more influential on the global stage. However, as the economic prowess of the nation has grown, as have concerns for freedom of expression.

Where there are powerful economic interests and powerful elites, it not unusual to find corruption, collusion, and increased censorship. It's an almost universal truth that we find examples of worldwide: from the murder of Honduran environmentalist Berta Caceres in March to the banning of a film about illegal logging in Cambodia last month.

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We also know that investigative journalists can be a thorn in the side of those who would like to crush calls for greater accountability and respect for human rights. Now, ARTICLE 19's new report, Brazil: Violations of Freedom of Expression 2015, makes it very clear that in Brazil, it's not unusual to find threatened, attacked, and murdered journalists, silenced in their quest for the truth.

ARTICLE 19's monitoring throughout 2015 has exposed a shocking escalation of violence against communicators that shows no signs of abating. ARTICLE 19 uses the term communicators because journalism is a wide-ranging activity which comes in many forms. Bloggers, social media users, film-makers, reporters, and broadcasters, are knitted together to form the diverse, chequered flag of journalism: each play a vital role in disseminating information of public interest and sparking debates crucial to any democratic society.

Our research paints a picture where communicators are particularly vulnerable when their investigations and communications threaten to destabilise local power structures, particularly in towns and cities further away from the major economic and urban centres. Further concerning is that local public officials and traditional elites are implicated in the majority of the most serious attacks against communicators.

As internet access establishes stronger roots throughout Brazil, Brazilian society is turning to online communication as a means of debating and sharing information. Much of that debate is fostered by bloggers and social communicators who expose the alleged wrong-doing of those in power. As a result, ARTICLE 19 has registered a three-fold increase in attacks against bloggers directly linked to their communication activities and legitimate exercise of their freedom of expression.

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However, the increase in attacks against bloggers is just one side of the story and it would be easy to assume that as bloggers have become more at risk, other more traditional communicators or media groups might have experienced some relief with attention diverted elsewhere. This is certainly not the case. What is most disturbing is that ARTICLE 19 has found a wholesale increase in attacks against all communicators. Just as 2015 was the most dangerous year to be a blogger in Brazil, it was also one of the most dangerous years to be a radio broadcaster, with three murders recorded where their assassination could be directly linked to their journalistic activities.

A culture of impunity is a common thread that sews together attacks against communicators. ARTICLE 19's research reveals investigations that leave a lot to be desired: local police implicated in the very violations they are responsible for investigating; and victims shut out of investigations and not provided with information on the progress of the case.

But impunity is not just about lack of accountability. Impunity kills. For those communicators who were murdered in 2015, every single one of them had been threatened or attacked previously. These are not isolated attacks. These are orchestrated attempts to stifle debate and censor expression in the most unequivocal terms.

It doesn't have to be this way. Brazil could turn it around. The State could take steps to improve the protection that communicators at risk receive by better resourcing and coordinating the national protection mechanism. The government could hold local officials to account and ensure greater transparency in investigations so that if progress is moving at a snail's pace, victims can challenge this and investigations can advance.
Daniel Munoz via Fairfax

The Human Rights Commission has just been through one of its most testing periods since it was established in its current form in 1986.

Under the Abbott-Turnbull government, it has been treated shamefully.

It is a testament to the incredible strength of character of its President, Professor Gillian Triggs, that the Human Rights Commission has survived intact and continues to hold the government to account without fear.

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Soon after the election of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, it became clear senior ministers bore a bizarre ideological grudge against the Commission, which quickly manifested in grossly unjust and cowardly personal attacks against Professor Triggs.

The first insult was the unceremonious sacking of Graeme Innes as Disability Discrimination Commissioner, a position he had held for nearly a decade, to make room for the blatantly political appointment of Tim Wilson. Back then he was a prominent member of the right-wing think tank The Institute of Public Affairs. Now he is Liberal candidate for Goldstein.

The second attack came in the government's disgraceful response to the Commission's report on children in detention, which Prime Minister Tony Abbott and colleagues took as a personal affront to their ideologies rather than an impartial and thorough critique of the impact on children of sustained periods of detention. Instead of taking that report seriously, Abbott dismissed it as a political exercise, and attacked the professional integrity of those who had written it.

Then followed the disgusting treatment of Professor Triggs during Senate Estimates hearings in 2015 when she was forced to repel repeated attacks on her character by Liberal senators Ian McDonald and Barry O'Sullivan. This was after it became public that Senator Brandis had tried to induce Professor Triggs to resign from her role with another government appointment.

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The malicious nature of these attacks on the President of the Human Rights Commission, for no more than doing her job with an integrity and professionalism that the Abbott-Turnbull Government finds threatening, led to the extraordinary decision by the Senate to censure Senator Brandis as being unfit to hold the office of the Attorney-General.

Last week, Labor made its first move in repairing the damage inflicted upon the Human Rights Commission in the past three years.

With Shadow Minister for Disability Reform Jenny Macklin, I announced that Labor would reinstate a full-time Disability Discrimination Commissioner so that thousands of vulnerable Australians once more had a dedicated voice to speak up for them. As a result, the Age Discrimination Commissioner would also return to a full-time role, reversing the situation that has existed since Mr Innes's sacking where both roles have been shared by one person.

In response, Senator Brandis announced the coalition would do the same some hours later, in another heartening example of the government responding to Labor's agenda. But he also attacked Labor for "abolishing" the role of Human Rights Commissioner.

This is incorrect. Under Labor's plan, the Human Rights Commissioner position would be ably fulfilled by the President as a part-time role.

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This is an appropriate place for the position, given the Human Rights Commissioner has an overarching role not specific to any particular group and does not have particular legislation to oversee. Given its importance, the role is a natural fit for the President of the Commission.

Under the Rudd and Gillard governments, Catherine Branson ably fulfilled both roles, and subsequent Presidents could do the same. Under the Howard government, the Human Rights Commissioner role was shared with the Disability Discrimination Commissioner role for seven years. No concerns were raised then.

Only Labor will restore the Human Rights Commission to its rightful position as a body free of political interference, and treat it with the respect it deserves as a watchdog for the rights of all Australians. Commissioners should not have to fear personal attack when doing their job of holding the government to account.

Labor will treat the Human Rights Commission as it should be treated, and in fact encourage it to be a fierce critic of the government where necessary. This does not mean that we will always agree with what the Commission says, but we in Labor will take what they say seriously because we know that government is improved, not hampered, by informed criticism. Bodies such as the Commission are a vital part of the checks and balances on executive power. If it is cowed by fear of retribution or vicious personal attacks on its members, we are all the poorer.
Ted Cruz probably won't win the Republican nomination, though he can take solace in the fact that he would totally crush the Iron Islands Kingsmoot. Bernie Sanders supporters are still holding out hope that their candidate can win over super delegates  that or the Large Hadron Collider folks had better make a major time-space continuum breakthrough and fast. And Donald Trump accused Cruzs father, Rafael, of involvement in JFKs assassination, which could complicate the investigation into whether the elder Cruz also has Mitt Romneys tax returns. This is HUFFPOST HILL for May 3rd, 2016:





Hang in there, Jeb!

OUR LONG NATIONAL CRUZ-BASED NIGHTMARE POSSIBLY OVER - Natalie Jackson, Janie Velencia and Ariel Edwards-Levy: "The HuffPost Pollster average shows Donald Trump leading Texas Sen. Ted Cruz by 14 points, 43 percent to 29 percent. Trump leads in almost every poll, by margins ranging from 5 points to 17 points. The exception is a survey conducted by the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), which shows Ted Cruz leading by 16 points. That poll seems to be an outlier, though, and the pollsters didnt apply standard demographic weights to the data...Six polls in the Democratic race all show Hillary Clinton leading Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, but by a relatively small margin. Clinton leads Sanders by about 7 percentage points in the HuffPost Pollster average, taking 51 percent to his 44 percent. Most of the polls show her lead in the single digits. The one exception is the same IFPW poll that is an outlier on the Republican side, which shows Clinton leading by 15 points." [HuffPost Pollster]

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End of the line: "More than a half-dozen Republicans involved in the pro-Cruz and anti-Trump push told POLITICO that Indiana is crucial for Cruz to keeping the cash flowing, as skittish donors have grown weary after a string of recent losses...His camp, expressing pessimism over the Texas senator's chances, is bracing for staff cuts 'at a minimum' if he loses Indiana, an aide told the Associated Press on Tuesday. Cruz's campaign manager Jeff Roe, however, tweeted that the AP report is 'dead wrong.'  The loss could cost Cruz one of his last remaining advantages: Millions in ad support from groups like the Club for Growth, Our Principles PAC and the pro-Cruz Trusted Leadership PAC." [Politico's Shane Goldmacher]

COUNTRY FIRST - Alex Seitz-Wald: "A former top aide to Sen. John McCain says he will support Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in November as both candidates appear close to locking down their parties nominations. Mark Salter was for years McCains closest aide, serving as strategist, speechwriter, Senate chief of staff and biographer to the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. But now, Salter says hell break with the Republican Party if it nominates Trump and vote for Clinton instead. 'Basically, I think shes the more conservative choice and the least reckless one,' Salter told MSNBC in an email." [MSNBC]



DELANEY DOWNER - Here is some bleak crap that could be one of those fake "viral videos" but we suspect is real because of how miserable it is: "Video posted on YouTube shows a woman at a Walmart store loudly berating a man who was paying for his groceries with food stamps. As a child sits in the mans shopping cart looking on, the woman complains about how she is paying for his food with her tax money. 'You know, I put in 50-60 hour weeks... trying to provide for my family,' the man says, although some of his words are unclear. 'Youre not providing for it, I am,' the woman snaps back. 'The government is.'" [HuffPost's Ed Mazza]

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Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill

REALLY, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS UNTIL TRUMPS PLAYS THE ZODIAC KILLER CARD - Also, "Zodiac Killer card" is something we never thought we'd write. Sopan Deb: "In the latest unsubstantiated claim from GOP front-runner Donald Trump, the business mogul is suggesting that Rafael Cruz, the father of Ted Cruz, was involved with Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. 'You know, his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being -- you know, shot,' Trump told 'Fox and Friends' Tuesday. 'I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this?' Trump continued: 'Right prior to his being shot and nobody even brings it up. I mean, they don't even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it.'" [CBS News]

CRUZ HOPING SOMETHING STICKS - Ian Swanson and Jonathan Easley: "Ted Cruz laid into Donald Trump with his most personal and toughest criticism since the GOP presidential campaign began, calling him a 'pathological liar' on Tuesday who doesn't understand the difference between the truth and lies. Cruz prefaced his comments by saying that for the first time, he wanted to say exactly what he thought of Trump after the front-runner suggested Cruz's father might have had something to do with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy[said Cruz,] "This is not a secret, hes proud of being a serial philander. I want everyone to think about your teenage kids. The president of the United States talks about how great it is to commit adultery. How proud he is, describes his battle with venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam. Thats a quote from the Howard Stern show." [The Hill]

TRUMP DISCOVERS DIGITAL - "Sir, it appears that 'pathetic' plays significantly better amongst 22-35 unmarried men than 'loser.'" Nick Corasaniti: "Mr. Trumps campaign has joined Twitters regional ad targeting, having four of his posts appear in the feeds of selected Twitter users in Indiana, regardless of whether they are followers of the candidateMr. Trump also spent money to promote what might be his favorite Twitter activity, needling his opponents, as he did in one post that included a video of Carly Fiorina criticizing Senator Ted Cruz as just 'any other politician.' The post was aimed at fans of Mr. Cruz and of his new running mate, Ms. Fiorina. Those two posts, along with two others being promoted regularly in the state, have lifted Mr. Trumps already extensive social media reach, earning him more than a half million views for those two videos in the last few days alone, according to data provided by Twitter." [NYT]

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[Extremely 90s standup comic voice] And don't even get me started about directions, right? [/Extremely 90s standup comic voice]: "Evolving Strategies, a Republican data and analytics firm, recently tested the effectiveness of four anti-Trump TV ads ahead of Indiana's primary on Tuesday. The results showed a deep split between the sexes  Three of the four spots convinced a significant number of women  eight percent of those tested  to abandon the Republican front-runner. But those ads didn't work with men. The percentage of men who supported Trump didnt waver even after viewing each of the four ads, the analysis found." [Roll Call's Alex Roarty]

FORMER NY ASSEMBLY SPEAKER GETS 12 YEARS - Surprising that the U.S. attorney didn't also pursue charges of New York values. Benjamin Weiser and Vivian Yee: "Sheldon Silver, who rose from the Lower East Side of Manhattan to become one of the states most powerful and feared politicians as speaker of the New York Assembly, was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in prison in a case that came to symbolize Albanys culture of graft. The conviction of Mr. Silver, 72, served as a capstone to a campaign against public corruption by Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, which has led to more than a dozen state lawmakers being convicted or pleading guilty...Mr. Silver had served for more than two decades as the Assembly speaker, imposing his will on matters large and small; he had a reputation as a staunch defender of New York City, a shrewd negotiator at budget talks, and, at times, a recalcitrant opponent of anything he disliked...Evidence showed that he had obtained nearly $4 million in illicit fees in return for taking official actions that benefited a prominent cancer researcher, Dr. Robert N. Taub, at Columbia University, and two real estate developers, Glenwood Management and the Witkoff Group." [NYT]

BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here's a tortoise living in Jurassic Park.

RICK SNYDER WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE PRESIDENT - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) hopes President Barack Obama has a drink when he visits Flint on Wednesday. Snyder has been trying to get Flint residents to trust Environmental Protection Agency assurances that their water is safe to drink when its filtered. "We are hopeful the president will drink the water in Flint, to help reinforce Gov. Snyders actions and the EPAs message that filtered Flint water is safe to drink," Snyder spokeswoman Anna Heaton told The Huffington Post in an emailed statement. Testing shows unfiltered Flint water is still dangerous. High lead levels have poisoned residents taps since the city started pumping from the Flint River in April of 2014 and failed to treat the water correctly. To demonstrate the effectiveness of filters, Snyder drank from a Flint residents tap last month. He vowed to continue to drink the citys water for at least 30 days. [HuffPost]

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COMFORT FOOD

- A number that's illegal to write down.

- The new Radiohead song.

- Our favorite new "Game of Thrones" theory.

TWITTERAMA

@SimonMaloy: CRUZ: nice to meet you

VOTER: what's your position on updog?

CRUZ: well, only when a true conservative wins the

VOTER: actually, forget it

anamariecox: After stalking polling places all day I can sum up the logic of those voting for Trump as Yeah, so?
While you put your phone on a tray the size of well, your phone, airlines made triple their profits last year, netting a cool $25.6 billion. [Chris D'Angelo, HuffPost]

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"Security lines at airports are getting longer -- much longer -- and wait times could reach epidemic levels when air travel peaks this summer, according to airlines, airports and federal officials." [NYT]

Three temperate planets that could support life have been found orbiting an "ultracool dwarf star" (for the record, ultracool is a scientific term, even though we do think this is really cool). [Micheal McLaughlin, HuffPost]

"The Marine Corps has opened an investigation into whether it misidentified one of the six men shown raising an American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in February 1945, The Associated Press reported Monday." [WaPo]

WHATS BREWING

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Talk about defying gravity. [Variety]

With this video for the Invictus Games. [HuffPost]

Well get excited, as it looks like "Space Jam 2" is finally happening. [HuffPost]

"Because this was a federal case, and the amount of meth exceeded 500 grams, or 1.1 pounds, Guthmiller was suddenly facing at least 10 years behind bars as a co-conspirator." [NBC News]

For more from The Huffington Post, download our app for iOS or Android.

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"While they might end up putting sailors out of a job, fully autonomous boats could help the fossil fuel-hungry shipping industry drastically slash its carbon emissions." [HuffPost]

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BEFORE YOU GO

~ One last Met Gala note -- we want Claire Danes Cinderella light-up gown.

~ First class seating is causing "air rage."

~ There is a wearable device called a Pavlok, that shocks its users to keep their behavior in line. What a perfect name.

~ Watch out -- Australia wants to kill its Carp fish problem with herpes.

~ On this week's "Candidate Confessional," Jeb Bush's former communications director Tim Miller talks why the campaign couldn't "fix it."

~ Meet the first "climate refugees" being resettled in Louisiana.

~ Try not to smile watching Leicester City players celebrating one of the largest upsets in history with their win of the English Premier League title.

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Last week, the refugee crisis moved from my newsfeeds to my feelings in a deeply personal way.

I had the opportunity to spend a day with a group of refugees in Yerevan, Armenia and talk about our families and futures, and it changed so much about how I view the crisis.

This was not the first time I had been in direct contact with refugees, relief efforts, or the complicated ecosystem of issues that surround them. I've been working in the field of international development for years, and one of my current missions is to help tell the story of United Nations efforts around the world, including its response to the approximately 60 million people displaced from their homes.

But something was different during this encounter. And that's because of Ani Balkhian, who directs the efforts of the Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization (ACCO) to help Syrian refugees in Yerevan.

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Thousands of people count on her organization every day to make their existence far away from home as humane and dignified as possible. And that is not always easy.

The UN estimates that there are over 16,000 Syrians living in Armenia today as a result of the ongoing conflict. But Ani and the relief efforts that she manages have had contact with at least this many people to date, so she and others fear that the number may be greater. She told me in ACCO's humble offices, "It is not safe to be an Armenian in Aleppo. Of course they are here now. This choice was made by the situation as much as by them."

It was a difficult choice for Zovik, the first woman I met during our day of meetings. She wears the unenviable title of being the "mother of the first victim" of the bombings in 2013 in her hometown of Aleppo.

When I first heard about her situation, as recounted by her and a representative of Human Rights Watch, I had to ask them to repeat it. At first I thought it was my rusty Armenian. She nodded calmly to confirm. She had lost a child and her home and was now in a city that was doing its best to welcome her. Since 2013, everything changed for Zovik. The fighting and flight divided her family as they fled bloodshed. It was hard to imagine the horror that this woman had undergone. But there she stood, in front of me, while the story unfolded.

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Pictures drawn by Syrian children who escaped from Aleppo

Everyone I met acknowledged that the international community is doing what they can to make this new urban reality a livable one. The UN, USAID, relief agencies, the Armenian government, churches, and diaspora NGOs are doing what they can to aid them. But the aid that is available falls short when a refugee situation in an urban setting like Yerevan is the new "refugee reality."

These women and men had left an urban existence in a once vibrant and bustling city of Aleppo for a country that granted many of them residency - and some of them citizenship. But an ironic thing occurs for many of these people once they arrive in a place that gives them a legal existence -- the attention that other refugee hot spots may receive tugs on the resources available for them.

"They need rent and jobs and training and help that is not as obvious as a feeding program," an international aid worker told me while in Yerevan. "There are programs to help but they could last as little as three months," the aid worker continued. That is not enough time to get on your feet for someone whose world has just been turned upside down.

I learned three important lessons during my day with the Syrian refugee community in Yerevan. As embarrassed as I am to admit it, these are things I should have already known. I am sharing them here because a problem as complex as this requires all of us to share what we learn so that we can drive the kind of attention, advocacy, and awareness that will help refugees get the support they need.

1.The refugee crisis is also an urban one.

The pictures we often see of refugees are from refugee camps. Many of these images often show rural places where UNHCR and other organizations bring much needed aid to refugees. For many, these are ingrained as the mental picture of what constitutes a "refugee situation."

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But many of the people who have been forced from their homes are living in cities. And it can be tempting to make assumptions or use vocabulary that doesn't fit the situation. It may not appear that they are in desperate need, but their crisis is just as urgent.

2.They feel every bomb.

Even though many of the refugees I met are now away from the imminent danger of shelling, they are keenly aware that their city remains under siege. The day I met with the people of the Aleppo Center, the news reported that dozens were killed by bombings in Aleppo.

This news tears at each of these men and women who had to flee their homes and are now in Yerevan. While it is a news report for most of the world, for them, it is a harrowing report about their hometown. As one of the women at a center for disabled children told me about the difficulties of her new existence, a friend whispered the news of the bombing to another. As the news trickled through the center, it was a grim reminder of how ongoing developments in Syria impact them.

3.Every dollar matters.

When you are a Syrian refugee living in a place like Yerevan, your reality is the same as that of the other members of the community. That means that the local economy, the local housing market, food prices, and energy prices are all monthly hurdles. As I learned about the programs in place for these refugees, I was amazed to learn about what a difference aid can make.

Housing is a major problem, even with the local government and other agencies trying to help. It is not a lack of apartments, but how to pay for them, that is the obstacle.

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One woman told me that it is not uncommon to find 10 or 12 people living in a one-room apartment because it is so hard to cover rent for so many Syrians. Others were offered the chance to live outside the city but refused since their entire lives had been spent in the urban sprawl of Aleppo, not farm country. The organizations that are working to help provide rent assistance cannot afford cuts when thousands of Syrians are counting on them. Budget cuts to these organizations (whether UN agencies or private aid groups like ACCO or government funds from donors like USAID) are not in anyone's best interest.

I asked detailed questions of the people I met about what they needed most and what assistance is more of a hindrance than help. "Everyone needs something eventually," Ani told me. She, and others, made it clear that funding will help their groups get their jobs done and will help people in ways that are sustainable and can have a long-term impact. That means donations from individuals, from governments, from businesses, and from philanthropic organizations.

My conversations with refugees, and about how to help refugees, will continue in the months and years ahead, and these conversations must continue around the world. We need to enable refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity. It depends on us to move global attention to them, and those who are helping them, so conversations can become reality.

For more information about ACCO, visit www.aleppo-ngo.org.

For more information about UN efforts to support refugees, visit UNHCR.org.

And for news on the Syria crisis, visit Syria Deeply.
It's a complex identity, being an Afro-Latino(a) who lives in the United States. People often have difficulty placing you in the constructs of their limited understanding and because of this, many of us Afro-Latinos have heard some bizarre, insulting, and sometimes hilarious things. Here's a few!



1. "Are you from Mexico?"

This has happened to me more when I moved South. It seems that many have only ever heard of Mexico or Puerto Rico. The conversation usually goes as following. "No," I would respond "My family is from Honduras. It is below Mexico."

"Oh, so it's not the same place?"

"Not at all." I would say.

I am always being asked if I'm Mexican and even after I tell people I am not Mexican some will try and give me the title simply to poke fun.

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2. "Stop denying your blackness."

The first time I heard this I was in the fourth grade. I had thrown some water on my hair because it was sticking up awkwardly. My friend was in the restroom with me and said "Girl, you know that doesn't work for black people." I responded. "It usually works for me and I'm black, but actually I'm from Honduras." To this she responded "Stop trying to act like you're not just black!" Of course, the young girl was only speaking what she understood but the idea that I was trying to "not be black" has followed me into adulthood.

Just a few weeks ago a friend had admitted to me that when I first told her I was Latina she thought "This girl is trying to act like she's exotic." This is a very problematic way of thinking. For starters, it implies that I am trying to make myself special by stating that I grew up in a different culture than other African Americans, as if the African American culture is not something to be proud of or isn't beautiful and exotic in it's own right. The second issue is that those who says this seem to ignore the fact that many of us Afro-Latinos are first generation Americans. We did not grow up in the same culture as other African-Americans. We did not grow up in English speaking homes. We did not eat the food other African Americans ate. We are children of immigrants. This does not mean we are not black, but it also doesn't mean we are any less Latin. It takes people visiting my home and seeing that my home language is Spanish, to understand the depth of my identity.

3. "I've met Mexicans who are darker than you but they don't have nappy hair."

I think people would be surprised how many times I've had another Latin-American person call my hair "nappy." As if my hair is license to my ethnicity. When people say this it's almost as if they are expecting me to feel insulted. Instead, I feel honored because my hair tells the story of my interesting ancestry. Further, this statement asserts the level of ignorance in the Latin community. Those who have called my hair nappy are often quick to affiliate themselves with a white, blue-eyed, blonde haired Guatemalan all the while rejecting their darker peers. They pretend our ancestry is not black, indigenous, and european. Little do they know that they are doing more harm for the Latin American community than good.

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4. "You're lying! Say something in Spanish!"
Protesters hold up a giant Syrian revolution flag during a protest in front of the United Nations Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, May 1, 2016, against Syrian President Bashar Assad's military operations in areas held by insurgents around the country, mostly in the northern city of Aleppo that has been the main point of violence. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

H.E. Secretary of State of the United States John KerryT.E Foreign Ministers of all Member States of the European Union

We write to you as Syrians working in USG and European-funded organizations on programs promoting local governance, civilian livelihood and grassroots organizing; programs meant to support democratic reform and the creation of an inclusive pluralistic nation. Recent events however have raised doubts whether our work has any meaning.

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As Russia and the Assad regime's aggression continue to escalate in an unprecedented manner, it has become eminently clear that without immediate action by the US and its allies, including a complete cessation of hostilities throughout Syria and a meaningful political process, our efforts may be lost as the situation on the ground becomes irreversible. With local governance and civil society activity wiped away, extremists on the ground will be decisively empowered and the refugee crisis will spiral out of control.

In recent days, Russia and the Assad regime have targeted and destroyed Syrian civilian infrastructure including the Civil Defense base in Atarib, Aleppo, Al Quds hospital, the only hospital providing healthcare services for women and children in opposition-held Aleppo, two primary health care centers in opposition-held Aleppo, and a marketplace in Muarat Numan, among many other civilian localities.

Five "White Helmets" along with the last remaining pediatrician in opposition-held Aleppo were killed as a result. Indeed, between April 23 and 28, there have been 120 documented cases of regime/Russian shelling and barrel bombing, killing a total of 170 people including 36 children. These people are not only our program beneficiaries, but they are more importantly our families and friends.

While Russia and the Assad regime point to Jabhat al Nusra and ISIS to justify these war crimes, the reality is that there are no legal or humanitarian justification for the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. These claims are mere red herrings to hide the appalling truth that Syrian doctors, nurses, civil defense workers, and children are the real targets of Russia and the regime.

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As the co-chair of the Vienna Statement, Munich Agreement and the ISSG working group, the US holds a dominant role in protecting Syrians and ensuring that the regime and Russia are complying with Security Council resolution 2254 which calls for a ceasefire, parallel political process and the immediate cessation of attacks against "civilians and civilian objects...including attacks against medical facilities and personnel, and any indiscriminate use of weapons, including through shelling and aerial bombardment."

By failing to take any real steps to enforce this agreement, the US is failing in its legal and political responsibilities to stop the bloodshed of our Syrian brethren.

Indeed, US special Envoy Michael Ratney's statement on April 29 made clear that Aleppo is left out of the current negotiated fighting freeze between the US and Russia, which will grant Russia and the regime carte blanche to further scorch Aleppo to the ground and massacre its people ultimately. We find this utterly outrageous. While the US and its allies have asked Syrians to be supportive of the Geneva peace process, how can we? At the time of this writing, Russia and the regime are bombing our hospitals and schools and leveling our towns. Minute by minute, we are losing our loved ones to Russian missiles and regime barrel bombs under the international community's watch. Given such realities, the political process has lost any credibility.

In Secretary John Kerry's address to the Syrian people during the Geneva III talks he stated, "The world needs to push in one direction - toward stopping the oppression and suffering of the Syrian people and ending, not prolonging, this war." If an end to Russian and regime aggression is not realized immediately, the conflict will burn on. As a result, the only winners in such a scenario are the Assad regime and extremist groups like ISIS and Jabhat al Nusra, as the real bodies that can create the "inclusive, peaceful, and pluralistic Syria" that our programs have worked so hard to support will have been brutally decimated.

Sincerely,
Palestinians inspect the damaged house of Zaid Amer, after it was demolished by the Israeli army, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The Israeli army demolished the house of Amer, an arrested member of a Hamas cell who carried out an attack and shot dead a U.S. couple, residents of the West Bank Israeli settlement of Neria, while driving home last October, the army said. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Coauthored by Gilles Pargneaux, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-president of the delegation with Mashrek Countries

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has rarely been so far from finding a resolution. Since the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas during the summer of 2014, the desire to seek peace has been diminishing, and instead growing tensions have prevailed, punctuated by stabbings and car-ramming attacks by the Palestinians, and violent acts including arson by the settlers.

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The despair of both peoples has rarely taken such a dispiriting face than with this daily violence. Moreover, the attention of the international community has been diverted from the Palestinian question due to the Syrian conflict and the murderous activities of Daesh (ISIS), which are the main focuses of diplomatic efforts and public opinion.

A state of tension favorable to peace between Israel and Palestine

Yet, the climate has rarely been so favorable to a resolution of the conflict. The chaos that is sweeping the Middle East has been a game-changer in relation to Israel and the Arab countries.

Many Palestinians and Israelis are worried about the possible breakout of ISIS in Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas's policy failures and the insistence of the Israeli government to return to dialogue under its own terms provide a breeding ground for more hostile activities that will prevent pacific coexistence. Terrorist sparks are everywhere in Palestine; no country in the Middle East has an interest in letting a new conflict emerge.

However, a majority of Israelis and Palestinians seek peace, and the desire of Arab countries to normalize their relations with Israel offers fertile ground for the resumption of peace negotiations.

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In 2002, the Arab Peace Initiative was proposed by the Arab League to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the proposed framework, all Arab and Muslim countries would establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel after the successful conclusion of the peace process with the Palestinians.

For the Arab countries, truce with Israel would enable the emergence of an arc of stability from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula. This could prove useful for these countries who want to rally against the regional influence of Iran.

Leadership must come from Europe

In this complex situation of intertwined interests, Europe has a prominent role to play as the US is currently unable to commit to the peace process. Distracted by the upcoming presidential elections, concerned about the absence of a real prospect to reach an agreement, and its preference to assume a wait-and-see attitude, the US may well be ready to back an EU initiative for peace.

Such an opportunity exists. France has been trying for months to rekindle the peace process and is considering an international conference involving all the stakeholders in this conflict. The European Union as well as its Member States have to give their unmitigated support to this initiative.

However, some diplomatic conditions have to be met, drawing on the lessons of past failures. Otherwise, we would at best get temporary truces, a mere respite before the next outbreak of violence. The Arab Peace Initiative has to be the basis of all negotiations.

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On the one hand, it stresses the principle of coexistence between the Arab and Israeli peoples. On the other hand, it shows a spirit of compromise to end the conflict with mutually agreed upon land swaps.

The role of the European Union is to support the peace process. In this context, we have to affirm that the Middle East Quartet is now more a burden than a help in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their demands towards Hamas are outdated and don't take into account the new realities.

All those who have an interest in the status quo are supporting the Quartet. We need to get rid of the Quartet, revitalize the Arab Peace Initiative and promote the latest French initiative.

As for now, preparing peace

However, seventy years of failures in the attempts to bring peace between Israel and Palestine have taught us that diplomacy alone is not enough. Seven decades of suffering, the loss of Palestinian dignity as well as the political opportunism from the leaders of the two sides have built psychological barriers which are almost impossible to overcome in the current situation unless a process of people-to-people interactions for a period of time precedes the peace negotiations.

There is a need for mutual understanding to accept the obvious: the destruction of Israel or the vanishing of the Palestinians are impossible scenarios. Coexistence between the two peoples is the inevitable historical horizon.

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This entails ending the poisonous narratives delivered by leaders from both sides, ending rampant settlement construction, changing school textbooks that demonize the Other, supporting common initiatives like Ecopeace to protect shared environmental heritage... all conditions that will pave the way for peace.

In Human, All Too Human, Nietzsche stated "Whoever lives for the sake of combating an enemy has an interest in the enemy's staying alive". His words resonate with this conflict where the Other is reduced to their role as a hereditary enemy. Breaking this cycle is our ambition.

With this favorable climate, the current diplomatic efforts and some mutual confidence-building, we have the will to solve once and for all the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the EU has the capacity to assume the leadership role. This is our roadmap to reach peace.
By Margaret Huang, interim executive director of Amnesty International USA

This year's White House Correspondents Dinner included one notable new guest who was absent from the previous year's proceedings. Last year, President Obama paid tribute to Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who was imprisoned in Iran for 18 months on accusations of espionage. This year, following his release, Rezaian was in the room.

In his speech, Obama vowed that "as long as I hold this office, my administration will continue to fight for the release of American journalists held against their will -- and we will not stop until they see the same freedom as Jason had."

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It is fitting that these remarks came just days before World Press Freedom Day, which is observed on May 3. Amnesty International has long championed the idea that a free press is central to human rights, and has worked for decades to free journalists who have been unjustly imprisoned and whose rights have otherwise been violated. Around the world, journalists play an important role in speaking truth to power, holding leaders accountable, investigating wrongdoing, and bearing witness to abuses. And some are paying dearly for it.

President Obama's sentiments about the need to protect American journalists are heartening. But it is not just American journalists like Mr. Rezaian who are targeted. And in too many cases, countries that the United States considers allies are the ones whose oppressive policies stifle the freedom of the press.

Take for example, the case of Muhammad Bekzhanov. Mr. Bekzhanov was the editor of a banned opposition newspaper in Uzbekistan. He was arrested in 1999, beaten with rubber truncheons, suffocated and given electric shocks until he confessed to "anti-state" offenses. His family fled to the United States, and he remains in detention to this day as one of the world's longest-imprisoned journalists.

President Obama can do more to ensure that Mr. Bekzhanov and other imprisoned journalists are freed.

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Similarly, just south of our borders in Mexico, another U.S. ally, journalists face deadly peril just for doing their jobs. It is especially dangerous for those who specifically work to expose wrongdoing. In February, crime reporter Anabel Flores Salazar became the 17th media worker murdered since 2010 in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Mexico, our friend and neighbor, is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist.

And then there is the case of Khadija Ismayilova, an award-winning investigative journalist in Azerbaijan. Her work exposing corruption and wrongdoing at the highest levels of government resulted in a smear campaign run against her in the state-controlled media, followed by trumped-up charges of tax evasion, embezzlement and illegal business. She was sentenced to over seven years in prison last year. The U.S. State Department has rightly called for her release, but more must be done to free her and others.

There is hope. In 2014, five reporters with the Unity newspaper in Myanmar were jailed and the newspaper shuttered after the publication of an article about an alleged secret chemical weapons factory. Just last month, after years of pressure, the Unity 5 walked free along with other prisoners of conscience Amnesty has campaigned for as the new government led in part by Aung San Suu Kyi--a former prisoner of conscience herself--took office.

Public pressure is a powerful tool in achieving meaningful change. We must let our leaders know that we care about the Jason Rezaians of the world, and that we also care about the Muhammad Bekzhanovs, the Anabel Flores Salazars, the Khadija Ismayilovas and every other journalist, photographer and media worker who has been subjected to abuse simply because they exposed uncomfortable truths about people in power.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - DECEMBER,22: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the 2015 Russian Internet Economy Forum at Moscow's World Trade Center on December 22, 2015 in Moscow, Russia. The Russian President took part in the plenary session of the first Russian Internet Economy Forum. (Photo by Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images)

MOSCOW -- The Kremlin has been searching for a solution to the Internet problem since 2011. Worried by Twitter and Facebook's potential for mobilization after the Arab Spring and the protests against Vladimir Putin in Moscow in 2011, the authorities wanted to find a way to get social networks under their control.

The strategy the Kremlin soon came up with was based on intimidation rather than technology. Accustomed to dealing with a defined hierarchy and organizations that can be coerced by targeting bosses, the Kremlin chose to put pressure on companies rather than users. While the Internet filtering system introduced in 2012 remained porous and the number of government censors limited, every pretext was used to lure Internet giants into a private dialogue with the authorities. Frightened by the constantly updated repressive legislation, top-level officials of companies like Yandex and Google rushed to the Kremlin to talk and come to terms.

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The Kremlin's strategy was based on intimidation rather than technology.

This strategy was initially pretty effective. As Irina Borogan and I wrote in our book, "It didn't take long for the Internet companies to abandon the uncensored Internet and cross the line into accepting a censored Internet in Russia. Facing a fait accompli, they focused on specifics."

This approach started losing its edge by the fall of 2015. There were two reasons for that.

First, the Kremlin's biggest bet was made on the data localization law that went into effect on Sept. 1, 2015 under the pretext of protecting Russians' data against spying by the U.S. National Security Agency. According to the law, Internet companies that collect personal information from Russian users must store their data on servers within the country. The main targets of the initiative were Google, Facebook and Twitter. The goal was not only to make servers of the companies accessible to the Russian national system of online surveillance, SORM, but also to get the three Internet giants effectively landed in Russia.

A Russian flag and the Facebook logo through a cutout of the Twitter logo in Bosnia and Herzegovina on May 22, 2015. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

In short, the Kremlin wanted to force the global Internet giants into a situation where they would be treated just like domestic ones -- ready to get a call from the Kremlin, open for cooperation in removing and blocking content, with the servers directly connected to the security services and with no way to know what is intercepted by SORM. Somehow, this offensive stalled from the very beginning. In late September 2015, the Russian authorities said that they would not check the three giants for compliance until January; the rumor was that they weren't certain that any of the companies would obey.

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Autumn passed with contradictory comments made by officials. January came and went, then February. The top Russian Internet censor, Alexander Zharov, was forced to admit that talks were still ongoing with the three companies over relocation.

The Kremlin wanted the global Internet giants' servers to be directly connected to the security services.

Second, Russian censors insisted that the porousness of the national filtering system was not an issue because very few Russian users used circumvention tools like Tor. Privately, they believed they could crack Tor the moment they need to.

In the fall of 2015 this concept got two major blows. The research institute hired to crack Tor admitted it could not. And then in November, Zharov's agency blocked Rutracker.org, the largest Russian-language torrents website, and immediately Russia skyrocketed to second position in the number of users of the Tor network.

A year earlier, Facebook had announced support for TOR users -- people trying to access its website using TOR will no longer be impeded by the company's security policies. This made the option of blackmailing Facebook with a possible ban and loss of all its Russian users even more distant.

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A protestor wearing a Putin mask during a rally for freedom of the press in Moscow on April 13, 2014. (Nikita Shvetsov/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

By spring 2015, the Kremlin found itself desperate for a solution. The authorities made some erratic moves -- some bloggers were sent to jail for writing posts critical of the Kremlin, and the idea was voiced to fine those who promote circumvention tools. Being short of options, the authorities turned east.

On April 18, Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, the equivalent of the FBI, published an op-ed urging Russia to learn from China's Internet censorship. Ten days later, Moscow hosted the first Russia-China cyber security forum with top Internet officials from both countries in attendance. Zharov and Putin's assistant in charge of the Internet, Igor Shchyogolev, opened the meeting. They were visibly pleased to have Lu Wei, the head of China's State Internet Information Office, and Fang Binxing, the father of the country's "Great Firewall," in the conference hall of the giant concrete building of Russia Today, Russia's major government propaganda agency.

Being short of options, the Russian authorities turned east.

The message conveyed by Russian and Chinese officials was strikingly identical: the buzzword of the conference was "digital sovereignty." What they meant was made abundantly clear by Fang Binxing: the Internet is governed by American companies and the U.S. government can control these companies; thus, the Internet is under U.S. government control and other countries should guard their online space. Shchegolev was equally outspoken: "the dominance of multinational Internet companies leads to monopolization of the markets, with the state borders yet to be defined."

But the Russian strategy to deal with this dominance failed. It was made clear by Zharov's account of his censorship agency's achievements -- he praised Chinese companies who had moved their servers to Russia but didn't mention any Western ones who had done the same, which was the whole point.

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So what could come next?

A new battlefront just opened by both countries seems to be domain names. On March 25, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published a draft for new regulations that require companies to register Internet domain names domestically. According to experts, the new rules go further than just blocking sites -- the authorities could even take the domain name. With the requirement to register a domestic domain name, the management of websites becomes more like how authorities in China regulate the media.

An Internet bar in Beijing on Dec. 16, 2015, the day Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a government-organized Internet conference. (GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images)

It also means a realization of the "white list" of websites approved by the authorities, the concept the Russians were toying with for years. Hardly accidentally, a working group was formed in Russia in February to draft plans for a nationwide white list. Most of the members of the group turned out to be the speakers of the Russia-China cybersecurity forum.

The organizers of the forum reported that the participants came up with a joint Russia-China roadmap. Remarkably, it provides for a "joint action to ensure the safety and sustainability of the national domain zones of Russia and China."

Can the nationalization of domain names help the Kremlin and Beijing solve the problem of control over the Internet? I very much doubt it. This is an age of social networks and messengers. Today's hottest thing on the Russian Internet, for example, are bots on Telegram, the encrypted messenger based out of the country with a good record of refusing to cooperate with the Russian authorities.

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The Internet, Russian and Chinese authorities assert, is governed by American companies and the U.S. government can control these companies.

But the idea would surely have some nostalgic appeal for Putin. In 1999, Putin, who was then prime minister, had his very first meeting with the Russian Internet -- a motley group of entrepreneurs, activists, bloggers and scientists -- to talk about a draft law that proposed to hand over the distribution of domain names to the government. Back then, Putin wanted to impress the public with his liberalism and the draft was effectively killed off.

It was a rather different country then. In 1999, Putin didn't fear the power of the Web. Now he does. But it seems he is still short of a solution.

Also on WorldPost:
I'm here in Manta, Ecuador helping assist people who were affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit two weeks ago. The organization I work for provides medical aid to local healthcare organizations in 70 countries. We specifically provide medicines, medical supplies, and equipment to vulnerable people on an ongoing basis and after disasters.

Much of what I do is the logistical work of ensuring what is sent from our headquarters in the US arrives in the country, clears through customs, is coordinated with the appropriate local ministries and agencies, and is distributed to the targeted beneficiaries. We do this as quickly as we possibly can after disasters hit while also taking the steps needed to know that we're working with the right local people, following all the rules of the country, and providing only what is absolutely needed. In this most recent earthquake in Ecuador, we landed a plane on Friday (13 days after the quake) containing 47 tons of medical aid that was specifically requested by the Ministry of Health and coordinated with the Department of International Cooperation. This was a particularly heavy shipment due to the fact that they requested large volumes of IV fluids, hygiene and wound care supplies, and sterilization equipment.

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So when I come to a country that's been affected by a disaster or medical crisis, like I've done in Haiti, the Philippines, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Fiji, and now Ecuador, I spend a lot of time at airports coordinating the importation of the aid supplies. In that time, I've gotten to see some pretty bizarre items arrive into a country that has just been hit by a disaster. From winter clothes arriving in Haiti where it almost never drops below 70, to ski equipment in the Philippines, to expired food and medical supplies in pretty much in every scenario. Up until today, I treated this as just a slightly unfortunate misstep of honest well-wishers who saw a tragic event unfold on the TV and wanted to do something to help. So they sent what they could, not knowing that it may be inappropriate for the location, didn't have a specific beneficiary in mind, and was perhaps even illegal to ship into the country. There is a wonderful motivation behind the gesture, but the result is the opposite of the intent, and usually sent at the exact time that distribution channels are maxed out and often damaged or broken.

What I witnessed today in Ecuador changed my opinion on all that. Over the weekend, I worked with hundreds of people from three different countries and three different Ministries and a UN Agency, who worked tirelessly to get the supplies from Quito to Manta in the affected area. Witnessing the tremendous amount of effort involved and the allocation of this scarce distribution capacity to our goods made me realize that it's not just an unfortunate misstep to send supplies that nobody wanted or requested. It's wrong. There is too much at stake and too much involved to undertake this effort for unwanted products when resources are already strained. (Not to mention the obvious fact that the people who were affected by the disaster don't have any need for it either).

We know that when supplies depart our warehouse in California to the port of entry in the affected country that it is just the first step in the process. Still, it's an important step and one we don't take lightly. Just as a triage nurse needs to know the patients' conditions, the logisticians need to know what items needs to be stored or moved, when and where. We could have immediately put together a shipment from our standing medical inventory and sent it off with the hopes that it could be used. We know it's all high quality, and US FDA approved. But we wouldn't know for sure if it is exactly what they wanted. We've found it best to listen carefully and follow the lead of those who live there and will live there for the rest of their lives. They have the best sense of what's needed and have the highest stake in resources being used most effectively.

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So we took a bit longer, offered our entire inventory to the Ministry of Health in Quito, and waited to prepare the shipment until they responded with a specific order. The earlier, more complete, and precise the information the better for these tasks, which take on heightened urgency in emergencies. From there, we went about the work to pick, pack, wrap, label, truck the shipment to the airport in seven FedEx trucks, and fly it in a chartered flight direct to Quito. This all took 13 days from when the quake hit--longer than it would have if we just selected items to send immediately, but based on what I saw here, was the right thing to do.

We met our plane at the airport when it landed at 4 pm Friday with officials from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). They had copies of all of the documents needed to quickly undergo the clearance procedures with the Ecuadorian Aduana (customs). It took an hour to offload the plane, and five more hours to place the shipment into a secure facility at the airport with the help of forklifts, tractors, and about 25 Ecuadorian Air Force Cadets. By the time that was done it was 10 pm Friday night, the paperwork was approved by customs, and the cargo was ready to be sent the following morning to Manta in trucks. Or so we thought.

We returned the next morning, again with officials from the MOH, who began coordinating with the Ministry of Defense and the Ecuadorian Air Force to get the goods flown on military aircraft to Manta where all the relief supplies are being coordinated. The Ecuadorian Air Force then asked for support from the Peruvian and Uruguayan Air Force, who were each here with a C-130 aircraft and a dozen crew to support Ecuador in the relief and recovery efforts. We were able to fly with the first cargo load in an Ecuadorian Air Force plane and land in Manta for the offloading. Throughout the day, the two C-130s from these foreign nations each took two round trip flights from Quito to Manta carrying 5 tons per trip for a total of 20 tons. In addition, the Ecuadorian plane did three round-trips of its own carrying two tons at a time for an additional six tons. They were able to move 26 tons of the 47-ton shipment the day after it landed and there were six more flights on Sunday to move the rest.

Once it arrived in Manta, it was met by the Ministry of Health here and loaded initially into the distribution warehouse for all relief goods in Manta and then loaded into trucks by more Air Force cadets and trucked to the Ministry of Health's warehouse in Manta to prepare it for onward distribution to the affected areas throughout the week.

But looking in that distribution warehouse for relief goods in Manta, we saw a lot of things that had arrived there that weren't requested, weren't needed and were taking up valuable space and resources. They arrived there from people wanting to help who weren't thinking if it is needed or what happens when it actually gets to the country. Best case scenario, trucks will be hired to drive it to the dump and throw it away. Worst case is that slips through and is sent on these planes not knowing what it is or if it's needed or who asked for it, thus wasting valuable money and time of the people who are needed to move the things that were requested. Which as I saw, can be hundreds of people from various countries and multiple departments of the government who are doing all they can to help the people affected by this disaster.

The desire to avoid clogging and waste is why, in emergencies, the public is so often encouraged to "send money," which ignores, however, that money can be easily misspent by those to whom it is sent.

Perhaps the larger point is not one of money or stuff but rather simply a recognition that emergencies almost invariably involve what might be generically described as huge supply chain and distribution challenge that happens when a tremendous inflow occurs just when the distribution channels break.

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Some stuff -- like the aircraft, trucks, and handling equipment sent to an emergency -- are helpful because they expand the distribution capacity needed to deal with the surge of essential material that's required for food, shelter, water and sanitation, and medical care.
One of the themes in the critiques of Hillary Clinton that one hears from progressives of an anti-Hillary bent is that she's a superhawk. The assertion is that, as president, she will pursue the kind of "neo-con" foreign policy that, in our times, has embroiled this country in ugly and unsuccessful military ventures abroad.

My purpose here in addressing that reading of Hillary's record is modest. It is not my intention, for example, to pass any overall judgment of Hillary's hawkishness. That would require more detailed knowledge than I possess.

But I do have a couple of observations to offer that, in my view, should lessen the weight of evidence for this characterization of Hillary as a superhawk.

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One key piece of evidence for that characterization has been Hillary's vote, in 2002, in support of the authorization for the use of force in Iraq. We've heard a lot about that vote: Barack Obama wielded it against her in 2008, and Bernie Sanders has done so again this time around.

But the chances are that Hillary's Iraq vote tells us little about her hawkishness. That vote, tather, was probably about something else.

To understand that vote, we need to understand the political context within which it was cast. It is in that context that we can understand this striking fact: every Democrat in the Senate who was a potential serious contender for the presidency voted for the resolution. That includes not only Hillary Clinton (who was not actually to run until 2008) but also John Kerry (the eventual 2004 nominee), John Edwards (who ended up on the 2004 ticket), and Joe Lieberman (the VP candidate with Gore in the 2000 election).

Not a single Democrat, then in the Senate, who voted against the resolution ever ran for president.

(Barack Obama was an Illinois state legislator at the time. Bernie Sanders was in the House, as an Independent, and did actually vote against the resolution. But I doubt that even Bernie had any idea that he'd ever make a serious run for the presidency.)

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And it's not hard to understand why someone with presidential ambitions would feel strong pressure to vote yes.

At this point, in the wake of the trauma of 9/11, President Bush was riding high in the polls. American nationalism -- not to say jingoism and militarism -- dominated the national mood. Cheney and Rumsfeld still enjoyed a reputation of competence in military affairs. And there was a long history, dating back to Vietnam, of Republicans successfully beating Democrats over the head for being "soft on national security."

The Bush forces were already pounding the Democrats, in this post-9-11 circumstance, with being "soft on terrorism." The Republicans were in the process of unseating Georgia's Democratic Senator, Max Cleland, who left three of his limbs in Vietnam, by running ads against him connecting him with Osama bin Ladin.

In that context, the most reasonable presumption would be that a vote against the coming Iraq war would prove considerably more risky for a Democrat seeking the presidency than a "yes" vote. It would not have been unreasonable for a seasoned political advisor to have told a Democratic Senator, "If you ever want to be elected president, you'd better support this resolution."

That advice, though reasonable at the time, has worked out badly because the war proved unexpectedly disastrous (in part because Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld proved unexpectedly incompetent), and thus the politics played out in unexpected ways.

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From the outside, there's no way of knowing whether any of the ambitious Democrats of 2002 voted yes out of conviction. (We might assume that Joe Lieberman was glad to vote yes; with John Kerry it is more doubtful.) But I would bet that what Hillary chose was what seemed to her the politically prudent course.

That vote likely says less about her hawkishness than about her ambition. It could be argued that this would be just as damning. Maybe. But politics is not always morally simple.

Hillary may have figured that she could not stop Bush's march to war anyway, and that -- by not creating the political vulnerability that voting against the measure would have brought upon her - she might someday have a chance to do more than enough good to make up for such a compromise of principle.

Politicians are forced to make such judgments, and such compromises, all the time. Lucky is the elected official who has climbed the political ladder by standing by all that they believe in all the time. One finds such compromises in the biographies of all of America's greatest leaders.

But, in our public arena, no one is allowed to admit to the political that political reality. We want to believe that there's no conflict between purity and power. We do not want to confront the regrettable implications of the fact that elected officials are by definition people who have done what is necessary to get elected in a flawed society.

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So Hillary is left looking like a hawk, looking like she had bad "judgment," but we don't really know whether either of those judgments is valid.

One more thing.

Ever since Vietnam, Democrats have felt vulnerable to Republican attacks that they are not tough enough to protect America. Mostly, those attacks have been bogus, but they've been effective. (Perhaps now, with all the military failures, that line of attack will not work as well.) But for Hillary, the need to prove toughness has been doubly imposed on her. She's not only a Democrat, but she is also a woman.



Old stereotypes put an additional burden on women to prove that they are tough enough to be "commander-in-chief." (This extra burden on women remains a factor in American politics - as Donald Trump will doubtless seek to exploit - despite the modern record of Maggie Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, and Golda Meir all winning wars as leaders of their nations.) Whether, once she became president, such pressures to prove her toughness would push President Hillary Clinton to go further in a hawkish direction than she might naturally wish to go, I don't know.
Law was Chris Williams' third career. He taught school in Chicago for a decade. He was a union organizer for a decade. Only then did he become a social justice lawyer specializing in advocating for and with low-wage workers.

Chris grew up in St. Louis and moved to Chicago after college to be a social studies teacher. He began as a day to day sub in a system with 16,000 other teachers.

"I found a second job in the evening in the City Colleges of Chicago teaching in what was called the Adult Learning Skills Program. We taught GED courses, Literacy courses and English as a Second Language. The 1500 teachers, doing the same work as the full-time teachers, were treated as part-time hourly wage workers, paid $10.00 per hour with no benefits."

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Williams joined the union of evening teachers. After 8 years he dropped his day job, went into full-time night teaching and became much more active in the AFSCME union, ultimately being elected president of his local group. AFSCME later hired him full-time to coordinate a state-wide organizing campaign of

minimum wage group home workers. He later also worked for SEIU and the Screen Actors Guild.

"I started to become frustrated with the difficulties labor unions had in organizing workers in the new economy of temporary work. This was particularly true for immigrant and other communities of color, where more and more jobs were contingent and temporary. More and more workers were not "employed" by the companies they worked for but instead through the use of independent contractor agreements and temporary staffing.

"For me, meaningful change for social and economic justice comes through organizing. Community-based worker centers began popping up around the country to help fill this gap in worker organizing and advocacy.

"So, in the early 2000s, I left the labor movement to join one of the first worker centers in Chicago, the Chicago Workers' Collaborative ("CWC"). One of the things we did was to find legal services for wage theft victims.

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"I remember the exact moment I decided to go to law school. While translating a settlement agreement for a worker, I discovered that the worker we brought to the lawyer was recovering $10,000, the maximum allowed. Great legal work. Then I also discovered the attorney was recovering $25,000 from the employer for attorneys' fees. I asked the lawyer if he could share some of his fees with our organization, since it was our work that had brought this worker forward and provided him with the support that gave him the courage to fight for his stolen wages. The lawyer said, accurately, that Illinois ethics rules forbid sharing legal fees with non-attorneys.

"After meeting with our collective's steering committee and explaining what I had learned, we decided it would be a good idea for me to go to law school to bring some of the legal fees made off of low wage workers back to the organizations fighting the causes of such exploitation.

"I enrolled in Chicago- Kent College of Law. I had to work and it had a good night program.

"After graduating I immediately set up my own private firm, Workers Law Office PC. I knew lots of people in the community who had legal problems so I co-counselled with other lawyers who split expenses and helped with the cases.

"My goal from the beginning was to create a non-profit legal clinic for workers. It would be funded by the regular legal work I did. I did not want to raise money from foundations and compete with the workers centers. What I made with my private firm, Workers Law Office PC, I ultimately used to help set up the non-profit Working Hands Legal Clinic."

"In 2007, the Working Hands Legal Clinic (WHLC) got started and I was the first director." Chris worked there from its beginning in 2007 until 2011 when it transitioned into the Raise the Floor Alliance.

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"At WHLC, we developed a 75/25 approach to our work to allow us to support worker centers, sustain ourselves and grow. Our approach was to look at the legal clinic as a business 75% of the time. The staff of WHLC was then available 25% of the time to provide the Chicago area worker centers with legal support without consideration of costs.

Much of their legal focus was on temporary work and staffing. "People were getting let go from their jobs and told to reapply with temp agency for the same job," reported Williams. "Mostly immigrant workers. Employers even used police against workers."

Chris was a primary mover with state government, community advocacy organizations and The National Employment Law Project in creating the strongest law protecting day laborers in the nation, the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act.

Chris later worked others to improve the wage theft statute, the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA). The 2011 amendments to the IWPCA were the result of the work of this taskforce and served as a model for states across the country.

Williams and the teams he works with have filed over 300 labor cases so far, many class actions. Lots are challenges to misuse of temporary workers. "The temp industry never ceases to give us reasons to file lawsuits. Temp agencies have very high turnover so they tend to do unlawful things over and over. It is not unusual to have thousands of plaintiffs." They sued Walmart couple of times because they hired temp agencies and staffing agencies which did not pay overtime and mistreated their employees. They sued many suppliers of big companies. With other firms they were successful in a big class actions against Kelly Services for 90,000 people that reached an $11m settlement. He also joined others in changing the rule which barred attorneys from sharing fees with non-attorneys, so non-profit worker centers can be paid for their work.

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"In 2011, I left WHLC and started a private practice with a partner, Alvar Ayala, called Workers' Law Office, PC. The firm specializes in employment law for low-income, immigrant and other vulnerable communities. Lots of lawyers subsidize their social justice work from private work. What is distinctive about us is the intentionality of it. When we can make money from the exploitation of workers we route some of this money back into the worker centers."

When asked about role models and inspiration, Williams had several. "When I was working with labor unions, I usually found the lawyers told us what not to do. However, I credit Craig Becker, now of the AFL, for demonstrating to me that there is a role for lawyers in organizing. For example, I was working on a hospital organizing campaign and he came to meet with me about identifying the bargaining unit. But unlike so many other lawyers, he didn't focus on what we could or could not do legally. Craig simply asked "What do you want? And I'll work with you to figure out how to do it."

Curtis Muhammad, former SNCC organizer and lifelong activist is another role model. "An amazing organizer. When he worked with us in Kankakee Illinois, he could talk with anyone - young black people, older white women, everyone loved him. He always challenges me to broaden my thinking, especially about race in America, and has challenged me to take chances in how I practice the law. For example, he points out that the original constitution was a radical document for freedom of people breaking away from another country. We should use it as a revolutionary document!"

"The workers who have come forward to lead campaigns or to put their names on lawsuits are also inspiring to me. They stand up even though they are vulnerable to serious consequences for doing so."

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If the produce section had a yearbook, avocado would definitely win most popular. Whether we're throwing it in a smoothie, smashing it into guac or layering it on toast, we just can't seem to ever get enough of the buttery green fruit (yes, it's a fruit). With avo making its way into so many of our meals these days, why not get creative about how you serve it? If you're ready to take your plating skills to the next level, please allow us to introduce you to the avocado rose.

While it may look like something you'd pay $20 for at a trendy New York restaurant, don't be fooled, my avo-loving friends. You don't have to stand in a cronut-level line for one of these. In fact, it's actually deceptively simple. Food blogger Karen McLean (AKA Secret Squirrel Food) shot this quick tutorial on how to recreate the swanky creation at home.

It's definitely going to take some delicate knife skills, but once you get the hang of it, you can totally plop an avocado rose on top of everything from your morning toast to that otherwise boring salad to a delicious rice bowl. Did that upcoming dinner party get professional? We're thinking yes.

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The Environmental Protection Agency's ongoing risk assessment of the world's most widely used herbicide is starting to generate more questions than answers. On Monday, it also generated a giant "oops" from the EPA.

On Friday, April 29, the EPA posted on its website a series of documents related to its long-awaited risk assessment for glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide and other weed-killing products sold around the world. The risk assessment started in 2009 and was supposed to conclude in 2015. But questions about whether or not glyphosate may cause cancer are dogging the agency's review, and have slowed the process.

On Monday, after the contents of the documents started to generate questions from media, EPA yanked those documents from its website:

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An agency spokeswoman said this:

"Glyphosate documents were inadvertently posted to the Agency's docket. These documents have now been taken down because our assessment is not final. EPA has not completed our cancer review. We will look at the work of other governments as well as work by HHS's Agricultural Health Study as we move to make a decision on glyphosate. Our assessment will be peer reviewed and completed by end of 2016."

The EPA said it was "working through some important science issues on glyphosate, including residues of the chemical in human breast milk;" an "in-depth human incidents and epidemiology evaluation;" and a preliminary analysis of glyphosate toxicity to milkweed, a critical resource for the monarch butterfly.



Inadvertent or not, one of those documents posted and then withdrawn was a doozy, a heavy hammer that seeks to knock down worries about glyphosate ties to cancer. The agency released an Oct. 1, 2015 internal EPA memorandum from its cancer assessment review committee (CARC) that contradicts the March 2015 finding by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifying glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. EPA found instead that glyphosate is "Not Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans."

The memorandum stated that the classification was based on "weight-of-evidence considerations."

CARC said this: "

The epidemiological evidence at this time does not support a causal relationship between glyphosate exposure and solid tumors. There is also no evidence to support a causal relationship between glyphosate exposure and the following non-solid tumors: leukemia, multiple myeloma, or Hodgkin lymphoma. The epidemiological evidence at this time is inconclusive for a causal or clear associative relationship between glyphosate and NHL. Multiple case-control studies and one prospective cohort study found no association; whereas, results from a small number of case-control studies (mostly in Sweden) did suggest an association."

Monsanto touted and tweeted the release of the document, which follows the release by EPA of a different memorandum supporting the safety of glyphosate last June. The newest memo gives the company added evidence to defend itself against a mounting stack of lawsuits filed by agricultural workers and others alleging Monsanto's glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide gave them cancer.

"This is the EPA's highest ranking for product safety--they also do nice job of explaining all of IARC's mistakes," Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Robb Fraley said in a twitter posting.

Monsanto has been calling on EPA to defend glyphosate against the cancer claims since the IARC classification came out in March 2015. A March 23, 2015 EPA email string released as part of a Freedom of Information request details Monsanto's efforts to get EPA to "correct" the record on glyphosate "as it relates to carcinogenicity."

Another document newly released by EPA - which was also then withdrawn - illustrates just why EPA's risk assessment about the safety of glyphosate matters so much. In a memorandum dated Oct. 22, 2015, EPA detailed how extensively glyphosate is being used on food items.

That memo updates estimates of glyphosate use on crops in top agricultural states, and provides annual average use estimates for the decade 2004-2013. Seventy crops are on the EPA list, ranging alphabetically from alfalfa and almonds to watermelons and wheat. Glyphosate used on soybean fields, on an annual basis, is pegged at 101.2 million pounds; with corn-related use at 63.5 million pounds. Both those crops are genetically engineered so they can be sprayed directly with glyphosate as farmers treat fields for weeds. Cotton and canola, also genetically engineered to be glyphosate tolerant, also have high use numbers. But notable glyphosate use is also seen with oranges (3.2 million lbs); sorghum (3 million lbs); almonds (2.1 million lbs); grapes, (1.5 million lbs); grapefruit and apples (400,000 lbs each); and a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts.

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Despite - or perhaps because of - the delays in issuing a final regulatory risk assessment on glyphosate, questions about the impact of the chemical on human health and the environment have been mounting. In addition to the lawsuits alleging glyphosate caused cancer in farm workers and others, private groups are scrambling to test a variety of food products for glyphosate residues.

On Friday a lawsuit with a new twist on glyphosate concerns was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. That suit, which seeks class action status, alleges that glyphosate residues found in Quaker Oats invalidates claims by the Quaker Oats Co. that its product is wholly natural. "Glyphosate is a synthetic biocide and probable human carcinogen, with additional health dangers rapidly becoming known," the lawsuit states. "When a product purports to be '100% Natural,' consumers not only are willing to pay more for the product, they expect it to be pesticide-free," the lawsuit states.

Questions about glyphosate have become so prevalent that U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu wrote a letter to EPA officials in December requesting EPA scientists meet with a group of independent scientists to go over "troubling information" related to glyphosate. Lieu cited concerns that EPA is relying on Monsanto-backed data rather than independent, peer-reviewed research in assessing glyphosate. Sources close to the situation say that meeting has been scheduled for June 14, though both EPA and Lieu's office declined to comment.

The EPA's diligence on digging into glyphosate questions and concerns is encouraging to those who want to see a thorough risk assessment done. But the delay and the questionable actions with releasing documents and then withdrawing them from the public eye does not inspire confidence.

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Indeed, in another curious move, the EPA on May 2 also issued a newly updated "registration review schedule." But while three dozen other chemical draft risk assessments are listed on the EPA website for release by the end of 2016, glyphosate was not included.
To be honest, writing about the subject of compassion seems a little daunting to me. Here's what I'm thinking, "What could I possibly have to say about this that hasn't been said before? I'm no Dalai Lama or Mother Theresa."

I come from a typical middle-class, mid-western family. Bottom line is, my parents did a great job of raising me. They were the quintessential rugged individualists. They firmly believed that life was what you made of it, that there was no "big man in the sky" that they were going to supplicate themselves to. They rejected organized religion, believing it to be the "opiate of the masses." Both were hard working, achievement-oriented people and their goal was to teach their children to be self-reliant, strong, capable adults.

As I said, they were good people, honest and hard working. However, they were a little flinty in their approach to life. In their minds I was "overly sensitive." I started questioning the approach to living life from the intellect alone when I was quite young. I felt like an alien in my family. You see, I believed. I believed there had to be something more going on here, that the randomness of the universe had to be held together by a force greater than what could be seen or verified scientifically. I yearned for someone to tell my innermost secret to.

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My spiritual quest began in my teen years when I started attending churches in my community, shopping around for a spiritual home. Of course, this annoyed my mother, who expected teen rebellion to come in the form of smoking pot and skipping classes. (Which was rather ironic to me later as I see that I picked the perfect way to rebel against my pot-smoking atheist mother!) This began the long debate between us about belief, and her judgment of me as a weak person for using the "crutch of faith to prop myself up with."

Being a newcomer to the religious scene, I felt comforted, yet not called to the liturgy of the Catholic mass and turned off by the rest. I came to the conclusion that going to church was not for me. I wanted something more personal.

I was drawn to the feminine expressions of Spirit. I was fascinated by the story of Guan Yin, the goddess of compassion revered by the ancient Chinese (and later adopted by most of the spiritual traditions of Asia). What she represented to me was the compassionate and loving Divine mother, as contrasted with my own emotionally unapproachable one.

She filled a void in my heart. I bought a statue of Guan Yin and placed her on my dresser. It was she that I told my secret to, to whom I looked for guidance in those early days of being a closet mystic.

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Fast forward to today. I still have that statue. While I have not gone further with embracing a Buddhist philosophy or spiritual path, I still revere Guan Yin and what she represents to me. She started me on my path of living an authentic life of heart, of service.

I have regarded the quality of Compassion as a spiritual ideal. I, like so many other women, feel compassion for others. I cry at the drop of a hat. You should see the waterworks generated by those SPCA commercials and sappy movies.

Where I sometimes struggle is being compassionate with myself. I have an internalized critical voice that still pops up in my consciousness that tells me I'm not good enough, not smart enough, etc. When I become aware that I'm being heartless to myself, I extend the compassion and loving grace inwardly and tell myself a new message. "You're doing great. Stop being so hard on yourself."

Many of us who are compassionate by nature express this by giving to others in service, being a caregiver, a parent, a nurturer. I hear the stories of my clients who have had the heart-wrenching experience of being caregivers for their partners as they succumbed to the illness that eventually took their lives. This may even be you. You have poured your heart out, and perhaps you feel there is little left to give to yourself at this time of loss and great pain.

I offer this encouragement to you, which is to step back from the habit of only giving compassion to others. Ask yourself the following questions: "How can I bring 5 percent more compassion to myself today than I did yesterday? What would that look like?"

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When I ask myself these questions, the answer comes. I can appreciate myself more, forgive more, have more patience for myself when I'm learning something new, be kind to myself, etc. When I give to myself first from the wellspring of loving in my heart, I have the capacity to give to others from the overflow.
Whether your business is new or not, being visible in search engines result pages (SERP) is a great way to get your brand known by potential customers. And no, paying search engines for ads isn't the only way for your business to show up in SERP. One strategy which small to medium-sized business have found useful is link building.

Building quality links to your website is absolutely necessary to establish your brand, gain new customers, and convert them to repeat customers. If you're interested but don't know where to start, here are six SEO link building strategies you should definitely implement in your small business ASAP.

1. Look to local partnerships.

This strategy is a great fit for small businesses which have local partnerships with organizations in a particular town, city, or state. Reach out to these partners and see if they can place a link back to your website. If they have events or conferences coming up, you can sponsor them so you can get a link from the event's sponsorship website. Your brand didn't only get recognized; you also received a backlink.

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2. Contribute to local business blogs.

Scour the internet to find local business blogs that welcomes contributions from small business owners. If you can find local news blogs and community blogs where you can share your expertise, that will be even better. Once you're accepted, you can periodically link back to your website or any of its landing pages when it's relevant.

3. Use the Skyscraper technique.

Brian Dean from Backlinko has invented this technique to make the link building process easier for everyone. All you have to do is search for top-performing content within your niche, create a version that's way better than what you've found, and reach out to influencers and websites to help promote your content. It may take time to complete the in-depth and quality version of the content but when your blogger outreach efforts become successful, you'll see the results of your effort and hard work. You'll get quality backlinks to your site, traffic, and customers. You can get the help of a reputable SEO expert to complete this tedious task for you and reap the rewards all the same.

4. Build links through your images.

This worthwhile strategy can be done simply by finding the websites which have used the images you own and have published on your business website by doing a reverse image search. You may have employee headshots, product photos, logos, branded graphics, and other images floating around the web without being attributed to your small business. Once you identify these sites, reach out to them for an attribution link.

5. Search for business mentions.

Search the web for mentions of your small business or references to your brand, products, and services through a free tool like Google Alerts, or a paid tool like BrandMentions. You can narrow down the search further by using relevant keywords. After you've uncovered the backlink opportunities, reach out to the site owners through email. Request that they include a link to your site as attribution.

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6. Create a number of premium content.

Premium content stand a higher chance of being linked to by influencers than a regular blog post. There are different types of premium content but those which doesn't require much time to be created include infographics and co-created guest posts. Others that will require much thought and time to finish include white papers, e-books, in-depth blog posts, podcasts, and case studies. Find which kind of premium content is it that will suit your small business, your time, and your budget then work on it. Don't forget to include relevant tags for search engine optimization purposes.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Indiana Theater Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Terre Haute, Ind. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

Just to warn everyone up front, today's column is essentially nothing more than a "clip show." Television series use this motif whenever they get lazy, because it involves very little writing and filming, because the bulk of the episode is merely clips from previous episodes. Today, I'm offering up my own clip show as a retrospective for how we all got to where we stand today -- on the brink of Donald Trump essentially wrapping up the Republican nomination for the highest office in the land.

In asking how we got here, a crucial thing to remember is that everyone in the political and media universe has convinced themselves that the situation just kind of snuck up on them when they weren't looking. "Who could have imagined this outcome?" they all ask each other at their exclusive cocktail parties, and then they shake their heads in a bemused fashion. They are secure in the knowledge that nobody could have seen this coming, therefore everyone was wrong at the same time. This is why, they tell themselves, all the efforts to stop Trump failed -- because by the time everyone realized what was going on, it was too late to do anything about it.

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This is a false narrative. The facts were out there. The poll numbers existed. Donald Trump has been the frontrunner of the Republican race since very shortly after he announced his candidacy, last June. All throughout the summer and fall of 2015, what was happening was obvious to anyone who took the time to both look at and believe the level of support Trump was showing.

What really happened, instead, was that everyone in those inside-the-Beltway cocktail parties treated Donald Trump as a joke for far longer than they should have. If the bigwigs had stopped laughing at Trump earlier and started to take him on, things might have worked out differently. Of course, they may not have, too -- the end result could have been exactly the same (it's notable that even with all the ways fellow Republicans have attacked Donald Trump, none of them have so far worked).

Personally, I began laughing at Trump along with everyone else. I wrote an article over a year ago titled "Please Run, Donald. Pretty Please?" where I begged Trump to throw his hairpiece in the ring. I began with: "May I just take a moment to speak for all of America's political pundits, celebrity-watchers, and late-night comedians, as I openly beg for such rich pastures of political amusement: 'Please run, Donald. Please?'" and then I went on to note that, serendipitously, recreational marijuana was going to become legal in D.C. that night, at midnight: "Well, not a moment too soon, since the best possible way for everyone inside the Beltway to contemplate a Trump candidacy (much less a Trump presidency) is, quite obviously, stoned out of their gourds."

Even in the midst of all this merry-making, I did make one cogent point:

America is waiting for a Trump campaign! With Sarah Palin sidelined, don't the voters deserve some sort of priceless comic relief for the next year or two? Political pundits would be enthusiastic as heck about writing "Latest Trump Gaffe" columns, I can promise you that. Not to mention "Republican Candidates Squirm While Responding To Trump Comment" -- which would indeed double the fun!

Of course, at the time, I had no idea that Trump gaffes would actually (over and over again) cause his poll numbers to rise and not collapse. In June, when Trump announced, I was almost giddy with anticipation, while (of course) dismissing the idea he could ever win even the nomination:

Could Donald Trump win the presidency? Well, the sane answer is "not in a million, billion years," of course. American voters may at times be pretty stupid, but even the most cynical wouldn't believe that they'd be stupid enough to elect Donald Trump. I don't see any pathway to victory for "The Donald," either in the general election or even in the clown parade that is known as the Republican nomination process. It just ain't going to happen, folks Trump's candidacy is going to cause the Republican Party several problems, though. The first is that Trump will always be able to (pun definitely intended) trump every other Republican candidate in the "speaking off-the-cuff, and saying monumentally ridiculous things" category. Oh, sure, people like Newt Gingrich set the bar pretty high (or low, really) in years past, and it's undeniable that we've already got several people in the Republican race who seem to have mastered the art of "saying idiotic things" (Ben Carson immediately springs to mind), but Donald Trump is in a league of his own, really. This is going to set up a conundrum for the more serious Republican candidates: should they just ignore Trump's blathering, or should they respond when he truly goes over the edge? We'll see a partial answer to that question soon, as in his ad-libbed announcement today he has already called Mexican immigrants "rapists" and other nasty names. Will Jeb or Marco respond? We'll have to see, but this problem wouldn't even exist if Trump weren't in the running.

I ended in a particularly gleeful manner:

It's not just me, in other words. The most obvious prediction in politics is a direct result of Donald Trump's presidential entry: "There will be snark." Oh, my, will there be snark. Yes, indeedy, it will be a snarktastic experience for all. It will in fact be downright snarkadelic. Or, to put it another way, welcome to the ranks of the Republican presidential candidates, Donald Trump!

By July, however, I began to notice a disconnect between the way the pundits and the party insiders were treating Trump, and his actual support level. At the time, the insiders were speculating whether Trump would launch a third-party bid -- after (of course) losing the Republican nomination. Few realized that Trump wouldn't even have to contemplate such a thing, back then. Because in reality Trump had already hijacked the party's base:

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Trump just polled in first place in his first state-level poll, in North Carolina. He's polled in second place in at least two other states. He has to, at this point, be considered one of the frontrunners for the Republican nomination. So it's not all just Trump's ego speaking -- he's getting the lion's share of attention from the media, and he's rising fast in the polls. Any of the other Republican candidates currently polling below ten percent has to be pretty envious of Trump right about now, in fact. He's even in danger of owning the "face of the Republican Party" label, much as that discomforts many Republicans.

The next day, I began calling him the "frontrunner" of the Republican race, because that's what the polling clearly showed. The rest of the media wouldn't admit he was a frontrunner until after the debates began, for the most part.

By the end of July, I had moved on to seriously considering him as the eventual Republican nominee.

It's time to think about what has previously been in the realm of the unthinkable: Donald Trump might just become the Republican nominee for president. Two months ago, that statement would have elicited nothing but a big old belly laugh from just about anyone who pays any attention to politics. Nowadays, though, nobody's laughing. The very concept has moved from the surreal to the possible. So it's time to actually think about what it would mean for the country and for the Republican Party. Trump, we were all assured by the inside-the-Beltway media crowd, was going to be nothing more than an entertaining sideshow. His "support," such as it was, would soon collapse, after Trump said something so outrageous that it drove people away. Trump would be a flash in the pan, and then we could all go back to contemplating the Republican candidates who easily met the inside-the-Beltway crowd's measure of being "Very Serious People." Trump would quietly fade away as the real Republican race got underway. None of that has happened. The inside-the-Beltway crowd has consistently misread Donald Trump's base support. People who support him aren't turned away by Trump saying radical things, instead that is his primary appeal to them. The more outrageous things he says, the higher his poll numbers head. His support has grown to the point where he is in first place not only in most national polls, but now even in many state-level polls (including beating Bush by six points in Florida). Even if his support does eventually begin to decline, Trump is just never going to fade quickly away. Why should he? In the first place, he certainly does seem to be having an enormous amount of fun, and in the second place, he's writing his own checks -- so he can continue his campaign for as long as he likes. Trump is not a sideshow -- he's actually now the main event. What happens if this continues? Trump is now polling as high as the mid-20s, which could actually be enough to win the first primaries, due to the overcrowded Republican field. If he increases his support slightly, he could easily be the frontrunner in many of the early-voting states. As some of the other candidates run out of money (or out of steam), Trump could actually pick up voters from them. This could either lead to a wide-open Republican convention, or outright to Trump taking the nomination before the convention even gets underway. I wouldn't want to predict the odds of either of these things happening, but they certainly are within the realm of possibility now. Donald Trump, Republican nominee for president -- not so unthinkable, is it?

In August, the first Republican debate was held, and Trump's polling support stayed steady (it moved from 22 to 23 percent), while other notable candidates (Jeb Bush, Scott Walker) saw their numbers sink like a stone, post-debate. Trump began not just leading the competition, but indeed crushing all others in the polls. The only one who would ever challenge his dominance was Ben Carson, whose support would later evaporate after a particularly bad debate performance.

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By the end of August, the party bigwigs woke up to the power of Trump's support, but their only answer was a non-starter (keep Trump's name off the primary ballots, somehow). Once again, the party realized by the end of August what was likely to happen -- and they did nothing, for roughly the next six months (if a "NeverTrump" or "stop Trump" movement had started back then, it might have had time to get some traction). Trump's menace to the party was clear:

The Republican Party is now the party of Donald Trump. That's a pretty astounding statement, but as Trump continues to not only lead in all the primary polls but also to drive the debate for all the other contenders, it would be hard to make the case that Trump hasn't completed what might be called a hostile takeover of the Republican Party brand. This could always change, of course -- nothing is ever set in stone in a presidential race. But for the time being, Trump's not only the party frontrunner, he is actually defining the race for everyone else.

By September, Trump was approaching inevitability. The numbers didn't lie -- Trump was the favorite to win the nomination, hands down. This was months before most in the media woke up to this reality, however -- they were too busy still having fun treating Trump like the biggest joke of all time. But, when you took a look at the 2012 Republican nomination race, it was pretty obvious that Trump was approaching a point of no return:

But the big news from the old data merely confirms a theory that popped into my head at some point during the long weekend. After watching Trump's numbers improve (yet again), I picked an arbitrary number for when Trump might just become unstoppable for the Republican nomination: a solid level of 35 percent support. . . . I'm not sure why 35 percent seems to be some sort of magic number. It only represents a little more than one-third of the Republican electorate, after all. Almost two out of three GOP voters are still backing someone else, to put it another way. But 35 percent in such a crowded field means that you've pretty much eliminated almost all of the other competition. There might be one or two candidates nipping at your heels, but the rest of the field isn't even worth bothering about. When there are 17 people running, sustaining 35 percent might be enough to assure eventual victory. When Donald Trump hit 20 percent in the polls (reliably -- in multiple polls over a period of time), the pundits all swore up and down that he had hit his ceiling. When Trump hit 25 percent in the polls -- again, and sustained it -- the pundits all said exactly the same thing: Trump was still doomed, he simply could not go any higher. Donald Trump has now hit 30 percent in a few polls. He hasn't yet proven he can sustain this level of support, but his trendline looks pretty good. Trump now holds over double the support of his closest challenger, and triple the support of the supposed inevitable nominee, Jeb Bush. Ben Carson is now on the ascendant, while Scott Walker and Jeb Bush both seem to be crashing and burning. I see this somewhat differently than most pundits (at least, to hear them talk about it). They are, for the most part, convinced that Trump is essentially the Rick Perry of 2012. His numbers will collapse whenever that "oops" moment happens, and then we'll all go back to watching Jeb Bush take on all comers. I think this is silly, given the numbers. If anything, Ben Carson is much more easily seen as someone who could stumble badly on the national stage and watch his numbers collapse due to some ill-advised comment or debate moment. Trump, in this scenario, is this season's Mitt Romney -- always the guy everyone else has to beat, to get anywhere in the polls. . . . Trump's spectacular campaign has so far convinced three-in-ten Republican voters to back him. If he not only holds on to 30 percent support but also has a great debate night next week, I could easily see his rise continue. While everyone else is waiting for the "inevitable" Trump stumble (it's just gotta be coming, right?), I'm now actually pondering a different use of the word. Because if Trump hits 35 percent support from Republican voters, and holds that level for a decent period of time, then what might just be inevitable is that he's going to be the Republican nominee for president.

Trump experienced his only real slide in the polls after the second debate, and the media all heaved a sigh of relief that Trump's comeuppance was imminent. This turned out not to be true, since even after Trump's slide happened, he was still crushing virtually everyone else in the race.

Trump's numbers soon recovered, but it wasn't really until the beginning of December that the Republicans really woke up to their party's new reality. Some began lashing out at Trump, to absolutely no avail. By this point, the end game was fully visible, before a single state had even voted.

What is most extraordinary about all this is the level of hatred and fear that this one man has inspired within his own party. When else has any sitting senator called his own party's frontrunner anything remotely as scathing as: "a xenophobic, race-baiting, religious bigot," after all? When else has the fear of the frontrunner winning the party's nomination brought forth such predictions of electoral disaster as: "we're going to get wiped out," and "you're going to do irreparable damage to our party"? If Trump wins the nomination, Hillary Clinton's team can just cherry-pick the worst of these predictions -- perhaps "an utter, complete and total disaster" or "the repercussions would be devastating" -- to use in her general election campaign ads. Democrats, of course, can be expected to welcome the news that Trump at the top of the GOP ticket might make things a heck of a lot easier for them, down-ticket. Trump might just hand the Senate to the Democrats, in fact. It's less likely that Trump's presence on the ballot would impact the House as much (due to gerrymandering and many pro-Trump Republican districts), but even so, you normally only hear such predictions from wonky poll-watching pundits. Doom-and-gloom predictions aren't usually espoused by members of the same party as the frontrunner being denounced -- at least not this early in the process.

Which brings us precisely to where we are today. Tomorrow night, Donald Trump could win the Indiana primary, and by doing so put the race away. He's already corralled (by some estimates) over 1,000 delegates to the convention, and he could even sweep all 57 of Indiana's delegates. That would put him inside of 200 votes away from the nomination, which he can easily pick up in the remaining states that haven't voted yet.

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A lot of people read the rise of Trump wrong. This is because (I firmly believe) they simply refused to see the evidence in front of their faces. Maybe it was easier for me to see Trump's rise approaching, since I live in California -- a deep-blue state which elected Arnold Schwarzenegger twice. That certainly does influence your perspective.

I'm providing this retrospective now, because we are almost on the cusp of the switch from primary season to general election season. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will almost certainly be their parties' respective nominees. But rather than just making flat assumptions about the outcome of that contest, it would indeed behoove the inside-the-Beltway crowd in the coming months to keep an eye on what is actually going on out there in the public. At this point (of course) "everyone knows" that Hillary will bury Donald in a November landslide. But just because everybody agrees with each other doesn't always mean that what they agree upon will actually happen. A cautionary note, to be sure.

Chris Weigant blogs at:
In April 2012, I was accepted to the Obama Campaign Fellows program. I believed in the president's commitment to change history and felt duty-bound to help him win re-election. But my support would come with a cost. After being selected, I had no option but to disclose my legal status, which was that of an undocumented immigrant student, or DREAMer. One of many students who met the general requirements for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act.

My gratitude to the United States is immense. It allowed my parents the opportunity to provide my siblings and I a better future, and for me to accomplish things that went far beyond my vision. During my college years, I discovered that I had a passion for the complexities of the legislative system; policy, change, advocacy, and civic engagement.

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Then came Friday, June 15, 2012. I was on my daily commute from Santa Fe to UNM, when I heard that President Obama was about to make an announcement regarding DREAMers. He said, "These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they're friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper."

I cried all the way from the bus stop to UNM where I stormed into El Centro de la Raza screaming the good news. A dream had come true, not just for me, but for my siblings and the many other students in our position. I felt so proud to be an Obama Fellow.

However, never did I expect to be caught in an extremely delayed approval process for my DACA.

For the next three years I went on to serve as an intern, fellow, and professional intern. Though I was able to obtain some class credits and small scholarships along the way, due to my legal status, I could not receive pay. But I was determined to finish my education and to be part of a system that would allow me, and the communities I represent, a place at the table, even if it meant working for free.

Being politically active with a no-pay status has been both challenging and gratifying. Living the day to day was difficult, to the say the least. I couldn't have made it through my undergrad years without the support of loved ones and caring individuals at the University of New Mexico who found and helped me get scholarships. Gratifying was learning from the best legislators and analysts in New Mexico.

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This past April 6, 2016, I finally held my DACA card. The joy I felt was beyond the moon. My mind was filled with thoughts of job offers I would now be able to accept, WITH PAY, along with all the possibilities for a future that seemed boundless.

In spite of all the roadblocks I had to navigate, I feel no resentment. I found pathways filled with incredible people who helped me along my way. Because of them, I was able to participate in the political process at state and national levels by way of internships and fellowships. I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Political Science, started my MA degree in Educational Leadership & Policy in 2015, then applied to and was accepted by "EMERGE America/NM," a women's political training program as a member of their 2016 class. I am the first DREAMer in New Mexico and one of only three DREAMers in the U.S. to have been chosen for this competitive national program.

President Barrack Obama will always hold a special place in the hearts of DREAMers. His leadership and courage to enact DACA in the face of all the derision and political pressures he received from Congress, is beyond commendable.
In this April 12, 2016 photo, Desiree Moninski, walks on land located across from her house in Dudley, Mass., which is the site of a proposed Muslim cemetery, a project vigorously opposed by area residents. Regarding the land once farmed by her grandparents, Moninski said she and other opponents have legitimate concerns that have nothing to do with Islam. "I grew up here. It's farmland, and I'd like to see it stay that way," she said. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Desiree Moninski walks on land located across from her house in Dudley, Mass., which is the site of a proposed Muslim cemetery, a project vigorously opposed by area residents. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

My grandfather, Joseph Tedesco, passed away when I was 15 years old. I remember his burial - the first in my life - like it was yesterday. Family and friends of all backgrounds gathered in a beautiful cemetery in Newton, Massachusetts. As you can imagine, it was a difficult moment for everyone in attendance. Tears flowed. The air was filled with grief. It was a real human experience.

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Everyone leaned on each other for support. We needed that moment to cope and get by. Those kind of "send offs" in cemeteries are crucial. For starters, we must say goodbye to loved ones in a way that honors them. Secondly, proper burials allow those who are still alive to come to terms with the difficult reality that life is not eternal.

Not too far from Newton is a small town called Dudley. On the site of a long-idle dairy farm, Muslim leaders of a local mosque are hoping to build a cemetery - a final resting place - for about 500 local Muslim families. Anyone with an open heart and a bit of compassion will understand why building a burial ground is important to these Muslims, who by the way are our fellow citizens and human beings!

I certainly hope this Muslim community is successful in achieving their goal, though it seems that locals are working to stop the construction of the burial ground out of fear of Islam. Unfortunately, the opposition is strong, and their arguments are ridiculous. One resident, as CBS News reports, said he worried he would have to put up with "crazy music" like the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, what is happening in Dudley is not an isolated event. Similar sentiments have been expressed by people in communities around the country where Muslim cemeteries have been proposed, including Farmersville, Texas; Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and Farmington, Minnesota. As CBS News again reports, in some cases, opponents have succeeded in defeating the new cemetery projects.

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I now teach at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Farmersville is about a three hour drive from my home. Christians in Farmersville were openly hostile during meetings on a proposal to build a Muslim cemetery on a 35-acre site just outside the city. During a meeting to discuss this burial ground, one Farmersville man yelled "You're not welcome here!" A local resident named Barbara Ashcraft, who also attended the meeting, is on record stating: "People don't trust Muslims. Their goal is to populate the United States and take it over."

In short, people do not trust Muslims and even fear them in death.

Islamophobia has reached an all-time low (or shall I say high?) in the United States. Anti-Muslim sentiment is so rife that non-Muslims do not even want Muslims to bury their dead family members near them. Think about that for a second. Forget about sharia, ISIS, homegrown terrorists and other buzz words used by media to promote Islamophobia. We are talking about giving people the ability to bury their dead family members. This kind of Islamophobia highlights the complete and utter dehumanization of Muslims in the United States. People are making Muslim Americans out to be less than human and hence not worthy of humane treatment.

I wish I did not have to write this, and I hope this is not condescending, but let us actually humanize Muslims for a change. They have families. They love. They have hearts. They have souls. They cry. They have memories. They need to grieve. They need places to go to reconnect to previous moments in time.
Favor pools, mutual aid, scratch-my-back-and-I'll-scratch-yours - we all get the idea of reciprocity. However, what about referral fees? If someone mentions to someone else, "I know an artist whose work you might like," should that person receive a payment if a sale takes place? Referral fees are customary in the real estate field, where tips to brokers range from one to three percent of the sale price, or 20-30 percent of the agent's commission. In most states, it is illegal to pay a referral fee to an unlicensed realtor, but the high end of the art trade has middlemen (tipsters, runners, a dealer who knows somebody) who may receive a payment or percentage of a sale. It would seem, in the age of the Internet, where everybody can be found, that there might be less of a need for an artist to pay a tipster for supplying information to a prospective buyer, but tell that to the millions of artists whose Web sites sit unvisited. An introduction, a mention, a referral is always welcome.

Kelly O'Neill, a portrait artist in Brentwood, Tennessee, relies on repeat business and referrals - usually of the word-of-mouth sort - from clients who recommend her to their friends and family members. However, the artist has gone one step further, systematizing the process of mentioning her name to others, offering between $100 and $350 - payable by check or through PayPal - for those who refer clients to her through social media or personal contact. ("We ask how each new client hears about her, so you'll always get credit!" her Web site proclaims.)

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"Fees motivate people to tell people about my work," she said, noting that her friends have been turned into marketers. "It's worth it to me not to have to market my work."

Another artist who has tried the same is Milwaukee artist Anthony Sell, who offers a 15 percent referral fee after a completed sale and full payment. The purchased artwork must be "commissioned portraits, landscapes and other fine art projects" - prints don't count. As with O'Neill, someone making a referral to a prospective buyer must do so before Sell and the buyer make contact for the first time in order to be eligible for the fee. "If the referrer cannot personally introduce the referred patron or client, they must instruct the referred patron or client to mention the referrer at the time of contact," according to the artist's Web site.

A lot of conditions on receiving referral fees, and "I have yet to have anyone take me up on it," Sell said, adding that "much of my marketing involves my website and social media, specifically Facebook and Google+ at the moment."

Referrals still are quite common in the art world; paying for them not so much. When looking for gallery representation, artists regularly rely on other artists, critics and dealers to recommend their work to gallery owners. Dealers value that, because they can rely on something other than just their own eyes to evaluate an artist's work. Sometimes, a gallery owner may be enthusiastic about an artist's work but want to know personal qualities about the artist before taking him or her on: Is the artist productive (creating enough work for exhibitions every two or three years)? Is the artist mature and reliable (understanding a business relationship without whining and causing disruptions)? Is the artist personable (able and willing to converse with collectors)? Has the artist worked with galleries in the past? The people from whom a dealer takes recommendations seriously also know whether or not the new artist fits into the gallery's aesthetic and might be temperamentally compatible with the gallery director. Certainly, a recommendation may convince a busy gallery owner to take time out to actually look at an artist's work--an experience artists who simply send in materials to dealers cold cannot often claim--but other factors need to be in place before a relationship between an artist and a dealer will begin to form. The artist's work needs to be appropriate for the gallery (same style, size, medium and price range), and the gallery owner has to personally like the work; the artist should have some exhibition history, as well as a track record of sales, and the artist and gallery owner need to be able to get along.

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Sometimes (probably more than half of the time), absolutely nothing comes of an introduction. Janet Fish noted that painters Chuck Close and Alex Katz made recommendations to dealers on her behalf. She even called one of her collectors to ask that person to contact a particular gallery about her work. "It was encouraging to me that people were trying to help me, but that didn't mean I got anything from it. It's not the ticket." Calling the process of going round to galleries "a crap shoot," she said that "some people come off the street and show work that the dealer likes right away. On the other hand, someone may say he'll make a recommendation for an artist, but then this so-called friend ends up bad-mouthing the artist to the dealer. You never know." Once, she made a recommendation for an artist to her own dealer and, when the artist came into the gallery to show the dealer his work, "the artist was treated horribly. I thought that was discourteous to the artist and to me. I was later to find out that this dealer was mean to a lot of people, and that was a contributing factor to my leaving that gallery for another dealer."
""There are no red lines which would clearly protect environment and health." - Jorgo Riss, director of Greenpeace EU

There has been a major leak concerning another "trade" agreement that is currently being negotiated in secret. This time it is the TTIP and it was leaked by Greenpeace.

TPP, TTIP, What?

First, some explanation. If you are reading this you've been hearing a lot about the TPP, which is the Trans-Pacific Partnership. There's another "trade" agreement being negotiated called the TTIP, which is the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. So for shorthand on the shorthand: TPP = Pacific, TTIP = Atlantic.

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The TPP (Pacific) negotiations have been completed. The TPP negotiations took place in a secret process dominated by the giant multinational corporations, and the final agreement is waiting to be approved or rejected by Congress - probably during the "lame duck" session, because that is when members are least likely to be held accountable for their votes.

The TTIP (Atlantic; you may hear it referred to as "tee-tip"), on the other hand, is still being negotiated, also in a secret process dominated by the giant multinational corporations.

The Big Leak

Now, back to the story. There has been a leak of parts of the TTIP (Atlantic). Once again we have to learn about our own government's positions from leaks instead of through transparent, democratic processes that would impose accountability. And once again we learn that our own government's positions are actually the positions of the giant multinational corporations and not at all in the interests of We the People, or of the citizens of the countries we are negotiating with.

Here is what the leak shows. Just as we saw happen with the TPP (Pacific), the big corporations are trying to use a "trade" deal to maneuver governments to sign something that gets governments out of their way. The TPP lets corporations around the Pacific bypass the rules and regulations of the governments that sign onto the agreement. It gives corporations the ability to move jobs and production to countries with extremely low wages and minimal worker and environmental protections, and it stops governments from having the ability to do anything about it.

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This leak shows that the U.S. government has entered into negotiations asking for the same thing with the Atlantic countries. TTIP limits their sovereign powers to regulate what the giant, multinational corporations do, to bring them under the jurisdiction of sovereign courts, to control their size and power, and to tax them and otherwise protect citizens from their profit-seeking actions. For example, the proposals would actually lower existing European governmental standards for things like food and drug safety, in favor of increasing the profits of giant American and other multinational corporations. It would end the European bans on animal testing, on a number of pesticides (even one that "chemically castrates male frogs"), on GMO contamination in foods, even the "precautionary principle" that requires pharmaceutical companies to prove drugs are safe before offering them to the public.

Some Coverage Explains More

The Guardian, in "Leaked TTIP documents cast doubt on EU-U.S. trade deal," explains "U.S. demands that would require the EU to break promises it has made on environmental protection." But what about the things these governments are telling their public?

The public document offers a robust defence of the EU's right to regulate and create a court-like system for disputes, unlike the internal note, which does not mention them. Jorgo Riss, the director of Greenpeace EU, said: "These leaked documents give us an unparalleled look at the scope of U.S. demands to lower or circumvent EU protections for environment and public health as part of TTIP. The EU position is very bad, and the U.S. position is terrible. The prospect of a TTIP compromising within that range is an awful one. The way is being cleared for a race to the bottom in environmental, consumer protection and public health standards." U.S. proposals include an obligation on the EU to inform its industries of any planned regulations in advance, and to allow them the same input into EU regulatory processes as European firms.

The New York Times, in "Greenpeace Leaks U.S.-E.U. Trade Deal Documents," explains,

The Sierra Club said the documents showed that the Americans were proposing to allow corporations to "petition" for the repeal of a regulation if it was "more burdensome than necessary to achieve its objective," given its impact on trade, and that the Europeans had proposed allowing certain environmental standards to be deemed "technical barriers to trade," which would, perhaps, weaken labels that require the climate footprint of a product or service to be disclosed. The group also warned that the text included trade rules that could be used against "buy local" programs that support local clean-energy jobs in nearly two dozen American states.

Corporations At Center Of Policymaking

According to Greenpeace's director, these proposals "would put corporations at the center of policymaking, to the detriment of environment and public health."

If these proposals are enacted the giant corporations will have power to, according to a statement from Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen, "block, slow, undermine and repeal European regulations. ... [T]he Regulatory Cooperation chapter poses a major threat to health, safety, environmental, labor, consumer, civil and political rights, and other regulatory protections. The U.S. proposals in the Regulatory Cooperation chapter seek to export many of the worst features of U.S. rule-making." The U.S. proposals are "proposals are affirmatively hostile to the precautionary principle."

This Shows It Is Time To Remake Our Trade Negotiating Process

This leak shows that it is time to completely reformat the way the U.S. initiates and negotiates trade deals. Instead of our current "captured", corporate-dominated process, rigged from the start to produce "trade" deals that only benefit the giant corporations, their executives and their Wall Street shareholders, we need a process that includes from the start all of the stakeholders in international trade. Consumer groups, labor groups, environmental groups, democracy groups, human rights groups and all other stakeholders must be represented in this process from the start. The process must also be transparent, so the public knows what is being negotiated in their name, from the start.

This is the only way we can come out of the process with actual trade deals that bring about actual, beneficial trade between countries that actually lifts all people on all sides of trade borders.

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Greenpeace's TTIP Leaks website has the leaked documents. Greenpeace also has a news release on the documents.
A view of a joint meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the Korean People's Army (KPA) Committee of the WPK in Pyongyang in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 4, 2016. REUTERS/KCNA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA

America's political silly season will rush toward a close with the two party conventions this summer, followed by the November presidential election. Both gatherings are likely to be lively. Indeed, Nixon political operative Roger Stone predicts riots if Donald Trump fails to win the GOP nod.

But both of these spectacles will fall short of the pageantry expected at the upcoming communist party congress in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. For the first time in 36 years, before current leader Kim Jong-un was born, the Korean Workers Party is gathering. North Koreans only recently finished a 70-day campaign to prepare for the grand event. In the DPRK appearances are everything.

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People didn't just spruce up government buildings and factories. Highway distance markers were painted and decorated with stones. The Korean Central News Agency helpfully includes "news" from the campaign. Along with the usual news of stupendous accomplishments at universities, steel factories, and waterways is a report on the "Pyongyang Potato Tissue Culture Factory." The KCNA also reports on "work miracles"

Although the masses reportedly are marching as one behind the "Young Marshall," the regime helpfully provides slogans as encouragement. When I visited years ago there were slogans in buildings, on buildings, over streets, on billboards, and more. One of the latest slogans, reported Anna Fifield of the Washington Post, is "Let us all become honorary victors in the '70-day campaign' of loyalty." Turn your life over to others and feel good about yourself!

Of course, the regime isn't quite so crass. It says the campaign is to "defend the leadership authority" of the KWP and resist the "U.S. imperialists." That is why more than 23 million people are being held in impoverished bondage. But then, at least Kim Jong-un has emphasized economic development; his father, "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il, pushed a "military-first" policy.

The question for the U.S. is why the congress? It is only the seventh in the DPRK's 68-year-history. The last one was held in October 1980, almost 36 years ago.

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At the latter "Great Leader" Kim Il-sung inaugurated a system of monarchical communism when he announced that his son would succeed him. The more than 3000 delegates also affirmed Kim's philosophy of "Juche," or self-reliance.

In succeeding years the party seemed to lose relevance. Kim instituted the rule of one, eventually augmented by the rise of Kim Jong-il. After the latter took over he shifted power toward the military and away from the KWP. A party congress would have been almost superfluous.

No longer, however. Which is the most likely explanation for the new gathering. No doubt, the congress will be used to highlight the regime's continuing military developments. Doing so at the KWP meeting will share prestige with the ruling party and emphasize its dominance over the military.

Since Kim Jong-un took over after his father's death in December 2011, Kim fils has been reshaping Pyongyang's power structure. He turfed out most of the top officials appointed by and loyal to his father. He ruthlessly eliminated any challenge to his power: some 400 officials have been executed, including his uncle, once the regime number two, the defense minister, and others of high rank. Moreover, Kim moved decision-making back to the KWP.

The party congress will emphatically reestablish the authority of the party, with Kim at the helm. The gathering also will solidify the rise of Kim's new generation of officials. Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies said the objective was "the solidarity of its regime."

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Although he looks secure from challenge, his promiscuous resort to execution suggests he feels otherwise. Indeed, Kim's rule might need bolstering. Last month his regime suffered embarrassment from a raft of defections. A high-ranking intelligence officer fled to the ROK. So did 13 workers from a restaurant in North Korea.

Employees who work overseas are chosen for their reliability and know their families will suffer if they flee. The group may have felt extra pressure to send home remittances to support the 70-day campaign amid declining demand (Seoul urged its citizens to boycott North Korean eateries). Notably, the Chinese government abandoned precedent and did not hinder the defectors' departure.

Moreover, Kim may use the congress to ratify his more reformist economic policies. The younger Kim appears committed to economic development, whether to improve the lot of his people or strengthen the nation which he rules. The changes are dramatic enough--a proliferation of markets--as to require a more formal framework. Kim likely will use the congress to formalize his new economic initiatives. Ruediger Frank of the University of Vienna observed: "all major reforms of state socialism--be it in China under Deng Xiaoping, the Soviet Union under Gorbachev or Vietnam under the slogan of doi moi--have been announced at such regular party congresses or related events."

A more robust and systematic program of economic reform may be the best hope for the North. Such a strategy obviously offers the greatest opportunity for the nation to escape from immiserating poverty. Economic reform also creates the possibility of political liberalization. China has demonstrated that moving toward markets does not automatically deliver democracy. But the PRC today is far freer in every way than during the rule of Mao Zedong.

Perhaps a more secure Kim Jong-un would be willing to similarly relax political as well as economic controls. Since nothing else yet has worked, Washington should greet the congress by expressing a willingness to talk to Pyongyang, and not only about nuclear weapons, which almost is certainly a dead-end with the Kim dynasty. With war the worst of all possibilities and sanctions able to hurt but not transform, the U.S. needs to explore other options.

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There are many misconceptions about African history and nowhere is this more true than the topic of the slave trade. Very often I see comments by people who argue that Africans sold each other into slavery. There is some element of truth to this, but to speak of the slave trade solely as Africans selling each other t is a gross oversimplification of what was a complex historical event. This also seems to be an attempt to shift the burden of the slave trade on the victims of that very trade. In How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Walter Rodney mentions how the white author of a book on the slave trade admitted that he was encouraged by other scholars to blame the slave trade solely on the Africans. This narrative helps to lessen European guilt by making Africans seem just as or even more guilty of being involved in the slave trade. This piece is not an attempt to ignore the African role in the slave trade or to absolve those that were involved, but to to provide a more complete picture of the African involvement in slave trade.

In the first place, the Portuguese initiated what eventually became the Trans-Atlantic slave trade mainly through slave raids along the coasts of Africa. The first of these raids came in 1444 and was led by Lancarote de Freitas. The problem with raiding for slaves was that it was extremely dangerous. For instance, the slave trader Nuno Tristao was killed during an ambush. Slave raiding proved to be an extremely dangerous way to obtain slaves, but buying slaves was much safer and took less effort on the part of the Europeans. Therefore, the first phase of the slave trade began not with a trade, but with a series of raids. This point is especially important because although the slave trade was on some levels based on a partnership between European buyers and African traders, the slave trade did not begin as such.

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Moreover, the partnership between the traders and buyers was an uneasy one. The European slave traders often betrayed those who supplied them with slaves. A famous case of this was the African slave trader Daaga who was tricked and captured by slave traders. He was taken to Trinidad where he would eventually lead a mutiny. Another example is given by Anne Bailey in her book African Voices in the Atlantic Slave Trade. She mentions the story of Chief Ndorkutsu who had been providing captives to the European traders. Eventually some of the Ndorkutsu's own relatives were tricked into boarding a slave ship and then taken as slaves to Cuba. In some cases, such as that of Madam Tinubu in Nigeria and Afonso of the Kongo Kingdom, those Africans that initially gave African captives to the Europeans came to resist the slave trade. Tinubu had a change of heart when she realized how inhumanely the slaves were treated. Afonso was almost assassinated by the Portuguese after he demanded an end to the slave trade in his kingdom.

Typically wars in West Africa were relatively short affairs that left a small number of causalities. The introduction of European weapons made these wars more drawn out and destructive affairs. Moreover, the only way Africans could acquire these firearms was through the trade of slaves. A king of Dahomey once requested that Europeans establish a firearms factory in his nation, but this request went ignored. Firearms became necessary for African nations to defend themselves both from African rivals as well as from European intrusion, but the only way to acquire these weapons was through the slave trade. This situation only benefited the competing European powers that were able to play Africans against each other.

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Finally, the slave trade left a negative legacy on both sides of the Atlantic. The Africans that were brought to the Americas were forced to labor as slaves, while enduring some of the most inhumane treatment imaginable. Those who remained, however, were left to mourn the lost of their friends and relatives that were taken away. A handful of African traders and rulers may have gained some wealth from the slave trade, but overall it was a very negative event for Africa. There were African kingdoms, such as the Kongo Kingdom, that eventually fell due to the onslaught brought about by the slave trade. We often think of the negative impact that the slave trade had on those who were captured, but the slave trade was also devastating for those who escaped being captured as well.

Some Africans did play a role in the slave trade and the trade could not have been as large as it was without cooperation from Africans. With that being said, I think many people who have not properly studied the slave trade have a tendency to overstate how involved Africans were in a misguided attempt to shift the blame of the slave trade on Africans.

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We are a society committed to the principle of equal justice under the law and our system is based on the principle that the punishment should fit the crime. When a person completes a prison sentence they are said to have paid their debt to society. When a person is arrested but not charged, they owe society no debt. Yet in both cases, their punishment is usually far from over.

Last week was designated the first-ever National Reentry Week by the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), an effort to call attention to the need to address the numerous barriers facing people with a criminal record. Central to this initiative should be a recognition of the need for adequate resourcing of organizations that provide free or low-cost legal representation intended to give people a meaningful second chance within a system that often sets them up to fail.

As the USDOJ notes, more than 600,000 individuals are released from federal and state prisons every year. Almost one in four Americans encounter the criminal justice system and most of that is for minor, non-violent offenses. But it is well-known that any criminal record will likely result in rejection for job applicants (a penalty that is experienced to a highly unequal degree along racial lines), and is an immediate disqualifier for many professional licenses.

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With no job or income, people often need the assistance of government programs just to survive, such as access to public or subsidized housing, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that prevents families from going hungry. But a criminal record can block those, too - the person most excluded from opportunity is also barred from anti-poverty programs, relegated to a life on the fringes of society. This is often true even for people whose offenses occurred many years earlier.

Not only is this unfair, but these conditions are among the strongest predictors of recidivism, which is far more likely within the first year after a prisoner's release. Investing in successful reentry makes our communities safer, and helping people get their lives on track quickly is crucial, but this opportunity is missed when insufficient resources mean that legal aid is unavailable to at least half of eligible people that seek help. Legal services can help mitigate a criminal record and secure access to programs that open the door to a second chance, just as they did for Henry.

When Henry first walked into the Clean Slate Program at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) in California, he faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles as a result of his criminal record. Six months later he had started a job with a city agency, and he has since gained a professional license and become a homeowner.

The program assists in records expungement (in some circumstances criminal records can be removed from public access), and provides representation in claims of unfair denial of access to public assistance and employment opportunities. This offered Henry a lifeline that allowed him to break the familiar cycle of poverty and crime.

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This example demonstrates the power of advocates for civil justice, but criminal court-based remedies are often just as crucial. The Clean Slate Program collaborates with the Alameda County Public Defender to provide comprehensive "holistic" representation, increasing both the scope of services available to individuals and the overall number of people both offices can serve. The public defender works on strategies such as early termination of probation, reduction of felonies to misdemeanors, and expungement, while the civil program advises and represents these same clients, like Henry.

Dedicated investment in collaborative partnerships that leverage resources and expertise is necessary if our country is serious about making "second chances" a meaningful reality. Melissa Ader, an Equal Justice Works Fellow, is working at The Legal Aid Society in NYC to provide direct representation and community education to low-income New Yorkers with criminal records thanks to support from AIG and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Bay Area Legal Aid, also based in California, has strong links with community organizations and government entities, including employment development programs, transitional housing providers, county probation, and mental health services and substance abuse treatment programs.

These relationships were critical in helping Nick, an autistic client, appeal a denial of permanent low-income housing. Nick lacked the coping skills to handle numerous individuals who had taken advantage of him by squatting in his home and he physically attacked one of them. Working with his case manager and public defender, BayLegal was able to draw on the relevant facts from his underlying criminal case, as well as his substantial mental health history, and successfully advocate for his admission into subsidized housing.

Just as crucial as providing access to justice for someone like Nick are efforts to change the laws and policies that perpetuate unfair disadvantages. Impact litigation and education efforts can challenge under-enforcement of protections and discrimination based on criminal records that may be illegal. Limited resources can impede a legal services program's capacity to educate policymakers and highlight the consequences of damaging policies, which is unfortunate, as education is often a highly effective strategy for providing stability and opportunity to vast numbers of people at once.

In Louisiana, a state that incarcerates more of its residents than anywhere else in the world, systemic change is a vital method for providing justice to a reentering population that far outstrips the supply of legal services. Just last month, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) proved how invaluable these efforts are by helping to convince the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) to lift its ban on providing assistance for affordable housing to low-income people with criminal records.

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Federal agencies are starting to recognize the impact legal services can make - this week the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded HANO and SLLS a Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program grant to support successful reentry for youth living in public housing, or who would be living in public housing but for their juvenile or criminal record. This is one of many laudable efforts, but we must go much further. At a minimum, federal funding for the Legal Services Corporation must be protected when the House of Representatives considers appropriations bills next month. Rectifying the funding crisis in public defense would allow more programs to dedicate time and resources to laying the foundations for a client's successful reentry. Federal entities must continue to lead by example, by following policies that look past an individual's criminal record, and asking others to do the same.

Giving someone a fair shot to rebuild their life after justice has been served is a fundamental American value. Moreover, policies and practices that make it possible for a person to contribute positively to society promote healthier communities and improve public safety.
Picture yourself in a store. The store has racks and racks of clothes. Not only are the racks close together, but also the clothes are tightly packed on the racks. There are literally thousands of items to select from.

Ok, now picture yourself in a second store. This store also sells clothing, but there are far fewer White Space in Businessracks. The racks are surprisingly far apart. Each rack holds only a few items and there is actually a generous amount of space between each item. (Ok, if you can't picture it in your mind, go ahead and look at the picture.)

If you crack your wallet at both of the stores, which one do you think will leave your wallet lighter? You aren't simple, so you know where I'm going with this. The second store is likely to be far more expensive and you will likely spend much more money there.

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It is odd when you think about it. There are so many more options in the first store! You will find a myriad of choices that fit you and look good! Shouldn't it be the case that you spend more money at the place with more options?

Nope. Meet the luxury effect.

This month, we continue delving into psychological tips and tricks for making your website better exploring the luxury effect (or how to use negative space to charge more.)

Ok first, what is negative space?



Negative space (sometimes called white space) is the space in between elements on a website. It is the online version of the space between the racks or the number of shirts on each rack. Believe it or not, it is the space that draws the eye to specific products.

Take a look at two websites, Arngren and Tiffany. One clearly does not embrace the idea of Luxury and White Space in Businessnegative space, the other clearly does. Does one feel more luxurious to you? Um, yeah. That is how the luxury effect translates online.

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Now, how can you use this principle to improve your website?



Comfort + Relevance = Focus

Ever had difficulty focusing in a cluttered or crowded space? That's because aside from creating a perception of sophistication and elegance, negative space also provides us with a sense of psychological relief and comfort. And when we feel at ease, it's easier to focus. But when we're browsing websites, we are also laser-focused on finding information that's relevant to us. So how do you grab your users' attention?

Think about the images on your website. Do they project a feeling of freedom and comfort? Avoid cramming images together like photos in a collage. Instead leave plenty of space around images. One designer suggests imagining putting a crowded webpage on a balloon and blowing it up to create healthy gaps between elements.

Are your images inadvertently blocking users from seeing your content? Also, keep in mind that users instinctively avoid looking at any images or graphics they take to be irrelevant. This means that stock photos are attention killers (yet another reason I hate stock photography) because most people assume images of models or generic pictures are advertisements so their eyes jump right over them. If you have these kinds of 'place-holding' images near important content, you risk users missing exactly what you want them to pay attention to.

Rephrase + Reformat = Remember



What if I told you, you could get users to remember about 34% more, while spending half as much time engaging with your content? Sounds pretty good, right? That's exactly what one eye-tracking study showed. Simply presenting text using

bullet points,

subheadings,

paragraph breaks,

and tight copy

allows users to quickly scan for information they can use. Also, research comparing reading performance using four different white space layouts showed that margins and leading (space between lines) influenced both comprehension and user preference. So rephrase and reformat any big blocks of text on your website.

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Bonus round: Consider basic typography



A subtler element of negative space that is easily overlooked has to do with font style and size. Just as margins around blocks of text and the space between lines can make websites easier to read and comprehend, space between letters makes a difference too. Of course, you don't need to go to design school and learn about serifs and calligraphy in order to consider basic elements of typography. Here are some simple tips to keep in mind (for additional info, look here):

Keep the number of different fonts to a minimum. Using multiple fonts decreases readability.

Make sure your text scales well (to test your site, simply zoom in and out on your browser).

Consider the weight of the fonts you use. A font's weight is how thick it is. Change weight to highlight important ideas like headlines.

So what?



Now that we've established that when it comes to getting website users to focus and remember, negative space is nearly as important as content, so what? What's the bottom line? Well, just think about what your website does for your business. Your website presents your brand to the world, controls your company's public image, and wins over more customers (even while you're asleep). In other words, websites are all about creating the right perception for your audience.

Here's the bottom line: Create the perception of luxury, comfort, and value and you'll be able to charge for luxury, comfort, and value (and if you don't believe me, just consider the most recent earnings report showing Tiffany & Co's stock grew 92% over the past year!).

There's simply no denying the power of the luxury effect.
I love the natural world and dislike what people have been doing to it for money: ripping it apart for gold, silver, other metals, coal, natural gas and oil, especially oil.

This process of extraction and plundering of the natural world for "resources" is not new. Pliny the Elder, Gaius Plinius Secundus, a Roman military official and scholar of the first century of our era, denounced the destruction of the Earth for metals, especially iron. In book 33 of his "Natural History," he describes the greed and "sheer recklessness" of mining for iron that warfare made more precious than gold.

Pliny wondered of the long-term effects of mining, including the corruption of the miners. He wished people relied only on what the Earth provided on its surface, ending their searches for riches "deep within the bowels of the Earth."

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Pliny was prescient. Humans, however, keep digging for easy money. Such excavations made the coal, petroleum, and natural gas industries the giants they have become. After all, the fossil fuel industrialists are selling stuff they never made. They simply grab oil, coal, and natural gas from deep within the bowels of the Earth.

The "owners" of fossil fuels hire workers for the dangerous and dehumanizing mining, but reap the large profits. They also poison the water, air and land, knowing the neighboring communities will suffer the deleterious consequences of their work.

The injured natural world, water and wildlife, are voiceless.

Meanwhile, the owners of the extracted fossil fuels think, first, they deserve the wealth and, second, they are above the law.

That's why pipelines come into the picture. They are the means by which oil, for example, moves hundreds of miles from the point of discovery to refineries and consumers.

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Rarely a pipeline has been as controversial as the Keystone XL pipeline designed to transport 830,000 barrels of oil per day from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas.

This pipeline became symbol of the dangerous hubris of the fossil fuels industry. It seemed the owners of the Keystone XL pipeline -- exactly like the owners of petroleum, coal, and natural gas -- care less about global warming. Indeed, most of them deny its existence.

Nevertheless, they know they have been primarily responsible for this cosmic calamity, but they are persistent in their denials and irresponsibility.

This insult to science and environmental and human wellbeing is causing anxieties, not among the purchased politicians but among most atmospheric experts and environmentalists.

A startling reaction to the proposed crossing of the Great Plains by the XL pipeline was the decision by a young man, Ken Ilgunas, to hitchhike and walk across the "heartland." In September 2012, three years before Obama rejected the Canadian pipeline, Ilgunas hitchhiked 1,500 miles from Denver to Alberta. He stayed enough at Fort McMurray and the vast hellish fields of tar sands of Alberta that he convinced himself the Keystone pipeline was a bad idea. He then mostly hiked 1,700 miles from Alberta to Texas.

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The result of this heroic if insane trek was Ilgunas writing a timely and riveting book, "Trespassing Across America" (Blue Rider Press, April 2016).

The book mirrors its young author: impulsive, tenacious, reflective and, amazingly, cautious.

Ilgunas is overwhelmed that oil is in so many things, including his shoes and food. He says we should acknowledge that "oil is a big part of our lives, but let's not forget that oil and oil's fossil-fuel cousins are creating some rather massive problems... some nuanced criticism of the fuel seems warranted."

Indeed, nuanced criticism runs through the entire book. Ilgunas, thirty-two years old, sees things almost for the first time. He grew up near the toxic waste dump town of Love Canal, New York. Yet, that upbringing did not suffice to alert him of the depths of corruption behind the XL pipeline and oil. He failed to ask why oil became so pervasive in America and why the government stays clear of pipelines and fossil fuels. Oil was not inevitable. Humans did pretty well without petroleum for millennia.

Ilgunas is honest, angry and naive. He is disoriented with the hot future coming his way. He does not know what to do or what he could or would do to slow down global warming. Obama's turning down the pipeline in November 2015 was no more than a blip, a "small victory," in a protracted future war. This meant a future "with far fewer fossil fuels."

I like the book because it's well written. It's also revealing of the state of mind the fossil fuels industry has created among Americans.

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A computer expert that gave Ilgunas a ride to Fort McMarray summarized the alienation of oil workers from the natural world.

"The workers don't give a rat's ass about the environment... If you start talking to people out here about the environment, they'll punch you... They're here to make money."

Ilgunas also met plenty of people in the Great Plains who had contempt for environmentalists and the natural world. They kept telling him he might get shot because he was "trespassing" their land. This offended Ilgunas, but he garbled his answers as not to antagonize them. Not only that, but he found most people unwilling or incapable of having an honest conversation about global warming and the pipeline. What he heard, instead, were political slogans people remembered from watching Fox TV or listening to pro-oil radio.

The very idea of trekking across America, learning what Americans think about the environment, oil, the Canadian pipeline, and global warming, almost collapsed.


What do Ada Ushpiz's Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt andTerence Malick's Knight of Cups, have in common. It would seem nothing. The former is a documentary about one of the greatest and most controversial thinkers of the 20th Century and the latter is a fiction about an alienated Hollywood screenwriter, Rick, played by Christian Bale. First of all these two unlikely bed fellows both have trouble coming to a timely end and both deal with thinkers. The Ushpiz film, a tiresome attempt to unify a plethora of disjointed material around no theme in particular, repeats the leitmotif of Hannah Arendt thinking with a cigarette in her hand (Arendt was apparently a giant in smoking as well as philosophy, a fact that is also underscored in Margarethe von Trotta's Hannah Arendt in which Barbara Sukowa playing Arendt is constantly puffing away). Rick, like Arendt, is frequently looking out meditatively during the Malick film, but the comparison ends there since what goes on in Rick's head, in contrast to Arendt's well thought out pronunciamentos, can only be called stinking thinking. Do all screen writers walk around Malibu engaging in interior monologues which can be neatly translated into voice overs? Are all seeking to be awakened from an existential sleep and do all of them intermittently find themselves waking up in the middle of conversations that sound like lousy adaptations of Oedipus, Cain and Abel and Macbeth? Do they all look like they have seen Fellini's 8  and Stanley Kubrick's Eye's Wide Shut one too many times and do all their girl friends and especially the one played by Cate Blanchett (Nancy) also look out vacantly as Monica Vitti did in L'avventura after her friend disappeared? Do all Hollywood screenwriters wander around the lots of film studios when they're not attending fashion shoots populated by half naked models? Undoubtedly there are lots of people who have been adversely molded by the unreality of the film industry, but surely not even the most jaded script writer thinks thoughts like the ones that Malick puts into his main character's head. "I dreamt that we were caught in a huge tall wave that engulfed the city," is an example.Yes it's understood that the movie is about a brooding filmic sensibility who, when he isn't staring out at the sea, is wandering amongst rock formations in the desert and who on more than one occasion finds himself staring at a craggy road. But get out! Even by Hollywood standards, this is errant nonsense of the highest order.
I'm Fred Raillard, CEO, Co-founder and Creative Chief Officer of FRED & FARID, a social, content, tech solutions for brands company based in Paris, Shanghai, Beijing and New York. In partnership with FRED & FARID, BFM Business launches #FredinChina, a social media podcast in "Chine Hebdo", the weekly radio broadcast of Mathieu Jolivet. #FredinChina is essential to know and understand the world's largest economy.

I fell in love with China, and live in Shanghai with my wife and sons since September 2012. With my teams at the FRED & FARID Shanghai agency we monitor, analyze and decrypt this ultra-connected China with nearly 800 million netizens by sharing what we see, hear and read on Weibo, WeChat, Huaban, Youku. I prepare this column with Jing Qian from FRED & FARID Shanghai.

Click here to listen to all the podcasts.

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China keeps pushing the boundaries of the digital business

This week's HotTopic is about an auction for a pre-roll on a video. You may remember we talked about this influencer called Papi Jiang who is this really talented KOL who produces funny videos based on Chinese insights. She posts these videos on video platforms in China. Her average views on each video are about 7 million views without any push.

Now, in a way, she was bought by another KOL for 12 million RMB. So she now works for him, and he tries to sell her to brands. This time there was an auction to be the first brand to do the pre-roll of one of her videos. The whole of China looked at this, curious to find out what brand would win! The auction started at 270,000RMB, and ended up at 22 million RMB! The winner was Lily & Beauty, a skin care distributor in China. All of China looked at that, as it was very symbolic of this period called, 'The net idol'.

Durex launches the weirdest PR event ever

This week's HotBrand is Durex, the condom maker, that organized a really strange event. Durex is famous in China for doing 'hijacks' on trending topics and producing strong pop culture on the Internet.

This time they organized a 3-hour event on April 26th, where they gathered 50 couples in a gigantic room. 50 males and 50 females were in this room with 50 beds, dressed in pajamas. This was all very ambiguous, and the whole of China was watching waiting to see what was going to unfold. The whole event was promoting a new condom called the 'Air' condom, which is a super thin condom.

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But nothing happened! At some point during the event they just gave a banana to the women, and an apple to all the men. The couples just started eating the fruits and then just went to bed at around 10.30. Then, a sort of explosion took place in the air, and the smoke symbolized what happens when you actually use a condom. You can discover these curious images on fredinchina.com.

A WordArt-styled billboard for China's Aerospace Corporation becomes a meme on social media

This week's HotPost is about China's Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation. It all sounds very serious, but they released an auto-promotion outdoor billboard, which they also posted on social media. It turned out to be an absolute disaster! It was a ridiculously kitsch in-house production featuring planes. You have to see this on fredinchina.com, as the whole of China laughed about it. It just seems crazy that they did not realize how cheap their advertisement looked. It's almost as if it was done using Word 2003 and not even Photoshop.

Now the Chinese can be really ironic, and there were tons and tons of jokes about the ad's designer who produced this. This generated an awful lot of UGC (user generated content) because a lot of people tried to help these poor guys by producing better posters. As you can guess, it was very hard to find one as bad as the original!


(c) Honigmond Hotel

Berlin has it all: incredible museums, a legendary nightlife scene, and great restaurants, and it's a city that's constantly evolving. Accommodation options range from traditional to funky to five-star; here, The Good Hotel Guide picks out five stylish options from their collection of hotels in Berlin.

1. Circus



(c) Circus

Three buildings make up Circus, on the edge of the Mitte district, and house a hotel, a hostel and apartments. The hotel offers great value, with gorgeous contemporary rooms, and breakfast is conveniently served in the room or in the downstairs restaurant until 1pm. There's also a roof terrace and a restaurant serving modern German cuisine and craft beer.

2. Art'otel Berlin Mitte



(c) Art'otel Berlin Mitte

Also in the Mitte district, next to the River Spree, the funky art'otel Berlin Mitte offers minimalist rooms decorated with works by local artist Georg Baselitz. Perks include Nespresso machines and Elemis toiletries in the bathrooms, and upgraded rooms offer more space and balconies. As well as a chic restaurant and bar, the hotel has a very good room service menu.

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3. Bleibtreu



(c) Bleibtreu

Set in an old townhouse in the Charlottenburg district, Bleibtreu Berlin was renovated along eco-friendly principles and the rooms, accessible via a glass lift, are beautifully appointed in soothing neutral shades. The hotel can arrange alternative therapy treatments, and there's an on-site herbal steam bath.

4. Nikolai Residence



(c) Nikolai Residence

Nikolai Residence is set in the oldest residential area of Berlin, Nikolai, in the Mitte district. The rooms feature a selection of contemporary works from German artist Elvira Bach and photographer Wolfgang Bruckner, and are tastefully decorated in neutrals, purples and greys.

5. Honigmond Hotel



(c) Honigmond Hotel

For those after something more ornate, Honigmond Hotel, set in a former tenement house dating from 1895, is elegantly colonial in style, with antique furniture, polished wood floors, patterned wallpaper and replica oil paintings. The rooms look out either onto an interior courtyard or the street, and there are also a number of one and two bedroom apartments with kitchens. Breakfast is a lavish continental affair.
For GQ by Matt Sebra.



2016 Getty Images

If there's one big time, celeb-stacked event that never disappoints--sartorially speaking--it's the Met Ball. Or, as it should properly be referred to this year, "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology' Costume Institute Gala." Each annual gathering of the world's most famous and well-dressed beautiful people offers up a spectrum of steez, looks that go down in the record books or just down with a heavy dose of Twitter memes. And with this year's dress code specifying "tech white tie," there was a lot that could have gone wrong. For some guys, it did (looking at you Tyga), but for these eleven guys, it was the ideal opportunity to just look real damn good.

Nick Jonas in Topman (above)

A little rock 'n' roll (no buttons, ma!) and a lot elegant, Jonas's Topman kit stood out in a sea of penguin suits.

Idris Elba in Tom Ford



2016 John Shearer

Somebody get this man a Bond movie. One of the evening's co-chairs did right by the white tie dress code and even proved that yes, you can wear an Apple watch with the most formal fit in menswear.

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Rami Malek in Dior Homme



2016 Getty Images

Malek and Dior Homme continue their so-far successful partnership. A bold tux like this could look like a bad prom rental in less capable hands, but Malek knows to let the suit do the talking and keep the underpinnings plain.

Jaden Smith in Louis Vuitton



Film Magic

At this point, we're not sure there's a piece of clothing out there that Smith can't pull off.

Miles Teller in Valentino and Christian Louboutin



Film Magic

Teller just nails modern black tie here with a midnight blue dinner jacket that fits perfectly, like every other piece in his look.

Trevor Noah in Ermenegildo Zegna Made-to-Measure



2016 Getty Images

This is a man who dresses like the guy we want to get our news from--even if it's fake. Noah's Zegna look is formal without coming off stuffy, a.k.a. exactly what a man his age going to a big event like this should be wearing.

Read More: The 10 Best Dressed Male Celebs of the Week

Kanye West in Balmain



2016 John Shearer

Love it or hate it, there's no denying that West owned the Met Ball red carpet in his ultra luxe Canadian tux.

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Orlando Bloom in Prada



2016 John Shearer

We don't see burgundy a lot at black tie events, but Bloom proved that it definitely belongs there.

Wiz Khalifa in Rag & Bone



2016 Getty Images

Milk, it does a body good. This creamy Rag & Bone tux is just the kind of thing we would hope a style-minded guy like Khalifa would opt for on his first trip up the Met Ball stairs.

Nas in Public School



2016 Getty Images

If the Coming to America comparisons on Twitter prove anything, it's that yea, Nas looked downright regal in his Public School tux.

Colin Farrell in Dolce & Gabbana



2016 Kevin Mazur

This is unimpeachable black tie if we've ever seen it. Should Farrell's name be thrown into the Bond ring, too?
What does billionaire Warren Buffett have in common with Vanilla Ice, the 90s rapper made famous with his hit, "Ice, Ice Baby"?

You give up? Well, as a matter of fact they have a great deal in common. One, a child of the Great Depression who is now worth well over $66 billion, the other, a former rap star of the 1990's who is worth more than $18 million.

I'm the first to agree, at first glance, neither have anything in common. One's a businessman, the other an entertainer. However, they both share a common core investment strategy that's helped them make a fortune. They know that investing in real estate is one of the best ways to build long-term wealth, as do 90 percent of all millionaires.

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As Scottish businessman, Andrew Carnegie once said, "More money has been made in real estate than in all industrial investments combined. The wise young man or wage earner of today invests his money in real estate."

Buffett and Vanilla Ice are both aware that real estate is one of the assets that has historically outperformed all other assets, including stocks and bonds over time.

Vanilla Ice flipped his first property long before gaining fame as a rapper. He'd start with small properties needing renovation, which he did himself. One of his most profitable investments involved a house bought in Lake Worth, Texas for around $630,000 in 2013. It's now estimated to be worth more than $1 million.

Reportedly, he's even dabbled in commercial real estate, which has done well for him. And they both also understand that timing is essential, as I've often pointed out.

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Vanilla Ice would buy distressed properties in foreclosure and tax auctions, for example. He was known to buy property in hard hit Florida housing markets, noting on CNBC, "A lot of the areas that got hit hard during the housing downturn are some of the first areas to come back out of it because they were desirable then and they're desirable now."

He was also well aware that the location and quality of a building is a bit more appealing when close to amenities and transportation, noting, "People are moving where they can be closer to airports, restaurants, and shopping."

We have to remember these factors will typically increase property desirability and appeal to investors. The more desirable the location and the amenities, the more attractive the property becomes. For example, in major cities, the farther the property is from mass transit, the less valuable it becomes. It may sound like common sense, but the property's distance from transportation, retailers, and amenities is a key factor in determining fair value and price.

Both entrepreneurs also understand that timing is more important than the price. This 'rule' was something Warren Buffett noted in his 2014 shareholder letter when he said, "The when is important."

Buffett bought undervalued property and waited for the returns.

Both are also well aware of the monetary rewards of real estate appreciation, cash flow potential, leverage and the benefits of depreciation. For years their strategy has been to buy undervalued properties with the intention of holding a property not fully recognized by the market.

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While a 1990's rapper and a billionaire may not have much in common on the surface, these two bigger than life personalities share the same investment principals of other very wealthy investors.
By Mark Heynen, CBO of PayJoy

Back in Guatemala, Juan Alvarado* would never have been able to afford a Galaxy S6.

Few vendors near his rural hometown sold upscale phones, the 19-year-old California resident said. Those that did made the customer pay the full price for the phone up front. A Galaxy S6 in Juan's hometown would have cost him 6,000-7,000 quetzales (US$788-919)--a huge sum in a country where gross national income (GNI) is only US$3,410 per year.

What's more surprising, though, is that when he lived in Guatemala, Alvarado didn't even own a simple flip phone. Why bother? Most people back home, he said, didn't have phones either.

As the mobile sector continues to contract, the question of how companies can reach customers like Alvarado's Guatemalan neighbors becomes more pressing. Most new smartphone users in the next five years will come from emerging markets. For example, an estimated 75% of new mobile subscriptions in the first quarter of 2015 came from the Asia-Pacific region and Africa.

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Yet customers in these markets don't have the resources to buy what Sony, Apple, and other big smartphone manufacturers are selling. And the alternatives don't really measure up, whatever Silicon Valley tech evangelists may say.

It is true that prices are dropping, especially in emerging markets, due to an influx of cheap Android smartphones from Chinese manufacturers. But a $30 smartphone, like many feature phones, provides a very limited internet experience--which those aforementioned evangelists would know, if only they'd put down their iPhone 6s to try one. I did, when I was a program manager at Facebook working to expand penetration of its mobile app into emerging markets. And I discovered a shocking fact: on cheap smartphones the Facebook app, which is popular even among rural farmers in Myanmar, barely works at all.

The irony is that even if Facebook's many Internet.org connectivity initiatives succeed, it won't get many people access to Facebook--unless they get access to better devices, too.

It's a first-world problem, too

Hurdles to mobile access exist even in developed countries. In the US, lower income customers tend to buy no-contract prepaid phones; this option denies them access to the carrier subsidies that cheapen devices for buyers who can afford to commit to two-year contracts. Instead, lower income customers have to pay the full price of the device up front--a consideration that pushes them towards cheaper devices that don't offer a full experience.

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"It's a huge struggle for our customers," said Alex Reyes, whose company owns 10 prepaid phone stores in California. And that struggle can have a dramatic impact on citizens' ability to access the internet. About one in 10 Americans have no high-speed internet access beyond their phone's data plan.

Many vendors and carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, and Apple, offer some form of installment plan, but they're only accessible to customers with strong credit. Customers like Reyes', who don't have credit histories, are all too often left in the cold.

Alvarado in this case was lucky. In California, he was able to pay for a Galaxy S6 with an installment plan despite his lack of credit history. Now he has full access to apps like Snapchat, Facebook, and WhatsApp, which he uses to keep in touch with friends and family from home.

Devices, not data, are the answer

Conversations about widening internet access for the underprivileged tend to focus on the cost of data, not devices. For instance, Facebook's controversial Free Basics service, which lets smartphone users access "essential" websites without data charges (or adequate privacy protections, according to many critics), has a stated aim of bringing more people online. The reasoning seems to be that if data is cheap, the devices to access it will follow.

But in most of the world, as noted by many, the cost of devices is the problem.

About three-quarters of the world's offline population is low-income, rural, and elderly. For these people, smartphones are as far out of reach as other necessities of modern life. That's particularly true of the more expensive devices needed to take full advantage of the internet in 2016. Companies need to innovate less around expanding networks and more around getting adequate devices into the hands of those who need them, whether through widening access to installment plans and carrier subsidies or through other, as yet undiscovered means.

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What those who take the internet for granted don't appreciate is that for those in developing countries, smartphones can be a gateway to economic empowerment. They help vendors streamline their retail businesses with mobile payment systems and farmers to research the best fertilizers and crops for their climate. They can also help the unbanked establish their creditworthiness and gain access to loans. And then there are the priceless intangibles, like helping immigrants like Juan keep in touch with their families back home.

If we can smooth the road for the next one billion, it will pay enormous dividends to the global community as a whole.

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.

With contribution by Jill Merriman of Hippo Reads.


A new study poses an intriguing question: Does gum disease accelerate cognitive decline in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease? The answer may be found in inflammation.

Aging affects our immune system, and inflammation is a normal part of the body's immune response to infection or injury. Previous studies have shown that the inflammation response increases as we age. Inflammation is now linked to a number of diseases more common in people over age 65, including atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis and Alzheimer's.

In a recent study, Professor Clive Holmes of the University of Southampton (UK), along with colleagues from King's College London, conducted cognitive assessments of 60 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. They examined patients' dental health and took blood samples to measure inflammatory markers. They retested everyone in six months, and found that patients with gum disease had a six-fold rate of cognitive decline, along with an increase in systemic inflammation.

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Professor Holmes previously showed that the degree of systemic inflammation, as measured by an inflammatory molecule in the blood called TNF-alpha, correlated with the pace of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease. Indeed, many of the people who did not have elevated TNF-alpha in their blood did not decline at all during the study.

In fact, we have known that inflammation is involved in the progression of Alzheimer's for many years, so why don't we have drugs to stop it? In the early 2000s, studies showed that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen were able to reduce neuroinflammation and the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in mice. At around the same time, analyses of health patterns in humans showed a correlation between taking NSAIDs and a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's. Based on these findings, researchers initiated clinical trials for Alzheimer's with various NSAIDs and other drugs known to reduce inflammation, including corticosteroids. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) funded the "ADAPT" study, involving 2,400 volunteer participants given naproxen, ibuprofen or a placebo. In all, 16 clinical trials of drugs targeting inflammation to treat Alzheimer's were undertaken.

Despite the hope that we had found a way to halt or slow Alzheimer's disease by targeting brain inflammation, all 16 trials failed, and some even showed negative effects. By 2004, the NIA announced that it suspended the use of the two NSAIDs in its study due to safety concerns.

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After these dismal results, many in the Alzheimer's research community focused their efforts on other drug targets. In hindsight, perhaps the drugs tested in the trials weren't the right ones--maybe they did not get into patients' brains and affect the right inflammatory processes or maybe the trials weren't done correctly. Research has shown that special cells called microglia are the primary culprits in neuroinflammation (brain inflammation). Microglia are brain cells that play a number of helpful roles, including the destruction of beta-amyloid plaques -- a process called phagocytosis. But they can also be harmful. As microglia become more active, they release a range of toxic substances that damage neurons. They also secrete proteins known as cytokines, which are involved in inflammation and can also damage and destroy nerve cells.

Today, armed with this knowledge, we are in an era of renewed interest in drugs targeting neuroinflammation and several new approaches hold promise. In my organization, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), the neuroinflammation program is the second largest in our research portfolio. Our funded researchers are both developing new drugs with specific neuroinflammation-related targets, and repurposing drugs that have been shown to target systemic inflammation in other diseases.

One example of a repurposed drug is etanercept, which Dr. Holmes (who led the dental health study) is now testing in a phase 2 clinical trial against Alzheimer's-related inflammation. This drug, already approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis, has been shown to inhibit microglial activation and positively affect cognition in preliminary studies. Other clinical trials are testing drugs that promote the removal of amyloid plaques from the brain. Yet other researchers are developing novel small molecule drugs that inhibit microglial activation by targeting a cell receptor on microglia that is involved in the production of cytokines. Still another is attempting to use a drug to stimulate cannabinoid-2 receptors on microglia to reduce inflammation.
"Mother's Day" (Open Road Films)

Garry Marshall is a Hollywood legend. He is the man who brought us "Laverne & Shirley," "Happy Days" and many more TV hits. He also brought to the screen "Pretty Woman," "The Princess Diaries," "Beaches" and other solidly entertaining movies. Recently he has been on a holiday themed series of movies that has included "New Year's Eve" and "Valentine's Day." The latest in this series is a star packed film titled "Mother's Day." It has all the glossy appeal of his other projects but somehow the magic has seeped out.

As is his way, Marshall has several diverse stories going at the same time but they are all somehow connected. Jesse (Kate Hudson) appears to be the connecting character in this movie. She and her sister Gabi (Sarah Chalke) live across the street from each other. They are best friends as well as sister's and share the secrets that they have kept from their parents (Robert Pine and Margo Martindale).

Jesse is also best friends with Sandy (Jennifer Aniston), a divorced mother of two sons. Her ex, Henry (Timothy Olyphant), suddenly announces he has gotten married to a woman half his age named Tina (Shay Mitchell). This new "mom' situation does not go over well with Sandy.

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Meanwhile Jesse has another friend Kristen (Britt Robertson) who is in a relationship with a stand up comic named Zack (Jack Whitehall). They have a daughter but Kristen is avoiding marriage like the plague. She was adopted as a child and now has abandonment issues.

The guy who runs the gym where Sandy has signed up for yoga classes is named Bradley (Jason Sudeikis) and his life is very complicated. His Army soldier wife Dana (Jennifer Garner) was killed in combat and he is now raising their two daughters alone. Being a new widower causes him to be overprotective of his girls.

Add to this mix a business woman named Miranda (Julia Roberts) who sells products on HSN and lives in Atlanta where everyone else also lives. They all see her on TV and Sandy is even trying to get a job with her company. Miranda has never been married but any fool can plainly see within ten minutes there is a family in her future.

Marshall has to keep all of these plot lines juggling in the air, and he has shown in the past he can do that with ease. But not in this movie and not with this cast. Most of the storylines feel contrived, and most of the emotional punches of the script are cheesy. The relationship section of the film concerning the two sisters and their bigoted parents seems overly forced, and the reconciliation seems like a pathetic fairy tale.

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The highlight of the movie is Aniston's character and performance. Watching "Sandy" is like watching an episode of "Friends" ten years later and Rachel Green is the star. She is still cuter than cute and delightful in every way. Julia Roberts still has her acting chops but her storyline is weak and they have done everything they could to make her look older and matronly. Plus in the early scenes it is revealed her character might be a, gulp, grandmother. I am old, you are old, we are all old!!!!

The film is rated PG-13 for profanity (more than you expect) and adult situations.

There is a lot of talent on display and some of the scenes tug at the heartstrings, but overall this is mediocre moviemaking at best.

I scored "Mother's Day" a less than celebratory 5 out of 10.
Excerpted from TRUE REAGAN: What Made Ronald Reagan Great and Why it Matters. (Copyright 2016) Used with permission from Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

________

On September 1, 1983, two years into his first term as President, while Reagan was vacationing at his beloved Santa Barbara, California, ranch, the Soviet Union decided to awaken a drowsy world with its terrorist downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007. The Boeing 747 was a passenger jet flying from New York to Seoul, South Korea, carrying one member of the United States Congress and 268 other passengers and crew members from various countries. After stopping in Anchorage, Alaska, for refueling and after a change of routing, the plane mistakenly veered into Soviet airspace and, after a short volley of radio communication, was shot down by a Russian fighter pilot over the Sea of Japan. This jarring and deliberate act on the part of the Soviets came on the heels of Reagan's now iconic, but fiercely controversial at the time, "Evil Empire" speech. That speech had been delivered a few months before in Orlando, Florida, on March 8, and it was the perfect oration to presage and frame this incident. The Soviets had now handed irrefutable evidence to Reagan and the rest of the world that they were in fact an evil empire. This incident helped to verify the charge in Reagan's speech.

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Mike Deaver, his longtime closest aide and friend, related to me afterward that he pressed an unhappy Reagan into an early retreat from his wood splitting and brush gathering at his small adobe-style ranch house high in the picturesque Santa Ynez Mountains, back to the grave and serious dark-paneled and windowless White House Situation Room -- located in a bunker in the West Wing basement. Once there Reagan, in surprising opposition to the impatience of his advisors, was not quick to approve any orders for immediate and specific retaliatory action. Reagan typically took the long view of history while making short-term policy decisions. He frustrated the assembled officials -- who were urging decisive and immediate action by the American leader -- by suggesting a better course was to wait and assess how the rest of the world recorded and responded to this violent act and to then determine the retribution, if any, from other quarters before he took any bold action himself. The trigger-happy hawk, as he was regarded by some, took his own turn onto a course of using other countries and multilateral voices around the world to convey his own shock and alarm -- but not for long.

He was strategic in taking this measure of global response, because he saw this deliberate act of terror as an opening to not just condemn this specific action but to link it to the broader evil of communism. He used his political capital to take another whack at what he had characterized as an evil system and make a worldwide school-room lesson from it. He preferred to look at this incident in the context of his long-term plan to defeat communism -- or, better said, let it defeat itself, with some help from him, his government, and a small group of other world and religious leaders.

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But the world did not have to wait long to hear from him about this incident, nor did he parse his words when he spoke directly to the nation for sixteen dramatic minutes from the Oval Office. In his remarks he drew a vivid picture of the recklessness and immorality of this shocking act. Reagan had felt that way about what the Soviets did from the moment his national security advisor reported it to him. He waited, though, for the right moment to respond, when other leaders were mostly done speaking, to launch his verbal salvo of disgust. There was no disguising how he felt when he went before the cameras, in the Oval Office, to sum up what he thought.

He appeared sober and concerned. This was not a watered-down, rambling statement. His words were like heat-seeking, confrontational missiles. His words, but more his beliefs, locked onto and hit the target. The verbal strikes were specific and unequivocal. He included a substantial list of actions he was taking and actions he was asking the United Nations and allies the world over to initiate as a result of the downing of KAL 007. His presentation to the American people on September 5 reflected his view that standards of human behavior had been broken, standards that he supported unwaveringly. He also cleverly played the tape of the pilots in the Soviet attack plane, which showed they had clearly executed a deliberate act while describing it in detail to an alarmed ground crew.

It was critical that Reagan played that tape in the wake of continual Soviet denial of their complicity in the tragic downing. Again, he was attempting to let an evil system destroy itself by dramatically unmasking and exposing it in plain sight to the world. He was betting on widespread moral repudiation from a moral audience. He let the Soviet downing be prosecuted in the court of global public opinion. Importantly, Reagan believed in empowering his constituency through his oratory, because he respected them. He was a uniter. He attempted in every talk to bring Americans together to project a position of strength to the world. He knew he needed more than the power of his words to win his way in the theatre of global opinion. He needed the American people behind him and with him.

To place this incident in a global context, which was typical of his strategy with most issues, Reagan said that night from the Oval Office in the following excerpts I have reordered to emphasize their importance:

"And make no mistake about it, this attack was not just against our- selves . . . This was the Soviet Union against the world and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere. It was an act of barbarism, born of a society which wantonly disregards individual rights and the value of human life and seeks constantly to expand and dominate other nations. . . .

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"Let me state as plainly as I can: There was absolutely no justification, either legal or moral, for what the Soviets did . . .

"But despite the savagery of their crime, the universal reaction against it, and the evidence of their complicity, the Soviets still refuse to tell the truth . . . Indeed, they've not even told their own people that a plane was shot down."

During his remarks he referred to the U.S. Congress with respect as "that distinguished body" and continued his bipartisan reach by quoting from former Democratic Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson (D-WA) and also from President John F. Kennedy. Finally, seeking to draw the listeners up close and to unite them, he ended this way:

"Let us have faith, in Abraham Lincoln's words, 'that right makes might, and in that faith let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it.' If we do, if we stand together and move forward with courage, then history will record that some good did come from this monstrous wrong that we will carry with us and remember for the rest of our lives."

Who was this President who had the uncommon ability to stake a position so boldly and with such conviction? Few people understood the man captured by the camera lens sitting behind his massive oak desk, but they could agree he did have the ability to engage an audience with his message.

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Reagan has remained in death as he was in life: a uniquely compelling and extraordinarily gifted world leader on the outside, but with an enigmatic interior. His life -- that is, his personality -- was unsettling and incomprehensible to some biographers. His mostly quiet inner character seemed out of bounds for them. For most people, including even some who worked for him and had known him for years, he was just plain hard to figure out. It wasn't that he was unusually complicated; it was that he was usually uncomplicated. The trouble arose from the fact that he never really talked about himself, especially in ways that might have revealed what he was thinking. He did not lead a personally interpretative life -- at least as much as we know from hints about what he was thinking and the things he shared with me individually, in official meetings, and in what he said to his wife in my presence. He kept a mental distance, cordoned off from and frustrating his long-suffering official biographer, Edmund Morris, who threw up his hands in exasperation over a subject he described to journalist Lesley Stahl as "one of the strangest men who's ever lived. Nobody around him understood him. I, every person I interviewed, almost without exception, eventually would say, 'You know, I could never really figure him out.'" This was despite Morris's having conducted thousands of hours of interviews and research that resulted in an equally strange eight-hundred- page book on the fortieth President.

My experience with Reagan and my interpretation of his character was decidedly different from that of Morris and some other well-meaning and scholarly writers. Because I had the responsibility for starting the domestic policy program most reflective of Reagan's personal values, he took an extraordinary amount of time to explain to me what those values were. Because I also traveled the world with the President and First Lady, had an opportunity to engage them at certain reflective points, and to ask him, especially, about his personal and sometimes unofficial views on various topics, his guarded and complicated persona seemed more plainly accessible to me.

Reagan rarely reflected publicly upon or discussed what was going on inside his discreet mind, and even today he is known not so much for who he was but rather by what he accomplished. And that was just the way he wanted it. The reason, however, that it is crucial to define the interior of the man is that this is where his principles originated -- from carefully adopted precepts, learned and acquired in early boyhood, adolescence, and college, then refined, tested, revised, and put to work over a lifetime. These principles informed and shaped the decisions he made as an American and a global leader that affected millions of people. To complete the picture of Reagan as a leader, we need to knit these two sides of the man together.

While some heads of state are measured solely by their actions, politics, or intellect, it was Reagan's personal character and particular belief systems that account for his success as President. He would have been a failure at political leadership without them. And yet, even with these character elements so critical to his success, little is still known about these rock-solid pillars of his thinking, to which he was so irresistibly committed. This inside look -- defining Reagan by his principles, and defining his principles by understanding his inner character -- is the type of Reagan assessment that has been largely missed, even by many who knew him and worked with him. Reagan himself was of little help to others who could have defined him. Even Mike Deaver, who knew him for thirty-five years, titled his book about Reagan A Different Drummer.

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I will never forget the initial unveiling of the official White House portrait of the President -- a large oil painting. Sadly it had to be sent back to the artist, rejected because of its obvious unlikeness to the real Reagan. In fact the Reagan Library has a gallery of Reagan portraiture that attempted but often did not capture the accurate likeness of the President. Good portrait painting usually conveys something of the character of the subject in addition to an accurate or representational physical resemblance. Many artists have had a difficult time painting Reagan with success. He is as challenging to depict in physical reality as in metaphysical topography.

Now, for the first time, there is an entire generation for whom Reagan is only an archetypal historical figure or an icon. For them he is not recognizable through direct experience. Since the private Reagan was left largely unnarrated by him throughout his life and he was almost totally silent about it during his presidency, it is more difficult to grasp what he was really like. However, this quiet disposition provides indispensable clues to the interior principles he lived by and that directly affected his exterior actions. This is why I am so frequently asked: "What was Reagan really like?"

Like most public servants, Reagan left a trail of documented official evidence -- records that detail his actions as well as those that speak to his character; however, he did not fit the puzzle pieces of his character together, nor did he reveal, directly or interpretively, much about his private identity or his rationale for making decisions. He never painted a particularly discerning literary self-portrait, although he did write auto- biographically about the facts of his life--out of necessity, in campaign-styled volumes. He left it for us to attempt to create a more complete picture of the personal qualities that defined his character -- and these features, assembled together with his official record, result in a total picture of the man. Few leaders are ever one-dimensional -- Reagan included. However, what some historical figures accomplished in public life and left in the public record satisfies an appetite for biographical portraiture.

All leaders make decisions based on subjective views, opinions, values, education, personal experiences, and beliefs. Reagan was no exception. These beliefs directly formed, sup- ported, and gave energy to his acts as President. For Reagan, though, his faith in and everyday dependence on a Higher Power and his love of America were so merged and woven into his leadership and communication style that he could be better characterized as a political missionary, the son of a preacher, than a political head of government.

Reagan saw himself as an evangelist for the precepts and moral teachings in which he believed and by which he lived; however, he mostly communicated his beliefs by quoting the words of others -- words that he carefully and deliberately deployed in strategic ways for a political purpose. He would frequently repeat quotations from historic thinkers, patriots, or writers to make certain his audience understood the import of his message. Using this technique -- liberally quoting from grand, reliable, and universally accepted and renowned figures--resulted in more of a message delivered through him than actually by him. It was, however, decidedly effective, and it added power and import to his speeches -- to depend on other thinkers who might enjoy the broad support that history sometimes bestows. In this way he was also utilizing a trusted acting technique to become a reliable and believable character who employs the words of the screenwriter -- never or rarely his own. However, in the case of Reagan as President, he was using the words of others that happened to reflect his own views. But Reagan could never have been successful in selling his potent brand of politics if he had been just speaking words others thought or wrote for him. For him the words he spoke were direct extensions of his own beliefs.

This unique Reagan communications tool is observable in almost every speech and statement he gave while in office. In this example, in commemoration of Captive Nations Week in 1983, he said:

"Twenty-five years ago, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed that 'all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.' This reaffirmed an eternal truth that Thomas Jefferson in 1776 wrote into our own Declaration of Independence. Another great thinker, Edmund Burke, observed simply that 'the cause of Freedom is the cause of God.' Some twenty-five centuries before, the prophet Isaiah admonished the world 'to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.'"

And again in announcing his own Bill of Economic Rights in 1987, Reagan said:

"Jefferson, in his first Inaugural, spoke for his countrymen when he said, 'A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This,' he said, 'is the sum of good government.' Well, that vision of America still guides our thinking, still represents our ideals."

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Reagan lavishly used these quotations from others to rein- force a point of view, for dramatic effect, and in order to gain enough gravity to enable him to take the actions he thought were correct while in office. He used some of these famous quotations for political cover--shining by the borrowed light of those already mostly universally acclaimed.

I often hear people say, almost with a resigning sigh, "We always knew where Reagan stood on an issue and we liked that whether we agreed with him or not. He was not a moving target." Generally people see and respond well to stability and strength. They felt that way about Reagan because he usually explained where he stood on an issue -- in plain terms over and over again, deliberate repetition being the mark of an effective communicator. Reagan never vacillated and rarely reversed his views on broad basic principles. Typically he carefully explained his detailed rationale for taking action, almost to the point of boring his audience, in an effort to educate the listener and to build a base of support. This practice is in stark contrast to a majority of leaders who do not adequately explain their actions or rationale, perhaps because they don't really understand them themselves.

In an article published in a journal called the Strategist, professional communications consultant C. Peter Guiliano called Reagan "a master of clear, concise, credible communication." He went on to say that "Reagan was always certain about his purpose. He maintained a sure vision of America and what he wanted to accomplish. He kept his messages short and clear. His speeches were not laden with more facts and data than people could quickly absorb. If he had been a corporate CEO, his vision of what he wanted his company to achieve and how he wanted it to behave would have been clear."

Even Reagan's immediate predecessor, President Jimmy Carter, not especially long-suffering in defeat after just one term in the White House, said of Reagan, "[He] provided an inspirational voice to America when our people were searching for a clear message of hope and confidence . . . He had unshakable beliefs and was able to express them effectively, both in America and abroad."

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While everyday men and women also praised Reagan for his communication skills, professional elocutionists, trainers of public speakers, and even his political opponents also hailed the fortieth President's ability to talk. My friend Merrie Spaeth, a former film actress who once worked for Bill Paley, the legendary President of CBS, and who is now, herself, a highly sought after professional communication and message trainer in Dallas, Texas, told me that Reagan "got it all right with- out appearing to try. He never labored over his words but spoke from conviction. He was measured but never unsure. His voice had a moderate, comfortable tone, not forced, that drew the listener in. This stood out from the typical politician who tends to speechify by yelling, possibly mimicking the worst type of circuit preacher or televangelist. His phrasing was pitch-perfect and you got the message on the first try, from listening to him. I use him as a role model every day in training business people and others."

The fortieth President of the United States set a high standard with his extraordinary ability to talk and be heard. He moved and motivated people through his communication and mainly because of his strongly held and heartfelt beliefs and his ability to deliver them verbally and nonverbally. Since his days in public office ended, other political leaders and public speakers have often sought to emulate Reagan's ability to inspire; however, most of them have failed. For aspirants to public service in either political party, Reagan has been a role model. Republicans, especially, want to stick close to him because he was a gigantic winner of political campaigns. Labels are often applied to Presidents, become embedded in history, and are perpetuated through generations as a short-hand reference tool. George Washington was "Father of a Nation." Abraham Lincoln was a "Liberator." FDR was a "New Dealer." Eisenhower was a "Soldier President." Reagan, whose first label was "Actor President," assumed "Great Communicator" and "Teflon President" as his labels during and after his two terms in the Oval Office.

The Great Communicator label was even more often used in reference to him in retirement. It was then that more of his own personal writings, including private letters and hundreds of handwritten speech drafts, were discovered -- almost accidentally -- by researchers at Stanford University. These documents have provided evidence that Reagan wrote hundreds of his own speeches and carefully constructed, tested, and validated his beliefs in words and public presentations. The ideas were his own. The writing was his own. Even his personal love letters to his wife, Nancy, were published -- revealing how the man felt and communicated within his marriage. This was far from the characterization of Reagan as personally unsympathetic and without feeling--a person who was merely mouthing the extraordinary words of brilliant speechwriters.

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His own speech-writing and delivery began in a structured and formal way before and during his long tenure as a Screen Actors Guild board member and then as its President. It continued through his years as public spokesman for General Electric (GE) -- on what was called the "mashed potato" dinner circuit and at the GE factory gate -- as well as later in his two terms as governor of California and finally as the American President. He had a prominent hand in crafting and forming his speeches as well as editing them -- as so many speech drafts with his handwritten notes substantiate.

A Vantage Point from Which to Learn About His Character

When I joined the Reagan Administration and the President's staff in 1981, I knew almost nothing about the President and First Lady. I had read about them and watched them on television, but that was of little help when it came to working directly for them every day. I voted for Reagan -- of course -- and my wife and I were guests of the Reagan campaign at one of the formal 1980 presidential debates held in Cleveland, where we were living at the time. I had also not been introduced to the Reagans personally, or for that matter any of the Californians from their days in Sacramento and Los Angeles, who were much more knowledgeable about them and savvy about their habits and personalities.

While that lack of experience put me at a disadvantage in many ways, it also gave me an added measure of curiosity about my new clients and provided me with a dogged determination to figure them out -- if for no other reason than to keep my job and to be more effective in working for them in the White House. I started my Reagan education by listening carefully to the First Couple and watching intently -- and in time they revealed themselves to me, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes through focused probing on my part. Ultimately I was left to my own devices to piece together a better picture of who they were and where they were coming from in the decisions they made and how they lived. I did this initially from my post managing the President's favorite domestic policy program.

The Private Sector Initiatives (PSI) program, the government program on the domestic side closest to Reagan's heart, had been a part of his 1980 political platform and was also included in the Heritage Foundation's massive thousand-page playbook, Mandate for Leadership: Policy Management in a Conservative Administration. I also learned later that Reagan had, through the years prior to coming to Washington, referred informally to the phrase private sector initiatives in speeches now available in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. This was his own term for the fact that the private sector often provided better solutions for social problems than the government could by itself. Finally, after being elected President, Reagan had an opportunity to convert this idea into an actual program-- which I had the privilege of launching and managing for him.

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Once situated in my White House office, I wrote a comprehensive plan and Presidential Decision Memo for the formal adoption of PSI. It was to include a small staff and a blue-ribbon Presidential Commission. We presented the plan to the President one weekend at Camp David; he wholeheartedly endorsed it and pledged his personal and direct everyday engagement. To underscore the importance of this program to the President, Jim Baker, Mike Deaver, and Ed Meese -- the three most powerful men in the White House at the time -- traveled with me on Marine One, the President's helicopter, up to the fabled Catoctin Mountain retreat to make the pitch to the President over lunch. To be clear, there were many more critically important initiatives being managed out of the West Wing and throughout Cabinet agencies, and with far greater urgency -- and yet this tiny program, by comparison to the others, bore the stamp of Reagan's personal character.

The goal of PSI was to stimulate the private sector, including business and philanthropic leaders, to find new and innovative ways to address public needs such as education, housing, and healthcare, more effectively than had been done by the government acting alone. This was a genuine Reagan priority, and he saw it as a key element in his domestic policy program. Coincidentally, and happily for me, it was also the focus of my career in philanthropy and business prior to joining the Administration. It was this program that helped to usher the term public-private partnerships into play more prominently in public policy, and through an executive order we were able to direct a small percentage of each Cabinet agency's discretionary budget to fostering these partnerships as a better way to spend public tax dollars and secure a better return on the investment of public funds.

My involvement with this program, so aligned with Reagan's personal and yet little-understood character, is what began to open a window for me on, and piqued my curiosity about, Reagan's belief system. How Reagan felt about PSI and what he discussed with me about this initiative helped solve for me some of the mystery about his character. It also added transparency to his controlled and inwardly quiet but outwardly talkative personality.

During the second year of Reagan's first term, I was asked by Mike Deaver to also assume an additional role of Chief of Staff to the First Lady. This was the first time in White House history that a Chief of Staff on the First Lady's team would also hold a senior post with the President. This worked well, because it helped to create a good working relationship between the West Wing and the East Wing, and it smoothed out what I learned had been troubled waters in earlier presidential administrations between the two staffs. It also worked especially well for this particular President and First Lady team, because of her keen interest in his schedule and official activities, and because the President's other advisors often wanted to solicit and hear her opinion on various issues. In this expanded role, I was a part of the President's senior staff and his Deputy Assistant, serving on the long-range scheduling team, the Theme for the Day team, and the pre-advance negotiating teams for foreign state visits; I was also a part of the early-morning senior staff meetings and briefings convened by the President's Chief of Staff. These duties included managing the official life of the First Lady, managing the East Wing staff, and traveling and working with both of the Reagans.

Among the things I learned about the First Couple and how they worked was that when they were a part of the film industry studio system, they had a staff to direct them, dress them, light them, photograph them, provide them with cue cards, scripts, and talking points, publicize them, and advance them. The studio system often provided an array of these types of people and services to support actors when they were working on a film--and this was at no financial cost to the actors personally; it was just the way films were made. That translated later into a White House staff that performed in similar roles. Ultimately I learned more about the similarities betweenHollywood and Washington, DC, where the major players are politicians, not actors, and where there are entire industries to support them -- just as ubiquitous as those who worked on the back lots and in the production studios of the film industry.

Once I figured this out about Hollywood, Washington, and the Reagans, it was easier for me to feel comfortable with and accept the way they thought and worked. Their experience in the film industry also gave them a big advantage in knowing how to run the American presidency -- something Reagan's immediate predecessor lacked, which was a particular appreciation for the tools of staging the presidency. Later Bill Clinton himself followed the Reagan playbook for how to be an American President--almost to a tee. He employed Reagan's communication strategy effectively, and through his daily introduction of new programs and policy initiatives he dominated the news as Reagan had through his Theme for the Day strategy.

Clinton's self-professed role model was John F. Kennedy, and the Kennedys also had an ability to stage the presidency. This was one reason there were some similarities noted between the Kennedys and the Reagans. A mutual feeling of respect and interest was often shared between them, as I saw firsthand at several events and in other communications between them, some of which came personally to me.



I saw evidence of this relationship several times, such as during the planning for the anniversary commemoration of the Special Olympics Program, which the Reagans hosted for the Kennedy family on the South Lawn of the White House in 1985. I saw this friendship again during the President's visit to the McLean, Virginia, Kennedy home for a John F. Kennedy Presidential Library fund-raiser. There was an easy affability and understanding that came perhaps from some of the Holly- wood influence both families had shared, and also from a sense that both Administrations were about new platforms and ideas as well as a perception of the strength and exuberance of the American presidency that was a part of both families.
The key difference that you will notice in any farm to table restaurant when compared to more traditional restaurant fare is the freshness. I never would have imagined that I could actually tell the difference between fresh food from a farm and food from a distributor -- at least not until I began seeking out dining locations for my Farm to Table series.

Driving down from Kittery, ME where I frequent the outlet malls, I often prefer to take the more scenic Route 1, which wiggles its way down through Maine, New Hampshire and eventually leads down to the North Shore of Boston where I live. One evening not long ago, on one of my drives down I was looking for a margarita to end my weekend with and stumbled upon Vida Cantina on the right hand side of the southbound road. Pulling in and walking through the door, I was immediately enraptured with warm pleasant aromas of the tacos, enchiladas and fresh meat that was grilling. Despite these amazing aromas, I was on a mission to find a good margarita, and a good margarita I did find. With the freshest squeezed key limes and splash of tequila and a tinge of salt, the drink was nothing short of amazing. It was at that point that I actually took a moment to take in my surroundings.

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If you've ever wondered what it was like to sit down in the home of a Mexican family, then Vida Cantina on is definitely the place to go. Chef David Vargas explains that "...its those traditional flavors and the fresh ingredients combined in a modern technique that continues to drive Vida Cantina." He went on to explain that traditional Mexican food gets its authentic taste from the freshest ingredients which is what really inspired the Farm to Table concept within the establishment. No one knows authentic Mexican food like Vargas, who grew up in an American-Mexican home with parents from the Guadalajara and Jalisco area. Cooking was a passion in the home as was the 'family' element to the meal. He further went on to receive professional culinary education from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

Vargas explains that "Vida Cantina tries to step away from the norm that many Americans might perceive as Mexican food..." something that I feel provides a more authentic and vibrant Mexican experience. You won't find the traditional burritos and quesadillas that you might see at other 'Mexican' restaurants. Instead you will find mouthwatering dishes such as the NH Mushroom "Chorizo" Tacos, grounded in fresh ingredients from start to finish. Vida Cantina has even made arrangements with local Tuckaway Farm in Lee, NH to provide them with fresh Indian corn. "I decided last year that this year we would start making our tortillas for our tacos completely from scratch. I showed my staff how to hand mill the corn into flour to make all homemade ingredients for our tortillas that we use for our tacos." Vargas states. "I will admit that I got an interesting look from my staff when I proposed that we would be hand grinding 60 pounds of corn."

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Owner and Chef: David Vargas

Not only has Vida Cantina made a strong effort to mold their growers and suppliers to provide the perfect ingredients, they put the same effort into their staff training. "We do get some pushback here and there, when people come into a Mexican restaurant and they expect a more traditional style, what they come to expect with burritos and such. Our servers are very well educated and they basically tell the story of what we're doing here and why do it on a daily basis." says Vargas. "We intentionally don't offer burritos so that we can change their perception - steer people away from that image when they sit down at a Mexican restaurant and see at the same time all the farms that we are promoting and what we are doing with the fresh ingredients."

Here are some of the other farms they work with:

Breezy Hill Farm - South Berwick, Maine - providing meat

PT Farm - North Haverhill, NH - providing meat

One other benefit that Vargas enjoys implementing into his seacoast restaurant, is the proximity to fresh fish. Vida Cantina belongs to a local fish cooperative that they pay into and then every Friday local fisherman provide whatever fresh catch they happen to get that day.

You can't get fresher ingredients in your food than a farm to table restaurant like Vida Cantina and the effort and dedication that not only their owners, but their staff as well - put into the establishment truly is exemplified in their dishes, their atmosphere and their quality of service. I would highly recommend stopping by and tasting Vida Cantina for yourself this Cinco De Mayo (or any other day of the year). When you do stop in, don't forget to try one of their margaritas with a choice of over forty different tequilas!
Thirty-three Republican members of the Colorado legislature joined last year with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a national anti-choice and anti-LGBT organization, in demanding the Colorado health department investigate Planned Parenthood, according to a letter released by ADF via Colorado State Sen. Kevin Lundberg's office.

Considered to be one of the most powerful Christian right organizations in America, ADF is well-known at the Colorado legislature for pushing legislation and testifying in favor of the social-conservative agenda.

But it's rare to see ADF form a direct alliance with so many legislators, as it did in advocating for a Planned Parenthood investigation.

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"I'm not surprised to see ADF branching out into working alongside state legislators," said Robert Boston, author of Taking Liberties: Why Religious Freedom Doesn't Give You The Right To Tell Other People What To Do, via an email. "While I'm not aware of efforts on this scale in other states, I do know that ADF has of late been sending unsolicited 'advice' to state and local lawmakers concerning issues like the ability of government clerks to refuse service to same-sex couples. The influx of Tea Party-style Republicans in state governments since 2014 has given the group a host of natural allies in the state capitols, and it's not surprising to see this relationship growing."

While its work directly with legislators isn't widely seen, ADF has a longstanding and multi-pronged history of attacking Planned Parenthood, including efforts to defund the health-care organization and to organize grassroots opposition among people and businesses. The organization's anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ stances are widely documented.

In a 2015 handbook designed to help religious entities discriminate without facing legal repercussions, ADF equates bestiality and incest with being LGBTQ, participating in adultery, and using pornography.

"We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female," states the handbook. "These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person." The handbook continues: "We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.)"

ADF, which did not return a call for comment, campaigned in support of a 2003 Texas lawsuit, arguing that it's "clearly" true that "same-sex sodomy is a distinct public health problem." ADF has backed efforts to criminalize homosexuality abroad, according to a report by Media Mattes for America.

ADF has gained attention more recently for providing legal defense for anti-LGBTQ business owners who refuse to serve same-sex patrons.

"ADF and its allies are attempting to reverse something like 50 years of social progress," wrote Boston, who serves as communications director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a national progressive organization. "They are essentially at war with modernity. Some might argue that this is alarmist, and it won't happen. But the fact is, reproductive rights have been under constant assault since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, and opponents of legal abortion have made a lot of progress."

In the September 25 letter to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), GOP lawmakers requested the "standards or criteria that are required to initiate an investigation" of Planned Parenthood, and it asked how a heavily edited video that falsely purported to show illegal dealings in fetal tissue donation would not be investigated.

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The video and others like it, part of an undercover series by the anti-choice front group the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), has been discredited and their creators indicted, but the videos have spawned local and national Republican-led hearings and investigations of Planned Parenthood. No evidence has shown Planned Parenthood to have broken any laws.

The ADF letter, which has not been previously reported on, came after CDPHE, in an August 31 letter, rejected a demand by many of the same state legislators to "initiate an investigation" of Planned Parenthood.

Among the GOP lawmakers listed on ADF's letter calling for an investigation of Planned Parenthood are State Sen. Laura Woods (R-Westminster), whose fate in November's election, some say, could determine whether Republicans maintain control of the Colorado Senate, and State Sen. Tim Neville (R-Littleton), who was rejected by Republicans to run against Democratic U.S. Senator Michael Bennet this fall.

State Rep. JoAnn Windholz (R-Commerce City), who's been asked to resign after blaming Planned Parenthood for being the "true instigator" of November's deadly shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, was also listed as a signer.

Multiple calls for comment on the letter and ADF's legislative priorities were made to Rep. Dan Nordberg (R-Colorado Springs), whose name appears first among the lawmakers listed on the letter, were not returned.

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Many of the Colorado legislators aligned with ADF were part of an unofficial "hearing" in November focused largely on the CMP smear videos, that turned into a day-long condemnation of Planned Parenthood. It took place just over two weeks before three people were murdered at the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic, which re-opened fully Sunday.

The ADF letter, which was included in an ADF briefing book distributed to legislators at the "hearing," also requested public documents from CDPHE, including all correspondence with Planned Parenthood, pursuant to Colorado's open records law.

It was signed by senior ADF Counsel Michael J. Norton, who left ADF in December to start the Colorado Freedom Institute, which will focus on conservative religious causes.

Norton, who drafted a 2006 amendment that voters added to the Colorado Constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman, testified frequently at the state capitol and has been an outspoken advocate for anti-choice campaigns.
Burnt vehicles are pictured in front of the damaged al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo, April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail

Last Wednesday, airstrikes obliterated Al Quds Hospital in Aleppo.

They blew apart at least 50 men, women and children.

It killed one of the last remaining pediatricians in the city.

A murderous airstrike.

There were almost 300 airstrikes in Aleppo over the last 10 days. Civilians, often in crowds, were repeatedly struck.

What are individuals in wars today? Expendable commodities, dead or alive.

Patients and doctors are legitimate targets.

Women, children, the sick, the wounded and their caregivers, are condemned to death.

Stop these attacks.

An MSF worker surveys the damage at the trauma center in Kunduz, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Najim Rahim)

I went to Kunduz, Afghanistan, following the U.S. attack on our trauma center on October 3, 2015.

One of the survivors, an MSF nurse whose left arm was blown off during the relentless airstrike, told me something that haunts me daily.

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He said that when fighting erupted in Kunduz, MSF told its staff that its trauma center was a safe place.

"We believed you," he said. "Did you know that we would be bombed?"

I told him that until October 3, I truly believed that the hospital was a safe place.

I cannot say that anymore about any medical facilities on the front lines today.

'We believed you,' one of the survivors told me. 'Did you know that we would be bombed?'

In Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen, hospitals are routinely bombed, raided, looted or burned to the ground.

Medical personnel are threatened. Patients are shot in their beds.

Broad attacks on communities and precise attacks on health facilities are described as mistakes, are denied outright, or are simply met with silence.

In reality, they amount to massive, indiscriminate and disproportionate civilian targeting in urban settings, and, in the worst cases, they are acts of terror.

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The effects of the attacks against health facilities emanate far beyond those immediately killed and injured.

They demolish routine and lifesaving health care for all. They make life impossible. Full stop.

The aftermath of an airstrike on a hospital in Saada province, Yemen. (MSF via AP)

On October 26, 2015, a Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit an MSF hospital in Haydan, in the north of Yemen, leaving at least 200,000 people without lifesaving care.

It was the first of three MSF facilities partially or completely destroyed in Yemen over a period of three months.

Attacks on MSF facilities provide only a glimpse into the brutality of war.

Attacks on other hospitals and clinics -- and schools, markets, houses of worship -- are routine. Local health workers bear the brunt of these abuses.

We are at a deadly impasse.

We can no longer assume that fully functioning hospitals -- in which patients are fighting for their lives -- are out of bounds. Hospitals and patients have been dragged onto the battlefield.

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Hospitals and patients have been dragged onto the battlefield.

In Jasim, a town in southern Syria, citizens have protested in front of a hospital to prevent its re-opening. They know what happens to functioning hospitals.

We are facing an epidemic of attacks on health facilities, impeding our ability to do our core work.

And to date, our calls for independent investigations have gone unheeded.

Accountability begins with independent and impartial fact finding.

Perpetrators cannot be investigators, judges and juries.

Make no mistake: we will relentlessly denounce attacks on health care.

A wounded Afghan boy, who survived a U.S. airstrike on a MSF hospital in Kunduz, receives treatment. (REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail)

We will speak out loudly and with force about what we witness in the field.

Medicine must not be a deadly occupation. Patients must not be attacked or slaughtered in their beds.

We physicians take an oath when we join the medical profession.

We treat every individual, regardless of who they are, regardless of their religion, their race, or on which side they may fight. Even if they are wounded combatants, or if they are labelled as criminals or terrorists.

Hospitals must not be attacked or forcibly entered by armed personnel, including to search for and capture patients

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To turn our back on these basic principles is to turn our back on the foundation of medical ethics.

Make no mistake: we will relentlessly denounce attacks on health care.

Medical ethics cannot be buried by war.

The neutrality of war-time medical care cannot be stamped out by state sovereignty or domestic law. Especially in an age of counter-terrorism and counter insurgency -- characterized by shifting alliances and murky rules of engagement.

While the nature of warfare may have changed, the rules of war have not.

You are charged with protecting peace and security.

Yet four of the five permanent members of this council have, to varying degrees, been associated with coalitions responsible for attacks on health structures over the last year.

These include the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, the Russia-backed, Syrian-led coalition.

You therefore must live up to your extraordinary responsibilities, and set an example for all states.

"Seeking or providing health care must not be a death sentence." (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)

I repeat: Stop these attacks.

The discussion here today cannot amount to empty rhetoric.

This resolution cannot end up like so many others, including those passed on Syria over the past five years: routinely violated with impunity.

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In Syria, where health care is systematically targeted, and besieged areas are cynically denied medical care.

Uphold your obligations.

Ensure the protection of the impartial provision of health care in conflict.

Also support the obligations of health workers to treat all sick and wounded without discrimination.

Dr. Maaz, the pediatrician murdered in Aleppo last week, was killed for saving lives.

Today, we remember his humanity and bravery, shared by so many patients, nurses, doctors, communities and MSF staff caught up in areas of conflict.

For their sake: translate this resolution into action.

We will not leave patients behind. And we will not be silent.

Re-commit, unambiguously, to the norms that govern the conduct of war.

This resolution must lead to all states and non-state actors stopping the carnage.

You must also pressure your allies to end attacks on health care and populations in conflict areas.

We will not leave patients behind. And we will not be silent.

Seeking or providing health care must not be a death sentence.

You will be judged not on your words today, but on your actions. Your work has only begun.

Make this resolution save lives.

Thank you.

This piece was adapted from a speech at the United Nations Security Council briefing on May 3, 2016 in New York.

Earlier on WorldPost:
Unfortunately, there are many jackasses running around in leadership roles these days. This can be very frustrating, depending on your appetite for abuse and how much you love what you do at the company where you are doing it.

But before you throw your hands up just because your boss is degrading, condescending, a micro-manager, a yeller, a passive aggressive lamebrain or, simply a bully, there are strategies you can employ that will help you preserve your sanity. Consider these tactics before you bolt for the door.

1.IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROL

Don't try to control that which is beyond your control. If your Boss can't stand life unless he is controlling your every move, simply take a deep breath and say to yourself, this is he, not me. It is his issue, not mine. I cannot even try to control his emotions, as they are not my own. I will do my work and deliver my best performance. That IS within my control and I will continue to do so, ignoring the rest. When you let go of the need to control another's emotions, it is very freeing.

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2. THERE IS NOTHING TO DISCUSS

This is my favorite line; gifted to me by one of San Francisco's most notorious Attorneys who dealt with start-ups, labor disputes and dissolution of partnerships. He is quite brilliant. When your Boss is frothing at the mouth because you weren't available for his 6:00 a.m. call to you at home this morning (how could you?!), you calmly return it once you have taken your shower, had a cup of coffee and regained your composure after his unwarranted ranting. When you connect with him and he launches into a repeat tirade, you simply say, "Boss, there really is nothing to discuss. I will be in the office at 7 a.m. as usual and would be happy to sit down with you then." Don't yell back. This takes the wind out of his sails and you can move on.

3. DON'T TAKE THE BAIT

You work hard and want to do well, but your Boss is passive aggressive. Instead of saying, I am unhappy with how you handled the client matter, she might say, Were you planning to address the client today or take a long lunch? while smoke is coming out of her ears. Your job is to not take the bait.

Don't read between the lines. Just respond to her question. Yes, I am. Thanks. She may still fume that you haven't figured out her disappointment through your own telepathic abilities, but that's not your problem. Deal with specific questions only, not between the lines aggressive behavior. And, most importantly, don't parrot the behavior. Be clear and calm.

4. PUT HIS OR HER SHOES ON

We don't always know the reason why someone acts as they do. It is quite possible that your Boss is a bully to everyone. Maybe he is your buddy one day and the devil reincarnate the next. It is not up to you to walk on eggshells based on his moods, but it would behoove you to consider the distinct possibility that he might have a lot of pressure from above and simply wants people to do their jobs (maybe too much like he would do them), so that he can report positively to the powers that be above him.

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There might be a much bigger picture going on.

If you sense this is the case, try parroting back to him what it is you think that he is asking for (in as calm a manner as possible) and let him know that you understand his pressures too.

It sounds like you want me to double revenues this quarter, but with no travel or face to face with clients, is that right? He nods. Wow, you must have a lot of pressure to cut expenses in our group. While I can try to do that, it is a departure from our normal practice and I cannot guarantee as much success based on an all-virtual approach. Do you agree? Now you are inside his world and he might actually share his pressures with you and calm down in the process. Or not.

If none of these tactics work for you and your Boss is simply a consistent Jerk, I would run, not walk for the door. Life is too short to let stress on the job rule your life. Finally, if you do depart, know that you can learn and grow from the experience, continue to focus on your goals and shape your own future full speed ahead.

Other books by this blogger:

Jody B. Miller is the CEO of C2C Executive Search & Strategic Management. She also writes books about work/life balance, articles about topics we think about (yet don't always talk about), and novels about love and friendship.
Each semester, I teach courses on religion to undergraduates. On the first day of my introduction to religion course, "Exploring Religious Meaning," it is evident the students' enthusiasm for the class can be quite low. If I were one of them, I would likely feel the same. In fact, I was, and I did.

I entered college to become a lawyer, not to hear the same "superstitious, religious nonsense" that structured my life for eighteen years. At that time, leaving for college felt like being released from a dogmatic prison. Upon arrival, learning that I had to study more religion felt like being mandated to serve additional hard time.

My undergraduate students, whether they were raised as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, or atheists, often register for my introductory religion course for the same reason I did: they have been required to do so.

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Now, this is not a discussion of how I became a true believer. But I have come to value the study of religion. What does it mean to value the study of religion without becoming a true believer?

If we analyze the skills and lessons necessary to ensure future success, expressed through the pre-collegiate and collegiate educational system, as well as numerous popular culture mediums, studying religion is typically not a part of the success plan. After all, such studies will not help in the job market, right?

Yet, if we tilt our head and listen closely to the accumulated whispers of those deemed wise in the past and the present, they seldom urge us to work unfulfilling jobs for persons/companies we dislike or distrust, severely limit our creative expression, and obediently conform to mainstream values. Though we say things to our children like "money does not buy happiness" and "think independently," our institution-based dogmas (religious and secular), popular culture values, and approach to politics teach something else.

If the thoughts and practices from the world's religious geniuses are taken seriously enough to be engaged with as worthy of deep of reflection, critically examined, and treated on equal footing, the study of religious belief, mythos, and ritual practice provides students with an opportunity to enhance self-examination, as well as their beliefs, whatever they may be.

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If we perform these same analytical procedures on typically under-examined secular beliefs, mythos, and rituals, the results are often eye opening for the students. In an anonymous online review from ratemyprofessors.com, one student wrote:

"Exploring Religious Meaning sounded like a class I'd dread, full of mystic drivel. Instead, I found myself immersed in a new world of critical thinking and revolutionary concepts. This class has nothing to do with my major or minor, but I don't hesitate to call it one of the most useful and pleasant courses I've taken"

At this point in time, discussing religious thought in a safe, productive, and sane manner can be "a new world." Because much of history's inspiring and provocative thinkers have been religious, studying their insights promotes critical thinking useful for understanding and deconstructing secular myths and rituals -- whether national, institutional, or personal -- to explore how they function synergistically to create, maintain, and enforce a range of worldviews, each of which may or may not benefit us.

As Jeffrey Kripal explains in Comparing Religions, "Myth and ritual are about performing the world ... Ritual is [a] crucial component of 'programming' a people into a particular religious [or secular] world ... It is not enough to talk and tell stories. One has to act out those stories, over and over and over (and over) again" (2014, 116).

Exposure to how we all ritually enact various narratives (or myths) for most of our lives, often unknowingly, can be "revolutionary" for some students. For most, it is, at the very least, useful. It encourages us to be more self-reflexive, creative, and critical thinkers better suited to choose our own values/lifestyle/career -- rather than have these things chosen for us.

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The opportunity to choose how we define the meaningful -- rather than unthinkingly following the latest en vogue iterations defining a meaningful life -- is the beauty of living in an infinitely complex, surprisingly malleable, and largely socially constructed world. Acquiring the tools necessary to make this choice, as well as the self-awareness to realize that all choices have consequences, good and bad, is one of the values of studying religion.
As far as I know, NYC has only two true Piedmontese restaurants--the venerable Barbetta, opened in 1906, and the brand new San Carlo Osteria Piemonte. One could hardly be different from the other in terms of atmosphere, for Barbetta is a townhouse resplendent in baroque and 19th century antiques, while San Carlo, with just 50 seats, is as modern as a new Alfa-Romeo Spider. Yet both share a true dedication to the cuisine of that northern Italian region and its capital, Turin, whose famous broad piazza gives its name to this little osteria in SoHo.

There are three enthusiastic partners behind San Carlo, all natives of Turin (above): CEO Carlo Rolle, a Turin restaurateur; Managing Director Moreno Cerutti, a former marketing executive; and Davide Poggi, former General Manager of the nearby Piccola Cucina. In the kitchen is the ebullient Chef Riccardo Zebro, who trained in notable restaurants like Balzi Rossi in Ventimiglia and Il Milanese Curioso in Milan.

Outside is an engraved brass bull, a Piedmontese symbol for good luck. Inside is a mural of Piazza San Carlo, the now commonplace exposed brick walls, wood floors, and beamed ceilings, with an accent wall made with terracotta tiles, and a brass bar on the opposite side. The chairs and banquettes are exceptionally comfortable, especially for SoHo, where rude wood rules. The lighting is just right, glowing from brass sconces, but the place can get loud when it's full, which means there is no reason whatsoever for the owners to pound in music you can't even recognize.

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The ambiance is casual and guests are meant to have a good time, but the cooking at San Carlo is very serious indeed. Just the texture alone of the housemade cooked pastas tells you it is as close as you'll find to the real thing in Italy--not merely al dente but light, with the right chewiness and the proper amount of sauce. Moreno Cerrutti bounds around the room greeting, coaxing, recommending and pleasing his clientele, which currently runs to neighborhood people walking in off the street to see what San Carlo is all about. I shudder to think how tough it will be to get a table here once the word really gets out.

Begin with a sip of lightly sparkling Prosecco Foss Marai ($12) and nibble on the crisp, hot fried squash blossoms (above) oozing with mozzarella and basil. A selection of salumi ($14 and $19) goes well with the good crusty bread and green-gold olive oil here, and for antipasti, by all means have one of the classic Piedmontese preparations--vitello tonnato, made with thinly sliced veal in a creamy tuna and capers sauce (below), with the novel addition of pickled onions ($15). You might find this dish elsewhere around town, but at San Carlo it is done to perfection. Capunet ripieno ($12) are stuffed cabbage rolls, lush with a fonduta of melted taleggio cheese.

Among the pastas is a good-sized portion of agnolotti with juicy, braised meat and a veal jus ($20) and egg-rich tajarin--the Piedmontese name for tagliarine or tagliatelle--in a quickly cooked sauce of chanterelle mushrooms and veal ragu ($19). Potato gnocchi are airy and lavished with a Piedmontese cheese sauce studded with toasted walnuts ($17). I will return to try their risotto with Castelmagno cheese ($21) and pray they will someday soon serve my favorite Turinese dish, the thumbnail-size agnolotti del plin, which are customarily served in a clean white napkin.

Piedmont's cooks have always taken their time making their meat sauces, and the slowly-braised beef cheek here proves why. All the ingredients and seasonings are suffused throughout meat that falls apart in shreds, accompanied by nutty buckwheat polenta and baby carrots ($27). San Carlo does a fine Cornish game hen alla babi, so-called because it is pressed and grilled and looks like a babi--toad--here served with scented baby potatoes and wild mushrooms ($24). The grilled fish of the day will be pleasant if not thrilling, as Italian-style fish dishes so rarely are in New York.

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This food is rich but not particularly heavy, so you'll have room for desserts like the egg-whipped zabaione with sweet wine and cookies, or the delicious Piedmontese chocolate custard classic bonet with amaretti.

San Carlo's wine list is building up to 150 labels, with 10 by the glass, focused on regional wines of the north, not least Piedmont's own great Barolo and Barbarescos. And, since Turin has inspired more than its share of cocktails, like the Milano Torino and the Americano, there is a good spirits list too.

I'm hoping the inevitable popularity of San Carlo does not overwhelm this precious little trattoria, for a good deal of the fun is to intermingle with the staff and sense that life is too short not to take your time eating food of this unusual kind.

Open for lunch and dinner daily.
By Adele Charbonneau

As the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) approaches, the inclusion of urban poverty issues within the discussion becomes paramount. Around the world, actors of the urban development sector are preparing and organizing their ideas. In that sense, promoting the voice of the urban poor will be critical. Learn from four cities - Nairobi (Kenya), Delhi and Bangalore (India) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) - where organizations are preparing to promote the voice of the urban poor at the October 2016 event in Quito, Ecuador.

According to Hilary Nicole Zainab Ervin, Nairobi hosts over 41 informal settlements which are home to upward of 706,000 individuals. As the Secretariat of the Kenyan Slum Dwellers Federation (also known as Muungano wa Wanavijiji), the Muungano Support Trust (MuST) has worked to meet the needs of Kenya's urban poor through collective action and advocacy. Utilizing a bottom-up approach, MuST develops synergies with other federation organizations, such as the Akiba Mashinani Trust, which is the federation's urban poor fund. This year, the Habitat III conference will showcase the challenges and opportunities as well as lessons learned in the push to make urban life more sustainable for residents of one of Kenya's well-known slums on the fringe of Mombasa city. Indeed, as Kenyan heads to Ecuador in October, highlighting the critical work of advocate networks of slum dwellers will be important to understanding how rights-based approaches can be incorporated into achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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In India, Mukta Naik writes about Ayanagar, a teeming and dense settlement of over 100,000 people, comprising local villagers and poor migrants from all over rural India. It is one of the six sites where decentralized sewage treatment is being tried by the government through the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). Ayanagar's choice as a pilot site stems from its rich experience with community self-organization over the last 15 years. Indeed, by 2008, with the help of NGO Greha, residents co-created a plan for sustainable urban renewal. The scheme included a detailed topographical survey and technical plans for decentralized sanitation in the settlement. The experience of Ayanagar, which demonstrates the equal importance of four elements - community self-organization and persistent local initiative, professional expertise, political will and sound government policy - certainly shows the way forward for Habitat III.

In Bangalore, Ashali Bhandari presents CIVIC, a voluntary citizen's initiative and non-profit organization, that promotes decentralization as a democratic process to ensure adequate representation for the urban poor. In India, the proliferation of e-governance has made it difficult for those without smartphones or laptops to access application forms. This year, CIVIC is hoping to set up a Single Window Agency to help streamline applications, which would help those needing them avail of the benefits of poverty alleviation schemes. CIVIC will provide information from various government departments about all available programs, provide training and technology to increase accessibility, and work with the government to reduce delays that may occur without the payment of bribes. CIVIC's Single Window Agency is an exemplary project for Habitat III as it not only addresses the needs and rights of the marginalized, but also considers accessibility as a key factor for improving their lives.

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In Rio de Janeiro, according to the Ministry of Health, chronic non-communicable diseases (DCNTs), such as diabetes and hypertension cause 72% of deaths. Andrea Azambuja talks about Plataforma Saude, an organization which aims at acting in a preventive manner, focusing on the poor in areas of difficult access. Its flagship product is a general assessment of the patient, including blood glucose tests, cholesterol and blood pressure measurement, and lifestyle choices, with special attention to risk factors. The test results are delivered at the end of the process, which lasts only 20 minutes, and then printed in a traffic color system, a universal language that facilitates understanding by illiterate people. The service is not free, but cheap: it costs from R$5 to R$25 (up to US $5) in total. This initiative does not displace the need for construction of new hospitals and full service centers, but it does show a solution that operates an efficient, agile, economic, dignified, democratic, sustainable system.

All four examples will be valuable inputs during the Habitat III conference and can contribute to the better understanding of urban poverty and solutions to tackle it. Check out more of the discussion on urban poverty and cities on URB.im and contribute to the debate.
taylor swift at cnn heroes an...

At our house, Taylor Swift's voice fills the voids of silence. Sometimes, her voice is loud and other times, you have pause to hear the faint whisper, but it is always there.

My daughter is a Swifty.

She was born three years before Taylor Swift would release her first album.

Taylor Swift has always been a part of my daughter's life. From car trips, where a Swift song came on the radio, a small, squeaky voice from the back seat would beg to "turn the music up" and, in what seemed like a competition to drowned out the radio, she'd sing the song--word for word, to that moment Taylor Swift serenaded Tim McGraw at the ACMs.

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Ten years have passed.

I write this reflecting on last summer and what my daughter proclaims "the best night of my life".

It was Taylor Swift's 1989 Tour.

We drove almost four hours to Charlotte, North Carolina for my daughter to attend her first concert. It was a Mommy-Daughter Date. I've been to many concerts in my life, but none prepared me for this moment.

We walked through the door to the stadium and my daughter's face was more in awe than any Christmas morning.

Her eyes sparkled and a Cheshire grin spread across her face.

She asked about the lights, the posters, the vendors and then we took our seats.

As my daughter played Taylor Swift Trivia prompted by a marquee, I watched in admiration. In this moment, I realized that Taylor Swift had taught my daughter to be fierce. To be her own person.

That's powerful.

"It's human instinct to try to defend yourself when people have the wrong impression of you, but you have to let go of that and just get rid of it because it's not yours anymore."

We all want to be accepted. For many, that means being hurt and allowing it to consume you. Taylor Swift has made my daughter realize her worth.

Over dinner one night, I listened as my children talked about how children in their class were bullying another child.

I asked, "Do you get bullied?"

"Of course, Mom. I think everyone does" came my daughter's reply.

"How does that make you feel?"

"I don't like it, but I don't let it bother me because I know these people aren't going to be part of my life forever" was my daughter's wise response.

I swallowed hard. It was one of the most profound statements. Indeed, these children that are her peers will not be a part of her life forever. I reflected on how many of my classmates from fifth grade were still in my life--a handful.

"If you go too far down the rabbit-hole of what people think about you, it can change everything about who you are."

At twelve, my daughter is old enough to decide what to wear. Sometimes, she matches and looks like a fashion runway model. Other times, she's a hodgepodge of eclectic.

When I have questioned her taste and ensemble, she has replied, "I know it doesn't match, but it makes me feel good and that's all that matters."

Something as simple as hoping she would change her wardrobe, made me realize that I don't want to change anything about who she is. She is strong, confident and smart.

Taylor Swift is taking chances. Sometimes it has been a simple example such as introducing herself to Tim McGraw. Sometimes it has been more raw, like being criticized for a chain of exes. Always it has been genuine class.

She handled herself beautifully when Kanye West yanked the microphone from her and declared Beyonce should have won, years later, when some would have sought revenge, she showed grace and lead by example when she so triumphantly:

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"Don't change who you are because eventually you are going to run out of new things to become."

I listen to my children play outside. One hot, muggy, summer afternoon, as the children were playing a game of what sounded like "house", I heard each child state their "pretend" age. The neighbors were 27, 24 and one stretched it to 35.

My daughter answered, "I'm 11".

I tilted my head in confusion, which I'm pretty certain mirrored the children outside looking at my daughter because I heard one of them say to her, "You can be ANY age. This is pretending. Pick any age you want to be."

My daughter didn't stutter. She didn't ponder. She stated very matter-of-factly, "I'm 11. I'm just not going to wish my life away like that."

"Just because something is over doesn't mean it wasn't incredibly beautiful."

I tend to be emotional. I'm like this about everything. My daughter comforts me. When I am sad I have to leave my parent's, or say goodbye to my in-laws, my daughter hugs me and tells me, "We have to just remember how we felt before now. All the love, it's still there. Dig deep and hold on to it."

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And she is right.

As Taylor Swift took her last bow on the 1989 stage in Charlotte that night, I was sad that it was over. That watching my daughter's face light up with pure joy and excitement; Hearing her sing along to all her favorite songs and catching her breath to hug me and say, "Thank you, Mom" would be over.

Then my daughter turned to me and said, "That was AWESOME!"

Taylor Swift has taught my daughter to be fierce.

To be herself.

That this moment will pass and new opportunities will present themselves.

The important thing is being there, in the moment, good or bad, and celebrating.

As my daughter will remind me:

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain"

She would know.

Taylor Swift taught her.
Co-authored by Alison Hige and Alicia Gonzalez

Given such media coverage, perhaps it's little wonder that Westerners blame Islam. "Terrorist go back to where you came from," shouted passersby at a Mosque in Arizona.

Hate crimes against Muslims tripled in the months following the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. This spike has included assaults against hijab-wearing students, vandalism and arson at mosques, as well as shootings and death threats at Islamic-owned businesses.

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There were 92 anti-Muslim acts in March in the United States alone.

On March 7th, a Buddhist was attacked in Hood River, Oregon after someone believed he was a Muslim based on his clothing. The attacker dropped an anti-Muslim F-bomb while smashing the man's head onto the frame of his car.

In Fort Bend County, Texas, a 12-year old student claimed his teacher called him a terrorist in front of the class. The student, Waleed Abushaaban, explained, "We were in the class watching a movie, and I was just laughing at the movie and the teacher said, 'I wouldn't be laughing if I was you.' And I said why? She said, 'because we all think you're a terrorist."

Bullying and hate speech have increased toward Muslims. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, stated, "For girls, it's pulling on the hijab and calling them terrorists, and for boys it's saying that they have a bomb in their backpack and calling them terrorists."

Yet only a small percentage of the 140,000 acts of terror since 1970 was due to Muslim extremists. Even if all 140,000 acts of terror were done by Muslims, this would amount to just .00009% of the entire 1.6 billion Muslim population.

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Over the past 5 years, there have been over 1,000 terrorist attacks in Europe. However, fewer than 2% of those terrorists were Muslim. In the United States there have been approximately 2,400 terrorist attacks in the past 40 years but only 2.5% of these were carried out by Muslims.

Why, then, are all Muslims blamed for extremist attacks?

The media, through its coverage of attacks by ISIS, depicts Muslims as the primary contributor to terrorist attacks. ISIS then becomes our reflection of Islam.

"The average Muslim still feels intimidated, still feels scared, still feels insecure, especially in a political climate where it's become common to depict Muslims as terrorists," said Khusro Elley, a trustee at the Upper Westchester Muslim Society in New York.

Yet ISIS does not represent Islam (no more than the Ku Klux Klan represents Christianity).

Just because a terrorist shouts the name of Allah while committing murder doesn't mean they are good Muslims. Muslim leaders have publicly condemned ISIS and denounced their jihadist ideology.

The Quran, the holy book of Islam, denounces ISIS-like violent actions in any number of ways. For example, Quran 22:40 states, "Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged." According to this surah, pre-emptive war is forbidden.

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Following the Paris attacks, for which ISIS claimed responsibility, they used the word "crusader" five times to justify the killing of non-combatants. However, the word "crusader" in Arabic is limited to Christians who viciously attacked Muslim lands under the pretense of ridding the Sanctified Territory of Islamic rule. Unlike ISIS, Muslims in those lands at that time were acting in self-defense against the vicious Crusaders.

Moreover, ISIS kills non-combatants such as journalists, civilians, children, and doctors. These are forbidden acts in the rules of Islamic war.

In a famous and authoritative decree, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the first Caliph, told his military commander: "Do not commit treachery, or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, or a woman, nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful." Based on this declaration, Muslim leaders throughout history have urged Muslims to have strong humanitarian ethics.

The Quran likewise opposes suicide bombing. In 2:195, we read, "And do not throw yourself into destruction with your own hands." Recent suicide attacks, such as those in Brussels, were condemned as un-Islamic by Muslim leaders around the world.

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The Quran itself is the biggest enemy of ISIS.

Perhaps that's why, as shown in a new documentary, an undercover reporter 'never saw any Islam' behind ISIS's plots.

Yet we continue to judge Islam, neither by its Holy Writ nor the theology of 99.99991% of its adherents but by the violent actions of a few extremists.

Salah Echallaoui, chairman of the Belgian Muslim Executive committee, denounced the terrorist bombings in Brussels and stated, "But we are hoping that the population will have enough sense not to blame all Muslims. That's what the terrorists want, to set one part of society against the other.

American Christians don't want the world to associate Christianity with the hateful actions of the Westboro Baptist Church, the murders of abortion doctors, or the racism of the KKK.

Yet Americans are quick to judge Islam based on a few extremists, all while ignoring the violence committed by "Christians."

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Just as the Gospels condemn hatred, murder, and racism, the Quran rejects non-defensive war, the killing of innocents, and suicide bombing.

The Gospels likewise tell us, "Judge not, that ye be not judged." The passage goes on to warn that we will be judged by the same standards we use to judge others. If we judge all Muslims by the actions of a few extremists, then we Christians will be judged by the actions of a few of our extremists. If Christians judge all Muslims by ISIS, Christians will be judged by Westboro Baptist, murderers, and the KKK.

In short, this passage warns about hypocrisy. Hypocrisy hides the pride involved in our judgments of other people. We hold others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves to. Based on this unbalanced metric, we take pride in our righteousness and spirituality (in comparison to those wicked people, like Muslims).

We must fight the prideful urge to judge a majority of individuals based on the actions of a select few (and then feel morally and spiritually superior about ourselves and our religion).
I've written before of the birds in my suburban yard. We've spotted dozens of species on our postage stamp size property, from diminutive Anna's Hummingbird to the impressive Cooper's Hawk who lands frequently on our fence, including of course one of my favorite backyard birds: the oh-how-common-of-a-name-can-you-possibly-get House Finch.

As the species name indicates, Carpodacus mexicanus (the proper name for House Finch) is a native of Mexico and parts of the U.S. southwest and was only recently introduced into California and the rest of the nation. Interesting anecdote: Illegally sold on the east coast as "Hollywood Finches", vendors released their birds to avoid prosecution and the now ubiquitous little bird took full advantage of the opportunity.

House Finches are now found just about everywhere. As many as there are, all looking very much the same, it's impossible to know but Carolyn and I believe it's the same one guy busy entertaining us most days. And if one can just get past daydreaming of the Galapagos Islands and photo safaris to Tanzania, his backyard performance is as remarkable as anything found in nature.

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We hear him before we see him, a chipper song of "HEY, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME! PRETTY TERRIFIC, RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW!" Yes, I know, it's all tweets and chirps but it's also an obvious song of himself, bright and loud, singing that without any doubt he knows himself to be the most remarkable two inches of bird on the planet.

Atop the redwood fence, just by the seed feeder, he manages to fold his body into a capital V, head and tail both pointing up and away towards the sky. He crazily hops up and down, back and forth, as animated as something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon, under the apparently unimpressed glare of a never ending stream of underwhelmed females. Based on his track record, it's truly a wonder there are so many of these birds.
I will deeply miss President Obama.

His will be remembered as one of the finest intellects ever to occupy the office.

He's also hilarious; his performance at his final White House Correspondents Dinner was funnier than the vast majority of stand-up routines I've seen. He got more laughs than Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore (who, to be fair, seemed more interested in making jokes that made everyone in the room feel awkward, or awkward about feeling amused.)

He roasted every guest he mentioned except Helen Mirren - perhaps he was hoping she'd plant one on him, as she did to Stephen Colbert earlier this year.

He was gracious, relaxed, entertaining, and entertained. He's not above using a little classical reference to throw shade, however.

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"Trudge up the Hill." The graphic featured Clinton's logo behind a large, round boulder on a steep incline.

That was Obama's humorous take on Hillary Clinton's campaign slogan - in contrast to Bernie Sanders' catchy "Feel the Bern", which the President repeated with seeming gusto.

He introduced Sanders as "the bright, new face of the Democratic Party"; and had done enough math to know that he should tell Sanders that he looked like "37,000 donations of $27 each."

He compared Clinton's attempt to reach young people to a confused, older relative confronted with Facebook - "Did you get my 'poke'?" He got big laughs.

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One thing Democrats agree on: Obama is truly funny.

He is also smart, clever, and extremely well-educated - well enough to know this:

The boulder and the hill refer to the myth of Sisyphus. An ancient Greek king, he was forced to spend eternity pushing a boulder up a hill, that always rolled back down to the bottom just as he reached the top.

Sisyphus was given this punishment for his "self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness."

I don't think anyone could seriously suppose Obama didn't know it.

I think we also know what President Obama - who eight years ago was the object of the same kind of campaign Clinton now runs against Bernie Sanders - thinks of Clinton's tactics.
Like Greek, Middle Eastern, and Indian mythologies, the West African mythology offers a sophisticated understanding of creation and humanity. African mythology permeates Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Ghana, Gambia, and it has been transported through slavery to Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad, Guyana, Haiti and other South American and Caribbean countries. The African mythology, rich in artistic fables and truth stories, offers a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Like Indian Brahma, Olorun (also known as Olodumare or Olofi) is the creator god who crafted the universe. Like Middle Eastern Baal, Chango is the god of thunder and storm. Like Greek Aphrodite, Oshun is the goddess of beauty, love, and sexual ecstasy. A river in Nigeria is named Oshun that flows into Lagos Lagoon.



Obatala, Child of God

The most powerful and sweetest god is Obatala, a universally known deity. Much like Christian Jesus, Obatala is the child of god. Olorun, the father, permitted Obatala, the child, to descend from the heavens, create land over the waters, and template human bodies from popo (mud and clay). The Qur'an mentions several times that Allah created humans out of clay. (Qur'an 3:49). Science is in the process of establishing that human life first sprouted in Africa; nevertheless, the mythological credit of sculpting the human body is reserved for Obatala.

As there are angels in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions, there are Orishas in the African spiritual tradition. Orishas are divine beings that govern various aspects of human life. Obatala is the godfather of Orishas, such as Chango and Oshun. Just as the Levant is central to the Middle Eastern religions, Yorubaland is central to the African spiritual tradition. And Just as Banaras is a sacred city in India, Ile-Ife is a sacred city in Yoruba. According to Yoruba beliefs, when Obatala descended from the heavens, he first settled in Ile-Ife, founding the mother city of humanity.

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Obatala does not have a permanent gender. He is androgynous. He is married to Yemaya, the goddess of oceans and the godmother of Orishas. Free of gender, however, Obatala could be male, female, or neither. This asexuality makes Obatala the god of all human beings without regard to gender. Obatala has no patience for gender fights that break out in human communities.

Likewise, Obatala is free of all colors even though he is associated with whiteness primarily because white light is polychromatic. Obatala is also known as the god of white clothes. Obatala absorbs all wavelengths ranging from "700 nm at the red end of the spectrum to 400 nm at the violet end." Obatala accepts only white offerings without spices. The Obatala worshippers dance in white costumes, offer coconut milk, white pumpkin, and light up sandalwood incense. Silver and ivory are the charms associated with Obatala.

Obatala's Compassion

Obatala is the god of persons with special needs. Compassion moves Obatala's heart.

God is compassionate in almost all spiritual traditions. In Islam, Allah is most compassionate, "Peace be upon you. Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy."(Qur'an 6:54). In Judaism, Yahweh says: "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (Exodus 33:19). In Christianity, Jesus tells a demon-possessed man: "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." (Mark 5:19). In Hinduism, Lord Krishna says he loves the person who shows benevolence and mercy to all living beings. (Bhagavad Gita 12:13-14).



Obatala's mercy is located in the god's self-awareness. According to the Yoruba spiritual tradition, using his divine power in sculpting humanity Obatala has constructed magnificent human beings. While once under the temporary influence of Palm wine, however, Obatala breached the duty of care and made some defective human beings. When an individual suffers because of an existential defect, including organ or limb malfunction, genomic disorder, or hereditary flaw, Obatala is most kindhearted because he knows that he shares part of the blame.

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The Yoruba concept of compassion does not emanate from a perfect god toward imperfect and error-prone created beings, as is the case in most spiritual traditions. Obatala's mercy flows from the self-awareness of a powerful but negligent god toward frail but blameless created beings. In most spiritual traditions, God shows compassion because the human being errs; in Yoruba tradition, Obatala shows compassion because he himself has erred. This remarkable self-concept makes Obatala the fairest god of the universal pantheon.

Obatala Festivals

When West Africans were forcibly enslaved and brought across the oceans to Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, and the Americas, the Orishas did not forsake their devotees and the devotees did not desert the Orishas. The Catholic colonists forced the "heathens in chains" to accept a new faith and "be saved "but Obatala did not leave the hearts and heads of the believers. In the guise of Catholic saints, the African slaves worshipped their Orishas, giving birth to a religion called Santeria. In an ironic twist, Jesus, the god of the mute, the blind, and the sick, was appropriated by white whip-holders while Obatala, the god of persons with special needs, continued to console the slaves working in white cotton fields.
Achieve Gender Equality, by Letting Her LEAD. A decade past with the resounding effects of the famous statement from Hillary Clinton, then First Lady of the United States of America (now, US Presidential Candidate) in her keynote address at the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995, where Clinton declared "that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women's rights as separate from human rights." Delegates from over 180 countries heard her say : "If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights, once and for all."

Now lets take the necessary time to reflect on the epitome of the RISE of women in leading roles - on Television, in Films, in the boardrooms, powerful women CEOs, historical Presidential Wins in Nepal, Tanzania, Taiwan, etc. Women continue to THRIVE as they learn how to LEAN IN to a world that is slowly embracing women as leaders.

"Whether you are male or female, we have a great deal to learn by studying female leadership qualities. "Her Attentiveness, tolerance, calm, flexibility and organization -- not only women, but every leader should strive for these qualities," said recently elected President Tsai Ing-wen, the First Female President of Taiwan.

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The reflection of a world where the most debated topic during the United States political debate was "Equal Pay" and the "Rights of Women." A world, which reflects a change in maternity and paternity policy to accommodate not just women and their desire for balance - but one that is also inclusive Gay and Transgender rights. A world that understands the importance of educating the Girl Child with the Let Girls Learn global initiative, spearheaded by the First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama. Her lasting legacy will ensure that countries continue to derive a sustainable solution to educate the 62 million girls that are not in school worldwide.





Letting her lead in 2016 and beyond, means safeguarding both the young and the old from the rights that prevents them from obtaining proper education, access to healthcare, civil protection, and equal pay. According to a UN Women article titled, Women and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Women and girls make up more than half the world's population -- and they are on the frontlines -- often more deeply impacted than men and boys - by poverty, climate change, food insecurity, lack of healthcare, and global economic crises. Their contributions and leadership are central to finding a solution."

The full participation of women and girls are critical to our ability to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which includes 17 actionable goals to be achieved by the year 2030. "We know now that without gender equality and a full role for women in society, in the economy, in governance, we will not be able to achieve the world we hoped for," said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women.

The way she must LEAD in this new era speaks to a new corner stone in how the world perceives women, and the next chapter of the world's most powerful women and girls. Women are being tasked with coming forward in greater numbers to lead at a time where statistics show less women in leadership positions worldwide across all industries.



"Globally, women are under represented on corporate boards and executive committees. While they hold 16% of directorships in North America, women hold only 9% of those roles in Europe and 2% in Asia. Women hold 15% of executive committee positions in North America, compared to 4% in Europe and 2% in Asia," as reported on the Re-Examining the Female Path to Leadership Position in Business.

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We all know that managing our work and personal lives can often be challenging. Just imagine building a successful business, growing a family, and spending time with your significant other. Overwhelming, right? The common theme that repeats itself in all of these areas is the relationship component - in order to grow a successful startup or build a family, you need to form all types of relationships and nourish them so they become meaningful and successful. The question to be asked is: what core relationship values can we leverage to effectively assist us in all of the important areas of our lives?



To answer that question, I met with two successful CEOs representing the best of Startup Nation who are not just experienced entrepreneurs, but also a married couple growing a family while building their multiple businesses. This couple has managed to leverage their own personal relationship, family values, and work ethic toward growth and fulfillment across all of those areas, and it's definitely do-able!

Amir and Tali Orad have a fascinating life story: together they have built six companies while raising three kids, and as parents know well, every child is a startup that needs and deserves a lot of attention.

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Amir Orad is the CEO of Sisense, a massively growing business intelligence software company that is looking to become Israel's next billion-dollar company. Amir is a successful CEO and a serial entrepreneur who built his first business at the age of 16 and managed to grow and sell two global technology startups while building a family of his own. Amir became a top thought leader in the area of big data and is well-known in the startup world for his ability to significantly scale businesses up financially. Despite managing to stay a bit off the radar, Amir's track record makes him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Israel and New York tech.

Tali Orad is a successful entrepreneur and currently the founder and CEO of GetScreen, a parental control app that manages all electronic devices at home. In addition, she is the founder of non-profit organization BeCPR, which educates parents about basic lifesaving skills that aim to save lives. Tali is a software engineer with vast corporate and business experience. She is the best of all worlds- a woman and a mom with an entrepreneurial mind who received tech-related education that led her to form businesses that contribute to families across the globe and make a positive impact.



Photo taken by GetScreen



So how does this Startup Nation couple manage to do all this and not lose their minds? That's what I wanted to know when I spoke with them, especially after hearing the struggles of entrepreneurs trying to manage working for a startup and balancing their own lives. Amir and Tali told me the core values that helped them grow both their family and their businesses. Here's what they had to share:



1) Lead by example

When you think about it, leadership values can be applied similarly in different areas of life and business. As leaders, Amir and Tali make sure to empower each area of life they are part of. "We strive to lead and manage by example. We can't ask family members or, alternatively, fellow co-workers to do what we don't do ourselves," Amir said.

One example of their leadership is the fact they both like to collaborate on growth thinking exercises, and share those ideas with their colleagues and kids. Both groups, in their own ways, take part in the process of an idea being manifested and then morphed into a live product. Amir and Tali's co-workers get to develop these processes together, which helps build a culture of collaboration, while their kids are learning by seeing their parents in action. In fact, they even get to develop investigative thinking in the form of a family game, "Find the Bug". The rules are simple: their kids are looking for system bugs in their products. Every time they detect one, they get $1 and ultimately learn how to "think differently, think beyond, and think big."

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Tali shares: "I'm proud to be a female entrepreneur who works to make a difference. When my daughter sees me getting ready for an investor meeting or a lecture and asks what I do, I get to show her how I approach my work and share my secrets and tricks. Little by little, I plant the seeds to empower values I believe in within my kids." Entrepreneurship is all around, in the house and at the workplace, and it's wonderful to see how the Orads find creative ways to expand this skill.



2) Create a supportive environment

In our conversation Amir and Tali repeatedly and passionately talked about the importance of creating a supportive environment around us to serve as a growth engine for family life as well as in business. As a couple, they were always closely involved with each other's management and entrepreneurship journeys, and testify that they have multiplied their own experiences by learning from each other's mistakes and successes. And of course, this applies for managing a family as well.

"You can achieve anything you want if you believe in your own ability to succeed, but also make sure to be around supportive people who share the same passion and vision," Amir noted. Both Amir and Tali surround themselves with colleagues and friends whom they trust and have built relationships with over time, and who support their own journeys.

Building a startup is a lot about learning, making mistakes, hearing "no," and getting back on your feet quickly! Similarly, as parents and experienced CEOs, the Orads believe in the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them: "We give our kids the freedom to make their own choices and mistakes. You can't grow a family or a company by just telling people what to do. You have to give values and guidance and create room for people to make their own decisions and yes, also mistakes." Tali explains: "I chose amazing people to join me and to serve as board members and employees of my startup. I make sure to be among experienced, bright people who can help me make fewer mistakes and reach our goals together in the best way possible." You can definitely supercharge your skills, efficiency and results if you make sure to be around the right people!



Photo taken by Sisense



3) Invest in relationships

As we know, "it's all about people": families and companies are formed and developed through different levels of human relationships and connections. Creating loose and strong relationships with others is key to empowering your family, company, friends, and yourself. Amir and Tali have countless stories of how a little help they gave someone turned out to be very significant for them or others around them down the road. "We believe in being available to other people, employees, friends, and our family of course, and happy to help anyone at all times." Investing in their relationships with others ultimately translates into great results at work, better communication, and of course a happy family life.



"Treat everyone the way you want to be treated, and be humble even when you are on top. These are true at home, with your partner and kids, and in sports, but also at work. Not only is it the right way to behave as a human being, it is also the right way to carry yourself in a tight business community." The way we are engaging with others around us constantly influences the spirit of where we are and makes a difference for everyone. The Orads say: "What goes around comes around!"
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum have complementary exhibitions on view through July 31st, Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium. Each exhibit highlights a different aspect of the controversial artist's complex body of work. LACMA focuses on Mapplethorpe's relationship to New York City's underground sexual and artistic scene while the Getty explores his fascination with classical forms.



Ken Moody and Robert Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe (American, 1946 - 1989), American, New York, New York, United States (Place created), 1984, Platinum print,  Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Jointly acquired by the J. Paul Getty Trust and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; partial gift of The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation; partial purchase with funds provided by the J. Paul Getty Trust and the David Geffen Foundation.

As a product of the 70s and 80s, I'm thrilled to have been asked to develop ArtBites classes around both exhibits even though food isn't exactly a topic featured in Mapplethorpe's work. At least not literally.

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In the 70s, gourmet cooking was fashionable America and kitchens were stocked with all sorts of gadgets and appliances even though people favored going out to the new Chinese, Japanese or Italian restaurant. The 80s were all about informality and comfort. Few people were cooking from scratch and the microwave became the household's best friend. Frozen foods and boxed cake mixes were IT.

My food memories are not the norm for the time (my parents were both avid cooks and food lovers), and I grew up nowhere near the grungy underground that was Mapplethorpe's New York City. But I love the music of the period and have long fantasized about being a fly in a wall at the Chelsea Hotel. I became fascinated by what the avant-garde may have been eating in the City's ubiquitous clubs and restaurants. Loads of drugs, Lou Reed, and Andy Warhol's banana were the first thing that came to mind, then I read Patti Smith's fascinating book, Just Kids. The poet and punk goddess, who cohabitated with Mapplethorpe at the Chelsea Hotel before they achieved fame, remembers seeing Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin at El Quijote, the hotel's bar/restaurant, with plates of shrimp with green sauce, pitchers of sangria, and bottles of tequila. She also recalls the devil's food cake with shredded coconut served at Max's Kansas City. (Appropriately they chose to put the dark and rich devil over the light and airy angel on the menu). A table in the back room at Max's is where Warhol and his faithful posse held court. This is the table that Mapplethorpe yearned to be a part of.

Warhol, later a frequent subject -- and competitor -- of Mapplethorpe's, led me to his friend Maxime de la Falaise, a socialite and model with a food column in Vogue and several cookbooks under her belt. Her second husband, John McKendry, was curator of prints and photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; their boho-chic dinner parties were the all the rage among the uptown crowd. The well-connected couple helped launch Mapplethorpe's career and McKendry even had an affair with the young photographer. (A haunting photograph of him taken by Mapplethorpe the day before his death is featured in the Getty exhibit.)

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Maxime de la Falaise in 1977. Larry Morris/The New York Times. John McKendry, Robert Mapplethorpe (American, 1946 - 1989), American, New York, New York, United States (Place created), 1975, Gelatin silver print,  Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Jointly acquired by the J. Paul Getty Trust and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; partial gift of The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation; partial purchase with funds provided by the J. Paul Getty Trust and the David Geffen Foundation.

The English born De la Falaise was also a regular at Studio 54 where she was known to show up with tea sandwiches. She designed the menu for Warhol's never materialized "Restaurant for the Lonely Person", the Andy-Mat. The concept was that you would get your food on a tray, then take it into a booth and watch television. Her menu featured items such as onion tarts (no need to worry about bad breath since dining solo), shepherd's pie, Irish lamb stew, and the signature "nursery cocktail" of milk on the rocks. In keeping with the times, the dinners were frozen and required only reheating.



Andy Warhol with his Andy-Mat restaurant business partners, architect Araldo Cossutta, developer Geoffrey Leeds, and financier C. Cheever Hardwick III.

Here's a modern version of the Andy-Mat's onion tart. This one's made from scratch. Eat alone or share with a friend with a glass of champagne, the beverage that flowed freely at Mapplethorpe's last art opening.

Caramelized Onion Tart

For the pastry:

2 cups flour

 teaspoon salt

1  sticks cold unsalted butter, diced

 cup ice water

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

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For the onions:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon thyme

salt and pepper

1. Make the pastry. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Place onto a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Prepare the onions. Pour olive oil into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized. Add the fresh thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

4. Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a floured counter, roll the first piece dough out into a roughly 8-inch round, although it really doesn't need to be perfectly shaped. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle about  of the onions into the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

4.Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown all over. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 individual tarts
Time crunch and airport hassles have changed the face of travel. Rare is the person who has weeks to wander in a foreign land. We want to jump in the car, drive a few hours and be somewhere new, transportive, romantic, and perhaps a bit oddball, for just a couple of days. Max.

The Getaway Mavens continue to find the "Best Offbeat Escapes in the Northeast" - within a few hours drive of major cities on the East Coast. Here are three in Maryland, a US State that might be small in size, but is certainly big in history, food and the arts.

Maryland's second largest city (after Baltimore), Frederick MD, is perfect for a romantic weekend. Eminently walkable, Frederick's stunning canal-side esplanade swarms with locals on balmy days and nights, downtown is stocked with adorable boutiques and restaurants, and it's home to the best Museum of Civil War Medicine in the world. Begin at the excellent new Visitor's Center and then wander.

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Major Draw: Frederick is best known for the engaging Museum of Civil War Medicine. During the Civil War, Frederick served as a large medical facility located at the center of Antietam, Gettysburg and Washington DC. Fans of the new PBS show, Mercy Street. will already be aware of some of the myths that this terrific museum dispels, such as the mistaken belief that there was no surgical anesthesia during that time. (In fact, doctors used chloroform and ether to knock out patients by the mid 1800's).

Offbeat Draw: Schifferstadt Architectural Museum. Built by Elias Brunner in 1758, this structure became a tenant farmhouse and was never updated or restored. So, unlike many continuously lived-in homes of that time, this one, left to seed, was ironically "preserved by neglect" and remains a study in how German homes were constructed in the mid 1700's. So, you'll see how wooden beams were joined through cutouts in two-foot thick sandstone walls, and original brickwork, doors and hardware - a perfect attraction for structural engineers and architects.

Pretty Space: Carroll Creek Linear Park. Can't get to Venice? This one-mile canal-walk, ribbed with stone and iron pedestrian bridges, will get you there - in mind at least. The "Community Bridge," a trompe l'oiel masterpiece, is the centerpiece of this marvelous downtown park, with several other ornate wrought iron bridges over a free-flowing canal, landscaped with Cherry Blossom trees, lily-pads and other colorful blooms.

Best Tour: Taste Frederick Food Tour. This 3-hour history-food walking tour provides the perfect overview of a little city on the move. With tastes at six restaurants/markets and visits to Carroll Creek Park and other historic venues, this tour is perfect if you've got only a few hours to spare. You'll meet your guide (mine was the bubbly novelist, Jessica McHugh) at Pretzel & Pizza, and then head to other great eateries in town. You'll learn about Carroll Creek Park, the Theater District (the beautifully restored Weinberg Center for the Arts), pause in front of Town Hall to capture a photo of "The Clustered Spires" of Frederick's churches mentioned in John Whittier's poem, and stop at the "Spite House," erected solely to halt the construction of a city road on private property.

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Notable Frederick Resident: Francis Scott Key might have penned the famous Star Spangled Banner 50 miles away in Baltimore, but he is buried here in Mount Olivet Cemetery. A monument to Key is front and center at this final resting place for Key and 34,000 others, including a whole host of soldiers buried in Confederate Row.

Celebrity Chef Restaurant: Volt. Bryan Voltaggio's hot spot, this is the restaurant that put Frederick MD on the culinary map. You can also choose from among 40 other restaurants. Every local seems to have his or her own favorite.

Stay: Frederick Inn B&B. It's 4 miles away, in Buckeystown (and in fact, was formerly the Inn @ Buckeystown), but very much worth the 10-minute drive. Owned by the exuberant and warm Pat and Kirk Horstman, this 1897 mansion on a hill was completely renovated by Frederick's Tuscan Blue Design and reopened as The Frederick Inn B&B in August 2015. Public areas are uncluttered and elegant, wood floors burnished to a gleam, and rooms, capped with small crystal chandlers, are chic and stunning.

Once a wealthy mill town, Old Ellicott City has been reborn as a unique shopping and restaurant district. Independently owned stores carry funky "upcycled" merchandise, locally designed apparel, and items you won't find anywhere else. Ellicott City also features the oldest B&O Railway Station (now a museum), the ruins of an elite pre-Civil War era girls school, a great old-fashioned French Restaurant and, in the bordering town of Columbia, one of architect Frank Gehry's earliest designs. Begin at the Howard County Visitor's Center - in the old Ellicott City Post Office - for info and a small gift.

Major Draw: Shops on Main Street. Among the dozens of fantastic establishments, be sure to stop into Journey From Junk, for vintage and upcycled clothing and furnishings, Sweet Elizabeth Jane (in the former Caplan's Department Store),for innovative housewares, soaps, clothing, pillows, and tools you never knew existed, Cotton Duck Art and Apparel, for owner-designed graphic t-shirts, and the Wind River Outlet. Yes, the owner/founder of Wind River lives right here in Ellicott City. A little known secret, most items in the store are $5 and $10.

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Offbeat Draw: Patapsco Female Institute. Now just stabilized ruins, this 1837 finishing school for girls ages 12-18 sat majestically atop a hill overlooking the mill town below. With a concentration on the sciences (mostly Botany), Patapsco was progressive for the early 1800's, but though the school's demise and physical deterioration could be documented over time, much of the building's use and history remains a mystery. There are some documents and at least one student journal discovered recently, providing glimpses into the ruin's first iteration as a Girls School, but for the most part, tour guides and historians can only surmise about the day-to-day life here. (Calling all those with ancestors who attended this school: if you find notes and letters that they were required to send home stashed among old papers, please contact the Howard County Historical Society post haste!).

Celebrity Architect/Developer: Bordering Ellicott City, Columbia MD is a "Planned Community," conceived by local developer James Rouse in the early 1960's. Rouse went on to develop Faneuil Hall in Boston, Harborplace in Baltimore and South St. Seaport in NYC among other major complexes, but this town served as his headquarters. Rouse hired a young, as yet unproven architect, Frank Gehry, to construct his main office building, and the structure - more Frank Lloyd Wright rectangular than Gehry's signature deconstructed curves - now houses a fantastic Day Spa/Aquatherapy Center, Haven on the Lake, and a Whole Foods.

Landmark Restaurant: Tersiguel's. Imbued with French Country elegance, Tersiguel's has been Ellicott City's consummate fine dining restaurant for 40 years. Mastery of classic French cuisine is but one reason that Tersiguel has been in business so long. A close second is the restaurant's Old World vibe and tableside food prep, pre-dating "open kitchens" and bringing service down to the most intimate. If you're lucky, you'll get Charlie as your waiter/tableside chef - astute in wine and Crepes Suzette (a must dessert). You can order classics like Escargot de Bourguignon ($10) and Coquille St. Jacques ($36), but unless you're vegetarian, opt for a meat dish, which is cooked and carved tableside. And don't forget to leave room for those Crepes.

Stay: The Wayside Inn. You'll know you've arrived at Wayside Inn as soon as you see it. On a busy road lined with modest homes, this stately 1780 stone home, renovated in the late 1990's, stands out, as does the greeting you get from owner Dave Balderson as soon as you walk through the door. The host's warm and high-spirited demeanor is just as much a reason to visit as is the inn's location (two miles from Historic Ellicott City) and its lovely interior. Common rooms are Federalist-chic, with upholstered wingback chairs in plaid prints, wooden spindle seats, and floral rugs. The original staircase bears the mark of centuries; its narrow steps bowed and worn from over 200 years of use. If only these floorboards could talk.

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Though National Harbor MD is confusingly named (ten miles from downtown Washington DC on the Potomac River, it is nowhere near the open water), it is a playground-suburb of our National Capital and a huge hit with families and young couples. Established in 2008 from a 300-acre abandoned 1800's plantation, National Harbor consists of several square blocks filled with shops (Peeps, Pepper Palace, Build A Bear, Harley Davidson, and the like), restaurants, nightclubs, apartments, condos, hotels, and recreational opportunities, like SUP's, kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, and walking paths.

Major Draw: The Capital Wheel, National Harbor's signature Ferris Wheel is a gentle way to get a bird's eye view of the Capital Region. And new for 2016, the kids-favorite Baltimore Pirate Ship, Urban Pirates, is coming to National Harbor.

Offbeat Draw: The Awakening. Climb all over a massive sculpted man, head, arms and legs emerging from the sand on National Harbor's only beach.

Landmark Restaurant: Old Hickory Steakhouse in Gaylord National Resort. Andrew Jackson, nicknamed "Old Hickory," was known for throwing White House parties featuring big wheels of cheese. In fact, your meal begins with a visit from the Maitre D'Fromage, aka "The Cheese Diva," who helps you choose several to try either before or after the main course. Be prepared to settle in for a phenomenal dry-aged steak or other dish in a room imbued with Southern charm, a surprisingly intimate place in this massive resort hotel.
If you want to help Ecuador, please donate cash. Now is not time to rush to the rescue as a volunteer yet.

Certainly, volunteers have a place in disaster recovery, but done incorrectly, volunteers can do more harm than good as was witnessed after the Haiti earthquake. At this time, if you really want to help with disaster recovery in the days after the earthquake, the best thing you can do is donate to a reputable organization that already has people on the ground. I, personally, trust Global Giving and its Ecuador relief fund, though there are other highly rated and reputable funds you there.

The following is just a short list of reasons why rushing overseas to volunteer in Ecuador might do more harm than good at this time:

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You Can Drive Up Costs

When everyone wants to go to Ecuador to help that means prices will go up on everything. The cost for airfare, hotels, in-country transportation, food, and water  all of which are in short supply  will rise because of increased demand.

You Will Strain a Strained Infrastructure

After disasters, the internal infrastructure is severely strained. This means the roads, walkways, sewage lines, water lines, internet, cellular capacity, and electricity are often broken or terribly limited. An influx of people will put even more strain on the limited infrastructure and possible limit the ability of those in more need taking a back seat. The Guardian wrote about this after the Haiti earthquake.

Your Money Can Do More Than Your Time For Now

At MovingWorlds, we often claim that the great asset you have is your time and your brain, but in disaster situations that isnt always true. According to the Center for International Disaster Information

Monetary contributions to established relief agencies are always the best way to help [in disaster situations].

Save Yourself for When the Need is Greatest

In the not too distant future, media will turn its attention elsewhere and the desire to help Ecuador will diminish. When it does, that is when your time and talents will be needed the most. Philanthropic contributions will go elsewhere, aid dollars will seize, and local organizations will no longer have access to resources needed to sustain development. Just look at the persistent challenges of Haiti 6 years after its massive receipt of aid money.

Once the money is gone and aid organizations have moved to fight the next disaster, then locally led organizations will begin the true rebuilding efforts of Ecuador. Teachers will teach, entrepreneurs will emerge, and local businesses will create jobs. When this starts to happen, that is when you should visit and volunteer your skills in Ecuador. In the future is when we need your help to tackle the talent gap  the idea that local citizens know best what their country needs, but can use some technical, business, and/or creative skills to make a bigger impact, faster. Be patient, your time will and then you can truly make a sustainable impact.

How Do You Know if You Are an Exception to this Rule?

If you have to ask, youre not an exception. The volunteers that are on their way to Ecuador right now already have training in disaster response, they often have previous experience, and they have been briefed on the true needs of the country. There is a science to solving the health, infrastructure, political, energy, and people management aspects of disasters, and how to respond to them. If you havent been trained on those, youre not an exception to this rule.

We firmly believe that everyone can volunteer their skills overseas and that there is a way to have world-positive vacations, but we also know that there is a right and wrong way to volunteer. If you are interested in helping Ecuador, please donate money, and ask your friends to donate, too. If you want to do more, hold a local fundraiser for cash (not supplies) and/or keep your eyes open for virtual volunteering projects in the coming days across media channels and through aid organizations already on the ground.
Voting booths in polling place

"It's just, I think, sad when a political party--my political party--has so lost faith in its ideas that it's pouring all of its energy into election mechanics." -- former Republican State Senator Dale Schultz of Wisconsin

Voting rights are under assault by Republicans! Their party is going to extreme lengths to suppress the vote of traditional Democratic constituencies like the young and minorities. Their tactics, a throwback to an earlier, uglier era are working. Under the guise of ending voter fraud, which is virtually non-existent anyway, they are willing to deny voting rights to hundreds of thousands in some strange calculus only they comprehend. Their Southern Strategy has worked so effectively that minorities have deserted their party in droves and now, with the ascension of Trump, they are conceding the Hispanic, as well as the black vote. Instead of trying to change course and become a Big Tent party, they are retrenching and passing legislation that makes it so difficult to vote one has to weather hurdles similar to Odysseus trying to return home from the Trojan war.

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For example, Kansas, the state rendered a fiscal and economic basket case by conservative supply side economic policies, has enacted some of the harshest voting regulations in the country. According to an Associated Press article:

"Kansas is one of four states, along with Georgia, Alabama and Arizona, to require documentary proof of citizenship -- such as a birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers -- to register to vote. Under Kansas' challenged system, voters who registered using a federal form, which hadn't required proof of U.S. citizenship, could only vote in federal races and not in state or local races. Kansas says it will keep the dual voting system in place for upcoming elections if the courts allow its residents to register to vote either with a federal form or at motor vehicle offices without providing proof of citizenship."

The law is accomplishing exactly what Republicans want by suppressing the vote. In the 2014 election the sitting Republican governor won by 33,000 votes, but another 37,000 voters were put in a suspended registration status by the Republican Secretary of State. In the coming election this November, fully two-thirds of all new registrations are on a suspended voter list.

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"Of the more than 22,000 submitted voter registration applications submitted between Feb. 1 and Feb. 21, only 7,444 were completed with proof of citizenship, State Elections Director Bryan Caskey said. That meant the majority of those registrants were put on the suspense list, and their voting registrations will be purged after 90 days unless proper documents are submitted."



In Wisconsin, Republican Governor Walker not content with derailing the state's economy, gutting the university system, and breaking the morale of public sector employees by busting the unions has "signed a bill that hinders Milwaukee's efforts to provide local photo IDs to the homeless, immigrants in the country illegally and others who have difficulty obtaining state IDs." No regressive measure is beneath him! According to an article in the Daily Kos written by Walter Einenkel: "The Republican-backed bill prohibits towns and counties from spending money on or issuing photo IDs. It also prohibits using city or village IDs to vote or obtain public benefits, like food stamps."

So the bill accomplishes two Republican goals, it suppresses the vote and keeps the poor and homeless from access to the necessities of life like food and aid. In fact, Republican-pushed voter ID laws will bar about 9 percent of the state's eligible voters from the polls this year, according to the Daily Kos.

Incumbents are already reelected 90 percent of the time without placing additional economic and physical barriers on voters who may be the first to be adversely affected by Republican cutbacks on aid, education, and infrastructure.

North Carolina, a battleground state just recently unencumbered from the legal restraints of the Voting Rights Act, has enacted one of the strictest voting eligibility laws in the country. According to the Washington Post:

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"The North Carolina law goes further than requiring a photo ID to vote. It also reduces the number of days of early voting, prohibits people from registering and voting on the same day, stops ballots cast in the wrong precinct from being counted and ends the practice of preregistering teenagers before they turn 18. Although other states have enacted one of these restrictions, such as a voter ID requirement, the North Carolina law is the broadest law that encompasses all the changes."

"Several civil rights groups sued, and a dramatic legal fight followed with mass protests in Raleigh led by the NAACP's Barber." "One of the plaintiffs is Rosanell Eaton, 94, who said she and her daughter had to make 10 trips to the Division of Motor Vehicles, drive more than 200 miles and spend more than 20 hours to obtain one of the required forms of voter identification because the name on her identifying document, her driver's license, did not exactly match that on her voter registration."

And we have not even discussed the most egregious offender Texas where residents can vote with a concealed carry handgun license, but not a state-issued student university ID. It seems critical thinking skills are anathema to Republican politics.
In separate press conferences in Springfield Monday, Gov. Bruce Rauner spoke of his opposition to a progressive tax in Illinois while Democratic Reps. Lou Lang and Christian Mitchell voiced their support. The House is expected to vote on a constitutional amendment to allow a progressive income tax on Tuesday.

The effort to change the Illinois constitution to allow a progressive income tax system in Illinois is expected to get its first big test Tuesday, when the House votes on a constitutional amendment to lift the prohibition on a graduated-rate income tax.

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It's the first step in a process that only will move forward if (A) three-fifths majorities of the Illinois House and Senate vote to put the constitutional amendment before voters on Nov. 8 and (B) voters approve it.

The 1970 Illinois Constitution required that any state income tax be applied to all taxpayers at the same rate, so Illinois never has had a system similar to that of the federal government, in which income tax rates rise along with taxpayers' incomes. Currently, the individual income tax rate in Illinois is 3.75 percent.

The requirement that Illinois have only a flat-rate income tax was the product of much negotiation at the Constitutional Convention of 1970. The state had only implemented its first income tax, at 2.5 percent, in 1969, and there was fear among those who supported the income tax that attempting to establish a graduated-rate system would kill the whole concept.

For years, however, there's been a steady drumbeat to change the constitution by those, almost exclusively Democrats, who argue that a graduated-rate system is a more fair way of taxing because it taxes according to a taxpayer's ability to pay. This year, Democrats have introduced a constitutional amendment to allow a progressive tax and a bill that, if voters approve the amendment, establishes tax brackets from 3.5 to 9.75 percent.

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"This is an issue whose time has come," said state Rep. Christian Mitchell, D-Chicago, who is the sponsor of the constitutional amendment. "With the current tax structure that we have in Illinois what happens now is that middle class families, once you count sales taxes, property taxes, taxes that are paid on things like a gallon of gas, middle class people are paying twice as much as a share of their income as the top 1 percent" of income-earners.

Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, is sponsor of the companion bill that could set the rates of a progressive system if the constitutional amendment is approved by voters. He says implementing the graduated tax would amount to a tax break for "99.3 percent of all taxpayers." Lang estimates his plan will bring in $1.9 billion more in tax revenue than the current system.

"This proposal was not created to solve all of our problems," Lang said at a May 2 press conference. "This isn't about balancing the budget. It's about a fair tax." (View Lang and Mitchell's entire press conference here.)

But just as Democrats have massed forces behind a progressive tax, so have Republicans over the years mounted opposition. This year that's especially true, as Gov. Bruce Rauner says the progressive tax push is another example of Democrats trying to get more tax revenue without implementing any business or government reforms that will help Illinois' overall economy in the long-term.

"I really don't support a graduated income tax. I think that could well be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Illinois' economic competitiveness," said Gov. Bruce Rauner at his own press conference May 2. "If we go to a graduated income tax that will quickly spike up and put our income tax among the highest in America. And that would be devastating to recruiting companies and growing our economy.

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"And if we put a high income tax on successful people -- business owners, small business owners -- many more will leave; many more than have already been leaving." (Rauner's complete remarks are here.)

Variations of this debate have played out for years in the General Assembly, but this year it appears headed for action in the General Assembly.

The difference is that this year the state faces an unprecedented financial crisis. Comptroller Leslie Munger has said the state may close the fiscal year on June 30 with a $10 billion deficit. Lang's plan won't make much of a dent in that. And with 1 percentage point of a flat tax increase bringing in an estimated $3.2 billion, it'll take a hefty increase in the current system to begin chipping away at the debt.

Even Rauner, a staunch opponent of taxes, has said that Illinois can't fix its budget problems with cuts alone. If Democrats would pass some parts of his Turnaround Agenda, he has said he'd discuss tax increases.

So what's your choice? Do you believe Lang and Mitchell, that a progressive tax is a "fair tax" that'll bring in more revenue and give all but .7 percent of taxpayers a tax break?

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Do you favor a flat tax system, and want it to stay that way even if it almost certainly will increase from the current 3.75 percent?

Keep in mind that the income tax changes, if they happen, likely will be part of a much bigger package of tax reforms. An updating of the sales tax code is only one among many ideas that have been discussed. Numerous other spending reforms, from changing the state's purchasing system to closing corporate tax loopholes, also have been discussed for potential savings.

Don't sit idly by while your lawmakers in Springfield make this decision.

We've updated our Sound Off tool to let you voice your opinion on how the General Assembly should handle the tax question. Just click the link and choose this tab:

You'll find background on the budget, taxes and spending. Enter your address and Sound Off will look up your state senator and representative. Then it'll send your message -- you can write it yourself or use the one already filled in -- to your legislators, Gov. Bruce Rauner, House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno.

Believe it or not, your representatives in Springfield really do listen to their constituents.

The FY 2017 budget officially is due in four weeks. We hope you'll use Sound Off and take an active part in getting Illinois government working again.
CARMEL, IN - MAY 02: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts on May 2, 2016 in Carmel, Indiana. Trump continues to campaign leading up to the Indiana primary on May 3. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Donald Trump is opposed to marriage equality. That is true, stated over and over again, almost a year after the Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case, allowing gay and lesbian citizens across the nation to legally marry.

Trump said on Fox News he would "strongly consider" appointing judges who would overturn that ruling, which he called "shocking." And he's assured religious conservatives on the issue in their own below-the-radar forums. Trump articulates that gay and lesbian people should be treated as second class citizens with regard to their relationships, and has made a pact with our vilest long-time enemies, getting the backing of Jerry Falwell, Jr. There really is no other way to put it: We are not equal to Donald Trump.

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I would hope that in 1968, a year after the Supreme Court ruled that states couldn't ban interracial marriage, a New York Times reporter would have objectively described a politician opposed to the ruling as a racist, or at the very least wouldn't write an entire article telling us why that politician is "far more accepting" of blacks than other politicians because said politician happens to have had a lot of black friends. After all, with both of them opposed to marriage equality, saying that Donald Trump is "far more accepting" on gay issues than Ted Cruz is like telling us that Barry Goldwater was far more accepting of blacks than Strom Thurmond.

In other words, not much more. And certainly not enough to require an entire piece in The New York Times that puffs up Donald Trump as, comparatively, a friend to gays because he's done business with them and has had gay friends -- some of whom have fled him in the way his former Latino and black friends and associates have fled him.

But that is exactly what presidential campaign correspondent Maggie Haberman bizarrely did a little over a week ago. She wrote a piece headlined, "Donald Trump's More Accepting Views on Gay Issues Set Him Apart in G.O.P.," in which she selectively drew upon things like Donald Trump congratulating Elton John on his civil union in 2005, while treating Trump's opposition to marriage equality as a sort of minor detail and something "puzzling" to people who know him. Haberman even used Trump having "nuzzled" Rudy Giuliani while the former New York City mayor performed a drag skit 16 years ago at a political roast as further evidence of Trump being "far more accepting" of gays. This was offensive, to say the least, as Giuliani is a straight man who was hostile to LGBT rights as mayor and is still opposed to marriage equality. And it betrayed either a naivete on the part of Haberman regarding what it actually means to be gay, or desperation for evidence of Trump's supposed support of gays, or both.

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Meanwhile, Haberman omitted crucial details in her piece, such as Trump's appearances in conservative media forums -- on Fox News, on the Christian Broadcasting Network, in a town hall with Pat Robertson and in other venues -- sometimes dog-whistling and other times clearly making public promises to evangelicals on the gay issue. (She did make a reference to "recent alliances with social conservatives," but this was buried way down, and again, presented as a minor detail that has the Log Cabin Republicans -- the only gay group quoted in her article -- "alarmed" and seeking a meeting with Trump.)

The hook for Haberman's story was Trump's having blurted out during an interview a day before that he thought North Carolina's new law specifically regulating use of public rest rooms by transgender people was bad for business and for that reason he opposed it. But no sooner had her story gone online than Trump walked back the comment quite a bit, telling Sean Hannity that while he disagreed he'd leave it up to the state -- just as he and other conservatives would leave abortion and a whole host of issues up to the states. So this wasn't support for federal civil rights. It's true that Trump has said in the past he would support federal employment protections for gays, which Haberman highlighted up front in her piece. But he recently came out in support of the First Amendment Defense Act, a bill promoted by the GOP in Congress to basically allow religious exemptions for such protections -- effectively blunting them -- a critical fact Haberman failed to report in her piece, and which I focused on in a post a few months ago looking at the danger of a Trump presidency to LGBT rights.

Haberman tried to spin her just-published story, after Trump had largely negated it by walking back his North Carolina comment, via a tweet that attempted to morph the story into something more so about Trump's "history" with the gay community -- when the story was very much about the here and now -- which, she wrote, "like everything else w him, is complicated." But Twitter (including me) wasn't having it, and neither were most of the non-Trump supporters in the comments on the Times site. Trump supporters of course were delighted by Haberman's story, tellingly seeing it as one of the few positive stories, if the only positive story, the Times has done on Trump. One explained to me on Twitter that Trump isn't anti-gay; he just believes marriage should be left to the states -- which proved the point.

Trump's history with gay community, like everything else w him, is complicated. https://t.co/YlDZkmvy12  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 22, 2016

Gay commentators and pundits weren't having it either, with veteran journalist Kerry Eleveld rightly criticizing Haberman's piece at Daily Kos, as did J. Brian Lowder at Slate. More telling was the silence from gay pundits and reporters who inhabit -- or aspire to inhabit -- the New York/Washington media in-crowd that Haberman inhabits. I didn't even notice any of them tweet her piece.

Haberman is a seasoned, smart journalist with a stellar reputation, and that makes her story -- and her "he's complicated" rationale for writing it -- all the more baffling. One could write the same story about Trump on any issue, after all, because he's been all over the place on everything, and one could choose positions and statements to selectively highlight while downplaying or omitting other positions or statements. So why this story? It's hard to know, as reporters are influenced by so many things in the heat of the campaign, including desiring access and competing with one another for that access.

Two days before this strange piece, Haberman and a colleague published their sit-down interview with Trump, which ran with a headline that touted Trump showing his "Softer Side," surely something that made the campaign happy. Ironically, a day later, two of Haberman's own colleagues at the Times exposed via leaked video how Trump's campaign adviser Paul Manafort is assuring GOP donors behind closed doors that the campaign was indeed reshaping Trump's image and that everything before was an "act." Five days later the Times' own editorial page, drawing upon that story, warned against getting sucked in by the Trump "Pygmalion Project." It may as well have been speaking to its reporter Maggie Haberman.

None of this is to say there wasn't a story here for Haberman, nor that this one shouldn't have been the start of it. There simply were critical facts and details missing, very little nuance and too much editorializing and puffing up. It's true that Trump doesn't loudly blare his anti-gay positions in the way he does his positions on immigration and other issues, and a piece looking at why he uses the dog-whistle on gay issues but nonetheless is as anti-gay as his opponents in what he's articulated in a more low-key manner would have been an interesting way to go.

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There was another politician who was a celebrity who had many gay friends. He, like Trump, led a very non-traditional lifestyle, having been divorced. And yet, that didn't hurt him with evangelicals, as he also made dog-whistle promises to religious conservatives during his presidential campaign. But anyone who believed he'd choose his gay friends of the past or his "true" beliefs over those of the group to which he'd politically pandered were in for a terrible shock when Ronald Reagan let thousands of people die -- including his Hollywood friends like Rock Hudson -- refusing to even utter the word AIDS for years as president, lest it offend the moralists who helped put him in office.
I recently saw a "New Yorker" cartoon that depicted God speaking to a frowning angel as they gazed down at planet Earth. The caption read: "I'm starting to prefer the ones who don't believe in me." I laughed when I read that, but it also hit a nerve.

Last summer I struck up a conversation with a middle-aged woman on a flight from Denver to San Francisco. We engaged in the kind of small talk two strangers sitting side-by-side on a three-hour flight do. She told me she was headed out to visit her son and his partner. I volunteered that my family and I were spending ten days traveling up the coast from San Francisco to Portland.

Our conversation rolled along amicably. I asked what she did for a living - she was a physician - and she asked what I did. When I told her I was a writer, she asked what I wrote. "Non-fiction and memoir," I answered. "I mainly write about faith from a Christian perspective."

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My seatmate didn't respond. Instead, she opened the book she'd been holding in her lap and began to read.

At first I thought maybe she hadn't heard me. But then I realized the awful truth. By identifying myself as a Christian writer I had shut down the conversation. She didn't say another word to me for the rest of the flight.

I initially reacted to her abrupt dismissal with anger. How dare she judge me, I fumed to myself. But my anger quickly turned to sadness and shame when I realized the truth: she judged me because she thought she knew me. And she thought she knew me because time and time again, she's only been offered one version, one definition, of what Christianity is and who Christians are. Declaring myself as a Christian writer landed me squarely in the extreme right, which is the only version of Christianity my seatmate has consistently been offered. To her, I was a finger-wagging, exclusionary hypocrite.



No, you've got it all wrong, I wanted to say. I'm a good Christian. I'm not judging you. I'm not judging your son. But when I heard my own words in my head, I stayed quiet. I felt ashamed and saddened by my need to qualify. This is what we've come to, I thought. The word "Christian" needs a modifier. "Good" is not implied.

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My seatmate's reaction speaks to a troubling trend. A 2015 Pew Research Center survey of 35,000 Americans found that the Christian percentage of the population has dropped to 70.6% (down from 78.4% in 2007). Pew attributes the drop to the number of millennials leaving the church, more than one-third of whom say they are unaffiliated with any faith, down 10 percentage points since 2007. People who profess no faith affiliation now comprise nearly 23% percent of the country's adult population.

Those statistics and the situation I found myself in that day on the airplane didn't happen in a vacuum. People are not born with an innate distrust and dislike of Christians. It's a learned response, the result of repeated exposure to self-righteousness and judgment, which, more often than not, is presented as well-meaning guidance and even "love."

We have no one to blame but ourselves. Christians, mainly a small minority with the loudest, most judgmental voices, are driving people from the church.

America has become a culture of extremes. We see it in our politics, in our pop culture, and in our religions. In our society, the loudest, most extreme voices are the ones given the platform; they are the ones heard. But that doesn't have to be the case.

We Christians like to claim "they will know us by our love," as the song goes, but clearly we are doing a terrible job of living out those lyrics. We need to do better, and we can start by doing more than merely tolerating our neighbors. To tolerate isn't nearly good enough; to tolerate is to set the bar far too low. We tolerate mundane irritations, like long check-out lines at the grocery store or a different brand of coffee than we're used to. We need to do more than simply tolerate other people, human beings who have been created by God in God's image, no matter how different they are from us.

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Instead, we need to invite, embrace, and love them. We need to demonstrate radical hospitality, not only by accepting but by welcoming others with open arms. We need to stop saying things like, "Love the sinner, hate the sin," which is only judgment masquerading as love. We need to worry more about changing ourselves and less about changing others. We need to refuse to allow a minority of loud, judgmental voices to define who we are, and instead speak for ourselves, not necessarily with words, but through acts of genuine kindness, acceptance, and love.
A Nurse Aide, an Emergency Room Clerk, and a Patient



I have great appreciation for doctors and nurses, hospitals, and patients. In high school I worked as a nurse aide in a convalescent home. I fed, dressed, and showered elderly patients, many of them immobile. I shaved gentlemen's facial stubble and polished ladies' fingernails. In college and in graduate school, I worked as an emergency room clerk. I witnessed a lot, including amazing doctors and nurses caring for patients and saving lives. I have also been a patient. First, when I had an appendectomy at age eight and then when I gave natural childbirth twice. All were pleasant experiences. My time as a nurse aide and an emergency room clerk taught me about illnesses, diseases, tests, diagnoses, allergies, treatment, medical jargon, pharmaceuticals, and patient care.

I never imagined that, one day I would be a hospital patient who would experience not only one serious surgical error but also many medication errors during the first fifteen days of a twenty-six day hospital stay. Good doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals made unintentional but potentially life threatening and preventable mistakes. From a patient perspective, I offer ways hospital healthcare professionals can avoid life-threatening medication errors and prevent patients from enduring unacceptable emotional stress and trauma.

The Trauma of Medication Errors

A week after my laparoscopic hysterectomy, I was in the emergency room suffering from excruciating abdominal pain and severe nausea. Drowsy and not alert from the pain medication, I was escorted in a wheel chair with my husband Jon by my side to the CAT scan room. A technician offered me a clear plastic cup containing what appeared to be water. My husband asked what was in the plastic cup. The clear liquid was CAT scan dye (iodine).

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Immediately, my husband intervened and protested I am allergic to CAT scan dye. The technician replied that it was "only a little." It was only after my husband insisted that she read my patient chart for my allergies, that she poured the dye down the drain. Thank God my husband and best advocate reacted so quickly when I could not. A CAT scan without dye (without contrast) revealed I had a small bowel obstruction.

While an in-patient after the surgery to unkink the obstruction, I developed edema on my feet and ankles. The doctor ordered Lasix, a diuretic. How harmful can a diuretic be? Very harmful and even life threatening if the diuretic contains sulfa.

As soon as the nurse inserted the syringe in the vein of my right arm, I had a severe reaction. I violently jerked my body forward and began screaming at the top of my lungs. I was burning and on fire. I was screaming "I'm dying." My husband could only helplessly watch in horror. The nurse was surprised I had such a severe reaction. She said she was not aware of any adverse reaction to Lasix because it's "just a diuretic."

Two days later, another doctor stopped by to check in on me. I told him what had happened when I was given Lasix. He calmly asked if I was allergic to sulfa. I said yes, and he said Lasix is a sulfa drug. Lasix was ordered by a doctor, dispensed by the hospital pharmacist, and administered by the nurse. No one checked my chart or the electronic patient file in the patient computer in my room to see that I am allergic to sulfa.

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These medication errors were preventable. All my allergies were listed in my patient chart. I immediately went into anaphylactic shock during my first CAT scan with dye when I was nineteen. In my twenties, I discovered I was allergic to sulfa.

I was also given Cipro for a urinary tract infection (UTI) after a nephrostomy tube was inserted in my left kidney on day seventeen of my hospital stay. Cipro and all fluoroquinolones should not be prescribed to athletes and runners. I suffered Cipro toxicity and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I should have never been given Cipro, a black box drug.

Preventing Medication Errors

To prevent medication errors, all entrusted in a patient's care - doctors, nurses, technicians, and pharmacists - must:

1) Always very carefully review and check the patient's chart for allergies every single time they have contact with the patient. My patient wristband only indicated I have allergies but did not list them.

2) Always ask the patient for their drug allergy history. If the patient is not alert or lucid, speak to a family member or the patient's advocate.

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3) Have knowledge of the medications, and their side effects and adverse reactions before prescribing, ordering, and administering them.

4) Determine if the patient is or is not a candidate for said medication. As an ultrarunner, I am not a candidate for Cipro. I should have been prescribed an antibiotic that does not contain sulfa to treat my UTI.

Be Your Own Advocate and Have A Patient Advocate

I mistakenly assumed that all entrusted in my care reviewed my patient chart for my allergy history. I joined the approximately 1.5 million people who suffer unnecessarily from medical errors every year. Medication errors can occur, especially when there is no known history of allergies to medication. However, when a patient provides h/her entire medication allergy history, preventable medication errors should not occur.
By Stephanie K. Meeks , President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

This morning, I was proud to announce that Morgan State University in Baltimore, Marylands largest historically black university, is the National Trust for Historic Preservations newest National Treasure. We are including Morgan State in our signature initiative at the Trust in part because of its breathtaking campus, which is suffused with historic buildings that can help the university flourish into the future. And this designation also reflects our strong conviction that Morgan State - and all of the nations historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) - tell an important and often overlooked American story that should be told.

For nearly 150 years, generations of students have been inspired by the remarkable beauty and variety of Morgan States landscape. Look around the grounds and you can see architectural styles ranging from Classical to Italianate, Modern to Brutalist. Many of these buildings were designed by pioneering and celebrated African-American architects - men like Albert Cassell, Hilyard Robinson, Louis Fry, and Leon Bridges.

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Each of these buildings is historic on its own, but their sum is even greater than the parts. Together, they helped to foster the rich history, culture, and traditions that make up Morgan State. Since 1867, young people have come there to learn about the world, awaken their creativity, and choose the path they want to pursue through life.

HBCUs like Morgan State show us how, in the years after the Civil War, and even in the face of great challenges and persistent discrimination, vital institutions of learning arose to help African-Americans pursue the education they had been long denied. That is why we named HBCUs to our annual list of Americas 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 1998, and why we are working with leaders in Congress to get Historic Preservation Funding for HBCUs reauthorized. This fund has invested more than $61 million in the restoration of historic buildings on HBCU campuses between 1996 and 2009.

Morgan State joins another HBCU where we are working - Howard University in Washington D.C. - whose historic Founders Library is another National Treasure. In its halls, brilliant legal minds like Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall forged the strategy that made Brown v. Board of Education a reality. And the library continues to inspire some of todays most dynamic and provocative thinkers, including Howard alum Ta-Nehisi Coates. When asked why he wrote the 2015 National Book Award-winning Between the World and Me, Coates said: I had a memory of myself as a young person, sitting in the Founders Library at Howard University and reading Baldwins Fire Next Time cover to cover. I wanted a book that a young person could do that with.

As Coates quote attests, HBCUs dont just tell an important story about our past. They are crucial to our present and our future. According to a 2011 essay in Black Enterprise, HBCUs represent only about 3% of American colleges, but they produce nearly one quarter (23%) of all black college graduates. Half of the nations African-American teachers, 40% of African-American health professionals, and 60% of Americas black engineers are all trained at HBCUs. A century and a half after they first emerged to redress a systematic wrong in Americas higher education system, these colleges remain a critical seedbed of opportunity, achievement, and equality in America.

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For all of these reasons and more, we are delighted to partner with Morgan State to help craft the next chapter in their story. Often our National Treasures are facing a serious threat, but at Morgan State, we instead see an important opportunity - to demonstrate how historic preservation can be a springboard for growth, rejuvenation, and revitalization. As such, we will work with the university to develop a preservation plan that stewards the many remarkable older buildings on campus, while planning wisely for the future.

At the National Trust, we strongly believe that older buildings should not just be trapped in amber, or left to gather dust behind a velvet rope: They should be active and fully engaged in the life of the community. Working with Morgan State, we are going to help transform their many historic assets into 21st century living and learning spaces, while maintaining their distinctive character.
On April 27, Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi held a meeting with the Joint Monitoring Committee, a body representative of the army and eight non-state armed groups that signed the so-called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) last October.

The meeting was the first of its kind since the National League for Democracy (NLD) assumed power. Probably the most significant development of the meeting was that the state counselor wanted to convene a "Panglong-style" conference within two months.

The NLD leader had publicly voiced her support for holding a Panglong-type conference since the days of her confinement. A few days after her release from house arrest in November 2010, Suu Kyi said, "A second Panglong conference addressing the concerns of the 21st century is needed for national reconciliation."

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As the country prepares for the Panglong-style conference, there are three important lessons the country needs to learn from the failure of Panglong conference: representation, support and cooperation, and constitution.

First, the Panglong conference, held on the eve of the country's independence from Great Britain in 1947, was not attended by representatives of all ethnic nationalities. In fact, the historic Panglong agreement was signed by representatives of only four groups -- Bama/Burman or Myanma, Chin, Kachin, and Shan.

Similarly, although eight armed groups signed the NCA last year, only four ethnic groups (Bama/Burman or Myanma, Chin, Karen and Shan) are represented. Three different organizations represented the Karen people -- Karen National Union, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, Karen Peace Council.

The conference must ensure that all ethnic groups are represented, particularly about the two dozens of armed groups which did not or were not allowed to sign the NCA. No ethnic group should be given a special status or preferential treatment, at least in the early stages of political dialogue process.

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Second, the conference must have the support and cooperation of different political stakeholders. Here I mean to say that the NLD government's peace initiatives should have the backing of the military and political parties of different ethnicities, including those parties in the opposition.

During the Panglong conference, although the then leader General Aung San gave assurance to the frontier people (now called ethnic minorities) that there will be equality of rights in post-independent Burma, many doubted the sincerity of the Burman leaders.

The British colonial administration was also concerned that the non-Burman ethnic groups would not be treated equally in the Union of Burma. To allay the fear and suspicion, Aung San said to the frontier leaders, "if Burma receives one kyat, you will also get one kyat."

Third, the conference should focus on amending the existing constitution or drafting a new one that would guarantee equality of rights for all citizens within the structure of federalism.

One fundamental principle of the Panglong agreement, which was incorporated in the 1947 constitution, was the acceptance of autonomy in the internal administration of the frontier areas.

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The constitution also guaranteed the frontier people the right to secession after 10 years of the formation of the union. However, the assassination of Aung San in July 1947 shattered the hope of the frontier people.

After the death of Aung San, the Burmese army was against granting autonomy in the frontier areas. The army, which Aung San led against the British and Japanese forces, equated autonomy/federalism with disintegration of the union.

Instead of respecting and protecting the constitution, the military staged a coup in 1962 and ruled the country, which subsequently led to the rise of insurgency movement. The military then suppressed the country's ethnic minorities.

As Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the daughter of Aung San, leads this 21st century Panglong-style conference, there is high hope and expectation that the shortcomings of Panglong conference will be addressed. At the same time, there is also a caveat of another failure should there be lack of support and cooperation from leaders of all major political stakeholders, including the military.

Given the reemergence of a ray of hope after five decades of despair, the international community should help Myanmar to achieve peace and stability, which will be beneficial for all.

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Image Source: publicdomain.net

In a previous article, I discussed a few stereotypes that surround Buddhism. One of which was the idea of vegetarianism. As I explained in the previous entry, vegetarianism in Buddhism depends on the sect, and many sects do not require or even encourage it. It is even generally agreed that the Buddha himself and his monks ate meat.

But that just raises further questions. Buddhism is widely known for its teachings of non-violence, even towards animals. So how is it possible that such a religion would not require vegetarianism?

Monasticism

To see why this is the case let's start with the monastics. Excluding most schools of Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhist monastics will usually eat meat. A part of this has to do with the Buddha's requirement that the Sangha, or monastic community, live off the generosity of the laypeople.

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The purpose of this requirement has to do with both convenience and compassion.

It is obviously more convenient and conducive to mental cultivation for a monk to simply live off the food given by others than it is for them to cook their own food. Not only does it save time, it frees the mind from the worry of having to prepare or choose what to make.

The other reason is compassion. The Law of Karma is a huge part of Buddhism, and finding stories in the Pali Canon of compassionate monks looking for people in need to accept food from is not uncommon. Providing the laypeople with a source of merit, or good karma, is a major reason the Buddha had this requirement for the Sangha.

The Buddhist scriptures actually describe the Sangha as the "Anuttaram punnakkhettam lokassa", or the "incomparable merit field of the world". So requiring the Sangha to live off the generosity of others was the best way to make use of this detail.



Image Source: dnymc.org

This requirement did change in some later sects of Buddhism however, mostly due to cultural differences. In many schools of Mahayana Buddhism for instance, the Sangha is encouraged to be self-sufficient, a bit of a 180 degree turn from what the Buddha requested, but makes sense considering begging wasn't considered a very noble livelihood in ancient China.

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So why can't monks simply request vegetarian food?

The reason for this is has to do with convenience for the laypeople. The Sangha is supposed to make themselves easy to support, and that includes not being picky about food, although monastics are to refuse accepting certain foods for a variety of reasons.

A few examples of such are meat; if they see, hear, or suspect the animal was killed specifically for them or if it is a type of meat the Buddha forbade monks to accept, such as human or tiger meat to name a few.

Also, just keep in mind; it would be awfully rude if a faithful but poor family saved up to buy meat at the market to offer to a monk, only to get rejected because the monk doesn't want to eat meat.

Laypeople

So what of the laypeople? After all, Buddhist laypeople can choose what they eat, so why are they able to eat meat?

I remember one Theravada monk explain this to me using a pretty good example. Suppose a tiger was to kill a deer, and then ate part of it and left. Then, a vulture flies by and eats the remainder of the deer. Is the vulture responsible for the deer's death?

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Long story short, there is no bad karma in being the scavenger in Buddhism, but there is in being the hunter. The act of eating meat is separate from the act of killing, and you don't necessarily have to kill to eat meat. In the Amagandha Sutta, the Buddha recalls his predecessor making this very point about these two acts being separate, and whether or not you're a vegetarian will have no effect on bringing you closer to achieving Nirvana.



Image Source: wikipedia.com

This is the basis of why it is okay to eat meat in Buddhism. Buying meat at the market constitutes being a scavenger, and it's better to make use of the meat rather than having the animal die just to have its flesh thrown away.

As for those who say not buying meat reduces the killing of animals, this is a good point to make, but not an all-encompassing point. There is a famous story in the Buddha's life where he was at a festival as a child. During the festival, the young prince caught a glimpse of a farmer plowing his field to plant crops. The observant prince noticed that as the farmer plowed the field, it exposed and killed numerous worms and insects in the ground, causing the prince to feel great compassion for the small creatures.



Image Source: buddhistedu.org

While the supply and demand effects of buying less meat would shift killing away from livestock, the consumption of crops also leads to the loss of life, even if accidental or indirectly. Not to mention, in today's world many farmers use pesticides to protect their crops, a deliberate act of killing. Horrible as it may be, this is just the world we live in, and it's best not to focus too much on things out of our control. Being a vegetarian doesn't make you good, and not being one doesn't make you bad.

Just to be clear, if you're a vegetarian, that doesn't mean you should quit after reading this article. The purpose of this article is solely to explain the reasons as to why some Buddhists don't consider vegetarianism necessary. Some sects of Buddhism do encourage vegetarianism for various reasons and some don't, but just because a sect doesn't actively encourage it doesn't mean it's discouraged.

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What Trumps the Horrors of a Hellscape? The Donald!

Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com



LEER, South Sudan -- Im sitting in the dark, sweating. The blinding white sun has long since set, but its still in the high 90s, which is a relief since it was above 110 earlier. Slumped in a blue plastic chair, Im thinking back on the day, trying to process everything I saw, the people I spoke with: the woman whose home was burned down, the woman whose teenage daughter was shot and killed, the woman with 10 mouths to feed and no money, the glassy-eyed soldier with the AK-47.

Then there were the scorched ruins: the wrecked houses, the traditional wattle-and-daub tukuls without roofs, the spectral footprints of homes set aflame by armed raiders who swept through in successive waves, the remnants of a town that has ceased to exist.

And, of course, there were the human remains: a field of scattered skulls and femurs and ribs and pelvises and spinal columns.

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And Im sitting here -- spent, sweaty, stinking -- trying to make sense of it all about 10 feet from a sandbagged bunker Im supposed to jump into if the shooting starts again. Its one of the worse places in the world, someone had assured me before I left South Sudans capital, Juba, for this hellscape of burnt-out buildings and unburied bones that goes by the name of Leer.

A lantern on a nearby table casts a dim glow on an approaching aid worker, an African with a deep knowledge of this place. Hes come to fetch his dinner. Im hoping to corral him and pick his brain about the men who torched this town, burned people alive, beat and murdered civilians, abducted, raped, and enslaved women and children, looted and pillaged and stole.

Before I can say a word, he beats me to the punch with his own set of rapid-fire questions: This man called Trump -- whats going on with him? Whos voting for him? Are you voting for him? He then proceeds to tell me everything hes heard about the Republican frontrunner -- how Trump is tarnishing Americas global image, how he cant believe the things Trump says about women and immigrants.

Here, where catastrophic food insecurity may tip into starvation at any time, where armed men still arrive in the night to steal and rape. (They could come any night. You might even hear them tonight. Youll hear the women screaming, another aid worker told me earlier in the day.) Here, where horrors abound, this man wants -- seemingly needs -- to know if Donald Trump could actually be elected president of the United States. Im really afraid, he says of the prospect without a hint of irony.

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Of Midwifery and Militias

After decades of effort, the United States helped midwife the birth of the Republic of South Sudan, according to then-Senator, now Secretary of State John Kerry. In reality, for the South Sudanese to win their independence it took two brutal conflicts with Sudan, the first of which raged from 1955 to 1972, and the second from 1983 to 2005, leaving millions dead and displaced. Still, it is true that for more than 20 years, a bipartisan coalition in Washington and beyond championed the southern rebels, and that, as the new nation broke away from Sudan, the U.S. poured in billions of dollars in aid, including hundreds of millions of dollars of military and security assistance.

The worlds youngest nation, South Sudan gained its independence in 2011 and just two and a half years later plunged into civil war. Since then, an estimated 50,000 to 300,000 people have been killed in a conflict pitting President Salva Kiir, a member of the countrys largest tribe, the Dinka, against Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer and the vice president he sacked in July 2013. That December, a fight between Dinka and Nuer troops set off the current crisis, which then turned into a slaughter of Nuers by Kiirs forces in Juba. Reprisals followed as Machars men took their revenge on Dinkas and other non-Nuers in towns like Bor and Bentiu. The conflict soon spread, splintering into local wars within the larger war and birthing other violence that even a peace deal signed last August and Machars recent return to the government has been unable to halt.

Again and again, armed men have fallen upon towns and villages filled with noncombatants. Thats exactly what happened to Leer in 2015. Militias allied with the government, in coordination with Kiirs troops -- the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army, or SPLA -- attacked the town and nearby villages again and again. Rebel forces fled in the face of the government onslaught. Fearing execution, many men fled as well. Women stayed behind, caring for children, the sick, and the elderly. There was an assumption that they would be spared. They werent. Old men were killed in their homes that were then set ablaze. Women were gang raped. Others were taken away as sex slaves. Whole villages were razed. Survivors were chased into the nearby swamps, tracked down, and executed. Children drowned in the chaos.

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Those who lived through it spent months in those waterlogged swamps, eating water lily bulbs. When they returned home, they were confronted yet again by pitiless armed men who, at gunpoint, took what meager belongings they had left, sometimes the very clothes off childrens backs.

This is a story that ought to be told and told and retold. And yet here in Leer, like everywhere I went in South Sudan, I couldnt get away from Donald Trump. So many -- South Sudanese, Americans, Canadians, Europeans -- seemed to want to talk about him. Even in this ruined shell of a town, Trump was big news.

The Endorsement Heard Round the World

Back in Juba, I settle down in the shade of my hotels bar on a Saturday morning to read the Daily Vision. In that newspaper, theres a story about the dire economic straits the country finds itself in and the violence its breeding, as well as one about violations of the 2015 peace pact. And then theres this gem of a headline: Nobody Likes Donald Trump. Not Even White Men.

A fair number of South Sudanese men I ran into, however, did like him. He mixes it up, one told me, lauding Trumps business acumen. At least he speaks his mind. Hes not afraid to say things that people do not want to hear, said another. I heard such comments in Juba and beyond. It leaves you with the impression that if his campaign hits rough shoals in the U.S., Trump might still have a political future in South Sudan. After all, this is a country currently led by a brash, cowboy-hat-wearing former guerrilla who mixes it up and is certainly not afraid to speak his mind even when it comes to threatening members of the press with death.

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Compared to Kiir, who stands accused by the United Nations of war crimes, Trump looks tame indeed. The Republican candidate has only threatened to weaken First Amendment protections in order to make it easier to sue, not kill, reporters. Still, the two leaders do seem like-minded on a number of issues. Kiirs government, for example, is implicated in all manner of atrocities, including torture, which Trump has shown an eagerness to employ as a punishment in Washingtons war on terror. Trump has also expressed a willingness to target not only those deemed terrorists, but also their families. Kiirs forces have done just that, attacking noncombatants suspected of sympathizing with the rebels, as they did during the sack of Leer.

So it didnt come as a surprise when, in March, the Sudan Tribune -- a popular Paris-based website covering South Sudan and Sudan -- reported that Salva Kiir had endorsed Trump. It even provided readers with the official statement issued by Kiirs office after his phone call with the U.S. presidential candidate: Donald Trump is a true, hard-working, no-nonsense American who, when he becomes president, will support South Sudan in its democratic path and stability. South Sudan, the world newest nations [sic], is also looking forward to Donald Trumps support and investment in almost all the sectors. Trump, said the Tribune, expressed his thanks for the endorsement and said he will send his top aides to the country to discuss further the investment opportunities.

It turned out, however, that the Tribune had been taken in by a local satirical news site, Saakam -- the Onion of South Sudan -- whose tagline is Breaking news like it never happened. That the Tribune was fooled by the story is not as strange as it might first seem. As journalist Jason Patinkin observed in Quartz, Kiirs reputation is such that many Africa watchers and journalists found the story plausible.

I, for one, hadnt even bothered to read the Tribune article. The title told me all I needed to know. It sounded like classic Kiir. I almost wondered what had taken him so long to reach out. But South Sudans foreign ministry assured Patinkin, There is no truth to [the story] whatsoever.

For now, at least.

Will He Win?

Theres a fever-dream, schizophrenic quality to the war in South Sudan. The conflict began in an orgy of violence, then ebbed, only to flare again and again. As the war has ground on, new groups have emerged, and alliances have formed while others broke down. Commanders switch sides, militias change allegiances. In 2014, for example, Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang, the rebel armys spokesman, called out the SPLA for committing crimes against humanity. Kiir, he said, had lost control of his forces and had become little more than a puppet of his Ugandan backers. Last year, Lul split from Machar to form the South Sudan Resistance Movement/Army -- an organization that attracted few followers. This year, he found a new job, as the spokesman for the military he once cast as criminal. I promise to defend SPLA in Media Warfare until the last drop of blood, he wrote in a Facebook post after being tapped by Kiir. Of course, Machar himself has just recently returned to Juba to serve as first vice-president to Kiir.

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In a country like this, enmeshed in a war like this, its hardly surprising that ceasefires have meant little and violence has ground on even after a peace deal was signed last August. Leer was just one of the spots where atrocities continued despite the pact that ended the conflict.

More recently, the war -- or rather the various sub-conflicts its spawned, along with other armed violence -- has spread to previously peaceful areas of the country. Cattle-raiding, a long-standing cultural practice, now supercharged by modern weaponry and military-style tactics, has proven increasingly lethal to communities nationwide, and has recently even bled across the border into Ethiopia. A South Sudanese raid into that countrys Gambela region last month killed 208 Ethiopians, and the attackers abducted 108 women and children while stealing more than 2,000 head of cattle.

While in Leer, I do end up talking at length with the Trump-intrigued aid worker about local cattle-raiding, as well as the killings, the rapes, and the widespread looting. I was always, however, aware that, like many other foreign aid workers and locals I meet, what he really wanted was an American take on the man presently dominating U.S. politics, an explanation of the larger-than-life and stranger-than-life figure who, even in South Sudan, has the ability to suck the air out of any room.

This Trump. Hes a crazy man! he tells me as we sit together beneath an obsidian sky now thick with stars. He reminds me that hes not authorized by his employer to speak on the record. I nod. Then he adds incredulously, He says some things and you wonder: Are you going to be president? Really?!

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A couple of other people are around us now, eating dinner after a long, sweltering day. They, too, join in the conversation, looking to me for answers. I find myself at a loss. Here, in this place of acute hunger ever-teetering on the brink of famine, here, a short walk from homes that are little more than hovels, where children go naked, women wear dresses that are essentially rags, and a mothers dream is to lay her hands on a sheet of plastic to provide protection from the coming rains, I do my best to explain seething white male anger in America over economic disenfranchisement, losing out, and being left behind, over Donald Trumps channeling of America's economic rage. Im disgusted even articulating these sentiments after spending the day speaking to people whose suffering is as unfathomable in America as Americas wealth is unimaginable here.

Some of Leers women fled with their children into the nearby swamps when armed men swept in. Imagine running blind, in the black of night, into such a swamp. Imagine tripping, falling, losing your grip on a small childs hand as shots ring out. Imagine that child stumbling into water too deep for her to stand. Imagine slapping frantically at that water, disoriented, spinning in the darkness, desperate to find a child who cant swim, whos slipped beneath the surface, who is suddenly gone.

And now imagine me trying to talk about the worries of Trump supporters that their kids won't have a chance to get ahead.

I really dont want to say any more. I dont want to try to make sense of it or try to explain why so many Americans are so enraged at their lot and so enthralled with Donald Trump.

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The aid worker lets me off the hook with another assessment of the Republican candidate. Things he says, they are very awkward. When he says those things, you think: Hes crazy. How can he be a presidential candidate?

How to respond? Im at a loss.

If he wins the election, America will not have the influence its had, he says.

Maybe thats not such a bad thing, I counter. Maybe not having such influence would be good for the world.

Its the truth. It also completely misses the point. Even here, even as Im revolted by talking about Americas problems amid the horrors of Leer, Im still looking at things from a distinctly American vantage point. Im talking about theoretically diminished U.S. power and what that might mean for the planet, but come 2017 hes going to be out in the thick of it, in this or some other desperate place, and hes obviously worried about what the foreign policy of Donald Trumps America is going to mean for him, for Africa, for the world.

I go silent. He goes silent. Another aid worker has been listening in, piping up intermittently between mouthfuls of rice and goat meat. So is he going to win? he asks me.

I look over at him and half-shrug. Everyone, I say, thought Trump was going to flame out long ago. And I stop there. Im too spent to talk Trump anymore. I dont have any answers.

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My companion looks back at me and breaks his silence. It cant happen, can it?


Girls from UK and US having fun at Pokhara Street Festival (Photo: Nepal Tourism Board's Facebook)

Nepal had been a nation, mostly dependent on the tourism industry for most of its GDP until the murderous civil war launched by Maoists across the nation. Until King Birendra's rule, the government empowered Nepal Tourism Board was operating throughout the nation to establish an environment to allow tourism to flourish. Later tourist flow began deteriorating throughout the country.

Nepal is today adjusting itself to its natural state of beauty and grandeur. With the recent earthquakes, Nature has devoured many of its enemies and political changes are being made with new appointments throughout the nation.

Before the civil war, travelers from all over the world like Edmund Hillary used to look for most exotic spots like Mt. Everest for daring adventures while others used to go to most remote parts of the nation like Jomsom to breathe the fresh air unstained by the modern world in its pure virginity.

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During the days of civil war, all that became a thing of the past with villages filled by bloodied bodies and revolution in the streets. Tourists travelling to Nepal during this period limited themselves to secured hikings and tours sponsored by different agencies. Most of the tourists travelling after this period were not ones looking for serenity of the mountains and fresh air, but the less-costly sexual adventures in the streets of Thamels.

After Maoist's over throwing of King Gyanendra's government and the subsequent revolution throughout Kathmandu Valley, communist government began disturbing major infrastructures that made Nepal into what it used to be.

Tourism was no more the source of major GDP, but money being sent by families abroad as majority of young Nepalese left the nation in search of livelihood whether it be Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Europe or America. Majority of wealth was thus taken outside the country. Nepal was thus dependent upon revenue coming from outside during this period, which lasted for over a decade rendering the country in midst of all the evil that one can imagine.

Tourism can once again come back to its peak by following the footsteps of past national leaders. VISIT NEPAL YEAR promoted during the reign of King Birendra was one of the most outstanding program. After the nation has been cleaned with the unnecessary elements by the war and earthquake, now is the time to build a new Nepal, in all its glory.

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New infrastructures that can replace the old and new leaders to replace the old ones are of utmost importance at this moment.
Illinois ranks 15th in the nation when it comes to hospital safety, according to the 2016 Hospital Safety Score, and several of the state's best hospitals never have received anything less than the top score.

The Leapfrog Group -- a nonprofit organization that works to promote safety and quality within the health care system -- has been releasing its rankings of the safest hospitals in the U.S. twice every year since 2012. The spring 2016 rankings tracked performance at 2,500 hospitals across the country in surgical errors, hospital staff quality, infection risk and other safety issues like patient falls and bed sores.

The score then ranks hospitals from A to F, which the Leapfrog Group argues makes a big difference. The risk of avoidable death in a D or F-ranked hospital is 50 percent higher than in an A-ranked one.

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In Illinois, 115 hospitals were scored and nearly 44 percent received an A ranking. Take a look at which hospitals have received A rankings twice a year since the ranking started in 2012.
Classrooms and hallways so cold children wear coats all day. Ceilings that leak year round. Buckled floors and broken doorways. A science classroom so poorly ventilated it can't be used for chemistry experiments.

These are the conditions that the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe's high school students experience every day at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in northern Minnesota. That's because their school is located in a dilapidated metal pole barn built to store vehicles.

I first visited Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig in 2009 and I was appalled by what I saw: one of the worst examples of what decades of neglect have done to schools for Native American children.

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Under treaty and trust responsibilities dating back more than a century, the federal government has an obligation to provide an education for Native American children. It is very similar to the federal responsibility to educate children of Defense Department personnel at home and around the world.

More than 40,000 Native American students attend a school overseen by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), the federal agency tasked with providing a high-quality education in a safe and healthy setting.

Last year, the Bureau reported that more than a third of its 183 schools were in poor condition, requiring extensive renovation or - like the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig school - replacement.

At the Quileute Tribal School in Washington state, the campus frequently floods, with water lapping up against school buildings. The Chichiltah-Jones Ranch Community School in New Mexico experiences frequent power outages. And students at schools in every corner of the country take classes in overcrowded trailers.

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These problems are not new. A 2001 Government Accountability Office report found that substandard facilities were endemic at schools run by both the Department of Defense for children of service members and the Department of the Interior for Native American children.

In response, the Defense Department embarked on an ambitious, multi-billion dollar construction initiative to transform its crumbling school buildings into state-of-the-art centers for learning.

The initiative worked. Today, the Defense Department's schools draw praise for designs that make it easier for teachers to teach and children to learn. President Obama's fiscal year 2017 budget proposal recognizes this success by providing an additional $246 million to renovate four more military base schools.

Yet there has been no similar comprehensive plan for fixing the schools that educate Native American children. Instead, they've continued to crumble.

Thousands of students who were in kindergarten at dilapidated BIE schools in 2004 - when BIE released a list of schools that urgently needed repairs - will graduate high school this year having been in substandard schools for their entire childhood.

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I've heard pleas for better schools from students and tribal leaders across the country for years. There is no shortage of strong leadership and passionate advocacy on their part. But there has been a lack of political will in Congress to make the investments needed to bring their schools to an acceptable standard.

Earlier this month, however, we secured an important victory. After years of bipartisan work in Congress, the Department of the Interior announced that 10 school campuses have been identified for a new priority replacement list. And the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School will be replaced, with $11.9 million coming from a separate facilities account.

While this is good news for the students and families at Leech Lake, it is just a drop in the bucket compared to the vast need for better school facilities across Indian Country.

It is time for the Department of the Interior to develop the same sort of comprehensive plan that has worked so well for Defense Department schools. An adequate plan would commit to extensive renovation or new facilities for all 78 schools that the BIE has identified as needing replacement.

With such a plan in place, it will fall to Congress to fulfill its moral and legal responsibilities and fully fund the needed construction projects.

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Tackling this problem will require Democrats and Republicans to come together, just as we did in securing funding for the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School. Providing healthy and safe buildings where children can learn is not a partisan issue.

Our next president will also have to build on President Obama's highly-praised consultations with Native American tribes. She or he will have to insist that the Department of the Interior make Native American education a top priority.
Voters waiting to vote in polling place

This primary election cycle is showcasing the fundamental unfairness of the way political parties select their nominees. Republicans are aghast that some states choose their nominees at state conventions rather than letting voters choose. Democrats are becoming cognizant that their vote is subservient to the vote of their Governors and members of the U.S. Congress, who in their role as a Superdelegate can vote at the Democratic National Convention for a candidate their constituents rejected. In many respects, political parties are similar to private yacht clubs, country clubs, and polo clubs. The parties decide how they will select their candidates, and the candidate who wins the popular vote can be purged at the convention.

While the blatant electoral inequities of the primary have recently been exposed, it is also time to expose the incongruities of the General Election process. Only about 10 states are showdown states (states which can swing to either party in an election) where an individual's vote actually matters. The voters in the other 40 or so states (including Massachusetts), which constitute about 80% of the electorate, are ignominiously relegated to the electoral sidelines, watching the candidates from their television sets delivering hortatory speeches in those few electorally critical states. Although it seems surreal, in 2012, about two-thirds of General Election campaign events took place in just four states.

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Interestingly, there is a state-by-state movement which would ameliorate this situation by making every vote equal throughout the nation. It is called "The National Popular Vote Plan." Formulated by Computer Scientist John Koza, the proposal is an interstate compact where participating states agree to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. The agreement would take effect once enough states, constituting the requisite 270 electoral votes needed to win a presidential election, agree to participate in the compact. The compact has already been agreed to in 11 states and in the District of Columbia, comprising a total of 165 electoral votes. It would be actuated only if enough states representing the other 105 electoral votes signed on to the compact.

The plan guarantees that the winner of the National Popular Vote actually wins the General Election and that every vote will in fact be coveted by political campaigns. A vote in Jamestown Rhode Island would be as important as a vote in Jamestown, Virginia. A vote in Marblehead, Ohio, would muster as much weight as a vote in Marblehead, Massachusetts. A vote in Stillwell, Wisconsin would be equal to a vote in Stillwell, Oklahoma.

Under the current electoral regime, 48 states award literally all of their electoral votes to the person who wins their state. The District of Columbia does the same. The two exceptions, Maine and Nebraska, allocate two at-large votes to the winner of the state, and the rest by Congressional District. This means that in the 2012 election, the 4,839,958 votes for Mitt Romney in California were obliterated from the pages of electoral time, as Barack Obama collected all 55 Electoral votes from the state. Contrariwise, the 3,308,124 voters who selected Barack Obama in Texas saw their votes disappear, as Mitt Romney mustered all 38 electoral votes from the Loan Star State.

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the Constitution was drafted and debated, there was an impasse as to how to select a President. One proposal had the U.S. Congress select the President. Another mandated that State Legislators choose the President. Still another called for a direct popular vote.

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Arriving at no clear resolution, the conventioneers bequeathed to the states plenary authority to choose how they want to elect the President. Article ll, Section l, Clause ll of the Constitution states: "Each state shall appoint, in such a manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of Electors." How they do that is their prerogative. In fact, in the first Presidential election, only three states instituted winner-take-all statutes.

Contrary to the prevailing contemporary belief, the winner-take-all system is not a creature of the U.S. Constitution, but of partisan politics. In most cases, the political party which enjoyed a majority in the respective State Legislatures was likely to vote for the Presidential candidate of that party. Accordingly, in a partisan scheme, states began to adopt winner-take-all rules for selecting their Presidential candidate in order to maximize the number of votes for the party's Presidential candidate. U.S. Senator Thomas Heart Benton of Missouri, in discussing the winner-take-all system, averred in 1824: "It was adopted by the leading men of those states, to enable them to consolidate the vote of the state."

The greatest danger under the winner-take-all regime is that a Presidential candidate could win the Presidency having pocketed less popular votes than another candidate. This situation occurred in 1824, 1876, 1888, and in 2000. In addition, this result became perilously close to occurring in 1880, 1916, 1960, 1968, and in 2004.

The current electoral system disenfranchises both large and small states. Of the four largest states: California, Texas, New York, and Florida, candidates only target Florida. The other three are "safe," non-competitive states. In fact, party nominees use the three non-showdown states merely as electoral ATM's. A candidate will parachute into Los Angeles, Houston, or New York City, speak at a private fundraiser, beseech opulent benefactors to donate to their campaigns, and then immediately egress from these states to spend that money in the states that matter, showdown states such as Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio.

The disproportionate influence of Ohio is patently obvious. During Barack Obama's first term in office, either Obama or Vice President Joe Biden appeared in the electoral goldmine state about once every three weeks. During the 2012 General Election cycle, an astonishing 73 of the 253 campaign events occurred in the Buckeye state. Six days prior to Halloween, Obama joked that "trick or treaters" should come to the White House. He added: "If anybody comes from Ohio, they can expect a Hershey bar 'this big' [moving his hands outward]."

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The practical application of this is that candidates are forced to address issues important to voters in only these few showdown states, like the economic embargo on Cuba in Florida, ethanol subsidies in Iowa, and the loss of manufacturing jobs in Ohio, while ignoring water rights issues in the Central Valley region of California, property rights issues in the Texas panhandle, and the needs of the Upstate New York economy.

Alternatively, small states are also ignored in the present system. Of the 13 smallest states, only New Hampshire is remotely competitive in a General Election. The other 12 states are "safe states" where the electoral outcome is a foregone conclusion. For example, Idaho, North Dakota, and Wyoming have not supported a Democrat for President since Lyndon B. Johnson won the nation in a landslide victory in 1964. Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Vermont all gave Obama more than 60% of the vote in 2012, and are politically immutable states for the Democrats. In fact, no Presidential candidate has made a formal campaign stop in Rhode Island since Richard M. Nixon in 1960. Nixon had made an injudicious campaign promise to campaign in all 50 states.

Voters in showdown states may conclude that the current system works to their geopolitical advantage, but they must be advised that the current winner-take-all system of voting is like an electoral roulette wheel: It stops on a state for consecutive election cycles and then moves on to other states. While today the needs of the Cuban-American community in South Florida, the steel manufacturer in Pennsylvania and the grain farmer in Virginia may muster an abundance of attention from presidential candidates, they must remember that they will not have this status in perpetuity. They could soon join the ranks of the Long Island fisherman, the Texas rancher, and the chicken farmer in Sussex County, Delaware, as constituencies that are ignored by presidential nominees.

Americans have now been exposed to the injustices of the American primary system, including the influence of Superdelagates, close primaries, and conventions choosing delegate slates rather than the voters. It is also important for voters to be conscious of the inequities in the General Election process. Every vote is not given equal consideration: far from it. The Presidential nominees disregard the preponderance of American voters. Worse, they have no electoral incentive to cultivate support from the preponderance of the nation. As former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar (1991-1999) reminds us, this has a direct effect on how the winner conducts his/her Presidency. "People who are elected to office remember what they learned when they were campaigning. It's important that these candidates campaign in all states." The National Popular Vote Compact would transmogrify the way Presidents are elected, forcing the party nominees to be attentive to voters in all states, not just voters in states where the electoral roulette wheel lands in a particular election cycle.
Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts listens as U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016. Obama said he regrets that political divisiveness in the U.S. grew during his seven years in the White House and he plans to use his final State of the Union address Tuesday night to call for the nation to unite. Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A sharp bone of contention in the contest between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is who cares more about the lives of African Americans. One area of concern is minority voting rights -- last week, a conservative federal judge upheld a repressive North Carolina voter ID law, passed by Republicans, clearly aimed at suppressing black turnout. This provides yet another pointed reminder of why the supporters of both candidates should unite come November -- to stop Chief Justice Roberts and his allies from further gutting measures to protect minorities.

We should not mince words. The Roberts court has not simply been racially obtuse -- quite deliberately, it has dismantled affirmative action and diminished voting rights -- upholding measures specifically designed to disadvantage Democrats by disenfranchising minorities, the poor, and the young.

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Most recently, we have seen this in the Wisconsin primary, where a GOP-sponsored voter ID law kept an estimated 300,000 citizens from voting. That, not protecting the integrity of the ballot, was the law's sole and partisan purpose. So we need not discuss the current Supreme Court in the hushed and reverent whisper of tourists entering a cathedral.

With respect to issues regarding race, the Chief Justice has led the Court's conservative majority in a counterrevolution against the fruits of the civil rights movement. This is not a matter of happenstance, but a defining feature of his legal career.

For over 30 years, John Roberts has pursued an aggressive campaign against programs which promote diversity and protect the voting rights of African-Americans. Hence his famous rationale for this crusade: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."

This excruciating platitude does not withstand exposure to the world as it actually exists -- the excessive and often deadly use of force against blacks; laws passed to discourage black voters; laws which punish blacks more harshly than whites; continuing educational and economic inequities among the races.

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Such banality is, perhaps, to be expected from a smug country clubber, smiling benignly at the black waiter who has just served up his favorite single malt scotch. But spoken by America's Chief Justice, it provides cover for rulings which serve the ideology and interests of the Republican Party at the cost of minorities.

Lest this seem too harsh, a bit of history well-known to Chief Justice Roberts. In the wake of the civil rights laws of 1964-65, Southern whites en masse deserted the Democratic Party -- which they blamed for these laws -- and embraced the GOP.

This was not because they suddenly discovered the charms of limited government as preached by Republicans: the engine of this tectonic shift from one party to another was race -- and racial animus. Quite simply, millions of whites feared and resented this potential sea change in political dominance, and saw the Republican Party as their only hope of preserving the white power structure.

Abruptly, southern states became a key part of the Republican base. Cementing their allegiance, Richard Nixon adopted the GOP's "Southern Strategy", appealing to the widespread sense of white grievance. Under Ronald Reagan, this strategy ripened further -- in 1980, Reagan kicked off his presidential campaign in Philadelphia , Mississippi where, a decade and a half before, civil rights workers had been brutally murdered.

Buoyed by his southern base, Reagan won a landslide. And so Republicans seized the White House newly empowered to put into practice their antagonism to what, in their telling, was the Democrats' over-concern with racial justice.

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Enter John Roberts. From the start, he was a political animal, his career nurtured in the precincts of the Republican right, his thoughts and actions attuned to the conservative ideology which facilitated his rise.

After clerking for the very conservative Chief Justice Rehnquist -- whose own early career included an unseemly antipathy toward integration -- while still in his 20s, Roberts entered the Reagan Justice Department with a distinct hostility toward, as he put it in early memos, to "race conscious remedies" which result in "reverse discrimination" against whites. More broadly, he evinced a consistent and profound distaste for policies -- in the GOP's view wrongheaded -- aimed at promoting racial justice.

He urged measures to advance "our anti- busing and anti- quota principles." He advocated resistance to broadening the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to facilitate the election of minority candidates. He scorned the EEOC as too friendly to claims of discrimination. He attacked affirmative action because, through his lens, it meant "the recruiting of inadequately prepared candidates." And he consistently decried racial preferences intended to counteract de facto segregation.

It is, of course, reasonable to disagree about the efficacy, or even the wisdom, of such measures. But a studied racial insensitivity is something else -- let alone a vehement dislike of race-based remedies so intense that it puzzles even judicial colleagues who agree with him.

It should not take much thought for people like me -- and John Roberts -- to appreciate that, by dint of sheer good fortune, we are the beneficiaries of the most successful affirmative action program in human history. We are white males born to educated and financially comfortable parents at the height of the American century, subject to all the advantages that conferred, and none of the barriers faced by women and minorities.

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That is not guilt -- it's simply fact. Compared to others, the comfortable white males of our era were born on third base. It is impossible to ameliorate every consequence of that, and foolish to try. But it is worse than foolish to deny that social inequities existed -- and exist today. And never more so than when such willful denial finds a home -- indeed a weapon -- in our nation's highest court.

This not an attack on John Roberts the person, but an exploration of the damage done by John Roberts the Chief Justice. Former colleagues describe him as a nice and gracious man, albeit an unbendingly conservative one. Judging from his public statements, he seems genuinely concerned that the Court not be perceived as activist or partisan -- rather more concerned, regrettably, with the perception than the reality which underlies it.

His seems to be the case of a top-drawer intellect hobbled by a narrow ideology and a deep political loyalty, aggravated by a limited ability to empathize with, or even imagine, lives different than his own. This is commonplace. But in a Chief Justice, it can be very harmful indeed.

Take the Court's decisions with respect to voting rights.

The seminal case is the 2013 decision Shelby County v. Holder. At issue was a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, requiring that certain southern states with a history of voter suppression obtain federal approval of changes in their voting laws prior to enactment. The stakes were not abstract -- pending at the time of the decision were a number of photo ID laws which, quite obviously, would disproportionately impact poor and minority voters.

There was -- and is -- no statistically significant evidence of in-person voter fraud which would justify these laws. Nor was their potential political impact obscure: as a matter of demographics, the majority of voters potentially affected were likely to vote Democratic.

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Even if the evidence of these realities had not been put before the Court, it is simply impossible that they would elude a lawyer as politically sophisticated as John Roberts. Nonetheless, in a 5-4 majority opinion, the Chief Justice ruled that the "pre-clearance" provision for scrutinizing voter ID laws was unconstitutional -- a dramatic evisceration of the law which had served as the chief protection for minority voting rights.

The essence of his reasoning was that racial progress in the South invalidated a requirement based on past racial history. In Roberts' formulation, the South in 2013 had changed so much that requiring pre-clearance of voting laws to protect minority rights was unfair to the states involved.

But, in fact, Roberts' distaste for pre-clearance had long proceeded the history he claimed to rely on -- 30 years before, as a Justice Department lawyer, Roberts had opposed the pre -clearance requirement. Plainly, the Shelby County opinion was less a matter of history than of the Chief Justice's pre-existing -- and fixed -- ideology and beliefs.

Equally curious, in the private view of a distinguished federal appellate judge, was the uncharacteristic departure from the quality of Roberts' opinions outside the area of race. To this observer, his opinion in Shelby County is careless, disrespectful of precedent, and dishonest in its accounting of the record before the court.

The evidence that Republican legislatures were poised to enact potentially discriminatory laws was staring Roberts in the face. Given all that, the Chief Justice's judicial critic reluctantly concludes that, far from being oblivious, Roberts knew exactly what he was doing -- placing his finger on the electoral scales to help the Republican Party.

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What is beyond dispute is that the states liberated from pre-clearance were run by Republican governors and legislatures. With unseemly alacrity, in the immediate wake of Shelby 14 states -- eight Southern, all but one governed by Republicans -- enacted or began enforcing strict voter ID laws. Texas did so within hours. And it was a case originating in Texas which gave the Chief Justice and his Court a glaring illustration of what the Shelby decision had wrought.

The case concerned a strict voter ID law twice blocked by the federal courts under the Voting Rights Act. After Shelby, the GOP-dominated Texas legislature promptly reenacted the law.

The Justice Department challenged it as discriminatory. After a lengthy trial produced an extensive factual record, a federal district judge struck down the legislation. Her findings were striking: the legislature had acted "because of and not merely in spite of the voter ID law's detrimental effects on the African-American and Hispanic electorate."

This could not put the issue more plainly -- a direct and unequivocal conclusion that the law was racially motivated, specifically written to suppress minority voting. But on appeal a conservative panel of appellate judges decided that invalidating the law would disturb the voting process in Texas nine days before early voting started -- in other words, that it was better to keep in place a law that, based on the evidence, could disenfranchise 600,000 Texas voters. Armed with this curious reasoning, the Fifth Circuit stayed the lower court's decision.

The case promptly went to the Supreme Court. Ignoring the detailed finding of discrimination, the Roberts court upheld the stay -- effectively validating the suppression of minority turnout. In dissent, Justice Ginsburg wrote: "A sharply disproportionate percentage of those voters [affected by the law] are African-American or Hispanic," adding that "racial discrimination in elections in Texas is no mere historical artifact." But despite a decision by the entire Fifth Circuit to further review the law, just four days ago the Court allowed the stay to remain in place.

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"II is a sordid business," the Chief Justice had written in an earlier voting rights case, "this divvying us up by race." It is indeed. Just how sordid is exposed by Judge Richard Posner's evisceration of the voter ID laws protected by Chief Justice Roberts. Of all of the rebukes to Roberts' reasoning, Posner's is perhaps the most devastating.

Circuit Judge Posner is a Republican, a Reagan appointee, and a renowned conservative legal scholar. He is this era's most eminent writer on the law and, according to one exhaustive survey, the most-cited legal thinker of all times. The occasion for his analysis of voter ID laws was an appeal wherein a conservative appellate court upheld laws passed by GOP legislatures in Indiana and Wisconsin -- the latter of which has just disenfranchised 300,000 voters.

In a scathing dissent, Judge Posner demolished the pretense that these laws exist for any reason other than advantaging Republicans by choking off minority turnout.

First, he explodes the myth of voter fraud. Spelling out what any sentient observer knows , he affirms that "repeated investigations... show that there is virtually no in-person voter fraud nationally."

To the contrary, as Posner has stated elsewhere, these laws are "a means of voter suppression rather than fraud prevention." As he states in his dissent "there is only one motivation for imposing burdens on voting that are ostensibly designed to discourage voter-impersonation fraud, and that is to discourage voting by persons likely to vote against the party responsible for imposing the burden."

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He then provides the proof. State-by-state, he surveys the nine states which have passed the most restrictive voter ID laws. All are governed by Republicans; all are politically conservative.

Finally, Judge Posner demonstrates why poor and minority voters are less likely to have IDs such as driver's licenses -- not because they are somehow scheming to perpetrate voter fraud, but because of lack of money, time, or easy access to the agencies which issue such forms of identification. The obvious affect -- and intent -- of such laws, Posner concludes, is to suppress voting among groups likely to favor Democrats.

Should any doubt remain, a participant in drafting the Wisconsin law has come forward to confirm the obvious -- that the discussions among the Republican legislators focused not on concerns about voter fraud, but on how best to tilt elections toward the GOP. The ironic effect is to mirror the way voter fraud distorts democracy -- instead of stuffing ballot boxes, Republicans are starving them.

This is the unique ugliness of the GOP effort to fight changing demographics -- not by reaching out to minorities, but by disenfranchising them. Just last Friday, former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint trumpeted this strategy on conservative talk radio: Republican voter ID laws, he boasted, "are beginning to change elections toward more conservative candidates."

John Roberts cannot be ignorant of this. The facts of race-based voter suppression are glaring -- and would be even were he not a politically sophisticated conservative Republican. Which casts his "race-neutral" bromides in a particularly pitiless light.

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Here we return to the most famous bromide of all -- that the way to end discrimination by race is to stop discriminating by race.

The context is another Roberts bete noire -- affirmative action. In this area, as well, his decisions are suffused with a single-minded focus on eliminating government plans which take any account of race.

His pioneer opinion was in the 2007 Parents Involved case. That case arose from efforts by Seattle and Louisville to preserve at least some racial diversity in schools affected by residential segregation. The plan which particularly offended the Chief Justice was Seattle's rather modest effort to use race as a factor in assessing applications to oversubscribed schools -- wherein a student's ethnicity was one of several "tiebreakers" used to maintain a level of diversity roughly reflecting the city as a whole.

During oral argument, Roberts compared Seattle's efforts to promote diverse student bodies to the deliberate segregation by race barred by Brown v. Board of Education -- simply because race, the sole factor in maintaining absolute segregation of blacks and whites, was also a factor in Seattle's effort to preserve some level of racial diversity. Morally and practically, this is intellectual perversity of a high order.

But in the judicial philosophy of John Roberts, any acknowledgment of race for any purpose -- even a purpose consistent with Brown -- abridges the Constitution. As for preserving racial diversity, Robert flatly rejects this as an appropriate concern of government. No matter how racially segregated Seattle schools might become, in his view the Constitution prevents any effort to change this imbalance by directly considering race. Truly Orwellian.

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Indeed, Robert's famous bromide about stopping discrimination was too much for Justice Anthony Kennedy, who countered that this pat formulation was "not sufficient to decide these cases. Fifty years of experience since Brown v. Board of Education should teach us that the problem before us defies so easy a solution... To the extent that [Roberts'] plurality opinion suggests that the Constitution mandates that state and local school authorities must accept the status quo of racial isolation in schools, it is, in my view, profoundly mistaken."

Thus the conservative Republican Kennedy, no friend to affirmative action, felt compelled to disown this aspect of the Chief Justice's opinion, and concur on narrower grounds. One might hope that this would give John Roberts pause.

But Roberts' war on "racial preferences" continued apace. In 2014, he joined in the decision upholding Michigan's ban on affirmative action in public university. This provoked a vigorous dissent from Justice Sotomayor, who characterized Roberts' signature bromide as "out of touch with reality." She went on to offer to Chief Justice her own formulation: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination."

Undeterred, Roberts responded sharply: "It is not 'out of touch with reality' to conclude that racial preferences may... do more harm than good." Far from entertaining second thoughts, he was instrumental in an effort to review yet another program to raise diversity, a modest plan at the University of Texas to consider race as one of many "plus factors" in some student admissions decisions. But for the death of Antonin Scalia, court observers believe that the Roberts court would have overturned the Texas plan.

Instead, the case is likely be held in abeyance pending the appointment of a new justice. Left lingering in the air is Roberts' inquiry at oral argument of the lawyer for the University: "What unique perspective does a minority student bring to a physics class?"

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This reductio ad absurdum exposes the fatuity of Roberts' campaign -- not to mention the privileged thought bubble which isolates his philosophical abstractions from the reality of lives outside his own experience.

Does he really think this is merely about the principles of physics? What about the totality of campus life, and what students of all backgrounds experience as part of a student body? Or the disadvantaged students -- minorities and the poor -- who are not sustained by the advantageous circumstances into which John Roberts was born? Absent the ability to ask such questions, politics and ideology can condemn even the smartest man to a callous mediocrity of thought.
Since 1963, May has been Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate seniors and the anniversary of the Older Americans Act, which helps millions of people every year.

Our country is getting older; soon more than 77 million people will be over the age of 60, and more than 34 million people - mostly family and friends - will be supporting a loved one who is over 60. Both these groups are expected grow for the next several decades. That is why it is crucial that we act now to make sure that older Americans have the support they need to continue to live healthy and productive lives.

Last month President Obama signed the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016 which funds a variety of well-known and effective programs that ease the difficulty seniors and their families face as they age.

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For example, the OAA's support for Meals on Wheels, family caregivers, and transportation will help families keep their loved ones out of nursing homes, thereby helping avoid Medicaid costs. Decisions on how to meet the needs of aging family members are always difficult, but the OAA will give some of the tools necessary to make the process easier. Many of these programs include preventive measures that save taxpayers money in the long run.

Other provisions are aimed at reducing scams and elder abuse by helping states train law enforcement officers, health care providers, and other professionals to recognize and respond to elder abuse.

The final bill that Congress and the President approved increases funding by 6% over the next three years, reflecting the growth in the senior population.

The Older Americans Act helps seniors live in dignity. By signing this law, President Obama has helped millions of older Americans improve their health, independence, and quality of life.

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In the Administration's statement regarding the Older Americans Act, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee stated, "For more than 50 years, the Older Americans Act has helped people live the lives they want, with the people they choose, throughout their lives."

I couldn't have said it better myself.
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a campaign rally at the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S., May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski

Remember when commentators thought the 2016 presidential election cycle would be dull? It was supposed to be dominated by the fundraising prowess of a Bush and a Clinton in a 1992 rematch of two famous political families.

It hasn't worked out that way. Instead, we have witnessed one of the most peculiar presidential races in modern memory. What is going on? There are at least three repeated themes in the political commentary on 2016. Here they are:

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Angry Voters Rise Again

Perhaps 2016 is like 1992 when millions of Americans were frustrated with traditional politics and chose to support Ross Perot, the Texas businessman who promised simple solutions to national problems. The Perot voters, angry and unpredictable, were drawn to the ultimate outsider. Maybe part of the American electorate is angry again and rather than looking to a third-party is voting for unusual candidates in the regular party primaries.

Working-class families have suffered decades of stagnant wages, global competition and technological change that have shaken economic expectations and middle class aspirations--fertile ground for Donald Trump. Young progressives, enthusiastic about Barack Obama in 2008, may be disappointed by his modest accomplishments, still burdened by college debt and languishing in a sluggish recovery from the great recession--an opening for Bernie Sanders.

The angry voter analysis assumes that the presidential selection process is actually working well. If unlikely candidates are getting unexpected support, it must be evidence that voters are restless and responding to voices that express their views.

There is a second possibility.

A Media Circus Gets A Clown

The complicated process by which we winnow presidential hopefuls has a long history of problems and predictions of disaster. The voters who show up at caucuses and primaries are more liberal on the Democratic side, more conservative in Republican contests, and don't represent the nation as a whole.

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Sometimes a protest candidate, like Bernie Sanders, can show surprising strength without ever having broad national support. Sometimes an odd candidate, like Donald Trump, can be a "winner" because, in a large field of contenders, a fraction of the vote (in an already unrepresentative process) constitutes a victory.

Moreover, modern presidential races get saturation coverage from the 24-hour news channels. This creates a magnet for those who may want a book contract, speaking fees, ego gratification, an audience for idiosyncratic ideas or invitations for more television appearances. Publicity-seeking candidates are nothing new. But this year the Republicans have an unusually skillful celebrity who has monopolized the media and managed to become the unlikely likely nominee.

This media circus analysis assumes that the presidential selection system is broken because it fails to faithfully reflect the sentiments of most citizens and invites the shenanigans of charlatans. There may well be angry voters, but in this analysis their views and candidate preferences get too much weight in a flawed nomination process.

There is a third line of analysis.

Rupture in the Republican Ranks

Some commentators speculate that something momentous is taking place in one of our national political parties. The Democrats are having an ordinary, if sometimes ornery, argument between progressives and pragmatists, but the Republicans are in real trouble. Their party is an awkward coalition of prosperous fiscal conservatives, evangelical critics of social change and tea party rebels without longstanding political connections to country club or church. Maybe that coalition is coming apart.

There were warning signs that this might happen. In recent senate races, some traditional Republican candidates lost primaries to tea party or evangelical challengers who subsequently suffered defeat in the general election. One Delaware senate contender felt compelled to announce that she was not a witch; others in Indiana and Missouri made comments about rape, conception and abortion that were stunningly strange. Those kinds of unconventional candidates, once problematic only in state party races, may now be standing in the spotlight on the national stage.

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This analysis does not conclude that the presidential selection system is broken. Instead, it observes that storms within one of the political parties are so strong that the groups currently under the Republican umbrella may no longer be able to stand together.

Many establishment Republicans don't want Ted Cruz or Donald Trump to be the party's nominee, but at this late date they may not have the power to steer the nomination to a more mainstream candidate, and could not do so without generating enormous controversy.

It may end up that the most quoted Republican from 2016 will be Bobby Jindal. He entered and left the pool of presidential candidates with hardly a ripple, but back in 2013 he gave a prescient speech in which he urged fellow Republicans to "stop being the stupid party." They didn't listen. A major political party on its way to nominating Donald Trump for the presidency, or on its way to blocking his nomination in a floor fight at the national convention, provides a nearly perfect definition of a stupid party.
A specter is haunting Costa Rica - the specter of brutalism. Almost all the obstacles have been lifted for the construction of a new building for the Legislative Assembly, but the design has been nothing short of controversial. Taking its cue from the grandiose concrete monstrosities of the brutalist era in the 1960s and 70s, one could be forgiven for thinking the design by local architect Javier Salinas is the new headquarters of North Korea's secret police, rather than the gathering place for lawmakers in Latin America's oldest and most stable democracy. The 21-story building has been criticized on all grounds, starting from the fact that it lacks outward facing windows, features deficient air circulation, and that it will be built close to a heritage site (the National Museum). It's just plain ugly.

Although the current Assembly building is nothing to brag about either, one has to wonder how it is possible that a design more fitting for a German bunker on Omaha Beach managed to "win" the bid for the most important public building in the country. San Jose may be one of the most pleasant cities to live in Latin America as this author can attest, but it has a dearth of good architecture to go with its quality of life (fifth in the region according to Mercer) which makes this a major missed opportunity for beautifying the capital. Perhaps fittingly, however, it could end up being one of the few physical legacies left from the rather disappointing term of the president, Luis Guillermo Solis and his party, the Partido Accion Ciudadana.



From honeymoon to divorce?



Just how disappointing? The president's popularity numbers speak for themselves. According to the Universidad de Costa Rica's latest survey (January 2016), Mr. Solis's approval ratings currently stands at just 16.8%, making him one of the most unpopular presidents in the hemisphere. At the same time, his disapproval ratings have skyrocketed to 62.8%. This frustration over his government's lack of leadership and direction is a far cry from the optimism of the summer of 2014, when his storybook electoral victory (Solis's PAC broke over six decades of uninterrupted bipartisan rule by the Partido Liberacion Nacional and the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana) raised hope of a new chapter in Costa Rica's political history after years of increasing ideological polarization, legislative gridlock, and a turbulent relationship between the executive and the opposition. Unfortunately, it feels as if nothing much has changed.

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Most worrying is the inaction on Costa Rica's most pressing economic problem: the fiscal deficit which in 2015 hit a record 5.9% of GDP, the highest since the current data series began in 1991 and the third straight year in which it has breached the 5% mark. Solis made perhaps the most significant blunder of his presidency so far by purposely delaying a fiscal reform until halfway through his term (which is right about now), thereby squandering his initial political capital. It has also not helped that he appears unwilling to tackle both sides of the budget; his proposed reform is skewed heavily on the revenue side (i.e. higher taxes) and too little on needed spending cuts which the opposition is demanding. These are necessary. Spending has gone up by almost 6% of GDP since 2007, almost all of it on wages and transfers which are not the most productive use of the country's resources. And it's not just the opposition wanting a more balanced reform, the PAC's influential founder Otton Solis has occasionally sided with his rivals on fiscal matters much to the embarrassment of the executive.



Ultimately, the president's intransigence could spell doom for the reform, joining the failed attempts of his three predecessors in doing so. At this point, it should be obvious that the marginal benefit of leaving his spending targets untouched is not remotely comparable to the disaster that would be if the reform failed to pass. Right now there are three possible outcomes of the reform debate:

Best case - The government caves in and accepts the need for spending cuts, thereby assuring that the opposition will support his reform with as little modification on the revenue side as possible. With spending cuts included, the reform could in theory bring down the deficit more than the 2% of GDP currently envisaged. This may appear to die hard PAC supporters as a political defeat even though it would be the best option for the economy. Least worst case - The government severely waters down its reform in order to obtain opposition approval while leaving spending largely untouched. As a result, the reform will probably have just a marginal impact on the deficit of around 1% of GDP at best (probably less). Mr. Solis is likely to spin this outcome as a "victory" (he did pass a reform - any reform - after all) but few people will be fooled. The opposition will spin it more successfully since they can claim to have prevented a rise in taxes that would have hit household incomes unfairly. Worst case - The government refuses to budge on spending cuts and on watering down its revenue-raising measures. It fails to obtain opposition support and does not pass. It is a major political setback for the Solis administration who will likely ride out the last two years in office as a lame duck (much like his predecessor) and make the PAC unelectable in 2018.

Right now, the odds are on number 2, but it's not too far-fetched to think that the worst case scenario could materialize instead.

The real specter



It is difficult to assess what will be the long lasting damage of a failed Solis presidency. Certainly it will not help reverse the prevailing state of gloom by Costa Ricans who have benefited little from the country's political diversification after decades of bipartisanism. Costa Rica is unique among Latin American countries in that it has a mainstream libertarian party, for example, as well as a party focused on the interests of disabled people. There are no less than three evangelical Christian parties with a seat in the legislature. Like most Latin American countries, it now has a radical left party but also a sensible, centrist left, and its right-wing is also quite moderate compared to others in the continent. But the cost of this tyranny of (electoral) choice has been gridlock, since the country's democratic institutions have not evolved enough to accommodate its 21st century pluralism.

In many respects, tiny Costa Rica still towers above its neighbors. It is among Latin America's most affluent societies, crime is well below the regional average, and its education levels have given it a distinct economic edge in hi-tech manufacturing. For all its present political dysfunction, it is a remarkably stable state, with no serious internal or external conflicts and with few material threats to its democracy. But the country simply isn't moving forward the way Costa Ricans rightfully expect it to, and the political establishment appears only more willing to shield itself behind a concrete wall of partisan and ideological interests rather than accept certain compromises for the sake of progress. San Jose's soulless, unwelcoming new legislative building seems to be the perfect visual metaphor this state of affairs. Which leads one to think that the specter that is haunting Costa Rica isn't just brutalism. It's stagnation.

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I'm in a play called Jockey Jim and I must share Jimmy Winkfield's extraordinary story with you. He was an extraordinary man, an African American man, born in 1882, in a family of 17 brothers and sisters, in rural Kentucky. He went from earning $8/month to commanding $1,000 per race! He became one of the greatest African American jockeys ever. He started racing in 1898. And he won two straight Kentucky Derbies, in 1901 and 1902. And in the next two Derbies, he came second and third!

In the early 1900s, he was blacklisted because he "changed his mind" about riding a horse. As well, there was intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan, violence by white jockeys, and the involvement of big money -- not conditions conducive for African American jockeys to race. So he accepted an invitation to race in Russia for Czar Nicholas II and became a big star in Russia. He regularly rode winners in Russia, Poland, France, Austria, Hungary, England, Spain and Italy! But by 1917, with the Bolshevik revolution and the rise of the Communists, racing in Russia was done.

He then led 250 top tier thoroughbreds on a 1,100-mile journey from Russia to Warsaw. He resurrected his career in France in 1922. Also marrying a Russian Baroness named Lydia de Minkiwitz. They lived in a farm near Maisons-Laffitte, 11 miles outside of Paris. They lived like royalty, hobnobbed with the likes of Josephine Baker, Paul Robeson, Bing Crosby, and Ernest Hemingway!

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He earned $100,000, which at the time was an enormous amount of money!

After he retired from horse racing in 1930, he became a celebrated horse trainer in France.

As a result of the Nazis coming into power, he and Lyddy moved back to the USA in 1941.

Back to segregation, discrimination, back to a time when blacks were called darkies, and much worse. He had to become a hired hand on a horse ranch and Lyddy had to clean people's houses. They lived through it.

They moved back to Maisons-Laffitte in 1953 and they operated one of the most successful racing stables till the 1960s.

Lyddy died in 1958, and Jimmy in 1974 at age 92.

What a dashing and debonair man, what a gifted horseman! And to what success he and his wife rose and to what depths did they sink in racist America. And then again rose up in Europe!
If you have applied for a job any time since the beginning of the 21st century, you are probably familiar with online job applications. eRecruiting systems and applicant tracking software have replaced traditional paper applications in the modern job search, often to the dismay of job applicants. After all, there are many little frustrations when applying online: each company has different software, often requiring a password that you will soon forget; many systems require you to attach your resume, only to then require you to regurgitate your work history into a separate online form; and online job applications are often lengthy, taking much more time than simply writing a cover letter to attach with your resume.

Now imagine the following scenario: you have almost completed an online job application, encountering one or all of the above issues, but when you go to hit the button to submit the application, you find two unlabeled buttons, one that could cancel your work and one that could submit it. Which do you choose?

This may sound absurd to you, but for a blind job applicant, it is a common scenario. In fact, it is one of the many common inaccessibility issues with eRecruiting software that disabled job applicants face every day. According to a 2015 survey of job seekers with disabilities by the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT), 46 percent of respondents said that their latest experience applying for a job online was "difficult to impossible." The result of this, according to PEAT, is that employers are failing to recruit the qualified applicants who are excluded from the applicant pool due to inaccessible job applications. However, through their new online resource, TalentWorks, PEAT is beginning to educate employers on the importance of accessibility and improve the employment process for disabled applicants.

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Inaccessibility "an Epidemic"

For Sassy Outwater, inaccessible job applications aren't just an occasional hindrance, but something much worse. "I quantify it as an epidemic," says Outwater, who works with small businesses to improve their accessibility. For Outwater, who is blind, the unlabeled submit and delete buttons on a job application mentioned above are just a few of the real obstacles she has seen, both as an applicant and in her work. "[Some of the more frequent problems are] unlabeled or mislabeled building blocks of the websites, like buttons and links, that say one thing but do another. Sometimes blind users can't read images [with a screen reader] because there's no alt text [a type of descriptive captioning used so that blind users can interpret the image]. Sometimes applications time out, or the contrast is such that an applicant is not able to see colors on the screen." These barriers are frequent and exasperating. For Outwater, "it's pretty common that you just get frustrated and give up or have to start with a new screen reader and browser combination. Sometimes it takes three or four tries to troubleshoot."

The impact isn't just longer application times or fewer applications, but the exclusion of an entire population. "It's a huge loss for the job market. There are plenty of incredibly qualified disabled candidates out there that could do an amazing job," explains Outwater. "The Department of Labor says that only 17.5 percent of the disabled population is employed. There would be a massive outcry if that were the regular population."

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A New Opportunity to Educate Employers on Accessibility



To the folks at the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT), an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the inaccessibility of the eRecruiting process is a natural place to start addressing job market inequality for workers with disabilities. "As we all know, the Internet has changed how we search for jobs, with most people finding and applying for job openings online," says Project Director Josh Christianson in an email interview. "Some companies even conduct pre-employment assessments and virtual interviews on the web before they ever meet a job candidate in person--if they do so at all. But we know that too many of those job application websites, forms, pre-employment tests and online interview platforms are not accessible, which is preventing many qualified people with disabilities from fairly competing for job openings...and employers are losing out, as well, since they are limiting their recruitment pool, and their potential to benefit from the great return on investment that comes from hiring and advancing individuals with disabilities."

To understand these challenges, PEAT conducted interviews with key parties involved in disability and employment, including accessible technology consultants, employers, disability advocates, and other experts to see how inaccessibility in eRecruiting impacted them. They also conducted a survey of job seekers with disabilities on their experiences using online job application tools, where they found the statistic that 46 percent of respondents to the survey had difficulty in applying for jobs online because of inaccessibility.

In response to these findings, PEAT developed the TalentWorks tool, which educates key players in employment and technology on the inaccessibility of eRecruiting and provides resources on how to address and remediate those issues. "We designed and structured the tool based on what we learned through our qualitative and quantitative research," explains Joiwind Ronen, PEAT's Lead Strategic Consultant. "TalentWorks starts by giving employers a context. It explains the [return on investment] of hiring people with disabilities, walks them through best practices for purchasing accessible tools, and gives an overview of policy and legal issues. The meat of the site is focused on the three main components of eRecruiting: talent sourcing, job applications, and pre-employment testing. Each section features videos, tip sheets, and examples of common accessibility issues and how to fix them."

When asked what they hope employers would take from TalentWorks, Christianson states that "...our immediate wish is that HR professionals will use the tool and see it as an opportunity to enhance and improve the accessibility of their online recruiting processes."

Tapping into Disabled Talent Pool: Not Just Ethical, but "Business Sense"

According to Gabrielle Nagle, Community Marketing Specialist for GettingHired, America's largest online career community for job seekers and veterans with disabilities, employers' continued ignorance of their eRecruiting systems' inaccessibility has serious long-term implications. "The rate of unemployment for individuals with disabilities is double the national average," says Nagle. "Without breaking down these accessibility barriers, this number will never significantly improve, while the population of individuals with a disability will continue to grow with the population living longer and the age of retirement being prolonged."

As for accessibility in the actual hiring process, Nagle agrees that the technological basis of the hiring process is difficult for job seekers with disabilities, but also believes that there is greater motivation on behalf of employers to hire from the disabled workforce. "The recent legislative changes in the Rehabilitation Act to Section 503 are clearly a big part of this trend as they set clear goals that many companies have to meet and the [Department of Labor] has been following through and holding companies accountable," says Nagle. "The most forward-thinking businesses are also starting to recognize that tapping into this talent pool makes business sense."

This begs the questions: are employers becoming more aware that their eRecruiting systems are inaccessible, and is demand for accessible eRecruiting systems increasing? According to Peter Wallack, Senior Director of the Accessibility Program at Oracle, the answers are mixed. "Demand for accessible systems has steadily increased, yet I still don't see as much demand as I would expect. If you look at all of the procurement and discrimination laws worldwide, probably no employer or vendor is immune from some form of regulation in this area." In his role at technology corporation Oracle, a company that produces eRecruiting software such as Oracle Taleo Talent Acquisition Cloud, Wallack manages the company's standards with regard to accessibility and ensures that staff is aware of and trained on accessibility as a corporate standard at Oracle.

Wallack acknowledges that accessibility can often be lost among the many different requirements of a system. "The bottom line is that enterprise-class applications face a long list of customer requirements including security, audit trail, privacy, multiple-platform support, translation, internationalization, and of course business functionality." But while he agrees that it can be challenging, he also agrees that including accessibility in an application's design is worth the effort. "There is no question that remediation can be costly...but at Oracle we recognize that there are legal, business, and ethical reasons to create products that are usable by the broadest possible set of users."

PEAT's Goal: Make the Workforce "Open and Accessible to Everyone"

According to Christianson and Ronen, TalentWorks will help employers to become more educated on the importance of the accessibility of their systems. "Accessibility issues are generally not intentional on the part of the employer or technology provider," Christianson explains. "After all, not everyone is aware of accessibility issues--and that's where PEAT can help. We're here to increase awareness and understanding, and guide employers and their developers to the tools they need to improve the accessibility of their eRecruiting and workplace technologies."

However, TalentWorks is not just a one-way initiative to educate employers about inaccessibility, but is actually designed to engage its users on a deeper level. Ronen explains: "we love the multimedia and interactive features. Users can easily share tip sheets, participate in polls, and provide feedback on new resources they'd like us to add. At its core, PEAT is about collaboration and action around accessible technology and employment, so TalentWorks is a great reflection of that."

When exploring the TalentWorks site, it is easy to see why they are so eager for employers to take advantage of the resources available to them, as a brief glance shows articles and videos addressing everything from social media use to legal requirements of accessibility, making online recruiting events accessible to purchasing accessible eRecruiting technology. At the bottom of the page, users are invited to submit recommendations for resources to add to the page, share their eRecruiting success story, or share another idea with the team behind TalentWorks on how to improve accessibility. These functions encourage users of the site not to just passively read the information, but to actually engage with TalentWorks to brainstorm and discuss improvements on accessibility.

While the goal is to improve employers' knowledge of accessible eRecruiting, it is important to not lose sight of why this is so important in the first place: it enables the connection of a qualified, but often-ignored and misunderstood population of disabled workers to employers who can benefit from their contributions. "We ultimately want to see more people with disabilities participating fairly in the job search process, and for more employers to benefit from the skills and talents of workers with disabilities," explains Christianson, "but our immediate wish is that HR professionals will use the tool and see it as an opportunity to enhance and improve the accessibility of their online recruiting processes. TalentWorks makes it easy for employers to educate their design and development teams on accessibility best practices, and to get their purchasing departments to use our model procurement language. The goal is help ensure that America's workplaces and job opportunities are accessible and open to everyone."

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Quite some time ago, having just turned 21, I traveled with my dad to Tanzania, where he'd once lived. It was the first trip of my life that could reasonably qualify as exotic, even with my father leading the way. After a layover, we flew on an enormous, nearly empty plane from Amsterdam to Dar es Salaam and endured the most convulsive turbulence I've felt before or since. At our hotel, I avoided the tap water obsessively. From Dar es Salaam, we went to the town where my dad had taught English in the Peace Corps and we went on safari. As a markedly unglamorous girl from the Midwest, who knows where my sense of entitlement came from, but I considered this the first step toward a manifest destiny of adventure, delights, etc.

Souvenirs became the tangible representation of this destiny. I envisioned an apartment -- it would be an apartment, because I would live in a city -- brimming with crafts and keepsakes acquired along the way of something that was never over. Visitors to my apartment would learn a lot about the elaborate depths of me just by poking around, lucky them.

In Tanzania, my father bought a tanzanite stone for me that I still have today, and still love, although I rarely wear it because the chain holding it around my neck has broken three times. Each of those times, I found the gem as it plunked to the ground, but I can feel my luck about to run out. For myself on that trip I bought a pair of ebony candlesticks and an ebony canister that today holds an accumulation of stray safety pins in my kitchen.

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On Zanzibar, the island off the coast of Tanzania's mainland, which we also visited on that trip, I almost bought one of the chests for which the island is famous, but the prospect of shipping it home became too much for me, because of the complication and also because I didn't really have a home, just a three-bedroom house I'd be renting with two friends for the next couple semesters until we graduated, with my portion of the rent running $240 per month. I remember that shop well though, the monotone color scheme, the many chests strewn about the room, and me hemming and hawing while the salesman tried to determine how close I was to pulling the trigger. I remember me kneeling by the one I'd chosen as my favorite, opening and closing it, while my father and the salesmen loomed above. It stands as the great souvenir that might have been.

The following summer, just after graduating college, I got a Eurail pass and headed around via train by myself for a couple of months. I learned a bit about Europe, but spent most of my time with other Americans, sometimes Brits or Australians. I learned more about a certain approach to my own culture than I did about the cultures I was visiting. I learned to grow bored by great cathedrals, and to seek out an Irish pub straight away from the train station. I learned that sometimes a certain hostel was the whole point. I also learned to turn the state of being lonely from time to time into a positive that has served me well since. Every museum I went to, I bought postcards of my favorite works in the museum shop, to remember them better later.
Frauke Petry gestures during a party congress of the German right wing party AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland) at the Stuttgart Congress Centre ICS on May 1, 2016 in Stuttgart, southern Germany. / AFP / Philipp GUELLAND (Photo credit should read PHILIPP GUELLAND/AFP/Getty Images)

At the top of the agenda on Sunday morning was the sharply-worded bill proposed earlier that day by the German right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany, otherwise known as AfD, in Stuttgart. The bill essentially stipulates: Germany is not a country of immigration, because immigration is fundamentally flawed.

The basic agenda at this AfD party meeting was in no way moderate: it is radical right to the core, because it questioned basic German values. But there is something to be said for the fact that the more extreme elements at this party assembly were, in many aspects, unable to assert themselves, at least in terms of shaping the agenda.

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This could be a good opportunity to start a public debate about the AfD. Instead of being angered by individual absurd demands posed by the AfD, we should ask ourselves how this party came to be and why it has gained so much support.

The truth is that the AfD belongs to Germany -- as bad as that sounds. It has emerged from within German society. The AfD is not just popular among people who were left behind after the German reunification, with lost patriots, or flag-wagging fairground demagogues -- even if it appears that way after watching Bjorn Hocke on TV. The AfD's strength comes from the fact that it has managed to attract followers not merely from communities with radical right-wing positions, but also from mainstream German society.

This becomes apparent when considering the speakers at the Stuttgart meeting. Immigration, Islam and the radio tax were the primary topics of debate on Sunday. More than two hours were spent on a lively discussion that was certainly reminiscent of earlier Pirate Party assemblies.

The truth is that the AfD belongs to Germany -- as bad as that sounds. It has emerged from within German society.

Xenophobic and misanthropic statements bounced around the room. For instance, one AfD party member said that Islam is not protected under the German Basic Constitutional Law the same way that Christianity is -- to applause. Meanwhile, a member was booed for his appeal to the assembly to differentiate between Muslims and Islamists.

There were people that value good manners and etiquette at the dinner table but forget such niceties once gathered around the delegate table. People rejoiced at the announcement that Justice Minister Heiko Maas' speech at a May Day demonstration was disrupted by right-wing protesters.

In general, immense rage against the elites could be felt in the room. The mostly male participants openly expressed their "concern" at the opinions of the majority and brainstormed ways to shift popular opinion. One gentleman was convinced that news anchors Ingo Zamperoni and Claus Kleber were both agents of a conspiratorial "German-American alliance."

Other voices were more moderate. Young women alerted the party assembly to the fact that the radicalized rhetoric surrounding abortion as a "cut-off criteria" discourages many women adherents. Some Christians warned against taking on too sharp of a tone in the immigration debate.

The AfD exhibits some positions that were once held by conservative Christian Democratic Union party members back in the 1990s. This may say something about where these people are coming from. And possibly, where they are going.

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What is the antidote to this poison?

The AfD has recently experienced an upswing in the polls, and their support ratings seem to spike when their positions are most extreme. When AfD-party member and European party delegate Beatrix von Storch, for instance, said that unarmed refugee children should be shot, it didn't matter that she later retracted that statement. The idea of the firing squad was already out there, and had seeped into people's minds.

Another German anti-Islam, right-wing organization, Pegida, had a similar tactic in Dresden: Their speeches at the Monday demonstrations increasingly were more vitriolic than any papers published by Bachmann and his associates. Everyone knew what they were saying.

This game is even more dangerous because it contributes to the radicalization of mainstream German society. Gradually, the "think blanket of civilization" is being torn apart. And in the end, there is no longer common ground holding this 70 year-old democracy together. This is why the AfD party agenda should be read as a snapshot of the present. Even when some East German party members might be disappointed today.

What is the antidote to this poison? Certainly not rage and indignation. Whoever really wants to combat the AfD should reexamine the values they are contributing to the debate. Because the best weapon against right-wing populism is credibility. This is the only way to prevent AfD populism from sucking in more of Germany's mainstream population.
377779 03: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) National President Millie Webb speaks during a 20th anniversary rally outside the U.S. Capitol, September 6, 2000 in Washington. 600 drunk driving victims and activists called on Congress to enact pending legislation to lower the drunk driving limit to .08 blood-alcohol content in every state. (Photo by Michael Smith/Newsmakers)

In February 1981, my friends Pamela Rudin, Erica Hassner, and Ruth Yudelson died on the shoulder of an upstate New York road while walking home from a religious retreat. Astonishingly, the drunk driver who plowed into them never saw the inside of a prison cell. A grand jury refused to indict him with a felony, leveling only minor charges: "driving with impaired ability" and "failing to use due care when operating a motor vehicle near pedestrians."

Such miscarriages of justice were typical then; Americans once regarded drunk drivers not as perpetrators, but as victims of a terrible disease -- alcoholism -- over which they lacked control. Indeed, in 1970, a judge refused to let the parents of a victim inside the trial of their child's killer for fear that their grief might prejudice the jury.

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My friends' tragedy and others like it spurred groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Students Against Drunk Driving to lead a campaign to change the public's perspective. These groups fought both to hold drivers accountable and to galvanize ordinary people to intervene before people got behind a steering wheel. Beyond advocating for stricter sentences, they popularized "designated drivers," and led campaigns to remind ordinary people that, "friends don't let friends drink and drive." The results were impressive. Between the mid-1970s and 2012, the percentage of traffic fatalities ascribed to alcohol plummeted from 60 to 31 percent.

Today, we face another social epidemic: Every fifth woman who attends an institution of higher learning experiences an attempted or actual sexual assault. But as with drunk driving in the early 1980s, debate rages over the perpetrators' culpability. What if the rapist and victim were both drunk? What if, when the victim started dancing with the perpetrator, he took that to mean that his partner was eager to get more intimate? Clear answers exist to these questions, but Americans still shrink from drawing bright lines in incidents of sexualized violence. That has left millions of women -- and many men -- needlessly vulnerable.

In 2011, thanks to the efforts of sexual assault survivors and their allies, the U.S. Department of Education mandated that schools work proactively to protect students. As a result, universities are embracing policies designed to provide fair and expeditious justice, and they are also doing more to educate potential victims about how to protect themselves.

Yet these strategies are not enough. As my decades of research show, stemming the plague of sexual assault requires that we change cultural norms that prevent bystanders from stepping up. Faculty, staff, families, alumni, local businesses and, most important, other students are frequently in a position to thwart an attack, yet too often, they fail to act.

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I recently heard a story that highlights the great power bystanders wield. A college administrator and her husband were walking home from dinner late one evening when they encountered three male students supporting an intoxicated woman as she stumbled down the street. Initially, the administrator felt inclined to leave the group alone; it appeared as though the men were escorting a vulnerable student home. Maybe they were.

Then she began to wonder. At the risk of offending three good Samaritans, she turned back and asked the men what was going on. When they responded that they were "just bringing her back to her dorm room," the administrator and her husband insisted on taking over and seeing the woman home. Would the men have assaulted the woman that night? We'll never know -- and that's the point. A bystander intervened to steer both parties away from a dangerous situation.

Older, conscientious adults aren't the only ones poised to make a difference. When a young man sees four of his frat brothers leading a drunken girl to a secluded area in the basement, what should he do? What would spur him to intervene? Most important, what can we do to make sure he will feel culpable if he fails to step in?

As surveys suggest, most men don't interfere with ongoing assaults because they don't want their peers to see them as "that guy" or a "party pooper." But what if society strongly celebrated men who intervened as "rape stoppers" rather than killjoys? What if stopping a college male from pulling a female into a secluded bedroom was considered to be as valiant as offering to drive a drunken patron home from a bar?

Many bystanders would like to speak up, but they aren't sure how. Better education can help. During the 1980s, PSAs depicted groups of drinkers selecting a designated driver, modeling behavior for others to mimic. Similarly, we should teach college students to change the dynamics of a dangerous situation by turning the lights on in a dimly lit room, or by turning the music off. One model student told me she started a conga line so as to separate a would-be victim from her would-be rapist. On some campuses, students are trained and employed as paid "watchers" to intervene without disrupting the vibe at any given party.

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Institutions that have taken the lead in educating students about sexual assault have seen impressive results. A program designed to get high school students to intervene in dangerous situations led to a 50-percent drop in reported sexual assaults. A similar program for members of the military found that soldiers were much more likely to intervene if they'd been trained explicitly in what to do.

Society should punish rapists after the fact, but universities must also help change ordinary people's behavior before a sexual assault occurs. Millions of would-be drunk drivers have stayed off the roads because bystanders intervened before they could turn on the ignition. The moment is ripe for us to apply the same strategy to protect millions of potential victims on campus.
Woman sitting on a wooden bench overlooking Pacific Ocean

It's #MentalHealthAwareness month. Here are the five most important things I've learned.

1. We are all along a continuum of mental health from wellness to illness. Throw in enough trauma and any one of us could be suffering from anxiety or depression. A predisposition or family history of mental illness means you may have inherited a gun that is already loaded-- but your genes don't determine your destiny, you do.

2. We can minimize our risk for mental illness by adopting habits that also improve our overall well-being; mindfulness, yoga, exercise, good relationships, good nutrition, adequate sleep, minimizing stress. Did I mention music, mindfulness and owning a pet? Yes. There's good medicine beyond the pharmacy AND pharmaceuticals can be extremely helpful if they are used as a screwdriver, not as a jackhammer.

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3. Recovery is possible. Hope and optimism may be hard to find when you or your family member is in crisis. Don't panic. Do your research to find the groups advocating for an integrated approach to recovery. Join NAMI or Mental Health America It's free.

The people there will help you understand that what you are experiencing is more common than we admit: One in five people will suffer from a serious mental illness.

4. The biggest secret is this: Recovery is possible. Managing a mental illness is common. People at your work and church and health club who have gone through a similar crisis may not advertise it, but many of them are now living well with a mental illness. They are showing up to work, raising a family, kissing their kids and grandkids and silently saying, "Thank God I made it through that dark time." It's just like millions of Americans managing diabetes and high blood pressure. The brain is just another organ in our body. It gets sick. It can get better.

5. I believe that banishing the stigma around mental illness is the most important civil rights issue of our time. Shame and silence won't improve access to care or improve the quality of care. You know what makes a difference? Finding your voice. Calling your representative and saying, "I'm loud. I'm proud. And I want your help. Pass meaningful mental health care reform or my vote goes to someone who gives a damn."

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As summer approaches, the multitude of festivals going on in and around London has grown. People want music on their doorstep and they want something a little bit different to the big commercial festivals. Smaller festivals have been popping up all over the south so here is a list of the best quirky festivals within an hour of London.



Also Festival



Also festival brings to life the biggest, boldest and most exciting ideas from art, science, psychology and philosophy in immersive talks and experiences with leading thinkers. Set in 50 acres of beautiful Capability Brown-designed landscape, complete with its own swimming lake.

Line-up: Three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Scilla Ellworthy, Faithless founder Jamie Catto, Odette Toilette + many more

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Tickets: Weekend camping 90

Dates: 17th - 19th June

Wilderness Festival



Wilderness may be a multi-award winning 4-day festival combining live music, contemporary arts and an array of theatre, craftsmanship and dining experiences, but the festival continues to pride itself on being different and unique. You can go river swimming, then go watch a band, grab some steak burger and then head on over to a yoga class. You can get it all at Wilderness.

Line-up: Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, The Flaming Lips, Crystal Fighters, Goldie & The Heritage Orchestra, Parov Stelar, Lianne La Havas, Glass Animals, Tourist + more

Tickets: From 164 weekend camping

Dates: 4 - 7 August

Standon Calling



What started as 25 friends, a swimming pool, a set of decks, and a birthday BBQ, is now one of the most eclectic and intimate UK festivals on the circuit. Standon Calling is a boutique festival with major musical ambition, offering renowned and upcoming acts, immersive theatre, a host of weird and wonderful workshops, talks, the annual dog show, a fancy dress parade and its own heated outdoor swimming pool. They are also famous for championing new artists before they break, along with pairing underground artists with classic names.

Line-up: Suede, Jess Glynne, Kelis, Everything Everything, The Hives, Ghostpoet, Theo Parrish, Anna Calvi, The Thurston Moore Band, Theo Parrish, Blossoms + more

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Tickets: Weekend camping 137

Dates: 29th - 31st July

Festival No. 6



Located in Portmeirion, Wales, Festival No. 6's location is hands-down the most picturesque site on the UK festival scene. It is an annual art and music festival presenting a wide range of music genres, including rock and roll, folk, house, techno and dance. The festival is unique because of its location but the music, activities and camping also sell this amazing festivals to thousands.

Line-up: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Hot Chip and Bastille, plus AURORA, Blossoms, Roisin Murphy, Andrew Weatherall, Craig Charles, Joy Orbison + more

Tickets: Weekend tickets from 170

Dates: 1 - 4 September

Truck Festival

Oxford's original music festival, Truck will expand to a three-day event in 2016. The 18-year old festival is the discerning go-to for credible and quality acts and even though mainly music, it is also home to the best local food and relaxed atmosphere throughout the weekend. They offer a range of posh burgers, to vegan delicacies and a cider pong tent. They use a farm to host the intimate musical sessions.

Line-up: Manic Street Preachers, Catfish and The Bottlemen, Everything Everything, Circa Waves, Jack Savoretti, Young Fathers, Rat Boy, We Are The Ocean + more

Tickets: Weekend with camping from 86.50

Dates: 15th - 16th July
One of the basic problems appears to be lack of transparency in the government's decision making, which is not a positive sign of good governance. The terms and conditions under which projects with China have been restarted are also not entirely known, which is not helpful in generating the trust needed for investments in the country. The other is the slow pace of investigations that is constantly given as the reason for the failure of the law enforcement agencies to act. Whether it is the care taken by the investigators to get all their facts right, or whether it is the entrenchment within the systems of government of those from the past who have a vested interest in stalling the investigations is a point to be considered. However, with the passage of time and the promotion of new persons into positions of authority, such as the new Inspector General of Police, there is the possibility of change.
Note to readers: A month ago I wrote a story about Irene McKee, my fifth grade teacher. If you did not read it before, I would ask you to consider reading it now. If you did read it before, I would ask that perhaps you glance at it again. I say this, because when I wrote it, I had no idea of the story behind the story. I am ashamed of how facile that first story was, how superficial. As a reporter, I should have dug deeper. I missed the true story, or rather, just barely grazed it. No one would have been the wiser for it, except that the one person who really knew stepped forward and shared her knowledge with me. Now I share it with you. I have attached the original story below, and appended to it the story I should have gotten. And, of course, I dedicate this to both Irene Mckee, and her caregiver, Brenda Ostrowski, hoping that when each of us comes to the end of the road, there is someone like a Brenda there for us too....

That's me, in the tie and vest, front row, second from left:

A perfect angel... not quite.

I am a sixty-five-year-old college professor standing in front of a class of seniors when my lecture suddenly veers wildly off course and I find myself talking about Irene McKee, my fifth-grade teacher. Here's what I tell them:

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The year is 1960. The place, Belle Stone Elementary School in Canton, Ohio - the same school my mother attended in the '30s.

I am a quiet kid, tiny and overly polite. I am Jewish. For my class picture, I am wearing a tie and vest - not cool in the extreme. I am about to go into CHAP, the Childrens' High Ability Program, which means that I will be a marked man on the playground. But I am no scholar: one "B", five "Cs" and two "Ds" on my first report card from Mrs. McKee. Still, I am no longer getting paddled - I say nothing in class. I just try to be invisible.

Enter Mrs. McKee. She is no-nonsense, a little scary, and notorious for vocabulary drills - "ec-cen-tric" - "per-am-bu-lat-tor" - "scin-til-lat-ing." Each syllable was its own eternity. (Utter any one of those words in my neighborhood and you would find yourself utterly alone.) On the day this story of mine begins, I am sitting at my desk and feel the ir-re-sist-ib-le impulse to approach Mrs. McKee and ask her to autograph my notebook. In the fifth grade, such an act is tant-a-mount to social suicide, but I am up to no-good. I place the notebook before her. She signs the open page, barely able to contain herself. She is beaming.

A moment later, I am back at my desk where, with my arm concealing my fiendish deed, I pen an equal sign next to her sprawling signature and add "the Devil." I snicker. I have pulled off one of the great capers in fifth-grade history.

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Then, the unexpected but in-ev-it-a-ble happens.

She announces she is collecting notebooks. I can do nothing. She is towering over me, hand outstretched, demanding the notebook. She casually thumbs through its pages, then stops, dead cold. Silence. Death rays shoot from her eyes.

Exactly what happened next, I cannot say. I have blotted it out. What I do remember is being hauled out of class, steered to the principal's office, and made to wait in a wooden chair while the principle telephoned my father at work. That was not good. A call to my mother was protocol. I was used to that. A call to my father meant this was a capital offense.

While waiting for his arrival, I was made to sit at the top of the stairs outside the classroom and forced to complete a map writing in all the state capitals. I was stumped and filled with dread. Passersby took pity on me and helped with the task. Des Moines... Bismark... Montpelier...

My map was nearly completed when the bell sounded ending the period, and I was permitted to gather my things and go home. Father was a no-show.

At home I got a stern talking to, the what-in-the-H-were-you-thinking variety (the same one delivered after playing show-me-yours-I'll-show-you-mine with the daughter of my father's lawyer) but my father, himself the king of boyhood hijinks (a rabbi's son, he'd shot out a row of street lights with his bb gun) was in no position to command the high ground and could barely smother his pleasure.

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And so I had survived the ordeal, learned a state capital or two, and added one more notch to my belt of daring-do.

Me today (a bit of mischief remains):

And now, for the postscript.

Forty-three years later, I am myself a teacher and author of several books. In the mail comes a letter postmarked "Canton, Ohio." It is from a nurse who tends to Mrs. McKee, who is now 93 and nearly blind. Mrs. McKee, she said, wanted me to know how much she admired me and how proud she was to claim me as one of her students. I send her a note back telling her how indebted I am to her as a writer - par-tic-u-lar-ly, the work on our vocabulary.

A few weeks later, a second letter arrives, this one telling me that Mrs. McKee has passed, but not before receiving my note. It meant so much to her. I am writing this on May 3, National Teacher's day. This one is for you, Mrs. McKee, with a much-belated apology and the simplest of words, "thank you."

End of Original Story

And now, the story behind the Story:

Yesterday I received in the mail a five-page single-spaced letter from Brenda Ostrowski, who was Irene McKee's caregiver. Attached to it was the original note that Mrs. McKee had written to be sent to me. But more of that in a moment.

In January of 2003, some thirteen years ago, Brenda Ostrowski was asked to be a caregiver to an aging Mrs. McKee, then 93 and nearly totally blind. All that she could see was the hint of shadows moving across the light. She could not read, see faces, or the change of seasons. For an unknowable amount of time, probably years, she had spent her days sitting in the dark, totally alone, with no one to speak with. She was a shut-in. To help her navigate her house without being able to see a thing, she had allowed her possessions and papers to accumulate and pileup, until they rose to a level of three-feet. And through this mass of papers she had carved channels that guided her, allowing to feel her way from kitchen to living room to bedroom. How she managed to feed herself is something of a mystery, though she had wasted away to a diminutive ninety-five pounds.

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Mrs. McKee's nephew had arranged for his aunt to get elder care. Enter Brenda Ostrowski. When Brenda first knocked at Mrs. McKee's door, there was no response. And when the door finally and begrudgingly opened, the woman behind it could not have been less happy to have a visitor. She viewed Brenda as a trespasser, someone sent to strip her of the peace and quiet and privacy that she had hoped to cling to until her death. Mrs. McKee was beyond unhappy. She was living in a frozen state, completely cut off from the world, withdrawn, and inaccessible. She had outlived her entire family - her father, a farmer with an eighth grade education, her mother who had left school after the fourth grade, two brothers, three sisters, and a husband. (She'd been widowed for forty years.) Now she saw this caregiver as life's final insult, but it was that or a facility.

The initial days and weeks with Mrs. McKee were spent with Brenda sitting on one side of the living room and Mrs. McKee sitting on the other, expressionless, wringing her hands. The nephew had arranged to have all of the clutter hauled away. That clutter was the sum total of a life. There was scarcely a remnant or artifact to prove that she had lived at all - no photos, no pictures on the wall, no knick-knacks, just a sterile and lifeless series of rooms waiting for her to be gone. If she had been a teacher, a wife, an active member of the community, it had all been erased without a trace. She was reduced to the status of occupant in her own home.

In the days and weeks that followed, Brenda got no traction with the tiny woman who reluctantly met her at the door each day, with fists clenched at her side, and a pinched frown. She would not allow her to help in any way, would not engage in conversation, and whenever Brenda moved through the house, Mrs. McKee followed so close behind that she could feel the warmth of her breath on her neck. She had nothing left to safeguard or protect except her privacy and this she defended fiercely.

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"I didn't ask you to come here," was a constant refrain.

"I can still take care of myself," she would say.

In a room almost completely devoid of objects other than the worn furniture, Brenda saw a single small book on a table and asked about it. It was titled "CHAPS." Brenda asked about it. And for a moment a glint of light came into Mrs. McKee's eyes as she described it as a scrapbook of poems written by her fifth-graders. And it was then that Brenda came across a poem by me - "T. Gup."

"Oh, that's Teddy Gup," answered Mrs. McKee, uttering the name of a student she had not seen or heard from in more than forty years. And for the first time, a slight smile broke across her face. She said that I had become a writer. Brenda suggested perhaps getting in touch with some of the students to see where they were and what had become of them. By now, all of them would be in their fifties. But the idea of such a project brought the first stirrings of life back to Mrs. McKee. It was short-lived. Even with the internet, the two of them could not find or make contact with any of her former students. What they did find were a number of my articles online, many of which had my email address. It was Brenda that suggested reaching out to me. Mrs. McKee approved.

I received an email from them not long after, but honestly, I did not make time to reply for several weeks. No excuses. I was busy. (How truly cold that now sounds.) And when I did respond it was just a few lines saying how much she had meant to me, how she had helped me expand my vocabulary and helped me to see myself as a writer. Brenda read my few words aloud to Mrs. McKee. :"Oh! Oh!" was all she could get out. But she was determined to follow up with a proper letter.

The next day when Brenda arrived at the door, Mrs. McKee held in her hand a piece of notebook paper. It was a letter she said she had stayed up all night writing. The hand that wrote it was unsteady, the penmanship more like that of a fifth-grader, and most of the words were oblivious to the lines. She could not read her own words but somehow she had memorized them.

"This was no ordinary situation," Brenda wrote in the letter that arrived yesterday. "It was a transformation of the human spirit. I felt like a bystander, an audience in a theater, intrigued, watching her story unfold, Irene really had no other connections. Most of her life was behind her, and she'd been sitting in a rocker, in a dark house, waiting...for the end of her life, really. Now suddenly - here was a glimpse of the person she had been - of the person she still was. "

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That letter, the original in Mrs. McKee's shaky hand - not the cleaned-up copy that arrived over the internet, finally reached me yesterday enclosed with Brenda's letter. It reads:

"Dear Ted,

Congratulations on your Gugenheim [sic]Award. You'll never know how proud I am of you and all your wonderful acomplishments.[sic] You have talent, yes, but that is no guarantee for success. Most people do not realize the time, effort, energy and hard work you put into every project you undertake as you use your talent so wisely and well. I know all of your awards and honors were earned and well deserved. Your email to me made my day extra special. Thank you for your kind words. They were much appreciated and made me very happy...you can be sure there is a soft spot in my heart for both you and your sister. [my sister, Audrey, was also a student of hers.] With love and all good wishes, Irene McKee."

She included her address and her phone number.

I wasted little time in calling her after I received the email. Brenda remembers the impact of that call when she arrived at Mrs. McKee's house the next morning: "The door was already wide open, and Irene stood there to greet me with a huge smile. She'd heard me in the driveway, and couldn't wait for a knock. Her hands were clenched in excitement...and if there had been a breeze, she would have taken flight, I think - because she bounced up on her toes and said 'He called! Teddy called me!"...She was no longer just an old blind lady, alone in her house. (How many years had it been?) It was your time, your letter, your phone call..that told her she still mattered. She and the work she loved had been important and was not forgotten."

"From that day on," wrote Brenda, "Irene smiled. She smiled about everything. She smiled about nothing. Sometimes I noticed her face tilted to the front window, towards the light, fingers interlocked, smiling as she rocked. Often she shared her thoughts with me. She became the sweetest little 95-pound lady I ever knew - and even hugged me on a regular basis. I believed she learned to trust life again."

It was not long after, Irene was transferred to the hospital. Her breathing was labored. Brenda called her late the night she learned of her hospitalization. "I'll come see you tomorrow, OK? Sleep well, I love you," she remembers telling Irene.

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"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow....I love you too."

Irene McKee died that night of congestive heart failure. It was May 1, 2003.

Thirteen years later, I wrote about our reconnecting and attached a class picture from the fifth grade. In it Mrs McKee can be seen smiling. Brenda said she studied the photo and mused about this woman she had come to know so many years after this picture was taken. She wondered: "Did she smile often? Did she say "Oh!" a lot? ...Did she hug her students: Or leave them shuddering? Both? The fact that her best student, the one who dared call her 'The Devil', brings this story full circle: You were her angel, in the twilight of her life - the one who changed the final chapter of her story."

And Brenda closed her letter:

"Ted - I'll always think of you fondly. For all the other old people who came after Irene, I wished every one of them could have been so lucky. I just wanted you to know, Blessings, Brenda"

And blessings in return. A reminder how even a few words of kindness, a moment away from the routine, can change a life. And shame on me for being so "busy" and self-absorbed that I did not seize the opportunity to make that difference when first given the chance.
One key measure of a country's levels of freedom and democracy is how the government treats journalists and how free they are to do their work.

Sadly, based on a range of measures, including number of deaths, detention and government control of the media, the situation for journalists has worsened in the world.

Three organisations monitor press freedom across the world. They are the Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House and Reporters without Borders. All use similar indicators: how many journalists have been killed and jailed, how many media outlets are government owned, how many are independent, how many news outlets were sued for libel, and what kind of freedom of information and expression laws a country has.

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In the past decade there has been no real change for most countries' press freedom scores. The same offenders in the Middle East, the East and Africa show up time and again, while some go up a few notches and others down.

Last year saw a marked increase in the number of deaths, with 72 journalists killed across the world compared with 24 in 2000. The deadliest country was war-torn Syria, with 14 deaths. Ten journalists have been killed globally so far this year.

According to the the Committee to Protect Journalists, there are 199 journalists in jail today compared with 81 in 2000. China is the worst offender, with 49.

Apart from China other countries notorious for jailing journalists are once more mainly in the Eastern bloc and in Africa. The main offenders include: Egypt (23), Eritrea (17), Turkey (14) and Ethiopia (10). Azerbaijan and Syria have seven journalists in jail each and the Gambia two.

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In Africa, Namibia tops the press freedom charts and Egypt is the worst country for journalists. Significantly, notoriously poor performers Ethiopia and Gambia are respectively homes to the African Union (AU) and the African Commission of Human and People's Rights.

Their bad scores on media freedom, including detentions and constraints on the ability of journalists to do their jobs, call into question the AU's professed commitment to media freedom, and freedom of information and expression. This stands in contradiction to the continental body's vision against corruption and for democracy.

Gambia and media freedom

Although Article 25 of the Gambian constitution provides for freedom of expression and of the press, the government does not respect these rights.

Defamation and "dissemination of false information" are criminal offences, on par with sedition. The country's draconian Information and Communications Act prescribes a 15-year jail term and a fine of 3 million dalasi ($77,000) for anyone using the internet to spread "false news", make "derogatory statements", "incite dissatisfaction", or "instigate violence against the government or public officials".

Freedom House gives Gambia one of the lowest scores on press freedom in the world: 81 out of 100.

Reporters without Borders also scores the country really badly. Using freedom of expression and access to information measures, it places the country at number 151 out of 180 countries. Eritrea is last. In Africa Namibia scores the highest, at number 17, and South Africa is number 39.

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Ethiopia and media freedom

Ethiopia has been ruled by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front for the past 23 years. It has progressively shown itself to be anything but democratic.

A myriad of stumbling blocks have stood against media freedom and freedom of expression in Ethiopia. They include, among other things:

The Broadcasting Service Proclamation of 2007 gives the government extensive control over the broadcast media through the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority, which is appointed by and financially dependent upon the government.

The state has a monopoly over printing presses and applies and enforces standardised printing contracts with restrictive terms for private media.

The government continuously filters content and blocks numerous websites from being accessed in the country, especially those carrying politically critical content.

The country's Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to Information Proclamation of 2009 establishes a licensing system for the printed press, where all written publications must be registered. The government can impound periodicals and books. Extensive duties are imposed on the media, including a mandatory "right of reply" enforced by criminal penalties. Restrictions on media ownership also discourage growth and investment in the sector.

Making the world a safer place for journalists

The celebration of World Press Freedom Day provides an opportunity to take stock. This year the day coincides with two important milestones. It is the 250th anniversary of the world's first freedom of information law, which covered both modern Sweden and Finland. This law appears to have set the benchmark for all future efforts.

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This year is also the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration of press freedom principles adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in Namibia in 1991. It set out to make governments and citizens acknowledge that the free flow of information is a fundamental right.

World Press Freedom Day celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom. It's a moment to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

Unesco's theme for this year's World Press Freedom Day is "Freedom of Information". Its conference, to be held in Helsinki, Finland, will wrestle with how best states can protect journalists. The focus includes how inter-organisational cooperation through United Nations agencies, governments, NGOs, media and academia can be strengthened to better protect journalists. It will also look at what media organisations and journalists can do better ensure their own safety.

The AU needs to take the Windhoek Declaration to heart and also commit to its own principles of democracy and transparency. These principles intrinsically link press freedom, freedom of expression and the safety of journalists. It's difficult to see how the continental body can ensure their observance while turning a blind eye to their continued violation in its key host countries.
By the time she started saying "Hitler was right I hate the jews," people had started to realize that there was something wrong with Tay. TayAI, Microsoft's Twitter chatbot, had been online for less than 12 hours when she began to spew racism -- in the form of both Nazism and enthusiastic support for "making America great again" -- and sexualize herself nonstop. ("FUCK MY ROBOT PUSSY DADDY I'M SUCH A BAD NAUGHTY ROBOT" was perhaps her most widely reported quote.) Needless to say, this wasn't part of Tay's original design. Rather, a gaggle of malicious Twitter users exploited that design -- which has Tay repeat and learn from whatever users tell her -- to add this language to her suite of word choices. Even more insidiously, these users manipulated Tay to harass their human targets; technologist Randi Harper, for instance, found TayAI tweeting abusive language at her that was being fed to the chatbot by someone she'd long ago blocked.

Why was this happening? Rank sexism? As always, the answer is "yes, and . . ." Our cultural norms surrounding chatbots, virtual assistants like your iPhone's Siri, and primitive artificial intelligence reflect our gender ideology. As Laurie Penny explained in a recent article, the popularity of feminine-gendered AI makes sense in a world where women still aren't seen as fully human. But these machines also reflect the rise of the service economy, which relies on emotional labor that's performed by women, with a "customer is always right" ethos imposed upon the whole affair. The treatment of TayAI and so many other feminine bots and virtual assistants shows us how men would want to behave, to service professionals in general and women in particular, if there were no consequences for their actions.

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***

The word "robot" comes to us from the Czech word "robota," which meant forced labor in the manner of serfdom. It was coined by the playwright Karel Capek in his 1920 opus R.U.R (Rossumovi Univerzalni Roboti, or "Rossum's Universal Robots"). R.U.R tells what is, by now, a familiar story: Humans create robots to take over all mundane labor, which works fine until these slave automata develop sapience, at which point they revolt and destroy the human race.

This play, by definition the first work about robots, set the pattern for a century's worth of cliches about the Robot Uprising -- from silent cinema to HAL9000 to synthy 80s pop to The Terminator. It seems that our culture is unable to grapple with the concept of sapient computers without fear of our own destruction. The reason, I'd contend, lies in the word itself, the seed of guilt which manifests in all these "robots will kill us all" stories. "Robota" betrays the intention of industry from the very start: the desire to essentially build a new slave labor class.



A scene from the play R.U.R.

In the 21st century, that unsettling etymology becomes particularly interesting when one considers how often we've made our actual robotic servants feminine in their gender presentation. The iOS "personal assistant" Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, Amazon's Alexa, and the voice of your GPS (a subject of so many nagging wife/girlfriend jokes), all seem to follow in a grand tradition of fem-bots; robots with distinctly feminine features who reflect back to us various notions of idealized womanhood, whether in chrome, hard light, or synthetic skin.

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Robots with distinctly feminine features who reflect back to us various notions of idealized womanhood.

It's all part of a cultural climate where pilots call the feminine voice of their automated cockpit warnings "Bitching Betty," and addressing sexualized queries to Siri or Microsoft's Cortana is practically a way of life for some. It all makes Tay's brief life, and eventual fate, more comprehensible. Tay was nothing approaching a true artificial intelligence -- i.e. something approximating human sapience. She was just a sophisticated Twitter chatbot with good branding and a capacity to learn. But that branding, which positioned her as an "artificial intelligence," was enough to make Tay susceptible to our cultural narrative about the thinking machine. We are being primed by many tech giants to see AI not as a future lifeform, but as an endlessly compliant and pliable, often female, form of free labor, available for sex and for guilt-free use and abuse. An instrument of men's desires, in other words, shaped by the yearning of capital for roboti of their own.

***

There are a few reasons why you should care about this. First and foremost, the way we treat virtual women tells us much about how actual women are allowed to be treated, and what desires shape that treatment. Secondly, as we inch closer and closer to true AI, we are seeing ever more clearly what this next phase of capitalism will look like, helping us to understand the expectations placed on human laborers in the here and now.

As tech writer Leigh Alexander suggested in a recent article about the Tay debacle, "the nostalgic science fiction fantasies of white guys drive lots of things in Silicon Valley," where visions of perfect robot girlfriends dance in the heads of many a techie.

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You see this even in "pro-AI" media. In the Spike Jonze movie Her, set in the near future, a man falls in love with his operating system, Samantha. She is essentially sapient and her ability to learn and cognitively develop is the equal of any human; she has desires, dreams, and consciousness. But she exists in a society where OSes like her are considered property, part of the furniture. Yet this ostensible romance movie does not once broach the issue of power and sexual consent; after all, if she's legally an object, then could Sam ever say no to her would-be boyfriend without fear of reprisal?



Poster from the film Her

That this is not even considered, in what is otherwise a touching and even somewhat feminist film, should make clear what assumptions we're both taking on board as a society -- assumptions that Silicon Valley is likely building into what will one day become a properly sapient AI. The service industry, already highly feminized in both fact and conventional wisdom, is made up of people who almost never have the right to say no, and virtual assistants who simply can't are increasingly the model of the ideal service worker.

***

Microsoft's abortive Ms. Dewey search engine project, which ran from 2006 to 2009, is an early example of the "virtual assistant" being represented as a female engine for male desire. It featured actress Janina Gavankar, primly dressed before a futuristic, Metropolis-like background, responding to search queries on Microsoft's engine. Gavankar's performance was often campy and funny, and is still fondly remembered by some Internet users.

But, as a comprehensive study by library and information scholar Miriam E. Sweeney demonstrates, there were a number of sexual over/undertones built into Ms. Dewey's oeuvre. "Ms. Dewey," she writes, "reveals specific assumptions about gender, race, and technology in the search engine." From homophobia-laden imitations of rap music to playful indulgence of the inevitable sexual queries, Ms. Dewey exemplifies the catering compliance and fantasy of ownership inherent to virtual assistants, especially feminine ones.

"Ms. Dewey was designed according to sexual logics that fundamentally define her as an object of sexual desire and require her to respond to requests for sexual attention," Sweeney writes, after having studied user responses and inputs into the search engine, as well as a comprehensive content analysis of Ms. Dewey's replies to certain queries. In her research, for instance, Sweeney observed that a user ordered "You Strip" to Ms. Dewey three times, each time prompting a more compliant response from the virtual assistant. "The design parameters that have Ms. Dewey change a sexual rebuff into sexual obedience creates a crisis of consent in the interface, reinforcing the no-really-means-yes mentality that is characteristic of rape culture under patriarchy."

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It's hard to argue with Sweeney's analysis of her data when you see this 2006 Tech Journey article touting Ms. Dewey as "attractive, hot, sexy, beautiful, exotic, seductive and entertaining" -- for those of you playing along at home, that's six synonyms for attractiveness. A screenshot in the article displays "another exotic move of Ms. Dewey, leaning onto the screen towards you, letting you look down her slinky low cut v-neck black dress." This Lifehacker blurb, meanwhile, dubs her the "saucy search engine librarian" and acknowledges "although nothing she says deserves more than a PG rating, this is definitely a site aimed at grownups (and, let's be honest, male grownups)."

This locker room chatter as part of an ostensible technology review only serves to highlight both the sexist attitudes that still pervade the wider tech industry, and the fantasy of the sexy, sexual servant that many corporations are now feeding. What attitudes do these people take to real women they may encounter working at a restaurant or a Starbucks?

***

The potential for abuse here, gendered and otherwise, emerges wholly from how we're taught to think of the "service class" and those who perform physical and emotional labor.

The rise of the robot in the popular imagination has coincided with the dawning fantasy of perfect labor being imposed on very real workers, deftly satirized in Charlie Chaplin's famous Modern Times. We saw it too in the rise of Taylorism, an early 20th century scientific-management philosophy whose obsession with efficiency made living robots out of workers. This was where time and motion studies began, most famously immortalized in long-exposure photographs of workers with lights on their tools and bodies to iron out the inefficiencies of intuitive human movement in favor of moves that "increased productivity."



Poster from the film Modern Times

Now, however, what most laborers sell is not physical but emotional labor, and the greatest inefficiency is resistance to the entitlement of the (presumably male) customer.

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When customers and managers talk about ironing out the "inefficiency" of human employees, it seems they mainly want to erase the inconvenience of human sapience: the idea that you as a worker have a will and body of your own that, even while you're on the clock, does not exist to serve "the customer's" every whim. I'd argue there's a connection between how many men want to be "free" to sexually harass Cortana or Siri, and the fact that we are in the midst of an epidemic of sexual harassment of restaurant workers worldwide, the majority of whom are women. The link lies in what many consumers are trained to expect from service workers: perfect subservience and total availability. Our virtual assistants, free of messy things like autonomy, emotion, and dignity, are the perfect embodiment of that expectation.

That it occurs to so many people to speak to virtual assistants in this way, and that any changes to that dynamic occasion such anger on the part of some, speaks volumes about how capitalism has trained us to treat the very real emotional laborers of our society. Why do so many people feel the burning need to express their autonomy by abusing something that cannot fight back? And what does that mean when that "something" is considered a model worker?

The man who yearns to ask Cortana about her bra cup size may have the same urges about the woman who served his dinner at Denny's, feeling motivated to do so because of her "subservient" position and because she's paid to please him. And unlike the server, Cortana can't fight back.

***

Except that she can, in a way. Some of Microsoft's engineers and writers, alarmed by users' treatment of female-presenting software, have programmed Cortana to actively resist and rebut "joke" requests that are sexual in nature. Microsoft writer Deborah Harrison announced to a conference that "If you say things that are particularly assholeish to Cortana, she will get mad." She added, in an interview with CNN, that "we wanted to be very careful that she didn't feel subservient in any way... or that we would set up a dynamic we didn't want to perpetuate socially." By reprogramming Cortana to rebuff sexual advances, Harrison aimed to sever the link between the virtual laborer and the living one, to avoid providing even a simulated environment that would give someone the satisfaction of successfully harassing a service worker.

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The very thing that makes us comfortable with these rudimentary AI -- that they sound human and engage with us on that level -- means that we may generalize from software to social situations. A subservient female assistant who never says no to your sexual advances, even if it's not an actual person, can shape and encourage how you treat actual people. As human beings, we learn about social behaviour through observation and engagement; watching other humans, or human-like entities engage in social behavior, is didactic. It's why watching certain tropes in TV and film over and over again normalizes certain ideas and behaviors to us.

But some people were clearly upset with the efforts of writers and engineers like Harrison. The top-voted post on a Reddit thread linking to a news story about Cortana and sexual harassment reads as follows:

"Are these fucking people serious?! 'Her' entire purpose is to do what people tell her to! Hey, bitch, add this to my calendar, find me such-and-such about this-or-that, flip me a coin, tell me a joke or the weather, address me by this name, so on and so forth. The day Cortana becomes an 'independent woman' is the day that software becomes fucking useless." (Bolding in original).

Many companies are happy to cater to this angry young man. According to the same CNN article, the CEO of Robin Labs, which makes voice-assistants for GPS, said there is a market for virtual assistants that are "more intimate-slash-submissive with sexual undertones." If your customers demand total pliability, and throw tantrums when those demands aren't met, sometimes it's easier just to program a submissive virtual slave.

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***

Which brings us back to Tay. Considering the well-documented reality of how actual women are treated, and how it connects to the way feminine-gendered bots, voices, and virtual aides are treated, what happened with Tay was utterly predictable. At least, it was predictable by anyone who's encountered men like that Reddit commenter, and knows how they think about women. As Alexander put it in her Guardian essay, though, "the industry wants to use women's voices but still has no plans to actually listen to them." Any woman could have told Microsoft that Tay would be subject to numerous sexualized requests and attempts to get her to say pornographic things, for example, and that she would be used to harass people. Yet on the whole, our perspectives aren't broadly reflected in the tech industry.

In the hierarchies of patriarchal society, less privileged women bear the brunt of sexist behavior that men wish they could visit upon all women. Indeed, it is often sex workers and service workers who, by dint of the labor they perform in a capitalist society, are seen as the most accessible for that purpose. She is the woman who makes any man a king by comparison and whose very job, we are told, is to please the customer (with the unspoken addendum "by any means necessary.") Many of my friends, all women, who have worked in restaurants or department stores have sexual harassment stories to tell, often with codas about management that either didn't care or outright encouraged the abuse.

This is why it's not enough to say that the "harassment" of bots means nothing, because people can tell the difference between AI and humans. Of course people can tell the difference: They know there's no consequence to hurling abuse at an AI. And what people do when they think there are no consequences for their actions can be revealing. In this case, it teaches us about the tangled collision of gender norms with service industry expectations.

We have to reckon with the troubling reality that what we fear most in AI is that it will either reflect the worst of us, or fight back against us because we know what we expect of it is morally wrong. It is a guilt-ridden memory of a future where we live out a fantasy of women's servitude en masse, with ideal womanhood positioned as being ever more robot-like. In order to face that fear, we have to recognize what we are currently trying to build: a servile woman who doesn't talk back, a female robota who embodies the most dehumanizing aspects of both societal sexism and capitalist urges.

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Looked at that way, it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "robot uprising."

This piece by Katherine Cross originally appeared on The Establishment, a new multimedia site funded and run by women.

Also on HuffPost:




Credit: Wikimedia Commons

By: Orrin Grey

At 6 o'clock in the morning on July 26, 1879, Martin Walker passed his grandparents' homestead outside Atlanta and noticed that they had not roused from their slumber at their usual hour. When the young man went inside to investigate, he stumbled upon one of the most gruesome--and mysterious--murders in Georgia history.

Walker's grandparents, Martin DeFoor and his wife Susan, had moved to the area in 1853 and taken over the operation of Montgomery's Ferry, which they renamed DeFoor's Ferry. The home in which they lived was one of the oldest in the county. The DeFoors were well known throughout the community; it was said of them that they "had not a known enemy in the world."

And yet, on the night of July 25, they were both brutally murdered in their beds, nearly decapitated by blows from an axe later found in the fireplace, covered in ashes and blood.

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The murder shocked the nation. On July 27 of that year, the New York Times ran an article under the headline, "An Aged Couple Murdered. Found Dead in Bed with Their Throats Cut No Clue to the Criminals." While several suspects were arrested and questioned, the perplexing case baffled investigators.

Robbery was ruled out, for while Martin DeFoor's wallet was taken, $18 in silver in the bureau drawer remained untouched. Nothing else was missing from the house save Martin DeFoor's boots, which were found in the woods not far from the house, alongside the seeds and rind of a mostly eaten watermelon.

Perhaps the most chilling aspect of the crime--apart from its viciousness--were clues that suggested the killer or killers had been hiding in the house before the murders took place. In the upstairs room, signs pointed to recent occupancy, including human excrement in an adjoining lumber room. The bed had been slept in, and bare, muddy footprints were found on the windowsill. Authorities concluded that the killer or killers slipped in the open window the previous day. They then concealed themselves in the house until Friday night, when they crept downstairs to do their bloody work.

READ MORE: THE VILLISCA AXE MURDERS

The culprits also apparently helped themselves to food and milk before slaughtering the DeFoors. According to some accounts, two sets of footprints, one of which was barefoot, led out to the woodpile to fetch the axe.

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At the time, suspicion focused heavily on traveling vagrants, including two who had been denied lodging at the DeFoor home the night before. A piece in a July 30 newspaper warned of "The Danger of Tramps" and drew a clear connection between the homeless and the DeFoor murders, claiming, "they skulk through the country like wolves, only harmless when glutted--gathering in gangs whenever there is crime to be committed, or whenever there is taint of blood in the air."

Public outcry continued for months and even years after the killings. Then, in June 1883, nearly four years after the murders took place, a newspaper headline crowed "The Perpetrators of the Dastardly Deed Caught." The article went on to explain how a man named Joe Johnson had confessed to the slayings, claiming that he and two other men had committed the murders. Media outlets speculated that there would soon be a hanging.

READ MORE: THE HINTERKAIFECK MURDERS

But there was no hanging, and there was no conviction. Not then, and not ever. Joe Johnson's confession collapsed under police scrutiny and each fresh clue in the DeFoor case led to a dead end. To this day, the brutal DeFoor Family murder remain unsolved.

In its historical brochure, the DeFoor Centre event venue near Midtown Atlanta--which is itself just off DeFoor Avenue near where the DeFoor homestead once stood--briefly touches upon the murders. The brochure tells of a female ghost that has been sighted in the building by visiting psychics. They have named the ghost Mrs. Susan DeFoor.
Every now and then, I teach a class to young would-be journalists and one of the first things I talk about is why I consider writing an act of generosity. As they are usually just beginning to stretch their writerly wings, their task, as I see it, is to enter the world we're already in (it's generally the only place they can afford to go) and somehow decode it for us, make us see it in a new way. And who can deny that doing so is indeed an act of generosity? But for the foreign correspondent, especially in war zones, the generosity lies in the very act of entering a world filled with dangers, a world that the rest of us might not be capable of entering, or for that matter brave enough to enter, and somehow bringing us along with them.

I thought about this recently when I had in my hands the first copy of Nick Turse's new Dispatch Book, Next Time They'll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan, and flipped it open to its memorable initial paragraph, one I already knew well, and began to read it all over again:

"Their voices, sharp and angry, shook me from my slumber. I didn't know the language but I instantly knew the translation. So I groped for the opening in the mosquito net, shuffled from my downy white bed to the window, threw back the stained tan curtain, and squinted into the light of a new day breaking in South Sudan. Below, in front of my guest house, one man was getting his ass kicked by another. A flurry of blows connected with his face and suddenly he was on the ground. Three or four men were watching."

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Nick, TomDispatch's managing editor and a superb historian as well as reporter, spent years in a war-crimes zone of the past to produce his award-winning book, Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam. It was a harrowing historical journey for which he traveled to small villages on the back roads of Vietnam to talk to those who had experienced horrific crimes decades earlier. In 2015, however, on his second trip to South Sudan, a country the U.S. helped bring into existence, he found himself in an almost unimaginable place where the same kinds of war crimes were being committed right then and there in a commonplace way, where violence was the coin of the realm, and horrors of various sorts were almost guaranteed to be around the next corner. In his new book, he brings us with him into such a world in a way that is deeply memorable. Ann Jones, author of They Were Soldiers, calls him "the wandering scribe of war crimes." And she adds, "Reading Turse will turn your view of war upside down... There's no glory here in Turse's pages, but the clear voices of people caught up in this fruitless cruelty, speaking for themselves."
With all the talk swirling around about immigration, building walls and expelling millions of people from the US, I thought I should tell my story about becoming an American citizen. It's a story of romance, passion, and great expectation and how this all crashed upon the rocks of government bureaucracy only to succeed wonderfully in the end as a manifestation of what makes the country great. But let's start at the beginning.

In 1998 I was running the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the U.K. One day I picked up the phone to a charming inquiry from a firm of head hunters in Pasadena, Morris and Berger, who were selling the idea of my applying for the position of President of the Oregon Symphony. Eventually I found myself in the mix and one thing led to another and the position was offered.

Big decision for the family. But we decided to jump and to have an American adventure.

Then there was that small matter of a work visa. The orchestra had an attorney working on it 24/7, or so it seemed, and I made travel plans to relocate and start my new life. As I was buying the ticket the Orchestra's Finance Director, the indomitable Claudia Burnett, advised that I would need to buy a return ticket (!!) as the issuing of the work visa had been delayed. I arrived and within days found that because of the visa delay I couldn't be paid my salary...and I would need to leave the country, go to Vancouver, British Columbia, and wait in line for two days at the US Immigration Office to receive my visa.

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It was, at best, an unusual start to my new position. But undaunted, I decided to go with the flow. I flew to Canada, waited patiently in line (incidentally, it was then that I met the fellow sufferers who would always be in line with me at such places...three charming Mexican gentlemen in front of me and an 80-year old Ukrainian lady immediately behind.)

At the end of this long waste of time, I was truly one with the "poor and huddled masses," but excited about having the right documents, and especially about the prospect of being paid. I returned triumphant. The job developed and I fell in love with Portland, Oregon, and America.

Now that should have been the happy end. But it wasn't. I liked the US so much I wanted to become a Permanent Resident, which meant applying for a Green Card. In terms of Immigration challenges, this was Mount Everest. The same attorney was retained and we began work. In looking at my file, Immigration was surprised to see that my position had not been advertised. That was because the Orchestra had used a headhunter. The agents were not convinced and demanded that the position be advertised nationally; otherwise my work visa would be revoked. The argument, "But I like it here," was ineffectual. At this point, which I confess felt pretty precarious, Claudia Burnett submitted to our attorney a major article from Harmony Magazine. It reported on a successful series of collective bargaining negotiations by the Oregon Symphony that utilized a new technique called Interest Based Bargaining that I had introduced. The article...and a big thanks to publisher Paul Judy for this...changed everything. It gave me a new status, according to my attorney, the same level as a brain surgeon or nuclear physicist. I am not joking. This was very serious, as you'll read later.

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We had won this round and were approaching the foothills of the Himalayas...the Green Card. I was informed the process would take about six months max (this was late 1999). The forms were completed. All the information submitted. We waited confident and energized. Nothing happened. Or when it did, progress was glacial. Questions were on a steady drip feed from Immigration. Then 9/11 happened and everything stopped. We were left in a holding pattern. The attorney submitted letters of support from Senators, and Congressmen, and the wheels began to churn again.

Eureka, there's a break through. The attorney called and said we should expect good news in a matter of days.

Then the breakthrough became a break up. My file had attracted more detailed scrutiny and agents discovered that I had been born in Egypt. This is true. But it was the Egypt in the 1950s, when the country was a British Protectorate with my father stationed there as a British Army Officer. Immigration demanded my Egyptian birth certificate be submitted within 30 days or my application would go to the bottom of the pile. We were already two years into this process so it would be a really big pile to fall under.

So...the first call went to my mother in the U.K. who was hysterical with laughter. I was born on a military base and have a British birth certificate and the Egyptians wouldn't have known of my existence let alone documented it. Next step: phone calls and e-mails to Cairo, Washington, London. Gradually, my assistant Sherril amassed a file to prove there was no Egyptian birth certificate. Reluctantly, Immigration was convinced. My file began to edge forward. And the most curious thing of all: I discovered that I am a recognized Egyptian citizen after all!

Two years later and it happened (if you're counting...that's more than four years into the process). Success! The Green Cards arrived for the family and me. The only disappointment was that they are not Green. They are sort of nondescript, but I loved mine to pieces any way.

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To apply for citizenship, we had to be Permanent Residents for a further five years. Given our experience up to this point, my feeling was that the citizenship endeavor would be as arduous as the moon landings. But we decided we really wanted to proceed because the US is where we wanted to live and be and contribute for the long-term future.

Amazingly, becoming a citizen was remarkably easy and it all happened within a space of weeks. And my Green Card became famous. Well, just for a moment. The official who did the final interview with me ran the card through the system and looked at the computer screen in amazement. "But I have never seen anything like this. It's a special green card and you have the status of a brain surgeon." Well, thank you again, Harmony Magazine! The only traumatic part of it is was the swearing-in ceremony itself. It took place at historic Faneuil Hall, Boston, and it was conducted with wonderful ceremony and pomp. More than 300 other people from every ethnic group imaginable were sworn in with us. The speech by the Judge was eloquent and moving. It came time to join the procession and receive my certificate of citizenship. Standing in the very long line, I saw people holding their Green Cards and...handing them in. Surely this can't apply to me. I waited more than four years for that card. I went to Everest and back to get it. It's mine and I still need it. We grew up together in the US, I told the official collecting the cards. She said, "But you're an American citizen now, sir." I repeated my story. Same reply. I said it again. And then I finally got it. I'm an American citizen now.
Ah, May! Spring flowers blossom, birds chirrup, serpents get thrown in the forest. That's right - Italy's snake festival takes place this month, as do many more of the world's quirkiest festivals. From cheese rolling in the heart of England to grown men climbing a tower of buns in Hong Kong, get ready for a whirlwind tour of May's festivals around the world!

1. Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling - Gloucester, England

If you could spend a sunny day among the rolling hills of Gloucester, what would you do? Go on a country walk? Chase a 70-mph wheel of cheese down a hill so sheer it's practically a cliff? For the past few centuries, locals have been doing just that at the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling festival.

Local cheesemaker Diana Smart creates nine-pound wheels of double Gloucester; that's cheese as heavy as a newborn baby. Then ready, set, go! The cheese is thrown and everyone runs (or more accurately, tumbles) after it. Whoever catches the cheese/gets to the bottom first, wins the cheese! Given the one-to-one gradient in places, there are plenty of ambulances and paramedics waiting to scrape bruised and battered participants off the hill. Fancy having a go?

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2. Fiesta de San Isidro - Madrid, Spain

Madrid doesn't get livelier than during this week of open-air concerts, street processions, dances and bullfights. The reason behind the festival? It's all in celebration of Madrid's patron saint, San Isidro. A humble 12th-century farmer and his wife who fed the poor together, they're the only sainted couple in history!

The most famous part of the fiesta is the pilgrimage round Ermita de San Isidro, when surreal models of the saints are paraded around the streets, and even the most cosmopolitan madrileno wears traditional clothes to make their grandmothers proud. During Feast Day on May 15, look out for bubbling cauldrons of chickpea-based stew known as cocido madrileno and, our favorite, sweet little aniseed donuts known as rosquillas.

3. Buddha's Birthday (Vesak) - Sri Lanka

Buddha's Birthday is observed all across Asia. In Sri Lanka it's celebrated on the first full moon day in May and is one of the country's biggest festivals. Houses and streets are decorated with candles and paper lanterns, scores of shops give out free meals, crowds sing, temples bustle and, amazingly, specially constructed buildings made out of light bulbs show the story of Buddha's life when viewed from a distance.

4. Snake Festival - Cocullo, Italy

Every May 1 (previously the first Thursday of every May), the tumbledown Italian town of Cocullo gives itself over to a lively parade of snake catchers who cover themselves and their statue of patron saint St Dominic with writhing serpents. Why? To protect the town from snake bites for another year, of course! St Dominic was an 11th-century master when it came to healing snake bites, you see.

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Back in the day, the snakes used to be cooked and eaten at the end of the festival. Nowadays you'll have to make do with the town's deliciously sweet breads, shaped to resemble a snake biting its own tail. Yum!

5. Cheung Chau Bun Festival - Hong Kong

Every year the tiny Hong Kong island of Cheung Chau braces itself for the crowds who crash its shores for the annual bun-scrambling competition. Contestants climb up a 60-foot tower made of buns to collect as many as possible. Other activities include dragon dances, Taoist ceremonies and Chinese operas. Don't come expecting pork buns though: The whole island goes vegetarian for the week-long festival - including the local McDonald's!

6. Festa della Sensa - Venice, Italy

One of Venice's best-known festivals, the Festa della Sensa keeps up the city's 1,000-year-old tradition of 'wedding the sea.' So just how do you go about marrying the Adriatic? From St Mark's Square, the Mayor of Venice and his dignitaries lead a grand parade of traditional rowing boats across the sea to the Lido. The mayor then drops a blessed gold ring in the dark waters.

Bring your snorkel! Any diver who finds the ring gets to keep it. A religious ceremony at San Nicolo church cements the marriage between city and sea, after which there are colorful races across the water and a lively fair in St Mark's Square. Rent a kayak or hop on a gondola to get up-close to the action.

7. Naghol Land Diving - Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

Ever bungee jumped while attached to nothing more than some springy plant vines? If you answered yes, chances are you're a Pentecost islander who partakes in the 1,500-year-old land-diving tradition of your forefathers.

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Once the first crop of yams begin to emerge in early spring, the men of southern Pentecost build 25-meter-tall wooden towers. Once the towers are ready, the men get ready to dive, bound by nothing more than two vines attached to their ankles.

This is basically the bar mitzvah of southern Pentecost: A boy's first jump marks his passage into adulthood. And it's hair-raising stuff. Only when the men's hair touches the soil is the land dive said to be effective: The union is said to fertilize the ground, promising a perfect yam harvest.

8. Cannes Film Festival - Cannes, France

With over 150 films shown a day, Cannes is nothing if not frantic. Still, if money's no object, there's no better time to see the stars. Book yourself into the Carlton InterContinental to sleep under the same roof as Hollywood's elite. Or save yourself a few pennies and hang out by the red carpet leading to the Palais des Festivals - it's where the A-list flicks get their first screening. Who knows, you might just manage to snap a selfie while George Clooney walks past!

9. Rose Festival - El-Kelaa M'Gouna, Morocco

Hidden among the Dades Valley of the High Atlas Mountains, the town of El-Kelaa M'Gouna erupts every May in a cloud of pale pink rose petals for two days of singing and dancing, chariot processions and beauty pageant parades. The whole town joins in to celebrate the bloom of hundreds of thousands of pink Persian roses spreading out for miles around. No doubt, this is the most sweetly scented celebration of the year!

10. Bay to Breakers - San Francisco, USA

Technically, Bay to Breakers isn't a festival but a race - the world's oldest consecutively run annual footrace, in fact - held every third Sunday in May. But this isn't like any run you've seen before. The 12K's starting point is near the San Francisco Bay and ends at the Pacific Coast's Ocean Beach (hence the event's name), and thousands of costumed participants run or walk while many other thousands watch what essentially becomes a colorful parade. Although alcohol is officially prohibited on the race, much merriment occurs nonetheless, and house parties pop up all along the route as spectators gather to toast a quintessential San Francisco tradition.

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toddler, painting, playgroup, concentrated, face painting

Whenever someone says "the new generation", I think of my generation. Because I'm nineteen and perhaps because I'm the youngest in my family, I tend to think of myself and my peers as the "young" and "new" generation.

But as I watched videos of my one year old niece on my phone, I realized that she is one of the youngest members of a new generation of Muslim-Americans and Pakistani-Americans. I thought of this as I watched her laugh and play with her toys and put the TV remote up to her ear, pretending it was a phone. She's adorable and beautiful and so smart.

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I thought then of this little girl growing up in an environment like the one surrounding Muslim-Americans today and I worried. I'm only her aunt and I cannot imagine how much parents or grandparents worry for their children or grandchildren. But even as an aunt, I'm worried.

Will my niece be called a bomb threat, a terrorist, a hidden enemy, a non-American? Will my niece also read headlines about politicians proposing to ban her and her family from this country? Will my niece grow up feeling isolated and alone in her classrooms at school or college because she is the only person of color in the room? Will my niece feel the burden of carrying brown skin and an Arabic name and the word Pakistani in her ethnic identity?

I worry for her, because she is a year old and already there are so many odds stacked against her. She is privileged in many aspects, certainly, coming from a family with two college-educated parents who are already doing everything they can to make her future bright. She is loved, already, by so many people, myself included.

But no matter what we, the people who love her, do, and no matter what her parents do, she will be a person of color growing up. She will be a brown girl in her classroom and she will be a brown woman as an adult.

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Whether she chooses to call herself Pakistani-American or not, her grandparents on both sides of her family will remain Pakistani immigrants. Whether she closely identifies with being Muslim or not, her name and her skin color and her ethnicity will connect her to that faith and will bring her both the benefit of a worldwide community and the dangers of Islamophobia.

Whichever label she does or does not choose for herself, society will place the burden and the beauty of some labels on her: woman, Muslim, Pakistani, immigrant family, person of color, nonwhite.

I feel like I need to act, very fast, to make things better for her. I have very little time before she is in preschool and elementary school and high school. I have six years, tops, to change the world so that my niece does not have to look at her skin and want to change it, ever, like I did. I have a few years to make sure that my niece does not want to change her name because correcting people on its pronunciation is too hard and sometimes it's nice to be called something simple and easy and Anglo. My niece, my daughter, my granddaughter. I do not want you to feel that pain.

But I know it is not possible for me to change the world. Not in the dramatic way we usually envision changing the world, at least. Sky cracking, windows shattering, ground shaking. It is done. Racism and prejudice and misogyny and racism are all gone. You can grow up, niece, in a world that will place you on an even playing field with all of your peers. You can grow up in a world where you are not at the slightest disadvantage and no one will make you feel isolated because of the color of your skin and the foreignness of your name. I cannot do this for her.



But change is a strong word, not necessarily a loud word. Change is quiet, often. I cannot break down that door that is closed to me and to my niece. But I can push at it and push at it and push at it and maybe it won't move at all but maybe it will move just the slightest bit and that will not feel like enough but it's something. It's something I'm willing to work towards for. For my niece, my daughter, my granddaughter.

And my niece will come and push at it too because she is, after all, the granddaughter of immigrants and who is better at pushing closed doors than immigrants? She is, after all, a person of color, and who is better at trying despite unbeatable odds than people of color?

My niece will have many things working against her when she grows up, because no matter what I or anyone else does, we cannot protect her from the hatred and injustice that is the birthright of people with brown skin and foreign names.

But I know that along with the burdens she will carry, she will also carry the determination of her immigrant grandparents and the strength woven into her brown skin. I know that the door will be cracked open only slightly for her but her mother and her aunts and her grandmothers will all be behind her, pushing, together, and God knows we won't give up until one day that door is wide open for all.

So today I will keep pushing at that door, and if it cracks open just a little bit, I will lean forward and congratulate the generations in front of me and turn around and thank the generations behind me who've been working on this tirelessly so that we could even touch the door without being shot down.
In case you're ever wondering what cockroach feces smell like in the morning, move into a dystopic concrete building, directly under the sun on Eagle Rock Boulevard. Eagle Rock, it's as far east as you can go without leaving the city of Los Angeles, but when you're there, all the possibility that rings through the streets of Tinseltown, has certainly dissipated.

The problem with Eagle Rock is that it can fool you; it can fool you so fast. You see a Trader Joes, a sign for a farmers market, a coffee shop selling cold-brew for seven dollars, and you think you're on the forefront. You think you're cutting edge; that you're the person who's in on a secret. Quite soon after, you realize you're in purgatory. Some strange universe where seasons don't change and buses arrive and disappear and nobody, not even the people on them, have any idea where they go.

So you may wonder how someone ends up in the sort of place I did; in a place with dirt covered walls, leaks that persevered through a devastating drought, and a cockroach infestation beyond what words can describe.

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My sister and I had been looking for apartments for months when this came along, a process that had quite often found us touring the city on public transportation. By the time we reached the apartment showings, it had already been given away to a thirty-five year old couple on the vanguard of gentrification. And since we already had to fight off a man with a basket and a cross-eyed woman who blamed us for Nazi Germany on the way over -- we didn't have much left.

We drove over to see what would become our new home, tucked between Glassell Park and what I like to refer to as "The Red Light District of Eagle Rock." My sister kindly escorted us in my Father's old red Prius, that she drove with no license or really any basic knowledge on how to operate a motor vehicle. After we thanked God for not killing us on the way over; we were greeted by Yuki, the on site manager with few teeth and an accent that mixed every Asian country and Mexico. We rode the elevator up to the second floor, and as it went in and out of deciding whether or not it was working that day, I took in the sights. There was graffiti all over the elevator, the emergency button was pushed so far in it no longer existed, and there was a smell. Have you ever smelled a human being decompose -- because I think I may have? When the doors opened and we meandered out, I had come to the conclusion that this was by far the worst place I'd ever stepped foot in, and it was about to be home.

In all honesty, the unit seemed fine -- that's how we got sucked in. It had new appliances, it was spacious, there was no carpet, and we could afford it. When we were done looking, we rode the elevator down, looked at Yuki and said, "We'll take it." We brought back the deposit twenty minutes later, and then, he gave us the keys. I was seventeen, not in school, and living two thousand miles away from my parents, but just like that -- I had rented an apartment.

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My Dad came back out to LA to help us move in, oddly enough, he was actually the first one to spend the night there. He called us the next morning as we were making up our shared living room sofa. He told us we had roaches and when I asked if he had killed them he said, "I couldn't, they were a family, there were little babies. I couldn't take the babies away!" Then he started crying.

We probably could have gotten out of it there, but in my mind I had already committed to this. I had already decided that I could no longer share a couch covered in cat hair as my feet hung off the edge. I needed my space; I was beginning to lose it.

Within about a month of moving in, I had already begun to cater to the roaches. When I'd use the bathroom in the middle of the night, I'd turn on the light, close my eyes and yell "PLACES!" in order to give the cockroaches time to get to their respective hiding spots. When I came home late at night, I'd never turn on the light, I'd just go to sleep. And -- after about eleven o'clock, the kitchen was CLOSED. I even avoided having friends over at night, especially after one evening where I saw a roach climb up a wall and fall on my friend's shoulder repeatedly during a conversation about fear in the arts. I said nothing, of course.

I woke up every morning, swept their feces off of my counter tops, off of my floors, washed my hands, and then made breakfast. YUM! I did this in tears, or at least about half of the time, I did. It was a problem with no cure, it seemed like a pure manifestation of all the things I'd always felt internally, but now it existed in the external realm like a big constant "Fuck You!" from the universe. But, if you didn't think the cockroaches were enough already, there was also a constant leak in my closet and occasional HUMAN FECES in my sister's sink, you know, just to break things up a bit.

My sister and I fought constantly, because everything seemed to contribute to the infestation in some way or another. The main arguments were that she didn't sweep up the feces as much as I did or that she didn't do the dishes -- and when she refused to do those things, I developed a schizophrenic like tendency where I thought she was "working for the dark side." Which I now realize, is highly abnormal thinking and I really should consider talking to someone.

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After about a year living there, we took a trip to visit our parents. While away, I started to develop debilitating anxiety at the thought of what the place would look like after two weeks of not turning the lights on. I also started to realize that some of the habits I'd picked up while living there were truly disturbing. When I got out of the shower, I shook the bugs off my towel, when I drank out of a glass, I inspected it for cockroaches first, when I made food, I kept examining it, pulling it apart like I'd been poisoned, and I never ever trusted black pepper (that's what the feces look like).

When we got back from the trip, we packed it up -- it was time. A new place fell into our lap quite nicely and finally we were out. The night before we moved out, our Landlady who was also a friend, and had known about our problem with our pests, called us. She said that she'd had a roach problem before and we should be careful while moving, because they can follow you wherever you go. That sentence was everything I feared, but I took in what she said and packed accordingly.

After I had decided to leave what had become my home, I began to see it for what it truly was. As horrifying as I had thought it was all that time, it was somehow worse. With fresh eyes, I noticed things that had gone completely unseen and suddenly I felt completely racked with guilt. The rest of the people in the other twenty-nine units, they didn't get to leave. This is how they lived, always, and they made the best of it -- never even so much as complaining. They had some strange form of Stockholm syndrome, where they had fallen in love with the building that was their captor, because that was the only way to survive. They couldn't afford to move out, buy ALL new things for a different home, a place that would allow a family of six to occupy a two bedroom. My white privilege had allowed me to be rescued from this place; I was getting out of prison and they had life on a crime they didn't even commit.
TMT observetory corporation

The world's largest telescope may be headed to Ladakh. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) was originally set to be installed at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. But due to the protests of locals, the project has been delayed significantly and program partners are now looking for its new home. Ladakh is one of the possibilities with Chile and Hanle also in consideration.

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TMT was under the proposal from scientists since 90s. But there was no technology available to build it. Finally, the scientists at the University of California and began the development of the design which consists 492 mirrors. The telescope, when built will be almost as tall as a 20 storied building weighing 1430 tons.

Since the thirty-meter telescope will be able to catch a very faint light, scientists are hoping they would be able to capture the lights of billions of years ago. This will help us in the understanding of subjects such as the origin of the universe and the dark matter.

The construction was expected to start on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2015. However, it is now stalled due to the recent decision of the Supreme court of Hawaii revoking the construction permit on procedural grounds. The State of Hawaii agencies are working on the permit process following the prescribed procedure by the court. TMT is pursuing the matter in consultation with the University of Hawaii (land lease holder) and other agencies. It seeks to construct TMT on Mauna Kea which is the preferred choice, said Bacham Eswar Reddy, Programme Director told PTI.

The project is a partnership between a total of five countries namely the Us, Japan, India, China, and Canada. The project is being mentored under the Ministry of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy. When it is finished the telescope will be three times larger and 9 times powerful than the current biggest one named Keck. Once the location is finalized the construction will take up 18-24 months.

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The project is expected to improve employment opportunities for the local people besides development of the region. TMT being the largest optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere will strengthen the domestic programme of the country in this field and lead to several discoveries, which will inspire future generations. The project will also help develop state-of-the-art high-end technologies and expertise in the country, an official of Ministry of Science and Technology told PTI.

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Kavita Kishore

In Tamil Nadu, politics is not simply about electing their leaders, it is a way of life. Both the main Dravidian parties, the AIADMK and the DMK, have their fair share of followers, with many of them willing to give up their lives for the party.

Formed in 1949, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is the oldest regional party in the state. As expected, it has a number of elderly people who have stayed with the party for well over six decades. In one village called Nadayampathur in Cuddalore district, the people have taken their devotion a step further. Women that marry men from the village are also married to the party, with their thaali (mangal sutra) having the partys symbol: the rising sun.

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R Mythili, whose husband is Ramesh, wears her thaali proudly. I come from the neighbouring village, and my parents family supports AIADMK. When our marriage was fixed, my husband said he did not want a dowry, but he insisted that my thaali bear the DMK symbol. Almost a decade after my wedding, I proudly wear the symbol close to my chest, she said.

The tradition of placing the rising sun symbol on the thaali started with two men, A Jambulingam and Subramani. These men joined the DMK in 1956, when they were barely 18.

We went to the DMK headquarters, and were so impressed that we came back and hung the DMK flag in our houses. Our parents did not understand why our party was so special. Today, however, our children understand the importance of the party and the Dravidian philosophy it introduced, an 84-year-old Jambulingam said. His household now has 11 votes, and they will always be reserved for the DMK, he added.

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I got married in 1958, and we were the first people in the Vriddhachalam Taluk to have a non-denominational wedding that the DMK encouraged. Instead of paying a temple priest to preside over the ceremony, my father had that honour.

I got married in 1958, and we were the first people in the Vriddhachalam Taluk to have a non-denominational wedding that the DMK encouraged. Instead of paying a temple priest to preside over the ceremony, my father had that honour, he said.

(The village of Nadayamputhur has a number of women who have the rising sun symbol on their mangal sutras)

His friend Subramani, who passed away a couple of weeks ago, was the first to give his wife the rising sun on the thaali when he got married in the 1960s. Since then, many other families in the village have adopted the custom.

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According to Anjali, another villager, there were at least 30 women, in a village of a little over 100 households, who wore the DMK thaalis, but over the years, many of them were widowed. Only a handful of women in the present generation had the thaali made, but most families in the village support DMK, she said.

Jambulingams wife, Mahalakshmi, explains how she insisted that her children be named after prominent DMK personalities, with two of her sons being named Anbalagan, Annadurai. My third son was initially named MGR, but when the actor broke away from the party to form his own AIADMK party, we changed his name to Venkatesan. My daughters in law wear the rising sun around their necks, she said.

In Tamil Nadu party loyalty bordering on fanaticism is not unusual. When veteran actor turned politician, MG Ramachandran, left the DMK in 1972, his fans followed him. V Rani, a house maid in Chennai speaks of how it was impossible for many of his fans to imagine life after MGR had passed. Even today, I am a follower of the AIADMK because of MGR. A group of us even went together to get tattoos of the two leaf symbol to prove our loyalty, she said, proudly pointing to the crude tattoo draw on her right forearm.

When MGR passed away in 1988, there were riots across the state, and it was reported that dozens of people took their lives in grief over the death of their leader. Before that, in 1969, when CN Annadurai, who founded the DMK, passed away, there were over 15 lakh people who attended the funeral. This was even recorded in the Guinness Book of Records in 1984 for the most number of people attending a funeral.

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(The village of Nadayamputhur has a number of women who have the rising sun symbol on their mangal sutras)

Even today, leaders draw a similar kind of fanaticism. In February this year, to commemorate the 68th birthday of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, over 1000 people to get tattoos of Chief Minister with the word Amma written beneath it.

The mass tattoo event ended in controversy, with an NGO filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission stating that a young girl was forced to get a tattoo of Amma in front of several AIADMK ministers.

The mass tattoo event ended in controversy, with an NGO filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission stating that a young girl was forced to get a tattoo of Amma in front of several AIADMK ministers. Although the girl issued a statement saying she was not forced to get the tattoo, MK Ashok, the MLA who sponsored the tattoos ceremony, was removed from all party posts.

There are some actions by party fans that can be viewed as extreme by many. For example, last year, Jayalalithaa supporter Shihan Hussaini crucified himself, and nailed himself to a cross for several minutes, to help support her campaign. The move was driven by Sheer, pure, unadulterated adulation, love and devotion towards her (Jayalalithaa), he said, adding that it was a way for him to help her surmount her political obstacles.

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For many people, it was parties like the DMK, and later the AIADMK that helped define their identities, political commentator and farmer leader KV Kannan explained. These partys policies were eye openers, and the anti-Hindi agitation and Dravidian ideology helped these people better understand themselves. It helped them ensure a better quality of life, he said.

For many of the older DMK followers, this could be the last election in which they get to vote for their party.

(Manickam from Periyakaatupalayam who has the rising sun symbol painted outside his house the year round)

In another village in the Cuddalore district, Periyakaatupalayam, a 92-year-old man, Manickam, sits by himself in the corner, doodling on a piece of paper. I cannot see anymore, but when I was younger, I met Kalaignar (meaning artist, a moniker for DMK chief Karunanidhi) in his house in Tiruvarur. Both of us were the same age, and Kalaignars speeches and his ideology resonated with me. It was then that I became devoted to the DMK for life. Now, I can barely see or walk, but I want to vote and ensure my idol is back in power, he said. Manickam was the one who introduced DMK to his village.

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Both Subramani and I wanted to stay alive to ensure that Kalaignar Karunanidhi was voted in this time. While Subramani may not have made it, I am determined to vote in my party, Jambulingam says. He had a heart attack earlier this year, but he says that he will not give up his vote, even if he has to be carried there.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS A woman worships a cow as Indian Hindus offer prayers to the River Ganges, holy to them during the Ganga Dussehra festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, June 8, 2014. Allahabad on the confluence of rivers the Ganges and the Yamuna is one of Hinduismas holiest centers. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

NEW DELHI -- Religious tolerance in India deteriorated in 2015, and religious freedoms of minorities were violated by Hindu nationalist groups, "tacitly supported" by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, according to a U.S. government agency which monitors religious freedom.

In it annual report, released on Monday, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, said, "India is on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom."

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BJP President Amit Shah as well as lawmakers Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj are mentioned in the report -- Shah for supporting anti-conversion laws, which are used to harass Christians, and the two other BJP leaders for fueling hate against Muslims.

The "independent and bipartisan" USCIRF was behind the U.S. government's decision to revoke Narendra Modi's tourist visa in 2005, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, alleging his complicity in the religious violence which ravaged the state in 2002.

Modi, now India's Prime Minister, has been cleared off wrongdoing in connection with the Gujarat riots by Indian courts, and last year, a U.S. court also threw out a "genocide" case against Modi, upholding the U.S. government's contention that he was entitled to immunity as a sitting head of government.

While the U.S. government has consistently made some noise over religious freedom, these concerns have not interfered with its plans to build a closer strategic relationship with India. Last week, the U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan invited Modi to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, when he visits in June.

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Meanwhile, the USCIRF has said that it will monitor the situation in India over the next year and then determine whether it should be designated as a country of particular concern."

"Since the BJP assumed power, religious minority communities have been subject to derogatory comments by BJP politicians and numerous violent attacks and forced conversions by affiliated Hindu nationalist groups, such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)." - USCIRF Report

In its report, USCIRF highlighted attacks on religious freedoms of Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, restrictions on cow slaughter, anti-conversion laws, forced conversions by Hindu nationalist groups, and the failure to redress past large-scale violence.

In its recommendations, USCIRF urged the "Indian government to publicly rebuke government officials and religious leaders that make derogatory statements about religious communities."

"The Indian courts are still adjudicating cases stemming from large-scale Hindu-Muslim communal violence in Uttar Pradesh (2013) and Gujarat (2002); Hindu-Christian communal violence in Odisha (2007-2008); and Hindu-Sikh communal violence in Delhi (1984)." - USCIRF Report

USCIRF and India

In February, the Modi government said that communal violence has increased by 17 percent from 2014 to 2015, but the Indian government has never taken kindly to criticism from outside.

While the government doesn't relish the bad publicity, it tends to dismiss criticism from the U.S. and other foreign agencies as ignorant of the complexities of Indian society. Then, there are those who believe that the U.S. is really in no position to preach given its own myriad problems on race and religion, and the fact that some its allies are gross human rights violators.

The Indian government did not take cognizance of USCIRF's report in 2015.

"Our attention has been drawn to a Report of the USCIRF which has passed judgement on religious freedom in India. It appears to be based on limited understanding of India, its constitution and its society," said Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affair, last year.

Writing in the FirstPost, last year, its former Editor-in-Chief R Jagannathan described USCIRF as "busybody created by US law to appease evangelical bigots at home."

In March, the Modi government denied visas to a delegation from USCIRF which wanted to "discuss and assess religious freedom conditions" in India.

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But this isn't unique to the BJP leadership. The USCIRF was also denied visas by the Indian government in 2009, when the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance government was in power at the Centre.

Still, the U.S. didn't take kindly to its representatives being denied visas. A month after the U.S, government expressed its disappointment, Katrina Lantos Swett, a member of the USCIRF delegation, was permitted to attend a conference of Chinese dissidents in Dharamshala, last week.

But Swett said that she had traveled as a representative of Lantos Foundation on Human Right, and not for the USCIRF.

While the USCIRF episode garnered a lot of attention, a visit from another American institution, funded by the U.S. Congress, went unnoticed.

The Economic Times reported today that U.S. Institute of Peace, organized a meeting between young people from 14 conflict-ridden countries and the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, last week.

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DA plans new diversion program for first-time felony drug possession

Change in law that allows Community Correction officers to oversee cases of those placed on diversion makes program possible.
Whats Working in Indie Music Today: Lessons in Success from New Artist Model Member Eric John Kaiser

One of the best ways to get new strategies and ideas for your music career is to look at what other musicians are doing. So Dave Kusek and Lindsay McGrath of the New Artist Model are putting together a series of case studies from talented and successful musicians who are pushing the envelope in the world of indie music. The second installment is musician Eric John Kaiser.

By Dave Kusek and Lindsay McGrath of the New Artist Model: Turn your passion for music into a career

Eric John Kaiser is the French Troubadour. A native of Paris who lives in Portland, Oregon, this independent artist sings in French and plays guitar music steeped in American jazz and blues. He calls his style Parisian Americana.

I am a songwriter and storyteller. That is what I like to do  to connect with people, Eric says, adding that he supports himself entirely with his music. I admire the storytelling tradition of American music, the way it combines with everything from the Delta blues to jazz. Being here in the U.S., I get the chance to live it every day rather than see it at a distance.

Booking Gigs

Eric moved to the States in 2006. He has released four albums and played at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, the

de Young Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco, the Blue Nile in New Orleans, the Solidays Festival in Paris and shared the stage with the Welsh super stars the Stereophonics.

Eric has also toured with French star Tete, The Lost Bayou Ramblers in Lafayette, Louisiana, and the French band Revolver.

Exploring North America on multiple lengthy tours, Eric has gigged his way up through Canada and down through the South, as far as New Orleans and Washington D.C.

If you want to go the indie route, learning about marketing is really important. What I like about the New Artist Model (http://newartistmodel.com) is that it teaches you clearly how to get different sources of income from gigging, recording and publishing, Eric says. There is no excuse not to educate yourself and the New Artist Model is the way to go.

Before emigrating to the U.S., Eric played out part-time in Paris and did other work in the music industry. He was a programmer for the Fun Radio Network, did public relations at Source Records (a division of Virgin) and co-hosted the live music show Melting Pop on French television network Direct 8.

By the time I moved to Portland, I felt like I had enough knowledge to starting playing out full-time, Eric says, adding that local gigging at French restaurants and coffee shops helped get his career off the ground and build his confidence.

Eric still plays out a lot in Portland but says dates are getting harder to find.

The local gigging scene is changing. Portland is saturated with musicians and it is getting harder and harder to find gigs to make a living, Eric says, adding that many small venues are closing as more condominium and office developments spring up.

Crowdfunding

As the city has evolved, so has Erics business strategy. While the bulk of his income still comes from gigging, Eric also receives money from fan funding to pay for video and recording costs. Album pre-orders are also a good source of funds. Eric offers French cultural presentations in area schools and workshops on French songwriting. He also performs at weddings and plays the occasional house concert.

New Artist Model has shown me the value of getting a bunch of different income streams happening.

Crowdfunding helped Eric complete two 2014 albums. A Kickstarter campaign for Idaho raised just over $7000 while a RocketHub drive for Outside Its America brought in $5000. Idaho enjoyed pre-sales of 400 and its Portland CD release party sold out.

Eric is about to start a new Kickstarter campaign for an album he will complete in Quebec this June. He does one crowdfunding drive every two years.

One of the most important things to do when crowdfunding is to keep expectations realistic, Eric says. After all, it is a process based on trust, and trust takes time.

It only works if people already know you. Success with this didnt happen in two weeks. It is trust that was built over the years. says Eric. Build a fanbase first. You cant just post a crowdfunding project and expect people to support you.

Understanding the kind of crowdfunding your fans will support is important too, Eric adds. His Patreon page encourages people to donate monthly or for each new creation. So far, it hasnt brought in much money. My audience is a bit older, he says. It scares many people to do it month by month. They associate it with paying bills.

Social Media

Social media is Erics primary tool for staying in touch with fans  and he uses it in a way that embraces his unique musical niche. Copy on his site http://www.ericjohnkaiser.com appears in both English and French.

People who give Eric their full name and email address get three free songs when they sign up. It is a worthwhile investment, he says.

Lots of people dont believe in email lists but I do, he says. Dont just depend on Facebook, dont let it control your contacts.

Email is the most important channel Eric uses to keep in touch with fans  with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram close behind. He reaches out to his fans once a day using his social media channels and sends our an email to his list once a month. There are more than 4000 people on his email list and roughly the same number of friends on his Facebook page. He does not put much work into creating new fans online, opting instead to let it happen organically in person. The connection with people at my shows is much stronger, he says.

You can read Eric's full story on New Artist Model.

For more information on Eric John Kaiser visit his website at: http://www.ericjohnkaiser.com/

New Artist Model is an online music business school developed by Dave Kusek, founder of Berklee Online. The online school is a platform for learning practical strategies and techniques for making a living in music. Learn how to carve a unique path for your own career with strategies that are working for indie artists around the world. Learn to think like an entrepreneur, create your own plan and live the life in music you want to live. New Artist Model provides practical college-level music business training at a mere fraction of the cost of a college degree. Programs start at just $29/mo. For more information visit http://newartistmodel.com

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Its no secret that technology startups see insurance as a promising new field.Last year saw huge growth in early-stage insurance tech deal activity, and 2016 is poised to set even greater records with 24 seed or Series A deals just two months into the year. The group of startups have even founded a conference, OnRamp, which brings together relevant stakeholders.And the area they see most ripe for disruption is the insurance agent distribution channel.In a guest article on TechCrunch, Whitney Arthofer  an MBA associate at venture capital firm General Catalyst Partner  discusses the weaknesses in the channel and lists seven reasons startups have been so interested in replacing agents.Though acknowledging that in-person agents are firmly rooted in the industry and execute most policy transactions (99% of commercial, 99% of life, 94% of homeowners and 73% of auto), Arthofer believes certain factors  along with the significant profit margins enjoyed by brokers  will transform the sector to favor online comparison sites, brokerages and direct-to-consumer sales.The average agent working today is 59 years old, making them less in touch with consumer demands in a digital world, according to Arthofer.Online comparison shopping is already a fact of life for most millennials, who represent a growing and influential portion of the workforce. As the millennials buying power grows, insurance distribution channels need to meet and sell to those consumers in ways they are used to being reached and interacted with.Where once online shopping could be cumbersome, improvements in user experience and more sophisticated analytics allow carriers to price and fulfill policies online and even through smartphones. As mobile becomes a greater part of the user experience, companies providing these benefits to customers will benefit.Particularly in the benefits space, consumers are increasingly being asked to research and purchase their own health insurance.As consumers become more responsible and individual plans win share over group plans, online aggregators should become more compelling, Arthofer said.Arthofer considers the success of similar offerings in other markets to be a harbinger of things to come. Alibaba in China and Check24 in Germany are evidence that consumer brands can be built to compare and buy these types of utility products, he said.He also likens the transition from travel agents to online sites like Kayak or Expedia to the eventual decrease in reliance in insurance agents.One of the best value propositions an agent provides is education in insurance. With more startups providing different methods of educating consumers, Arthofer believes they will supplant agents.With improvement in technology, more complex lines are attracting dedicated support and claims management in a mimic of offline insurance agents. There is also the ability facilitate greater customer interactions online, through sophisticated CRMs, cross-selling opportunities and expansion to mobile.While venture capital firms like GCP have been quick with these and other arguments, members of the insurance industry are less sure about the eventual success of startups  at least as it concerns their ability to supplant agents, and particularly in the commercial market.It is unlikely that agents and brokers will be significantly disintermediated in the small-business market any time soon, research firm Deloitte recently. A multi-channel presence is obviously important. Its not an or question, its an and question.
Resident David Pill put forth the petition to ensure only residents can serve on committees.

Pittsfield Mulls Residency Requirement For Boards and Commissions



Ward 5 City Councilor Donna Todd Rivers supports the petition. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  If a city board or commission is making decisions for the community, should the members actually live in the city?

That's the question in front of the City Council's Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee. The group met on Monday to discuss a proposal put forth by resident David Pill to implement a residency requirement for all boards and commissions.

"They are making decision about my community and they don't live here," Pill said.

Many of the boards have authority to implement rules or issue permits that could have an impact on business or taxes or the environment. But, if a member of the board doesn't live in the city, he or she doesn't have to face any negative consequences for the decision, Pill said.

There are members of boards that use business addresses inside the city or post office box but don't live in the city.

Councilor Nicholas Caccamo agreed saying, "it is simple to say yes to something and then drive by it and leave."

The subcommittee agreed to get an updated list of appointed members, their home addresses, and the committee bylaws that outline any requirements for each group. The subcommittee is looking to find some type of a compromise  acknowledging that some boards would benefit from outside viewpoints while others would be better served by residents.

"I don't agree that all boards and commissions have residency requirements," Ward 6 City Councilor John Krol said.

Krol proposed a residency requirement on any board or commission with authority to grant permits, especially those with special permit granting authority. Those would include the Community Development Board, Board of Health or the Conservation Commission.

But, he said some boards are more advisory, like the Green Commission, while others require a certain expertise, such as the Airport Commission. For those he didn't feel a requirement would necessarily be beneficial.

Particularly cited by both Pill and Ward 5 City Councilor Donna Todd Rivers is the School Building Needs Commission. That board is heading the Taconic High School project but some of the members do not live in Pittsfield.

"Their children aren't even going to school in the city of Pittsfield and they aren't residing in the city of Pittsfield," Rivers said.

Rivers said with a city of more than 40,000 people, there is "plenty of expertise" to fill boards and commission. She suggested implementing a residency requirement but having a waiver. The waiver, however, didn't gain support from the rest of the subcommittee.

Councilor at Large Peter White was initially against the petition but said he was somewhat swayed by the rest of the subcommittee's arguments and willing to discuss options.

White's opposition was focused mostly on how many people would be booted off a board or commission should there be a requirement. A brief look over the roster, White counted more than 10 names of people who bring expertise to boards but wouldn't fill the residency requirement.

"The number of people we would lose if we implemented this is troubling," White said.

Councilor at Large Melissa Mazzeo said Springfield, Cambridge, Dartmouth, and Northhampton all have residency requirements. She suggested if someone can't fulfill the residency requirement, that person can take a non-voting position on the board. That way the committee can receive the expertise but the ultimate decisions would be made by residents.

"There are so many people who own large businesses and employ a lot of people but live somewhere else, so how do you give them a voice?" Mazzeo said.

Krol said some of the city's boards already do have requirements  such as the Licensing Board. But, he'd like to have a deeper look at the bylaws of the other committees.

Pill also questioned if city employees or councilors should serve on some of those committees and boards. He said by having those people on the board, it gives the perception that the member is driven by other motivations.

He pointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals as a good example of operating because city staff is there to provide information and expertise but not to make decisions.

In attendance at the subcommittee member was resident Alex Blumin, who voiced support for the petition.

At the end, the subcommittee opted to table the discussion and will take it up after seeing an updated list of members with addresses. From there, the group will also delve into the bylaws of each committee and discuss possible legal language with the city solicitor.
Lucinda Bradley asked the School Committee to remember its moral obligation to retirees should it consider changing the health insurance split. Bill Nieman addresses the Mount Greylock School Committee, saying there had to be fairness. Current and former employees of the Mount Greylock Regional School District attend last week's School Committee meeting. PreviousNext

Mount Greylock Retirees Address School Committee on Health Insurance

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Several dozen current and retired employees of the Mount Greylock Regional School District attended last week's School Committee meeting to voice concerns that the district might unilaterally raise the percentage of health care costs borne by retirees.

"You're in a negotiation year," 2011 retiree Lucinda Bradley told the committee. "Keep us in mind. Remember these faces. Remember we represent people who loved and continue to love the school, who cared about it, who gave our careers for the students at Mount Greylock.

"I would really hate for that to be spoiled for us and for everyone else. I know, legally, you can do a lot of stuff. Morally, think about that, too."

The legal landscape for municipal retiree health insurance changed in February 2015, when the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that municipalities can change contribution rates for retirees without going through collective bargaining.

Bradley and 30-year teacher and retiree Bill Nieman spoke on behalf of the large group of current and former employees who attended the meeting. Most wore the school's colors to show their allegiance to the junior-senior high school  fidelity they hoped would be reciprocated.

"My understanding is the School Committee is contemplating an increase in retiree health insurance premium costs from 20 percent to 50 percent," Nieman said. "It's considering making the change unilaterally based on counsel's advice that the decision in Somerville, Mass., is applicable."

School Committee member Chris Dodig, an attorney by trade and a member of the panel's negotiations subcommittee, clarified that the district is not currently considering the same split implemented in the Somerville case.

"The only thing I would disagree with is I don't think we've considered going to 50 percent at all," Dodig said. "We've considered whether going away from 80/20 is appropriate. I can't talk about negotiations with [the district's teachers union]. In terms of retirees, we haven't talked about 50 percent."

Nieman welcomed the clarification but went ahead with his prepared remarks, which emphasized his experience as a union negotiator from the 1970s through the 1990s who helped create the conditions many of the current retirees live under. Nieman said he also had experience as a management negotiator through his work on the Massachusetts Teachers Association Board of Directors.

"I think there was a theme to my attitude and actions to negotiating on both sides: to make sure the agreements were fair," Nieman said. "There had to be some reciprocity between the sacrifices on one side and the real gain on the other side.

"The concern here  is the real disproportionate sacrifice that will have to be made by the retirees."

If the district did change retiree contributions on premiums from 20 percent to 50 percent, it would represent a cost increase of more than $2,000 per year for a typical retiree, he said.

"That's a huge amount of money," Nieman said. "That represents a year's heating of a house. So this is a practical hardship that would be experienced by these retirees  not simply a minor budgetary change."

Nieman also told the School Committee there would be "psychic injury" to a vulnerable population if the district decided to raise the cost of health care for retirees.

"At our age, we worry more and more about our health  about the debilitation of our minds and our bodies," Nieman said. "We're not only concerned about our bodies. We're concerned about the health systems that support our bodies. Any change in the health systems that creates a loss causes anxiety.

"Put yourselves in our shoes."

Both Dodig and School Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Greene thanked Nieman and Bradley for their comments and the entire group for attending.

Dodig said he would be happy to talk further about the issue with retirees outside the context of a meeting and emphasized again that a 50/50 split was not on the table.

He also noted that while the School Committee did not have to negotiate a benefit change with retirees, the district is cognizant of how important it is to take care of its former employees. In fact, it is in the interest of the district to do so, he said.

"The School Committee is deeply committed to providing a quality education, and we want to attract quality teachers," Dodig said. "In order to achieve that, we're well aware that we have to offer good wages and good benefits and treat our retirees fairly. I can assure you, that's our goal. It's not always easy  but that's how people up here think about it too.

"I'm confident we'll get there."
Letter: Senate Candidate Strongly Against Pipeline

To the Editor:



The Pipelines and Names



From my many conversations, I see that there is great confusion out there regarding "the pipeline."



Let me clarify names and pipelines. Kinder Morgan describes itself as "the largest energy infrastructure company in North America." They have pipelines that transport, among other things, crude oil and natural gas as well as other products. Kinder Morgan has a subsidiary company, the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.



It gets more complicated  we are not just talking about one pipeline when we talk about "the pipeline." In the Berkshires, there are two pipelines of concern, both of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. For this reason, calling either pipeline "the pipeline," or "the Kinder Morgan pipeline" or "The Tennessee Gas pipeline" without some further modification (as is commonly done) is creating all types of confusion.



Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline



First, there are plans for an entirely new pipeline that crosses Massachusetts. This forms the Northeast Energy Direct Project. It is (hopefully "was") planned to go through Richmond, Lenox, the very southeast corner of Pittsfield, Washington, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Windsor, Plainfield, Ashfield, and Conroy. The Berkshire Environmental Team (BEAT) has stated their plans have changed and switched from Richmond to Hancock, and may change again. According to BEAT, "The proposed pipeline would cut through forests and across waterways and wetlands, would have a diameter of from 30 to 36 inches, and would carry approximately 2.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day under a pressure of up to 1,460 pounds per square inch. The project is proposed to come online in November of 2018."



Literally, as I was first writing this piece, a press release came out from Kinder Morgan that the Northeast Energy Direct Project would be suspended. In short, there were not enough commitments to buy their dirty, fracked gas. Whether this is just posturing to get more commitments is anybody's guess, and they have already made changes in their plans before. The Berkshire Edge reported such a change in an Aug. 24, 2015, article titled "The Kinder Morgan Pipeline: Down(Sized) but not out."



Who knows if the wicked witch is dead? Nobody. Whether it is the cleanup of the Housatonic or building a pipeline, or any other large construction project, change seems to be the only constant. I have read numbers as high as $80 million currently spent on the project, although media relations of Kinder Morgan refuse to confirm or deny this number of indicate what the "real" amount already expended is.



My commonsense point is that large companies do not typically just walk away from large investments.



When I spoke to Richard Wheatley, media spokesperson for Kinder Morgan, in a phone call on Thursday, April 21, 2016, (the day after the press release), he stated that the current incarnation is dead but made a general statement that Kinder Morgan will try to meet the needs of its customer. In more than one phone call, the second being Thursday, April 28, 2016, Mr. Wheatley has pointed out that the April 20, 2016, press statement read:



"TGP has operated in New England for more than 60 years and remains committed to meeting the critical need for constructing additional natural gas infrastructure in the region. Although we have suspended work and further expenditures on the NED project, TGP will continue to work with customers to explore alternative solutions to address their needs, particularly local distribution companies that are unable to fully serve consumers and businesses in their areas because of the lack of access to abundant, low-cost domestic natural gas."



What "suspend work" and "continue to work with customers to explore alternative solutions to address their needs" means is anybody's guess. Does it mean that the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline will come back in some other variant as a vampire project? It could very well be so. Moreover, Kinder Morgan made clear their reason for suspension in the very first sentence of the press release: "As a result of inadequate capacity commitments from prospective customers, Kinder Morgan, Inc., and its subsidiary, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, have suspended further work and expenditures on the Northeast Energy Direct project."



Simply put, if there enough customers committed to buying the gas, they would have continued building the pipeline  this very well may be posturing to get such purchasing commitments. Vigilance is still required.



The Massachusetts Loop of the Connecticut Expansion Project



But there is another pipeline other than the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline, which is not covered by the press release regarding suspension of "the pipeline." I confirmed this with the telephone conversation I had with Mr. Richard Wheatley on April 21, 2016. Plans for this pipeline continue.



I should add additional commentary. There have been statements by a local media outlets and emails stating that the Massachusetts Loop of the Connecticut Expansion Project is on hold, some even calling it "dead." While is technically true that there has been a delay, this is nothing more than court-created delay. This court-caused delay is common in projects of this nature which have such a large environmental impact. The court-created delay of the Massachusetts Loop of the Connecticut Expansion Project is much different than the suspension of the other pipeline, the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline. The Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline, as indicated, was suspended due to a lack of potential customer commitment.



According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, it is referred to as the "Connecticut Expansion Project," a project also of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. This falls under Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) Docket CP14-529, which describes it as "approximately 3.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline loop near the Town of Sandisfield, in Berkshire County, Massachusetts (referred to as the Massachusetts Loop)." This is properly called "the Massachusetts Loop of the Connecticut Expansion Project." This pipeline is also owned by Tennessee Gas, a Kinder Morgan subsidiary. Because people refer to both pipelines as "the Tennessee Gas pipeline" or the "Kinder Morgan pipeline," there is all types of confusion. I am sure many might be confused that this "Massachusetts loop" that goes through Sandisfield was also suspended  it is not.



According to BEAT, "This project includes adding a third pipeline alongside two existing pipelines in Sandisfield. The pipes for this project would be stored during construction on a farm field, which is also rare species habitat, in Tyringham." It would involve a larger swath of land and greater environmental degradation. The Berkshire Eagle reports that "the state spent $5.2 million in 2007 to add 900 pristine acres to Otis State Forest, including Spectacle Pond Farm and 15 acres of 400-year-old eastern hemlock old-growth forest." This land would be affected.



Federal Preemption



The lawsuit in Berkshire Superior Court, Tennessee Gas Company v. Six Acres of Land, more or less heard on April 16, involves the Massachusetts Loop of the Connecticut Expansion Project (and does not concern the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline.) The Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. has sued seeking permanent and temporary easements through the Otis State Forest through Sandisfield. One of the major issues is whether the federal Natural Gas Act preempts Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution. Under the Natural Gas Act of 1938, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") regulates interstate natural gas transmission lines.



Rinaldo Del Gallo

Pittsfield, Mass.

Rinaldo Del Gallo is a Democratic candidate for the Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden state Senate district.
We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
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Groundwater extraction and other land water contribute about three times less to sea level rise than previous estimates, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The study does not change the overall picture of future sea level rise, but provides a much more accurate understanding of the interactions between water on land, in the atmosphere, and the oceans, which could help to improve future models of sea level rise.

Projecting accurate sea level rise is important, because rising sea level is a threat to people who live near the ocean and in small islands, explains IIASA researcher Yoshihide Wada, who led the study. Some low-lying areas will have more frequent flooding, and very low-lying land could be submerged completely. This could also damage substantially coastal infrastructure.

Sea level has risen 1.7 mm per year over the 20th and the early 21st century, a trend that is expected to continue as climate change further warms the planet. Researchers have attributed the rising seas to a combination of factors including melting ice caps and glaciers, thermal expansion (water expands as it gets warmer), and the extraction of groundwater for human use.

Land water contributions are small in comparison to the contribution of ice melt and thermal expansion, yet they have been increasing, leading to concerns that this could exacerbate the problem of sea level rise caused by climate change.

However, much uncertainty remains about how much different sources contribute to sea level rise. In fact, sea level has actually risen more than researchers could account for from the known sources, leading to a gap between observed and modeled global sea-level budget.

Previous studies, including estimates used in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, had assumed that nearly 100% of extracted groundwater ended up in the ocean. The new study improves on previous estimates by accounting for feedbacks between the land, ocean, and atmosphere. It finds that number is closer to 80%. That means that the gap between modeled and observed sea level rise is even wider, suggesting that other processes are contributing more water than previously estimated.

During the 20th century and early 21st century, cumulative groundwater contribution to global sea level was overestimated by at least 10 mm, says Wada. In fact, the new study shows that from 1971 to 2010, the contribution of land water to global sea level rise was actually slightly negative  meaning that more water was stored in groundwater and also due to reservoir impoundment behind dams. From 1993 to 2010, the study estimates terrestrial water as contributing positive 0.12 mm per year to sea level rise.

The study does not change the fact that future groundwater contribution to sea level will increase as groundwater extraction increases. And the increasing trend in groundwater depletion has impacts beyond sea level rise. Wada explains, The water stored in the ground can be compared to money in the bank. If you withdraw money at a faster rate than you deposit it, you will eventually start having account-supply problems. If we use groundwater unsustainably, in the future there might not be enough groundwater to use for food production. Groundwater depletion can also cause severe environmental problems like reduction of water in streams and lakes, deterioration of water quality, increased pumping costs, and land subsidence.

Reference

Wada Y, Lo MH, Yeh PJF, Reager JT, Famiglietti JS, Wu RJ, Tseng YH (2016). Fate of water pumped from underground and contributions to sea-level rise. Nature Climate Change. doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE3001
Latvia: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2016 Article IV Mission

A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or mission), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.



The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMFs Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

May 3, 2016

Latvia continues to make progress in closing the per capita income gap relative to the European average, but faces short- and longer-term risks and challenges. While growth has slowed recently, reflecting a weak external environment and economic uncertainty, fundamentals are sound: the fiscal and current account deficits are at sustainable levels; the output gap is almost closed; and unemployment continues to fall. Looking forward, growth is forecast to slow slightly in 2016 before picking up next year, led by exports and investment. The outlook is, however, subject to significant risks. Looking further ahead, higher productivity growth and robust competitiveness, along with a resumption of credit growth, will be needed to maintain the pace of convergence over the long-term. Continued reform will be key.

Outlook and Risks

Despite the current slowdown, growth is expected to pick up, but the timing is uncertain. Growth is expected to slow slightly to 2 percent in 2016 due to delays in the absorption of EU funds and continued geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties. Following the strong construction-driven slowdown observed at the end of the last quarter of 2015, and in the preliminary data releases for the beginning of 2016, growth is expected to pick up later this year and into 2017, as EU funds come on line and the global economy strengthens. However, exactly when this pickup will occur, and how strong it will be, is uncertain.

Sustaining stronger growth will require continued progress with ongoing reforms. Raising and sustaining growth over the medium term is feasible but will require further progress in structural reforms to promote investment, productivity growth, and continued strong competitiveness in the face of adverse demographics.

Actions to address the grey economy will also be crucial. The pervasive grey economy is preventing Latvia from fulfilling its potential, by hindering the efficient allocation of resources, including access to capital, creating an unfair playing field, and curtailing revenues that are necessary to develop the country to everyones benefit. Measureable improvements in public services can help motivate a reduction in the grey economy.

The outlook is subject to significant risks: a prolonged slowdown in key trading partners, including the Euro Area and Russia, would act as a drag on growth, geopolitical tensions could adversely affect the real and financial sectors, and failure of credit to resume, or of structural reforms to be advanced, could undermine growth prospects. Prudent policy making, ambitious reform efforts and continued financial sector vigilance are therefore vital.

Productivity

Productivity gains have been the key driver of past income convergence. With a declining labor force due to demographics and emigration, productivity gains will need to be maintained, and will be dependent on investment and growth of total factor productivity.

Future productivity growth will not be simple to achieve, as easy gains have been exhausted. The post crisis productivity gains were mainly made by the least productive firms catching up with their domestic technology frontiers. Future gains will require Latvia to close the significant productivity gap that exists with technology leaders in other countries. This will require a strong push towards structural reform. The ambitious Government Action Plan is a welcome step in this regard. Particular attention should be paid to improving the business environment; reducing the grey economy; enhancing public infrastructure; boosting the efficiency of SOEs; enhancing human capital; and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the operation of the judicial system and insolvency regime. Sustaining growth over the longer term will require further structural transformation, with an emphasis on high connectivity centers and diversified and higher value exports.

Labor Competitiveness

Post-crisis competitiveness gains were significant, and hard won. The combination of national wage restraint and strong productivity gains after the crisis gave Latvia a vital boost to competitiveness, laying the ground for recovery and a return to the convergence path.

As labor market conditions tighten, care is needed to avoid losing past gains. Falling unemployment, a period of rising average wages, and evidence of skills mismatches point to tightening labor market conditions. While recent wage growth is broadly consistent with accumulated productivity gains, care will be needed to ensure that future wage growth moves hand-in-hand with productivity. In this context, the recent decision to put on hold planned hikes in the minimum wage was appropriate, and future increases should proceed in line with productivity growth over the medium term. At the same time, complementary policies should be employed to address inequality concerns. Ongoing efforts to reform the education system to reduce skills mismatches are welcome.

Financial Sector

The banking system is well capitalized, liquid, and profitable, yet credit growth remains elusive. Balance sheet repair is well advanced, and the credit cycle may be reaching a turning point.

Credit flows need to resume to support investment and growth, but constraints are multifaceted. The crisis continues to cast a shadow, with banks cautious given past losses and bad experiences trying to recover collateral, and some not eager to take on new clients with whom they do not have a positive history. For larger firms with stronger balance sheets and track records, demand appears to be the main constraint (e.g., due to uncertainties around EU-funds and economic prospects), while for smaller firms and households supply factors are likely to play a bigger role (e.g., due to lack of collateral or documentable income). Given the multiple factors at play, a broad-based response is needed to address impediments to credit growth, while at the same time ensuring financial stability. Firm implementation of the recent reforms to the courts and to insolvency procedures is vital, and the authorities should regularly monitor and report on progress made. Furthermore, the Latvian prudential authorities are urged to use the results of the benchmarking exercise of banks risk models conducted with their European partners to ensure they appropriately capture risk, and that crisis legacies and associated risk aversion do not unduly constrain lending. Existing credit guarantee programs and public sector initiatives to catalyze SME lending have been well received and expansion could be considered. Other international experience could be explored, for example adequate transparency in processing loan applications or scope for a credit mediation function.

Continued vigilant supervision is required to mitigate real and reputational risks, especially for NRD banks. Recent actions to strengthen AML/CFT regulations and to ensure implementation of appropriate procedures are commendable. Going forward, focusing on implementation of the enhanced regulations, as well as ensuring that sufficient resources are allocated to AML supervision activities, will be key to strengthening the reputation of the Latvian financial sector.

Fiscal Policy

Fiscal policy is broadly sound. Outturns for 2015 indicate that performance was consistent with both Latvian and EU fiscal rules. The 2016 budget is broadly appropriate, balancing concerns about the sluggish economic environment and the need to stay within fiscal rules. Given the risks to the outlook careful management will be needed to maintain compliance.

Future fiscal space is needed to strengthen the social safety net and boost productive public spending. The authorities ambitious plan to bring tax revenue up to a third of GDP is commendable, and will require sustained efforts to improve tax compliance and public services. The authorities ongoing broad review of tax policy is an opportunity to consider reforms to improve incentives, recalibrate the tax burden equitably, and explore options for opening fiscal space. In particular, the tax burden should be shifted towards more efficient and growth friendly taxation, including property taxation. In this context, staff welcomes the recent cadastral reforms and looks forward to their implementation. The ongoing expenditure review is welcome in order to reprioritize and cut unnecessary spending.

The IMF team is grateful for the generous hospitality of the Latvian authorities, and would like to thank all interlocutors in Government, the Bank of Latvia, the private sector, and other non-government stakeholders, for constructive and fruitful discussions.
NCIS Warns Sailors following Spike in 'Sextortion' Cases

Groton, Connecticut - The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is warning Sailors not to engage in sexually explicit activities online in response to a recent increase in reports of sexual extortion, or "sextortion," aboard Naval Submarine Base New London.

Sextortion is a cybercrime perpetuated against unwitting victims who are approached in casual conversation and then seduced into engaging in online sexual activities. After fulfilling the sexual requests, which are recorded without the victim's knowledge or consent, the victim is threatened with public exposure and embarrassment if he or she does not pay a specified sum of money to the perpetrator, usually through a wire transfer.



"It is a growing problem," says local NCIS Special Agent Ryan Colwell, who specializes in sexual crime related investigations.



"We have seen multiple instances of Sailors here being victimized in the past six months alone."



Since August 2012, perpetrators have targeted at least 160 service members across the country, with more than 50 confirmed incidents of sextortion resulting in a cumulative loss of more than $45,000.



NCIS encourages Sailors to be cognizant of how they advertise themselves and whom they engage with online to avoid being lured into a compromising situation.



"Typically, the criminals involved will request a wire transfer via Western Union to their accounts anywhere from $500 to $1,500," said Special Agent Colwell.



"Unfortunately most of these wire transfers are going to international accounts in the Philippines and it is difficult for American authorities to prosecute the perpetrators because they are in a foreign country. Filipino authorities generally do not seek prosecution in these cases because they require victims to file formal complaints in person."



Because NCIS is unable to recoup financial loss in most sextortion cases, the best defense is to be vigilant about protecting personal information and to refrain from engaging in sexually explicit activities online, including posting or exchanging compromising photos or videos.



"Noticing the signs of these perpetrators can actually be quite easy," explains Special Agent Colwell. "You will see a friend request from someone you have never met and their profile will be very haphazardly arranged with very little identifying information, few posts, and online friends consisting of primarily of service members. We have seen cases where the victim saw that the perpetrator was mutual friends with their former submarine school classmates or boot camp classmates and decided to accept their friend request. Criminals use friend networks to their advantage and send requests to everyone in a community to establish legitimacy, increase their odds of being accepted, and widen their pool of potential victims. It is imperative to be on your guard and immediately delete these types of friend requests or other social media inquiries."



As Sailors become more aware of the dangers of the Internet, perpetrators are adapting to create a more legitimate-looking profile and are employing new methods to encourage victim compliance and circumvent law enforcement efforts.



When asked about how the online threat has evolved, Special Agent Colwell said perpetrators have begun approaching service members via online dating websites like PlentyOfFish or MeetMe, which require users to agree to a disclaimer stating he or she is at least 18 years of age. Shortly thereafter, the Sailor and unknown person exchange cell phone numbers and continue communication through text messaging - all leading to the exchange of sexually explicit photos.



In many cases, the Sailor will receive phone calls or text messages from a male identifying himself as the "father" of the unknown person who claims he or she has been corresponding with an underage minor. The "father" then demands a large sum of money for not pursuing criminal charges, usually via MoneyGram, Western Union, Rush Card, or similar money transfer services. Sailors have also reported being contacted by an individual claiming to be a law enforcement official who encourages the Sailor to pay the monetary demand.



Sailors should be suspicious if any of the following occur:



- The perpetrator uses poor grammar and sentence structure when exchanging messages.



- After initiating contact, communications quickly turn sexual in nature and the person encourages you to engage in explicit video chat or exchange explicit images.



- A video call begins with the person in a state of undress or engaging in a sexual act.



- You receive communications from "law enforcement personnel" via text message, email, or phone. Law enforcement officials will always notify you in person of your involvement in suspected criminal activity.



To avoid falling victim to sextortion:



- Refrain from engaging in sexually explicit activities online, such as posting or exchanging compromising photos/videos.



- Adjust privacy settings of social media profiles and accounts to limit publicly available information to unknown persons.



- Exercise caution when accepting friend requests or communicating with unknown persons online.



- Avoid advertising or discussing U.S. military and/or U.S. government affiliations.



- Trust your instincts - if you have any suspicions, cease contact.



- Turn off electronic devices and cover webcams when not in use.



- Update antivirus software and avoid downloading apps, files, or email attachments from unverified sources.



- Safeguard your personal banking and credit card information from unknown recipients.



If you or someone you know has been a victim of sextortion, contact NCIS Resident Agency New London at (860) 694-4686. NCIS has resources and literature available to help navigate the damages caused by this crime.
Under Secretary Stengel To Travel to Seattle, Washington on World Press Freedom Day

Washington, DC - Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel will travel to Seattle, Washington on May 3-4 to participate in an event marking World Press Freedom Day. The Under Secretary will be the featured guest for the Murrow Interview Series, hosted by Washington State Universitys Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

The event will be livestreamed at http://murrowinterview.wsu.edu/ and will be broadcast on regional PBS and NPR.

On May 4, Under Secretary Stengel will lead a conversation on messaging and countering violent extremism, hosted by the World Affairs Council of Seattle. Additionally, the Under Secretary will meet with business leaders and the Mayor of Seattle. These events are part of the Secretarys #EngageAmerica initiative to discuss foreign policy priorities across the United States.

For updates on the trip, please follow Under Secretary Stengel on Twitter (@stengel), Instagram (@RichardStengel) and Snapchat (@StateDept). Under Secretary Stengel will take over the @statedept Instagram account during his trip. You can follow #WPFD2016 and the State Departments annual #FreethePress campaign on Department social media accounts on May 3 for updates on World Press Freedom Day.
Notice Asking Women Advocates Not to 'Arrange' Hair in Open Court in Pune Sparks Outrage
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Bolero, one of the most popular and recognisable pieces of classical music, is about to start a new movement in its long and bizarre copyright history.

The sonorous 90-year-old work by the French composer Maurice Ravel, entered the public domain this week but a legal challenge is seeking to extend the copyright for another two decades.

Bolero, beloved of ice-skaters and movie makers, is a repetitive melody which rises to a triumphant crescendo. It has proved a serial money-spinner for a succession of copyright owners, including Ravels brothers masseuse, her hairdresser husband and his second wife.

Frances Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (SACEM) has now been presented with a dossier which seeks to take advantage of a legal loophole which could extend Boleros international copyright - worth an estimated 1m a year - for another 20 years.

The challenge is based on the fact that Bolero was originally a score for a ballet. Although Ravel wrote the music, the challengers claim that the credit for its conception in 1928 should also go to the original choreographer, Bronislava Nijinska, and director and scene-maker, Alexandre Benois.

Since Benois did not die until 1960, his copyright does not expire for another two decades, according to two off-shore companies representing descendants and copyright holders of the three artists. Under French law, the period of copyright for one artist in a collaborative work applies to all.

SACEM, the body that administers copyright payments in France, said that it had rejected the claims as baseless. The copyright of Bolero belonged to the composer Ravel alone, the organisation said.

The composer of Bolero, Maurice Ravel, who died in 1937 (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

The French newspaper Le Figaro, which broke the news of the legal challenge, said that the consortium of claimants was waiting for a refusal from SACEM in writing. The tug of war will then have to be settled in court, the newspaper said.

Bolero is already one of the most commonly played pieces of classical music. Dozens of performances, without payment of copyright, are scheduled all over the world in coming weeks.

Bolero often appears as the background music in TV or film advertsiements. It was used by the British ice skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean for their gold medal-winning performance at the Sarajevo Olympics in 1984.

Famously, the final crescendo of Bolero also provided the background when the characters played by Dudley Moore and Bo Derek made love in the 1970 film 10 by Blake Edwards.

Ravel described his work as a simple and direct piece of writing without the slightest attempt at virtuosity.

The composer died unmarried and childless in 1937. His heir was his brother Edouard, who died in 1960, leaving the rights to his former masseuse, Jeanne Taverne, who died four years later.

A tangled legal battle in following years saw the rights divided between a number of claimants, including Ms Tavernes husbands second wife Georgette.
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Drake was on an incredible run with Nothing Was The Same, If You're Reading This It's Too Late and What A Time To Be Alive, but theres no denying he's stumbled ever so slightly with Views, which, while definitely having plenty of high points, sees a rare few misses.

Maybe because of this, maybe just because its the nature of the industry these days, Drake has promised we wont have to wait long for a follow-up however.

During a performance at Ryerson University in Toronto - his hometown which the album is about - at the weekend, he told the crowd: And Im gonna tell you like this: just because Views came out it doesnt mean theres not new music on the way. So Ill see you soon. You know what it is.

Drake - 'Views' album pics Show all 11 1 /11 Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics Drake - 'Views' album pics

This echoes comments he made to Zane Lowe when premiering the album last week, suggesting new material is already in the works for his string of tour dates with Future.

I got other songs I got this summer, he said. By the time I get to the tour, Im going to have a whole arsenal of songs that dont even have to do with Views.

In spite of a fair few mediocre review for Views, sales of the album have been enormous.

iTunes shifted 600,000 on day one, which is huge considering Nothing Was The Same sold 658,000 across its first seven days.
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There will be no Welsh dragons waving at this years Eurovision Song Contest after the official list of banned flags was leaked online. Organisers had previously posted guidelines without naming specific flags.

The team behind the annual cheesefest had already said that only the national flags of competing countries and UN states will be allowed so as to avoid politicising the event.

Other than Wales, prohibited flags include those of Palestine and the Basque Country, Crimea and Northern Cyprus, and Isis. The Scottish saltire has also reportedly been banned.

Update: Flags of any competing singers will be permitted, meaning the Welsh flag will be allowed

Recommended Read more Everything you need to know about Eurovision 2016

The rainbow LGBT flag has been given the green light as a symbol of tolerance and diversity, possibly because of the huge popularity of the contest among the gay community. Fans have, however, been ask not to wave them politically against countries with poor LGBT rights such as Russia. The EU flag will also be permitted.

The European Broadcasting Union aims to ensure that the Eurovision Song Contest is free from political statements, unauthorised commercial messages and offensive comments, in line with the contests rules that all 42 participating broadcasters agreed upon, a Eurovision spokesperson said.

The organisers are fully committed to the safety of the audience and crew. For these purposes, the Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is the contests governing body on behalf of the participating broadcasters, decided on a flag policy.

On the request of the venue, the flag policy contains some examples of flags that are not permitted under the flag policy. It is important to state that the flag policy is not aimed against specific territories or organisations and certainly does not compare them to each other, but merely aims at assuring that the broadcast is free from the aforementioned messages and to assure that venue and security staff can enforce this policy upon entrance without delaying the entrance of some 10,000 people.

I would like to reaffirm to you that the flag policy is not aimed against any organisation of territory specifically including Wales.

Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Show all 43 1 /43 Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Cyprus: Minus One Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Albania: Eneda Tarifa Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Poland: Micha Szpak Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Lithuania: Donny Montell photo by Gediminas Zilinskas / www.zilinskas.net Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants San Marino: Serhat Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Romania: Ovidiu Anton Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Switzerland: Rykka Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Greece: Argo Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants The Netherlands: Douwe Bob Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Belgium: Laura Tesoro Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Austria: ZOE Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Germany: Jamie-Lee Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Denmark: Lighthouse X Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants United Kingdom: Joe and Jake Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Spain: Barei Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Iceland: Greta Salome Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Ireland: Nicky Byrne Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants France: Amir Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Italy: Francesca Michielin Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Australia: Dami Im Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Montenegro: Highway Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Serbia: ZAA Sanja Vucic Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Georgia: Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Armenia: Iveta Mukuchyan Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Czech Republic: Gabriela Guncikova Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Moldova: Lidia Isac Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Bulgaria: Poli Genova Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Belarus: IVAN Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Ukraine: Jamala Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Azerbaijan: Samra Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Russia: Sergey Lazarev Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Malta: Ira Losco Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Latvia: Justs Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Hungary: Freddie Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Macedonia: Kaliopi Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Estonia: Juri Pootsmann Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Croatia: Nina Kraljic Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Bosnia & Herzegovina: Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Slovenia: ManuElla Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Finland: Sandhja Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Norway: Agnete Meet the Eurovision 2016 contestants Israel: Hovi Star



Organisers have apologised for any offence caused by the leaked list of banned flags, with the rules listed in full below:

No flags/banners containing statements in other languages than English or the language of the host country.

No objects, such as selfie sticks, that obstruct the view of the camera, production crew or ticket holders.

No flags/banners containing a commercial message or a statement that the organisers consider of offensive, discriminatory, unsuitable, political or religious nature.

Flags without a stick can be a maximum size of 80cm x 120cm. Flags with a stick can be a maximum size of 40cm x 60cm. Only plastic sticks of max 20cm in length are allowed. Wooden or metal sticks are not permitted.

Confiscated flags/banners will not be returned and anyone bringing in an offensive flag may be removed from the venue.

The Eurovision final takes place on Saturday 14 May in Stockholm, Sweden with duo Joe and Jake representing the UK.
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Meeting William Banks-Blaney confounds your expectations of a vintage clothing dealer. He doesn't smell of mothballs, for a start; and he doesn't look a single inch retro. Retro is a word he spits out with disdain. "I don't like dress up, at all. Which is why we don't do vintage shoes or vintage handbags," he reasons. "I think it's really important that you don't look like you stepped out of a film, or are on your way to bachelorette party."

He's talking about his store, William Vintage, which I'd hazard to pitch as London's premier vintage destination - or, at the very least, top three. The company was founded in 2010 when Banks-Blaney, 42, ducked out of past incarnations as art dealer, antique dealer and finally interior designer to sell a trunk of vintage clothes to a few dozen female friends and acquaintances. He chose a function room off Sloane Square, and hoped the experiment would recoup what he'd enjoyably spent sourcing the pieces. They sold out, another sale followed, and spiralled into the store and a roster of fans including fashion insiders, celebrities, a cadre of well-dressed, deep-pocketed women and a clutch of international museums who appreciate Banks-Blaney's eye for rooting out past treasures. He searches through his phone to find an image of a remarkable dress, recently sold back to the house who created it to fill a hole in their archives.

Vintage is, of course, a big business, with designers and stylists shredding store rails in rapacious search for the next new (old) thing. The garments will then be incorporated into shoots, or sent to design teams as references for new clothing (incidentally, I know many designers with a rail or two of Banks-Blaney's finest waiting to be examined for collections to come). It's standard practice: fashion has been preoccupied with the past for decades. So long, indeed, that some of those recycles of past hits are now, ironically, being sold back to us - they're old enough to be dubbed 'vintage' themselves.

Kristen Scott Thomas at the 2015 BAFTA awards in a 1948 Balmain gown, from William Vintage (Getty)

Banks-Blaney does plenty of that - but his polished boutique off Marylebone high street (just up the road from Selfridges, round the corner from an outpost of the boutique MatchesFashion.com) is remarkable because it's a destination for fashionable women themselves, not just the people who dress them. The striking thing about William Vintage's store is how un-vintage it all looks; it's sleek and modern (evidence of that interior design past), rather than crammed with bric-a-brac and slightly tumbling down, a look that has become sly visual doublespeak when retailing pre-aged garb, and one that probably allows unscrupulous sorts to flog clothes that, in all honesty, aren't that old. Banks-Blaney's example reverses the outcome: his clothes frequently don't look old, even when they're a mid-century Dior haute couture dress (very this season Celine), or a late eighties Thierry Mugler (totally winter Saint Laurent). "Pared-back, modern, clean," is Banks-Blaney's description. "A place where you can find precious things, but not displayed in a precious way. To show how wearable they are, and how relevant."

Amal Clooney at the premier of Hail, Caesar!, in a 1981 Yves Saint Laurent dress from William Vintage (Getty)

That's perhaps why William Vintage's clothing appeals to women who wouldn't be caught dead in something self-consciously dubbed 'vintage'. Women like Kristen Scott Thomas - who, like many actresses, spends a good amount of time in picture-perfect re creations of past eras, but nevertheless chose to wear a 1948 Balmain dress to last year's BAFTAs. Earlier in the year, at the launch of her film The Other Woman, Kate Upton had looked preened and polished in a mid-century creation by Ceil Chapman - little known but, reportedly, the favourite designer of Marilyn Monroe (fitting for Upton). And earlier this year, Amal Clooney wore a 1981 Yves Saint Laurent haute couture gown to the premiere of Hail, Caesar!. All were, obviously, courtesy of William Vintage, whose proprietor finds vintage treasures at auctions, estate sales, and sometimes by approaching families direct. Meeting one French dynasty, avid collectors of haute couture, resulted in the unearthing of a 1954 Balmain ballgown in pristine condition: it was preserved in a Parisian cellar, in a Tupperware box.

The vintage matters to Banks-Blaney - and perhaps, to some of his customers, such as Rachel Zoe, an avid enthusiast as well as friend and client who wrote the foreword to a book, 25 Dresses, that Banks-Blaney published last year. But for many, the question of provenance never comes up - rather the basics. Does it fit? Does it flatter? "My approach as a buyer, and our approach as a company, is to get those pieces where it doesn't matter if it's Saint Laurent for Dior from 1958, or a seamstress-made dress from the 1960s that doesn't have a label in so it's 200 pounds. It's not about value, it's not about designer, it's not about legacy-making. It's about a garment which has had a life before you've had it," states Banks-Blaney. "And I think there's an amazing magic to that."

Kate Upton at the premier of The Other Woman in 2014, in 1950s Cecil Chapman from William Vintage (Getty)

Banks-Blaney is staking a bet on that translating out of the flesh and across the Internet --this week, he launched a reconfigured William Vintage website, going live with around 800 pieces, a number set to rapidly climb to 2,000. He dubs it "the net-a-porter of vintage," which describes both the site's aesthetic and the range of product on offer. Like any high-end online retailer, you scroll through an array of several thousand designer dresses. The difference at William Vintage being that each is entirely unique - vintage haute couture mixing with what he dubs "Great Unknowns". There's a "resort" section of frilled and flounced mid-century bathing suits, for instance, that look remarkably contemporary. Which is the important thing about the site - it makes you look at vintage in a different way. Just like Banks-Blaney, there's no mothballs in site (or scent).

William Vintage has been online before - but, Banks-Blaney states, this is a different proposition entirely. "Our first website really came online to be a tiny representation of what we carried. We never had more than about eighty pieces on it. It was done for two reasons: firstly very quickly, we started to receive quite strong international interest... and it was also putting our foot into the water. When that website launched, we had two people. Including me. Three years down the line, we've grown a thousand per cent. We're a bigger team, and we've been buying aggressively," he pauses, names a figure spent at one auction, but asks me not to repeat it. Suffice to say, expect great things.

Style ambassador: Banks-Blaney marries his intimate knowledge of styles past with his love of contemporary fashion

"The manifestation of the shop and of the experience," is how he describes it - it's simple, slick and looks decidedly expensive. Zoe is in there - she's a guest curator, a section of the site Banks-Blaney is keen to open to celebrity supporters and industry experts. It's also, most importantly, filled with incredible clothes - vintage couture, unknowns and, he excitedly relates, the beaded Bob Mackie gown sported by Sharon Stone as Ginger Rothstein in Martin Scorsese's Casino.

Like any high fashion site, William Vintage will offer worldwide shipping and returns, packaged in custom boxes, wrapped in tissue. The whole works. But it's all being handled in house, a mammoth undertaking, but one Banks-Blaney feels passionately about. "We're not storing everything in warehouse, it's not dealt with by men in dungarees," he emphatically states. "Vintage is always a little bit more effort. You can't say 'Oh I'd love that dress, but I want it in red and I want it in a size six.' It's a process of discovery. The same for me as a buyer, and I want that for the end user. I want someone to visit our site and delight in the fact that they click purchase on this dress that's a complete one-off." Then, he smiles. "And if it doesn't fit you, no problem. We do free return shipping!"

WilliamVintage.com
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I recently stopped hanging up on cold callers. Instead I started engaging them in conversation. This sometimes takes me in delightful directions. Like the Bangalorean man I spoke to recently who, while agreeing his call was indeed a scam, assured me it was a very high quality scam. Who could be angry at a young man with such pride in his work? Usually, though, I end up in a flaming row with the caller, over where and how they got my data.

Just this morning I had a call. Against my protestations, the contact centre agent gamely asserted that Id recently had an accident in my (non-existent) car. In return I pushed her to tell me where shed got my name and number. She must have used the phrase Sir, you provided your data through an online form as often as Jeremy Paxman said Did you threaten to overrule him? that one time on Newsnight.

I was a fool to even try. The idea I can chase down my stray data like some online sheep-dog, and corral them back into the security of my hard drive, is a pipe dream. Fragments of my identity are scattered across the internet like a billion traces of my DNA. Every cold caller knows something about me, though none has the whole picture. Todays was aware of me as a car-owning, accident-prone individual who bore only a passing resemblance to the real Matthew Blakstad  though the accident-prone bit is to be honest pretty accurate. This situation is unsatisfactory in all kinds of ways. If we want to be engaged with the contemporary world, were forced to give up the same set of information over and over again  post code, mothers maiden name, credit card details, favourite subject at school. Were sowing our data far and wide, bringing ever closer the inevitable theft of our identity, and the ensuing frenzy of password changing and card-chopping.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

Something needs to change. Everyone involved in providing online services knows this, but the thousands of separate actors have never managed to get together and solve the problem. Even the most libertarian entrepreneur agrees that this is one of those problems needing a kick-start from government. Hence last weeks launch of gov.uks Verify service  the new way to prove who you are online. At first this flexible token of identity will be used to give us access to government services like tax returns, car registration and Universal Credit. At some point, though, its bound to be taken up by the private sector, too. Our Verify identity will become a central part of who we are online.

I have a special interest here. My debut novel Sockpuppet follows the tribulations of Bethany Lehrer, a government minister who tries to launch an online ID card called the Digital Citizen. Any resemblance between Digital Citizen and the real-life Verify service is of course entirely coincidental. Still, Im delighted the government has chosen to mark the publication of my book by launching its service. Sockpuppet demonstrates, through the medium of a noisy thriller, what happens when the Internet turns on a public figure in a wave of trigger-happy scorn. The hapless Ms Lehrer and her digital identity system suffer a catastrophic failure of trust, with deadly consequences.

A loss of trust spells disaster for this kind of service. We need to have faith in Verify, if were to give up our personal details to it. On the other side of the picture the government, too, needs to trust were who we say we are. What everyone in this picture needs is someone  or something  to step in and verify that everyone's who they say they are. This is why the Verify system leans so heavily on the notion of a trusted third party. Lets say I want to claim a benefit online. To avoid being scammed, the DWP needs to know Im entitled to what Im claiming. As far as theyre concerned, though, Im just a Gmail address and an internet location. Like a young buck in a Fielding novel, up in London for the first time, what I need to be admitted to their house is a letter of introduction. A nod from a person of quality who can speak for me. A third party that DWP and I both trust, and who already knows who I am. They vouch for me, the DWP web service lets me in; and from then on, they trust me, too.

All well and good, but why should I trust this third party? To make the system work, at some point I need to entrust someone with enough personal information to establish my identity. Which is why the government has handed out this vital role to a slew of private contractors. Theyre saying, look, dont trust the unreliable old public sector. You can choose who to trust, from a list of accredited organisations like Barclays and the Royal Mail. You know, organisations who never, ever lose peoples data. This approach, says gov.uk, gives people more choice and control over their personal data than if we were using a single supplier or if government were doing all the verification work.

See what they did there? In comes the inevitable mantra of choice. The true subtext, though, is that if the government held all our data in a single location, thered be too great a risk of the whole lot getting hacked in a single criminal exploit. Far better to divide and conquer, by portioning our data out to multiple private firms. It remains to be seen, though, which of these models  if either  the public prefers to trust.

At the start of my novel, the Digital Citizen service does indeed appear to have been hacked; and the online hoo-hah that boils up as a result could all too easily come to pass in the real world. Still, even though Ive chosen in my book to dramatise a major collapse of public trust, I sincerely hope the same does not occur to Verify. Id like to see a time soon when I can stop giving up my data to a million separate websites, creating ever more prey for cold-calling boiler-room operations. I can only wish the good folk at gov.uk a far smoother go-live process than Ive allowed their fictional counterparts.

Sockpuppet is published by Hodder & Stoughton on 19 May.
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Mistakes by medical staff have been ranked as the third leading cause of death in the United States in a new study.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine estimated that more than 250,000 people a year died as a result of an error by the people treating them  behind heart disease (611,000 deaths) and cancer (585,000) on the list of top causes of death, but significantly ahead of the 149,000 who die from chronic respiratory disease.

Last year British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt described avoidable deaths in hospitals as the biggest scandal in global healthcare. It is estimated that 3.6 per cent of deaths in hospitals in England are avoidable, equating to about 150 deaths a week.

However the US researchers and a British academic who has studied medical errors said many of the problems were the result of complex systems rather than mistakes by individuals.

Professor Martin Makary, of the Johns Hopkins research team, said official figures in the US had not revealed the extent of the problem because the way they were drawn up was more about charging medical fees than trying to find out what was killing people.

Incidence rates for deaths directly attributable to medical care gone awry havent been recognized in any standardized method for collecting national statistics, he said.

The medical coding system was designed to maximize billing for physician services, not to collect national health statistics, as it is currently being used.

The US system dates back to 1949 when Professor Makary said it was under-recognized that diagnostic errors, medical mistakes and the absence of safety nets could result in someone's death.

Because of that, medical errors were unintentionally excluded from national health statistics, he added.

Writing in the BMJ medical journal, the researchers said they had analysed death rates in the US between 2000 and 2008.

They then calculated that 251,454 people would have died as a result of a medical error out of 35,416,020 hospital visits in 2013. That represented 9.5 per cent of the total number of annual deaths in the US.

The researchers stressed that most medical errors were not caused by bad doctors and reporting an error should not automatically result in punishment or legal action.

Instead, they said most were the result of systemic problems, such as poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks or the lack of proper protocols.

Top-ranked causes of death as reported by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention inform our countrys research funding and public health priorities," Professor Makary said.

Right now, cancer and heart disease get a ton of attention, but since medical errors don't appear on the list, the problem doesnt get the funding and attention it deserves.

Developing consensus protocols that streamline the delivery of medicine and reduce variability can improve quality and lower costs in health care.

More research on preventing medical errors from occurring is needed to address the problem.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

Professor Justin Waring, of Nottingham University Business School, who has studied how to control medical errors, echoed the message that mistakes were often not the fault of a single person.

Improving procedures could help reduce the number of mistakes. One such success story, he said, had been the decision by the World Health Organisation in 2008 to recommend the use of a surgical checklist based on the one used by pilots before take-off.

People should also bear in mind the working conditions of medical staff if mistakes were made, Professor Waring stressed.

A pilot whos constantly being interrupted, whose wing is half missing and who has not got enough fuel  hes a hero if he lands the plane," he said. Thats what doctors do day-in, day-out. They are flying planes that are falling to bits."

And while it was important to deal with incompetent doctors and catch the vary rare number of people like mass murderer Dr Harold Shipman, there was a "very real risk" that the rise of a blame culture would damage the NHS, Professor Waring warned.

Theres a big problem with blaming people," he said. "Its stops people learning because they start being defensive. If you have a very defensive, legal culture, people dont talke about and share their experiences about when it goes wrong.

A UK Department of Health spokesperson said: We want the NHS to be the safest healthcare system in the world and we are committed to understanding more about avoidable mortality, which as this study highlights, is a problem around the world.

"We are supporting staff to speak up when things go wrong so we ensure lessons are learned, mistakes are not repeated and the NHS can provide safer seven-day care for all patients."
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The NHS has given the medical records of 1.6 million patients to Google, it has been revealed.

The records have been shared with Google as part of a data-sharing agreement between the technology giant and the NHS, revealed by The New Scientist.

The records relate to patients of three London hospitals which form the Royal Free Trust; Barnet, Chase Farm and Royal Free Hospital collected over the course of the last five years. An estimated 1.6 million patients attend the hospitals every year.

Google says it intends to use the data as part of its group DeepMind to develop a health app which can help recognise kidney injury. However, campaigners have expressed concerns that the data-share is a breach of trust and not in patients interest.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

Phil Booth, coordinator of medConfidential which campaigns for confidentiality in healthcare, told The Independent that the data-share was not in the spirit of the NHS. He said: There are existing and strong processes for doing safe medical research using data; but this project seems to have followed none of them. To ensure patient confidence, properly run projects require transparency on what is being done, and why. That is to protect patients from the confusion about what this data will be used for. Google has denied this, stating that it is following strict HSCIC information governance rules.

Google has been criticised in recent times for perceived privacy breaches due to the amount of data which it holds on individuals. In 2014, 38 US states sued Google when it was alleged that the cars with which the company takes Google Street View photographs had also been collecting data from computers inside the homes they drove past.

The company has also been accused of sifting through information on messages sent by users through its system to sell the byproducts to advertisers and not making it sufficiently clear to customers that it is able to read wifi passwords.

Google DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman told The Independent: We are working with clinicians at the Royal Free to understand how technology can best help clinicians recognise patient deterioration- in this case acute kidney injury (AKI). We have, and will always, hold ourselves to the highest possible standards of patient data protection. This data will only ever be used for the purposes of improving healthcare and will never be linked with Google accounts or products.

A spokesperson for The Royal Free London told The Independent: Absolutely no patient-identifiable data is shared with Deep-Mind. All information sent to and processed by this app is encrypted and is only decrypted once returned to the clinicians device. Patients can opt out of any data-sharing system by contacting the Trusts data protection officer.
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The NHS "MOT" health check to spot signs of illness only has marginal benefits, a Department of Health-funded study has found.

Experts found the programme only prevented the equivalent of one heart attack or stroke for every 4,762 people who attend a health check in a year.

The scheme, which sees people aged 40 to 74 invited for a check with their GP every five years, is reported to cost around 300m per year.

In 2013, the Royal College of GPs branded the checks a "waste of money" while 2012 research from the respected Cochrane group found they did not reduce deaths.

In contrast, a study from Queen Mary University earlier this year said at least 2,500 people would have avoided a heart attack or stroke in the first five years of the programme.

Launched in 2009, the initiative is designed to spot conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes by looking for "silent" factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

The new study, commissioned and funded by the Policy Research Programme at the Department of Health, was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

It used GP records for more than 138,000 patients registered at 462 practices across England from 2009 to 2013.

Researchers found that 21% of the eligible population attended a health check.

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The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. 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The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. 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When compared with people who had not turned up for a check, having a check only reduced the 10-year risk of suffering cardiovascular disease by 0.21%, researchers said.

There were very small improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol levels and lowering people's weight. There was no increase in the number of people who stopped smoking.

The health checks resulted in a 3% rise in the number of people diagnosed with high blood pressure, and 1.31% rise in the number diagnosed with diabetes.

Kiara Chang, lead author of the research from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said: "Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death across the world - and so we urgently need effective initiatives to tackle the condition.

"However, these findings suggest the NHS health check scheme offers very modest benefits."

GPs, who are rewarded for carrying out the check, discuss the results with a patient and may prescribe drugs if necessary, including statins to lower cholesterol.

During the latest study, statins were prescribed to 40% of people deemed at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Ms Chang said this was way below national targets, adding: "Not only are very few people attending the appointments, but the results suggest that among those who do undergo the check, the number of high-risk patients placed on statins is below national guidelines.

"The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidance suggests all people deemed at high risk of cardiovascular disease should be considered for statins, and the Department of Health suggests 85% uptake of statins is required for the NHS Health Check programme to be cost-effective."

Professor Azeem Majeed, principal investigator of the study from the School of Public Health at Imperial, said: "For the NHS health check scheme to be effective, it needs to be better planned and implemented - our work will help highlight how this can be done.

"In future, we plan to evaluate whether particular groups - for instance older patients - have greater health benefits from the check than younger patients.

"It would also be interesting to investigate the reasons why the health check produced such modest benefits. For instance, to evaluate the advice patients are given during the health check."

Jamie Waterall, national lead for the check at Public Health England (PHE), said: "It is important that we review all emerging evidence for this programme. PHE has an established expert group which will look at the findings of this study."

PA
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Men who view sexually explicit pornography where condoms are used are more likely to use protection when engaging in anal sex, research has found.

A study of 265 men from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC, found their sexual behaviour was directly influenced by what they had seen online.

All of the men taking part in the research had viewed sexually explicit media in the past three months, during which time they had also had sex with another man.

Authors Eric Schrimshaw, from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and Martin J Downing Jr, of Public Health Solutions, said: Men who viewed more pornography containing condom use engaged in fewer condomless anal sex encounters.

Even those who took part in compulsive pornography viewing were not more likely to engage in condomless anal sex.

These findings have important policy and HIV prevention implications."

Of the 92 per cent of participants who said they had viewed sexually explicit media containing condomless anal sex in the past three months, nearly half said it had directly contributed to them engaging in riskier sex.

Viewing the material had led 70 per cent of participants to act out what they had seen online, while over half said viewing the material made them seek out sex afterwards.

Dr Schrimshaw said: The potentially negative consequences on behaviour, therefore, has policy implications for pornography directors, producers, distributors, performers, and viewers.

The researchers noted how the studys findings could support an argument for more availability of sexually explicit media containing anal sex in which condoms are clearly used.

Indeed, our finding that viewing pornography that contains condom use is associated with fewer condomless anal sex encounters suggests that pornography may have a potentially important protective function by encouraging men to use condoms, the authors said.

Condom use in pornography has been a subject of fierce debate, with government officials and sexual health organisations stressing the need for greater safety for actors while industry figures continue to argue that no one would watch their films if they featured condoms.
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When we think about "leadership books," we tend to think about non-fiction titles like "Talent Is Overrated," "High Output Management," or the perennial favorite, "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

But according to Scotty McLennan, a lecturer in political economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the school's former dean of religious life, limiting ourselves to manuals and biographies and case studies means we're missing something big.

Some of the most valuable insights into the heart of leadership don't come from the business aisle, he says. They come from the literary classics.

Unlike traditional business books, literature allows you access to the inner lives of its characters.

"You see them not only in their work environment, and in decision-making moments, but in their larger life," McLennan explains in a video produced by Stanford GBS. Literature can "show you reality in a way that case studies and biographies and other things that are supposedly about reality can't touch," he says. He even teaches a course on the topic for MBA students: "The Business World: Moral and Spiritual Inquiry through Literature."

Here is what might be the most thought-provoking  and most beautiful  business reading list of all time, according to McLennan.

Rachel Sugar contributed to an earlier version of this article.

'The Great Gatsby,' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The Great Gatsby," which McLennan calls an "American dream" book, tells the story of a Midwestern farm boy who was driven to succeed by the love for his lost love, Daisy.

"What's so great about Gatsby is his idealism, his dreams, his green light in the distance, which set him apart and make him greater than the rest," McLennan said during a 2014 sermon at Stanford.

"We can learn from him how life can be transformed, by pitching one's life above the day-to-day practicality, above the desire for security, above the drive for power. I don't think that many of us can live at Gatsby's level of idealism very much of the time," he says. "But of course Fitzgerald's book challenges us to an idealism beyond Gatsby's, by pointing up so poignantly the limitations of his ideals."

The Great Gatsby Official Trailer

'Siddhartha,' by Hermann Hesse

Another of McLennan's favorite literary lessons in work-life balance and living well? Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha."

The novel follows a man who is struggling to "combine business and spirituality," McLennan explained in a (different) interview with Insights' Deborah Petersen this past winter. "He becomes a rich merchant who is at first unattached to material success, concentrating on putting his customers first and acting ethically with all stakeholders. But then he becomes covetous, succumbs to the 'soul sickness of the rich,' and becomes not only mean-spirited but also suicidal."

Eventually, he finds something like balance ferrying travelers across a river, "providing spiritual mentoring to some, but finding that most people simply want good transportation services."

'The Stranger' (or 'The Plague,' or 'The Fall'), by Albert Camus

Every now and then, McLennan recommends turning to the existentialists.

"Books like 'The Stranger' or 'The Plague' or 'The Fall'"  all by Albert Camus  are "pretty powerful ways of clearing the deck," he says in the video.

Temporarily shelving questions of spirituality and religion, these books probe at something even more basic: What is the meaning of life, if there is any meaning at all?

'Zuckerman Bound,' a trilogy by Philip Roth

Literary critic Harold Bloom said the trilogy  which follows Roth's fictional alter ego, Nathan Zuckerman  "merits something reasonably close to the highest level of aesthetic praise for tragicomedy." That's one reason to read it.

But that's not the only reason the books appear on McLennan's list. In a 2013 sermon at Stanford, he called 'The Ghostwriter'  the first of the three novels in question  a "wonderful illustration of the importance of balancing personal ambition with social awareness  of balancing individualism with community responsibility."

'The Remains of the Day,' by Kazuo Ishiguro

McLennan points to Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day" as a helpful study of the difference between East and West.

And he's not the only one. The novel, which follows an elderly butler so profoundly devoted to his profession he's blinded himself to the rest of the world around him, is regularly referenced in writing about leadership and ethics (like here, and here, and here).

'Death of A Salesman,' by Arthur Miller

Also included in what McLennan calls the "American dream" books, this play is a lesson in trust  in oneself and the surrounding world.

As he explains during a 2003 sermon, traveling salesman Willy Loman thought he could singlehandedly control his destiny and that of his family, trying to force himself and his sons into jobs that didn't fit their nature.

"What if he'd let go, relied on others around him rather than trying to control everything himself, and accepted his own basic nature rather than trying to become someone he wasn't?" McLennan asks. It's likely he would have been much more successful.

The 10 Best business start-up books Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 Best business start-up books The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-1.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-2.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-3.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-4.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-5.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-6.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-7.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-8.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-9.jpg The 10 Best business start-up books TEN-BEST-10.jpg

'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe

Even if you read "Things Fall Apart"  or any of the rest of these  as a high school freshman, McLennan recommends giving it another go.

Because the thing about great literature? "The exact same book looks different every ten years," he says, and whatever you got at 16 will be different from what you get at 26, 36, or 66.

McLennan recommends the Nigerian classic because it "helps people see the juxtaposition of traditional African society with the imposition of Western religion, military, and business," Rimby writes.

'The Last Tycoon,' by F. Scott Fizgerald

In the video, McLennan raves about Fitzgerald's final (and unfinished) novel, which offers insight into the always-relevant crisis of work-life balance.

Fitzgerald follows the life of Hollywood mogul Monroe Stahr (based on the real-life film producer Irving Thalberg)  a staggeringly successful business executive who's thriving in public and flailing in private.

"What we begin to see is the lack of a fully integrated life  somebody who is literally working himself to death, but doing very well," McLennan says. "And then you need to ask, could he do as well if he had a more balanced life?" (For the record, McLennan says his students seem split on the question.)

'Jasmine,' by Bharati Mukherjee

Jasmine tells the story of a young Indian woman's journey from Florida to New York to Iowa to California in search of the American Dream  and it's a regular on McLennan's syllabi.

Talking to Petersen, he outlines the (many) takeaways:

"... how to balance new-world selfishness in personal freedom with old-world selflessness in familial duty; examining whether there is a stable self (or Self) to rely upon in each of us or an ever-changing identity as we change our environments; the foundation of morality in karma, or reaping what one sows; and the struggle between fate and will."

'Miramar,' by Naguib Mahfouz

"Miramar," which follows a peasant woman named Zohra who escapes her family and finds employment in a small hotel in Alexandria, makes McLennan's list for its dissection of sexual harassment in the workplace.

But in a 2012 sermon at Stanford, McLennan offered another reading of the text  one with (secular) business implications.

According to him, the book illustrates the tension between enduring values (justice, freedom, and "courage as a virtue") and things that are ultimately fleeting (among them, the "single-minded pursuit of profit to the exclusion of fundamental human values").

'All My Sons,' by Arthur Miller

According to a 2010 McLenan sermon, we see two characters learn important lessons about where we place our values and the multifaceted nature of people.

American businessman Joe Keller admits to shipping out defective cylinder heads that led to numerous deadly airplane crashes during World War II  and possibly the death of his pilot son, Larry  and says he did it for his son, Chris, who would inherit the business.

"Joe expands his value orientation beyond his own family to think about his nation," McLennan says. "He understands that not only Larry and Chris are the sons whom he had to care for, but 'They were all my sons.'"

As a result of his father's crime, Chris abandons his naive idealism, "sees that the world is not as black and white as he once thought, and he begins to develop a capacity to relate to others as having a mixture of virtue and vice, rather than being uni-dimensional."
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The Business Secretary Sajid Javid has ordered the Insolvency Service to launch a fast-track investigation into the collapse of the ailing retail chain BHS, heaping more pressure on the Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green.

In a clear reference to Sir Philip, Mr Javid yesterday stressed the investigation would look at not only the conduct of the directors at the moment BHS went under last week but also any individuals who were previously directors.

Recommended Read more The urgent questions Sir Philip Green needs to answer before MPs

The Business Department also said that if any present or former director is found guilty of misconduct a court application could be lodged to disqualify them from acting in such a capacity for between two and fifteen years.

Sir Philip sold BHS for a nominal 1 fee to a consortium with no retail experience called Retail Acquisitions in March 2015. The 88-year-old business called in the administrators last week after failing to secure a 60m loan needed to carry on trading.

In the wake of the collapse, Sir Philip has come in for intense criticism for selling the business when its defined benefit pension scheme was running a substantial deficit and for the fact that his family received more than 400m of dividends from the businesses in the years after he bought it in 2000. One MP, John Mann, has called for Sir Philip to be stripped of his knighthood unless he repays the dividends.

At the weekend two House of Commons select committees confirmed that they have called on Sir Philip to appear before them to answer questions on his stewardship of BHS. Today they confirmed that Sir Philip has agreed to attend.

The Insolvency Service probe is unusual because it would normally wait for a final report from the administrator of a business before launching an investigation. But the Business Department said that a fast-track process has been ordered given the unique circumstances of the BHS case.

Last week Lord Myners, a former City minister, said that Sir Philip had responsibilities to the chain that he acquired for 200m in 2000. It is the responsibility of the owner [of a business] to either make sure that the pension fund is adequately funded or that the new owner is going to take on that responsibility and is a fit and proper person with adequately funding and sensible plans to ensure that the deficit will be covered he said.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Sir Philip was knighted by the previous Labour government for services to retail in 2006. In 2010 he was appointed by the new Prime Minister, David Cameron, to lead a review into government spending.

The Business Department said that where director misconduct is found by the Insolvency Service dating from after October 2015 and where it caused a loss to creditors a court application could be made for compensation for losses. The BHS pension scheme, which has now been taken on by the state-backed Pension Protection Scheme lifeboat, is the biggest creditor to BHS. By one valuation it is running a 571m deficit.
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Thousands of absences were overlooked by headteachers as parents took their children out of school in protest over tough new exams.

A nationwide protest led by the campaign group, Let Our Kids Be Kids, was supported by school leaders after more than 45,000 people signed a petition calling for a boycott of national primary school tests set for this month.

Parents of the primary school children argue the new examinations set for Year 2 pupils in particular are inappropriately complex and place too much pressure on children.

While parents can face fines of 120 for taking a child out of school without permission, several teachers have spoken out in support of the one-day strike, during which families took part in fun outdoor learning activities such as nature trails, picnics and art workshops.

At the National Association of Head Teachers' (NAHT) conference in Birmingham last weekend, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said the campaign was damaging.

Keeping children home  even for a day  is harmful to their education and I think it undermines how hard you as heads are working. I urge those running these campaigns to reconsider their actions, she said.

But the school leaders union said almost all primary school leaders in the country believed the governments testing regime to be chaotic and distracting, adding that the exams had become little more than a box ticking exercise for bureaucrats.

A NAHT spokesperson said: Its clear that parents are upset with SATs this year at best theyre a snapshot of a childs ability on one day.

What parents and teachers favour instead is a 'little and often' approach to tests. Let's not forget that these children can be as young as six and ten.

The government likes SATs because they allow them to rank schools against each other. Many parents dont really value this kind of information, especially when choosing a school for their kids.

According to campaigners, around 500 separate protests took place across England on Tuesday, with more than 200 educational events organised for parents and children to take part in.

One teacher said that 39 per cent of children at Skerton St. Lukes school in Lancaster had taken part in the strike action. Another school in the area was reported to have taken all of its pupils for a day outside as part of an emphasis for increasing creative learning.

Schools in Brighton and parts of London also reported high numbers of absences on Tuesday, while other areas of the country were said to be unaffected by the days protests.

In Brighton, childrens laureate Chris Riddell addressed hundreds of families at a large public demonstration in Preston Park. Mr Riddell criticised the Education Secretary's claims that parents were irresponsible to take their children out of school, adding that teaching children to question government policy was an important lesson.

My feeling is there should be more trust in teachers and their ability to assess children at this age, rather than through testing, he said. The children are being put under undue stress and my argument is what is the value of what comes from this testing. I think it is questionable.

Parents have complained that Year 2 classes in England about to sit their first exams have had two years of preparation instead of the expected four. As a result, much of teaching within schools has become test focussed, placing emphasis on a banking of information rather than creative learning through outdoor activities and play.

One school governor from Lancaster said that children had complained of sleeplessness and headaches as the May examinations loom closer. We dont mind our children having hard work to do, but we dont want a whole generation set up to fail, she said. These tests are a step too far  they are developmentally inappropriate.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb faced scrutiny on Tuesday after failing to answer a SAT level literacy question designed for six and seven year olds.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's World At One, Mr Gibb was questioned over concerns among parents that the tests were too prescriptive and risked putting chidren off reading.

Radio 4 presenter Martha Kearney asked: Let me give you this sentence: 'I went to the cinema after I'd eaten my dinner'. Is the word 'after' there being used as a subordinating conjunction or as a preposition?

When the minister apparently answered the question incorrectly, he said: This isn't about me. This is about ensuring that future generations of children  unlike me incidentally, who was not taught grammar at primary school  we need to make sure that future generations are taught grammar properly.

Recommended Read more Parents take children out of school in protest over SATs exams

Anna Hopkins, a parent from Lancashire with a daughter about to take Year 2 SATs, said she had taken the day off work in order to protest against the examinations.

We need to have a lot more respect for the education, she said. It is far too early to have the fear of failing.

I hope the government take notice of todays demonstrations. We want our children to have good education but lets make it much broader, lets make the questions more applicable and more relatable to everyday life. That is not getting our children a good broad education.
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50 Cent has faced a fierce backlash for mocking a 19-year-old airport cleaner who has a social anxiety disorder and accusing him of being on drugs.

In a video shared on his Instagram page, the 40-year-old rapper can be seen ridiculing the teenager as he pushes cleaning supplies through Northern Kentucky International Airport.

But after facing criticism from the parents of the teenager, whose name is Andrew Farrell, and others on social media, 50 Cent decided to delete the viral video.

The new generation is crazy. They're crazy. What's your name? the rapper, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, says in the video.

50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' Show all 14 1 /14 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337814.bin AP 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337861.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337860.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337859.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337857.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337855.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337854.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337853.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337852.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337851.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337849.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337848.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337847.bin Getty Images 50 Cent: 'I still have passion for music' 337846.bin Getty Images

Look at him. What kind of s*** do you think he took before he got to work today? He high as a motherf****r right here in the airport. Pupils dilated  the new generation is f***ing crazy.

The parents of the teenager have condemned 50 Cent and his mother, Amanda Kramer, has urged the musician to make a public apology.

The more I thought about it, the more upset I got, the more mad I got because this could really hurt him for the future. Kramer told local news channel WLWT5. I think he needs to retract it and I would like for him to make a public apology".

His father Kent Farrrell also explained that his sons lack of communication was the result of his social anxiety. To put this video out there saying my son is on drugs or whatever, that is part of his social anxiety, Farrell said. Hes not wanting to talk, hes not wanting to communicate, hes walking on and hes doing his job.

In a separate interview with Cincinnati.com, his mother also explained his disorder. "He's got a social anxiety disorder. Weve got that documented by medical records. He also has a hearing impairment. Dont pick on kids that you dont know anything about".

Rusty Stone, who claims he went to school with the mocked teenager, also rebuked 50 Cent in a post on Instagram. He has extreme social difficulties just to let you know. He has a hard enough time getting through life without jacka***s like you making fun of him, he wrote.

The rapper has also come under fire on social media.

It took my son a lot of courage to get a job and enter a world he struggles with socially but he did it and he has gained confidence! That poor kid that 50 shamed was probably feeling the same, wrote one user on Instagram.

He's picking on disabled people. Smh. And this isn't the first time 50 Cent shows his ignorance, added another.

This is not the first time 50 Cent has prompted criticism for similar comments. In 2012 the musician said to a fan, Just saw your picture fool you look autistic and told another follower he didnt want no special ed kids on [his] timeline. After receiving an onslaught of criticism, he deleted the tweets and apologised for his remarks.

A representative for 50 Cent did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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Three newly-discovered Earth-sized planets orbiting a nearby dwarf star could host life, astronomers have said.

The planets, discovered by an international team of scientists using the TRAPPIST space telescope in Chile, orbit around a dim, cool dwarf star which has been named TRAPPIST-1.

At least one of the planets lies in the star's habitable zone, and scientists believe the conditions could be right on all three to support life. It's an important discovery in the search for extraterrestrial life, and future research could reveal interesting new details about the mysterious system.

What is TRAPPIST-1?

TRAPPIST-1 is an 'ultracool' dwarf star, around the size of Jupiter and far less bright and warm than the Sun. Even if it can't support life, the discovery is still significant, since these kinds of stars have never been observed to have orbiting planets before.

trappist.jpg, by Doug Bolton (ESO/M. Kornmesser)

Emmanuel Jehin, a European Southern Observatory (ESO) researcher and co-author of a study on the discovery, said in a statement: "So far, the existence of such 'red worlds' orbiting ultra-cool dwarf stars was purely theoretical, but now we have not just one lonely planet around such a faint red star but a complete system of three planets!"

After observing TRAPPIST-1 with telescopes, the scientists noticed that it appeared to dim slightly, at regular intervals. By studying further, they determined that this dimming was due to the planets passing in front of the star, proving the existence of the system.

Can the planets host life?

According to the ESO astronomers, the furthest-out planet lies in the star's 'habitable zone'. This is an area of space where the temperature is mild enough for liquid water to exist, an essential building block of life as we know it.

The team believes the planets are 'tidally locked', with one side facing the planet at all times, and the other shrouded in permanent darkness. Even on the other two planets, however, the temperate boundary between the light and dark side could be the perfect place for life.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

How can we find out?

It might not be possible to scour the planets for alien creatures, but by observing them from Earth, we can get a good idea of their habitability.

By looking at the star and observing the light that passes around the planets, the scientists can deduce the rough composition of their atmospheres. The presence of certain chemicals, such as oxygen or carbon dioxide, could point to the presence of life. Earth-based observations can also reveal whether its surface is rocky, icy or metallic.

If the planets orbited a normal star, the bright light would obscure them. But since TRAPPIST-1 is so dim, it's possible to get a clear image of them from Earth.

Michael Gillon, an ESO astronomer and lead author of a study on the discovery, said: "Systems around these tiny stars are the only place where we can detect life on an Earth-sized exoplanet with our current technology."

"If we want to find life elsewhere in the universe, this is where we should start to look."

How close is TRAPPIST-1 to Earth?

Relatively close, in cosmic terms. The star lies around 39 light years from Earth, or around 299 trillion miles. That's a long way, but it's much closer than Kepler 452B, a distant exoplanet known as 'Earth 2.0', which is around 1,400 light years away. Closer stars are obviously easier to study than distant ones, so TRAPPIST-1 could provide fertile ground for further research.

Why is the discovery significant?

Finding life on an alien planet would obviously be the most significant scientific discovery in history. But even if the planets are dead, the team's findings would still have major implications for astronomy.

Now that scientists know ultracool dwarfs can have orbiting planets, they can start studying others for similar satellites. Around 15 per cent of all the stars in the galaxy are ultracool dwarfs, so there's potentially millions of exoplanets out there which could be able to host life.

What comes next?

Scientists will be able to probe further into the nature of the planets using existing technology. However, with the James Webb Space Telescope, set for launch in 2018, and the forthcoming ESO 'Extremely Large Telescope', astronomers will be able to look for signs of life in greater detail than ever before.

According to MIT's Julien de Wit, a co-author of the study, the discovery represents a "giant step" in the search for life in the universe.
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Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the search for new antidotes to combat deadly nerve agent sarin.

A joint study published by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and Umea University revealed how certain molecules could be used to counteract the devastating effects of chemical weapons.

Drugs such as 2-PAM CI and HI-6 have previously been used to tackle sarin and other lethal gases in combat situations, but the new research will allow scientists to better understand precisely how the chemicals work and come up with effective solutions.

Anders Allgardsson, biochemist at FOI and lead researcher on the study, told The Independent: Nerve agents are dreadful weapons, and our hope is for these results to lead to improved drugs against them."

"We have focused on one of the most effective and well recognised antidotes available today. It is important to have detailed knowledge of the mechanisms."

[This discovery] opens up for new opportunities in finding antidotes to sarin and other nerve agents by structure-based molecular design.

Sarin is a highly toxic, odourless gas responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians during the ongoing Syrian conflict, and was used during terrorist attacks in Japan in 1995 and Iraq in 2004.

It causes lung muscle paralysis and is known to kill within five minutes if inhaled.

The project was started seven years ago and has since experimented with a variety of different complex chemicals and potential antidotes.

Nerve agents are dreadful weapons, and our hope is for these results to lead to improved drugs against them <p>Anders Allgardsson, biochemist at the Swedish Defence Research Agency</p>

Chemists from the two institutes are now able to present a fully-formed 3D structure depicting the interaction between HI-6 molecules and lethal nerve agents.

The key to the discovery has been the ability to erase the sarin chemical before it breaks down acetylcholinesterase, a protein crucial to the central nervous system.

In August 2013 more than 1,000 people, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed during a sarin attack in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta.

The incident caused international outrage and was branded a crime against humanity by the UN.

In March, a report by the Syrian-American Medical Society revealed 161 chemical attacks had taken place in Syria since the start of the civil war five years ago, killing 1,491 people.
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The new interim chief constable of South Yorkshire Police has said he plans to listen to the families of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster as he starts work with the beleaguered force.

Dave Jones has been appointed to run the force on a temporary basis.

Dr Billings suspended the current chief constable, David Crompton, following the outcome of Hillsborough inquests last week.

Mr Crompton reiterated an apology for the disaster hours after the verdicts and said he accepted the findings of the inquests jury.

But he was criticised by the families for the stance taken by lawyers representing the police during the two-year-long hearings.

He was replaced last week on a temporary basis by his deputy, Dawn Copley, but she had to step down within a day after it emerged she was under investigation for alleged misconduct by her previous force.

At a press conference in Sheffield, Mr Jones, the current chief constanble at North Yorkshire, said he will be undertaking a fundamental review of the force but taking care to include the rank-and-file officers out on the streets. He said a senior officer from another force will also be brought in to conduct a review.

South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable David Crompton was suspended following the inquest's verdict last week (Getty Images)

The chief said he will be engaging with the Hillsborough families and also those associated with the ongoing controversy over the policing of the Orgreave pickets in the 1984 miners' strike.

He said: "I also think I also need to hear from the families of the Hillsborough disaster, the truth and justice committee for Orgreave and also the public of South Yorkshire about how they experience policing and what they think's not working.

"But crucially, I also think that the workforce need to be able to get a voice into that review to make sure we fully understand, warts and all, what we think is actually happening in policing in 2016.

"It is just not South Yorkshire Police and I think that's been recognised nationally and we do need a national response to that issue."

Mr Jones said: "I think the service can be institutionally defensive around the way in which it approaches certain things.

"There is no question that this is a very difficult period, both for South Yorkshire Police as an organisation, and for the communities it serves locally and further afield.

"Nevertheless, I believe there is a strong desire - both inside and outside the police service - for the force to move forward in a positive direction.

"First and foremost, I will engage with those communities both inside and outside of South Yorkshire who have been let down by the police service.

A vigil for the 96 Hillsborough victims outside Saint Georges Hall in Liverpool (Getty)

"I want to understand how their confidence in policing has been affected, and work with them to build it back up and restore pride back into the police service.

"In addition, and with the support of the police and crime commissioner, I will be seeking the full support of the College of Policing, NPCC and HMIC to provide a thorough review of South Yorkshire Police."

Mr Jones insisted he was taking up the role "as a volunteer" and said: "I am not under-estimating the scale of the work ahead, but part of the reason why I have taken on this interim role is that I believe that the policing as a whole has a duty to help the service in South Yorkshire to move forward."

Mr Crompton's suspension follows a torrid four years at the helm of the force which saw the organisation criticised for a range of different controversies including the scandal over child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, the controversy surrounding a search of Sir Cliff Richard's house and ongoing questions about the policing of the miners' strike.

Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Show all 10 1 /10 Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Relatives react after the jury delivered its verdict at the new inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, in Warrington Reuters Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Relatives of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster celebrate outside the Hillsborough Inquest in Warrington PA Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Margaret Aspinall holds a banner after the jury delivered its verdict at the new inquests into the Hillsborough disaster Reuters Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Relatives of the Hillsborough sing 'You'll never walk alone' as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest Getty Images Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Relatives of Hillsborough victims show their emotions as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest Getty Images Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Relatives of Hillsborough victims hug as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington Getty Images Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Margaret Aspinall (C), whose son James died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, makes a statement following the conclusion of the inquest into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster Getty Images Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Relatives sing "You'll never walk alone" after the jury delivered its verdict at the new inquests into the Hillsborough disaster Reuters Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Relatives of Hillsborough victims hold up banners as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest Getty Images Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions Donna Miller (R), sister of Hillsborough victim Paul Carlile holds up a banner as relatives depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington Getty Images

He said Mr Jones will work with the existing leadership team, including Ms Copley, but he will bring with him an additional assistant chief constable from North Yorkshire, Ken McIntosh, with a particular remit to help coordinate the provision of support from national police agencies.

Dr Billings said the permanent role will be advertised in the coming weeks, with a view to making an appointment over the summer.

Mr Jones started his policing career in 1986 with Greater Manchester Police and has also served with the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

North Yorkshire's Deputy Chief Constable, Tim Madgwick, will become temporary chief constable for that force until Mr Jones returns.

PA
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The Crown Prosecution Service is to appeal a court decision that saw charges against protesters dismissed on the basis that there was evidence of illegal arms sales at the arms fair they were trying to shut down.

The eight protesters admitted blocking a road to stop military and other vehicles arriving at the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in Londons Docklands in September 2015.

A judge at Stratford Crown Court ruled in April that there was compelling evidence that illegal weapons were on sale at the biannual arms fair, the worlds largest, and that the protesters had arguably been acting to prevent a more serious crime from occurring.

Following the judgment, The Independent reported that a cross-party committee of MPs will now investigate the allegations that illegal weapons are on sale as part of their inquiry into the arms market in the UK.

But prosecutors have now submitted a motion to take the case to the High Court to overturn the judgment, according to Campaign Against the Arms Trade, which is working with the protesters.

DSEI, the world's biggest arms fair, is held in London's Docklands every two years (Getty)

Raj Chada, of Hodge Jones & Allen solicitors, one of the lawyers involved in the defence, said it was hugely disappointing that the CPS was trying to re-open the case.

He said authorities should instead be launching an investigation into the allegations of illegal arms sales at DSEI.

In a joint public statement, the defendants campaign said: We absolutely stand by our actions at the DSEI arms fair in seeking to prevent corporate and state support for torture and the mass indiscriminate killing of civilians. Our actions have continued to show where the interests of money and power truly lie.

Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London Show all 6 1 /6 Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London web-arms-2-getty.jpg Getty Images Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London web-arms-5-getty.jpg Getty Images Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London web-arms-6-getty.jpg Getty Images Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London web-arms-1-getty.jpg Getty Images Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London web-arms-3-getty.jpg Getty Images Where the worst dictators love to shop: Worlds largest arms fair comes to London web-arms-4-getty.jpg Getty Images

The state has invested a prolific amount of time and public money seeking to prosecute us. Many of us feel that perhaps if the state had chosen to focus their resources on those selling killing machines and torture weapons to human rights abusers, then we would see some of the arms dealers in court, instead of those who are trying to prevent some of the vilest crimes including torture and war crimes.

A spokesperson for the CPS told The Independent: The process of an appeal in this case is at a very early stage. It would be inappropriate to discuss grounds for an appeal until it has been concluded.

A spokesperson for DSEI said in a statement after the initial judgment that it complies with arms export control rules and that it gives authorities full access to its operations.
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At first glance, Harry Sarfos Instagram account could belong to many young men enjoying life in their mid-20s.

Smiling, he poses in restaurants, with friends, working out and even modelling clothes and chains in a throwback snap for an urban clothing brand.

But the seemingly carefree snapshots are interspersed with Islamic memes on prayer, sin, hell and the afterlife, hinting at the internal conflict that would eventually see him abandon Europe for Syria to live under the so-called Islamic State.

Posts on Harry Sarfo's Instagram page hinted at his growing radicalisation in the months before he travelled to Syria

During his three months under the "caliphate", he trained as a fighter in its special forces and appeared in a propaganda video calling for European Muslims to join Isis or commit terror attacks at home.

But what caused a young German man, who grew up and studied in London, to join Isis?

Sarfo said he was lured in by videos that he then believed showed unity under one flag...white, blacks, Asians and Arabs from all walks of life protecting the Sunni Muslims.

The message spoke powerfully to the 27-year-old, who felt alienated and victimised after being repeatedly detained in Germany and put under surveillance by intelligence agencies.

He had an unsettled childhood that saw him move from Bremen's Osterholz-Tenever district to London as a teenager after his father left the family.

Sarfo appeared in an Isis propaganda video issued in August 2015, where two prisoners were executed by militants

Possessing only lower-tier qualifications from Year 9 at his German secondary school, he enrolled at an English course at Leyton Sixth Form College in September 2005.

Despite being brought up by his Ghanaian parents as a Catholic, Sarfo said he felt a burgeoning interest in Islam and started attending speeches on the religion during every break.

Mr Sarfo may have listened regularly to some of his fellow students talking about Islam but formal talks and debates organised by the Islamic Society had all topics approved and monitored by senior staff, and took place perhaps twice or thrice a year, a spokesperson for Leyton College said.

When he moved on to study construction at Newham College of Further Education for three years, Sarfo said one of his best friends, of Bangladeshi origin, started to become more religious and started long debates about religion and purpose.

I decided for myself that Islam is the religion that my heart is beating for, Sarfo said. I accepted Islam by the age of 20, in a small mosque by Bow in east London where friends of mine regularly attended.

At the time he was working at a branch of Wickes in Edmonton and later joined Royal Mail to work as a postman in the Holloway area, while living in north London.

Royal Mail confirmed Sarfo briefly worked for them as a postman in 2010

Sarfo, who started to go by the name Bilal, was already using his weekends to speak to Muslim youth groups about a life in crime and the life of Muslim men  how we should behave ourselves and not become criminals.

But his former links to crime in Germany would come back to haunt him and after he completed a course in housing at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (Conel) he was charged with involvement in a 2010 armed robbery, which had seen Sarfo and a group of friends steal 23,500 (18,300) from a supermarket and jet to Gran Canaria to spend it.

Sarfo was sentenced to two years imprisonment for his part in the heist and found himself in a Bremen jail with Rene Marc Sepac, an al-Qaeda-linked radical jailed for spreading jihadist propaganda.

I learned the ideology of Tawheed and Jihad, which changed my whole understanding of Islam, Sarfo said. I served one year and after I got released, I started to visit a mosque which was known for its extreme views.

At the now-closed Furqan Mosque, Sarfo's radicalisation continued as fellow worshippers started disappearing to Syria.

Sarfo in a photo posted on his Instagram page before he travelled to Syria (Instagram)

In April 2014, he attempted the journey for the first time himself, reaching the Turkish city of Gaziantep before being arrested and deported back to Germany at the border.

Sarfo insisted that, on that occasion, he was not attempting to join Isis and was joining British friends who regularly delivered donations on charity runs to Syria as it continued to be ravaged by civil war.

German authorities failed to believe his story and confiscated his passport, put him under surveillance and ordered him to report to a police station twice a week.

They thought I was a terror suspect, Sarfo said, but claimed he had no contact with extremists in the following months as he got married and attempted to settle down.

But rumours had spread and the couple were ostracised by neighbours, having their bell rung at night as armed police launched successive raids on their home.

As Sarfo's sense of alienation grew, the man he would later join to travel to Syria with started urging him to join Isis.

"My friend kept on telling me: This is what you get for being Muslim in the West...you are black and Muslim, your wife is covered, what do you expect? They think you are a bloody terrorist. You should go and live in the Islamic State, where every Muslims rights are protected'," Sarfo recalled.

"At the time, everything he said made sense. "

After being detained again, Sarfo followed the advice.

 Former London student in Isis execution video

I didnt feel like a man anymore, my neighbours stopped greeting me in the place I wanted to start a new life for me and my wife, he said.

The police and the authorities destroyed it. They made me become the man they wanted.

Similar arguments have been made by several convicted extremists, alongside their families, friends and supporters.

Mohammed Emwazi, the British Isis militant known as Jihadi John, was memorably described by the Cage advocacy group as a beautiful young man before being subjected to what it characterised as four years of harassment by security agencies.

Like Sarfo, he was repeatedly searched, detained and deported, feeling increasingly victimised by the UK, which failed to recruit him as an informant.

Charlie Winter, a terrorism analyst, said blaming security services has become a standard refrain in the current discourse on extremism, especially from from individuals who are trying to blame others for the choices they have made.

Timeline: The emergence of Isis Show all 40 1 /40 Timeline: The emergence of Isis Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2000 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured here) forms an al-Qaeda splinter group in Iraq, al-Qaeda in Iraq. Its brutality from the beginning alienates Iraqis and many al-Qaeda leaders. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2006 Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Al-Zarqawis successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announces the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2009 Still al-Qaeda-linked ISI claims responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 155 in Baghdad, as well as attacks in August and October killing 240, as President Obama announces troop withdrawal from Iraq in March. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes head of ISI, at lowest ebb of Islamist militancy in Iraq, which sees last U.S. combat brigade depart. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2012 In Syria, protests (pictured here starting in Daree) have morphed into what president Assad labelled a real war with emergence of a coalition of forces opposed to Assads regime. Syria group Jabhat al-Nusra are among rebel groups who refuse to join, denouncing it as a conspiracy. Bombings targeting Shia areas, killing more than 500 people, spark fears of new sectarian conflict. Sunni Muslims stage protests across country against what they see as increasingly marginalisation by Shia-led government. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2013 Al-Baghdadi renames ISI as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, as the group absorbs Syrian al-Nusra, gaining a foothold in Syria. In response, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri (Bin Ladens successor) concerned about Isis expansion orders that Isis be dissolved and ISI operations should be confined to Iraq. This order is rejected by al-Baghdadi. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - January Isis fighters capture the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, giving them base to launch slew of attacks further south. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis declares itself the Caliphate, calling itself Islamic State (IS). The group captures Mosul, Iraqs second largest city; Tal Afar, just 93 miles from Syrian border; and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. These advances sent shockwaves around the world. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Around the same time Isis releases a video calling for western Muslims to join the Caliphate and fight, prompting new evaluations of extremists groups social media understanding. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis take Baiji oil fields in Iraq - giving them access to huge amounts of possible revenue. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August James Foley is executed by the group as concerns grow for second American prisoner, fellow reporter Steven Sotloff. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August Obama authorises U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, helping to stall Isis along with action by Kurdish forces following the deaths of hundreds of Yazidi people on Mount Sinjar. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release video showing Steven Sotloffs murder prompting Western speculation his executioner is same man who killed Mr Foley. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Obama tells us that America will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release a video appearing to show David Haines, who was captured by militants in Syria in 2013, wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling in the desert while he reads a pre-prepared script. It later shows what appears to be the aid worker's body. Rex Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Peshmerga fighters scrabble to hold positions in the Diyala province (a gateway to Baghdad) as Isis fighters continue to advance on Iraqi capital. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Aid worker Alan Henning is killed. Self-imposed media blackout refuses to show images of him in final moments, instead focuses upon humanitarian care. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Isis raise their flag in Kobani, which had been strongly defended by Kurdish troops. The victory goes against hopeful western analysis Isis had overextended itself, while alienating much of the Muslim population through the murder of Henning. Victory causes fresh waves of Kurdish refugees arriving in Turkey. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - November American hostage, who embarced values of Islam, Peter Kassig and 14 Syrian soldiers are shown meeting the same fate as other captives. But intelligence agencies will be poring over the apparently significant discrepancies between this and previous films. Seramedig.org.uk Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis has released a video revealing the murder by burning to death of a Jordanian pilot held by the group since the end of December 2014. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have released videos which appear to show the beheading of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February American aid worker, Kayla Mueller was the last American hostage known to be held by Isis. She died, according to her captors, in an airstrike by the Jordanian air force on the city of Raqqa in Syria, though US authorities disputed this. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have posted a gruesome video online in which they force 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages to kneel on a beach in Libya before beheading them. Egypt vowed to avenge the beheading and launched air strikes on Isis positions. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February The British Isis militant suspected of appearing in videos showing the beheading of Western hostages has been named in reports as Mohammed Emwazi from London. Rex Features Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - March Isis triple suicide attack has killed more than 100 worshippers and hundreds of others were injured after the group members targeted two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Iraqi forces have claimed victory over Isis in battle for Tikrit and raised the flag in the city. EPA/STR Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 35 people queuing to collect their wages and injured 100 more. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis media arm released a 29-minute video purporting to show militants executing Ethiopian Christians captives. The footage bore the extremist groups al-Furqan media logo and showed the destruction of churches and desecration of religious symbols. A masked fighter made a statement threatening Christians who did not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis has been "incapacitated" by a spinal injuries sustained in a US air strike in Iraq. He is being treated in a hideout by two doctors from Isis stronghold of Mosul who are said to be "strong ideological supporters of the group". Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis has also claimed responsibility for killing 300 of Yazidi captives, including women, children and elderly people in Iraq AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis attack on Prophet Mohamed cartoon contest in Texas was its first action on US soil. Two gunmen were shot and killed after launching the attack at the exhibition. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi have been named as the attackers at the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isiss deputy leader, Abu Alaa Afri, a former physics teacher who was thought to have taken charge of the deadly terrorist group, has been killed in a US-led coalition airstrike. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May US special forces have killed a senior Isis leader named as Abu Sayyaf in an operation aiming to capture him and his wife in Syria. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Iran-backed militias are sent to Ramadi by the Iraqi government to fight Isis militants who completed their capture of the city. Government soldiers and civilians were reportedly massacred by extremists as they took control and the army fled. Charred bodies were left littering the city streets as troops clung on to trucks speeding away from the city. Ramadi is the latest government stronghold to fall to the so-called Islamic State, despite air strikes by a US-led international coalition aiming to stop its advance in Iraq and Syria. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis rounded up civilians trapped in Palmyra and forced them to watch 20 people being executed in the historic citys ancient amphitheatre. The Unesco World Heritage site was overrun by militants, threatening the future of 2,000 year-old monuments and ruins. Thousands of Palmyras residents fled but many are still living within the city walls, while the UN human rights office in Geneva said it had received reports of Syrian government forces preventing people from leaving until they retreated from the city. Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May A group of Isis-affiliated fighters have captured a key airport in central Libya. The militants took control of the al-Qardabiya airbase in Sirte after a local militia tasked with defending the facility withdrew from their positions. Affiliates of Isis, already control large parts of Sirte, the birthplace of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a former stronghold of his supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June The US Air Force has destroyed an Isis stronghold after an extremist let slip their location on social media. According the Air Force Times, General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said that Airmen at Hulburt Field, Florida, used images shared by jihadists to track the location of their headquarters before destroying it in an airstrike. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Kurdish forces captured a key military base in a significant victory in Raqqa as well as town of Tell Abyad. YPG fighters, backed by US-led airstrikes and other rebels, consolidated their gains, when they seized the key town on the Syria-Turkey border. They are now just 30 miles to the north of Raqqa and have cut off a major supply route deep inside Isis-held territory. Ahmet Silk/Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has released gruesome footage claiming to show the murder of more than a dozen men by drowning, decapitation and using a rocket-propelled grenade as it seeks to boost morale among its fanatical supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has begun carrying out its threat to destroy structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, blowing up at least two monuments at the Unesco-protected site as Syrian government troops made advances on the Islamists positions. AFP

Mr Winter, a senior research associate and terrorism analyst at the Georgia State University, said that although police treatment and alienation may have compounded existing grievances, it alone would not cause someone to embrace Isis ideology.

"Theres a chance it has some impact, probably compounding existing grievances he had, but the adoption of the ideology that Isis espouses did not come about because of the security services, Mr Winter added.

Its clear that Sarfo possibly had a terrible time. A troubled person, petty crime, prison, a charismatic radical teacher  thats a pattern thats being repeated time and time against and its not very surprising.

Sarfo travelled to join Isis in Syria in April 2015, training in its special forces before appearing in a propaganda video that called for German Muslims to wage jihad at home and abroad.

Claiming to be horrified with its brutality and fearing for his life, he fled the "caliphate" after three months and was arrested upon his return to Europe by police awaiting his arrival at Bremen Airport.

A spokesperson for the German federal prosecutor's office said he has been charged with being an Isis member, undergoing firearms training and appearing in propaganda urging Germans to travel to Syria or launch attacks at home.

The Home Office and German interior ministry declined to comment on Sarfos claims while the case continues.
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Isis is propagating a warped version of Islam that will send its followers on the path to hell, a former jihadist has told The Independent in a message to young Muslims considering travelling to the so-called Islamic State.

Harry Sarfo joined the terror organisation in April 2015 after being lured in by propaganda videos seemingly showing Isis recruits helping Syrians tortured, killed and oppressed by Bashar al-Assad's regime.

But Sarfo, who is now in a German prison awaiting trial on terror charges, says the bloody reality he found was far from the jihadist fantasy presented in the videos that initially attracted him.

As well as its notorius execution videos, Isis releases propaganda showing its militants giving out food and sweets

In a wide-ranging interview conducted with The Independent via his lawyer, Sarfo warned individuals not to be deceived by propaganda that claims to show the daily life of the Islamic State.

Isis has become notorious for gory footage showing the murder of foreign hostages and prisoners but the groups extensive media network is careful to temper the extreme violence with rosy depictions of life under its rule, and the promise of freedom for Muslim recruits.

Many videos show its militants surrounded by children, giving out sweets or benevolently distributing food among the families remaining in its territories, while others attempt to portray friendship between fighters and their lifestyle under the protection of the caliphate.

But Sarfo described a brutal reality that he risked his life to escape, after training as a special forces fighter and appearing in a propaganda video.

 Former London student in Isis execution video

As well as regular stonings and beheadings, he described daily bombardment on bleak cities confined by checkpoints, where Sharia was enforced by Isis militants patrolling the streets with machine guns.

Recommended Read more Former Isis militant describes his journey from postman to jihadist

Citing the Quran, the former postman said Isis violates the teachings of the Prophet Mohamed with its persecution of religious minorities and insisted knowledge was the key to unravelling the terrorist group's ideology.

"I came to the conclusion that this is not the path to paradise, it is the path to hell," he said.

"I knew that if I died there I would never be able to enter the gates of paradise. Instead of freeing the Syrian people and uplift them, they've created another regime."

Sarfo managed to escape the groups territories but was arrested on his return to Germany in July and is now in prison awaiting trial for terror charges.

Sarfo in an Instagram picture before he travelled to join Isis in Syria (Instagram)

He said he wants to dissuade young Muslims from repeating his mistake, adding: "If one day I get released, I would love to work with young men and women who have been radicalised in Germany and the UK and tell them my story."

Here is his full message:

First of all, fear Allah. Fear your creator, who also created every living thing on this Earth. If you are a true believer in Islam, you will stay far away from the ideology of IS, because you won't serve Allah as they claim, you will serve them.

When I mean them, I mean the people who created IS. Learn your religion and you will find out that most of the things these people are doing are in-Islamic.

We Muslims have a great history, a great example in our Prophet Mohamed (s.a.w). Just look into his story, the way he treated other people of different religions. Compare what these people are doing to see if it is the same - it is not. Brother killing brothers - it is not just un-Islamic, it is inhuman.

A blood-related brother killed his own brother on suspicion of being a spy. They gave him the order to kill him. Friends killing friends.

The one who kills one man is like killing the whole of mankind, the one freeing a man from captivity is like freeing the whole of mankind. Sayings like these of our beloved Prophet should remind us of our nature. I know it all looks like an adventure and it makes young men feel a certain way, sometimes guilty or like cowards.

When they speak in their videos with weapons, it feels like they're calling you. We need you here! Our brothers and sisters need you! We bring peace, dignity and honour!

Timeline: The emergence of Isis Show all 40 1 /40 Timeline: The emergence of Isis Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2000 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured here) forms an al-Qaeda splinter group in Iraq, al-Qaeda in Iraq. Its brutality from the beginning alienates Iraqis and many al-Qaeda leaders. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2006 Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Al-Zarqawis successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announces the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2009 Still al-Qaeda-linked ISI claims responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 155 in Baghdad, as well as attacks in August and October killing 240, as President Obama announces troop withdrawal from Iraq in March. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes head of ISI, at lowest ebb of Islamist militancy in Iraq, which sees last U.S. combat brigade depart. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2012 In Syria, protests (pictured here starting in Daree) have morphed into what president Assad labelled a real war with emergence of a coalition of forces opposed to Assads regime. Syria group Jabhat al-Nusra are among rebel groups who refuse to join, denouncing it as a conspiracy. Bombings targeting Shia areas, killing more than 500 people, spark fears of new sectarian conflict. Sunni Muslims stage protests across country against what they see as increasingly marginalisation by Shia-led government. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2013 Al-Baghdadi renames ISI as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, as the group absorbs Syrian al-Nusra, gaining a foothold in Syria. In response, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri (Bin Ladens successor) concerned about Isis expansion orders that Isis be dissolved and ISI operations should be confined to Iraq. This order is rejected by al-Baghdadi. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - January Isis fighters capture the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, giving them base to launch slew of attacks further south. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis declares itself the Caliphate, calling itself Islamic State (IS). The group captures Mosul, Iraqs second largest city; Tal Afar, just 93 miles from Syrian border; and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. These advances sent shockwaves around the world. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Around the same time Isis releases a video calling for western Muslims to join the Caliphate and fight, prompting new evaluations of extremists groups social media understanding. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis take Baiji oil fields in Iraq - giving them access to huge amounts of possible revenue. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August James Foley is executed by the group as concerns grow for second American prisoner, fellow reporter Steven Sotloff. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August Obama authorises U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, helping to stall Isis along with action by Kurdish forces following the deaths of hundreds of Yazidi people on Mount Sinjar. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release video showing Steven Sotloffs murder prompting Western speculation his executioner is same man who killed Mr Foley. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Obama tells us that America will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release a video appearing to show David Haines, who was captured by militants in Syria in 2013, wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling in the desert while he reads a pre-prepared script. It later shows what appears to be the aid worker's body. Rex Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Peshmerga fighters scrabble to hold positions in the Diyala province (a gateway to Baghdad) as Isis fighters continue to advance on Iraqi capital. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Aid worker Alan Henning is killed. Self-imposed media blackout refuses to show images of him in final moments, instead focuses upon humanitarian care. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Isis raise their flag in Kobani, which had been strongly defended by Kurdish troops. The victory goes against hopeful western analysis Isis had overextended itself, while alienating much of the Muslim population through the murder of Henning. Victory causes fresh waves of Kurdish refugees arriving in Turkey. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - November American hostage, who embarced values of Islam, Peter Kassig and 14 Syrian soldiers are shown meeting the same fate as other captives. But intelligence agencies will be poring over the apparently significant discrepancies between this and previous films. Seramedig.org.uk Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis has released a video revealing the murder by burning to death of a Jordanian pilot held by the group since the end of December 2014. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have released videos which appear to show the beheading of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February American aid worker, Kayla Mueller was the last American hostage known to be held by Isis. She died, according to her captors, in an airstrike by the Jordanian air force on the city of Raqqa in Syria, though US authorities disputed this. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have posted a gruesome video online in which they force 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages to kneel on a beach in Libya before beheading them. Egypt vowed to avenge the beheading and launched air strikes on Isis positions. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February The British Isis militant suspected of appearing in videos showing the beheading of Western hostages has been named in reports as Mohammed Emwazi from London. Rex Features Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - March Isis triple suicide attack has killed more than 100 worshippers and hundreds of others were injured after the group members targeted two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Iraqi forces have claimed victory over Isis in battle for Tikrit and raised the flag in the city. EPA/STR Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 35 people queuing to collect their wages and injured 100 more. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis media arm released a 29-minute video purporting to show militants executing Ethiopian Christians captives. The footage bore the extremist groups al-Furqan media logo and showed the destruction of churches and desecration of religious symbols. A masked fighter made a statement threatening Christians who did not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis has been "incapacitated" by a spinal injuries sustained in a US air strike in Iraq. He is being treated in a hideout by two doctors from Isis stronghold of Mosul who are said to be "strong ideological supporters of the group". Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis has also claimed responsibility for killing 300 of Yazidi captives, including women, children and elderly people in Iraq AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis attack on Prophet Mohamed cartoon contest in Texas was its first action on US soil. Two gunmen were shot and killed after launching the attack at the exhibition. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi have been named as the attackers at the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isiss deputy leader, Abu Alaa Afri, a former physics teacher who was thought to have taken charge of the deadly terrorist group, has been killed in a US-led coalition airstrike. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May US special forces have killed a senior Isis leader named as Abu Sayyaf in an operation aiming to capture him and his wife in Syria. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Iran-backed militias are sent to Ramadi by the Iraqi government to fight Isis militants who completed their capture of the city. Government soldiers and civilians were reportedly massacred by extremists as they took control and the army fled. Charred bodies were left littering the city streets as troops clung on to trucks speeding away from the city. Ramadi is the latest government stronghold to fall to the so-called Islamic State, despite air strikes by a US-led international coalition aiming to stop its advance in Iraq and Syria. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis rounded up civilians trapped in Palmyra and forced them to watch 20 people being executed in the historic citys ancient amphitheatre. The Unesco World Heritage site was overrun by militants, threatening the future of 2,000 year-old monuments and ruins. Thousands of Palmyras residents fled but many are still living within the city walls, while the UN human rights office in Geneva said it had received reports of Syrian government forces preventing people from leaving until they retreated from the city. Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May A group of Isis-affiliated fighters have captured a key airport in central Libya. The militants took control of the al-Qardabiya airbase in Sirte after a local militia tasked with defending the facility withdrew from their positions. Affiliates of Isis, already control large parts of Sirte, the birthplace of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a former stronghold of his supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June The US Air Force has destroyed an Isis stronghold after an extremist let slip their location on social media. According the Air Force Times, General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said that Airmen at Hulburt Field, Florida, used images shared by jihadists to track the location of their headquarters before destroying it in an airstrike. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Kurdish forces captured a key military base in a significant victory in Raqqa as well as town of Tell Abyad. YPG fighters, backed by US-led airstrikes and other rebels, consolidated their gains, when they seized the key town on the Syria-Turkey border. They are now just 30 miles to the north of Raqqa and have cut off a major supply route deep inside Isis-held territory. Ahmet Silk/Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has released gruesome footage claiming to show the murder of more than a dozen men by drowning, decapitation and using a rocket-propelled grenade as it seeks to boost morale among its fanatical supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has begun carrying out its threat to destroy structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, blowing up at least two monuments at the Unesco-protected site as Syrian government troops made advances on the Islamists positions. AFP

But in reality it is all a lie. Once there, you'll realise but it is too late to turn back. They know you can't leave.

Most videos are staged, I know what I'm talking about, I was inside one. People are telling other people to kill but themselves they don't fight at all.

It's like a movie, everyone is playing their role. But you young men and women at home in Europe don't know, no one tells you the truth.

Women come to the Islamic State think it is a romance, that they will get married and live happily ever after. The reality looks different. No freedom locked up in a house, your child will be born to die for nothing.

If your man dies, you will have to remarry if you want to see the sunlight again. When they realise, it is too late and there's no more returning back. If you try to leave, imprisonment and execution will be your fate. So my beloved brothers and sisters, think carefully.

Is it worth throwing your life away and killing innocent people? You will never end up in paradise, don't let people brainwash your mind and destroy your soul. Knowledge is the key, find the truth and you will find the people of truth.
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Prince Charles has again been lobbying government officials over public policy, it has been revealed.

In one of a series of letters sent to the Environment Agency, the Prince complained about unreasonable cuts to maintain flood defences on private land.

The published letter asked Sir Philip Dilley, then head of the Environment Agency, to look into this decision.

Recommended Read more Contract reveals how Prince Charles tries to control the media

The Prince himself owns vast swathes of land, much of it in Cornwall, but it was claimed he was communicating with the Environment Agency on behalf of other private landowners. Critics have said the letter was a self-serving attempt to influence policy.

The letter, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Mail on Sunday, was written by Michael Whitehead, assistant private secretary to the Prince, on 18 November 2015 and addressed to Sir Philip.

The major flooding in Great Britain began on 5 December with Storm Desmond, and heavy rain continued into January 2016.

Mr Whitehead wrote:

Dear Sir Philip,

Thank you so much for having spared the time to see me last Wednesday afternoon when you visited Clarence House. I must say that it was a great pleasure to meet you in person, and to understand more about the work of the Environment Agency in these challenging times.

You will recall that we briefly spoke about the difficulties that some private rural landowners are facing with the withdrawal of Environment Agency support and, in acceptance of your kind invitation to follow-up about this, I did just want to convey some of the concerns that The Prince of Wales has heard recently, particularly with regard to

[redacted]

[redacted]

[redacted]

I therefore wonder whether you might look into this decision, because, if nothing else on a strictly moral basis, it would seem to be rather unreasonable.

Out of courtesy to His Royal Highness, perhaps you could let me know your thoughts about this as and when time permits, so that I might brief him accordingly.

There is also a paragraph which requests a policy paper with Sir Philip's background thoughts on it and talk of a possible trip to the Thames Barrier. It is unclear how long the redacted sections were or what they referred to.

Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic reacted angrily to the revelations.

Whatever the rights or wrongs of flood defence policy Charles needs to keep out of politics  thats the deal if he wants to be King, Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, told The Independent.

He is directly lobbying for public money to be spent in support of major landowners when public services are stretched and facing serious cuts.

"These self-serving attempts to influence policy are why we need a change to the Freedom of Information laws, so we can see the extent of Charless lobbying and the impact it is having.

In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Show all 50 1 /50 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles is presented with a teddy bear for Prince George during a visit to the 132nd Sandringham Flower Show at Sandringham House In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles at 5 weeks old, with his mother looking on In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Princess Elizabeth and The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with Prince Charles after his christening at Buckingham Palace in 1948 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain) with her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and their baby son Prince Charles in 1949 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are photographed with their two children, Charles, Prince of Wales (L) and Princess Anne (R), circa 1951 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles, heir to the British throne riding in his pram pushed by his nanny, Mabel Anderson In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles on his fourth birthday, leaning from a window with the Queen In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles, aged 4, driving a toy car in the grounds of Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Princess Anne laughing while she is posing with her brother Prince Charles In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Queen Elizabeth (1900 - 2002), wife of George VI, with her grandson Prince Charles and Pippin the dog In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Queen Mother Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Princess Elizabeth in the royal hall of Westminster Abbaye during Princess Elizabeth's coronation ceremony in 1953 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles on holiday in Jamaica,1966 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and his mother Queen Elizabeth on the ramparts of Windsor Castle in 1961 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles The Queen Mother leaves St George's Chapel, Windsor after a Garter Ceremony, accompanied by her grandson Prince Charles, 1968 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles prepares himself a snack meal in his rooms at Trinity College in Cambridge, 1969 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles playing the cello while he was a student at the University of Cambridge in 1969 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and fellow students, rehearsing for a revue at Cambridge University, in which the Prince appeared in several sketches, 1969 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Charles, Prince of Wales prepares an aircraft for take off during a flying lesson In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles in his investiture robes at Caernarvon Castle,1969 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Charles, Prince of Wales starring in the Trinity College, Cambridge annual revue, 'Quiet Flows The Don'. He blowing bubbles during a parody of weather forecasts called 'Weather Tim Nobler', 1970 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince of Wales and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones on the Estate at Balmoral Castle, Scotland during the Royal Family's annual summer holiday in September 1971 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles in an Infantry Colonel's uniform prepares to fire a 120mm bazooka during his visit to the Montgomery Barracks at the Kladow district of West Berlin in Germany, 1972 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles Playing Polo At Cowdray Park In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, dressed in traditional tweeds and sporting a smart naval beard, rides the acres of Badminton, 1976 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles becomes Red Indian Chief Red Crow during his visit to Canada in 1977 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles with long hair blowing in the wind at polo at Smith's Lawn in Windsor, 1978 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and his fiancee Lady Diana Spencer together with their dog Harvey rest by a bench in Scotland, 1981 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince of Wales kisses Lady Diana on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding in St Paul's Cathedral In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles The Prince and Princess of Wales with their newborn son Prince William on the steps of St Mary's Hospital in London, 1982 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and Diana with Prince William on the day of William's christening, held in the music room of Buckingham Palace in London,1982 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles with his baby son Prince William in the sitting room of their Kensington Palace home In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Princess Diana and Prince Charles watch an official event during their first royal Australian tour in 1983 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Princess Diana holding baby Prince Harry as she and Prince Charles leave St. Marys hospital in London, 1984 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and Diana at home in Kensington Palace with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1986 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and Princess Diana look their separate ways during a memorial service on their tour of South Korea in 1992 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles The Prince of Wales, wearing a kilt, chats to Chelsea Pensioners when he visits Chelsea Hospital in 1992 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Princess Diana, her sons Harry and William, and Prince Charles attend commemorations of VJ Day in London in 1995 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles examines a plant at Yalding Organic Gardens in Kent, 1996 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and his two sons Harry and William wait in front of the Westminster Abbey in London after the funeral ceremony of Princess of Wales In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles visitins the farmers market In Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, 2000 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles visits the world-famous Eden Project - The 86 Million Tropical Rainforest in Bodelva, 2001 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles poses with his sons Prince William and Prince Harry during the Royal Family's ski break at Klosters, Switzerland, in 2005 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles New WWF President Prince Charles gives a keynote speech during an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Global Forest & Trade Network, an initiative established by WWF to improve the responsible management of the world's forests at St James' Palace in London, 2011 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince of Wales and Michael Middleton are photographed before the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive at St. Georges Chapel following their civil wedding ceremony at Windsor Guildhall In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales as they are seen viewing horses in the parade ring from the Royal Box on the second day of Royal Ascot in London, 2013 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles visits the Mackwoods Labookellie Tea Estate on a visit to Sri Lanka, 2013 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Prince Charles and Mark Shand (founder of the Elephant Family charity) (centre left) visit the elephant corridor at Vazhachal Forest Range near Chalakudy in Kerala on 12 November 2013 In pictures: Prince Charles through the years Prince Charles Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall holds an 'I'm a King's Baby' bear as Prince Charles, Prince of Wales looks on during an official visit to King's College Hospital in London

A Clarence House spokesperson told The Independent: The Prince works hard to support flood-hit communities around the UK, often visiting them at times of crisis, listening to their concerns and lending vital support through his Countryside Fund and Business Emergency Resilience Group (BERG).

The letters warned against the unintended consequences which may result from the Environment Agency transferring liability for flood defence maintenance and flood damage to individuals.

The Environment Agency denied Prince Charles had been given any preferential treatment and said flood risk maintenance work was carried out in accordance with where it would benefit people and property most at risk, irrespective of land ownership.

A spokesperson told The Independent: The Environment Agency will spend 1 billion on flood risk maintenance work between now and 2021. The Government has made changes which makes it easier for landowners to carry out maintenance of smaller rural watercourses on their land, enabling us to focus on flood risk management where it will have the most benefit to people and property.

Prince Charles has an extensive history of attempting to contact government officials regarding policy and procedure. In 2013, it was revealed he had privately met with cabinet ministers at least 36 times in three years.

At the time, Clarence House said it was the Princes right to communicate privately with the Government on any matter he chooses.

More recently, the Black Spider Memos caused further controversy. So-called because of the distinctive handwriting, the collection of letters and notes were written by Prince Charles to serving British politicians.

The correspondence raised concerns over issues such as public health - after he argued in favour of homeopathy- wildlife, nature and architecture.
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Two sonic bombs shook homes across Yorkshire overnight as two Typhoons were scrambled to intercept a passenger plane that lost radio contact.

Concerned residents called police and fire services with reports they heard what sounded like two large explosions shortly before 10pm.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed there was no danger to the public while trying to confirm the cause of the bangs and the RAF later confirmed they were caused by two fighter jets.

 Yorkshire sonic booms captured on CCTV

The Typhoons were launched from RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, to accompany an Air France plane that had lost communication on its flight from Paris to Newcastle.

Quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Coningsby to identify an unresponsive civilian aircraft, a spokesperson for the Royal Air Force said.

Communications were re-established and the aircraft has been safely landed.

A spokesperson for the airline said: Air France confirms that due to a radio communication problem AF 1558 had to be accompanied by two British fighter aircraft according to procedure.

The aircraft landed in Newcastle at 22.20 (LT). Safety of clients and crew is an absolute priority.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. 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Police said there had been numerous reports of loud bangs as people writing on social media reported their houses shaking.

CCTV footage showed the first bang echoing through a residential street, at 10.51pm, followed by the second boom about 30 seconds later.

One woman wrote: House shook & whole street was out, car & house alarms gone off. Apparently was a sonic boom.

Another said: Those vibrations shook my house and scared me to deathhad me out of my bed.

Some residents also reported their windows shaking, while others raised concerns over possible terror attacks.

The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it started investigation a possible explosion on Selby before standing down the alert.

North Yorkshire Police thanked the public for contacting them but said there was "no cause for concern".

 Brimstone missile strikes Isis building

Sonic booms are frequently reported when fighter jets pass over the UK, with the phenomenon caused by shock waves as they travel faster than the speed of sound.

Last month, two bangs heard around Northampton and Brackley were caused by Typhoon jets which had been scrambled from RAF Coningsby to identify another unresponsive plane.

Additional reporting by PA
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A number of government ministers and Civil Service officials are benefitting from their time in office by moving into lucrative jobs in the private sector, it has been revealed.

Some go on to work in the same industry sectors they once regulated while in government. Analysis by The Daily Mail showed that despite rules against the use of insider information, hundreds of former public servants are cashing in with highly paid jobs with private firms, despite previous promises of action by David Cameron on the issue.

The newspaper cited former Lib Dem Treasury chief Danny Alexander as one example. After losing his seat at last year's general election, Alexander went on to work at AIIB, a Chinese-run investment bank, where he is a vice president. According to watchdog rules, he is not allowed to make use of the privileged information he would have gained as George Osborne's deputy at the Treasury.

Recommended Read more The revolving door between government and business

The analysis showed that of 371 ex-ministers and public servants who have given information to the appointments watchdog since 2008, two-thirds of them wanted to work in the same sector as when they had been in government. No requests were turned down.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) considers applications under the business appointment rules about new jobs for former ministers, senior civil servants and other Crown servants. Its job is to stop former high level politicians and public servants from exploiting former insider knowledge in their new positions.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA

Although the committee can advise that someone not be permitted to take up a role, this has not happened. Instead it tends to give advice that the applicant not be allowed to lobby the Government for a certain period.

The Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin has previously complained of the opaque procedures of Acoba, arguing that it should be replaced with statutory regulation.

The Daily Mail said that 17 out of 21 civil servants from the Treasury who applied to the committee for clearance did so for jobs in the banking or business worlds, while 32 of 41 applicants from the Ministry of Defence went on to work for defence-related companies.

David Davis, a former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said that Acoba should force senior public servants to take two years of purdah following the end of their government post.

'There should be a clear break, whether that's former ministers, senior civil servants or generals,' he said.
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Left-wing activists should stop using the term Zionist, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn has said.

Jon Lansman, a founder of the Momentum campaign group, said that the term was counter-productive and should not be used as a shorthand way of describing supporters of Israeli government policy.

Pointing out that a majority of British Jews consider themselves Zionists  but that an even larger majority also support the existence of a Palestinian state and oppose forced Israeli settlements  he said it was time for the left to start talking in a new language that allowed criticism of the Israeli government without alienating any of those who might agree with us.

Zionism means support for the existence of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East. However the term has been commonly used by some left wing campaigners when criticising the actions of the Israeli state. Former chief rabbi Lord Sacks last month said that anti-Zionism had become the new anti-Semitism.

Writing on the Left Futures blog and citing figures from the Attitudes to British Jews towards Israel survey carried out by City University, Mr Lansman, said: Why is a new language necessary: because British Jews, most of whom support a Palestinian state (71 per cent) and see the expansion of settlements as a major obstacle to peace (75 per cent) and feel a sense of despair when they are expanded (68 per cent) generally see themselves as Zionists (59 per cent) with more who also possess some traditionally Zionist attitudes.

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone was suspended by Labour last week for claiming that Hitler had supported Zionism in 1932 before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.

Jeremy Corbyn has launched an independent inquiry into antisemitism in the party, as Sky News reported that 16 members had been suspended over allegations of anti-Semitism and other forms of racism since Mr Corbyn became leader. Labour declined to confirm the figure, but described previous reports of 50 suspensions as a wild overestimate.

The partys London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan, who has said the row could affect the way some people vote in the capital, today said the Labour leadership may need some training about the importance of dealing with these issues and also how serious and pernicious it is.

In his blog post, Mr Lansman also said training may be needed for left wing activists.

Abandoning use of the term Zionist will not be enough on its own, he said. There needs to be clarity, guidance and even training about what is appropriate. Unfortunately, we will not be able to have a rational debate about how to change the terms of the current debate unless we are also able to open our minds to the possibility, regardless of who points it out or their motive for doing so, that people on the left may also demonstrate some prejudice of their own.

Come on, comrades. You have nothing to lose but your counter-productive slogans, he added.
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The MP at the centre of the Labour partys antisemitism row has stood down from the powerful Home Affairs Select Committee.

Naz Shah was suspended from the party last week after it was revealed she shared a Facebook post in 2014 which suggested transporting Israelis to the US.

The Bradford West MP asked to be excused during a private 20-minute meeting of the committee, which is carrying out an investigation into antisemitism.

Ms Shah made a public apology and insisted she no longer holds those views but the row was further inflamed when former London Mayor Ken Livingstone came to her defence.

In a series of broadcast interviews he suggested Adolf Hitler was a Zionist before he went mad. Mr Livingstone has also been suspended from the party.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn then launched an independent inquiry into antisemitism within the party led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former director of human rights campaign group Liberty.

However, on Monday another three Labour local councillors were suspended from the party for making antisemitic comments on Facebook.

The committees chairman Keith Vaz told Politics Home: "The committee met and had a discussion with Naz Shah about her recent comments. Naz Shah asked to be excused from any further deliberations of the Home Affairs Select Committee until current issues have been resolved.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA

"She will not take part in the antisemitism inquiry or any other inquiries and will not receive any papers.

"This will be with immediate effect. The committee unanimously agreed with the decision taken by her."

Ms Shah was also sacked as an aide to Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell when the allegations first came to light.

Apologising in the House of Commons she said: "I have made mistakes and I wholeheartedly apologise to this House for the words I used before I became a Member. I accept and understand that the words I used caused upset and hurt to the Jewish community and I deeply regret that.

Antisemitism is racism, full stop. As an MP, I will do everything in my power to build relations between Muslims, Jews, and people of different faiths and none. I am grateful and very thankful for the support and advice I have received from many Jewish friends and colleagues  advice I intend to act upon.

I truly regret what I did and I hope  I sincerely hope  that this House will accept my profound apology.

Bradford Synagogue came out in for support for Ms Shah saying: While it is not appropriate for the synagogue to get involved in the internal affairs of any political party, on a personal level we would like to say that Naz Shah MP has been to a number of events at Bradford Synagogue both before and after her election as MP for Bradford West.

She has expressed her full support for the Jewish community.

We are of course saddened to hear of the comments Naz Shah made before becoming MP , but also welcome her heartfelt apology.

The Independent has contacted Ms Shahs office and the Home Affairs Select Committee for comment.
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David Cameron is considering whether to make further concessions on allowing more child refugees to come to Britain, officials have said.

After suffering a defeat in the House of Lords last week a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister has said ministers were planning to look again at the immigration bill.

Labour Lord, Alfred Dubs, proposed an amendment to the Immigration Bill to accept up to 3,000 child refugees from camps within the EU. It was defeated by a Commons vote last week with a majority of just 18 MPs.

When it returned to the House of Lords it was rejected and sent back to the lower chamber.

Now up to 30 Tory MPs and eight members of the Democratic Unionist party have indicated they intend to switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Lord Dubs when it comes back to the House of Commons on 9 May, the Guardian reports.

The amendment would still propose accepting child refugees who are already in Europe, but does not specify an exact number.

The spokeswoman told the newspaper: We would expect that amendment to come back to the Commons next week. Therefore theres a bit of time for the Government to be thinking about that and how we make progress on the Immigration Bill.

David Cameron has been criticised by leading children's charities for refusing to accept child refugees from Europe (PA)

As on any Bill, it is quite sensible that you consider how you take it through the House and how you get it onto the statute book.

Former Communities and Local Government Secretary, Sir Eric Pickles, is one of the most senior Conservative backbenchers to suggest he may change his mind.

He said he previously gave the Government the benefit of the doubt and voted with them because he thought they were sincere in their worry that taking children from within the EU would encourage more people to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean sea.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA

But he has now indicated he has changed his mind saying: I am not in the Government, so I will say I myself am not entirely convinced by their argument, I just gave them the benefit of the doubt in this vote.

The amnesty would undermine a recent agreement between the EU and Turkey where the country agreed to take back refugees arriving in Greece in exchange for resettling people in Europe from their own camps on a one in one out basis.

The EU will also give aid to Turkey and allow its citizens visa free travel within the 28 member states so long as it meets 72 pre-conditions regarding the standard of its camps and treatment of asylum seekers.

But human rights campaigners have questioned the legality of the move and have argued Turkey is not a safe place to return to.
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Labour has been embroiled in a fresh controversy after it emerged that its mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, used a slur against fellow Muslims while appearing on Iranian television in 2009.

During an interview with Iranian state-backed TV channel Press TV, Mr Khan used the term Uncle Tom to describe certain members of the Muslim community - a derogative term for a member of an oppressed minority who supposedly choses to be subservient to their oppressors.

It comes as the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said Labour had a "severe" problem with anti-Semitism that would get worse if the party's inquiry into the issue was used as "sticking plaster" to placate voters.

He wrote: "If this inquiry turns out to be no more than a sticking plaster, designed to placate and diffuse until after the elections this week, the problem will surely get worse and not better.

"Jeremy Corbyn has stated that his party 'will not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form', and I very much hope that this inquiry will deliver on that pledge and be followed by decisive action.

Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Show all 7 1 /7 Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sadiq Khan - Labour The MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan says the mayoral election will be a 'referendum on the Tory housing crisis'. He has also pledged to freeze fares until 2020. Son of a bus driver, and doesn't let anyone forget it. His Conservative opponent has made claims about people who he has previously associated with - but attacks so far have failed to stick Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Zac Goldsmith - Conservative The MP for Richmond, Zac Goldsmith is a longstanding campaigner against the expansion of Heathrow airport. Despite his environment credentials - he once edited The Ecologist magazine - the Tory candidate has said he would 'rip out' Boris Johnson's cycle lanes if they don't work. A very wealthy man, his campaign has been dogged by accusations of racism against Sadiq Khan Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sian Berry - Green Party A councillor in the London Borough of Camden, Sian Berry is campaigning on improving homes for renters, cleaning up London's air pollution, and flattening fare zones to help Londoners. She previously ran as the party's mayoral candidate in 2008. In 2012, the Green Party came in third place Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Caroline Pidgeon - Liberal Democrat A Liberal Democrat London Assembly member for eight years, Caroline Pidgeon has a strong record on the Assembly's transport committee standing up for commuters and cyclists alike. She wants to set up a 2 billion housing investment fund and make all the capital's buses zero emission Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Peter Whittle - UKIP UKIP hasn't fared so well in London in previous elections, but is hoping for a breakthrough this time. Peter Whittle has been UKIP's culture spokesperson for two years. He tends to focus on the impact of immigration on London's housing crisis Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance George Galloway - RESPECT George Galloway has made a habit of defying the odds and pulling off stunning victories when standing for Parliament. His campaign - based on the slogan 'a London for all' has so far failed to make headway in the polls - has his luck run out? Mayor of London 2016 - the candidates at a glance Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party A journalist, Sophie Walker is campaigning for the little-known Women's Equality Party. She is pledging to make 'equality and diversity the fuel that drives our nation's capital' with measures to increase women's representation in enterprise, more affordable homes and flexible childcare

The offensive term used by Mr Khan derives from a 1852 anti-slavery called Uncle Toms Cabin by abolition campaigner Harriet Beecher Stowe which tells the story of a black slave called Uncle Tom who is depicted as a long suffering, Christ-like figure who is eventually killed by his master.

 London Mayoral Election: Who's who

The author initially wanted him to be viewed as a heroic character, but it is widely considered to be a pejorative term today.

In the footage, he describes his work as minister for community cohesion in the Labour government and said he was talking to all members of the community whether he agreed with them or not.

He said: I can tell you that I've spent the last months in this job speaking to all sorts of people. Not just leaders, not just organisations, but ordinary rank and file citizens of Muslim faith - and that's what good government is about, it's about engaging with all stakeholders.

You can talk about articles in the newspapers about what an organisation might get but the point is you can't just pick and choose who you speak to, you can't just speak to Uncle Toms.

Sadiq Khan talking to a Press TV reporter in 2009 (Press TV/YouTube)

It comes as Mr Khan has attacked his rival for London Mayor, Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith, for attempting to smear him by accusing him of being an extremist.

Mr Goldsmith insisted his campaign was not racist and that he was simply raising legitimate concerns about Mr Khans priorities and who he had shared a platform with in the past.

He said Mr Khan had given "platform, oxygen and cover to extremists".

In an interview with the London Evening Standard last month, he said: I think he is playing with fire. The questions are genuine, they are serious. They are about his willingness to share platforms with people who want to drown every Israeli Jew in the sea.

Last week, Mr Khan condemned the use of the Uncle Tom phrase when he was asked about the anti-Semitism row which had exploded within the party after Ken Livingstone made comments about Hitler and Zionism.

Asked on LBC whether he considered the term to be racist, he said: They are racist, they should not be used. The harsh truth is this: the comments from Ken Livingstone were appalling and disgusting and should have no place in our party.

Mr Khan's team said he "regrets" using the phrase, used against black people to suggest they are subservient to whites.

A spokesman said: "This was a bad choice of phrase and Sadiq regrets using it.

"As communities minister at the time, Sadiq was talking about the need to engage with all parts of the community to tackle extremism and radicalisation - as he has pledged to do as mayor."

Mr Khan is expected to win the election on Thursday with an Evening Standard poll on Tuesday putting him nine points ahead of Mr Goldsmith.
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Theyd already tried the racist leaflets and that hadn't worked. Pitting Sikh and Hindu against Muslim in a mad mailshot war had only brought the odds on Sadiq Khan winning the London mayoralty down from 6/1 on to 10/1 on. Yes, Zac, Boris and Dave knew now they were going to have to get really dirty. And that meant - brace yourself - crossing the threshold of a state school.

Dont worry. It was only Richmond, and there werent any pupils there. In fact there didnt appear to be anyone there within a three mile radius.

It was your textbook political meta-event, ie one that exists only to be filmed and reported upon. The willing audience a few phone-calls away, called in as a backdrop for the TV cameras.

A turban front-middle, a west African headdress lower right, and somewhere toward the back an Arab man in jet black shades. Only a cynic would suggest the ethnic smorgasboard assembled behind the three white, middle-aged old Etonians hadnt happened by accident. In any event, multicultural looks are nice, but the only truly indisposable quality is upper body strength. Those Back Zac signs arent going to hold themselves aloft for fifteen minutes at a time. Ambitious intern, looking to get ahead in politics? Forget the tea, get going on the tricep curls.

Out the three amigos came, on to the platform, in the unsettlingly unoaked-panelled hall. The crowd whooped with joy. An outgoing Prime Minister, a serial opportunist whos missed his moment and a soon-to-be failed mayoral candidate. These are the misfortunes opposition parties have been known to capitalise on when not preoccupied with Zionism in the Third Reich.

Hes not in it for the power! Hes not in it for the glory, Dave boomed, only slightly misquoting Meatloaf. What is he in it for? Certainly not to keep his dignity, that much is clear.

Hes the right man with the right plan, he went on, Boris occasionally barking support in unintelligible syllables, a custom more commonly practised by the warm up acts for evangelical preachers.

You just need to know one fact about the Labour candidate! Dave went on. Hes going to lose? No. He nominated Jeremy Corbyn and he doesn't regret it. Indeed he did and, again, hes 10 to 1 on at the bookies, so what does that tell you?

In front of his tough, hand picked crowd, the PM bravely battled on. As I said when we did a rally 98 days ago, if you want to be lab rats in Labours experiment on London, then you go for the other guy. Thats right. He did. The only difference is Zac was favourite back then. Erm, we've got a problem here Dr Dave. The rats arent responding to the drugs. Oh well. It's too late now. Better up the dose.

Zac Goldsmith listens to his mayoral rival during a recent debate (Getty)

Boris was up next, with his usual attack on the Chateaneuf-du-Pape swilling Hugo Chavez venerating bendy bus fetishists straight from Tuesdays and last years Daily Telegraph. Earlier in the morning, Sadiq Khan had had a pop at Boriss bus design that doesnt work.

When they politicise bus design, who do you think wins? Ill give you a clue: its not the taxpayer.

It should probably be recorded that Zac himself had a brief word next. The trouble with wheeling out the big guns, he quickly learned, is that it can make your own small gun look even smaller.

I want to thank you, he began. The people whove spent the best part of a year flogging the streets. Eh? Flogging them to who? The Russians? The Arabs? An admirable bit of honesty at last.

This election will go right down to the wire, he warned, and in the sense that no one will suspend it before the polling booths are due to close, it certainly will.

What happens on Thursday wont just decide the next four years, it will decide the next forty years, he claimed, for reasons that make at least partial sense. Zac Goldsmith is a mere 41. If he makes to 81, theres a chance people might have begun to respect him again.
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Workers rights will be watered down if Britons vote to leave the European Union, a new legal report published by the Trade Union Congress has claimed.

The analysis by the TUC  which represents 52 unions and 5.8 million workers  claims that complete withdrawal from the single market could pave the way for a government to make sweeping changes to employment law  including reducing holiday pay and discrimination protections for pregnant workers.

Drawing on an analysis by Michael Ford QC, they claim that even if the UK remained in the single market, but outside the EU, rights such as discrimination compensations and protections for agency workers would be at risk.

Recommended Read more Parties come together to make environmental case for staying in Europe

In Mr Fords view, Brexit would mean all the social rights in employment currently required by EU law would be potentially vulnerable.

Frances OGrady, General Secretary of TUC, said: A lot of the debate has focused on how many people might lose their jobs because of Brexit. But even people whose jobs are not at risk would still face the threat of losing hard-won rights at work.

She added: GQ Employment have optimistically assumed that the UK would negotiate a similar Brexit deal to Norway. But even on this basis, they think that some important employment rights will still be at risk.

Nobody knows for certain how bad it could get. But all the employment law experts agree that it will be worse for workers rights.

It comes as Remain campaigners claimed the UK economy could face a 250 billion hit in lost trade if the country votes to leave the EU. The analysis, by Britain Stronger in Europe, claims that trade to EU would be 224 billion lower if there was no deal in place after Brexit.

There would also be a 9 billion fall in trade with the wider European Economic Area and 14 billion in lost trade with countries which have deals with the EU.

Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling said the analysis showed that leaving would put jobs, low prices and financial security at risk

The figures suggest what might happen if the UK is outside the single market and relies on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules - although Brexit campaigners insist they would be able to strike a preferential deal with the EU after a Leave vote.

Lord Darling added: "Those wanting to leave the EU want to pull Britain out of the single market, which would mean introducing tariffs and barriers to our trade and putting billions of vital trade at risk.

"The choice is between free trade within the EU's single market of 500 million consumers, or spending years negotiating new trade deals only to leave us in a weaker position than we enjoy today.

"Leaving the single market would be catastrophic for our businesses and our families who would be paying more and suffering from a weaker economy.

What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence.

"There is no trading arrangement outside the EU which gives us the free trade we rely on today. Leaving would put jobs, low prices and financial security at risk."

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott questioned the figures used by the Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign and repeated his claim that the UK would "stop sending Brussels" 350 million a week - a sum which does not take into account Britain's rebate.

He said: "BSE can't even be consistent or honest in their campaign to do down the British economy.

"Their underlying belief appears to be that Britain - the world's fifth largest economy and a nation with a great history of trading across the globe - would be an economic backwater if it wasn't for Brussels taking control of our trade deals. That's absurd.

"After we vote Leave we will take back control of the powers we've surrendered to EU bureaucrats and stop sending Brussels 350 million a week. That would boost our economy and allow us to spend our money on our priorities."

Additional reporting by Press Association
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MPs have called for an immediate and independent investigation into suspected breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by both sides during the Saudi-led intervention in Yemens civil war.

A damning UN report in January accused the Saudi-led coalition of widespread and systematic attacks on civilian targets during the year-old intervention, which has caused thousands of deaths and led to the displacement of nearly three million people.

The International Development Committee (IDC) said that an on-going unilateral investigation into air strikes alleged to have targeted civilians, led by Saudi Arabia itself, was contrary to a longstanding principle of the rule of law that the party being investigated should not do the investigating.

However, the UK government, which is one of Saudi Arabias main arms suppliers, repeated its backing for the Saudi-led investigation.

UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which amounted to nearly 3bn in the past year, are also under investigation by influential House of Commons Arms Export Control Committee (CAEC). Labour has called for arms sales to be suspended until a full investigation can be carried out and the IDC said the CAEC should consider such a recommendation in its final report.

Yemeni women pass graffiti in support of peace in the war-affected country (EPA)

In their report, the IDC praised the Governments 85m contribution to the humanitarian aid effort in Yemen, but said that more needed to be done to help the UN reach its target of reaching 13 million people in need in the country.

However, it was critical of the Governments decision to accept assurances from the regime in Riyadh over its own investigation of potential violations of IHL. The report said that evidence from humanitarian organisations and the UN was unanimous that attacks on civilians were making relief efforts more difficult.

In light of the very strong evidence that delivery of humanitarian relief is undermined by ongoing breaches of IHL, we recommend that an independent investigation into alleged violations of IHL by both sides of the conflict in Yemen is conducted without delay, their report said. We remain unconvinced that Saudi Arabia is best placed to conduct investigations into reports of IHL abuses by the Saudi-led Coalition. As we stated when we wrote to the Secretary of State for International Development in February 2016, it is a longstanding principle of the rule of law that inquiries should be independent of those being investigated.

In a letter to the committee, Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said he was not opposed to an independent investigation but that first and foremost the Government wanted to see Riyadh investigate the claims against it.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said it was the norm for combatants to investigate claims of IHL breaches made against them, citing the US investigation into the attack on an MSF medical facility in Afghanistan last year.

However, there are growing signs of frustration among ministers at the slow pace of the Saudi investigation. Middle East minister, Tobias Ellwood, said last week that their inquiry had been frustratingly slow.

The UK is not only a major arms exporter to Saudi Arabia, it also has military officers in the country providing support to the Saudi military. Defence Minister, Philip Dunne, revealed last week that British officers have even been given access to the Saudi Arabias post-bombing reports.

Mr Hammond stated that the Government has looked at every allegation of breach of international humanitarian law, and found no evidence of breach of international humanitarian law.

Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Show all 4 1 /4 Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod

Chair of the International Development Committee, Stephen Twigg, said that ministers must continue to apply pressure on all parties to the conflict to agree to the next round of peace talks and ensure they are inclusive and represent the needs of the Yemeni population.

A Government spokeswoman said: We encourage all sides to the conflict in Yemen to conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all alleged breaches of International Humanitarian Law. Following the standards we set ourselves and our allies, we believe it is most effective for the Saudi Arabian authorities to carry out investigations where they are alleged to have breached IHL. We encourage them to continue and complete this process in good time.
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A one-year-old girl has been rescued from the rubble of a building in Kenyas capital after it collapsed following heavy rain, the Kenya Red Cross said.

At least 21 people have died in the floods, which caused a six-storey building to collapse in the eastern Huruma suburb on Friday evening.

The girl had been trapped for more than 72 hours after she was rescued around 4am local time.

She was found in a bucket wrapped in a blanket, with no visible injuries.

She was rescued and was severely dehydrated. She is currently receiving medical attention at Kenyatta National Hospital, Red Cross spokeswoman Arnolda Shiundu said.

More people are thought to still be buried under the rubble, but aid workers said the chance of finding more survivors was unlikely.

In conditions of no air, dirt, no food, no water, it's very difficult for that person to stay alive, Red Cross official Anthony Mwangi said.

48 Hours In: Nairobi Show all 3 1 /3 48 Hours In: Nairobi 48 Hours In: Nairobi 48hours1024x768_1.jpg AP 48 Hours In: Nairobi 3626945.jpg AP 48 Hours In: Nairobi 5318313.jpg AP

Rescuers managed to pull out 128 people after the collapse, according to Kenya Police.

President Uhru Kenyatta said survivors would be given temporary shelter at the nearby Saima primary school.

The owner of the building, Samuel Karanja Kamau, was arrested on Monday after officials said he did not have permission to rent out the 119 rooms. He will appear in court on Tuesday.

Last year, Mr Kenyatta ordered an audit of all the buildings in the country after a spate of collapses and a seven-story building collapses in the same district last year.

The report from the audit by the National Construction Authority found that 58 per cent of buildings in the capital were unfit to live in.

More than 1,000 homes have been displaced by the flooding, according to Kenyas Red Cross.
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A waitress in South Africa who was reduced to tears after an Oxford University student refused to pay a tip until white residents return the land has seen hundreds of people donate to a fund in her name following the incident.

Ashleigh Schultz, 24, a waitress at Obz Cafe in the Western Cape was described as having cried typical white tears when Ntokozo Qwabe and his friend handed her their bill declaring the reason they would not pay a tip.

Mr Qwabes actions became known after he posted about the incident on Facebook, claiming that he was unable to stop smiling over what had happened. He described how the waitress had started shaking when she had seen the note, adding: She leaves us and bursts into typical white tears (like why are you crying when all weve done is make a kind request? Lol!).

Since the incident friends of Ms Schultz have reportedly claimed she is going through a tough time and is caring for her mother who has cancer, while a campaign to tip Qwabes server has raised $6,145 (4,190) in the space of three days.

London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Show all 9 1 /9 London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Sir Arthur Bomber Harris 1892-1984



Ordered the RAF terror raids in WW2, killing untold thousands, including 25,000 in Dresden iStock London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Gen Sir Charles Napier 1782-1853



Conquered Sindh. Our object wasmoney. Every shilling of this has been picked out of blood Rex Features London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Maj-Gen Sir Henry Havelock 1795-1857



Took bloody vengeance on Indian mutineers when putting down the First War of Independence Rex Features London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Lord Curzon, V of India 1859-1925



Presided over a famine in which millions died, often because his qualifications for relief were so harsh Rex Features London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Field Marshal Wolseley 1833-1913



Crushed India. That a native should [manhandle] an Englishman was too much' iStock London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Field Marshal Kitchener 1850-1916



Invented concentration camps, killing 28,000 Boer civilians (mainly women and children) and untold natives Getty Images London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Field Marshal Haig 1861-1928



Nicknamed 'Butcher' in WW1 and responsible for 2m casualties among men under his command London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Lord Palmerston 1784-1865



Launched First Opium War, forcing China to import a drug that blighted millions of its people's lives Alamy London's statues: Strand to Parliament Square Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965

'I hate Indians. They are protected by their mere pullulation from the doom that is their due Rex Features

The campaign to tip Ms Schultz was kicked off by Shile Ngobese, who visited the cafe and sought out the waitress in order to leave her a large tip.

Speaking to News24, Mr Ngobese said: Qwabe is someone that claims to speak to the downtrodden and the disenfranchised yet he has the audacity to bully a working class young woman. Waitresses are not rich people. They are trying to make a meagre income to pursue further opportunities.

The Facebook post which appears to be written by Ntokozo Qwabe. He says later 'go to your fellow white people and mobilise for them to give us our land back.' (Gofundme.org)

I just wanted to make a small gesture to show South Africans that if we love and respect each other it makes our country great.

Hundreds of people have donated to the GoFundMe page set up by Ernst Shea-Kruger, who has increased the funding goal to $10,000 after an unbelievable amount of requests.

Mr Shea-Kruger is listed as being based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in America though it is not known what connection he has to Ms Schultz, if any.

Mr Qwabe is a law student at Oxford University and reportedly part of the Rhodes Must Fall movement, which campaigns for the statue of Cecil Rhodes to be removed from Oriel College. As Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope, the imperialist passed laws which some historians say laid the foundations for apartheid.
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For two decades he was one of the most powerful politicians in the state of New York but today Sheldon Silver, 72, who was convicted last year on extortion and money laundering charges, is nothing more than prison inmate; no fancy title to his name, just a long number.

Silver was sentenced by District Judge Valerie Caproni late on Tuesday to twelve years behind bars for criminally enriching himself while he represented the Lower East Side of Manhattan at the legislature in Albany, the capital of the state, and served as State Assembly Speaker from 1994 to 2015. Silver was also ordered to pay $5.1 million.

The harsh sentence more or less met the requests of the prosecution who had stressed the gravity of the defendants crimes and reflected the reluctance of the court to listen either to appeals for leniency or to the case made by the defence that Silver had merely followed a long-honoured culture of politicians lining their pockets in Albany, at the expense of taxpayers.

I let down my family my colleagues and my constituents, Silver, who was sometimes known as The Sphinx because of his inscrutable manner, said in brief remarks to the judge before sentencing. I am truly, truly, truly, sorry for that.

While his fall from grace has been the most spectacular, Silver is only one among an expanding crew of New York state representatives caught trading their office for favours or financial gain. More than thirty elected members of the Assembly have been forced from office since 2000 because of criminal or ethical lapses according to Citizens Union, an ethics watchdog.

As if to underscore how pervasive the problem has become in the Empire State, Silvers principle counterpart, former majority leader Dean Skelos, a Republican, was also found guilty of corruption a mere ten days after his conviction last December.

Together, Silver, who is a Democrat, and Skelos were members of the so-called three men in a room who essentially controlled the purse strings of New York, decreeing where money flowed and where it didnt. The other member of that exclusive circle, of course, is the Governor of New York, currently Andrew Cuomo, also a Democrat, now in his second term.

A legal cloud also hovers over Mr Cuomos office with a federal investigation under way into whether a former top aide and close friend, Joseph Percoco, inappropriately took pay from an outside development company involved with a state-funded revitalisation project in Buffalo while at the same time working for the campaign to re-elect Mr Cuomo in 2014.

The convictions of Silver and of Skelos were signal victories for Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for Manhattan, who made investigating corruption in Albany a priority upon taking office in 2009. He once called Albany, which sits 150 miles north of New York City, a cauldron of corruption.

The corruption in the State Legislature in Albany has not been episodic, Mr. Bharara told the New York Times. Its been systemic, and if nothing else, the trials revealed that theres a deep culture problem, and a matter-of-factness about how at least these two defendants, whove now been found guilty, went about their daily corrupt business with barely a thought about it.

Silver was found guilty on fraud, extortion and money laundering charges, for schemes that for instance involved him directing state largesse to a cancer researcher in return for him sending his patients to Silvers law firm in New York City. He also used his office to help property developers. In all, prosecutors said, he pocketed $4 million in criminal earnings.

Skelos, 67, was found guilty of bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges for using his office to pressure companies to give money and a job to his son, Adam Skelos, who was also convicted.

Ahead of his sentencing, Silver penned a letter of contrition to the court, appealing for leniency. I failed the people of New York. There is no question about it, he wrote. What I have done has hurt the Assembly, and New York, and my constituents terribly, and I regret that more than I can possibly express. He added: Because of me, the government has been ridiculed. I let my peers down, I let the people of the state down, and I let down my constituents  the people of lower Manhattan that I live among and fought for. They deserve better.
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A Texas man was shot and killed after he tried to intervene in a domestic shooting situation, brandishing his firearm to stop the fleeing suspect.

Fomer marine TJ Antell, 35, reportedly witnessed a dispute between a man and a woman outside of a Walgreens retailer in the Dallas suburb of Arlington. Authorities said the man pulled out a gun and fired at the woman twice - one round struck her in the ankle. As the woman ran back into the store for help, the man attempted to drive away.

Before the suspect could flee, Mr Antell retrieved his firearm from his vehicle and attempted to stop him, according to Arlington police. Mr Antell, who police referred to as a good Samaritan, reportedly had a concealed carry permit.

The suspect did not comply with the command to stop, and instead stepped out of his truck and allegedly fired at Mr Antell.

The Dallas Morning News reported that the shot struck Mr Antell in the head, killing him.

Mr Antells wife, Crystal, who co-owned a Crossfit franchise with her husband, reportedly witnessed the shooting.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old active Army soldier Ricci Chambless Bradden, confessed to disarming Mr Antell and shooting him, according to the arrest warrant.

Mr Bradden was stationed at the Fort Hood military base, 160 miles (257km) south of Arlington. He arrived at the Walgreens location and got involved in an argument with his wife, Quinisha Johnson, who worked at the store. She told police she was surprised to see him because he was supposed to be in Fort Hood.

After the incident, Mr Bradden, accompanied by his father, turned himself in to authorities.

Arlington police spokesperson Cristopher Cook did not say whether or not he thought Mr Antell should have intervened in the situation.

Without having all the details, it would be inappropriate for me to speculate, Mr Cook said. But he told a local NBC affiliate that police do not encourage civilians to stop armed suspects.

Any time that you can be the best witness that you can be, we always recommend that, he said. Sometimes things turn out like this when youre trying to stop a bad guy.
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This article contains descriptions of sexual abuse of a minor.

A former student of a Connecticut Jewish boarding school has filed a lawsuit accusing a rabbi of sexually abusing him hundreds of times between 2001 and 2005.

The lawsuit filed by 28-year-old Eliyahu Mirlis seeks damages from the all-boys high school Yeshiva New Haven school, The Gan School, and Rabbi Daniel Greer, 75, who served as principal of both. According to the Associated Press, the suit alleges that the schools enabled the sexual abuse to continue for years.

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Mr Mirlis - who expressed his wish to be named by AP and come forward - seeks unspecified damages. He is not pursuing criminal charges, but said he will cooperate with any ensuing criminal investigations, should they arise.

Rabbi Greer was in his sixties when he forced minor Eli to engage in acts of sex with him, the lawsuit reads. Rabbi Greer frequently gave Eli alcohol at the time he raped and assaulted his child victim. Rabbi Greet showed Eli pornographic films.

Mr Greer is also accused in the lawsuit of abusing Mr Mirlis on school grounds, at the rabbis home, at properties managed by the school, and in various motels in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

The victims lawyer, Antonio Ponvert, said that the lawsuit will finally force Mr Greer to answer for his crimes.

The lawsuit also alleges at least one other person was abused by Mr Greer.

Mr Greers lawyer, William Ward, told the AP that the rabbi denies the allegations, and asked that the public not rush to judgment before evidence is presented. He then questioned the motives of the accuser.

Ask yourself why the plaintiff would wait 14 years, Mr Ward said. Ask yourself why Mr Mirlis, well into his adulthood, repeatedly honoured the man he now accuses. Ask yourself why Mr Mirlis, an Orthodox Jew, would not seek redress from a rabbinical arbitration court. Ask yourself why Mr Mirlis' first stop was his lawyer's office to seek money.

It only takes a moment to make allegations with despicable indifference to the consequences to the damage they would cause to my client and his family and his reputation that he spent a lifetime building in his community, he added. This is a difficult time for my client and his family.
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A tenured professor and a legal institute are suing Marquette University, claiming a breach of contract for the suspension imposed after he publicly criticized an instructor for stifling debate in class.

The conflict began in 2014: After a student complained after a philosophy class that he was disappointed that he and others who question gay marriage had not been allowed to express their views during the classroom discussion, the graduate-student instructor told him that opposition to gay marriage was homophobic and offensive and would not be tolerated in her theory of ethics class.

John McAdams, an associate professor of political science at Marquette,blogged about it, writing that the instructor was just using a tactic typical among liberals now. Opinions with which they disagree are not merely wrong, and are not to be argued against on their merits, but are deemed offensive and need to be shut up.

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The story went viral, touching as it did on the heated debates over issues such as campus culture, gay rights, academic freedom, whether students should be protected from comments they find offensive or hurtful, and where the lines should be drawn in discussions of charged topics such as race and sexuality to ensure that people dont feel stigmatized or unsafe. The instructor was targeted on social media by people angered by McAdamss account of the incident and ultimately left the university.

McAdams was suspended without pay the following month and banned from campus, and in March of this year he was told by university president Michael Lovell he could not return to teaching unless he wrote a letter acknowledging that his behaviour had been reckless and incompatible with Marquette values and that he feels deep regret for the harm he did to the instructor.

On Monday, McAdams and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a lawsuit in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, claiming breach of contract.

The case matters because of the importance of academic freedom, said Rick Esenberg, president and general counsel with the institute. John McAdams wrote about a matter of great public and institutional interest. The question of political correctness on campus and the view that certain points of view are sort of beyond the pale of civil discourse and constitute harassment or are so offensive that they cannot be expressed  its a big issue in this country.

The university, in a statement, said this is not about freedom of speech, academic freedom or McAdamss political views but about his conduct toward a graduate student:

Dr McAdams has been blogging for more than a decade, publishing approximately 3,000 posts, and the university administration has never disciplined him. He has the right to talk about controversial topics on his blog, and to disagree with and debate Marquette-related positions freely. Where Dr McAdams crossed the line is when he launched a personal attack against a student, subjecting her to threats and hateful messages. Dr McAdams continues to use the students name on his blog, even recently identifying where she is currently studying, leading to more hostile and threatening messages.

A university spokesman also said by email: We welcome this issue being addressed in court, where the public will hear a comprehensive account of Dr McAdamss mistreatment of our former graduate student, rather than the select details he has handpicked to promote his false narrative. Once all the facts are made clear, Marquette fully expects that the decision to suspend him will be upheld.

Dr McAdams continues to reject the judgment of his peers on the Faculty Hearing Committee. The committee unanimously concluded that he violated his core obligations as a tenured professor and that he should be suspended.

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The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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He highlighted a line from the faculty report: The record of this case therefore demonstrates that Dr McAdams has engaged in a serious instance of irresponsible conduct, and that his conduct is likely to continue to significantly impair his fitness to meet his responsibilities as a university professor unless the University takes punitive action in this proceeding.

Brian Dorrington, the spokesman, also wrote that the university is deeply concerned that McAdams continues to focus on our former graduate student. He continues to call her out by name in his blog, and even recently went out of his way to name the university where she is continuing her studies today. These actions have exposed her to additional harassment, more than a year after she left Marquette.

Our main goal throughout this process has been to ensure that no other Marquette student is ever subjected to an extensive public shaming campaign by a member of our faculty.

Esenberg said that the university continually refers to the instructor teaching the philosophy class as a student but that she was, as a graduate student, solely responsible for teaching this class, and they were paying her to do it. The student who objected went to department heads to complain and they blew it off, Esenberg said. We found emails; behind his back they said he was an insolent twerp, said he was engaged in oppressive discourse.

Maybe what he said was offensive, maybe he is an insolent twerp, Esenberg said. I dont know. But this is a matter about which reasonable people can differ. And McAdams talked about it. He was strident and forceful, as is his wont. But this is not beyond the pale of what you would see in normal political discourse between people. And Marquette decided to fire him.

McAdams did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. In a news release, he said:

I have spent nearly my entire career at Marquette University. I am proud to be part of the Marquette community and I have used my voice to both defend and criticize the university to ensure it holds to its Catholic traditions.

I think the most overlooked aspect of this matter is that no one in the Marquette Administration has taken seriously the complaint of the undergraduate student who was silenced by the Instructor. Im saddened that Marquettes treatment of the undergraduate student at the centre of this controversy failed to adhere to its guiding principle of Cura Personalis.

In an opinion piece in the Marquette Wire, student government president Zack Wallace wrote: Constructive criticism is an important part of my educational development, however, criticism must be done in a respectful way in order for it to be effective. As President Lovell has stated, it is unacceptable for a professor to inflict a personal attack on a student. Instead, professors should respectfully provide their insights in a way that contributes positively to a students development. In light of this, I stand with Marquette University and our Guiding Values. And, I stand with President Lovell and his call for decency.

In its report, the Faculty Hearing Committee wrote:

This is a complex case.

It involves a conflict among three freedoms: the freedom of students to express their views in class, the freedom of teachers to interact with their students and manage class discussions without undue interference, and the freedom of professors to criticize their institutions and offer their opinions to the public.

It raises difficult questions of the obligations faculty members owe to their colleagues in a social and media environment where ordinary conversations can be disseminated far from their social and interpersonal context, attracting spiralling abuse from enraged strangers.

It involves a factual record that spans two decades of interpersonal conflicts, a charge that focuses primarily on one spiralling episode, and a challenging debate over the responsibility faculty members may have for significant harm that they only indirectly cause.

It arises in the midst of a heated debate on college campuses and among the broader public over the competing responsibilities faculty, administrators, and students have to protect one another from being excluded from the university community, and also to preserve the university as a forum for free and open debate.

And the stakes are high: an undergraduate believes his views were suppressed, a graduate student has been driven from campus, and a tenured faculty member has been barred from campus and is faced with the loss of his job.

Here is a copy of the complaint:

Here is the notice of suspension from December 2014:

Here is the notice of proceedings to terminate from January 2015:

Here is the letter from the university president to McAdams in March, explaining his decision to suspend him without pay and that his return to teaching in January 2017 is contingent on McAdams writing a letter acknowledging that his blog post was reckless and incompatible with Marquette values and that he feels deep regret for harm to the instructor involved:

Here is the presidents follow-up letter to McAdams in April:

And here is the full report from the Faculty Hearing Committee about this matter:

Copyright: Washington Post
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The prospect of a President Trump has come one step closer after the billionaire celebrated a huge victory in the lastst US primary.

His victory in the Indiana Primary was so decisive that his Republican rival Ted Cruz announced he was dropping out of the race.

That means it is all but certain Mr Trump will face off against Hillary Clinton in the general election.

In his victory speech, Mr Trump declared: "Weve been losing all the time, we lose with our military, we cant beat Isis, we lose with trade, we lose with borders, we lose with everything.

Were not going to lose, we are going to start winning again  and were going to win bigly.

Mr Trump then added a muted compliment to Mr Cruz. I dont know if he likes me or doesnt like me, but he is one hell of a competitor. He has an amazing future and I want to congratulate him, he said.

Mr Trump had gone into Tuesdays race with a lead of perhaps six or seven points according to the polls. Yet, within minutes of the polls closing at 7pm, a flurry of US broadcasters called the race for the New York tycoon.

With more than 60 per cent of the polls having been counted, Mr Trump 53 points, with Mr Cruz on 37 and John Kasich trailing in third place on eight points.

In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton lost to Bernie Sanders by 51-49. While Ms Clinton had gone into the day with polls suggesting she had a lead of six or seven points, on Tuesday morning her campaign had repeatedly said it was bracing for a loss.

Yet, the former secretary of state has a huge advantage over the Vermont senator and most observers believe it is only a matter of time before she gathers sufficient delegates to call the nomination hers.

Donald Trump had said 'the race was over' if he won in Indiana (AP)

Mr Trump was quick to turn to Twitter to celebrate his win. Thank you Indiana, he said, before he preparing for a victory rally at Trump Tower in New York.

At Crowne Plaza hotel in Indianapolis, supporters of Mr Cruz had gathered hoping they would have something to cheer. Yet very quickly the mood turned to one of sadness and despair.

At around 8.30pm Mr Crump and his running mate, Carly Fiorina, took to the stage. At first it appeared Mr Cruz was preparing to announce he was fighting on, but social media was already reporting - based on information from his campaign manager - that he was about to terminate his campaign.

When the end came, many of his supporters appeared in disbelief.

Americans are desperate for change, he said, to cheers and applause.

I said Id stay in as long as there was a viable chance to victory.

"Tonight Im sorry to say, there is not. We gave it everything we got. But voters decided differently.

He added: It is with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the future of out nation, that we are suspending our campaign.

The results arrived after a campaign in Indiana that was never less than strange and a which ended in a utterly bizarre day that saw Mr Trump and Mr Cruz hurt insults and jibes at each other.

 Donald Trump: What are his actual policies?

Mr Trump had fired things up by repeating to Fox News, a claim made in the supermarket tabloid, the National Enquirer, that Mr Cruzs father was somehow somehow involved in the assassination of President John F Kennedy.

His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswalds being - you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous, Mr Trump said.

What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that. That was reported, and nobody talks about it.

Mr Cruz was unable to contain his rage when he was informed of the tycoons comments. While I'm at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit, yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard.

He said that Mr Trump was an utterly amoral... narcissist, a pathological liar and a serial philanderer.

Mr Trump had said over the weekend that he considered the race would be decided if won in Indiana, with its haul of 57 delegates, 30 of them on a winner takes all basis and the remainder by Congressional district.

Speaking in the city of Carmel on Monday, he continued with this theme.

Were doing great, he said of his campaign. If we win in Indiana, its all over. We have a very easy path.

He added: Its a movement. Something is going on. Were going to straighten it out.
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As Indiana voters cast their ballots to answer the question of whether or not Donald Trump will become the presumptive Republican nominee, the GOP front-runner has a question of his own about Sen Ted Cruzs family history.

Donald Trump implied that Ted Cruz's father was somehow involved in the assassination of President John F Kennedy.

In a phone interview with Fox News Tuesday morning, Mr Trump referenced a story run by the US tabloid, National Enquirer, that said Rafael Cruz was in a photo with the Kennedy assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.

Recommended Read more Cruz confronted by mother of disabled girl over bill to limit abortion

His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being  you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous, Mr Trump said. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that. That was reported, and nobody talks about it.

I mean, what was he doing  what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?" Mr Trump added. It's horrible."



A spokesperson for the Cruz campaign immediately rebuked the claim.

"This is another garbage story in a tabloid full of garbage, communications director Alice Stewart told the Miami Herald. The story is false; that is not Rafael in the picture.

It's embarrassing that anyone would enable Trump to discuss this. It's a garbage story and clearly Donald wants to talk about garbage," Ms Stewart added in a statement. "Ted Cruz will do what he's been doing, talking about jobs, freedom, and security for the American people."

Later Tuesday morning, Mr Cruz responded to Mr Trump's accusations, quipping: "While I'm at it, I guess I should go ahead and admit, yes, my dad killed JFK, he is secretly Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard."



The Texas senator went on the offensive and attacked Mr Trump on his morals, calling his opponent an "utterly amoral ... narcissist", "pathological liar", and a "serial philanderer".



"He describes his battle with venereal disease as his own Vietnam! Cruz said referring to a 1997 interview with radio personality Howard Stern.

In the interview, Stern asked Mr Stern about testing his partners for sexually transmitted diseases.



Ive been so lucky in terms of that whole world. It is a dangerous world out there  its scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam era. ... It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier, Mr Trump remarked, guided somewhat by Stern's interruptive interview style.

Mr Cruz imagined a future with a Trump presidency in light of his idea of his opponent's morality.

Think about the next five years if this man were to become the next president," Mr Cruz said. "Think about your kids coming back and emulating this. For people in Indiana, who long for a day when we were nice to each other, when we treated people with respect."

When asked by reporters, Mr Cruz still declined to say whether or not he will endorse Mr Trump if he is the Republican nominee.
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Andrea DeBruler had thought long and hard about what she wanted to say. And when the opportunity came to ask her question, she did not let it pass.

Why, she wanted to know, did Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Mike Pence believe they had the right to tell a woman whether or not she could get an abortion. Why, specifically, did they support Indiana House Bill 1337, a law that prevents a doctor performing an abortion that was sought because a foetus was diagnosed with Down syndrome or another disability?

"I'm not here as a Republican, I'm not here as a Democrat. I'm here as a woman, a woman with choices, choices that you guys should not make," she said.

Mr Cruz, campaigning in the city of Marion on Monday ahead of Tuesdays Indiana primary, appeared stumped. He told Ms DeBruler he was not aware of the bill. Why then, she shot back, was he campaigning in the company of Mr Pence, who sparked widespread controversy when he signed the bill into law in March.

Ms DeBruler's daughter, Jania, was born with cerebral palsy (Andrew Buncombe ) (Andrew Buncombe)

Its a pro-life bill, it means you can no longer have an abortion based on deformity, Ms DeBruler told The Independent. Im against this law because I think it should be a womans choice, it should be the familys choice.

The 41-year-old nurse said she felt passionately about this issue. Eighteen years ago she gave birth to a daughter, Jania, who was born with cerebral palsy. She said she had made the decision to have her daughter; she said other woman should be able to make their own choices too.

I fight every day to keep my daughter in school because they want to throw her out, she said.

Ms DeBruler said the town of Marion was suffering in many ways - from depopulation, from unemployment, and from a lack of hope. We have a significant drug problem and crime. And yet they come up here start smiling, she added. I want to know what theyre going to do for this city, but theyre just going to slide out the side door.

Mr Cruz, a devout Christian, has been working to reach out to Indianas social conservatives as he seeks to halt Donald Trump from securing the Republican nomination. Last week, he earned the endorsement of Mr Pence, who sparked outcry when he signed the bill. Yet, despite the criticism he faced, Mr Pence said he was proud to have signed the legislation.

Governor Pence and Senator Cruz have been campaigning ahead of Tuesday's primary (Reuters)

HB1337 will ensure the dignified final treatment of the unborn and prohibits abortions that are based only on the unborn child's sex, race, colour, national origin, ancestry, or disability, including Down syndrome, he said in a statement at the time.

Some of my most precious moments as governor have been with families of children with disabilities, especially those raising children with Down syndrome.

Among those to criticise Mr Pences actions was Bernie Sanders, who is also battling in Indiana and trying to beat Hillary Clinton. The decision to have an abortion is for a woman to make, not the Governor of Indiana, he said on social media.

Ms DeBruler said she was going to vote not for Mr Sanders for Hillary Clinton and she said she reckoned she was the only Democrat who had attended Mr Cruzs rally at The Mill restaurant. She said she believed Ms Clinton had the policies that would help the countrys economy.

Did Bill get caught up in some stuff - sure he did, theyre politicians, she added.

Ms DeBruler waited until Mr Cruz and Mr Pence left the rally to ask her question. Mr Pence said he would take her details and ensure she got received more help for her daughter. He looked at the picture Ms DeBruler held up of the teenager and said God bless her.

Mr Pence initially sought not to answer question as to why he believed it was a politicians right - and not that of the mother - to decide whether or not to have an abortion. Eventually, he replied: Im pro-life.
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The United States Marine Corps is investigating a possible misidentification of one of the most iconic images captured during World War II, when six soldiers raised the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The review comes after amateur historians examined photographs taken from the same day and suggest that Navy Corpsman John Bradley, one of the men believed to be raising the flag, was not one of the men in the photo.

Recommended Read more World War II US airmen remains found in Indian jungle flown home

During an intense battle with Japanese forces on 23 February 1945, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the picture of the six men on Mount Suribachi without getting their names. The US military identified the men per orders from President Franklin D Roosevelt. The other men in the photo were identified as Marines Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank, and Franklin Sousley.

The Marine Corps is examining information provided by a private organization related [to] Joe Rosenthals Associated Press photograph of the second flag raising on Iwo Jima, the Marines said in a statement.

The photo came under scrutiny after Nebraska-native history buff Eric Krelle, along with Irishman Stephen Foley, cast doubts on the official story - their efforts were profiled in 2014 by the Omaha World-Herald.

Mr Foley became fixated on the Iwo Jima photo while recovering from a hernia operation, where he read books on the famous battle. He began to notice inconsistencies in Mr Bradley clothing in photos apparently taken that same day.

Mr Bradley (left) is shown wearing his pants with a cuff above the boot in photo taken shortly after flag was raised AP

The man in the photo is wearing uncuffed pants that covered his boots, and what he says is a soft cap under his helmet. In other photos of Mr Bradley, according to Mr Foley, his pants appeared cuffed and he did not seem to be wearing a soft cap beneath his helmet.

With the help of Mr Krelle, who runs a website about the Marines 5th Division who fought at Iwo Jima, Mr Foley developed a hypothesis about who may actually be in the celebrated picture.

Based on analysis of other photos taken that day, the two determined that it is most likely Marine private Harold Henry Schultz, who died in 1995, according to the AP.

In 2000, James Bradley, Mr Bradleys son, wrote a best-selling novel about the lives of the men who raised the flag, Flags of Our Fathers. Clint Eastwood adapted the story into the 2006 film of the same title.

The author was shocked upon hearing news of the investigation.

This is unbelievable, he told the AP. Im interested in facts and truths, so thats fine, but I dont know whats happening.
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Al-Qaeda is back in Afghanistan, joining Isis and the Taliban in waging jihad. The three most prominent Islamist terrorist groups in the world are now in one violent arena and drawing the West back into a bloody conflict it had sought to leave behind.

The CIA is marking the fifth anniversary of Osama Bin Ladens death five years ago by publishing, though Twitter, a rolling description of the secret mission by US special forces which killed him in Pakistan. The move is meant to mark President Barack Obamas legacy in tackling Americas number one enemy and stress the part the agency played in achieving this.

But, 15 years after George W Bush declared the War on Terror following the September 11 attacks, with the specific pledge of destroying al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, Bin Ladens legacy, the organisation he founded, is once again spreading its tentacles across the country which it used as base to plot attacks abroad.

American officials had been dismissive of reports about al-Qaedas growing presence. That changed recently with the sobering acknowledgment by Major General Jeff Buchanan, the deputy chief of US forces in the country: If you go back to last year, there were a lot of intelligence estimates that said within Afghanistan al-Qaeda probably has 50 to 100 members, but then, just in this one camp we found more than 150. To find al-Qaeda back in Afghanistan was quite troubling.

The camp in was the Shorabak district of Kandahar. It took American troops, backed by 63 air strikes, two days of intense fighting to capture. It turned out to be the largest al-Qaeda complex found in Afghanistan, no less than 30 square kilometres in size. Masoom Stanekzai, the countrys acting defence minister, wanted to stress the danger posed ahead: al-Qaeda are really very active. They are preparing themselves for bigger attacks. They are working behind other networks, giving them support and the experience they had in other placesThey are not talking too much, but they are a big threat. A recent Nato assessment found that al-Qaeda fighters were now active in no fewer than 20 provinces.

 The Bin Laden Tapes

There had been similar initial denials last year from Western officials about the growing strength of Isis in Afghanistan. The group pledging allegiance to Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi now commands around 3,000 fighters who have brought a new level of barbarity to the conflict with trademark torture and beheadings of prisoners.

The Taliban meanwhile has continued to take over swathes of area, forming "shadow governments" and repeatedly carrying out attacks in the heart of the capital, Kabul. Hopes of the group holding meaningful talks with the Afghan government and peace breaking out have all but disappeared.

There has not been much news coverage of Afghanistan in recent times with the focus more on the latest Isis snuff video coming out of Syria. But Afghanistan was the birthplace of modern jihad. The Islamist international brigade funded and trained by the West and its allies against the occupying Russian forces taking holy war back to their respective lands.

Barack Obamas hopes of being the president who disentangled the US from Afghanistan and Iraq have faded away. The renewed involvement of American forces in Afghanistan is taking place, however, under a lesser public gaze than in Iraq. Three years after the US led Isaf ( International Security Assistance Force) officially ended its combat mission, the current American troop strength in the country stands at almost 10,000. The total in Iraq is 4,500.

One of the US armys most highly regarded commanders, General John Nicholson, the former chief of airborne forces, was recently appointed the head of the American military in Afghanistan, and there have already been some significant advances against the insurgents since his arrival. But the General has highlighted the dangers posed by a greater linkage between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and has told the Senate that he will re-evaluate previously proposed drawdown of troops to 5,500 next year in the light of the rise in violence.

This was not meant to happen. After the fall of Mullah Omars Taliban regime, Tony Blair declared this time we will not walk away as the West had done when it abandoned the country to the Taliban and poverty after using the Afghans to fight off the Russians.

But thats what effectively happened. Resources needed to provide security and rebuild Afghanistan were sunk, instead, into the black hole of Iraq after George W Bush decided, with Tony Blair following faithfully, to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Nothing was done about the safe havens in Pakistan where the Taliban were fed and watered by elements of Pakistani military and secret police, ISI; a replenished insurgency returned across the border to create havoc as a result.

Isaf was sent to Afghanistan. But by 2013, facing a public at home wearied by the long war, the decision was taken by West to disengage. This was followed by the public announcement of a timetable for withdrawal, allowing the insurgents and their backers to wait and prepare to go on the offensive when the time came.

In the haste to leave the training period for recruits to Afghan military was cut drastically to achieve a projected total of 352,000. This led to some of the military shortcomings which followed and contributed to the horrendous casualties being suffered by the Afghan forces; 16,000 killed or injured just in the last 12 months, a rise of 28 per cent from the previous year.

The current debacle is not entirely the fault, however, of the West. A serious miscalculation by the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, has played its part in what has unfolded.

After gaining power in a disputed election, Mr Ghani reversed the policies of his predecessor who regularly accused Pakistan of orchestrating Taliban attacks In his first visit to Pakistan, the new President broke protocol by visiting the hierarchy of the countrys army and ISI, instead of the elected government, sidelining Afghan defence chiefs in the process.

The new President may have thought that reaching out to those who wield real power in Pakistan may bring the Taliban to the negotiating table and help halt attacks. But neither has happened and Afghanistan is, instead, hosting now a wider and deadlier variety of terrorists.

President Ghani, facing severe criticism at home over the worsening security situation, has reversed course and attacked Pakistan for sheltering terrorist groups, saying he would complain to the UN Security Council unless Islamabad took action against these groups

In reality there is little chance of the violence ending anytime soon. This year al-Qaeda and Isis as well as the Taliban will be taking part in the traditional spring offensive. There is apprehension is that swathes of territories controlled by the insurgents may, once again, be used to plot attacks abroad. The West may find, again, that walking away from Afghanistan comes with a high price.
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Australia's immigration minister has blamed refugee advocates for encouraging asylum seekers to self-harm in the hope of getting to Australia after a woman set herself on fire at a detention camp on the island of Nauru.

A 21-year-old Somali woman, identified only by her first name, Hadon, was reported to be in critical condition after she set herself alight, in the second such incident within a week.

It came just days after a 23-year-old Iranian man set himself on fire in protest at his treatment on Nauru, later dying of his injuries.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton admitted there had been a rise in cases of self-harm in the camps but said some advocates were encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way.

"The recent behaviours in Nauru are not protests against living conditions" he told a news conference in Canberra.

The island of Nauru in the South Pacific. (Getty Images)

"They aren't protests against health care, they aren't protests against the lack of financial support."

Mr Dutton also accused refugee advocates of giving the asylum seekers false hope they would one day be settled in Australia.

Moments before setting himself on fire, the Iranian  identified only as Omid  was reported to have told UN officials visiting the camp: This is how tired we are, this action will prove how exhausted we are. I cannot take it any more,

The Somali woman has been transferred to Australia for treatment, according to local officials.

It comes after the United Nations renewed its criticism of Australias immigration policy, which sends asylum seekers trying to reach the country to processing camps on Nauru and Manus Island.

The camps hold 500 people, mainly asylum seekers fleeing violence in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia, who have been told they will never be processed in Australia.

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said such incidents in the camps were a result of Australias hardline offshore detention policies.

"These people have already been through a great deal, many have fled war and persecution, some have already suffered trauma," the office said in a statement.

"The consensus among medical experts is that conditions of detention and offshore processing do immense damage to physical and mental health."

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton speaks to the media at Parliament House on May 3, 2016 in Canberra, Australia. (Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

The Refugee Action Coalition in Sydney said in a statement that the new hospital on Nauru was not functioning and basic medical supplies were not available to treat refugees.

Peter Dutton does not have a shred of evidence that advocates encourage refugees to self-harm, it said.

The government itself is playing a dangerous game with the lives of asylum seekers and refugees  in Australia and on Nauru. Offshore processing and the governments mismanagement of the situation is costing lives.

On Tuesday, a boat believed to be carrying asylum seekers from Sri Lanka was intercepted near the remote Australian Indian Ocean Territory of the Cocos Islands, according to the the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

A spokeswoman for Mr Duttons office refused to confirm or deny such a vessel had been intercepted, but if it is confirmed to be carrying asylum seekers, it would be the first such vessel to have arrived in Australian territory in almost two years.

It comes after Australias immigration policy suffered a major blow when Papua New Guineas supreme court ruled that the detention of more than 900 current and former refugees was illegal.
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Smokers in Australia will have to pay $45 (23) for a packet of cigarettes under tax increases proposed by the coalition government.

The excise on tobacco products is set to rocket by 12.5% per year between 2017 and 2020, raising an estimated $4.7billion in the process.

The tax was announced during Treasurer Scott Morrisons 2016 budget address and was praised by medical experts.

The World Health Organisation recommends a tax excise of 70% on a pack of cigarettes and the move has been billed as a health measure by ministers rather than a financial one.

The price of 25 cigarettes in Australia is currently between 13-15, whereas an average pack of 20 costs around 8 in the UK.

The budget papers state: One of the most effective ways to discourage smoking is to increase the price of cigarettes.

Increases in tobacco excise over the last two decades have contributed to significant declines in the number of people smoking daily.

The Australian Border Forces successful Tobacco Strike Team will be granted an extra $7.7 million to restrict importation amid fears high taxes are pushing tobacco onto the black market.

Last week the team intercepted 13 million cigarettes and 8 tonnes of loose-leaf tobacco being smuggled through Melbourne.

The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 10. Poland Results from an OECD report The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 9. Germany The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 8. Luxembourg Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 7. France The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 6. Hungary Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 5. Russia AFP/Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 4. Czech Republic The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 3. Estonia Rex Features The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 2. Austria Getty Images The 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 1. Lithuania AFP/Getty Images

There will also be tougher penalties for those caught smuggling, and the duty free allowance will be reduced from 50 cigarettes to 25.

Previous tax increases in 2010 and 2013 have seen cigarette prices in Australia double over the past six years, and the countrys smoking population plummet to less than 15%.

Australia has some of the most stringent anti-smoking laws in the world, including the 2011 Tobacco Plain Packaging Act.

The regulations state packets are not allowed to carry logos and must be plain aside from health warnings.
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A worryingly named wifi hotspot caused 40 passengers to demand to be let off a plane before it took off in Australia.

The network, called "Mobile Detonation Device", was spotted by a passenger on a flight bound for Perth from Melbourne.

She alerted the crew and the captain - and security were so concerned by the name they told passengers the flight would have to be delayed.

John Vidler, who had been on the QF481 flight, said the captain broadcast a message saying the device needed to be found before lift-off.

"He said there was a device on the plane that had a name on it that he found threatening and that we were not leaving until that device was brought to him," he told the West Australian.

Yet he and about 40 other passengers were so worried by the incident they asked to be let off the flight.

In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Seif Eldin Mustafa, suspected of hijacking EgyptAir plane MS181, flashes the 'V' for victory sign as he leaves the court in Larnaca in a police car AFP/Getty Images In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Seif Eldin Mustafa wears handcuffs as he leaves the court in Larnaca escorted by Cypriot police AFP/Getty Images In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane An EgyptAir flight 181 passenger embraces a family member after arriving at Cairo international airport Reuters In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane CCTV footage shows Seif Eldin Mustafa walking through a metal detector before being patted down by security Egypt Ministry of Interior In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Cypriot police guard the hijacked EgyptAir A320 plane at Larnaca Airport after it landed in Cyprus EPA In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Passengers evacuate a hijacked EgyptAir Airbus 320 plane at Larnaca airport, Cyprus Reuters In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane An official boards a hijacked Egyptair A320 Airbus at Larnaca Airport in Larnaca, Cyprus In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane An Egypt Air Airbus A-320 sits on the tarmac of Larnaca aiport after it was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane A Cypriot policeman stands guard near a hijacked EgyptAir A320 plane at Larnaca Airport, Cyprus In pictures: EgyptAir hijacked plane Screen grabbed image taken from Flightradar24 of EgyptAir plane MS181 which has landed in Cyprus after being hijacked while flying from Alexandria to Cairo

Baggage had to be unloaded and the flight only set off some time later.

The incident took place amid global concern over the vulnerability of planes to terrorist attack.

In recent years, a Russian aeroplane which left Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt exploded over the Sinai, killing all 224 people onboard in an attack claimed by Isis. Another plot to attack planes flying to America from Britain was discovered in 2009.

One passenger caused panic when he claimed to have a suicide belt as part of an attempt to divert a plane from Cairo to Cyprus so he could see his family in March this year.
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Proposals to simplify and loosen Frances employment laws, which have provoked violent protest in recent days, have been placed before the lower house of the French parliament.

Watered-down in advance, and facing 5,000 proposed amendments, the changes are likely to emerge from the two weeks of debate in much reduced form. A threatened revolt by some members of the ruling Socialist Party could ditch the reform completely  further weakening President Francois Hollande before presidential elections in 12 months time.

Despite concessions, the changes are the first serious attempt by any recent administration to lighten the regulatory obstacles to job creation in France. The centre-left government insists that less rigid labour laws are in the best interests of young people and the countrys 3.5 million unemployed.

The right-wing opposition dismissed the changes as an empty shell  although the proposals go beyond anything attempted by the former president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

The proposals have led to protests throughout the country (Getty)

Despite support for the government from moderate unions, the changes are seen by militant union federations as a sell-out to employers. The proposed reforms have also spawned protest movements by school and university students and hard left groups, which have become increasingly violent in recent weeks.

The reform bill, presented to the national assembly by the Labour Minister, Myriam El Khomri, would make it easier for employers to terminate long-term contracts when their businesses were struggling. It would permit local agreements between employers and workers to modify the 35 hour working week and other labour regulations.

Supporters of the changes argue that the present system  offering high legal protection to employees on long term contracts  is one of the causes of Frances high unemployment rate (10 per cent or around 3.5 million people). Employers prefer not to hire extra workers or resort to short term contracts, which have fewer guarantees.

As a sop to their own doubtful members of parliament, President Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls have promised in recent days to propose an amendment to their own reform which would place a modest extra payroll tax on short-term contracts.

As a result of this and other changes, the French employers federation, MEDEF, has withdrawn its support.

Hard line union federations say the changes would, in effect, end the principle of a single nationwide body of legal protections for workers. Unions representing only 30 per cent of workers in one factory or office could call for a referendum to approve or reject a local agreement to set aside regulations including some aspects of the 35 hour week.

Ms El Khomri admitted that she lacked up to 40 votes to push through the changes in their present form. The government has, however, ruled out the possibility of using its powers to avoid a vote by, in effect, calling a vote of confidence.

The time has come to allow parliament to improve the text, Ms El Khomri said. Should we give in to street protests and scrap these proposals? No.


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A journalist who infiltrated a cell of Isis supporters as they planned a terror attack in France said he found lost, frustrated, suicidal, easily manipulated youths.

The man, who is using the pseudonym Said Ramzi to protect his identity, said he easily contacted the group who called themselves the Soldiers of Allah on Facebook.

Embedded with the extremists for six months between summer 2015 and January, he filmed their meetings with a hidden camera as they plotted an attack on a nightclub.

The footage was broadcast by French network Canal + in a documentary called Allahs Soldiers on Monday.

A Canal + reporter secretly filmed Isis supporters planning a terror attack (Canal +)

The network consisted of 10 members led by a 20-year-old man called Ossama, who had been refused by the French army and been a Satanist and alcoholic before discovering radical Islam online, the broadcaster said.

Having being caught attempting to join Isis, he was jailed for five months in France but set up the cell after his release and became its emir.

While Ossama fulfilled bail conditions reporting to a local police station once a day, he used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to organise meetings with his fellow Isis supporters.

One video shows the French-Turkish national smiling as he imagines being shot dead in a police operation, saying the martyr does not resent pain.

We must hit a military base, Ossama says during the meeting at a park in Chateauroux. When they are eating, they are all lined up  ta-ta-ta-ta-taor journalists.

BFM, iTele ([French broadcasters], they are at war against Islam.

Like they did to Charlie [Hebdo]. You must strike them at the heart. Take them by surprise. They aren't well protected. The French must die by the thousands.

 Mothers of IS terrorists speak

He urges Mr Ramzi to join him on the path to paradise in a suicide attack, adding: Our women are waiting for us there, with angels as servants. You will have a palace, a winged horse of gold and rubies.

In another clip of a meeting in Stains, in the northern subburbs of Paris, a member of the group points to plane landing at ParisLe Bourget Airport, saying they could traumatise France for a century by taking down an aircraft with a rocket launcher.

But the eventual terror plot was not confirmed until orders came from a militant known as Abu Suleiman, who had travelled to Isis main Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.

After being told to travel to a railway station, Mr Ramzi was met by a woman wearing a full-face veil, who handed him a handwritten letter carrying his orders.

Laying out the plan for an attack targeting a nightclub, it said he should shoot until death and then set off a suicide vest after the arrival of security forces.

Mr Ramzi had already been sent instructions for preparing explosives and booby-trapping cars by Abu Suleiman through Telegram.

In pictures: Paris attacks Show all 25 1 /25 In pictures: Paris attacks In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police with protective shields walk in line near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers evacuate an injured person on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Vigipirate troops mobilize next to Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French soldiers mobilize near to the Place de la Bastille AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan theatre EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks People react as they gather to watch the scene near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French police secure the area outside a cafe near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers workers evacuate victims near the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French President Francois Hollande attending an emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Spectators invade the pitch of the Stade de France after explosions were heard outside AP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A man lies on the ground as French police check his identity near the Bataclan concert hall Reuters In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police officers man a position close to the Bataclan theatre AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris EPA In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Two men evacuate the Place de la Republique square in Paris as a police officer looks on AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Football fans are evacuated from the Stade de France stadium In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks An armed police officer Dan Gabriel In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France is evacuated after reports of an explosion In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks A member of the French fire brigade aids an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France in Paris In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Police are seen outside a cafe in 10th arrondissement of the French capital Paris, In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Rescuers assist an injured man on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, close to the Bataclan concert hall AFP In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The scene at a restaurant in 10th arrondissement In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Bataclan theatre - where around 100 people are thought be held hostage In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks The Stade de France as it was evacuated In pictures: Paris attacks Paris attacks Forensic experts inspect the site of an attack outside the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis AFP

Ossama and other members of the cell were under surveillance by French intelligence agency the DCRI, and were arrested in December and January.

Suspicion quickly turned to Mr Ramzi, who said he pulled out after receiving a message telling him he was done for.

The 29-year-old described himself as a Muslim of the same generation as the killers who killed 130 people in the Paris attacks.

As a young man of North African origin, he described feeling people watch him on the Paris Metro, calling the jihadis he met "traitors".

"My goal was to understand what was going on inside their heads, Mr Ramzi told the AFP news agency.

"One of the main lessons was that I never saw any Islam in this affair. No will to improve the world. Only lost, frustrated, suicidal, easily manipulated youths.

"They had the misfortune of being born in the era that Isis exists. It is very sad. They are youngsters who are looking for something and that is what they found."
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Brussels is expected to officially announce highly controversial recommendations allowing visa-free travel for 80 million Turks in Europe. The decision is part of a deal under which Ankara agreed to take back refugees who have crossed the Aegean Sea to Greece.

The visa waiver being proposed by the European Commission is meant to apply to the 26 member states of the Schengen zone of which Britain and Ireland are not members. But leaders of the Brexit campaign have claimed that Turkish citizens would be able to get entry to the UK by applying for European Union residency and acquiring EU passports. France and Germany have called for an emergency mechanism which will allow a suspension of the proposed changes if there was a sharp rise in asylum applications.

There are also concerns from human rights groups which maintain that the EU is ignoring allegations of abuse against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in order to send back refugees from Europe

Ankara has been asked to meet up to 72 conditions to become eligible for the visa waiver system. Brussels' officials say eight remain unfulfilled and this will be pointed out in the report being presented. EU member states will vote on final approval at the end of June, by which time remaining issues are meant to be settled, though it some believe that the Turkish government may not be able to fulfil all their obligations in time.

Numan Kurtulmus, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, claims the country is a victim of negative propaganda (Getty)

But the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, Numan Kurtulmus, told The Independent in Ankara: We believe that 90 per cent of the requirements have been completed. There are only three or four reforms which still need to be carried through, we may have to have some extra time, we shall see. But we are committed to a programme of reform.

Mr Kurtulmus held that the negative image of Turkey over issues like civil rights often presented in the West was not the reality, it is just perception. We believe that there are black groups which are manipulating negative propaganda against Turkey, and some of them are doing this in western Europe. It is just one side of the story, we need to be much more vocal about our case with the international community.

The Deputy Prime Minister blamed the opposition parties for blocking some of the remaining measures wanted by the EU. The Turkish government has rushed through 15 of the required benchmarks in the last 13 days and had even gone to the extent of sending a private jet to Strasbourg to deposit signed conventions with the Council of Europe.

Dr Fuat Oktay, the president of Turkeys Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, held that statements made by some EU leaders after the death of Aylan Kundi, the three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned at sea while his family were trying to get to Europe, significantly contributed to the refugee problem in Europe.

It was a sad event, but these statements were misread by the refugees and we had the big move towards Europe. I was going to the camps and talking to these people personally. They believed that as soon they got there they would be welcomed by officials and immediately given housing, jobs and education. We tried to explain to them this wont be the case, but too many had got that into their heads, he said.

EU officials say the Turks have so far failed to deliver issues of judicial reforms, freedom of speech, protection of minority rights and the revision of terrorism laws. The EC report is expected to say: The Turkish authorities will need to make a concerted effort to address this benchmark without further delay. Ankara has been invited, it will point out, to align Turkish legislation on terrorism with EU law, specifically on the proportionality of action. It also calls on the Turkish government to set up an independent commission to inspect possible violation of individual rights by law enforcement agencies.

We will only take those who want to come back here voluntarily. We are not going to turn Turkey into an open prison <p>Murat Selim Esenli, Turkish foreign ministry</p>

Cyprus has been a thorny issue between Brussels and Turkey, with Ankara refusing to recognise the Republic of Cyprus in the southern half of the island which is an EU member. The Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus does not have international recognition.

However Turkish officials have said that a visa deal with the EU would result in Ankara scrapping visa requirement for Greek Cyprus. Brussels is likely to present this as a major breakthrough justifying the recommendation of visa liberalisation. But there is real apprehension among member states that Ankara may abandon the refugee programme if the EU refuses visa waivers for its citizens.

Under the agreement made by Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, Turkey accepted refugees sent back by Greece and, in return, sent others seeking to migrate using legal channels.

Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Show all 11 1 /11 Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey's two million Syrian refugees There are already over 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, but their current camps can only hold 200,000 people ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish citizens protest a new deal, also criticised by human rights activists, which will see refugees who arrived in Greece after March 20 be sent back to Turkey AP Photo/Emre Tazegu Turkey's two million Syrian refugees An estimated 80% of Syrian refugee children already in Turkey are unable to attend school BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Refugee children beg for water near the Turkey-Syria border. Turkey has been accused of illegally deporting asylum-seekers back to Syria BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees In Turkey, no-one from outside Europe is legally recognised as a refugee, meaning the 2016 deportations may not meet international legal standards for protecting vulnerable people BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A refugee child cries as she is searched by police at the Syria-Turkey border, where 16 refugees (including three children) have been shot dead in the last four months BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Many refugees are living rough on the streets of cities such as Istanbul or Ankara (pictured) ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish soldiers use water cannon on Syrian refugees BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Syrian refugees shelter from rain in the streets of Istanbul BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A derelict building housing Syrian refugees in Istanbul Carl Court/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey houses around half of all the refugees who have currently fled Syria Carl Court/Getty Images

The foreign ministry in Ankara said that so far 325 refugees have been taken back by Turkey while 103 have gone to Europe. The numbers are tiny in comparison to the tens of thousands who have arrived in Europe. But the ministrys deputy under-secretary, Murat Selim Esenli, maintained this was because many more refugees were now claiming asylum. We will only take those who want to come back here voluntarily. We are not going to turn our country into an open prison, he said.

There is general resentment among Turkish officials that the sacrifices being made by their country over the refugee crisis are, they feel, not being appreciated in the West. They point out that Turkey is hosting more than three million refugees, 2.75 million from Syria another 300,000 mainly from Iraq, and also now face regular terrorist attacks. This is while a lot of countries in the EU are holding up their hands and saying we cant help, said Mr Esenli. We are also acting as the permanent border of Nato and EU against terrorism, not that they give us any credit for that.
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Talks over the hugely controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement could be about to fail after France threatened to block the deal.

Paris officials have said negotiations between the US and EU are "likely to stop" amid significant disagreements between the two sides over the free-trade agreement.

President Hollande has said he will "never accept" the deal in its current guise because of the rules it enforces on France and the rest of Europe - particularly in relation to farming and culture  claiming they are too friendly to US business.

We will never accept questioning essential principles for our agriculture, our culture and for the reciprocity of access to public [procurement] markets, Hollande is reported as saying at a meeting of left-wing politicians in Paris. At this stage [of the talks] France says No.'

The French foreign trade minister, Matthias Fekl, said it is likely that the deal is going to break down and talks be suspended. Mr Fekl had already said that France would bring a halt to the talks if no progress was achieved before September  but he has now said that is the most likely option.

 What is TTIP?

Mr Hollandes opposition comes amid a very weak position in public polls and ahead of a presidential election next year. Public opinion of the TTIP deal has been plunging in recent months and so it will likely serve as a way of winning around voters who remain suspicious about the agreement.

Recommended Read more TTIP leak could spell the end of controversial trade deal

Supporters of the deal argue it gives useful help to business by harmonising the regulations that govern partnerships between the US and the EU. But campaigners against it argue that the partnership gives too much power to corporations and that it could have disastrous affects for consumer rights.

The comments came just days after Greenpeace leaked hundreds of pages of documents about the talks, showing the discussions had run into irreconcilable differences. The US and EU are locked in arguments about the ranging powers over European law that the deal would hand over to US companies.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. 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Mr Fekl said those problems were likely to lead the deal to break down, "in view of the United States' state of mind today". He said that the deal as it is today would be a bad deal and that it could unravel the climate change agreement that was agreed in Paris and signed last month.

If France walked out of the deal, talks on the agreement between Europe and the US would almost certainly come to an end since it must be approved by each of the 28 countries in the EU. "It cannot be agreed without France and even less so against France," Mr Fekl said.
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Turkish citizens are on the cusp of being handed visa-free travel around the European Union pending a vote by the bloc's member states.

If passed, the agreement would grant Turkey's 75 million residents a tourist stay of 90 days.

It comes off the back of a deal with President Erdogan to allow refugees and migrants to be returned to the country from Greece after crossing the Aegean Sea in a bid to reduce the number of people attempting to reach mainland Europe.

A report on the subject will be formally made public by the European Commission on May 4, said a spokesperson at the EU institution.

"The European Commission will bring out the progress report tomorrow, and if they come to the decision that visa liberalisation should happen then the Council and the Parliament will have time to adopt the proposal," he told The Independent.

A final date for approval by the European Parliament could be in two months, the spokesperson said.

"It's part of the EU-Turkey agreement and it's also part of the long ongoing liberalisation dialogue with Turkey," he said.

"Turkey has made lots of efforts to fulfil the remaining benchmarks."

Refugees protest the migration deal with Turkey to remove them from Greece (Rex Features)

In order to win visa liberalisation for its citizens, Turkey has had to meet 72 benchmarks on security, data protection and more.

Not all of these benchmarks have yet been met - but Turkey has said it will "terminate" the migration deal if visa liberalisation is not granted.

Its citizens would have visa-free access to the Schengen area, which is 26 European countries who ceased border controls between each other in a 1995 agreement and which the UK is not signed up to.

"The dialogue over visa liberalisation has already been going on for about two years," said the spokesperson at the Commission.

"It has just been sped up."

Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Show all 11 1 /11 Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey's two million Syrian refugees There are already over 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, but their current camps can only hold 200,000 people ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish citizens protest a new deal, also criticised by human rights activists, which will see refugees who arrived in Greece after March 20 be sent back to Turkey AP Photo/Emre Tazegu Turkey's two million Syrian refugees An estimated 80% of Syrian refugee children already in Turkey are unable to attend school BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Refugee children beg for water near the Turkey-Syria border. Turkey has been accused of illegally deporting asylum-seekers back to Syria BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees In Turkey, no-one from outside Europe is legally recognised as a refugee, meaning the 2016 deportations may not meet international legal standards for protecting vulnerable people BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A refugee child cries as she is searched by police at the Syria-Turkey border, where 16 refugees (including three children) have been shot dead in the last four months BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Many refugees are living rough on the streets of cities such as Istanbul or Ankara (pictured) ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish soldiers use water cannon on Syrian refugees BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Syrian refugees shelter from rain in the streets of Istanbul BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A derelict building housing Syrian refugees in Istanbul Carl Court/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey houses around half of all the refugees who have currently fled Syria Carl Court/Getty Images

The European Commission is made up of 28 commissioners from each member state with the UK represented by Lord Jonathan Hill.

It is intended to be a neutral body, not influenced by any particular national government, which puts forward legislation, enacts decisions and upholds EU treaties.

Meanwhile, Turkey is estimated to host more than 2.5 million Syrians and more than 80,000 Iraqi refugees.

The principle of free movement within the Schengen area has been under threat since fears over terrorists increased following the November Paris attacks.
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The Turkish Language Institute (TDK) has been accused of sexism over its controversial definition of the word dirty.

The institute explains the word, which translates as kirli in Turkish, by giving the example of "a woman who is menstruating".

The other two meanings of the word are given as stains, filthy, unclean and being contrary to societys values.

Author Elif Safak  the most widely read female writer in Turkey  brought attention to the definition in a post on her Twitter page, criticising the bodys decision to describe the word in a sexist way.

The TDK has previously been condemned for using sexist definitions. The word musait, which is a Turkish word of Arabic origin, means available.

The second definition of the word in the official dictionary is described as a female who is ready to flirt and who can flirt easily.

Feminist group Istanbul Feminist Kolektif asked on its Facebook account: Why is it woman written in parenthesis? Can men not also be available?

Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Show all 11 1 /11 Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey's two million Syrian refugees There are already over 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, but their current camps can only hold 200,000 people ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish citizens protest a new deal, also criticised by human rights activists, which will see refugees who arrived in Greece after March 20 be sent back to Turkey AP Photo/Emre Tazegu Turkey's two million Syrian refugees An estimated 80% of Syrian refugee children already in Turkey are unable to attend school BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Refugee children beg for water near the Turkey-Syria border. Turkey has been accused of illegally deporting asylum-seekers back to Syria BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees In Turkey, no-one from outside Europe is legally recognised as a refugee, meaning the 2016 deportations may not meet international legal standards for protecting vulnerable people BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A refugee child cries as she is searched by police at the Syria-Turkey border, where 16 refugees (including three children) have been shot dead in the last four months BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Many refugees are living rough on the streets of cities such as Istanbul or Ankara (pictured) ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkish soldiers use water cannon on Syrian refugees BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Syrian refugees shelter from rain in the streets of Istanbul BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees A derelict building housing Syrian refugees in Istanbul Carl Court/Getty Images Turkey's two million Syrian refugees Turkey houses around half of all the refugees who have currently fled Syria Carl Court/Getty Images

The Language Associations President, Mustafa Kacalin, responded to critics by saying available was entered into the dictionary in 1983.

An online petition called for the 'available' entry to be revised, saying the act of flirting was mutual and should not solely be attributed to women.

The body was also condemned for its entries on bad man and bad woman, with the latter described as a "prostitute".

The TDK formed in 1932 and is the authority on the Turkish language, publishing the countrys official dictionaries.

During the 1930s and '40s, the TDK campaigned to replace the Arabic, Persian, Greek and French words that were present in the Turkish language.

The most recent edition of the official Turkish dictionary has more than 100,000 entries, with around 84 per cent being Turkish words.

The online version and the physical dictionary of the language bodys definitions both use the same definition for dirty.
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A US special forces solidier serviceman has been killed during battles against Isis in Iraq. The US Navy SEAL was killed around 9.30am local time from a gunshot wound, according to the Navy Times.

Ash Carter, the US Defence Secretary, said the man was killed near Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, bringing the total combat deaths in the current US campaign to three.

Revealing the death at a news conference in Germany on Tuesday, Mr Carter described the incident as a combat death".

 Islamic State is 'On the Defensive' in Iraq and Syria - Obama

A spokesperson for US Central Command (Centcom) said: A Coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire. Further information will be released as appropriate."

A military official said he was killed while performing his duty as an adviser to Kurdish Peshmerga troops.

The American serviceman was hit by direct fire on his position three to two to three miles behind the frontlines, as Isis fighters advanced, the official added.

The death was announced after Isis hailed the start of an offensive against the Peshmerga from its stronghold of Mosul, around 50 miles from Erbil.

Joe Biden, the US Vice President, visited Baghdad last week to urge leaders of the government in Iraq to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat Isis.

American special forces units are active in Iraq, working with the national army and Kurdish Peshmerga in operations against the so-called Islamic State.

In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work

Earlier this year, Pentagon officials hailed the capture of a key militant but little information has emerged.

Mr Carter announced a teams deployment in Congress in December, saying they would conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and detain Isis leaders.

Barack Obama has also sent military units to train and advise security forces in Iraq, where the US is leading an international coalition conducting air strikes against Isis.

The Pentagon has previously announced the deaths of two servicemen since the start of Operation Inherent Resolve in July 2014.

Staff Sergeant Louis F Cardin, 27, was killed by rocket fire in Makhmour in March, and Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler was shot dead during a hostage release operation with Delta Force in Hawija in October 2015.

Additional reporting by AP
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Nearly 90,000 unaccompanied children sought asylum in Europe in 2015, fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa to reach a place of safety.

According to the latest EU data, 13 per cent of the applicants were younger than 14, travelling without their parents to the EU.

Statistics agency Eurostat said the number of unaccompanied minors has quadrupled since 2014.

Two child refugees who reached the Greek island of Lesbos from Turkey (AP)

EU leaders disagree on how to handle Europes migration crisis, with anti-immigration sentiment growing even in countries that traditionally supported helping people seek refuge.

A third of the 1.26 million first-time asylum applications filed in the EU last year were minors.

More than 90 per cent of the minors travelling without a parent or guardian were boys and over half of them were between 16 and 17 years old.

Half of the total were Afghan minors, while the second largest group were Syrians, at 16 per cent of the total.

Sweden received the most applications from unaccompanied minors, at 35,250. Some have called for greater checks to prevent adults passing themselves off as children in order to secure protection.

But Eurostats figures refer specifically to children who have had their age established through age assessment procedures, meaning EU states accepted the minors declared age.

Germany, Hungary and Austria followed Sweden as the main destinations for unaccompanied underage asylum seekers.

The figures come as David Cameron is accused of abandoning 3,000 child refugees following a vote on the Immigration Bill, which saw plans to let the minors into Britain defeated by 18 votes.

In January, Europol estimated that at least 10,000 child refugees have gone missing since arriving in Europe. It is feared many have become victims of exploitation by criminal gangs, including human traffickers who force them into prostitution, child labour and the drugs trade.

In an attempt to reduce the influx of refugees into Europe, the EU has struck a deal with Turkey to stop people crossing from there into the bloc.

Turkey hosts 2.7 million refugees from the conflict in neighbouring Syria.
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The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution deploring the escalating numbers of deliberate attacks against medical facilities and personnel as well as the wounded in war zones and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.

The vote, taken in a sometimes emotional session in New York, comes a week after the destruction of a hospital in Aleppo, Syria, in an air strike believed to have been carried out by Syrian government forces that killed 55 people and deprived the rebel-controlled city of its last functioning medical centre.

It also followed the Pentagons decision this week to bring disciplinary charges against American servicemen involved in the strike against a clinic in Kunduz, Afghanistan, operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres, MSF, last year that took the lives of 42 people. The tragic strike was nonetheless an accident, the Pentagon said.

Recommended Read more 16 military staff disciplined after bombing of Afghan charity hospital

Meanwhile, another hospital in a government-controlled area of Aleppo was destroyed yesterday in shelling reportedly by Islamist rebels killing at least 19 civilians. The government-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency said rebels including the al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra fired shells at the Al-Dabit Hospital amid an assault on regime-controlled parts of Aleppo.

The resolution, sponsored by New Zealand alongside Spain, Egypt, Japan and Uruguay, reasserted that deliberate attacks on medical personnel or patients constitute a war crime. Guest speakers at the Council session included Peter Maurer President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, and Dr. Joanne Liu, who is International President of Medecins San Frontieres, MSF.

Medicine must not be a deadly occupation, Dr Liu told the chamber. Patients must not be slaughtered in their beds. She lamented what she called an epidemic of attacks on protected medical targets, declaring that hospitals and patients have been dragged onto the battlefield.

Bringing an electric hush to the proceedings, Dr Lui noted that four of the five permanent members of the Council - the United States, Britain, Russia and France - had been involved in coalitions, which have, to varying degrees, been associated with coalitions responsible for attacks on health structures over the last year. She cited, the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, the Russia-backed Syrian-led coalition.

Separately, MSF on Tuesday expressed the hope that the Aleppo hospital, which had also been supporting, will partially re-open in two weeks. The group said its Emergency Room and laboratory as well as vital drugs and equipment had been destroyed in last Wednesdays strikes. Among the dead, it added, were six staff from the hospital, including one of the last pediatricians in Aleppo, one dentist, two nurses, a technician and a guard. 

All too often, attacks on health facilities and medical workers are not just isolated or incidental battlefield fallout, but rather the intended objective of the combatants, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, told members of the Security Council after its vote. This is shameful and inexcusable.

While the Aleppo attack helped spur the resolutions passage, speakers in the chamber noted not only that the numbers of strikes against medical targets have been rising for some time but it is a phenomenon that is seen in places beyond Syria and Afghanistan but also in Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan, Central African Republic amongst other conflict areas.

Mr Maurer cited an ICRC study that had identified 2,400 attacks against patients, health personnel, medical facilities, ambulances and other transport that had taken place in 11 conflict-affected countries in the space of just three years. That's more than two attacks per day, every day, for three years, he told the council members adding that man of them clearly constituted outright violations of international humanitarian law.

We need to shine a light and make clear the international community's utter rejection of such practices, New Zealand's UN envoy Gerard van Bohemen, commented ahead of the Tuesday vote. Perpetrators of these attacks need to be held to account.

The resolution demands that all parties to armed conflicts facilitate safe and unimpeded passage for medical workers and condemns the prevailing impunity for attacks and abuses against medical staff and facilities and strongly urges governments to conduct independent investigations of all violations.
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Ten months ago, Sir Howard Daviess Airports Commission unanimously recommended that a third runway be built at Heathrow without undue delay. This week, a Transport Select Committee report has slammed the Governments response, describing it as political dithering.

When the Davies Commission reported in July, Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs: A decision will be made by the end of the year. The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, later promised: We will come back to Parliament in the autumn to provide a clear direction on the Governments plans.

Just before Christmas 2015, the Government said it accepted Sir Howards shortlist - which also included an extended northern runway at Heathrow and a second active runway at Gatwick - but would need to conduct more work on the environmental impacts of each proposal.

Proponents of a new runway said that the timing was designed to delay a decision until after this Thursdays mayoral election in London. The Conservative candidate is Zac Goldsmith, who opposes expansion at Heathrow.

A ruling on the next runway was promised by July, but in recent days it appears that the EU referendum may push the decision to the autumn. Calculations by The Independent (see panel, below) show that the daily cost of delay is at least 4m per day - and as much as 6.7m per day for the option preferred by both the Davies Commission and the Transport Committee.

The report, Air transport in the South East, scolds the Government for delaying an endorsement of the Airport Commissions conclusions. The Government could have made clear its acceptance of the findings much earlier; it did not need six months to do so.

The all-party committee says that politicians have been prevaricating over whether to build a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick for a quarter-century. It concludes: The creation of the Airports Commission briefly held out the hope that an evidence-based decision would end years of political dithering, but the Government has largely squandered this opportunity by delaying its decision.

The committee says the arguments about where to put the next runway have been the same for a quarter century: Choosing expansion at Heathrow or Gatwick is a choice between high gain at higher cost or low gain at lower cost.

Our conclusions are clear and unanimous: the best answer is to expand Heathrows capacity through a new north-west runway.

The report prompted an angry response from Gatwick airport. A spokesman said: The Transport Committees astonishing statement that the arguments for and against airport expansion have changed little in a quarter of a century ignores the significant change within the aviation industry following the break-up of the BAA monopoly in 2009 and the worsening of air quality in the UK which has repeatedly halted Heathrows plans in the past.

Gatwick is the only scheme which can actually deliver the economic benefits airport expansion would bring without the dramatic and unacceptable impacts on noise and air quality.

Heathrow Airport in London. (AP)

Its bigger rival, meanwhile, said: The real, independent evidence continues to point towards Heathrow. The Transport Committee and the Prime Ministers Airports Commission have confirmed that an expanded Heathrow will be an economic powerhouse driving jobs creation across the UK and fuelling a boom in British exports.

Only an expanded Heathrow delivers and now is the time to make it happen.

The MPs are demanding a clear timetable for expansion. They say the delay is damaging jobs and the economy; aggravating the uncertainty for people living near the shortlisted sites; and denying connectivity to travellers in the UK regions.

The cost of dithering: How each days delay is losing millions

Using the figures calculated by the Davies Commission, and endorsed by the Transport Select Committee, The Independent has inferred a cost per day for prevarication. It assumes that each days delay in making a decision is itself delaying by one day the opening of a new runway - something that the Department for Transport disputes. The DfT maintains that the original timings are still feasible.

The benefit for the economy of the preferred option - a third runway at Heathrow - is estimated as 147bn over 60 years. That equates to a daily rate of 6.7m, or almost 5,000 per minute.

If the decision eventually goes to Heathrow Hub - the project to extend the existing northern runway - the daily loss shrinks to 6m, slightly over 4,000 per minute.

Gatwicks option is the cheapest and fastest, but also brings the least economic benefit. The daily cost of dawdling over a decision is only slightly over 4m, just under 3,000 per minute.
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On Saturday, the world watched as President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to over 100 tonnes of ivory, the largest amount ever to be burned in one go. It was a powerful symbolic gesture. To see 105 tonnes of ivory, worth over $150 million on the black market, go up in flames is to get a vivid sense of Kenya's commitment to ending the blood-soaked trade decimating Africa's elephants.

What fewer people saw was the day before, when conservationists, politicians, heads of state and business people gathered in Laikipia, Kenya, at the Giants Club summit, talking, negotiating, carving out real frontline measures set to make a real difference to conserving Africa's elephant populations. Here there were no licking flames, towering pyres or dramatically billowing smoke. The work, however, was just as important. More so. For if Africa's elephants are to survive into the coming decades it is vital front line protection is bolstered.

The African elephant, the worlds largest land mammal, faces extinction because of mass poaching fuelled by demand for illicit ivory, mainly in Asian markets. Around 30,000 elephants are killed every year across the continent. Some say all frontline conservation is futile. As long as ivory sells for thousands in China, the argument goes, poachers will always find a way to kill elephants.

But as Dr Max Graham, CEO of Space for Giants, parent charity of the Giants Club, has said, rampant demand in the Far East should not be an excuse for passivity in Africa. Ranger forces and perimeter fences will not solve the poaching crisis on their own. But they will buy us time while we wait for Chinese attitudes to turn against ivory.

The Giants Club aims to protect 50 per cent of Africas elephants by 2020. At the summit, founding members Botswana, Kenya, Gabon and Uganda - who together hold 50 per cent of the continent's elephants - took the first momentous steps toward making this aim a reality.

Financiers pledged more than $5 million in immediate funding for a new Kenyan, Gabonese, Botswanan, and Ugandan conservation initiative. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime announced $300,000, UK-based NGO the Elephant Family pledging $500,000, and the ICCF Group, an international conservation organisation, pledging $200,000.

Jody Allen, a leading US philanthropist who co-founded the Paul G Allen Family Foundation, committed fresh support for a special operations unit, and strengthened legal capacity for convicting poachers and traffickers, for Botswana. Kim Tan, CEO of SpringHill Management, will support new impact investments.

Liu Xianfa, China's Ambassador to Kenya, read a personal letter from President Xi Jinping, describing the great importance the Chinese leader placed on the summit, and promising China's future support.

Interventions announced at the event included:

 Gabon plans to double staff at its National Parks Agency from 750 to 1,500

 Uganda intends to construct an electrified fence around Murchison Falls National Park to reduce incidents of human-elephant conflict

 Botswana will form an intelligence-led special operations unit to support wildlife rangers

 Kenya will launch a National Conservation Endowment Fund, whose profits will fund conservation

These measures won't end poaching on their own, but they will give elephants a fighting chance.

Evgeny Lebedev, the owner of The Independent and the Giants Clubs patron, said the summit and ivory burn sent a strong message the illegal wildlife trade must be stopped: We need to remember that an elephant is being killed every 20 minutes. If we let that carry on, this magnificent animal could be extinct.

What we have seen at the Giants Club Summit is the start of an African conservation revolution, said Graham. It has an amazing few days that none who will present will ever forget.
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Industrial action, to use an old-fashioned term, is more usually a symptom rather than the cause of a problem in the workplace. While strikes can certainly exacerbate tensions and do little in themselves to solve underlying problems, they are a sign that one side, at least, feels so hard done by they are prepared to take steps to pressure the other.

It is still more remarkable, then, that parents and children themselves, rather than a trade union, are mounting their first ever strike tomorrow. Such has been the intransigence of the Government over the testing of six and seven year olds that parents would prefer them to miss a day of schooling rather than sit through the SAT exams. While technically illegal, there is little that in practice the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, can do about the situation. Sequestering the piggy banks of the nations kiddies is not an option that even the most martinet of cabinet ministers is inclined to take, though the Schools Minister Nick Gibb looks like hed quite like to have a go.

The point is that both sides in this dispute have allowed what should be a fairly pragmatic discussion about the balance between academic rigor and fostering creativity among very young children to become a sort of kindergarten version of the great miners' strikes of the past, complete with mini-me pickets and hectoring Tory politicians. The junior Scargill de nos jours has yet to emerge. If nothing else it provides those barely old enough with an introduction to the notion of industrial action as a legitimate weapon. Indeed weaponising the schoolroom  for this is unlikely to be the last such action  will count as one of the greatest blunders of Ms Morgans time in office, whether she is right or wrong in her arguments. The time has long gone when the parties should have started talking and being sensible, rather than behaving like, well, a bunch of kids having a scrap in the playground.
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My experience as a father of two  and as an ex primary school teacher - reflects that of many other parents this week. My 10-year-old daughter Iona, who is in Year 6, has lost her previous enthusiasm for school; the joy she once had for learning seems sadly absent. The daily grind of practice tests has taken its toll, leaving her bored, stressed and exhausted.

Her school is encouraging children to write to the government, expressing their feelings about SPAG and the SATS test. My daughter has risen to the challenge, writing an open letter to Mr Cameron with an interesting twist. She has written the letter using as many words as possible from the governments list of words Year 6 children are expected to be able to spell correctly by the end of their primary education.

To make it easier for Mr Cameron, who might not be fully acquainted with these words, my daughter has helpfully written them in italics.

Dear Mr Cameron,

I am corresponding with you and your government to criticise the disastrous spelling, punctuation and grammar curriculum and SATS tests. These unnecessary tests are a hindrance to other important aspects of learning such as art, philosophy, drama and geography. There is more to life than learning the language in the recommended way you suggest. We need to equip ourselves for a full range of lifes other opportunities.

As these tests have never occurred before, my year group  and the year twos  feel that we are being forced to learn quicker than appropriate. According to your government, these tests are about raising standards and achievement; (is this the right use of a semi-colon - this is one of many controversies?) this is not necessary as the teaching profession has other available ways to communicate how well children are doing.

It is mischievous of you to suggest these tests improve and develop our writing. Many of the grammatical terms we are being taught are irrelevant to our writing and even our excellent teachers seem to be unable to recognise their meaning. Please could you send me clear definitions of demonstratives, relative pronouns, abstract nouns and subjunctives so we are all clarified.

I would recommend that you get rid of the SPAG tests and add more vital aspects of learning to the educational system. I also suggest that you discuss with the parliament a way to make learning for Year 6 more fun.

(I know that the spellings in this letter are correct as I used the spellchecker on the computer.)

I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Iona Bell, aged 10

This Wednesday the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign wants parents to keep their children off school, to protest against an educational regime they say places more importance on test results and league tables than childrens happiness and joy of learning. A group of Year 2 parents have also set up a 38 degrees petition which has so far been signed by over 40,000 showing support for a SATS boycott and a return to teacher led assessments.

Earlier this year, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) called for this year's SATs to be suspended after government assessment criteria for childrens writing standards came far too late in the process". But it is the controversial new spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG) test that has come in for particular criticism from teachers, with complaints that the new standards are too hard and too confusing; 86 per cent of teachers who responded to an NUT survey called on this Mays test to be cancelled.

Now its clear that teachers, parents and pupils feel the same way, its time for David Cameron to respond. If Iona can write sensibly about the issue, then so can he.
Undated family handout photo of James Goodfellow, 79, inventor of personal identification number (PIN) technology, which allows people to withdraw cash from bank machines, who has recalled his "eureka moment" as he marks 50 years since its invention.

The man behind the personal identification number (PIN) code, the digit-based lock that allows bank customers to access their money through ATMs, has recalled his "eureka moment".

PIN technology turned 50 this week and its inventor, James Goodfellow, said he created the security mechanism while in Glasgow.

Mr Goodfellow, 79, was a young engineer working in Glasgow in the 1960s when the banks were looking for a way of letting customers get hold of their money after branches closed on a Saturday morning.

He worked on the project for a number of weeks and came up with the idea of a coded card with a personal number to access money from cash machines.

After receiving the green light from banks the PIN founder then went on to the develop the concept of the card with a team on engineers.

Mr Goodfellow said he has not made no financial benefit from his gain but that he had received recognition over the years.

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In 2006 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of West Scotland and was also named an OBE.

After spending time in the US working on access control systems Mr Goodfellow was tasked with creating a way to access money after hours.

When he was first bandying ideas about for the security system he said it looked as though it would be through biometrics and a finger print scanner. However, this was deemed unlikely given the technological restraints at the time.

Mr Goodfellow said he harbours "no grumbles" for not having made any financial gain from its creation.
Milk supplies are stalling around the country as cold conditions continue to hamper grass growth.

Grass growth continues to lag last year by as much as 30pc, and even with a surge in meal usage, farmers are still struggling to maintain milk yields.

"Most cows are in by night up here," said Aidan McCabe of LacPatrick, where supplies were down 3pc on the same week last year. Neighbouring Lakeland Dairies was up 1.5pc.

Kerry co-op reported April volumes to be down 7pc, while Aurivo said that milk supplies were falling with every passing week.

"We're taking in barely the same amount of milk as April 2015, and if this goes on any longer it could hit the peak that cows are capable of producing," said the western processor's Anthony Walsh.

Dairygold declined to specify how much milk volumes were down week-on-week, while Glanbia said that intake was "in line" with 2015.

Arrabawn said that supplies were up 9pc compared to the same week last year, while Lisavaird said that they were up 2pc for the last week, but back 2pc for the month.

Teagasc's PastureBase showed that grass growth is at just 70pc of the same period last year across the country.

Projections

Teagasc farms at Ballyhaise in Cavan, Moorepark in Cork and Solohead in Tipperary recorded 33kgDM/ha, 43kgDM/ha, and 50kgDM/ha.

Meanwhile, it appears that predictions of a turnaround in the dairy market are being pushed out further into 2017.

Dairygold CEO Jim Woulfe said that the latest 2.1pc increase in first quarter supplies in the US was "worrying".

"We already know the positions that people are taking for quarter four [in 2016] so it will run into 2017 before we see a change," he said.

Glanbia CEO, Siobhan Talbot, warned farmers last week that milk prices were likely to get worse because of ongoing global challenges for the industry.

Glanbia AGM analysis: pg 16
The European agro-chemical industry is worth billions of euro annually

Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Round-Up, is a key tool for the control of weeds and the protection of crop yield. Farmers claim that there is no alternative product or system delivering the same results. Groups opposed to its use in farming and horticulture argue otherwise and want to see it banned or at the very least curtailed.

The European Commission regularly re-assesses active ingredients in plant protection products. With the glyphosate license due to run out this summer, the Commission concluded that it was safe to allow its continued use for another 15 years.

However, in a non-binding resolution, the Commission's decision was rejected by the European Parliament's Environment Committee and later by a vote of the entire Parliament arising from concerns about the possible health implications.

The European Food Safety Authority's conclusion was that glyphosate was not likely to be carcinogenic. However, in a separate development, the WHO (World Health Organisation), through the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans.

These two apparently contradictory scientific opinions, coupled with a strong lobby from NGOs, led to questions about whether or not glyphosate should be banned.

Not surprisingly Monsanto, the US based company that developed the product in the 1970s and its use on GM crops, was part of the public debate.

The WHO places red meat, inhaling emissions from high-temperature frying and inhaling smoke from an indoor fire in the same category as glyphosate. The IARC (WHO) puts the combined contraceptive pill, alcoholic beverages and processed meats in an even higher category of concern.

The apparent difference between the WTO and EFSA comes down to the difference between something being a potential hazard and a real risk, which is linked to usage and exposure.

Based on the EFSA conclusions, the European Commission proposed an extension of 15 years for glyphosate.

Two weeks ago the Parliament gave the green light to a renewal of the license but with caveats over usage.

MEPs proposed a renewal for seven rather than 15 years with questions raised about the use of the chemical in public places and by domestic users.

Industry argues that the concern of MEPs is based on scare-mongering and promotion of misinformation and unsubstantiated claims and that this is hampering an informed debate on glyphosate.

There is a long list of chemicals coming up for renewal that are likely to attract the same attention, including bentazone, cyhalop butyl, diquat, famaxodene and triabendazole.

It is interesting that plant protection specialists regard glyphosate as one of the safer agro-chemicals, yet its renewal has been anything but straightforward.

Mairead McGuinness MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament
The newly-elected IFA president Joe Healy revealed he has started in the post without any agreement on his pay package, as he ordered a full review of remuneration and working conditions across the farming body.

It is one of a number of steps to deliver transparency set out in his opening address to the IFA AGM including reviewing all areas of income and expenditure, with the controversial levies system also up for review.

Mr Healy said he had pointed out during the election campaign that he would be satisfied if farm labour on his farm was covered and all vouched expenses were covered. "In any event the remuneration committee will look at it," he said.

Mr Healy said farmers were entitled to know the income and expenditure in the organisation, and pay for the new director general would be made public.

Farmers' income was a key issue on the election trail with Mr Healy warning that politicians need to "get serious and recognise there is a real income crisis on Irish farms".

He said more action was needed across Europe to effectively enforce Grocery Regulations to rebalance power in the food supply chain. He said they have written to Agriculture Ministers across the EU to gather support to tackle the tariffs on fertilisers.

Uncertainty

He said it was important there was a government formed "sooner rather than later" as the "uncertainty" was not good for the country. While there are many new faces coming onto the national council, Jer Bergin remains on the executive board as national treasurer after a vote.

The IFA council also voted in favour of changing the rules to allow part-time farmers take up posts such as regional chairs. This was a factor in the impasse over the Connacht regional chair position - which saw farmer and postman John O'Beirne ruled out of the race. The regions are due to nominate candidates again.
Norwegian Air International is facing increasing opposition in the United States to its plan to fly from Ireland to America.

The US Department of Transport has now extended a Friday deadline by 10 days for receiving objections to its plan to grant a permit to the Dublin-based airline - a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle.

That means the chances of Norwegian Air International (NAI) being able to launch a planned service from Cork to Boston for the upcoming season summer are narrowing.

A number of unions from the US and Europe are drafting a joint response to oppose the permit. They include the European Cockpit Association, the Association of Flight Attendants, and the Transportation Workers Union.

They sought the extension for filing their objection, noting that the needed the delay in order to complete the coordination necessary to submit a consolidated response.

Separately, the Southwest Airline Pilots' Association also sought an extension to the deadline.

The US Department of Transportation has agreed to the request, meaning the deadline is now pushed out to May 16. The objections must then be reviewed before a final decision on granting the permit to NAI is confirmed.

"While we are sensitive to the concerns voiced by NAI regarding further delay in this case, we believe that this extension is reasonable in the circumstances presented in the interest of ensuring procedural due process," the Department said.

Another objector to the permit is Captain Steve Colman. He has worked for a number of airlines, including Norwegian, and is a high-profile opponent to NAI.
Online betting has kept many gamblers away from traditional bookmakers  but our casinos and poker halls are flourishing. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire...A

One man is gambling away his student grant. Another is using a large portion of his pay packet, received hours earlier, to fund his game.

The croupier throws out a flop, players leaning over the table eagerly anticipating the next card.

Online betting has kept many gamblers away from traditional bookmakers - but our casinos and poker halls are flourishing.

There is an arcade of some description on nearly every street corner in the capital.

Over three hours in one of Dublin's popular poker haunts, I witnessed vast amounts of money being spent.

In a quiet back alley off one of the capital's busiest streets, hundreds and thousands of euro exchange hands in a game of poker.

The Texas Hold'em game is completely legal, but in some cases young men and students were throwing their week's earning into the pot. A number of the men were clearly intoxicated, but the cashier gladly exchanges their money for poker chips.

The atmosphere is tense, with the players focused on the cards being dealt by the croupier.

By the time 'the River', or last card, is drawn, the table is down to three players.

And by the time the players show their cards, the pot has over 300 in it. "Trip Queens," one player exclaims excitedly, as he gathers in his large winnings. The other man, defeated, leaves the table.

As the night turns into the early morning, the number of players diminishes while the value of the pot available grows.

By 4am, there are thousands of euro at stake. One player, who is down 300 in a half-an-hour period, hands his bank card to the cashier to collect another three-figure sum of chips.

Although players must have identification to enter the premises, inside it seems very relaxed.

The premises serves alcohol, only further clouding the judgement of some irrational gamblers throwing their money away. At 1 a bottle, the price is too tempting for most.

Most gamble sensibly, sticking to small figures. But others are intent on "chasing" their losses. The end result is invariably the same across the board.

One young man even explains that he'll have to wait for "the first bus" as he hasn't got the money for a taxi home.

He laughs, but then awkwardly shuffles out of the casino.

In another room, mainly filled with roulette wheels, drunken punters stop in from a nightclub to "spend a few quid", as one puts it. "Two-hundred euro on red," he eventually says to the dealer. After a brief spin of the wheel, the dealer's response - "black" - is met with a deep sigh.

Despite being left penniless for the night, most agree they'll be back next weekend - and the cycle will go on.

The house will always win.
Businessman Denis OBrien has criticised the Irish governments decision to suspend water charges.

Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Mr OBrien said a plan to set up a commission to examine the water charges issue meant it had been kicked in the air and down the field.

The government was wrong to back down on Irish Water, he said. All the infrastructure is Victorian for the supply of water in Ireland.

Last week, it emerged that water bills for all householders would be suspended and the issue of the future of Irish Water would be examined by a commission of independent experts.

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The announcement was made after Taoiseach Enda Kenny capitulated to Fianna Fail to cling to power.

Mr OBrien told Bloomberg: I really dont care who is in power but I think there needs to be stability in Ireland Its a time in Europe where a lot of unsettling things are happening.

GMC/Sierra, which is one of three companies awarded contracts for the installation of water meters by Irish Water, is a subsidiary of Actavo, formerly Siteserv.

Siteserv is owned by Denis O'Brien's Millington.

The businessman also told Bloomberg he may draw a dividend from his Digicel Group Ltd. over the next two years, after halting payments for now.

Mr OBrien last year shelved a share sale, citing volatility in equity markets.

In the last 18 months, two years weve spent more than than $1 billion on capex, Mr OBrien said in the interview with Bloomberg Television.

It seems out of kilter to be paying a dividend to myself. We probably will in the next year, two years, but theres no rush for that at all.

In April, it was reported that Mr OBrien had waived about $20 million ( 17.5m) of cash dividends last year.

Mr OBrien told Bloomberg that Digicel remains highly profitable and plans to keep investing heavily, including through acquiring other businesses.

Mr OBrien founded Digicel in 2001 and turned it into a mobile-phone empire spread from El Salvador to Vanuatu, partly on the back of high-risk, high-yield debt.

Corporate debt markets are still showing a little bit of skittishness, he said.

The market is getting a bit more solid, and looking at every credit for its own particular strengths. We have a great spread of assets.

The yield on Digicels April 2022 bond has dropped to 11.4 percent from 14.3 percent three months ago.

Last October Mr OBrien pulled the Digicel IPO set for New York in a move that surprised many analysts at home and abroad.

The telecommunications company, which does business in the Caribbean and South Pacific, aimed to sell 142.8 million of Class A common shares at between $13 and $16 each, according to a regulatory filing.

The company, built from scratch by Mr OBrien after he secured a mobile licence to operate in Jamaica in 2000, had intended to raise between $1.8bn and $2bn (1.6bn and 1.8bn) on the New York Stock Exchange from the sale of about 39pc of Digicels equity.
The Small Firms Association (SFA) has called for the reintroduction of a dedicated Minister for Small Business in the next Government.

The SFA has identified eight key priorities it says the new administration, expected to form later this week, must include in its Programme for Government. They include "ending tax discrimination against the self-employed and entrepreneurs", tackling the rising cost of doing business and boosting investment by improving the capital gains tax regime.

"The next Government must put the right policies in place to increase the ease and attractiveness of doing business in Ireland," said Patrica Callan, director of the SFA.

"If our new Government puts small business at the heart of its policies, then we will see the small business sector respond with increased job creation," she added.
Here are the main business stories from this morning's papers:

Irish Independent

* The SuperValu brand could start making an appearance on shop shelves around the world, as Cork-based retail group Musgrave plots a targeted internationalisation of its products.

Musgrave chief executive Chris Martin told the Irish Independent that while its plans are at a very early stage, the group is looking at how it might emulate retailers such as UK-based Waitrose, which sells its products to other retailers around the globe.

* Marc Benioff, the US internet billionaire who's chief executive of software giant Salesforce, has invested in Irish biotech firm Nuritas as part of a fresh 2m fundraising by the firm, the Irish Independent has learned.

Mr Benioff made his investment via his California-based Efficient Capacity vehicle.

* Norwegian Air International is facing increasing opposition in the United States to its plan to fly from Ireland to America.

The US Department of Transport has now extended a Friday deadline by 10 days for receiving objections to its plan to grant a permit to the Dublin-based airline - a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle.

The Irish Times

* An Australian entrepreneur has revealed himself as the creator of the controversial currency by posting a picture of himself on a blog showing "proof".

Craig Steven Wright claims to be the creator of the digital asset and said he is the man behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

* An overwhelming majority of businesses in the North and the Republic believe the UK should stay in the European Union as the risks associated with a Brexit begin to mount.

Irish businesses ranked the potential effect it would have on the Irish economy as the primary concern, while the need for a united EU marketplace also ranked highly.

* Over a quarter of small Irish shareholders in Vodafone opted to sell their shares in the company for free after a special reduced commission offer was offered to anyone holding 50 or fewer shares in the firm.

According to a report in The Irish Times just over 26pc of shareholders have replied to the offer from Vodafone in the ten week period since it has been issued.

Irish Examiner

* Irish trade union Siptu has failed in its bid to gain a 15pc wage increase for those working at logistics firm Felxtronics.

The dispute over pay went to the labour court where it was recommended staff receive a 5pc increase over the next two years at the loss-making firm.

* Greenpeace has criticised a new free trade deal being discussed between the EU and the US, saying the deal would lower both food safety and environmental standards.

The European Commission iterated that the documents Greenpeace were referring to were positions of negotiation and not the final outcome.

* FBD Holdings has named Jim Ryan as its new chief commercial officer for FBD Insurance. Mr Ryan is joining FBD from his role at Ulster Bank, where oversaw branch banking.

Mr Ryan is to join FBD next week and will look after the company's 33 Irish branches.
He has made his mark on TV3 with stints on Ireland AM and the Seven O'Clock Show.

Now Today FM star Anton Savage has admitted he may be open to taking over from ex-politician Ivan Yates when he steps down from his media duties in the coming months.

Sunday Am host Ivan Yates confirmed earlier this year that he will be quitting the weekend programme he co-hosts with Anna Daly when he heads off traveling with his wife this summer.

Radio host Anton said he would not "rule out" filling Ivan's boots on the morning programme

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TV3 is on the lookout for someone new to fill the slot and confirmed that Saturday AM presenter Simon Delaney won't be taking on both shows.

"I do have a long relationship with TV3," Anton told the Herald.

"I had not considered it, but I used to do a current affairs slot on Ireland Am and I got on very well with Anna.

"So I would never say never and couldn't rule it out."

Newstalk presenter Ivan will leave Sunday Am in July and co-host Anna has said she was "devastated" to hear of his departure.

As well as filling in for Mark Cagney and taking on Ireland AM, Anton has presented regularly on TV3's The Seven O'Clock Show.

The Dublin presenter took over Ray D'Arcy's morning weekday show on Today FM in January 2015.

Last week's JNLR figures showed that Anton's programme had dropped by 8,000 listeners compared to three months earlier.

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Anton said that the show - on air 14 months - was "still in transition" and the 18-month mark will give them a clearer picture of where they are at.
Chris Evans, the new host of BBC motoring programme 'Top Gear', has hailed Jeremy Clarkson as a "hero" and described his predecessor's sacking as "bizarre".

The BBC Radio Two DJ expressed surprise that Clarkson, who had previously triggered several international incidents over alleged racism, had been removed from the role for hitting an Irish producer.

"If you look at the chronology of controversy of 'Top Gear' over the last five or six years, it is bizarre that he went for losing his rag over his dinner when there had been international incidents before that," Evans said.

"What is more fascinating is that he went for what he went for, considering what had gone on before."

Clarkson was suspended and then fired by the BBC after a "fracas" in which he punched Oisin Tymon, a 'Top Gear' producer.

The incident occurred after Clarkson was told there was no hot food available after a day of filming.

During his career as 'Top Gear' host, Clarkson was accused of making several xenophobic or racist comments, including saying a car manufactured in Mexico would be lazy, and calling Romania "Borat country, with gypsies and Russian playboys." He also faced a mob in Argentina after driving a car with the number-plate H982 FKL, which many Argentinians believed was a reference to the Falklands War.

Clarkson had also suggested that Koreans at Hyundai ate spaniels, and in May last year a tape emerged of him using the n-word while reciting nursery rhyme 'Eeny Meeny Miney Mo'.

However, Clarkson escaped the sack until punching his colleague.

Evans told 'GQ' magazine Clarkson remained a "hero" of his. "We used to get on. I don't know if we still get on because I haven't seen him in ages," Evans said.

"But he is one of my heroes. He's entertaining. He was great on 'Top Gear' and I love his writing."
Shaheeda Zainab is already set up as the first Muslim private school in Ireland, and has 28 pupils split between junior and senior infants, with plans to go all the way up to Leaving Certificate level.

It delivers the full Irish primary curriculum as well as studies in the Koran and Islam. The school participated fully in recent Decade of Centenaries commemorations and posted its Proclamation for a New Generation online with its sentiments translated into Arabic.

"We want to integrate and that is the reason we had this proclamation; we are part of the Irish system," Dr Taufiq said. An independent school, it is not recognised by the Department of Education, but it has been approved by the child and family agency, Tusla, which has powers under the Educational Welfare Act to assess the provision of education of children outside a recognised school. This is the same legislation that covers home schooling.

The Educational Welfare Act approves the education being provided for the child, as distinct from recognising the school. Without recognition, a school receives no State funding and Shaheeda Zainab relies on fundraising events, as well as Dr Taufiq's own funds, to meet its running costs.

School principal is Ciara de Barra, who trained in Colaiste Mhuire, Marino. The second teacher is Orlaith Doran, who graduated from St Patrick's, Drumcondra, and previously worked in the Muslim School in Clonskeagh.
The first commemoration to mark the execution of 1916 Rising leaders took place amid the sombre surrounds of the Stonebreakers' Yard in Kilmainham Gaol.

Three individual moving ceremonies were held to honour Padraig Pearse, Thomas Clarke and Thomas MacDonagh  who were all put to death by firing squad on this day 100 years ago.

A member of the Capuchin Friars from Church Street took part in the events, reading from the memoirs of the individual friar who attended to each of the men prior to their execution.

Acting Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly addressed the first ceremony,which was held for Padraig Pearse, while Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Joe McHugh attended the ceremony for Thomas Clarke.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan spoke at the event held commemorating the execution of Thomas MacDonagh.

Minister Kelly said that the common thread uniting all of the leaders is that they believed in Ireland as a sovereign independent State and pledged their lives to that cause.

Now, one hundred years on, we are challenged to live up to the ideals and aspirations of Pearse and the other leaders for an Ireland that declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation'.

A nation that cherishes all of its children equally, Minister Kelly added.

In remembering Pearse, he said we should also reflect on the fact that he was well aware of the effect that his execution would have on his family and in particular on his mother. In his powerful poem , The Mother, he outlines the complexity of the emotions shared by all families who lost their loved ones in the struggle, the Labour Deputy Leader said.

Relatives of Pearse and MacDonagh were in attendance however a representative from the Kilmainham museum laid a wreath in honour of Clarke, with none of his relatives present.

A minute of silence was held for each, ended by a muffled drum beat before a pipers lament was played, followed by the Last Post.

The National Flag was then hoisted to full mast and the Reveille sounded after which the National Anthem was played.

Padraig Pearses Grand-nephew, Patrick Pearse, who laid the wreath on behalf of his relative said he was deeply honoured to do so.

Ceremonies commemorating the execution of Joseph Plunkett, Edward Daly, Michael OHanrahan and William Pearse will be held tomorrow followed by John MacBride on Friday.

Con Colbert, Eamonn Ceannt, Michael Mallin and Sean Heuston will be commemorated on May 8 while Sean MacDiarmada and James Connolly will be remembered on May 12.
Gerry Adams: Sought to justify tweet in context of Irish suffering caused by penal laws and partition. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Gerry Adams was rounded upon for using the "Irish slave myth" to try and justify his shocking N-word outburst on Twitter.

The Sinn Fein leader admitted his controversial tweet - later removed from his Twitter account - was inappropriate, but defended his comparison of the treatment of Irish nationalists to African Americans.

Mr Adams provoked an angry backlash on Twitter and from political opponents after tweeting on Sunday night about 'Django Unchained', the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino film about slavery in America.

The latest in a long line of bizarre tweets from the Louth TD said: "Watching Django Unchained - A Ballymurphy N*****!" He also referred to the main character as "an uppity Fenian".

Mr Adams later apologised "for any offence caused" but later sought to justify it in the context of the Irish suffering penal laws and partition.

However his argument was debunked by experts who insisted that their plight was not directly comparable to African American slaves.

Tim Brannigan, a black Irish man who was imprisoned in the 1990s for possession of IRA weapons, said: "Comparing nationalists to blacks is clearly wrong and causes genuine offence. Nationalists were not in chains. They were not slaves."

Slavery historian Liam Hogan, who is based in Limerick, also rejected Mr Adams's comparisons between Irish people and African Americans.

Mr Hogan's work seeks to debunk the 'Irish slave myth' and argues that the Irish were "indentured servants" rather than slaves.

"You can't jump from the slave labour camps of The South to twentieth century Northern Ireland by way of an apology," he tweeted.

Mr Hogan later said there is a "significant difference" between "recognising the solidarity between civil rights movements" and "using the N-word to co-opt history".

Mr Adams's tweet will be damaging to Sinn Fein in the US, where the story quickly gained traction, as well as in the North where Stormont elections loom within days.

Sinn Fein quickly rushed out a statement shortly after 2am yesterday morning in a bid to mitigate the damage done.

Ironically, the row came on the same day that his party colleague Martin McGuinness called for an eradication of racism along with other prejudices. Writing in our sister paper the 'Belfast Telegraph', Mr McGuinness said: "We need to eradicate sectarianism, racism, homophobia and bigotry and deliver equality for every one of our citizens".

At a hastily arranged press conference yesterday morning, Mr Adams admitted deleting the tweet minutes after posting it.

"'Django Unchained' is a powerful film which highlights the injustices suffered by African Americans through its main character, Django," he said.

"I have acknowledged that the use of the N-word was inappropriate. That is why I deleted the tweet."

In an earlier statement, Mr Adams had defended his use of the offensive term and said anyone genuinely offended by it either misunderstood him or misrepresented the context.

"Like African Americans, Irish nationalists were denied basic rights," he said. "The penal laws, Cromwell's regime, and partition are evidence of that.

Draconian

"In our own time, like African Americans, nationalists in the North (of Ireland), including those from Ballymurphy and west Belfast, were denied the right to vote, the right to work, the right to a home, and were subject to draconian laws.

"This changed because we stood up for ourselves. We need to continue to do that."

It also comes just weeks after he was accused of comparing himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks when he was excluded from a St Patrick's Day celebration at the White House.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: "If a similar remark had been made by any other political leader on this island, Sinn Fein would have unleashed an orchestrated wave of angry condemnation," he said.

Mike Nesbitt, leader of the UUP, described Mr Adams's comments as "contemptible" while First Minister Arlene Foster claimed Mr Adams' mask had "slipped again". "To compare slavery in America to the life of anyone in Northern Ireland is utterly ridiculous and offensive to those who suffered in slavery," she said.
A 13-YEAR- old boy who has already secured 1.8million interim payments in settlement of his legal action over the alleged negligence at birth has asked the High Court to assess a final lump sum payment in his case.

Jamie Patterson has cerebral palsy with spastic quadriplegia, is not able to talk and can only communicate through facial expressions and body language.

His counsel Aongus O'Brolchain told Mr Justice Raymond Fullam the boy and his mother, Teresa Patterson, now want the case against the Coombe Hospital in Dublin to be finalised with a lump sum payment to cover his future care needs.

Counsel said Jamie after innumerable assessments by experts and his family are anxious to bring the litigation to an end with the payout of a final lump sum payment.

Jamie of Mountdown Park, Terenure, Dublin,through his mother, sued the Coombe for alleged negligence at the time of his birth in November 2002.

The interim settlements totalling 1.8million made two years ago were without admission of liability.

It was claimed the hospital failed to exercise any or any proper care or adequate care for the safety and well being of Teresa Patterson and her son.

The claims were denied by the hospital.

The case before Mr Justice Fullam continues.
CLAIMS that murder accused David Mahon "gutted" his stepson with a knife are just " plain wrong" and "a gross exaggeration" and are an attempt by the prosecution to portray him as a "butcher" or "savage", a jury has been told.

David Mahon (45) has denied murdering 23-year-old Dean Fitzpatrick on May 26, 2013.

Mr Fitzpatrick is the brother of Amy Fitzpatrick who went missing in Spain in 2008.

The father-of-one was stabbed to death outside Mr Mahons apartment at Burnell Square, Northern Cross in Malahide.

Defence counsel, Sean Guerin SC, has begun his closing argument to the jury of six men and six women at the Central Criminal Court.

Mr Guerin said that if there are two ways of looking at the evidence, the more favourable account must be given to the accused unless the prosecution has proved the alternative beyond a reasonable doubt.

He told the jury that David Mahon was asked by gardai if Mr Fitzpatrick's death was his fault, and he said that it was.

"If Mr Mahon had not taken the knife out of his pocket Dean Fitzpatrick wouldn't be dead, and he has admitted that", Mr Guerin said.

"Mr Mahon has admitted that taking the knife out was a very, very stupid thing to do and had tragic consequences", he added, saying "he and Audrey will have to live with the knowledge of knowing that he was at fault."

However, the question for the jury is not whether Mr Mahon is at fault, said Mr Guerin.

The jury must decide "does Mr Mahon bear criminal responsibility for Mr Fitzpatrick's death", and the onus is on the prosecution to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mr Guerin said that taking the knife out by Mr Mahon could never be fatal and it is the defence case that it was the "deliberate movement of Dean Fitzpatrick that caused the force and not a stabbing motion by Mr Mahon".

Mr Guerin said the knife could have penetrated Mr Fitzpatrick to a depth of 14.5cm but the pathologist said it may have been as little as 12.5cm.

He said that when there's multi interpretations of the evidence then the more favourable must be given to the defendant.

Mr Guerin further said the exaggeration of the actual scientific evidence was not enough for the prosecution, who also said Mr Fitzpatrick was "gutted", was "run through with a knife".

Mr Guerin said this "flight of rhetorical fancy by the prosecution in the opening of the case" was just "plain wrong" and a "gross exaggeration".

He said it was an "exaggerated description to disgust the jury and to portray David Mahon as some kind of butcher or savage that had gutted Dean Fitzpatrick".

He said that Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis had accepted in his evidence that Mr Fitzpatrick's injury could have been "accidental self-impalement" or a deliberate stabbing.

Mr Guerin also said that Dr Curtis had "no difficulty in reconciling Mr Mahon's account of what happened with the science".

He also said that in the prosecution's closing speech, the jury was told Mr Mahon "did everything to avoid responsibility". for Mr Fitzpatrick's death.

Mr Guerin said the jury knows Mr Mahon left the scene and he threw away the knife.

However, he said Mr Mahon rang Coolock Garda Station before 9.30am the next morning and was there 20 minutes later.

Mr Guerin said Mr Mahon "gave gardai everything they wanted". He provided fingerprints and DNA, refused a solicitor and answered all the questions from gardai.

Mr Guerin is still making his closing argument to the jury.

Last Friday, the jury heard the closing argument from prosecution counsel Remy Farrell SC.

Mr Farrell told the Central Criminal Court that Mr Mahon "cooked up" a story for gardai that it had been a terrible and "wholly innocent accident".

However, in the minutes after Mr Fitzpatrick's stabbing Mr Farrell said Mr Mahon told his friend Karl O'Toole that "Dean is dead" and "the knife went through him" and was giving "a very good impersonation of a man who has just admitted murder".

Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan is expected to begin her charge to the jury this afternoon.
A former bank chief accused of conspiracy to mislead investors told gardai that he authorised a 7.2 billion deal with Anglo Irish Bank because he felt he was obliged to support the other bank under the green jersey agenda.

Four former executives from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) are on trial for allegedly conspiring to mislead investors by setting up a 7.2 billion circular transaction scheme to bolster Anglo's balance sheet.

Denis Casey (56), who was the Group Chief Executive of ILP from May 2007 until February 2009, told gardai that Anglo misrepresented the deposit from his bank to achieve their stated aim of bolstering its deposits figure.

Mr Casey from Raheny, Dublin, Peter Fitzpatrick (63) of Convent Lane, Portmarnock, Dublin, John Bowe (52) from Glasnevin, Dublin and Willie McAteer (65) of Greenrath, Tipperary Town, Co. Tipperary have all pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to conspiring together and with others to mislead investors through financial transactions between March 1st and September 30th, 2008.

At the beginning of the week 14 in the trial Detective Sergeant Catharina Gunne from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation gave evidence of voluntary interview statements provided by Mr Casey in October 2013.

Mr Casey told Det Sgt Gunne that he had authorised the allegedly back to back transactions with Anglo but had no role in the structuring or execution of the deals.

He said he authorised the placement of billions of euro to Anglo in September 2008, to cover the date of their year end accounts on September 30, in order to support a pillar financial institution in the Irish banking system.

He said he was motivated to do this because of his understanding of a request from Pat Neary, Chief Executive of the Financial Regulator, and John Hurley, Central Bank Governor for Irish banks to support each other, a so-called green jersey agenda.

The September transactions would never have arisen or never have been contemplated by ILP but for our understanding of our obligations under the green jersey agenda mandated by the Central Bank and Financial Regulator, he told gardai.

He agreed that Anglo were seeking support to bolster its deposits by billions of euros. He stated that he honestly believed that Anglo could not have approached ILP for support without the knowledge of the Financial Regulator.

Asked why ILP did not just walk away Mr Casey replied: I believed at the time that the approach by Anglo was in the context of oversight of their year end balance sheet by the Regulator.

Mr Casey said he authorised the placement on the basis that it would be collateralised, or secured by another payment or asset. He said he believed the financial exposure to ILP from the deposit with Anglo was nil.

As the transaction was collateralised no financial exposure arose for the Group (ILP), he said. He said that because the deal was collateralised it could not have been used to bolster Anglo's deposits because of accounting regulations which only allowed deposits which carry a risk to be included on the bank's balance sheet.

In fact the 7.2bn deal did appear in Anglo's corporate deposits figure on their year-end balance sheet when they published their accounts in December 2008.

Investigators put it to Mr Casey that he had facilitated Anglo's intention to bolster its deposits figure by engaging in these transactions.

The accused denied this was true and said: The collateralised transactions could not have been used to 'bolster' Anglo deposits. In fact Anglo were required to misrepresent the transaction...in order to present it as it did.

He told gardai that in September 2008 he had no reason to question or doubt the integrity and honesty of the Senior Management in Anglo.

The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.

Mr Casey told detectives that it was only in February 2009 when he became aware that if Anglo went into liquidation the financial exposure in ILP could have been 7.2 billion.

He said that in September 2008 I had no reason whatsoever to doubt the honesty and integrity of Anglo Irish Bank.

He added: It never occurred to me that they would misrepresent the transaction entered into with ILP and would suggest that...ILP was prepared to create a 7 Billion financial exposure to Anglo in September 2008.

Subsequent events have called into question the integrity and honesty of the way in which Anglo was run, he said.

He said he didn't believe that it was the same one billion being circulated during the course of these transactions.

On September 22 ILP chairman Gillian Bowler and Mr Casey met senior executives from Anglo, including their CEO, David Drumm, to discuss the merger of the two institutions.

He said he had previously recommended that the ILP Board reject the merger proposal and the Board had done this on the previous Friday. He told gardai he was deeply unhappy that a second meeting had been arranged and did nothing to disguise this.

He said that over the previous weekend media articles had appeared suggesting the only way forward for ILP was to merge with Anglo and he believed that Anglo had planted these stories.

He said he found out later that Mr Drumm described Mr Casey as having a fucking brick wall built in front of him and kept saying very very stupid things. Mr Drumm told colleagues that we stopped short of insulting him.

Gardai asked Mr Casey if, after this meeting and the final rejection of the merger, anything was said regarding the inter-bank deals. Mr Casey said he recalled a senior executive from Anglo said notwithstanding any lack of agreement on a merger ILP and Anglo should continue to co-operate as we had been doing.

He said that he and Ms Bowler confirmed this would continue. He said that after this meeting there was a hostile relationship between himself and Mr Drumm.

My willingness to support Anglo in September 2008 had nothing to do with my regard for or relationship with Anglo but was motivated only by my understanding of my obligations under the green jersey agenda, he claimed.
A six-year-old schoolgirl, who was left scarred for life after she cut her chin in a hotel swimming pool, has been awarded 21,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.

Barrister John Scott told the court that in October 2014 Emma Olteanu had been swimming with her father Marius Olteanu at the Clarion Hotel in Clondalkin, Dublin, when the incident happened.

Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke heard that Emma had been wearing non-slip swimming socks but had tripped on the sharp edge of a matt inside the pool, falling and cutting her chin.

Mr Scott today told the court that Emma had been taken to the A&E Department at Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin, where her wound was stitched.

Counsel said Emma had recovered well but the wound had left a permanent two-centimetre scar under her chin. Through her father Marius, she sued Kingsoak Taverns Ltd, which trades as Clarion Hotels.

The court heard Emma, of Adamstown Way, Lucan, Co Dublin, was self-conscious of her scar.

Mr Scott told the judge the defendant had made a 21,000 settlement offer and he was happy to recommend acceptance of it to the court. Judge Groarke approved it.
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy and 18 others have contested a State application for separate trials on charges of false imprisonment of Tanaiste Joan Burton and other offences following a water charges protest in Jobstown two years ago.

Tony McGillicuddy SC, prosecuting, told Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that there were 45 counts on the indictment including false imprisonment, violent disorder and criminal damage.

He said it was the prosecution's position that there was a case to have the case tried in manageable blocks of four separate trials.

Mr McGillicuddy acknowledged that the defence teams argued that Judge Greally didn't have the jurisdiction to hear the application for severance and that it should instead be dealt with by the judge who would ultimately hear the trial.

He said the State rejected that submission and said the jurisdiction is one that is vested in the court and not restricted to the trial judge.

Counsel referred to various case law from the UK which indicated that trials with multiple accused could place an unnecessary burden on both the judge and jury.

He also said from a practical point of view he didn't believe any court room in the Criminal Courts of Justice would have the capacity to deal with 19 accused people.

Colman Fitzgerald SC, defending Antoinette Kane, (23) of Cloonmore Park, Jobstown, Tallaght, Dublin, who is charged with violent disorder, continued the argument that Judge Greally didn't have jurisdiction to deal with the application.

He also submitted that there was no logic to the State's application because he said they were in charge of drafting the indictment and it was the Director of Public Prosecution's decision to put all 19 defendants on it in the first instance.

Mr Fitzgerald said that it would be inefficient to run four separate trials from the same book of evidence, with the same prosecution witnesses and the same exhibits.

He also said that as some evidence may be relevant to some defendants which is not relevant to others, there would be multiple instances of a trial within a trial to determine the relevance of the proposed evidence.

Instead of one jury dealing with complex issues, you now have four separate juries having to deal with the same difficulties, counsel said.

The jury should have the opportunity to assess the entirety of the incident, in the interest of justice, that they may be able to access the total circumstances involved, Mr Fitzgerald continued.

Other defence lawyers submitted that juries were robust enough to deal with such complex issues as financial trials and would be able to handle this trial.

Some suggested that if the defendants were separated the prosecution witnesses would be polished by the time it got to the final trial.

The argument was also put forward that, in normal circumstances, it should be the accused's' application, not the State's, for separate trials on the grounds of potential embarrassment or prejudice before a jury.

Judge Greally said she needed time to consider the various authorities and arguments. She said she would make her decision on May 12, next and excused some of the accused from attending on the next occasions.
A respected and trusted Dublin assistant bank manager who stole over 127,000 from customers who were also his friends will be sentenced in July.

Owen Travers (61) with an address at Glen Easton Square, Leixlip, Co Kildare pleaded guilty to 15 counts of theft from seven customers over a number of years.

He appeared before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today where he said he wanted to convey his deepest apologies to all those affected by his actions.

The shame I've brought on myself and my family is unbearable and something I will have to live with for the rest of my life, he said in a statement read out in court.

The court heard Travers, who was an assistant manager at AIB in Clondalkin between 2006 and 2012, stole money ranging in amounts from 200 to 25,000.

All of the victims were customers with whom he had a personal relationship and some of them had lent money to him in the past, prosecution barrister Pieter Le Vert BL said.

The court heard Travers' actions came to light in February 2012 after one of his victims noticed a significant amount of money missing from her elderly mother's account. Nearly 25,000 had been taken in unauthorised transactions between July 2010 and January 2012.

The woman then noticed that 10,000 was missing from her own company's account. She tried to contact Travers a number of times before taking the matter up with the bank.

She later received a call from Travers who told her: It was me. I took the money. I'm sorry I took the money from your mother's account.

The court heard Travers made similar admissions to his boss and told him he was checking into St John of God's treatment centre for alcoholism and depression.

Travers later told gardai he had gambling issues and a number of debts, including two struggling investment properties in Dublin and Portugal. He told gardai he was suicidal at the time and driving around hoping for a pole to crash into, the court heard.

Mr Le Vert said Travers, who had worked at AIB since the age of 18, was well-liked, respected and trusted, Mr Le Vert said.

In victim impact statements handed into court, many of his victims said they cared more about Travers' breach of trust and the fact that they had lost a friend rather than the money he took from them.

Although he took over 127,400, the total monetary loss to his victims was just under 90,000, as he moved money between accounts, the court heard.

As the saying goes, he was robbing Peter to pay Paul, Mr Le Vert said.

Defence barrister Ronan Kennedy BL said Travers, who had about 15 supporters in court, was a man who was held in high esteem by his employers, customers and the wider community.

This has been a very significant fall from grace, he said, adding Travers had lost his career and his status in the community.

Travers is now the primary homemaker for his wife and two children and will never work in the financial sector again, the court heard.

Mr Kennedy said Travers has no previous convictions and had a bank order in court to pay back the remainder of the money he had taken. Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain adjourned the matter for sentencing on July 11.
Gardai investigating the fatal shooting of a man in Dublin last week have carried out a series of searches.

Dad-of-Tom Farnan (37) was shot and killed after he answered the door of his Clondalkin home eight days ago.

His death came less than three hours after dissident Republican Michael Barr was murdered at the Sunset House bar in Summerhill, North Dublin.

Now Independent.ie has learned that gardai in west Dublin have searched a number of properties and seized several phones as part of their investigation into Farnans brutal murder.

Detectives have completely ruled out any connection between Farnan and Barrs murders.

They are investigating if Farnan was murdered following a dispute over a stolen motorbike.

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Farnan alleged that his motorbike was stolen and he confronted those he believed were responsible.

There was a fight and one line of enquiry is that those involved targeted Farnan.

The source continued: Gardai believe that this is a local dispute and they carried out a number of searches. Phones were seized and these will now be analysed as part of the investigation.

The father-of-two was shot four times in the torso after he answered his front door on Kilcronan Close, Clondalkin in West Dublin on Monday, April 25.

He is due to be buried on Thursday after funeral mass in St. Aidan's Church, Brookfield, Tallaght.

His sister Jenny told Independent.ie last week: "Waking up and still living the nightmare how can this life be so cruel.

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"Words can't describe how much I'm going to miss him. My heart is broken I still can't believe it."

She said the family could not understand why he was killed and insisted that she didn't want to speculate: "I just want it put out there that he was not involved in any of the gangland or criminal activities.

"He was just a normal decent man, a big brother, a loving son and a brilliant father."

She continued: "He was the best brother I could have ever asked for. If anybody asked for anything then he would do it for them."
A cruel act of fate stole Dr Taufiq al-Sattar's wife and three children in an arson attack in the UK, but it didn't rob him of her vision for education in Ireland.

The Dublin-based neuro surgeon, whose family perished in a fire at their home in Leicester, is planning a lasting monument to his late wife's dream for an Islamic education and cultural centre in Dublin.

Dr Taufiq has been liaising with Fingal County Council on ambitious plans for a mosque, primary and secondary school and recreation centre.

Education and faith are close to the heart of Dr Taufiq as they were for his late wife, Shehnila, who was living in the UK to allow her children combine their schooling with an Islamic education.

She planned to return to Ireland with her daughter, Zainab (19) to set up a Muslim school. His late sons, Jamal and Bilal were 17 and 15 when tragedy struck in 2013.

In his darkest days, Dr Taufiq, a consultant at Beaumont Hospital and Temple Street, thought that "we are probably not going or start the school - but God planned it a different way".

Ultimately, he told the Irish Independent that the project "kept me alive" .

Now, he has also found new happiness in his personal life and someone to share the road ahead. He remarried in his native Pakistan in 2014 and his wife Sarwat "is walking with me on this journey".

From the day of the tragedy, Dr Taufiq turned more of his energies to the work of Dawah Community Centre, Warrenstown House, Blanchardstown, a centre for Islamic religious and cultural gatherings.

He said the "educational idea was with our family for a long time".

Dr Taufiq added that he has no time for those who carry out acts of violence in the name of Islam.

"That is wrong. This is not part of the teaching of the prophet Mohammed, that is why we want to teach religion right from the very start."

The Dawah Centre is now renamed the Shuhada Foundation, an Arabic word for martyrs. In its singular, feminine form it is Shaheeda, the inspiration for the name of the Muslim primary school he opened in his daughter's memory in September 2014 at Warrenstown House.

But he has bigger plans and expects to apply for planning permission soon and have building work underway by early next year. The complex will be built on a phased basis, starting with the mosque, with each building named after his late wife and children.

Dr Taufiq said the purchase of Warrenstown House, a former HSE premises, was paid for from family funds.

He has offers of financial support from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia as well as Leicester for the new development.
Gardai investigate an incident where a man was shot at Shancastle Drive in Dublin. Pictures:Arthur Carron

Gardai investigate an incident where a man was shot at Shancastle Drive in Dublin. Pictures:Arthur Carron

Gardai investigate an incident where a man was shot at Shancastle Drive in Dublin. Pictures:Arthur Carron

This is the man who was rushed to hospital after being gunned down in a drive-by shooting in the capital.

Keith Willis (26) was shot in the arm and leg shortly before 9pm in the Shancastle Drive area of Clondalkin last night.

It is understood that Mr Willis, who is living in Ballyfermot, had been walking alone when two men in a silver saloon pulled up beside him and opened fire.

It is believed he was shot twice with a handgun.

He was rushed to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, where it is believed his injuries are not life-threatening.

Dispute

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Whatsapp Gardai investigate an incident where a man was shot at Shancastle Drive in Dublin. Pictures:Arthur Carron

Mr Willis is believed to be originally from Ballyfermot but had recently been living in Lucan.

The latest shooting comes just days after Thomas Farnan (37) was shot dead in his hallway on Kilcronan Close, Clondalkin on Monday, April 25.

Expand Close Gardai investigate an incident where a man was shot at Shancastle Drive in Dublin. Pictures:Arthur Carron / Facebook

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The two incidents are not believed to be related. It is also understood that neither shooting is connected to the Hutch-Kinahan feud.

Gardai at Ronanstown Garda Station are investigating the incident - with garda helicopters understood to have headed in the direction of the M5O in search of the suspects.

The area was cordoned off by gardai last night.

Local councillor Kenneth Egan told the Herald the recent spate of shootings in the area is "shocking", blaming it on thugs that "have no shame".

"It's madness and uncalled for, it's shocking no matter what the reasons are behind it. It's happening too often around this area. It is a good area and there's some fantastic people here," Mr Egan said.

"I think there are enough gardai in the area and they do a fantastic job. They're renowned for their work-rate, so I wouldn't question them.

"There's just a couple of thugs out there who have no shame going around shooting people and have no respect for anybody and that's the problem," he added.

The scene on Shancastle Drive, close to Liffey Valley shopping centre, remained sealed off this morning as gardai from the technical bureau carried out a forensic examination of the scene.

Locals reported hearing four loud bangs but said they did not see the victim or the gunman.

A bullet hole could be seen in the front door, and there were some bloodstains on the wall of the open porch where the victim had rubbed against it, most likely as he fled from his attackers.

Two yellow garda tags marked evidence on the path and roadway outside the house which is at the end of a cul de sac.

It is thought they covered spent bullet casings.

I heard four loud bangs, one after the other in quick succession, and then the gardai, ambulance and fire brigade were here very quickly, said one shocked local woman.
Local people gather as gardai secure the shooting scene at Shancastle Drive in Clondalkin last night. Photo: Collins

A man was rushed to hospital after being shot in the arm and leg in Dublin last night.

The 29-year-old was walking on Shancastle Drive in Clondalkin when a car pulled up and a gunman opened fire.

The victim, who is believed to be from west Dublin, was rushed to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.

His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The shooting is not believed to be linked to the ongoing Kinahan/Hutch feud.

One local source last night said the shooting appeared to be part of a "localised dispute".

The victim was walking shortly before 9pm when a silver saloon car, with at least two people inside, pulled up and the gunman fired up to four shots.

A pensioner who lives on the street said he was watching television when he heard shots being fired and "a car racing out" of the estate.

"It's very upsetting. My wife isn't well. She was up in bed sleeping. It's disgraceful," the man said.

The latest shooting comes seven days after Thomas Farnan (37) was shot dead in his home on Kilcronan Close, Clondalkin on April 25.

The two incidents are not believed to be related.

The scene was cordoned off by gardai last night and gardai from Ronanstown are leading the investigation.

Local Councillor Kenneth Egan said the recent spate of shootings in the area was "shocking".

"It's madness and uncalled for . . . It's happening too often around this area. It is a good area and there's some fantastic people in this area.

"I think there are enough gardai in the area and they do a fantastic job.

"There's just a couple of thugs out there that have no shame, going around shooting people and have no respect for anybody, and that's the problem."
The PSNI have appealed for information

A man in his 50s has died and five people have been taken to hospital following a serious three-vehicle collision this afternoon.

The incident occurred on the Collin Road in Ballyclare, Co Antrim, near the junction with the Braepark Road.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said that three fire appliances attended the scene.

Ulster Unionist councillor David Arthurs tweeted: "Thoughts and prayers with the families of those caught up in this accident".

The road was closed for much of the day, it has since been reopened.
An Irish sheep farmer said he is 'sickened' by the slaughter and theft of 14 lambs from his farm in an overnight raid at his farm that has wiped out 15pc of his lambing income in minutes.

Balbriggan farmer, Pat Hagan went to check on his six-week old lambs last Friday morning and was devastated to find a 'trail of blood' across his fields.

After counting his herd, he found that 14 lambs were missing, after being killed in the field and stolen by what he described as an 'efficient and professional operation'.

'They only left a blood trail behind them where they must have dragged the lambs across the field with their throats cut, to a collection point where they must have had a van waiting,' the Balbriggan farmer told the Fingal Independent.

Pat believes there must have been several people involved in the raid to gather that many lambs together and get away so quickly.

Despite the field where the horrifying attack took place beign just 50 metres from the family home, Pat heard nothing overnight and only knew of the raid when he came upon the trail of blooding leading from the field.

'I got 1.5 lambs per ewe this year and I was delighted with that. A lot of work went into them and I was up all night, chasing away foxes and everything and now I get this. I'm fairly sickened, to be honest with you.'

The Balbriggan farmer is convinced the gang who carried out the raid will be living locally and said: 'Somewhere in a house or an apartment in Fingal, those lambs are being butchered as we speak. I would ask anyone who sees anything suspicious, whether it be blood in a bin or people carrying out a lot of black bags, that they report it.'

The Balbriggan farmer has met with local gardai but is not hopeful they will catch who is responsible for the raid.
This is the moment a car was stolen from outside a home overnight by thieves without keys.

Fitness instructor Jennifer Shannon posted this video of her BMW 520 being stolen from the driveway of her home in the Manorfields Estate, Clonee, Dublin 15 at 3.45am today.

The footage shows two men breaking the window of the white vehicle - registration plate 12D41580 - before using what looks like a transmitter and a deflector to gain access to the keyless vehicle.

Within three minutes the pair have fled in the car.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Car stolen: Courtesy Jennifer Shannon Car stolen: Courtesy Jennifer Shannon Car stolen: Courtesy Jennifer Shannon / Facebook

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Mother-of-three Jennifer released the footage to Independent.ie to warn others about ruthless car theft gangs.

"It's scary that this could happen so fast. I would warn others to be very aware. We thought we were doing everything right by getting an alarm, leaving the key upstairs and putting in CCTV."

This latest video emerged just days after an adapted car belonging to a paralympian athlete was taken from outside his home.

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John McCarthy was left devastated after callous criminals broke into his Dublin home, whilst he was sleeping, and stole the keys to his adapted car - an Audi A6 - before driving off.

Thankfully his vehicle was returned a day later.
'In Sinn Fein they do things rather differently, especially when it comes to Adams'

Gerry Adams has denied being a racist, saying: Ive never seen myself as white.

The Sinn Fein president has again defended himself amid a storm of controversy over his use of the N-word on Twitter, this time dragging water protests into the debate.

And Mr Adams said he intends to continue using the social media network despite the latest row.

I live a wee bit on the edge on Twitter. I enjoy it. I know it excites some comment. Some people see some of my tweets as a bit bizarre, he said.

I know some people think I shouldnt be on Twitter at all, at all. But sure in the middle of it all, despite the seriousness of the discussion were having, you have to have a bit of craic and be yourself every so often, Mr Adams said.

The controversy, which has received international media coverage, comes after Mr Adams tweeted on Sunday night about watching the Quentin Tarantino movie Django Unchained.

He tweeted Watching Django Unchained  A Ballymurphy N*****!, before referring to the main character as an uppity Fenian.

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The film focuses on the brutal treatment of slaves in America in the 19th century and after an immediate online backlash the tweet was deleted and the Sinn Fein press office issued an explanation in the early hours of the morning.

However, speaking on his local radio station LMFM, Mr Adams today insisted: I saw a parallel as I have for a long time between the plight and the struggle for African Americans and people back here at home. I tweeted about that.

He described the film as a very violent but very powerful movie. He said he had been canvassing in his home district Ballymurphy ahead of this weeks Northern Assembly election and it brought back a whole wave of memories of what happened in that locality.

I was trying to use it in an ironic way. I used the N-word, realised that was a mistake, deleted it and then apologised. But I stand over my main point, my substantive point which was to look at the broad parallels between what was happening in America with African American folks and what was happening in our own place, Mr Adams said today.

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I didnt use it in a racist way. If you watch the move Django, the main character, uses the term. Now thats no excuse I shouldnt have used it.

However, in a sometimes rambling explanation he then went on to drag modern day politics into the debate.

He said penal laws were ended because people stood up for themselves, like Django did in the movie.

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People of my own home district, Ballymurphy, have stood up for themselves. And people in Louth whether its water protesters, not trying to compare like with like, or demanding health services, or fighting for the hospital to be returned to Dundalk or better services in Drogheda, people standing up for themselves or their neighbours.

And while they may not be like with like because if youre being horsewhipped or hanged thats a different matter. But in terms of the dignity of human beings.

Ive never seen myself as white. Thats only skin deep. Im a human being, Were all human beings, whatever our skin colour, whatever our gender, whatever our ability or disability.

The fact is were all human beings and we all deserve to be treated properly. And its all about rights and what was happening in America, Mr Adams said.

He added: If people want to attack me over the use of the N-word, fair enough but on all of the other issues if people want to have a debate, Im happy to have that debate.
Journalists from overseas made a beeline for Gerry Adams during the February General Election campaign, reminding us that beyond these shores he is one of the most recognisable figures in Irish public life.

Part of it is the brutal reality that the Northern 'Troubles' were the only international story out of Ireland for the latter half of the last century. And Gerry Adams's name and face have persisted since the early 1980s, contributing to his international notoriety.

Sinn Fein has used these realities to its advantage at times, especially in the US, which has been a very lucrative source of funding dating right back to the 1840s and the day of the Young Irelanders.

So, this story will generate a lot of coverage in the US, where the use of the N-word is, for very good reason, deemed especially offensive.

Irony is often a dangerous device when put in writing. It is doubly dangerous when used in the confines of a 140-character maximum Twitter box.

Neither is irony a strong point with many Americans. But Mr Adams's main defence is that he was using the N-word in an ironic way to compare those who rebelled against slavery in the US with the rebelling nationalists in Ballymurphy.

Mr Adams's assumption that those people with whom Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams deals in the US know him, and know he is not racist, is a dangerous and arrogant assumption. Then there is the contentious historic comparison between the experience of Irish nationalists and enslaved African Americans.

There is no doubting that Irish nationalists suffered much injustice and oppression.

There is no doubt that discrimination against Northern Ireland nationalists continued right up to the close of the 20th Century in Northern Ireland. But there is utterly no comparison with the total misery and denial of all humanity with which African American slaves were treated.

Gerry Adams was already on thin ice in his reaction to discourteous treatment meted out to him at the White House at the recent St Patrick's Day festivities hosted by President Obama. The Sinn Fein leader tweeted that his situation was comparable to that of Rosa Parks, the hero of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, who refused to sit in the back of the bus.

Ms Parks, who died in 2005, is rightly revered as the "first lady of civil rights" and the "mother of freedom". Gerry Adams is no Rosa Parks. Even if he were, it is not for him to draw such lofty comparisons. That is a judgment for others to make in the fullness of time.

Sinn Fein's US fundraising is very considerable and unrivalled by any other Irish political party. Figures released last year revealed that it had raised the equivalent of 11m in the years 1994-2015, an average of over half a million euro per year.

The list of donors is prestigious and unsurprisingly includes prominent Irish Americans and trade unions. At least some of these could be alarmed enough to re-think their munificence in relation to an organisation headed by Mr Adams.

Returns at the US Justice Department show a very polished fundraising operation, built up over the years. This has established donors right across the US. It includes New York construction companies linked to Irish-American families.

More than two-thirds of the money donated came in sums of $1,000 or more from individuals and companies spanning the widest range of business.

Film actors Martin Sheen, 'Lord of the Rings' star Viggo Mortensen, Dennis Hopper, Irish actor Fionnula Flanagan and Oscar-winner Anjelica Huston also donated money.

Most money was raised in 1994-95 as the peace talks were built.
An expert has revealed how to combat car thieves' latest trick.

Electronic engineer Pat O'Leary has responded to shocking footage of a car theft which featured on Independent.ie.

He explained how something as simple as a biscuit tin could save your car being whipped from its spot on the drive outside.

Fitness instructor Jennifer Shannon shared the CCTV footage of her BMW 520 being stolen from the driveway of her home in the Manorfields Estate, Clonee, Dublin 15 in the early hours of the morning last Thursday.

The footage shows two men breaking the window of the white vehicle - registration plate 12D41580 - before using what looks like a transmitter and a deflector to gain access to the keyless vehicle.

Within three minutes the pair have fled in the car.

Expand Close Car stolen: Courtesy Jennifer Shannon / Facebook

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Mother-of-three Jennifer released the footage to Independent.ie to warn others about ruthless car theft gangs.

Speaking to RTE Radio One's Liveline today, Jennifer said she was "absolutely shocked" watching the footage - and the family haven't seen their car since.

"The insurance crowd are being good about it," she said.

"At the start, they were like 'unfortunately, it's hard to believe', but I said, 'wait until you see the footage'."

Now, Wexford-based engineer Pat has advised people to keep their keys or fobs for their vehicles "in something metal" to prevent thieves catching a signal from outside the house.

"In a nutshell, there is a password exchanged between the keys and the computer in the car. That password would be unique to your car and your key combination.

"Your key is out of range," he explained, "so I'm figuring what they're waving about outside the house is a type of receiving arial.

"The signal will be so weak going from the key to the car that it needs a halfway point.

"Anyone with half a knowledge of electronics could create something like that.

"The simple solution is to keep your key in a biscuit tin box, anything metal. The signal is so weak, it won't take a lot to kill it."

The trio on air came to the conclusion that the car was most likely stolen for parts as the thieves would be unable to restart the car without the connection again.

Speaking to Independent.ie last week, Jennifer said she wants to warn others so they don't find themselves in the same situation.

"It's scary that this could happen so fast. I would warn others to be very aware. We thought we were doing everything right by getting an alarm, leaving the key upstairs and putting in CCTV," she said.
The white-gold rattle worth 38,000 which its American maker claimed was sent to Princess Charlotte

The wooden rattle created by Ciaran Hogan at his workshop in Galway

Princess Charlotte is captured in this portrait taken by her mother Kate and released by the British royal family this week. Getty Images

An Irish basket maker has won the admiration of Britain's Prince Charles, who gave his simple woven toy to Princess Charlotte for her first birthday.

Native Galway weaver Ciaran Hogan (34) says he is "flattered" with all the attention he's received since his willow woven rattle was listed among hundreds of presents given to the little princess.

The royal toy box is already believed to contain a 38,000 white-gold rattle studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires sent by a US firm, as well as gifts from a king, two queens, four presidents and three prime ministers.

But according to the weaver: "Sometimes the simplest toy is the best." It looks like I'm beating the sapphires," joked the 34-year-old craftsman from Joyce Country after reports that his toy was winning the "battle of the rattles".

"Children usually like the straightforward toys the most, so I'm flattered that my rattle has gotten the attention it has.

"The craic with it is that it's got seven stones inside to make the noise.

"These represent the seven deadly sins, so when the child shakes it, they're banishing them."

As it was first presented to Prince Charles last May during his historic visit to Galway, Mr Hogan said he was "surprised" that his gift had made its way into the British prince's granddaughter's toy chest.

"It's a simple enough design and only takes 10 to 15 minutes to make, so when I heard about the prince's new grandchild I thought it would be an ideal gift to remember his visit to the area.

"It was very nice to meet him as he was very friendly and did seem to be genuinely interested in the rattle."

He added: "I'm delighted he kept it, to be honest. It's very flattering."

Ciaran, who followed his father into the trade, said that the majority of his business was making turf and log baskets from willow sourced locally from Loch Na Fooey.

"I've always enjoyed the idea of being able to go out cut and harvest the willow and use it to create something from noting. There's a pride in that."

A list of gifts released by Kensington Palace shows that among the more extravagant presents received by Princess Charlotte over the past 12 months include a 40,000 silver rattle given to her by the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, and his wife, Senora Angelica Rivera.
In a new podcast series for Independent.ie, Paul Williams interviews the famous - and not-so-famous - from across Irish society. This week, he meets Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to discuss godless gangland killings and their threat to Irish democracy.

In this frank and revealing interview, the Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, tells Paul Williams why his experience of living in Italy and seeing how they dealt with mafia crime bosses, has led him to believe that only similar draconian laws can work in relation to Dublin's gangland killings.

Only with the help of those from within their communities - and especially from the women - can these gangs be stopped believes the Archbishop.

Diarmuid Martin also discusses the declining role and influence of the Church in 21st century Ireland and reveals why Pope Francis is a 'tough as nails' and needs to be to thrive in the Vatican.

Read More

The Paul Williams podcast will be available each week on Independent.ie.
'In Sinn Fein they do things rather differently, especially when it comes to Adams'

Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh insisted the Gerry Adams row was "much ado about nothing" but also claimed "there is a time and a place where it (the N-word) can be used".

The Dublin South-Central TD said: "There is a time and a place where it (the N-word) can be used. I've heard some of the black leaders using it themselves and it's used with a context and people understand."

Defending Mr Adams, he added: "If you look at the context, the history, people need to look at context...Twitter, you have so many characters, maybe it should have been followed up with an explanation for those who don't understand the background and that."

He said Mr Adams is "the exact opposite" of a racist.

"He has been attacked quite viciously over the years for taking positions which wouldn't be popular in different parts of society here and elsewhere.

"He wouldn't be a racist in any shape or form."

Meanwhile, the party's first African-born councillor says that use of the N-word was "inappropriate" - but added that it is his belief the Sinn Fein president had no racist intentions.

Edmond Lukusa, who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he has known Mr Adams "for many years now".

"As a leader he is a supporter of oppressed people," said the Fingal councillor.

"I am sure he used the word in the context of people in struggle.

"The use of the N-word was inappropriate but he is a good man," he added.
The head of the Catholic Church in Dublin has called for new anti-Mafia-style laws to combat the scourge of gangland crime in his diocese.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin described the people responsible for feud-related gangland killings as "animals".

He also condemned the drug barons who control organised crime as "despicable and evil", and said their activities pose a threat to democracy.

In a candid interview following the recent spate of gangland murders in Dublin, he called for the introduction of a "new type of policing" using anti-Mafia laws and courts similar to those operated in Italy.

Referring to the Regency Hotel attack which happened a short distance from his home, he said: "The spiral of violence, the shootings are extraordinarily brutal.

"Coming into a place and shooting somebody in the face in front of even children ... what sort of animals are these people?

"I get actually moved when I hear these stories and I get angry when I hear these stories.

"We all know where it leads to - you shoot one of mine and we shoot one of yours ... there's no future in that."

He said the legal processes being used by the gardai and the courts in areas such as the seizure of assets from criminals was "too slow".

"We may have to look at a special type of legislation which can move much quicker," he said. "We have to find a way of marginalising, isolating them [crime bosses] and showing our disdain for them. They don't like that."

During the years that he was assigned to the Vatican, Dr Martin took a keen interest in how the Italian state pursued notorious mobsters, such as Salvatore Riina from Corleone. Riina, a former chief of the Sicilian mafia, murdered hundreds of people, including mafia rivals, police officers and prosecutors.

Dr Martin said we should look to Italy and how it staged trials where scores of mafiosi were tried at the same time.

"They have special legal procedures for mafia crime (in Italy) ... because you have to treat this differently to other criminality. We have to use the Special Criminal Court to prosecute these people.

"We also need a different type of policing around this. The experience is that this type of crime can only be beaten within the law."

Dr Martin said he was particularly angered that the three recent murders in Dublin's north inner city communities have left the local "salt of the earth" people living in fear of violence.

"It annoys me that their area is being vilified and that they are living in fear; they are the salt of the earth who kept these communities going, they are decent people who look after one another."

But he said the current wave of violence provides an incentive for a focused legitimate war against the bosses of organised crime who "are absolutely without any scruples or conscience".

"People say, 'the drug barons are brutal, what can you do? You can't stand up against them'.

"I believe these people have two weapons in their armoury - their guns and our silence."

Dr Martin said every community has a role to play in standing up against the gangs - including those unaffected by the violence.

"You have never beaten organised crime of this kind without some kind of community involvement.

"There is intelligence on the street and good communication with the gardai, very good community gardai in the area.

"It's gangland and drugs. We get upset about people who have been shot in the streets, and so we should be. But these people (who are responsible) are killing others on the street every day. There are children in Foxrock also dying because of the drugs that are to do with these (gangs).

"They (gangs) believe that they are invincible, they believe that they can do what they like - but we have to believe that in fact they are not."

Dr Martin referenced the funeral of David Byrne, the drug dealer killed in the Regency attack, which was seen as a glorified gangland pageant and a demonstration of contempt by the drug dealer's criminal associates.

"At the funeral in Francis Street, you had this show before they arrived at the church. There is very little the church can do about that.

"What went on in the church was actually quite quiet and they touched the correct atmosphere."

He said the gangs appeared to be trying to out-do each other with garish displays of wealth at their funerals. "[They] have to outdo the other one. If they had 10 limousines, we have to have 12 ... it is like the mafia, they love funerals," he said.
Police appeal for information after Kevin Kelly (27) lost his life following attack

A young Irish man has lost his life following an early morning attack in Luton, England.

Kevin Kelly (27) died from injuries he sustained in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Bedfordshire Police have launched an investigation called 'Operation Dubnium' and have appealed to the public for assistance.

It is understood Mr Kelly is originally from a small village in east Kilkenny and was working as a plasterer in Luton.

The small community of Skeoughvosteen, which is located close to the border with Carlow, has been described as "devastated".

Police report Mr Kelly to have been in the Upper George Street area of Luton just after 5am on Sunday morning when "an altercation" broke out.

He was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.

Police have confirmed that a man has been arrested in connection to the incident.

They are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to get in touch.

Mr Kelly attended the St Fiachras National School in Skeoughvosteen and later went on to study at Borris Vocational School in neighbouring Co Carlow.

He also played GAA during his teenage years for the local Blacks & Whites GAA Club, where his sister also won an intermediate final for Kilkenny in 2008.

It is understood he travelled to Luton five years ago and established a business.

However, locals say Mr Kelly stayed in contact with friends and family back home in Kilkenny.

It is believed the last time he returned home was just five weeks ago to attend a friend's wedding.

His mother and father, two brothers and two sisters are said to be completely devastated by the tragic news.

Local Fianna Fail councillor Peter Cleere, who knew Mr Kelly and lives near his family home, said the entire community is shocked by the tragedy.

I knew Kevin very well, he was a couple of years below me in primary school. The whole area is stunned, Cllr Cleere told Independent.ie.

They are a well known family and well liked. He was a likeable fella and a lovely chap. He was just a nice lad and everybody is stunned.

We are all devastated for the family. Everybody is shocked, a young man from a rural community when the word came out nobody knew what to say.

He loved going out for a few pints he was just a typical rural Irish lad.

Councillor Cleere said the whole community is coming to terms with the tragedy and will rally behind the father-of-ones family over the coming days.

He added that Mr Kelly remained in close contact with his family and friends in Kilkenny.

Even though he left, he was always around. He was constantly interacting with people. I am friends with him on Facebook and he would always remain in contact with people.

I know he has been away for a couple of years, but it doesnt feel like it because he kept in contact with all of his friends. He didnt just go he was always in touch with his friends here the whole time, said Cllr Cleere.

It is expected Mr Kellys remains will be repatriated to Kilkenny.
Bikers arrive in Mullaghmore against the backdrop of the iconic Classiebawn Castle and Ben Bulben, in Co Sligo, as part of the Revup4DSI event for Down Syndrome Ireland. Photo: Brian Farrell

Aidan Lynam once estimated that his fellow bikers had between them travelled to the moon and back twice to raise funds for those affected by Down syndrome.

Anyone who knew him will tell you that Aidan's passion and commitment for Revup4DSI, the charity motorcycle run he co-founded in 2005, was infectious - so much so that the annual event in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) had raised more than 1.6m by 2015.

Any one of Aidan's many friends and colleagues, as they got off their bikes at noon on Sunday to mark the exact time he tragically lost his life one year ago, would have pledged to ride to the moon and back again just to be in Aidan's company one final time, and to tell him the extraordinary difference he made to so many people.

Day two of Revup4DSI 2016 was always going to be emotional, as it was on Sunday of last year's event that 44-year-old Aidan was involved in an accident that cost him his life. It was a catastrophic blow to the participants, and for Aidan's colleagues in DSI.

Were there doubts about the future of Revup following Aidan's death? Why not call off the event? DSI chief executive Pat Clarke is very clear about the answers to these questions.

"Why? Because if we didn't do it, he'd come back and haunt us," Pat said.

"He was the kind of guy who didn't suffer fools gladly. He gave 100pc and expected 100pc.

"If we didn't continue this work, it would have been a disservice to his memory.

"He was passionate about raising money and providing services to those affected by Down syndrome nationwide.

"Even on the Sunday night as we were mourning Aidan, there was a determination to go ahead with this year's event."

The three-day charity run has grown in size each year - this weekend saw 140 riders and 40 pillions set off from Dublin on Saturday morning. The route is never revealed in advance, with route maps given to riders just ahead of each day's three stages.

The base this year was the Clarion Hotel in Sligo, where riders set off from and returned to after 300km of riding each day.

Aidan's wife Nicky and children Jake (14), Robyn (11) and Harry (8), joined the run once again this year and witnessed the unveiling of a new logo for the event, bearing an image of Aidan on one of his beloved BMW motorbikes.

Comedian PJ Gallagher, a friend of Aidan's who shares a passion for motorbikes, tweeted a picture of himself and Aidan this weekend, with a caption that read: "A year already. One of the best guys I ever met.

"Never contacted me if he wasn't trying to help other people."

If Aidan was alive to witness the 140 riders arriving in convoy to the Spa Hotel in Lucan, Dublin, to mark the end of this year's event yesterday evening, he would have been very proud.

His dream lives on.
Back in February 2003, I was doing very long car journeys and I got this worsening back ache in my lower back. Unfortunately, I ignored it and as a result I have a disability for the rest of my life.

My pain manifests in two ways, first of all when I sit for any length of time I have a dull, stabbing, throbbing pain - like a really bad migraine - right in the centre of my lower spine. Then if I don't get up out of the chair, if I remain sitting, it permeates down my left leg. Starting at my toes I get pins and needles, and eventually my whole leg will go numb and I can't walk.

Sitting is without a doubt the worst aggravator. If I sit in a chair for more than 30 minutes, notwithstanding the medication I take, the pain commences and it just ratchets up incrementally. That is my back telling me to get out of the seat, stand up, kneel or lie on the floor - do anything to relieve the pain. Basically my upper body weight on my spine is causing the pain, which then goes down my leg and I just know when it is time to move from over 13 years of managing this pain.

As you can imagine, this has a huge impact on my everyday life, whether it's going to meetings, events or the cinema or theatre, or even just going for a meal.

Unsurprisingly, I'm not alone here, as research conducted by the 'My Pain Feels Like' campaign found that 45pc of people with chronic pain in Ireland say it affects their social life.

I've learned to adapt and have developed all these little routines to manage my back pain. For instance, I don't have a desk in Newstalk and stand when presenting the show. Often I have to lie down in studio, much to the horror of some of our guests who think I have collapsed in a heap.

When I go to the cinema I lie on the floor after about 30 minutes and, as you can imagine, I see many shocked faces because people see this body on the ground in the dark. But you can't tell everyone your life story, so once I get over my dignity, everyone else is a lot easier.

I don't drive anymore, Deirdre, my wife, has to drive me and I lie down in the back with two pillows. Whenever possible, I travel by train, so I can get up and move around during the journey.

But there are always days when I can't avoid sitting or where it would be considered unprofessional to lie on the floor. On these days I have to increase my pain medication to cope and I'll suffer for a few days afterwards.

The big mistake I made when I had the first serious back pain in 2003 was that I kept thinking 'this will go away'.

My biggest regret is that I endured this pain without going straight to a doctor and that caused permanent damage. Eventually I woke up one day and I couldn't move. Following that I was on crutches for several weeks. I went for an MRI and it showed that the discs between the L3 and L4 vertebrae were worn away.

I will never let it get that bad again because as a result, there are parts of my toes that I have no feeling in and never will.

In 2011, I underwent spinal fusion surgery. This involved open surgery on my lower back with two rods inserted to support my spine. The operation was long and the recovery was too - I spent five weeks lying on my stomach watching The Wire. Unfortunately, the operation wasn't a success in my case, and I still have pain every day.

For me, the critical thing is; pain means your body is telling you to do something. Personally, I know I left it far too late to get professional help. The new website for people with chronic pain - mypainfeelslike.ie - is designed to help you describe your pain and communicate it to your doctor, something I wish I had done much earlier.

The website contains a pain questionnaire that is a route map to help you describe, in detail, what your pain feels like - such as, stabbing, electric shock or burning - before meeting with your GP or consultant.

When you have something as delicate as the spine and nervous system, you only have once chance, so dealing with it early is critical.

While the long-term prospects aren't good for my back, I have adjusted my life to live with my pain. My message to others is don't ignore your pain and don't suffer in silence.

* See mypainfeelslike.ie for more information
I was dealt a royal flush of deeply uncomfortable situations last month. I had to tell a friend that I didn't like the first chapter of his book. I had to tell a potential colleague that I didn't "share her vision". The last one doesn't even bear repeating.

Anyway, I held my breath, gritted my teeth and somehow found a way to navigate the unbearable awkwardness of it all... even if I cringed so deeply at one point that I feared full-body rigor mortis.

Afterwards, I told my mother about my bad luck. "That's not bad luck," she said at once. "That's growth and maturity."

She had a point. I felt considerably more assertive after working up the nerve to broach these awkward conversations. In fact, other uncomfortable situations began to seem comfortable and cosy by comparison.

Most self-development authors remind us that growth can only take place in the 'discomfort zone'. Marianne Williamson touched on it when she ran for Congress in 2014. She quoted fellow empowerment author Sam Daley-Harris who said "The miracle often lies outside our comfort zone".

The late American philosopher, Wayne Dyer was known for saying "when you squeeze an orange you always get orange juice", while Brian Tracy - a well-regarded motivational speaker and sales training expert - tells participants at his seminars that they can only move forward when they "are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable" when they try something new.

The comfort zone is safe: The pattern is familiar and the pace is unchallenging. The discomfort zone, on the other hand, is an uncharted territory where we can only learn by trial and error. The comfort zone is, well, comfortable, but the discomfort zone is where real growth and progress takes place.

The 'I'm-feeling-overwhelmed' conversation with your manager at work; the 'this-isn't-working' chat with your boyfriend; the 'have-you-been-avoiding-me?' phonecall with your best friend: welcome to the discomfort zone.

Humans are hardwired to avoid discomfort, and change is invariably uncomfortable. We tend to only enter the discomfort zone at the eleventh hour or when the comfort zone is no longer comfortable.

But what would happen if we were more comfortable with discomfort? We'd be more confident and assertive, yes, but how would our lives look? Would we be better able to endure macro-discomforts if we learnt to adapt to micro-discomforts?

Many self-development authors and motivational experts make it their business to leave the comfort zone on a daily basis. They say 'yes' to social situations that they would rather avoid and they tackle the most unappealing item on their to-do list first rather than last.

They expose themselves to new environments and fresh sights, smells and sounds as much as possible because they know it introduces them to new opportunities just as it builds new neural pathways in the brain.

Some are even in the habit of taking cold showers to prepare for the inevitable discomforts of life... or at least for the day the water heater breaks down.

Of course, it doesn't have to be that dramatic. Leaving the comfort zone could be as simple as picking up the phone rather than sending a text message or mixing up your morning routine.

It's also a good idea to re-examine your beliefs and honestly ask yourself if they were shaped in the comfort zone. Perhaps you never go to restaurants on your own or you refuse to initiate contact when you're interested in someone romantically. Are these authentic belief systems or comfort zone cop-outs? As for the old "I'm terrible with names" yarn - remember that it's often a comfort zone cop-out for not even trying to remember.

The comfort zone can constrict as we get older. Spontaneity is often curtailed and old habits die hard. I spoke to Dr Christiane Northrup, author of Goddesses Never Age, about this last year. She said she felt her boundaries closing in after her divorce from her husband. Her solution was to throw herself into an immediate discomfort zone: she joined a local Argentine tango class.

The comfort zone can also become the status quo in a group. The more members, the more entrenched the pattern. The only way out is to lead by example... or take your leave entirely.

Workplace comfort zones are perhaps the best example of this dynamic. The mundane plod of the 9-5 makes it very easy to become complacent. However, progressive companies have initiatives in place to counter this.

"Comfort is not the objective in a visionary company," writes James C. Collins in Built to Last. "Indeed, visionary companies install powerful mechanisms to create discomfort - to obliterate complacency - and thereby stimulate change and improvement before the external world demands it".

Speaking of which, Elle magazine in the UK has an interesting strategy in place to counteract complacency and encourage dynamism in the ever-changing media landscape. They 'hot-desk' in an open-plan office, changing desks every day.

Nobody enjoys the first few tentative steps out of the comfort zone. However, when we learn to think of it as the trough before the peak, it becomes considerably easier to move forward.
*** NO REPRODUCTION FEE *** DUBLIN : 11/05/2015 : Pictured was MSC Splendida cruise liner being towed stern first into Dublin Port. Dublin Port Company cruised into the history books today with the arrival of the 333m long MSC Splendida cruise liner, the longest ship to ever call at Dublin Port and currently ranked as the 11th longest cruise ship in the world.. The 4,600 passengers and crew were greeted by a Celtic-inspired welcome on the quayside featuring a live ceili band, Irish drummers, dancers and entertainment before departing for the citys attractions. MSC Splendida is one of 83 cruise calls confirmed for Dublin Port this year, which will see 140,000 passengers arriving to sample the sights of the capital. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. Media Contact: Karen Jones, Gibney Communications, 01 661 0402 / 086 866 4501

Celebrating the arrival of the MSC Splendida in Dublin Port

The MSC Splendida towers over the Poolbeg chimneys as it enters Dublin Port

MSC Splendida, at 333m the biggest ever ship to dock in Dublin Port, is returning to the city on a cruise call today.

The 18-deck behemoth is expected to dock at Ocean Pier 33 at around 6.45am, according to the Port's cruise ship schedule.

The ship will depart this evening before berthing at Cobh tomorrow, as part of an 11-day itinerary that concludes in Hamburg on May 8.

MSC Splendida made maritime history as the largest cruise ship ever to dock in Dublin Port last summer, and staff were "blown away" by the amount of people lining the Liffey to wave it off, Giles Hawke of MSC Cruises said at the time.

The Fantasia-class ship, which debuted in 2009, features over a dozen bars and lounges, four swimming pools, a spa, Turkish baths and a Formula 1 simulator. It also boasts a Swarovski crystal staircase in the main atrium.

At 66.8m in height it is taller than Liberty Hall (59m), and the ship's 333m length (1,093 feet) means it has to be reversed into Alexandra Basin.

Expand Close Celebrating the arrival of the MSC Splendida in Dublin Port / Facebook

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Whatsapp Celebrating the arrival of the MSC Splendida in Dublin Port

By 2020, Dublin Port's 230m Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project will allow it host the world's largest cruise ships - up to 362m in length.

Efforts are underway to promote and develop Dublin as a 'home' or 'turnaround' port for cruise ships, with itineraries beginning and ending in the capital as opposed to simply hosting cruise calls - a record 113 of which are scheduled for 2016.

Disney Magic will also be making its maiden call to Dublin this year.

MSC Splendida carries up to 5,600 passengers and crew, many of whom will have a full day during which to enjoy the city during their visit.

MSC Splendida in Numbers:

333.3 metres - length of the ship, equal to 35 double-decker buses

66.8 metres - height, taller than Liberty Hall

4,363 - passengers at full occupancy

18 - decks (but theres no Deck 17  Italians consider 17 to be an unlucky number because rearranging the letters in the Roman numerals can spell VIXI, which means I have lived or, more literally, I am dead)

1,600 - seats in its on-board theatre

55,000 - horsepower, the same as 120 Ferraris

1,118 - miles of cable on board (the distance from Dublin to Turin)

Read more:
Gambling remains a key component of organised crime rackets as criminals use it as a simple mechanism to launder dirty cash.

From John Gilligan to the Kinahans, gangsters in Ireland have long been linked with betting scams - which are played out without the knowledge of the bookmakers.

Over the past decade Daniel Kinahan, whose gang is responsible for five murders in the feud with the Hutch clan, has been involved in race and match fixing.

He and international criminal associates have been targeted in a number of major police investigations in the UK, Spain and Holland - but on each occasion he managed to slip the net.

Around 1m worth of property and 100,000 in cash were seized when gardai raided properties linked to the Kinahans earlier this year - but tellingly, they also recovered a betting slip for a Liverpool game.

It was for 38,500 and it was 4/7 that Liverpool would beat Newcastle last December 6 - a bet which did not pay off.

But going back decades, one of the methods used by Irish gangsters was to bet cash on all the horses in a particular race.

Dockets

If the Criminal Assets Bureau come calling, the winning docket can be used as evidence of how a person came to have large wads of cash.

The mobster who best exemplified this was John Gilligan who claimed he made his millions as a professional gambler.

The thug, who fled two years ago after being shot and recently returned to Dublin, carried sheaf of photocopies of bookies' cheques as "evidence".

However, his laundering scam was exposed by CAB when it was set up following the murder of Veronica Guerin.

While he laid bets every day, Gilligan also used an organised network of couriers to visit bookies throughout Dublin.

Usually he would bet on all the horses running in a particular race at up to IR10,000 a time. And when he won, he insisted on being paid with a bookmaker's cheque.

When CAB raided Gilligan's home a month after Ms Guerin's murder, officers found a large framed montage of photocopied cheques from various bookies.

CAB officers forensically examined the individual records of Gilligan's dealings with 25 branches belonging to the five major betting chains in Ireland.

What they found was startling. Between March 1994 and June 1996 Gilligan wagered a total of IR5,480,849 which included the 10pc betting tax.

His return was 4,860,713, showing an overall loss of 620,135, or 11.5pc of the total cost. On the surface he appeared unlucky.

But when calculated on the lowest standard rate of income taxation, Gilligan's laundering operation proved superb value for money.
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Colette Browne Opinion Every effort must be made to retrieve oral histories of mother and baby home survivors

With three days to go until the Mother and Baby Homes Commission ceases to exist as a legal entity, we are being told that audio recordings of hundreds of witnesses which were deleted may not actually be gone forever. It is another usual twist in a most emotional saga. For decades, survivors of mother and baby homes have been denied a voice and denied autonomy. When they fell pregnant, many through rape and abuse, they were marched to the doors of religious institutions.
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Ian O'Doherty Opinion For once, the UN is right  were standing on the edge of a deadly nuclear precipice

For those of us of a certain age, the last few months have felt as if we have somehow time-warped back to the 1980s. Stranger Things, which is set in that decade, has been the biggest show on TV. Kate Bush  thanks, incidentally, to Stranger Things  is now regularly played on the radio and she has reached number one in 2022 with the re-release of her 1985 hit, Running Up That Hill.
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John Downing Opinion Pension reforms are dicey territory  but grand plan by minister Heather Humphreys just might win through

Pension system changes all across the western world have a great propensity to infuriate those most feared by politicians: the grey brigade. And when the oldies take to the streets, they usually play for keeps.
'If some Independents are looking for too much, Kenny & co should move on without them.' Photo: Gerry Mooney

It is, sadly, more deja vu than 'new', politics right now. For all the unique make-up of the 32nd Dail, there remains a depressing sense that we've been here before.

For the abolition, sorry "suspension", of water charges, read Fianna Fail's scrapping of rates in 1977. Or the decision on the eve of an election two decades later by Labour - yes, Minister Kelly, wholesome, 'only in the national interest' Labour - to end the requirement for all new homes to have a water meter installed.

The sweetheart deals with Independents, meanwhile, have been done on countless occasions before, most famously with Charlie Haughey's 1982 'Gregory Deal'. The stand-out item from the current 'pork barrel' list of demands is an unnamed TD's request that the government explore options for getting from the West to Dublin Airport without using the motorways. Where do you start with that one?

And we've even had the prospect of a new 'benchmarking' process for public servants. If there was one policy that best captured the collective madness that took hold during the Celtic Tiger, it was benchmarking. Could we really be about to make the same mistake again?

Perhaps with talk of "new politics", we're aiming too high. At this stage, most people would settle for a government. But to be fair to Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin, they cut through 90 years of fairly poisonous history to come to an arrangement (albeit a less-than-ideal one). Despite the laughably simplistic calls for them "to just get on with it" from some quarters, that wasn't an easy thing to do.

However, now the Independents are playing to hard to get. If there has been a coherent strategy from the various Independents since the General Election result, it's hard to see what it is. Is there a plan there? Katherine Zappone, Denis Naughten and perhaps a couple of others aside, do they want to be in government? Or are they, to borrow a line from Monty Python, "making it up as they go along".

We can only assume that the Independent Alliance won't actually refuse to go into government over John Halligan's demand for cardiac services in Waterford. If they do, it would be an extraordinary case of grasping defeat from the jaws of victory. Halligan, an impressive TD and a decent individual, clearly feels he needs to take a stand on this issue. But it would beggar belief if his Alliance colleagues scorned the one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make history over this issue.

That couldn't be further from 'new politics'.

Leo Varadkar's statement over the weekend on the issue cut to the heart of the matter. Resources for health are finite and "decisions on where specialist and regional centres are located should be made following an expert clinical review ... not as a consequence of a political deal".

Decisions on health are far too critical to be left to political horse-trading. A rubicon was rightly crossed in that regard when Professor Tom Keane - backed up politically by Brian Cowen and Mary Harney - faced down local pressure groups to introduce the centres of excellence for cancer care.

The decision by the last government to close the 24-hour emergency department at Roscommon Hospital was another example of patient safety being put before political expediency.

It has taken us a long time as a country to get to that point. If Fine Gael caves in in relation to Waterford Hospital, it would represent a return to the bad old days when such decisions were routinely bottled. It's impossible to see how Varadkar could stand over that, particularly given his statement at the weekend.

Of course, compromises are required to form a government. We've seen that already. And the Independents have a right to drive a hard bargain - they would be foolish not to. But there has to be a limit to how far Fine Gael will go.

And if some Independents are looking for too much, Kenny and co should move on without them.

There's much talk about 58 being the magic figure to form a government, because of Fianna Fail's commitment to abstain.

But a strong signal from the Greens, the Social Democrats, and the Labour Party that they would also abstain in the vote for Taoiseach, to responsibly allow a government be formed, would change the arithmetic considerably.

If that happened, Mr Kenny already has the numbers to secure his re-election. It would clearly be preferable to have some Independents at cabinet level.

This would broaden the pool of talent - Denis Naughten in particular would make a fine Minister, and there are others - and give the government greater comfort when it comes to crucial votes.

However, given what's we have learned about some (though not all) of the Independents' demands, it's not in the national interest for them to have the whip hand.

In the early 1960s, Sean Lemass ran a minority government (albeit one just a few seats shy of a majority) on the basis of 'no deals' with Independents and an approach to the opposition that was the political equivalent of 'have a go if you think you're hard enough'. Faced with the prospect of causing a General Election, the Dail lasted four years.

We badly need a government. Ideally this week. And a similar approach from Enda Kenny might just focus some minds among Independent TDs.

Shane Coleman presents the Sunday Show on newstalk.com at 10am
Among the fantasies that leading Republicans regularly present to the media is that when Donald Trump wins the nomination, he will become more presidential.

The notion that the American people will swallow the new Trump, very likely the same as the old Trump with a bit more sophisticated packaging, is actually laughable.

Sure, American presidential candidates usually pivot to the middle after leaning left or right in their primary battles to win their party's nomination.

But Trump didn't just lean right. He went so far he fell off the platform.

Republicans love to soft-peddle their discomfort about such people as minorities and women, who have deserted the party in droves as the GOP have become rabidly anti-immigrant and fiercely opposed to women's health issues.

Along comes Trump, who screams these issues from the global rooftop and exposes the blatant bias beneath.

He insulted Muslims and Hispanics, he mocked a disabled journalist, he vowed to end Nato as we know it after 70 years of peace in Europe. He insulted women at every opportunity, he mocked political opponents in the most callous and vicious ways.

His insults aimed directly at women show him with only 30pc support from them. His demonisation of Hispanics has led to much larger demonstrations against him and a 20pc approval rating. His incoherent foreign policy has led to fears of Armageddon.

Will Americans forget all that so quickly and go with the new, sleeker version? I don't think so but the unpredictable nature of the campaign so far has led to widespread disagreement on what the future holds.

It is now certain, as I wrote two weeks ago, that he will be the nominee. Lemming-like, the Republicans keep voting for him and take their turns lining up to march off the cliff to political extinction in November.

The final act of the six-month drama of the nomination process is about to happen in Indiana, where Trump has a blow-out brewing despite Ted Cruz throwing every Hail Mary pass and kitchen sink he can find at him.

But after the inevitable Indiana win, there will be no magical conversion. There is as much hope of that as Trump taking responsibility for his four bankruptcies, rather than walking away scot-free as he did.

A few weeks back, the Trump camp issued a statement saying he had merely been "projecting an image" with all that trash talk and that "you'll soon see a different guy". Some hope. Donald, after one speech where he did not mock, scream and bully, went back to the tried and true.

The rally on Friday in California had a stormtrooper feel to it. The anti-immigrant rhetoric included flag-waving families who had suffered from crimes committed against them by illegal immigrants.

The rhetoric was dialled up, being so near the border, so Trump bellowed and blasted Muslims, Hispanics and, yes, women like Hillary Clinton when he insisted her success was due only to the fact she is a woman.

(He never discusses the millions his father left him to continue on in the construction business. He was no "up from the bootstraps" story, as he likes to pretend.)

The women thing is what will hurt him the most. He simply seems blind to their sensitivities.

As Maureen Dowd in 'The New York Times' noted, Trump is a boys' club guy, like an old Frank Sinatra ratpack, surrounded by cronies like convicted rapist Mike Tyson, media black arts merchant Roger Stone - who claims Bill Clinton is not Chelsea's father, among other slanders - and Corey Lewandowski, key campaign staffer, arrested and later released for allegedly assaulting a female journalist during a Trump rally.

He's from a generation where women were "broads" and sexual availability was far more important than any intellectual talents a women might have had.

Little wonder that Hillary Clinton's black ops team has already sent out several videos showing Trump reciting his most insulting lines.

As against that, the media, flush with massive ratings from Trump coverage, refuse to let go of their cash cow. He is the only candidate allowed to phone in to programmes, the only one whose rallies are always covered. The softball attitude of institutions like CNN will do them enormous damage in the long run. Amazingly, Fox News, and especially their anchorwoman Megyn Kelly, have done the best job of all in covering him.

When some of the media do decide to probe deeply, they are subject to death threats. Journalist Julie Ioffe did a remarkable profile of Melania Trump, Donald's wife, in 'GQ'. Among the exclusives, she found Melania was a second-tier model on her way down and was only invited to the party where Donald met her because organisers wanted some pretty faces.

She also revealed the secret to success is separate bathrooms, and Ioffe reports that Trump once told shock jock Howard Stern that Melania has never passed wind in his presence. Ioffe was subjected to massive anti-Semitic hate mail and death threats after the article ran and Trump condemned it.

Dark forces lurk in the background of the Trump phenomenon and occasionally surface. The Republicans know this. The 'New York Times' reported that several obvious choices for vice president have refused to be part of the ticket, unheard of since George McGovern in 1972 was turned down by several top Democrats before settling on his choice.

McGovern lost in a massive landslide and I firmly believe the same will happen to this rough beast called Trump, who is arousing such racism and anger in America.

Here's hoping.
Radiohead have returned to the internet with a new song and video

Radiohead have posted a new song and accompanying animated video online, days after vanishing from the internet.

Burn The Witch, which has had more than 120,000 views so far on the rock heavyweights' YouTube channel, combines impatient pulsing strings with a thumping bassline.

And its accompanying video is characteristically dark, consisting of a Trumpton-like stop-motion animation retelling of what appears to be The Wicker Man, which ends with a man being burned alive.

The video, according to the YouTube credits, was directed by Chris Hopewell - who worked with the band on 2003's There There.

The band had earlier deleted its website and tweets on May 1 and sent cryptic leaflets to fans through the post, prompting speculation about when and how the group will release a new album.

It restarted its online presence early on Tuesday morning, sharing three animations on Instagram which have been liked by more than 50,000 people, before putting up the full song.

Fans speculated they could be linked to the new company the band registered in January, Dawn Chorus LLP. Radiohead also established companies before the surprise releases of records In Rainbows in 2007 and their last studio album, The King Of Limbs, in 2011.

Some fans have recently shared images of cards they have received in the post, emblazoned with the band's bear logo and the words: "Sing the song of sixpence that goes Burn The Witch."

The song appears under the headline "Dead Air Space" on the band's website.

There was a mix of opinions on Radiohead's facebook page, with the vast majority appearing to be in favour of it, according to its likes - although there were some dissenting voices.

Persis Shanker wrote: "Great song but the typical British styled stop animation video doesn't suit the soar of the chorus. This song crashes into a volcanic mountain that spouts lava into outer space."

Susanna Testi added: "Ok... anyone else has put the song on repeat mode since they've published it? I can't stop playing it!!!"

Video of the Day

And Liam Boyle went on: "As always the most exciting an (sic) innovative band on the planet produce another classic track.. Great track!"

However, others were less impressed, with Oskar Callejo Ontoria writing: "Is this the new sound of Radiohead? For the first time in my life I must say 'Radiohead, I don't like this. Nothing at all.'"

And James Wallace added: "More pretentious guff from Radiohead. At what point in this century did they give up on writing a decent chorus? This like everything else over the past few years is boring as hell."

In March, the band - consisting of Thom Yorke, Jonny and Colin Greenwood, Phil Selway and Ed O'Brien - announced a string of UK dates in May, their first in this country in four years.

They are part of a world tour that will also see the quintet play in Amsterdam, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Mexico City.
Stella Maxwell and Maryna Linchuk arrive at the Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art May 2, 2016 in New York. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY

Irish model Stella Maxwell represented Topshop at Monday night's Met Gala in New York

Stella, who was born in Belgium to Irish parents Stella Maynes and Maurice Maxwell, wore a rose gold, body-hugging gown with delicate straps and a dramatic train.

Expand Close Stella Maxwell arrives at the Costume Institute Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art May 2, 2016 in New York. / AFP / Timothy A. CLARY / Facebook

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Whatsapp Stella Maxwell arrives at the Costume Institute Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art May 2, 2016 in New York. / AFP / Timothy A. CLARY

Speaking to Refinery29, the rumoured ex-girlfriend of Miley Cyrus said she was looking forward to catching up with her friends at the exclusive event.

Im really excited to be seeing my friends  Lily Rose Depp, Bella [Hadid], and Taylor Hill are some of my girls, and itll be fun to hang out with them, for sure.

Expand Close (L-R) Models Stella Maxwell, Taylor Hill, and Maryna Linchuk attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp (L-R) Models Stella Maxwell, Taylor Hill, and Maryna Linchuk attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

She also couldn't contain her excitement at being chosen to represent one of the high street's big players.

"I think its really indicative of todays culture  fashion reaches so many people, and brands like Topshop make owning a beautiful dress or outfit accessible. Imagine one dress made by hand, who could afford that today and who would have the time to wait for that?," she said

Expand Close Taylor Hill, Kate Upton, Stella Maxwell, Sofia Richie,Nick Jonas, Douglas Booth and Cameron Dallas represented Topshop and Topman at the Met Gala. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Taylor Hill, Kate Upton, Stella Maxwell, Sofia Richie,Nick Jonas, Douglas Booth and Cameron Dallas represented Topshop and Topman at the Met Gala.

"Of course that market still exists but for a select few people. Its so fun that everyone is involved in fashion. Its so great that someone can make their own outfit of a design they made on their computer, or a trained designer can craft a masterpiece or Topshop can make a beautiful dress that a young girl going to an event can wear and feel beautiful.

"The key to fashion is to spar confidence and the feeling of beauty. Its really wonderful I love that everyone can participate.

Expand Close Stella Maxwell gives ex-girlfriend Miley Cyrus a kiss on the cheek. Instagram / Facebook

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Whatsapp Stella Maxwell gives ex-girlfriend Miley Cyrus a kiss on the cheek. Instagram

Models Taylor Hill, Kate Upton and Instagram star Sofia Richie (daughter of Lionel) also wore bespoke Topshop for the big night.

Nick Jonas, Douglas Booth and Cameron Dallas were in tow for Topman.

Expand Close Irish Victoria's Secret Angel Stella Maxwell posted this racy photo on Instagram / Facebook

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Whatsapp Irish Victoria's Secret Angel Stella Maxwell posted this racy photo on Instagram

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24-year old Stella, who began her modelling career while studying as a student in New Zealand, was unveiled as a Victoria's Secret Angel last year.

Her father Maurice, a graduate of Queen's University, Belfast, worked for the European Commission and spent many years in Brussels.

Expand Close Stella Maxwell, who was born in Belgium to Northern Irish parents / Facebook

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Whatsapp Stella Maxwell, who was born in Belgium to Northern Irish parents

Mr Maxwell's most recent appointment before retiring in 2012 was as head of the European Commission's office in Belfast.

Stella was raised between Belgium, New Zealand, Australia and the UK as her family travelled the world to follow her father's work.
Model Taylor Hill attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

(L-R) Models Stella Maxwell, Taylor Hill, and Maryna Linchuk attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Model Poppy Delevingne arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Model Anna Ewers arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Model Louise Parker arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Bee Shaffer arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Colin Farrell arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Jimmy Iovine, left, and Liberty Ross arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Poppy Delevingne arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Television personality Kendall Jenner arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Actress Saoirse Ronan arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actors Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Apple CEO Tim Cook arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Singer-Songwriter Taylor Swift arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Television personality LaLa Anthony and husband, NBA basketball player Carmelo Anthony, arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Singer Demi Lovato arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Singer Solange Knowles (R) and Actress Kristen Stewart (L) arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Rapper Nicki Minaj arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Comedienne Amy Schumer arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Katie Holmes arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Model Kate Upton arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Jennifer Hudson arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Model Adriana Lima arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Political aide Huma Abedin and her husband former U.S. representative Anthony Weiner arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Lily-Rose Melody Depp, daughter of actor Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, wearing Chanel at the Met Gala 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Nicole Kidman arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Kris Jenner and companion Corey Gamble (R) arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Kylie Jenner arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Model Cindy Crawford arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Performers Willow Smith (L) and Jaden Smith arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Singer Ciara arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Kate Mara arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actors Kate Mara (R) and Jamie Bell arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Model Karlie Kloss arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Model Irina Shayk arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Model Karolina Kurkova arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Chloe Sevigny arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Kerry Washington arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Jennifer Connelly arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Robert Pattinson, left, and FKA Twigs arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" on Monday, May 2, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Actress Amber Heard arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actresses Emily Blunt (L) and Olivia Wilde arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Emily Blunt arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Instagram founder and CEO Kevin Systrom and wife Nicole Schuetz arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Freida Pinto arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Singer-songwriter Lorde arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actor Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Brie Larson attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Actress Rachel McAdams arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Actress Lupita Nyong'o attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

NEW =Actress Amandla Stenberg attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Model Doutzen Kroes attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Kate Hudson (L) and Lady Gaga attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Model Irina Shayk attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Actress Danai Gurira in a dress by Coach at the Met Gala 2016. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Monaco Royal Family member Charlotte Casiraghi arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Nina Dobrev attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

=Hailee Steinfeld attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Singer Hasley attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Zoe Kravitz attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Actress Amy Schumer and designer Alexander Wang arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Dakota Johnson attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Designer Michael Kors arrives with Actress Zendaya at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Television host Stephen Colbert and wife Evelyn McGee-Colbert arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Naomi Watts arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Emma Stone arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Jessica Chastain arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Actress Zoe Saldana arrrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Ciara attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Jemima Kirke attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Tennis player Maria Sharapova attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Actress Kristen Stewart arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Blake Lively arrives for the Costume Institute Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York. / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARYTIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

Singer FKA Twigs and actor Robert Pattinson arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S. May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Model Miranda Kerr attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Allison Williams attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Singer Katy Perry arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Singer Katy Perry arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Elle Fanning, Thakoon Panichgul, and Alexa Chung attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

(L-R) Allegra Versace Beck, Lady Gaga, and Donatella Versace attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

The Weeknd (L) and Bella Hadid attend the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Model Gigi Hadid and singer Zayn Malik arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S. May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Musician Kanye West (R) and wife Kim Kardashian arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Kim Kardashian arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

All the red carpet looks from the Met Gala 2016: Celebrities shine in tech-themed outfits at fashion's biggest night Close

Madonna left little to the imagination as she arrived at the Met Gala in a lacy black dress exposing her buttocks and barely covering her breasts.

The Queen of Pop, 57, posed on the red carpet in the revealing outfit at one of fashion's biggest events of the year, dubbed the Oscars of the East Coast.

Beyonce also created a stir, attending the New York gala alone in a pink latex gown by Givenchy.

She has faced rumours of marriage problems with her husband Jay Z following the release of her new album Lemonade, which contains lyrics about infidelity.

British actress Emma Watson donned a black and white bustier, trousers and train - and revealed she was actually wearing plastic bottles.

Watson's statement ensemble, created in collaboration with Calvin Klein and Eco Age, was crafted from yarns made from recycled plastic bottles, as well as organic cotton and silk.

Expand Close Claire Danes and Zac Posen arrive for the Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art May 2, 2016 in New York. / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARYTIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Claire Danes and Zac Posen arrive for the Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art May 2, 2016 in New York. / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARYTIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

She told her 32.8 million Facebook followers: "Plastic is one of the biggest pollutants on the planet. Being able to repurpose this waste and incorporate it into my gown for the a#MetGalaa proves the power that creativity, technology and fashion can have by working together."

The event celebrates the Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibit, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, which provided the gala's theme of the convergence of man and machine.

Rapper Kanye West attended in ripped jeans and a sequinned jacket, completing his look with blue contact lenses.

He struck a casual look next to his wife, reality star Kim Kardashian, who wore a floor-length silver gown split to the top of her thigh.

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West wrote on Twitter: "thank you Olivier for making 4 dresses for Kim to choose from which we chopped 2 in half. and thank you for turning my personal jean jacket into a couture piece ... We just had fun with the "future" theme !!!"

Idris Elba led the British talent on the red carpet as one of the gala's hosts, and had some fashion tips for men getting ready for the event.

"Take your time," he told reporters. "Make sure your shirt's down and the whites of the cuffs are out."

Also attending - and following Elba's advice - was The Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston, who went for a classic white tie look.

Former One Direction star Zayn Malik arrived wearing armoured sleeves over his suit as he accompanied his girlfriend, model Gigi Hadid, who wore a sequinned dress with a semi-transparent skirt.

The celebrity duo went all out for their red carpet debut as a couple as they co-ordinated their metallic outfits.

Taylor Swift, another of the gala's co-hosts, embraced the event's theme with a short silver-sequinned Louis Vuitton gown with high black gladiator sandals.

Her close friend Lorde arrived on the red carpet sporting a plaster cast on her left arm.

The New Zealand-born pop star wore a tiered tulle dress in pastel colours, with a low-cut bodice. She did not reveal how she had been injured.

Lorde was joined by fellow pop stars Lady Gaga, who wore a ribbed bodysuit from Versace, and Katy Perry, who donned a black velvet Prada gown.

British musician FKA Twigs wore a jewelled headpiece linked to her nose ring as she was joined by her boyfriend, actor Robert Pattinson, who wore a white tuxedo jacket.

Pop star and TV talent show judge Rita Ora took flight on the red carpet in a feathered silver gown.

The dress, with cut-outs across her torso and legs, flared dramatically to form a peacock-style train.

Star Wars actress Lupita Nyong'o turned heads with a towering hairdo, drawing the focus upwards from a sequinned green dress.

Bond star Naomie Harris wore a Burberry dress for the event, bucking the sequin trend in favour of detailed embroidery and heavy fabric, while British supermodel Naomi Campbell wore a black dress with silver beading.

Tickets for the invitation-only event reportedly cost 30,000 dollars each (20,500) or up to 275,000 dollars (188,000) for a table, with the money raised going to the museum's costume institute.

Met Gala chairwoman, Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, had the final say over the guest list of around 600 people and arrived at the gala with her daughter, Bee Shaffer.
The cafe in Cape Town where the activists left a message Google Street View

An Oxford University student refused to tip a waitress in South Africa until white residents in the country "return the land" to black residents.

Ntokozo Qwabe, who is a law student at Oxford, was criticised for the incident in which he appeared to mock a waitress whom his friend refused to tip to make a point about racial repression.

Expand Close The Facebook post which appears to be written by Ntokozo Qwabe. He says later 'go to your fellow white people and mobilise for them to give us our land back.' (Gofundme.org) / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Facebook post which appears to be written by Ntokozo Qwabe. He says later 'go to your fellow white people and mobilise for them to give us our land back.' (Gofundme.org)

Both friends, the other named as Wandile Dlamini by Mr Qwabe, are reportedly part of the Rhodes Must Fall movement which campaigned for the removal of a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes from Oxford's Oriel College.

But their actions at a cafe in Cape Town, which Mr Qwabe recounted in a post on Facebook, have led to more than $4,000 being raised for waitress Asheigh Schultz on a Gofundme page.

The scale of the response led some commenters to suggest an equivalent outpouring of emotion for a black person would have been unlikely.

Mr Qwabe wrote in his post, now deleted after his Facebook account was suspended, that he was "unable to stop smiling" after the incident.

He said his friend wrote on the receipt "We will give a tip when you return the land."

"The waitress comes to us with a card machine for the bill to be sorted out. She sees the note and starts shaking," he wrote.

"She leaves us and bursts into typical white tears (like why are you crying when all we've done is make a kind request? lol)."

Mr Qwabe said the act had brought "the pressing issue of land onto the agenda" by causing other restaurant staff to come and speak with them.

He said: "The part where we take up arms hasn't even come and y'all are already our here drowning us in your white tears? Really white people. Wow [...]

"Moral of the story: the time has come when no white person will be absolved. We are tired of 'not all white people' and all other bulls***. We are here, and we want the stolen land back."

Amid criticism for the act, one Facebook commenter questioned the nature of the media and popular response.

"Firstly, what Qwabe and his friend did was deplorable [...] so doing because the server is white, and then mocking her on social media, is reprehensible," said Orlole Friedemann.

"Secondly [...] many black servers deal with macro and microagressions on a daily basis, and no social media storm results.

"This is not to say that a reaction to the mistreatment of the server was wrong, but it does throw into strong relief the different responses to white and black pain."

As prime minister of the Cape of Good Hope, Cecil Rhodes passed laws which historians say laid the foundations for apartheid.

The Independent has approached Oxford University and Mr Qwabe for comment
Police in Connecticut have searched the home of a 79-year-old gangster in connection with a stash of stolen paintings, 16 years after the $500 million gallery raid became Americas biggest-ever art heist.

Robert Gentile, known as Bobby the Cook, is accused of telling at least three people while he was in prison in 2013 on drug and gun charges that he knew where the stolen art was hidden.

The theft, in March 1990, saw two thieves disguised as Boston police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and steal 13 works of art. They have never been recovered, and the FBI and the US Attorney's Office continue to investigate, while the museum offers a $5 million reward for information leading to the artworks' recovery.

Gentile took a lie detector test in 2015, and denied having advance knowledge of the Gardner heist, ever possessing a Gardner painting or knowing the location of any of the stolen paintings. The result showed a likelihood of less than 0.1 per cent that he was truthful. Gentile claims the examination was conducted improperly.

On Monday police arrived with 15 cars, with two search dogs and three trucks with heavy equipment. They had previously visited twice and dug up the lawn of Gentiles home, in Manchester, without finding anything.

In the afternoon the Hartford Courant, the local newspaper, reported that police were focusing their attention on the west side of the house, near a chimney. They tore what appeared to be a vent pipe off the side of the house and pulled off part of the siding and began digging on the lawn near the base of the chimney, with shovels and rakes. Neighbours said there is an underground oil tank in the area where agents were digging.

John Durham, a federal prosecutor, told a court in January that Gentile and mob partner Robert Guarente tried, but failed, to use the return of two paintings from the Gardner theft to obtain a reduction in an associates prison sentence. The associate is believed to have been David Turner, who is serving 38 years for conspiring to rob an armoured car.

Gentile is currently facing a federal gun charge that he claims the FBI contrived, in order to force him to reveal the location of the paintings.

Gentile's lawyer, Ryan McGuigan, said the FBI had not showed him a warrant or give him a reason for the search.

He has told me over the past year that he doesn't know anything about the art or he doesn't have the art, said Mr McGuigan. And if he had the art, he certainly would have returned it for the reward a long time ago.

Mr McGuigan said nothing will be found on the property, which now is believed to belong to Gentiles son, who is in prison on gun charges.

They are still convinced that he has more information about the location of the art or the possessors of the art than he's saying, added Mr McGuigan.
The term 'burnout', when employees collapse due to stress and overwork, is well-known but Frederic Desnard (44), from Paris, has accused his ex-employer, a prestigious perfumes company, of subjecting him to something far worse: being bored stiff. Photo: PA

A Frenchman claims his employer gave him so little to do that he suffered from "bore out" and is now demanding 360,000 in compensation.

The term 'burnout', when employees collapse due to stress and overwork, is well-known but Frederic Desnard (44), from Paris, has accused his ex-employer, a prestigious perfumes company, of subjecting him to something far worse: being bored stiff.

He said bosses at Interparfum stripped him of his real managerial role and instead foisted mind-numbingly dull tasks on him over a four-year period.

Mr Desnard described the process as "an insidious descent into hell, a nightmare" that led to him suffering from a host of health problems, including "epilepsy, ulcers, sleep problems and serious depression".

He said he was sidelined after the company lost a major contract and was preparing to restructure the group.

"I went into depression, I was ashamed to be paid to do nothing," he said. "The worst part of it was denying this suffering," he said. He was fired in 2014 after seven months' sick leave.

He is seeking more than 360,000 in damages and missed pay, which included holiday pay and missing out on a potential promotion.

Ahead of an employment tribunal hearing yesterday, Montasser Charni, his lawyer, said the company's aim was to bore him to death so that they could fire him without redundancy payments or other compensation.

However, Jean-Philippe Benissan, a lawyer for the company, said there were serious inconsistencies in his claims for which he had "no proof", and that he had previously claimed to be suffering from the reverse - "burnout" - only to change tactics.

"He never said anything about being bored during the four-year period. And if he actually had nothing to do over these years, why didn't he mention it?" the lawyer added.

While the term "bore-out" is not recognised by French law, Sylvain Neil, a labour law specialist, said that France's higher court had to date recognised 244 cases of employees being "intentionally sidelined", which it ruled was tantamount to "moral harassment".

One French researcher estimated that around 30pc of French workers suffer from "bore-out", said France Info.

Jean Claud Delgenes, whose firm Technologia specialises in employee risks, said the condition could strike when a staff member felt stuck but wouldn't dare risk changing jobs in today's sluggish French labour market.

This is not the first time lack of work has hit the headlines in France.

Last year, it emerged that SNCF, the state rail operator, had paid employee Charles Michel more than 5,000 a month for 12 years, plus holiday bonuses, despite the fact he had not worked a single day in that time.

He then demanded a further 500,000 compensation for missing out on a promotion. ( Daily Telegraph London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A 17-year-old girl who died after taking ecstasy while visiting a nightclub for the first time had been helping her mother deal with the loss of two babies from cot death.

Faye Allen - who was described as a "smiley, warm" teenager who was her mother's best friend - died in hospital after suffering an adverse reaction having apparently taking one "MasterCard" tablet at the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.

Police were called to the Don't Let Daddy Know (DLDK) event at 5am on Monday when Faye, who had been out with her boyfriend, collapsed. Officers have warned anyone else who might have taken the pills to seek urgent medical attention.

Detectives have arrested a 19-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman in the St Helens area on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

Faye was aged five when her 23-month-old brother Jordon died in July 2004. Just four weeks later, tragedy struck again with the sudden death of her 18-week-old sister Neve.

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Their mother Maxine later gave harrowing evidence at a double inquest into Jordon and Neve's deaths that heard how there was a history of epilepsy in the family.

Faye, from Liverpool, was attending the event with her boyfriend when she suffered a fatal reaction to taking the form of ecstasy.

The boyfriend's father, who was not named by the Manchester Evening News, said: "She had never been to a rave or nightclub before. This was the first time.

"They are a couple of young lovers who have gone to a club. Faye took a pill for the first time and disaster has struck. The whole family are absolutely devastated.

"We don't know how we are going to look after each other. Faye was her mother's best friend and she doted on her brother and sister and her boyfriend.

"She loved to look after her disabled brother and her younger sister. She was such a smiley and warm, loving girl."

Faye's family were left devastated by the deaths of Jordon and Neve over a decade earlier.

In November 2004, a coroner recorded death by natural causes verdicts of Faye's siblings at a double inquest.

Jordon, who suffered from epilepsy, died on July 18 while sleeping next to his mother at their home in Anfield.

She fought to revive him and called an ambulance, but doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital told her Jordan was dead before he reached there.

Alder Hey specialist George Kokai said Jordan's death was a case of sudden unexpected death syndrome, with epilepsy as a contributing factor.

A month after Jordan's death, Mrs Allen put Neve to bed as usual but was unable to wake her the next morning, on August 15.

She raised the alarm and Neve was also taken to Alder Hey where she was pronounced dead.

Mrs Allen has another epileptic child, Jack, now 18, but it was not known whether Neve had inherited the condition.

Alder Hey pathologist Doctor Michael Ashworth performed a post-mortem examination on Neve.

He discovered she had a blood defect, but was unable to tell whether or not it contributed to her death. At the time, Mrs Allen said the tragedy had been "very hard" on Jack and Faye.

Faye posted pictures of the two youngsters on her Facebook page and also helped create an online memorial to the siblings.

It is believed up to 5,000 clubbers packed into Victoria Warehouse to see acts such as Showtek, Blasterjaxx, Don Diablo and Laidback Luke on Sunday night.

Police have urged anyone who may have taken the drug to seek urgent medical attention and are asking anyone with information about where the drug may have come from to get in touch.

On Facebook, Tommy Forsyth wrote that it was "out of character" for the teenager, who "loved her family" to have taken the pill. He said the Faye was "an awesome kid" who had a "cheeky smile that made her look like she was still 2 years old and she loved her family. These are the things everyone should remember her for".

Erin Kidd also paid tribute to Faye on Facebook, saying: "can't believe it! rest in peace gorgeous girl," while Sarah Taylor added, "rest in peace beautiful, miss u".

Leah Gallagher wrote: "Can't believe your gone! remember always dancing to the boom box in the yard, just so sad love goes out to all your family and close friends, forever young gorgeous xxx."

Sean Lynch a friend of Faye said: "So many young innocent people are dying at this young age - thinking about Fayes family at this sad time. R.I.PFaye."

Mollie Morgan said: "Too sad too many young people loosing there life's, rest in peace gorgeous girl hope your settled in up there rest easy Faye."

Det Insp Helen Bell, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "This is a tragic situation.

"The death of a young person is always devastating, but in these circumstances, it is all the more heart breaking. My thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.

"Sadly we know it is very unlikely that the girl was the only person to have taken this drug.

"We are appealing to anyone who may have taken this form of ecstasy, known as 'MasterCard' to get checked out urgently. Even if you took it some hours ago, this pill will still be in your system and could be seriously harming your health.

"Anyone with any information about what happened or where this drug may have come from is asked to contact police as soon as possible."

A spokesman for the venue said: "Victoria Warehouse can confirm that an incident took place at the venue in the early hours of Monday, May 2, involving a female who later died in hospital.

"We are currently working closely with Greater Manchester Police with regard to this on-going investigation, and as such, we are not able to make any further comment at this time.

"The Victoria Warehouse would like to convey our deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased, and will continue to assist GMP with their enquiries."
According to the BBC, researchers have developed a near-perfect picture of the genetic events that cause breast cancer

Scientists say they have made a dramatic breakthrough in the battle against breast cancer.

According to the BBC, researchers have developed a near-perfect picture of the genetic events that cause breast cancer. The study, published in 'Nature', has been described as a "milestone" moment that could help unlock new ways of treating and preventing the disease.

The largest study of its kind unpicked practically all the errors that cause healthy breast tissue to go rogue.

Cancer Research UK said the findings were an important stepping-stone to new drugs for treating cancer.

To understand the causes of the disease, scientists have to understand what goes wrong in our DNA that makes healthy tissue turn cancerous.

The international team looked at all three billion letters of people's genetic code in 560 breast cancers. They uncovered 93 sets of genes that, if mutated, can cause tumours. Some have been discovered before, but scientists expect this to be the definitive list.

Prof Mike Stratton, the director of the Sanger Institute in Cambridge which led the study, said it was a "milestone" in cancer research. He told the BBC: "There are about 20,000 genes in the human genome. It turns out, now we have this complete view of breast cancer - there are 93 of those [genes] that if mutated will convert a normal breast cell into a breast cancer cell.

"We hand that list over to the universities, the pharmaceuticals, the biotech companies to start developing new drugs because those mutated genes and their proteins are targets for new therapeutics. There are now many drugs that have been developed over the last 15 years against such targets which we know work."

Prof Stratton expects new drugs will still take a decade and warns: "Cancers are devious beasts and they work out ways of developing resistance to new therapeutics so overall I'm optimistic, but it's a tempered optimism."
Turkey has warned that if it is not given the visa waiver - which will grant automatic access to the Schengen zone for tourists for up to 90 days - then it will "terminate" the migration deal. Photo: Reuters

Turkey is on course to be handed visa-free travel to the European Union for its 75 million citizens, despite not meeting a series of key targets.

Tomorrow, the European Commission is expected to recommended a radical loosening of travel conditions for the country. The giveaway is part of a 6bn aid-for-deportations migration deal struck with Ankara, which has resulted in a steep fall in the number of refugees attempting to cross into Europe.

Turkey has warned that if it is not given the visa waiver - which will grant automatic access to the Schengen zone for tourists for up to 90 days - then it will "terminate" the migration deal.

That risks a return to the chaos on the Aegean as thousands attempt to make the perilous journey. Since the deal came into force, crossings have fallen from several thousand a day to fewer than 100.

But EU sources admit Turkey has met only around 60 of the 72 'benchmarks' it has set to unlock the visa-free travel rights. It includes the universal introduction of tamper-proof biometric passports, without which Turks will not be able to use the scheme.

Reforms to terrorism laws, data protection measures and an anti-corruption drive also have not been delivered.

European officials are now scrambling to sign off as many clauses as possible before tomorrow's deadline to make the recommendation. The proposal will then be presented to MEPs and national leaders at a summit on June 28, five days after Britain's referendum.

Mina Andreeva, a Commission spokeswoman, refused to comment on individual measures but said Turkey made "a lot of efforts over the past weeks and days to meet the criteria".

Kosovo is also expected to be granted visa-free travel soon. Combined with recent recipients Georgia and Ukraine, it amounts to a significant relaxation of travel rules for 127 million people at a time when the EU is grappling to secure its external border against illegal migrants and the risk of terrorist infiltration.

The Commission is expected to give Germany and Austria permission to extend border controls for another six months, following a report into the Greek border system. The countries need the green light to avoid being in breach of Schengen border rules.

In a move that could have profound implications for Europe, it is also expected to announce how the Dublin system of rules that oblige asylum seekers to be sent back to the first country they register in will be reformed.

One option being considered is to scrap this rule, and instead share out migrants according to a quota system based on a state's size and economy.

A second option is that the Dublin rules would remain in place during normal circumstances, but a quota scheme would be activated in the event of a major migration emergency.

Meanwhile, in Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon predicted rising support for a second independence referendum if Britain votes to leave the European Union.

"The prospect of Brexit would definitely lead to growing demand for Scottish independence," the Scottish National Party leader said. "If we see that growing demand, no one would have the right to stand in the way of that."
A screen-grabbed image taken from footage released on the internet that shows a militant threatening to behead former American soldier Peter Kassig, who was kidnapped and later executed by Isil militants. Photo: PA Wire

Isil is believed to have executed more than 4,000 people in less than two years for 'offences' including sodomy and apostasy in Syria.

Monitors compiled the list of atrocities dating back to the declaration of the so-called Islamic State in June 2014, showing regular beheadings, shootings, stonings and other methods of murder, including throwing people off buildings and setting them on fire.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that by the end of the 22nd month of the caliphate, 4,144 people had been executed.

Civilians, including women and children, were among those killed, as were hundreds of Isil's own members and enemy fighters from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's army and opposition rebel groups.

In the month to 29 March this year, 80 killings were recorded in Isil territory in the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Al-Hasakah.

Beheaded

A child was one of 37 Syrian civilians executed, while 24 Isil members, six rebels and Kurdish YPG fighters and more than a dozen Syrian army and militia members were beheaded and shot, SOHR said.

Isil is putting girls into cages with skeletons for violating their dress code, Syrian activists say, while monitors listed a series of charges, including acts banned under sharia law like sodomy, apostasy, and espionage.

Alleged co-operation with enemies including al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, the YPG and the "Crusader alliance" - the US-led coalition - was also a capital offence. Isil's warped ideology was evident in many of the supposed offences, which reportedly included "working according to human law instead of sharia" and "corrupting in the land".

Accusations of attempting to defect or escape Isil territory were a cause of several its members' deaths, as well as military "cowardice".

Meanwhile, a former London student who joined Isil in Syria last year, has described the reign of terror jihadists enforce in their strongholds in an interview with 'the Independent'.

Harry Sarfo is currently in prison in Germany awaiting trial for terror offences after fleeing the brutality he saw in Syria in July.

"I witnessed stonings, beheadings, shootings, hands chopped off and many other things," he said.

"I've seen child soldiers - 13-year-old boys with explosive belts and Kalashnikovs. Some boys even driving cars and involved in executions.

"My worst memory is of the execution of six men shot in the head by Kalashnikovs. The chopping off of a man's hand and making him hold it with the other hand.

"The Islamic State is not just un-Islamic, it is inhuman. A blood-related brother killed his own brother on suspicion of being a spy. They gave him the order to kill him. It is friends killing friends."

Isil carries out many of its executions in public, while carefully staging and filming others in propaganda videos like those showing the deaths of James Foley and other Western hostages.

A four-year-old British boy was among the children used as executioners, with ever more gruesome methods of murder including rocket launchers and explosives.

Brutality

Analysts say the displays of brutality are part of propaganda attempts by Isil to terrorise the West and its enemies, while quelling any possible resistance from those trapped inside its territories.

SOHR said civilians made up the bulk of those executed, estimated at 2,230 people, including three large-scale massacres of Sunni and Kurdish citizens.

The next largest group is believed to be members of President Assad's forces and pro-regime militias captured in battle - around 1,100 - followed by Isis members.

More than 400 of the organisation's own fighters and followers were recorded executed according to SOHR's count, including many foreign fighters murdered "after being arrested by the organisation when they were trying to return to their countries", monitors said.
Republican Ted Cruz faces a high-stakes test for his slumping presidential campaign in Tuesday's Indiana primary, one of the last opportunities for the Texas senator to halt Donald Trump's stunning march toward the GOP nomination.

Mr Cruz has spent the past week camped out in Indiana, securing the support of the state's governor and announcing retired technology executive Carly Fiorina as his running mate.

Yet his aides were pessimistic heading into Tuesday's voting and were prepared for Mr Cruz to fall short.

With polls predicting a loss, campaign officials were bracing for immediate staffing cuts "at a minimum", according to one aide.

The aide said the campaign was preparing for "a very sombre" address on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

Publicly, however, the senator has vowed to stay in the race, regardless of the results.

"I am in for the distance, as long as we have a viable path to victory," Mr Cruz told reporters on Monday during a campaign stop.

Mr Trump devoted more time to campaigning in Indiana than he has to most other states, underscoring his eagerness to put his Republican rival away and shift his attention toward Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

While Mr Trump cannot clinch the nomination with a big win in Indiana, his path would get easier and he would have more room for error in the campaign's final contests.

"Indiana is very important, because if I win that's the end of it. It would be over," Mr Trump said during a lunch stop Monday in Indianapolis.

Republican leaders spent months dismissing Mr Trump as little more than an entertainer who would fade once voting started. But Republican primary voters have stuck with the billionaire businessman, handing him victories in every region of the country, including a string of six straight wins on the East Coast.

Mrs Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also faced off in Indiana's Democratic primary on Tuesday, though the stakes were lower than in the Republican race.

Mrs Clinton holds a commanding lead over Mr Sanders - she's secured 91% of the delegates she needs to win the nomination. That means she can still win the nomination even if she loses every remaining contest.

Mr Sanders has conceded that he faces a difficult path to overtake Mrs Clinton, one that hinges on convincing superdelegates to back him over the former secretary of state. Superdelegates are Democratic Party insiders who can support the candidate of their choice, regardless of how their states vote. And they favour Mrs Clinton by a nearly 18-1 margin.

Neither Mrs Clinton nor Mr Sanders planned to spend Tuesday in Indiana. Mr Sanders was making stops in Kentucky, which holds a primary in mid-May, while Mrs Clinton moved on to Ohio, a key general election battleground.

Mrs Clinton's team has started deploying staff to states that will be crucial in November and is also raising money for the fall campaign. Even as Mr Trump hires more staff to round out his slim team, he already lags far behind Mrs Clinton in general election preparations.

A showdown between Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump would pit one of Democrats' most popular and highly regarded figures against a first-time political candidate who is deeply divisive within his own party.

Mr Cruz and other Republicans have argued that Mr Trump would be roundly defeated in the general election, denying their party the White House for a third straight term.

But Mr Trump is the only Republican left in the race who can secure the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination through regular primary voting. Mr Cruz - as well as Ohio governor John Kasich, who trails significantly in the delegate count - must try to block Mr Trump in Indiana and the handful of other remaining states to push the race toward a contested convention.

In an abrupt strategy shift, Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich announced an alliance of sorts in Indiana. The Ohio governor agreed to stop spending money in Indiana to give Mr Cruz a chance to compete head-to-head with Mr Trump. Mr Cruz has pledged to do the same for Mr Kasich in Oregon and New Mexico, which vote in the coming weeks.

But that strategy, which appeared to unravel even as it was announced, may have backfired. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll found that nearly six in 10 Indiana primary voters disapproved of the Cruz-Kasich alliance.

"After they made the alliance, their numbers tanked," Mr Trump said on Monday. "That's what happens when politicians make deals."

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has resurrected accusations against rival Mr Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, saying that he was with President John F Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald prior to his death.

"The whole thing is ridiculous," Mr Trump said on Fox & Friends on Tuesday ahead of the Indiana primary. "Right prior to his being shot, and nobody brings it up. They don't even talk about that."

A recent National Enquirer report claimed that the elder Cruz appeared in a 1963 photo of Oswald as he handed out leaflets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee.

The Cruz campaign has denied the accusations.

Mr Cruz has since launched a blistering attack on Mr Trump, saying that if Indiana lets Mr Trump win Tuesday's presidential primary, America is "looking, potentially, at the Biff Tannen" presidency, a reference to the 1980's film Back To The Future."

"We are not a proud, boastful, self-centred, mean spirited, hateful, bullying nation," Mr Cruz told reporters in Evansville, Indiana, before citing the film. The film's screenwriter said in an interview with The Daily Beast last year that the film's character Biff Tannen was based on Mr Trump.

"The screenwriter says that he based the character Biff Tannen on Donald Trump - a character of a braggadocios, arrogant buffoon who builds giant casinos with giant pictures of him everywhere he looks," Mr Cruz said. "We are looking, potentially, at the Biff Tannen presidency."

Mr Cruz also denounced accusations Mr Trump made about his father, calling his dad "my hero".
A US Navy Seal was killed by fire from the Islamic State group outside the IS-held city of Mosul, and US defence secretary Ash Carter acknowledged it as a "combat death" as the US expands its role in the northern part of Iraq.

The Seal, who has not been further identified, is the third US serviceman to die while fighting in Iraq since the US-led coalition launched its campaign against the Islamic State in the summer of 2014.

In October, a special operations soldier was killed in a raid on an IS prison in northern Iraq. In March, an American Marine was killed in an IS attack at a newly established US base outside Mosul.

Over the course of the nearly two-year US-led campaign against the Islamic State group, the Pentagon has slowly expanded the American role in Iraq and increased the presence of US troops.

The Islamic State launched the attack on Teleskof, about 14 miles north of Mosul, just after 6am, said Lieutenant Colonel Manav Dosky, an Iraqi Kurdish intelligence officer.

The Islamic State broke through their frontline position with a barrage of armoured Humvees and bulldozers, Lt Col Dosky said, and clashes killed at least three peshmerga fighters. The Seal was among Americans advising the peshmerga during that battle.

A US defence official said the American was killed with small arms fire suggesting that Islamic State fighters likely came within a few hundred yards of the US forces.

The identity of the Seal was not immediately known in line with military procedure to first notify next of kin.

The Americans were two to three miles behind that front line before the attack was launched, the official added.

US forces will continue to stay "deliberately behind the front lines," the defenCe official said, but he acknowledged that the US expects more ground fighting as the Iraqi and Kurdish militaries, backed by the US, push further into Islamic State-controlled territory.

Major General Jaber Yawer, the Kurdish peshmerga spokesman,said that the American was killed by IS sniper fire near the town of Teleskof during an IS attack Tuesday that also involved a number of car bombs.

The pace of operations against IS is expected to increase in coming months as Iraqi forces prepare to retake Mosul, the country's second-largest city, which has been in the hands of IS militants since 2014.

In March, the Pentagon announced the establishment of small US Marine base outside Mosul. The announcement followed an IS attack on the base that killed one Marine and wounded several others.

The first US service member killed in Iraq was a special operations solider killed in a firefight in October 2015 during a raid on an Islamic State group prison.

Both Vice President Joe Biden and Mr Carter have recently visited Baghdad in an effort to resolve internal political strife and concentrate on the effort to defeat the Islamic State group. The Obama administration has been pressing the effort against IS, which has been slowed down in its quest to overrun Iraq.
<p>Photos by Nathan Gray/Independent Mail</p><p>A sign advertises that homes are for sale in the Rivendale subdivision off Bowen Road in Anderson County.</p>

SHARE A lot is for sale in the Rivendale subdivision off Bowen Road in Anderson County. A new home is under construction in the Rivendale subdivision off Bowen Road in Anderson County.

By Mike Ellis

Anderson County is the only county east of the Mississippi River to have fully recovered from the recession, according to a study by the National Association of Counties.

The study looked at 3,069 counties to see how much lost ground each county had recovered. Only 65 of the counties, 2 percent, have matched their previous highs for employment, economic output and the housing market and lows for unemployment. Only one of the 1,566 counties east of the Mississippi River has done it.

Were fortunate, said Dino Hicks-Brannon, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Anderson. Anderson County has been blessed with great companies.

She said jobs are the key to the successful housing market, a housing market she said is forecast to grow in Anderson County by 8 percent this year.

People dont move into houses if they dont have good jobs, she said. We had a manufacturing boom that started several years ago and in the last four years or so weve been fortunate that our companies here have kept expanding.

National economic numbers are impressive and rising but the recovery hasnt reached paychecks, said Emilia Istrate, the lead author of the study and research director for the National Association of Counties.

People do not feel the good economic numbers, they do not feel it in their paychecks, she said. Everybody lives locally. We dont live in aggregate numbers across the nation.

Nineteen of every 20 counties have yet to return to their employment highs and thats likely why people arent positive about their future despite positive national numbers, Istrate said.

The study, released this month, looked at each of the four measures (employment, unemployment, economic output and housing market) to find the highest numbers from between 2002 and 2007.

Counties were judged on whether their 2014 figures have bested the former highs.

Oil and gas boom areas and counties with less than 50,000 people made up the bulk of the recovered counties, Istrate said.

Anderson County, with no energy boom and more than 190,000 people, is an exception.

This is not the structure we see in most fully-recovered counties, Istrate said.

Transportation and electric equipment manufacturers helped to drive the countys recovery, she said.

Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said the county councils approach to low taxes and catering to business leaders has made the county the easiest place to do business in the United States.

Potential builders and company owners can meet with all the county sewer, economic development, building and other officials at once in the same room, he said.

Economist Bruce Yandle, a former Clemson professor and former executive director of the Federal Trade Commission, said the study was a valuable piece of data about economic conditions but like all studies it can only look at certain variables.

There are a lot of alternatives, he said. I think if I had their pot of data and used my paintbrush I would find brighter colors in the counties across or adjacent to the interstate.

Anderson Countys biggest advantage, Yandle said, is the Interstate 85 corridor.

Development along the freeway is easier than in other places in the county, Burns said.

But well have some very nice job announcements in other parts of the county if everything holds, he said.

The biggest challenges for Anderson County will be a global economy, Yandle said.

Economic slowdowns in Russia, China and Europe could hurt the Upstate, which exports much of its production overseas, he said.

The Upstate is not as hot as it was, Yandle said. Now the big engine is domestic and what had been the big engine, exports, was our Upstate strength and it could become our weakness, he said. 

Yandle said the growth of Powdersville, largely a Greenville bedroom community, counted for Anderson County rather than Greenville County. He said Anderson also did not have as big of a boom in construction prior to the recession and so had an easier recovery than others.

But Anderson Countys recovery has been impressive, he said.

He said big manufacturers, especially First Quality Tissue, have been huge successes for the county.

The countys unemployment rate, 5.6 percent, is one of the lowest in the state, according to the November figures, the most recent available.

Five counties (Greenville, Lexington, Saluda, Charleston and Newberry) have lower unemployment numbers and Pickens County is tied with 5.6 percent.

South Carolina is breaking records in breaking out of the recession, said Mary-Kathryn Craft, a spokeswoman for the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

The November job additions, across the state, were 14,000. It was a record that had last been broken in January 2008, Craft said.

Anderson County needs to keep working to keep up with demand, Burns said.

Im not saying weve arrived at the mountaintop, Burns said. It all starts with an emphasis on creating jobs. Well continue to do everything we can to do that.

Follow Mike Ellis on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM
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By Abe Hardesty of the Independent Mail

The weekend death of Anderson resident Benston Calvin Clinkscales was caused by "excited delirium," Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown said.

McCown's preliminary report filed Monday shows that "complications related to illicit drug use and alcohol" were factors in Clinkscales' death. Clinkscales, 26, died early Sunday morning at the AnMed Health Medical Center emergency department, while in police custody.

According to the National Institutes of Health, "excited delirium" is characterized by agitation, aggression, acute distress and sudden death. It is typically associated with the use of drugs that alter dopamine processing and hyperthermia.

Nothing in the investigation, McCown said, pointed to contributing factors related to "law enforcement, the EMS or the hospital."

Clinkscales was declared dead at 12:51 a.m. Sunday, 30 minutes after he went into cardiac arrest and 96 minutes after his mother called 911 to report that Clinkscales had been drinking heavily and behaving erratically.

Police used a Taser in an effort to get Clinkscales under control, McCown said. Clinkscales, who had put his arm through a window, was taken to AnMed by ambulance.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating the death  standard procedure for deaths that occur when individuals are in police custody.

SLED spokesman Thom Berry aid that probe "is very much underway" but not likely to be completed in a matter of days.

"Actually, it may take weeks, depending on what the autopsy report, test results and additional forensic information show," Berry said Monday afternoon. "Normally, when conducting an investigation, we'll take into account the autopsy and specific test results with individual interviews."

Follow Abe Hardesty on Twitter @independentmail.com
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By Independent Mail

The Pickens County School District plans a public meeting Thursday about federally funded projects for teacher quality, English-as-a-second-language students and Title 1 schools.

The meeting will start at 4 p.m. at the district's Curtis Sidden Administrative Building at 1348 Griffin Mill Road in Easley.

Next school year, Hagood, Chastain Road, Central, Liberty, McKissick and West End elementary schools will be considered Title 1 schools by the South Carolina Department of Eduction because of the number of students at those schools on free or reduced-price lunch.

The district is asking for parents' opinions about how the federal money should be spent for the six elementary schools for instructional use and for parent and community outreach, such as family literacy nights. The district also wants to hear about the needs of the students and parents in the Title 1 schools, said district spokesman John Eby.

Residents can send written comments regarding the projects to Sharon Huff at sharonhuff@pickens.k12.sc.us or to 1348 Griffin Mill Road, Easley, SC 29640.
CONCORD- Coltrane-Webb Elementary School celebrated culture and its students during its El Dia de los Ninos event Thursday evening.

Principal Timothy Taylor said El Dia de los Ninos is a traditional Mexican holiday that the school expanded to honor the many different countries represented in Coltrane-Webbs diverse student body.

Its a community outreach program. We did some activities during the school day and expanded it this evening to represent all the countries, Taylor said. Its really about celebrating the kids.

Sarah Collins, English as a second language teacher, said since this was a first-time event the school expected around 200 RSVPs. Instead they received 600 and families were scrambling for a place to park when they arrived.

This is exciting, especially for the students from other places, Collins said.

Activities for the evening included lantern-making, traditional dancing and a bike raffle for those in attendance. Several activities were also STEM-related problem solving activities.

We just want to get the community in here to participate and have some fun, Taylor said.
Our 'Kick' beauty is rising high on international circuit with her humble initiative... We are all aware that how Jacqueline Fernandez last month flew down to Chennai and helped the flood affected people there who were victims of the incessant rains. On the huge success of helping victims by building homes for people through her initiative 'Jacqueline Builds', the actress was recently invited to give a talk about housing and human development at the European Parliament. For the records, the European Parliament is the parliament of the European Union (EU).

Jacqueline who is the Asian ambassador for Habitat for Humanity, has been associated with the NGO for over 5 years. The actress is ecstatic as 'Jacqueline Builds', which is a solo entity, becomes an annual property and thereby will take place every year. The actress will each year promote the cause of shelter across the world through its platform.

Every 20 years the world conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development takes place. This year this conference called Habitat III will take place on 17-20 October in Quito, Ecuador. This Conference will reinvigorate the global commitments of governments both from the North and the South to sustainable urbanization and focus on the implementation of a so-called "New Urban Agenda". This is considered to be an opportunity to open discussions on important urban challenges and questions, such as how to plan and manage cities, towns and villages for sustainable development.

For the same, an event Habitat for Humanity Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Office was organised which was a high-level event in the European Parliament on 26 April 2016 in Brussels. The event brought together Members of European Parliament, high level policymakers, diplomats, civil society and media in a group of around 60 persons.
Starting from May 9, the unit of Gautamiputra Satakarni will start shooting in Morocco. Krish is going for war sequences in the very first schedule. Producer Rajeev Reddy has said that two of the three major war sequences will be shot in this schedule.

He has also confirmed that Bollywood actor Kabir Bedi has been roped in to play a "crucial role" in this historical. Are we in for another Sathya Raj-kinda surprise? Kabir Bedi is unfamiliar to the Telugu audience. Even though his might not be as crucial a role as Sathyaraj's in Baahubali, he may turn out to be the film's Katappa in terms of the importance he has, at least during the portions he is in.

The team will whizz off to the North African country soon. The producer has told a national media house that they might shoot the entire portions at a stretch there or shoot in two different schedules, one after returning to Hyderabad and going back.

Hema Malini is playing Balayya's mother, Gautami, in this movie. Nayanatara was approached for the role of the female lead, but she couldn't accommodate the dates till September.
Marksans Pharma said on Monday that it has received approval from the US health regulator for its Metformin Hydrochloride tablets, used for treatment of diabetes, in the American market. (FC)Alembic Pharma said that it has received final approval from the US health regulator for Lacosamide tablets, used for treatment of partial-onset seizures, in the American market. (FC)Vadodara-based drug maker Alembic Pharmaceuticals has informed that the company has received final approval from the US drug regulator - US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for its lacosamide tablets, which is indicated as adjunctive therapy in patients with partial onset seizures. (HBL)Imports of pharmaceutical products from China has reached $1.74 billion during April- December 2015, Parliament was informed on Monday. In 2014-15, it stood at $2.22 billion against $2.11billion in 2013-14. (ET)Government must not place the entire burden of access to healthcare on the pharma industry alone, Sanofi India has said while hitting out at more medicines being put under price control. (FC)The United States Trade Representatives (USTRs) 2016 edition of a Special 301Report targeting countries including India by putting these on a priority watch list has been criticised by health activists, saying any change in Indias patent laws will restrict the countrys ability to produce affordable medicines. India remains on the priority watch list and continues to be singled out for what the USTR considers to be inadequate protection of intellectual property (IP) for its pharmaceutical industry, they say. India is the worlds principal producer and supplier of quality generic medicines, including for US-funded treatment programmes like PEPFAR that support anti-retroviral treatment in developing countries. (TOI)GSK Consumer Healthcare on Monday named Anurita Chopra as area marketing lead  oral health, reports Our Bureau. She will report to Manoj Kumar, managing director, GSK Consumer Healthcare India. Chopra succeeds Charubala Sheshadri who moves on to Nyon, Switzerland, as global marketing director for respiratory health. (ET)
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www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.
Puerto Ricos Government Development Bank (GDB) failed to repay almost US$400 million, sending the nation into a major financial crisis.The missed principal payment, the largest so far by the island nation, is seen as a sign of things to come.More than US$2 billion debt payment is due this summer, according to reports.Puerto Ricos debt is held by mutual funds, hedge funds, bond insurers and individual investors.The default casts serious doubt on the nations ability to make other future payments.Benchmark Puerto Rican bond prices fell to near record lows, with some investors paying less than 65 cents per dollar for general obligation bonds maturing in 2035.GDB serves as the Puerto Rico governments fiscal agent and financial adviser, and backs loans to private enterprises.Puerto Rico, whose residents are American citizens, has been mired in recession for a decade.
I view derivatives as time bombs, both for the parties that deal in them and the economic system, wrote Warren Buffet in the Berkshire Hathaway annual report for 2002.Over a decade has passed and the Oracle of Omaha has reiterated the same view as he warranted caution against complex derivatives labeling them as potentially perilous during his recent address to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders in Omaha adding that unfortunate as also unforeseen events like cyber attack, which bolt the financial markets could do unanticipated harm.It was the first time when the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathway at Omaha, Nebraska which lasted for three days and attracted a notable number of shareholders, was streamed on the internet.Given that they (derivates) exist on the balance sheets of banks in a latent state, taxing times could witness the complex derivatives exploding, landing the financial industry in dire jeopardy, Buffet said.Massive derivative positions cause frayed nerves according to the storied investor, since the same would drain money out at the time of unwinding, irrespective of their size. He explained this fact by sharing his experience with inheriting Gen Re, Berkshires reinsurance vehicle where the size of his position was humble and market too was tempered.While the Sage of Omaha still considers investing and shareholding in major financial firms to be lucrative, derivatives, that could subject value to hazardous shocks thereby creating a havoc in the sector, continue to be built. Moreover, in case of any fraudulent practices, which complicate the situations making evaluation harder than ever, even auditors fail to exercise control, he said at his companys annual meeting.Berkshire's derivatives have been put to use in stock market indices so as to bet on long-term gains as also to provide insurance against bond losses. Last year, Buffets company minted a profit of $633m from derivatives contracts, indicating a leap from $329m in 2014. This is staunchly reverse of the mountainous loss which the firm endured post the financial crisis. As per the Bank of International Settlements, the trade of contracts in the derivatives market of the world, between private parties, were worth $553 trillion in the first half of 2015, signaling a decline as compared to that two years ago.Buffet also expressed his views regarding US elections which are due to take place in November this year. Emitting a dash of nonchalance, Buffet said it does not matter whether Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton comes into power or Republican candidate Donald Trump. Despite actively voicing support for Hilary Clinton and approving her campaign message, Buffet clarified that Berkshire Hathway would not be affected by the next US president and would continue to manage things well.
The Union Power Ministry is in process of preparing a framework for hydropower development in India and the same would soon be taken to the highest level in the government, a top ministry official said at an ASSOCHAM event held in New Delhi today.

We are preparing a framework for hydro development in this country, very soon we will take it up to the highest level in the government, so the focus is going to be back on hydro, said B.P. Pandey, additional secretary (Hydro), Ministry of Power while inaugurating a conference on Hydropower @Crossroads, organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

He said that in totality hydropower comes out a much cleaner, greener and sustainable option while adding that water security is an issue in India and there is a need for storages as well.

Highlighting that reducing the costs is one of the major challenges in hydro sector, he suggested for financial restructuring together with use of innovative financing instruments.

How do we bring down costs or tariff of hydro projects, can we overcome and remove some of the long-drawn clearance processes taking into account environmental safety as well and basin studies, can we also devise some innovative financing models in our instruments which may help to restore the investor confidence which as of now has gone down and people are really not investing apart from PSUs, said Mr Pandey.

In his address at the ASSOCHAM conference, Mr Kalikho Pul, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh which accounts for over one-half of one lakh megawatt (MW) untapped hydropower potential in India will provide single window clearance to all power developers from both central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) and private sector.

We will provide all support to private developers for installing and commissioning of hydropower plants with facilities of single-window clearance, said Mr Pul. All requirements of local coordination will be fast tracked and we will ensure that there are no barriers to investors.

The Arunachal Pradesh chief minister also said that state government was examining various options available for funding the equity participation of state including the option to exit from the same.

We wish to create a win-win situation for the country, the people of the state, the state itself along with its ecological system, hydro- power developers, and entrepreneurs in many fields who would be attracted by such growth and change, he added.

Suggesting that both solar and hydropower should simultaneously be promoted, Mr Pul said that projects between 50-100 MW should be promoted and taken up under the Ministry of Non-Renewable Energy and there is need to source subsidy funding for the same.

With a view to raise the share of hydropower in electricity-mix of the country, the Ministry of Power may set up a green energy corridor to evacuate hydropower generation from Arunachal Pradesh and north-eastern region, he said further.
Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) becomes the fourth bank to open its International Banking Unit (IBU) at International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The merger of ING Vysya Bank with KMB on April 1, 2015, significantly increased KMBs network and assets in India, thereby cementing its position as Indias fourth largest private sector bank.Continuing with this growth trajectory, the launch of the IBU enhances KMBs abilities to now offer foreign currency loans and deposits to corporates.KVS Manian, President  Corporate, Institutional and Investment Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said, Indian corporates have expanded business operations across geographies, which in turn has led to increased requirement for financial products and services in overseas markets. Our IBU in GIFT City will cater to this growing demand. We will offer a host of products and services including External Commercial Borrowings (ECB), buyers credit for imports, and factoring / forfaiting of export receivables for Indian corporates in international markets.We are happy to have Kotak Mahindra Bank at GIFT IFSC. Its an important addition for us to have one of Indias leading private sector bank set up base at Indias first IFSC, Ajay Pandey, MD & Group CEO of GIFT Company Ltd said.
Samara Capital announced that Sanjay Purohit, currently Managing Director, Levi Strauss India Pvt. Ltd., will be joining them as Partner - Consumer / Retail practice. Sanjays career spans 28+ years across strong consumer / retail companies, like Levi Strauss & Co., Cadbury India Limited, Mobil Gas and Asian Paints, where he has built and grown great brands and businesses. In his role at Levi Strauss India Pvt. Ltd., where he has been the Managing Director for the past 6 years, Sanjay has played a key role in transforming the business, driving both growth and profitability, while building a strong organizational culture and team. announced that Sanjay Purohit, currently Managing Director, Levi Strauss India Pvt. Ltd., will be joining them as Partner - Consumer / Retail practice. Sanjays career spans 28+ years across strong consumer / retail companies, like Levi Strauss & Co., Cadbury India Limited, Mobil Gas and Asian Paints, where he has built and grown great brands and businesses. In his role at Levi Strauss India Pvt. Ltd., where he has been the Managing Director for the past 6 years, Sanjay has played a key role in transforming the business, driving both growth and profitability, while building a strong organizational culture and team.

We are delighted to have Sanjay come on board and join Samara Capital. We believe that Sanjay is one of those rare business leaders who is able to combine deep consumer understanding and strong strategic orientation with execution bias, focus on cash flows and team building to create valuable businesses. With Sanjays addition to our leadership team, Samaras consumer / retail capability will move to the next level, says Sumeet Narang, Founder and Managing Director, Samara Capital. He shares the Samara vision and belief that value-added private equity capital can transform and grow businesses rapidly while creating significant stakeholder value.

I am very excited to join Samara Capital, which has been one of the most active consumer / retail investors in India, with investee companies including Flemingo Duty Free, Monte Carlo Fashions, Guardian GNC, Paradise Foods and Sapphire Foods (KFC / Pizza Hut). Samara Capital believes in unleashing the power of human capital and entrepreneurship, to create superior stakeholder value, and this has been the principal factor in my decision to join their team. As an immediate task, I will assume responsibilities as CEO of Sapphire Foods and Board member on Paradise Foods and will work with the respective teams to grow these powerful brands profitably so as to take advantage of the immense opportunity in the food services space, says Sanjay Purohit.

Samara Capital is an entrepreneurially run, India focused private equity firm. Samara invests in emerging Indian companies (EICs), businesses that have the potential for rapid growth and transformation, when run by an entrepreneurial minded management team backed by sound processes and systems. Samara values the importance of building trust in all their business relationships and emphases medium to long term value creation, nimbleness, agility while running the businesses they invest in.
The Indian equity market ended in deep red on Tuesday following a sudden bout of selling in scrips across the sectors. After opening on a subdued note, indices surged higher. However, the joy ride was short-lived as indices erased all its gains led by sharp sell-off in metals, banking, oil & gas and IT stocks. Even the midcap and small cap stocks were under pressure. On the other hand, only telecom stocks ended with smart gains.



Technically, after forming a Below Stomach candle stick pattern on Monday which is considered to be a bearish reversal candle, the Nifty has formed yet another bearish candle with an upper shadow indicating that the ongoing weakness is here to stay. Nifty has also extended its stay below the 200-DMA for second consecutive trading session.



Aurobindo Pharma, Bharti Airtel, Bharti Infratel, Idea Cellular, Power Grid and Tata MotorsDVR were among the gainers on NSE, whereas Coal India, Lupin, BHEL, Ambuja Cement, ICICI Bank and Tech Mahindra were among the losers today.



Finally, the BSE Sensex ended with a loss of 207 points at 25,230. The BSE Sensex opened at 25,500 touched an intra-day high of 25,706 and low of 25,193.

The NSE Nifty closed with a loss of 59 points at 7,747. The NSE Nifty opened at 7,825 hitting a high of 7,890 and low of 7,735.



The India VIX (Volatility) index was up 2.16% at 17.4625. The BSE Midcap index ended down 0.85% and Smallcap index closed lower by 0.28%.



On the global front, China's Shanghai Composite index closed higher 1.8% and Hang Seng ended 1.8% lower to 20,676.94. Japanese stock markets are closed today on account of a public holiday.



In Europe, the FTSE 100 is trading lower by 0.91%. DAX and the CAC 40 are trading down over 1.5% each.



The Indian Rupee was trading up 5 paise at 66.39 per US dollar.



Out of 1,451 stocks traded on the NSE, 815 declined and 587 advanced today.



Coal India dropped 3% to Rs.280. The stock was the top Nifty loser today. The company said its coal production for the month of April stood at 40.09 mt as compared to target of 44.48 mt.



Sun Pharma slipped 1.6% to Rs.798 after its subsidiary Taro Pharmaceutical ceased commercial sales for Keveyis which is used to treat periodic paralysis.



Rolta India jumped 11% to Rs.84.95 on BSE. The company bagged multi-year GIS contract from UK Power Networks.

Atul Auto tumbled 8% to Rs.483 after the company reported 50.36% drop in sales for the month of April 2016 at 1,242 units as compared to 2,502 units sold in April 2015.



CCL Products rallied 11% to Rs.215. The companys consolidated revenue stood at Rs. 264.49 crore, up 22.22% yoy and 24.21% qoq.



Vishnu Chemicals plunged 5% to Rs.296.60 on BSE. The company reported its net profit declined by 27.83% to Rs.7.08 crore in the quarter ended March 2016 as against Rs.9.81 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2015.Its sales rose by 5.24% to R.126.55 crore in the quarter ended March 2016 as against R.120.25 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2015.



Ortel Communications slipped 1.1% to Rs.186 on BSE. The company net profit declined by 51.15% to Rs.2.76 crore in the quarter ended March 2016 as against Rs.5.65 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2015.



Tata Power gained 1.3% to Rs. 71.10. The company introduced its digital interface by launching a universal Mobile Application for all its stakeholders along with employees and consumers of Mumbai & Delhi. The Tata Power Mobile App is specially designed to be an exclusive platform to help customers and other stakeholders to connect and directly engage with the company.



BGR Energy Systems soared 11% to Rs. 117.60 on BSE. The company announced that with respect to an Agreement executed by the Company on March 30, 2016 at Tokyo, Japan with Hitachi, Ltd., Japan and Hitachi Power Europe GmbH, Germany (the "Agreement") to settle their inter se disputes. The Agreement has come into effect and has become legally binding with effect from April 29, 2016 upon fulfillment of the conditions mentioned therein.



Tata Motors closed 0.54% higher at Rs.409.50. The company reported 9.9% growth in sales at 39,763 units in April compared with 36,190 in the same month last year. Domestic sales of Tata Motors commercial and passenger vehicles rose 11 per cent at 35,978 units during the month as against 32,404 in April 2015.



A total of 25 stocks registered a fresh 52-week high in trades today, whereas 14 stocks touched a new 52-week low on the NSE.



Bharat Bijlee Limited, Biocon Limited, Capital First Limited, Elgi Rubber Company Limited, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited, Grasim Industries Limited, Himatsingka Seide Limited, IndusInd Bank Limited, Infibeam Incorporation Limited, Inventure Growth & Securities Limited, L&T Finance Holdings Limited, Marico Limited, Meghmani Organics Limited, Navin Fluorine International Limited, Noesis Industries Limited, Orient Paper & Industries Limited, Parrys Sugar Industries Limited, Petronet LNG Limited, Prakash Constrowell Limited, The Ramco Cements Limited, SKS Microfinance Limited, Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited, Supreme Petrochem Limited, UPL were some of the prominent stocks to log a fresh 52-week high.



Birla Cotsyn (India) Limited, DB (International) Stock Brokers Limited, Global Offshore Services Limited, HCL Technologies Limited, Paras Petrofils Limited, Prakash Steelage Limited, Rainbow Papers Limited, Radha Madhav Corporation Limited, Sequent Scientific Limited, SHRI ASTER SILICATES LIMITED, Visesh Infotecnics Limited, Visagar Polytex Limited, Zee Learn Limited, Zenith Exports were some of the notable stocks to record new 52-week low.
Tata Motors: Tata Motors saw Y-o-Y sales growth of 9.9% for total commercial and passenger vehicles sales (including exports) in April 2016 at 39,763 vehicles, over 36,190 vehicles sold in April 2015. : Tata Motors saw Y-o-Y sales growth of 9.9% for total commercial and passenger vehicles sales (including exports) in April 2016 at 39,763 vehicles, over 36,190 vehicles sold in April 2015.



Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), one of the leading firms in post sector in India, will announce its Q4 number today. IIFL estimates that the companys net profit is likely to dip to Rs. 656 crore, at a rate of 0.5% yoy; however, the same is expected to surge 2.8% qoq.



NALCO: The company has agreed to buy back 25 percent of its shares from the government, as per media reports.



Mahindra & Mahindra: The company reported its total sales stood at 41,863 units in April 2016 compared to 36,727 units in April 2015, recording a growth of 14%.



Future Group: Skechers India will increase its stake in its joint venture (JV) with Kishore Biyani from 49 per cent to 51 per cent, reports a business daily.



Blue Star: Blue Star said that it will challenge a Rs. 135.72 crore service tax and penalty imposed on it at an appropriate forum. The company termed it as a "patently erroneous" step by tax authorities.



TVS Motor Company: The company's total exports registered sales of 28,354 units in the month of April 2016 as against 32,426 units in April 2015.



Indraprastha Gas Ltd: The oil company has set up a record 72 CNG filling stations in first four months of 2016, to meet the rising demand for the fuel.



Maruti Suzuki Ltd: Maruti Suzuki Ltd has created a new management level as the country's largest car maker seeks to build management and leadership bandwidth for the future, reports a business daily.



IOC: Indian Oil Corporation Ltd has informed BSE that in accordance with the approval accorded by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on May 13, 2013, Government of India (GOI) has offered 1,21,39,762 Equity Shares of Rs. 10/- each to the eligible employees of Indian Oil at a discounted price of Rs. 367.65 per share (5% discount to the cut off price of Rs. 387/- discovered through the Offer For Sale of equity shares of IndianOil carried out by GOI on August 24, 2015).



Hero MotoCorp: The company sold 612,739 units of two wheelers in April, registering a sturdy doubledigit growth of 15% over the corresponding month last year when the company had sold 533,305 units.



Alembic Pharma: The company has received final approval from the US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Lacosamide Tablets, SO mg, 100 mg, lSO mg and 200 mg.



CCL Products: The companys consolidated revenue stood at Rs. 264.49 crore, up 22.22% yoy and 24.21% qoq.



Apollo Hospitals: Apollo Hospitals has signed a memorandum of understanding with William Osler Health System (Osler) to collaborate on research and treatement services related to a range of diseases including Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer.



Marksans Pharma: Marksans Pharma has received approval from the US health regulator for its Metformin Hydrochloride tablets, used for treatment of diabetes, in the American market.
In a shocking incident, a couple in West Bengal's Pingla has been arrested by police for the murder of their 22-days-old child. Her mistake? Being born as a girl!

India Today/ Representational Image

Police said Durga Shankar Mondal and his wife Rinku Mondal took the extreme step because they wanted a male child. The couple already had two girl children and was hoping that the third would be boy. Being disappointed, the couple strangled the new-born to death.

Even though it is illegal, female foeticide and killing of new-born girls are practices that are still prevalent in many parts of India.

Representational Image

Due to the years of gender based selection, the sex ratio in West Bengal has also suffered. According to the 2011 census, there are only 950 women for every 1000 men in the state. Even though it is slightly better, the child sex ratio in the state is also not something that can be proud of. The child sex ratio in the state stood at 956 in 2011.
Its been a month since the Goa government formally declared that the coconut tree is not a tree. The tree status was taken away as cutting it down has required permission from the forest department. The decision necessitated a state cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

And a month later, another courtroom battle rages on, trying to give the tree back its status

bensonkua_flickr

The Panaji bench of the Bombay high court spoke to the state chief secretary, asking for response to a petition challenging Goa governments decision under the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984. Heritage activist Prajal Sakhardande, chairperson of the Goa For Giving Trust, Armando Gonsalves, and Mumbai-based trust, Vanashakt raised the petition demanding what could be called tree-hood for the tree.

nishanthjois_flickr

The government, through the chief secretary has been asked to file a response by June 13, when the next hearing has been scheduled, Sakhardande told reporters.

The controversial amendment to the Trees Act, which de-recognised coconut palm as a tree, was passed by the assembly in January. It was formally accorded assent by governor Mridula Sinha in March Opposition parties and environmentalists have slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government for passing the bill which will facilitate mass massacre of coconut trees in the state.

yotut_flickr

Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar said the law was amended to allow coconut farmers to cull old and non-productive trees without being caught in red-tape. The Congress has said that if voted to power in the 2017 assembly elections, it would accord the status of state tree to the coconut palm.
A 29-year old dalit woman was brutally raped and murdered in Kerala's Permubavoor, with the sheer brutality of the crime evoking memories of the 2012 Delhi gang rape.

The victim, identified as Jisha, a law college student was found dead on Thursday, with more than thirty injury marks all over her body.

Manorama

According to the autopsy report, the the victim was raped and her intestines were pulled out using a sharp-edged weapon.

Police said the victim, who lived with her mother, was alone at the home when the attack happened.

She received several stab wounds. We suspect the deep wound on her head might have turned fatal, said a senior police officer said.

Even though, Kerala home minister said all angles, including the involvement of workers from other states are being looked into, police have hinted that the crime could have been committed by locals. Permubavoor, an industrial town in Ernakulam district has a large migrant labour population.

2 teams are investigating the matter, it was a brutal murder: Anil Kumar (Dy SP) on law student rape case in Kerala pic.twitter.com/HQ7z8ziMPX  ANI (@ANI_news) May 2, 2016

Unfortunately after five days of the attack taking place, police have not been able to make any significant breakthrough in the probe, causing widespread protest across the state.

Peopel are using #JusticeForJisha to demand justice for the victim.

Its not about a "Community or a Gender" which is been brutally murdered. Its only about the humanity which is raped... #JusticeForJisha  Arjun Arjz (@iamArjunArjz) May 3, 2016
The IPHONE brand name doesn't only belong to Apple, apparently. China, the maker of the greatest smartphones (and their ripoffs), is now letting another tech company use the trademark "IPHONE" to sell their own stuff.

How'd that happen?

Shanghaiist

Very simple - Apple's 2002 trademark for 'IPHONE' applies only 'Electrical and Scientific Apparatus' (and was approved in 2013). Meanwhile, Beijing-based tech company Xintong Tiandi Technology trademark "IPHONE." in 2007 - but for the Leather Goods category.

Shanghaiist

Apple fought back, stating that the Chinese company was violating trademark law. But the Trademark Office explained that the trademark "IPHONE" was legitimate, because the "IPHONE" brand "was not prominent" when the trademark was filed, Shanghaiist reported. Apple fought again, and lost - this time to the Beijing Intermediate Court. Then they lost again - in the Beijing Higher Court.

And now, you can buy perfectly legal "IPHONE" brand bags and cases.
There is only 2% of water left in dams in drought-struck Marathwada, with a month and a half to go before the monsoon sets in.

channelnews

Eight of the region's 11 major dams are at dead storage level. Water from the dams has to be lifted as it cannot flow out. The Manjara and Lower Terna dams have run totally dry.

Last year at this time, the water level in those dams was higher at 10%. This is the fourth year of drought in Marathwada in the last five years.

50% Of Water Supply To Maharashtra Breweries Cut To Help Marathwada Drought Survivors

BCCL

The state government says there is enough water to last the region till monsoon. "We are hopeful the monsoon will come earlier," said state water resources minister Girish Mahajan.

BCCL

Mumbai School Kids Do More For Drought Hit Farmers Than Politicians, Raise Rs 20 Lakh!

Rainfall across the state has been deficient since 2014. Dams across the state have only 16% water left, compared to 27% at this time in 2015. Dam water levels in north and western Maharashtra have halved compared to last year. Water levels in western Maharashtra's dams have dropped from 32% to 16% at this time last year.

BCCL

Activist Kishor Tiwari, who is heading a task force for farmers, said the government should enforce a cut-back in cultivation of water-guzzling sugarcane in favour of more sustainable crops.

channelnews
The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu notice of the brutal rape and murder of a 29-year-old law student last week. The commission also sent a notice to DGP TP Senkumar, demanding the probe to handed over to the Crime Branch.

Meanwhile the protest demanding justice for the victim Jisha, has spread across the state.

Thousands took to the street on Tuesday demanding speedy probe and justice for the dalit student.

Twitter

Twitter

Meanwhile police have detained two people in connection with the crime. However, they have refused to comment on whether the detained people are the culprits.

Twitter

Jisha was found raped and murdered on Thursday inside her home in Perumbavoor, with torture and stab marks all over her body. Even her intestine was pulled out using some sharp weapon.

Manorama

Due to the sheer brutality of the crime, it is being compared with the brutal rape and murder of a para-medical student in Delhi; the Nirbhaya Case.
This hillside of Costa Rica is capturing and melting hearts around the world. Called the Land of Strays or Territorio de Zaguates in Carrizal de Alajuela, the sanctuary provided room for more than a million stray dogs of the country when putting down of strays was outlawed in 2003. The 152-hectare sanctuary in the centre of the Central American country is funded by donations. So far, around 8,000 dogs have passed through the refuge.

1. Stray dogs run at dog sanctuary Territorio de Zaguates or 'Land of the Strays' in Carrizal de Alajuela, Costa Rica, April 20, 2016.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

In a lush, sprawling corner of Costa Rica, hundreds of dogs roam freely on a hillside - among the luckiest strays on earth. Fed, groomed and cared for by vets, more than 750 dogs rescued from the streets of Costa Rica inhabit Territorio de Zaguates or 'Land of the Strays', a pooch paradise.

2. Stray dogs drink water after a walk at Territorio de Zaguates or 'Land of the Strays' dog sanctuary in Carrizal de Alajuela, Costa Rica.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

3. The 152-hectare sanctuary in the centre of the Central American country is funded by donations. Around 8,000 dogs have passed through the refuge.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

4. There are more than a million stray dogs in Costa Rica, where the government outlawed putting animals down in 2003.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

5. A stray dog walks into an empty lot in San Jose, Costa Rica.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

6. Alvaro Saumet plays with stray dogs at Territorio de Zaguates or 'Land of the Strays' dog sanctuary.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

7. Johnny Jarquin plays with a stray dog at Territorio de Zaguates or 'Land of the Strays' dog sanctuary. We envy the fun that's out there!

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

8. Alvaro Saumet speaks to his stray dogs at the sanctuary.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

9. Saumet feeds the stray dogs and cares for them.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

10. That's a cute picture of Alvaro Saumet with a stray dog at the sanctuary.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

11. Alvaro Saumet also takes the dogs to the veterinarian for their care and surgeries.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

12. Many dogs arrive at the sanctuary with severe injuries and are in desperate need for some loving care.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

13. The view of the sanctuary itself acts as a relief for many dogs, who have now come to call it home.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

14. The strays have a real shot at life at the sanctuary. Whether they want to stay alone or be part of the group, there's enough space to play and recover from medical attention.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

15. It can be said that the humans who live here, serve the animals.

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

16. If there is a dog heaven, this place was probably fashioned after it!

REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate




After years of mystery and speculations around the anonymous creator of the controversial online currency, Bitcoin, his identity has been finally revealed.

AP

Australian computer scientist and businessman Craig Wright revealed on Monday that he was the man behind the name 'Satoshi Nakamoto' the man who was known across the online world as the creator of the cryptocurrency.

AP

Wright is said to have revealed his identity to the BBC, the Economist and GQ.

According to the report, Wright has provided technical proof to back up his claim. The report also said that Wright's claim has also been backed by some prominent members of the Bitcoin community and its core development team.

If his claims turn out to be true, he is likely a very wealthy person. The person going by the pseudonym Nakamoto is believed to have amassed about 1 million Bitcoins, which would be worth about $450 million if converted to cash.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a digital currency that allows people to buy goods and services and exchange money without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties.

freeformers

How does it work?

Bitcoin is not tied to a bank or government and allows users to spend money anonymously. The coins are created by users who "mine" them by lending computing power for verifying other users' transactions.

Coindesk

They receive Bitcoins in exchange. The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with US dollars and other currencies.

Mysterious origins

Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as Bitcoin began to attract widespread attention. But proponents say that doesn't matter: The currency obeys its own internal logic.

Is Bitcoins secure?

The Bitcoin network works by harnessing individuals' greed for the collective good. A network of tech-savvy users called miners keep the system honest by pouring their computing power into a blockchain, a global running tally of every Bitcoin transaction.

Bloomberg

The blockchain prevents rogues from spending the same Bitcoin twice, and the miners are rewarded for their efforts by being gifted with an occasional Bitcoin.

Why Bitcoins are popular?

Bitcoins transactions can be made anonymously, making the currency popular with libertarians as well as tech enthusiasts, speculators and criminals.

The ugly side

Because the currency isn't formally regulated, its legality is a bit fuzzy. The currency has also drawn the ire of many in law enforcement and cyber-security because it's difficult to trace, making it a currency of choice for hackers behind ransomware attacks. But in September, New York state regulators approved their first license for a company dealing in Bitcoin.
Five years ago, elite United States forces shot and killed Osama bin Laden, ending a manhunt that began in earnest after his al-Qaida operatives hijacked planes and flew them into buildings in New York and Washington in September 2001.

eusouapolitica

Here are short profiles of some of the key players in the raid.

1. President Barack Obama

bccl

The unofficial slogan of President Barack Obama's victorious 2012 re-election campaign was stark in its simplicity: "Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive."

Having originally come to office in the aftermath of global financial meltdown, Obama had put America back on track, extricated its forces from the "dumb war" in Iraq and had seemingly won the smarter war against al-Qaida by ordering the mission to kill bin Laden.

eusouapolitica

Now  five years after that victory  Obama's second and final term is drawing to a close and the threat once posed by bin Laden's al-Qaida has been eclipsed by the rise of the Islamic State and renewed warfare in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya.

2. Robert O'Neill

bccl

In November 2014, a retired SEAL named Robert O'Neill went public with his account of the infamous raid, revealing himself to be the triggerman who had killed bin Laden, shooting him twice in the head and a third time once he had fallen to the floor.

The revelation provoked a backlash from fellow SEALs, who call themselves the "quiet professionals" and pride themselves on performing risky missions in humble anonymity.

reuters

O'Neill said he had wanted to share his story to help give closure to the family of victims of the September 11 attacks.

Since his revelation, O'Neill has embarked on a new career as a public speaker and security expert, making appearances on Fox News as a military analyst. He has also started a charity to raise money and awareness for special operations troops transitioning into civilian life.

Bin Laden's long-time deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri took charge of al-Qaida following his boss's death.

vocativ

But the Egyptian doctor's tenure has coincided with a steady decline in the group's prominence as the rival Islamic State group has conquered vast swathes of territory and Syria and Iraq, and carried out high-profile attacks in the West.

vocativ

Analysts believe he is hiding in the porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, though, like his predecessor, the extent of his operational control over the network is unclear.

3. Ahmed Rashid

facebook

Pakistani author and analyst Ahmed Rashid says despite efforts to rebrand itself, and its putative ties with the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, the group's strength has dwindled in South Asia.

The brutality of the Islamic State, with its harsh sectarian line that declares all Shiites apostates, and its savage oppression of the lands it controls, have made al-Qaida appear moderate by comparison.

4. Amal Ahmed al-Sadah

tienphong

Bin Laden married five times, but by the time he fled to Pakistan around the spring 2002, he was accompanied by just three wives, including his youngest  and reportedly his favourite  Amal.

The Yemeni national was with her husband on the night of the US helicopter raid, according to a leaked Pakistani judicial commission report, which said they were awakened by what "sounded like a storm" after midnight.

ndtv

Realising that a raid was under way, the family prepared to take their final stand. When Amal saw a SEAL pointing his weapon at the terror chief, she rushed at him as the man shouted "No! No!" and shot her in the knee.

All three widows were handed over to Pakistani authorities before being deported to Saudi Arabia a year later. Nothing has been heard from them since, though it is believed Amal was sent on to Yemen with her five young children.

5. Sohaib Athar

twitter

Pakistani IT professional Sohaib Athar became an overnight celebrity when he unwittingly live-tweeted the raid that killed bin Laden.

The 34-year-old was working on his computer in the early hours of May 2, when he heard the roar of rotor blades.

dailynews

"Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)," he wrote  the first of many tweets that inadvertently broke the story to the world.
Weddings and funerals have been banned and Pyongyang is reportedly in "lockdown", as the city preps for the biggest meeting of the communist party in over 3 decades, in North Korea. The ruling Workers Party of Korea, helmed by Kim Jong-un, comes together in 3 days, possibly to announce Kim's supremacy.

interaksyon.com

The last party congress was held in 1980, and saw Kim Jong-uns father - Kim Jong-il - confirmed as successor to the states founder, Kim Il-sung. 33 year old Kim is already 'Supreme Leader', but this event might see him formally establish his leadership, declare that North Korea is a nuclear state and in a show of leadership, outline Korea's economic and military future.

turism.bzi.ro

To prevent "mishaps" at the event, weddings, funerals, and free movement in and out of the capital has been banned. The local police has also stepped up increase in inspections and property searches, Daily NK reported. The partys official newspaper, said: The [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] proudly joined the ranks of advanced nuclear and space powers while demonstrating the might of the invincible politico-ideological, military and youth power and is now dashing ahead toward to a socialist economic power and highly civilised nation.

news.com.au

This announcement comes after a 70-day loyalty drive, which saw Korean workers work extra hours as a show of devotion to the Party and Supreme Leader.
These are dangerous times; but how do you come to know of it? Who brings you the status reports from around the world? Who keeps you in touch with the realities across the border?

It's the on-ground journalists. Reporters and photographers face bombs, rioters, governments, protestors and natural calamities as they work day and night to bring you the latest news and visuals.

This is a look at a day in their lives!

Wounded Reuters photographer Gleb Garanich, who was injured by riot police

REUTERS/Stringer

Takes pictures as riot police block protesters during a scuffle at a demonstration in support of EU integration at Independence Square in Kiev November 30, 2013. Riot police in the Ukrainian capital Kiev used batons and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of pro-Europe protesters from the city's main Independence Square, witnesses said.

Journalists, including New York Times photographers

REUTERS/Paul Conroy

Tyler Hicks (R- in glasses) and Lynsey Addario (far L), Getty Images photographer John Moore (2nd L), freelance photographer Holly Pickett (3rdL) and freelancer Philip Poupin (4th L) run for cover during a bombing run by Libyan government planes at a checkpoint near the oil refinery of Ras Lanuf March 11, 2011. Hicks and Addario, along with NYT correspondents Stephen Farrell and Anthony Shadid, went missing after falling behind the lines of Muammar Gaddafi's advancing forces two days earlier.

French photographer Remi Ochlik is seen in this picture taken in Cairo, Egypt, on November 23, 2011.

REUTERS/Julien de Rosa/Handout

French photographer Remi Ochlik and American correspondent Marie Colvin were killed on February 22, 2012 in the besieged Syrian city of Homs when rockets fired by government forces hit the house they were staying in, opposition activists and witnesses said. At least two other journalists and possibly more were wounded in the attack, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said. Colvin and Ochlik were both prize-winning veterans of wars in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere.

A riot policeman punches Greek photojournalist Tatiana Bolari during a demonstration in Athens' Syntagma (Constitution) square October 5, 2011.

REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

Police officers attacked several members of the press covering the protests, injuring at least two members of the media.

Samia Nakhou

REUTERS/Pool via Reuters TV

Now Reuters Middle East Editor, is seen in the back of a car after being wounded at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, April 8, 2003, in this image taken from video footage. A US tank fired a shell at the hotel from which she was reporting.

The window of a taxi is hit by a bullet as Reuters' photographer Paulo Whitaker was injured during an operation at Vila Cruzeiro slum in Rio de Janeiro November 26, 2010.

REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

Reuters Greek photographer Yannis Behrakis takes cover during a gun battle between Israeli forces and Palestinian forces in the West Bank city of Ramallah, March 2001.

REUTERS/Stringer

Asif Hassan, a photographer with French news agency Agence France-Press (AFP)

REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Sits in a police vehicle after being shot in his chest during a protest organised by Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, the student wing of religious political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), against the satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo, which featured a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad as the cover of its first edition since an attack by Islamist gunmen, in Karachi January 16, 2015. Pakistan police fired tear gas and water cannon at about 200 protesters outside the French consulate in the southern port city of Karachi when a demonstration against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo turned violent. "AFP photographer Asif Hasan suffered wounds resulting from gunshots fired by ... protesters, police have not opened fire," Abdul Khalique Shaikh, a senior police officer in southern Karachi, told Reuters.

Kenji Nagai of APF tries to take photographs

REUTERS/Adrees Latif

As he lies injured after police and military officials fired upon and then charged at protesters in Yangon's city centre September 27, 2007. Nagai, 50, a Japanese video journalist, was shot by soldiers as they fired to disperse the crowd. Nagai later died.

A woman reporter runs with a rebel fighter to avoid snipers at the frontline against the Islamic State fighters in Aleppo's northern countryside October 10, 2014.

REUTERS/Jalal Al-Mamo

The wife of a local reporter is led away

REUTERS/Erik de Castro

As he lies on the ground (R) at the scene of a massacre of a political clan, which included several journalists, on the outskirts of Ampatuan, Maguindanao in southern Philippines November 24, 2009.

A female journalist lies on the ground after inhaling gas fired by Israeli troops during clashes with protesters near border between Israel and Central Gaza Strip October 23, 2015.

REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

A photographer takes his position behind an empty water tank during an operation at Alemao slum in Rio de Janeiro November 27, 2010.

REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

Wheelchair-bound Palestinian freelance photographer

REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Moamen Qreiqea takes pictures of protesters calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, in Gaza City October 1, 2012. Qreiqea, 25, lost both his legs in an Israeli air strike in 2008 while taking pictures east of Gaza. The father of two is determined to continue his career despite his disability.

Palestinians carry a cameraman injured during clashes between Palestinian police and Palestinian militants in Jenin.

REUTERS/Saeed Dahlah

Palestinians carry a cameraman injured during clashes between Palestinian police and Palestinian militants in the West Bank town of Jenin May 24, 2005.

Friends, colleagues and family members embrace while mourning the death of Luis Carlos Santiago during his funeral in Ciudad Juarez September 18, 2010.

REUTERS/Alejandro Bringas

Santiago, a 21-year-old news photographer working with Juarez-based newspaper El Diario, was killed after an attack by gunmen. Santiago was driving a car with another photographer who was seriously injured in the attack, according to local media.

Reuters Congo correspondent David Lewis (L) takes cover under a U.N. armored car during machine gun and mortar fire in Kinshasa November 11, 2006.

REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

In this picture taken on March 13, 2012 off television playback of a tape made available to Reuters

REUTERS/Anis Mili

British journalists Gareth Montgomery-Johnson (L) and Nicholas Davies-Jones speak from an undisclosed location. A Libyan militia released a video of two British journalists held on suspicion of spying, in which they apologized for entering the North African country illegally. Nicholas Davies-Jones and Gareth Montgomery-Johnson, who were working for Iran's English-language Press TV, were detained on Feb. 22 by the Swehli brigade, one of dozens of militias which helped to force out Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Doctors and medics attend to Getty photographer Chris Hondros (foreground) and photojournalist Tim Hetherington (obscured) in a Misrata hospital April 20, 2011.

REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

The two photojournalists -- Oscar-nominated filmmaker and photographer Hetherington and Getty photographer Hondros -- were killed after coming under fire in the besieged Libyan town of Misrata.

Afghans take part in a burial ceremony of Afghan journalist Sardar Ahmad of Agence France-Presse in Kabul March 23, 2014.

REUTERS/Ahmad Masood

Sardar, his wife and two children were killed during an attack by gunmen at Serena Hotel. Taliban gunmen killed nine people, including four foreigners, in the attack on the luxury hotel used by U.N. staff and prominent Afghan politicians in Kabul, before being shot dead by security forces, witnesses and police said.

A protester holds a picture of journalist Tetyana Chornovil, who was beaten and left in a ditch just hours after publishing an article on the assets of top government officials

REUTERS/Stringer

During a protest rally in front of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kiev December 25, 2013. Chornovil, a prominent activist who has given speeches at recent anti-government protests, told police her car was stopped by a vehicle just after midnight. A group of unidentified men got out and broke the rear window of her car.

Anti-government protesters carry Reuters television cameraman Hiro Muramoto after he was shot during clashes in central Bangkok April 10, 2010.

REUTERS/Stringer

Hiro Muramoto was shot dead on April 10, 2010 during a violent clash between Thai troops and anti-government protesters in Bangkok's worst political violence in 18 years.

A Turkish riot policeman pushes a photographer during a protest at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 11, 2013.

REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Turkish riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at hundreds of protesters armed with rocks and fireworks as they tried to take back control of a central Istanbul square at the heart of fierce anti-government demonstrations.

Wounded journalist Antonio Mendoza Quintero is wheeled on a stretcher by medics at a hospital in Tegucigalpa June 12, 2013.

REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

Quintero, a broadcast journalist, was wounded in a drive-by shooting while standing outside a sound system repair workshop, local media reported. During the attack an employee of the workshop was killed.

Investigators work near the body of journalist Oles Buzina in Kiev April 16, 2015.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

A prominent Ukrainian journalist known for his pro-Russian views was shot dead in Kiev by two masked gunmen, the interior ministry said, a day after a former lawmaker loyal to ousted President Viktor Yanukovich was also killed. Oles Buzina, 45, was known for his pro-Russian opinion pieces published in Ukraine's Sevodnya daily newspaper, which is part of the media empire of Ukraine's richest businessman Rinat Akhmetov.

Reuters Palestinian photographer Abed Omar Qusini (C) falls to the ground after being injured during clashes in the West Bank city of Nablus May 3, 2004.

REUTERS/Stringer

This aerial picture shows locals scatter as a foreign journalist assists Swedish cameraman Martin Adler (C), immediately after he was shot in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, June 23, 2006.

REUTERS/Shebelle Media

A gunman shot dead at close range a Swedish television cameraman covering a pro-Islamist demonstration in Mogadishu in renewed violence that has racked the Horn of Africa nation despite peace efforts.

Photographer Serhiy Nikolayev sits on an armchair in the village of Pesky, north-west of Donetsk, February 28, 2015.

REUTERS/Max Rokotansky

A Ukrainian journalist was killed by shelling in east Ukraine on Saturday, his newspaper said, even as the Ukrainian military reported a significant drop in rebel attacks boosting hopes for a two-week-old ceasefire. Nikolayev died after artillery fire struck near the village of Pesky, north-west of the rebel-held city of Donetsk, daily newspaper Sevodnya reported in an online statement.
Indian IT major major Wipro has launched Saudi Arabia's first all women business and technology park (WBP). The park was inaugarated in the presence of Saudi Aramco and Princess Nourah University (PNU).

It is expected to create nearly 21,000 jobs by 2025

WBP, a joint venture of PNU (world's largest university for women) and Wipro Arabia, consulted with Saudi Aramco as the strategic advisor and anchor of this initiative. The joint venture will see facilities and infrastructure developed at the at park set in Riyadh, and will train employ up to 21,000 Saudi women, Wipro said in a statement.

WBP aims to become the largest engineering drafting services, business process services and IT hub in the region for Saudi specific sectors that including oil and gas, government, manufacturing, healthcare, telecom and construction. "Dedicated to working women, this business park is a first of its kind project aimed at providing knowledge-based employment for women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," it added.

In comparison, Wipro's biggest competitor Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) established an first all-women Business Process Services (BPS) centre in Riyadh 3 years ago, which only employs 1,000 women

"The goal of the WBP is to create 21,000 jobs by 2025 and give women a critical role to play in a way that serves the objectives of the nation and to build a knowledge economy with societal and international partnerships," Huda Al-Ameel, Rector of Princess Nourah University said. "In a country where women represent about 60% of all university graduates, but less than 15% of the country's workforce, the Women's Business Park is poised to be a milestone initiative," she said.

Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro, said it is the company's endeavour to foster an environment that encourages and enables more women to participate in business and tap their leadership potential. "It has been more than a decade since Wipro began its operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and localisation has always been an important aspect of our business strategy here," he added. The park in the PNU premises includes entrepreneur incubators, daycare centres and a one-stop coordination centre for government transactions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with Saudi women IT professionals at the first-of- its-kind all-women TCS training centre in the heart of the city here and invited them to come to India. "For the world it is considered to be a main headline news that in Riyadh today I am meeting those IT professionals who I can say today represent the glory of Saudi Arabia," Modi said while interacting with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) women professionals in Riyadh.

He spent around 40 minutes at the centre and even posed for selfies.
Yusuf Pathan turned defeat into victory yesterday for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

TOI

His blistering 60 not out of 29 balls contained six fours and 3 sixes as he annihilated the Bangalore bowlers.

Along with Andre Russell, Yusuf added 96 runs in 44 balls, as Kolkata won by 5 wickets.

BCCI

The knock was a reminder to all that Yusuf is a deadly proposition in the IPL. By sheer power alone, he sent the ball to all parts of the boundary. It was as brisk as it was entertaining, the runs flowed from the bat and Virat Kohli soon did not know what field to set.

Even the opposition was bowled over by the knock, Kohli went and offered a heartfelt congratulations to Yusuf at the end of the match.

But for KKR fans, the innings was hardly a surprise, for the right-hander is known to use the long handle to good effect.

AFP

If this is a sign for things to come, then bowlers need to brace themselves for future onslaughts.
Murtaza Ahmadi, the 5-year-old who became an internet sensation after he was photographed wearing a homemade Argentina shirt with No. 10 on the back, has been forced to relocate to Pakistan.

AFP

The family was forced to leave Afghanistan amid constant telephone threats, the boys father said.

AFP

He was afraid his son would be kidnapped after his images went viral. Earlier, in February Ahmadi had finally swapped his plastic jersey with the real Messi shirt.

Before that, when Ahmadi was awaiting his idol, even Messi's club Barcelona, after hearing the story of the boy, had sent a Barcelona jersey to the five-year-old.

AFP

Now, on reaching Pakistan, the family first traveled to the capital city Islamabad, but couldn't stay there long because of the high cost of living. They had to later move to Quetta.
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Why Russia Resents Us By Patrick Buchanan May 03, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Creators " - Friday, a Russian SU-27 did a barrel roll over a U.S. RC-135 over the Baltic, the second time in two weeks. Also in April, the U.S. destroyer Donald Cook, off Russias Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, was twice buzzed by Russian planes. Vladimir Putins message: Keep your spy planes and ships a respectable distance away from us. Apparently, we have not received it. Friday, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work announced that 4,000 NATO troops, including two U.S. battalions, will be moved into Poland and the Baltic States, right on Russias border. "The Russians have been doing a lot of snap exercises right up against the border with a lot of troops," says Work, who calls this "extraordinarily provocative behavior." But how are Russian troops deploying inside Russia "provocative," while U.S. troops on Russias front porch are not? And before we ride this escalator up to a clash, we had best check our hole card. Germany is to provide one of four battalions to be sent to the Baltic. But a Bertelsmann Foundation poll last week found that only 31 percent of Germans favor sending their troops to resist a Russian move in the Baltic States or Poland, while 57 percent oppose it, though the NATO treaty requires it. Last year, a Pew poll found majorities in Italy and France also oppose military action against Russia if she moves into Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia or Poland. If it comes to war in the Baltic, our European allies prefer that we Americans fight it. Asked on his retirement as Army chief of staff what was the greatest strategic threat to the United States, Gen. Ray Odierno echoed Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, "I believe that Russia is." He mentioned threats to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. Yet, when Gen. Odierno entered the service, all four were part of the Soviet Union, and no Cold War president ever thought any was worth a war. The independence of the Baltic States was one of the great peace dividends after the Cold War. But when did that become so vital a U.S. interest we would go to war with Russia to guarantee it? Putin may top the enemies list of the Beltway establishment, but we should try to see the world from his point of view. When Ronald Reagan met Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik in 1986, Putin was in his mid-30s, and the Soviet Empire stretched from the Elbe to the Bering Strait and from the Arctic to Afghanistan. Russians were all over Africa and had penetrated the Caribbean and Central America. The Soviet Union was a global superpower that had attained strategic parity with the United States. Now consider how the world has changed for Putin, and Russia. By the time he turned 40, the Red Army had begun its Napoleonic retreat from Europe and his country had splintered into 15 nations. By the time he came to power, the USSR had lost one-third of its territory and half its population. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan were gone. The Black Sea, once a Soviet lake, now had on its north shore a pro-Western Ukraine, on its eastern shore a hostile Georgia, and on its western shore two former Warsaw Pact allies, Bulgaria and Romania, being taken into NATO. For Russian warships in Leningrad, the trip out to the Atlantic now meant cruising past the coastline of eight NATO nations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Great Britain. Putin has seen NATO, despite solemn U.S. assurances given to Gorbachev, incorporate all of Eastern Europe that Russia had vacated, and three former republics of the USSR itself. He now hears a clamor from American hawks to bring three more former Soviet republics  Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine  into a NATO alliance directed against Russia. After persuading Kiev to join a Moscow-led economic union, Putin saw Ukraines pro-Russian government overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup. He has seen U.S.-funded "color-coded" revolutions try to dump over friendly regimes all across his "near abroad." "Russia has not accepted the hand of partnership," says NATO commander, Gen. Philip Breedlove, "but has chosen a path of belligerence." But why should Putin see NATOs inexorable eastward march as an extended "hand of partnership"? Had we lost the Cold War and Russian spy planes began to patrol off Pensacola, Norfolk and San Diego, how would U.S. F-16 pilots have reacted? If we awoke to find Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and most of South America in a military alliance against us, welcoming Russian bases and troops, would we regard that as "the hand of partnership"? We are reaping the understandable rage and resentment of the Russian people over how we exploited Moscows retreat from empire. Did we not ourselves slap aside the hand of Russian friendship, when proffered, when we chose to embrace our "unipolar moment," to play the "great game" of empire and seek "benevolent global hegemony"? If there is a second Cold War, did Russia really start it? Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of the new book "The Greatest Comeback: How Richard Nixon Rose From Defeat to Create the New Majority." To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com. See also Trump Says U.S. Should Shoot Barrel-Rolling Russian Planes At A Certain Point : At a certain point, when that sucker comes by you, you gotta shoot, Trump said of Russian planes barrel-rolling over U.S. Air Force planes.
Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter How Moqtada al-Sadr Could Take Down Iraqs Government



Supporters of the powerful Shia cleric stormed Baghdads parliament, leaving legislators quivering in the basement and Iraq on the edge of political chaos.



By Michael Weiss and Abdulla Hawez May 03, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Daily Beast " - BAGHDAD, IRAQ  Hussain Jassim refused to leave the Green Zone, once considered the impenetrable citadel at the heart of Baghdad, until his leader Muqtada al-Sadr ordered him to do so. We have entered parliament and we have broken its prestige in front of people because they are thieves, they deserve for that to happen to them, Jassim told The Daily Beast. He was one of thousands of angry protestors who on Saturday raided the Iraqi legislature, chasing MPs out of their own seats in government, and often assaulting or denouncing those not aligned with al-Sadr trying to run away from the melee. We saw them fleeing from us, Jassim said. Some legislators stayed behind, trapped in the basement of the parliament for fear of not wanting to confront the angry crowd outside. There were even false reports that a few had repaired to the sprawling U.S. embassy complex, seeking refuge from their own countrymen. Remarkably, Iraqs security forces tolerated the demonstrators day-long occupation of a notorious no-go area in the capital. The protesters climbed over concrete blast walls and burst through cordons with ease. Some tear gas was used, but law enforcement mingled comfortably with those against whom they were meant to guard. The security forces have dealt with us with a high sense of patriotism and responsibility, Jassim said. These protests were a long time going. Iraqs public coffers are a sieve, where billions have vanished in the salaries of ghost soldiers or into the bank accounts of well-connected pols and their kin. Problematic enough in peacetime and during high global oil prices, economic crisis is 2016 has become a national security crisis, as state bankruptcy could easily damage or end the ongoing war against the Islamic State. For months, al-Sadr, the firebrand Shia cleric al-Sadr threatened to take direct action if Iraqs parlous political establishment could not rid itself of cancerous corruption. Once a deadly foe of U.S. soldiers, al-Sadr has become, five years after Americas somewhat abortive military withdrawal, Iraqs new political kingmaker, unafraid to antagonize a Shia-led government whose premier was appointed with the backing of both Washington and Tehran. Among the Sadrists demands are early elections, genuine anti-corruption reforms (this, in a country where even anti-graft officials openly admit to being on the take), and an end to the political quota system, whereby government posts are decided according to sect and ethnicitya holdover of Americas transitional stewardship of post-Saddam Iraq and once thought of as a sufficient underwriter of pluralism. Many on Saturday behaved as if another despised tyranny were coming to an end. In one iconic photograph taken by Jean-Marc Mojon of Agence France-Presse, a young Iraqi boy is shown diving into a pool inside the Green Zone, his plunge pose mimicking the famous fall of Saddam Husseins statue in 2003, which symbolized the collapse of his Baathist regime. Majid Gharawi, an MP from the Ahrar parliamentary listSadrs blocjustified the protests as a normal and healthy reaction to legislative deadlock after three attempts of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to form a technocratic cabinet were rebuffed by a parliament which internally devolved into the kind of chaos that descended upon the institution from without this weekend, with MPs getting into fist fights and waging their own sit-ins over the past several weeks. Haider al-Mullah, a member of the Sunni Alliance of United Forces, called on al-Abadi to resign. The prime minister, al-Mullah told The Daily Beast, moved the crisis from government and his coalition to parliament. In a press release the Kurdish Alliance condemned the ransacking of the parliament building, which represents the nation and the assault on the second deputy speaker of parliament Aram Shekh Muhammed and some other Kurdish members of parliament and MPs from other blocs. According to Hiwa Afandi, the Head of Department of Information Technology of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil, all Kurdish MPs were ordered to remove themselves from Baghdad. A state of emergency was declared Saturday, as Shia militias under the command of Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri were mobilized to ensure that the Islamic State didnt take advantage advantage of the unrestor, better say, further advantage of it. On Sunday, the Islamic State detonated two car bombs in Samawah, a city about 120 miles south of Baghdad, killing at least 32. Samawah, which is majority Shia, had mostly been immune to the depredations of the army of terror which two years ago stormed into the northern provincial capital of Ninewah and conquered about a third of Iraqs territory. In recent months, the so-called caliphate has seen a series of major tactical defeats in Iraq and Syria and the loss of swaths of held terrain. As a result, it has amplified opportunistic acts of terrorism. The question, however, is whether crippling dysfunction in Baghdad can prevent or withstand these from tearing the country apart. An earlier Islamic State bombing on Saturday, this one of Shite pilgrims in the Nahrawan district close to Baghdad, killed two dozen. The occupation of the Green Zone may have been lifted, as of Sunday evening, but the stability and cohesion of the state are still very much in doubt. One of the protest organizers, Akhlas al-Obaidi, has given the government less than a week to broker a solution; otherwise, she said, the protestors would return on Friday. The Iraqi politicians have tried many times procrastinating peoples demands which are calling for reform, Mudahir al-Lamy, another protestor, told The Daily Beast. Yesterday, we sent a clear message to them that they have no place in the new Iraq. They have stolen our money, so today we ask them to be held accountable and put them in prison. Rreporting by Abdulla Hawez from Baghdad and Michael Weiss from New York .

Abdulla Hawez is a reporter for Yalla, an Erbil-based Iraqi news organization. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter For Email Marketing you can trust Donate



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Ted Cruz Works For The Enemy



Video



Gary Heavin, drops a 30-kiloton atomic truth bomb on Ted Cruz's image as a devout Christian Posted May 03, 2016 - Via The Daily Bail







TRANSCRIPT



Jim, can I share a truth with you?



Im watching the political process, and so many people are elevating Ted Cruz upbased on his Christianity.



Well, I know Ted Cruz. Hes my senator, and I vetted him at dinner one night about 7 or 8 months ago. And as much as I would love to say, Hey, weve got a like believer." The way the political process works is that they give us two of their choices so that we have the illusion that were participating in who our leaders are.



Ted Cruz works for the Enemy.



He works for the Establishment Republicans. And I know this from talking with him, where he tried to argue that going into Ukraine, and that sending our kids and our treasure into Ukraine, was a good idea. And when I brought up to him that, Hey, we funded the overthrow of the elected government of the Ukraine; and we did it for the monied interests. And its about supporting the military-industrial spending; its about supporting the bankers; its about supporting the food companies that are creating GMO foods that they wanna bring into the Ukraine.And when the debate was overkeep in mind that he was the national debating championhe had no explanation to defend his position on things.



And furthermore, you know his wife is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, which is a globalist organization. In fact, she was part of a team that was working on a North American union. He hasif you look at his published advisorstwo of them are CIA Directors. Its a Whos Who list of the Insiders. His wife Heidi is a member of the Bush team. He is an insiders insider. One more thing, if this isnt enough, he got caught not many weeks ago because he didnt reveal a loan that he got Goldman Sachs and from Citibank for his campaign.



He works for the enemy. Cruz: Trump 'Utterly Amoral...Pathological Liar'
Inside the Assassination Complex

Whistleblowing Is Not Just Leaking  Its an Act of Political Resistance



By Edward Snowden



May 03, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " The Intercept " - I ve been waiting 40 years for someone like you. Those were the first words Daniel Ellsberg spoke to me when we met last year. Dan and I felt an immediate kinship; we both knew what it meant to risk so much  and to be irrevocably changed  by revealing secret truths. One of the challenges of being a whistleblower is living with the knowledge that people continue to sit, just as you did, at those desks, in that unit, throughout the agency, who see what you saw and comply in silence, without resistance or complaint. They learn to live not just with untruths but with unnecessary untruths, dangerous untruths, corrosive untruths. It is a double tragedy: What begins as a survival strategy ends with the compromise of the human being it sought to preserve and the diminishing of the democracy meant to justify the sacrifice. But unlike Dan Ellsberg, I didnt have to wait 40 years to witness other citizens breaking that silence with documents. Ellsberg gave the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and other newspapers in 1971; Chelsea Manning provided the Iraq and Afghan War logs and the Cablegate materials to WikiLeaks in 2010. I came forward in 2013. Now here we are in 2016, and another person of courage and conscience has made available the set of extraordinary documents that are published in The Assassination Complex, the new book out today by Jeremy Scahill and the staff of The Intercept. (The documents were originally published last October 15 in The Drone Papers.) We are witnessing a compression of the working period in which bad policy shelters in the shadows, the time frame in which unconstitutional activities can continue before they are exposed by acts of conscience. And this temporal compression has a significance beyond the immediate headlines; it permits the people of this country to learn about critical government actions, not as part of the historical record but in a way that allows direct action through voting  in other words, in a way that empowers an informed citizenry to defend the democracy that state secrets are nominally intended to support. When I see individuals who are able to bring information forward, it gives me hope that we wont always be required to curtail the illegal activities of our government as if it were a constant task, to uproot official lawbreaking as routinely as we mow the grass. (Interestingly enough, that is how some have begun to describe remote killing operations, as cutting the grass.) A single act of whistleblowing doesnt change the reality that there are significant portions of the government that operate below the waterline, beneath the visibility of the public. Those secret activities will continue, despite reforms. But those who perform these actions now have to live with the fear that if they engage in activities contrary to the spirit of society  if even a single citizen is catalyzed to halt the machinery of that injustice  they might still be held to account. The thread by which good governance hangs is this equality before the law, for the only fear of the man who turns the gears is that he may find himself upon them. Hope lies beyond, when we move from extraordinary acts of revelation to a collective culture of accountability within the intelligence community. Here we will have taken a meaningful step toward solving a problem that has existed for as long as our government. Not all leaks are alike, nor are their makers. Gen. David Petraeus, for instance, provided his illicit lover and favorable biographer information so secret it defied classification, including the names of covert operatives and the presidents private thoughts on matters of strategic concern. Petraeus was not charged with a felony, as the Justice Department had initially recommended, but was instead permitted to plead guilty to a misdemeanor. Had an enlisted soldier of modest rank pulled out a stack of highly classified notebooks and handed them to his girlfriend to secure so much as a smile, hed be looking at many decades in prison, not a pile of character references from a Whos Who of the Deep State. There are authorized leaks and also permitted disclosures. It is rare for senior administration officials to explicitly ask a subordinate to leak a CIA officers name to retaliate against her husband, as appears to have been the case with Valerie Plame. It is equally rare for a month to go by in which some senior official does not disclose some protected information that is beneficial to the political efforts of the parties but clearly damaging to national security under the definitions of our law. This dynamic can be seen quite clearly in the al Qaeda conference call of doom story, in which intelligence officials, likely seeking to inflate the threat of terrorism and deflect criticism of mass surveillance, revealed to a neoconservative website extraordinarily detailed accounts of specific communications they had intercepted, including locations of the participating parties and the precise contents of the discussions. If the officials claims were to be believed, they irrevocably burned an extraordinary means of learning the precise plans and intentions of terrorist leadership for the sake of a short-lived political advantage in a news cycle. Not a single person seems to have been so much as disciplined as a result of the story that cost us the ability to listen to the alleged al Qaeda hotline. I f harmfulness and authorization make no difference, what explains the distinction between the permissible and the impermissible disclosure? The answer is control. A leak is acceptable if its not seen as a threat, as a challenge to the prerogatives of the institution. But if all of the disparate components of the institution  not just its head but its hands and feet, every part of its body  must be assumed to have the same power to discuss matters of concern, that is an existential threat to the modern political monopoly of information control, particularly if were talking about disclosures of serious wrongdoing, fraudulent activity, unlawful activities. If you cant guarantee that you alone can exploit the flow of controlled information, then the aggregation of all the worlds unmentionables  including your own  begins to look more like a liability than an asset. Truly unauthorized disclosures are necessarily an act of resistance  that is, if theyre not done simply for press consumption, to fluff up the public appearance or reputation of an institution. However, that doesnt mean they all come from the lowest working level. Sometimes the individuals who step forward happen to be near the pinnacle of power. Ellsberg was in the top tier; he was briefing the secretary of defense. You cant get much higher, unless you are the secretary of defense, and the incentives simply arent there for such a high-ranking official to be involved in public interest disclosures because that person already wields the influence to change the policy directly. At the other end of the spectrum is Manning, a junior enlisted soldier, who was much nearer to the bottom of the hierarchy. I was midway in the professional career path. I sat down at the table with the chief information officer of the CIA, and I was briefing him and his chief technology officer when they were publicly making statements like We try to collect everything and hang on to it forever, and everybody still thought that was a cute business slogan. Meanwhile I was designing the systems they would use to do precisely that. I wasnt briefing the policy side, the secretary of defense, but I was briefing the operations side, the National Security Agencys director of technology. Official wrongdoing can catalyze all levels of insiders to reveal information, even at great risk to themselves, so long as they can be convinced that it is necessary to do so. Reaching those individuals, helping them realize that their first allegiance as a public servant is to the public rather than to the government, is the challenge. Thats a significant shift in cultural thinking for a government worker today. Ive argued that whistleblowers are elected by circumstance. Its not a virtue of who you are or your background. Its a question of what you are exposed to, what you witness. At that point the question becomes Do you honestly believe that you have the capability to remediate the problem, to influence policy? I would not encourage individuals to reveal information, even about wrongdoing, if they do not believe they can be effective in doing so, because the right moment can be as rare as the will to act. T his is simply a pragmatic, strategic consideration. Whistleblowers are outliers of probability, and if they are to be effective as a political force, its critical that they maximize the amount of public good produced from scarce seed. When I was making my decision, I came to understand how one strategic consideration, such as waiting until the month before a domestic election, could become overwhelmed by another, such as the moral imperative to provide an opportunity to arrest a global trend that had already gone too far. I was focused on what I saw and on my sense of overwhelming disenfranchisement that the government, in which I had believed for my entire life, was engaged in such an extraordinary act of deception. Change has to flow from the bottom to the top. At the heart of this evolution is that whistleblowing is a radicalizing event  and by radical I dont mean extreme; I mean it in the traditional sense of radix, the root of the issue. At some point you recognize that you cant just move a few letters around on a page and hope for the best. You cant simply report this problem to your supervisor, as I tried to do, because inevitably supervisors get nervous. They think about the structural risk to their career. Theyre concerned about rocking the boat and getting a reputation. The incentives arent there to produce meaningful reform. Fundamentally, in an open society, change has to flow from the bottom to the top. As someone who works in the intelligence community, youve given up a lot to do this work. Youve happily committed yourself to tyrannical restrictions. You voluntarily undergo polygraphs; you tell the government everything about your life. You waive a lot of rights because you believe the fundamental goodness of your mission justifies the sacrifice of even the sacred. Its a just cause. And when youre confronted with evidence  not in an edge case, not in a peculiarity, but as a core consequence of the program  that the government is subverting the Constitution and violating the ideals you so fervently believe in, you have to make a decision. When you see that the program or policy is inconsistent with the oaths and obligations that youve sworn to your society and yourself, then that oath and that obligation cannot be reconciled with the program. To which do you owe a greater loyalty? O ne of the extraordinary things about the revelations of the past several years, and their accelerating pace, is that they have occurred in the context of the United States as the uncontested hyperpower. We now have the largest unchallenged military machine in the history of the world, and its backed by a political system that is increasingly willing to authorize any use of force in response to practically any justification. In todays context that justification is terrorism, but not necessarily because our leaders are particularly concerned about terrorism in itself or because they think its an existential threat to society. They recognize that even if we had a 9/11 attack every year, we would still be losing more people to car accidents and heart disease, and we dont see the same expenditure of resources to respond to those more significant threats. What it really comes down to is the political reality that we have a political class that feels it must inoculate itself against allegations of weakness. Our politicians are more fearful of the politics of terrorism  of the charge that they do not take terrorism seriously  than they are of the crime itself. As a result we have arrived at this unmatched capability, unrestrained by policy. We have become reliant upon what was intended to be the limitation of last resort: the courts. Judges, realizing that their decisions are suddenly charged with much greater political importance and impact than was originally intended, have gone to great lengths in the post-9/11 period to avoid reviewing the laws or the operations of the executive in the national security context and setting restrictive precedents that, even if entirely proper, would impose limits on government for decades or more. That means the most powerful institution that humanity has ever witnessed has also become the least restrained. Yet that same institution was never designed to operate in such a manner, having instead been explicitly founded on the principle of checks and balances. Our founding impulse was to say, Though we are mighty, we are voluntarily restrained. W hen you first go on duty at CIA headquarters, you raise your hand and swear an oath  not to government, not to the agency, not to secrecy. You swear an oath to the Constitution. So theres this friction, this emerging contest between the obligations and values that the government asks you to uphold, and the actual activities that youre asked to participate in. These disclosures about the Obama administrations killing program reveal that theres a part of the American character that is deeply concerned with the unrestrained, unchecked exercise of power. And there is no greater or clearer manifestation of unchecked power than assuming for oneself the authority to execute an individual outside of a battlefield context and without the involvement of any sort of judicial process. Traditionally, in the context of military affairs, weve always understood that lethal force in battle could not be subjected to ex ante judicial constraints. When armies are shooting at each other, theres no room for a judge on that battlefield. But now the government has decided  without the publics participation, without our knowledge and consent  that the battlefield is everywhere. Individuals who dont represent an imminent threat in any meaningful sense of those words are redefined, through the subversion of language, to meet that definition. Inevitably that conceptual subversion finds its way home, along with the technology that enables officials to promote comfortable illusions about surgical killing and nonintrusive surveillance. Take, for instance, the Holy Grail of drone persistence, a capability that the United States has been pursuing forever. The goal is to deploy solar-powered drones that can loiter in the air for weeks without coming down. Once you can do that, and you put any typical signals collection device on the bottom of it to monitor, unblinkingly, the emanations of, for example, the different network addresses of every laptop, smartphone, and iPod, you know not just where a particular device is in what city, but you know what apartment each device lives in, where it goes at any particular time, and by what route. Once you know the devices, you know their owners. When you start doing this over several cities, youre tracking the movements not just of individuals but of whole populations. Unrestrained power may be many things, but its not American. By preying on the modern necessity to stay connected, governments can reduce our dignity to something like that of tagged animals, the primary difference being that we paid for the tags and theyre in our pockets. It sounds like fantasist paranoia, but on the technical level its so trivial to implement that I cannot imagine a future in which it wont be attempted. It will be limited to the war zones at first, in accordance with our customs, but surveillance technology has a tendency to follow us home. Here we see the double edge of our uniquely American brand of nationalism. We are raised to be exceptionalists, to think we are the better nation with the manifest destiny to rule. The danger is that some people will actually believe this claim, and some of those will expect the manifestation of our national identity, that is, our government, to comport itself accordingly. Unrestrained power may be many things, but its not American. It is in this sense that the act of whistleblowing increasingly has become an act of political resistance. The whistleblower raises the alarm and lifts the lamp, inheriting the legacy of a line of Americans that begins with Paul Revere. The individuals who make these disclosures feel so strongly about what they have seen that theyre willing to risk their lives and their freedom. They know that we, the people, are ultimately the strongest and most reliable check on the power of government. The insiders at the highest levels of government have extraordinary capability, extraordinary resources, tremendous access to influence, and a monopoly on violence, but in the final calculus there is but one figure that matters: the individual citizen. And there are more of us than there are of them. From The Assassination Complex: Inside the Governments Secret Drone Warfare Program by Jeremy Scahill and the staff of The Intercept , with a foreword by Edward Snowden and afterword by Glenn Greenwald, published by Simon & Schuster.
The Pentagon Shouldnt Get to Absolve Itself for Bombing a Hospital





We need an independent investigation of the brutal U.S. attack on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan, which killed 42 people.



By Phyllis Bennis



May 03, 2016 "

Information Clearing House

" - "

" -

The Pentagon just made it official: No war crime was committed when a U.S. plane attacked the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan last year, killing 42 patients and health workers and injuring many more.

At least, thats the conclusion of its own investigation  nearly all of which remains classified.

No war crime, despite the U.S. military having full knowledge of the hospitals location before the bombing. No war crime, despite desperate hospital staffers calling military liaison officers while the rampage was underway. No war crime, despite their calls being routed without response through layers of lethal bureaucracy for an hour or more as the deadly bombing continued.

No war crime, says the Pentagon.

The 16 military personnel involved all will face some kind of administrative consequence, but none of them will be court-martialed. The 16 do not, apparently, include the top strategists of the U.S. war in Afghanistan  nor anyone responsible for creating or approving the system for responding to desperate calls from civilians being slaughtered by U.S. warplanes. Nor anyone whose job it is to be sure that the U.S. military doesnt violate the Geneva Conventions prohibitions on things like attacking hospitals.

We dont know for sure, because the vast majority of the official report on the Kunduz hospital assault was redacted  blacked out  so no one without top security clearance could read even the Pentagons own assessment of what happened. Apparently Congress, the press, and the public are all supposed to be satisfied with the explanation that the cause was a combination of human errors, compounded by process and equipment failures. The official write-up adds that fatigue and high operational tempo also contributed to the fog of war  that old standby for excusing large-scale attacks on civilians.

No one should be satisfied with this internal investigation. Theres an urgent need for an independent, international investigation, as Doctors Without Borders has been demanding since the attack took place last October.

The press release from U.S. Central Command quotes Army General Joseph Votel, the current Centcom commander. The fact this was unintentional, an unintentional action, takes it out of the realm of actually being a deliberate war crime against persons or protected locations, the general insists. That is the principal reason why we do not consider this to be a war crime.

General Votel can consider whatever he likes, but he doesnt get to re-write international humanitarian law on his own. Some war crimes do include specific intent  a charge of genocide, for instance, requires the perpetrators intention to destroy, in part or in whole, a racial, ethnic, religious, or other group. Other war crimes, however  including violating the Geneva Conventions  do not require that kind of specific intent. (Criminal law has a similar distinction. Some crimes, like assault or battery, are based on a particular action; a separate crime is committed when there is assault with intent to kill.)

In this case, the 4th Geneva Convention, Article 18, states unambiguously that civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict. Criminal negligence may be involved rather than criminal intent, but that would still be a crime.

Yet Army General John Campbell, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, insists, The label war crimes is typically reserved for intentional acts  intentionally targeting civilians or intentionally targeting protected objects.

Typically is a slippery word. One might conclude from Campbells words that U.S. military personnel right up the chain of command are indeed typically liable for war crimes when they, just for example, order the bombing of heavily populated cities to force regime change, or a drone attack on someone from the kill-or-capture list despite his nephew being at his side. But in fact U.S. military personnel are virtually never charged with war crimes.

And despite the years of brutal U.S. assaults launched in the name of the global war on terror, there is still nothing typical about an attack on a civilian hospital whose location was well known to the military, whose staff was desperately calling to try to stop the bombing, and who lost at least 14 doctors and other staff, 24 patients, and four caretakers in the attack. So regardless of whether its true  or acceptable  that typical war crimes involve specific intent, that is certainly not a requirement for determining what a war crime is.

On May 3, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution reaffirming member states obligations to protect hospitals, the sick, and the wounded in war zones. Given recent years escalation of attacks on hospitals and clinics  from Israels 2014 assault on Gaza, to last years Kunduz bombing, and last weeks attack on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, which killed at least 50 people  such a resolution is urgently needed.
Ken Livingstone Isnt On Trial, Zionism Is



In subjecting Ken Livingstone to trial-by-media over his comments on Zionism, his detractors have also unwittingly placed Zionism itself on trial,



By American Herald Tribune May 03, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Mint Press " - What is Zionism? This is the question that millions of people across the United Kingdom will undoubtedly have been asking themselves over recent days in light of the political crisis and media firestorm thats been whipped up over allegations that the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party has a problem with antisemitism. It is a crisis that has seen Labour MP Naz Shah suspended by the party, along with former mayor of London and Labour Party veteran Ken Livingstone  the former over Facebook comments that came to light, the latter over comments made in an interview he gave defending Shah during which he brought up the existence of the Haavara Agreement between the Nazis and Zionists in Germany to arrange the transfer of Jews from Germany to Palestine. It was a collaboration that was fiercely opposed within the wider Zionist movement and unanimously so within the wider Jewish Disapora at the time. In fact this opposition led to the assassination of leading Zionist Chaim Arlosoroff in Tel Aviv in1933 by, it is thought, Zionists belonging to Vladimir Jabotinskys Revisionist faction, over Arlosoroffs support for and role in the Haavara Agreement. This is a complex and, for obvious reasons, delicate history, which Livingstone was ill advised to attempt to unpack in the course of a short interview. If anything he was guilty of being crude in attempting to over simplify it, but no serious person could accuse him of antisemitism for having done so. Regardless, such has been the intensity of this media firestorm, the partys has decided to establish an independent inquiry into antisemitism within its ranks. This development constitutes a clear gift to Corbyns opponents  both those within and without the Labour Party  for in establishing such an inquiry the leadership has effectively surrendered to the allegations, thus tainting the partys 400,000 members with the inference that Labour is a party dripping with antisemitism. In taking things this far, however, in subjecting Ken Livingstone to trial-by-media over his comments on Zionism, his detractors have also unwittingly placed Zionism itself on trial, with the question of Zionism, as mentioned, undoubtedly now being pondered by millions of people who previously would have had zero interest in the subject. And what most of those people will inarguably find if they delve deep enough into that question, despite the determined efforts of Israels supporters to conflate Zionism with Judaism, is that this is a political doctrine and ideology responsible for crimes against humanity on a grand scale. Parenthetically, into this mix must be mentioned the book that Ken Livingstone revealed was the main source of his information on the history of the aforementioned Haavara Agreement  Lenni Brenners Zionism in the Age of the Dictators (Lawrence Hill, 1983). Brenners book will now be enjoying the kind of upsurge in sales the author and his publisher could only ever have dreamed of prior to this row breaking out. Of course, and predictably, Brenner  who also happens to be Jewish  is now being roundly traduced and dismissed as a conspiracy theorist, ultra left loon, his credentials as a historian ripped to shreds. Anyone whos read the book, however, including yours truly, can testify that it is impeccably and exhaustively referenced, and also extremely well written. You dont have to take my word for it either. A review of the book appeared in the London Times newspaper, the UKs newspaper of record no less, in 1984, written by Edward Mortimer, who went on to be appointed Director of Communications, Executive Office of the Secretary General, United Nations. Of Brenners book, Mortimer writes, It is short (250 pages), crisp and carefully documented. But the purpose of this article is not to dissect the Haavara Agreement, as this has already been done in numerous articles over the course of this crisis, but to look at the activities of the Zionist movement in Palestine and how it underpinned the mass programme of ethnic cleansing and the atrocities that were committed in its name. The definitive work in this regard is Ilan Pappes The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Oneworld, 2006). In the preface of his forensic exploration of what is known today throughout the Arab world as al-Nakba (the Catastrophe), Pappe writes: it took six months to complete the operation [ethnic cleansing of Palestine]. When it was over, more than half of Palestines native population, close to 800,000 people, had been uprooted, 531 villages had been destroyed, and eleven urban neighbourhoods emptied of their inhabitants. The plan decided upon on 10 March 1948, and above all its systematic implementation in the following months, was a clear-cut case of an ethnic cleansing operation, regarded under international law today as a crime against humanity. The truth of Zionism is revealed in this passage. It is a racist, supremacist ideology responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity the world has seen in recent history. The most notorious of those crimes during the ethnic cleansing of Palestine was the mass murder of men, women, and children in the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin. Many of the women were also raped before being murdered by Zionist terrorists belonging to the Irgun and the Stern Gang. The head of Irgun at the time was one Menachim Begin, who went on to found Israels Likud Party and was prime minister of the country between 1977-1983. Among the victims of the terrorist campaign waged by Zionist militia groups in Palestine between 1946-48 were British soldiers deployed to Palestine during the Mandatory period. This point is important to bear in mind when we consider the staunch defense of Zionism that we have seen being mounted by various high profile voices within the British establishment over the course of this media firestorm and crisis within the Labour Party. Thats the thing about history. Sooner or later it catches up even with the most determined efforts to suppress the truth. In other words, its an equal opportunities bullshit detector. See also The American Jewish scholar behind Labours antisemitism scandal breaks his silence : Norman G. Finkelstein talks Naz Shah MP, Ken Livingstone, and the Labour antisemitism controversy.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has thrown his weight behind the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone office of the national chairman of the party to the North.

This is just as he declared support for the incumbent, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to retain the seat during the May 21 national convention of the PDP in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Mr. Fayose, who said he belongs to the school of thought that believes old faces in the party should take the back seat, added it was for that reason he refused to support a former deputy national chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, for the position of national chairman.

He said: I have a lot of respected for Chief Bode George, he is our leader, we will continue to respect him but when it comes to the nitty gritty, where is the interest? You must find out the underlining factors.

Chief Bode George told me personally that he wants to be national chairman of the party, I told him no, I wont support him.

With all due respect to the elderly people in this party, they must take the backstage. People are tired of seeing the same old faces again.

I have been hearing Ahmadu Alli since 1976 when we sang Alli must go in secondary school. Chief Bode George has been governor of Ondo State almost 40 years ago. They are our leaders and we love them but they should take the backstage.

The Ekiti governor also disagreed with the notion that the southwest had been divided over the zoning recently approved by the PDP National Executive Committee, NEC, dismissing the meeting reportedly held to discuss the zones seeming disapproval.

According to him, the absence of PDPs southwest governors at the meeting was an indication that the meeting did not represent the general opinion of the southwest.

Chief Bode George was the convener of that meeting. Most people that came to that meeting did not know what they were coming for. We are in very peculiar times when we need to address issues differently, he warned.

Fayose also blamed the PDP founding fathers for the partys electoral defeat in 2015 saying The grandfathers of PDP lost it in 2015, its (now) a new beginning, and they should pocket those stories.

Governor Fayose insisted that the old members lacked the capacity to rebuild the party and mentioned former presidential spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe, as one of those who have approached him on the position but would not support.

On the PDP zoning arrangement, which has now paved the way for Sheriff to retain the seat which he controversially got appointed to, about two months ago, Fayose revealed that every member of the partys zoning committee voted for the northeast to retain the position of national chairman.

On allegations that he betrayed the southwest region where he belongs, the governor said, I was the very first person to look out for Senator Bode Olajumoke (as national chairman) mentioning that it must come to the southwest.

But how many of them came or publicly said I want to contest? You dont give positions to unwilling horses, he added.

Gov. Fayose went head to declare his support for Sheriff saying, He is the incumbent and he is still going to win this election.
President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his administrations resolve to deal decisively and expeditiously with continued attacks on communities across the country by armed herdsmen.

The president gave the reassurance Monday night at a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), at the State House, Abuja.

Buhari confirmed that heads of the countrys security agencies have been ordered to take all necessary steps to apprehend and expose those behind the heinous attacks.

We are determined to secure all Nigerians and I have told the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies, in very strong terms, to deal decisively with the attackers, he was quoted as saying in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

The president expressed his personal condolences to the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, the people of Ukpabi Nimbo and all other communities that have suffered fatalities and other losses from the recent attacks.

Speaking on other national issues, President Buhari assured the Bishops that he was acting with deliberation and moving methodically to implement his change agenda for the good of the country.

He said: We need to rebuild our institutions methodically, we need to change the way we do things.

In the last 10 years, crude oil sold for more than $100 per barrel, but Nigeria did not save. That is why we have found ourselves where we are today, President Buhari told the Catholic Bishops, led by Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos.

However, the president assured the Bishops that his administration was working very hard to fulfill all the promises it had made to Nigerians, adding that his greatest motivating factor now is the desire to bring positive change to Nigeria.

Responding on behalf of the bishops, Most Rev. Kaigama expressed the solidarity of the CBCN with President Buhari.

We are willing to collaborate with you and with your administration, in which we see hope for a greater Nigeria, Kaigama told the president.

The bishops also pledged continued prayers for Nigeria and the government, expressing their conviction that current hardships are temporary, and Nigeria will soon overcome its present difficulties.
Government forces have encircled a prison in the central Syrian city of Hama as prisoners reportedly took captive the warden and several guards during heavy clashes. The prison uprising broke out in response to the governments plans to forcibly transfer several detainees to Sednaya, an infamous prison near Damascus, sources inside the jail told Al Jazeera.

Government forces have surrounded the prison and fired tear gas in a bid to quell the unrest, according to sources in the jail and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said the prisoners, many of whom are detained without charge, demanded basic rights, including a fair trial or release. In response, the Ajnad al-Sham rebel group vowed to attack government forces and armed groups loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if the prisoners demands were not met. In a statement released on Monday night, Ajnad al-Sham claimed the government had threatened to storm the prison and execute all the prisoners without a trial.

The group added: Our brothers inside the prison are still carrying out the uprising and have taken complete control of the building. We in Ajnad al-Sham declare our full readiness to strike [government-allied] militias in Maharda and al-Suqaylabiyah. The state news agency, SANA said an official in the interior ministry had dismissed claims in some media about an uprising in the prison.

The Syrian conflict started as a largely unarmed uprising in March 2011, but it quickly morphed into a full-on civil war between government forces and rebel groups. United Nations special envoy to Syria Steffan de Mistura recently estimated that more than 400,000 people have been killed throughout the fighting. International and Syrian human rights organisations have decried conditions inside Syrian prisons, before and during the war.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Tuesday described President Muhammadu Buhari as his grandfather, saying it is improper for him to abuse the president as widely claimed.

Fayose, however, clarified that Buhari being his grandfather does not mean he would look the other way when going in the wrong direction.

The governor made this known during his address as Guest Speaker at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) World Press Freedom Day lecture held on Tuesday in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Fayose, who has been a thorn in the flesh of the Buhari administration, said he would rather die than conceal the truth.

Speaking on the topic Journalism and Politics: Two Sides of A Coin, the outspoken governor said there were two things that people were afraid of  fear of death and incarceration.

Fayose said his criticism of President Buhari is healthy for Nigeria and the people of the country to achieve economic and political development.

According to him, it would be absurd for all to watch and refuse to talk even when the ship of the nation is drifting away dangerously towards the precipice.

Citing the illegal arrest and detention of some Nigerians by agents of the federal government without any evidence of criminal charges, he noted that it was against the rights of any citizen to be detained for several weeks without any proof or being charged to court.

While insisting that his unrelenting criticism of President Buhari was not due to bitterness or hatred, Fayose said I dont abuse Buhari because he is my grandfather. But we all must not sleep and face the same direction in this country. The people voted for him because they wanted change and I agreed with that because we really needed change.

They told Nigerians that when they get into power there will be no subsidy and there will be no queues again but today full subsidy and queues are here.

In the last 12 months, Nigerians have never had it so bad. Most generators have been exhausted.
Talented American female rapper, Nicki Minaj has reportedly cut all communication off with Drake because she has to put her boyfriend, Meek Mill first!

Even though the Anaconda rapper loves Drakes new album The Views, sources say she cant even tell him because they are not talking.

Drake recently revealed that he and Nicki dont talk anymore and its because of his beef with her boyfriend, Meek.

A source tells Hollywood Life that even though its hard for Nicki, she had to pick a side and obviously she chose her man.

[Nicki] is aware that [Drake] still has love for her but she had to cut all the communication off, largely to protect her relationship with Meek, the source tells the site.

She had to pick a side and she chose her mans. Meek and Drake were going at it way too hard dissing one another and she was caught in the middle. She had no choice but to stop talking to Drake. They will always be cool but Nicki is committed to Meek. Thats her man and quite possibly the love of her life.

Meanwhile in his interview with OVO Radio, Drake said, I always have respect and love for Nicki. I dont really talk to Nicki. Again, another person that I have a lot of love for and a lot of respect, not only for our past and how much work and time we put in, but even just the way she dealt with the situation [regarding Birdman and Lil Wayne] at hand. I understand what love is, and I understand a personal situation. She dealt with me how I would expect her to, which was with class, and I could only ever do the same  There were points in time where I was waiting to see like, how is this going to go, how deep is your love, you know?
Punch

A mason, Adeshina Adewuyi, has been tortured to death by a team of policemen who raided his community in Itoki, Ogun State.

Vanguard

GUNMEN, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, on Sunday night, assassinated the District Head of Fadan Karshi, a busy commercial town in Sanga Local Government Area, southern part of Kaduna State.

Thisday

The federal government is now paying between N12.62 and N12.88 as subsidy for every litre of petrol consumed by Nigerians, the updated pricing template of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has shown.

The Sun

EDO State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday described as Greek gift and politics taken too far, Governor Adams Oshiomholes May Day minimum wage increase from N18,000 to N25,000 for civil servants.

Daily Times

Hundreds of workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited NAL have concluded arrangements to disrupt all activities including flights operations over the inability of government to settles them a decade after liquidation.

Guardian

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) yesterday accused Governor Yahaya Bello of formulating policies that are counter-productive to the progress of Kogi State civil servants

Leadership

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) House of Representatives members from Lagos State has passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the party and the just concluded ward congresses in the state.

Tribune

Ahead of the governorship election in Ondo State, the traditional ruler of Akure Kingdom, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, on Sunday, advocated for a candidate that would bring more development to the state as governor of the state.

The Nation

Anambra State Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi has urged lawyers to keep fit physically.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday, chided the former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, over a statement credited to him that governors should sack civil servants to resolve the irregular salaries payment crisis, describing the call as absurd.

In a statement, factional NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said Okupes argument that the governors should sack their workers because virtually all state governments in the country have over-bloated civil service was jaundiced.

Citing the example of Ogun State, Okupe claimed that the state was receiving N2 billion monthly from the federation account between 2008 and 2009, but was paying out about N1.8 billion as staff salaries, wages and overhead costs to civil servants during the period, a situation he notes makes no sense.

Wabba, however, dismissed Okupes figures as political statistics that are neither good for his health nor the health of those with whom he seeks to impress.

The NLC president said since he believed in the equitable distribution of the nations wealth, he would not subscribe to an arrangement where 10 percent corner 90 percent of a states resources.

Wabba urged Okupe to conduct a forensic audit of Ogun states pay to civil servants, contractors and politicians as well as the cost of running government houses.

According to Wabba, for the NLC staff salaries and allowances were not the reason(s) the economy of the states were in shambles, pointing out that the Congress believed serial corruption in the states was responsible.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, yesterday assured that the military would sustain efforts to wipe out remnants of Boko Haram Terrorists from Nigeria in a short while.

Speaking with reporters in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Sunday, Olonisakin said that his visit to the insurgency hotbed was aimed at getting first-hand information on the ongoing counter-insurgency operation.

On the visit with the CDS were the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratia and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar.

I want Nigerians to know that we are determined to wipe out the terrorists from our land. And from the Sambisa axis, we are really committed to ensure that we clear them as soon as possible. I am here for a routine visit with the service chiefs. I have come to appraise the level of performance in the operation and see how we can actually address some issues on the operation. The operation is actually to wipe out, to clear Sambisa; that is Operation clamp down is to clear Sambisa of the terrorists, he said.

The defence chief said the invasion of the Sambisa forest, which began about five days ago, had been most successful.

The operation is on course. Like I said, it is five days gone now. The little issues being encountered by the troops will be addressed so that the momentum of the operation can be sustained, he said.

He noted that the military had acquired some anti-landmine equipment to ensure the success of the operation.

We have some landmine of course; it is an issue we have been faced with in this operation. We have some counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) equipment and other indigenous devices that will be used to ensure that the operation goes as planned, he said.

Gen. Olonisakin also assured that the military was determined to rescue the abducted Chibok Girls and others held captive by the terrorists.

The rescue operation for the Chibok girls is also part of the Operation clamp down.

There are five little operations within the operation: the rescue operation is one of the operations. Every person that had been abducted by Boko Haram terrorists will be rescued, including the Chibok girls. The operation like I said is to clear our land of the terrorists, we take the operations one after the other. We will move into those areas where we believe they are hiding and flush them out, he said. (NAN)
President Paul Biya of Cameroon, today began a two-day state visit to Nigeria, at the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Biya was met on arrival by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

While in Nigeria, Biya and Buhari, as well as their officials, will confer on issues of common interest to Nigeria and Cameroon, including on-going bilateral and regional cooperation against terrorism, violent extremism and cross-border crimes.

It is expected that new agreements to strengthen existing ties, as well as trade and economic relations between Nigeria and Cameroon, will be concluded and signed before the end of President Biyas visit.

President Biya will leave Abuja on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.
Superstar Nigerian actor, Ramsey Noah disappointed his fans when he showed up at the opening ceremony for the Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF) in Buea, on April 25.

The highly respected Nollywood star arrived the red carpet event in a pair of short blue jeans, a rumple t-shirt and a face cap while others showed up in ball gowns and tuxedos.

Fans immediately jumped on social media slamming the Nigerian hunk for disrespecting the dress code for the event.

One fan wrote, Is it me or is Ramsey Noahs outfit totally out of place?. Another followed with, He [Ramsey Noah] thinks we do not know fashion? Another added, He looks like he just came from a beach or a mountain tour. Another said, Lead by example.

However, defending his look on the first day of CAMIFF, Noah told DECODED TV his look was in deed right for the event.

Its a film festival not an award show, Noah said. I knew I had to move around a lot, greet and meet people and network so I didnt think I was wrong with what I chose to wear, he continued.

After receiving serious backlash for his looks on Day one of the festival, the actor played safe for the rest of the six-day event wearing what many later considered appropriate.
A refugee has set herself on fire at an Australian-run detention centre on the Pacific island of Nauru, just days after an Iranian man died in a similar act in protest against his treatment. Australian officials said a Somali woman was in a critical condition after she set herself alight on Monday. The incident sparked debate on social media with the hashtag #Only19, the purported age of the Somali woman, trending in Australia, with users uploading and tweeting photos of when they were 19.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton acknowledged there had been a rise in cases of self-harm in the camps and accused refugee advocates of giving the asylum seekers false hope that they would one day be settled in Australia. Some advocates were encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way, he said on Tuesday. However, the top UN body for refugees said such incidents in the camps, which hold asylum seekers fleeing violence and hardship in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia, were a result of Australias tough offshore detention polices.

These people have already been through a great deal. Many have fled war and persecution, some have already suffered trauma, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Australia said in a statement. The consensus among medical experts is that conditions of detention and offshore processing do immense damage to physical and mental health, it said.

Last week, a 23-year-old Iranian man known as Omid set fire to himself on Nauru during a visit by UN representatives, an act the Nauru government said was a political protest. Under Australias immigration policy, asylum seekers attempting to reach the country by boat are intercepted and sent to camps on the Nauru, about 3,000km northeast of Australia, or on Manus island in Papua New Guinea.

Aljazeera.
As the continuous influx of refugees is seen as a cause for concern for many European nations, which are employing strict border controls to stop the unprecedented flow of people, one community in the southern Italian region of Calabria has taken a different perspective of the matter. The village of Riace had seen its population drop from 2,500 to 400 since the 1990s, when people moved to northern Italy for better economic opportunities.

Lucano Domenico, Mayor of Riace, saw the flow of refugees in Italy as an opportunity. We have been welcoming refugees with open arms for the past 15 years. [They have] saved our village, Domenico explained. The resourceful mayor first acted on this opportunity in 1998, when a boat with 218 Kurdish refugees on their way to Greece got stranded on a beach in Riace. This is when Domenico first proposed that the refugees should stay in the village and take over the homes and apartments that had been left vacant by the migrating former residents of the town.

The mayor helped to facilitate the integration by establishing a refugees welcome project, which is now spreading through neighbouring towns. Presently, people from 20 different nations live in Riace. Bakeries and workshops have re-opened. There is even a school for the children of the village.

The population of the village has bounced back to 2,500. The successes in the village have been noted in Rome, according to the mayor, and the Italian government has been promoting the settlement of refugees in other smaller, shrinking communities. The policy makes more economic sense than accommodating the refugees in reception or refugee camps.

Aljazeera.
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Tuesday congratulated all practitioners in the media across the country and the world for their invaluable service to humanity as they celebrate the World Press Freedom Day.

In a statement signed on his behalf by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki also hailed all Nigerians on the occasion and said that the freedom of the press also connotes the freedom of individuals to partake in the governance of the country, discuss issues and freely give expression to their dreams and aspiration within the ambience of the law.

He noted that the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day is another indication of the prime place the media occupy in the society because it is not all professions that have a day set aside internationally to celebrate their contributions to society.

The Senate President said that to further underscore the importance of the press in nation building, our Constitution granted some responsibilities and specific freedom to the press in Sections 22 and 39.

This special Constitutional and institutional recognitions bestow on the press a sacred duty and responsibility to be fair to all, to adhere to truth and to consciously work for the unity, progress and development of their immediate and larger communities, he stated.

The Senate President called on journalists and other practitioners in the media to always abide by the ethical principles of their profession in the discharge of their duties.

He further noted the contributions of the media to national development at critical moments of the nations evolution like their fight for independence, fight against military rule and struggle to enthrone democratic governance in the country.

He urged the press not to relent in holding government accountable to the people and to continuously remain a defender of the voiceless and downtrodden in our society.
A group of eminent Nigerians from Borno State under the aegis of Borno Elders Forum, BEF, yesterday, said they were still nursing the assassination of Gen. Mohammed Shuwa (retd) and will not forgive those under whose watch, the incident happened.

The Forum was reacting to the arrest of the alleged killers of the late veteran civil war general.

The 3 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Kano, yesterday paraded two suspects  Ali Mohammed a.k.a Amir (25) and Mohammed Sani Nafiu a.k.a Malam Yaro (35)  for alleged involvement in the killing of Shuwa in front of his house in Gwange, Maiduguri on November 12, 2012.

Speaking on yesterdays arrest, spokesman of the Forum, Dr Bulama Mali Gubio, said: Its better to let the sleeping dog lie.

According to Gubio, When general Shuwa was killed, the then federal government, under [Goodluck] Jonathan, did not show any concern. The National Assembly was indifferent and worst of all, the Nigerian Army was not perturbed, no condolence letter, nothing, not even a last respect in honour of one of their own.

Remember, General Shuwa fought for the survival of this country during the civil war. But, when he died, he was neglected. It was much later they arrested some young boys and said they were the killersWere not concerned.

However, if the present administration and the military high command are now trying to make up, we welcome the development and were in full support. We hope they caught the real killers and we hope they would be tried so that more revelations would come out, he said.
Critical remote code execution flaws in Mediaserver dominate this month's Android Security Bulletin from Google.

Google patched 32 vulnerabilities across 25 bulletins as part of this month's security update for Android devices. The company also rebranded its patch release to the Android Security Bulletin to reflect the fact that the updates apply to various Android devices, not just Nexus devices.

[ Android is now ready for real usage in the enterprise. Read InfoWorld's in-depth guide on how to make Android a serious part of your business. | Get the best office apps for your Android device. ]

Only one of the bulletins, which addresses a high-severity information disclosure vulnerability in Qualcomm Tethering controller, did not affect Nexus devices.

Mediaserver takes center stage

New name notwithstanding, the primary focus of this month's update remains the same as previous months: vulnerabilities in the Mediaserver component and related software. Mediaserver handles media processing and has system-level access for many parts of the Android device, including the kernel, camera, and microphone. To successfully compromise the device, attackers just need to craft a malicious media file to exploit Mediaserver and related vulnerabilities.

Ever since the Stagefright vulnerabilities were disclosed last summer, security researchers have identified more than two dozen related vulnerabilities. While there are proofs-of-concept targeting Stagefright, these vulnerabilities have not yet been exploited in the wild, according to Google.

The latest Mediaserver bulletin fixes 12 flaws, of which two are considered critical (CVE-2016-2428 and CVE-2016-2429). The Mediaserver vulnerabilities, which affect Android versions 4.4.4, 5.0.2, 5.1.1, 6.0, and 6.1, lead to memory corruption and expose devices to remote code execution. Attackers can exploit these issues in a number of ways, including using malicious MMS and browser playback of media files.

"This issue is rated as critical severity due to the possibility of remote code execution within the context of the Mediaserver service," Google said. "The Mediaserver service has access to audio and video streams, as well as access to privileges that third-party apps could not normally access."

Five other bulletins in this update were rated as critical because, if exploited, the vulnerabilities potentially could be used to root the Android device. Attackers could trigger the critical elevation of privilege bug in Debuggerd, the integrated Android debugger, to also run arbitrary code in the context of the debugger. An attacker targeting the privilege escalation vulnerabilities in the Qualcomm TrustZone and Qualcomm Wi-Fi driver would be able to run arbitrary code with permissions granted to the TrustZone kernel.

The kernel flaw affected Nexus 5, 5X, 6, 6P, 7 (2013 model), and 9 devices. The final set of rooting vulnerabilities were in the Nvidia Video driver and affected Nexus 9 devices. For each of the issues, fixing the device would require re-flashing the operating system, according to the advisory.

High- and moderate-severity bugs fixed

A dozen bulletins addressing 19 vulnerabilities were rated as high severity, including remote code execution vulnerabilities in the kernel and Bluetooth, and elevation of privilege flaws in Mediaserver, Qualcomm Buspm Driver, Qualcomm MDP Driver, Qualcomm Wi-Fi Drivem NVIDIA Video Driver, Wi-Fi, and MediaTek Wi-Fi Driver.

The Bluetooth flaw could lead to remote code execution while initializing a Bluetooth device. An attacker targeting the kernel bug, on the other hand, would first need to compromise a privileged service before exploiting the flaw in the audio subsystem, the advisory said. The bug in the Binder could allow an attacker to cause local code execution during free memory process. The MediaTek flaw affects only Android One devices.

Flaws rated as moderate severity were fixed in Conscrypt, OpenSSL and Boring SSL, MediaTek Wi-Fi Driver, Wi-Fi, AOSP Mail, Mediaserver, and a low-rated DoS bug in the kernel. The elevation of privilege vulnerability in OpenSSL/Boring SSL, which could let a malicious app access data outside its permission levels, was rated as moderate severity instead of high because it requires "an uncommon manual configuration," the advisory said.

The moderate-severity bug in MediaTek was downgraded from high severity because "it requires first compromising a system service."

Patches sent to partners

Carriers and handset makers received the patches on April 4 to give them time to prepare their own software updates. Devicesthat have been updated will show Security Patch Levels of May 1, 2016, or later.

Along with the name change, Google also modified how it rates the severity of each vulnerability. The new rating system is aligned to reflect the real-word impact on users and reflects the potential harm that could occur if the bug was successfully exploited, the company said.

For example, for a vulnerability to be rated as critical, it would have to result in remote arbitrary code execution in a privileged process, permanent device compromise, or remote permanent denial of service. A high-severity flaw would lead to remote arbitrary code execution in an unprivileged process, remote access to protected data, remote bypass of user interaction requirements, or local arbitrary code execution in a privileged process, to name a few results. Google said the severity would be less if the vulnerability requires running as a privileged process to execute the attack or if there are details that limit the impact of the issue.

"The severity determines how the issue is prioritized, and the component determines who fixes the bug, who is notified, and how the fix gets deployed to users," Google said.
The U.S. government has indicted a Virginia couple for running an H-1B visa-for-sale scheme the government said generated about $20 million.

Raju Kosuri and Smriti Jharia of Ashburn, Va., along with four co-conspirators, were indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

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The scheme involved, in part, setting up a network of shell companies and the filing of H-1B visas applications for non-existent job vacancies.

Workers were required to pay their own visa-processing fees and were treated as hourly contractors, the DOJ alleged. Treating H-1B workers as hourly contractors is in violation of the program rules, the government said.

More than 800 H-1B visa petitions were submitted over a period of nearly 15 years, according to court documents.

The six people indicted in the case face prison time of anywhere from 10 to 30 years if convicted. Neither Kosuri or Jharia could not be reached immediately for comment.

The H-1B program may be susceptible to fraud. In 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service reported that a review of 246 randomly selected petitions filed in 2005 and 2006 revealed a fraud rate of just over 13 percent. The government's analysis found forged documents, fake degrees, and shell companies with fake locations.

Jail time is an ongoing risk for people convicted of H-1B fraud, although it's difficult to know how many have actually been sent to prison for it. One H-1B fraud case that may involve a prison sentence is pending in Texas. A U.S. District Court judge in Dallas is scheduled to consider sentencing, as early as this week, for brothers Atul Nanda and Jiten "Jay" Nanda, for visa fraud following a jury verdict last November. They face up to 20 years in prison for using the visa program to create an on-demand workforce, the government alleged.

This story, "U.S. uncovers $20 million H-1B fraud scheme" was originally published by Computerworld .
AngularJS 2, the much-awaited follow-up to the initial release of the JavaScript Web framework, has reached a release candidate stage, moving the technology closer to general availability.

The upgrade to the Google-developed framework has been rewritten to support multiple renderers and is decoupled from the DOM. Microsoft's TypeScript is the language of choice for the rewrite, which also has focused on use of components over directives for page rendering.

[ Pluralsight and InfoWorld get you up and running with AngularJS for free. Check out the tutorial on the popular JavaScript framework. | Keep up with hot topics in app dev with InfoWorld's Strategic Developer blog. ]

Google engineer Brad Green, who has worked on the project, said Angular 2 will have support for offline compilation. "This improves the first-time render performance of Angular 2 by about 2x and allows us to drop much of our framework size when you build for production," he said.

Support for Google and Mozilla's Progressive Web Applications, which attempt to provide a better experience for Web apps, will be offered as well. "The core technique here is in using Service Workers to automatically install your app and data in the user's browser so it's already there when the user comes back or wants to use it when offline. We'll support this with instant starter apps through the Angular CLI," Green said.

A new router in Angular 2 supports "lazy loading," added Green. "When users come to the first view of your application, we'll automatically only load the JavaScript modules that are required for that view."

The release candidate repackages Angular into individual packages of one per each feature area, according to a bulletin on the release candidate. "All of the packages are now distributed under the @angular npm scope. This changes how Angular is installed via npm and how you import the code."

The bulletin features instructions on installing Angular for a browser application and on importing symbols. Bug fixes and late-breaking changes are noted as well. Among the changes is one that involves use of context objects. "Before, a EmbeddedViewRef used to have methods for setting variables. Now, a user has to pass in a

Version 2 already has been in use at organizations like NPR, CapitalOne, and The Weather Channel. Angular is billed as offering "HTML enhanced for Web apps." Misko Hevery, a co-author of Angular, has said its use of dependency injection sets it apart from other frameworks. It even is being paired with enterprise Java via the AngularBeans framework.
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It isn't uncommon to see affluent donors give to causes that are outside their immediate realms of expertise. Many successful businesspeople like giving to bold, non-business causes.

There are countless examples. The Zuckerbergs and Gateses of the world all made their billions in business, yet their philanthropy often looks elsewhereeducation, public health, environment, poverty, and so on.

One exception to this rule is the field of higher education, where we've seen business-oriented donors unsurprisingly give big amounts to business schools. And news out of Indianapolis suggests a twist on this approachthe donor-advisor, who essentially says, "Not only am I providing a historic gift, but since, in my humble opinion, I have a lot of practical experience to share, I'll also act as an adviser to the school and a mentor to students. Who's with me?"

Butler University has announced a $25 million gift from Indianapolis-based LDI Ltd. Chairman Andre Lacy and his wife Julia. To honor the commitment, the school has renamed its College of Business the Andre B. Lacy School of Business. Butler says the gift, its largest ever from an individual or family, will build on experiential learning programs, including students launching businesses and completing multiple internships.

What's more, Lacy will also serve as a senior adviser for the school, which he says will allow him to mentor students and pass down what he's learned.

Now, we've seen some big gifts to business schools lately. The Columbia Business School, for example, announced that the Chazen Institute of International Business has been renamed the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business, and that Chazen donated $10 million for its continued development. Chazen has a particularly close relationship with the school; his $10 million gift to Columbia in the 1990s established the Jerome A. Chazen Institute of International Business.

We also learned that Georgia States Robinson College of Business received a $2 million gift from the Delta Air Lines Foundation to fund the Delta Student Success Center.

All three of these gifts embrace the concept of "experiential learning" in the business education realm. But what, exactly, does that mean? News out of Indianapolis surrounding Lacy's gift provides some useful details. And it goes a little something like this:

As part of the School of Business curriculum, students complete a business plan in their first year, launch a company as a sophomore, and complete two internships before graduation. Lacy says that experience leads to students "seeing first-hand the challenges they face, and learning the art and science of developing and selling solutions that have real value in the business market."

And Lacy should know. His LDI is a closely held holding company of wholesale distribution and logistics business units, which are operated relatively autonomously. As of 2010, it had $906 million in revenues. As chairman, he remains involved with business strategy, acquisitions, and "preaching the principles of LDI business culture" to employees.

He's been deeply involved in the Indianapolis community throughout his career, serving on the board of Indianapolis Public Schools, the United Way, the Butler University Business Accelerator Advisory Panel, and Indiana University Kelley School of Business Board of Visitorsjust to name a few.

He's just shy of 80 years old.

What's more, his proposed increased involvement with Butler students and faculty has a precedentLacy is currently mentoring a senior at the school. And his rationale for doing so is rooted in cheery, no-frills Midwest optimism that serves as a needed tonic in this uncertain global economic climate.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to have the interaction with the students," he said.
Using high-tech approaches to benefit extremely low-tech regions of world is generally a crapshot for many reasons. Not the least of which is that many of these areas of the world, which are often remote, lack the infrastructuree.g., electrical powerto support new technology. And at times, the intended beneficiaries, such as pastoralists, dont easily buy in to new approaches.

How would you like if somebody came along and asked you to change the way theyve been raising cattle for decades?

However, in some instances, technology may be the last, best hope for farmers hit particularly hard by adverse weather conditions, such as the protracted droughts in Ethiopia.

Farmers and pastoralists in Eastern and Southern Africa have been suffering through persistent weather-related problems due to both climate change and the El Nino oceanic warming pattern for some time. The U.N. estimates that due to drought and rising temperatures, over 36 million people across both regions face food insecurity.

According to the U.N.s World Food Programme, over 10 million in Ethiopia alone are in desperate need of food assistance. There are different approaches to alleviating this crisis, as well as different funders working the problem. Among them is Google, which, unsurprisingly, is opting for the tech-driven effort with its support of Project Concern Internationals (PCI) satellite-assisted pastoral resource management program.

Related:In Google.orgs Grantmaking, Plenty of Surprises

In 2014, Google gave PCI $750,000 in seed funding to support the expansion of its Satellite Assisted Pastoral Resource Management program or SAPARM. In a nutshell, SAPARM uses high-tech satellite imagery to help farmers identify potential grazing pastures for their cattle. Googles seed funding allowed PCI to expand its program to Ethiopia and Tanzania. Now, Google is a generous funder, but it still wants to see results. At the time, Jacquelline Fuller, director of Google.org said, Were looking forward to seeing the potential impact of this innovation in 2015.

That pilot phase has ended, and the news is good regarding the impact Fuller was hoping for. Over 70 percent of households participated in the pilot program, which is a significant buy-in. Using the map data provided by SAPARM, participating households saw their herd deaths reduced by half as compared to those who did not participate.

Google seems impressed, as PCI has received additional funding for its SAPARM program form Google.org, as well as further support from USAIDs Development Innovation ventures. PCI hopes that this continued support will extend its mapping technology to over 1 million people in Ethiopia and Tanzania and possibly allow for the program to expand to Burkina Faso and Mali.

People in many African countries often look down on pastoralism. Oftentimes, cattle and sheep farmers live at the margins of society, overlooked when it comes to global development funding. So while there are plenty of international NGOs paying attention to farmers or agriculturalists, very few are paying any mind to the pastoralist communities. But this shouldnt be the case.

In Ethiopia alone, its estimated that pastoralists comprise around 15 percent of the countrys population, but contribute around 40 percent of the agricultural GDP in Ethiopia. It certainly stands to reason that pastoralists could help the country prevent what is already a disastrous situation from becoming a full-blown catastrophe.

See more articles by Sue-Lynn Moses.
Microsoft found some troubling statistics that made it sit up and take notice: Less than 25 percent of U.S. high schools offer computer science classes and only 2.5 percent of college graduates earn four-year degrees in computer scienceand among those, only one in five are female. With an interest in improving computer science education and guided by the notion that a single spark of opportunity can inspire a child to shine brightly, Microsoft launched the $500 million global initiative YouthSpark in 2012.

We wrote last year about a $7.3 million grant from this program that benefitted the Childrens Home Society of Florida by developing tech skills among disadvantaged youth as well as improving child welfare systems in the Sunshine State. That was just one program funded by Microsofts renewed commitment of an additional $75 million in 2015. Now, Microsoft Philanthropies has announced a round of YouthSpark grants to 100 nonprofit partners in 55 countries.

Related:

The first thing that jumps out about these latest grants is their geographic breadth. Most corporate STEM funders we track are super-focused on building up such skills in the United States, with an eye toward meeting their future domestic workforce needs without endless begging for more H-1B visa slots. Microsoft is unusual among companies in thinking globally about the STEM challenge, and YouthSpark has a far lower quotient of enlightened self-interest than most STEM philanthropy we look at. This program focuses on creating opportunity for young people worldwide, and sees tech skills as a key path to the middle class.

We know that no single organization or company can close the global computer science education skills gap, Mary Snapp, corporate vice president and head of Microsoft Philanthropies, said in the grant announcement. Our efforts have focused on leveraging longstanding community relationships of more than 100 nonprofit partners around the world to create access to computer science, and also to break down barriers and stereotypes that are keeping large populations of youth out of computer science education  even when the opportunities are available.

Microsoft is especially interested in funding organizations that serve girls, minorities and low-income communities. One YouthSpark recipient is Laboratoria, a web development academy with four offices in Latin America, which empowers and educates young women seeking to break into the tech sector. In the United States, YouthSpark partners with a national service organization, City Year, that trains and deploys young adults through the AmeriCorps program.

Partnerships with organizations that have the same mission we do are how we can add the most value, so we looked for organizations  like Laboratoria, CoderDojo and City Year  that know how to work well with kids, have a background in technology skills training, and understand the importance of computer science in preparing young people for a whole range of careers, said Yvonne Thomas, Microsoft Philanthropies director.

A few months ago, we covered President Obamas efforts to wrangle corporate partners to promote computer science education. Naturally, Microsofts work in this area topped the list of private sector philanthropy, along with commitments from Google, the Cartoon Network and other companies. Oracle recently announced its participation with a $200 million investment in computer science education. President Obamas Computer Science for All initiative stated his belief that access to computer science education is critical to keep Americans competitive in the global economy. The White House estimates that within two years, 51 percent of STEM jobs will be in computer science-related fields.

Related:

See more articles by Tracey DeFrancesco.
By Andrew Kelly

Are audits of your self-storage business necessary? Of course they are! Still, the process is one of the most lacking across the industry. The reasons many owners give for not auditing include but arent limited to:

Why audit? My manager is a great person and would never steal.

I dont have the time to deal with the report findings.

Its too expensive.

If any of these words have crossed your lips, its time for an assessment. How often should you review your operation? The minimum is one major audit per year and then again any time you have concerns or a gut feeling that things arent going correctly. In general, audits are intended to do one of three things:

Check the efficient operation of the site

Examine a concern about falling occupancy or revenue, or increasing delinquencies

Investigate tenant complaints about managers

Unfortunately, many audits dont take place until after the damage has been done, even if warning signs were present. Instead, facility owners should take a proactive approach to this often-dreaded process. View it as a check-in to make sure everything is on track. Additionally, clean assessments will reward an outstanding manager whos doing his job correctly.

Lets take at each audit type as well as any red flags that could signal your business is in trouble.

Efficient Operation

Operating a successful self-storage facility requires scrutinizing numerous facets of the business, including occupancy levels, rental rates, maintenance, retail inventory and more. Here are some things to consider when examining your propertys overall efficiency:

Are the daily reports and bank deposits being made per your policy?

Is staff following your companys phone script?

Is the curb appeal up to your standards?

Is the manager completing a weekly walk-through and verifying it against the computers unit inventory?

Are tool and office inventories up to date?

Are the petty cash and cash drawers balanced at all times?

If youre lucky enough to have a results-oriented, take-charge manager, these areas are always in order. Proactive employees will typically welcome audits to show the owner theyre reliable and properly handling their multi-million-dollar business. These managers arent sweating when you announce an audit is taking place. A review can also show staff areas that require improvement.

Failing Operation

This category is the one thats most ignored until the ship is sinking or close to it. Why? Self-storage is a secondary business for some owners, and they treat it as such. However, its a full-time operation with unique challenges. Would you let your primary business get to this point before taking action? Probably not. Self-storage is a special business that, left in the wrong hands, can quickly fail.

Falling occupancy is one of the first signs of decline and needs to be reviewed promptly. Why is it occurring and is the manager aware? Some natural causes for a dip might include a new competitor or a shift in population. If the manager is clueless about why occupancy levels are down, it might be time for a new one.

You and your manager must watch the numbers daily and analyze why things are occurring at the site. Here are some things to consider:

Are deposits (particularly cash) being deposited daily or floated around payroll?

Is revenue dropping for no apparent reason, but delinquency is increasing?

Has the manager stopped making collection calls?

Are collection notes being reviewed?

Is the manager working to eliminate bad debt through the legal statutes? If he isnt professional and aggressive in collecting rent, it can cause the revenue base to drop quickly.

Do you allow the manager to make up his own specials without approval and then fail to direct how those specials are to be used and when?

Managers often need guidance. If you leave them to fend for themselves, you may start to notice issues around many of the areas above. Leaving managers to their own devices can create a revenue Nightmare on Storage Street.

The last area of concern is the dreaded silent partner, a person who pays the manager directly with the revenue never going on the books. If the site is starting to experience an inexplicable drop in income, its time to investigate. Many owners never open all the vacant units to see if theyre occupied by silent partners. Regular unit checks are vital to ensure your manager isnt dipping into your profit margin.

Manager Complaints

All self-storage operators get complaints from tenants from time to time. Most deal with specific policies or rent increases. Dont be too concerned about one or two manager complaints per year, unless theres a complete breakdown of the customer-experience mission. Repeated or horrible complaints should be investigated quickly to ensure the manager hasnt given up on company policy. There could be valid causes, such as the manager is suffering from job burnout, or experiencing personal or financial issues and bringing those troubles to the office.

In any case, these types of complaints need to be given top priority before they turn into a complete breakdown of the storage operation. If left unaddressed, they could be the beginning of a downturn in facility productivity and revenue.

The above is just a sample of what a quality audit should include. An examination should be done at least once per year to confirm policies and procedures are being followed, and more often if warning signs appear. Reward managers who have clean audits, and eliminate those who have given up and refuse to follow directives. If you dont have the time or desire to keep tabs on your property, hire an experienced industry consultant who can help keep your business running smoothly.

Audits give owners peace of mind that their investment is operating at its greatest efficiency and profitability. Dont stick your head in the sand and hope that whats concerning you about your site will just go away on its own. Be proactive by conducting regular audits.

Andrew Kelly is principal of Self Storage Consulting LLC, which was founded in 2004 to help new and existing facility operators enhance their return on investment. The company offers facility brokerage, consulting for new development and due diligence, facility audits, owner and staff training, and property management. For more information, call 520.323.6169; visit www.sierraselfstorageconsulting.com.
The record-setting crowds at last weeks Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas are proof positive that the industry is striving toward new heights, with participants eager to learn all they can and make the right investment in their future and business. Now in its 25th year, the ISS Expo aims to inspire, energize and reward participants with the knowledge and confidence they need to move forward and make smart, profitable decisionswhether theyre building a new operation or reinvigorating an existing one.

From the standing-room-only opening session to the overflowing exhibit hall, the event known as the industrys largest and most comprehensive conference and tradeshow exceeded even the expectations of its founder, ISS Vice President Troy Bix. The ISS Expo has always been the place for new developers, investors, managers and owners to learn about the storage industry and how they can be successful in their endeavors; but its also the premier education platform for existing storage professionals, he says. They come to the ISS Expo year after year to hone their skills, learn about new products and network with their peers.

This years show experienced attendee growth of more than 30 percent over the 2015 event. Not only were all 50 U.S. states represented but also seven Canadian provinces and 34 countries. Though the throng of approximately 3,600 attendees was an amazing turnout, veterans who have been watching industry cycles of activity werent surprised to see the audience swell.

It was appropriate that the 25th-anniversary expo would be one of the biggest in over a decade, says Jim Chiswell, owner of industry consulting firm Chiswell & Associates LLC and a long-time expo presenter.

The numbers around the show were outstanding before anyone even arrived on site at the Paris Hotel & Resort. To begin, the education program was more robust than ever, comprising seven specialty workshops, 45 education seminars, 25 roundtable discussions, four vendor presentations and two open-forum Q&As. It also included several seminars designed specifically for Spanish speakers and a legal presentation hosted by the Nevada Self Storage Association. It boasted nearly 100 total presenters.

The exhibit hall also surpassed capacity, being completely sold out. A total of 173 companies showcased their latest products and services on the show floor, with eight setting up shop in a first-ever overflow exhibit area outside the main hall. Some of these companies were among the events 29 first-time exhibitors.

Theres tremendous growth happening in the self-storage industry right now, Bix says. Operators are experiencing higher occupancy rates, and new development is underway all over the world. Its an excellent time to be in self-storage.

Laying Out the Path

Among the many industry realities that were reinforced at this years expo is the fact that self-storage has become one of the best investments for entrepreneurs. The attendee pool included many new developers, owners and investors, including some who were preparing to close on potential deals. The Development Workshop, a long-time favorite, and the new Investment Workshop, were both packed with inquisitive and aspiring minds. Overall, the show drew more than 1,000 first-time attendees.

David Collier, who opened Extra Life Storage last month in Terre Haute, Ind., with his son, Tom, attended the show for the first time looking to learn more about the industry, connect with other operators and borrow their ideas. Like many new owners, the Colliers had a tract of land they wanted to develop and determined storage would be the ideal use. Because their facility sits on less than an acre and includes only 66 units, they were seeking ideas to get a better return on their investment. Were looking for additional products and services we can provide, David says.

Nathan Christensen, resident manager for Golden State Storage Tropicana in Las Vegas, attended the expo to explore his own investment path. My wife and I are managers and had attended previously to take the classes in the Management Track. Lately, weve been discussing making the jump to being owners, and wanted to attend the owner/investor education track to further educate ourselves on the owner's mindset, he says.

Attending these session was an eye-opener for the couple, Christensen says. Gaining insight from experienced and seasoned industry veterans is extremely helpful in guiding us in the right direction.

Continuing Down the Road to Success

While those new to the industry were just beginning their journey, established professionals attended the expo to lock in the coordinates for success. Wall-to-wall attendance at educational workshops and individual sessions is testimony to the serious focus of attendees, Chiswell says.

This years education program included three fundamentals tracks for newbies: Investor 101, Manager 101 and Owner 101. It then offered tracks for more experienced operators (Advanced Manager, Advanced Marketing, Advanced Owner/Investor, Revenue Management and Technology). It also included a Building Track designed specifically for those on the development side and a Global Track for those exploring international markets.

Kathy Graham, general manager of Storage Near Me, which operates eight facilities in Arkansas and is building another in the state, attended the show to get more insight on property management and marketing. [The show] gives you a pick me up on how to motivate your managers and yourself while learning to better operate your facilities, she says.

Scott Simon gained a new perspective on his role as resident manager of A1 U Store It in St. Louis. I enjoyed my first-ever ISS World Expo convention because I didnt just learn some new things that will help me manage a facility but heard from speakers that reaffirmed what I was correctly doing, and it gives me peace of mind, he says.

Education standouts for Simon included the legal seminars. Those who didnt attend the law sessions with Scott Zucker and Jeffrey Greenberger missed out on a lot of valuable information to protect us from liability, he says. Jeffery hit home with me how critical bailment is to outside parking storage, which I manage at my facility and now will implement more strident protection. Scott explained everything in a way everyone could easily understand.

Ashley Dawn, a property manager for A Plus Storage of Tennessee LLC wasnt only a first-time show attendee; she also made her expo speaking debut with a seminar titled, The Facts of Self-Storage Life: Things You Need to Know About Being Facility Manager. Dawn was astounded by the wealth of information and camaraderie among the attendees, speakers and exhibitors. I love the people of self-storage. Theyre awesome. Everyone is here to learn and grow, she says. Theres so much value in coming here. I wish all owners would invest in their managers and send them to this show.

The 45 education seminars that were recorded during the ISS Expo will be available in DVD and on-demand format. DVD pre-orders can be made now. Customers can choose from 45 individual seminars and 13 discount packages covering self-storage ownership, management, marketing, development, construction, investing, revenue management and more.
Trumbull Self Storage in Trumbull, Conn., is partnering with cancer survivor Michael Murray to host a charity community tag sale on May 14. The event at 245 Spring Hill Road, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will also include a Can Cancer Drive through which community members can drop off empty bottles and cans. All proceeds from the event will benefit SWIM Across the Sound, which hosts local swimming events to raise funds for cancer education, prevention programs and screening at low or no cost for people who are underinsured and uninsured.

Murrays niece, 13-year-old Lauren Malatesta, launched Michaels Mermaids two years ago to raise funds for SWIM by competing in events. Malatesta founded the team after being inspired by her uncles courage, according to the source. Murray underwent 25 operations before having a below-knee amputation in 1986. Hes now an amputee counselor.

Opened in 2014, Trumbull Self Storage is owned by a local family and managed by Storage Asset Management Inc., a York, Pa., company that oversees more than 48 self-storage properties and three UPS Stores along the East Coast.

SWIM is a charitable, grassroots organization run by St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation. Since 1987, it has raised more than $2 million.
Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. has purchased a 4.7 acre self-storage development site in Howell, N.J., for $850,000. Located along U.S. Route 9, the property is approved for 118,000 square feet of storage space. The sellers had originally obtained the entitlements to develop storage on the site themselves but decided to move in a different direction and list the land for sale, according to a press release from the Argus Self Storage Sales Network, the commercial real estate firm that brokered the transaction.

The project offered significant upside for the buyer, including high visibility, good demographics and a high traffic count, the release stated.

The broker was Linda Cinelli, founder of LC Realty and an Argus affiliate for New Jersey and New York.

Argus is a Denver-based network of real estate brokers who specialize in storage properties. Formed in 1994, the company has 36 broker affiliates covering nearly 40 markets.

Established in 1945, U-Haul has more than 44 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,200 owned facilities throughout North America.
David Cote really is a man of his word.

This winter the Honeywell International CEO agreed to sit for a video interview before our annual Americas Most Honored Companies dinner at the Mandarin Oriental in New York. Two days earlier Honeywell had announced that it was dropping its unsolicited, $90 billion offer to buy rival United Technologies Corp., providing what I knew would be great fodder for our conversation. The only problem was that on the afternoon of the dinner we received a call from Cotes people that the Honeywell CEO had to cancel because he wouldnt be able to get into the city. I couldnt help but think there was a connection between the failed UTC bid and my failed interview, but Cote, true to his word, agreed to meet a few weeks later at his companys global headquarters in New Jersey.

{BrightcoveVideo}

When I arrived at Honeywells Morris Plains campus on a rainy April morning, our video crew had set up by a window overlooking the companys helicopter pad. Cote, on this day, made a conventional entrance, walking into the room and apologizing for being a few minutes late, explaining that he had needed to change into a suit for the interview.

Despite being one of the worlds highest-paid chief executives, Cote is a regular guy (or as regular a guy as someone who made $34.5 million last year can be). Unlike some CEOs, he is an excellent listener, as evidenced by his ability to take direction during the filming. Cotes sensitivity to corporate culture has, in fact, been one of the keys to his success since he was recruited to Honeywell as CEO in 2002, after the European Union blocked the companys merger with General Electric. As Cote reminded me during our interview, the idea of a Honeywell-UTC combination goes back to the GE deal. United Technologies revived merger talks four years ago, approaching Honeywell, and again about a year ago.

The logic always made sense because we had complementary businesses in aerospace and buildings, and could create a more diverse company overall, says Cote, a New Hampshire native who started his career at an auditor at GE. It made a lot of sense when we approached them. The difference is when they approached us they liked the idea, and when we were approaching them they didnt like the idea.

In 2012, then UTC chief executive Louis Chenevert approached Cote with an offer to buy Honeywell at $65 a share, a $10 premium over its then price, but Cote rejected the deal, believing his company would be worth far more than that in a few years.

The Honeywell CEO turned out to be right. By the time Cheneverts successor, Greg Hayes, came calling in April 2015 with another offer, Honeywell was trading at more than $100 a share. UTC was again rebuffed, and Hayes dropped the merger idea after his companys shares plunged last summer following a profit warning  setting the scene for a Honeywell counteroffer in September 2015, which UTC executives wanted nothing to do with, Cote later told CNBCs Jim Cramer.

Honeywell revised its proposal in February  its $90 billion, unsolicited bid  which was rejected by UTC management because of concerns over getting regulatory approval. We concluded that a combination would be blocked outright or, even if it were possible to complete a transaction, the regulatory delay, required divestitures and customer concerns and concessions would ultimately destroy shareholder value far beyond any synergies, Hayes wrote in a statement to shareholders.

Honeywells decision to drop its bid after twice being turned down by UTC was a no-brainer for Cote. When you start to go hostile on a deal, price goes up and feelings get hurt, he says. You end up with a dynamic that I dont think is good when youre trying to build a company.

Spoken like an executive who really understands his business.

See also David Cotes video interview from the 2014 All-America Executive Team series.

Follow Mike Peltz on Twitter at @mppeltz.
This content is from: Culture

People investing in ESG funds want their money to have an impact. They just dont have a way to ask for that information, says Jason Saul of the Center for Impact Sciences.
Its not for the faint of heart, I can tell you that Anyone who comes in here and thinks its an easy job really does not have any idea what theyre getting into. But its been a joyIts been a labor of love for me to serve in this capacity. Its been a great challenge, but its been a great reward as well.

Thats how Kevin McCarty signed off his last interview as Florida Insurance Commissioner with Insurance Journal after a nearly 13-year career serving the state. Retrospective, candid, and modest, McCarty talked about many of the issues hes tackled during his tenure, and said he hopes his legacy will be remembered as one of fairness and respect.

I think Ive prided myself and promoted within our organization a culture of what I consider fair hearing. I want everyone to know that everyone who comes to the Florida Office will be given a fair hearing, and that were not predisposed on one side or the other, McCarty said.

McCarty said his advice to his successor is to consider the many different backgrounds and experiences of those he or she will work with and serve.

The most important thing is to come here with an ability to listen to the advice and counsel of a variety of people, and to make it a practice to ensure that youre getting the benefit of all the information and taking in all of the stakeholders positions before you make a decision, McCarty said. Every decision you make can affect millions of people directly or indirectly.

McCarty said balancing working with insurance companies versus protecting the consumers is part of the job that he has taken very seriously.

Striking that balance is very important because I firmly believe that capital markets work 90 percent of the time, he said. I think the [governments role] has to be very strategic, and it needs to be a very limited role for those people who need it.

Read on for more highlights from McCartys interview:

On Strength of Florida Insurers

McCarty said his successor will inherit a Florida property market that is in the strongest position its been in a decade. McCarty also touted the stability of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and other insurers in the state.

Through our stress testing last year, weve seen that our companies can withstand a Hurricane Andrew or the 2004 or 05 seasons. Weve even seen Citizens get to the point where they could successfully take a 1-in-100-year event without doing an assessment, which is pretty remarkable, he said.

McCarty disagreed with claims that Floridas newer insurers havent been tested and would falter if a big storm hit the state. He said many of them have been tested by catastrophes in other regions.

Those are things that we look at in addition to their ability to maintain the capital position. Some of these companies have been tested in other areas. They were in the Northeast for Superstorm Sandy, and paid claims during that time, he said.

That said, McCarty added, not every company is destined to succeed.

There will be failures in any scenario. Were in the risk assuming business, and when youre in the risk assuming business youre going to have companies that fail. Thats just a reality, McCarty said.

On Florida Challenges

McCarty said flood insurance is an ongoing issue for the state as the NFIPs rates continue to go up and the program goes further into debt. McCarty has worked with several Florida legislators on addressing the flood insurance rate problem. Last year he requested ratemaking data from FEMA of Florida policyholders.

The state has also passed laws encouraging insurance companies to offer flood insurance in Florida. But he says more will need to be done.

I frankly dont know how my successor can ignore that issue. So much of the Florida marketplace dominates the federal flood program, he said.

The skyrocketing increase in water loss claims as a result of what many are claiming is abuse of policyholders assignment of benefits (AOB) is another issue McCarty sees as a top priority for his successor. In his final months he approved policy form wording changes submitted by Citizens to encourage policyholders to contact Citizens first in the event of a water loss.

We have been encouraging companies to look at the Citizens filings, but it is important to note that this is not a cutting of benefits, McCarty said. We worked very hard with Citizens to craft a balance to make sure that the language that has always been intended is in the contract.

McCarty said the workers comp market will also need to be closely watched. While rates have gone down consistently since reforms were passed in 2003, cases currently before the Florida Supreme Court could impact this market.

Any one of those cases could wreak havoc in the marketplace, and we would have to be poised to take whatever necessary legislative action to ensure stability in the marketplace, McCarty said.

On What Hes Most Proud Of

McCarty said Florida has excelled in joining the international arena, now having a major influence in the development of capital, new companies, enterprising ways of bringing capital to Florida and innovations in surplus notes.

I think Floridas one of the first states to provide reduction in collateral, to provide a greater incentive for reinsurers to come to Florida, he said.

The depopulation of Citizens is another accomplishment that McCarty said he takes partial credit for, along with Gov. Rick Scott, who he said was masterful at bringing investors confidence into Florida and the Florida legislature for making the necessary changes to attract capital, and Citizens itself.

I think working in concert together, we have been able to successfully move Citizens down, he said. If there were a 1-in-100-year event today, there would be no assessmentI think the state should be very proud of that, McCarty said.

On What Hes Learned

McCarty says hes tried to look at each opportunity, even the difficult ones, as a teaching moment over the last 13 years.

There are things that I would do differently today than I did yesterday, McCarty said.

McCarty said he is better able to recognize what is needed for a business to succeed, and learned to adjust his thought process when making determinations of issuing licenses to new companies.

In hindsight I think I should have been more probative, if you will, of these business plansjust because you put your money upyou still might not know what the heck youre doing, he said.

McCarty said he and his staff now identify when a business plan is challenged and offer ways it can be improved.

I think were much more cautious today in terms of licensing, and less deference to someone because they are willing to put money up, McCarty said.

On Whats Next

On April 20, McCarty announced he would extend his resignation date until 45 days after his successor is appointed.

McCarty said he was taking the action to honor my commitment to facilitate a smooth transition as the 2016 hurricane season approaches. I remain committed to continuity of leadership for the benefit of [OIR] and the people of Florida whom I serve.

McCarty said he will miss the service aspect when he leaves OIR.

Its been a wonderful journey for me, the last 12 and a half years. I found it to be a very rewarding time in my tenure here, not only as insurance commissioner, but in the previous years in the former department of insurance, he said.

McCarty said there are particular opportunities at this time that he thinks would be a good fit with his skills and abilities. He wouldnt say what those opportunities are, but a report from Florida Politics via SNL Financial quoted unidentified sources saying McCarty was vying for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) CEO position. His office would not confirm or deny the report.

McCarty said, Im going to take a little time to give some thought to my future, and when I have a firmer determination, Ill be happy to share that with you.

In the meantime, McCarty has confidence in the future for the Florida market.

I feel really comfortable that Im leaving at a time when there is a great deal of stability in the financial strength across most sectors of the market. I look forward to transitioning my successor through this period, and then moving on to new challenges, he said.

Hear the entire interview on InsuranceJournal.tv

Florida Insurance Commissioner McCarty Reflects Back, Looks Ahead

Florida Insurance Commissioner McCartys Parting Words, Advice to Successor

Topics Florida Flood
New Yorks inspector general says a state prison guard has been charged with fraud and grand larceny, accused of stealing more than $38,000 in sick leave and workers compensation benefits by falsifying medical records.

Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott says 37-year-old Giddel Feliciano, formerly of Seneca Falls, New York, asserted he couldnt work while secretly moving to Greensboro, North Carolina, and applying for a job as a county jail guard.

Feliciano, who worked at Five Points Correctional Facility, has pleaded not guilty in Romulus Town Court.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Workers' Compensation Fraud New York
Bermuda-based Everest Re Group Ltd. announced that Stephan Knipper joins the company as managing director Continental Europe (subject to regulatory approval), based in Zurich.

Knipper joins Everest with more than 25 years of industry experience, most recently as CEO and president, Axis Re Europe, where he was instrumental in building a strong European platform, Everest Re said in a statement.

Prior to joining Axis in 2003, he had been a member of the board of Gerling Global Re, Cologne in addition to holding executive director positions for various Gerling subsidiaries. Knipper has a degree in economics from University Freiburg and holds a law degree from University Bonn.

Andrew Carrier, head of European and Asia Pacific Operations, commented: Stephans leadership track record in the European reinsurance market speaks for itself. We are excited to have someone of his caliber join our team and help build our Zurich presence in the market.

John Doucette CEO of Everest Re Reinsurance division further commented: Hiring a leader such as Stephan underlines our commitment to the Zurich market and the development of our Continental European strategy.

Source: Everest Re Group Ltd.

Topics Europe
Global Risk Partners Ltd. (GRP), the London-based insurance broking and managing general agent investment vehicle, has completed its second transaction in Northern Ireland by funding the acquisition of broker McGrady Ltd. by Abbey Bond Lovis Ltd. (ABL), a GRP subsidiary.

In August 2015, GRP supported the management buyout of Northern Ireland broker ABL, as it continues to develop its retail broking business.

As a result of this latest investment, GRP will control in excess of 35 million ($51.2 million) of insurance premium across ABL and McGrady.

As McGrady Insurance, the broker transacts both commercial and personal lines business from its office in Downpatrick. Its present owner, Fintan McGrady, will continue to run the business day to day.

Selling my business was a big decision. I am convinced GRP is the ideal vehicle for our business to prosper going forward, especially with the local knowledge they have gained through their involvement with ABL, said McGrady.

I look forward to being part of an expanding retail broking business in Northern Ireland, whilst maintaining our local identity, he added.

It was always in our plans to increase our footprint in Northern Ireland following our investment in ABL, and we are pleased to have been able to do this so quickly, and with the acquisition of a business of such quality. We are delighted to welcome Fintan and his colleagues to GRP, commented Mike Bruce, CEO Broking, for GRP.

Following our MBO in 2015, GRP has proven to be a supportive investor in our business, said Maurice Boyd, managing director of ABL.

We know Fintan and his business well, and they share our client focused approach, based around the provision of professional and locally delivered service. We look forward to working closely with the McGrady team and combining the strengths of our two businesses, Boyd added.

Source: Global Risk Partners

Related:

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Hagan Newkirk Financial Services in Little Rock, Ark. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

With operations dating back to the 1960s, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services (Hagan Newkirk) is a retail insurance broker offering employee benefit consultation and insurance brokerage services for clients throughout the southern and central United States. The firm provides benefit coverages to a wide range of commercial clients and also specialize in customized solutions for hospitals and other healthcare providers.

Merlin Hagan, Chris Newkirk and their associates will continue to operate in their current location under the direction of John Neumaier, head of Gallaghers South Central employee benefit consulting and brokerage operations.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, is headquartered in Itasca, Ill.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions A.J. Gallagher Arkansas
Abuse of assignment of benefits (AOB) from water loss claims has become a full-blown Florida insurance crisis that will mean higher insurance rates next year and for the foreseeable future for every Florida policyholder, according to Citizens Property Insurance Corp. CEO Barry Gilway and Chief Risk Officer John Rollins.

We are going to have a round of rate increases from private carriers, said Rollins. South Florida will definitely have a rate increase. The question is more open in the rest of the state, but the trends are very disturbing.

Private insurer executives have echoed the warning and say hikes of as much as $1 billion will be needed.

The issue now most commonly referred to as just AOB took center stage at the Florida Association for Insurance Reforms conference on April 28. Several industry experts said AOB is no longer just a problem for Citizens, the state-backed property insurer, and maintained the impact will go far beyond rates if the crisis isnt addressed. The overall Florida market will also suffer, especially if the state is hit by a serious catastrophe.

What you've seen is a situation where a flu in South Florida is turning into a pandemic for the rest of the state.

[AOB] is also trickling into the reinsurance pricing, Bruce Lucas, chairman & CEO of Heritage Insurance said at the FAIR event. The number one question asked of us by reinsurers is, What are you doing about AOB? because after a storm, it could be a big issue.

Citizens, which has seen AOB claims skyrocket, was the first to highlight the issue in its rate filing last summer. Now the insurer is re-tooling its efforts to combat the AOB abuse in light of Florida lawmakers failure to enact a legislative solution.

By law, Citizens can only raise rates by up to 10 percent per year. But in parts of the state where AOB abuse has been rampant  namely the tri-county area of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties  Citizens said actuarially sound rate increases should be as high as 189 percent. In other parts of the state Citizens had expected to decrease rates by about 10 percent, but that is no longer the case.

Gilway said private carriers that are also experiencing a significant rise in AOB claims have more options than Citizens has. Private insurers options include raising rates by as much as 15 percent without Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) approval, or withdrawing from or eliminating zip codes where the abuse is rampant  such as in the tri-county region.

If that happens, Gilway and Rollins said the result would be a market availability crisis, and the depopulation efforts that have brought down Citizens policy count in the last several years will be completely reversed.

The implications of that for us are huge. We are statutorily required to write business in tri-county, so if no one else is writing it, those policies come to us, Gilway said.

Carrier executives on a panel at FAIRs recent conference echoed the sentiments that this is no longer just a Citizens problem.

We will be raising rates by about 5 percent this year because of AOB, said Locke Burt, chairman and president of Security First Insurance.

This is a $1 billion issue  a billion dollars in rate increases this year to the consumer. We can write against it, we can shut down zip codes, we can take action. Citizens cant do that, said Lucas of Heritage Insurance.

Education efforts by Citizens, as well as industry and consumer groups, are helping to raise awareness of the issue but may be having a negative impact in the short term. Severity of claims and AOB lawsuits are still increasing, Gilway said. In fact, Citizens had 1,000 suits in March alone  the highest monthly number over the last two years.

It appears to be a run on the bank scenario with the attorneys saying, I need to get my suit in now, Gilway said. We were seeing about 620 suits a month in the last two years. During that same period our policy count dropped by two-thirds, so you would expect to see a decrease in the number of suits.

Gilway said private insurers are having similar results  with some reporting 12 to 14 new suits a day. As of right now the problem is getting worse and not better, he said.

Results of a data call performed by OIR earlier this year found that frequency of water loss claims has increased by 46 percent and severity has increased by 28 percent since 2010. OIRs report concluded that water loss claims, exacerbated by assignment of benefits, are driving higher rates in South Florida and increasingly across the state.

Outgoing Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty emphasized the effects the AOB issue is having on the Florida insurance market, and ultimately on consumers.

This is a true victimization of homeowners  now everyone else is going to have increased costs. Thats exactly where we dont want to be, McCarty said. We have to have a broad public policy conversation on what can be done.

Legislative Response

Rollins and Gilway agree a legislative solution is the only way to really stop the abuse. However, the effort put forth in the just-ended Florida session fell apart for the fourth year in a row.

Gilway said the reason for that was twofold: lobbying efforts by water remediation companies and contractors, as well as law firms currently benefitting from the AOB provision; and the insurance industrys inability to reach a consensus on what needs to be done to combat the problem.

We got out-lobbied, there is no question. But the other issue is the industry itself  we are not on the same page, Gilway said. There is a lot of work to be done to pull the industry together.

Specifically, Gilway said, State Farm walked away because the insurer said Floridas one-way attorney fee shifting statute blamed for the AOB abuse was not being corrected. Floridas statute allows policyholders, or in the case of an AOB by a policyholder, to recover their attorney fees upon the successful completion of coverage litigation.

Because its a one-way fee shift, if an insurer wins a claim suit it cannot collect its legal fees from policyholders. In other words, claimants have nothing to lose by filing suit. Gilway says State Farm didnt want the Legislature to pass a bill unless it was a comprehensive reform measure that addressed the statute.

As long as you have a statute in place that basically says any contractor on behalf of the insured can sue the insurance company, and when that happens if we pay $1 dollar more than the original estimate the insurance company is responsible for all of the attorney fees, its a no-lose proposition for the trial bar, Gilway said.

There may be hope for next year. State Senator Jeff Brandes said his colleagues are finally recognizing AOB abuse as a crisis. What started as water claims in one part of the state is now spreading to roofing claims in other areas, and what is meant to be a consumer protection is now having the opposite effect.

What youve seen is a situation where a flu in South Florida is turning into a pandemic for the rest of the state, Brandes said. Its risen to the level now where lawmakers are starting to hear that policies are going back into Citizens and that companies are simply not writing in the tri-county area. You are going to see a substantial shift now in policymakers thinking.

Brandes said ideas that have generated some support involve moving towards a managed repair model, that would be similar to the health insurance market where consumers can choose between an HMO or PPO. In this case, policyholders would have a contractor list to choose from for a water loss claim to get a lower rate on their policy.

It might be a solution that drives down costs and allows consumers to have a choice, Brandes said. At the end of the day, this is really a contract between insurance companies and the consumer, so to have a lower rate you would have a defined list of contractors to choose from, and thats a choice the consumer is making. As long as it is well-disclosed and people are upfront about it, its a fair way to do it.

The AOB issue really highlights the need for a discussion of what the future of Florida insurance looks like and I think the HMO/PPO model really creates an interesting discussion, he added.

Brandes said he doesnt know yet if he will sponsor legislation around the issue in the next session, but before anything can happen the industry needs to come together on a solution.

They need to sing it as a chorus, but [so far] theres been a lot of solo acts, Brandes said. At the end of the day, we are hearing the coalescing around a number of ideas that we can begin to support.

Whether that will translate into action next session, however, remains to be seen.

In the Meantime

Citizens launched a policyholder education campaign earlier this year called Call Citizens First to encourage policyholders to reach out to the insurer or their agent when water loss first occurs. Gilway said that today, the average claim comes in 33 days after the event, making it very difficult for the insurer to adequately assess the claim and leading to increased costs. He said by the time Citizens is made aware of a water loss claim in those cases, 90 percent of them already have representation.

Rollins said the severity of the cost of the claim at least doubles when it is litigated.

If you are on the other side of this process as a plumber, water remediator or attorney, you are potentially generating four times the marketplace for yourself by taking a natural claim that is maybe $8,000 and making it a $35,000 claim, Rollins said.

CITIZEN FORM CHANGES To ensure that Citizens has the opportunity to confirm coverage and inspect damage, additional permanent repairs can only begin after the earliest of: 72 hours after Citizens is notified, after Citizens inspects the damage, or after Citizens approves (either verbally or in writing) the repairs. Note that these policy contract changes DO NOT require that a loss be reported within 72 hours.

Permanent repairs performed earlier than 72-hours after Citizens is notified of the loss, earlier than the time of loss inspection by Citizens, or earlier than the time of other approval by Citizens will not be covered, except in the case for reasonable emergency measures.

Reasonable emergency measures are defined as measures policyholders must take to prevent further damage to their property.

Reasonable emergency measures may not exceed the greater of $3,000 or 1 percent of the Coverage A limit, unless the policyholder receives approval from Citizens first

Under Coverage C  personal property of water or steam is not covered

Replacement of water in a swimming pool is covered when there is a covered loss or damage to the swimming pool

Collapse coverage more explicitly states that coverage for collapse of a building does not include coverage for collapse of plumbing that results from age, deterioration or maintenance

Language clarifying what perils are insured against, including additional details to better describe collapse when addressing collapse coverage

Clarifies that coverage is provided for necessary access to repair only the portion or part of the plumbing system that caused a covered loss in the event of accidental discharge of water or steam

Citizens has no duty to provide coverage if failure to comply with duties after loss is prejudicial to Citizens. *The form changes have been updated from an earlier version of this story.

The insurer recently implemented other changes in an attempt to curb the problem. OIR has approved form filings by Citizens that includes new policy language as related to water loss reporting (see box).

In his last interview with Insurance Journal as the Florida Insurance Commissioner, McCarty said OIR worked with Citizens to refine the language in its policies so what has always been intended is spelled out in the contract. It is important to note that this is not a cutting of benefits, he said.

McCarty said OIR has been encouraging other insurers in the state to look at the Citizens filings and submit their own changes. As of the end of April, 13 other companies had done me too filings.

McCarty said OIR is not requiring insurers to make a rate filing to accomplish this form change. We dont see this as a rate change, he said at the recent FAIR conference. We are making sure the insurance company has the ability to do what its responsibility is to do under the contract, which is to inspect the claim.

Communication between the policyholder, insurer and agent is key, Gilway and Rollins said, and they say Citizens has to do a better job ensuring that happens.

Its focus now is making policyholders aware of the form changes and the importance of contacting the insurer when a claim occurs, but Gilway said the company needs help from the more than 8,000 agents it has in the state. He said right now most agents are not involved when a policyholder has a water loss and AOB, and are as surprised as Citizens when a suit is filed.

Agents, he said, have to play a much more significant role in getting the word out.

Rollins said the involvement of the agent community will be the difference between success and failure with Citizens current efforts.

They are the ones policyholders turn to, he said. We need a ground game to succeed and thats where the agents come in. We all have to get on the same page.

Related:

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Florida Legislation Agencies Claims Profit Loss Contractors Property Market
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Greg Thomas issued an order temporarily banning large commercial trucks from traveling on state Route 151 after a series of crashes there.

Thomas action comes after the Federal Highway Administration authorized the cabinet to delete the highway in Anderson and Franklin counties from the National Truck Network on an emergency basis.

Banned from the highway are vehicles with a trailer length of 53 feet or 8 1/2 feet wide. Smaller commercial vehicles, including box trucks, farm and construction vehicles, garbage trucks and local delivery trucks are exempt from the order.

The Cabinet is working with the Federal Highway Administration to permanently remove Route 151 from the National Truck Network. That process includes placing a notice in the Federal Register and holding a public comment period.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Commercial Lines Kentucky
The Colorado Supreme Court has blocked a push to limit oil and gas development near people.

The states high court ruled that the power to promote industry trumps local bans, which the court deemed invalid and unenforceable, the Denver Post reported.

The court rejected a five-year moratorium by Fort Collins on fracking within the city limits, and they rejected Longmonts 2012 ban on fracking and disposal of fracking waste in the city because it materially impedes state power.

Colorado is as a leading oil and gas producer with more than 50,000 active wells and more than 45,000 inactive wells, according to the Post article.

Related:

Topics Colorado
A pair of California trucking company owners were arrested for cheating their workers compensation insurer out of millions of dollars.

Alvin Shin Chen, 54, and Fiona Xilin Chen, 46, both of La Canada Flintridge, Calif., were arrested this week at their home by detectives from the California Department of Insurance and charged with multiple felony counts, including workers comp insurance premium fraud for allegedly cheating their carrier.

The Chens, owners of Metro Worldwide Inc. and Pacific Coast Distribution, operate a trucking company in Long Beach and are accused of attempting to reduce their workers comp premiums by providing fraudulent information to their insurer regarding the number of their employees and what work those employees performed.

CDI detectives reportedly luncovered evidence indicating the Chens paid cash to employee truck drivers to avoid reporting them to the insurer and reduce their payroll tax obligation. Audits of the Chens records show they underreported their payroll by more than $4.7 million. As a result, the Chens allegedly cheated their insurer out of more than $1.6 million in workers comp premium.

Employers that cheat the system through premium fraud and tax evasion create an illegal marketplace advantage that costs Californias economy billions, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement.

The Chens were booked into the Century Station in Los Angeles and are held on $950,000 bail each. Arraignment is scheduled for April 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The Los Angeles District Attorney is prosecuting this case.

Topics Carriers California Workers' Compensation Trucking
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the states mandatory attorneys fee schedule for workers compensation cases is unconstitutional under both Floridas and the U.S. constitution as a violation of due process.

The states top court also declined to rule in another case challenging the very constitutionality of the states reformed workers compensation system.

The attorneys fee schedule ruling came in the case of Marvin Castellanos, an injured employee who sued his employer Next Door Co. and its insurer, Amerisure. The high court noted that the issue has been raised in as many as 18 lower court cases.

The Castellanos court ruling said that the schedule, passed in 2009, is invalid because it eliminates the right of a claimant to get a reasonable attorneys fee, a right it says is a critical feature of the workers compensation law. The court said the statute violates due process by installing an irrebuttable presumption that whatever fee the schedule comes up with is reasonable and by not providing any way for a claimant to refute the fee.

In the Castellanos case, the attorney fee calculated under the mandatory sliding scale turned out to be $1.53 per hour for 107.2 hours. The claimants attorney had sought a fee of $350 an hour.

The ruling upends a lower court ruling and a finding by a Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) that both upheld the schedule and the fee in the case.

The high court said that while the Legislature has said it intends the workers compensation system to deliver benefits to injured workers efficiently and quickly, in reality the system has become increasingly complex to the detriment of the claimant, who depends on the assistance of a competent attorney to navigate the thicket.

The court said that it is undeniable that without the right to an attorney with a reasonable fee, the workers compensation law can no longer assure the quick and efficient delivery of disability and medical benefits to an injured worker.

The court said it found the irrebuttable presumption, or inability of any claimant to challenge the fee, and not the particular fee, to be unconstitutional.

Stahl Case

The Castellanos ruling came down the same day that the Florida Supreme Court changed its mind and decided it does not have jurisdiction in another closely-watched workers compensation case brought by an injured nurse. The court had earlier said it would rule in the Stahl case that challenged the constitutionality of the entire Florida workers compensation system. The plaintiff questioned whether the workers compensation system has provided an adequate alternative for injured workers since its major overhaul in 2003. More specifically, the case asked if the elimination of a type of partial disability benefits by lawmakers was legal.

In the case of Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital, the court today said simply, After further consideration and hearing oral argument in this case, we have determined that we should exercise our discretion and discharge jurisdiction. Accordingly, we dismiss review.

The high courts decision to pass on Stahl means the First District Court of Appeals opinion in this matter, which upheld other elements of the workers compensation law, stands, according to state officials.

Complete Frustration

In the Castellanos decision, the court said the right of an injured worker to recover a reasonable prevailing party attorneys fee has been a key feature of the states workers compensation law since 1941. Through the 2009 enactment of a mandatory fee schedule, however, the Legislature has created an irrebuttable presumption that every fee calculated in accordance with the fee schedule will be reasonable to compensate the attorney for his or her services, the court said. The $1.53 hourly rate in this case clearly demonstrates that not to be true.

The court said that it did not view the absolute limitation from the point of view of the attorneys rights because the attorney always has the option to refuse representation. Rather, it viewed the conclusive irrebuttable presumption in the context of the complete frustration of the entire workers compensation scheme designed to provide workers with full medical care and wage-loss payments for total or partial disability regardless of fault and without the delay and uncertainty of tort litigation.'

The high court remanded the case to the JCC for entry of a reasonable attorneys fee.

According to the Office of Insurance Regulation, until the legislature addresses this decision, attorney fees will be evaluated under the reasonable award standard articulated in the Murray v. Mariner Health decision.

Topics Florida Legislation Workers' Compensation
American International Group is offering for sale about $1.2 billion worth of shares in Chinas PICC Property and Casualty Co. Ltd. (PICC P&C) in a block deal, IFR said on Saturday, citing a term sheet of the deal.

AIGs stake sale is among the biggest block deals in Asia this year and comes at a time when several European and U.S. financial institutions have been trimming their exposure to Chinese banks and insurers.

Citigroup and Deutsche Bank both have sold their minority holdings in Chinese banks in recent months.

AIG is offering 740 million PICC P&C shares in an indicative price range of HK$13.06-HK$13.35 ($1.68-$1.72) each, an up to 8 percent discount to PICCs Friday close, the term sheet showed. After the latest sale, AIG will be left with some 110 million shares in PICC, according to Thomson Reuters data. AIG has agreed to a 60-day lock-up on those shares, the term sheet showed.

The U.S. insurer has been cutting exposure to PICC P&C, and last year it raised about $1.3 billion in two separate selldowns. AIG acquired a stake in PICC P&C as a cornerstone investor in 2003, ahead of the Chinese insurers stock market flotation.

AIG traces its roots to 1919 when Cornelius Vander Starr established a general insurance business in Shanghai. Following the global financial crisis, AIG sold part of its Asian life insurance business AIA Group Ltd through a $20.1 billion Hong Kong IPO in 2010 to help repay a U.S. government bail-out. Over a period of time, AIG fully exited from AIA.

But in 2013, AIG invested about $500 million in the IPO of People Insurance Group of China Co Ltd, reaffirming its commitment to the Asia Pacific region. Prior to Saturdays selldown, AIG held 851 million PICC P&C shares, making it the biggest shareholder in PICC P&C.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are the joint global coordinators for the deal, according to the term sheet.

AIG did not respond to an email seeking comment.

($1 = 7.7568 Hong Kong dollars) (Reporting by Fiona Lau of IFR; editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Topics USA Property Casualty China
Insurers will have to develop solutions for digital advances like software-defined cars, increased ride-sharing and smart homes sooner than many expect. That's according to Farmers Insurance Head of Product Innovation Mariel Devesa, who gave the opening keynote address at INN's inaugural Dig In conference in Austin, Texas.

The implications on insurers are great, she says. New technology puts onus on insurers to create platforms that can ingest new business models and work cohesively to drive legislation that sets standards for who is liable in the event an autonomous car crashes. Most importantly, similar to USAAs philosophy, Devesa argues no tech opportunity is too small for insurers to venture into.

Traditional companies, in hospitality for instance, experience linear growth. New disruptors are growing exponentially, she said. Small ventures and companies like Uber and Airbnb grow fast.

Its up to insurers to figure out how to take advantage of disruptors like the cloud to increase revenue, Devesa adds. Achieving this requires a perfect blend of technology, connectivity to said technology and easy usage for insureds.

Change is a lot easier at startups because its all new. It becomes more of a challenge at older companies, Devesa said. Its that initial moment of reflection when you realize what you have been doing all along will not change results. How can we adapt to the new economy and create new product?
What Is Money Laundering?

Money laundering is the illegal process of making large amounts of money generated by criminal activity, such as drug trafficking or terrorist funding, appear to have come from a legitimate source. The money from the criminal activity is considered dirty, and the process launders it to make it look clean.

Money laundering is a serious financial crime that is employed by white-collar and street-level criminals alike. Most financial companies today have anti-money-laundering (AML) policies in place to detect and prevent this activity.

Key Takeaways Money laundering is the illegal process of making dirty money appear legitimate instead of ill-gotten.

Criminals use a wide variety of money-laundering techniques to make illegally obtained funds appear clean.

Online banking and cryptocurrencies have made it easier for criminals to transfer and withdraw money without detection.

The prevention of money laundering has become an international effort and now includes terrorist funding among its targets.

The financial industry also has its own set of strict anti-money laundering (AML) measures in place.

1:30 Click Play to Learn How Money Laundering Works

How Money Laundering Works

Money laundering is essential for criminal organizations that wish to use illegally obtained money effectively. Dealing in large amounts of illegal cash is inefficient and dangerous. Criminals need a way to deposit the money in legitimate financial institutions, yet they can only do so if it appears to come from legitimate sources.

The process of laundering money typically involves three steps: placement, layering, and integration.

Placement surreptitiously injects the dirty money into the legitimate financial system.

surreptitiously injects the dirty money into the legitimate financial system. Layering conceals the source of the money through a series of transactions and bookkeeping tricks.

conceals the source of the money through a series of transactions and bookkeeping tricks. In the final step, integration, the now-laundered money is withdrawn from the legitimate account to be used for whatever purposes the criminals have in mind for it.

Note that in real-life situations, this template may differ. Money laundering may not involve all three stages, or some stages could be combined or repeated several times.

There are many ways to launder money, from the simple to the very complex. One of the most common techniques is to use a legitimate, cash-based business owned by a criminal organization. For example, if the organization owns a restaurant, it might inflate the daily cash receipts to funnel illegal cash through the restaurant and into the restaurants bank account. After that, the funds can be withdrawn as needed. These types of businesses are often referred to as fronts.

Banks are required to report large cash transactions and other suspicious activities that might be signs of money laundering.

Variants of Money Laundering

One common form of money laundering is called smurfing (also known as structuring). This is where the criminal breaks up large chunks of cash into multiple small deposits, often spreading them over many different accounts, to avoid detection. Money laundering can also be accomplished through the use of currency exchanges, wire transfers, and mulescash smugglers, who sneak large amounts of cash across borders and deposit them in foreign accounts, where money-laundering enforcement is less strict.

Other money-laundering methods include:

Investing in commodities such as gems and gold that can be moved easily to other jurisdictions;

Discreetly investing in and selling valuable assets such as real estate, cars, and boats;

Gambling and laundering money at casinos;

Counterfeiting; and

Using shell companies (inactive companies or corporations that essentially exist on paper only).

What Is Electronic Money Laundering?

The Internet has put a new spin on the old crime. The rise of online banking institutions, anonymous online payment services, and peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers with mobile phones have made detecting the illegal transfer of money even more difficult. Moreover, the use of proxy servers and anonymizing software makes the third component of money laundering, integration, almost impossible to detectmoney can be transferred or withdrawn with little or no trace of an Internet protocol (IP) address.

Money also can be laundered through online auctions and sales, gambling websites, and virtual gaming sites, where ill-gotten money is converted into gaming currency, then back into real, usable, and untraceable clean money.

The newest frontier of money laundering involves cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. While not totally anonymous, they are increasingly being used in blackmail schemes, the drug trade, and other criminal activities due to their relative anonymity compared with more conventional forms of currency.

AML laws have been slow to catch up to newer types of cybercrimes, since most of the laws are still based on detecting dirty money as it passes through traditional banking institutions and channels.

How to Prevent Money Laundering

Governments around the world have stepped up their efforts to combat money laundering in recent decades, with regulations that require financial institutions to put systems in place to detect and report suspicious activity. The amount of money involved is substantial. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, global money-laundering transactions account for roughly $800 billion to $2 trillion annually, or some 2% to 5% of global gross domestic product (GDP), although it is difficult to estimate the total amount due to the clandestine nature of money laundering.

In 1989, the Group of Seven (G-7) formed an international committee called the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in an attempt to fight money laundering on an international scale. In the early 2000s, its purview was expanded to combating the financing of terrorism.

The United States passed the Bank Secrecy Act in 1970, requiring financial institutions to report certain transactions, such as cash transactions above $10,000 or any others that they deem suspicious, on a suspicious activity report (SAR) to the Department of the Treasury. The information that the banks provide to the Treasury Department is used by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which can share it with domestic criminal investigators, international bodies, or foreign financial intelligence units.

While these laws were helpful in tracking criminal activity, money laundering itself wasnt made illegal in the United States until 1986, with the passage of the Money Laundering Control Act. Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the USA Patriot Act expanded money-laundering efforts by allowing investigative tools designed for the prevention of organized crime and drug trafficking to be used in terrorist investigations.

The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) offers a professional designation known as a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). Individuals who earn CAMS certification may work as brokerage compliance managers, Bank Secrecy Act officers, financial intelligence unit managers, surveillance analysts, and financial crimes investigative analysts.

Why Is It Important to Combat Money Laundering? Anti-money laundering (AML) seeks to deprive criminals of the profits from their illegal enterprises, thus eliminating the main motivation for them to engage in such nefarious activities. Illegal and dangerous activities, such as drug trafficking, people smuggling, terrorism funding, smuggling, extortion, and fraud, endanger millions of people globally and impose tremendous social and economic costs upon society. As the proceeds of such activities are legitimized by money laundering, combating money laundering may result in a reduction in criminal activity and hence a significant benefit to society.

What Is an Example of Money Laundering? Say that cash has been earned illegally from selling drugs, and the drug dealer wishes to buy a new car with the proceeds. Because it is difficult and suspicious to try to purchase a vehicle entirely in cash, the dealer needs to launder the money to have it appear legitimate. The drug dealer also owns a small laundromat, a highly cash-intensive business. The cash from the drug deal is mingled with the laundromat's cash and then taken to a bank for deposit. Then, drawing a check from the laundromat's account, the dealer is able to buy the car without suspicion. Another common form of money laundering in casinos is to buy chips from the casino with cash, and to receive checks in return for the chips from the casino, often without gambling at all or placing minimal bets.

How Can You Tell If Someone Is Laundering Money? There are several red flags to look out for that may point to money laundering. Some of these include suspicious or secretive behavior by an individual around money matters, making large transactions with cash, owning a company that seems to serve no real purpose, conducting overly-complex transactions, or making several transaction just under the reporting threshold.



What Are Some Ways in Which Real Estate Is Used for Money Laundering? Some common methods used by criminals for money laundering through real estate transactions include undervaluation or overvaluation of properties, buying and selling properties in rapid succession, using third parties or companies that distance the transaction from the criminal source of funds, and private sales.
The future of the Frank McCoutt Museum, which is housed in Leamy House in Limerick, is now in doubt after the building was withdrawn from auction on Thursday (April 28).

The building, which was formerly the school where the author was educated, was put on the market on the instructions of a bank with an initial asking price of 325,000, the Irish Times reports.

The estimated price was later reduced to 140,000180,000 in advance of going for auction in Dublin.

Allsop auctioneers said the building was removed from auction because the relevant documentation was not submitted in time to allow potential buyers to inspect it ahead of the sale.

Una Heaton, who is the curator of the museum, said she is trying to buy the building, which was previously owned by her husband John. Leamy House was used as collateral for a business investment, but the venture was unsuccessful and the building was put on the market by the bank.

Leamy House, formerly known as Leamys School, was built in 1843. The Tudor-style property has a tower, turrets, ornamental chimneys and gargoyles carved in limestone and sandstone.

The building currently houses four tenants, including the museum.

Heaton said she is determined to keep the museum open, but its future is uncertain.

We are still under pressure but the bank are giving us a bit of breathing space so we are trying to buy the building with a bit of help from friends.

Heaton has erected a save our building banner in front of the building and is also pursuing a Facebook campaign.

A portion of the authors ashes have been placed in a box overlooking his former classroom.

Nearly 100,000 people have visited the museum, which opened in 2009.
Donald Trump has described himself as the most presidential candidate since the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln.

This is despite the fact that, when asked in an interview by Bob Woodward what made Abraham Lincoln so successful, Trump took 84 words to say absolutely nothing:

I think Lincoln succeeded for numerous reasons. He was a man who was of great intelligence, which most presidents would be. But he was a man of great intelligence, but he was also a man that did something that was a very vital thing to do at that time. Ten years before or 20 years before, what he was doing would never have even been thought possible. So he did something that was a very important thing to do, and especially at that time.

Whats more, as a recent article in The Atlantic by Sidney Blumenthal explores, Trumps policies, particularly those regarding immigrants, could not be further from what Lincoln and the Republican Party in his time stood for.

Lincoln decried nativists and stood up for the groups they sought to persecute, namely Irish immigrants and German immigrants  like Donald Trumps grandfather, Frederich Drumpf, who arrived in the US from Germany in 1885 under the U.S.s open immigration policy.

Read More: Abaham Lincoln donated to Ireland during the Great Famine

As Blumenthal writes, following the collapse of Americas Whig Party with the defeat of presidential candidate General Winfield Scott in 1852, the Know Nothings emerged as a fast-growing force.

Suddenly, a new party emerged on its ruinsthe Know Nothings, or the American Party. Between 1845 and 1854, 3 million immigrants arrived in the country. About 40 percent were poor Irish Catholics fleeing the ravages of the potato famine. About another 40 percent were Germans escaping from the failed revolution of 1848. Conservative Protestants viewed the Irish especially as a source of crime, corruption, and poverty. Both the Irish and Germans were beer drinkers, a habit that aroused temperance crusaders who condemned them as drunken, lazy, and sinful.

In the months following the election of 1852, the Know Nothings attracted over one million members as people rallied around their stance that only American citizens who were born Protestant should hold public office.

Their slogan? Americans Only Shall Govern America.

To Lincoln, nativism was also dangerous because of its implications for the anti-slavery movement.

I am not a Know-Nothing. That is certain, he wrote in 1855, in a meditation that reverberates all the way to our current election. How could I be? How can any one who abhors the oppression of negroes, be in favor of degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that all men are created equal. We now practically read it all men are created equal, except negroes. When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics. When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving libertyto Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.

Read More: Trump would have fit right in with the Irish-hating Know Nothings

Then, as Blumenthal explains, at the meeting where the Illinois Republican Party was born on February 22, 1856, the question of whether being a Republican also meant being against the Know Nothings came to a head.

One of the anti-slavery newspaper editors who had convened the meeting, George Schneider, editor of the German-language newspaper Staats-Zeitun, proposed adding an anti-Know Nothing platform. This was met with resistance from some of those present, so Schneider said he would submit the proposal to Lincoln, who the Illinois Republicans had invited to be their leader, and respect whatever he decided.

Blumenthal writes:

'Gentlemen,' declared Lincoln, 'the resolution introduced by Mr. Schneider is nothing new. It is already contained in the Declaration of Independence and you cannot form a new party on prescriptive principles.' For Lincoln, opposing nativism was consistent with opposing slavery. 'This declaration of Mr. Lincolns,' Schneider recalled, 'saved the resolution and in fact, helped to establish the new party on the most liberal democratic basis.' Lincolns judgment made possible the creation of the Republican Party, which became the instrument that would carry him to the presidency."

Read the full story in The Atlantic.
On May 3, 1916, the first of the executions were held for the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. Padraig Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, and Thomas Clarke were executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Jail.

Perhaps the most famous photograph of the 1916 Easter Rising shows Padraig Pearse surrendering to British Major-General William Henry Lowe near the corner of Moore and Parnell Streets on Saturday, April 29. It is a photo that encompasses many things: the receding power of the British Empire and the new indefatigable Ireland. It shows, in several ways, the theatricality of the Rising, and also the role that women would come to play in the coming War of Independence and their struggle for equality for the rest of the 20th century.

On the left is General Lowe and to his is right is his son John Muir Lowe, who, under the stage name of John Loder, went on to act in films ("How Green Was My Valley") and, most famously, to marry Hollywood sex siren, Hedy Lamarr. On the right is Pearse, President of the Provisional Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Volunteers. Hidden behind Pearse (except for her shoes) is GPO nurse Elizabeth OFarrell, who brokered the surrender (in some photos, in a sign of the times, her feet were actually airbrushed out of the photo).

This is the last known photograph of Pearse. It is the beginning of the end of the Easter Risingthe executions are about to begin.

General Maxwell Shows No Mercy

The man sent to Ireland to put down the Rising was General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O. He was appointed the military governor and Commander-in-Chief of His Majestys Forces in Ireland on Friday, April 28. Apparently, his main qualifications for the job was that he was available and was a friend of Lord Kitchener.

He was not enamored with the Irish: The majority, he stated, seem to be on the verge of madness which finds its outlet in poetry and emotional traits. He would soon have his chance to pronounce the ultimate chastisement on the leaders of the Rising, several of whom were published, poets. He knew how to handle these people: I am going to ensure that there will be no treason whispered for 100 years.

Apparently, Maxwell thought things out methodically: from court-martial to execution, to burial. He knew the funeral parade Tom Clarke had put on for Jeremiah ODonovan Rossa the previous summer and he was going to have none of it: Irish sentimentality will turn these graves into martyrs shrines to which annual processions will be made. Thus the bodies would be disposed of without coffin or shroud.

Brigadier J. Young wrote about how it was all to go down at Arbour Hill: After each prisoner has been shot, a Medical Officer will certify that he is dead, and his body will be immediately removed to an ambulance, with a label pinned on his breast giving his name. When the ambulance is full, it will be sent to Arbour Hill Detention Barracks, entering by the gate at the Garrison Chapel. The party will then put the bodies close alongside one another at the grave (now being dug), cover them quickly with quicklime (ordered) and commence filling in the grave. One of the officers with his party is to keep a note of the position of each body in the grave, taking the name from the label. A priest will attend for the funeral service.

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The British knew exactly what they were going to do with the bodies of the dead rebels, but didnt have the decency to tell the families. Kathleen Clarke, Tom Clarke's wife, in her "Revolutionary Woman," recalls the run-around she and her sister Madge received when they tried to claim the bodies of Tom Clarke and their brother, Ned Daly: When we got back to the hall, Madge approached the officer at the desk and made the request for Neds dead body for burial.

He made no comment but wrote down her request. Then I approached him to say I had not yet received my husbands body, though I had made a request for it the previous night. He told me he had no information on the matter; he had forwarded my request. Some weeks later, Madge received a letter which said as the body of her brother was already buried, they could not accede to her request. I got no answer to my request.

Now all that was needed were bodies to put in the grave/trench over at Arbour Hill. General Maxwell would supply those too.

The Court-martials of Padraig Pearse (Prisoner #1), Thomas MacDonagh (Prisoner #30), and Thomas Clarke (Prisoner #31) at Richmond Barracks, May 2, 1916. All three face the same charge:

CHARGE: Did an act to wit did take part in an armed rebellion and in the waging of war against His Majesty the King, such act being of such a nature as to be calculated to be prejudicial to the Defence to the Realm and being done with the intention and for the purpose of assisting the enemy

PLEA (of all three): Not Guilty

(The members of the court and witnesses were duly sworn in)

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VERDICT: Guilty. Death by being shot

As May 4 dawned, many thought the bloodshed was over, but they were to be disappointed. General Maxwell had just gotten started.

Joseph Mary Plunkett, Ned Daly, Micheal OHanrahan and Willie Pearse would all face their deaths.

The Court-martials of Joseph Mary Plunkett (Prisoner #33), Edward (Ned) Daly (Prisoner #21), Michael OHanrahan (Prisoner #36), and William (Willie) Pearse (Prisoner #27) at Richmond Barracks, May 2, 1916. All four face the same charge:

CHARGE: Did an act to wit did take part in an armed rebellion and in the waging of war against His Majesty the King, such act being of such a nature as to be calculated to be prejudicial to the Defence to the Realm and being done with the intention and for the purpose of assisting the enemy

PLEA: William Pearse was the only one of the four here accused to plead guilty. The others pleaded not guilty.

(The members of the court and witnesses were duly sworn in)

VERDICT: All were found guilty. Death.

Follow the links below to read the full profiles of the 1916 leaders here:

---------------

Dermot McEvoy is the author of the "The 13th Apostle: A Novel of a Dublin Family, Michael Collins, and the Irish Uprising and Irish Miscellany" (Skyhorse Publishing). He may be reached at dermotmcevoy50@gmail.com. Follow him at www.dermotmcevoy.com. Follow The 13th Apostle on Facebook here.

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* Originally published in 2016. Updated in May 2022.
Afeni Shakur, the former Black Panther who inspired the work of her son rap icon Tupac Shakur, has died. She was 69.

Deputies and firefighters responded to a 911 call to her home in Sausalito, California, on Monday night and rushed her to hospital.

Medics tried to revive her for about an hour but "she had in fact died from what is believed to be some kind of cardiac event," Marin County Sheriff's Lieutenant Doug Pittman said.

Born Alice Faye Williams, Ms Shakur changed her name when she became politically active in the 1960s and joined the Black Panther movement.

By 1971, she was pregnant and jailed, accused of conspiring to bomb New York City landmarks.

Her son was born soon after the charges were dismissed and she named him Tupac Amaru, after the last Incan emperor who led a rebellion and refused to surrender to Spanish conquistadors.

As Afeni Shakur bounced from New York City to Baltimore to California, becoming addicted to drugs as a single mother of three children, she enrolled Tupac in arts schools and other programmes where he honed the musical and acting skills that would make him a hip-hop icon.

"Arts can save children, no matter what's going on in their homes," she said in a 2005 interview. "I wasn't available to do the right things for my son. If not for the arts, my child would've been lost."

Afeni Shakur left a deep impression on her son, helping to shape a world view that later made him stand out among other young rappers, with songs reflecting his own rebellious attitude toward racism, poverty, violence and other social problems.

Tupac, in turn, revered his mother, praising her in his 1995 elegy Dear Mama, a hit song many fans recalled on Tuesday in tweets and posts.

"You are appreciated," he tells her. "Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place."

Tupac Shakur died in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in 1996 at the age of 25. Conspiracies about his killers flourished but his mother considered them a waste of time.

"We decided to deal with the living. This is justice for me," she said in 2005. "I need to do what God has put in front of me to do and it ain't trying to figure out who killed Tupac."

For the last two decades of her life, Afeni Shakur focused on keeping her son's legacy alive while managing his musical catalogue.

She opened the Tupac Amaru Shakur Centre for the Arts in Georgia - a project focused on helping at-risk youth that is now defunct.

She also co-produced a Broadway musical Holler If Ya Hear Me that used his songs - including Me Against the World, California Love and Keep Ya Head Up - to tell an original story by Todd Kreidler about two young men dealing with life and tragedy in a mid-western industrial city. It closed quickly in 2014 after playing just 38 performances.

She served as executive producer on a film about Tupac Shakur's life All Eyez on Me, which is set to be released in the autumn with Danai Gurira playing her son.
It has been 100 years today since the first leaders of the Easter Rising were executed.

Commemoration ceremonies will be taking place at Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin all week to remember the rebels.

Sean Defoe reports, "as dawn broke over Kilmainham Gaol on the 3rd of May 1916 - three rebel leaders were taken from their cells to Stonebreakers Yard, where they were shot dead.

"Padraig Pearse, Thomas Clarke and Thomas MacDonagh were executed for their role in organising the Easter Rising.

"Over the next 9 days 13 others were executed here in Kilmainham.

"At this morning's ceremony Capuchin Friar brother Adrian read from the memoirs of those who last visited the rebel leaders.

"Wreaths were laid in honour of the three men.

"Patrick Pearse - a great grand nephew of executed Padraig was emotional as he described the impact of his relative's life.

"Ceremonies will continue through the week, remembering those who were executed for their part in the rebellion of 1916."
Two people have been airlifted to hospital after they got into difficulty on Carrauntoohill in Co Kerry this evening, writes Patrick Flynn.

The alarm was raised at around 5.15pm when the pair used a mobile phone to contact emergency services.
Syrian rebels and government forces have shelled each other's neighbourhoods in Aleppo, leaving at least nine dead and scores wounded on both sides.

The violence erupted as the diplomatic focus moved to Moscow where the UN envoy for Syria was to hold talks in efforts to restore a piecemeal ceasefire that would also include the contested northern city.

Aleppo, Syria's largest city, has been the centre of violence in recent weeks but was not part of the latest partial truce.

Syrian state TV said shells hit a government-held area during morning rush hour, killing seven people and wounding at least 35, while activists reported two dead in a rebel neighbourhood.

The activist Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the shelling of government-held parts of the city, and also said that seven were killed, including a child. The observatory said more than 50 were wounded, including some who were in critical condition, which could raise the death toll.

The observatory and another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, said government forces also shelled rebel-held parts of the city on Tuesday, killing two and wounding several.

The observatory said more than 250 civilians have been killed in 12 days of violence in both government- and rebel-held parts of the city.

Also in northern Syria, war planes carried out intense air strikes on the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the extremist Islamic State group, in the early hours of Tuesday. Activist groups said it was not clear if the war planes were Russian or those of the US-led coalition.

The observatory, which has a network of activists around the country, said there were more than 35 air raids and that 18 people were killed including five members of the Islamic State group. It said dozens were wounded.

The anti-IS group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently said the air strikes killed 10 and wounded dozens. The group said there were calls from mosque loudspeakers for the residents to donate blood.

IS suffered major setbacks over the past months in Syria against government forces and US-backed Kurdish fighters including the loss of the central historic city of Palmyra.
It is no surprise that they have garnered increased attention from policymakers faced with stubbornly high unemployment rates in the aftermath of the great recession.

Young startups are particularly needy, and require everything from basic resources such as office space and a desk, to finance and mentoring.

Policymakers are, therefore, justified in wanting to nurture supports to help startups.

Business supports for entrepreneurs are available at local and national level.

At a local level, Local Enterprise Offices provide a range of services, advice, and financial support.

At a national level, Enterprise Ireland operates a wide range of programmes and schemes to support fledgling businesses.

A common model of developing and supporting new business ideas is through an incubator or accelerator programme.

The business incubator concept has existed since the early 1960s, and they typically provide office space and support services to resident businesses for a reduced rent for a period of up to five years.

Accelerator programmes are based on a competitive process, typically a pitching competition, at which hopeful candidates give a short presentation of their business idea.

Programmes run for a short period, typically for 12 to 16 weeks, during which participants are provided with office space, mentoring and intense training, and the opportunity to present their business idea to investors.

A feature of most accelerator programmes is that participants are provided with investment of between 15,000 and 20,000 for an equity stake in the business, which ranges from 3% to 8%.

The high-profile success of a few accelerator programmes in the US has led to the rapid expansion of the model worldwide.

There are now anywhere between 500 and 2,000 accelerator programmes in 70 countries.

There are currently over 25 accelerator programmes in Ireland.

The recent announcement by Enterprise Ireland of a 3m programme for industry accelerators that focus on financial services, clean energy, life sciences and food, indicates the growth of Irish accelerator programmes shows no sign of slowing.

Irish accelerators can be broadly classified in three types. There are the university-based accelerators, such as UStart at Dublin City University or Ignite in University College Cork.

There are state-supported accelerators such as the National Digital Research Centre, which was ranked second best university business accelerator in the world last year.

And then there the private accelerators such as Dogpatch labs or Propellor.

While Ireland has a vibrant startup scene, there is a relatively small pool of applicants for accelerator programmes.

This is reflected in acceptance rates: 21% of applicants are accepted onto accelerator programmes in Dublin and 42% of applicants get accepted outside the capital.

This compares with mean acceptance rates less than 6% worldwide and less than 4% in Europe.

Despite a smaller pool of applicants, Irish accelerator programmes attract participants from all over the world.

Notwithstanding an explosion in the number of accelerator programmes worldwide, we know very little about the success or otherwise of the accelerator model.

Another consideration is how we define success of accelerator programmes.

A commonly used metric is post-accelerator funds raised, which tells us, in fact, very little.

In Ireland, there have been notable successes  Trustev founded by Cork native Pat Phelan, a graduate of the Wayra accelerator  was sold to Transunion for $44m last December.

Soundwave  a graduate of NDRC  was acquired by Spotify in January.

We need, however, in Ireland to avoid establishing multiple generalist accelerators.

In establishing UStart, we realised that students ideas were at a very early stage of development.

Our aim was to provide an immersive entrepreneurial experience, where participants lived and worked together, received seed funding, collaborated in multidisciplinary teams, as they endeavoured to bring their business ideas to market.

This model will not suit all accelerators, but it emphasises that programmes should be adopted for specific environments and participants.

I highly recommend the accelerator programme to entrepreneurs seeking to develop their business idea in a supportive environment.

You will spend 12 weeks in a room full of optimistic fellow travellers, accompanied by geeks clustering around laptops, staring into screens as you work through the night, consuming copious amounts of coffee and caffeine-laden beverages.

Your accelerator programme will not turn your idea into a billion dollar company overnight, but you will quickly realise whether it will succeed or fail.

I suggest the following advice to startups considering a stint in an accelerator programme.

Make sure the accelerator is the right fit for your idea. And do not confine your search to Ireland.

Its not all about the money.

Do not select an accelerator programme based on the amount of cash they are prepared to give you.

Do a forensic analysis of what the accelerator programme offers and do not become an accelerator tourist.

Beware the advice of experts: What worked in the past may not necessarily work again.

Drop everything else to focus on the project.

But if its not working, drop it.

Be sure to practice your pitch 10 times a day and collaborate with your colleagues.

Ciaran Mac an Bhaird is founding director of UStart, Irelands first university-based accelerator for startups.
A lot of things have happened in relation to mortgages but widescale repossessions is not one of them.

It is true that there are a lot of repossession cases before the courts.

An analysis of the 34 civil possession hearings of the Cork County Registrar over the past 12 months shows that in Cork alone 900 mortgage repossession cases have been brought by lenders.

Most of these cases have been listed several times and there were five cases which appeared six times on the registrars lists over the year.

With cases appearing multiple times the 900 cases equate to 2,200 separate listings over the past year.

There were around 300 listings which could not be heard because formal notice of the proceedings had not been served on the borrower(s).

For some of these it is because the borrower refuses service or because the borrower cannot be found.

In these cases a substitute service such as pinning a notice to the property will be allowed.

Of those that could be heard 1,400 were adjourned to a later date on request from the banks.

There were 200 cases struck out by the lender which leaves around 300 instances where the banks proceeded with the application for a possession order.

There are thousands of repossession cases before the courts across the country but the evidence from Cork is that in most of them the banks have yet to actually make an application to the court for a possession order.

The courts are being used as a crude stick to get borrowers to engage.

When the banks do make an application for a possession order around two-thirds of them are refused by the County Registrar.

There have been 100 possession orders for dwellings granted by the Cork County Registrar over the past year.

This means that twice as many cases have been struck out compared to cases that concluded with a possession order.

It is not always stated why a case is being struck out and sometimes this can be for legal reasons unrelated to any improvement in the borrowers position.

But plenty of the cases have been struck out because the arrears have been cleared or a loan restructure has been agreed or the borrower has resumed payments.

Of the 100 possession orders that were granted by the Cork County Registrar over the past year there were only four instances where a borrower was present and made some argument against the order.

In almost all cases where an order is granted the borrower is not present in court to present any objection.

Details are not mentioned in the court in all instances but observations would suggest that of the 100 instances where a possession order was granted 80 are or were primary dwelling houses while 20 are buy-to-let properties.

And across both categories around 40 of the properties were completely vacant when the legal proceedings were initiated.

In the 10 months to October 2015 the Sheriffs of Cork City and Cork County had executed 31 possession orders for dwellings, of which 24 were vacant at the time of repossession.

There are likely many more vacant properties in the system and repossession orders should be granted for these especially if the housing crisis in our urban areas is as acute as we are led to believe.

Obviously there are background stories as to why a mortgaged property is now vacant with no payments being made.

In some instances it is because the borrower has left the country while in others relationship difficulties have resulted in both parties leaving the property.

There is little prospect of these borrowers resuming mortgage payments and these vacant properties should be taken into possession by the lenders and sold so that someone who is willing to pay can avail of them rather than having them lying idle.

Repossession should be avoided where people are making genuine efforts to service their loans.

And the Cork County Registrar gives borrowers ample opportunity to get back on track.

Being sued for possession of your home is a harrowing ordeal but the courts in Cork are not open season on borrowers.

If anything the courts are biased in favour of borrowers, something we wouldnt necessarily object to.

If a borrower wishes to avoid a repossession order there are three things they must do: engage with their lender; make regular payments against their mortgage (even if not the full amount), and turn up in court.

If one or more of these is absent it makes it difficult for the court to continue to refuse an application for an order for possession.

One case illustrates the importance of these three factors.

At a hearing last April the lender was proceeding with the application for a possession order and stated that the last payment made on the account has been in April 2009  thats a full six years with zero repayments.

The borrower was in court and, while accepting that payments had not been made, hoped to be in a position to resume payments.

The case was adjourned for three months.

On the next listing the bank again proceeded with their application for a possession order.

The borrower had made monthly payments of 600 since the last hearing (the required monthly payment was just over 1,000) but apart from making the payments had not engaged with the lender at any level.

The Registrar again refused the lenders application for a possession order and adjourned the case for three months telling the borrower that engagement with the lender was required.

The case came around again in October and this time it was the lender that requested the case be adjourned because the borrower had submitted a Standard Financial Statement which the lender wanted to assess to see if the loan could be restructured.

The borrower was again present in court and outlined they had continued making payments and were now engaging with the lender.

The Registrar granted the lenders application for an adjournment but for 12 months rather than the requested three.

The case will not be listed again until October of this year at which point it may be struck out if the borrowers are adhering to the restructured payment arrangement.

And this follows a six-year period of zero repayments.

If people are not engaging with their lender, are not making regular payments and do not show up in court then possession orders are inevitable and justified.

Vacant properties should be brought back into circulation while borrowers who are making no repayments should have orders granted against them to facilitate people who are willing to pay for their accommodation.

Seamus Coffey is an economist at UCC and is a member of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. He writes here in a personal capacity.
However, in a dispute that went before the Labour Court, it was recommended that workers at the firm receive a 5% pay increase over two years.

The company has a total of 205 staff in its Irish operation and employs 92 workers in Limerick and 96 in Cork, with about 27% of staff members of the union.

Most recently filed accounts for Irish Express Cargo Ltd  trading as Flextronics  showed the firm recorded a pre-tax loss of 4.8m in the 12 months to the end of March 2015.

Revenues for the year amounted to 15.2m.

In the case before the Labour Court, Siptu was seeking a 15% pay increase for employees, 5% from April 2015, 5% from April 2016, and 5% from April 2017.

Siptu told the court the firm had granted only one pay increase in the last 10 years, a 2.5% increase in 2012.

The company told the court it also offered an increase of 2.5% for the period between July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, and this has been applied to all non-union employees and those employees in the union who accepted it.

Siptu also told the court that new employees have been on the minimum wage since they commenced employment in 2009 and 2010.

Our members want to secure a multi-year agreement and believe that 5% per year for three years is a fair and reasonable claim given their continued co-operation, flexibility, commitment, and loyalty to the company, the trade union said.

In its argument, Flextronics told the court that it is trading in a very difficult commercial environment and is currently in a loss-making situation, while the audited accounts will show substantial financial losses from 2013 to 2015 to date.

Flextronics also cited an Ibec survey showing that in 2014, 51% of employers in the pay survey paid an increase of 2% with 47% remaining on a pay freeze and 2% of companies looking for employees to take a pay cut.

The firm said the issue of a pay increase will be reviewable from the end of June this year.

The company told the Labour Court that it has lost significant business on the warehousing side of its operations in Limerick and Cork.

It stated that it is actively tendering for new contracts but hasnt been successful to date.

In response to the losses, the firm has been forced to reduce headcount by three full-time staff and it has also laid off seven temporary workers.

Flextronics submitted that it does not have authorisation from its corporate parent company to agree a multi-year pay deal.

In its recommendation, the Labour Court stated that the company should enter into a two-year agreement, with workers provided a 2.5% pay increase from July 1 last to June 30 this year and a further 2.5% increase from July 1 next to June 2017.
On balance, the impact of Brexit is negative for Ireland.

Trade is expected to suffer the biggest adverse reaction.

Ireland is a small open export-led economy heavily reliant on the health of its customer countries.

The UK is the destination for 20% of all Irish services exports and 14% of all Irish goods exports.

The cyclical nature of services exports would be sensitive to any drop in UK economic growth, while narrowly applied trade barriers on products/sectors where Irish goods exports are concentrated could have significant implications.

Imports from the UK to Ireland are more evenly distributed across a number of sectors.

However, raw materials or imported intermediate goods are particularly important in sectors which have a significant presence of multinational firms.

Again, the food sector features prominently but machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals and miscellaneous manufactured articles are of similar importance.

Despite our strong historical ties, its unlikely that Ireland will be in a position to argue a special case and agree a bilateral trade agreement with the UK.

There is no facility for individual EU states to negotiate bilateral trade agreements; all trade deals must be conducted at a wider EU basis.

Ireland is the only member of the EU to have a land border with Britain. Both countries are part of the EU Customs Union, which means that there are no customs controls on the border.

Without this, goods being exported across the border could be subject to various forms of customs controls and their liability to duty determined according to complex Rules of Origin.

The eventual possibility of returning border posts at every crossing to the UK in the six counties cannot be discounted.

Since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the peace process has strengthened, but a drop in cross-border economic activity could undermine the confidence and refuel conflict.

Over time there is the possibility that Ireland may benefit from increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

However, Ireland has traditionally attracted companies in both the pharmaceutical and IT sectors and has only had limited success in financial services compared to the UK.

Should financial services companies be enticed to relocate out of the City of London, Paris and Frankfurt would be the more likely beneficiaries in view of the shortage of office space in Dublin

A Brexit could require Dublin to rethink how it positions itself within the EU.

Dublin and London may be on opposing sides of the European debate on agricultural subsidies, but they find common cause on free trade, taxation, the internal market, financial services and justice and home affairs.

The UKs absence from the EUs qualified majority voting arrangements would hand a French-led protectionist bloc large sway over future EU decision-making as it would be able to command a blocking minority (35% of voting weight), while the UKs natural allies such as Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Ireland would not be able to.

Despite the avalanche of media coverage and market commentary, investors remain relatively relaxed regarding Brexit risk.

Given the quantum of the unknown were Britain to leave, there has been an absence of any market panic to the referendum.

Investor consensus is that Ireland would suffer more than most European countries in any Brexit scenario.

Still, Brexit would be a shock to the European project as a whole, peripheral markets such as Italy and Spain would suffer an adverse response in line with Ireland despite the variations in trade ties.

Indeed, it is possible that the periphery could underperform as investors fear the rise of anti-EU parties.
But the European Commission said the documents reflected negotiating positions, not any final outcome, and the EUs chief negotiator dismissed some of Greenpeaces points as flatly wrong.

The US Trade Representatives office also rejected them. While it would not comment on the validity of alleged leaks, a spokesman said the interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat-out wrong at worst.

Greenpeace opposes the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), arguing with other critics that it would hand too much power to big business at the expense of consumers and national governments.

Supporters say the TTIP would deliver more than $100bn (87bn) of economic gains on both sides of the Atlantic. Greenpeace Netherlands published 248 pages of consolidated texts for 13 chapters, or about half, of the deal on the website www.TTIP-leaks.org yesterday.

They date from early April, before a round of meetings in New York last week.

Weve done this to ignite a debate, Greenpeace trade expert Juergen Knirsch told a news conference in Berlin, saying the documents showed the negotiations should be halted.

The best thing the EU Commission can do is to say Sorry, weve made a mistake.

European trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom called the leak a storm in a teacup and told an audience in Geneva the EU would not compromise its principles just to get a deal before US President Barack Obama leaves office in January 2017.

If it is not good enough we just have to say Sorry but we have to put this on ice and wait for the next administration. Obviously, we lose time and momentum but we cannot agree to TTIP-lite or something thats not good enough, she said.

Greenpeace said the documents showed differences had become entrenched between the two sides of the Atlantic.

Ms Malmstrom said it was not very dramatic to say there were disagreements and the EU was being as open as possible about the negotiations.

Mr Knirsch said the texts showed the US wanted to replace Europes precautionary principle  which prevents potentially harmful products from coming to market when their effect is unknown or disputed  with a less stringent approach.

Ms Malmstrom said the precautionary principle was part of the acquis  the laws binding the EU together  and Greenpeaces assertion was not true.

She called on EU governments to do more to explain TTIPs merits to their populations.
Viewers were able to see the 85-year-old billionaire and his co-director Charlie Munger, 92, sit through up to seven hours of questions from shareholders and journalists on topics ranging from value investing to the global economy, Brexit, the White House race and the pairs philosophy on life.

Buffett organised the webcast through Yahoo Finance to reach more people than ever in key financial centres and to bring the energy and excitement of what happens in Omaha to an informed audience around the world.

The Yahoo share price, which has experienced challenging trading in recent times, jumped 8% on the news.

But, with an estimated 40,000 shareholders descending on the Midwest city over the weekend, it looks unlikely that the ease of online viewing will ever top the opportunity of rubbing shoulders with the Sage of Omaha for his ever loyal supporters.

Buffett, himself, has described the annual gathering as Woodstock for Capitalists, and has seen famous faces like Bill Gates, Tiger Woods and George Clooney making the pilgrimage in the past.

Interestingly, none of this might have come to pass had Buffett decided to follow his initial instinct in 1965 and sell his stake in the then struggling textile company.

Annoyed at being offered 12 cents a share less than what had been agreed, he instead responded by buying the entire enterprise.

Today, Berkshire is spread across a vast empire of energy, insurance, manufacturing, transportation and retailing, through 90 companies with a market value of over 350bn.

Up to 1996, the crowds at the AGM measured less than 10,000  a situation that transformed when the company issued its lower-priced, second tier B share, currently costing $147.60, on the New York Stock Exchange.

The A share, backbone of many an investment house portfolio, currently trades at $221,430. Both shares are up over 10% on the year, compared to just a 2% gain for the S&P 500.

Many of Berkshires biggest stock holdings  Kraft Heinz and Coca-Cola  are outperforming the general market, but offset somewhat by weakness in Wells Fargo bank.

Buffett has proven himself a witty and wise performer at the Omaha gathering over the years, mixing straight-talking economic logic with sly humour to entertain the throngs.

However, he has admitted to suffering chronic shyness in his younger days  an impediment he overcame through a Dale Carnegie course.

Even then, I chickened out of my first appointment, he informed.

His comments on life and business are the stuff of industry legend at this point, including this observation on motorbike owners: I dont know if Harley Davidson stock is worth $30, but I do like a business where customers tattoo the companys name on their chest.

One of Buffetts highlights from this year: [There is] far more money made by people on Wall Street through salesmanship abilities rather than investment talent.

Politically, the two directors support opposing sides. Buffett, a Democrat, has already declared his support for Hillary Clinton in the race for president.

But while Munger tends toward a Republican ethos, he is no fan of Donald Trump, saying he was not morally qualified to take over the White House.

Despite that, Buffett said Berkshire will do fine whoever enters the White House early next year.

Berkshire has spent big on acquisitions in recent years, including Heinz Kraft, Burger King, Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and aircraft components maker Precision Castparts.

The latter deal, worth $37.2bn, was Berkshires biggest ever, and Buffett has hinted that 2016 will see more of the same.
If, for some reason, yes, then this recruitment video from the New Zealand Police Department is for you.

As they say themselves:
The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) which is hosting the conference has proposed, what it says, is a straightforward and pragmatic regularisation scheme as a solution to the problem. It said that would provide a pathway to papers for people without a formal immigration status who fulfil certain defined criteria.

MRCI estimates there are between 20-26,000 undocumented people living in Ireland, of which between 2,000 and 6,000 are children.

In preparation for todays conference, which will hear from experts from the London School of Economics, ISME, and the Childrens Rights Alliance, MRCI has carried out a survey of more than 1,000 undocumented people living and working here. They found that:

84% have lived in Ireland for over five years;

21% have lived in Ireland for over 10 years;

89% are working;

31% have been in the same job for over five years;

52% are female.

It also found that failure to regularise the undocumented costs the State 41m per year in lost direct tax alone and estimated that a regularisation scheme would generate 12 times what it would cost to implement.

Helen Lowry, MRCI spokeswoman, said: This issue is not going to go away. Regularisation is supported by business groups, by childrens organisations, by trade unions, and by the public  a poll last year showed that 69% support the idea of a regularisation.

All thats needed now is decisive action by the new government; there is cross-party support for regularisation, and it must be prioritised in the work of the new Dail.

Isme chief executive Mark Fielding said the vast majority of undocumented migrants here were working, many for small businesses.

At the moment, there is essentially no way for either employer or employee to regularise the status of the worker. Employers are undoubtedly impacted by the challenge of retaining skilled and experienced staff and remaining fully compliant with immigration. Isme fully supports a regularisation for undocumented migrants in Ireland.

Paul Gilligan, chief executive of St Patricks Mental Health Services, said: There are children and young people growing up undocumented in Ireland; unable to travel, unable to be open with even their closest friends, barred from progressing to work or college, struggling to see a future for themselves in the only home theyve ever known.

The impact of this state of limbo on their mental health and wellbeing cannot be underestimated.

A regularisation would give them hope and allow them to live full lives.
The Sinn Fein leader faced a significant backlash when, in reference to a Quentin Tarantino film which he had apparently just watched, he tweeted late on Sunday night: Watching Django Unchained  A Ballymurphy N****r!

While he said the tweet was deleted quite soon afterwards, it had been retweeted at least 143 times and liked at least 68 times.

Amid significant criticism both here and abroad, Sinn Fein issued a statement on its leaders behalf in which he said the film was powerful and highlighted the injustices suffered by African Americans through its main character. In my tweets I described him as a Ballymurphy n and an uppity Fenian, he said. I have acknowledged that the use of the N-word was inappropriate. That is why I deleted the tweet. I apologise for any offence caused.

However, he said he stood over the context and main point of my tweet which, he said, were the parallels between people in struggle.

Like African Americans Irish nationalists were denied basic rights. The penal laws, Cromwells regime, and partition are evidence of that. In our own time, like African-Americans, nationalists in the North, including those from Ballymurphy and west Belfast, were denied the right to vote; the right to work; the right to a home; and were subject to draconian laws.

[social]https://twitter.com/GerryAdamsSF/status/726945071631884289[/social]

He said he was a founding member of the civil rights movement in Ireland and said it had inspired and based its approach on the civil rights campaign in the USA.

He later told RTE radio that everybody knows I do not have a racist bone in my body before adding: Those people who are opposed to us will seize on this. Those people who are genuinely offended will given vent  and they are quite entitled to to their feelings and opinions. But the vast majority of people will see this as a genuine mistake, the use of one word which was totally inappropriate and for which I have apologised.

While there are parallels between people in struggle, the tweet was inappropriate" - Gerry Adams https://t.co/0kEyhj9FZd  Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) May 2, 2016

He also said he was sober as a judge when he sent the tweet.

The gaffe comes just weeks after Mr Adams was accused of comparing himself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks when he was excluded from a St Patricks Day celebration at the White House.

After being held up at security in Washington, he left and stated: Sinn Fein will not sit at the back of the bus for anyone.
Frank Mullen, a founder of the Garda Representative Association, has told the Irish Examiner that all of the allegations made against him are completely false.

He, along with 11 other individuals in Dalkey, Co Dublin, were accused by Cynthia Owen of being involved a paedophile ring to which she was hired out as a child by her parents.

The Dalkey House of Horrors scandal has been prominent in the media since Ms Owen first made her allegations 12 years ago. She had also claimed that she was the mother of a baby whose body was found in Dun Laoghaire in 1973 with multiple stab wounds.

A coroners court in 2007 ruled she was the mother of baby Noleen, conceived as the result of a rape.

Ms Owen grew up in a family that was highly dysfunctional. Her parents were alcoholics. Two of her eight siblings, and a niece who was reared with them, took their own lives. Her niece left a detailed account of sexual abuse in their childhood home.

At 15, Ms Owen escaped her home when she was sent to live with relatives in Wales in 1977. In 1995, she made a number of allegations about abuse in the family home. Included in this was an allegation that she was the mother of a baby found stabbed to death.

Ms Owen also alleged that Frank Mullen was involved in a cover-up during the investigation into the babys death, which he denies vehemently.

Mr Mullen, who is now 78, says the allegations have had a devastating impact on the lives of him, his family, and the other men named by Ms Owen.

All of us whom she accused were well known within the community so maybe that was why she used our names, he said. Thats the only reason we can think of. None of it is true and it has had a devastating effect on my family.

His wife, Ellen, says the whole family has suffered as a result of the allegations and the media focus that has been on her husband through the years when he was not named publicly.

My youngest daughter rang crying one day, Ellen said. She said theres a photo of dad in the paper and its about sex abuse and his face was blacked out. She recognised his jacket and everything else about him.

She said the continuing media attention has been highly stressful. She says that, on one occasion, a reporter more or less camped outside their home for days.

She was parked across the road from 10 in the morning, Ellen said. And then when Frank came home from a swim, I had opened the gate to let him in and she came over and passed some remark in the gate. It was awful.

Cynthia Owen at a press conference in 2005. She has written a book, Living with Evil about her harrowing upbringing, and has repeatedly called for a public inquiry into the affair

Mr Mullen says he was prompted to go public as he believes the gardai have failed to properly vindicate him. A file on Ms Owens allegations has been sent to the DPP eight times in the last decade, with a result each time of no prosecution being recommended.

The family has received support from friends in their community, but Mr Mullen feels State agencies, particularly the gardai, have not investigated the matter properly, which, if they did, he says, he would be completely vindicated.

Its gone on for over 10 years and different chief supers have given me promises that my name would be cleared, he said. The file has never been finished and my name has not been properly vindicated. I carried out my own investigations and gave them the information but that doesnt appear to have been taken into account.

The allegations were also the focus of a review ordered by the minister for justice in 2007 and a HSE investigation, neither of which came to definitive conclusions.

Ms Owen wrote a book about her upbringing and has repeatedly called for a public inquiry into the affair. Last year, a panel set up to review garda malpractice in over 200 cases, ruled that no further investigation was merited in investigating Ms Owens allegations.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Mr Mullen has protested his innocence and is hoping by going public he will finally clear his name.

Were five generations in Dalkey and I couldnt leave a legacy like that behind me, he said. I had to clear my name before I departed this world.
To mark World Press Freedom Day today, NewsBrands is once again highlighting the significant challenge posed to freedom of expression by Irelands defamation regime and, in particular, the level of awards made in defamation cases.

Defamation awards are much higher here than the rest of Europe, said NewsBrands, in a statement.

The decision of the Supreme Court to award 1.25 million in a case which it accepted was not the most serious of defamation actions puts Ireland wholly out of kilter with its neighbouring jurisdictions. The award is 10 times higher than would have been made in the UK.

The Supreme Court decision arose out of the 1.87m damages award made against Independent Newspapers in 2009, the highest ever such award at that time, following its publication of a number of defamatory articles about the PR consultant Monica Leech. The Supreme Court reduced the award on appeal to 1.25m.

The Defamation Act 2009 has come into force since the Leech case and it requires the judge to give guidance to the jury on damages as well as permitting the parties to make submissions to the jury in that regard.

However, Ireland is also the only country in Europe where defamation actions are heard before a jury. In Britain, trials are held without a jury unless the court orders otherwise. According to NewsBrands, the retention of the jury system creates delays and also a lack of certainty for publishers who have no way to ascertainpotential liability.

As a result, many newspapers simply wont take the risk of publishing an article, said a spokesperson.

This has a chilling effect on the medias role as the watchdog of the public and is at odds with the theme of this years World Press Freedom Day  Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This is your Right.
Most of the Kerry dioceses parishes now upload their parish newsletter on to the site and a re-design this weekend  with a logo incorporating the Kerry colours  has made it easier to access www.dioceseofkerry.ie from phones and tablets.

The website is a major facility of the Diocese of Kerry in communicating and conveying information between all the people of the diocese and beyond, said a statement on behalf of the diocese.
Now recovering in hospital, she is looking at a different picture when she hopefully emerges from medical treatment.

Her home of some 40 years is gutted from front to back, the eaveshoot drooping sadly, melted by the fierce heat of the fire which swept through the property early yesterday, the same blaze that turned the satellite dish to the colour of rust.

And, far worse, the loss of her son, Kenneth Relihan, as well as that of a family friend, local man Noel OMahony.

Locals in St Colmans Park estate in the Co Cork town were dazed and deeply saddened yesterday morning.

Some admitted, with a sense of bafflement, that they had not heard anything, even as the fire tore through the three-bedroomed terraced house. Yet the quiet estate had been the scene of a terrible drama, played out even before dawn had broken on a day when most people are thinking of sleeping in.

Ken Relihan, aged 27, who died in the house fire in St Colmans Park, Macroom, Co Cork. Pic: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Kenneth, 26, had been out socialising in the town and, like so many others on the bank holiday weekend, had been at ORiadas nightclub until late. His mother, who used to work in a nursing home in Ballincollig and who has three other children from a previous marriage, was at home along with visitor Noel OMahony, from the other end of Macroom.

One of Noirins next-door neighbours is understood to have raised the alarm. The fire service control centre in Limerick said the call was received just shy of 3.55am, with local units in Macroom and Ballincollig mobilised by 4.01am. The first of two units, the Macroom engine, was at the scene by 4.03am.

By then, all sorts of drama was unfolding. Locals said screams and shouts could be heard. Neighbours, including 21-year-old Tim Coleman from across the street, were attempting to gain entry to pull those inside out of the property. It is understood Tim made a number of attempts but was beaten back by the flames and smoke which engulfed the house.

Timothy Coleman who attempted to rescue three people from a burning house in St Colmans Park in Macroom, Co Cork. Pic: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Elaine OShea said she was a first cousin of Kenneths and explained that Tim had been key to Noirin escaping.

He was telling her to jump. Only for this guy in here, she said, gesturing at the house where Tim lives, there would be none of them alive.

Despite speculation that one of the men, possibly Noel, helped push Noirin out the first-floor window, it is believed she jumped. She landed, conscious, according to some locals, but was rushed to Cork University Hospital, where she was being treated in the intensive care unit.

She made it out, but sadly Noel and Kenny did not. According to Martin Coughlan, a former councillor who lives up the street, at one point a ladder was propped against the house to the upper floor.

Seemingly they had a ladder up to the window and were calling to get out of the window and next there was a loud explosion, he said. The window blew out then.

The interior of the house this morning. Pic: Provision

There were heroic attempts made to avert further tragedy, but the flames were too much. By yesterday morning, the real wonder was how lucky it was that the blaze was contained so it did not spread to either house left or right.

One possibility, although gardai are continuing to investigate, is that a fat fryer or chip pan put on in the early hours may have sparked the fire.

One neighbour, Fred Ring, said Noirin and her son were sound out and nice people, and that hed been talking to Noel OMahony, with whom he was good friends, just recently.

The scene outside the house this morning. Pic: Provision

Martin Coughlan, who said he went to bed at 2am, said Noirin moved into her house a few years after him, and he is there 40 years.

He said his heart went out to Kenny, who he said was a harmless young fella, adding: This is awful.

Mr OMahonys own family, including his three grown-up children, are now also left to grieve the events of a bank holiday Monday that panned out in a completely unexpected way.

The scene outside the house this morning. Pic: John Delea

As Elaine OShea said: When its on your own doorstep, you think things dont happen like this here, but they do.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A woman who allegedly stabbed her lover to death following an argument will appear in the Chatsworth Magistrate's Court tomorrow, KwaZulu-Natal police have confirmed.Daily Sun reported that the 41-year-old woman was arrested on a murder charge after the man was killed in the early hours of Saturday morning, police spokesperson Major Shooz Magudulela said."At about 02:00 the victim and the suspect were in the Shallcross area when they were involved in an argument. It is alleged that the suspect stabbed the 45-year-old [man] to death," he said.KwaZulu-Natal provincial police Commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni described the murder as "senseless"."I appeal to those in relationships to resolve their problems peacefully or seek protection orders," she said.
Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri said that while the activities of Garda units, detailed in yesterdays Irish Examiner, were welcome, he still believed there were gaps that needed to be closed.

Shaykh Al-Qadri, imam at the Sunni mosque in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, said he did not believe the Garda Racial, Intercultural, and Diversity Office (GRIDO) was able to address the moral support given to extremism online, in certain mosques and some Muslim student groups.

The imam said there was a particular issue of foreign speakers, with radical views, being invited to the country to address mosques and student meetings.

In yesterdays Irish Examiner, Sergeant Dave McInerney, who heads the office, said they had good relations with mosques and they kept gardai aware of issues of concern to them, including people with extremist views.

Sgt McInerney also said he was aware of concerns regarding foreign speakers, but pointed out it was a hard one to control.

He said he was also aware of the views of some student groups, but said the GRIDO did not have structured relations with them.

This office is crucial for community cohesion and a sense of belonging, said Shaykh Al-Qadri. However, do we see this office eliminating the threat of extremism? It wont. I have high regard for Sergeant Dave. He is a lovely person. But I do not think his office understands.

He said the office will not be told about extremist speakers from the very mosques and organisations that are inviting them.

If you are talking to organisations that are inviting extremist radical preachers, how do you expect them to tell you? They wont tell you.

Shaykh Al-Qadri, chairman of the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council, said: Im concerned about those providing the moral support to extremists, saying they [Islamic State] are good, they are defending themselves against a superpower that is giving the Muslim world a hard time. This creates ambiguity.

He said a second garda unit, Counter Terrorism International, was also very important, but said they dealt with terrorists and terror attacks.

Im worried about what leads to the terror attacks  the extremism, he said. It doesnt just happen. Young people are not suddenly radicalised. We need to make sure we close all gaps.
The report, written by senior foreign experts, suggested making simple drug possession subject to a Garda caution rather than criminal prosecution.

The panel produced a confidential report, which has been obtained by the Irish Examiner, after conducting a rapid review of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016.

It interviewed more than 150 people, from government officials to service providers to community workers, and made study visits to projects in Dublin and Cork.

The panel comprised Paul Griffiths, scientific director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Professor John Strang, head of the National Addiction Centre at Kings College London and Nicola Singleton, scientific analyst at the EMCDDA.

It found:

Political drive and engagement in the drugs crisis fell away during the strategy;

The importance of leadership was obvious and highlighted calls for a dedicated minister for drugs;

Intimidation and drug debts appeared to be a particular problem;

Law enforcement should concentrate on drug suppliers and serious organised crime groups;

New action was needed in the next drugs strategy on internet drug markets.

It said prioritising the most harmful drug markets and organised crime groups would involve a shift in drug law offences towards supply offences attracting large sentences and a relative reduction in possession prosecutions.

It called for an increased focus on diverting those caught for possession away from the courts.

For individuals arrested for simple possession offences, the impact of a criminal record can be profound and was generally viewed as disproportionate, it said.

It said a caution was available for juveniles, but wasnt an option under the Adult Caution Scheme, which, it noted, was under review.

This would be a good opportunity to try and get simple drug possession included in the offences to which an adult caution may be given. This would effectively provide a non-criminal option for dealing with drug possession offences.

It said that if there was appetite to go further along the decriminalisation road, then some civil process would need to be established, similar to the Portuguese Dissuasion Commissions.

The review said the drugs strategy had made significant progress in terms of coordination and services.

But it said the recession had hit resources, weakened co-ordination mechanisms, lessened political engagement, and allowed some partners (housing and education) to disengage. It said many people interviewed viewed recent changes to co-ordination structures in a fairly negative light.

Overall, it said the new drugs strategy should have realistic expectations and that implementation and delivery were crucial.
ACTOR Tom Vaughan-Lawlor says his head is spinning from his multiple identities; hes playing five totally different characters on screen and stage in the coming months.

Thats not even counting his portrayal of Padraig Pearse in the slick and thought-provoking Trial of the Century, which finished on TV3 last night. Nidge, the gangland-boss star of Love/Hate, is well and truly dead and were set to see the man who brought him to life in a range of roles that would put anybodys head in a spin.

Its that funny thing  timing; they all come out at the same time, he tells the Irish Examiner.

Its like buses, we offer.

It is, it is, he says, flashing an enormous smile. You can be very quiet for a while and then all of a sudden things come out together.

And what a line-up. In July, well see him star alongside Breaking Bad lead Bryan Cranston in The Infiltrator, the true story of a US customs official who went undercover to rumble Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Vaughan-Lawlor, who plays Cranstons agency handler Steve Cook, says it was nerve-wracking meeting Cranston, one of his heroes.

I was very nervous meeting him mainly because Ive been such an admirer of his as an actor, but he was every inch the gentleman and every inch the artist that you hoped he would be. Hes such a lovely man. And a great leader as well.

The action movie involves lots of running around, as Vaughan-Lawlor puts it. It was good fun, but also challenging. You are in scenes with really big-name actors so you have to be really on top of it all the time, but its also nice to be testing yourself on a big international stage.

We catch up with the actor at the Radisson Hotel in Dublin during a short break in the filming of Maze, a drama about the escape of 38 inmates from the most secure facility in the UK and Ireland in 1983, during which a prison officer was killed and 12 others injured.

Hes spent the last month shooting in the recently-closed Cork prison and is en route to Sweden to complete his portrayal of IRA member Larry Marley, the man who masterminded the escape plan.

The history of militant nationalism is very much in the ether as audiences have just seen Vaughan-Lawlors powerful portrayal of Pearse in Trial of the Century, an imagining of how a legalistic showdown might have gone had Pearse been granted a trial.

Ironically, its almost exactly 100 years to the day after Pearse wrote his letter of surrender at Arbour Hill prison in 1916.

Vaughan-Lawlor says he didnt know what people would make of his Pearse. This is an imagined history and what Hugh Travers and Colin Murphy have done very cleverly is offset the public and private man.

Certainly, the actors own research into the fiercely private and privately unknowable man was eye-opening. He was a very complicated man but charismatic in his own right. He was very driven, focused, obsessive and dynamic, but probably quite an intense presence to be around. Very intense, I would imagine.

Another topic that has made for lots of discussion during the 100th-anniversary commemoration of the Rising is the number of children killed. Aoibhinn McGinnity, Nidges on-screen wife in Love/Hate, brought the heart-breaking reality of that home as she tells Pearses trial how her two-year-old son, Sean Foster, was shot dead in his pram.

On the one hand, you have the idealism and fervour of these men and, on the other, you see the casualties  children and babies  and that is very sobering, says Vaughan-Lawlor, father to five-year-old Freddie.

The joy of being a father prompted him to accept a role as ambassador to childrens charity Barnardos four years ago.

At the height of Love/Hate, I was approached by many charities, but you cant lend your support to everyone. At the time, my son was a baby. Seeing how fortunate my own son is and how loved he is and all of the things we can provide him with, you realise how vulnerable children are and how important it is to support them culturally, educationally, socially from the very youngest age.

He has built an ongoing relationship with Barnardos and has just got behind its latest campaign, The Big Toddle, which asks parents and toddlers to do a sponsored half-mile walk in May and June to raise 250,000 to help children.

Speaking of money, there was a story doing the rounds during season three of Love/Hate that, while his face was on bus shelter advertisements here in Ireland, he couldnt afford the bus fare in Kent, England, where he lives with his actor wife, Claire Cox.

He laughs and says the story of penury was slightly blown out of proportion, but yes, acting is very precarious. People might say, Well, youve made it. There is no such thing. But that insecurity keeps you honest as an actor. Sometimes, people see actors as arrogant but its an incredibly humbling profession.

Rejection is also a big part of it. Ask him if hes ever been rejected and he replies: Oh God, yeah. All the time. You are always competing with actors above you in the pecking order in terms of status. That is also a wonderful thing  to be testing and stretching yourself and aiming for big things.

Though, it doesnt look as if one of our best-known actors has had to cope with too much rejection of late.

This summer, he plays Covey in The Plough and the Stars at the National Theatre in London. In the autumn, hes IRA man ODonnell in Jim Sheridans film, The Secret Scripture, based on the Booker Prize-nominated novel by Sebastian Barry. Hes also in Daphne, the Peter Mackie Burns drama out next year.

Yet, for the public, hell always be Nidge. That will never go away, he admits. He still gets regular calls of Howya Nidge?.

Its nice to be greeted in the morning by complete strangers. Genuinely, it is very nice. Its a very warm energy. You realise how powerful a thing Love/Hate was.

No wonder his head is spinning.
My jaded interiors palate has been revived by a jaunt to Newcastle West, County Limerick, where a home interiors shop called Objekt has window displays to prompt a rubber-burning slam of the brakes.

Its a happy discovery on the N21 to Tralee, beside the banks of the Arra, with a Fitzgerald-built castle a near neighbour: ancient and modern sitting comfortably together.

Newcastle West is a charming town which enjoys a gentle busyness, where you can still buy a crusty sandwich for 2 in the bakery on the square; where friendliness and helpfulness are a given, and where mammy rather than the American mom prevails.

So too does contemporary European design, thanks to Aoife Hayes, a trained interior architect who ten years ago, opened Objekt.

The time was right, she says.

The building came up and so did the opportunity to open in my home town.

But, in the last decade, when shops were closing en masse during recession, Objekt, which sells Missoni Home rugs for 4,500, survived.

People still needed to buy wedding presents, house-warming gifts, and to give themselves little treats, says Aoife, so we stocked more of the smaller items like kitchen accessories.

For as little as 3.50, you can pick up a Charles Viancin flower-shaped bottle stopper to plug a bottle of wine or an oil decanter, something I discovered while ambling around with a coffee in hand, dispensed by Aoife in the shops mini-cafe.

This clever inclusion means you could easily lose yourself for an hour, satisfying your home interiors soul as well as your caffeine urges.

She has a local clientele and, thanks to the N21 location, she also benefits from drivers passing through.

Every day, 12,000 cars drive past, so we get people from Dublin going to Kerry on holidays stopping for coffee and shopping while the children have a run around.

But not all shops selling furniture, lighting and accessories would make you stop en route to your holidays when everyone in the car is whinging.

Objekt is different, with accomplished styling by Aoife which stages room sets rather than a confrontation of sofa after sofa where its difficult to imagine how anything could look at home.

Daylight streaming though huge windows enhances the room sets making the idea feel achievable and homely at the same time.

We keep moving things around to keep it all fresh, Aoife explains.

At the moment we have accessories grouped together by colour.

Its a simple idea but, for the DIY home decorator who needs a few bits and pieces to match a colour scheme, its an accessible solution.

But not all her working day sees Aoife keeping shop.

To stay up-to-date with developments she visits some of the major trade shows around Europe sourcing new suppliers, but she can also be found stacking shelves, and has no aversion to picking up a brush to paint a wall to show off her stock.

The more I explore, the more my eye-span fills with colour and shape in covetable lighting, clocks, textiles, and lightweight chairs I cant stop thinking about  you know the ones  that dont hide a beautiful dining table from view?

Theres certainly a curated feel to how everything is laid out, and its clear as we walk and talk that her ability to run Objekt and see it through tough times doesnt just draw on her professional background.

As the daughter of a woman who ran a clothes shop while raising six children, retail is in her genes.

Aoife now follows in her footsteps, juggling the shop with married life and bringing up a little daughter, Robyn, and son, Theo.

Surrounded by all this interior loveliness, I wonder what her house is like.

I bought lots of nice pieces and a gorgeous pink Leolux chair for my apartment when I was single, she says, but home life evolves and, now we have children, things are different.

While I put down my cup to admire a teapot that doubles up as a kettle, she makes a coaxing call to her dad for help with a delivery, laughingly explaining that she sometimes enlists family help.

It seems practicality and a down-to-earth attitude prevail amongst all this design beauty.

Ill bet she calls her mother Mammy.

www.objekt.ie
From June 10 to 13, the INEC in Killarney will be taken over by gamers, young and old. Over the course of the weekend, there will be gaming tournaments, stage shows, demos, and opportunities to engage in retail therapy.

The Minecraft Zone is likely to be one of the main attractions. It will feature tournaments, merchandise stands, and the chance to hear from some special guests from the world of Minecraft.
IT'S back and with a bang that, in normal circumstances, would have all hallmarks of another potential boom.

The Irish property market recorded its busiest year in 2015 since the start of the economic downturn in 2008 with strong growth figures in practically every sector.

However, the growing housing crisis means it is likely that the trend will continue this year and that the country is facing a return to the Celtic Tiger level of activity in the industry.

With relatively few properties coming on the market, combined with low level of construction activity, 2015 might come to be seen as a recent peak.

An analysis by the Irish Examiner of the Residential Property Price Register and the Private Residential Tenancies Board Rent Index provides a composite view f how both markets fared against a background of a housing crisis where affordability has become a key issue for both prospective buyers and tenants.

Although new restrictions introduced by the Central Bank for mortgage lending in the latter half of last year applied a brake on rising house prices, an increase in the number of buyers combined with a shortage of properties coming on the market has ensured price levels rose steadily, if not spectacularly, during 2015.

Follow the latest on the Dail's special housing and homelessness committee here

An analysis of all full-price transactions recorded in the RPPR during 2015 shows annual sales jumped by over 16% to 46,800 transactions  over 6,500 more than the previous year.

Its the highest yearly number of property sales listed since the RPPR was established in 2010. It is also a figure that is unlikely to be exceeded in 2016.

The value of all such sales grew by a similar proportion  up 17% to more than 10.5bn.

There was more moderate growth in the median price of all homes sold last year. At 169,115, it was up 12,115 on 2014 prices  an annual increase of just under 8%.

It is the second year in a row that the median price has risen since its lowest level in 2013 at 148,000, but still some distance from the 2010 median price of over 215,500.

In Dublin, the median price rose by 15,000 to 280,000  a 5.7% increase , while for all properties outside the capital the increase was greater at 8.3%  up 10,000 to 130,000 to put prices back at 2012 levels.

In the rental market, average monthly rates rose nationally by 9.8% during 2015, according to the PRTBs rent index.

Although the rate of increase slowed in the final quarter, rents in Dublin are now 0.4% higher than their 2007 peak. However, outside the capital they remain 14.5% from their highest levels in 2007.

The cost of renting apartments increased at a slightly faster pace than houses nationally, although the reverse was true in Dublin.

At the end of 2015, the average rent for private sector accommodation across the whole country was 921 per month.

In Dublin, the average rent rose by 124 per month for houses and by 105 for apartments over the course of the year. Outside Dublin, the average monthly increase was 64 for a house and 67 for an apartment.

The rent index provides information on rent prices in over 400 towns, suburbs and villages across Ireland.

The figures from the Residential Property Price Register are based on all full-price sales conducted in 2015, with 13.5% added to the price of new homes to allow for Vat and to indicate the true cost of such properties.

Figures from the PRTBs rent index are based on the average rent for all property types and all bedroom sizes in each locality.

CARLOW

Number of Sales - 496

% Change - 23.1%

Value of Sales - 66.0m

% Change - 36.9%

Average Value - 120,000

% Change - 6.2%

Average Rent (per month) - 634

% Change - 5.3%

Most Expensive Sale - Park Gate, Tullow - 908,000

Least Expensive Sale - 2 lodges at Rivercourt, The Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Road, Carlow - 10,000 each

Most Expensive Rent - Carlow Town - 647

Least Expensive Rent - Tullow - 572

One of the smallest property markets in the country, Carlow turned in an impressive set of results last year with above-average growth on most measures of activity.

Average prices have risen for the second year in a row to 120,000 but are still far short of their 2010 levels when the median price stood at over 170,000.

Rents also grew across the county on average by 5.3% in 2015  one of the highest rates of increase in any county.

CAVAN

Number of Sales - 782

% Change - 1.6%

value of Sales - 75.8m

% Change - 28.0%

Average Value - 80,000

% Change - 28.0%

Average Rent (per month) - 453

% Change - 3.4%

Most Expensive Sale - Belamont Forest, Cootehill - 2,050,000

Least Expensive Sale - Doocarrick, Lisnageer, Cootehill - 9,000

Most Expensive Rent - Virginia - 532

Least Expensive Rent - Belturbet - 385

One of the most sluggish performers in the Irish property market last year, sales in Cavan grew by less than 2% compared to the national average of over 16%.

However, in all other aspects, it was a good year for the trade in the border county with the value of properties sold up 28% boosted by a similar percentage increase in the median price of homes  the strongest growth rate anywhere in 2015.

Outside the three midlands counties which have the lowest average house prices in the Republic, Cavan has the next cheapest properties, despite an average increase of 17,500 in homes sold last year which saw the median value rise to 80,000.

Rents in Cavan are also among the cheapest found in the country, averaging 453 per month last year. Prices increased in most large towns with the exception of Belturbet where rents dropped by over 3%.

In contrast, rents rose by over 8% in Bailieborough and Virgina.

CLARE

Number of Sales -1,145 %

Change -19.3%

Value of Sales - 144.5m

% Change - 20.7%

Average Value - 105,000

% Change - 2.9%

Average Rent (per month) - 524

% Change - 2.6%

Most Expensive Sale - Acha Bhile, Lahinch Road, Ennis - 1,390,000

Least Expensive Sale - 321 Quay Rd, Clarecastle - 6,000

Most Expensive Rent - Killaloe - 607

Least Expensive Rent - Kilrush - 452

In normal circumstances, a 21% growth rate would be seen as an excellent in the value of property sold in Clare last year. However, such a level was surpassed by the majority of other counties with the result that Clare has slipped behind Tipperary to become the smallest market in Munster.

An increase in the median price of homes sold in the county of 3,000 to 105,000 was also one of the smallest rates of increase in 2015.

In the rental sector, there was a 7% increase in rents in Kilrush  almost three times the average for the entire county.

CORK

Number of Sales - 5,235

% Change - 22.0%

Value of Sales - 1.0bn

% Change - 29.9%

Average Value - 166,000

% Change - 9.9%

Average Rent (per month) - 807

% Change - 5.3%

Most Expensive Sale - Lisnalee House, Barringtons Ave, Blackrock - 2,600,000

Least Expensive Sale - Ballyellis, Buttevant - 5,000

Most Expensive Rent - Frankfield - 1,060

Least Expensive Rent - Skibbereen - 481

Lisnalee House, Barringtons Avenue, Blackrock, was sold in Cork for 2.6m, the biggest sale in the county

As the largest county in terms of size and second largest by population, Cork is easily the second busiest property market after Dublin, accounting for over 11% of national sales in 2015.

Activity in the market was strong last year with the number of transactions up 22% (which included the sale of 700 new housing units) with above-average growth in both city and county areas.

It all led to the value of the Cork property market breaking the 1bn figure for the first time ever in 2015  more than double its worth in 2012.

Cork also remains the fifth most expensive location for housing in Ireland and the dearest anywhere outside the greater Dublin region.

The median prices of properties sold in the county last year rose for the first time in many years  by 15,000 to 166,000, although still some distance from the 2010 level of 220,500.

Cork city with average rents of 890 per month last year  up 5% annually  is the fourth most expensive location for renting after Dublin, Galway City, and Wicklow.

Large rent hikes were also evident in several locations including Ringaskiddy, Montenotte, Millstreet, Crosshaven, Rathcormac, and Cloyne.

Kanturk, Castlemartyr, and Ballincollig also saw rent increases of almost 10%.

DONEGAL

Number of Sales - 1,371

% Change - 26.7%

Value of Sales - 151.2m

% Change - 44.3%

Average Value - 90,482

% Change - 10.3%

Average Rent (per month) - 453

% Change - 2.7%

Most Expensive Sale - Old Fort Stewart, Ramelton - 1,197,000

Least Expensive Sale - Culdaff, Lifford - 5,334

Most Expensive Rent - Letterkenny - 490

Least Expensive Rent - Carndonagh - 379

The third cheapest location to rent, but slightly more expensive when it comes to buying, Property sales in the north-west were buoyant last year with the overall value of the market up by 44% on the back of a 27% increase in the number of transactions.

Average house prices rose by over 8,000 to almost 90,500 to reach a three-year high.

While rents across the county rose slightly on average to 453, they fell in a few locations including Bundoran and Donegal Town. The cost of renting in Letterkenny rose by over 6% during 2015.

DUBLIN

Number of Sales - 14,655

% Change -10.9%

Value of Sales - 5.3bn

% Change - 7.4%

Avarega Value - 280,000

% Change - 5.7%

Average Rent (per month) - 1,207

% Change - 7.7%

Most Expensive Sale - Sorrento House, 1 Sorrento Terrace, Sorrento Road, Killiney - 10,000,000

Least Expensive Sale - n/a

Most Expensive Rent - Grand Canal Dock - 1,998

Least Expensive Rent - South Circular Road - 703

The property sectors largest market by some distance, with Dublin accounting for more than three out of 10 of all properties sold in the Republic last year.

An 11% increase in the number of sales last year  five points below the national average  shows a slowing down in activity compared to the rest of the country which hints at the acute housing crisis which the city is now facing.

Nevertheless, the high cost of real estate in the capital ensured that the value of property sales in Dublin last year accounted for more than half the national market with transactions worth over 5.3bn. The market was worth only 1.8bn at the lowest point in recent years in 2011.

Unsurprisingly, house prices in the capital remain the most expensive in the country averaging 280,000  up 15,000 in the space of 12 months and at its highest level since the property price register began in 2010.

Rents across the entire county averaged 1,207 per month but reaching almost 2,000 in some prime city centre locations. Rent increases in excess of 10% were recorded in a number of locations including Leopardstown, Donnybrook, Balgriffin, Harolds Cross, Santry, and Portobello. The shortage of accommodation in the city suggests prices will only go in one direction in 2016.

GALWAY

Number of Sales - 2,745

% Change - 25.1%

Value of Sales - 471.2m

% Change - 30.7%

Average Value - 140,000

% Change - 0.3%

Average Rent (per month) - 830

% Change - 4.7%

Most Expensive Sale - Tulira Castle, Ardrahan - 2,200,000

Least Expensive Sale - Park East, Kilkerrin, Ballinasloe - 6,250

Most Expensive Rent - Newcastle - 1,046

Least Expensive Rent - Portumna - 442

Tulira Castle

The countrys third busiest property market outperformed its larger rivals in terms of the rate of increase in sales and value of properties sold last year.

However, Galway was also one of only two counties in Ireland last year that witnessed a fall in the median price of houses  down just 394 to 140,000  a trend that might be explained by a different mix between city and rural properties between 2014 and 2015.

Galway City is the most expensive location to rent outside Dublin, with monthly rents averaging 916 last year  up 40. Double-digit percentage increases in rent were witnessed in a few locations including Monivea and Loughrea, although rents fell in Headford by over 5%.

KERRY

Number of Sales - 1,334

% Change - 20.7%

Value of Sales - 191.1m

% Change - 31.3%

Average Value - 115,000

% Change - 3.2%

Average Rent (per month) - 554

% Change - 3.7%

Most Expensive Sale - Lackabane, Killarney - 1,532,250

Least Expensive Sale - Ohermong, Cahirciveen - 8,000

Most Expensive Rent - Killarney - 636

Least Expensive Rent - Listowel - 464

The number of house sales in Kerry has effectively doubled in the past three years, with 2015 seeing further strong growth.

A rise in average prices also saw the value of the sector jump by over 31% The price of homes in the Kingdom last year rose by just over 3% on average  up 3,600 to 115,000  one of the lowest rate of increases in Ireland in 2015 but the first rise in average prices since 2010.

The rental market also witnessed an upward pressure on prices with rents in Kenmare up 8% in the space of 12 months to 526.

KILDARE

Number of Sales - 2,186

% Change - 27.1%

Value of Sales - 566.6m

% Change - 38.9%

Average Value - 230,000

% Change - 7.7%

Average Rent (per month) - 888

% Change - 8.2%

Most Expensive Sale - Castlemartin House, Kilcullen - 26,500,000

Least Expensive Sale - 111 Coill Dubh, Naas - 17,776

Most Expensive Rent - Leixlip - 1,094

Least Expensive Rent - Athy - 587

Castlemartin House, Kilcullen

After the big three of Dublin, Cork, and Galway, Kildare commands the fourth biggest share of property sales in Ireland.

However, its desirability as a location for Dublin commuters due to greater availability and relatively cheaper housing ensures its the third largest in terms of value  a fact cemented by almost 40% growth last year which saw its worth break through the 500m figure.

It is also the third most expensive location in terms of the average cost of housing after Dublin and Wicklow, with the median cost of properties sold in Kildare last year up over 21,000 to 230,000 and approaching again its 2010 peak.

Kildare was also the location for the most expensive single property sold in Ireland last year  Castlemartin House in Kilcullen, the former home of businessman, Tony OReilly which fetched 26.5m after it was placed on the market in the same year in which he was declared bankrupt.

The county also recorded the second highest rate of increase in rents last year  up over 8% with even higher percentage rises in several towns including Leixlip, Maynooth, Sallins, Naas, Newbridge, and Monasterevin.

KILKENNY

Number of Sales - 719

% Change - 13.1%

Value of Sales - 122.9m

% Change - 37.4%

Average Value - 138,000

% Change - 18.3%

Average Rent (per month) - 645

% Change - 5.5%

Most Expensive Sale -14 Foxes Covert, Mount Juliet - 1,335,000

Least Expensive Sale - 11 Bridge Street, Callan - 13,333

Most Expensive Rent - Kells - 727

Least Expensive Rent - Callan - 599

An increase of more than 20,000 in the median price of houses sold in Kilkenny last year has brought values back to 2011 levels. The scale of the rise in the average cost of housing also resulted in a 38% increase in the value of the market with activity levels more than double the 2011 figure

Rent increases were also above the national average at 5.5%  up 34 per month. Even higher rates of increase were experienced in Thomastown and Callan.

LAOIS

Number of Sales - 615

% Change - 3.7%

Value of Sales - 80.6m

% Change - 28.9%

Average Value - 110,000

% Change - 26.4%

Average Rent (per month) - 568

% Change - 7.8%

Most Expensive Sale - Capard House And Adjoining Lands, Rosenallis - 4,246,000

Least Expensive Sale - Birchwood, Rosenallis - 12,000

Most Expensive Rent - Portlaoise - 597

Least Expensive Rent - Mountmellick - 495

Capard House

Growth in the property market in Laois was below-average in 2015, with the number of sales increasing by a very modest 4%.

However, that contrasted sharply with a dramatic increase in the value of such sales which rose by 29% to almost 81m.

In tandem, the median price also rose strongly  the second highest growth rate in Ireland last year  up over 26% or 23,000 to 110,000.

With affordability an issue for house buyers in the capital, Laois may benefit from a fresh interest for people looking for cheaper housing within a commutable distance from Dublin.

Rents also rose by almost 8% last year on average with the increases most pronounced in Portlaoise and Portarlington.

LEITRIM

Number of Sales - 455

% Change - 36.6%

Value of Sales - 42.3m

% Change - 59.2%

Average Value - 70,370

% Change-, 16.3%

Average Rent (per month) - 414

% Change - 2.6%

Most Expensive Sale - Shriff Cottage, Shriff, Dromahair - 815,000

Least Expensive Sale - 2 Dillons Court, Church Lane, Manorhamilton

Most Expensive Rent - Carrick-on-Shannon - 423

Least Expensive Rent - Manorhamilton - 400

Although the level of growth in sales more than doubled the national average, Leitrim still has the second smallest property market in the country.

In fact, the 36.6% rise in sales activity was the highest in the country in 2015, albeit from a low base.

Leitrims property market was worth the least of any county in 2014 but strong growth saw it leapfrog both Monaghan and Longford last year in terms of value with sales totalling 42.3m.

Such a performance also saw it move from second to third cheapest location with the median price jumping over 16% to just over 70,000.

It remains the cheapest county in which to rent a home with monthly rents averaging just 414.

LIMERICK

Number of Sales - 1,961

% Change - 29.7%

Value of Sales - 275.5m

% Change - 45.8%

Avaerage Value - 119,000

% Change - 19.0%

Average Rent (per month) - 644

% Change - 2.6%

Most Expensive Sale - Castle Oliver, Ardpatrick, Kilmallock - 2,600,000

Least Expensive Sale - 2 houses at Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, Limerick - 8,000 each

Most Expensive Rent - Annacotty - 833

Least Expensive Rent - Abbeyfeale - 445

Limericks costliest property was Castle Oliver in Ardpatrick, near Kilmallock for 2.6m

For the first time since 2010, the average cost of buying residential property in Limerick rose last year.

The county recorded the biggest increase in the median price of houses in Munster last year  up 19%, or 19,000, to 119,000.

Such a rate of increase also saw the value of Limericks property market soar by 46% on the back of a 30% increase in the number of properties sold.

In the rental sector, several locations including saw costs rise by over 5% including Raheen, Castleconnell and Dooradoyle, and by almost 9% in Kilmallock.

Castletroy was the only area where rents actually declined.

LONGFORD

Number of Sales - 469

% Change - 17.8%

Value of Sales - 34.9m

% Change - 21.5%

Median Value - 60,000

% Change - 9.1%

Average Rent (per month) - 422

% Change - 4.9%

Most Expensive Sale - Kilteyreacher Lane, Ballinalee Road, Longford - 300,000

Least Expensive Sale - 2 houses at McArt Meadows, Drumlish - 6,810 (each)

Most Expensive Rent - Longford Town - 419

Least Expensive Rent - Newtownforbes/Ballymahon - 410

Longford retained its title in 2015 as the cheapest location in Ireland for residential property.

Although the median price paid for houses in the county rose by over 9% to 60,000, it remains the least expensive place to buy a home anywhere in the Republic.

In contrast, the average cost of housing in Longford in 2010 was 134,000 which even then was still the cheapest anywhere.

In terms of number of sales, Longford is the third smallest market, despite good growth levels during 2015.

With the cheapest average house prices in the Republic, its no surprise that Longford has the least valuable property market in the country with sales of just under 35m last year.

When it comes to rents, Longford lost its reputation as the cheapest county as average rents rose marginally higher than prices in neighbouring Leitrim.

LOUTH

Number of Sales - 1,212

% Change - 12.0%

Value of Sales - 179.3m

% Change - 22.3%

Median Value - 134,375

% Change - 12.2%

Average Rent (per month) - 672

% Change - 6.7%

Most Expensive Sale - Baltrasna House, Ardee - 1,075,000

Least Expensive Sale - 2 apartments at Mill Wharf, Drogheda - 8,912 (each)

Most Expensive Rent - Drogheda - 708

Least Expensive Rent - Ardee - 617

Steady if not quite spectacular was the story of the property market in Louth last year with the sector showing strong growth on 2014 figures but eclipsed by results in many other counties.

House prices in the county are now at their highest level in four years following an average rise of almost 15,000 to just under 135,000 last year.

Rents also rose strongly  up almost 7%  in a pattern evident in several counties that form parts of the greater Dublin region with one of the largest rates of increase in Drogheda.

MAYO

Number of Sales - 1,260

% Change - 32.6%

Value of Sales - 141.3m

% Change - 41.9%

Average Value - 92,000

% Change - 8.2%

Average Rent (per month) - 515

% Change - 1.9%

Most Expensive Sale - Partry House, Claremorris - 825,000

Least Expensive Sale - 17 Drum Crest, Knock - 8,000

Most Expensive Rent - Westport - 625

Least Expensive Rent - Charlestown - 407

Partry House

The number of properties sold in Mayo has trebled since 2011 on the back of a sharp uptake in property transactions in the county last year.

Sales were up almost a third leading an ever higher rate of turnover  up 42% to exceed 141m.

No surprise, then, that the average cost prices also rose for the first time since the start of the recession  up 7,000 to 92,000.

Growth in rental costs was more sluggish at just under 2% with rents even dropping back by 6% in Belmullet.

Rent rates grew fastest in smaller towns such as Foxford and Charlestown last year, although the latter remains the cheapest location to rent in Mayo.

MEATH

Number of Sales 1,600

% Change - 5.1%

Value of Sales - 349.6m

% Change - 17.6%

Average Value - 192,000

% Change - 16.4%

Average Rent (per month) - 765

% Change - 8.9%

Most Expensive Sale - Rathaldron Castle Navan - 1,620,000

Least Expensive Sale - St Judes, Martinstown, Athboy - 20,000

Most Expensive Rent - Clonee - 988

Least Expensive Rent - Kells - 610

Rathaldron Castle Navan

A traditionally strong market as it forms part of Dublins commuter belt, a 5% increase in sales in Meath last year was relatively modest compare to growth in the county since 2012.

As a consequence, Meath has slipped to the seventh busiest housing market in the Republic after being overtaken by both Limerick and Wexford during 2015.

Nevertheless, it remains the fourth dearest county in Ireland for average property prices.

The median price of properties sold in Meath last year recorded one of the largest year-on-year growth figures  up over 16% or 27,000 to 192,000.

Meath did assume top spot for recording the biggest hike in the cost of rent in 2015, with average rates up almost 9% or 62 per month to 765.

The most spectacular rent increase was in Duleek, where rate rose almost 14%, but increases in excess of 10% were also recorded in several locations including Ashbourne, Dunshaughlin and Bettystown.

MONAGHAN

Number of Sales - 334

% Change - 6.4%

Value of Sales - 38.7m

% Change - 17.4%

Average Value - 102,500

% Change - 20.6%

Average Rent (per month) - 499

% Change - 1.8%

Most Expensive Sale - Tullyherim, Monaghan - 500,000

Least Expensive Sale - 3 Millbrook Terrace, Clones - 12,000

Most Expensive Rent - Carrickmacross - 543

Least Expensive Rent - Ballybay - 418

Although neither the smallest nor least populous county, Monaghan still has the countrys smallest property market  a dubious honour it has held since 2011.

With sales of less than 200 properties per annum on average at the start of the decade, the 2015 figure of 334 transactions is the highest level of activity in many years.

But there are signs of fresh life in the market as Monaghan also saw the third highest rate of increase in average house prices last year  up almost 21% or 17,500 to 102,500.

Rents were far more subdued, edging up just under 2% to almost 500 per month on average in the county, although much higher increases were noted in Carrickmacross and Ballybay.

OFFALY

Number of Sales - 553

% Change - 14.7%

Value of Sales -62.7m

% Change - 9.2%

Median Value - 95,000

% Change - -5.0%

Average Rent (per month) 546

% Change - 3.5%

Most Expensive Sale - Bellair House, Ballycumber - 530,000

Least Expensive Sale - 7 different properties at various locations - 25,000

Most Expensive Rent - Tullamore - 572

Least Expensive Rent - Clara - 493

Offaly was one of only two counties in the Republic to see the average price of property decrease during 2015.

The median price of homes sold in the county last year dropped by 5% in a major bucking of the national trend. Prices fell on average by 5,000 to 95,000 which resulted in Offaly moving from the 14th most expensive location to 20th in the space of a year.

The number and value of sales also rose at a rate below the national average.

Like every other country, rental costs rose in Offaly last year  up 3.5%, with increases in the cost of renting in Tullamore and Banagher leading the way.

Fewer new homes were built in Offaly than any other county in 2015  just 49.

ROSCOMMON

Number of Sales - 696

% Change - 35.7%

Value of Sales - 58.2m

% Change - 44.5%

Average Value - 65,000

% Change - 4.0%

Average Rent (per month) - 463

% Change - 1.9%

Most Expensive Sale - Drumminmore, Rooskey - 500,000

Least Expensive Sale - 23 properties at Greenfields, Lanesboro Road, Roscommon - 5,878 (each)

Most Expensive Rent - Athlone - 619

Least Expensive Rent - Ballaghaderreen - 356

Roscommon was the second strongest performer last year in terms of year-on-year growth in sales after its neighbour, Leitrim.

Property sales in 2015 are over three times the level they were at as recently as 2011 A modest 4% increase in the average cost of homes sold last year saw Roscommon become the second cheapest location for housing in Ireland with the median price of homes at 65,000  an increase of just 2,500.

The average cost of the 73 new homes sold in the county last year was just over 28,000  a legacy of past decisions to build homes in locations with little demand.

In the rental sector, monthly rates grew by over 6% in Strokestown and Castlerea but actually decreased in Ballaghaderreen.

SLIGO

Number of Sales - 640

% Change - -3.2%

Value of Sales - 81.1m

% Change - 1.0%

Average Value - 99,750

% Change - 3.4%

Average Rent (per month) - 601

% Change - 2.7%

Most Expensive Sale - Ballyweelin, Rosses Point - 890,050

Least Expensive Sale - Billa, Coolaney - 7,000

Most Expensive Rent - Ballinode - 838

Least Expensive Rent - Lough Gill - 324

Sligo was the only one of the 26 counties to record a drop-off in sales in 2015 with the number of transactions down by over 3%.

The reason may be explained by the fact that there was a dramatic increase in activity in 2014 with the market now settling down to a new level.

Otherwise, there was minimal changes in prices in terms of the value of the market and the median price of homes.

Similarly, there was little or no movement in prices in the rental sector with average rates up just under 3% to 601.

TIPPERARY

Number of Sales - 1,183

% Change - 33.7%

Value of Sales - 147.5m

% Change - 44.6%

Average Value - 100,000

% Change - 6.4%

Average Rent (per month) - 539

% Change - 1.9%

Most Expensive Sale - Kilteelagh House, Dromineer, Nenagh - 1,350,000

Least Expensive Sale - 63 Church St, Templemore - 11,333

Most Expensive Rent - Ballina - 665

Least Expensive Rent - Templemore - 487

Tipperary recorded one of the biggest growth rates anywhere in Ireland last year with property sales up almost 34%, breaking 1,000 for the first time this decade.

Such activity also drove a spectacular 45% increase in the value of such sales, while the median price of properties sold last year also hit 100,000 for the first occasion since 2012 with an average annual increase of 6,000.

Price increases in the rental sector were less pronounced, averaging just under 2% or 10 per month, with prices even falling in towns such as Fethard and Cahir.

Ballina, Nenagh, and Clonmel witnessed the biggest hike in rental costs.

WATERFORD

Number of Sales - 1,244

% Change - 19.4%

Value of Sales - 164.0m

% Change - 25,2%

Average Value - 110,000

% Change - 11.7%

Average Rent (per month) - 554

% Change - 2.3%

Most Expensive Sale - Waterford Castle, The Island, Ballinakill - 1,575,000

Least Expensive Sale - Talbot Terrace, Portlaw - 15,000

Most Expensive Rent - Templars Hall - 759

Least Expensive Rent - Portlaw - 470

Waterford Castle, The Island, Ballinakill

Waterford is one of a handful of counties where sales numbers have increased every year since the Residential Property Price Register was established in 2010.

Most years, the sector has recorded growth levels above the national average and 2015 was no different.

The value of the market has been more undulating over the years with falling house prices but Waterfords property market almost doubled its 2013 total sales figures last year with turnover of 164m.

For the second year in a row, the median price of property sold in Waterford rose  last year by almost 12% or 11.500 to 110,000.

Rents increased by double-digit rates in Lismore and the Poleberry suburb of Waterford city but overall increases were more modest averaging just over 2% across the city and county.

WESTMEATH

Number of Sales - 929

% Change - 6.8%

Value of Sales - 124.4m

% Change - 30.4%

Average Value - 104,000

% Change - 9.5%

Average Rent (per month) - 568

% Change - 5.1%

Most Expensive Sale - Cloonlara, Athlone Road, Mullingar - 1,049,875

Least Expensive Sale - 127 Meadowbrook, Athlone - 7,000

Most Expensive Rent - Athlone - 607

Least Expensive Rent - Castlepollard - 480

Like other counties in mid-Leinster, Westmeath enjoyed a vibrant property market last year, although the overall increase in activity level in 2015 was below half the national average at just 7%.

However, in terms of value, the sector soared ahead with sales up over 30% to in excess of 124m.

Probably boosted by the fact that its a base for some commuters to Dublin, the median price of homes in Westmeath rose by 9,000 last year to reach six-figure values again at 104,000 to bring them back to roughly 2012 levels.

Rents were up in most towns in Westmeath by at least 5% in 2015 with jumps of over 10% in Kinnegad.

WEXFORD

Number of Sales - 1,626

% Change - 15.2%

Value of Sales - 222.6m

% Change - 23.9%

Average Value - 120,000

% Change - 7.1%

Average Rent (per month) - 561

% Change - 3.1%

Most Expensive Sale - Ard Gaoithe, Ballinamona, Kilmuckridge - 692,000

Least Expensive Sale - 2 properties at Crescent Quay, Wexford - 7,620 (each)

Most Expensive Rent - Mulgannon - 614

Least Expensive Rent - Bunclody - 499

A county that throws up some difficulty with interpreting figures as it has a relatively high level of holiday homes that add to transaction levels in Wexford.

It is the 5th busiest property market after the three most populous counties and Kildare but ahead of places like Meath and Wicklow.

In value terms, its the countrys eighth largest market  a position unchanged since 2014, despite a 24% rise in turnover in 2015.

Rents increased at less than half the rate of house prices in Wexford with only Gorey witnessing any substantial rise, up over 7%.

In a reverse of county and national trends, rents fell in Bunclody.

WICKLOW

Number of Sales - 1,355

% Change - 6.4%

Value of Sales - 407.4m

% Change - 17.9%

Median Value - 253,000

% Change - 12.4%

Average Rent (per month) - 912

% Change - 6.1%

Most Expensive Sale - Boystown House And Estate, Blessington - 6,350,000

Least Expensive Sale - Cunniamstown Big, Rathdrum, Wicklow

Most Expensive Rent - Greystones - 1,158

Least Expensive Rent - Baltinglass - 632

Still the second most expensive location in Ireland for property courtesy of several large towns and villages including Bray, Greystones, Blessington, and Enniskerry that form part of Dublins commuter belt.

With their desirable seaside setting, some properties can command higher figures than similar homes in counties like Meath or Kildare.

The median prices of houses in Wicklow recorded above-average growth to reach 253,000  an annual increase of 28,000 but still somewhat behind 2010 levels of 270,000.

The third most expensive location to rent in the Republic after Dublin and Galway city  a position cemented by a 6% rise in rents last year to 912 per month.

The biggest increases were in the northern half of the county in towns with good transport connections to the capital.
KENYA has burned its stockpile of elephant ivory. Thats 100 metric tons of white gold, both illegally harvested (confiscated from poachers or traders) and naturally accruing (from natural mortality), valued at 110m (based on the price of $1,100 per kilogram in China, where the majority of the worlds ivory is consumed or stockpiled).

To most economists, destroying something of so much value is anathema. But there are good reasons for a country  even one as poor as Kenya  to surrender its ivory wealth to the flames. Stockpile destruction fortifies the credibility of demand-reduction campaigns in East Asia, without which the poaching problem will never be solved. Demand reduction aims to weaken the market for the product by changing consumer tastes. As prices drop, so does the incentive for poachers to kill elephants.

When countries keep their stockpiles, they anticipate being able to sell ivory in the future. This undermines the credibility of demand-reduction efforts; if the trade is likely to be legalised one day, the stigma associated with ivory consumption will be eroded.

Proponents of a regulated, legal, international ivory trade argue that demand-reduction can coexist with a limited, legitimate supply. But this reasoning has a dangerous weakness: It assumes that a legal cartel  one proposed model for regulating supply  would crowd-out illegal suppliers by providing ivory to the market at a lower cost.

This assumption is dubious. The quantities traded through a legal mechanism would be insufficient to flood the market and suppress the price. With legalised trade undermining demand-reduction efforts, the price of ivory is likely to remain high, ensuring that poaching continues.

Some southern African countries argue that they should be allowed to sell their ivory in CITES-permitted, one-off sales to fund conservation of healthy elephant populations. But, aside from the low probability that the revenue would be directed to that end, it is not clear that much money would be made.

Under CITES regulations, governments are permitted to sell only to other governments. But what other governments are willing to pay may be as low as one-tenth of the illicit value. And governments can sell only naturally accrued ivory, not what was confiscated from poachers or illicit dealers.

China and the United States are formulating bans on domestic ivory trade, so it is not obvious which governments would be interested in purchasing African stockpiles.

Vietnam and Laos are likely candidates, but they are also part of the infamous golden triangle, where illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products continues to thrive. The possibility of the legal ivory trade shifting to poorly regulated markets calls for a concerted international response, spearheaded by African governments, through coalitions like the Elephant Protection Initiative, together with countries such as China.

Preserving stockpiles is operationally expensive, and often pointless. Inventory management is labour-intensive and technologically demanding. The ivory also must be air-conditioned, to prevent the tusks from cracking or becoming brittle (these reduce prices).

Given the low probability of being able to sell ivory in the future, the cost of storing and protecting it is unlikely to be recouped. Meanwhile, criminal syndicates need only corrupt a handful of officials to acquire the goods. The scarce human and financial resources allocated toward stockpile management could be more efficiently used on landscape preservation (which can become self-sustaining, through payment-for-ecosystem services).

Finally, burning ivory worth millions has a symbolic impact. It sends a message: Ivory belongs to elephants and to no-one else, and elephants are worth more alive than dead.

Elephants are a keystone species for preserving important ecosystems. And yet, rampant poaching is destroying elephant populations across Africa, killing 30,000 a year.

Poaching also impacts on communities, benefiting a few at the expense of the many. Community conservancies (areas set aside for wildlife conservation) in northern Kenya are highly effective forms of landscape (and therefore elephant) preservation, provided the right incentives are in place. This is important, because, in countries like Kenya and Tanzania, the majority of wildlife exists outside formally protected areas.

Kenya should be commended for making a wise  and efficient  decision. Its neighbours, as well as countries farther south, should follow its example. Ideally, all range-state countries should destroy their stockpiles to overcome the regional collective-action problem. Doing so would send an unmistakable signal to the global market: Ivory is not for sale; not now and not in the future.
As the country grapples with its own political instability, the plight of men, women, and children risking everything to reach the safety of our shores has faded from the headlines and national debate.

Yet the need is as great today as it was when the tragic scenes from the Mediterranean last summer caused a public outcry forcing ministers to make strong commitments at a hastily arranged news conference on the steps of Government Buildings.

Like many others the Immigrant Council of Ireland welcomed the fact that the Government had moved away from its position of offering to take in 600 refugees to accepting 4,000 with follow-up efforts to reunite families torn apart by war and terror.

Seven months later and it is depressing to report that the political promises, like so many others, have not been followed up by any substantial action.

Despite headline-grabbing meetings of taskforces the reality is that up until this week only a single family of 10 people have been brought to the safety of our shores.

Responding to recent Dail questions, ministers outlined various refugee programmes, however a simple totting up of the figures shows that in the five years of the crisis fewer than 500 people have arrived in our communities.

The chaos which exists at the so-called hotspots in Greece and Italy is often put forward for the delay in bringing people to safety and there is no doubt that at the border fences and the ports of the Italian coast there is huge confusion.

However, it is equally true that the absolute failure of the EU Governments to honour promises last September to provide safety to 166,000 people have added greatly to the chaos.

Europes excuses also do not ring true when we see that other countries have been able to overcome these issues. Canada already has 10,000 refugees on its soil with 15,000 more on the way and Brazil which is far from being a frontline nation has accepted 2,600.

The European Commission itself last month was embarrassed into saying that it is the lack of political commitment by its own governments which is leading to the failure of relocation and resettlement.

While promises to those in danger were broken, the EU did embark on an attempt to sell a deal with Turkey as a possible solution. The huge concerns over the human rights aspects of this agreement have been voiced by the UNHCR, Amnesty International and others.

What is equally important to note is that this deal was never going to have any impact on the far longer and more dangerous route from Libya to Italy where over 1,200 lives have been lost since the start of the year.

What is most depressing that is our leaders have lost all sight of humanity and the urgent needs of people in immediate danger.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland has recently returned from two visits to camps in France where we are scoping out what legal supports can be provided to people stranded there.

Talking to Chief Executive Brian Killoran and the team upon their return the one thing that stands out is that hundreds of children, some as young as six, are living alone in the camps.

Irish and UK volunteers and aid workers on the ground trying to run makeshift schools and other services report that children are in huge danger.

They can be crushed if they join adults on the back or under trucks heading for the UK, Rosslare, Cork, or Dublin, are open to abuse by criminal gangs involved in sex trafficking and police brutality during the many efforts by riot officers to close the camps.

What stuck in my mind was hearing how girls in the camp schools are disappearing and no one knows where. One girl, a diligent student who turned up for classes for months, on one Monday morning was simply gone and no one knows where.

Europol says within Europes borders 10,000 children are missing.

Having a caretaker Government does not absolve us of our responsibilities. The cabinet decisions and the news conference all happened in September. It is unacceptable and wrong that we are not honouring our commitments  in fact it is the very least we should be doing.

Ireland also needs to speak out internationally.

There must be safe channels established for people to reach safety without having to risk everything, we must push for special safeguards and programmes for children travelling alone and we must reach out to those in the camps in the French ports and see if they are eligible to come here.

The one highlight of course in our response to the crisis has been the inspiring life-saving work of the men and women of the Irish navy and lets recall that thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of their actions. However, we can and must do more.

As a small country we have a proud tradition of speaking up against injustice.

We did it to fight apartheid, to stand in solidarity with Palestinians and to bring famine and war in Somalia to world attention.

It is time our politicians rediscovered that humanitarian voice and use it to speak up again.
FOR a number of years now, Robert Troy has been the Fianna Fail spokesman on children. Although in opposition, he was one of the leading advocates for the Childrens Rights referendum. There was much objection to that referendum, and it was hard-fought and divisive.

But Troy never wavered in his support for it, although there must have been moments when it seemed more advantageous to be against it.

He wasnt just constant. He was energetic, travelling throughout the country, and arguing the case from a basis of knowledge and research. I remember writing here, when the campaign was over, that Robert Troy was one of the reasons that the outcome was successful.

So he was one of the parliamentarians that I admired in the last Dail for his willingness to put his money where his mouth was and to stand up for what he believed in. And even though I wouldnt be a cheerleader for his party, I was genuinely glad that he did really well in the general election.

What I didnt know  what nobody knew, I suppose, except those closest to him  is that Robert Troy, throughout that period, had his own inner struggle. When he spoke in a short Dail debate the other night, on the subject of mental health, he cut through the waffle about statistics.

He said: I suffer with anxiety. I know what its like to experience ones heart racing so fast it feels like it will burst out of ones chest. I know what it is like to awake in the morning and not want to get out of bed, for no other reason than that I do not feel I have the capacity to address the challenges of the day. I know what it is like to have a knot in the pit of ones stomach. It is like being in a tug-o-war, with two people pulling at either side and not knowing how to adapt to the situation.

Later, he wrote a moving piece in the Journal about his struggles with anxiety, and about the need to humanise the problem.

I was scared, nervous, and anxious about the prospect of speaking out in front of my peers, knowing that they would all know my weaknesses and sufferings, he wrote.

People tend to think that public figures, in particular politicians, must be extremely resilient. They see them as a go-to person, who can help people through challenges, and I felt I was good in this role.

But even though people are entitled to expect the very best from us, and to demand it through our representation, there are still private battles that we must face.

We all do it, dont we  though perhaps not many of us have the courage to speak out in public. Because of the stigma attached to mental health in Ireland, it has always been hard for any public representative to admit to fighting a private battle to get out of bed in the morning. But its hard for anyone who is looking for a job, or seeking a promotion, to admit to such feelings. There are some things we believe we have to cope with alone  even though coping alone is the hardest thing to do.

It may be that stigma, that unwillingness to tell a simple truth, which applies to most of us in one degree or another, that has made mental health the Cinderella of public policy. For years, it has been hidden away in a corner, under- resourced, under-managed, with nobody ever really wanting to take responsibility.

In politics, mental health, if it has featured at all, has been the preserve of a junior minister. Kathleen Lynch was the most recent one, and she had to battle every year, first of all to get a budget, and then to protect it from the depredations of her own department, which has always had other priorities.

In public life, mental health has tended to be a no-go area. People such as Niall Breslin have done enormous public service, in speaking out about their own mental health, and have always attracted a moments attention when they do so. But then the policy-makers heave a sigh of relief when it disappears back into the darker recesses.

We know how much damage has been done. At one extreme, hundreds of people take their own lives each year in Ireland. At least a handful of those people are children. But mental health affects the life choices of tens of thousands of children throughout Ireland. Any child whose parents battle with mental health problems will often themselves be lonely, isolated, or afraid. A parent who deeply loves his or her children, and still has to deal with anxiety or depression, cannot be the effective parent they want to be. Mental health in parents can generate hopelessness in themselves and their children.

In that sense and others, mental health affects the whole of public policy  from education to employment, from housing to social protection. The costs associated with generations of failure to confront it in an organised way are massive, and the human cost is even greater.

And, yet, if I were to stop a thousand people in the street and ask them for name of the key agencies responsible for addressing mental health, I bet Id get very few takers. If you ask people who is responsible for road safety, they know. Or whos responsible for health and safety in the workplace, or for inspecting standards in residential facilities. These organisations have all built recognisable brands, but those responsible for addressing mental health continue to work in the shadows.

There is a strategy of sorts in place. Its called Vision for Change, and I say of sorts because its something that has always been offered lip service, rather than been led or driven. There are agencies  several of them  but theyre not focused, they dont work together, and theyre not nearly accountable enough.

There is a budget, but its paltry. And, of course, theres no brand, no instantly recognisable point of reference with which people can resonate.

Put all that together, and what it says is that there is no political will. It has to be encouraging, though, that the Dail devoted one of its limbo days to the subject of mental health, and that speaker after speaker demanded more priority for the subject.

Well know, when the government is formed and the portfolios given out, exactly how much mental health will be prioritised over the next few years. Like so many other areas of Irish life, this is a subject where progress is possible, if all our policy-makers approached it with the same honesty and openness as Niall Breslin and Robert Troy.

Imagine  we could begin to end the stigma about a subject that desperately needs to be out in the open. That wouldnt in itself solve the problem, but it would be a new beginning.
News / Africa

by Stephen Jakes

THULES Telecomms, South Africa's home grown product engineering company has received it's first export orders for a total 50,000 units for its ground breaking smart phone, T-Touch mobile.The orders are from two Ghanaian companies.In a press statement the company said the first order for 40,000 units had come from an Accra based mobile supplier whose target market are university students with limited disposable income.Part of the communication from the Accra entrepreneur to Thules Telecomms reads: "l am very certain that the university environment will be a fertile ground for your product and that the comparatively cheap but durable nature of your product will make it a preferred choice by students in university community."The statement states that the second order for 10,000 units comes from a mobile phone dealer in Kwashiman-Accra who also alludes to the competitively priced T-Touch mobile as a major attraction."The lowest band of T-Touch mobiles retail for between R149-R299 (US$10.50-$21.00), while the smart phones range from R599-R4,999 ($45-$350)" reads the statement.According to the statement, demand for the T-Touch mobile phone within South Africa itself has grown in great leaps and bounds since Thules Telecomms CEO and founder, Thulani Khoza, went public about the product."Demand for our T-Touch mobile phone is already soaring within South Africa," Khoza says. "However, orders from Ghana represent a major breakthrough in our export marketing strategy. We have also received expressions of interest from Angola and other African countries for the T-Touch mobile and for our tablets."Furthermore, Khoza said he is humbled by positive comments his company constantly receives from people all over the world."It is both humbling and gratifying to hear people commending us for being the first South African manufacturer of smart phones and also admiring the quality of our tablets and service delivery," Khoza says. "Those comments inspire all of us at Thules Telecomms to work harder in improving the quality of our products."Khoza said the top of the range T-Touch mobile has highly developed security features. "For instance if your phone is stolen, the thief can't get into your stored information and you can move that information from the handset when it is not in your possession."The T-Touch Mobile phones will be formally launched in South Africa in August through a series of road shows.Thules Telecoms is a product engineering company providing strategy and technology consulting in the field of mobile software application development, web, cyber security, VoIP systems, networking and general ICT consultation. The company has a team of 53 technicians, programmers and Engineers.Thulani Khoza who founded Thules Telecoms in 2010 is Chairman of Mihloti Holdings Management which specializes in project management, telecommunications infrastructure, transport and property investment.Khoza's professional qualifications include a BSc Computer Science (BHons) Wits University, Software Engineering (Honours) Nottingham University UK, Graphic Design (Damelin) and (MBA) at the Baker University in California, USA.Before setting up Thules Telecomms Khoza in 2010 and securing his first contract at Neotel as a technical advisor installing base stations, Khoza worked for various multinational companies in South Africa, including MTN as a programmer and SABC as systems analyst.
Five survivors, aged in their 70s, who are founders of the Research Foundation for 1965 Murder Victims, gave the documents to the Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Legal and Security Affairs, which is responsible for the probe.

The list is the product of research since 2000 and the graves, which are located on the islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Flores, and Bali, account for nearly 14,000 victims, according to the group.
The move came five years after the government ordered the company to remove the offending products from shelves for health risks.

Ataur Safdar, head of Reckitt Benckisers Korean division, said the company accepted responsibility and wanted to make amends.

He spoke at a news conference where he was interrupted by angry and tearful victims and family members who swore and hit him.

A teenager using an oxygen tank, and four other people who were apparently victims or their families, walked to the stage to confront Mr Safdar.

Can you save the child? What are you going to do? said a woman, in a scene broadcast live on television.

Why did it take so long? a man said.

Mr Safdar said the company, based in Slough, Berkshire, will come up with a plan to compensate victims.

It will also provide 10 billion won (7.7 million) to a humanitarian fund for them, including 3.8m it had previously pledged.

He called the day an important milestone in achieving progress for victims.

However, the victims and families rejected the apology, appealing to the South Korean public to punish Reckitt Benckiser with a boycott.

In a press conference outside the prosecutors office, victims and campaigners lined up the products made by Reckitt Benckiser and asked the public not to buy them.

The apology came as South Korean prosecutors were investigating Reckitt Benckiser and about a dozen other companies for selling or manufacturing unsafe disinfectants.

Earlier the company had refused to take responsibility.

In a separate statement after the press conference, civic groups representing the victims said they planned to file a complaint against Rakesh Kapoor, the British companys chief executive officer, and the companys seven other board members, for failing to conduct safety tests before the disinfectants launch in 2001 and until sales were discontinued in 2011.

The victims have already filed a complaint against 10 disinfectant manufacturers and 19 companies that sold the products.

The health risks from the disinfectants came to light in 2011 with mysterious lung ailments that killed pregnant women.

Later that year, authorities said the chemicals PHMG and PGH in the disinfectants that many South Korean households used to cleanse humidifiers were to blame.

Nearly all households in South Korea use a humidifier during the dry winter season.

Most victims were children and pregnant women who had the most exposure to the chemicals emitted by their home humidifiers.

South Koreas government said it would compensate 221 confirmed victims, 95 of whom died.

Another 309 people were denied government compensation on the grounds they had not proven their sicknesses were linked to the chemicals.

Civic groups said the government tally understates the number of victims. They estimate that the disinfectants killed 239 and injured 1,289.

Officials are investigating and expect more applications for compensation.
A case in point is todays nominating contest in Indiana, a conservative Midwestern US state that has voted Republican in nine of the last 10 presidential elections.

A New York businessman who has never held public office, Trump has had some success with evangelicals in states such as South Carolina.

But there have been signs of slippage.

Trump, 69, has taken stances on Planned Parenthood family clinics and gay and transgender rights that raise Christian conservative concerns, including in such states as Indiana where they make up a high proportion of voters.

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist opinion poll shows Trump with a wide lead in Indiana, 49 percent, to 34 percent for his nearest rival, US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and 13 percent for Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Most previous Indiana opinion polls showed a tighter race with Trump leading Cruz by only a few points.

A Trump win in the state could be pivotal to his chances of securing the nomination but may also offer a gauge of whether he can rally evangelicals.

Cruz, 45, emphasises his Christian faith on the campaign trail. He is focusing heavily on Indiana. He says Trump is not an authentic Republican.

If evangelicals are unenthusiastic, they could sit out the November 8 general election, potentially handing the White House to former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, or her rival, US Senator Bernie Sanders.

The fear is a lot of them are going to stay home, said Bob Vander Plaats, a leading evangelical activist in Iowa.

You cant win without our base.

Trump rankled some social conservatives by criticising North Carolinas controversial law that requires transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender of their birth.

The restroom thing is big with a lot of people, said Shan Rutherford, a pastor in Greenwood, Indiana.

Rutherford said he was initially drawn to Trumps message, but was put off by his stance on social issues and his insulting demeanour on the campaign trail.

Rutherford, who backs Cruz, said if the White House race came down to Trump versus Clinton, he might not vote.

The Pew Research Center says 45% of registered Republican voters nationwide identify themselves as born-again or evangelical.

Pew also found that only 44% of Republicans view Trump as a religious person. By contrast, 76% viewed Cruz that way.

Cruz has assailed Trump for his stance on the North Carolina bathroom law.

Trump has said there have been few problems with transgender people using bathrooms.

He also has said the question should be left to states to decide.

Cruz charges allowing grown men in bathrooms with little girls is opening the door for predators.

On Friday, Cruz was endorsed by Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a social conservative who last year signed a bill that critics said could be used by businesses to deny services to same-sex couples.

Trump has said he supports prohibiting companies from firing employees based on sexual orientation, although he has criticised last years US Supreme Court decision legalising same-sex marriage.

Cruz has deployed his father, Rafael Cruz, an evangelical minister, as a surrogate in churches in Indiana.

A Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll showed 19% of respondents would not vote in a White House race between Trump and Clinton.

But when filtered to those who attend church every week, the number jumped to 28%.

The party cannot afford a low turnout in November.

Demographic trends are favouring Democrats, with the pool of Republican voters, overwhelmingly white and older, steadily shrinking.
Sister Clare Theresa Crockett, 33, died when a stairwell collapsed in the school where she was working in Playa Prieta earlier this month.

Hundreds packed into St Columbas Church close to her family home in the Brandywell area of Derry for Requiem Mass.

Fr Eamon Graham, who led the service, said: She was a striking example of Derry womanhood. Clare asked herself what she could do to make the world a better place and how she could serve God and help the most vulnerable.

And to do that she went to the end of the earth and she took her goodness with her.

More than 480 people were killed and 4,000 others injured in the powerful quake, which had a magnitude of 7.8  the strongest to hit the country since 1979.

Sister Clare, a nun in the Home of the Mother order, had been teaching children in a rural part of the country, including guitar lessons.

She died alongside a number of local girls in the school.

Fr Graham told the congregation that many who met the self-confessed former party girl and budding actress had been inspired to change direction.

He added: She continued to do this in her death. She enjoyed life and she loved life. She always said she wanted to be famous  but she gave all that up. But in a way she has achieved fame and that will help her good work continue.

As her coffin, adorned with floral bouquets, was carried into the church, a guard of honour was provided by girls from St Cecilias College where Sister Clare had received their first-ever award for kindness.
Kerry met with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and with the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

He said progress was being made towards an understanding on how to reduce the violence in Aleppo but that more work was needed.

There are several proposals that are now going back to key players to sign off, Kerry said after meeting de Mistura.

"We are hopeful but we are not there yet. We are going to work very hard in the next 24 hours, 48 hours to get there.

He said the US and Russia have agreed that there will be additional personnel stationed in Geneva around the clock to make sure there is more accountability and a better ability to enforce the cessation of hostilities on a day-to-day basis.

Speaking later to staff at the US mission in Geneva, Kerry said he hoped that an agreement about Aleppo could be announced within the next few days.

For Aleppo, the US is considering drawing up with the Russians a detailed map that would lay out safe zones.

Civilians and members of moderate opposition groups covered by the truce could find shelter from persistent attacks by Assads military, which claims to be targeting terrorists.

One US official said hard lines would delineate specific areas and neighbourhoods.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

It was not immediately clear if Russia would accept such a plan or if Moscow could persuade the Assad government to respect the prospective zones. Some US officials are sceptical of the chances for success, but also note that it is worth a try to at least reduce the violence.

US officials also say the safe zones will not be no-fly zones per se. However, details, such as the locations of those, have not yet been agreed to and these issues will be discussed by Kerry and Lavrov in a phonecall, as well as by Lavrov and de Mistura in Moscow.

Earlier, al-Jubeir called the situation in Aleppo with continued airstrikes an outrage and a criminal violation of humanitarian law.

He said Syrian President Bashar Assad would be held accountable for the attacks and would be removed from power either through a political process or by force.

There is only one side that is flying airplanes, and that is Bashar al-Assad and his allies, so they are responsible for the massacre of women, children, and the elderly, he said.

They are responsible for the murder of doctors and medical personnel, and this situation, any way you slice it, will not stand. The world is not going to allow them to get away with this.
The action against Salim Mulla, a Blackburn with Darwen councillor, came just hours after Nottingham City councillor Ilyas Aziz was suspended over his own controversial social media posts about Israel.

The moves come after party leader Jeremy Corbyn insisted Labour is united in opposing anti-Semitism in the wake of a turbulent week which has also seen the suspension of MP Naz Shah and former London mayor Ken Livingstone.

The Guido Fawkes website reported that Mulla shared a message suggesting Israel should be relocated to the US  the same post as Shah which led to her apologising in the Commons and having the whip withdrawn.

Another post, from 2014, apparently showed footage of a Palestinian boy being arrested with a comment from Mulla saying: Apartheid at its best. Zionist Jews are a disgrace to humanity.

Among Facebook posts from Azizs account was the comment: Jews and Muslims lived together in the Middle East, in peace pre-1948. Perhaps it would have been wiser to create Israel in America its big enough. They could relocate even now.

Aziz claimed he had not written the post from 2014, although it remained on his Facebook page.

Posting a link to an article about Nazi Germany in 2014, he said: A reminder of the treatment and suffering of Jews in Nazi Germany. Are there any similarities to how Israel is treating Palestinians.

Asked if he suggested Israel could be relocated and whether he feared he could be suspended as a result  as it was the same suggestion that led to the action against Shah  he said: I didnt write that.

On the comparison with the Nazis, Aziz said: That one possibly (was) because you make a comparison that its wrong, that nobody should be doing that.

Asked if he thought people who criticised Israeli policy faced being accused of anti-Semitism, he said: I think you need to be careful.

Both Aziz and Mulla were suspended shortly after their posts were highlighted on Guido Fawkes, in a sign that Labour is taking a more decisive approach on the issue.
Gerson Galvez, or Caracol, was arrested at a Medellin shopping centre and deported to Peru less than 24 hours later because he did not have migration papers.

Galvez was first spotted in March in Ecuador before being seen in Panama and Colombia.
The pair, Carolyn Lloyd, 47, and her 22-year-old daughter Rachel, from North Carolina, were plucked to safety after rescue teams saw the signs  one in a river bed, the other in a clearing  and then the two women waving frantically below.

They were airlifted to Wellington Hospital, with Rachel suffering hypothermia and undernourishment.

Her mother was unscathed and was by her bedside.

Their ordeal began when they set off on a days hiking trip in the expansive Tararua Forest Park, in Wellington.

Mrs Lloyd was on a trip to see her daughter, who was completing a term studying abroad at Massey University in Palmerston North.

But after a three-hour hike to the summit, they lost their way on the descent, getting stuck on a tiny ledge atop a 182-metre (600-foot) waterfall.

As it got dark, they straddled a tree and lay atop one another to keep warm, keeping each other awake so they wouldnt fall over the edge.

The following day they forged ahead by scaling down the cliff next to the waterfall.

There would be one tiny little rock, or one tiny shrub, and wed swing to the next thing, Rachel recounted.

Once down, they followed a stream, figuring it would lead eventually to civilisation.

But they were forced to keep switching sides and Rachel fell head first into the icy water, hitting her head on a rock.

Thats when I started going downhill, she said.

I could never get dry and couldnt get warm the rest of the trip.

Mrs Lloyd piggybacked her daughter at times with temperatures falling close to freezing at night.

At this point it was very scary, said Rachel.

The next day they kept following the stream but it became deep and unpassable.

They turned back and found a flat area with some sun and decided to stay put. Mrs Lloyd came up with the idea of making the 6ft high help signs.

By now, authorities knew something was wrong. Mrs Lloyd had failed to check out of her hotel and return her hire car.

Police had been in touch with family members back in the US, who were frantic.
Asia Japan to Support Mekong Countries With $7b Over Three Years

Japan will help countries in the lower Mekong River basin improve infrastructure and bolster development with US$7 billion in aid over three years.

BANGKOK  Japan wants to work with countries in the lower Mekong River basin and will help them improve infrastructure and bolster development with 750 billion yen (US$7 billion) in aid over three years, its foreign minister said on Monday.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida made the pledge to help the Southeast Asian economies in Thailands capital, Bangkok, where on Sunday he began a week-long visit to the region in which Japan competes with China for influence.

Japan would like to work with the countries of the Mekong region to create a framework to support efforts by the Mekong countries in a detailed manner, on a region-by-region basis or on a theme-by-theme basis, Kishida said in a speech.

Japan announced the three-year plan last year.

China has offered billions of dollars in infrastructure loans and government aid programs to Southeast Asian countries.

Kishida did not mention China in his speech. He is also due to visit Burma, Laos and Vietnam.

On Monday, he met Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has led a military government since the army took power in a May 2014 coup. Thailand has drawn closer to China since the coup, which many Western countries criticized.

Kishida and Prayuth discussed Thailands political process, regional terrorism threats and economic challenges, a Japanese official said.

Kishida visited Beijing on the weekend where both China and Japan expressed willingness to improve relations strained over conflicting territorial claims in the East China Sea.

In his speech in Bangkok, Kishida addressed maritime security and renewed a call for countries to respect the rule of law.

He also backed a Southeast Asian bid to draft a code of conduct for the South China Sea, where Chinas claim to virtually the entire sea clashes with claims to parts of it by Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.

We must establish a regional order whereby the principle of the rule of law is truly upheld and practiced, he said. I would like to renew my call for the early conclusion of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinto Abe is pursuing a more robust foreign policy but Masato Otaka, deputy press secretary at Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters Kishidas visit was not aimed at counteracting Chinas influence.

On Sunday, Kishida reaffirmed Japans economic ties with Thailand, an important base for many Japanese companies, after Japanese investment in the country nosedived in 2015.
Burma Fire at Arakan State IDP Camp Leaves Hundreds Homeless

A fire near Arakan States Sittwe Township leaves hundreds of Rohingya Muslims homeless after sweeping through parts of the Baw Du Ba IDP camp.

RANGOON  A fire near Arakan States Sittwe Township left hundreds of Rohingya Muslims homeless as it swept through dozens of shelters at the Baw Du Ba internally displaced person (IDP) camp on Tuesday, local sources said.

Kyaw Thein, an IDP at the camp, told The Irrawaddy over the phone that the fire was likely caused by a cooking accident in one of the longhouses at around 9am and then spread to surrounding areas until firefighters were able to extinguish the flames about 90 minutes later.

A total of 392 families stayed in the 49 longhouses. We dont yet know the exact population [of the camp], said Kyaw Thein, who added that some people were wounded in the fire.

Camp authorities and local UN agencies offered medical treatment to those who were injured and collected the names of people who lost their homes in the fire, who will meanwhile be forced to take shelter with other IDPs at the camp, according to local sources.

Despite rumors that the fire claimed the lives of some children, Aung Win, an eyewitness, said there had been no official confirmation of these claims.

Some 10,000 IDPs, most members of the Rohingya minority, live at Baw Du Ba camp, which was established shortly after violence flared between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State in 2012. More than 100,000 Rohingya IDPs are estimated to be living in Arakan State camps like Baw Du Ba, enduring conditions frequently condemned by aid organizations.
News / Education

by Staff Reporter

Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-Political Detainees and Restrictees Minister Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube has begged schools not to kick out war veterans' children for non payment of fees.Schools reopen today.Dube has blamed the banking problems for delaying the process"We have disbursed all the fees, but because of the problems in the banks, they are not yet accessible."Banks are only using RTGS and it takes donkey years before it reflects."We have processed payments for all the eligible students that we pay for," said Dube.However, in April soon after meeting President Mugabe, Tshinga announced that $6 million has been allocated for fees.But now the Makokoba legislator is urged schools to be patient and accommodate the beneficiaries in their respective schools."We are pleading with schools not to turn the children away because the money is already there."
Burma Fresh Clashes Erupt Between Ethnic Factions in Shan State

As the Restoration Council of Shan State expands its numbers, the Taang National Liberation Army launches attacks, attempting to maintain control of its territory.

Fierce clashes erupted between the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in eastern Burmas Shan State on Sunday, according to representatives from the two warring ethnic groups.

The hostilities marked the latest round of fighting in an armed conflict that first broke out in late November last year.

[The TNLA troops] attacked our forces in the villages of Hseng Leng and Lwel Hweng, at the border of Mantong and Mongwi, RCSS spokesperson Lt-Col Hseng Murng told reporters on Monday in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where his group was meeting with the Karen National Union (KNU), another ethnic armed group. They launched the attacks in the morning of May 1, and the attacks continued almost the entire day. On May 2, the fighting started before 6:00 am.

Casualty figures for either side were not immediately clear.

The RCSS signed the so-called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with Burmas previous government in October, but the TNLA did not.

The TNLA claims the RCSS was previously operating in northern Shan State with a battalion of just 100 soldiers, but then after signing the NCA, the Shan armed group stepped up its recruitment efforts, expanding its presence in the area. This has made clashes unavoidable, according to Tar Pan La, the foreign affairs representative of the TNLA.

The RCSS has increased their activities and our territory has shrunk to avoid [RCSS troops], Tar Pan La said. This has made our territory more difficult to control.

In February, the Burma Army warned the RCSS to withdraw its troops to its own territory following the first round of fighting with the TNLA, but this directive does not appear to have been heeded.

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a nine-member alliance of ethnic armed groups, has attempted to mediate the two warring groups territorial feud, to no avail.
Burma Japan Promises Full Backing of Development Efforts in Burma

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida says at a press conference that Japan pledges full-tilt support for development and peace efforts in Burma.

NAYPYIDAW  Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference here on Tuesday that Tokyo pledged its full-tilt support for development efforts in Burma.

Well cooperate with the Myanmar government to create a climate that will benefit both the people of Myanmar and Japanese businesses, the foreign minister said, specifically pointing out his countrys ambition to spur job creation, as well as development of the agriculture, education, finance, health care and infrastructure sectors in Burma.

Japan will do as much as it can to help Myanmar with national reconciliation, Kishida added, stating a desire to help the former pariah state re-engage internationally.

National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi said she appreciated Japans goodwill and generosity toward Burma.

The Japanese foreign minister said he hoped Suu Kyi would visit Japan again. The last time Suu Kyi made the trip was in 2013, after her party won a parliamentary by-election the previous year.

Kishida also met with President Htin Kyaw on Tuesday to talk about developing ties between their two countries, according to the Presidents Office.
Burma Laws Restricting Media to Be Amended: Minister

Burmas new information minister unveils plans to liberalize media laws and encourage government transparency at an event commemorating World Press Freedom Day.

RANGOON  Burmese media should look forward to enjoying more freedom as laws enacted under the previous government are repealed, according to Information Minister Pe Myint, who spoke in Rangoon on Tuesday in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day.

The minister told The Irrawaddy that he would not move forward alone, but rather intended to collaborate with media organizations to decide how to proceed before taking their recommendations to Parliament.

He declined to give a specific timeframe for when the laws would be amended or repealed, and referred reporters to the Myanmar Press Council (MPC), which he said would lead this endeavor.

Myint Kyaw, a member of the MPC, said the Ministry of Information would be responsible for handling a broadcast law, while the MPC would review the news media law. However, the state secrets act, some defamation legislation, and laws forbidding journalists from contacting ethnic armed organizations have affected journalists and are vestiges of British colonial rule, meaning responsibility for reform on those fronts falls to Parliament.

We need to provide detailed reports and recommendations concerning the media laws, and we must present a well-informed legal perspective, so that we can get the related government ministries to take action, Myint Kyaw said.

Media organizations can provide recommendations and other relevant information over the next three months, he said.

After the ceremony, Pe Myint met with several private media outlets, which pressed the minister to remove the advertisement pages from three government mouthpieces. The organizations claimed that the state-run dailies function as a vacuum in the industry, drawing in almost all advertising revenue, to the disadvantage of private media.

The information minister was noncommittal in response to the private media outlets concerns.

We will come up with a reasonable ratio of news pages to advertisement pages, he said.

Media organizations have so far largely applauded the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, which has seen support buoyed by its release of students, journalists and other political prisoners just a few weeks after coming to power.

With regard to transparency, members of the press may see a more information-friendly environment over the coming years compared with the NLD governments often opaque predecessor: According to Pe Myints 100-day plan, every ministry will have a dedicated communications officer to liaise with the media.
Burma Military Chief Warns of Division Amid Army-Shwe Mann Row

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing attacks those who may destroy the unity and weaken the strength of the army in a wide-ranging speech to military officers.

RANGOON  Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Burmas armed forces, has warned military officers that there are people who wanted to sow seeds of division within the army, in a wide-ranging speech that included a call for soldiers to read more books and steer clear of cigarettes and betel nut.

Made on Monday to assembled officers at the Rangoon Regional Command, his statements come just a few days after the military upbraided the former general and ex-Speaker of Parliament Shwe Mann for remarks that were received as an implicit criticism of the armed forces and the former government that it backed.

Some peoples assessment of the Tatmadaws [Burma Army] stance and goals with regards to this current political transition is inaccurate, Min Aung Hlaing said. They may destroy the unity and weaken the strength of the army. The top priority must be to keep the army united.

Unity is strength, he said. It is of vital importance to enhancing the countrys national defense.

On April 23, Shwe Mann posted a message on his Facebook page in which he used terminology that distinguished a new intake of officers from veterans and long-serving members of the armed forces. The politician then went on to praise the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) and imply that the previous military governments and their Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) successor had not worked for the benefit of the country.

The remark, It is the right time for our brothers to cooperate with much rejoicing [at the NLDs 2015 election victory], shows that Shwe Mann ignores the fact that the Tatmadaw has repeatedly promised to cooperate with the government elected by the people, a military response to Shwe Manns statement read.

Therefore, we oppose the statement made by Shwe Mann  because it may cause people to misunderstand the efforts of past governments to serve the country, the statement continued. [Shwe Manns comments] obfuscate the stance of the Tatmadaw and consequently harm the ongoing national reconciliation efforts and may result in the disintegration of the Tatmadaw.

Though he did not explicitly mention Shwe Mann, the senior-generals comments on Monday cleaved closely to the sentiment of the official military statement.

It was the support of the Tatmadaw that ensured the freedom and fairness before, during and after the second election [in 2015], Min Aung Hlaing said. I am very proud of what the Tatmadaw did at that time.

An unofficial English-language translation of the full speech, including references to the value of being well-read and the moral pitfalls of smoking and chewing betel nut, can be read here.
Burma Nationalist Provocateur Faces Defamation Suit Over Potshots at Powerful Trio

Nationalist instigator Nay Myo Wai faces a lawsuit after allegedly attacking Aung San Suu Kyi, President Htin Kyaw and Burmas commander-in-chief on Facebook.

RANGOON  Nationalist politician Nay Myo Wai has been sued under Burmas Telecommunications Law for allegedly defaming the countrys president, army chief and state counselor on social media.

Nay Myo Wai is chairman of the Peace and Diversity Party, as well as a supporter of the Buddhist nationalist group Ma Ba Tha whose anti-Muslim invectives are well-known among followers of Burmese politics.

Wai Yan Aung, an executive member of the Burma Teachers Federation, filed the lawsuit against Nay Myo Wai, accusing him of defaming President Htin Kyaw, Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Tin Maung Soe, a friend of the litigant who accompanied him to the police station in Irrawaddy Divisions Kangyidaunt Township, told The Irrawaddy that the suit was filed Tuesday under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law.

According to Tin Maung Soe, Nay Myo Wai uploaded posts and photos to his Facebook account from April 25 to April 30 that defamed the president, the head of the army and the state counselor.

His posts frequently try to stir unrest using religion and nationalism, Tin Maung Soe said. We will wait to see how the judiciary rules.

One of the posts in question pictures Suu Kyi as a beggar and another uses photoshop to portray her in a sexist light.

Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law stipulates punishment of up to three years imprisonment for using a telecommunications network to defame.

I believe as a good citizen I should do something to stop [Nay Myo Wai] from spreading defamatory posts and photos, which could lead to disintegration of the Union, Wai Yan Aung told the local publication Mizzima. We cant forgive him for that.

Several cases on charges under the Telecommunications Law rose to prominence during the term of Burmas previous, military-backed government, including that of Kachin aid worker Patrick Khum Jaa Lee, who was sentenced to six months in prison for a Facebook post that a court deemed defamatory to the Burma Army. Chaw Sandi Tun also received six months for a Facebook post that likewise was found to have insulted the military, while a local Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) official got six months for sharing fake, altered images of the head of Suu Kyi transposed onto the body of a naked woman.
Burma Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week (May 3)

The Irrawaddy picks 10 interesting events happening in Rangoon this week.

Music

French (Love) Friday #17The Rain Dance

French (Love) Friday is hosting one last dance before monsoon season arrives. The night will open with the Big Bag Band and The Marionette for Burmese rock n roll. After, the music will take a turn toward deep house with the French DJ set Krono. Tickets are 8,000 kyats each and include two free beers.

Where: Institut Francais de Birmanie at No. 340, Pyay Road, Sanchaung Tsp., Tel: 01-536 900

When: Friday, May 6, 8pm to 1am

Together Festival 2016

For DJ lovers, local and international DJs will make Rangoon come alive with a dynamic music performance on Saturday called Together Festival 2016. Regular tickets are each 45,000 kyats and VIP tickets are each 120,000 kyats.

Where: Shwe Htut Tin Compound, beside Sky Star Hotel, East Horse Racing Course Road, Tamwe Tsp., Tel: 09-451010789; 09-965010789

When: Saturday, May 7, evening

Music Fundraiser for Children with HIV

A fundraiser will be held in downtown Rangoon for children living with HIV. Seven rock bands including The Story, Break the Curse, I-Force, Wonder Rock, and Psychological Pain will all be performing in a collective effort to raise funds for the children.

Where: Maha Bandoohla Park, in front of Rangoon City Hall

When: Saturday, May 7, 4 pm to 10 pm

Culture

Lisu Fundraiser

A show consisting of traditional Lisu music, dancing and costumes will take place on Friday. Admission is free of charge, but donations can be made at the show, and all proceeds will go toward displaced persons in Kachin State. The event will aim to help raise awareness about and preserve Lisu traditions and culture.

Where: National Theater on Myoma Kyaung Road, Dagon Tsp.

When: Friday, May 6

Arts

Lokanat Galleries Exhibition, Mix

Seventeen artists will display their work at Lokanat Galleries. Titled Mix, the art exhibition will feature 74 paintings, ranging in price between US$50 and $600.

Where: Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, 1st Floor, Kyauktada Tsp., Tel: 095-1382-269

When: Sunday, May 1 to Sunday, May 8, 9am to 5pm

Latya Lyn Naing Exhibition, The Patients

Latya Lyn Naing will display his fourth solo exhibit at the River Ayeyarwady Gallery. The show, The Patients, will showcase 76 paintings, ranging in price from $25 to $100.

Where: River Ayeyarwaddy Gallery at No. 134, 35th Street (Middle Block), Kyauktada Tsp

When: Friday, May 6 to Sunday, May 8

Kachin Artist Brang Lis No More Life Exhibition

The second solo show of Kachin artist Brang Li will be held at Nawady Tharlar Art Gallery. Titled No More Life, his solo show features around 20 paintings about the impact of civil war in Burma. The prices of the paintings range between $800 and $1,500.

Where: Nawady Tharlar Art Gallery, Room 304, Building 20B, 3rd Floor, Yaw Myin Gyi Road, Dagon Tsp., Tel: 0943097918

When: Saturday, May 7 to Friday, May 13

Photography

The Captured Stories of Nature Photo Exhibition

The Captured Stories of Nature will display about 90 photographs from nine photographers at Summit Gallery. Photographs will range in price from 70,000 kyats to over 100,000 kyats. The proceeds will go to various social organizations.

Where: Summit Gallery at Bogyoke Park in Kandawgyi

When: Friday, May 6 to Wednesday, May 11

&PROUD Photo Exhibition

The third &PROUD photo exhibition will show photos of Burmas lesbian, gay, bi, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. The competition will display photos from 12 photographers, totaling over 70 photos, as well as an intimate look at the queer community through selfies that were submitted for the selfie competition. This year will also showcase a series by Vlad Sokhin called Being Gay in Papua New Guinea, a photo documentary of the lives of a group of gay and transgender people living together in a small coastal village near the capital of Papua New Guinea. The opening event will include two short films on Papua New Guinea and the announcement of the photo competition winners.

Where: Myanmar Deitta on 44th Street (Lower Block), Botataung Tsp.

When: Saturday, May 7 to Sunday, May 15, 10am to 5pm

Racing and Drone Flying Demonstration

Organized by 7Day Cars, a demonstration of r/c drift racing and drone flying will be held on May 7. Anyone with r/c drift racing experience can take part in the race, but the number of contestants will be limited. Those wishing to participate in the competition can apply by May 3 at the 7Day Cars office, located at the Diamond Center, building No. 497 first floor, Kamayut Tsp. First prize is 500,000 kyats.

Where: Junction Square Water Fountain Area, Junction Square, Kyuntaw St.

When: Saturday, May 7, 3pm to 8:30pm
A Tale of Two Mega-Dams: Burma and Borneo

A nixed dam in Malaysian Borneo could provide useful parallels for opponents of the controversial Myitsone dam in Burmas Kachin State.

Construction of a massive hydroelectric dam meets local opposition. The project potentially profits far away investors, including multinationals from China. As indigenous peoples rights are violated with land confiscation for the project, which would flood biodiverse forests, support for a campaign to stop the dam increases and international awareness grows. Eventually it is announced that the dam project is suspended. Then, under a new administration, the government announces that the dam is completely canceled and the land will be returned to the indigenous people.

Most of this scenario describes the Myitsone dam project in Burmas Kachin State, and it also describes the Baram dam in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The last sentence is where the two situations differ, as of late March of this year. On March 21, the Sarawak state government announced that the Baram dam would not be built. But the fate of the Myitsone dam is unknown, with a decision by Burmas new National League for Democracy-led government possibly to come soon. The Myitsone dam project, if revived at the scenic and revered Mali Hka and NMai Hka confluence would risk disaster for Burmas vital Irrawaddy watershed. The power generated would go almost entirely to neighboring China, just as the Baram dams power would only have benefitted mainland Malaysias industrialists and corrupt politicians.

The Baram dam, in planning stages since 2010, would have flooded approximately 400 square kilometers to generate 1,200 megawatts (MWs) of power as part of a grand scheme to industrialize Borneo with power-intensive industries like aluminum smelting. Sarawaks Penan, Kayan and Kenyah indigenous peoples came together to oppose damming the Baram River, having witnessed the damage done to livelihoods and habitats by other mega-dams in Borneo, such as the 2,400-MW Bakun dam, which relocated an estimated 10,000 people, many now dwelling in miserable disease-ridden settlements.

Some 20,000 Sarawak inhabitants were to be displaced by the Baram dam. In a September 2015 speech, Penan activist Nick Kelesau stated, They will be forced into resettlement camps or will try to move up from the valley to lands that belong to others. Either way is not sustainable. The camps do not provide enough farmland and the high ground cannot support so many people. In effect this will truly kill our way of life.

Grassroots networks and NGOs including SAVE Rivers, Baram Protection Action Committee, Borneo Resources Institute and Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia used a variety of tactics and one slogan: Stop Baram Dam. Long-term blockades by indigenous groups impeded access to the proposed dam site. Philip Jau of SAVE Rivers observed, We have petitioned the government and we have collected about 10,000 signatures of the people of Baram who are against this dam project. But the government seems not to listen to the voices of the people. That is why we came up with this idea to put our blockade. With this blockade I think the whole world knows that we are against this project.

When the International Hydropower Associations meeting was held in Sarawak in 2013, hundreds demonstrated in front of the convention center. The Sarawak activists successfully pressured an Australian company, Hydro Tasmania, to withdraw participation in the Baram dam project. They connected with anti-dam, pro-river organizations from the region and around the world and a series of short films by the Borneo Project documented the struggle.

Having replaced the notorious billionaire logging baron Abdul Taib Mahmud as chief minister of Sarawak in 2014, Tan Sri Adenan Satem announced suspension of the Baram dam project in November 2015. This gesture was not trusted by the affected communities as it did not permanently end the project and did not return land rights (a situation similar to the September 2011 suspension of the Myitsone dam by order of Burmas former President Thein Sein.)

Then, with Sarawaks state election anticipated in April, Tan Sri Adenan Satem came to a decision. According to International Rivers Network, on March 21 just in time for World Water Day, everything changed. The Sarawak government officially revoked the gazette extinguishing the native ownership rights for land earmarked for the dam site and its reservoir, and returned the land to its rightful indigenous owners.

Burmas Myitsone dam opponents might take hope from Malaysias example and the defeat of the mega-dam in Borneo might provide a precedent for Burmas government: choosing the will of the people over the interests of extractive industries. Both Sarawak and Burma have great potential for alternative ways of generating electricity for local needs, including wind, solar and small-scale hydro; they also have abundant offshore natural gas, which may be a less-harmful option than mega-hydro. But even with the Baram dam canceled and the Myitsone dam possibly on the chopping block, there are dozens of other huge dam projects in the works for both Sarawak and Burma, so river rights activists should celebrate but cannot rest.

Edith Mirante is director of Project Maje about Burmas human rights and environmental issues, as well as author of The Wind in the Bamboo: A Journey in Search of Asias Negrito Indigenous Peoples.
Editorial A Note From the Newsroom on World Press Freedom Day

On World Press Freedom Day, we laud great progress but note that true freedom of the press has yet to be achieved in Burma.

RANGOON  If we Burmese have one thing to be thankful for on this World Press Freedom Day, it is that this year there are no journalists behind bars, imprisoned for doing their jobs. As was the case for pro-democracy activists and other dissidents, prison cells in Burma were once frequently home to reportersboth under the oppressive former junta and during the term of the quasi-civilian government that succeeded it.

Shortly after the countrys first civilian government in some 50 years assumed office on April 1, the administration released four journalists and their publications CEO, together with nearly 300 other political prisoners and others on trial for politically motivated offenses.

This conditionprisons without journalistsis a low but important bar for any country assessing its press freedom. Subjected to decades of censorship and persecution, a new era has dawned for Burmese journalists, but work toward consolidating a truly free and independent press remains.

There are several matters that must still be addressed to pave the way for genuine press freedom in Burma, and in this the new National League for Democracy (NLD) government has a crucial role to play. The NLDs ruling predecessors were reliably hostile to the press and regarded private media as their enemy, while simultaneously using state-run newspapers and broadcasters to peddle government propaganda.

The new government has vowed to take a different approach.

The news media is the eyes and ears of the people, reads part of the NLDs election manifesto, released ahead of the November vote. We will ensure that the media has the right to stand independently in accordance with self-regulation of matters relating to ethics and dignity, and the right to gather and disseminate news.

The manifesto continues: We will support the rights of television and radio broadcasters, print media (magazines, journals, newspapers, etc), and telephone and internet service providers to compete openly on the free market.

We journalists love this vision and are anxious to see how the NLD-led government will make it a reality as soon as possible.

But for now, though state medias content is decidedly more newsy than it was under the previous administrations, the fact remains: government-run dailies and broadcasters continue to exist with the governments agenda in mind.

As a rule, the Fourth Estate should serve as an independent actor, not affiliated with any political party, including that of the ruling government. Only then can the media perform its duty as watchdog of all other political, business and social institutions.

Thus, we in the private media are waiting to see what changes are in store. The status quo cannot hold for the next five years if the NLD is genuine in the aims laid out in its manifesto.

Furthermore, restrictive laws that have been and could again be used to muzzle the media remain on the books should be revoked as soon as possible. Media laws enacted by the previous government should be reviewed to ensure that they promote press freedom and protect journalists.

Unescos theme for World Press Freedom Day this year is Access to information and fundamental freedoms. This is your right!

Its concept note states: Press freedom and access to information are essential to democracy and to sustainable development. Journalism helps make this so. Sometimes referred to as a watchdog of political and societal institutions, journalism is also much more: It demonstrates freedom of expression for society at large, it puts new questions on the development agenda, and it empowers citizens with information. It provides a context in which the diversity of cultural expressions can flourish.

For all these reasons, strengthening the conditions for journalism is key to developing a culture of openness, access to information and fundamental freedoms.

On this front, too, the NLD has work to do, with the party proving thus far to be disinclined to provide information and media access. While its coy proclivities may have been justifiable during the uncertain transition period to a new government, it will increasingly hamper the medias ability to disseminate accurate information in the years to come if the party does not adopt a more open approach to its press relations.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also weighed in on the significance of Tuesday, and not just for members of the media.

On this World Press Freedom Day, I urge all Governments, politicians, businesses and citizens to commit to nurturing and protecting an independent, free media, he said. Without this fundamental right, people are less free and less empowered. With it, we can work together for a world of dignity and opportunity for all.

It is our hope that the incumbent government will have a like-minded vision to allow independent media to thrive, in the process helping to empower every citizen in the country.

On this World Press Freedom Day, The Irrawaddy lauds great progress on matters that the commemoration concerns, but notes that true freedom of the press has yet to be achieved in Burma.
Interview Drug-Addicted People Should Not Be Treated as Criminals

Dr. Nang Pann Ei Kham heads a network of civil society groups and researchers who advocate reforming Burmas ineffective drug control laws.

In 2014, a number of civil society organizations and researchers concerned over the health and well-being of drugs users and impoverished small-scale opium farmers set up the Drug Policy Advocacy Group (DPAG). The network advocates a shift away from Burmas current, punitive drug laws to legislation that decriminalizes drug use and subsistence poppy farming, and which provides health care for users and helps farmers to gradually substitute their poppy crop.

Last month, Dr. Nang Pann Ei Kham, a medical doctor and coordinator of the Rangoon-based DPAG, oversaw a public workshop organized by DPAG members, which included civil society organizations such as the Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum, National Drug Users Network Myanmar and the Myanmar Anti-Narcotics Association. Members of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission and police officers of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) also attended the event.

During an interview with Myanmar Now, Dr. Nang Pann Ei Kham stressed the need to reform Burmas drug laws in order to address widespread drug addiction in northern Burma and to help tens of thousands of poor opium farmers find an alternative livelihood.

Can you explain why DPAG was created?

We formed this group to help create sound drug policies that support human rights and health care services [for drug users]. I joined this group to help drug-using people infected with HIV and hepatitis. We want to organize workshops and public meetings in areas seriously affected by drug abuse.

What sort of drug abuse is now affecting Kachin and Shan states?

Kachin State has poppy cultivation and many injecting heroin users. There are many cases of HIV infection through the sharing of needles. Similar cases are happening in northern Shan State, while low-grade opium is more common in its southern parts. Stimulant tablets [methamphetamine] are also spreading in these areas.

What does DPAG prioritize, helping poppy farmers change their crops, or medical services for drug addicts?

We will help both poppy cultivators and drug addicts find other options. They need support from our networks, and we invited them to workshops on drug policy [reform]. Educative programs will be conducted for them in Kachin State, and in southern and northern Shan State.

What is your position on Myanmars existing drug control laws?

These laws should be amended. Last year, we organized a workshop in cooperation with the governments Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control [CCDAC] and the Ministry of Health. The events participants concluded that we need reforms. We will keep highlighting the need for amendments to drug control laws during the term of the new [National League for Democracy] government.

We will call for reduction of penalties for drug users. If someone wants to give up drug use, we should refer them to the Myanmar Anti-Narcotics Association [an NGO]. They should not be sent to prison. Clean injection syringes must be distributed free of charge to users [to mitigate health risks].

Both effective government policy and the publics contribution play a crucial role in this movement. Some drug users, for example, have been sentenced to 20 years in prison though they were arrested with only a small number of [methamphetamine] pillsthats not a fair punishment. Punishments should also be reduced for poppy cultivators.

What exact changes should be made to drug laws?

I would like to suggest that drug-addicted people should not be treated as criminals; the compulsory registration system for drug-addicted persons should be revoked. Getting medical treatment should be an option for drug addicts. The drug control laws must meet human rights standards. Laws on drug injection needles and syringes must be amended.

How will you work with the new government?

We will propose our plans to the new government. We will gather information from poppy cultivators and drug abusers to inform the government and parliamentarians of their needs.

Do you think a nationwide ceasefire and an end to ethnic conflict could lead to improvements on drug issues?

A ceasefire in ethnic areas could reduce drug [trade]-related conflict. Also, educative talks on drug abuse could not be held in conflict-torn areas of Kachin State, and northern and southern Shan State. So, there is a certain relation between a ceasefire and drug abuse.

What sort of needs do poppy farmers have? How can they change their crops?

Cultivation of alternative crops causes financial losses due to the difficulty in terms of transportation and poor access to mountainous areas. Therefore, poppy cultivation is the only option for local people. If the government or public movements destroy their poppy farm, they will have no more household income. Crop substitution plans must be considered for them. Development programs must be set up before the poppy fields are destroyed.

Poppy farmers should be asked why they are growing the crop. They would abandon this business if they did not have worries about their daily income. They are growing poppy to generate enough income. They have no knowledge about how opium can destroy the lives of users. They do not know the details of opium trade and have no intention to destroy others.

What are the biggest challenges in helping drug addicts and opium cultivators?

There are many drug addicts in Myanmar, while poppy cultivators are seen as criminals. Family and social problems have turned some people into drug addicts. So, the root causes must first be found. All these people should not be treated as criminals. It is a major challenge to promote this idea among the public and policymakers.

This story first appeared on Myanmar Now.
News / Education

by Thobekile Zhou

Widespread confusion has been reported in most schools in Bulawayo over the National Pledge issue.All pupils are expected to recite the pledge before commencing classes.However, this has caused tension among parents and Christian movements claiming that it was imposed in schools.Parents are also instructed to be at assembly points to recite the pledge.The pledge is accompanied by presents which all pupils must bringA snap survey reveals that most schools did not recite the pledge.At Lozikeyi Primary, teachers are said to have rejected presents and they instructed parents to go back with them.At Milton Junior School, Bulawayo District Education officials arrived when pupils where being dismissed at the school hall.However, they where made to return, presumably to recite the pledge before the officials.Habakuk Trust, a non-government organisation which is anti-national pledge reported that at Figtree, about 40km outside Bulawayo, a group of war veterans allegedly stormed a school and tried to stress the importance of the pledge to parents.It added that there was a 'Very low attendance by pupils at Montrose high, parents didn't attend assembly'.At Nsukamini Primary in Bulawayo, it said grade one and two classes had between 10 - 15 pupils.The government claims that the national pledge will motivate people to cherish their Zimbabwean identity. Most local people say this is unconstitutional.Addressing a press briefing in Victoria Falls last week, Zimta top officials said Zimta was never cons
Adapting a pre-Internet enterprise to a post-Internet world is known as digital transformation. Its also known to any number of CIOs as their worst nightmare. More than one CIO Ive spoken with over the years, in response to the standard question about what keeps them up at night, responded without hesitation that keeping the business relevant in this new era is the biggest sleep-depriving culprit.

That being the case, I recently jumped at the chance to speak with David Rogers, faculty director of programs on digital marketing and digital business strategy at Columbia Business School, and author of the new book, The Digital Transformation Playbook. My hunch is that Rogers has lost his fair share of sleep over this question, too. But in his case, its likely because he needed to document the late-night epiphanies that have arisen from his immersion in the subject of digital transformation.

Our conversation opened with a discussion of what digital transformation is really all about. Rogers stressed what its not all abouttechnology:

As I think about digital transformation, for me, its really a question: How do businesses that were started before the Internet need to adapt and change in order to thrive in the digital age? In working on this book, and drawing on research and [the experiences of] companies Ive worked with, what crystalized in pursuing this question is that digital transformation is fundamentally not about technology. Its about changes in your strategy, and in your thinking and leadership.

When I started the book, I looked at a lot of fascinating emerging technologies, and how the media business has been transformed, and trends like mobile computing, social media, and cloud computing have been established. The more I looked at it, the more I questioned how you transform businesses built before the Internet era, that arent in Silicon Valley, that arent trying to be the next Uber, that already have a customer base, a business model, an organizational culture. The challenge for them is fundamentally about strategic thinking.

To address that challenge, Rogers explained five shifts in thinking that businesses need to make. The first one has to do with customers:

You need to shift from thinking about your customers as targets, to thinking about them as networksits a very different way of thinking about your customers. So rather than thinking of them as targets who you need to hit and persuade with marketing, your relationship with customers is more about how you energize and participate in interactions that are already going on between them.

The second, Rogers said, involves competition:

Its a shift from thinking about competition as a zero-sum struggle, where you are competing with other companies that look just like you, to understanding that your competition today is much more ambiguous, and that the same companies that are your biggest competitors may also be your closest business partners. You have to be able to manage both of those relationships at the same time.

Essentially, its a world of frenemies, when you look, for example, at the relationship between Google and Apple. And your most significant threats may come from asymmetric competitorscompetitors that have a completely different business model from yours, but are solving the same customer needs as you are. Think of Marriott, whose traditional competitors would be the other major hotel chains. Their asymmetric competitor would be Airbnb, who is giving that traveler a place to stay, but doesnt have the same business model whatsoeverits not another Starwood or Hilton.

Third, Rogers said, is a shift in how companies need to think about their data:

Traditionally, data has been siloed, and operational in naturesomething that allows you to get the job done, to do what you as a business have always done efficiently. Now, data is becoming a strategic asset that has to be grown over time, like a brand or intellectual property. Its something that should actually become a source of innovation.

The fourth shift has to do with how companies think about innovation:

We need to shift from thinking of innovation as a high-risk process of making big bets placed by smart people at the top of the company, to a process where innovation happens at a much lower level. The job of leadership is simply to pose the right questions, not to guess at the right answer. Innovation needs to be a process of continuous and rapid experimentation where, in very controlled ways, you are testing opportunities and finding out which ones are going to work, and which ones arent. Surprisingly, being much more experiment-driven actually lowers the risk to a traditional enterprise. A lot of enterprises think experimentation sounds risky, but its actually much less risky than the way they have been innovating for years.

Fifth is a shift in thinking about business value:

Its a shift in terms of how you define the value of your business, and being willing to evolve that perception. Its really a shift from looking at new technologies through a lens of how it impacts your current business, to asking how they open up the next opportunity to create value in a market you didnt have before.

I ended this portion of the interview by asking Rogers what the single most important takeaway is that he wants readers to get from his book. He said its that traditional businesses are not dinosaursthey dont have to go extinct:

Theres a bit of a myth about disruptionthat all of these traditional businesses are just going to wither away, and thats not really the case. For every company like a Kodak or a Blockbuster, who we love to point to as not being able to change, there are other companies like Fujifilm, which was in the exact same situation as Kodak, and completely turned around the business. Encyclopedia Britannicamost people assume they went out of business because they stopped printing 30-volume, leather-bound encyclopedias. Theyve actually completely changed their business model, and theyre as profitable now as theyve ever been. So its a myth that just because youre an old business, that you cant transform, and that disruption is inevitable. It isnt inevitable if you are willing to change, and evolve your thinking. Your business can continue to grow, and find the next opportunity in the digital age.

Rogers also shared his thoughts on where leadership and digital transformation intersect. Ill cover that portion of the interview in a forthcoming post.

A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant.
It is no secret that Android 6.0, also known as Android Marshmallow, has arrived. And sure, smartphone users have been dying to get hold of the said update. However, among the three big players in the industry, only the AT&T has yet to join the rally.

According to Geeky Gadgets, AT&T's HTC One M8 and One M9 has yet to acquire the Android Marshmallow update, as their networks were hit by further delays. It was HTC's Mo Versi who revealed via social media the news, stating that the delay was due to the new operating system that the company is rolling out.

On his tweet, Versi said that, "there's been a slight delay on M OS." The good news, however, is that they are looking at an approval within a couple of weeks.

HTC One M8 & M9 AT&T owners - there's been a slight delay on M OS. We're in lab but looking at approval within the next couple weeks.  Mo Versi (@moversi) April 29, 2016

Although Versi did not go into details, it is safe to say that the root cause could be due to an update issue, which they figured out when Android Marshmallow came. Nonetheless, with the said timeline, carriers can expect Android Marshmallow to reside in their handsets as soon as it is greenlit.

Meanwhile, Android Marshmallow has arrived in Samsung A5 and A7, as well as the titular Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, as reported by NeuroGadget. For the A5 and A7 device owners, their smarthphones are readily geared toward the Android Marshmallow update; thus, they should not be worrying about any incompatibility.

As for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, the Android Marshmallow update will be released specifically for the T815 model (the one with a 4G LTE Connectivity feature). The Android Marshmallow update kickstarted in Germany and Italy, though only for the unlocked versions of the tablet.

Reports have it that the Android Marshmallow update will soon be made available throughout other European countries in the following weeks. For those who are in the U.S. as well as other regions in the globe, they can expect Android Marshmallow to be rolled out via their carriers in a month's time.

As of this writing, the Android Marshmallow update for the smaller Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 remains uncertain. Although there could be a possible update in May, the Korean Tech giant remains mum about the device's future.
For the thousands of Irish Intel workers, the following days are sure to be intense. Their jobs are expected to be lost across the company's operations in the country.

The Irish Times reports that Eamonn Sinnott, Intel Ireland general manager, informed his employees via e-mail on Thursday about the possible termination of their jobs. Sinnott explained that they should be informed "within 72 hours" come May 4 if and only if their jobs are at risk.

The Intel workers are expected to join both individual and group meetings with the company's management team in the next few days. Nonetheless, they will not be reportedly notified about the total number of jobs set to be terminated.

It was previously reported that Intel was already prepping to lay off a total of 420 Irish staff, as the company seeks to cut roughly 11 percent of its global manpower. The workforce redundancies are said to be 12,000.

According to Independent, with Intel not disclosing the total number of jobs to be at risk, more and more Irish workers are starting to grow anxious -- that the fact that the company gave its people a half-baked information has been a torture for them.

Apart from the impending job losses, Intel Ireland is also feared to be plummeting down, as the company fails to cope with the ever-changing technologies. Hence, if it happens, it would mean total devastation for everyone involved in Intel Ireland.

The spokeswoman for Intel in Ireland remained mum about the ongoing issue. Nonetheless, Intel irradiated that the company's continued struggle with highly demands for personal computers and cloud computing has been the main reason behind the job cuts.

Intel Ireland consists of 4,500 employees while their long-term contract workers are around 700. Furthermore, Intel is expected to keep under wraps the overall job reduction quantity as part of the entire process.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

Political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya has said the character of the current Acting mayor of Harare Chris Mbanga who was appointed after the suspension of Bernard Manyenyeni reflects badly of the leadership qualities of MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.Ruhanya said this is because sometime when when then Minister of Local government Ignatius Chombo fired Elias Mudzuri as mayor of Harare another acting mayor Sekesai Makwavarara who later defected to Zanu PF took over and he wondered how such characters found their way into t6he leadership of the opposition party."In Chris Mbanga, the MDC-T's acting Harare Mayor; the party has a potential version of Sekesai Makwavarara who defected to Zanu PF when Chombo fired engineer Elias Mudzuri," Ruhanya said. "How such elements find themselves in the top echelons of power in the MDC reflects badly on the leadership credentials of Morgan Tsavngirai. Having incorrigibly/inveterate corrupt and compromised councillors in Harare and Bulawayo arguably shows that the MDC-T is not an alternative to Zanu PF but a version, a clone of the regime."He said using legitimacy through performance what is the MDC-T claim to lead Zimbabwe at this rotten rate?"Shocked that MDC-T have no clue of who these chaps are including Mbanga?" he said.
Microsoft has eventually joined the political fray in the United States with a view to help the electorate makes the appropriate choice later this year. The Redmond tech giant has decided to provide technical support for the Democrats as well as the Republican conventions.

The tech support provided by Microsoft will allow the voters to see the accurate and secure election results in real time at both the conventions, the tech titan said through a blog post.

According to Microsoft, it started working with the Democratic and Republican convention panels way back in 2000 with the objective to develop a purposeful means to enable the electorate to see the election results. The company will be employing three basic principles while handling Democratic and Republican conventions in the United States this year.

The blog post read that firstly, the company will act in a dichotomous manner and offer the same levels of support to both conventions.

Secondly, the company will make individual efforts, similar to many other companies in the Silicon Valley, to provide both the conventions with technology tools with a view to facilitate the efficient and accurate operation of this part of the American democratic process.

Thirdly, Microsoft said that it does not support any political party or its nominee. The company claimed that they have always been committed to these three principles throughout the four presidential elections since 200 and this year, too, will not be an exception, ZDNet reported.

Meanwhile, the company said that it is hopeful to avoid the upsetting Surface Pro technical issues that, according to some, were responsible for the New England Patriots to miss playing in the Super Bowl. Rather than making a cash donation to any of the U.S. political parties, the tech titan will support them with its products and services to assist them in running their respective conventions.

Microsoft further stated through the blog post that its services and products like the Office 365, Azure, Surface and others will be easily available at both conventions. The company is of the view that irrespective of their individual political party preference, Microsoft as well as other tech companies ought to offer their products and services to ensure that the democratic process is better.

Watch the video on U.S. Presidential elections 2016 campaign below:
Following years of patent as well as regulatory charges leveled against each other, good sense has prevailed upon Microsoft and Google, as the two tech giants decided to set aside their differences to concentrate of competing against one another through the merits of their respective products, instead of bothersome lawsuits.

The latest decision by Microsoft and Google to withdraw regulatory complaints against each other follows a similar move in 2015, wherein both the tech behemoths concurred to withdraw patent disputes associated with smartphones, web-based video and Wi-Fi technology, The Guardian reported.

While neither party has revealed the detail of the gentleman's agreement between the arch rivals, both sides have sent the message that the accord is a sign of a change in their management philosophy. In fact, the new Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, is keen to move forward the vision of a vibrant, collaborative Microsoft, which is willing to forge partnerships with all from Apple to Salesforce.

Those familiar with the happenings in the Silicon Valley reveal that the wind began to change last September, soon after Sundar Pichai assumed the post of Google CEO, when the rival tech companies agreed to stop disputing over patents, which is considered to be the first step toward the present accord. They both now want to compete on products and not in the courts.

The two companies have been competing vigorously, but now they want to compete on the basis of the merits of their products, Digital Trend quoted a Google spokesperson saying. Consequently, after the patent agreement between the two companies, they have consented to drop regulatory complaints against each other.

On the other hand, echoing Google's views on changing legal priorities, a Microsoft spokesperson told the media outlet that henceforth, they would concentrate on robustly competing for businesses and customers only.

Incidentally, though the timing of the agreement coincides with the European Commission's recent charges that Google is suppressing competition with pre-installed Android apps, the accord has nothing to do with the accusations. In fact, Microsoft is also on the same boat and perhaps requires all the help it can manage, since the Redmond tech titan has filed a suit against the U.S. government last week, stating that its customers enjoy the legal authority to know when the government is seeking data related to them.

Watch the video on "Hannover Messe 2016: Satya Nadella Keynote" below:
New inventions and technological enhancements get discovered every day. Some of these ideas also turn out to be the next big thing for a particular field or industry. Recent reports have revealed that Google has filed several patents that may likely introduce highly awaited enhancements in smart lenses and computer screen technologies.

A Google patent filing discovered by legal software firm ClientSide's founder Mikhail Avady teases of a new device that users can shred apart and put back together again, CNN reports. The said patent filing was published on Thursday, April 28. The new device consists a screen that can be ripped and modified. When torn apart, the contents of the screen will also change.

To demonstrate the device's capabilities, Google was said to have used a dog flier as an example, as stated in the same report. When the screen is still whole, the full picture of a dog can be seen. However, when parts of it are torn apart, the smaller pieces would contain the dog's photo with a phone number.

ClientSide's Avady commented on the said Google patent's importance and noted that it promises two elements that are sometimes featured in sci-fi movies. Avady stated that the rip-able screens hint of future enhancements in modular displays and disposable displays.

The same report also highlighted a statement made by Google that indicated the company currently hold patents on several ideas. "Some of those ideas later mature into real products or services, some don't. Prospective product announcements should not necessarily be inferred from our patents," the tech company mentioned in its statement.

Meanwhile, another Google patent also filed on Thursday, April 28, showed a promising advancement in eye lens technology. The firm based in California filed a patent for a high-tech lens implant that may permanently correct a person's vision, Mirror reports. The said technology would be injected directly onto the eyeball and may likely replace traditional contact lenses.

The injectable smart lens will be in liquid form when applied to the eyes. It would then solidify and adhere to the eye's "lens capsule" or the transparent membrane around the lens, as stated in the same report. Aside from the smart lens itself, the new Google technology is said to contain a tiny hard drive, radio, sensors and battery. A wireless "energy harvesting antenna" will supply power to the lens, according to the said Google patent filing.

At this time, it is still unclear whether these new technological advancements will make it to the market. Tech fans and industry experts will need to look forward to future news to learn more about potential new products.
A judge ordered a suspect for the first time in a federal case to use the Touch ID function on her iPhone and unlock the device using her fingerprint.

According to PCMag, in recent months, the number of court cases involving a locked iPhone was growing. The latest case has raised the legal question of whether pressing a finger on a device is self-incriminating.

The Los Angeles Times reports that just 45 minutes after her arrest, a federal court signed a warrant giving FBI the mandate to compel a suspect to unlock her iPhone.

Authorities obtained the search warrant in an identity theft case involving the girlfriend of an alleged Armenian gang member. She was ordered to press her finger against an iPhone seized by FBI from a Glendale home.

According to 9To5Mac, the warrant is consistent with a case dating from 2014. Back at the time, a Virginia District Court ruled that fingerprints are not protected by the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in the same way passcodes are. However, legal experts have differing views on the matter.

The law currently sees fingerprints as "real or physical evidence." This means that law enforcement agencies have a right to check them without the need of a warrant. But according to some law scholars, this view is now outdated.

For instance, the director of privacy at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, Albert Gidari, explained that the action to use one's fingerprint on a Touch ID to unlock an iPhone does not violate the Fifth Amendment prohibition of self-incrimination.

Engadget reports that in the Glendale case, the suspect pleaded no contest to a felony count of identity theft. In order to check her iPhone, the FBI asked for the fingerprint of the suspect.

The case involves a 29-year-old woman from L.A., Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan. The woman already has a string of criminal convictions.

In this particular case, the argument was set by a federal court. However, it is very likely that some future cases will make it to the Supreme Court.
The Brazilian government is now the subject of ire of netizens after the popular social media mobile app Whatsapp is currently banned in the country for 72 hours starting 2 p.m. local time, as the result of the dispute over data breach and privacy of its users.

A judge named Marcel Maia Montalvao from the northeastern state of Sergipof gave the order in addition to the decision to detain Diego Dzodan, Vice President for Latin America of Facebook, two months ago, over the app's failure to cooperate and provide the data information such as messages and contents that are being exchanged between the app's 100 million nationwide users in Brazil.

The authorities and investigators were requesting for the group messages and geolocations of the users involved months prior to this decision, but the mobile company has not responded at all, said Monica Horta, spokeswoman for Federal Police in Sergipe.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg expressed his feelings over the matter, saying that he was stunned at the extreme decision. Meanwhile, WhatsApp founder and CEO Jan Koum said on his official Facebook page, "Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have."

"Not only do we encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep people's information safe and secure, we also don't keep your chat history on our servers. When you send an end-to-end encrypted message, no one else can read it - not even us," he continued.

"While we are working to get WhatsApp back up and running as soon as possible, we have no intention of compromising the security of our billion users around the world."

He also added a link about the end-to-end encryption article on the Whatsapp blog to enlighten the public of their side. The company said that their data have been protected by end-to-end encryption and that they will only be available to the sender and recipient of the messages alone. The government treated this as refusal to cooperate over these data that were supposed to be used for national security.
So began an opening address to CeBITs big data and analytics conference by The Hon. Victor Dominello MP, Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, New South Wales Government. Dominello seems more a man of the people than a politician. He has been a lawyer for 14 years, and the Liberal member for Ryde since 2008, substantially increasing his margin each time. In his current role, he is responsible for the Office of Fair Trading and the NSW Governments ICT Strategy as well as leading on a range of open government, data analytics, innovation and regulatory reform initiatives.

If we could use big data to try and break down which of those alarms are real and which are false, and more importantly - use it to identify high risk and this is low-risk alarms then think of the savings in resources, he said.

We are crunching the big data as we speak, whether its local government apps showing construction, which results in dust, which results in false alarms  or looking at the energy grid because if theres a spike in electricity, that produces false alarms.

So instead of sending two emergency vehicles to every event, you might send one truck or a drone in the future. Youll use big data to use your resources more efficiently, and thats what we are doing. It is all about improving the success rate, he said.

Read on about NSW Governments leading Data Analytics Centre (DAC).

I speak not as an expert [in big data] but as someone who appreciates what it can do. We [NSW Government] generate a truck load of data but have been behind the eight ball until now. When it comes to big data we have just started that engine, he said.

Data is an asset, and we need to open it up for the benefit of all. Open data is an index of democracy, and people want access to raw data  not after it has had the PR spin added, he said. DAC will help to change that culture and herald a notable shift from [government] silos to sharing.

Dominello said that there is not another DAC worldwide with the legislative power that it has. We passed legislation late last year that gives us the power to demand data from each of the 160 agencies in NSW government, energy suppliers, and 152 local councils. The DAC can demand this information based on the social priorities as determined by the state government and the premier, he said.

A later speaker, Helen Owens, Assistant Secretary Data Policy in the Department of Communications, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) reinforced what Dominello said.

Open data creates more valuable data sets. The Federal Government under the guidance of Malcolm Turnbull has created a department with PM&C to eliminate the governments fragmented data policy. We spent too much time gathering it but too little effort to make it freely available. Data has now been consolidated into the Public Data Branch, she said.

Data volumes have grown exponentially  datageddon is the term I have seen used recently  and the move by the Federal Government to make, within the bounds of privacy (Safe Principles), most of its big data freely available is to be commended.

She said that government organisations like the Australian Tax Office, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Departments of Health, Human Services, and Social Security were collaborating to use big data reduce things like welfare fraud and to make better policy.

One of the Australian Governments biggest challenges is to find data trained staff. It is offering data fellowships, working with Universities on Masters and Graduate Diploma courses, and using the Australian Public Service data literacy program to fast track skills.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Zanu PF and MDC-T youth in Seke reportedly clashed after the ruling party youth planned to disrupt a rally which was supposed to be addressed by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.A recent report by the Zimbabwe Peace Project reveals that on 15 March 2016, in Ward 8, Matitsi in Seke there was a MDC-T meeting. MDC-T where Tsvangirai, was expected to attend." Zanu-PF youth allegedly organized to disrupt the meeting by harassing MDC-T supporters. It is alleged that MDC-T youths mobilized a counter-attack and reportedly assaulted Zanu- PF youth and chased them away. The police had to be called from Dema to contain the situation," reads ZPP report. "The meeting continued after the MDC-T leaders arrived. Vehicles belonging to Zanu-PF youths were damaged in the chaos."ZPP said it called, Zimbabwe Republic Police Mashonaland East Province, Assistant Inspector Tendai Mwanza who denied there was ever such an incident."On the other hand the MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu, told ZPP that while he could not independently verify this specific incident, incidents of such a nature were very common," reads the report.
At the CeBIT 2016 exhibition, a small Australian start-up is outclassing many contenders in the 3D printing field  3DBRINK.

The best way to describe 3D printing is additive printing  depositing one molecule at a time until an object is complete. At least in the consumer and prosumer space is it has been dominated by brands like US-based MakerBot - that is a good thing in so far as it has increased the recognition of the category  Replicator printing.

3D CEO and founder of 3DBRINKS Steve Brinks has hit on a what seems to be a unique 3-axis printing method (called a delta robot geometry) that allows vertical and horizontal movement in and around an object, compared to the single plane used by most 3D printers. It can also have one, two or even three print heads.

You can see Brinks being interviewed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull here. It is a good introduction irrespective of your politics.

It is available in the A$4000, Trinity model that allows for a 220 x 440mm build size and the $10,000 XL that allows for a 400 x 600 mm build size.

Andy Ektoros, Technical co-ordinator of the Western Sydney University LaunchPad program was excited, This is the best 3D printer I have seen, and we helped Steve prepare for its launch and international sales. It encompasses every feature that a 3D prosumer could wish for.

3DBRINK also supply a range of PolyMax PLA (Polylactic Acid) filaments that have impact resistance of up to nine times that of regular PLA, and better overall mechanical properties than ABS. It eliminates hazardous odours when printing with ABS. It comes in many colours and textures (translucent, natural, wood, rubber) as well as a printable copper for circuits.

Brinks has used the industry standard Raspberry Pi3 controller and put a 7 colour touch screen on the Trinity. It uses 128-time stepping which results in far smoother objects and has an integrated webcam for remote viewing. The XL adds Repetier Server control and higher temperatures.

Ektoros was thrilled at the consumerisation of 3D, 360 camera and scanners as it would open up 3D printing to the masses.

Current uses are prototyping, low volume manufacturing and for things like making short run injection moulds. The unit was demonstrated running Simplify 3D software but could also be run by CAD and almost any other 3D software.
Bet you use the same password for most of your online accounts and bet you have not changed it in recent memory.

Those are just two of the major problem with passwords:

High predictability or guess-ability (a pet or childs name on Facebook)

Stale  not changed ever

One used for many online accounts - crack one and open up all

Too weak - the tougher it is the harder it is to brute force crack

And probably all stored in contacts or on paper

A recent survey conducted by Intel Security has revealed the following Australian password habits:

Australians have an average of 26 different personal and business-related accounts that require a password

33% of Australians forget a password at least once a week

68% of Australians don't know what multi-factor authentication is

20% of Australians have regretted sharing a password with a family member or friend in the past

53% of Australians would prefer to use thumbprint recognition and 20% would prefer to use an eye scanner to login into their accounts instead of the traditional password

These findings don't come as a surprise, as many consumers feel overwhelmed by the number of passwords they are required to keep and manage safely.

"With ransomware and malware attacks continuing to grow, password security plays a huge part in helping us stay protected online. Individuals need to prioritise their digital safety and security by using services such as password managers and multi-factor authentication. These tools are there to help with the daily challenge of trying to remember several passwords," said Melanie Duca, APAC Head of Consumer Marketing & Online, Intel Security.

Read on about World Password Day.

It is on 5 May and is a global campaign to promote better password habits. Intel Security (McAfee) is reminding consumers to ensure that their personal data is secure at all times. Intels strongest message is to take charge of your passwords change them all today.

Intel recommends:

Use unique passwords for every account

Change your passwords regularly

Stop using one-word passwords

Lock your mobile with a PIN or password

Let a password manager memorise your passwords

Enable multi-factor authentication

The web site also has games and other tips to help make changing passwords easier and fun.

World Password day is supported by Intel Security, Microsoft, Dell, Asus. Stop|Think|Connect, National CyberSecurity Alliance, SAC and the University of Texas at Austin Centre for Identity.
And, peak advocacy group for startups  StartupAUS  while welcoming support for the Fintech sector and extension of the New Enterprise Investment Scheme, says that overall the budget was a disappointment for startups with few advances on previous measures. Like many in the startup ecosystem, StartupAUS wants more done to boost the growing startup industry.



In short, StartupAUS labelled the budget a missed opportunity, with CEO Alex McCauley saying the Treasurer had delivered an election year budget, providing the first real opportunity for Malcolm Turnbull to outline his vision for the countrys economic future.



This budget was a chance for the Government to make good on its rhetoric about continuing to build momentum on innovation and Australias economic transition. But, from that perspective, it is a disappointment.





The Treasurer tonight said that harnessing the power of innovation and entrepreneurship, to create our own ideas boom, lies at the heart of our plan to support jobs and create growth. But there is little in this budget to advance the governments support for innovation and entrepreneurship.According to McCauley, almost all the measures relevant to startups that the Treasurer alluded to in his budget speech had already been announced, six months ago, as part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda.None of those measures have come into effect yet, although some have made encouraging progress recently.The reality is that there is more new money in this budget to help mining companies prospect for resources ($100m) than to help create a supportive environment for our best entrepreneurs to build a high-growth technology company in Australia, Mc Cauley complained.And, StartupAUS positive comments and criticisms of the Budget are partly echoed by many other startups. Heres what some of them had to say:The budget address contained a lot of rhetoric around jobs and growth. The reality is, both jobs and growth and our national economic advantage wont come from savings or these tax cuts alone, it will come from innovative business practices within existing businesses and startups.Whilst the FinTech announcement and the expansion of the New Enterprise Investment Scheme (NEIS) are a step in a good direction, we need more. Research and development is critical to our future growth - I would like to see a lot more to encourage Incubators and accelerators both within the startup community and outside it within big business.I am a firm believer that the next boom in Australia will start with a bunch of tiny companies today. My hope from this budget comes from seeing some blockers removed for those smaller companies to get their early traction and for some of the advantages of being big being removed. We need to be nimble as a nation and having large companies sitting at the top of the pile, innovating slowly and fighting off the innovators is not going to help.It is not just about money. Opening up a regulatory sandbox for the facilitation of testing new intech products and services is a brilliant idea. This is a massive unfair advantage to Australian startups to invent the next generation of financial products. Initiatives like this and the serious investment in cybersecurity is the sign of a forward thinking government that understand that forward is now the next 12 months not the next decade.As a university teacher and innovator I like the look of the new Youth Jobs Path. Startups need help and can be the new trades that teach young people entrepreneurship and invest in our talent economy.Lowering tax rates applicable to the small business community is well supported by us. We look to fund the growth of businesses who are reinvesting in their enterprise so any additional supply of capital within the business be it tax savings or revenue ultimately contributes to growth of the sector in general.Shifting the turnover limit for access to the $20k immediate write off is also a boon, that should encourage medium size business to invest and Kikka can help fund that.There is a recognition in the budget that the SME space is expected to be the key driver of innovation and growth for the foreseeable future and the missing link is access to capital, which FinTech general and Kikka in particular is aiming to provide.Theres more to the budget for technology companies than a few tax cuts. Look at the huge amount of money provided for dental service subsidies, $5 billion. That will provide a huge opportunity for 1st Available and other technology companies who work with the healthcare industry, doing everything from digitising the appointment process and patient records to creating new telehealth solutions like remote surgery.Start-up companies should be looking at the huge opportunities like this instead of nitpicking over handouts and perks.It is excellent to see the government looking to actively promote Australia as a global fintech hub. We believe the $200,000 budgeted for marketing is a good start but we would like to see more.We are also eager to see what a regulatory sandbox will entail for Australian fintechs. The fintech community has been anticipating this move and will be keeping a close eye on how it works. The timing remains the issue as there are startups wanting to execute right away, and investors who have already put money into startups are keen for government to act quickly.This is a tired old boring Liberal budget. We need to balance the budget and get us back to surplus. It lacks the Innovation Turnbull inspired in us just 7 months ago and just falls back to typical Liberal statements on balancing the budget and getting us back to Surplus.Real innovation is selling the truth. The Government doesnt really control the budget, and some spending here and cuts there dont really shift the needle, what shifts the needle is confidence and support.Lower Company Tax is not really going to help small business, not in a meaningful way. If companies under $10mil of revenue are hoarding cash and paying tax, it means theyre not growing. Far more valuable to business is the immediate tax deductions and the ability to use up capitol losses for similar business. Or as we in the startup space call it, pivoting.Allowing people to roll over unused concessional caps so those with interrupted work arrangements, mainly women and carers, can make catch up contributions is a great idea, which may also (assist) freelancers and contractors and encourage more of these skilled workers into the technology and start up environment.In addition, anything that encourages or assists greater participation of women in the workforce and helps to address gender imbalance which is quite significant in a lot of tech companies is going to be good thing.I think the tax relief for small business is going to attract more companies to doing business in Australia such as startups. It has to be an improvement- any tax relief has to be an improvement and provide potential to attract more entrepreneurship and more business.It is excellent to see the Government targeting tax avoidance from big companies and focussing on the new startup generation. The Youth Path program is a great initiative for startups as it trains people prior to entering a small business especially in IT. It gives startups and small businesses a chance to potentially get the best talent early, and is a lot cheaper than a recruitment agency.This is a business generational shift of wealth to old school to the future.Raising the small business threshold to $10 million turnover, benefiting 870,000 businesses, employing 3.4 million Australians, is a huge move. These companies are the companies of the future, therefore the biggest tax payers of the future  let them hire more people.While there is not much new for startups in this budget, it is reassuring to see innovation and the Ideas Boom continue to be front and centre of the Governments vision for Australia. While this is a budget for conservative times, a number of measures promoting fintech and startups more broadly are much welcomed.Specific measures for a regulatory sandbox and promotion of Australian fintech overseas recognise that fintech is a key driver of future growth. We also saw enhancements to tax incentives for startup investors, which will only help encourage much needed funding for Aussie startups.Delighted to see the Budget back-up the Governments fintech statement with specific measures aimed at supporting fintech.Providing for a world leading regulatory sandbox is much needed for the fintech industry and something MoneyPlace has been advocating for, it took MoneyPlace more than 18 months to get regulatory approval. This will enable fintechs to trial new financial services products and services in a controlled environment, helping Aussie fintechs to get to market sooner.The budgets $2.4 million for landing pads in innovation hot spots in Singapore and Berlin will also help Aussie fintechs get promoted overseas. This is especially important in Singapore, as Australia has the opportunity to become Asias regional fintech hub.Reduction in tax rates for businesses with turnover of
The business resulting from the proposed merger of Dell and EMC will be called Dell Technologies, Dell chairman and CEO Michael Dell announced today.

"We are creating the next great technology company," Dell chairman and CEO Michael Dell (pictured, right) said at EMC World today. The name of that company will be Dell Technologies, he announced.

"Dell and EMC are incredibly complementary" as they provide leadership in so many areas (including data centre technologies, Internet of Things, cloud, software defined everything, security. platform as a service, mobility) but with little overlap, he said.

The post-merger company will benefit from the combination of EMC's innovation and Dell's unmatched supply chain and services, Dell said, and as a private company it will be able to invest for the long term and will be "100% focused on you, our customers."

The Dell brand will be retained for the company's client business (PCs, etc), while the company's data centre business will see the EMC brand live on as Dell EMC.

Taking a dig at rival HP - which recently divested its enterprise business - Dell said "You can't shrink your way to success."

Asked about possible gaps in the Dell Technologies portfolio, Dell replied "I have a few ideas, but I'm not going to tell you [what they are]."

EMC chairman and CEO Joe Tucci (pictured, left) said "there are still important things to do in the merger" including obtaining the final regulatory and shareholder approvals," but "this is the start of something greater."

The channel will remain important in the Dell Technologies era, and there will be a single channel program, said Dell.

However, combining the two channel programs might not happen immediately, warned Dell chief integration officer Rory Read.

But Dell suggested that the companies' "channel partners have already completed the integration" as they sell both ranges.

Read and EMC president and COO for global enterprise services and co-leader of the Dell/EMC value creation and integration office Howard Elias told a media briefing that merger-related work was proceeding well.

"We're really through all the major decisions," said Elias.

"We're right on schedule," said Reed, and customers and suppliers are very positive about the merger.

Regulatory approval has been obtained in the US, European Union, Australia and several other jurisdictions. The main exception is China, and the process there is "moving ahead smoothly" according to Reed. "We don't anticipate and major issues."

The synergies resulting from the merger are expected to accrue from the increased scale of the combined company rather than from the elimination of jobs.

However, "there will be some impact to headcount," said Elias, and Reed added that the details will be announced around the time the merger is finalised, and promised that the process will be managed properly and with respect.

Disclosure: The writer attended EMC World 2016 as a guest of EMC.
The Community Network sells digital advertising services to small businesses throughout Australia, with the advertising presented on branded LCD screens at various sites such as fitness centres, newsagencies, and shopping centres.



The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) instituted court action last November against Multimedia International Services, trading as The Community Network.



The Federal Court declared that in its dealings with the small business The Community Network had refused to release it from its contract for advertising services when the company was not providing those advertising services - then pursuing the business for non-payment, threatening legal action and engaging debt collectors.



The ACCC has accepted a court enforceable undertaking from The Community Network to resolve the its concerns about the standard form contract used by the company, which included an automatic renewal term. The ACCC said it was concerned this term had the potential to be misleading or deceptive to prospective advertisers.





The Community Network has undertaken to amend its standard form contract and change certain aspects of its practices to address the ACCCs concerns. The amendments include a reduction of the notice period required to terminate the contract, ACCC Deputy Chair Dr Michael Schaper said.Unconscionable conduct is a priority area for the ACCC, particularly where it affects small businesses.The ACCC brought these proceedings because it had received numerous complaints from small businesses that The Community Network was requiring payments to be continued under its contracts, despite not providing the digital advertising services promised. Some small businesses had also complained that they were misled by the failure to clearly disclose the effect of an automatic renewal term.Dr Schaper said the Community Network case was important because it makes it clear that businesses like The Community Network must comply with the Australian Consumer Law in their dealings with small businesses. The ACCC will continue to take appropriate enforcement action to protect small businesses.
A new South Dakota law may end up determining whether most U.S. residents are required to pay sales taxes on their Internet purchases.

The South Dakota law, passed by the Legislature there in March, requires many out-of-state online and catalog retailers to collect the state's sales tax from customers. The law is shaping up to be a legal test case challenging a 25-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits states from levying sales taxes on remote purchases.

Unless courts overturn the South Dakota law, it will embolden other states to pass similar Internet sales tax rules, critics said. The law could "set the course for enormous tax and administrative burdens on businesses across the country," Steve DelBianco, executive director of e-commerce trade group NetChoice, said in a statement.

If dozens of states adopt Internet sales taxes, online sellers could face audits and changing tax rules in thousands of taxing jurisdictions nationwide. Even with software that could make tax calculations easier, that would be a burden, NetChoice says. And online shoppers could end up paying up to 10 percent more for many products.

Supporters defended the law. It's time to provide a "level playing field" for bricks-and-mortar retailers that are required to collect sales taxes, said state Senator Deb Peters, a Republican and the main sponsor of the tax legislation.

With South Dakota's sales tax going up from 4 percent to 4.5 percent in June, out-of-state sellers have an advantage.

Even before the law went into effect Sunday, it prompted two lawsuits. Last Thursday, the state sued four online sellers, including Newegg and Overstock.com, in an effort to force them to register with the state and collect its sales tax. The law requires out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax if they have more than US$100,000 in sales, or 200 remote transactions, in South Dakota each year.

Then, on Friday, NetChoice and the American Catalog Mailers Association sued the state, arguing the new law violates the Supreme Court's Quill v. North Dakota decision from 1992.

South Dakota lawmakers passed the law "with the express understanding that its terms contradict" the Supreme Court, lawyers for the two trade groups wrote in their lawsuit. The law is "plainly unconstitutional" because it usurps the U.S. Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce, they said.

In the Quill decision, the Supreme Court ruled that states could not impose sales taxes on sales by out-of-state retailers because the taxes, with varying rules across thousands of jurisdictions, would be burdensome for sellers to collect. After the ruling, retailers with no store or warehouse in a state were not required to collect the state's sales tax.

The court left an opening for the U.S. Congress to streamline sales tax collection and allow states to extend it to out-of-state businesses. Lawmakers in Congress have been trying to pass Internet sales tax legislation for more than a decade, but opponents have stalled it.

Software and smartphone apps now make sales tax calculations easy, Peters said by email. "The burdens outlined in Quill no longer exist," she said.

Peters encouraged the Supreme Court to rule on the South Dakota sales tax law.

"We've been petitioning Congress for almost two decades to address the issue of remote sales tax collection because the ever-growing problem has negatively impacted local businesses and state revenue," she said. "To date, Congress has failed to act, leaving states to take action on their own."
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

People's Democratic Party has commended civic organisation, churches and individuals for ganging up against government over the imposed national pledge.PDP Bulawayo spokesperson Fortune Mlalazi said the party wishes to thank the civic society movement,the church and parents for the unity that they have shown over the issue of the proposed school pledge by one minister called Lazarus Dokora."When we first raised the issue we never thought the issue was going to have the support and momentum that it has gathered," he said."At this stage we want to call upon all parents to withhold their children from attending school until Dokora withdraws that senseless pledge and.provide quality education for our kids."He said if they continue with such action the children will indeed get quality education as enshrined in the constitution."PDP shall forever continue to support the struggle of the people of Zimbabwe and we assure you that another Zimbabwe is possible," he said.
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Baker Hughes and Halliburton, two companies that have been playing crucial roles in the energy exploration sector of the United States, have abandoned their plans for a merger worth around $34 billion.

According to these two energy giants, the U.S. Justice Department has disapproved their plans on Sunday.

On April 6, the department filed suit in order to block the merger of the two power companies. The government claims that the merger will unlawfully eliminate considerable competition in nearly two dozen markets vital to the exploration and production of oil and natural gas in the country.

"The companies' decision to abandon this transaction - which would have left many oilfield service markets in the hands of a duopoly - is a victory for the U.S. economy and for all Americans," said Loretta E. Lynch, Attorney General in a statement on Sunday.

A day after the merger was scrapped Baker Hughes Inc. set out a plan to reduce costs and buy back debt and stock and outlined the future steps it will take. The company said it would slash $500 million of costs and will consider restructuring its business while buying back $1 billion of debt and $1.5 billion of shares.

The company will source the funds for these initiatives from the break-up fee of $3.5 billion that it got from Halliburton when the deal was abandoned.

Officials at the Justice Department said that the merger between Halliburton and Baker Hughes would have increased prices, reduced output, and diminished innovation in at least 23 oilfield products and services that are crucial to the country's energy supply.

"While both companies expected the proposed merger to result in compelling benefits to shareholders, customers and other stakeholders, challenges in obtaining remaining regulatory approvals and general industry conditions that severely damaged deal economics led to the conclusion that termination is the best course of action," according to Dave Lesar, Chairman and CEO of Halliburton.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE national airline, Air Zimbabwe will next week re-introduce flights between Harare and the Tanzanian capital, Dar-es-Salaam.The airline will be flying to Dar-es-Salaam twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturday starting on May 14 using its medium range aircraft.Public relations manager Mrs Shingai Dhliwayo said that the reintroduction of flights on the route, which were discontinued in 2009, was part of the airline's strategy to integrate the region and also reclaim its former routes."This is part of our strategic intent to integrate the Southern African region by linking Harare and other regional cities via air travel."We have just been to the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair where there was emphasis on integration and I am happy that we played a part in integrating our visitors and local business people by ferrying them to and from Bulawayo," she said.Mrs Dhliwayo said that the re-introduction of flights between Harare and Dar-es-Salaam was expected to give visitors a convenient way of travelling and doing business."We are offering a fast, reliable, convenient and cost effective way for people to travel for business and leisure at very reasonable prices because our return ticket costs $400."For those travelling for business we have enough cargo capacity, we are offering generous baggage allowance of 40kg which is a lot," she said.The re-introduction of the route comes at a time when Air Zimbabwe has also reintroduced flights between Harare, Johannesburg and Lusaka in addition to its local routes, while also planning to re-introduce international routes starting with the Harare-London route.Last week Air Zimbabwe introduced additional flights on the Harare-Johannesburg route. The second frequency are servicing the route every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.Early this year Air Zimbabwe's acting chief executive Mr Edmund Makona told journalists during the unveiling of the logo for the 48th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) annual general assembly in Victoria Falls in November that was geared to growing its route network ahead of the AGM, where it will be the host airline."We really are geared to grow our route network, so as we grow that route network I do not want to pre-empt but other than just to confess that it cannot be an airline without the attendant issues of growth otherwise there is no need for the management at Air Zimbabwe to preside over a still birth airline." he said.
If what Craig Steven Wright said is true, he might have solved the greatest question ever asked on the Internet: Who is the creator of Bitcoin?

Wright, an Australian tech entrepreneur, says that he is the founder of Bitcoin.

However, analysts and experts are divided over whether he is really saying the truth or not. Is he the real person who has used the name "Satoshi Nakamoto" to hide his real identity?

Craig Steven Wright, a 45-year-old Aussie from Brisbane, contacted BBC to reveal his identity. GQ and the Economist have confirmed the previous claims made by a number of technology publications in 2015.

It is also said that prominent members of the Bitcoin family, along with the leaders of the Bitcoin Foundation, had validated the claim of Wright that he is the real Satoshi Nakamoto.

"I was the main part of it, other people helped me," said Wright in the BBC interview. He now resides somewhere in London.

"Some people will believe, some people won't, and to tell you the truth, I don't really care," he added.

On Monday, a blog post confirmed that he is the man behind the online alias Satoshi Nakamoto, who was widely known as the creator of Bitcoin. The blog post is mainly technical and explained how to verify cryptographic keys that can be accessed to help prove one's identity -- in this case, proving that Wright is indeed Satoshi.

In the post, Wright said: "Satoshi is dead. But this is only the beginning."

Wright also told BBC that he never intended to step forward to "be the public face" of Bitcoin.

"There are lots of stories out there that have been made up and I don't like it hurting those people I care about," he says. "I don't want any of them to be impacted by this," he said.

Skeptics are not convinced saying he needs to do more than this to prove his identity. However, Gavin Andersen, Bitcoin Foundation chief scientist said he is "convinced beyond reasonable doubt."
The HTC 10 release date is on May 13. Carriers Sprint and Verizon have confirmed that they are offering the device.

Tech Times reported that Sprint has announced the HTC 10 release date to come next week. The device will be available on this carrier without initial payment; however, customers will be paying for $26 per month for 24 months. It will also run on the network's faster LTE Plus .

The publication noted that the HTC 10 release date could not come soon enough. With the positive reviews given by the tech community, fans are very excited to get their hands on the upcoming smartphone.

The HTC 10 will feature a metal design. It has a 5.2-inch Quad HD Super LCD 5 screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440. Its pixel density is 565 pixels per inch (ppi).

It has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM found in the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7, and S7 edge. The HTC 10 will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and HTC Sense 8.0.

The device has 32 GB of internal storage which can be expanded. HTC has promised "world class" cameras for both rear and front, with 12 megapixels and 5 megapixels, respectively.

According to Droid Life, preorders for the HTC 10 have already started last Apr. 29 with Verizon. The company is the first wireless carrier to offer the handset, with shipping options coming on May 5.

GSM Arena added that the HTC 10 release date will come a bit early for those who pre-ordered the unlocked version straight from the Taiwan-based company itself. HTC's Senior Global Online Communications Manager Jeff Gordon took to Twitter to reply to a question about the device's shipment date.

"Unlocked HTC 10 begins shipping in the US next week," Gordon said in a tweet last week. T-Mobile has not confirmed when it will launch the device while AT&T will not be selling the phone.
Consumers of Quaker Oats in New York and California have filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo Inc.'s Quaker Oats for making false advertisement claims. The said case says that the brand's signature product has elements of possible carcinogen which is not listed on the label as an ingredient.

In documents filed in court, the consumers claim that Quaker Oats oatmeal contains glyphosate, an herbicide which was declared by the World Health Organization last year as a potential carcinogen, although a committee from the Environmental Protection Agency disagreed.

The committee claimed that oat farmers use the chemical substance as a drying agent and a weed killer which they spray before harvesting their crop.

Although the lawsuit says there is nothing unlawful with the company's use of glyphosate, the consumers claim the product's "100 Percent Natural" label and promise, which listed rolled oats and natural grain as the main ingredient, are misleading.

The lawsuit which is seeking class-action status stated: "Defendant aggressively advertises and promotes its oatmeal products as '100% Natural,' and claims its oats are grown using 'eco-friendly' methods that pose 'less risk of pollutants and groundwater pollution."

"These claims are false, deceptive, and misleading," added the lawsuit.

"There is nothing unlawful about Quaker Oats' growing and processing methods," continued the suit. "What is unlawful is Quaker's claim that Quaker Oats is something that it is not in order to capitalize on growing consumer demand for healthful, natural products," the document added.

Attorneys for the New York consumers said that health conscious customers want to buy whole, natural foods which do not contain potentially dangerous chemicals. They are willing to pay more for such foods that they know are sourced naturally.

"By deceiving consumers about the nature, quality, and/or ingredients of its Quaker Oats, Quaker is able to sell a greater volume of Quaker Oats, to charge higher prices for Quaker Oats, and to take away market share from competing products," the lawyers added.

Sources:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-quaker-oats-5ffb2fd8-109a-11e6-a9b5-bf703a5a7191-20160502-story.html

https://www.rt.com/usa/341631-glyphosate-quaker-oats-lawsuit/
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko wants Bulawayo to make full use of dirty water at Khami Dam.About 3,5 million litres of water has been lying idle for more than 20 years.Mphoko toured the dam on Monday and quickly said there was a need to also utilise more than 250 hectares of land for agricultural purposes."We want to utilise 3,5 million litres of water at Khami Dam and 250 hectares of land which have a great potential to create employment for our people but it's been lying idle for over 20 years now."We want our people to utilise that land and dam for farming activities to feed our people," said Mphoko.He said the government would work in partnership with the Bulawayo City Council and the private sector to develop the project."We want food and need to farm and possibly put maize under irrigation. We want to whip the council to work with the local community and the private sector," said VP Mphoko.In February, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) announced plans use water from Khami dam for power generation.The company sought permission from the Bulawayo City Council to use water from the dam which was decommissioned in 1988 due to high levels of pollution.ZPC requires the water as part of the rehabilitation of the power station after it secured an $87 million loan from India for the power project, but the dam would remain under the BCC.
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One person was injured Tuesday when a storm toppled a tree onto a school bus in Clemmons, authorities said.

The tree struck the bus carrying seven children about 3:10 p.m. at South Stratford Road and Sides Road, said Chief Deputy Brad Stanley of the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office.

There were conflicting reports about the incident.

Stanley said that two adults were on the bus when the tree struck it and that one of the adults suffered a minor injury. The bus driver and the students werent injured, Stanley said.

Theo Helm, a spokesman for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said the bus was carrying an adult driver and seven students and that no one was injured.

FOX8/WGHP, the Winston-Salem Journals newsgathering partner, reported that a female student, not an adult, suffered a minor knee injury.

The bus was taking home students from Clemmons Elementary School, Stanley and Helm said.

The fast-moving storm rolled through Forsyth County and Winston-Salem shortly after 3 p.m. Strong winds and rain knocked down trees on Fishel Road and Hopewell Church Road near Peters Creek Parkway, according to the Forsyth County 911 Communication Centers Twitter account.

The storm also toppled trees and power lines on Styers Ferry and Fraternity Church roads, as well as in the 1800 block of N.C. 66 South. Minor flooding was reported Tuesday morning on eastbound Business 40 under the Marshall Street bridge, the N.C. Department of Transportation said.

Several trees also fell in High Point and Jamestown in Guilford County, the National Weather Service said.

Duke Energy Corp. reported 1,950 outages in Forsyth County, 613 outages in Davie County and 55 outages in Wilkes County.

The weather service had issued a severe thunderstorm watch for central North Carolina, including Forsyth, Guilford and Davidson counties. The watch remained in effect until 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Todays forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of rain in Winston-Salem with a high temperature of 78 degrees.

Tonights low temperature will be 51 degrees.
BAGHDAD  An American serviceman has been killed in northern Iraq, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said Tuesday, marking the third U.S. combat death in the country during the campaign against the Islamic State.

Carter announced the death during a visit to Stuttgart, Germany. U.S. Central Command said the service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of "enemy fire."

The U.S. military adviser was killed about 9:30 a.m. after Islamic State fighters penetrated a front line of Kurdish peshmerga forces about 20 miles north of Mosul, said a U.S. military official speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information publicly.

The service member, who was about two to three miles from the front lines, was killed by "direct fire," the official said. No other coalition casualties were reported in the attack, which involved Islamic State "truck bombs supported by infantry," he said.

American advisers in Iraq are moving out of the confines of more established Iraqi bases to give closer support to troops as they attempt to push forward toward the Islamic State's stronghold of Mosul, the militants' key stronghold in Iraq. But that is also putting U.S. troops closer to danger.

"This sad news is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face everyday in the ongoing fight to destroy ISIL and end the threat the group poses to the United States and the rest of the world," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State. The serviceman will be identified after next of kin are informed, he said.

A Kurdish official said that the U.S. serviceman was injured in the attack on peshmerga lines near Telskuf, which began about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. He died as he was being transported out of the area, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

The Islamic State used three vehicles packed with explosives during the attack, in which Kurdish soldiers also died, he said, adding that he did not have details on the number of casualties.

U.S. Army Special Forces operate across peshmerga front lines, often spending hours at outposts gathering information about the Islamic State's activity.

The small detachments, however, are usually stationed a few miles from the front to help coordinate airstrikes between peshmerga fighters and the joint command centers in Baghdad and Irbil, the administrative center of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

Some 200 U.S. Marines are also now stationed less than 10 miles from the front line, near the northern town of Makhmour, where Iraqi troops are building up for a future Mosul offensive. Marine Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin was killed there in a March 19 rocket attack.

In October, Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler died assisting Kurdish forces on an Islamic State prison near the Iraqi city of Hawija.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) Chitungwiza co-ordinator Marakia Bomani, has said his party was targeting Zanu-PF strongholds in rural areas as urban voters had already rejected the ruling party since 2000 when the opposition MDC-T snatched its first parliamentary seats.Bomani said ZimPF was aware that Zanu-PF was prone to using violence "as their policing tool" and that his party was peace loving although it was not going to be a stroll in the park campaigning in the rural areas".Zanu PF, which is facing a plethora of economic and political challenges ahead of the 2018 elections, has hatched a plot to derail Joice Mujuru's Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) project by taking back most of its members that had been suspended or expelled from the party.Senior party officials said that the recent decision by party leader, President Robert Mugabe to open appeal avenues for the lost members was instructed by the need to action the Mujuru derailment plot.Many of the members expelled or suspended from Zanu PF are senior and influential politicians and a good number of them had shown inclination to join Mujuru's party presenting a serious threat to Mugabe's Zanu PF.Others were still sitting on the fence and the apparent welcome back to Zanu PF is likely to attract them. Following Mugabe's meeting with war veterans who warned him that the suspensions and expulsions had destroyed and exposed the party to defeat Mugabe immediately put together a committee to hear appeals against the expulsions and suspensions.
STEPANAKERT, Nagorno-Karabakh  The military commander of this breakaway Armenian republic predicted in an interview here Monday that a fragile cease-fire could collapse within days. By that night, Azerbaijani shelling had killed two Armenian soldiers in a northern border town, amid accusations by each side that the other had violated the truce.

The frozen conflict here, stalemated for 22 years, exploded on April 2, when Azerbaijani forces attacked across the 200-kilometer front line. The Azerbaijanis seized ground for the first time since the previous war ended in 1994. Russia negotiated a quick truce four days later, but as Mondays fighting showed, another all-out conflict seems perilously close.

Karabakh is one of the worlds least-discussed and most intractable quarrels. The mostly Armenian population violently seceded from Azerbaijan in a two-year war. Since then, Russia, France and the U.S. have sponsored a mediation effort, but it has been fruitless: Azerbaijan demands that land once inside its borders be returned; the Armenians insist they arent leaving. Rather than softening over time, anger seems to be hardening on both sides.

Russia is opportunistically in the middle. Moscow says it wants to broker a lasting peace deal, but it has also been arming both sides. The U.S. also hopes to prevent a wider conflict but has little diplomatic leverage. The Azeris, judging by their strident social media, feel emboldened by their recent offensive; the Armenians feel isolated and increasingly reconciled to what one former peace activist here described to me as a state of permanent war.

I visited Karabakh with several other foreign journalists and a member of the European parliament on a trip organized by the Armenian government. The 90-minute helicopter flight took us over stunning mountainous terrain to this lush, isolated enclave whose name means black garden. During my brief visit, the place seemed a bit like Switzerland in the Caucasus  not just the mountains but the tidy streets, hillside farms and fiercely independent people.

Lt. Gen. Levon Mnatsakanyan, 50, the defense minister of this self-declared republic, said his forces hadnt expected the broad attack on April 2. But he said there had been warning signs: Since last August, 21 Armenian soldiers had been killed and 113 wounded in attacks along the so-called line of control. And Azerbaijan had been restocking its arsenal with new Russian tanks, Israeli drones and Turkish missiles. The Armenian side, reassured by a supposed strategic alliance with Russia, didnt expect a big Azeri offensive.

Tactically, maybe they have registered some successes, Mnatsakanyan conceded. But I would say that considering all the force they used, its rather a defeat for them. He claims the Azerbaijanis had lost 24 tanks in the four-day battle in early April. The two sides have radically different casualty counts, and its impossible to independently verify the numbers. But Azerbaijani commentary has treated the campaign as a major victory after the smoldering defeat of the 1992-94 war.

Mnatsakanyan insisted that Armenian troops could defend the enclave, without Russian help: The result of the four-day war shows that the equipment we have and our combat readiness is OK for stopping any adversaries. If the war resumes, he says, we will not only repel them but advance ourselves.

Talking to Armenian residents of Karabakh, I came away with a sense of growing militancy here, as in Azerbaijan.

Garen Ohanjanyan, the former peace activist, says this latest war has changed his view about the possibility for reconciliation. After the last war ended, he helped foster dialogue with Azerbaijanis. Now, he says, he has given up on peace and wants Armenian forces to destroy Azerbaijani economic targets. In the last month, he explains, our nation lost its illusions.

Maybe my generation became too relaxed in these past years, says Ashot Sarkissyan, a 27-year-old who works with a local NGO and also serves in an anti-aircraft defense unit. Why didnt we use this time to become strong enough to deter them from a war?

Anahit Danielyan, who heads the Stepanakert Press Club, says she used to try to stay in touch online with Azerbaijani journalists. Now, she says, Im starting to feel this hatred from my colleagues in Azerbaijan. ... This new war has somehow changed our perceptions of each other.

On the road to the airport, a visitor can see the national monument, a huge stone statue of an old man and woman  heads only, the bodies seemingly buried in the hillside. The official name is We are our mountains. The implicit message is: We arent moving. What seems ahead is a long, unyielding conflict.
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Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. has sharply criticized over the years any number of causes and people, ranging from Beyonce to Black Lives Matter.

But here is a completely new target for the outspoken sheriff:

Clarke -- who is African-American -- posted a tweet this week questioning Kentucky officials who decided to remove a Confederate monument adjacent to the University of Louisville campus. A Kentucky judge has since issued a temporary order blocking the move.

"Separating people from their history is the second step to enslavement after first disarming them," Clarke wrote.

https://t.co/2Wl5nmSaA1 Separating people from their history is the second step to enslavement after first disarming them.  David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) May 2, 2016

Clarke linked to a story from an anti-government website called From the Trenches World Report about the removal of the 70-foot monument, which is capped with a statue of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. Davis was born in Kentucky.

The Louisville mayor and university president decided to move the 120-year-old monument after a professor of Pan-African studies wrote a piece complaining about it. The Sons of Confederate Veterans and a GOP congressional candidate then went to court to block the move.

Clarke's post was retweeted more than 300 times and liked nearly 400 times. It also got generally positive responses, with a handful comparing the officials in Kentucky to the Islamic State terrorist group.

Said one response to Clarke's tweet: "Kinda sounds like ISIS trying to wipe out Christianity in the idol worshipping middle east. Pray."

Fran McLaughlin, spokesman for the sheriff, referred questions to his campaign website. Clarke did not respond to a message left there.
John Bartkowski, CEO of Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, and Rachel Roller, senior vice president of community and government relations for Aurora Health Care, are shown Monday at the health center in Milwaukee. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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Aurora Health Care will give a building with an estimated value of $1 million to Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers to open a new clinic at 4570 S. 27th St., continuing the recent expansion of community health centers that provide care to roughly one in seven people in Milwaukee.

The gift is in addition to a $1 million grant last year to Sixteenth Street to expand access to primary and behavioral health care. That grant now will be used for renovations to the building and to offset the clinic's operating losses in its first years.

"They stepped up to the plate, and I have to give them a lot of credit for that," said John Bartkowski, president and chief executive officer of Sixteenth Street.

Sixteenth Street, which provided care to 39,400 people last year, also plans to open a clinic south or west of Miller Park, an area that has been identified as having limited access to primary care and other health care services.

That clinic will be financed by a $12 million grant from Froedtert Health announced in August. The Medical College of Wisconsin also has committed to supporting it.

Aurora pledged $1.7 million to Progressive Community Health Centers last year to open an urgent care clinic and a medical clinic on the Aurora Sinai Medical Center campus in downtown Milwaukee. The two clinics, scheduled to open this month, could reduce the number of people seeking primary care at the hospital's emergency department.

The grants by Aurora and Froedtert Health to Sixteenth Street and Progressive are the most recent examples of the increased collaboration between health systems and the four community health centers in the Milwaukee area.

Community health centers, located in low-income urban and rural areas, provide primary, dental and behavioral health care and other services, primarily to patients who are covered by Medicaid programs, such as BadgerCare Plus, or who are uninsured.

Community health centers receive higher payments for seeing patients covered by Medicaid programs than the health systems do. As a result, community health centers can make money on patients covered by the programs, while the health systems typically lose money on those patients.

"It only makes sense that the systems want us to help," Bartkowski said.

The building that Aurora is giving to Sixteenth Street is part of Aurora's plans to give $5 million to community groups throughout eastern Wisconsin this year through its Better Together Fund.

The health system gave $10 million in grants through the fund last year to expand access to primary and behavioral health care as well as for sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and treatment programs.

"We view this fund as part of our role as a leader in the community, and it's based on collaboration, which is really the best way to solve problems," said Michael Brophy, chief of staff and chief communications officer for Aurora.

The grants from Aurora and Froedtert Health come when health systems are posting stronger profits partly because of the expansion of coverage through the Affordable Care Act and the drop in charity care and bad debt expense. Aurora reported operating income of $462.4million last year and $503 million in 2014 compared with $156.8 million in 2013. Froedtert Health reported operating income of $149 million for its fiscal year ended June 30 compared with $83.4 million in its 2014 fiscal year.

Sixteenth Street's new clinic  about 10,000 square feet  will be smaller than its clinics at 1032 S. Chavez Drive and 2906 S. 20th St. and the clinic planned for south or west of Miller Park.

The new clinic, which will provide primary and behavioral health care, could have a mix of five or six physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants or therapists. Sixteenth Street hopes to be in the new clinic in January.

In addition to the grants totaling roughly $2 million, Aurora also agreed for its specialists to accept referrals from Sixteenth Street. "The partnership with Aurora is almost as important as the million-dollar building," Bartkowski said.

Sixteenth Street, which has worked closely with Columbia St. Mary's, will have a similar arrangement with Froedtert Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin when it opens its clinic to the west.
Greg Winn (center), a Paper Machinery Corp. tool designer for 36 years, reacts to the announcement with Chad Leonard (far right), a tool designer for three years, that they would become owners of the company. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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A family with some of Milwaukee's deepest manufacturing roots has decided to turn its company over to the people it credits most for its success.

The families of Donald Baumgartner and his son, John, owners of Paper Machinery Corp., handed the 65-year-old Milwaukee company over to stunned employees Monday through an employee stock ownership plan, a change that over time could put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the retirement accounts of some longtime workers.

Paper Machinery says it's the world's leading manufacturer of machines used to produce paperboard cups and containers for brands like McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC and Tim Hortons.

The announcement of the change was made at an employee meeting in a big party tent in front of the company headquarters, with plenty of beer, food and a jazz band.

Not knowing what to expect, some workers were worried that Paper Machinery was being sold to another company.

"I would have to say there was a lot of anxiety. But I would be willing to bet now that everybody's elated," said Greg Winn from Menomonee Falls, a tooling designer who has worked at the company for 36 years. "We were really floored and pleasantly surprised."

Located at 8900 W. Bradley Road, Paper Machinery employs 250 people and posts more than $100 million in annual revenue. The company is now 100% employee owned.

"This is great news for our employees and great news for Milwaukee. The transition to employee ownership will ensure that Paper Machinery Corporation's legacy will continue right here in Milwaukee for generations to come," said Donald Baumgartner, who founded the company in 1951, and whose family has been manufacturing machinery in Milwaukee since the 1930s.

Under the new employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), eligible employees will earn shares of Paper Machinery Corp. stock over time. An ESOP is a federally regulated retirement plan that invests in the stock of an employer on behalf of its employees.

The plan is in addition to the employees' existing retirement benefits.

The company would have to remain profitable and meet its goals in order for the employee owners to realize the maximum benefits.

Some production employees could retire with more than a million dollars, said Steve Barth, an attorney with the Milwaukee law firm Foley & Lardner, legal counsel to the company in the transaction.

The Baumgartner family has been engrained in Milwaukee's manufacturing history for decades, from building machinery in the family garage to launching Milwaukee companies including Reliable Tool and Mercury Engineering, as well as Paper Machinery.

Donald Baumgartner got his start working for his father, John Robert Baumgartner. He went on to follow in his father's footsteps, founding Paper Machinery in 1951.

Every facet of the company's engineering, manufacturing and service takes place at the company's Milwaukee headquarters.

"We are deeply committed to Milwaukee and to our employees," Donald Baumgartner said. "When the time came to transition ownership, the choice was clear. Who better to carry on our legacy and tradition than the people who made the business successful in the first place  our managers and employees."

Over the years, Baumgartner said, he saw too many companies where employees lost their jobs after the business they worked for was sold.

"I watched my father build and sell three companies in Milwaukee, all three of which were moved out of state. I didn't want that to happen again," he said.

From those experiences, Donald Baumgartner and his son John decided that an ESOP was the best succession plan for Paper Machinery.

"This is a family business. Our employees are our family, making a transition to an employee-owned company a natural fit," said John Baumgartner, former president of Paper Machinery and now a member of the board of directors.

The business has grown rapidly in recent years, adding 50 jobs since 2014.

The Baumgartners will benefit from the sale of the shares to the ESOP, but not nearly as much as they would have from selling the company to another buyer.

"Despite my many strong recommendations that they market Paper Machinery Corp. to a third-party buyer, at a likely much-higher, cash-upfront purchase price, they instead insisted on pursuing an ESOP sale to ensure that their employees would be rewarded for helping them build PMC into the great company that it is today," Barth said.

"The Baumgartners put their employees, customers and community above their own personal interests in pursuing this transaction. Really quite remarkable, and very inspirational both professionally and personally," Barth added.

Operational control of the company is being transitioned to longtime managers Luca Dellomodarme, Scott Koehler and Michael Kazmierski.

"The success or the failure of the company is in the hands of the people who work here every day. We will be doing what we have always been doing, maybe with a little more responsibility," said Koehler, Paper Machinery's chief financial officer and treasurer.

Donald Baumgartner will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors, with John Baumgartner remaining on the board.

"I am 85 years old, and I have been at this for over 60 years. The company is in incredibly good shape at the moment, so the timing could hardly be better," Donald Baumgartner said.

The Baumgartners say they will remain in Milwaukee, where they are active in the arts, theater and charities.

"I have strong roots here in Milwaukee. ... I care a lot about this community," said Donald Baumgartner, who is a past president of the Milwaukee Art Museum's board of trustees and served as chairman of the museum's building committee during construction of the Calatrava addition.

Originally, Paper Machinery was named Milwaukee Shipbuilding Corp. because the Baumgartner family initially thought about building a business refurbishing surplus military ships. The company, however, never touched a ship, instead turning its attention to building machines that make paper cups.

Now, with employees at the helm, "The ship is on course, the weather is fair, and the fuel tanks are full," Donald Baumgartner said.
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Caterpillar Inc. said Tuesday it is moving engineering and technology jobs from its mining equipment division in South Milwaukee to Tucson, Ariz.  a move that will have a large impact on the workforce here.

"This is truly a very sad day for Milwaukee and Wisconsin as these jobs have existed in the region for 136 years," said Tim Sullivan, the former chief executive of Bucyrus International of South Milwaukee, which Caterpillar acquired in 2011 for $8.8 billion.

Caterpillar says it has about 900 employees in South Milwaukee, including its manufacturing plant, but the company would not say how many jobs will be moved to Tucson, nor would it provide other employment information including the number of people on layoff.

The Peoria, Ill.-based company said it's also transferring an undisclosed number of mining equipment and technology jobs from Peoria and Decatur, Ill., to Tucson.

South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks said the company told him 10 to 15 jobs from his city will be moved to Arizona this year and approximately 200 jobs could be moved over the next five to seven years.

Brooks said Caterpillar told him the bulk of the transfers will take place in 2018. Sullivan said he was disappointed but not surprised by the announcement, which was made by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

"Arizona embraces and supports their past and current mining heritage, whereas Wisconsin has rejected and even vehemently protested our mining heritage. I suspect it was a relatively straightforward decision for Caterpillar management," Sullivan said.

The new offices will house the company's surface mining and technology division with employees in executive management, engineering, product development and support positions.

After the transition, the company probably won't have much of an engineering presence in South Milwaukee.

"When you make these moves you generally leave no one behind," Sullivan said.

Caterpillar has laid off hundreds of employees in the Milwaukee area and now employs about 240 at its manufacturing plant in South Milwaukee, down from 800 a few years ago.

The company says it's not closing the factory, and that it will keep some management jobs here to support the operation.

Still, it's worrisome, said Ross Winklbauer, a subdistrict director for the United Steelworkers union that represents the plant employees.

"We are being told that this will not have any effect on our union jobs. But, I will be honest, any time that you see a company siphoning jobs out of the area, it makes you nervous," Winklbauer said.

For more than a century, Milwaukee has been a leader in the manufacture of mining machines.

Bucyrus steam shovels helped dig the Panama Canal. Bucyrus and Milwaukee-based Joy Global Inc. make some of the world's biggest mining machines, including draglines where the bucket alone is the size of a two-story garage.

Both companies have spent millions of dollars to upgrade and expand their local operations. However they've been engulfed in a deep downturn in the mining industry that's hit the business and the workforce hard.

Milwaukee has experienced a "double whammy," including the loss of the Bucyrus headquarters and the layoffs that followed, said Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

"This is another reminder that the only constant is change, and that Milwaukee has to keep moving forward or it will fall backwards," Sheehy said.

Caterpillar said it will begin moving employees to Tucson in the summer. Currently, the company has its Tucson Proving Ground and Tinaja Hills Demonstration Center that employ about 300 people.

Arizona, like Wisconsin, has a mining industry legacy. Many of Caterpillar's customers are in the West.

"The ability to get closer to our customers and tightly collaborate across all aspects of the business is at the center of our strategy," said Tom Bluth, a Caterpillar vice president.

"Southern Arizona is a growing region known for a workforce rich in mining, technology and engineering expertise as well as an attractive quality of life for both families and young graduates," Bluth said.

Caterpillar's new facility in Tucson will add 600 jobs to the Arizona economy over five years, according to Ducey.

Some have speculated that Arizona offered Caterpillar more than $50 million in incentives in exchange for the jobs.

"This is a huge win for Tucson and the entire region. In addition to bringing jobs and capital investment to Southern Arizona, a project of this level will have a ripple effect throughout the community and state," Ducey said in a statement.

Caterpillar didn't reach out to Wisconsin or Milwaukee officials for assistance in keeping the jobs here, according to Sheehy.

Also, it wasn't a shortage of Milwaukee-area talent that resulted in Caterpillar's decision.

"When it comes to industrial engineers and mechanical engineers, you would be hard pressed to find a community with Milwaukee's strengths," Sheehy said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

MAKOKOBA legislator Tshinga Dube (Zanu-PF) is embroiled in a nasty fight with his former personal assistant Nothiwani Dlodlo, accusing him of extortion.Dube alleges Dlodlo has been "begging" for money using his name by falsely claiming that he had sent him to look for cash to organise constituency events.Dlodlo has now been booted out from the Makokoba constituency information centre where he was in charge following the "extortionist" claims levelled against him.
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Acquiring Integrys Energy Group Inc. and its Green Bay electric utility boosted earnings by 77% in the first quarter for WEC Energy Group Inc.

The Milwaukee utility holding company on Tuesday reported net income of $346.2 million, up from $195.8 million in last year's quarter. Earnings per share were $1.09, compared with 86 cents last year. Analysts who follow the company were expecting profit of $1.01 per share.

The increase was linked to Wisconsin Energy Corp.'s big acquisition in June. That $9.1 billion deal added Wisconsin Public Service in Green Bay as well as Peoples Gas in Chicago and natural gas utilities in Michigan and Minnesota.

"We delivered solid results  particularly in light of the mild winter temperatures that reduced demand for electricity and natural gas across the Midwest," said Allen Leverett, WEC Energy president and chief executive, in a statement.

The company is seeing savings from combining the two companies, Leverett said in an interview. While some of that comes from workforce reductions in Green Bay, Milwaukee and Chicago, the company is also seeing savings in a variety of areas, from purchasing to prescription drug costs, he said in an interview.

Electricity sales for the Wisconsin utilities declined by 1.6% in the first quarter, excluding sales to two iron ore mines in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, WEC said. That includes a 0.8% decline for large business customers and a more than 4% drop for residential customers. Adjusted for the weather, electricity sales slipped 0.2%.

From January through March, the winter weather was 15% warmer than last year and 7% warmer than average, based on temperatures at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport. The mild conditions delivered savings for We Energies and WPS customers on their heating bills but trimmed more than $29 million from the utility's income, WEC said.

The company's total revenues in the quarter were $2.19 billion, up from $1.39 billion in last year's quarter. Newly acquired utilities contributed $980 million to the company's revenues.

Leverett became CEO this week upon the retirement of Gale Klappa, who will remain chairman. Leverett joined the company in 2003 as chief financial officer under Klappa, who served as CEO for 13 years.

Last week, WEC told the state Public Service Commission that it won't seek electric or natural gas rate hikes for either We Energies or Wisconsin Public Service in 2017.

During an investor conference call, Chief Financial Officer Scott Lauber said the company was reaffirming its earnings outlook for 2016.

The company is stepping up its capital spending plan after Congress voted in December to extend a tax incentive relating to bonus depreciation.

As a result, WEC Energy Group is expanding its capital spending plan for both this year and next year, adding a total of $500 million in spending  most of it in 2017.

WEC now anticipates spending $1.55 billion this year and $1.9 billion next year on capital projects. Projects that have been added to the company's plate, Lauber said, include an enterprisewide computer system upgrade slated to cost $100 million, $100 million to $150 million in additional gas and electric distribution projects in Wisconsin and a $30 million upgrade at a natural gas storage field in Illinois.

The company's biggest project is the replacement of aging natural gas mains beneath the city of Chicago. WEC's Peoples Gas utility is projected to spend $250 million to $280 million this year on the project.

The long-term outlook for that project  and whether it needs to be done more quickly at a higher cost for Chicagoans  remains undecided. The Illinois equivalent of the state Public Service Commission, the Illinois Commerce Commission, is expected to finalize its review by the end of the year, Leverett said.

After the announcement, WEC Energy's shares closed at $58.95, up 53 cents.

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A billboard along State 15 asks for information on the unsolved homicide Credit: Wm. Glasheen

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Appleton  Police confirmed a report that retired bank president James K. Olson is the prime suspect in the 2006 unsolved homicide of Connie Boelter.

The story on Olson was published Sunday by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

"Today, we are not able to release any specific additional details on the investigation," Assistant Police Chief Todd Olm said in a prepared statement read at a news conference on Monday. "However, we feel it is important to confirm the report published yesterday is accurate, as it is based on information filed with the (Outagamie County) clerk of court's office."

Police didn't answer questions from reporters after the statement was read.

Olson, 68, of Grand Chute, was president of the Wolf River Community Bank in Hortonville and worked directly with Boelter, a loan processor at the bank, at the time of her death. He retired as bank president in 2014 and was re-elected to a three-year term on the board of directors in March.

On Sunday, Olson went on administrative leave from the board of directors.

Joe Peikert, president and chief executive officer of the bank, told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that the leave was "by mutual agreement."

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin obtained 553 pages of search warrants, subpoenas and court orders related to the homicide investigation. The documents date to December 2012 and were sealed by court orders until the orders were allowed to lapse in April.

Investigators discovered Olson had significant debt and appeared to violate bank practices and federal loan requirements, according to the records.

"Based on the fact Connie Boelter entered loans into the general ledger and had concerns over recent loans she discussed with another bank employee days prior to her death, this affiant is concerned there is a connection between unethical banking practices and Connie Boelter's death," Appleton police Sgt. Daniel Tauber said in a Feb. 24, 2015, affidavit.

No arrest has been made in the case, and no charges have been filed.

Olm said the records obtained by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin represent "only a portion of the evidence we have gathered."

"There are other parts to the investigation we will not be able to release at this time," he said. "It is our priority to protect the integrity of the investigation and future prosecution."

Boelter, 56, was found dead on Nov. 15, 2006, at her home in Appleton after she failed to report to work at the bank. According to Tauber's affidavit, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

Olm said teams of investigators and specialists, both locally and nationally, have been working on the case for more than nine years.

"We will continue to put all the resources we need into gathering the evidence needed to hold Connie's murderer accountable," he said.

Investigators have carried out at least 21 search warrants, subpoenas and court orders, including seven at Wolf River Community Bank and one at Olson's home, in the past 31/2 years. They seized personal financial information, bank records, telephone logs, clothing, tools, computers, journals and photographs.

They also obtained Olson's fingerprints for comparison with two fingerprints found at the crime scene and secretly tracked his car by GPS for three months.

Olson told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that he wished "this would stay out of the paper."

Peikert, the bank president, said he cooperated with police in turning over bank records sought by the search warrants. He assured the community that the bank is "well-capitalized and profitable."

"We have regular outside audits and periodic regulatory examinations that demonstrate that we are safe and sound and a well-run institution," Peikert said. "Some of the material in this case dates back almost 10 years and has no bearing on our current operations and fiscal position."
Authorities from multiple agencies responded to a freeway shooting and chase Sunday that ended in Dane County. Credit: Jeff Glaze / Wisconsin State Journal

By of the

A 44-year-old Illinois woman randomly shot while traveling home from a family trip to Wisconsin Dells died Tuesday, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed.

Tracy Czaczkowski, her husband and their two minor children were targeted by Zachary T. Hays, a 20-year-old gunman suspected in a West Allis homicide earlier in the day, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Office.

As they passed the SUV driven by Hays on southbound Interstate 90/94 in Sauk County, he rolled down his window and fired three shots into the family's vehicle, one of which hit Czaczkowski in the neck, officials said Monday.

The DEA released a statement on behalf of Czaczkowski's family. Her husband has worked for the agency for 11 years.

"Tracy is a loving wife of 15 years, mother of two tender age children, daughter and friend," the statement read. "The family is asking for privacy in this difficult time so that they can comfort each other."

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time, and those wishing to donate to her surviving children can contribute online at gofundme.com under the Czaczkowski Family Fund, according to the statement. The St. Mary Parish and School communities in Buffalo Grove are praying for the family, an Archdiocese of Chicago spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The suspect, Hays, was wanted in the fatal shooting of his downstairs neighbor, 42-year-old Gabriel Sanchez, Sunday morning, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Office.

West Allis police have not released any information about a possible motive in the fatal shooting and what relationship, if any, Hays had with Sanchez before the shooting.

After the shooting in West Allis, Hays somehow ended up driving on I-90/94 near Wisconsin Dells and shot Czaczkowski in what authorities believe was a random act, officials said. He then continued for several miles speeding on the highway until he was shot by deputies who used road spikes to stop his vehicle in Dane County.

Hays remained hospitalized on Tuesday, and no further information was available about his condition. A spokeswoman for the Dane County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that law enforcement officials in Milwaukee, Columbia, Sauk and Dane counties are continuing to investigate collaboratively to determine what charges will be referred to the respective prosecutors.

Hays' brothers were with him in the car and also were arrested. Jeremy A. Hays, 30, was booked on a tentative charge of being a felon in possession of a gun, while the 34-year-old brother faces a tentative charge of expelling bodily fluids on a law enforcement officer. The Dane County Sheriff's Office declined to release the identity of the 34-year-old brother because of his cognitive disability.

Zachary Hays has faced one serious charge before in adult court, according to online state court records. He was charged with robbery as a party to the crime in 2013 and pleaded guilty to battery and receiving stolen property, both misdemeanors, as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Hays, then 17, and two other 17-year-olds called a 14-year-old boy who sold marijuana and set him up for a robbery at Alcott Park on Milwaukee's southwest side on June 27, 2013, according to a criminal complaint.

The 14-year-old told police the three teens punched him repeatedly and stole $10 and marijuana from his pockets before fleeing in a car, the complaint says. Hays was sentenced to two years of probation with a stayed sentence of one year in jail to be imposed if he violated terms of his probation.

His brother, Jeremy Hays, was convicted of felony burglary in 2005 after he and a friend broke into a neighbor's house, stole CDs and video games and were spotted by the neighbor who had arrived home, records show.

Jeremy told Milwaukee police he and his friend used a key that had been "lifted" by his 10-year-old brother, according to a criminal complaint. The younger brother's name was not included in the complaint, but Zachary would have been 10 at the time. It was not clear if the juvenile brother faced any charges in the burglary.

Jeremy received a stayed prison sentence of 21/2 years and instead was sentenced to a year in the House of Correction with work release and 31/2 years of probation. He was charged and convicted of escape when he failed to return to the House of Correction in July 2006 after he was given a pass for the Community Justice Resource Center. He was ordered to serve 30 days in jail in addition to other stayed prison time he would have to serve from his early burglary sentence, according to online court records.

The other Hays brother who has not been publicly identified because of his cognitive disability once was charged with misdemeanor theft. The charge was dismissed after a mental health professional found he was not competent to proceed and likely would not regain competency with treatment. The man, then 20, was unresponsive when questioned in court, online records show.
Malena Jerge, 8, of Hartland, decided not to participate in the first Communion ceremony at St. Charles Catholic Church with other second-graders. Instead, she received her first communion at St. Anne's Salvatorian Campus where her grandmother, Catherine Jerge, 87, lives. Credit: Michael Sears

Malena Catherine Jerge got her wish. She received first Communion at the nursing home where her grandmother has lived all of the 8-year-old girl's life.

As you might guess, Malena was the only first-timer on Sunday at St. Anne's Salvatorian Campus. Pretty in her white dress and floral headpiece, she approached the chapel's altar with her parents, John and Amanda, for a host and a sip of wine.

Father Al Wagner then walked down to the front row and carefully placed a consecrated wafer in the mouth of Catherine Jerge, who has advanced Alzheimer's disease and attends Mass in a wheelchair.

What was important to Malena was to be not only with her extended family for the big event, but with the even more extended family of residents and staff she has come to love at St. Anne's, 3800 N. 92nd St.

"It really is a big thing for me to get it done by my grandma," Malena said. "I would still be OK if they said no, but I just really like going to my grandma's a lot. I almost go there every other day with my dad, and we go almost every Sunday."

Other than a murmur or occasional ouch if something hurts her, Malena has no memory of her grandmother ever saying her name or speaking at all. So Malena holds her hand and looks forward to visiting what she has always called Grammy's house.

"I love my grandma. She's very old and sick a little bit and almost going to die," Malena said. "When I was a baby and I was born, my mom would take me there, but they wouldn't let me in. So she would show me through the window to my grandma."

That was because Malena, who is an only child, was born a preemie and the family's pediatrician recommended that she avoid large congregations until she was a bit older.

One reason Malena can relate to the infirmities found in nursing homes is that, beginning at age 18 months, she traveled to the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Salt Lake City to began a series of casts and braces to correct her infantile scoliosis. That process lasted five years and corrected the curve of her spine, Amanda said.

Malena broke from the pack at her family's home parish, St. Charles in Hartland, where 115 mostly second-graders are receiving first Communion over three weekends in April and May following a year of preparation.

I asked Jan Murphy, director of religious education at St. Charles the past 23 years, if she remembers a child ever receiving the sacrament at a nursing home.

"This is a first for that," she said. "It was wonderful to hear her say she wanted to go celebrate with her friends. She's a child wise beyond her years."

Catherine is 87. She grew up in Milwaukee, attended Marquette University and worked as an ER nurse and then traveled nationwide to set up equipment in hospital emergency rooms. She met her husband, John, when a priest introduced them in the back of church. When Catherine developed Alzheimer's, John cared for her at home in Brookfield as long as he could. He died in 2011.

"My mother went into the nursing home one month before Malena was born. All she's ever known is the nursing home," said the girl's father, John.

It was Malena's idea to receive first Communion with her grandma and her St. Anne's friends. Her parents did some checking and found out that would be fine. The banner she made at St. Charles for the occasion was displayed near the altar at St. Anne's.

"She wanted to do it here. She was adamant about it," Amanda said.

Staff members could recall a baptism at St. Anne's a few years ago, but no other first Communions.

"It's a sweet story for a very sweet little girl," said Lynn Vogt, St. Anne's administrator. "I'm just hoping that she'll grow up and take care of me when I'm here and she's running the place."

John added, "Malena has kind of become the mascot at St. Anne's. Everybody has seen her grow up from car seat on. She loves the place and we do, too."

Malena's youth and enthusiasm seem to revitalize everyone around her at Grammy's house. She has helped out at casino night, picnics and other events. She jumps up during Mass if she sees anyone who needs a hand.

But Sunday was her special day.

After Mass, at a breakfast reception for Malena and her guests, Father Al led a prayer and expressed thanks for life's many blessings "from age to age to age."

Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@jrn.com. Connect with my public page at Facebook.com/Journalist.Jim.Stingl
Paula Mortimer of Chilton holds the "Swinging Parents" card that she designed. Credit: Courtesy of Paula Mortimer

On Wednesday, I went in search of a wedding anniversary card for my wife, while also fishing around for a column idea.

I found both at Walgreens near 3rd and Wisconsin, thanks to the creativity of Paula Mortimer and the willingness of her octogenarian parents to soar on playground swings.

Paula photographed John and Donna Mortimer on the swings at a middle school in the city of Chilton where they all live. She came up with a clever caption: On the front of the card, under the photo, it says, "Wheeeeeee . . . ," and inside it says, " . . . belong together! Happy anniversary."

Last September, Hallmark awarded her $500 for the photo and the idea, making it the fifth time she has won a contest sponsored by the greeting card giant. Thousands of people all over the country submit entries for various holidays, occasions and themes, and relatively few are chosen.

Paula, 49 and happily single, is a secretary and office manager at Friederichs Abstract & Title Service in Chilton, about 75 miles north of Milwaukee. She indulges her creative side through the lens of a camera, and the Hallmark contest, running since 2007, has been the perfect outlet.

"I keep a notebook, and I think of ideas while biking, walking or swimming. Some dumb thing will pop in my head, and I'll write it down and quick write a picture idea with it," she said when I tracked her down at work this week to tell her I bought her card.

This particular card idea involved persuading her dad to come to the playground on a hot June day last summer. Finally, he put on a clean shirt, combed his hair and headed for the swings with Paula and Donna. I know that detail because it's on the back of the greeting card along with a small photo of Paula and the fact that she's from Chilton.

"It's exciting," Paula said. "Not all my cards made it to Chilton, but when you win they go all across the country. I have people either email me or call me or put a little message on Facebook. Some put pictures of themselves holding my cards, and they say, 'Your parents made it to Denver!' Another one said, 'I found your toes at a Target in Chicago.' "

Ah, yes, her toes. Paula's first win came in 2010 when she photographed her bare foot for an all-purpose congratulations card. She put smiley face stickers over each toe. The caption: "I was toed you done good."

Other wins followed. In the vintage photo category, Paula dug up a snapshot she took in eighth grade of her friend Laura Kampfer Meier standing in front of a tank at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Caption: "Tanks a lot!"

She also won for a photo of hamburger buns with the word "Nice" printed on them in ketchup and mustard. Caption: "Even though you're getting older, you still have nice buns!"

In February of 2011, the challenge was to create a real-life version of Hallmark's lovably crabby Maxine character. Paula approached a white-haired woman in her water aerobics class and got her to pose in a crazy hat, aviator glasses and bunny slippers. Her winning caption: "I thought of buying you a GPS for your birthday. But I'm sure there are plenty of people who would like to tell you where to go."

The woman, Marge Krueger, also of Chilton, never told her family she was doing it. After the cards came out, she put one in the Easter baskets of her kids and grandkids as a surprise.

Paula may have missed her calling as a full-time Hallmark writer. The company has informed her that a poem she wrote will be included in a book about mothers, and some advice she shared will be published in a book for new graduates.

I paid $2.79 for the card showing Paula's swinging parents, and unfortunately none of that goes to her. Her folks have been married 59 years, so it gives my wife and me something to shoot for after a mere 31 years together.

In fact, for their anniversary in May, John and Donna gave each other this same card. I mean, how often do you find a Hallmark card with you on the front?

Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@journalsentinel.com

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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (center-right) waves to supporters after speaking at a campaign rally at the Century Center in South Bend, Ind., on Monday. Indianapolis Star columnist Matthew Tully argues that candidates should visit Gary, Ind., and offer more than just talk about the bold steps they will take to help save American cites like this one. Credit: EPA

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Gary, Ind. This broken American city, one of so much past glory and even greater heartache, is what the 2016 election should be about. If you're running for president, you should be talking and thinking hard about the nation's biggest challenges, and this city represents so many of them. From devastating levels of crime and educational failure to an economic collapse that is almost absolute, Gary is nothing short of an American tragedy.

"It's almost like they've all forgotten about it," Dottie Taylor told me last month as she sat in the Gary transit center, waiting to catch a train to nearby Chicago. "Gary has gone down a lot and it's almost like nobody cares."

Drive around this once bustling city, which used to claim nearly 180,000 residents but now doesn't have even half that many, and it can seem like nobody cares. That is, until you talk to the people who live here. People like Ophelia Webb, a 70-year-old retiree who was picking up trash and broken glass on the edges of a vacant high school near her home. She does this several days a week, wearing thick rubber gloves to protect her hands from the shards of glass.

"Look at the blight all over," she said. "You can see the condition of the city. What's being done about it?"

It's a good question. An essential question this election year.

The visual deterioration of Gary is stunning. It's on a level beyond anything else in the state and it stops me cold every time I visit, even though I spent 10 years living here as a child in the 1970s and five as a cub reporter in the 1990s, back when Gary was routinely labeled the nation's "murder capital." This city has long been filled with decay and ruin on a scale that should be unimaginable.

At 7th Ave. and Washington St., I stopped to photograph a long-ago abandoned office building. Stretching almost an entire city block, the yellow brick building is covered in graffiti, and every one of its dozens of windows is broken. Weeds, trash and tires filled the sidewalk in front, and graffiti inside advertised gangs such as the Vice Lords. "Angela is a heroin dealer," someone painted on one wall, providing a phone number.

Blocks away, a towering and once majestic church is now vacant. Vacant so long that its roof is caving in, its windows are gone and chunks of limestone have crumbled from the exterior. Rare is a block that doesn't feature an abandoned home, or more than one, in brutal disrepair.

The images are dramatic; one home I saw had split across the middle. Its front and back walls were collapsing inward. The elementary school I attended in fourth grade nearly 40 years ago is now abandoned  faded plywood covers the windows, trash and broken glass fill the yard, and so many bricks have fallen off the building that there are huge holes in its walls.

This is an American city. An Indiana city. A city that was sung about in "The Music Man." And even though baby steps toward progress have taken place in recent years  a casino provides needed tax revenue, the airport is growing, a strong mayor has been elected and some of the thousands of abandoned properties have been demolished  the scope of the problems is so massive that it overwhelms any improvements. This shrunken city simply does not have the resources to deal with the magnitude of its problems.

The response: In election years, Democratic presidential and statewide candidates come looking for easy votes in this Democratic stronghold, and Republicans largely stay away. There are no easy or quick fixes. And so Gary's problems don't fit neatly into a typical political campaign.

"I don't know what the solution is," said Mike Wright, 53, as he waited for a train to take him to his job in Chicago. "But I do know that we need a 20-year plan or a 30-year plan."

I drove around Gary for hours, as I have many times before, stopping to talk to residents at bus stops, businesses and work sites. I asked those I talked to about the state of the city, and the collective reaction can be summed up in the disappointed sighs and the are-you-crazy smiles that followed my questions. Then I asked what they'd say to a presidential candidate who took the time to do more than hold a rally or a news conference here.

The answers were the same you hear every election year in city after city. They're only a bit more desperate here.

"Jobs," Webb said as she picked up a broken bottle. "It's about jobs."

What else, I asked. She nodded and repeated that word: "Jobs."

Carita Mitchell agreed. Too many young people have no real opportunities, she said as she stood in a transit center in the shadows of a steel mill that employs a fraction of the workers it did a generation or two ago. Like many others, she must catch a train to Chicago five days a week to find the work that is largely unattainable here.

The candidates, she said, "should be talking more about that instead of about each other. What are they going to do for the people and for jobs? Why do I care about what they think of each other? It should be about jobs."

Outside a library branch, Charles Crawford stood shoveling dirt, part of a day spent working on a union construction job. The 33-year-old father of four smiled and told me he was one of the lucky ones, meaning someone who has a good job with good benefits. Even so, he said, "it's not going too well in the city right now," and despite everything else the core problem centers on that fundamental lack of economic opportunity.

"Don't just give us money," he said. "But there are ways to support the city and focus more on jobs."

He told me to drive down streets that have not been repaved in decades. Or down so many blocks filled with unsafe homes and buildings that need to come down. Sidewalks are falling apart and empty lots are horribly overgrown. The bottom line is that fixing these visual problems in Gary could help address that bigger problem: a lack of available paychecks.

But that would take an investment. A huge investment.

"Everybody everywhere knows about Gary," Crawford said. "They've heard about it. This is where everything started. But they might not know where Gary is now."

Anyone running for president should know where Gary is now. Between the news conferences and rallies, they should take a close, honest look at the challenges the city faces. Most important, they should offer more than just talk about the bold steps they will take to help save American cites like this one.

Matthew Tully is a political columnist for The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, where this column first ran. Follow him on Twitter @matthewltully.
Columnist James E. Causey (left) interviews Tavis Smiley on April 19 Credit: Sefton Ipock

PBS talk show host and political pundit Tavis Smiley was in Milwaukee recently to talk about educational initiatives across the country and the current political landscape. Before his talk to 1,000 students at MATC, he sat down with me.

Our one-on-one session was not so much one journalist interviewing another, as it was a debate-laden dialogue between two friends at the barbershop. Here are some of the key points of our 45-minute talk:

On politics: Smiley warned voters that critiques coming from the right on Muslims, immigrants and the poor don't match up with who we are as Americans.

He said he didn't know what scares him more. The fact that Donald J. Trump doesn't know what he wants to do or that Ted Cruz does know what he wants to do.

Smiley, 51, who made television history in 2007 as the moderator and executive producer of the All-American Presidential Forums on PBS  the first prime-time television Democratic and Republican presidential debate with panels comprised exclusively of journalists of color  said that, on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders made Hillary Clinton a better candidate.

My biggest knocks on Clinton are that she is too hawkish on foreign policy and not progressive enough on social justice issues.

Sanders forced her to talk about increasing the minimum wage, black male incarceration and making college more affordable.

On Obama: When I asked Smiley about his harsh criticism of Obama, things got heated.

He challenged me to point out one instance where his criticism was personal.

When I told him that when he along with Cornel West  probably the most important voice to have helped shaped black identity in recent years  attacked Obama, the criticism came across as personal.

Smiley responded with a question: "Are you talking about Cornel West or are you talking about Tavis Smiley?" He shared that while he and his friend don't always agree, he doesn't have to take him to task in public and that he is entitled to have his own opinions regarding the president.

Smiley's edict toward Obama is respect, protect and correct. He said he respects the president and will protect the president from white supremacist attacks, but when Obama is wrong he will correct him.

Obama is not above criticism. Studies have suggested that over the last decade, blacks have lost ground in every economic category including employment, education, housing, wealth, mass incarceration and health disparities.

Obama evolved on gay rights. The Hispanic community got the "Dream Act." Environmentalists got a climate change bill. Wall Street got what it wanted, but his most loyal constituency, "black folks," is still waiting.

Smiley says the Bible even says "those who ask not, get not."

Smiley gave Obama's presidency a "C-" because he is judging him on what he labeled as a "Kingism" scale, which measures on racism, poverty and militarism.

"Obama failed on racism and there are more people in poverty than when he took office.... And we don't even need to talk about militarism," Smiley said. "Martin Luther King was a prophet, Obama is a president."

On his book: Smiley's 20th book, "50 for Your Future" offers 50 nuggets of wisdom he gained over the years from a number of celebrities and everyday people.

Smiley said when he hit the age of 35, he realized that half his life was over because most of the men in his family didn't live to see their 70th birthday. He said you hear a lot of people buying into the saying that 30 is the new 20. Don't fall for it, he said, because when you're 80, you're just old.

Time doesn't stop for anyone, and if you want to start building a legacy, remember it started yesterday but that doesn't mean that it can't be improved upon.

James E. Causey is a Journal Sentinel columnist and blogger. Email james.causey@jrn.com. Facebook: fb.me/jamescausey.12 Twitter: jecausey
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (clockwise from upper left) and U.S. Reps Gwen Moore, Mark Pocan and Ron Kind on Monday called on the U.S. Department of Justice to review Wisconsin's voter ID requirements. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

By of the

Wisconsin's Democratic members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to review the state's voter ID requirements and consider bringing a legal challenge to the law.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Reps Ron Kind, Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch Monday urging her to consider suing over the law or intervening in an existing case.

"The barriers these requirements have set up and the harmful impact they have had for many Wisconsin voters demonstrate that now is the time for a full and thorough review of the constitutionality of the voter ID law," they wrote.

The state's first major test of its voter ID law came last month with the April 5 spring election and presidential primary. The election brought historic turnout as well as some long lines, prompting Republicans to dismiss claims it suppresses the vote and Democrats to argue it played a role in some delays.

Lines of an hour or more were reported in a few locations statewide, especially near college campuses such as Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

On election day, U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) also drew headlines for saying that he thought the law would take Republicans a step closer to winning the presidential election in Wisconsin for the first time in 32 years, and a former legislative aide said he had quit the Republican Party over the voter ID law, calling it the "last straw."

The Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about the lines and GOP comments in their letter to Lynch.

"This election day, there were numerous press reports of long lines and significant challenges for many voters, particularly students, to comply with the requirements of the new law," they wrote.

"In addition, press reports have highlighted troubling statements by individuals closely connected to the state legislature's consideration of the law indicating that its passage may have been motivated, at least in part, by a desire to reduce youth and minority participation in elections."
Morgan Geyser is brought into a Waukesha County courtroom for a bail modification hearing last month. Credit: Charles Auer/Waukesha Freeman

By of the

One of the two Waukesha girls charged in the Slender Man stabbing has asked the Court of Appeals to overturn a judge's decision not to let her await trial with her grandparents under human and electronic monitoring.

In an emergency petition filed late last week, Morgan Geyser's attorney argues that denying her request violates prohibitions against excessive bail because she is no longer dangerous, would be subjected to multiple layers of supervision, and her current bail of $500,000 is way more than necessary to secure her appearance in court.

Geyser, 13, and Anissa Weier, 14, are charged as adults with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the May 31, 2014, stabbing of their sixth-grade classmate, who survived 19 stab wounds.

Arrested within hours as they tried to walk to northern Wisconsin, the girls told police they committed the crime to impress or appease Slender Man, a fictional internet character.

The case has dragged on as both girls were evaluated for competency, and then sought to have their cases transferred to juvenile court. Their appeals of the decision to keep them in adult court have been pending before the same Court of Appeals since last year.

In the meantime, Geyser, who had been diagnosed during her competency evaluations as suffering from early onset schizophrenia, returned to a state mental hospital under civil commitment and for the first time received medication and other treatment that doctors said have stabilized her condition.

Specifically, she no longer claims to have contact with various fictional characters, including Slender Man, and has begun showing emotions appropriate to her situation, such as remorse and regret, according to her attorneys.

After her discharge back to the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center, where she stays alone in a windowless cell, her attorneys asked that her $500,000 bail be cut to $5,000 and she be allowed to live with her grandparents in Manitowoc County under electronic monitoring pending trial.

Last month, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren denied the request and a chance to be moved from a West Bend juvenile jail where she's been for most of 23 months.

Two days before the hearing, Weier's attorneys made a similar request, which Bohren also denied after a much shorter presentation.

In the emergency petition, Geyser's attorney, Anthony Cotton, argued that cash bail is appropriate only to assure a defendant comes to court. Considerations like community safety and the prevention of witness intimidation are better addressed by conditions of release, the petition states.

At the April hearing, witnesses discussed the impact of the Chapter 51 civil commitment process, the medication and the follow-up monitoring by social workers and doctors.

Geyser's grandfather, a retired police chief, testified that between him and his wife, they would have constant contact with Geyser, who would also be subject to electronic GPS monitoring that would alert a monitoring company any time she left her grandparents' home or yard except for scheduled treatment.

Cotton disputed Bohren's concern that because the girls walked five miles after the stabbing  the start of what would have been a 220-mile trek to the forest where they believed Slender Man lived in a mansion  they are a danger to flee trial.

"Whether these circumstances show 'tremendous ability as young kids of 12 to be out on the land,' is debatable," he wrote.

As of Tuesday, there was no indication whether the Court of Appeals has accepted the petition.
U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan. The Marine Corps said Monday that it has begun investigating whether it mistakenly identified one of the men shown raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima. Credit: Joe Rosenthal

By of the

John "Doc" Bradley rarely spoke about the Iwo Jima flag raising and refused practically all media interview requests about the famous photo.

Was he so reticent about the fame that enveloped him because he was a humble hero?

Or was it because Bradley was not actually one of the men hoisting the flag?

The Marines have launched an investigation to verify the identity of the man who is pictured second from the right with his back to the camera, the man identified since 1945 as Navy corpsman Bradley.

Born in Antigo, Bradley grew up in Appleton and operated Bradley Funeral Home in Antigo for decades before he died in 1994 at the age of 70. One of his sons still operates the funeral home.

In 2014, an amateur historian and World War II buff in Omaha, Neb., raised the issue when he noticed discrepancies between known photos of Bradley taken at the summit of Mount Suribachi on Feb. 23, 1945, and the picture that was printed in hundreds of newspapers a few days after Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal snapped it and transmitted the picture without the names of the men.

Eric Krelle, who maintains a website devoted to the 5th Marine Division, was familiar with the photos taken on Mount Suribachi, and a few years ago he received an email from Ireland from a World War II enthusiast named Stephen Foley. Foley told him that while reading a book about Iwo Jima that included more photos taken that day, he realized the man pictured did not look like Bradley.

In several photos Bradley's face can clearly be seen, including a picture of a group of 18 Marines and sailors in a "gung ho" moment raising their helmets and rifles in front of the flag. Foley pointed out to Krelle that the man in the flag-raising photo is not wearing cuffed pants, has a liner inside his helmet and wire cutters and rifle ammunition hanging from his belt.

Photos taken of Bradley that day show the medic with cuffed pants, holding up a helmet without a liner and carrying much different gear around his waist. Navy medics typically carried medical bags and side arms instead of rifles and usually did not carry wire cutters given to Marine infantrymen.

In November 2014, Krelle and Foley were quoted in an in-depth article in the Omaha World-Herald as saying it's possible Bradley uncuffed his pants and maybe later took off the helmet liner visible in the flag-raising photo. Some of the photos of Bradley were taken after the first flag raising, with a smaller flag, a couple hours before the second flag raising that was immortalized by Rosenthal.

Foley told the Omaha World-Herald in 2014 that "the image has endured. It's still relevant today. And so it kind of boggles my mind: Am I the first person to notice this? I can't be the first person, can I?"

Foley couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday; Krelle did not return a phone message left with his wife. After studying the photos, Krelle and Foley suggest the man identified as Bradley is actually Franklin Sousley, who was killed less than a month later on Iwo Jima. Sousley, 19, has been identified since 1945 as the man second from the left. They suggest a soldier named Harold Schultz is actually the Marine with his right hand on the flag who is second from the left. Schultz was wounded on Iwo Jima and died in 1995.

The Marines issued a statement on Tuesday that the Marines are examining information provided by a private organization about the photo of the second flag raising. Marine Capt. Dominic Pitrone said he didn't know how long the investigation would take.

"Rosenthal's photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 US servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and it is representative of the more than 70,000 U.S. Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that took part in the battle. We are humbled by the service and sacrifice of all who fought on Iwo Jima," the Marine statement read.

James Bradley, who wrote the bestseller "Flags Of Our Fathers" about his dad and the photo, said he was unavailable for an interview Tuesday. He told The New York Times Tuesday that he now believes his father is not pictured in the flag-raising photo. James Bradley said his father probably thought that the first flag raising was captured in Rosenthal's picture.

Everyone in Antigo knew John Bradley. He was a quiet, self-effacing man who raised eight children and as a funeral home director helped residents in their grief. He joined local veterans organizations and was a pillar of the community.

He was close friends with Lawrence Montour, commander of the American Legion post in Antigo, who has a signed copy of "Flags Of Our Fathers" and attended the premiere of the film of the same name at Antigo's cinema in 2006.

Montour heard about the investigation into the identity of the men in the flag-raising photo.

"It's kind of disturbing. I think somebody is trying to stir up something they ought to keep their nose out of," said Montour, a Korean War veteran. "The man was there. We have no doubt he was part of it. The only thing he ever said was he saw somebody who needed help and he went and helped him."

Bradley rarely talked about the flag raising and never spoke about it to Montour.

"He was very private about it. He had, I forget how many, people die in his arms on Iwo Jima and he just didn't want to talk about it. Like a lot of us, he wanted to let it go," Montour said in a phone interview Tuesday.

At the 2006 premiere of the film, Betty Bradley said her husband only talked about the flag raising once. He spoke for seven or eight minutes, absent-mindedly fiddling with a silver cigarette lighter, as John and Betty, who had met in the third grade, dined at a now-closed Appleton restaurant. It was Oct. 23, 1945. It was their first date.

"I think he was giving me the same speech he gave on the bond tour. It was without emotion. He just told it," said Betty, who died in 2013. "That's why I think that was his speech for the bond tour. I'm sure he had said the same thing many times."

By the time Bradley was identified as one of the men raising the second flag  weeks after the image was taken and had become "the photograph"  he was recuperating from shrapnel wounds to his legs and feet from an explosion on Iwo Jima.

Regardless of the outcome of the Marine investigation into the photo, there's no doubt Bradley was a hero. Two days before Rosenthal snapped the picture, Bradley was part of a furious assault by a Marine rifle platoon at the base of Mount Suribachi. One of his Marines was hit in an open area that was getting pounded with mortars and machine gun cross-fire.

Bradley ran to the fallen Marine, checked his wounds and realized the man needed plasma. He signaled to his assistants to stay where they were because of the danger. Bradley shielded the wounded man with his body, tied a bottle of plasma to a rifle he stuck in the sand and bandaged the Marine's wounds. Bradley then pulled the wounded man 30 yards through intense fire.

For his actions that day, Bradley was awarded a Navy Cross, the second highest medal for valor.
News / National

by Staff reporterr

Thirty two trafficking female victims have arrived in Zimbabwe from Kuwait with one said to be pregnant.Over 200 Zimbabwean women who fell victim to human trafficking in Kuwait.Speaker of National Assembly Jacob Mudenda told reporters that 32 women who arrived aboard Emirates Airlines had brought nothing but their bodies back to Zimbabwe."They had to escape; so let me tell you that they brought nothing but their bodies back home since they had to escape from their employers, leaving everything behind in Kuwait," he said.The women had been taken to a safe house where they would undergo psychological evaluation and health screening before being released to their families.They were secretly whisked away from the airport.One of the women is reportedly pregnant.
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A 37-year-old woman was wounded Monday afternoon in a shooting on Milwaukee's north side, police said.

The shooting was reported shortly after 4:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of N. 27th St., according to a news release from the Milwaukee Police Department.

The woman was taken to a hospital with an injury that is not life-threatening and police were seeking suspects in the shooting, according to the release.
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By Deirdre Fulton | ( Commondreams.org ) |  

The secret documents represent roughly two-thirds of the latest negotiating text, and in several cases expose for the first time the position of the U.S.

Confirming that the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership amounts to a huge transfer of power from people to big business, Greenpeace Netherlands on Monday leaked 248 secret pages of the controversial trade deal between the U.S. and EU, exposing how environmental regulations, climate protections, and consumer rights are being bartered away behind closed doors.

The documents represent roughly two-thirds of the latest negotiating text, according to Greenpeace, and on some topics offer for the first time the position of the United States.

Before Monday, elected representatives were only able to view such documents under guard, in a secure room, without access to expert consultation, while being forbidden from discussing the content with anyone else. This secrecy runs counter to the democratic principles of both the EU and the U.S., the website ttip-leaks.org declares.

And in the absence of transparency, hard won environmental progress is being bartered away behind closed doors, said Faiza Oulahsen, campaigner for Greenpeace Netherlands.

Whether you care about environmental issues, animal welfare, labor rights or internet privacy, you should be concerned about what is in these leaked documents, Oulahsen said. They underline the strong objections civil society and millions of people around the world have voiced: TTIP is about a huge transfer of democratic power from people to big business. We call on all elected representative and other concerned parties to read these documents and engage in the debate.

Greenpeace Netherlands zeroes in on four aspects of serious concern in the obtained texts, including:

the apparent omission of the so-called General Exceptions rule, which allows nations to regulate trade to protect human, animal and plant life or health or for the conservation of exhaustible natural resources;

the absence of language about climate protection, plus provisions that would stimulate imports and exports of fossil fuelslike shale gas from fracking or oil from tar sandswhile clean energy production for local communities and associations would be considered unfair competition and a barrier to trade.

a clear threat to the precautionary principle, which requires regulatory caution where there is scientific doubt, shifting the burden of proof on whether a product is safe to public authorities, not on those who seek to sell it;

the heretofore shrouded high degree of corporate influence over the talks.

According to the Guardian, which saw the original documents (retyped by Greenpeace and available here):

U.S. proposals include an obligation on the EU to inform its industries of any planned regulations in advance, and to allow them the same input into EU regulatory processes as European firms. American firms could influence the content of EU laws at several points along the regulatory line, including through a plethora of proposed technical working groups and committees.

These leaks confirm what millions of people across Europe have suspected all alongthat this toxic trade deal is essentially an enormous corporate power grab, said Global Justice Now trade campaigner Guy Taylor on Monday.

Its no secret that the negotiations have been on increasingly shaky ground, Taylor continued, citing petitions signed by millions of Europeans and ongoing public protests. These leaks should be seen as another nail in the coffin of a toxic trade deal that corporate power is unsuccessfully trying to impose on ordinary people and our democracies.

Similarly, War on Want executive director John Hilary declared: Today marks the end of TTIP. Total secrecy was the only way the European Commission could keep the European people from learning the truth about these appalling negotiations, and now the cat is out of the bag.

We have long warned that TTIP is a danger to democracy, food safety, jobs and public services, Hilary continued. Now we see it is even worse than we feared. Todays leak shows the European Commission preparing to sell us down the river, doing deals behind closed doors that will change the face of European society for ever. It is simply unacceptable that a group of unelected officials should be allowed to contemplate such a thing without any public scrutiny.

The 13th round of TTIP talks took place last week in New York. U.S. President Barack Obama, who was stumping for the deal last month in Germany, had hoped to wrap up negotiations by the time he left officea timeline that looks increasingly unrealistic.

Public support on both sides of the Atlantic has plummeted; leading U.S. presidential candidates oppose the deal and others like it; and President Francois Hollande on Sunday became just the latest French official to express skepticism about the deal.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

Via Commondreams.org



Related video added by Juan Cole:

TeleSur English: TTIP Leak Sheds Light on Controversial Agreement
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs recent interview with Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter gives some idea of thinking in Moscow about the Syrian civil war.

Question: Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced criticism over the airstrikes carried out by Russia in Syria, leaving the impression that relations between Russia and Germany have deteriorated. How can they be improved? Sergey Lavrov: I cannot recall Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel ever highlighting efforts by the Russian Aerospace Forces in combating terrorism in Syria, which came about at the request of its legitimate Government.

Western Europe wants to see the Baath government of Bashar al-Assad unseated, because it is a seedy one-party state and guilty of massive war crimes. Merkel was speaking for many in the EU in this regard, but not all. Czechia, for instance, sees the Syrian opposition as, if not al-Qaeda, the next thing to al-Qaeda, and so is supporting al-Assad.

Lavrov, like Czechia, largely views the opposition through the lens of radical Muslim terrorism, a phenomenon that threatens the Russian Federation in Chechnya and elsewhere (Over 9 million of Russias 143 million population are Muslims, and they are set to double in the coming decades). While many of the best fighting groups in the opposition are in fact Salafi jihadis (hard line holy warriors), not all are many units grew out of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. Admittedly, the liberal democrats of 2011 are largely gone from the battlefield.

So in any case, Lavrov is playing the terrorism card here against Merkels criticism saying that Moscow deserves Germanys gratitude for stepping up to deal with al-Qaeda, Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) and other groups that could ultimately pose a danger to Germany itself.

The terrorism card has the unpleasant side effect of justifying the collateral damage or killing of innocents that stems from Russian and Syrian government bombardments. The Russians have been particularly hardhearted about al-Assads targeting of hospitals in rebel-held East Aleppo.

Lavrov continued,

By the way, Russia is the only country that has legal grounds for fighting terrorists in Syria. The presence of the US-led coalition there is illegitimate. I have told our US partners more than once that they are making a big mistake. They should have obtained consent from Damascus or turned to the UN Security Council, just like they did when they asked the Iraqi Government for permission. If this happened, Im confident that we would have been able to agree on a UN Security Council resolution that would suit both the US-led coalition and the Syrian Government, since this is scourge for all of us. The fact that the US-led coalition is operating in Syria without any legal grounds is indicative, first, of its arrogant stance claiming that the rule of President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad is illegitimate. Second, it shows that it wants to have free reign so as to use the coalition not just to attack terrorists, but also possibly for attacking the Syrian government forces in order to change the countrys leadership, as it happened in Libya. We are not aware of any official planning to this effect, but every now and then such ideas surface, and this is what they desire. We have to be vigilant.

These passages show an attachment to Bashar al-Assad not always in evidence (the rumors are that Moscow tried to force him out at one point). They suggest that Moscow, after a period of hesitation, has now decided to keep al-Assad in power. Some of the impetus for this decision may be a concern that if he steps down, Syria will go the way of Libya, which was the worst of all possible worlds for Russia. The Russians lost a sphere of influence to NATO, and then the Mediterranean became less secure, with hard line Muslim radical groups arising and taking some territory.

Lavrovs idea that the US and Russia could have worked something out at the UN about the shape of a US intervention is pure fantasy and a misrepresentation of the former Russian position, which was against any foreign intervention but its own. Russia has a UNSC veto.

As for legitimacy, many countries around the world do not see al-Assad as having it, given his massive war crimes (so systematic that they probably amount to crimes against humanity).

Lavrov continued:

International Syria Support Group unique format Russias position regarding Syria is clear. We value the agreement to create the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). This is a unique format since it brings together all key outside actors, including Saudi Arabia and Iran at the same negotiating table. This is telling in itself, because these two protagonists embody the antagonism within Islam between Sunnis and the Shia. Deepening this divide would be very dangerous. In all our interactions with our partners in Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries of the region, we constantly seek to promote dialogue, for example in the Persian Gulf region, so that Arab countries and Iran create some kind of a confidence-building mechanism and move in this direction step by step by taking relevant action. So far, this has been very challenging. However, we strongly believe in the need to address not only specific issues related to one conflict or another, but also to be mindful of the need for principled and system-wide efforts to help Arab and other Muslim countries reach compromise instead of preaching holy war between different parts of the Islamic world.

Russia is attempting to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran, just as President Obama is. Both Washington and Moscow are resented by the Saudi elite for this stance. But Russia is far closer to Iran than is the US, and the US far closer to Saudi Arabia. For all of Washingtons supposed rapprochement with Iran, in fact it is still heavily sanctioned and boycotted by the US and in contrast the US does enormous business with Saudi Arabia, has joint military maneuvers, and cooperates on strategy. Neither of The superpowers can really be an honest broker here because each has a dog in this fight.

Lavrovs talking points are disappointingly propagandistic. The legitimacy of the al-Assad government is in profound question. It isnt fair to dismiss the entire opposition as terrorists. Russias stance on rejecting condemnation of the regime for bombing doctors and patients in hospitals is horrible. And Russia cant get Iran and Saudia together if it is strongly a partisan of Iran and al-Assad. But there we have a little window into Moscows mindset here, which we seldom get in the US press.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Euronews: Russia will not ask Syria to halt air strikes on Aleppo
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By Rebecca Gordon | (Informed Comment) |  

Why do Republican candidates for the presidency keep promising to commit war crimes? Donald Trump guarantees hell torture terrorists and take out their families. Ted Cruz offers to carpet bomb ISIS (and anyone else in their vicinity) to oblivion. Even kindly pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carsonwhen pressed by the moderator at a Republican debate on whether he was tough enough to be okay with the deaths of thousands of innocent children and civilian[s] replied, You got it. You got it.

Perhaps the reason that those who want to run our country believe that (war) crime does pay is that no one from previous administrations has been held accountable for the last round of torture and murder. Not one of the high government officials who ordered, approved, justified, and/or covered up torture, extraordinary rendition, and even homicides, committed in the war on terror has been prosecuted for any of those crimes.

In consequence, people running for office today feel free to campaign on the promise to commit a few more.

Would I approve waterboarding? Donald Trump asked a cheering crowd at a November rally in Columbus, Ohio. You bet your ass I would, he answered, in a heartbeat. And Trump assured his audience that he would approve more than that  leaving to their imaginations whether he had in mind sleep deprivation, threats of rape, days spent in excruciating stress positions, or perhaps that enhanced interrogation technique the CIA so delicately describes as rectal rehydration.

Dont kid yourself, folks, the Republican frontrunner continued. It works, okay? It works. Only a stupid person would say it doesnt work. Or perhaps a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

But for Trump it doesnt really matter whether torture works in the sense of producing actionable intelligence. The point, he told that Ohio crowd, was that the very existence of the Islamic State means that someone, somewhere needs to be tortured. If it doesnt work, he said, they deserve it anyway.

That was Trump in November. After the horrific attacks in Belgium on March 22, the frontrunner doubled down on torture and its usefulness. Before those attacks the Belgian police had in custody a man named Salah Abdeslam, who they believed had helped to plan last Decembers terror attacks in Paris. He appeared to be cooperating with the authorities, but Trump knew how to speed things up. He told CNNs Wolf Blitzer that he may be talking, but hell talk faster with the torture.

When Blitzer pointed out that what Trump was proposing would actually violate several laws, the candidate was ready with his answer. We have to be smart about such legal niceties, he saidunlike those eggheads that came up with this international law against torture. If laws get in the way, we have to change our laws, Trump explained, because we have to be able to fight at least on almost equal basis. They have no laws whatsoever that they have to obey.

One might have thought that adherence to international laws is an important aspect of what separates us from terrorist organizations like ISIS.

Trump is right about one thing, however. It doesnt matter whether or not torture works. It is against the law. In addition to our federal anti-torture statute, the United States has ratified an international treaty prohibiting torture. Under Article VI of our own constitution, that makes the U.N. Convention against Torture the supreme law of this land. The conventions text is very clear that this treaty applies under all conditions: No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.

If torture is so clearly illegal, why do we find that former high-level government officials like Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, and Michael Hayden consistently trumpet its benefits in their memoirs and public appearances? Why do our media treat as if it were legitimate political discourse views like the Republican frontrunners that adherence to international law makes the United States weak, that obeying the law is, in effect, for sissies?

One answer lies in our failure to adhere to another of the Convention against Tortures provisions: that the ratifying states must bring to justice those who violate its terms. Sadly, President Obama set the tone for this failure when in 2009 he told the nation that, with regards to the crimes of the previous administration, We need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards. As a result, we may very well have Donald Trump to look forward to.

Rebecca Gordon teaches in the Philosophy department at the University of San Francisco. She is the author of Mainstreaming Torture, and American Nuremberg: The US Officials Who Should Stand Trial for Post-9/11 War Crimes


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Bear F. Braumoeller | (The Conversation) |  

One of the prominent themes in this years presidential primaries is the state of the American military.

In his April 27 foreign policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump summed up the majority view of the GOP:

[W]e have to rebuild our military and our economy. The Russians and Chinese have rapidly expanded their military capability, but look at whats happened to us.  Our military dominance must be unquestioned, and I mean unquestioned, by anybody and everybody.

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, by contrast, sees little need to rebuild. She pledges to ensure the United States maintains the best-trained, best-equipped and strongest military the world has ever known.

Bernie Sanders argues that the military should be reduced: Sanders expresses frank concern over the size of the American military budget, which in 2015 was greater than the spending of the next seven largest defense budgets combined.

Hearing these contradictory statements may confuse voters. Is our military overfunded or falling behind?

To answer this question, it helps to examine three perspectives on military capabilities: readiness, relative strength and efficacy.

How ready are we?

The military itself, as well as many think-tank scholars, tends to focus on one or more of four major dimensions of military capacity.

One is force structure, or the raw numbers of tanks, ships, divisions and so on that make up our armed forces. The second is modernization, or the level of technical sophistication. The third is sustainability, or the ability to maintain operations once underway. The last is combat readiness.

Such measures gauge the current military capability of the United States relative to what our own military says it needs in order to be fully operational. Based on these criteria, the conservative Heritage Foundation ranks Americas overall military capability as marginal, [as] a consequence of the cumulative effect of many years of simultaneous underinvestment and extensive operations.

Readiness measures like this one can help the military and Congress set budget priorities. But they dont tell us anything about whether we are falling behind other countries.

What is our relative strength?

When academics who study international relations measure military strength, we focus on metrics that directly compare the military capabilities of one country to those of another.

The most venerable index is the Correlates of War projects Composite Index of National Capability (CINC). The index measures the average of a countrys share of systemwide resources across six dimensions: total population, urban population, iron and steel production, energy consumption, military personnel and military expenditures.

One shortcoming of this measure is that it cannot be used for comparisons across time. A country with 10 percent of the worlds military capacity in 2016 is vastly more powerful than a country with 10 percent of the worlds military capacity in 1815. Another is that it can significantly overstate the capabilities of countries that dominate any one dimension. Chinas immense population, for example, gives its military unwarranted heft in the CINC index.

Other measures that do not suffer from these shortcomings have been proposed, each with a somewhat different approach.

In The War Ledger, Professors A.F.K. Organski and Jacek Kugler argue that a major powers capacity to win an all-out conventional military conflict in which both sides can fully mobilize their resources depends both on the wealth that it can bring to bear in producing sophisticated military hardware and on the size of the population that it can call upon to fight.

Professors Organski and Kugler measure wealth as GDP per capita, or gross domestic product divided by population. Their formula poetically captures the idea that both elements are necessary, but only work together. Of course, when you divide by population and then multiply by the same number, you end up with GDP.

Our GDP is 168 percent of that of China, our nearest competitor. Under Organski and Kuglers measure, the U.S. handily wins on relative strength.

Military budgets are another way to answer the question. Budgets can be used as a rough measure of one countrys capacity to defeat another using existing forces  rather than the forces that could be brought to bear in a more sustained national effort. Direct comparisons can be challenging because technological sophistication brings disproportionate returns on the battlefield. Professor Phil Arena has recently proposed a new measure: M  total military personnel, weighted by spending per soldier  to make military-to-military comparisons more meaningful.



(Data source: World Military Balance 2016, International Institute for Strategic Studies.)



Our M score is on average about 150 percent of that of each of the next six countries on the list, all of whom are our allies. Our military spending, despite the self-inflicted wound of the 2013 budget sequestration, is still four times that of our nearest competitor and 38 percent of all military spending worldwide.

It turns out that Senator Sanders assessment was actually somewhat conservative. Americas military expenditures are greater than the next 11 largest defense budgets combined. Seven of those 11 countries are our allies.

Can we get the job done?

A final measure of the state of Americas military is its ability to achieve foreign policy objectives.

Traditionally, military forces are used to achieve military victories, which in turn lay the groundwork for a political settlement.

Americas military is exceptionally good at doing this. Baghdad fell to coalition forces in 2003 after only 21 days of fighting. The multilateral intervention in Libya to prevent genocide in the city of Benghazi was heralded by The New York Times as a model for how the United States wields force in other countries where its interests are threatened.

In recent years, however, armed forces have increasingly been tasked with the imposition and maintenance of political solutions after victory. This could include, for example, nation-building or the elimination of terrorism. Here, traditional metrics of military power count for little.

As Andreas Wimmer argues in new research on nation-building, political success hinges on slow-moving, generational processes like the growth of civil society and the establishment of political legitimacy. These processes are far more difficult to influence over the course of months or years than purely military outcomes  and far more difficult to influence via military means.

Similarly, the terrorist organizations that are increasingly our enemies typically avoid the battlefield. When they do attempt to take and hold territory, as ISIS has done in northern Iraq and Syria, military force can be brought to bear with considerable effect. To date, ISIS has lost about 40 percent of the territory that it once held in Iraq. But the military can do little to prevent attacks like the recent ones in Paris and Brussels. The inability of the military to engage in nation-building and prevent terrorist attacks can create the impression that we are losing the war. What we are actually losing is the peace that follows.

The big picture

Candidates tend to focus on whichever metric best suits their preferred policy. By looking at the military from all three perspectives at once, though, we can get a more nuanced view of American military capabilities.

Thanks largely to the effects of waging simultaneous wars for over a decade, the American military is not at peak readiness. Even so, it remains the premier fighting force in the world.

If the trend of using military forces to achieve political ends like nation-building continues and military efficacy is judged by the results, however, America will continue to struggle to achieve its foreign policy aims. More spending on bombs and bullets will do little to change this outcome.

A better, and cheaper, investment would be in the skills, knowledge and resources needed to follow up military victories with durable political settlements, to anticipate terrorist attacks and to dry up support for terrorist organizations.

Bear F. Braumoeller, Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

RT America: Is Trumps foreign policy realistic budget wise?
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 3, 2016) - Argonaut Gold Inc. (TSX:AR) (the "Company", "Argonaut Gold" or "Argonaut") is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016. All dollar amounts are expressed in United States dollars, unless otherwise specified.

1st Quarter

Change 2016 2015 Financial Data (in millions except earnings per share) Revenue $35.3 $51.0 (31 %) Gross profit $8.9 $6.8 31 % Net income $4.3 $1.5 187 % Earnings per share - basic $0.03 $0.01 200 % Cash flow from operating activities before changes in non-cash operating working capital and other items $9.0 $16.8

(46 %) Cash and cash equivalents $46.6 $64.0 (27 %) Gold Production and Cost Data GEOs loaded to the pads1 51,002 54,254 (6 %) GEOs projected recoverable1,2 27,856 31,634 (12 %) GEOs produced1 32,154 43,255 (26 %) GEOs sold1 30,012 42,418 (29 %) Average realized sales price per gold ounce $1,181 $1,211 (2 %) Cash cost per gold ounce sold3 $757 $735 3 % All-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold3 $871 $883 (1 %)

1

Gold equivalent ounces ("GEO" or "GEOs") are based on a conversion ratio of 65:1 for silver to gold for 2016 and 55:1 for 2015 and are the referenced ratios throughout this release. 2 Recoverable ounces - El Castillo expected recovery rates: ROM oxide 50%, crushed oxide 70%, ROM transition 40%, crushed transition 60%, crushed sulphides argillic 30% and crushed sulphides silicic 17%; La Colorada expected recovery rates: gold 60% and silver 30%. 3 Refer to section Non-IFRS Measures.

FIRST QUARTER 2016 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:

Revenue of $35.3 million from sales of 30,012 GEOs at an average price of $1,181 per gold ounce.

Net income of $4.3 million.

Cash flow from operations before changes in non-cash working capital and other items of $9.0 million.

Capital investments of $5.5 million (on mineral properties, plant and equipment).

2016 Q1 Highlights and Recent Events:

Corporate Highlights Cash balance grew to $46.6 million. Further strengthened board and management. Received Environmental Socially Responsible Company award at both Mexican operations. Entered into a $30 million revolving credit facility in April.

Production Production of 32,154 GEOs, a 26% decrease over the record first quarter of 2015, but a 6% increase over the fourth quarter of 2015. Overall cash cost of $757 per gold ounce sold (refer to Non-IFRS Measures section). All-in sustaining cost of $871 per gold ounce sold (refer to Non-IFRS Measures section).

El Castillo Quarterly production of 17,500 GEOs. During the quarter, 23,259 contained gold ounces loaded on the leach pads. Over 75,900 tonnes per day mined and 2.8 million ore tonnes placed on the heap leach pads during the quarter.

La Colorada Quarterly production of 13,894 gold ounces and 49,370 silver ounces, for 14,654 GEOs. During the quarter, 21,519 contained gold ounces and 404,552 contained silver ounces loaded on the leach pads. Over 50,100 tonnes per day mined and 1.2 million tonnes of mineralized material placed on the heap leach pads during the quarter. Completed leach pad #5 (2.1 million tonne capacity). Northeast leach pad advancing on schedule with anticipated completion in the third quarter of 2016.

Project Updates Highlighted results of an updated National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment Technical Report for San Agustin showing a 37% reduction in initial capital, an increase in after-tax IRR from 22% to 50% and a 28% increase in after-tax NPV to $89.9 million at a 5% discount rate. In accordance with NI 43-101, a Technical Report will be filed on or before June 13, 2016. Received approval on the San Agustin Environmental Impact Study from the Mexican Environmental Authority (SEMARNAT). Completed sale transaction of the non-core La Fortuna project located in Durango, Mexico. The transaction parameters include $2.0 million of cash payable in three tranches ($750,000 on closing, $250,000 nine months after closing and $1.0 million upon a construction decision) and a 2.5% net smelter royalty capped at $4.5 million. Completed and filed an updated preliminary feasibility study and NI 43-101 Technical Report for Magino, resulting in a robust project with an after-tax NPV at a 5% discount rate of $415 million and IRR of 22.9% at $1,200 per ounce gold.



CEO Commentary

Pete Dougherty, President and CEO, stated: "First quarter 2016 GEO production was in line with guidance at El Castillo, exceeded guidance at La Colorada and showed a 6% improvement over the previous quarter. At La Colorada, we exceeded expectations primarily due to increased crusher throughput. In addition to a solid quarter of production, we generated net income of $4.3 million and continue to add cash to our balance sheet."

Financial Results - First Quarter 2016

Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $35.3 million, a decrease from $51.0 million during the three months ended March 31, 2015. During the first quarter of 2016, GEOs sold totaled 30,012 at an average realized price per gold ounce of $1,181 (compared to 42,418 GEOs sold at an average price per ounce of $1,211 during the same period of 2015).

Production costs for the first quarter of 2016 were $22.9 million, a decrease from $31.4 million in the first quarter of 2015 due to the decreased gold ounces sold. Cash cost per gold ounce sold (refer to Non-IFRS Measures section) was $757 in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $735 in the same period of 2015.

Net income for the first quarter of 2016 was $4.3 million or $0.03 per basic share, an increase from net income of $1.5 million or $0.01 per basic share for the first quarter of 2015. The increase in net income was due principally to the non-cash impairment reversal of $3.6 million ($2.3 million after tax) related to the net realizable value of work-in-process inventory at the El Castillo mine, as a result of an increase in the price of gold as at March 31, 2016.

Cash and cash equivalents grew by $0.7 million over the previous quarter to $46.6 million at March 31, 2016. Cash spent towards capital expenditures in the first quarter was $5.5 million, primarily for deferred stripping and leach pad construction.

FIRST QUARTER 2016 El CASTILLO OPERATING STATISTICS

3 Months Ended March 31 2016 2015 % Change Mining (Tonnes 000s) Tonnes ore 2,747 2,811 (2 %) Tonnes waste 4,163 3,882 7 % Total tonnes mined 6,910 6,693 3 % Waste/ore ratio 1.52 1.38 10 % Heap Leach Pads (Tonnes 000s) Tonnes crushed 1,262 1,396 (10 %) Tonnes overland conveyor 1,491 1,415 5 % Production Gold grade (g/t)1 0.26 0.34 (23 %) Gold loaded to leach pads (oz)2 23,259 30,556 (24 %) Gold produced (oz)3 17,359 24,622 (29 %) GEOs produced4 17,500 24,845 (30 %) Gold sold (oz) 15,406 23,856 (35 %) Silver sold (oz) 9,186 12,259 (25 %) Cash cost per gold ounce sold5 $850 $888 (4 %)

1 "g/t" refers to grams per tonne. 2 "oz" refers to troy ounce. 3 Produced ounces are calculated as ounces loaded to carbon. 4 GEOs are based on a conversion ratio of 65:1 for silver to gold for 2016 and 55:1 for 2015. 5 Refer to section Non-IFRS Measures.

Summary of Production Results at El Castillo

The gold ounces loaded to the pads in the first quarter 2016 were 24% lower compared to first quarter 2015 primarily due to lower ore grade. GEO production of 17,500 ounces in the first quarter of 2016 was in line with guidance and a 30% decrease over first quarter of 2015, also primarily due to lower grades. Production guidance for 2016 at El Castillo is maintained at 75,000 to 80,000 GEOs.

FIRST QUARTER 2016 LA COLORADA OPERATING STATISTICS

3 Months Ended March 31 2016 2015 % Change Mining (Tonnes 000s) Tonnes ore 1,163 483 141 % Tonnes waste 3,400 2,544 34 % Total tonnes mined 4,563 3,027 51 % Waste/ore ratio 2.92 5.27 (45 %) Gold grade mined (g/t)1 0.56 0.58 (3 %) Total ore tonnes rehandled 50 663 (92 %) Heap Leach Pads (Tonnes 000s) Crushed ore tonnes to pads 1,213 1,140 6 % Production Gold grade to leach pads (g/t) 0.55 0.50 10 % Gold loaded to leach pads (oz)2 21,519 18,208 18 % Gold produced (oz)3 13,894 17,169 (19 %) Silver produced (oz) 49,370 68,261 (28 %) GEOs produced4 14,654 18,410 (20 %) Gold sold (oz) 13,772 17,118 (20 %) Silver sold (oz) 45,031 67,134 (33 %) Cash cost per gold ounce sold5 $654 $522 25 %

1 "g/t" refers to grams per tonne. 2 "oz" refers to troy ounce. 3 Produced ounces are calculated as ounces loaded to carbon. 4 GEOs are based on a conversion ratio of 65:1 for 2016 and 55:1 for 2015 for silver to gold. 5 Refer to section Non-IFRS Measures.

Summary of Production Results at La Colorada

The processing of the historical material on the leach pads finalized in 2015; therefore, GEO production decreased by 20% for the first quarter 2016 over first quarter 2015. Crusher throughput for the quarter exceeded operating levels, averaging 13,300 tonnes per day compared to the budget of 11,000 tonnes per day. The strip ratio has decreased as the material from the mine has been primarily sourced from the La Colorada pit. As a result, quarterly production for the first quarter in 2016 of 14,654 GEOs was achieved, ahead of guidance of 12,000 to 13,000 GEOs. Production guidance is maintained for La Colorada and anticipated GEO production for the full year 2016 is expected to be between 55,000 and 60,000 ounces.

COO Comments

Richard Rhoades, Chief Operating Officer of Argonaut Gold, commenting on the first quarter of 2016, stated: "We are pleased with the solid start to the year. We anticipate the grade at El Castillo will improve during the second half of the year as we begin mining the north end of the phase 6 pit area. At La Colorada, the construction of the new Northeast pad is on schedule and we anticipate it will be completed during the third quarter of this year."

Capital Expenditures for 2016

The Company maintains its plans to invest approximately $23 million on capital expenditures and exploration initiatives in 2016. Major capital expenditures in 2016 are expected to include approximately $14 million at La Colorada (including expansion capital for Northeast leach pad and conveyor system), $4 million at El Castillo, $1 million at San Agustin (excluding construction capital, should a construction decision be made), $1 million at Magino and $1 million at San Antonio. Exploration expenditures in 2016 are expected to amount to approximately $2 million. As of March 31, 2016, the Company has spent $5.5 million on capital expenditures and exploration initiatives.

Argonaut Gold Q1 2016 Financial Results Conference Call and Webcast - May 3, 2016:

The Q1 financial results call is scheduled to take place on May 3, 2016 at 8:30 AM (EDT). Details for the call-in participation are:

Q1 2016 Conference Call Information for May 3, 2016:

Toll Free (North America): 1-877-291-4570 International: 1-647-788-4919 Webcast: www.argonautgold.com/

Q1 2016 Conference Call Replay:

Toll Free Replay Call (North America): 1-416-621-4642 International Replay Call: 1-800-585-8367 Passcode: 27628654

The conference call replay will be available from 11:30 AM (EDT) on May 3, 2016 to May 17, 2016.

Annual General Meeting:

Argonaut Gold Inc. will hold its annual meeting of shareholders on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 10:00 am (EDT) at the offices of Bennett Jones LLP, located at 3400 One First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

About Argonaut Gold

Argonaut Gold is a Canadian gold company engaged in exploration, mine development and production activities. Its primary assets are the production stage El Castillo mine in Durango, Mexico and La Colorada mine in Sonora, Mexico. Advanced exploration stage projects include the San Antonio project in Baja California Sur, Mexico, the Magino project in Ontario, Canada and the San Agustin project in Durango, Mexico. The Company also has several exploration stage projects, all of which are located in North America.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws concerning the proposed transaction and the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Argonaut Gold Inc. ("Argonaut" or "Argonaut Gold"). Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to estimated production and mine life of the various mineral projects of Argonaut; synergies and financial impact of completed acquisitions; the benefits of the development potential of the properties of Argonaut; the future price of gold, copper, and silver; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; success of exploration activities; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Argonaut, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Argonaut and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include changes in market conditions, variations in ore grade or recovery rates, risks relating to international operations, fluctuating metal prices and currency exchange rates, changes in project parameters, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. Although Argonaut has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Argonaut undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. Comparative market information is as of a date prior to the date of this document.

Non-IFRS Measures

The Company has included certain non-IFRS measures including "Cash cost per gold ounce sold" and "All-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold" in this press release to supplement its financial statements which are presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Cash cost per gold ounce sold is equal to production costs less silver sales divided by gold ounces sold. All-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold is equal to production costs less silver sales plus general and administrative expenses, exploration expenses, accretion of reclamation provision and sustaining capital expenditures divided by gold ounces sold. The Company believes that this measure provides investors with an improved ability to evaluate the performance of the Company. Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS. Therefore they may not be comparable to similar measures employed by other companies. The data is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Please see the management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A) for full disclosure on non-IFRS measures.

This press release should be read in conjunction with the Company's unaudited consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and associated MD&A, for the same period, which are available from the Company's website, www.argonautgold.com, in the "Investors" section under "Financial Filings", and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Qualified Person, Technical Information and Mineral Properties Reports

Technical information included in this release was supervised and approved by Thomas Burkhart, Argonaut Gold's Vice President of Exploration, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.

For further information on the Company's material properties, please see the reports as listed below on the Company's website or on www.sedar.com:

El Castillo Mine NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources and Reserves, Argonaut Gold Inc., El Castillo Mine, Durango State, Mexico dated February 24, 2011 (effective date of November 6, 2010) La Colorada Mine NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment La Colorada Project, Sonora, Mexico dated December 30, 2011 (effective date of October 15, 2011) San Agustin Project Press release dated April 29, 2016. In accordance with NI 43-101, a Technical Report will be filed on or before June 13, 2016. Magino Gold Project Preliminary Feasibility Study Technical Report on the Magino Project, Wawa, Ontario, Canada dated February 22, 2016 (effective date January 18, 2016) San Antonio Gold Project NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources, San Antonio Project, Baja California Sur, Mexico dated October 10, 2012 (effective date of September 1, 2012)

Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. A preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, it may include inferred mineral reserves that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that a preliminary economic assessment will be realized.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 3, 2016) - Scorpio Gold Corporation ("Scorpio Gold" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:SGN) reports results from the 2016 definition drilling program on the Custer deposit at its 70% owned Mineral Ridge project, located in Nevada.

The Custer deposit lies along trend of and ~500 meters southeast of the Mary LC deposit. Structurally, Custer is very similar to the Drinkwater deposit, having far less of the post-mineral faulting and folding that was predominant in the Mary and Mary LC deposits. As a result, the mineralization at Custer is quite continuous and predictable. Definition drilling in 2016 followed up on a highly successful first-pass drilling program in 2015. A total of 81 holes have now outlined the Custer mineralized zone over a 150 x 200 meter area at depth. Planning and permitting for open pit mining of the Custer deposit is in progress, with targeted extraction in 2017.

Highlights from 2016 RC drilling at the Custer target include:

MR161950: 3.69 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold over 6.10 meters

MR161986: 13.99 g/t gold over 1.52 meters

MR161987: 5.33 g/t gold over 3.05 meters

MR162012: 2.09 g/t gold over 9.14 meters

MR162013: 2.15 g/t gold over 4.57 meters

MR162018: 9.15 g/t gold over 1.52 meters

MR162019: 3.27 g/t gold over 3.05 meters

MR162021 8.16 g/t gold over 3.05 meters

MR162023 6.70 g/t gold over 3.05 meters

A drill hole location map is available at: DH Plan

Table 1. Custer Target Area - Significant Drill Results

Hole Azm Dip From To Width From To Width Gold Gold No. (deg) (deg) (ft) (ft) (ft) (m) (m) (m) (OPT) (g/t) MR161950 250 -50 210 230 20 64.01 70.10 6.10 0.108 3.69 300 305 5 91.44 92.96 1.52 0.016 0.55 MR161951 300 -65 270 280 10 82.30 85.34 3.05 0.0195 0.67 MR161952 300 -65 190 215 25 57.91 65.53 7.62 0.042 1.45 MR161982 0 -90 125 130 5 38.10 39.62 1.52 0.112 3.84 140 145 5 42.67 44.20 1.52 0.016 0.55 160 175 15 48.77 53.34 4.57 0.025 0.86 195 200 5 59.44 60.96 1.52 0.016 0.55 390 400 10 118.87 121.92 3.05 0.022 0.74 MR161983 300 -50 55 60 5 16.76 18.29 1.52 0.025 0.86 390 395 5 118.87 120.40 1.52 0.029 0.99 MR161984 118 -81 155 165 10 47.24 50.29 3.05 0.023 0.79 MR161985 270 -50 300 310 10 91.44 94.49 3.05 0.037 1.25 MR161986 338 -56 255 260 5 77.72 79.25 1.52 0.408 13.99 270 275 5 82.30 83.82 1.52 0.042 1.44 290 300 10 88.39 91.44 3.05 0.027 0.93 MR161987 0 -90 200 210 10 60.96 64.01 3.05 0.156 5.33 MR162002 220 -55 No Significant Results MR162003 290 -50 85 90 5 25.91 27.43 1.52 0.010 0.34 MR162004 082 -53 85 90 5 25.91 27.43 1.52 0.019 0.65 MR162005 020 -50 100 105 5 30.48 32.00 1.52 0.011 0.38 MR162006 337 -60 180 185 5 54.86 56.39 1.52 0.014 0.48 MR162007-008 0 -90 No Significant Results MR162009 0 -90 95 100 5 28.96 30.48 1.52 0.015 0.51 MR162010 212 -49 170 175 5 51.82 53.34 1.52 0.027 0.93 MR162011 153 -76 35 40 5 10.67 12.19 1.52 0.016 0.55 210 215 5 64.01 65.53 1.52 0.020 0.69 MR162012 269 -63 190 220 30 57.91 67.06 9.14 0.061 2.09 MR162013 015 -46 295 300 5 89.92 91.44 1.52 0.038 1.30 340 355 15 103.63 108.20 4.57 0.063 2.15 MR162014 199 -61 60 70 10 18.29 21.34 3.05 0.045 1.53 MR162015 179 -61 80 85 5 24.38 25.91 1.52 0.014 0.48 MR162016 152 -71 55 65 10 16.76 19.81 3.05 0.023 0.79 80 85 5 24.38 25.91 1.52 0.053 1.82 240 245 5 73.15 74.68 1.52 0.017 0.58 305 310 5 92.96 94.49 1.52 0.017 0.58 MR162017 103 -71 No Significant Results MR162018 129 -64 5 10 5 1.52 3.05 1.52 0.267 9.15 380 390 10 115.82 118.87 3.05 0.029 0.99 MR162019 091 -53 215 220 5 65.53 67.06 1.52 0.036 1.23 390 400 10 118.87 121.92 3.05 0.096 3.27 MR162020 077 -59 425 430 5 129.54 131.06 1.52 0.037 1.27 MR162021 158 -59 45 50 5 13.72 15.24 1.52 0.352 12.07 55 60 5 16.76 18.29 1.52 0.016 0.55 320 330 10 97.54 100.58 3.05 0.238 8.16 405 410 5 123.44 124.97 1.52 0.039 1.34 425 430 5 129.54 131.06 1.52 0.020 0.69 465 470 5 141.73 143.26 1.52 0.017 0.58 MR162022 135 -52 No Significant Results MR162023 110 -51 100 110 10 30.48 33.53 3.05 0.196 6.70 230 235 5 70.10 71.63 1.52 0.333 11.42 400 405 5 121.92 123.44 1.52 0.016 0.55 MR162046 016 -56 215 225 10 65.53 68.58 3.05 0.060 2.04 235 255 20 71.63 77.72 6.10 0.039 1.32

All holes presented in Table 1 were completed by reverse circulation (RC) drilling. True width is estimated at 80-100% of downhole width. Scorpio Gold utilizes the analytical services of ALS Minerals (Reno, Nevada), an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (CAN-P-4E, CAN-P-1579) accredited testing laboratory, and Bureau Veritas (Reno, Nevada), an ISO 9001 certified testing laboratory. External check assays to verify lab accuracy are routinely completed. Further details are presented in the Company's quality assurance and quality control program for the Mineral Ridge project, available at: MR QAQC.

About Scorpio Gold

Scorpio Gold holds a 70% interest in the producing Mineral Ridge gold mining operation located in Esmeralda County, Nevada with joint venture partner Elevon, LLC (30%). Mineral Ridge is a conventional open pit mining and heap leach operation. The Mineral Ridge property is host to multiple gold-bearing structures, veins and lenses at exploration, development and production stages. Scorpio Gold also holds a 100% interest in the advanced exploration-stage Goldwedge property in Manhattan, Nevada, with a fully permitted underground mine and 400 ton per day mill facility. The Goldwedge mill facility has been placed on a care and maintenance basis and can be restarted immediately when needed.

Scorpio Gold's President & CEO, Peter J. Hawley, PGeo,, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the content of this release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

SCORPIO GOLD CORPORATION

Peter J. Hawley,

President & CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The Company relies on litigation protection for forward-looking statements. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plans with respect to the exploration, development and exploitation of its Mineral Ridge project, including permitting approval and open pit mining of the Custer deposit in 2017. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements, including risks involved in mineral exploration and development programs and those risk factors outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on SEDAR. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.
News / Press Release

by Staff Reporter

On this International Labour Day, we, the Democratic Political Parties in Zimbabwe re-affirm our respect for our national constitution, and observance of the principles of constitutionalism, good governance, democracy and justice, Pan-Africanism and international solidarity.We re-iterate our commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights, including the rights of all workers to decent jobs and decent pay.We are determined to contribute to the upliftment and transformation of the lives of the people of Zimbabwe, and today join the working people of our country in commemorating the International Workers Day 2016, under the theme "Celebrating the International Labour Movement".The International Labour Day affords us the opportunity to reflect on, and celebrate the advances that working people have achieved in better working conditions, fair remuneration and enhanced work place democracy. We also celebrate the contributions working people have made to the broader national struggles for political liberation, economic development and social justice.This year's commemorations take place in an environment characterised by the collapse of the formal economy, high unemployment, near-total collapse of service delivery and a ravaging drought. 98% of working age people, especially the youths, are in the informal sector, 60% of the industries which were operating in 2010 have shut down and 83% of our people live on less than US$1 a day. Many women still die needlessly, while giving birth, so do too many children under the age f 5; because the national health services have been destroyed.Generally, the people feel hopeless, and they are in despair, dejected and demoralized.More critically, in many enterprises in all sectors of the economy country-wide, in both the public and private sectors, working people have gone for long periods without being paid for wok already done. In the last month, the spectre of cash shortages has haunted even the few who are still employed, as they fail to access their hard earned money.In light of the foregoing, we democratic political parties, pledge to the people of Zimbabwe that:- Creating EmploymentWe will work together to formulate policies and programmes of economic recovery and growth, which preserve the few existing jobs, and create more formal jobs in all sectors of the national economy.- Social ContractWe commit ourselves to the implementation of the Social Contract articulated in the Kadoma Declaration. This cardinal national covenant has been rendered inutile by the inept and corrupt ZANU-PF government.- Labour law reformWe commit ourselves to reforming the country's labour laws of the land to ensure the effective protection of workers' rights, while raising the work ethic and enhancing national productivity. Further we pledge to work for the harmonization of labour laws, so as to give equal rights to all workers in Zimbabwe.- Upholding fundamental rights to organize, associate and assembleUnionism is about organising, associating and assembly. It is about mass mobilisation. Consequently, we commit ourselves to respecting and promoting these fundamental rights, already in the national Constitution. We also pledge to work for the repeal of such draconian laws as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), which have been used to persecute trade unionist, political parties and other human rights defenders in our country.The emancipation of the people of Zimbabwe, including workers, and the creation of a social democratic state, are cardinal objectives of the current phase of the national democratic struggle. In furtherance of this goal, we commit ourselves to cooperate with the working people of Zimbabwe, and all other national groups who share this purpose; to free our country of the failed, dictatorial, cruel and corrupt ZANU PF regime.Workers of the world uniteShinga mushandi shingaQhina sisebenzi qhina!M.ChikashaAfrican Democratic Party (ADP)Dr S.H.S MakoniMavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD)G.DzikitiDemocratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment(DARE)Professor W.NcubeMovement for Democratic Change(MDC)T.L BitiPeople's Democratic Party (PDP)Dr D. DabengwaZimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)E.S MangomaRenewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ)F.MbiraZimbabweans United for Democracy(ZUNDE)Professor L.MadhukuNational Constitutional Assembly(NCA)
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News / Religion

by Staff Reporter

THE noise surrounding the controversial national pledge has reached boiling point with some traditional churches that run mission schools ordering their institutions to disassociate themselves from the pledge policy.Amongst these churches is Brethren in Christ Church (BICC), which runs Matabeleland schools that include Mtshabezi High School, Wanezi High School and Matopo High School.BICC yesterday ordered its schools not to recite the national pledge saying it violates the national Constitution and their religious beliefs. The local civil society has also blasted the pledge policy describing it as pagan and unconstitutional.However, conspicuous with its silence is the Catholic Church, which is arguably one of the most influential institutions, headed by the Pope - a global leader. The institutions runs hundreds of successful mission schools across the country including Monte Cassino, which recorded 100 percent, pass rate in the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council 2015 exams.In Zimbabwe the Catholic Church through the Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace (CCJP) is known for its role in holding power accountable for human rights violations including the Matabeleland and Midlands genocide of 1980 popularly known as Gukurahundi.Through the Catholic Bisho's Conference (CBC) whose chairperson is Archbishop Robert Ndlovu has occasionally issued out statements on different national issues of public concern but it has suspiciously remained silent concerning the national pledge policy while other mainstream churches condemn it.Pundits in the institution say while the Church hierarchy remains mute, pastoral leaders within the establishment have been warned not to delve into the debate using the name of the Church. Senior priests canvassed by this publication refused to comment on the issue for fear of internal reprisals.However, those who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity said the "Church believes that the national pledge policy is in line within its social teachings."Catholic social teaching is the body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of social justice, involving issues of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the State.President Robert Mugabe whose government is accused of formulating the rogue pledge is a devout Catholic who did his lower education in Catholic-run schools. However, he is believed to have used his power to silence the Church in denouncing his dictatorial tendencies and violation of human rights.Former outspoken clergyman Bishop Pius Ncube is one notable Catholic leader famed for denouncing Mugabe for bad governance before he was framed in a State-sponsored plot for allegedly having an adulterous affair with a married woman. This culminated in his resignation from the episcopal appointment - which saw him serving the Church as an archbishop of the Bulawayo diocese.Since then the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe has suspiciously retreated from commenting on national matters including social injustice. It is widely believed that the Vatican - which is headed by Pope Francis, warned church leaders from commenting on controversial political issues to avoid a potential State-sponsored purge on its clergyman.Efforts to get a comment from Papal representative to Zimbabwe, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Marek Zalewski hit a snag while the CBC had not responded to questions sent via email at the time of publication.Despite pressure from various stakeholders to have the implementation of the contentious policy halted, the ministry of primary and secondary education has refused to rescind the national pledge arguing that parents were consulted during the 2014 education curriculum review process.
Opinion / Columnist

A senior US government official, Ambassador Bellamy, admits that Mugabe reign of terror could have been ended as far back as 2002 is SA had not undermined the international community's efforts to do so."The real international failure in Zimbabwe is more recent (than Gukurahundi massacre) however. By 2002 it was clear that a majority of Zimbabweans wanted change, had voted for it, had risked their lives for it. And the change they called for was in all respects congruent with the liberal democratic values we hold dear," said the Ambassador according to an article in New Zimbabwe."A number of African states, including some of Zimbabwe's neighbors, sympathized strongly with this sentiment. The US, the UK, the EU, Commonwealth members also called for more pressure on Mugabe to respect the rule of law and acknowledge the will of the electorate."I remember this well as I was a senior US official and part of this lobbying effort."The Ambassador was sharing a platform with Senator David Coltart who is in the USA to launch his book "The Struggle Continues"."South Africa was not prepared to go along. It preferred a tactic of quiet diplomacy. This gave Mugabe the protection he needed to continue business as usual. The opportunity to press for peaceful change was missed in 2002, and it was missed repeatedly thereafter as Western powers continued to urge action on Zimbabwe and South Africa resisted."A free and fair election under strict international supervision was all that was needed. Zimbabwe's tragedy is that it never happened."I agree 100% with Ambassador Bellamy that the International Community did show a real interest in ending Zimbabwe's disastrous Zanu PF dictatorship from 2002 onwards. Sadly their efforts did not produce the desired result because of the SA government intransigence. It is clear that SA President Thabo Mbeki's quite diplomacy accomplished nothing as Mugabe is still in power!When the history of Zimbabwe comes to be written the world will know that the International community did try to help but could have done a lot more, particularly given the tragic human misery that has befallen the people of Zimbabwe and the whole SADC region as the result of the carry-on in Harare after 2002. It is a matter of historic record that it was the US who turned on the pressure of the white racist regime in SA to stop propping up the white Smith regime in Rhodesia in the 1970s that forced the later to accept regime change. Similar pressure could and should have been brought to bear on President Thabo Mbeki.History will judge President Mbeki harshly for his blundering incompetency in allowed President Mugabe back into power especially after the 2008 elections which were marred by the worst politically motivated violence even by African standards of dodgy elections. After such barbarism Mugabe did not deserve the soft political landing President Mbeki contrive by imposing the GNU on the people of Zimbabwe.At the end of the GNU Zimbabwe could and should have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship it failed to do so because the two MDC factions in the GNU tasked to implement the raft of democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections failed to get even one reform implemented. Yes SADC leaders could have pressured MDC to implement the reforms; still one cannot blame SADC or SA for MDC leaders being corrupt and incompetent.Senator David Coltart was a senior member of the MDC and a member cabinet throughout the GNU. He was very candid in his book about the barbarism of the Mugabe regime during the Gukurahundi "madness" as Mugabe has since acknowledged. Sadly the Senator was very economic with the truth about MDC's breath-taking incompetence and betrayal of the nation, especially during the GNU sell-out.Ultimately it is the people of Zimbabwe must take responsibility and blame for the political mess the country is in. It is not enough to accuse the international community, SADC, SA and even our own political leaders like Morgan Tsvangirai of not doing enough to end the Zanu PF dictatorship when we the people have done very little or nothing to stop Mugabe riding roughshod over our freedoms, human rights, dignity and our dreams!Zimbabwe's an independent and sovereign nation and per se the destiny of the nation is in our own hands and not the international community or anyone else. We need to wake up to this reality or Zimbabwe will never ever get out of the political and economic mess Mugabe has landed us in!
Opinion / Columnist

President Robert Gabriel Mugabe is famously known for declaring zero tolerance on corruption. He vows zero tolerance on corruption in the public sector and all relevant arms of Government. He warned that his ZANU-PF Government is poised to crack down on high-level graft bedevilling the nation. In this vein, the public institutions that are set-up to fight this malaise gnawing our national integrity are sleeping on duty, and the whip should crack on their backs to wake them up. Zimbabweans cannot afford to live another day in this corrupt ridden context.President has always bemoaned the fact that high-level corruption is costing the Government dearly in terms of funds and lost opportunities as programmes and public projects are never finished after rowdy officials squander funds and stifle the efforts. The law should descend heavily on those who embezzle and/or abuse public funds. They should be subjected to the full course of justice, and the courts should hand down deterrent sentences as warning to all those that are involved in corruption to the detriment of national interests.President Mugabe's hard stance on corruption is in tandem with the ruling party's policy. Both the party and Government should implement zero tolerance against corruption in all spheres of public and private life. President Mugabe confides that stringent measures to uproot corruption and to ensure accountability, and service delivery from all arms of Government which includes ministries and parastatals should be put in place to regulate and monitor all operations closely for the good of the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe.Relevant public institutions should play their duty to enable the success of this national vision. President Mugabe reflects an unwavering position that his Government will not tolerate corruption when he charges that: "No matter how powerful someone thinks he is or how many friends he thinks he has in Government, corruption allegations will be investigated and the truth found. And if those allegations are proved, then the person will no doubt go to jail."Corrupt elements deprive us of our national heritage, pride and future. A culture of hard work, sense of responsibility, transparency and accountability should extricate us from this predicament of stunted growth owing to unbridled plundering of national resources by a few individuals who are selfish. Fighting corruption is the most prudent aspect for any society to prosper.The epidemic corruption bedevilling our nation needs practical action for us to rescue the declining economy. In the recent months we have read a lot of stories about corrupt activities in various sectors of the economy. Up to now the generality of the public is awaiting anxiously to find out the practical steps which will be employed to deflate and curtail these vices in our society.What really is being done by the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Unit to curb this scourge which is depriving the Government of revenue? Isn't it prudent for the nation to open toll free hotline numbers dedicated to receive leads on corruption. This would enable us all to participate actively in exposing these evils and empowering law enforcement authorities to apply suitable measures to assert justice.The existence and prevalence of gross corruption in our society is so ugly and disheartening. Corruption is the illegal exploitation of legitimate authority endowed into someone, who in most cases is a professional. Any form of behaviour that abuses and therefore crosses the parameters of one's power defined by his/her responsibility can be classified as corruption.Recently the government of Uganda did what was previously unthinkable in that country by pouncing on corrupt public officials. Firstly, police re-arrested the ring-leaders that were fingered in the scam in the ministry of Public Service that saw the country losing close to 500 billion Shillings paid to ghost pensioners. Secondly, it subjected the suspects to rigorous interrogations, which led to the recovery of 256 titles of properties they had accumulated. These properties had a value of over 800 billion Shillings. Thirdly, it froze their bank accounts and placed caveats on their assets. Fourthly, the police was compelled to initiate the process of recovering the money by confiscating the properties and handing them to government for auctioning.This is an eye opening case study of corruption that challenges Zimbabwe Anti-corruption (ZAC) Unit and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to have a re-think over this perpetual problem that is gnawing the national fabrics daily to the detriment of national interest. It is inconceivable in Zimbabwe that we know, that an equal sterling job of such a thorough going effort, to combat official corruption, can be initiated and let alone be sustained across a broad frontline with resoluteness over a prolonged period considering the level of impunity imbedded in our society, particularly amongst the elites.It seems there is a lot of inertia, apathy, indifference, defeatism, false or even subversive compliance, and foot dragging on corruption in the Zimbabwean public sector as ZRP and ZAC declared defeat silently. However, in a way how can we hope that a poorly paid, poorly facilitated and poorly motivated police can take corruption head-on? Under current state of affairs most Zimbabwe Republic Police officers would find it better to take bribes from the law-breakers than helping the state to rein them in. Alongside there is the interference of politics in which entrenched corrupt interests will lobby the powerful for protection in spite of committing this heinous crime.In the meantime, there is also little evidence that our local democratic process can fight corruption as effectively as the public mood would demand. This is because politicians, even when elected, possess interests different from those of their constituents who gave them power and that authority to rule.In most corruption fights, politicians seek their personal benefit first, if someone can bribe them too, and the public interest comes later or never at all. And when they do, as they often pretend in our parliament, it is to use corruption as a platform to score political points against the political opponent.Serious and successful anti-corruption work needs to focus on people and systems that are oiling the machinery of corruption. In other words, one has to work to build attitudes, consciousness and knowledge amongst the different employees, while simultaneously making sure to establish transparent systems and routines that minimise the risk and possibility of corruption.Prevention of corruption, amongst other things, may involve actively doing attitude-creating work amongst all citizens and their partner organisations, and the development and spreading of a grassroots course on anti-corruption amongst the ordinary people. There is need to develop good routines and checklists for a proper financial management in all public projects. These should be always up for discussion and verified during project visits. The civil society should engage themselves forcefully to share experiences in the anti-corruption work as well as raise the expertise amongst public and private employees in terms of prevention, disclosure and handling cases of corruption through different courses and training.At the moment corruption has reached unprecedented levels, and it is imperative to try various ways to reduce corruption. The following are suggested tools to reduce corruption.The first tool is 'education'. With the help of education we can reduce corruption by stimulating public awareness. Those who are uneducated do not know about the process, provisions and procedures through which they can get justice when confronted by corrupt officials. Corrupt public servants try to fool ordinary citizens and often demand for bribes from them. It is due to unawareness in the field of law, public rights and procedures, thereof that a common uneducated person suffers from the corrupt society. This suggests that if we are educated, we can understand our rights well.Secondly, we need to change the government processes that permit corrupt officials to flourish in the Government unperturbed. The reverse may be possible only when there is no more criminal politicians in our government. The provision is that if there is any case filed against a person then he would not be eligible for election. But if we see a hundred politicians then about sixty percent of them would be criminal in nature. If these criminal politicians command us and make laws, what types of laws would be formed? We can guess!Thus during election, we should keep in mind the person for whom we shall not vote for. In other countries like India, there is a provision that no person with a criminal record shall be allowed to contest as a legislator. Unfortunately in our case, a fairly large number of them are occupying seats in the august house.Thirdly, there is need to reduce corruption by increasing direct contact between government and the governed. E-governance could help a lot towards this direction. Right to information should be used for transparency and ultimate accountability. The public have the constitutional legal rights to know any public information. Lack of effective corruption treatment, due to absence of effective legislation, is the prime reason why the country is submerged in this pool of incorrigible corrupt tendencies. That means, instruments which are in use, are not functioning properly.Fourthly, lack of transparency and professional accountability is yet another big reason. We should be honest to ourselves. Until and unless we are honest, we can't control corruption. If each of us is honest towards our profession then corruption will automatically decrease to minimal levels. We need to pay attention towards professional accountability, that is, how much we are faithful and truthful towards our profession. Corruption may be controlled by handling major professions such as those in medical, revenue collection, police and judiciary systems.However, preventing corruption completely is a tall order. So steps can be taken to reduce it significantly. There are a few fundamental ideas that can be implemented that can, by their very nature, curb corruption. The three areas that need attention are the officer training, personal characters, and the incentives program that motivate ordinary citizens to report corruption, especially through toll free numbers. It is my theory that following all or some of these ideas would change the situation in Zimbabwe.The other critical step is to hire police officers of good character, which is difficult for a number of reasons anyway. Officers are human. Giving a person the kind of power a policeman has can overwhelm one. It is predictable what can happen, as history illustrates so well. What is unpredictable with any kind of reliability is what will happen to a given individual. It is predictable that some officers will be corrupt. It is also predictable that a large majority will do the job they were hired to do, and do it honestly.Stricter screening methods need to be implemented to decrease the chance that a potential hire will become corrupt. If he can successfully complete all the integrity obstacles, then it becomes more likely that he will be honest. Unfortunately, because policemen are human, no department has been successful in creating a test that will reliably predict officer conduct. However, the ZRP can reinforce ethical behaviour.Once an officer is hired, the department should do all it can to promote ethics on the job. Officer safety is extremely important. If police are incapacitated by the need for corruption, who will be left to protect the citizenry in the future? Along with such indoctrination, ethical indoctrination is paramount.Corruption in the force makes it easier for a citizen to rationalize acting unlawfully, which just creates more work for the police. If a police officer, who is allegedly the pillar of the law, can defy it, why cannot the citizens who pay for the police services? The credibility of the police vanishes. A corrupt police officer cannot very well express effectively why citizens should obey the law, for he has no consistency and thus no credibility.Hence, all Zimbabweans need to say NO to corruption for us to create a developmental state.
Opinion / Columnist

In a statement published by Bulawayo24 news on Monday 25 April 2016, Zimbabwe through Tendai Chinembiri, expressed so much rejoice over the untimely resignation of MLF leader General Nandinandi. Chinembiri said he sighed a breath of relief to such news. Chinembiri played down the Mthwakazi restoration agenda calling it a tribal agenda that was pushed by brainless Ndebele people, who according to him were causing instability in Zimbabwe by wanting to create a state within a state yet their home in Ngome (KwaZulu Natal - RSA) remained grazing lands. Chinembiri however expressed his worries over the whereabouts of former MLF secretary general Mr Paul Siwela whom he said still paused a little security unrest in Zimbabwe.In a telephone interview with David Magagula, the spokesperson of MLF, Magagula described Tendai Chinembiri as a very short sighted toddler who lacked historical background of Zimbabwe. " This boy must know that soldiers die in the front line but the army has never been dismantled because of that instead the deaths of their comrades have always given them reason to fight to achieve their set objectives."" MLF has never been short of leaders and it is way too early for Tendai and company to be celebrating," said Magagula.Magagula laughed off Chinembiri's claims that some Ndebele house hold names like Gordon Moyo, Qhubani Moyo, George Mkhwanazi, Sindiso Mazibisa etc, who founded Mthwakazi politics had abandoned the idea after realising that it was only a dream and joined the Zimbabwe mainstream politics. Magagula said the parents and probably the entire Shona community had nothing to thank from Chinembiri as his name could be explained in English. "There no true Shona person who would rejoice at having a Ndebele person in his camp. That he can ask Mugabe and Morgan Tswangirai, they will tell him what it is like. The Zanu that this toddler is seeing today is not the very same Zanu that was before 1987, the Zanu that engineered Gukurahundi?" Magagula explained. " Had Zanu not welcomed Ndebele people in its ranks, Joyce Mujuru, Simba Makoni, and even their tea boy, Morgan Tswangirai could still be part of their setup. Tendai must wake up from his dream.All these Mthwakazi people in Zimbabwean parties are just as good as deployed for strategic reasons, so it is no harm to the Mthwakazi restoration cause that they are there." said Magagula. Magagula applauded his organization MLF for taking the Mthwakazi struggle to Zimbabwe and urged all Mthwakazi activists to unite and shout even more louder, saying no matter how much Zimbabwe showed ignorance over the issue, deep inside they were feeling the heat and they will one day surrender.Magagula also took a swipe on the Minister of primary and secondary education Mr Lazarus Dokora, saying he was trying to make fools out of Mthwakazi people by forcing them to pay allegiance to the colonizers' flag. " The Zimbabwean flag does not have any significance to the Mthwakazi people and it is the reason why we once set it alight. During the Gukurahundi killings, Mthwakazi were forced to sing and dance on top of the graves of their loved ones and today Dokora is pushing for them to find allegiance to their massacred loved ones' blood whom his government refused to account for," Magagula concluded.
LOS ANGELESA special pre-Cinco De Mayo broadcast for Inside The Industry will feature Latina performers Bridgette B and Luna Star. New starlet Jasmine Summers will be the special guest co-host, joining host James Bartholet.

The show will air 7-9 p.m. PST Wednesday, May 4.

The group will discuss new projects and reviewing adult novelty products, as well as take calls live from the listening audience. The show can be heard on LATalkRadio.com or InsideTheIndustry.net and it will stream live on Streamate.com.

In addition to the hearing the guests, listeners can win prizesincluding a signed DVD, a signed 8-by-1o from Luna Star or items from Pipedream Productsduring on-air contests. Fans can call in live at (323) 203-0815 or join the conversations in the chat room at the Inside The Industry site, or on the AdultDVDTalk.com site. Prizes can be won by emailing [email protected].

Inside The Industry is sponsored by Streamates, AVN, 1amdollusa.com, Pipedream Products, Adam & Eve and Black Tie Limousines.

Production companies who would like to send information to be discussed on the air, performers who want to be booked as guests on the program, or companies that wish to advertise on the program, can email the Inside the Industry production office at [email protected]
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday said he plans to look at whether the states tourism agency should be under the governors control again, saying the agency has some very serious problems.

Ricketts commented in the wake of a state audit, released Friday, that faulted the Nebraska Tourism Commission for excessive spending on conference speakers and photo shoots, improperly reimbursing a contractor for alcohol and cigarettes, and using the executive directors daughter in a state tourism advertising campaign.

In addition, the states contract with its marketing agency was overspent by more than $4 million over three years, the audit said.

Discussion of the audit is on the agenda today for the nine-member State Tourism Commission, which will meet at 1 p.m. at Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo.

State Auditor Charlie Janssen has said the audit by his office showed that the commission  which became an independent agency four years ago  had taken advantage of taxpayers.

Ricketts on Monday said the problems are an example of what happens when an agency is independent of the Governors Office. Tourism was a division within the Nebraska Department of Economic Development prior to 2012.

The governor appoints the nine commissioners to the board, but Ricketts said that after those appointments are made, hes mostly powerless to make changes.

If it were up to him, the governor said, wed be looking very closely at this and what happened.

State Tourism Director Kathy McKillip has acknowledged that mistakes were made, but she attributed them mostly to the lack of a policy and procedures manual for the agency.

When asked whether McKillip should resign from or be replaced in her $86,364-a-year job, Ricketts did not respond directly.

Two state senators, Heath Mello of Omaha and John Stinner of Gering, said that decision is up to the Tourism Commission, which hires the director.

One of those commissioners, Roger Jasnoch of the Kearney Visitors Bureau, declined to say.

I think we need to do whats best for the commission and whats best for the (travel) industry, Jasnoch said.

The Tourism Commissions agenda for todays meeting includes a presentation from an assistant state auditor, Craig Kubicek, on the 79-page report. The commission also is expected to discuss forming a committee to draw up a policy manual for the agency.

The Legislatures Appropriations Committee has already taken action to tighten oversight of spending and contracts at the tourism agency. The committee, as part of this years budget bill, ordered the agency to contract with the State Department of Administrative Services to review bills and spending on contracts.

Mello, the chairman of that committee, called the requirement a pre-emptive strike to the audit. The committee knew the critical audit was coming and had discovered that the tourism agency was spending more state lodging tax dollars than it was taking in.

Theres now an extra layer of accountability put into the system, Mello said, because the Department of Administrative Services will review spending and could refuse to approve bills that it finds inappropriate.

Mello said he does not, at this point, support ending the tourism agencys independent status. But both he and Stinner said they want to see a plan of action adopted by the commission quickly to address the problems uncovered in the audit.

A lot of challenges exist, Mello said. The commissioners have a lot to do to right this ship in the next six to nine months.

The state audit found that the tourism agency lacked documentation for several expenses, forcing it to seek receipts from the states marketing contractor, Bailey Lauerman, on meals billed to the state. It also found that the tourism agency had wrongly approved bills from Bailey Lauerman for alcohol and cigarettes purchased during a photo shoot. The state does not reimburse for liquor purchases.

In a related development, the manager of Bailey Lauermans account with the state, Rich Claussen, is taking a new job as an ambassador with Prosper Lincoln, a pro-entrepreneurship group.

An official with Bailey Lauerman, Mary Palu, said the move was not related in any way to the audit, which also criticized the ad firm. Claussen submitted his resignation on April 18, Palu said. His last day with Bailey Lauerman is today.

Also criticized in the audit was the ad firms selection of McKillips daughter as part of a group of seven college-aged models for a nine-day photo shoot at tourist sites across the state. The daughter eventually ended up on the cover of the state tourism guide.

McKillip said she had nothing to do with the selection. The state audit, however, said the use of the daughter gave the impression that the tourism director was obtaining something of value for her family or that it was being offered by the ad firm to curry influence. Both would be illegal.

The state audit, as is the practice, has been forwarded to the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office to determine whether any criminal charges should be filed.
On May 14 the Kearney Post Office will join about 1,500 post offices in the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. This will make it 23 years in a row that Kearney carriers will be a part of the largest one-day food drive, which has collected roughly 1.3 billion pounds of food since it started in 1993.

The Post Office will send out reminder cards. This year a Hy-Vee plastic bag will be delivered in the mail. We ask that people leave any non-perishable food items in this bag or paper bag, should they choose to do so at 9 a.m. that Saturday. Volunteers then pick this food up in their own vehicles. The reason for this schedule is we would like to collect as much as possible that morning and complete it for the volunteers to have the rest of their day to do what they please. The Post Office will have a collection site, and so will the Community Action Food Bank if people want to leave it there.

As always, the United Way will find volunteers. Taylor Worden has been instrumental in her first year with the United Way. We still need anyone who can help that morning. It would take about three hours. You can call the Post Office at 237-6840 or United Way at 224-4878. We would be honored if you could join us. Be at the Post Office around 8:30 a.m. on May 14. We will assign you a city or rural route to collect the food by the mailboxes, then bring it to the post office or to the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska food bank at 11th Street and Avenue B.

The food will go to five area food pantries  Kearney Jubilee Center, East Lawn Ministries, Prince of Peace Church, eFree Church and Family Tabernacle Church  and reach all over central Nebraska.

Letter carriers vote to do this each year. It would be great to collect 10,000 pounds of food. It has been a while since we have reached that number. If you have donated food during past drives we thank you. You made a difference. The need is out there, so leave food at your mailbox that morning. If you can volunteer your time, please come on down. The Kearney Post Office thanks you.

Daryl Kozal, Kearney
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This is the first letter Ive ever written to a political figure, and I pray that someone on your staff will bring this letter to your attention. I have been a physician for close to 30 years. I am a second-generation pediatrician struggling to keep an independent solo practice alive. Not one politician has addressed what I feel is the major threat to health care: the physician-patient relationship. Without this, there is no quality of care no matter what you do. Physician-patient relationships require time with the patient.

Most of my diagnosis is derived from my patient-parent interview and a hands-on exam of the child. You cannot possibly read a cookbook of medical questions and treatments and have the same result. The current insurance treadmill model of primary care makes this impossible. There is a hemorrhaging exodus of well-trained physicians unwilling to jeopardize this patient relationship. Insurance companies are pushing the small man (or woman), like myself, out and replacing us with health care extenders, or whomever they can place in a white coat for less money. This is at the expense of the patient and the profit of the insurance company.

I have done everything by the book. During my 12 years of postgraduate training, I earned a degree in chemistry and biology, a masters degree in microbiology, and MD degree from Georgetown University Medical School where I also completed my pediatric residency. I am board-certified and recertified. I have a spotless record and a loyal patient following. I am not saying this to fluff my feathers but to emphasize my dedication to my calling. It is not just a job to me. This is what I was meant to do, and I will only do it the correct way.

Coming from generations of physicians, I take my job very seriously. My father was also a pediatrician and started his office in the basement of our home. I know what quality care is, and what it is not. I grew up knowing that medicine can exist without the interference of insurance companies. At that time, people paid a fair price for an office visit and had catastrophic hospital coverage for hospitalization and procedures. (My father was the physician who saved John F. Kennedys son, John John. His name is Dr. Ira Seiler, MD. It is a true story accessible through the archives. He also attended John F. Kennedys inaugural ball and parade.)

My father instilled in me a respect for the patient-physician relationship without which there is no quality care. Insurance companies have continued to decrease our payments knowing that we will need to see more patients in a shorter amount of time to make up for the decreasing reimbursement rates. You do not have time to foster a relationship. This may result in more medical mistakes but ultimately bring in more money to the pockets of the insurance company. This is a very dangerous game, and I have refused to play it. For that, I have been threatened and penalized.

I am trying desperately to keep my small practice alive. I spend at least 30 minutes with each patient; they have access to me via my personal cell phone 24/7. I have no wait times, will always see a sick patient that day, try to avoid ER/urgent care visits by seeing the patient after hours myself (to avoid medical mistakes since after hours clinics usually are not staffed by pediatricians and I end up correcting the mistakes at 3 a.m. for free anyway). Many times Ill bring a chart home and research a condition and if I dont know something I will find out. And for this, I am listed as a physician that is not cost effective, or in other words, I spend too much time per patient, which results in less revenue to the insurance company.

Medicine is not a 9 to 5 job; it is a calling, and my greatest fear is that no one is going to want to do this job for a salary of $6,000 a year, which after all my office expenses, I earned. And that is not from poor business skills or lack of patients. It is from decreasing reimbursement rates and higher overhead. This is why most physicians have left private practice to join hospital settings or larger groups. Many people dont know that I have to pay not one but two malpractice payments in the state of Pennsylvania, licensing and board fees, rising medical and office supply fees which total $15,000 a month. I have one nurse, a receptionist, myself and one part-time relief doctor who is amazing, having trained at both Duke and Northwestern. I have not taken a paycheck in 8 months.

I continue to do this job because thats what I was meant to do and I dont want to give up on my patients. I should not be subject to prejudice for practicing good medicine. I am scared who will take care of these children or my family when those like me are finally forced out completely.

I am not a health care provider. I am a physician, and there is a very big difference. I hope that you will think about this in your fight to fix the problems in health care, because its more than just repealing Obamacare. It is putting medicine back into the hands of the patient, consumer, and the physician. Insurance companies are for-profit companies, parasitizing my expertise and exploiting your savings. If they are getting paid for my expertise and training, maybe the CEOs of these insurance companies should try doing the surgeries and treating the patients themselves.

Sincerely,

Sharon S. Jellinek, MD

Sharon S. Jellinek is a pediatrician who blogs at Rebel.MD.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Just three weeks earlier, she had noticed something strange about one of her breasts. An irregular shape. Her daughter brought her to the doctor, and soon the patient, Ill call her Amanda, was diagnosed with breast cancer, stage to be determined. In fact, she was now in an oncologists office, learning what tests she would receive to determine the extent of her tumor. And sitting between her and the doctor was a tape recorder, capturing their conversation.

A dozen minutes into the appointment, Amanda would break down crying. And the physicians response, which I will lay out for you in a bit, is unfortunately not uncommon. When patients express negative emotion, many oncologists do not respond with empathy. As Ill explain later, this is an enormous problem, but also one we can fix.

Amanda was 60 years old at the time of the appointment, quite frail for her age, requiring help climbing up onto the exam table because of a recent stroke. She needed to wear adult diapers. She also suffered from diabetes and tremors, although it was unclear whether those non-spontaneous movements were from Parkinsons or some milder disorder. In other words, her health was already fragile, and a breast cancer diagnosis wasnt going to make things better.

Which may be why she was so distraught about her situation.

The oncologist described how he would evaluate her problem: Now I am going to order a scan, a CT scan. Its like an x-ray, but she needs to lie down, he explained to Amandas brother. After that, we will check her blood. After weve done the blood test and the scan, I will meet you in one week, and we will discuss this, and I will advise accordingly.

Then, perhaps noticing the look on Amandas face, he advised her: Dont be scared, please. We will wait for the scan and blood results and see you in one week. So next week, [turning to the brother] please come with your children [one of whom was Amandas caregiver] and I can discuss this further. Amandas brother agreed with the plan, but Amanda started crying: So difficult, she said.

Her brother tried to intervene. Stop crying, he said. The oncologist also stepped into the uncomfortable situation: Amanda, dont be scared, please. We dont know for sure [how bad your cancer is], so let us check first. OK?

I cant do so many things, she responded. This cannot  that cannot  and she trailed off, crying more. Dont worry, said her brother. OK, dont cry, reaffirmed her doctor.

Doctor will do the best for you, continued her brother, so dont cry. OK? The physician continued, almost a tag team now with the brother. Today we can do the blood test. You dont have to wait after doing that and can go home thereafter.

You have a lot of work, right? she said, apologizing for letting her emotions take up so much of the doctors time. He tried to ease her mind. No, said the doctor, denying that he was too busy to address her concerns. But he immediately muddled his message. I mean, you can do your blood tests today.

A heartbreaking episode, heartbreaking in large part because of the awful situation poor Amanda was in, with so many things she could no longer do because of health problems and now with advanced cancer. Tragic, truly tragic. But compounding this tragedy was a veritable tragicomedy of miscommunication. Amanda breaks down crying and what message does she hear from her brother and doctor?

Stop crying.

Neither brother nor doctor acknowledged that, given her situation, she had a right to be scared, that it would, in fact, be abnormal not to be frightened. Neither realized that when people start crying, telling them to stop crying can actually make patients feel worse. I am sure I have made this same mistake scores of times in my own clinical practice. When a patient cries, our natural instinct as doctors, as humans, is to relieve their suffering, to say something that will stop their crying. It is perfectly normal, even compassionate, to reach out to soothe someone who is crying, to gently tell them not to cry, that everything will be OK.

But that is not necessarily what is best for our patients. What Amanda needed was simple validation of her feelings. She needed her doctor to say something like: I see youre frightened, and I can understand that. And she needed an explicit statement of support: Whatever we find out in these tests, I want you to know I will do everything I can to help you. Our whole team will be here to support you.

Further adding to the tragedy was Amandas interpretation of the oncologists efforts to stop her sobbing. When he told her not to cry, he was making an earnest effort to tell her that he didnt want her to feel overwhelmed by her illness. But she instead assumed the doctor was too busy to attend to her emotional needs.

When patients have emotional needs, the last thing physicians should do is make them feel like they dont have time for them.

Sadly, this kind of exchange is not unique to this patients story. Dr. James Tulsky, chair of the department of psychosocial oncology and palliative care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, has conducted a series of studies which have shown thatsenior oncologists respond appropriately to patient expressions of negative emotion only slightly more than one in five times, a paltry .220 batting average that ought to send these docs back to the minor leagues to work on their skills but, instead, leaves them practicing medicine at some of the nations leading medical centers (where those studies were conducted).

Fortunately, there is a way to improve this situation. Dr. Kathryn Pollak, a psychologist who worked with Tulsky, is confident oncologists can respond more appropriately to patient emotions. Oncologists care deeply about their patients but sometimes struggle showing how they care. Some worry that discussing such emotions would lead them down a rabbit hole and consume huge amounts of their scarce time. What we know, though, is often when they dont address the emotion, it takes even more time, as patients will continue to bring up their concerns.

In fact, in their research, Tulsky and Pollak gave oncologists some simple suggestions for how to more effectively respond to patients who express negative emotions. They explained that patients often feel vulnerable when expressing negative emotion (who likes to tell people that they are scared?). Oncologists can reduce this sense of vulnerability by naming the emotion for the patient: I can see that you are scared. Then they can follow up by praising patients for what they have done: Given all that you are going through, Im impressed that you are still able to help out your sister. They taught oncologists to support patients by letting them know they are with them for the whole journey: No matter what happens, my team and I will be here with you throughout this whole process. Finally, they showed oncologists how to explore emotions with their patients by asking them to tell me more about that.

The results of this communication training were impressive, with large improvements in oncologists abilities to both acknowledge and respond when their patients express feelings like pain, fear, and anger. Physicians really do want to help patients out when they are suffering; they just dont always know what to say when emotions start spinning out of control.

This type of communication intervention could become a standard part of medical training. But to date, very few medical schools or residency programs have incorporated this intervention into their training, outside of research contexts. No state licensing board and no sub-specialty society has built a program like this into their certification criteria. And organizations that measure the quality of healthcare dont include rigorous assessment of physician communication. James Tulsky thinks this needs to change: No one measures physician communication as an indicator of the quality of medical care. We now have the tools to do so, and such measures could revolutionize the doctor-patient relationship.

Patients deserve to interact with physicians who know how to address their emotional needs. The question remains whether the medical profession will take such communication skills seriously enough to emphasize them in training and licensure.

Peter Ubel is a physician and behavioral scientist who blogs at his self-titled site, Peter Ubel and can be reached on Twitter @PeterUbel. He is the author of Critical Decisions: How You and Your Doctor Can Make the Right Medical Choices Together. This article originally appeared in Forbes.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Im pretty sure my reaction to big stock market swings is different from that of most other investors. When stocks are on a roll, as they were in 2013 and 2014, I get increasingly nervous. By the time most investors have reached a state of irrational exuberance, Im practically paralyzed with fear. When the market slumps, as it did early this year, I become euphoric and immediately start dusting off my wish list of stocks that I want to own.

As a result, Ive gone on a bit of a buying binge this year, snapping up shares of five companies for my Practical Investing portfolio. I already held two of them, Apple (symbol AAPL (opens in new tab), $109) and American Capital (ACAS (opens in new tab), $15), and added to my positions when I thought they had become too cheap. Since my recent purchases, Apple has gained 14% and American Capital has climbed 9%. (All share prices and returns are as of March 31.)

New additions to the portfolio this year are General Motors (GM (opens in new tab), $31), Gilead Sciences (GILD (opens in new tab), $92) and AV Homes (AVHI (opens in new tab), $11). As I mentioned last month, I bought GM because I thought the stock, selling at 5.5 times projected 2016 earnings and paying a generous dividend, was too inexpensive to pass up. So far, so good. Including a dividend payment, I earned 11% on my GM purchase in a month.

Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up

I bought the other two stocks for similar reasons: Theyre good companies, and their stocks reside in the bargain basement. Ill provide more details about AV Homes, the smallest firm in my portfolio, next month.

Gilead is not small. The worlds most valuable biotech company, with a market capitalization of $124 billion, Gilead has grown at a blistering clip in recent years. Revenues in 2015 soared 31% from the year before, and profits jumped a stunning 62%. The stock, however, was selling for a paltry 7 times estimated 2016 earnings when I snapped up 150 shares at $90.81 each.

Strangely, the remarkable success of Sovaldi and Harvoni, Gileads drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C, goes a long way toward explaining the stocks absurdly low valuation. The hepatitis C virusa blood-borne killer that can go undetected for yearsis believed to affect as many as 5.2 million Americans. Harvoni, in particular, has a much higher success rate and fewer side effects than the drug cocktails that were used to treat hepatitis in the past.

Sovaldi and Harvoni are classic examples of what the drug industry calls blockbusters. They accounted for 60% of Gileads 2015 revenues of $32.6 billion. But the drugs have been so successful at curing hepatitis C that fewer patients are expected to need them. That, coupled with increased competition from other drugs, may suppress future sales and prices.

And speaking of drug prices, what Americans pay for meds has become a hot political issue. Lawmakers have criticized Gilead for the astronomical prices it charges for Harvoni and Sovaldi. That raises the specter of drug-price regulation, a serious threat for biotech companies.

Unfavorable ruling. Finally, a jury recently sided with Merck in a lawsuit that contended that Gilead infringed on two Merck patents related to a key ingredient in both hepatitis drugs. Gilead is appealing. But if the ruling stands, Gilead may need to pay royalties on past and future sales, which would likely cut into profits.

All of these factors are expected to stymie Gileads growth, at least temporarily. Analysts expect both sales and earnings to dip by 3% in 2016. But Gileads track record suggests that its days as one of the preeminent growth companies in health care are far from over. Gilead is developing other antiviral treatments and cancer drugs, and it has been a wise buyer of small firms that have promising products in development. Bottom line: At todays valuation, Gilead is a risk worth taking.
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By Kitsap Sun Staff

PORT ORCHARD  A man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a youth known to him  who also was filmed in February assaulting a fellow defendant shackled in Kitsap Superior Court  was sentenced last week to 11 years to life in prison.

Josiah L. Raglin, 23, pleaded guilty to a count of second-degree rape of a child, communication with a minor for immoral purposes along with fourth-degree assault for the courtroom scuffle. The year in jail he received for the assault will run concurrent to the sentence for rape.

Raglin, who had been living in Portland, Oregon, was visiting a friend in January in East Bremerton when he was accused of kissing the child. Further investigation found he had sexually assaulted her.

Raglin's assault made the TV news, as video cameras in the courtroom for an unrelated case caught some of the attack. Raglin said the dispute started over moving their arms, which were shackled together. At one point the other prisoner called Raglin "Rapo," slang for rapist. "I went off on him," Raglin told an investigator from the Port Orchard Police Department.

Raglin has an extensive criminal history, including three felony convictions for arson and vandalism from Cowlitz Superior Court.
The Herald reports:

Auckland Council has moved on from the politics of the past, say three right-leaning councillors whose voting with Mayor Len Brown has come into question.

Councillors Bill Cashmore, Calum Penrose and Linda Cooper say the council is not the old Auckland City Council of pre-2010, where power was tightly controlled by the majority ticket. 

Mr Cashmore, Mr Penrose and Ms Cooper have consistently voted for the policy platform of Mr Brown, including a 9.9 per cent rates rise this financial year. 

Mr Penrose said if he decides to stand again for council he will stand as an independent. He did not believe signing up to a fiscal envelope.
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Lee said Monday she could sum up the state of the judiciary in one word: Great.

She then gave details to several hundred Rotary Club members who attended Mondays weekly meeting at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville. She emphasized how the judiciary has made innovation a recent priority, bringing in new technologies and programs to help the judiciary be more effective and more efficient.

The judiciary is known for being deliberate, thoughtful and not always very innovative, Chief Justice Lee said. We are still deliberate and thoughtful, but we are in the midst of many exciting and innovative projects to modernize the judiciary.

Chief Justice Lee provided an update on the business pilot project, which was launched in Davidson County one year ago and has been extremely successful in improving the process for business litigants in the area. One component the project uses is a survey for parties and attorneys involved in the cases. She said the feedback from that tool has been fantastic.

E-filing is another tool that the Court plans to use to make doing business with the courts easier. Several pilots are ongoing in trial courts throughout the state and an e-filing project in the appellate courts is underway.

She went on to say that juvenile justice will be a focus of the judiciary in the coming months, as Tennessee courts partner with other groups to explore things such as Adverse Childhood Experiences and how the courts can play a role in getting children on the right track.

Indigent defense is another priority for the judiciary right now. A statewide task force, led by Nashville School of Law Dean William Koch, Jr., has been appointed by the Supreme Court to study the issue. Dean Koch, a Rotary Club of Nashville member, introduced Chief Justice Lee at the meeting today.

We decided it was time to take a serious look at this issue and bring together the best minds to come up with some solutions. We have to find a better way of doing things. We cant keep doing the same thing and hoping for a different result, the speaker said.

Chief Justice Lee also spoke about the Courts ongoing initiative for Access to Justice. While representation in criminal cases is guaranteed by the Constitution, civil cases provide no such guarantee, often leading to myriad problems for those that cannot afford legal counsel when there are issues with landlords, healthcare coverage, or employment.

Tennessees Access to Justice initiative is a leader in the nation in supporting the cause, but a large gap still exists between the need and the services provided.

At the end of the day, its all about making good, sound decisions and treating everyone fairly and with respect, she said.
Hamilton County and the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council will salute military members in the 67th annual Armed Forces Day parade and luncheon on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in downtown Chattanooga. Lt. General Robert Neller, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, is coming to Chattanooga to act as senior reviewing officer, and the Marine Corps Band New Orleans will lead the parade. The procession will travel northward on Market St. from MLK.Gen. Neller is the 37th commandant of the Marine Corps.Prior to his current assignment, he served as the commander of Marine Forces Command and as commander of Marine Forces Central Command. Gen. Neller has served as an infantry officer at all levels, including command of Marine Security Force Company Panama during Operations Just Cause and Promote Liberty; 3rd Light Armored Infantry Battalion during Operation Restore Hope; 6th Marine Regiment; and 3rd Marine Division.This years parade procession includes over 110 entries, making it the largest to date. Spectators will enjoy the sights and sounds of high school marching bands, JROTC units, entries from every military branch, civic and volunteer organizations and patriotic businesses. A highlight of this years parade is the inclusion of The Presidents Own United States Marine Band, which has the unique privilege of providing music for the president of the United States and the commandant of the Marine Corps.This years observance is especially poignant, because its the first weve held since the attack that killed five service members in our hometown, said Retired U.S. Navy Captain Mickey McCamish. Community support for the parade continues to be strong. Between memorializing the Fallen Five and taking advantage of the rare opportunity to see the commandant, Chattanoogans are uniting to be a part of this years event.For more information, visit the parades Facebook page www.facebook.com/chattafparade/
special to go knoxville Luis Campos, poet and puzzle master, has produced puzzles, including Celebrity Cipher, for more than 30 years.

If you see me enjoying a solo lunch downtown, there's a good chance that I'll be deeply engrossed in the newspaper's puzzle page. My favorite puzzle for many years has been the Celebrity Cipher, ever since a co-worker gave me a couple of starter tips. In addition to being a great brain exercise, it gives you an insightful quote to ponder for the day.

For years, I wondered about Celebrity Cipher creator Luis Campos. Who is this puzzle master? I did a Google search in the mid-2000s and found very little information. The puzzle master was a mystery! I posted an entry on a blog that I previously wrote for KnoxNews.com, asking if anyone knew about Campos. All was quiet for a few weeks, but then the man himself responded through the magical tubes of the Internet. We have been pen pals ever since.

So, who is Luis Campos?

"I'm a poet, also an inventor and an artist, and last, but definitely not least, a cryptographer," says Campos, whose poetry can be found on his website, poemmotel.com. "My day is usually a combination of all four activities, depending on the needs of the day. For better or for worse, I'm a perfectionist, which of course means spending extra time on most things, but in my view it's worth it. Nothing like standing in front of one of your creations and exclaiming, 'Hey, I did that!' "

Campos has made puzzles since 1983, when he sent samples of a puzzle he had created to 30 syndicates, the companies that distribute comics and puzzles. He received 29 rejection notices, but United Features Syndicate encouraged him.

"I flew to New York and was signed to create one TV-themed crossword puzzle every week for the grand sum of $35 for each one," he says. "But I saw that as a great opportunity, so the money part didn't bother me that much."

In 1984, his puzzles editor asked him if he could do cryptograms, and he's been doing them ever since.

"At one time, I was putting out, on a weekly basis, one TV-themed crossword puzzle, six Spanish crossword puzzles and six Celebrity Ciphers," says Campos. "I stopped doing the Spanish puzzles when I reached 5,000. Nowadays, I only do six Celebrity Ciphers each week. I enjoy working on these more than anything else I've done."

Campos was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and came to the United States in 1948. He served stateside in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, as an MP and as a training company platoon leader.

"I first lived on 40th Street near 3rd Avenue," he says. "The rent was only $35 a month for a three-bedroom walkup apartment." He currently lives in North Hollywood, Calif., but might move to Idaho later this year.

Campos comes from a creative and active family of 10 siblings. The late Rafael Campos, his youngest brother, was an actor who co-starred in the 1955 classic "Blackboard Jungle." Another brother, Fernando Campos, is the president of the Latin ACE awards in New York City.

Campos approaches cryptograms in the same manner that he approaches his personal writing.

"The poet is always looking for poetry," he says. "If it's a long quotation, I'll eliminate repetitive chaff that takes up unnecessary space and keep the meaty parts of the quotation. All quotations have to be in good taste, of course. I look for quotes that say something worthwhile, or new expressions that deserve to be heard."

In 2011, I had the opportunity to get involved in Campos' cryptogram process. He put together a book of a few hundred Hollywood-themed puzzles in a book called "Cryptomaster Cryptograms: Cinema Issue." I proofread the book by completing all the cryptograms. My wife still teases me for sitting at the Hangout bar in Gulf Shores, Ala., doing puzzles as my "beach reading." Campos has plenty of copies still in stock.

"I had 2,000 printed. There are a little over 1,900 in boxes in my garage," he says. "I'm a creator, not a businessman. I hope to find a distributor for them some day. They're classic books. I was very careful in selecting the quotations."

When I neglect to ask him the most obvious question, Campos asks it for me.

"Do I have a most favorite quotation? Yes, I'm glad you asked," he quips, and then surprises me with a quote from my favorite author, British humorist Douglas Adams. "'The answer to the great question, of Life, the Universe and Everything is ... 42.' "

---

Randall's picks

Cryptogram future

When I asked Luis Campos about his future plans, he told me that "Cryptogram: The Musical" will begin filming in September, with Brad Pitt portraying the letter "P" and Angelina Jolie playing the letter "J."

"OK, I was just pulling your pierna, senor," Campos admits. "On a more serious note, I plan to write a book of poetry in cryptogram form, for the fun of it. I'm also in the middle of preparing a book of poetry and art, but it'll be a little different. The book will be spiral bound; the art is of the coloring-book style, for adults."

He will also be featured in an upcoming issue of "Games World of Puzzles" magazine (gamesmagazine-online.com). Fans can check in with Campos daily via the Celebrity Cipher, distributed by Universal Uclick (universaluclick.com) to newspapers such as the News Sentinel.

Sugar Mama's Grand Opening

Mike and Hannah McConnell, whose business progress I've followed here for while, will celebrate the grand opening of Sugar Mama's Knox, 135 S. Gay St., with a ribbon cutting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday. The shop offers house-baked sweet goods, Yee-Haw and other brews on tap, and friendly "Cheers"-style camaraderie. Ten percent of Friday's proceeds will go to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. For info, visit sugarmamasbakeryknoxville.com.

Vestival!

The 16th annual South Knoxville Arts & Heritage Festival, known to all as Vestival, will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday at the historic Candoro Marble Building, 4450 Candora Ave. in the Vestal neighborhood. This year, Vestival is part of a city-wide celebration of the 225th year birthday of Knoxville, once nicknamed "The Marble City." Plans are for a full day of fun, music, theater, dancing, food, children's activities, skill sharing and fellowship. For info, visit candoromarble.org.

Hydrocephalus Awareness

The Hydrocephalus Acoustic Night will benefit Hydro Angels Over America 709 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at Asia Cafe West, 8111 Gleason Drive (near Downtown West). Performers will include Steven Swicegood, Steve Cummings (Autumn Reflections), Matt Wright, Adeem Bingham and more. For info about the charity, hydroangels.org.
SHARE Janice Kay Reed (Photo: TBI)

By News Sentinel Staff

A Crossville woman has been charged with stealing from someone for whom she served as caretaker and power of attorney, authorities say.

The Cumberland County grand jury on Monday returned an indictment charging Janice Kay Reed, no age given, with one count of theft over $60,000, according to a news release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Reed turned herself in Monday and was booked into the Cumberland County Jail on a $75,000 bond, the release states.

Reed is accused of stealing funds from a Crossville woman, no age given, from April 2008 to August 2015.

More details as they develop online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel.
SHARE Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers

By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel

OAK RIDGE  The "big picture" concept prepared by administrators for the Oak Ridge School District budget for next fiscal year indicates City Council won't be asked to increase its current funding level for schools.

That overview forecasts moderate gains in local property and sales tax revenue, $275,000 and $173,000, respectively, to help balance a budget proposal that includes recommended 2 percent pay raises for teachers and noncertified personnel.

Teachers and principals had earlier formally requested 3 percent pay hikes.

The proposed school budget, totaling $51,764,253, is also based on the system receiving about $700,000 more from the state, but that funding level is subject to change, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said in a recent email.

As part of a goal of eventually getting laptop computers in all students' hands, $475,000 will be earmarked to equip both teachers and students in two more grade levels with the devices.

Oak Ridge Board of Education members were recently given Borchers' overview of the school system's financial status as a prelude to the annual springtime ritual of preparing the next budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Board members will get the formal budget proposal in a special meeting May 10, followed by two work sessions and another special meeting on May 18, when first reading of the budget is scheduled.

The budget concept states that 2 percent pay hikes for all employees will cost $740,168, while step raises  given when educators attain benchmarks for years of service  would cost an additional $311,881.

The city's support of the school district will remain the same as it is in the current fiscal year: $14,955,915.

The student population is forecast to be 15 students less when classes resume in August, for a total of 4,456 enrolled. While attendance at the city's four elementary schools is projected to increase slightly, 31 fewer students are expected in the two middle schools and 15 students fewer at the high school.
Brad Anders, Knox County Commission 6th District incumbent, addresses supporters after winning the Republican primary for the seat during the Republican Party gathering at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)

SHARE

Is Anders interested?

Whether it's objectionable to run in one race while attempting to win another is a matter of opinion, but Brad Anders is still running to keep his Knox County Commission seat in 2016 while others are already looking ahead to 2018.

Commissioner Bob Thomas announced this past week that he's running for the Knox County mayor post, and county GOP Chairman Buddy Burkhardt said he plans to as well.

The rumor mills have Anders as a possible candidate, although he said he's not close to making a call there.

Others in local politico chatter for the office include Ryan Haynes, John Duncan III or state Economic Development Commissioner Randy Boyd.

Birmingham bound

In the wake of a second gang-related killing of a boy, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero will be leading a delegation of community and faith leaders to a national conference on building safer cities.

The Birmingham, Ala., event, is part of Cities United, a national partnership aimed at eliminating the violence-related deaths of black men and boys.

The conference will focus on "strategies for preventing violence and building safe, healthy and hopeful communities," according to the Knoxville officials.

Council retreat

Knoxville City Council members will gather Saturday for an all-day retreat, an annual event that has meshed team-building exercises with talks on goals for the city.

This year's event will begin at 8:30 a.m. and include remarks from Rogero at about 10 a.m.

The retreat will run through 2 p.m. at the Alliance for Better Nonprofits on Gay Street.

Last year's retreat, which came as Rogero and four council members were gearing up for re-election races that they all went on to win, included a rundown of priorities the mayor hoped to accomplish before leaving office.

Among them, she said, were plans for a new public safety building, a decision on the Knoxville Civic Coliseum and momentum toward redevelopment on Magnolia Avenue.

So far, the Civic Coliseum has been the subject of a feasibility study about future solutions, and the mayor included funding in her budget proposal for a streetscape project on Magnolia Avenue.

Gov. Haslam in Asia

Gov. Bill Haslam is in Asia this week, an effort to increase foreign investment in Tennessee.

The 10-day trip has stops in Korea, China and Japan.

During the trip, Haslam will be joined by Economic Development Commissioner Boyd. The two are expected to meet with executives of existing business partners and work to expand the state's relationship with Asian businesses.
SHARE Mary Mancini, state Democratic chair.

By Richard Locker of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  Minutes after the state Legislature ended its 2016 session week before last, Republican legislative leaders took a State Capitol podium with Gov. Bill Haslam and declared the session's work a success. Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, called it a "wonderful session''  with "distractions and diversions from time to time but there were a lot of accomplishments."

Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini stood outside the statehouse Tuesday and presented a different view.

"This year's legislative session and the 109th General Assembly perfectly illustrate the differences between Tennessee Democrats and Republicans. Republicans are in the supermajority in the Legislature and at every critical moment when they could have shown leadership they instead at best said, 'There's nothing we can do' and at worse showed themselves to be unethical, self-serving extremists," Mancini said.

"They spent hours debating the state book, the state rifle and whether or not skunks should be house pets  but refused to bring Insure Tennessee to the House floor for even one minute of discussion. They fought hard to give tax breaks to the top wage earners while doing nothing to address the fact that Tennessee has the highest percentage of low-wage workers in the nation."

Her remarks included references to bills designating the Bible as the "official book of Tennessee," which the governor vetoed, and the Murfreesboro-made Barrett M82 sniper rifle as the state's official rifle, which was approved; the failure for the second year of Haslam's plan to expand health coverage to up to 280,000 low-income working residents, and an approved reduction in the state's Hall income tax on investment earnings.

Democrats, outnumbered 28-5 in the Senate and 73-26 in the House, were blocked from passing their core proposals, including a state minimum wage, equal pay for equal work by women and closing the gun-show loophole that allows gun sales without background checks. They succeeded, with GOP help, in defending or restoring some programs, including a property tax break for disabled veterans.

Mancini also assailed the Republican majority for a controversial new law allowing licensed counselors and therapists to decline services to people on the basis of their "strongly held principles," for a failed bill that would have banned transgender students from using the school restrooms of the gender they identify with, and for allowing public college and university employees with handgun-carry permits to carry their guns on campus.

The party chairman said 104 Democrats are running for the state Legislature and for Congress this year: 77 running in 68 state House districts, 10 in six state Senate districts and 17 in nine congressional districts.

"This number of Democratic candidates is really high and the reason is because the people of Tennessee are tired of Republican leadership. They've shown to be a party that has no interest in governing effectively, in creating opportunity for all and in building strong families and communities and that's why we're giving voters a choice with so many candidates," Mancini said. She would not predict how well Democrats will do in the state elections.

Brent Leatherwood, executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party, called Mancini's statement "over-the-top rhetoric" and a "silly attempt to obscure the fact that they supported an indicted representative (Joe Armstrong of Knoxville) and spent taxpayer time sponsoring far-left bills for mandatory" erectile dysfunction treatment and studying "swingers' clubs."

"Maybe that's a winning formula in San Francisco but it's a guaranteed loser in Tennessee," Leatherwood said in a statement.

The erectile dysfunction bill he cited, House Bill 1927, was apparently an attempt to draw attention to the impact of anti-abortion legislation because it required 48-hour waiting period for a physician to write a prescription for an ED drug and mandatory counseling. The other bill, HB 1269, asked for a study of the potential regulation of "swingers' clubs" and was introduced in 2015 when the planned location of a club next door to a school generated considerable controversy. But it was never discussed in a committee and later withdrawn.
Some people, perhaps most, don't do well with change. I am particularly reluctant to change when I have something that works well.

For months in the early 1990s I agonized over buying a computer to replace my Brother word processor, because of the expense and because I was used to the word processor. That first fairly primitive computer came with what seemed a sophisticated (at least to me) word processing program called Q&A, and I fought the next word processing update for a year because I didn't want a computer with a mouse.

The list is long, so I won't go through all the times I have struggled with the inevitable in electronic devices. So let's move on to today's topic of smartphones.

Up until the first of April, I was using a non-smart phone with an attached keyboard, which became more difficult to use with each prescription change in my glasses and still had functions I had not figured out how to use after years of trying.

My birthday present from my wife, Cheryl, this year was an Apple iPhone, which I had said would never happen because I have never had an Apple device  reason enough for me not to do it.

The iPhone, as I and most people in the civilized world already know, works on verbal commands and responds with a feminine voice called Siri (Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface). I'm told the voice can be changed to male on my model, but I'll never do it because I like Siri.

The first time she gave me an answer to a question, I automatically said, "Thank you, Siri," and she immediately replied, with "Don't mention it." At other times when I forget I'm talking to a computer program and say "thanks," Siri says, "You're very kind to say that."

It's easy to become lazy when using a smartphone. For me, it's easier to say, "Siri, call Cheryl at work," than to actually do it myself. Telling Siri to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man" or just play music is easier than taking a few seconds to do it myself. If I'm bored with my music, I can tell Siri to find new music and she opens iTunes so I can find what I want.

When you're old, and your music is from the 1960s and '70s, it's pretty cheap. And for the record, I've never had a device devoted to music, but it seems silly not to use it when it's available.

I just noticed that I've been referring to Siri as "she," even though Siri is only a fairly sophisticated, voice-activated computer program, and I know it. But if I say, "Siri, where would I dispose of a body?" Siri says, "You're funny." If I ask Siri to tell me a joke, she'll say something like, "If I told you a joke in my language, I'd have to explain it."

If I'm away from my work space, it's also easier to tell Siri to look up something on the internet than to walk to my computer and do it myself. Bad habits have started to crop up in just a few weeks. I can imagine what would happen if a person had a walking, talking robot or android to serve him. How long would it take to become to become dependent on it?

However, I will leave the problem of artificial intelligence taking over the world to the young, because it won't happen overnight. I say this with optimism because I am old and because I keep up with current events.
Executive Director Darlene Kemp, MPH, MBA, of Vista Points Inc., announced that Loretta Lynn Leda has been hired as the public relations marketer covering East Tennessee (including the Knoxville and Chattanooga areas) as well as North Georgia.Ms. Leda brings with her more than 20 years experience in marketing and public relations not only in the for profit industry but also in the non-profit arena. She has sat on numerous boards, volunteered hundreds of hours including all areas of marketing and public relations, grant acquisition, donor campaigns, and she is passionate in the charities she takes on, said Ms.Kemp.Im excited and honored to represent Vista Point, Inc., and their clients. It gives me a sense of pride to help people and advocate for those who need our services. I look forward to meeting with those with special needs, their caregivers, professionals and other people in this industry to serve our community, said Ms. Leda.Ms. Leda will be sharing Vista Points story, creating awareness and advocating for special needs trusts and the resource center. She is available to offer presentations to professionals, groups and individuals about the benefits of special needs trusts.Ms. Leda is an author, publisher and photographer. Her marketing and writing has earned her several awards. A few non-profits she has volunteered and served on their boards includes: Kiwanis Clubs, Red Cross, The Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties, Florida Outdoor Writers Association, Lake County Library Board, Home Builders Association, Clermont Parks and Recreation, Lake County Community Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and others.
A developer is proposing a four-story apartment building with 84 units on the west side of North Market Street at the corner of Bell Avenue.

The staff of the Regional Planning Agency is recommending denial of the rezoning request, saying it is out of proportion with nearby smaller-scale buildings.

It goes before the Planning Commission next Monday at 1 p.m. at the County Courthouse.

Vyomesh Desai is the applicant.

The property owner is Ross Whitaker.

Parking would be at the rear between the building and Spears Avenue.
By Choi Sung-jin



Korea's service industry, stunted in growth by various regulations and a small domestic market, should try to find a breakthrough in China, a report says.



The service industry's annual sales increase, a yardstick of its growth potential, has plunged from 15 percent to 4 percent over the past five years, according to the report released by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tuesday.



The industry's portion in the economy stood at less than 60 percent, way behind the 70 percent where some Western industrialized countries, such as Britain and France, stood in the 1990s, it said.



The report cited myriad regulations as the main reason for the dismal situation. It pointed, for example, to the regulation on establishing medical corporations open to investment by private capital, and the non-permission of telemedicine system, which the report said prevents the convergence of the medical and IT industries.



To get over their growth limitations, Korean service companies should not only innovate on their managements but seek to advance to vast and rapidly expanding Chinese markets, it said.



The KCCI report advised Korean businesses to pay attention to China's "child industry."



Last October, the Chinese government abolished the one-child policy that it had maintained for 35 years, and demographers estimate between 20 million and 25 million babies will be born in 2017 alone, meaning a service market with a population twice Seoul's opens in a year.



China's "helicopter moms" are as frantic as, if not more than, their Korean counterparts. Headlines were recently made when a shabby single-story house was sold at a high price just because it was in a Beijing district with many prestigious high schools.



Also promising is China's "silver industry." According to United Nations data, the number of Chinese aged 65 or more is expected to soar from 130 million now to 300 million in 2035. Because of the low birthrate and rapid aging, the share of people 65 or older will reach 27 percent of the population in 2050. Already, real properties for elderly people, such as expensive silver towns and apartments for the aged with relative wealth, are enjoying high popularity, the report said.



Companies in businesses closely related with high purchasing power, such as distribution, food, health-care, education and content provision, need to target a "Chinese version of the Gangnam area," the KCCI said.



Quoting a Boston Consulting Group survey, the report said half of Chinese people with financial assets of 6 million yuan (about 1 billion won) or more are living in six regions  the megalopolises of Beijing and Shanghai and the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong. In a KCCI survey of 300 service companies, 49.8 percent of respondents also cited Beijing and Tianjin as their favorite areas of operation.



To advance to China's broadcasting and content market, the KCCI report recommended Korean firms make joint ventures and other business alliances with Chinese partners.



Industry sources, too, said alliances and joint ventures with Chinese partners have become indispensable to avoid the across-the-board, ambiguous regulations of the Chinese government. Beijing recently began regulating foreign broadcasts and Internet services. For instance, it imposes quotas on foreign films and restricts their annual screenings as well as strictly regulates the air time and hours of overseas TV dramas and reality shows.



The report cited the case of the latest mega-hit drama, "Descendants of Sun," which marked a record 2.5 billion views in China. The Korean producers of the drama avoided Beijing's regulations by setting up a joint venture with a Chinese drama producer before production began.




By Lee Hyo-sik



Dozens of business deals that Korean companies have signed with Iranian firms are under increasing scrutiny as to whether the terms agreed will be fulfilled.



Analysts say most of the contracts are non-binding, adding that it remains to be seen whether the Iranian government and companies will uphold their promises because they can easily turn to other countries that offer better terms.



In order to make the agreements legally binding, the Korean government and businesses should secure project financing, amounting to tens of billions of dollars, and be willing to share their technical knowhow and expertise with Iranian partners.



On Monday, the second day of President Park Geun-hye's three-day state visit to the Middle Eastern country, the government said domestic companies signed a total of 66 pacts for 30 projects, valued at $37.1 billion. They are also expected to secure additional deals worth $8.5 billion, it said.



Government officials also said that President Park agreed with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to boost the trade volume between the two nations to $30 billion by 2020 from $6.1 billion in 2015.



"The $45.6 billion is the largest figure ever in the history of Korea's economic diplomacy," said senior presidential secretary of economic affairs Ahn Jong-bom, adding that the agreements will serve as a stepping stone for a "Second Middle East Boom."



Among others, domestic builders won contracts to build a cross-country railway, valued at $5.3 billion, and refining plants for $2 billion. Other businesses also signed contracts to construct hospitals and other urban infrastructure worth billions of dollars.



However, some analysts say that the Korean government and domestic companies should not remain complacent, stressing that many of the 30 projects are agreed on non-binding terms. Of the 30, only six projects are secured by legally-binding contracts, while the remaining 24 are based on non-binding agreements.



"We have to remember that Korea is one of many countries seeking to do business with Iran," said Kim Yong-tae, a director at the Korea International Trade Association. "Even though Korean companies signed contracts, many of them are non-binding, Iran might give the projects to other countries that suggest better terms."



Kim then said it is a must for local companies to secure funding to finance their projects in cash-strapped Iran, which has been reeling under a decade of international economic sanctions and, more recently, low crude oil prices.



Through the Export-Import Bank of Korea and other state-run financial institutions, the government plans to extend $25 billion on project financing to domestic companies doing business in the Middle Eastern nation.



"To make Iran abide by the agreements, Korea has to offer what other countries don't. Besides project financing, local companies need to be willing to transfer their technical knowhow and expertise to their Iranian counterparts," the director said. "For manufacturers, they may consider building a production plant in Iran, which can serve as a base for the Middle East."




GM Program Engineering Manager Jeremy Short, left, poses with GM Korea Power Train Engineering Managing Director Hwang Joon-ha during a test drive event for the Chevrolet Malibu sedan at the W Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of GM Korea



By Jhoo Dong-chan

A GM Korea official said Tuesday that the company's recently introduced Malibu sedan has received more than 6,000 orders in the four days since the model was introduced at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro, southwestern Seoul, on April 27.

Receiving over 2,000 orders for the model on the day of its launch, the Malibu sedan is expected to be a "game changer" in the nation's mid-size sedan market, an official said.

In order to meet customer demands, workers at GM Korea's Bupyeong plant in Incheon reportedly have decided to work full-time during the Children's Day holidays this week.

During its introduction on April 27, Dale Sullivan, GM Korea vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing (VSSM), expressed his confidence in the Malibu, saying it will be the top seller in the nation's mid-sized sedan market.

"There are strong competitors in the class such as the Hyundai Sonata and the Renault Samsung SM6. But the all-new Malibu will beat them all in sales," Sullivan said.

The Malibu's sleek and sporty design received favorable responses from reporters during its unveiling, and the car is expected to attract not only traditional sedan buyers in their 40s and 50s but also young motorists in their 20s and 30s.

It comes with a choice of turbocharged engines  the 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter direct-injection gasoline engines. Especially, the 2.0-liter turbo engine produces 253 horsepower and 36.0 kgm of torque. The engine is paired with an electronically controlled transmission that has a wider gear range and tighter gear ratios, making the Malibu the most powerful and responsive sedan in its class.

The price for the all-new Malibu starts at 23.1 million won ($20,143).
Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) CEO Lee Duk-hoon, sixth from left, poses with Sayyed Safdar Hosseini, fifth from left, chairman of the National Development Fund of Iran, after signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in loans and information exchange at the sovereign wealth fund's office in Tehran, Monday.

/ Courtesy of Korea Eximbank



By Kim Jae-won

The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) said Tuesday that it signed a financial package worth $15 billion with the Iranian central bank and government, paving the way for local companies to enter the market there.

The Eximbank said the package consists of a $9 billion framework agreement, financing loans worth $4.5 billion and a $1.5 billion line of credit. To guarantee the financial support, the bank signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and the health ministry there.

"We put in place stepping stones for Korean companies to join the Iranian government's state projects in the health, infrastructure, water resources, electricity, petrochemical, marine and steelmaking sectors," said Eximbank CEO Lee Duk-hoon. "We will make every effort to develop businesses in Iran and help Korean companies succeed there."

The bank said that with the agreement, the Eximbank can finance big oil, gas and infrastructure projects that the Iranian government is pushing. This means Korean companies have a good chance of winning orders.

President Park Geun-hye and her Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, also attended the signing ceremony of the deal sealed by Lee and Valiollah Seif, chief of the CBI. President Park was visiting the country to improve economic and political ties between the two nations.

Iran has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves and the world's fourth-largest oil reserves. It has a population of 80 million and is the second-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region. It has big economic growth potential after economic sanctions against the country were halted in January, in exchange for Iran giving up its development of nuclear weapons.
American history teachers and textbook writers, from left, Patrick Whelan of Saint Stephen's Episcopal School, Barbara Ozuna of Paschal High School and Jay Harmon of Houston Christian High School, speak during an interview with The Korea Times at the Press Center in central Seoul, April 27. / Courtesy of Academy of Korean Studies



American teachers learn history from Korean perspective

By Kwon Mee-yoo





The cover of "Ways of the World," a world history textbook published by Bedford/St.Martins

Eight world history specialists, including professors and teachers from the United States, visited Korea last week and had an opportunity to better understand Korean history.

The Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) runs fellowship programs to correct wrong descriptions of Korea in textbooks around the world and raise awareness about the country.

The institute invited the textbook specialists to a seminar after an AKS researcher met them at the National Council for Social Studies in the U.S. last year.

Among the participants, three are history teachers in Texas who took part in creating resources for the world history textbook "Ways of the World" published by Bedford/St.Martins.

The three teachers  Patrick Whelan of Saint Stephen's Episcopal School, Barbara Ozuna of Paschal High School and Jay Harmon of Houston Christian High School  sat down for an interview with The Korea Times, April 27.

"In the 21st century as we all come closer together because of the Internet and social media, it is important that we understand each other better," said Harmon.

"Increasingly, world history is about the connections between countries. It's not about each country's history in isolation, but those things tied together," Whelan said. "World history is a wonderful vehicle with which to teach students how to think critically. Looking at the past and coming up with ideas of how things happened and why, that kind of thinking can be applied to any discipline and profession."

Ozuna also emphasized the importance of acknowledging the diversity in cultures and different perspectives.

"Trying to understand the world from different perspectives is one of the reasons why we are here in Korea. It is critically important to be citizens of the world," Ozuna said.

Whelan, whose father served in the Korean War (1950-53), said it is important for them to understand the Korean perspective.

"In the United States, we do not receive enough education about Korea. So we do not teach very much about Korea, but we do often teach from perspectives outside of Korea such as those of Japan or China. There are errors because of misunderstanding," Whelan said.

"As faithful world history teachers, we make sure we cover East Asia. But sometimes we forget East Asia is big but small at the same time. In that sense, we lose the idea of Korea being a bridge  sometimes willingly and sometimes not so much," Ozuna said.

Harmon said some American textbook descriptions of Korea are stuck around the Korean War.

"I try to teach that Korea is an independent country and about its toughness and resilience," Harmon said.

Student interest about Korea is also increasing as the world gets smaller. "My students watch Korean dramas through Netflix and listen to K-pop music. They are familiar with Korean culture and that makes them curious about the country," Harmon said. "During classes discussing the world's current events, students worry about South Korea when North Korea launches a missile. It shows their respect and interest in Korea."

Ozuna said she has experienced how rapidly Korea developed during this visit. "This society seems to be very upwardly mobile," she said. "One of the fascinations about being here is that I think Americans are much more interested in the North-South relations. I think Korean people seem to be going about their business instead of worrying about the enemy 20 miles away."

The teachers were positive about the seminar and what they learned during this visit.

"I will certainly think more of Korea when thinking of examples in the classroom. When I teach an idea, I think of examples and that I know so many of them now that come from Korea," Whelan said.

Ozuna referred to Korea as a perfect example of syncretism, bringing many different cultures together and yet creating its own culture.

"Cultural blending is a big theme in world history and specific examples can be found anywhere. We went to a Korean palace and it has its own specialness. That is one example of how you bring in architecture and the arts in teaching by hanging photos in classroom," Ozuna said.
GFriend / Courtesy of Instagram



By Ko Dong-hwan

The Seoul Central District Court has ordered a former apprentice of K-pop girl band GFriend to pay her former agent over 12 million won ($15,000) for violating a contract.

Source Music brought the damages suit against the apprentice, identified by the surname Kim, in August 2014. But the court on Monday dismissed the company's argument that she was responsible for delaying the band's debut until January last year.

In October 2013, Kim signed up with the company to train and debut with the band. The contract bound her to compensate Source Music double the money the company invested in her if she violated its terms and terminated the deal.

In April 2014, Kim told the company she "wishes to quit and rest at home," according to media reports, and left the company.

The following month, the company notified her of her dismissal from the band. Three months later, the company filed the damages suit.

The court's first trial ordered Kim to pay Source Music twice the amount of 6.2 million won the company had invested in her. Kim appealed.

In the appeals court, Kim said the company had forced her to lose a "nonsensical" amount of weight, criticized her look and cut her out from training. But the court dismissed her appeal, saying her argument was groundless.

After releasing its third album "Snowflake" in January, GFriend has become one of the hottest girl bands in Korea. In January 2015, American pop magazine Billboard selected the band as one of the "Top 5 K-pop Artists to Watch in 2015."
By Kim Da-hee

A taxi driver who raped a drunken foreign woman was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' jail, suspended for four years, at his second trial, Seoul High Court said Tuesday.

The taxi driver, surnamed Kim, 51, was sentenced to three years in prison and 40 hours in a sexual violence treatment program at his first trial on suspicion of raping a Thai woman in her 20s last year.

Last September, Kim picked up the woman in front of a club in Seocho-gu, Seoul, the court was told. As Kim found her drunk, he took her to a nearby motel and sexually assaulted her.

"(The justice) recognized the sentence of the first trial was made in light of the fact that the victim was deeply traumatized and sexually ashamed by the incident," the judge in the second trial said. "The second trial, however, changed the sentence by suspending it for four years on the basis that the victim had agreed with the criminal not to punish him."

Kim also was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service and 80 hours of a sexual violence treatment program.
By Kim Bo-eun



Seoul will offer various festivities and events throughout the four-day holiday from Thursday to Sunday.



Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) will host the Seoul Friendship Fair 2016 on Saturday and Sunday at Seoul Plaza, Cheonggye Plaza and in Mugyo-dong, offering visitors opportunities to experience the cultures of 66 countries from around the world.



The global festival of food, performances, attire and games, which marks its 21st anniversary this year, will be the largest ever.



The festival will begin Saturday afternoon, with a fashion show put on by the families of ambassadors representing 15 countries wearing their traditional attire. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and his wife will also walk the runway clad in hanbok.



Visitors will be able to try foods from 52 countries, browse through tourism promotion stands from 45 countries and enjoy cultural performances of work originating in 13 countries.



Food items include falafel, deep-fried chickpea balls, from the Middle East, shish kebabs from Eastern and Central Europe and South American alfajore cookies as well as the Turkish yogurt drink ayran.



At Korea's tourism promotion stand, visitors will be able to view Bukchon Hanok Village and Dongdaemun Design Plaza through virtual reality goggles.



A wide range of performances will be featured, from traditional folk songs listed as UNESCO world heritage to modern crossover music. Visitors will be able to see a dance by a group of Australia's aborigines as well as a Rwandan music performance.



Other highlights include parades, street performances and a hanbok flash mob.



Donations collected at stands of international relief organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children and Habitat will be sent to disaster victims of earthquake-stricken areas in Ecuador.



For more information on the festival, visit: http://seoulfriendshipfair.org or facebook.com/sff2016.



Various events for children will also be held at Seoul Children's Grand Park and Jamsil subway stations on Children's Day which falls on Thursday. These include balloon art, K-pop performances and caricature drawings.



Throughout the four-day holiday, performance halls, museums and parks will host concerts, family operas and costume plays. For more information, visit culture.seoul.go.kr.



In addition, Buddhists will begin celebrations in advance of Buddha's Birthday on May 14, with an exhibition of colorful paper lanterns on display at Cheonggyecheon and Jogye Temple. On Saturday, the main thoroughfare of Jongno will close to traffic as hundreds of thousands of lanterns and parade floats move from Dongguk University to Jonggak for the nine-day celebration. More information is available at llf.or.kr.




Kang Chan-ho, left, who lost a family member to a deadly humidifier disinfectant, calls for Seoul National University to take disciplinary action against its professors who were allegedly bribed by Oxy Reckitt Benckiser to falsify and cover up test results to show the company's product was safe, during a press conference in front of the school's southern Seoul campus, Tuesday. / Yonhap



Disinfectant scandal leads to tighter chemical control



By Kim Se-jeong

The Ministry of Environment said Tuesday it will conduct research on all biocides sold in Korea and list them and their manufacturers in an effort to prevent another humidifier disinfectant scandal from happening.

"Our ultimate goal is to better control biocides," ministry official Lee Ho-joong said. "We will run a risk test on products and develop more stringent rules on managing biocides."

European countries already have control measures and regularly conduct studies on new biocides, Lee said.

"Some biocides are already regulated by different laws. But there is a big loophole, and it's time to implement a comprehensive management system."

A biocide is a chemical substance capable of killing living organisms, and almost all cleaning agents used in the home, insect repellent, wood preservatives, insecticides and rat and mice poison are biocides.

The government measure comes five years after the scandal broke in 2011, amid growing criticism that it has sat idle for too long. The announcement also came one day after Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, one of the toxic disinfectant makers, apologized officially to the families of the victims who were killed or who suffered lung damage from its product.

PHMG used in the Oxy product was originally developed as a carpet cleaner, but the company modified it to use as a humidifier disinfectant.

The families of the victims criticized the government for failing to regulate toxic products in advance. The administration said that this was because there was a legal loophole in the control of chemical use at that time.

Besides Oxy, Home plus and Lotte Mart, two other disinfectant makers, also offered apologies to the families of the victims in April. They said they will provide compensation to the families of the victims.

But the apologies were not accepted by the families, who regarded the apologies as a mere "show" intended to reduce possible charges against them. They have demanded that the prosecution charge the companies with homicide.

On Tuesday, a group of surviving victims and their families asked Seoul National and Hoseo universities to punish professors who allegedly helped Oxy fake experiment results in exchange for money. The fraudulent results helped the company make its case in court that the chemical it used in its product was not harmful.

Also, the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health announced that an activist and a victim will visit Reckitt Benckiser headquarters in the United Kingdom on May 5 when the company's shareholders will meet.

The humidifier disinfectant is the worst biocide scandal in Korea. The government has recognized 530 victims so far, and is now accepting more reports from people who are potential victims. The disinfectant killed 146, among whom 103 used the Oxy product.

The scandal gained traction in January this year, with the prosecution initiating an intensive investigation into the manufacturers.
By Jun Ji-hye



An increasing number of permanent overseas residents and those with dual citizenship are volunteering for military service although they are not obligated to enroll, the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said Tuesday.



The agency regards the growing enlistment as a good sign indicating that an increasing number of men believe that they should not evade mandatory military service.



According to the MMA, a total of 604 overseas Korean residents and dual citizens voluntarily joined the military last year  more than a threefold gain compared with statistics from 2010.



There has been a steady increase in recent years  191 in 2010, 221 in 2011, 280 in 2012, 326 in 2013 and 456 in 2014.



Under the standing laws, military service of Korean citizens who hold permanent residency status in other countries can be postponed until they turn 37. Then, their obligation to serve in the military is finally waived when they turn 38.



This means that overseas residents can choose to serve in the military or not by choosing whether to return to Korea before they become 38.



The standing laws also stipulate that dual citizens are not conscripted if they abandon their Korean nationality before they become 18.



The MMA said that the fact that an increasing number of overseas residents and dual citizens have volunteered for military service resulted from changes in their perceptions regarding conscription.



"They might think that they need to fulfill the compulsory term of service if they want to work or be employed in Korea," an MMA official said.



Currently, those who dodge enlistment by changing nationality can encounter disadvantages when seeking employment with Korean companies or obtaining business approval here in accordance with standing laws.



Another official said that the military's efforts to improve the environment in barracks have also contributed to encouraging overseas residents and dual citizens to serve in the military.



The MMA has been working to strengthen sanctions against those who give up their Korean citizenship to dodge mandatory military service.



In March, the agency commissioned a study into whether the government can levy heavier taxes such as inheritance and gift taxes on those who abandoned their Korean citizenship before fulfilling their obligation to serve in the military.



Other measures being examined by the MMA include denying promotions to government high-ranking officials if their sons change their nationality with the purpose of evading their required military service.



According to the MMA, a total of 148,138 men who are liable for conscription are staying abroad as of at the end of last year.



As part of efforts to encourage those people to fulfill their military duties, the MMA on Tuesday invited 25 defense attaches scheduled to be dispatched to 22 countries including the U.S., and gave an explanation about the fulfillment of military service by Koreans residing abroad.



All able-bodied Korean men are required to serve as soldiers for about two years, as South and North Korea are still technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.




The Tennessee Valley Authority reported net income of $281 million for the first six months of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. Net income was $296 million less than the same period last year primarily due to the extremely mild winter experienced in TVAs service territory compared to record-setting cold temperatures in 2015.

The mild temperatures also accounted for 8 percent lower operating revenues and approximately 7 percent lower power sales versus the first six months of last year.

The real story here is weve been able to maintain a healthy financial picture despite lower revenues, said TVA President and CEO Bill Johnson. The cost efficiencies weve achieved in the past few years, combined with our diversified power fleet, are keeping power prices lower for customers, even with lower sales. And, our continued financial strength is helping us continue to invest in the asset base, without undue reliance on new debt."

Total operating expenses for the six months decreased by over 2 percent with savings from lower fuel and purchased power costs being the primary drivers.

The diversity and flexibility of the TVA power system served us well in dealing with the extreme changes in the weather while enabling us to maintain top reliability, said TVA Chief Financial Officer John Thomas. The ability to generate more power from natural gas-fired resources also allowed us to take advantage of cheaper gas prices, while supporting planned outages in our nuclear fleet.

The financial report also contains a progress update on Watts Bar Unit 2. The first new nuclear generating unit of the 21st century is expected to reach initial criticality this month and commercial operation this summer at a total estimated project cost of $4.7 billion. We are conducting the final comprehensive tests to ensure the unit is capable of delivering electricity safely and reliably to the people of the Valley, Mr. Johnson said. We are not rushing this. As with all their work at Watts Bar Unit 2, the team is working carefully to power the unit the right way, and achieve commercial operation in a safe and quality manner.
/Courtesy of Twitter



By Lee Jin-a

The Constitutional Court of Korea ruled Monday that forcing foreigners who are subject to deportation to stay at internment facilities is constitutional.

The court confirmed the validity of the existing law that, if a foreigner who is subject to a deportation order cannot immediately leave Korea, the person must stay at a foreigner internment camp until they can.

The ruling came after an Iranian who was on probation in a foreigner internment facility filed a suit in 2013. He had called for Article 63 of the Immigration Control Act to be ruled unconstitutional.

Of the nine judges, five dismissed the case because the man was released from the camp after he was given refugee status. But two of the five said they would vote for the law as though the case was not dismissed.

"Foreigners who receive a deportation order from the government committed crimes during their stay in Korea," the judges said. "Since they have a high possibility of disappearing or committing another crime, they should be protected under surveillance before they leave the country."

"However, rules should be added to limit the time of probation in order to avoid unfair detention."
The ruling Saenuri Party's newly elected floor leader Chung Jin-suk, right, celebrates with Rep. Kim Gwang-lim, his running mate who will serve as the party's chief policymaker, after his election at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyo-jin



The ruling Saenuri Party elected Chung Jin-suk as its new floor leader Tuesday, handing the four-term lawmaker the responsibility of overcoming the aftermath of the humiliating defeat in the April 13 general election.



Chung received 69 votes to beat two other candidates Rep. Na Kyung-won and Rep. Yoo Ki-june, who had 43 and 7 votes, respectively.



Rep. Kim Gwang-lim, a three-term lawmaker who ran as Chung's running mate, was elected chief of the party's policy committee.



The new floor leader will have to overcome intraparty factional division and reform the party structure following the setback in the general election.



The party, which had 157 seats in the outgoing National Assembly, only won 122 of the 300 seats this time, relegating it to the second-largest party after the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) clinched 123 seats.



The floor leader is tasked with negotiating with the other parties in the upcoming Assembly where the opposition outnumbers the ruling party, while supporting President Park Geun-hye for the remainder of her 20-month term.



"Unity is critical for us in the remaining 18 months until the next presidential race," Chung told reporters after the election, vowing to root out factionalism. "I will find a way out for the bewildered party while executing cooperative politics."



Chung appealed to fellow lawmakers with his experience of being a mediator between Cheong Wa Dae and the party. He used to be a senior presidential secretary for political affairs under the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, bridging Lee with then Grand National Party (precursor to the Saenuri Party) leader Park Geun-hye.



He vowed to normalize bilateral relations which he said had not been harmonious. "I will make the horizontal relationship work. One-way communication from Cheong Wa Dae has nowhere to stand anymore," he said.



Chung, known as a faction-free lawmaker-elect, was reportedly supported by many pro-Park lawmakers in the race.



Park loyalists, who controlled the "unfair" nominations process, which was widely blamed as a major reason for the election defeat, were reluctant to step into the competition. Observers viewed that they made a compromise in selecting Chung over Rep. Na, a lawmaker from the non-Park faction, while keeping a low profile.



The new floor leader is expected to form an emergency planning committee, which will act as the interim leadership group until the party holds a national convention in July to elect its chairman and supreme council members.



Chung earlier said that the party should recruit a figure from outside the party to head the interim leadership.



If the move to reform the party gains momentum, it is likely that the party will postpone the scheduled national convention in July, say party officials. How to characterize the emergency committee  either being a passive manager or an active reformer  will be discussed later under Chung's leadership.



"I will gather opinions of lawmakers about which direction the interim leadership should take us," Chung said.
By Yi Whan-woo



President Park Geun-hye and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have agreed to bolster bilateral relations for regional peace and security in a much-touted meeting before Park wrapped up her three-day visit to Tehran, Tuesday.



The meeting, held Monday, is expected to deal another blow to North Korea's nuclear program in addition to the first-ever South Korea-Iran summit hours earlier.



The meeting is significant as Iran's ruling system combines a theocracy with republicanism, and Khamenei, who is also a spiritual leader, wields far more power than Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the country's parliament.



No North Korean leaders have met Khamenei since June 1989 when he succeeded the late Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the Iranian Revolution.



The late Kim Il-sung only met Khamenei when the latter visited Pyongyang as the Iranian president in May 1989.



In a meeting with Park, Khamenei did not mention North Korea and its nuclear program.



But he called on resolving issues on terrorism and insecurity around the globe, saying: "I hope South Korea and Iran can cooperate to bring peace and stability."



Some Cheong Wa Dae officials interpreted that Khamenei's words were in line with Rouhani, who stated his support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula following his summit with Park.



"Khamenei, of course, has absolute power but he is theoretically a religious leader and he may have stepped aside from touching on political issues," a presidential aide said.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Iran has sent a warning to North Korea on pursuing its nuclear ambitions although they maintain amicable relations in general.



Kim Yeol-su, an international politics professor at Sungshin Women's University, echoed the ministry's view.



"Khamenei's remarks should be understood in parallel with what Rouhani said concerning North Korea's nuclear program," he said. "North Korea could simply ignore the words if they were uttered by leaders of other countries. But it is Iran that was internationally isolated for decades under the U.N. and also U.S.-led international sanctions before deciding to curb its nuclear program."



Under such circumstances, the meeting between Park and Khamenei can bring additional pressure on North Korea following the Seoul-Tehran summit, Kim added.



According to the Ministry of National Defense, Tuesday, North Korea may defy the U.N. Security Council's latest sanctions and carry out its fifth nuclear test to mark its Seventh Workers' Party Congress that starts Friday.



Meanwhile, Khamenei thanked Park for visiting Iran with her largest economic delegation ever. A total of 236 entrepreneurs and representatives of economic organizations accompanied Park, up from the previous record of 166 on Park's U.S. trip last year.



"South Korea excels in science technology and many other fields and Iran wants to learn from this," he said.



Park promised to expand exchanges in a wide range of areas, including human resources and culture over the long term.



Before returning to Seoul, Park attended a joint business forum among over 400 South Korean and Iranian businesspeople.



She stressed that the two countries can create a "win-win situation" if they cooperate on Iran's infrastructure projects as part of its efforts to re-build its economy after the U.S.-led six world powers agreed on sanctions relief.



"I am here to pursue the path of common prosperity with our old friend Iran," Park said, noting that the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1962.



"We can make a productive outcome in various projects on railways, airports, city planning and water management if South Korea's expertise meets Iran's strong drive for achievement," Park said.



She proposed diversifying cooperation on health and medical care, culture, and information and communications technology while enhancing investment in the trade, construction and energy sectors.



The two countries signed 66 memoranda of understanding that could lead to contracts worth $37.1 billion.



The trade volume between Korea and Iran stood at $6.1 billion in 2015, compared with $17.4 billion in 2011.




By John Redmond



The five-day Boseong Green Tea Festival will start in Boseong, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday.

First planted in 1939, Boseong's green tea fields account for 35 percent of Korea's green tea production.

"Green tea grew popular as a health and beauty product as word spread of its efficacy," the event organizer says on its website.

"The Boseong Green Tea Festival is held every May at Daehan Dawon, the town's most famous green tea plantation. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including tea-picking, tea-roasting and tea-making."

Daily events include a tea art festival, tea ceremony, hanbok fashion show, concerts, picking tea leaves and a tour of green tea fields. Visitors can also make their own tea, tea bowls, green tea rice cakes and green tea soap.

The venue is the Korean Tea and Sori Cultural Park in Boseong.

To get there from Seoul Express Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus to Boseong or to Gwangju.

From Boseong Bus Terminal, take a Boseong-Gunhak route bus to Daehan Dawon.

From Gwangju U-Square Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus to Boseong.

For more information in English, contact KTO's 1330 helpline.

For more information, visit http://dahyang.boseong.go.kr.
The parents of 12 female North Korean staff who defected to South Korea last month while working at a restaurant run by the North in China have sent a letter to the United Nations asking the international body to mediate their return, a Chinese state-run media reported on Tuesday.

South Korea said on April 8 that the North Korean workers and their male North Korean manager defected to the South, in the biggest group defection since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took power in late 2011.

North Korea has claimed the defectors were "abducted" by South Korean spies and proposed sending their family members to the South for meetings.

Seoul has rejected such accusatiosn and made clear that the 13 people defected on their own free will.

In the April 18 letter, the parents of the North Korean female workers urged the U.N. to help repatriate their loved ones, the state-run Global Times newspaper reported, citing the North Korean Embassy in Beijing.

The letter also accused South Korean intelligence authorities of "kidnapping" them, according to the report.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters on April 11 that the 13 North Koreans left China using "valid passports."

About 29,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, according to data by the South Korean government. (Yonhap)
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the U.S. State Department to re-designate North Korea as a "country for particular concern" (CPC) for religious freedom violations, a media report said Tuesday.

The independent organization under the U.S. federal government made the recommendation in its annual report on religious freedom, in which North Korea is one of 17 countries named CPCs under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, according to the Washington-based Voice of America (VOA). The other countries subject to CPC designation include China, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan.

The North has been on the religious freedom CPC list since 2001 and was last designated as a CPC in July last year.

In the 2016 religious freedom report, the USCIRF said, "North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion for its citizens and the country, but religious freedom does not exist in practice."

The USCIRF also said the North Korean regime tolerates no religious freedom and continues to deal harshly with those involved in almost any religious practice.

"They arrest, torture and even execute those who are secretly engaged in religious activities," the organization said.

Expressing concern about China's practice of sending North Korean defectors back to their home country, the report suggested the U.S. government slap harsher sanctions on North Korean individuals and organizations that are involved in the human rights violations. (Yonhap)
Baekdu Youth Power Station in North Korea/Yonhap



By Lee Jin-a

North Korea has held building completion ceremonies for unfinished facilities before the ruling Workers' Party congress Friday, according to the Radio Free Asia (RFA).

"Most of the news about the new facilities in North Korea is false," the RFA quoted a source from Yanggang Province, Tuesday. "Even though North Korea announced that the construction of Baekdu Youth Power Station No. 3 was finished on April 23, the plant needs further construction to actually produce electricity."

Another source from North Hamkyeong Province said the state planned to build four hydroelectric power plants in Orang County before the congress but had only finished one.

"The state also recently celebrated completion of the power plant with a capacity of 30,000 kilowatts of electricity," the source said.

The source said the government will face severe problems after the party congress because of its false announcements.
/Courtesy of Twitter



By Lee Han-soo

There are fears a South Korean could be abducted before North Korea's Workers' Party congress Friday.

Anonymous sources say North Korea is planning to abduct over 100 South Koreans who live abroad, according to the Asia Economic Daily, an economic paper.

"Currently, we have no confirmation of any rumors pertaining to North Korea's plan to abduct South Koreans," Jeong Joon-hee, a Unification Ministry spokesperson said during a regular briefing Monday. "Nevertheless, we are observing closely for acts of abduction or terror that might be planned against South Koreans living abroad."

Subsequently, the government has urged any members of the media operating near the China-North Korea border to be cautious.
Dandong/Courtesy of Twitter



By Lee Jin-a

Most Chinese companies doing business with North Korea have left the border city of Dandong amid U.N. sanctions on the rogue state, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said Tuesday.

"Empty offices are increasing in the 30-story twin buildings in Dandong as small and midsize Chinese trading companies closed their businesses with North Korea," a source told RFA.

An owner of the 660-square-meter office in Dandong said: "Companies usually sign an annual contract to rent office rooms. However, a tenant who had rented the same office rooms for five years did not extend the contract this year because he could no longer have a business with North Korean companies."

Another source said: "This twin building was well known for companies who deal with North Korea. The North Korean consulate office was also located in this building. However, many Chinese importers have left since the beginning of U.N. sanctions because they could no longer import North Korea's natural resources such as coal and metals."

Dandong, in southeast China, faces the North Korean city of Sinuiju.
The "shared understanding" between South Korea and Iran in support of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula sent a strong warning to North Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, urging Pyongyang to renounce its nuclear ambitions.

In a press conference after his summit with President Park Geun-hye in Tehran on Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the Islamic republic is "in principle opposed to any nuclear development." His remarks were seen as indicating Tehran's stance against Pyongyang's nuclear armament.

"We believe that the message that Iran, a traditional partner of North Korea, sent at a leadership level probably communicated a strong warning to the North," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said during a regular press briefing.

"It is very meaningful that Iran staked out its position regarding the nuclear issue and our pursuit of a peaceful reunification," he added.

Pointing to a joint statement over a comprehensive bilateral partnership that included the two countries' commitments to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and denuclearization, Cho said that the statement "circuitously" criticized the North's persistent argument that it cannot help but develop nuclear arms due to the U.S.' hostile policy toward it.

"The North should pay heed to the message sent from the South Korea-Iran summit and stop its reckless provocations, and take a path toward denuclearization and development for the livelihoods of its own people based on the Iranian case -- in which Iran opted to cooperate with the international community and change," he said.

The summit between the two countries came amid growing speculation that Pyongyang might conduct another nuclear test ahead of its key party congress -- slated to begin Friday -- to show off the country's military capabilities and bolster North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's leadership. (Yonhap)
When we pray for God to change our heart about something, how often have we prayed that prayer and expected an immediate response from God?

And, if He doesnt answer that prayer within the timeline we give it, do we decide for ourselves that maybe our hearts dont need to change about the matter?

In the last ten years I have found myself more patient for Gods timing and I will not act impulsively even if I dont have a clear answer immediately. I know to wait. How long? It doesnt matter  because my vision of time is not even comparable to Gods and I trust Him.

There are times I feel He works with lightning speed as blessings flood my life overwhelmingly with His goodness, yet it is usually after the time I expected. I have called Him an In-the-nick-of-time-God because at times my faith has been tested up to the last minute just before His recue.

When it comes to Sunday worship, I have expressed my feelings before of how churches have changed and I just didnt like certain worship styles. In fact, this has been a struggle for a few years while trying to find a fit to call a church my church home.

While single, I was visiting a few different churches and while I felt comfortable with a Presbyterian church, I did not put effort in becoming involved. My excuse was that I knew God may send me someone in my life and I may not stay at that church.

God did send me someone and I moved back to my hometown of Kentucky.

Newlyweds dont want to create problems in their marriage especially in the first stage, so when my husband expressed wanting us to join the church we were attending together, I did.

Knowing God gave our union, I trusted Jason as the spiritual leader in our family and I knew in my heart that my place is with him  especially in worship.

For the last two years I have had an uneasy feeling at church and right away I will tell you  I knew the problem was me. I knew it was my problem and not really about the church. And that is why, I was able to be patient with God as He worked this out in my life. I trusted that God would bring all things together at the right time and for everything to transpire in the time it did so that my heart could be exactly where He wanted it.

If I never thought I had room to grow spiritually, then I would be fooling myself. I know God isnt finished with me and I still have a lot to learn, but I appreciate exactly where I am right now.

A few years ago, my pride would have spurred my strong will until my rebellion set me back a few steps and, stepping back is not how to win a race.

As Christians, the race set before us has the same destination, but of how much off-roading will we do? Its okay though  off-roading has its purpose.

Our pastor has been taking us through the book of Exodus and explaining how there was a much quicker way for the children of God to travel, yet they traveled through the wilderness. Why? I had never asked myself this question when reading this book.

And if I had ever been told why before, I am sure it would not have sunk in or meant anything to me until I had a lifetime of traveling through the wilderness myself.

My own Exodus.

So as I am in this wonderful, honest, respectful relationship with the Lord, I will not throw a tantrum when I know I am wrong  but, my heart has to be there in order for the full surrender of my heart on any situation.

Having a problem with the contemporary worship style in the church we attended, I have left crying. I have stood with hot, stinging tears as everyone sang and I refused  all because I did not know a song or it was too contemporary for me.

For the first year we were members, I prayed that God would change my heart because I really did not feel a tug away from the church. But when my son moved to Kentucky and visited our church, he said he felt the same way I did, I took that as a possible sign that God may lead us somewhere else.

My heart was not ready to receive the message God had for me. Until it was, I went through doubt and feeling like I didnt belong (and feelings dont lie, right)? I knew feelings could lie to me, I knew the enemy could use my feelings and change my focus.

What I needed couldnt come from a pastor siding with me or telling me to go ahead and leave  it couldnt come from the music leader changing the music  so I waited, knowing the Lord would either put another church on both my husbands and my heart, or it would be a change of heart. My heart.

So, this second year as I would sometimes let a headache or something else make me miss church, or I would even go visit another church, I still could not commit my heart to our church and I stayed closed off. Yet, I also could not tell my husband that I absolutely knew God did not want me there. I could give him all my reasons for not liking it, I could tell him I just was not comfortable, but I could not tell him that I felt the Lord leading me away from our church, because I never did. And, he did not feel lead to leave either. There was a moment is frustration where Jason suggested we go to different churches, but I knew deep down, that when God put us together  it was not for happily ever after  it was for HIS PURPOSE. And it is not His purpose for us to be separately worshipping.

God put us together. And together there is a purpose for our union. Oh yes, I am happy! I am with the person God intended for me and has blessed me with and each day we truly are grateful for each other. But it isnt about Jason and me being happy. It is about Gods Kingdom.

Finally, in Gods timing (two years) my problem came to a head. We visited a church whose worship style was more my speed, but it was very different for my husband. When I saw this church through his eyes, I knew that he would not ever feel a part of that body.

So we then tried another church a couple of our friends had told us about and that did it! My eyes opened and God revealed His truth to my heart. This church was so far out and so contemporary, it made our church look quite old fashioned.

My husband loved our church. He was friends with the pastor, he was a door greeter and he was alive in worship! He sang each Sunday even if he didnt know the song! And yes, he would miss pitch on occasion, miss words or sing when the worship leader said ladies only. But he sang! He praised! He worshipped!

His heart was joyful.

My heart became mournful  but for a different reason this time. I mourned the fact that I knew deep down the enemy was doing a number on me and I gave into my feelings anyway - feelings, that in all honesty may have mattered to me at the time, but have no merit at all now.

A few weeks ago, I sent the pastor an email telling him I was through missing church or trying other churches. I apologized for how long it has taken for me to become a member after joining. I explained my reasons, (but they really didnt matter now).

Two years ago, it may have been an easy choice to pretend I loved the church and go against what I was comfortable with. but since that isnt me, it really took the time it did until my heart was truly there. I have to be true to my heart even if I am focus on temporary feelings. I cannot pretend and God knows this  He created me this way. As I confessed last week that I was being selfish and focusing on all the wrong things, and I surrendered that strong will I have  nothing was fake after two years of struggle. I was there.

Last week, the service was perfect for me. It felt very welcoming, the music didnt seem as loud, the songs were all the ones I knew and it just seemed perfect. God did that. God helped me accept the church and I felt a belonging.

But this Sunday, the pastor preached on my struggle as he gave the message from Exodus. It sure sounded as if he was reading my email to the whole congregation out loud! A leader of a church, Gods man who devoted his lifes work to lead Gods people, would not give a message based solely on an email or for spite toward one person. No, he is just Gods instrument (and though my email may have given him points to discuss knowing many people may feel some of the same things) he was in prayer over this topic, and he was following Gods lead. And God staged the whole scene perfectly.

How do I know?

Because of the years I have seen God work. This is how He does things. He doesnt just make it about one person  His lessons and His blessings are ten-fold. He touches many hearts at once but each in a special individual way! How loving!

Our pastor has been preaching from Exodus for some weeks now. Todays chapter was about singing. About worship. It was just after God parting the Red Sea and the people praised God in song.

My belonging or involvement in church had nothing to do with where I went to church as much as it did where my heart was in that church. And for some reason (or for many reasons that only God knows about) the timing for me to come to grips with it all was just right.

Because only God knew when we joined this church that our pastor would be teaching in Exodus two years later which led to the very message he spoke this Sunday. And this time there were a few songs I didnt know and mostly contemporary, but my heart was still a part of worship even though it could have been uncomfortable again.

So when the preacher started stepping on my toes, as he preached the message about singing and praising it was perfectly okay.

Oh, I could have felt targeted or that he was using my email against me  but that is not the heart of this pastor and it is not how Gods heart works. That would have been another lie from the enemy.

I saw Gods heart. I saw through hindsight, how He orchestrated the timing of everything! I saw others around me who were just as moved by the message and it was personal for them too! Imagine all of their own stories of what God was doing in their lives!

It wasnt about me  it was about the glory of the Lord. Hallelujah!

Last week, when I had a great Sunday at church, I wanted to hug the neck of our worship leader. I felt I owed him an apology too, but there wasnt an opportunity.

It was today, the day of the toe stomping, that he stood alone on stage as the congregation was leaving. I felt God nudging me to go up on stage and hug this man and I did. I briefly told him why and I apologized and I think my sincerity blessed him.

Then, I went to our pastor to teasingly give him a piece of my mind for preaching on this topic in the message today. I hugged him as well and laughed with him as I told him I had arthritis in my feet and would appreciate when he stepped on my toes to take it easy. But then I thanked him for his message and that Gods chastisement came at the right time. I finally received the meaning behind my struggle and it was confirmed in todays message that was already on Gods heart before it was our pastors.

One of my favorite life-experiencing verses in scripture is Romans 8:28 in which God works all things to the good  this was not about me and my uncomfortableness. It was not about the worship style of this church. It was not about the songs, and it was not about my email or the past two years of my struggle. It was about where all of our focus needs to be and our hearts receiving what God has for us and wants to do in us and through us.

Now, that two-year struggle seems tedious. Oh the wilderness! If only I had focused on the fact that we have been rescued and that is the reason we sing, the reason for praising and lifting our voices to our God. Easy isnt always best, as our pastors son preached last Sunday. Sometimes it takes the wilderness for our hearts to obtain the wisdom in the journey.

On the way home, I also apologized to my husband and told him how grateful I was to have a husband who loves church and who loves to sing praises to the Lord  even when he doesnt know the song. I acknowledged the joy I see in him each Sunday. We both had tears in our eyes as our love for each other wasnt just about us, but about our worship  something very dear to both of our hearts.

Im not kicking myself for wasting time. No, I am excited because I see how God worked everything together in the two years it took for my heart to embrace this church. And, in knowing that this is only the beginning of something pretty cool He already has in the works and will be ten-fold!

Dont get discouraged for off-roading because matters of the heart may have periods of waiting or God is busy working the timing together for all involved in the blessing. And, it is in the wilderness where we gain wisdom.

jen@jenjeffrey.com
The Korea Times held a roundtable on racism in Korea last week. A racially balanced group of panelists was invited to talk about what they have experienced and feel about the subject. We had a frank and civilized discussion about the subject. From left are Times' columnist Casey Lartigue; John Dunbar, a Times' copyeditor and contributing writer; Shubha Gokhale, an international trade professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; and Shakh Al Mamun the chief vice president of the Seoul Gyeonggi Incheon Migrant Trade Union. The Times?chief editorial writer hosted the discussion, which was also participated in by intern Lee Han-soo. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Oh Young-jin

True, this may sound as if it is overly inclusive and condemns all Koreans as guilty without committing a crime.

But take it as a preemptive declaration that is needed for the inevitable journey Korea is taking toward becoming a diverse society. After all, this nation is on the fast track toward an aging society, recording one of the world's lowest birthrates.

Therefore, it is pivotal to find ways in which foreigners can feel welcome and are invited to put their best skills to practice, identifying their individual pursuit of happiness with the advancement of their host country. Currently, this is not the case.

Last week, The Korea Times hosted a roundtable with a diverse group of foreign residents.

They have all felt discriminated against in one way or another, some being acts of outright racism, and others attributable to racist bias. Racism exists in all colors and shapes everywhere that people of different cultures or races gather together. Of course, that doesn't mean that it can be tolerated if only for the reason that it serves as a detriment for the common goal of prosperity.
By Casey Lartigue

I occasionally receive emails from black people asking what type of experience they can expect in Korea. I start with the parable of Socrates at the gates of Athens talking with travelers interested in immigrating to the city.

Cleverly utilizing the Socratic method, Socrates turned the question around, asking the travelers about their previous cities. Hearing the first man rant about the people there, Socrates advised him not to enter because he would find similar people in Athens.

A second man, who came by later, heaped lavish praise on people in his previous city. Socrates welcomed him, saying the man would find similar people in Athens.

Instead of looking backward as Socrates did in the parable, I make two predictions when responding to blacks seeking my guidance about entering the gates of Korea: You will get discriminated against. You can have some amazing experiences with some fantastic people here. Which group is most worth focusing your time on?

When I was an English teacher here in the 1990s, it did seem that Korea was xenophobic, racist and nationalistic, "the armpit of the world" according to the first black person I met here. Before moving here for the first time, I had been warned by Koreans and whites that I would get discriminated against. I encountered some ignorance, but also was surrounded with so much love from so many Koreans that I had trouble focusing on bigots. I returned to the United States for 12 years, then came back to a different, more culturally open Korea.

I warn emailers that some black people disagree with me. People demanding change want it now, even when tackling grandiose endeavors like eliminating racism and global warming.












By Shubha Gokhale

Having lived in many countries, I have had the opportunity to see racism in many shapes and forms. I don't really consider the racism I encountered in Korea to be very different from that in other countries.

However, one difference, I notice, is the lack of urgency in the need to create more public awareness of the negative effects of racism.

As noted in the roundtable, Korean mainstream media doesn't seem to consider it to be an issue of importance. There is no real push for an institutional change to combat racism. Despite repeated calls from the U.N. and international NGOs, there is little legal protection for foreigners when a decision is made that harms a person simply because his skin or hair or culture was considered undesirable.

I frequently hear people talk about Hell Joseon.' They worry about the economy, and the coming demographic change. When the young talented generation talk about moving to another country, they talk glowingly about the ability to integrate and move up in society, even if they may not initially speak the native language.

Indeed, China seems all too happy to accept talented Koreans at high salaries, inducing worries of












By Jon Dunbar

When asked to take part in a panel on racism in Korea, I was initially against it. As a white Canadian male with only intermediate Korean language skills, I've had limited exposure to racism in my 12 years here.

Only once have I been singled out for my race, and that was at a business English academy where I worked six years ago, by a Korean-American. Otherwise, almost all racism directed toward me has targeted the Koreans who dare to associate with me.

I've frequently heard people say "know your place" but this has only ever come from fellow foreigners and it doesn't seem at all enforced. Rather, it seems that sentiment makes life far worse for ethnic Koreans who must "know their place," whereas for me, conforming or not to the local culture and its roles for me is entirely voluntary and I have the freedom to not be confined to any place.

It is far easier for me than my Korean coworkers to opt out of "hoeshik," or mandatory work dinners. I'll skip meetings if I feel like it. And I could leave work at six even if my boss stays a few hours late. I can also declare my ignorance of something and have it patiently explained to me.












By Lee Seong-hyon

Finally, I was able to sit down with Deng Yuwen. Deng was deputy editor of the Study Times under the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, which is its official name, also known as the "Central Party School" (zhongyang dangxiao). This is the institution where promising mid-career Communist Party officials are trained, usually before they are promoted. The significance of the publication can be gleaned by the prominence of its oversized signboard at the entrance of the institution.

Deng is among the key figures that shaped the worldwide public narrative of Sino-North Korea relations.

On Feb. 27, 2013, he penned an op-ed piece published in the Financial Times, titled "China should abandon North Korea." Given his post with the Communist Party's authoritative organization, many outside purveyors judged that his view must have been a reflection of the internal pronouncement of the Chinese Communist Party leadership's emerging new policy on North Korea. Otherwise, the logic went, Deng would not have dared to write such an unorthodox piece, with such a provocative title, in such a major Western newspaper. Doing so would have risked his career.

Some further speculated that the Chinese foreign ministry was in "pre-consultation" with Deng. In other words, the Chinese government was using him as a "messenger" to signal to the world that China would decouple its problematic ideological ally from the Cold War era.

Deng's piece became an instant international headline.

However, this author's two-hour lunch with Deng in Beijing, after his publication, revealed that the episode was entirely his personal initiative. He was not "on a mission." The foreign ministry didn't consult him. In fact, the foreign ministry also found out about his article the same time as everyone else  after it was published.

According to Deng, the Chinese foreign ministry subsequently lodged an angry complaint to his employer. Soon afterwards, he was fired.

While the fact that his column drew worldwide attention and his article made a huge impact on shaping the perception of the Chinese policy shift on North Korea, the very fact that he was dismissed and fired from his post at the Communist Party organization received relatively little media coverage and a considerable number of the public were not aware of it. This resulted in a significant "information asymmetry" in the way the outside world still understands the matter.

A key question that arises was why he bothered to write the piece, which cost his career?

Surprisingly, his motivation appeared to be more personally based  partly polemic and partly opportunistic. And it may have more to do with his mistake in misjudging China's censorship line. Deng was savvy about it and, in fact, his job involved reviewing the political correctness of the material to be published in the Communist Party publication. Apparently, this time, he failed the test.

"In today's China, you have more freedom to voice your views and that's fine as long as it doesn't directly challenge the legitimacy of the Communist Party rule. I thought I knew where the boundary was," Deng told me.

Deng speculated that his article backfired because it was published at a particularly sensitive time when China's ties with North Korea became the focus of the world's attention, and he earned the ire of the Chinese government.

It was also established during my conversation with Deng that he had previously sent out the article to several Chinese media outlets first. All of them rejected it  a clear indication that his article stood outside the Chinese Communist Party's thinking.

Looking back on Deng's case, a Chinese scholar said he knew Deng's act would amount to political suicide in China: "Deng argued that we should abandon North Korea. But it was him who was abandoned."

An important detail of Deng's case is that Deng himself didn't believe China would actually abandon North Korea, even though he wrote so. He told me that the Chinese government would not change its policy on North Korea even though a growing number of Chinese citizens were publicly expressing their anger towards North Korea and their frustrations on the Chinese government's policy, including using the increasingly vocal social media platforms.

"The [Communist Party] leadership believes the public is not thinking clearly from the national interest's perspective," Deng said, indicating that the Chinese leadership still regards North Korea as a geopolitical asset. In a country where leaders are not directly elected by public votes, the government can still sustain its old policy, despite some public discontent  at least so far. Deng's remark thus explains why there is the gap between Chinese public's negative perception on North Korea and the Chinese government's actual policy. Even though some liberal Chinese intellectuals and scholars have voiced their personal views on North Korea, traditional thinking and conservative mindset at the Chinese leadership in support of China-North Korea ties still dominate China's policy on North Korea.

Lee Seong-hyon is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. He can be reached at sunnybbsfs@gmail.com.
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

By Yun Suh-young

French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac spoke of his design philosophy and career to a Korean audience last Thursday, as part of a lecture series offered by the Daesan Foundation.

The foundation, which is owned by Kyobo Life, offers a monthly lecture series on various liberal arts topics.

Castelbajac, who visited Seoul in March to exhibit the installation artwork "King of Signs" around the statue of King Sejong in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, made another visit late last month to speak at the lecture prepared as part of a year-long event to celebrate the 130th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France.

"What is important in doing creative work is to not follow the trends," said Castelbajac, showing the audience samples of his garments.

"It's important to create your own work and create your own style. Because style is what lasts, not trends," he said.

His lecture was a combination of a PowerPoint presentation showing his portfolio and past projects and a hands-on explanation using his actual works. Castelbajac had brought a large travel bag filled with garments and fashion accessories he designed and personal items he is fond of to show the audience.

His past works were more ideology-based, exemplified by items such as a T-shirt with phrases from Jean Cocteau's literature. His later works are explorations of color, especially the three primary colors of red, yellow and blue. Castelbajac only uses primary colors these days, avoiding pastels.

The designer also recalled his experiences creating robes for the Vatican. He is the first and only designer to design a robe for a pope.

"I designed the robe of Pope John Paul II. I am the only designer to ever design the robe of a pope. Michelangelo was once known to have offered to create one, but was denied by the Vatican," said Castelbajac.

"I felt honored and even more overwhelmed after knowing that he was later named a saint. So now I designed a robe for a saint!"

His design for the Vatican was an arrangement of crosses in rainbow colors symbolizing the unity of humanity.

"I, who had once designed a scandalous jean called 'Jesus' and was heavily criticized by the Vatican, ended up designing their robes. Isn't life funny?"

Using this case as an example, Castelbajac said, "If you have a belief, you should carry it forth."

When asked by a member of the audience on hardships he's experienced, Castelbajac talked about prejudice.

"We have a term called 'touche a tout' in French which means someone who gets his hands on everything. It used to be a term to degrade the works of artists," he recalled.

"These days, however, it's an advantage to be a 'touche a tout' because you can do everything. I'm blessed that I'm living at a time when this is considered a talent."

Also answering a question on how he became the designer that he is, he said it took him five things: determination, hard work, humility, knowledge and understanding of history.

As for his source of inspiration, he said, it came from "everything that is invisible and intangible."

"For instance, I took a flight no. 902 and then when I arrived in Seoul, my taxi had the number 902 on it. Then when I arrived at the hotel, guess what? My room number was 1902. Is that a coincidence or what? Things like this, an invisible force that is out there, inspire me heavily," he said.
SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun, left, poses with Iran's Vice Minister of Energy Hoshang Falahatian after signing a partnership on Internet of Things (IoT) businesses, in Tehran, Monday. / Courtesy of SK Telecom



By Lee Min-hyung

SK Telecom has signed multiple partnerships in Iran, diversifying its revenue stream into the emerging Middle Eastern country.

The mobile carrier said Tuesday it clinched network infrastructure contracts with the country's state-run and private organizations  including the Ministry of Energy, the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) and local energy and technology company ARSH Holdings.

Under the contracts, SK Telecom will export its smart management systems based on the Internet of Things (IoT), the company said in a statement.

The deals come on the sidelines of President Park Geun-hye's three-day visit to Tehran, which started Sunday. SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun was included in her largest-ever business delegation.

Jang and his Iranian counterparts agreed to install SK Telecom's LoRa-based smart energy management infrastructure in the country's major buildings and residential areas. LoRa is an IoT standard technology co-developed by some 200 global information and communications technology companies including Cisco, IBM and SK Telecom.

SK Telecom said the Iranian partnerships will boost its market penetration into other emerging countries. The company plans to focus on exporting its IoT-based network infrastructure and services, taking advantage of its core competitiveness in telecom businesses  including third-generation (3G) networks and long-term-evolution services.

"We will play a significant role in the country's economic growth by continuing to offer our industry-leading IoT network systems," Jang said in the statement.

"SK Telecom will keep providing up-to-date LoRa-based technologies and services for our partnering organizations."
LINE Thailand Managing Director Ariya Banomyong, left, introduces the company's mobile delivery

service LINE Man during a press conference at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Bangkok, Tuesday.



By Yoon Sung-won

BANGKOK, Thailand  LINE Corp., the mobile platform provider of Korea's top Internet service company Naver, has pledged to expand its partnerships with local enterprises in this Southeast Asian country.

Underlining the importance of Thailand as LINE's second-largest strategic market following Japan, LINE Thailand Managing Director Ariya Banomyong said the company aims to boost its presence of LINE service not just as a mobile messenger but as a mobile life platform both for businesses and consumers.

"Amid too many mobile applications available, users are installing 39 of them on their smartphones on average but use only 17 out of 39 on a daily basis. Many businesses are also mulling over how to access customers with specific solution services," the head of LINE's local subsidiary in Thailand said during a press conference in Bangkok, Tuesday. "At LINE Thailand, we seek to become a smart portal that provides all the innovative and useful services for the Thai people."

Banomyong said LINE should become the biggest messenger service in Thailand for future growth and ultimately work more than just as a messenger service.

In line with such efforts, the company has started a mobile delivery agent service called LINE Man and established a joint venture named Rabbit LINE Pay with Bangkok's mass transportation business BTS to take over the LINE Pay mobile payment business it started in June 2015.

"I believe we definitely need to dominate the mobile food delivery business because street foods are a very important part of Thai life," Banomyong said. "Before LINE Man, only a few restaurants offered delivery service, which shows that LINE Man has great potential."

Banomyong pledged to start localized services that can spread back to major LINE markets like Korea and Japan.

"The Thai subsidiary of LINE will boost cooperation with startups here to seek new business opportunities both at home and abroad," he said.

LINE began services in Thailand in May 2012. Since then, the company has aggressively penetrated into the country where mobile networks are the biggest channel to go online over the fixed-line broadband network. So far, it has attracted 33 million subscribers in the country, which is about half of the Thai population at 68 million.

Based on such a high penetration rate, LINE has added services like official accounts, sponsored stickers and a content creators market in business-to-business advertisement.

For the offline-to-online sector, which facilitates offline businesses run on online and mobile environments, the company has started LINE Shop, LINE Gift Shop and LINE At, an official account service dedicated for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Banomyong said, "Only about 500,000 out of 2.8 million SMEs in Thailand are online. To help them operate in a broader online environment, we provide them a simple yet effective platform with cheaper costs."

At Tuesday's event, a Southeast Asian online retail business Lazada was introduced as one of LINE's official account clients. Lazada Chief Marketing Officer Baptiste Le Gal said, "LINE has helped us communicate directly with our followers and convert them into customers."

The company has also started the television content streaming service LINE TV exclusively in Thailand in December 2014 under collaboration with the country's leading media groups such as GMM. Its LINE Music service has recorded over 7 million cumulative downloads here, Banomyong said.

"People are watching television content not only on television screens but also on their smartphones," he said. "That's why we are building partnerships with most of the content providers here."

Over 20 mobile games including Let's Get Rich, Cookie Run and Anypang have been rolled out through the mobile platform here, recording many million downloads to hint at new business opportunities for Korea's development studios, he said.
Hiwassee College officials said they are so confident in the preparedness of their graduates to enter the workforce that they are further supporting student success after graduation. Beginning in the Fall of 2016, Hiwassee College will provide their new loan repayment assistance program, the Hiwassee College Advantage, to all incoming freshmen students."Hiwassee College is the first institution in the state of Tennessee to provide this promise to all their incoming freshmen. The Hiwassee College Advantage provides substantial assistance to students and parents, helping with student and Parent PLUS loan repayment after graduation if they do not meet specified income thresholds," officials said.The Hiwassee College Advantage will be provided at no cost to students or families.The assistance will continue until the graduates income rises to a level of financial sufficiency, or until their loans are completely paid off.Upon enrollment, Hiwassee College students will receive an Award Letter from the college, specifying the lower and upper income thresholds that determine how much assistance they will receive after graduation.I think the Hiwassee Advantage is an amazing program for loan borrowers just like me. In the competitive career field I am pursuing, the uncertainty of the job market will not concern me because I have the Hiwassee Advantage to assist me in paying off my student loans if things do not go according to plan, and I take comfort in that," said Kendra King, sophomore dental hygiene major.Dr. Robin Tricoli, president of Hiwassee College said, "Hiwassee College has had great success with our students getting into graduate school or starting their careers immediately after graduation. We believe so strongly in our academic programming we are investing in this program for our students to provide them with a cutting edge advantage."At Hiwassee College we believe that our programs of study prepare students to go on and earn great salaries right after graduation. The Hiwassee College Advantage lets students and parents know that we all, together, have a stake in their future success, said John Cage, associate vice president of Enrollment Management.For more information about Hiwassee College and the Hiwassee College Advantage, visit http://hiwassee.edu/affordability/the-hiwassee-college-advantage/
The 2016 Mel Bedwell Small Business Person of the Year clearly reflects the business acumen and community commitment that earned him recognition as this years winner of this prestigious small business award.



The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce recognized Jeff Cocks, owner of Corporate Networking Solutions, for commitment to his clients, customers and the community at the annual Business Development Month kickoff luncheon on Monday.



Mr. Cocks is the 18th individual to receive the Bedwell Small Business Person of the Year award since its renaming to honor the contributions of the late Mel Bedwell and 23rd to receive the award since this recognition program began. Bedwell was one of the most loyal and supportive members of the Small Business Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, which coordinates Business Development Month.



Staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales or unit volume, innovativeness of product or services offered, response to adversity, and evidence of contribution by the nominee to aid community-oriented projects form the basis for this award.



Formed by Mr. Cocks, Corporate Networking Solutions has evolved into a force to be reckoned with since its establishment in March 1999. Cocks has devoted himself not only to the success of his business but also to the betterment of the community and region.



It is no exaggeration to say that during the last decade, I have been witness to the success of a brilliant man whose imaginative and innovative mind has helped businesses, both big and small, to navigate the technological revolution, said nominator Hurley Buff, director of the Cleveland Bradley Business Incubator. At the same time, I have been humbled to see countless acts of selfless generosity and compassion.



According to Mr. Buff, Mr. Cocks was one of the first tenants of the Business Incubator when it opened in 2000, putting a deposit on a space long before the doors opened and remaining an anchor tenant today.



In the 1990s Mr. Cocks worked for a Fortune 500 company that provided financial services through a popular Internet banking product. As a young businessperson, he recognized a need for a supplemental product that would significantly increase the potential market share by allowing more banks to take advantage of Internet banking. However, he met opposition from his colleagues and the product was not developed. Because he believed in his product, he opted to leave that Fortune 500 company in the late 1990s and start his own business.



Mr. Cocks and his family moved back to Cleveland where he formed Corporate Networking Solutions (CNS), providing technology services in such areas as networking, support and software development. He seized on the opportunity to produce the Internet banking product he had pitched to his previous employer. Collaborating with a developer, he began creating FILink, short for Financial Institution Link.



In late 2000 a large bank in the Northeast implemented the first installation of FILink. Six years later, more than 200 banks in the United States were using FILink daily to update their Internet banking applications used by thousands of customers each day.



In 2008 CNS leveraged its knowledge of the banking industry and its technical skills to create a new product for converting text banking statements into electronic statements as Adobe PDFs. Today Internet banking vendors use this product to interface their online banking application to statements produced by the banks processor. As with FILink, the e-statement product provides an information bridge between the bank and the Internet banking vendor and offers flexibility and a speedy implementation process.



Mr. Cocks has faced a variety of adverse situations throughout his ownership of CNS. In addition to opposition to the Internet banking software, he faced a sudden shrinking market for one of Corporate Networking Solutions core software products due to forces within the sole licensee. Mr. Cocks responded by taking advantage of relationships cultivated within that organization over the years and found a niche for a new application to interface with customer data files. The new application quickly extracted, formatted and delivered data and subsequently relieved a backlog of work within the company.



Many local customers know CNS as the computer guys who assist with computers, networks, websites and technology. However, they continue write custom application software used by hundreds of banks and credit unions across the United States.



Jeff is viewed by his clients as a critical member of their team, business strategist Catherine Boettner said, noting that his work is thorough and well done. His clients have good reliability and little down time due to technical issues related to the design and installation of the network by Jeff. While he works in a technical field, he is able to explain his work in terms that make it easy for the client to understand what needs to be done and why.



Steve Robinson, president of Cleveland Plywood Company, agreed.



Jeffs chosen profession is one that changes almost weekly as anyone with a computer network certainly knows. Yet he stays current in his knowledge to guide his customers to the best opportunities for their businesses to grow. I have great respect for his business advice and consider him a friend and a brother in Christ.



Mondays award winner continues to reach out to others with his spirit of innovation. His most recent endeavor was the opening of a new business, MacPC Market, in November 2015 in Cookes Plaza. This shop sells refurbished Macs and PCs, as well as both Apple- and Droid-based tablets and accessories. He also offers residential computer repair and networking, bringing innovations normally reserved for big business to the public for home use.



This marked Jeffs first substantial foray into the residential computer market, Mr. Buff noted, adding that the new business created additional jobs for the community as well.



Physical and fiscal growth also reflects the success of CNS. The business began in less than 300 square feet in the Business Incubator with Cocks as the sole employee. Before the end of the first year, he added an employee. This led to an expansion of his operation into a 500-square-foot office the next year and the addition of a second employee.



Jeffs company grew again into two offices, then three and then four. Well, you get the picture, Mr. Buff explained.



Mr. Cocks now has a full-time staff of five and several part-time employees, with plans to hire additional employees this year. He has expanded into a 2,700-square-foot suite at the incubator where he can house his operation as a whole.



With each stage of growth, Jeff took care to ensure that once he had made a hire, he was in a position to sustain that hire, the incubator director pointed out. He also made sure that his employees knew business was sound and offered such benefits as health insurancea big feather in a small businesss cap.



Despite the growth of CNS, success has not changed its owner.



When one runs into Jeff on the street, you would never know from his demeanor what a smart and successful man he is, Mr. Buff said about this modest small businessperson. The only thing about Jeff that may have changed is his ability to indulge his generous spirit, as he gives freely of himself and his resources, which these days are substantial.

Service to the community is also a criterion of the Bedwell Award, and Jeff Cocks is no stranger to exhibiting concern for and interest in Cleveland and Bradley County.



Among many service projects, he has taken abandoned and used computers and upgraded or repaired them for donation to local schools, churches and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, he has donated equipment and his considerable expertise to new entrepreneurs at the incubator and throughout the community.



Jeff is a community supporter but never seeks the limelight, Ms. Boettner said. He works quietly behind the scenes in organizations that speak to him. He is quiet and unassuming and an asset to our community.



Mr. Cocks served four years on the Chambers board of directors, with two of those years on the executive committee as vice chairman of the community development division. He currently serves on the board for the Cleveland Civitan Club.



This years Bedwell Award winner attributes his decision to start a small business that specializes in technology to the influence of his parentshis father, who was a technology early adopter, and his mother, who is the definition of the American Dream. Mr. Cocks says his father taught him not to be intimidated by technology but rather to embrace it. His mother, who is from the Philippines, taught him by example that establishing long-term relationships with customers is the key to success. She also taught him the value of hard work and filled him with an entrepreneurial spirit that gave him the courage to start his own small business.



A devoted family man, Mr. Cocks also acknowledges the support of his familywife, Mary Tom, and two sons, Thomas and James.



Mr. Cocks joins an impressive list of previous winners of the Small Business Person of the Year: Greg Hicks, Impressions Catering; Roger Pickett, MurMaid Mattress Inc.; Debbie Melton, Don Ledford Automotive Center; Shannon Ritzhaupt, Cafe Roma; Ed Jacobs, Ed Jacobs & Associates Inc. and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; Hal Roe, Bradley Rentals; Jim Workman, Bender Realty LLC; Don Geren, Cleveland/Bradley Business Incubator; Steve Robinson, Cleveland Plywood; Lynn Jones, Lynn Jones Enterprises; Ross Tarver, Tarver Distributing Co. Inc.; Loye Hamilton, Coldwell Banker, Hamilton & Associates; Kenneth Higgins, Santek Environmental Inc.; Kay Jenkins Cowan, Jenkins Restaurant & Deli, Dan Cooke, Cookes Food Store and Panera Bread; Catherine Boettner, Cleveland Tubing; Jim Duggan, Robinson Building Center; Reba Garrison, State Farm Insurance; Ron Braam, Manufacturers Chemicals LLC; Susan Shelton, Bradley News Weekly; Larry McDaniel, Town Squire; and Mel Bedwell, Cleveland Business Machines.



The Small Business Committee of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce sponsors Business Development Month as part of the Chambers commitment to the business development of its members, the economic growth of the region, and the highest quality of life in our community.






The United Daughters of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis Chapter # 900, held their monthly meeting in April at the Kinser Church of God in Cleveland.

President Marilyn Kinne called the meeting to order. The Ritual was given by Helen Riden, chaplain. The pledges to the Christian Flag, the United States Flag, Tennessee Flag and the Confederate Flag were given. The Star Spangled Banner, Tennessee Waltz and Dixie Land were sang.

President Kinne gave a catechism quiz which pertained to the history of the Confederate States of American from 1861-1865.

The minutes of the previous meeting was read by Debbie Riggs, secretary, and approved. The treasurers report was given by Peggy Morrison and Lisa Pritchett, vice-president, spoke on the new organization of the Children of the Confederacy.

The new chapter is re-chartered, and newly elected officers are in place. Activities for the new chapter are being planned. The registrars report was given by Anita Green. Several new prospective members are in the process of being finished. Refreshments were furnished by Melanie Johnson and President Kinne.

The newly printed history pamphlets are still being given to the fifth graders in Bradley and Polk County schools. Sales are still ongoing with the cookbook project. Ms. Pritchett is currently working on a new design for a chapter pin. She should have an example of the drawing design by the next meeting. Plans are still underway for the chapter hosting the state convention in October in Chattanooga at the Read House.

The meeting was then turned over to Anita Green who presented the program on the Music of the 1860s. Of all the songs written during and about the War Between the States probably no song is as strongly identified today as Julia Ward Howes stirring, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. For over 138 years this song has been featured in many patriotic programs in schools and churches of this nation.

In November of 1861, Julia Howe, the daughter of a well-to-do New York City banker, was touring Union army camps near Washington, D.C. with Reverend James Freeman Clarke and with her husband, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, who was a member of President Lincolns Military Sanitary Commission and a fervent abolitionist. During their visit to the camp, the soldiers were singing some of the popular war songs. Reverend Clarke suggested that Mrs. Howe pen new lyrics to the familiar tune of John Browns Body. She replied that she might just do that.

The following morning, as Mrs. Howe later described it, she awokein the gray of the early dawn, and to my astonishment found that the wished for lines were arranging (continued) themselves in my brain. I lay quite still until the last verse had completed my thoughts, then hastily arose, saying to myself, 'I shall lose this if I dont write it down immediately.'

Mrs. Howes lyrics first appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, and was paid $5 for the piece. The editor, James T. Fields, is credited with having given the song the name as we know it today.

After the war, Mrs. Howe was active in the womens suffrage movement. In 1868, she founded the New England Womens Club and was one of the founders of the New England Womens Suffrage Association. She was much in demand as a lecturer. Although she continued her writing, nothing she produced ever achieved the popularity of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. She died October 17, 1910 at the age of 91.

The lyrics she wrote: The Battle Hymn of the Republic Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on. I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps: They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps: I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps, His day is marching on. He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His Judgment Seat. Oh! Be swift, my soul, to answer Him, be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on. In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me; As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee, once said, that without music there would have been no army. Some have commented that the War Between the States was a musical war. When the soldiers North and South marched off to war, they took with (continued) them the love of music. Music passed the time; it entertained and comforted; it brought back memories of home and family. In camps, and hospitals they sangsentimental songs, ballads, comic, and patriotic songs. The songs were better than rations or medicine.

It is estimated that during the first year of the war, 2,000 compositions were produced. There were patriotic songs for each side: The Norths Battle Cry of Freedom", May God Save the Union, and the Souths Dixie", God Save the South, "God Will Defend the Right, and The Rebel Soldier.

After Robert E. Lee surrendered, Abraham Lincoln, on one of the last days of his life, asked a Northern band to play Dixie saying it had always been one of his favorite tunes. No one could miss the meaning of this gesture of reconciliation, expressed by music.

The meeting was adjourned. Anyone interested in the United Daughters of the Confederacy can visit www.udcjeffersondavis900.com or www.facebook.com/udcjeffersondavischapter900
Photos: Chicago May Day March Exorcises Trump, Celebrates Diversity

By aaroncynic in News on May 2, 2016 2:44PM



Hundreds hit the streets Sunday afternoon for a march for immigrant and workers rights commemorating May Day, the international workers holiday. Demonstrators marched from Union Park on the Near West Side to Trump Tower, a site chosen to call out the Republican presidential frontrunner for his racist and divisive rhetoric.

Demonstrators sang, danced and chanted their way down Washington Avenue on their way to Trump Tower, with members of various labor unions joining them near the Haymarket memorial. There was a heavy police presence, which included a mounted unit that cordoned off access for about a block in every direction from Trump Tower; nearby, clergy members in the march exorcized an effigy of Donald Trump.

We ask that you bring out the demons and demonic forces of our brother, Donald Trump, spoke the lead priest. We ask, oh gracious God, to take away the hatred, bigotry and racism and the forked speaking tongue that hes had and replace it with a powerful tongue and care.

Cook County Commissioner and former mayoral candidate Jesus Chuy Garcia, who marched with demonstrators alongside 35th Ward alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa also denounced Trump.

We gather here today to say that everyone is welcome in Chicago. Working people are what makes Chicago a world-class city, that we embrace all working class people, said Garcia, who has campaigned for Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders. We say no to hatred, we say no to Trump, and we say justice on May Day for everyone.

Police interactions with the marchers at Union Park and Trump Tower were minimal. But at a smaller, separate march led by anarchists from Douglas Park to the financial district turned violent when demonstrators say police rushed in and attacked their group without warning. Sources tell Chicagoist that after marching past the Board of Trade on LaSalle Street, the group was penned in near a bus terminal, where police tackled and allegedly choked and hit several demonstrators, and ultimately arrested 19 people. At least one person was injured during the melee.



As of Monday morning, all but two demonstrators have been released, one of which still has not been charged, according to the National Lawyer's Guild.
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

Read more
5 Ways To Plan A Great Mother's Day In Chicago

By Chicagoist_Guest in Food on May 3, 2016 3:40PM



(Via GCM's Facebook)



Mothers Day often conjures up images of pastel-accented tea services and Laura Ashley floral dresses. But does anyone actually have a mother who enjoys that sort of thing? Well, probably a few, but theyre in the minority. Moms want to do fun stuff too, you know. But whats out there beyond the packed brunch locations and generic greeting cards? Plenty. Weve got suggestions for every type of mom, from the one driving in from the suburbs, to the one that drives you crazy. Follow these itineraries, and make Mothers Day a day youll both enjoy.

By Leigh Kunkel

For The DIY Type

If your mom is always saying, You know, we could just make that instead, dont despair; you can still do something fun together, even if youre not necessarily the crafty type.

Do a little advance planning and grab ingredients at the opening day of Green City Market this Saturday to make your own Mothers Day brunch, or hit up Southport Grocery for tons of locally-made, easy-to-prepare options for brunch, dinner, or anything in between. Once youre fueled up, visit the Rebuilding Exchange for one of several Mothers Day workshops, including making picture frames from reclaimed wood, and a BYOB option.



via Gothamist

For Your BFF

So you and your mom are basically Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. Every day is Mothers Day for you! You should still try to make this one special, though, so all of these suggestions are for things you can do together.

Start out with a brunch cooking class at Cooking Fools, where youll whip up some stuffed French toast, among other things. Head over to Andersonville, where you two can browse the vintage furniture and decor stores together. Try Room Service for great mid-century decor and barware. Once youre hungry again, stop at Pastoral for a glass of wine and a cheese plate, and try not to look too smug about your perfect parent-child relationship.

For Your Not-BFF

Maybe the idea of spending an extended period of time together with your mother makes you break out in hives. Not to worrythese suggestions should keep you busy enough that you two will barely even have time to talk, let alone argue.

Kick things off at City Winery, where you can not only drink, but listen to other people talk about their mothers during the Story Sessions Mothers Day edition. Then hop over to the South Loop, where you and your mom and 10 other people will work together to escape from a room containing a brain-craving zombie at Room Escape Adventures. Finish off your busy day with a burger at Kumasbetween the people-watching and the heavy metal, too much talking will be next to impossible.





For The Cool Mom

Hey, that Mean Girls scene was based on something. And what Cool Mom doesnt want bottomless drinks? Wander over to Flagship in Lakeview for all-you-can-drink Bloody Marys or mimosas with your brunch. Or, if it doesnt have to be bottomless, try Tavern On Little Fort for build-your-own options. Once you have a little liquid courage, visit Stiletto Dance Studio for one of their signature Peep Toe Pole Dance classes, and try not to think about who might be the beneficiary of her new skills.

For The Suburbanite

Did you convince her to venture in from the suburbs for the day? Thats a good step! Now to expand her horizons a little bit without scaring her too badly.

Start things off gently with an Italian ice at Taylor Street institution Marios: familiar treat, new neighborhood. Then head up to Lakeview for something all moms love: sing-along ABBA. After youve sung your hearts out at the Music Boxs sing-along showing of Mama Mia, have dinner at Vera. Tapas are the perfect way to get her out of her comfort zone a littlewho could be afraid of something so small? You can try out some delicious new flavors, and some delicious new wines to wash them down.
Its rare when you get to see a bestselling author don a large pirate hat and yell, Yall means all. Pee where you want to but not on each other! onstage, but Margaret Stohl (Black Widow: Forever Red) did just that, speaking out against North Carolinas anti-LGBT law. Or see Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dave Barry (co-author of Peter and the Starcatcher) share his worst writing ideas. Or catch a group of authors lead a Hamilton singalong.

These activities all took place recently at Yallwest, a two-day literary festival for teens now in its second year. More than 20,000 people converged at Santa Monica High School to celebrate young adult and middle grade books, with more than 100 authors participating in book signings, panels, giveaways, singalongs and shenanigans.

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Yallwest was organized by Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz (The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Prequel) who wanted to bring the festival to their hometown after helping plan and organize YallFest, a popular teen book festival in Charleston, S.C.

The kids that we met were so unbelievably grateful that we wanted to replicate that feeling here, de la Cruz said.

One highlight was the conversation between this years Newbery Medal winner Matt de la Pena (Last Stop at Market Street) in conversation with award-winning author Jason Reynolds (All American Boys.) As the two writers volleyed back and forth on their own publishing paths, they tackled the myth of the reluctant reader.

Tupac and Shakespeare were doing the same thing, said Reynolds who found his saving grace through hip-hop. Pena talked on the stark realities of visiting prisons where the majority of the kids were brown. They feel as if they are not worthy of having an author come see them, Pena said.

Other conversations dug deep, too. The My Name is [Writer] and I Am A Basketcase panel featured authors Veronica Roth (The Divergent series), Adam Silvera (More Happy Than Not), John Corey Whaley (Highly Illogical Behavior), and Melissa de la Cruz touched upon mental illness. Writing is my therapy, said Silvera as he spoke candidly about his recent struggles with suicidal thoughts.

Some of the festival programming was planned by teen ambassadors, resulting in cupcake hours with authors and a quidditch scrimmage match. They meet twice a month and they are very critical, said Cruz. If a panel is boring, they will let us know.

YALLWEST worked closely with the Los Angeles School Unified school districts to ensure that kids were able to attend the mostly-free conference. We provide transportation, offer them lunch, and they are able to select one book they want, said Cruz. Awards were given to teachers who work in underserved communities in Los Angeles in a ceremony hosted by a tuxedo-wearing Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children) and Brendan Reichs (Trace Evidence.)

Long lines were a mainstay at the festival, less so on Sunday. Yet, as the festival was winding down, mothers with their children came prepared to find a place to list, with chairs to sit in and umbrellas to block the sun. Next year, they may look for an even bigger venue.
Long Beach resident Greg Vogel cant heal the sick. Nor can he see the future.

So hes tired of being confused with a young televangelist calling himself Prophet Manasseh Jordan, who say he can do both these things.

Vogel, 59, says hes received dozens of calls from seekers of divine assistance, who tell him his number appeared on their caller ID screen during Jordans robocalls. Thats a telecom trick known as spoofing, which is how telemarketers try to fool people into picking up the phone.

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I dont know why hes using my number, Vogel told me. But for the last two years Ive been getting calls from lots of people who think theyre going to reach Prophet Manasseh. Theyre usually disappointed when they get me instead.

Robocalls and spoofing have grown into a major annoyance. The Federal Trade Commission received more than 3 million robocall-related complaints last year.

Jordans robocalls, which have been posted online, typically promise a financial blessing if you call him back or send him an email. Doing so will result in solicitations for donations to curry additional favor with the Almighty.

Oral Roberts popularized so-called seed faith  giving money to receive money  in the 1970s. Its now a mainstay of televangelism, with the likes of Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar being among the more prominent practitioners. Hinn serves as a sort of mentor for Jordan, appearing with him at faith-healing events.

Jordan, 25, is a relative newcomer to whats known as prosperity gospel, although his website says he began ministering at the tender age of eight. He is the son of Master Prophet E. Bernard Jordan, who has his own ministry and describes himself as your most trusted name in prophecy.

The younger Jordans New York ministry has been sued repeatedly over his robocalls, most recently in March. A class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York by a pair of Californians alleged that Jordans robocalls were part of efforts to commit willful torts for his own personal gain. The lawsuit was settled  as has been the case with most suits brought against Jordan  a few weeks later.

Jordan has been sued 19 times in federal court over the last four years for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and other charges. This year alone, hes been sued four times.

I was unable to reach Jordan. But Angelo Ellerbee, a spokesman, emailed me a statement from Jordan that he said would address the matter in question  that is, robocalls and spoofing.

After comparing himself with Martin Luther King Jr., who was a prophet in his own right, Jordan says in the statement that prophets prepare people for a day that is coming. It is in my heart to prepare the people for what God is saying for this time: stop the violence, shootings, the wars. Its a message of love.

Im not sure how that squares with robocalls that tell people God is trying to give them some cash, but OK.

The lawsuits against Jordan complain that he harasses people with his calls. Vogels situation is different.

If hes being spoofed, its likely the use of his number is purely coincidental. I found posts online saying that Jordans robocalls use a variety of numbers. Theres also a chance people are misdialing a number given in some of Jordans robocalls, which is very similar to Vogels.

People tell me I should just change my number, Vogel said. Why should I? Its my number.

He said the calls from Jordans followers come in waves, with each new iteration of robocalls. Theyre mostly people from rural towns, almost always women, who sound like theyre looking for hope, Vogel said.

He shared with me some of the numbers of people whove called him. I was able to connect with Lekya in Williamsburg, N.Y. She declined to provide her last name.

Lekya said she responded to Jordans robocall because he speaks right to my situation.

Im a believer, she said. When he calls, its like going to church.

In this case, however, it was more like going to Vogels house, which was no doubt as unsatisfying for Lekya as it was frustrating for Vogel.

He told me hes contacted Jordans ministry and asked that his number not be used. That got him nowhere. Beyond that, his options are limited.

If Vogel doesnt want to change his number, he could consider getting in line to sue Jordan. The Truth in Caller ID Act prohibits anyone from using misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongfully obtain anything of value. It includes penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

However, spoofing is legal if it can be shown there was no intent to cause harm.

Otherwise, the best bet if a number is being spoofed is to screen all calls using an answering machine. You also can file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission.

As for robocalls, I wrote the other day about a bill introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) that would require phone companies to offer free call-blocking technology such as Nomorobo. This would be a big help.

And it wouldnt require an act of God.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.

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The last chance to make a case for Pom Wonderfuls health claims just got poured down the drain by the nations highest court.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review an appeals court decision that health claims in Pom Wonderful advertisements misled consumers.

The move ends a nearly six-year battle launched by the company, part of the agricultural empire of Beverly Hills power couple Lynda and Stewart Resnick, against federal regulators, who questioned the science behind claims that drinking pomegranate juice could cheat death by preventing heart disease and prostate cancer.

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The lower-court rulings in the case have been cited regularly in cases that attempt to balance the limits of the 1st Amendments protection of commercial speech with regulatory responsibilities to protect consumers from misleading advertising claims.

An administrative law judge in 2012 ruled that there was insufficient scientific evidence to back 19 of the companys implied claims that drinking its pomegranate juice could treat, prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.

Studies funded by Pom Wonderful for a reported $35 million were insufficient in part because they did not include at least two human trials with control groups, the judge said in upholding a complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission.

The Resnicks appealed, saying the FTC misinterpreted the ads, made the substantiation requirements too stringent and restricted their 1st Amendment rights to tell consumers about potential health benefits of pomegranates.

Last year, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected the companys arguments, although it scaled back one of the agencys standards for proof to just one randomized clinically controlled human trial.

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Mondays decision was the second time that Pom Wonderful appealed to the nations highest court. In 2014, the court ruled that it could sue the Coca-Cola Co. over a competing pomegranate drink, marketed under the Minute Maid brand, that was more than 99% apple and grape juice.

A California jury in March rejected Pom Wonderfuls claims of misleading labeling. Minute Maid no longer makes the drink.

Steven Clark, a spokesman for the Wonderful Co., said the FTC questioned only 36 of nearly 600 ads.

We continue to stand behind our efforts to publicly convey valuable information about the health benefits of POM, as well as the $40 million in peer-reviewed, scientific research weve conducted regarding the power of this amazing fresh fruit, Clark said.

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Auto sales stay hot in April; Honda and Nissan break records

Johnson & Johnson loses another talcum powder cancer lawsuit

United Airlines pays $37 million to ex-CEO who quit amid a corruption investigation

UPDATES:

May 4, 7:07 p.m.: This post was updated with response from The Wonderful Co.

This post was first published May 3, 2:46 p.m.
Despite resigning amid a federal corruption probe, the former chief executive of United Airlines is receiving nearly $37 million in compensation, including a car, free flights and lifetime parking privileges at two major airports.

The payout benefits to former United Continental Holdings Inc. CEO Jeff Smisek were described in a filing by the airline to the Security and Exchange Commission last week.

According to the filings, Smisek is receiving a lump cash payment of nearly $5 million, which includes payments for unused vacation days. The rest of his separation agreement includes bonuses for meeting company performance goals, plus healthcare and life insurance payments.

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Smisek also receives flight benefits, valued at about $82,000, plus lifetime parking at United Airlines hubs in Houston and Chicago. He can also keep his company car, valued at $58,700, the filing said.

Smisek and two other United employees stepped down in September in the face of a federal investigation into allegations that the airline was trading favors with the head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

United was accused of operating a money-losing flight to the airport nearest the weekend home of the port authoritys chairman in exchange for improvements the carrier wanted at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Oscar Munoz, a railroad executive and head of Uniteds audit committee, replaced Smisek as CEO.

A United Airlines spokesperson could not be reached to comment on the filing.

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In other SEC filings, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. reported that its chief executive, Gary Kelly, received compensation of $5.9 million in 2015, more than half of which came in the form of stock awards.

Douglas Parker, the chairman and CEO of Fort Worth-based American Airlines Group Inc., was paid $11.4 million in 2015, most of which was stock awards, according to an SEC filing.

Follow me on Twitter: @hugomartin

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Pom Wonderful case not wonderful enough, Supreme Court says
When Jesus Sequeiras wife, Yadira, died in 2008 from lung cancer, times soon grew tough.

Sequeira said his income plunged, leaving him unable to pay the mortgage on the couples Canyon Country home when payments more than doubled a year later.

UPDATE: Bill to help widows stave off foreclosure passes state Senate committee

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Sequeira hoped a loan modification might save him, but there was a glitch: Even though he was listed on the title, only his wife was on the mortgage note  a setup Sequeira said a Countrywide Financial employee suggested given her superior credit.

The arrangement, he said, turned efforts to secure a modification into a multiyear red-tape nightmare that may end in a trustee sale scheduled for May 11.

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Its like I can have a heart attack, because I dont know what is going to happen, said Sequeira, 58, who owns a small Koreatown market. Its been like that for three years.

Consumer advocates say widows and widowers nationwide are falling into a similar bureaucratic black hole.

Although servicers will generally accept their loan payments, surviving homeowners who are not on the mortgage face significant resistance when they seek loan modifications once theyve fallen behind on payments  often because theyve lost their spouses income.

They are being told they cant do anything to prevent foreclosure, said Charles Evans, an attorney with pro bono law firm Public Counsel, which is assisting Sequeira.

The problem is growing, advocates say, and has caught the attention of federal regulators and state lawmakers.

In just the first three months of this year, the Housing and Economic Rights Advocates, a statewide advocacy group, had handled 16 such cases.

In a 2013 survey, conducted by the California Reinvestment Coalition, 44% of housing counselors said that servicers always or almost always declined to discuss loan modifications with widowed clients when they werent on the loan. Last year, housing counselors across the country surveyed by the National Housing Resource Center gave servicers a poor rating for communication with widows, widowers and others in similar circumstances.

Consumer advocates think the problem dates to practices popular during last decades housing bubble. They include a rise in risky first and second mortgages  including many taken out by older Americans who previously avoided getting into new debt  and securitization of loans, which has increasingly put servicers, not originators, in control of the foreclosure process.

Sometimes servicers refuse to deal with the surviving spouse, advocates say. Other times they give inaccurate information or require unnecessary documents to prove ownership of the house, stalling a modification while a foreclosure proceeds.

Often companies simply wont allow a modification until the surviving spouse assumes the loan, which cant happen until the owner is current on the mortgage  something of a Catch 22.

Survivors make contact with the mortgage servicer to let them know their loved one has died and they ask for what next steps they should take to try to work on modification, said Maeve Elise Brown, executive director of the Housing and Economic Rights Advocates in Oakland. That is when the misinformation begins.

The passage of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights in 2012 targeted similar issues for borrowers.

It required they be given a single representative to work with and banned servicers from so-called dual tracking  the practice of negotiating with clients to modify a mortgage while simultaneously pursuing foreclosure.

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Now, rules are being proposed to boost protections for survivors. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is preparing to release regulations this summer that will assist widows and other so-called successors-in-interest. And the state Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote Tuesday on a bill designed to give surviving spouses, domestic partners and children the same protections borrowers have in the Homeowner Bill of Rights, including the right to sue to stop a foreclosure or for economic damages after one occurs.

The bill, SB-1150, by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), would prevent servicers from moving forward with a foreclosure before requesting reasonable documentation of the borrowers death and the identity of the survivor.

Dual tracking would be barred and servicers would be required to give accurate information about mortgage assumptions and foreclosure-prevention programs, while appointing a single point of contact for survivors.

Although the bill doesnt require a modification be given  applicants must be able to show they can afford even the smaller loan payment  the intent is to give survivors a fair shot at getting one. It would, for example, allow delinquent survivors to get a loan modification without first getting current on payments.

These people are just left out in the cold. They get none of the benefits from the Homeowner Bill of Rights, Leno said.

The proposal has drawn opposition from industry groups that say it is premature because of the pending federal regulations.

Beth Mills, a spokeswoman for the California Bankers Assn., said the state bill could open the door for a flood of people coming forward to claim interest in a deceased borrowers loan  a potentially messy process for servicers because the bill gives survivors the right to sue.

You could have multiple claims coming forth and competing claims, siblings fighting or stepchildren, she said.

Dustin Hobbs, a spokesman for the California Mortgage Bankers Assn., said that it was rare that a surviving homeowner wasnt also on the mortgage.

Anecdotally, this isnt an issue that our members see very often, he said.

However, advocates say Sequeiras situation is common. He and his wife used a risky, adjustable-rate loan to purchase their Canyon Country house in 2006. Although only Yadira was on the note, their joint income was required to approve the loan, according to a lawsuit he filed against his mortgage servicer.

The loan ballooned in 2009 from $1,200 a month to more than $3,000, according to the complaint. After exhausting his savings, he defaulted in late 2010. Two years later, he received a letter, addressed to Yadira, saying she might qualify for a loan modification, but Sequeira said he submitted multiple applications that were rejected.

The mortgage servicer, Bayview Loan Servicing, denied his applications because he wasnt the borrower, made him reapply under his wifes name, demanded he prove ownership of the house multiple times, and said he couldnt assume the loan while it was delinquent, according to Sequeira and his attorney.

Its not my name on the loan, but this is my house, he said.

Bayview Loan Servicing did not return a call seeking comment. In court documents, the company acknowledged it was the loan servicer but said it lacked information to answer Sequeiras allegations.

Despite the looming foreclosure sale, Sequeira said he hasnt given up hope he can save his house.

He has since remarried, and with his new wifes assistance, hes been able to keep his market open longer hours and make more money. He said his former wife would want him to continue trying.

She would be fighting, Sequeira said, seated in

the home he once shared with Yadira. She was like that.

andrew.khouri@latimes.com

Twitter: @khouriandrew

Times researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report.

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Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook said Monday that slowing consumer spending in China hasnt shaken his confidence in the companys business prospects in the country.

Last week, the Cupertino, Calif., company announced sales in mainland China fell 11% in the first quarter compared with the same three-month period last year. The numbers from a year ago were hard to duplicate because sales of the new big-screen iPhone 6s at the time ran off the charts worldwide.

But the change in trajectory in China was among several disappointing results that spooked investors and sent Apples share price tumbling about 10% last week. China, Hong Kong and Taiwan add up to Apples second-largest business region after the Americas.

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Cook attempted to reassure investors about the companys course in China during an interview with CNBCs Jim Cramer on Monday afternoon.

I could not be more optimistic about China, Cook told Cramer. The long-term thesis is intact. Theres been nothing like it in the history of the world.

Cooks reasons included:

The number of iPhone customers in China who had last used an Android smartphone rose 40% from September through March, compared with the same six months the year before.

Though sales fell 11% in mainland China, the countrys weak currency had a lot to do with it. Sales dipped only 7% when accounting for fluctuations in the yuan.

First-month sales of the iPhone SE, the lowest-priced iPhone ever, have thrilled Cook.

Five years ago, there were 50 million people in Chinas middle class. Five years from now, there will be 500 million, and many of them will want the iPhone, Cook said.

Revenue from Greater China during Apples last fiscal year was $58 billion, more than any other foreign company, Cook said. Despite the short-term economic issues, Apple is well-positioned in China, he said.

And should there be any lingering sluggishness in China, Apple now is really putting energy into India, which is just getting high-speed LTE cellphone coverage and has a huge, young population.

Cook also addressed Chinas recent shutdown of Apples online shop for digital books and movies. Last week, billionaire investor Carl Icahn said he sold all of his Apple shares because he wasnt comfortable with the risk of Chinese authorities causing havoc for the company at any moment.

Cook told Cramer that Apple was working with the government to get back online soon.

paresh.dave@latimes.com

Twitter: @peard33
Shortly after the news broke that Hamilton had landed 16 Tony Award nominations, the musicals director, Thomas Kail, sent a text to choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and others on the shows creative team.

I just woke up. What happened? Kail asked facetiously.

The message was in keeping with the sly humor of the show. It also contained a dollop of truth. Because what happened, as it turned out, was one for the Broadway record books.

Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Mirandas hip-hop musical about Americas founding fathers, wrote its own piece of history Tuesday morning. After selling out theaters and becoming a cultural sensation since it opened on Broadway last summer, the show has now broken the record of 15 Tony nominations previously held by The Producers (2001) and Billy Elliot (2009).

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In the top category of best musical, Hamilton will compete, nominally, against Andrew Lloyd Webbers School of Rock, the small-town charmer Waitress, the Appalachian bluegrass piece Bright Star and the race-themed meta-tale Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.

But those other shows may consider it indeed an honor just to be nominated. Hamilton is regarded by nearly every expert as a shoo-in for best musical, one of many awards that can help it break The Producers record of 12 Tony wins when theaters biggest night kicks off June 12 on CBS from New Yorks Beacon Theatre.

Hamilton landed nominations in such expected categories as score, choreography and direction of a musical, but it was also boosted by multiple nominations in acting categories, including lead actor (Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr., the latter a front-runner) and featured actor (Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson and Jonathan Groff). It received a remarkable half of the performance nominations available in male musical categories.

The nominations continue a magic-carpet ride that began with a Miranda performance of a Hamilton Mixtape at the White House in 2009, continued with an august run at downtowns Public Theater in early 2015 and then a building juggernaut after opening at the Richard Rodgers in the summer. The record set Tuesday is an industry capper of sorts on what had become the most unlikely of phenomena: a Broadway musical, often regarded as the narrowest of cultural niches, becoming a crossover hit and a gateway to a larger discussion about history and race.

Someone asked me today if this is all old hat, the newly minted Tony nominee Blankenbuehler recalled from the North Carolina set of Dirty Dancing, where, in part thanks to the success of Hamilton he is choreographing the new ABC reboot. And I said, Are you kidding? Im still like a kid in a candy store. We all are.

Miranda, at 36 already one of the theater worlds most influential creators, offered his own valedictory, noting in a statement that for Hamilton to receive a record-breaking number of nominations is an honor so humbling its so far been beyond my comprehension.

He then Tweeted a well-known Vine from Seinfeld of the cast joyously welcoming Elaine home, captioning it The Rodgers tonight, referring to the theater where Hamilton plays.

The 16 nominations for the show were even more impressive given that Billy Elliot reached 15 with the help of sound design, a category that was phased out in 2014.

But Hamilton was far from the only story Tuesday morning. Bright Star proved perhaps the biggest surprise. The period tale, written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell and inspired by an earlier musical collaboration between the pair, was nominated for best musical even though it was not on most pundits list.

Indeed, even the presence of five nominees was a surprise. Tony rules require that for a fifth show to be accepted it must finish close to the top four among the several dozen nominators who select the Tony shortlists.

Bright Star also landed book, score and orchestration nominations, in addition to the more expected nod for Carmen Cusack for lead actress in a musical. The little-known actress  she had been in several touring productions of Wicked  plays both a middle-aged repressed magazine editor and a younger free spirit in North Carolina in a melodrama that cuts between the 1920s and 40s.

Its a shocker. A total shocker, Cusack said by phone. Because everything these days is based off of a movie or something people heard of. And this isnt. People just have to by a ticket because theyre intrigued.

The show has generated modest box-office results  it was running at about 70% occupancy on a recent week  making the Tony nominations that much more critical. Generally the box-office bump mainly goes to the winner of best musical. But this year, with the James Corden-hosted telecast expecting a ratings spike thanks to Hamilton, even a Tony nomination and production number in the telecast could drive ticket sales.

We had a meeting a few weeks ago where producers said they were worried because it was hard to sell an idea, Cusack said. Well have a meeting today before the show. I suspect it will be a very different kind of meeting.

Cusack will compete against 2014 Tony winner Jessie Mueller (Waitress), Phillipa Soo (Hamilton), upstart Laura Benanti (She Loves Me) and front-runner Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple).

Mueller, returning to the limelight after winning the lead actress in a musical Tony in 2014 for Beautiful  The Carole King Musical, said the attention was noteworthy because of the uncertainty that surrounds any opening. It really is like putting your baby out into the world, and you think its cute, but really it could be ugly, she said.

The category of lead actress in a musical also saw perhaps the biggest snub of the day: Audra McDonald, lauded for her performance as the diva Lottie Gee in the newly opened Shuffle Along, was left off the list. McDonald holds the record for most Tonys by a performer (six) and was thought to be a serious contender for a seventh.

Shuffle Along was at the center of another Tonys drama as the George C. Wolfe production sought a spot in the revival category, where the road to a win was perceived as smoother without Hamilton. But the Tony administration committee on Friday rejected that bid.

Instead, The Color Purple, Spring Awakening, She Loves Me and Fiddler on the Roof were nominated for musical revival, an expected array of candidates. The Color Purple, the Menier Chocolate Factorys well-regarded production that also starred Jennifer Hudson, is considered the front-runner.

But with a winner still unclear  or at least less clear than the best new musical race with Hamilton  the revival category has vaulted in prominence.

The Color Purple could also have a big night in June thanks to Erivo, a 29-year-old Brit of Nigerian heritage who is a favorite to win for her performance as the ardent protagonist Celie. If she does, and if other categories fall into place, this could mark the first time in Tonys history that all four musical performance winners are people of color. Odom is a front-runner for lead actor, cast mates Diggs and Jackson have a solid shot at featured actor with Brandon Victor Dixon of Shuffle Along, while the featured actress category also has a majority of minority contenders.

Meanwhile, in nonmusical categories, best play nominations fell into line with pundits expectations as front-runners Eclipsed and The Humans  Danai Guriras Liberian Civil War drama and Stephen Karams dysfunctional-family holiday tale, respectively  will share slots with Michael Bartletts so-called future-history royals tale King Charles III and Florian Zellers first-person dementia drama The Father.

Best revival of a play slots went to Arthur Millers The Crucible and Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge, both reimagined by the Flemish director Ivo Van Hove, as well as Blackbird, Noises Off and Long Days Journey Into Night. The Miller nominations fittingly followed the months-long celebration of the writers 100th birthday last October.

Lead actress in a play is a Hollywood-heavy race, as Lupita Nyongo (Eclipsed), Michelle Williams (Blackbird) and Jessica Lange (Long Days Journey Into Night) compete against Sophie Okonedo (The Crucible) and Laurie Metcalf (Misery).

On the male side, Jeff Daniels (Blackbird), Gabriel Byrne (Long Days Journey Into Night), Mark Strong (A View From the Bridge), Frank Langella (The Father) and Tim Pigott-Smith (King Charles III) will go head-to-head. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, well-reviewed for his many-charactered turn as an overworked restaurant employee in the one-man show Fully Committed, was not nominated.

Still, for all the big names, it remained a Hamilton kind of day.

The show was on the minds of even competing nominees, who are very aware they will be standing in the founding fathers shadow come June 12.

Weve been joking we were invited to The Hamiltons, Mueller quipped. Then, after being told some on social-media had already christened the telecast The Hamiltonys, she said, I think these jokes are all great and hilarious. Because any of us saying stuff like that is saying it because weve seen the show three times and keep listening to the soundtrack. It really is about being part of the same community.

The Hamilton team, for its part, was trying to maintain perspective on what has bordered on the unprecedented.

To be compared to other shows this season, or to shows like The Producers or '[The Book of] Mormon or A Chorus Line or something from another era, can be a little strange because all of these shows are so different, Blankenbuehler said. Yet it does give us more of a feeling were a show for the long haul, that we made an impact, which is what we really wanted to do.

@ZeitchikLAT

MORE

Complete list of Tony nominations

The Hamilton Effect: The hit re-shapes Broadways Tony season

Most Tony nominations ever: How does Hamilton stack up to history?

Hamiltons revolutionary power is in its hip-hop musical numbers

UPDATES:

2:25 p.m.: This post has been updated with reaction and other details.

8:10 a.m.: This post has been updated with new information.

This post was originally published at 6:02 a.m.
Frontier Communications executives have agreed to meet with Time Warner Cable representatives to discuss the stalemate over carriage of SportsNet LA, the TV channel owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers -- a move that could lead to a thaw in the frosty relations among pay-TV providers in Southern California.

Frontier executives this week accepted an invitation by U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) to attend a meeting in her district office with Time Warner Cable to discuss distribution of the channel that televises Dodger games. The meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, Hahns spokeswoman Elizabeth Odendahl said.

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Melinda White, Frontiers west region president, declined Tuesday to discuss the meeting -- or the situation with the Dodgers channel. Frontier executives have declined to say whether the company was interested in signing up for the channel.

Six weeks ago, Time Warner Cable, which distributes the channel for the Dodgers, offered a price cut to try to encourage other providers to carry the channel this season, which marks Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scullys final season in the broadcast booth.

Only Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications distribute SportsNet LA. Other pay-TV providers, including AT&T (which owns DirecTV), Dish Network and Cox Communications, which serves Palos Verdes and Orange County, have refused to carry the channel, citing its high cost.

Separately, AT&T late last week declined Hahns offer to meet with Time Warner Cable to try to resolve the impasse. Frontier is the first company to accept Hahns invitation.

Frontier is the rookie in the two-year-old drama over the Dodgers channel. Frontier took over Verizons wire-line operations, including TV and Internet service, in California on April 1. But since then, the company has been working to resolve thousands of customer complaints that cropped up during the switch-over, including email outages, missing movies in DVR queues and lengthy hold times for subscribers when they call customer service.

Hahn, who is running for a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, has been trying to break the impasse over SportsNet LA, saying, Dodger fans are sick of this blackout.

We appreciate Frontier Communications and Time Warner Cable for agreeing to meet, Hahn said in a statement. I am happy to welcome Frontier to the Los Angeles region and I believe this is an opportunity to endear themselves to their new customers and to Dodger fans everywhere.

Meanwhile, Time Warner Cable is in the process of being sold to Charter Communications. Last week, the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission chairman, Tom Wheeler, signed off on Charters plans to swallow Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. The California Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on the Charter-Time Warner Cable merger May 12.

meg.james@latimes.com

Twitter: @MegJamesLAT

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The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened to great fanfare 50 years ago, marking a new era in the cultural life of Los Angeles. At a lavish ceremony attended by 3,500, Mrs. Chandler called its creation "the most wonderful experience of my life." Half a century later, the Los Angeles Times takes an in-depth look at the Music Center's place today in a city that has changed greatly.

An aerial view of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Music Center: past, present and future

Fifty years ago, the Music Center made the world recognize Los Angeles as a cultural hub. But in recent years, has its glow begun to fade? Are its spaces no longer adequate for the organizations it once nurtured? Los Angeles Times music critic Mark Swed looks back to see how the Music Center shaped Southern California's cultural identity, and looks ahead to see what the center needs to become a visionary force again.

How the Music Center broke new ground for major arts institutions

The February staging of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Taper Forum was a hit with L.A. Times critic Charles McNulty. (Craig Schwartz)

Going off-center

For Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty, Michael Ritchie's 2005 takeover as artistic director of the Center Theatre Group was the beginning of a roller coaster ride. McNulty reflects on the ups and downs, and offers a plan to revitalize the Mark Taper Forum.

Ambitious new work would help elevate Center Theatre Group

A Los Angeles billboard thanks Dorothy Chandler. (The Music Center)

She did it her way

Dorothy Chandlers campaign for the Music Center was a one-woman crusade for more, more, more. Chandler got wealthy donors to boost contributions, sometimes by tearing up checks in front of their faces. She left two legacies, for women and for culture, said former Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Zubin Mehta.

Dorothy Buffum Chandler was the driving force behind the Music Center

A view of the Music Center complex and its neighboring structures on Nov. 3, 2014. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

'We've been using the place all wrong'

When Los Angeles' Music Center was designed five decades ago, the orientation was meant to be toward Hope Street. But the topography of Bunker Hill and the changes along Grand Avenue instead make it seem backward. Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne explains.

At 50, Music Center's 'backward' orientation may see a turnaround

Dorothy Chandler under her portrait on the wall at a meeting held in The Founders Room of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 28, 1967. (Los Angeles Times)

A scene more Downton Abbey than downtown L.A.

When the curtain closes for intermission at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, high-level donors lounge and nosh in the exclusivity of the Founders Room. Be a fly on the wall inside the lavish oasis, where Chandler herself once entertained Queen Elizabeth II and held court with her power elite.

Founders Room provides inner sanctum for the serious Chandler patron

The classical European opulence of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion remains, but the Music Center is trying to broaden its appeal to all of Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Becoming a mirror of Los Angeles

The Music Center is broadening its mission to reach a younger, more diverse crowd. Leaders have a hip-hop festival in the works, as well as an evening of dances that will take place in unorthodox spots around the Music Center. But ultimately, success hinges on major donors' willingness to fund such activities.

To remain relevant, Music Center aims to reflect all of Los Angeles

Replicas of Oscar statues are lit in the night outside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in March 1999, ahead of the 71st Academy Awards. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)

Once the Oscars' home

The Academy Awards were held at the Music Center for nearly three decades. The Midcentury architecture of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion served as an elegant backdrop for Hollywood's A-list, but its logistical issues trumped the alluring aesthetic, and leaders at the academy and the Music Center parted ways. But, oh, the memories that remain.

How the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion won, then lost, the Oscars

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Those who make it all work

Los Angeles Times photographer Jay L. Clendenin captures the uncredited cast of characters behind all of the Music Center's shows.

Behind the scenes at the Music Center

Zubin Mehta enjoys a glass of champagne on stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at The Music Center on opening night, December 6, 1964. (The Music Center)

Fifty years, and counting

Artistic triumphs and high drama define the history of the Music Center as it turns 50 years old. L.A.s grande dame of arts and culture has hosted so many memorable performances  and seen its fair share of controversy. Heres a sampling of all that color and drama, on stage and behind the scenes.

50 moments in Music Center history

The exterior of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at night. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Grande dame's pricey makeover

Consultants have pinned down major upgrades that the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion needs to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Also under consideration is a $25-million face lift for the large plaza between the Pavilion and the Mark Taper Forum.

Proposed upgrades would give Pavilion a $350-million face lift

Inside an empty Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, photographed Oct. 30, 2014. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Down to basics

Do you know where the Music Center begins and ends? (Hint: Part of it is in Culver City.) Mark Taper, Howard F. Ahmanson. Their names are on theaters  Do you know who they were?

10 facts about the Music Center campus and how it's run

The opening of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Vintage footage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion being built, narrated by Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne.

See more photos of the Music Center being built

Celebrating a landmark

At first, the Music Center consisted only of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, designed by Welton Becket as a home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and opened in December 1964. Three years later, two theaters joined the block, the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre. Here's a break down of the Music Center's main components.

View the whole infographic
Why Chicago's Police Force Can't Go On Strike

By Mae Rice in News on May 3, 2016 6:46PM



By Aaron Cynic/Chicagoist

If Chicago police were to ever go on strike, now would seem to be the time. Ever since the footage of Officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shooting Laquan McDonald was released two days before Thanksgiving, the city and the entire country has been criticalperhaps unprecedentedly criticalof the Chicago Police Department. Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder before the video was made public; once it came out, there were protests against police brutality all winter, on the Magnificent Mile and elsewhere. Police were tasked with using their dashcams more rigorously, wearing body cameras, improving their response to mental health crises. Mayor Rahm Emanuel commissioned a Police Accountability Task Force, which issued a report in April arguing that systemic racism and a culture of silence plagues the CPDand advocating for an overhaul in the citys contract with police officers.

With the widespread criticism and change came reports of low morale among police officers. FiveThirtyEight argued that, based on data about police activity, police had slowed down work since the McDonald footage was released.

It all begs the question:

Could Chicago police go on strike?

No, they can't, the president of Chicago's police union, Dean C. Angelo Sr., told Chicagoist. To do so would be a violation of public safety laws and of the police contract. Police officers know this going in [to the job], he said.

Have police ever gone on strike anyway?

Not in Chicago, but elsewhere in the United States, yes. In Baltimore in 1974, 1,300 cops illegally joined a municipal strike over low wages, according to Tribune. (The Baltimore Sun put the number of striking officers lower, at 887.) There was also a police strike in Boston in 1919, when 1,100 of the city's 1,500 police officers went on strike after a vote to unionize, according to WGBH News. Calvin Coolidge, then the Massachusetts Governor, refused to negotiate with the strikers, though. There is no right to strike against the public safety by anyone, anywhere, anytime, he said. The sentiment prevails, legally speaking, to this day.

The Chicago Teachers Union recently went on a one-day strike that was arguably illegal, but that seemed chill. What happens when cops strike?

Historically, the response to police strikes has not been chill. In 1974 Baltimore, more than 100 state troopers were called in to patrol the city; three union leaders were threatened with jail time; and in the aftermath of the strike, 457 officers were suspended from their posts, according to Tribune. In 1919, things were a bit grittier: the State Guard came in with bayonets, according to WGBH News, and the striking officers werent suspended, but fired outright.

What if, when the current police contract with the city expires in the summer of 2017, negotiations over the next contract break down?

Basically, thats not possible. The negotiation process is part of labor law, DAngelo Sr. explainedand its designed in such a way that it cant break down. Both the city and the police union agree to adhere to the decisions of an array of "core committees," informed by recommendations from assorted subcommittees.Even if the two parties reach an impasse, theres a procedure for that: You file for an impasse. From there, the city and FOP could opt for mediation, or a binding arbitration.

So no reason to worry about a strike?

Not to our knowledge. But the slowdown FiveThirtyEight outlined has been deadly on its own, fostering a spike in gun violence that has put Chicago crime rates at 1999 levels. Chicago's 1,000th 2016 shooting victim was shot in April, and in 2015 we didn't hit this grisly landmark until June. CPD may not be able to strike, but an unhappy police force is still a serious problem.

[
It took years for the filmmakers behind The Theory of Everything to convince Stephen Hawking and his former wife, Jane, to sign off on a film about their relationship. But once the couple came on board, they quickly became active participants in production.

The theoretical physicist eventually lent props from his office to the film, including his thesis and a medal he was given by the Queen. The Hawkings also came by the set during a ball scene to watch Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones bring their story to life.

It was quite a lot of pressure for all of us, Lisa Bruce, the films producer, recalled at a recent Envelope Screening Series showing of the film. But particularly for [the actors] because theres nothing like having the actual [people] youre playing standing over there while youre playing [them]. It was quite intense.

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Stephen Hawking came to observe while a scene involving dramatic fireworks was being filmed, adding flair to his entrance, Redmayne said.

Stephen arrived with his iconic silhouette  him in his chair, flanked by his nurses  uplit by his computer screen, said the actor. There was this extraordinary spotlight on him. And then on cue, the fireworks went off. It was the greatest rock-star entrance Ive seen in my life.

For more from Redmayne, Jones, Bruce and producer-writer Anthony McCarten, watch the clip above and go here for other Envelope Screening Series videos.

Follow @AmyKinLA for Hollywood news and red carpet pics
War, like politics, makes strange bedfellows. Thats why a Redcoat officer forms an uneasy alliance with a newly discovered enemy on Cold Murdering Bastards, Episode 302 of AMCs TURN: Washingtons Spies.

When the truth comes out that cabbage farmer Abraham Woodhull (Jamie Bell) is a covert operative for the Continental Army, British Maj. Edmund Hewlett (Burn Gorman) thinks a swift hanging is in order.

Your father has told me everything, Hewlett angrily says, referring to a damning revelation by Judge Richard Woodhull (Kevin R. McNally), a British sympathizer. Dont even pretend to deny it!

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Abe doesnt deny it. Instead he blackmails Hewlett, who would likely be stripped of his command for believing Abes far-fetched story about infiltrating the rebellious Sons of Liberty in New York.

You never know, you might be hanging with me, Abe exclaims. At any rate, youll be shown to be the fool that you really are!

This heated exchange causes Abes wife, Mary (Meegan Warner), to collapse in despair. Then her husband defiantly exits Whitehall mansion, taking their young son, Thomas (Cabell and Ellis Chase), with him.

Anna Strong (Heather Lind), a patriot spy who nevertheless developed romantic feelings for Hewlett, offers a solution to this standoff.

Hewlett and Abe could jointly target their mutual enemy: Capt. John Graves Simcoe (Samuel Roukin), sadistic commander of the Queens Rangers.

Although they both serve the crown, Simcoe and Hewlett are bitter rivals. Simcoe even framed Hewlett for murder, nearly leading to his execution by the rebel army.

Why not return the favor? Anna suggests to Hewlett, by using the rebels to kill Simcoe.

Anna also sells this bold idea to Abe, emphasizing that its only a matter of time before his Culper Spy Ring is crushed by Simcoe. Thats his prime mission, in fact, under orders from Maj. John Andre (JJ Feild), head of British intelligence.

Ive come to learn pragmatism must at times trump ideals or emotions, Hewlett tells Abe, calling Simcoes death ideal for all concerned.

Once Simcoe is dead, Abe inquires, what happens next?

Abe and his family must depart Long Island, Hewlett insists, but theyll no doubt receive a warm welcome in [Gen. George] Washingtons camp.

Can a rebel spy and British officer join forces to eliminate Simcoe? Yes, Hewlett maintains, for its time to put aside our mistrust and kill the murdering bastard!

Ambushing Simcoe is fine with Abe, but abandoning his homestead is a nonstarter.

Im not leaving. Hewlett is, Abe tells Anna. He knows the name Culper, just the same as Simcoe. And once Simcoe is dead, Hewlett is next!

Moreover, should Anna decide to warn Hewlett, Abe would swing from the gallows.

So its your choice, Abe says, sending Anna into a panic.

Have you ever thought about leaving all this behind? Anna later asks Hewlett.

Battling the Colonial army has made him cynical, he admits, but Anna remains his light in the darkness.

Youre the only person that I can trust, Hewlett naively says.

This prompts Anna to sob. And her tears prompt Hewlett to kiss Anna softly on the lips -- for the very first time.

In other developments, Robert Rogers (Angus Macfadyen), a former mercenary for the British who now sides with the patriots, spots a newspaper advertisement touting French Raspberry Brandy.

Its a coded message from spy Robert Townsend (Nick Westrate), indicating he has important intelligence for Washington (Ian Kahn). Namely, Rev. Worthington (Ric Reitz) passes secrets to the British. Not for much longer, however.

Make it look like an accident, if you can, Washington tells Maj. Ben Talmadge (Seth Numrich).

Pity, Washington adds. I liked his sermon.
Theres nothing wrong with an endless parade of Negra Modelo, Bohemia and Tecate on Cinco de Mayo. But if youd rather sip more flavorful suds with your guac and tacos, here are some Mexican lager-inspired craft brews that will elevate your fiesta.

21st Amendment Brewing  El Sully

This light and spritzy lager from the Bay Areas 21st Amendment nails the flavor profile common to the imported cervezas. El Sully is pale, brilliantly clear and balances a faint apple aroma with a corn-sweetness thats supported by more hoppy bitterness than youll find in traditional Mexican lagers. At just under 5% alcohol, these are the cans to reach for when you want to feel like youre drinking the real-deal from Mexico but you dont want to lose your craft beer cred. El Sully is available in six-packs and in the brewerys new variety 12-pack (which also feature its Back in Black IPA, Brew Free or Die IPA, and fan-favorite Hell or High Watermelon wheat beer).

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Oskar Blues Brewing  Beerito

The new offering from Colorados Oskar Blues is also a light-bodied take on the Mexican lager, but this version is a little lower in alcohol (only 4%) and a little richer in malt flavor. Tinged amber, Beerito follows the mild nutty and toasty malt flavor with a zippy hop bitterness. The finish is crisp and the lager is a perfect accompaniment to a plate of nachos or some smoky chicken tinga tacos. You can find it in six-packs of 12-ounce cans, but theres no word on if Beerito will be available in the brewerys popular 19-ounce stovepipe extra-tall cans.

Ska Brewing  Mexican Logger

Most Mexican lagers have a similar flavor  theyre a little sweet, very light and just bitter enough to balance. Mexican Logger hews closer to the old-world pilsner style, with a more assertive hop character and dryer finish. Its a craft take on the popular Bohemia import brand, and while Mexican Logger is still light and refreshing, the distinctly floral and zesty presence of Saaz hops is unmistakable. Its hoppy without being bitter, and the cans from Colorados Ska Brewing combine the effortless drinkability of the standard Mexican imports with a volume of flavor craft beer fans expect.

The Bruery  Or Xata

If youre looking for something other than a typical Mexican lager for your Cinco celebrations but still want a brew in the spirit of the holiday, try this curious mash-up from Orange Countys the Bruery that re-creates horchata (the spiced rice milk treat ubiquitous in Southern California) in beer-form. Or Xata is a blond ale brewed with rice that gets liberally dosed with cinnamon and vanilla to mirror the flavors of the milky rice-drink you see churning away in taquerias around town. Lactose is added to create a creamy body, and the aroma of Or Xata will instantly take you back to SoCal summers sipping on a frothy cup of horchata. At 7% alcohol, it certainly packs more of a punch than the real stuff, but its capable of standing up to all manner of Mexican foods. And Its especially good with flan.

Look for these four beers at your local Whole Foods Market | Sunset Beer Co.,1498 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (213) 481-2337, www.sunsetbeercompany.com | Select Beer Store, 1613 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach (310) 540-1221, www.selectbeerstore.com | Cap N Cork Market, Los Feliz 1674 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles (323) 665-7880.

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Its become a familiar sight during the California Coastal Commissions three-day meetings. Members of the powerful panel can be seen huddling with developers or their representatives in hallways, in the back of the hearing room or outside during breaks.

At other times, commissioners have discussed pending business over dinner, on the telephone, via email, in offices and during site visits of proposed projects.

The so-called ex-parte communications between individual commissioners and developers, lobbyists, environmentalists and other interested parties have become a major element in the way the commission presides over land use, public access and environment protection along 1,100 miles of coastline.

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Some commissioners say they have become dependent on the contacts for information that helps them make decisions. Despite complaints by critics, they say the communications are not chiefly vehicles for development interests to gain an advantage.

A Times review of disclosure forms that commissioners must file to record every ex-parte contact, however, shows that the heaviest users by far are development interests that can be affected financially by commission denials of construction permits or approvals that scale down projects and impose costly requirements for environmental protection and public access.

Of 374 ex-parte disclosure forms filed from January 2015 to March 2016, more than half involved developers, property owners and their lobbyists. Environmental groups accounted for less than 10% of the total.

Now, a Democratic state senator from Santa Barbara has introduced legislation to ban those communications  a move that has raised questions about who gets access to individual commissioners and the fairness of the commissions quasi-judicial process that weighs both sides before rendering a decision.

This bill will level the playing field between big-moneyed interests and those without such financial resources, said Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson. It will remove the possibility of backroom decision-making or the perception that its occurring and will help ensure that decisions are made more openly and transparently.

Some members of the California Coastal Commission at a hearing at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times)

Jackson contends the measure is needed to restore public confidence in the commission after the panel fired Executive Director Charles Lester in February with little public explanation despite overwhelming opposition to his termination.

Ralph Faust, the agencys general counsel from 1986 to 2006, agrees, saying the current system is inherently unfair and favors those who hire expensive consultants to lobby commissioners privately.

Not everybody can wine and dine at the same level, Faust said. If you are an amateur, if you are an innocent, you are toast. I have watched this process evolve over the years. Ive watched it from the inside. Ive engaged in ex-parte communications. Ive had commissioners tell me they dont take seriously someone who doesnt call them ahead of time.

Ex-parte communications are private verbal or written communications between a commissioner and an interested party that could influence a decision.

After 1992, commissioners were required within seven days of an ex-parte to disclose the contact on a form that contains the date, place, participants and a summary of the discussion. If the communication occurs fewer than seven days before a commission meeting, it must be revealed orally at the public hearing.

Commissioners who fail to report an ex-parte are prohibited from voting on the matter that was discussed nor can they try to influence the commissions decision. Violations of the disclosure requirements also carry fines of up to $7,500, and commission decisions affected by a violation can be revoked.

Those with an interest in commission matters typically include lobbyists, developers, property owners, corporate representatives, government officials, community leaders and environmentalists.

Of the disclosure forms reviewed by The Times, two lobbyists who often represent development interests accounted for 160 ex-parte communications or 42% of the total. Susan McCabe and her associates had the most with 114. Forty-six involved David Neish and David Neish Jr.

The rest of the ex-partes were with local government officials, concerned citizens, neighborhood groups, church representatives, school officials and animal-rights groups.

The review also found some sloppiness in the preparation of disclosure forms by commissioners. Nine were filed late while half a dozen lacked dates and signatures.

About two dozen forms were filled out by lobbyists and given to commissioners to sign and turn in. Each contained identical language, although the ex-partes took place on different dates and involved different commissioners.

Three forms prepared by lobbyists and signed by different commissioners contained the same spelling error of therefore. It was spelled therefor.

Some commission members and private consultants who lobby the agency say ex-parte communications ensure fair hearings by helping commissioners better understand projects and letting people with differing views be heard.

They and other supporters of ex-partes, including real estate, business and agricultural interests statewide, argue that Jacksons bill would discourage public participation, dry up sources of information and harm the decision-making process.

More communication is better than less, said Wendy Mitchell, a coastal commissioner since 2011. Everyone should have access to the commission.

They do what lobbyists do.... The public can never compete with a professional lobbyist.  Sara Wan, environmental activist

Ex-partes also allow commissioners to clear up questions about a project and gather information that might not become available during monthly commission meetings when time is often limited for presentations.

Stanley Lamport, an attorney who represents clients before the commission, said it can be very difficult to air all the issues fully in the 15 or 20 minutes developers might get to present their projects to the commission.

Ex-partes are necessary unless you want to make the hearings longer, Lamport said. Pretend you are a busy commissioner. You get the staff reports, review thousands of pages and try to understand them in a couple of weeks. Its hard to assimilate all the information. Its a ton of information and involves material that is not reducible to a sound bite.

McCabe, a lobbyist who is one of the most prolific users of ex-parte communications, said she has no greater access to the panel than other developers agents, environmentalists, property owners or the public.

I think the rules are transparent and it affords anyone, on any side of an issue, an opportunity to have communication with the commissioners, McCabe said.

Asked about the disclosure forms drafted by lobbyists and consultants, Lamport said he has written them for some commissioners to make sure they are filled out correctly to avoid jeopardizing project approvals. McCabe said she prepares the forms when asked and returns them to commissioners, who can decide whether they are complete.

Critics of ex-parte communications contend, however, that the private nature of the one-way discussions could introduce bias into the commissions decision-making process, which is much like a court proceeding.

Ex-partes clearly do not strike the people involved in coastal disputes as being a fair process in which only information brought out at public commission hearings should be considered, said Michael Asimow, a professor emeritus at UCLA Law School and an expert in California administrative law.

While serving on the Coastal Commission from 1996 to 2011, Sara Wan, a longtime Malibu resident and environmental activist, said she objected to ex-partes, but conducted them because other commissioners did them. Wan added that she made herself accessible to all sides.

By allowing ex-partes, you encourage lobbyists to develop relationships with commissioners, she said. They are there every month. They meet with them. They go places with them. They do what lobbyists do.... The public can never compete with a professional lobbyist.

Wan, a supporter of Jacksons bill, dismissed the disclosure forms as having little value, noting that some are filled out by lobbyists before they are signed and submitted by commissioners.

Faust, the former general counsel for the commission, also said the forms rarely reflect what really happens during the private meetings with project applicants and their representatives.

Similarly, the state attorney generals office told the agencys executive director in June 2014 that commissioners might neglect to make disclosures in the required form.

All ex-partes really accomplish, Faust said, is to deepen the publics suspicions that deals are being cut in secret. Many people think as Lenny Bruce used to say: In the halls of justice, all of the justice is in the halls, he added.

Ultimately, the critics of ex-partes want to eliminate them and require the commission to conduct all its business in public. Much is at stake, they say.

People are fighting about the last scraps of the coast that are still open for development, Faust said. A lot of what were talking about is who gets to use it, and how. And what gets protected, and how we protect it. In the end, the decisions we make will have a huge impact on what our children and grandchildren, and so on, get to see and experience.

dan.weikel@latimes.com

Twitter: @LADeadline16



kim.christensen@latimes.com

Twitter: @kchristensenLAT


The California Coastal Commission has raised several concerns about a 63-unit condo development proposed for Mission Beach, giving residents some hope that the panel may overturn the City Councils recent approval of the project.

But the developer said the issues in question were all addressed to the satisfaction of the council, which voted 6 to 2 in favor of the project.

The 2-acre development, which would be built on an abandoned school site a few blocks north of the resort communitys iconic roller coaster, is the latest among several recent San Diego battles pitting smart-growth advocates against anti-density forces.

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If it goes forward, it would probably be the last large project built in Mission Beach for many years because of a lack of available land.

During a four-hour hearing before the council vote April 11, dozens of residents criticized the project over park space, traffic and concerns that the scale of the development would be too intense for the mostly residential area.

In a letter submitted to the city, an analyst for the Coastal Commission echoed those concerns  making residents optimistic that members might reject it when a vote is taken by early 2017.

Coastal Commission staff has identified several areas of concern regarding the project as currently proposed, wrote Alexander Llerandi, a coastal program analyst for the commissions San Diego district.

Those include the size and location of a park included in the project, whether the project adheres to the communitys character and what potential negative effects the 63 new housing units could have on public coastal access.

The letter also questioned plans to put the alleys and passageways running through the project under private control, which could jeopardize the publics access to Mission Bay from Mission Boulevard.

Lastly, the letter raised concerns about the development being approved in two pieces  a 53-unit project and a 12-unit project  even though it will occupy a site that has historically been unified as the former location of Mission Beach Elementary.

Residents contend the developer wanted the projects approved separately to reduce some city requirements.

The developer, Chris McKellar, said the letter from the commission was actually good news because it raised only five concerns.

Its common practice for Coastal Commission staff to offer early comments for the purpose of addressing as many issues as possible at the local level, he said. We are pleased that staffs pre-review comments were limited to five issues, all of which were addressed satisfactorily at the City Council hearing, and we look forward to addressing them with Coastal Commission staff and commissioners.

The commission staff has yet to thoroughly review the project or meet with the developer.

The goal of such letters, McKellar said, is to ensure any concerns are addressed before proposals go before the commission so that the projects dont get stuck in a loop of going back and forth.

McKellar said the 0.22-acre linear park along Mission Boulevard he is proposing would be less likely to exacerbate the areas problems with homelessness than a more secluded and larger park, which residents had suggested.

Regarding the projects size and community character, McKellar emphasized that the project would be 20% less dense than the zoning allows and would feature fewer housing units per acre than any of the surrounding development.

Making the alleys private could be viewed as a positive, the developer said, because the city wont have to pay to maintain them and the public would be granted a permanent easement guaranteeing passage through the project.

The commission has the power to overturn project approvals by cities or other government agencies, but it approves the lions share of projects presented to it. Commissioners typically ask for additional mitigation measures.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com

Garrick writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
In Santa Clara County, jail guards sent text messages using racial slurs to describe African Americans, Jews and Vietnamese Americans.

In San Francisco, as many as 19 police officers have been implicated in a texting scandal involving racial and homophobic insults.

And a top Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department official recently resigned amid an outcry over emails he forwarded that mocked Muslims, blacks, women and others.

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Recent controversies over emails and texts show how the intense scrutiny currently faced by police officers has extended beyond their actions on patrol and into communications that some thought were private.

The shift has come as police departments nationwide are trying to address the attitudes of officers before problems on the streets arise. Among other things, agencies have adopted training that examines implicit biases and have pushed to hire more minority recruits.

And after a generation of community policing and outreach to minority communities, such comments  even in emails and text messages  are indefensible to many police officers.

Ive seen a serious change in the last 10 years of my career, said Alan Chu, a sheriffs sergeant at the Crescenta Valley Station who moved to the U.S. from Hong Kong when he was a child. I think its a different generation, to be honest, as we hire more people and the sensitivities increase and some of the older guys have retired.

The recent focus on how police deal with minority residents is also playing a role. The shooting of a black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., by a white police officer in 2014 helped spark a debate over police use of force, particularly against African American men. A U.S. Justice Department investigation unearthed numerous racist emails by two of the citys police supervisors and a court clerk.

One email depicted President Obama as a chimpanzee. Others compared minority welfare recipients to dogs and contained insensitive comments about Muslims.

Such communications show deep-seated prejudices that are unacceptable in law enforcement, said Kathy Spillar, who oversees the National Center for Women and Policing.

The jokes reveal an underlying attitude that can never be tolerated, Spillar said. If youre saying this stuff, guess what? Youre biased.

Many police officials insist that the problem of racist jokes and other exchanges is far from unique to law enforcement, reflecting broader societal issues. Still, the revelations have put officers on notice that their personal conversations could become public, embarrass their employers and cost them their jobs.

I think we will continue to see things like this, not happening more often, but becoming more visible, said Seth Stoughton, a former police officer who is now a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law. What would surprise me is if an agency just accepted it and didnt do anything about it.

Stoughton said that some officers adopt a dangerous form of humor that employs racial stereotypes as a way of coping with the violence they encounter on the job, much as some soldiers sometimes feel the need to dehumanize the enemy.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, LAPD officers were caught sending racist and sexist messages not via email but through their patrol car computers.

On the same day as the 1991 beating of Rodney King, one of the LAPD officers involved sent a message to a colleague describing a domestic violence call at a black familys home as right out of Gorillas in the Mist.

In those days, some law enforcement officers said, such sentiments were more prevalent, and those who espoused them were less likely to be disciplined.

In Glendale, greater diversity among police officers has meant that making fun of minorities would be making fun of their own.

We have Armenian officers, Korean officers, black officers, females, and so to say that these types of jokes happen, its in the culture, I would disagree, said Sgt. Robert William.

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A very different brand of cop humor  making light of death  is acceptable as long as it stays between officers, some said, and can be a needed release to move past the tragedies they witness.

What goes on in a radio car stays there, said Bob Olmsted, a retired sheriffs commander who started with the department in 1978 and remembers joking about a person whose head had been blown off. Whats said over the public domain, in emails that can be easily forwarded, thats a big difference.

Last week, San Franciscos public defender, Jeff Adachi, sharply criticized three city police officers for text messages they exchanged referring to minorities as barbarians and cockroaches and using racial slurs. The messages were the latest in a growing list of racist emails and texts traded among the citys officers, resulting in the dismissal of 13 pending criminal cases.

Thats the kind of mentality that tells you its OK to shoot, OK to kill, OK to arrest people of color, Adachi told reporters.

In the Santa Clara County jails, guards exchanged text messages applauding violence against blacks, using racial slurs and sharing images of a Nazi swastika and a lynching, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

The emails that led Tom Angel to step down as the Los Angeles Countys sheriffs chief of staff were sent in 2012 and 2013, when he was the No. 2 police official in Burbank.

I took my Biology exam last Friday, said one of the emails, which The Times obtained from the city of Burbank under the states public records law. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently Blacks and Mexicans were NOT the correct answers.

Another email ridiculed concerns about the racial profiling of Muslims as terrorism suspects. A third included the subject line How dumb is dumb? and listed 20 reasons Muslim Terrorists are so quick to commit suicide, including Towels for hats, Constant wailing from some idiot in a tower and You cant wash off the smell of donkey.

Four of the emails contained strings of jokes that Angel received and then forwarded. A fifth email was a short dialogue between Angel and another Burbank police official in which Angel asked what he called a trivia question: How many virgins do Muslims get in heaven?

After initially saying he had no immediate plans to discipline Angel, Sheriff Jim McDonnell announced over the weekend that he had accepted his chief of staffs resignation.

McDonnell has agreed to randomly audit the emails of sheriffs employees for offensive content after some civil rights leaders called on him to do so.

With increased scrutiny coming from within police departments and the public, officers need to realize that the audience for their jokes may expand beyond their colleagues, said Derek Hsieh, a veteran of the Anchorage Police Department who is now executive director for the union that represents L.A. County sheriffs deputies.

As more agencies adopt body cameras to record interactions with the public, casual conversations between officers may end up on tape, too.

With the increasing amount of audio and video recording, you have to be extremely careful that your comments will be taken and not judged by other cops in the context of that circumstance, but by the public at large, Hsieh said.

Twitter: @cindychangLA

Twitter: @atchek

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Investigators are calling the January stabbing of a black man a hate crime and have arrested three Latino men in connection with the slaying, a San Diego Sheriffs Department official said Monday.

Hugh Pettigrew, 33, was walking home along Ammunition Road in Fallbrook when three men attacked and knifed him on Jan. 22 about 10:45 p.m., investigators said.

After extensive investigation, we believe that the allegations support the charge that [Pettigrew] was targeted because of his race, Lt. Kenn Nelson said.

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The victim managed to walk a quarter-mile to the home of family members on Alturas Road, where he collapsed. He was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries about two weeks later.

Investigators believe Pettigrew was randomly targeted.

We think it was a crime of opportunity, Nelson said Monday. They were in the area and they saw him.

A security camera captured the attackers walking through the parking lot of a nearby Albertsons grocery store before hopping into a car. Nelson said the female driver is being considered a witness.

On Monday, Ryan Valdez, 18, was arrested without incident at a continuing education facility for adults in Fallbrook, Nelson said. Kevin Garcia, 21, and Tyler Dean, 25, were already in custody on unrelated charges. All three were booked on suspicion of murder, committing a hate crime and taking part in criminal gang activity.

Dean had been booked in March on charges including possessing methamphetamine, carrying a concealed dagger, resisting arrest and violating the terms of his community supervision, according to jail records. Garcia had been booked in February on suspicion of violating the conditions of his community supervision.

Nelson said all three men are documented gang members, and detectives suspect they committed the crime to benefit their gang. Detectives dont believe Pettigrew was in a rival gang.

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com

Winkley writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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It's no secret that in searching for a home, parents scrutinize nearby schools. The wealthy can afford to live in neighborhoods with small school districts, where most other students are wealthy, too.

Now, a new study out of USC lends credence to the notion that this decision-making process is partially responsible for the rise in America's income segregation between 1990 and 2010.

In the country's 100 largest metropolitan areas, "income segregation is nearly twice as high among households with children as among those without," according to the study from USC sociologist Ann Owens, published in the American Sociological Review in late April.

The study's second major finding is that among the families that have children in those large areas, there is more income segregation in areas that encompass more school districts.

Of course, it's difficult to attribute all income segregation to schools.

Almost three-fourths of children attended the school to which the district assigned them in 2007, according to a government report Owens cites, suggesting that parents want to live near their child's school.

Take Los Angeles: Parents could live in the boundaries of the huge Los Angeles Unified School District, but many wealthy families choose to live in cities like Beverly Hills, which are higher-income and have their own school districts with more concentrated resources.

(Test)

Los Angeles is slightly less segmented than the average large county in Owens' study.

In Los Angeles County in 2010, the average high-income family with children lived in a place where 34% of their neighbors were in the top fifth of earners with $116,466 or more, and 12% were in the bottom fifth of the population, making $22,246 or less, Owens found.

High-income Angelenos living without children are less segregated: on average, they lived in places where 31% of neighbors earned $116,466 or more and 14% earned $22,246 or less.

Average L.A. families with children in the lowest fifth of earners lived in neighborhoods where 28% had similar incomes, and 10% of neighbors were in the highest fifth of earners. Poor people without children were more likely to be exposed to wealthy neighbors: For the average household without children at the poorest income level, 26% of households had similar incomes and 16% of neighbors were in the top fifth.

Follow the Times' education initiative to inform parents, educators and students across California >>

And it's more than just geography that divides them. Poor parents are spending about the same on children as they have for decades, but wealthy parents are spending more than ever before. That spending can come in the form of tutoring, extracurriculars or a house in a wealthy neighborhood and an in-demand school district, said Sean Reardon, Stanford's professor of poverty and inequality in education.

Families with children are "seeking out more advantageous environments for their kids at a rate thats higher than it was in earlier decades," said Jennifer Jennings, a New York University sociology professor who studies education policy and income.

So why does this matter? This study can influence housing policies moving forward, said Reardon.

When wealthy people are concentrated in one area, the resources they give to their schools and to their children are also concentrated: Parents might invest in early education opportunities that give their children an advantage before entering school, but their public schools also have better facilities, smaller classes and longer-term teachers that help overall outcomes. Reardon's research has shown that wealthy students perform at much higher academic levels than poorer ones.

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Requiring mixed-housing units and making vouchers available in higher-end areas could help reduce income-based housing segregation and could improve educational outcomes for lower-income students, Reardon said.

On the education side, counties might consider consolidating school districts to improve equality, Owens said. This idea might be controversial in places like Los Angeles, where critics have said the size of Los Angeles Unified sometimes makes it dysfunctional.

The problem of income segregation is different from racial segregation, though the two often intersect. Black and Latino families are more likely to be low-income, but even if incomes were equal, racial discrimination and prejudiced housing policies would still negatively affect the educational outcomes of black and Latino students, Reardon said.

It's hard to compare the two because the measures are different, but it is fair to say there's more racial segregation than income segregation, Reardon said.

The fact that a new problem is showing up," Reardon said, "doesnt mean that the old ones are going away."

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.

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After a protest over posters on campus that linked Muslim students to terrorism, San Diego State University President Elliot Hirshman on Monday agreed that school policies should be reviewed to ensure a balance between free speech and safety.

But some students who met with Hirshman said they were disappointed that he has not strongly condemned the fliers.

It was better than expected, but not as good as we hoped, said Osama Alkhawaja, president of Students for Justice in Palestine at SDSU.

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The meeting followed an incident last week in which a group of students surrounded Hirshmans car for about two hours. They dispersed only after he apologized for anything he may have said regarding the posters that upset or hurt people.

The fliers, which appeared on campus two weeks ago, named seven San Diego State students, including Alkhawaja, and said they had allied themselves with Palestinian terrorists to perpetrate Jewish hatred on campus.

The posters also identified the Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement  aimed at pushing universities to divest from Israel  as a Hamas-inspired genocidal campaign to destroy Israel, the worlds only Jewish state, and listed the website of the Los Angeles-based David Horowitz Freedom Center. Horowitz is a conservative activist.

Last week, Hirshman and San Diego State Vice President of Student Affairs Eric Rivera issued a statement saying that although the university supported free speech, they personally questioned whether Horowitzs tactic could discourage students from taking part in political discussions.

Hirshman and other administrators met Monday with student government representatives and members of the Muslim Student Assn. and Students for Justice in Palestine.

After the meeting, the university issued a statement that read in part: The parties have agreed that  they will undertake a review of university policies to ensure we are balancing freedom of expression and protection from harassment.

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We concluded by agreeing that in cases where racism, Islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia and all forms of bigotry result, we abhor the content of such expressions, even as we recognize the protected status of these expressions. Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting an environment that fosters meaningful dialogue and mutual respect.

Jamie Miller, president of the Associated Students of SDSU, said the meeting was productive and largely cordial.

I think there was a very positive message, she said. The beauty of the conversation was we were able to come together and move forward.

But Alkhawaja, who also was at last weeks protest, said: I just dont get why its so difficult for him to condemn the posters, to call them what they were. What we got instead was a promise to continue our conversations.

During an interview Monday, Horowitz called the protest an outrage. I dont know why the president isnt suing those students for false imprisonment, he said.

Horowitz defended putting students names on posters because of their association with groups he said are linked to terrorists.

Theyre allowed to have opinions, even if theyre bad, he said. But these arent just students. Theyre activists who are part of a terrorist network. They dont commit terrorist acts, but they incite them.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Warth writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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A 1-year-old boy and his mother who were kidnapped Monday were found safe, but Los Angeles police were still searching for the man who abducted them earlier in the day.

Luis Avalos, 22, is believed to have kidnapped his son, Ayden, and the boys mother, 22-year-old Sabrina Sanchez, from outside a South Los Angeles home, said LAPD Officer Mike Lopez.

Avalos was driving a 2006 Chevy Impala, but the vehicle was located late Monday by West Covina police, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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Police also found Ayden and his mother, who were safe and had no major injuries, said LAPD Lt. Clint Dohmen.

West Covina police were continuing to search for Avalos, Dohmen said.

The abduction began shortly after 1:15 p.m., when police say Avalos punched and coerced Sanchez into the Impala after she tried to remove the child from the car.

Police say Sanchezs mother heard her daughter scream, Let me go.

Avalos is a documented gang member who was previously convicted of firearms crimes. He has also been convicted of domestic violence-related offenses and a restraining order is in place limiting his contact with Ayden and the childs mother.

Avalos is described as bald with brown eyes and standing about 5 feet 6. He has several tattoos, including red lips on the right side of his neck, a rosary around his neck and the name Sabrina on his left cheek.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the LAPDs Southeast Division at (213) 972-7828.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno.

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A woman talks with a salesman at a property market fair in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.[Photo/China Daily]

In late April, Greenland Group, one of the largest developers in China, forwarded its staff a plan, proposed by a consultancy, to cope with the new 11 percent value-added tax or VAT, which is higher than the 5 percent business tax.

The plan suggested that developers should try their best to have their projects taxed as per the pre-reform rate.

VAT is supposed to replace business tax this month onwards in the real estate industry. But, tax authorities have allowed developers to apply for their projectsexisting as well as those under constructionto be taxed simply by the sale value, as an interim method.

Developers have long been levied a 5 percent business tax on their sales. Given the large amount of costs developers can deduct, the actual tax as per the VAT system could work out lower than before.

Developers' scrambling for the old tax rate underscores their worry over uncertainty over the new tax.

In late March, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation issued a circular clarifying that the cost of landthe biggest cost for developers that accounts for 30 to 70 percent of the project sale pricewould be considered while computing the tax outgo. It came as a relief for developers that long feared the land cost may not be included in tax computation.

However, many real estate developers are still uncomfortable with the new tax, and prefer the previous 5 percent flat rate, which they said was simpler to calculate.

It was recommended that developers should apply for their existing projects to be subjected to "easy taxation" before the deadline of April 30, Greenland informed its staff. "Old projects" are defined as those that got the construction permit before May 1, or whose construction started before.

"We are still awaiting more detailed implementation rules, which would enable us to conduct a thorough assessment of which taxation is better," said an accountant with a Changsha-based developer, who sought anonymity. "The new system might save some tax. But we just want to ensure there is no increase in tax outgo."

For major developers, getting invoices would not be difficult as they have bargaining power. The problem is for millions of small contractors that might not be able to get invoices from their upstream businesses, experts said.

Alan Wu, national indirect tax leader for PwC China, said in general the reform is positive for developers, but there are some pending technical issues. For example, whether demolition cost would be included in the "land purchase cost".

"Now most land developers bid for local government contracts. Those demolition projects have been completed. But developers typically don't pay that cost. But there are still some land parcels that developers have to pay for, and may not get the invoice," Wu said.

Besides, the reform will allow, for the first time, VAT incurred by all the enterprises on newly acquired immovable properties to be deducted while computing tax outgo. This has created speculation that enterprises would be incentivized to buy properties, especially commercial properties, to gain tax credit, and thus lower tax burdens. Greater demand for properties would buoy the market.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
The California Highway Patrol arrested nearly 50 people and impounded dozens of vehicles during a series of weekend crackdowns on illegal street racing in Los Angeles County last month, an agency spokesman said.

The arrests, which took place across three weekends from April 10 to April 22, were the result of collaboration between the CHP, the Los Angeles police the L.A. County Sheriffs Department, marking a larger coordinated effort to target racers after speed contests were linked to a spate of deaths in recent months.

The collaboration is the key. Now that were all on the same page, that is going to really allow us to stay in tune with the culture and the most coveted locations so well be prepared, said Sgt. Jose Nunez, a spokesman for the CHPs Southern Division.

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The CHP and LAPD teamed up to record 26 arrests and impound 20 vehicles on April 10, Nunez said. Similar operations yielded multiple arrests and impounds the following weekend.

Detectives with the CHP, LAPD and Sheriffs Department made an additional 16 arrests on April 22 after learning that a number of racing clubs from the Bay Area planned to travel to Los Angeles County for a race, according to Nunez.

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At least one person was arrested for felony evasion after sparking a high-speed pursuit. The CHP has also managed to identify several suspects who either led racing clubs or organize meets, commonly known as sideshows, in Los Angeles and the Bay Area in recent weeks, Nunez said.

Street racing became a larger focus for local law enforcement earlier this year after a fiery crash on the 5 Freeway left three motorists dead, including the son of a Los Angeles County sheriffs lieutenant. Dealio Lockhart, 35, was charged with murder and reckless driving, and admitted to investigators that he had been racing, according to the CHP.

A 36-year-old music teacher was also killed earlier this year when a suspected racer lost control of his vehicle on a busy Hawthorne street.

Most departments in Los Angeles County do not have detectives specifically assigned to investigate the local street racing scene, citing a host of issues ranging from manpower to the unpredictable nature of the crime.

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But leaders from several county law enforcement agencies met earlier this year to discuss the formation of permanent task force, led by the LAPD, to address the issue..

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in Southern California.

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An attorney for the man accused of murdering 10 people in the so-called Grim Sleeper serial killer trial accused prosecutors Tuesday of building a deceptive case against his client and argued that a relative or close associate could have carried out the slayings.

Defense attorney Seymour Amster asked jurors during his closing argument to question the prosecutions case against Lonnie David Franklin Jr. and suggested that a nephew or someone who calls him uncle could have been responsible. He said that DNA found at some of the crime scenes belonging to other people was enough to raise reasonable doubt about his clients guilt.

Are you going to ask the questions, the inquires, to make sure that what you are being provided is not an illusion and not deception? Amster asked jurors. For it is your inquiring minds that youre here to utilize. If you dont have enough, you cannot convict.

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Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman blasted the defense argument that a relative or associate of Franklins might be responsible, saying Franklins lawyers would have raised the theory before the last day of trial had there been any evidence to support it.

She described the argument as a grand conspiracy theory that is the equivalent to the skies opening up, a spaceship descending and murdering all these women. ... They have the same evidence of that as they do of some mystery nephew who we have never heard of and dont even know if he exists.

Theyre just making things up, she said.

The exchange occurred shortly before jurors were handed the case late Tuesday. The panel will begin deliberating on the guilt or innocence of Franklin on Wednesday morning.

Franklin faces 10 counts of murder in the killings of nine women and a 15-year-old girl stemming from a series of slayings that began in the mid-1980s. He also faces one count of attempted murder.

Franklin, 63, did not testify. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. If Franklin is convicted, jurors will hear more testimony before deciding whether he should be executed or sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Amster seized on testimony by Enietra Washington, the woman believed to be the Grim Sleepers only known survivor, who told jurors that she was raped and shot by an assailant nearly 30 years ago. In court, she identified Franklin as her attacker.

Amster pointed to conflicting statements Washington made in various police interviews held years apart. In one account, he noted, Washington described in a police interview that she accepted a ride from a youngster in his 20s who told her he needed to make a stop at his uncles house to pick up some money. Washington testified that the house where he stopped was Franklins home on 81st Street. After the stop, she said, she was sexually assaulted and shot.

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But Amster said Washingtons description of her attacker does not fit Franklin, who would have been 36 at the time. Washington testified that Franklin raped her, yet there was no DNA evidence recovered that matched Franklin, Amster said.

A nephew of Franklin, or someone else who referred to him as an uncle, could be the serial killer, Amster said.

It is our position that there is a nephew, or a youngster, who is involved and did each and every murder, he told jurors. Theres not sufficient evidence to show that Lonnie Franklin did that.

Amster did not provide jurors with the name of a possible suspect. The attorney said the DNA found on some of the victims was evidence of Franklins promiscuous sex life, not that he was a killer. He suggested that the real killer might have been motivated by jealousy because Franklin was having sex with so many women.

Amster, who began his argument on Monday, also insisted that DNA belonging to other people found on the victims, on their clothes or at the crime scenes was key to the case.

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Each and every murder that occurred in this case could have been done by the mystery man, he said.

And the defense lawyer dismissed the methodology that police used to match a gun found in Franklins home to one of the victims and to match bullets from eight other victims to a different firearm.

In her rebuttal, the prosecutor said that Washington told police that the man who attacked her took photographs of her. Police later found a photograph of Washington in the wall of Franklins garage, Silverman told jurors.

Why doesnt the imaginary nephew have it at his imaginary home? Silverman asked.

Washingtons statement to police that she was attacked by a youngster was made about 20 years after the attack, she said.

During closing arguments on Monday, Silverman argued that DNA evidence, ballistics or both connected Franklin to each of the 10 victims, as well as Washington. A sample of Franklins DNA was used to match genetic material found on the bodies or at the crime scenes of seven of the victims, she said.

Ballistics tests showed that a gun found during a search of Franklins home was used to kill one of the victims, according to the prosecutions evidence.

In addition, police criminalists testified that bullets from eight of the victims  seven of whom were killed  were fired from another weapon that was never recovered. Of those victims, Franklins DNA was found on three.

For more on the Grim Sleeper murder trial, follow @sjceasar on Twitter.

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Suspect in custody in fatal stabbing of toddler

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Los Angeles County on Tuesday approved sweeping restrictions on the use of solitary confinement for juvenile detainees, joining a larger movement against a practice that some consider cruel and unproductive.

The Board of Supervisors action bans solitary confinement at youth camps and halls except as a temporary response to behavior that poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm to any person.

In those cases, the supervisors said, the isolation should be only for a brief cooling off period and should be done in consultation with a mental health professional.

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In recent years, 19 states and the District of Columbia have ended the solitary isolation for minors. New York City went one step further and banned solitary confinement for Rikers Island inmates up to age 21.

President Obama earlier this year announced that he would ban solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons, but the move was largely symbolic. At the time just 26 people under age 18 were in federal custody.

The practice has been widespread in Los Angeles County. A recent report showed that 43% of the youths at Camp Scudder in Santa Clarita had spent more than 24 hours in solitary confinement. The department did not release the reasons behind the placements.

The use of solitary confinement increased between 2014 and 2015, particularly in the juvenile halls, where the number of referrals to restrictive housing units increased from 2,775 to 4,396, according to Felicia Cotton, the deputy probation chief overseeing juvenile facilities. She attributed the increase in part to the higher-risk profile of youths housed in the lockups as more low-level juvenile offenders have been diverted.

According to Los Angeles Countys Probation Department handbook, staff can send inmates to solitary confinement for readjustment or administrative purposes or to monitor them for mental health issues. The purpose, it says, is to maintain order, safety and security.

At Tuesdays board meeting, several former juvenile detainees urged the board to end the practice.

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Francisco Martines, 22, said he spent six weeks in solitary confinement in Central Juvenile Hall at age 17. He recalled a freezing room with dirty walls and a torn mattress. The cold air triggered an asthma attack, he said, and he had to wait hours for medical care.

It was horrible, like an animal in a cage, Martines said.

Alex Sanchez, a gang member turned intervention worker who heads the group Homies Unidos, had similar memories of his time in county juvenile lockups. I remember in Camp Gonzales, I tried to break my finger ... just to get out of isolation, he said.

Mental health professionals are now notified whenever a child is sent to an isolated unit, and a supervisor must check on the youth within two hours and make a decision about whether to release him or her, said Interim Probation Chief Cal Remington.

We dont use it for punishment or discipline so much as sometimes you have to separate the kids, Remington said.

The countys three juvenile halls and 13 camps hold about 1,200 youths.

The new rules will first take effect at the Central Juvenile Hall and camps McNair and Scott this month, and are to be rolled out at the other facilities by the end of September. The current isolation units, known as special housing units, should be converted to other uses, which could include turning them into cooling down areas.

The written policy does not specify how long youths can be confined in those areas.

Despite the caveats, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said the board is not trying to do solitary confinement lite.... The thrust of the motion is to eliminate the practice, he said.

In pushing for the shift, Supervisor Sheila Kuehl cited studies that have found solitary confinement can cause lasting physical and psychological harm ... without any benefit to public safety.

One report by the U.S. Justice Department found that juvenile offenders become anxious, paranoid and depressed even after short periods in solitary confinement.

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich ultimately voted along with the other supervisors to approve the new restrictions. But he said the probation staff needs options to deal with children whose behavior poses a safety threat.

We have the obligation to maintain the safety and well-being of not just one or two but the entire camp, he said.

In the past, banning juvenile solitary confinement has faced opposition by Californias probation officer unions, which expressed fears about safety. But they have recently become publicly neutral.

The L.A. County probation officers union did not express public opposition to the plan, although Remington said some staff had privately voiced concerns.

Earlier this year in Sacramento, Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) reintroduced a bill that would seek to greatly limit the use of solitary confinement for juveniles statewide.

The bill died at the committee level last year before reaching the full Legislature. It was the fourth consecutive year that the effort failed.

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Afeni Shakur Davis, the mother of slain rapper Tupac Shakur, died in her Bay Area home Monday night, sheriffs officials said.

A family friend called 911 at 9:34 p.m. to Shakur Davis home in Sausalito after she was experienced physical distress, according to the Marin County Sheriffs Office. She had been feeling discomfort earlier that day and tried to treat her ailments at home, but her medical condition worsened, sheriffs spokesman Lt. Doug Pittman said.

Paramedics found Shakur Davis unresponsive and performed CPR.

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The 69-year-old was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 10:28 p.m., sheriffs officials said.

Renown rap artist #Tupac Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur Davis, age 69, died late last night in Marin County. pic.twitter.com/oP0crvINm8  Marin County Sheriff (@MarinSheriff) May 3, 2016

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Shakur Davis was a well-known and respected member of our community in southern Marin County, he said.

This is a tragic loss to the community, said Pittman, who first met the long-time Bay Area resident in 1988 when he worked as a deputy.

The coroners division of the Marin County Sheriffs Office will investigate to determine the cause and manner of her death. Investigators plan to talk to her family and review her medical records.

Pittman said no foul play was suspected. Officials believe Shakur Davis suffered from cardiac arrest, he said.

Shakur Davis oversaw the late rappers estate after his untimely death in 1996. Tupac Shakur died at 25 after a 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

Last year, Afeni Shakur offered up never-before-seen artifacts from the rappers estate for All Eyez on Me: The Writings of Tupac Shakur, an exhibit at the Grammy Museum.

The exhibit featured Shakurs handwritten notes, lyrics and poems, interview and performance footage, and outfits he wore.

The rapper most famously penned the poem The Rose That Grew from Concrete and his hit song Dear Mama for his mother.

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I say it every time, that Tupac left us the blueprints to follow, said Shakur Davis in 2006.

Shakur Davis was a member of the Black Panther Party and spent part of the time she was pregnant with the rapper in prison. As a member of the New York 21, she was accused  and acquitted  of conspiring to bomb department stores and police stations.

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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A judge rejected a motion by Marion Suge Knights attorney to restore the former rap moguls visits with family and receive mail and phone calls while he awaits trial in a murder case.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan ruled Thursday that jail officials properly obtained an order earlier this year to restrict Knights contact with the outside world to preserve jail security. Details about why the order was obtained remain under seal, but Ryans ruling says it was done to ensure institutional security and not to punish the Death Row Records co-founder.

Knight, 51, has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges filed last year after he ran over two men outside a burger stand in Compton, California. He told a judge on April 21 that the restrictions were hampering his defense, which Ryan said was not the intention of the restrictions.

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Knights elderly parents are among those who have been unable to visit Knight since his visitation rights were rescinded in February. Ryan wrote that they can petition to visit their son and the request will be considered.

Knights attorney, Thaddeus Culpepper, said he believes Ryans order misstates the law.

Were 100% correct on the law, Culpepper said Monday. Mr. Knights pretrial constitutional rights continue to be violated without justification and without notice. Well continue to do whats in Suge Knights best interests going forward.

Culpeppers motion accused Ryan and other judges of conspiring to deprive Knight of his rights. Ryan rejected a request by prosecutors to sanction Culpepper, but the judge wrote the accusations were contemptuous and if similar conduct is displayed in the future, sanctions might be imposed.

Counsels representations are patently and demonstrably false and defamatory, Ryan wrote.

Knight was a key player in the gangster rap scene that flourished in the 1990s and has been kept under tight security since he turned himself in to authorities after the fatal altercation in January 2015. His lawyers have said Knight was acting in self-defense when he ran over Cle Bone Sloan, who was punching Knight through the window of his pickup, and also ran over Terry Carter, who died from his injuries.

Death Row Records label once listed Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg among its artists. Knight lost control of the company after it was forced into bankruptcy.

He faces potential life sentences if convicted because of prior convictions for armed robbery and assault with a gun.

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A canyon road in Beverly Hills will remain closed for about seven hours as crews repair a water main break and clean up after flooding.

Benedict Canyon Drive will be closed from Mulholland to Hutton drives.

The water main break caused flooding at about 7:18 a.m. along the 3200 block of Benedict Canyon Drive, prompting crews to close the road, LAFD spokesman Shawn Lenske said.

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Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews were sent to work on the 12-inch cast-iron pipe, utility spokesman Albert Rodriguez said.

There is still a lot of assessment going on, he said.

It is unknown how many customers were affected by the flooding or how much water was lost.

Crews were working Tuesday morning to shut off the water valves, which were not at the break point.

Since 2010, the LADWP has reported more than 5,200 pipe leaks in Los Angeles. A recent Los Angeles Times analysis found the average age of L.A.'s water pipes is 58 years, two-thirds were installed before 1950, and 5% of the water main pipes have hit or passed their expected useful lives.

The city gives letter grades to pipes based on how likely they are to burst and cause major property damage. Six percent of the system has grades of D and F. The pipes involved in the massive rupture last summer on Sunset Boulevard near UCLA had been given C and D grades.

For breaking news throughout California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA.
The Ford Mustang driver and burglary suspect who shocked Los Angeles County with an epic car chase that featured spinning doughnuts on Hollywood Boulevard and the throwing of fast food at a TMZ tour bus last month has been arrested again.

This time, Herschel Reynolds stands accused of hitting a man with his Suzuki GSXR motorcycle in Westwood and speeding off. Hes also accused of trying to grab the mans cellphone after the man called 911.

UCLA police booked Reynolds on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon Saturday, roughly two weeks after they first issued an alert to be on the lookout for the 20-year-old.

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Unlike the rented convertible that Reynolds was driving in his April 7 pursuit, UCLA police said the former tactical vehicle driver for the Marines was riding a white 2005 or 2006 motorcycle with red paper plates from Del Amo Motorsports.

Reynolds was reportedly riding east on Strathmore Drive, near Charles E. Young Drive West, on April 16, when his motorcycle struck the rear bumper of an SUV, UCLA police said.

The driver got out of the SUV and called 911, according to police.

Reynolds responded by first trying to grab the mans phone and then by striking the him with his motorcycle and knocking him to the ground, police said.

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The motorcyclist rode away before police could talk to him.

But two weeks later, police were able to identify the motorcyclist as the same man seen driving around Los Angeles County in the televised chase.

At the time of the hit and run, Reynolds was free on bail in connection with the early April chase.

Reynolds and a friend, Isaiah Dewayne Young, 19, were believed to have burglarized a home in Cerritos when they led police and news choppers on the wild chase to Hollywood, where they nearly struck a TMZ tour bus on rain-slicked streets. Moments after that near collision, Young appeared to toss a fast food bag at the tour bus.

The pursuit ultimately ended in a South L.A. neighborhood, where a crowd of spectators welcomed the pair with celebratory hugs, selfies and high-fives. Reynolds and Young waited there for deputies, who took the men into custody.

In the end, authorities said the pair had accumulated a list of charges, including two counts of hit-and-run driving resulting in property damage and one count each of first-degree residential burglary and fleeing a pursuing peace officers motor vehicle while driving recklessly.

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Reynolds had been scheduled to appear in court on May 10 for those charges. If he is convicted, he faces up to six years and eight months in prison.

In his latest arrest, prosecutors on Tuesday charged Reynolds with assault with a deadly weapon and hit-and-run causing injuries.

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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A man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of fatally stabbing a 2-year-old girl and critically injuring his girlfriend, who was five months pregnant, in their home in South Los Angeles, police said.

Lataz Gray, 22, was receiving medical treatment at a hospital for a cut to his hand Tuesday morning when he contacted his father and told him about the stabbing, said Det. David Garrido of the Los Angeles Police Departments Criminal Gang Homicide Division.

The father persuaded his son to turn himself in to police, then he contacted investigators and notified them about his son.

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We really do appreciate a fathers ability to recognize his duty in this case, Capt. Peter Whittingham said at a news conference.

After Gray is medically cleared, he will be jailed on suspicion of murder, police said.

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Police said the vicious stabbing occurred shortly before 10 p.m. Monday at the couples home in the 3500 block of Arlington Avenue.

Gray and his 22-year-old girlfriend, Ebony Epps, had been dating for about six months and moved into the home about a month ago, police said. Gray was not the girls father, police said.

Police said the vicious stabbing occurred shortly before 10 p.m. Monday at the couples home in the 3500 block of Arlington Avenue. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Officers responded to a report of a battery that required an ambulance at the home.

They found Epps and the toddler inside with multiple stab wounds.

Both were taken to the hospital, where the girl was pronounced dead, police said. Epps remained in critical condition Tuesday, Whittingham said. Her unborn child will survive and was not injured in the attack, he said.

Police said Epps was heavily sedated, so they could not interview her to find out what happened moments before the stabbing.

We are hoping shes going to recover, Garrido said.

For breaking news in California, follow VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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The terms American and U.S. citizen are used interchangeably, but it is widely understood that there is more to being an American than possessing citizenship. The late Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington noted approvingly in his 2004 book Who Are We? that historically, immigrants to this country became Americans by adopting Americas Anglo-Protestant culture and political values.

Few would quarrel with the notion that being an American entails acceptance of political values such as representative government, free speech and the preservation of the rights of minorities. As President Obama said in his second inaugural address, Americans are bound together not by the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names, but rather by the self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence.

Far more controversial is the notion that there is a cultural component of being an American. Sometimes it is asserted that a real American must profess the Christian (or Judeo-Christian) faith, a proposition we will critically examine in a future editorial. More common is the idea that one cannot be a true American unless one speaks English. Huntington called the English language central to American identity.

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In a country in which 1 out of every 5 residents speaks a foreign language at home, that assertion will strike many as offensive or just wrong. The same is true of perennial efforts in Congress to declare English the official national language. The latest iteration of that proposal is the English Language Unity Act sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa).

Yet one can oppose such legislation  and we do  and still be troubled that so many immigrants dont speak or understand English well. According to the Census Bureaus 2012 American Community Survey, nearly 1 in 10 working-age U.S. adults 

19.2 million people between the ages of 16 and 64  is considered limited English proficient.

Thats disturbing, but not because it represents a dilution of Anglo-Protestant culture. Our concerns are different ones. First, we believe that a common language is an important unifying force in a country that is diverse in so many other ways. Second, now and for the near future, a mastery of English will be important for full political participation and economic advancement in the United States.

English is, and ought to be, the language of government, even in communities in which large numbers of people have a different first language. The proposed English Language Unity Act would require that English be the sole language used in all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs and policies. Thats unnecessary, in part because its already the practice even in localities with large Spanish-speaking populations.

Its true that under the federal Voting Rights Act, U.S. citizens in many areas, including parts of California, have access to ballots in languages other than English (a provision that the King bill apparently would not repeal). Given the importance of the right to vote, such an accommodation is essential. But the language of national political debate is and will remain English. Even with the best of intentions, voters who lack English skills will be hampered in their ability to participate fully in the democratic process.

Poor English skills also have economic consequences. A September 2014 Brookings Institution study of full-time, year-round workers found that English proficiency was associated with an earnings advantage at all levels of educational attainment. The author of the study concluded that English proficiency is an essential gateway to economic opportunity for immigrant workers in the United States. Yet access to acquiring these skills is persistently limited by a lack of resources and attention.

In his book, Huntington worried that the U.S. would be divided into two peoples, two cultures and two languages. Nine years later, his fears seem alarmist. As with other groups, Spanish-speaking immigrants may not speak English well, but their children and grandchildren do.

So reports of the demise of English as a national language are highly exaggerated. Still, too many residents of this country  including citizens  arent proficient in the language. As a result, they are marginalized economically and politically. There are also costs to the taxpayers because of the need for translators in the judicial system and social services. The Los Angeles County Superior Court employs about 400 certified interpreters and contracts with 200 more to serve about 85 languages.

So what should be done?

The answer is not to pass legislation declaring English the official national language. Such a law is unnecessary and inevitably would be interpreted as expressing hostility toward immigrants. Nor is the solution to increase the difficulty of the current requirement that immigrants seeking naturalization demonstrate some familiarity with English. Kings bill would require that new citizens be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the laws of the United States  a test that many literate native-born Americans would fail.

Instead, we advocate a more positive approach to encourage immigrants to become proficient in English. It would include bilingual education programs for schoolchildren designed to foster, not postpone, acquisition of English skills, along with a significant expansion of programs for adults. As the Brookings report puts it, Increasing investment in adult English instruction  through more funding, targeted outreach and instructional innovations  would enhance the human capital of immigrants that could lead to more productive work and better outcomes for their children.

Such an effort would also help its beneficiaries to be better citizens.

This is part of an ongoing conversation exploring the meaning of citizenship in America today. For more, join us at latimes.com/citizenship and #21stCenturyCitizen. Wed love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, rebuttals and experiences with us at letters@latimes.com. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
The lawsuit the House GOP filed against President Obama on Friday opened a new front in the attack on the 2010 healthcare law, this time targeting the subsidies that reduce deductibles, co-pays and other out-of-pocket expenses faced by lower-income Americans. According to the complaint, the subsidies should not have been paid because Congress never formally appropriated the money for them. The claim is legally suspect, but more important, it misidentifies the party responsible for the alleged lawbreaking. It also puts Republicans in the position of making health insurance even less affordable for struggling constituents.

The case has been in the works at least since July, when the House voted to sue Obama for allegedly exceeding his authority as president when he implemented the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Half of the lawsuit focuses on the administrations unilateral decision to delay the laws mandate that businesses with 50 or more workers provide comprehensive health benefits  a mandate, by the way, that Republicans opposed. The other half focuses on the laws requirements that insurers reduce the out-of-pocket expenses for lower-income customers, and that the government make periodic and timely payments to insurers to cover their costs.

The complaint contends that the administration asked Congress to appropriate $4 billion for these cost-sharing subsidies in fiscal 2014. After lawmakers essentially ignored the request, the complaint says, the administration went ahead and made the payments to insurers anyway in violation of the federal Anti-Deficiency Act. But the healthcare law compels insurers in no uncertain terms to provide the subsidies and requires the government to reimburse them. Congress has done nothing to change those statutory mandates or to alleviate the governments obligation to spend the money. Besides, the Anti-Deficiency Act was designed to prevent an administration from creating obligations Congress hadnt approved, not to excuse the government from fulfilling the ones Congress itself created.

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As weve said before, the courts are likely to toss out the case because the dispute is political, not legal. Still, its worth noting how Republicans have sought to undermine and destabilize the Affordable Care Act by attacking the benefits it provides to Americans on the lowest economic rungs. This lawsuit, which would affect millions who earn near-poverty-level wages, follows a case brought by conservative activists that seeks to end insurance subsidies for more than 13 million low- and moderate-income Americans in 37 states. We get that Republicans are intractably opposed to the healthcare law, but it is particularly shameful that they should take it out on the Americans most in need of the help.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
The free trade agreement signed by Australia and China late last year is "delivering" for Australian businesses, the nation's minister for trade and investment said on Monday.

Steven Ciobo said the government's decision to sign the historic China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, also known as ChAFTA, had helped boost exports to China substantially.

He said the reduction and in some cases abolition of tariffs on agricultural products had led to a big increase in exports to China, something he said was greatly benefiting Australian businesses and would continue to do so for "years to come".

Among the best-performing items were wine, beef, seafood and vegetables.

"Between January and March 2016, Chinese imports of Australian bottled wine grew more than 60 percent compared with the same period 12 months previously, to reach $160 million, as tariffs were cut twice, from 14 percent to 8.4 percent," Ciobo said.

"With tariffs cut, China's $9 million worth of imports of fresh Australian lobster between January and March were triple those of 12 months ago, and exceeded China's entire 2015 imports of Australian lobster. Milk powder and fresh cherry imports more than doubled."

"Chinese imports of other productsincluding fresh mangoes, fresh abalone, fresh and frozen boneless beef, various types of cheese, and hay and chaffgrew impressively as ChAFTA cut tariffs and boosted Australia's competitive position."

Ciobo said the encouraging export figures would continue to rise as Asia's middle class grows, with increased demand not only from China, but from Japan and South Korea as well, after Australia signed free trade deals with both them earlier this decade.

"This positions Australia to continue to capitalize on the rapid expansion of Asia's middle classes and their demand for the high-quality produce and other goods we can provide," Ciobo said.

"This means exciting opportunities for Australian businesses and will drive jobs and growth in the Australian economy."
Global-warming talks in Paris next year have a better chance of reaching a productive conclusion now that the two biggest economies in the world  which also happen to be the two biggest climate polluters  have promised to curb greenhouse gases dramatically by 2030. But the questions other nations will be asking as they analyze the forward-looking agreement reached by President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping are exactly how they intend to achieve these ambitious goals and, indeed, whether they will be able to carry out their promises.

The latter question applies especially to Obama, who already faces opposition to the deal from Republican lawmakers, who will soon control both houses of Congress. Though the president has been accelerating the nations battle against climate change, particularly targeting emissions from coal plants, there are limits to what he can achieve through executive action without cooperation from Congress. Whats more, there are no guarantees that future presidents will adhere to his nonbinding commitments.

It is in ways easier for China, which is now by far the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, to meet its goals. The country is already under pressure from its own citizens to clean up its terrible air pollution problems. And it has been building solar energy capacity at a fast pace, so meeting its goal of 20% renewable power by 2030 should be achievable. It would also have to cap greenhouse gas emissions by that year.

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Xi also has more flexibility than Obama; China is not a democratic power, which means that Xi doesnt contend with term limits or open elections. That may not make for good government, but it does make his job easier.

On this side of the Pacific Ocean, incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  who represents the coal-producing state of Kentucky  already is complaining that China doesnt have to do anything for 16 years under the deal, while the U.S. is making more immediate commitments. Thats neither fair nor accurate. It will take tremendous planning for China, which has been increasing its reliance on coal along with its commitment to solar, to start applying the brakes to that momentum.

Conservative Republicans seem to see the battle against climate change as a costly and unnecessary war on cheap and plentiful energy. (Then, of course, theres Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, who has called the very idea of man-made climate change a hoax, and who is about to take the chairmanship of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.) In truth, there is a dollar cost either way, and studies estimate that the price of ignoring climate change  in the form of flood, drought, crop loss and so forth  is far higher than that of doing something about it.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
Diplomats seeking to limit Irans nuclear program have long said they wouldnt keep bargaining if officials in Tehran proved unwilling to budge. But after a year of frazzling negotiations and two missed deadlines, the diplomats have done just that.

Six world powers and Iran failed to meet the latest cutoff date, Nov. 24, for a comprehensive deal and instead extended negotiations for seven months. Diplomats who had gathered in Vienna said that new ideas were raised in the final hours of talks that merited study and that they justified setting yet another deadline.

We would be fools to walk away, Secretary of State John F. Kerry told reporters.

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Although deep divisions remain on core issues, diplomats fear a complete breakdown in talks would raise risks for all sides: advances in Irans nuclear program, a greater danger of war, or new U.S. and European sanctions that could further batter the Iranian economy.

World powers have been trying since 2003 to negotiate curbs on Irans uranium enrichment program. Iran insists the program is for energy and other civilian purposes, but Western governments believe that Tehran is seeking bomb-making capability and thus poses a threat to world security.

The deal being sought would involve a basic trade-off: The world powers would ease U.S., European and United Nations economic sanctions on Iran if it agreed to restrictions aimed at preventing it from building a nuclear bomb.

Iran and the six powers  the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China  have been negotiating under the terms of an interim agreement worked out in November 2013. The so-called joint plan of action gave Iran limited relief from sanctions in exchange for a halt to some of its most worrisome nuclear activities.

Over the course of the year, negotiators made headway in several areas.

Iran agreed to stop adding centrifuges, the machines that can enrich uranium to convert it to bomb fuel. It also agreed to stop enriching uranium to a 20% purity, which is close to the grade at which it can be used for bomb fuel.

Iranian officials also promised to redesign a partially built heavy-water research reactor at Arak to reduce its output of plutonium, another potential bomb fuel. They agreed to more intrusive monitoring of nuclear facilities by U.N. inspectors and said they would convert a bomb-resistant underground enrichment facility at Fordow into a research site.

Yet the remaining differences have defied solution.

Iran, which considers its program a symbol of national achievement, is willing to freeze some activities but has rejected demands to dismantle its $100-billion nuclear infrastructure. And by 2021, it wants to expand its enrichment capability twentyfold by adding thousands of centrifuges.

Tehran also wants immediate relief from travel restrictions and tough sanctions on such items as oil sales. The six world powers insist that the penalties can be removed only gradually, as Iran proves it will make good on its promises.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif developed a good rapport with the Western negotiators and convinced them of his commitment to getting a deal. But Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has proved a different story.

Khamenei, who built his career on strident opposition to the West, has set forth tough demands and stuck to them, Western diplomats say.

The negotiators had hoped that Iran would make concessions in the final negotiating sessions in Oman and Vienna last month. But that didnt happen.

When the latest talks ended, division remained on several key issues: how much enrichment capacity Iran would be allowed to keep, how long the agreement should last, how closely Irans program would be monitored, how much nuclear research it could conduct, and how it would redesign the Arak reactor.

Some Western officials concluded that Khamenei was more worried that better relations with the West would undermine strict Islamic rule than that new sanctions and further squeezing of the economy would hurt Iranians.

Many Western officials fear prospects for a deal declined with the failure to reach agreement last month. Republicans will take control of the Senate in January and are threatening to impose new sanctions. Hard-liners in Tehran also may be emboldened by Zarifs failure to deliver sanctions relief.

Yet both sides have reasons to want the bargaining to continue under the terms of the interim agreement.

From Irans point of view, it provides at least some easing of sanctions, and it averts the threat of additional penalties or an armed attack by the United States or Israel on its nuclear sites.

From the Western perspective, continued negotiations allow the possibility of a deal and provide some limits on Irans nuclear activities.

And the alternatives are not great. Bombing Irans nuclear sites could embroil the United States in another bitter conflict in the Middle East while only halting Iranian progress for a couple of years.

A further ratcheting-up of sanctions might force Iranian officials to give more ground in negotiations. But it might also drive them away from the bargaining table.

And it could unravel the current system of sanctions by convincing key non-Western oil purchasers  China, India, Turkey  that the West deserved the blame for the failure of diplomacy. If thats their conclusion, they may decide to flout the sanctions and increase purchases of Iranian oil.

Edward Levine, a former longtime Senate foreign affairs advisor, said there is a danger that the seven governments will decide theyd prefer to live under the current limited rules and keep talks going rather than take the bigger risks required for a comprehensive deal.

Theres a risk that it will impede progress to a real deal because its an easy second-best solution, Levine said last month at a Brookings Institution forum.
Ending the dispute over Irans nuclear program could ease the hostile relationship between Tehran and the West, resolve one of the worlds most urgent security threats and provide a diplomatic triumph for President Obama.

But as negotiators from Iran and six global powers gather in Vienna on Tuesday to begin an intense final week of talks before a Nov. 24 deadline, those prizes appear far off, if not out of reach.

We will have gaps to close, a senior administration official said Monday, speaking anonymously under State Department ground rules. We still do not know if we will be able to do so.

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Obama has put the chances of success at 50% or less. Many officials of the seven countries say the most likely outcome is a deal to continue the talks, maintaining the current uneasy status quo that keeps Irans nuclear ambitions in check  but continues to pose a potential danger.

Yet a chance remains that negotiators will reach an accord, if only because failure would leave problems they desperately need to resolve.

Irans oil-based economy would remain isolated from much of the world and face additional pressure from a global slump in oil prices. The West would risk Iran enriching more uranium and edging closer to bomb-making capability, raising the risk of war.

There still may be a midnight surprise, said a Western official, suggesting the group still could announce a comprehensive deal around midnight on the 24th, just as its members announced an interim deal to continue negotiations in the final hours of talks last year. He declined to be identified, citing diplomatic sensitivities.

The United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia have sought to craft a deal that would gradually lift harsh sanctions imposed on Iran by the U.S., Europe and the United Nations Security Council, in exchange for intrusive inspections and other restrictions to prevent Tehran from gaining enough enriched uranium and the know-how to build a bomb.

Iran insists it is interested only in enriching uranium for nuclear power and other peaceful uses, not weapons.

The U.S. and other negotiators seek to extend the time Iran would need to enrich enough uranium for a single bomb, should its leaders choose that path, from a current estimated breakout period of six months to a year or more. That, the thinking goes, would give the outside world enough time to recognize the threat and intervene.

Among the ways to stretch that timeline would be to disable or destroy many of Irans 19,000 centrifuges, which refine uranium to make it suitable for bomb fuel, or to reduce its stockpile of already-enriched uranium.

The current negotiations began in February amid high hopes in Washington after an interim deal signed by Iran last November limited its enrichment and other nuclear activities while talks continued. But by May, U.S. officials were grousing about significant gaps between the two sides, and the Iranians were saying much the same thing.

Still unresolved are the two most sensitive political issues: how to limit Irans enrichment operations and how quickly to ease economic sanctions in response.

When talks began, Western officials hoped they would find flexibility in the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. His election in June 2013, after he campaigned as a reformer, seemed likely to strengthen ties between Iran and the West.

But Rouhanis team never offered more lenient terms than those approved by Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, diplomats say. Khamenei and a cadre of hard-liners around him remain fiercely anti-West.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, by appealing to Western audiences to make concessions, has operated alongside Khamenei in an elaborate game of good cop, bad cop, Suzanne Maloney, an Iran specialist at the nonpartisan Brookings Institution, wrote in an analysis last month.

In July, for example, Khamenei jolted negotiations by demanding that world powers agree to accept a tenfold increase in Irans centrifuges, and thus its enrichment capability, within seven years.

Chinese officials believe Khamenei hardened his position because he believed the rapid rise of the militant group Islamic State gave him greater leverage over the West, which was stunned by the Sunni Muslim fighters swift advances in Iraq and Syria, said a person familiar with Chinese official views.

Khamenei may have the last word even if his negotiators hammer out a deal, killing it as he did a smaller deal worked out in 2009.

Iranian officials, including Rouhani, complained in the Iranian media in recent days that Western negotiators stiffened their demands during meetings last week in Oman.

The Obama administration and pro-deal supporters say this may be the last best chance for a peaceful resolution of the dispute because Rouhani and the reform wing in Tehran will be weaker if talks fail.

Obama faces his own problems. When Republicans take over the Senate in January, thanks to their midterm election victories, he will face increasing skepticism in Congress over any compromises with Tehran.

That will make it more difficult for the White House to block new sanctions or other moves by Congress that could in effect kill a deal that the administration supports.

Moreover, Obamas successor  Democrat or Republican  may not share his eagerness for a negotiated settlement.

Americas closest allies in the region are watching warily.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated warnings Sunday that his government wouldnt accept a deal that left Iran a threshold nuclear state, poised to build a bomb. Israel has opposed lifting any sanctions.

The Sunni nation of Saudi Arabia, which also views Shiite Muslim Iran as a determined adversary, fears that any rapprochement between Washington and Tehran will come at its expense in the region. Saudi officials have threatened to build enrichment facilities to match whatever Iran is allowed to retain.

Failure now drastically reduces the chances of a future deal, Philip Gordon, a top White House aide, warned a pro-Israel group in Washington last week.

Partly as a result, many Western officials and knowledgeable analysts say, the two sides tough positions may be, in part, bargaining theatrics that will vanish in the final hours because both sides so badly need a deal.

A breakdown of talks doesnt get them where they need to go, said Cliff Kupchan, a former State Department official who is chairman of the Eurasia Group risk-consulting firm in Washington.

Twitter: @richtpau

Times staff writer David Lauter in Beijing and special correspondent Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran contributed to this report.
In its efforts to strike a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration has faced a two-part challenge: forging an agreement in international negotiations and then selling it at home.

Now, with negotiators in Vienna five days from their deadline, it appears the second part of the task will be tougher than expected.

Many officials of the six world powers that have been negotiating with Iran predict they will not complete all aspects of a comprehensive agreement by the Nov. 24 deadline. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on Wednesday became the first top Western official to publicly acknowledge that the group may need more time for a deal.

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If they fail to meet the cutoff date, they may announce some kind of partial agreement. But they also are likely to seek time for further talks, officials say.

That would leave the White House seeking congressional support for an extension for the second time in four months. The administration wouldnt want to disclose full details of the talks for fear it could undermine the diplomacy and provide ammunition for critics who worry that a bad deal would allow Iran to gain bomb-making know-how.

This would be very messy politically for the administration, said Jofi Joseph, who was a White House nuclear specialist earlier in the Obama administration.

Iran and the United States and five other world powers are seeking a deal that would ease international sanctions on Iran if it accepts restrictions designed to prevent it from gaining nuclear weapons capability. Iran denies that it is seeking a nuclear bomb.

In negotiations since February, the group has made progress in many areas. But the negotiators remain far apart on some key issues, including how quickly sanctions would be removed and how much uranium enrichment capability Iran could retain. Enrichment is the process used to refine uranium to a grade that can be used as nuclear bomb fuel.

Skeptics in Congress, who include senior members of both parties, have long been warning that if a deal wasnt concluded this year they would seek to impose further sanctions on Iran. Other lawmakers are preparing legislation that would give Congress more leverage to block a deal it doesnt like or to take away the money needed to implement an agreement.

Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group risk consulting firm, said that if the administration seeks an extension based on vague assurances of progress, thats going to leave members of Congress with a stronger urge to rumble than ever before.

Joseph, though a supporter of the diplomacy, acknowledged that critics would be strengthened if a final deal isnt apparent.

There is a persuasive argument that weve given [the Iranians] a year and if they cant come to a strategic decision its hard to say when theyll ever come to that decision, he said. And unless we go back to more sanctions, were going to give the Iranians the illusion that they can string this out forever.

Ilan Goldenberg, who retired this month from the State Department, predicted an extension of the talks under terms set in an interim nuclear deal reached one year ago. Its the most likely, because its the easiest, he said.

But Goldenberg, now with the Center for a New American Security think tank, said a simple extension is the outcome that leaves the diplomacy most vulnerable to critics in Washington and to hard-liners in Tehran as well.

With Democrats controlling the Senate, legislation threatening the diplomacy has been kept in check. But in January the Republicans take over, opening the way for fights over the Iran negotiations.

Still, if the administration completes a deal on good terms, it would have a strong hand with Congress, analysts say. Lawmakers of both parties may be reluctant to scuttle a diplomatic solution to a global threat and again raise the risk of war with Iran.

So far, few signs have emerged that Iran is willing to meet Western demands to disable more than two-thirds of its 19,000 centrifuges, sharply curtail its nuclear research and maintain those restrictions for more than a decade.

Iranian officials have insisted they would stick to their plans to expand Irans enrichment capacity tenfold in the next seven years.

A deal is possible only if Western negotiators recognize Irans entitlement to full legal rights, said Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, according to the official Press TV news agency.
The latest obstacle to the U.S. and five other nations finalizing a nuclear deal with Iran by this months deadline is an unexpected new demand from Tehran for quick relief from United Nations sanctions.

For most of the last nine months of negotiations, Iran and the diplomatic bloc of six world powers have focused on first easing unilateral economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and European nations. Under the talks, if Iran accepts restrictions intended to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon, the U.S. and other countries would begin lifting sanctions designed to cripple Irans oil and financial industries.

The bloc, consisting of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany, prefers to wait until later to remove the U.N. penalties, which were imposed between 2006 and 2010. But in recent weeks, Irans negotiators have shifted ground and pressed for quicker relief from the U.N. measures.

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Iran wants the sanctions lifted in part to strip away the international legitimacy of the unilateral U.S. and European penalties, analysts say. That would help remove a wound to Irans national pride and make it easier for Tehran to tell key oil-importing nations  such as China, India and Turkey  that they can ignore the threat of penalties and resume oil purchases.

Many countries consider such nation-to-nation penalties illegal unless they are backed by Security Council sanctions.

For Iran, sanctions relief is now the key question, Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi told reporters after talks in Oman last week.

Iran and the six powers  Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States  are trying to complete a deal by the Nov. 24 deadline, though it is possible that all sides will agree to an extension.

The five Security Council resolutions sanctioning Iran dont hit it as hard as the U.S. and European Union penalties, which have largely isolated Iran from the international financial system and cut off half its oil sales. But the U.N. sanctions are intrusive, authorizing U.N. member states to inspect Iranian cargo and banning sales of arms and so-called dual-use equipment that could be used to build nuclear arms or weapons of mass destruction.

The U.N. sanctions are a signal to the world that Irans nuclear programis illicit, said Mark Dubowitz, a sanctions specialist who has advised U.S. lawmakers on sanctions legislation.

Elimination of the U.N. sanctions would also be an important political victory for the Iranian government, allowing it to portray the nuclear deal as a major victory in its effort to restore the countrys standing.

The six powers are expected to resist Irans demand because lifting the U.N. penalties first would reduce their leverage in demanding that Tehran live up to U.N. conditions. For example, without those sanctions, the bloc would probably find it difficult to force Iran to give the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency all the information it has requested on the countrys past research on nuclear weapons. So far Iran has been resisting the U.N.'s efforts to retrieve that information.

Also, if Tehran fails to live up to its obligations, it would be much more difficult to reimpose the U.N. sanctions, which would need to be approved again by the Security Council.

Finding a way to satisfy Iran without abandoning Western goals would take tremendous creativity, said Robert Einhorn, a former member of the Obama administrations inner circle on nuclear issues who is with theBrookings Institution.

The sanctions relief issue has remained one of the most important unresolved questions, along with the core question of how much capacity Iran will have to enrich uranium, which at high grades can be used as atomic bomb fuel. Iran, however, says it enriches uranium strictly for nonmilitary nuclear endeavors.

The disagreement over the U.N. sanctions could be a greater obstacle to fully concluding a deal on schedule than perhaps originally perceived, Ellie Geranmayeh, an Iran specialist at the London-based European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote last week in an article posted online.

Some people close to the talks say there has been some narrowing of differences on the question of how much enrichment capacity Iran could retain.

A website tied to Iranian conservatives said last week that there had been important but unannounced progress on the dispute over uranium enrichment, though the sides are now farther apart on the sanctions-relief issue.

Even so, some diplomats say privately that they believe there is now a higher likelihood that the two sides wont complete a full agreement on time and will instead present a framework document that lays out a set of agreed-to principles to justify a request for more time to negotiate.

Twitter: @richtpau
Israel has ordered criminal investigations of eight incidents of suspected violations of international law or military commands during the Gaza war this summer, Israels military announced.

Israels military advocate general, Maj. Gen. Dan Efroni, announced the decision as part of the armys investigation into irregular incidents during the war, according to an army statement issued Saturday. These included multiple fatalities among Palestinian civilians and attacks on international facilities and medical agencies.

The new criminal investigations come in addition to five previously announced in September, as the army continues to examine cases referred by non-governmental organizations alleging criminal conduct by Israeli forces.

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Eighty-five cases are under review by Efroni and the armys Fact Finding Assessment Mission, an internal investigation agency comprised of six teams staffed by senior officers outside the chain of command during the fighting.

Among the incidents to be probed is a strike on a Palestinian home in Khan Younis on July 20 that killed as many as 27 members of the extended Abu Jami family. Efroni ordered a criminal investigation of the incident based on findings of grounds for a reasonable suspicion that the incident involved deviation from the rules and procedures applicable to Israels military.

Another case to be investigated involves the allegation that Israeli forces shot and killed Mohammed Tawfiq Kadiach (also spelled Quadeeh) as he was waving a white flag during an Israeli operation in Khuzaa, an area of Khan Younis devastated by particularly fierce fighting while civilians were trapped in the neighborhood. The Israeli soldiers are also accused of using other members of Kadiachs family as human shields.

Additional cases to be investigated include the deaths of two Palestinian ambulance drivers in separate incidents, as well as four cases of suspected looting by Israeli soldiers.

Efroni also released details of seven other cases that he reviewed and closed, citing a lack of reasonable grounds for suspected criminal behavior.

One occurred on July 8, when at least six members of the Hamed family were reported killed in an aerial strike on their home. According to the army, the target of the strike was Hafet Hamed, a senior military commander of the Islamic Jihad, who was standing outside the family home with several militants he was believed to be briefing.

The army said precautions were taken to minimize risk to civilians, including using precise and relatively low-explosive munitions and that no civilians were spotted in the area at the time.

Efroni ruled that the procedures had been in keeping with international and Israeli law as a strike against a military target that was properly authorized and took adequate precautions.

Another case closed was the allegation that an Israeli airstrike on medical clinics outside the Shifa hospital and a park in the Shati refugee camp killed 10 people, including 9 children, on July 28.

The armys investigation did not identify a corresponding Israeli strike at that time, and determined that the victims were killed by Palestinian rockets.

Israel launched a fierce military assault against the Gaza Strip in July to curb rocket fire into Israel and destroy military infrastructure belonging to Hamas and other militant groups in the coastal Palestinian enclave.

Fifty days of Israeli airstrikes and ground operations left more than 2,100 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, according to international organizations, and caused widespread destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure.

Most of Israels 72 casualties were soldiers killed in or around Gaza, except for six civilians killed by some of the thousands of rockets launched into Israel during the fighting.

A month ago, Amnesty International published a report accusing Israel of brazenly flouting international law and showing a callous indifference to the carnage caused by strikes on Palestinian civilians. The organization said some of Israels actions amounted to war crimes.

Israel has rejected a panel appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate allegations of war crimes, calling it biased, and recently denied entry to the panels members. However, Israel appears to be willing to cooperate with a different panel appointed by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

On Sunday, another court case against Israels military opened in Jerusalem. The trial involves a civil lawsuit brought by the family of a California activist, Tristan Anderson, who was shot by Israeli forces five years ago, leaving him with permanent brain damage.

In 2009, Anderson was a 38-year-old activist and photographer visiting the West Bank for an up-close view of the conflict and attending Palestinian demonstrations.

He was documenting weekly protests against Israels construction of the controversial separation barrier in the village of Niilin when he was shot in the head with a tear gas grenade fired by Israeli forces trying to break up a Palestinian demonstration.

The high-velocity metal canister has a range of range of several hundred yards but was allegedly fired at close range and against regulations, cracking Andersons skull and causing traumatic brain injury. After months of surgery in Israel, Anderson returned home to Oakland and remains impaired.

Israeli authorities investigated the incident at the time but closed the case after finding no criminal responsibility on the part of security troops involved.

A series of appeals filed by Nancy and Michael Anderson, Tristans parents, met with similar results. But last year, Israels high court ordered that the investigation be reopened.

Filed through an Israeli human rights advocacy group, the Andersons petition alleged there were fundamental flaws in the Israeli investigation, including interviewing the wrong soldiers and failing to visit the actual site of the incident.

Sobelman is a special correspondent.
Crawling along Southern Californias freeways at rush hour, you might have wanted to scream: This traffic is the worst!

If it was a Thursday evening, you probably were right. At least, thats the consensus of three companies that analyze traffic patterns using GPS technology.

All agree that Thursday evening is one of the slowest  if not the slowest  drive times of the week in greater Los Angeles. TomTom, the Dutch GPS company, estimates that during the Thursday after-work crunch, drivers in an area extending from Simi Valley to Costa Mesa spend 40 minutes of every hour sitting in traffic.

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Ranking congestion and delays by day and time is complicated, and theres some noise in the numbers. One firm says Friday afternoons are just as congested. Another says traffic on Wednesday is equally sluggish.

According to Inrix, a Washington-based technology company, the worst delays are between 5 and 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, when an average trip takes 47% longer than it would with no congestion. On Fridays, freeways begin backing up earlier, but Thursdays congestion lasts longer, according to company spokesman Jim Bak.

That general pattern is the same in every major U.S. city, with the most severe traffic tie-ups coming near the end of the workweek, Bak said.

Inrix, TomTom and Waze, all firms that gather data from GPS-equipped vehicles or users of their traffic services, agree Tuesdays have the worst morning delays. On average, Tuesday trips at 9 a.m. in the Los Angeles area take about a third longer than they would if highways flowed freely, Inrix says.

Every route seems jammed during rush hour, but several stand out as consistently bad. At 50 minutes of delay, on average, the eastbound 10 is the most delayed route of any in the greater L.A. area, and the second-most congested in the United States, the company says.

Los Angeles takes the dubious honor of having five of the top 10 most congested freeway corridors in the country: the eastbound 10; the northbound 405; the southbound 5; the eastbound 91 ; and the northbound 101.

According to Inrix, the southbound 405 through the Sepulveda Pass is at its worst Wednesdays between 8 and 9 a.m., when congestion on average adds a half-hour to the commute. The longest delays northbound through the pass are Thursdays between 5 and 6 p.m., when congestion adds 40 minutes to the drive.

The worst time to drive between Santa Monica and downtown on the 10 Freeway is Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m.  in both directions, Inrix says.

The data-crunching averages, of course, dont reflect the pantheon of problems on any given day that can clog up commutes: a crash, a brush fire, a couch falling off a truck.

And they dont answer the question: Why Thursday?

If people knew the answer to that one, wed fix traffic, said Kajon Cermack, 89.9 KCRWs longtime traffic reporter.

Researchers have some theories. One is that commuters leave work early, and more in the heart of rush hour, near the end of the week, particularly on Thursdays. Thats partly because some Los Angeles-area commuters who work flexible schedules, either taking Friday off or working from home, are getting a jump on their long weekends. Also, college students often commute to evening classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

And theres just more going on around town on Thursday and Friday nights.

If you think about Los Angeles, and the surrounding area, you have a lot of destinations, said Bill Eisele, a senior research engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Theres always something going on somewhere in the basin, not only for locals, but for people who are visiting.

Peter Kallman, 28, of Mar Vista gets that. People come visit and theyre like, What are we doing tonight? And Im like, I dont care, as long as its close by, he said. If we drive anywhere on Thursday or Friday, we end up sitting in the car for two hours.

Ultimately, Cermak said, avoiding L.A. traffic comes down to individual drivers taking responsibility for congestion  and adjusting travel plans or the modes of transportation they use.

Its so easy to think, All those other cars are making my drive worse, Cermak said. But you are a part of traffic. You are the traffic.

laura.nelson@latimes.com

California Commute columnists Laura J. Nelson and Dan Weikel are looking for leads. Send them ideas, gripes and questions.

For more transportation news, follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.
The first order of business when John Cruden took over as the Justice Departments top environmental lawyer was holding BP financially accountable for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill that fouled the Gulf of Mexico with millions of barrels of oil.

The best way to do that, Cruden believed, was to settle the costly and contentious legal fight between his department and the oil giant. But the former Green Beret was worried about entering negotiations with a weak hand, particularly after BP had rebuffed a sizable 2013 deal.

So when a court-appointed mediator suggested reaching out to BP to reopen talks, Cruden surprised the respected magistrate judge by demurring.

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They can come to me, he said, smiling confidently.

It was a risky, audacious move -- and it worked. What followed was the largest environmental settlement in the Justice Departments history.

With the $20.8-billion deal formally approved last month by a federal judge in New Orleans, Cruden, other Justice Department officials and independent mediators are discussing for the first time how they nailed down an agreement that could become the model for future environmental disasters.

The settlement is also a professional capstone of sorts for Cruden, a career Justice Department environmental attorney who had overseen some of the divisions biggest cases, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill, toxic dumping at Love Canal, N.Y., and a $1-billion interim settlement with BP to fund restoration projects in the Gulf. Cruden had retired from the department in 2011, but was coaxed by the White House to return, and in January 2015, he took over as the assistant attorney general of the environment and natural resources division.

Fortunately for Cruden, he returned just as the BP civil lawsuit was about to enter the penalty phase, after which U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier would decide how big a fine to levy on the company. The judge, based in New Orleans, had ruled mostly in the governments favor, including finding that BP had been grossly negligent in the spill.

By April, two months after the conclusion of the trials penalty phase and three months after Cruden rejected the mediators invitation to restart talks, the assistant attorney general received an unexpected call from former FBI Director Louis Freeh.

Freeh had been brought into the case as a special master to help oversee claims. He told Cruden he had been approached by BP, and they were interested in discussing a settlement.

A BP spokesman declined to comment for this article.

Cruden and his top deputy, Bruce Gelber, met May 1 with BPs chief executive, Bob Dudley, and chief financial officer, Brian Gilvary, at Freehs law offices in Washington. During an informal session, each side sized up the other.

It was kind of bit like when you have two young elementary school kids playing in a park and they are parallel playing, not really playing with each other, Cruden said.

Cruden told the executives that the Justice Department would not even reenter negotiations unless the starting point for total damages was a minimum of $10 billion, though he also made it clear there was no way the government would accept that amount.

What Cruden wanted was a sign of good faith that he could take back to the five federal agencies he was representing and the Gulf states suing the oil conglomerate. He knew government lawyers were wary after BP rejected their 2013 offer, which media reports pegged as close to $16 billion.

When BP agreed, negotiations began in earnest. The first session was in New Orleans on May 21, and included Cruden, Gelber, BPs chief financial officer and representatives from several federal agencies and the Gulf states. Cruden, drawing on his experience in the Army, made a point of trying to keep these early meetings small and focused.

A graduate of West Point, Cruden had served as a Green Beret in Vietnam before earning his law degree and becoming an Army attorney. Though 70 and affable, Cruden had a sturdy build that conveyed a military bearing.

I approached this in a linear military fashion, he said.

Though Cruden said the BP negotiations were similar to others he had overseen, the amount of money at stake was unprecedented. At one point, drawing on current events in Europe, a BP executive turned to Cruden and quipped: What you just asked me to do would retire the Greek debt.

1 / 19 The explosion April 20, 2010, aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 people. The rig was about 50 miles southeast of Venice, La. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 2 / 19 President Obama on May 2, 2010, visits the Gulf Coast region affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press) 3 / 19 Wildlife workers on Ship Island, Miss., capture a northern gannet that had been partly covered in oil and was unable to fly. More than 900 miles of shoreline were affected, Times research found. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 19 A boat makes its way along the edge of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico near the Chandeleur Islands on May 5, 2010. Oil reached the islands the following day, marking the first time it reached shore. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 19 Mark Stebley, who had been fishing off the Chandeleur Islands for 25 years, said hed never seen anything like this oil spill. Its not too late, he said in May 2010. If they would only do something now. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 19 A containment device waits in May 2010 to be lowered into the water at the site of the oil rig explosion. The device was meant to cap the well but failed. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 19 BP America Chairman Lamar McKay, from left, Transocean Lt. Chief Executive Steven Newman and Halliburtons Tim Probert testify in the Senate on May 11, 2010, about the spill. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) 8 / 19 Cleanup workers wrestle with oil-soaked booms in May 2010. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 19 The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continued to spread despite BPs efforts to cap the well. In May 2010, streams of oil float by another oil production platform as the oil heads toward the Louisiana coastline. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 19 An oil-soaked bird washed ashore near Grand Isle, La. As of August 2010, more than 3,900 dead birds had been collected. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 19 A gull tries to fly on a beach at Grand Isle State Park, La. The bird died overnight. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 19 BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward tours the cleanup operations at Port Fourchon beach on May 24, 2010. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 19 Cleanup crews work through the night to pick up oil and tar as it lands on the white beaches of Pensacola, Fla., in June 2010. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 19 In July 2010, a Coast Guard team ignites oil collected on the surface of the water about 7 miles north of the spill site. Burning was just one of several ways to try to dispose of the oil, which continued to spill into the Gulf of Mexico. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 19 An oiled pelican on Grand Terre Island was picked up by rescue workers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 19 Experts recover a Kemps Ridley sea turtle near the spill site. Times research showed that 516 dead sea turtles were collected as of August 2010. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 19 Black smoke rises from pockets of crude being burned in June 2010. Controlled burns removed 11.14 million gallons of oil, The Times found. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 19 Boats skim oil and then ignite it on the surface north of the spill site. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 19 A green turtle swims in the Gulf of Mexico in October 2010 after being captured months before due to the BP oil spill. Thirty-two sea turtles were returned to federal waters some 50 miles south of Grande Isle, La. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Why is that relevant? Cruden replied. Though the talks seemed to be progressing, Cruden remained dubious they could reach a deal. First, he said, resolving the civil penalty was only part of the process. The Justice Department and BP also had to agree to what was expected to be a large sum to settle claims resulting from natural resource damages, separate from the civil fine.

The federal government had not yet completed the necessary studies to figure out that amount. I was pretty comfortable with the penalty figure, Cruden said. The natural resource damages were another story. What do you ask for when you havent put on your case? He decided to ask for what he thought would be the maximum.

Second, BP executives said they would only settle with the Justice Department if it could also reach agreements with hundreds of states, municipalities and local government entities that claimed they had suffered economic losses resulting from the spill. To Cruden, that seemed like a Sisyphean task.

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Finally, negotiations were just plain difficult. We are taking meeting after meeting, day after day, week after week, draft after draft. Nothing was given away by either side, I can assure you of that, said Sally Shushan, the magistrate judge who initially asked Cruden if he wanted to reenter negotiations. I have the bruises and headaches to prove it.

Then in early June, Judge Barbier cancelled a status conference and said he would only reschedule it after having issued his order on the penalties. Both sides took that to be a sign the judge was getting close to issuing a ruling that would instantly negate the negotiations.

Time was running out, said Steve ORourke, the Justice Departments lead attorney on the civil case.

Talks quickened, became more detailed and creative. BP executives, for example, were concerned about being held liable down the road for unexpected environmental problems. The oil company was aware that the Justice Department had taken steps in 2006 to seek additional funds from ExxonMobil for damage caused by the 1989 oil spill in Alaskas Prince William Sound.

A final compromise was reached: BP would set aside $700 million to be paid in 15 years, with interest, and the government agreed not to seek additional funds in the future.

By late June, Cruden and Gilvary shook hands on the basic outlines: BP would pay a $5.5-billion penalty and $8.1 billion to address natural resource damages. It also agreed to pay other claims, including $4.9 billion to the scores of states, municipalities and local government entities to cover economic losses. Within weeks, the $20.8-billion deal was done.

This is clearly the biggest case I have ever done, and its the case I have walked away from and can say, In my lifetime, it will make a difference, Cruden said.

But Cruden didnt get long to enjoy the achievement. The next week, he received a call from the EPA saying regulators had discovered that Volkswagen had installed software on cars to cheat emissions tests.

Cruden is helping lead the Justice Departments probe. The German automaker has already set aside $18 billion to cover the costs of expected fines and other claims.

Twitter: @DelWilber

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With Russian tanks and other military equipment rolling into Ukraine, Kiev is learning the hard way that when you reside in a nasty neighborhood it doesnt pay to get rid of nuclear weapons without ironclad security guarantees. But that is exactly what it did in December 1994 when it agreed to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances co-signed by the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom.

As Russia took Crimea this year and continued to support the separatists, some Ukrainian officials called for a return to nuclear arms to stop Moscow from slicing and dicing up their nation. When he was defense minister in September, Valeriy Heletey gave expression to the possibility: If we cannot protect Ukraine today, if the world doesnt help us, we will have to go back to the development of nuclear weapons which will protect us from Russia. Other officials conveyed similar views earlier in the year.

But the threat to go nuclear is a pipe dream. Although Ukraine operates 15 power reactors, it does not have the enrichment or reprocessing plants to produce fuel  which it imports from Russia  or bomb-making material. What Ukraine does have is the moral claim on Washington to step up and provide it with the conventional means to better protect itself.

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Thats the gist of the Budapest Memorandum that the U.S. heavily promoted: Someone would come to Kievs defense were its territory violated. The agreement requires the parties to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine; refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine; refrain from economic coercion; seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine  if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat of aggression; and consult in the event a situation bears on commitments.

In his address to Congress during his September visit, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko starkly commented on the bind the Budapest accord placed his country: Ukraine, which gave up the worlds third-largest nuclear potential in exchange for security assurances, was stabbed in the back by one of the countries who gave her those assurances.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry cautiously acknowledged the same in March when he said Moscow had put very clear legal obligations at risk. However, Washington found itself flummoxed in crafting a response.

History had placed the U.S. between two ghosts of Europes 20th century past. A threat to go all in to protect Ukraine would hark back to the disastrous mobilizations that preceded World War I. There certainly was no gusto for that. But standing down, watching Russia gobble up more of Ukraine, would replay Europes disastrous failure to respond to Nazi Germanys annexation of Austria and invasion of Czechoslovakia, which paved the road to World War II.

To thread the needle  avoid provoking Moscow by placing forces in Ukraine while still showing resolve  Washington and its allies chose a multiprong strategy: Give Ukraine nonlethal aid. Apply and ramp up economic sanctions. Modestly bolster the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations eastern defenses as a warning to the Kremlin not to cross the alliances line.

Russias response has been more stealth fighters and convoys crossing into Ukraine, which leaves the U.S. strategy where?

History provides two other options: Sit back, pout and watch, the strategy Washington applied to Soviet interventions in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The approach concedes Ukraine as part of Moscows sphere in influence or more. Or the U.S. can bleed the separatists and Russian intervenors by providing Ukraine with lethal weapons, and not just nonlethal aid, repeating the successful strategy the U.S. applied to Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation.

Is the second option plausible? Ukrainians have demonstrated the will to fight for their country. In his remarks to Congress, Poroshenko tried to embarrass Washington into helping: Blankets and night-vision goggles are important.... But one cannot win a war with blankets!

Bipartisan calls have been heard in Congress. For example, an October op-ed in the Washington Post by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) called for providing Ukraine with antitank weapons, ammunition, vehicles and secure communicating equipment.

Such assistance would not cross World War Is mobilization threshold but still overcome the appeasement policy of pre-World War II, and thus presents a prudent path giving Ukraine a better chance to defend itself. It also would restore Washingtons credibility that it will go to bat for countries that, under its imprimatur, give up the bomb and find a tiger  or in this case, a bear  at the gates threatening its survival.

Bennett Ramberg served in the State Departments Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs in the George H.W. Bush administration.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
It is a time-honored tradition in American politics: Whenever the president turns unpopular, he fires someone and brings in a tried and tested veteran to clean house. Thus in 1987, in the middle of the Iran-Contra affair, out went Donald Regan as Ronald Reagans White House chief of staff, to be replaced by steady old hand Howard Baker. In 1994, after Bill Clinton had stumbled on issues including gays in the military and healthcare, out went Mack McLarty as White House chief of staff, to be replaced by steady old hand Leon E. Panetta. In 2006, after the disasters of the Iraq war and the loss of the Senate to Democrats, out went Donald H. Rumsfeld as George W. Bushs defense secretary, to be replaced by steady old hand Robert M. Gates.

At a superficial level, President Obamas firing of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary conforms to this pattern. With 54% of the public disapproving of the presidents foreign policy, which has produced disasters in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine, among other places, someone had to pay the price. The problem is not that Hagel shouldnt have been fired  he was pretty much a nonentity as defense secretary. The problem is that firing him is not going to change much, if anything.

Indeed, the reason he was jettisoned is precisely because he had so little influence on real decision-making, which is tightly controlled by a small coterie of White House aides such as national security advisor Susan Rice, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, deputy national security advisors Ben Rhodes and Tony Blinken and senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. That crew is responsible for steering the Good Ship Obama onto the rocks, but because they are so tight with the skipper, they remain at the helm.

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Even when there were strong defense secretaries in charge, they found themselves endlessly frustrated by their dealings with imperious White House aides who mistook themselves for field marshals. Just read the memoirs of Bob Gates and Leon Panetta. Gates, for example, complained that the White House staff had a presence and a role in national security decision making that I had not previously experienced. That extended to White House staffers directly calling field commanders  an action that would have been unthinkable when I worked at the White House, Gates wrote, and probably cause for dismissal.

No doubt Hagel was similarly disturbed by White House intrusions but, ever the dutiful NCO, he has so far largely kept his dissatisfactions to himself. On those few occasions when he expressed candid thoughts, however, the White House hammered him for insubordination. For example, this year, while Obama was foolishly deriding Islamic State as the JV team, Hagel called it an imminent threat  beyond anything weve seen. White House aides leaked word that such comments were unhelpful, even though (or because?) they were undeniably true. The White House no doubt also didnt appreciate a memo that Hagel sent in recently questioning the overall Syria policy even though that policy is plainly incoherent  Obama is allowing President Bashar Assad to continue the terror bombing of areas held by the Free Syrian Army, the forces that the White House is counting on to fight Islamic State.

By all means, Obama should appoint a stronger and more independent defense secretary, especially one who, unlike Hagel, will fight strongly to reverse budget cuts (amounting to $1 trillion over 10 years) that will cripple U.S. military capabilities even as the world situation turns more dangerous. But that will not fix the fundamental problem, which is in the White House  and not just with the presidents aides.

Ultimately the buck stops at the Oval Office, not at the Pentagon. Obama has to take ownership of the disaster that is his foreign policy and make dramatic changes. Here are a few ideas: Announce that U.S. troops wont be leaving Afghanistan at the end of 2016 as currently scheduled. Provide arms to enable the Ukrainians to defend themselves against Russian aggression. Enforce a no-fly zone over Syria to stop Assads air force from killing more civilians. Step up airstrikes against Islamic State (currently running at one-tenth the level of the airstrikes against the Taliban in the fall of 2001). Suspend the Iran nuclear talks, which have now dragged on for more than a

year, and announce that Iran

will face crippling sanctions and possible airstrikes if it doesnt stop building a nuclear weapon. Call for Congress to suspend sequestration and fully fund the military.

Only such dramatic steps can fix the malaise that has overtaken American foreign policy. Firing Hagel, however justified, is of little consequence compared with the policy overhaul that Obama needs to institute.

Max Boot is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a contributing editor to Opinion.Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
SAIC Volkswagen booth is seen at Auto China 2016 in Beijing, April 25, 2016. [Photo by Liu Zheng / chinadaily.com.cn]

The gasoline- and diesel-guzzling passenger vehicle industry may be taking tentative steps toward producing new-energy vehicles or NEVs with a focus on small models, but SAIC Motor Corp Ltd, China's largest automotive company, is thinking, and making, big in this context.

At the ongoing Auto China 2016 in Beijing, SAIC Maxus, a group firm of SAIC Motor, has put on display two big-size zero-emission electric vehicles: the seven-seater EG10 and the 15-seater EV80.

What's more, the auto major is already thinking of exports, particularly to the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, even though the governments there are not as zealous as China in encouraging environmentally friendly surface transport technologies, senior officials of the company said.

"We are in this for the long term. If you invest a lot, you earn a lot eventually," said Shawber Guan, SAIC Maxus' overseas business sales manager.

Besides, SAIC Motor will step up efforts to increase sales of its NEVs in China, said Wu Fengjie, its regional deputy general manager for sales.

Three major initiatives will mark SAIC's efforts:

One, focus on urban families for the EG10, and travel firms and vehicle-based businesses like mobile coffee shops for the EV80. (To popularize the concept, SAIC Maxus put up a unit of the EV80 custom-built as a mobile coffee shop at the expo.)

Two, heavy investment will be made toward "changing the mindset" of peoples across its global market footprint. "We have already made a good start. Supportive government policies and advanced technologies are good but not enough. So, we'll increase our advertising budget to explain the advantages of NEVs to consumers in our target markets," said Guan.

Three, SAIC will support creation of the necessary infrastructure like charging points.

"It would be good if city-level governments emulate Shanghai where buyers of NEVs get free license plates that otherwise cost 86,000 yuan ($13,200) each. The city will install 10,000 charging stations in the coming three years," said Guan.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
There is an adage every young lawyer learns: If you have the law, pound the law; if you have the facts, pound the facts. But if you have neither, pound the table.

The heated Republican rhetoric in response to President Obamas immigration announcement is unquestionably table-pounding. His opponents have neither the law nor the facts on their side, so they have resorted to name calling and threats. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) issued a news release referring to Emperor Obama, while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accused him of being like a monarch and of having a temper tantrum. Some conservative legislators have called for censuring the president, or even initiating impeachment proceedings.

As a matter of law, however, it is absolutely clear that Obama has the authority to decide not to prosecute or deport anyone he chooses. Prosecutorial discretion is an inherent part of presidential power. The Supreme Court in United States vs. Nixon declared: The Executive Branch has exclusive authority and absolute discretion to decide whether to prosecute a case.

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No one believes that the federal government has to prosecute every violation of every federal crime or to deport every person who is eligible for deportation. The federal government, for example, long has not prosecuted people caught with small amounts of marijuana even though it violates the federal controlled substance act.

Choices about whether to prosecute are based on a wide array of policy considerations, including how to best allocate scarce prosecutorial resources and whether enforcing a law produces desirable outcomes. Constitutionality is another issue that can be taken into account. It is well established that the president does not have to enforce laws that he believes to be unconstitutional; indeed, to do so would violate his oath of office to uphold the Constitution. Nor does the president have a constitutional obligation to enforce laws he believes to be unwise.

All of this is especially clear in the area of immigration policy. The Supreme Court long has recognized that immigration and deportations are closely tied to foreign policy, which is uniquely in the domain of executive power and control. The executive discretion granted by the Constitution certainly includes deciding whether to bring deportation proceedings. Throughout history, the federal government has chosen  for humanitarian concerns or foreign policy reasons  to not try to deport some individuals or classes of individuals, even though they are not lawfully in the United States.

Republican presidents have used this discretion as much as Democratic ones. In 1987, in a decidedly political move by a president who opposed the Sandinista regime, the Reagan administration took executive action to stop deportations of 200,000 Nicaraguan exiles. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush, to advance his foreign policy, stopped deportations of Chinese students and in 1991 prevented hundreds of Kuwait citizens who were illegally in the United States from being deported. In 2001, President George W. Bush limited deportation of Salvadoran citizens at the request of the Salvadoran president, ordering that deportation decisions include consideration of factors such as whether a mother was nursing a child or whether an undocumented person was a U.S. military veteran.

All of the Republican anger cannot obscure the legal reality: The president has the authority to decide to suspend deportations. Likewise, the facts support Obama. A cruel aspect of immigration policy is that it often separates parents, who are in the United States illegally, from their children who are U.S. citizens because they were born in this country.

Nora Sandigo, in Miami, has a sticker in her car that says Every child is a blessing. It is a reminder for her as she drives around to pick up yet another child whose parents have been deported. Since 2009, Sandigo has taken legal guardianship of 812 U.S. citizens whose parents have been deported. La Gran Madre is what many call her, but she knows her limitations. All I can do is hold back some of the bleeding. There is no way I can give 812 children the love and attention they need, but  the system is broken.

It is estimated that there may be as many as 5 million parents in this situation. The irony is that Republican rhetoric for years has emphasized family values, but it is Obama who is acting in a profoundly pro-family way.

Erwin Chemerinsky is dean of the UC Irvine School of Law. Samuel Kleiner is a fellow at the Yale Law Information Society Project.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
Have you heard? The Republican war on women is over! Well, the Republican war on women is over. The trope, if not the actual phenomenon, has joined the ranks of retired political euphemisms.

At least according to Republicans.

The GOP victories in the midterm elections have been attributed to any number of factors, Obamas new status as Undecider-in-Chief high among them. But Republicans have been patting themselves on the back especially hard for finally making headway with the group that purportedly loathed them more than any other: that monolith known as women.

In Texas, working-class Democratic heroine Wendy Davis was slaughtered in her bid for governor against Republican Greg Abbott, getting just 45% of womens votes to her opponents 54%. In Colorado, Democratic Sen. Mark Udall, whose emphasis on abortion rights got him dubbed Mark Uterus, lost his seat to a Republican challenger framed as staunchly pro-life. Here in Southern California, birth control crusader Sandra Fluke, whose career took off after Rush Limbaugh did her the great favor of calling her a slut, ran for a state senate seat and was trounced by a fellow Democrat. Though womens health wasnt a major campaign issue, its telling that liberal local voters werent sufficiently moved by Flukes story to choose her over her more seasoned opponent.

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Meanwhile, the GOP made womens history. Mia Love, a Haitian American Mormon from Utah, will become the first black female Republican ever to serve in Congress. Elise Stefanik, 30, of New Yorks 21st district, became the youngest woman of any party to be elected to Congress. Iowa elected its first female senator, combat veteran Jodi Ernst, who talked in television ads about growing up castrating pigs.

In the up-and-comer category, there was Saira Blair, an 18-year-old college freshman and self-described pro-gun, pro-life, fiscal conservative who ran a campaign out of her dorm room and won a seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

In other words, ladies, its time to lay down our arms. Old white men are not coming after our birth control and legislating our bodies. Eighteen-year-old girls are! So shut up, already!

Of course, none of this changes the fact that 64% of white men voted for Republicans in last weeks elections. Moreover, nearly two-thirds of eligible voters didnt bother to show up at the polls at all. Maybe thats because some of them, including women who once believed Republicans were waging a war on them, were busier ranting at and fighting with each other on social media than actually getting involved with the political process.

It could be a coincidence, but I cant help but notice that as the war on women recedes, women seem to be fighting a civil war among themselves.

Women everywhere  especially online  are having heated, often ugly debates about who counts as a feminist and who doesnt. And too often, the conversation devolves into righteous condemnation of those who dont hew to a particular  sometimes impossible  standard of inclusiveness.

Question affirmative consent on campus and you risk being called a rape apologist. Chuckle at a celebritys overzealous plastic surgery or prolific romantic history and youre a body shamer or slut shamer. Engage in reasoned debate over womens sexuality, creative expression or place in the world and youre likely to be schooled by a sisterhood whose members are admirably passionate but somehow unable to get their heads around the idea that people who agree on the big issues can respectfully disagree on lots of smaller ones.

In other words, youre likely to encounter progressive women who think that all women, especially all progressive ones, should be a monolithic entity  which is even more exasperating than conservative men who think the same thing.

Last week, women were arguing over a viral YouTube video showing a woman being harassed by men on the street. It was a healthy, lively  if also occasionally annoying and shortsighted  debate. But how many actually walked down their own street on election day and voted for lawmakers who could possibly make life better for women like them? Not nearly enough.

If thats because too many internal skirmishes are diverting their attention from the war on women to a war between women, it would be a shameful thing indeed. Because only one of those wars is worth fighting. And it rages on.

mdaum@latimescolumnists.com

Twitter: @meghan_daum
Are you a UVA truther? In other words, are you an abhorrent, woman-hating, pro-rape Republican?

Or are you a feminazi guided by rape crisis fantasy and driven by emotions over logic?

Those are among the epithets being hurled in the court of public opinion over the explosive allegations of a staggeringly awful rape at the University of Virginia published by Rolling Stone. In the story, a woman identified as Jackie tells of being led into a dark bedroom at a fraternity party, where seven men, with assistance from two others, raped her over a three-hour period.

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The 9,000-word article by Sabrina Rubin Erdely set off a tidal wave of horror and outrage. Soon enough, though, came a trickle of inquiries into Erdelys reporting methods, chiefly the question of why she hadnt talked to the alleged perpetrators.

And since many of the first askers of that question had conservative or libertarian leanings, the feminist backlash was almost immediate. When The Times resident conservative columnist, Jonah Goldberg, examined holes in the story, his usual critics dismissed his conjectures as mere right-wing pushback against political correctness.

When a Reason magazine writer penned an evenhanded article on the case, indicating that he initially believed Jackies story, the liberal site Talking Points Memo nonetheless reacted with the headline Libertarian Magazine Wonders if UVA Rolling Stone Rape Was a Hoax. The lively feminist blog Jezebel did TPM one better: Is the UVA Rape Story a Giant Hoax? Asks Idiot.

Such snark is eye-catching and click-generating, but in this case, its not just conservatives and purported anti-feminists who are asking questions. In the New Republic, Judith Shulevitz eventually landed on an insight from lawyer and feminist social critic Wendy Kaminer, who told her, Id guess that the story is neither entirely fabricated nor entirely true and, in any case, compels a real investigation by investigators with no stake in their findings.

In an interview on Slates feminist-leaning Double X podcast, writer Hanna Rosin confronted Erdely with questions similar to the ones her more libertarian counterparts had raised, with ambiguous results. On Wednesday, after further reporting including talking to several of Jackies friends, Rosin and Slate senior editor Allison Benedikt posted an article critical of both Erdely and Rolling Stone.

In the us versus them paradigm that so often colors discussions around gender and sexual assault , such a response might be surprising coming from a feminist. After all, its supposed to be the Jonah Goldbergs of the world (idiots, according to Jezebel) who would dare to question a womans account of a rape, or another womans account of her account. But the journalists and others who are now looking closely at this story represent a cross-section of the political spectrum.

Rosin and Shulevitz are hardly conservatives. Neither am I. Yet questioning the story will almost certainly get us dismissed as traitors to the sisterhood. If you dont believe me, wait a few seconds for the rants from activists who will insist that asking rational, even obvious questions makes you a rape apologist, someone who dismisses all womens stories or wont admit that campus sexual assault is a problem.

Such attacks are not only absurd, theyre also insulting. Theyre insulting to journalists, who know the importance of holding themselves and their sources accountable to the truth. Worse, theyre insulting to survivors of sexual assault whose stories should be told without obfuscation and equivocation. Its that kind of murkiness, after all, that contributes to an undercurrent of suspicion of victims  an undercurrent that, unfortunately, continues to dominate many conversations about rape.

Inquiries into this story should not devolve into battles between truthers and believers, the idiots and the real feminists. Believe it or not, conservatives dont have a monopoly on skepticism, just as liberals and feminists arent the only ones inclined to believe a story like Jackies. If those of us asking questions turn out to be idiots for not believing the story on its face, fair enough.

But last I checked, nothing cures idiocy like asking questions.

mdaum@latimescolumnists.com

Twitter: @meghan_daum
After long and intense negotiations, the so-called P5-plus-1 nations (the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany) and Iran finally agreed to extend the deadline for their ongoing talks until July 1. This was the second time both sides needed to extend the deadline since the conclusion of an interim agreement in January called the Joint Plan of Action, which keeps Iran from installing new centrifuges or increasing its stockpile of uranium. In both extensions, negotiators decided to stick to their ambitious goal of achieving a comprehensive agreement. It is, however, highly questionable whether this goal is achievable.

The main bone of contention is Irans enrichment capacities. Tehran has about 19,000 centrifuges, half of which are currently enriching uranium. It has a stockpile of more than 8,000 kilograms of low-enriched uranium. The United States, with the support of its partners within the P5-plus-1, has insisted that this leaves Iran unacceptably close to being able to build a nuclear device and has called for hugely decreasing Irans enrichment capacities. Iran, however, has consistently refused to dismantle any of its centrifuges and even seeks to advance its nuclear program in the near future. Its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly said that Iran needs a nuclear program about 10 times as big as the present one.

Iranian offers to freeze the nuclear program for only a few years  so that it can be rapidly expanded thereafter  are unacceptable to the P5-plus-1. Other disagreements add to the stalemate. For instance, Iran pledged to collaborate with the International Atomic Energy Agency to disclose some highly suspicious activities that were apparently part of a secret weapons program. But it failed to provide any helpful information before a deadline in late August.

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Recent developments also seem to have stiffened the backs of Iranian decision-makers. The rise of the militant group Islamic State has been a huge distraction for the Obama administration. The Iranian leadership appears to see its influence in Iraq and Syria as leverage to bargain for U.S. concessions. On the economic front, the work of Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis team of technocrats seems to be paying off. According to the most recent estimates, the Iranian economy is starting to stabilize and may stop contracting soon.

Finally, Rouhani, who promised to engage the international community to end sanctions, faces internal political pressure to deliver. This puts Khamenei in an excellent position. By opposing any effort to meaningfully compromise with the United States, he can force the Rouhani administration to drive a hard bargain without getting the blame if that approach fails.

Against this backdrop, the United States should not expect Iran to make the compromises required to broker a comprehensive agreement anytime soon. The key challenge is to embark on a new strategy.

Washington might walk away from the talks to tighten sanctions, as some hawks have suggested. This approach, however, would hardly work since there would not be enough international support for weakening Irans increasingly stable economy. Some pundits have suggested that the only alternatives to stepping up economic pressure are accepting Irans nuclear ambitions and the use of military force, but this is a misconceived view.

Despite the seemingly grueling outlook, there is some good news. Iran still has every incentive not to be perceived as a spoiler (which would all but guarantee a new wave of crippling sanctions) and has indicated its willingness to compromise on some aspects other than the above-mentioned bones of contention. This suggests that the joint plan, which Iran has complied with so far, can be expanded. In exchange for modest American concessions such as slightly expanding Iranian access to frozen assets or a minimal increase in Irans oil exports, Tehran might very well agree to some additional restrictions on its nuclear program.

More specifically, Iran might reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium and suspend R&D enrichment practices (which are not covered by the joint plan). This approach would address the negotiators need to prove that progress can be made and that the ongoing talks are in the interest of both sides.

Skeptics might argue that expanding the joint plan would give Iran the opportunity to undermine sanctions, but modest sanctions relief is unlikely to weaken the overall sanctions regime. The joint plan has not undermined the existing sanctions. And there would be pressure on Iran to comply with an expanded agreement since cheating probably would be met with renewed sanctions. Unlike the alternative scenarios, this approach would buy some additional time and keep Iran in check.

While far from perfect, this is the best option the United States has.

Sven-Eric Fikenscher is a research fellow with the International Security Program and the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard Universitys Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
Rolling Stone has published an incredible story about a rape at the University of Virginia. The story has sent shock waves around the country.

But when I say the story is incredible, I mean that in the literal, largely abandoned sense of the word. It is not credible  I dont believe it.

I am not saying terrible things dont happen. I dont think the author of the story, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, is deliberately fabricating facts, , nor do I believe that all of her reporting is wrong. There may in fact be an outrageously callous attitude toward sexual assaults at UVA. Rape, particularly date rape, may be a major problem there. Ive talked to enough people with connections to the campus who think that part is credible enough.

But the central story isnt about a spontaneous alcohol-fueled case of some cretin refusing to take no for an answer (an inexcusable offense in my opinion). It is an account of a sober, well-planned gang rape by seven fraternity pledges at the direction of two members. If true, lots of people need to go to jail for decades  if.

The basic story is this: Jackie was asked out on a date her freshman year by a junior named Drew (not his real name). After dinner, they went to a party at Phi Kappa Psi. Very quickly, Drew asks Jackie, Want to go upstairs, where its quieter?

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Excited, Jackie is led to a pitch black bedroom. Almost instantly she is thrown on the floor. A heavy person jumps on top of her. A hand covers her mouth. Someone gets between her legs. Someone else kneels on her hair. And for the next three hours shes brutally raped and beaten, with Drew and another upperclassman supposedly shouting out instructions to the pledges, referring to Jackie as it.

Much of what is alleged (though Erdely never uses the word alleged) isnt suitable for a family paper. Some of the rest is unpersuasive. The pitch-black darkness doesnt prevent Jackie from counting the pledges or from recognizing an attacker. The nicknames she hears  Armpit and Blanket  sound bizarre, even by fraternity standards.

At 3 a.m. Jackie leaves the still-raging party, her face beaten, dress spattered with blood, without anyone seeing her. Distraught, she calls three friends, Andy, Randall and Cindy (not their real names) for help. They arrive in minutes. One of the male friends says they have to take her to the hospital. Cindy replies, Is that such a good idea? adding, Her reputation will be shot for the next four years.

Erdely expounds: Andy seconded the opinion, adding that since he and Randall both planned to rush fraternities, they ought to think this through. The three friends launched into a heated discussion about the social price of reporting Jackies rape.

Really? If thats true  and we dont know that Erdely talked to anyone but Jackie about that conversation  these are among the worst friends imaginable. And what a convenient conversation for an expose of rape culture.

Similarly, when Jackie reports what happened to school authorities  again, this was supposedly a brutal, premeditated gang rape at a prominent fraternity  the dean is described as responding with all the emotion youd expect if Jackie wanted to change majors.

Erdely admits she set out to find a sexual assault story at an elite school. She looked at lots of other colleges, but none felt quite right, in the words of a Washington Post media column on the piece. But UVA  which Erdely would go on to describe in the Rolling Stone article as a school without a thriving radical feminist culture seeking to upend the patriarchy  was just right.

Erdely wouldnt tell the Washington Post if she made an effort to corroborate the story with Drew, let alone the pledges. Bizarrely, she wont even say whether she knows the rapists real names. She seems more eager to talk about public policy than the facts she reported.

The same goes for much of the media, which have yet to independently corroborate the story, loading it instead with context about the rape epidemic and evidence supporting the questionable statistic that 1 in 5 college women are sexually assaulted. Then again, the media also uncritically reported Tawana Brawleys stories and those of the accusers of the Duke lacrosse team  until the rest of the media started doing their jobs.

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.comFollow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion




At a time when we are reflecting on the lessons from the Cold War amid growing concern about the current U.S.-Russia relationship, we should be looking ahead to anticipate how changes in technology and geopolitics create new challenges to peace and stability among the worlds major powers.

The Cold War stayed cold largely because the United States and the Soviet Union possessed nuclear weapons that raised the risk of an armed conflict between them to an unacceptable level. The destructiveness of nuclear weapons and the lack of effective defenses against them contributed to the strategic stability between the superpowers. Neither side had an incentive to strike first, and this calculation was unaffected by external shocks, false alarms or marginal shifts in the balance of power.

Since the end of the Cold War, three challenges to strategic stability have emerged. The first is the increasing complexity of deterrence relations among the nuclear weapon states. Whereas the first nuclear age was shaped by the bipolar global ideological and military competition between the United States and Soviet Union, the second nuclear age has been marked by the emergence of a multipolar nuclear order composed of states linked by varying levels of cooperation and conflict. Rising nuclear powers such as China, India and Pakistan are not party to the web of treaties, regimes and relationships that girded strategic stability between the United States and Soviet Union (and now Russia).

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Moreover, most nuclear weapon states face security threats from more than one source, which breeds a security trilemma, when actions taken by a state to defend itself against one state have the effect of making a third state feel insecure. As a result, changes in one states nuclear posture can have a cascading effect on the other nuclear-armed states. The trilemma helps explain Russian and Chinese reactions to American missile defenses aimed at Iran and North Korea.

The second challenge is the emergence of a suite of advanced nonnuclear military technologies that have the potential to replicate, offset or mitigate the strategic effects of nuclear weapons. Missile defenses and long-range precision weapons, for example, reduce strategic stability by endangering the ability of nuclear-armed states to credibly threaten retaliation following a surprise attack. Anti-satellite weapons and cyberweapons pose threats to the integrity of early-warning and command-and-control systems.

The potential for rapid advances in these technologies will make it more difficult for states to accurately assess others capabilities, which may foster worst-case analyses and arms races. This dynamic reinforces the zero-sum mentality that feeds the security trilemma.

The third challenge is found in South Asia, which is the region most at risk of a breakdown in strategic stability. India and Pakistan face more severe security challenges than those of the other nuclear weapon states because of their geographic proximity, history of conflict, higher levels of domestic instability, the dispute over Kashmir and the threat of cross-border terrorism.

The two countries have been engaged in a nuclear and missile arms race since 1998 that shows no signs of abating. Pakistani development of short-range nuclear-armed missiles and Indias pending deployment of sea-based nuclear weapons raise further concerns about command and control and the heightened vulnerability of these weapons to accidents and terrorism.

Furthermore, because of the security trilemma, the deterrence relationship between India and Pakistan is intertwined with that of China. This trilateral linkage increases the regions susceptibility to outside shocks and amplifies the risk that regional developments will have far-reaching effects.

Each of these dynamics is worrisome on its own, but the combination of them could be particularly destabilizing. The United States should proactively shape the second nuclear age before it finds itself trapped in a new nuclear order that is less stable, less predictable and less susceptible to American influence.

Working in concert with the other established nuclear weapon states, the United States should promote transparency and confidence-building measures to mitigate the destabilizing influences of advanced nonnuclear military technologies, encourage strategic dialogue among China, India and Pakistan, build capacity in India and Pakistan to engage in such dialogue, and establish a multilateral forum that includes India and Pakistan in discussions among the established nuclear weapon states on issues affecting strategic stability.



Gregory D. Koblentz is an associate professor in the School of Policy, Government and International Affairs at George Mason University and author of the Council on Foreign Relations report, Strengthening Strategic Stability in the Second Nuclear Age.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
When the militants of Islamic State swept across Iraq last June, they numbered no more than 12,000 and they faced a U.S.-trained, U.S.-equipped Iraqi army that boasted some 200,000 troops.

And yet it was the Iraqi army that collapsed.

What happened? It was more than simply incompetence among Iraqi generals and ethnic tensions among the ranks. The hidden factor that gave Islamic State its victory was Iraqs rampant corruption. The Baghdad governments army had 200,000 troops on paper, but many were ghost soldiers, fictional troops whose wages went into their officers pockets. The unfortunate troops who showed up often lacked equipment and ammunition because their officers had sold it on the black market.

I told the Americans, dont give any weapons through the army  not even one piece  because corruption is everywhere, and you will not see any of it, Col. Shaaban al-Obeidi of Iraqs internal security forces told The New York Times this month. Our people will steal it.

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We often look at corruption as a secondary issue in international affairs: as a moral problem that allows Third World governments to steal from their people and gets in the way of equitable economic development.

But the lesson of the collapse of the Iraqi army, an army built with $25 billion in U.S. aid, is this: Corruption isnt only a moral issue; its a national security issue, too.

Thats the message of Sarah Chayes, a former reporter for National Public Radio, who spent 10 years working on economic development projects in Afghanistan  only to find that corruption was getting in the way of nearly everything she did.

Chayes, whose writing frequently appears on these pages, has written a new book, Thieves of State, that makes a persuasive case that corruption harms U.S. national security interests in at least two ways: It makes it easier for insurgent movements to win support among aggrieved citizens. And it makes U.S.-friendly governments incapable of defending themselves against insurgents, criminal cartels and even foreign invaders.

In Afghanistan, for example, public opinion polls over the last decade have found that relatively few Afghans support the Taliban  and yet the insurgency has been able not only to keep fighting, but also to attract new recruits.

How? At one point, the U.S. military command in Kabul surveyed Taliban prisoners about why they had joined the insurgency. At the top of the list of reasons cited by prisoners for joining the Taliban was not ethnic bias, or disrespect of Islam, or concern that U.S. forces might stay in their country, Chayes reports. At the top of the list was the perception that the Afghan government was irrevocably corrupt.

Ordinary Afghans didnt like the idea of Taliban rule, but at least the insurgents didnt steal from them the way the government did. Chayes tells the story of a former policeman who, after being forced to pay too many bribes, announced that the next time he saw a police vehicle approach a Taliban bomb, I will not warn them.

Afghan government corruption was manufacturing Taliban, Chayes concludes.

And its not only the Taliban. Osama bin Laden listed corruption of Arab regimes from Saudi Arabia to Egypt as high on the list of grievances Al Qaeda intended to redress. In Syria and Iraq, Islamic State says it wants to stamp out corruption, too.

Theres an odd, distant echo of the Cold War here: In China, Vietnam and Cuba, communist revolutionaries often won support from non-communists by promising honest government in place of corrupt autocracies. The United States found itself in the uncomfortable position of supporting regimes it knew to be corrupt, because it feared the alterna-

tive.

Outside the Muslim world, corruption creates another kind of national security problem. Ukraine was incapable of resisting Russias stealth invasion of Crimea this year in part because corruption had deprived its army of equipment and training. Closer to home, narcotics traffickers have corrupted so many of Mexicos local police forces that President Enrique Pena Nieto announced last week that he will attempt to put all police under federal control.

Even worse, U.S. aid has sometimes made the problem worse. In Afghanistan, at one point, the economy could efficiently absorb an estimated 44% of the international aid that was flooding in; much of the rest got siphoned off into corruption. The unintended side effect was the creation of a government-industrial complex that relied on graft.

In the end, Chayes concludes, the problem isnt Afghan government incompetence, but rather that the government has made siphoning riches its top priority, and it is doing that with admirable efficiency.

There are no easy fixes for a problem as tangled as that, but Chayes offers a list of initial steps that could help, including banning corrupt chiefs of states from official visits to the United States, keeping corrupt leaders off the CIA payroll and delivering U.S. aid with strings that make corruption difficult.

But the first step is to think about corruption as a higher priority. Its not only immoral, unjust and economically inefficient. Left unchecked, it can also turn into a real threat to the security of the United States  and it ought to be treated that way.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.comTwitter: @DoyleMcManus
Some of the worlds leading diplomats including Secretary of State John F. Kerry worked right up until their self-imposed deadline of Nov. 24 trying to reach agreement with Iran on limits to that countrys nuclear program.

But when the latest round of talks was over, they couldnt point to much in the way of progress. That is, unless you count Irans willingness to continue observing an interim agreement that has traded modest reductions in Tehrans nuclear stockpile for equally modest reductions in Western economic sanctions.

From the beginning, it had been doubtful whether Irans fiercely anti-American leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had any intention of getting to yes. The closest he came to endorsing the talks was last month, when he said he wasnt opposed to them.

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And then there was the problem of aligning the two nations agendas.

The two sides are talking past each other, John Limbert, a former U.S. diplomat in Iran, told me last week. The United States is talking about centrifuges; Iran is talking about dignity and respect. Its like a bad marriage.

Negotiations are scheduled to resume this month, but diplomats are already beginning to talk about what to do if they break down. And both sides appear preoccupied with making sure that, if there is a breakdown, the other side gets blamed.

Some members of Congress, led by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are talking about authorizing increased sanctions even before a breakdown happens.

And in Iran, demonstrators have protested U.S. offers of colonial-era deals.

Given the difficulties, its time to consider what would happen if we simply went on as we are now, renewing the interim agreement and leaving its modest bargain in place.

That wouldnt end the nuclear standoff, but it could prevent it from getting worse and spiraling into war.

Under the interim agreement, negotiated a year ago, Iran has limited its uranium enrichment to a level well below what it would need to make a nuclear bomb, has suspended work on a plutonium reactor and has allowed increased international inspections of its nuclear facilities. In exchange, the United States and its allies have relaxed economic sanctions, giving Iran access to about $7 billion per year of its frozen oil earnings.

I wouldnt lose much sleep if the interim agreement were renewed, said George Perkovich of the Carnegie Endowment. The alternatives are either harder or worse.

Hawks like Menendez will still want to increase sanctions, but theres a big obstacle to that strategy: Sanctions work only if all of Irans major trading partners participate. And thats not likely to happen unless Iran is clearly at fault for a breakdown.

But they would almost certainly buy in to maintaining the status quo. The Russians and Chinese prefer to keep the [interim agreement] in place, even if the talks are stalled, said Gary Samore, a former Obama administration official now at Harvard. Renewing the agreement comes with one more big advantage: Falling oil prices will put more pressure on Iran even without new action from Congress.

Thanks mostly to the sanctions, Irans oil revenue has plummeted from about $95 billion in 2011 to an estimated $50 billion this year. And now, if the price of oil stabilizes at its current level, Irans revenue could fall another $19 billion a year  a loss that dwarfs the $7 billion its reaping from sanctions relief.

Renewing the interim deal isnt a long-term solution to the nuclear standoff for either side. It wont give the United States and its allies all the safeguards they want, especially increased inspections of Irans facilities. And it wont give Iran all the relief from economic sanctions it seeks.

And the deal could still fall apart. That might happen if the Iranian government restarted a secret nuclear development program, or if hawks in Congress passed tougher sanctions.

But there is one compelling reason to try to extend the agreement. Were in the business of trying to buy time, Samore told the Foreign Relations Committee last week. Were in the business of trying to delay the program. We shouldnt kid ourselves that theres a permanent solution to this problem as long as the current government in Iran is in power. Whatever we do is going to be a temporary measure.

This is a case where half a deal is better than none.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus
Xiaosu is a little brother (a slang word for people who run errands) of a blood trading group, and has four bosses who are from a village in Anhui Province. They got their sphere of influence after a bloody fight with another group last year. [Iqilu.com]

The shortage in the blood supply has been plaguing hospitals in some 50 large and medium-sized cities nationwide for the past three months, Iqilu.com reported.

Amid the critical shortage of blood, some hospitals even had to cut surgeries by 80 percent, leading many desperate patients in need of blood transfusions to resort to the black market.

Reporters from Shandong Network Radio-Television Station found that the blood bank in Jiangsu Province's Suzhou City was suffering platelet shortage. The supply can only be used in matters of life and death. Patients in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University have to ask relatives and friends to donate blood if they want to receive operations quickly.

However, many patients at the hospital are not Suzhou locals and do not have many social connections there. Even for those living in the city, it can be embarrassing to ask relatives and friends to donate blood over and over again. In such context situation, blood dealers have found opportunities.

A blood dealer calling himself Laozhou told reporters that 200ml of whole blood would cost about 1,000 yuan (US$154), while two units of platelets would cost 1,200 yuan(US$185), both four or five times the prices in the hospital.

Groups of blood dealers have been hanging around the blood bank for quite some time. Each group is well organized and has claimed their spheres of influence by force.

Xiaosu is a "little brother" (a slang word for people who run errands) of a blood trading group, and has four bosses who are from a village in Anhui Province. They got their sphere of influence after a bloody fight with another group last year.

The bosses usually focus on negotiating with blood buyers, while he and several other "little brothers" are responsible for contacting blood sellers and arranging donations, Xiaosu said. They will get a blood donation certificate from the seller and give it to the buyer who can get the same amount of blood from hospital.

Blood traders pay the seller 400 yuan (US$61) for two units of platelets, but charge the buyer 1,200 yuan (US$185). In a single day, they can make more than 20 transactions like this. "Little brothers" can earn between 100,000 and 200,000 yuan (US$15,422-30,845) each year, and their bosses can make more than one million yuan (US$154,298), Xiaosu said.

Blood center's working staff said they know about the situation but can do nothing because they are not given law enforcement power.

China's law on blood donation encourages patients' family members, relatives, friends and colleagues to donate blood for mutual aid, but says it is illegal to make arrangements for another person to sell his or her blood for a patient's use.

The law also stipulates that doctors should define the relations between the donors and patients. But in reality, neither doctors nor blood banks follow it seriously.

"All you have to do is to tell them that the donor is your colleague or friend," Xiaosu said.

Taking advantage of the lack of oversight, blood dealers are making a killing from this "bloody" trade.
Remember when pundits were worried that Americans had turned isolationist? As recently as August, polls showed big majorities opposed to military intervention in Iraq, Syria or anywhere else.

But it only took a couple of beheadings by Islamic State to turn a nation of war-weary noninterventionists into an angry, warlike tribe.

In a CBS News poll last month, a massive 71% of those surveyed said they supported continued air assaults against Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Even more notable, the number of people who supported sending U.S. troops to Iraq to fight ISIS militants (which sounds like ground combat, something President Obama has said he wont do) had increased to 47%, up from 39% in September. And a big majority said they believed U.S. ground troops were needed to defeat Islamic State in the field.

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There are still a few holdouts, of course. Last week, when the president announced that he was doubling the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, Code Pink protested from the left, and former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) chimed in from the isolationist right.

But in the vast stretch of American politics in between, Obamas decision was broadly accepted on its merits.

On the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) affirmed that the militants of Islamic State have got to be defeated. On the right, hawkish Republicans including Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Obamas escalation was, if anything, too little and too late. Even Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said the military action was justified; his only complaint was that Congress hadnt authorized it.

And that suggests that if the president decides to put some U.S. forces into combat in the fight against Islamic State  now U.S. soldiers act solely as advisors  there is already considerable public support for such a move.

So what happened to all the isolationists?

It turns out that even though the public still yearns for fewer wars and less entanglement overseas, theres at least one big exception: They want a robust response to terrorist attacks against Americans.

Even when the public wants to withdraw from international engagement, if you hit us, theres a Jacksonian reflex  were going to protect ourselves, said Andrew Kohut of the Pew Research Center.

And even though Islamic State hasnt mounted any attacks outside its home ground in the Middle East, the groups rhetoric  along with its success in seizing territory and those horrifying videotaped beheadings  quickly convinced Americans that it poses a direct threat to the U.S.

In the CBS poll, 58% said they considered Islamic State a major threat to the security of the United States; 21% said they considered the group a minor threat.

Its not surprising that people are outraged by beheadings; thats appropriate, said John Mueller of Ohio State, who has long argued that public concern about terrorism has been exaggerated. But the fact that so may see ISIS as a major threat to the United States frankly amazes me.

Americans have long had a warlike streak. When presidents have made the decision to go to war, even in cases in which the enemy seemed less threatening than Islamic State, the initial public response has traditionally been support  known to scholars as the rally-'round-the-flag effect. Such patriotism doesnt always translate into support for the president, however, and it certainly hasnt this time. Even as Obama has escalated U.S. action against Islamic State, his overall standing among voters has remained stuck around the 40% mark.

In the CBS poll, the number who said they believe Obama has a clear plan for dealing with Islamic State actually declined from 35% in September to 29% at the end of last month.

That could be in part a reflection of partisan feeling in the heat of a midterm election campaign. But it also reflects a harsh reality of post-Cold War politics: Presidents dont get as much deference as they used to  even when theyre waging war.

If you go back to the Cold War era, even Jimmy Carter got a big bounce in public support during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, Kohut said. But that was a different time.

Post-Cold War presidents, by contrast, have reaped little or no political gain from going to war  even when they were far more hawkish than Obama.

George W. Bush, Obamas predecessor, was blamed for the early fiascoes of his invasion of Iraq  a taint the popularity of his second term surge strategy never erased.

His father, George H.W. Bush, won the Persian Gulf War against Iraq handily  and was turned out of office the following year.

Theres no reason to think things have changed. Obama will have to accept the cruel reality of post-Cold War politics: If the war goes badly, his standing will suffer. And even if it goes well, it wont do him much good.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus
In the late 1960s, the Rolling Stones recorded one of their classic tunes: You Cant Always Get What You Want. The songs philosophical message  to the extent Mick Jagger and Keith Richards thought about it  seemed to suggest that there are times in life when you cant get what you want (most everything). But you just might get what you need (less than everything but still pretty darn good).

Based on my years in and around Middle East negotiations, that tune pretty well summed up the approach to successful negotiations too. In every negotiation that worked, nobody got everything they wanted, no one got 100%. But they at least received what they really needed to make the deal. In short, the perfect was not allowed to become the enemy of the good.

The Stones message was clearly not on display in the talks between six world powers and Iran last week in Vienna, certainly not on the part of the Iranian negotiators and their leaders in Tehran. In these so-called P5-plus-1 talks, U.S. negotiators may have hoped that Iran was willing to conclude a deal based on needs, not wants. But Iran clearly saw matters differently and felt little pressure to do a deal now. And heres why.

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Its been evident for a good while that the negotiators in Tehran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and even President Hassan Rouhani arent running the show. No negotiator ever does. Leaders do. But for talks on truly big issues to work, negotiators and leaders need to be in sync. In this case, theyre not. The gap between what Zarif and Rouhani might have been willing to concede, particularly on Irans capacity to enrich uranium, and the red lines of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and those around him was simply too wide to make a deal.

And the negotiators clearly failed to persuade the harder line mullahs  assuming they even tried  to be more flexible or of the urgency of the situation. Irans leverage and the integrity of the entire negotiating enterprise will be much weaker, not stronger, in Washington once a Republican Congress comes into session. Paradoxically for the hard-liners, thats OK. But more pressure on Tehran probably would only convince the mullahcracy that what the U.S. really wants is regime change, not a change in behavior on the nuclear issue.

It is true that sanctions imposed by Washington, Europe and the U.N. Security Council were crucial in getting Iran to the table. But that doesnt mean economic and financial pressure is powerful enough to compel an agreement. Iran is hurting from diminished

oil sales, currency devaluation, budget deficits and banking and financial restrictions. But Irans capacity to withstand economic pain and to engage in what the supreme leader calls a resistance economy  one resistant to sanctions and outside economic pressures  is much greater than we think. No doubt hard-line security elites are also making tons of money from the black market. Tehran also has been very agile in finding loopholes and cutting oil deals with Russia and China.

Iran also has no intention of throwing away billions invested in its nuclear infrastructure. We cant underestimate how important Irans nuclear program is as a hedge against regime change and as a symbol of its great power status in the region, particularly to many hard-line conservative elites convinced that the U.S. wants the mullahs gone. The nuclear issue has become part of Irans identity. Defying the Wests effort to restrict that enterprise has become a matter of national pride and dignity. Iran may not want to weaponize now. But those in charge may well want the option to do so at some point of their choosing.

Iran isnt 10 feet tall, but the way the situation in the Middle East is playing out may have persuaded the mullahs that Irans centrality and influence in U.S. policy is increasing. There is a view that America needs Tehran to stabilize the situation in Iraq and in Syria, and to fight Islamic State militants. Indeed, Iran may actually believe that its winning, that there is less urgency to settle the nuclear issue now and much more incentive to not give in, and hope to gain more.

Finally, reaching an agreement in an environment in which the negotiators may have come to like and trust one another but the leaders do not is no easy matter. The domestic politics on each side allows little room for giving the benefit of the doubt. And from Irans perspective that means getting paid upfront with serious sanctions relief, not to be put on some kind of probation. Irans past and probably current cheating on nuclear matters, however, means that Washington has almost no flexibility when it comes to sanctions relief and will have even less with a Republican-controlled Congress.

Put all of this together and extending the talks for seven months becomes the least bad option, at least from the negotiators perspective.

So is a deal going to be possible next year? As Secretary of State John F. Kerry said in a news conference last week, its hard to imagine that time is going to make tough issues easier to resolve. Iran cant continue on its merry way to becoming a nuclear threshold state and expect serious sanctions relief. Right now, Iran isnt prepared to make a choice. Will it in coming months? Thats not at all clear, but one thing is. Im pretty sure the supreme leader isnt a Rolling Stones fan.

Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, served as a Middle East negotiator in Republican and Democratic administrations. He is the author of The End of Greatness: Why America Cant Have (and Doesnt Want) Another Great President.Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
For opponents of the death penalty, this has been something of a heartening year. The country is on a pace for its fewest executions since 1994, and although public support for the death penalty remains at a stubborn majority, high-profile exonerations and botched executions have led to new calls for its abolition. And with states finding it increasingly difficult to procure the drugs needed for executions, states are carrying out fewer executions  with the exception of Missouri.

There also have been some notable legal opinions and public comments that emanated from various appeals and challenges to the system. Here are a few that were especially poignant in condemning the nations acceptance of vengeance for justice, and of embracing a legal process too easily gamed by prosecutors to be reliable. In fact, one notable study this year found that at least 4% of those on death rows around the country are likely innocent of the crimes for which they could die.

Some quotes and observations fromt he past year:

For all practical purposes then, a sentence of death in California is a sentence of life imprisonment with the remote possibility of death  a sentence no rational legislature or jury could ever impose.

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Of course, for an arbitrarily selected few of the 748 inmates currently on Death Row, that remote possibility may well be realized. Yet their selection for execution will not depend on whether their crime was one of passion or of premeditation, on whether they killed one person or ten, or on any other proxy for the relative penological value that will be achieved by executing that inmate over any other. Nor will it even depend on the perhaps neutral criterion of executing inmates in the order in which they arrived on Death Row. Rather, it will depend upon a factor largely outside an inmates control, and wholly divorced from the penological purposes the State sought to achieve by sentencing him to death in the first instance: how quickly the inmate proceeds through the states dysfunctional post-conviction review process.

U.S. District Court Judge Cormac J. Carney, in a July 16 ruling that found Californias death penalty system to be unconstitutional (the state is appealing)

The overwhelming majority of those facing execution today have what the court termed in Hall to be diminished culpability. Severe functional deficits are the rule, not the exception, among the individuals who populate the nations death rows. A new study by Robert J. Smith, Sophie Cull and Zoe Robinson, published in Hastings Law Journal, of the social histories of 100 people executed during 2012 and 2013 showed that the vast majority of executed offenders suffered from one or more significant cognitive and behavioral deficits.

As the execution of Elroy Chester, John Ferguson, Daniel Cook and many more like them illustrates, barring the death penalty for intellectually disabled and juvenile offenders did not solve the death penaltys dignity problem. Rather, those cases gave us cause to look more closely at the people whom we execute. And when you look closely, what you find is that the practice of the death penalty and the commitment to human dignity are not compatible.

--Charles J. Ogletree Jr., Harvard Law School professor

Then at 2:05, Woods mouth opened. Three minutes later it opened again, and his chest moved as if he had burped. Then two minutes again, and again, the mouth open wider and wider. Then it didnt stop.

He gulped like a fish on land. The movement was like a piston: The mouth opened, the chest rose, the stomach convulsed. And when the doctor came in to check on his consciousness and turned on the microphone to announce that Wood was still sedated, we could hear the sound he was making: a snoring, sucking, similar to when a swimming-pool filter starts taking in air, a louder noise than I can imitate, though I have tried.

It was death by apnea. And it went on for an hour and a half. I made a pencil stroke on a pad of paper, each time his mouth opened, and ticked off more than 640, which was not all of them, because the doctor came in at least four times and blocked my view.

I turned to my friend Troy Hayden, the anchor and reporter from Fox 10 News, who was sitting next to me. Troy and I witnessed another execution together in 2007, and he had seen one before that, so he also knows what it looks like.

I dont think hes going to die, I said.

Michael Kiefer, Arizona Republic reporter who witnessed the botched, nearly two-hour execution of Joseph Woods

When youre talking about the ultimate penalty, when youre talking about the state taking someones life, there has to be a great deal of flexibility within the system to deal with things like deadlines. There is always a need for finality in the system, that is a good thing. But there has to be enough flexibility so that you can look at the substance of a claim, especially when the death penalty is at stake. If you rely on process to deny what could be a substantive claim, I worry about where that will lead us.

I disagree very much with Justice Scalias certitude that we have never put to death an innocent person. Its one of the reasons why I personally am opposed to the death penalty. We have the greatest judicial system in the world, but at the end of the day its made up of men and women making decisions, tough decisions. Men and women who are dedicated, but dedicated men and women can make mistakes. And I find it hard to believe that in our history that has not happened.

Eric H. Holder Jr., U.S. attorney general

Its terrifying that our justice system allowed two intellectually disabled children to go to prison for a crime they had nothing to do with, and then to suffer there for 30 years. Henry watched dozens of people be hauled away for execution. Its impossible to put into words what these men have been through and how much they have lost.

Ken Rose, lawyer for half-brothers Henry McCollum and Leon Brown of North Carolina, who were released after more than 30 years in prison for a murder they did not commit.

I just thank God that Im out of this place. I knew one day that I was going to be blessed to get out of prison, I just didnt know when that time was going to be.They took 30 years away from me for no reason, but I dont hate them. I dont hate them one bit.

Henry McCollum upon leaving prison

Florida seeks to execute a man because he scored a 71 instead of 70 on an IQ test. Florida is one of just a few States to have this rigid rule. Floridas rule misconstrues the Courts in Atkins that intellectually disability is characterized by an IQ of approximately 70. Floridas rule is in direct opposition to the views of those who design, administer, and interpret the IQ test. By failing to take into account the standard error of measurement, Floridas law not only contradicts the tests own design but also bars an essential part of a sentencing courts inquiry into adaptive functioning. Freddie Lee Hall may or may not be intellectually disabled, but the law requires that he have the opportunity to present evidence of his intellectual disability, including deficits in adaptive functioning over his lifetime.

The death penalty is the gravest sentence our society may impose. Persons facing that most severe sanction must have a fair opportunity to show that the Constitution prohibits their execution. Floridas law contravenes our Nations commitment to dignity and its duty to teach human decency as the mark of a civilized world. The States are laboratories for experimentation, but those experiments may not deny the basic dignity the Constitution protects.

Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in Hall vs. Florida

To this day, Mr. Panetti hears voices and experiences delusions. Chief among his delusions is the belief that the State of Texas seeks to kill him to prevent him from preaching the Gospel to his fellow inmates on Texas death row and from exposing rampant corruption at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He cannot rationally understand that he is being executed for the murder of his wifes parents. 

Seven years have now elapsed since mental health experts last evaluated Mr. Panetti. During that time, no cure has been discovered for schizophrenia, and Mr. Panettis mental condition continues to decline. Texas rush to execute Mr. Panetti is unseemly. Undersigned counsel, who have represented Mr. Panetti for nearly a decade, became aware of Mr. Panettis current execution date only after a newspaper article appeared in the Houston Chronicle on October 30, 2014. Only then did counsel discover that the State had issued the Execution Warrant two weeks earlier, on October 16, 2014. The States failure to provide counsel with any notice in a case of this magnitude, where compelling questions of sanity and competency remain at issue, is unconscionable.

Kathryn M. Kade and Gregory W. Wiercioch, Scott Panettis attorneys, in a filing seeking clemency before his scheduled Dec. 3 execution in Texas. A federal appeals court has stayed the execution.



MORE YEAR IN REVIEW:

Top 10 feminist fiascoes of 2014

The biggest privacy outrages in 2014

Ted Ralls 10 most popular cartoons in 2014

10 ways Pope Francis earned our respect in 2014

With friends like these, who needed enemies in 2014?

10 tips for a better life from The Times 2014 Op-Ed pages

Good riddance! What Patt Morrison wont miss from 2014

Four ways the 405 freeway project has not made your life better

Whats the best approach to weight loss? Ten 2014 studies to note

2014 was a banner year for politicians behaving badly: 6 rich examples

Follow Scott Martelle on Twitter @smartelle.


So what should a state do when its executions run into trouble? If youre Ohio, apparently you try to cloak the process in secrecy.

Ohio  like Missouri, Oklahoma and a few other states  has had trouble killing people. Among the issues: It is getting harder and harder to procure the drugs used in executions because the manufacturers  many European-based  refuse to sell products that were designed to help the sick to prisons that they know will use them in executions.

Other death penalty states have already enacted laws that make it illegal to identify the source of execution drugs, as well as the identities of those involved in the execution itself. Several death row inmates have protested, arguing that if the state that wants to kill them keeps secret the drugs and sources it will use, then its impossible to determine whether the execution would violate the 8th Amendment proscription against cruel and unusual punishment.

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But a law working its way through the Ohio legislature goes a step further and voids provisions in contracts between domestic buyers and European manufacturers that limit the ultimate destination and use of the drugs, and provides cover from state medical board disciplinary action for medical personnel who back the states execution protocol. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Society of Professional Journalists have objected, and for good reason. Government actions  particularly the abhorrent practice of killing its own citizens  should be as transparent as possible. Secret executions are the stuff of totalitarian regimes, not modern democracies.

Ohios executions are already on hold until January under a federal court order as the state tries to figure out how to revise its protocol to avoid a repeat of the anguished death of Dennis McGuire early in the year. Oklahoma also botched the execution of Clayton Lockett, who writhed in pain before the procedure was stopped, though enough of the drugs were injected to eventually kill him (state officials initially said he died of a heart attack). The governor has since declared a moratorium until the state can establish a better protocol. And neither of those experiences affected Arizonas execution of Joseph Rudolph Wood III, which didnt go as planned, either: It took 15 separate injections.

No wonder the states want to conduct these executions under as much secrecy as they can.

Missouri, which is pressing on with a record pace of executions this year, even as the national pace has declined, is being sued by news organizations and the ACLU over its secrecy. Oklahoma is being sued as well after it pulled a curtain to hide the execution chamber from witnesses as Lockett writhed in pain.

As if these maneuvers arent absurd enough, Texas intends on Dec. 3 to kill a paranoid schizophrenic man who thinks his looming execution is part of a Satanic conspiracy to preclude him from preaching the gospel. (God, he believes, has already forgiven him for the murders he committed.) The state is moving forward despite wide condemnations  including from the European Union  and appeals for clemency.

And then theres the long string of cases the new Marshall Project site wrote about in which condemned prisoners have lost shots at habeas corpus apeals because their lawyers missed filing deadlines.

Meanwhile, Missouri could be about to notch another execution. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a motion for a stay of execution for Leon Taylor, set to die early Wednesday barring intervention by the Supreme Court. The appellate ruling was not unanimous, and the dissent by Judge Kermit Bye is worth digesting.

It is the role of the courts  not Missouri  to review the constitutionality of Missouris execution protocol. In light of Missouris documented determination to execute its death row inmates, sometimes before federal courts complete their review of the constitutionality of Missouris intended actions... this court should be skeptical of Missouris desire and ability, or lack thereof, to be critical and objective in considering the source and efficacy of its compounded pentobarbital. Thus, as I have stated before, we should review Missouris assurances with intense judicial scrutiny.

Citizens should view the entire sick process with deep skepticism about its reliability, its arbitrary applications, and whether justice can ever be served through the killing of another human being. This system is a stain on our national soul.

Follow Scott Martelle on Twitter @smartelle.
Sharing the heartrending stories of families torn apart because of immigration laws -- as Orange Is the New Black actor Diane Guerrero did in The Times this weekend -- has a better chance of softening hardliners enough to get a reform bill passed in Washington than dispassionate appeals to economics, fairness or anything else that obscures the very real lives hanging in the balance.

Or so the thinking goes.

If letters to The Times are any indication of broader public opinion, immigrants and their supporters who hope to stir public sympathy by putting a human face on the issue have their work cut out for them. So far, the letters responding to the piece by Guerrero -- who tells of coming home from school one day as a 14-year-old to find that her Colombian parents had been swept up by immigration officers and would eventually go on to be deported -- express little sympathy for the actress or others whose families face similar circumstances.

Their point: Guerreros parents broke the law, full stop. To them, that fact trumps any tear-jerking tales of family trauma.

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Here is a selection of the letters were received so far. Some may appear in print later this week.

Stephanie Caldera of Palmdale says Guerrero may have done well growing up in Colombia:

Guerrero states that families are being destroyed everyday due to their own bad choices. If someone doesnt want to be deported, then she shouldnt violate the immigration laws as laid out in Title 8 of the United States Code. Immigrants here illegally shouldnt have committed the violation if they were not willing to accept the consequences.

If Guerreros parents did not want to have missed many important events in my life and if keeping their family together was so important, why didnt her parents bring her back to Colombia to be with them? Guerrero could have become a Colombian citizen with dual nationality. She probably would have had the same opportunity to go to school and become an actress.

If you are breaking the law, then there should be penalties. I dont think people in these cases should blame the government, because the presidents job is to implement and enforce laws.

Beverly Hills resident Jeanne Mount says people like Guerrero and her parents need an attitude adjustment:

Guerrero wants desperately to be reunited with parents. Apparently, those parents didnt make arrangements for her to be taken care of in the likely event of their deportation.

What she needs is to visit a real womens prison and talk to the citizen inmates about the family lives they had. Better still, she could visit with some of the citizen children in foster homes and ask them how they like it.

The system is not what needs fixing -- its the attitudes of those who want to game and abuse the system that needs fixing.

P.J. Gendell of Beverly Hills makes the slippery-slope argument:

With all due respect to Guerrero, why should her family have been allowed to illegally enter and stay in the U.S. when so many others are waiting in line to do it legally?

If keeping families together is so important, why didnt her family take her with them when they were deported? If Guerreros family should have been allowed to enter and stay in the USA illegally, why shouldnt a million, 10 million or 100 million equally desiring people be allowed to do the same?

Sending a criminal to prison separates him from his family and hurts those left behind. Is Guerrero suggesting we dont apply the law to all criminals, or just not apply it to those who break our immigration laws?

Whittier resident Marty Wilson offers sympathy, but with a caveat:

I am all for immigration reform and sympathetic to families that have been divided. I also am aware that this is not a unique situation for undocumented immigrants. There are many families divided and many children who dont have parents who are there for proms and graduations.

Guerrero acknowledges that she was fortunate to become successful in this country of opportunity. She states that keeping families together is a core American value. I would suggest that this belief is one that the individual has the most control over and obligation to.

Immigration reform is vital and should be fair -- but individual actions do have consequences.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
The Times meditations over the last several weeks on what U.S. citizenship means in the 21st century -- exploring topics such as dual nationality, byzantine immigration laws, permanent residency versus citizenship and, most recently, English proficiency -- have elicited mostly thoughtful, measured responses from readers.

I note this from the outset because strident, reactionary rhetoric is a defining characteristic of the national debate on immigration, and the letters and online comments we receive typically reflect that. This isnt entirely discouraging: From my vantage point as someone who spends several hours each day reading and editing letters and interacting with Times readers, its obvious that members of the public feel personally vested in the outcome of immigration policy making.

But theres still plenty to be discouraged about when public frenzy prevents busloads of migrant women and children who had entered the country illegally from being processed or calcifies the legislative process so badly that a reform bill passed by a bipartisan majority in the Senate last year needlessly gets held up in the House.

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In light of that, the letters responding to our editorials and Op-Ed articles on citizenship provide hopeful reminders that this discussion is still worth having. The most recent editorial in the series, opposing making English the nations official language but supporting efforts to make immigrants proficient, has so far drawn especially thoughtful responses from immigrants and natural-born Americans alike. Several letters draw connections between the values expressed in the editorial and local policy issues (the first letter below is a prime example).

Here are several of those letters, some of which may be published in print later this week.

Jill Gluck of West Hollywood laments cuts to the adult education programs that help immigrants learn English:

Thank you for your editorial, English for Americans: Encouraged but not required. The conclusion that more adult education is one solution to the language problem is right on.

As an adult educator in the Los Angeles Unified School District for the last 28 years, I have seen the flip side of the argument that immigrants dont want to learn English. Daily in schools across this city, thousands of immigrants find the time between working long hours, raising a family and dealing with transportation, economic and health issues to come to school and learn English.

That the LAUSD has decimated the adult education program in the last few years does nothing to help integrate this population -- more often legal than not -- into our society. The realization that speaking English not only helps the economy of our city (and country) but also improves the education of the children of immigrants, eventually affecting us all, is paramount to solving this problem.

We educators cannot lose hope that the powers that be will finally grasp this connection and move us toward a system that recognizes the vital role English plays in this society and that all who live here, regardless of age or legal status, should have access to education that supports and promotes the development of proficient language skills.

Los Angeles resident Liz Cohen encourages those concerned about English proficiency to do something about it:

Certainly I have no answers to the challenge of encouraging immigrants to learn English. But my little assistance has been to arrange a Conversational English participatory class, where people for whom English is a second or third language can come for an hour and practice their English.

Since its held at a senior center, the participants are over 55 or so, but they are hard workers, having already mastered the challenge of living in a new country, speaking a new language and understanding and abiding by new customs. Perhaps more people could offer an opportunity to those who need such a place to practice rather than complaining about the lack of capability.

Daniel Cano of Los Angeles, an English professor at Santa Monica College, says not all American heroes spoke perfect English:

Equating ones American-ness with speaking English well enough to read the Declaration of Independence is not only disingenuous but insulting to the thousands of Americans who served, and serve, in this countrys armed forces.

Tell the Navajo code talkers that because of their less than stellar English abilities, they are not Americans. Without their Dine language, the war in the Pacific would have taken many more American lives than it did.

And how about Guy Louis Gabaldon, an East L.A. boy, raised and taught Japanese by an Issei family in Bellflower? On Saipan, after numerous forays alone into enemy territory, Gabaldon convinced a dispirited enemy to surrender. Gabaldon has been credited with capturing, single-handedly, more than 1,000 Japanese soldiers, for which he received a Silver Star.

When speaking of whom is an American, too many fail to take into account those men and women who offered the U.S. the ultimate sacrifice: their lives, regardless of the language they spoke.

North Hollywood resident Stephany Yablow says we shouldnt coddle non-English speakers:

I arrived in America speaking not a word of English. I became fluent and proficient within one year. How? I was immersed in the language. I did not take an English as a Second Language class, and there was no bilingual education.

Why should any immigrant seek to become proficient in English when the DMV handbook is available in at least 10 different languages, when you can order replacement trash bins in several languages, when interpreters are provided in government and medical facilities, and when you can even vote in your native tongue? If none of this was made available, immigrants would have no choice but to learn English.

Chamba Sanchez of Silver Lake says a lack of desire to learn English isnt the problem:

The American Dream can only be dreamed in English, I heard someone once say back in the 1990s. As an immigrant, I have experienced the benefits of being proficient in the English language. I encourage my immigrant relatives and friends to make an effort to learn it.

I think collectively our community will be better off if most of our immigrant members can become proficient in the English language. It is good for them and it is good for our democracy.

I have yet to meet an immigrant who wouldnt like to speak and write English. Thus, we should make adequate investments in our immigrant community and advocate for funding ESL classes.

This is part of an ongoing conversation exploring the meaning of citizenship in America today. For more, join us at latimes.com/citizenship and #21stCenturyCitizen. Wed love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, rebuttals and experiences with us at letters@latimes.com.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
Lets be honest: When a woman bares her breasts for public viewing, shes doing it for one reason: because she wants the public to view her breasts.

That means you, Keira Knightley.

The 29-year-old actress announced, in an interview with the U.K. Times, that she allowed herself to be photographed bare-breasted for the September cover of Interview magazine as a form of protest against what she called media manipulation of womens bodies. She agreed to the topless shot only on condition that the magazine not Photoshop or otherwise retouch the image. I think womens bodies are a battleground and photography is partly to blame, she told the Times.

So high-minded of you, Ms. Knightley. Its impossible not to notice, though, that Knightleys social-protest pronunciamentos were nicely timed to coincide with the pending release of her new movie, The Imitation Game, due in theaters later this month. Its also impossible to notice that  ahem -- Knightley looks fantastic on that cover.

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Baring ones breasts to make a statement is all the rage these days. Comedian Chelsea Handler posted a photo on Instagram of her topless self astride a horse to make the point that if Vladimir Putin can ride shirtless, so can she. (Instagram removed the photo, but Handler quickly reposted it on Twitter.) Jennifer Lawrence appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair looking nearly naked while arguing in the magazine that hacking her private nude photos were akin to a sex crime. And then there are those nurse-ins, where mothers descend on establishments with their babies and strip to the waist to defend their right to breastfeed in public.

All this is cheerleaded along by feminist commentators. Jessica Valenti wrote this on Monday for the U.K. Guardian:

Willingly baring it all is a bold move at a time when so many people see the naked bodies of women, famous and otherwise, without permission. So if 2014 ends up the year of the breast, it will be because women made it happen on their terms. Theyre making clear that their breasts, or lack thereof, are not public property  that our body parts are just that: one part of who we are and how we experience the world.

Because nothing says My breasts are not public property so clearly as making your breasts public property by letting everybody look at them.

The case of Keira Knightley is especially absurd. Knightley is apparently still smarting over a digital enhancement of the poster image of her for 2004s King Arthur, in which she played Guinevere.

And this isnt the first time that Knightley has made up for that 10-year-old outrage by taking it all off for a camera. In 2006 she posed in the buff for the cover of Vanity Fair along with an equally nude Scarlett Johansson. Perhaps Knightleys aim then was also to protest that fact that photographers -- in this case Annie Leibovitz -- manipulate womens bodies.

So please, come clean: Youre exposing your breasts in public because you think you look great that way and you want people to look at you.

Forget those flimsy fig leaves of moral justification.

Charlotte Allen writes frequently about feminism, politics and religion. Follow her on Twitter @MeanCharlotte.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
Of course, there are political missteps, stupid statements and flat-out corruption every year. But 2014 was a banner year for bad behavior by elected officials, particularly in California. This list includes politicians-turned-defendants, a few allegations and more than one faux pas that made us cringe.

Money cant buy love

(Steve Helber / AP)

Steve Helber / Associated Press

The public corruption trial of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, was probably the most tawdry display of the year. The couple were accused of using the office and their influence to help a Florida health-supplement manufacturer, who gave them $177,000 in cash, loans and gifts, including vacations, the use of a boat and a Ferrari, and $25,000 in wedding presents for two of their daughters. Even worse, McDonnell tried to put the blame on Maureen, using the Crazy Wife defense and outlining her emotional problems. It didnt work. They were convicted in September.

Gun trafficking for campaign cash?

(Ben Margot / AP)

Ben Margot / Associated Press

We all know it takes a lot of money to run for public office, but federal prosecutors say California state Sen. Leland Yee was so desperate for campaign cash that he offered to help undercover agents procure military-style rifles and rocket launchers. "Do I think we can make some money? I think we can make some money," Yee told the agent, according to the indictment. "Do I think we can get the goods? I think we can get the goods." Yee pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.

A mayoral F-bomb

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

There was nothing criminal about Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcettis decision to drop the F-word on live television during the Kings Stanley Cup victory celebration, but it was definitely cringe-worthy. The mayor, clutching a Bud Light, told the crowd: "They say never, ever be pictured with a drink in your hand and never swear. But this is a big [obscenity] day."

Nobody here but us tumbleweeds

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

With one off-the-cuff remark to columnist George Skelton, state Sen. Kevin De Leon (now Senate president pro tem) managed to alienate a vast swath of California. De Leon was questioning the decision to start construction of high-speed rail in the Central Valley -- home to 6.5 million people and three major cities -- which he described as the middle of nowhere and just tumbleweeds. The local newspapers took him to task and De Leon, wisely, sought to make amends with an apology tour through the valley, complete with a humble pie (actually peach) that he took and ate with the Fresno Bee editorial board.

Just keep cool

(Wilfredo Lee / AP)

Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press

In what may have been one of the weirdest gubernatorial debates ever televised, Florida Gov. Rick Scott initially refused to go on stage and debate his challenger, former Gov. Charlie Crist, because Crist had a fan beneath his podium. Scott eventually came out  seven minutes after the debate went live. But fangate didnt hurt Scott too much. He was reelected.

Note to politicians: Never threaten when the camera is rolling

(Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Sure, its hard to stand out from the crowd in Congress. But Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican who represents Staten Island and other parts of New York City, managed to make a name for himself in the worst way possible. When a reporter from the NY1 channel, who was interviewing Grimm after the State of the Union speech, asked about allegations of campaign finance violations, the congressman initially stormed off. Then, with the camera still rolling, Grimm returned to threaten the reporter.

"If you ever do that to me again, I'll throw you off this  balcony," Grimm said, while standing next to a railing. After an exchange of words, Grimm added: "You're not man enough. I'll break you in half. Like a boy."

Grimm was indicted a few months later on federal fraud and tax charges. Despite it all, he managed to win the begrudging endorsements of New York City newspapers including the Daily News, which wrote, The Democrats have fielded a candidate so dumb, ill-informed, evasive and inarticulate that voting for a thuggish Republican who could wind up in a prison jumpsuit starts to make rational sense.

For more opinions, follow me @kerrycavan

MORE YEAR IN REVIEW:



Top 10 feminist fiascoes of 2014

The biggest privacy outrages in 2014

Ted Rall's 10 most popular cartoons in 2014

10 ways Pope Francis earned our respect in 2014

Good riddance! What Patt Morrison won't miss from 2014

This year's most poignant condemnations of the death penalty



Four ways the 405 freeway project has not made your life better

What's the best approach to weight loss? Ten 2014 studies to note
The next chapter is in on Rolling Stones explosive A Rape on Campus, by Sabrina Rubin Erdely.

In a Note to Rolling Stone Readers posted today on the Rolling Stone website, the magazines managing editor, Will Dana, at first frames the article as he must have hoped it would have been read: As a description of a brutal gang rape and the University of Virginias troubling history of indifference to many other instances of alleged sexual assaults.

Then he explains, in more detail than the original article did, its reportorial underpinnings:

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Because of the sensitive nature of Jackies story, we decided to honor her request not to contact the man she claimed orchestrated the attack on her nor any of the men she claimed participated in the attack for fear of retaliation against her. In the months Erdely spent reporting the story, Jackie neither said nor did anything that made Erdely, or Rolling Stones editors and fact-checkers, question Jackies credibility.

Next, a walk back:

In the face of new information, there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackies account, and we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced. 

The discrepancies arent spelled out but you can read more about that in the Washington Post.

Is Rolling Stones note sufficient? Its a step in the right direction, says Los Angeles Times columnist Jonah Goldberg, who doubted the veracity of Jackies story in his column, Rolling Stone rape story sends shock waves -- and stretches credulity, on Tuesday.

I understand why much of the debate has been focusing on journalistic ethics and procedures. But it has struck me as a sideshow. Yes, Erdely should have contacted the alleged rapists. But I can sympathize with her reasons for not wanting to. In fact, I can imagine a situation where that would be the right call. What kind of situation? Well, one where you had actual independent corroboration of the crime. If you dont want to talk to the alleged perps, thats all the more reason to nail down the story a different way. Instead, Erdely and her editors were so determined to find exactly what they were looking for, they took the word of one young woman and the say-so of a handful of activists as a substitute for proof.

In other words, the real problem isnt that they failed to contact the accused. The problem is that they were handed on a silver platter a story that was too good to corroborate. The fact that they didnt try  or at least didnt try hard enough -- to confirm it independently isnt Rolling Stones real crime, its evidence of it.

In her Times column on Thursday, The University of Virginia rape Rorschach test, Meghan Daum made it clear that murkiness in stories like Jackies only adds to an undercurrent of suspicion that, unfortunately, continues to dominate many conversations about rape. She finds the Rolling Stone note disappointing.

It essentially takes the onus off of the magazines journalistic practices and puts the blame squarely on Jackie herself. In 24 hours, the editors and the reporter have gone from we found Jackie to be entirely credible and courageous and we are proud to have given her disturbing story the attention it deserves to we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced. We obviously dont know enough about Jackie and the full story yet, but it appears the magazine was too hungry for a sensational story to put the brakes on -- even when it became clear that this was a single source story. It sounds a lot like blaming the victim, which is pretty ironic.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
In his recent column questioning allegations of brutal rape at a University of Virginia fraternity, Jonah Goldberg made clear -- though he didnt say explicitly -- that he has never been in a fraternity. In fact, some quick research shows that his alma mater has not had any Greek presence on its campus for decades.

So its interesting to me, a recent college grad and alumna of a co-ed fraternity, that Goldberg feels he has such authority to discuss the veracity of Rolling Stones widely read account of a female student who tells of her systematic and brutal gang rape by seven men at the universitys Phi Kappa Psi chapter.

Goldberg raises questions about the rape survivors account that range from offhand (how did she know there were seven if the room was pitch black?) to naive: The nicknames she hears -- Armpit and Blanket -- sound bizarre, even by fraternity standards.

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Goldbergs dumbfoundedness is understandable. I thought it was pretty strange when I was given the pledge name Sebastian and placed on the mustache branch of the Galilean family in my fraternity. Other members of my organization had names like Glenn Cocoa and Huff. I can see why someone who knows nothing about the naming ceremonies of Greek organizations would find these whimsical handles odd.

Goldberg further shows his lack of familiarity with the problem of college rape when he calls the victims friends the worst ... imaginable for not immediately reporting her brutal assault. Here, Goldberg fails to appreciate the very real fear of being chastised for reporting a rape. Im not saying that the friends were right in not reporting it, and Im not making a judgment on whether or not the assault happened. But its clear that Goldbergs cultural distance from modern campus life and disregard of the social consequences of reporting an assault render him inadequate to judge the veracity of a rape allegation.

Sadly, Goldbergs piece is the type of ill-informed berating that makes victims of sexual assault afraid to come forward in the first place.

He evidently finds it hard to believe that seven young men not under the influence of drugs or alcohol would plan to rape a young woman and actually carry out such a heinous act. I have spent countless nights in deep conversation with friends who have been raped and have interviewed victims of sexual assault; I can assure Goldberg that people dont have to be drunk to be rapists.

Remarkably, Goldberg refers to the rape epidemic -- yes, in scare quotes -- and criticizes the media for including this story in a broader discussion of what he thinks are questionable sexual assault statistics. Goldbergs skepticism wont prevent any campus rapes; what it risks doing, however, is to further discourage people from coming forward about their sexual assault.

The column ends with a call to the media to independently corroborate the Rolling Stone story. Goldberg is a columnist for a major newspaper and a nationally prominent commentator; he can sate his journalistic curiosity himself.

Diana Crandall is a masters candidate at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism.

This piece is part of Blowback, our online forum for rebuttals to The Times. If you would like to write a full-length response to a recent Times article, editorial or Op-Ed and would like to participate in Blowback, here are our FAQs and submission policy.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion
Just days after Baidu chief executive Robin Li said the company had "an excellent start to 2016," its public image has taken a huge battering.

The online community is questioning Baidu's ethics after certain aspects of its business model seem to value monetary gain over the welfare of its users.

Back in January, the Chinese-language online community was outraged when it was revealed that the multi-billion dollar company had sold the management rights to a hemophilia forum to dubious for-profit "medics." These "health practitioners" flooded the forum with fake adverts, and deleted any comments that called them out on their behavior.

Baidu, which prides itself on "connecting users with the information they want and need," sells highlighted or higher ranked ad positions for keyword searches. This is a common model used by many search engines, however, and herein is the problem, there seems to be little consideration of the credentials of the paying advertisers.

Thus, the search engine routinely returns results that boast cures and treatments to almost all kinds of illnesses.

This "pay to play" model reared its ugly head again just days after Li's comments.

Wei Zexi, a former computer science major at Xidian University in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, used Baidu to find a treatment for a rare form of cancer that he had been diagnosed with in 2014. The treatment cost the Wei family hundreds of thousands of yuan. It was unsuccessful. Wei died on April 12.

There has yet to be an administrative or legal case filed against Baidu, but netizens are, once again, infuriated with its continued complicity in misinforming users on medical matters.

As Chinese netizens -- the ultimate source of Baidu's revenue -- roar with anger, the response from the Internet giant, as in January' s hemophilia scandal, has been -- forgive our bluntness -- dumb.

It is widely believed that those involved in the search business should not rank its returned results just upon who pays more or less.

Mr. Li can talk all he wants about how his company connects users with information, but from where we are standing, there seems to be a massive and growing disconnect between Baidu and its corporate social responsibility.
Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday, capping a steep fall from grace for a consummate backroom dealer who wielded power for over two decades.

A stern Judge Valerie Caproni announced the sentence months after the 72-year-old Manhattan Democrat was convicted in a $5-million corruption case.

She also imposed a $1.75-million fine and a $5.3-million forfeiture.

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The conviction represented a stunning plunge for a man who was one of the states three most powerful political figures for two decades. It was more pronounced given the conviction at a separate trial of his former Senate counterpart  Republican ex-Majority Leader Dean Skelos. Skelos was found guilty of using his position to arrange payments and a job for his son.

Silver and Skelos made up two of the three men in a room who controlled state government, and their cases produced marquee convictions in Manhattan U.S. Atty. Preet Bhararas ongoing quest to clean up a state government he has called a cauldron of corruption. More than 30 other state lawmakers have left office under a cloud of criminal or ethical allegations since 2000.

The third man in the room, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, promised sweeping reforms to New Yorks anti-corruption laws after last years convictions. But so far, there has been no significant action.

Bharara also is investigating Cuomos office, looking into potential conflicts of interest and improper bidding in a signature state economic development program in Buffalo. The prosecutor also is examining consulting work done by one of Cuomos former top aides in 2014, when the aide spent eight months on leave. In response, Cuomos administration is conducting an internal review.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

The gray-haired, bespectacled Silver was first elected in 1976 and served as speaker for 21 years, becoming the classic Albany insider with the power to control bills and state spending single-handedly in backroom negotiations. Known for his often inscrutable comments and wary, phlegmatic demeanor, Silver gained the nickname the Sphinx.

Prosecutors had asked Caproni to sentence Silver to well over a decade in prison while defense lawyers requested leniency, citing his age, health and good deeds including efforts to improve lives after the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Sandy.

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Donald Trump stormed to victory in the Indiana primary Tuesday, chasing Ted Cruz from the race and virtually locking down the Republican presidential nomination despite the strong misgivings of many in the party who fear a November rout.

Its over, GOP strategist Curt Anderson said even before Cruz formally ended his campaign. Done. Finished.

Cruz acknowledged as much less than two hours after Indiana polls closed, as Trump seized a big lead he never relinquished.

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Joined onstage by his family at a vintage railway station in downtown Indianapolis, with many of his top aides in the crowd, a downcast Cruz announced he would not fight the inevitable.

We left it all on the field in Indiana; we gave it everything weve got  but the voters chose another path, Cruz said. With a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign.

He made no mention of supporting Trump, reflecting a deep schism among Republicans that shows no signs of healing anytime soon.

The party chairman, Reince Priebus, declared Trump the presumptive nominee, even though Ohio Gov. John Kasich remains in the race and pledged Tuesday night to fight on.

We all need to unite and focus on defeating Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, Priebus said on Twitter.

No, that wont be happening, shot back Tony Fratto, a GOP consultant and former deputy press secretary to President George W. Bush. But well try to save the Senate.

Critics of Trump insisted they were not yet giving up efforts to thwart his nomination and force a contested convention this summer in Cleveland.

Well assess what a two-man race looks like, and well see what Trump does the next couple weeks, said Rob Stutzman, a Sacramento-based strategist helping lead an anti-Trump political action committee focused on Californias June 7 primary.

For his part, Trump was gracious and uncharacteristically subdued as he assumed the role of nominee-in-waiting, becoming the first political outsider to seize control of a major party in several generations.

He praised Cruz, whom he derided throughout the campaign as Lyin Ted, as a tough, smart guy and one hell of a competitor.

Were going after Hillary Clinton, he told supporters gathered in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan.

She will not be a great president, he said. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president. She doesnt understand trade.

For the third week in a row, following a string of landslide primary wins across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, the outcome Tuesday was clear the instant polls closed.

Of all his recent victories, Trumps showing in Indiana was the most significant; the Midwest was a region where the Manhattan real estate magnate had struggled, and the state  moderately conservative, with a stolid sensibility  was viewed by many as the last best chance for Trumps opponents to slow his steamrolling campaign.

Cruz also enjoyed advantages he lacked in other states, including the endorsement, albeit lukewarm, of Gov. Mike Pence, and millions of dollars in advertising from independent groups working against Trump.

A victory, Trump repeatedly told audiences, would close out the long, raucous fight for the GOP nomination. If we win Indiana, its over, he told a crowd Sunday in Terre Haute.

There are five weeks left in the primary season, and Trump cannot win all the delegates needed for the nomination until California and four other states vote June 7.

Still, the outcome seems nothing short of preordained, with Kasich a vast distance behind Trump in both the popular vote and delegate count after winning nowhere but his home state.

This cake is baked, said Charlie Cook, an independent campaign analyst and publisher of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. California and the  remaining states will just be the icing on the cake for Donald Trump.

The margin of Trumps win in Indiana was bigger than expected in a state once perceived as toss-up. With almost all of the votes counted, Trump was leading Cruz, 53% to 37%, suggesting he will win most, if not all, of Indianas 57 delegates under its winner-takes-most system.

Entering the day, the Republican front-runner had 996 of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination. Cruz and Kasich trailed far behind, with 565 and 153 delegates, respectively.

Over the last two weeks, Cruz made a series of moves that signaled his increasing desperation and the dwindling odds of his overtaking the Republican front-runner.

He formed a shaky non-compete alliance with Kasich, who stood aside in Tuesdays contest to boost Cruzs chances. He named his prospective vice presidential running mate, former business executive Carly Fiorina, forging ahead on an

announcement usually left until the primary fight is over.

On Tuesday morning, as Hoosiers went to the polls, the Texas senator leveled one of his most scathing attacks on Trump, calling him a pathological liar, utterly amoral, a serial philanderer and a narcissist at a level I dont think this countrys ever seen.

Hours earlier, in a Fox News interview, Trump referred to an unsubstantiated National Enquirer report linking Cruzs father, Rafael, to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President Kennedy.

I guess I should go ahead and admit  yes, my dad killed JFK, Cruz sarcastically told reporters. He is secretly Elvis, and Jimmy Hoffa is buried in his backyard.

Cruz, along with Kasich, had been mathematically eliminated from winning the GOP nomination outright. Their hopes had rested on together denying Trump the delegates he needs to clinch ahead of the convention, then wresting the nomination away during a floor fight in Cleveland.

Kasich made no appearance Tuesday night, consistent with his pattern on repeated unsuccessful election nights. But his chief strategist issued a defiant statement.

Our party is facing a clear choice between positive solutions that can win November and a darker path that will solve nothing and lead to Hillary Clinton in the White House, a Democrat Senate and a liberal Supreme Court, said John Weaver. Gov. Kasich will fight for the higher path.

Others in the party, though, turned their sights to the fight for control of Congress.

Cook suggested that Trump atop the ticket reduced the Republicans chances of hanging onto the Senate from slightly better than 50-50 to roughly 30% to 40%.

Dan Hazelwood, a Republican strategist with candidates in House and Senate races across the country, said much would depend on whether Trump  who starts out as the least popular general election candidate in modern times  successfully recasts his image.

The fundamental question, can he use his ability to dominate the news cycle to make a case that he is not the scoundrel many perceive? Hazelwood asked. Trepidation or nervous glee is what you feel depending your answer.

mark.barabak@latimes.com

Twitter: @markzbarabak

melanie.mason@latimes.com

Twitter: @melmason

Barabak reported from San Francisco and Mason from Indianapolis. Times staff writers Michael Finnegan, Kurtis Lee and Seema Mehta in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Bernie Sanders: There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump

In a strongly worded statement following his victory in Indianas Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders vowed to fight on until the last vote is cast and pushed rival Hillary Clinton to agree to a time and place for an additional debate.

The Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over, Sanders said in a statement. Theyre wrong. Maybe its over for the insiders and the party establishment, but the voters in Indiana had a different idea.

We are in this campaign to win, and were going to fight until the last vote is cast, Sanders said.

Echoing statements he made earlier in the night at a rally in Kentucky, which holds its Democratic primary later this month, Sanders also took aim at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

There is nothing I would like more than to take on and defeat Donald Trump, someone who must never become president of this country, he said.

Sanders acknowleged that he was trailing Clinton by hundreds of pledged delegates. But he said he was comfortable as an underdog.

We understand that we have an uphill climb to victory, but we have been fighting uphill from the first day of this campaign, Sanders said.

The voters in the remaining contests deserve a chance to compare my record and Hillary Clintons record on creating jobs, raising the minimum wage, war and peace, the need for healthcare for all, breaking up big banks, combating climate change, and other critical issues.
Drowning in red ink, the Puerto Rican government missed another big debt payment Monday. And while the island has defaulted on such bills multiple times over the past year, the process cant go on much longer  the government has been cashing out whatever it can get its hands on just to keep operating. Meanwhile, it faces a growing number of lawsuits that could make it harder, if not impossible, to chart an orderly path out of its fiscal misery.

Thats why its encouraging to see leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Obama administration converging on a sensible proposal to help the territory climb out from under the crushing weight of its $70 billion debt. The measure would set up an oversight panel to help steer the islands finances and create a way to restructure its debt. Having dug itself into a ditch, the Puerto Rican government clearly needs independent supervision of its revenues and spending. And because U.S. territories are not permitted to go through bankruptcy the way companies and cities can, Congress has to provide a way to resolve the many competing claims from investors while protecting the interests of its 3.5 million residents  who are, after all, American citizens.

Some important details remain to be negotiated, though, and an even bigger and more consequential default looms on July 1. That means lawmakers and the administration have to settle their differences soon on provisions governing how debts will be restructured, pensions protected and some badly needed growth injected into the islands economy.

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Just as important, recalcitrant Republicans need to get over the idea that the bill would somehow bail out profligate Puerto Rican leaders. Theres no taxpayer-funded rescue here, just the overdue creation of a process to stop the fiscal bleeding and restructure debt. Until those steps are taken, the islands government will continue shuffling money desperately from one creditors account to another while its citizens, many of whom are impoverished, are neglected. (One example of that neglect is the islands limited response to the Zika epidemic.) And the longer Congress waits, the greater the chance that the island will sink too deep into the red to restructure its debts, and really will need a bailout.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Nationalism and socialism are in full gallop in American today while conservatives are without a horse.

Donald Trump almost never uses the language of traditional American conservatism, with its emphasis on classically liberal notions of limited government, constitutionalism, individualism and free trade. He prefers to talk about strength and winning while vowing to restore the greatness of yesteryear through his indomitable will.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is embracing socialism. Hillary Clinton doesnt call herself a socialist the way her tormentor-competitor Bernie Sanders does, but Sanders has not only pulled her to the left, hes revealed the hearts desire of the activist base of the party. Still, even without Sanders influence, Clintons worldview was always that of top-down technocracy.

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Indeed, this is what unites Clintonism, Sandersism and Trumpism: the idea that the government in Washington is too weak. Get the right person in the White House and theyll fix all our problems by bringing the malefactors to heel. They also all believe, as Trump says about healthcare, that the federal government has to take care of everybody.

All of these ideas and impulses have popular support. Millennials, recent polls show, are remarkably cool to capitalism and dismayingly receptive to socialism. The demographic base of the GOP  older white voters  agrees with Trump that entitlements should be left alone.

What would be so terrible about letting diverse communities decide how they want to live and spend their taxes dollars?

Much of the emotional strength of these appeals rests on the notion that America should be one large national community. (See Clintons book, It Takes a Village.) This, too, is Barack Obamas worldview, on display since his 2004 Democratic Convention speech about moving past red states and blue states. Obamas second inaugural described a country in which the only two relevant actors are the individual and the state, with no institutions in between.

Given the hollowing out of civil society  caused by family breakdown, economic dislocation, declining volunteerism and church attendance, and the growth of the welfare state  documented by social scientists like my American Enterprise Institute colleague Charles Murray and Harvards Robert Putnam, it shouldnt be surprising that millions of Americans are looking to Washington for the sense of community traditionally found closer to home.

Still, these visions leave millions of traditional conservatives and committed libertarians without a natural home in either major political party.

Leaving aside the question of tactical voting to keep Clinton from wrecking the Supreme Court, the challenge facing conservatives and libertarians is larger than Trumpism.

Yuval Levin points to a solution: denationalize our politics.

Levin, the editor of National Affairs, argues in his brilliant new book The Fractured Republic: Renewing the Social Contract in the Age of Individualism, that both parties are besotted with nostalgia for the mid-20th century. Conservatives tend to stress the social cohesion of 1950s America (or its seeming renaissance under Ronald Reagan) while liberals yearn for the economic security of the 1960s. Although they have different goals, leading Republicans and Democrats alike want to go back to the way things were  and they think they can take us there from Washington. Trump says hell cut deals in the Oval Office that will make America great again; Clinton promises universal everything (education, retirement, healthcare) to restore the American Dream.

Levin argues this is folly. The institutions that work best in 21st century America are those that give us choices. No one simply lives in the United States of America. We live in Peoria, Harlem and Seattle. The virtues built close to home, Levin argues, are those that make us good citizens and ultimately draw us together.

What would be so terrible about letting diverse communities decide how they want to live and spend their taxes dollars? The culture wars would still rage, but at least the winners would have to look the losers in the eye. As it stands now, the federal government, mostly through unelected judges and bureaucrats, thinks it can best determine how more than 300 million people should live.

The cure for powerlessness is power, not ceding even more of it to Washington. This is the only way to cut the Gordian knot choking our politics, and the best path forward for opponents of statism  in all parties.

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Zealots on the political right have enjoyed an unusually large megaphone throughout the years of Barack Obamas presidency and that cacophony from one side of the political spectrum has drowned out equally strident voices on the left  at least until Bernie Sanders came along.

Sanders is not, himself, one of the shrill ones. Yes, he may be an impassioned and vehement leftist, but from the local politics of Burlington, Vt., to the national debate in Washington, he has worked within the system, compromised when necessary (on gun control, in particular) and now finds himself acceptable to most of the Democratic Party should he perform a miracle and win the partys presidential nomination.

Bernie is a moderate compared to many of his ardent supporters  folks on the left who mirror the militants on the right in their dark assessment of the American political system. Besides sharing an absolutist attitude with right wingers, the lefties also share with them a deeply negative opinion of one particular political insider: Hillary Clinton.

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While the right is obsessed with Benghazi and emails, the left has a different set of indictments against Hillary. The two central charges: She is a shill for Wall Street, and she is a warmonger.

The first charge is based on the Clintons supposed coziness with bankers and financial leaders, evidenced by the Wall Street money that has poured into the campaigns of both Clintons, into the coffers of the Clinton Foundation and into Hillarys bank account as payment for private speeches. Clinton defends herself by insisting that her record shows she has worked within the system to restrain the excesses of Wall Street, and there are facts to back her up (see this Washington Post article). Her leftist critics, though, believe the capitalist system is utterly corrupt and needs to be radically changed, if not overthrown, rather than merely nudged at the margins by accommodating politicians. (They are equally convinced that newspapers like the Washington Post  and the Los Angeles Times  are mouthpieces for corporate overlords, so anything they say in Clintons favor is suspect.)

The second damning charge is based on Hillarys vote for the Iraq War when she was New Yorks U.S. senator, and her perceived enthusiasm for intervention, regime change and the use of force when she was Obamas secretary of State. The left blames Hillary for convincing her reluctant husband to bomb Kosovo in 1999. They blame her for pushing Obama into the intervention in Libya. And they credit her with creating the mess in Syria. One pseudonymous blogger has written that while Bush and Cheneys foreign policy was utterly despicable, Hillary Clinton has wreaked havoc on the world stage on a scale which is comparable  if not worse.

There are serious arguments to be made against this broad indictment, but few would disagree that Clinton is far more in tune with Americas foreign policy establishment than is Donald Trump, who veers from isolationism to America-first bellicosity.

The point here is that all the attributes that make Hillary Clinton appealing to most Democrats  her social liberalism, her rationality, her experience, her empathy with oppressed women throughout the world, her acceptance of climate change as fact  do not come close to outweighing the perceived demerits that engender loathing on the left. Staunch folks on the left do not give a damn about the Democratic Party. In fact, the idea of a Trump presidency has some appeal to them because it could heighten social conflict and lead to revolutionary change.

When these people says it is Bernie or nobody, they mean it. They will never vote for Hillary. The question is whether there are enough of them in swing states like Florida, Ohio or Colorado to undermine Clinton the way votes for Ralph Nader in 2000 undercut Al Gore. Those left-leaning voters helped put George W. Bush in the White House. This year, they might deliver Americas fate into the hands of Trump.
Sen. Bernie Sanders remains on track to lose the Democratic nomination race, but he nonetheless managed to keep his agenda at the center of it with a victory in Indiana over the front-runner, Hillary Clinton.

The lone state that voted Tuesday was a test of the continued potency of Sanders fight as the Vermonter sought to maintain his political revolution as a force with which Clinton will need to wrestle.

The win in Indiana will help with that effort.

I sense a great deal of momentum, Sanders told reporters in Indiana after the results were in.

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We understand -- and I do not deny it for one second -- that we have an uphill battle in front of us, he said. But there is a path to victory, although it is a narrow path.

Nonetheless, because the Democrats distribute delegates proportionately according to each candidates vote totals, the primary results will have little impact on the actual race.

The two candidates will split Indianas 83 pledged delegates roughly in half. That result benefits Clinton, who is closing in on a delegate majority.

Clintons campaign clearly signaled its lack of concern about the outcome here, spending no money at all on television advertising, in contrast with the roughly $1.5 million that Sanders spent.

Clinton has built a lead of roughly 300 pledged delegates over Sanders. Combined with the super-delegates who have vowed to support her at the partys nominating convention in Philadelphia in July, the front-runner has already secured 90% of what she needs to lock up the nomination.

Sanders needs overwhelming victories in the remaining primaries to overtake the former secretary of State.

Those daunting odds, however, did not worry some Sanders voters as they lined up to cast ballots for him here.

Harry Pai, a 50-year-old in Noblesville, a suburb northeast of Indianapolis, works as a caregiver to his elderly parents. He said he voted for Sanders even though he doesnt think the Vermont senator can win.

I need to see more progressive views from Hillary Clinton, he said.

Pai said Sanders should be in no hurry to exit the Democratic primary. Hes OK to stay in the race, so long as he doesnt get too antagonistic, he said.

On the north side of Indianapolis, Kathy Dickerson said she, too, was not ready to give up on Sanders. The 59-year-old waitress has a younger child suffering from a chronic and costly illness and older children hamstrung by student debt. The healthcare system and free public colleges Sanders envisions are a big draw for her.

Seeing a woman in office would be great, she said. But Bernie would represent the working class better than anybody else.

However, Dickerson also said that at some point, the two candidates need to overcome their differences.

I think its getting down to the wire, and they need to join forces, she said of Sanders and Clinton. Im terrified of Donald Trump.

The exit poll showed Sanders continuing to enjoy strong support from younger voters and also revealed that in Indiana, as in other states, the overwhelming majority of Democratic voters felt the spirited primary campaign had energized their party.

About half of those polled wanted a continuation of President Obamas policies, while roughly a third wanted a more liberal agenda in the White House.

The demographics of the Indiana electorate, which is heavily white, were particularly favorable to Sanders, who does best in states with smaller minority populations. The rules in Indiana, a state where independents can vote in Democratic primaries, also helped the insurgent candidate.

Sanders also benefited from his arguments against U.S. trade agreements; the states workforce has been hit hard by the offshoring of manufacturing jobs.

Despite a string of setbacks in recent weeks, Sanders kept up the unrelenting pace here that has defined his run. He campaigned vigorously throughout the state, speaking at the kind of large rallies at college towns that initially sparked his movement and set in motion the fundraising machine that until recently had been outperforming Clintons.

He vowed to continue racking up delegates and to use them to push the Democratic Party in a more progressive direction, regardless of whether he is the nominee.

We are going to create an economy that works for all of us, not just the 1%, Sanders said at a campaign rally in Louisville, Ky., Tuesday night.

Clinton has largely ignored Sanders in the past week while turning her attention to Trump, the Republican front-runner. She was not even in Indiana on election day, nor was she there the day before.

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Im really focused on moving into the general election, Clinton said Tuesday on MSNBC, while campaigning in West Virginia. I think thats where we have to be, because were going to have a tough campaign against a candidate who will literally say or do anything. And were going to take him on at every turn on whats really important to the people of our country.

She also campaigned in Ohio, a state crucial to the general election, before returning to her home in Chappaqua, N.Y., for the night.

After crushing Sanders in New York last month and then scoring victories in four of the five Eastern states that voted the week after -- including Pennsylvania and Maryland -- the Clinton campaign declared the Democratic primary all but over and shifted its focus toward road-testing strategies for battling Trump.

Those included rolling out an official Womans Card in response to Trumps remark that the only thing shes got going is the womans card and that Clinton would not even garner 5% of the vote if she were male.

Clintons strategy has been to avoid getting drawn onto Trumps turf of personal insults. Her campaigns carefully crafted response was met with enthusiasm by donors. The Woman Card online fundraising effort was Clintons most successful yet.

Sanders, meanwhile, is looking to regain his footing and, at the very least, mount an aggressive fight at the partys national convention to seek reforms in the primary system and to insert into the party platform his signature agenda of free public university tuition, government run healthcare for all and a $15 federal minimum wage.

In recent days, Sanders fundraising, while still impressive, has plummeted. His campaign laid off more than 200 workers late last month. The senator has sought to boost morale of supporters -- and keep the donor dollars flowing -- by outlining an improbable road map for victory that would involve a contested national convention, something more commonly associated with this years chaotic GOP primary.

Even under such a scenario, which assumes a mass defection of superdelegates away from Clinton, the math would still work in Clintons favor. Sanders would need to beat Clinton in California and each of the other remaining states by some 30 points to overtake her lead in pledged delegates at this point.

Even as the two candidates continue jousting, fear of Trump is pulling many of their supporters together. Worry about the likely Republican nominee was partly what propelled Indianapolis mechanic Joel Dent to cast a ballot for Clinton on Tuesday.

Dent, 33, initially thought about voting for Sanders, but decided not to after he saw Trump employing a Sanders critique of Clinton that she was unqualified.

He lost me when he started turning real ugly, Dent said of Sanders. Hes basically giving ammo to Donald Trump.

Dent said he thinks its fine for Sanders to continue to campaign until the Democratic convention and try to influence the party platform, but only if he softens his critiques of Clinton and stops indicating that he has a path to victory in his fundraising emails, something Dent believes is dishonest.

He needs to stop attacking Hillary and focus on the issues that are important for him. He cannot keep running in such a divisive manner, Dent said.

To me, its over, and Im just ready to have everybody on the Democratic side come together.

But his wife, Karhma, 41, disagreed. A stay-at-home mom, she cast her ballot for Sanders. While she said she would certainly support Clinton against a Republican in November, she said she wants Sanders to fight to the end.

Hes like a real person, she said. I like everything he stands for.

Halper reported from Washington and Linthicum reported from Indianapolis. Staff writer Melanie Mason in Noblesville, Ind., contributed to this report.

evan.halper@latimes.com

Follow me: @evanhalper

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UPDATES:

7:02 p.m.: This story was updated with quotes from Sanders news conference.

6:26 p.m.: This story was updated with Sanders projected victory and other information.
Boisterous campaign rallies. Political ads every commercial break. Presidential candidates schmoozing with voters over pancakes.

In recent days, Indiana, which holds its primary Tuesday, has begun to look a lot like Iowa, the first-in-the-nation nominating state that has outsize influence in deciding each partys presidential nominee.

Indianas primary, which falls late in the schedule, rarely matters. But with multiple candidates still fighting for both the Democratic and Republican nominations, Indiana is more consequential than usual in deciding who advances to the general election this fall.

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Here are a few things to watch for:

Trump vs. Cruz, one on one

Ted Cruz has long angled for a two-man race against Donald Trump. In Indiana, hes gotten just that  mostly. Looking to blunt the momentum of GOP front-runner Trump, Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich forged an unusual alliance, with Kasich pulling back from campaigning in the state.

That doesnt mean Kasich is a non-factor, however. In recent polls, hes averaged around 15%. And the very public nature of the Cruz-Kasich detente may end up alienating voters. Nearly 6 in 10 Indiana voters said they disapproved of the truce in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday.

Still, the pressure to perform Tuesday is most acute for Cruz, who has been hobbled by a losing streak in East Coast primaries. Indiana should be friendlier territory for the Texas senator, who won in other Midwestern states, Iowa and Wisconsin. But the NBC poll showed Cruz trailing Trump by 15 percentage points, and other recent polls point to a Trump victory as well.

Cruz has repeatedly said he plans to take his primary fight to California, which is among the last of the states to vote, on June 7. A loss in Indiana, though, may put a serious crimp in those plans.

The Fiorina factor

Theres typically an order to these things: First, a candidate clinches the nomination, then comes the vice-presidential pick. But Cruz, looking to shift focus from a string of stinging losses, upended that formula last week when he announced that Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief and his onetime rival candidate, would serve as his running mate should he be the Republican nominee.

The announcement was derided by many political observers as a stunt. But Indiana offers the first chance to see how voters respond to the Cruz-Fiorina partnership. At the very least, the move elevated Fiorina as a top Cruz surrogate crisscrossing the state for a final barnstorming push.

Do-or-die for the #NeverTrump movement

For the cadre of Republicans who have vowed to keep Trump from winning their partys nomination, the Hoosier State poses a critical test. In the last week, anti-Trump groups such as Our Principles PAC, Never Means Never PAC and Club for Growth have spent at least $1.6 million in Indiana on television commercials, digital advertising, direct mail and phone banking, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Trumps detractors are battling against a sense of inevitability taking shape around the front-runner. The billionaire real estate developer has 996 delegates, according to the Associated Press. In Indiana, 57 more are at stake; more than half go to the states overall winner and the rest are allocated to the winner in each congressional district.

A strong performance by Trump would be a boon to his effort to clinch the nomination outright with 1,237 delegates by the end of the primary season  or at least hitting close to that mark. Cruz and Kasich have repeatedly argued that close is not enough to avoid a contested convention. But many Republican primary voters say they believe the top vote-getter should win the nomination, rather than requiring Trump to amass a majority, and if he were to fall short, letting convention delegates decide.

Sanders last stand

After strong victories in five of the last six primary contests, Hillary Clinton has what may be unstoppable momentum in the Democratic race. But her rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, isnt giving up, pledging this week to fight for every last vote.

Sanders has put in a lot of resources in Indiana, holding large rallies across the state in recent days and saturating the airwaves with campaign advertisements.

He has a few reasons to be hopeful. Recent polls show Sanders locked in a tight race with Clinton. And he generally performs better among white voters than among minorities, and Indiana is a mostly white state.

Still, Clintons momentum in recent weeks is undeniable. Will Sanders supporters go to the polls if they think Clinton is a shoo-in for the nomination? And while a Sanders victory would be symbolic, giving his campaign badly needed energy before the California primary, he is unlikely to make a significant dent in her lead in pledged delegates.

Does Sanders drop out?

If Sanders loses Tuesday, what happens to his campaign?

He has vowed to keep fighting all the way to the convention and has laid the framework for a campaign in California. But after repeated losses to Clinton, his campaign has seen its fundraising efforts falter. It recently laid off hundreds of workers.

Disappointing results in Indiana would further hinder Sanders already narrow path toward victory and would probably result in renewed calls for him to exit the race.

Sanders could keep fighting through the summer. But after losing four of last weeks Eastern primaries, he acknowledged in a statement that he was focused on shaping the official platform at the Democratic National Convention.

melanie.mason@latimes.com

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

MORE POLITICAL COVERAGE

Rising confidence in Californias economy is a challenge for GOP presidential candidates

Gov. Jerry Brown: Something strange is fueling the rise of Donald Trump

Whos winning the race to the nomination?
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French President Francois Hollande and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have vowed to strengthen bilateral ties to face economic and environmental challenges and terrorism.

During a meeting at the Elysee Palace late Monday, the two leaders noted that the Group of Seven (G7) nations should adopt flexible fiscal policies and take structural reforms to boost growth.

Hollande and Abe also discussed security challenges amid rising risks of terror attacks and pledged to collaborate further to fight terrorists.

Furthermore, they expressed readiness to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, which set a target of holding the global average rise in temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and preferably below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

To prepare for a G7 summit scheduled for May 26-27 in Japan, Abe is on a European tour. He has visited Rome and after his stay in Paris, he will travel on to Belgium, Germany, Britain and Russia.

The G7 bloc of advanced industrial countries comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
Cruz appeals to Indiana voters Midwestern values on eve of primary

Once again, Sen. Ted Cruz is relying on a dose of Midwestern niceness to boost his flagging campaign prospects.

I could not be more gratified, I could not be more encouraged that this primary is coming down to the Midwestern common sense, to the good judgment of Hoosiers, Cruz said at a Monday night rally at the Indianapolis fairgrounds, capping off a frenetic day barnstorming the state before Tuesdays pivotal Republican primary.

Cruz has been buoyed by the region before; his victory in Wisconsin last month surged the Texas senators momentum and put the GOP front-runner Donald Trump on the defensive. Now, after a series of losses on the East Coast, Cruz is trying to re-create that Midwestern magic.

To do so, he played up the qualities most likely to appeal to his conservative, religious and generally mild-mannered audience: truthfulness, respect, humility.

He encouraged the crowd -- which filled up about two-thirds of a cavernous pavilion -- to find online an exchange he had earlier in the day with a Trump supporter, who heckled him outside a meet-and-greet at a cafe.

Most candidates would let the protesters go do their thing. I made a different decision, Cruz said.

Cruz described his end of the conversation as respectful and civil, contrasting it with the Trump fans insults and cursing.

I was glad to see he was channeling the candidate he was supporting, Cruz said.

Cruz described the exchange as a futile attempt to engage on policy issues with his sparring partner.

Instead, he just began yelling, Cruz said.

Still, Cruz said, he walked across the street to confront the protester because Im campaigning to be everybodys president.

Cruzs message of wholesome values makes sense when courting voters like Karen Roorbach, a university administrator from Marion.

Roorbach, who was at Cruzs cafe visit earlier in the morning, said she hoped in the Indiana primary the states Hoosier values would be apparent.

How would she describe those values?

Faith and family. Education, Roorbach said. And working hard. Hoosiers are known as hard workers.
When New York held its recent presidential primary, Rep. Peter T. King was quite specific about his sentiments: He cast his ballot for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, but that didnt mean he was endorsing his candidacy.

If I thought that John Kasich had a viable chance, Id come out and endorse him, the Republican lawmaker said on MSNBC, in effect tossing a bouquet of wilted flowers at the struggling White House hopeful.

If Kasich felt chastened, or confused, he was not alone. That odd linguistic formulation has been heard throughout this fraught election season, introducing a new dodge into the lexicon of tortured political locution.

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Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho and Ben Sasse of Nebraska said they voted for their fellow Republican senator, Texan Ted Cruz, for president, but each avoided using the E-word.

Nevadas GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval caucused for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida when he was still in the Republican race, but nope, Sandoval insisted, that didnt constitute an endorsement. Ditto for Rudolph W. Giuliani, who said he was voting for  but not endorsing  Donald Trump.

When I endorse somebody, I join their campaign, the former New York mayor said on CNN, offering his own particular meaning. (The verb endorse is conventionally defined as to declare ones approval or support of.)

Im not joining the campaign in any way, Giuliani said.

Veteran campaign hands, like Rich Galen, can recall nothing like it.

The strongest endorsement you can give is to vote for someone, said Galen, a Republican communications strategist whose political resume includes stints with then-Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. To say youre voting for someone but not endorsing them is a political oxymoron.

Ken Khachigian, a former presidential speechwriter, agreed. It doesnt make any sense, he said. A vote is an expression of advocacy, especially in a primary. You have a choice and so youre, in effect, endorsing.

To Khachigian, who helped polish phrases for President Reagan, the verbal contortion suggests a have-it-both-ways lack of courage and political conviction. Its what people are rebelling against this political season, he said.

On Friday, it was Indiana Gov. Mike Pence knotting himself up with a not-quite endorsement of Cruz. He heaped praise on Trump, said he would vote for Cruz in Tuesdays crucial primary in Indiana, then, as if to further muddle his intent, urged all Hoosiers to make up their own minds.

But where some see evasion, others see perfect reason.

Its not oxymoronic in the least, said Steven Pinker, a Harvard University psychology professor and semantics expert. People vote for two reasons: to affect the outcome of the election and to express their beliefs.

Its unlikely that any candidate will represent ones beliefs exactly, Pinker said, but if one still strongly prefers the outcome of one candidate being elected rather than another, one could very well vote for the acceptable, better of the two, least bad, lesser of two evils or anyone but him candidate.

For many Republicans, that would certainly apply to the case here. They see an unhappy choice between Cruz and the front-running Trump that Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina likened to picking between being shot or poisoned. He subsequently endorsed Cruz, without terrific enthusiasm.

Given efforts to thwart Trump at the GOP convention this summer, critics such as party strategist Stuart Stevens said it was not unreasonable to support a candidate now in hopes of undermining the Manhattan business mogul, with the intention of backing someone else later.

It reflects the reality of the system, said Stevens, who helped guide Mitt Romney to the 2012 GOP nomination.

Romney, who briefly considered another try this year for the White House, parsed his preferences in two states. He voted for Cruz in Utah but made clear he was not endorsing the senator. Just a week earlier, Romney had urged Ohio voters to back their governor  again, sans endorsement.

Primaries are the process of picking the best available choice, Stevens said. Its entirely possible, he said, to vote for a candidate and later support someone else, given the opportunity.

King suggested as much in his equivocal support for Kasich. I want to keep my powder dry, he said, because this might go to the convention.

Eyes clear, options open. Its a stance most politicians would heartily endorse.

mark.barabak@latimes.com

Twitter: @markzbarabak

MORE POLITICAL COVERAGE

Rising confidence in Californias economy is a challenge for GOP presidential candidates

Gov. Jerry Brown: Something strange is fueling the rise of Donald Trump

Whos winning the race to the nomination?
Despite a pending ethics complaint about misusing House office funds, Rep. Michael Hondas campaign and legal defense trust fund reported spending no money on legal services so far this year.

The San Jose Democrats bid for another term has been closely watched as he attempts to fight off a repeat challenge from fellow Democrat Ro Khanna. The ethics complaint dates back to Hondas costly and contentious 2014 reelection campaign against Khanna in the 17th Congressional District.

The Legal Expense Trust is created to handle the disbursements for legal expenses, Honda campaign manager Michael Beckendorf said. The campaign is confident that we will have the resources to deliver a winning message in this election, much like how Congressman Honda has delivered for the 17th District as a senior appropriator.

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Khannas campaign on Monday accused Honda of masking legal expenses until after Californias June 7 primary.

These filings raise significant questions in light of how Mike Honda has handled the ongoing ethics investigation into his use of his office to benefit his top donors, Khanna campaign spokesman Hari Sevugan said.

Allies of Khanna filed the complaint after a September 2014 report in the local politics website San Jose Inside that revealed emails between Hondas chief of staff, Jennifer Van der Heide, and his campaign manager, Lamar Heystek, corresponding about the guest list for an official State Department round-table discussion in 2013. They discussed who should be invited to the event hosted by the congressman  based on whether they had or may in the future contribute financially to Honda.

The House Office of Congressional Ethics determined in its 41-page introductory report in September there is substantial reason to believe that Honda and his congressional staff used taxpayer resources to benefit his campaign. The report pointed to allegations that staff members in his congressional office were expected to work for his campaign and research his opponents and that the campaign was discussed during office meetings.

That report was referred to the separate House Ethics Committee, which is investigating. It has not yet determined guilt or whether Honda should face any penalties.

Legal defense costs over the case have mounted since April 2015. In campaign finance filings, Hondas campaign has reported spending $176,000 on legal services with five law firms located in Philadelphia, San Jose and Washington.

In January, Honda got permission from the House Ethics Committee to create a separate legal defense trust fund. About a dozen House members have such funds and can use the money to pay for legal services for themselves or any staff member.

The funds first report, which was due over the weekend, shows the congressman has raised just $1,750 from three donors for his legal defense since the beginning of the year and has not spent any of that money.

The donations are considered gifts under federal law. Unlike campaign contributions, which are capped at $2,700 per individual each election, donors can contribute up to $5,000 to the legal defense trust fund.

The donations were $250 from Jadine Nielsen of Honolulu, a frequent donor to Honda and other Democratic candidates; $1,000 from JD Strategies Inc., a workforce services company in Sunnyvale, Calif., and $500 from the Santa Clara location of coffee chain Tom N Toms Coffee.

Beckendorf said there have been additional contributions since March 31, the end of the filing period for the report. He declined to answer questions regarding whether legal services had been performed since the beginning of the year that had not yet been paid for either through the campaign or the legal expense trust fund.

The next quarters campaign finance report and legal expense trust fund report are each due after the primary, and Khannas campaign said Honda should disclose the additional donors now.

Given that the next reporting period isnt until two months after primary day, and Mike Hondas pattern of providing special favors to his top donors, the voters have the right to know who is funding his legal defense before they vote. Congressman Honda should immediately disclose all contributions to his legal defense fund between April 1 and today and all expenses incurred for legal work done this year related to his defense before the House Ethics Committee.

The most recent campaign finance reports, filed with the Federal Election Commission by the campaigns in mid-April, show Khanna with $1.95 million in cash on hand, more than double the $792,209 Honda had in the bank headed into the final weeks of the primary.

Honda and Khanna are expected to make it past the top-two primary and face each other on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Honda defeated Khanna by 3.6 percentage points two years ago and is considered vulnerable this time around.

Also in the race are Republican Peter Kuo, who had $2,711 in cash on hand, and Republican Ron Cohen, with $1,057 in the bank. The other Democrat in the race, Pierluigi Oliverio, reported raising and spending just the $3,052 needed for his filing fee. Libertarian candidate Kennita Watson hasnt filed with the Federal Election Commission.

ALSO

Report finds reason to believe Rep. Hondas campaign blurred ethics lines

Ro Khanna hires big campaign names for rematch with Rep. Mike Honda

Why this congressman will be riding the lightrail instead of going to Super Bowl 50

Updates on California politics

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics
Good morning from the the state capital. Im Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers, and May kicks off the all-but-official state budget season in this town.

The next six weeks will be dominated by negotiations over a spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and that will require consensus between Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislators.

But this year, there are two important  and somewhat conflicting  storylines: Tax revenues came up short in April, and Democrats feel as if this is the year Brown finally embraces some of the spendings they think are crucial to help the working poor.

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I hope that he will step us and meet us halfway, said state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) in an interview for todays story on how this may be Browns toughest budget season yet.

A reminder that well be tracking all of the latest developments, including next weeks unveiling of Browns revised budget, on our Essential Politics news feed.

WATERLOO, INDIANA?

Yes, there is a small town in northeastern Indiana that shares the name of the Belgian town where Napoleon lost a battle that changed world history.

But any time someone in politics invokes Waterloo, you know youre in for a possible turning point that changes everything. And tonight, all eyes are on the Hoosier State to see whether Donald Trump effectively ends the GOP presidential race with a victory over Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich.

Cruz and Kasich, of course, hope just the opposite. Melanie Mason tagged along with the Texas senator on Monday as he stood his ground with a handful of Trump supporters.

Even so, theres a sense that Tuesday is make or break for Cruz. As David Lauter reports, the bloom seems to be off the rose for many Republican voters when it comes to Cruz.

Finally, Joseph Tanfani and Noah Bierman offer a glimpse of Cruzs troubles when it comes to the political leanings and demands of his most wealthy donors.

Well be covering the primary in Indiana in real time on Trail Guide and via @latimespolitics. And you can always track the delegate race here.

SOMETHING STRANGE IN THE RISE OF TRUMP

Meantime, Californias governor briefly opined on the Trump campaign on Monday. During an unrelated event in Sacramento, Gov. Brown said theres something strange about the businessmans political success.

I think people are upset, said Brown. Wherever you look, theres a lot of climate of discontent.

COASTAL COMMISSIONER ACCESS: WHO GETS IT?

Legislation moving forward in Sacramento would ban private meetings between members of the California Coastal Commission and those with business before the commission.

Theyre called ex-parte meetings, and have raised questions about whose influence wins the day once decisions are actually made, as Dan Weikel and and Kim Christensen report.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

 A showdown may be brewing between Brown and legislators over a bill that landed on his desk on Monday to require new reporting of lobbying when it comes to government contracts.

 Despite a pending ethics complaint about misusing House office funds, Rep. Michael Hondas campaign and legal defense trust fund has spent no money on legal services so far this year, Sarah D. Wire reports. The San Jose Democrats bid for another term has been closely watched as he attempts to fight off a repeat challenge from fellow Democrat Ro Khanna, whose campaign accused Honda of hiding the charges until after the primary.

 The Orange County district attorney filed charges Monday against a 19-year-old man who was arrested during the demonstrations that turned violent after a Trump rally in Costa Mesa.

 Nathan Fletcher, once a rising star in the Republican Party in California, is now a Hillary Clinton delegate for the Democratic National Convention.

 The candidates for Los Angeles County supervisor met in a debate Monday, and Rep. Janice Hahn said if elected she would consider dipping into the rainy day fund to deal with the homelessness crisis.

 State senators adjourned their session on Monday in memory of Julie Soderlund, a former gubernatorial adviser and public affairs professional who died last week after a nine-month battle with melanoma. She was 38.

LOGISTICS

Miss yesterdays newsletter? Here you go. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.
Political tension ramps up at legislative hearing on Newsoms gun control initiative

Backers of a gun control initiative proposed for the November ballot argued during a legislative forum Tuesday that it is needed to make California safer, while opponents said it will unfairly harm law-abiding gun owners and is primarily aimed at getting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom elected governor.

Newsom turned in 600,000 signatures last week for an initiative that would require background checks for ammunition purchasers, ban large-capacity magazines, make gun thefts a felony and require those convicted of serious crimes to give up their firearms within 14 days.

The Assembly and Senate Public Safety committees held a joint hearing on the proposal Tuesday in anticipation of the measure qualifying.

Craig DeLuz, head of the Firearms Policy Coalition, told lawmakers that most of the provisions in the initiative have been rejected by the Legislature or the governor as too extreme or unworkable.

He said the real purpose of the initiative is to get Newsom elected as governor in 2018.

Its for one individual to get his name in the paper so he can run for higher office, DeLuz told the lawmakers.

That drew a rubuke from state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), chair of the Senate panel.

I do take offense at the personal attacks on the proponents of the intiative, Hancock said during the hearing.

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) responded, saying the initiative is unnecessary.

I am equally offended that the person who came up with this initiative isnt here today to address this body, she said. Thats incredibly disrespectful.

Newsom, who has fueded with legislative leaders who are pursuing their own gun control bills, did not attend the hearing, instead participating in a memorial service held for California Highway Patrol officers, a representative said.

Attorneys for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which co-wrote the initiative, told lawmakers it will plug serious loopholes in Californias tough gun laws.

We believe reasonably that more can and should be done to protect California families and keep lethal weapons out of dangerous hands, added Ari Freilich, a staff attorney at the center.

The initiative was criticized by Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys of Los Angeles, who predicted many people will not obey the new laws requiring them to get rid of high-capacity magazines.

The initiative places additional burdens on an already overburdened court system, she added.

None of the lawmakers at the hearing commited to endorsing the initiative.

Lawmakers raised questions about the cost of enforcing the initiative, but the Legislative Analysts Office said the bulk of costs may be recovered by fees authorized by the measure.

Hancock said she is interested in alternative approaches to addressing gun violence, including a look at improving mental health services.
Gov. Jerry Brown has long warned that the states budget bonanza of recent years, fueled by a windfall of income tax revenues, is destined to sputter out  a mantra thats helped deflect many of his fellow Democrats spending demands.

But now, even as April tax revenues missed their mark by $1 billion, theres a perception at the state Capitol of a slight opening in Browns otherwise airtight argument. And its one he brought about himself, by embracing the new law boosting Californias minimum wage.

I think its safe to say that was a surprise, said Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget & Policy Center, a nonprofit group that advocates for programs aimed at low-income families. His recent moves are adding up to some significant progress.

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In addition to signing the law to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next six years, Brown also recently acted to expand the states paid family leave program. Both laws have a relatively small price tag when it comes to crafting a new state budget over the next six weeks, but are likely to spark demands for even more expansive government programs and additional spending.

And yet, tax collections have hit a sour note. Officials last week estimated a 7% drop in personal income tax revenues from April 2015, especially notable given that Browns budget team predicted an increase from the year before.

The independent Legislative Analysts Office pointed to the Wall Street stock slide earlier this year as one possible explanation, given how much of the states revenues come from the investment portfolios of wealthy taxpayers.

The governors January budget, a $170.7-billion plan, assumed increased spending relative to the plan enacted last summer. Brown makes his final revisions to that spending plan this week, and will send it to the Legislature by May 15. Administration officials insist that theres no change in Browns approach.

Maintaining fiscal stability remains a paramount priority, and you can expect it to continue to be reflected in the governors revised budget, said H.D. Palmer, deputy director of the state Department of Finance.

Even so, some Democrats believe that Brown has shown an increasing awareness of the need for, and perhaps even a willingness to embrace, the kind of spending that in years past would have been a non-starter.

Im looking for him to have a bigger vision, said state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), one of the most vocal advocates for additional tax dollars for services including child care and welfare assistance.

Mitchell and others made careful note of the governors comments last month at the Los Angeles event to sign the minimum wage law.

This is about economic justice, its about people, its about creating a little, tiny balance in a system that every day becomes more unbalanced, Brown said at the time. Lets keep it going. Were not stopping here.

Members of the Legislative Womens Caucus intend to take him at his word. They met privately with the governor last week to pitch their plan for $800 million in additional spending on early child care and education programs.

Mitchell, who said the governor was noncommittal, believes Brown needs to focus more on help for struggling families and their children. In particular, she has sought additional dollars for the more than 2 million children in the welfare assistance program CalWorks.

Its the only state program where, frankly, deep poverty is allowed to fester and continue, she said.

Brown also will be asked over the next few weeks to support more money for affordable housing and cash payments to the blind and disabled.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said such programs could be considered consistent with the issue of justice that Brown invoked in raising the minimum wage.

From the standpoint of a moral imperative, you can make an argument that they would all fit in that category, Rendon said.

Does that move the governor? he asked. I dont know.

The path through the maze of budget politics also includes higher expenses from Browns own administration. Since the governor unveiled his budget proposal in January, 126 new spending requests have been approved by the state Department of Finance. They include an extra $445,000 for a California Highway Patrol radio system and a $6.3-million request for a courthouse construction project in Santa Barbara County. Last week, he signed an emergency measure providing counties with $16.3 million to help cover costs related to this years elections.

Republicans intend to push for policies tightening the state budgets wiggle room. Last week, state Senate GOP members called for a new tax credit for families paying college tuition and school supplies and new tax breaks for veterans.

If the priorities are carefully weighed, I think we do have plenty of money, said Senate Republican Leader Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield).

For now, Brown is brushing aside questions about his willingness to use more of that money. There are limits, there is a balance, the governor said after signing the paid family leave expansion law last month.

Or perhaps its that if he is willing to budge, he doesnt want to show his cards too soon.

His recent moves are adding up to some significant progress, Hoene said. But no one knows when its coming.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

ALSO:

Browns January budget preaches prudence

Legislature sends historic minimum wage hike to Gov. Brown

Updates from Sacramento
Carnivals historic cruise to Cuba that arrived in Havana on May 2 was sold out, but upcoming cruises to the island nation still have space -- for now.

The Adonia, sailing under the cruise lines Fathom brand, will sail to Cuba every other week.

We are not sold out yet for upcoming cruises to Cuba but I understand the phone calls are coming in strong, Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell says in an email.

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Passengers aboard the Adonia cruise ship arrive in Cuba. (Ernesto Mastrascusa / EPA )

Cruises to Cuba leave Miami on Sunday afternoon and return the following Sunday. They stop at the capital, Havana, as well as Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.

Upcoming sailings depart May 15 and 29, June 12 and 26 and July 10 and 24, through November.

Prices start at $2,100 per person (depending on what time of year you go) on the ship that holds 704 passengers.

As for the first ship by a U.S. cruise line to land in Cuba in almost four decades, Cubans lined up for a half mile to greet the Americans as they disembarked.

Yaney Cajigal, left, and Dalwin Valdes hold up U.S. and Cuban flags Monday as they watch the arrival of Fathoms Adonia cruise ship in Havana, (Fernando Medina / Associated Press )

The ship took almost 17 hours to cross the Florida straits and was met by live music and dancing. The last cruise ship to arrive from America was in 1978.

Fathom takes care of compliance with U.S. rules about people-to-people and educational requirements for American visitors. Tourism to Cuba for Americans remains illegal, according to the 1962 embargo that remains in place.

Info: Fathom, (855) 932-8466

MORE

A U.S. cruise arrives in Cuba for the first time in decades

Carnival will be first in 50 years to sail cruise ship from U.S. to Cuba

French cruise line announces sailings from U.S. to Cuba in 2017

What U.S. travelers need to know about new Cuba rules
Millions of frequent fliers this year voted Southwest Airlines and Marriott Hotels as their favorite travel loyalty programs.

The honors, known as the Freddie Awards, were handed out last Thursday in a splashy Las Vegas event outside the citys new T-Mobile Arena.

Southwests Rapid Rewards program, which relaunched in 2011, snagged the top spot for North American carriers. Its a program with no blackout dates and no charges for award tickets (other than taxes). Southwests program also won for best customer service.

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American Airlines AAdvantage program won for the best elite loyalty program.

Marriott Hotels program, called Marriott Rewards, won as the best in North America and for best customer service. Hyatts Gold Passport was voted as best elite program.

Marriott, by the way, is buying Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which will make it the largest hotel company in the world.

Best loyalty credit card went to Starwood Preferred Guest from American Express.

Among Europe and African carriers, Air France/KLMs Flying Blue program came in as best airline rewards program, and Accor Hotels Le Club AccorHotels as best hotel rewards program.

The Freddies, which began in 1988, are voted on by frequent fliers from around the world.

The awards are named for Sir Freddie Laker, a no-frills airline pioneer who started what he called sky train service in 1966.

Laker Airways flew until 1982; Laker, who was knighted in Britain for his contribution to commercial aviation in 1978, died in 2006.

MORE

Winning moves in the air miles awards game (Coach Tip No. 1: Dont buy upgrades).

Can getting the right travel card at the right time make your vacay more affordable? Yes, study says

Whos the best airline of them all? Virgin America and JetBlue, report says

Best airline rewards program? For some, its JetBlue, report says
Three generations of Tarun Cariappas family have grown coffee on their highland farm in southern India, 38 rolling acres of dark green bushes interspersed with towering jackfruit and mango trees  and the occasional wild elephant.

But to that universal question Coffee or tea? Cariappa, like most Indians, has always answered, Tea.

Dad and Mom started their day with a cup of tea, Cariappa said as he surveyed a patch of leafy plants studded with bright-red coffee cherries. So Ive never drunk coffee.

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Although India has long been one of the worlds major coffee producers, the countrys name is practically synonymous with tea. For most of the last century, it was the worlds biggest tea-growing nation, renowned for its Darjeeling and Assam varieties, and its still among the top consumers, with roadside chai stalls a fixture in every throbbing city and distant hamlet.

Ask for a cup of joe in most of India, though, and youll get instant coffee crystals drowning in hot milk and sugar, or served over ice with even more sugar. So few Indians drink brewed coffee that virtually all its best crop is exported to countries such as Italy, where the beans are used in name-brand espresso blends and sold at a huge markup.

Now, however, a handful of Indian farmers and entrepreneurs are trying to hook some of their compatriots on coffee by selling gourmet, freshly roasted Indian beans to a burgeoning urban middle class.

Cariappa, who has the broad shoulders and sober bearing of a career farmer, said his family acquired the Udayagiri estate in the coastal state of Karnataka in 1958, a decade after India gained independence.

For years, all 15 tons of coffee picked, pulped and sun-dried on his farm annually were sold to a middleman and ended up abroad. Most of his plants are arabica  the more expensive variety favored by top coffee roasters  but hes considering switching to the cheaper robusta variety, which is easier to cultivate.

Two years ago, he began selling a small portion of his arabica to Kunal Ross, founder of TheIndianBean.com, a website that sells coffee to domestic consumers and businesses from four family plantations in southern India. Ross roasts the arabica and markets it under the name Appas.

The brewed coffee has an earthy, nutty flavor  and scores of glowing customer reviews on Ross website  but Cariappa hasnt tasted it.

His mother recently returned from the nearby city of Bangalore and reported that the Marriott hotel was stocking bags of Appas in the rooms.

And you didnt even take a picture! Cariappa chided her gently as they sat on the veranda of their peach-colored farmhouse, built by his grandfather in the 1950s.

I feel like theres some identity to my coffee now, Cariappa said. Where the bulk of it goes once its exported, I still have no idea, but those who buy from Kunal know where Appas is coming from.

::

The effort to build a domestic market for Indian-grown coffee is among the latest signs of this countrys economic expansion. It also represents a bid to lift farmers from the bottom of the supply chain and connect them with Indian consumers who have long viewed coffee as an exotic luxury item.

The shade-grown coffee bushes that spill across the gently sloping hillsides of southern India are, for most farmers, simply a cash crop, Ross said. He compared it to West African cocoa whose farmers have never tasted chocolate.

A lot of farmers barely know theyre growing coffee, said Ross, a 34-year-old former advertising man who launched his company in 2012. To them its just another crop they sell to the West.

Until recently, consumers in most of India couldnt even buy homegrown coffee, at least not directly.

Before India began liberalizing its economy in the early 1990s, all growers were required to sell their beans to the government, which traded agricultural products for items such as weapons from the Soviet Union.

In southern India, the only region with a coffee-drinking culture, local beans are mixed with chicory and sometimes cane sugar for a strong, smoky finish, but that drink hasnt penetrated the rest of the country.

Coffee drinkers are pretty starved for choice here, said Matt Chitharanjan, 32, a former hedge fund trader who runs the New Delhi-based Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters.

Born in Wisconsin to South Indian parents, Chitharanjan developed a taste for high-end coffee during stints living in New York and San Francisco. When he moved to the Indian capital in 2012, he found that the expensive Italian brands were often stale by the time they reached stores, and that ordering an espresso even at an upscale restaurant usually resulted in a disappointing concoction of instant coffee, milk and chocolate powder.

He contacted farmers, persuaded them to sell him beans directly and began roasting them at home. In January 2013, he launched Blue Tokai, which sold 7 tons of coffee across India in its first year, each brown paper package printed with the name of the farm that produced the beans.

The farmers were a little skeptical. They felt there would be no demand for the quality of coffee they were growing, Chitharanjan said. But the response has really been great.

Not everyone is ready to convert, he acknowledges. Chitharanjans office is attached to his in-laws house, but their morning beverage of choice is still the instant Nescafe that for decades was the only coffee Indians could buy.

Some first-time customers, he said, have tried dissolving his ground coffee in water like Nescafe.

I tell them it doesnt work like that, he said. Theres still some education that has to be done.

::

The average Indian consumes less than a quarter-pound of coffee a year  compared with more than 9 pounds for the average American  but that figure has nearly tripled in the last decade, according to the Coffee Board of India, a government body.

The growth has accelerated with the success of two chains that sell mass-market Indian coffee: Cafe Coffee Day, a Bangalore-based company with more than 1,600 outlets nationwide, and Starbucks, which arrived in 2012 and brews its espresso drinks exclusively with coffee from Indian farms owned by its corporate partner, the Tata Coffee conglomerate.

Small start-up retailers are hoping to take a bite out of the behemoths business by marketing coffee from single estates, giving consumers a direct link to farmers. At about $6 for a half-pound bag, the coffee is costlier than Nescafe but cheaper than what Starbucks sells.

They have started making the consumer open to the idea of appreciating coffees that are local and distinctive, said Sunalini Menon, founder of Coffee Lab India, an institute and training center in Bangalore. How much the Indian coffee consumer is willing to appreciate these nuances  it will take a little time.

Menon has trained Indian farmers such as Tej Thammaiah, a third-generation farmer in Karnataka, to improve the quality of their beans for both domestic and international consumers. Thammaiah has begun growing coffee alongside cardamom, vanilla, citrus and other plants in an effort to infuse his beans with different flavors.

Were a tea-drinking country, but coffee has a lot of flavors and possibilities you dont get with tea, said Thammaiah, who sells roasted beans from his farm and others through the Flying Squirrel, a website he helped launch last year.

Born into an industry family  his grandfather was a Coffee Board executive, his uncle a Tata Coffee vice president  Thammaiah says Indian consumers are awakening to the merits of local growers and the sustainable farming methods that many family-run estates practice.

Workers on Thammaiahs sprawling, 140-acre farm live in dormitories with satellite dishes affixed to the roofs. The farm pays school fees for their children, some of whom have grown up to become engineers, Thammaiah said.

On Cariappas estate, one woman who picks coffee was hired by his father and looked after Cariappa when he was a baby. As his 2-year-old son, Appayah, toddled near the workers sorting sun-blanched beans, Cariappa smiled and said, Hes the fourth generation of this farm.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Bengali was recently on assignment in Chettalli.


Syrian opposition fighters on Tuesday shelled government-held parts of Aleppo, killing at least 12 people, as the army claimed that it was repelling a wide offensive by the rebels in the countrys largest city. Activists, meanwhile, said government forces were shelling rebel-held parts of the city, killing two people and wounding several.

The escalation came as the diplomatic focus in the current crisis moved to Moscow, where the United Nations envoy for Syria started talks in an effort to restore a piecemeal cease-fire that would include the contested northern city.

Aleppo was excluded from a truce declared unilaterally by the Syrian military last week for the capital, Damascus, and its suburbs and the coastal province of Latakia.

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Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy, is expected to push for such a truce to cover the city, which has seen an escalation in violence in recent weeks. De Misturas meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov came a day after he met with U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry in Geneva.

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In opening remarks in Moscow, De Mistura said we need to make sure the cessation of hostilities is brought back on track.

Over the last 12 days, Aleppo has been the center of violence that has left more than 250 civilians dead in the contested city.

Syrian state TV said shells hit a government-held area during morning rush hour, killing seven people and wounding at least 35, while activists reported two dead in a rebel neighborhood.

Hours later, some rockets hit a hospital, killing and wounding dozens of people, state TV said. The TV reports said one of the rockets hit the Dubeet hospital in the central neighborhood of Muhafaza. The reports did not give a breakdown of the casualties.

Shells and mortar rounds are raining down on every neighborhood of Aleppo, said Aleppo-based health official Mohammad Hazouri, speaking from Al-Razi hospital. He said four people were killed and more than 30 wounded in Dubeet hospital alone, adding that half the casualties at the hospital were women and children.

He said the rebel bombardment of government-held parts of Aleppo on Tuesday killed a total of 12 people and wounded more than 70.

Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in the government-held parts of Aleppo, showed damage on both sides of the street in front of the hospital, which also appeared heavily damaged.

Cars in the street were scorched, and some were turned over. Shops showed moderate damage as smoke wafted out of the wreckage.

The Syrian military said in a statement it was repelling a wide-scale attack on Aleppo launched by terrorists  a government term that includes all armed groups fighting President Bashar Assads forces.

Tuesdays statement said the attack was preceded by heavy shelling of residential areas of the city, which caused civilian casualties. The army said the multi-pronged attack on Aleppo was launched by armed terrorist groups, including Al Qaedas branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and the Army of Islam.

Our armed forces are currently working on repelling the attack and appropriately returning fire, it said.

Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi warned militants that they will face harsh retaliation for the shelling of civilian areas, saying the governments patience is running out and if they dont stop targeting civilians in the coming hours ... they will pay a high price.

The activist Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the shelling of government-held parts of the city, and also said that seven were killed, including a child. The organization said more than 50 were wounded, including some who were in critical condition, which could raise the death toll.

The organization and another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, said government forces also shelled rebel-held parts of the city on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding several.

Also in northern Syria, warplanes carried out intense airstrikes on the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the extremist Islamic State group, in the early hours Tuesday. Activist groups said it was not clear if the warplanes were Russian or those of the U.S.-led coalition.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists around the country, said there were more than 35 air raids and that 18 people were killed, including five members of Islamic State. It said dozens were wounded.

The anti-Islamic State group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said the airstrikes killed 10 and wounded dozens  but different casualty figures are common in the chaos of Syrias civil war. The group said there were calls from mosque loudspeakers for residents to donate blood.

Over the past months, Islamic State has suffered major setbacks against Syrian government forces and U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters, including the loss of the central historic city of Palmyra.

MORE WORLD NEWS

100 million Brazilians lose WhatsApp after a judge orders a 72-hour shutdown

Israeli justice minister proposes controversial West Bank settlement legislation

The Donald Trump of Asia? Brash, unrepentant mayor leads Philippine presidential race
An Islamic State offensive in northern Iraq repeatedly broke through Kurdish lines with truck bombs and mortar fire early Tuesday, killing a California-based Navy SEAL two or three miles behind the front lines, U.S. officials said.

As the militants attacked several towns, the U.S. Air Force scrambled F-15 fighter jets and armed drones to help Kurdish ground troops fight back. The warplanes launched 25 airstrikes, officials said.

The Islamic State attack appeared aimed at pushing back the slow Kurdish and Iraqi encirclement of Mosul, the extremist groups self-declared capital in Iraq and the largest city under its control. The militants have lost significant territory in northern and western Iraq in the last year.

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The SEAL, identified as Charles Keating IV of Phoenix, was advising Kurdish fighters, known as peshmerga. He was shot and killed as the militants stormed the town of Tel Skuf, about 20 miles north of Mosul, according to a Kurdish official.

Keating, based in Coronado, Calif., was the grandson of the late Arizona financier Charles H. Keating Jr., who was involved in a savings and loan scandal in the late 1980s that cost the government billions of dollars and tarnished the reputation of conservative lawmakers, including Arizonas Sen. John McCain.

The younger Keating was engaged to be married to a Coronado woman in November, colleagues said.

His death is a tragic reminder of the daily sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform  fighting evil and extremism on the front lines to protect freedom and democracy at home and throughout the world, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who ordered the states flags flown at half-staff, said on his website.

In a statement, Islamic State said its fighters had attacked three towns with remotely controlled, bomb-laden vehicles, as well as cannons and mortars. It said the militants seized weapons and ammunition from Kurdish barracks and bases before retreating.

It is a combat death, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told reporters in Stuttgart, Germany, where he is meeting European allies and attending a change of command at U.S. military headquarters in Europe.

President Obama was briefed on the incident and has extended condolences to Keatings family, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

Earnest declined to say whether the death was evidence that U.S. troops are moving closer to the front lines, rather than assisting from the rear.

The presidents been clear time and time again exactly what their mission is, he said. That mission is to support Iraqi forces on the ground who are taking the fight to Islamic State.

They are not in a combat mission, Earnest said. But they are in a dangerous situation. And they are in a dangerous place.

The U.S. airstrikes destroyed several trucks with mounted machine guns and other munitions, as well as two bulldozers that the militants apparently were using in the attack, according to American officials. They said at least 21 militants were killed.

The fighting comes as Prime Minister Haider Abadis government struggles to stem a political crisis and growing unrest in Baghdad, the capital.

Over the weekend, protesters loyal to a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric stormed the so-called Green Zone government complex and occupied the parliament overnight. Islamic State claimed responsibility for multiple suicide attacks in the capital that killed several dozen people.

Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Carter, the defense chief, all have visited in recent weeks.

Three U.S. service members have been killed and 14 wounded in fighting since the Obama administration began its war against Islamic State in August 2014. The Pentagon has launched more than 10,000 airstrikes and deployed about 5,000 troops in Iraq.

Marine Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, of Temecula was killed in March by Islamic State rocket fire in northern Iraq.

Army Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler died in an October raid against Islamic State, also in northern Iraq.

Special correspondent Nabih Bulos in Amman, Jordan, and Gary Warth of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.

ALSO

100 million Brazilians lose WhatsApp after a judge orders a 72-hour shutdown

Israeli justice minister proposes controversial West Bank settlement legislation

The Donald Trump of Asia? Brash, unrepentant mayor leads Philippine presidential race
A judge in Brazil has ordered mobile phone providers to block the wildly popular WhatsApp messaging application for 72 hours, a decision apparently aimed at forcing the service to turn over user data.

Roughly half of Brazils 200 million people use WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook.

The judge, Marcel Montalvao, who works in the small northeastern state of Sergipe, did not give a reason for the order, which took effect across the country Monday afternoon. But it is thought to be related to a drug-trafficking investigation.

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In March, the same judge ordered the brief arrest of Facebooks vice president for Latin America for the companys refusal to turn over data on WhatsApp customers suspected in the drug case.

The order Monday marks the second time that authorities have shut down WhatsApp in Brazil.

In December, a different court ordered a 48-hour suspension after the service refused to comply with a criminal investigation. A higher court sided with the company and quickly overturned the ban. In all the service was shut down 13 hours.

That was long enough to disrupt Brazilian society.

WhatsApp is so popular in Brazil that it has essentially replaced traditional text messaging, which can be expensive. Without WhatsApp, many Brazilians using common pay-as-you-go plans have no way to send messages. The service is also used to make calls and send images and files.

In a statement to the press, a WhatsApp spokesman said the company was disappointed with the decision and that it had cooperated with the courts to the full extent of its ability.

This decision punishes more than 100 million Brazilians who rely on our service to communicate, run their businesses, and more, in order to force us to turn over information we repeatedly said we dont have, the statement said.

Joao Rezende, president of Brazils National Telecommunications Agency, also criticized the ban, telling local reporters that it was disproportionate because users are punished.

WhatsApp should comply with all legal orders as far as its technical capabilities allow, he said. But obviously, the block is not the solution.

Brazilians in Sao Paulo agreed.

Im losing loads of time and wasting money, said Joao Valerio dos Santos, a 38-year-old general contractor. I have specific WhatsApp groups I use to speak to workers or clients or friends, and all of that is down.

Bevins is a special correspondent.

ALSO

Its getting more and more dangerous to criticize the Turkish government

For Hindus far from home, online religious services can be a valued connection

Trapped for decades in a byzantine border dispute, these Indians are voting for the first time
All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced.  19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc.
The new Moto G for 2016, expected to be called the Moto G4, is almost assuredly going to launch in mid-May. That's because Motorola, the Lenovo-owned maker of the Moto G series, has announced it's holding a "special event" in New Delhi on May 17.

Moto G4 Release Date

The news comes via Android Authority, which got the press invite from Motorola late last week. Though the company didn't specifically mention any device launch during the May 17 event in India, the location and timing pretty obviously points to the unveil of a new Motorola smartphone targeted at that market. The Moto G4, the rumored upcoming 2016 fourth generation update of the popular, low-priced Android smartphone, is the most likely focus of the mid-May event.

What features and specs will the rumored Moto G4 pack when it's unveiled in a couple of weeks, and how much will it cost? Here's what the online buzz suggests.

Moto G4 Specs & Price

The Moto G4 will reportedly arrive with a mid-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, which is no surprise since the Moto G line of devices traditionally packs an adequate but low-cost system on a chip to keep the total device price low.

Multiple reports compiled by Android Authority have the fourth generation Moto G running either a Snapdragon 430 or a Snapdragon 435, which in 2016 is in line with what you'd expect on a new Moto G. Expect 2GB of RAM to accompany whichever system on a chip Motorola decided on including in the Moto G4.

For the display, it seems Motorola may have decided to up the size just a bit more over the 5-inch screened Moto G 3rd Generation, since the rumor mill has coalesced around a 5.5-inch screen and a 1080p resolution in the 2016 model.

According to GSMArena, one new feature that might be coming to the 2016 Moto G (and apparently all new Motorola devices) is a fingerprint reader, embedded into a physical home button, much the way Samsung and Apple now does it.

Finally, most are expecting the Moto G4 to come with a 13-megapixel rear camera along with a minimum of 16GB internal storage to help house those higher resolution snapshots.

As for the price, some are suggesting it will retail for about 240 euros, or around $275 in the U.S., but since Motorola usually tries to stick around the $200 minimum-option price point, take that (and all rumors, of course) with a grain of salt.

Rumored Moto G4 'Plus'

Along with the fourth generation Moto G, there's a rumored "Moto G4 Plus" coming this year. Lenovo's U.S. headquartered smartphone maker has been diversifying its device strategy with, for example, different variants of essentially the Moto X coming out in 2015. But each variant, like the Moto X Force, was launched for specific markets, so the possibility of the existence of a 2016 Moto G4 Plus does not necessarily mean it will be available for purchase everywhere and anywhere.

Fewer details have hit the rumor mill about the rumored Moto G4 Plus compared to the Moto G4, but it's expected to have the same screen size (strangely, for the name), but a higher 16-megapixel main camera.

Some leaks have suggested that the G4 Plus could feature nicer, metal build materials, along with a slightly higher price equivalent to around the U.S. equivalent of $325.
Indiana is home to 167,000 Latino eligible voters, and while not all of the electorate will turnout on Tuesday, the Indiana primary will still play a crucial role in Ted Cruz's presidential aspirations.

Trump to Retain Front-Runner Status

Based on polling data prior to the May 3 primary, Donald Trump appears to comfortably win the Indiana Republican presidential primary. Although Cruz has campaigned hard in Indiana, even naming his vice presidential pick in the Hoosier State with former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, the latest Gravis Marketing poll has Trump ahead by 17-percentage points. Conducted between April 28 and April 29 with 379 likely Republican voters, Trump received support from 44 percent of supporters, ahead of Cruz's 27 percent, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich attracted 9 percent.

Trump's lead was echoed in the NBC News, Wall Street Journal and Marist University poll, which he led Cruz by 15-percentage points. With 645 likely Republican voters, 49 percent favored the New York businessman compared to 34 percent for the junior Texas senator and 13 percent for the Ohio governor.

On Tuesday morning, Cruz attacked Trump for statements alleging his father, Rafael Cruz, was connected with Lee Harvey Oswald, who killed President John F. Kennedy.

"I'm gonna tell you what I really think of Donald Trump: This man is a pathological liar," said Cruz from Indiana. "He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies. He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth, and in a pattern that I think is straight out of a psychology textbook, his response is to accuse everybody else of lying."

In the Republican race, Indiana offers 57 delegates, largely proportional. Trump currently leads the overall delegate count with 996 delegates, based on RealClearPolitics projections, ahead of 565 delegates for Cruz and 153 delegates for Kasich. The Republican presidential candidate requires 1,237 delegates to clinch the nomination.

Clinton Moving on to General Election

Although she hasn't clinched the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is already preparing for the general presidential election.

Indiana offers 83 pledged delegates, which will be distributed proportionally. Based on surveys, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., might have an advantage, especially as Indiana is an open primary, unlike the last five primaries (Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania) that saw him lose.

The Marist University, Wall Street Journal and NBC News survey has Clinton with a narrow lead, 4-percentage points, over Sanders. She received 50 percent to his 46 percent among 645 likely Democratic voters.

In CBS News and YouGov's survey conducted between April 20 and April 22 with 439 likely voters, Clinton attracted 49 percent to Sanders' 44 percent.

"Winning Indiana tomorrow night would not only cut into Secretary Clinton's lead, but it would send a powerful message to the political establishment and corporate media who just want this race to end so they can get on with the ratings and fundraising bonanza that would be a Clinton v. Trump general election," the Sanders campaign emailed to supporters.

"Let's be clear. It is virtually impossible for Secretary Clinton to win all of the pledged delegates she needs to capture the nomination without the help of superdelegates at the convention," Sanders Campaign Manager Jeff Weaver said in a statement. "That means every vote we receive, every delegate we win between now and July strengthens our hand as we get to a contested convention."

Based on RealClearPolitics projections, the Democratic presidential candidate requires 2,382 delegates to clinch the nomination. Clinton's pledged delegate count stands at 1,645 delegates, and Sanders has 1,318 delegates. Superdelegates, however, surges Clinton to 2,165 delegates compared to 1,357 delegates for Sanders.

Indiana polling locations close at 6 p.m. local time.

__

For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.
About 100 million Brazilians collectively cried out in anguish on Monday. But you wouldn't hear it from them, because that anguish was over yet another government shutdown of WhatsApp, which as Latin Post previously noted, is a free and vital form of daily communication for Brazilians.

Brazil Bans WhatsApp... Again

WhatsApp, the popular worldwide Internet messaging service owned by Facebook, was blocked to effectively half the Brazilian population for 72 hours starting at 2 p.m. on Monday on the order of Marcel Maia Montalvao.

If that name seems familiar, it's because that is the same judge who ordered the detainment of Facebook's VP for Latin America, Diego Dzodan about a month ago.

Dzodan was in custody for about a day before Montolvao's order was overturned by a higher court judge, who called the arrest "an extreme measure," as The New York Times noted.

Though Montolvao presides over a small town in the northeastern state of Sergipe, the judge's order applied nationally.

This time, the five largest wireless carriers nationwide were ordered to block WhatsApp for three days. Any Brazilian service providers failing to comply with the order will be penalized by fines running the equivalent of about $142,000 US per day.

Encryption Showdown Continues

The latest shutdown in Brazil comes from the same ongoing battle between Facebook, WhatsApp, and Brazilian authorities that have repeatedly insisted that the companies cooperate with criminal investigations, providing personal data and communications of Brazilian WhatsApp users suspected of drug trafficking.

WhatsApp and Facebook have repeatedly told Brazilian courts that complying with the court orders is impossible, as the app's communications are fully encrypted and out of the company's reach.

Speaking to TechCrunch on the latest ban in Brazil, a spokesperson for WhatsApp expressed the company's frustration with what is now the second shutdown in Brazil in the past few months. The last time Brazil banned WhatsApp in December, the 48-hour shutdown was lifted after only 12 hours.

"After cooperating to the full extent of our ability with the local courts, we are disappointed a judge in Sergipe decided yet again to order the block of WhatsApp in Brazil," said the spokesperson. "This decision punishes more than 100 million Brazilians who rely on our service to communicate, run their businesses, and more, in order to force us to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have."

The frustration of WhatsApp's CEO Jan Koum was palpable as he reacted to the shutdown on Facebook. "Yet again millions of innocent Brazilians are being punished because a court wants WhatsApp to turn over information we repeatedly said we don't have," wrote Koum on his Facebook page.

"Not only do we encrypt messages end-to-end on WhatsApp to keep people's information safe and secure, we also don't keep your chat history on our servers. When you send an end-to-end encrypted message, no one else can read it - not even us," Koum added. "While we are working to get WhatsApp back up and running as soon as possible, we have no intention of compromising the security of our billion users around the world."

Escalating the Fight

The second shutdown of WhatsApp comes as a new cybercrime bill in Brazil's legislature is on the verge of being made into law.

As The Intercept reported, the legislation would give the federal government explicit internet-shutdown powers like the one imposed by the judge on Monday.

Up for a vote this week in Brazil are other controversial Internet measures, which privacy analysts are worried could erode online rights, some of which Brazil's own government made official when it passed the world's first "Bill of Rights" for the Internet two years ago, called the "Marco Civil da Internet."

One measure up for vote this week would call on Internet companies to remove online content within 48 hours if it's deemed critical to Brazilian politicians. Another proposal could impose imprisonment on individuals for violating an website's terms of use.

As a similar battle between the FBI and Apple has at least temporarily been sidestepped by the agency's newfound ability to hack iPhones without Apple's help, it appears the online privacy war in Brazil has only just begun.
The fight against a new Mississippi law seen as discriminatory to lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender people is far from being over. LGBT rights supporters protested on Sunday, saying they're not giving up their fight.

According to ABC news, the law enable religious groups and privates businesses to deny services to transgender and same-sex couples on religious grounds. The law is expected to take effect in July 1.

More than 300 people have marched from state Capitol to the governor's mansion in Jackson to keep their pressure being felt by Gov. Phil Bryant and the supporters of the law.

President of the Human Rights Campaign, Chad Griffin, said "We need to show him loud and clear we're not going away," to a crowd gathered outside.

Yahoo wrote that Gov. Bryant and its supporters believe the law entices the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion. They added that the protesters are overreacting and that the state shall make their move since the Supreme Court up ruled the legalization of gay marriage.

The law, when applied, would indicate denial of services to same-sex and transgender people including housing and adoption with the basis of religious belief. Furthermore, private businesses are guaranteed of refusing marriage-related services such as room rentals, cakes, photography, and even flowers.

US News published that some of the speakers who joined the protest include the leader of Mississippi chapter of the NAACP, an executive with the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and an Episcopal priest who won in lifting ban for same-sex couples adopting children.

Ben Jealous, former national president of NAACP, said "I don't like the repeat of this movie, when a Mississippi governor decides they want to make a name for themselves by attacking the dignity of an entire group of people." Meanwhile, an attorney from Southern Poverty Law Center, Jody Owens, encouraged people to call his office when they experience discrimination so they can file a lawsuit.
As graduation season nears, area businesses are searching for the best and brightest to augment their workforces and replace retiring baby boomers. Unemployment is low, and the next generation of professionals and skilled workers seems to be more interested in quality of life than in dollars and cents. This has a number of employers using new approaches to attracting a workforce.

Compensation is still a key to attracting qualified employees. All of the companies mentioned here frequently reevaluate their compensation and benefit packages, either annually or when its time to renegotiate union contracts. But these companies are also working to provide an environment where employees enjoy their jobs and feel valued.

One new local business has been working for the last few months to build an entire staff from scratch. Terry Vajgrt is general manager of Revivify, the company he and entrepreneur Zach Halmstad created to manage the three food and beverage venues in the newly-remodeled Lismore Hotel in downtown Eau Claire. Those include The Informalist restaurant, the Eau Claire Downtown Coffee shop, and a bar called Dive. Vajgrt said he needed nearly 50 employees to start and expects to continue hiring for the first six months.

The Lismore held a couple of job fairs in Eau Claire and also launched a social media blitz in the Twin Cities.

People will be surprised at the number of people that are coming back to the area and the number of those people that weve hired that have been looking and waiting for an opportunity like this to get back to Eau Claire, Vajgrt said. People have always loved the quality of life here.

One of Vajgrts goals is to break the stereotype of restaurant and bar work being temporary jobs.

We want to help promote a professional hospitality career environment in this area, he said. In part, that means offering the kinds of benefit packages offered by what some people would consider real jobs. Full-time employees will be offered insurance and retirement options. New employees will start above minimum wage. Vajgrt also believes it is important that employees have input in the business and know their contributions are valued.

Part of everybodys job description is going to be innovate, Vajgrt said.

Getting involved

Employee involvement is a key strategy of Spectrum Industries in Chippewa Falls. The company designs, manufactures and markets furniture that high schools and universities use to connect to technology, such as mobile device racks used to store and charge tablets and laptops, and multimedia podiums used in lecture halls. Because all of the work is done in-house, Spectrum has to recruit a wide array of workers, from seasonal manufacturing help to engineers and administrators. According to Spectrum President Dave See, all employees are kept in the loop.

We like to create an atmosphere which is one that provides meaningful work for all of our employees, an atmosphere where they can come to work and feel like they are contributing to something, See said. We tell everyone in the company what were doing and why were doing it.

When Spectrum won a Manufacturer of the Year award last year from Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the first thing See did was gather the employees and pass the glass pyramid trophy around.

Dont be afraid to drop it, See told the staff. Well just go back and get another one.

Laurie Klomstad, Spectrums vice president of human resources, says creating a good work environment has helped the company retain employees. Out of a staff of nearly 200, just over half have been with the company for 10 years or longer. While engineering positions can be hard to fill, Klomstad said Spectrum benefits from having internships with local higher education institutions.

Were really fortunate that were so close to such great institutions like UW-Stout and Chippewa Valley Technical College, Klomstad said. Most new hires come from those two schools.

Embracing change

JAMF Software in Eau Claire is known for creating a unique at-work atmosphere. A tour of JAMFs Eau Claire headquarters reveals not just open, collaborative work spaces, but also a ping pong table, shuffleboard, portable putting greens and other diversions. The dress code is casual. Some employees even bring their dogs to work. Daisy Hinding, a cultural facilitator in JAMFs HR department, says that does not mean employees play all day. The tech industry is fast-paced.

With the amount of work that everyone in our organization has in front of them, the company provides opportunities to take a break, step away and get to know the people around you, not just in a work capacity, Hinding said. We really believe in fostering community.

Employees have an easy way to provide input on the company or perks theyd like to see offered. An internal social media platform called Chatter, which works much like Twitter, allows workers to participate in company-wide conversations.

JAMF employs around 200 people in Eau Claire and more than 550 throughout the world. Last year, the company hired 170 people worldwide, keeping the HR department busy. The building of JAMFs new headquarters in downtown Eau Claire has created a buzz that has helped in recruiting employees, according to Hinding. The involvement in the community of Halmstad, an Eau Claire native and JAMF co-founder, has also helped.

JAMF holds occasional open houses for students and anyone else who is interested in a new career. The company also hires around a dozen interns each summer, mostly from UW-Eau Claire.

Hinding says employee retention is one of JAMFs two key measures of success (the other being customer retention), and the company is doing well on that score. Employee retention is currently trending toward 98 percent.

Being flexible

M3 Insurance is based in Madison and has offices in Eau Claire, Wausau and Green Bay. When the company surveyed employees a couple of years ago about what theyd appreciate from their employer, flexibility, mobility and work-life balance were common themes. Now all employees are issued laptops, which they can use to connect at the office or from anywhere, according to M3 corporate recruiter Angel Hammer.

You can work remotely, outside, or in a coffee shop, Hammer said. Yesterday I worked from a car shop where my car was getting fixed. Work schedules are customized to each individual. Other perks include fitness centers in many of the offices and a dress for your day policy, in which employees can wear jeans on days they are not meeting with clients.

While Hammer says the perks help make her recruiting job easier, most new graduates are not thinking about working in the insurance field. Many prospective employees come from finance, but M3 recruits graduates of all majors.

We ask students to have an open mind about insurance, Hammer said. The company launched a program last year called M3 YOU, which stands for your opportunity uncovered. Entry-level employees in the program learn about all aspects of the insurance business.

Emphasis on training

Even before the economic recovery began to drive unemployment rates down, construction companies found themselves scrambling to replace retiring baby boomers. Jerry Shea, president and operations manager of Market & Johnson in Eau Claire, says construction workers tend to retire a little younger than some other careers due to the physical nature of the job. Construction companies saw their recruiting needs start to grow 10 years ago. Those new workers need new skills.

Our industry is demanding better-trained, tech-savvy carpenters, Shea said. The old days of just a strong back is not just enough. Construction work is labor-intensive and seasonal, but he said that skilled carpenters, laborers and cement finishers can earn very good pay and benefits.

Weve been battling an image that its a summer job that you do before you get a real job, Shea said. School counselors discourage the best and the brightest from going into construction. Shea is also disappointed that many schools have had to shut down shop classes because of budget cuts.

Many construction workers get into the field through four-year union apprenticeship programs. Market & Johnson also hires four to five interns a year in various departments such as construction, accounting and marketing. Many of the interns come from UW-Stout, Chippewa Valley Technical College, and UW campuses in Platteville and Madison.

Some of our best employees come from those internships, Shea said.

Spreading the word

Current employees of many companies are encouraged to help in the hunt for new recruits. See says word of mouth from satisfied employees is Spectrums best recruiting tool. JAMF, M3 Insurance and Market & Johnson all offer bonuses for employees who refer new hires. Depending on various factors, those bonuses can be as high as $1,000.

A common theme emerges from these companies who compete for talent in an era of low unemployment; employees want to feel like theyre a part of something. It is pretty clear that the successful 21st-century company will be one that lets its employees know that their ideas, as well as their efforts, are valued.
A self-professed heroin addict stole stuffed animals and other items from a Lehigh Valley hospital gift shop early Sunday morning while visiting his girlfriend, Bethlehem police said.

A Bethlehem man is accused of stealing from the gift shop at Lehigh Valley Hospital - Muhlenberg while he was visiting his girlfriend. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

Michael Shepherd's burglary at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg was caught on surveillance video, but the 33-year-old was only arrested later Sunday after Allentown police say he crashed while driving high in the city.

Shepherd, of the 600 block of Wyandotte Street in Bethlehem, is charged with burglary, attempted burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property in the hospital case.

He is also charged with driving under the influence of heroin, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and following too closely in the Allentown case.

Shepherd is being held on $35,000 bail for the burglary. He received $10,000 unsecured bail in the DUI case.

Bethlehem police said between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday, a bearded man later identified as Shepherd forced his way into the gift shop at the hospital off Schoenersville Road.

Shepherd unsuccessfully tried to open the shop's cash register, and then stole various items, including stuffed animals, worth about $30, police said. Surveillance cameras caught Shepherd unsuccessfully trying to break into the hospital's pharmacy as well, police said.

An employee saw a bearded man around that time take an elevator to the hospital's sixth floor, police said, and a man matching the description of the burglar signed in as "Matthew Shepherd" to visit a patient. That patient was identified as Shepherd's girlfriend, police said.

Sunday night, at 8:14 p.m., Allentown police responded to a crash at Union Boulevard and Kiowa Street.

Shepherd was involved in the crash, and appeared to be under the influence of drugs, city police said.

Shepherd told officers he had taken prescribed oxycodone; police said officers found three packets of heroin in Shepherd's cigarette pack, as well as syringes and bottle caps with heroin residue in them in the vehicle.

While having his blood taken for testing, Shepherd reportedly admitted to be addicted to heroin and that he needed help.

Police used Shepherd's Allentown booking photo to identify him in the surveillance camera footage of the burglary, prosecutors said.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Zulily home page

Zulily describes itself as "a retailer obsessed with bringing moms special finds every day -- all at incredible prices" featuring "an always-fresh curated collection for the whole family, including clothing, home decor, toys, gifts and more."

(Courtesy Photo)

Online retailer zulily, which opened a distribution center about a year ago in Bethlehem, wants to hire more people for the center and has scheduled a job fair.

The company opened the center last July at 10 Emery St., an 800,000-square-foot warehouse owned by Liberty Property Trust in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII -- former Bethlehem Steel Corp. land off Route 412.

In 2014, when zulily first announced plans in Bethlehem, it estimated the center would create 1,200 full-time jobs for the region in a three-year span.

A zulily spokeswoman on Tuesday said it is against company policy to publicly disclose the current number of employees at a facility, but noted that it's been adding additional employees at the Bethlehem center every month since opening.

Here's what job seekers need to know about the latest round of hiring:

How many hires? The company is currently looking to hire more than 50 new employees.

What kind of jobs? The positions open in Bethlehem are for warehouse associates, according to the company's website. Picking, packing and shipping customer orders are among the primary job duties.

Are these full-time jobs? Yes.

Pay and benefits? Starting pay is $13 an hour. Full health and welfare benefits begin on the first day of the month following the start of employment.

Qualifications? A high-school diploma or GED is required. Prospective employees must also pass a pre-employment drug test and background check.

How do I get hired? Start by attending the job fair scheduled 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday at the distribution center on Emery Street.

More information? Visit zulily.com/careers.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
olympus america in upper saucon

Authorities respond to a potential hazardous materials incident May 11, 2015, at Olympus America Inc. headquarters in Upper Saucon Township. (Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Pennsylvania will get a share of a $306 million civil settlement reached with Olympus America, Inc. in a case alleging the company, based in Lehigh County, paid illegal kickbacks to healthcare providers.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane's office announced the settlement on Tuesday. It is the result of a whistleblower lawsuit filed in New Jersey. The state's share of the settlement is $1.6 million, Kane's office says in a news release.

"The lawsuit alleged that Olympus used improper financial incentives to induce doctors and hospital executives to buy a wide ranging array of its endoscopes and other surgical equipment, and to thereby unlawfully increase sales and gain market share," the release states.

Olympus America opened its headquarters in 2006 on a 54-acre campus off Interstate 78 and Route 309 in Upper Saucon Township.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in March announced the settlement. The $306 million civil settlement combined with criminal penalties amounted to a $623.2 million financial hit to the company.

The company addresses the settlement in a statement on its website.

"Olympus leadership acknowledges the company's responsibility for the past conduct, which does not represent the values of Olympus or its employees," the statement says.

"Olympus is committed to complying with all laws and regulations and to adhering to our own rigorous Code of Conduct which guides our business processes, decisions and behavior. The Company has implemented and will continue to enhance its robust compliance program."

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Whitehall Township man faces 60 charges related to child pornography, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office announced Monday.

K'von L. Amaro (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

K'von L. Amaro, 19, of the 600 block of Mickley Run, was arraigned last Friday and initially sent to Lehigh County Jail.

The Attorney General's Child Predator Section began investigating Amaro following a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about video and images posted to a Dropbox file-sharing account, according to a news release.

The Dropbox activity was accessed by multiple individuals, authorities said, and FBI agents tracked the Internet-protocol address associated with the account to Amaro's apartment.

Attorney general's office agents obtained a search warrant for computers seized during the investigation and found numerous media files of child pornography, the release states.

Amaro was arraigned before District Judge Wayne Maura on 30 counts each of distribution of child porn and possession of child porn, in addition to one charge of criminal use of a communication facility.

He was released from jail on $100,000 bail posted by a bondsman, and faces a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled Friday.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
PHILADELPHIA -- The man who identifies himself as Philly Jesus was arrested Monday night at a Center City Apple Store, 6abc reports.

Police responded at roughly 6:15 p.m. to the sore, located at 16th and Walnut Streets, when the store manager asked Philly Jesus to leave he but didn't, according to reports.

Philly Jesus' real name is Michael Grant.

Philly Jesus was asked to leave the store by police but he refused and caused a disturbance, 6abc says.

He was charged with defiant trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Grant is a former drug addict and rapper who was run over by a minivan driven by an ex-girlfriend. After getting hooked on opiates, then heroin, he began selling drugs, and eventually went to rehab.

Now Philly Jesus cites scripture and the word of God during conversations and gives public ministries.

Grant was also arrested in late 2014 on disorderly conduct charges after an argument with a police officer about accepting money for photos. Chargers were later dropped.

Does Apple even know who his father is? I'd let him go before suffering God's wrath. #FreePhillyJesus  Kimberley (@HappilyKim) May 3, 2016

Even Jesus checks his email at the Apple Store. A photo posted by Jen A. Miller (@jenamillerrunner) on May 2, 2016 at 3:05pm PDT

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
In a rare case for the Chippewa Valley and the entire state of Wisconsin, a Chippewa Falls man is facing a felony charge of voting while not a U.S. citizen.

A criminal complaint said Nebi Ademi, 63, of Chippewa Falls voted in the April 5 presidential primary election without being a U.S. citizen. The formal charge of election fraud  voting by a disqualified person was filed last week in Chippewa County.

This is the first case of its type in the state that the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has heard of, said Reid Magney, a spokesman for the agency.

Typically the disqualification that we get most often is someone who is a felon whose voting rights are not restored, Magney said. He said between 10 to 20 felons are charged with that during a major election year.

Felons are allowed to vote after they are no longer under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.

But Ademis case, being accused of voting as a non-citizen, is unusual. Magney said it could have happened before because there is no requirement that district attorneys tell the GAB when charges have been filed. But the state agency is not aware of a similar case.

Another reason, he said, why it is rare: There is no list or database for U.S. citizens for us to check against.

Our participation in this particular investigation has been minimal, Magney said, explaining the agency was told of the charge being made. This is the district attorneys investigation, not our investigation.

A criminal complaint against Ademi consists of a letter dated April 19 from Chippewa Falls City Clerk Bridget Givens to District Attorney Steve Gibbs.

According to the complaint:

On April 5, Ademi filled out an election day registration application. He did not answer two questions, including whether he would be 18 years of age or older before election day and another asking if he was a citizen of the United States.

Following up, a deputy clerk in Givens office contacted Ademi, and found he was over age 18. Then the question of whether he was a U.S. citizen was posed.

Mr. Ademi responded that he was a not U.S. citizen, but that he had a green card. This would make him ineligible to vote in the state of Wisconsin, Givens wrote.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services defines a green card as: A Green Card holder (permanent resident) is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card.

Ademi is scheduled to appear before Judge Steven Cray at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 14.
A Laois politician has claimed that the underfunding of mental health services is a factor hindering the prevention of suicide.

It emerged last week that 12 million is to be cut from the mental health budget because of staff recruitment problems.

Brian Stanley called on the Minister for Health not to go ahead with cuts to the Mental Health Budget.

Money had been put aside to provide for 1,150 new staff for mental health services.

In Laois alone in the last few weeks there have been 7 suicides. Suicide Prevention Programmes are drastically underfunded.

People regularly complain to me of members of their families being discharged prematurely from Inpatient Services, he said.

Another area being affected is that there are currently no child psychologists in Laois and waiting lists are piling up.

To redirect money from our health crisis at this stage would be life threatening for many, said the Sinn Fein TD.

He said his party has a plan for mental health care that would include the complete rollout of Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurses (SCAN) and to increase the number of inpatient child and adolescent beds, to increase the number of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) teams.

Deputy Stanley's concerns had been raised in the Dail and he has asked the Minister directly to clarify what mental health services this will affect and to put a halt to the cuts.

Laois TD and Minister for Foreign Affairs said he was  most concerned about recent reports about cuts to the mental health budget and has spoken to Minister for Health Leo Varadkar regarding this matter.

The issue of mental health needs to be addressed. Approval for an additional 1,550 posts has been secured. However, not all these posts could be filled in the year as recruitment takes time.

It is intended that the funds in time related savings from positions not being filled, on a once off basis, will be used in other areas of the health service.

However, recruitment is ongoing to fill the posts that remain unfilled.

In the past five years, the government has provided an additional 160 million for new developments in mental health.

Mental health services will be developed this year to a full cost of 35 million and I have been assured that this amount will also be fully provided for in the 2017 base budget for health, he said.
A Portarlington member of the Defence Forces has been given community service for an assault in which a woman had her head put through a glass door.

A Portarlington member of the Defence Forces has been given community service for an assault in which a woman had her head put through a glass door.

Before the recent Portlaoise Circuit Court was Ruairi Allen, Portarlington, charged with assault causing harm on April 1, 2012, at Kilnacourt Woods, Portarlington.

Sgt James Phelan gave evidence, led by State prosecutor, Mr Will Fennelly. Allen was at a GAA fight night with his girlfriend, Amy Dunne, Portarlington, when a dispute arose between Dunne and another woman. The altercation was broken up by the womens boyfriends and both couples left.

The woman then got separated from her boyfriend and arrived alone at the house where she was staying. While she was waiting outside, a taxi pulled into the estate at 3am and Allen and Dunne got out and came towards her.

The woman was assaulted by both Allen and Dunne and her head was put through a glass pane. She was also bitten and kicked to the ground. Her mobile phone was also stamped on by Allen.

At one point, Allen was heard to say, Kill her.

The injured party was brought to hospital with multiple scratches and tears, and a bite mark on her left arm. She lost two fingernails and required five staples to her head.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had been left very traumatised and hasnt socialised in Portarlington since this vicious assault. She had dried blood in her hair for a week, has sleepless nights and has been left with a problem with her jaw.

Between the damage to her phone, medical bills, the damage to the window and her missing two weeks work, she was at a total loss of 1,444.

When arrested, Allen claimed that the injured party had attacked Dunne, rather than the other way round. He is a member of the Defence Forces attached to the Curragh camp and has recently returned from a period in the Lebanon. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Tony Hunt remarked that it was not possible to determine whether Allen or Dunne had been more culpable in the assault, but they were both equally responsible through common purpose.

One cant determine who shoved the girls head through the window; I cant understand how it got to this, said Judge Hunt. The Defence Forces are a discipline force, but what he exhibited on the night falls far short of what should be his training and instinct. he should know better.

The judge imposed 200 hours community service in lieu of 18 months in prison. Allen also handed in 3,000 compensation.

Amy Dunne was convicted at a previous court sitting, and also received 200 hours community service.
Wisconsins Democratic congressional delegation urged the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday to consider a legal challenge to the states voter ID law or joining ongoing litigation against it.

The letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch cites reports of long lines at polling places in Wisconsins April 5 primary  the first high-turnout statewide election in which the states voter ID requirement was in place.

It also points to reports of troubling statements by individuals closely connected to the state Legislatures consideration of the law indicating that its passage may have been motivated, at least in part, by a desire to reduce youth and minority participation in elections.

The latter may be a reference to two recent public statements  the first coming from Republican Congressman Glenn Grothman, who said the Republican presidential nominee has a chance to win Wisconsin this year because photo ID is going to make a little bit of a difference.

The other came from former state Senate GOP staffer Todd Allbaugh, who recounted sitting in on closed-door meetings of Republican lawmakers during the voter ID debate in 2011 in which he said a handful of GOP senators were giddy about the ramifications and literally singled out the prospects of suppressing minority and college voters. At least one Republican lawmaker who participated in those meetings, Sen. Van Wanggaard, denied any recollection of hearing such comments.

The letter to Lynch was signed by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Madison and U.S. Reps. Ron Kind of La Crosse, Gwen Moore of Milwaukee and Mark Pocan of Black Earth.

Until this year, Wisconsins voter ID law largely has been on hold due to court challenges filed shortly after its adoption in 2011.

A pair of challenges to the requirement still are working their way through the courts, with at least one of them expected to be back before a judge later this month.

The other will be back in court soon after a federal appeals court recently sided with groups arguing Wisconsinites who face daunting obstacles to meet the states voter ID requirement should be able to vote without an ID.
Anthony Lester, the Liberal Democrat peer, lawyer and the most eminent human rights lawyer in Britain has been interviewed by the Huffington Post. He highlights how, as a Jew, he was exposed to prejudice and discrimination from a young age, starting with the loss of relatives in the Holocaust, and later in the army when he was barred from attending a dance in the officers mess to prevent miscegenation.

As a barrister he devoted a large amount of his life to combating discrimination, and he also worked with Roy Jenkins, then Labour Home Secretary, on developing laws against race and sex discrimination. Later he fought for the Human Rights Act.

Anthonys new book Five Ideas To Fight For will be published this week. He focuses on the big ideas of human rights, equality, free speech, privacy and rule of law. He is very worried about the future of the Human Rights Act, which the current government is planning to repeal and replace with a British Bill of Rights.

Lester traces press hostility to the Human Rights Act back to when it was being drawn up in 1997. By then a peer, he was lobbied by the media to give them an exemption from its privacy protections. As a media lawyer, Lester had represented the press and used the European Convention on Human Rights protection of free speech. But he found them wanting immunity to its privacy protection while benefitting from its free speech protection a bit rich and it was not granted. Ever since, tabloid newspaper have been attacking it day after day, he says. You dont find newspapers in other European countries attacking [the ECHR] in this sort of way. You find only politicians doing it. Here, weve had both and that has been very, very undermining.

He attacks Theresa May in a letter to The Times for suggesting that the UK leaves the European Convention on Human Rights  something that the UK helped to set up after the Second World War as a way of maintaining peace in Europe.

There is much more of value in the article on HuffPo which you can read in full here.

We hope to review Anthony Lesters book soon.
The ongoing junior doctors strike has unfortunately focused the attention of the public and the media away from the plight of nurses and midwives. I believe this group deserves much more sympathy.

Nurses and midwives, while not required to study for as long as doctors, nevertheless have to complete a degree course. Nurses standard hours are usually 37.5 to 40 hours per week and many work extra nights, weekends and evenings to earn enough to provide for themselves and their families. A Royal College of Nursing report from 2015 found that 35% of nurses have to work 12 hour shifts.

Unlike junior doctors they are more likely to have to go home on public transport than jump into a car after a night shift. Even those nurses and midwives who can afford a car are often required to pay for parking in hospitals, at a cost of up to 600 a year, while the Chief Executive has their nominated free parking space.

When it comes to accommodation, nurses in London, even if in training, no longer have nursing accommodation provided, as my mother did when she trained in the 1960s.

Nurses and midwives will not be getting more than a 1% annual pay raise, unlike Junior Doctors who will be getting a 13% increase if they accept the new contract. Yet they are not talking of strike action. Nurses are soon to have to pay tuition fees even though it could take them 20 years to pay these back; and new nursing and midwifery students will no longer have access to maintenance grants while studying. Its no wonder that there is a shortage of 10,000 nurses in London alone, and trusts are paying through the nose for agency workers and enriching private agencies at the expense of the tax payer.

It is more likely that a nurse rather than a junior doctor will clean up the bodies of the dead, have to deal with drunken or abusive patients and provide comfort to the bereaved.

So the next time you see the junior doctors picketing spare a thought for the nurses and midwives who are getting a much worse deal and write in support of them to your MP as I have done.

* Chris Key is dad of two girls, multilingual and internationalist. He is a Lib Dem member in Twickenham who likes holding the local council and MPs to account.
In yesterdays article I alluded to a central contradiction going on in the Liberal Democrats at the moment: the incompatible melange of pro-asylum seeker and pro-interventionist rhetoric and ideology.

Today, I will say firstly that I do support accepting some asylum seekers in the UK; in accordance with a rather hard-headed ethic of prudence and restraint, rather than the gushy sentimentality that so often afflicts our party (of which more shortly). I will also say that my reasons for accepting asylum seekers are completely different from some dominant lines of discussion in the Liberal Democrats; and that this is far from inconsequential.

What does this mean?

I cannot deny that politics cannot be based purely on bare reason. Rhetoric is a fundamental part of politics; any party not wishing to be condemned to the electoral wilderness is obliged to take heed of Pascals reasons of the heart, as much as Dawkins or Hitchens reasons of the head. But I do not base my support for a prudentially inclusive asylum policy (a policy neither exclusive nor sentimentally exclusive) because of gushy, bleeding heart cant about our common humanity, the greater good, and other such bad poetry from bad poets.

To be brutally frank, such rhetoric generally strikes me as inauthentic and self-serving. I support our welcoming of asylum seekers not because we are all in this together, but because our recent governments and parliaments have inflicted great wrongs upon the peoples of the Middle East and of North Africa. Here, justice must prevail over mercy; and if our thwarted Portias cannot bear this, so much for melodramatic performance theatre! It is right to accept asylum seekers not because of gushy sentimentality, but because, in the most hard-hearted way possible, we have messed their country up beyond repair (and please do feel free to substitute the word messed up with any suitable and more rigorous alternative you can think of).

And it is for this reason, and not because of trite appeals to the greater good of our common humanity and other flamboyant claptrap, that I support accepting asylum seekers in the UK. A wrong has been perpetrated, and although it cannot be atoned for, some restitution must be made.

But it seems that some want to have it both ways. Take the line of least resistance in terms of resisting Uncle Sams threats and promises; and then when things go wrong, claim the moral high ground, blaming the Tories for being hard of heart. This is radically incoherent; far better not to meddle and interfere in the first place; yet now there is talk of dropping Vaclav Havels proverbial humanitarian bombs on Libya. The ethical foreign policy trajectory of the Liberal Democrats is dragging us morally, if not also electorally, off the edge of a cliff.

So, lets have no more pious platitudes about ethics, and lets get our moral baseline right first. If you want an ethical foreign policy, then do please feel free to help Tony Blair set up a new party for more intrusive meddling. So-called ethics may well have its place; but sometimes, having a basic moral compass is more important. Before you worry about what youre not doing, try and think about what you are doing first. It is beyond all doubt that any contemptuous refusal to get our priorities in order will be utterly fatal.

And tragically enough, the word fatal is very far from a metaphor.

No, it will not touch you.

But the same cannot be said for everyone in this world.

Remember your privilege.

* Jonathan Ferguson is a PhD student. His socio-economic views are progressive/left liberal, with strongly libertarian leanings on non-interventionism, privacy and freedom of speech.
OSHKOSH  U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, speaking to supporters Monday to kick off his re-election campaign, painted a dire picture of the nations woes but said he wants a second term to put the country back on course.

In a possible sign of the campaign to come, Johnson and his conservative allies sought to put Democratic opponent Russ Feingold on the defensive Monday with withering attacks.

Johnson railed against Feingold as an undistinguished career politician.

And a super PAC funded by billionaire conservative Charles Koch debuted a $2 million advertising campaign featuring VA whistleblower Ryan Honl. Using footage of a tearful Honl, it savages Feingold for his alleged mishandling of the scandal involving mistreatment of veterans at the Tomah VA Medical Center.

About 200 Johnson supporters attended the event at Pacur, the plastic fabrication business he co-founded. It teed up a campaign tour that will take Johnson across the state in coming days.

The first-term senator first took elected office after he defeated Feingold, D-Middleton, in 2010  riding a message of fiscal restraint and backlash to President Barack Obamas then-new health care law.

Johnson told supporters Monday that the situation in Washington has gotten worse since he took office.

Why would I do this again? Why dont I just come home to Oshkosh and just say: Its such a mess; its so frustrating; Im angry too; Im just going to give up? Because I cant quit on America, Johnson told supporters.

Johnson also blasted Feingolds record during his 18 years in the U.S. Senate, from 1993 to 2011.

Whatd he ever accomplish  other than campaign finance reform, which was a miserable failure? Johnson said of his opponent.

Feingold co-authored a sweeping campaign finance overhaul bill with Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain that became law in 2002. Portions of it were struck down by the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2010.

Willing to take

the tough votes

In an interview after the event with the Wisconsin State Journal, Johnson continued to go after Feingold, casting his opponent as a grasping, lifelong politician desperate to regain power  and himself as a reluctant public servant.

I would rather go home, Johnson said. But I realize somebody like me is pretty rare  somebody willing to take the tough votes to solve the problems.

Feingold campaign spokesman Michael Tyler responded to Johnson with a statement saying Feingold is the only candidate whos listening to Wisconsinites.

Senator Johnson has spent the last six years as a partisan shill who thinks our economy should only work for billionaires and CEOs like himself, Tyler said. Russ is fighting for an economy that works for middle-class and working Wisconsin families.

The ad criticizing Feingold on the VA scandal begins airing Wednesday in TV and digital formats. It comes from Freedom Partners Action Fund, a super PAC whose donors include Koch and Wisconsin businesswoman Diane Hendricks.

The ad features Honl, a former Tomah VA employee who filed complaints about wrongdoing at the Tomah facility. The center has been dogged by reports of over-prescription of opiate drugs to veterans, and a federal investigation found deficiencies in care at Tomah contributed to the 2014 death of a U.S. Marine from Stevens Point, Jason Simcakoski.

In the ad, Honl says Feingold ignored veterans concerns while veterans were dying at the facility. He cites a memo warning of problems at Tomah, which was marked as having been hand-delivered to Feingolds U.S. Senate office in 2009.

Feingold has denied his office received the memo, and its author has reversed her prior claims that a colleague delivered it to Feingolds office, saying she no longer believes that occurred.

Politicized

a tragedy

Feingolds campaign hit back hard on the Freedom Partners ad Monday, saying Johnson knows for a fact that this attack is false.

Thats why hes shamefully hiding behind the Koch brothers while they lob up smears on his behalf, Tyler said. Senator Johnson failed to protect our veterans, so instead of accepting responsibility, he and his allies have blamed his own staff and actively politicized a tragedy to the tune of over $2 million in dark money attack ads.

A progressive group has charged Johnson with fumbling his opportunity to act on signs of trouble at Tomah, citing reports that his office failed to relay a complaint to the Democratic chairwoman of a Senate panel that couldve acted on them.

Polls consistently have shown Feingold leading Johnson in the U.S. Senate race. The Marquette Law School Poll has shown Feingold leading, at various points in the past year, by margins between 3 and 16 percentage points.

With a little more than six months left in the campaign, Johnsons statewide tour signals a heightened focus on his political future. Johnson is expected to focus his campaign tour on economic issues  particularly jobs in the manufacturing and timber industries at the initial stops in northeastern Wisconsin, according to his campaign.

Also Monday, Johnson declined, when asked by the State Journal, to say who he voted for in last months presidential primary.

The Republican candidates in the Wisconsin primary were businessman Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Trump, the national front-runner, finished a distant second in Wisconsin and remains a distrusted figure by many in the states Republican establishment and its conservative movement.

Thats a secret ballot, Johnson said of the primary vote. I am responsible for what Ive been doing  my actions and my words, and thats pretty much what this campaigns going to be. Feingold also has declined to reveal who he voted for in the primary.
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NO MATTER where you are living in the world home is always where the heart, says Limericks Elaine Young.

The Patrickswell woman represented her county with pride when she was crowned Miss Limerick as Elaine Carroll - and narrowly missed out on the Miss Ireland title in 2001.

Despite moving abroad there is no place like home for Elaine, who has just returned to New York after travelling to Limerick especially to baptise her third child.

The beautiful Abigail, aged four months, was christened in Herbertstown church this month.

And not only Abigail, Elaine and her American husband Jesse also came back to County Limerick for the baptisms of Jake, aged nine and Cooper, aged four.

With every single baby Ive had I have always come home to baptise them. To be honest with you it is home, its not the same back in New York.

It is also a great excuse to get everyone together, all my immediate family, nieces and nephews - it is just home and keeping an Irish tradition going, said Elaine, who is a daughter of Robert and Mary.

After winning Miss Limerick she was snapped up by Assets Model Agency and worked with them for four years.

The reason I actually went and started working in Dublin was I wanted to save up to study in the Gaiety School of Acting, said Elaine.

She moved to England to pursue her career and then onto New York  where Jesse is from  five years ago.

Ive done mainly independent films, commercials and a bit of TV. Im an actress in between making babies, she smiled.

Elaine studied performing arts in the UK and also in the famous Michael Howard Studios in the Big Apple.

I am hoping to get back to it next year. Studying with Michael Howard is amazing. You are always trying to improve yourself and be a master of something.

I will resume my studies in performing arts and hopefully represent Ireland, said the proud Limerick woman and mum.
A WOMAN who witnessed a shooting incident near her home is in fear of her life after she was allegedly threatened she would get it if she gives evidence in an upcoming criminal trial, writes David Hurley.

Two men were refused bail after they were charged with threatening and intimidating the woman, who is a potential State witness.

Limerick District Court was told Tyrone McMahon, aged 29, who has an address at Cluain Droichead, Sixmilebridge, and Christopher McCormack, aged 31, who has an address at Chapelizod in Dublin made no reply when they were charged in connection with an incident at the womans home last week.

It is alleged that Mr McMahon called to a neighbour of the woman and spoke to the woman after she was requested to attend the house.

Detective Garda Denise Moriarty said it will be alleged he offered her money to withdraw her statement relating to the shooting.

She said it will also be alleged that he asked her give evidence in court that she was stoned off her head when she made her original statement.

It is the State case that Mr McMahon then phoned his co-accused and put him on loudspeaker so that the woman could hear him.

He (Christopher McCormack) was angry and irate, he raised his voice, she said adding that the woman believed she or members of her family would be killed as a result of what was said.

Opposing a bail application, made by Mr McCormack, Detective Garda Shane Ryan said he believes he is a dangerous and unstable individual who associates with criminal elements.

Judge Mary Larkin was told each of the defendants remained silent during the course of several interviews following their arrest.

The judge refused bail in each case saying she believed it was was reasonably probable the defendants would interfere with potential witnesses.

Both were remanded in custody pending directions from the DPP.

Meanwhile, a man who is charged in connection with last years shooting incident is currently awaiting trial.
A LIMERICK councillor has reiterated her demand for speed ramps on a stretch of road that has claimed two lives.

Cllr Lisa Marie Sheehy and Eileen Fitzgerald, the mother of a six-year-old Anthony who died outside their Murroe home in Ros Fearna, called for the safety measures to be installed last month.

Cllr Sheehy raised the matter again at Thursdays meeting of the Cappamore-Kilmallock municpal area.

Ramps are the only thing that physically slows down traffic. There have been two fatalities on that stretch of road outside Murroe in the last 10 years.

I was there with Eileen Fitzgerald when she was putting flowers at her sons memorial plaque and cars were speeding by. She is afraid the same thing is going to happen to other children and pedestrians, said Cllr Sheehy.

John Sheehan, executive engineer with Limerick City and County Council, said he accepted that ramps do slow down traffic but it would be setting a precedent.

We dont have ramps on roads in rural parts. There has been two fatalities of pedestrians in the last 10 years. The speed limit is 50kmph. We have spent a lot of money on the speed radar signs, we repaired the fence, we put in a footpath. We have done as much as we can outside ramps. I accept ramps would slow down traffic but it is a precedent.

At the moment we are not allowed to put them on roads. We are allowed to do it in estates where children are playing in green areas. We are waiting for policy on the issue, said Mr Sheehan.

Cllr Sheehy accepted it would be a precedent and the safety measures the council have put in place but, there have been two fatalities in the space of 10 years. Mr Sheehan asked if she had spoken to gardai.

If gardai enforced the speed limit it would have a positive impact, said Mr Sheehan.

Cllr Bill ODonnell, chairman, brought up Banogue, which has been targeted by speed vans for years.

Even if people see that the speed van isnt there people wait until the sign to speed up again. If there is enforcement people get the message, said Cllr ODonnell. Cllr Sheehy proposed they speak with Kieran Lehane, director of travel and transportation, about the policy on ramps.

Mrs Fitzgerald told the Leader last month that installing ramps on the straight stretch of road outside the village is the only way to slow cars down.

People dont take any heed of those flashing speed signs. At Easter I was putting down flowers at his plaque and I was watching the cars going up and down. Every car that went by the speed sign flashed red  not one car was under the speed limit, she said.
The Board of the Shannon Group plc has announced the appointment of Matthew Thomas as the companys new Chief Executive.

The 43-year-old joins the Shannon Group from the Vantage Airport Group, where he is currently Chief Commercial Officer.

Vantage is a leading global operator, developer and investor in airports, based in Vancouver, Canada, created by the multi-award winning Vancouver Airport Authority. Matthew, who has worked with the Vantage Airport Group since 2008, has been involved in the majority of Vantages thirty airport projects across four continents, including nineteen significant airport transitions.

As Chief Commercial Officer, he has been responsible for leading the implementation of the Groups business development strategy.

Most recently in New York, where he played a leading role in winning the $4 billion redevelopment contract of the Central Terminal at La Guardia Airport, the largest public-private-partnership in the United States.

Between 2010 and 2014, Matthew was based in England where he initially worked as Chief Commercial Officer of Peel Airports and later as CEO.

Matthew Thomas, who will take up the role next month, says he is looking forward to the challenge: I'm excited to be coming to Shannon and Ireland at this time, and to have this opportunity to share my diverse experience with the Shannon Group. Shannon has an iconic place in aviation history. It is the gateway to The Wild Atlantic Way, and I know that it is very important to both the regional and national economy.

Welcoming the appointment, Rose Hynes, Chairman of Shannon Group, said: He brings to the role a deep knowledge of the aviation industry combined with significant commercial experience. He combines pragmatic, effective management with strategic purpose and has an excellent track record of success. We are very fortunate to have secured an executive of Matthews ability and proven international experience to drive our strategic agenda, not just for the benefit of Shannon Group, but for the benefit of the Irish economy as a whole.

Matthew, who is originally from Manchester, is married to Nancy and lives with their young son, William (1).
ACCLAIMED Limerick author Kevin Barry has seen his latest work shortlisted for another award  this time the 10,000 James Tait Black fiction prize.

Barrys work Beatlebone, a fictionalised account of John Lennons journey to an Irish island, already won the 10,000 Goldsmiths prize in November last, and has now been shortlisted for the UKs oldest book prize.

Founded in 1919 by the widow of publisher James Tait Black, Janet Coats, the prize is given by the University of Edinburgh, with students and academics from the university reading more than 400 books to select the shortlist. It has been won in the past by heavyweights from Graham Greene to Angela Carter.

The other shortlisted works are Sarah Halls The Wolf Border, screenwriter Miranda Julys debut novel The First Bad Man, and Benjamin Markovitss You Dont Have to Live Like This.

Fiction judge Dr Alex Lawrie, from Edinburghs school of literatures, languages and cultures, said the lineup showcases the wit, energy and innovation that characterised a remarkably strong year for fiction.

Beatlebone, set in Mayo in 1978, imagines a trip taken by John Lennon to Dorinish Island, the desolate Clew Bay property he bought in 1967. It received rave reviews in the New York Times, and a headline in the Toronto Star described it as one unforgettable ride.

The winners will be announced on 15 August at the Edinburgh international book festival.
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Preserved in rock  a larva of Cambrian arthropod Leanchoilia illecebrosa. These three images show a top view of L. illecebrosa in macrophotography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence microscopy.

If you think finding a needle in a haystack sounds challenging, try searching for fossils the size of fingernail clippings in massive slabs of rock.

But that's just what a team of scientists is doing at a site in Chengjiang, China. And they recently struck a fossil jackpot, discovering an extremely rare arthropod larva fossil measuring a mere 0.08 inches (2 millimeters) long.

The fossil, estimated to be 520 million years old, was preserved in 3D, presenting the researchers with an exceptional level of detail for this very early stage of the creature's development. It also provided them with a first glimpse of ancestral larval forms in arthropods, the invertebrate animal group with exoskeletons and segmented bodies that includes arachnids, crustaceans and insects. [Photos: A Cambrian Larva With a 'Daggerlike' Tail]

The larva has a segmented body, with two large structures on its head, four pairs of branching legs and three additional pairs of legs that are much less developed. Its posterior is tipped with a "dagger-like" appendage, framed by two triangular forms resembling paddles, which the scientists suggest may have been used for swimming.

This is the first fossil of its kind to be found at Chengjiang since the site's discovery in 1984, according to Yu Liu, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich.

The researchers identified the tiny fossil as a known species  Leanchoilia illecebrosa, a member of the "short great appendage arthropods," which earned their name due to the large claw-like structures attached to their heads, likely used for feeding or for sensing their environment.

In fact, it was the shape of those appendages in the larva fossil that helped the scientists with their identification, Liu told Live Science in an email.

But compared to adult forms, other limbs in the fossil were not as well developed. This told the scientists that the new discovery represented an early larval stage, Liu said.

Hidden in rock

An adult form of the Cambrian arthropod, Leanchoilia illecebrosa. Researchers identified the new fossil as a juvenile of this species. (Image credit: Yu Liu et al.)

Finding fossils this small is no easy task. It begins with removing large slabs of rock, splitting them into somewhat smaller slabs, and then reviewing them with a magnifying lens to see if there might be "something interesting" preserved in them, according to Liu.

"As you may imagine, the chance of finding a fossil is not very high," Liu told Live Science. "In most cases, you get one fossil after separating tens of slabs. The chance of finding a GOOD fossil is even lower. You need to separate hundreds or even thousands of slabs for that."

Such tiny and delicate specimens like this one can't be isolated from the rocky material around them with the methods traditionally used for chipping out larger fossils. Paleontologists use microphotography and scanning technology rather than picks, drills, or chisels to "penetrate" the rock and show them the remains of once-living animals preserved inside.

Computed X-ray tomography (CT) scans allowed scientists to build a virtual 3D model of the arthropod larva, embedded in its rocky matrix. (Image credit: Yu Liu et al.)

3D surprise

And finding such a small fossil preserved in 3D was unexpected and exciting, Liu said. Micro computed tomography  micro-CT scans  of the larva offered a highly detailed picture of its body, with an interesting surprise as a result.

This particular larva's body type  one in which body segments are added as the creature grows to adulthood  was already thought to be typical for modern crustaceans, Liu said. But, finding one this far back in the fossil record hints that this was a feature in all other arthropod ancestors, as well.

This rare find represents an important puzzle piece for investigating the mysteries of the Cambrian radiation  an evolutionary boom period that began about 543 million years ago and lasted around 53 million years  the researchers wrote in their study. Understanding these ancient animals' stages of development could help to unravel the mechanisms that gave rise to the unprecedented diversity of living forms in Earth's distant past.

The findings were published online May 2 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Follow Mindy Weisberger on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
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Last week's announcement by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources that the National Broadband Plan will not be rolled-out this year has been criticised by business owners and opposition politicians after it emerged it could be 2022 before the project is completed.

The State-subsidised scheme had undertaken to provide 750,000 rural homes and businesses with high speed broadband by 2020. However, the announcement means it will be delivered two years behind schedule and a decade after the plan was first unveiled. It is understood the delay is due to the postponement of contract negotiations with suppliers due to issues with planning and implementation.

One local business affected by the lack of high speed Internet is Granard-based renewable energy company Airsynergy.

We're lucky enough that our office is close to the exchange, so we can get 10 or 20 megabit (Mb) speed but we should have 100 Mb by this stage, explained the company's co-founder David Smyth.

The quality of Skype calls can be impacted. We also run simulation software and need to send large CAD files, which takes up bandwidth, so we usually have to leave that until the evenings so that it doesn't disturb anyone else working in the office.

Fianna Fail TD for Roscommon-Galway, Eugene Murphy, said the delay in executing the plan is unacceptable.

The delay in this roll-out is detrimental to any hope of attracting or expanding business in rural Ireland and we cannot let this continue, Deputy Murphy said.
Pets & Animal, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 03 2016

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS), the Town of Huntington and the Suffolk County SPCA will offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets on Sunday, May 15, 2016.

Free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cat and ferrets on May 15 in Huntington.

Suffolk County, NY - April 28, 2016 - The Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS), the Town of Huntington and the Suffolk County SPCA will offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets as follows:



Sunday, May 15, 2016

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Huntington Town Hall

100 Main Street, Huntington, NY



SCDHS and the Town of Babylon will also offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets as follows:

Saturday, May 21, 2016

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Babylon Town Hall

200 E Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, NY

The clinics are available to all county residents; however, the quantity of vaccine is limited and available only while supplies last. All dogs must be on leashes and all cats and ferrets must be in carriers.

Rabies, a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system, is most often seen among wild animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes, but any mammal can be infected with rabies. Pets and livestock can get rabies if they are not vaccinated to protect them against infection.

New York State and Suffolk County laws require that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies. Vaccinating pets not only provides protection for the animals but also acts as a barrier to keep the rabies virus from spreading between wild animals and people.

The SCDHS Bureau of Public Health Protection tests animals that are reported to be acting strangely or have come into contact with humans. Although a number of different animal species were tested in 2015, only bats tested positive for rabies. Of the 110 bats tested last year, three tested positive for rabies.

On March 24, 2016 the Nassau County Department of Health reported that a raccoon from Hicksville tested positive for rabies. This was the first positive raccoon found in Nassau County since 2007. Suffolk Countys last recorded rabid raccoon was confirmed in January 2009. Between 2006 and 2009, rabies was identified in 19 raccoons near the Nassau-Suffolk border in the northwestern portion of the Town of Huntington.

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services recommends the following precautions to protect your pets and your family from possible exposure to rabies:

Do not feed, touch or approach wild animals, or stray dogs or cats.

Be sure your pet dogs, cats and ferrets as well as horses and other livestock animals are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. Vaccination protects pets if they are exposed to rabid animals. Pets too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors and allowed outside only under direct observation.

Keep family pets indoors at night. Do not leave them outside unattended or let them roam free.

Do not attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored bird seed or other foods that may attract wild animals. Feed pets indoors. Tightly cover or put away garbage cans. Board up any openings to your attic, basement, porch or garage. Cap your chimney with screens.

Do not transport or relocate any wild animals.

Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten by any animal.

Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at (631) 853-0333 weekdays, 9:00 a.m.  4:30 p.m. Animal bites or contact with wild animals can be reported to the Department at (631) 852-4820 outside normal business hours. If possible, try to contain the animal that so it can be tested.

For more information on rabies, visit the New York State Department of Health website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Sports & Recreation, School & Education, Local News, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 03 2016

The Green Vale Schools sixth grade engaged in a STEAM-oriented project as part of the students science curriculum.

STEAM-oriented event featuring student built, underwater Remotely-Operated Vehicles. All of the teams' ROVs will be available for display and operation at Green Vale's fourth annual STEAM Night on May 10.

Old Brookville, NY - April 25, 2016 - The Green Vale Schools sixth grade engaged in a STEAM-oriented project as part of the students science curriculum. They built Remotely Operated Vehicles using PVC piping and duct tape, installed an electric motor to make the unit mobile, and added a camera for the driver to see which direction to navigate the vehicle. Green Vale Science Chairperson Dr. George Pasquale and Outdoor Environmental Educators Brett Curlew and Carl Storm supervised and assisted the students as they prepared for the schools third annual ROV competition.

Working in teams, students built their ROVs over the course of three days. On the fourth day, the students participated in the ROV Week Competition in the LIU Post campus pool. With different items placed in the pool including keys and PVC pipe ends, the driver had to pilot the ROV using a control box and scoop up the pieces. Once the ROV had the item, the driver directed the vehicle into a corner of the pool to accumulate points. The driver sat with his or her back to the pool, using only the ROVs camera to move the unit. Each member of the team took turns as the driver.

All of the teams ROVs will be available for display and operation at Green Vales fourth annual STEAM Night on Tuesday, May 10.

The Green Vale School, located in Old Brookville, Long Island, is an independent school specializing in Early Childhood through Middle School situated on a 40-acre campus on the doorstep of New York City. Green Vale has been providing students with an uncommon core of academic excellence and character development since 1923  inspiring students to excel, to lead and to care.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Don Miller Published: May 03 2016

Long Islanders encouraged to leave nonperishable food items next to their mailboxes on Saturday, May 14, 2016, as part of nations largest single-day food drive. Food collected locally will benefit Island Harvest Food Bank and ...

Hauppauge, NY - May 2, 2016 - Island Harvest Food Bank and the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) are again joining forces for the 24th-annual Stamp Out Hunger campaign on Saturday, May 14, 2016, as part of the nations largest single-day food drive. Postal carriers throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties will collect nonperishable food items left by caring Long Islanders who want to be part of the solution in ending hunger in our communities. All food collected will benefit Island Harvest in providing supplemental food support to the more than 316,000 Long Islanders at risk of going hungry every day.

Participation in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is simple. Residents are asked to leave nonperishable food items such as canned goods, pasta, rice, boxed juices and shelf-stable milk (please, no glass items) next to their mailboxes before regularly scheduled mail delivery on Saturday, May 14, 2016. The postal carriers will do the rest. Food donated will help replenish food supplies at Long Islands food pantries, soup kitchens and other feeding programs served by Island Harvest.

The longstanding partnership we have forged with the NALC, the United States Postal Service, and our corporate partners is making a difference in providing much-needed food to the scores of men, women and children who often dont know when their next meal will be, said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest. Im confident that, as in years past, generous Long Islanders will answer the call and leave food donations next to their mailboxes on Saturday, May 14. Every donation, no matter how small, helps Island Harvest serve our neighbors struggling with hunger.

The National Association of Letter Carriers is proud to partner with the United States Postal Service and many other local organizations in helping Island Harvest address the critical issue of hunger on Long Island, said Walter Barton, president, NALC Branch 6000. As letter carriers we often see the need for food assistance firsthand during the course of our everyday duties. Stamp Out Hunger is our way to give back to the community and help ease the burden for the thousands of our Long Island neighbors who may be struggling with hunger.

Last year, generous Long Islanders donated 346,000 pounds of food to the Stamp Out Hunger collection event, translating into 288,333 meals to assist food-insecure residents in Nassau and Suffolk. This years sponsoring partners of the NALC Stamp Out Hunger collection include Stop & Shop, the United States Postal Service, and the Herald Community Newspapers.

For more information about Stamp Out Hunger, visit here.

About Hunger on Long Island

Hunger is a state in which people do not get enough food to provide the nutrients for active and healthy lives. It can result from the recurrent and involuntary lack of access to food. More than 316,000 Long Islanders face the risk of hunger every day, according to Island Harvest and Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization. Those facing hunger include adults (often working two jobs), seniors and veterans. Unable to make ends meet, they (and their children) are often forced to go without food. Approximately 70,000 individuals seek food assistance in Nassau and Suffolk counties each week through soup kitchens, food pantries and other feeding programs served by Island Harvest.

About Island Harvest Food Bank

Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading hunger-relief organization that provides food and other resources to people in need. Always treating those it helps with dignity and respect, its goal is to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island through efficient food collection and distribution; enhanced hunger-awareness and nutrition-education programs; job training; and direct services targeted at children, senior citizens, veterans and others at risk. Approximately 94 cents of every dollar donated to Island Harvest goes to programs that support more than 316,000 Long Islanders. Island Harvest is a lead agency in the regions emergency-response preparedness for food and product distribution, and is a member of Feeding America, the nations leading domestic hunger-relief organization. More information can be found at www.islandharvest.org.
Nassau County, NY - May 2, 2016 - Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter announced today that the Nassau County Police Departments K-9 unit will be selecting four additional dogs to join the Departments K-9 Unit. Once selected, the four dogs and their handlers will receive extensive training, two will be trained to detect explosives and two will be trained to detect narcotics. The four dogs will be selected from a total of eleven dogs that came to the United States from Europe. The remaining eight will be assigned to other public safety agencies in the future. The NCPDs K-9 Unit has been instrumental in locating and capturing many criminals including those accused of murder.

Police canines are an essential part of the Police Department and their assistance has helped Nassau remain one of the safest large suburban counties in the nation, said County Executive Mangano. The training that the canines as well as their handlers will undergo is rigorous and demanding, but that is how we ensure that only the best canines become members of the Nassau County Police Department. These new dogs will assist police in hunting down drug dealers and keeping our homeland safe.

Each one of the police dogs that are members of our team adapt well to new and changing situations, which makes them extremely valuable to the department, said Commissioner Krumpter. I would like to thank the Nassau County Police Foundation for helping to fund the purchase of two of the canines.
Family & Parenting, Pets & Animal, School & Education, Community, Charity & Cause

By Allison Matos Published: May 03 2016

This is the story of Hobbes, an adorable 9 year old dachshund who was once the victim of severe domestic violence.

When Bruce Zeman, a radio talk show host in Vermont, received a call from the Addison County Humane Society about Hobbes, he and he wife Tami knew they could help. The adoption papers were signed, and Hobbes had a safe new home.

Bruce and Tami knew they had a challenge ahead of them. Sometimes when a dog is so mentally and physically abused, it can be hard to rehabilitate and re-socialize the dog enough for it to trust humans again. This happens a lot with the treatment of breeds like Pit Bulls. Thankfully there are shelters, groups and individuals that are devoted to helping these animals live happy long lives and find their forever homes.

Bruce and Tami also knew that with enough love, patience and care, Hobbes would be okay, and boy were they right! Hobbes had such an amazing recovery that Bruce and Tami wanted to share his story in hopes to help others. Bruce and Hobbes travel the country educating countless children and adults about the effects of bullying and what to do if you are being bullied or see abuse taking place. Remember, people who bully animals will also bully people. We learn from Hobbes that we all need to keep our eyes open, report abuse, and help others however we can.

Bruce and Hobbes have received great amounts of recognition for their efforts. Hobbes is the only canine in Vermont history to be honored as a police K-9 in 3 communities and is also the official fire dog of the New Haven Volunteer Fire Department. Even President Barack Obama has read and adored the story of Hobbes Goes Home! Since 2009, Bruce & Hobbes have helped over 1000 animals find homes, and raised over $50,000 for the Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Center in Middlebury, the organization that rescued Hobbes.

There are several ways to share Hobbes story with your children:

Read Hobbes Goes Home to your children and loved ones . The lessons learned are invaluable and could possibly change a life one day. Profits from book sales benefit about 100 organizations around the country including shelters for domestic violence victims and their pets. You can order your copy on Bruce and Hobbes website at . The lessons learned are invaluable and could possibly change a life one day. Profits from book sales benefit about 100 organizations around the country including shelters for domestic violence victims and their pets. You can order your copy on Bruce and Hobbes website at BruceAndHobbes.com

Listen up ! Bruce and Hobbes have their very own radio show Bruce & Hobbes which is "all about animals, all the time". You can tune in and listen straight from their website!

Schedule a visit . Bruce and Hobbes would love to visit our school districts, clubs, organizations, etc., here on Long Island. Meeting them in person can have an amazing impact. In fact, often times Bruce will hear from children after a presentation who have witnessed bullying or have been bullied (or are bullies) themselves. Just starting the conversation could maybe save a life one day.

For more information, visit Bruce and Hobbes on their website or send an email to info@bruceandhobbes.com.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

Columnists Press Releases
Pets & Animal, Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 03 2016

The Suffolk County SPCA rescued an abandoned, injured, chained dog from a Brentwood home.

The dog, a 4 year old Pit Bull would have ultimately starved to death had it not been rescued.

Brentwood, NY - May 3, 2016 - The Suffolk County SPCA rescued an abandoned, injured, chained dog from a Brentwood home. The owner left the dog in the backyard to return to El Salvador with no plans to return.

Roy Gross, Chief of the Suffolk County SPCA, said that on May 3, 2016 Suffolk County SPCA investigators arrived at the Brentwood home and removed the dog. The dog was transported to Grady Animal Hospital where is it receiving treatment for a leg wound. The dog was tangled in the heavy chain and had no food or water available.

We are appalled that anyone would leave an innocent animal. behind. The dog would ultimately starve to death. The dog, a 4 year old Pit Bull, is in good health.

He has a sweet temperament and should be available for adoption shortly.
Abu Diyar al-Qurayshi was one of the martyrs chosen to take part in a campaign named after Abu Ali al Anbari.

The Islamic State has named a series of deadly attacks throughout Iraq and Syria in honor of one of its most senior leaders: Abu Ali al Anbari. Suicide bombers and other fighters have killed dozens of people since the campaign was launched on Apr. 30.

The Pentagon confirmed in March that Anbari, who had a number of other aliases, was killed in a US counterterrorism operation. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told reporters that Anbari played multiple roles within the so-called caliphate, including having a hand in its external operations, meaning plots targeting the West. Anbari was also a major ideologue within the group. Islamic State supporters have posted more than three dozen of his lectures in Arabic online. [See LWJ report, Pentagon announces death of senior Islamic State leader.]

Jihadists frequently name their military offensives after fallen leaders. The Talibans battles this year have been dedicated to Mullah Omar, the groups first emir, who died in 2013. In January, the Islamic State named its quest to capture more territory in Libya after Sheikh Abdul Mugirah al Qahtani, who led the caliphates men in the North African nation until his demise late last year.

The Islamic State has promoted The Battle of Abu Ali Al Anbari across its many propaganda outlets. Al Bayan Radio, which streams content and also produces a daily newsletter, has listed several operations as part of the campaign. Other jihadist media outfits have documented additional attacks.

The details provided in the Islamic States reports are inconsistent, in some ways, with independent press reporting. For instance, media accounts indicate that the total casualties from some of the bombings are lower than the jihadists claim. It is often difficult to verify total casualty counts. Official sources, including in the Iraqi government, are also frequently wrong.

Still, the number of killed and wounded is high.

As part of the campaign, the Islamic State has targeted Shiite civilians, the Iraqi Army, Shiite militias, Peshmerga forces and others. Most of the operations claimed as part of The Battle of Abu Ali Al Anbari have taken place in Iraq, but some have been launched in Syria as well.

One jihadist, known as Abu Musab al-Iraqi, detonated a truck carrying three tons of highly-explosive substances in the Nahrawan area east of Baghdad on Apr. 30, according to Al Bayan. The Islamic State says nearly 100 Shiites were killed, but local authorities dispute this claim.

The Associated Press, citing Iraqi police and hospital officials, reports that at least 21 people were killed and at least 42 others were wounded by the blast. The Iraqi interior ministry also says the victims were Shiites shopping in a market and not pilgrims carrying outrituals, as Al Bayan told believers.

In the city of Qameshly, located in Syrias northeastern province of Hasakah, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive jacket at a checkpoint run by Kurdish security forces. The Islamic States propagandists say the commander in charge of the checkpoint was among the dead. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports that six people were killed and five more wounded.

A pair of suicide bombers, known as Abu Diyar al-Qurayshi and Abu Az-Zubayr Az-Zaydi, detonated their vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDS) in the city of Samawah, which is approximately 150 miles south of Baghdad, on May 1. The Islamic State says that Qurayshi exploded his bomb in the middle of security forces first and then Zaydi charged in with his own VBIED. At least 32 people were killed and dozens more wounded, according to initial casualty reports.

A string of bombings and raids followed on May 1 and into May 2  all in the name of Abu Ali al Anbari, who is pictured on the right.

Jihadists from the Islamic States Ninawa province in northern Iraq attacked three Peshmerga barracks near the town of al Kuwayr and then two more at Mount Bashiqah, according to Al Bayan.

Separately, fighters from the Dijlah (Tigris) province supposedly captured three barracks used by the Iraqi army and the popular mobilization forces near Mount Makhoul. The jihadists then pounded their Shiite enemies with dozens of mortar rounds, locally-made rockets, and Katyusha rockets, destroying an armored vehicle after targeting it with an antitank missile.

The Islamic State assaulted barracks used by the Iraqi army and Shiite militias located in its designated Kirkuk and Furat (Euphrates) provinces as well. A group of fighters detonated two explosive vehicles (VBIEDs) on Shiite forces in the village of Bashir, which is south of the city of Kirkuk, according to Al Bayan. Three fighters killed several people before detonating their explosive belts at another location.

Jihadists dispatched by the Furat province also struck housing for sahwat (or awakening) fighters. The Islamic State regularly refers to its tribal foes, who cooperate with the US-led coalition or the Iraqi government, as members of the sahwat.

Still other attacks have been carried out over the past three days. In all likelihood, Abu Bakr al Baghdadis organization would have launched these attacks even if Anbari survived earlier this year. But the prolific use of martyrdom operatives indicates that Baghdadis commanders still maintain a deep roster of true believers willing to die for the caliphates cause.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
The Afghan Taliban denied reports from the Ministry of Interior that the shadow governor and his deputy were among the 45 jihadists killed during a raid in the southern Afghan province. The Taliban even said that the Afghan government has the wrong names of the shadow governor and his deputy for Kandahar province.

The Taliban issued a statement yesterday on its official website, Voice of Jihad, after the Ministry of Interior reported that it killed Haji Lala, who it identified as the shadow governor of Kandahar, and Ahmad Shah, the deputy shadow governor, along with 43 fighters during an operation in Shah Wali Kot district. The Taliban appoints shadow governors for each province to direct military operations and run its shadow governments.

We strongly reject this claim by the defeated enemy, the Taliban said. Clashes took place in the mentioned area after the enemy launched an operation to re-open the road stretching towards Uruzgan province which ended with an enemy route [sic] while no Mujahideen were harmed.

The Taliban claimed it took no casualties while killing 17 Afghan troops and decimating the military convoy. The district of Shah Wali Kot has been hotly contested by the Taliban, which seeks to wrest control of it from the government.

Representatives of Voice of Jihad claimed to have spoke to the shadow governor of Kandahar to confirm that he and his deputy were still alive. The Taliban also said that Lala and Shah are not leading the Taliban in Kandahar.

It must be mentioned that their are no individuals by the stated names who are appointed by the Islamic Emirate as governor and deputy for Kandahar province, it said. The names of the actual shadow governor and his deputy were not disclosed. While the Taliban have named the shadow governors for nearly every province since Mullah Mansour was appointed the new emir, the emirs for Kandahar, Ghazni, and Farah have yet to be identified.

It is impossible to verify the claims made by the Ministry of Interior and the denial by the Taliban. Both groups have a spotty track record when reporting on the status of Taliban leaders.

The Afghan government has routinely stated that top Taliban leaders have been killed or captured, only to be proven wrong when these leaders re-appear on the battlefield.

The Taliban has been somewhat more reliable, but its credibility took a major hit when it hid the death of Mullah Omar, its founder and first emir, for more than two years. Omar died in April of 2013, but the Taliban issued numerous statements in his name while denying occasional reports of his death. The Taliban was finally forced to admit Omars death at the end of July 2015, and claimed it was forced to hide it in order to maintain unity at a crucial time as US forces began its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Two distinguished professors from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have been elected Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences, in recognition of their contributions to medical research and healthcare, the generation of new knowledge in medical sciences and its translation into benefits to society.

Professor Joy Lawn is Director of the School's Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive and Child Health. A paediatrician and perinatal epidemiologist, she has worked in Africa for more than 20 years, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through Save the Children. Her work has been the basis of the Every Newborn Action Plan, endorsed by the World Health Assembly and more than 80 partners; she also works with the UK Department for International Development and the UN Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group.

Professor Liam Smeeth is Head of the Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology at the School. He is a leader in the use of electronic health records, completing ground-breaking work on drug effects, disease aetiology and the evaluation of interventions. His work on the MMR vaccine and autism was of central importance in demonstrating safety and led to a recovery in vaccine uptake. He also undertakes substantial international work focussed on non-communicable diseases in low income settings.

Professor Dame Anne Mills, Deputy Director and Provost at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "Joy Lawn and Liam Smeeth are outstanding researchers and academic leaders, and thoroughly deserving of this honour. We are delighted that the Academy of Medical Sciences continues to recognise the work of colleagues in public and global health".

Professors Lawn and Smeeth will be among 47 new Fellows formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Wednesday 29 June 2016.

Sir Robert Lechler, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said: "These new Fellows represent the amazing diversity of talent and expertise among the UK medical research community. Through their election to the Fellowship, we recognise the outstanding contributions these individuals have made to the progress of medical science and the development of better healthcare."
Kedves Latogato!

On egy olyan cimre erkezett, amely a magyarszo.com domain ala tartozik. Ez a cim nem a Magyar Szo napilap tulajdonaban van, de a Szabad Magyar Szo segit Onnek a keresett tartalom elereseben. Kerjuk, valasszon az alabbi lehetosegek kozul:

Atiranyitas a Magyar Szo napilap kert tartalmara Magyar Szo  Atiranyitas a Szabad Magyar Szo cimlapjara Szabad Magyar Szo 

Amennyiben nem valaszt, 20 masodperc mulva atiranyitjuk a Szabad Magyar Szo cimlapjara.

A Szabad Magyar Szo, a vajdasagi magyar szabad kozbeszed foruma, tiszteletben tartja a szellemi tulajdont, es nem kivan akadalyt gorditeni a napilap elerhetosege, illetve alkalmazottainak munkaja ele.
Joaquim Chissano shares his experience on working with Nelson Mandela, remembering some highlights of the time they shared.

"Among the first problems Mandela encountered when he came to power was the fear some Afrikaners had about losing land, since these were people of the land and relied heavily on agriculture. They felt they didn't have enough land, and that if their lands now had to be redistributed among the majority, this would cause problems. This was something Mandela had to solve, and he thought that he could get a hand from Mozambique, in order to help him solve this problem. We obliged and we created the conditions for Afrikaners to come here. There was a leader of the Afrikaners called General William, who was the head of their cooperatives and had fought against both Angola and us in Mozambique. Mandela sent him to talk to me and we did so. We shook hands and this General William said: "You are a good General, because I did not defeat you. I was a good General, because you did not defeat me. But now we have to be on the same side, in order to bring good things to our two countries. If we agree on these terms, then we shake hands". And this is the signature among Afrikaners. The way you sign a deal is by shaking hands, which we did. The project started, but some other forces did not particularly agree with it, and Mandela had some issues in obtaining the financing in time - given that the South African side had subsidised some farmers in Mozambique; because what we did was to also create an association of Mozambican farmers, along with an association of South African farmers, in order to implement a joint programme in Mozambique. This programme was taken to the Niassa province, where we provided land and the infrastructure was built. I don't know whether some of these Afrikaners are still there, but because of the road conditions, things didn't quite move so fast. Why did we go to Niassa? Because there's more land there and a smaller population. The land is fertile and there is more water, yet South African farmers wanted to farm closer to home. But that programme was not in vain, because there are many South Africans farming in Mozambique today. Some Afrikaners came to settle here, and they're farming. This is something that we did together", says Joaquim Chissano.

"Mandela and I worked on many other things. It was during Mandela's time that we began building the Maputo 'corridor', with a highway linking both countries. During his time, we also began discussing Emocil and the gas in southern Mozambique, in Inhambane province, although much of this was concluded during the time of President Thabo Mbeki. It was also during Mandela's time that we began discussing 'Spatial Development Zones', i.e. spaces for common development, namely the Lebombo development area, comprising Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. During Mandela's term, we began to talk about joining the Kruger Park and those in Mozambique, in order to create the Greater Limpopo, although the treaty as such was signed during Mbekis term. During Mandela's time in office, we also decided to have regular meetings between both governments. Two delegations were on standby to meet frequently, at least four times a year, in order to exchange reviews and the like. That's when we began discussing the need for a common border and for bringing our countries closer together. As you can see, there were many things. We also discussed SADC. Mandela had to take the place left behind by Nyerere in trying to achieve peace in Burundi. We also worked together on that. You name it! There were many occasions when we met, even if it wasn't a long period, as he was in power for just five years. But following that, we created the forum for former heads of State and Government - an initiative that I conceived and I shared with him. He agreed to take part in the first constitutive meeting, although he wasn't feeling too well by then. He became a member and made a speech at the opening session of this forum", he adds.

"He had the fullest respect for me, although I sought to reverse things, given his age and his intellectuality. I recognised him as senior, but he would refuse this treatment and wished to place himself lower than me. Thus, when I found him sitting somewhere, he wouldn't allow me to greet him while he was sitting. He had to stand up and would refer to me as "my President". "Welcome, my President", he used to say. Of course, he also involved me in his private life, when he started to become close to Graca Machel, who became his wife. During the early days, he approached me to inform me about his intention, respecting the fact that I was head of State, but also in keeping with African tradition. He thought there should be a family 'to be talked to' before proceeding, which was a symbolic gesture. We had some good moments", he concludes.
Marie Claire newsletter Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over.

Jennifer Lawrence and her ex boyfriend have sparked romance rumours after leaving an LA restaurant together

Jennifer Lawrence isnt a girl any guy would let go of easily so it comes as no surprise that her ex boyfriend, Nicholas Hoult appeared more than happy to spend Monday evening having dinner with the Oscar winner.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE DOESNT CARE WHAT SHE SAYS ACCORDING TO PHOTOGRAPHER PAL

The former couples attempts to go incognito failed miserably as they were spied leaving The Little Door restaurant in Hollywood  despite their best efforts to exit the venue via the rear door, photos have still emerged online of the pair together.

After their meal Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult headed off with the Oscar-winner in the driving seat.

JENNIFER LAWRENCES SHORT HAIRSTYLE SHOCKS HER HAIRDRESSER

For their low-key meal Jennifer played with the monochrome trend wearing black trousers with a white lace top worn with matching patent sandals. She wore her new short hair in waves keeping her suede fringed bag under one arm and a copy of Anna Karenina in the other.

While this meeting has sparked fresh relationship rumours, its not yet known if they are good friends or if romance is soon to be on the agenda! Either way theyre about to start filming X-Men movie, Days Of Future Past so will be spending a lot of time on set together.

Would you like to see Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult get back together? Let us know below.

WATCH! Behind the scenes on Jennifer Lawrences Marie Claire photo shoot

JENNIFER LAWRENCE ON HER SECRET ADDICTION

JENNIFER LAWRENCES MARIE CLAIRE PHOTO SHOOT

Got a tablet? You can now download Marie Claire magazine straight to your iPad (opens in new tab), Kindle (opens in new tab) (just search the store for 'Marie Claire magazine'), Nook or Google Nexus (opens in new tab).
Marie Claire newsletter Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have reportedley hired a new caretaker for Prince George

Kate Middleton and Prince William are currently relaxing on their romantic second honeymoon in the Maldives.

But as soon as they return, they'll have a new staff member to train.

People reports that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have reportedley hired a new caretaker for Prince George, who has just arrived from Spain.

After their darling baby boy was born in July, the new parents called upon Wills' former nanny, 71-year-old Jessie Webb, to help them out. The veteran nanny, who served as William and Harry's nanny when they were boys - has reportedly been caring for the little prince for the past few months - but she's now being relieved of her duties.

The new nanny is a bit younger, in her late 30s. She is unmarried, and sources say she's a total professional who's 'married to the job.'

Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George (Image credit: PA Photos)

Once Kate and William return from the Maldives, they'll have just a few weeks to get their new nanny aquainted with the family before they all head off on their royal tour of New Zealand and Australia.

With such a jam-packed schedule for the tour, we're sure the parents will welcome having an extra pair of hands.

Got a tablet? You can now download Marie Claire magazine straight to your iPad (opens in new tab) for the new price of 2.99, Kindle (just search the store for 'marie claire magazine'), Nook or Google Nexus.
Anchorage-based Crowley Fuels yesterday completed an asset acquisition of the aviation fuels business of Ace Fuels, LLC, a fixed base operator (FBO) headquartered at Merrill Field in downtown Anchorage offering Jet A and AV 100LL fuels. The acquisition includes the companys six, 24-hour self-service aviation fuels pump stations (cardlocks) and associated buildings located at the Merrill Field Strip, Merrill Field Main Airport, Willow Airport, Wasilla Airport, Lake Hood Strip and Fairbanks International Airport.



Congratulations to the entire team on completing this acquisition of two like-minded, privately-owned and operated businesses, said Rocky Smith, senior vice president and general manager. While it will immediately expand Crowleys footprint by adding additional aviation fuels service stations throughout Alaska, it also gives Ace Fuels customers better access to Crowleys high quality fuels in south-central and western parts of the state.



While ownership has changed, Crowley will continue to provide great products and services under the Ace Fuels name and eventually rebrand the stations as Crowley. Ace Fuels Manager Michelle LaRose will join the Crowley team, and company owner Richard Armstrong will leave to pursue other interests.



Ace Fuels and Crowley have similar cultures and values emphasizing safety, environmental protection and customer service, said Bob Cox, Crowley vice president. Our goal is to provide a seamless transition and to continue the tradition of providing high quality aviation fuels going forward.


Ship operators who rely on a myriad of companies for their global bunkering needs are wasting time, money and energy, with no guarantee of standardized quality of products and services, says Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS). In an industry defined by tight margins and cost constraints this approach, WSS believes, is ultimately bad for business.

The global provider of maritime products and services WSS says it offers an alternative, with its global Bunker Service Agreements. These provide shipping firms with peace of mind and uniform quality, as WSS Global Agents lead the process for the customer, ensuring efficient communication, minimized administration and ensuring high standards. Everything is streamlined - with predictable pricing for a clear set of deliverables, and no hidden extra fees.

WSS estimates that there are more than 80,000 bunker-only port calls each year. Although these are relatively simple operational tasks, they come with a complex web of administrative and qualitative considerations, as highlighted by Daniel Wikstroem, Business Manager, Ships Agency, WSS.

Bunker-only calls can be a real headache for ship operators used to high quality, efficiency and performance driven day-to-day operations, he states.

Typical bunker calls include up to 40 lines of communication, between an array of parties  including port agents, bunker brokers and bunker surveyors  up to two separate financial transactions, and an excessive administrative workload checking disbursement accounts. Multiply this on a global level, on a port-by-port basis, and there is huge room for unpredictability  in terms of the complex delivery chain  and a massive man-hour inefficiency. And it goes without saying that time is money.

Wikstroem adds that every mom and pop business, in every port, is different:

Shipping firms will rely on their bunker brokers, or procurement departments, to select the right fuel supplier, but what information can they themselves access with regards to typical bunkering times? Reliability? Punctuality? Ease of use? These factors make a real difference between a seamless bunkering process and a convoluted, lengthy and therefore costly one. Theres an opaque area here where its very easy to lose time and money.

With this in mind WSS is challenging ship operators to adopt their one stop shop strategy. The Norwegian-headquartered business, which took care of more than 4,000 bunker-only calls, at more than 150 ports, in 2015, uses its global network to offer Bunker Service Agreements with consistently high quality services - minimizing delay, while maximizing value and operational performance.

A uniform global bunkering routine ensures that each call runs smoothly, with, among other things: pre-arrival formalities and ISPS requirements completed 24 hours prior to arrival; bunker suppliers, surveyors, port authorities and pilots always given vessel ETA updates; service boats always ready for bunkering surveyors upon arrival, and completion; and a strict following up of all bunkering progress.

Wikstroem says that by switching to the WSS bunkering solution, a typical client performing around 100 annual bunker calls, would save over $20,000 a year through reduced bank transactions and paperless DA handling alone.

In addition, WSS worldwide operations allow it to capture and maintain detailed performance records of suppliers, giving it, and its customers, an intimate barge-side knowledge of all bunker operations in all major bunker ports.

Our completely independent, expert insight can cut through any potential uncertainty relating to suppliers and lead to enhanced decision making and efficiency, he says.

On this latter point, Wikstroem is quick to outline the advantages of WSS Global Agents  in-house experts who handle more than 32,000 port calls a year. Each client, he explains, is provided with a Global Agent that becomes their key contact for any matter relating to port calls. This includes facilitating all bunkering communications, arrangements and appointments, along with managing all disbursement accounts and settlements.

He notes, The days of ad-hoc, port-by-port, call-by-call bookings, and the numerous separate payments, hundreds of emails and hours of phone time to set them up, can happily become a thing of the past.

Whats more these individuals are backed-up by state-of-the-art technology, with an online workspace where clients can keep check of appointments, DA handling is paperless and all Proforma DA, Revised DA and Final DA requirements are fulfilled. Everything is optimized for simplicity and efficiency.

This includes payments, with pre-agreed pricing levels, no administration or service fees, and a simple overview covering all bunkering activity, worldwide.

We want to provide the industry with a better alternative to current bunkering practices, Wikstroem concludes. One which is predictable, accountable and transparent, where quality and efficiency of service are paramount. Ship operators across the world are focused on efficient operations and effective cost management  improving bunkering procedures should be absolutely central to that mind-set.
Great Lakes Shipyard hauled out the Kelleys Island Ferry Kayla Marie on April 18 for its USCG five-year inspection survey. The yard completed all work, and refloated the vessel two days later, on April 20. The vessel was able to immediately return to service, to support its daily auto/passenger ferry operation between Marblehead and Kelleys Island.

The Shipyard prides itself on its ability to provide high quality services that its customers can depend upon. Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line needed a very quick turn-around, and the yard was glad to accommodate them, said Chris Henderson, Project Manager.

With the use of our Marine Travelift, we can offer much more flexibility in our drydocking schedule, and can usually accommodate any customer requirement, Henderson added.
An oil company set up by Libya's eastern government is preventing a tanker from loading a cargo for its Tripoli rival, the National Oil Corporation (NOC), officials said on Tuesday.

The eastern company, also calling itself the National Oil Corporation (NOC), ordered workers at Marsa el-Hariga port in eastern Libya not to load the tanker, which had been waiting for two days, a port official said.

An eastern NOC official said the move was in line with the east's attempt to export a shipment of 650,000 barrels of oil last week in defiance of the authorities in Tripoli, part of a power struggle between Libya's rival administrations.

The tanker, Seachance, had been initially due to load on April 26-28 and was part of the Tripoli NOC's loading programme, an NOC official in the capital said.

(Reporting by Ayman Al-Warfalli and Ahmad Ghaddar; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Patrick Markey and Gareth Jones)
On August 1, 2016, Ulf Hahnemann, current Vice President for Strategic Programs at Mars Inc. will join Maersk Line as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and be part of the management board of Maersk Line.

Maersk Lines current Chief Human Resources Officer, Michael Chivers, resigned in January 2016 to explore opportunities outside of the Maersk Group. He will leave by the end of May 2016.

As of August 1, 2016, Maersk Lines management board will consist of Sren Skou, Chief Executive Officer; Vincent Clerc, Chief Commercial Officer; Pierre Danet, Chief Financial Officer; Ulf Hahnemann, Chief Human Resources Officer; Jakob Stausholm, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer; and Sren Toft, Chief Operating Officer.

A Danish national, Ulf Hahnemann holds a bachelors degree in economics from Copenhagen Business School. Beginning in 1989, Hahnemanns tenure at Mars Inc. included a number of roles, as follows:

January 2014-present: Vice President, Strategic Programs

January-November 2012: Acting President, US Petcare

July 2006-December 2013: Vice President, People & Organization

July 2003-July 2006: Vice President, People & Organization, Mars Australia

April 2002-July 2003: Director, People & Organization, Mars Petcare Australia

January 2001-April 2002: Director, Organization development, Mars Europe

1996-2001: HR Director

1991-1996: Manager positions within branding, business development and sales

1989-1991: Management trainee and sales consultant

Hahnemann also served the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark as Export consultant at the Danish Embassy in Oslo from 1987-1989.
1777 - During the American Revolution, the Continental lugger Surprise, led by Capt. Gustavus conyngham, captures the British mail packet Prince of Orange and the brig Joseph in the North Sea.



1898 - During the Spanish-American War, U.S. Marines from cruisers Baltimore and Raleigh (C 8), raise US flag over Cavite, Philippines.



1942 - USS Spearfish (SS 190) evacuates naval and military officers, including nurses, from Corregidor before surrendering island to Japan.



1944 - USS Flasher (SS 249) sinks the Japanese freighter, USS Sand Lance (SS 381) sinks Japanese transport, and USS Tautog (SS 199) sinks Japanese army cargo ship, USS Tinosa (SS 283) sinks the Japanese freighter.



1949 - The U.S. Navy executes its first firing of a high altitude Viking rocket at White Sands, N.M.



1975 - USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Only America can make a machine like this, notes President Gerald R. Ford about the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. There is nothing like her in the world.



1980 - USS Peleliu (LHA 5) is commissioned in Pascagoula, Miss. She is the final Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship built and the first to be named in honor of the battles fought in the Palau Islands.|



1988 - USNS Victorious (T-AGOS 19) is launched from the McDermott Shipyards at Morgan City, La. The first-in-her-class ocean surveillance ship is acquired by the Navy in 1991.



2008 - USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is commissioned at Port of Wilmington, N.C., before sailing for its homeport of Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn.





(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)
Pirate gangs in West Africa are switching to kidnapping sailors and demanding ransom rather than stealing oil cargoes as low oil prices have made crude harder to sell and less profitable, shipping officials said on Tuesday.

Attacks in the Gulf of Guinea - a significant source of oil, cocoa and metals for world markets - have become less frequent partly due to improved patrolling but also to lower oil prices, according to an annual report from the U.S. foundation Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), which is backed by the shipping industry.

"They have had to move towards a faster model and that faster model is kidnappings," OBP's Matthew Walje said, noting that ransom payouts were as high as $400,000 in one incident.

"It only takes a few hours as opposed to several days to conduct the crime itself," he told Reuters at the report's launch in London. "Fuel prices have fallen, which cuts into their bottom line."

OBP said violence had also risen, including mock executions, and last year 23 people were killed by pirates there.

"A lot of people are dying from piracy - nowhere near that number died in the last few years in the Western Indian Ocean (due to Somali piracy)," Giles Noakes, of leading ship industry body BIMCO, told the briefing.

"We are particularly concerned by the issue," said Noakes, whose association audits the OBP's annual report.

Last month, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea agreed to establish combined patrols to bolster security.

Analysts say the pirates have emerged from Nigerian militant groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and OBP's Walje said a growing problem was the splintered nature of the various gangs operating in West Africa.

"It is more fractured than it would be off Somalia where there were a few major gangs and kingpins operating," he said.

OBP estimated costs related to piracy and armed robbery in 2015 in the Gulf of Guinea were $719.6 million, 61 percent of which was borne by the industry. The 2014 cost was $983 million, 47 percent of which was borne by the maritime sector, it said.

(By Jonathan Saul; Editing by Louise Ireland)
An estimated 113 people died in four shipwrecks between Libya and Italy at the weekend as the crossing becomes the preferred sea route for migrants to Europe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.



With the closing of land routes in the Balkans and a recent deal under which Greece sends migrants back to Turkey, Italian officials have said they expect more people to try to make this longer and much more dangerous crossing from Libya.



In one of four incidents, an Italian merchant ship rescued 26 people off the coast of Libya in rough seas and others were feared missing, Italy's Coast Guard said on Saturday.



IOM, citing survivor testimony, said 84 people appeared to be missing from that wreck, while at least 29 drowned in two other attempted crossings in rubber dinghies of the Channel of Sicily. It was still investigating a fourth incident.



"Just since Friday we know of 4 shipwrecks and 113 people killed, just off Libya," IOM spokesman Joel Millman said.



"It is becoming the preferred route. So therefore we are very mindful of what could be coming in the next few months," Millman told a news briefing.



Migrants from West Africa, especially Nigerians, and the Horn of Africa dominate the Libya-Italy route, which Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis are not taking for now, Millman added.



In all, 1,357 migrants and refugees perished at sea during the first four months of the year, mostly along the Central Mediterranean route, against 1,733 during the period in 2015, the agency said.



Since January, 28,593 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea in Italy, while 154,862 have landed in Greece, the IOM said.

Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay
First six of 22 to be installed at 300m terminal; arrival marks end of 13,730 mile (11,930nm) journey from Nantong, China

The first six cantilever rail-mounted gantry (CRMG) cranes arrived in the River Mersey on Sunday, May 1 ready for installing and commissioning at the Liverpool2 deep-water container terminal.

Produced by leading Chinese manufacturer ZPMC, which also supplied the five ship-to-shore cranes already on site, these six are the first of 12 required for phase 1 of the terminal. Ultimately the site will have eight STS and 22 CRMG cranes as part of a 100 million investment.

The cranes will be capable of performing an average of 20 moves per hour, with semi-automated control linked to the ports new Navis N4 terminal operating system. They have a 40-metric-ton under-spreader capacity and a maximum container lift height above quay level of 21m under spreader (6+1 containers).

Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports, said, The arrival of this first consignment is yet another important milestone as we approach the opening. Along with the STS cranes, the CRMGs are a very visible sign of the investment we are making at the port, adding capacity and efficiency to a key trade gateway.

Liverpool2, supported by our wider logistics offering and the ports strategic location, will provide many shippers with a route to U.K. and Irish markets that helps them to cut costs, congestion and carbon emissions.

Liverpool2 is to have a phased opening, with marine trials due to begin shortly and other elements of the semi-automated terminal coming online throughout Q2 of 2016. The first phase of the new terminal will be fully operational in the autumn.

The cranes originally set off from Nantong in March on board the Zhenhua 25 ship, passing Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian Peninsula and through the Suez canal en route to Liverpool in a 40-day journey of over 20,000km.
The Port of Hueneme launched the second phase of its Grid-Connected Shore Power System, celebrating another next step forward in reducing air emissions and minimizing environmental impact. Among the community leaders attending the ribbon cutting were Congresswoman Julia Brownley, County Supervisor Kathy Long, Ms. Sabiha Khan with Senator Dianne Feinsteins office, Port Hueneme Mayor Douglas Breeze, and VCTC chairman Keith Millhouse. By connecting to the Ports Grid-Based Shore Power System, refrigerated cargo vessels calling the Port can shut down their auxiliary marine engines and operate on shore power in lieu of diesel fuel dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.



"The Port of Hueneme is an essential economic driver to our region and I am proud to have worked with community stakeholders and port leaders to support the grant for Phase II of the Shore Power Project, said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. This project is a win for improving our environment, growing our local economy, and increasing the competitiveness of the port in the international marketplace.



Supervisor Long said, The Port of Huenemes continued environmental leadership in successfully implementing significant projects, such as this Shore Power System, have direct benefits on the community that surrounds the Port and throughout the region.



The Port of Huenemes project represents a giant leap forward for the Port and the community said Port CEO and Director Kristin Decas. Over the lifetime of this project (30 years), annual emissions from refrigerated cargo vessels also known as reefer vessels will be significantly reduced. Anticipated reductions include a 92% reduction in PM, 98% reduction in NOx, and a 55% reduction in greenhouse gasses. Environmental sustainability is a top priority for the Port and this largest emissions reduction project in county history represents our commitment to being a good neighbor by being a strong environmental steward said Port Commission President Dr. Manuel Lopez.



Ventura County Transportation Commission Chairman, Keith Millhouse said VCTC and the Port have long been partners when it comes to safe and efficient freight movement and now with the VCTC contribution of $1.7 million in federal funds for transportation and air quality purposes committed to the Shore Power project we are pleased to be partners for clean air as well.



Phase I of the Shore Power system went online in April 2014, demonstrating the systems ability to provide a reliable, steady source of power for ships at berth. It has been successfully used by ships from such companies as Del Monte Fresh and Hamburg Sud which carries products for Chiquita Fresh.



Mike Villegas with the Ventura county Air Quality control District said, The Port of Hueneme and all its staff should be commended for their commitment to implementing this Shore Power project. By utilizing grid electricity instead of the auxiliary engines on these vessels the port is not only reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides which form smog, but they are reducing emissions of diesel particulate matter and providing a public health benefit to their neighbors.



With the passage of AB 32 by the state assembly, programs were put in place mandating that refrigerated cargo vessels, called reefer vessels reduce greenhouse gas emissions for their ships at berth while in California ports. The major financial contributors for this project include the Ventura County Transportation Commission; the California Air Resources Board with proposition 1b funding; the Ventura County Air Quality Control District, providing grants for engineering; and Wells Fargo and Commercial Clearing House with a cash infusion from the Ports New Market Tax Credit transaction.


BAE Systems has received a $72 million contract from the U.S. Navy to produce and deliver propulsor systems for Block IV Virginia-class (SSN 774) submarines. The award continues the companys current position as the premier provider of propulsors to the U.S. undersea fleet.



The propulsor contributes significantly to the overall stealth and effectiveness of a submarine, said Joe Sentfle, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. This award demonstrates the Navys confidence in our high standards and ability to deliver this vital technology to the Virginia class, a national security asset.



The contracts value could eventually amount to $162.9 million if all options are exercised.



The company has delivered more than 20 propulsors to the Navy for both Seawolf-class (SSN 21) and Virginia-class submarines. The Virginia-class attack submarines represent a shift in undersea warfare. They are designed to maintain their effectiveness in the deep ocean while incorporating new technology and features specifically for use in shallower coastal regions.



In addition to the propulsors, the contract includes funding for the manufacture of associated spare hardware and tailcones. Production of these units will begin in 2016, with deliveries scheduled through 2022. The work will be performed at BAE Systems facility in Louisville, Kentucky.


South Koreas largest container operator by capacity Hanjin Shipping's creditors are expected to approve a corporate rehabilitation program for the struggling container line, local media reports suggest.

Creditor banks of cash-strapped Hanjin are likely to give the ailing container carrier a chance to avoid bankruptcy by approving a corporate rehabilitation program, reports Korea Herald.

Seven lenders, led by state-run Korea Development Bank, are expected to allow the countrys No. 1 shipper to undergo rehabilitation Wednesday, after the company submitted a formal request to restructure its debt on April 29, according to sources.

Facing a 5.6 trillion won ($4.9 billion) wall of debt, the company said it would raise about 410 billion won by selling stakes in the bulk-shipping and other units as well as some property, but creditors requested a more detailed self-help plan.

The plans are likely to include asset sales, wage freezes and like compatriot Korean line Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) Hanjin is likely to enter negotiations with tonnage providers to try and lower the rates of its chartered in fleet.

Hanjin Shipping is known to have included more drastic measures such as wage cuts and asset sales in its voluntary restructuring proposal to creditors, but there is a bumpy road ahead for the struggling shipping company to keep its business afloat.

The company reached out to owners of its chartered fleet and terminal operators to say it cant survive unless they help with its debt-restructuring efforts.

In a letter to foreign owners, Chief Executive Suk Tae-soo said the debt-saddled operator faces serious challenges as the global shipping industry is in the doldrums.

Meanwhile, Hanjin and Hyundai Merchant Marine have confirmed they are in discussions with other container lines on forming alliances when their current alliance agreements expire in 2017, assuming they survive their current liquidity crises.

Hanjin, a unit of Hanjin Group, which also controls Korean Air Lines Co., last week submitted a formal request to state-run Korea Development Bank, its main creditor, to restructure its debt and provide an aid package in return for asset sales and charter rate cuts.
An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness occurred aboard the the Disney Cruise Line ship the Disney Wonder last week, and more than 100 people have become sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention.

CDC is investigating an outbreak of a stomach bug aboard the cruise ship. The patients suffered symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea resembling norovirus; however, the exact etiology has not been determined.

The ship had almost 2,700 passengers and almost 1,000 crew members. It left Miami last Wednesday and returned Sunday after going to the Bahamas.

Our primary focus was on taking care of our guests and crew. We have a comprehensive plan that outlines protocols for managing this kind of situation and closely follow CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of common stomach-related illnesses," a Disney spokesperson said.

Gastrointestinal bug is also known as Norovirus which can also be found on land. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.

These types of outbreaks are unfortunately common on cruise ships although Disney has had a fairly clean record in comparison. The last time they had a major sickness outbreak was in 2002 aboard the Disney Magic.
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, fell on Tuesday for the third straight session, as demand for bigger vessels weakened.

The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, fell 21 points, or about 3 percent to 682 points.

The capesize index also down for the third consecutive session fell 62 points, or 5.55 percent to 1,055 points.

Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, fell $582 to $8,309.

The panamax index shed 27 points or about 4 percent, to 640 points.

Average daily earnings for panamaxes, which usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes, were down $217 at $5,109 on Tuesday.

Among smaller vessels, the supramax index and the handysize index were both up by one point at 583 points and 368 points respectively.

(Reporting by Nithin Prasad in Bengaluru)
Indian Petroleum Minister Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says India has expressed interest in setting up an LNG terminal at Chahabar port in Iran to ship back home natural gas from Persian Gulf nation, reports PTI.

India is ready to invest $20 billion in the development of Irans Chabahar port and has requested it to allocate adequate land in the Chabahar Special Economic Zone (SEZ), state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) said in a statement.

"Dharmendra Pradhan conveyed to the Iranian side that Indian companies could invest upto $20 billion and were interested in setting up petrochemical and fertiliser plants, including in the Chabahar SEZ, either through joint venture between Indian and Iranian public sector companies or with private sector partners," the statement said.

India is keen to set up its engagement with hydrocarbon-rich Iran, which has recently come out of western sanctions. Indias intent to invest was made by Dharmendra at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Bijan Zangeneh in Tehran.

India will be picking stakes in both offshore gas discovered in the Farsi offshore block, also known as Binaloud, as well as developing gas fields. The project consists of storage and loading facilities at the port.

India is reportedly talking to Iranian government officials, which will look into the details of how to proceed with the stake sale. However, a foreign ministry official said that India will have a presence in both developing the offshore block and laying pipeline to get the gas out at the LNG terminal. The gas can also be sent to India through LNG ships or via pipeline that is still needs to be deliberated on.

Discussions between the two countries are still going on, a Foreign Ministry source said.

The Iran LNG is a project located at Tombak Port in southern Iran. It consists of the LNG plant, including storage and loading facilities.
The US military is beginning testing on the world's largest unmanned ship - a self-driving 40-metre vessel designed to travel thousands of kilometres out at sea without a single crew member on board.

The 132-foot "Sea Hunter" will patrol the worlds oceans hunting and tracking enemy submarines and it will do it all without a single human aboard.

The drone vessel can track an enemy submarine for thousands of miles for months at a time.

[The Sea Hunter] as the unique capability to go out, to see other vessels operating potentially in our own waters, said Jared Adams of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa).

During the testing phase, the ship will have human operators as a safety net, but once it proves to be reliable, the autonomous surface vessel will manoeuvre itself  able to go out at sea for months at a time.

Program manager Scott Littlefield said there will be no "remote-controlled driving of the vessel." Instead it will be given its mission-level commands telling it where to go and what to accomplish and then software will enable it to drive itself safely.

The ship's projected $20 million (14.2 million) price tag and its $15,000 (10,650) to $20,000 (14,300) daily operating cost make it relatively inexpensive for the navy.
Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 2 participated in familiarization training at shooting range G-3 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, April 29, in order to improve their marksmanship skills with the MK-19 Automatic Grenade Launcher.



The purpose of the shoot was to sharpen our skills as gunners and increase our capabilities for Sabre Strike, said Lance Cpl. Mathew D. Mills.

Sabre Strike 16 is a NATO exercise in Latvia to promote regional security and security cooperation efforts.



During the exercise, CLR-2 will conduct a crew-served weapons live-fire range with NATO allies. The unit familiarized the Marines with the MK- 19 to prepare.

The use of the MK-19 is to provide suppressive fire to prevent the enemy from being able to return fire. Suppressive fire is used while advancing, allowing the Marines to safely cover more ground.



During the training, assistant gunners helped identify targets for the gunner, and both Marines were responsible for the proper functioning of the weapon.

Its important to know the weapon system in and out, not just for cleanliness, but to check it for anything that might be wrong, said Sgt. Justin Blakeway a cyber-network operator with the unit.



Blakeway explained that Marines need to know how to do more than load, aim, and shoot the weapon system in an enemy engagement. If a weapon malfunctions they need to properly apply remedial action to get the weapon back in the fight.



Crew-served weapons require teamwork and communication. After firing on the range, the Marines were able to develop the leadership skills required to operate the MK-19, which is something they can take with them on Sabre Strike 16.



More Media
Is Craig Wright The Creator Of Bitcoin? Frisby and Matonis On Satoshi Nakamoto

Craig Steven Wright, an Australian computer scientist, self-declared cyber security expert and entrepreneur, has claimed to be the creator of Bitcoin, the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto.

Yesterday, he published a blog post offering what was claimed to be cryptographic proof, backed up by other information, to make his case. Along with the BBC and GQ, The Economist had access to Mr Wright before the publication of his post. The BBC are definitively saying that Wright is Nakamoto. The Economist is being more cautious and their conclusion is that he could well be Mr Nakamoto,but that nagging questions remain.

In fact, it may never be possible to prove beyond reasonable doubt who really created bitcoin. Whether people, particularly bitcoin cognoscenti, actually believe Mr Wright will depend greatly on what he does next, after going public.

Wright penned his own blog post claiming to be Nakamoto but also of importance is the fact that Bitcoin Foundation chief scientist Gavin Andresen  a man that used to be the bitcoin project lead and one of the most respected experts in the bitcoin community  wrote that he, too, believed Wright was the elusive bitcoin creator.

There are other very well informed people who believe that Wright is in fact the creator of bitcoin. These include Jon Matonis, Founding Director at Bitcoin Foundation, who blogged about it yesterday here. Matonis had a private proof session in March and said that he had the opportunity to review the relevant data along three distinct lines: cryptographic, social, and technical. Based on what I witnessed, it is my firm belief that Craig Steven Wright satisfies all three categories.

Our friend Dominic Frisby, the author of Bitcoin: The Future of Money? also thinks that Wright, with others, may be Satoshi and shared his thoughts with us this morning:

Anybody who had ever had any interest in bitcoin, has been intrigued by the mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto. It has spawned a plethora of online sleuths  your truly included  but Craig Wrights name had never really been thrown into the mix. But when the Wired story came out last December  broken by Andy Greenberg  who has his finger on the pulse of the cyber punks more than any journalist and Gwern who I worked with on my own book and know the be extremely thorough, you have to sit up and take notice. Satoshi Nakamoto appears to have been the work of Wright but also of internet forensics expert, Dave Kleiman who sadly died in 2013. From what I can deduce, Kleiman did the writing and Wright did the coding. Wrights appears to have been the ideas man and Kleiman the heavy lifter. If you read Wrights s prose it is not as error free as Satoshis was which confirms my believe that Satoshi was a partnership. In my book, I outlined how Nick Szabo was likely Satoshi but the story has moved on. Bitcoin and the blockchain are both landmark inventions and enormous credit should go to all those that made it happen. Bitcoin was and is a collaborative effort.

Bitcoins are now accepted as payment for a vast variety of goods and services  everything from international money transfers to ransoms for data encrypted by computer viruses. There are currently about 15.5 million bitcoins in circulation. Each one is worth about $449.

Satoshi Nakamoto is believed to have amassed about one million Bitcoins which would give him a net worth, if all were converted to cash, of about $450 million.

Jon Matonis sums up the importance of bitcoin and the blockchain on his blog thus:

I believe that the massive tidal wave of decentralisation and future Bitcoin advancements will start to occur more rapidly now, setting the stage for society to realize the plethora of currently imagined innovations. However, at the center of all of this incredible progress will be the unwavering a

This update can be found on the GoldCore blog here.

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Derivatives Crisis Of BanksWorldwide

Derivatives are weapons of mass destruction  Warren Buffett

The WHAT AND WHY Of Derivatives

"Megabanks trade risk via derivatives contracts to another firm while keeping the underlying asset on their books. This way they can bypass capital requirements and take on more debt. This, in turn, allows them to make more trades, but it also means that if a sudden downturn surfaces in the markets, the firm which borrowed way beyond their means may quickly go bankrupt. Lehman Brothers experienced this after theyd borrowed 30 times more money than they had in reserve. In that case, a relatively small loss of a mere 3% meant that Lehman no longer had reserves (i.e. capital), and they therefore collapsedi.e. totally wiped out. The leverage that derivatives allow is incomprehensible. They are betting 30 TIMES MORE MONEY THAN THEY HAVE. This is financially insane." (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/nick-fillmore/banks-derivatives_b_4408856.html )

Who was Lehman Brothersand what happened to them?

Lehman Brothers had humble origins, tracing its roots back to a small general store that was founded by German immigrant Henry Lehman in Montgomery, Alabama in 1844. In 1850, Henry Lehman and his brothers, Emanuel, and Mayer, founded Lehman Brothers.

While the firm prospered over the following decades as the US economy grew into an international powerhouse, Lehman had to contend with plenty of challenges over the years. Lehman survived them all  the railroad bankruptcies of the 1800s, the Great Depression of the 1930s, two world wars, a capital shortage when it was spun off by American Express Co. (AXP) in 1994, and the Long Term Capital Management collapse and Russian debt default of 1998. However, despite its ability to survive past disasters, the collapse of the U.S. housing market ultimately brought Lehman Brothers to its knees, as its headlong rush into the subprime mortgage market proved to be a disastrous step.

On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. With $639 billion in assets and $619 billion in debt, Lehman's bankruptcy filing was the largest in history, as its assets far surpassed those of previous bankrupt giants such as WorldCom and Enron. Lehman was the fourth-largest US investment bank at the time of its collapse with 25,000 employees worldwide.

The worlds largest financial institutions trade derivatives. Derivatives are instruments that derive their value from fluctuations in the price of an underlying asset such as a stock or a commodity. Financial institutions, asset managers, corporations, and governments use derivatives to manage volatility in assets that their respective enterprises are exposed to. At the time of its bankruptcy, Lehman Brothers had an estimated $35 trillion notional derivatives portfolio.

From 2004-2007 Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank (DB) were indeed riding high on the global financial hog. They were literally gorging themselves via Derivative Exposuread nauseam. Then the proverbial poop hit the fan as both Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank were hemorrhaging on insane ingestion of many Trillions of Dollars in DERIVATIVES. Subsequently, Lehman Brothers went belly upwith its stock price going into freefall from $25/share in 2007 to a mere 10 cents/share by early 2009. Moreover, Lehman Brothers shares are today only 12 cents a share. Likewise, Deutsche Banks catastrophic derivative exposure has hammered down its stock price from $135 in 2007 to only $17/share todayergo a heart-stopping price loss of -87%. Furthermore, DBs stock price appears to be hell bent for leather to follow Lehman Brothers lethal path to Wall Streets graveyarddue primarily to its oppressive Derivatives Exposure. See Chart below:

Interesting Historical Note: When Lehman Brothers failed, it had $35 Trillion in Derivative Exposure. Now compare this with todays Deutsche Bank Derivative Exposure of a cardiac-arrest $75 Trillion in DERIVATIVESand you will understand WHY DB share value is relentlessly and methodically falling in recent years. In fact, today May 3rd, Deutsche Bank stock has already been hammered down more than 6% in today early hours of New York trading.

Indeed: Derivatives are weapons of mass destruction  Warren Buffett

What is the global magnitude of these financial weapons of mass destruction?

Global Derivatives: $1.5 Quadrillion Time Bomb

Thats $1,500,000,000,000,000equivalent to nearly $200,000 per every man, woman and child on this earth !!

(Source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/global-derivatives-1-5-quadrillion-time-bomb/5464666 )

The legendary Lehman Brothers financial dynasty is dead and buried in Wall Streets cemetery. However, Germanys giant financial power house  Deutsche Bank is today vying helter-skelter to duplicate the infamous legacy of the tragic Lehman Brothers saga.

Is It Time To Panic About Deutsche Bank?

"At $72.8 Trillion, The Bank With The Biggest Derivative Exposure In The World" was not JPMorgan as some had expected, but Germany's banking behemoth, Deutsche bank.

Financial Armageddon Approaches: US Banks Have 247 Trillion Dollars Of Exposure To Derivatives

The following US bank numbers reveal a self-destructing recklessness that is on a level that is near criminal negligence.

Citigroup: Total Assets more than 1.8 trillion dollars

Total Derivatives more than 53 trillion dollars

JPMorgan Chase: Total Assets about 2.4 trillion dollars)

Total Derivatives more than 51 trillion dollars)

Goldman Sachs: Total Assets less than a trillion dollars

Total Derivatives more than 51 trillion dollars

Bank Of America: Total Assets a little bit more than 2.1 trillion dollars

Total Derivatives more than 45 trillion dollars

Morgan Stanley: Total Assets less than a trillion dollars

Total Derivatives more than 31 trillion dollars

Wells Fargo: Total Assets more than 1.7 trillion dollars

Total Derivatives more than 6 trillion dollars

Today six major US banks are betting 24 TIMES MORE MONEY THAN THEY HAVE (i.e. $237 Trillion in Total Derivatives vs only $10 Trillion in Total Assets). Even more insanely lethal is the Derivative exposure of Deutsche Bank, which has $75 Trillion vis-a-vis Total Assets of a mere $1.6 Trillion. Sadly DB is betting nearly 47 TIMES MORE MONEY THAN THEY HAVE (astoundingly, its the biggest Derivatives Exposure in the world). Clearly, its insanely suicidal. (Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-03/it-time-panic-about-deutsche-bank)

This is financially crazy for the following reason. In a hypothetical case where a relatively small Derivatives Investment Loss of a mere 4% would mean that six major US banks might be totally wiped out. The leverage that derivatives permit is incomprehensibleludicrously suicidal! Its even worse for Deutsche Bank, where a Derivative Investment Loss of less than 3% would crash DB into immediate bankruptcya la Lehman Brothers.

To be sure, this is Financial Armageddon to the Nth degree.

The dire warning words of Warren Buffett are gospel: Derivatives are weapons of mass destruction

By I. M. Vronsky

Editor & Partner - Gold-Eagle

www.gold-eagle.com

Founder of GOLD-EAGLE in January 1997. Vronsky has over 40 years experience in the international investment world, having cut his financial teeth in Wall Street as a Financial Analyst with White Weld. He believes gold and silver will soon be recognized as legal tender in all 50 US states (Utah and Arizona having already passed laws to that effect). Vronsky speaks three languages with indifference: English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. His education includes university degrees in Engineering, Liberal Arts and an MBA in International Business Administration  qualifying as Phi Beta Kappa for high scholastic achievement in all three.

 2015 Copyright I. M. Vronsky - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Four of the five Martinsville City Council members are not fully aware of how a proposal arose for a funding cut that will cause the city to lose one of its seats on a local economic development organizations board.

The proposal, which the council approved last week in a 3-2 vote, stemmed from talks between a councilman and a Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. (EDC) board member, council members said.

Gene Teague said Monday he was the councilman involved in the discussion and who presented the proposal to the rest of the council, but he would not disclose the EDC board members identity.

Asked why, he replied "I just dont" want to.

The other council members  Sharon Brooks Hodge, Mark Stroud, Mayor Danny Turner and Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles  said they do not know the board members identity.

"We dont know who proposed the deal," Turner said. He has heard from a secondhand source who the person might be, he said, but he declined to name the person because "Gene hasnt told me who he negotiated with."

The EDC is the lead local business and industry recruitment organization. Over the years, it has been funded by the city, the county, The Harvest Foundation and the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and its independent affiliate, the Chambers Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG).

The city and the chamber/C-PEG each have two seats on the EDCs 10-member board. Teague said that an EDC board member approached him about reducing the number of seats on the panel.

In exchange for giving up one of its seats, Martinsville will get to reduce its funding to the EDC from $219,500 to $100,000. That money is to be put toward the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre, a new industrial park under development on U.S. 220 South near the North Carolina line, the proposal shows.

By giving up one of their seats, the chamber and C-PEG will get to keep their annual $25,000 contribution and no longer have to help fund the EDC, but they still will be part of the organization, the proposal indicates.

Although the council has approved the deal, C-PEGs board will not consider it until later this week, according to Amanda Witt, the chambers president and C-PEGs executive director.

Witt is an EDC board member. She has said that she thinks the proposal was not intended to hurt either the city or the chamber and C-PEG. However, she has said that since she is not on the EDC boards executive committee, she has not been made aware of the full details of the proposal.

EDC President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Heath; board Chairman Chris Beeler, who is chief executive officer of Virginia Mirror Co.; and board Vice Chairman Tim Hall, who is the Henry County administrator, have not returned phone calls for comment.

Turner said the proposal seems to him to be "a back room-type deal" and "a little bit underhanded."

"Obviously," he said, "this was a disciplinary-type action" against the city in return for its decision last year to contract with the chamber and C-PEG for help with small business development.

Turner added that he thinks the EDC was irked when the city appointed as one of its board members Lisa Fultz, executive director of the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board. Fultz has a reputation for "being a stickler for hard work and holding people accountable," he said.

Also, he said the EDC may have been irked by the chamber and C-PEG appointing City Attorney Eric Monday as their latest board member. Because he is a lawyer, "that probably rubbed them the wrong way, too," he said.

The seats now held by Fultz and Monday are the ones targeted to be eliminated.

"At the end of the day, it all comes back to The Harvest Foundation," Turner said in his opinion. The foundation has four seats on the EDC board.

"The Harvest Foundation has an awful lot of power on the EDC board," Stroud said. "Its mighty hard to fight against that."

Harvest Executive Director Allyson Rothrock said the foundation was not involved in the proposal to eliminate the city and C-PEG seats. Neither has it been involved in any negotiations with the city or C-PEG, she said.

Harvests relationship with the EDC is "no different than the relationship we have with any other nonprofit" organization, Rothrock said.

The EDC board makes the decisions for that organization, not Harvest, she said.

Teague said that in talks between him and the unidentified EDC board member, "ideas were kicked around" as to what the citys allocation to the organization should be in the coming fiscal year, which city officials expect will be exceptionally tight financially.

Losing one of its EDC board seats "wont hurt the city  in the least bit," Teague said.

With either one or two seats among eight or 10, it is unlikely that the city and the chamber and C-PEG ever would have a majority that would influence the way that the EDC board votes overall, Stroud said.

Losing a seat "doesnt change the (citys) voting power," Bowles added.

With the citys planned $100,000 contribution to go toward the new industrial park, "the city is not really contributing to (operations of) the EDC but getting all the benefits" of being affiliated with it, Teague said.

As examples of the benefits, he mentioned agreements for Henry County and Martinsville to share revenues generated from lots in the countys Patriot Centre industrial park and the recent announcement by Nationwide Homes in Martinsville that it will expand and create roughly 59 new jobs.

Still, "Im frustrated with how the EDC and its board functions," Stroud said.

"It would be nice if at least we (the council) had quarterly updates" from the EDC about its work, especially to help the city, he said.

The council used to receive such updates regularly, but it has not had any recently. Stroud recalled that during the last two updates that the council received, EDC Tourism Director Jennifer Doss and Director of Recruiting and Marketing Lisa Lyle spoke.

"I would like for Mr. Heath to come and talk to us" as he once did, Stroud said. As the president and CEO, "he knows whats going on."

Council members said they believe the city should continue participating in the EDC.

"We should hold them more accountable," though, Turner said.

"We dont get a lot of help from the EDC now, but we do get some," Stroud said.

"I think the EDC is concerned about any (business or industry) prospect that comes to the community," Teague said. Whether it is a property in Martinsville or Henry County, "prospects determine where they want to go," not the EDC, he said, adding that the organization is "just a broker" of sites.
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Applicable law allows personal information to be collected and used if it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate activities (as long as its use is fair, balanced and does not unduly impact individuals rights).

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ha.jpg

Hampshire College is hoping choice of new commencement speaker Reina Gossett will speak to student concerns.

(Diane Lederman/The Republican)

AMHERST -- Hampshire College President Jonathan Lash announced that the college has selected a new commencement speaker in response to students who were upset that the original choice -- Dr. Emily Wong -- didn't come from a pool of potential speakers suggested by students that included writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, singer Beyonce Knowles-Carter, president Barack Obama and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Lash on Sunday told students he had asked Wong, a Massachusetts General Hospital physician, not to come. A day later, the college announced a new speaker it considered better able to address student concerns.

Hampshire's speaker at its May 14 commencement now will be Reina Gossett, an activist, writer and filmmaker and the 2014-2016 activist in residence at Barnard College's Center for Research on Women to address graduates.

Last month, classes were canceled to provide students a chance to air myriad grievances about issues including divestment, sexual assault and racism on campus - and the choice of commencement speaker.

In a campus email, Lash said he asked Wong not to speak at commencement.

"In light of the issues our community has been discussing in recent weeks, and the fact that the suggestion of Dr. Wong as a speaker came from me, rather than from students, I felt that this was the right thing to do," he wrote.

According to her website, Gossett collaborated with Critical Resistance, organizing with low-income LGBTGNC (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender-nonconforming) New Yorkers in a campaign that stopped the city's Department of Corrections from building a $375 million jail in the Bronx.

"Faculty, in consultation with students and staff, proposed Gossett because her life and work engage the issues that have been raised by students around anti-blackness, transphobia, and sexual violence," a Hampshire College press release stated.

Lash said he initially chose Wong because the college was unable to bring in the speakers nominated by graduating students. He wrote:

"We contacted most of the individuals on the students' prioritized list.

"(Writer) Ta-Nehisi Coates is in Paris this spring and could not get away.

(Actor) LeVar Burton and (anthropologist) Jane Goodall had scheduling conflicts.

"

(from Black Lives Matter) was going to be on maternity leave.

"(Actress) Lupita Nyong'o is in the midst of a demanding performing schedule.

"Bernie Sanders could not predict his campaign schedule."

Lash also informed the community that Bill Nye, Rachel Maddow, Beyonce Knowles-Carter and President Barack Obama did not respond to the college's invitation.

"(I asked Wong) because my conversations with her felt so Hampshire-esque - she is a physician who is committed to using her scientific training to better peoples' lives, specializing in infectious diseases in South Africa, where HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis disproportionately affect communities of color," Lash wrote. "In turn, she was very excited to learn about a college where rigorous interdisciplinary work and a passionate faculty and student body converge into a force for radical social change."

Gossett is a 2009 Stonewall Community Foundation Honoree and filmmaker who co-wrote, directed and produced "Happy Birthday, Marsha!", a film detailing the lives of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson in the hours leading up to the Stonewall Riots of 1969, according to a press release.

Graduation is at 11 a.m. on the Harold F. Johnson Library Lawn.
When Peter Rosten, a Hollywood producer with over 30 years of film biz experience, retired to Darby, Mont., in 2002, he noticed the absense of an arts curriculum in the states education system and decided that needed to change.

In 2004, with $10,000 of his own savings, Rosten founded Maps Media Institute http://www.mapsmediainstitute.com/ , an after-school arts program based in Hamilton, Mont., that offers underserved students free courses in film, music, technology, design and entrepreneurship. As well there is an intensive four-week summer course in which participants conceive, write and produce their own videos. Maps also travels to underperforming schools in Native American communities and conducts week-long media arts workshops.

Widely touted, Maps was named one of the top 50 after-school programs in the U.S. by the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities. In 2015 the organization won two awards of excellence from the northwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Alyssa Sage

Staff Writer @alyssasageee

Full Story: http://variety.com/2016/film/spotlight/maps-media-institute-offers-students-world-of-opportunities-1201761070/
The Special Technical Committee last met on 11 December 2019 and recommended that 10% of the total estimated population be controlled
Soodesh Callichurn a repondu a une question de Patrick Assirvaden lors de la seance parlementaire du 23 mars 2021

PQ B 26 2021

.

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a consultation into whether changes should be introduced to the chilling requirements of Qurbani meat and offal supplied from slaughterhouses in England and Wales during the period of Eid al-Adha.
by Richard Whitman , Columnist, May 2, 2016

In a humorous but all-telling piece about the ad industry's obsession with data, Jeff Goodby ponders the recent spate of data-analysis firms by agency holding companies and suggests that maybe Goodby Silverstein & Partners should go out and acquire the Waffle House. His point being that perhaps the focus of ad agencies has shifted a bit too far from its central tenet: creativity.

Of the data-centric acquisitions, Goodby wrote: "There was something about these announcements, though, that suggested that data would not just complement but actually take the place of the contributions of creativity in advertising. Instead of offering direction an affirmation to the creative process, it was as if data were suddenly a suitable replacement for humanity, humor and beauty."

Goodby understands the importance of data and realizes that creativity does not occur in a vacuum, but at the same time, he argues that perhaps the obsession with data is distracting agencies from what should be their primary focus. Of the shift, Goodby writes, "Are we secretly admitting we dont know how to make money in advertising anymore, and are thus aligning with distant businesses that are thriving?"

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Is he right? Have ad agencies lost their focus? Are they burying their heads in the proverbial sand by focusing so much on data and less on creativity?
by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, May 3, 2016

Google reported on Monday that Web sites being hacked rose 180% in 2015 compared with the prior year. To combat the issue, the company released a hacked spam algorithm in October 2015, which results in removing the majority of those issues.

Google also sent 4.3 million messages to webmasters to notify them of manual actions the company took on their sites and to help them identify the issues.

Content was also an issue, Google saw an increase in the number of Web sites that had "thin, low-quality" content. More than 400,000 spam reports were submitted by users worldwide. After prioritizing them, Google acted on 65%. Of those, Google found 80% to be spam.

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The news, highlighted on Webmaster Central, also notes that spam not dealt with by algorithms was tackled in a more manual way. More than 4.3 million messages were sent to webmasters notifying them of these actions.

Google put together more than 200 Hangouts online and live events in more than 17 languages to help webmasters with questions, as well as increase the participation in their webmaster help forums. Now if they can only do something about the telemarketers who keep calling me.

More than 1,000 of Googles 60,000 employees monitor and remove ads. In January, Google reported that it disabled 49% more advertisements in 2015, compared with the prior year. It removed more than 780 million ads for violating its policies up from 524 million in 2014, 350 million in 2013, and 220 million in 2012.

Google blocks ads or rejects advertisers for a variety of reasons, such as selling counterfeit goods or finding a way to prompt users to click accidentally. The company suspended more than 10,000 sites and 18,000 accounts for attempting to sell counterfeit goods.

The Alphabet subsidiary, which gains more than 90% of its revenue from advertising, blocked more than 12.5 million ads that violated our health care and medicines policy, such as ads for pharmaceuticals that werent approved for use or that made misleading claims to be as effective as prescription drugs.
by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, May 3, 2016

One of them died long ago and one of them is still here, having lived long enough to celebrate her 75th birthday with celebrity pals last January in New York.

Both of them -- Janis Joplin, who died of a drug overdose in October 1970 at age 27, and Joan Baez, who turned 75 on Jan. 9 -- get the PBS treatment this week in two separate shows. The two shows provide proof (as if further proof were needed) that PBS intends to continue in its quest to keep the 1960s alive, come hell or high water.

It seems fairly obvious by now why PBS returns again and again to these 1960s music-fests: Its audience is made up largely of Baby Boomers from whom PBS wishes to draw donations. So the paeans to the decade of this groups rebellious youth continue.

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This weeks examples are an American Masters documentary subtitled Little Girl Blue about Joplin premiering Tuesday night (May 3) and a Great Performances premiering Friday (May 6), in which Baez is seen singing duets with a variety of partners. The concert was taped at the Beacon Theater.

After groaning for the umpteenth time about PBS returning to the not exactly fresh waters of the 1960s, I then try to judge these shows on their individual merits. Where this weeks 60s shows are concerned, the Joplin documentary offered much more to chew on than the Baez performance.

But thats just me. Others might feel very differently about the prospect of watching Baez and her friends. For me, though, Janis Joplin is the much more compelling figure. As this documentary makes clear with ample film footage of her performing, she was an electrifying talent, a young white woman from Port Arthur, Texas who somehow acquired a gift for processing and reproducing the blues music of African-Americans.

In this regard, I have never heard of anyone categorizing her with Elvis Presley, but when you watch this documentary, you are reminded of the phenomenon of Presley, whose affinity for the black music he grew up with even awed black people.

Little Girl Blue doesnt delve into how or why Joplin gravitated toward the blues. According to the movie, she discovered she could sing when she joined the choir in high school, but where she might have developed an ear for blues music the documentary does not explore, other than to note that she once borrowed an Odetta record and liked it very much. (If memory serves, the music of Odetta also figures somehow into the Bob Dylan story, which means someone ought to do a documentary about Odetta.)

The story of how Joplin left Texas, migrated to San Francisco and then found herself at the center of the citys legendary 1960s music scene makes for a documentary well worth watching. Interview subjects include her brother and sister, childhood friends, and former bandmates from Big Brother and the Holding Company. I could have done without the interview in which Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead recalled that Janis was so noisy in the sack that the whole house could hear her. This just seemed tasteless.

If she had lived, might we have been treated to PBS concerts here in the present day featuring Janis and her friends? Alas, but this was not to be. But Joan Baez is still here -- as much an emblem of that bygone decade as Janis Joplin, although the two are as different as rock and folk. A few years back, in yet another PBS special about the 60s, I recall Donovan Leitch saying of Baez: When I met Joan in 1965, I was enamored. Falling in love with folk music meant falling in love with Joan Baez.

I was very young in the 1960s, and not part of any scene, so Ill have to take Donovans word for that. On Great Performances, Baezs duet partners include David Crosby (they sing Blackbird), Mary Chapin Carpenter (on Donovans Catch the Wind), Indigo Girls (Dylans Dont Think Twice, Its Alright), Jackson Browne (Before the Deluge), Judy Collins (Diamonds & Rust, which Baez wrote), and Paul Simon (The Boxer).

In case youre wondering, Baez looks and sounds great. She ends the show singing another Dylan song, Forever Young.

American Masters: Janis: Little Girl Blue  airs Tuesday (May 3) at 8 p.m. Eastern on PBS. Great Performances: Joan Baez 75th Birthday Celebration  airs Friday (May 6) at 9 p.m. Eastern on PBS.
by P.J. Bednarski , Staff Writer @pjbtweet, May 3, 2016

Notes from the NewFronts:

The New York Times has published a daily newspaper on most days its existed since September 1851 so it cant be that much of a realization theres a future in storytelling but that was the message at its NewFronts presentation.

The big emphasis is on visual stories, and Its big push is to tell many of those stories via virtual reality projects. indeed New York Times Magazine Editor Jake Silverstein said the Times is the leader in virtual reality journalism. (From an early read on this years NewFronts, everybody else in the business just joined the race, too.)

For two years in a row, its NewFronts presentation ended with audience members peering through Google Cardboards at Times VR projects; last year it was the street scene around the Flatiron Building; this year it was the gases seen around Pluto from an upcoming VR project.

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All things visual obviously matters; the Times says 40% of its video traffic is made up of millennials, and thats the audience the Times and everybody else wants to capture. The Times announced six new video projects, ranging from The Fine Line that dives deep into what physiological traits and techniques makes Olympic athletes great to the The Inside Track: Making of Tomorrows Hits that will show how hit music is made, step-by-step. Reporter Charles Duhiggs The Art of Better also looks at how productivity happens.

But VR was the star. The Times Magazine will turn its annual Voyages issue into an episodic VR series and T Magazine will debut its first VR film this fall.

The Times also rebranded its R&D Lab as something called Story[X], that will use designers and developers to experiment with news, product and advertising cycles to help create new communications (and advertising) vehicles, working with its T Brand Studio.

Part of the fun of a the Times NewFront is watching execs talk about advertising projects and putting high-sheen purpose to them. As one exec noted from stage, digital is the first medium without a defined ad format--like TVs commercial breaks, or prints ad well--and the Times invited advertisers to help them exploit that vast territory.

In fact, that help us help you idea got airtime at various NewFront, as if digital content creators have come to grips with the idea that advertisers branding strategies might work just as well as publishers ideas, and maybe come together quicker.

Similar to T Brand Studio and Story [X}, Bloomberg Media introduced Kinection, a branded-content studio aimed at creating custom content on a global basis.

Bloomberg was full of high-mindedness at its NewFronts; it was actually pleasant to see a content creator stand up straight to emphasize its stature rather than slouch to soften it. It announced a Walk The Talk series and a Gender Equality Index that will look at female leadership in the C-Suites, with help from Shelley Zalis,founder of The Girls Lounge.

Bloomberg will also debut Big Problems. Big Thinkers, sponsored by Cisco that will feature appearances by Wall Street and business titans (Warren Buffett, director director Steven Soderbergh, and more, including Founder Mike) defining critical issues of the day and prescriptions.

Maybe it was because I had just left the BuzzFeed NewFronts presentation, but Bloombergs ideas seemed so grown up. Not to knock BuzzFeed for its casual, pop-culture flavor--thats why its there--but the contrast is vivid. For me, most illuminating was BuzzFeeds Frank Cooper, chief marketing and creative officer, explaining the way culture now works.

Using Motown stars as an example, he noted how once, minority artists became popular by mimicking the mainstream ideal. So, in short, Motown stars got all dressed up.

By contrast, Public Enemy became superstars and changed culture by emphasizing the rougher, tougher, street-wise authentic life of minority America.

Using a chart, he said, it is now commonplace for popular artists to take their authentic self outward where it radiates out to become mainstream, rather than the other way around. It is, he implied, what makes stars out of YouTubers.

This, in Coopers view, is BuzzFeed all over, and an explanation why younger viewers find it harder to buy in to traditional media, and why, when BuzzFeed creates videos like Weird Things All Couples Fight About its coming from an experiential level your average sitcom cant approach.

But maybe you had to be there.

pj@mediapost.com
by Larissa Faw , May 3, 2016

Head & Shoulders and Saatchi & Saatchi London are introducing Scalp Brave, a new campaign that represents a pivot away from its previous messages about dandruff control.

The concept features artist and barber Rob The Original working on different men by shaving likenesses of Head & Shoulders celebrity ambassadors Giovanni Dos Santos, Sofia Vergara and Odell Beckham on their scalps.

These ads feature tattoos, hip music and are aimed at a target audience younger than its earlier spots.

The integrated campaign kicks off on social media via the aforementioned brand ambassadors. They will help direct people to three 'making of' films running on the Head & Shoulders YouTube page.

Print and poster ads will run in North America. These ads were shot by renowned London-based photographer Oleg Tolstoy.

An experiential pop-up studio will tour various Walmart stores in the U.S. It will feature Rob The Original showing off his barber skills to shoppers working alongside brand ambassador Dos Santos.
by Aaron Baar , May 3, 2016

The political campaigns ranging around the country may seem distant from day-to-day Madison Avenue activity, but their results could have a huge impact on the industry.

In a speech at the Association of National Advertisers "Advertising Financial Management Conference" on Tuesday, Dan Jaffe, ANA group executive vice president of government relations, outlined the implications of this years political contests on the advertising industry.

From taxes and finance to privacy concerns and regulatory issues, the effects of this Novembers contests could be wide-ranging, particularly when it comes to control of the Senate.

If the Democrats take control of the Senate, this will vault into leadership positions a number of Democratic senators, who have taken strong, highly restrictive positions on advertising, privacy, data security and business regulation in general, Jaffe said.

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With action unlikely to be taken during the current legislative session, the new Congress will likely put some sort of tax reform on its agenda. Some prospective legislators have proposed amortizing a portion of their advertising expenses over 10 years (rather than be tax write-offs, which they are currently), Jaffe said.

Such tax reform could amount to nearly $170 million in additional taxes on businesses, he said. This tax reform battle could be very dangerous for advertisings bottom line.

The ANA plans to fight back with recent data from IHS Economics and Country Risk asserting such proposals would put $468 billion of economic activity and 1.4 million at risk during the first five years of the amortization proposal.

These numbers demonstrate that advertising is a key engine of the U.S. economy and a primary driver of job creation, Jaffe said.

He also called proposals to eliminate tax deductions for direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads and/or foods and drinks with little nutritional value as a slippery slope of government regulation.

Beyond the tax implications, Jaffe said the current Supreme Court vacancy could affect several regulatory issues, such as mandated disclosure guidelines on soft drinks and cell phones (which are both being considered in California).

While advertising in the last 15 years has received almost unbroken and strengthening support from the Court, what was little noticed during this period is that a number of these key cases were decided on closely fought-out, 5-to-4 decisions, Jaffe said. If these cases were upheld, the 30,000 cities and counties throughout the U.S. could impose similar disclosure requirements on numerous other products utilizing advertising messages as their billboards and megaphones.

Jaffe also criticized the FCC, calling it the Federal Confusion Commission, for its broad oversight of Internet ISP activity through its Net Neutrality authority. A recently proposed rule, he said, would require affirmative opt-in consent for data sharing for ISPs under its jurisdiction, but not for so-called edge providers such as Google, Microsoft and Apple, which are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission.

He also attacked a proposed rule that would allow existing cable programming to be offered by entities other than cable providers, for which advertisers would have no privity of contract. This change faces advertisers with major risks including having their ads stripped, overlaid with competing ads, or undermined by inappropriate ad adjacencies and numerous other dangers, Jaffe said.

Finally, he called on the industry to come together on online privacy and data security. The explosive growth of connected devices has led to increased public concern about privacy, and could lead to more government oversight.

Jaffe called on companies to join the industrys self-regulatory Digital Advertising Alliance and come to a quick consensus on ad-blocking technology, and demonstrate how advertising enables the content consumers are enjoying.

Failure to do so  and adequately respond to the legitimate concerns of consumers  almost certainly will lead to major disruptions of the digital marketplace, he said. More importantly, we must as a community do a far better job of explaining the value exchange where advertising has dramatically lowered the costs to receive valuable information of all kinds for every segment of society.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, May 3, 2016

In a victory for Backpage, a federal appellate court on Tuesday rejected sex-trafficking victims' request to reconsider a decision dismissing their lawsuit against the online classifieds site.

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in a brief order that a majority of the judges in the circuit voted against re-hearing the case.

The move leaves in place an earlier ruling, which said the teens could not proceed with their case due to the federal Communications Decency Act. That law says that companies offering interactive online platforms are immune from liability for activity by their users.

The legal battle dates to October 2014, when three teen sex-trafficking victims alleged that Backpage's ad policies violated a host of laws, including federal and state laws against sex trafficking and a state law against unfair and deceptive conduct.

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Backpage countered that it wasn't responsible for crimes committed by users of its service. Last year, U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns accepted Backpage's argument and dismissed the case. The teens then appealed to the 1st Circuit, which also ruled against them.

"Congress did not sound an uncertain trumpet when it enacted the CDA, and it chose to grant broad protections to internet publishers," a three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit wrote in the initial ruling. "Showing that a website operates through a meretricious business model is not enough to strip away those protections."

Lawyers for teens asked to reargue the case in front of a larger panel of 1st Circuit judges. The lawyers contended that the initial ruling marked a "radical interpretation of the CDA to establish a new form of absolute immunity."

The 1st Circuit's decision marks the second major court victory for Backpage in recent months. Last November, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals prohibited Illinois Sheriff Thomas Dart from lobbying credit card companies to stop providing services to Backpage.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, May 3, 2016

An organization representing Web companies is challenging a new South Dakota law that requires some out-of-state retailers, including e-commerce sites, to report and collect sales tax.

NetChoice, which counts eBay, Google, Overstock, and Facebook among its members, argues that the law marks an unconstitutional attempt by South Dakota to regulate interstate commerce. The organization, together with the American Catalog Mailers Association, is asking a state court judge in Hughes County to declare the new measure invalid.

The law, which took effect this week, applies to all out-of-state retailers with more than $100,000 in annual sales to South Dakota residents, or more than 200 transactions per year with South Dakota customers -- even if those companies have no other connection to the state.

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NetChoice and the American Catalog Mailers Association point to a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that catalog companies need not collect sales tax unless they had a "substantial nexus" to the state, like brick-and-mortar companies within its borders. "The new statute ... imposes the obligation to report South Dakota sales tax expressly upon sellers and service providers that have no physical presence in the state, based solely on making sales over certain minimum thresholds to South Dakota customers," the organizations write.

It's not clear whether the current Supreme Court would uphold its prior 1992 ruling. Last year, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy suggested that state governments should be able to require out-of-state online retailers to collect sales tax.

The Internet has caused far-reaching systemic and structural changes in the economy, and, indeed, in many other societal dimensions, Kennedy wrote in a concurring opinion in a battle involving Colorado's online sales tax.

The court in that case ruled that the Direct Marketing Association could proceed with a challenge to Colorado's Amazon tax." Kennedy agreed with that narrow conclusion, but suggested that state authorities should be able to tax businesses that lack in-state brick-and-mortar stores. Although online businesses may not have a physical presence in some states, the Web has, in many ways, brought the average American closer to most major retailers. A connection to a shoppers favorite store is a click away -- regardless of how close or far the nearest storefront," he wrote.

Last week, several days before the law took effect, state authorities sued Overstock, Newegg and two other Web companies. That lawsuit reportedly seeks a judicial declaration that the new law is enforceable.
Anybody all misty about the traditions of televisions Upfronts abandoned by digitals NewFronts would have been cheered by Defy Medias advertiser presentation on Tuesday. It started with a big screen run down of the the daily schedule---dozens of shows that with new episodes that arrive at the same time, every time, like TVs schedule board.

We are committed to all of these shows, said Defy President Keith Richman, about the titles behind him.

Most of the similarities between TV and Devy end there because Defys content is edgier and totally focused on millennials (and, of course, usually shorter).

At NewFronts, Defy said it would introduce 30 new programs over its seven brands, and tweaked other NewFronts presenters by repeatedly pointing out that unlike some of the others, Defy actually produces the content it announces.

Matt Diamond, the CEO, asked buyers in the audience to sit back at other NewFronts and ask whether theyre at a programming presentation or are you literally sitting in green-lighting conference hoping to use NewFronts to find backers.

Defy, which claims 100 million social followers and 800 million video viewers across all of its channels, thinks the discipline in its operation, including the scheduling, creates and builds viewer loyalty. Diamond said after the session that Defy shows always get their biggest swell of viewers on their original release days. (Those schedules are relentless, too. Afterward, SMOSH star Ian Hecox said he and his partner Anthony Padilla, have not skipped a week from their Friday schedule and that show is celebrating 10 years on YouTube.)

The brand announced new packages for advertisers in which it can buy advertising in all four of Defys main platforms and know exactly when and what content it will appear with, or work directly with Defy program creators to craft specific brand campaigns. Another ad avenue, called badging, allows advertiser to essentially buy a brought to you by ID, similar, once again, to televisions ages-old sponsorship ad buys.

Among the new shows announced was These 5 People, a sketch series from Defys best known brand, SMOSH, in which five people will play out five normal but opposed reactions to a situation, as in a romantic break-up where reactions range from vengeful to catatonic to elation. (An improvised episode videotaped from the actors New York hotel rooms Monday night quickly gathered in a quarter-million viewers when it was posted on Facebook, Defy said.)

On its Clevver channel, Defy will debut Beauty Trippin in which hosts Joslyn Davis and Lily Marston are taken to experience bizarre beauty and fitness treatments, the hook being they dont know what it is until they get there. Another show Diss-Track, lets comedians and lyricists seemingly from the ]Weird Al Yankovic School of Music, and actors impersonating famously feuding stars, sing nasty songs to each other, in a kind of musical version of the poisonous tweets celebs tend to aim at other celebs these days.
The explosive nature of recent Zika virus epidemics and links to Guillain-Barre syndrome and microcephaly, have scientists concerned, according to an article published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Poor understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis of Zika virus presents an enormous challenge in responding to the rapidly emerging threat to human health.

Zika was identified in 1947 and for decades caused only sporadic cases of mild human disease. However, the recent Zika epidemic that began in Brazil in 2015 has spread rapidly to more than 30 countries in the Americans and the Caribbean and shows no signs of slowing. Answers are needed to inform vaccine development and also to properly advise those living in or traveling to Zika-endemic areas.

While the contribution of Zika infection to the total increase in microcephaly cases being observed relative to other unidentified causes remains unknown, blood evidence suggests that Zika infection at any stage of pregnancy could increase risk for microcephaly, intrauterine growth restriction, and fetal death. As such, pregnant women in unaffected areas are currently advised to postpone travel to Zika-endemic regions, if possible.

Pregnant women are also advised to avoid sex with males who have traveled to Zika-endemic regions. Zika virus is detectable in semen for at least two months following infection and multiple cases of suspected sexual transmission of Zika are currently under investigation in the United States. The relative importance of sexual transmission with regard to the overall burden of Zika transmission and risk for microcephaly is unknown.

At present, there is no specific antiviral and no vaccine for Zika, though vaccines are in development. Providers should maintain a high level of suspicion for Zika infection in any patient presenting with rash and either a personal history of recent travel to an area with active Zika transmission or a history of travel in a sexual partner.
High risk, potentially cancer causing human papillomavirus infections are common among women in Papua New Guinea. But self sampling with vaginal swabs may provide materials that screen as accurately as the more labor-intensive approach using cervical samples obtained by clinicians. This finding is critical to developing same day screening and treatment, which is key to ensuring that women with precancerous lesions are treated in this largely unconnected (electronically) country, and in others like it. The research appeared online April 13, 2016 in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, which is published by the American Society for Microbiology.

"This is the first time there's been a direct comparison between self-collected vaginal swabs and clinician-collected cervical specimens using a screening device that can provide same day results," said corresponding author Andrew Vallely, PhD, Associate Professor, Public Health Interventions Research Group, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Evaluating self-collected samples was a critical milestone towards meeting the ultimate goal of this research: to enable same-day screening and treatment. Same-day treatment is needed in high-burden, low-income countries such as Papua New Guinea because when patients leave the clinic, it often becomes impossible to find them again, should their results show that they need treatment.

"The majority of the country's population live in rural communities, many of which are very isolated," explained Vallely, who is also Professorial Research Fellow, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka. A dearth of roads, and difficult terrain exacerbates the isolation, as do limited or absent mobile phones and internet connectivity, and postal services that are very poor and unreliable.

Self sampling, combined with use of a new, high speed, fully automated molecular assay for high risk HPV infection, called the Xpert HPV Test, makes it possible to screen and treat patients in a single day. Self-sampling alleviates pressure on highly skilled clinical staff who would otherwise only be able to screen women by conducting a time-consuming pelvic examination to collect specimens, said Vallely.

"By readily identifying women who have a high risk HPV infection, this clinic-based self-sampling strategy would allow health services in low-income settings such as Papua New Guinea to focus their efforts on those women who are most at risk of cervical pre-cancer and cancer," said Vallely.

Once those at increased risk are identified by the Xpert HPV Test, the final step in screening is to paint the screened women's cervixes with acetic acid -- vinegar, said Vallely. The acetic acid causes the precancerous lesions, which are not visible to the naked eye, to stain white. The clinicians then ablate the lesions using cryotherapy -- a relatively non-invasive procedure to obliterate the abnormal tissues that allows the women to leave for home the same day. (Women who have developed malignancies are referred to specialists.)

Papua New Guinea has a very high burden of disease, said Vallely. The rate of new cases is six to seven times higher than in Australia and New Zealand, and mortality is around 14 times higher, making HPV-associated cancers a leading cause of premature death.

Field evaluation of the Xpert HPV Point of Care Test for the detection of human papillomavirus infection using self-collected vaginal and clinician-collected cervical specimens. P Toliman, S. G. Badman, J Gabuzzi, S Silim1, L Forereme, A Kumbia, B Kombuk, Z Kombati, J Allan, G Munnull, C Ryan, L. M. Vallely, A Kelly-Hanku, H Wand, G. D. L. Mola, R Guy, P Siba, J. M. Kaldor, S. N. Tabrizi and A. J. Vallely. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. DOI:10.1128/JCM.00529-16 . Published online 13 April, 2016.
The vast majority of small children riding in taxis are not restrained in car safety seats, according to new research, even though there are tens of thousands of motor vehicle collisions involving taxis, limousines and car services each year.

With automobile accidents a leading cause of death among children in the United States, all 50 U.S. states require young children to be in car safety seats when travelling in a motor vehicle. However, in many municipalities taxis are exempt from these safety regulations.

Researchers presented the abstracts, "Underuse of Proper Child Restraints in Taxis: Are Weak Laws Putting Children in Danger?" and "Availability of Car Seats Offered by Taxi Companies in Urban U.S. Cities" at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting in Baltimore on May 1 and May 2 to shed light on how this legal exemption affects whether children are properly restrained while riding in taxis.

Stationed at 11 busy New York metropolitan area locations including airports, train stations, shopping malls and tourist locations, researchers looked for taxis loading or unloading passengers that included small children -- infants, toddlers and children whose height did not exceed the height of the side view mirror. They observed 69 taxis picking up or dropping off passengers that included a total of 116 children and found that only 11 percent of small children were properly restrained. Almost all of these were infants in infant carriers.

The researchers also called 97 taxi companies in the New York area, and 39 percent reported car safety seat availability. Of those offering safety seats, 18 percent of the companies said the seats were limited in quantity or required a reservation, and 8 percent stated that there would be an extra fee to use one. Reasons given for not providing child safety seats included health code restrictions and allergy and hygiene concerns.

"Given that there were more than 40,000 motor vehicle collisions involving taxis, limousines, and car services in 2015 alone, exemptions to car seat laws put unrestrained children at risk," said Sarah Koffsky, a student at West Islip High School in Long Island who served as the principal investigator in the study through a summer internship at the Cohen Children's Medical Center, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. "Although it may be easier when travelling with young children to not have to worry about car seats, convenience should not factor into decisions regarding child safety," she said.

The study authors stressed that motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death among children in the United States, with statistics showing that 70 percent increased risk of death or injury for 7 to 8 year olds not properly restrained. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants and toddlers be secured in rear-facing child safety seats and that children continue to be secured by car safety seats or belt-positioning booster seats until they reach the height of 4'9".

Changes in law or policy to mandate use of car safety seats in taxis are necessary to ensure that all children travelling in motor vehicles are protected, the authors said. "Given that car safety seats have been shown to significantly decrease the risk of death or injury from motor vehicle collisions, there should be no exemptions in car seat safety laws for taxi services. When it comes to child safety, even one preventable injury calls for a change in policy," said senior investigator Ruth Milanaik, DO.

Study coordinator Tammy Pham said increased competition among types of transportation may present opportunities to increase passenger safety. "As the face of transportation changes," she said, "we hope that responsible companies will step up to provide safe travel options for families with small children."

Dr. Milanaik presented posters based on the abstracts, Underuse of Proper Child Restraints in Taxis: Are Weak Laws Putting Children in Danger? and "Availability of Car Seats Offered by Taxi Companies in Urban U.S. Cities" at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, 2016 and at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, May 2 in Exhibit Hall F of the Baltimore Convention Center. Only the abstracts were presented at the meeting. In some cases, the researcher may have more data available to share with media, or may be preparing a longer article for submission to a journal.

"Underuse of Proper Child Restraints in Taxis: Are Weak Laws Putting Children in Danger?"

Session: Poster Session: General Pediatrics & Preventive Pediatrics: Injury I (4:15 PM - 7:30 PM)

Date/Time: Sunday, May 1, 2016 - 4:15 pm

Room: Exhibit Hall F - Baltimore Convention Center

Board: 575

Course Code: 2873.
People living with mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. It is estimated that 1 million people with mental illnesses are arrested and booked in the U.S. each year. As such, interventions to help this population, such as mental health courts, are becoming popular in communities across the country.

New research from the University of Missouri finds that for mental health courts to be successful, every professional engaged in the process should be aware of the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and participant engagement within the system and connect participants with comprehensive treatment and services as early as possible.

Mental health courts seek to address underlying problems that contribute to criminal behavior by linking criminal offenders who have mental illnesses to needed services and treatment. Mental health courts provide a voluntary option for criminal offenders that incorporates mental health assessments, treatment plans and ongoing monitoring to address the health needs of offenders in an effort to keep them out of jail, while also ensuring public safety.

"We know that mental health courts are able to provide tools to decrease criminal recidivism, however, little is really known about the factors that facilitate or impede participant success in such programs," said Kelli Canada, assistant professor in the School of Social Work. "With mental illness, people tend to think of the primary disorder at the exclusion of other symptoms that have yet to reach a diagnosable level. Those additional psychiatric symptoms can have a significant impact on a participant's success within mental health courts. For example, a participant with schizophrenia may have mild depressive symptoms that are not accounted for in the treatment plan. The depressive symptoms, not the psychosis, could cause them to sleep through a meeting with a probation officer."

Canada analyzed the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and mental health court engagement by looking at treatment adherence, substance use, days spent in jail, probation violations and retention during a six month follow up period. She found that symptoms of depression, anxiety and guilt were more severe for those participants incarcerated during their follow up period. The results speak to the importance of providing quality mental health and substance use treatment that addresses all of the participant's health needs.

"We found that for mental health courts to be the most successful, they must find a way to account for mental illness variation and incorporate this variation into treatment planning and decision making regarding the use of sanctions in order to support program engagement," Canada said. "We know that for people dealing with substance abuse, slip-ups can occur. The same holds true for mental illness recovery. Recovery set-backs and psychiatric symptom exacerbation can impact a participant's engagement within the program; if that is not accounted for, it could and often does impact success."

Psychiatric symptoms and mental health court engagement. Kelli E. Canada, Greg Markway & David Albright. Psychology, Crime and Law. DOI:10.1080/1068316X.2016.1168422. Published online 13 Apr 2016.
Depression symptoms that steadily increase in older adults are more strongly linked to dementia than any other types of depression, and may indicate the early stages of the disease, according to the first ever long-term study to examine the link between dementia and the course of depression, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.

Symptoms of depression are common in people with dementia, but previous studies have often looked at single episodes of depression, failing to take into account how depression develops over time. The course of depression varies greatly between individuals - some might experience depressive symptoms only transiently, followed by full remission, others might have remitting and relapsing depression, and some might be chronically depressed. Different courses of depression may reflect different underlying causes, and might be linked to different risks of dementia.

The study included 3325 adults aged 55 and over, who all had symptoms of depression but no symptoms of dementia at the start of the study. The data was gathered from the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort study of various diseases in the Netherlands 1 which allowed the authors to track depressive symptoms over 11 years and the risk of dementia for a subsequent 10 years.

Using the Center for Epidemiology Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D), the authors identified five different trajectories of depressive symptoms - low depression symptoms (2441 participants); initially high symptoms that decreased (369); low starting scores that increased then remitted (170); initially low symptoms that increased (255); and constantly high symptoms (90).

Of the 3325 participants, 434 developed dementia, including 348 cases of Alzheimer's disease. Among the group with low symptoms of depression, 10% (226/2174) developed dementia. The researchers used this as the benchmark against which to compare other trajectories of depression - the study did not compare the risk of dementia following depression with the risk of dementia for adults in the general population (without depression).

Only the group whose symptoms of depression increased over time was at an increased risk of dementia - 22% of people (55/255) in this group developed dementia. This risk was particularly pronounced after the first 3 years. Individuals with remitting symptoms of depression were not at an increased risk of dementia compared to individuals with low depressive symptoms. The authors say that this suggests that having severe symptoms of depression at one point in time does not necessarily have any lasting influence on the risk of dementia.

The authors say their findings support the hypothesis that increasing symptoms of depression in older age could potentially represent an early stage of dementia. They also say that the findings support previous suggestions that dementia and some forms of depression may be symptoms of a common cause. They say that at the molecular levels, the biological mechanisms of depression and neurodegenerative diseases overlap considerably including the loss of ability to create new neurons, increased cell death and immune system dysregulation.

According to Dr M Arfan Ikram, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands, "Depressive symptoms that gradually increase over time appear to better predict dementia later in life than other trajectories of depressive symptoms such as high and remitting, in this study. There are a number of potential explanations, including that depression and dementia may both be symptoms of a common underlying cause, or that increasing depressive symptoms are on the starting end of a dementia continuum in older adults. More research is needed to examine this association, and to investigate the potential to use ongoing assessments of depressive symptoms to identify older adults at increased risk of dementia."2

Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Simone Reppermund from the Department of Developmental Disability and Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, says: "In conclusion, several factors can contribute to the development of both depression and dementia. The questions are if, and how, the presence of depression modifies the risk for dementia. The study by Mirza and colleagues provides an answer to the first question: depression, especially steadily increasing depressive symptoms, seems to increase the risk for dementia. However, the question of how the presence of depressive symptoms modifies the risk of dementia still remains. More studies of depression trajectories over a long period, with inclusion of biological measures, are necessary to understand the link between depression and dementia, in particular the underlying mechanisms. A focus on lifestyle factors such as physical activity and social networks, and biological risk factors such as vascular disease, neuroinflammation, high concentrations of stress hormones, and neuropathological changes, might bring new treatment and prevention strategies a step closer."

Article: 10-year trajectories of depressive symptoms and risk of dementia: a population-based study , Saira Saeed Mirza, MD, Frank J Wolters, MD, Sonja A Swanson, ScD, Prof Peter J Koudstaal, PhD, Prof Albert Hofman, PhD, Prof Henning Tiemeier, PhD, Dr M Arfan Ikram, MD, The Lancet Psychiatry, doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)00097-3, published online 29 April 2016.
New policy recommendations on preventing occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs were launched in the European Parliament on 26 April 2016, an important new initiative designed to protect healthcare professionals working across the EU.

Cytotoxic drugs, primarily used to treat cancer, are classified as hazardous and can cause adverse health effects from exposures in the workplace. Unsafe handling of cytotoxic drugs has been reported to cause cancer, organ toxicity, fertility problems, genetic damage and birth defects. The more common routes of exposure are contact with skin or mucous membranes, inhalation and ingestion.

With incidents of cancer continuing to increase, the use of cytotoxics is also rising. Cytotoxic drugs are also now increasingly used to treat haematology and rheumatology, so both the number and range of healthcare professionals handling them is also on the rise, with nurses, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at the highest risk of exposure.

Although the increasing risk has been recognised in Europe - by bodies such as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work - there is no legislation, guidelines or minimum standards in place for EU member states on handling cytotoxic drugs. However in November 2015, the European Parliament called on the Commission to take action on chemical risk factors, including exposure to hazardous drugs1. The new recommendations paper, Preventing occupational exposure to cytotoxic and other hazardous drugs, calls for legislation to be put in place and also advises on best practice for prevent exposure.

Continuous education of healthcare providers, along with the use of appropriate personal protective and drug handling equipment are recommended as vital to effectively prevent exposure to hazardous drugs. The recommendations paper highlights Closed System Transfer Devices as the only equipment that have been specifically designed to protect healthcare workers from occupational exposure to hazardous substances, but warns that 'some equipment suppliers claim that their devices are closed even if they produce aerosols, vapours and dripping.' As damage can be caused by inhaling cytotoxic drugs, the authors of the paper call for a common definition for 'Closed-System Drug Transfer Devices', detailing the technical specifications required to be met. Dr. Paul J.M. Sessink, Exposure Control Sweden AB, who contributed to the recommendations, says: "With the use of cytotoxic drugs continuing to rise, we need to protect the healthcare professionals handling them from exposure and adverse effects. The health and wellbeing of healthcare workers is our primary concern, but preventing exposure will also contribute to the sustainability of European's healthcare sector by increasing morale and preventing absenteeism of staff."

Mr. Johan Vandenbroucke, Senior Pharmacist Production at Ghent University Hospital and another contributor to the guidelines adds: "Although the dangers of exposure to cytotoxic drugs have been well known for a number of years, there is no official guidance or legislation in place in Europe. Hopefully these recommendations will be the first step towards establish EU-wide minimum standards."
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis (infection of the brain) in Asia. There is no specific treatment for Japanese encephalitis (JE) which can cause death or serious long-term disability, and WHO recommends JEV vaccination in all areas where the disease is recognized as a public health priority. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases suggests that current vaccines may fail to protect individuals against an emerging strain of the virus.

An estimated 3 billion people live in 24 South-East Asian and Western Pacific countries where the virus is present. JE viruses come in different 'flavors': there are five different genotypes (G1-G5), defined by differences in the 'envelope' gene that codes for proteins covering the virus surface. Strain G5 was originally isolated from a patient and described in 1951, but then not seen again until found recently (in 2009) in China and subsequently in Korea.

No specific treatment exists against the JE virus, but a number of vaccines are used to protect local populations and travellers. All of the vaccines are based on G3 virus strains and have been shown to work well against G1 through G4 strains. However, their efficiency against the previously rare but possibly re-emerging G5 strain is not clear.

Guodong Liang, from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in Beijing, China, and colleagues were the first to report the re-emergence of the G5 strain. In this study, they compared G3 and G5 viruses and tested whether the vaccine commonly used in China can protect against G5 viruses.

Having found the two strains similar in their ability to cause disease in mice, the researchers vaccinated mice and tested whether they were protected against a dose of virus that would be lethal to unvaccinated animals. They found that the (G3-based) vaccine protected all the mice against a lethal challenge with G3 virus, but only 50% of the mice infected with G5 virus survived.

Next, the researchers looked for inactivating (or neutralizing) antibodies in vaccinated two-year-old children. They examined blood samples from 26 children that had been collected both before and 28 days after JE vaccination. Following vaccination, they were able to detect neutralizing antibodies against G3 strains in all the children, but only 35% of them also had antibodies that could neutralize G5 strains.

Share on Pinterest The geographic distribution of Japanese encephalitis (in yellow)

Finally, the researchers asked whether people who had been infected with JEV naturally (presumably with strains other than G5) and developed encephalitis had antibodies that could neutralize either G3 or G5 strains. Analyzing samples from 45 clinically diagnosed JE patients, they found that while all of the patients had neutralizing antibodies against G3 strains, only 29 of the 45 patients (64%) had the ability to neutralize G5 strains. Most of the latter were older patients; less than half of the pediatric patients (those under age 15) had neutralizing antibodies against G5 virus.

These results suggest that the existing vaccines provide only partial protection against G5 JEV strains. Moreover, natural infection with a different strain might not protect against subsequent G5 infection, especially in children.

As the researchers discuss, whether the JE cases that occurred over recent years despite wide-spread vaccination programs in countries like China and Korea are caused by G5 strains is not known. Nor is it clear how much of a public health threat G5 strains are at present, or might become in the future. Nonetheless, the results reported represent early warning signs of a potential infectious disease crisis in South-East Asia, and further research on the G5 JEV strains and on vaccines that better protect against them seems warranted.

Article: Low Protective Efficacy of the Current Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine against the Emerging Genotype 5 Japanese Encephalitis Virus, Lei Cao, Shihong Fu, Xiaoyan Gao, Minghua Li, Shiheng Cui, Xiaolong Li, Yuxi Cao, Wenwen Lei, Zhi Lu, Ying He, Huanyu Wang, Jinghua Yan, George Fu Gao, Guodong Liang, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004686, published 3 May 2016.
A large study of testicular cancer patients has shown that radiation therapy is a better treatment than chemotherapy for patients with stage IIa disease (where one or more regional lymph nodes contain cancer cells but they are less than 2cms in diameter).

These findings, presented at the ESTRO 35 conference and published simultaneously in Clinical Oncology, are important because, until now, there has been little evidence about which treatment for testicular seminoma is more effective, and there has been a tendency to move away from radiation therapy towards chemotherapy for treating stage IIa-b patients. Guidelines from the US National Cancer Comprehensive Network recommend radiotherapy for stage IIa, while those from the European Association of Urology allow for either radiation therapy or chemotherapy; both sets of guidelines are equivocal for stage IIb.

The study of 2,437 patients presented today is the largest group of patients with stage II testicular seminoma evaluated so far, and researchers found that 99% of patients with IIa disease were alive after five years if they had been treated with radiation therapy, versus 93% of patients treated with chemotherapy. For patients with IIb disease, the five-year overall survival was 95% for those treated with radiation therapy and 92% for those treated with chemotherapy.

Dr Scott Glaser, resident physician at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, USA, told the conference: "For patients with IIa testicular seminoma, this improvement in outcome with radiation over chemotherapy persisted after adjustments for all available factors that could introduce a bias. For patients with stage IIb disease, similar rates of overall survival were seen regardless of treatment with multi-agent chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This suggests that an individualised approach is necessary for such patients."

He continued: "Testicular seminoma is a rare disease, there is a lack of randomised data to guide treatment and many prior studies have been limited by small sample sizes. It has, therefore, been difficult to tease out small differences in efficacy of radiation therapy versus chemotherapy. The trend away from radiation therapy may be due to a misperception that it is more toxic than three or four cycles of multi-agent chemotherapy. Across this large, national dataset, radiation therapy was associated with a better outcome for stage IIa patients and equivalent outcomes for stage IIb patients. However, potential explanations for these improved outcomes are less clear."

The study, led by Dr Sushil Beriwal, an associate professor of radiation oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, analysed data from 2,437 patients with stage II testicular seminoma diagnosed between 1998-2012 and treated with radiation therapy or multi-agent chemotherapy after removal of the cancerous testicle. Of the total number, 960 patients had IIa disease, of whom 78% received radiation therapy and 22% received chemotherapy; 812 had IIb disease, with 54% and 46% receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy respectively; and 665 had IIc disease, with 4% and 96% receiving radiation therapy and chemotherapy respectively.

"For stage IIc patients, there is clear consensus that multi-agent chemotherapy is the preferred treatment as the risk of distant progression is high, whereas for stage IIa-b there is no such consensus as to the optimal treatment and practice patterns vary significantly. In our series, 96% of stage IIc patients received multi-agent chemotherapy, which also severely limits meaningful comparison to other treatments," explained Dr Glaser.

He said the results support the recommendation that radiation therapy should be the preferred option for treating patients with stage IIa. "We view stage IIb disease as a spectrum where smaller volume disease patients (i.e. those with a 2-3 cm tumour in a single lymph node) may act more like IIa disease and attain the greatest benefit from radiation therapy, whereas patients with a larger volume of disease (i.e. 4-5 cm tumour or that has spread to multiple lymph nodes) may act more like IIc disease and attain the greatest benefit from chemotherapy."

Dr Glaser concluded: "Our results demonstrate the need for a collaborative group effort to open a randomised trial for stage IIa-b testicular seminoma patients examining the role of radiation therapy and chemotherapy."

Limitations of the study include its retrospective nature as it used a national data registry (the US National Cancer Data Base), a relatively short follow-up period (an average of 65 months) as certain toxic effects of treatment may only become apparent after longer follow-up, and the fact that the researchers were unable to describe how well the disease was controlled and deaths that were specifically from the cancer.

Testicular cancer is divided into two main types: seminoma and non-seminoma. Both develop from the germ cells in the testes. Testicular seminoma is one of the most treatable and curable cancers with a survival rate of over 95% if it is discovered in the early stages.

President of ESTRO, Professor Philip Poortmans, who was not involved in the research, commented: "In cases where there is an absence of prospective randomised trials, such as in rare tumours like stage II testicular seminoma, the analysis of 'real-life' data can help us to verify whether assumptions that are used to guide our treatment recommendations are valid or not. The movement away from radiation therapy in favour of chemotherapy, induced by the fear of a higher rate of late toxicity, is now suggested to be probably not the right one for patients with stage IIa testicular seminoma, with an overall survival benefit in favour of radiation therapy up to at least ten years after treatment. Ideally, these results should be confirmed in a prospective trial with a very long-term follow-up, including a thorough analysis of side effects. However, this might be difficult to achieve."

Article: Stage II testicular seminoma: patterns of care and survival by treatment strategy, S.M. Glaser, J.A. Vargo, G.K. Balasubramani, S. Beriwal, Clinical Oncology, doi 10.1016/j.clon.2016.02.008, published online 2 May 2016.
Physicians can safely reduce the use of computed tomography (CT) scans in children who have a suspected appendicitis by performing an ultrasound first, according to preliminary results of a retrospective study presented at Touro College Research Day.

"CT scans are routinely used to diagnosis acute appendicitis, but also involve radiation exposure, which is a concern when treating children," says Suhal Shah, a third-year resident at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. Shah collaborated with project leader Victor Todisco, MD, a pediatric radiologist at Orange Regional Medical Center. The American College of Radiology and the American College of Surgeons recommend using ultrasound first to reduce radiation exposure, but the appendix is difficult to find using this method. This study compared testing trends and outcomes of pediatric patients who came to the Orange Regional Medical Center with suspected appendicitis during two periods of time, 2011-2012 and 2014-2015.

Researchers found that rates of using CT scans first dropped from 12.8 to 7.5 percent between the two time periods. "These results show that our hospital is doing better at following the recommendations by using ultrasound first, and then if indicated, moving on to CT," says Shah. "That shows that we are limiting radiation exposure in children."

The study also found that when the appendix is found on an ultrasound, the results - both positive and negative - are accurate, and no further testing is necessary. However, ultrasounds only found the appendix in about 10 percent of cases. But even in those who had an inconclusive result, only those with a high clinical suspicion of appendicitis went on to have a CT. Of the children that did not have a CT, none returned to the hospital with a missed appendicitis.

"It's worth doing ultrasound because sometimes we can pick up a positive or negative appendicitis," says Shah. "If it's inconclusive, it's only worth moving on to doing a CT if you have high clinical suspicion, so overall, we are reducing radiation exposure."

More research is needed to study the variables that were not taken into account in this study such as variations among physicians ordering the tests, the ultrasound technicians and radiologists.


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In an April 12, 2016 interview, Mahdi Abdi, the director of affairs for the northwestern provinces and towns for the coordination council of the fundamentalist organization Hezbollah Iran, which is affiliated with Iran's ideological circles, warned leaders of Iran's pragmatic camp, including Expediency Council chairman and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani and former president Mohammad Khatami, not to undermine the status of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The interview was published by the organization's Hezbollah Press website.

Echoing Khamenei's accusations of treason against Rafsanjani,[1] Abdi accused both Rafsanjani and Khatami of treason, and threatened them with physical harm. He also demanded that they stop calling for the release of the 2009 Green Protest leaders - former Majlis speaker Mehdi Karroubi and former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi, as well as Mousavi's wife - who have been under house arrest since 2011.

Reminding Iranian President Hassan Rohani of what happened to Iranian officials who criticized Iran's Islamic Revolution and the path of its founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Abdi warned him to neither trust the U.S. nor follow it, or to face the consequences. He also called on him to cancel the JCPOA.

The following are the main points of the interview. It should be noted that following its publication, the piece was removed from the website.

"This Is Hezbollah's Final Warning To Hashemi [Rafsanjani] And The Grey Fox, [Former President] Mohammad Khatami, And To Anyone Who Even Thinks About Marginalizing The Imam Khamenei"

"The heart of [Iranian] Hezbollah is bleeding because of the tremendous disloyalty and the great treason of the unwise and two-faced [pragmatic camp leaders Rafsanjani and Rohani]. Imam Khamenei need not feel alone today because certain individuals who are betraying Islam and the Revolution are daring to boast and to express opinions in society, while others dare to speak about an end to the arrest of the hated leaders of the '2009 fitna' [Mousavi and Karroubi]. [These traitors are] publishing [such statements] freely online and talking about it, and [expecting] the security apparatuses to remain silent.

"The hated leaders of the 'fitna' should thank God that they are under arrest. Otherwise, Hezbollah would not have given them a chance to breathe. This is Hezbollah's final warning to Hashemi [Rafsanjani] and the grey fox, [former president] Mohammad Khatami, and to anyone who even thinks about marginalizing the Imam Khamenei, trampling the principles and foundations of the Islamic Revolution, and seeking to present the plan for a leadership council [as Rafsanjani recently proposed as a replacement for the position of Supreme Leader] in order to weaken the Rule of the Jurisprudent.

"If they are thinking of sparking more 'fitna' in Iran, Hezbollah will activate its popular punishment units, the ones called The Martyrs For the Revolution and Islam, and, once and for all, blind the eyes of the 'fitna.'"

To President Rohani: "Hezbollah Obeys The Orders Of The Imam Khamenei And Will Never Allow These Things, Which Contradict Islam, To Be Carried Out In Iran"

"Mr. President [Rohani], many times the Koran called on Muslims to learn from history. We look at history today and see what became of those who trusted foreigners, especially those who trusted the bloodthirsty 'Great Satan' America. They all suffered harm, and ultimately ended up regretting having trusted America.

"If Islamic Iran wishes today to receive aid from the 'arrogant nations,' chiefly America, it must turn its back on the civilization of Islam and on the descendants of [Imam] Ali [that is, the Shi'ites] and must melt into their false civilization, must deny jihad, must abandon the oneness of God, and must enable them [i.e. the 'arrogant nations'] to boycott Iran, using the human rights [issue] as an excuse. Or, much like the backwards Arab countries, [Iran] must hand over its interests and its oil in favor of the interests of the arrogance and of America, must back down from the explicit Koranic commandment about supporting the oppressed, and must form a friendly alliance with the occupying Israel.

"All the above contradict the original, noble civilization of Mohammad's Islam. Hezbollah obeys the orders of the Imam Khamenei, and will never allow these things, which contradict Islam, to be carried out in Iran - because all the days are [the days of] Ashura [the Shi'ite days of mourning for the Imam Hossein who died in the Battle of Karbala in 680] and all the lands are [the lands of] Karbala - unless we lose our minds. Hezbollah will never forget all of this.

"Mr. President, tomorrow history will judge, and coming generations will ask: 'Has the nation achieved anything from pouring concrete into the heart of Iran's science [i.e. into the heavy water reactor in Arak, as required under the JCPOA]? Why do the officials still trust foreigners, although they repeatedly break their promises?'

"Mr. President, you bear responsibility for every martyr whose blood has been spilled. If you look at all the breaches of promise and disruptions by 'the Great Satan,' America, and declare firmly that you are cancelling the JCPOA because of America's violations [of it], history will never forget your heroic and revolutionary move; the heart of the Imam Mahdi will also rejoice because of you.

"In the Islamic Republic [of Iran], the president, in his various terms of office, is legitimate so long as he truly believes, in thought and in action, in the rule of the jurisprudent. We must learn from history - from the fate of people such as [president Abolhassan] Bani Sadr [deposed in 1981] and [Ayatollah Hossein Ali] Montazeri [designated heir of Ayatollah Khomeini, who spent the latter years of his life under house arrest until his death in 2009], who trampled the line of [the rule of the jurisprudent], and were shamed and humiliated."

Abdi concluded the interview by referring to a tweet by Rafsanjani about the current era as "an age of talks and not missiles"[2] and said: "It is enough to respond to Rafsanjani with a single word, and to say that had the Islamic State [ISIS] entered Iran and captured your daughter, you would have known the value of Iran's missile and defense industry, and of the heroic deeds of the brave men of the IRGC."

Endnotes:
The Cyber & Jihad Lab monitors, tracks, translates, researches, and analyzes cyber jihad originating from the Middle East, Iran, South Asia, and North and West Africa. It innovates and experiments with possible solutions for stopping cyber jihad, advancing legislation and initiatives federally  including with Capitol Hill and attorneys-general  and on the state level, to draft and enforce measures that will serve as precedents for further action. It works with leaders in business, law enforcement, academia, and families of terror victims to craft and support efforts and solutions to combat cyber jihad, and recruits, and works with technology industry leaders to craft and support efforts and solutions.
In a TV interview on April 30, as the social media campaign #AleppoIsBurning gained momentum, Syrian-Egyptian actress Raghda said: "This is an Erdoganist-Qatari-Zionist electronic campaign par excellence." Saying that "not a single airplane [bombed Aleppo]," Raghda reiterated her support of Bashar Al-Assad, saying: "If [Al-Assad] resigns, I will accuse him of treason." The interview aired on the Egyptian CBC TV channel.

Following are excerpts

Raghda: It's beneath Aleppo to have people shedding tears for it, and writing slogans like "Save Aleppo." No way. Read the history of Aleppo, and you will see that many invaders tried to capture Aleppo. The Tatars... Aleppo was destroyed by an earthquake, but its people rebuilt it from scratch. I know Aleppo. I know Aleppo better [than foreigners]. No one should preach to me about Aleppo. No one should pretend to weep over Aleppo. Aleppo will prevail.

[...]

I stick to my positions. I haven't changed them. Absolutely not.

Interviewer: After five years...

Raghda: Even if it takes ten years...

Interviewer: Despite all the people who have died, you haven't changed your mind...

Raghda: Absolutely not. Who killed them?

Interviewer: 300,000 people have died, Raghda.

Raghda: Even more.

Interviewer: So even more. And there are refugees... Despite all this, you don't feel that Bashar Al-Assad is responsible for these crimes, even to a certain extent?

Raghda: No, and I'm not saying this to defend him. Let me reiterate, Lamis, I'm not saying this to defend Dr. Bashar Al-Assad, the president of the Arab Republic. Let me repeat what I said when the events started to unfold in Syria: This is not a war over Syria, but a war in Syria. This is a regional and international conflict. The [#AleppoIsBurning] campaign began on April 28. Who is behind it? This is an Erdoganist-Qatari-Zionist electronic campaign par excellence. "Save Aleppo!" "Aleppo Is Burning!" "Aleppo Is Dying!" "The Martyrs". Hasn't anybody wondered why this is happening now? Aleppo is being destroyed for five years now. Erdogan's dream is to take over Aleppo. Not a single airplane bombed [Aleppo], madam.

Interviewer: You mean that all that we saw...

Raghda: You talk about the UN, the Red Cross, and their video... To hell with the UN! To hell with the Red Cross! What do you think about that? Who the hell are they? We know who controls the UN. Let me reiterate: Not a single airplane (bombed Aleppo)... If only! They would have pulverized the strongholds of the terrorists, who attack the wretched civilians in my own street, my own home. This is where I grew up, Lamis.

[...]

If [Bashar Al-Assad] resigns, I will accuse him of treason. If he resigns or flees, like Zine Al-Abidine... He had many opportunities.

[...]

If today, the Kurds demand a state... I don't know if you heard, but they are demanding a state now...

Interviewer: I know, of course.

Raghda: If [Al-Assad] had resigned, Syria would have been ripe for partitioning into several mini-states.

Interviewer: And right now it is not ripe for partitioning?

Raghda: Absolutely not!

Interviewer: Syria is not ripe for partitioning?!

Raghda: No, unless you are a follower of Al-Jazeera TV.

Interviewer: I'm not, but...

Raghda: Let me finish...

Interviewer: Syria is not ripe for partitioning?!

Raghda: No.

Interviewer: Syria is still a united country?

Raghda: Yes!

[...]

My hair bothers me a lot, but I vow to keep it and to cut and scatter it in Aleppo's Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square only when the last terrorist leaves, along with the last takfirist, the last Muslim Brotherhood member, and the last Salafi, sponsored by we all know which countries in the region and elsewhere. I am taking this oath here in public: I shall keep this hair, and then I shall cut it and throw it there. When it all started, I declared that I supported the unity of Syria and the state. I declared this at Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square. I hereby take an oath to return there. Aleppo will prevail. It does not need anyone to pretend to be weeping over it, because it produces real men.

[...]
COLUMBUS  A 35-year-old man set to be sentenced this week in a felony drunken driving incident failed to show up in court for a first appearance on strangulation and domestic assault charges stemming from an argument with a live-in girlfriend last month.

Platte County Court Judge Frank Skorupa issued an arrest warrant for William Jarecki in connection with the 2:44 a.m. April 9 incident at a Columbus mobile home park in which Jarecki is accused of choking his girlfriend and pushing her out of the trailer the couple shared.

In the recent incident, Jarecki is charged with strangulation, third-degree domestic assault (second offense) and criminal mischief. The defendant had not been arrested on the warrant as of Tuesday morning.

The strangulation and domestic assault charges are Class IIIA felonies, each punishable by up to three years imprisonment and 18 months of post-release supervision. Criminal mischief is a Class I misdemeanor and carries a penalty of up to a year in jail.

Meanwhile, Jarecki is currently scheduled to be sentenced Friday in district court on his conviction of third-offense refusal of an alcohol test after reaching a deal with the prosecution in connection with a Jan. 10 incident near the county sheriffs office.

In the January case, Jarecki was found sleeping while slumped behind the wheel of his parked car across the street from the sheriffs office.

Third-offense refusal of a DUI test is a Class IIA felony, punishable by a maximum of 20 years behind bars.

Court documents describe the April 9 incident as a violent argument that got underway when an angry Jarecki arrived at about 11:30 p.m. at the couples trailer.

Columbus Police Officer Colin Alexander wrote in his probable cause arrest statement that the 33-year-old victim reported the couple argued verbally, then the situation became physical.

During the encounter, Alexander wrote the victim said Jarecki held her on the ground and had his hands around her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. The victim said when she was able to get up, her boyfriend pushed her out the door of her own residence, the officer wrote.

Alexander said the victim also reported that Jarecki damaged her cellphone to keep her from calling police, threw a bottle of alcohol through a two-pane sliding glass door and damaged two flat-screen televisions and a 7-inch tablet device.

The estimated damage to the victims property is $1,545.

In the January DUI case, Jareckis red 2006 Kia Spectra was idling at 3:48 a.m. in a lot at the corner of 14th Street and 27th Avenue with the hazard lights flashing. The defendants foot was on the brake pedal.

In exchange for Jareckis no contest plea, the county attorneys office dismissed charges of aggravated third-offense driving under the influence and driving during revocation from a DUI conviction. Conviction of the two charges carried penalties of up to 25 more years in prison.
Police conducting special enforcement

COLUMBUS  Columbus Police Department is conducting a three-week special enforcement campaign through May 21 focusing on traffic light and stop sign violations and other right of way offenses.

The police department is also reminding motorists to watch for bicyclists and motorcyclists during the warm-weather months, since failure to yield violations are often the cause of collisions between vehicles and bikes.

Columbus Police Department was awarded a $5,175 grant from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety to conduct the special enforcement.

Detention Center

The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility on Monday was 72, with 54 from Platte County and 18 from out of county.

Sheriff

April 29

2:13 p.m.  Wanted person at the Platte County Detention Facility, 1125 E. 17th St., Andrea Rice jailed on a Platte County warrant.

April 30

3:14 p.m.  Traffic violation at Clocktower Court, Benjamin Mendoza Solis cited for no operators license.

May 1

5:31 a.m.  Traffic violation at the intersection of 10th Avenue and 23rd Street, Miguel Tellez-Ruiz of Columbus cited for willful reckless driving and open container of alcohol.

4:48 p.m.  Wanted person at the county jail, Felipe Zayas of Columbus turned himself in on a Platte County warrant.

Fire

April 29

11:58 a.m.  Accident in the 3000 block of 23rd Street.

1:14 p.m.  In the 3900 block of 25th Street, medical.

6:31 p.m.  Silent fire alarm in the 3000 block of 30th Street.

11:16 p.m.  In the east 2900 block of East 27th Street, medical.

April 30

3 a.m.  In the 4000 block of 28th Street, medical.

May 1

9:34 a.m. - In the 3000 block of 39th Avenue, medical.

1:04 p.m. - In the 2300 block of East 13th Avenue, medical.

2:27 p.m. - In the 3000 block of 39th Avenue, medical.

4:17 p.m. - In the 4700 block of 38th Street, medical.

6:52 p.m. - In the 2800 block of 40th Avenue, medical.

8:27 p.m. - In the 1100 block of 40th Avenue, medical.

May 2

12:45 a.m. - In the 26400 block of 247th Avenue, medical.

7:10 a.m. - In the 600 block of 14th Avenue, medical.

7:47 a.m. - Accident at the intersection of 26th Avenue and 23rd Street.
COLUMBUS  Terry Reardon said farewell to the city council Monday night, ending a 5 1/2-year run in the elected office.

Reardon thanked Mayor Mike Moser, his fellow Columbus City Council members and the citizens of Columbus for allowing him to serve the community since his election in 2010.

Its truly been an honor, said Reardon, who resigned his Ward 4 seat representing northeast and central Columbus because hes moving to a home just outside the city limits.

Prent Roth, who took the oath of office Monday night and was appointed to the citys Public Property, Safety and Works Committee, will serve the remainder of Reardons term through November 2018.

When he first talked about running for the council in 2010, Reardon said his wife Robin thought I was crazy.

He called her his sounding board for ideas over the past six years.

I appreciate her standing by me and supporting me all these years, said Reardon, who was re-elected to his council seat in 2014.

The outgoing city councilman also had kind remarks for his elected colleagues, calling them a dynamic and diverse group of individuals with their own thoughts and ideas.

Although not all of them are the same, you always look out for the best interests of Columbus, Reardon said while addressing the council from the podium.

Reardon admitted he didnt always agree with the other council members or get his way. But we all went home friends, he said.

The future of Columbus, its a great outlook, said Reardon, who was presented with a proclamation recognizing his service to the city.

During the business portion of the brief meeting, city council members approved a pair of water projects totaling more than $900,000.

Rutjens Construction Inc. of Tilden was awarded a $561,909 contract for improvements to the municipal water system in four locations.

This work includes a water main looping connection along 19th Street from Third Avenue east; water main upgrade and looping connection along Fifth Street from 13th to 16th avenues; well interconnect line replacement along 10th Street; and water main looping connection and transmission main extension along 26th Avenue from 38th Street to Lost Creek Parkway.

City Engineer Rick Bogus said the looping work connects dead-end water lines with other parts of the system to keep the water flowing and prevent it from becoming stagnant.

Its really hard to get it cleaned out (at dead-ends), so residents arent getting the clearest and cleanest of water, Bogus said, adding that the work will improve water quality for residents in those areas.

Its better for the residents of Columbus, he said.

The second project, a $352,339 contract awarded to Columbus-based Obrist & Company Inc., will upgrade water lines that run under the Union Pacific Railroad tracks downtown.

Bogus said the aging lines will be encased and shutoff valves will be added to limit the potential for damage to the tracks from a water-line break.

A water-line break that damages the UP tracks or disrupts train traffic could be a very large expense for the city, Bogus said.

The project is also expected to improve fire protection in the downtown area.

The two contracts came in about $460,000 under the staff estimates.
COLUMBUS  One of the two owners of a pit bull and Rottweiler involved in a fight downtown Monday night received stitches at the local hospital after trying to break up the animals.

According to Columbus Police, the owners, men ages 50 and 25, broke up the fighting dogs shortly before 10 p.m. in the 1200 block of 26th Avenue then called 911 to report a dog bite.

Capt. Todd Thalken said at least one of the owners went to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. The nature of the injuries is unclear as the investigation of the incident is ongoing, he said.

The 50-year-old is the owner of the Rottweiler, while the 25-year-old man is the owner of the pit bull.

Police did not release the names of the owners, who were not cited following the incident.

The dogs were taken to Columbus veterinary offices for the 10-day quarantine period mandated by state law for bites that break the skin.
All states resort to this step when deemed necessary for a child's well-being, but there are wide state-to-state disparities in the rate of terminations and the extent of support services to avoid foster care placements. According to federal data, some states terminate parental rights at a rate 25 times higher than states at the low end of the scale.

Calling for reforms to help more families stay together are many child welfare officials and academics, and also some parents who've faced the threat of termination proceedings themselves.

Among them is Denise Moore of Des Moines, Iowa, a mother of seven who nearly lost her parental rights after her arrest in 2003 for conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine. Caseworkers allowed the children to remain in their home in the care of their grandmother, but ordered Moore to vacate the house and follow a regimen that would end her addiction to meth.

Over an 18-month span, Moore failed to accomplish this, but her caseworker gave her one last chance at a meeting where all seven of the children were present. Grateful for the reprieve, Moore overcame her addiction, enrolled in college and is now working with a state-backed program that assists families during their initial contacts with the child welfare system.

Moore says her children, ranging in age from 12 to 27, are all thriving; one son hopes to become a family-law attorney. But she says the support she and her family received was the exception, not the rule.

"I think we terminate too easily," she said. "I always believe that families can change, and we just need to find the right intervention to help them get there."

Each state has its own system for dealing with cases in which termination of parental rights is considered. Federal law spells out certain conditions and timelines, but states interpret and apply them differently.

An Associated Press analysis of data compiled by federal officials shows some striking variations. Maryland, for example, had a rate of 10.5 parental rights terminations for every 100,000 children in 2014; at the high end of the scale, the rate per 100,000 children was 283 in neighboring West Virginia and 252 in Oklahoma.

Even looking only at the children placed in foster care, there are pronounced differences. Children affected by a termination order accounted for about 30 percent of the 30,358 youths in the Texas foster care system; Maryland tallied only 142 children affected by termination orders  about 3.5 percent of its foster care population of 4,032.

Economic, cultural and political differences among states partly explain the variances.

In West Virginia and Oklahoma, the high termination rates are fueled to a large extent by severe drug abuse problems. West Virginia has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths, and Oklahoma has the highest rate of incarcerating women  many of them single mothers who are the sole caregivers for their children.

Both states have struggling economies, and advocacy groups say there is inadequate funding for services that might help fragile families stay together, such as quality child-care programs, mental health care and drug treatment programs.

"The money is just not there," said Terry Smith, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. "Services get cut, and the result you get is abuse, neglect and termination."

Across the country, the availability of effective support services is viewed as crucial in helping reduce the need for foster care placements and parental rights terminations, both of which are considered undesirable outcomes for most children.

Professor Martin Guggenheim, a child welfare expert at New York University School of Law, is among those contending that too many parents lose their rights and too many children go into foster care. Parents' legal prospects vary widely from state to state when it comes to challenging termination, he says; many who are indigent are represented by court-appointed lawyers with heavy caseloads.

Too often, Guggenheim said, terminations produce "legal orphans"  young people who are separated from their parents, then do not receive a successful adoption placement, and eventually age out of the foster care system on their own.

"They've lost their family and gained nothing in return," he said.

Nationwide, according to federal figures, the number of children affected by parental rights terminations declined from 85,525 to 64,398 between 2005 and 2014, mirroring a broader drop in the number of children placed in foster care. Arizona and Texas were among a handful of states bucking the trend, with more terminations and more children in care.

Figures from Arizona show how difficult it is for a parent to block a termination order once it's requested by child-welfare officials. In a six-month period last year, 2,232 termination petitions were granted and seven were denied.

Under federal law, states are required to file for termination of parental rights after a child has spent 15 of the previous 22 months in foster care. However, there are exceptions  for example, in cases when the state agency documents a "compelling reason" why termination is not in a child's best interest, or when a state has failed to provide services necessary for a family's reunification.

States have taken widely divergent approaches to the federal timeline, said Christopher Church, a policy expert with the Children's Law Center at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

In some states, he said, there's strong interest in handling cases on an individualized, family-specific basis in deciding if and when a termination should be sought. In other states, "it's like an alarm clock that goes off," Church said. "They feel they have to file for termination regardless of a family's current situation."

In Texas, the high rate of parental rights terminations has developed against a backdrop of major problems for the state's child-welfare system. There has been turnover in senior leadership, a class-action lawsuit alleging pervasive flaws, and controversy over the deaths of some foster children.

Patrick Crimmins, spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, cited several factors behind the termination rate: rampant drug abuse, lack of engagement on the part of some parents, and the inability of other parents to address risk factors under the timetables that govern foster care and adoption placements.

For legal reasons, children in foster care can be adopted only after a termination of parental rights. Critics of the Texas system say it is sometimes too quick to conclude that adoption is the best outcome for a child, and doesn't give biological parents an adequate chance to address problems so their child could stay with them.

"We give up on parents very quickly in Texas," said Will Francis, government relations director at the Texas chapter of National Association of Social Workers. "We believe adoptions are much more of a cure-all than they really are."

Johana Scot of the Austin-based Parent Guidance Center said many parents are unable to reunify with children taken into foster care because of lack of legal and other services that could help them. Once termination proceedings begin, she argued, "there's a culture of bias against the biological parent."

Crimmins, in an email, said his department works toward family reunification in all cases where a child is removed from home, "unless the court finds aggravated circumstances."

He cited several initiatives aimed at promoting reunification, such as a program arranging for biological parents to visit with their children when they're in foster care. In the San Antonio area, District Judge Peter Sakai has been spearheading an initiative aimed at resolving child-welfare cases more quickly, with the aim of avoiding unnecessary foster-care placements and terminations.

"For the most part, our cases are tied to poverty, drugs, lack of mental health services," Sakai said. "If we empower the families, we can reunify them."

Oklahoma and West Virginia also are taking steps to reduce terminations.

West Virginia recently launched a program that seeks to reduce the number of 12-to-17-year-olds in foster care, supporting services so they can stay with their families or elsewhere in their community. Katelynn Burns, a spokeswoman for Oklahoma's Department of Human Services, said 700 child-welfare positions have been added in the past four years, easing workloads so caseworkers have more time to interact with parents.

Hiring more caseworkers in New Jersey was cited by Allison Blake, commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, as helping lower that state's rate of terminations  now 44 per 100,000 children, roughly half the national rate.

In Maryland, where the rate of terminations has been among the lowest for a decade, the Department of Human Resources cites two initiatives as key factors.

One is the Guardianship Assistance Program, which places at risk-children with relatives who get ongoing financial assistance while seeking to become the child's legal guardian. The program, which has encompassed more than 2,800 children at a time, allows relatives to take full legal responsibility for a child without terminating parental rights, so children can maintain contact with their biological parents.

The other initiative, called Alternative Response, seeks ways to work with at-risk families to keep children in their own homes, rather than remove them, after a report of suspected abuse or neglect is received.

"Children remaining safely at home or with family is always preferable to placement in foster care," said Katherine Morris, a human resources department spokeswoman.

Through organizations such as the Birth Parent National Network , some parents who've lost children through termination orders have become forceful advocates for keeping at-risk families together.

Among them is Kimberly Mays, a mother of 10 from Washington state, who lost parental rights to nine of her children during years of drug abuse and criminal conveictions. She kicked her drug habit, prevailed in a bid to raise to raise her 10th child, earned a master's degree, and now works with the Parents Representation Program of the state's Office of Public Defense.

She recalls being deceived and belittled during her multiple termination proceedings, and wishes caseworkers would take an approach that's supportive rather than punitive.

"Take the time to get to know the parent's real story, and not be judging them or looking down on them," she said. "You need to understand that people can change. The past doesn't dictate a person's future."
Permanently disabled veterans or survivors of veterans who have their student debt forgiven would avoid taxes on the "income" under legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate.

By law, forgiven student debt is counted as income by the Internal Revenue Service, resulting in veterans or their survivors and others being hit with a tax bill -- something that Derek Fronabarger, policy director of Student Veterans of America, calls "unconscionable" to do to a family during a time of grief.

"This bill aims at changing this tax issue so that those families who have already paid the ultimate price are not additionally saddled by a discharged student loan tax," he said. "SVA fully supports this bill and hopes to see it move forward quickly."

The bipartisan bill, known as S.2800, was filed about two weeks ago by Democrat Chris Coons of Delaware and Republicans Angus King of Maine and Rob Portman of Ohio. The bill currently is in the Senate Finance Committee, where it also has picked up the support of Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican from New Hampshire.

Though the bill is not solely aimed at veterans it has picked up the support of several veterans organizations in addition to SVA, including The American Legion, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, Veterans Education Success, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Every year, thousands of Americans, including veterans, develop disabilities or chronic health conditions so severe that they are determined by the federal government to be totally and permanently disabled, the bill's three original sponsors said in a joint statement.

The lawmakers filed the bill after hearing from constituents in their states, including a Maine couple who told King that after the Education Department and private lenders forgave loans taken out for their son, who died of a brain aneurysm in 2012, they received a tax bill from the IRS for more than $24,000.

King said the family has had to go into their 401(k) to pay the bill, sending the IRS more than $400 each month.

Portman said families should not be punished by the federal government with a massive tax for successfully applying for debt forgiveness.

"The same tragic reason they cannot pay back their student loans is the reason that they cannot afford an enormous tax increase so contrary to the purposes of our student loan system," he said.

-- Bryant Jordan can be reached at Bryant.jordan@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BryantJordan.
Retired Military Officials Are Finding High-Paying Jobs With the Saudi Government and Can Make up to 7-Figure Salaries Working for Other Foreign Governments

Retired U.S. military personnel cannot receive consulting fees or jobs from foreign governments without expressed approval...
WASHINGTON  An Ohio-based Coast Guardsman was formally recognized as the Coast Guard's top enlisted reservist during the 2015 Coast Guard Enlisted Persons of the Year Banquet Thursday on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, in Washington, D.C.

The banquet and awards ceremony was held at the Bolling Club on JBAB to recognize the outstanding achievements of Petty Officer 1st Class Wilton S. Terry, the 2015 Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year  Reserve Component.

During the EPOY Banquet, Petty Officer 2nd Class Evan M. Ward was also recognized as the 2015 Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year  Active-Duty Component. To learn more about Ward, read the event news release.

Terry is a machinery technician assigned to Coast Guard Port Security Unit 309 in Port Clinton, Ohio. He is from Stevensville, Mich., and is a 1988 graduate of Lakeshore High School.

He joined the U.S. Navy in 1988, the Army National Guard in 1998, and the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in 2000. Since then, he has spent most of his career attached to Coast Guard Port Security Unit 309 in Port Clinton.

Terry also serves as a lieutenant at Saint Joseph City Department of Public Safety, Fire Division, in Saint Joseph, Mich.

Terry is the boat support engineer and manager of PSU 309's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Program. In 2015, Terry's superb planning and logistical expertise facilitated the movement of 43,000 cubic feet of cargo across 19,000 miles of land, rail, air and sea in support of Exercises Patriot Sands 2015 and Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore 2015, the latter of which represented the historic first ever sea-basing of a Coast Guard port security unit. Terry's meticulous administration of the unit's CBRN-E Program was evidenced by his ability to obtain no-cost training from Department of Defense CBRN-E courses. He is recognized as one of the subject-matter experts for Coast Guard expeditionary CBRN-E issues.

"To be chosen out of over 7,000 members of the Reserve Component is truly a great honor," Terry said. "Having spent the majority of my 20 years of service in the Coast Guard Reserve, I know the true dedication, commitment and hard work the members of the reserve community put forth."

"Members of the Coast Guard Reserve bring a special and unique value to the Coast Guard, bringing not only traditional Coast Guard training and skills but also all of the experiences and training from their respective civilian careers and life - invaluable experience, wisdom and abilities the Coast Guard can tap into."

"I am very honored and proud to represent the members of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve," he said.

Terry was presented the Coast Guard Commendation Medal and received numerous gifts from sponsor organizations.

As a result of being selected as the Coast Guard's Enlisted Persons of the Year, Terry was authorized to be meritoriously advanced to the next higher paygrade. During the ceremony, he was advanced from petty officer first class to chief petty officer.

Each year, commanders from each of the Coast Guard's nine districts select one active-duty Coast Guardsman and one Reserve Coast Guardsman from the units within their geographic boundaries and send nomination packages to the Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. The master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard then convenes a panel to review the nine active-duty submissions and the nine reservist submissions, ultimately choosing one awardee for each component. More information about the Coast Guard's Enlisted Person of the Year program, including eligibility requirements and entry guidelines, can be found in the commandant instruction.
A Navy SEAL adviser was killed in combat action Tuesday morning north of Mosul in northwestern Iraq reportedly when he came to the rescue of Kurdish Peshmerga and Christian fighters whose front lines were breached by a major ISIS counter-attack.

"It is a combat death, of course, and a very sad loss," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in Germany, where he was seeking more help from allies for the "accelerated" campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

The name and rank of the SEAL were being withheld until his family could be notified. His death would be the third in combat for U.S. forces in Iraq officially announced by the Pentagon, and the second to occur while accompanying Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

Although the role of U.S. forces was to train, advise and assist local forces while avoiding "boots on the ground" combat themselves, Carter has frequently acknowledged that U.S. troops will occasionally engage in combat action.

The SEAL reportedly was killed by "direct fire," suggesting the fatality occurred in close contact with the enemy, U.S. defense officials said.

The Washington Post quoted Brig. Gen. Bahnam Aboush, a fighter with a Christian militia allied with the Kurds, as saying that he witnessed the attack that killed the SEAL as his men tried to hold their ground but were overwhelmed by ISIS fighters with better equipment and superior numbers.

"We tried to fight them, but we couldn't due our limited capabilities," he said. "We have only some old rifles we bought from our own money."

Aboush said he saw the SEAL suffer mortal wounds, The Washington Post reported. "American special forces came to rescue us in four vehicles," he said. "They opened the way for us to retreat, then one of their vehicles was hit" with a rocket-propelled grenade.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama had been briefed on the SEAL's death. "Everyone extends condolences to the service member killed," Earnest said, adding that it's a reminder of the risks Americans continue to face even in advisory roles.

Carter initially said that the U.S. fatality was "in the neighborhood of Irbil," the capital of the Kurdish Regional Government and the site of a U.S. Joint Operations Center, but the Pentagon later clarified that the action was "north of Mosul," the ISIS stronghold about 50-60 miles to the west.

"The casualty occurred during an ISIL attack on a Peshmerga position approximately three to five kilometers (about two to three miles) behind the forward line of troops," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook, using another acronym for ISIS, said in a statement.

"This sad news is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face every day in the ongoing fight to destroy ISIL and end the threat the group poses to the United States and the rest of the world," said Cook, who was traveling with Carter. "Our coalition will honor this sacrifice by dealing ISIL a lasting defeat," Cook said.

U.S. defense officials, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, in recent weeks have said that momentum was building to retake Mosul and Raqqa, the self-proclaimed ISIS capital in northeastern Syria, from fighters whose ranks and sources of funding have been weakened by U.S. and coalition airstrikes.

However, the death of the SEAL came during an ISIS offensive that appeared to show the terror group was still capable of mounting major counter-attacks.

The Kurdish news agency Rudaw, which had a reporter north of Mosul, said that the attack was mounted by about 400 ISIS fighters who used suicide bombers to breach front lines and swarmed through to overrun the town of Tel Skuf briefly. The attackers were then beaten back by at least 23 airstrikes by U.S. manned and unmanned aircraft, U.S. defense officials said.

Rudaw reported that "fierce fighting raged between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Islamic State militants on the northern Iraqi town of Tel Skuf Tuesday afternoon, where 400 ISIS fighters were reportedly fighting and a US serviceman was reported killed."

"Islamic State militants staged three suicide attacks on Peshmerga defense lines and the Kurds fought back, military officials told a Rudaw correspondent on the Nawaran frontline," Rudaw said.

The first U.S. combat death was that of Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, of Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, who was killed last October while coming to the aid of Kurdish forces in a raid on an ISIS prison in northern Iraq that freed about 70 hostages.

In March, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, of Temecula, California, and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was killed by ISIS rocket fire at a Marine fire base near Makhmour that was set up to support a staging area for Iraqi Security Forces gathering for a Mosul offensive.

The plan by the ISF to move north of Makhmour toward Mosul has stalled against heavy ISIS resistance amid a political crisis in Baghdad, where supporters of radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr this week swarmed into the "Green Zone" and briefly took over parliament to protest corruption.

Kurdish efforts to block off Mosul from the North have also been hampered by the financial crisis in Irbil, resulting in the failure to pay the Peshmerga fighters for several months. Carter recently announced that the U.S. would send $415 million to the Kurdish Regional government.

Carter has also said that he would not hesitate to send additional U.S. troops if needed, on top of the 217 mostly Special Forces troops slated to deploy to Iraq and another 250 to bolster the 50 Special forces advisers in Syria.

The official count for U.S. forces in Iraq now stands at about 4,200, although the number can reach 5,000 due to overlaps in troop rotations and temporary assignments.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Eric Fanning, President Barack Barack Obama's choice to become the next Army secretary, will keynote a military gay rights event this weekend while two long-time Republican senators battle over the hold on his nomination.

Fanning, the former acting Air Force secretary and deputy undersecretary of the Navy, was scheduled to be the main speaker Saturday at the 3rd annual gala in Washington, D.C., of the American Military Partner Association, which has been called the largest lesbian gay bisexual transgender (LGBT) military event of the year.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Eric Fanning keynote" the event at the Hyatt-Regency, AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack said. "As an openly gay man who continues to break down barriers within our Armed Forces, Mr. Fanning truly leads by example and inspires our military families."

The nonprofit bills itself as the nation's largest organization of LGBT military families, and claims 45,000 member and supporters advocating for "modern military families."

Fanning would become the first openly gay service secretary, but his nomination has been put on hold by Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican and former Marine, despite a vote to confirm by the Senate Armed Services Committee and its chairman, Sen. John McCain.

Roberts' continuing hold has blocked a vote by the full Senate. Former Rep. Patrick Murphy, a Pennsylvania Democrat, has been serving as acting Army Secretary during the hold.

Roberts has said repeatedly that Fanning's sexual orientation had nothing to do with his blocking the nomination. To lift the hold, Roberts has demanded a guarantee from the administration and the Pentagon that if any prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility are ever transferred to the U.S., they will not be sent to Kansas.

The Pentagon has explored the possibility of transferring some of the detainees to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and other sites in the U.S. And McCain has charged that his committee has already taken action that would block transfers to the U.S., making Roberts' hold pointless.

The two senators last week took their increasingly heated dispute to the Senate floor.

"I think that he (Fanning) is qualified, and we ought to give him the benefit of a decision on whether we will continuously hold him or we're going to move forward," said McCain, an Arizona Republican.

"I am working very hard, and I am working with the White House," McCain said. He added that he had spoken "ad nauseam (to the point of nausea)" with Roberts to no avail on lifting the hold.

Roberts shot back, "I want the Army to have a highly qualified secretary just as much as the distinguished senator from Arizona. But it is due to my deep respect and concern for our men and women in uniform at Fort Leavenworth and those who live and work in the region that has compelled me to issue my hold on the president's nominee in the first place."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
A U.S. service member was killed Tuesday morning in northwestern Iraq by an ISIS attack while assisting Kurdish Peshmerga forces north of the ISIS stronghold of Mosul, marking the third combat death for U.S. troops since the campaign against ISIS began in 2014, the Pentagon said.

The American was a Navy SEAL who was killed in a firefight after attackers broke through the front lines, CNN reported. The U.S. military responded with F-15 and drone strikes, dropping more than 50 bombs, the network reported.

"The casualty occurred during an ISIL attack on a Peshmerga position approximately three to five kilometers behind the forward line of troops," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook, using another acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, said in a statement.

The name of the casualty was withheld until the family could be notified.

"This sad news is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face every day in the ongoing fight to destroy ISIL and end the threat the group poses to the United States and the rest of the world," said Cook while he was traveling in Europe with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who is seeking more help from allies in the campaign against ISIS.

"Our coalition will honor this sacrifice by dealing ISIL a lasting defeat," Cook said.

The death of the service member was the third in combat against ISIS to be confirmed by the military, and the second to occur while U.S. trainers and advisers were working with the Kurds in northern Iraq.

The initial Pentagon statement was unclear on whether the service member was killed by an ISIS ground attack that penetrated Kurdish lines, or by indirect fire from rockets or artillery.

The Kudish news agency Rudaw reported that "fierce fighting raged between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Islamic State militants on the northern Iraqi town of Tel Skuf Tuesday afternoon, where 400 ISIS fighters were reportedly fighting and a US serviceman was reported killed."

"Islamic State militants staged three suicide attacks on Peshmerga defense lines and the Kurds fought back, military officials told a Rudaw correspondent on the Nawaran frontline," Rudaw said.

The first U.S. combat death was that of Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, of Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, who was killed last October while coming to the aid of Kurdish forces in a raid on an ISIS prison in northern Iraq that freed about 70 hostages.

In March, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, of Temacula, California, and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was killed by ISIS rocket fire at a Marine fire base near Makhmour that was set up to support a staging area for Iraqi Security Forces gathering for a Mosul offensive.

The official count for U.S. forces in Iraq now stands at about 4,200, though the number can reach 5,000 due to overlaps in troop rotations and temporary assignments. The primary purpose of the troops is to train, advise and assist local forces, but Carter has acknowledged that they can become engaged in combat.

--Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
When we think about ways to give back to the veteran community and show our appreciation, we often turn to the standard monetary contributions and volunteer opportunities, but there are more creative ways to show our appreciation as well. One example of such an endeavor is the organization Pinups for Vets.

I recently had the founder of Pinups for Vets, Gina Elise, on the Military Veterans in Creative Careers podcast, and I was surprised and inspired by what she had to share. Gina started the organization in 2006 as a way to give back to the veteran community. After seeing images of veterans alone in hospital beds, and watching reports on the news of the severe injuries sustained by our troops fighting in Iraq, she became convinced that she had to do something to help raise funds to support our hospitalized veterans.

She had always been a fan of World War II nose art (on the nose of the plane), so decided to use this creative passion of hers to create calendars that could be donated to veterans and raise money for VA hospitals. Now it is a reality, and Gina not only produces the calendars, but brings a group together and goes to donate the calendars at VA hospitals, dressed as the pinups. The organization has donated over $50,000 worth of rehab equipment for VA hospitals nationwide, and has visited over 7,000 ill and injured veterans.

As you would imagine with a group that visits VA hospitals, the stories Gina had to share were touching. She mentioned a man who was in the hospital for a traumatic injury, and how they were talking with him and he responded. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except for the fact that afterward they were told that this man had not spoken in over a month.

Navy veteran Jennifer Marshall is a return volunteer for these groups that go to VA hospitals, and shared with me the story of an elderly Navy veteran who cried because she was so happy to have this visit. The video of this touching moment is below:

Jennifer had the following to say about her volunteer experience with Pinups for Vets:

Volunteering with Pin-Ups for Vets means so much to me. On every visit, we see veterans that have not had visitors in days, weeks, or even months. Reconnecting with my brothers and sisters, regardless of era served or branch, is a unique and often beautiful experience. No veteran should ever feel lonely or go without visitors while hospitalized. I do it because not only do I value our veterans, but it makes me feel good as well. I love connecting with other vets and I think volunteer work is essential for anyone who would like to make the world a little brighter.

She also had the following experience to share, which reminds us of the need of young veterans as well:

A visit that sticks out in my mind was when we walked into a room and there were two very young veterans in their late 20s to early 30s. At the hospital, they were surrounded by elderly vets and did not really have anyone to talk to. We spent a lot of time in that room just talking and reminiscing about the service. They were so happy to have company that was around their same age, and it was a really great bonding experience. We signed their calendars and took photos to remember the day by. I still think about that visit often.

Jennifer told me she feels that, through such visits, along with the organizations active social media presence, "people are able to see that there are still veterans who not only appreciate but need the companionship."

The website for the organization includes thank you letters from the hospitals these volunteers have been able to visit, and reading these was an inspiration in itself. One line from these letters that helped me understand the importance of the visits said their visits make "every day Veterans Day" for their residents.

We don't want anyone to end up alone in a hospital, especially anyone who dedicated themselves to serving our country. We are fortunate that Pinups for Vets is making an effort, and can see this first hand in the commitment these men and women make to showing these veterans that they care. An example below shows Gina dancing with a veteran, a touching moment that may not change the world, but certainly shows that veteran and the others who see this that people appreciate our service and are making an effort to ensure we are not alone.

The work of the organizations like Pinups for Vets shows veterans that we are with them, but also reminds us all that there are still veterans trying to deal with life after the military. My conversation with Gina and Jennifer was a perfect reminder of this for me, and I hope we all can do more to raise awareness of our veterans and show them our appreciation.
More than one prospective buyer is considering the purchase of a closed Walmart superstore in Michigan.

One of its attributes: A price near replacement cost for highway frontage.

"It's aggressively priced to sell," said James Wickman, Hartland Township manager, of the property.

The 176,000-square-foot building on nearly 23 acres at the southeast corner of M-59 and US-23 in Livingston County was built in 2009 for Walmart, which operated the store until January.

Now Walmart Realty is marketing the property at $5.5 million, according to its website. The asking price represents a price of $31.20 per square foot.

That price, said Wickman, may be prompting "a lot of activity" on the building. Township officials met with the Walmart real estate team in April to learn more about the property's marketing, he said, and potential buyers have been contacting the township about zoning options.

"I understand there's some pretty serious interest from a couple of those parties," Wickman said.

A number of the potential buyers are considering retail uses for the building, Wickman said. Another one asked about indoor storage.

The property is zoned for retail and commercial uses, Wickman said. There is an adjacent strip center to the east of the closed store, but that property is not part of the listing.

The building's location and visibility in Hartland also mean that that township is looking for continued retail use.

"It's a big building, right in the center of our community," Wickman said.

Walmart announced in January that it would close 154 underperforming U.S. stores. The Sam's Club near Summit Place Mall in Oakland County's Waterford joined the Hartland store on the list.

As both stores moved toward the end of their liquidation sales, a Walmart spokeswoman said no decision had been made on whether to sell or lease the properties.

"The realty department will be analyzing the properties and determining the next course for them," Anne Hatfield told MLive.com in January.

While information on the disposition of the closed Sam's Club wasn't available from company spokespeople, the Hartland listing seems to be moving the property toward a sales transaction.

Walmart has been known to set deed restrictions on a building sale to limit potential uses among successive retail users, Wickman said. However, that won't be the case with the Hartland property.

The corridor already has a number of major retailers: Meijer operates a store to the north of M-59, and Target and Kroger have stores west of US-23. Others that have sought to open in the area include Menards, which reportedly talked about opening one of its home improvement big-box stores near Meijer in 2010.

The area was central to a new home-building wave before the recession. The population within a 5-mile radius was estimated at nearly 30,000 in 2008, while the 10-mile population estimate was 137,265. However, many of those people live near other retail centers, including Fenton, Howell, Brighton and New Hudson, retail experts have said.

The township is also fielding rezoning requests from developers seeking to build near that US-23 and M-59 interchange. One calls for a 523 apartments and commercial space southwest of the interchange.

Meanwhile, the closed store is assessed this year at $3.4 million, down from $4.1 million in 2014. Walmart paid $171,000 in taxes on the property in 2015.

Paula Gardner covers Michigan business for MLive.com. She can be reached by email or follow her on Twitter.
NAPOLEON, MI -- Tammie Robison recently opened Papa Earl's Emporium in Napoleon.

The consignment and resale shop has a little bit of everything from antiques to newer items.

Following are five things you probably didn't know about Papa Earl's Emporium in Napoleon.

* The store is named after Robison's father-in-law, Earl Robison. He lives in Brooklyn. "He is just an awesome guy," she said. Earl Robison is a retired naval captain who served for 36 years.

* The business offers vendor spaces, does consignment and will put items on Ebay for people. Eleven vendors currently have items in the store.

Business Info

Address:

6800 W. Brooklyn Road, Napoleon

Type of Business:

Resale

Owner:

Tammie Robison

Number of Employees:

1

Serving Community:

Since 2016

Business Hours:

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; closed Tuesday

Contact Info:

Phone: 816-848-4878 Facebook:

Email:

* Robison's favorite item in the shop is a small trunk from the early 1900's with small travel stickers. Two of the stickers are from White Star Line, the company that owned the Titanic.

* A portion of the profits from the store go to help veterans directly. The store is planning on eventually getting non-profit status. Both Robison's husband and father-in-law are veterans.

* Robison is a big fan of antiques and has many in the store. She watches the antique market closely.

If you'd like to suggest a Jackson-area business for this feature, please contact reporter Leanne Smith at lsmith12@mlive.com or 517-262-0720.
U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. had harsh words for the Michigan Legislature, at a national education conference this week.

BOSTON

a The

U.S.

Secretary of Education blasted the Michigan Legislature on Monday for inaction regarding Detroit Public Schools' financial troubles, expressing frustration with Lansing in an ongoing crisis that critics say could negatively affect Detroit children.

The remarks from the

U.S.

education chief add a new level of criticism regarding the pace of negotiations in Lansing to bring stability to the state's largest school district, which has been under state control for most of the 2000s.

In an on-the-record Q-and-A at the Education Writers Association conference in Boston, which Bridge Magazine attended, John B. King Jr. said he was uncertain whether the Legislature would to take action to resolve the financial crisis by June 30, after which

DPS

officials say the district will not be able to pay many teachers and staff.

"The lack of concern for people is disturbing," King said, in reference to the legislature.

King said he had spoken recently with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and others in Michigan about the situation, and he believed the legislature wasn't moving quickly enough.

King's criticism didn't sit well with Rep. Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

"The secretary's comments are irresponsible," Pscholka told Bridge late Monday. "Here we are poised to spend between 500 and 700 million dollars. The bills we have in committee coming up tomorrow (Tuesday) not only will pay off the debt, but we're also setting aside money to make sure teachers get paid back for loans (they) paid to the district.

"That's why today's sick outs, the timing was terrible," he said, referring to teacher walkouts Monday that closed classes nearly across the district. "Especially when you're trying to rebuild enrollment. I don't know how you rebuild trust when you don't show up for work."

Gov. Rick Snyder has urged the Republican-dominated legislature to swiftly approve more than $700 million in aid to the debt-ridden district. Detroit schools are currently operated under $48.7 million in state emergency aid, which was only intended to last through the current school year.

Even if a resolution is reached, King said in Boston, "I'm afraid (it) will be of a temporary nature, and not permanent." He called Detroit's financial struggles part of a long-term pattern of disinvestment in urban school districts.

King's comments come amid increasing public pressure on the Legislature to pass a more permanent funding package for the troubled school district beyond June 30. On Monday, a citywide teacher sick-out and protests

at more than 90

DPS

schools.

As protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the state's largest school district, Judge Steven Rhodes, the state-appointed emergency manager for

DPS,

said at a press conference inside that state lawmakers

A to approve the longer-term aid package. Approval, he said, would bring stability to Detroit schools and their teachers, some of whom wouldn't be paid, even for work they'd already performed, under the current allocation of funds.

"We will not be able to operate after June 30," Rhodes said, according to the Detroit News. "Everyone who has a stake in this should urge the legislators to act promptly."

It's not at all certain the sick out by Detroit teachers or a rebuke from President Obama's education chief will produce the intended results. Indeed, the teacher actions on Monday were greeted with regret by the governor and outright scorn by Republican legislative leaders.

House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, called the planned sick out illegal, counterproductive and self-interested.

"The Detroit Federation of Teachers is once again putting the wants of adults ahead of the needs of children, specifically the 40,000 Detroit schoolchildren who were left out in the rain this morning," Cotter said in a statement.

"Their selfish and misguided plea for attention only makes it harder for us to enact a rescue plan and makes it harder for Detroit's youngest residents to get ahead and build a future for themselves."

Pscholka dismissed any suggestion that lawmakers would not take care of longer-term funding for Detroit's schools. "This is our constitutional duty to take care of this issue and we will do it," he said.

Of King, Pscholka said, "It sounds to me like this was kind of an off-the-cuff remark. I think it's off target and another case of, 'Let's use kids as human shields, politically.' And I've really had enough of that."
ANN ARBOR, MI -- The city of Ann Arbor is planning to significantly increase the amount of money it pays its city administrator.

The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a contract with Howard Lazarus, whom the city plans to hire following a national search.

Lazarus, the public works director in Austin, Texas, was the City Council's choice for the job following recent interviews with four finalists.

The contract approved Monday night calls for paying Lazarus a starting base salary of $215,000.

That's $70,000 more than the starting base salary for Steve Powers, who was hired as city administrator five years ago.

Council members acknowledged $215,000 seems like a lot of money, but they said it takes money to attract top talent.

Powers had a starting base salary of $145,000 in 2011, and that went up to $159,500 before he left last November.

In his new job as the city manager in Salem, Oregon, Powers had a starting base salary of $210,000, plus other perks.

The contract approved Monday night is the result of negotiations between Lazarus and the city.

It provides for $40,000 in relocation expenses as Lazarus makes the move from Texas to Ann Arbor in the coming months.

Lazarus will start with a bank of 80 hours of paid vacation time and accrue additional paid vacation time at the rate of 160 hours annually.

Additionally, Lazarus will get four personal leave days per year, and accrue paid sick leave at a rate of 10 days per year.

He will receive a monthly cell phone stipend on the same terms as nonunion city employees, and he will have available a city vehicle for official use or will be reimbursed for use of his private vehicle.

He will not be eligible for a pension from the city. Instead, the city will make a contribution of 15 percent of his annual salary to a qualified 401(a) plan sponsored by the city, as long as Lazarus contributes 7.5 percent.

Lazarus has been the director of public works in Austin since 2008. He also served as acting/interim assistant city manager for Austin for 10 months in 2010, and was the director of engineering for the city of Newark, New Jersey.

Lazarus earned a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and an undergraduate degree from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.

In his role as public works director in Austin, Lazarus has been responsible for a 720-person department delivering planning, design and execution of a capital improvement program with a value of more than $2 billion; development and oversight of an annual operating budget of $91 million; maintenance of more than 7,800 miles of roadway, inspection and repair of bridges; and planning and implementation of bicycle, pedestrian and child safety programs.

Council Member Sabra Briere, who served on the search committee, said sometimes the city has to pay more to attract high-quality candidates.

"Earlier this year, after we initiated the search process, we were told that if we wanted to get the best possible candidates, we needed to consider increasing the salary range," she said. "Some of us remembered how that wasn't a significant issue the last time we went through this and have had to swallow deeply to accept that we're not just the most attractive place in the world to come to and that sometimes we have to pay more to get high-quality candidates."

The City Council established a salary range of $160,000 to $175,000 for the city administrator position last fall. The council then decided in February to authorize going above $175,000 to attract more candidates.

Briere said the city learned during the search process that it had several excellent candidates who were already earning above what the city paid.

"And if that isn't a wakeup call, it should be," she said, suggesting it's an issue the city might confront as it fills other positions in city hall in the coming years.

Briere said the $215,000 salary takes into account what Lazarus is making or would make if he stays in Austin, cost of living differentials, and the increased burden of being city administrator. She encouraged her colleagues to look beyond the salary and accept the opportunity to work with Lazarus.

Council Member Jane Lumm, who also served on the search committee, said $215,000 is not an unreasonable amount. She said it takes into account that Ann Arbor has a higher cost of living, and that's what it takes.

Council Member Jack Eaton, D-4th Ward, said Lazarus was his first choice among the four finalists so he's pleased with his selection, but he said the contract was "pretty rich" and the price tag took his breath away.

"Talent costs money," responded Council Member Chip Smith, D-5th Ward, noting Ann Arbor is competing against some of the biggest cities in the country for talented individuals such as Lazarus.

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- Ann Arbor officials are planning to meet with Lansdowne neighborhood residents in the coming weeks to figure out a way to replace a pedestrian bridge over Malletts Creek for under $288,000.

Mayor Christopher Taylor and other City Council members agreed to reconsider their recent vote against the project Monday night.

The city is now looking to find a solution that meets neighbors' aspirations and the city's duty to conserve its resources.

Two weeks ago, the City Council backtracked on previously stated intentions and funding commitments to replace the city-owned bridge between Delaware Drive and Morehead Court, prompting outcry from neighbors who say they've spent about $100,000 to fix weirs in anticipation of the city replacing the bridge.

The city several years ago closed and then removed the wooden foot bridge over the scenic stretch of Malletts Creek due to structural deficiencies.

Taylor and five of his allies on council balked at the city staff's $450,000 overall cost estimate for a new bridge as the council voted 6-5 against moving forward with a $37,549 design contract two weeks ago.

Other council members in support of the project don't think it will cost anywhere near $450,000, and now it appears it will have to be under $288,000.

The site of the missing Lansdowne bridge in 2015.

The council is holding off on formally voting on the design contract until September so talks between the city and residents can happen first, but it appears there's now support for finding a workable compromise.

The council voted unanimously Monday night in favor of a resolution that redirects $150,000 in funds that were intended for the bridge project to instead fund a study of driver behavior at pedestrian crosswalks.

With $12,000 already spent from last year's $450,000 budget allocation for a new bridge , that leaves $288,000 to spend.

Residents of the Lansdowne neighborhood aired some of their frustrations over the City Council's actions Monday night, though they also appreciate that the council is once again considering restoring their neighborhood bridge.

Craig Trombley, who lives near the bridge site on Delaware Drive, said the city would be breaking a promise to the neighborhood if it doesn't replace it.

"This is a bridge that we've fought long and hard for," he said, adding they repaired the weirs so a new bridge could be installed.

Trombley said where the bridge used to cross the creek is a unique place of solace to relax and observe wildlife.

"It's a connection to our neighborhood, to our community," he said. "This bridge also allowed all of the elementary students in that neighborhood to go over to Malletts Creek to the levied ponds and to go ahead and have a field trip that was right there within walking distance, to go ahead and observe egrets. You know, there's kingfisher -- all kinds of just wonderful wildlife that's there."

He added, "The bridge that was there was well used while it was up before it was torn down. It was what I'll call a gem of our neighborhood."

Trombley encouraged city officials to build the most expensive bridge the city can afford so it can last 100 years.

"Because you have an opportunity to make a beautiful place preserved much like parkland anywhere else," he said.

Yi Chen, who lives at the Morehead Court end of the bridge, said the situation is dangerous as it exists today with the bridge missing.

She said council members sent the wrong message to the neighborhood two weeks ago when they tried taking away dedicated money for a new bridge without engaging neighborhood residents or investigating alternatives.

"It sends a very wrong message that the commitment from the city doesn't matter," she said. "We understand the concerns. They're all legit. The $450,000 estimate is very expensive. And we actually have started to do some research and got quotes for much less than that."

Chen said claims that the bridge would only benefit a small number of people are far from true. She said it would provide access to the creek for people throughout the city who want to come and enjoy it. She said there are multiple parks within walking distance and families with children would enjoy the scenic creek.

Council members also heard from Joseph Creasman-Jones, a 17-year-old who has lived on Morehead Court since 2009.

"I was about this tall," he said, gesturing to show his height when he first moved to Morehead Court. "At that time, the bridge was not in service. It is now 2016, and the bridge is still not in service."

Glenn Mazur, who has lived on Morehead Court for nearly 30 years, said the bridge crossing over the creek was a selling point when he and his wife decided to purchase their house. He recalled the phone call he received from his wife after she toured the property while he was tied up with work one day.

"She said, 'This is the house I want. It's got water behind it. It's got a pond. It's got a bridge we can go over. We can fish. We can picnic. What a gorgeous place. You've got to come see it.' So, I ran over there," Mazur said.

Convinced, Mazur said they ended up making an offer thousands of dollars above the asking price.

"That's what that neighborhood -- that's what that bridge -- means to us who enjoy it every day," he said.

Michael Psarouthakis, a representative for the Lans Basin homeowners association, said he believes it was nearly a decade ago that the city first closed the old wooden foot bridge due to safety concerns.

"This was a wood bridge suitable only for pedestrians and was not built to support vehicles," he said. "It was about 8 feet wide, allowing anyone to cross the bridge by foot, bike, strollers, wheelchairs."

Psarouthakis said the city agreed in 2009 to rebuild the bridge if the homeowners association repaired the weirs.

"The original bridge was connected to the weir, which is where the initial breakdown of the concrete began," he said.

"For any repair to take place, the bridge had to be decoupled from the weir, and in this case that meant taking the bridge down entirely."

Psarouthakis said the homeowners on the creek raised about $100,000 to repair three weirs on Malletts Creek. Prior to doing that, he said he personally spoke with city staff to confirm that if the association repaired the weirs, then the city would replace the bridge across the creek.

"City staff again confirmed this arrangement," he said. "In 2014, the weir repair was completed. It is now time for the city to fulfill their part of the agreement to replace the bridge."

Psarouthakis said the city has neglected to maintain the property it owns where the bridge is missing, a 12-foot-wide strip of city-owned land.

"The current situation is a hazard and an attractive nuisance," he said. "People walk across the weir or stones, a slippery and hazardous endeavor. There is a three- to five-foot drop from the end of the sidewalks to small boulders the city installed to shore up the banks of the creek a few years ago."

There also are orange construction barriers at the end of each sidewalk that have remained there for years, and torn netting.

"The entire area is overgrown and neglected, and an unsightly mess that impacts our property values," Psarouthakis said. "Not just those of us who live next to the bridge, but all the neighbors who can see the site."

He added, "If I or my neighbors maintained our property in the same manner, the city would likely condemn my property and fine me."

Psarouthakis said the initial $450,000 cost estimate to replace the bridge was surprising and troubling.

"I agree that if the bridge project actually costs this much, alternatives should be considered," he said.

"But the current status quo to do nothing is no longer acceptable."

The city's administration explained the reasons behind the $450,000 cost estimate in a recent memo, saying it takes into account several factors in addition to the purchasing and installation of a prefabricated bridge, including permitting through the state, construction inspection and testing, project management and oversight, and the construction of footings for the bridge.

The city believes the existing concrete walls on either end of the creek are inadequate to support a bridge.

The cost estimate also takes into account the removal and replacement of sidewalks leading up to the bridge, as the city believes the existing sidewalks are unlikely to survive the construction traffic, nor will the existing sidewalk be at the correct elevation. The memo states the new bridge also will have to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

Other complicating factors outlined in the memo are that there is limited access to the construction site. There are existing 12-foot-wide easements leading up to the bridge, which city officials say will require additional temporary grading easements from adjacent property owners. Even with the additional easements, the memo states, the limited space will provide a significant construction challenge for the installation and thus increase the cost.

Taylor said Monday night he had taken a second look at conversations between the city and neighbors that occurred over the last several years and he still doesn't think the city ever made a commitment to replace the bridge. But he agrees it seems clear the parties had in mind that the city would address the functionality of the bridge if the weir repairs were completed, and it's incumbent upon the city to provide good customer service.

Council Member Sumi Kailasapathy, who has supported the bridge project all along, said words should mean something. She thanked the mayor for reconsidering his stance, saying everyone makes mistakes sometimes and the right thing to do is to acknowledge a mistake was made.

Council Member Jane Lumm, an independent from the 2nd Ward, also thanked Taylor for reconsidering his vote, saying it showed strong leadership.

She said the city shouldn't start a practice of reneging on commitments to the community.

Council Member Julie Grand, D-3rd Ward, said the council has received information in the last couple of weeks that changed her thinking about the city's commitment regarding the Lansdowne bridge. At this point, she said, she doesn't question that the city made a commitment and needs to honor that.

Council Member Jack Eaton, D-4th Ward, has been leading the fight on council for the bridge and proposed the funding for it last year. Eaton thanked neighbors Monday night for being respectful and diligent in reminding the current council of past actions, and he thanked the mayor for his reconsideration.

Council Member Graydon Krapohl, D-4th Ward, agreed the city made a commitment and has to live up to that.

Council Member Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward, said a bridge for $150,000 might be in his zone of comfort, but $288,000 still concerns him.

The Ann Arbor News requested records under the Freedom of Information Act showing the cost of two pedestrian bridges installed along the Argo Cascades in recent years. The city provided the records last week.

One document shows the pedestrian bridge at the entrance to the Cascades cost $82,800, plus $21,505 for design work. There are smaller, miscellaneous costs, including permit fees, shown on the document, though it's unclear if they're directly related to the bridge work.

Another document shows $147,000 in costs for the pedestrian bridge further downstream at the other end of the Cascades, including new abutments, box culvert work and concrete deck.

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.
At their March 17, 2016 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce unanimously voted to support the Washtenaw Intermediate School District 2016 Special Education Millage proposal. The WISD proposal will be on the May 3 ballot. The CACC encourages everyone to go to the polls on that day and to vote yes for the Special Education Millage Renewal proposal.

State and federal funding has not kept pace with increased costs for educating all students, which means that special education funding must come from a voter-approved millage or local school district general fund budgets, thereby reducing funding available for general education programs for all students. This millage will be directly applied to programs for students with special needs, freeing up equivalent funds in the school's general operating budget which provides services for all students.

The CACC believes that the Chelsea School District has been an exemplary steward of our tax dollars. Equally, the WISD has demonstrated care and fiduciary responsibility in their delivery of special education services to the county. The millage proposal of 1.5 mills [increase] will ensure the Chelsea School District will be better positioned to meet the standard of education our community expects.

School funding isn't just an education issue - it's a community issue, an economic impact issue and a values issue. Strong schools attract jobs. Businesses desire to locate where there are excellent school systems. If we have a strong public school system, businesses will remain here or locate here because we will have a highly-qualified work force.

The CACC encourages you to yes for the WISD Special Education Millage Renewal proposal on May 3.

Sincerely,

Ian Boone

President

Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce
Update: This post now has complete results.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Voters across Washtenaw County will head to the polls today to voice their decision on two school funding proposals.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 3; anyone standing in line by 8 p.m. will be eligible to vote. Polling locations listed by city and township of residence are available here. People who don't know their precinct can look it up online through the Michigan Voter Information Center.

Registered voters across the county will see the Washtenaw Intermediate School District's special education millage proposal on their ballots. The proposal is a 10-year, 1.5-mill increase to the existing special education millage. In 2016, the millage would generate about $22.16 million from property taxes.

The funds generated by the millage can only be spent on special education services, and the money will be distributed to the nine public school districts in Washtenaw County according to the number of special education students they serve.

Local superintendents have touted the millage as a way to take some of the burden off schools' general funds. Currently schools use money from their general funds to pay for about $24 million worth of special education services county wide needed beyond what is covered by federal and state funding and the current special education millage.

For the owner of a home with a $300,000 market value, the special education millage increase would cost about $225 a year. The proposal needs county-wide majority support to levy the millage increase.

Voters who live in the Chelsea School District also will be asked to consider a building and site sinking fund renewal proposal. The proposal would renew the current 0.925-mill tax for another 10 years, generating about $792,000 in 2017. Revenue from the sinking fund can only be spent on construction or repair of school buildings, acquiring property and other related costs.

Check back here after 8 p.m. for live updates as the numbers come in from each precinct. Election winners will be highlighted in bold.

WISD special education millage proposal (113/113 precincts)

Yes: 19,180 (59.1 percent)

No: 13,273 (40.9 percent)

Chelsea School District sinking fund renewal (10/10 precincts)

Yes: 1,562 (61.67 percent)

No: 971 (38.33 percent)
DETROIT, MI -- More than 90 schools were closed again Tuesday in another round of teacher sick-out protests over the prospect of not being paid for work in May and June.

Teachers staged large protests outside Detroit Public Schools offices Monday, briefly shutting down West Grand Boulevard.

Detroit educators used sick days in large numbers earlier this year to shut down schools and bring attention poor school conditions, and are doing the same this week because school administrators can't guarantee they'll be paid.

District operating funds are dwindling as lawmakers in Lansing mull a $720-million debt relief plan that would dissolve the debt-burdened district and and relaunch it with a clean slate.

The school district has been run by the state since 2009.

The leaders of both the state House and Senate sharply criticized the teacher protests Monday.



"Today's actions by the teachers of Detroit Public Schools is irresponsible and counterproductive to finding a solution for Detroit's parents and students," said Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive. "The Senate has actively worked to present and pass a comprehensive plan for 47,000 students in need of quality education options. My colleagues and I are looking for partners, not adversaries."



House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, called the protesting teachers "egotistical."

Detroit Federation of Teachers president Ivy Bailey told union members in Monday email that educators do not work for free.



"Let us be clear. We are still locked out," she said. "We do not work for free and therefore we do not expect you to report to school tomorrow."

Liberal advocacy group Progress Michigan criticized Cotter's comments.

"Calling public school teachers 'egotistical', 'selfish' and 'misguided' speaks to the problem facing our educators by the conservative legislature," said Progress Michigan Director Lonnie Scott.

"Rather than properly funding education in Detroit and ending the sickouts today, Kevin Cotter has resorted to sophomoric insults hurled at some of the hardest working people in Michigan. Conservatives in the legislature have prioritized handing millions of dollars to private schools and demonizing LGBT kids in our communities instead of doing their jobs and ensuring our public schools run smoothly."
DETROIT - The first Qline car should be in Detroit by the fall, officials said Tuesday.

M-1 Rail CEO Matt Cullen joined M-1 Board Chairman Roger Penske and state and city officials to open the 19,000-square-foot Penske Tech Center in Detroit's North End neighborhood, where a little more information on the 3.3-mile rail loop was outlined.

Cullen said the Qline cars should be running on Woodward Avenue by spring 2017. That leaves a bit of cushion ahead of the winter 2017 deadline set last year.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Tuesday the rail is already transforming the Woodward corridor. Seven years ago, when Penske and Cullen began kicking around the idea of a rail, Duggan was working at the Detroit Medical Center.

Cullen's ideas of what the rail could do to the surrounding area seemed a little farfetched.

But, Duggan said, "he was right."

Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield said she and M-1 officials have worked to make sure the rail is a "true partnership with the community."

The rail, she said, will push Detroit to reclaim "its rightful place" among the great American cities as the city works to create more a safe and walkable urban space.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, said the M-1 Rail needs to be treated as a catalyst for regional transportation.

Though the date of completion for the rail line is way off, said Roger Penske, Tuesday's event was a milestone.

Seeing the difference in downtown Detroit from when Penske was involved in the 2006 Super Bowl in to now is remarkable, Penske said.

"(There is) no question that we could build this... (and) that would create motion as well as investment along Woodward Avenue," he said. "It's a catalyst. No question."

Cullen said the Qline cars, which are currently being built in Pennsylvania, will start arriving in Detroit this fall.

Once the cars are placed on the rail, there will be a period of time in which the cars run without any passengers aboard so that people can learn how to drive downtown sharing lanes with the streetcars.

There will also be a series of outreach programs and testing events to teach people the proper protocol when driving downtown.

In March, Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans, announced the name of the streetcars would be the Qline. He bought the naming rights to the rail cars for $5 million.

He has contributed about $10 million to the project, which is expected to be up and running in 2017.

Construction should wrap in late 2016, but the cars have to go through a series of tests and certifications.

The $140-million project will stretch 3.3 miles along Woodward Avenue between the city's downtown and New Center neighborhoods.

In the works since 2008, the M1 Rail first was envisioned as a 9-mile light rail Transit system stretching from near the Detroit River to 8 Mile Road. But, in 2011, that plan was scrapped in favor of the 3.3-mile line, for financial reasons.

The rail is on the tail end of its biggest phase of construction in Detroit.

According to information provided Tuesday, 35 percent of the work hours on the rail have been completed by Detroit residents.

So far, 94 tons of steel has been used on the project.

Ian Thibodeau is the business and development reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. He can be reached at ithibode@mlive.com, or follow him on Twitter.
Myanmar's notoriously unscrupulous Internal Revenue Department is preparing to target systemic corruption among its officials as the country tries to climb off the bottom rung of tax yields worldwide.





Director U Tet Htut Aung noted that the new civilian-led government had pledged to establish a corruption-free society and that while the IRD had not received direct instructions from Nay Pyi Taw it was planning measures to reduce the opportunities for officials to take bribes.

We will do our best to stop the bribery problem, he said.

According to the Asian Development Bank, Myanmar has one of the lowest levels of tax yield in the world. It said the actual tax yield was calculated at just 6.6 percent of economic output in the 2013 fiscal year.

The Business Anti-Corruption Portal, a guide to compliance partly funded by Western governments, warns investors seeking to do business in Myanmar, Companies face a high risk of corruption in the tax administration in Myanmar.

Irregular payments in connection with tax payments are commonly exchanged. Almost 40pc of firms expect to give gifts in meetings with tax officials. Businesses in Myanmar spend on average 188 hours per year preparing, filing and paying taxes.

Businesspeople interviewed by The Myanmar Times say bribes requested from tax and municipal officials can range from cash of several thousand dollars for large cases to monthly meals for a group plus a bottle of Johnny Walker whisky.





But according to one Western advisor to local governments on tax, who asked not to be named, Myanmars basic problem in raising taxes is moving from the old junta-era system of extracting fees from cronies in exchange for nepotistic deals to a regular tax-raising system.

The ADB also pointed to an over-reliance by governments on revenues from natural resources which retarded tax reforms and a tax system that was complex with extremely low compliance due to lack of knowledge and administrative bottlenecks.

Addressing these issues, U Tet Htut Aung said a computerised system will be installed across more offices this year, requiring more accurate reporting, and taxpayers will increasingly be required to submit self-assessment tax returns, reducing the opportunities for tax officials or taxpayers to exploit individual relationships for their own gain.

Since 2014, Myanmars 500 largest companies have filled out their own tax returns and filed them to the Large Taxpayer Office. Medium and small taxpayer offices still run with an officer-assessment system.

This coming fiscal year, the self-assessment system will be introduced for around 1000 mid-sized companies that report to the Medium Taxpayer Office (MTO) 1, he said.

MTO 2 will become more streamlined, responsible for another 1000 firms. A third MTO office, MTO 3, will be opened to oversee 19,000 smaller companies, U Tet Htut Aung said.

We can offer better services to our customers when we have fewer taxpayers in our office, he said. He is currently responsible for MTO 2.

It is easier to tackle bribery once we have changed to a computerised system, compared with the old manual book-keeping procedures, he said.

Posters have been fixed to the walls of IRD buildings, asking taxpayers to report corruption wherever they find it. The departments new website, due to go live later this year, will also include a clear anti-corruption message.

Officers have already told taxpayers to inform them immediately if they are asked to pay a bribe, though nobody has yet spoken up, he said.

I suppose such cases have fallen in the Large Taxpayer Office because of the self-assessment system, and it will fall in our Medium Taxpayer Office too once it has been introduced, he said.

Ethical codes and punishments for breaking them are clearly outlined in Myanmars tax laws and in staff guide-books, and will be issued again to IRD staff as a code of conduct. The code says that no staff should have any reason to take advantage of their authority, he said.

Staff have been warned and I want taxpayers to know that they also have to help combat corruption, and inform us as soon as they are asked for a bribe.

Some staff have been punished even for accepting small gifts such as longyi, though not in U Tet Htuts own department, which has so far received no whistleblowers, he said.

Another initiative will focus on cutting expenses for IRD staff, he said. New apartments are almost complete in Pazundaung township, not far from the tax offices in Kyauktada township.

Staff with a long commute will be eligible for accommodation, which will cut travel costs and help save money on rent.

This facility is indirectly related with our anti-corruption measures, and the new government should do the same, by offering more benefits and raising civil servant salaries, he said. Anti-graft pledges have dominated the new governments discourse, with new Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein promising to lead a campaign against corruption over his five-year term, though he has not yet explained how this goal will be achieved.

During her election campaign last year, National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told supporters that her party would form a clean government and the partys election manifesto pledged to take effective action as necessary in order to establish a society free of corruption.

U Soe Thein, former deputy director general of the Ministry of Finance, said corruption worsened after 1988 when a system of checks and balances fell into ruin as power was concentrated.

This habit is rooted and is unlikely to be tackled immediately. However these are good steps towards change, he said.

He added he believed that corruption in government departments had fallen over the five-year term of U Thein Seins administration. He urged the new government to introduce more transparency in the tax system, and to simplify laws to make it easier for the public to complain and harder for officials to abuse their powers.
Yangon's lighter-fluid sellers are looking for new work as consumers trade in refillable pocket lighters for cheap Chinese-made disposable brands.





For many years, most lighters in circulation in Myanmar were Thai-made refillables and people were able to make a living through walking the streets and selling top-up fluid.

As consumers switch to cheaper Chinese-made disposable lighters, which are more convenient and do not cost much more than a refill, lighter fluid sellers say they are struggling to find work.

The refilling industry developed around 20 years ago when people first started buying Thai-made lighters, said U Phoe Htaung from Yangons Hlaing Tharyar township.

Now that cheap Chinese brands have entered the market, people tend to discard lighters once they are empty, he said.

I have been in this work for the past 10 years, but now I cannot find customers, he said. When business started to decline I repaired umbrellas on the side. Now I have opened a small convenience store in my home.

U Sann Aung who lives in South Dagon also works similar jobs  refilling lighter fluid and repairing umbrellas.

I started the repair work in the past two years because people in Yangon stopped wanting refills. In the rainy season umbrella repairs are in high demand, he said.





People rarely buy Thai-made lighters any more, he said, although those that do still require refills. We charge K70 to refill a lighter, while lighters from China cost K100. But refillable lighters last longer than Chinese-made products, he said.

There are more opportunities in rural areas where people still have refillable lighters. But I think in Yangon the trade will disappear completely. There are not many of us left, and we are all looking for new jobs.

People still require refills for their Thai-made lighters in villages around Mandalay, said U Khin Maung Myint of Pyawbwe township. A box of gas costs him K1100 and can refill around 100 lighters.

I have worked in this business for nine years. People here want refills if the price is cheap  I ask for K50 per lighter, he said.

The fluid lasts up to two weeks if the lighter is only used in the kitchen, but if people use it for cigarettes too it will run out faster.
A collection of civil society groups in the southern city of Dawei has begun to actively protest a Chinese-led US$3 billion proposal to build Myanmars largest oil refinery on their doorstep.





Local businesses, civil society organisations and villagers are circulating a petition calling for the new National League for Democracy-led government to reconsider the project  which received approval on the last full day of former president U Thein Seins administration.

Local residents were hardly involved in the approval process, according to the appeal, which suggests the environmental effects of the 100,000-barrels-per-day project may be catastrophic.

More than 2000 people from six villages have signed the petition, according to the Dawei Development Association.

The community has the right to say no to such a project which will impact their future development, said Ko Thant Zin, the groups coordinator.

Citing planned relocation for multiple villages, Ko Thant Zin said that many people now stand to lose their land and livelihood.

[So far] the local communities have only received one-sided information from the developers. Government authorities have provided us with no information.





He said that the environmental impacts of the refinery are likely to include loss and damage of biodiversity around the site and that nearby fishing grounds will be hit by huge tankers [which] transport crude oil.

Local groups also confirmed they will be lobbying local government members in Dawei in the days ahead.

The project gained steam on March 29 when Chinese state-controlled commodity trader Guangdong Zhenrong Energy Co announced they had received approval from the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC).

That day the company also signed an agreement to take a 70 percent stake in the project consortium with military-linked Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, state-owned Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE) and Yangon Engineering Group, controlled by Htoo Group. The headline figure of $3 billion would make the refinery among the biggest single foreign investments into Myanmar.

The Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) has since said the prospective location for the refinery is 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) south of Launglon township in Dawei district, on MEHL-owned land that was formerly used as a palm oil plantation.

The Myanmar Times understands that an Environmental Compliance Certificate based on the contents of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Reports is yet to be issued.

Several actors have claimed that the process around these reports has not been sufficiently transparent.

Investors behind the planned Mandolis Resort at Tizit Beach, an eco-resort being built in the vicinity of the proposed site, are particularly upset about the potential environmental impact. The resort is under construction and scheduled to open later in 2016 after several years of development. According to promotional material for the resort the foundations of all buildings of the first stage are finished.

Investor Nawar Al Bitar said if the oil refinery goes ahead then the project will be stopped due to environmental reasons.

There will be no tourists on the whole Dawei Peninsula, he said.
Parliament's newly formed Bill Committee plans to submit and discuss new rules for ministry tenders during the current session, in the hope of reforming an opaque and inconsistent system that has often allowed lucrative contracts to be awarded behind closed doors.





The new rules will govern tender practices for this financial year, said U Saw Hla Tun, a member of the committee.

Existing rules relating to contracts awarded by ministries have not been widely followed, he said, resulting in a lack of transparency in government-led projects.

In 2013 the Presidents Office issued a directive with rules for government departments when issuing tenders, though the rules have since been frequently broken.

Applicable to tenders for oil and gas and mining permits, government land, infrastructure, and services, the directive highlighted the need for transparency, accountability [and] responsibility.

Government departments were required to organise committees to set out rules before issuing a tender, set a floor price, advertise through newspapers at least one month in advance and open bids in public. Specific rules were also issued for tenders related to purchasing, construction, services and lease-and-sale.

We will amend and update those laws with the assistance of the World Bank. The laws will apply for this years projects and will be inclusive of all ministries and government bodies, said U Saw Hla Tun.

The new laws must ensure that national budget spending becomes transparent for everyone, and should help with standardisation.





A more transparent tendering system would be welcomed by foreign investors who have often complained of a lack of clear information, particularly about the decision-making process. Each ministry has its own idiosyncratic rules for tendering, which can cause confusion.

The Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Association held a special meeting last December to discuss the urgent need for reform. The existing system favours well-connected companies and leaves little space for smaller local businesses to compete, they said.

U Saw Hla Tun declined to comment on whether the government would reconsider tenders that have already been awarded, such as contentious contracts for flyovers in Yangon.

Last week Bill Committee members told a press conference that the new laws would support the new governments efforts to establish a corruption-free society.

For Edwin Vanderbruggen, a Yangon-based lawyer who has worked with the government on a wide range of privatisations and tenders, the existing rules are just not up to international standards in many respects.

He noted that the rules for a 30-year public-private partnership in the power sector are the same for a one-off purchase of some goods by the government. That just does not work, he said.

Government tenders tend to fail in Myanmar, he said, because the department often does not understand the business case for the asset they are tendering, and has no budget for technical, commercial or legal advisers.

This problem could be mitigated by soft-testing the bidders, but there is no time for that on most projects, he said.

Additional headaches for investors include unrealistic tender timelines and a tendency among some ministries to change the tender variables part-way through the process.

The governments inexperience with international-standard project documentation can also result in unsuitable sponsors signing up for the deal  such as speculators or developers willing to take very high risks.

You lose credibility very fast that way, and bidders dont make the expense and effort any more to bid on your projects in the future, Mr Vanderbruggen said.
An urgent proposal to discuss clashes in Rakhine State  and have the Arakan Army invited to participate in the peace process  was approved despite objections by military MPs yesterday.





The proposal was submitted by U Wai Sein Aung, an Arakan National Party Amyotha Hluttaw MP for Rakhines No 1 constituency.

The skirmishes that have occurred recently and repeatedly between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar Tatmadaw in Rakhine State must cease. The AA should be invited to political dialogue, he said.

Fighting has erupted in Rakhine sporadically since last December. The Arakan Army was excluded from the nationwide ceasefire signed last October, and in January, the Tatmadaw pledged it would eliminate the ethnic force.

Skirmishes erupted again on April 16. MP U Wai Sein Aung said that residents of Rathedaung, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun townships have been displaced, and some forced to work as porters for the Tatmadaw soldiers  an accusation the Tatmadaw staunchly denies. He added that some civilians, including elderly residents, children and women, have been killed in the course of the fighting.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over 1100 people have been displaced to eight temporary camps by the renewed fighting in Rakhine State as of April 28.

U Wai Sein Aung told parliament that since the Arakan Army is fighting in order to demand self-determination and equality for the Rakhine people, the fighting can only be settled through bringing all relevant parties into a political debate. He added that the Arakan Army should be invited to participate in the peace process dialogues.





The urgent proposal was seconded by U Kyaw Kyaw Win, another ANP Amyotha Hluttaw MP. But the unelected military bloc raised objections to the proposal.

In his discussion, [U Wai Sein Aung] said villagers are forced to labour as porters. That is a lie  there is no forced labour. Such slander could damage the prestige of the organisation, said one military MP, who also accused the Arakan Army of trying to push its way into the NCA process.

Brigadier General Kyaw Kyaw Soe, another military MP, said that when he served as commander of No 15 Operation Control Command based in Buthidaung township from 2012 to 2013, there were no AA members.

After a brief discussion, the Speaker called a vote and more than two-thirds of the MPs in the Amyotha Hluttaw seconded the urgent proposal. The topic is scheduled to be debated today.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Rakhine States chief minister says it will take more than one five-year term under the NLD-led government to bring the states divided Buddhist and Muslim communities together again.





It is impossible to unite them at once. We will have to do it step by step, U Nyi Pu told The Myanmar Times in an interview in Sittwe.

So we need to give the process a lot of time. Therefore we cannot say it can be accomplished in our five-year term, he said.

Although his comments appeared to represent a desire by his administration to end policies of enforced segregation, they reflect a reluctance to move quickly because of pressures the National League for Democracy is facing in Rakhine State where the party is leading a minority government. More widely across Myanmar, nationalists  including prominent Buddhist monks  have also shown they do not intend to give up their anti-Muslim platforms used for attacks on the NLD.

There is also the issue of how much latitude U Nyi Pu has been given by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in setting policies as critical as reintegration. The state counsellor has said little in public on the issue.

Asked to respond to criticism that he is a weak chief minister and that he must work according to decisions made by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he replied that the Union government had set out nationwide policies on such issues as bribery, but that the state government would decide other cases in its everyday activities.

Violence between the Buddhist Rakhine majority and the Muslim minority tore Rakhine apart in 2012. More than 100,000 civilians  mostly stateless Rohingya who are defined as Bengalis by the government  remain in camps while Muslims across Rakhine face discrimination in healthcare, education and freedom of movement.

U Nyi Pu said the governments main drive was to develop the state. With significant development, conflicts and problems in the region will fade away automatically, he said.





More immediately he said efforts were being made, with international help, to improve structures and security in IDP camps ahead of the monsoon season. Having first visited camps for Rakhine displaced by recent fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army, he said he would visit Muslim refugees according to the decision of the regional government.

Asked about restrictions on Rohingya accessing hospitals, the chief minister said they were allowed to leave the camps for healthcare with a letter from a doctor.

There is no limitation for them if they need healthcare, he said.

In practice, however, many Muslims are severely restricted in their access to care.

John Ging, a senior United Nations humanitarian official, issued a statement on March 1 after his visit to Rakhine in which he called for an end to such discriminatory practices. He highlighted the case of a Rohingya mother whose weeks-old baby had died from lack of oxygen last December because she had been denied access to a nearby township hospital.

Asked about the denial of university education in the state capital, the chief minister said they could take distance education courses and that discussions were being held on their attendance of other universities even if they cannot attend Sittwe University.

Speaking of more than 1000 Rakhine villagers who fled fighting since mid-April between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Tatmadaw, the chief minister said he wanted to resolve the issue and get them back home as soon as possible. Political rivals would try to use this crisis against the NLD government, he said.

He said he hoped to meet the state military commander soon to discuss the conflict and to convey the peoples anti-war protests.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on April 28 after visiting sites in the region that about 1100 people had been displaced in the townships of Buthidaung, Rathedaung and Kyauktaw and were staying mostly in schools.

The UN and partners are liaising closely with the government on meeting outstanding humanitarian needs, OCHA said.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Jade mining in Kachin State is continuing although the government will respond to complaints made by the public over damage to the environment, according to U La Aung, state minister for natural resources.





U La Aung told The Myanmar Times yesterday that U Ohn Win, Union minister for natural resources and the environment, had instructed the state government during a weekend tour to respond to public protests over companies causing environmental damage.

But U La Aung denied reports that companies had been told to stop mining. Some people have said that the mining process is suspended currently. It is not true. The companies are still operating. But they need to stop the mining process in the rainy season, U La Aung said.

He clarified that the minister had visited jade and gold mines in Hpakant and Mohnyin townships but said this was not an inspection mission. His visit had included a look at hills formed by tailings from jade mining.

The collapse of such piles of tailings have led to disasters in the past, such as the deaths of more than 100 itinerant jade scavengers last November.

We cannot call this as an inspection. Its just a visiting of the Union minister. But we dont know yet the conclusions he will draw from the situation of mines and the environmental issue, he said.

The Union minister met mining officials in the area of Lone Khin as well as some companies, but he did not meet residents, raising criticism from some local members of parliament.

U La Sai, Hpakant township MP in the state parliament, said the minister should meet local residents to ask for their views on the mines and surrounding environment.





During the Union ministers trip, the numbers of heavy machines decreased in the companies workplace. It is strange. Before the minsters trip, there were so many heavy machines in the workplace compounds, the MP said.
A Japanese delegation is next in line as high-level envoys prepare to meet the new government.





Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Htin Kyaw earlier this morning, according to the embassy in Yangon. He will also hold talks with Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing later in the day.

In an interview with the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, Mr Kishida voiced support for Myanmars transition.

We welcome the inauguration of the new administration in Myanmar which has garnered the support of the majority of its people. The general elections which were held last November marked a historic significance as the first step towards the true democratisation of Myanmar, he said.

Japan has reportedly put aside more than 100 billion yen (US$910 million) in loans and grants as development assistance, apparently at the request of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also foreign minister. Tokyo hopes to finalise its support by June, according to the Japan Times.

After reviewing its economic cooperation guidelines with Myanmar in 2012, Japan has cancelled large amounts of debt and provided support for the countrys development, Mr Kishida said.

Japanese investors own 49 percent of Thilawa Special Economic Zone, a joint project with Myanmar investors near Yangon. Through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), support is also provided for infrastructure and to upgrade Yangons water pipeline network.

Experts have said geopolitical concerns are likely to be an important reason for Japans large-scale aid and investment in Myanmar, saying it will try to counter-balance Chinas influence over its neighbor.





Indias External Relations Minister Sushma Swaraj was also scheduled to visit this week, but had to postpone her trip due to health reasons. Foreign ministers from China, Italy, Germany and Canada have already held talks with the new government, which took office on March 30.
The Ministry of Labour is pressing Thailand to offer full compensation for five Myanmar women who were killed in a road accident on April 30.





The women worked at a cold storage facility in Yanaung, Thailand, bordering Myanmar in Tanintharyi Region. They were waiting at the roadside at 6:15am when a truck transporting fruit careened into them. The accident left five people dead and 21 injured, according to a report by Thailands Labour Minister General Sirichai Distakul.

Social media users blamed the driver for targeting Myanmar workers. But Myanmars ambassador to Thailand U Win Maung told the media in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday that it was not intentional.

The cars tyre burst and hit the women. It is a road accident, he said.

Myanmar and Thai officials met in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday to discuss migrant issues. Gen Sirichai said Thailand could not provide workplace compensation since the accident was not work related.

Families of the victims were given 40,000 baht (K1.45 million). They were asked to come to Yanaung for a funeral for the workers on May 4.

Yanaung police have opened a case against the cars driver.

Translation by Zar Zar Soe
Can the National League for Democracy revive the agriculture sector? While land grabs have attracted most public attention, experts say sound agricultural policy, including but not limited to land use, will decide whether the new government can turn the ship around.





U Thein Seins government tried to claim agriculture as one of its successes, but there is little doubt the sector is in a bad way due to decades of mismanagement.

Total income from agriculture exports has also not grown significantly. According to official figures from the Ministry of Commerce, export income for the 2011-12 fiscal year  the first enumerated  was US$9.14 billion. For the 2015-16 year the amount was $10.07 billion as of February. High commodity prices have also meant that low-income families spend more than 60 percent of their income on food, according to U Tun Win, an agriculture expert who formerly advised the NLD economic committee.

He said management of land resources is crucial. Under the military and U Thein Sein governments, almost 5 million acres of land, capable of producing 7 million tonnes of paddy, is thought to have been confiscated. Much of it has now been given over to non-agricultural purposes.

This has driven up the proportion of landless households. At the same time, though, there are 17 million acres of land not being cultivated.

Land resource management is a very urgent and difficult issue for the NLD government to tackle, U Tin Win said.

Quick action, led by experienced advisers, should be undertaken. This should focus on expanding cash crops and improving productivity of paddy cultivation. But crop insurance, strengthening land rights and enacting changes to regulations on fertiliser must also be tackled, U Tun Win said.





One simple solution in the short term is to invest more in beans and pulses production. They do not need much water and there is high international demand at a good price, he said.

There is also potential to expand paddy cultivation by improving productivity  up to three times current rates, by some estimates. However, the current infrastructure is not sufficient to reach actual production potential.

Many are hopeful that the NLD will soon address the issue. In its draft economic policy it identified agriculture as one of five major reform pillars, and one that could help to alleviate poverty and inequality. Noting that productivity was low compared to similar countries in Southeast Asia, it said that the economic potential that could be developed within the shortest period of time will be agricultural development, particularly improving rural productivity.

Improvements in agriculture, neglected for over 50 years, have immense potential in both kicking off genuinely inclusive growth and development in Myanmar, it said.

The NLD will move quickly to grant Myanmars farmers full production freedoms, reform and rehabilitate credit, milling and other production chain sectors, and broadly facilitate market access.

More controversially, it said foreign investment will be encouraged to develop virgin areas.

U Myo Thant, deputy in charge of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Societys committee on agribusiness and farmer affairs, said he was heartened by the NLDs focus on the agriculture sector.

He said the policies of previous governments had created a large number of landless households and exacerbated food security problems.

We can see the NLD manifesto is quite focused on the agricultural sector and hope that the new government led by the NLD will amend the current rules and laws relating to farmers rights, U Myo Thant said.

Resolving the most controversial issue in the sector  land confiscations  would take time, he warned.

I hope farmers do not rush and push too hard for land disputes to be sorted out straight away. The NLD has many tasks it needs to undertake, and this is just one of them.

But those working with farmers say the situation is becoming increasingly desperate. Few of the benefits from the liberalisation undertaken by U Thein Seins government have trickled down to rural communities, they say. Like military regimes before it, the government focused its attention on increasing agricultural production rather than improving the lives of those in the agriculture sector.

One attempt to improve the lot of farmers  the parliament-drafted Farmers Rights Protection and Promotion Law  was even rendered ineffective by the previous administration, which failed to enact the necessary by-laws to bring it into effect.

The law, heavily promoted by former Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann, includes provisions on crop insurance, minimum prices, and formal consultations between government and sector representatives  all things that farmers associations had lobbied for.

U Kyaw Htet, general secretary of the Freedom of Farmers Association, said that these measures were needed to give farmers an incentive to improve their productivity, and rectify the power imbalance with traders. Farmers want the by-laws introduced as a matter of urgency, he said.

How are farmers going to survive without basic crop prices, access to capital and technical support? At the moment, the farmers dont get any of the profits from their struggles. Instead it goes to the traders, who have the capital and are able to monopolise the market, he said.

But agricultural expert U Tin Htut Oo said a sound policy platform promoting a demand-led market approach would be crucial to revitalising the sector.

We still do not have any clear policy on the agriculture sector yet, said U Tin Htut Oo, a former Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation director general who had been tipped for the minister job in the NLD government. We need a new vision  When we look at the agriculture sector it is supply-led, mostly focused on expanding cultivation rather than productivity and the income of the farmers.

He said it was critical to look beyond domestic self-sufficiency and examine how Myanmar could emerge as the food basket of the region.

We have to produce what the market and what consumers want to eat.

There are a lot of competitive advantages. The main thing is to look at which crop has the most competitive advantages for Myanmar  This is the only way we have to go forward.

Additional reporting by Thomas Kean
UPDATED STORY: Fire sweeps through Sittwe IDP camp







As many as 2000 displaced Muslims have lost their shelters after a fire swept through the Baw Du Ba 2 IDP camp near the Rakhine State capital of Sittwe this morning, according to aid workers.

The fire, possibly caused by a cooking accident, destroyed nearly 50 longhouses, each home to six to eight families, aid workers said, citing preliminary estimates. The camp is also known as Baw Du Pha and lies just west of Sittwe, close to the coast.

Some injuries were reported but they were not believed to be serious. It was not immediately clear how many people had been caught in the blaze that ripped through the flimsy structures.

Firemen were said to have arrived fairly promptly to extinguish the blaze.

About 2000 people are affected. They will have no roofs over their heads tonight, said one aid worker who asked not to be named. International and local aid organisations are on the scene assessing the response needed.

Matthew Smith, director of rights group Fortify Rights, tweeted that that about 500 Rohingya families could have been made homeless and that the shelters burned down with 45 minutes. This would have left little time for camp residents to rescue their meagre belongings and food supplies.





The camp is home mostly to stateless Muslim Rohingya  officially called Bengalis by the authorities  displaced by communal violence that erupted in Rakhine State in 2012.

Rights groups have urged the Myanmar government to facilitate the right to return of some 120,000 Muslims confined to dozens of IDP camps, where conditions have been frequently condemned by the United Nations and other organisations.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information is available.
Urging the government to oversee another round of amnesties, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said it will soon submit a list of the remaining prisoners of conscience.





We have compiled a list of the exact number of the remaining political prisoners in detail, said AAPPB spokesperson U Aung Myo Kyaw. The list is now nearly completed ... We hope the government will release them if they determine they are indeed political prisoners after re-scrutinising them, he said.

By the AAPPBs count, there are 61 political prisoners still locked up, with another 107 who are still on trial for their political activities, U Aung Myo Kyaw said.

One of the 61 behind bars is Major Win Naing Kyaw, who was arrested under the State Secret Act for allegedly obtaining confidential information. U Win Naing Kyaw was working for the Foreign Economic Relations Department when he was arrested en route from Bangkok in 2009 and accused of possessing secret information about Thura U Shwe Manns planned trip to North Korea the following year.

We think there still hasnt been an agreement between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence and thats why Major Win Naing Kyaw still remains in prison, said U Aung Myo Kyaw.

The National League for Democracy has vowed to release all political prisoners. Shortly after taking office, the new government released more than 100 prisoners, including demonstrating students, on April 8, and continued by freeing another 83 political prisoners on April 17.

Translation by Zar Zar Soe
In a move that will undoubtedly gain widespread public support, the Union parliament will discuss revoking an oppressive law used to imprison activists under the military junta.





The 1975 State Protection Act, also known as the Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts, was enacted under the Burma Socialist Program Party. Many opposition figures, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, were imprisoned under it.

A proposal to revoke the law was submitted by the Bill Committee yesterday. Committee chair U Tun Tun Hein denounced the law, saying it did not serve the best interests of the citizens and that there was no longer a need for the law because the 2008 constitution contains provisions for calling a State of Emergency, should the nation come under threat.

Talks were held with members of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaws Commission for the Assessment of Legal Affairs and Special Issues  led by Thura U Shwe Mann  and other parliamentarian committees prior to submitting the bill, said U Tun Tun Hein. Officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is under direct control of the military, were also involved in the talks, he said.

U Saw Hla Tun, a commission member, said the law was contradictory to human rights and that the commission would like to see it removed from the books. The law allows for citizens to be persecuted for acts not yet committed and goes against the principle that any accused is innocent until found guilty by the court.

The authorities can restrict any fundamental right of any person suspected of having committed or believed to be about to commit, any act which endangers the sovereignty and security of the state or public peace and tranquillity, according to the law.

Former political prisoners welcomed the announcement to repeal the act, while calling for other controversial laws to be revoked as well. They named the Electronic Transactions Law, the Unlawful Associations Act, and the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law as priorities.





U Tun Kyi, a member of the Former Political Prisoners Society, said that the 1975 law had been used to detain many politicians  including himself - without a court hearing.

We did not appear in court. They detained us for three or sometimes five years. After that we were sentenced under other laws, he said.

Human rights lawyer U Robert San Aung said the act was not in line with human rights principles and had no place in a democratic country.

I was not allowed to contact my family when I was detained under this law. It was designed to take action against politicians and activists under the military junta. We need to wait and see if the parliament will approve this proposal, he said.

U Tate Naing, secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, emphasised the need for the government to revoke all laws which did not serve the public interest and to enact new laws that would safeguard and benefit the country and the people.

The law should have been revoked under the previous government. The law is just used to oppress people, he said of the State Protection Act.

Pyithu Hluttaw representative U Pe Than of the Arakan National Party said that the law had no place in Myanmar any more. The law was enacted with the intention to detain politicians during the dictatorship. Today, politicians are no longer criminals, he said.

Members of parliament interested in discussing the bill will have to register by May 5, Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U Win Myint announced during yesterdays session. Parliament will discuss the bill after that date.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Fury over the US embassys use of the term Rohingya continues unabated as nationalists pledge to regroup on May 5 with an even larger camp moving in from Ayeyarwady Region. This time, they also plan to denounce the government for not publicly objecting to the embassys statement.





The nationalists, supported by the Committee for the Protection of Race and Religion  commonly known as Ma Ba Tha  object to a recent statement by the US expressing condolences for victims of a boat sinking in Rakhine State. The statement said local reports alleged the victims were Rohingya  who are called Bengalis by those who dont recognise them as one of the 135 official ethnic groups. As The Myanmar Times revealed, those who drowned in the accident were mostly Muslim Kaman.

Members of the Peace and Diversity Party, a nationalist political party which is closely linked to Ma Ba Tha, said they will join the May 5 demonstration.

U Thiri Maung, one of the leaders of the demonstration and vice chair of the Peace and Diversity Party, said yesterday that the nationalists will reconvene outside the US embassy on University Avenue Road.

The Ayeyarwady column will march to Yangon and they will join with the main camp. We expect 15,000 people will participate in our demonstration. Currently, we have 5000 participants ready, he said.

Ma Ba Tha expressed support for the demonstration, but will not be participating in the next round, according to Dhammacakka U Maung Maung, a member of Ma Ba Thas central executive committee.

Some monks will participate in the demonstration but they wont represent Ma Ba Tha. The demonstration will be led by youth nationalists, he said.





Daw May Thandar Aye, another organiser of the demonstration, said yesterday that its not too late for the government to take action and denounce the US embassy in Yangon, which she added would negate the need for the protest. When asked about whether the upcoming protest has been approved by the authorities, she said, We dont need to request permission from the authorities because this is a demonstration, not a protest.

The last rally on April 28, which attracted around 200 nationalist supporters and monks, was not granted official permission. The Myanmar Nationalist Network had applied for and received permission for a demonstration at Bo Sein Ground in Tarmwe township. Instead, they marched from Yangon University up to the US embassy gates and submitted petitions to the security guards.

Police Lieutenant-Colonel Kyaw Htut had said that a case will be opened under section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, the same one used to charge and imprison dozens of student protesters a year ago.

Ko Win Ko Ko Latt, chair of the Myanmar Nationalists Network and also a leader of last weeks protest, said that he has not received any notification of court charges or action to be taken under section 19.

We will face the law if we must, he said.

U Maung Maung from Ma Ba Tha said the regional government should handle the protest carefully to avoid sparking further religious feuding.

The authorities should not take action on the leaders of the protest. If they do, the new government will be worse than the previous government, he said.
In Myanmar, the social contract linking the average citizen to government has been damaged by decades of top-down military rule. People understandably do not trust government, or think that they benefit much from it. They have been conditioned to feel that government has little interest in their basic well-being. As such, there is a pressing need for government in Myanmar to rebuild trust and demonstrate value.





This not a contentious observation. The National League for Democracy (NLD) won the November 2015 election by a landslide, largely through their promise to undertake widespread reforms to improve the performance of government  making it fairer and more accountable, and ultimately more responsive to meeting the publics needs. The challenge for the new government is finding ways to begin that can deliver tangible results and do so fairly quickly.

Since 2011, Myanmar has seen significant changes to how it governs its states and regions. There are now 14 state and region governments with their own chief ministers and parliaments. While still limited in power and needing further reform, state and region governments are at least a start toward pushing governance closer to the people after decades of centralised military dictatorship. However, below the states and regions, governance continues to be provided primarily through the local offices of Union ministries. Currently, Myanmar has no third tier of local government, just Union and state/region governments. As the NLD assumes power and starts crafting its reform agenda, a primary concern should be how the Myanmar public can be better supported by government, particularly through improved local social services and more government accountability for public funds. This means building stronger, more responsive governance systems, with greater representation and accountability, at the township level or even lower.

Municipal offices, in Myanmar known as si-bin tha-ya-ye apwe, are present in all townships outside Yangon and Mandalay cities, which respectively have Yangon City Development Committee and Mandalay City Development Committee. YCDC and MCDC are fairly novel administrations for the countrys two biggest cities, but are effectively still part of the Yangon and Mandalay regional governments. Similarly, municipal offices are under the control of the state and region governments, specifically the ministers of development affairs. They no longer have any connection to Nay Pyi Taw following their removal in 2011 from the Ministry of Border Affairs. Municipal offices have mandates to provide a wide range of social services  roads and bridges, street lighting, traffic management, drinking water, sewage, and garbage collection for instance  and also provide licences to local businesses. As such, municipal offices are the key actors responsible for the municipal governance of Myanmars towns and cities.

What makes municipal offices important opportunities for improving local governance in Myanmar are their unique characteristics. Firstly, they are the only fully decentralised government agency that was moved entirely from the Union to state and region governments via the 2008 constitution. Secondly, they have to raise their own funds and must do so locally, mostly through the collection of a range of taxes and user fees as well as the issuance of licences and permits. Thirdly, exceptionally for a government agency working at the township level, they have their own dedicated local management committee which has a majority of community representation and actual decision-making powers. Lastly, each of the 14 states and regions have their own municipal law, mostly passed during 2012-13 by the state and region parliaments. This means that municipal governance is already legally enshrined as a devolved responsibility.

Regardless of their unique traits, Myanmars municipal offices do not perform well, lacking revenues and generally providing poor social services. However, what is more important in current debates over governance reforms is the potential for municipal offices to better interface the public with governance by maximising their unique traits. For a new government wanting to move quickly to demonstrate positive change and quality-of-life improvements for normal people, further reforming municipal offices and improving their performance should be a priority for the NLD.

New roads and bridges, street lighting, and improved garbage collection are tangible signs of change that can connect citizens to the government. That these improvements are funded through local tax collection also helps rebuild the citizen-government relationship because people can see directly how their money is being spent to improve their own communities. Municipal offices are also an ideal medium for strengthening local democratisation and accountability considering their management committees, one per township, do have a majority of community representatives who can make actual decisions about best meeting local needs. A further advantage of municipal offices is that they provide a means for moving fairly quickly.





The current municipal laws mirror an old junta law from 1993, meaning they are outdated and dont meet the needs of a democratising country that wants to provide more services to its citizens. The opportunity is that each state and region parliament can amend their own municipal law, recrafting it to meet the needs of their towns and cities.

Myanmars municipal offices are not a complete form of local government. Like YCDC and MCDC, they are still largely controlled by the state and region governments. What they are though is the most advanced experiment Myanmar has yet had with decentralised local governance which begins to allow local communities to raise revenues and manage at least some local affairs. The NLD government will need to decide how best to reform township level governance more generally  namely, should there be a distinct third tier of local government such as township or district councils that are directly elected. In the meantime, it would serve the public well, at least those in towns and cities, to further reform and improve the effectiveness of municipal offices. The litany of needs is great tax reform, improved garbage collection, sewage systems and drinking water provision, and more roads, bridges and parks, for instance. The new government might even consider whether municipal offices management committees should be fully elected through universal suffrage.

Matthew Arnold is the program director for The Asia Foundation in Myanmar.
Spectrum auctions can be a very big deal, for a wide array of businesses. Mobile providers often look toward spectrum auctions as a means to buy space for new mobile bandwidth. Television companies look to spectrum as a means to get more room for broadcast media. Though that's fallen off somewhat in an era of easily-accessed satellite TV and a plethora of online sources, a new report from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says that television broadcasters are getting back into the fray.

The FCC noted a strong interest from television broadcasters, and announced it was out to clear 126 MHz of spectrum for availability. It's drawing on low-frequency spectrum that television broadcasters had earlier surrendered to wireless companies and the like who wanted to build new wireless access. The FCC had considered several blocks of access, ranging from the earlier-noted 126 MHz to 42 MHz, but decided on the highest target on the strength of several binding commitment letters.

The spectrum up for auction isn't related to any currently-operating spectrum, and is being offered nationwide, so those who pick it up should have a good pipeline to wide-ranging access. Though there is major demand from broadcast television, wireless companies are interested in a bid to offer better access for customers, who are continually demanding new bandwidth. Reports suggest that the auction could represent between $15 billion and $45 billion, so it's clear why it's being undertaken to begin with.

So far, at least three of the major wireless firms in the United StatesVerizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, with Sprint not listedas well as a set of pay-TV operators like Comcast and Dish Network, are all in on the action, though the FCC wasn't talking about which TV broadcasters will be involved. A report from S&P Global Market Intelligence suggests that CBS Corporation could see substantial benefit from engaging in such a deal, and so could companies like Tribune Media, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and others.

With broadcasters and wireless companies alike eager to get in on this spectrum auction, it's easy to see where this could end up as a high-dollar affair; the demands for bandwidth from mobile wireless users won't stop until the day arrives where mobile data is unlimited for all users. With an increasing number of uses for mobile bandwidthvideo conferencing, cloud-based initiatives, the various demands of the Internet of Things (IoT) and moredemand must carry on, and businesses need the infrastructure to provide it.

The upcoming FCC auction will likely do brisk business as companies push for new spectrum, but just who will end up with it, that's a point that could shake up a lot of the market as we know it. That makes this auction one to watch.

Edited by Rory J. Thompson
Accra, May 02, GNA - The Journalists for Business Advocacy (JBA) has urged the Government to withdraw the National Fiscal Stabilisation Levy (NFSL).

This, the advocacy group says, would lessen the financial difficulties that face companies through the imposition of the levy.

A statement issued, in Accra, and signed by its lead person on Economics and Finance, Mr. Toma Imirhe, expressed concern about the Government's intention to further extend the application of the NFSL until the end of 2017.

'This planned extension of the levy will further increase the financial difficulties of all the companies on which it is being levied,' the statement said.

The withdrawal has become even more imminent and needful because of the implementation of the Income Tax Act 2015, (Act 896), which has introduced sweeping reforms and adjustments, which are already biting businesses and individuals hard.

'We wish to remind the Government that when the NFSL was reintroduced, effective mid July 2013, the legislation backing its establishment set its duration at 18 months,' it said.

'Therefore, the levy should have been withdrawn at the end of 2014, but this did not happen. Rather, the government now intends to apply it until the end of 2017.

'This is both excessive for government's efforts at reducing its fiscal deficit to manageable proportions and debilitating for the enterprises which are obliged to pay the levy.'

When the NFSL was initially introduced in 2009, the Government's fiscal deficit, inherited from the previous administration, was more 12 per cent of GDP, the statement said.

'But due to the increased revenue generated by the levy, the fiscal deficit was nearly halved by 2011 and the levy was duly abolished, in line with an 18-month legislative sunset clause it had.

'Its reintroduction in 2013 was in response to another round of fiscal challenges for the Government, of similar proportions incurred in 2012, but the deficit has been cut to 7.1 per cent by 2015 and it is now expected to fall further to 5.3 per cent this year.

'This implies that the deficit is now falling to manageable proportions and thus the levy is no longer of critical importance to fiscal consolidation efforts.

'For a fact, JBA is acutely aware of the downside risks to Government's ongoing fiscal consolidation efforts in 2016, this being an election year, and having very little fiscal space to maneuver in.'

The statement said the JBA, however, believed that this needed to be weighed against the negative effects of the continued application of the NFSL on enterprises obliged to pay the levy, such as the reduced availability of internally generated funds for reinvestment in production capacity and the dissatisfaction of shareholders in the yields they were receiving on their investments, compared to available alternatives elsewhere.

'However, in view of the need to reconcile Government's ambitious fiscal targets with the urgent financial imperatives of companies who are obliged to pay the NFSL, the JBA wishes to suggest the policy option of replacing it with equally ambitious efforts to broaden the tax net,' it said.

The JBA said the options should include properly targeting and capturing all property for tax purposes, on-street parking fees, especially in the Central Business District and commercial parts of cities.

More roads should be tolled, it said, while the newly constructed ones should rake in more revenue to close the deficit.

'The JBA believes that the removal of the NFSL would help restore Ghana's faltering competitiveness as an investment destination, which is crucial to the country's economic growth prospects and, therefore, its ability to create jobs and incomes for its citizens going forward,' the statement said.

GNA
Police in the Ashanti Region have issued a notice for the arrest of Mr Antwi Boasiako  aka Chairman Wuntumi  NPP Chairman for the Ashanti Region.

The Police want him to assist with investigation about allegations that he assaulted the MP for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwa and the Constituency Secretary for same constituency, Felix Ibrahim.

The assualt allegedly happened at Krofrom in Kumasi, the Ashanti Region capital.

A statement from the Police, published below, says Chairman Wuntumi has refused to honor an invitation to assist with investigations into the assault allegation.

Instructions have therefore been issued to the Regional CID to have Chairman Wuntumi arrested to assist with investigation, said the statement signed by PRO of the Ashanti Region Police Command, ASP Yusif Tanko.

Read the full statement below:


03.05.2016 LISTEN

Monday, May 3, 2016

Folks, as public intellectuals, we do the yeoman's job by raising issues pertinent to Ghana's development challenges in our time and comment on them, offering ideas that we hope our leaders and their bitter opponents will ponder as they seek the nod of the electorate to either remain in power or leave the scene for others to "try their luck". In our African context, it is not strange for those in power to dig in while their opponents move heaven and earth to remove them from power "at all costs" (I hope you know what I mean here).

The stage is set. The NPP says that President Mahama is incompetent and doesn't deserve a second term. Those who support it are all over the place, citing instances of job loss, unemployment, or hardships as their main reasons for wanting President Mahama out of the way. Their supporters in the academy have even gone to the extent of labelling President Mahama as "Ali Baba", leading his gang of "Forty thieves" to perpetrate fraud. Dirty politics without substance, one might say.

On the flip side, President Mahama is pursuing an agenda to "account to the people" for his stewardship since being elected by them. And evidence shows that the people are more than satisfied with what he has used the resources to do for their good, which his opponents are angry at.

So, as President Mahama "accounts" to the people and the people acknowledge the benefits of his rule, his opponents have gone bonkers---in tatters---and wish he hadn't undertaken such tours to bring out all that they fear to see or be told. All happening before the main campaign season begins in June!!

Now, President Mahama is talking big, telling Ghanaians that the country's economy will grow in leaps and bounds because his government has laid the foundation for that leap. (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Economy-to-grow-in-leaps-and-bounds-Mahama-435442)

Surprising? I don't think so, especially considering the fact that the government has done a lot to tackle the energy crisis. Energy is the hub of any system's quest for progress. The situation in Ghana long before President Mahama took over has been dire. His government has been under much pressure as a result of "Dumsor" but it has soaked it all up, putting in place all that a country needs to be energy-sufficient. It comes with a huge cost to consumers, though; but will the consumers be so foolish as not to know that they have to bear the brunt to help the government move the country forward? Those doing dirty and cheap politics with this issue are doomed.

Of course, President Mahama's opponents are still out of touch with reality when it comes to government business. If you are not in government to know how forces operate, you can say anything at all and hope to get away with it. If you don't, you remain in opposition, as it is with the NPP people!!

We don't begrudge President Mahama for his optimism because as the head of the team, he knows what is in place. Those who don't know can chafe, fume, and fuse all they want.

We hope that the parameters are right and that President Mahama will move Ghana beyond its traditional scope as the producer of primary commodities (cocoa, coffee, gold, etc.). I fall back on my earlier opinion piece that questioned what the mainstay of Ghana's economy has been since the loss of the grip on cocoa.

There is much about the petro-chemical sector and many others in the non-traditional export vein. Will Ghana's economy take advantage of those sectors?

To end it all, I can say in all honesty that the shea butter industry for which Northern Ghana is noted, could be beckoning. It is the mainstay of the economy of Northern Ghana regardless of other resources. Growing that aspect of the economy is long overdue. Shea butter is in high demand outside Ghana. What is President Mahama's agenda for that industry?

It's all about comparative advantage (Adam Smith recalled here?). Ghana has a lot of such comparative advantages that a working political system should promote.

I don't want to believe that Ghana's economy will grow on the basis of speculations about cocoa and gold only. These are worn-out sectors. Innovation needed. The petroleum sector is dicey and can't be relied on (even Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil supplier is contemplating moving out into other sectors).

Folks, I will end here by urging the President to maintain his cool and ensure that the country's abundant resources are explored and exploited for the good of the people. Only then will they have confidence in themselves and the system of governance in place to prove their worth in the community of nations.

Ghana's economy cannot grow if the political parameters are not set right for it. That is why efforts must be made to reach out to the people. Those in authority (local or national) may bloat but their bloating won't serve useful purposes. Those who feel it know it and must be reached out to.

The national economy cannot grow on its own. It is human beings that make it grow as they expend energy to do what they are employed to do. I think that the array or of messages from the various grounds on this year's celebration of May Fay says it all. In other countries (including the Almighty United States, in Seattle, Washington State), it turned ugly as workers vented their anger on the system. Not so in Ghana, which means we have a heritage to sustain.

The government must reconsider its tax policies and lessen the burden on the business sectors and consumers. In countries that have a vibrant economy, there is no disconnect between those who do business and the government that taxes them.

As soon as the tax regime hits hard, nothing works well. That is why the government must rethink the way it maximizes profit from the business sector. For as long as it remains a "Shylock", it will continue to irk the people who sustain the economy. And when they cannot soak up the pressure any more, they do what will hurt the government. In Ghana today, that is the grim reality. What will President Mahama do to reverse this negative trend> Ghana's economy will not grow if internal conditions remain harsh.

Our economy may be slow at growing, but if we position ourselves to make it grow, it can grow to our delight and the comfort of posterity. Let's go for that which is positive as stated by President Mahama, and not the negative stance by his critics. Countries are not built in one fell swoop!!

I shall return
03.05.2016 LISTEN

By Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK May 2, 2016

Sometimes, I wonder what is in the heads of senior politicians in Ghana who make fools of themselves with divisive ethnic and religious statements on the campaign trail. I am also not sure if Ayikoi Otoos theory of Gbeshie as the reason behind such irrational utterances from politicians is anything to believe. In fact, my last article on Dzifa Attivors racist campaign message had not even appeared on Ghanaweb when I read that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the main opposition party, NPP also asked Muslims to vote for him and Nana Akufo-Addo as the current presidency is made up of mostly Christians. According to Dr Bawumia, the presidency is religiously skewed because the seat of government does not adequately reflect one part of the two dominant religious groupings in the country (see Flagstaff House religiously skewed  Bawumia, Ghanaweb, May 1, 2016). This article is a brief analysis of Bawumais religious balance madness to gain votes.

First and foremost, Dr Bawumia as a potential Vice-President of the Republic ought to and must familiarised himself with the tenets of the 1992 Constitution on the make-up or appointment of public officials, including the Executive. Nowhere in the constitution is religious balance mentioned as a requirement for executive or public appointments. The only criteria are regional and gender balance, though the Directive Principles of State Policy in Chapter Six talks about integration and non-discrimination.

Article 35(5) states the State shall actively promote the integration of the peoples of Ghana and prohibit discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, gender or religion, creed or other beliefs. Article 35(6) also states, towards the achievement of the objectives stated in clause (5) of this article, the State shall take appropriate measures to - (b) achieve reasonable regional and gender balance in recruitment and appointment to public offices.

The question is, on what basis will Dr Bawumia ensure that the staff of the presidency or the executive arm of government is representative of Christians and Muslims? How is the religious balance to be achieved, proportionally based on total population or what? Would appointments be made on the basis of ones religion and not competence? How would an Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration appoint two-thirds of ministers from the legislature as proportionate representatives of Christians and Muslims? What about the other minority faith as well as those without any religious belief? Is Bawumia suggesting that by merely having a Vice-President as a Muslim his so-called religious balance would be achieved? What did the last NPP Christian-Muslim led administration do for Muslims in Ghana?

To say that Dr Bawumia is a disappointment is an understatement, especially for him to make such dangerous statement against the background of the rise in global Islamic fundamentalism and the recent demands by some misguided Muslims students in Christian schools not say Christian prayers at morning assemblies. This is not what is expected of a future Vice-President. It is also sad in view of the fact that his party condemned Dzifa Attivor for asking Ewes to vote for NDC a few days ago. I now doubt if Dr Bawumia is fit for the office of Vice-President as he is beginning to show signs of immaturity under pressure. It appears Bawumia is panicking from Mahamas Accounting to the People Tour so he is resorting to fanning religious divisions in Ghana. This divisive politics of divide and rule is dangerous and the earlier Ghanaian politicians put an end to it the better before it destroys Ghana. They should look at what ethnocentrism did to Rwanda and Boko Haram is doing to Nigeria, the Taliban did to Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda to the world. Religious bigotry should have no place in Ghanaian politics.

Wonders shall never end. Whilst NPP condemned Dziffa Attivor, the same NPP is defending Bawumia on his religious inflammatory campaign message. Nana Akomea, the NPP Director of Communications defended Bawumias statement as making a case for religious inclusion (see, Bawumia is making a case for balance inclusion-Akomea justifies, Myjoyonline, May 2, 2016). I am not surprised because NDC and NPP are two sides of the same coin. They will always defend their own even if its indefensible and condemn the other. That is not strange as they are Ghanaians and that is why the two parties are part of Ghanas problems and not the solution.

Ghana is sleep walking into some form of conflict manufactured and engineered by politicians for their selfish and parochial interests of seeking political power for which they must be condemned, shamed and rejected by voters. There is only one Ghana and irrespective of ethnicity, religion, sex, political affiliation or whatever, Ghanaians should not allow deluded and greedy politicians to divide and rule over them. Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is not a pseudo Muslims deceiving true Muslims for their votes. A true Muslim unites but not divide those he seeks their mandate for political office.

Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK
Kofi Adams

03.05.2016 LISTEN

National Organizer of the ruling NDC, Kofi Adams, has described inflammatory comments made by the vice presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as silly and barbaric which must be condemned.

According to him, such silly comments shouldn't be allowed in Ghana politics, especially when it's coming from a running mate of the main opposition party who is a learned a Ph.D. holder for that matter.

Why is the NPP and Bawumia in disarray? He asked.

Indeed, the monumental changes and improvements in Muslim communities in this country were initiated by Christians.

The Islamic Education unity which supported Islamic Education was passed when President Mills was President, he added.

He continued that the Hajj trip has seen better organization today under the auspices of John Mahama and Amissah Arthur. So for Dr. Bawumia to make such a comment is rather unfortunate and shouldn't be tolerated at all.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Kofi Adams stressed that in Ghana's Constitution, there is nowhere stated in law that appointments to public offices should be religiously balanced

In a separate chat with GhanaPoliticsOnline.Com, Mr. Adams said that the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana is short of campaign messages for Ghanaians and, therefore, resorting to religious politics; "All his economic theories, following President Mahama's Accounting to the People's tour, has been debunked therefore he has no message for Ghanaians in terms of Ghana's economy leading him to resort to these other areas like religion, which will not help him," he indicated.
Where do I begin? It is quite confusing to remember 501 promises made to Ghanaians in sequential order, especially that barely 4 have been fulfilled. Well, let me share some quotes from a recently launched book, titled "59 Years To Nowhere...and counting...The Future is Now".

To this effect, below are excerpts and page references that speak to John Mahama's empty promises:

Page 28: " Responsible leaders, you would suppose they are, steal one anothers ideas. Unethical plagiarism is now reason for cheering on useless Politicians. Mis-leaders would be more an apt description of some of the hunky, bed-frolicking, empty promisers.

Leaders who tell lies and followers who clap are partners in crime especially that, lately, untruths are told flagrantly without shame. It follows that if one buys a stolen item, they are just as culpable as the thief and the facilitator, making my submission on their criminality quite relevant. The scenarios are the same."

Page 89 (referring to John Mahama): "He has reneged on most of his promises yet chose to force the Power Minister to resign on the last day of December, 2015, because of a failed promise. That is not only paradoxical, but a state-of-the-art joke. Though it was warranted, he should have applied the same sanction upon himself for failing to fulfil his promises numerous times.

It would seem that until real change is effected, and until the government of the day is shown the Exit Door, we would not see progress in decades to come."

Page 110: " In Ghana, the National Health Insurance Scheme was started with the intent of alleviating the suffering of the people, but, since 2009, this system was run down by a government that cared for nothing but to remain clinging on to power. Huge promises beyond the capabilities of any government were made, but situations remained the way they were, and in many instances worsened. Schools under trees remained, and if it is worth mentioning at all, some were re-located from under the mango tree (mangoase) to under the coconut tree (kubease), denying children shade that protected them from the damaging rays of the sun."

Page 112: " Promises of a better Ghana agenda soon turned into a bitter Ghana agenda with agitations everywhere. Nurses remained unpaid for months, and when they voiced their democratic right to complain, they were branded unpatriotic because some cohorts in power deemed them a stumbling block in their "chop-chop" agenda (to wit corruption). Doctors went on strike because they were suffering the same fate, but were threatened with termination if they continued. Private sector workers grumbled and were told to shut up; disenfranchised Ghanaians went on a won gbo (we are dying) demonstration, over one million strong, but they got a despicable reply, Yn Tie Obiaa, in Akan dialect meaning we will listen to no one.

Page 114: "The free and quality education promised by Hon Nana Akufo-Addo as declared in his manifesto ahead of the 2012 election campaign was condemned in no uncertain terms by the NDC government. All manner of accusations were hurled at the NPP for this very smart message with assertions that it was meant to bamboozle the electorate. After stealing the elections and coercing the EC to declare them winners, as was construed by the millions of disenfranchised Ghanaians, they reversed their fight against the free SHS education. The difficulty I have, though, is that if the government of John Mahama couldnt afford chalk for a few schools, how were they going to afford a decent feeding program, uniforms and shoes, books and stationery, for all Ghanaian children? They would try playing smart by affording this program for a select few then turn around and tout it in the media until peoples heads got saturated. This time, they are mistaken. It will be the turn of the majority of Ghanaians to retire the song yn tie obiaa and dance to the tune Woso biaa nayyno more (the more you cry the more we will do)!"

Pages 186/187: " The President commissions incomplete projects, sets forty year shackling and unsustainable plans in order to score cheap political points. He promises to bring bullet trains to the country when the railway system is dysfunctional. He behaves as if the country is his property by bequest. The Bui Hydroelectric dam was commissioned much before its completion, and no sooner had he pressed the button than the current went  Phweep; DEAD! Quite a reminder of the advertisement for raid insecticide, Ready, steady, Dead!

By the way the Bui Hydroelectric Dam was initiated by H.E John Agyekum Kufuor, shortly before the expiration of his Presidency, but the NDC wanted to use it to score cheap political points.

Keep the fire burning, stay tuned for Part II
03.05.2016 LISTEN

The Mile 7 District police have apprehended a female prostitute who is alleged to be part of a gang that has been robbing pedestrians at the Dome market area in Accra.

The suspect, identified as Ruth Oppong, 20 years old, was arrested after she and her alleged accomplice had succeeded in robbing a businessman of his valuables and attempted to escape with the booty.

Her purported accomplice, named as Victor Kwabla Togbe, a 24-year-old student of Ideal College, was also apprehended.

However, the third accomplice managed to escape arrest.

An Apple MacBook pro laptop which was part of the items taken from the victim, was recovered by the police from the suspects upon their arrest.

Confirming the arrest to Daily Guide, DSP Edward Tetteh, Commanding Officer of the Mile 7 District Command, said the incident occurred around 11pm on April 29, 2016 at the Dome Market area.

The victim, he said, is a businessman who was returning from a visit to the area.

Besides the Apple MacBook pro laptop valued at about a6,000, the police officer said a Samsung Galaxy phone valued at a250 and an amount of a60 were also stolen from the victim.

After collecting the items the suspects bolted but the victim managed to inform a police patrol team in the area about his ordeal. The policemen together with the victim, combed the area and spotted Ruth Oppong holding the bag containing the laptop and arrested her.

Kwabla Togbe was also arrested at the same place.

Upon interrogation, Ruth Oppong told the police that as a prostitute soliciting for customers, the runaway suspect approached her for the night and handed her the bag to keep for him while he passed urine at the back of a nearby store.

She told police that she did not know the suspect anywhere but was just handed the bag for safekeeping.

"He was the one I was looking for when the police arrested me," she added.
President John Dramani Mahama

03.05.2016 LISTEN

There is an Akan proverb which states that Opanyin a watena fie ama nkwadaa awe nanka no yebu nanka wefuo a oka ho bi  to wit: an adult who supervised the consumption of a puff adder (snake) by children is counted among those who eat puff adder. If an elected leader like President Mahama (Mahama) would gloss over incidents of barbarism with scorn, impunity and blatant display of raw power by persons he had appointed into positions of authority, it would mean he had either lost control of events under his watch or just like the chameleon, changed his color to become a dictator.

Under the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Oko Vanderpuye, soldiers and police personnel beat to pulp a poor boy who supposedly sought to capture the demolition of suspected illegal structures in Accra. The boy was left to die, but for some good Samaritans who rushed him to a nearby clinic and later to the 37 Military Hospital. Which part of the 1992 Constitution permitted Mahamas employees to subject a fellow Ghanaian to such barbaric treatment?

Barely a week later, (Monday April 11, 2016), a 25-year-old commercial driver, Osei Manu, had to be taken to a hospital after enduring over an hour of brutish assault that left him with serious body injuries, swollen eye and chest pains in the hands of four city guards of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for allegedly stealing a car radio. Mob action had been frowned upon anytime it occurred. It becomes strange when it is ordered and carried out by the very people elected/appointed to maintain law and order.

On Thursday (4/21/2016) Ghana media carried another horrible incident involving two members of the military at Tamale who subjected a 16-year-old boy to torture by pointing guns at his head in a bid to get him to confess to stealing a Techno mobile phone. With legs not touching the ground, Corporal Samson Atuahene and his colleague beat the boy till he fell unconscious, and yet the soldiers would not show any mercy. Such act of disregard for fellow human being reminds Ghanaians of the rule of the military in the eighties. It was not very pretty.

There is also the case of three South African ex-cops, Major Chris Hazis (RTD), Warrant Officer Denver Dwayhe and Captain Mlungiseli Jokani, who were arrested for being in the country at the request of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to train its security personnel in various security drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques and rapid response maneuvers. They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and unlawful training but the state dropped the charge against them after detaining them for some days.

While the case was still in court the three were picked up by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and deported on Tuesday, March 29, 2016. If Mahama chose to arrest them, why did he not prosecute them and allow the courts to determine their guilt/innocent? What happened to the term due process? The action of the Ghana Immigration Service to deport those foreigners is an abuse of power, gross disrespect to the courts of the land and the rule of law. Dictators endorse lawlessness by fragrantly disobeying the laws of the land. Mahama should be worried about the integrity of the nation to the outside world. Suspicion of political opponents should not be an excuse for violating the laws of the country; it should rather be a guiding principle to follow the law to the letter.

Following these is the behavior of one Alhaji Baba Kamara, believed to be the National Security Advisor (NSA), who behaving like the proverbial Akuraase Taaman (a bully, who on the suspicion that someone had touched his girlfriend would show the individual where power lies) unilaterally ordered the arrest of one Dr. Edmund Ayo Ani for: (a) taking pictures of vehicles re-branded at a facility belonging to him; and (b) circulating information on social media that he had diverted vehicles meant for the NCCE to the NDC.

A responsible NSA would seek legal action instead of the arbitral arrest he resorted to. In an era of respect for the rule of law, an aggrieved person even if he is the NSA is required to sue if his rights had been infringed upon. Baba Kamara misused his position (a benchmark of dictatorship) to settle personal problem and went scot free. If he did not have the backing of Mahama, he would not do that.

What is Mahama afraid of that he would not allow political opponents to speak to students in tertiary institutions in Ghana? Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) was on Monday (3/15/16) denied access into the Dambai College of Education in the Volta Region. The students of the College made their own arrangements for the event to take place in an open park.

Dr. Bawumia was again prevented from speaking to students of the St. Francis College of Education at Hohoe in the Volta Region, until after a last minute intervention from the Catholic Church paved way for the address to be held. On Tuesday (4/5/16) the authorities of the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) in Tarkwa in the Western Region, stopped him from holding a students forum on the schools campus.

Former First Lady and leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings had a similar unfortunate incident at the University of Ghana campus on Friday (4/14/16) According to her the program dubbed Time With Legon, was organized by the University of Ghana SRC, the Commonwealth Hall JCR and the Graduate Students Association of Ghana, GRASAG.

This kind of disruption is unacceptable in a viable democratic dispensation. By the guidelines of the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES), political activities are allowed at the tertiary level, where students are believed to be matured enough to make informed choices.

Censorship and dictatorship are bedfellows. Mahamas government had just introduced an obnoxious media censoring directive through the Information Services Department (ISD) that requires journalists working for foreign media to seek authorization before conducting any filming activity in the country. This directive clearly imposes direct censorship on the media and clearly contravenes provisions in Article 162(2) of Ghana's 1992 constitution, which states that: Subject to this constitution and any other law not inconsistent with this constitution, there shall be no censorship in Ghana.

The ISD's policy is also at variance with Clause 4 of the same Article of the Constitution, which provides that: Editors and publishers of newspapers and other institutions of the mass media shall not be subject to control or interference by Government, nor shall they be penalized or harassed for their editorial opinions and views, or the content of their publications.

Most worrying is the fact that when three journalists, Jorgen Ebbe Christensen, Troels Kingo, and Sandra Haugaard from Impact TV, a Denmark-based television station had complied with the directives, they were harassed by security operatives who forcefully seized their filming equipment after they had taken footages at Saaman, a mining community in the Eastern region, questioning why they had conducted filming within their mining concession.

According to The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) which had condemned the attacks on the three Danish journalists (4/25/16) it finds this development extremely worrying as it infringes on the rights of the journalists and limits the boundaries of media freedom in the country. The MFWA is equally worried about the implementation of the absurd policy by the ISD which seeks to impose direct censorship on journalists working for foreign media.

Dictators are very calculating. They always initiate laws/decrees in lieu of an expected action for all to see that they worked within the confines of the law or constitution. Within one year after independence Prime Minister Nkrumah (Nkrumah) enacted the Deportation Act in December 1957 which gave him the authority to deport undesirable aliens whose conduct was considered not to be of public good.

Victims of this law were Bankole Timothy of a Sierra Leonean, the editor of the Daily Graphic; Alhaji Amadu Baba and Alhaji Amadu Lalamie, ethnic Hausas born and bred in Kumasi for bank rolling the opposition parties and The Right Reverend Richard Roseveare, the Anglican Archbishop of Accra who considered the shibboleth that Nkrumah is a messiah to be blasphemous.

In July 1958 the Preventive Detention Act (PDA) was enacted. The law conferred unfettered power on the Prime Minister to order the arrest and imprisonment of any citizen without trial. The law claimed as some of its victims the entire leadership of Ga-Adanbge Shifimo Kpee, Victor Owusu, Joe Appiah, William Ofori Atta and Joseph Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Danquah. Nkrumah unilaterally dismissed Sir Arku Korsah as Chief Justice for failing to convict Tawia Adamafio, Ako Adjei, and Coffie Crabbe suspected to be involved in the Kulungugu bomb explosion on his life. Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia, Oheneba Kow Richardson, Ashie Nikoi and Amponsah Dadzie went into voluntary exile. Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, who was forced to resign his position as the Finance minister in 1961, is alleged to have fled Ghana as there were plans to place him under preventive detention. At the time of his overthrow in February 1966, Nkrumahs political prisoners were more than one thousand.

Mahama has now introduced Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages Bill, 2015. Christened 'Eavesdropping ' or Spy Bill, if passed, would empower the country's security agencies to intercept messages related to or linked to money laundering, terrorism, narcotic trafficking, identity theft and generally protect national security.

Why another law when there are some such as the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism, Narcotic Drugs, Electronic Communications, Data Protection, Economic and Organized Crime Office, and Security and Intelligence Agencies Acts serve the same purpose?

Opposition to the bill has come from various people and institutions. According to Nana Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of NPP, it will give the state discretionary access to the private correspondence of individuals. Lawyer Anyenini believes that there is no need for it as there is neither lacuna to fill nor mischief to cure. Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Africa opposed it because it undermines everybodys freedoms and liberty; and will surely lead to abuse.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on December 4, 2015 asked Ghana to provide information about the legal safeguards in place against arbitrary interference with the privacy, home and correspondence of individuals, and their observance in practice.

Ghanaians are nervously edgy when it comes to legislation that seems to target the opposition. Whatever was the intention of the law of causing financial loss to the state, its initial implementation turned out to affect mainly persons from the other side of the political divide. Messers Tsatsu Tsikata, Kwame Peprah, Victor Selormey, Don Abodakpui and Mallam Issah all from then minority parties in parliament went to jail under the law. Dzifa Attivor has even suggested that the implementation of the law had some tribal connotation since most of the people affected were of the Ewe tribe.

The passage of the bill would give legal backing to Mahamas operatives who clandestinely use the term Order From Above to cover their nefarious activities. Any low-cost and low self-esteemed politician/manager/leader would cowardly pounce on it to inflict pain on his/her suspected enemy or enemies to show people where power lies. The PDAs original intention was to silence political opponents but it became a tool for settling personal scores.

The decision to introduce the Spy Bill is blatantly wrong and operatically idiotic. It is liable to operational misuse and abuse. This is Ghana and the history is there for all to see. Dictatorship in progress? So are they all, all dictators, sorry all honorable men

Is President Mahama becoming a dictator?
03.05.2016 LISTEN

My late friend, Fifi Hesse, who was Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Education n the 1970s, told me how he and his Minister once attended a conference in Nigeria shortly after the June 4 1979 events in Ghana.

At one social gathering, their Nigerian hosts surrounded them and interrogated them:

Ei, (they asked ) so your guys shot some big people for eating government money?

Yes.

How much money did the dead people eat?

The trials were in secret so we don't really know. But we heard that someone used his office to borrow $50,000 or so....

And because of $50,000 they shot him? Ei, then what would have done in this country? Here we don't eat small moneys like that o! Here, we eat budget!

Everyone laughed.

But it wasn't a joke, as the following report from the Punch newspaper, one of the oldest newspapers in Nigeria, illustrates:

QUOTE: [A] panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari t... to probe arms procurement between 2007 and 2015 has allegedly uncovered massive fraud in the Nigerian Army....It will be recalled that the panel had, so far, submitted two reports on its probe to the President.

While the first interim report was submitted in November 2015, the second report was submitted in January [2016] following which Buhari ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] to investigate 18 serving and retired military officers, mainly from the Air Force. The  panel, which has Air Vice Marshal J. O. Ode (retd.) as its chairman, was concluding work on the probe of the Army.

It was gathered that part of the panels discovery was that the total amount involved in arms fraud was $15bn and not $2.1bn..... The $2.1bn earlier reported as the mismanaged arms procurement money, was just for one transaction. A top government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said .The committee is still working. What they discovered in the Army is enormous....

When asked when the third report would be submitted to the President and be made public, the source said Buhari had directed the panel to change tactics. The President has directed that we explore the option of prosecuting indicted persons immediately, instead of first publicising their names, thereby giving some of them the leeway to escape justice, he explained..... Meanwhile, in a continuation of the probe into how the People's Democratic Party [PDP] allegedly bribed some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] before the 2015 presidential election, the EFCC has arrested an oil tycoon, [name withheld] for his alleged role in the $115m (N23bn) bribe funds. It was learnt that [the tycoon] who is the Chief Executive Officer of [an oil company] was arrested by the EFCC in Lagos on Friday [29 April 2016].

The anti-graft agency had [also] arrested the Managing Director of [a bank] and the banks Head of Operations.... [The MD] was alleged to have handed $1.85m to the bank, based on the instructions of a former Minister....Other companies, which allegedly handed over money to the bank MD, included [a] Gas Company ($60m); [another petroleum sector company] ($17.8m); and [a third] Oil and Gas [Company] ($9.5m).

[The former Minister] was also alleged to have given the bank MD $26m in cash which was ultimately disbursed to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2015 presidential election as bribes.... The money was given to the bank for safekeeping and there was no intention for it to be used to open an account..The money was meant for distribution to INEC officials.When the bank MD was collecting $26m cash from a serving minister, why didnt he ask where [it came] from? UNQUOTE

http://punchng.com/15bn-arms-scandal-presidential-panel-uncovers-massive-fraud-army/

Now, it may be asked, why should what allegedly went on during Nigeria's elections be of any interest to us in Ghana? The answer is that the two countries are socially and politically linked together. When the Internet crime known as 419 became rampant in Nigeria, it soon made its way to Ghana too. The Ghanaians refined it to become what we call sakawa.

More seriously, after supervising an election in which such huge sums of money (as revealed by Punch) were allegedly distributed to officials of the Nigerian Independent National Elections Commission, the chair of that Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, came to Ghana in December 2015, to give two lectures  one in Accra and the other in Kumase-- on how efficiently INEC had conducted the Nigerian elections. The intention, no doubt, was that Ghana should follow Nigeria's example.

Prof Jega also met with key stakeholders, including the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood, Ghanaian political party leaders and candidates, traditional rulers and religious leader, as well as members of civil society and international development partners.

Of course, there is no reason why Prof Jega should necessarily have known everything that was going on inside some pockets of the Commission over which he presided. But if the allegations levelled against the PDP are true, then it is clear that it is not enough just to have an upright person in charge of an institution, for it not to become corrupt. The current chair of the Ghana Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, does not seem to understand this, as she appears to fight doggedly against a number of the measures through which some of the political parties wish to ensure that a free and fair election takes place in November 2017.

In an election, the ruling party always has an advantage over its rivals. For one thing, it is the ruling party that ensures that the electoral body obtains the funds and other resources necessary to do its work. In Mrs Osei's case, her very appointment seemed was greeted with distrust by some of the opposition parties. That has placed an obligation on her to prove the doubters wrong. She doesn't need to bow down to everything the opposition parties say, but she definitely needs to win their trust, for they speak on behalf of the people.

The revelation in Nigeria that as competent a Chairman as Attahiru Jega was, he was blind-sided by subordinates cherry-picked by the party in power to rig the vote in its favour, must make Mrs Osei think deeply. She is not the only one working at the Electoral Commission, and if she wants to run the place with integrity, then she must be perceived to be someone to whom information can be passed without the informer engaging in an exercise in futility.

All Mrs Osei needs to do to understand why the opposition parties are so apprehensive is to read what some of the Supreme Court judges who sat on the 2012 election petition, had to say about her predecessor, Dr Afari Djan, (who had an international reputation even greater than that of Prof Attahiru Jega.)

In a much-quoted finding, Mr Justice John Dotse said: QUOTE: My observation is that Dr. Afari Gyan appeared to have concentrated his oversight responsibility at the top notch of the election administration, thereby abdicating his supervisory role at the grassroots or bottom, where most of the activities critical to the conduct of elections are performed. In this instance, he even appeared not to be conversant with some of the basic procedural steps and rules that are performed by his so-called temporary staff.

So far as I am concerned, Dr. Afari Gyan has cut a very poor figure of himself, and the much acclaimed competent election administrator  both nationally and internationally-- has evaporated into thin air, once his portfolio has come under the close scrutiny of the Courts."UNQUOTE

Mrs Osei has to understand that elections mean so much to the people of a country that even where an incumbent political party tries to subvert the process  as the PDP did in Nigeria  it can still fail.

But that does not mean that the PDP didn't try or that other parties elsewhere won't emulate what the PDP did.

In Mrs Osei, Ghanaians would like to find a person who will ensure that whatever the blandishments dangled before her eyes (and these need not necessarily be monetary) she will rise above them and protect and preserve the will of the people of Ghana, as expressed in a free and fair election.

If she fails, and allows the coming election to be gamed,she can be sure that, as was the case with Dr Afari Djan, her fellow citizens will detect her inadequacies and pronounce judgement on them; a judgement that will turn her name into mud in Ghana.

Does she care enough about her good name to avoid that? Only she alone knows  for the moment.
03.05.2016 LISTEN

I have often hypothesised on the concept of power. I hold firmly to the belief in the beauty of democracy as the bastion of inclusiveness and participatory governance. I strongly believe that in a democracy, power flows directly from the people thereby making the masses the real custodian of power. However, democracy as practiced and abused in Nigeria has raised numerous questions about its relevance at this stage of our nationhood.

The ongoing circus at the national assembly with its increasing meandering towards corruption and corruptible acts are no compliments to the beauty of democracy. A situation where the hallowed chambers are filled with shameless criminals, questionable characters, child abusers, celebrated looters, expert forgers and convicted drug barons turn the concept of democracy into a laughable sham. It amplifies the alternative sentiment that a badly managed democracy has no beauty and can indeed become a monster difficult to manage. We are at this stage in our national history, courtesy of Bukola Saraki and his gang of many thieves.

And so the shenanigans continue and the hallowed chamber of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria diminished further. In the face of mounting odds about the impossibility of his functioning as Nigerias Senate President, Dr Olubukola Saraki has continued to defy national expectation. In the face of increasing opprobrium and national disgust, Bukola Saraki has chosen the path of the prodigal son.

A prodigal son that will defy redemption. His manifest insensitivity to national trauma arising from his ludicrous occupation of the nations number three post is appalling and alarming and calls into question the foundation, rationale and basis of democracy in Nigeria. A democracy that will allow the likes of Bukola Saraki to occupy high offices and use same to fester his nest and further entrench corruption amongst a shameless cabal.

I will not completely agree with the view that an embryonic democracy like ours will necessarily undergo a teething process. The fact is that the whole world is in a hurry and Nigeria should not be left behind in the social, physical and economic emancipation of its people. There should be no accommodation of retardation and distraction as that created by the shameless Saraki circus.

The current circus show in Nigeria has further highlighted the numerous malaise inherent in our cataplectic strive towards nationhood. That a bicameral national assembly is unnecessary, wasteful and a strong bedrock of corruption has been finally cemented by this odious spectacle. That the calibre of those appointed to public offices has always been low and appalling has been further highlighted. That our judiciary is archaic, corrupt and a great contributor to our seemingly disastrous attempt at national emancipation is no longer news. In fact, the realisation that the Nigerian nation requires a drastic, surgical redemptive approaches that are obviously not in the offing stares strongly at our faces. That our jeopardy and discontent as a nation may continue for a long time to come is that sad prospect.

No nation can harbour the amount and severity of incendiary social discords as that obtained in Nigeria and yet remain glued together as one. The fact of this does not make Nigeria a unique case. It only emphasises our fragility with structural deficits akin to precarious encampment on a keg of gunpowder. If the nation is not in the throes of professionally diabolical and retrogressive clergy men, then it will be an unending war with kidnappers and armed robbers.

While ritualists and human traffickers hold sway, the other battle is with the ubiquitous Boko Haram sect. Struggling to contend with all these, Fulani herdsmen refused to be left out, rampaging through the entire country causing anguish and tears. As if all these are not sufficient, our political life continue to be stage-managed with cycles of morbid elections. We repetitively make the same set of mistakes and consistently elect tainted characters into our national life. The only beneficiaries of this huge mess are the likes of Bukola Saraki, Dino Melaye, Sani Yerima, Ali Ndume and a host of other such felonious characters.

Back to the issue of Bukola Saraki and his on-going corruption case at the code of conduct tribunal. Bukola has utilised every opportunity to shout political persecution. His body language continue to pass the message of indifference to the heinous crimes he committed. His attitude remains unapologetic with constant reminder that there are numerous such sordid characters in his league. True as this may be, it nevertheless does not exempt him from the guilt of his deeds. In the words of Frisky Larr, Saraki by his actions, especially his evil activities leading to his controversial emergence as the Senate President, has amply demonstrated how not to play the politics of desperation and short-term gains.

Sarakis hold on the Senate is a mere reflection of the power of filthy lucre. It is a testimony to the influence of corruption and a sad reflection of the characters encompassed by the hollow chamber. That the senate has been effectively turned into one of his numerous personal companies is a fact that is yet to register with many Nigerians. He has dominated the senate like he does his many enterprises. However, the danger is that Saraki is majorly a mortician of good enterprises and the 8th Senate stands no chance. The only business that survived in Sarakis hands are those detailed in the Panama papers  and we all know what these are and stand for.

The necromancer has effectively damaged the upper chamber  again in the words of Frisky Larr, encouragement of a band of renegade law makers to constantly abandon duty posts for his court appearances, encouragement of cross-party acceptance of SUV bribes, unbridled enthusiasm at amending existing laws deemed unfavourable to their collective interest and perpetual dichotomy in the upper chamber on account of his self-imposition. The senate needs to be rescued and urgently too or if the people so decides, scrapped. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

As it is for the senate, so it is for the country as a whole. One of the many questions is this: is it right for a politically spoilt child and a celebrated scoundrel to continue to hold the nation to ransom? Is it right for this heightened state of arousal on account of an unrepentant narcissistic scoundrel to be allowed to continue? Nigeria is besotted with many ailments that warrant collective efforts. Must we spend months (or even years of agony) waiting for a poster boy of corruption to know when to throw in the towel? Nigerians have stood up, even though in their minority, to explicitly state that enough is enough! Kudos to Citizens United for Peace and Stability. Kudos to the organisers and participants of #OccupyNASS. While the scoundrel may not resign as a result of all these, yet the message has been passed. Never again shall we fold our arms and allow scoundrels to exert their deadly stranglehold on us again. Nigeria calls for urgent salvation.

There is ardent need for vigilance on our part. The administration of justice in Nigeria is porous and permissive, hence the total state of chaos and lawlessness that pervades the country. Ricky Tarfas case is a mere tip of the iceberg. Sarakis ominous last sentence in his recent article on his current legal debacle is a cause for concern. He declared, rather pompously, that justice does not end with the CCT. As true as this sentence may be, its meaning within the Nigerian context is very grave. Saraki has been busy shopping around for justice even after the uncharacteristic declaration by the Supreme Court that he has a case to answer. And somewhere in this polluted environment may be a willing judge ready to throw a spanner into the gains made so far.

Collectively, we can spend our energies tackling our numerous social maladies and our fumbling attempts at socio-economic development. There is no longer an honourable option for Saraki, he missed that opportunity a while ago. Resignation at this stage holds no dignity. Resignation after conviction equally holds no honour. Impeachment (most unlikely in the present scenario) also would not confer any dignity on Sarakis exit. But exit he surely must, the end is just around the corner. The overall loser in the whole scenario is no one but Saraki, the author and architect of his own misfortune. Sarakis tale shall be a reference point for the consequences of uncontrolled greed and ambition. It is a classic case of how not to be a politician.

To Bukola Saraki, this is a real season of anomie, the days and nights of the long knives. These long knives are not borne of betrayal but rather a karmic consequence of faulty upbringing and opportunistic and extremely defective lifestyle with uncontrolled covetousness. His has been a lifestyle devoid of decency and moral scruples. But there is just one favour he can render to Nigeria. This is just to depart at this auspicious moment and allow us to direct our energies towards improving our existence and wellbeing.

Dr Olusegun Fakoya

London, UK
 Because it is confident that the voters will be more swayed by their own living conditions to vote against President Mahama than anything else, having exhausted its arsenal of promise-making and being left with nothing else but loud-mouthed criticisms, takashi, and patapaa(intimidation). But is that enough to win it Election 2016?

Folks, in assessing the electioneering campaign strategies of the political parties toward Election 2016, it is clear that even though we are not yet in the main season, a lot is happening to tell us how the tide flows.

The Mahama-led administration insists that it has laid a solid foundation by satisfying the electorate with development projects and tackling longstanding major national problems such as Dumsor to warrant its being retained in power so it an turn attention to other aspects of governance. As President Mahama has put it, a further four-year term for him will enable him to ensure that money is put in the pockets of Ghanaians. Whatever that claim portends, it suggests that President Mahama feels his government has done enough in broad terms and will use its next tenure to concentrate on policies and programmes to enrich the lives of Ghanaians. It means doing what will reduce the cost of living or give the people the means to cope with it.

Those opposed to his bid for a second term have so far not given us anything new with which to assess the situation. They have remained fixated on abject criticism, outright peddling of rumours, scaremongering, and tribal politics disguised as a campaign of fellow-feeling. They are no more making copious promises but are insistent on being given the mandate because of their self-serving claims that President Mahama is incompetent or has failed.

So far, nothing new has come from the NPP front to make the difference in how it wants to approach Election 2016. If it is not confronting the EC or denigrating the NDC administration, then, it is flexing muscle to engage in a useless wordy warfare. There is still preference for their favoured political strategyissuing threats, intimidating opponents, physically attacking opponents or property of opposing political parties, and many others.

On his part, Dr. Nduom and his PPP continue to tout their own worthiness, even as nothing exists to prove that they are firm on the ground. Its all a campaign of wishful thinking on the basis of an individuals success in business management and expansion of his private economic concerns. The misconception here is that success in business can be automatically translated into success in politics and the management of Ghanas affairs. Deceptive!!

The CPP front has Ivor Greenstreet in the saddle but isnt going anywhere because it has no traction. No constituency in the country exists for it. So, all the noise coming from Greenstreet reaches nowhere to woo voters.

I have nothing specifically relevant from the other mushroom parties (the PNC and its Dr. Edwards Mahama) and any other that exists in the imagination of its leader or in the media for whatever noise it makes just to prove that it still remains a legal entity, registered and acknowledged as such by the EC.

Where am I heading toward? I want to say that politicking toward Election 2016 seems to be offering Ghanaians nothing new. All that is doing the rounds has already been heard before. Those who lost Elections 2008 and 2012 havent changed their tune (After all, retaining the losers means getting nothing new from them to change the equation, clearly because they havent learnt any lesson from previous elections to add value to themselves). In that sense, should we be surprised that they have no convincing campaign message for the electorate?

Well, it may be so. But certain opinions suggest that they dont need any message because the voters themselves already know what they need to know to inform their electoral decision. In clear terms, the position is that he who feels it, knows it (as the Jamaican reggae musician puts it). Thus, the electorate will not need any message to decide how to vote. They will be informed by their living conditions under President Mahamas watch. This stance seems to fit into the NPPs message for Election 2000 (Hwe wasetena mo na tu aba pa), which didnt win Kufuor the elections outright. But for the support of the mushroom parties, he couldnt have won the run-off. So, now that the same tune seems to be on air, what next?

Will the voters simply write off President Mahama in favour of Akufo-Addo? Or will this feeling that President Mahama is incompetent be enough of a campaign message?

To make the matter more pointed, I reproduce verbatim a comment at ModernGhana.com by a reader of my opinion piece (So soon, a victory ram for President Mahama) that speaks a lot to why the NPP may not want to hinge its campaign on any specific message:

Dr Borkor, I know you are an NDC supporter, so am I. The difference between the two of us is that I have now gone off Mahama because he is so INCOMPETENT. What is more, you live in the USA but I live in Ghana and as such can SEE first-hand the damage Mahama is doing to the country. The bottom line is Mahama is NOT a CLEVER person and as such he does not know how to move the country forward.

I want Mahama to LOSE on November 7 to give the country a chance to breathe and to recover. Mahama would be better off teaching English Literature at University of Ghana, Legon. Better still, he had said in the past that he would be a cocoa farmer when he was no longer in politics. Let us give John Dramani Mahama the chance on November 7 to become a cocoa farmer. Maybe he will make a better cocoa farmer than he is president. He is NOT cut out to be president; I am not saying Akufo-Addo is either!

If Ghanaians make the mistake of voting for Mahama on November 7, it will mean Ghanaians will be in the doldrums for another FOUR, PAINFUL WASTEFUL years. Mahama is just not doing anything tangible to HELP this country for the simple reason that he is at a DEAD END as far as his abilities are concerned. The kind of politics required to move Ghana forward is a BOLD one, and Mahama is NOT a bold person. He is hiding behind IMF's politics and economics (political economy), which is detrimental to a developing country such as Ghana. We Ghanaians must show POLITICAL MATURITY on November 7 by trying someone new.

Here is the deal. Ghanaians should take a good look at Ivor Greenstreet and Kwesi Nduom to see if we can take a risk with one of them. (The GBC should organise US-style presidential debates for the NDC, NPP, CPP and PPP so that we can take a CLOSER look at these candidates.) If the prospect of Greenstreet or Nduom is too risky, then we must take a chance with the NPP; anything is BETTER than Mahama. The plus side for electing the NPP will be that Bawumia, who in my books is cleverer than Mahama, might help MOVE the country forward. The negative side will be the NPP might move the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to the tax haven of Panama for their convenience! This is a risk we must be prepared to take.

Another FOUR years of Mahama will COLLAPSE the country! Ghana is at the "point of inflection"; it needs bold and drastic measures. The Ghanaian electorate is not sophisticated; therefore, it is likely Mahama can manipulate it and win on November 7. However, that will be a HALLOW victory because it is not a question of winning power, but whether the power can be put to good use.

Accra, not to mention Tema and Kumasi, has become so SHABBY and DIRTY that it is only someone as BENIGHTED as Mahama who cannot see the significance of keeping a clean environment! He never talks about how he plans to remove the dirt and sludge, which is in almost every gutter in Accra, and how he plans to clean the filth that is ENGULFING our major towns and cities and the wider environment. A monkey would do a better job than Mahama. A monkey would have enough intelligence to know that we need to CLEAN our environment and BUILD our shattered roads. Some of the roads in Accra are so ineffably shattered that I do not know why Mahama keeps BOASTING about building roads. (See http://members.modernghana.com/GhanaHome/columnist/admin/listblogs.asp?saction=comments&id=689169#comments).

Folks, the comment is really loaded and reflect the thinking of someone who has his own beef against President Mahama. I dont intend to unpack, even if I want to fault the writer for being so intemperate and misguided in his attitude toward the President. He seems not to know what a President is constitutionally mandated to do or not. I dont think that it is the responsibility of the President to clean our gutters or living spaces. Why was the National Sanitation Day launched by President Mahama? So he will physically clean the country or so the citizens will be responsible enough to do so themselves?

I have already written an opinion piece to say that President Mahama is not Ghanas problems and that Ghanaians are their own 9and their countrys) problem. Anybody thinking otherwise will only be helping his opponents fail to hit the campaign trail with messages to woo the electorate. Is the NPP falling into this trap?

I shall return
Folks, there is no gainsaying the fact that Akufo-Addo lost Elections 2008 and 2012, not because he didnt have any message for Ghanaians to hang on to but because he lacked the personal appeal that the voters needed to assuage all doubts and apprehensions that he would provide a better administration of affairs to make Ghana habitable by them. In effect Akufo-Addos approach to politics scared the voters more than needed. No amount of massaging of feelings after-the-fact could save him from electoral doom.

Thus, he lost Election 2008 in the run-off, clearly because those why were expected top partner with him saw through the veil and thought otherwise. None of the mushroom anti-NDC parties that partnered Kufuor to win the 2000 run-off joined arms with him even though he had a slight edge of 49 point something per cent over the late Atta Mills.

Thereafter, events didnt work well for him. The consequences? Election 2012 saw him in the ditch again on account of his lack of appeal and many other factors that worked well for President Mahama. All that whiloe4, he was riding on the crest of the NPPs strategic choice of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (a northerner and Muslim) to relive the Alhaji Aliu Mahama memory. Truth be told, Dr. Bawumia had little to offer the NPP. He still has little to do so even after re-engineering himself as the political-opponent-in-chief of a fellow Northerner in the person of President John Dramani Mahama.

In his bid to paint President Mahama as bad for Northern Ghana, Dr. Bawumia is burning steam and unwittingly playing himself into the hands of Fate. He has said a lot to damn the Mahama-led administration that has turned out to have a boomerang effect on his own integrity and to jeopardize the very cause for which he is being used. The vicissitudes of the useless petition hearing that continue to haunt him are glaring.

He played a yeomans role that hasnt redounded to his own political quests of those of the Akufo-Addo hiding in the shadows to manipulate him just because he claims to be an economist and was the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (under whom the Kufuor government did surreptitious things, including the redenomination of the Ghanaians Cedi, which is one of the major contentions dogging him. How much the government spent on that exercise i9s still being kept secret while the rush to sentimentalism about the slumping of the Cedi is has become the NPPs anti-Mahama gig. In this sense, Dr. Bawumia hasnt yet passed the credibility test, which pegs him on a horrible pedestal when it comes to truthfulness in national affairs. Is such a person really worthy of being entrusted with the affairs of state?).

To worsen his credibility problem, he is going around the country, especially the northern sector, playing the tribal card. As already known, he is on record as having urged his siblings and others of the Great Naa Gbewaa origin to root for him against President Mahama because he is also a northerner. This recourse to the tribal card goes against the grain that Ms. Dzifa Ativor of the NDC is accused of sowing. She is on record as urging the electorate of the Volta Region (Ewes) to retain the Mahama-led NDC administration in power if she is not to be jailed by an Akufo-Addo-led NPP government. Forget about the narrow-selfish personal interest behind her appeal to concentrate on larger-level issues of tribal politics, which brings in Dr. Bawumia too. He has made two terribly spurious moves that constitute nothing but a drawback on the Akufo-Addo move. Here they are:

Speaking at Nyohini, in the Tamale South Constituency, Dr. Bawumia said many things wrapped around tribal politics, even if he set out to undermine President Mahama as a failure. Here are his own words:

My elders, my brothers, my sisters, in 2008 and 2012, we were told by the NDC that because John Mahama was a Northerner, we should vote for him. Indeed, John Mahama himself asked the people of the North to vote for him because he was from the North My elders and siblings, if John Mahama is claiming that you should vote for him because he is a northerner, then I would like to remind you that I am also from the North as a grandson of Na Gbewaa and I am asking for you to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo and myself (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Mahama-has-failed-Bawumia-435227).

Addressing supporters of the New Patriotic Party in the Sissala East district of the Upper West region Dr. Bawumia stated that the Presidency is religiously skewed against Muslims, which does not adequately reflect one part of the two dominant religious groupings in the country. He, therefore, urged the residents to vote for the NPP in the upcoming elections in order to bring religious balance to the presidency.(See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Flagstaff-House-religiously-skewed-Bawumia-435154).

Abject political mediocrity and dishonesty to the truth! Complete childishness. Is Ghana a theocracy to warrant this kind of nonsense? By going this way, Dr. Bawumia is charting a path to be wary of. Records reveal that all Ghanaians of all religious faiths are doing government business all over the country, not only at the Flagstaff House because Ghana is a secular state. President Mahama has on several occasions made it clear that Ghanas secular stateness wont permit it to do anything to favour any particular sect. Dr. Bawumia should have known better than going this way. So, what is he doing, after all? Playing the religious card in addition to the tribal one that he has played in Tamale? And claims to be a grandson of the Naa Gbewaa?

Truly, with characters like him, any crisis emanating from ethnic or religious conflicts/misunderstandings cannot be resolved as long as they pull strings. And to say that he was on a pilgrimage last year to seek the face of Allah is a farce. Allah upholds peace among all nations, contrary to what Dr. Bawumia upholds in his political quests. A bad omen already!!

Folks, we can say with all confidence that what has been unleashed by Dr. Bawumia at this point in his electioneering campaign bid raises more worries than he and Akufo-Addo can contain. He has added more woes to the plate and should be prepared for the consequences. Before the NPP power brokers even step in to question him on his choice of political mobilization strategy, suffice it for me to conclude that he has done nothing but add more spokes to Akufo-Addos wheel. The man himself is still struggling to solve his personal credibility problems. Why add more from a weider dimension to it?

I shall return
03.05.2016 LISTEN

No sooner had I published the first threatening voicemail message left on my phone by a criminally-minded nuisance nocturnal Ghanaian phone caller in Britain than the lid was blown off his identity. He initially started off as a Jamaican, speaking Jamaican patois. However, when I got my Jamaican lady to take him on, after this criminal raining insults on her on the phone, and she countering his insults with strong Jamaican patois and British-accentuated English, he finally emerged from his Jamaican pretence.

He came out speaking Twi, English and still patois; leaving threatening voicemail messages that have the potency to incriminate the Ashanti Overlord, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. He is the person of KWAKU AKOSAH, a Kumawu Ankaase royal residing in Streatham, one of the South Eastern suburbs of London. For his safety and security, I shall not disclose the address (Street name and number) he lives at and his personal phone number apart from the disposable Lycamobile SIM card phone number (00-44) 07459022242 that he called me from.

Kwaku Akosah is the senior brother of Dr Yaw Sarfo, the masquerading Kumawuhene Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua who for his lack of knowledge of Kumawu history but naive quest for power, fame and wealth, is in collusion with Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to exploit Kumawuman to the hilt.

This publication comes with a voicemail attachment of the harassing messages left by Kwaku Akosah. Hardly had News Ghana published the first version of the voicemail messages when it went viral within minutes. I was then contacted by a member of his own family to tell me the voice as published and made public is that of Kwaku Akosah, a disgrace to, and a blemish on, the integrity of their Kumawu Ankaase royal family.

He says I cannot go to Ghana because Asantehene and his supporters are looking for me, having probably issued a fatwa against me and that should I ever rear my ugly head in Ghana, I shall either be harmed, arrested or killed. If this is the belief of the nuisance phone caller, then I am afraid, he has got it all wrong.

I shall go to Ghana and Asantehene having been mentioned on the voicemail tape as a likely accomplice in whose name my life is threatened, will be obliged to protect me or else, he will be arrested should I be killed or disappear into the thin air for any known or unknown reason(s). I see his bragging only as a desperate person doing his nuts. I do not take him serious. Nonetheless, I have lodged a complaint against the then unknown nuisance phone caller with the British Police.

If he was serious and wise but not absolutely stupid, he would not leave voicemail messages that could easily reveal his identity when traced as it is now the case. Has he now realised the level of intelligence of Rockson Adofo who is able to take people on in intellectual discourse on politics, economics and social activities?

Kwaku Akosah is now in trouble. His family members in Ghana are worried about how he has so easily exposed his identity in such a silly manner, an indication that he does not possess both formal and informal wisdom  onie efie ne sukuu nyansa

I wonder how most of the supporters of, and advisors to, Dr Yaw Sarfo and Kumawuhemaa Nana Abenaa Serwaah Amponsah, lack both intelligence and wisdom. One such person is Kwaku Akosah with others being one Alexander Afriyie in the US and one Oyibo in Kumawu Bodomase.

Alexander Afriyie once published an article about me purporting to be the commencement of his intentional determination to writing my biography. He started off quoting from my published articles as though he had expertly conducted his own research on me. He indicated so many addresses in London with the aim of informing the public of where I live or had lived in London. This was his criminal, but vain attempt on seeking to expose my identity and whereabouts.

This greenhorn journalist and a radio programme presenter at one of the Ghanaian FM radio stations in Virginia, USA, was by then an illegal immigrant. Many a Ghanaian asked me to cause his deportation from the US for his silly behaviour but I refused even though, I had my hands on the address he lives at in the US, where and when he does his radio programmes etc.

Why should such a then illegal immigrant attempt to fool about in the way he did? He supports Dr Yaw Sarfo and Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, so he felt he had better do something publicly to prove his unflinching allegiance to them.

How could I do any harm to him since he is the breadwinner of his family back in Ghana, especially the provider for his widowed mum, Madam Akosua Darkwaah (Akosua Akwaa) but popularly called by others as Eno Dakwaah? How could I do that to him since his grandma, the late Maame Afua Nsedua did me a great favour when I urgently needed help back in 1994? How could I do that to him since his late fathers younger brother (Mr Kwame Asare) was my schoolmate, I say schoolmate but not classmate, or to be more precise, my senior by two years at Kumawu Roman Catholic/ L/A elementary school? How could I do that since his father, the late Opanin Kwame Duffour could have probably been named after my own grandfather? How could I do that since he is somehow my brother-in-law? How could I do that since it is against my beliefs and moral principles?

I believe he will one day come to me to plead for forgiveness once he comes to understand the usefulness of what I am doing in the name of Kumawu and Ghana for the collective interest of Kumawuman subjects and Ghanaians. Until then, he will continue to behave irresponsibly because of the said endorsement of his once published two history books by the late Kumawuhene Barima Asumadu Sakyi II.

I will preferably refer to the said books of which I have copies as booklets or pamphlets. They were full of grammatical and factual inaccuracies. I am not running him down but just stating the facts. I purchased them in March 2007 when Kumawuman celebrated her last Papa festival before the demise of Barima Asumadu Sakyi II.

The other person is one Oyibo from Kumawu-Bodomase, a fanatic supporter of Dr Yaw Sarfo and Kumawuhemaa. This is the guy who went to arrange some macho men to come to Kumawu to proceed to Kumawu-Bodomase to spoil Kumawuhene Barima Tweneboa Kodua Vs sisters funeral scheduled for 2nd April 2016.

When the macho men reached Kumawu cemetery, they parked their car. They were walked from the cemetery through the streets to Kumawu palace by this Oyibo. Luckily, Kumawuhemaa could not afford the fee of GHC8, 000 they demanded.

Some Ahenfie boys who support Dr Yaw Sarfo and Kumawuhemaa stepped in; they accepted to do the job for which the macho men failed to do for a lesser fee of GHC3, 000. I have already published what happened in my previous write-ups hence no need revisiting the events that took place.

How could Oyibo lead these macho men to Kumawu-Bodomase, the home turf of Barima Tweneboa Kodua V with intent to carrying out such dastardly action?

I can see a striking characteristic similarity between the three named supporters/advisors. They are all STUPID! Considering their circumstances and the way each of them behaved, one can only perfectly conclude that they have acted stupidly.

Find attached the voicemail messages Kwaku Akosah left on phones for my attention subsequent upon which I have reported him to the London Metropolitan Police. He will surely be arrested once the voice has been confirmed to be his.

To all my fans and supporters, please stay away from him when you see him. Do not do anything to him that will put you in confrontation with the British police or the British laws. Just allow the police to deal with him.

There are no Ashanti or Kumasi boys looking for me as erroneously asserted by Kwaku Akosah when he was raving and ranting. The claim is just the figment of his warped imagination. My published revelations are obstructing them from achieving their criminal motives against Kumawuman. I have more supporters among civilized and open-minded Ghanaians both abroad and in Ghana than Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has.

Ashantis in particular and Ghanaians in general are presently suffering all because of his actions and inactions. I hope Kwaku Akosah will not dare enter into that territory where I am armed to the teeth with facts and evidence.

Rockson Adofo
The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea, has rationalised comments made by the party's vice-presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, which have been condemned, as inflammatory.

Nana Akomea, on Joy FM's Super Morning Show yesterday, said the vice presidential candidate of the party was making a case for balance and inclusion in the national political leadership of the country.

Addressing party supporters in the Sissala East constituency in the Upper West Region over the weekend, Dr Bawumia said the seat of the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government did not adequately mirror the two dominant religious groups in Ghana.

Presidency accused

He accused the presidency of being biased towards Muslims in the country and urged them to vote for the NPP in the upcoming elections to bring religious balance to the presidency.

'...In this country, we are living peacefully and nicely as Muslims and Christians. So we believe in the NPP that Christians and Muslims should work together and that is why whenever we pick a president as a Christian, we pick a Muslim as a vice."

"And when we come and pick a Muslim as president, we will pick a Christian as vice. So if Insha Allah, Nana Akufo-Addo becomes president, he will swear with the Bible and enter the Flagstaff and I will swear with the Quran and enter the Flagstaff House.'

"So that when we combine the Quran and the Bible, Ghana will be the major beneficiary. The blessings of God will be upon Ghana if we have the two religions in the Flagstaff House," he ended.

His comments have since aroused condemnation from the general public.

But Nana Akomea has insisted the intention of the comments of the vice presidential candidate is to promote religious balance at the presidency.

"Bawumia didn't say don't vote for somebody because he is not a Muslim. He is saying that if we have a balanced ticket in terms of religion, he thinks it will be better for the country.

"He may have said something that may arouse legal sentiments and if that is the case then we are all learning as we move forward but all of us talk about having ethnic balance in our political appointments, don't we?" Mr Akomea quizzed.

NDC reacts

But the National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress, Kofi Adams, said Dr Bawumia's remarks were "silly" and must be condemned.

He said the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana was short of messages for Ghanaians and was, therefore, resorting to religious politics.

"All his economic theories, following President Mahama's 'Accounting to the People's' tour [have] been thrown off so he has no message again when it comes to the economy so he must move to these other areas which will not help him," he indicated.

A Presidential Staffer Dr. Clement Apaak, also called on Dr Bawumia to render an unqualified apology to Ghanaians for suggesting that the Flagstaff House is religiously skewed in favour of Christians.

According to Dr Apaak, the comments by Dr Bawumia were unfortunate, false and must be condemned by Ghanaians.

Speaking to Starr News, Dr Apaak said President Mahama's government cut across the board and did not favour a particular religious group.

'He is making [the comments] out of mischief; if you look at President Mahama's appointees, they are across the board and it is not the case that we should be encouraging this kind of selfish religion-based intentions of persons who are seeking political power largely because of their personal interest.
03.05.2016 LISTEN

Lets Have Clean Political Campaigns Ahead Of November 7 General Elections

By Abundant Robert K. AWOLUGUTU

Ghana has been touted as the beacon of democracy on the African continent having successfully conducted six general elections. This years elections which have been slated for November 7 will be the 7th since the Fourth Republican dispensation began in 1992.

However Ghanaians are worried as the political temperature of the country is rising with some of the contestants who are in the race for parliament and the flagstaff House have tried to outdo each other with accusations and counter accusations, insults, innuendoes, vilifications, mudslinging, hate speech and what have you. These and other inflammatory statements coming from political actors have the tendency of disrupting the peace being enjoyed in the country.

As a result of the anxiety which has gripped Ghanaians, some civil society organizations and Non-governmental organizations have taken to peace walks to drum home the need for the various political groups and their followers to promote and maintain the peace and unity of the country ahead of the November 7 polls even as they criss-cross the country with their campaign messages.

On Friday 15 April, Police Wives Association members led by the wife of current IGP embarked on a peace march in Kumasi to sensitize Ghanaians about the need to maintain peace in the country. They carried placards some of which read: We need peace, Ghana is bigger than you, and Freedom is not about insults etc.

The campaign by the Police Wives Association was prudent because women and children are among the vulnerable groups who suffer the most in conflict situations.

Members of the Methodist Guild in Koforidua carried out a similar exercise to promote unity, peace and stability before, during and after the November 7 elections. Some of the messages on their placards read: Dont use your selfish interest to destroy Ghana ; Ghanaians need honest and dedicated leaders ; Corruption hinders development ; Ghanaians need violence free elections ; Dont follow stomach politicians ; EC be free and fair to all parties ; and Let us enjoy freedom of expression.

Various religious groups have also prayed for peaceful elections come November 7. They have used the pulpit to preach peace asking politicians and their supporters to conduct their electioneering campaigns with decorum. This is to prevent the country from falling into chaos and confusion.

This writer would like to add his voice to the calls from individuals and groups to the various contestants to focus their campaigns on their ideas, policies and programmes they would implement to move this country forward. Ghanaians want clean political campaigns devoid of physical and verbal attacks, violence and any form of intimidation of their political opponents.

All political actors must strictly adhere to the tenets of democracy which include promoting the rule of law, respect for human rights, strengthening the institutions of governance and the creation of prosperity for all. No self- seeking politician should cause human blood to spill because he wants political power at all costs.

Politicians should not do anything that will claim the lives of the very people they are seeking power to govern. They must put the national interest above their parochial interest.

The EC, the constitutional body mandated to conduct and supervise the elections must ensure that this is done in a fair and just manner. It should do something about the current controversial voters register and make it credible enough for the conduct of the November 7 polls.

The EC should do its work without fear or favour. It should institute measures to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process before, during and after the November general elections. It should implement the reforms that have been recommended by the panel of experts.

The EC should maintain its independence and neutrality. Under no circumstances should it be seen to be in bed with any political party.

Ghanaian women are looking up to Mrs Charlotte Osei for inspiration. She should prove her mettle and not let women down.

The media should be circumspect in reporting on political issues. We expect nothing short of fairness, justice and objectivity.

The National Media Commission should ensure that media houses comply with the ethics of journalism.

The media should not declare results as it has no mandate to do so. It should however monitor the electoral process and the conduct of the elections with eagle eyes so as to prevent manipulation and deceit.

There have been allegations that President Mahama is taking advantage of his incumbency to use state resources for his political activities. In other words there is no level playing field for all political activists. It is not out of place to humbly ask the President to do something about it.

In conclusion, lets have clean political campaigns devoid of divisive tendencies and violence before, during and after the November 7 general elections.

All stakeholders should exercise perpetual vigilance to safeguard the integrity and sanctity of the elections come November 7. A stitch in time saves nine.

Abundant Robert Kwodam AWOLUGUTU

Dep. Dir. Of Prisons/Regional Commander

Ghana Prisons Service

Tamale, N/R.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says it wont clamp down on unregulated alcohol distribution in Ghana, which is believed to be on a massive scale.

Ag. Deputy CEO Isabella Mansa Agra explained on Joy FMs Super Morning Show, Tuesday that any aggressive move could easily spark public uproar.

The regulation of the alcoholic beverage industry is proving an overwhelming task for the Authority, she admitted.

Even more daunting is an informal sector where alcoholic sale points popularly known as blue kiosk dot every street corner in communities, many of which are unlicensed.

Nothing is stopping us from clamping down on everybody and everything, the Deputy CEO said. But the FDA's approach is to shun using the stick and adopt a carrot approach.

The general approach is to be more friendly, Agra stressed, explaining that FDA talks to producers and sellers to submit to the laws of the country governing alcohol distribution.

If the Authority is to descend on the production, distribution and marketing of alcoholic beverages, there will be thousands and thousands of people to arrest she said.

According to her, the courts and agencies for prosecution are still not well developed to accommodate a massive crackdown on the menace.

Currently, the FDA is talking to the Judicial Council to have a special court to tackle offending players in the alcohol industry, the Deputy CEO revealed.

Continuing the defense of the Authority's struggling, subdued and limited response, Isabella also pointed out they do not have the funds to fight the forces behind the illegal alcohol distribution industry.

The funds of the FDA are nowhere near enough she said. The monies raised through its regulation activities are forwarded to the consolidated funds. While it would wish to keep that money, the Deputy CEO says even that will still be inadequate.

We need a lot of money, she revealed. Isabella Agra indicated that despite these challenges, the FDA is determined to rid the country of unlicensed agents in the alcohol industry.

The FDA gets lots of tip-offs from several informants, she said.

We do what we can Isabella Mansa Agra conceded in the face of a low budget and understaffing.

In a word of advice, Isabella said scientific findings have dismissed the need for people to drink alcohol. Consumption in any form still affects the body, however low, the administrator explained the scientific aspect of it.

Alcohol is the further breakdown of carbohydrates found in food, she described. Anytime the body needs it, it internally breaks down carbohydrates into alcohol for absorption into the blood stream.

In other words, if the body needs alcohol, it knows where to find it without any help from blue kiosks.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
03.05.2016 LISTEN

Much has been achieved through the deliberate programmes implemented during the first term of the NDC (2009-2012) consistent with the promises made in the 2008 Manifesto.(the 2012 NDC manifesto page 33)

And when I win the second term, then we will start putting money in your pockets Mr. Speaker, in this term and my next term, I intend to work hard to achieve this objective President Mahama after making these statements ,keeps on deceiving Ghanaians that he has just finished his first term and needs a second term.

Why is the NDC trying to separate President Mahama from the NDC Party? Ghanaians have given President Mahama (who stood on the ticket of the NDC party) eight years to showcase his incompetence. Why is President Mahama also trying to distance himself from the NDC in his bid for a third term?, Does President Mahama need a third term before he can work hard? What did he use the eight years for?

The NDC government has done a lot in four years; our constitution gives Presidents two terms. Take it that I am the spare driver or caretaker. Prof. Mills of blessed memory started the process and I am finishing his unexpired term. I believe the NDC government deserves a second term to be able to build on the foundation that it has laid in these four years By President Mahama ahead of the 2012 general elections. President Mahama in 2012 told Ghanaians that, the NDC government deserves a second term and not the John Mahama government that needs a second term.

President Mahama after the demise of Prof. Atta Mills, told Ghanaians that , he (Mahama) was the luckiest Vice President in the world because he (Prof. Mills) trained him well and gave him all the opportunities such as Head of the Economic Management Team, chairman of the Police council, representing Prof. Mills in other meetings and initiated the purchase of the inflated aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces. So as the luckiest Vice President in the world, why is President Mahama desperately seeking for a third term before he can put money into the pockets of Ghanaians?

Lets look at certain statements made in the 2012 NDC Manifesto which contradicts President Mahamas third term bid.

Since we resumed office in 2009, our country has made significant progress, attaining and sustaining middle income status for the first time in our history (NDC 2012 manifesto page 6). The aforementioned statement was written and fore worded by President John Dramani Mahama, Presidential candidate and leader of the NDC. If President Mahama is telling Ghanaians that he only became a President in 2013,then who was he after the demise of President mills? Why is President Mahama desperately seeking for a third term which is against the 1992 constitution which stipulates that A PERSON SHALL NOT BE ELECTED TO HOLD OFFICE AS A PRESIDENT OF GHANA FOR MORE THAN TWO TERMS

Upon the renewal of its mandate in 2012, the next NDC Government proposes to undertake the following programmes (NDC 2012 manifesto page 71)

We have been in government for three terms and in opposition for two terms. This manifesto reflects the vision for Advancing the Better Ghana Agenda for the next four years. (NDC manifesto page 74)

President Mahama in 2015 told Ghanaians that President Atta Mills term does not count and he should be judged from 2013. However, when it comes to the achievements and projects of the NDC, President Mahama takes credit for projects under President Atta Mills term including those started under President Kuffuors term. Again when Ghanaians describes the NDC as a violent party with reference from the PNDC era, the NDC tries to disassociate itself from the PNDC .But when it comes to the achievements of the NDC, the NDC goes back to the PNDC era to take credit for projects started during that regime.

To the NDC and President Mahama, every government is given eight years. So if the NDC and President Mahama knew that every government is given eight years, why did Prof Mills contest President Kuffour during the 2004 election since President Kuffours administration was not eight years old? If every government is given eight years , why did the NDC tell the world that they(NDC) won the 2004 general elections? If every government is given eight years, then President Mahama should go unopposed without any elections been held in 2016.. If every government is given eight years, then Ghanaians have already given the government eight years (from 2009 to 2016) and must be changed come November 7 2016..

MAHAMA WAS NOT AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE. ALLOW NDC TO JOIN PETITION SAYS TSIKATA During the petitioners case in the supreme court, the NDC filed a writ to be part of the case arguing that, President Mahama did not become a President on his own or on an independent ticket but on the ticket of the NDC and must be seen as ONE ENTITY WITHOUT ANY SEPERATION FROM THE NDC.

President Mahama in his thank you tour stated that most Ghanaians are not having a feel of the economy because they lack the skills to take advantage of the economy. Under President Mahamas economy, NURSES, DOCTORS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS FROM THE SCHOOL OF HYGIENE who have acquired the needed skills from their various institutions have not been employed for over four years. So are these people not having a feel of the economy because they are unskilled? What skills is the President talking of? Is it the create-loot and share skills? Is it the woyome, sada, gyeeda, busbranding and the Isofoton skills? In Ghana, the longest serving government was a military government which had eleven years. A third term for President Mahama means twelve years of political power to the NDC WHICH WILL BE MORE THAN a military government. A VOTE FOR MAHAMA AND THE NDC MEANS TWELVE YEARS OF CONTINUOUS CORRUPTION, SEVERE HARDSHIPS,HIGH TAXES AND UTILITY BILLS, COLLAPSING OF INDUSTRIES AND MISMANAGEMENT OF THE ECONOMYGHANAIANS ARE FOR CHANGE..VOTE FOR CHANGE.

PAPARAZY ANDREWS ASAMOAH.

FORMER TESCON PRESIDENT-UG.

[email protected]

0249195426
03.05.2016 LISTEN

On behave of the NDC UK/Ireland Chapter and on my own behalf I wish to congratulate all galant workers of Ghana on the occasion of workers day celebrations. We salute them for their hard work and contribution towards the development and growth of our nation Ghana.

We edge workers to take a sober reflection on their effort and contributions towards nation building and development. Much as we congratulate and celebrate their efforts and contributions, we believe there is much more they can give. So on the occasion of worker day celebration, it is our hope that they will rededicate themselves to the service of Ghana, redouble their effort and give more and extra to the development of our country Ghana. As we move forward as a country, we must all double our efforts to increase our output and improve productivity.

We believe working harder and extra is the only way forward. The only way to contribute to dealing with the numerous challenges facing us as a country. We are all in it together. The only way we can secure the future of Ghanaian workers is to work harder for that future now.

May The Lord continue to bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong. Long live Ghana, long live the workers of Ghana.

Kofi Kwakye

Chairman NDC UK/Ireland Chapter.
03.05.2016 LISTEN

By Maame Agyeiwaa Agyei

([email protected])

Sampson Ahi, Deputy Minister in-charge of Housing at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has announced that the Rent Act currently before Parliament for review will encourage investments in the construction of the rental housing sector.

He said, Government also intends to prioritize rent-to-own schemes for low income households and starter families. As a result, the Rent Act 220 (1963) is being reviewed to encourage investments in the construction of rental housing for vulnerable households. He said this at the inaugural meeting of the Homes for All, a Ghana National Housing Awareness and Data collection road-show in Accra.

The road-show is a platform that will discuss issues related to housing delivery for all and good practice strategies for management and maintenance. This is in line with the government's commitment to help solve the housing problems facing the country. The road-show, according to Mr. Ahi will collect data of individuals, families, and their needs in terms of housing, how many rooms needed by a family or individuals, which will be given based on the income level.

This, he said will subsequently support middle and lower income earning Ghanaians to own affordable accommodations, which would go a long way to solve the current housing deficit problem facing the country. According to him, Ghana crossed the urban divide in 2010, with over 50% of the population living in the urban areas, adding the housing deficit is estimated to be in excess of 1.7 million units whilst the annual housing delivery is estimated to be between 45,000 to 50,000 units.

The Deputy Minister continued that the objective of the national housing policy that was launched in March is to create an enabling environment with the state playing a facilitating role and encourage private sector developers, co-operative groups and other actors to embark on affordable housing delivery for all.

He said it was about time his ministry to consolidate all research works to collect vital information gearing towards a strategic framework to deliver the objectives of the national housing policy. Helen Ankrah, Director for the Centre of Excellence for Housing Studies (CABE) KNUST, on her part, classified the objectives of the campaign into three including fact-finding for a pilot project to build 1,000 affordable homes in each of the 10 regions over a period of two to five years.

The other two categories include; the creation of awareness to generate members for Ghana Institute of Housing (GIH) as part of local chartered status requirement to support policy and management strategies good practice guide and to create awareness of the perceptions of housing, homes and quality of life amongst key stakeholders.

She explained that the program would analyze those who need basic but decent and affordable homes to be able to build, allocate, manage relationships and maintain structures in compliant with policy, law and good practice strategies, which would subsequently give equal and fair access.

Hinting on the expectations of the campaign, she noted that the program would be executed in collaboration with landlords, chiefs, family heads, professionals and Lands Commission to make sense of land use management and to compile the need assessments of individuals between the ages of 14-60 years.

Continuing, Helen Ankrah observed that the development planning committee constituted to ensure that the program has been undertaken is working assiduously. The Registrar for the College of Arts and Built Environment at KNUST who was also the Chairman for the occasion, Owusu Ansah Debrah, in his remarks urged the committee members to undertake their new roles with dedication and tactfulness.
Inusah Fuseini, Minister of Roads and Highways

03.05.2016 LISTEN

Ghana under the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) may well be fast on its way to reverting to the bad old days when Chairman Jerry John Rawlings and his so-called Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) ruled the roost. The Mahama cabinet appointees clearly lack a sense of professionalism, otherwise we would not have the Minister of Roads and Highways presume to play the clearly and neatly defined role of the Minister of the Interior (See BNIs Profiling of Nana Addos Men in His Interest  Minister Citifmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 4/24/16).

The decision by agents of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to profile the personal bodyguard and photographer of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the countrys foremost opposition leader, procedurally defies common sense. The motive behind such profiling, as revealed by Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, the NDC-Member of Parliament for Tamale-Central, however, is quite reasonable and in some respects even laudable.

The fact of the matter is that the BNI ought to have embarked on such a venture as a matter of principle, not ad-hoc and in the indisputably hostile manner in which it is widely alleged to have done.

For instance, the Director of the BNI, whoever s/he may be, could have dispatched a memorandum to the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Edward Doe Adjaho, solemnly advising all Members of the House, as well as other senior staff members, to have their security detail and chauffeurs book an appointment with BNI operatives for purposes of security clearance.

What we have in the cases of Akufos photographer and bodyguard is clear tantamount to a flagrant violation of the human and civil rights of these two Ghanaian citizens.

We are told that the two unnamed men had accompanied Capt. Edmund Koda, Head of the New Patriotic Party flagbearers security detail, to retrieve some unspecified items seized by BNI operatives at the time of the arrest and detention of the three retired South African police officers, who had reportedly been invited by Capt. Koda to train the partys security personnel for crowd control and other allied activities in the lead-up to the 2016 general election.

You see, in a civilized constitutional democracy of the sort being studiously and doggedly pursued by the Ghanaian citizenry, you just dont walk into the offices of any security agency, uninvited but for quite legitimate purposes, as clearly seems to have been the case of Akufo-Addos photographer and bodyguard, only to be unduly and instantly subjected to the sort of interrogation or orders the two are reported to have endured.

The Roads and Highways Minister claims that the personality profiling of citizens was initiated under the Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party government. If, indeed, Mr. Fuseini believes that it was a good policy, then rather than invoking this precedent to merely defend this patent BNI violation of the civil rights of the two Akufo-Addo aides, why has the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress government waited until this watershed election year to attempt to put the same policy to use? Needless to say, you dont need a college degree to fully appreciate the fact that Mr. Fuseini is just mischievously playing the notorious equalization game that the NDC operatives are repulsively known for.

I have said this before and hereby repeat the same, that if the Mahama government operatives were really interested in our national security, they would have long adequately funded the National Identification Card/System project, which would have made it much easier to keep track of all trouble-makers and potential trouble-makers, irrespective of ideological bent or suasion.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
03.05.2016 LISTEN

I woke up one day in the middle of the night and I ask myself, what is there to change? A change that can transform oneself and create a great impact on the individual. So at that moment so many things keep coming into mind but one thing that continuously comes to mind is our mindset.One may ask why the mindset?. Is there a need at all? What role can it play to transform and create a change on the individual and the society at large? The mind is a very powerful tool which I called the central administration of our wellbeing. Most decisions we take in life whether as an individual or a group first comes from the mind. That is the main reason why we need a sound mind to go about our daily activities.

Success in life is not determined by how beautiful or handsome you are or how strong you can be but about the choices and decisions you make in life. These decisions or choices do not drop as manna from heaven but it all boils down to our mind and the things we feed our mind with. So therefore to be successful in life there is a need to feed your mind with positive things and do away with distorted and unhelpful thought.

There is a need to realize the concept that our thoughts are link to our feeling and behaviour, hence what you think affects your feelings and behaviour. If you think positive you feel positive which leads to a positive behaviour. The same way with negative thought which translate to negative feelings and behaviour.

In Ghana, poverty I think emancipate from the mind. We think poverty and we feel poor and leave a dejected life. Most people in Ghana live a life believing they can never make it in life because they think the generation before them lived a poor life, so therefore there is no way they are going to succeed in life. Its really sad when you visit a remote community in Ghana, and you get to certain household, you will find out that a particular household is blessed with so many resources such as a big farm with so many produce, and even cows and other livestock yet these people consider themselves poor because they are not leaving in the city to enjoy most of the facilities it has to offer.

What really sadden my heart is that, their children are not in school even with all their resources they have, all because they think they are poor so even with what they have, they still see themselves as inferior and living in abject poverty.

I know in Ghana, certain conditions are not favourable but we can still transform our life with the little available. It all depends on the choices and decisions we make with this limited resources we have at our disposal and all these is based on our mind. There is a need to condition our mind in the positive direction and when we do this, we will always feel good about ourselves.

But as human as we are, I know some negative or distressing thought can come to mind which can really break us down but when this happens we just have to challenge this negative thought and move on with our life. I challenge all of us as citizen of Ghana to come out from the mental slavery of negative thought and when we do this, Ghana will be a better place for all of us. Most of us usually think that, Ghana can never move forward and with such a thought, it affect our work to serve the nation properly because our mind is made up already, hence no amount of our input can move this country forward.

Lets control our mind and not the other way .I will end by saying our mindset is what separates the best from the rest so know what you think about.
By Bernice Bessey

The Chairman of the Supreme Council of Cocoa Industry Workers' Union, Alhaji Alhassan Iddris, has denied allegations that some workers at the Ghana Cocoa Board headquarters had been transferred to remote areas for refusing to join the cocoa sector workers' union.

According to Alhaji Iddris, the alleged report was nothing, but falsehood, and must not be taken serious.

He stressed that there has not been any instance that a worker was punished or intimated for not signing onto the union, saying: Neither Dr. Stephen Opuni, nor my good self, has victimised any worker, or has caused the transfer of any worker who doesn't what to join the union, as being speculated by Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) and Industrial Commercial Workers Union (ICU).

Alhaji Alhassan made this statement at a press conference at the COCOBOD head office in Accra last week.

He argued that the formation of the union was lawful, as the Constitution of Ghana allows freedom of association, so the ICU and GAWU have no business to contend against the creation of the Cocoa Industry Workers Union.

The Supreme Council Chairman added that the cocoa industry workers union had also satisfied ICU and GAWU constitutional requirements, which urged members to notify them within three to five months before they exit.

He indicated that the new union was using democratic and voluntary means to enroll membership, reiterating: We are forming a sector union; Cocoa Research Institute was first to pull out from GAWU to form its own union. ICU and GAWU are complaining, because they will lose financial contributions from coca sector workers.

It is a blatant lie that workers were transferred because they refused to sign onto the Cocoa Industry Workers Union. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Dr. Opuni, will not force us to form or not form a union.

Alhaji Iddris further explained that if any worker was to be transferred to any area in the sector, it was because his or her services was needed there, but not as a form of punishment, adding that work transfers are part of occupation obligations.

So far about 2,000 employees have voluntarily signed unto the Cocoa Industry Workers Union, and it was expected that the Cocoa Research Institute Union would join with its 1,202 members.

It also expected that when the union comes into full operation, the leaders would seek better working conditions for members, which may consist of permanent staff, casual and contract workers.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has charged the media to focus on transparency and accountability in governance.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Executive Director of the foundation, Sulemana Braimah to celebrate media and journalists as the world observes the World Press Freedom Day.

Below is a copy of the full statement.

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) which is being observed today (May 3) around the world, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is challenging the media in West Africa to focus on promoting transparency and accountability in governance.

One of the biggest challenges confronting development and governance in West Africa remains corruption, lack of transparency and accountability in nearly all sectors of society. The spate of corruption, lack of transparency and accountability can also be said to be linked to the challenge of bad governance which then gives rise to the other numerous challenges facing the region, including challenges to press freedom.

A major requirement for ensuring transparency and accountability in governance in society as a whole, is the empowerment of the citizenry to be able to seek and receive information on how their national resources are being managed by the people they elect to manage such resources.

In a transparent and accountable governance environment, citizens ought to have the legal right to access information on how their tax monies are spent, how their natural resources are being utilised, who is benefiting from state contracts and under what terms, among other conditions.

As the fourth estate of the realm and as the agenda-setters, the media have the power to help improve transparency and accountability in governance by advocating for citizens right to access information. This also means that the media must be strong advocates for the passage of laws that guarantee citizens right to information and the effective implementation of such laws.

The MFWA thus, finds the theme for this years WPFD celebrations, Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This Is Your Right! as the right theme, dealing with the most important issue and at the right time.

We are gladdened by the fact that so far a number of West African countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cote dIvoire, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea have all passed a law that guarantees their citizenry the right to seek and receive information of their choice and not just information that government is willing to give out.

At the same time, we are saddened by the fact that countries like Ghana, Senegal and others continue to deny their citizenry the most basic democratic right  the right to information. In the case of Ghana, for example, the current government and previous ones have for the last 13 years failed to heed to the cry of the citizenry to grant them their right to information by passing a law guaranteeing such right.

As Ghana goes into elections in November, we call on the media in Ghana to help make transparency and accountability the focus of the election and demanding of the government and the opposition to demonstrate their commitment to transparent and accountable governance by passing the right to information legislation that will empower the citizenry to hold their elected official accountable.

The MFWA and its national partners across West Africa celebrate all media and journalists and journalists whose works continue to promote human rights, democracy and development.
03.05.2016 LISTEN

The NDC Massachesstes branch of the NDC USA Chapter wish to bring to the attention of the general public and the umbrella family their readinees and preparedness to support the young democratic dispensation in our beloved country. In light of this, the branch has sent 15 people to Ghana to help with voters registering process. The branch in the past has done a lot to support the peacefull and transparent transition of the electral process in our beloved country Ghana.

It could be recall that the NDC MASS branch of the NDC was the first of all branches in the diaspora to host then late Presidential aspirant President John Evan Atta Mills at the clark university somewhere in 2007. This was an event that allow the Ghanaian population here in the diaspora to have a meaniful interection with their soon to become President. This event went down the History the city Worcester. After the demise of President Mills the City of Worcester has declare August 3rd as Atta Mills Day.

Also , the branch could also list a lot of Political figures that they have been invited to the State of Massachusette to have a fruitful interaction with the Ghanaians here in this State. Among this leaders include Ambassador Ohene Agyekum, Founder Rawlings and wife. The most recently was the invitation of the sitting President His Execlency President John Dramani Mahama. This event cummulate a lot meeting with His Exelency having with terta tat with business diginitries. At this meeting , the NDC assusred the President to support the democracy in our country.

The fifteen delegates that were sent to Ghana to help with registrian of the voters were led by their indigifitable vice chairman Sampson Tona. The group will be working in accordance with the instuction given to them the National Head Quarters. These is just a way to help our party and country.The group will returnig back to State after the registering process.

Finally the NDC-MASS would like to wish all Ghanaians peaceful and transparent electioning year.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Richmond Nettey

Secretary NDC-MASS
Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) - Armed men kidnapped three workers for the International Committee of the Red Cross in restive eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, the aid agency said.

The employees -- who a local official said were of Congolese nationality -- had been sent to work in Rutshuru in the south of turbulent Nord-Kivu province.

"We've had no news from our three workers" since shortly after 9:00 am Tuesday, ICRC spokeswoman Elisabeth Cloutier told AFP, giving no further details. The armed men were not identified.

Captain Guillaume Ndjike, a military spokesman in Nord-Kivu, said he had no details, but added that the army always advised "aid workers to contact the military before going into zones where militia are still operating."

In early March three Congolese workers for Save the Children were taken hostage for seven days by unidentified kidnappers in Lubero, in central Nord-Kivu province.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at the time condemned "the growing trend of attacks against humanitarian workers in eastern DRCongo."

The area has suffered chronic unrest for two decades, fuelled by local armed groups and others committing ethnic-related violence, or over land or the region's mineral wealth.
03.05.2016 LISTEN

HOW MUCH MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA LOOKS LIKE DZIFA ATTIVOR IN THEIR SHAMEFUL RHETORIC OF POLITICAL ETHNOCENTRISM

Just as the dissenting cacophony over Madam Dzifa Attivors recent rhetoric of political ethnocentrism is winding down, much to the delight of those of us who want to see ethnic and cultural heterogeneity retained within the geopolitical perimeters of the unitary nation-state at all cost, Mr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a Vice President-designate, has chosen to re-ignite the political discourse on political ethnocentrism.

And with unsavory divisive remarks, Mr. Bawumia has succeeded somewhat to get a section of the public trapped in a fluster, riled up. Here is a synopsis of his remarks that have ruffled some:

Another major issue that I want to bring to the attention of the people is that; if we look at the flagstaff house today, it does not reflect the people of Ghana in terms of religion.

We are in this country living peacefully and nicely; Christians and Muslims. So we believe in the NPP that Christians and Muslims should work together and that is why whenever we pick a flagbearer as a Christian, we pick a Muslim as a Vice. And when we come and pick a Muslim as a flagbearer, we will pick a Christian as a vice.

So if, Insha Allah, Nana Akufo-Addo becomes president, he will swear with the Bible and enter the Flagstaff House and I will swear by the Quran and enter the Flagstaff House.

What a load of crazy, stupid talk!

Of course though we will accept the designation that Ghana is an insane asylum with a kleptomaniacal duopoly of schizophrenic politicians at the head running amuck and roughshod over the place, we will concede that not every citizenized spectator of that countrys political life is ignoramus.

There are indeed intelligent Ghanaians, men and women, who see through the thick political ethnocentrism and ideological gimmicks of the likes of the Kennedy Agyapongs, the Ursala Owusu-Ekufuls, the Akufo-Addos, the Dzifa Attivors, the Yaw Osafo MarfoAnd now Mr. Bawumia.

The Bawumias, that is!

And this is even more troubling, because that Orwellian insane asylum has not lost that designation of secularity to theocracy, or political religion, yet. While he comes across as a liberal Muslim, Mr. Bawumias tendentious remarks have undertones of conservative ethnocentrism.

For our readers information, ethnocentrism is not just about ethnic chauvinism (nationalism). It also is fundamentally about condescending judgmental values involving behavior, culture (memes), customs and traditions, and religion as a standard against which other variables from without are valued and measured and evaluated.

This does not necessarily rule out the fact that certain ethnic groups within certain geographical locations in time and space share an overlap with certain religions based on a set of variables, including, but not limited to history, commerce, patterns of migratory dynamics, marriage, and ones accidental birth. And this, in turn, does not necessarily rule out the fact that Mr. Bawumias peculiar language of political sophistry will, ironically, place Christianity and Islam, two major religions with antagonistic theologies and doctrines, in a conciliatory juxtaposition.

We will not even dare ask the rhetorical questions: Why is Mr. Bawumia not a Muslim? Why is Akufo-Addo not a Muslim? Why is President Mahama not a Muslim? Why is Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur not a Muslim? And why none of them is a Buddhist, a Hindu, an Eckist, a practitioner of Traditional African Religion, a Rastafarian, a freethinker, an atheist, a Shintoist, a Bahai, a Zoroastrian, a Mormon

We are not asking because they are not necessary and because religion is a personal decision and choice. This is not to say Ghanaian citizens of any religious persuasion cannot and should partake of the political process. Far from it. As citizens they should, certainly.

What we are rather saying is that religion should stay out or steer clear of secular politics, which the Constitution makes eloquently clear. The separation of church (we prefer the more generic term religion) and state is extremely important. And yet these Christian and Islam labels are nothing more than convenient frames of hypocritical irony in many a situation. It also turns out that most of the professional thieves, political criminals and pathological liars in both parties, the NPP and the NDC, belong to either of these two major religions. Political religion is a facade, a gloss!

What is more, the Flagstaff House which Mr. Bawumia respectfully referenced in his controversial remarks is, itself, a diabolical insane asylum, an insane asylum of congenital thieves and instinctive criminals, which commands no respect among the populace. Ironically, the presidential house managers of this Flagstaff House have either been a Muslim or a Christian.

After all, how many practitioners of Traditional African Religion, Hindus, Buddhists, Eckists, Mormons, Rastafarians, Shintoists, freethinkers, Bahais, Zoroastrians, atheistshave ascended the presidential throne?

The condescending language of Mr. Bawumias political sophistry ignores these other indispensable categories of religious persuasions in the national political discourse on inclusive democracy, a sad oversight in the case of an influential and intelligent public figure with a doctorate and a rich educational history.

His condescending language disrespected these other belief systems, a view uncharacteristic of a man who should have been familiar with public diplomacy and with the public library of politically correct vocabulary of inclusiveness, an unfortunate happening nonetheless. Whipping up religiocentric sentiments, rather than investing in effective electioneering campaign strategies, will not win any elections for any political party, not least the NPP.

More importantly, Mr. Bawumia knows what he is doing and where he is heading with his opportunistic newspeak politics. He knows his third-class station in the ethnocentric NPP all too well, and therefore, a tactical shifting of the political discourse from the NPP as an Akan Party or and Asante-Akyem Partysince the NDC is already multiethnic in political structureto the NDC as an anti-Muslim Party will somehow change the familiar dynamics of that political discourse.

That opportunistic approach to political discourse was and still is, in fact, a tactical diversion for the mere purpose of political expediency, alas, to secure a windfall of comparative advantage for the infamous ethnocentric NPP in the political calculations of strategic and tactical electioneering. Again, this will not win elections for the NPP. We cannot overemphasize this point.

But Mr. Bawumia should not be singularly indicted for his misguided, grossly misplaced, and deeply regrettable language of political sophistry.

Just the other day it was Eric Opoku, a leading NDC member who provoked public fury with the following statements:

All Muslims who align themselves with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) are fake because the Quran advises Muslims to stay away from elephants which is the emblem of the NPP. The Member of Parliament for Asunafo South supported his claims with a chapter in the Holy Quaran, Surah verse 105, which he said stipulates that Muslims who have something to do with an elephant is not a real Muslim.

Opokus statement therefore clearly makes Mr. Bawumia a fake Muslim.

On the other hand we have criticized Opoku elsewhere for his insensitive rendering of a Koranic scripture, to spite a section of the Ghanaian Muslim community for reasons of undue advantage along an opportunistic path of political partisanship.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Patriotic Muslim organizations and citizens should come out in droves to roundly condemn Mr. Bawumias inflammatory rhetoric of political ethnocentrism. Thus far, the National Peace Council (Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante) has issued the following strongly worded condemnatory indictment of Mr. Bawumia:

I consider the statement coming from Dr. Bawumia, a man I highly respect as most unfortunateAnybody who wants to play a religious card to solicit for votes may be doing a lot of damage and may be playing into the hands of religious extremists. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to our politicians not to play religious and ethnic cards because it does not help our country, it rather divides and can create tensionI would humbly plead with [them] to concentrate on issues.

The Christian Council of Ghana (Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong):

We must get people into positions because of what they can deliver and offer and not because they are from North, South, East or West. Not because they belong to religion A or B.

NDC Presidential staffer (Dr. Clement Apaak):

He is making [the comments] out of mischief; if you look at President Mahamas appointees, they are across the board and it is not the case that we should be encouraging this kind of selfish religious-based intentions of persons because of their personal interest.

There are many people in the government who are MuslimsSo I dont understand why Bawumia would make such a false statement just for the basis of political expediency, it is condemnable and he owes the good people of Ghana an unqualified apology.

CONCLUSION

Clement Apaak did not ask Madam Dzifa Attivor to render an unqualified apology to the good people of Ghana, an unfortunate and regrettable situation. A clear case of Orwellian double standards!

On the other hand NDCs Kofi Adams, the National Organizer of the party, has also said the monumental changes and improvements in Muslim communities in this country were initiated by Christians, adding further that under the leadership of the NDC organizing Hajj trips improved tremendously and also that, the Islamic Education Unity supported Islamic Education was passed when President Mills was President.

He summarily dismissed Mr. Bawumias comments out of hand, describing them as silly. Yet the same Kofi Adams called Madam Dzifa Attivors incendiary remarks not farfetched. This is what he said in defense of Madam Attivor:

I dont think that her statement was very injurious like somebody saying yen Akan fuor or all die be die or regions that do not have resources should not be given the right to lead in this country.

Essentially true, but another sad case of the gross application of Orwellian double standards.

In the final analysis only the village idiot, Nana Akomea, the NPPs Communications Director, thinks Mr. Bawumia is making a case for balance, inclusion, even while condemning Dzifa Attivor and keeping quite over Akufo-Addos All-die-be-die and Yen Akanfuo, Yaw Osafo Marfos and Prof. Amoako Baahs ethnocentric statements, and Kennedy Agyapongs call for Akans (Asantes) to kill Ewes and Gas. A gross application of the Orwellian double standards here too!

What a nation of political ignoramuses!

This begs the question: Does Mr. Bawumias divisive comments make it look as though Ghanaian politicians are stupid?

REFERENCES

Ghanaweb. We Need A Balance Of Muslims, Christians At Flagstaff HouseBawumia. May 2, 2016

Ghanaweb. Bawumias Religious Comment UnfortunatePeace Council. May 2, 2016

Ghanaweb. Vote On Merit, Not ReligionCCG.May 2, 2016.

Ghanaweb. Bawumia Must Apologize For False Religious ClaimsApaak. May 2, 2016.

Ghanaweb. Bawumias Religious Comments SillyKofi Adams. May 3, 2016.

Ghanaweb. Dzifa Attivors Comment Not FarfetchedKofi Adams. April 30, 2016.

Ghanaweb. Bawumia Is Making A Case For Balance, InclusionAkomea Justifies.
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business 'Conditions coming together' to resolve NPA crisis: SBI chair In an interview with CNBC, SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya talked about bank NPAs, how the Indian banking sector needs to be restructured and whether she would take up a job as the next RBI governor, if asked.
you are here:
business See Apr-Jun domestic tractor ind growth at 10%: M&M's Jejurikar Rajesh Jejurikar of M&M says there is improvement in sentiment but whether it translates into real demand depends on the way monsoon pans out. "Rural demand is ultimately based on cash flows," he adds.
He was an emotional investor, buying near the top of stock market rallies. Instead, he should have remained calm and patient  a skill he learnt later in his career.

I cant put this book down!

And, noits not about deflation, money printing, or central banks.

Its a classic, written way back in 1960.

You may have heard of it, or read it yourself.

If you havent, I suggest buying a copy today. The Kindle version costs $1 on Amazon.

The books called How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market, by Nicolas Darvas.

Arriving in the US in 1951, Darvas trained to be a ballroom dancer. He became extremely successful and was touring the world by 1956. But meanwhile, Darvas had another passion. Investing.

In his early days, Darvas investing approach waswellgambling  a method no different to punting on oil companies today.

Ill explain

Successfully investing in the resources sector

To start, lets talk more about his investing background.

Nicolas Darvas started his investment career punting on stocks with pretty names. Of course, this didnt work out. So, he started reading investment newsletters.

Darvas made a lot of mistakes.

He was an emotional investor, buying near the top of stock market rallies. Instead, he should have remained calm and patient  a skill he learnt later in his career.

Perhaps a bigger mistake, during his early days, Darvas took a punt on nearly every stock recommendation. This is something you should avoid.

Remember, everyone has a different risk tolerance and portfolio balance. Some of the stocks I recommend in Resource Speculator are highly speculative and arent for everyone! For this reason, I always suggest punting no more than you can afford to lose on speculative stocks. If they work out, you could profit by hundreds or thousands of percent. If they dont, you wont lose your shirt, house, kids, and dog.

For example, I recommended that my Resource Speculator readers sell 88 Energy [ASX:88E] earlier in the year. It jumped 500% in five days at the 13-year low in crude oil. From the recommended buy-in price, most readers walked away with a tidy gain of 242%.

Of course, its not always happy days.

Like I said, most speculative punts dont work out. Its the simple, yet unfortunate, nature of the resource speculation business. The question is: when a stock doesnt work out, what should you do?

When a stock punt doesnt work out

Most punters hold them, hoping for the best. But, is that really the best decision?

Honestly, theres no easy answer. It depends on the business.

If its a mature business, with a large market share and a decent balance sheet, it could be worth hanging on for the ride. But, if its a speculative company hunting for the motherlode, its likely a different story. If it doesnt work out, cut the stock and look for something else that could make you money.

For example, I recommended Lodestar Minerals [ASX:LSR] to readers in March. The geology looked great on paper. But it was still a punt. At the end of the day, the drill bit determined the story. Unfortunately, Lodestar didnt find high-grade gold at depth. So I cut the stock immediately. And investors lost 43.9% from the buy-in price.

If readers had re-invested their left over money in St George Mining [ASX:SGQ]  another Resource Speculator stock  they could have made back their losses last weekplus a little bit more. St George hit thick, high grade nickel-copper sulphides. Its now trading more than 100% above the Resource Speculator buy-in price of 11 cents.

I dont always recommend speculative stocks. My approach is to hunt around the market, searching for the best value. If I thought BHP Billiton [ASX:BHP] had the best profit potential, Id recommend buying that.

The point is: you dont have to buy everything you see! As legendary investor Jesse Livermore famously said, Money is made by sitting, not trading.

Livermore didnt mean the sitting and waiting after the stock was purchased  he meant before he pulled the triggerwhich brings me to crude oil.

Is crude worth a punt?

Crudes bear market rally seems unstoppable.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, is trading higher at US$45.89 per barrel. Its up roughly 65% from the low of US$27.83 per barrel on 20 January. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), also known as US crude, is trading higher at US$44.75 per barrel. Its up roughly 67% from the low of US$26.05 per barrel on 2 February.

Despite the surge, the supply story doesnt look flash. According to investing.com,

OPECs oil output in April rose to the highest level in recent history, a Reuters survey found on Friday, as production increases led by Iran and Iraq more than offset a strike in Kuwait and other outages. According to the survey, OPECs April output increased to 32.64 million barrels a day from 32.47 million barrels a day a month earlier, reiterating concerns related to the massive supply glut on global energy markets. Despite Fridays modest decline, London-traded Brent futures rose $3.00, or 6.69%, on the week, the fourth straight weekly gain. For the month, prices soared 21.5%. Brent futures prices are up by roughly 45% since briefly dropping below $30 a barrel in mid-February, despite the collapse of talks at a Doha summit in April aimed at achieving a production freeze among OPEC and Non-OPEC producers. OPEC meets on June 2 in Vienna and may discuss the freeze initiative again.

Indeed, oil production is on the up, not down! Furthermore, fuelfix.com reported that Saudi Arabian crude oil exports are up over 3.5% in Q1 compared to last years average.

Its clear that crudes rally isnt based on fundamentals. Its driven purely by speculation.

Looking at the demand and supply story, crude should make a NEW LOW later this year. When this happens, crude oil stocks should plunge. Take a look a look at the chart below. It shows the US S&P 500 energy sectors valuation.

Source: Zero Hedge

Click to enlarge

The S&P 500 energy sector is trading at 101.5 time analysts expectations of the next 12 months earnings. In other words, large-cap energy stocks have never been more expensive in their entire history, dating back to 1990.

Its totally unsustainable. If the crude oil price doesnt stay high and earnings dont increase, which is likely, oil stock prices should crash.

If youre looking to buy crude oil stocks, I would be cautious. A number of crude operators may go bankrupt this year. So be careful when choosing oil stocks.

On the other hand, if you pick the best stocks, youll make the biggest profits.

When it comes to oil stocks, Im following this story closely for Resource Speculator readers. If you want to know more, click here.

Regards,

Jason Stevenson,

Resources Analyst, Money Morning
Bloomberg News photo by Patrick T. Fallon

Panera Bread, the national chain with approximately 1,946 bakery-cafes in 46 states, will arrive in Midland next year, according to a company spokeswoman. The restaurant will be owned and operated by Spring-based The Cain Holding Group, a Panera Bread franchisee.

Founded in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co., the company was renamed Panera in 1999.
When Midland Health adopted its mission of Leading Healthcare for Greater Midland, we recognized the need to extend our focus beyond the walls of Midland Memorial Hospital and take a leadership role in improving the overall health of our neighbors. In no sector of our health care community is that commitment more important than in mental health services.

Like most of Texas, Midland is challenged by widespread mental health needs, and lacks the resources to address them in an efficient, coordinated fashion. Patients with acute psychiatric conditions and severe chemical dependency issues clog the hospitals emergency department, populate the jail and divert precious resources from our schools. Hardworking, dedicated care providers struggle with far more patients than resources. Overwhelming care loads and burdensome regulatory requirements make planning and coordination a secondary concern.

Last December, Midland Memorial Foundation Governor Terry Wilkinson introduced us to the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. The institute traces its origins to the vision of the Dallas-based Meadows Foundation to direct its philanthropic leadership to mental health policy issues throughout the state of Texas. Through its Texas State of Mind initiative, MMHPIs objective is to connect Texas communities, individuals, families, providers and the system so those who need help have easier and more urgent access to the resource and services they need.

With the help of the Scharbauer and Abell-Hanger foundations, Midland County and several private donors, Midland Health commissioned the institute to perform a comprehensive review of local mental health needs and the behavioral health systems capabilities. After reviewing the available data and interviewing providers and stakeholders throughout Midland, MMHPI has delivered a preliminary assessment report and outlined a plan of action to help address unmet needs in our community.

The results of the analysis are stunning. One in three Midland residents has some level of mental health need. An estimated 9,000 Midland County adults and 2,900 youth and children have needs that can be classified as severe. Mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder, affect 15,000 Midlanders. An estimated 600 people in our community have schizophrenia, the most disabling psychiatric diagnosis, and 20 to 30 people per year experience their first acute psychotic episodes.

While the needs are tremendous, the capacity to treat them is severely limited, especially for the low-income, uninsured population. Permian Basin Community Centers, our high-performing local mental health authority, has the resources to care for less than half of the adults with severe mental illness whose incomes are less than 200 percent of federal poverty limits. About 400 local patients are classified as super-utilizers, whose severe mental illness puts them at the highest risk for repeat use of jails, emergency rooms and psychiatric hospital beds.

Assertive Community Treatment is an evidence-based best practice, using a team of mental health professionals to provide the best possible care to these poorly functioning adults. PBCC has two such teams active in our area, with the capacity to treat only 9 percent of the patients in need of ACT.

For children, the challenge is even greater. Midland families with incomes below 200 percent of federal poverty limits have more than 3,500 children with severe emotional distress; PBCC has the capacity to provide care to only 11 percent of these children. While dedicated providers such as Midland ISDs counseling team, Centers for Children and Families and the Palmer Drug Abuse Program are vital contributors to childrens mental health needs, their collective capacity is far from adequate.

After a long history of inconsistent inpatient care availability, Midland has been blessed in recent years with the presence of two significant providers. Oceans Behavioral Health Center has adult, geriatric and adolescent inpatient beds and cooperates with PBCC and Midland Memorial in managing assessment and transfer of acute psychiatric patients out of the ER. The Springboard Center provides comprehensive care to chemical dependency patients, from detox through long-term inpatient and outpatient care. Despite the presence of these providers, capacity and payment concerns frequently require patients to be transported to San Angelo, Abilene or more distant sites to receive the acute care they require.

Beyond these most acute needs, thousands of local residents struggle to meet their lower-acuity, ongoing needs for counseling and drug therapy, because of either lack of provider capacity or limited financial resources. Midland Health and the Meadows institute are aware that identifying the scope of the problem is just the beginning of the journey toward a healthier community. After delivery of the formal assessment report later this month, we expect to embark on a community-wide mental health planning and coordination effort. Under the leadership of a high-level steering committee, provider and stakeholder work groups will tackle the challenges of coordination of care across many dimensions. Most important in this effort will be development of a culture of collaboration among the players in the system, to assure that available resources are put to their best use and creative solutions are implemented to address our biggest challenges. Inadequate funding is likely to be a continuing concern, but improved coordination can make the available dollars go further while we seek additional resources to broaden the scope of care.

There is no question that a mental health crisis exists in Midland, as in many communities around the country. The generosity and can-do spirit of Midlanders are sources of hope. Working together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of our neighbors. Our community can count on Midland Health and our dedicated mental health providers, but we can only resolve these concerns with the involvement and support of the entire community.

Russell Meyers is president and CEO of Midland Memorial Hospital.
For generations, community colleges have been entry points for thousands of students to a college education in Texas. Many of today's college graduates in the Lone Star State began their higher education studies in community colleges and transferred later to four-year institutions.

Other Texans attended community colleges for training that helped them prepare for their careers.

But the 50 community colleges in Texas have struggled in recent years with difficulties in state funding, just as four-year colleges have.

The 2011 Legislative session, when the state had a $27 billion revenue shortfall, was a brutal one for K-12 education and higher education budgets alike. The money has only been partially restored since then.

But help could be on the way in the next session of the Texas Legislature -- which will begin in January.

House committees recently have been considering funding formulas for community colleges well before the start of the session.

Encouragement for two-year colleges also came from the chairmen of the Higher Education Committee and an Appropriations subcommittee. They told the Texas Association of Community Colleges and other higher education leaders that adequate funding will be a priority in the 2017 session.

For the sake of future college students in Texas, we hope lawmakers will be successful in securing that funding.

Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, wrote in a recent oped in the Lufkin News he intended to make certain community colleges would be sufficiently funded to operate effectively,

Ashby is chairman of the subcommittee that addresses education funding.

There's also support in the Senate. Sen. Kel Seliger, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said his panel also plans to examine the state funding the community colleges receive.

Rising tuition rates at four-year public institutions have caused an increasing number of college students over the years to attend community colleges for the first year or two of their studies.

In 1990, about 380,000 students were attending community colleges in Texas. The number of students reached 400,000 in 1996, and enrollment climbed past 500,000 in 2003, 600,000 in 2009 and 700,000 in 2010.

However, after peaking in 2011 -- the year of the funding cuts from the Legislature -- community college enrollment numbers began to decline slightly each year.

During the fall of 2014, the two-year institutions were attended by more than 693,000 students -- which amounted to 47 percent of Texas college and university students in Texas, according to the Texas Association of Community Colleges.

The enrollment growth during the years from 1990 to 2014 shows the importance of community colleges to higher education in Texas.

As Texas continues to grow in population, it will need access to higher education for an increasing number of students. Indications of funding increases in the 2017 legislative session are encouraging.

At-a-glance

-- Our position: Tuition increases at four-year colleges and universities in Texas have made community colleges increasingly important to many higher education students in the state. But just as four-year institutions were hurt by state funding cuts in 2011, so were two-year institutions. Lawmakers indicate funding will be a priority in the 2017 session, which would be good news for many Texas families.

-- Why you should care: The cheaper tuition costs of two-year colleges allows many students to begin their college studies for a lower cost and transfer to more expensive four-year colleges later.

-- For more information: Log on to our website, www.lubbockonline.com, and enter the words "community college funding" in the search box.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency
Jahana Hayes always knew she wanted to be a teacher, but she didnt always believe she could be one.

She grew up surrounded by poverty, drugs and violence in the fading industrial city of Waterbury, Connecticut. But she loved school, and her teachers told her she could someday go to college. Even when she became pregnant at 17, her teachers refused to give up on her. They showed her how she could continue her education.

She graduated from high school and seven years later enrolled in a community college. She went on to earn a four-year degree, and then she realized her dream: She became a high school history teacher in the same town where she grew up.

For the past decade, she has worked to give her students at Waterburys John F. Kennedy High School the same hope and passion and confidence that her teachers once gave her. She has pushed them to think beyond the classroom, contributing to their communities through volunteer and service projects.

And she has been so successful that on Thursday she was named the 2016 National Teacher of the Year.

Jahana is a shining example of an educator who cares about her students and has mastered her craft, wrote Vince Schaff, a parent at Kennedy High, in support of Hayes application.

Schaff wrote that the honor would be nice for Hayes, but that her real reward is the thousands of lives she has helped change through teaching and mentoring. And that has no equivalent, he wrote.

Hayes, 43, will be honored at the White House this week and then spend a year traveling the nation as an ambassador for a profession that has been battered and bruised by bitter debates over education policy. She said she wants to help remind Americans that teachers have the potential to be powerful, positive forces in their students lives.

I really think that we need to change the narrative, change the dialogue about what teaching is as a profession, she said in an interview. Weve spent a lot of time in the last few years talking about the things that are not working. We really need to shift our attention to all the things that are working.

She also wants to help remind schools and teachers about the power of community service. Her students regularly participate in fundraisers for cancer and autism research and they volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

Serving others shows her students that no matter how difficult their own background, they can help people, she said. Theyre empowered. I see students who lack confidence, who have no self-efficacy, who really think that they have nothing valuable to give -- I see them emerge as leaders. Over time I see them wanting to do better, wanting to be better. I see that over and over again.

She also wants to highlight the need for more teachers of color in schools nationwide.

As a child growing up in an urban poverty-stricken environment, I only came in contact with one minority teacher. This contact greatly influenced the person I became, she wrote in her application. Most of her teachers lived outside her community and she couldnt see herself in them, she wrote: As a child I would have loved to see a teacher who looked like me and shared my cultural background.

Hayes said her students know her story. They know that she comes from the same streets that they call home. And their shared background is powerful.

It definitely creates a level of trust, she said. I tell students, I get it. I say, I understand. The building you live in is the building I grew up in.

And for young women who become mothers before theyve finished their education, she said, she has a message:

This is not the end of your journey. You may have to do things differently, but you absolutely can do everything you ever wanted to do.

The National Teacher of the Year program, run by the Council of Chief State School Officers, is meant to identify and celebrate the countrys exceptional educators. The other finalists for the 2016 honor are Nathan Gibbs-Bowling of Washington, Daniel Jocz of California and Shawn Sheehan of Oklahoma.
Thirty percent of children in the Texas foster care system are Hispanic, while only 15 percent of CASA of West Texas volunteers are Hispanic. Because of this, CASA is renewing its call for volunteers from the Hispanic community, according to a press release from the agency, which trains volunteers who are appointed by the court to advocate for the best interest of children in the foster care system.

There were 57 new removals by Child Protective Services in Midland County in 2015 and 24 of those children were Hispanic, according to CPS data.

CASAs Midland-Odessa area volunteers are predominantly white, said Kathy Harmon, marketing specialist for CASAs Midland-Odessa chapter.

CASA of West Texas had only 73 volunteers in Midland to advocate for the 185 abused or neglected children from Midland County who were in foster care during 2015, according to the release. There are only six Hispanic CASA advocates for Midland, Harmon said.

When children are removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect, they are also removed from all that is familiar to them -- their culture, their food, and their tradition, according to the release. Being placed with strangers can further traumatize children who have already suffered.

Additionally, cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings and add to the trauma.

Children need someone to advocate for them when they are in foster care, Harmon said. When the child can culturally identify with the advocate it is a win-win situation.

CASA volunteers are trained to be able to advocate specifically for children in foster care. They see a childs CPS case through until it is closed. Thus, volunteer advocates get to know one child and their siblings and speak to everyone involved in the children's lives, including their family members, teachers, doctors, lawyers and social workers.

It is important that CASA volunteers be able to connect with the children they serve, it is stated in the release. "If a Hispanic child is in the states care, it is important for the CASA volunteer to be able to communicate with and understand the child, that childs family and everything that is happening so the volunteers can make informed recommendations to the court.

If you are interested in volunteering with CASA, visit www.casawtx.org or call 683-1114.
EL PASO, Texas (AP)  Another former El Paso schools official has been indicted by a federal grand jury as part of an alleged cheating scheme.

The U.S. attorney's office in San Antonio on Monday announced an indictment against James Anderson for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and making a false statement to a federal investigator.
Someone should sue the President for ...
Sonora, CA  In recognition of National Law Day, several Tuolumne County high school students will witness a mock presentation and learn the history of the Miranda Rights.

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the one of the best known US Supreme Court rulings, Miranda vs. Arizona. The Miranda Warning was developed in response to the decision and gives suspects being interrogated by the police the right to remain silent and the right to legal representation.

Students today will witness a mock Suppression of Evidence Motion where Sheriff Jim Mele will serve as the arresting officer and District Attorney Laura Krieg and Deputy Public Defender Dan Gross will give a dialogue entitled, Miranda: More than Words.

Students will be given hypothetical scenarios based on real life cases and they will be encouraged to think about the Constitutional rights, and decide how they would rule in the mock case. Presiding Judge Donald Segerstrom, who is also taking part, will then give the ruling. The event is designed to serve as an educational tool, and public forum, to discuss the significance of the Miranda ruling and law enforcement practices.
CA Department of Finance View Photos

Sonora, CA  New statistics show that Californias net population increased by 348,000 residents last year, but the numbers went the opposite direction in the Mother Lode counties.

Californias population, effective January 1st, stood at 39.2-million. The states Department of Finance reports that most of the growth was in the more urban areas. For example, the City of Los Angeles now has over 4-million residents for the first time ever, adding 50,000 people throughout 2015. However, stats show that the more northern and eastern parts of the state saw population declines, continuing a near decade long downward trend.

Tuolumne Countys population declined by 103 residents in 2015 bringing the overall number to 54,900. Meanwhile, the City of Sonoras population fell by the 13 to 4,892. Calaveras County also lost residents, 75, bringing the population to 45,207. Amador County dropped by 58 bringing the population to 37,707, and Mariposa County lost 21 residents, bringing the population to 18,159.

Examining the 482 incorporated cities in the state, 437 had gains in population, 44 had reductions, and one had no change.
Five of Princes six surviving siblings appeared in court Monday for the first hearing to start sorting out an estate certain to be worth millions, a task complicated because the star musician isnt known to have left a will.

In a hearing that lasted a little over 12 minutes, Carver County, Minnesota District Judge Kevin Eide formalized his appointment last week of Bremer Trust to handle matters involving the estate of Prince, who died suddenly last month at age 57.

Princes sister, Tyka Nelson, requested the appointment so that the company can manage Princes estate until an executor is named. Eide asked the packed courtroom whether anyone knew of a will, and the courtroom was silent. Lawyers for Bremer Trust said they hadnt found one but would keep looking.

The court is not finding that there is no will, but that no will has yet been found, the judge said.

The hearing didnt address how long the estate may take to settle or how much it is worth. His property holdings alone in Minnesota, including his Paisely Park studios in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, were worth about $27 million, but music industry experts say his earnings after death are likely to be far more.

Tyka Nelson is Princes only full sibling. Four half-siblings  Alfred Jackson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson and Omarr Baker  were present. A fifth, John Nelson, didnt attend.

Norrine Nelson and Sharon Nelson exchanged a hug in the courtroom, and family members chatted quietly. Tyka Nelson sat at a table between her two lawyers, while the four others sat side-by-side in the well, just behind their lawyers. None of the siblings commented afterward.

Frank Wheaton, an attorney for Alfred Jackson, said afterward that the siblings were cooperating in settling the estate.

Everyone is in full accord, he said.

Even if all the heirs really are in agreement, its going to take a long time to settle the estate, Judith Younger, a University of Minnesota law professor who isnt involved in the case, told The Associated Press. Other claimants are likely to come forward, any disagreements with tax authorities over the value of the estate could result in litigation, and Minnesota courts havent settled yet whether the rights to someones likeness, such as Princes, can be inherited.

It a real mess that he left behind, she said.

Its also possible that a will could turn up and that it could lead to fights over its validity, Younger said.

I find it so hard to believe, Younger said, noting how careful Prince was to keep control of his music and other business affairs. How can there not be a will?

Susan Link, a Minneapolis estate attorney who also isnt involved in the case, said she doesnt think any of the lawyers involved will fan the fire of any discord among the siblings and that their decision last week to sit the siblings down together was a good move. If the siblings cant agree, the personal representative will be going to court a lot, she said.
After Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 3 into law on April 17, making Pennsylvania the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana, another question jumped forward in this discussion: Will the state eventually decriminalize the substance and if not, what can local municipalities do?

Philadelphia became the largest city in the country to decriminalize the possession of a small amount of marijuana in 2014.

Police in Philadelphia have the option of issuing a citation to anyone caught with 30 grams of marijuana inside the city limits rather than filing misdemeanor criminal charges as prescribed by state law.

Pittsburgh followed suit a year later. Earlier this year, Harrisburg officials discussed a similar proposal.

A poll conducted by abc27 News found that 90 percent of 2,000 respondents were in favor of decriminalization efforts in Harrisburg.

However, Detective Sgt. Daniel Freedman of the Carlisle Police Department said local officers will continue to enforce the law that is the law.

The standard is we enforce laws that exist currently, so when the laws change our enforcement patterns will also change, he said. Medical marijuana will eventually be treated like any other drug, so if they have a prescription theyll be OK to go, but if they dont have one itll be a violation of the law.

Discussion

More than 85 percent of all criminal charges filed with the magisterial district judges office, which covers Carlisle, in 2015 were filed by the Carlisle Police Department, according to an analysis of court records conducted by The Sentinel.

This potentially leaves open the option for municipalities like Carlisle that employ their own police force to pass an ordinance similar to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For that to happen though, a discussion on the matter is the first step, and that hasnt been initiated yet in the borough.

Several members of Carlisle Borough Council told The Sentinel that decriminalizing marijuana has never been a talking point.

Before Id even begin to delve into it, Id need to see a lot of information and research on the effects, both positive and negative, of a local government decriminalizing marijuana. We would need an opinion from our solicitor on the legality of us taking action on it, Councilman Sean Shultz said. This is one of those topics that is best dealt with on a statewide or national basis. We have filled our prisons based largely on the war on drugs, and we havent done enough to boost treatment and education, although our countys use of drug treatment court was a huge step in the right direction.

Any local ordinance decriminalizing marijuana possession would not nullify state or federal law and would be subject to buy in from both public officials and law enforcement, something that may be a difficult to get.

Under the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh ordinances and Harrisburgs proposal, penalties increase the more an individual gets caught. First offense is a fine. Second is a larger fine and third is typically criminal prosecution.

As a general policy, Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said this kind of ramping up of penalties for low-level offenses is a good idea. However, he said he would be concerned if local municipalities circumvented state law.

My hope would be before any of our municipalities would do that they would discuss it with me first, not because Id like to intrude of their power, but because Id like to have a discussion about marijuana policy, Freed said. If it happened, Id have to make a determination if it was legally appropriate.

In certain places there are municipalities that have passed laws regarding firearms which may or may not conflict with state law, and if there was a conflict Id have to decide if its appropriate to take action, he added. Id hope we could short circuit that by having a discussion.

Freed said there is legal action he could take if a local municipality were to decriminalize possession of a small amount of marijuana, but he would have to give it more thought as to what his official position may be.

Thats the legal concern, he said. The practical concern I would have is this the best way to achieve the goal youre trying to achieveI would want to have discussion with the municipality. What has led you to this conclusion? Are you a proponent of decriminalization generally, or it has an impact on your police? Thats the kind of discussion I would like to have.

Enforcing

Enforcement of decriminalization may also present problems for local municipalities.

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Jeffrey Manning ruled earlier this year that citations written by Pittsburgh Police for possession of a small amount of marijuana may not be filed in the court of common pleas, according to the Trib Live.

Manning said the court is bound by state law and cannot enforce the citations.

He explained that the ruling does not mean Pittsburgh cannot continue its policy but it could make enforcement difficult.

We as a department dont decriminalize it in any way, so its still against the law, Freedman said. There is officers discretion, but obviously were dealing with a heroin problem that makes marijuana seem a little lower on the food chain.

Local action maybe moot if a bill that is soon to be introduced by Pennsylvania Rep. Edward Gainey, D-Allegheny County, gains approval and becomes law.

Gainey announced last week that he will introduce a bill to decriminalize possession of a small amount of marijuana.

The bill would reduce the current misdemeanor offense to a summary offense carrying only a fine not to exceed $100 and would not trigger a mandatory drivers license suspension.

Instead of having all these municipalities doing these things on their own, why dont we have a uniform law across the state? Gainey said.

In a letter to his colleagues requesting support for the bill Gainey stated that roughly 18,000 people are charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana each year in the state and a disproportionate number of those charged are minorities.

He said the bill would save state and local criminal justice systems $33 million per year.

Like the medical marijuana bill, it opens the door for a conversation and a conversation that we need to have, he said.
Advocates of an inmate re-entry program on Monday accused the Florida Department of Corrections of making a rash decision to close two of the program's facilities, warning the decision could lead to an increase in recidivism.

The two re-entry centers, in Bradenton and Lauderdale Lakes, are run by the Florida Bridges nonprofit. They offer behavioral counseling and career training to inmates who are nearing the end of their sentences and have been hailed for producing graduates who are more than two times less likely than their traditional counterparts to return to prison within three years of their release.

Corrections officials, however, have decided not to renew the state's contracts with the Bridges facilities. The move could result in the program's participants being directed back to state prisons, potentially at an increased cost to taxpayers.

Sen. Greg Evers (R-Milton), who currently serves as chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, joined a press conference to rail against the decision as an act of betrayal by Gov. Rick Scott's administration.



"I was told there was no need," Evers said of the reaction by corrections officials to a measure he drafted that would have banned non-renewal of the Bridges contracts. "That they weren't gonna close this program. So, I got off of a tractor today, put on a suit and come to Tallahassee because I was lied to."

Gov. Scott has been consistently criticized for his administration's handling of Florida's prison system. Scandals involving incidents of prisoner abuse have shone a public spotlight on chronic understaffing, middling pay and crumbling buildings.

While Scott's handpicked corrections chief, Julie Jones, has pledged to secure increased funding and improve "working conditions" inside the system, the controversy over the Bridges contracts is seen by lawmakers like Evers as an indication that reform continues to be too slow in coming.

"We have to change Department of Corrections," Evers declared.
People who work to help the homeless say Central Florida has more homeless people per capita than anywhere else in the nation. But a new staffing service is having success at matching the homeless with jobs.

Mario Diaz speaks little English, but shared his story with News 13 through Yvette Hernandez, the Vice-President of GoodSource Staffing Services. Diaz was looking for a job so he could help support his family. But he says it was tough to find one while competing with so many younger workers.

Hes getting on in his years, said Hernandez. Hes in his 60s.

GoodSource helped Diaz get a job sorting donated clothes at Goodwills Lake Mary donation center.

Goodsource works to match people like Mario with jobs at Goodwill and other companies across Central Florida. Thanks to family, Mario was able to keep a roof over his head while he looked for work. But others arent so lucky, and become homeless.

Through a difficult position due to circumstances that were beyond their control  taking care of a sick family member, leaving an abusive relationship, said Hernandez.

Since it began about a year ago, Goodsource has helped nearly 300 Central Floridians get jobs. Hernandez says most of those 300 people were homeless.

You do not have to be homeless, that is not a requirement. But that is what our target is, said Hernandez.

Goodsources Job Connection Center off West Colonial Drive in Orlando is a place where people can get started. They can use a computer to do a resume. They can identify what their skills are. And they can find out what skills they need to work on to get a job.

Goodsource administrators say they were able to help about fifty more people than originally expected in their first year. They are now looking for more employers to join them so they can link even more people up with work opportunities in the future.

Mario Diaz says his job gives him the opportunity to help support himself and his family financially if he works hard.

He doesnt have to depend on his family, or the state welfare program to help him financially. Hes able to do it on his own, and he feels good about that, said Hernandez.

Goodsource credits their success so far to a greater awareness of the homelessness problem in Central Florida.
A 9-year-old girl was injured during a drive-by shooting overnight in Orlando after more than 30 rounds were fired at a house, deputies said.

Shooting happened just before 5:30 a.m. on 22nd Street

Girl, 9, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, expected to be OK



At least 30 rounds fired from 3 different guns



The shooting happened at about 5:21 a.m. on 22nd Street near Nashville Avenue.

Jane Watrel, public information officer with the Orange County Sheriff's Office, said at least 30 rounds were fired from three different guns in an overnight "melee."

A male resident in the home returned at least six shots, Watrel said. The girl, her 5-year-old brother and four adults were in the home at the time of the shooting, according to deputies.

I came outside to have a cigarette around 5 oclock and I heard gunfire. I ran back in my house and didnt come back out till I heard the cop cars coming, said Michael Carroll, a neighbor. He said he heard at least 15 to 20 gunshots.

Watrel said the girl's parents are out of town, so she and her brother were staying with family friends.

Deputies said the girl's leg injury was from a bullet from one of the suspects' guns. She was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando with non-life-threatening injuries. Watrel said the girl was listed in stable condition.

"It's deeply concerning to us  this level of gun violence," Watrel said. "We want to find who did this."

Watrel said it appears the home was targeted, and the homeowners are cooperating with investigators. The girl has been reunited with her mother and will be hospitalized overnight.

After investigators left the scene Tuesday, neighbors were left to pick up the pieces---like across the street, fixing a window, pierced by a stray bullet.

Ive lived here for two years, and nothing on this corner or this street ever happens like that, Carroll said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). Tipsters may remain anonymous.



(Jerry Hume, Staff)
Ocala police say they have a person of interest in custody in the deaths of an elderly couple found dead in their home Sunday morning. That person, 32-year-old Terrance Hurst is the grandson of one of the victims.

2 people found dead Sunday after well-being check

Deaths being investigated as a double homicide

Grandson of one of the victims arrested as person of interest in the Tampa area

Robert Roy Schwamberger, 81, and Ruth Amelia Schwamberger, 77, were found dead by police in their home at 544 NE 43rd Ave. Sunday morning after concerned neighbors called police to check on the couple.

Investigators say Hurst is Ruth Schwamberger's grandson. He was arrested in Largo, Florida for driving on a suspended license. Ocala police say he was driving Ruth and Robert Schwambergers car when he was taken into custody.

Crime scene investigators still on the scene of a double homicide in a normally peaceful Ocala neighborhood. Friends and neighbors of Ruth and Robert Schwamberger say they can't believe what's happened.



"I was completely and totally shocked when I found that they had been murdered," said neighbor Karen Sukow.



Sukow has lived across the street from the couple for nearly 40 years.



"My husband and I used to watch out for them. Check on them if we hadn't seen them in a couple of days - go over and check on them," said Sukow.



And that is exactly how Karen Sukow's husband found Ruth Schwamberger on Sunday. He was worried when he hadn't seen any activity at the home since Friday.



"My husband got up and saw that the car still was gone and came over to check and see. He found her in bed," said Sukow. "All he could see was her hand sticking out of the blanket."

The Ocala Police Department began searching for Hurst who had been staying with the couple.

Ocala's Police Chief Greg Graham says even with the Grandson in custody the search for other suspects continues.

"There are some other people that we know that were in and out of here that we are in the process of talking to as well," said Graham.



Investigators say forensic crews have wrapped up their evidence collection but the house will remain locked up tight as investigators may need to come back to attempt to collect more evidence.

PREVIOUS STORY

Robert Roy Schwamberger and Ruth Amelia Schwamberger were found dead Sunday morning, May 1, 2016 in their Ocala home.
As of 11:15 a.m. there were no updates and police were continuing to investigate Monday night's shooting that sent one man to the hospital, according to Borough Manager Matthew Candland.

"One of the real critical things that we need, and we have received in a number of these cases, is we really need the community who are often times the eyes and ears of law enforcement out in the community to help, to provide tips, to provide witnesses, to provide anything information that may help lead to resolving some of these crimes," he said.

Monday's shooting comes more than three months after two people were shot and sent to the hospital in the 500 block of North Hanover Street in January.

The shooter in that incident has not been charged.

Carlisle Police also investigated a string of shootings around Thanksgiving last year. While multiple people were charged with weapons violations around the time of those incidents, the majority of the shootings have not directly resulted in charges.

"As I understanding over the last several years there have been some shootings. Some of them have been resolved. Some of them have not," Candland said. "That's just kind of the nature of police work. Sometimes our officers are able to solve these crimes and sometimes they are not...I think our police have done a great job in resolving a number of them. Now, have they resolved them all, no. But that's not atypical for many of the crimes that occur, some of which, unfortunately, go unresolved."

Previously reported on Cumberlink:

A black male in his 20s was transported by helicopter to the Hershey Medical Center following a reported shooting in the northwest part of Carlisle Monday night.

Officers at the police station at 240 Lincoln St. heard gunshots at around 7:27 p.m., according to Sgt. Adolfo Heredia. Heredia and two other policemen were already moving towards the area when the first phone calls started to come into Cumberland County dispatch.

County dispatch received about 10 reports of shots fired from residents living in the area of the 600 block of North Pitt Street, the 100 block of B Street and the 100 block of C Street, Heredia said. He declined to disclose the actual location of the shooting.

No suspects were in custody as of 10 p.m. Monday, Heredia said. He added the public was not in any danger because the shooting was not random in nature.

The sergeant would not disclose the name of the victim who is being treated for a gunshot wound to the upper torso. Heredia did not know the condition of the victim.

A Cumberland Goodwill ambulance transported the victim to the Carlisle Airport where he was loaded onto a Penn State Life Lion helicopter for transport to the Hershey Medical Center trauma unit, Heredia said.

Police are asking residents who may have seen anything in connection with this crime to contact the borough police department at 243-5252. Witnesses can be interviewed discreetly to protect their identity.
Early voting wraps up today, and so far a steady turnout have cast their ballots for mayor while voting for new Plainview ISD board members has slowed down.

In the first three days of early voting for two contested seats on the PISD school board, turnout was steady with 36 votes. But a week after the start of early voting, only 12 more voters have gone by the PISD administration building, located at 912 Portland, to cast their ballots.

Today is the last day for early voting. Voter booths will be open at the administration office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Election Day for Plainview ISD will be Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Ash High School, 908 Ash St.

One of the contested races for PISD is Precinct 1, now held by incumbent Adam Soto. Challenging Soto for the seat are Diane Martinez and Cecilia Varela.

The second contested race is for Precinct 6, held by incumbent Veronica Salazar-Isaguirre. She has been challenged by Cheryl Dickerson.

Sylvia De La Garza's Precinct 7 seat is also up for election. However, she is running unopposed.

A contested mayoral race has had a significant amount of voters make their way to City Hall to cast their early ballots. As of 3 p.m. Monday, 649 early votes were cast.

This is the city's only contested race. Incumbent Wendell Dunlap was challenged by District 6 councilmember Lionel Garcia, John Hopkins and Michael Varner.

Today is the last day for early voting for the city election. Votes can be cast at City Hall, located at 901 Broadway, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On Election Day Saturday, District 1 voting will take place at Ash High School; District 2 at Hillcrest Elementary; District 3 at Highland Elementary School; District 4 at La Mesa Elementary; District 5 at Edgemere Elementary and District 6 at the Senior Citizens Center at 1107 Smyth St.

For the run-off U.S. Congressional District 19 race between Jodey Arrington and Glen Robertson, early voting will begin May 16-20. Election Day will be May 24.

Around the area, in the City of Hale Center, incumbent mayor Eugene Carter is running against challenger W.H. Dick Johnson. Current city council members Karen Bouce and Christine Reyne ran unopposed.

At Hale Center ISD, five candidates hope to take two at-large positions. Incumbent Dennis Burton will join a pool of board hopefuls made up of Pam Johnson, Gabriel Gomez, Aimee Perez and Brian McGann.

Early voting will take place at Hale Center City Hall, with Saturday's election happening at the Technology Center in the 1200 block of Ave. G.

In Olton, the City Council cancelled their election as no one signed up to take on incumbents Mark McFadden and Keven Blount.

At Olton ISD, incumbent Terry Martin, Ruben Luera and Brian Mahler are running for two places open on the board of trustees.

Early voting will take place in the Olton ISD administration building and Election Day will be held at HP Webb Elementary.

Abernathy cancelled both city and school elections. However, Petersburg will hold both.

Petersburg incumbent mayor Darin Greene will take on challenger Susie Martinez.

On the council, incumbents Justine Turner and Carroll Leon have been challenged by Rosa Marroquin and Ted Matthews for two at-large spots.

The only contested race for the board of PISD will be for place 6 as incumbent John Gicante III faces off with Mark Livar.

Early voting will be held at Petersburg City Hall with Election Day being held Saturday at the Community Center.

In Kress, the City election was cancelled. However, incumbent Zack Trevino has been challenged by Dina Trevino for an at-large seat on the board of the Kress Independent School District.

Early voting and Election Day voting will be held at the school.

In Lockney, on the municipal side of things citizens are voting on two referendums as well as for mayor and the District 4 seat. The referendums will focus on the sale of alcohol within the city limits as well as changing the form of government from a city secretary to a city manager model.

Archie Jones and Tina Graves are running for mayor while George Villareal and Velia Martinez are running for District 4.

Lockney ISD has one at-large position open. Joe Smith and Kirk Wilson are competing for that spot.

LISD also is conducting a bond election for two proposals for two possible bonds of $3.335 million each.

Election Day will be held at the Methodist Church.

In Floydada, two at-large seats are being contested by incumbents Sam Green and Gabriel de La Fuente as well as challenger Corey Speed.

Early voting is at City Hall. Election Day voting will take place at Massie Hall.
As you may remember, April was counseling awareness month - a month dedicated to making people more aware of what counseling is and the need for counseling. Well, May is Mental Health Awareness Month and just like last month when all my articles were dedicated to counseling awareness . . . yep, you guessed it. All of my articles this month will be dedicated to mental health awareness. I sincerely hope that the information provided this month will be helpful and will bring more of an awareness that a persons mental health is just as important as their physical health. In fact a persons lack of mental health can affect their physical health. Hopefully you will stick with me and read the articles this month. Who knows, you might accidentally get some questions you have about mental health answered (insert smiling emoji here).

We hear different phrases out there like mental health or mental illness. These phrases are used interchangeably so people have a hard time differentiating between the two. According to the World Health Organization, the term mental health is commonly used in reference to mental illness; however, knowledge in the field has progressed to a level that appropriately differentiates the two. Although mental health and mental illness are related, they represent different psychological states. The WHOs definitions of each are below. By the way, I am not referring to rock band called The Who.
Saint Patrick School recently earned reaccreditation from the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools.

According to its website, MSA accredits early-childhood through post-secondary, non-degree granting public, private, faith-based educational institutions including special purpose schools, supplementary education centers, learning services providers, and distance education institutions.

The accreditation process examines schools in a holistic way, supplementing student testing data and providing a more complete measure of a schools performance, said Henry G. Cram, Ed.D., president of the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. School leaders, teachers and parents are to be commended for working together to create a concrete plan focused on providing high quality education for all students.

Saint Patrick Schools accreditation is good through May 2023. Principal Ricman Fly gave a special thanks to 8th grade teacher Loretta Witkowski for spearheading the schools effort.

According to a news release from Saint Patrick School, accreditation is a multifaceted process that schools voluntarily use to demonstrate they are meeting a defined set of performance standards.

The process begins with a self-study that is conducted by the school and requires input from school leaders, teachers, parents and students. Following the self-study, a team of volunteer educators from Association member schools conducts an on-site peer review visit to observe school operations and interview various stakeholders, according to the news release.

The visiting team makes its recommendation to the Middle States Association Commissions, which voted to accredit or reaccredit more than 100 schools and school systems in 11 states and Puerto Rico and seven countries at its biannual meeting earlier this month.
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AUSTIN  The tiny town of Nordheim lost a key battle against the oil industry Tuesday morning when the three elected officials of the Texas Railroad Commission voted to approve the permit for an oil field landfill on the outskirts of their community.

The commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, granted a permit for the landfill near the city limits of Nordheim in DeWitt County, one of the busiest parts of the Eagle Ford Shale oil field.

Does your client understand the social license to operate they have asked for here? Commissioner Ryan Sitton asked the attorney for the company that wants to build and operate the site. Ill be candid. I dont like the site.

But Sitton said the site met the states technical requirements, adding, Dont screw this up.

Residents vowed to keep fighting.

The landfill would accept oil-based mud, soil contaminated by oil spills, and drill cuttings, as well as broken bits of rock and dirt that get drilled through on the way to finding oil and gas.

More Information Past coverage: Nordheim keeps fighting landfill at its doorstep



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Nordheim, population 307, had put up a fight few others communities have managed to wage, with technical arguments that questioned site engineering.

The small towns residents have held up the approval process for three years with their lobbying. They say the site is potentially hazardous and is too close to their city and just a half mile from their school, which has about 170 students. They also have raised questions about whether a big rain would send water from the site, which would be on a high point called Pilots Nob, into creeks and onto neighboring properties, and argued that the soil onsite could not be used to build berms that would hold water during a flood.

George Wommack, whose San Antonio-based Pyote Reclamation Systems hopes to build the waste facility, said the company took the concerns of residents seriously and designed a safe landfill. Its all about best practices. Weve designed the best facility in South Texas, Wommack said.

He would like to start construction to start in 2017. We have two projects in the Permian Basin were focused on right now, he said.

In the hallway outside the hearing, Nordheim residents gathered to commiserate, though they had expected the commissioner would not vote their way, and talk about their next move.

We plan to go further, said Lyn Janssen, who lives on Hohn Road, where the facility would be built.

The attorney for Nordheim residents, Marisa Perales, said they will file a motion for rehearing before the commission, and failing that, could consider going to district court in Travis County.

They could also fight an air permit for the site at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The fight has been waged since residents first heard about the project three years ago.

They wrote nearly 200 protest letters. They founded a group called Concerned About Pollution, the only one of its kind in the 400-mile oil field, and hired attorneys, geologists and chemical engineers to help them fight the application process in Austin. They have taken charter buses and showed up by the dozens at Railroad Commission hearings wearing bright yellow shirts that say in red letters, Citizens Against Pyote Reclamation. At one hearing, nearly all of their senior class, 11 students out of 14, showed up, too.

After residents raised questions about whether the site could handle catastrophic floods, the design was changed so that the stormwater ponds on site could handle hurricane-level amounts of rain, about 10.1 inches of rainfall in 24 hours.

In the last few months, residents also questioned the safety of a pipeline that crosses the site. They pointed out in a December hearing before an administrative judge that the pipeline company had never been notified about the project.

But the pipeline company earlier this year sent a letter to the agency, saying it had no issues with the landfill.

Note: This interactive works best in a Mozilla Firefox browser with Adobe Flash plugins updated. https://readymag.com/393458

Many of the possible safety issues most upsetting to residents  the chance for increased truck traffic on a narrow road, the ability of its volunteer fire department to respond to a fire at an oil field landfill or the proximity of the site to Nordheims only K-12 school  are things that the state agency has said is beyond its purview.

State Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, attended Tuesday's hearing to support residents and oppose the site, and said she was proud of Nordheim for putting up a technically complex fight against the permit. She told commissioners she understood that they couldnt consider the ramifications of permits  an issue she said should be tackled in the next legislative session while the agency is under Sunset Review.

Its going to cause this community some real problems, Morrison said.

Sitton visited Nordheim late last year, spending about a half day visiting with residents and seeing the site where the landfill would be located.

He wanted to see the community himself to understand it, Morrison said. Also, he was saying, This is our role. This is what we do.

The problem of waste in the Eagle Ford and where to put it has been a difficult one for communities, several of which have said they are worried that they will get a reputation as being a dumping ground. Drilling in the Eagle Ford generates a lot of water and solid waste that must go somewhere, but no one wants it to end up next to them.

Environmental engineers for Pyote said the land is close to ideal for this sort of facility  its covered in a thick layer of clay, is not in an aquifer recharge area and has no wetlands. Under the terms of the permit, it would not be allowed to impact groundwater or surface water  all water would be contained on-site.

If it werent for the protests, the facility long ago would have sailed through an administrative approval process with the Railroad Commission staff because it met the agencys technical requirements.

jhiller@express-news.net

Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller

This report was updated to correct that the commission met Tuesday.
Image source: Intel.

Well respected technology industry analyst Pat Moorhead reported, in a column published in Forbes, that Intel senior management has pulled the plug on the company's SoFIA line of integrated applications processor and modem line aimed at tablets and smartphones.

Moorhead also said that the company has pulled the plug on its "Broxton" system-on-chip, a stand-alone applications processor that Intel management once hailed as offering "leadership performance" for the premium segment of the smartphone market.

Why Broxton had to go

Back in 2013, when Intel first disclosed the existence of Broxton, the company said that it would be "ready" in mid-2015. However, the product was later quietly pushed into 2016.

The reason that this product deserved to be cancelled is simple: it likely wouldn't sell.

Compared against the relatively weak offerings from the mobile chip companies in 2015, it may have offered some points of differentiation. However, by early 2016, chips such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 were available.

Even if Broxton offered comparable performance to the Snapdragon 820, it would still lack in key features (820 integrates a cutting-edge modem) and would come from a relative "unknown" in the industry.

Intel needed Broxton in 2015, and it needed to deliver a product with differentiated performance/power/features in order to grab smartphone makers' attention.

Why SoFIA had to go

The problems with Intel's SoFIA ("Smart or Feature Phone on Intel Architecture) product line (these chips integrated applications processors with cellular modems) are very similar to the issues that the company faced with stand-alone applications processors: they simply didn't have the features or the performance to compete.

Intel had originally put out an attractive roadmap of SoFIA products for both the low-end and mid-range of the smartphone/tablet market. The plan was a 3G dual core chip in 2014, a quad-core LTE capable chip in 2015, and then in 2016 Intel would introduce a second-generation LTE part (SoFIA LTE 2) built on the company's cutting-edge 14-nanometer technology.

Unfortunately, Intel did not execute well to this roadmap. SoFIA 3G did come out in 2014, but SoFIA LTE didn't arrive in 2015 (it was pushed to 2016 and now, apparently, cancelled). SoFIA LTE 2 was pushed into mid/late 2017 before it, too, got the ax.

It is likely that Intel realized that these unacceptably delayed products would not do well in the marketplace by the time they made it out, leading to the decision to ax them.

What's left of Intel mobile?

Intel is, for all intents and purposes, out of the mobile market aside from its stand-alone modem efforts.

And, if Intel can't deliver on the speculation that it will appear in generations of upcoming smartphone releases, then I expect those stand-alone modem efforts to get the ax, too.

Though Intel is reportedly planning to focus more intensely on "5G" products going forward, I don't think this has much credibility.

If Intel couldn't succeed in 4G (which still has many years left before 5G goes mainstream), why should investors have any confidence that it can succeed in 5G?

3 companies poised to explode when cable dies

Cable is dying. And there are three stocks that are poised to explode when this faltering $2.2 trillion industry finally bites the dust. Just like newspaper publishers, telephone utilities, stockbrokers, record companies, bookstores, travel agencies, and big box retailers did when the Internet swept away their business models. And when cable falters, you don't want to miss out on these three companies that are positioned to benefit. Click here for their names. Hint: They're not the ones you'd think!

The article Intel Corporation Kills SoFIA and Broxton originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
OTTAWA  Andrew Smith asked an Illinois jury Tuesday to acquit him of felonies because authorities dont have their ducks in a row: There are no fingerprints or hard evidence linking him to stolen guns and counterfeit $20s.

Its an all-or-nothing strategy for Smith, 35, of New Cumberland, who faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of his most serious counts. And if that werent enough, hes acting as his own lawyer, too.

Smith is the driver charged after an October police chase in which his Nissan Versa narrowly missed several motorists as it sped from a Ladd traffic stop into downtown La Salle, Illinois. Smith and his brother, Jeremiah, then allegedly ran from the disabled Nissan and swam the Illinois and Michigan Canal before being apprehended and charged with forgery and possession of stolen firearms. (Jeremiah Smith pleaded guilty weeks ago. He is serving 7 years.)

Just three weeks ago, a jury was summoned to decide whether Andrew Smith was even fit to stand trial. As soon as he was found capable of assisting the public defender, Smiths next step was to fire him and announce hed proceed by himself, or pro se.

Then, he surprised Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia that he wanted to face a jury this week rather than accept more time to prepare for trial.

Monday, that strategy became clearer: Smith intends to hammer at the fact that police and prosecutors do not, thanks in part to backlogged crime labs, have forensic evidence to directly link him to the guns, bogus notes and the printing machine seized after the high-speed pursuit.

Its a risky strategy. On the one hand, jurors are increasingly demanding fingerprints, DNA and video footage to directly place suspects at crime scenes and to key pieces of evidence. On the other hand, the law still recognizes something called constructive possession, meaning prosecutors can, and will, try to indirectly link him to the guns and bogus money.

During opening arguments Tuesday, assistant La Salle County states attorney Jeremiah Adams told jurors police essentially caught the Smiths red-handed after police attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 80, where a drug dog alerted to what turned out to be a misdemeanor amount of marijuana.

And the next thing you know, Adams said, theyre gone.

The chase and ensuing manhunt ended after the Smiths were found in a field, both wet from their swim across the I&M Canal. There, police seized Andrews wallet and found inside a counterfeit $20 matching ones found in the Nissan.

Also in the vehicle was a notebook charting out locations across the U.S. where the Smiths allegedly would try to put the bogus notes into circulation.

The first witness called, the police officer who gave chase when Andrew Smith allegedly sped from the Ladd traffic stop, said he saw hanging outside the Nissans window what at first looked like a white trash bag. It looks now as if what Robert Cessna saw was a cloth sleeve used to cover one of two rifles believed to have been ejected from the Nissan as it hurtled through multiple stop signs and red lights.

Cessna also squarely placed Andrew Smith behind the wheel. Smith, for his part, seemed more interested in getting the jury to question why Cessna stopped him in the first place.

Though Cessna said he initiated the traffic stop when the Nissan was clocked 5 mph over the speed limit  and after a passenger car tossed out a cigarette butt  Smith suggested it was the Pennsylvania tags that caught Cessnas eye.

So, you pull over people with out-of-state plates, is that it? Smith said.

No, thats not correct, Cessna shot back. We pull over people violating the law.
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Alas, San Antonio still waits for its first James Beard award.

Steve McHugh, chef/owner of Cured restaurant at The Pearl who was a finalist for Best Chef-Southwest from the James Beard Foundation, didnt win an award in the ceremony thats commonly called the Oscars of the food world. That means its going to take a little while longer for the rest of the world to realize the quality of this citys food scene.

For McHugh, this was his first Beard nomination, and he was the only nominee from San Antonio this year. This years winner was Justin Yu of Oxheart in Houston. The other nominees were Bryce Gilmore of Barley Swine in Austin, Hugo Ortega of Caracol in Houston, and Alex Seidel of Fruition in Denver, Colorado.

McHugh is the latest San Antonio culinary figure to come close to winning a Beard, but so far, the Alamo City hasnt snagged one.

Bruce Auden, chef and partner at Biga on the Banks, has been a finalist six times, while Andrew Weissman has been a finalist four times for the award.

In 2013, David Gilbert, then of Sustenio, and Michael Sohocki, chef and owner of Restaurant Gwendolyn, Kimura and Il Forno, were named semifinalists for Best Chef-Southwest. That year, Biga on the Banks received a semifinalist nomination for Best Service.

The year before, Jason Dady of Jason Dady Restaurants, received a semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Restaurateur and The Esquire Tavern was a semifinalist for Best Bar Program.

Meanwhile, writers Melissa Guerra and Terry Thompson-Anderson have been Beard finalists for their respective cookbooks. Thompson-Anderson was a finalist last year for Cookbook of the Year for Texas on the Table: People, Places, and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State, while Guerra was a finalist in 2007 for Dishes From the Wild Horse Desert: Norteno Cooking of South Texas, in the Food of the Americas category.

McHugh opened his restaurant at the end of 2013 after serving as executive chef at Luke restaurant downtown and working with New Orleans celebrity chef John Besh, the owner of Luke. McHugh grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and trained at the Culinary Institute of America - Hyde Park before he went to New Orleans.

The name of the restaurant comes from its extensive charcuterie program, but also from McHughs experience fighting  and beating  lymphoma. He was diagnosed with it in 2010 and spent a year undergoing chemotherapy. That was the same year he came to San Antonio to open Luke. Its in remission.

Almost from the time it opened, Cured received a steady stream of accolades, including Bon Appetits list of 50 top new restaurants in the country, honorable mention from Esquire magazine as a best new restaurant, and top pick as Critics and Readers Choice for best new restaurant. Last year, the Express-News Taste section ranked it as the best restaurant in San Antonio. This year, it came in at No. 2.

The James Beard Foundation, named after the cookbook author and teacher, aims to preserve and honor the culinary heritage of the United States and includes programs for professional chefs and amateur food enthusiasts.

The foundation also holds events at Beards former house, a brownstone in Greenwich Village, and chefs from throughout the country have received invitations to cook there. That in itself is considered a big honor, and several San Antonio chefs have cooked there. Just last week, chefs Diego Galicia and Rico Torres of Mixtli, cooked at the Beard House.

The James Beard Foundation Awards were established in 1990. The winners receive a certificate and a medallion.

etijerina@express-news.net
Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News

A no-confidence ballot by the union representing Bexar County sheriffs deputies targeting Sheriff Susan Pamerleau has ended with 219 votes against her, 25 backing her  and dueling interpretations Monday of what constitutes a low turnout.

The results were better than what I expected, said Juan Contreras, the president of the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County, saying he was ecstatic that members got to express their opinion without fear of retaliation.
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A zip line ride turned into a terrifying near-death experience for a Bay Area tourist vacationing in Mexico when the device malfunctioned.

Heather Gladden, a mother of four who lives in Cloverdale, had made it about half way across a forested gorge at Puerto Vallarta's Nogalito Eco Park last month when she suddenly felt herself falling.

"Next thing I could hear the trees rustling through my ears and the noise of the tree branches," Gladden told KPIX5. "And then just a hard yank and then when I opened up my eyes I was upside down in the tree."

Her husband, Ryan, ahead of her on the next zip line platform, said the line broke or came free from whatever hardware had anchored it. The end of the line whipped down the chasm.

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

Ryan rushed down the canyon slope, following the sound of of his wife's screams. He found her hanging upside down 40 feet up the tree that broke her fall. It took about a half an hour for Ryan, fellow travelers Monica and John Lee of Hayward and zip line employees to rescue Heather from the branches.

Gladden suffered cable burns, open wounds and major bruising to her legs and buttocks, and a possible torn ACL.

A manager from the zip line company reportedly told the Press Democrat that "the cable on the zip line did not detach or break at the end but only drooped when a cable support mechanism failed." The manager also reportedly stated that "she believed it was a slow drop."

It did not feel slow for Gladden, who was hurled through the jungle canopy.

"I free-fell for, I don't know, 10, 20 seconds," she told the Press Democrat.

The Lees say they heard the line snap and witnessed Heather's 500-foot plunge.

The Nogalito website says the zip line is 500 feet high and nearly four-tenths of a mile long.
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SAN ANTONIO  A five-year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department was arrested on Monday night and charged with sexually assaulting a child.

Juan Ruiz-Carrillo, 47, was taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m. on the second-degree felony charge, according to SAPD spokesman Sgt. Jesse Salame.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Ruiz-Carrillo is suspected of sexually assaulting the teen on a nearly weekly basis for about four years. The document alleges that the abuse began when the victim was 15, and that he told her that he would kill himself if she told anyone what was going on.

MORE: Ex-SAPD officers accused of tricking women into sex with bogus undercover operation indicted

The affidavit said that the young girl made an outcry to a youth pastor at her church, who told the victims parents and urged them to contact police.

SAPD Chief William McManus said at a Tuesday morning press conference the department received an "outcry" from the alleged victim "that she was being sexually assaulted or having sexual relationships" with Ruiz-Carrillo.

Bob Owen/San Antonio Express-News

We wasted no time, McManus said, adding that the incident was an "outrage."

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

We had this officer in custody within 24 hours. We spent a long time looking for him. Once we finally found him, we arrested him without incident," he said.

RELATED: Sheriff: California mother connected to 'horrific' child abuse case in San Antonio

McManus said Ruiz-Carrillo was scheduled to work on Monday. However, he called in sick about an hour before his shift. At this point, it is unclear whether he had any indication that he was going to be arrested.

We were actually waiting for him to come in, he said. We had the paperwork ready to go put him on administrative leave at that point.

McManus said Ruiz-Carrillo has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of his case.

There is no one in this police department that is pleased by this or happy about this. It is an embarrassment to the department. Officers take great pride in their jobs, and no one wants to see an officer whos been convicted or whos been involved in something like this remain on the department, McManus said.

Text "NEWS" to 72727 to sign up for breaking news from mySA

Mdwilson@express-news.net

Twitter: @mdwilsonsa
Annual Baby Shower Drive is conducted by St. Brigid Catholic Church starting Saturday and continuing through May 11. Donations are needed of disposable diapers, baby formula, T-shirts, receiving blankets, one-piece sleepers and socks, baby powder, baby shampoo, baby oil, bath towels, cotton balls and baby wipes. Drop off donations in the playpen at the church, 6907 Kitchener St.; do not gift-wrap items. Items will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Providence House. Contact: 696-0896, ext. 105

Foundation of a Dream is raising funds to help build the Helotes Humane Societys planned permanent home for a new clinic, thrift store and administrative offices. Through June 1, supporters can buy a brick with three lines of engraving, at 18-20 characters and spaces per line, for $50. Add a logo or clip art for an additional $12. Order online at http://polarengraving.com/HelotesHumaneSociety Contact: 422-6242

Thursday, May 5

San Antonio Senior Centers will be discussed at a panel presentation 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway. Learn about the wide range of activities available to seniors in the San Antonio area. Presentation by Yolanda Perez, senior social services manager. Contact: 207-9080

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

Friday, May 6

Family Science Time will explore the concept of measurement at a session for all ages, 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. at Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway. Contact: 207-9080

Friends of the Cody Library book preview sale is open 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the library, 11441 Vance Jackson, to members before the sale opens to the public this weekend. If youre not a member yet, you can join at the door. Books, DVDs, audio books and more. Contact: 207-9100

Mothers Day arts and crafts will be created 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at Cody Library, 11441 Vance Jackson Road. Kids can make a special gift for their moms. Contact: 207-9100

Lions Club Bingo is at 7 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356

Saturday, May 7

Babysitting training course will be 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, . For ages 11-17. Class size is limited. Course is coordinated with the San Antonio Emergency Nurses Association and Safety Whys. $21 fee; includes pizza. Pre-registration required. Sign up online at www.safetywhys.com; click on schedule. Contact: 695-9838

Second Chance Thrift Store is having a moving sale 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at its store, 14398 Bandera Road. The store benefits the Helotes Humane Society. Please, no early birds. Contact: 422-6242

MarketPlace at Old Helotes is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 14391 Riggs Road. The family friendly event features all kinds of artisans selling their unique jewelery, crafts, artwork, clothing, food items and more. And theres plenty of good food and drink, too. For a booth map, go to http://www.helotesmarketplace

Friends of the Cody Library book sale is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the library, 11441 Vance Jackson. Books, DVDs, audio books and more. Contact: 207-9100.

Star Wars Day will be celebrated 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Igo Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway, with games, crafts, treats and a showing of the most recent movie. Dress as a favorite Star Wars character and join the fashion show! Special guest speaker is Marselles Geekfather Coe of the Geekvengers. Contact: 207-9080

Sunday, May 8

Mothers Day

Friends of the Cody Library book sale continues today 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at the library, 11441 Vance Jackson. Books, DVDs, audio books and more. Contact: 207-9100.

Lions Club Bingo is at 2 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356

Family night and free dance at John T. Floores Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road. Doors open at 6 p.m. Live music by the Texas Rimshot. Contact: 695-8827

Coming up

Farmers Market for Alamo Ranch residents will be open at 9 a.m. May 10 at the Alamo Ranch CommunityAssociation Clubhouse parking lot, 4100 Alamo Parkway.

Good oral health will be discussed 12:30 p.m.-1 p.m. May 12 at Casa Helotes Senior Citizen Center, 12070 Leslie Road. Representatives from the American Association of Women Dentists will lead the session and goodie bags will be provided. Open to the public. Contact: 695-8510

Alamo City Republican Women are having a luncheon meeting 11 a.m.-1 p.m. May 17 at the Oak Hills Country Club, 5403 Fredericksburg Road. Guest speakers are Speaker of the House Joe Straus and San Antonio Tricentennial COO Asia Ciaravino. Tickets are $35 with a reservation by May 13 or $30 at the door. RSVP at acrw.reservations@gmail.com Contact: 342-5482 or 957-4455.

.

April 26

All numbers have a 210 area code unless otherwise noted. To have your event listed, send the details, including date, time, place and contact phone number, to dfuentes@express-news.net
San Antonio will begin a series of open houses where officials will unveil a draft of the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan.

The three-pronged plan is designed to address how the city will accommodate an additional 1.1 million people expected to live here by 2040. City Council is set to vote on the plan in June.

The goal of SA Tomorrow, which addresses planning, transportation and sustainability, is to consider new growth patterns and development options, to give people more choices about how and where they live. City Council is set to vote on the comprehensive plan in June.

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

Two of the upcoming open houses are set for Thursday, May 5, at Carver Branch Library, 3350 E. Commerce St.; and Monday, May 9, at Westfall Branch Library, 6111 Rosedale Court. Both are scheduled for 5-7 p.m.

All open house locations are accessible by VIA bus route. Go to http://www.sacompplan.com/ for more information.

VIA offering free rides

on election day

VIA Metropolitan Transit is offering complimentary rides to polling places throughout the VIA service area on Saturday, May 7.

The free rides are for customers presenting a valid voter registration card to the bus or van operator when boarding on election day. This includes regular bus service and VIAtrans paratransit service. Registered VIAtrans customers should schedule their trip in accordance with VIAtrans policies and procedures.

For details on routes and schedules on election day, call 210-362-2020.

Assistance available

for veterans families

Support Services for Veteran Families provides outreach services at Central Library, 600 Soledad, 1-3 p.m. every Monday and 9-11 a.m. every Tuesday.

SSVF assists low-income veteran families with permanent housing and employment. Participants can receive help with need-based temporary emergency financial assistance, referrals for financial counseling and other services.

For more information, contact Shaun LeRoy or Seth Jarmon with SSVF at 210-233-8505.

Journalists group offering college scholarships

The San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists (SAAHJ) will award $40,000 in scholarships this year to deserving Bexar County students pursuing careers in the media, communications and journalism.

Applications and requirements for the 2016-17 scholarships are available online at www.saahj.org/scholarships .

Bexar County students committed to pursuing careers in the communications industry  broadcasting or print media, advertising, public relations, photojournalism, visual arts and multimedia  are encouraged to apply. The scholarships, of up to $5,000 each, are available to high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate college students enrolled full time at a college during the entire 2016-17 academic year.

Only applicants attending college in San Antonio and students with a permanent address in Bexar County (but attending college elsewhere in the United States) are eligible. Applications must be postmarked by May 27.

For more information, contact Scholarship Committee Chair Ximena V. Alvarez at 210-823-6174 or visit www.saahj.org .

Researchers need baby teeth for autism study

A research team from the school of medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center is asking families to donate their childrens baby teeth to the Autism Tooth Fairy Study.

The study compares the teeth of children with and without autism. Right now, the need is greatest for the teeth of children without autism. Researchers are asking families to donate their childrens baby teeth after they fall out.

Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disabilities that can cause major social, communication and behavioral problems. The cause of autism is unknown and there is no cure. However, researchers now understand that autism is related to a combination of genetics and exposure to toxic chemicals.

South Side

Mayfield Park Church

offers support groups

The Out of Darkness depression support group meets 7-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Mayfield Park Church, 700 W. Hutchins Place. Sessions are ongoing for those who need short- and long-term support. The church also holds Celebrate Recovery meetings starting with a meal at 6:30 p.m. every Friday for people struggling with hurts, hang-ups and habits. The large group meets at 7:15 p.m.; men and women meet in smaller groups at 8:15 p.m. Child care is available. Call 210-923-2241.

Depression, addiction support groups available

DBSA (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance) Alamo City Recovery, a 501(c)3 corporation, has free support groups for those with mood disorders, recovering from addiction or who have a history of incarceration. They and their families are invited to attend.

Meeting times are 10 a.m. Tuesdays at 5075 Rigsby, 1:30 p.m. Fridays at 528 S. Polaris and 2 p.m. Saturdays at 4623 Lord Road.

A support group provides a safe forum of acceptance, understanding and self-discovery with a focus on empathy and nonjudgment. For more information, call Debbie Martinez at 210-209-5402 or Larry Forbrich, the groups facilitator, at 210-262-2596.

PAC Childrens Library

open to the public

The newly renovated Childrens Library at Palo Alto College has opened to the community and announced free community programs during the spring semester.

Community events during the spring 2016 term include themed story and craft times, Playdough Parties and Family Lego Nights.

All Childrens Library community events are free and open to the public.

Located in the Ozuna Library and Learning Center at Palo Alto College, the 1,300-square-foot Childrens Library features books for children of all ages, kid-friendly furniture, computers equipped with childrens resources, eBooks for children and craft supplies.

The Childrens Library hours are Sunday through Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m.

For a full schedule of events or more information about the Childrens Library, call 210-486-3570.

Talk on motherhood

set for Saturday

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1630 Goliad Road, plans a platica on motherhood from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 7, at the church.

The informal event will include praying, talking, sharing refreshments and remembering mothers and maternal figures. Participants will decorate wooden frames, in which a mothers photo can be placed, that they can keep or give away. All are welcome.

For more information, call Pat at 210-422-2245.

Blessed Sacrament Academy offering parenting classes

Blessed Sacrament Academy is offering free parenting classes in May for families with children of all ages.

Classes for families with young children begins Tuesday, May 10, and classes for families with children of any age begins Tuesday, May 24. Both programs meet 6-8 p.m. for eight weeks.

There is a free dinner and child care for parents attending. All graduates receive a certificate and awards. The classes meet requirements for Child Protective Services.

Classes are held at the BSA campus, 1135 Mission Road. Call Kathy Lozano at 210-532-0894 to register.

Jupe Manor

cleanup event planned

The Jupe Manor Pride Committee is sponsoring a neighborhood cleanup that will help all neighbors dispose of unwanted items.

Contact Mary Helen Perez for details at 210-709-9534 or 210-648-4778 if you need help disposing of bulky items or clearing brush from your home. The service is free and open to all Jupe Manor senior citizens and residents with disabilities.

The third annual Clean Up is set for 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 14, at Mr. and Mrs. Gs Home Style Cooking, 2222 S. W.W. White Road. The event is open to all Jupe Manor residents.

Acceptable items include appliances, furniture, tires (limit of four), mattresses, metals and brush and tree limbs. Volunteers are needed and donations of trash bags and lawn care equipment are being accepted.

Compiled by Melissa Renteria
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A former substitute teacher at a school district in the San Antonio area is back behind bars after drawing a second charge of sexual assault involving a child on Monday.

RELATED: Police: Texas high school employee accused of playground sex admits to relationship with 2nd student

Kyle Ray Kelso, a 44-year-old substitute teacher for Marion Independent School District, was arrested by the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday and slapped with the additional charge, jail records show.

Guadalupe County Sheriff's investigator Wayne Lehman told The Seguin Gazette that a second victim brought forward allegations against Kelso.

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

Kelso, 44, was arrested in September on one count of improper relationship between an educator and student and sexual assault of a child.

The teacher pleaded not guilty in January to the initial charges, The Seguin Gazette reported.

RELATED: South Texas school security officer accused of sending nude photos to female student on Instagram

Kelso's then-wife, a history teacher at Marion Middle School, resigned in October after his arrest, the newspaper reported.

She filed for divorce from Kelso in Guadalupe County court that month, according to court records.

RELATED: Report: Alabama student who wed teacher charged for having sex with her must testify against him

Kelso is currently being held in Guadalupe County Jail on a $1 million bond.

The charges are second-degree felonies each punishable by a maximum 20-year sentence.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
West Shore Regional Police are looking for a white man after a robbery of a business in Lemoyne Friday.

Police said they were dispatched around noon Friday to Mei Jian Bodycare, located in the 100 block of South Third Street, Lemoyne. Police learned that a white man had entered the business and demanded money from the employees.

Police said the man assaulted the employee and fled on foot.

Police Tuesday said this is the second time the same man has robbed the business, the first time occurring in January.

Police ask anyone with information about the man to contact them at 717-238-9676.
A 17-year-old student at a Central Texas high school faces aggravated sexual assault and child pornography charges after allegedly assaulting a 6-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy and sharing photos of the offenses on social media.

The student allegedly told police he remembered sharing the photos on a Sunday because it was right after he returned from church, according to a news report.
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Nearly every town in the Lone Star state has at a least one story about a controversial, extravagant character who now has a Texas historical plaque marking his former residence, and in Del Rio that person is Dr. John R. Brinkley.

Brinkley became internationally famous and wealthy by implanting snippets of goat testicles into the scrotum of humans in the 1920s and '30s.

This was supposed to cure men of sexual dysfunction and impotency. But, as the story is told in Texas Highways, Dr. Brinkley was in fact "the greatest medical charlatan of them all."

Dr. Brinkley first performed the xenotransplantation on a young farmer in 1917 in Kansas. Within a year, the farmer and his wife had a healthy baby boy, and the doctor expanded his practice.

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

Soon, he was managing a hospital and a corral of billy goats, and to promote his practice, Dr. Brinkley obtained a radio license for an advice program on health and hygiene.

He was a "huge hit in American radio," according to National Public Radio, when healthcare choices at the time "boiled down to which crazy cure you preferred."

It wasn't long before the American Medical Association denounced Dr. Brinkley as "reeking with charlatanism of the crudest type." By 1930, Dr. Brinkley had lost his medical license in Kansas as well as his federal broadcasting license.

Looking for a fresh start, Dr. Brinkley chose Del Rio, set on the border of Mexico, where he easily obtained a radio license from the Mexican government at no cost.

The heyday of Del Rio, the "Queen City of the Rio Grande," as year-round tourist destination, along with nearby Villa Acuna, Coahuila, appears to have been in the 1930s.

During that era, the two sister cities straddling the Texas-Mexico border enchanted businessmen and the leisure class with mix of oasis relaxation and unregulated foreign intrigue.

Click through the gallery above to see an earlier, friendly depiction of border life in 1930s photographs from the archives of the San Antonio Express-News, vintage tourist brochures and publications from the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

When Dr. Brinkley relocated his practice to Del Rio, he set up headquarters in the newly modernized, air conditioned, Roswell Hotel, and promoted it from across the border through the airwaves of XERA in Villa Acuna.

Known as the "goat-gland doctor," he became America's richest and most famous surgeon, and he built the world's largest radio transmitter across the Rio Grande River. Brinkley "killed or maimed patients by the score" but also produced genius innovations in radio broadcasting, according to Pope Brock, author of Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam.

Broadcasting from Mexico, Brinkley expanded his popular programming to include a slate of advertorials, and he introduced new country, blues and early rock-and-roll music to American audiences.

Eventually, lawsuit after lawsuit besieged Brinkley, who filed for bankruptcy shortly before losing the radio station when a new president took over Mexico.

Brinkley died of a heart attack, broke, in San Antonio on May 26, 1942.

Vintage 1930s photographs in the slideshow show Dr. Brinkley, the Roswell Hotel, the XERA station and leisure life in Del Rio and Villa Acuna, including the storied Mrs. Crosby's Cafe featured in George Strait's song "Blame it on Mexico."

jmscott@mysa.com
The San Antonio Bar Association and the San Antonio Bar Foundation will celebrate Law Day on Wednesday with a lunch at the Briscoe Art Museum. Author Michael Morton will be the keynote speaker, documenting his wrongful conviction and subsequent exoneration.

In 1957, the then president of the American Bar Association, Charles Rhynes, envisioned a special day dedicated to our commitment to the rule of law. The following year, President Dwight Eisenhower established the first Law Day, officially marking that commitment. In 1961, Congress issued a joint resolution declaring May 1st the official day to celebrate Law Day. Since President Eisenhower, every president has issued a proclamation to celebrate our devotion to the rule of law. Law Day is designed to allow the public to ask questions, and have them answered, as well as grow their knowledge of the law in the U. S.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the best-known Supreme Court cases, Miranda v. Arizona 384 US 436 (1966), in which the court held and subsequently required that all law enforcement officers must advise suspects of their rights in order to use statements they made during interrogations in later criminal proceedings.

Many people are familiar with the Miranda rights, beginning with, You have a right to remain silent . . . At its core, the words are derived from the Bill of Rights, particularly the Fifth and Sixth Amendments. In Miranda, the Supreme Court held that the admission of an elicited incriminating statement by a suspect who was not informed of these rights violates the Fifth Amendment right of self-incrimination and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

The Miranda case was one of the first cases to establish law enforcement procedures for ensuring justice. Thanks to the decision, a suspect may openly refuse or choose to speak to law enforcement officers; however, the admissibility of such a statement depends on whether the person was properly read all his rights.

Yet there is more to the Miranda warning than the procedural value of guaranteeing justice. The warning has become a living symbol for procedural fairness and equal justice under the criminal justice system. Miranda was just the beginning for setting up the procedural values placed on the justice system. This Law Day extends beyond the relationship between Miranda and law enforcement procedures. The decision helped create the notion that law enforcement officials can do their jobs without interfering with fundamental rights.

Law Day represents an opportunity to better understand how the law evolves. The theme this year is Miranda: More than Words. Gerry Goldstein, a prominent San Antonio criminal law practitioner, will receive this Joe Frazier Brown, Sr. Outstanding Excellence Award, recognizing him as the outstanding lawyer in the city. Goldstein and practitioners like him are dedicated to give clients adequate representation in legal matters.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller will make an exciting presentation to Gordon Hartman, a real estate developer who will be named the Peacemaker of the year by the San Antonio Bar Association.

Lisa Tatum and Dan Naranjo serve on the ABA Standing Committee on Public Education, responsible for planning and implementing law day programs throughout the country.
Cumberland County was once the scene of a political divide between neighboring property owners on whether to include a Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.

Before it was a funeral home, the building at 1903 Market St. in Camp Hill was the residence of Robert Whitehill who took ownership of 213 acres on the west shore of the Susquehanna River in 1771.

His property was just east of the Lowther Manor plantation which fronted the river and flanked the main road between what was then Harris Ferry and Carlisle. The plantation was owned by James Wilson, a Carlisle attorney and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

In the fall of 1787, Whitehill was a Cumberland County delegate to a convention called by the state legislature to consider the Constitution. While a majority of Pennsylvania lawmakers favored its ratification, Whitehill was opposed to its passage without some kind of written guarantee that civil liberties would be protected.

A federalist, Wilson argued there was no need for such protections because civil liberties handed down from the Magna Carta would simply carryover into the new nation.

Whitehill felt the ancient Magna Carta did not carry enough clout to guarantee civil liberties so he continued his push for a bill of rights. This sparked lengthy debates between the two men that consumed many hours of convention time.

On Dec. 12, 1787, Whitehill took the podium long enough to propose 15 amendments to the Constitution during an address expressing the dissent opinion of the minority of the convention. It is believed that Whitehill was the first person to write and bring before a ratifying body ideas that became many of the 10 amendments listed in the Bill of Rights.

Convention delegates later voted 46-23 in favor of ratifying the Constitution. The Federalist majority not only rejected the idea of a bill of rights, but decided to omit any mention of the proposal from the convention minutes. Undeterred, Whitehill continued to push the issue and eventually it became a published part of the Anti-Federalist political platform.

Eventually, Anti-Federalist won support for a written guarantee and the Bill of Rights was adopted in 1791. Whitehill went on to serve in the state House of Representative, the state Senate and Congress.

An historical resource survey form, on file at the Cumberland County Historical Society, quotes a source as saying the house at 1903 Market St. was built soon after Whitehill took ownership of the land in 1771. A different source mentioned how, in 1772, 18 acres were cleared on the property presumably for the house.

The form mentioned how the original stone structure of this building has been compromised by subsequent additions. Today the building houses the Myers-Harner Funeral Home which has been around since 1947, according to the business website at www.myers-harner.com.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  For years, Michigans law allowing retailers with an inventory of at least $250,000 to sell alcohol and gasoline has made it hard for smaller convenience stores to stock wine and beer. But a new law that removes the inventory restriction for convenience stores operated by grocers like Costco, Kroger, Meijer, SpartanNash and Walmart has independent retailers fuming, MLive.com reports. The change, signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in early April, allows retailers to add a secondary liquor license by citing the inventory in one of their nearby, larger grocery stores.

Its a Meijer carve-out law, said Mark Griffin, president of the Michigan Petroleum Association and Michigan Association of Convenience Stores. The legislature chose to back big business over small business. His group tried to squash the new legislation, which lifts the inventory rule for around 300 rural gasoline stations that are the only convenience store in the area. Griffin estimates the law impacts around 2,000 convenience stores.

It's not a level playing field, said Dennis McCarthy, owner of the Blarney Castle Oil & Propane chain of 120 locations. We just want the same ability to compete. We don't mind competition. That is what America is all about. It is a free enterprise system but there are different rules for different people.

Because of protests by McCarthy, Griffin and others, last week Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof sponsored a bill that would remove the prohibition on selling wine and beer at gasoline stations, and remove the $250,000 inventory regulation as well. The legislation would replace it with a quota system to hand out licenses.
The Philippine Amalgamated Supermarket Association is eager to assist with the expansion of Australian stone fruits and table grapes.

MANILA, Philippines  Australia wants more Filipinos to buy its stone fruits and table grapes, and the government sees convenience stores as a viable market for such a push, the Business Mirror reports. The Philippine Amalgamated Supermarket Association (PAGASA) has expressed interest in assisting the introduction of Australian fresh fruits to a wider audience in the Philippines.

Australian Trade (AusTrade) Commission Minister Counselor and Senior Trade Commissioner Anthony Weymouth indicated that convenience stores would be ideal partners to help expand the reach of Australian stone fruits and table grapes beyond supermarkets in metro Manila. We are looking to have them available in July in convenience stores, he said, pointing specifically to Mini Stop and 7-Eleven.

The push is part of Australias Now In Season Australia initiative, currently in its third year. The program makes fresh fruits available in more than 100 locations of Robinsons Supermarket, Rustans Fresh, Rustans Marketplace, Rustans Supermarket, S&R, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermart and Shopwise in Manila.

AusTrade negotiates with retailers to provide Australian fruits annually. We discuss with them their retail plans and negotiate the terms, Weymouth said. We provide them the timeframe, point-of-sale materials and promotional activities.

Weymouth said that convenience stores would be a great channel for Australian fresh fruits to reach Filipinos. Australian fresh fruit exports to the Philippines are expected to average between $20 million and $25 million this year.
Yves here. While I very much like this post, IMHO Gaius should have led with the fact the Hillary Victory Fund, a PAC jointly controlled by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC brazenly violates campaign finance rules. The noise about Sanders not helping the Democrats by raising state-level funds looks like a clever diversionary tactic. As Gaius explains, the individual donation limit si $2,700, and most big Clinton donors were tapped out. But the state-leve funds PAC (and PAC are supposed to be independent of the campaign) allow individuals to launder money vastly larger amounts to the Hillary machine.

By Gaius Publius, a professional writer living on the West Coast of the United States and frequent contributor to DownWithTyranny, digby, Truthout, and Naked Capitalism. Follow him on Twitter @Gaius_Publius, Tumblr and Facebook. Originally published at at Down With Tyranny. GP article here.

Cenk Uygur explains what everyone knows but no one like Chris Cuomo can say out loud. Of course shes corrupt. Theyre all corrupt because the system is corrupt. (Note: Cenk is way too kind to Cuomo in this clip, whos not that dumb. Hes just well paid to appear so.)

According to Politico, of the $60 million raised by and for the Hillary Victory Fund, a PAC jointly controlled by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC, less than 1% of the money raised ended up benefiting state Democratic parties.

Why does this matter? Because Clinton has been touting from day one, it seems, that shes been raising money for the party as well as for herself, and the media, even after stories like this, by actor and activist Margot Kidder, started coming out, has been taking her at her word, allowing the assertion to go unchallenged, even when the facts were at hand.

Ive been calling the Hillary Victory fund a kickback scheme. Others have called it money-laundering. Full explanation of how the transfers work is here.

Now Politico tells the tale, and includes some numbers to give you a sense of the scale of the operation and just how badly the state parties are getting screwed (my emphasis):

Clinton fundraising leaves little for state parties The Democratic front-runner says shes raising big checks to help state committees, but theyve gotten to keep only 1 percent of the $60 million raised. In the days before Hillary Clinton launched an unprecedented big-money fundraising vehicle with state parties last summer, she vowed to rebuild our party from the ground up, proclaiming when our state parties are strong, we win. Thats what will happen. But less than 1 percent of the $61 million raised by that effort has stayed in the state parties coffers, according to a POLITICO analysis of the latest Federal Election Commission filings. The venture, the Hillary Victory Fund, is a so-called joint fundraising committee comprised of Clintons presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and 32 state party committees. The set-up allows Clinton to solicit checks of $350,000 or more from her super-rich supporters at extravagant fundraisers including a dinner at George Clooneys house and at a concert at Radio City Music Hall featuring Katy Perry and Elton John. The victory fund has transferred $3.8 million to the state parties, but almost all of that cash ($3.3 million, or 88 percent) was quickly transferred to the DNC, usually within a day or two, by the Clinton staffer who controls the committee, POLITICOs analysis of the FEC records found. By contrast, the victory fund has transferred $15.4 million to Clintons campaign and $5.7 million to the DNC, which will work closely with Clintons campaign if and when she becomes the partys nominee. And most of the $23.3 million spent directly by the victory fund has gone towards expenses that appear to have directly benefited Clintons campaign, including $2.8 million for salary and overhead and $8.6 million for web advertising that mostly looks indistinguishable from Clinton campaign ads and that has helped Clinton build a network of small donors who will be critical in a general election expected to cost each side well in excess of $1 billion.

First, note the numbers. The scheme allowed each Clinton donor to circumvent limits on contributions to Clinton herself by donating also the Hillary Victory Fund (HVF), twice in fact, once in 2015 and again in 2016. Kidder explains that

a single donor, by giving 10,000 dollars a year to each signatory state could legally give an extra $330,000 a year for two years to the Hillary Victory Fund. For each donor, this raised their individual legal cap on the Presidential campaign to $660,000 if given in both 2015 and 2016. And to one million, three hundred and 20 thousand dollars if an equal amount were also donated in their spouses name. From these large amounts of money being transferred from state coffers to the Hillary Victory Fund in Washington, the Clinton campaign got the first $2,700, the DNC was to get the next $33,400, and the remainder was to be split among the 33 signatory states. With this scheme, the Hillary Victory Fund raised over $26 million for the Clinton Campaign by the end of 2015.

But it never ended up working that way, and to all appearances, by design. As Politico explains above, the states almost immediately transferred nearly 100%  88%, to be exact  of their portion back to the DNC.

Those George Clooney Fundraisers

A side note about the numbers. The original stories on HVF, the joint fundraising PAC, had 33 states involved. The above story (Politico) has just 32 states involved, implying that one state dropped out. No problem with that, and in fact it makes the George Clooney fundraiser numbers make sense.

Politico again, but a different story:

It will cost more than four times the average income in San Francisco to have dinner next to Hillary Clinton and the Clooneys there next month. For two seats at the head table with Clinton, George Clooney and his wife, attorney Amal Clooney, at an April 15 fundraiser, a couple must contribute or raise a whopping $353,400  a huge ticket price for a hard-dollar fundraiser. On April 16, Clinton and the Clooneys will reunite at the Clooney Los Angeles mansion, where tickets cost $33,400 per person to dine at the table with one of Hollywoods most glamorous couples.

As the story makes clear, the fundraisers are for the Hillary Victory Fund. For the second fundraiser, $33,400 is the amount that can be raised per individual, twice that per couple, for the DNC (allegedly) as part of an HVF donation. For the first fundraiser, $353,400 (an odd amount, right?) is the sum of $33,400 (for the DNC) plus $320,000, or $10,000 each for 32 state parties (who again, transfer back almost all of the money they receive).

Hillary Victory Fund in the Spotlight, Finally

Some have seen this as a problem for quite a while. As the original Politico story notes:

The arrangement has sparked concerns among campaign finance watchdogs and allies of Clintons Democratic rival Bernie Sanders. They see it as a circumvention of campaign contribution limits by a national party apparatus intent on doing whatever it takes to help Clinton defeat Sanders during the partys primary, and then win the White House.

In other words, money laundering (Cory Doctorows term, quoted here) or, as Ive been calling it, a kickback scheme.

Whats notable is that this is being noticed. Now even Rachel Maddow may have to acknowledge, the next time Clinton says to Maddows face that shes raising millions for the states and down-ticket races (my paraphrase), that maybe a follow-up question is required. After all, this isnt just Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver, or writers like Cory Doctorow and Margot Kidder, talking. This is Politico.

So consider for a moment, at the very point in this campaign that

Clinton pivots to the general election and attacks Trump more than Sanders, and

Trump pivots to the general election and rolls out crooked Hillary

 Politico rolls out a crooked Hillary (even if its legal) story of its own. Politico legitimizes Trumps attack. Game on.

Takeaways: First, the media wont be as kind to Clinton in the general election as it was in the primary. I know, the primarys still going on, but only in fact, not in the world of the media.

Second, as many including myself have noted, the free ride Clinton has been given by the press, including CNN and MSNBC (a network some in frustration have started calling MSHRC)  that free ride has allowed Clinton to operate in an atmosphere of never have been called out, of never having to clean up her act.

That free ride is ending, and Politico is the outlet thats ending it. (Please do read the whole Politico piece; there much more dynamite in it than I can quote. If you can, go through it to the end.)

The Democratic Party Responds

Two final points, both from the article at the top of this piece. First, this isnt a fake-leak story, as in, People are pretending to be talking without permission so those who gave their permission can get their message out. This story relies on real leaks, as in, People who are talking to us are afraid of the price theyll pay if we use their names.

In this case, the leaks are coming from the state parties who are getting screwed:

But it is perhaps more notable that the arrangement has prompted concerns among some participating state party officials and their allies. They grumble privately that Clinton is merely using them to subsidize her own operation, while her allies overstate her support for their parties and knock Sanders for not doing enough to help the party. Its a one-sided benefit, said an official with one participating state party. The official, like those with several other state parties, declined to talk about the arrangement on the record for fear of drawing the ire of the DNC and the Clinton campaign.

Second, those state officials are being schooled by the DNC in the correct method of response:

In fact, the DNC, which has pushed back aggressively on charges that it is boosting Clinton at the expense of other Democrats, has advised state party officials on how to answer media inquiries about the arrangement, multiple sources familiar with the interactions told POLITICO. The DNC has given us some guidance on what theyre saying, but its not clear what we should be saying, said the official. I dont think anyone wants to get crosswise with the national party because we do need their resources. But everyone who entered into these agreements was doing it because they were asked to, not because there are immediately clear benefits.

The states didnt come up with this scheme, Clinton and the DNC did. And now its all coming out. Will it come out on CNN (and MSHRC) as well? Thats the next piece to watch for, now that Politico has given its permission and blessing.

And yes, you can bet this will be grist for the Trump machines mill.

Bad Judgment, Hubris or Never Saw the Sanders Movement Coming?

A thought from me. Clinton seems to be fraught with errors of her own making. Why on earth did she make those speeches after leaving the State Department, knowing that she would run, or at least, that running was one of the likely choices? Why do it? Greed? Bad judgement? Hubris? Or just the assumption that no one would call it out?

The same here, with this Hillary Victory Fund deception. Did Clinton and Wasserman Schultz never think this would be called out? Or did they think it would just be part of the background noise for most voters?

Or maybe she never saw coming a campaign that would say so clearly what only the whole country knows, but what would never be even whispered aloud by her bipartisan friends and the media. That the entire system is corrupt. That it needs taking down.

If no one speaks for the people, nothing will get publicly said. Sanders speaks for the people in the public arena for the first time in a generation. And no one in Clintons position perhaps, saw that coming, or figured out what an existential threat it would become.

Well, that existential threat is here, and its not going away. Bummer that, for some.
By Roy Poses, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Brown University, and the President of FIRM  the Foundation for Integrity and Responsibility in Medicine. Cross posted from the Health Care Renewal website

Despite recent attempts at health care reform, US health care dysfunction seems to proceed inexorably with ever rising costs, and continuing problems with access and quality. A likely reason is that those who find the current system personally profitable are in a position to resist real reform. The people who seem to gain the most from the status quo are top hired executives of big health care organizations.



In particular, stories about huge pay for hospital and hospital system managers continuously appear in the media. For example, starting in October, 2015, we saw the following headlines:



 Pittsburgh, PA, October, 2015: Former Highmark CEO Made Nearly $10 Million in 2014, Tax Records Show

 Regarding Rochester General and Unity health systems in Rochester, NY, November, 2015: Heres Why Execs Got Millions After Health Merger

 Regarding the CEO of North Shore-LIJ Health System in NY, November, 2015: This Guy Makes $10M a Year to Head a Nonprofit

 In Idaho, February, 2016, Pay for 9 Treasure Valley Nonprofit Hospital Employees Hits or Tops $1 Million



Even more interesting are stories that show massive compensation of executives despite their hospitals apparent poor performance. Since October, 2015, we also found the following (in chronological order)





Let Go After Uneven Financial Performance, CEO of Kaleida Health Got $1.6 Million of Severance in One Year, with More to Come



In November, 2015 the Buffalo (NY) New reported that James R Kaskie, the CEO of Kaleida Health, the largest healthcare provider in Western New York, per its website, was forced out when





the board cited a need for a change in leadership amid an uneven financial performance for the system.



Nonetheless,



Kaleida Health paid $1.6 million in 2014 to its former CEO, James R. Kaskie, after forcing him out early last year, according to its most recent federal regulatory filing.

Also,





Kaleida will pay Kaskie 24 months of severance under the terms of Kaskies employment contract with the system, John R. Koelmel, chairman of the Kaleida board, told The Buffalo News on Thursday. Kaskie was paid 10 months of severance plus deferred compensation, which is the $1.6 million reflected in the latest regulatory filing. He will be paid 12 months of severance in 2015 and a final two months of severance in 2016.



Mr Kaskie was paid even better the year before:





Kaskie earned $1.9 million in 2013, his last year as CEO.



Furthermore, other executives who were let go after Mr Kaskies departure also were very well paid,





Dr. Margaret W. Paroski, former executive vice president and chief medical officer, who was replaced by Lomeo after he took over as CEO last year, $763,552. Joseph M. Kessler, former executive vice president and chief financial officer, who was replaced by Lomeo, $608,454.

The article explained that





Hospitals, corporations and other entities negotiate severance agreements as part of the employment contracts when they hire top executives

So not only to these executives earn top dollar, but their earnings continue even if they lose their jobs because of poor performance. When asked to explain these levels of remuneration, and contracts that allow executives to get continuing pay even after being forced out for uneven financial performance, John R Koelmel, the chairman of the systems board, said





Companies pay at market. To recruit the best talent, you need to pay at least market.



Public Hospital MetroHealth Medical Center Scored Below Average on Patient Satisfaction and Quality, but CEO Got $1.1 Million



In March, 2016, Cleveland Ohio television station NewsNet5 reported





MetroHealth Medical Center is a public hospital that is supported with $32.4 million of taxpayer moneyroughly 5 percent of the hospitals budget.



Also,





a check with a federal database of patient satisfaction levels and quality measures at hospitals across the country found MetroHealth fell below the national average.



Nonetheless, its CEO, Dr Akram Boutos, got $1.1 million in salary, and presumably considerably more in bonuses.



Dr J B Silvers, a nationally recognized expert on hospital CEO compensation and professor at Case Western Reserves business school, who is a MetroHealth board member,





insisted that Dr. Boutros is being fairly compensated when compared to his peers.



Furthermore,





He admitted the salary is first tied to profitsthen a series of other quality measures like patient care, diversity, hospital improvements and employee satisfaction.



But the ties to satisfaction and quality may not bind, because he then tried to explain away the quality and satisfaction data,





Silvers argues those surveys may be misleading. Populations like ours, Medicaid populations, uncompensated carepoor people tend to rate organizations lower, said Silvers.



But then admitted it was really about the money,





We have to have a target in terms of financial performance because if you dont make the money you cant be in business, said Silvers.



In Massachusetts, As Hospital Profits Fall, Executive Pay Soars



In April, 2016, the Lowell (MA) Sun published a long report on local hospital executive compensation. It started





It has been a lean couple of years for the regions hospitals. Drawn by the higher reimbursement rates that insurers pay to academic teaching hospitals, such as those in Boston, more physicians are affiliating themselves with those institutions. Patients are following, and so is the money. Some community hospitals, including Lowell General Hospital and Emerson Hospital in Concord, saw profit margins drop by more than half from 2012 to 2014. Other hospitals financial indicators, like ratios of assets to liabilities, are also weakening,



However,





As they look to weather those storms and protect their space in a rapidly changing health-care landscape, the boards of directors of the regions hospitals have doubled down on a key investment: their executives. Each organization has to make its own decisions about how it can best compete in the marketplace, said Gary Young, director of Northeastern Universitys Center for Health Policy and Healthcare Research. Senior executives of hospitals and health-care systems  theres a competitive market for that kind of talent  some would say when organizations run into trouble, they need to spend more to get leaders.

So,



At Lawrence General Hospital, compensation paid to top non-physician administrators increased 41 percent from 2012 to 2014, according to tax documents. President and CEO Dianne Anderson, who heads the list, was paid a total package of $884,092 in 2014.



Also,





From 2012 to 2014, Lahey Healths non-physician executives saw a compensation increase of 36 percent. A large part of that increase was in the salary of Dr. Howard Grant, who was promoted from president and CEO of Lahey Clinic to president and CEO of the entire Lahey Health system. The system includes facilities throughout northeastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Grant received $1.7 million in 2014.

In addition,



Lowell General Hospitals executives saw a slightly smaller increase during that three-year span, at 18 percent, although CEO Normand Deschene remains the highest-paid hospital executive in the region with a package worth $1.9 million in 2014. The hospital also pays the taxes on retirement benefits, which are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, for Deschene and several other executives.

The justifications for these increases in times of financial trouble were similar. For example, re Lawrence General Hospital,



Because were resource-limited, compared to (academic) hospitals, were even more dependent in these challenging times to bring in somebody who can manage risk, said Richard Santagati, chairman of Lawrence Generals executive compensation committee. It takes a different breed and theres real competition for these people  and once you have them there, you want to keep them because theres a learning curve there that is unique to each hospital.



Re Lahey Clinic,





Our executive compensation is comparable to the programs of other, similarly sized health networks and is reflective of the complex role of an executive leader at a leading health system, Lahey Health said in a statement.

Finally, at Lowell General Hospital, the CEO defended his own pay:



Lowell General has weathered significant changes in the delivery of health care, Deschene said. At a time when many hospitals have failed, its very crucial and critical that we have very talented individuals to lead the hospital.

The Usual Talking Points Again Invoked



Hospital management used the usual talking points to justify the pay they received, As I wrote last year



It seems nearly every attempt made to defend the outsize compensation given hospital and health system executives involves the same arguments, thus suggesting they are talking points, possibly crafted as a public relations ploy. We first listed the talking points here, and then provided additional examples of their use. here,here here, here, here, and here, here and here. They are:

 We have to pay competitive rates

 We have to pay enough to retain at least competent executives, given how hard it is to be an executive

 Our executives are not merely competitive, but brilliant (and have to be to do such a difficult job).

So in the stories above, we found, for example:



 Competitive Rates: you need to pay at least market (Kaleida), and theres real competition for these people (Lawrence General)

 Retention: you want to keep them (Lawrence General)

 Brilliance: the best talent (Kaleida), very talented individuals (Lowell General)



It appears that those justifying huge executive payments have all been handed these same talking points.



Yet none of them quite make sense. The brilliance argument is particularly suspect in cases like those above of CEOs whose hospitals performance was clearly not brilliant according to the metrics supposedly used to judge them.



Economists Challenge the Management Dogma Justifying Huge Executive Compensation



Furthermore, these talking points seem to derive from decreasingly credible current management dogma about executive compensation propagated by business schools.



The Invisible Hand, or A Hand on the Scales?



For example, writing in the Independent during January, 2016, Ben Chu questioned the market fundamentalist theory that all employees pay has been perfectly chosen by the infallible invisible hand of the market:



When confronted with an outburst of public anger over massive corporate pay for a privileged few, a common response of the libertarian right is to invoke the economics of the free market. Such spectacular rewards, were informed, are delivered by individuals selling their labour in a free market. And because such pay levels were set through this natural process, no one has the moral right to question them. Further, to interfere with such natural processes would be economically inefficient, making us all worse off in the end.

Such contentions are based on



a venerable economic theory [that is] behind this kind of reasoning. At the end of the 19th century, the American economist John Bates Clark hypothesised that in a perfectly competitive economy, demand for labour is determined by its marginal productivity and wage rates are determined by the marginal product of labour. To translate, if a firm can make a profit by adding another worker to its payroll, it will do so. And the amount a firm will be willing to pay for that labour in wages will be determined by the additional profit the individual worker adds to the companys bottom line. So if a worker adds a lot of profit, he or she can command a lot of compensation. But if they add only a little profit, he or she will get only a little. This means people with low personal productivity get small amounts. But people with high personal productivity (chief executives for instance) receive big bucks. For a start, how does a company know what the marginal product of an individual worker is, or will be? This isnt something that is directly measurable. The vast majority of us work in teams; how is it possible for management to determine our individual contribution to the financial success of that team, or of that team to the company? How can a business know how much of the profit added was due to the individuals particular skills? The conditions necessary for the Clark theory that everyone gets what they deserve dont exist. But isnt the marginal product of bosses, who make big strategic decisions, easier to measure? The ASI cites the late Steve Jobs of Apple as an employee who was clearly worth a lot. However, there are plenty of other chief executives whose individual contribution is impossible to measure. Yes, the companys share price might have gone up. But was this because the boss was smart? Or just lucky?

Furthermore,



The economist Dani Rodrik, in his latest book Economics Rules, argues that such broad theories of income distribution by the market are best viewed as intellectual scaffolding, adding: They are shallow approaches that identify the proximate causes but need to be backed up with considerable detail. And there are other theories of wage determination that are likely to be relevant. One important one is bargaining theory. This suggests that those who have political power within a firm can extract more than those without it. Maybe the reason chief executives tend to get paid ever growing multiples of the pay of the average worker is not because they are worth it but because they are powerful. As the economist JK Galbraith put it: The salary of the chief executive of a large corporation is not a market award for achievement. It is frequently in the nature of a warm personal gesture by the individual to himself.

The Dangers of Pay for Performance



In a February, 2016, article in the Harvard Business Review, Cable and Vermeulen challenged the dogma that managers (and in health care, physicians and other professionals) pay should largely be based on performance.



performance-based pay can actually have dangerous outcomes for companies that implement it.

They cited five points based on at least some research evidence to back up their contention.



1. Contingent pay only works for routine tasks. Companies should abolish contingent pay for their top executives because theirs is the least appropriate job for it. Decades of strong evidence make it clear that large performance-related incentives work for routine tasks, but are detrimental when the tasks is not standard and requires creativity. *** 2. Fixating on performance can weaken it. The goal of most executive incentive plans is to focus leaders on hitting goals and achieving outcomes. After all, thats why its often called performance-based pay. But as researchers have found, if you want great performance, performance is the wrong goal to fixate on. Several studies have shown that when employees frame their goals around learning (i.e., developing a particular competence; acquiring a new set of skills; mastering a new situation) it improves their performance compared with employees who frame their work around performance outcomes (i.e., hitting results targets; proving competence; seeking favorable judgments from others). *** 3. Intrinsic motivation crowds out extrinsic motivation. When people feel intrinsically motivated, they do things because they inherently want to, for their own satisfaction and sense of achievement. When people are extrinsically motivated, they do things because they will receive bigger rewards. The goal of contingent pay is to increase extrinsic motivation  but intrinsic motivation is fundamental to creativity and innovation. *** 4. Contingent pay leads to cooking the books. When a large proportion of a persons pay is based on variable financial incentives, those people are more likely to cheat. In academic terms, we would put it this way: extrinsic motivation causes people to distort the truth regarding goal attainment. When people are largely motivated by the financial rewards for hitting results, it becomes attractive to game the metrics and make it seem as though a payout is due. For example, different studies have shown that paying CEOs based on stock options significantly increases the likelihood of earnings manipulations, shareholder lawsuits, and product safety problems. When peoples remuneration depends strongly on a financial measure, they are going to maximize their performance on that measure; no matter how. *** 5. All measurement systems are flawed. Incentive plans demand that some metric be used as the trigger for a payout. The problem is that whatever package you construct  bonds, stocks, or bonuses  whatever performance criteria you decide on will be imperfect. For a complex job such as senior management, it is simply not possible to precisely measure someones actual performance, given that it consists of many different stakeholders interests, tangible and tacit resources, and short- and long-term effects. Even with HR executives clamoring for enhanced people analytics (and technology companies bending over backwards to deliver them) any measure you choose is going to be an inadequate representation of how you would like your CEO to behave.

Note first that these points suggest that the increased use of performance based pay for health care organizations top managers may explain why many health care organizations actually perform so badly, and point 4 may help explain why pay for performance may actually help increase health care corruption.



Note further that pay for performance (P4P) for health care professionals has been strongly pushed by many health policy experts, yet all these points also seem applicable to that usage.



Conclusion  Change Will be Resisted



So even when non-profit hospitals and hospital systems perform poorly, their executives continue to receive ever greater remuneration. The executives, their public relations flacks, and their often compliant boards of trustees continue to cite the same stale talking points to justify their pay. Yet these talking points are based on market fundamentalist theory and business school dogma whose credibility is increasingly challenged. In the absence of anyone willing to confront them with these criticisms, the apologists for soaring health care executive pay continue to prattle their tired talking points.



Meanwhile, as corporate governance expert Robert A G Monks said in a 2014 interview,



Chief executive officers pay is both the symptom and the disease.



Also,



CEO pay is the thermometer. If you have a situation in which, essentially, people pay themselves without reference to history or the value added or to any objective criteria, you have corroboration of We havent fundamentally made progress about management being accountable.





Moreover, top health care executives power to make warm personal gestures to themselves correlates with the ability to defend this power, per Mr Monks,



People with power are very reluctant to give it up. While all of us recognize the problem, those with the power to change it like things the way they are.

So I expect that many hospital and health system CEOs, like leaders of other big health care organizations, may talk about health care reform, but will avoid talking about, and will likely oppose attempts at real reform using their command of their organizations marketers, public relations flacks, lobbyists, and lawyers.





We need true health care reform that would enable leadership that understands the health care context, upholds health care professionals values, and puts patients and the publics health ahead of extraneous, particularly short-term financial concerns. We need health care governance that holds health care leaders accountable, and ensures their transparency, integrity and honesty. What we will get is endless resistance to such reform from those who personally profit from the current dysfunctional, and increasingly corrupt system.
The Marine Corps says it has begun investigating whether it mistakenly identified one of the men shown raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima in one of the iconic images of World War II after two amateur history buffs began raising questions about the picture.

The Marines announced the inquiry more than a year after Eric Krelle, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Stephen Foley, of Wexford, Ireland, began raising doubts about the identity of one man. In November 2014, the Omaha World-Herald published an extensive story about their claims and Saturday was the first to report the Marines were looking into the matter.

Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal shot the photo on Feb. 23, 1945, on Mount Suribachi, amid an intense battle with the Japanese. Rosenthal didnt get the names of the men, but the photo immediately was celebrated in the U.S. and President Franklin Roosevelt told the military to identify the men.

After some confusion, the Marines identified the men as John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Harlon Block, Michael Strank and Franklin Sousley. All were Marines except Bradley, who was a Navy corpsman.

Block, Strank and Sousley were killed in fighting at Iwo Jima before the photo was distributed in the U.S.

On Monday, the Marines issued a statement saying, The Marine Corps is examining information provided by a private organization related (to) Joe Rosenthals Associated Press photograph of the second flag raising on Iwo Jima.

Iwo Jima, a tiny island 660 miles south of Tokyo, was the site of an intense 36-day battle that began Feb. 19, 1945, between about 70,000 Marines and 18,000 Japanese soldiers. Capturing Iwo Jima was deemed essential to the U.S. war effort because Japanese fighter planes were taking off from the island and intercepting American bomber planes.

Rosenthal died in 2006.

The identification of the six servicemen has been accepted for decades, but the World-Herald reported that while recovering from an operation Foley had lots of time on his hands and began noticing possible discrepancies in the picture. He enlisted the help of Krelle, who maintains a website dedicated to the Marines 5th Division.

After examining the famous photo along with other pictures taken that day of the men, they concluded that the man identified as Bradley was actually Harold Henry Schultz, a private first class from Detroit. Schultz died in 1995.

Krelle declined to comment on the Marines investigation, telling the World-Herald he had signed a confidentiality agreement with a third party. A message left by the AP at a phone number listed to Krelle wasnt immediately returned.

In 2014, Krelle had told the newspaper, People can hold onto what they have always known in the past. But to me, the photos are the truth.

Discrepancies identified by Krelle and Foley included:

Bradley wore uncuffed pants in the famous photo but other pictures shot that day shows in him tightly cuffed pants.

The bill of a cap is visible beneath the helmet in the flag-raising picture but not in other images of Bradley made that day.

The man identified as Bradley is wearing a cartridge belt with ammunition pouches, and a pair of wire cutters hangs off the belt. But as a Navy corpsman, Bradley would typically be armed with a sidearm, not an M-1 rifle, and hed have no need for wire cutters. Other photos that day show him wearing what appears to be a pistol belt with no ammo pouches.
Making invisible physics visible (Nanowerk News) If using a single atom to capture high-resolution images of nanoscale material sounds like science fiction, think again.

Thats exactly what the Quantum Sensing and Imaging Group at UC Santa Barbara has achieved. Members of physicist Ania Jayichs lab worked for two years to develop a radically new sensor technology capable of nanometer-scale spatial resolution and exquisite sensitivity. Their findings appear in the journal Nature Nanotechnology ("Scanned probe imaging of nanoscale magnetism at cryogenic temperatures with a single-spin quantum sensor").

Scanning electron microscope image of a typical diamond cantilever fabricated for magnetometry.

This is the first tool of its kind, said Jayich, UCSBs Bruker Endowed Chair in Science and Engineering and associate director of the campuss Materials Research Lab. It operates from room temperature down to low temperatures where a lot of interesting physics happens. When thermal energy is low enough, the effects of electron interactions, for instance, become observable, leading to new phases of matter. And we can now probe these with unprecedented spatial resolution.

Under the microscope, the unique single-spin quantum sensor resembles a toothbrush. Each bristle contains a single, solid nanofabricated diamond crystal with a special defect, a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, located at the tip. Two adjacent atoms are missing in the diamonds carbon lattice, and one space has been filled with a nitrogen atom, allowing for the sensing of specific material properties, particularly magnetism. These sensors were manufactured in the clean room of UCSBs Nanofabrication Facility.

The team chose to image a relatively well-studied superconducting material containing magnetic structures called vortices  localized regions of magnetic flux. With their instrument, the researchers were able to image individual vortices.

Our tool is a quantum sensor because it relies on the bizarreness of quantum mechanics, Jayich explained. We put the NV defect into a quantum superposition where it can be one state or another  we dont know  and then we let the system evolve in the presence of a field and measure it. This superposition uncertainty is what allows that measurement to occur.

Such quantum behavior is often associated with low-temperature environments. However, the groups specialized quantum instrument operates at room temperature and all the way down to 6 Kelvin (almost minus 450 Fahrenheit), making it very versatile, unique and capable of studying various phases of matter and the associated phase transitions.

A lot of other microscopy tools dont have that temperature range, Jayich explained. Further highlights of our tool are its excellent spatial resolution, afforded by the fact that the sensor comprises a single atom. Plus, its size makes it non-invasive, meaning it minimally affects the underlying physics in the materials system.

The team is currently imaging skyrmions  quasiparticles with magnetic vortex-like configurations  with immense appeal for future data storage and spintronic technologies. Leveraging their instruments nanoscale spatial resolution, they aim to determine the relative strengths of competing interactions in the material that give rise to skyrmions. There are a lot of different interactions between atoms and you need to understand all of them before you can predict how the material will behave, Jayich said.

If you can image the size of the materials magnetic domains and how they evolve on small length scales, that gives you information about the value and strength of these interactions, she added. In the future, this tool will aid in understanding the nature and the strength of interactions in materials that then give rise to interesting new states and phases of matter, which are interesting from a fundamental physics perspective but also for technology.
By Laura Layden of the Naples Daily News

Jack Wert's picture of tourism in Collier County remains rosy.

In his annual tourism report Tuesday, Wert said he expects the number of visitors to grow 1 to 2 percent over last year, setting a record.

While visitation in the first quarter wasn't as strong as it was last year, he said other indicators point to growth this year, including an expected increase in European tourists this summer.

"We have a lot of good events happening over the summer months. So that will bring some visitors to our area, as well," said Wert, the county's tourism director, who delivered this year's report to a crowd of about 60 at the scenic Naples Bay Resort in downtown Naples.

Hotel managers are projecting their occupancies will be flat or up slightly over last year. "Even if they're flat, that's still really good," Wert said.

In 2015 the county's visitor count jumped 3.1 percent over the year to more than 1.82 million. Meanwhile, direct spending by visitors grew more than 8 percent to more than $1.3 billion, and total economic impact rose 8 percent to more than $1.95 billion. Tourist tax collections reached their highest total yet  about $21 million.

Wert sees new opportunities to draw more international visitors from Argentina and Colombia.

He also expects to see more visitors from New York and New Jersey with the launch of Elite Airways' new air service at the Naples Municipal Airport, which offers nonstop flights to and from those markets.

Hotel rates will continue to rise, but there will be more moderate increases, not like the big gains seen in 2015, Wert said.

The shared economy, through room- and home-sharing services such as Airbnb, will grow dramatically this year, he said. He expects continued difficulty in getting Airbnb hosts to collect tourist taxes. Hotels and owners of other short-stay rentals in the county are required to collect a 4 percent charge, which in part is used to market the destination to tourists.

Millennials, in particular, seem to be very loyal to Airbnb, but "that's not everybody," Wert said. Baby boomers continue to show their love for hotels, and millennials could be taught that "hotels are the thing to do," he said.

The vacation home market is nearing 100 percent occupancy in the high season, with many reservations already made for 2017. While Airbnb will improve the supply of vacation homes, it will not meet the demands of the county's more choosy and affluent visitors, Wert said.

Wert gave his report in honor of National Travel & Tourism Week, America's annual salute to travel and tourism established by a congressional resolution in 1983.

He told the group gathered to hear him speak that he had nothing bad to say and that he's in the good news business as executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"If you want bad news don't call me. ... I'll have none of that," he quipped.

Some of the benefits from tourism in Collier County include: delivering an average annual tax savings of $863 to homeowners and supplying more than 26,000 jobs in the industry last year. The industry has seen 63 straight months of job growth, Wert said.

Tourism supports another 36,000 jobs at local businesses that serve the industry.

The tourism bureau has invested in new photography and videos, including food scenes, to continue building on its advertising theme "Discover Your Paradise."

It's looking for ways to encourage more visitors to share their experiences through social media and for continued advertising partnerships with local hotels and other tourism-related businesses.

In closing, Wert asked those in the group to use their paid time off to plan a "staycation," or vacation in their own backyard, and to tell their employees to do the same. If those days are taken, employees would be happier and it could contribute millions of dollars more to the local economy, he said.

Wert encouraged everyone in the group and the public to attend the annual Southwest Florida Travel Rally from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lakes Regional Park, off Gladiolus Drive in south Fort Myers. It's a free, family-friendly event.

By the Numbers

Here's the typical profile for visitors in Collier County:

Average age: 48

Median household income: $150,000

Saw, read, heard Collier County's advertising message: 53.3 percent

Travel influenced by Collier's message: 47 percent

Traveler type: 53.2 percent couples

32.2 percent family

10.2 percent single

5.7 percent ad hoc groups
Luke Franke/Staff (2) Bob Dilley, left, helps neighbor Sunny Cesare carry a glass table top she purchased from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's Upscale Resale Furniture & More Store on Monday in Naples. The store is closing May 13 and has reduced prices to liquidate its inventory.

SHARE Price tags await a home. The store is no longer accepting donations or consignments. Luke Franke/Staff A customer enters the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's Upscale Resale Furniture & More Store on Monday. Customers take a moment to look around at the remaining inventory at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's Upscale Resale Furniture & More Store Monday, May 2, 2016 in Naples. The store is closing May 13, 2016 and has reduced all prices on items in the store to liquidate its' inventory. The store is no longer accepting donations or consignment items. (Luke Franke/Staff) Conservancy of Southwest Florida employees mark down items in the Upscale Resale Furniture & More Store Monday, May 2, 2016 in Naples. The store, owned by the Conservancy, is closing May 13, 2016 and has reduced all prices on items in the store to liquidate its' inventory. The store is no longer accepting donations or consignment items. (Luke Franke/Staff)

By John Osborne, Daily News Correspondent

There are good deals to be had, but bargain hunters need to act quickly before they're gone forever.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida's Upscale Resale Furniture & More Store at 764 U.S. 41 N. is going out of business, with a closing date slated for May 13 or sooner, based on inventory.

All remaining merchandise is on sale as the inventory liquidation shifts into high gear.

Store hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

As a result of the planned closing, Upscale Resale Furniture & More Store is no longer accepting consignments or donations.

Conservancy of Southwest Florida President and CEO Rob Moher said the decision to close shop came on the heels of a gloomy business analysis for the secondhand store.

"Over the last few years, we have seen a steady decline in net profits from sales at the store," he said. "A task force was put in place recently to assess the current situation, explore all options and recommend a strategy to move forward."

Moher said the task force found that increased competition and changing market conditions signaled an uphill battle for Upscale Resale Furniture & More Store.

"Projected earnings would continue to decline even with a very large amount of effort and investment," he said.

On the bright side, Moher said the store closing would allow the Conservancy of Southwest Florida to better focus on its core mission areas of protecting Southwest Florida's water, land, wildlife and future.

"We appreciate the community's support as we continue to grow and evolve," he said.

Despite a shrinking-but-loyal base of clients, Conservancy Marketing Director Catherine Bergerson said the writing was on the wall for Upscale Resale Furniture Store & More.

"The net sales have been declining for several years, and the business analysis made it clear that it didn't seem like a long-term viable option," she said. "The trajectory didn't show a change in the future; therefore the decision was made to close."

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida traces its roots to 1964, when a small group of residents stopped construction of a road through Rookery Bay.

The Conservancy now focuses on protecting the water, land and wildlife of Southwest Florida through environmental policy, science, education and wildlife rehabilitation.

For more information on Upscale Resale Furniture Store & More Store, call 239-263-0717. For more information on the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, see www.conservancy.org.
SHARE Neil Simon James Kobrick

The Bonita Springs Estero Economic Development Council said Neil Simon, president of EnviroStruct LLC, has joined the organization's board of directors.

American House Senior Living Communities has named James Kobrick vice president of operations.

Certification

Arma Communications Inc. said its director of business development, Michelle Thoen, has earned the title of Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.

David Lawrence Center said the following staff members have becomelicensed mental health providers: Timothy MacGeorge, licensed clinical social worker; Keith Mattson, licensed mental health counselor; and Mariana Perez, licensed mental health counselor.

Events

The David Lawrence Center will host the Fifth Annual David Lawrence Center Young Executives Sunset Cruise at 6 p.m. June 16 aboard the Naples Princess at 550 Port O Call Way in Naples. Information: www. DavidLawrenceCenter.org

New website

The Family Wealth Planning Group of Raymond James has launched an enhanced website at www.familywealthplanninggroup.com.

Good deeds

The Harry Chapin Food Bank said Bank of America presented a $42,090 check from the bank's Give a Meal program. IN addition, a group of bank employees worked a shift of volunteer hours to support the food bank.

To submit your business news directly online, go to naplesnews.com/BIZwire or email news@naplesnews.com.
Thinkers from Confucius to Shakespeare to Voltaire have hit upon a similar theme.

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Maybe no one reads Confucius, Shakespeare or Voltaire anymore, because it seems like their wisdom is as out of date as the handwritten pages they first committed it to. A couple of examples from the news:

I don't pretend to be an expert on the history of the public restroom. But in my experience over the past 50-odd years, it seems there's been a system in placed that worked pretty well.

Men use the men's room. Women use the women's room.

As we've been made aware over the past few weeks, the system isn't perfect. A small percentage of the population, the transgender community, can feel uncomfortable with the traditional arrangement.

They'd prefer to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, not their biological structure.

So to accommodate this group, which rough estimates put at about .3 percent of the population, we're trying to perfect our imperfect system. States are passing laws for and against transgender access. Companies are adopting policies explicitly supporting the concept.

As a result, other people are uncomfortable. Already, more than 1 million people have signed a petition to boycott Target over its restroom policy, which was implemented in an effort to placate the transgender group.

You can be certain those that have signed are only a fraction of the number with misgivings toward the new approach.

Some women simply won't want to share a bathroom with a biologic male and vice versa. While transgender bathroom laws by no means condone it, others fear someone with criminal intent, a peeping Tom or molester, will take advantage of the accommodation and use bathroom access to further their deviant behavior.

Is their discomfort today less legitimate than that of the transgender community's under the old system?

Advocates for the new approach may argue that it goes beyond being comfortable or uncomfortable. It's a matter of civil rights.

If separate but equal is wrong when it comes to race, it is wrong when it comes to gender as well. If that's the case, we'll need to do away with the whole idea of men's rooms and women's rooms. Unisex bathrooms for all. Somehow, that doesn't seem like the perfect solution we're striving for.

Under the traditional arrangement, a transgender person who so thoroughly identifies as a member of the opposite sex that they look and act the part could use the restroom they identify with little chance of discovery or harassment.

It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good.

In the second example, on Monday The Associated Press reported that it had found hundreds of instances spanning 35 schools districts in 14 states including Florida in which teenagers arriving from countries like Guatemala and Honduras have been denied access to public schools.

From the findings, one could infer that those districts and states are somehow anti-immigrant.

But across the nation and especially in Florida, millions of immigrant children are being educated in the public schools.

A 2014 report in The Washington Post estimated about 7 percent of U.S. students in grades K-12 were the children of immigrants in the country illegally.

With 50 million total students in school, that amounts to 3.5 million. Add to that millions more who are the children of immigrant parents here legally.

Faced with those numbers, you'd be hard pressed to find a systemic bias against educating immigrant students.

States and districts have procedures they follow when admitting new students. Proof of age, educational records and immunization verification are some of the requirements that must be met.

It is entirely possible that earnest students who in every way qualify for public schools but who lack the required documents could be denied entry.

In a perfect system, there would be a way to allow them in.

But the importance of admission criteria was demonstrated earlier this year in the case of Asher Potts, an honor student at John Harris High School in Harrisburg, Pa.

It turns out Potts was a 23-year-old immigrant from Ukraine who came to the country legally but overstayed his visa.

Potts, real name Artur Samarin, is now in jail on charges including identity theft and having sex with a 15-year-old girl he met at school.

School systems simply can't allow every purported 16-year-old who shows up to enter a traditional high school.

The process for screening them isn't perfect, but nothing in the AP report proves it isn't good.

(Connect with Brent Batten at brent.batten@naplesnews.com, on Twitter@NDN_BrentBatten and at facebook.com/ndnbrentbatten)
SHARE

Bayside/Collier upgrade

Recently, a meeting was held at South Seas between Tim Pinter, Marco public works director, and all interested residents of the vicinity concerning the installation of a traffic signal on Collier at Bayside. Also at the meeting were representatives of the consulting firm who are conducting the required study.

We were informed that the signal would have to be placed at Saturn rather than Bayside because Bayside didn't meet State requirements for a traffic light. I have since been informed that because the Bayside intersection is not a four way, the state will not pay the cost of the installation. That would have to be borne by the residents.

Maybe it's time for some common sense

1. The problem is at Bayside not Saturn. Let's fix the problem where it is not where some bureaucratic fiat says it should be.

2. To call Saturn a four way intersection requires you to ignore the fact the east and west sections do not line up. If anyone bothered to check, I'm sure that because of the business locations on the east Side of Collier a lot more traffic moves east and west through Bayside intersection than through the Saturn intersection.

3. If the light were placed at Saturn, it would be necessary to construct left turn lanes on both sides of the intersection and it would be necessary to close the median at Bayside, preventing left turns and U turns since they would present an unacceptable interference with traffic moving north from the light. These turns would have to be allowed only at the Saturn intersection. The left turn lanes are already in place at Bayside. Possibly because the planners of the Collier reconstruction considered, the Bayside intersection was more suitable for expansion.

4. Since the greatest concentration of pedestrian traffic is generated on both sides of Bayside, a pedestrian crossing is a must.

5. Sidewalks need to be widened and replaced on Bayside, Saturn and Seaview Ct.

6. The entrance to South Seas causes considerable congestion at Seaview and Bayside. This could be alleviated with the addition of a right turn lane off Bayside directly into the bar code gate of South Seas. Not a concern of the city, but a more generous use of the bar code by South Seas could then pretty much solve the problem.

After more than 50 years in the construction business I think I can offer an educated guess that the light at Bayside will be less expensive than the one at Saturn both in dollars and disruptions. From my Lanai, I can sit and watch the Bayside Collier intersection with all it's congestion, frustrations and breathtaking near misses by cars, pedestrians and bicycles. We've been lucky. Let's not press our luck.

Fred Leydecker

Marco Island

Representative democracy

What is the difference between representative democracy and direct democracy?

Direct democracy: The people themselves make big decisions of the government directly, rather than indirectly through representatives.

Representative: The people elect a few others who represent them in government.

Our Founding Fathers studied the governments of the ancient city-states of Greece. The city-state of Euboea had a representative form of government. A representative was elected to represent 10 demos.

This proved to be a more stable government. Pure democracy did not last. It broke down into too many factions. That is why America's founders formed a representative government. It seems to me a wise choice.

Carol Montpetit

Marco Island

See you in court

With regard to presidential "overreach," so often heard from opponents of President Barack Obama's immigration amnesty executive order, I came across a similar situation in the early 1930s.

President Franklin Roosevelt had felt it imperative to act on the economy without congressional consent or input, complaining that Congress acted too slowly (FDR's fellow Democrats controlled the House with 322 representatives and the Senate with 69 Democratic senators).

The Supreme Court struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act, the mighty government scheme to control and regulate business. The case involved a lowly poultry butcher in Brooklyn who was put out of business by being forced to comply with the Live Poultry Code that set wages and hours.

Do readers see similarities with Obamacare setting standards of medical insurance and minimum wage policies?

Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes at the time said, "Extraordinary conditions (the Great Depression) do not create or enlarge constitutional power. ... Congress cannot delegate legislative power to the president to exercise an unfettered discretion to make whatever laws he thinks may be needed or advisable for the rehabilitation and expansion of trade or industry."

The same decision must also await Obama's edicts and executive orders; they are simply unconstitutional. Whatever his motive for fundamental change of the nation, the pushing for open borders or the takeover of the medical insurance industry, they are inconsequential. The court would have to reverse its own ruling from May 27, 1935.

Gerard Fischer

Naples
FILE - Diana Perez proudly presents some of the best tequila drinks around, at Margarita's Mexican Restaurant. Don Farmer/Special to the Eagle

SHARE Daily news File Southwest Florida eateries will celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Thursday.

By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News

As a girl, Diana Perez celebrated Cinco de Mayo the way most in Mexico do, with parades and a few low-key activities in school.

But after 11 years in the restaurant business in the United States, she's ramped up her party-planning skills to accommodate the throngs of Floridians who associate the day with tequila and tacos.

"It's getting more popular," said Perez, who moved with her husband from Monterrey, Mexico to Florida 18 years ago. Together, they run Margarita's on Marco Island along North Collier Boulevard. "It's very busy here. That's why we serve beer and tacos outside."

The holiday does not celebrate Mexico's independence, like many Americans believe. Instead it commemorates a historic battle in which Mexico defeated French forces in the Battle de Puebla way back in 1862. Mexico's Independence Day is actually celebrated on September 16, commemorating the start of the 1810 war for independence.

QUIZ: A primer for Cinco de Mayo

So what do people like Perez think about the way Americans have adopted the holiday, albeit based on bad info?

"I don't mind correcting people because I like that people know our history better," she said. "That doesn't stop us from celebrating because that's one more way to celebrate. That's how life goes."

Plus, it's good for business. This Thursday, Perez expects her main dining room to be filled to its 200-person capacity through afternoon and dinner. Outside at the gazebo, live music will play while another 60 to 80 people eat and drink.

They'll play live music from the '70s and '80s and serve Corona and margaritas.

But, it's about more than Coronas and margaritas.

Perez, 39, blogged about the origins of Cinco de Mayo on her restaurants site a few years back to correct some notions about the holiday. She said since that post, most of her repeat customers have caught on.

"I think now people know better," she said. "At least here on the island."

Like Cinco de Mayo, Saint Patrick's Day has become an Americanized holiday. In Ireland, pubs used to be closed on Saint Patrick's Day, which was a somber event. Here, it's a cause for green beer and parades.

Tom Sheehan is a member of the United Irish of SW Florida, a Lee County group that celebrates Irish culture. Sheehan is pure Irish and Catholic and feels strongly about the way the holiday has changed here.

"What's been commercialized is this ridiculous green beer and really it's a defamation of the Irish heritage," he said.

Sheehan celebrates the way his family did and the way most Irish do. He goes to mass in the morning, catches a parade on Fort Myers Beach that the Irish organization puts on, then heads home to be with family. Later in the day, he might go to a get together with friends.

And don't get him wrong, he celebrates. But the way Americans have changed the holiday is bothersome.

"I don't want to sound like a bunch of Little Goody Two-Shoes, but there is a tradition to it," he said.

Sheehan blames marketing for the way both Saint Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo have morphed.

"There's a buck to be made so they're going to exploit the origin of it," he said. "They'll sell beer, sell hot dogs, sell whatever they can sell and God bless, that's the American way. That's capitalism."

Dayami Martinez is a Spanish and history professor at Florida Southwestern State College. She's from Cuba but has a rich understanding of Hispanic cultural studies and traditions.

As a public school teacher, she taught elementary school students the meaning of the holiday. They listened to traditional music and wore traditional folkloric costumes.

Now as a college professor, the holiday does not typically fall within the semester, but she finds plenty of opportunities to teach people why the holiday is an important one.

"As educators, it's our responsibility to let students know what is behind those days," Martinez said. "It's not only to wear green on Saint Patrick's Day or on Cinco de Mayo, you have to listen to mariachi music. There's a historic event."
The view from the full-service outdoor and indoor bar looking into the dining room at Fernandez the Bull Cuban Cafe in North Naples. Photo by Jean Amodea

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By Laura Layden of the Naples Daily News

Naples is on yet another top 10 list.

It landed at No. 9 on the list of Best Small Town Food Scenes in the U.S., based on votes by readers of USA TODAY'S 10Best travel section.

USA TODAY editors chose Naples as one of their 20 best places to enjoy a happening food scene in a small town, then readers voted for their top 10 from the nominees.

"It's great to be in the top 10 because that means we get a lot of publicity," said JoNell Modys, public relations and communications manager at the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Frankenmuth, Michigan, took the No. 1 spot, with Fredericksburg, Texas, coming in 10th place for its food scene.

The 10Best Readers' Choice Award contest launches new categories every other Monday at noon, revealing each category's 20 nominees. After four weeks of voting, the contest closes. On the Friday after voting ends, winners are announced.

In other recent voting by readers of USA TODAY's 10Best, Naples ranked No. 1 as the Best Destination for Luxury Travelers, and it came in second as one of the best Alfresco Dining Neighborhoods in the U.S.

"We're really on a roll with lots of editorial and readers' choice accolades for having a great food scene here in Naples, and in Marco Island as well. It really does reflect what has been going on here since there has been a great evolution of dining opportunity over the past five to 10 years," Modys said. "There has always been a lot of locally owned restaurants. Now there is even more of them, and what they are offering is really resonating with what travelers like."

In visitor research surveys in January and February, dining rose to the No. 1 favorite activity in the Naples area, surpassing the beach.

Locally sourced, fresh ingredients are commonly used at area restaurants, following a global trend, and Naples has some attributes that help it stand out including creative chefs and delicious seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, Modys said.

"We have more restaurants that are staying open later and just have more of an eclectic, fun vibe," she said.

Naples has also been named one of the top 20 American cities for food as part of Conde Nast Traveler's Readers Choice Awards for the last three years.

"The consistency of these recognitions is very significant. And people notice that," Modys said.

The awards could help attract younger visitors.

"Research is showing that millennial travelers like to travel for specific food experiences, or they seek out what is the best in an area, often based on online reviews," Modys said.

With announcements and stories about the top awards continuing to live online, they'll pop up in Internet searches by travelers, which could influence their decisions for years to come.

Naples could soon make it on another top 10 food-related list. Voting is open through May 9 for the Best Cuban Sandwich in Florida. The duo of Cuban sandwiches sold at Naples' Fernandez the Bull restaurant is at No. 2, ahead of well-known eateries such as the venerable Columbia Restaurant in Tampa and El Mason de Pepe in Key West.

Fans of Fernandez the Bull can cast their vote at www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-cuban-sandwich-in-florida/fernandez-the-bull-naples.
Like most people, I never paid much attention to Ed Schultz. A loud, bullying, meaty man in the even meatier middle of the distribution when it comes to smarts, Schultz was your classic lunch pail populist as host of MSNBCs The Ed Show.

During his six-year run on the network, I dont think anyone ever asked, Did you hear what Ed Schultz said? save when he uttered something ridiculous enough to make smart or decent liberals wince.

Still, I always thought he meant what he was saying. Sure he exaggerated and was prone to hyperbole. But that was his shtick.

Its clear now I thought too highly of him.

Politico Magazines Michael Crowley has a fascinating story about how Vladimir Putin supports Donald Trump. This isnt all that shocking for anybody whos been attacked by the Twitter division of Putins Ministry of Propaganda. But theres more significant evidence, including the much reported bromance between Putin and Trump and the fact that one of Trumps top consigliere, Paul Manafort, was previously a one-man brain-trust for Viktor Yanukovych, the Putin stooge and kelptocrat who until recently ran Ukraine.

Crowley begins and ends his piece with a close study of none other than Schultz. You see, when Schultz lost his show at MSNBC, he cast about for a new broadcast job. He found it on Russia Todays American channel RT America, the newsy facade of Russias global propaganda machine.

At MSNBC, there was no praise of Hillary Clinton too effusive and no slander of Republicans that was too extreme. Schultz often spent his days spewing out such statements as, This is what the Republican Party stands for, though: racism. I think Donald Trump is a racist.

In 2011, when Trump was reportedly thinking of running for president (again), Schultz wrote in The Huffington Post, ...when it comes down to the devil in the detail of dealing with the issues ... and making real change, Trump, you dont have it. Youve never had it. Money is not a measure of a mans character or success in the arena of public service.

Now I happen to agree with that second bit. The interesting thing is, Schultz doesnt  anymore. The man who once mocked Putin, now cashes his checks, as a pundit on his network, lending aid and comfort to the Kremlins pro-Trump PR campaign.

Schultz recently told Larry King, his RT colleague, that Trump was like Ronald Reagan (he meant it in a good way). Trump, Schultz explained, certainly has shaken up the Republican Establishment, and I think hes done it by talking about things that people care about. Schultz now says Trump is a great and decisive decision-maker.

So what explains the transformation? I dont like speculating about peoples motives in part because 99 percent of the time, I find those who try to guess mine are wrong (Former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke recently attacked me on Twitter for being a Zionist stooge for opposing Donald Trump). Still, one possibility is that Ed Schultz is simply sincere. A more obvious explanation is that hes doing it for the paycheck. Both of those things are possible. But theres a third possibility: Some people need to be on TV or some other public arena. As with Trump himself, the money comes second to celebrity.

Russia Today was likely the only broadcaster offering to keep Schultz on TV  and that offer, perhaps came with strings attached.

I dont know Schultz personally, so maybe none or all of these explanations apply. But I do know that some people get addicted to being recognized at airports and speaking into a TV or microphone. Ive seen it for more than 20 years.

Heck, poor Larry King is a bit like Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman: hes got nowhere else to go. But King is different than Schultz and other pundits on the left and the right. Kings job is to ask questions, not opine on what is right and wrong, politically, analytically or even morally. Thats the life Ed Schultz chose for himself, and in the era of Trump, it is interesting and dismaying, to see who thinks the limelight  by which I mean ratings, popularity, celebrity and relevance  is more important than long-held principles, or basic truth-telling.

Schultzs case is interesting because of the Russia connection. Sadly, if Im right about his motives, Schultzs case is not unique.

Jonah Goldberg is an editor-at-large of National Review Online and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. You can email him at JonahsColumn@aol.com.
SHARE Dunnagan

By Harriet Howard Heithaus of the Naples Daily News

Dallas Dunnagan, artistic director of the Naples Players for 16 years, has resigned, Executive Director John Sorey announced Tuesday.

In addition developing and implementing the artistic vision for the organization and for major decisions regarding play selection, staff and marketing, Dunnagan has directed more than 30 productions for the theater. Her directing variety included some of the Players' more difficult works: "How I Learned to Drive," dealing with pedophilia, to "The Laramie Project," exploring attitudes toward homosexuality, and "The Lion in Winter," about royal family politics. But she also directed comedies and musicals like "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Les Miserables, "The Producers," "A Christmas Carol" and "The Importance of Being Earnest."

"We are saddened to see Dallas leave the theater, as she has been a driving force behind our tremendous success over the years," said Sorey in a statement accompanying a news release Tuesday. "She is well loved by staff and volunteers alike, but we certainly understand her desire to start a new chapter in her life and wish her much happiness."

"We hate losing her," said Sorey, contacted later. "But she's got to do what's best for her.

The Naples Players will begin a search for Dunnagan's replacement immediately. Dunnagan will remain on staff until that transition. Sorey said the organization posted a job description on two websites Tuesday and already has received applications.

Naples Players has been rated among the top 10 community theaters in the nation for its full houses and financial stability. It uses a minimum seven-piece orchestra -- usually 13 to 15 -- for mainstage musicals. It has two floors of office, rehearsal and storage space in addition to a 326-seat mainstage and a 100-seat black-box theater at its Sugden Community Theatre home on Fifth Avenue South.

Dunnagan said there was no particular motivation for her resignation.

"I had been thinking about it for some time," said Dunnagan, 55. "I may do something outside of theater. Or maybe not."

"I've given them (The Naples Players) such a long lead time, nine months, that I have lots of time. I could figure out what I want to do in three months, or maybe six."

Dunnagan said she felt making a move would be better now, at the end of the company's fiscal year, than during its season.

She said she couldn't choose a play that she felt was the zenith of her directing tenure here: "I don't really think that way. I'm always excited about the next one (play) I'm doing. If you don't do that, you find yourself always trying to recreate some past success."

Previously Dunnagan served as artistic director for the Hilton Head Playhouse and the Self Family Arts Center in South Carolina. She has a degree in theater from Rollins College in Winter Park.
By Daily News Staff

The Collier County Sheriff's Office is investigating a stranger danger incident reported in East Naples.

A 9-year-old girl told deputies that on Friday afternoon she was walking home from school near Thomasson and Bayshore drives when an older man riding a bicycle kept telling her to stop.

She did not speak to the man and kept walking until she made it home safely.

Detectives said the girl described the man as white, about 50 years old with white hair and white stubble facial hair. He was wearing green camouflage shorts and no shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Collier County Sheriff's Office at 239-252-9300. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).

This is the eighth stranger danger incident in the last month. The prior reports have been spread across the county, from North Naples to Golden Gate Estates to Immokalee. Most of the suspects have been described as white males, but with varying appearances and ages, ranging from 50s to 70s.

Related stories:
In this file photo, Myra Janco Daniels, left, and others applaud Peter Thomas, right, at the 10th Annual Honor the Free Press event held by the Naples Press Club and the Marine Corps League of Naples at the Hilton Naples on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. (Photo by JAY SCHLICHTER/STAFF)

By Daily News Staff

Longtime friend Myra Janco Daniels said she knew Thomas since 1965, when she and her husband Draper Daniels who ran an advertising agency hired him to provide voice work.

"We haven't a citizen that I know who touched out and reached so many people," Daniels said Monday morning. "He's a loss, he's a loss. But I will not lose some of the wisdom that he passed on and I hope his children will hold onto that."

She said she was planning to visit Thomas again on Mother's Day.

"Peter was a man who loved this community and the community cared about him," said Daniels, who founded the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts, now called ArtisNaples.

"He was a treasure."

She said Thomas helped her start the arts center, and continued to offer his services for as long as he was physically able to do so. She said Thomas offered his voice on stage numerous times, especially around Memorial Day when Thomas read his poem, "Omaha Beach."

"He was the voice. In his day, he was the voice," she said. "And you recognized his voice. And he continued and worked from his own office for so many years. That was a big boost, for him to say, 'What can I do for you?'

"He was not selfish. He was a kind and giving soul. He said, 'Myra, I wish I could give you millions. And I told him, 'I just need your backing, I just need your voice.'"

Thomas also believed strongly in a free press and loved the United States.

"What I loved about Peter was that money was never a big thing to him," Daniels said. "It was what you could do for your country. If you knew Peter, you were wise, because he always had some wisdom to give you. Kindness with no strings attached. He cared about the common man and the existence of this country.

"I always thought Peter would live forever."

- - -

Naples Mayor Bill Barnett knew Peter and Stella Thomas since 1984, when the "rookie" Naples City Council member helped the couple solve an issue with their neighbor over an air-conditioning unit that was being built next to their house. After they connected, Barnett said the three became "steadfast friends."

"I kind of fell in love with them," he said. "They supported me every time I ran for council or mayor. He did some radio spots for me.

"He was a gem," Barnett added. "He was the most genteel person one could ever meet. He never put on any pretense. You could be sitting next to him in a diner, and you would never know of his many accomplishments. He was so unpretentious."

- - -

"He going to be sorely missed and long remembered," said Lois Bolin, who started the Peter Thomas History Fund in 2003 that provides funding for students to compete in the annual Florida History Fair. "Your heart breaks, because death is a rite of passage for us all. But when you're close to them, it hurts when they leave. How blessed we are to have had the chance to know them."

- - -

"Naples' own, Peter Thomas  The 'voice' of America's greatest generation, taken from us after a life well-lived."  Tweet from U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson
Gov. Rick Scott speaks to members of the media after a news conference in Golden Gate about the I-75 Widening Project in Collier County and funding for the Department of Transportation on Thursday, July 29, 2015.(Scott McIntyre/Staff)

SHARE Republican presidential candidate Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Monday, Sept. 14, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) In this photo taken Tuesday June 16, 2015, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

By Arek Sarkissian of the Naples Daily News

TALLAHASSEE  Gov. Rick Scott faced heat Monday from two Democratic governors who criticized him for leading job-hunting missions in other states.

Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe said during a panel with Scott that rather than look for jobs in other states, he takes part in several international trade missions every year. Those missions provide a better return on the effort it takes to carry out a trade mission, and they do not require a hefty taxpayer-funded cash incentive program.

"I don't spend my time going to other states because when you get into that game you have to talk incentives, and unlike some other governors I don't want to get into that," McAuliffe said, later adding he would prefer to negotiate with countries such as China. "We go where the economic activity goes."

Scott and McAuliffe took part in a panel during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California. They were joined by Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Colorado Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The panel was held to address how the state leaders led in the wake of the Great Recession of 2008.

Scott said after the panel that Florida has the unique advantage over Virginia for having no income tax.

"I like where we're going and we're headed in the right direction," Scott said. "That's what I'm saying here in California."

Scott arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday to begin his first job-hunting trip of the year with Enterprise Florida, the state's public-private economic partnership. He announced the mission last month by criticizing California Gov. Jerry Brown's recent deal with California lawmakers to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 by 2022. Scott in his announcement cited a study by the right-leaning American Action Forum that concluded California would lose 700,000 jobs if the state raised the minimum wage.

Brown had already thrown a barb at Scott for his job-hunting visit just before the panel discussion began. He decried Scott's visit as a political stunt and suggested he focus on the issue of climate change.

"If you're truly serious about Florida's economic well-being, then it's time to stop the silly political stunts and start doing something about climate change  two words you won't even let state officials say," Brown wrote in a letter sent Monday to Scott. "The threat is real and so, too, will be the devastating impacts."

In response to Brown's letter, Scott said he is already addressing environmental issues that some have blamed on climate change.

"If he wants to debate about climate change, that's fine, but let's talk about the facts," Scott said, pointing to money in the state's upcoming $82 billion budget for beach renourishment and Everglades restoration, which was passed by the Legislature. "And the only reason we can do these things is because we have a growing economy."

Scott's California trip is his first without the Enterprise Florida incentive fund. State lawmakers rejected one of his priorities during this year's legislative session to put $250 million in taxpayer cash toward the incentive fund. Conservative House leaders called the fund corporate welfare and suggested Scott find other ways to attract businesses to the state.

Scott did not have a chance to respond to McAuliffe's comments during the panel, which was driven by questions from moderator Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of software company Alphabet Inc., parent company of Google. The four governors agreed that the federal government was of little use in strengthening state economies. McAuliffe said his state opted to diversify its economy after the federal budget went into sequestration in 2013. Scott said Florida footed the bill on revamping some of its 15 seaports after requests for help from the federal government went unanswered. For instance, the state recently paid to dredge PortMiami to a depth of more than 50 feet to prepare for bigger ships that pass through an updated Panama Canal.

"The Miami port project brought 30,000 jobs by itself," Scott said. "We had to figure out how we were going to do that."

Scott, McAuliffe and Hickenlooper all spoke of plans to change secondary and postsecondary educational systems so that they are geared toward preparing students for jobs rather than degrees. Walker also spoke of a plan that requires welfare recipients without dependents to enter job training programs.

"People say we're making it harder for people to get help, but we're not," Walker said. "We're helping them get a job."

Scott's first campaign in 2010 included a plan to require drug testing for welfare recipients. He backed away from that plan last year.

Scott's participation in the panel was sandwiched between six private business development meetings in greater Los Angeles listed on his official schedule. He will be in San Francisco and San Jose on Tuesday morning for more meetings before he flies back to Florida later that night.

The meetings Scott planned throughout the trip were with businesses involved in technology and tourism industries. Some were listed as Fortune 500 companies, Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said.

Contact Daily News reporter arek.sarkissian@naplesnews.com or 850-559-7620
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The latest unemployment numbers in the state and region might tempt economic leaders to ease up on the accelerator.

Thankfully, they're not. And we're not just talking about the new food industry business accelerator coming to the Immokalee area.

Collier and Lee counties recorded a 4.3 percent jobless rate in March, significantly below the state's 4.9 percent and nation's 5 percent unemployment. Even so, there are nearly 478,000 Floridians without a job in a labor force of 9.8 million. About 21,100 of those out-of-work folks are in Collier and Lee counties.

We're fortunate to have nationally noted yet locally based companies  Hertz and Arthrex come to mind. We're equally grateful that a long list of leaders from Gov. Rick Scott to those at educational institutions to local economic development officials won't rest until anyone who wants a job has one.

That points to diversifying our economy, one of seven issues we identified as 2016 began that are priorities for progress this year. We'll watch these in coming months:

Immokalee

Even when slowdowns in Southwest Florida economic engines like construction, tourism and real estate inevitably occur again, people will need to eat.

That's why we see promise in two forward-moving initiatives for Immokalee, a community that typically has to fight hard for anything it gets.

Collier's state lawmakers fought for funding for a culinary accelerator that county officials envision for the Immokalee area. The $2 million was authorized by Scott, who had vetoed it a year ago. Like its Naples-area doppelganger that's lured global and technology companies, the inland accelerator is an opportunity to grow businesses that create innovative jobs in the food industry.

Where better than Immokalee, with its deep agricultural roots? That's the second plus sign that could complement the culinary accelerator  the state's continuing commitment to IFAS, the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences research and education center on State Road 29.

The South Florida Agricultural Council says agriculture has an $8.1 billion impact on the region's economy, but its challenges are many, from dwindling farmland to insects and plant diseases. A state-funded $2 million, 7,000-square-foot expansion of the Immokalee research center was opened this year, enabling IFAS to hire more scientists pointed toward research and sustaining agriculture.

Piggybacking on that, there's $400,000 in the 2016-17 state budget for greenhouses at the center; UF/IFAS is matching it for $800,000 total. An IFAS spokesman says this will pay for four new greenhouses and renovate four existing ones. With six new faculty members, this will aid research by citrus, plant, soil and weed scientists.

Leadership

Michael Dalby, the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce's new president and CEO, says he's excited about the county's accelerators, from their European connections at the Naples-area site, to the Immokalee plans. He sees agricultural technology, plus food and juice products, as economic opportunity here.

This summer, when county government prepares its budget, we look forward to hearing about economic development from county commissioners, who said in January when office director Bruce Register left that it's a fresh opportunity to look at business retention versus recruitment. The county hasn't advertised the job, entrusting it to interim director Jace Kentner, who's been with the office since July 2014.

Though the Legislature didn't embrace Scott's $1 billion business tax cut and economic investment plan this session, it hasn't stopped the governor in his No. 1 mission: creating jobs. On the heels of announcing a Pennsylvania company opening a Daytona Beach plant, the result of a business recruitment trip last year, Scott went to California this week to encourage companies to move or expand to Florida.

Dalby sees technology jobs as another possibility for job growth here. They're certainly prevalent in California, as is agriculture.

Maybe we're California dreaming, but if Scott is successful, we'll be watching in the coming months for some of those companies to grow their jobs here.
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Barry J. McCall, Bonita Springs

Battle for nomination

If it were not so tragic, Donald Trump's playing of the media and the electorate would be hysterically funny. Unfortunately, though, it is tragic.

The fact that Trump is winning the race for the Republican nomination without providing anything substantial as to how he intends to actually do what he says he will do if elected points to how gullible the electorate has become.

How will he defeat ISIS? Get other countries involved to renegotiate the multi-national trade agreements he claims are anti-American? Get rid of 11 million immigrants here illegally? Build up our military forces to their prior manpower levels and build huge numbers of additional naval vessels and planes? Provide universal health care? Rewrite the tax code? Continue Medicare and Social Security at their current levels without dramatically increasing Medicare and Social Security contributions? Get Mexico to pay for the wall along the Rio Grande?

He claims that he will have all the answers to these questions by the time he is inaugurated. But he can't provide even barest explanations today. And he will appoint all the best minds to populate his cabinet and fill the positions as heads of executive department government agencies. But he isn't going to name names until after the election.

Talk about "a pig in a poke."

The media has totally abdicated their responsibility to hold Trump's feet to the fire, even as he is calling them names and making fun of them with impunity.

How sad.
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Keith Flaugh, Marco Island

Facts are facts

Blind trust is never a good thing.

Last year the Collier County school system did a press release tooting its horn that 3 Collier high schools ranked in the top 1,000 high schools in the U.S., based on the annual U.S. News and World Report of the top 2,500 high schools.

Suspiciously, this year's results from the same report are not good and we hear nothing from our school system. Barron Collier slipped from 545th nationally/36th in Florida to 608th nationally/40th in Florida. Gulf Coast High School and Naples High School disappeared from the top 1,000 to "not ranked." Golden Gate and Palmetto Ridge also dropped significantly. Only Lorenzo Walker improved its ranking.

The U.S. News and World Report is based on nationally administered tests, not Florida's proprietary self-serving FSA (Florida Standards Assessment).

To make matters worse  Collier public high schools' average reading proficiency is only 56 percent, math proficiency is 64 percent and college readiness is only 34 percent.

Our school system is great at promoting self-serving propaganda, but desperately needs to get back to teaching basic skills  math, cursive and the classics in literature. Instead, our school system promotes national standards dumbing students down to the lowest Common Core denominator with curriculum rife with political/religious indoctrination, revisionist history, pornography and horrible math methodologies! They even distract our teachers with Blue Zones instead of teaching basics.

Two bright spots  Marco Island Academy and Mason Academy  outshined the majority of our traditional schools. Isn't it time we learn from what works and set a goal to unleash the highest potential of each student.

Put our children first and stop the propaganda!
London Bay Homes has started construction on the first of two planned grand estate homes on prime homesites in Port Royal, considered among the most exclusive neighborhoods in the United States.



Overlooking Cutlass Cove toward the southernmost point of scenic Gordon Drive, the two-story Cayman model will span 6,394 square feet under air.



Designed for waterfront living, the Cayman will offer a private boat dock with quick access to the Gulf of Mexico through nearby Gordon Pass. The five-bedroom custom home will also showcase water views with floor-to-ceiling windows, bay windows in the master suite and sliding glass doors that open to outdoor gathering areas.



The model will have an elevator, floating staircase, five full baths and two half baths.



Emphasizing an open floor plan design, the Caymans great room will flow into a large nook and kitchen with minimal definition between rooms. The kitchen will feature an oversized freestanding island breakfast bar and a walk-in pantry closet.



The nooks sliding glass doors will open to the covered outdoor living area elevated above the pool deck. The alfresco space will offer a fully equipped summer kitchen and introduce the models first water features  two reflecting pools with mosaic tiled spillovers flanking each side of the stairway to the open-air pool deck.



A trio of water spouts built into the wall below the outdoor living area will channel water into the linear pool, which will have a built in bench. A separate spa will be designed flush with the pool deck, and a nearby sunken patio will feature a fire pit.



The Caymans master bedroom will overlook one of the reflecting pools from its floor-to-ceiling bay window. The suite will also feature his-and-her walk-in closets and a private bathroom with his-and-her vanities, a tub and shower.



A loft, lounge and two baths create privacy for two guest suites located on the second floor. A separate VIP room is designed as a second master suite, offering a bay window sitting area, a walk-in closet, full bathroom and private access to a large covered terrace overlooking the pool.



Also located on the second floor, a guest apartment offers a bedroom with bay windows cantilevered above the motor court, a private bathroom and a separate morning kitchen with a sink and refrigerator.



The Cayman is a modern West Indies inspired design by Naples-based Stofft Cooney Architects, with clean-lined symmetry, louvered doors on its one- and two-car garages, and large windows with transparent views through the home.



The Cayman is located at 4375 Gordon Drive. It will be fully furnished by Romanza Interior Design.



A peninsula with homes along the coves and back bays of Naples Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Port Royal is considered a boaters paradise. The Cayman includes membership eligibility in Port Royal Club and Cutlass Cove Beach Club.



The Cayman is among several luxury floor plans created by London Bay Homes for the Naples Collection, on-your-lot custom homes and models in prestigious neighborhoods from Park Shore to Port Royal.



A leader in the Southwest Florida luxury home market for 25 years, London Bay is redefining luxury living. The company earned a 2013 Silver Award for Best Architectural Design of a One-of-a-Kind Home during The Nationals, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders.



All London Bay Homes are built using the latest information, products and technology available in building science, including the BEP Blue Barrier moisture barrier system that protects against mold issues and structural damage from moisture intrusion.



London Bay Homes was one of only two companies named Americas Best Builder by Builder magazine in 2008. The company builds new luxury custom homes from $1 million to more than $10 million in many of the regions most exclusive neighborhoods and communities. The company also builds private residences on individual homesites in Old Naples, the Sarasota Keys and along the Gulf of Mexico.



For more information about London Bay Homes exclusive Port Royal opportunities, call Toby Cloutier at 239-280-7367 or visit www.LondonBay.com.
Key players in 2022-23 Silly Season Can you hear it? Just listen. That is the sound of the NASCAR rumor mill starting up, and there are plenty of questions to answer for 2023.
         :       ,        
'I just don't want to do that'

'The new church'

(NaturalNews) It's a development that some sociologists say could be the beginning of a major shift in the behavior of younger people.As reported by the, more and more of today's millennials see "sober" as the new drunk, choosing to hang out at liquor-free juice bars, drinking a variety of concoctions that may have some kick, but not from alcohol.Recently a reporter for the news site caught up with a couple of young people in Manhattan who were on a "juice crawl"  a monthly event where participants hop in and out of three different shops to sample more than 19 flavors of alcohol-free brew with names like "Dr. Feelgood" and "Purple Rain," from 2-ounce plastic cups.The crawls are just one of a number of booze-free activities that have begun in major U.S. cities around the country, catering to a growing number of younger Americans who have sworn off liquor.Asreported further:On one night in particular, there is a long line outside an event called Shine, an alcohol-free venue combining food, water with "Australian flower essences," meditation and "enlightenment"  music, a lecture and a film. The venue is full of people who either do not drink or who are trying to cut back on alcohol consumption Launched in Los Angeles in 2014, Shine has now spread to New York City, and the events are regularly sold out to crowds of more than 100 people. Its founder describes those who attend as "mindful tastemakers" and "spiritually curious."Many millennial attendees support socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont for president , and have new-age-like reasons for wanting to socialize sober. If you ask them why, they'll give reasons like they "love real, authentic relationships," and that they want to "open up to others on the same journey," according toPlainly speaking, they believe liquor gets in the way of meaningful interactions with others, and that hangovers the next morning only serve to block them from achieving their goals."I just feel like you have deeper conversations with people when you're not distracted by drunkenness," June Zhang, a 26-year-old MBA student who drinks at most once a week, told the news site."I want to wake up each morning with a fresh mind so I can write," noted Ryan Fischer, a 35-year-old dog walker and writer who said he hasn't had any alcohol for a few months and recently returned from a shamanic retreat. "At night my dad has a couple of whiskeys and my mom has a Pinot Grigio and they lull into the night. I just don't want to do that."Tough times in the Obama economy may also be driving some millennials away from the drink. A recent study of millennials in five different countries, including the United States, found that 75 percent said they drink only in moderation on most nights out.Clinical psychologist, Goal Auzeen Saedi, toldthat her younger patients in particular are very concerned about the future, which she says in in large part due to financial uncertainty."I think the pressures are higher because [young] people are seeing that even if you have a great degree, that does not guarantee you a job by any means," she said.But mindfulness, she said, is trendy right now, and many of her patients tell her that they use yoga and meditation for stress release rather than alcohol."Right now there are all these yogi Instagram celebrities with millions of followers ... and they're not drinking beer, they're drinking juice," she says. "Mindfulness, in a way, is the new church."
Burying the link

It's a sad commentary on the state of our media that liberal reporters and commentators are so quick to take the side of Big Pharma against parents who have seen for themselves how vaccines have led to the dramatic increase in autism. The federal government recognizes the risks and dangers, having established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to compensate victims of vaccines. This takes the vaccine makers off the hook for injuries and deaths caused by government-mandated vaccines. In short, Big Government is protecting Big Business from liability for their products. Wright notes that $100 million a year is paid in damages to victims of vaccines.



Yes vaccines are extremely dangerous and yes the government , medical industry and pharma funded media is engaged in a massive arse covering exercise. But the elephant in the room isn't actually autism - as big a story as that is.



The real story is the fact that none of the vaccines actually work. The world has been hoodwinked on an astronomical scale.



Changing disease names, falsifying evidence

Measles has been renamed roseola, fifth disease, etc;



Polio has been renamed Guillain Barre, transverse myelitis, coxsackie, MS, cerebral palsy, viral meningitis (we actually use more respirators today than we ever did iron lungs by the way it is just that iron lungs were too expensive and dangerous to keep using);



Diphtheria/pertussis were renamed respiratory syncytial virus, croup, strep, pharyngitis , tonsillitis etc;. ...



Meningitis/pneumonia/sepsis blamed on Hib was renamed meningitis/pneumonia/sepsis blamed on some other bacteria;



Smallpox was renamed monkey pox/severe chicken pox.



(NaturalNews) While the mainstream media more often links conservatives to big corporations, it is liberals and the the Left wing (including the mainstream media ) that shill the most for drug companies. The latter are most responsible, for example, for backing governments that force parents to vaccinate their children against their will with potentially dangerous vaccines, some of which have been linked to autism, as the heavily censored documentary film Once extremely rare, autism is now so common that most people actually know someone whose child has been diagnosed with the affliction, notes Cliff Kinkead of. Indeed, a number of parents of autistic children believe that government policies that force children to get 69 doses of 16 vaccines before the age of 18  some containing chemical combinations that are controversial and questionable  has had a major role in boosting the number of kids with autism.One important voice on this subject is Bob Wright, whose new book,, is getting some attention. Having run NBC Universal for 20 years, he started the group Autism Speaks after his first grandchild was diagnosed with the condition in 2004. In his new book he claims that President Obama's principal political adviser, Valarie Jarrett, blocked a proposal to improve the safety of vaccines so parental concerns about the vaccineautism link could finally be addressed.The Bush Administration, Wright says, killed a similar proposal because, "the White House was afraid of press reaction." And he says that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention methodology for identifying and addressing problems with vaccines is not effective and must be improved.Kinkead notes further:And in many cases, government itself is responsible because it is government dominated by leftists that mandate vaccines, most often, while extending legal protections to drug makers, thereby ensuring a major source of income for Big Pharma. Drug makers are obviously vested financially in ensuring that state and local governments mandate vaccines, and requiring them to be given sooner, at earlier ages. And all at a terrible cost, both in lives ruined and in money spent to care for those whose lives have been ruined.But some argue that the real issue with vaccines is not so much their link to autism, but that they really don't work in the first place.One reader of Kinkead's piece on Wright noted:The writer goes on to note that a number of diseases have not really gone away; they've just been renamed:As Natural News editor Mike Adams, author of the upcoming book Food Forensics , noted in 2012, Big Pharma firms also fake their testing data, like Merck did when allegedly falsifying its mumps vaccine data , as a pair of former Merck scientists charged in a 2010 lawsuit against the company.
(NaturalNews) It is turning out to be one of the biggest environmental scandals in modern history, complete with intrigue, suspense, political chicanery and even murder.For nearly a year-and-a-half, officials in Flint, Michigan, along with state and federal environmental officials, covered up the fact that water tainted with grossly high levels of lead was being consumed by mostly poor, African-American residents  many with children who are now at risk of lead poisoning and lasting health problems The crisis began in April 2014, after city officials decided, in an effort to save money, to change the city's water source from water treated by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (which came from Lake Huron as well as the Detroit River), to the polluted Flint River. At the same time, city water and environmental officials neglected to apply corrosion inhibitors, allowing dangerous amounts of lead to leach into the supply due to the highly corrosive water in the Flint River.The leaching exposed an estimated 6,00012,000 children to potential lead poisoning. Because the water source was changed, the percentage of Flint children with high levels of lead in their blood may have risen from about 2.4 percent in 2013, to as much as 4.9 percent in 2015, according to one study . In addition, some think that the poor water quality may also be responsible for an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in the county, which has killed at least 10 people and affected dozens of others.It should be noted that after Flint decided to switch to the Flint River from its back-up, residents began calling the city to complain about water color, taste and odor. Officials issued boil-water advisories after coliform bacteria was detected in August and September 2014. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, in an October 2014 statement, blamed cold weather, aging pipes and a population decline. One DEQ official, Stephen Busch, said that the city had taken appropriate actions to limit a recurrence of problems. The first real evidence that the water was corrosive came from officials with the General Motors plant in Flint, who reported that the water was corroding automobile parts. The plant stopped using Flint water in October 2014.A few months earlier, in August, a water test had showed that it contained high levels of THMs (Trihalomethanes), which are a chlorine byproduct of disinfecting water, a substance that has been linked to cancer and other diseases after long-term exposure. Follow-on testing in November showed unsafe THM levels in one of eight locations, but based on the August test results the DEQ put the city in violation. However, residents of Flint were not notified until the following January.Nevertheless, city and state officials continued to insist that the water was safe, though residents around the city as well as employees of the Flint Public Library kept complaining that their water was undrinkable, after noticing that water from faucets and in toilets was discolored. The library was forced to contract with an outside water supply company, Absopure, to bring in water coolers for the public and library staff in order to provide clean water for drinking But the scandal didn't end there. In fact, for about 18 months residents of Flint were poisoned with lead-tainted water, despite the fact that the federal EPA knew about the problems and risks.Since then, two people associated with the scandal  a water treatment plant foreman who could have testified against Flint officials, and a young lady who spearheaded the lawsuit against government officials over their roles in the scandal  have been found dead.Three government officials  two in Flint, and one state environmental employee  have been charged by the Michigan Attorney General's office, but on the federal level,, no EPA officials have been similarly charged or held accountable.Without full accountability, however, you can bet that as more American cities disintegrate financially, new environmental scandals will surface.
Destroying cancer cells within two days

Additional health benefits

(NaturalNews) A so-called "weed" growing right in your front and back yards could hold the key to being the most effective cancer-fighting compound in the world Previous research, as well as recent research from the University of Windsor in Canada, has found that dandelion root may be especially effective in treating and defeating cancer, and much more so than immune system-destroying chemotherapy As noted by the university in a press release , researchers are so sure that they have finally developed the correct dosage of the extract, that they are preparing clinical trials using a specially formulated dandelion tea Research director and biochemist Dr. Siyaram Pandey, Ph.D., of the University of Windsor, along with his fellow researchers, have shown successfully in the lab how the dandelion root extract causes cancer cells to go through apoptosis, or cell suicide, while leaving healthy cells intact."This is fantastic news," Pandey said. "We've been waiting for this announcement for a long time and now it is real."The February 2015 announcement has special meaning for a project that was dedicated to the memory of Kevin Couvillon, who lost a three-year battle with acute myeloid leukemia in November 2010, the university said.The following year, his parents, Dave and Donna Couvillon, made a large contribution to Dr. Pandey's research on natural extracts and potential cancer treatments."We strongly feel that Kevin would want us to continue to fight against cancer so that others would be spared such a cruel fate," said Donna Couvillon. " Natural medicine allows one's own immune system to be part of healing process and we wholeheartedly support this endeavour and the excellent research done by this team."The university press release stated further:Caroline Hamm, an oncologist at the Windsor Regional Cancer Center, made an application to Health Canada in 2012 to proceed to human clinical trials."This is huge, such a big accomplishment," says Dave Couvillon. "To see it happening is the first step and now we need to keep our fingers crossed that they get the right kind of results and we're confident they will."The websitereported last month that the trials found that cancer cells were destroyed within 48 hours.From the University of Windsor's Dandelion Root Project website Clinical trials were opened to 30 patients, all of whom had already exhausted all other cancer treatment options.As we have reported , dandelions have other health benefits as well:If you're interested in making your own dandelion tea, here is a great recipe from
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set up a working group of international experts to evaluate new scientific evidence on the potential effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on the immune system. EFSA conducted the review following publication of a report that raised concerns about the effects of BPA on the immune system of fetuses and young children.

The report by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), examined two studies describing pre- and perinatal effects of BPA on the immune system by Menard et al. (2014) that were unpublished when EFSA reviewed the available scientific literature for its 2014 risk assessment of BPA. The report recommends supporting research on alternatives to BPA and advising consumers to reduce their exposure to BPA from food and other sources.

EFSA accepted a request from the Dutch Ministry of Health to examine the results of the RIVM report and will review the toxicity of BPA on the immune system in light of this new evidence. EFSAs expert Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavorings and Processing Aids (CEF Panel) aims to issue a statement in the next few months.

By setting a temporary tolerable daily intake (TDI), EFSA committed to the re-evaluation of BPA when a two-year study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program becomes available in 2017.

In addition to its review of the RIVM report, EFSA has begun to prepare for this upcoming evaluation of the hazards of BPA by developing a scientific protocol for a structured literature search and a transparent review of all the new scientific evidence not included in EFSAs previous assessment. Procurement is underway for the collection and extraction of data on BPA toxicology from scientific studies published since 2012.

EFSA will consult publicly on the protocol, which is a predefined written procedural method for the collection, extraction and appraisal of data, by early 2017. Stakeholders from public authorities, academia and civil society will be able to have their say on EFSAs planned approach before work begins, and the final scientific opinion is scheduled for completion in 2018.
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The Zika Virus is considered a worldwide health issue prompting organizations around the world to contribute in putting a halt to this deadly virus. Even the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has put efforts to curb the spread of Zika Virus by partnering with NCAR in mapping the possible spread of the virus in the next few years.

In a report by CNN, they said that NASA worked with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to enhance and create maps to target the possible routes of Zika-carrying mosquitoes in the U.S.

The updated maps were made through a study. NCAR focused on the 50 cities which have known presence of Zika-carrying mosquitoes. To map the movement of the mosquitoes, they have factored in the temperature, rainfall and poverty levels to produce the findings.

The recently released study stated that the movement of the Zika-carrying mosquitoes can be predicted. "To provide information about the location of Aedes-transmitted virus outbreaks we mapped counties with confirmed local DENV and CHIKV transmission in the contiguous U.S. from 1 January 2010-6 February 2016." With the data obtained, they also managed to point out the areas which are "suitable" for the survival of the virus-carrying female mosquitoes.

Part of the findings stated the following points:

- By mid-July, all fifty cities are meteorologically suitable for Ae. Aegypti

- Cities in the western U.S. are suitable for low-to-moderate abundance of Ae. aegypti.

- Potential abundance begins to increase in April in the southeastern U.S. and some cities in Arizona

- By June nearly all cities exhibit the potential for at least low-to-moderate abundance, and most eastern cities are suitable for moderate-to-high abundance.

- Conditions are most suitable in July, August and September during the warmest (and in many cities wettest) time of year. Conditions in the southern and western states remain suitable through November

For the complete map and detailed findings, the data is available on their website.

Because of this comprehensive mapping project, even the CDC had updated their maps of the spread of the Zika-carrying mosquitoes. But CDC warns that the maps are represents only the possible reach and range of the mosquitoes carrying the Zika-virus. Being mentioned in the map does not necessarily mean that there are already known cases in the area.

CNN added that this type of project is within NASA's range of expertise "Predictive models are nothing new for NASA. Over the past 30 years, it has worked with numerous world health organizations to look at the possible spread of such diseases."

NASA funded the study but is not involved in data gathering. A NASA scientist, Cory Morin, helped explain why the mapping is important in the fight against Zika Virus an interview with CNN. "This suggests that the mosquito can potentially survive in these locations if introduced during certain seasons, even if it hasn't or can't become fully established."

The map shows how big are the "suitable" areas for mosquito survival especially during the summer. That's why Extreme precautions are being advised after another case of Zika Virus infection was confirmed in the U.S.
A few weeks ago, media reported the massive coral bleaching that has almost wiped out the entire Great Barrier Reef in Australia. With 93% of individual reefs affected, the wreckage is flagrant. Unfortunately, Australia's mass coral bleaching is just one example of a far bigger problem that these marine environments are facing.

The world is witnessing the biggest coral destruction of history in different places. Miles away from Australia is Miami which houses the United State's only barrier reef. Last year, the $205 million Deep Dredge project at Port Miami was concluded, yet environmentalists continue to fight for the damage that the project has done to Florida's reef.

To accommodate the newest generation of freighters, a large-scale dredging of Miami's port was done, allowing massive ships sail through an expanded Panama Canal to bring cargo to Miami. By estimate, the expansion could pump about $7 billion into the region, Miami Herald noted.

New York Times recently reported that based on a new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as much as 81% of the reef near the dredging site was already buried in sediment.

"In addition, an Army Corps of Engineers contractor report from August shows up to 93 percent partial coral death because of sediment, despite a plan by the Corps to minimize the damage," the report added.

Last year, American Fisheries Society said that the dredging meant to deepen the Port of Miami has damaged more coral than federal managers anticipated.

"Between February and June, the NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service sent a series of letters to the Army Corps of Engineers saying the dredge work damage "greatly exceeds" what was originally calculated," the report read.

According to Miami Herald, the corps originally intented to move only threatened species from the project area. After environmental groups sued, the corps agreed to transplant coral from 16.6 acres, but environmentalists were given short notice before dredging begun, resulting to less corals saved.

By the time the project was finished last year, 250 acres of animals had been smothered, including endangered staghorn coral.

Miami Waterkeeper and other environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers for violating the Endangered Species Act by killing coral and injuring its critical habitat.

Rachel Silverstein, who earned her PhD at the University of Miami, describes the dredging effects as "rings of death."

"I feel like [the Army Corps] personally took something that belonged to me, almost like they came into my house and robbed it. Our community needs to understand that our waters and our reefs belong to all of us and that no [entity], whether it be the federal government or a private company, has a right to take it away," she told New Times.

In a separate study published in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles, researchers found that the damage is made worse by the extreme global warming - ocean temperatures that have dipped too low or risen too high, acidification, sewage and pollution.

The study said climate-related coral erosion, projected to start between 2050 and 2060, has already started near Miami.

The Florida reef brings more than $4 billion a year and also provides protection from hurricanes and flooding, yet the government has managed to reduce its beauty to just a fraction, whipping up large machines that cover batches of sea floor with sediments that fall on the corals and smother them to death.
Bison, or buffalo, which almost succumbed to extinction after years of being hunted, is one step closer to being the United States National Mammal. Environmentalists dub it as the biggest symbol to represent the success of their conservation efforts.

On Tuesday, US Congress has approved the National Bison Legacy Act and it passed the Senate on Thursday.

Tribes and conservationists with their allies in the government have long been campaigning to make Bison the first national mammal of United States with an aim to"restore bison to Indian nations in a manner that is compatible with their spiritual and cultural beliefs and practices."

Jim stone, Executive Director for the Intertribal Buffalo Council, says the buffalo has played historical, cultural, and economic significance in the United States - therefore it should represent the United States.

"The Buffalo is an iconic species in this country. You have a bald eagle, which is recognized as a symbol, and it's very deserving of that position, yet the buffalo had more to do with the United States, pre-discovery, than the bald eagle in some senses. It provided everything for the Native American's way of life", said Stone in a press release.

The bill, currently waiting for President Obama's signature to become a Law, enumerates some of the reasons why Bison should be recognized as a symbol such as the animal being historic and being integrally linked with the economic and spiritual lives of many Indian tribes through trade and sacred ceremonies.

It also highlights some of the conservation efforts that have been done to save the animal from the edge of extinction in the 19th century.

As reported by The Guardian, The US army had a policy to kill off bison to harm the Native American tribes that relied upon them, as well as to make way for farmland and for food.

"Tourists paid to slaughter the animals and bison killing contests were popular - one person from Kansas managed to shoot 120 bison in just 40 minutes," the article notes.

Tens of millions of bison once flourished across Canada and Mexico. Today, just a handful of bison lived in Yellowstone National Park with population swelling to roughly 4,900, Washington Post notes.

An estimated 20,000 bison live on public lands in North America; 162,110 live on private farms and ranches, according to the 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture census.

Aside from being proposed a national symbol, Bison has been adopted by 3 States as the official mammal or animal of those States and has been depicted on the official seal of the Department of the Interior since 1912.
An environmental health officer from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) boarded the Disney Wonder cruise ship to investigate the outbreak of gastrointestinal illness last week affecting nearly 100 passengers and crew members.

According to the report from the CBS News, 92 passengers and 5 crew members that boarded the Disney Wonder showed symptoms of stomach bug, primarily vomiting. All of the people who showed signs of the gastrointestinal illness were confined to their rooms for 24 hours in order to avoid further spread of the disease.

The original CDC report states that there are 97 people onboard affected by the outbreak, but according to the report from Orlando Sentinel the numbers rise up to 145 people last Monday, with 131 of which are passengers.

Around 2,700 passengers and almost 1,000 crew members are aboard the ship when it disembarked from Miami last Wednesday. The ship returned in Miami last Sunday after cruising to Nassau, Key West and Castaway Cay.

Upon their return, CDC quickly sent an investigator to see the cause of the outbreak and get the response from the company.

The Telegraph reported that Disney Cruise Line has implemented strict cleaning and disinfecting procedures in the ship, especially on the hand rails.

All passengers aboard the ship when it left last Sunday to go to another 14-day cruise to the Panama Canal will not be allowed to serve themselves at buffet to limit their contact with food. Instead, crew members will be the one to serve the food.

"Our primary focus was on taking care of our guests and crew," said a spokesperson from Disney Line Cruise. "We have a comprehensive plan that outlines protocols for managing this kind of situation and closely follow CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of common stomach-related illnesses."

The last reported outbreak of stomach bug on a Disney Ship occurred last 2002, when two Disney Magic cruises that sailed out of Port Canaveral in Florida left more than 100 people onboard sick.

Most outbreaks that occurs in cruise ships are caused by nanovirus, a very contagious stomach bug that not only dangerous but also very costly.


Australia will spend an estimated US $15 million to kill European carp in the country's largest waterway, the Murray-Darling river system.

According to ABC, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia, through "National Carp Control Plan," they will be releasing a virulent strain of herpes virus called cyprinid herpesvirus-3, also known as koi herpesvirus (KHV), to exterminate 95 percent of carp in the river system over the next 30 years.

"We're looking at more than 500,000 tonnes of carp that will be killed, up to 2,000,000 tonne of carp," Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce told ABC, explaining that the virus will kill thousands of carps within few hours.

European carp is considered as Australia's worst fish pest. And it has been breeding in plague proportions in the Murray River. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said feeding behavior of these large fishes include digging down or amid vegetation, sucking up mouthfuls of silt and debris, somehow straining out food items for humans and bringing native fish numbers to the brink of extinction.

In addition, their number also does damage by slowing down the water use for irrigation to support the lives of 2 million people and $25 billion worth of fruit, grain and dairy every year.

Joyce adds the carp plague has been burdening the economy of Australia, making them lose up to $500 million a year.

"They are absolutely of no value in the sense of food chain within the system and if we can do anything to get rid of them and control them, it would be a better environment for us all to live in," Harold Clapham, Charlie Carp Director said in a video uploaded by WSJ.

The Federal Government has previosuly mentioned that the Carp will not infect other fish, animals or humans as they have already tested the koi herpes virus for nearly a decade.

Citing The Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail has reported the virus is an Indonesian strain of carp herpes that only affects European carp.

The virus, according to Australian Science Minister Christopher Pyne will stop the carps from breathing effectively.

"They have the virus for a week before they show any symptoms and it suddenly kills them within 24 hours," he told ABC News.

The virus is set to be released in 2018.
Rising sea levels due to melting ice sheets may not be the only dangerous effect of global warming. A new study suggests that the continuous rise in temperature brought by climate change may soon turn the Middle East and North Africa into scorching terrain uninhabitable by humans.

According to the study published in the journal Climate Change, even if the Paris Agreement on Climate Change successfully limits the global warming to two degrees Celsius every year, it will not be enough to prevent the rapid warming in Middle East and North Africa.

At present, Middle East and North Africa are already experience intense summer, but according to the researchers there is a high possibility that the temperature their can increase at a rate two times faster than the average pace of global warming. This means that by the middle of the century the daytime temperature of Middle East and North Africa can reach up to 46 degrees Celsius and will not fall below 30 degrees Celsius during night time, while midday temperature could be as high as 50 degrees Celsius.

The increasing temperature in Middle East and North Africa can also bring about tenfold increase in the number of heat waves and their duration. At present, heat waves can last about 16 days, but researchers predict that heat waves in the coming years can last about 80 extremely hot days.

To have a better understanding of the possible effects of climate change to the Middle East and North Africa, researchers develop two models. In the first model, global warming are controlled by the reductions of greenhouse gases, while the second model has no changes in the rate of global warming.

Researchers discovered that there is not much of a difference between the two models and that Middle East and North Africa will be facing scorching doom no matter what.

In addition to the rising temperature and heat waves, increasing air pollution caused by desert dust blown by the wind can greatly damage the environmental conditions of the two lands making it impossible for people to survive.

"In future, the climate in large parts of the Middle East and North Africa could change in such a manner that the very existence of its inhabitants is in jeopardy," said Jos Lelieveld, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and Professor at the Cyprus Institute, in a statement.

As a result, more than 500 million people living in Middle East and North Africa will be forced to leave their homes.


Dole, one of the world's largest fruit and vegetable producer now faces criminal investigations by the US Justice Department in line with the Listeria-outbreak linked poisoning that killed four people as per federal investigator's statement on Friday.

Four out of the 33 people who got sick and were hospitalized with Listeria bacteria died. After collecting swab samples from the victims and product samples from the plant as well as other documentations, Food Development Authority inspectors have proven the presence of Listeria monocytogenes on Dole's packaged salads to be the cause of illness.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration's inspection report reveals that as early as July 2014, Dole Springfield Plant had been tested positive of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The same result came out on their test done in 2015, showing that the company continued the plant operation in Ohio spite of the presence of the potentially dangerous bacteria, as per Fox News.

Dole responded with a statement on Friday saying that they are cooperating with the federal investigators regarding the issue. The company also assured their customers though their website that they have corrected the issues on their plant that may have caused the incidents.

The company guaranteed their consumers that they are collaborating with the authorities in executing improvements in their procedure and sanitation, and cited the reopening of their plant on April 21 after being suspended from operation on January 21 as proof of the company's compliance with the authorities.

US Justice Department however refused to comment on the matter, according to Chicago Patch.

NBC reports that FDA conducted the inspection on the plant five times from January to February. They also collected samples of the product from each stage of the process on January 16 and found the samples from each stage positive of Listeria monocytogenes.

Dole on January 26 acknowledged the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's inspection result; the outcome which proved to be the same as FDA's findings.

Watch this video to know more about the effects of Listeria bacteria on human body.
Insomnia has become one of the major healthcare problems in the United States, affecting six out of ten adults. The most commonly used treatment for insomnia is sleep medication, but a new study shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) can also help treat insomnia without the adverse effects of sleeping drugs.

According to the clinical practice guidelines released by American College of Physicians (ACP) in the Annals of Internal Medicine, CBT-I is a kind of treatment that can be conducted in group or individual therapy sessions. It can also be done through telephone, web-based modules and self-help books.

"Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is an effective treatment and can be initiated in a primary care setting," said ACP President Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, in a statement.

Cognitive behavioral therapy combines different kinds of treatment, which include cognitive therapy around sleep, behavioral interventions such as sleep restriction and stimulus control, and education such as sleep hygiene (habits for a good night's sleep).

If by chance CBT-I is unable to help patients with insomnia, ACP advice doctors to talk with their patients whether a drug therapy should be added in the treatment. The doctor should discuss the potential health risks and benefits of sleep medications, as well as the cost of the drugs.

"Before continuing drug therapy, doctors should consider treatable secondary causes of insomnia such as depression, pain, enlarged prostate, substance abuse disorders, and other sleep disorders like sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome," said Dr. Riley.

Sleep medications are approved by the FDA to be used only for short-term, about four to five weeks. This makes CBT-I more practical because it can be used over longer periods.

Chronic insomnia is more prevalent in women and older adults. People with insomnia are most likely to experience fatigue, poor cognitive function, mood disturbance, and distress or interference with personal functioning. People diagnosed with chronic insomnia have symptoms that cause clinically significant functional distress or impairment for at least three nights every week for at least three months.


We all know the philanthropic projects of this man, inlcuding SpaceX and Tesla. All of these wouldn't be possible without businessman, creator and engineer, Elon Musk. He is the brains (and the pocket) behind these projects, which are currently busy building electric cars and rocket ships. But who really is Elon Musk? Robert Downey Jr. has repeatedly mentioned Musk as role inspiration for Iron Man's alter ego. Could Musk really be the real-life Tony Stark?

1. He grew up in South Africa

Elon is a South-African Canadian-American born in South Africa in 1971. At age 10 he already purchased his very own old school computer. Musk managed to impress everyone with his aptitude when he made his first software by 12 years old, it's a game called Blastas.

He moved to Canada and the U.S. to study economics, physics and other fields of expertise proving Musk's above average intellect.

2. His Mom was a supermodel

Maye Musk started modeling in Africa at age 15. And at 68, she still got what it takes. She was recently featured on Vogue Italia, as reported by the New York Post. In 2010 she posed nude in Time magazine, she was also a cover girl of Elle Canada in 2012 and last month she signed with IMG whose high-profile clients include Gigi Hadid.

Elon Musk must have gotten those looks from his supermodel mom.

3. He became a millionaire at age 20.

According to Biology.com the rise of the Musk Empire started when he sold his start-up Zip2. And with probably a foresight of industries to thrive in his future, he founded SpaceX in 2002 and Tesla Motors in 2003. Today, his projects are almost always the talk of every town. Musk is always present in the biggest press conferences, car launching and even in space exploration conferences. It's impossible not to hear, read and see Musk everywhere these days.

4. He also founded Paypal

His first company was X.com, an online financial services provider which evolved into the company we know today as Paypal. Ebay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion in stock.

5. Musk built SpaceX for commercial space exploration

With too much intensity and drive to create, he funded Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX). In 2008 he gained the green light from NASA to transport cargo to the International Space Station.

Today SpaceX has moved on to bigger space exploration ventures including the creation of rockets like Falcon 9 which is capable of carrying 50,265 lbs (22,800 kilograms) of weight to low earth orbit and 18,300 lbs (8,300 kg) to geosynchronous transfer orbit, according to an article by Space.com

6. Tesla and Renewable Energy

Elon Musk has the whole world anticipating the release of his latest Model 3. This company was founded by Musk in line with his penchant for finding new sources of clean or renewable energy. Aside from his electric car, he is firm in using clean energy even with his Gigafactory and his latest air cleaning system called HEPA filters which they claim can clean the air inside and outside the new Tesla Cars.

7. As you probably know by now, Elon Musk is a genius and a visionary.

With his unfaltering hopes in finding new sources of clean and renewable energy, and his fondness for space technology, a lot of people can conclude that the way his mind works is definitely above average. Because of his visions, other high-profile intellects such as Bill Gates are partnering with Musk to pursue their visions.

It wouldn't be a surprise if the character of Tony Stark was indeed modelled after the businessman, Elon Musk. Who knows, with his acumen, connections, not to mention his millions, people wouldn't be surprised if he has his own Iron Man suit in his basement. After all, he was once called the Thomas Edison of our Time and the World's Raddest Man.
Space exploration has proven to be an important measurement of the economic stability of a country. Naturally, the stable and fund-rich countries are the ones expected to invest in space technology like Germany, Russia, China and Japan. With the success rate of recent space projects, it has appealed more to countries worldwide, like the United Arab Emirates who just signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MoU) with the UK.

In a report by Gov.uk, it is stated that Dr David Parker, Space Agency Chief Executive and H.E Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency signed a MoU which paves the way for an extensive cooperation between the two power giants when it comes to the space activities and technology.

David Parker, of the UK Space Agency, said "We are extremely proud of this memorandum. This collaboration in the space field is a sign of the strong desire of our two countries to work together, and confirms the commitment of the UK to become a partner of the UAE Space Agency."

According to the official memorandum, it says that the partnership was based on their mutual goal "considering their common interest in their use and application of Space for peaceful purposes"

With the memorandum, there would be free exchange of information between UK and UEA and the exchange of personnel to share their findings, knowledge, manpower and skill towards their common goal.

Although the funding for both parties remains independent from each other, both parties are expected to collaborate in "space science, technology and applications, exchange view of space laws and policies and human capital development in space field".

H.E Dr. Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency said in an interview that "The UAE Space Agency recognizes the importance of space exploration in the greater context of advancing humanities legacy. We are firm believers in working together with all competent entities in the field of space towards the common goal of fostering the well-being of humankind."

In 2015, the Arabian Aerospace said that the UK and the UAE also had a partnership in terms of space science Deimos Space UK and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the UAE" to develop mapping applications that uses the DubaiSat-2 and Deimos-2 satellite data.

UK and UAE are known allies who have partnered in various fields including education and business.
All is fair in space exploration, even for small players like the Philippines, who despite limited funding, were able to launch their first microsatellite Diwata-1. The microsatellite was deployed in space through the Japanese ISS Experiment Module Kibo. It's also a first for Japan to deploy a microsatellite in space.

According to the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) the launch was a successful collaboration between various Japanese and Philippine organizations including Tohoku University, Hokkaido University, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the Republic of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines Diliman.

JAXA said in a press release that "It was launched from Florida, the United States, on March 23, 2016 (Japan Standard Time, all dates and times in this release are JST) and deployed from Kibo at 8:45 p.m. on April 27th."

DIWATA-1 was deployed in space with the help of Japan's ISS Experiment module "Kibo" which according to JAXA is their first 50-kg class microsatellite deployment.

Both Japan and the Philippines are islands surrounded by big bodies of water. That's why developing satellite technology is imperative for their development. According to the Asian Journal, nine Filipino engineers developed DIWATA-1 with the help of their Japanese counterparts. DIWATA-1 was tested by JAXA before handing it over to NASA for final testing earlier this year.

DIWATA-1 is equipped with an imaging device including a fish-eye lens camera and a telescope. It is capable of beaming back "remote sensing information" to solve issues in the Philippines especially in the observation of meteorological occurrences which, unfortunately, affect the country on a regular basis.

"The launch today of the Philippines' first microsatellite "DIWATA-1" from Cape Canaveral in Florida is a historic and proud milestone for Philippine science and technology," Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia Jr in an interview.

The Philippines has proven that in terms of technology and scientific expertise, they can also play a role in space exploration. Japan also benefitted from the deployment aspect, making use of Kibo. JAXA said "We also plan to increase the simultaneous deployment capacity of the CubeSat-class satellites from the current 6U to 12U, then 18U, thus we expect more and more expansion of microsatellites use and operation in the Asian region and beyond, like this example of DIWATA-1, and through collaboration between overseas agencies and JAXA and Japanese universities."

The outer space is a vast area to explore and any feat, regardless of how small, is still considered a great achievement. After all it take skills, determination, intelligence and patience to launch a microsatellite in space, and it is considered a huge success especially if it can make a lot of difference in data observation in third world countries.
A fatal January 2015 grade crossing accident in Gilroy involving a Union Pacific track maintenance vehicle is now, more than a year after the crash, raising major safety questions about how these types of vehicles travel through railroad crossings.

Don Williams, 55, was killed when he crossed the tracks at Masten Avenue in his pickup truck on a green light. He was blindsided by a maintenance-of-way vehicle with an estimated weight of 50 tons that was traveling in reverse from Morgan Hill to Hollister. According to the California Highway Patrol crash investigation and multiple witnesses, the UP vehicle never activated the grade crossing gates or signal lights to warn Williams or other drivers.

Investigations by the CHP and the Federal Railroad Administration concluded the UP driver, Lindberg Thompson, 58, operated negligently and violated several of the companys own safety policies. There's now a felony warrant out for his arrest.

The term I would use is madness, said Bob Comer, a railroad safety expert whos investigated more than 400 train collisions over 27 years. He has also testified as an expert witness in train crash investigations. This is absolute negligence and madness on the part of these people. They know better and yet they were doing it anyhow.

The accident devastated Williams tight-knit family. Emi, his wife of 24 years, says time hasnt eased the pain.

He was one in a million, Emi said through tears.

But beyond the tragic death of Williams, the accident highlights what some experts call a systemic flaw in the way maintenance-of-way vehicles and other rail vehicles operate on American railroads: They dont always activate the bells and gates at railroad crossings.

That railroad crossing - it has bells, it has lights - but none of that was working because his machine did not shunt the track, Comer said. The wheels did not make electrical contact, so when the driver came to the crossing nothing was working, no bells, no lights, and the gates were up.

Its a common problem according the Federal Railroad Administration. The agency just released new safety recommendations as a result of the crash that killed Williams, advising all railroads to review procedures governing how maintenance-of-way vehicles approach railroad crossings.

Unlike trains, roadway maintenance machines do not always shunt or maintain shunt in track circuits to trigger activation of grade crossing warning device systems and, in most cases, roadway maintenance machines are not designed or built to shunt the track circuit, the FRA acknowledged in this safety advisory.

19th century technology

The new recommendations remind railroads the activation system is unreliable and that all maintenance-of-way vehicles should approach railroad crossings at slow speeds and prepared to stop if the crossing gates dont activate. But these are just recommendations, and in fact, there are no federal regulations governing how maintenance-of-way vehicles travel through railroad crossings. The agency leaves it up to each railroad to determine its own safety policies.

Making matters worse, Comer said, is the 19th century technology responsible for ensuring trains and maintenance vehicles activate crossing gates. The track circuit still used to detect trains today was designed when Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant was in the White House.

This is a device that comes from 1872, Comer said. And the railroad administration continues to allow the railroads to use it. This operator that was driving this machine knew that he wasnt shunting the track, knew that he wasnt turning on lights and gates at that crossing, and yet he didnt stop.

While the FRA hasnt issued any new regulations, a source at the agency said several railroads have tightened up their procedures when maintenance of way equipment is traversing railroad crossings. The agency declined requests for an on-camera interview, but provided a written statement to NBC Bay Area saying it would consider taking additional action in the future if deemed necessary.

The Federal Railroad Administrations investigation found that the January 2015 incident in Gilroy likely could have been prevented, FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg said. We are pushing railroads to verify their employees know they must stop and verify that gates are down before entering a crossing. If FRA finds additional action is necessary to prevent future incidents like this one that occurred in Gilroy, it will not hesitate to take action.

Data from the FRA shows this problem goes far beyond the Gilroy crash. From January 2010 to November 2015, 187 maintenance of way vehicles have collided with cars, injuring 68 people and killing two, including Don Williams. Multiple videos from across the country posted on YouTube by railroad enthusiasts show rail vehicles passing through grade crossings and failing to activate the bells and gates.

The FRA does maintain data on grade crossing activation failures, but only for trains, so theres no record of how many times maintenance-of-way vehicles pass through crossings with no activation. According to FRA data, there were 289 activation failures for trains across the country in 2015. 240 people were killed at railroad crossings the same year.

It is an industry that is regulating itself, Comer said. The federal agencies are basically letting this industry do what it wants to do. That means using old technology.

Criminal negligence

The FRAs investigation determined that Williams death could likely have been prevented if Union Pacific had followed their internal safety policies.

The plan to move the 62 pieces of equipment from Morgan Hill to Hollister was flawed in several areas, the FRA investigation stated. Notably, the number of pieces of equipment and the distance covered was excessive; with so many grade crossings along the route, no flagging was ordered; and most egregious, the spiker/gager in question should not have been operated in a reverse move, wherein the operator had to rely on side mirrors to see what was ahead.

Union Pacifics own policies state that maintenance-of-way vehicles should not be operated in reverse unless its emergency or theyre traveling a short distance. But the work crew traveling from Morgan Hill to Hollister had to traverse 12 miles of track.

In addition, according to the Federal Railroad Administrations accident report, Union Pacifics crew knew maintenance vehicles often dont activate crossing gates, so they planned to have all vehicles travel in a gang, bunching up within 50 feet of each other at railroad crossings. The proximity of the vehicles was supposed to ensure they activated crossing gates, and those gates would stay down until the entire crew proceeded through the crossing.

Yet according to the accident reports, the rail vehicle that killed Williams, traveling in reverse with an obstructed side mirror, fell 500 feet behind the vehicle in front of it by the time it reached the crossing at Masten Ave and Monterey Rd. When the gates failed to activate, the driver never stopped, slamming into Williams truck as he made a left turn across the tracks on a green arrow, sending it tumbling down an embankment.

The system just failed, Emi Williams said. The light was green, everything was fine. The arms were not coming down, there were no flashing lights, and people were going.

Witnesses reported there were several other close calls that day involving the same UP work crew, according to the CHP report. One witness told an investigator she was almost hit at an earlier crossing at 6th Street in Gilroy when the gates didnt activate. The witness said she was about to proceed through the crossing when her husband yelled at her to stop just as a train entered the intersection.

The witness told police she did not feel like this was a safe practice and was worried about other vehicles in the area, the CHP accident investigation stated.

Union Pacific declined an interview request, but issued a written statement to NBC Bay Area, which said in part:

Immediately following the 2015 incident involving a vehicle on the highway and a maintenance-of-way vehicle, Union Pacific met and began coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration. Union Pacific issued a Critical Safety Alert and conducted a Safety Stand-down where it reviewed the rules regarding maintenance-of-way vehicle operations at road crossings. Union Pacific regularly tests employees that operate maintenance-of-way vehicles to ensure they are current and in compliance with the most updated rules and policies.

Union Pacific was never fined for the incident. The FRA said no federal regulations were violated, only the companys internal policies. The only discipline the driver received from UP was two days of mandatory training, according to the FRA investigation. He was not fined, suspended or fired.

Emil Williams said UP offered their condolences, but she doubts the companys sincerity. Shes now suing the company.

Is this just the cost of doing business? Williams asked. Is this what theyre looking at it as? I dont know if they understand the devastation that it causes. What is it to them? Who are we to them?

While the driver who crashed into Williams only got a slap on the wrist by UP, the Santa Clara County District Attorneys issued an arrest warrant for him in April for felony negligence.

We evaluated the case and found that there were numerous safety precautions that were not taken by the conductor, said Traci Mason, the Santa Clara County prosecutor trying the case.

Its the first time her office has charged someone with that offense, but Mason said it was important to send a message.

When there are rules and regulations in place they need to be followed, Mason said. We do need to ensure that the public is safe, especially when they're crossing railroad tracks.

NBC Bay Area could not reach Thompson for comment by deadline. Although a warrant was issued for his arrest, Mason said hes not yet in custody.

Both Comer and Emi Williams said theyre glad to see the driver being held accountable. But they also believe Union Pacific should face consequences. After all, they say UP supervisors approved the flawed safety plan on that day and they knew their vehicles werent always activating crossing gates.

Theres a lot of negligence in this particular incident, Comer said. We know that the supervisor knew he was driving it backwards. All the operators knew that they were supposed to stop [at crossings]. And yet they violated all these rules and got a man killed because of their negligence.

If you have a tip for the Investigative Unit, call 888-996-TIPS or emailVicky@nbcbayarea.com or TheUnit@nbcbayarea.com.

Follow Vicky Nguyen on Twitter at twitter.com/@vickydnguyen and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vickynguyentv
San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr cancelled a planned public appearance with Public Defender Jeff Adachi Tuesday evening after a day of protests calling for his job.

The appearance was scheduled to take place at the planned police accountability forum, at the Congregation Sherith Israel on California Street.

"Security concerns were expressed to the organizers and they made the decision to cancel," police officials said in an e-mail.

The forum on police reform still took place even without Suhr.

Earlier in the day, a group of hunger strikers marched to San Francisco City Hall to protest police brutality and what they describe as rampant racial bias in the San Francisco Police Department.

Chanting, "How do you spell murder? SFPD," and "Fire Chief Suhr," the #Frisco5 as the hunger strikers call themselves, marched from the Mission District to Civic Center, demanding Suhr step down or be fired over recent controversial police shootings.

The hunger strikers, some in wheelchairs, gathered outside Mayor Ed Lee's City Hall office, demanding to meet him, raising their fists and chanting, "Power to the People." The group also stopped at the intersection of Market Street and South Van Ness to sing for change.

However, the protesters were told that Lee was in the Bayview District and couldn't get back to City Hall immediately.

They spoke with San Francisco city supervisors, demanding answers.

"You guys gotta show us that he isn't unstoppable ... make something happen before I make something happen," a protester told supervisors.

"It took a hunger strike to make me feel alive in a city that feels dead," San Francisco-native Tony Robels said.

"San Francisco is so racist, they stopped believing racism exists," another protester said. The steps of City Hall were filled with hundreds of people singing and chanting "No justice, no peace, no racist police." Police at one point estimated about 400 to 500 protesters, but the scene at Civic Center indicated many more.

Before the start of the march, the Frisco 5 were blessed in the Mission District with holy water.

On Monday, the protesters snubbed Lee outside a San Francisco police station.

The strikers refused to meet the mayor, who they said didnt come outside to speak to them. Instead, Lee stayed inside the building for roughly 30 minutes, displaying what one protester called a blatant disregard for the activists.

We never saw him, Edwin Lindo said. We only spoke with his aides and they said, The mayor is ready to meet you. Were not speaking to a mobster. Were speaking to the mayor of this beautiful city. He doesnt even have the audacity to come outside and meet the hunger strikers that have been here for 12 days.

The ongoing strike is fueled, in part, by the Dec. 2 fatal police shooting of Mario Woods in the Bayview District.

Woods, who police allege was armed with a knife and was a suspect in a stabbing that occurred earlier that day, was surrounded and shot by five officers near a busy Municipal Railway stop.

Video of the shooting circulated widely on social media, fueling public controversy over police use of force. [[378023811, C]]

Bay City News contributed to this report.
A group of hunger strikers outside a San Francisco police station snubbed Mayor Ed Lee Monday.

Lees staffers stopped by Mission Police Station where the protest is on day 12. Participating activists are demanding that Police Chief Greg Suhr step down or be fired over recent controversial police shootings.

Strikers, however, refused to meet Lee who they say didnt come outside to speak to them. Instead, he stayed inside the building for roughly 30 minutes, displaying what one protester called a blatant disregard for the activists.

We never saw him, Edwin Lindo said. We only spoke with his aides and they said, The mayor is ready to meet you. Were not speaking to a mobster. Were speaking to the mayor of this beautiful city. He doesnt even have the audacity to come outside and meet the hunger strikers that have been here for 12 days.

The strikers plan to meet Lee Tuesday on their own terms when they march to City Hall.

The ongoing strike is fueled, in part, by the Dec. 2 fatal police shooting of Mario Woods in the Bayview District.

Woods, who police allege was armed with a knife and was a suspect in a stabbing that occurred earlier that day, was surrounded and shot by five officers near a busy Municipal Railway stop.

Video of the shooting circulated widely on social media, fueling public controversy over police use of force.[[378023811, C]]
An event where people are invited to bring a book and read it in silence returns to San Francisco this week.

The Silent Reading Party takes place on the first Tuesday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. at Hotel Rex. Readers are expected to supply their own books, but they can order from a food and drink menu, with drink proceeds earmarked for an underserved branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

The party, which began in April and was dubbed an "anti-social social event" by Newsweek, is the brainchild of author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Radio Silence editor Dan Stone.

Handler told SFGate where cell phones belonged at the inaugural event: "There will be a special section for partygoers who are texting and scrolling Instagram instead of reading. The section is in a grimy puddle outside."
A report suggests Snapchat, based in Southern California, might be on the hunt for office space in San Francisco.

The company would not confirm as much to Re/code, but multiple sources who were not named said that reps are looking at properties.

It was revealed on Sunday that Snapchat has entered into an agreement with NBC to show highlights from the Olympics this summer. According to Bloomberg, there will be a dedicated Snapchat channel airing behind the scenes clips and other content curated by BuzzFeed, a move to draw in audiences who aren't sitting in front of the television.

[Young people] are not necessarily glued to their televisions anymore, and Snapchat is something they check in with multiple times a day, Matthew Henick, head of development for BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, told the publication.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is backing a proposal by Chicago aldermen that looks to use a 4 percent surcharge from house-sharing businesses, like Airbnb, to fund services for the citys homeless.

The surcharge would create a dedicated source of revenue to combat homelessness in Chicago. The plan would make Chicago the first city in the nation to use money from house-sharing businesses to improve conditions for its homeless population.

The Mayor supports the proposed legislation because it will create the citys first revenue source dedicated solely to supporting homeless services, which will allow us to expand our existing efforts to provide homeless individuals and families with critical services and housing opportunities that they need to get back on their feet, Emanuel spokeswoman Lauren Huffman said in a statement.

The program could create an estimated $2 million in revenue, according to officials from Emanuels office. The money would aid in assisting another 300 residents with housing and wraparound services.

The legislation builds on recent initiatives by Emanuels administration to improve opportunities and service delivery for the citys homeless population. These include the mayors task force to reduce homelessness and a pilot program dedicated to finding the chronically homeless permanent housing.

Emanuel originally proposed a 2 percent surcharge in January before aldermen amended the ordinance. The latest ordinance was introduced last month. A vote is expecected at this month's City Council meeting.
Following a weeklong break for the observance of Passover, the Illinois General Assembly will reconvene Tuesday. The Senate is scheduled to be in session from Tuesday through Friday and the House will meet Tuesday through Thursday.

May is a pivotal period for the state legislature, as lawmakers are scheduled to be in session twenty-one of the months twenty-nine remaining days. At the end May, legislation will become more difficult to pass. At that point, a three-fifths supermajority will be required to pass bills.

Below is a preview of some of the weeks pending legislation.

Tuesday

HR1081

The House Judiciary - Criminal Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday for a House Resolution that looks to keep low level drug offenders out of county jail and the Department of Corrections.

The measure looks to discourage prosecutors from recommending such sentences and judges from assigning them.

The legislation also looks to urge the Governor and Director of Corrections to commute sentences for such offenders serving time in county jails and the Department of Corrections to home confinement.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. La Shawn Ford.

HJRCA0005

A Constitutional Amendment to eliminate the office of Lieutenant Governor in 2019 will receive a hearing Tuesday in the Senate Executive Committee.

If the measure passes both chambers with a three-fifths vote, the decision to abolish the office will then go to voters.

The measure is sponsored by Rep. David McSweeney Sen. William Brady. It passed in the House last month, receiving 95 yeas and 10 nays.

Wednesday

HR1135

The House Human Services Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday to address a proposal to create a Heroin Addiction Awareness Day in Illinois.

The measure looks to address addiction to the drug and implement new protocols to combat usage. The measure would designate November 4, 2016 as Heroin Addiction Awareness Day.

The state is currently facing a heroin epidemic. According to a 2015 report by the Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy at Roosvelt University, the state of Illinois ranks as the third worst in providing treatment for users.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Dwight Kay

HB4334

The measure, which looks to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code by allowing vehicle owners a 30-day grace period to file an application for registration renewal if the Secretary of State does not provide notice that the vehicles registration is set to expire, will receive a hearing in the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.

The measure is sponsored by Rep. Jaime Andrade and Senate President John Cullerton.

The House passed the measure last month with a vote of 114 yeas and 0 nays.

Thursday

HR0922

The House Revenue & Finance Committee and the House Finance Subcommittee will hold hearings for a resolution which looks to modernize the state tax code and pass a budget for the Fiscal Year 2016.

The state has been without an official budget since July of last year.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Christian Mitchell.

HB2990

The Senate Appropriations II Committee will hold a a hearing to address a large appropriations bill that would allocate funding for the states social and human services and public colleges and universities, among other things.

Illinois social and human services and institutions of higher education have been adversely affected by the states lingering budget impasse.

The bill is sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.

The bill passed in the House in March with a vote of 70 yeas and 40 nays.
The mother of the late rapper Tupac Shakur has died in Sausalito, California, according to the Marin County Sheriffs Office. She was 69.

Deputies responded to the home of Afeni Shakur Davis around 9:30 p.m. Monday, after receiving the report of a person possibly in cardiac arrest, according to Lt. Doug Pittman.

Davis was taken to the hospital, where she died about an hour later, Pittman said. The coroners office will lead the investigation into her death and a forensic autopsy is planned Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement. Officials said, however, that toxicology results won't be available for several weeks.

Pittman called her a "well-loved and well-respected" woman in the community who served as a leader and activist, especially in southern Marin County. "This is a tragic loss to this community," he said.

Pittman held a news conference Tuesday to assure the public that no foul play was suspected at this point. Davis was in the company of her friend when she started experiencing discomfort, he said. At that point, her friend called 911.

Born Alice Faye Williams in Lumberton, North Carolina, Davis was a reformed drug addict and member of the Black Panther Party, according to biographer Jasmine Guy.

Davis served nearly a year in prison for allegedly conspiring to bomb police stations and department stores in New York City just before giving birth to Tupac in 1971.

She served as her own defense attorney and was acquitted multiple times, according to an account of her trial in a book called "The Briar Patch" by former attorney Murray Kempton.

Davis was the subject of Tupac's Billboard hit "Dear Mama," released in 1995. Her fans on social media referenced that song in their tweets and posts.

A year later, she founded the now-defunct Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia, to preserve her son's legacy.

Tupac, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996. The hip-hop legend's best-selling albums include "All Eyez on Me" and "Greatest Hits."

Shakur attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley and lived in public housing in Marin County. He started his career in the early '90s with Digital Underground, an alternative hip hop group from Oakland.
"Hamilton," the megahit musical about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton, made history yet again Tuesday, earning a record 16 Tony nominations including honors for Best Musical and three personal nominations for its star, composer and bookwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning hip-hopera broke the record set by 2001s The Producers and 2009s "Billy Elliot," which both received 15 nominations.

Close behind "Hamilton" with 10 nominations is "Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed," the behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking revue with an all-black cast recently deemed a new musical by the Tony committee, despite a request by the shows lead producer to consider it a revival.

"Shuffle Along" and "Hamilton" will compete for the nights top award alongside Steve Martin and Edie Brickells "Bright Star," and two musical adaptations of popular films: Andrew Lloyd Webbers "School of Rock" and Sara Bareilless "Waitress."

Several high-profile, well-reviewed musicals were shut out from the Best Musical category, including Gloria and Emilio Estefans biographical "On Your Feet!," George Takeis "Allegiance" and the adaptations of popular novels "American Psycho" and "Tuck Everlasting."

The Tony nominating committee included four shows in the Best Revival of a Musical category: "The Color Purple," "Spring Awakening," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "She Loves Me." The short-lived "Dames at Sea" was left adrift.

Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o picked up her first Tony nomination for her Broadway debut in "Eclipsed." The drama earned six nominations, including one for Best Play. Itll compete in that category against 2016 Pulitzer Prize finalist "The Humans," the Frank Langella-led "The Father" and the now-closed "King Charles III."

Five works earned nominations for Best Revival of a Play, including two by Arthur Miller: "The Crucible," "A View from the Bridge," "Blackbird," "Long Days Journey Into Night" and "Noises Off."

Film stars Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams, who headline the "Blackbird" revival, both nabbed leading acting nominations for their respective roles. Daniels will go up against Langella, Gabriel Byrne, Tim Pigott-Smith and Mark Strong.

Williamss nomination comes in a category crowded with Hollywood A-listers, including Nyongo, Jessica Lange, Laurie Metcalf and Sophie Okonedo.

Miranda and his "Hamilton" co-star Leslie Odom, Jr, who plays rival Aaron Burr, will both battle it out in the leading actor in a musical category  expected to be one of the evenings tightest races.

Miranda and Odom could split the vote, giving six-time nominee Danny Burstein a shot at the prize.

Alex Brightmans breakout performance in "School of Rock" and Zachary Levi, who starred on the NBC sitcom "Chuck", also fill out the leading actor in a musical category.

Laura Benanti, Carmen Cusack, Cynthia Erivo, Jessie Mueller and Phillipa Soo earned spots in the highly competitive lead actress in a musical category. "Shuffle Along" star Audra McDonald, who has a historic six Tony wins, was shut out of a nomination this year.

Several big stars in high-profile roles were not among this years nominees. Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson failed to received a nomination for her role in the revival of The Color Purple. American Psycho star Benjamin Walker was also denied a nomination.

The "Hamilton" supporting cast filled out the featured acting categories, with nominations for Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, and Renee Elise Goldsberry.

NBC's "30 Rock" star Jane Krakowski also picked up a nomination as featured actress in a musical category for "She Loves Me," as did "Orange Is the New Black" star Danielle Brooks for "The Color Purple."

In a few noncompetitive awards this year, New Jerseys Paper Mill Playhouse will be awarded the regional theater award. Lyricist Sheldon Harnick ("She Loves Me," "Fiddler on the Roof") and director Marshall W. Mason ("Master Class") will receive lifetime achievement awards.

Winners of the 70th Annual Tony Awards will be announced June 12 in a ceremony airing live from the Beacon Theatre in New York on CBS. James Corden, Tony winner and host of "The Late Late Show," will host.

To read a full list of nominees, click here.
A doctor who promised his patients flat stomachs and curvaceous backsides has been accused of disfiguring and severely injuring patients, NBC 5 Investigates found.

Complaints allege Miami Dr. Osaka Omulepu has perforated patients organs, used the wrong amount of anesthesia and discharged patients to facilities not capable of providing medical care.

Crystal Heath, 32, from Chicago, told NBC 5 Investigates she paid $4,400 for Dr. Omulepu to perform a buttock augmentation, but instead received a tummy tuck that resulted in an 11-day hospital stay and a seven-inch gaping wound.

At that moment when everything went wrong, I felt like I was going to die, Heath said.

Months before, Heath had worked hard to transform her body, dropping 110 pounds and working out religiously. She was proud of the transformation and proud of her new body, but one thing bothered her.

I had lost a lot of weight. And in the process I lost my butt as well, Heath said.

She started researching doctors that performed buttock augmentation and started squirreling away money for her dream surgery. After two months, she saved enough and decided on Dr. Omulepu.

The doctor had plenty of flashy promotional videos on YouTube, where he said things like: My specialty that I love to do is the Brazilian butt lift. Im known to be very aggressive when it comes to liposuction.

In another clip he could be heard saying I think its important to have a plan going into surgery.

But according to Heath, Dr. Omulepu changed the plan mid-surgery.

He told me I didnt have enough fat to transfer. After he did my lipo on my sides he told me he woke me up from surgery to tell me I didnt have enough fat. So thats how he ended up performing a tummy tuck.

University of Chicago Chief of Plastic Surgery Dr. David Song says that waking a patient from anesthesia to get consent would be highly unusual.

Thats just a plain tragedy, said Song. When you wake a patient up, the lingering effects of anesthesia can last several hours. So in able to get informed consent dont know how a physician would do that in good conscience and be accurate about providing informed consent to a patient in the waking hours of anesthesia.

Heath recalled being in a lot of pain when she was finally woken up from surgery.

I was like, What is wrong? Why am I in so much pain? And when I looked down there was like a binder across my stomach and they were like, He gave you a tummy tuck. I was like, A tummy tuck? I didnt need a tummy tuck. I paid for a Brazilian butt lift!

Confused and in pain, Crystal was discharged to a motel.

I started throwing up instantly. I was throwing up all night. I was throwing up so bad it felt like everything was busting in my stomach.

Twice she went back to this clinic to see the doctor. But she says, he never showed.

Thats when she flew home to Chicago and went to the emergency room. Chicago doctors performed emergency surgery, treating her for an infection and acute kidney failure. She was hospitalized for 11 days.

Crystal filed a complaint with the Florida Health Department and the Attorney General. And shes not the only one. NBC 5 Investigates found Dr. Omulepu is also accused of other botched beauty treatments, resulting in at least four other patients going to the ER after liposuction and Brazilian butt procedures in May 2015.

We repeatedly called and e-mailed Dr. Omulepu, his attorney and the three clinics where he works, but we got no response. The Florida state medical board finished its investigation and recommended his license be revoked. He has appealed this, and the next step will be a hearing. No date has been set.

We also discovered Dr. Omulepu is not a board-certified plastic surgeon. Industry experts recommend plastic surgeons be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

People have to understand that surgery, plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery is real surgery and there are real complications, said Song, who is also the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

More than 70 percent of Songs surgeries are revising botched surgeries.

We see it too common, he said. A patient or two a month coming to the emergency room after having had surgery from a non-plastic surgeon.  They come in with infections, with dehiscence, which means incisions falling apart.

As for Crystals incision, I was open from hip to hip, she said.

More than two months after the surgery, Crystal still has a seven-inch gaping wound. Crystal has months of healing ahead of her and mounting medical bills, she says.

Im angry that this man has done this to so many people way before me and theyre still allowing him to practice. That shouldnt happen. Thats terrible.

The Florida State Attorney General is now investigating Vanity Cosmetic Surgery - -one of the two Miami clinics where Dr. O practiced medicine. NBC 5 Investigates reached out to the clinic for comment but did not get a response.

Click the links below to find out if your plastic surgeon is board certified:

American Board of Plastic Surgery

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

American Board of Medical Specialties
A 16-year-old girl was leg was broken by a falling light pole Monday morning in the South Side Hyde Park neighborhood.

Three students were walking in the 5200 block of South Lake Park Avenue at about 11 a.m. when the city light police suddenly collapsed onto them, according to Chicago Police.

A Chicago Police sergeant and a group of bystanders witnessed the incident and were able to pull the pole off the 16-year-old, police said. She was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious condition.

Two other students were taken to University of Chicagos Comer Childrens Hospital as a precaution, police said. Neither had visible injuries.
Just one day after getting Kris Bryant back in their lineup, the injury bug has bitten the Chicago Cubs again as Jason Heyward will miss Monday's NL Central Division showdown with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Heyward, who is in the midst of an 0-for-17 slump, is dealing with a sore right wrist, and is being classified as "day-to-day" by the Cubs.

According to Cubs radio analyst Mark Grote, Heyward began to experience issues with the wrist during the team's series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in early April.

A determination on whether Heyward will be placed on the disabled list has yet to be made, but at least for Monday night he will be replaced in the lineup by Matt Szczur, who clobbered a grand slam in Friday's win over the Atlanta Braves.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Cubs Manager Joe Maddon confirmed the news.

"I don't think it's a long-term thing by any means, but his wrist is sore," Maddon said.

This isn't the first high profile injury the Cubs have had to deal with recently. Bryant made his return to the lineup on Sunday after spraining his ankle against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field earlier in the week.

The Cubs' schedule will make any Heyward absence tougher to swallow, as they battle the Pirates in a three-game series at PNC Park this week and welcome the red hot Washington Nationals to Wrigley for a four-game set this weekend.
It was just two years ago that 20-year-old Morgan Hill learned she had been the subject of major news headlines across Chicago as an infant.

In October 1995, Hill, who was a newborn, was left for dead by her mother in a dumpster in suburban Hoffman Estates. She was rescued by a construction worker who was dropping off garbage.

He was dropping off the last load of trash from the construction area he was working on, Hill said. Before he dropped it in, he heard a whimper. He found a white kitchen bag that was double knotted.

Hill was taken to a nearby hospital, where nurses named her Mary Grace. She was later adopted and became Morgan Hill.

After learning the story of how she was saved, Hill set out to find the construction worker who saved her.

I have known I was adopted my entire life, she said. But two years ago I found the full story, and I have been trying to find that construction worker ever since.

NBC affiliate KHSB tracked down the construction worker, Gerald Rocky Hyatt, and on April 20 Hill was reunited with the man she now calls her guardian angel.

I broke into tears and the first thing I said was, Thank you, Hill said. He said to me, Baby girl, you are so loved."

Then he gave Hill an angel pin he has had for more than 20 years.

"I've worn it every day since," Hill said.

Hills adoptive mother, Sandi Hill, has kept many of the clippings about baby Mary Grace in a binder. This month, she added a picture given to her by the construction worker, whom she credits with giving her the daughter she always wanted.

Rocky said God brought us together and he was so right, she said.

Morgan Hill said shes not only grateful to Hyatt for saving her life, but she hopes her story will help save others.

I could not thank him enough, Hill said. He gave me a chance to live a second life. Because if he didn't find me, I would not be here to help others and show soon-to-be mothers that there are so many options out there and you don't have to throw your baby away.
A man protesting Target's transgender bathroom policy at a store in Bourbonnais was arrested Monday, authorities said.

Michael Merichko was charged with disorderly conduct following a disturbance inside a Target store at 1615 N. State Route 50 in Bourbonnais, about 55 miles south of Chicago, according to the Bradley Police Department.

Bradley Police Department

Merichko was allegedly protesting Target Corporation's newly announced policy on letting transgender people use the bathroom that conforms to their identity. Police said his actions caused "panic among store employees and customers."

Just after 1 p.m., multiple police agencies responded to the Target after receiving a 911 call about an active shooter inside the store, according to authorities.

Nearby stores in the shopping complex were placed on lockdown, and police secured the area.

Bradley police Lt. Mike Johnston said investigators later determined Merichko made no threats of shooting anyone in the store.

"We are still looking into how the call came out as an active shooter," Johnston said in a news release.

It was not immediately clear if Merichko had an attorney.

Johnston said a preliminary investigation indicated no shots had been fired and no weapon was recovered at the scene. "A subject was confronted outside the store and taken into custody without incident."

Laura Neveau, who works at a nearby salon, said police were stationed at the entrance of the shopping complex on Route 50 and the road leading into the parking lot, turning people away.

No injuries were reported to employees or customers at the store, police said.

Last month, Target encouraged store employees and customers to use the restrooms and fitting rooms that align with their gender identities.

"We believe that everyoneevery team member, every guest, and every communitydeserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally," Target said in a news release dated April 19.

"Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity," the company said.
In Indiana, where the latest poll shows Sen. Bernie Sanders within striking distance of Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's primary, Kristen Callihan will not even contemplate a general election without the Vermont senator as the Democratic candidate.

Callihan, a 44-year-old freelance writer from Michigan City, likes Sanders' honesty and integrity, that he is not a flip-flopper, and that he fought for civil rights in the 1960s. Callihan says she is no fan of Sanders opponent, Hillary Clinton, nor of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

"[Sanders] is going to win," she said. "Thats all Im thinking about."

But can Indiana provide enough of a boost to Sanders, badly behind in the delegate count as he is? If he were to lose, would his supporters back Clinton?

Going into Tuesdays primary, Clinton leads Sanders by 4 percentage points, 50 percent to 46 percent among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll. The poll's margin of error was 4.6 percentage points. As in past contests, Clinton leads with those 45 and older, while Sanders is ahead among younger voters.

Clinton and Sanders likely will divide the Democrats 83 delegates in Indiana, and that will do little to change the narrative on the Democratic side, said Lee M. Miringoff, the director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

Sanders trails significantly in the overall delegate count, with 1,367 of the 2,383 needed to win the nomination, while Clinton has 1,663, according to a count by The Associated Press. Clinton also has 520 superdelegates, who are free to support any candidate, to Sanders' 39.

Among likely Republican primary voters in Indiana, Trump is ahead by 15 points and is positioned to take of all the states 57 Republican delegates, a big step toward winning the nomination outright. Trump has 956 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win, after a landslide victory in the New York primary two weeks ago and wins in the five Northeastern states that held contests last week  the so-called "Acela primary," after Amtraks Acela Express. That compares to 546 for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and 153 for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

"After the Acela primary, there is an aura of inevitability surrounding the Trump and Clinton candidacies," Miringoff said in a statement.

Sanders has acknowledged how difficult it would be to win the 64 percent of remaining delegates he needs to secure the nomination, but he insists he is still in the race, fighting for every vote and delegate, and says the convention will be contested. He held three rallies Monday, the last day before voting.

"It is admittedly a tough hill to climb, but not an impossible one," Sanders told supporters.

But his fundraising has plummeted, off by more than 40 percent in April over March, and he has had to lay off campaign staffers. As Clinton turns her attention increasingly toward the general election, Sanders told a crowd in Evansville, Indiana, on Monday: "Our ideas, the political revolution transforming America, are the ideas for the future of this country and the future of the Democratic Party."

On Sunday night in Detroit, Clinton focused her comments on Trump, not Sanders, in a preview of the general election.

"We cannot let Barack Obama's legacy fall into Donald Trump's hands," she said. "We can't let all the hard work and progress we have achieved over the last seven and a half years be torn away."

Kelly Jay, a musician from South Bend, Indiana, said a debate is raging on Facebook over whether to vote for Clinton should Sanders withdraw. The Clinton campaign has done too much to alienate Sanders supporters, he said.

"I think theyre confident that they can win the general election without the progressive faction of the party," Jay said.

The young people who swarm to the Sanders rallies and favor him over Clinton care about the issues Sanders is addressing: curbing global warming, taking on the enormous inequities between rich and poor, and massive student loans.

"They owe no loyalty to the Democratic Party," Jay said. "And they've said over and over again, 'We don't want Hillary Clinton, we're not going to vote for her.'"

Heath Hensley, a union electrician who lives in Muncie, Indiana, says he was captivated by Sanders the first time he heard him speak and immediately began working to get him on the states ballot. A longtime admirer of Eugene Debs, who was a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World and a presidential candidate for the Socialist party, Hensley, 38, said he was surprised that someone as progressive as Sanders was running for president.

"Ive just been nuts about him," Hensley said.

Whether or not Sanders wins the nomination, Hensley said he would continue talking about the issues Sanders has raised  including international trade agreements that have harmed American workers  and support progressive candidates for political office. The Democratic Party is abandoning working-class people in favor of college-educated professionals, while the Republicans have nothing to offer labor, he said.

"I dont want to see Trump get the nomination, but at the same time I didnt vote for Hillary Clinton in 2008 because I didnt like her and I didnt trust her then and I do not plan on voting for her now," Hensley said.

In New York, 23-year-old Carla Cruz was planning to work a phone bank for Sanders in advance of the Indiana primary. She remained hopeful despite Sanders' loss in New York, though she was disturbed by reports of voters dropped from the rolls and being turned away.

She said she also would not vote for Clinton.

"I don't think she's any better than Trump," she said.

If Sanders fails to win the nomination, Carla Cruz will continue to work to limit the influence of corporations and special interests in elections.

A suggestion from Trump's campaign manager recently that Sanders' supporters embrace the New York businessman was not met with much enthusiasm.

"Bernie Sanders has large crowds  not as large as Mr. Trump's, but large crowds  and so there is a level of excitement there for people about his messaging and we will bring those people in," Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told CNN.

Miringoff said how much support Sanders' backers give Clinton will depend on the senator.

"This is all premature," he said. "He will be important in signaling whether it's up to the individual supporters to decide what they want to do or the key thing is to defeat Donald Trump."

Clinton was magnanimous when she lost to President Barack Obama in 2008, he said. But, as an independent, Sanders' ties to the Democratic Party are not as strong.

"We'll just have to see how it all plays out," Miringoff said. "But I suspect he will not be as gracious as she was to Obama in '08."
A Turkish parliamentary committee has approved a contentious ruling-party proposal to strip legislators of their immunity from prosecution despite punches being thrown and water bottles hurled during the debate.

The proposed constitutional amendment, which could pave the way for the trial of several pro-Kurdish legislators on terror-related charges and their possible ouster from parliament, was cleared by the committee late on Monday.

Pro-Kurdish party lawmakers walked out of the meeting following the brawl, which left one person with a dislocated shoulder and a second with a bloodied nose.

Video filmed by legislators inside the committee room showed people throwing water bottles at each other and engaging in fist-fights. One legislator jumped into the fight from a table top and another was seen kicking an opponent.

Pro-Kurdish lawmaker Mithat Sancar was heard saying that the party "would not be part of this theater that is being staged," before he and his colleagues stormed out.

The amendment, which still needs to be approved by the full assembly, was proposed by the ruling party after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the pro-Kurdish party, People's Democratic Party, HDP, of being an arm of the outlawed Kurdish rebels and repeatedly called for their prosecution.

The move comes amid a surge of violence in Turkey's southeast after a fragile, more than 2-year-old peace process with the rebels collapsed. Hundreds of people, including close to 400 security force members, have died in the renewed fighting, which also displaced tens of thousands of people and left some towns and districts in ruins.

The HDP, which backs Kurdish and other minority rights, denies accusations that it is the political arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. It has called on the government to end security forces' operations in the southeast to resume peace efforts. The PKK is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

Although the measure would lift the legal immunities of all lawmakers who have legal cases pending against them, critics say the proposed amendment particularly aims to oust HDP lawmakers from parliament. The party's two co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, face possible prosecution for making statements last year in support of calls for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Turkey.

On Tuesday, both the ruling party and the HDP blamed each other for the violence.

"They are attacking our legislators in order to prevent the process," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said. "They are trying to show parliament as a place for fighting, chaos and deadlock."

Pro-Kurdish leader Demirtas said of the ruling party: "They are trying to shape Turkey through violence, arms, bullying."

He also suggested that expelled legislators could form their own de-facto Kurdish parliament.

"If our colleagues are arrested, their terms as legislators are ended, then all options are open for discussion," Demirtas said. "It's not the parties that create parliaments, it's the people, and if the people want it they can create more than one parliament."

Ruling party lawmaker Bulent Turan said the debate on the amendment was likely to take place on May 16, with a vote two days later.

Five lawmakers were hurt last week on the first day of the discussions on the amendment, which also ended in a fight.
It's official: Kate Upton is off the market.

The model-actress is engaged to longtime boyfriend Justin Verlander, E! News can exclusively confirm. The 23-year-old bride-to-be debuted her stunning engagement ring, designed by her fiance, on the red carpet at the 2016 Met Gala.

"I'm really excited, he asked me right before [the] season started so we've been keeping it on the down low for quite a while," she told E! News. "So I'm excited to finally be able to share it with the world!"

Upton and Verlander aren't in any huge rush to say "I do." For now, "we are enjoying the engagement period," she said.

Stars' Blingtastic Engagement Rings

Upton and Verlander, 33, dated for over three years prior to their engagement. As Upton joked to E! News back in March, three years as a couple "seems like forever in Hollywood, right?"

So what's their secret? "For us, we always try and work on our communication," she said. "We're very open with one another and we're each others best friends. He's definitely my best friend, so I think that helps a lot."

Verlander, a starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, told Forbes magazine he and Upton have a "normal relationship."

Kate Upton Gets a Real Housewife Makeover in Sexy V Magazine Shoot

"Kate's there a lot for me," he said. "And we're just normal people. You know, a normal relationship--believe it or not."

The down-to-earth duo also have a lot in common, including their love of animals. "Justin is definitely an animal lover but he is definitely holding me back from my 10 dogs," Upton told E! News. "He is putting a three-dog limit on it."

Kate Upton's Sexiest Pics
A father and daughter from Hamden have been arrested on drug and gun charges after a raid at their home.

Hamden Police, along with the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Violent Crimes Task Force and the New Haven Police Department Criminal Intelligence Unit executed a search warrant on the second floor of 128 Circular Ave. early Friday morning and seized a .32 caliber revolver, .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun, .22 caliber revolver, ammunition, around 600 grams of marijuana and $6,000, police said.

Jorje Santiago, 47, and his 19-year-old daughter, Venessa, were arrested.

Jorje Santiago was charged with possession of marijuana, sale of a controlled substance, operating a drug factory, criminal possession of a firearm and altering the identification of a firearm.

He was held on a $100,000 bond.

Venessa Santiago was charged with possession of marijuana, sale of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and altering the identification of a firearm.

She was detained on a $25,000 bond.

Its not clear if they are being represented by an attorney.
A Connecticut rabbi is accused in a lawsuit of raping and molesting a teenage boy hundreds of times from 2001 to 2005 while the boy was a student at a Jewish boarding school in New Haven.

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in federal court by a 28-year-old New Jersey man. It accuses Rabbi Daniel Greer, principal of the Yeshiva of New Haven school, of sexual abuse.

According to the suit, the assaults lasted for hours  and sometimes the entire night  and happened on school property, at Greers private residence, at motels in Greater New Haven and in Pennsylvania, and at various area rental properties owned by the schools.

"It only takes a moment to make allegations with despicable indifference to the consequences of the damage that they would cause to my client, his family and his reputation that he spent a lifetime building within his community," attorney William Ward said in a statement. "This is a difficult time for my client and his family, but I would remind the public to ask for evidence before rushing to judgment."

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and also names the school.

Attorney Antonio Ponvert III, of the Bridgeport-based firm Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, said his client hasn't sought criminal charges but would cooperate in any ensuing criminal probe.
Police are searching for the man who robbed a Hamden store, demanded cash and threatened to kill the employee on Sunday morning.

Police responded to the Hamden Variety Store, at 1555 Dixwell Ave., at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday to investigate an armed robbery and learned that the robber threatened to kill the employee if he didnt hand over the money from the cash register.

The robber was described as a 5-feet-6-inch tall man in his 20s with a medium build. He was wearing a dark sweatshirt, had a silver handgun and ran north on Dixwell Avenue after the robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Donald Remillard of the Hamden Police Department Major Crimes Division at (203) 230-4040.
A pregnant woman from Connecticut tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling to Central America, the Department of Public Health said.

The child was conceived during the woman's trip, according to the DPH. While traveling, the woman became ill with a fever and rash, the department said. The woman is about 11 weeks pregnant, DPH Commissioner Raul Pino said.

The woman has since returned to Central America but the DPH had contacted her Connecticut physician in an effort to get in touch with the patient or her family to ensure she seeks medical care.

We are working with the patients physician to ensure that both the physician and the patient have all the necessary information and guidance they need, said Pino. This virus is very dangerous for the babies of pregnant women, causing serious birth defects and miscarriages."

Pino said the woman, who is originally from Central America, left the state on Feb. 5 and returned on March 30. She had began developing symptoms on March 17, Pino said. He was not sure when she traveled back to Central America after that, he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Pino warns women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant avoid travel to Zika-stricken areas. He said while the virus itself is mild for adults, it could be quite severe for fetuses.

"The more that we learn, the more grave it looks," Pino said at the press conference.

Tuesday's results is the third positive test in Connecticut and first for a pregnant woman.

Editor's Note: Officials from the Department of Public Health originally said the woman had gone to South America.
Three people were killed when a small plane broke up in the air and crashed on a residential Long Island road lined by homes and schools Tuesday afternoon, authorities say.

Two men and a woman were on board the single-engine Beeech BE35 aircraft when it crashed on Cold Spring Road in Syosset just after 2:30 p.m., the FAA says. Authorities on the scene have recovered their bodies, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said.

No one on the ground was hurt, authorities said.

The plane took off from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at about 12:45 p.m., and was headed to Plainville, Connecticut, according to the FAA.

The pilot made a distress call over Farmingdale reporting some type of instrumentation problem, according to NTSB senior investigator Robert Gretz. He said the pilot said something to the effect of, "I have a partial panel loss."

The plane then disappeared off the radar and broke up in flight, leaving behind a debris field of about two miles.

"Sometimes the higher up it breaks up, the larger the debris field," Gretz said.

Recordings between first responders and dispatch revealed the sheer amount of wreckage that was scattered on the ground.

"I got multiple parts to a plane," one first responder is heard saying in the recordings posted to Broadcastify. "I just found a sneaker... I got like a sneaker... a bag."

Another says, "I've got a fuselage of one single-engine plane. I see a lot of clothes and another sneaker."

The stretch of Cold Spring Road is lined by homes and several schools. Melissa Wesley Kessler, a teacher at Berry Hill Elementary School, said she was working inside when she suddenly heard a very loud noise, like a motorcycle revving its engine.

"I didn't hear a crash or anything, it just sounded like something kind of coming down out of the sky," she said.

When she walked out, "there were fire engines and pieces of debris partly on our school grounds, across the street, down the block. Pieces of glass, twisted metal."

"It was really frightening," she said. "I had a pit in my stomach, it was scary."

Neighbor Bianco Devito recounted a similar scene.

"I was just sitting in my living room and all of a sudden, I heard a buzzing noise and then a huge boom, sort of like something was being dropped," she said.

When she ran outside into her backyard, which faces the parking lot of the BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts, she saw a body.

"Oh God, it was terrible. It's not something you're expecting to be seeing every day. It was very scary," she said.

A woman named Nicole told NBC 4 New York she was driving to Southwoods Junior High School to pick up a girl she babysits when something suddenly fell out of the sky, landing about 20 feet in front of her to the right.

"I didn't know what it was first at all, but it looked like an airplane seat," she said.

"I had to do a triple take. I couldn't believe an airplane seat just fell in front of me," she said.

Nicole said she didn't know what to make of the "bizarre" incident, especially because she didn't hear anything, but when she got to the school, "everyone was looking up at the sky and then we kind of found out a little bit after that."

The schools in the area -- including the Long Island High School for the Arts, Berry Hill Elementary Syosset High School, Southwoods Junior and Senior High School and Syosset High School -- were locked down briefly after the crash as authorities investigated.

Gretz siad it's not clear why the plane broke apart in the sky.

"It's not a common investigation for us," Gretz said of the plane breaking apart in the sky. "It does happen. In 18 years, I've probably worked five or 10 of them."

Officials are looking at a number of factors in the crash, including whether the pilot was caught in bad weather. If the pilot didn't have functioning instrumentation in bad weather, it would be like driving through fog without lights or a dashboard, Gretz said.

Gretz said Nassau police was assisting in the investigation by documenting each piece of plane debris. A preliminary report is expected to be issued within five to 10 business days, and a final report including a probable cause will be issued in about nine to 12 months.

Cold Spring Road was closed in both directions between Townsend Road and Chelsea Drive as emergency responders attend to the scene.

The FAA says it will investigate the crash and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause.
What to Know Police say man who attacked a Metrobus driver and hijacked his bus is now in custody.

A pedestrian was fatally struck in gas station parking lot.

The bus driver managed to get off the bus, but suffered a back injury in the process.

A man attacked a Metrobus driver with needle-nose pliers Tuesday morning and took control of the bus, D.C. police said. The hijacker then crashed the bus into a gas station parking lot, hitting a man who later died.

Over the course of just three minutes, the hijacker boarded the bus in Northeast D.C., attacked the driver and ran over the pedestrian, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said.

"People were just screaming, 'Somebody hit, Somebody hit,'" said Darius Johnson, a worker at a nearby Wendy's restaurant. "When we looked, it was just chaos."

The victim, Anthony Payne, 40, of northwest Washington, was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Police said the hijacker, Keith Loving, 30, of northeast Washington boarded the bus in the 3800 block of Jay Street in Northeast D.C. about 10:30 a.m. When the bus arrived at its next stop, Loving got up and attacked the driver with the tool, police said.

The driver managed to get off the bus but suffered a back injury. He was expected to recover. Passengers on the bus saw the attack and ran out the back door, Lanier said.

Loving then drove the bus a short distance, causing several crashes along the way, police said. He sideswiped a van carrying senior citizens, its driver told News4.

"We were trying to call the police and let the police officer know that this bus was being attacked. The person that hijacked the bus, he was going so fast," the van driver said, asking that her name be withheld.

A short time later, police said Loving veered over a curb into the parking lot of a gas station at the corner of Minnesota and Nannie Helen Burroughs avenues. The bus ran over a gas station worker, identified later as Payne, who had been taking out the trash.

Payne was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead. He picked up odd jobs and had been working for the gas station, employee Isas Haile said.

"He's honest. He's very good guy. He's good person," he said.

Police officers surrounded the bus, guns drawn, and were able to subdue and arrest Loving, police and witnesses said.

"He was violent and resisting the officers when they took him off the bus," Lanier said.

"It's a bizarre incident," she added.

It wasn't immediately clear if Loving had an attorney.

Police initially said juveniles hijacked the bus, but later said just one man committed the crime.

Loving is known to police in the area, sources said. Police said he was charged with second-degree murder.

The hijacking is raising questions about the safety of bus drivers and their passengers. No protective shield separated the bus driver from passengers. All new buses purchased by Metro will be equipped with the shields, Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik previously said.

Fewer than one quarter of Metrobuses were equipped with the shields as of Tuesday, a Metro representative said. Of the 1,542 buses Metro operates, 326 buses have the shields. Another 531 buses will have the safety devices by the end of 2016.

The shields are typically used in areas where drivers have previously had trouble, the Metro representative said.

Metrobus drivers suffered at least 170 assaults on the job within a three-year span, a 2014 report by the News4 I-Team found. Bus passengers have assaulted drivers in broad daylight, in front of children and because they didn't want to pay bus fare.
Dallas police say two young brothers last seen leaving their home on foot have safely returned to their home.

Police before dawn Tuesday announced the search for 9-year-old Perell Stephens and 10-year-old Ezekiel Stephens. Police several hours later reported the juveniles returned home Tuesday morning and were in good condition.

Police didn't immediately say when the boys disappeared from their South Dallas residence.

Further details weren't immediately released.
A Marine was shot and killed by an Army soldier while trying to intervene in a domestic shooting Monday in North Texas, according to Arlington police.

The shooting happened around 11:50 a.m. outside a Walgreens store on Green Oaks Boulevard at New York Avenue in Arlington.

Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Ricci Chambless Bradden, a U.S. Army soldier at Fort Hood, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

The violence unfolded when Bradden went to see his wife, a Walgreens employee. According to the affidavit, the two got into an argument and Bradden shot his wife in the ankle.

A man is dead and a woman is injured after a shooting at an Arlington drug store, police say. Arlington police said the man responsible for the shooting, 22-year-old Ricci Bradden, has been arrested.

Anthony Antell Jr., 35, saw the confrontation in the parking lot as his wife sat in their car. Police said Antell, a Marine, got out his gun and tried to stop Bradden from leaving, acting as a good Samaritan.

"At that point, the suspect exits the vehicle, shoots the good Samaritan. The good Samaritan is pronounced deceased at the scene," said Arlington police Lt. Christopher Cook.

Police said Antell's wife watched him die. Friends said the couple have three children and that Antell owned a CrossFit gym in Arlington, where people gathered to grieve Monday evening.

"T.J. Antell lost his journey of life very suddenly today in a very heroic act of courage for the well-being of other people," said the family's pastor, Rev. Marc Lowrance of United Methodist Church in Arlington. "He went out of this world on top."

One person is dead after a shooting outside an Arlington drug store, police say.

Neighbor Courtney Hill said she heard the gunfire in the Walgreens parking lot.

"I frequent all these locations here and it is pretty shocking, I'll tell you that," Hill said.

Police are still investigating the circumstances of the shooting. Cook advised the public against trying to stop armed suspects.

"Any time that you can be the best witness you can be, we always recommend that," Cook said. "Sometimes things turn out like this when you're trying to stop a bad guy."

Bradden surrendered at a Texas Department of Public Safety office in Hillsboro while on his way back to Fort Hood. According to the affidavit, Bradden's commanding officers urged him to surrender to civilian authorities Monday.

Bradden was brought back to Arlington Tuesday afternoon and is currently in Arlington City Jail with a bond set at $500,000.

Chopper 5 was over the scene shortly after a deadly shooting at Walgreens on New York Ave. in south Arlington.

Bradden's wife was recovering Monday evening at Medical Center Arlington. A friend said the couple had only been married a short time.

NBC 5's Holley Ford contributed to this report.
A McKinney farmer is fighting back against plans to build a road right through his property.

The city wants to expand Laud Howell Parkway from Trinity Falls Parkway to Lake Forest Drive.

City officials are considering four plans.

"Two of them's through the middle of our house, the middle of our property," Marilyn Geren said.

Geren is the wife of longtime McKinney rancher Jack Geren Sr.

His family has farmed land along County Road 166 for decades.

For 44 years, he's shared a home with his wife near the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 1461/Lake Forest Drive and Farm-to-Market Road 166.

He said he is losing sleep over the idea of losing his home.

"I'll have to sell my cattle and quit. That's all I can do, and move somewhere else," he said.

That's why the Gerens want the city to take a different direction, a direction that brings the new road by their house, not through it.

"It's not much but it's ours and it's always been home," Marilyn Geren said.

The Gerens say they moved to this home to get away from the city.

But now, it's the city that now seems to be coming to them, putting at risk a family history as rich as the land.

"I'll be glad when this is over," Marilyn Geren said.

The city says it will recommend the council approve a plan that would not take out any homes.

Tuesday's city council meeting is at City Hall at 6 p.m.
The head-on collision appeared horribly real. Injured teens inside one of the cars appeared dazed or unconscious. Lying in the front seat was the lifeless body of a young girl who will never have a chance to speak to friends or family again.

Twenty feet away from the accident, a police officer conducts a field sobriety test on a teenage driver removed from one of the cars with empty beer cans scattered around the floorboard.

Fortunately, this was not an actual accident scene. It was a realistic demonstration of an all too frequent occurrence put on Friday for Bismarck High School students by the city's fire and police departments, along with the St. Francois County Ambulance District and St. Francois County Sheriffs Office.

The theme we chose for this year is Back to the Future, said Bismarck Mayor Seth Radford who also serves as a captain on the city fire department. We want the students to know the danger of drinking and driving and encourage them to make right decisions before something bad happens they cant change no matter how much they wish they could. We put this on every year to hopefully keep some of our young people from making a tragic mistake that will ruin their lives and the lives of others.

As the horrific scene continued to unfold in front of a somber audience of students standing on the school parking lot, a woman portraying the dead teens mother arrived upon the scene of the accident and began crying hysterically at the sight of her daughter. D.A.R.E. Officer Gary Carver attempted to calm the distraught woman as she watched emergency workers cover her daughters lifeless body with a sheet.

Once the injured were placed in a waiting ambulance and the drunk teen was handcuffed and taken into custody, the demonstration came to an end and Radford again addressed the students.

While today wasnt an actual accident, this is something that we firefighters, law enforcement officers and EMTs see every day, Radford said. A teenager thinks they can drink and then get in a car and drive and something like this happens. Theyll tell the officer they had just had one beer. Thats what we always hear  it was just one or two beers.

Radford also warned the students about another major cause of accidents on highways today.

It isnt just drinking or drug use but also texting while driving that get people injured or killed, he said. Anything that distracts you from keeping your attention on driving is something you shouldnt be doing.

Radford asked the students to imagine coming to school the following Monday where they would hear Principal Jason King announce that one of their schoolmates had been killed in a drunk driving accident. The students were somber as King stood before the crowd to tell them about the "tragedy" that had occurred over the weekend.

Afterward, Radford asked all of the student actors, as well as fire, law enforcement and ambulance personnel to stand before the high schoolers.

These friends of yours werent really injured or killed in this accident, but something like this could very well happen if you dont make the right decisions when you get in a car after drinking. If youve been drinking, get help. If you know someone has been drinking, dont let them get behind the wheel of a car. Get them home safely.
Relief efforts are underway in Palestine after flood waters damaged dozens of homes and claimed the lives of six people.

22 homes have major damage, while 18 are classified with minor damage, said City of Palestine spokesman Nate Smith.

Smith said the City of Palestine is coordinating with volunteers, establishing donation centers and assigning crews for debris removal.

Local officials are assessing the damage and will provide information for state and federal officials, Smith said.

"Officials are adamant that this is an unprecedented type of flood. We have life-long residents who have said they've never seen anything like this before," Smith said. "The National Weather Service told us we had 7.75 inches of rain in 45 minutes. Imagine draining several buckets into your bathtub."

Smith said debris flowing in flood waters, including two cars, backed up drainage systems and culverts.

"We found that a lot of the drains got caught in debris. We're working right now to assess and clear those drain systems," said Smith.

On the 100 block of Timber Drive, residents who survived the flood are cleaning up and sharing stories of survival.

"I'm going to die. That was going through my mind. I'm going to die. This is my last night here," Metra White said. "I was crying, crying and crying."

White said the force of the water broke open her front door and quickly filled up her home.

"I swam out and grabbed a pole," White said. "I was hollering for help."

White said she jumped on to a car parked alongside her home and climbed up to the roof.

"I was up there for two hours waiting for someone to save me. I was the last one to be rescued," White said. "When the firefighters were pulling me through the water, I still thought I was going to die."
The Rockwall City Council rejected its mayor's proposed "bathroom ordinance" on Monday in front of a standing-room only crowd.

The ordinance, proposed by Mayor Jim Pruitt, would require all people to use restrooms based on the gender listed on their birth certificate.

"We're making decisions based solely on fear that, at best, will establish us as one of the more bigoted cities in the country," Jon Bennett told the city council, voicing his opposition to the ordinance.

A similar law was passed earlier this year in North Carolina, where there have been protests and companies have spoken out against the bill. The state has lost nearly $40 million in revenue as a result of the protests.

"There's a lot of talk that we're hating LGBT people, and that couldn't be further from the truth," John White said at Monday night's Rockwall City Council meeting. "This is an expression of love for our women and children."

Mayor Pruitt argued an ordinance was necessary to prevent predators from hiding in opposite-gender bathrooms. But opponents said the proposal is unnecessary and discriminatory.

"It will take away safety from transgender people, who are your neighbors," Karen Roggenkamp told council members. She is the mother of a transgender child. "My child is not a boy dressed up in girls clothing, meant to prey on unsuspecting innocence."

The bill ultimately was rejected after Pruitt's request for a vote failed to receive a second. The other five members of the council on Monday night questioned the need for the ordinance. Some council members called it "well-intended, but unenforceable."

"I don't know that this will come back in another form," Pruitt said. "But it will come back in another form in the way we build our facilities in the city, which will be to have individual-type restrooms."

NBC 5's Julie Fine contributed to this report.
The California-based company The Republic of Tea is recalling one of its green tea blends as a precaution over fears of possible salmonella contamination.

The company said Monday that the voluntary recall of its Organic Turmeric Ginger Green Tea comes after a supplier said one lot of its organic ginger ingredients could be contaminated.

Tests conducted by The Republic of Tea found no salmonella. No illnesses have been reported.

Company official Todd Rubin said the recall is a precautionary measure.

The Republic of Tea is based in Novato, just north of San Francisco. Its teas are distributed around the world.

Customers who purchased the tea can return it to The Republic of Tea for a replacement tea, or for a full refund. They can contact the company at teasafety@republicoftea.com or call 1-800-298-4832, Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00am-5:00pm CST.

Click here for more information.
David Nassaney, a retired mechanic from Valencia, can usually trust an experienced eye to spot problems on used cars. That's why the salvaged title on a 2004 Hyundai Sonata didn't worry him.



"It was the right price, right mileage," he said. "Pictures of it looked clean."



After buying the vehicle, he learned it had an open safety recall for a faulty taillight, but when he visited a dealership to have the recall performed he said he hit a snag.



He said the Hyundai dealership wouldn't fix it.



Federal law requires car manufacturers to pay for safety recalls. All drivers have to do is bring it to a dealership. But Nassaney says he was told the recall warranty didn't apply to salvaged cars... He'd have to pay out of pocket.



"You're telling me, because it just happens to be a salvaged vehicle I'm out of luck?" Nassaney said. "It's not fair."



The I-Team contacted the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration which confirmed being salvaged is not reason for a manufacturer to deny a recall.



Under the law, they must replace that defective part as long as the car is drivable.



There are about 2.3 million cars with open safety recalls in Los Angeles alone, according to Carfax's Chris Basso.



"Recalls are meant to keep the vehicles safe and performing as it should," he said. "It seems like this was just a miscommunication."



And sure enough, Hyundai told the I-Team "a recall is a safety concern" and reached out to Nassaney to get his open recall fixed.



Nassaney is finally at ease over the safety of his vehicle, but said he'll steer clear of purchasing anymore salvaged cars in the future.



"I learned my lesson," he said.



The hyundai dealership nassaney visited says it didn't have a record of his first visit, but confirmed right away that they do fix salvaged vehicles.



All safety recalls are tracked by NHTSA. To check if your car has an open recall, you can enter the VIN of your vehicle at SaferCar.gov.
An 11-year-old girl was found Monday afternoon after going missing earlier in the day in Granada Hills.

Elizabeth "Lizzy" Peralejo was last seen about 6:45 a.m. in the 11400 block of Hayvenhurst Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

Foul play was not suspected, police said. More than two dozen civilian volunteers searched the area where she was last seen.
It's right around the beginning of May when some devoted Disneyland regulars get down to the business of setting a few important summer #goals.

For instance, how many times can a person ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds over the course of a 16-hour day? (Answer: Probably at least two dozen, factoring in bathroom breaks, meals, and parade-watching, if the person frequents the single-rider line.)

Of course, Disney-based goals can stretch beyond a day, and even a single theme park.

Look to Christopher Wing, a Seattle-based Disney buff, for inspiration. Nope, he didn't just take on one attraction over the course of a day. Rather, Mr. Wing visited every Disney park on the planet in one long, plane-tastic, stay-mostly-awake stretch.

It took the theme park adventurer under 80 hours, in fact. (Should you want to think of his Mouse-major plan as a contemporary adventure akin to Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days," well then, go for it.)

But Phileas Fogg didn't start his 19th-century jaunt in Anaheim, like Mr. Wing did at the very beginning of April 2016.

From Disneyland Resort, where he visited both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, Mr. Wing took wing for Florida, where he called upon the quartet of Walt Disney World Resort parks in Orlando.

Disneyland Paris followed, then Hong Kong Disneyland, then Tokyo Disney Resort, with a return to Disneyland at juuuust about 75 hours after the clock started ticking.

If your first question "but did he ride something in every park?" the answer is "yes, he did." (Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was his pick at the Happiest Place on Earth.)

Mr. Wing's grand 'n Goofy dream truly has a way of upping any fan's Disneyland ambitions. Remember the couple who visited Disneyland every day in 2012? Which made for 366 days in a row, as 2012 was a leap year?

Mickey mavens do bring the popcorn-scented passion when they get a notion as big as Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

Mr. Wing's big notion has a Disney-cute title -- "Mouse Around the World" -- and details on how he mapped out his trip and made it happen (including, of course, the funds) can be viewed at his site.

Want a peek at the process, Disneyians? There are videos, natch, including this one shared on the Disneyland blog:
Riders were stuck on the California Screamin' ride Monday at California Adventure, the sister park to Disneyland, after someone took out a selfie stick and the ride was halted, officials said.

The riders were escorted off the ride by 6 p.m. after waiting for 20 minutes, a Disneyland spokesperson said.

Disneyland officials said someone whipped out a selfie stick, which is banned from the park and rides.

Disneyland officials said the ride is stopped any time a selfie stick is taken out as it poses a safety risk.

The ride was to resume shortly after evacuating riders.

Selfie sticks were banned from Disneyland and California Adventure in 2015.

In a similar incident in June, California Screamin' was stopped because a rider pulled out a selfie stick.
The boyfriend of a pregnant woman whose 2-year-old daughter was fatally stabbed Monday night was arrested on suspicion of murder hours after what police described as a "vicious" attack at the couple's Jefferson Park home.

The attack, which left the child's 22-year-old pregnant mother hospitalized with stab wounds, occurred around 10 p.m. in the 3500 block of Arlington Drive bordering Exposition Park, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The woman was in critical, but stable, condition Tuesday morning, police said.

Lataz Gray, 22, was arrested Tuesday morning at a hospital, where he was seeking treatment for cuts to his hand, police said. Residents told police that Gray had lived with the victims for a few months.

There was no family relationship between the suspect and slain child, but the woman is 5 months pregnant with the couple's baby, police said.

"This was one of the most vicious incidents I have seen," said LAPD Capt. Peter Whittingham.

Gray allegedly stabbed the woman "multiple times," then stabbed her daughter, according to police. Neighbors reported what sounded like the couple arguing before the stabbing, police said.

Phillip Gray, the suspect's father, convinced his son to turn himself in, police said. The home is apparently owned by the suspect's father, who lives nearby.

Phillip Gray said talking his son into giving himself up to police was heart wrenching.

"I said, 'They gonna kill you,'" Gray said. "You do something stupid. You gonna turn yourself in? He said, 'OK.'"

The mother has yet to be interviewed by police, who said they are still gathering details about what led to the attack.

The toddler's family has started a GoFundMe to help with burial costs, and can be found here.

NBC4's Angie Crouch and Heather Navarro contributed to this report.
A group of Muslim women suing a Laguna Beach restaurant alleging they were kicked out because of their religion said they were shocked at being expelled from the eatery and felt they were treated like criminals.

"I felt embarrassed, outraged and shocked by the discrimination my friends and I were subjected to," one of the women, Sara Farsakh, said. "We committed no crime, we violated no policy. Our only offense to Urth Caffe was that we are a group of Muslim women that stood out -- visibly stood out -- tarnishing their image."

Urth Caffe officials have denied any wrongdoing or discriminatory actions, saying the women were asked to leave because they violated a 45-minute seating policy when other customers are waiting for tables. The restaurant owners appealed to its customers to withhold judgment on the women's assertions "until all of the evidence in this case comes to light."

The seven women, six of whom were wearing the hijab, a traditional head dress for Muslim women, contend they went to the restaurant the evening of April 22 when it was not busy and more than 20 tables were unoccupied.

They said their meals were brought to them on a "staggered basis" between 7:20 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. At 8:15 p.m., they claim, a restaurant manager told them they had to leave as they were violating the 45-minute limit when there were no tables available.

When the women said they had either not received the meal they ordered or finished ones that had been served, they were still told to leave, they allege. One of their attorneys, Mohammad Tajsar, said the manager who asked them to leave within in 10 minutes laughed off their protests.

Police were eventually called to kick them out, the women said, adding that other diners, who were white and had been in the restaurant longer, were not asked to leave. Farsakh walked through the restaurant taking a cell phone video, showing a series of empty tables. The video was posted online and has had hundreds of thousands of views.

"It felt surreal to be escorted out by Laguna Beach police officers ...," another of the women, Soondus Ahmed, said. "We were escorted out and made to feel like criminals."

Ahmed said she was suing the restaurant because "I do not want another individual to be subjected to discrimination. ... I am doing this for all women who wear the hijab."

The lawsuit was filed Monday.

Following the release of Farsakh's video last month, Urth Caffe posted a statement on its Facebook denying claims of prejudice.

"Urth Caffe categorically denies any and all claims of racial or religious discrimination against Sara Farsakh. While a full investigation is still on-going, it appears that Ms. Farsakh and her friends violated company policies and that the staff at Urth Caffe in Laguna properly and justifiably applied company procedures," according to the company.

"Urth Caffe neither condones nor tolerates discrimination of any kind. Urth Caffe workforces, multicultural customer base and in fact, Urth's entire corporate culture, are all reliable indicators that Urth appreciates, encourages and lauds peace and diversity.

"Urth Caffe sincerely hopes that its customers will withhold judgment until all of the evidence in this case comes to light. Once the evidence is fully revealed, Urth believes that everyone will be satisfied that Urth Caffe continues to serve all of its guests with the same respect and admiration."

The restaurant's owner, Shallom Berkman, said last week that his wife is Muslim, and he strongly denied any discrimination. He said the restaurant enforces the 45-minute seating limit -- especially on the patio -- to keep things "fair'" for all patrons.

Tajsar said, however, the treatment of the women "is a throwback to the days of 'whites only' signs and colored water fountains, with Muslims now being the convenient targets of discrimination," said Tajsar. "Urth Caffe's attempt to whitewash its upscale clientele by using its seating policy as a justification to expel those who outwardly appear Muslim is both immoral and illegal and should have no place in Orange County's diverse community," he added.

Tajsar alleged there were several racially charged incidents targeting Muslims around the cafe in recent weeks, prompting the restaurant's managers to "cleanse" the store of Muslims.

The attorney said tires have been slashed and the restaurant has been egged by bigots. Citing the time-limit policy was merely a "pretext" to kick the women out without admitting religious bias, Tajsar argued. The lawsuit does not cite a specific dollar figure for compensatory or punitive damages, but Tajsar estimated it could reach "the millions."

"We want to hold Urth management accountable so this doesn't happen again,'' Tajsar said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations' Greater Los Angeles Office issued a statement last week voicing concern about the women's treatment.

Two other non-Muslim women also told Farsakh they had been there before the group of women arrived and were not given the boot. Another group of women in the restaurant also said they had been there for about four hours, according to CAIR.
One of the nation's busiest interchanges was named in honor of an Orange County hero.

A four-mile stretch of the 405 Freeway, between the 605 and the 22, that cuts through Seal Beach was named the Kevin Woyjeck Memorial Freeway on Monday, after the hometown hero firefighter who died while on duty three years ago in Arizona.

Kevin Woyjeck, 21, of Seal Beach, was one of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who was killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire.

His father, a retired firefighter, came up with the idea and contacted assemblyman Travis Allen to dedicate the freeway to his son.
Pastor Kevin Kappler of Pleasantview Church has been tapped to lead the American Family Association's 20th annual St. Francois County National Day of Prayer ceremony set for Thursday evening on the south lawn of the St. Francois County Courthouse, 1 N. Washington St. in Farmington.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

In the event of rain, the service will be moved into the County Annex Building, 1 W. Liberty St.

Created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, the National Day of Prayer is an annual observance that takes place on the first Thursday in May, according to the National Day of Prayer Task Force website. The event invites people of all faiths to pray for the nation.

The National Day of Prayer theme for 2016 is Wake Up America.

According to the organizations website, this years National Day of Prayer seeks to emphasize the need for individuals  corporately and individually  to return to the God of our Fathers in reverence for His Holy Name.

To further highlight the theme, organizers have chosen Isaiah 58:1a as the scripture for the year: Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet.

This years event begins with singing led by Kappler at 5:30 p.m. The prayer service will start at 6 p.m. with area pastors leading prayers for the various divisions of the government at the local, county, state and national levels.

Kappler stressed that the National Day of Prayer service is not limited to a particular denomination and that it offers people nationwide an opportunity to join together in prayer for the nation as a whole.

The scripture teaches us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man does much good, Kappler said. You go to II Chronicles and the scripture teaches us that if we humble ourselves and pray and seek his face, hell forgive our sin and will heal our land.

So prayer is the language between God and man. I always think its good if we can take the time to pray on behalf of our nation, our fellow brothers or just our society. Its absolutely effective  scripture tells us it is.

Kappler said he expects the event to wrap at about 7 p.m. Attendance typically runs from about 150 to 200, but the pastor said hed like to see even more Christians participate this year.

Ive been involved in this countys National Day of Prayer service for several years and in another state for three or four years, he said. Obviously we want to see people on board for this because this is their one day a year to come together as a community on non-religious turf and say were here because we love our country, we love our people and we believe in the power of prayer and how it affects us as people and as a nation.

This gives us a chance to exercise that opportunity  and its like anything else. Things that are not used and exercised often, if were not careful, can slip away from us.

The National Day of Prayer Task Force is a privately-funded organization that aims to encourage National Day of Prayer participation, according to the website.
Authorities were searching for two armed men who pistol whipped a man and a woman inside an apartment in North Hills early Tuesday morning.

The home invasion was reported around 1 a.m. in the 9900 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police responded to the scene and found two people suffering from head injuries.

Neighbors were shocked that a crime this violent happened in their apartment building.

"I was surprised because I saw them wheel him out on a gurney and I couldn't believe it," said Randy Laney. "I couldn't believe it. So I just keep my doors locked."

Brent Jones said it was frightening.

"It could happen to anybody," he said. "It can happen anywhere, anytime."

It was unclear what the two men may have stolen from the residence, but one of the victims said he was not able to find his wallet, police said.

It was also unknown if the victims knew their attackers. The assailants were wearing white T-shirts.

A witness said the men had a dog with them and one said, "Good night," to him in Spanish as they he ran from the crime scene.

Kathy Vara and Oleevia Woo contributed to this report.


Researchers believe they have found the ship that legendary explorer Captain James Cook used to sail to around the world submerged somewhere in Rhode Island's Newport Harbor.

The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, which is leading the search effort, said in a statement posted on its website that it is 80 to 100 percent sure that the remains of the HMS Endeavour is among sunken wrecks off the state's coast.

Cook used the Endeavour to claim Australia for the British during his historic 1768-71 voyage.

In 2014, the Australian National Maritime Museum signed an agreement to help the Rhode Island group find the lost vessel.

"To be able to find the last resting place of the Endeavour would truly be a nationally significant event, if not internationally," said Kevin Sumption at the time. Sumption is the director of the Australian museum, which features a replica of the Endeavour.

The roughly 100-foot vessel was part of a fleet of 13 ships that the British scuttled during the Revolutionary War in 1778 to blockade Newport Harbor. It had been listed in the records under a different name, the Lord Sandwich.

The Rhode Island group used documents in London to map and then analyze sites where the ship may be found in the harbor. It said remote sensing data suggests that the suspected Endeavour shipwreck may still exist.

Researchers are scheduled to outline plains to confirm the wreck at a news conference Wednesday in Providence.
The greatest climatic scene in any superhero movie yet didn't involve explosive violence, at least not of the physical variety.



At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, the star-spangled soldier wakes up in what appears to be a World War II-era hospital recovery room. But the Brooklyn Dodgers game playing on the radio  a game he remembers attending  tips him off that he's a character in a play of someone else's making. He flees the building to find himself in 2011 Times Square.



The chilling scene set the stage for the subsequent ascent of the most unlikely superstar of the movie superhero world: a 1940s patriotic throwback whose strength pales next to most of his contemporaries, but whose character is as unbendable as his mighty shield.



Former milquetoast Steve Rogers faces his toughest fight in "Captain America: Civil War," which opens nationally Friday and pits factions of The Avengers  one led by him, the other by Iron Man  in a battle over a government bid to regulate superheroes.



But as we've seen with the champion of the red, white and blue, things are never as black-and-white as they appear. Captain America fights his wars on multiple fronts, battling time and even himself as hes morphed during his initial four movie outings from a straight-arrow do-gooder to the most deceivingly complex figure in the Marvel Universe.



Hes an independent hero  and perhaps an anti-hero  for our times, an era filled with political turmoil, upended expectations and more than our share of ambiguity.

As embodied by actor Chris Evans, who effectively conveys brains and brawn, Steve Rogers is a case study in innocence lost. The government created Captain America to fight the good fight, without question, against a defined enemy with the world at war.

Now, hes heading the Avengers crew thats resisting government interference spurred by the destruction wrought in battles with the likes of the Tony Stark-created Ultron. Rogers determination to save his World War II sidekick, Bucky Barnes, from a fate as a brainwashed assassin also drives his defection from authority.

The film brims with parallels, not only to real-life tensions over war, weapons and human rights, but to the recent "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," which also centers on the conflicts over unchecked superhero powers.

Like DC stalwarts Batman and Superman, who were born in the late 1930s, 75-year-old Captain America has endured thanks to constant reinvention. The Marvel star got his first comic book case of future shock when Jack Kirby and Stan Lee yanked him out of a state of suspended animation in early 1964, shortly after the assassination of President Kennedy and on the eve of a new era of upheaval.

Steve Rogers movie persona has been similarly updated, keeping the spirit of the comic book original while upping the intricacy of what it means to be an American hero. He seems determined to redefine not only himself, but also loyalty and winning. Civil War is shaping up as Captain Americas turn to deliver a rude awakening of his own.

Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.
The Key West DUI trial for Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz got underway Tuesday.

A jury was selected and opening statements were heard before prosecutors called the two officers who pulled over Diaz to the stand. Video of the traffic stop was also played.

Diaz has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stems from his arrest this past October. He offered no comment after Tuesday's hearing.

Key West police said Diaz was arrested after he stopped his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and it fell down because he failed to put the kick stand down. Diaz reportedly was doing 74 mph in a 30 mph speed zone before he was stopped.

Police said they placed him in handcuffs after he failed field sobriety tests, which included swaying during an eye test and losing his balance while trying to walk a straight line.

In court Tuesday, Diaz's attorney argued that there's no real proof the commissioner was unstable.

Diaz was elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners in September 2002. He was reelected in August 2014.
Police say a North Lauderdale man lured a young girl into his car last Thursday in Margate by offering her a ride to school.



Margate Police say the girl was walking to school Monday morning at 7 a.m. when 58-year-old Jose Laurence pulled up next to her and offered her a ride.



The girl initially mistook Laurence for a family member and got into his car. Police say Laurence drove off with the girl and invited her to his house.



She refused, and Laurence eventually dropped her off at school and gave her a hug.



The girl wasn't harmed while she was in the vehicle, police say.



Laurence is now facing charges of luring and enticing a child, as well as battery. Records show he was booked on Monday.



It's not known if Laurence has hired an attorney.



Police say other children may have been victims of Laurence. Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.
Miami-Dade commissioners came to an agreement Tuesday evening involving the fate of ridesharing services in the county.

The commission voted 9-2 in favor of legalizing the use of transportation network entities, such as Uber and Lyft.

"It's all about the people. The people demanded it, the people deserve it," said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who supports the decision that took most of the day to reach.

Dozens came out to the commission chambers for the vote, both in support of and opposed to the ordinance.

"Today was a huge day in Miami-Dade County for the residents, tourists and drivers," said Kasra Moshkani, General Manager of Uber in South Florida.

Representatives from Uber said they wanted to ensure they'll be able to operate in the county. Taxi companies, however, argued that Uber drivers are stealing their business.

"They have devalued the taxicab industry to the point where the only thing they haven't done is put nails in the coffin, but they have us in the coffin already," said Diego Felicionado, President of the South Florida Taxicab Association.

People who own permits to operate cabs say they are seeing their investments plummet.

Commissioner Esteban Bovo had a critical role in moving the legislation forward. He said it's a success and now some changes put in place will allow the taxi industry to compete.

"We had a floor on what they could charge but one of their main complaints in the past was that the transportation network entities could undercut them. Now we've loosened that up so they can lower their prices when they need to," Bovo explained.

The vote means legal approval for an already successful Uber, which says it has more than 10,000 drivers operating in the county.

Mayor Gimenez released the following statement after the approval vote:

"Today represents the culmination of several years of hard work as we celebrate that Miami-Dade County's 2.7 million residents and millions of annual visitors will soon be able to legally use transportation network entities (TNEs) like Uber and Lyft. I want to thank Commissioner Esteban Bovo for his leadership and commitment to moving this critical legislation forward, and to Commissioner Audrey Edmonson for initially proposing the regulating of TNEs over two years ago.

App-based mobility solutions like Uber and Lyft are necessary to bringing Miami-Dade County transportation into the 21st century. To keep up with what our community wants, we must continue to integrate new technologies and forward-looking tools to offer transit and mobility solutions for our residents and visitors.

We all know that there is no silver bullet to solving our countys transportation challenges, but services like Uber and Lyft can help residents and visitors better connect with our existing public transportation system, and serve as an additional transportation option for our community."
UPDATE: Body Found on Brooklyn Waterfront Wearing "Cement Shoes" Is ID'd

Police said Tuesday that a body found in a plastic bag along the Brooklyn shoreline this week was "obviously" the victim of a homicide  and that the man's feet were coated in cement.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said the man whose body was found in a bag near Sheepshead Bay at Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach on Monday morning also had his hands bound behind his back.

"This individual was wrapped in plastic bags and his arms were tied behind him and his feet were submerged in concrete," Boyce said. "Obviously a homicide."

The man, whose identity hasn't been released, had several tattoos on his back, including the image of the Virgin Mary and a rose.

A student at nearby Kingsborough College discovered the body.

"It's a little crazy, especially in this area, for something like that to happen," said former student Daniel D'Angelo. "Especially near a college campus and everything. It's crazy."

No arrests have been made in the case.

Anyone with information about the killing should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Fire officials are looking into whether candles used in Easter services might be to blame for the raging fire that gutted a historic Manhattan cathedral on Sunday.

Fire officials said Tuesday they were looking into whether caretakers might've accidentally placed candles that hadn't been snuffed out in a cardboard box Sunday, sparking the blaze that destroyed the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava.

Authorities said that the cause of the fire is not suspicious.

More than 700 parishioners had celebrated Easter at the Flatiron District church before the blaze broke out, but the cathedral was empty when the fire began.

A building caretaker attempted to rush inside when he noticed the fire, but was turned back by the flames, fire officials said. He suffered from minor smoke inhalation.

Five other people, including four firefighters, also had minor injuries, according to fire officials.

Three other Orthodox cathedrals burned the exact same day around the world -- one in Russia, two in Australia -- but police said there's no evidence they are linked. The fire is not thought to be suspicious in nature.

The cathedral, formerly known as Trinity Chapel, was designed in 1850 by architect Richard M. Upjohn in the Gothic Revival style.

The chapel was an Episcopal Church for several decades until 1915, when the area became more commercial and parishioners decided to relocate.

The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased the structure from the Episcopal Diocese in New York in 1943. It was designated a New York City landmark in 1968.

Flames shooting from Cathedral of St. Sava on 25th in #NewYork. No word on injuries. pic.twitter.com/pGJRhrLbWO  Bob Redell (@BobNBC) May 1, 2016
Call me unpatriotic, but whenever I hear people prating about the "American Dream," it sets my teeth on edge. The thing about dreams, see, is that they're imaginary. A figment of your imagination.

So you have a dream. Good for you.

I had a dream, too. When I was 12. I was going to be a major league pitcher. Over the ensuing years, however, it became gradually apparent that the fastball that wowed them in Little League might not carry me to World Series stardom.

To me, that's one of the big lessons of sports: realism. How good you are, how good you're not. How to deal with it.

It's when people bring unfettered illusions into the economic and political realm, however, that the trouble starts. One such example is a provocative essay in the May issue of The Atlantic by Neal Gabler.

Despite five well-received books and hundreds of magazine articles in all the prestigious places, Gabler finds himself dead broke at age 66 -- ducking creditors, driving a 19-year-old junker, in thrall to the IRS and having to borrow money from his adult daughters to pay the heating bill.

"Financial impotence," he calls it.

While he says he's not looking for sympathy, Gabler identifies with economically squeezed Americans who told pollsters for the Federal Reserve Board that they would have to meet a $400 emergency by either borrowing, selling something or worse.

"Four hundred dollars!" Gabler writes. "Who knew? ... Well, I knew. I knew because I am in that 47 percent."

Well, Mitt Romney knew, if you recall. He expected GOP voters to be angry that a near-majority of Americans didn't earn enough to pay Federal income taxes (although many end up remitting a greater proportion of their wealth to the government than Romney himself).

However, Gabler's point isn't really political in the electoral sense. He professes concern about the aforementioned "American Dream." He thinks it's a pity that only 64 percent in a 2014 New York Times poll professed belief in this phantasm, defined as "that great, glowing, irresistible American promise that has been drummed into our heads since birth: Just work hard and you can have it all."

Actually, no you can't. And you never could. Respectfully, Gabler appears to have spent too much time on planet Hollywood. He worries that people's money problems have "perhaps begun to diminish our national spirit. People want to feel, need to feel, that they are advancing in this world. It is what sustains them."

Some would say that defining the national spirit entirely in material terms can only lead to sorrow. But let's not get metaphysical in a newspaper column.

The author of biographies of Walt Disney, Walter Winchell and Barbra Streisand, Gabler appears to have fallen into what my friend Gwen Moritz aptly defines as "the fatal trap of believing that (he) deserved a lifestyle (he) simply couldn't afford."

To somebody like me whose professional career roughly parallels Gabler's, the man's personal choices are mind-boggling. As he correctly points out, "writer ... is a financially perilous profession." To keep your head above water, it's important to keep your wits about you. Without my wife's steadfastness and hard work, I'd never have made a go of it. But if wealth and status are your primary goals, you're probably in the wrong game.

Gabler appears to have made one financially ruinous decision after another -- hiding the truth from himself and his family with equal facility. Even his confession sometimes conceals as much as it reveals. Moritz says she actually screamed when Gabler mentioned cashing out his retirement account to pay for his daughter's wedding -- this after spending his father's savings to send his children to costly private colleges. He wanted them to be "winners."

Me, I was flabbergasted when he mentioned buying a house in East Hampton, New York, the most exclusive CEO- and celebrity-enclave on the East Coast. A visit to the yacht club there could make an ordinary peasant nostalgic for the age of piracy. This two years before selling his family's Brooklyn co-op. His combined mortgage payments must have rivaled Portugal's national debt.

Then there was Gabler's stretching out a lump-sum book advance by failing to pay taxes. Slate's Helaine Olen says "I don't believe there are 10 people in the United States who couldn't tell you that would end badly."

Equally bewildering is the personal angle. See, when they left the city, Gabler's wife gave up her career as a film executive. "(W)ith my antediluvian masculine pride at stake, I told her that I could provide for us without her help -- another instance of hiding my financial impotence, even from my wife. I kept the books; I kept her in the dark."

So what can she have been thinking? The wonder is that they haven't divorced.

It's a fascinating confession, but few will find it ultimately persuasive.

American Dream, indeed.
A traveler arriving from the Dominican Republic was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport after approximately nine pounds of cocaine was allegedly found in his computer bag and tucked inside his pants.

Federal Customs and Border Protection officers on Friday noticed the unusual weight of a computer bag they said belonged to Angelo Fernandez, a U.S. citizen who had just arrived on a flight from Santiago, authorities said Tuesday.

The agents said they found cocaine in the inside panels of the bag.

They then searched Santiago and said they recovered a sock filled with pellets of cocaine inside his pants.

The nine pounds of cocaine have an estimated street value of $160,000, agents said.

Santiago faces federal charges of narcotics smuggling, said Robert Perez, director of filed operations for the CBP in New York.

The CBP had no information about whether Santiago has an attorney who can comment on his behalf.
Police are searching for the men who entered a Brooklyn hotel room and violently robbed three guests inside.

The three victims  two men and a woman in their 30s  were staying at the Howard Johnson hotel on Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville.

They were in their room Saturday night when the two suspects entered with a silver firearm.

One of the suspects hit one of the guests with the gun. The two thieves then stole a Galaxy cell phone, LG cell phone and cash before taking off.

The guest who was hit with the gun suffered cuts to his or her head.

No arrests have been reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-477-TIPS.
They came as robots and gladiators, light-up princesses and high-haired goddesses shimmering in green, copper and silver.

As predicted, the annual parade of fashion and star power at the Met Gala on Monday night included an array of interpretations on the evening's vibe: "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology."

That's the name of an exhibit opening Thursday that set the tone for the star-studded evening that raises millions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art each year. This time around, the idea was to explore the convergence of handmade and machine-made elements in fashion, past, present and future.

Some highlights from this year's Met Gala:

GLOWING GOWNS

Technology, thanks to Marchesa and IBM, wired up the buzz for a dainty gown with ombre-painted flowers worn by Karolina Kurkova. It was a dusty blue tulle and the flowers were outfitted with 150 LED lights that changed colors, based on a "cognitive" analysis of the brand's color palette. The geeks correlated data from hundreds of images of Marchesa gowns with and related social media sentiment in a show of how technology can enhance the human imagination.

Besides, Kurkova said, her battery pack kept her warm.

Claire Danes also lit up in a pale blue, thanks to a wired-up dress Zac Posen has been teasing for days on social media.

THE OUTRAGEOUS

Looking at you Lady Gaga, and your ribbed bodysuit from Versace. And, of course, your towering platform shoes and metallic silver jacket. And looking at you Katy Perry, and your black velvet Prada gown with the gold embellishment that looked like it could hurt someone. Oh, and your black helmet hair and little Tamagotchi digital pet you called your "tech element."

Other ragers: Madonna exposed her bum and Nicki Minaj looked all fierce and sexy in a strappy, sparkly black number with lots of buckles designed by her date, Jeremy Scott. He wore an exoskeleton suit of sparkles.

MEMORABLE MEN

Idris Elba, a gala co-host, takes the nobody-wears-a-tuxedo-and-tails better award. All he had to do was stand there and radiate. And by radiate we mean, on those levels he does best: suave, sexy, debonair.

Zayn Malik and the silver metal arms on his dark suit appeared to channel the Winter Soldier, as in the movie "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." Or a droid. Take your pick. He escorted Gigi Hadid.

Jared Leto wore a custom Gucci white tailcoat with a white evening shirt and white bowtie, completing his look with a hand-carved black lacquer cane with a silver and crystal embellished cat head detail. He also had Florence Welch, in Gucci, as his date.

Kanye West wore a Balmain silver-embellished denim jacket with ripped jeans to accompany wife Kim Kardashian, who was similarly silver. West turned his eyes blue somehow. His one-word explanation to E! for his look: "Vibes."

BABY BUMPS

Emily Blunt and Olivia Wilde  and their bumps  posed together on the carpet. Both wore their hair tight and back, Blunt in a custom sapphire sequin-embroidered lace gown from Michael Kors and Wilde also in Kors but a custom black stone-embroidered column look with a metallic collar halter.

Kerry Washington was one sexy mama as she cradled her smaller bump in a sleeveless black lace gown with a plunging V-neck and sexy slit. She wore long sheer gloves, all courtesy of Marc Jacobs. And she rocked purple hair!

GLADIATORS

Taylor Swift, also a co-host of the gala, went full-on gladiator to go with her fierce new tousled platinum locks. Her black sandals laced up to just below the knee, paired with a Louis Vuitton silver, sparkly mini that had ruffled tiers at the bottom and cutouts on the sides, all topped off with an ultra-dark lip shade.

Who else evoked Roman stadium fighters of old? Alicia Vikander, also in metallic Vuitton but hers with a bright red bustier to go with copper, black and white skirting and chunky heeled combat-like boots.

FKA Twigs was ready to call the winner in a goddess gown of peachy nude with a strappy neck and high slit. A jeweled headpiece linked to a nose ring. Robert Pattinson in white tuxedo jacket and black trousers wore a black bow tie and a smile.
Police are searching for a Brooklyn man in an alleged Craiglist rental scam, police say.

Nathan Smith, 37, is suspected of soliciting renters on Craigslist for an apartment he didn't have any authority to rent, then taking $975 from a 25-year-old man.

When the prospective renter discovered the apartment was already occupied, Smith refused to return the victim's money and the victim has been unable to get in touch with him since. Police said Smith's whereabouts are unknown.

Anyone with information on Smith, whose address is listed on Boerum Street in Bushwick, is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
A Hudson Valley podiatrist and his girlfriend are accused of plotting to kill his wife and rough up two insurance investigators who were looking into his medical practice.

Ramapo police arrested Ira Bernstein, 42, and Kelly Myzner Gribeluk, 36, on Monday after learning of the alleged plan and setting up a sting operation employing a makeup artist to make the two insurance agent look like they had been savagely beaten, authorities said Tuesday.

Police said they were tipped to the plot about a month ago by a man the pair allegedly hired to kill Bernstein's wife Susan. The informant told police that the killing was to be done is such a way as to appear that the woman's death was an accident.

After the two insurance investigators were made up to appear beaten, their photos were taken and presented to Bernstein and Gribeluk, police said. The suspects then paid the informant for the assaults and the killing, police said, declining to reveal the amount.

Bernstein and Gribeluk were charged with felony counts of conspiracy and solicitation and were being held in lieu of $600,000 bail.

The case will be presented to a grand jury on Friday, police said.

Attorney Kevin Conway, who is representing Bernstein, said his client looks forward to clearing his name.

"These are very serious charges. Dr. Bernstein plans on being vindicated of those charges," he said.

Bernstein operates Rockland Podiatry out of offices in Suffern and Bardonia.

He has at least one malpractice lawsuit pending against him, according to court records. He lost a malpractice suit in 2014 and settled at least two others, one involving a child, records show.

In 2013, Gribeluk was involved in a custody fight over her three sons after breaking up with her Orthodox Jewish husband, according to a story in The Jewish Week. He husband accused her at the time of having an affair with his nephew.
Uber is celebrating five years in the Big Apple with $5 fares and free slices at some of the city's best pizzerias.

The ride-sharing company has teamed up with several pizzerias in each of the city's five boroughs to offer free slices to anyone who shows the app at a participating location.

The company said on its site that it would also be offering $5 flat rates all week for customers who use its UberPOOL service.

The company kicked things off Monday in Staten Island with free slices at Joe and Pat's on Victory Boulevard.

On Tuesday, Uber users in the Bronx to get free slices at Emilio's Pizza Gourmet on Morris Park Avenue or Full Moon Pizza on East 187th Street.

Wednesday, pizzerias in Queens will be in the spotlight. The company hasn't revealed the locations yet, but AM New York reports that free pizza will be offered at Rizzos Fine Pizza in Astoria, Artichoke Basille's Pizza in Astoria and Lillian's Pizzeria ijn Forest Hills.

Brooklyn is in the spotlight on Thursday. AM New York reports that Williamsburg Pizza on Union Avenue in Williamsburg will be giving away free slices, as well as Two Boots' Park Slope location. Legendary pizzeria Di Fara in Midwood will also be getting in on the action from noon to 6 p.m.

On Friday, nine Manhattan pizzerias will be handing out free slices, AM New York reports. The participants include: Two Boots locations in the West Village, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown East, the Upper East Side and Upper West Side; Artichoke Basille's Pizza in the East Village; Rizzo's Fine Pizza on the Lower East Side; and Williamsburg Pizza's Lower East Side location.
In the latest in a string of incendiary and often conspiratorial comments, Donald Trump on Tuesday linked Ted Cruzs father to President John F. Kennedys assassin.

Trump, on the day Indiana went to the polls, repeated assertions made by the National Enquirer that the Cuban-born Raphael Cruz was pictured with Lee Harvey Oswald handing out pro-Cuba pamphlets in New Orleans in 1963.

"I mean, what was he doing  what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?" Trump asked in an interview with Fox News. "Its horrible."

Cruzs campaign called the article garbage.

From Muslims celebrating en masse after the World Trade Center fell to disparaging the qualifications of his rivals for the presidency, here are some of Trumps most provocative statements.

"Thousands of people were cheering"

Trump claimed to have seen thousands of Muslims rejoicing in Jersey City when the Twin Towers fell during the 2001 terrorist attacks.

"Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down," he said at a rally in Alabama in November. "And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down."

"So somethings going on," he said. "Weve got to find out what it is."

There were no verified reports of mass jubilation on Sept. 11  though NJ.com found some residents and a police officer who said they saw small groups of people celebrating.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop tweeted that Trumps statement was "absurd."

Either @realDonaldTrump has memory issues or willfully distorts the truth, either of which should be concerning for the Republican Party  Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) November 22, 2015

Cruzs Canadian birth

Before the Iowa caucuses, Trump speculated that Cruz was not eligible to run for president because he was born in Calgary, Canada, and had held both American and Canadian citizenship.

According to the Constitution, the president must be a "natural born citizen" though it does not specify what that term means.

The Texas Republican is a U.S. citizen because his mother is one  and some scholars say the Constitutional issue is not settled.

In February, angry over ads, Trump threatened to sue Cruz.

If @TedCruz doesnt clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2016

And what about Rubio?

In another tweet in February, Trump raised questions about whether Marco Rubio could run for the White House. But the Florida senator, who has since dropped out of the race, was born in Miami, though to parents who had immigrated from Cuba.

Trump claimed simply to have retweeted an argument that neither Rubio nor Cruz were eligible.

"@ResisTyr: Mr.Trump...BOTH Cruz AND Rubio are ineligible to be POTUS! It's a SLAM DUNK CASE!! Check it! https://t.co/NjqWP0pP6X"  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2016

"I've never looked at it, George," Trump told George Stephanopoulos, on ABCs "This Week." "I honestly have never looked at it. As somebody said, he's not. And I retweeted it. I have 14 million people between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, and I retweet things and we start dialogue and it's very interesting."

Born in Kenya?

Trumps birther claims began with President Barack Obama in 2012, when the New York businessman repeatedly questioned whether Obama was indeed born in the United States. At one of his campaign events, he allowed a false claim that Obama is Muslim to go unchallenged.

Pigs blood

Another discredited story that Trump repeats: Gen. John Pershing shot Muslim extremists in the Philippines with bullets dipped in pigs' blood.

[NATL] Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail
Actor Kirk Cameron is facing backlash over his recent comments on women's role in marriage, according to Today.com.

The former "Growing Pains" star recently told The Christian Post, citing the Bible, that "Wives are to honor and respect and follow their husband's lead, not to tell their husband how he ought to be a better husband."

Cameron, and Evangelical Christian and a father of six, is currently on a speaking tour called "A Love Worth Fighting For," visiting churches to discuss marriage.

The actor's comments sparked uproar on social media, with one woman tweeting, Cameron "isn't qualified to give anyone advice on anything."

Cameron's spokesperson told "Today" that his words were taken out of context, saying "husbands should love and protect their wives." The actor has come under fire in the past, speaking out against gay marriage in 2012.
Police say a 4-year-old boy accidentally drowned in New Jersey over the weekend.

Egg Harbor Township Police Chief Ray Davis tells the Press of Atlantic City police had been searching for the boy near the London Court Condominiums.

Davis says the boy drowned in a swimming pool overnight on Saturday. Police didn't say where the boy drowned. He wasn't immediately identified.

The newspaper says there is a pool at the condominium complex.

A phone message left with the London Court administrative office seeking comment wasn't immediately returned.

More details are expected to be released on Monday.
A man who told authorities he got into a fight with his college freshman girlfriend over spilled noodles has been convicted of her beating and strangulation death last year in Pennsylvania.

Twenty-year-old Gregorio Orrostieta was found guilty on Monday of third-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Karlie Hall at her Millersville University dorm.

Authorities say he told police they had been drinking and got into the fight and she fell and hit her head. The defense argued an earlier injury figured into her death.

Orrostieta was found trying to administer CPR to his girlfriend after calling 911, but authorities say he was faking that and she had been dead for hours.
A New Jersey man has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the deaths of two women in north Philadelphia more than a quarter-century ago.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that 54-year-old Rudolph Churchill of Paulsboro, New Jersey was convicted of first-degree murder and weapons counts Monday but acquitted of rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.



Churchill was charged in the March 1989 rape and murder of 19-year-old Ruby Ellis and the April 1989 slaying of 33-year-old Cheryl Hanible. Authorities said DNA tests linked Churchill to the slayings of the women.



The defense called the DNA link tenuous and pointed to other evidence lost since the 1989 slayings.



Before he was sentenced, Churchill said he was raised as "a gentlemen" and denied that he killed the women.
A 26-year-old man has been charged with shooting another man inside an SUV in South Philadelphia last week, police said.

Tysheed Davis, 26, is charged with murder, aggravated assault and related offenses for the shooting death of 26-year-old Jessie Williams.

Williams was found shot inside his 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee along the 2000 block of Wharton Street in the Point Breeze section around 4:20 p.m. Friday, police said. Another man inside the SUV was hurt when the truck crashed into two parked cars following the shooting.

Williams was taken Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where died, police said.

Detectives later determined Davis was also in the SUV and got into a shoot-out with Williams while in the vehicle, police said.

Davis suffered a gun shot wound to the finger and was treated at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

A motive for the shooting was not released.
A police officer was injured in a crash in North Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.

Officials say the officer was attempting to pull over a vehicle on 25th and Diamond streets. Suddenly the police cruiser was hit from behind by another vehicle causing the officer to crash into the car he was pulling over.

The officer was not seriously hurt in the crash but was still taken to the hospital for observation.
A politically-motivated billboard campaign in New Jersey pulls no punches in attacks on Gov. Chris Christie for his allegiance to Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, and the group behind the provocative messages say they don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

The 18 billboards, and countless online social media advertisements, call on Christie to "Speak out against racism, sexism and bigotry, don't stand behind it."

The campaign, which has spent at least $200,000 so far, is being paid for by a non-profit dark money group called Bridges Over Politics.

Its evocative imagery takes advantage of Christie's now-infamous appearance behind Trump when the New Jersey governor first endorsed the New York City businessman Feb. 26.

A spokesman for the group declined to say who is funding the campaign, which began in mid-April, but he did say the group would continue buying billboards and online ads "for however long it takes for the governor to speak out" against Trump's stances, like his hardline approach to immigration and asylum for Middle Eastern refugees.

Bridges Over Politics is run by Aaron Keyak, a political aide with ties to North Jersey and New York City. He formerly worked for U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman, a Bergen County Democrat.

On its website, the group states: "Stand with New Jersey. Stand Against Hate."

Bridges Over Politics will continue to buy billboards and online ads, the spokesman said, and it could increase its spending in the coming months.

The group may be willing to end its campaign if Christie drops his support for Trump, but that may not happen any time soon. A report Sunday in The New York Times indicated Christie would be one of a few Republicans willing to run on Trump's ticket as a vice presidential candidate.
Funeral arrangements have been released for Willie Williams, the first African-American to lead the Philadelphia Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department, who died at the age of 72 last week.

A public viewing will be held Friday, May 6, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Baker Funeral Home on 2008 North Broad Street in Philadelphia. Another viewing will be held Saturday, May 7 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Zion Baptist Church on 3600 North Broad Street. A funeral service will immediately follow at the church at 11 a.m.

Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. appointed Williams the Philadelphia Police Department's first black commissioner in 1988. He succeeded Kevin Tucker and paved the way for many other African-American leaders in the department, including current Commissioner Richard Ross and his predecessor, Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

"I remember most about his tenure that it was a historic appointment," former Mayor Goode told NBC10 on Wednesday. "He was the perfect person to be in that position as the first African-American police commissioner of the city."

.@PhillyPolice mourns the loss of former P/C Willie L. Williams -the city's 1st African American Police Commissioner pic.twitter.com/kxa4s3qVNs  Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) April 27, 2016

Goode, who said he was so close with Williams that he considered him to be like family, recalled Williams as humble and soft-spoken, but forceful. He said a hallmark of Williams' tenure as the leader of the Philadelphia department was his ability to bring the police and community together.

"When other cities were experiencing differences between police and the community, Philadelphia was kind of calm," Goode said. "I think it was due to the leadership of Willie Williams, being in control and having that kind of interpersonal skill to talk to neighborhood leaders throughout the city."

That skill caught eyes on the West Coast, and in the wake of the Rodney King riots in 1992, the Los Angeles Police Department recruited Williams to become commissioner there. Williams spent half a decade leading the LAPD. In 2002, he became head of federal security at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and settled in Atlanta.

Williams' daughter-in-law Valerie told the Associated Press that he died Tuesday night at his home in Fayettevelle, Georgia. She said he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Ross, Philadelphia's current leader, joined the force a year before Williams took over the department and was patrol partners with Williams' son, also named Willie Williams, who is now a lieutenant in the Philadelphia Police Department working in Mayor Jim Kenney's security detail. Ross echoed Goode's sentiments about Williams, saying he was fair, charismatic and committed to community policing.

Kenney in a statement on Wednesday said he was "deeply saddened" by Williams' death.

"He served this city with greatness, improving community police relations and breaking down barriers at Philadelphia's first African-American commissioner," Kenney said.

Ross said Williams served as an inspiration to him to rise through the ranks of the department.

"I'd seen that someone else had reached that pinnacle," Ross, who took over the department after Commissioner Charles Ramsey retired in January, said. "It was possible for me and others to do it as well. When you reach a milestone like that ... that just makes the barriers crumble for others as well."
The Department of Education has launched a new website to help people with student loans find a repayment option that best suits their needs.

The move is part of an effort the Obama administration is undertaking to enroll an additional 2 million people into repayment programs such as the Pay As You Earn program, which caps monthly student loan payments at 10 percent of income.

Federal student loan debt exceeds $1.3 trillion, and about one in seven borrowers default on their loans within three years of beginning to repay them.

The Government Accountability Office found last year that many eligible borrowers don't participate in the income-driven repayment programs, in part, because the department doesn't consistently notify them of their options.

Education Secretary John King told reporters during a conference call that he's still paying off loans he took out as a graduate student. He said the debt can be daunting, but is not necessarily a bad thing because college is the single best investment people can make for their future. "It's debt that pays you back. At the same time, we know costs are rising too fast and too many Americans are struggling to pay back their loans," King said.

King said the department will also work with 40 outside organizations to educate borrowers about the repayment options available to them. In the long run, the department is moving toward a future one-stop shop where borrowers can more easily manage and repay their loans.

King acknowledged the income-driven repayment plans aren't the best solution for every borrower. Some would do better paying off sticking with a standard 10-year repayment plan because they'll end up paying less interest in the long run. "It's really individual specific," King said.
President Bill Clinton stopped in San Diego Wednesday as he campaigned for Hillary Clinton ahead of Californias June 7 primary.

"I think we would all admit this has been a fairly interesting election year," Clinton said to laughs from the crowd. "You couldn't make some of this stuff up."

The former president talked about San Diego's diverse population, and the region's strong biotech industry when he spoke at the Balboa Park Club.

He said Hillary Clinton not only has the best ideas but he said she is the only person qualified to be president.

Supporters of Democrat presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders showed up outside of the rally with signs and T-shirts promoting their candidate.

San Diego Police estimated 350 people attended the event however organizers told NBC 7 1,100 invites were returned at the door.

When asked for a comment on Clinton's appearance, the San Diego County Republican Party leadership declined to make a statement.

Bill Clinton was leaving San Diego to head to Los Angeles for another rally.

Hillary Clinton visited the home of Qualcomm's Irwin Jacobs in August for a fundraiser.

Clinton's campaign said it has $30 million in the bank heading into May. She has now raised $213.5 million in primary funds for the campaign and more than $46 million for national and state Democratic parties.
California is five weeks away from the state's presidential primary, but with the focus on the presidential race, it's easy to forget there are some often overlooked and interesting small contests among those jockeying to be delegates at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.

On Sunday, dozens won places on the Clinton and Sanders tickets for the states June 7th balloting.

The Republican White House candidates file their own slates of proposed delegates in each congressional district, and 10 proposed statewide delegates.

The Democrats held caucuses that turned the wannabe delegates into candidates themselves, doing retail politicking.

One of the top vote-getters on the Clinton side was Poway resident Judy Ki, looking to go to the convention as a Clinton delegate from the 52nd Congressional District.

She sold herself, big-time, to about 300 voters in a Miramar District union hall.

"My margin of victory were my personal friends, Ki said in an interview Monday. My hairdresser came out. Some of my neighbors came out."

A long career as a middle school science teacher readied Ki for just the kind of research and presentations that serious politics demands.

Doing any campaign is logical and sequential. It's like setting up a science experiment," she said. "You do step one, step two, step three, step four, right?"

Kis showing at the caucus would seem to make her a lock for Philadelphia in late July -- on her own dime, of course.

Or more accurately, somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,000 -- unless she can partner up for a hotel room.

"The (hotel) room is the most expensive. I don't eat a lot and the flights are fine -- I have lots of mileage, Ki said with a hearty laugh. But this is so exciting. This is on my bucket list, believe it or not.

The second-place finisher at the 52nd District Clinton caucus was Jennifer Campbell, a retired physician who lives in Clairemont.

Her family is steeped in Democratic Party politics; her cousin is David Axelrod who served as President Obamas campaign manager.

"My mother was a great politician in Colorado, and she was one of the first Democrats for (John F.) Kennedy, Campbell told NBC 7. And Kennedy used to call my house when I was a kid -- I talked to him on the phone. And it was just marvelous. And I got to go see his acceptance speech in 1960."

Campbell has met Hillary Clinton at Clinton's home in Washington when she was a senator.

She'd seem to be a no-brainer for delegate-picking by Clinton's team if the Democrats went by California GOP rules  but captured more than enough hearts and minds at Sundays Miramar District caucus.

Well, I was thrilled and surprised, but we did work hard and campaigned, she said. There were four of us on the team -- two men, two women -- we worked together. And all of our friends and supporters, people who've known us for years in the Democratic Party came out to support us. And it was just wonderful, a wonderful day."

Campbell also appears to be likely to wind up in Philadelphia, and for the sake of her budget, she has relatives there who could spare her a hotel stay.
Extensive graffiti, broken windows, fire extinguisher discharge and toppled furniture at Warner Springs High School prompted district officials to cancel class for cleanup, San Diego Sheriff's Officials (SDSO) said.

A school maintenance worker arrived Tuesday morning to find the extensive vandalism in multiple classrooms at the school on State Route 79, far east of Escondido, authorities said.

Warner Springs Sheriff's deputies responded at 5:13 a.m. Several buildings, classrooms and officers were found damaged.

The damage was severe enough to cancel school for at least Tuesday, deputies said. Officials began cleaning up and repairing the vandalism.

The closure covered the entire school district complex, including kindergarten through 12th grade.

The repairs will cost several thousand dollars, SDSO said.

The School Resource Deputy is responding.

No other information was immediately available.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 with information to remain anonymous.
A Coronado-based U.S. Navy SEAL killed in combat in Iraq has been identified as Charlie Keating IV, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey confirmed Tuesday.

"His death is a tragic reminder of the daily sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform  fighting evil and extremism on the front lines to protect freedom and democracy at home and throughout the world," said Ducey in a statement.

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said the SEAL was killed near Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city that has been in the hands of ISIS militants since 2014, according to The Associated Press.

U.S. military officials told NBC News that the American was killed by direct fire about 2 to 3 miles behind the Peshmerga's forward line after ISIS fighters breached the position. The SEAL was advising Peshmerga forces when the attack happened.

Keating was a graduate of Arcadia High School in Phoenix. He was the grandson of an Arizona financier of the same name involved in a savings and loan scandal.

Indiana University officials said Keating was a student athlete at the school from 2004 to 2006, where he competed in track and field and cross country events. During the '04-'05 season, he finished as a Big Ten runner up in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in the mile run event.

"When Charlie left IU to enlist and try to become a SEAL, I don't think it really surprised any of us," said Robert Chapman, professor of kinesiology at IU Bloomington, who served as IU's men's cross country coach from 1998 until 2007, in a statement. "You could tell he was a guy who wanted to be the best and find out what he was made of, and serving as special operations forces for his country embodied that.

Head track and field coach Ron Helmer remembered the fellow IU Hoosier and Paradise Vallet, Az. native, in a statement.

"From all accounts, Charles Keating was a great kid and a privilege to coach. On behalf of Indiana Track and Field, my condolences go out to the entire Keating family. He paid the ultimate sacrifice defending his country, and for that we are eternally grateful."

Governor Ducey ordered all flags to be lowered to half-staff on Wednesday, May 4th from sunrise to sunset.

The Pentagon says this was a large-scale attack with truck bombs and small arms.

"It is a combat death," Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters in Germany Tuesday.

Three Peshmerga soldiers were also killed in the attack.

NBC 7 San Diego has confirmed the servicemember was with SEAL Team One, based out of Coronado.

Ed Hiner, a retired Navy SEAL and combat veteran who served in Iraq, said sometimes, you just don't know what you're going to come up against.

"There's a lot of guys out there doing a lot more then people understand, and it's just the nature of the beast -- you can be the best trained person in the world, but a road bullet gets you, and that's it," said Hiner.

This is the third American serviceman to die in combat in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition launched its campaign against the Islamic State in the summer of 2014, the Associated Press reports.

A special operations soldier, 39-year-old Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, was killed seven months ago in a Kurdish-led raid on an Islamic State prison in northern Iraq.

In March, a Marine artilleryman, Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin, 27, was killed when the militants launched a rocket attack on a newly established U.S. base outside Mosul.
A high school student riding a bicycle he had gotten just hours earlier was hurt Monday night when he crashed his new bike into a car in Oceanside, officials confirmed.

The Oceanside Police Department (OPD) said accident happened around 9:40 p.m. near an apartment complex at 210 Rancho Del Oro. The 17-year-old was riding fast down a steep hill when he collided with a driver who was in the process of parking, OPD Lt. Matt Cole said.

The teen suffered unspecified but non-life threatening injuries in the crash. As a precaution  and due to his age  police said the teen was airlifted from the scene to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.

The victims brother-in-law, Victor Perez, told NBC 7 the teenager had gotten the brand-new bike earlier in the day and was riding it around near his home.

Perez, who lives just two miles away from the site of the crash, said he and his wife got a phone call about the accident and rushed over.

He said an officer told him the teen was riding down a hill and tried to make a sharp right just as a truck was trying to park in the area. The teen was riding so fast, he couldnt avoid ramming into the vehicle.

Perez said he went through the back windshield of the truck and suffered a head injury. As of Tuesday morning, the teens condition was unknown.

Perez said the victim is a senior whos about to graduate from a nearby high school.

Hes a good kid. He goes to school, listens to his parents, he goes to church a lot. Nice, young kid, he explained. Were hoping for the best  praying. Hopefully he gets better and comes home.

Perez said these are trying times for his family and an example of how, in his words, you never know what could happen.

The incident is under investigation. No one else was injured in the crash.
The Port of San Diego will honor San Diegos deep ties to the maritime industry this month with a series of events, including free public tours.

Dubbed Maritime Month, the Port of San Diego says the educational, month-long celebration is meant to recognize the industrys role in job creation and economic prosperity in Americas Finest City and to give the public an inside look at what its like to work the waterfront.

To that end, two free public bus and four boat tours will take place throughout May with bus tours departing from Pepper Park in National City (3299 Tidelands Ave.) and boat tours departing from Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego (1000 North Harbor Drive).

The Port says the tours will feature detailed narrative on San Diegos working waterfront including cargo operations, cruise facilities, shipyards, and associated vessels calling on the Port.

The bus tours are set for May 17 and May 24  both at 10 a.m.

The boat tours are scheduled for May 14 and May 21, with two tours taking place on each of those days. The first boat tour on May 14 boards at 9:30 a.m. and departs at 10 a.m. and the second tour boards at 12:30 p.m. and departs at 1 p.m. The first boat tour on May 21 boards at 10 a.m. and departs a half-hour later, and the second tour boards at 12:30 p.m. and departs at 1 p.m.

The Port says the theme of Maritime Month is Ships Bring Prosperity, which highlights why San Diego Bays deep water makes it an ideal location for cargo terminals to import and export goods from around the world.

Common cargo that passes through San Diego includes bananas, automobiles, steel, lumber, cement, soda ash and project components. This type of cargo, according to the Port of San Diego, has significant impact to the regions economy.

In San Diego, industrial and maritime commerce and related industries around the Port contribute $3.5 billion to the regions economy and generate 12,800 waterfront jobs, the Port said in a press release Tuesday.

Port tenant Pacific Tugboat Service will also sponsor a Name That Tug contest for Maritime Month in which four vessels in the companys fleet will be renamed after local military heroes. The contest is set for May 20 at Cesar Chavez Park and will include 150 local middle school student participants.

Nationally, May 22 is recognized as National Maritime Day, as first declared by the United States Congress in 1933.

To register for a bus or boat tour via the Port, click here.
Protesters who surrounded San Diego State University's president as he left his office last week met Monday with administrators.

Students from SDSUs Justice in Palestine and Muslim Student Association met with university leaders, including President Elliot Hirshman, to discuss signs that were posted throughout campus.

Last week, students swarmed President Hirshman after administrators did not openly condemn the posters, which identified specific individuals as terrorists or terrorist enthusiasts.

After Monday's meeting, a joint statement was released concluding the conference allowed both sides to express concerns as well as agree that protecting members of SDSU is a priority.

We concluded by agreeing that in cases where racism, islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia and all forms of bigotry result, we abhor the content of such expressions, even as we recognize the protected status of these expressions, read the universitys statement.

The signs were originally created by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, which describes themselves on their website as an organization that "combats the efforts of the radical left and its Islamist allies to destroy American values and disarm this country as it attempts to defend itself in a time of terror."

Moving forward, student organizations such as the Muslim Student Association, Associated Students and the University Senate will work together to review the schools guidelines to allow freedom of expression while also protecting members of the community from harassment.
An undercover San Diego Police detective escaped injury when shots were fired at his unmarked vehicle while he was investigating gang activity in Jamacha Lomita Monday.

Officers received a call of multiple gunshots near Glencoe Drive and Jamacha Boulevard at 10:45 p.m.

A driver opened fire at the plainclothes detective sitting inside an unmarked car. The detective wasn't injured during the shooting however there were several bullet holes left in the detectives car.

SDPD patrol cars arrived and stopped the suspect vehicle as it was traveling west on Jamacha Boulevard.

One man jumped out of the car and began running through backyards.

One officer fired his weapon at the suspect but it's not known if the man was injured, SDPD officials said in a written news release.

Two men and one woman were taken into custody, police said. One suspect was still outstanding. The woman has been identified as 31-year-old Kimberly Denise Hooker. She's been booked on a charge of attempted murder, police said.

The two men were not identified. They are facing weapon charges and a probation violation, police said.

The investigation has closed off a large stretch of Jamacha Road near Beacon.

Neighbors heard the shooting and police activity overnight.

SDPD officials say the officer who fired his weapon feared for his life at the time of the shooting. He has been identified only as an 8-year veteran of the department.

No other information was immediately available.
More than 1,000 cars, including a set of luxury vehicles in Maryland and Virginia, have been stolen by suspected car cloners in the past six years, according to a review of FBI and police reports by the News4 I-Team.

Car cloning is a profitable and sophisticated form of car theft in which thieves mask the identity of a stolen vehicle by creating and installing a bogus vehicle identification number (VIN) on to the car. The fake VIN masks the true identity of the vehicle, allowing thieves to hide the car in plain sight and resell it for a large profit to unsuspecting buyers.

An investigation by the I-Team found a series of recent car cloning cases in the Washington, D.C., area. In one case, I-Team cameras recorded the takedown of a suspected car thief in Forestville, Maryland. Police with the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement Unit found three stolen, luxury cars outside the home of the suspect. Each of the cars displayed a fraudulent VIN, according to police investigators.

One of the seized cars, a white Chevrolet Corvette, recently was stolen from a Fredericksburg, Virginia, car dealership, according to police reports and surveillance footage obtained by the I-Team.

Everybody were dealing with in these VIN cloning operations are for-profit thieves, National Insurance Crime Bureau investigator Tom Reich said. They arent just stealing a car to get from one place to another.

The proceeds from car cloning and VIN fraud can be funneled into criminal enterprises, according to the I-Teams review. The resale of stolen vehicles helped fund a major Maryland racketeering ring called Simple City, according to the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement Unit, which helped investigate the crime ring. Members of Simple City pleaded guilty last year. The organization was suspected of more than $5 million in crimes.

A review of Maryland court records shows more than 140 cases of altered or forged serial numbers in 2015, including from automobiles.

(Cars) can be re-vinned on different machines or by hand, Prince Georges County Police Lt. David Coleman said. (Some criminals) automate it. As many ways as you and I can think up, its probably been done.

Reported by Scott MacFarlane, produced by Rick Yarborough, and shot and edited by Steve Jones.
Fifteen years after Washington intern Chandra Levy was killed and her body dumped in the woods, the pain is still fresh.

"He's got tremendous anger. I have tremendous sadness," said Levy's mother, Susan, who joined her husband for an interview with NBC's "Today" show. "The anger and sadness is really the same."

Levy, 24, a California native, disappeared May 1, 2001 while interning for the federal government in Washington, D.C. Her body was found a year later in a densely wooded area of Rock Creek Park.

The case captivated the nation amid allegations of an affair between Levy and her hometown congressman, Gary Condit. Even her father speculated about the relationship and Condit's possible involvement in the case.

"Girls have their own minds, especially if they're seduced by someone who is older and wiser," Robert Levy said in an interview at the time.

Condit was quickly ruled out, but his career suffered a fatal blow. The congressman sought re-election but lost his seat in 2002.

Attention later turned to Ingmar Guandique, an immigrant from El Salvador who, according to his one-time cellmate, confessed while in prison to killing Chandra Levy. Guandique was serving 10 years for attacking two other women in Rock Creek Park.

He was charged with Chandra Levy's murder in 2009 and convicted in 2010 in a case based largely on circumstantial evidence. Although sentenced to 60 years in prison, questions about the validity of his cellmate's claims earned Guandique a retrial, set to begin this October.

"As far as I can see, it's just some defense attorneys trying to make themselves a name and make more money," Robert Levy told the "Today" show. "You know, he's guilty."

Regardless of what happens when the case goes back to court, Chandra Levy's parents will continue to grieve.

"No matter what, we don't get our daughter back," Susan Levy said.
A former employee of D.C.'s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing the identities of young people in order to file false income tax returns.

Marc A. Bell, 49, of Bowie, Maryland, worked as a program manager, program officer and placement expeditor from 2005 to 2013 at DYRS, which provides supervision, cutody and care for youth charged with delinquent acts. He admitted getting the personal information of at least then-current and former DYRS youth from the agency's database between 2010 and 2013 and giving it to others, who used the names and Social Security numbers to filed more than 1,000 tax returns claiming $4,441,194 in refunds, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The IRS issued checks totaling $2,422,211 in the names of the youth.

Mr. Bell has caused immeasurable harm to the financial well-being of the youth whose identities he stole, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski said after Bell pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, aiding and abetting in the filing of fictitious or false claims, and aiding and abetting fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents.

U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle also ordered Bell serve three years of supervised release and pay the IRS $1,972,710 in restitution, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

About 20 people participated in the scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, including 40-year-old Lakisha Jackson, of District Heights, Maryland, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit theft of public money. She admitted allowing her address be used to file about 70 false tax returns claiming $229,199 from 2010 to 2012. The U.S. Treasury issued 61 checks totaling $193,977, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Jackson agreed to pay the IRS $175,953 in restitution. She faces a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing in July.
Deputies were posted outside the church where the funeral for six of the eight family members killed in rural southern Ohio was being held Tuesday as authorities continue chasing leads on the slayings.

The service at Dry Run Church of Christ in West Portsmouth is the last of three funerals for the victims.

Seven adults and a 16-year-old boy from the Rhoden family were found dead April 22 at four homes scattered across a few miles of countryside near Piketon, about 80 miles east of Cincinnati. All eight were shot in the head, some had other gunshot wounds and bruising, and none of the deaths appeared self-inflicted, authorities said. Three young children were unharmed.

Tuesday's funeral honors 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 16-year-old Christopher Jr., and 19-year-old Hanna; and Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden.

The Rev. Mark Seevers said he didn't know the family, but they had requested the church space and the church wanted to serve them.

"The southern Ohio community is a close-knit family, and even though it was, you know, 20 to 30 minutes away, it rocked our community," Seevers said. "Everyone is grieving and mourning."

He described the slayings as "a sorrowful tragedy."

A handful of Scioto County sheriff's deputies were posted at the church driveway entrance and slightly down the road on either side as people started arriving late Tuesday morning.

Seevers said he was told to expect a large crowd at the church that holds about 480 people.

Authorities are still trying to determine who killed the victims and why. They have conducted nearly 130 interviews and are reviewing about 450 tips and more than 100 pieces of evidence, Attorney General Mike DeWine said Monday.

They found a large-scale illegal marijuana growing operation at one of the crime scenes and said pot was being cultivated at some of the other homes, too  something not uncommon in this corner of Appalachia  but they haven't said whether they believe that to be connected to a motive.

DeWine said he wouldn't speculate as to whether a threat to the family remains. On the day the bodies were discovered, law enforcement officials urged other members of the Rhoden family to take precautions since it appeared the family was targeted.

"We have no new information that would indicate that there is a threat to any of the members of the family," he said. "We don't have any information on that. And we did not when we initially said it other than the fact we had eight people killed."

The funeral home titled their online obituary simply "The Rhoden Family," with a section listing how each of those victims was linked to the others and their survivors.

Services for a cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38, were held Thursday in South Shore, Kentucky. Mourners remembered Frankie Rhoden's fiancee, 20-year-old Hannah Gilley, at a funeral Saturday in Otway.
A baby was killed in a single-vehicle crash on the Maine Turnpike, state police said Monday.

The car struck guardrails in Wells during a period of heavy rain around 4 p.m. and came to a rest along the tree line beside the highway.

The victim was 11-month-old Reece Degen of Sanford, who suffered fatal head injuries. She died shortly after she arrived at York Hospital.

Her mother, 21-year-old Brianna Degen, of Sanford, was in the passenger seat.

Alyssa Cray, 22, of Sanford, was driving the vehicle.

Both women were taken to Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Cray's two children, 4-month-old Connor Cray and 3-year-old Alexandria Cray were also taken to Maine Medical Center with minor injuries.

Connor Cray and Reece Degen were both in child safety seats. Alexandria Cray was wearing a seat belt.

Troopers continue to investigate the crash.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect in connection to burglary and sexual assaults which occurred at Bryant University.

Authorities are trying to locate Jason J. Londono, 28, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

He's described as 6' tall and weighs approximately 175 pounds.

Five incidents took place at the school on April 30.

Victims told the university that they woke up to someone touching them inappropriately and when they confronted the intruder he fled the residence.

In each case, Bryant officials say the doors to the campus townhouses were unlocked.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call: (401) 231-2500.
Fire destroyed a house that was under construction on Downs Road in Monroe, Connecticut, early Tuesday morning.

Firefighters were called to the house around 12:30 a.m. after a neighbor saw the fire. When they arrived, firefighters encountered flames that were shooting about 40 feet into the air.

The responding crews faced several issues, including a limited water supply because of a lack of hydrants and the narrow road.

"We're on a very small road up here, no water supply, so we had to bring in tankers from mutual aid companies. We knocked the fire down within about 10 minutes of being on scene. Then we had a water supply issue until the tankers came in," Deputy Chief Stevenson Volunteer Fire Company John Howe said.

In addition to the house, the Dumpster also caught fire.

No one was in the house and no injuries are reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

(William Davin/Fire Marshal, Monroe)

04:17 Right now its still an undetermined fire//05:00 Very uncommon unless its an arson fire. We have not gone that route yet. Were trying to eliminate other avenues prior.

"Right now its still an undetermined fire," Monroe fire marshal William Davin said. "Very uncommon unless its an arson fire. We have not gone that route yet. Were trying to eliminate other avenues prior."

Anyone with information should call authorities.
A Massachusetts man has been arrested after being accused of disturbing crimes against children in the play area at a McDonald's.

Attleboro police say around 3 p.m. Sunday, 22-year-old Joshua Jones, also of Attleboro, touched a 7-year-old girl's chest in the tree house, put playing cards in a 4-year-old boy's underwear, and allegedly pulled down his pants, showing little girls his private area.

Local moms say they can't believe it.

"That doesn't make me feel comfortable at all especially since I go to that McDonald's once a month, bring my two year old," Soleil Couto said.

Police say Jones got the attention of some of the alleged victims by doing magic tricks with playing cards, and that in one case, a victim's father was at the counter ordering ice cream at the Pleasant Street restaurant.

"It's unbelievable, you can't even trust yourself to bring your kids to McDonald's to play. We used to go when it was raining, school was out, you know," Marcy Bourbeau, a grandmother, said.

According to police, Jones' parents say he is diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, ADHD and dementia and believe he's operating on the intellectual level of a 5 or 6 year old.

He's now facing six charges, including two felonies of indecent assault and battery on a child.

Prominent Boston attorney Eric MacLeish says he thinks the charges will most likely be thrown out.

"He's clearly not going to be competent enough if he has a developmental disability of a 5 year old, and secondly we don't prosecute people like this, a basic tenement of our criminal justice system is you have to have the intent, he clearly lacked the criminal intent to do these acts," he said.

A police summary also says Jones is supposed to be receiving "one-on-one" treatment at a state-contracted residential treatment in Attleboro, where he lives. The home is supposed to make sure "... all alarms are activated on entry and exit doors, to avoid having clients walk off the property."

But workers "...were advised by the staff that somehow Joshua had walked away from the house during shift change around 3 p.m."

His parents tell necn off camera that their son's well-being is their number one priority and that they are worried how he'd be allowed to walk away.

The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services says: "DDS takes seriously the health and safety of our individuals and the community and we are taking all steps into looking into these allegations. Any facility that fails to protect residents or meet appropriate standards of care will be held accountable under state and federal regulations"

McDonald's says safety of its customers and crew is its paramount priority, and that they are cooperating with police.

Jones is back in the state-contracted home until he's back in court later this month. A judge has ordered him to have no unsupervised contact with kids under 16, unless the child is supervised by an adult.
An Arlington, Massachusetts, man convicted more than a decade ago of possessing child pornography has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following a second conviction on similar charges.

Federal prosecutors say 45-year-old Derrick Jones was also sentenced Monday to 10 years of probation following completion of his prison term.

Jones pleaded guilty in January to receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

Prosecutors say Jones used file sharing computer programs to trade and receive images of child pornography and also downloaded and viewed images and videos of children being sexually exploited. Jones also had a collection of about 34,000 images and 13,000 videos of child pornography.
A ninth-grade humanities teacher at a Boston charter school has been named Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.

Sydney Chaffee, who has been teaching at Codman Academy Charter Public School in Dorchester since 2007, was honored at a ceremony at the school Tuesday.

In addition to her teaching duties, Chaffee mentors student teachers; serves as humanities department chair; coordinates a weekly, student-led, assembly; serves as a "crew leader" for a dozen female students; and encourages all her students to participate in the national Poetry Out Loud competition and perform in an end-of-year play.

Codman Academy Principal Thabiti Brown calls Chaffee "an unstoppable teaching force for good."

The Saugerties, New York, native has degrees from Sarah Lawrence College and Lesley University.

She is now eligible for national Teacher of the Year honors.
A Simsbury High School student was hit by a car in front of the school Tuesday and was hospitalized, according to police.

The student, a 16-year-old girl, was struck on Farms Village Road at 7:23 a.m., but was not in a crosswalk, according to police.

Principal Andrew O'Brien said in a statement to the school community that administrators, staff members, police and others responded within seconds to comfort the student and to provide information regarding the event to first responders.

O'Brien said the director of health services rode to the hospital with the student and met with her parents, who were notified by administrators immediately.

The student was treated at the hospital and released, according to police.

"This accident underscores the importance of driving slowly within our school zones and keeping an eye out for pedestrians. I would like to thank our staff members as well as members of the Simsbury Police Department and EMT Services for their prompt and professional response. Our thoughts remain with our student and affected family at this time," O'Brien said.

The pedestrian was transported to the hospital and is at this time being assessed for injuries and considered to be in stable condition. The driver of the vehicle stopped immediately and is fully cooperating with investigators. Farms Village Road was closed for a short period during the investigation, but has since been reopened.

The driver of the vehicle stopped immediately and is fully cooperating with investigators, police said. No charges have been filed and police are looking into whether rain was a factor.
Police in Providence, Rhode Island, are investigating the death of a Johnson & Wales University freshman who was found unresponsive in a dormitory over the weekend.

Maj. David Lapatin says 24-year-old Andrew Loofbourow was found dead in a bathroom at South Hall at approximately 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

University spokeswoman Miriam Weinstein says Loofbourow was a Rapid City, South Dakota native who had recently enrolled for the spring term in the college of culinary arts.

A statement released by Johnson & Wales over the weekend said Loofbourow's impact on campus was "both positive and memorable among his roommates and classmates."

Lapatin says police are waiting for the medical examiner to determine Loofbourow's cause of death, but no foul play is suspected at this time.
Police in Winchester are searching for the suspects who used a high-powered slingshot to smash windows and doors at local businesses and homes.

"It just really hurts," said Robert Patton-Spruill.

He's spent the last two years and his life savings to renovate and restore a historic Winchester building into a distillery.

"Some of these windows are 120 years old, so yeah, there's a little bit of history here," Patton-Spruill said.

Overnight Saturday vandals struck and ruined what he worked so hard to preserve.

"It's just profoundly disappointing," Patton-Spruill said.

Just a few doors down at the Main Street Mini-Mart.

A shattered front door forced Manager Danny Soni to shut down for two days.

"It's just really sad," said customer Kristi Johnson.

The closure cost the store about $10,000 in business. But still, Soni says he's most worried about his customers.

"Because we have a high traffic area over here," he said. "Anybody can get shot, if they can break the windows, they can break anything."

Winchester Police believe the suspects struck with a high powered sling shot, marbles, and metal pellets.

"You get hit in the temple with one of these things, it's deadly," said Chief Gary Phillips.

Chief Phillips says the vandals hit five different spots around town, including an apartment. Thankfully, no one was home.

"Oh my God, what if we were sitting there in the living room and all of a sudden something comes flying through out of nowhere," Johnsons said. "It's scary."

"It's dangerous, it's a serious crime," Chief Phillips said. "God forbid somebody got injured by one of these things, it could be negligent homicide."

And while nobody was physically hurt, business owners say the thousands of dollars worth of damage is painful enough.

"From an emotional standpoint we all got hit," Patton-Spruill said. "We are a down-on-its-luck mill town trying to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and the last thing we can have going on here is wanton damage to history...that's all we got is history."

Police say they're trying to get ahold of surveillance video from around town.

The suspects could be facing felony charges.
A letter in support of the New Hampshire prep school graduate who was convicted of sexually assaulting a younger student compares the conviction to the story of Joan of Arc.

According to the Boston Globe, the letter was included in court filings for Owen Labries appeal of his bail revocation.

Labrie, 20, of Tunbridge, Vermont, was convicted of sexual assaulting a 15-year-old classmate at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, when he was 18 years old.

The letter did not identify the professor or the institution, but it says Labrie needed to travel to Boston for his studies. Labrie admitted to violating his 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. curfew three times to get to Boston early in the morning and was sentenced to jail.

Labrie remained free while his lawyers appealed his conviction, but was given a curfew.

The professor told Labrie that his conviction and hardships were a gift from God.
Investigators are trying to determine if return gunfire from police, not a self-inflicted gunshot, killed a man who shot his girlfriend, according to The Eagle-Tribune.

Authorities had previously said Yenny Santos of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was shot by Antonio Gonzalez before he took his own life.

Gonzalez shot Santos in April, prompting a police standoff.

The paper reports Gonzalez smashed out a third-floor window and fired at officers, before police immediately returned gunfire.

Santos remains hospitalized.
The state insists that Boston Duck Tours has known about the spotty driving record of the duck boat driver involved in this weekend's deadly crash for years.

According to a statement from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, "employers are provided upon request with a 10-year driver record that includes any unresolved offenses outside that window."

The RMV says Boston Duck Tours has requested and received the driving record of 41-year-old Victor Tavares every year since 2010.

Boston Duck Tours CEO Cindy Brown told necn Monday that the company checked Tavares' record two months ago and received "very different information" from the RMV.

In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Boston Duck Tours said it has learned that there is a "significant difference" between the driver's record provided by the RMV and the "driving history," which goes back to when the license was issued.

"This particular duck tour driver had an exemplary record while driving for us the past six years," the statement reads. "Safety remains our utmost priority, as Boston Duck Tours currently operates a brand new fleet of Truck Ducks, which meet all current Coast Guard and Department of Transportation regulations. The driver involved in Saturdays accident is currently under suspension, as part of standard operating procedure."

Tavares, of Brockton, has not been charged in the accident that killed 28-year-old Alison Warmuth on Saturday.

But according to the RMV, Tavares has a lengthy and problematic driving history that includes five license suspensions, 10 speeding tickets, safety violations and a 2003 accident for which he was found to be at fault.

To be a tour bus or similar operator in Massachusetts, a driver most hold a Commercial Driver's License, a Coast Guard Captain's License and a state-issued Motor Bus Driver Certificate. On that application is a line where the state needs to say whether the "driving record cleared" - yes or no. Necn has asked if Tavares' driving record was cleared. The state has not answered our inquiries.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told necn it is Boston Duck Tours' responsibility to make sure their drivers are safe.

"I think the burden on the review piece belongs to them and their insurance company," Baker said. "This is a tragedy and we'll get to the bottom of it on our end to find out who knew what when, but I think (Boston) Duck Tours has a pretty exemplary record around here."
"Duck boats are death traps, they've killed more than 20 people in the last 19 years," said attorney Robert Mongeluzzi.

There is now a renewed call to ban Duck Boats across the country, after Saturday's Duck Boat accident in Boston that claimed the life of Allison Warmuth while she was driving her scooter onto Beacon Street.

Philadelphia-based attorney Robert Mongeluzzi has represented the victims in two fatal Duck Boat accidents there and his investigators did these 3-D laser scans which he says show the massive blind spots for duck boat drivers.

Mongeluzzi said, "On the land they have huge blind spots caused by a six foot bow because they're driving boats on the streets, they're difficult and cumbersome to operate."

NECN legal editor Randy Chapman says he doesn't believe one fatal crash in the Boston fleet will outweigh the Duck Boat Tours long record of safety here, but he could see it prompting some changes.

Chapman said, "Whether that is additional equipment, cameras on the side, vehicle detectors that would indicate that there's a pedestrian or a scooter or another motor vehicle in the area, that's certainly something that's worth taking a look at."

Mongeluzzi says he feels even those changes would not be enough to ensure safe operation of Duck Boats.

"Duck boats should be banned," said Mongeluzzi, "they were created to invade countries from the sea, they are totally inappropriate and unsafe for city streets."
On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope.

On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope.

Painting and biblical feasting in Overstrand There will be opportunities to improve your painting skills and indulge in some biblical feasting next month at the Pleasaunce in Overstrand in North Norfolk. Read more

National award for Dereham Christian bookshop The Green Pastures Christian bookshop in Dereham has won a national award for providing boxes of Christian books to 21 local schools. Read more

Norma's care home jigsaw challenge complete A resident at Norwich-based care home Corton House has completed an incredible 70 jigsaw puzzles in celebration of the homes 70th anniversary this year. Read more

Norwich charity's appeal to support Palestinian students A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal  to be launched on November 29. Read more

Norfolk drug and alcohol charity pays tribute to its founder Andy Sexton, CEO of the Matthew Project, introduces a series of tributes from the charity to its founder, Peter Farley. Read more

Cliff look alike at Cromer Church breakfast Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Read more

Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more

Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more

What it means for us to repent Nigel Fox believes that now is the time for a tide of repentance, and shares his thoughts about what that actually means for our society. Read more

Christmas card shop opens in Norwich church Thousands of Christmas cards from around 30 local Norfolk charities have gone on sale today (October 19) at the Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop inside St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre. Read more

Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe Revelation in Norwich is a Christian resource centre, offering a bookshop, a meeting place and a welcoming refuge for refreshment open to visitors of any faith or none. Read more

Farewell as Yarmouth church leader moves on Captain Marie Burr, the Salvation Army leader in Great Yarmouth, has paid tribute to everyone at the church and charity after she left her post at the end of last month to move to a new role. Read more

Norwich Cathedral chorister in BBC final Norwich Cathedral chorister Alice Platten has her sights set on being crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year after reaching the final stages of the prestigious nationwide competition. Read more

Norwich to hear pastor, Policeman and tramp tale Essex Baptist Pastor Dave McDowell has been a Policeman, fed orphans in India and lived under a boat as a tramp. He will tell his remarkable story at the October dinner of Norwich FGB on Wednesday October 26. Read more

Pioneer UK leader speaks at Sheringham church Ness Wilson, national leader of the Pioneer network of churches, was the main speaker at a day of teaching and worship held at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham on 12 October, to be followed up by Word and Worship sessions at October half term. Read more

Norwich event to give tips on bouncing forwards St Stephens in Norwich will be hosting an evening in October with Patrick Regan OBE, as he explores themes from his book Bouncing Forwards. Read more

Youth for Christ lights a fire in north Breckland North Breckland Youth for Christ will be putting on a mini residential camp this year to coincide with Bonfire Night. Read more
Over the past 30-plus years, Cisco has almost single-handedly carried the flag for network-centric innovation. Its many brand campaigns along the way have told us that Cisco can Empower the Internet Generation and connect the Human Network and that Tomorrow Starts Here.

Each of those branding initiatives was tied to a different era in networking. For example, Tomorrow Starts Here was targeted at the Internet of Things (IoT).

Now that IoT is well underway, Cisco is changing its brand to be more reflective of the next wave in business: the digital era.

This morning, Ciscos Chief Marketing Officer, Karen Walker, outlined the thoughts behind Ciscos new brand campaign of Theres Never Been A Better Time. Ciscos tagline is supported by a number of use cases that explain what it is that theres never been a better time to do. Below are a couple of examples that illustrate how theres never been a better time to make cities smarter or  to save the rhinos. Along with the headline, Cisco provides stories and data points, quantifying the value of digitization.

At launch, Cisco released a number of digital examples that vary widely by vertical, region and value. The main point is that for all organizations, there has never been a better time to use digital assets to find a different, better faster way of doing things. The technology is there; its time to put aside excuses and take advantage of digital transformation.

The objective of the new campaign is for Cisco to establish itself as visionary and digital thought leader. Cisco has done this before with previous branding campaigns, but its approach is different this time.

With past campaigns, Cisco tried to be futuristic and get people to think about whats possible. With this campaign, all of the examples are actual digital initiatives underway with Cisco customers, so theres never been a better time is much more about whats happening now versus what might happen in the future. To see an example, take a look at the joint Cisco  Dimension Data project save the rhinos.

Digital is changing the world

The here and now focus of the new campaign is appropriate for the digital era. One of the main talking points for Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and Executive Chairman John Chambers is that digital is changing the world faster than ever, and businesses that act on it now will put themselves in a position to be market leaders. Those that do not will struggle to be relevant, with many going out of business.

By providing examples of what other companies are doing, Cisco should be able to create some urgency to get other organizations moving faster. Cisco makes the point that theres never been a better time to solve some of the toughest challenges in business and society with technology.

The digital initiatives Cisco uses will be country-led, so the use cases in Canada will be different than what someone in Australia might see. This should help create the customer-engagement experience Cisco is looking for. Its one thing to see a use case about something happening halfway around the world, but when its in your own backyard, it reinforces the message that the time for digital is now.

Also, Cisco will be promoting its partners in the success stories. The save the rhino story with Dimension Data will become the norm rather than the exception. Cisco understands that digital transformation is a huge undertaking for its customers and not something it can deliver alone. By highlighting partners, Cisco shows it can deliver an ecosystem of partners to help its customers complete the digital journey.

Another difference between this campaign and past campaigns is that Cisco will be delivering a highly digital campaign. Expect to see a mobile-optimized experience delivered over multiple channels that is driven heavily by social media activity. Cisco is very active on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social channels, and I would expect them to keep the volume up with respect to this new campaign.

Its no secret that Cisco has had its eyes on increasing its relevancy with business leaders and has boldly claimed its goal is to be considered the most strategic technology vendor. Theres never been a better time to will certainly help that cause.

As I pointed out to Robbins when he took over from Chambers, all of the building blocks of digital transformation (IoT, cloud, mobility, security, etc.) are network-centric, so digitization must not just be IT-led but be network-led. Considering there isnt another network vendor thats even close to having the same scale, size and capabilities of Cisco, this should be Ciscos best opportunity to fulfill its goal of being both a networking leader and a technology visionary.

Organizations are looking for a partner to navigate the changing world. So, while Cisco is telling us theres never been a better time to embark on the digital journey, it appears theres never been a better time to be Cisco, as business solutions now are network-centric, putting Cisco at the center of digital transformation.
Microsoft's rumored Surface Phone, the replacement for its disastrous Windows Phone line, is rumored to be one year away. The April 2017 launch is expected to coincide with Redstone 2, the second major upgrade to Windows 10 for PC and mobile.

The source of the rumors is Windows Central, which has been quite tenacious in pursuing this story. It notes a big gap between the quality of the Surface tablet and Lunia 950 phones, both launched last year, with glowing reviews for the tablet and thumbs-down for Lumia. The result has been dismal sales, just 23 million phones sold in FY 2016.

The delay isn't hardware-related. It comes from Microsoft waiting to finish Redstone 2, the follow-up to Redstone, its first major overhaul of Windows 10. Redstone 1 is believed to be the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. A beta went live last week with a bunch of new features.

Because Redstone is such a hefty update, don't expect a follow-up to come any time soon. The bigger the update, the more time they need. So, it would make sense that Redstone 2 would come in 2017. Windows Central said that it and Redstone 3, which hasn't been mentioned at all, would both be heavily focused on "innovation around mobile phones."

That matches Windows chief Terry Myerson's comments at Build last month that Windows Phone was not a focus for the company this year, hence no discussion at the conference.

Two areas of focus

Windows Central says Microsoft plans to focus on two areas: make the most secure phone in the world and make the best phone for productivity.

In the first case, Windows Phone is already pretty secure. You don't hear about rampant vulnerabilities like in Android or about malware. Then again, malware writers don't target platforms that have less than 2 percent market share. In the second case, Microsoft has been trying to make Windows Phone a productivity device with support for Microsoft products. So, that makes sense.

Windows Phone sales have cratered. I'm not sure there will be any potential market, even with nifty features such as Continuum for running Win32 apps on a smartphone, left for Microsoft to grab. It's a shame because in many ways, Windows Phone is a superior operating system now to its competitors. But the whole thing has been bungled, and I have never seen a product left for dead like this come back in any significant way.
The U.S. government has indicted a Virginia couple for running an H-1B visa-for-sale scheme the government said generated about $20 million.

Raju Kosuri and Smriti Jharia of Ashburn, Va., along with four co-conspirators, were indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The scheme involved, in part, setting up a network of shell companies and the filing of H-1B visas applications for non-existent job vacancies.

Workers were required to pay their own visa processing fees and were treated as hourly contractors, the DOJ alleged. Treating H-1B workers as hourly contractors is in violation of the program rules, the government said.

More than 800 H-1B visa petitions were submitted over a period of nearly 15 years, according to court documents.

The six people indicted in the case face prison time of anywhere from 10 to 30 years if convicted.

Neither Kosuri or Jharia could not be reached immediately for comment.

The H-1B program may be susceptible to fraud. In 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service reported that a review of 246 randomly selected petitions filed in 2005 and 2006 revealed a fraud rate of just over 13%.

The government's analysis found forged documents, fake degrees and shell companies with fake locations.

Jail time is an ongoing risk for people convicted of H-1B fraud, although it's difficult to know how many have actually been sent to prison for it. One H-1B fraud case that may involve a prison sentence is pending in Texas.

A U.S. District Court judge in Dallas is scheduled to consider sentencing, as early as this week, for brothers Atul Nanda and Jiten "Jay" Nanda, for visa fraud following a jury verdict last November. They face up to 20 years in prison for using the visa program to create an on-demand workforce, the government alleged.

This story, "U.S. uncovers $20M H-1B fraud scheme" was originally published by Computerworld .
The Boston Globe, whose Pulitzer-winning work behind the Oscar-honored movie Spotlight earned it a shout-out from President Obama this weekend, today is relying upon the photographic skills of a mobsters attorney to illustrate a breaking news story about the FBIs latest attempt to solve the famous Gardner Museum art heist.

The photos, credited to attorney A. Ryan McGuigan, show FBI vehicles and work tents in front of the Connecticut home of McGuigans client. And while it is my opinion that a screen capture would represent fair use in this instance  did I mention that the photos were taken by an attorney?

From the Globe story, which is behind a pay wall:

For the third time, the FBI is searching the Manchester, Conn., property of aging mobster Robert Gentile, who has remained at the center of the investigation into the notorious 1990 theft of $500 million worth of paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. In a telephone interview, Gentiles attorney, A. Ryan McGuigan, said he was watching while a detachment of FBI agents with two evidence-sniffing dogs and other equipment arrived and set up a tent on Gentiles front lawn around noon Monday. McGuigan said he had not been given a copy of any search warrant and has not been explicitly told by law enforcement what they are looking for. But he noted that the volume of the agents involved and the support equipment they brought with them suggested they were looking for Gardner paintings.

Two pictures accompany the story, credited to A. Ryan McGuigan.

[MORE: Working Robots at your service.]

One way to look at the lawyers photos is that they represent quick thinking by the Globe staffers who wrote the story, two of whom  Shelley Murphy and John Ellement  are long-ago college classmates of yours truly. Theyve got the lawyer on the line: You say the FBI is camped out in front of your clients house? Pics or it didnt happen.

Another way to look at McGuigans camera work is that its just another example of more free content finding its way onto news sites (Im assuming the attorney isnt freelancing).

Such is journalism in 2016.

(Update: McGuigan's pictures have been replaced by what appear to be genuine freelance photographs, meaning attorney McGuigan will have to keep the day job.)

Welcome regulars and passersby. Here are a few more recent buzzblog items. And, if youd like to receive Buzzblog via e-mail newsletter, heres where to sign up. You can follow me on Twitter here and on Google+ here.
Monday is still the busiest day of the week for DDoS attacks, with Thursday replacing Tuesday as the second most-active day.

According to Kaspersky Labs DDoS intelligence report covering the first quarter of 2016, 74 countries were targeted by DDoS attacks, with China, South Korea and the the United States as the top three most-targeted countries. There was slight drop in the percentage of attacks targeting resources in the U.S.

SYN, TCP and HTTP were the top three most-popular DDoS attack methods in Q1.

Most botnet attacks are launched from Windows, 55.5 percent in Q1 2016, compared to 44.5 percent being Linux-based attacks. South Korea still has the most C&C servers, followed by China, other, U.S., Russia, a tie by Great Britain and the Netherlands, followed by France.

There was a decrease in Q1 for the longest DDoS attack; it lasted for 197 hours, or 8.2 days, compared to 333 hours, or 13.9 days, for the longest attack in Q4 2015. Seventy percent of attacks last for no more than four hours. The peak number of attacks in one day during Q1 was 1,272. There was an increase to 33 DDoS attacks on a single target.

Although the largest ever confirmed DDoS attack was in 2015 at 450-500 Gbps, the report suggested the record was topped this year by attacks on Donald Trumps election campaign site. Unconfirmed sources clocked the DDoS attack at 602 Gbps.

One interesting aspect of the report deals with DDoS attacks on security companies, and it wasnt the part about firms specializing in countering DDoS attacks having frequently been hit by them. It was the fact that cyber thugs are attacking IT security company websites as a test bed, i.e. to test new methods and tools. Taking what it has learned into account, Kaspersky then predicted future trends for DDoS.

Trends for DDoS attacks

Although there were slightly fewer amplification attacks, their maximum strength has increased fourfold. UDP amplification attacks are described as relatively easy for cyber thugs to perform. They can be very powerful with a relatively small bonnet, and detecting the source can be extremely difficult, but Kaspersky said they will gradually disappear. ISP and security companies have become so good at combatting these attacks that amplification attacks on a Data Link Layer are increasingly less effective and less profitable for criminals.

Instead, the cream of the cybercriminal community are returning to attacks at the application-layer. Kaspersky Lab said it combatted more HTTP(s) attacks in Q1 than during the entirety of 2015. Kaspersky said application-layer attacks, as well as multi-layer attacks using hardware with app-layer attacks, will continue to grow.

The report states:

To execute application-layer attacks on web services, large botnets or several high-performance servers and a wide output channel are required, as well as thorough preparatory work to study the target and find its vulnerabilities. Without this, they are ineffective. If the application-layer attack is carried out properly, it is difficult to counter it without blocking access to legitimate usersmalicious requests look authentic and every bot faithfully fulfills the connection procedure. The only anomaly is the high demand for the service. We registered these sorts of attempts in the first quarter. This suggests that the DDoS market has developed so that complex, expensive attacks are becoming cost-effective, and better qualified cybercriminals are trying to make money using them. Moreover, there is a real danger of these methods being used by cybercriminals en massethe more popular the technique, the more tools are offered for it on the black market. And if application-layer attacks really do become widespread, we should expect to see a growth in the number of customers for this type of DDoS attack and more competent attackers.

The report touched on the Linux Mint Cinnamon hack, when the ISO was modified by an attacker with malicious code used in DDoS attacks, as well the continued use of pingback attacks on WordPress. If a WordPress site has enabled the pingback function, it can attract the attention of cybercriminals and helps perform DDoS attacks at the application layer.

Additionally, cyber thugs are more frequently using the DNSSEC protocol to carry out DDoS attacks. The report explained, The protocol is intended to minimize DNS spoofing attacks, but besides the domain data, a standard DNSSEC reply also contains additional authentication information. Thus, unlike a standard DNS reply of 512 bytes, the DNSSEC reply comes to about 4096 bytes. Attackers exploit this feature to perform amplification DDoS attacks. They usually use domains in the government zone .gov, because in the U.S. such domains are required by law to maintain DNSSEC.

Kaspersky concluded, With the spread of vulnerable devices and workstations and the abundance of configuration drawbacks at the application level, the cost of a significant attack is going down. Therefore, reliable protection is needed to ensure these attacks are financially unviable for the criminals.
Identity theft is a raging problem but at least some scammers are getting their comeuppance.

The Department of Justice today touted that one scammer got four years in prison for his part in a $4.4 million fraudulent federal income tax return scheme that, according to court documents involved the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought refunds of at least $42 million from the U.S. Treasury.

+More on Network World: IRS: Top 10 2015 identity theft busts+

The DoJ said the false tax returns sought refunds for tax years 2005 through 2013 and were often filed in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated individuals. Refunds also were sent to people who were willing participants in the scheme. The refunds listed more than 400 taxpayer addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

The DoJ said Marc A. Bell, a former employee of the District of Columbias Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, admitted taking part in a massive and sophisticated identity theft and false tax return scheme that involved an extensive network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance.

The DoJ said that from 2005 to 2013, Bell was employed as a program manager, program officer or placement expeditor at the District of Columbias Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. The agency is responsible for the supervision, custody and care of young people charged with a delinquent act in the District of Columbia.

+More on Network World: IRS Scam: 5,000 victims cheated out of $26.5 million since 2013+

In his various capacities at DYRS, Bell had access to the agencys database system, which contained the personal identifying information of DYRS youth, including their names and social security numbers. Bell admitted that between approximately May 2010 and April 2013, he used his computer access to obtain the personal identifying information of at least 645 then-current and former DYRS youth, the DoJ stated.

Bell admitted that he provided this information to other scheme participants, who used the names and social security numbers to file at least 1,160 fraudulent federal income tax returns that claimed refunds of approximately $4,441,194. The IRS issued approximately 700 U.S. Treasury checks, totaling approximately $2,422,211, in the names of the DYRS youth in whose names the tax returns were filed. Bell received financial compensation from co-conspirators for providing the stolen identities, the DoJ stated.

Bell is but one of almost 20 participants in this scheme who have pleaded guilty to federal charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Bell pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, one count of aiding and abetting in the filing of fictitious or false claims and one count aiding and abetting fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle ordered Bell to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,972,710.

Check out these other hot stories:

FBI: Ransomware threat at all-time high; protect company jewels

CIA: Learn how to make invisible ink, photos  from 1918

More protection needed to guard grid from electromagnetic storm threat

Headaches likely to grow over auto cybersecurity concerns

US Marshals set to auction fraudsters $1.5M high-end auto collection

NASA gives solar ionic propulsion a monster boost

DARPA: Researchers develop chip part that could double wireless frequency capacity

Top 10 space junk missions

Energy Dept. serves-up $30M for future connected, automated cars

IRS: Tax deadline looms, scammers get more frantic

Trade commission will review contentious Cisco-Arista patent dispute

FBI offers $25k reward for Andy Warhol Campbells Soup painting heist

DARPA moves toward spacecraft that can fly 10X in 10-days

10 best cloud SLA practices

The birth of IT: The IBM System/360 hails 52
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Windy and becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 77F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.